#I have it saved but it's just a brief moment!

[prettygirl-gabi]

Birds Of A Feather

Rating: General Audiences

Warning: none

Paring: Paige Bueckers x !non-athletic fem reader

Fandom: Women's basketball

Summary: Birds of a feather...and now public relationships

Based off Billie's song: Birds Of A Feather

The gym buzzed with energy. It was the state championship, the game everyone had been talking about for weeks. Paige’s UConn team had fought hard all season, and now here they were—facing their toughest opponents. The stands were packed, voices roaring, but in the midst of it all, my focus was only on one person.

Paige.

She stood tall, dribbling the ball, her eyes locked onto the hoop. Her every move was calculated, every shot deliberate. I couldn’t help but smile at the way she played—so fierce, so unstoppable.

I had been following Paige all season, but this was different. Today wasn’t just about the game. Today, after a year of soft launching, we were finally out in the open.

I wasn’t expecting the moment to come so suddenly. The final buzzer sounded, and Paige's team had won. But instead of the usual celebrations with teammates, Paige’s eyes scanned the court, searching for something—or someone.

That’s when she saw me.

There I stood, wearing Paige’s jersey as a dress, cheering from the sidelines with the biggest grin on my face. Paige broke away from her team, pushing through the crowd. My heart skipped a beat.

She didn’t hesitate.

Paige grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the court. Cameras flashed, the crowd went wild, and for a brief second, all I could hear was the sound of my own heartbeat.

“Hey,” she whispered into my ear, her voice a gentle hum amidst the chaos. “I want you to stay.”

I smiled, leaning into her. “'Til I’m in the grave.”

Paige pressed her lips to mine in front of everyone. The world faded into the background. Her warmth enveloped me as if nothing else mattered.

A loud cheer erupted, louder than anything I’d heard before. Azzi Fudd, Paige’s teammate and best friend, handed her the ball—the winning ball. Paige didn’t take it. Instead, she placed it in my hands, her eyes soft and full of adoration.

“Here,” she said softly. “It’s yours.”

I held the ball, tears in my eyes. “You shot that winning shot. You should have it.”

She shook her head. “No. You’re the one who’s been here through it all.”

Paige’s teammates crowded around her, but she kept looking at me, her hand resting against my waist as if grounding herself. Her whispers returned, and I felt them in every part of my being.

“And if I’m turning blue,” she said, “please don’t save me. Nothing left to lose without my baby.”

The words wrapped around me like a warm blanket. I couldn’t stop smiling, couldn’t stop thinking about the depth of everything we had built together.

The championship wasn’t just a win for Paige. It was a win for us.

“Birds of a feather,” I murmured back, “we should stick together.”

Paige’s lips curved into a soft, knowing smile. She pulled me closer, keeping me tight in her embrace as the celebration continued around us.

“For as long as I have breath,” she said, “I’ll love you ‘til the day that I die.”

“And I’ll love you too,” I whispered, our voices blending with the cheers of the crowd.

The world kept turning, but in that moment, nothing else mattered. It was just Paige and me, holding onto a love that felt eternal.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

-Thank You For Reading!🩵🩶

-prettygirl-gabi🎀✨️

[hazymoonlinh]

Tidal Hearts.

Ocean appears in thousands of literary work. It has saw lovers part, heartwarming scene.

(ZzzLighterxgn!reader)

Fluff, that gives you sweet tooth.

(Or just sugar mixes with glass)

The sun hung low over Elpis Port, casting a soft amber hue over the sea as you and Lighter walked side by side. The breeze was gentle, the air rich with the scent of salt and fresh ocean air. After sneaking in, you both climbed the lighthouse without a word, the quiet only interrupted by the occasional creak of the old stairs beneath your feet. At the top, you leaned against the railing, watching the sky shift from golden to violet, the distant hum of the world below now far away.

Lighter stood beside you, his sunglasses off, his sharp green eyes now open and vulnerable in the fading light. His hands were clasped in front of him, his posture uncharacteristically unsure. After a moment of hesitation, he finally broke the comfortable silence.

“Uh…I’ve been wanting to ask this but…Why did you love me?”

He asked softly, as if the question had been gnawing at him for too long. “I’m just an ordinary person. I don’t think I have anything.”

“Excuse me?”

Your eyes widened.

Then, you smile, a little teasing, a little tender. “Ordinary? Lighter, you’re everything I want. Handsome, strong, kind…fight like no one else, and that voice,” you added with a playful grin, “I could listen to it forever.”

Lighter shifted slightly, a subtle blush creeping up his neck. “You’re just saying that—”

“No, I’m not,” you interrupted. “I mean it.”

“Do you want me to prove it?”

Lighter’s brows furrowed in confusion.

“Prove it? How?”

You turned to face him fully, eyes glinting with a spark of mischief. Without giving him a chance to respond, you climbed onto the railing, arms outstretched to catch the wind. The breeze whipped your hair around, and for a moment, you let yourself feel the weightlessness.

“By this.”

You still have that playful grin on your face.

“H-huh?”

You leaped.

Time seemed to slow. The wind rushed past your ears, and for a brief, exhilarating moment, you felt weightless, free. You can see the sky, his face, and the way his eyes slowly widened.

Splash.

Then, the water rose to meet you, the impact cool and refreshing as you submerged beneath the surface. You let yourself sink, feeling the embrace of the ocean pull you deeper.

“Y/NNNNN!”.

From above, you heard Lighter’s shout, but it barely registered. Your focus was on the cool embrace of the water, the quiet serenity that came with sinking, with the world growing distant. It was peaceful… until you saw him.

His form broke through the surface, his eyes locking with yours. Everything else vanished. The world slowed—no sound, no movement—just you and Lighter, locked beneath the water’s surface. His gaze was fierce, determined and almost desperate. Then he dove.

The water swirled around you as he closed the distance between you, his strong hands reaching for your waist. The pull of his arms around you felt like an anchor, grounding you in that moment. Your breath hitched as he yanked you closer, his eyes never leaving yours.

In that frozen second, with your chest aching for air and your pulse racing, you couldn’t resist.

You kissed him.

Deep, urgent, and almost drowning in the rawness of it all. The water seemed to disappear, the pressure of the ocean fading, and it was just the two of you, lips meeting, hearts colliding.

When you pulled away, his eyes were wide, his breath harsh. He was still holding you, his hands firm on your waist, the only thing tethering you to the world above. You saw the shock in his gaze, the disbelief of what had just happened.

Then, you both broke free from the water, gasping for air.

“What the hell were you thinking!? Doing that?!”

You smiled, your voice a soft whisper. “See? That’s why I love you.”

“What the fuck…?”

Arms wrapped around him a bit tighter.

“You jump to save me without any hesitation. That’s what.”

His expression softened, but there was still a frantic edge to his movements as he pulled you up to the surface. The air felt cold against your skin, but his warmth was a constant. You were back on the shore moments later, the sand cool beneath your feet as he collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily, his heart still racing.

You sat beside him, watching as he tried to calm himself. His hands shook slightly, and you could feel the intensity of his emotions, still raw from the rush of everything. He sat there for a moment, taking slow, deliberate breaths, as if trying to find solid ground again.

You reached out, gently patting his head, a quiet, comforting gesture. “You okay there, hero?”

He let out a shaky laugh, his voice low. “Okay? Hah…what do you think, y/n?”

Pause for a moment, his tone was softer now, vulnerable, something you didn’t hear often.

“I thought I was gonna lose you…”

You leaned in, your lips brushing the top of his head, smiling as you whispered, “You won’t. Not that easily. Plus, I know how to swim. Did you forget about that?“

Tilting your head, and you see he looks at you with disbelief.

“You’re insane.”

Follow by the longest sigh you have ever heard from him. Yet you still grinning with the same mischief, patting his back.

“Yet you love me anyway.”

(This feels like you have gave him another PTSD 😔🤟)

[scoobydoodean]

The thing is that Krissy did not save anyone's ass in 7.11 "Adventures In Babysitting". I think she created a more dangerous situation intentionally in order to prove herself.

When Dean came in alone to save Sam and Krissy's dad, he immediately knocked one vetala unconscious with a huge metal bar. After a brief fight, he also got the upper hand on the other vetala, knocking her to the ground with a crow bar and was about to stab her with the knife when Krissy disrupted the fight. She ran into the room, rushed right past the first vetala that was starting to wake up under the guise of trying to get to her father, and then it grabbed her and held her hostage. This resulted in Dean having to surrender to "protect" her. Krissy then plays the helpless little girl, letting the vetalas think they have the upper hand, then turns a hidden knife on one of them and everything turns out okay.

What confused me is that Sam and Dean say afterward that she saved their asses... even though what she actually did was rush into a fight Dean was already anticipated to win, disrupting the situation and putting everyone around her at unnecessary risk. I couldn't figure out... why Sam talked up her "saving" them to her father and why Dean agreed with her when she claimed she saved his bacon. If I'm meant to believe Krissy actually saved them, why did the writers show me a scene where Dean seems to have the upper hand and she disrupts that?

Then I realized I've always assumed in the past that when Krissy first came in, she misjudged the situation and thought the first vetala was already dead. But the thing is, the episode goes out of its way to tell me Krissy isn't a stupid kid—just a very foolhardy kid. She's brash, but she's also shrewd, observant, and calculated. She hangs up on Sam when he answers Bobby's phone instead of jumping to ask for help because she doesn't trust him. She lets Sam think she doesn't know about the supernatural. She burns her father's notes so Dean can't leave her behind and turns a gun on him. She notices the waitress getting into the truck. She picks the lock on the cuffs after Dean tricks her to keep her from joining the fight.

She's not the kind of kid who would rush into a situation before actually assessing the scene. She isn't the kind of kid who'd fail to give a vetala a wide berth out of blind desperation to reach her father. She is a kid who's desperate to establish some control over her life by proving herself, who desperately wanted to be included in this fight.

So. She sabotaged Dean on purpose. She ran in in that moment and ran right past the vetala because Dean was going to win without her and she wanted to prove that she could handle herself. The disappearance of her father exposed her to the potential reality of ending up alone if he was dead. Her burning her dad's notes and putting that gun in Dean's face in their first scene was a desperate bid to gain control in a situation that made her feel powerless. She was dependent on adults she found she could not count on.

KRISSY: My dad left, and he didn't come back. Sam left, and he didn't come back. I give you the info, you leave, you don't come back.

And I think Dean knows this. He knows she did all of it from start to finish completely on purpose, and he knows why. I'm not totally sure if Sam spent enough time with Krissy to get that or not, but I think Dean gets that Krissy did this all on purpose so that she could prove to herself that she could protect herself by herself one day if she needed to... so he lets her keep that confidence instead of lecturing her, agreeing that she saved him, while pleading with her father in the previous scene to leave hunting forever.

DEAN: Don't thank us. Quit. Your daughter's 14 years old. She's already a hunter with a kill under her belt. I'm not trying to be a dick, but what do you think that does to her life span? She could still be a regular kid.

It's incredibly dark to think about, but it's also very likely that Krissy wanted to prove not just that she could rescue herself, but that she could kill. And that's what guts Dean the most. This is the first episode after Bobby's death—Bobby—who took Dean out to play catch like a regular kid when he was supposed to be practicing with guns. Dean also could not depend on his father's protection most of the time growing up (because John was gone a lot). So he understands her desire to prove she can protect herself, but he also knows that the fact that she (at FOURTEEN) so desperately feels the need to prove she can protect herself that she'll create a more dangerous situation unnecessarily in order to gain the upper-hand on someone planning to kill her speaks volumes about the damage already being done to her psychologically by her father's blind insistence on being a hunter.

[homestuckreplay]

Homestuck with a Different Starting Character

In some video games, players are given a choice of which character they’d like to begin the story with. Homestuck doesn’t allow this – Act 1 begins with the player as John Egbert, and Rose Lalondegets seamlessly folded into the story – but Acts 2 and 3 take us back in time to the moment the story starts, and give us a glimpse of what a Homestuck starring Dave, Jade or even the Wayward Vagabond would be like.

Starting with Dave. This means beginning with pages 309-333, 337-357, 381-384, 443-466, 562-613, and then Dave’s full strife with Bro (p.665, 836, 871, 1070). During this whole time, both the narrative and Dave’s friends would be talking about Sburb and stressing the importance of Dave playing it to save Rose’s life, and as readers, we would either have to take it on faith that Sburb is capable of that, or we’d be skeptical and ultimately very surprised when Dave eventually boots up the game and sees Rose. In other words, we would get an immersive Dave experience. Dave also really loves John and makes that clear in his earliest pages, so as readers we’d be excited to meet this even cooler guy that the existing coolguy loves so much. However, Dave’s resistance to reader commands such as ‘retrieve arms from cinderblocks’ wouldn’t stand out in contrast to other characters, and the Midnight Crew would be the second characters we meet visually, making this comic within a comic feel plot crucial.

Starting with Jade. The story would begin at the start of Act 3 and continue uninterrupted to page 835, followed by several other Jade sections scattered throughout the act leading up to ‘Jade: Pester John’ (p.1073). This would be out first glimpse of ‘real’ John, but we’d actually see him sooner in the Midnight Crew intermission, which would call into question his entire character arc when we met him for real – does John suck so bad at his sylladex because he’s just escaped from a comic into the real world? Jade is the weirdest character who breaks narrative patterns, but her fourth wall breaking, naming herself, interacting directly with the reader, and having multiple fetch modi, instruments and home decorations would feel like the norm. Going from the weirdest to the most surface-normal character could be an interesting story, but I think it’d work better if it was done intentionally. Jade has a life filled with exciting things like her dreambot, radioactive pet dog, and mystic frog ruins, so we’d be waitingfor the other shoe to drop with similar weirdness for the other characters, and it never would. Also, Jade’s story is so interlinked with WV’s that I think introducing them consecutively was a really good move, so it’d have to be Jade and WV before meeting the other kids.

Starting with the Wayward Vagabond. This would mean beginning with the ‘Years in the future…’ pages (p.248, 271, 439, 509), followed by WV’s extended sequence creating Can Town in the bunker (p.666-756) and ‘WV: Ascend’. This would introduce us to John through WV’s command terminal and an incomprehensible list of past/future commands, telling us right away that John is being commanded in-universe as well as out, and to Rose, Dave and Dad through brief glimpses of their positions at the end of act 2. I actually love this idea, and think this would be a fascinating prologue. The first glimpse of Skaian cosmology would come from WV’s wall drawings and chessboard, and we’d unearth Sburb like an archaeologist, piecing together that something very bad happened centuries earlier and that a very small number of humans might have survived. It would probably raise a lot of curiosity about the meaning of ‘captchalogue’, which is mentioned only for WV to say he doesn’t know what it means. It would also emphasize the role of timeloops and paradoxes much sooner, and begin with an already large-scale, zoomed-out story, instead of the slow build we currently have.

Starting with Rose is challenging, as her story begins already very entwined with John’s, but here’s some bonus options instead.

Reading Homestuck chronologically by when its pages are set would (right now at page 1088) mean starting with pages 999-1000, which take place on December 1, 2008. This begins with Jade’s birthday instead of John’s, and keeps the focus on birthday gifts that starting at page 1 has. It hints at Jade’s powers, and the supernatural elements of the story, right away, and it shows the reader John’s graffitied and clown-covered walls before we see his blank room, so we know something weird is going on with this kid from day one. The trolls are discussed more than Rose and Dave in this conversation, so starting here makes it seem like the trolls will be much more important to the kids’ adventures than they are so far.

Reading Homestuck at one page per day, an update schedule more comparable to other webcomics, would take almost three years to read everything that’s been posted so far. It would also dramatically change the story’s pacing. Jade Harley would spend five days picking up fruit (p.781-5) but ‘WV: Ascend’ would still be a single day. Flash updates such as ‘Dave: Abscond’ would help avoid a common problem with webcomics (including Problem Sleuth) where fight scenes take up a lot of out of universe time, but weeks of an extended sylladex joke would probably frustrate more readers into quitting.

Reading Homestuck with just the pictures. I have heard about people doing this, and it makes sense – most webcomics keep their text entirely within the strips, and external text is optional. Following John’s actions early on is okay without text, but it’s almost impossible to get a sense of his character.

Reading Homestuck with just the text. I think it would be nearly impossible to get to grips with captchalogue mechanics this way, which are already lots of people’s least favorite part of the story, plus it would remove all the interactivity and music, which are a big part of what scratches the brain.

Reading Homestuck by randomly sorting the numbers 1-1088 and reading the pages in that order. DO NOT DO THIS.

[ramblingguy54]

Now that the holidays are moving on out once again, I can have free time to post this. Sonic 3 is hands down the best entry outta all three films, no contest.

It streamlines the Sonic & human characters formula more nicely. Jumps right into exactly what many were wanting. That being Shadow’s amazing introduction. The fucking CHILLS I got hearing that acoustic Live & Learn at the start played by Maria in Shadow’s brief flashback. That’s when I knew I was in for a real gaming movie treat. Keanu does such an excellent job capturing Shadow’s threatening presence, yet contrasted by the underlying melancholic nature, of his tragic background.

What Sonic 3 does best is the conflict between how Sonic & Shadow’s grief plays a big part in the overall thematic use of Live & Learn throughout its run time. Sonic & Shadow’s baggage influences their future lifestyles.

For Sonic, he obviously yearned for a proper family and friends after years of being in hiding. Losing Longclaw at such a young age left deep scars on him. Shadow of course mirrors this losing the only person who didn’t see him as a tool of destruction to fear. Maria in the movie may not have a compelling backstory with terminal illness, but this iteration’s personality is highly entertaining to make up for the exchange. You can immediately buy into why this Shadow would want bloodshed unleashed. Movie Maria is a cheeky, sneaky, and playful kid that gets Shadow to open up emotionally. To stop the mindset of not having to become what these scientists see him as, a monster.

Sonic 3 is the most compelling entry thus far because they take what defines Sonic & Shadow’s backgrounds. Putting them against each other in the third act.

“I’ve spent fifty years reliving what they did to her…This is WHO I AM inside!”

To no surprise, Shadow’s characterization is my favorite part of this whole movie. Any time he appears on screen you know shit is gonna normally hit the fan hard. Sonic’s first thrown down with Shadow at its start sells what a bigger deal he is out of every threat this blue blur has faced previously.

What makes it much harder for Sonic to deal with is when he learns about Shadow’s past. Realizing he is a broken guy, who had his chance at happiness unfairly ripped away puts things into a much bigger perspective. It’s not just about stopping Shadow anymore, but proving his ideals are strong enough to save him from that encompassing pain.

If there was any real critique I have against Sonic 3, it’s Jim Carrey as Gerald. For as much as I enjoy his usual antics as Eggman, they should’ve dialed it back a bit more on Gerald. He should’ve been a much bigger starker contrast in his darker dramatic intentions. This isn’t to say he doesn’t have great moments with Gerald. When he stops screwing around to play it straight, Gerald gets some great dialogue. One line he says to Eggman near the end made me internally go, “Holy shit. That hurt to watch.”.

That criticism aside, Sonic 3 is a love letter to what made SA2, and Shadow The Hedgehog most importantly, an insanely iconic entry for Sonic’s franchise. While my favorite movie outta this whole year goes to The Wild Robot, Sonic 3 is certainly up there in my highlights.

Go see this on the big screen now.

[styrvexxual]

Han Jisung's Guide to The College Experience (CH. 1)

My child, my first ever fic, right here on Tumblr

minsung-centric (ft. a few side ships ;) )

7.3k words

Nothing 18+ here -> not sure what's happening later

college au, not quite enemies to lovers but like kinda, me projecting my hatred for college on skz

also posted on ao3 here :) https://archiveofourown.org/works/61759963/chapters/157886353

An empty stage, save for a single microphone conveniently placed center stage. Enter stage left, one Han Jisung. “College fucking sucks,” he says into the mic.

The result is a resounding agreement, applause echoing through the room. People have even started throwing flowers towards the stage (and various other items that shall remain unnamed). The aforementioned Han Jisung has never felt more seen and accomplished, this shall go down as the greatest moment in his otherwise bland, unimportant life. That is until he hears a faint booing from somewhere in the third row.

Kim Motherfucking Seungmin

Or at least, this is how it would’ve played out in said Han Jisung’s head if this situation happened. In hindsight, he realizes that might be the wrong person to play the role of his daydream arch nemesis given that Kim Seungmin usually cannot be bothered to give two shits about most things, and definitely wouldn’t attend a speech given by Jisung even if just to be a general disturbance. Changbin on the other hand, the man who lives to give Jisung the younger brother treatment and constant humiliation? Now that might be just a slight bit more realistic.

Take right now for example. Fall registration, the worst part of the year for any underclassman who wants a sliver of a chance at classes that will prove themselves useful for their degree. Chan and Changbin, two upperclassmen who have taken it upon themselves to ‘adopt’ Jisung in a sense after he was able to squeeze himself into an actually useful lower-division music production class the other two had also enrolled in last semester, filled their schedules hours ago and were able to find classes that might one day provide them with their degrees. The rest of the day proceeds as follows:

The three rented a studio space for the day to begin recording for their last final project of the year knowing that they would each have to halt the process for their brief window of an enrollment period. Going into their senior and junior year respectively, in addition to their overachiever tendencies providing them extra course credits, Chan and Changbin had prime enrollment times earlier in the morning while Jisung had to wait until the late afternoon before he could even think of opening his laptop and checking his schedule.

After hours of anxious leg shaking and tense recording sessions, Jisung found himself in front of his laptop, refreshing the page as soon as it loaded until the buttons lit up that let him enroll in his courses. As soon as his enrollment window opened, a scream that could be heard across campus regardless of the soundproof recording booth was let out.

“Waitlist? Fucking bullshit is what it is.” Jisung muttered as he found himself able to enroll in only one of the five classes he had planned on for the next semester. Tens of thousands in yearly tuition payments and he can’t even get a fucking degree? Absurd.

Luckily his friends had taught him how to make backup schedules because surely there’s no way everything he wanted to take was full, it’s not like there are that many people on this campus. Right?

Wrong. After a grand total of six separate schedules and 16 courses Jisung was even considering taking (including those horrific STEM classes the school wanted him to take to graduate thank you very much) only two other classes had spots, neither of which fell under his major. At this rate, he wasn’t even going to be allowed to come back to campus with how barren his schedule looked.

“Chat, I fear we might be cooked here,” Jisung said to no one in particular. Well, actually that’s a lie, as there are two other people in the room with Jisung, and he would very much so like them to bestow upon him their worldly advice.

“Jisung, as funny as I might find this, which mind you is incredibly hilarious, you do need to find another class to fill your schedule,” Changbin responded. As objectively right as he is, Jisung hopes all of his classes get canceled so he can feel a fraction of the stress he’s currently under.

“Have you considered sorting by classes with available spots? You might as well just take what you can get before you’re stuck with waitlists longer than the class size.” Chan adds. He’s never wronged Jisung before and he’s already under enough stress, so he can have a slightly better fate. Maybe only a class or two was canceled, or a waitlist he’ll never get off of.

In all honesty, Jisung wouldn't wish his fate upon anyone, not even Kim Seungmin. Now that he’s been brought up within the confines of Jisung’s mind palace, he wonders how enrollment went for his roommate. Probably significantly better considering he took six classes a semester his first year and the classes for his major have 200 spots compared to Jisung’s 25 spot music classes. Jisung briefly considers swapping his major to computer science, as studying classics like Seungmin is quite frankly too pretentious for him, but quickly remembers how poorly that would go for him as he had to drop his course on the subject last fall before he failed it. Surely he should’ve gotten some good karma from the computer science major he got off the comically large waitlist. Wait, that's not the point here, enrollment closes in five minutes and Jisung still doesn’t have a fourth class.

“That’s it, I’m sorting by classes with available spots and just clicking on one. As long as it doesn’t stop me to tell me my schedule conflicts it literally cannot be worse.” Jisung announces to the room. It’s not like a university campus has classes so useless this backfires on him.

“You sure about that one? I mean you could at least try to find something that fulfills a graduation requirement. I'm sure something still has space.” Jisung hears Chan ask in the background. He pays no mind to this warning and instead clicks on a random class that pops up with available spots.

“There’s no way you seriously just signed yourself up for a two-hour 8 am every Monday and Wednesday. I don’t even care what that class is, you’ve just screwed yourself beyond belief here kid.” Changbin says, cut off only by his laughter. Jisung doesn’t really find this situation humorous, but to each their own he supposes.

With that, the enrollment window closes and all Jisung is left with is 4 class codes and the worst schedule of his college years. How can someone end up with an 8 am every day of the week but also an 8 pm? Jisung closes the tab his schedule is on, refusing to believe this is something that actually happened to him. Before doing so, he noticed a class code under one of his 8 am classes that wasn’t on his schedule before, CDM101, clearly the class he signed up for randomly. Surely it can’t be that hard, it’s an introductory course, and the only classes he can think of that start with C are communications and chemistry, and anything under the latter is definitely full already.

The topic of registration is nothing but a stray thought in the back of Jisung’s mind, batted away like a cat toy. He’s enrolled in four classes, he won’t be kicked out of school, and at least something there will be going towards his degree. As the three begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel on their final project, they quickly wrap up their recording and agree to finish editing on their own and grab dinner instead as they have very little left. Three burnt-out college students versus a single final project for their music production class, who will win? Let the records state that although it was a concerningly close fight, the students did in fact win, and they all walked away with an A on their transcript.

As the three boys leave the restaurant, significantly more optimistic than they were walking into the studio (save for one Han Jisung), a lull in the conversation occurs and Chan just can’t seem to help himself because he immediately turns to Jisung and asks, “Are you sure you’ll be okay in your classes? You can always just talk to an advisor, that’s literally what they’re paid to do. We both know you don’t do well with mornings and I don’t want to see your grades slip just because you didn’t want to get up to go to class.”

Chan truly is nothing if not a worrying mother at heart. Jisung would find it endearing if it wasn’t contributing to his already soured mood over his classes. Yes his schedule sucks, and yes he will be immediately calling his parents once he gets back to his dorm to cry about it, but nobody needs to know that, especially his friends.

“While I appreciate the concern, it was truly never that deep, I’ll be fine,” Jisung responds, before fully turning to Chan to add on, “and everyone knows advisors are actually paid to be a pain in your ass and make sure you enroll in even less than if you just did it yourself.”

Yes, Jisung might be a little frustrated with his schedule, but he’s dealt with worse classes. Like that computer science class, but at least he could drop that one. So he signed up for a communications class, big fucking deal. He’ll just show up to the first lecture, find out if attendance is mandatory, and never show up again if it’s not. Communications classes are easy, he knows how to talk to people, and surely that’s what he signed up for, right?

Right?

——————------------------------

Wrong.

Again, seriously? Jisung wonders how many times he’ll be wrong before he gets something right because it’s apparently more than two. Well, it’s a lot more than two given his track record but that’s not important right now. What’s important is that Jisung needs to find his classes, starting with his Monday 8 am communications class. He left his dorm around 7:30 this morning, as he was positive this was all the time he needed to reach the mystery class, and right he was. Gold star for Jisung everybody! He should throw a party, maybe even invite his new communications professor.

Now Jisung knows some friends of friends who have taken a communications class or two for an easy A, so he knows the building this class is in is definitely not the communications building. He’s almost positive that the building in question is on the other side of campus, not two buildings away from the music building over by where the art classes are held. He also knows that classes tend to stick within the building of their department as to avoid confusion. So the question remains: What the fuck did Jisung sign up for last spring?

A dance class. A fucking contemporary dance class. It couldn’t have just been a communications class, a history of dance class, or even any other style of dance. It just had to be something that requires a genuine understanding of movement and a body with the capacity to do things no human should be able to do. It should be, in theory, or at least according to the syllabus and Han Jisung’s limited knowledge of the dance department, an easy A just like it would’ve been if he actually signed up for a communications class. However, there’s one bright, shining error in his brilliant plan to get an A.

Mandatory Attendance.

“Showing up is half the battle my ass,” Jisung mutters as he reviews the syllabus the professor had been handing out at the door. He hopes she didn’t hear him as that could possibly win for the worst first impression of Jisung’s college career.

Yes the final for this class is a paper, and yes he has maybe three homework assignments the entire quarter; but seriously, how hard is it to make a syllabus where attendance isn’t 50% of your final grade? At least in other mandatory attendance classes, the portion of your grade that attendance counts for tends to be insignificant enough that you could still get an A while missing a good portion of lectures so long as you did well on the exams. Jisung begins weighing the possibility of dropping out of college entirely and living off of Changbin’s trust fund when the door closes, signifying what is usually the beginning of class, but who fucking knows at this point, this is uncharted territory here.

“Welcome to beginning contemporary dance, I’ll be your professor for this semester.” A voice cuts through Jisung’s pessimistic stream of consciousness, “As stated in the syllabus, you will have a teaching assistant who will be attending class alongside you. Unfortunately, he couldn’t attend class today due to a conflict in scheduling within the department, but know that you have much to learn from him”

The professor continues to drone on about how despite the class being made for beginners, she expects effort and attention from all students regardless of their dance background, or lack thereof (definitely a pointed comment thank you very much); and then a few other things regarding the attendance policies and grading structure. Jisung, however, is paying shit attention to this little speech and hasn’t been since the professor mentioned a teaching assistant. He? Now don’t get it twisted, Jisung is in no position to be prejudiced. In fact, it’ll be great to have some boy doing spins around him for two hours at a time. Jisung’s never been able to focus too well in class without something to look at, so surely this will motivate him to show up at 8 am twice a week for the next 18 weeks. On second thought, it probably won’t, but it doesn’t hurt to hope.

Jisung’s thoughts are once again interrupted by the professor, this time addressing him directly. “Sorry, could you repeat that?” He asks, trying (and failing) to make himself not look like the biggest idiot on the planet.

“We’re doing introductions. Just tell the class your name, year, major, and a fun fact. Nothing too difficult, that comes later of course.” the professor tells him, adding a seemingly ominous wink to the end of her sentence.

Well, that’s easy, the same shit you do in every class, surely this sentiment will remain similar for the remainder of the semester. Jisung thinks for a second before responding with, “Hi everyone, I’m Jisung, I’m a second-year music major, and I’ve never danced before nor wanted to in my entire life.”

“Thank you for participating Jisung, and I sincerely hope this class can change your views on dance.” With the passive-aggressive comment from his professor out of the way, Jisung resumes his stream of consciousness. Today’s class seems to be largely focused on getting to know each other, which he does so on autopilot, listening but never taking in the words of his peers.

For once, the universe decided to work in Jisung’s favor, and class got out early, meaning he had an extra hour to spend before his 8 pm lecture that night that he didn’t really need but still liked having regardless. He found himself at the campus coffee shop he frequented his freshman year in the hopes of finishing those pesky homework assignments he was supposed to do before classes started. Say what you want, but summer homework is egregious and should be banned regardless of the subject. At long last, it was 8 pm, and time for a class that Jisung actually gave a fuck about, his sole music-related class; which turned out to be a history class? Look, registration was rough, and if he needs it to graduate, then by god Jisung is going to get that snoozefest done.

Luckily the class is one he shares with his friends, so really it could have been worse. You know, like the rest of his schedule. Once he reached the classroom, he noticed Chan and Changbin waving him over, having saved him a seat. Jisung knew what they wanted to hear, and briefly yet seriously contemplated running the other direction and taking the inevitable hit to his grade that ditching class would leave him with. Despite all this, he moves to sit between his friends, anticipating the immediate badgering and questioning, but not quite moving to deflect. Look, he just needs to complain, like seriously who makes an 8 am mandatory — attendance being half your grade at that? He pauses for a second and proceeds to voice this thought to his peers.

“You mean to tell me you’ve somehow found an introductory communications class at 8 am that lasts two hours, mind you, that’s completely mandatory and worth half your grade just to show up?” Changbin explains, looking a little too enthused by Jisung’s suffering.

“Nah dude, that’s the worst part, it’s not even a communications class,” Jisung responds. “It’s a fucking dance class. I have to participate and shit, can’t even slack off in the corner of a lecture hall.”

“You know, most people go to class to learn,” Chan adds. “It only makes sense that would be applied to more practical classes.” Curse him and his realistic worldview, and sue Jisung for using lectures to online shop and play 2048, it’s not like they aren’t recorded and uploaded anyway.

Upon giving his two cents, which are somehow worth more than most people’s despite still being two cents, Chan looks away to pay attention to the lecture. Jisung can’t help but thank him in his head. Not because he’s no longer grilling him, but because he knows Changbin won’t let up and neither of them will take a single note tonight.

“So what do you even do in that class? With your two left feet, I can’t foresee anything about this going well.” Changbin leans over to whisper.

“Bro, why are you acting like I know? All I remember from whatever that class was is that some dude is gonna come in and TA for us.” Jisung thinks for a second and adds, “I’ll probably just make friends with him and hope he can save my grade.”

“Your TAs a guy?”

“Yeah dude, didn’t realize you of all people would take offense to that. Isn’t your boyfriend literally a dance major?”

“Not where I was going with that dumbass. Was just gonna say I know a guy who’s TAing a dance class this semester.”

“And you didn’t think to tell me?”

“Says the one who didn’t even know he was in a dance class until this morning.”

“Whatever dude, so what should I know about this mysterious TA guy? The prof kept hyping him up and shit, no way he’s that good?”

“I'm not telling you shit with that attitude,” Changbin says, finishing their gossip session before it could start. “Pay attention, according to what I just heard you need to if you want to pass any of your classes this semester.”

With that, Jisung turned back to the professor at the front of the room. Paying attention in a class where all of the lecture videos get sent to him is pointless, Jisung thinks as he opens 2048 on his computer, a game already in progress.

Tuesday went by in a blur, two general education classes Jisung will be doing the bare minimum for because no hiring manager in the history of ever is going to give a single shit that someone working in music production got a C- in their genetics class they were forced to take sophomore year. It was once Wednesday hit the semester began to immediately worsen, which Jisung didn’t even think was possible. Look, the 8 am classes every day are really starting to get to him, especially when paired with a class twelve hours later.

So he overslept and missed his dance class, no biggie, surely there’s a policy that says he can miss a few classes right? Every class has those, it’s like a fail-safe for when overworked college students inevitably find themselves too sick (or lazy, as seen here) so Jisung will be fine.

Or not. Seriously, one excused absence for an entire semester? That’s a little absurd, even for a dance class. Oh well, he’ll just have to go to all of the classes in the future if he wants a good grade. Better hope he doesn’t find himself catching every disease ever like all college kids do in the fall.

Thursday followed as per the Tuesday schedule, and Friday was empty save for a morning discussion class Jisung would rather dunk his socks in cereal and suck the milk out of than attend despite participation being a significant enough portion of his grade. Aside from the utter failure that has been trying to attend his dance class, Jisung was sure he could turn the semester around and make it into something bearable. Make lemons out of lemonade or whatever old people say when they don’t want you to believe it’s okay to be frustrated.

——————------------------------

Surely after the disaster that was trying to get to all of his classes last week, Jisung could bring himself to attend his 8ams, and attend his 8ams he did. Walking into the dance building at 7:55 am (see Changbin, not that hard) Jisung noticed a boy about his age approaching him. He takes a moment to think back to last week, trying to recall a face, name, or anything to help him remember this boy who clearly knows him. His strikingly blonde hair and round features allowed him to stand out amongst the crowd, and surely Jisung would remember meeting someone as unique as him. He comes up with nothing, and takes the last few seconds to pray that they don’t actually know each other and he isn’t about to severely offend someone.

“Where were you on Wednesday?” the boy asks, “It kinda sucks being the only guy in this class, well except for the TA I guess.”

“I’m really sorry but, do we know each other?” Jisung responds with the only thing he’s thinking at this moment. “I don’t mean to offend you, I just do not remember a thing from the first class and I feel like I’d remember meeting you.”

“Well not yet I suppose, but that’s what this is for. Lee Felix, a second-year dance major.” The boy, Felix as he now knows, reaches his hand out, presumably for a handshake.

“Han Jisung, second-year music major. If you don’t mind me asking, why are you in a class for beginners if this is what your degree is in?” Jisung worries he’s pried a bit too much for a first-time conversation, but he really doesn’t understand why someone who loves dance enough to major in it is in a class with the likes of him.

“Don’t worry, people already questioned me about it last week, I’ll give you the run down since you weren’t there. I’m auditing the class, which means I kinda just show up when I feel like it and don’t worry about a grade.”

“Dude I wish that was me. I signed up for this class by chance after I was under the credit limit.”

“Seriously? I hate to break it to you, but you’re really in for something different if you signed up by accident. I mean, just wait until you meet the TA, he’s really gonna have it out for you if he ever hears that.”

“The TA? Don’t worry man I have that covered. All I gotta do is play nice and make friends, and he’ll help me get an A, right?”

“Wrong.” The second Jisung hears this from Felix, all he can do is put a little tally next to the chart on his brain whiteboard next to ‘wrongs’. The ‘rights’ side is regrettably empty save for when he made it to class on time (does that count?). “Don’t think I’m trying to scare you or anything, he’s not a bad guy, it’s just… he can be a little more on the serious side when it comes to dance. I mean I’m sure you get it, being in the arts and all that.”

“Whatever man, just wait. I’ve got this in the bag already.” Jisung says as they enter the studio together. Out of the corner of his eye, he spots something, or someone that is, that definitely wasn’t there last week. He likes to think he’d remember seeing someone like him. He also believes he’d remember every single girl in that class (which mind you, is everyone with the exception of Jisung and Felix) shamelessly staring the same guy down as if he was the last croissant at that trendy bakery down the street from Chan’s apartment. It makes something akin to jealousy shoot down Jisung’s spine and into his fingertips. Look, it’s not what you think it is, he doesn’t even like girls like that, but he sincerely doubts Mr. Twinkle Toes over there does either, he’s in a dance class for fucks sake. It’s just the whole attention thing; Jisung loves being the person in the room that people feel compelled to approach (except for when he really doesn’t), and this guy is hogging his spotlight. Jisung does the only thing he thinks can help him in this situation, and turns to Felix to ask, “Who in the everloving fuck is that?”

“Who?” He distantly hears Felix’s response over the sound of blood in his ears as he makes eye contact with the mystery man. Jisung really just thinks it’s unfair, how can someone have such an objectively perfect face, and maybe now he understands why all 20-something girls just can’t seem to look away from their classmate. His stare is piercing, almost as if he’s one of those mind readers Jisung worries about when his thoughts get a little inappropriate for the situation, and now all he can think about is if that’s exactly what’s happening right now.

Regrettably, before he can really unpack what any of that is supposed to mean, the professor walks in, and any fraction of the boy’s attention that Jisung held is immediately lost to what he thinks is a motivational speech to open the class.

“Alright everybody, today’s class will be focused on Horton Technique” the professor starts, “As a lot of you are not dancers, we will begin the class with a bit of a lecture on the history of the form. Contemporary dance is deeply rooted in the evolution of modern dance forms, so it is important we begin with these foundational techniques”

As the professor drones on about the history of modern dance, a voice in the back of Jisung’s mind reminds him that although there are no exams, the homework assignments are probably based on what she’s saying right now. He proceeds to throw that out the window and instead stares at Mr. Twinkle Toes from his place across the room. Look don’t judge the nickname, it's not like Jisung knows his real name and honestly, the nickname is kinda funny and definitely going to stick around for way too long whether or not they ever even exchange greetings.

What he finds, however, is not a sight he had been expecting. TT, as Jisung will now be taking to calling the boy in his head since Mr. Twinkle Toes is long and pretentious and must be saved exclusively for peak comedic timing, is already looking right back at him. Seriously, what is this dude's deal with Jisung? All he wanted when he signed up for a random class was some inner peace and an easy A, and now he’s not sure he’s got either of those. Unfortunately, just like every other time, Jisung has attempted to get any form of information on his mystery man, his professor has decided to stop lecturing and move on to actual dancing, causing both of their gazes to break.

This professor is really starting to get on Jisung’s nerves, can’t she see he’s on a mission here? Clearly more important than whatever the fuck Horton Technique is.

“To begin our warmup series, we will be learning a flat-back combination. This exercise engages your muscles and prepares the body for more rigorous movement” Jisung is vaguely aware of the teacher as she guides the class through the combination, focusing on keeping his head down and refusing to attract negative attention.

The teacher repeats the combination twice through movement, once verbally, and declares this enough before moving to turn on the music. Jisung can’t help but notice that Mr, Twinkle Toes seems to have taken to standing front and center of the studio. Teacher’s pet much? It’s not like he could possibly be good enough to warrant standing there in the first place. Jisung may not be a dancer, but he and Seungmin did drunkenly watch reruns of Dance Moms one night after finals, so he knows that front and center is reserved for special people who can actually dance.

Mystery Boy, as it turns out, is in fact one of those special people who can actually dance, and Jisung finds himself entranced by the way he effortlessly completes the exercise Jisung couldn’t even remember with the repetition and explanations. He suddenly finds himself grateful he’s placed himself directly behind Mystery Boy, and no it’s not because he has a good view of his ass you pervert, he’s wearing sweats anyways. Jisung learns that standing behind him does actually provide him with some knowledge as he simply repeats the movements he sees in front of him, albeit a little sloppier.

As the exercise draws to a close, and the professor moves to command the attention of the class, Jisung realizes something he had been previously ignorant of.

The music

Well, if you can even call it that. Jisung doesn’t understand how Mr. Twinkle Toes up in the front can do the exercises so flawlessly when the sound of nails on a chalkboard would be more audibly appealing than this monstrosity contained in his professor’s iPad. To each their own, he supposes, as he proceeds to figure out how to get his brain to tune out the music for the remainder of the class.

The professor leads them through a few more simple warm-up exercises in the center before announcing that they’ll be moving to the corner to try a few exercises across the floor. Jisung finds himself grateful for this, as if he ever has to do a Lateral T exercise again he might just do something drastic enough to change the trajectory of his professor’s life. He finds himself towards the end of the line the class has formed, alongside Felix, and notices that Mystery Boy has taken up a position at the end of the line. Given his assertiveness at the front of the room, and unfortunately, his ability to dance better than Jisung previously assumed, it seemed like he would be the kind of person to rush to be first in line.

Not that Jisung is complaining, this just means that he doesn’t have to embarrass himself by going after someone who actually knows what they’re doing.

The teacher then leads them through Jisung’s new least favorite exercise. The worst part? It’s not even supposed to be that hard. It’s basically a glorified walking pattern across the length of the studio, something about familiarizing yourself with the ground or whatever, and Jisung just doesn’t get it. He proceeds to share this with Felix, who goes over it with him while they wait in line, and he could kiss Felix for how he saved him from being a walking (literally) embarrassment.

Unfortunately for him, his Mystery Boy is soon after him, and he’s forced to watch the most graceful walking of his entire life. He didn’t even know walking could be so graceful before taking this class. You learn something new every day it seems. Jisung is infuriated by the boy and his strange affinity for walking, and he decides that Felix needs to hear this.

“Who the fuck does he think he is? It's enough to be that obnoxiously talented and objectively attractive, but to know it like he does too?“ Jisung whispers to Felix a little louder than expected. Before he can check if anyone heard him, he feels someone’s breath on the back of his neck, far too close for comfort.

“It’s rude to talk about people behind their backs. I guess I was wrong to assume your parents would have raised you better than that?” He hears from behind him, whispered directly in his ear.

Jisung finds himself unable to move, or speak for that matter. In a true life or death scenario (not that this isn’t), his instincts would immediately choose freeze over the much more useful fight or flight, which should worry Jisung, but he’s a little preoccupied. He says what is apparently the only thing he can think of when faced with strangers recently, which ends up being an incredibly eloquent, “Who the fuck are you?”

“Lee Minho, it’d do you well to remember that. Your TA as well, although in hindsight that part might be a bit more important” he gets in response.

“Oh! I’m so sorry, I swear whatever you heard, I really didn’t mean it to be rude. I’m just struggling with the class and dealing with it in an even worse manner. But since you’re my TA, you can help me, right?” Jisung adds that last part alongside some serious puppy-dog eyes as a last-ditch attempt to make Minho believe that Jisung really is just in awe of him and not a jerk.

“Yeah, fat chance after that display. You have a far better chance of getting help from Lixie over here, it’s not like he doesn’t know the same things I do.” So that didn’t work.

“There’s really no need to get snappy Minho, I swear he didn’t mean it like that.” Felix decides to add in at that moment, and thank god Jisung has someone to come to his aid like this,” He really is just curious, he missed class last Wednesday anyways.”

“Yeah, whatever, just don’t let me catch you talking like that again. I’m not a bitch but I will take it up with the professor if you want to choose to act like a child in a college course.” Minho finishes with that, brushing past Jisung before he can even utter another apology.

The rest of class continues somewhat normally, Jisung keeps his head down and mouth shut to avoid inadvertently offending another classmate or worse, his professor. Minho seems to preen even more given that the professor is making it more and more aware that he is the TA, and incredibly talented at that. She couldn’t have done that an hour ago before Jisung was given the perfect opportunity to humiliate himself? This class keeps getting worse.

At long last, class is released, and Jisung is free to hide in his dorm for the rest of eternity out of shame. He almost makes it out of the dance building unscathed, but not before he runs into Felix waiting for a more advanced dance class after the one he shares with Jisung, who offers apologies on behalf of Minho as well as a chance for him to help Jisung better understand the class and his phone number.

Jisung really doesn’t have it in his heart to tell Felix he’s seriously considering dropping this class over how horrifically he’s embarrassed himself. He also doesn’t have it in himself to drop the class when he checks the app on his phone as he begins his walk, so he might as well accept the help where he can. He texts Felix, asking if they can meet outside of class, and heads off towards his dorm.

——————------------------------

Jisung left class that morning more confused than he’d ever been in his entire life. He likes to think of himself as a people person, even though he is one of those people who spends his solo walks and that awkward period of laying down before you fall asleep thinking of every conversation that’s ever gone wrong in his entire life. Honestly, this truly is one for the books, how was he supposed to know Mr. Twinkle Toes was his TA, and how the fuck was he supposed to know that Felix wasn’t playing about him actually giving a fuck about dance. Now Jisung gets it, he’s an artist too, it sucks to have your work devalued or seen as lesser, especially as a student. But it’s not like he even said anything rude to Minho, in fact, he was incredibly complimentary of him, so he really doesn’t understand what upset the other boy so much.

Jisung’s self-deprecating depression spiral over his stupid dance TA, who doesn’t even matter anyway like who even cares, comes to an end when he reaches his dorm and slams the front door a little harder than normal, startling his roommate. Kim Seungmin may be a little shit who makes (lovingly) snide comments towards Jisung whenever he finds the opportunity to do so, but there’s a reason Jisung chose to room with him again despite totally having a way out of doing so. Okay so he didn’t, but that doesn’t change the fact that he really does love Seungmin and appreciates his ability to stay put together when Jisung absolutely cannot.

“The fuck happened to you? I haven’t seen you this upset since spring registration.” Jisung hears Seungmin ask. Although he really isn’t in the mood to ‘talk this out’, he has to admit that Seungmin might have something interesting to provide.

“It’s just my TA for that stupid dance class, not like it’s important or anything.” Jisung responds, “He’s just so… infuriating.”

“Oh? How so?”

“We were going through class like what I assume is normal, and I went to say something about him to my friend in the class and I guess he overheard and flipped the fuck out over it.”

“Well, what did you say? If you’re talking shit about someone and they hear it’s not like they’re going to be particularly excited about that, you idiot.”

“No, I swear nothing like that! I was just upset that he was so talented and objectively attractive AND confident on top of all of that. I didn’t even know he was my TA for fucks sake” Jisung proceeds to flop across their shared couch for dramatic effect, surely Seungmin will take pity on him.

“Wait, what’s his name? I know a few dancers myself you know.” He did not, oh well. Curse Seungmin and his ability to be impartial about situations.

“I think he said it was like Lee Minho? Something like that, not much to go off, unfortunately.”

“Do you have a picture of him?”

“No what the fuck why do you need one?” Jisung feels weirdly called out by this as he does, in fact, have a photo of him. Sue him for being able to find the socials of the boy in question, not like it was that hard.

“I’ll tell you if you show me a picture of him”

“Fine.” Jisung relents, handing over his phone, opened to Minho’s Instagram account.

“Oh! I do know him, didn’t think this is who you’d be talking about though. You sure this is the right guy?”

“Absolutely. How the fuck do you know him, you literally study old books for fun and he’s a dancer”

“We grew up together dipshit, and don’t shit talk about my major. It's not like yours is anything useful either.”

He really got Jisung there. On the Minho thing, a music degree is perfectly useful, thank you very much. Unless he ever decides he wants to do something that isn’t specifically music production, but that’s a thought for another time. Back to the whole Minho Problem. That’s right, it’s become a Problem, with capitals and everything. Could Jisung tell you why he cares so much? Not at all, but that’s why he needs to get to the bottom of this.

“You know, I really didn’t expect that to be who you were talking about. As much as he was a pain in my ass growing up, being older and all that, he wasn’t outright rude” Seungmin adds, “I mean he’s kinda got the closest thing you can have to a reputation on a college campus, dude gets along with everyone.”

“You’re joking. Well clearly nobody’s taken a dance class with him before. Or even heard that he dances.”

“You do realize most of those people in your class are there for the sole purpose of taking class with him, right? The dance department shows are only as popular as they are because of him. I heard they even got more people auditioning this past week because he’s in the shows.”

Now that he mentions it, that does make a lot of sense. Jisung was wondering how it was possible for one person to attract that much attention, but if they already knew who Minho was, of course, they would be looking for him. It also makes sense as to why he might not remember Felix from the first day of classes as it sounds like auditions for the dance department’s production were why Minho couldn’t make class. Seungmin’s next statement snaps him out of his train of thought.

“You know I feel like I should be a bit more hung up on the fact that you’ve been calling my childhood friend ‘objectively attractive’ whatever the fuck that means, but I really can’t bring myself to sit with that right now.” Leave it to Seungmin to find something even less helpful to interject with.

Jisung really needs to reconsider who he seeks advice from, maybe he should talk to Felix more. He really should’ve lied about what he said about Minho, but seriously how was he supposed to know Seungmin was all buddy-buddy with him?

“Whatever man, I’m going to bed. I’ll just like avoid him for the rest of the semester or something, doesn’t affect me.” Jisung says to Seungmin, hoping it’s enough to keep his roommate from prying. “Alright? I assumed you caring enough to rant to me about it meant you’d do something about it, but that’s not on me to inspire that in you.” he hears Seungmin snark in response. So what he knew Minho or something, people change from when they’re kids.

Despite going into that conversation seeking the truth, or at least validation that Minho is totally, ultimately in the wrong here, Jisung can’t feel anything but regret for how their conversation went down this morning. Now it’s not like all of a sudden Jisung thinks what he said was wrong, he just wishes he might’ve said something different so that he wasn’t the most hated classmate of his TA. He just wants a good grade in his dance class, that’s all.

As he tosses and turns in an attempt to get some sleep before his 8 am that night, he can’t help but wonder why he cares so much about what Minho thinks of him.

Just a bit later, while far along the way to the land of dreams, Jisung blinks awake with a genius idea. You see, late at night, right when you’re about to fall asleep is the greatest time to come up with a plan. Well, not quite a plan, just a name:

Seo Changbin.

[bluelavendre]

Title: "Surviving Together"

Fandom: BTS

Pairing BTS ot7 x Reader

Major Genre: Survival, Zombie apocalypse

Zombie Au inspired a bitby All of us are dead series

Chapter 2: "Shadows of Fear"

The gym storage room descends into chaos as the infected swarm toward you. Adrenaline floods your system as you grab a broken mop handle, swinging wildly to defend yourself.

"Stick together!" Jin shouts, using a baseball bat to push back an infected student.

Jungkook moves like a whirlwind, taking down anything in his path. “Don’t let them surround us!”

You’re cornered by one of the infected, its growls sending shivers down your spine. Before you can react, Taehyung appears, shoving it aside with a sharp kick.

"You okay?" he asks, his deep voice tinged with concern.

You nod, swallowing hard. “Thanks.”

The battle ends as quickly as it began. The room is littered with the motionless bodies of the infected. Everyone stands panting, their faces pale with exhaustion and fear.

"Is everyone okay?" RM asks, his voice steady despite the chaos.

A few nods and murmured affirmations follow. Jimin crouches beside you, his soft eyes scanning your face. "You’re hurt."

You glance at your arm, realizing a piece of glass from a broken window has nicked your skin. Blood trickles down, but the wound isn’t deep.

"It’s nothing," you say, trying to sound braver than you feel.

"It’s not nothing," Jimin insists, gently wrapping a torn piece of cloth around your arm. His touch is careful, almost too gentle.

"Thanks," you mutter, feeling a little self-conscious under his gaze.

Jin claps his hands to get everyone’s attention. "We need to regroup and figure out our next move. Let’s head to the locker room. It’s safer there."

The group barricades themselves inside the boys’ locker room. You all sit in a circle, the faint sound of growling echoing in the distance.

J-Hope hands you a bottle of water he scavenged earlier. "Here. You look like you need it more than me."

You smile weakly, grateful for his kindness. “Thanks, Hoseok.”

He grins despite the dire situation. “Wow, you remembered my name. I feel special.”

"You’re kind of hard to forget," you reply, and for a brief moment, his laugh lifts the tension in the room.

Jungkook sits beside you, inspecting a bruise on his forearm. "You handled yourself well back there," he says, glancing at you with a mix of admiration and curiosity.

"Not as well as you," you admit. "You’re like a one-man army."

He grins sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just didn’t want anyone to get hurt."

"Well, you saved me twice, so… thanks," you say, meeting his eyes.

Jungkook’s grin softens, and he nods. "Anytime."

As the group rests, Taehyung sits near the door, staring at the floor. Something about his quiet demeanor catches your attention, and you walk over.

"Are you okay?" you ask, sitting beside him.

He doesn’t look at you right away, his voice low when he finally speaks. "I keep thinking about my family. What if they’re…" He trails off, swallowing hard.

You place a hand on his shoulder, unsure of what else to do. "We’ll get through this," you say softly. "And when we do, we’ll find them. Together."

Taehyung turns to you, his usual playful expression replaced by raw vulnerability. "You think so?"

"I know so," you say firmly, offering him a small smile.

For a moment, his lips quirk up in a faint smile. "Thanks… for saying that."

The tension eases slightly as the boys start talking about random things to distract themselves. Jin recounts a funny incident during gym class, earning a few chuckles.

"Remember when you tripped over your shoelaces during the relay race?" Suga teases, his tone light for once.

Jin groans. "Why do you always have to bring that up?"

"Because it’s the only time you’ve ever messed up," Suga replies with a smirk.

You laugh softly, feeling a sense of normalcy return, even if just for a moment.

"You have a nice laugh," Jimin says suddenly, catching you off guard.

Your cheeks heat up as everyone looks at you. "Uh, thanks."

Jimin smiles warmly, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "It’s good to hear it, especially now."

Later, as everyone settles in to rest, you find yourself sitting beside RM, who is still studying the notebook from the science lab.

"Find anything useful?" you ask, breaking the silence.

"Not really," he admits, running a hand through his hair. "But I’m starting to piece things together. This virus… it wasn’t an accident."

"Do you think we’ll find a cure?"

RM looks at you, his expression unreadable. "I don’t know. But we have to try."

The weight of his words lingers, and you can’t help but feel the gravity of the situation.

"You’re smart," you say, surprising yourself. "If anyone can figure it out, it’s you."

A small smile tugs at his lips. "Thanks. That means a lot."

You can’t sleep. The growls outside and the memories of the infected are too vivid. You step away from the group, sitting by the window to clear your head.

"Can’t sleep either?" Suga’s voice startles you.

You glance at him as he sits beside you. "Yeah. Too much on my mind."

He nods, his gaze distant. "Me too. This whole thing… it’s messed up."

You hesitate before asking, "Do you think we’ll make it?"

Suga looks at you, his eyes serious. "I don’t know. But if we don’t try, we won’t. And… I think you’re stronger than you realize."

His words catch you off guard, but they settle something inside you. "Thanks, Yoongi."

He smirks faintly. "Don’t mention it."

Morning comes too soon. Everyone is exhausted, but you all prepare to move again.

Jin checks the barricade while Jungkook scouts through the small window. "The courtyard looks clearer today," Jungkook reports.

"Then we should move now," RM says.

Just as you’re about to leave, a loud banging echoes from the gym doors. Everyone freezes.

"That’s not infected," Taehyung whispers. "That’s a person."

"Or someone trying to lure us out," Suga mutters.

Jin grips his bat tightly. "We don’t open it until we know for sure."

The banging grows more frantic, accompanied by muffled screams. "Please! Help me!"

You exchange a look with the others, your heart pounding.

"Do we open it?" Jimin asks, his voice trembling.

The door rattles, and then the screams abruptly stop.

To be continued…

[sainz100]

Max at the 2024 Token2049 event on Wednesday ahead of the Singapore GP

[strawberrycamel]

ninjago seabound hurts. so much. what the fuck

[livvyofthelake]

the people like. oh joe jonas is bad now because of the stuff with his ex wife oh nick jonas is bad now because he supported elon musk i guess kevin is the good one left! girl. they are brothers who still hang out together as adults like best friends… kevin is not going to save you,….. you have a lack of information about kevin that’s making you believe he’s The Good One when in actuality we should have all turned our backs on all of them when joe broke up with taylor swift over a 27 second phone call. she told us in 2008 literally why can’t we ever believe women…..

[loverboybrightsideghost]

i should finish that drawing i made in high school of the homos from milo murphy's law

[landgraabbed]

sometimes you gotta take in the lil details

[invinciblerodent]

..... he's saying "sneep", right? I'm not hearing it wrong, he's definitely saying "sneep"???????

[claire-starsword]

truly there's a xkcd for everything

i thought my laptop was on its last leg because it was running at six billion degrees and using 100% disk space at all times and then i turned off shadows and some other windows effects and it was immediately cured. i just did the same to my roommate's computer and its performance issues were also immediately cured. okay. i guess.

so i guess if you have creaky freezy windows 10/11 try searching "advanced system settings", go to performance settings, and uncheck "show shadows under windows" and anything else you don't want. hope that helps someone else.

[kwonhochi]

raises my tiny paw. hi.

did some traveling i even went outside and touched grass 🥹🫶

[goldentigerfestival]

god i just. the sheer fucking hurt in his voice. feeling so used. so untrusted. had a bounty on his head that wasn't even his fault and he still won't be told him the truth and estelle, too, still hides things from him after he helped her and they'd been traveling together. not only that, but the empire is too busy having its own internal issues to pay attention to its own suffering people.

i hate seeing him so upset, that's my baby boy.

more feelings in the tags