#I do not want the designs to feel like iron-on stickers. I do not want that. idk what y'all have to do but whatever you did last time

[kittlyns]

My best friend's birthday is in 5 days and I just got her present in the mail and it sucks. So I'm killing myself.

[hazshit-hotel-hater]

Cherri Bomb Redesign (Bonus!)

Surprise!! It’s her!

I refuse to believe Cherri doesn’t have bunch of scars or injuries from using explosives and fire all the fucking time. There is no goddamn way. Also shes like running and jumping all over the place constantly she’d definitely have a running blade like 90% of the time. (Don’t walk on running blades you will probably trip) Her pant leg is ripped to look cool and also just for easy access to her leg.

I wanted this to be kind of sloppy with the colours; show how a lot of sinners dont have just a select few sins and note how often people participate in almost all of them. Ik it may not be the most pleasing colour palette to look at but that’s kind of the intention. Jumbled colours and asymmetry is really just Cherri’s thing in my head. I wanted it to look like she made or thrifted her clothes as well or like just stole them.

The bomb and cherry in her hair are supposed to kind of look like those hair bobble things that fucking HURT when you snapped them but they were cute so I feel like utilising hair bobbles is something I need to do much more

You could kill a man with these I swear to god.

Her tattoos and stuff are just basic cherries and vines and the little bomb and the bisexual symbol thing. Also bellybutton piercing is some I’ve only ever done once on an OC I have named Angela/Angie which is… kind of ironic?

You even get a little redraw for funsies! This was done for my friend helping me with my rewrite ideas so this is like the least I can do as repayment. You can see heaven up in the corner too :3

I don’t actually have a bunch to say about Cherri’s redesign, I want her to just be this “Oh wow! Thats definitely an outfit!” kind of design cause I love those. Oh and she definitely did the raccoon tail masking bits with craft tape.

I told my friend the dumbass stick figure on her arm is put there because I was thinking of her asking Angel to draw on her and she’d get it tattooed and he cannot draw at all so he just did a stick figure and was like “this is so cool.” and it was not cool at all/j

I wouldve added more stickers to her running blade and stuff but her colour palette is already VERY full so this is the price to pay. Still not sure if I’ll continue doing these but we shall see!! The next design post is likely going to be the lineup and some side by side comparison things ;P 📺

[java-dragon]

Covers Bookbinding for beginners by a beginner- The Home Stretch

*drinks half a gallon of coffee*

COVERS!

You've gotten your typeset done for the fic, you've battled the demon that is your printer, folded pages, stitched pages, glued pages, glued end pages, and end bands. Made the cover, covered the cover in potentially homemade book cloth.

Now it's time to design a cover.

It's time to make this thing into a fully functioning book and slide it on your shelf and have a nice bout of "Laying on the Floor while Questioning the Human Condition (TM)".

There are a few options.

It depends on what you want.

I can only take you so far with Cricut/vinyl applications. But I researched enough to maybe, MAYBE give you the run down on at least how to get your cover from Canva to the software to cut out your vinyl. I'll start there since this is what I know the least.

Open up your version of Canva.

Make a document, I've seen some fanbinders make all this in the cricut software but I can only smile and nod along. But for me- this is the best I've figured:

go to the search bar and type in book cover (or use the drop down menu) click on a random template.

Fiddle and fart your way into a design you like. Text and Font Options are available in drop down menus and find some designs that are "Easy to Weed" which I understand as "Getting rid of all the stuff that's not going on the cover".

For Example:

Do you like it? It took me 40 seconds, I'm very proud of it. But this isn't to impress you really I just need to show you how to save your file so you can make the leap from one software application to the next.

Hit "Share", Hit "Download", File Type- Hit the down arrow, Hit "PNG" I missed this for the first few times--- BUT!

Click the "Transparent Background"

If you're doing more than one colour Vinyl you're going to duplicate the page that is located right next to the lock icon above the document. Hit that. Delete the stuff that you want to be different colours. Otherwise it will just cut everything out as one colour and I've seen some vinyl covers that get damn fancy.

You can also build a title cover just measure the spine and height of your spine and rotate your text to horizontal if you please.

Now for how I do mine. I use Printable Iron On Vinyl. Keynote there is a difference, there is stuff for light fabrics, and stuff for dark. Choose for what your primary book cloth will be but the paper itself will be white.

Make your design.

I have 3 different covers for Celestial Navigation by Sabrecmc just because of how LARGE the fic itself is. I had to split the text block up for ease of handling.

I saved as a PNG, and loaded up my fancy printable vinyl into my printer and went through the software for printing, I had to do some fiddling but for my purposes I had to get the whole cover in the right size on the page- it took some fiddling yours might be simpler it might be more complex. But once I got it printed I trimmed off the white and was left with a peel-able rather velvety feeling thing.

Remove the backing. Get the iron on and go low and slow with the provided barrier material to prevent melting and damage to the print you've just done.

I made spines as well and made an 11 x 8.5 (Or brochure template)

And lined up my spines accordingly as to not waste materials. There will be grids that pop up automatically to let you know if things line up.

Print them out on the "highest quality" out put for your photo software.

It peels like a sticker. It may take a bit to get it going.

Line it up as nicely as you can on the cover (double check on the still exposed board).

There is a protective sheet that comes with it USE IT. Set your iron to a low heat and move it around frequently.

If you're in a relatively humid area (I live in a coastal town so the humidity is pretty high all year). Have a heavy book to squish your covers down with to try and get out any bends that may happen post ironing (also why we want low and slow).

Leave to cool.

Now you have a text block and a cover.

For all intents and purposes for my demonstration I'm leaving the spine off and am redoing everything with this fic from the ground up. There are aspects and mistakes that I have made that have irked my brain. So I will be leaving the spines off for this round. This is the learning curve and since a lot have things have clicked into place since beginning this series that have given me the "AH HA! CLARITY!" moment. I have completely reworked EVERYTHING in my text block of Celestial Navigation. Plus I've a perfectionist issue that is a lot milder than what it was.

But these two text blocks will work as my "Ground Zero" and will be the books I compare all potential future binds too.

As a note that I said in the beginning of this endeavor:

THIS IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. FOR THE LOVE OF FUCK DO NOT SELL WORK THAT DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU!!!! YOU HAVE ASKED PERMISSION (I dearly hope) TO DO THIS DO NOT BREAK TRUST WITH THE AUTHOR.

IF You want to offer a copy to the author- GO FOR IT. Close friend that is showing interest in the fic?? Sure ok.

But if you sell it for monetary gain? I hope you stub your toe, and just before it finally heals you stub your toe again and may all your breakfast cereal turn to slugs.

DO NOT BE A DICK. I am writing this whole 'How To' Series as an experiment of Good Faith that you, the potential binder, will do right by the community and not compound an issue that has been cropping up. Etsy sellers, and this horrible Facebook community that will steal other's typesets, and begin selling them.

Like I said- this is a breech in Fair Use.

Now with that lecture, again, out of the way lets settle the rest of this series.

You will need:

Glue

Book Press

glue brush

Wax Paper.

Your Cover.

Your Text block.

Get your textblock and cover lined up with some wax paper in the middle of the decorative pages (if you're doing them other wise the page you glue down to the cover and the rest of the text block.

Fiddle, fart and dry fit until you are satisfied.

Lay down a layer of glue on the page NOT THE COVER ITSELF.

DON'T BE ME. I FUCKED UP HARDCORE AND DID THE COVER WITH THE GLUE. HOOOOO NELLY LET ME TELL YOU HOW BADLY THAT FUCKED SHIT UP.

HOW BAD WAS IT? BAD. VERY BAD. DON'T BE LIKE ME THAT FIRST ROUND, BE LIKE ME ON THE SECOND ROUND AND PUT GLUE ON THE END PAGE.

Line up the textblock for a final time and then apply the paper to the cover open the textblock and smooth what you just glued down. Flip over and repeat.

Then add weight to the text block put it back in your press, or if you're like me and have a reprint in the press just throw books atop the block.

Allow glue to cure over night.

Shiver, shudder, and lay on the floor. Your fic is now a book that you can put on your shelf.

Welcome to the wild wild world of bookbinding.

I've been your host trying their best to explain all the things.

I will likely continue this series with "OK SO I LEARNED SOME SHIT ALL THAT SHIT I WROTE BEFORE FEEL FREE TO LISTEN BUT I'VE GOT BETTER SOLUTIONS NOW" time stuff.

[arttreyn]

Draw out your picture, can be directly on the page or a cutout. For this piece i did a cutout

I use more of my memo paper and scrapbook paper when I use cutouts, and before sticking anything down, I arrange everything into a design I like.

At this point i try to keep a color scheme in mind, I match the papers to the main colors of the piece, or for whatever vibe i’m going for. For instance if i was doing an underwater theme, I would stick to mainly blues.

In this case my colors are black, pink, and white. I sometimes deviate from the color scheme when its small stickers, but the majority follows the scheme.

Take note of any negative space, focus on those areas first.

Washi tape is one of the first steps for me. I tried to think of both the color scheme and theme. Theme isn’t super important, especially if you only have a few rolls of tape, but I try to match it with the image even vaguely.

cat, maid, cute- I tried to match these themes. If you really want to you could even go with a tech theme. I usually try to make the theme either what is explicitly shown or what matches the personality.

The biggest stickers go down before anything else. This is the time I use my planner and decal stickers. Most of the time the planner stickers have words on them but have no actual meaning, they are there because of their color, sometimes however, I put a couple planner stickers with a cheeky saying to poke fun at the characters, the “get it girl” being an example. Decal stickers are to go with the theme as well. Neko milk sticker is self explanatory, kuromi fits the cutesy theme.

Now is when i try looking for smaller stickers, and stickers of different types.

Following the theme, I put paw prints around the page

I like for nearly all my stickers to have some relevancy towards the plot or character or theme. This is not necessary and I don’t always follow this

Easy stickers to find/use regardless of theme are hearts, stars, and smiley faces. Hearts are always my go-to

I add more stickers to places that feel too empty, and I remove a few stickers I feel clash with the image. At this point I could consider this page done, however I want to get rid of any blank paper showing through.

I finish off with deco stickers, as they are very small. Whenever otacon is involved I like to use my computer themed stickers- and with huey I like to be either mean or ironic, hence the bad and devil stickers and then the “angel” sticker near him

Completely optional step- cover the page.

Be sure to take off any 3D stickers or embellishments beforehand, put them back on after covering.

In my journal, color/ink transfer happens a lot- especially if i use my gel pens. Instead of busting out the fixative spray, I like to cover my page in a shimmery laminate sticker. I also use clear plastic to cover the page, taping it over the page. The clear plastic is always Recycled, mainly from sticker sheets, the packaging or the sheet itself. Sometimes i use ziploc bags, once I even taped in tissue paper as a divider.

That’s everything!!! Feel free to ask any questions!!!

[zooophagous]

If it's not too personal (totally fine if it is!), talk more about your branding experience?? 👀

For sure!

I couldn't find someone local who could do it, but I found an experienced body mod artist who traveled and had to wait till he was nearby enough to meet up.

The brand feels like, well. Being burned. It's a burn and it's a fairly serious burn and it will hurt. It's done with an electro cautery tool that looks like a woodburning tool. The artist basically draws the design on with a hot coil. It's not like cattle branding where it's one iron that's pressed on.

There is a smell like burning hair. People often make jokes that it must smell like bacon or meat but burning and cooking are two different things and it just sort of smells like charring. No meaty smell. Just acrid smoky smell.

Your body will of course want to pull away from being branded so I had to take lots of breaks, probably 3 breaks for what ended up being a 15 minute appointment. It hurt worse than a tattoo but was over much faster.

The healing process is the hard part. It is a burn and it will scab and it will be red and ugly and irritated and it will scab and fall off multiple times. It took 4 ish months for it to finally reach the point I considered it healed.

If you're pasty pale like me, it also heals to a scar that can be hard to see. The ideal brand will heal into a slightly raised scar but bodies are much better at healing than you'd think so even a nasty brand can become nearly invisible. Mine is really only visible if I'm flushed. So if I'm in shorts on a hot day working up a sweat you can see it. Most people assume it's a tattoo I had removed unless they ask.

Branding also carries some sticker shock. Be prepared to pay more than twice what you'd expect for a similarly sized tattoo, just because the practitioners are so few and far between.

All and all it was difficult but still not as hard to sit through as my big rib tattoo. I'd get another brand but not one as big.

[doodle-boy]

Designing a cute little Chibi Robo and Telly Vision Sticker

This will also be a tattoo, a sticker themed tattoo! Chibi Robo is one of my favorite games in the world. I’ll put a cut in this so I can fully rant about my love for this game. But I am truly excited to get this one done. This will be my third tattoo I’ll have done and when I do get it I’ll show you all (and i’ll show my other two as well) So look forward to that!

Ok ranting time! I’m not normally good at games, I have made a few comics about it, I’m not even really exaggerating. I’m just like that, but it’s fine and I still enjoy gaming when I have the time and energy for it. But Chibi Robo was one of the few games that I am able to play easily. Probably because I invested so many hours into it as a kid. Or maybe because it was a Nintendo so it was child friendly and therefore Doodle friendly lol. It’s also the only game I’ve ever gone full completionist on. I’ve done every story line fully. I’ve collected everything in it, I got all the stickers, I found that weird little black white monkey-bear thing. The one with the red heart on it’s chest, I forgot this name. Seen all the receipts, I’ve collected all the scraps of fabric and then save and loaded my file so I can see all the pajamas Mrs. Sanderson can make! I’m pretty sure I’ve collected everything. I also love all the characters in the game. All of them are so goofy and flawed, but I love them so much. I won’t get into every single one of them. (maybe in the future I will if I ever feel like it lol) But I gotta high light at least one of them. Drake Redcrest being that one because he is #1 in my heart. My GOD is he funny. He has a fully human sized ego inside of a heroically small action figure frame. Also he is an absolute contradiction too what his TV persona is supposed to be. The whole thing about the TV character is he is supposed to be a hero who questions what is Good and what is Bad. His theme song even says, and I quote, “Justice is what he claims to fight for. But it’s a mystery, what does this justice mean? He hasn’t got a clue.” But in the game he actively does not question anything. He runs on full stereotype. He is a handsome hero and he tries to court a pretty princess toy, not cause he loves her but because that is what heroes do. He’s upset when he is easily defeated by a rampaging teddy bear because he believes as a hero he should’ve defeated it. When the aliens arrive (yeah they're are aliens in this game, it is a strange game, I love it so much) and they have a terrible fever. Drake shows up and not understanding the aliens or the situation is like “Halt alien scum! I the hero will defeat you!” and he blasts them with a frost attack. Ironically helping them out and saving the day in a completely different way. He is a big meat head. But is he a mean guy? Absolutely not. He is very kind to chibi robo when he first arrives. Appoints Chibi Robo as the Universe’s 99th Space ranger and gives you a little uniform. You are free to patrol with him anytime you want and he is full of gusto. In short this man is a himbo because he has good intentions always even if he is oblivious. Honestly I could go on forever about this game and why I love it so much. It is a strange game. It doesn't really fit into a genre cleanly It's part-platformer, part-adventure, part-amiable helper game, part shooter, etc. It’s crazy. The humor is weird but I both laughed at the jokes as a child who didn’t fully understand and I still laugh at the jokes now that I fully understand. The art style is very geometric and stylized. But I think that works in it’s favor because it is still enjoyable to look at, even now. It’s so colorful. The music slaps too. Drake Redcrest theme, the little shop theme, even the damn game opening theme. It’s so goofy and charming, and the Sound Design is unique and very musical, Chibi robos footsteps are like little music notes and they change depending on what he is walking on. The carpet, the tile floor the wood, it’s all got it’s own little sound. And the toothbrush theme OH GOD I LOVE that toothbrush song. When Chibi Robo cleans dirt off the floor he uses a little toothbrush to clean because he is a little guy. and that song is so soothing. I will go out of my way to clean dirt just to hear the song. Just a masterpiece. OK I willy finally stop ranting about this game before it gets too much longer. I just love this game to death though. Chibi Robo has a very special place in my heart.

[weekend-whip]

What phone cases do they have? Backgrounds? Fancy widgets/little digital pets on the black bar at the top of apple phones?

was gonna draw these but i don't have the patience nor time lol

And I dunno nothing bout no widgets or digital pets, but everyone's got a Borg phone, and if anyone had anything wacky it would be Miranda (and her digital pet would be a dog) or Olivia (with a shark)

Kai: His phone case is a super-cheap plastic one that's just solid red, but he decorates it with fire stickers to "spice it up". Never drops his phone cuz he's always paranoid vigilant about where it is. Home screen is a pic of himself; lock screen is a photo of the main gang just hanging out <3

Jay: Black heavy-duty case with glow-in-the-dark blue lightning bolts, custom made. Very often drops his phone—or it gets knocked off of him—hence the extra padding. Has only broken his screen once. Home screen is a pic of Nya; lock screen...is also Nya.

Cole: Fancy black heavy-duty case, with the rubber on the corners for extra cushion. Swaps between the rainbow-rimmed one he originally had and a glow-in-the-dark lava one Jay made for him, depending on their current endeavors. Lock screen is a pic of his mom; home screen is his current crush.

Zane: Plain white case with a single black bird (falcon) design. Has ironically dropped his phone more than anyone else; only cracked the screen twice (in which Pixal was quick to fix it). Doesn't like photos as a background, as he finds them too distracting, but does eventually change the home screen to a solid icy blue and the lock screen to purple.

Nya: Has one of those cases filled with liquid and glitter that swooshes around when you tilt it. The phone itself is gray, the case itself is clear, but the liquid + decorations are various shades of blue. Has a bad habit of throwing her phone when upset (but eventually has Lloyd to fix it). Lock screen is a scenic beach photo with a dolphin; home screen is a silly photo of Jay.

Lloyd: Doesn't want to bother with a case, since he could just fix any dings on the spot, but eventually gets a cheap one like Kai. Has two: one solid green + trimmed in gold, one black and covered in Starfarer stickers. Swaps them out as needed like Cole. Puts some of those phone charms on the Starfarer case. Both screen backgrounds are photos of the main gang—lock screen is casual wear, home screen is ninja wear (with masks on, of course).

Jesse: Very heavy-duty light pink case with extra padding, due to how accident-prone he is, and covered in dense silver glitter. Doesn't even have to drop his phone to wind up with a cracked screen somehow—but they're usually fixed by Jay or Lloyd. Lock screen is of him and Miranda performing; home screen is a marigold flower.

Antonia: Plain orange case with phone charms of various things that seem to change by the day. Her phone has a strange habit of only breaking during a crisis. Lock screen is of all the student council members; home screen is of her, Jesse, and Harumi (until it is replaced to be her, Jesse, Mira, and Nelson).

Harumi: When she does eventually get a phone, her case varies by whichever "phase" she's in—first one is green and white with spider lilies, second one is black and navy trimmed in silver, third one is pink and purple marble. Her backgrounds are the Shark Army symbol and/or Garmadon's symbol off and on; when they're neither, the backgrounds are just pure black. Maybe a pattern if she's feeling daring.

Olivia: Cheap case, deep blue with a mermaid scale design. Waterproof. Screen is cracked to high heaven but somehow still works; too lazy to fix it. Lock screen is a majestic shark; home screen is her and Nya back when they first met (until it isn't). Lock screen may also sometimes be of any individual she's currently got her eye on, however.

Miranda: Her phone case has one of those "Game Boy" designs in bright blue (that you can play games on); her tablet case is black with neon stripes that change color (which she programmed to stay pink and blue). Drops things often, especially when one-handed, but her stuff is so sturdy that you'd never know. For both items, home screen is a wallpaper of the Borg Tech logo; lock screen is the same picture as Jesse's.

Pixal: Doesn't even need a phone, as all her communication is near-exclusively through the communicators, but is given one due to her father's insistance. The case starts just solid purple, but she feels a little plain with it and winds up bedazzling it. Home screen is a huge group pic; lock screen is of her and Zane.

Skylor: Has one of those cases that changes color with heat, and also works like a mood ring. Is not actually all that phone savvy; has to work up to it. Lock screen is a pic from a girls' night out; home screen is a candid of a very flustered and blushing Kai.

[snickerdoodlles]

📓 Please :D

:D!

so this one was inspired by a prompt i saw somewhere in the 2023 BBS exchange (i don't remember which one tho...sorry 😖). it didn't happen because this year's so far been eaten by irl stuff, but the premise is the engineering gang follows Pat to the ep6 architecture retreat.

they are Here To Help

(it's Korn's fault. he dropped in on Pat packing and texted the groupchat ALERT ALERT ALERT WE GOTTA SUPPORT OUR BRO and somehow Chang "i'm always here for chaos" is already waiting for them on the bus and Mo "stupid things now, ask questions never" is being dragged along by his ear and only stopping to check his emergency snack supply)

none of them know what's going on. they figure out Pat has a crush because they're actually very astute when it comes to sussing out Pat's feelings. that is as far as they get tho, because they are ridiculous walnuts who can't connect dots.

not that that matters. they don't know what Pat's up to, but they're gonna be Here For Him if it's the last thing they do.

Pat doesn't get a chance to bother Pran on the bus with engineering bothering him. Pran tells himself that's a good thing, he doesn't want Pat bothering him anyways.

Wai doesn't spend the whole time glaring at them, mostly because they're all stuck on the bus and the engineering gang's sitting behind him. he’s gritting his teeth but he’s chill. honest.

Chompoo thinks it is the funniest thing ever and, with the full confidence this will either force the two groups to chill or escalate things in the most hilarious way possible, flirts with the engineering boys until Louis is red in the face. Toto does a dramatic spit take when she and Korn exchange line IDs.

the engineering gang occupies Pat's attention when they get off the bus. Pran tells himself that's a good thing, he doesn't want Pat bothering him anyways.

Korn, while throwing out his plastic water bottle: FUCK I FORGOT TO PACK MY UNDERWEAR Pat, seeing Pran make a bitchy face at that but not a single instance of his puppy eyes: >:TTTT

Korn, Chang, and Mo remember halfway through the newspaper game that they are Investigating and promptly fall all over themselves. Pran and Pat's Newspaper Moment(TM) gets cut short in the ruckus. Pran tells himself this is a good thing, he doesn't want Pat bothering him anyways.

(Pran takes to wandering to hidden nooks and crannies alone. this is absolutely not by design, can you not read his bitchy irritation Pat, why are you bothering him now Pat.)

Pat and Pran ironically get a lot of time alone because engineering gang's causing a ruckus trying to figure out why Pat wants to hang out with architecture instead of them and running excellent interference mostly by accident. Pat gives them all gold star stickers, which they bear with great pride and much confusion.

Korn goes on a series of on/off dates with Chompoo, aka the most popular architecture student, after this. this causes such a jealous uproar that Pat and Pran eventually getting together is barely a stir, the gossips will gossip but the rest of them are so over it.

Pat still gets his dramatic staircase confession tho. tis essential.

i'm not writing this because i want to write my 'grasshoppers and elephants' fic more than i do this one, but sometimes it still likes to pop into my head and sparkle as it spins.

[[ ask me about fics im not writing ]]

[audiovisualrecall]

A list of things I want or need to do.....

Schedule driving lessons

Work on unicorn painting

Work on illustrations for steph book

Work on 'cinderell' comic rewrite/update

Laundry today

Dishes+ run dishwasher today

Schedule dentist appt

Schedule vet visit for Edison- he has a cold or allergies or something, also a growth on one of his toes??, and I want to really in-depth discuss a plan for his weight bc ive had no success. Also he's due for annual vaccinations presumably, so. (Wish blue pearl was not so expensive bc they now have Fear Free vet visits and the difference in his behavior when we went there last time compared to other vets weve gone to was just amazing. He was able to wander around the room and it didn't feel like a typical exam room for pets so he wasn't scared and hiding, he allowed the vet and assistant to poke and prod him and manhandled him even if he wasn't thrilled, he didn't cry or hiss or scratch anyone! But for regular vet visits they're really pricey :/)

Work on Eitan and Zahav story/comic

Work on iron man/dragonriders of pern au story

Buy parts for pvc watering system for garden (need to go with dad) and set up

Work on bookcase (with dad)

Window-shop/buy stuff for steph bridal shower (with ma or on my own, but the best store to go to is far enough I'd rather go by car, and it's more fun to go with someone else and discuss ideas and also less likely to impulse buy everything?)

Go to DSW to get new sneakers (with ma, access by car travel only and easier to have a second opinion on shoes. My current pair I have a hole in the top by my big toe...oops)

Work on website: photograph artwork professionally, edit photos, design website layout and complete that. Add artwork to portfolio gallery on the site, add my photo and about me info. Request refund for the dumb add-on I didn't realize was useless. Make the website what I want it to be. May need to learn coding. Need to slim down choices for artwork to include to only the best stuff it makes sense to include, not just things I like.

Design pride plants stickers/pins

Plan for rainbow enamel or just hard enamel autisticat pins. Also, keychains?

Rework/update etsy listings/items available...

Come up with additional ideas for products. Stickers/prints/pins...keychains?

Fulfil current etsy order - soon

Organize my room - try on clothing, go thru piles of stuff, figure out what to do with certain things and if the new bin will help what to put in it, decide what to put back into drawers and which ones for what items, go thru some other stuff like bank statements, organize receipts, etc

Put shelf above window above curtain rod for displaying some stuffed toys (need dad's help)

Hang up new Queer pride flag (need help, also it's way bigger than I expected so may need to fold some of it behind and stitch it to itself to fit on the wall, need help to pin it up on the wall and probably a second step stool at least)

Look for vases for bridal shower for flowers (with ma or solo)

Go thru and organize stuff on breakfast bar

Plan out a budget - figure out how much I tend to spend on different categories of stuff per week or every 2 weeks or monthly, figure out how much I earn in that time period (if it's weekly it's half of my pay bc I'm paid every other, if it's monthly gotta double that amt, also gotta average it out/pick a general usual amount since depending on how much OT I do my pay is more or less lol). Consolidate that info together to decide on a basic budget for each category/ overall spending for the time period.

make list of things I need/want to buy or tend to buy, marked with priority or how often for repeat purchases, compare with budget for what impulse items/wants I can acquire in a given time frame and which to save for the next etc

Get a new bike or get mine fixed...

Spend time outside/go on walk

Water plants

Draw for fun. Draw tony or stevetony or dragons or cats

Read...

Get ice cream at some pt like tomorrow night if I'm off Thursday or on Thursday if I'm off Friday 🥺🥺🥺

Plan days to do activities! Kayaking/beach/farmers market/street fair/museum. With steph?

Plan to do something fun w work friends outside of work

Pride fest: who is going with me?

Renfair when it's time???

Pay for tallis!!! Today preferably! Write check and take it over to shul?? (Or give to ma to take to services this evening or go with her?)

[cricutmakeronline]

7 Best Cricut Ideas for Thanksgiving to Try in 2023 

Thanksgiving feels like a happy ending to the year, and we all celebrate it with gratitude and love. It’s time to cook delicious food, talk about precious times with family and friends, and spend quality time with them. So, I know it will be a very busy time for all the Cricut crafters as they are all preparing for the upcoming festivals. So, if you are a crafting enthusiast, you may be running out of ideas for things to try this Thanksgiving. In order to help you out, I’ll tell you the best Cricut ideas for Thanksgiving.

If you want to create something for this Thanksgiving, read this full blog, and by the end, you will have tons of ideas to get you started. So, you can expand your knowledge about the Cricut crafts here with me. Let’s move ahead.

1.  Paper Cards

One of the greatest ideas is to make a special Thanksgiving card for the occasion. A card will not only give an emotional touch to your craft but also make your Thanksgiving memorable. You can use these cards to invite your friends and family to your place, or you can just sell these cards if you are a business owner.

So, my first choice for an occasion like this will be a beautifully decorated card. You can use thousands of things on this craft from the Design Space app. Don’t miss this opportunity to create amazing-looking cards. Also, it is one of the best Cricut ideas for Thanksgiving to sell.

2.  Bunting

Yes, you heard right. You can create many colorful bunting designs with paper. You can use letters, images, and many different things to decorate your home. It looks very good at home parties, giving out a vibe for celebration. The idea of bunting works for all the theme parties like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Birthday, and Christmas as well. So, you can use the products from Cricut’s Treasure and create some fun things.

3.  Frames

A frame designed for Thanksgiving is a very brilliant idea to decorate your drawing room. You can hang it on the wall or just keep it on the table. This is also a very cool idea for selling your stuff. So, if you are someone who likes permanent things for decorations, a frame would be a nice idea. To create a frame, you will need to purchase a frame from an online or offline store. You can also use some popular platforms like Dollar Tree.

4.  Trays

You can purchase a tray from Dollar Tree and decorate it with a favorite message on it. I wrote the “Be Thankful” message on it. You can use a transferable vinyl to write your text with the help of a transferable tape. I would recommend you buy a water-resistant vinyl to prevent it from getting moisture. This simple stuff will look amazing at your home. So, go for this type of pretty craft with your Cricut for this Thanksgiving.

5.  Signboard

6.  Customized Mugs

There are many ways to design a coffee mug. You can purchase the Cricut mugs or any mugs you like. Then, decorate with the vinyl. Cut out a cute text on the vinyl and then apply it on the coffee mug with the help of a transfer tape. For example, I cut down a cute text as “Blessed Teacher” and then applied it to my mug. To add more cuteness, I added cute apple stickers with the text. You can gift these mugs to someone you admire. It can be one of the easiest Cricut ideas for Thanksgiving.

7.  T-Shirts

Cricut is best used for the T-shirt stuff, as you already know. So, there is no occasion when you can’t prepare the T-shirts. There are multiple ways to design a T-shirt using your Cricut machine. So, why don’t you create a T-shirt for Thanksgiving? There are lovely texts you can use on the T-shirt with the help of Heat transfer vinyl and a heat press or a regular iron. The Design Space has a full treasure of images, fonts, and texts to use for the T-shirts.

Conclusion

You have seen great Cricut ideas for Thanksgiving. Most of the ideas are beginner-friendly, and those who intend to sell their crafts can also try them out. A Cricut machine can do lots of things for personalized as well as for selling purposes. Therefore, if you are someone who likes crafting, you can surprise your family and friends with all this beautiful stuff. The good thing is that you can use any Cricut machine to start the Thanksgiving crafts.

Source  :- https://newmachineprocess.com/7-best-cricut-ideas-for-thanksgiving-to-try-in-2023/

[heyftinally]

Okay, I'm severely pissed about the way my house runs, and I need to bitch about it because I feel like I bother my friends with this too much, but it never gets any fucking better.

So my house has three residents. Myself, my sibling who is five years younger than me, and our mother. All three of us are adults.

My sibling isn't required to lift a damn finger.

I am.

On any given day, here's a list of the things I do around the house:

Laundry (everyone's)

Dishes (everyone's)

Seasonally - shovel snow, rake leaves, help with yard tasks in a general sense.

Run my own small business (@sparktacular.designs on Instagram), including hand making stickers, processing orders/payments, making packing materials (thank you cards and sealing stickers), and packing and shipping orders. I'm a one-woman show on this, so if you buy from me, it's literally *just me* doing all of this lol

Draw/make basically anything my mom asks for, unpaid. I've made magnets valued at over $200 for the full set, I've made over a hundred resin gummy bears for math manipulatives for the classroom she works in, and I've spent countless hours drawing her things that I then help her cut out on *her* cricut, which she barely knows how to use. 80% of her projects on it are basically her saying "I want this" and me making it happen. Any given design she wants takes me anywhere between one and four hours of drawing on my tablet.

Now, in contrast, this is what my sibling is responsible for:

Dishes

Yes, really. That's it.

At the beginning of the year I finally got a dish schedule implemented after bitching about the fact that I was doing dishes six days a week while my sibling sat on their ass and did nothing, yet had the audacity to tell me I was "cosplaying as an adult" when I told them to get off their ass and do the dishes one god damn time.

So the schedule looks like this:

M/W/F - Me

T/TH/Sat - sibling

Sun - mom

That's fine by me.

But that's not what happens.

What happens is:

M/W/F - Me

T - sibling

Th - piles up

Sat - piles up

Sun - mom does the rest of sibling's dishes

On top of this we frequently run out of dishes (particularly bowls) because said sibling makes food and then won't bring the dishes out of their room for weeks on end.

It's usually around this time that I start pointing out again that SIBLING needs to do THEIR JOB and wash the dishes, and mom proceeds to do them all the next morning.

Now, if I leave the dishes for a day or two or three, or a week, doesn't matter, I'm expected to do them. I don't get a special free pass.

My sibling is not disabled in any way, though ironically my best friend is disabled and chronically ill, and still does more house chores than my sibling.

At this point I don't know what to do. I'm sick of being treated like I'm worth nothing more to my family than a live-in resource. I genuinely don't think any of them like me. They certainly don't give a shit about me. The only time anything gets better is when I make a scene, and that only fixes things temporarily until my sibling gets to fuck off again. Oh, and what do they do all day watch YouTube. That's it. They have no employment, self or otherwise. They just watch YouTube all day.

I'm so beyond over it, and there's nothing I can do to change it. I'm stuck here because I can't afford to move out, and living here genuinely makes me mentally unwell.

[grad604-haydenmiddleton]

20 OBJECTS WRITING CUT DOWN EVEN MORE (VER. 3)

Seraph of the End Manga

I watched the Seraph of the End anime for the first time when I was around 13 and ironically, I nearly didn’t finish it, but I’m really glad I stuck with it because now it’s one of my favourite pieces of media of all time.

Burts bees

I used to not take good care of my body at all and Lip balm is just a representation of the changes and routine I made to try and get better when I was depressed. I use lip balm all the time and it’s a simple self care thing that makes me feel better.

Washi tape

Washi tape is a staple at a lot of stationary shops and I can't handle the temptation and usually leave a stationary shop with something. I just like the aesthetics and patterns of washi tape that inspire some of my brightly coloured art, and sometimes I even digitally draw washi tape to emulate physical craft style.

Miffy wallet

Miffy is a rabbit character from the Netherlands and another character I enjoy collecting items from. This Miffy wallet is also a gift from my sister, as she’s always looking out for me and things I might enjoy, as she knows I’m a bit of a collector. Rabbits or rabbit features show up in my work a lot, almost as a representation of myself.

Tamagotchi

This is a Sanrio edition tamagotchi, which only ever came out in Japanese. My sister and I both had tamagotchis around 2010. I watch videos about the timeline and all about the different versions of tamagotchis that were made. It's a nostalgia thing and reminds me to put a childish 2000s flair into my work.

Stickers

I’m a collector, and my stack of sticker sheets is further proof. I get really nervous about using them. I want to keep all of them nice forever. A lot of the stickers are made by artists and often they’re made as merchandise for a show or cartoon I watch. It's been my dream to sell things like stickers myself.

Water cup

I have a love for water and hydrating, like all normal living things do. I genuinely believe drinking a lot more water and staying hydrated throughout the day has made me a happier, healthier person. Everything also just tastes better when drunk with a straw.

Converse

I wore fake Kmart Converse hundreds of times before finally investing in a pair of real Converse. I got them at my mum's insistence since she was sick of me getting blisters with the ill-fitting dupe. Shoes are extremely important to see the world in and to take inspiration from the world around me for my creative practice.

Pokémon cards

I have spent a crazy amount of money on my Pokémon card collection. But for me, it isn’t about pulling the crazy rare and expensive cards, it’s all about collecting the pretty cards or cards I find visually appealing. I collect these to appease my childhood self who wasn't allowed to buy Pokémon cards.

Ticket stubs

Here are some of the ticket stubs or receipts I’ve collected from going to shows. I keep these to preserve the memory of going out with friends or family to watch something. I really enjoy taking in the art and beauty of animated movie as inspiration for my own bright and bold creative style.

Keroppi figure

Keroppi is a frog from Sanrio, and I got this specific figure from a blind box, which means you’re not sure which design or character you’re going to get when you buy the box. I thought it was really cute that I got the one that is shown to be drawing just like a representation of me.

Sonny Angel

At first, I used to think Sonny Angels were creepy but the more I learned about them, the more I was swayed. Of course, they are also just a piece of expensive plastic that we buy and collect, but sometimes it’s about the simple pleasures in life.

Wacom

I got my first Wacom tablet when I was around 12 after borrowing my sister's far too much. I’m actually a horrible physical artist compared to my digital skills which you would think would crossover. This was the first step in taking me down the path of graphic design and helped me realise what I wanted to do for work later in life.

Testosterone

This is my medical prescription for testosterone. I go in every 3 weeks for an injection of this stuff. It took a lot of time to get to this point in my life, but I can confidently say it has made me a happier, more confident person to finally feel like I’m comfortable in my own skin. Cis or not. It’s important for us as people to express ourselves authentically.

Fuggler Box

This box once housed a fuggler, a funny, ugly creature. These toys are meant to be, well, ugly to an extent. They have interestingly shaped bodies, small beady eyeballs, and visible, semi-realistic-looking teeth! Despite the intent of them being made ugly, I find them quite endearing. I like this idea of finding the beautiful behind the ugly.

Grape Fanta

My love for artificial grape flavouring knows no bounds. I don’t even like real grapes! Fizzy drinks, soda, pop, whatever you want to call it, is one of my favourite things to drink as a treat. When I’m feeling down or I’m losing motivation, I treat myself to full strength, full sugar, definitely bad for me, soda.

He/Him Badge

I got this badge just before starting my transition. It was really hard to know inside that I was a man, but people around me didn’t know, which makes sense because I definitely don’t look like a typical man. To be honest, I don’t wear it very much anyway, as I became more confident in myself, and as long as I and the people close to me understood my identity, that’s what mattered most.

Splatoon Amiibo

Splatoon is a video game where you play as a 'squid kid’ (a kid who can also turn into a squid) and hang out in Inkopolis Square, shop for colourful streetwear fashion with unique abilities, and play games of turf war where yo try to paint the majority of the map in your team colour.

Dsi

The DSi was my first ever gaming console. I got it for Christmas one year from my nana when I was 7. This began my love for Nintendo and video games. I played a lot with my sister and they are fond memories. Video games go hand in hand with graphic design as they communicate a story visually and through a creative style.

Tote bag

I started buying tote bags for university thinking they would be cool and convenient. In actuality, they were inconvenient. I still have a considerable collection of them because I think they add to an outfit and you’ll typically see a tote bag as a creatives bag of choice, so I guess I’m just doing my duty as a designer.

[joomma]

Dog Face Christmas Awesome All Over Print Ugly Christmas Sweater

Dog Face Christmas Awesome All Over Print Ugly Christmas Sweater

Setting up the tree, it always fell over once or twice. Taking the decorations out of the Dog Face Christmas Awesome All Over Print Ugly Christmas Sweater to trim the tree was always fun and Tracy would always be lifted up to put the star or Angel at the top of the tree. Dad would pretend she was flying up like an Angel as he lifted her. When we were decorating the tree in our teens, Tracy would tease dad and say, “Ok dad, lift me up.” Mom always liked it when we would hang the decorations we made in school. One of us kids were always a designated Santa who would hand the gifts out to the others just like on the show. Thank God we had no Aunt Clara to give us bunny suits to wear. We had no uncles or aunts at all. Mom and dad were only children. A Christmas Story has been a staple movie for my family to watch every year. It’s warm and homey and just like the Christmases we had. I even wanted a Red Ryder rifle when I was nine.

buy it now:Dog Face Christmas Awesome All Over Print Ugly Christmas Sweater

All I Want For Christmas Is Elephant Ugly Christmas Sweater

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Dog Santa Ugly Christmas Sweater Unisex

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motees    jeeppremium  telotee

5 They should know how to play at least one musical instrument and try to relate well with how musicians in all the basic music groups of Spider Man Iron Man For Beer Hawaii Shirt bands work through their material, so they work well with musicians and can easily “talk shop”, of discuss what they’re doing easily, in all the details. Include: drums/percussion, bass, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, standard keyboards, strings or electric keyboard accompaniment/fill sound options. It doesn’t require mastering an instrument, but being able to talk about the keys used, count bars well, time signatures involved, and often talk about when instruments “come in” or blend or how to adjust how things could be tried out.

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[serenityseventeen]

Joshua (홍지수) & S.Coups (최승철):

“I'm in Love With Someone Else”

synopsis: You have been in a 4-year long distance relationship with your boyfriend, Seungcheol, but that's about to change when you meet Joshua, your new apartment unit neighbor.

genres: angst, fluff, romance

characters: potter!neighbor!joshua x fem!neighbor!reader x boyfriend!taekwondo athlete!seungcheol, ft. landlord!jeonghan, taekwondo athlete!soonyoung

warnings: phonophobia, love triangle(?), pottery, sports, long distance relationship, cooking, food, cheating, emotional affair, I guess this is also considered cheating in some aspects but I don't really know since this is a first time for me that I'm writing something like this

word count: < 12,400

a/n: okay so over my long hiatus I, of course, could not stop myself from the ideas flowing into my head, and i just ended up writing this. it's the first time i wrote something like this and i don't have a lot of knowledge about cheating so forgive me if things are strange; plus, I didn't break it into parts because I was lazy; and also, attacca comeback was amazing!!! I've been streaming it nonstop!; technically, this is a declaration of the end of my hiatus but I will not be uploading/writing every day </3

----------------

Hello, Cheol!

How are you doing, baby?

How are your taekwondo practices? Is the training hard or does it feel just right? Are you eating lots of rice and drinking lots of water?

I watch your competitions whenever I can but now that you're overseas, it's hard for me to search for your next competitions on the internet; which is a bit ironic considering how I'm running an online shop now haha.

I'm always cheering for you! Make sure to take care of yourself!! I love you, Seungcheol!

P.S. I heard that someone is finally moving into your old unit! I can't wait to have a neighbor again!

P.S.S. I got my very first order!

~ your girlfriend <3

With a slightly hopeful grin on your lips, you set down your skinny graphite pencil and neatly folded the lined piece of paper into rectangles, fitting it inside a small envelope. You had always been more of a ‘letter sending’ person than a ‘texting’ person and ‘in-person’ than ‘online’.

However, without much money on your hands, you had decided to open up an online shop. It was the only choice you had, or the best choice you had, according to your boyfriend, if you wanted to sell products. With the help of your taekwondo athlete boyfriend, you were able to set up the shop and get materials for the products.

The products you wanted to sell seemed childish as they were things like beaded bracelets, necklaces, little charms that dangled on bags or backpacks, cute rings, things that look to be for children but could make cute collections. You design all of your products yourself and all of them are made by you as well, through knitting, sewing, or on a 3D printer, which is technically, not made by your hands.

After carefully placing the letter into the envelope, your peel off a cute, childish cherry sticker and stick it onto the envelope, sealing it. You picked a black pen from your mug of pens and pencils that sat at the corner of your desk, opposite of the lamp that emitted a yellow-tinted glow. With soft gentle strokes, you wrote, ‘TO: CHOI SEUNGCHEOL, FROM: Y/N’.

Choi Seungcheol was your boyfriend. You two had been dating for 6 years. You met him in your junior year of highschool, in a taekwondo class. He had been taking the taekwondo class ever since he was a young boy, and according to the instructor of that class, he was a taekwondo prodigy. He competed in many competitions and you admired his continuous winning streaks.

Seungcheol was the popular kid. He was manly and way too freaking handsome. He was the school's pride, the taekwondo athlete who was gaining popularity in all of South Korea. He was getting offers for colleges, training programs—they wanted him on a national team because he had potential.

You, on the other hand, weren't the best at taekwondo. Being a junior in high school who spent most of your time sitting around carving pencils, scribbling in notepads, and reading comic books, kicking your feet and throwing your arms around was definitely a challenge.

But, how bad you were at taekwondo was what eventually led you to be the lucky one among all the other girls.

After six years of dating, the memory of how you two met became something you and Seungcheol often bickered about. You recalled the meeting being of him laughing at you as you tripped over your own foot while doing a failed kick but Seungcheol remembered it as when you accidentally bumped into him while walking in the hallway because your nose was in a manga.

You were going to forever insist that you two met through the taekwondo class since it was quite obvious that it was through that taekwondo class that you two got closer.

After high school, Seungcheol had been scouted into a professional taekwondo training program that would help him become a national taekwondo athlete. You, of course, didn't want him to let that opportunity pass, so you encouraged him to go. Now, Seungcheol was attending a sports oriented college as a taekwondo athlete after winning a scholarship.

So, yeah. You two had been in a relationship for 6 years, 4 of which were long-distance. You and Seungcheol were still in a long distance relationship. Getting in touch with him wasn't easy. You liked to write him letters, and you did so consistently, at least every two weeks—for 4 years.

He did reply often but now, he barely did, which broke you inside. You didn't want to show that pain though, because you knew he probably had better things to do than write a letter to his jobless girlfriend who was, without any knowledge, trying to be an entrepreneur.

That's why, in each letter, you tried to remain cheerful for him. You would send him texts from time to time and of course, you two would video call, or call each other too. Around once a year, usually during the summer, he would come visit during his short vacations.

You didn't know how you managed to come this far in the relationship. The memories and happy times you got from being with Seungcheol was what kept you waiting patiently for him to come back.

You didn't even know when Seungcheol was going to come back. At first, he confidently gave a specific time, and that was “after I win the youth competition”, which, after he won, ended becoming indefinite.

Sometimes, it felt like you were holding onto a loose rope.

-

“Are you sure you don't need help with that?” Yoon Jeonghan, the landlord of the apartment complex, asked Joshua Hong, the new tenant in room 221.

Joshua was holding a large box that was filled with his many pottery tools, including molds, and clay that was wrapped in a paper bag. He was a potter who had opened a business a few minutes down the block, beside a flower shop. He had taken many pottery classes and decided to go professional with it when others began to realize he had a talent for making plates, cups, and vases.

Joshua flashed a smile to the landlord as he struggled to wrap the key to room 221 in his palm. “I think I'm fine, thank you though.”

With his head poking out from above the box, he made his way toward the elevator, and pressed the button for the 2nd floor. The apartment was around 5 stories tall and looked pretty old on the outside, with the slight rust and vines dangling from the sides of the building walls, but the inside of the apartment was actually modernly furnished and kept clean.

Joshua waited patiently for the doors of the elevator to open and once they did, he took his time stepping out. Working out for the past year had finally paid off, he guessed.

He walked pass units until he came across unit 221. When he saw his new apartment door, Joshua smiled, and opened his palm, using the muscles in his large hand to try and hold the key, but ended up dropping it on the floor. The golden key made clinking sounds as it hit the cold, flat floor.

Joshua didn't really mind it and was about to set down the box, which took around 15 minutes to get into his hands, but stopped when he heard a gentle voice call out from the opposite side of the hallway where he came from. “I got it for you!”

Joshua turned his head to see a beautiful girl quickly jogging over. You bent down and got the key for him. Joshua moved out of the way and watched as she quickly opened the door of his unit for him. He watched your every move, from the quickness of your steady hands, to your kind and focused eyes.

“Thank you,” he managed to say after you opened the door even wider for him.

“Yeah, no problem!” you replied, smiling brightly. He almost got lost in that beautiful smile.

Joshua quickly went inside and set down the box on his living room coffee table, and then hurried back to the entrance, where you were still waiting for him. You held out the key for him and he quickly took it, bringing out his friendly grin.

“You must be the new tenant,” you said, smiling still. You were dressed pretty comfortably, wearing a plain white t-shirt and plaid red pants. In your hand was a book that Joshua didn't recognize. It had fancy writing and cartoons on the cover. “I'm going to be your next-door neighbor, girl who lives in unit 220. My name is Y/N, you?”

“Joshua Hong is usually what I go by.”

“Joshua Hong?” you repeated to yourself. Your eyes wandered around as you continued to engrave the name into your mind. Joshua couldn't help but find that action cute, watching your eyes travel so slowly as you processed his name made his heart skip a beat.

“Nice to meet you, Joshua,” You said.

“Nice meeting you too.”

A short silence followed but you quickly broke it by saying casually, “I'm going downtown for some coffee, so, if you ever need any help, or want to know something, feel free to come over to my unit and ask me.”

Joshua nodded and watched as you busily flipped the pages of that book and walked down the hallway with your head buried in the book. His warm hand clenched onto the key and the right corner of his lips gradually lifted as his eyes followed you, up until the elevator doors closed.

He let out a soft, breathy chuckle, and closed the door of his unit.

-

Around a week after you met your new tenant neighbor, living in the same place that used to be your boyfriend's, he invited you to see his little shop.

Business for you was still slow since your business had just began. You were still working part-time as a reader who recorded the audiobook versions of books online.

The job wasn't a part of your plan but after reading to some kids in a park, you were found and offered the job, and the pay wasn't bad so you took it; not to mention how you could do the work from home. All you had to do was read the book and make sure that you read it well. At times, you enjoyed adding emotions to your voice, and apparently, a lot of people liked that, so there were usually two audiobook versions you would make, one of a normal read and the other with emotions that could be slightly exaggerated.

Joshua had yet to open his shop, he said, because he was still preparing the products. He didn't plan to open his shop for at least 4 months from now, which didn't surprise you.

On some days, when you two coincidentally met in the hallways, Joshua would always give you a gentle smile and a warm greeting of “Hello, Y/N.”

There was something about the tone he always used to say your name and the way he warmly smiled and the slight wave of his hand that always made your heart giggle. You liked greetings, you always had, so you'd always reply, “Hello, Joshua.”

You didn't know Joshua was a potter until the fourth day after you two met.

You were outside of the apartment, enjoying the autumn weather while your hands cupped a mug of apple juice. You had your back leaned against the brick wall at the edge of the apartment building, near the parking lot. The day was gloomy with grey storm clouds decorating the sky. There was barely any wind whatsoever, at most a tiny breeze would brush past once every 10 minutes.

Joshua closed the door of his car with a gentle placid thud. It was early in the morning, around 9 am, and he didn't want to be waking someone up with the shutting of a car door. Even though Joshua would usually be up before 9 o'clock, he knew there were others that needed to be up way later than that.

He had gone to visit his shop earlier that morning, settling the decor, setting up display tables, etc. He was excited to be opening his own pottery shop that sold his clay makings, ranging from bowls and plates to cups and figurines.

His store was his workshop, where he'd make things behind-the-scenes, but he often liked to be molding things at home, so Joshua would leave most of his tools at home; and this, was why Joshua was making his way back to his new apartment. He had forgotten one of his tools in his unit, and it was probably lying around on his living room coffee table.

As Joshua walked toward the front entrance of the apartment, he noticed you, who was sipping something from a mug. You looked peaceful as your eyes stared at the cloud-filled sky. Joshua couldn't help but take a glance for himself what you were looking at, but found that there was nothing extraordinary. The day was gloomy and it looked like it was going to rain any second.

Seeing you had already distracted him from his initial mission. Now that clay mold that was somewhere in unit 221 had to wait a little longer.

Joshua slowly approached you with gentle footsteps. “Good morning, Y/N.”

His voice caught you by surprise as you gulped down a sip of apple juice. You lowered the mug from your lips and replied with a smile, “Good morning to you too, Joshua. What are you doing out here?”

“Well, I have the same question for you, Y/N,” Joshua replied, making his way next to you. He leaned back against the cold, red bricked wall. “I just came back from my workplace to fetch something, how about you? Why are you out here?”

“Well, I just wanted to enjoy the weather, but it's not exactly enjoyable, is it?” You chuckled softly and turned your head to face Joshua. “You said you came to fetch something?”

“Oh, yeah, but it's not urgent. I guess I can stay here for a little while.”

You casually continued the conversation by asking where his workplace was and what it was like, since he had mentioned work.

You were, honestly, a little bored just waiting for someone to place an order for your products, and watching the cars zoom wasn't any fun at all. You had considered stopping by the bookstore and picking out a new comic to binge but decided against it for no reason. So, when Joshua came along and seemed to want to engage in conversing, you decided that it wouldn't hurt to get to know your new neighbor.

The talk went on for longer than the two of you thought. Your mouths began talking away and in a matter of minutes, the conversation had both of you fully engaged. The topics varied; it began with careers and jobs, to hobbies, then how school was like. It was like an introduction to each other that went on for way too long.

It wasn't until Jeonghan, the landlord, came out from his den and told you with his eyes barely open and his hair a mess, “Stop babbling about every little thing out here and go inside before I kick the both of you out!” that the two of you dispersed.

Joshua made his way to his unit and you, to avoid embarrassment, said you were going to the library. You did end up heading to the library afterward and Joshua picked up his waiting clay mold and took his sweet time walking to his unopened store.

While in the library, you thought that maybe, you should try reading non-fiction books, but each one you picked up only reminded you that you had learned enough for one day.

Joshua was a potter. In high school, he was in an arts and crafts club, and he learned to play the guitar. Joshua's workplace was called “CLAYSHUA” because it put his name “joshua” and “clay” together. He was born in America and raised there. He's an only child and his parents live in the US. He came to Korea to take the pottery classes because they were offered to him for free. He took classes after high school. His hobbies were playing guitar, singing, watching movies, and he read from time to time. He had also recently picked up cooking as one of his hobbies.

Those were all the things he told you.

You also learned that he was nice. He was handsome. He was creative. He was artistic. He was a hard worker.

He had way too many things in common with you and now that you were visiting his shop, from the interior to the exterior, you could tell the two of you had even more things that could be of common interest.

You changed the lock screen of your phone to one of your sewn figures instead of keeping it a photo of you and your boyfriend, Seungcheol. You texted him while waiting for Joshua to come to open the door of his shop, asking if he was doing well. At this point, it came to you as no surprise if Seungcheol didn't answer for days.

“You're here?” Joshua said, fumbling with his keys.

You nodded and commented, “It looks like such a great place!”

Joshua had invited you to come over to his shop on the day you two had your first in depth, full length conversation. You said that you'd be there in three days as a joke but after seeing that Joshua may had taken that joke too seriously, you found that you wanted to check out the place too.

Joshua showed you around the place and though it wasn't fully furnished yet, it already looked good. There were tables against the walls and shelves. Plus, the large window that went from the wall near the entrance to the other side of the wall was like a glass display for all of the items Joshua would soon be selling. There were columns upon columns of tables and Joshua explained that he planned to host a few pottery classes as well.

You began to admire him.

He showed you to the back of the shop, showing his little workplace. It was dirtier back there but even so, everything seemed to be nicely organized. What amazed you the most though, was the shelves of all his pottery, there were cups in all different sizes, plates of all different designs, and tiny figurines that looked different from one another.

“I want to make each one of my creations unique,” Joshua commented, upon seeing the sparks in your fascinated eyes. He smiled, feeling an edge of confidence hit him from behind. “I haven't made any vases yet but I plan to in due time. Would you ever like to make something?”

You turned to Joshua. Your eyes had widened slightly. “Make something? In here? Me?”

Your flustered tone made Joshua chuckle. “Yeah, that's if you want to. I can teach you a thing or two about pottery and who knows, maybe we can make a cup or play or vase... If I work all by myself, the creativity would eventually run out.”

You stayed quiet for a moment as you thought about the offer. You couldn't help but stare in awe at his many tools, along with the many different pottery that were being displayed on the shelves. Joshua was a bit nervous at your sudden silence but then it struck him.

“Oh—of course, I'll give you credit.”

You waved your hand dismissively and shook your head. “That's not it, I was just wondering, if I learn how to make different kinds of pottery, maybe I can sell them on my online shop as well.”

Joshua let out a relieved breath with a quiet “ahh” of understanding. “I'll be glad to help you if you ever need me or want to learn.”

After an exchange of smiles, you left Clayshua and headed in the direction of the apartment. Joshua offered to walk you back but you declined, explaining that you had a book that you wanted to return to the library first. The book was in your bag that was hung around your shoulders.

On the walk to the library, you checked your phone and saw a text message from your boyfriend.

CHEOL: Sorry for my late replies, baby. I'm doing fine these days, how are you? How did your first order go?

You smiled at the text and your fingers began tapping.

Y/N: I'm good too, Cheol! My first order went well, the package was sent and received, and the customer was really satisfied so that made me happy...^^

Y/N: How are your competitions so far?

CHEOL: Have you been watching my competitions?

Y/N: I already told you in the letter that I'm having a hard time searching for a broadcast of your competitions

CHEOL: Oh, did you?

CHEOL: Sorry about that, I must've skipped over that sentence.

You felt a small lump form inside your heart, knowing that he probably didn't read your letter. At most, he did a quick skim and put them inside a drawer, telling himself he'd read it later, but never did.

Even without him in your presence, you forced a smile as if he was there, right in front of you, saying those words.

Y/N: It's okay. What are you up to?

CHEOL: Me?

CHEOL: I'm just in bed.

CHEOL: These lonely nights remind me that I have a beautiful girlfriend waiting for me~❤️

Y/N: Gosh~~~

CHEOL: How about you, baby? What are you doing??

Y/N: I'm on my way to the library!

Y/N: I'm returning a comic book

CHEOL: ohh, really?

CHEOL: That makes me miss seeing you even more, like when you used to read to me while I lay on your lap.

Y/N: When are you coming back?

CHEOL: I think after the Nationals.

CHEOL: You better watch it! I'm training hard for it!

Y/N: Okay, I will.

Y/N: Make sure you read my letters!

CHEOL: Of course!

Y/N: I love you.

CHEOL: Love you too❤️

‘After the nationals...’ You thought to yourself as you walked past the tall brick building that was your apartment. The sun was out and happily dancing in the sky alongside the clouds that speckled the blue sky. ‘When will that be?’

You did a quick search and found out that your boyfriend wouldn't be back for another three(ish) months.

‘Why did he make it sound like he was coming soon?’ Your smile was gone as you walked closer to the library.

-

After knowing each other for two weeks, you and Joshua had finally exchanged numbers. It came out randomly but you two decided that maybe, sometime in the future, you'd need to call or text each other.

At that time, you both had met coincidentally while on your way to the coffee shop at the corner of the block. So, you two walked and talked, sharing funny and serious stories, laughing and nodding in understanding. Though the walk to and from the coffee shop was usually a ten to thirty minute walk, you wondered how it ended up extending to an hour.

You wrote another letter to Seungcheol that day.

TO: SEUNGCHEOL, FROM: Y/N

Hello, Cheol!

How's practice so far? Are you doing well?

I hope you are doing okay!

The new tenant in your old unit is a guy by the name of Joshua. He's really nice and is a potter, isn't that so cool? Of course, he'd never be as cool as you, because you're my boyfriend~

I think we are getting along pretty well. When you come back, you should meet him!

P.S. I haven't gotten any new orders but I'm not letting that get to me! I'll be patient for a few more weeks!

P.S.S. I love you! If you see this letter, text me and say ‘cherry’ <3

~ your girlfriend :)

Another week flashed by. The letter had to have arrived at his place. He called you once and texted you twice.

No text from your boyfriend ever mentioned a cherry.

-

A month after meeting Joshua, you visited his store with some desserts you baked and were giving out. You had already given all of the tenants you knew some cookies and donuts but Joshua was the only one who wasn't home. You figured that Joshua was in his little workshop, since you had come to notice that that must've been his favorite place to be, and when you arrived at Clayshua unannounced, the few knocks you left on the door made Joshua jump.

As he walked over to open the door for you, his posture was good and everything but his hands were neat. His hands were held up, like he was about to conduct a surgery, but instead of being cleaned, it was messy, smudged with a light brown substance.

“Sorry, it seems like you were busy,” You said, as his messy hands left a stamp of clay on the door handle.

Joshua shook his head and smiled. He hadn't see the paper bag you were holding behind your back just yet. “It's fine but what brings you hear in the middle of the day?”

You gave him an affable smile and pulled the bag from your back in front of you. He gave a puzzled “oh?” as his princely smile began to form on his pinkish lips. You smiled even brighter and explained, “I baked some sweets and handed them out to everyone.”

When he heard that you handed out sweets for everyone, he was disappointed in himself for thinking otherwise. He glanced into your beautiful eyes before looking down at the bag of sweets again, putting the thought behind him.

“And everyone happened to be inside their homes but you weren't answering the door. I waited a few minutes for you, to see if you'd come back soon, but you didn't. I was afraid that the sweets wouldn't be good later and grow stale if I didn't give it to you now,” You said, the long explanation causing you to go out of breath. Joshua was smiling with his ears wide open, taking in every word. He found you so cute again. “So, I figured that you'd be here, in Clayshua. Well, my guess was right, wasn't it?”

He giggled a bit and nodded, making way for you to step inside. He closed the door to the shop as you set the bag of sweets on one of the tables Joshua set up, for pottery classes in the future, you remembered him saying.

“What were you doing?” You asked, watching as Joshua locked the door with a satisfying click.

“You remembered how I told you that I hadn't made any vases yet?” Joshua replied, quickly disappearing into the bathroom, his voice echoing against the partially empty walls of Clayshua.

“Yeah.”

You could hear the tap water run.

“I was making some vases, you know, spinning it around, while shaping it.”

Joshua's voice echoed from the bathroom.

“Oh, that's cool. Is there anything I can help you with?” You replied, waiting for him to finish cleaning up his hands. “I do feel a bit bad for disrupting your work.”

“I should be the one feeling bad— you came all the way over here with snacks for me, I should definitely be the one to feel bad,” Joshua said, wiping his hands with a towel as he stepped out of the bathroom.

Talking with Joshua could either be you two beautifully and easily conversing, or bickering, going back and forth between who was more sorry when really, you two were just overreacting.

“Well,” you proposed, “You said that you were always open to creativity, right? How about letting me help with making a vase? I'll pay you for the materials I use.”

The offer was deadly tempting. Joshua never want edto be too accepting of your kindness and he even made promises to himself while he lay in bed at night thinking about you that he, Joshua Hong, would no longer be the accepting your overly kind acts if he had nothing to repay you.

Yet, his mind and heart added a selfish offer to the table.

“Fine, I'll show you how to make one,” Joshua said, in defeat as he grabbed one of the donuts with a brown paper towel. “Follow me.”

If you were so persistent with your kindness, he could take advantage of that.

He could have you with him longer.

So, Joshua led you to his little workshop in the back of his store. The lights were on, a nice yellow color, and the floor was hard concrete. The place looked a bit more like and untidy garage than a pottery workshop but you didn't even know what a pottery workshop was supposed to look like.

Joshua glanced over at you and saw you with your familiar lustrous eyes as you looked at his glistening pottery. He was glad that he could make your eyes sparkle like that, it made him feel proud and happy. He caught himself smiling and immediately retracted the curve of his lips as he sat down on a stool, in front of his unfinished vase.

“Come and take a seat,” He said calmly, patting the wooden stool beside him. “I'll show you how to make a vase, after that, you can do whatever you want with this jumble of clay. I'm assuming you don't know anything about making pottery, right?”

You smiled and nodded, taking a seat beside Joshua. “Are you going to get your hands dirty again? You literally just washed your hands.”

Joshua looked down at his hands that were already reaching toward the unfinished vase. He tilted his head slightly and amusedly chuckled.

“Right... but it's okay.”

Joshua taught you how to make the vase and the steps were surprisingly simple, but you quickly realized that it took a lot of body control to make a beautifully shaped vase.

What lingered on your mind after you left was how Joshua taught it to you. He apologized a million times for slightest physical contact you two encountered but somehow, that made it even more memorable for you. Whenever he apologized for having to teach you by putting his hand on top of yours, you just laughed because, to you, it wasn a big deal.

Well, it shouldn't be a big deal.

He placed your wet hand on the muddy clay and with his hand behind yours, he slowly guided you on how to make the vase. His hands were very delicate, you observed, and he was like a professional potter. His hands were warm as they were on top of yours, and though it was messy, you both didn't mind it.

You don't even remember how the vase looked like, no matter how hard you try to recall. All that could come to your mind was Joshua, his endless polite apologies, and his large, warm hands.

Over the course of the month after the pottery session, you and Joshua began spending an immense amount of time together, and you didn't see anything wrong with hanging out with your neighbor who was like a new best friend.

Though, sometimes, if you were honest, you did disregard some things that you felt you shouldn't be doing with Joshua. However, the happiness that you felt around the presence of Joshua was no joke. You had never for the past 4 years felt so happy to be around someone. Hanging out with friends, family, and even possibly your boyfriend—you hate to admit—did not make you feel different.

Joshua was different.

In the second month that you and Joshua met, the weather was always gloomy. Rain was always pouring from the dark skies and angry clouds were always looming above. During those shadowy days, you spent most of your time inside and Joshua balanced his life in and out of rain.

You worked on your cute little products inside your house and Joshua would make pottery inside his house too, but sometimes he'd venture outdoors and take a nice long walk under an umbrella with pattering rain toward Clayshua for work, enjoying the chilly breeze and smell of autumn rain.

You've always had a fear of loud noises but no one seemed to remember that, even your busy boyfriend. The loud strikes of thunder would always jump you awake when you're in the middle of slumber. Usually, the roars of thunder wouldn't be loud enough to frighten you, but one night, even earplugs and headphones couldn't keep the sound away. Being a sensitive sleeper, you always woke up shivering in fear whenever you heard loud noises.

So, to try and get rid of the noise, you left your apartment on one of the higher floors and headed to the ground floor, where the front desk was.

The landlord was nowhere in sight and the office only had the clerk, who had his head back against his chair, drool dripping from the corner of his lips. You were hoping you'd find someone to talk to in the middle of the night, someone who couldn't sleep because of the loud thunder just like you.

That's when you had heard a soft calling of your name resonating from the stairway. You had taken the elevator to the first floor, a long, fluffy blanket wrapped around your shoulders to prevent the cold from touching your skin.

You turned around toward the stairway and saw a familiar broad figure. It was Joshua.

He was dressed comfortably, one hand in his black sweatpants pockets, wearing a loose white t-shirt showing. He seemed a bit shocked to see you in such a state but then kindly smiled.

“What are you doing here with a blanket?” Joshua asked, closing the door to the stairway as he walked toward you, who was still standing and staring in the middle of the clean lobby as if stunned. “Why aren't you asleep at this hour?”

“I could ask the same thing,” you replied.

You and Joshua sat down in the chairs at the lobby that were against a wall where a painting gifted from one of the tenants to Jeonghan hang.

“I couldn't sleep well,” Joshua said, smiling softly. His hands were clasped in his lap as he sat beside you. “What about you?”

“I have a fear of loud sounds,” You replied, awkwardly and shyly smiling to yourself. You looked down at the ground. You didn't want to sound lame but that's exactly how it sounded. “So, I thought that someone might be awake at this time. I wanted to distract myself a little from my fears.”

Joshua nodded in understanding. “Then...”

You looked up at him and your eyes met. His eyes looked like they held the galaxy in them. Your heartbeat started jumping, racing, accelerating from staring into his eyes.

“Want to talk for the night?”

You could never look him in the eye, ten seconds would be your limit, maybe even less.

Yet, you could talk with him endlessly, no matter how far you two went into the night and comply to his request when he asked you to read him a book.

Thunderstorms would continue for the following week and every night, before bed, you'd hear a single knock on your door. You didn't even need to open it. Joshua was always at the other end and you two would exchange words between the closed door with your ears pressed on it. He was always telling you that he was sorry to be interrupting you, but also asking if you were alright. You would have to assure him many times that if the thunder was unbearable, you'd be the one to knock down his apartment door.

He would chuckle.

Joshua also came over many times to your apartment unit and you two would do the simplest things. At first, Joshua didn't like to be with you alone in your home, but soon, he began to feel comfortable. You let him in and told him that he was always welcome. You two would share the slightest happy moments with each other but also the hardest burdens and worries you both had.

One time when he came over, you taught him to make bead bracelets. You were originally making bracelets for some new orders you got and Joshua was stopping by to check up on you. Curiosity got the best of him eventually as he watched your beautiful hands slide a bead onto a string, create a pattern, and close off the bracelet. You didn't mind letting him use some of your materials because you didn't have a large franchise yet.

The bracelet he created was made up of some of his favorite colors, blue and pink, with the letters SHU spread among the beads.

“I didn't want to use up too many of your beads,” Joshua had said as he handed the bracelet to you. “You can keep it for me.”

He also talked about how enjoyable it was and how he was going to incorporate it as a hobby, which made you feel proud, butterflies swarming your stomach.

Within that same month, Joshua went out one night with his friends for a drink. He had been feeling sick since two days before but couldn't deny because apparently, they all wanted to meet up and catch up with Joshua. Those friends had gone to college or started working and Joshua was the only one among them who began his own business. His friends were either clerks, office workers, or managing part-time jobs while going to college.

After a festive night drinking out with friends, Joshua had a bad hangover. He was feeling dizzy and nauseated, lazy and unmotivated, and he didn't want to leave his bed. Aside from his already worsening flu, his head hurt like crazy and the memories from the night before were still vivid. He regretted drinking so much and even agreeing to playing all those drinking games, that he lost to most of the time due to his lack of knowledge in them.

Thankfully though, you showed up at his door with a bracelet, that ended up with you making hangover soup for him at his place while he sat at the kitchen with his head down on the counter, mumbling countless apologies for making you go through so much trouble.

After he said that, he ate the hangover soup you made, and ended up passing out while you did the dishes. You were worried, of course, and ended up staying at his place even longer after you realized that he was battling a lava temperature fever.

You stayed with him until he woke up, tapping a cold wet towel from his forehead to his neck and nape.

While he slept, one side of his face against the cold surface of the counter, you gazed at him. You admired his long eyelashes, full lips, and every aspect of his face that you never got a chance to look at close-up before. The more you stared at his features, the more your face subconsciously drew closer to his and the more your heart fluttered.

As you stared at him, your heart was already speaking but your mind continued to wonder, ‘What's with me being around you? Do I like you?’

You just sighed and stared at him even more before shaking away the thought and backing your head away from his.

‘No. I can't.’

‘I'm in love with Seungcheol.’

Those words played in your mind but your heart continued to race as you looked at Joshua.

He apologized once again when he woke up, embarrassed that you got to see such a sight of him.

You just shook your head, saying that it was okay.

Earlier that day, you had received a letter in the mail from your boyfriend, Seungcheol. You hadn't got the chance to read the letter because you were so preoccupied with Joshua.

Even when you returned home, you ended up forgetting about that letter, despite having nothing to do at home at all.

It was because there was only one thing on your mind.

Joshua.

Joshua.

Joshua.

Joshua.

Joshua Hong.

And you once again, ended up in Joshua's kitchen not long after making him hangover soup. This time, you were cooking a soybean paste stew for Joshua's parents because they were coming over and according to Joshua, after having tried your soybean paste stew once, claimed that you had the best soybean paste stew recipe ever. He wanted to learn it and cook it for his parents, if that was okay.

After rummaging through your drawers to clean it out, you had found the unread, unopened, long-awaited letter from Seungcheol. You wanted to read it and write back before he came back home—which you realized was only about a month away—but that was when Joshua appeared at your door with his puppy eyes and soft smile.

For Joshua, you forgot that a rejection, denial, and the word ‘no’ existed.

So, that's how you ended up with Joshua again. Alone. In his apartment. With him.

It didn't seem right at all and your mind was finally realizing that. You waited for Joshua to finish cutting up the vegetables, your hand against the brim of the counter, waiting for the radish and brownish broth to come to a boil. You kept your eyes on him, like you were analyzing his every move.

Your mind was finally telling you that it wasn't right and you had finally realized that all this time, your heart was the one guiding you with all of your actions. A heavy load was burrowing itself inside your heart, making you somewhat nervous, guilty, and scared.

‘Seungcheol,’ You reminded yourself. ‘Choi Seungcheol is my boyfriend.’

Yet, upon remembering your boyfriend, you realized further the limited contact you had with Seungcheol and that made you feel even worse. When was the last time you two contacted? You two were boyfriend and girlfriend, yet it seemed like months since you two had a heartfelt conversation. He had a letter for you, for the first time in what felt like ages, and it was just sitting on your desk untouched.

Then, thinking about letters made you remember the ones you sent. Out of the many that you sent, how many did he return? How many of them did he actually read? How long had it been since you last sent a letter to your boyfriend?

“Why didn't you tell me that the soup was boiling?” Joshua asked frantically, quickly sliding all the vegetables off the cutting board, into the boiling pot of stew. He then picked up the pieces of tofu he cut and added them as well.

“Oh, sorry about that,” You replied, quickly brushing off the thoughts of Seungcheol. “I was just... in a bit of a daze.”

“Oh? Are you okay?” Joshua asked, wiping his hands with a towel that hung beside the oven mitts.

You nodded with a short smile. “Just a bit of things here and there, but I'm fine. When are your parents coming?”

“They'll be here by 7 pm, we still have around 30 minutes left, which is plenty.”

You nodded.

Talking with Joshua should have made you more concerned about your relationship with him. It should have made you feel even more guilty because you were in a relationship with Seungcheol, yet, you were constantly spending time with Joshua. Joshua made your heart flutter with his sweet words, dazzling smile, and twinkling eyes. You two shared wholehearted conversations, were each other's support, and helped each other out. You had fallen for Joshua and you knew it deep inside but there was still a wall of warriors, fighting back the feelings, denying the reality, because you were in a relationship. It should have made you feel guilty. Yet, the more you and Joshua talked, the more refreshed you felt.

“Here, let's have a taste test,” Joshua said after a few minutes passed and the stew began to boil again. He grabbed a ladle and scooped a bit of the bubbling, boiling broth. He gently blew it and slowly took a small sip.

Immediately, his eyes widened and he smiled, his eyes sparkling with fascination. “Woah, this is insane.”

“Really?” You asked, feeling a sense of proudness sweeping over your body upon catching the sight of seeing Joshua amazed. You quickly lean in and take a sip of the hot broth, slightly numbing your tongue.

It was delicious though, so you squeezed your eyes shut and smiled, savoring the taste of the delicious soybean paste stew.

“I'm sure my parents will love it,” Joshua said, smiling as he gazed at your expression, before turning away.

Just then, you both decided to lean in for another sip. Your lips were already on the ladle and Joshua's paused upon seeing your mouth reach for it first. He could hear his pounding heartbeat drumming against his chest as his eyes could do nothing else but focus on your lips.

His hand gradually lowered the ladle.

You had nothing else to look at but Joshua.

So that's what you did.

You gulped down the stew and watched in a frozen stance as Joshua's stare approached a place right under your nose.

“Your hair looks nice today,” He said.

God, he wasn't even looking at your messy bun that you put in a hurry.

His large hand hesitantly placed on your neck, you could feel the warmth spreading through his body. He was so close now, you could feel his breath against your lips, tempting you to bite it or press it away so that he couldn't lock his lips against yours.

Yet, you didn't move because everything just felt so right.

“Can I kiss you?”

That question snapped you back into reality.

You backed away while stumbling.

“I-”

You look at him apologetically, feeling the guilt that hid away building up even more ferociously.

“I have a boyfriend.”

You could remember Joshua's gaze as you walked away from him and out of his apartment unit.

He didn't look angry or sad.

He didn't even look disappointed.

He looked embarrassed.

When you walked to your apartment that was right next to his, you felt even worse, because of you did, and what you were going to do if not for Joshua's question that brought you back to your senses.

After lingering at the door for a while, your eyes closed, trying to control your breathing, heart, and mind, you walked over to the white, rectangular envelope that sat on your desk.

TO: Y/N

FROM: YOUR BOYFRIEND CHERRY <3

How are you doing, my baby?

I know it's been a while since I last replied to one of your letters. I know just how much you love sending letters back and forth like this, so I'm sorry that I couldn't keep up with it.

I always use the excuse that I'm busy. All. The. Time.

I'm sorry for not being able to spend time with you. I promise that after I win the Nationals, I'll come stay with you for a long time. I want to take you outside and light up fireworks together, kiss under the moonlight, and go on dates that we never got the chance to do.

A long distance relationship surely is hard, right?

I promise it'll be over soon, just hang in there a bit longer for me, okay? I promise that when I come back, we'll have enough money to move out of that apartment and get your business dolled up.

Then, we can get married, okay?

I know we don't talk, text, or see each other often, but I still love you, okay? I love you, baby.

I love you, my beautiful lady.

Just a month left by the time this letter arrives.

I miss you.

I love you.

~ sincerely, your boyfriend <3

The letter was sweet but you felt a bit bitter. You had even forgotten that he had his competition at the Nationals soon and if that didn't make you feel bad already, what he mentioned in the letter just made your heart sink.

You were afraid of fireworks popping in the sky, even if it looked beautiful.

And that only made you feel worse.

So you decided to give Seungcheol a call, but he didn't pick up.

“Why am I not surprised?”

You sigh to yourself as you dropped your head on the hard wooden desk.

-

The next day after you and Joshua bumped into each other on your way out, Joshua apologized for what he did in the kitchen the previous night. You said it was fine because it wasn't and the pain from seeing Joshua's expression made you hurt even more.

Joshua had fallen for you so hard that he forgot to ask the most important question: do you have a boyfriend?

So, that night, when you backed away and said that you had a boyfriend, he just wanted to laugh at himself for being so stupid. You were such a wonderful, amazing, beautiful woman, what were the chances that a woman like you wouldn't be in love with someone else?

Yet, even now that he knew you were in a relationship, he wanted to keep you close. He didn't want to let the friendship you two created as neighbors shatter.

So as the third month of knowing each other drew closer, Joshua acted as if nothing happened. He continued talking with you, sharing stories with you, and telling you that you looked beautiful. He gave you a mug that he made because it reminded him of you; he was so undeniably in love but he was trying to cover it up as friendly affection.

Platonic affection.

You, on the other hand, wanted to push Joshua away. Your resolve was that if you removed Joshua from your life, you'd stay in love with Seungcheol, and Joshua wouldn't be a part of your life. Everything would be complete, you'd have a happy family, relationship, and Seungcheol wouldn't have to know anything about you and Joshua.

But, you couldn't do that. You didn't want to lie to Seungcheol, because, no matter how much you tried, everything, this or that, it couldn't change.

Being away from Joshua only made your heart ache.

Soon enough, the only thing in your head was Joshua. Whenever you made bracelets for fun while waiting for customers to come in and order—though you did see a bit of flourishing of your online shop—you ended up making a bracelet out of his favorite colors, blue and pink, putting letters from your name across the bead bracelet. You didn't want to give it to him but you ended up giving it to him because seeing that bracelet you made while thinking of him lying around for so long made you annoyed.

When he received the bracelet, Joshua couldn't help but smile. He caught the bracelet he made for you on your wrist, hiding under the sleeves. He took the bracelet and began wearing it almost every day. He loved it so much but he would always have to remind himself that, no matter how much it seemed like you like him in a non-platonic way, he was just a neighbor and friend. You were in a relationship.

He had to convince himself nearly every day that you weren't feeling the same way. Sometimes, Joshua would slap himself while looking into the mirror, thinking, ‘you have fallen too hard, Joshua. Way too hard.’

-

You quickly sealed the envelope and delivered it to the post office, hoping that the letter would arrive at Seungcheol's dormitory before he came back. You wanted him to see the letter but when Seungcheol texted you the next morning that he had won the National Taekwondo Competition in the States and was going to come home as fast as possible, you were positive that he wouldn't be able to see the letter.

That made you partially relieved, because if he saw that letter, you would be deemed a true coward. It also made you feel bad because he would have to know the cold truth. The betrayal that you had decided to face with honesty. You didn't want to lie to Seungcheol anymore. You didn't want to put him through hell because he just won the Nationals, his life-long goal, and was probably waiting to excitedly celebrate it with his beloved girlfriend, only for her to tell him that she's in love with someone else.

You buried your hands in your face, sitting with the desk in front of you. On top of the desk was scrambled pieces of yarn and a box of sewing supplies, along with a mug that had a small rabbit engraved on the front, gifted from your next-door neighbor, Joshua.

Seungcheol was going to arrive any second. He probably had hailed a cab and was on the road to your apartment.

You thought about delaying the breakup.

After 6 years of dating Seungcheol, two years in-person and four years long-distance, would it all be ruined just because you met this man you fell in love with after around 3 months? After supporting each other for so long? After being in love for so long? Was it really going to be worth it?

You thought that maybe after spending a few days with your boyfriend again, you'd realize your love for him and love only him again. Seungcheol would be the only man in your life.

But that wouldn't be as easy as it seemed.

Truthfully, those three months you spent with Joshua felt the equivalent to or even more than those four years you spent in a long-distance relationship with Cheol. Being together for 6 years, you thought that it was normal for couples to contact each other less and still be in love.

All you could do was sigh in frustration, guilt, and anxiousness.

If you delayed the breakup, that would be the equivalent to hiding your probably mutual feelings toward Joshua. You didn't want to do that. You didn't want to lie to him. You didn't want to hide.

Just then, the doorbell rang, causing you to jump.

From the knocks that followed after, you could already tell who it was, even though it had been almost a year since the two of you last met up.

You quickly walked and opened the door, greeted your boyfriend with a warm, welcoming hug, and then shut the door behind him. He didn't saw much as he came in, only a short and comfortable “hey baby, I missed you”.

You immediately sat in the living room with him and didn't want to hesitate with the breakup. You sucked in a deep breath and let out an even heavier breath.

“Is something wrong?” Seungcheol asked, leaning toward you a little. He reached his hand out toward you but something inside him made him stop halfway.

Seungcheol was tired from the long flight and wanted to go to sleep but he knew that you probably missed him like crazy, like you would always, and you'd want to cuddle while watching TV or catch up and talk for hours until midnight would strike.

“Seungcheol,” you said seriously, the sight of him already making your eyes look apologetic. Your heart was already suffocating. You wanted to continue sounding serious like how you began by calling his name, but when you asked the question, your voice became weak and struck with pain. “Can we break up?”

Your eyes were teary, causing Seungcheol to feel confused.

“What? What are you talking about?” Seungcheol asked, cupping your face and wiping the tears that were flowing down your cheeks slowly. You tried your best to control them but you couldn't after knowing what you were doing to Cheol. He didn't seem to realize the seriousness of the situation just yet and it pained you to know how he would feel.

“I want to break up, Seungcheol,” you replied, amidst your tears, placing your hand on his. “I'm sorry. I'm not pranking you. I'm not trying to be funny... I... I genuinely want to break up.”

“Why?” He asked, the tears beginning to crawl up his throat, making you feel even worse. His happy smile from when he first entered turned into a saddening frown as his eyes began to well up with tears unstoppable. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, I did,” you continued. “I was the one who did something wrong. I'm sorry. I want to break up.”

“No, no, I bet it was because of me,” Seungcheol said, forcing himself to smile, his hands weakly slipping away from your face. “Even I know what type of boyfriend I've been for the past four years. I don't know how you managed it, Y/N.”

You stayed silent as he swallowed back his tears and continued.

“I took you for granted, I acknowledge that much. I wanted my dreams to come true so I left you to go accomplish those darn dreams. You stayed with me for the past four years that I was away, clinging onto those two years that we spent before I left. You don't even know how much I've changed while I was in the States and I don't even know what you do here,” Seungcheol explained, wiping away his tears.

“You know all of those letters that you send me? I only open a few of them and I've always told myself to read one of them every day, but I always end up going out with friends, studying, or practicing taekwondo late at night. When I look back on it, I realize that the you that I know and love may not be the same. The little amount of contact that we keep makes me frustrated too but then I realize that it's because of me that our contact is limited.”

You wanted to bury your head and cry.

“So, you can blame me for the breakup. Now that you can't take it, you can tell me that now. I'm sure you've been sick of it, right?” Seungcheol reached out his hand to you and gently stroked your hair, smiling away the pain like he always did.

“I am a little sick of it,” you replied honestly. “I hated it so much but I didn't want to sound like I did because I love you and that was the only reason I needed to keep going. I tried to understand, Cheol.”

You gulped and looked into his eyes, wiping away his warm tears. “I won't blame you though, Cheol. I just want to break up because I...”

“You don't have to say the reason.”

Seungcheol smiled softly.

“Just let me sleep here for the night. I'll leave tomorrow. You don't have to ask me to break up, if you want to, then we can. I know how much you must've been hurting.”

Seungcheol turned away to hide, his hand slipping away from yours.

“Have you showered? Eaten?” Seungcheol asked, sniffling.

You covered your mouth and tried to hold in your tears as they began to fall again.

“Yeah, I have.”

“Okay, that's good. Are you getting ready for bed now?”

“Yeah.”

“I'll sleep on the couch tonight. Don't worry about me, go to bed first. I'll take my last shower here and eat my last meal. You can go to bed first.”

“But—”

“Please, go.” His sudden plead was a shout of desperation, anger, and sadness.

Seungcheol hated himself for the kind of boyfriend he was. The only thing that made him feel happier was the fact that he was finally setting you free despite all his love.

When you went into your bedroom, Seungcheol took a quick shower and ate a quick meal that your prepared for him earlier that day. He cried while eating, noticing that that may have been the best meal he ever had in his life despite it being simple. You had always been a great cook, preparing all of his lunches whenever he went to practice.

While Seungcheol ate and reminisced the memories, he was smiling between his tears.

Even when he laid on the couch and looked up at the blank ceiling, he cried, thinking back on the times that you and him cuddled while watching television, then realizing that that was the only thing you two ever did on that particular living room couch.

-

The next day, you saw Seungcheol off. He boarded a taxi and said that he would be going to visit his parents and siblings.

When you went back into your apartment you stared at it for a while. You packaged some of your customer's orders and sent them to the post office and proceeded life unlike every other day. Your heart was now aching to let him, Seungcheol, go, but you knew it was for the better.

When you returned from sending off the packages, you boarded yourself up in your room for the next few days. Joshua seemed to be worried, always knocking on your door here and then, but after hearing no reply, he'd assume he came at the worng times. It didn't really matter to him that you two didn't talk for around 3 days because he still saw you around, wandering in the lobby, or by chance outside, through the window by your living room.

On the fourth day after the breakup, you decided to head out of your apartment for the first time. You took a walk around the block and stopped at Clayshua. You didn't plan on seeing Joshua there, just stopping by to take a look, but when you arrived, you saw Joshua placing pots and bases for display.

You stopped and stared for a while before knocking on the window to catch Joshua's attention.

He turned to you and smiled as he went to open the door for you.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, clapping his hands together to get rid of the traces of pottery that sprinkled his hands. “The weather is getting colder, shouldn't you have worn a thicker coat?”

You smiled softly and took a step closer to him.

“What's with your eyes? Why are they swollen?” Joshua took a step closer to you to inspect your eyes that cried all night. You tried to change the topic.“Y asou said that your shop is opening soon, right?”

You put your hand behind your back and smiled, trying to hide your swollen eyes. “I hope your shop does well.”

“Thanks,” he replied. His simple words were enough to get you smiling. You could tell that he was still inspecting your eyes, wondering to himself if you had late-night ramen or if you cried.

So, you decided to tell him the truth.

“I broke up with my boyfriend, that's why my eyes look bad.”

“No, they don't look bad,” Joshua reassured, trying to meet your gaze. He sounded concerned in his follow-up question, “Are you okay though?”

“Well, yeah. I just wanted to, you know… I didn't want to hide my feelings for you from him.”

The calm tone as you said that bluntly and your innocent smile left Joshua stunned. He didn't know what to say or do with your sudden confession but he felt somehow delighted deep inside his heart. His heart was stilling skipping rope just from the sight of you.

You made your way to the door, telling that you were just stopping by to say hi. Joshua laughed at that.

As you were about to leave and blend into the crowded streets again, Joshua called out your name. Your head peeking from over your shoulder, you listened intently as Joshua said with a bit of nervousness, “I'll wait for you. You don't have to come to me right away. If you still need time after your breakup, I'll respect that. Okay?”

You smiled gently but brightly at Joshua and nodded slowly before making your way out and back to the apartment.

-

“Hey Cheol,” Soonyoung, Seungcheol's roommate and a member of the national taekwondo team, called out while holding an envelope. He had gone to collect the mail like he did every end of the month and noticed a familiar white envelope and writing on it. “I think it's another letter from your girlfriend that you broke up with.”

Seungcheol was playing games on his computer when Soonyoung dropped the envelope on his desk. Around two weeks had passed since you and Cheol had broken up.

“We don't get much mail anymore and the only one who did send us mail was your girlfriend. Do you even read her letters? Wait—you two broke up, right?” Soonyoung babbled while chewing on a piece of gum and throwing on one side of the wireless buds.

“Mind your own business, Soonyoung.”

“But talking about your breakup, are you doing okay, man? You seem a bit out of it but you also seem to be coping with it better than I thought.”

Seungcheol, annoyed at the continuous mentions of his breakup, turned to his roommate and good friend Soonyoung while glaring. “Do you have a death wish?”

He looked at the letter and knew that it was probably sent quite a bit ago.

He didn't want to read it but when Soonyoung was asleep, sometime near midnight, Seungcheol tore the envelope open while sitting on the floor against his bed. His lamp was on and reflected a dim light that was bright enough to read but not bright enough to awaken a sleeping tiger.

He stared at the ‘TO: CHOI SEUNGCHEOL, FROM: Y/N’.

He stared at it for a while before he decided to unfold the letter, being met with your familiar and neat handwriting, each stroke looking delicately engraved on the paper.

Hello, Seungcheol.

It's been a while since I last wrote a letter to you. In fact, I don't remember the last time that I did, though I'm sure it wasn't a super long time ago.

I'm sure that all of my letters are probably stacked up in a drawer somewhere but I'm hoping that you would read this one. I'm a complete coward for writing this before I can tell it to you but now that I look at it, this letter may not be looked at until after the breakup.

Now, you may be wondering, ‘what breakup’?

I'm going to break up with you, Seungcheol.

Now, please don't blame yourself for anything. This is all my choice. I want to break up.

Those six years that I spent with you were precious.

I can still remember the days that we spent together. Some of them are more memorable than others but each of them special.

Do you remember when I needed help with my taekwondo kicks in high school? You held the punching bag for me and I accidentally kicked your shoulder really hard. You told me that you were fine but your face was so red. I was laughing so hard but I still brought you to the hospital and that's where we had our first kiss; to shut me up from rambling on and on about it.

I don't want to go over our love life in a letter. Sorry, writing letters has always made me nostalgic.

I just want you to know that I love you, Seungcheol.

But I'm in love with someone else even more.

You probably haven't met him yet but I've talked about him before, in a previous letter I wrote to you, though I'm unsure if you read them. I know that you don't read my letters and that's okay with me, just hurts me a little, but I understand.

The man that I have fallen for is such a simple man. You don't have to worry about me. He's caring and kind-hearted, he's strong and intelligent, you can trust me on that, Cheol. He talks with me and tells me all of his problems and also listens to me.

I was afraid that you'd be worried for me.

I'm sorry, Seungcheol.

I'm sorry for being in love with someone else.

Now, this letter is probably all over the place, because that's exactly how I feel. It's not easy for me either but I'm unable to help this feeling. I'm a mess and I'm in love with someone else.

I hope you understand.

~ Y/N.

Seungcheol rubbed his forehead.

“Gosh, you dummy, why did you have to repeat it so many times?” Seungcheol said to himself, holding back tears.

That's when he decided to spend the rest of the night reading through each and every letter you sent, from four years ago to the breakup.

Soonyoung just sighed in his bed, watching his friend from afar, wanting to lend a comforting hand, but not moving an inch. He shook his head and closed his eyes gently, unable to bear the sight of his crying friend.

‘He has it worse than I thought.’

Soonyoung badly wanted to shout at his friend who was sobbing in the dark with a dim light, thinking no one knew of his pain. He always hid away his true feelings of hurting and that largely frustrated Soonyoung.

However, those thoughts of anger quickly faded as Soonyoung recalled just how much he loved you. His girlfriend was so precious and he talked about her a lot despite not having much contact with her, or so he said. He knew who you were and he knew that you were special to Seungcheol.

“She opened up her online shop today, I'm going to win the finals and give her the prize money!”

The excitement as he said each word...

“Look! My girlfriend just got her first order on her online shop! When I get back to Korea, I'll make sure I'll help her make bracelets and plushies!”

The happiness in his voice…

“I miss her so much, agghhhhh...”

Every single time that he whined about missing her but still managed to smile while looking at their old pictures together. Seungcheol would tell stories from highschool with his sweetheart, you, and Soonyoung didn't mind listening.

The love in Seungcheol's voice was clear.

But now, all there was left in that voice of his was the broken-hearted, shattered, leftover love.

Soonyoung flipped around to look at Seungcheol, who was now wiping his tears and getting up from the floor, endless white envelopes and folded letters scattering the dark wooden floor.

“Hyung,” Soonyoung began.

“Huh? You're awake?” Seungcheol asked in surprise, hastily wiping away his tears that were still on his cheek while sniffling.

“Do you want to go clubbing?”

“What? At this time?”

“To forget about her.”

Seungcheol sighed and dropped on his bed, laying flat against it with his body facing the ceiling and his legs dangling at the side of the bed. “Did you see everything?”

“Yeah,” Soonyoung replied, not getting up from his warm and cozy bed. “I never knew this day would come and honestly, I hate to see you like this. I know just how much you loved her and how much you risked for her. It makes me angry, hyung.”

“Don't be angry,” Seungcheol replied, frozen while staring at the ceiling, his arms spread widely against the bed, as if offering the wall above a hug. “I think that the breakup was a good thing for me and Y/N, no matter how much it hurt. She's in love with someone and that's all that matters to me. For some reason, I'm not even angry, because, after reading all her heartfelt letters and looking back on that night we broke up, I finally understand everything.”

Soonyoung listened intently. Soonyoung always listened to Seungcheol.

“This new guy she fell for probably has all the time for her and showers her with all the attention that I didn't give despite my love. This guy that she loves probably supports her in all ways that I couldn't. This guy that she loves is probably a kind soul who wouldn't dare eat up all her love until she's broken, unlike me, who fed on her love endlessly.”

“Stop, that's not true!” Soonyoung interrupted, jumping up from his bed. “You risked just as much for her! You pursued taekwondo because you wanted to fund her shop! I know that you never wanted to be a taekwondo athlete but you gave up becoming an actor because you thought that being a taekwondo athlete was the easier route to earn money. I don't even know what she gave up for you, hyung!”

“Shhh,” Seungcheol hushed, placing a finger to his lips. Soonyoung fell silent to his best friend's hush and waited for him to speak.

Seungcheol sat up in bed for a bit and then turned off the lamp without a word. The silence was eerie, with the static of nothingness filling their ears. Moonlight was bright that night, shining through the open window, on a cold autumn night.

Seungcheol finally let out a soft sigh.

“We could have talked,” Seungcheol said. “If we talked more, about our worries, problems, and didn't hide the truth that didn't need to be hidden, it all would have been better.”

Soonyoung lay down on his bed and heard his best friend whisper again, this time, with more pain in his muffled voice.

“If only we spent the many chances we had to engage in a nice, long talk.”

Seungcheol forced a smile in the darkness, just wondering and hoping that the man you loved was decent. Thinking about you being happy made his forced smile turn genuine as he said quietly,

“I bet that's what he does with her best.”

---------------

© serenityseventeen

date finished: sometime in mid october

[miekasa]

Things the aot characters would match with u ?

Eren

Sneakers. It makes him somewhat giddy when you guys wear them at the same time, particularly if it was unplanned. 

He just thinks they look nice, and it’s something that you guys can match with that doesn’t look completely obvious or cringe. You can wear them at the same time or on your own, but for Eren it’s really just knowing that you’re wearing something he bought you.

Not matching matching per se, but one of my favorite things to think about is Eren having his key necklace, and buying you one with a lock on it. Again, matching but not over the top.

Jean

Maybe simple jewelry? Like plain, gold or silver bracelets/rings—nothing too much, but you guys still know it’s there. Watches might be a bigger splurge, but he’s willing to do it, especially if they’re nice and classy.

Once he knows you’re okay with jewelry, you’ve gotta be careful with him. He’ll ice you out if you don’t stop him. He has a sorta refined taste where you’ll get something, and think “Hey, this is really nice,” and then boom, the price tag could pay for your courses for a semester. 

Other little things like matching/coordinating phone cases, you guys each having mugs from the same place, even little charms on your keychains that match together.

Water bottles. This was more so him buying you one (and yes, it was an overpriced Hydroflask) to make sure you’re drinking enough water. If you don’t think he’ll force feed it to you if he notices that your bottle is heavy, then you thought wrong.

Levi

Lots of the things are pretty practical, and are the result of Levi buying it for you because he thought you needed it, or needed a better version of it; so, in a way, it’s not intended to match, but because he buys what he already has and knows works, you end up with a copy, so inadvertent matching 😌

For example, he’ll buy you mittens or gloves if you don’t have any, or if he thinks the ones you have are shit and need better insulation. They happen to be the same ones he has because he knows those work, so now you’re matching. Same goes for things like lunch boxes, water bottles, even the towels in your apartment.

Plants. Again, he probably intervened saying you need some source of fresh air in your house, or something smart like that. If you don’t have a green thumb, don’t worry because he’s practically taking care of it for you. Occasionally he’ll note how your plant is doing in comparison to his and it’s pretty cute to hear his little plant parent rambles while he’s watering them.

Matching aprons. It’s cute, don’t let him tell you otherwise; and if he does, you know he’s fronting, because he always wears his when he’s cooking, anyway.

Connie

Tattoos if you’re down for it. It can be as simple or stupid or extravagant as you want, you honestly have full control over the design even tho it’s going on his body please. He doesn’t care—he trusts you, and he wants to match with you, so whatever you want, wherever you want it!

Sneakers for him too, but I think he’d go as far as to have matching/coordinating outfits with you. Particularly sweats and crew necks and hoodies, and if you guys are traveling together, then you’re more than likely matching at the airport.

He probably put some stupid sticker or decal on your car that you’re stuck with now. Good luck. He put the same shit on his so at least you can look dumb together.

Armin

Stickers, whether it be on your laptop or phone case or water bottle or even just in your room; he’s got one and you’ve got one.

Stuffed animals. He has a lot that he just buys for you, but you guys go on a Build-a-Bear date and make bears of each other at some point, and it’s kinda cute. He keeps his on a shelf close to his bed so it’s safe and sound.

Stationary, like pencil cases and pens and such. They don’t have to be fancy with your initials engraved at the top, but you guys buy them in sets of 2 so you have the same stuff, and get cases to store everything that match, too.

Porco

Something cute that you put in his car that he doesn’t have the heart to remove, no matter how much he bitches about it. Like those little sticky rubber ducks with the glasses that go on your dash.

Gym bags. Yes, he’s a gym bro. No, he doesn’t care if you’re not. Allegedly they were “two for one” at the Adidas outlet, so now you’ve got one. It can double as a duffle bag if you’re not getting any practical gym use of it. 

You could probably get him to wear matching rings as long as they’re not too obvious; just a simple gold band is really the furthest he’ll go (he never takes it off, but don’t point it out or he’ll chuck it at you).

Mikasa

Some kind of accessory—bracelets, hats, necklaces, scarves. She’s into that kinda stuff, just don’t make a big deal of it when you’re in public or she’ll get embarrassed please.

Pins. You’ve got one on your jacket and she’s got one on her book bag or something. Again, they don’t have to be identical; you can get two different Pokémon, or references to a show you both like.

Lipstick. You don’t have to both wear it at the same time, but it’s still something sweet to have.

Sasha

Charm bracelets! The charms themselves don’t all have to be identical (tho at least one of them would be), but just the fact that you guys both have them and are collecting charms at a similar rate is cute.

Definitely matching cups or mugs or something of the like. Kitchen towels with the same pattern or each other’s initials on them. Matching shot glasses, too, obviously. 

Your home/lock screens match, too. Pictures of each other from the same day or of the same scenery or something. She always lets you know when she’s gonna change hers so you can change yours too.

Annie

Hoodies. They can be solid colored, or two if the same ones just in different colors. Hoodies are kind of her go-to look, and nothing that draw too much attention anyways; so she doesn’t mind having the same one as you.

Backpacks. Again, they don’t have to be exactly the same and can be relatively simple in design; and is something most people have anyway, so it’s not outlandish. She seems like a Kanken kinda girl, so you both can have one in different colors.

Pieck

Jewelry. Strikes me as the type to be okay with getting each other’s initials on necklaces or earrings or something, but it could also be more covert like having each other’s birthstones on a pendant.

Speaking of stones, you’re getting crystals whether you like it or not. They will be on your nightstand, they will be in your car, they will be in your jacket pocket, they might even be in your bra and don’t ask her how she got them there without you knowing. They’re in hers too if that makes you feel any better.

Hange

Jackets or sweaters. Wanna say matching cardigans in particular, and yeah, they’re pretty ugly but that’s the point! To bask ironically in the pointed ugliness of them all so much that it becomes cute to you.

Snow globes. Hange is obsessed with them, whenever you travel they collect one and sometimes even if they just pass a store at home and see two unique (translation: weird looking) ones, they’ll pick them up. So, congrats.

Socks with funky patterns on them. Beer bottles, weed plants, zodiac signs, dinosaurs—whatever Hange buys, they buy in packs of two so at least you’ll never run out of ankle socks.

[closedafterdark]

First Love

LOOΠΔ Park Gowon x Male Reader

11538 words

categories: fluff, smut, oral, light! bdsm, holy water required

notes: @mintwithchoco​ 👀

Read on AFF

There’s a popular saying that you find love when you least expect it.

For some, it’s about timing. What may not work out now can in the future. For others - it’s finding the courage to tell the other person how you feel. Perhaps it may also be the person was right next to you all along; just waiting patiently. Whatever the case, the roads to one another will be connected so long as both people are willing to meet halfway.

--

The new school year is always an exciting time. New classes. Teachers. Classmates. Getting to wear a freshly ironed uniform after having had a restless night due to excitement. A blonde haired girl walks down a heavily populated hallway. The sounds of students greeting each other after an extended summer break. Girls chattering away about the concert they went to or the latest gossip about who is dating who. Others run down the hallway as one student throws a crumpled up piece of paper and attempts to make a fadeaway, failing miserably and earning laughter from his friends nearby and especially the person recording with his phone. She walks past several classrooms with a piece of paper in hand before finally stopping in front of a row of lockers. Looking down, she finds the locker assigned to her as well as the combination to open it. Turning the metallic dial left, right and counterclockwise left once more, the locker door unlocks.

She places her notebook and several textbooks inside the locker, letting out a sigh of a relief as the weight has been removed from her backpack. Taking a sticker from the inside pocket of the notebook, she puts it on the door of the locker. The bell above the locker area suddenly rings, startling her. It was now time for homeroom class. Having barely closed her locker, she is almost blown away by a sudden gust of wind as various students run through the hall and try to find their homeroom.

--

“Listen up everyone, we have a new student joining us. Introduce yourself.” the homeroom teacher said, staring at you. You approached the front of the classroom with heavy steps and slumped shoulders. All eyes were on you which simultaneously caused you to close yours. Some watching intently, others having facial expressions unable to be read. Breathing deeply, you opened your eyes and addressed everyone.

“Hello, I just moved here yesterday.”

“That’s it?” the teacher asked. You nodded, not wanting to say anything else.

“Well, okay then. It seems our class is pretty full.. Do we have any open seats?” She scanned the room. Most were already taken. As her eyes reach the final two rows near the windows, she finds an opening at the very back of the room.

“Ah, you can sit there.” she said, pointing to a seat next to a girl who was the only person to not look at you. 

“Park Chaewon, raise your hand.”

You noticed a small hand being raised as the blonde girl who it belonged to refused to look you in the eye. With the teacher motioning you to your newly assigned seat, you heard the murmurs of students after each step you took. Most were girls giggling and having genuine interest in the new person in their class, while others looked like they could burn your skin from their intense stares.

“Good luck.” one student said to you as you approached the back of the classroom.

Removing your backpack and placing the straps on either side of the backrest, you looked to your right and saw the girl known as Chaewon. Your first impression of her was that she possessed an intimidating aura, seemingly not wanting to be bothered by anyone else in the classroom. Her large, round eyes remained focused at the whiteboard in front. Catching yourself staring at her for a bit too long, you were slightly concerned as she still had not blinked once. She was diligent, taking notes earnestly using a cute pink mechanical pencil with a bunny design on it. Her side profile was further enhanced by the sunlight coming from the windows next to you.

--

Lunchtime was something Park Chaewon looked forward to. Besides replenishing her energy and filling up her stomach, it provided relief from the awkward looks and gossip of other students. She was a loner at school by choice. Many referred to Chaewon as the blonde ice princess - mainly due to her cold expressions and staring at people eye to eye.

Today was a special day at the cafeteria: bulgogi, rice and various other side dishes. Despite having many desserts and pastries to offer most students sought out one - the coveted pillowy soft bread filled with chocolate hazelnut spread. Only offered twice a month, it is always made in limited quantities; no more than ten at a time.

Chaewon had the unfortunate misfortune of missing out on the delicious bread as something always prevented her from seizing one: whether it be a teacher in the hall stopping her to discuss how she felt about the latest test to being bumped by students running by and dropping all of her things. Just a few weeks ago, Chaewon was late to the cafeteria due to having to retake a missed exam.

But this time was different. She calculated down to the second all the events leading up to lunch. For two weeks, Chaewon made sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep, do homework in the library or immediately when she got home. She studied the material right after class ended in order to ensure it was drilled into her mind. Being an introvert and considered “antisocial” and “uncool” by the other students meant she didn’t have to worry about offending anyone’s feelings or waiting up for them. The restless tapping of her foot increased in volume and speed with each passing second in the classroom. She kept a hand clutching her stomach, hoping it would not make loud noises of hunger like it usually did at home. A slight sweat formed on her body as the teacher’s lecture about the different types of Japanese architecture fell on deaf ears.

“... and that is why the legendary Pokemon known as Ho-Oh left Ecruteak City and the Bell Tower after the Brass Tower was burned down. Make sure to do your assigned homework.”

The moment the teacher left the room, Chaewon ran out of the classroom’s back entrance. Taking a look at her wristwatch, her eyes watched the number of seconds constantly cycle through as she timed the distance between where she currently was and the cafeteria. Stepping out of the way of two students helping another gather their belongings and almost running into another student who emerged from a blind spot to the left of her, Chaewon continued running down the hall and each step of the staircase. Placing her hands on her knees, she was mere feet from the entrance to the cafeteria. Gathering the last bit of energy she could muster, she quickly walked inside.

Getting a tray, she grabbed a pair of chopsticks and a spoon. Thankfully with no one nearby, they weren’t able to hear her stomach growled in hunger. She took the metal container of rice and a large amount of bulgogi in stride. Continuing on with the radish soup and a small amount of seaweed and kimchi, it was now time for Chaewon to arrive at the final area before the cashier. With her eyes scanning all the delicious smelling baked goods, she found what she was finally looking for.

Only to find out the last one was just sold to the person in front of her. With a heavy heart, Chaewon sighed deeply and grabbed a similar looking bread filled with vanilla cream and placed it on her tray. After paying for her meal, she found a completely empty table on the corner most part of the cafeteria. Placing her tray down, she tosses the bulgogi around with her chopsticks before eating a spoonful of rice. She tried her best to not be discouraged, reassuring herself that at least there would be something to look forward to two weeks from now. As her eyes wandered and looked at other students laughing and having a good time with friends, she can’t help but feel sad at seeing the chocolate filled bread. Chaewon being deep in thought meant she wasn’t able to hear someone place their tray next to her. She looked down at her meal until her view was replaced with a still packaged bread. With her eyes widening slightly, she turned to her right and saw you extending out your arm. You nudge your hand holding the bread towards her once more, telling her to take it. Despite her hesitance, the excitement and slight amount of drool coming out of Chaewon’s mouth has reassured you that the right choice was made giving up the still warm pastry.

The two of you make eye contact and you give her a small, comforting smile. This causes her to smile back in return and gently take the bread. You and Chaewon eat in silence - with the occasional eye contact and smiles continuing to be exchanged.

--

You and Park Chaewon quickly became friends - a fact that neither of you knew was that you were now each other’s first friend. The two of you talking to each other earned a lot of stolen glances and whispers amongst classmates, but that too subsided over time. It became commonplace for the two of you to share meals together during school and after studying at the nearby food stands outside the front gates.

You helped bring the best out in each other: you learned the importance of being patient and to not let your emotions get the better of you. Chaewon gained self-confidence to stand up for herself and to properly voice her concerns should they arise. Both of you became well known in your classroom and the neighboring ones; mainly due to the occasional people who tried to bully or tease her soon learning why they shouldn’t mess with her - or anyone else for that matter. Chaewon gradually was able to overcome her shyness and make more friends, expanding both of your social outreach in the school.

Just as quickly as the school year began, it ended. For the most part it was largely uneventful. Except for the one older student who was able to go home early when he was chased by a swarm of angry bees which caused him to jump into the fountain in the middle of the campus courtyard. You and Chaewon continued to grow close as friends, becoming almost as inseparable as Ash and Pikachu.

Summer was a different story. You weren’t able to see Chaewon much due to a rather long family vacation that included a month overseas. While you were disappointed, Chaewon was even moreso. She didn’t tell you, but she spent the first week of summer break planning out a list of places and things to do with you.

“Hey I’m sorry Gwonnie, this came so unexpectedly. They never want to go anywhere, but I guess there’s a first time for everything. With how things are looking, I probably won’t be back until about a week before the new school year begins.” you said during a phone conversation with Chaewon.

“Oh no it’s fine…” Chaewon replied, trying and being unsuccessful with hiding the sadness in her voice. You didn’t want to disappoint her - she had spent the last few months excited about summer vacation and would ask you questions about your interests and what you would be willing to try.

“I’ll make sure to bring back some snacks and other souvenir goodies. How does that sound, best friend?”

The two of you warmed up to calling each other that - something Chaewon took very seriously. She brought up the term when you were both at a bubble tea cafe stating she never had a friend she could open up to and be herself. Until now.

“Tch, yeah okay.” she replied nonchalantly. “... and maybe some bread?”

--

The sounds of the opening bell and students running across the grassy football field and outside area signifies the beginning of another school year. Park Chaewon held onto the straps of her new mint green colored backpack, happily humming along to the song her headphones were currently playing. Being an upperclassman meant she finally got her own locker - something she has been looking forward to since she woke up. Removing one of the earbuds, she was able to hear what a few passing students were saying.

“Did you hear? She’s going to confess to the handsome oppa.”

“No way, are you serious? Let’s go check it out!”

Tilting her head in confusion, Chaewon shrugged her shoulders and continued walking down the long hallway. Distracted by the thought of something else, she passed by a small gathering of people without so much as a glance.

Various clusters of students watched as two people stood near the steps and between two rows of lockers. The familiar sounds of murmurs, whispers and a few students taking out their phones to record what was happening added to the anticipation. The girl shyly moved her foot back and forth as she looked down, unable to make eye contact with the person she was standing across from. With her left hand appearing to hold something behind her back, she used her right to tuck several bangs behind her ear. She was able to use that to muster up the courage and tilt her head up.

She is the epitome of a beautiful person: long luscious brown hair, bright big eyes, fair skin that almost represented the color of a block of tofu, and proportions that would make even a supermodel envious. Her nametag rested neatly above her coat’s pocket. Word spread quickly of the new junior’s beauty - with many waiting outside her classroom holding notes and various gifts. It was then known that she rejected them all kindly. At least, that’s what the rumor mill around the school said. So it comes as a surprise that she suddenly showed interest in someone, an upperclassman at that.

“I… I’ve liked you for a long time now, oppa.” she timidly said, presenting what she was holding behind her - a bouquet of red and white roses. Her cheeks blushed as she gathered up confidence and continued. “Will you go out with me?”

Her sudden confession earned cheers and applause from the audience. Several commented on how they didn’t expect her to be so bold on the first day of the school year. Some of the people who tried asking her out looked away in disappointment. But eventually all eyes were on you, awaiting your response.

Looking around - being the center of attention was something you actively tried to avoid. Your brain began processing the new information you were given and actively trying to find the best outcome to get yourself out of the current situation. You’d like to imagine that inside your mind were miniature versions of yourself working on a desk, stacks of paper on either side of your computer as you were busily typing away. Another version of yourself wearing a golf visor suddenly approaches.

“Just got an order from the boss. Dump everything that isn’t about how to reject someone!”

“Everything?” you asked yourself in confusion.

“Everything! Come on, let’s move it!”

With your visor self putting his hands on his hips, the entire department is thrown into chaos as the regular employee versions of yourself begin to run around frantically. Announcements of asking where the nearest shredder is could be heard as you held a giant stack of papers and began to run it through. Papers labeled as spice garden tips, top 5 bubble tea flavors, and what bread Park Chaewon liked were seen being destroyed.

“Come on, let’s get moving!” Visor you yelled as he approached another version of you who was standing in front of an open cabinet. “Hurry up, what do you think I’m paying you for?”

“You don’t pay me. We don’t even exist. We’re just a clever visual metaphor used to personify the abstract concept of thought.”

“One more crack like that and you’re out of here!” Visor you said as his momentary surprise turned into a frown of disappointment.

“No, please! I have three kids!” you begged.

A trashcan is then filled with a box labeled math while yet another version of you is shoveling piles of paper on the ground into an industrial furnace. You were slightly squeamish watching paper being slowly flushed down the toilet. The once well-oiled machine of your mind became a chaotic office full of flying paper and employees losing their sanity. Having the appearance of nothingness in your eyes and with your mouth slightly open, the girl brings you back to your senses.

“Well oppa, how do you feel?” she asked.

Thankfully for your mental well-being, your knight in shining armor appears in the form of a girl carrying a guitar with one strap and a chocolate-dipped peppero in another. Closing the locker door, she gathers the attention of you both.

“Wow, you’re outright flirting with him.”

“What?”

Using the peppero as a pointer she continued. “You’re wearing makeup even though it’s against school rules to do so. Your eyeliner isn’t even winged properly. Your hair is dyed which is again, also against the rules. You got him a bouquet of roses without even taking into consideration if he is allergic to them or not. And finally you’re wearing mint green colored socks. I just felt like bringing that up because I hate the color mint green.”

“Son Hyejoo…” the girl said, squinting as she reads the name tag. “Aren’t you from class 2? You guys are from game development so you wouldn’t understand how to have any social or relationship skills.” she smugly replied.

Hyejoo took the peppero out of her mouth and kept her neutral, slightly intimidating look. “What does being in game development have to do with social skills? Would you even approach him if he was just a normal guy?”

The girl smiled while grimacing and ignored her, looking at you instead. “So oppa, what do you say? Will you go out with me?”

“I thought about it and I don’t think I’ll have time to date you.” you said, putting your arm around Hyejoo’s shoulder. Hyejoo cheekily smiled as she twisted her lips to the right side of her face. “I’ll be busy with Hyejoo.”

The two of you looked at each other and smiled. 

“I just look at her face and time flies.”

“Not in front of her.” Hyejoo pretends to be embarrassed and hits your shoulder slightly. You wrap your arm around her back and bring her closer to you. At this point, both of your faces are mere centimeters apart. Hyejoo becomes more bold and continues to lessen the distance until both of your noses are touching. She tilts her head and looks at the girl once more.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Do you want to watch us kiss?”

“Don’t mind her. Just focus on me.” you said, tucking strands of hair behind her ear. The two of you tilt your faces and are about to kiss as you hear the girl scoff and turn away. Both of you see her walking away before turning back once more and letting out another sigh of disapproval. With her leaving meant the crowd of people began to disperse - some disappointed she was rejected and many wondering who the person named Son Hyejoo is.

Once everyone was gone, Hyejoo hit your chest and pushed you away from her while you began to laugh. “Did you see that? I told you she was jealous. She only liked you because it would increase her popularity! That’s so gross.”

“Thanks for saving me though, I really appreciate it.” you said to Hyejoo, pinching her cheek. This causes her to rub the newly sensitive area before she crosses her arms.

“What are you going to do about all her fanboys coming after you?” Hyejoo asked. The thought never occurred to you that she was the most popular girl at school. Whether you accepted or rejected her confession, there was bound to be trouble headed your way. You weren’t given very long to ponder as you noticed someone walking through the now empty area.

“Park Chaewon!”

She turned her head and removed her left earbud. Chaewon was excited to finally see you after being apart the entire summer. Tossing and turning the entire night due to excitement, she began to approach you but stopped when she noticed Hyejoo standing next to you. The intimidating and chic aura she exuded could be felt as Chaewon rubbed her arms and shuddered. This was further supported by her being a few inches taller and the way the sunlight from the windows shined on her hair and created a ray of light surrounding Hyejoo.

“H-Hey.”

“How’s my best friend doing? Sorry I wasn’t able to hang out with you all summer. I promise I’ll make up for it starting today.” you said, bringing her in for a hug. Chaewon is caught off guard when her face suddenly meets your chest. She discreetly inhales your scent - lavender with a hint of jasmine. Not expecting feminine aromas to be lingering on you, Chaewon grabs onto your coat and releases what you could only describe as the cutest sneeze you have ever heard. Despite Hyejoo’s facial expression looking the same, you were certain she was surprised at what just happened. You laughed and patted Chaewon on her back.

“Oh by the way, I forgot to introduce you two. Chaewon, this is Son Hyejoo. A family friend and someone who has a very big staring problem.”

“I do not.” Hyejoo said, hitting your arm. “It’s nice to meet you. Oppa’s told me all about you, unnie.”

“Unnie?” Chaewon said, looking at you.

“Did I not mention that? Yeah, Hyejoo’s younger than you by a year.” you said, fixing Chaewon’s ribbon and straightening out her jacket. Satisfied with your work, you reach into your pocket and take out a hairpin before putting it on the side of her head.

“Hyejoo and I were planning on hanging out and playing video games after school. Do you want to join us?”

“Y-Yeah, sure.” Chaewon quietly replied.

“Great! We’ll all meet at the statue outside the front gate. See you at lunch, best friend.” you said to Chaewon before putting your arm around Hyejoo’s shoulders. You raised your hand and flashed a peace sign, showing a homemade bracelet on your wrist. Chaewon looked down at a similar one of her own - the two of you having made it in art class with your initials and the date you first met. She wasn’t sure how she felt other than disappointed seeing you be close with someone else. Chaewon continued to look on as you and Hyejoo walked away; able to faintly hear you asking Hyejoo what she wanted for lunch and her nudging your ribs with her elbow as she unsuccessfully tried to remove herself from your embrace while the two of you started laughing until you were no longer audible.

--

The walk from school to your house was awkward to say the least. Chaewon had her head down the entire time and simply responded with a few words whenever you tried beginning a conversation. Hyejoo on the other hand stared at Chaewon’s backpack the entire time - the only reason it being a mint green color. She has been very outspoken about her strong dislike for bubble tea and mint chocolate.

Entering the passcode triggers a catchy jingle, signaling the door being unlocked. As the three of you remove your shoes, you are the first to step foot inside the apartment. You place your backpack on a chair before turning around and see Chaewon appear uneasy.

“My parents are always busy working so I have the whole place to myself. Make yourselves at home.”

Chaewon looks at Hyejoo who quickly went to the kitchen before timidly taking her first steps - Hyejoo was a curious individual; scanning the entire inside of your refrigerator with a 360-like view while Chaewon bowed and apologized for intruding, despite no one else being home. The apartment was sleek and modern due to having been recently built. Your parents liked to consider themselves in the upper middle class of the income spectrum. While their principles were built upon the motto that hard work and being humble are essential to a successful person - it’s also nice to treat yourself once in a while.

“Seriously, you guys are out of banana milk?” Hyejoo asked you as she closed the refrigerator door shut and carried a bowl of cut up watermelon to the sofa.

“How could we not be when you drink two almost everyday. You really should cut down on it.” You said, sitting next to her and stealing a piece that was pierced with her fork. Hyejoo shot you a death glare while you smirked and pretended not to acknowledge her.

“It seems like you know your way around here.” Chaewon quietly said to Hyejoo.

“She lives next door so she’s been here everyday. Like a sister I never asked for.” you replied, rolling your eyes as you were met with a punch to the shoulder by Hyejoo.

“Are we going to keep talking or are we going to finally play some games?” Hyejoo asked as she held a controller. You grabbed the remote and instantly changed the television settings, all the while looking at her.

“Prepare to be destroyed, Son Hyejoo.”

You gave Chaewon a controller of her own before powering up the gaming console. It was white in design with a gray base on the bottom. The familiar light blue elongated oval began to glow as Hyejoo went through a cabinet and found the perfect game for you all to play.

“What did you choose?” you asked.

“Mario Kart. Didn’t really feel like playing Smash or Battle Revolution.”

“Are you sure? You always lost at the last leg of the course.”

Hyejoo looked at you as if you insulted her entire family lineage. Furrowing her eyebrows, she pouted before composing herself and stuck her tongue out slightly as her expression changed.

“I will defeat you and shred your cart all the way down to its last atom.”

While the two of you were going back and forth over who was the better gamer, Chaewon remained quiet. She felt out of place - she considered you her best friend and yet it seemed you had better chemistry with someone she just met. She wasn’t sure what to do until your question shook her out of her thoughts.

“What character do you want to play, best friend?”

“A-Anything is fine.”

“You should be Toad then. I think it really suits you. What about you, Professor Watermelon?”

“I told you I hate that nickname.” Hyejoo said. “It’s almost as bad as when you call me Olivia Hye.”

“Why? I think it’s great! Did you know that Olivia is a common English name that has its origin from the 13th century meaning olive? You agree with me right, best friend?” you asked as both you and Hyejoo turned to Chaewon.

“I-I think calling her Hyejoo is fine.”

“Man, you guys are no fun. Olivia Hye would make a perfect stage name!”

“Enough. I want to play already. I choose Yoshi.” Hyejoo said.

“I choose Metal Mario. What map are we going on?”

“Coconut Mall is the best one.”

The game is getting ready to begin and all three of you are getting into position. As the timer counts down on screen, you wipe the sweat from your hands onto your pants in anticipation. Hyejoo wastes no time and takes an early lead when the announcer states you can go. She navigates the course with ease, choosing the upper elevator. You are in pursuit using several Boost Pads to gain speed. The two of you are constantly taking the lead over one another, something that frustrates Hyejoo as she bites down on the lower part of her tongue.

While Hyejoo is busy collecting coins and several more Boost Pads, Chaewon is having difficulty navigating through the course. Her character Toad is a cute humanoid mushroom with a white cap and red polka dots. Currently in 12th place, the odds of Chaewon winning seem grim. She is a full four seconds behind the two of you. The race continues on and a Hyejoo victory is all but inevitable. With the last leg of the race being in the parking lot mall, she continues her commanding lead. Seeing Chaewon not having fun, you toss your controller and take hers, startling her. You begin the ascent from last place, passing your own vehicle and all others as Chaewon looks at you before focusing her attention on the television screen. Hyejoo smirks before realizing you were helping Chaewon catch up. Fourth place became third and pretty soon it was back to where it started - you and Hyejoo neck and neck as the finish line was in sight.

“I’m sorry, oppa.” is all Hyejoo says to you before you see a bright yellow banana peel being thrown on the road. With the momentum being built up and rendering you unable to stop, you run over it, causing your cart to spin out of control and crash. Hyejoo cheers while you hang your head in disappointment. Chaewon comforts you, patting your back softly as you look to her and smile.

“You’re buying dinner.” Hyejoo teased as she stuck her tongue out at you. Glaring your eyes at her in unapproval, you raised your hands up and admitted defeat.

“You chose that map because you knew you’d win!” you protested as Hyejoo crossed her arms and smirked in satisfaction. You turned to Chaewon who was grabbing your controllers and organizing them into one neat pile.

“What do you want to eat?” you asked.

“I… actually have to get going.” Chaewon replied.

“Already? But it’s a Friday night, there’s no school tomorrow.”

“I told my mom I would be home early. Thanks for having me over. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Wait, hold up. Let me get my jacket really quick and then I’ll walk you home.”

“No, it’s fine. I can get home by myself.” Chaewon quickly said as put on her shoes and bowed to you and Hyejoo before leaving.

“O-Okay.” you softly said as the tone of the door being locked rang through the apartment. You looked to Hyejoo who was busy scrolling through her phone.

“She’ll be okay, right?” you asked.

“She’ll be fine. She’s a big girl, she can take care of herself. What do you want to eat? I’m in the mood for some grilled bbq and kimchi, yum.” Hyejoo said, her eyes remaining glued to the phone screen.

“Seriously? When aren’t you hungry? Just get me whatever you’re having.”

Still worried about Chaewon, you pondered calling her and staying on the line until she got home. Your phone then started ringing.

“Hey, are you home already? That was quick.” you cheerfully said.

“O-Oppa…”

“Chaewon, what’s wrong?”

“C-Can you stay on the phone with me? I think someone’s following me.”

You quickly got up, startling Hyejoo. Your face became serious as you began to process what Chaewon was saying.

“Where are you?”

“I-I don’t know. There’s a-an alley and the light looks like it’s about to die out. Please hurry oppa, I’m really scared.”

“Just use your phone’s flashlight and talk to me like you’re talking to a parent. I’ll be there soon.”

You went to your room to put on a jacket and mask as Hyejoo peeked her head from above the sofa.

“Where are you going?”

“Watch the place while I’m gone. And order some extra food while you’re at it.” you said, stumbling as you struggled to put on your shoes and leave the apartment. Once out on the sidewalk, you looked everywhere frantically about where to begin looking for Chaewon.

“What route did you take from my place?”

“Yeah mom, we go down to Jeju every year. You like seeing the waterfall and cave, remember?”

South. With a clear direction in mind, you set off to find her. The early evening as some would call it meant a busy night scene. Restaurants open until the middle of the night, bright neon fluorescent signs that are like a signal to summon rowdy patrons to gather and exchange in alcohol and grilled meats. You passed by various couples enjoying a date or a group of friends looking to unwind after a stressful work week. Unsure of where to go next, you continued questioning Chaewon.

“What do you see near you?”

“Mom, do you remember when you got me those cute stickers from the vending machine and I used to put them on everything. Or how we used to buy Cheetos from the convenience store and walk home together? I miss those days.”

You were determined to find her, even if your legs gave out. Taking a sharp left turn and a subsequent right while almost getting hit by a car who honked their horn at you, you finally found her. Looking around nearby to find the suspicious person, there wasn’t anyone else in sight as you brought Chaewon into a hug. You took off your mask, watching as the chilly night air gave form to your heavy breathing. Chaewon’s eyes began to water as she started crying into your clothes. You brought her closer to you and gently stroked the back of her head.

“Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe now.”

The two of you help calm each other down before you release her from your embrace. Chaewon looks up and sees you smile before your expression changes.

“Why did you go home by yourself? I told you I’d walk you home!” you yelled, scaring her.

“Our places aren’t that far apart. I thought it would be fine.” she said quietly.

“Next time, Hyejoo or I are going to walk you home and that’s that.” you said, crossing your arms and regaining your composure.

“Why? You spent the entire day talking to Hyejoo more than me.”

“Why? Because I care about you, that’s why!”

--

8:02 AM. It’s a morning unlike any other as Detective-in-training Park Chaewon takes her seat in the briefing room. Having spent three years as a beat cop, she was excited to finally get hands on experience and advance up the promotional ladder.

“Happy Tactical Village Day!” a woman said to each person in the room, high fiving them in the process. She was extremely bright and cheerful, possessing a smile that could melt away anyone’s troubles. She turned to Chaewon and raised her hand, earning a soft hi-touch in response.

“Jung Jinsol, I’m surprised to see you so excited about departmentally mandated training exercises.” Captain Jo Haseul said, simultaneously addressing the woman along with the rest of the people in the briefing room.

“It’s the most fun day of the year!” Jinsol said, beaming. “Something you wouldn’t understand because you’re not programmed to feel joy.”

“Yes… But, my software is due for an exuberance upgrade.”

Jinsol folded her lips into her mouth and covered it with her hand. Others nearby tried their best to suppress their snickers as the captain continued.

“Pick a partner and stick with them. This is a team building exercise - I don’t mind you all having fun, but be responsible. Make sure to be on your best behavior and show everyone why Blockberry Precinct is the best precinct in our area. Dismissed.”

“Want to be partners?” Jinsol said, turning to Chaewon and batting her eyes repeatedly.

“I guess…” she replied. “But I too am due for an exuberance upgrade.”

--

One extremely long bus ride later, the squad arrived at the site of the training exercise. Various other precincts were also in attendance as Chaewon admired the building. It was rather dated and had seen better days, but she didn’t care. She was thankful to finally be given a chance to prove herself.

“I can’t wait for this to be over.” Jinsol whined.

“What? You were going on and on about how excited you were to be here. What happened?”

“I don’t actually look forward to being here. I enjoy getting the free souvenir bags and food they serve after. The meat melts in your mouth.” Jinsol explained as a small amount of drool began to seep out of the corner of her lips.

Shaking her head, Chaewon opened a duffel bag given to her by the event organizers and began going through the checklist to make sure everything was accounted for. As she fixes her safety glasses, she hears a familiar voice.

“Park Chaewon?”

 It was a voice she knew all too well. But she didn’t want to believe it was real. Someone who was once an important part of her life. Sighing, she turned around - a slight hope that her premonition wouldn’t be true. But her instincts never failed her before, so why would they now.

“H-Hi, oppa.”

“It’s been a long time.” you cheerfully said as you awkwardly pulled her in for a hug. Chaewon raised her hands to reciprocate but stopped halfway. The two of you stayed like that for several seconds before separating.

“Hyejoo, you’re here too.” Chaewon said.

“You don’t sound excited to see me.” Hyejoo coolly replied before tilting her head sideways and also giving Chaewon a hug. This time, Chaewon really did not know what to do and repeated the same lifeless motion she did with you.

“Small world, I really didn’t expect to see you here.” you said.

“Me neither…” Chaewon said as her voice still remained at its extremely low volume.

“Happy Tactical Village Day!” Jinsol announced to you and Hyejoo, her warm and inviting smile breaking the tension.

“I’ve heard of you, Jung Jinsol right? The famous rookie who managed to talk down the Treble Clef robber by doing a duet and singing in the rain?” you said, extending out your hand to shake Jinsol’s, only to be met with her high fiving you.

“That’s me! He wanted to send a love letter to his dearly beloved by writing, err, more like carving musical notes onto his victims. I didn’t know other precincts knew about me!” She said excitedly.

“I guess you guys are competing in the tag team free for all? Good luck.” you said, focusing your attention back to Chaewon. Her eyes briefly met yours, causing her to look away. With a slight tint of red on her cheeks, she felt the temperature in the room drop slightly only to see Hyejoo pass by.

“ Son Hyejoo, wait up! I’ll see you guys out on the field!” you said, waving to Chaewon and Jinsol as you ran to catch up to your dark haired partner.

--

“Everyone, listen up. There are ten hostages and thirty perps. Your mission is to safely rescue the hostages while eliminating the perps. Be careful as some of them could be disguised as civilians. The training exercise ends in two hours. Begin.”

Park Chaewon points her modified paintball gun at an empty room as her specialized glasses relay create a personal heads-up display displaying all of the information needed. She scanned the room for any clues but was disappointed to find out it was simply empty.

“Clear.” she relayed through an in-ear piece.

“I’m hungry. I knew we should’ve eaten more before this. I'm hungry, don’t want to gain weight.” Jinsol whined as Chaewon slowly walked through a hallway and entered another room.

“Seriously, unnie? It hasn’t even been thirty minutes since we last ate.”

“You call three pieces of carrot and some cashews eating? I can’t believe it took you twenty minutes to eat those by the way.”

“Focus. Is there anything on your end?”

“No, room two is clear also. What do you think about getting crepes?”

“You talk about not wanting to gain weight but want to eat crepes?” Chaewon asked.

“But have you tried Nutella crepes with banana slices? They are to die for.”

“I’m not going to cook them for you, unnie.” “I wasn’t expecting you to. Especially since the last time you were in the kitchen, the precinct almost got burnt down. I mean really, who puts a cake from the bakery with the metal tin still attached and reheats it for forty minutes? We had to air out every floor and it still wasn’t enough.”

“Not to mention the Captain calling me Chaewon Ramsay.” Chaewon whined.

“I remember that.” Jinsol said, laughing loudly into Chaewon’s ear, causing her to flinch. “You want to talk about where the lamb sauce is, it surely wasn’t in the Blockberry Precinct’s now defunct microwave.”

“One last room.” Chaewon replied, focusing her attention back onto the mission. “I’ll see you there.” Navigating through the almost endless hallway, Chaewon makes a left and looks up to see sets of stairs that could almost reach the sky. With a deep breath, she begins to climb. The first ten sets provided little difficulty, but as she continued on, Chaewon felt herself growing fatigued. The sign indicating what floor she was currently on began to increase in number. She was certain she climbed 99 floors - but in actuality it was probably twenty. Dragging herself up the final ten steps, she leaned against the wall only to see another pair of shoes standing next to her. Looking up she finds Jinsol, still possessing her patented warm smile.

“H-How did you get here…” Chaewon blurted out, swallowing her own saliva as she felt her mouth be dehydrated.

“You know there was an elevator, right?”

The two women point their guns in the air, looking at each other before entering the open final room. Their glasses showed no signs of life - but as the two go deeper inside, Chaewon finds the outline of a woman on the ground. Using two fingers, she looks to Jinsol and tells her for both of them to go straight ahead. Entering another room, they find Son Hyejoo on the ground with her hands tied behind her back and a bandana around her mouth.

Chaewon quickly rushes to her and helps her up while Jinsol removes the pieces of cloth. Hyejoo looks at her before pulling her in for a tight hug. Chaewon pats her back as the two embrace each other.

“Unnie’s here. It’s okay, Hyejoo.”

“Thank goodness you’re here. One of the civilians went off script and decided they wanted to be a perp.”

“Really? That’s pretty strange. I thought most of the people labeled as civilians don’t really care what role they got.” Jinsol said.

“I guess not.” Hyejoo replied. “I was trailing them but got caught here.”

“Let’s go find them then and win this thing.” Chaewon said, standing up and extending her hand out to help Hyejoo. As she is about to take it, someone else enters the room.

“Hey Hyejoo, why did you ask that guy if you two could trade-”

A whirl of blue paint passes by Chaewon followed by a grunt as she and Jinsol turn around to see you, having been shot by your own partner. You looked down at the giant blue stain on your vest as the pain began to gather at where you were targeted. With everyone still in a state of shock, Jinsol reaches for her gun but is shot too. Chaewon’s gun is still in her hand but knows she is unable to do anything.

“I’m sorry, unnie.” Son Hyejoo said as Chaewon herself is eliminated, thus ending the training exercise. It felt eerily similar to when the three of you played Mario Kart and Hyejoo betrayed you both. The same mischievousness seems to have not been lost with time.

--

After a fresh change of clothes, the four of you gathered outside the training facility. Chaewon was no longer a blonde, though a fair amount of it could still be seen through her now darker color. She wore a slightly see through black dress with various jewels that adorned it, showing the faintest amount of cleavage. It was a blend of tasteful and awe inspiring. Her grey colored contacts and bright red lipstick were the key points that stood out to you.

“You guys want to grab a drink? I know a pretty cozy spot nearby here.” you said to the group.

“I uh… just realized I can’t. I… gotta go meet my boyfriend.” Jinsol said, winking at Chaewon before bowing to you and Hyejoo. Chaewon tried preventing her from leaving but was unsuccessful at stopping her.

“What do you say? We’re one person down, but that doesn't mean we can’t catch up like old times.”

Chaewon looked at you both and smiled nervously.

--

The bar you brought up had seen better days. The decor was dated with wooden tables and various sized bar stools spread out. Various neon signs were burned out, with a sign that said ‘Quality Drinks Here’ having been reduced to ‘Quality Drinks Her’. Despite all this, it seemed to still have regular customers as well as a wall adorned with alcohol bottles.

“This place is such a dump, why did you choose it?” Hyejoo asked.

The reason why presented itself. An attractive woman tending the bar was always a sure fire way to get customers to come in, and you were no different. Her long light brown hair with blonde highlights ended past her stomach. Saying she was easy on the eyes was an understatement. The mole on her right cheek and near her left eye were accentuated by her winged eyeliner and pink eyeshadow. Her fair skin only helped in bringing out her beauty even more.

“Hey there.” she said, her deep voice unexpected compared to her appearance. “Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

“Work’s been keeping me busy. How are things?”

“Same old. Drunk old guys drinking away their problems and ignoring their wives calling them. Creeps trying to hit on me and ask for my number. So you know. The usual. I see you’ve brought company.” She said as she wiped down the counter and placed coasters in front of the three of you.

“Yeah. They’re old friends of mine. This is Park Chaewon.” you said, introducing her to your left. “While the creature on the right here is called Son Hyejoo.” This introduction earned you a punch to the arm from Hyejoo as the bartender laughed softly.

“You two are certainly pretty.” she said as she grabbed a few bottles from the wall to replace the ones in front of her. She then grabbed a packet of straws and placed them under her side of the bar.

“What can I get you guys tonight?”

“I’ll take a beer. Something smooth. And dark. What about you guys?”

As Chaewon pondered what to order, Hyejoo instantly knew what she wanted.

“I’ll take sex on the beach. Make it really dirty.”

“A fine choice. We don’t really get requests for that much.” the bartender said with a smile. “And for you?”

“A virgin Cuba libre…”

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that one more time? I couldn’t hear you.” she said, placing her index finger behind her ear and leaning closer.

“I wanted a virgin Cuba libre…”

“Isn’t that just a cup of cola with ice and a lemon wedge?” you asked.

“Nothing wrong with that at all.” the bartender said, scolding you. “Don’t mind him. Your drinks are coming right up.

The bartender quickly got to work, making a show of tossing bottles into the air and grabbing them successfully while pouring exact measurements into a metal container and making sure they were shaken, not stirred. She finished Hyejoo’s drink in record time, placing it on the coaster with a paper umbrella as a decoration. Reaching into the mini fridge behind her, she grabbed a dark amber colored bottle of beer and popped open the cap for you. With Chaewon’s drink, she placed a rocks glass on the coaster; using a pair of plastic tongs to put three ice cubes and adding the carbonated beverage. Slicing a lime wedge, she wiped the rim of the glass with it before squeezing several drops into the drink.

“Hope you all enjoy it.” she said before tending to other customers.

Hyejoo wafted the scent of her drink into her mouth before taking a sip. The liquid was slightly bitter, but not something she couldn’t handle. She bit on the lime wedge and puckered her lips.

“Not bad… I see why you come here. She’s cute.”

“That’s not the only reason why I come here, Hyejoo.”

“Why else would any other guy be here if there wasn’t a smoking hot bartender?”

“The quality of the drinks has improved ever since she started working.”

Hyejoo rolled her eyes as she removed the paper umbrella and continued to drink. You turned to Chaewon who swirled her drink around.

“How’s yours?” you asked.

“It’s fine.” she quietly replied.

“So, how have you been? Hyejoo and I lost contact with you after you dropped out a month before graduation.”

“I’ve been okay.. Hoping I finally get promoted to detective.” Chaewon said.

“I believe in you. You were always great at whatever you did.” you said, smiling softly at her. “And hey look at this.”

Chaewon turned her attention from her drink to you to see your wrist still adorning the bracelet the two of you made all those years ago. A sudden wave of emotions washed over her. She knew she had to excuse herself immediately.

“I… gotta go.” Chaewon said as she suddenly left the bar.

“You know she likes you, right?” Hyejoo said, getting your attention.

“What? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I could see it in her eyes from the moment I met her. She’s liked you as more than just a friend. And you are too dense to admit the same.”

“I like Chaewon as a friend, Hyejoo.”

“Friends don’t make bracelets together with their initials and the date they met unless they’re girls or a couple. They certainly don’t drop everything and try to find someone in the middle of the night. Plus, while your actions make it seem like all your attention is on me, I know Chaewon is in your heart. The question is, are you going to stop lying to yourself and chase the one who got away?”

Your entire past with Chaewon is replayed in your mind as you think about her smile and the way she made you feel.

“I think I just figured something out. I gotta go.” you said to Hyejoo.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?”

“Uhh…” you looked around and approached Hyejoo slowly before kissing her forehead and exiting the bar.

“No… pay your bill! Who raised you?” she said to herself as she swirled her drink around and took another sip.

“Why didn’t you tell him how you feel?” the bartender suddenly asked as she approached Hyejoo.

“He only sees her. I missed my chance years ago.”

--

You stood outside the bar and found Chaewon sitting on a nearby bench. It was rather high, causing her feet to not touch the ground. She kicked the air repeatedly, unaware of your presence. You crossed your arms and admired her for a bit before sitting down.

“I’m not dating Hyejoo. I never did.”

“I didn’t say anything…” she said quietly.

“But you were thinking about it. Hyejoo’s just a close friend. Something you used to be as well.”

The two of you sat in silence and admired the night sky. Even through a busy metropolitan city, the stars were still able to be seen.

“I can’t live without you.”

Chaewon looked at you to see you still watching the stars, pointing at a few of them as you smiled.

“Without you, whether it be a month or a day, the time I spend becomes meaningless to me. This was the conclusion I came to when I saw you again at the training exercise today. I’m sure you don’t understand what I’m talking about, though…”

Chaewon continued to look at you, not saying anything. You were embarrassed at what you just said and began to look away. She however, held your face and stared into your eyes before bringing you closer to her and planting a tender kiss on the lips. You opened your eyes and saw the same smile she had when you shared the special bread with her in the cafeteria.

--

One quick taxi ride later, Chaewon was about to enter your apartment for the very first time. The two of you stumbled into your apartment, laughing the entire time. From an outsider point of view, they probably would’ve thought you were both drunk. And to an extent, they were right. You two were drunk off each other.

Only your coats made it onto the couch as a discarded pile of clothes traced your steps into the bedroom. She led you to your bed, with you reduced to only wearing your boxers. Chaewon looked nervous, something you picked up on right away.

“We don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable with it.”

“N-No. I want this. I want you, oppa.”

Chaewon gave you a quick peck before sinking onto her knees in front of you. She was met with your boxers pitching a tent. Grabbing the top hem, she slowly pulled them down. Your cock throbbed once newly exposed to the cool air, almost hitting her in the face.

She looked at your cock curiously. You felt her slim fingers wrap themselves around your base into a fist. She gave a slightly firm squeeze, causing you to moan. She began with slow strokes, seemingly preparing you for what was to come. She noticed you beginning to leak, running her thumb through it and earning herself a breathless gasp from you in the process. She brought it close to her nose and sniffed it. You laughed as she continued. The juxtaposition of Chaewon’s large eyes and innocent features contrasting her sinful action was a sight to behold.

“I’ve never done this before, oppa. Is it supposed to take this long?”

“For what? For me to cum?” you asked. Chaewon nodded.

“I… actually released a load in the shower after the training exercise.” you embarrassingly admitted.

Chaewon nodded in genuine interest as she continued pumping your shaft in her small hand. You threw your head back in satisfaction as you weren’t aware you were using her fist as a sort of fleshlight. Her grip increased as she began to stroke you faster.

“M-Maybe you could put it in your mouth?” you asked, scared Chaewon would say no.

“I just… have never done it before.”

“That’s okay. I’ll help guide you. I guess you could start with licking the precum that’s leaking out.”

Chaewon did as she was told, flattening her tongue and swiping the colorless liquid from you. She repeated this several times, causing the head of your cock to be wet. You didn’t tell her, but she spit on your dick and began to spread it all over with her hand and also by puckering her lips. It surprised you that she knew how to do that for claiming to have never given a blowjob before. But then again, it wouldn’t be difficult to know given everything is one simple internet click away. Your cock was beginning to be covered in Chaewon’s saliva as she meticulously applied it all over.

“Maybe you could massage my balls too? They’re sensitive so you have to be really careful.”

With her right hand stroking and lathering you, her left fondled your balls. The stimulation from both of your hands felt amazing, it caused the baby hairs on your body to stand erect while sending electric jolts of pleasure to your spine.

Chaewon seemed to be getting the hang of things, but now was the real test. She gave the underside of your shaft one smooth continuous lick until she found her way to your tip. Wetting her own lips, she grabbed onto both of your thighs and finally took you inside your mouth. You held your breath as you felt her wrapping her lips around the tip of your cock. A moan of satisfaction was released as her soft lips began to work their magic.

While you were sure she was telling the truth about not having done it before, it seemed Chaewon had been practicing somehow as she was constantly trying to keep her teeth out of the way and hurting you.

“Fuck... princess, that feels so good…”

Chaewon began extending past your tip, adding an inch into her mouth as she hollowed her cheeks. Her soft lips felt like heaven as she slowly became a soft ball of hair taking more and more of your length. It was moot at this point to continue instructing her - Chaewon flattened her tongue again and you felt it coating the underside of your shaft, sending even more pleasure coursing through your body. You closed your eyes and savored the wonderful sounds of Chaewon slurping on your dick, thoroughly covering you in her saliva. You felt her nose reach your base a few times, with her releasing you from the warm confines of her mouth after she gagged and was unable to continue. Your cock glistened as a saliva bubble formed just below where the tip and shaft connected. Thin strands of saliva connected you and Chaewon together as she sliced through them and giggled.

“That was amazing.” you said. As much as you loved having her in between your legs, you were ready for the main event. You helped her off her knees and gently pushed her onto the bed.

It seemed the years were kind to Chaewon - she was the perfect mix of toned, while possessed a hint of curviness. Her thighs were deceptively thick; and soft to the touch as you spread them open. You began by feeling how smooth they were before planting several kisses on them. You made a trail that slowly ascended, doing so on both of them before kissing the inner creases of the apex of her thighs. She was already sensitive, her body reacting to every contact from your lips. Like you, Chaewon also began to leak out as you stuck your tongue out to consume it. The taste was like sweet nectar, something you were happy she was releasing for you.

“F-Fuck, that feels so good…”

It was the first time you heard Chaewon curse, and with what was next, you knew it was only the beginning. You parted her damp folds with your thumbs and lowered your head to begin exploring her moist cavern. Chaewon’s body bucked upwards from the pleasure as your tongue continued to excavate the sweet nectar she possessed. You gently bit on her clit, causing her to scream in arousal as her thighs wrapped themselves around your head and pushed you deeper.

Her eyes became half-lidded and consumed by desire as you continuously lapped up her juices while stimulating her folds.

“O-Oppa, keep going. Please… don’t stop!”

It was beginning to be a bit difficult to breathe, but you were happy knowing Chaewon was on the receiving end of pleasure. You traced two fingers against her inner folds before sinking them inside her. She was extremely tight - her walls immediately latching onto and squeezing you. Your thumb remained outside, rubbing her clit as you repeatedly moved your fingers in and out of her pussy. It didn’t take long for Chaewon to achieve her euphoric bliss.

“Oppa!” she screamed loudly as it finally arrived. Removing your fingers just in time, you parted your lips and stuck your tongue out as her hips frantically raised upwards while thighs squeezed your head even harder. You could feel her toes curl as Chaewon’s orgasm caused her entire body to react. Her sweet essence coated your mouth and cheeks as she drowned you in pleasure.

You tried your best to consume it all but it proved to be too much as Chaewon continuously released her lovely juices. Violent aftershocks continued on as you helped her begin to descend from her orgasmic high. You rubbed her sensitive clit and stimulated her until you could feel her thighs hold on your head begin to weaken.

“You did so well, princess.” you said, smiling. Her juices stained your lips and chin as you planted tender kisses in between her legs.

“I-I... fuck… intens- fuck…”

She was still drunk from the orgasm you gave her. You continued praising her and kissing her thighs as she gradually began to recover and return to normal. Once she does, you embrace her and place her sweat-kissed body on top of yours.

Chaewon ran her hands through your hair as your lips found their way to her nipples, gently sucking on them as she moaned out in pleasure. Your hands did not remain idle - roaming every inch of her skin until resting on her soft bottom.

“C-Can you fuck me now? Please, oppa?”

“How do you want it, princess?” you asked.

“Can… can I ride you?” she shyly asked.

“I’d love that.”

“Wait.” she said, kissing your lips as she got off you and went to her nightstand. You turned to your side and saw her rummaging inside a drawer looking for something. Most of its contents were various night creams and lip gloss, and what appeared to be a phallic-shaped device. You were about to ask if you could help when she closed it and held something behind her back.

“What is it?” you asked.

“Something for me, but also something for you.” she said, biting her lower lip seductively. She grabbed your wrists and wrapped a thin black lace material around them before tying them together. She repeated the process to your eyes. You didn’t expect this side of her, but then again, you didn’t expect to currently be in bed with her either.

“They say sensory deprivation provides an even better experience for both partners.” Chaewon said.

She rubbed her splayed lips against your length several times before reaching below herself and guiding you inside for the very first time. The two of you let out a loud sigh of relief as your tip parted her. She was warm, wet, and dangerously tight. Her body refused to let you go, sinking your cock deeper.

“Oh fuck…” she exhaled loudly as she firmly planted her hands on your chest. She raised her hips until only your tip was inside her before slamming herself back down. She did this several times to warm the both of you up. Eventually, she placed her hands on either side of your head as her lips met yours. The two of you explored each other’s mouths as your tongues danced an elegant tango. It was as if your cock explored a newer part of her pussy with each deep entrance.

Being unable to move your hands or see Chaewon heightened your other senses even more. You were able to feel how tight she was bouncing up and down on your cock. The sounds of her moans that were like music to your ears. The smell of sweat and sex releasing natural pheromones making you want this moment to never end. But as the tightness in your abdomen continued to grow, you knew it wouldn’t be possible.

She bounced herself softly up and down five more times until she felt you raise your hips to match hers. There was nothing else either of you could have done - it was inevitable. Your cock began to throb as a warning before you finally exploded inside her. You moaned in satisfaction as you released shot after shot of thick, hot semen into her waiting pussy. Chaewon’s walls clenched against your shaft, suffocating it, which only caused you to unload more.

Her lower body felt flushed as she could feel it beginning to leak out and stain her thighs. Both of you were exhausted, but fully satisfied. She gathered her remaining strength and raised her hips from yours, removing the blindfold and laced restraint on your wrists. The two of you savored the feeling of each inch being withdrawn from her slowly. As you both struggled to catch your breath, you held each other tightly as you poked her nose and kissed the top of her forehead. Chaewon traced her name on your chest and fixed your damp, out of place hair.

The plan was originally intended to be you and Chaewon taking a shower together and getting clean. Which the two of you managed to do until you didn’t. Due to the simple nature of being in the shower with a naked woman, your cock grew hard in her hand as she was cleaning you. Making sure to go to the area where the water wasn’t at, Chaewon lathered your cock in soapy suds while you used a loofah and did the same to her thighs. It seemed both of you were thinking the same thing as she turned around and faced away from you.

Grabbing onto her surprisingly wide hips, her thighs squeezed your pulsing shaft in between them. With both of you soaped up, there was minimal effort required as your cock slid through with relative ease. Your hands held onto her as you remained patient and were awarded with savoring the feeling of her heavenly soft thighs and how the top of your cock rubbed against the bottom of her pussy lips.

You kissed Chaewon’s beautiful shoulders and the back of her neck as you continued your suffocatingly slow thrusts. Her warm thighs continued to hug your cock until you erupted. Although it was much weaker and a smaller amount, it was no less pleasurable. You continued to fuck her thighs as she made sure to milk you for all you had left. Your initial two ropes of semen splattered on the glass door loudly. Gradually decreasing the already slow speed of your thrusts while riding out your orgasm, Chaewon softly rubbed her cute butt against your crotch until you stopped.

The two of you properly washed off this time before stepping out of the shower and wrapping yourselves together with one towel. You held Chaewon tightly as the two of you gave each other steamy kisses that mirrored the hot shower just now. Not even bothering to put on clothes, the two of you plopped onto the bed. With one final tender kiss, you savored being in each other’s embrace and quickly drifted off to sleep.

--

“... and that’s how oppa and I started off our morning.” Kim Jungeun could be heard saying.

Park Chaewon opened up her eyes, rubbing the sleep and exhaustion out of them. She blinked several times before her vision readjusted and was greeted with a disapproving frown from Jungeun.

“Seriously…” she complained. “You asked me to tell you why oppa and I were late and you fell asleep during my story.”

“I’m sorry.” Chaewon said. “Been having problems sleeping at home lately.”

“Is everything okay?”

“Yeah… just got a lot on my mind I guess.”

“Things will get better. They always do.”

“Thanks.”

The break room door opens and you enter, greeting Chaewon and Jungeun. You give Chaewon a fist bump before approaching Jungeun who puckers her lips, asking for a kiss. You smiled and honored her request. The loud smack of your lips connecting and disconnecting causes her to smirk in satisfaction.

“I thought you hated kissing at work?” you asked.

“How could I when your lips always taste so yummy… I mean, it’s not like I l-like you or anything. Pig.” Jungeun said, quickly switching from disgustingly sweet to the tsundere, chic woman she was well known as. This earned soft claps from Chaewon, causing Jungeun to groan.

“As expected of the supreme leader.”

The three of you were beginning to discuss where to go for lunch when the break room door is opened once again.

“Oppa. Lieutenant’s looking for you. Says she has some helpful information about a case you’re working on?”

“Got it. Thanks, Hyejoo. Guess we’ll have to take a raincheck on lunch together.” you said, getting up out of your seat. You waved to Chaewon who raised her eyebrows and smiled while kissing Jungeun’s forehead, who didn’t bother to get out of her seat and instead tilted her head up towards you. You flashed them both a peace sign.

“Wait, oppa. What is this?” Jungeun asked, grabbing your wrist which was adorned with a beaded bracelet.

“Oh this?” you said, holding it up. “I found it while cleaning through my things. Hadn’t worn it in years but decided today would be a good day to start. I’ll see you guys later.”

“I’ll call you.” you mouthed to Jungeun before exiting the break room with Hyejoo. Jungeun blushed and couldn’t contain her smile as she happily sipped on her iced americano. She turned to Chaewon who lost all color on her face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“That bracelet…”