#School Uniforms in Los Angeles

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Predicting the present

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/12/09/radicalized/#deny-defend-depose

Back in 2018, around the time I emailed my immigration lawyer about applying for US citizenship, I started work on a short story called "Radicalized," which eventually became the title story of a collection that came out in 2019:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250228598/radicalized/

"Radicalized" is a story about America, and about guns, and about health care, and about violence. I live in Burbank, which is ranks second in gun-stores-per-capita in the USA, a dubious honor that represents a kind of regulatory arbitrage with our neighboring goliath, the City of Los Angeles, where gun store licensing is extremely tight. If you're an Angeleno in search of a firearm, you're almost certainly coming to Burbank to buy it.

Walking, cycling and driving past more gun stores than I'd ever seen in my Canadian life got me thinking about Americans and guns, a subject that many Canadians have passed comment upon. Americans kill each other, and especially themselves, at rates that baffle everyone else in the world, and they do it with guns. When we moved here, my UK born-and-raised daughter came home from her first elementary school lockdown drill perplexed and worried. Knowing what I did about US gun violence, I understood that while school shootings and other spree killings happened with dismal and terrifying regularity, they only accounted for a small percentage of the gun deaths here. If you die with a bullet in you, the chances are that the finger on the trigger was your own. The next most likely suspect is someone you know. After that, a cop. Getting shot by a stranger out of uniform is something of a rarity here – albeit a spectacular one that captures our imaginations in ways that deliberate or accidental self-slayings and related-party shootings do not.

So I told her, "Look, you can basically ignore everything they tell you during those lockdown drills, because they almost certainly have nothing to do with your future. But if a friend ever says to you, 'Hey, wanna see my dad's gun?' I want you to turn around and leave and get in touch with me right away, that instant."

Guns turn the murderous impulse – which, let's be honest, we've all felt at some time or another – into a murderous act. Same goes for suicide, which explains the high levels of non-accidental self-shootings in the USA: when you've got a gun, the distance between suicidal ideation and your death is the ten feet from the sofa to the gun in the closet.

Americans get angry at people and then, if they have a gun to hand, sometimes they shoot them. In a thread /r/Burbank about how people at our local cinemas are rude and use their phones in which someone posted, "Well, you should just ask them to stop." The reply: "That's a great way to get shot." No one chimed in to say, "Don't be ridiculous, no one would shoot you for asking them to put away their phone during a movie." Same goes for "road rage."

And while Americans shoot people they've only just gotten angry at, they also sometimes plan shooting sprees and kill a bunch of people because they're just generically angry. Being angry about the state of the world is a completely relatable emotion, of course, but the targets of these shootings are arbitrary. Sure sometimes these killings have clear, bigoted targets – mass shootings at Black supermarkets or mosques or synagogues or gay bars – more often the people who get sprayed with bullets (at country and western concerts or elementary schools or movie theaters) are almost certainly not the people the gunman (almost always a man) is angry at.

This line of thought kept surfacing as I went through the immigration process, but not just when I was dealing with immigration paperwork. I was also spending an incredible amount of time dealing with our health insurer, Cigna, who kept refusing treatments my pain doctor – one of the most-cited pain researchers in the country – thought I would benefit from. I've had chronic pain since I was a teenager, and it's only ever gotten worse. I've had decades of pain care in Canada and the UK, and while the treatments never worked for very long, it was never compounded by the kinds of bureaucratic stuff I went through with my US insurer.

The multi-hour phone calls with Cigna that went nowhere would often have me seeing red – literally, a red tinge closing in around my vision – and usually my hands would be shaking by the time I got off the call.

And I had it easy! I wasn't terminally ill, and I certainly wasn't calling in on behalf of a child or a spouse or parent who was seriously ill or dying, whose care was being denied by their insurer. Bernie's 2016 Medicare For All campaign promise had filled the air with statistics (Americans pay more for care and get worse outcomes than anyone else in the rich world), and stories. So many stories – stories that just tore your heart out, about parents who literally had to watch their children die because the insurance they paid for refused to treat their kids. As a dad, I literally couldn't imagine how I'd cope in that situation. Just thinking about it filled me with rage.

One day, as I was swimming in the community pool across the street – a critical part of my pain management strategy – I was struck with a thought: "Why don't these people murder health insurance executives?" Not that I wanted them to. I don't want anyone to kill anyone. But why do American men who murder their wives and the people who cut them off in traffic and random classrooms full of children leave the health insurance industry alone? This is an industry that is practically designed to fill the people who interact with it with uncontrollable rage. I mean, if you're watching your wife or your kid die before your eyes because some millionaire CEO decided to aim for a $10 billion stock buyback this year instead of his customary $9 billion target, wouldn't you feel that kind of murderous rage?

Around this time, my parents came out for a visit from Canada. It was a great trip, until one night, my mom woke me up after midnight: "We have to take your father to the ER. He's really sick." He was: shaking, nauseated, feverish. We raced down the street to the local hospital, part of a gigantic chain that has swallowed nearly all the doctors' practices, labs and hospitals within an hour's drive of here.

Dad had kidney stones, and they'd gone septic. When the ER docs removed the stones, all the septic gunk in his kidneys was flushed into his bloodstream, and he crashed. If he hadn't been in an ER recovery room at the time, he would have died. As it was, he was in a coma for three days and it was touch and go. My brother flew down from Toronto, not sure if this was his last chance to see our dad alive. The nurses and doctors took great care of my dad, though, and three days later, he emerged from his coma, and today, he's better than ever.

But on day two, when we thought he was probably at the end of his life, as my mother sat at his side, holding the hand of her husband of fifty years, someone from the hospital billing department came to her side and said, "Mrs Doctorow, I know this is a difficult time, but I'd like to discuss the matter of your husband's bill with you."

The bill was $176,000. Thankfully, the travel medical insurance plan offered by the Ontario Teachers' Union pension covered it all (I don't suppose anyone gets very angry with them).

How do people tolerate this? Again, not in the sense of "people should commit violent acts in the face of these provocations," but rather, "How is it that in a country filled with both assault rifles and unimaginable acts of murderous cruelty committed by fantastically wealthy corporations, people don't leap from their murderous impulses to their murderous weapons to commit murderous acts?

For me, writing fiction is an accretive process. I can tell that a story is brewing when thoughts start rattling around in my mind, resurfacing at odd times. I think of them as stray atoms, seeking molecules with available docking sites to glom onto. I process all my emotions – but especially my negative ones – through this process, by writing stories and novels. I could tell that something was cooking, but it was missing an ingredient.

Then I found it: an interview with the woman who coined the term "incel." It was on the Reply All podcast, and Alana, a queer Canadian woman explained that she had struggled all her life to find romantic and sexual partnership, and jokingly started referring to herself as "involuntarily celibate," and then, as an "incel":

https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/76h59o

Alana started a message board where other "incels" could offer each other support, and it was remarkably successful. The incels on Alana's message board helped each other work through the problems that stood between them and love, and when they did, they drifted away from the board to pursue a happier life.

That was the problem, Alana explained. If you're in a support group for people with a drinking problem, the group elders, the ones who've been around forever, are the people who've figured it out and gotten sober. When life seems impossible, those elders step in to tell you, I know it's terrible right now, but it'll get better. I was where you are and I got through it. You will, too. I'm here for you. We all are.

But on Alana's incel board, the old timers were the people who couldn't figure it out. They were the ones for whom mutual support and advice didn't help them figure out what they needed to do in order to find the love they sought. The longer the message board ran, the more it became dominated by people who were convinced that it was hopeless, that love was impossible for the likes of them. When newbies posted in rage and despair, these Great Old Ones were there to feed it: You're right. It will never get better. It only gets worse. There is no hope.

That was the missing piece. My short story Radicalized was born. It's a story about men on a message board called Fuck Cancer Right In the Fucking Face (FCKRFF, or "Fuckriff"), who are watching the people they love the most in the world be murdered by their insurance companies, who egg each other on to spectacular acts of mass violence against health insurance company employees, hospital billing offices, and other targets of their rage. As of today, anyone can read this story for free, courtesy of my publishers at Macmillan, who gave permission for the good folks at The American Prospect to post it:

https://prospect.org/culture/books/2024-12-09-radicalized-cory-doctorow-story-health-care/

I often hear from people about this story, even before an unknown (at the time of writing) man assassinated Brian Thompson, CEO of Unitedhealthcare, the murderous health insurance monopoly that is the largest medical insurer in the USA. Since then, hundreds of people have gotten in touch with me to ask me how I feel about this turn of events, how it feels to have "predicted" this.

I've been thinking about it for a few days now, and I gotta tell you, I have complicated feelings.

You've doubtless seen the outpourings of sarcastic graveyard humor about Thompson's murder. People hate Unitedhealthcare, for good reason, because he personally decided – or approved – countless policies that killed people by cheating them until they died.

Nurses and doctors hate Thompson and United. United kills people, for money. During the most acute phase of the pandemic, the company charged the US government $11,000 for each $8 covid test:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/06/137300-pct-markup/#137300-pct-markup

UHC leads the nation in claims denials, with a denial rate of 32% (!!). If you want to understand how the US can spend 20% of its GDP and get the worst health outcomes in the world, just connect the dots between those two facts: the largest health insurer in human history charges the government a 183,300% markup on covid tests and also denies a third of its claims.

UHC is a vertically integrated, murdering health profiteer. They bought Optum, the largest pharmacy benefit manager ("A spreadsheet with political power" -Matt Stoller) in the country. Then they starved Optum of IT investment in order to give more money to their shareholders. Then Optum was hacked by ransomware gang and no one could get their prescriptions for weeks. This killed people:

https://www.economicliberties.us/press-release/malicious-threat-actor-accesses-unitedhealth-groups-monopolistic-data-exchange-harming-patients-and-pharmacists/#

The irony is, Optum is terrible even when it's not hacked. The purpose of Optum is to make you pay more for pharmaceuticals. If that's more than you can afford, you die. Optum – that is, UHC – kills people:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/09/23/shield-of-boringness/#some-men-rob-you-with-a-fountain-pen

Optum isn't the only murderous UHC division. Take Navihealth, an algorithm that United uses to kick people out of their hospital beds even if they're so frail, sick or injured they can't stand or walk. Doctors and nurses routinely watch their gravely ill patients get thrown out of their hospitals. Many die. UHC kills them, for money:

https://prospect.org/health/2024-08-16-steward-bankruptcy-physicians-private-equity/

The patients murdered by Navihealth are on Medicare Advantage. Medicare is the public health care system the USA extends to old people. Medicare Advantage is a privatized system you can swap your Medicare coverage for, and UHC leads the country in Medicare Advantage, blitzing seniors with deceptive ads that trick them into signing up for UHC Medicare Advantage. Seniors who do this lose access to their doctors and specialists, have to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for their medication, and get hit with $400 surprise bills to use the "free" ambulance service:

https://prospect.org/health/2024-12-05-manhattan-medicare-murder-mystery/

No wonder the public spends 22% more subsidizing Medicare Advantage than they spend on the care for seniors who stick with actual Medicare:

https://theconversation.com/taxpayers-spend-22-more-per-patient-to-support-medicare-advantage-the-private-alternative-to-medicare-that-promised-to-cost-less-241997

It's not just the elderly, it's also the addicted and mentally ill. UHC illegally denies coverage for mental health and substance abuse treatment. Imagine watching a family member spiral out of control, ODing, or ending up on the streets with hallucinations, and knowing that the health insurance company that takes thousands of dollars out of your paycheck refused to treat them:

https://www.startribune.com/unitedhealthcare-will-pay-15-7m-in-settlement-of-denial-of-care-charges/600087607

Unsurprising, the internal culture at UHC is callous beyond belief. How could it not be? How could you go to work at UHC and know you were killing people and not dehumanize those victims? A lawsuit by chronically ill patient whom UHC had denied care for surfaced recorded phone calls in which UHC employees laughed long and hard about the denied claims, dismissing the patient's desperate, tearful pleas as "tantrums" :

https://www.propublica.org/article/unitedhealth-healthcare-insurance-denial-ulcerative-colitis

Those UHC workers are just trying to get by, of course, and the callouses they develop so they can bear to go to work were ripped off by last week's murder. UHC's executive team knows this, and has gone on a rampage to stop employees from leaking their own horror stories, or even mentioning that the internal company announcement of Thompson's death was seen by 16,000 employees, of whom only 28 left a comment:

https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/unitedhealthcare-tells-employees

Doctors and nurses hate UHC on behalf of their patients, but it's also personal. UHC screws doctor's practices by refusing to pay them, making them chase payments for months or even years, and then it offers them a payday lending service that helps them keep the lights on while they wait to get paid:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frr4wuvAB6U

Is it any surprise that Reddit's nursing forums are full of nurses making grim, satisfied jokes about the assassination of the $10m/year CEO who ran the $400b/year corporation that does all this?

https://www.thedailybeast.com/leading-medical-subreddit-deletes-thread-on-unitedhealthcare-ceos-murder-after-users-slam-his-record/

We're not supposed to experience – much less express – schadenfreude when someone is murdered in the street, no matter who they are. We're meant to express horror at the idea of political violence, even when that violence only claims a single life, a fraction of the body count UCH produced under Thompson's direction. As Malcolm Harris put it, "'Every life is precious' stuff about a healthcare CEO whose company is noted for denying coverage is pretty silly":

https://twitter.com/BigMeanInternet/status/1864471932386623753

As Woody Guthrie wrote, "Some will rob you with a six-gun/And some with a fountain pen." The weapon is lethal when it's a pistol and when it's an insurance company. The insurance company merely serves as an accountability sink, a layer of indirection that lets a murder happen without any person being the technical murderer:

https://profilebooks.com/work/the-unaccountability-machine/

I don't want people to kill insurance executives, and I don't want insurance executives to kill people. But I am unsurprised that this happened. Indeed, I'm surprised that it took so long. It should not be controversial to note that if you run an institution that makes people furious, they will eventually become furious with you. This is the entire pitch of Thomas Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century: that wealth concentration leads to corruption, which is destabilizing, and in the long run it's cheaper to run a fair society than it is to pay for the guards you'll need to keep the guillotines off your lawn:

https://memex.craphound.com/2014/06/24/thomas-pikettys-capital-in-the-21st-century/

But we've spent the past 40 years running in the other direction, maximizing monopolies, inequality and corruption, and gaslighting the public when they insist that this is monstrous and unfair. Back in 2022, when UHC was buying Change Healthcare – the dominant payment network for hospitals, which would allow UHC to surveil all its competitors' payments – the DOJ sued to block the merger. The Trump-appointed judge in the case, Carl Nichols – who owned tens of thousands of dollars in UHC bonds – ruled against the DOJ, saying that it would all be fine thanks to United's "culture of trust and integrity":

https://www.thebignewsletter.com/p/the-antitrust-shooting-war-has-started

We don't know much about Thompson's killer yet, but he's already becoming a folk hero, with lookalike contests in NYC:

https://twitter.com/CollinRugg/status/1865472577478553976

And gigantic graffiti murals praising him and reproducing the words he wrote on the shell casings of the bullets he used to kill Thompson, "delay, deny, depose":

https://www.tumblr.com/radicalgraff/769193188403675136/killin-fuckin-ceos-freight-graff-in-the-bay

I get why this is distasteful. Thompson is said to have been a "family man" who loved his kids, and I have no reason to disbelieve this. I can only imagine that his wife and kids are shattered by this. Every living person is the apex of a massive project involving dozens, hundreds of people who personally worked to raise, nurture and love them. I wrote about this in my novel Walkaway, as the characters consider whether to execute a mercenary sent to kill them, whom they have taken hostage:

She had parents. People who loved her. Every human was a hyper-dense node of intense emotional and material investment. Speaking meant someone had spent thousands of hours cooing to you. Those lean muscles, the ringing tone of command — their inputs were from all over the world, carefully administered. The merc was more than a person: like a spaceship launch, her existence implied thousands of skilled people, generations of experts, wars, treaties, scholarship and supply-chain management. Every one of them was all that.

But so often, the formula for "folk hero" is "killing + time." The person who terrorizes the people who terrorize you is your hero, and eventually we sanitize the deaths, and just remember them as fighters for justice. If you doubt it, consider the legend of Robin Hood:

https://twitter.com/mcmansionhell/status/1865554985842352501

The health industry is trying to put a lid on this, palpably afraid that – as in my story "Radicalized" – this one murderer will become a folk hero who inspires others to acts of spectacular violence. They're insisting that it's unseemly to gloat about Thompson's death. They're right, but this is an obvious loser strategy. The health industry is full of people whose deaths would be deplorable, but not unsurprising. As Clarence Darrow had it:

I’ve never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.

Murder is never the answer. Murder is not a healthy response to corruption. But it is healthy for people to fear that if they kill people for greed, they will be unsafe. On December 5 – the day after Thompson's killing – the health insurer Anthem announced that it would not pay for anesthesia for medical procedures that ran long. The next day, they retracted the policy, citing "outrage":

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/05/health/anthem-blue-cross-blue-shield-anesthesia-claim-limits/index.html

Sure, maybe it was their fear of reputation damage that got them to decide to reverse this inhumane, disgusting, murderous policy. But maybe it was also someone in the C-suite thinking about what share of the profits from this policy would have to be spent on additional bodyguards for every Anthem exec if it went into effect, and decided that it was a money-loser after all.

Think about hospital exec Ralph de la Torre, who cheerfully testified to Congress that he'd killed patients in pursuit of profit. De la Torre clearly doesn't fear any kind of consequences for his actions. He owns hospitals that are filled with tens of thousands of bats (he stiffed the exterminators), where none of the elevators work (he stiffed the repair techs), where there's no medicine or blood (he stiffed the suppliers) and where the doctors and nurses can't make rent (he stiffed them too). De La Torre doesn't just own hospitals – he also owns a pair of superyachts:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/28/5000-bats/#charnel-house

It is a miracle that so many people have lost their mothers, sons, wives and husbands so Ralph de la Torre could buy himself another superyacht, and that those people live in a country where you can buy an assault rifle, and that Ralph de la Torre isn't forced to live in a bunker and travel in a tank.

It's a rather beautiful sort of miracle, to be honest. I like to think that it comes from a widespread belief by the people of this country I have since become a citizen of, that we should solve our problems politically, rather than with bullets.

But the assassination of Brian Thompson is a wake-up call, a warning that if we don't solve this problem politically, we may not have a choice about whether it's solved with violence. As a character in "Radicalized" says, "They say violence never solves anything, but to quote The Onion: that's only true so long as you ignore all of human history":

https://prospect.org/culture/books/2024-12-09-radicalized-cory-doctorow-story-health-care/

[gayeddieagenda]

eddie diaz is such a special kind of tragedy for real... picture this. you're fourteen. if you were gay, it would ruin your life. but you're not gay. you meet a girl you like. you make it thru high school. you're seventeen and the girl you like goes to prom with you. things are going great. you're 19 (20? older?) and she's pregnant. okay, that's fine. you can figure it out. you're getting married. you're leaving the country in a uniform. it's fine. if you'd been gay when you were fourteen, it would've ruined your life. that's still true. if your life isn't going so hot right now either, well, that's fine. it's no big deal. so you go to war. you have a kid. you call your wife, sometimes. you come up with plans to deal with it all. you go back to the army. you get shot; you go home. your wife leaves. the plans are not going how you expected. that's okay too; you can make new plans. your life isn't ruined, not yet. you go to los angeles; you find a family bigger than just you and your kid. you start over, not once but again and again. the old traumas play again: shannon leaves. you get shot. your son is here; your son is gone. when you were fourteen, it would've ruined your life. you like your life. it's come close to being ruined a few times now, but you've made it through. you're happy. right? you have everything you need.

picture this: you're fourteen. your life would be ruined if you were gay. you've never been so sure of anything in your life. how much of your life has been built because of the things you were sure of when you were fourteen? you're not fourteen anymore. the things you were scared of back then, you keep looking for them and you aren't finding them. what are you still scared of? you're not fourteen, eddie. what are you scared of?

[palimpsessed]

Last week, I took a brief jaunt down to Los Angeles and got to meet up with several fandom friends at the Slow Dance book signing. I also got to meet @rainbowrowell and give her this in person. While dressed in full Watford school uniform. (And yes, of course I wore the boater.)

I’ve had this photo of Wham! saved to my album of Baz references for years. It always gave me Snowbaz vibes because of the clothing and facial expressions. With Rainbow herself “a fiend for Wham!”, and my weird not-quite-project turning musical acts into the gang, I couldn’t resist the chance to give the photo the Snowbaz treatment. I also carried over some of the other artistic aspects of the album cover the photo appeared on (inexplicably flipped around).

Originals, zoom-ins, and my initial sketch.

[suhkusa]

EGOIST SIDE STORY. — FOREVER

PAIRING. Sakusa Kiyoomi x f!Reader

CW. fast paced, fluff with slightest of angst

A/N. alt ending for sakusa lovers (me)

-> MAIN SERIES.

Sakusa doesn’t know if you remember him. If anything, he would be more surprised if you did remember him. It was just one interaction during your high school years after all. 

YEARS AGO. SPRING NATIONALS.

“Are you alright?” 

You look up from your seat. You had come to this stupid national volleyball tournament because your friend made you, but she’s off somewhere flirting with a man from another team. You had dozed off and you didn’t even realize Inarizaki was playing their last set of the match. 

Now there was this strange man in a volleyball uniform and a mask in front of you. Oh, he said something to you didn’t he?

“Oh, yeah,” you feel self-conscious under his gaze.

He looks away for a second before looking back at you. 

“Are you from Inarizaki?” 

You nod at his question. You can feel the awkwardness oozing from your presence. You feel sorry you don’t contribute much to the conversation.

“Well if you get bored, Itachiyama’s match starts on court C in like 30 minutes,” he nods his head at you before striding off.

There was something laced in his stern voice that you couldn’t quite put a finger on. Pity? Care? You didn’t really know. 

Ah. You should’ve asked for his name.

AT MSBY.

It couldn’t be. You couldn’t be. Fate was weird. You’re the girl from the Spring Tournament weren’t you?

“Y/N,” you extend your arm towards him, “Nice to meet you… Sakusa? Right?”

“Yeah, Sakusa,” he takes your hand and gives it a small shake before letting go.

He couldn’t help but watch you as you introduce yourself to every member individually. Couldn’t help how he noticed you tense and hesitated as you got to Atsumu. He tried not to think about it too much.

-

When you got too drunk and that whole thing with the guy happened at the bar, Sakusa only did what was right. Take care of you and help you.

But you looked ethereal. Honestly. Part of him feels wrong saying that. Even as you lay peacefully sleeping in his own apartment. 

He didn’t want to let himself fall for you. It felt unprofessional, and Sakusa was anything but. But he couldn’t help it.

And so any chance he’d get, he would try to slip himself into your life, little by little. Maybe you’d notice. Or if you didn’t, at least he would still get to spend time with you.

Imagine how excited he was when he found out you played the exact same games as him! 

But then you started to turn a foot towards Atsumu. Even after that fiasco of a yelling-match the two of you had? It stung a bit. He was definitely hurt. So Sakusa decided to distance himself. That was the only thing that he felt like he could do. But if you ever changed your mind, he’d be here. As a friend or whatever you wanted him to be.

Then the two of you took the fall of Atsumu’s actions together. At first he didn’t know that Atsumu was behind all of it, not until you joined a video call and ranted to him about it. He honestly just cared about you and your well-being. 

He was selfish. He was ugly and selfish because he was glad that Atsumu was finally out of your life and the two of you could go back to the way things used to be. 

“Atsumu- I mean Miya came to my house last night,” you say, your voice static-y through the phone.

His heart dropped. What happened? Did he apologize? Did you forgive him?

“Oh,” is all he can manage. 

“What? Oh?” you laugh, “Don’t worry, he just apologized and… And maybe I got emotional but nothing happened, I promise,” he can feel himself sigh in relief at the last bit of your sentence.

NOW BOARDING TO LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. 

“Is that you?” Sakusa asks.

He can hear you struggle a bit, probably grabbing your bags. “Mm, yep,” there’s moving noises.

“Well, you have a safe flight, Y/N. Make sure you text me when you get to your room, okay?” Sakusa is sad. He hopes the two of you can stay in contact. 

“I’ll miss you, Omi,” you say, and he knows you know he hates that nickname. But if it’s you, he’ll let it slide.

“What? Don’t get all sappy on me now,” he says, “I’m going to miss you a lot more, Y/N,”

Sakusa swears he hears you sniffle a bit. 

“A-Alright, I’ll see you soon, Kiyoomi,” you say one last time.

“I’ll see you soon, Y/N,” he mutters, the line going dead soon after.

Fuck.

———

It’s scary how someone across the world can make you feel so loved. It’s been 2 years since you’ve left Japan. And every day since then, you and Kiyoomi have talked. Texted, called, video chatted, anything and everything.

You’d be lying if you said you weren’t developing a tiny bit of feelings for him. But you couldn’t tell if he felt the same. Tones and emotions are so hard to read through a screen. For all you know, he could be acting as a friend and you’re just reading too much into it.

“I am coming to Japan,” you state, you can hear him shuffling on the other side of the call.

“Mm, hm? What?” he sounds a bit shocked, “for what?”

“The season just ended here, and I don’t really have anything to do. I’ve been homesick for the past 2 years, and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon. Oh, I’d be there for just a week, though,”

“Ah, I see. Do you already have a place to stay? I can lend you the guest room?”

You think it over, but you don’t think you should consider the feelings you’ve been feeling towards him recently.

“We’ll see, thank you Kiyoomi,”

“Of course. When is your flight back?” 

“Next week,”

———

Next week became this week. Then this week became today. 

Apparently everyone wanted to come visit Japan because all hotels and motels were booked fully. That’s how you found yourself a taxi ride later in Sakusa Kiyoomi’s guest bedroom.

You had decided to keep your return under the wraps, not wanting any attention or big reactions, or… other people to catch wind. 

It was in the very beginning of your stay back home in Japan that Sakusa Kiyoomi proclaimed his love for you.

“I think I love you. Or well, I do love you, sorry,” he looks like he’s ashamed as the two of you sit in front of his fireplace. 

At first you just stare at him as if you two were sharing a normal conversation. But then the cogs in your brain began to turn. 

“Y-You don’t have to say anything,” he’s freaking out behind those still eyes of his. You can see it, “I’m sorry, let’s just.. let’s just forget about it,

“I love you, too,”

His head snaps towards you, “What?”

You feel tense under his gaze, unsure as to what your next move should be. 

“I- Sorry,” you scoot back, “I really do love you… You’ve been there for me for so long, even when that whole thing with him happened… I’m sorry it feels like it took me so long,”

His warm hand meets under your chin.

“Only forever, idiot,” he smiles at you. “I feel like I’ve known since the day you walked in,”

There’s tears in your eyes because you believe him. He really had been there since the very beginning. 

“Don’t cry,”

“B-But I have to leave in a week and-”

“Then that gives us a whole week to be with one another… if that’s what you want,”

A tear drips down your cheek. “Then we’d have to do long distance and I don’t want you to wait,” you look into his eyes with your glossy ones.

“I’d wait eternity for you, Y/N,” is all he says before dipping his head down to yours and welcoming your lips into his. 

You basically cry into the kiss, until the kiss gets sloppy and you’re coming onto him.

And maybe you gave all of yourself to him that night. And maybe every night after that.

The goodbye is bittersweet. You know the two of you will meet again, but are unsure when. Being deduced to only being able to communicate through your telephone is hard. Especially after all of your feelings were finally let out of the bag. The two of you know your love will keep you guys intertwined until you guys see each other again. 

When that is, is the only thing that’s uncertain.

PRESENT.

“Do you still like me?

“I think you know the answer to that, Y/N,” he says sadly, “all too well,”

A sigh escapes your lips.

“You know you shouldn’t, Atsumu,” you say, and it tears his heart apart. He thought this night

would’ve ended differently if he answered that way.

“Y/N, can’t we try again?” he pleads. Atsumu knows he’s beginning to sound desperate, but he can’t lose his grasp on you, not when he just found you again.

“Atsumu… I’m dating Kiyoomi,” 

You can visibly see his heart sink. It looks like he’s trying to find something to say, but all that comes out is silence.

You’re not sure what to do or say, letting the cool air blow against you. The awkward silence is broken when the doors behind you open.

“Y/N?”

“Ah, Omi,” you turn to face him.

“The guys wanted to take shots, did you want to join?” 

“Sure” you walked towards him before giving Atsumu one last glance back. “Did you want to join us—”

“Yeah- yeah, I’ll be there in a second,” the blonde mumbles.

You nod towards him before you latch onto Sakusa, he welcomes you into a tight hug.

“What were you guys talking about?” he queries.

“Oh, nothing, just… him stuff,” you offer a fake laugh.

“We can talk about it later if you need?”

“Yeah, that’s fine, let’s just get that shot, you deserve it after that win,” you wink at him.

As you walk off before him, Sakusa Kiyoomi gets hit with a wave of realization of how lucky he is to be with you. There’s so many ways this could have turned out, yet you chose him.

He can’t wait for you to come back to Japan, the two of you have been discussing you moving in with him and so much more.

He’s not telling you just yet, but he’s even planning a little trip for your guys’ anniversary. 

Sakusa is going to do everything in his power to make you happy. He’s waited all this time and he’s finally gotten the chance to make you happy.

To love you.

END. 

© all writings belongs to suhkusa 2024. do not repost or change.

[anime-fan-05]

Ciao

Ti faccio la richiesta in italiano xké sono più comoda, ma tu fai pure il post in inglese

Puoi fare uno scenario con la reazione degli alzatori (Kageyama, Suga, Oikawa, Kenma e Akaashi) quando la loro ragazza indossa la sua maglia (quella della sua squadra)? Il motivo lo puoi scegliere tu

Grazie

Haikyuu!! ~Is that my jersey?~

Manga/anime: Haikyuu!!

Warnings: spoilers from chapter 328 to chapter 337 in Akaashi's part and of Oikawa and Kenma's future

(Y/N): your name

Kageyama is coming back from training in pieces, dragging his feet as he walks, his eyes struggling to stay open and the shoulder on which he rests his bag getting heavier with each step, and still scolding Hinata in his mind for forcing him to toss for him until nine in the evening.

As soon as he enters his house, ready to receive a good scolding from his sister, the boy remembers a small detail: his girlfriend (Y/N). Due to the imminent arrival of exams, and since he isn't particularly good at studying, they had arranged to meet in his room to prepare together for them. It's a shame their meeting's time has already been exceeded a long time ago.

Ignoring his furious sister, Kageyama rushes into his room, and he would fall to the floor like his bag, which he dropped as soon as he entered the house, if he didn't hold on to the door frame, because what he sees almost causes him to collapse to the ground: his girlfriend is lying on his bed, hugging his pillow and wearing his team jersey, while dozing.

The boy's face becomes the equivalent of a tomato and his body begins to tremble slightly, while he can't stop looking at the number nine on the girl's chest, which rises and falls regularly.

Walking quickly, Kageyama approaches (Y/N), fearing she's an illusion and she might disappear; he then stops to take the pillow from her arms and replace it with himself, never taking his eyes off her. His mind is in total confusion and, if Hinata saw him in that state, he would probably make fun of him, because he's red, sweaty, shaking and agitated.

The final blow comes when the girl holds him close and rests her head on his chest, rubbing against it like a cat, and the boy almost forgets how to breathe, paralyzing himself like a wooden board. His mind is about to short circuit and only three concepts repeat in it: (Y/N), my jersey and pretty.

It goes without saying, but he won't sleep at all that night: all he'll have on his mind will be how extremely adorable (Y/N) looks in his jersey.

It isn't even eight in the morning and (Y/N)'s day is already horrible: not only she woke up late because her alarm didn't go off and missed the bus she always takes with her boyfriend Sugawara, but she also spilled her juice on her school uniform, which is now all sticky.

For these reasons, the girl is in the locker room of the volleyball team: her boyfriend, who had been waiting for her in front of the school and found her in that state, has proposed to lend her his team jersey while he goes to look for Kiyoko to ask her if she has an extra uniform, so that (Y/N) doesn't remain wet and sticky.

"(Y/N) -After about ten minutes, the boy comes back into the room holding a clean uniform- Shimizu didn't have a uniform, but Yachi did. I hope it fits yo-"

He can't even finish the sentence, and he freezes: I'm seeing an angel, he thinks. That angel is a very embarrassed (Y/N), who tries to pull down her boyfriend's jersey, which reaches just below her thighs, as much as possible.

Sugawara's face turns all red and his eyes can't leave her, while he swallows the saliva which has accumulated in his mouth.

"Are you okay, Koushi?" The girl's words seem to awaken the boy from the trance he was in, so much so he almost drops Yachi's clothes.

"Y-yeah… yeah… You're just… so pretty…" The more he talks, the softer his voice becomes, until it's just a whisper, and his blush pushes Sugawara to cover his face with his hand.

"Awwwww, thanks, Koushi!" (Y/N) runs to hug him, burying her face in his chest, while he does the same but in her neck, trying not to think anymore about his girlfriend's body dressed only in his jersey against his.

After a grueling afternoon of training with his team, Oikawa can finally go home to his girlfriend (Y/N).

"Tadaima (I'm home)!" He exclaims, entering the house, happy and ready for a cuddle session with his girlfriend.

"Okaeri (Welcome back)." The man hears her voice from the kitchen, and so he goes to her.

"Awwwww, did you miss me that much, cutie?" Oikawa coos at the beauty of (Y/N), whose back is turned while she's cooking, and who is wearing his old jersey of Aoba Johsai.

In fact, while sorting out their old things that day, the woman found her boyfriend's jersey neatly folded along with the other high school items, so she decided to wear it to surprise him, and then she went to cook.

"How am I?" (Y/N) does a pirouette, showing her face to Oikawa, who doesn't even answer: he only takes a photo of her.

"Tooru! Did you just take a picture of me?!"

"You're too cute like this. I'm sending it to Iwa-chan!"

"Noooo!" The woman tries to take the phone from the man, but she finds herself with her head against his chest and then picked up and thrown on their sofa hugging him.

"Tooru, let me go!" Oikawa refuses, holding (Y/N) tighter to him.

"No! I worked so hard today, and then I found you dressed like this, so I deserve my cuddles -His voice then becomes lower- and next time, if you don't want an even greater reaction, let me know you'll wear my jersey again." Indeed, the man didn't show it much, but he internally screamed as soon as he saw the woman dressed like that, and he really wanted to be welcomed by her like that every day of his life.

In fact, while holding his girlfriend, Oikawa thinks only about one thing: perhaps it's time to contact the jewelry; Oikawa (Y/N) doesn't sound that bad…

3.00am.

(Y/N) was alone in her and her boyfriend Kenma's bed. He was in his studio finishing a live, despite her numerous requests to sleep with her.

Time passes and passes, but the woman still can't fall asleep, both because she misses her boyfriend and because she sees too much light in the corridor due to his computer being turned on, so she decides to go to call him again.

"Kenma, can you come to bed with me? It's late and I can't sleep..."

"I'm almost done, I just have to get through a few levels and then defeat the final boss. You can come here near me, I'm not on video."

The woman approaches the man and sits next to him, resting her head on his shoulder and snuggling into his side, but without preventing him from being able to move.

After a few minutes, Kenma stops the game to look at her softly, but his gaze soon turns to total amazement: his eyes widen slightly, his body paralyzes for a few seconds and his heart seems to jump out of his chest because of how hard it's beating.

"Sorry guys, but it's time to end the live. I'll resume the game tomorrow."

(Y/N), who had been dozing off on his shoulder, immediately wakes up at those words, letting out a small scream when he picks her up like a bride and carries her to the bedroom.

Meanwhile, the man had only one image in his mind: his beautiful girlfriend dressed in his old team jersey, which is loose and allows him to see one of her shoulders, and cute socks with kittens, all sleepy while she pushes her face against the his chest.

"Kenma!" The woman exclaims, after Kenma drops her on their bed and then positions himself astride her, supporting himself on his arms to prevent all his weight from falling on her.

"You look cute… in my jersey…" He murmurs, looking away from her.

Fukurodani is losing the first set against Mujinazaka and Akaashi is on the bench, after losing his composure.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend was in the stands supporting him but, worried about him, she has headed to where he was. Quickly descending, she approaches him and finds him sitting with his head in his hands looking desperate.

"Keiji…" The boy looks up at his girlfriend, and he swears he almost faints: his girlfriend should be arrested for the crime of being too cute, since she's wearing his spare team jersey. The fabric runs down to her knees, covered by a black legging, and the number five is located just below her heart.

"W-what -Akaashi needs to take a few seconds to clear his throat- what are you wearing?"

"Your shirt… I put it on to support you… Bokuto-san said you would like it."

"Sorry… You came all this way, and we're losing because of me."

"Don't apologise. Keiji -(Y/N) murmurs, approaching him- I came because I wanted to give you all my support and I wore your jersey because, if someone had asked me who was my favorite player, I would have pointed to it and said you're my number one. So you don't need to worry, okay? Go and win!"

With that, the girl smiles sweetly, and a light dusting of red spreads across the boy's cheeks: she's too cute.

Screams mixed with happiness and disappointment spread throughout the gym, and Akaashi realizes what happened: Fukurodani lost the first set.

"Akaashi, do you feel up to it now?" The coach asks him, and he nods.

However, before taking the field, he mutters, without letting (Y/N) see his red face: "If we win, will you wear my jersey again?"

He'll definitely have to thank Bokuto after their victory.

💮 Rules 💮 Masterlist 💮

[fluentmoviequoter]

Friends From Here

Requested Here!

Pairing: (platonic) Tim Bradford x fem!MP!Chen!reader (r implied to be Lucy's twin)

Summary: When you return to the States, Tim Bradford confuses you for your sister Lucy. That night, you realize why he seemed so familiar and gain a new friend.

Warnings: platonic relationship but allusions to future romance, fluff!

Word Count: 1.7k+ words

A/N: While it is implied that r and Lucy are twins, this can be read as sisters, half-sisters, or an adopted sister that happens to look similar to Lucy! I tried to keep it somewhat inclusive so there are no physical descriptions for r other than Tim thinking r was Lucy from the back!

Masterlist | Tim Bradford Masterlist | Request Info/Fandom List

It has been far too long since you saw your sister Lucy. You joined the Army immediately out of high school and have worked through the ranks since then. Now, you’re an officer with the Military Police. Though you may never know, your determination and success are part of why Lucy became a cop.

Your phone rings as you wait for your plane back to the States. Lucy’s picture on your screen makes you smile, but you answer it quickly.

“Hi!” Lucy exclaims when the line connects. “Are you busy?”

You glance at the boarding screen above you and see you have fifteen minutes to spare.

“No, I’ve got time. What’s up?” you reply.

“I’ve got good news! I’m getting short sleeves!”

“Lucy, congratulations! I’m so proud of you.”

“Thank you! I wish you were here so we could celebrate together. Have you heard anything about when your next leave is?”

“I wish I was there too, but we’re so busy here that I haven’t even had time to ask.”

“Okay,” Lucy says. She’s trying to sound as excited as before but doesn’t quite manage it.

“I’m sorry, Lucy.”

“No, I understand. I just…”

“Miss me?” you tease. “Because I’m the best sister and friend you’ll ever have, and I’m just so amazing and smart that you-“

“Stop,” Lucy begs through her laughter. “I have to go before my TO yells at me, but I really miss you. Talk soon?”

“Super soon,” you promise. “I love you, Lucy, and congratulations again.”

“I love you too,” Lucy replies before the line ends.

The landing in Los Angeles is smooth, but you barely look around as you secure a car and head for the Mid-Wilshire police station. You changed out of your uniform at the airport, but you have to see Lucy before you can do anything else. The man at the front desk tells you to wait, and he’ll find your sister for you. With your back to the desk, you check your phone to get caught up on what you missed during the flight.

“Chen!” someone yells behind you. “Why aren’t you in uniform?”

“Excuse me?” you ask as you turn to face the officer. Your brows raise when you realize he’s attractive, but his attitude keeps you from enjoying it for long.

“Just because you graduated to short sleeves doesn’t mean you can come and go as you please, boot,” he adds.

You desperately want to laugh because you don’t think you and Lucy look that much alike, even though you’ve heard it all your lives. Rather than laugh, however, you decide to play along with Officer Bradford.

“It means something,” you argue.

“You’re on the clock, boot-“

“Bradford?” Lucy asks behind him. “Is everything okay?”

You press your lips together at the shock on his face. His brows furrow as he looks at you, and then he turns slowly. When he moves, Lucy sees you standing before him and nearly shoves him out of the way to hug you. You happily wrap your arms around her and say hello but level your gaze on Bradford, who you think owes your sister an apology.

“Sorry about that,” he mumbles. “So, you’re…”

“My sister,” Lucy answers.

“I’ll give you two a minute,” Tim says. “Sorry again.”

“You look so good in your short sleeves!” you cheer once he’s gone.

“I feel so good in them!” Lucy agrees.

“Have you told Mom?”

“I’m going to tonight over dinner. Does she know you’re back?”

“No,” you answer with a laugh. “I didn’t tell her anything.”

“How long are you here? Can you come to dinner tonight?”

“I can come to dinner tonight and I’ll tell you everything after dinner, how’s that? I mean, you are on the clock, boot.”

Lucy laughs at your impression of Tim before she hugs you and invites you to stay in her apartment. You gladly accept, but as you exit the station, you wonder why Tim Bradford’s voice and attitude seem so familiar.

The door slams as your mom storms out after belittling Lucy over her success. You reach across the counter and take Lucy’s hand to keep her calm.

“Lucy let’s get out of here,” you suggest. “We’ll celebrate the way you deserve to be celebrated.”

“Was she like this with you?” Lucy asks weakly.

“I was on the other side of the country, then the world,” you remind her with a shrug. “She didn’t take my calls the first few months, but eventually she started calling me. Mom is… you know Mom.”

Lucy nods and hands you the keys to her car.

“Yeah, let’s go party, sis!” you cheer. “Short sleeves!”

“Wait, why did I give you the keys? You don’t know where to go,” Lucy remembers.

“Party!” you yell over your shoulder as you lead her out of the apartment.

“What do you want?” you ask Lucy as you stand.

“Surprise me,” she replies happily.

You nod and tap the back of your chair as you walk away. At the bar, you see someone you recognize. You aren’t sure how you didn’t remember him sooner.

“Sergeant Bradford,” you greet. “You know, I took credit for you leaving the Army.”

“Chen,” he replies. “That’s why your sister looked so familiar. And I didn’t leave because of you.”

“Really? Because I’m the last soldier you gave orders too. Explain that.”

Tim shakes his head, but his lips quirk into a small smile at your teasing.

“You were actually my favorite Sergeant I met. The rest of them seemed to think that I was incompetent.”

“Did you talk back to them?” Tim asks. When you don’t answer, he replies, “I thought so.”

“I’m here to celebrate my sister graduating to short sleeves, but…” you pause and pull a napkin toward you to write your number on. “We should talk. When you know who I am and don’t call me boot.”

Tim takes the offered napkin and nods. “Sure.”

You wink at him as you pick up your drink and Lucy’s. When you return to the table, you forget about Sergeant Bradford for the night, but he doesn’t forget about you.

Several hours later, you steer Lucy to her bed and promise her you’ll still be there in the morning. Once she’s asleep, you collapse against the couch and take a deep breath. You’ve been back in Los Angeles for less than a day and are exhausted. Your phone buzzes, and you scroll through your notifications until a text stops you.

Breakfast tomorrow? I’ll remember your name this time. -TB

You reply that you’d like that and suggest a restaurant nearby. Back in town with your sister, a new station, and a breakfast ‘date’ with Tim makes falling asleep with a smile easy.

Before you leave, you text Lucy where you’ll be and leave her a note with a promise to bring her food. You don’t mention who you are meeting, but you have much more to tell her when you return.

“Good morning,” you greet as you join Tim in a booth.

“Morning,” he replies. “How was your first night back?”

“How’d you know I just got back?”

“Your sister talks a lot.”

You nod knowingly before a waitress arrives and takes your order. After she leaves, you lean back in the seat.

“I think we should try to be friends,” Tim says.

“You make it sound like you could fail,” you reply. “Why don’t we just say we’ll be friends?”

“Then, I think we should be friends. Unless you’re leaving? Just… I think it would be nice to have a friend who understands what we’ve been through.”

“Lucy made it sound like you were a cold, un-friend-able grump. But I should warn you, if you really want to be friends with me, I’ll be the best friend you’ve ever had and you won’t be able to ditch me.”

“I think I can handle that,” Tim assures. “But you didn’t answer my question about leaving.”

“Let me tell my sister the big news and then I’ll tell you, deal?”

“Deal.”

“Also, as my friend, I hope you’re prepared to pay for my breakfast,” you say as your food arrives. “Because I have to buy Lucy a celebration breakfast and confetti pancakes have gotten more expensive since I was here last.”

“Sure,” Tim answers with a laugh. “What else are friends for?”

“You should come back to Lucy’s apartment with me. Big news is for friends, too.”

When you walk into Lucy’s apartment with Tim, you’re not surprised that she’s still in her room. You knock before entering and tell her that you’ve got breakfast and company. She smells the pancakes and rushes to wake up and get ready.

“Tim?” she questions as she enters the living area.

“He’s here as my friend and he’s going to be nice to you. Right, Tim?” you ask.

“Right. We’re celebrating your short sleeves. Yay!” Tim cheers sarcastically.

“You’re the one who kept me in long sleeves,” Lucy accuses.

“He threatened to make me clean the latrines the first time we met,” you say. “I think it’s part of his charm.”

“Sure,” Lucy agrees, unconvinced. “Confetti pancakes are for very good news.”

“You did something amazing, Lucy. You’ve got your dream job and you’re moving up; that deserves celebration,” you point out.

“And…”

“And,” you begin. “I’m staying in the states. I am now working in domestic investigations.”

“You’re an MP?” Tim asks as Lucy jumps to hug you and shouts, “Yes!”

“I am,” you tell Tim. “Have been for a few years now. I was working overseas, traveling constantly, so when a domestic position opened, I jumped at it.”

“The sisters are back!” Lucy cheers. “This definitely deserves pancakes.”

“Told you,” you tease her.

“Would you have said yes if you weren’t staying?” Tim inquires as you slide a pancake toward him.

“Yes to what?” Lucy asks around her fork.

“To being friends,” Tim rushes to explain. “Not a date or anything.”

“I would have told you that I wasn’t staying long, but we could’ve been friends from anywhere, Tim,” you say.

“But you would not have gotten the weekly phone call,” Lucy adds. “That was mine.”

“No more weekly phone calls now. The furthest I’ll go is DC and it’ll only be for a few days at a time. Now I just have to get a place to live.”

“Live here with me!” Lucy suggests excitedly. “I have a spare room.”

You look at Tim, and he shrugs. “I’ve never had a friend live close by, don’t look at me.”

“Oh, I have so much to teach you,” you muse.

“Which you can do from here,” Lucy points out.

[twohearts-hs]

Always & Forever One - Marshall Mathers x Reader Series

Words: 2.3k

Pairings: Marshall Mathers x Fem!Reader Series

Synopsis;: They loved each other with every fibre and being. They knew that they were meant to be together, but it seemed like every obstacle came in the way. She was twenty-one, he was forty and they knew that it would be hard. Therefore, they promised forever and always as they were meant to be together despite every turmoil that came their way.

Warnings: Swearing, Alcohol & smoking. More warnings will come throughout the series.

|| Masterlist for Series ||

Hope you enjoy :)

May 2012

Y/N was utterly and devotedly late. Never in her life had she been so late for a job. However, she came straight from the diner and believed she had a fifteen-minute turnaround but with traffic and Miranda being late to cover the rest of the night, she was utterly and terribly late.

Throwing her jeans and tee into the hamper, Y/N ran around the studio apartment looking for a black outfit for the catering event. That was the uniform – all black and it did not help that she was two weeks behind in laundry.

“Fuck it,” she whispered as she grabbed the black dress pants and a turtleneck. It stunk lightly of body odour and sweat, but with deodorant and perfume, no one would know.

Y/N threw the clothes on, grabbed her sneakers and ran out of the door before jumping on public transport.

She needed this job. It was the summer and between her summer classes and the two jobs, she was a busy girl. However, she had to maintain her grades to keep her scholarship and additionally, she had bills to pay. 

Y/N moved to Detroit three years ago to complete her degree in art history at the local university. It was a move she never expected as she was from a small town in Canada, however, she was a star field hockey player and had stellar grades. Universities were lining up for her to come to their institution. It was a choice between the local university on Vancouver Island, Michigan and Los Angeles.

The idea of being in a hot climate, tourism and above all a city filled with celebrities sounded dreadful. The idea of staying on the island off the coast of Vancouver in Canada did not sound as bad as she thought. She grew up in a small town, Ladysmith, the same town as Pamela Anderson was from. With a single mother, she grew up with surfing and the ocean. However, she wanted something different.

It was hard to leave her mother. Ree was all she knew since she remembered. It was just her and the surf shop downtown. Y/N loved that shop. It opened when she was three and she spent so much of her time in that small shop. It was her first job, her first paycheque and the first time she fell in love with the idea of surfing.

She was a fantastic surfer.

However, when the University of Michigan offered a full-fledged scholarship as long as she maintained her grades and she played on the field hockey team, she did not know what to do. The idea of being in the Midwest was scary. The idea of being away from the water was terrifying. The idea of being in the United States of America was intriguing. However, above all being away from her mother seemed ridiculous.

But she ended up in Detroit at eighteen.

Now, it’s been three years. She unfortunately, had to leave the field hockey team due to injury but she was able to maintain her scholarship. As long as she kept the grades.

Y/N needed to work though in order to pay her away in the city. Two jobs in the summer, one in the school semesters. She had the diner job since she was eighteen. Ted’s Diner downtown was her favourite place to be. Ted was amazing and as the owner he deeply cared for his workers. A sweetheart at heart, a recovering addict who believed in second chances and was always so kind. The whole team at Ted’s was a blessing her world. Miranda the single mom – reminded her of her mom -  who gave her a slice of pie every time she worked past midnight on the house as a thank you. Then there was Gavin, the chef who always made sure if she was ever interested in a night of rendezvous, he was there.

They understood that she was a student. An art history student to be exact. They gave her time to get assignments done at work while still paying her. It was a second home and she loved it.

The catering job was just for the nights. It was for the extra cash. She would dress in black and go to events where she would hold trays of expensive prosecco or finger foods for the rich. It was fine. She did not mind it.

However, she was extremely late.

“I am so sorry!” she yelled as she ran through the conference centre to the back. Pushing through the crowd, she made it to the back where she saw a very displeased manager.

“I am so sorry,” she began but as soon as she got the next words out, he stopped her.

“Never again,” Sean said as he held up a finger. “You’re forty-five minutes late. You look like shit, and you smell like grease. I expect something a little higher than this but obviously you have hit an ultimate low.”

“Just let me work and I promise I will make it up to you.”

Sean raised a brow and rolled his eyes.

“Last warning.”

Y/N gave him a curt nod before turning back to the kitchen and seeing her coworkers coming and going with their trays.

“You’re late,” she heard behind her before a jab to her back.

A yelp escaped Y/N as she turned to the voice. Meira, her best friend in Detroit was in front of her with a smirk.

“The diner,” was all Y/N said with a roll of her eyes. She placed her apron around her before grabbing a tray. “What event is this for?”

“PR for a sports team,” Meira hummed as she loaded her tray up.

“So, we are catering a bunch of athletes?” Y/N groaned. “Joy, joy,” with sarcasm. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she ran her fingers under her eyes to get rid of the mascara flakes.

“Indeed, we are,” Meira exclaimed.

Y/N walked out with a tray to the crowd of athletes, managers, perhaps musicians and more. It was a room of the rich and famous. Y/N began to make her rounds, letting people grab the drinks off her tray as she walked in circles. A smile was plastered on her face.

However, she could not even imagine how tired she was at the moment. She worked at eight a.m. that morning, did a twelve-hour shift that went over and now she was working for another four hours.

Who was this woman? A superwoman perhaps.

Marshall was standing beside Paul as someone in front of him talked about something he did not care for. A red bull was in hand as he nodded but let his eyes wander the crowd. He dreaded these events and he desired to leave.

Dressed in jeans, a tee, and a hoodie with a chain, most would say he did not put much mind into this event as others wore suits and ties. However, he was just here for the appearance for a couple of hours before he would dip.

It’s been thirty minutes and all he could imagine was going home and watching some terrible movie on the TV.

“I am going to bathroom,” he leaned over and whispered to Paul as he turned away.

Making his way down the hallway to the bathroom, he turned the corner and smashed into a body.

“Fuck!” he snapped.

Y/N watched in front of her as the whole tray of glass champagne flutes smashed on the floor. Hands up, she took a step back as the mess unravelled in front of her. Instantly, her face fell. She was utterly fucked.

Her eyes searched from the ground to the man who was the perpetrator of this event and instantly she let out a loud breath.

"You should watch where you are going,” Marshall stated with a roll of his eyes.

“Me?” Y/N cocked. “You’re the one who ran into me.”

"Well, maybe you should not be so short on corners.”

“Thanks for the advice,” she whispered as she sighed. “Obviously, you can do my job way better than me.”

Y/N did not need this. Not now, not ever but particularly not right now when she was already in deep shit. Now this happened. She was destined to lose her job.

Marshall saw her look down at the mess then up to her. She was pretty despite looking like she had seen better days but there was something about her attitude. She matched him which shocked him.

He nodded before biting his lip to find out what to say next. “I can’t do your job. Thanks for the offer though,” he commented.

/N sent him a clenched smile as she nodded. “Ok, well, you’re welcome.” She was about to turn around to get someone to help her clean it, but Sean appeared from the kitchen. His brow was raised, and he had his arms crossed.

“First you’re late and now you’ve smashed hundreds of dollars’ worth of drinks,” he said with sarcasm.

She let out a sigh as she tried to compose herself. Rubbing her hands against her thighs, she slowly turned to look at Sean.

“I am guessing I am fired,” she whispered, and all Sean did was roll his eyes.

“Obviously,” he stated before walking off.

Y/N glanced at the mess in front of her and the gentleman. He was older, a hat on his head and dressed down but she did not care at this moment. Instead, she removed her apron and as she was folding it.

“Did I just get you fired?” he asked.

Finally, he had the audacity to talk.

Y/N glanced at him and sighed. “No, I haven’t been the best worker so it’s not your fault.”

She was Canadian after all, and she mimicked that type of hospitality. Kindness and sympathy were all she believed in. However, now as she the man in front of her tried to show her a form of sympathy due to his own actions. She brushed it off.

“I have been seeing you working quite hard tonight so-“

“You do not have to be nice. I fucked up and honestly, yeah, you helped but I believe everything happens for a reason and obviously this job was not in my path,” she stated.

Marshall nodded. “Sorry.”

“Don’t fret it,” Y/N stated before walking off.

Meira came out with a concerned face. “I heard smashing,” she began.

"I need a smoke.”

Y/N sat on the curb outside, kicking her legs out as the cars drove by. She was on her second cigarette as she let her hair down. Meira appeared with a bottle of something.

“If you’re going to get fired, I may as well too. I stole this,” she hummed as she settled next to her.

Y/N chuckled as Meira handed the bottle of expensive champagne to her due to the fact she did not know how to pop one. After popping the bottle, Y/N brought the poison to her lips. Beautiful, smooth but bubbly and sweet with a hint of tang. Perfect for everything tonight.

“I needed that job,” she whispered to her friend.

“No, you didn’t. You like to have a healthy saving, but the diner pays your bills.”

Y/N groaned. “I have never been fired.”

“Girl, you were only working there for over three weeks. No offence but Sean was out to get you since the beginning.”

Y/N let out a loud frustrated groan. “If only that idiot did not smash into me, I would still have that job. Then he had the audacity to be rude.”

“You were rude back…”

“Yeah, but he smashed into me!” Y/N exclaimed. “I needed the money,” she said in a low voice, “really needed the money.”

“For?”

“Masters. I am one year from graduating and I have no money saved up for my masters.”

Meira nodded as Y/N brought the cigarette to her lips.

“You know those will kill you,” a voice said behind her. Recognisable, deep and masculine but soft at the same time.

Y/N turned around and glanced at the mysterious man behind her. Him. The perpetrator. Rolling her eyes she brought the cigarette to her lips.

“I know, that’s the purpose,” she stated.

Marshall nodded, shoving his hands in his jeans before taking a step from the shadows. “Look, I just want to apologise and give you this,” he said coming closer to her. “I got you fired, and you need the money more than me.”

He placed his hand out and she spotted the cash roll in it. Y/N eyes widened. Hundred possibly thousands were in there, but she knew she could not take it. There is no way she was taking the money from a complete stranger.

The man nodded towards his hand.

“Thank you, but I cannot,” Y/N said.

“Hey, I am the idiot who smashed into you which cost you your job,” he tried to bargain with her.

“You heard?” she asked.

“Everything.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because I have been in your position before.”

“So, its pity.”

“No respect.”

She nodded. “I cannot just take your money.”

“Look either it pays for a part of your degree, or it sits in my bank account.”

Y/N sighed. “I am not someone who you could just pay for forgiveness.”

“I am not asking for forgiveness.”

“Then what do you want?” she asked with a confused look on her face.

“For you take-“

“Donate it.”

Y/N could not believe this man. He was just waving money in front of her like it was nothing. He was admitting that he was rich and powerful, yet he dressed if he was about to pick up some groceries. She could not accept this kind of money.

“A tip for your service,” he tried again.

“Just sit and have a drink. Have a conversation and perhaps you may get respect out of me.”

Marshall placed the cash into his pocket before stepping down on the curb. He sat next to Y/N as she bummed her cigarette out and brought the champagne to her lips.

“Meira stole this from the kitchen if you want some,” Y/N suggested.

“I don’t drink.”

“Admirable,” she commented as traffic continued to move in front of her.

“I think by running into Y/N you just saved her from four months of misery,” Meira said.

Marshall chuckled. “I try my best, but I am sorry for acting like a dick though. Respect goes out to you for the job you do.”

Y/N grinned and nodded. “Thanks.”

“Y/N is your name?” he asked. She nodded. “Marshall,” he introduced.

“Marshall,” she hummed, “it’s nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

“What are you studying?”

“Art history and Meira is in biology-psychology. What are you doing at this event?”

“Fulfilling my role.”

“Important or something?” she hummed.

“Something like that,” he hummed.

She nodded as she finished the champagne and placed her cigarettes back in her pocket. It was nearing midnight, and she had an eight a.m. shift the next day at the diner. She looked at Marshall beside her and she could admit he was cute. He obviously was important in retrospect of sports, but he seemed to keep to himself. She did not want to bug him, but as she got up, she checked her phone.

“Fuck,” she whispered.

“What?” Meira said.

“Fucking Sam,” Y/N said and that was all Meira needed to hear to nod. “I will deal with him tomorrow.”

Marshall got up as well and placed his hands into his pockets.

“I have to go,” Y/N said, “I am up at like six a.m. for work.” She looked at the Marshall and placed a hand in front of her. “Truce. No running into me again?” she joked.

He chuckled and placed a hand in front of himself too. “Deal.”

“Thanks for the whatever this was, Marshall. Enjoy the rest of the event,” she stated as she grabbed her bag and threw it over her shoulders.

“I am going to go home. I hate these things.”

“Fair. I would too.”

He nodded as she began to turn away. “Bye, Y/N.”

“Bye, Marshall,” she said as she wrapped a arm around Meira and they walked down the street.

All Marshall could think was, ‘who was this woman?’ as she was something.

____________

Author's Note:

Thanks so much for reading!

As said in my previous post, there will be 20 chapters as this book is completed. It's over 103k words therefore, it will be posted.

Send me your thoughts, opinions, love and more! I am excited to be releasing this.

Much love,

Ava <3

[try-set-me-on-fire]

hello I am a slut for forehead kisses so may I request that prompt if it inspires? 🥺

I know I said reunion kiss was next but I have conflicting ideas about that one and this popped into my head and google doc nearly fully formed, so here you go. On ao3 here!

By the time Eddie has locked his car and is bolting up the stairs so fast he very nearly trips and eats shit, he’s 23 minutes late.

“Sorry, Cap,” he says, trying not to sound out of breath and discretely tugging wrinkles out of his uniform. “Water main burst near Chris’ school, must have happened after I left the house ‘cause I didn’t get any traffic alerts.”

Bobby snorts. “As your captain I have to say ‘try to be punctual next time,’ but as someone who also lives in Los Angeles… it happens.”

Eddie sighs in agreement and slides onto one of the bar stools. At least it’s not a day where they got called out immediately, he’d feel terrible if he arrived and everyone was already out on the truck. A coffee mug — Eddie’s favorite at the station, a deep speckly green handmade number somebody had found at a farmer’s market — lands next to him, along with a familiar warm presence at his side. He smiles as he looks up at Buck.

“Hello, husband,” Buck says, grin so bright Eddie thinks he might be bioluminescent if they turned off all the lights.

“Hi, husband,” Eddie says, figuring he’d probably glow in the dark, too.

-

Eddie supposes he’s probably had more eventful 72 hour time spans in his life, though he’s hard pressed to remember one where the majority of the events were this good. It’s not like it started fantastic, his shoulder still hurts like hell from landing on it when the factory floor went out from under them, and there were the three horrifying hours where no one could find Buck and it felt like the world was ending. He hadn’t kept his cool very well, he’ll admit it, and he’s fully expecting teasing to set in any time now that they’ve had a few days and Buck is perfectly fine.

They’d found him in a little pocket in the debris two floors down, not a scratch on him. He’d lost his radio, but otherwise he was sort of just waiting around. Legs crossed, hands behind his head, chill as anything. He could have been at the goddamn beach.

And he’d looked at Eddie, a happy little smile on his face, and said “I knew you’d find me,” and Eddie — who’s lungs hadn’t been working right since he’d tried to call Buck on the radio and got silence in return — had kissed him instead of saying I always will.

And when they’d got back to the station he’d gone ahead and said it out loud, too, and I don’t know how to be without you and I love you, I’ve loved you for so long and move in with me and marry me, we should get married, please marry me.

Buck’s knuckles had been almost creaking with how tight they’d been gripping the sleeves of Eddie’s uniform. “Why? I mean- we haven’t- you never- how could you want that? It’s me, I-“ he’d laughed, trying to make it into a joke. “Won’t you get sick of me?”

“I want to share my whole life with you,” Eddie had said, and then laughed a little breathless. “And Buck, I- I think we already do. Your toothbrush is in my bathroom and I have a green lawn chair because you said it looked like a frog and- and you fixed the holes in my wall and you’re raising my son. We share- my house feels most like a home when you’re there. So. You can be there, forever, if you want. You want a couch? I have a couch. You like my couch.”

Buck had laughed, tears in his eyes, kissed him again, and said “I love your couch.”

So Friday evening they’d been sitting on the aforementioned couch as best friends eating pizza and drinking beer, and Sunday morning they’d got married, and had an all day long party in their backyard with people dropping in and out whenever they weren’t at work or had other places to be and Eddie had smiled so big and laughed so hard his cheeks still ache, and Sunday night he’d had sex with a man for the first time. He, Eddie Diaz, had sex with Buck (who’s last name is now sort of a toss up until he decides how he wants to change it, a process that turns out comes with a lot more paperwork and waiting than a marriage license). Not even just sex- Buck fucked him into the mattress so hard Eddie thinks he may have had some sort of religious experience. He came so hard he got a little mad about it after. Like. Is this what it’s supposed to be like? He could have been having sex this good the whole time? Buck had laughed at him, loud but not unkindly.

He’d learned what it’s like to sleep in a bed beside the man that he loves. Buck is warm and his feet are cold and he is delightfully solid and unmovable. He snores, especially when he curls up in his sleep, but Eddie has spent years sleeping in a big shared room in a fire station and years before that falling asleep in a war zone, so it doesn’t bother him. This morning they’d woken up holding hands even though they hadn’t gone to sleep like that, and Eddie is in love, in love, in love.

-

Sometime about halfway through their first shift as a married couple they’re called to a car gone over a cliff in the hills. It’s not gone very far over the cliff, and is resting on stable ground, and the occupant inside seems more shaken up than anything, but someone’s still got to get in a harness, and like usual that person is Buck.

Eddie can feel Chimney smirking off to the side as he triple checks Buck’s harness and line, but this is something Eddie always does and not a new feature of some sort of honeymoon phase. Buck’s life is precious, has been since the beginning, he’d never risk it with something as preventable as an improperly secured strap. Back last year, when Buck had been in the coma, it had been the one thing he’d not felt guilty about. The harness had caught him. Eddie had triple checked it. He always has and he’s not going to stop now.

"Be careful,” he says, darting in to give him the quickest kiss he thinks he can get away with. So, that part is new, sue him.

Buck's eyes get wide, and then he nods very solemnly. "I will," he promises, looking at Eddie for another long minute before he goes over the side.

To his left Bobby lets out a huff of air, and he's making a face and shaking his head when Eddie turns to investigate. Eddie raises an eyebrow.

"It's that easy?" Bobby gestures down the side of the cliff, amused. "I should have had one of you marry him ages ago."

Eddie laughs, and turns back to keep an eye on the line.

-

“We’re going to the roof,” Eddie says, after they’re back at the station. “For fifteen minutes,” he concedes to Bobby’s raised eyebrows. “To engage in strictly pg13 activities,” a final plea.

Bobby sighs, and Hen cackles as he waves a defeated hand at them to go ahead. Eddie hooks his arm through Buck’s and they stumble up the stairs side by side, laughing like they’re getting away with something.

-

They only got twelve minutes before the alarm rang again, and it was non stop after that till the end of the shift. Eddie’s shoulder is almost too stiff to move at this point, and Buck looks dead on his feet.

“You wanna just come home with me?” He asks, leaning on the locker next to Buck’s as he changes.

“Uh…” Buck looks tempted when he emerges from his t-shirt, hair all ruffled, but then he shakes his head. “Nah, we took both cars for a reason, I should go grab stuff from the loft.” The logistics of very suddenly moving in together are still working themselves out. Eddie thinks he could probably push — Buck practically lived with him before, anyway, what could be at the loft that he would miss so terribly it couldn’t wait another night? — but they’d planned their day like this so they could both go on Chris’ beach day field trip tomorrow without having to squeeze packing around it.

“Alright,” he agrees, though he can’t help feeling a little reluctant about it. He hasn’t been apart from Buck for more than an hour since he’d been lost in a pile of rubble, and he doesn’t really want to go separate ways now. He leans in for a kiss, and the way Buck smiles into it might be able to tide him over for just a little while. “I’ll go get the kid. See you at home.”

“Okay. Goodbye, husband,” Buck says, a little sparkle back in his tired eyes.

“Bye, husband,” Eddie laughs, soft, kissing him again.

-

There’s three unpacked boxes pushed to the side of the living room and two others empty by the recycling, contents dispersed around the house. By mutual, exhausted decision they’d agreed to deal with the rest some other time and collapsed into bed. They can’t even really make out properly, one or both of them yawning into it repeatedly until Eddie laughs and rolls onto his back, setting his alarm for the morning and settling more comfortably under the covers.

“Night, Buck,” he breathes, leaning onto his pillow to kiss his cheek. “I love you.”

Buck does the little smile with startled-wide eyes he’s done every time Eddie’s said it so far. “I love you, too. Uh- sweet dreams.”

And that should be that, another happy night of wedded bliss, but the thing that Eddie knows and kind of forgot is that after a long and hectic shift Buck gets a little restless no matter how tired he is, brain running overtime, so after trying to wait out his tossing and turning and yawning Eddie eventually sighs, turns the bedside lamp back on, and pokes him in the side.

“What’re you thinking about?”

Buck frowns at him. "Eddie. What if I die in my sleep?"

He doesn’t think it’s a real question, but it still makes his stomach lurch a little. "Why would you do that?"

Buck makes a face. "I wouldn't mean to."

"I mean- why are you afraid of that?"

Buck frowns harder. “I don’t know. I heard once you yawn because you’re falling asleep and your brain thinks you're dying, so it tries to get you a burst of oxygen to save you.”

“Okay, but- you’re not actually dying.” Eddie reaches a clumsy hand under the covers till it collides with Buck’s chest, where his heart is somewhere inside beating steady. “You’re okay. Just tired.”

Buck nods, but he hasn’t stopped frowning. “What if you die in your sleep?”

Eddie hums, shuffling onto his side to face Buck more fully. “I don’t plan to.”

“Okay,” Buck says, trusting Eddie’s word even in a hypothetical he would in actuality have no control over. “What if Bobby dies? Or- or anybody. What if… a meteor destroys the station and we can’t go to work?”

Eddie snorts, and then feels bad about it until he sees Buck grin a tiny bit. “I think we’d still have jobs, Buck. They’d rebuild the station, we might all just have to work at different houses for a while.” Buck frowns again, and Eddie winces at introducing this new worry. “Hey. If a meteor destroys our station I promise I will beg on hands and knees to get transferred to the same place as you.”

Buck laughs, just a small exhale of air through his nose. “Feel like you might wanna stay upright. They might cite professionalism and all that.”

“Okay,” Eddie says, kissing his cheek. “I will beg on two feet to stay by your side whenever I can, as long as I can.”

“Alright,” Buck says, a little choked. He slings an arm over Eddie’s side and settles in close against him, and Eddie thinks that might be it until he says, very quietly, “What if I’m not a good husband to you?”

“Oh, Buck.” This question is a real question, the one that was hiding behind all the others. “You're doing pretty great so far.”

“It’s been like two days.” Muffled, somewhere around Eddie’s collarbone.

“Yeah, and they’ve been a pretty great two days.” He drags his hand around Buck’s ribs, everything made soft sandwiched by blanket and sleep shirt. “I asked you to marry me because I wanted to be married to you. I wanted- you to be married to me. My husband.”

“Yeah, that’s usually why people ask that question,” Buck mumbles, not, apparently, in the mood to easily accept comfort. “But what if-“

“Are you afraid of me?”

“What?” Buck reels back in surprise to look at him. “No. Of course not.”

“Then why are you scared I’ll change my mind?” Eddie can feel the raised line of a scar on Buck’s back through his shirt. The one from getting tossed from the board the first time he’d gone surfing, Eddie’s pretty sure, years before they met. “I won’t. I’m not going to get tired of you, I’m not going to leave you behind, you’ll never be too much for me. You-“ Eddie takes a breath, tries to get his thoughts in order. “You make my life better by being in it, and that has always been true, and you know we’ve gone through some shit before. Even… even when you were suing the city because you were a lonely little idiot and I was pissed at you because I was a mean little idiot, all I wanted was to be by your side. When I was bleeding out in the street I just wanted to be with you. When you were- when you were dead on that ladder I’d have done anything-“ Eddie exhales, hard. Buck is on his left side, birthmark buried in the pillow, so Eddie has to snake his hand up to tilt his head for access to it. They’ve only been able to kiss each other for a tiny handful of days, but it doesn’t feel new, really, when he presses his lips to the pink blotches of skin. “I don’t know how else to explain it to you, but I will keep trying every day for the rest of our lives, if you’ll let me.”

Buck kisses him, hard, holds him tight. “I- yeah, I-,” another kiss, slower. “As long as I can- I’ll tell you, too, I- I’ve never been anywhere I’ve felt- it’s so easy to be here, in your- in our home.” Buck’s fingers find Eddie’s scars, twin bullet holes, touching them so reverently he thinks the scars might heal right up and vanish. “You make me-“ He kisses Eddie’s cheek, up by his eye, his nose, right between his eyebrows. “I don’t know how to say it. If you try every day, can I try, too?”

“Anytime,” Eddie vows. “Every day, anytime you want.”

“Alright,” Buck says, tail end of the word getting swallowed by another yawn. Eddie kisses his forehead again, or maybe just smiles against it. “I love you, Eddie. So much.”

“So much, too.”

It’s a little bit of a stretch to be able to turn the light off again with Buck still wrapped around him, but he gets it on the second try. He’s not sure how well he’ll be able to fall asleep tangled together like this, but that’s fine. Buck is warm. His feet, where they’re bumped here and there into Eddie’s legs, are cold. They breathe in, and on this inhale are entirely synched. There’s no place he’d rather be.

[hellohannie]

Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince | hjs

“𝙫𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙪𝙣 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪”

all you've ever wanted to do was graduate high school and get out of the small town you grew up in. that was until you met (and fell hopelessly in love with) joshua hong. part of the taylor swift x seventeen collection

♡ PLAYERS - joshua hong x f.reader

♡ WORD COUNT - 8.4K

♡ TAGS - high school au, cheerleader!reader, drum major!joshua, mutual pining, fluff, minor angst

♡ INSPIRATION - Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince by Taylor Swift

♡ NOTES - hi :) this is my first ever fic on tumblr! i write on other platforms , and i wanted to get a masterlist running on tumblr as well. also, this story takes place in a high school setting and revolves slightly around the american football season. however, for the purpose of the plot, we are going to pretend that state championships happen in april…lol

ok hope you enjoyyyyy :))))

Go! Fight! Win!

You stood on the sidelines, cheering as loud as you could. Your throat was burning, your legs aching, but the adrenaline pumping through your veins kept you from feeling it. It's the most important football game of the season. Not only is it the playoff game that would determine which high school would make it to the state championship, but it's also the night all the college scouts come to recruit seniors to join their teams the next year. 

As the senior cheer captain, the pressure was on to be perfect. With all eyes and cameras on you, this was your chance to get scouted by the most elite colleges in the nation. A scholarship to a coastal university is your only ticket out of the godforsaken town you live in. There was nothing holding you back.

Except...

"Touchdown, number 13 Choi Seungcheol!"

The sounds of students cheering, the announcer yelling, the scoreboard buzzing all faded away when the marching band began the play the school's fight song. The rest of your team members, along with the students in the bleachers, ran past you to rush the field, but you stood in your place, focused on something else.

Someone else.

All the way on the opposite end of the bleachers, in the designated band section, stood Joshua Hong. While his attention was on conducting the band, your attention was on him. He was beautiful, even in his stuffy uniform, with the wind blowing hair into his face. 

You'd loved Joshua since sophomore year, when you were just sixteen years old. It was the beginning of the spring semester, and he was a new transfer student. As the sophomore class rep for student council, you were asked to give him a tour. You remember being breathless when you first saw him, his soft features and doe eyes so inviting. 

"Hi, I'm Y/N, the sophomore class representative," you'd said, blood rushing to your cheeks when he smiled at you.

"I'm Joshua Hong, it's nice to meet you!"

He'd told you, as you gave him a tour of your school, that his parents moved here from Los Angeles. 

"From LA? Why would anyone want to move to middle of nowhere America when you could live in LA?" You were dumbfounded. All your life you'd wish to move out of your little town, so you couldn't imagine why anyone would want to move in. 

Joshua just shrugged. "I don't know, I think it's nice how everyone here knows each other. It feels warm and intimate in a way."

"You don't know anyone here though, aren't you upset you had to leave all your friends behind?" 

He turned to look at you, flashing you a smile that made his eyes turn into little crescent moons. Your heart stuttered to a stop. "I have you, so at least I have one friend here."

You decided then and there that maybe you could bear living in this town if Joshua lived here too. 

From that day forward, you'd meet up with Joshua after school every Friday. When it was cold, you'd meet him in one of the practice rooms in the music hallway. He'd play something on his guitar while you told him gossip about all your classmates. Once it started to get warm, you'd meet him under the big maple tree in the courtyard. 

If there was one thing Joshua loved most, it was music. You'd never seen him look as serene as he did when he played his guitar.

If there was one thing you loved most, it was Joshua.

When he was gone all summer visiting his family in South Korea, you felt empty. Of course you had other friends. You'd known the girls on the cheer team since you were children, cheering on the junior team together. Yet, no one understood you quite like Joshua. There were times when you'd sit under the maple tree and not say a word to each other. You'd do your homework while Joshua played, and you were the happiest you'd been all day. If you'd had a good day, Joshua would play happy music. If you'd had a bad day, Joshua would play somber music. If you'd had a stressful day, Joshua would play calming music. He could read you like the back of his hand, and you loved him more for it. 

It was no surprise to you when Joshua came back in the fall and joined the marching band. You were happy for him, ecstatic even, because this meant you'd be able to hang out with him at all the games. 

Or so you thought. 

You're not sure where you went wrong, but you and Joshua began to slowly drift apart. With classes getting harder, and you having cheer practice every day after school, you barely had time to talk to each other in the hallways, let alone meet up after school.

Then, one Friday in September, cheer practice got cancelled. While your teammates all rushed home to enjoy their evening off, you ran to the music hallway. You felt giddy as you approached practice room B and heard the familiar chords of Joshua's acoustic guitar. The thought of Joshua still going to your practice room, following your old routine, made your heart race. He still remembered. 

Your fingers just barely touched the door knob when you heard a voice, a female voice. Your blood ran cold. You peeked through the little window on the door of the practice room and saw a girl leaning over Joshua's shoulder, pointing at something on the paper in front of him. It was Kim Minhye, another student in the band. 

You took a step back, hand slipping from the door knob as you tried to blink away the tears gathering in your eyes. Of course Joshua had other friends, you wanted  him to have more friends. He was kind and charismatic, it would be impossible not to like him. Yet, it still hurt, knowing your guys's thing, was no longer yours. He was doing it with someone else.

From that day forward, you only ever saw Joshua like you did tonight, at football games. During the game, you focused on cheering, in hopes of catching the attention of a scout from a D1 school. At the end of every game, you'd turn and look at Joshua, and watch him do what he loved. You'd tell yourself that you'll always love him, even after you ran away from this town. 

When you got home and went to sleep, you'd dream of him. Except, in your dreams, he'd be running away with you. 

It was the first week of March. The weather was getting warmer and senior prom was steadily approaching. Ever since you'd met him, you wanted to go to prom with Joshua. However, you would've never anticipated the competition you would have. 

You'd be lying if you denied the popularity you had at school. As a top student who was involved in all sorts of extracurriculars and captain of the cheer team, it was a given that you'd have friends in nearly every circle. Now, Joshua's popularity was a shock, and that has nothing to do with his personality. It had everything to do with his antisocial tendencies. 

You could count on your right hand the people you'd consider Joshua's friends, and they were all in the band. Lee Jihoon, Kwon Soonyoung, and Choi Hansol were just as much in love with music as Joshua, so it was a given that they'd pull him into their circle. The only other person Joshua really interacted with was Kim Minhye, who was now also a drum major. 

Besides these four, Joshua never spoke to anyone else. That, however, didn't stop everyone else from wanting to speak with him. You supposed that when Joshua looked like he did, of course people would want to be friends with him. Wasn't that what you wanted when you met him two years ago?

The courtyard was alive with students after school, everyone wanting to soak in the first warm day you'd had in months before going home. As you walked, you noticed a crowd of people whispering and pointing. Curious, you walked in a direction that you hadn't been in so long, yet felt like second nature. 

There, below the maple tree, sat Joshua. 

There, like every other day, was a new girl, timidly asking Joshua to prom.

And there, once again, she was turned down by the Heartbreak Prince. 

It started the first week of February, the prom proposals. A girl from student council, Shin Nari, approached Joshua in the cafeteria during lunch. You envied her a bit, envied her bravery. She did something you wanted to do, but never could. That's why you felt bad for her when he turned her down. You thought it was obvious that Joshua would say no. Of course it was, because who else would he go with if not the girl he spent every day with, Minhye. Still, you couldn't blame Nari. This was Joshua. If you still had feelings for him, despite knowing he only had eyes for Minhye, why wouldn't anyone else. 

Since then, there was a new girl every day who would ask Joshua to prom, in hopes that she'd be the one to win over the Heartbreak Prince. Every day, another heart was broken. 

You stood there, watching as the girl walked away from the maple tree, brushing away tears. The students around you began to disperse, criticizing the girl for being naive enough to think she was the one Joshua wanted. Joshua went back to plucking his guitar, the newly growing maple leaves casting shadow patterns on his body and the ground around him. 

When Joshua was under the maple tree, he was always alone. You never understood why his friends never joined him. Instead, they'd sit at one of the benches nearby until Joshua joined them, at which point they'd leave together. Under the maple tree is the most peaceful place on campus, so it's a shame they never thought to experience it. 

You considered walking over and talking to Joshua. It had been so long since you'd heard his voice, it wouldn't hurt to just ask how he's been.

You're about to take a step forward when someone blocks your path. You glance up to see it's Seungcheol, one of your oldest friends. You and Seungcheol met in sixth grade, when your junior cheerleading team would cheer for his junior football team. Both of you shared a dream of becoming team captains when you were seniors, a dream you both achieved. 

"Hi Y/N," Seungcheol smiled, dimples pressing deep into his cheeks. 

"Hi Seungcheol, how are you?" You glanced down and noticed the single white rose he held in his hand.

Seungcheol responded to your question, but you didn't hear a single word as your mind drifted away. Joshua's mom adored roses, to the point where their house was surrounded by rose bushes. It's why Joshua's clothes always carried the scent of roses.

A hand waved in front your eyes and you jolted, looking up to see Seungcheol looking at you with worry. "Are you alright? I asked you something, but I don't think you heard me."

"Oh, I'm sorry Cheol," you replied, feeling guilty. "I think I just need to head home and rest. What it is that you wanted to ask me?"

It was only when Seungcheol extended the rose towards you that you realized what was happening. "I wanted to ask you if you'd be my date to prom."

Your heart dropped to your stomach, and one look at Seungcheol's shy smile was enough to make you wish the ground would just swallow you whole. "Cheol..."

"I've been wanting to ask you since freshman year. We've been friends for so long, it only makes sense that-" 

You couldn't bear to let him continue. "Seungcheol, I'm sorry," you cut him off, shaking your head. He looked at you, eyes wide in confusion. "I can't go with you."

You fisted your hands into the skirt of your dress, trying so hard not to just cave and say yes just to make him stop looking at you so hurt. 

"Why not?"

"You're really sweet and you're a great friend but," you turned your gaze to the grass below you to avoid looking at Seungcheol's expression. "I don't want to lead you on or give you false hope."

The silence was so long you had to look up to see what he was thinking. "Is there someone else you want to ask you?" His voice had dropped in pitch, face devoid of all emotion.

"Of course not!" you stammered, thrown off by the question. "Listen Cheol, I'm really, really sorry," you started to step back. "I just, I'm sorry." You turned and walked towards your car, eager to get home and out of this awful situation.

Seungcheol stood rooted in his spot, tightening his grip on the rose as his hands began to shake in anger. He knew you were lying. 

It was quick. So quick and reflexive that you probably didn't even realize you did it. Didn't realize that you took a quick glance over his shoulder when he asked you if you wanted someone else to ask you to prom. Seungcheol looked over his shoulder towards the maple tree. Towards the boy who you really wanted to ask you to prom. Towards Joshua Hong, who you didn't even realize was watching you wistfully as you walked away. 

When you got to school the next day, you looked for Seungcheol. You felt awful for lying to him and running away the day before. You owed him an explanation, and felt comfortable with telling him the truth. He was a close friend of yours after all. 

As you walked through the hallways, you felt eyes on you. As usual you smiled at your classmates as you walked by them, but today they didn't smile back. Instead they were glaring and whispering. It wasn't until you overheard what they were whispering that you realized they were talking about you.

She's such a bitch.

I can't believe she just pretends to be so sweet only to stab him in the back like that.

What a two faced liar. 

When you caught sight of your teammates, you rushed over. 

"Hey guys, do you know what's going on?" Your question was met with glares.

Dani, another senior on the team, scoffed. "You're kidding right? Just drop the act Y/N."

To say you were confused was an understatement. "What? What do you mean?"

"We know what you did to Seungcheol, the whole school knows," another girl responded, crossing her arms as she looked at you in disgust.

"Oh," you nodded in realization. "I know, I reacted horribly, that's why I wanted to find him and apologize. I feel like I owe him an explanation-"

"An explanation?" Dani asked, incredulously. "What explanation is there for using someone just to make someone else jealous?"

You paused, mouth open in shock at what Dani just said. "What?!"

Dani rolled her eyes, while some of the other girls in the group just scoffed and walked away. "Seungcheol told everyone the truth. That you guys had been dating since the summer, but you wanted to keep it lowkey until college admissions were in. Then when he told you that he got into UCLA and would go to college with you, you broke up with him and told him that the only reason you were with him was because you wanted Joshua, but you knew he'd turn you down."

By now, the hallway was dead silent, everyone listening in on your conversation with Dani.  

"You're nothing but a two faced liar. I can't believe I have to spend my last year cheering with a captain like you," Dani slammed her locker shut and walked away before you could respond. You stood frozen in shock, the students around you pointing and whispering until the bell rang and it was time to head to class. The sound jolted you out of your stupor and you went to class, simply going through the motions until the end of the day.

You were walking to your car when you noticed a figure leaning against it. It wasn't until you got closer that you realized it was Seungcheol. Quickly, you walked over, betrayal clear on your face as you asked, "Why did you tell everyone we dated and that I used you?"

Seungcheol smirked at you, still leaning against your car. "You lied to me Y/N. You told me you didn't want anyone else to ask you to prom, but you did. You wanted Joshua to ask you to prom."

You stiffened, "How did you kn-"

Seungcheol suddenly stood straight, bending over to meet your height. "The boys on the team all know I've liked you since freshman year. Do you know how humiliating it would be for me if they found out you turned me down for Hong? I couldn't let you ruin my reputation like that."

By now you were seething with anger. "So you ruined mine? I came to school today with the intention of telling you the truth because I thought you were my friend. How could you do this to me?" You were yelling, and people were staring, but you didn't care. 

"Oh please," he scoffed. "You should be thanking me, I did you a favor. You think the Heartbreak Prince would make an exception for you?" He cooed, mockingly. "Besides there's only two months of school left. Who cares if your reputation is ruined, you've always wanted to run away from this town anyways. Now you've got nothing left to hold you back." He patted your head condescendingly before walking away.  

You stood by your car, waiting for everyone to leave your sight before turning and running away. A pair of doe eyes followed.

It's been years since you sat under the maple tree. While you used to sit under it and laugh, this time, you were crying. 

Seungcheol was right, there was nothing holding you back from leaving now. The only thing you cared about enough to keep you in this town was Joshua, but there's no way he'd ever want you back now. 

You sat in the shade, arms wrapped around your knees, head buried between them. You shoulders shook as you sobbed, your breath getting caught in your throat. It was then that you heard it. Music.

At first you thought it was your mind playing tricks on you. As if the ghost of memories past was lingering around the maple tree, playing back the music that used to bring you comfort. Then you heard the crunch of leaves under shoes. 

You looked up and your heart stuttered. Even the thick tears blurring your vision could never keep you from recognizing Joshua. He stood there in front of you, acoustic guitar hanging from his neck, his delicate fingers plucking at the strings. The sun formed a halo around his face from behind, and he looked as ethereal as ever. You dropped your head to your knees again, sobbing harder at the heartbreak and embarrassment you felt after seeing him. 

You felt some movement next to you, and suddenly, the air felt warmer, music louder. Joshua had sat next to you, leaning against the trunk of tree as he continued to play the guitar. For the next thirty minutes, Joshua was a steady presence next to you. He didn't stop playing until you turned to him, breathing finally evened out. You sniffled and rubbed at your swollen eyes while Joshua rummaged through his backpack. There was so much you wanted to say to him, but your throat choked up every time you tried.

Joshua handed you a pack of tissues and kindly looked away as you blew your nose and wiped your tears. "How can I help you?"

Despite it all, you couldn't help but let out a breathy laugh. Of course he didn't ask you something ridiculous like are you ok? or what's wrong? This was Joshua, who always knew the right thing to say. You think in a different circumstance, you would've felt endeared. 

"Are you sure you want to be seen sitting with me? I'm a liar and a snake after all," you looked down at your hands, chipping at the polish on your nails. 

Joshua considered you for a second. "Have you ever lied to me?"

Your eyes snapped towards him as you shook your head frantically. "Never!"

Joshua smiled, reaching out to pat your head. "Then yes, I want to be seen sitting with you. You were my first friend here Y/N. I'd never abandon you."

The whispers still followed you down the hallways, but you didn't care anymore. People called you names, said you were a bad person who used people to her advantage, but it didn't bother you. The students stared and pointed as you made your way to the maple tree that Friday. Your companion was waiting for you, guitar perched on his lap as he scribbled on some sheet music. 

Joshua looked up at you inquisitively, searching your face for something. When he found what he was looking for, he turned back to his guitar, playing an animated tune. You sat beside him and opened your notebook, working on your homework as Joshua played out your emotions for everyone who was eavesdropping.

She's happy, the chords announced. You couldn't help but smile, because he was right. For the first time since sophomore year, you truly felt happy again. 

Once again, you and Joshua fell back into your Friday afternoon routine. One Friday in mid-April, you sat under the maple tree alone. Usually Joshua was there before you, but for some reason, you beat him there this time.

You looked up as voices approached you, and you recognized the girl with Joshua as Minhye. Like always Minhye was a constant presence by Joshua's side and while the sight of them together made your heart clench with jealousy, you tried your best to will it away. After months without him, you were finally back to having Joshua as a friend. If that's the only way you could be with him in this lifetime, then so be it.

They stopped by the bench where the rest of Joshua's friends usually sat. Minhye quickly looked your way before turning back to Joshua. "So anyways, I just wanted to remind you about the scholarship audition. Don't forget to sign up for it."

Joshua nodded his assent before walking towards you. You gave him a quick smile as he sat down and unzipped his guitar case. 

"So...what was that about?" You asked, hesitantly. 

"Oh, it's nothing," he replied, quietly tuning the instrument in his lap. "The state university opened their scholarship portal for prospective music majors and Minhye was reminding me of the deadline."

You nodded, picking at the grass tickling your calves. "Ah, ok."

You paused. "Wait," you scrambled to your knees. "You got in??"

Joshua looked up at you, sheepishly, then nodded. 

You couldn't stop the squeal that made it's way out of your mouth. "Shua, oh my god! That's amazing." 

Before you could process your actions, you lunged at him, holding him tightly around his shoulders. The smell of fresh roses sent your heart racing again, and it wasn't until a few moments had passed that you realized Joshua wasn't hugging you back. 

You pulled away quickly and fell onto your butt, scooting back a bit for good measure. Joshua sat frozen, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. You on the other were apologizing profusely. 

"Joshua I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me, I-"

A warm hand took ahold of your forearm and yanked you back into Joshua's chest. This time, it was your turn to sit shock still as Joshua wrapped his arms around your waist. 

"Thank you," he whispered, his cool breath brushing past the shell of your ear. You felt a shiver run down your spine as you pulled away, looking every where but at Joshua. 

You listened intently as Joshua told you about the incredible music program the state school had to offer. You chanced a glance at him once, and it was probably one of the biggest mistakes you'd ever made. Joshua's eyes sparkled as if the galaxy was held in them. You steeled your resolve. You can't leave this town anymore, not if this is the only place Joshua wants to be. The scout from the state university would be at the championship game. You plan to impress her so much she'll sign that scholarship check then and there, even if it kills you.

It was the night of the state championship game, and for the first time since junior year, you dreaded going. You expected it all, the glares from the students, the whispers from your teammates, the mocking laughter from the football players, but it didn't hurt any less. Still, you led the cheers and did the stunts that were muscle memory by now. 

Your school won and you watched wistfully as your peers rushed the field. The football players lifted their teammates onto their shoulders while everyone hugged and cheered. That was you once before. Now, you walked towards your bag with your head hung, hoping to quickly put away all of your equipment and leave the field before drawing any attention. Unfortunately for you, you were still one of the most talented cheerleaders in the state, and you were still in the running for some major scholarships. 

"Y/N L/N!" You heard your name being called from behind. You turned to face the flock of news reporters, microphones thrusted in your direction. You were asked an endless amount of questions on the game, the upcoming cheer competitions and your thoughts on college. Like you were trained to by your coach, you answered them all professionally, without giving too much away. 

"You know Y/N," a male reporter began, "Word on the field is that you are Lakeside High's own Miss Americana." 

You tilted your head to the side. "Miss Americana?" You asked with a fake smile. 

The reporter laughed, "No need to act so coy Y/N! Miss Americana, the encapsulation of all things good. You're the perfect student: beautiful, smart, talented. What's it like, to be the very thing everyone wishes they could be?"

The microphones were pushed closer to you, everyone curious about your answer. You fisted your hands into the straps of your duffel to alleviate your anxiety, while you kept the pageant smile plastered on your face. 

"Um...well-"

You felt your body get jerked to the side as a heavy arm threw itself across your shoulder. "I should've know it was Y/N hogging all the reporters," Seungcheol joked. "I was waiting so patiently to be interviewed on my winning touchdown." He mock pouted at the cameras, effectively charming the reporters. It took everything in you not to roll your eyes and throw Seungcheol off of you. 

"We were just asking Y/N what it's like to be Miss Americana," the first reporter told Seungcheol. You froze, afraid of how he'd respond. 

Seungcheol pulled you closer to his side, flashing you his infamous dimpled smile. "She's perfect isn't she? They say humans are flawed, but you'd think she's an exception to the rule."

Seungcheol turned back to the reporters while you continued to look at him, bewildered. Why is he suddenly being so nice to you, as if he hasn't been spreading malicious rumors about you all week.

All of a sudden, you noticed his gaze shift towards someone at the back of the group. His smile turned into a smirk. The reporters may not have noticed the shift, but you did. Your heart began to race when you followed his line of sight and saw the scout from your state college. She was looking at you with a smile, and you started to feel giddy. 

She was here to offer you a scholarship, she had to be. If you committed to the university then you'd be close enough to see your family often, to see Joshua often. Finally, it felt like things were falling into place.

Seungcheol let out a theatric sigh, "Too bad our school's sweetheart is going to leave us soon."

Your eyes widened, and you accidentally let your facade slip. Murmurs of confusion rippled through the group in front of you. 

No, no, no. Please don't say it, please-

"Y/N's biggest dream is to leave this little town and go live in a big city on the coast. She's a free spirit," Seungcheol moved his arm from your shoulder to grab a hold of your hand with both of his. "While we'll all miss her, we know we have to let her go so she can thrive. I just hope she doesn't forget us out there in the big leagues."

His eyes flashed to yours, triumph gleaming in his eyes. While the reporters all gasped and started bombarding you with questions, you looked around desperately for the scout. It was too late though. She had already left to go talk to another senior on your team. 

All of those cameras taking photos and videos of you, but not a single one caught the cries you muffled inside as you lost your last chance to be with Joshua Hong.

You didn't have to wait until Friday to see Joshua this time because he came to find you at lunch the following Monday. 

"Hey Y/N!" he sat down in the seat across from you. The cafeteria was full of students, but you had the table all to yourself. You supposed that's what happens when you become public enemy #1. 

"Dani has been running her mouth all over school about how the scout from the state university offered her a full ride," Joshua rolled his eyes, something he seemed to have picked up from you. "Was anyone from UCLA there?" He sounded hopeful. 

You were a little thankful that he seemed to care so much about your future. Lord knows you've given up. It didn't matter where you ended up anymore, not if it meant you'd have to leave Joshua behind. 

You shrugged, "Not that I know of." You pushed around the salad on your plate with a fork. 

Joshua nodded solemnly, staring at your plate. 

"Shua?" He looked up at you, eyebrows raised in question. "Did you apply anywhere else, besides the state school?"

He blinked. "Why?"

You sighed, a bit disappointed. "No reason. Hey, I have to go, I forgot I have to print something for class." You quickly grabbed all of your things before turning towards Joshua. "I'll see you Friday?"

He looked like he was going to say something, but you had already turned and walked away. 

It was the Friday before prom. You sat under the maple tree, waiting for Joshua to join you. You watched as his group walked through the courtyard, when a girl stopped them to get Joshua's attention. While he split away from them to speak to her, the rest of Joshua's friends moved to their bench. When you made eye contact with Minhye, you gave her a cordial smile, which she took as an invitation to approach you. 

"Hi Y/N," she greeted you kindly.

"Hi Minhye, how are you?" You watched as she sat in front you, tucking her legs underneath her as she smoothed out her skirt. 

"I'm fine, thank you for asking!" You glanced over her shoulder as she spoke, distracted by the interaction between the girl on volleyball team and Joshua. "Looks like he's turning her down too," Minhye commented, when she noticed where your gaze was directed. 

You nodded, silently, hoping the relief wasn't too evident on your face. You played with your bracelet, feeling awkward as Minhye studied you. 

"Are you going to prom tomorrow?" She asked after a moment of silence. 

You shrugged, "I'm not sure yet. I don't really have anyone to go with." A part of you was afraid you'd be met with pity when you made eye contact with Minhye. Instead, you were pleasantly surprised when she simply nodded in understanding. 

"If you do decide to go, Hansol, Jihoon and Soonyoung will be there. They'll definitely keep you company if you'd like," she smiled reassuringly. It was just as you feared. You couldn't dislike Minhye no matter how hard you tried. She was refined, thoughtful, and clearly very talented. No wonder Joshua liked her. 

"You're not going?" you asked, genuinely curious. 

Minhye sighed in disappointment. "I can't, the Dean of Fine and Performing Arts from the state university is coming tomorrow to hold scholarship auditions. Mine is at 8 pm and Josh goes at 8:30, so he can't go either."

You're not sure why your heart clenched in pain. It wouldn't have mattered whether Joshua went or not, it wasn't like he was going to go with you. Still, whatever small flame of hope you had in you that Joshua might ask you to the dance was finally snuffed out. There was a sudden chill in the air around you. 

You plastered on a smile as you looked at Minhye. "Good luck for tomorrow then. You won't need it though. I've watched you perform. They'd be at a loss if they pass you up as a student."

You brushed away the curl that fell into your face as Minhye grinned at you. "Thanks!" A burst of laughter caught both of your attention as your turned towards the bench where Joshua had joined his friends. 

"You know Y/N," Minhye turned back you, speaking in hushed tones. "I used to think it was so cold sitting under this tree. I never understood why Josh insisted on sitting here every week, even if he was by himself." She stood up, brushing the dirt off her clothes. "I get it now," she dropped a wink in your direction. 

By now, Joshua had joined you both, setting his things down as he greeted you. "What do you get now?"

"Oh nothing," Minhye smiled cryptically. "It's kinda warm under the tree today, isn't it Josh?"

He hummed thoughtfully. "Yeah, I guess it is."

As you laid in bed that night, you thought back to the conversation you had with Joshua after Minhye left. 

"What was she talking to you about?" Joshua questioned, skeptically. 

"She was just asking me if I was going to go to prom," you answered, rummaging through your bag for a calculator. 

Joshua wordlessly handed you his own before asking, "Are you? Going, I mean."

You shook your head. "Nah, I might pass."

Joshua's eyes widened in shock. "Why not? You've been looking forward to this since your mom gave you her old dress for your 15th birthday!"

Your mouth dropped open as your heart fluttered in your chest. You couldn't believe he'd remembered that small detail you'd shared with him one day years ago in practice room B. 

You turned your head away, hoping your hair would hide your red cheeks from him. "Yeah but I don't have friends to go with anymore. Minhye said your other friends would keep me company but I don't want to submit them to the life of being friends with a social pariah"

Joshua began to speak but you interrupted. "I know what you're going to say. You're going to say that I shouldn't let what everyone else thinks about me stop me from doing what I want." He snapped his mouth shut, shoulders slumped as a sign that you were right. "But, it's exhausting Shua. To pretend it doesn't bother me. Prom is the only other big social event we have left, besides graduation. I'd rather just skip it and lay low."

He watched you for a moment as you scribbled equations in your notebook. Then, he slammed his binder shut, causing your jump and streak your pen across the paper. Joshua turned to completely face you before grabbing ahold of your shoulders. 

"Y/N, you've spent the entirety of this semester avoiding everyone but me because you wanted to avoid being the center of attention. Yet, you were all anyone ever talked about anyways. I know it's a cringe nickname that you hate but you're our school's Miss Americana for a reason. Seungcheol spread those nasty rumors because he couldn't have what he wanted, you. Dani has been telling anything with a pulse about her full ride because she thinks she took it away from you. People want what's yours because they envy you. Use it." 

You were so fascinated by Joshua that you couldn't look away. His eyes were wide, alight with a mixture of emotions you couldn't quite place. You'd only ever seen him so passionate like this with one other thing: music. He was looking at you the way he did when he played music. 

It was like the whole world melted away. You couldn't hear anything but Joshua, see anything but Joshua. You felt like you were falling in love with him all over again.

A knock at your door startled you out of your reverie. 

"Hi sweetheart," your mom poked her head into your room. "I just wanted to say good night!"

You scrambled out of bed. "Mom!" She came back into your room, alarmed by your agitation. 

"Remember your old prom dress?"

A smile started to slowly take over your mom's face. "The one you said you didn't need anymore because you weren't going to prom."

You nodded, blushing as you thought back to Joshua's speech. "Can you bring it back out?"

It was seven o'clock at night when you stood outside the convention center, goosebumps erupting on your skin from both the wind chill and nerves. 

They envy you. Use it.  

Joshua's voice echoed in your mind as you willed up the courage to step inside. You looked down at your phone, quickly sending a text to the boy.

I'm at prom. I hope you're right about this. And good luck with your audition. You'll kill it.

With one last deep breath, you made your way to the ballroom. The music was loud, the bass vibrating the ground beneath your feet. Still, it was deafening, the way people began to whisper, a ripple of silence making its way through the room as your classmates began to notice that you had shown up after all.  

You considered tucking your tail between your legs and running back home. You were only confident when you were with Joshua, you should've known this was a bad idea from the start. Suddenly, a hand grabbed your wrist. You jumped and turned, yanking your hand away. 

"Woah, it's just me!" Hansol held both his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to startle you."

You placed a hand to your chest as you caught your breath. "No I'm sorry, I guess I'm a bit jumpy." You nodded hello to Jihoon and Soonyoung, who both gave you kind smiles. 

"C'mon you can sit with us," Soonyoung said as he led you to one of the tables lining the side of the room. "You're a little late for appetizers but Jihoon grabbed an extra plate for you just in case you decided to show up. Here, eat!"

A small paper plate with some french fries and a cookie was placed in front of the empty chair that you guessed was yours. Your heart swelled at the boys' kindness, but you were also a bit worried. Everyone was still staring, except now, they were looking at the boys too. 

"Don't worry," Jihoon leaned in and whispered. "Any friend of Josh's is a friend of ours." You looked at the three faces who were smiling sweetly at you as you sat down. You hoped your own smile conveyed the gratitude you were unable to put into words. You sat with your back towards the dance floor. Maybe this was also planned by the boys, to keep your face hidden from the others and their faces hidden from you. 

They boys conversed with each other as you sat and listened, adding your own comments when they included you. When the music changed, Soonyoung shot to his feet. "I love this song, let's dance!"

You giggled at the pure joy in his face. That was until he grabbed your hand instead of Hansol's or Jihoon's. "Let's go, please!" he begged, bouncing on the balls of his feet. You looked at the other boys for help but they just snickered, amused at the scene. 

"There's no way he'll let you go now Y/N, you have no choice but to dance with us," Hansol called as he walked away with Jihoon. You surrender to Soonyoung's pleading, allowing him to drag you to the dance floor. You feigned annoyance, but secretly, you were glad the boys pushed you to dance with them. You finally felt you were enjoying the night. 

About an hour later, it was time to announce Prom King and Queen. Everyone returned to their tables and you applauded kindly as the couples who were voted for Prom Court walked down the dance floor to the stage. When you saw Seungcheol and Dani walk by, you sighed. There was a time, when you were a child, that you imagined you'd be Prom Queen, like your mom. Then, there was a time, after you'd met Joshua, that you imagined you'd be Prom Queen, and he'd be Prom King. It was just a fantasy though, and fantasies are just that: an imagination about something that's impossible to make true. 

To no one's surprise, Seungcheol and Dani were voted King and Queen, and they basked in the attention as everyone cooed during their slow dance. When it was time for all the couples the join, a few girls approached your table, asking the boys if they'd like to dance. Your three companions turned to you, eyes big and hopeful. It was clear that while they didn't want to leave you alone, they wanted to dance with these girls. 

"Go ahead," you gave them your signature (fake) smile. "I'll be fine!"

Soonyoung didn't look so convinced. "Are you sure?"

"We'll stay here with you if you want, just say the word!" Hansol added.

"If you'd like, we can dance with you instead," Jihoon nodded in agreement.

You tried to ignore the glare the girls shot you after that last comment. "Seriously you guys, I'm fine, go!" You waved them away, the smile staying on your face until they were out of your sight. You watched wistfully as everyone but you danced under the glittering chandelier. After two slow songs played in a row, and a third one started, you huffed. You took this as a sign that it's time for you to go home. You had just risen from your seat when the people on the dance floor began to gasp and turn to stare at the door to the ballroom. You tried to peek over the crowd but you couldn't see anything. 

"What's going on?" you muttered to yourself, as you walked towards the crowd. The gasps began to turn into whispers of a name.

Is that Joshua? What's he doing here? I can't believe Joshua came.

Your heart began to pick up speed absurdly in hopes that you heard right, that Joshua was here. 

Your brain began to scold your heart to be reasonable, Joshua is at his audition, why would he be here?

The students in front of you began to step to the side, and when you were finally able to see what was going on, you were astonished. There, standing on the other side of the room was Joshua. Your Joshua. 

Your feet were rooted to the ground, unable to move as you stared in pure shock. Joshua was here. Alone. Walking towards you.

When he got close enough, when you caught the scent of roses wafting from his skin, you reached out and slapped his arm.

"Ow!" Joshua looked at you, betrayed. He rubbed at his bicep. "What was that for?" 

"What are you doing here?" you hissed, completely oblivious to the onlookers around you. "Don't you have an audition at 8:30?"

Joshua simply nodded. "I do."

You looked down at the watch on his wrist. "It's 8:20, why are you here and not there?"

You stared, dumbfounded as he shrugged, nonchalantly. "I realized that it's more important for me to be here. With you." He was looking at you with the same smile he gave you the day you first met. The one that made you fall in love with him. The one that meant don't worry, you have nothing to be worried about. It was carefree, brilliant, beautiful.

You were at a loss for words, completely mesmerized by the boy standing in front of you. Your mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. Joshua laughed endearingly, reaching out to tuck a curl behind your ear, before cupping your cheek.

"How long have you loved me?"

This snapped you out of your trance. You jerked back as a strangled noise escaped your throat, but Joshua reached out with his other hand and gripped your upper arm, holding you close to him.

"How long have you loved me Y/N?" he whispered, so softly you were sure no one else could hear but you, despite the pin drop silence that engulfed the whole room. "Because I've loved you since my first day here."

Your heart stopped beating. Your brain stopped thinking. Everything stopped. It was like the world froze, and only you and Joshua existed in it. 

"I should've told you from the start but you dreamt of leaving this town, I didn't want to hold you back. I was afraid that if I told you I loved you, then I would've also asked you to stay, and I couldn't let myself be the one thing that stood in the way of your happiness."

By now, Joshua's hands were holding yours, and he began to speak louder, as if he wanted everyone in the room to hear what he had to say. "So I pulled away from you. I thought that if I distanced myself from you, then the feelings would go away. Except they didn't. I still loved you, and it was a steady sort of love, one that didn't waver whether you were with me or if you were gone. I found comfort in that, knowing that I'd still love you, even if you left me behind some day."

You choked on a sob, remembering when you'd told yourself the same thing. That you'd always love Joshua, even if you left this town, with him in it. 

Joshua let out a breathy laugh, wiping your tears away with his thumb. "I didn't go through with my audition because I don't want to be here without you. You asked me once why someone would want to move to middle of nowhere America and leave all their friends behind. My answer is you. If I had known back then that I'd find someone like you in the middle of nowhere America," you couldn't help but laugh as you cried harder. "I'd leave LA all over again. In a heartbeat."

You reached up to hold Joshua's shoulders and pressed your forehead to his. "You have a flair for the dramatics, who would've guessed," you teased, and he laughed, holding your face in his hands so delicately, you felt precious. 

"I'm confessing to Y/N L/N, the town sweetheart, I couldn't be boring."

You smiled so wide, the way you do only when you're with Joshua. "I've loved you since I first met you, and I've been dying for you to kiss me ever since."

"Thank God," Joshua sighed in relief. "I'm tired of waiting."

When he leaned it to kiss you, it felt like you could finally breathe again. It wasn't explosive or dramatic. It was steady and warm, just like Joshua. His lips felt like silk against yours, his eyelashes tickling your skin as they brushed against your cheek. The sweet scent of roses engulfed you, and you felt your body relax into Joshua's chest. His grip tightened around your waist, causing your breath to hitch. Joshua pulled away slightly, gently bumping your nose with his as you opened your eyes to look at him.

You vaguely hear voices around you, but it doesn't register that you kissed Joshua in front of the entire senior class until Soonyoung whoops "Finally!"

You pull away and look around at all the faces staring back at you. Most of them were shocked, some of them were accepting, and a few were fond (Hansol, Jihoon and Minhye, who must've come with Joshua after her audition). Seungcheol and Dani looked at you with a mix of defeat and anger, and for the first time in a while, you didn't care. 

You look back at Joshua proudly, who smiled at you knowingly. "It's just you and me."

The music started up again, and while everyone around you started to dance, you stood there in Joshua's arms. People still whispered about you, but you didn't care. Right now, your whole world was just Joshua, and nothing else around you seemed to matter anymore.

"Babe, c'mon!" More knocks sounded on the door to your dorm room. "We're going to miss our flight!"

You opened the door to your loving boyfriend, who at the moment, was scowling at you. "I called you thirty minutes ago to tell you I was on my way. What happened?"

You rolled your eyes, "Shua you should be proud of me. I packed all my stuff in under thirty minutes." You brandished your arms wide, showing off your neatly packed luggage.

You felt a bit guilty for riling your boyfriend up on purpose, but you thought it was incredibly endearing how big his eyes and smile got when he got upset. "I can't belie-"

You cut him off with a quick kiss, pulling away with a big smile. It was physically visible, the way he melted when you looked at him like that. "It's just a one year reunion Shua." You say as you pass him your bags. "If you ask me, it's way too soon to 'get back in touch' with the people who made my life a living hell last year."

Joshua shot you an amused look before reaching out to tug on one of your curls. "Really? Because I think you're secretly dying to show off your new life in Los Angeles, and how you're so much better off."

You shot him look of fake annoyance. "I hate how well you can read me."

"No you don't!" he sing-songs back, walking down the hallway towards the elevator with your luggage. 

You turn to grab your keys off the wall hook, eyes catching on the photo above it. Preserved in a simple black frame is a page from your senior yearbook. Written under a candid picture of you and Joshua sitting under your maple tree are the words 

Most likely to run away together: Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince. 

[ultrawesmess]

Amphibia AU where Anne notices Andrias attempting to attack Marcy, her powers flare back up long enough her to push Marcy out of the way and into the portal, taking the blow for her while Marcy and the Plantars are warped back to Los Angeles.

• Before the portal warps Marcy back instead of the "I-I'm sorry... for everything." that Marcy gives, Anne tries to comfort Marcy, saying "D-Don't worry, M-Mar-Mar... I probably w-would have done the s-same if I had to be separated from y-y-you and Sash...".

• While back in Willow Brooke, Marcy can't bare to confront her parents so she decides to stay with the Boonchuys. Obviously, after she explains why she ran away and her need to get everyone back home, they let her and the Plantars stay as long as they need. Marcy tells them about Amphibia but, like Anne, leaves out the parts about the evil king....... and the fact that she saw their daughter get stabbed through the torso and possibly die... instead she lies that Anne is still perfectly fine back in Wartwood.

• Marcy is more angsty about this whole thing than Anne appeared to be in canon. Made even worse by the fact that every time she sees the people she now lives with, she is reminded that her cowardice cost them the most important person in their families. She also finds being the only one of her friends to make it back to the place that she tried so hard to run away from as a form of twisted irony. A cosmic punishment for tampering with a mystical artifact that was far beyond her understanding, leading to her friends and their loved ones paying the price for it.

•A lot of the same plot beats still happen such as Fight at the Museum, Fixing Frobo, If You Give A Frog A Cookie, and Mr. X but episodes such as Thai Feud and Temple Frogs don't due to Marcy obviously not having the same familial bonds as Anne and Adventures in Catsitting due to The Boonchuys being unable to schedule a dentist's appointment for a child that is not under their legal guardianship.

• Marcy wears her blue Newtopian cloak even with her casual clothing just in case she sees her parents and needs to hide her face from them under her hood so they don't recognize her. (There is a running gag through season 3 where she has to make sure she doesn't stand under any sprinklers in case her cloak spontaneously combusts.)

• Back in Amphibia, The Core, now no longer having Marcy, decides to take Anne. Now calling themself Dianne, they use Anne not for her mind... but instead for her power and to use it for it's namesake.............. to bring about Calamity.

• Andrias still sends out the Assassin bot to Willow Brooke to kill Marcy and the Plantars in order to tie up any loose ends in his plans.

• Marcy's Calamity powers awaken while protecting the Plantars in the Supermarket and finds that her powers allow her to use magic though the use of any staff-like object. In this case, a metal pipe in the storage freezer that she was going to use to bash in the robot's head, and summons a blast of energy that sends the Assassin bot packing. Marcy later buys a foldable walking staff from a drug store and carries it around in her satchel in case of "Magical Girl emergencies" as she calls them. (Her powers are an homage to Matt's original idea for Marcy to be a sorceress.)

• In this version of Anne-sterminator, it's laundry day and since Marcy can't go back to her house to grab clean clothes, she has to wear some of Anne's, namely her iconic St. James Middle School uniform. When the Assassin bot comes to kill Marcy, it sees Marcy in Anne's clothes and gets confused allowing everyone time to escape. In the junkyard, Marcy whips out her staff and uses her Calamity powers to cast an Anti-gravity spell on the Assassin bot, launching it into orbit where it's bomb detonates. Marcy finally has to come clean about Andrias and what happened to Anne. While the Boonchuys are devastated about Anne, they know that Anne would have wanted to get the Plantars and Sasha back home and use that as motivation to keep going.

• While in The Core, Anne's Fantasy world is one where Amphibia and Earth are merged into one. (A tongue in cheek mocking of Star vs' ending) She gets sus when she notices everyone acting off. When Anne calls bull on the whole thing, The Core leaves her in the darkness with only the light of her phone containing her real memories to keep her company.

• During The Core's invasion, Dianne uses Anne's Calamity powers in their fight against Sasha making it far more of a brutal beat-down than a proper 1v1. When Grime sacrifices himself, it causes Sasha's Calamity powers to awaken, making it a fair fight.

• While battling Andrias, when Marcy starts running low on Calamity juice, Andrias starts mocking her. Telling her that "If she wants to, he'll gladly let her use the music box to take her to another world where she can run away from her problems.... again." and this, along with the Boonchuys playing "As If It's Your Last" by Blackpink over the city's loudspeakers to remind Marcy that she's doing all this for Anne leads to an epic tear filled "I'm... Done... Running..." as she twirls her staff around, her powers flare back up, and she gets her second wind.

[hrtbrkrz]

❤︎₊ ⊹ // ... Kaleina Jung, born Jung Kyung-ja (Korean: 정경자, born May 4, 2000) and mononymously known as Kaleina (Korean: 칼레이나) is a Korean-American singer-songwriter, actress, producer, and model. Making her debut in Krush as the group's leader in 2017, Jung has gone on to become one of Korea's most popular idols. She is portrayed by Kim Jung-eun.

Kaleina Jung was born on May 4, 2000 in Busan, South Korea. Coming from a well-off family, both of her parents work as businesspeople. Her father is the executive of a financial company based in Busan, while her mother–Jung Kyung-hwa (also known as Eleanor Jung)–is the global creative director of Vogue magazine, a position which she assumed in 2003, a shareholder of Condé Nast, author, socialite, fashion blogger, and former model. She formerly held the position of editor-in-chief of Céci, a fashion magazine based in South Korea. Jung's maternal grandfather is the founder of a publishing company.

Jung has one older sibling, a sister named Kayda Jung (also known as Jung Ki-yeon). Kayda is a member of South Korean girl group Girls' Generation, of which she made her debut in 2007. She's also a solo artist, actress, and businesswoman, as she founded her fashion label–Passion by Kiyeon–in 2016.

Jung and her family moved to the United States in 2002, shortly after her second birthday, and they briefly resided in Neuilly-sur-Seine in Paris before arriving in New York. Two years later, at the age of four, she began dancing as a child due to her sister's influence, starting off in jazz dance classes. She began competing at the age of six, winning titles both in and out of school. In addition to dancing, Jung also took up acting in 2006, appearing in a few minor or supporting roles in various productions. Her sister briefly worked as an actress, as well, usually appearing alongside Jung before she moved back to Korea to begin training. Their roles in the film Trip to the Clouds (2006) had critics positioning them as "the next Dakota and Elle Fanning."

Jung attended school in Manhattan and was about to enter middle school when she decided to audition for entertainment companies in Korea in 2010. She first auditioned for YG and JYP Entertainment, and made it into both, but backed out due to nerves. Jung continued acting on occasion whilst living in Korea, and she was eventually scouted off the street by BigHit Entertainment (now BigHit Music). She would later be accepted into the company as a trainee, becoming one of its youngest.

As a child, Jung took horseback riding lessons. She's fluent in Japanese and speaks decent Chinese, and she also learned French while in middle school. While training, she attended Hanlim Arts School alongside her future bandmates, Aeri Yamamoto and Kim Chan-hee.

Prior to moving back to Korea, Jung and her family lived on 740 Park Avenue, known as one of the "most prestigious and luxurious" addresses in New York City. Jung's parents still reside there, and the family also owns vacation homes in the Hamptons and Aspen, Colorado, as well as a home in Los Angeles.

2010–2016: Career beginnings and Produce 101

While training at BigHit, Jung frequently appeared in the music videos of other artists such as Glam, Miss A, Got7, BTS, and Girls' Generation. She also continued acting in small roles, and began modeling, appearing in various CFs and campaigns for brands such as Smart Uniform. In 2013, she was a backup dancer for a few of Glam's performances. She made an appearance in the drama Dream High 2 (2012), and her larger role in The Producers (2015) garnered her significant attention, as netizens began to notice her similarities to Jung Ki-yeon. Jung saw more attention after a clip from a behind the scenes video of Girls' Generation's "I Got a Boy" (of which Jung appeared in) resurfaced, showing Ki-yeon talking about her sister. Afterwards, Jung was dubbed "SoShi's little sister."

In 2014, Kim Da-hee–a member of Glam–was caught in a blackmail scandal and sentenced to jail. As a result, almost all of BigHit's female trainees were sent to other companies such as Source Music, Banana Culture, or JYP Entertainment. Jung herself was also transferred to the latter, but BigHit suddenly retracted their decision, keeping Jung under the company in hopes of debuting another girl group sometime in 2015.

The group was meant to be in collaboration with Source Music, but as the company had debuted GFriend that year, they left all rights to the potential group to BigHit. As a result, the group's debut was postponed to 2016.

In late 2015, Jung was sent to compete in the survival show Produce 101 by BigHit, alongside Aeri Yamamoto. Jung and Yamamoto's appearances on the show were meant to peak public interest. Jung saw a large amount of popularity whilst on the show and was renowned for her dance skills, garnering a ranking as high as two and earning the nickname "BigHit's Secret Weapon." She was chosen as the center of the show's theme song–"Pick Me"–and made it to the finals round, but was eliminated in the final episode, one place short of the final lineup.

2017–2020: Debut in Krush

Jung garnered a large fanbase on Produce 101, all of which were expecting her debut following the show's conclusion. BigHit postponed their girl group's debut for another year, looking to add another trainee. In the meantime, Jung would offer background vocals on and assist in the songwriting of various BTS tracks, such as some of the solo tracks of the members on their 2016 album, Wings. She also offered a verse on a track from J-Hope's debut mixtape, Hope World (2018), as well as background vocals on other tracks.

In 2017, right before Krush's debut, Jung appeared in BTS' "Love Yourself: Highlight Reel." Around the same time, she adopted her English name–Kaleina–as her stage name.

In September 2017, Kaleina was revealed as the first member and leader of BigHit's first girl group in five years, Krush. On October 1, 2017, the group debuted with the track "Classy," off of their debut extended play (EP), Crushin' It.

Kaleina is Krush's leader, main rapper, main dancer, sub-vocalist, face of the group, and center.

2021–present: Solo debut, acting roles, and commercial success

In 2021, four years after Krush's debut, Kaleina made her solo debut with the EP Cobra. Released in January 15, 2021, it was released in tandem with her debut single, "Cobra." The album debuted atop the Gaon (now Circle) Albums Chart, and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It sold over 1.4 million copies within its first week, making Kaleina the fastest selling solo artist of 2021, and BigHit's most successful female soloist. As of 2024, it has sold almost 4 million copies.

"Cobra" debuted atop the Gaon Singles Chart, selling over 300,000 digital units within its first week. It was one of the most popular songs in South Korea by the end of the year, selling over 2.6 million digital units in the country. It also became her first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. As a result, Kaleina was awarded Best K-Pop at the MTV Video Music Awards, Best Female Artist at the 2021 Mnet Asian Music Awards, and was nominated for Song of the Year at the same ceremony. At the 2022 Golden Disc Awards, she won the Rookie Artist Award.

Kaleina's solo debut set the precedent for the solo debuts of the remaining Krush's members, and her debut album remains the most critically acclaimed release out of all of them.

Kaleina's debut leading role came in 2019, as she was cast as Go Hae-ri in the drama Vagabond. That same year, she also appeared in Hotel del Luna. She starred in the Netflix drama, Poison, in 2020 and had a supporting role in the drama Itaewon Class. For her role in the former, Kaleina won the Best New Actress award at the KBS Drama Awards.

In 2021, Kaleina had a supporting role in the Netflix drama Squid Game, playing Noh Gyu-ri, a college student from an impoverished family. Gyu-ri struggles with an inferiority complex and attends Korea University on a scholarship, and enters the games in order to support her family and fit into the upper class social circles of her school. Kaleina's character became one of the drama's most popular characters among fans, and for her role, she was nominated for the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series award at the 28th Screen Actors' Guild Awards, and won the Best New Actress award at the Baeksang Arts' Awards. Since then, Kaleina has starred numerous productions such as the film Summer Story (2022), and the dramas Doona!, Bloodhounds (both 2023), What Comes After Love, the queer film Chaser (both 2024), the drama Persona, and the second season of The White Lotus (both 2025).

Kaleina is openly bisexual, and has been since 2019. She came out during one of Krush's concerts in Los Angeles that year, and later talked about her sexuality in further detail during an interview with Marie Claire magazine.

In the interview, she stated, "I've felt an attraction towards both men and women for as long as I can remember. It must've been fifteen, at least. I wanted to 'come out' in a public setting such as our concert because I don't see my sexuality as something that needs to be hidden or suppressed, even though I'm an idol with a so-called 'image.' I wish people like me didn't have to 'come out' in the first place, but unfortunately, that's just how it is."

In February 2021, it was revealed by Dispatch that Kaleina was in a relationship with an unspecified female choreographer, which exacerbated widespread, years-long "controversy" that began in 2019, of which her mother and sister had to defend her from. A month later, news broke that she was in a relationship with dancer, choreographer, and dance teacher Yoon Seo-yeon, also known as Sienna Yoon. Famously, Yoon happens to be Krush's longtime choreographer, a creative director for The Black Label, and a former idol, who was active as a member of the girl group Queen from 2012 until 2014. The group was under CSJ Entertainment's subsidiary, Verse Creative. Yoon was active as a solo artist from 2015 until 2016, deciding to retire from music to pursue a career as a professional dancer and choreographer.

Kaleina and Yoon suddenly broke up in 2022, and Kaleina entered a relationship with Stray Kids member Felix. They dated for a year, breaking up in April 2023. Afterwards, she got back together with Yoon. As of 2024, they own an apartment and live together in Seoul. Recently, Kaleina has revealed that she had been in various, short-term relationships with both men and women in between 2020 and 2022.

In 2019, Kaleina became a global ambassador for the luxury fashion house Saint Laurent. The brand's creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, stated on his choosing of Kaleina as a Saint Laurent ambassador, "Kaleina has a distinct 'cool girl' image and rockstar flair, which aligns with Saint Laurent's vision. Additionally, she has an eye for fashion that you cannot find in anyone else, courtesy of her mother, who is a known style icon in her own right." Kaleina shot her first pictorial for the brand in March 2019, in collaboration with W magazine.

Shortly after, Kaleina was named the muse of YSL Beauty. In 2020, she was named as the face of Hera, a luxury beauty brand based in South Korea. That same year, she became a spokesmodel for the Korean sunglasses brand Gentle Monster. In 2021, Kaleina released a lipstick in partnership with Hera, named "Leina Red." The lipstick sold out within a day.

In 2021, Kaleina saw a huge uptick in endorsements. Shortly after her solo debut, she became the advertisement model for SeoulCeuticals Vitamin C serum. She was featured in various CFs for the Japanese luxury skincare brand SK-II, and became a model for the British swimwear brand Hunza G. In September 2021, she became a global ambassador for the luxury automobile manufacturer Porsche.

In 2022, Kaleina became the global ambassador of Bvlgari and Calvin Klein, starring in the Spring 2022 and Fall 2023 campaigns of the latter. She briefly served as a fashion editor for Vogue Korea, contributing to the September 2022 and January 2023 issues. In May 2024, shortly before her twenty-fourth birthday, Kaleina released a limited edition cosmetics line in partnership with YSL Beauty.

In 2023, Kaleina made her solo Met Gala debut wearing custom Saint Laurent, after previously attending the 2021 event with the rest of Krush. She's also modeled for and walked the runways of various designers, such as Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Burberry, Celine (of which she is also a muse), Bottega Veneta, Jacquemus, Prada, Rodarte, Mugler, and Vivienne Westwood. She has the most solo magazine covers out of Krush, appearing on the covers of Vogue Korea, Vogue Italia, W, Harper's Bazaar Korea, Marie Claire, V, Interview, and CR Fashion Book.

Kaleina has done the most fashion-related activities out of any member of Krush, and she is widely considered to be a fashion icon.

format entirely inspired by myah aka @venusvity ! ♡

[idontplaytrack]

love how ur carrying the janis smut game so much can you pretty please bless us with a cheerleader!reader and a needy!top!janis? R gets out of practice or a game and seeing her in her h form just drives Janis absolutely fucking wild. (Side note, my hc is that Janis is pussydrunk af like there is no way that girl likes anything more than eating pussy)

LMAOOO I’ve never written this much smut in my life before I started Tumblr but I’m glad to be of service💀 I agree with your hc LOL- this fic is pure filth😭😵‍💫

✧ Heaven Lost An Angel

Janis ‘Imi’ike x cheerleader! fem reader

Warnings: MDNI, smut. kissing, oral, fingering, hickeys, multiple orgasms, overstimulation & first time squirting(all reader receiving)

Towards the end of practice, you saw someone walk into the gym and sat themselves down on the bleachers. You took a second look- it was Janis. It wasn’t unexpected that she was here, just…uncommon. She usually wouldn’t be here since she just didn’t like being around the other cheerleaders. But if you were to ask her to wait for you to be done with practice, she would do so in a heartbeat. Twenty minutes later, the coach lets you all go. You said bye to your teammates while walking up to Janis, who smooches you on the cheek. You smiled, but she kept kissing you. They stopped being innocent when you felt her hold on you- possessive. You laughed, “What do you want?”

“Seeing you in your uniform is why I don’t come by and wait that often.” Janis whispers, nibbling on your earlobe, “Drives me insane seeing you in that and tumbling across the mats.”

“Really?” While making your way out of the school, you stopped by your locker, purely to look her in the eye, “You can’t stand cheerleaders but you like me in the uniform?”

“Because I love you and you’re my girlfriend.” She pointed out, a grin plastered on her face as she brushes the stray hairs out of your eye, “You always look good. But this, is just so…fucking hot.” Janis presses a kiss to your lips, cupping your cheek. And she pulled away, she was biting on your lower lip, leaving you just a little bewildered by how she was behaving.

“Seriously? You’re ho-”

“How obvious do you want me to be?” With a protective arm snaked around your waist, you led her to your car. She got into the front passenger seat with you while you drove. Or tried to. Her hand was quickly under your skirt and trying to tease you. “Babe, can you wait till I can park the car somewhere at least?” You squirmed in your seat, “Away from the school? Do you want me to crash my car?”

She stops, leaving her hand on your thigh. You managed to drive all the way home, which was the best option given that no one was home for the rest of the week. Your family’s just flew to Italy for a trip, leaving you alone in Illinois. Typically, you’d grumble. But tonight, absolutely not.

“No one’s home, baby?” Janis asked, her hand squeezing your thigh as you pulled the keys out of the ignition.

“Nobody’s home.” You confirmed.

“Fuck, yes.” Janis cheered, pulling you in for another kiss before the two of you got out of the car. Once the front door was shut and locked, Janis hoisted you up and rushed up the stairs to your room. Single handedly shutting your door, she starts to make out with you while you were pushed up against the door with a thud. Her eagerness made you laugh, “Bit needy tonight, are we?”

“Well, who gave you the permission to look so damn hot?” Her breath fanned against your face, then her lips began to trail down your jaw and neck, sucking the skin and leaving marks after several attempts. You seethed and moaned, causing her to sooth them with a lick and soft kisses. You whined, “Oh, fuck.” “Seems like you are too, baby.” Her tongue invades your mouth once more before she turned around and placed you onto the mattress.

Laying flat on your back, Janis’ fingers trailed upward on your leg and pulled down your safety shorts and underwear in one swift motion. “I’m gonna leave the skirt on. Looks good on you.” Next thing you knew, her index finger ran a stripe up from your entrance to your clit which made you whimper and squirm.

“You’re so wet, y/n.” Her finger circles your clit teasingly then it was brought to your mouth, “Taste yourself.” You simply complied, already wanting nothing more than Janis fucking you already. Thinking about it alone made you grow wetter and wetter. And Janis could no doubt feel it. “You need me, baby. Don’t you?” She hovers over you, tilting your chin up. “You gonna open that pretty little mouth of yours to tell me how to use you?”

You gnawed onto your lower lip, unexpectedly making yourself flinch since your lips were already swollen and slightly bleeding from Janis’ doing. Her eyes stared into yours as she moves back down south, awaiting a response. A verbal response that you were struggling to even form. Once she was on top of you, it was like a cat’s got your tongue.

She tilted her head, looking at you as she pushed your legs apart by your thighs, “You want me to use my fingers?” You shook your head, she bites back a grin. Raising her brows, she dove her face into the juncture between your thighs. Her lips firmly attached to your lower ones as she sucked and licked you like it was her job. Not even a minute in and you were crying her name and tangling your fingers in her hair. “Such a good girl, hm? y/n? Letting me eat you out just like that?” She pulls away briefly and you cursed. Janis knew just how to make you as needy as she was- she always started gently and worked her way up faster and faster. Just how you liked it, and it never fails to make you come. It always works.

————

Her being so close- directly stuck on you gave you zero breaks or breathing time. Whatever that fell out from your mouth were profanities or obscene noises of pleasure. To Janis, those sounded like music to her ears that was playing on a loop. But for you? The louder you got, the more self-conscious you were. So you slowly got quieter. Which Janis quickly realised, so what did she do? She presses her tongue flat against your clit then continued lapping at it. You yelped. “You know I gotta hear you, sweetheart. The louder the better.” She pulls away, her chin dripping with your slick. You gulped, nodding almost impatiently.

“Can I kiss you, baby?” She asks lowly, and you pulled her up to your move so you could attack her lips. She moans into the kiss, hands roaming to your ass to give it a squeeze, “You’re so fucking hot, y/n. So fucking hot.” Janis was panting a little when she broke away from the heated kisses. She then proceeded to pull your cheer uniform up just enough to reveal your torso and chest. Gleefully pinching your hardened nipples, you moaned as she’d expected. “Good girl.” Janis praised, leaving a wet trail of kisses down your torso in order to return to your cunt. She knew. Janis knew you’d get even more riled up like that.

And when you felt her tongue on you again, holy flying fuck it felt like you’d ascended into heaven because all you felt was pure pleasure coursing through your veins. The ache grew and grew, but was quickly relieved by Janis’ actions. Your hands found their ways onto the corners of your pillow, gripping at them to divert the attention away from the fact that you needed so desperately to make noise. Nothing more than quiet little whines or whimpers came from you and Janis wasn’t having it. She slaps your cunt, causing you to cry out. “Janis, please.” You plead, feeling yourself start to clench around nothing for a beat. She kept going, having already heard what she wanted to hear. All Janis could care about was sucking you dry every time she feels the wetness return. “Fuck- Janis, oh, my God.” The words flew out as though on autopilot, you blushed. You could hear just how wet you were as she continued working you, the noises were beginning to seem pornographic. “Ah! Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.” Your grip in Janis’ hair loosens when you feel the pleasure building to the brim. “Gonna come. I’m-” Your breathing was ragged, “I’m gonna come.”

Your back arched, subjecting yourself to her being even deeper inside you. You unraveled and she didn’t stop you, she just kept going until you practically tried to pull yourself away but your efforts were futile- her grip on you was tight. She persistently held you wide open for her ease to access your cunt, moving along with you. With each flick of her tongue, the soreness grew. It practically skyrocketed. Every single sensation now felt incredibly intense, sending you electric shock-like vibrations down your spine as you attempted to keep yourself together.

“Can you give me another one, baby?” She coaxed, giving you a quick break and kissing your inner thighs sweetly, in the meantime cleaning them up. You still squirmed. “You okay? We talked about this- safe word out and I’ll stop immediately, alright?”

“Just keep- keep going. I can give you more.” You answered, your voice quivering.

“If you say so.” She wipes her chin off, “Last thing I want is to be hurting you.”

“I’m sure.” You nodded as she held your face by the chin, pecking your lips.

“Okay, baby.” Janis responded, spreading your lips with her fingers briefly just for the heck of it and to see your pussy clench. Your whimpers sounded pathetic at this point, driving Janis nuts. She loved it. Her dark, lust-filled eyes watched your fucked out face as your eyelids drooped sleepily.

Your second climax comes way too easily, covering her just-cleaned lips and chin with your pearly-white slick, and just for fun, she plunges two fingers in to tackle your spongy g-spot for a bit. Then you saw her suck her fingers clean, with the biggest grin on her face and her brows raised. Fucking tease. “God, it feels absolutely amazing to feel you clenching around me.” She scoffs, “My needy little princess…” She dove in again, you clearly felt the warmth of her tongue this time. Janis mutters, “Oh, shit. You feel so damn good.”

And then comes the merciless licking and sucking till you cried and came. With the little break, it takes a bit of time for the third high to arrive. But it did, and Janis was fucking satisfied with how you continued to fill her mouth with your juices. Of course, your deal was to come as many times as you could. And she took that seriously. Because you came for the fourth time within seconds of your third and it shocked you, almost clamping her damn head in between your legs. Janis was unfazed. Continuing her ministrations in this manner for awhile before your legs were eased open again. However, she asks for you to sit up. And still being shaky from the intense climaxes, she had to help you up. “Lean on the headboard.” She reminded you, the proud smirk still hasn’t left her face every time she made eye contact with you, giving you insane butterflies.

“One last one, hm? You want that, bunny?”

Oh, fuck. That pet name.

“Okay, yeah- yeah.” You agreed, and so the stimulation for number five started in an instant. You had not a single clue what to do with your hands as they eventually just gripped the sheets beneath you. “Eyes on me, bunny.” Her hand cupped your ass cheek as she looked up at you. A moan followed your nod, then they just didn’t stop. Janis was already more than impressed with you at this point, but the biggest surprise of all? When the coil in your core begged for release, what came out of you was a gush of clear liquid. “What the fuck!?” You damn near bit onto the back of your own hand when you felt yourself let go. “Oh, my God- ho- Janis, Jan-”

The tears that were pricking your eyes fell as you continued going. So did Janis, but her pace was now slower knowing that your limit was near. Especially when you’d squirted for your first time ever and that you were actually crying. Janis finally broke away right as you stopped, gently brushing her thumb over your clit and realising how red you were. You flinched. “Shit.” Janis gasped, “I’m sorry.” You shook your head, gesturing for her to get up and kiss you. She does as you’d asked, her kisses how gentle as she whispered compliments into your ear.

“You did so fucking amazing, my love.” She pulls you down carefully so you could lay down again, “You actually-”

“Right?” You chuckled deliriously, “I can’t believe that.”

“I believe it.” She grins, brushing the hair out of your face and peppering with kisses all over, “How do you feel? Does it hurt?”

All you could manage was a shrug, “I- I dunno. I’ve never came- so many times. But still alright, I guess.”

“Okay.” Janis nods, wrapping her arms around you as you continued to regulate your breathing. “Close your eyes, y/n. Deep breaths, it’s okay, I’ve got you, darling,”

[awritersstuff]

Can I request hcs about school leaders or faction leaders reactions when they go to a cafe or park and suddenly the reader caught their attention? Thanks 🫶🫶

First of all , thanks for the request

Beautiful!

Fujio-

- out of all the leaders fujio is most likely to fall in love at first and if he falls In love at first sight then he will probably do anything to find you again,  even if turns him into a stalker .

- As fujio entered the dinner,  there usual hangover spot , "oh, sorry I am late " he said with a small smile as he saw that everyone was already there . He sat beside seiji , in front of madoka.  " baka , why are you always late." Madoka scolded fujio as always. They all ordered the food and got lost in talks as usual. Fujio was laughing at something that masaya, when it happened.  When he saw you for the first time , you were still in your uniform skirt and a lose hoodie that made you look even more smaller then you really are . He was mesmerized by your smile,  you and your friends sat on the table just in front of them and he couldn't stop looking at you . "Oii, fujio where are you lo-!" Madoka stopped In the middle as she saw where fujio was looking. Fujio didn't bother to even look at anyone he was too lost in you. All of the others looked at each other as arata got closer to fujio's ears "soo, pretty right ?" Arata whispered and fujio was so shocked that he fell off his chair and just at that time you happen to pass by there table , so you thought that he fell because of you . You immediately gave him your hand as you kept saying sorry . As fujio toke your hand in his , he felt a current all through his body that at the end reached his heart.

Sachio-

-sachio is not someone who falls in love at first sight,  he is a mature guy , he tends to think about everything too much .

- "how much more time is your friend gonna take ,yui" sachio said in annoyance.  "Nobody is stopping you , you can go" sawamura said way more annoyed then sachio "me , go ? And leave you too alone , not happening " "oh God, sachio you are soo annoying just go , dude" "No means no"  " can you two just keep quiet " yui said meddling in between the argument of her brother and boyfriend.  "Oh she is here !" Yui squealed in excitement,  as sachio looked at the direction that was looking his heartbeat suddenly stopped,  you were running towards yui with the most beautiful smile he has ever seen . Sachio suddenly frowned when you suddenly stopped In your track , you were looking at your right,  you started running to the direction you were looking at . Sachio kept watching , you stopped in front of a old woman who was sitting on a wheelchair. The old woman was knitting a sweater but her wool was fallen on the ground and she was unable to reach it , you picked up all the wool from ground and kept it on its original place . And after some days yui was sick of her brother always asking about you .

Rao-

- I have a very strong believe that Rao will never fall in love at first sight,  he might feel that oh that person is pretty but love ? No.

- you were a part timer at a Cafe near suzuran and Rao faction were regular customers by now you are quite close to then specialy binzo, he thinks that you are super cute and you think the same for him.  When Rao saw you for the first time he just thought that you were the most beautiful girl he has ever seen and whenever your eyes met and you gave him a innocent smile.  You always make him the feelings he never felt but Rao still stopped his heart  because he doesn't know what kind of person you are , you can be a devil with angel smile. Until today , when he entered the cafe with his friends and  they sat on there usual seat . Rao peaked up the menu and pretend like he was looking at the menu when in reality he was just looking at you . You were doing your usual task standing and taking your orders , as you heard the bell ring you looked at the gate . A small boy was standing there looking at you in anticipation you knew what he wanted , you looked around making sure no one was watching you and then you picked up two cupcakes and kept them in a box and gave it to the boy. but you did a mistake , someone saw you and that was Rao but he also did a mistake in hiding,  mercy saw him all the time as he was looking at you with a smile on his face .

That's it , thanks for reading I hope you like it .

[cal-daisies-and-briars]

🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🦮🩸🩸🩸📚📚🔮🔮 i"m so nice

ILY ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Here we go!

48 sentences for 🦮:

---

This isn’t what he is supposed to be known for. 

He’s supposed to be a firefighter. 

Sam has a lot of instructions for him. They provide him with a binder, which he will admit is helpful. 

“The most important thing to remember is to hold her to consistent standards,” Sam says. “She’s a great dog, but she’s still a dog. If you let her get away with being naughty, or don’t keep up with her training, she’ll lose her edge and form bad habits. But if you’re having any issues or want a training session as a refresher, my number is in the binder. Don’t hesitate to reach out.”

Buck thinks he’ll probably be reaching out.

They leave Buck and Maddie standing with Cranberry out front of his Jeep, which has just been loaded with all her things. She has a fancy navy blue vest with white embroidered font. It’s meant to make her look like a member of the LAFD. She’ll match his uniform when he goes to work. 

Buck opens the trunk door of the Jeep. There’s a big, white, hard shelled crate taking up the majority of his trunk. A Ruffland Kennel. He’d picked it up yesterday at a sporting goods store. According to the fourteen collective hours he’s spent researching golden retriever ownership in the past three days alone, this is one of the better brands for crash-proofing. Buck has seen car accidents with dogs in the vehicle. It’s… Bad. And it’s not going to be Cranberry. 

“Do we lift her in?” Maddie asks, when Cranberry looks blankly at the Jeep’s trunk space. 

“Well, she’s an eighteen month old dog from a breed designed to clear farm fences on Scottish estate hunts, so I’m going to guess she can probably jump,” Buck replies. 

“Nerd,” Maddie fake coughs into her hand.

Buck opens the crate door and motions at it. 

“Okay, Cranberry. Uh… Get in?”

Cranberry blinks and wags her tail, but makes no move to jump into the crate.

“Maybe if it was a Scottish farm fence.” Maddie mumbles. 

Buck glowers at her. 

He pats the crate. “Cranberry, jump!”

Nothing. 

“Cranberry, up!”

She puts her front paws up on the open floor of the trunk and looks back at him.

“I don’t know what to do,” Buck whispers. 

“Lift her?” Maddie suggests. 

“Maddie, what’s the point of needing to lift her, if her whole purpose is lifting things for me?” 

Maddie sighs and shrugs.

“Cranberry, go in the crate.”

Her ears perk at that last word and she shifts her body, like she’s thinking about jumping. 

Buck pats the crate and tries again. “Crate,” he repeats.

She hops up into the trunk, walks through the open crate door, and flops onto the plastic floor of the crate. 

“Huh,” Maddie muses.

---

9 for 🩸:

---

Eddie waits overnight for Buck’s shift to be done. Then, like some sort of stalker, he follows him home. Wherever that may be. 

He tries to stay a car or two behind Buck as he drives, but Los Angeles traffic makes it a little awkward. Eddie finds himself resisting the urge to honk at idiot drivers more than once, not wanting to draw attention to himself. However, he doesn’t need to trail him for too long. Within a few minutes, it becomes pretty clear where Buck is headed. 

South Bedford Street. 

Presumably, right back to the house Sophia walked out of this morning.

---

6 for 📚:

---

But love doesn’t always mean the ability to restructure your life to best meet someone in the middle. And Ravi, who couldn’t thrive in the property management world like his father, who wouldn’t be shrewd and strategic and charming like his brother, who had a limited capacity for it all, never found them in the middle. Eventually, he’d had to retreat back to his own side. 

He dropped out of school and he picked a new path. One that led him to the fire academy. 

And despite his parents’ vocal support of him, their unending love, he knows they don’t understand.

---

6 for 🔮:

---

“Eddie and Hen?” Bobby guesses. 

“Them, yeah. But not just them.” Buck replies. “Chim and Ravi are having just as crap a time right now.”

[spicykaraage]

Tenipuri Complete Character Profile - Ryoma Echizen

[PROFILE]

Birthday: December 24th (Capricorn)

Blood Type: O

Birthplace: Los Angeles

Relatives: Father (Nanjirou Echizen), mother (Rinko Echizen), cousin (Nanako Meino), cat (Karupin)

Father’s Occupation: Temple priest (local)

Elementary School: Los Angeles Saint Youth Elementary School

Middle School: Seishun Academy Junior High School

Grade & Class: First Year | Class 1-2 | Seat 3

Club: Tennis Club (regular)

Committee: Library Committee

Strong Subjects: English, chemistry

Weak Subjects: Science experiments, Japanese

Most Visited Spot at School: Under the big tree behind the school building

World Cup Team: U-17 World Cup USA Representatives ➜ U-17 World Cup Japanese Representatives

Favorite Motto: “All or Nothing.”

Daily Routines: Playing with Karupin

Hobbies: Bathing with bath salts from Japan’s famous hot springs ➜ Clearing games he’s borrowed, watching cat videos [23.5]

Favorite Color: Silver

Favorite Music: J-Pop

Favorite Movie: Any kind of Hollywood film

Favorite Book: Monthly Pro Tennis ➜ TENNIS LIFE (an American tennis magazine) [23.5]

Favorite Food: Grilled fish (with little bones), chawanmushi, local confections [23.5], shrimp senbei (plum and kimchi flavor) [removed]

Favorite Anniversary: Any day he can play tennis

Preferred Type: A girl that looks good with a ponytail

Ideal Date Spot: Santa Montica Third Street Promenade ➜ Santa Monica Pier Pacific Park [23.5]

His Gift for a Special Person: “Just tell me what you want.”

Where He Wants to Travel: A snow-viewing hot spring

What He Wants Most Right Now: Nintendo DS ➜ Nintendo 3DS [10.5 II] ➜ A smart watch [23.5]

Dislikes: Waking up early, cleaning the temple floors [removed], paparazzi [23.5]

Skills Outside of Tennis: Animals take a liking to him for some reason, can cleanly peel fruit [23.5], horseback riding(?) [TP]

Spends Allowance On: Fanta/Ponta

Routine During the World Cup: Soaking in an open-air bath

[DATA]

Height: 151cm | 4’11” ➜ 152.5cm | 5’0” [23.5]

Weight: 50kg | 110 lbs ➜ 47kg | 103 lbs [23.5]

Shoe Size: 24cm

Dominant Arm: Left

Vision: 1.5 Left & Right

Play Style: All-Rounder

Signature Moves: Twist Serve, Drive A, Drive B, Drive C, Drive D, Cool Drive, Selfless State, Pinnacle of Perfection, Samurai Drive, Hope [23.5]

Number of Times His Friends Visited Him in the US: 7.8 times a month

Equipment Brands:

Hats: FILA

Clothing: FILA

Racket: BRIDGESTONE (DYNABEAM GRANDEA)

Shoes: FILA (Mark Philippoussis Mid)

Fitness Test Results:

Side Steps: 71

Shuttle Run: 119

Back Strength: 102kg

Grip Strength: 42.3kg (left)

Backbend: 59.5cm

Seated Forward Bend: 39cm

50m Run: 6.1 seconds

Standing Long Jump: 237cm

Handball Throw: 28m

Endurance Run (1500m): 4:46

Overall Rating: Speed: 4 / Power: 3 / Stamina: 4 / Mental: 5 / Technique: 5 / Total: 21

Kurobe Memo: “Even though many areas already have a high degree of perfection, I suspect it’s highly likely he’ll continue to grow and improve. I would like to see him work on building his body without sacrificing balance.” <Official Description>

[POSSESSIONS]

What’s in His Bedroom [10.5]:

Trophies from past competitions: They’re randomly placed on top of his dresser since he doesn’t really care for them

Alarm clock on his bed: The alarm doesn’t necessarily wake him up…

TV and game consoles: He has several types of game consoles but keeps the one he uses the most (Nintendo 64) connected to the TV

Closet: Where his school uniforms are stored. His mother will put them away if they’re left out

His pajamas he had left out: Left strewn on his bed. He’s always in a rush when he gets ready for school

Karupin’s favorite cat toy: A fluffy cat tail toy

What’s in His Bag [10.5]:

A beginner’s guide to doubles: A guide he bought after playing doubles with Momoshiro. He forgot it was still in there…

Notebook: His math notebook that he forgot to take out

Photos of Karupin: He insists that he didn’t put them in there

Notepad: He’s written down emergency phone numbers since he’s always late

Pen case: His pen case he always uses for school. He left it in his bag

Game Boy Advance: Bought for him as a starting school gift, he plays it during his free time

Senbei: He likes drinking Fanta/Ponta when eating senbei

What’s in His Locker at the U-17 Training Camp [10.5 II]:

Game console: A PlayStation PSP. He’s absorbed in video games when he’s not playing tennis and was seen playing a tennis game before practice

Photo of Karupin: One of his favorite photos of Karupin that’s been framed. He takes it with him on trips and expeditions

Fanta/Ponta: Grape flavor, his favorite

Senbei: His favorite snack. Having Fanta and senbei together is a must for him

What’s in His Travel Bag [23.5]:

Shio senbei from Okinawa: Gifted to him by Tanishi to celebrate his return to team Japan

[TRIVIA]

The Prince of Tennis 10.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 11/02/2001

Although he’s lived in the USA, he still prefers Japanese food and isn’t fond of Western food

People tend to be aggravated by him due to his abrasive personality, but he means no ill-intent by it

He gained his arrogant and abrasive personality from growing up in the USA

He will speak his mind regardless of how it sounds as he believes it’s a way of being kind

His first name is written in katakana rather than kanji. It’s alluded that it may be due to his mother being another nationality besides Japanese

Konomi had Ryoma wear a hat since he thought it was cool, and wanted people to associate his FILA hat with him

He is called “Shorty” by Kikumaru but does not mind it since he states height doesn’t matter in tennis

He likes grape-flavored Fanta/Ponta

He keeps everything he needs for school in his tennis bag, hence why he gets confused when some items are still in it

He is described as pessimistic, but shy, gentle, and always striving for improvement

Konomi originally did not intend for him to be the protagonist. The role was originally going to be given to Kintarou, with Ryoma being his rival. He initially thought Ryoma would be difficult to portray as a protagonist, be better as a side character, and that making him the protagonist would dampen the mood of the series. He eventually decided on Ryoma and built the other characters around him

Konomi describes him as a “bad guy,” and that him defeating people who are even worse is a focal point of the series

The Prince of Tennis 20.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 12/04/2003

He is described to easily get engaged in a single subject and then excel in that area

When he concentrates, he will become so absorbed in what he’s doing that he will not pay attention to his surroundings

He is described to be suited for professions that require special skills, such as a pilot or astronaut

He is very susceptible to change and has an insatiable desire to become stronger

One of his favorite subjects is chemistry since the science behind the substances changing, combining, and gaining different properties reminds him of tennis

He does not remember when he started playing tennis, and states he thinks he’s been playing it since he was born

His secondary sport would be soccer

The Prince of Tennis 40.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 12/04/2007

He is described to be sociable and lively, but doesn’t get too involved in his personal relationships and tends to be reserved

His friends and schoolmates often visited his house when he lived in the US

He did not know what “Old Maid” was until he played it at the joint training camp with Rokkaku

In Genius 305, when he had won his match against Atobe and everyone huddled around him, someone had quietly handed him the shaver, but it’s a mystery on who it was

He considers Kintarou to be quite strong, and wouldn’t mind having an official match with him someday

He is the character Konomi states he has the least in common with, the second being Tezuka

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 1 | Publication Date: 11/04/2009

He, Krauser, Atobe, and Yagyuu were heard having a conversation together in English

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 2 | Publication Date: 12/04/2009

He takes naps around the training camp along with Jirou

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 4 | Publication Date: 02/04/2010

He had gotten his hat mixed up with Sanada’s

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 5 | Publication Date: 03/04/2010

He likes his grilled fish with not many bones and finds removing them to be annoying

The person he currently dislikes the most is his father

If he had a long vacation, he would go play tennis on the western side of Japan since he states they have strong opponents

He wants to win all four major world tennis championships

When asked what kind of plant or animal he is like, he replies with a cat since they’re free-spirited

When asked what his current goals are, he replies that he wants to fight more stronger opponents and win against them

He is named after Ooka Echizen, also known as Ooka Tadasuke

Konomi came up with his “Selfless State” technique since he wanted to write a story where the main character’s dormant power would awaken when faced against an unbeatable enemy. And since Ryoma was a returnee, he had him speak in English to surprise the audience and give his scenes a fantasy-like feel

Konomi corrects his statement that Ryoma didn’t win national USA junior tournaments four years in a row, he had meant that when Ryoma started tennis, he had competed and won in regular USA junior tournaments four times in a row

Konomi states he has tried drawing Ryoma more mature as the series progresses and draws Ryoma’s shoes and racket bigger to make him appear smaller

One of His School Days:

6:30am - Woken up by his cousin

6:45am - Eats breakfast while half-asleep, then goes to school

7:30am - Late for morning practice, does thirty laps

8:40am - 1st Period: Math, half-asleep and dozing off

9:40am - 2nd Period: English (grammar), is half-asleep and dozing off)

11:00am - 3rd Period: PE (bar exercises)

12:00pm - 4th Period: Geography (quiz)

12:50pm - Lunch, buys bread at the school store after eating

1:10pm - Gives in, buys and drinks milk

1:20pm - 5th Period: Science I (physics), is sleepy from eating

2:20pm - 6th Period: Japanese (classic literature), thinks of ideas for volleys

3:20pm - Library committee meeting, wasn’t listening

4:00pm - Club activities, earnestly practices volleys

5:30pm - Stops by Momoshiro and a CD shop, then returns home

6:00pm - Dinner, bathes (with bath salts from Beppu Onsen)

6:30pm - Rallies with his father

10:30pm - Plays with Karupin while listening to music

11:00pm - Falls asleep while playing games on his bed

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 9 | Publication Date: 09/02/2011

Mifune’s eagles are shown to be fond and gentle towards him

The Prince of Tennis II 10.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 09/04/2013

He texts his mother everyday asking her to send him pictures of Karupin

He quickly became friends with the dogs at the training camp

The Prince of Tennis II 23.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 05/02/2018

When he and Ryoga were younger, they went out to play and had gotten lost for three days. They eventually managed to hitchhike home

Konomi had originally intended to show him being anxious about joining team USA, and then being helped by them to join team Japan again

Konomi states he may continue Ryoma and Fuji’s match in the rain

The items Horio had brought to the camp for him were Fanta/Ponta

The Prince of Tennis 20th Anniversary Book: Tenipuri Party | Publication Date: 08/02/2019

He did not mind playing for team USA and states the country doesn’t matter as long as he can play tennis

He did not care about being on the same team as Ryoga and had actually wanted to play against him

He states he felt some changes when viewing team Japan from an outside perspective

He returned to team Japan because he had thought of the people who made him stronger and wanted to fight alongside them

[sylvia-lydia-morelos-1974]

September 28, 2024...2:20 p.m.

"856 DENUNCIAS DE ABUSO INFANTIL EN BC [Baja California]."

Semana del 20 al 26 de Septiembre de 2024

Numero 2634

Costo $20

Portada: S.A.

911. The CVS at 10889 Wellworth, Los Angeles, CA. 90024, the supervisor SANTILLAN (her last name, the one she's using), she's the one on the cover. She PERMS her hair to make fun of the innocent, see statue by the VIRGIN MARY inside BLESSED SACRAMENT CHURCH off of CHEROKEE & SUNSET, 90028. The employees there all wear red shirts with a heart on the back of it. I worked there for ~6 months, reported 911 terrorism, found my own children there and other children who were being brutalized. Santillan also bragged: "i killed your fetus at ALVARADO PARKWAY INSTITUTE in San Diego." And "I killed your baby nephew!" My brother's baby, "she doesn't know." I reported other crimes. They always knew my babies were related to me, PATRIOT FAMILIES, and to FREDERICK DOUGLASS, um poqhuino. They also KNEW (THOMPSON as well) that we are directly related to the pope, John Paul II

(my little one, the 19 month old, with ADHD, Thompson scratched up his face sideways, with more than 20 perps, CVS included. My little one looks like John Paul II; Thompson ALWAYS knew; he rubbed it in my face. he lost his head over it.(grin). /S./)

...my other little boy, Um Poqhuino, who is directly related to Frederick Douglass, also my family, also is related to Pope_John_XXIII, whom I also look like:

Richard Clayton Thompson, dob 09 17 75, ss # 435 65 1226, ALSO knew this, as did CVS at 10889 Wellworth, 90024 off of Westwood, across the street from

PAPA JOHN.

SANTILLAN knows. So do the rest. I reported a LOT of crimes there. Then i left. I just got back from Mexico and friends told me other crimes committed against my children and other children and teens. United Pacific at 7900 Beverly Blvd. off of FAIRFAX, i.e. Jonathan Aguilar, Karina Castaneda, Omar Martinez, Raul Payan Lomeli-Azoubel dob 08 12 73, Richard Clayton Thompson, Susan Bakota, 310 478 7733 and Ramsey Lewis, MSW at Tina Pleasant Baker Board and Care (2006) 2438 K. Street, 92102 are all involved in crimes/rapes against students at schools, trafficking etc., right by LIBERTAD entrance, Jose Barocio, class of 1988 Berendo Jr. High school too. They were uniforms light blue and white? You've been implicated by the USA in trafficking, etc. You are wearing the same color of uniforms as TROLLEY COPS, light blue and BLACK (death) and yellow and black. Not a coincidence. Lomeli, Hernan placed my kids in plastic trash bags; now you know the city is NOT honoring you it's been condemning you. Orange sybolizes WARDING OFF EVIL that you are. PUMPKINS and JACK O LANTERNS too.

You perps are the trash. San diego is VERY CATHOLIC. WELCOME TO CATHOLIC "CHARITIES" too. There are many other things you perps don't notice. But you are predictably COMFY.

FUN! We know where to find you. You come back for more COMFY. Including inside the RONALD REAGAN UCLA medical center. UCLA loves the kids and patriot kids.

F Y I.

the perps inside that cvs are kept VERY close to UCLA.

there are NO coincidences.

/S./