#Tau Cross

[didanawisgi]

“The Templars valued wisdom and would speak with anyone who would share their knowledge.  This was a dangerous way to operate in the Middle Ages when it was popular to persecute anyone of a different faith in Europe.  The following image is one of many from the Domme Castle prison.  It is a depiction of the Cabalistic tree of life.  The carving is not the only evedence of shared Judaic knowledge having been adopted into Templar mysticism, but it certainly confirms it.”

[fleshwizard]

MELANOPTERA

Selection based on Animal Crossing : New Horizon (Switch)

Test

Animal Crossing : Let's Go To The City (Wii)

Animal Crossing : Let's Go To The City (Wii)

Blue & Green

[buttercupcd]

since I don’t know when @byrdblood will come into our chat to look at these drawings, so I’ll post it here (at least Keegan will see it)

:•|

[taudad]

Oh my bug boys, how I’ve missed you

[vvitchgrindergeneral]

I'm going to start calling any crusty metalpunk deathrock/goth rock g-beat

[vyragosa]

i see you. i see you. 

[dreadintensifies]

wheeze

"some other guy"

i think they would be friends

[aaaaaaaaaaaa-hey-its-jude-or-bee]

wjdjdkhfs daily check in beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

I'm thinking of getting into marble hornets ngl

I might give you a request for that sooner or later 🙏

Also ALSO the fallen angel thing is like HOLY SHIT /vvpos WJRJRJSJARRRUGGGH HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME ROT OVER ANOTHER THING⁉️⁉️ /VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVPOS

AAAokok possessive siren farmer too omg ??? RAUEHFHDHFH

it's giving :

🧜‍♂️🧍‍♂️

AHWJRJSDSH

BROOOO MORRIS CROCHETING WITH FARMER TOO AWEEE3EETJGJEBFEJBFHS ik I'm just mentioning the things I've said but IT'S SO FLUFFY AND CUWTE

++++++ I'm also here to thank you for writing mlm m!farmer + m!characters because WOW you are the best ngl

- 🫚anon

YEAAAHHHH NO WORRIES I WRITE MLM MALE READERS!!!

I've been stuck in marble hornets for so long it's been years I have a persona and he has lore with them all and has beef with Seth and is Alex's friend but doesn't mind Brian and he doesn't mind Tim but at first Tim actually threatened him when he tried asking Tim what he wanted his food to be because he was going to go buy some food for them all while they all worked but yeah he got threatened and was really sad but he did not use to not mind jay until actually jay stabbed him and tried killing him (Alex left him alone, surprisingly.) so He doesn't like jay that much anymore ...... And he's like really great friends with Jessica(she's like a mother to him, in a roleplay with someone she was the mother in the group and was really caring towards JB*his short nickname is just his initials*)

Anyways marble hornets yeah I have made an AU about Brian and Tim with another person, a lot has happened back then, comics, fanart, lore, animatics, videos, were made, silly silly silly.

I've also cosplayed Tim many many times, people I'm friends with call me Bee Wright, it's like???? What ..... People call me him a lot, they say I look like him, and I'm Tim but just a native version of Tim. so.

Ramble omggg(ALSO RAMBLING ABOUT MY HOME*I'm moving soon ;3;* DON'T WORRY IT'S JUST ABT WORK AND EIDHWUHDDJ and also games :3

I hate how people who look at my Roblox avatar(YES... I play Roblox, that's where I roleplay as well.....) and say "omg is that rody from deadplate?!?!?!" NO IT'S NOT??? Just because my avatar is a little mini chibi person with orange hair and in a suit doesn't mean it's rody. My avatar has its own lore of being a detective and a space alien, I MADE HIM BEFORE DEADPLATE EVEN BECAME A THING??? I HAD HIM FOR SO LONG HE ISN'T FUCKING RODY SHUT THE HELL UP I MADE HIM SO LONG AGO HE'S NOT RODY I MADE HIM BEFORE THE ENTIRE GAME WAS A THING, I'VE ALWAYS HAD HIM, HE'S NOT HIM.

Like please.

(Has gotten called Jaiden Animations on Roblox VC,,, MANY TIMES......... I learned to deal with the fact everyone just calls me Jaiden Animations now. Like .... Ok ....)

Anyways yipppieeee love stardew valley, I love making little silly lore and AU's and just like what if ..??? And like oouaaaa and I love the fallen angel thing sm, And the siren thing,,, I ACTUALLY LOVE JUST WRITING CHARACTERS THAT AREN'T HUMAN, AND LIKE THEY'RE SOME CREATURE AND HYBRID, LIKE??? I'M SOOOO INTERESTED IN THAT PLEASE SEND REQUESTS,,,,,, 8 MIGHT FINISH THOSE SOONER....... I found a post and I'm loving it,,,, because it's like,,, Otter Harvey with reader(no specific gender or pronouns used,,,),,, (minus the otter stuff they do.......... Because......... No.......)

BUT I ALSO LOVE DEAD BY DAYLIGHT!!!!! LIKE?!?!?!!

I've had the game because it was on discount(I am actually playing everything on my mother's steam and epic games*never really go on my steam either way, I have Bonnie's bakery on my steam but I played it all already and finished.... And because the games she has was gotten on discount and I don't want to pay for the full price.....*, don't judge me, I've made too much fucking progress to switch things,,,, and she knows this, she's seen me and watched me play on her games because she never plays them so she won't really do much but she knows if I try and switch onto mine I will never have the same progress I had on hers, I've gotten Dwight Fairfield leveled up too far, I've been playing everyday for over two years now with my uncle at first and now with a few friends sometimes but mainly my uncle or alone but I never play alone, she doesn't use it for anything else she plays on her switch and only plays fortnite just for my kookoos because she streams that actually shocker I know), and I never played at first until like I think a two years ago? Maybe three? My uncle asked me if I had it because I'm always on the other PC (MY MOMS PC IS SO FUCKING BETTER THAN MINE IT'S NOT EVEN A JOKE???)and I said yeah, but I've never played it because I had no one to play it with, so then we started playing together and he taught he all about the killers and such, I've gotten into the lore and now I tell him the killers names and he's surprised and happy I've gotten so well into it, and he sometimes makes fun of the killers, anyways I love the huntress, the only women I'll actually write romantically with the male reader 😭😭😭(aUghgifu I'M GOING AGAINST MY WORDSS......) BUT I LOVE HER SO MUCH IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY..... I love her, and I also love the deathslinger, I don't love ... Wesker.... i want to but my uncle mains him and I already took away him planning to cosplay Adler from Cold war because I called Adler my husband so he's cosplaying Makarov and I was like yeah it's ok I don't have any feelings towards him.

I've been playing cold wars campaign and I'm stuck on the stupid math part, I can't do it so I stopped for a while now, I love Adler, but I love the thing between Lazar and Sims, I know I'm gonna pick Lazar ........ But I'm so inlove with Adler,,,,, I love call of duty as well though, I've roleplayed as Gaz before just Gaz and Graves shocker I know, my favorite is Roach though, I love my bug boy, I've wanted to be him for Halloween once but I didn't wanna go out when it was Halloween and I had my friends at my door so I had to go as umbreon from Pokemon. I love pokemon as well, and dragon ball Z

I love animals crossing through, I left MY switch, I don't go on my mom's switch,,, I used to actually take her animal crossing card to play on my switch and so when she wanted it I had to get off of the animal crossing and give it back so she bought me animal crossing online so I wouldn't take her card (it was like 4 years ago I'm pretty sure yeah) and when I went to go stay at my cousins house for the weekend I left my switch there, accidentally, so I can't go get it because oop my aunt and uncle are having a rough time so ,,,,,, no getting in the middle of it(I am not allowed to drive the van... Because we have one van and that's the van my mother needs more than I do so, I can't really drive anywhere either way because I'm still trying to apply for jobs, if I do try and apply to the one I'm looking for I might have to move in with my other kookoo for the entire summer and that's out of the city but not where my mom and siblings are gonna go, it's in the opposite direction lololol). Because she got a new job out of the city so she'll drive out there and then come back after work but I know she might go stop by the kookoos houses for a bit so she'll get off at 4 and come back at maybe 6 or 7 because she will go see the kookoos and aunts and uncles before she comes home, that's gonna be like that until me and my sister are done school at the end of June that's when we're moving but I'm gonna apply to band office so I might leave during June if I do get accepted. so then my aunt will soon come over and watch the younger kids, while I gotta go deal with my own classes, and then I'll just spend the rest of my last period out at the library next to the school and walk home, my sister doesn't need me to walk her but I just do sometimes, that's if she doesn't leave me so quick yet, or I might walk with my friend back to our street because she lives on the same street, for now. Because we're actually moving out to where my mom got a job and it's with more family, yeah!!) but my other cousin has my switch for me so that's good I suppose, my island is going great, made bridges, more villagers,

I've been inlove with Tom nook for so long I accidentally called him Tom once and my aunt was like "did you call him Tom? You know only married people are allowed to call their spouse by their first name if it's not like "Tom nook" because of ______" I forgot and then they all just kept making fun of me to the point where I have had a Tom nook pillow for 5 years maybe . And now I have a mini figure of Tom nook. And the moment I got out of my love for him I was shoved right back in from people who originally tried getting me help to not love him but they just pushed me back in.

I love left 4 dead, and left 4 dead 2, I love Louis and Ellis, those are my two favorites, I love those two sm like,,,, love love them,,,, I've played the game growing up and I just love it a lot it's a great game and has funny moments and the voice lines are funny as well, so it's great and amazing.

Anyways yahhhh PLEAAASEEEE GO WATCH TAU ON NETFLIX PLWASE PLEASE PLEASE I LOVE IT,,, and the man 🥳🥳🥳 writing this in bed.

[internetskiff]

The most powerful ability exclusive to humanity in the Half Life/Portal shared universe is our ability to just throw bullshit at the wall and see what sticks. Aperture "OSHA are the devil" Science have managed to create completely safe interconnected points in space. The same company that turns people's blood into gasoline and shoves lions and humans into the same enclosed space for the vague concept of "Science". Meanwhile Black Mesa still has to use Xen as a crossing and their teleportation device requires an entire reactor with a village's worth of staff constantly maintaining it, just to end up having most of said staff abducted by onion-headed aliens. Even the resistance hasn't managed to create completely stable teleporters with a compressed Xen relay, meanwhile Aperture just went "oh dude let's shove a black hole into a non-waterproof gun" and have just created a teleportation method that just removes Xen from the equation entirely. Doesn't change the fact they bullshat so bad they basically got themselves gassed to death, but still.

The Resistance are a good example of this too. The Combine seem to have a complete set-in-stone thought process and understanding of science which meant they didn't even begin to explore local teleportation via Xen, meanwhile a group of random human mechanics and scientists have managed to cobble together at least two semi-functional local teleporters out of scrap metal and stolen Combine tech, to the point the All-Consuming Interdimensional Empire had to straight up copy their homework. And that isn't even the only time they seem to be taking human shit to just copy the blueprints.

They 100% just yoinked the entire damn car out of that garage just to take a crack at reverse-engineering the Tau Cannon attached to it. Even Resistance weaponry somehow manages to rival or at least stand equal to Combine tech - and we're talking improvised crossbows that shoot superheated rods of rebar at the target compared to high-tech rifles that can discharge orbs of pure dark energy. The collapse of the entire Citadel is basically set into motion as a result of a cobbled together Rebel device placed into extremely capable hands.

The events of the Portal games are a case of extremely elaborate machinelike planning versus pure human improvisation, with Chell's entire escape in the first game involving her simply weaseling her way through small cracks that GLaDOS missed while setting up her ambushes, eventually turning her own rocket turret against her to destroy her.

I suppose you could argue this falls flat in Portal 2 with Wheatley, but it's important to remember he's designed to be an utter idiot, so it's safe to say he wouldn't obsess over the larger picture like GLaDOS to the point where he fails to see the cracks. Yes, he's the one that breaks Chell out of the test chambers again, and yes, he's the one that came up with the sabotage plot - but it's important to note while he knows what to target in the sabotage, when we actually get there he doesn't quite know how to sabotage it, leaving Chell to figure it out on her own. She botches the Turret Quality Control Line with some minor guidance, but it's basically completely up to her to figure out how to cut off the Neurotoxin Supply. It's through her improvisation that Wheatley even manages to get into GLaDOS' chamber, tumbling through her neurotoxin vent and shattering the glass cage she trapped Chell inside of. It's through Chell's improvisation that the Core Transfer even occurs in the first place.

The script is flipped specifically when Wheatley takes charge, because oops - turns out a mind capable of focusing on the bigger picture might be pretty important when it comes to running an entire facility powered by it's own Reactor. Wheatley just completely zeroes in on his own personal pleasure, hacking up test chambers and the objects within them to try and figure out the easiest way to get his solution euphoria as quick as possible.

Still, something that's pretty interesting is that only Wheatley has ever managed to create a trap that's impossible to foresee and avoid, something GLaDOS has repeatedly failed to do to the point she ends up commending him. I believe this is because his way of thinking is a lot closer to Chell's compared to GLaDOS'. He puts up way more of a fight as the two run through the facility trying to get to him, seemingly improvising on the spot just like Chell has been over the course of the two games. Even his lair would be impossible to survive if it weren't for a single Conversion Gel pipe he somehow failed to notice and remove.

Whether in a laboratory deep beneath the soil or an alien tower tall enough to split the clouds, the ingenuity of even a single person is enough to topple a tower or destroy a supercomputer 3 times over.

Marc Laidlaw put what I'm trying to say into a single sentence when writing for the BreenGrub twitter account:

"The superstructure is riddled with cracks."

[didanawisgi]

Details of one of the T columns in Göbekli Tepe

[estellan0vella]

Secret Loser: H.JS Han Jisung x fem!reader (College AU)

WC: 19.4K

CW: Mention of body piercings, specifically a Prince Albert, Sexual References (No Smut), Minlix romance, side romances, OOC Jisung, tatted-up Jisung (a warning of it's own)

General Masterlist SKZ Masterlist

The sun is setting, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink as the Alpha Phi boys lounge around a picnic table at Wolmi Myland, a theme park in Incheon. The air is warm and sticky with the scent of hot dogs, popcorn, and fried food. They’re all wearing ridiculous novelty sunglasses. Each pair is more absurd than the last.

Jisung, ever the dramatic one, wears a pair of neon-pink guitar-shaped sunglasses that are so large they almost obscure his face entirely. He’s sitting back in his chair, arms crossed, looking unbothered, but there’s a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Fuck, I can barely see with these things on,” Changbin mutters, adjusting his own aviator-style glasses that have a flame design on the sides. He’s half-dressed in football team merch, the oversized T-shirt swallowing his frame. He shovels a handful of fries into his mouth and looks over at Minho, who's sitting opposite him, winking at Felix.

Felix, whose blonde hair is messy from the humidity, but still perfectly styled, glances up at Minho, his face turning a shade of pink that clashes with the neon orange of his oversized bunny sunglasses.

“Stop fucking staring, Minho,” Felix says, his voice crackling with a nervous laugh.

Minho leans in a little closer, his eyes dancing with mischief, the black, pink, and blue streaks in his hair matching the colour scheme of his mirrored sunglasses. “What, you can’t handle it, Felix? You look cute when you’re embarrassed, you know that?”

Felix’s cheeks go from pink to red, and he stutters, an adorable mess. “I-I don’t- What the hell are you talking about?” He tries to redirect his attention to his phone, scrolling through the latest Instagram posts from Kappa Tau, but Minho’s not letting him off the hook that easy.

“Come on, stop pretending you’re not into it,” Minho teases, his voice low and warm, a playful edge to every syllable. He gives Felix a slow, deliberate wink, and the heat on Felix’s face only deepens.

“You’re such a pain in the ass,” Felix mutters, trying to avoid looking at him directly. His fingers fumble with the straw in his drink. He’s trying, really trying, not to be flustered, but Minho’s making it impossible.

“You’re so cute when you blush,” Minho continues, giving Felix a lazy, flirtatious grin. “Honestly, I’m surprised I haven’t kissed you yet, Felix. What’s the hold up?”

Felix sputters, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Y-You- What? No, shut up.” His hands shake as he brings his drink to his lips, but instead of sipping, he accidentally splashes some soda on his chin.

“Smooth,” Jisung chimes in, his guitar-shaped sunglasses reflecting the twilight. “You know, Felix, I never thought I'd see you as the type to blush like a virgin in church, but here we are.” He leans back, chuckling to himself.

Changbin snorts. “Fucking right. I thought you had game, man.” He gives Felix a playful shove, the fries he’s holding spilling everywhere. “Guess not, huh?”

Felix looks at him, aghast. “I have fucking game. You’re just all assholes.”

“Sure, sure,” Changbin grins. “Just admit Minho’s got you weak in the knees, bro.”

“Fuck off, Changbin,” Felix snaps, but his eyes dart to Minho, and for a split second, he looks like he’s about to give in. But he quickly turns away, reaching for a bag of chips to hide his flustered expression.

“Yikes, dude, you really are a mess,” Seungmin says, popping a chip into his mouth with an exaggerated crunch. He’s got the worst luck, though. While everyone else is sporting absurdly oversized sunglasses, Seungmin’s sporting a pair of dick-shaped sunglasses.

“Are you fucking serious right now?” Minho asks, bursting into laughter. “Dude, you literally lost the rock-paper-scissors tournament and this is the price you pay? Fucking dick glasses?”

Seungmin, ever the good sport, grins. “Yeah, I look fucking amazing, don’t I?” He leans back, letting the ridiculousness of it all sink in. “The ladies love it.”

“Right,” Changbin snickers. “Yeah, you’re gonna get so much ass with those, Seungmin.”

“Can’t wait to get those numbers,” Seungmin quips back, tossing a handful of fries at Changbin. “I’ll be swimming in pussy.”

“Fuck off, man,” Jisung laughs, his voice vibrating with amusement. He lets out a dramatic sigh. “You guys are all a bunch of idiots.”

“Hey,” Hyunjin says from the other end of the table, adjusting his longish black hair and flicking his sunglasses to the side. “Can we focus for a second? I still can’t believe we’re all stuck here because of that stupid game of gawi bawi bo. What the fuck, we’re Alpha Phi, not a fucking daycare.”

“It’s the fucking principle of the matter, man,” Jisung protests, rolling up his black button-up sleeves to reveal his inked arms. His scorpion tattoo winks at anyone brave enough to look too closely. “Seungmin lost, he wears the dick glasses. End of story.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Hyunjin mutters, pulling a hot dog from the wrapper. “But we could be, I don’t know, doing something cool right now. Instead, we’re all sitting around here in dumb glasses, eating shit food.”

Felix’s lips quirk into a grin as he takes another sip from his drink. “We’re doing what we do best. Acting like idiots.”

“Fuck yeah,” Changbin agrees, tossing a fry into the air and catching it in his mouth with impressive skill. “But it’s not even that bad. I’m pretty sure we’re the only ones in this park with a crew as fucking good-looking as us. Right, Jeongin?”

Jeongin, who had been sitting silently, nods enthusiastically, flashing a wide grin. His black hair falls into his eyes as he tilts his head to look at them. “I mean, we’re pretty fucking hot. No one stands a chance.”

“You’re right,” Minho chimes in with a smirk. “But still, Felix here can’t handle it when I flirt with him. It’s like he turns into a fucking tomato.”

“Shut the hell up, Minho,” Felix mutters, reaching for his fries to avoid making eye contact.

The whole group bursts into laughter, the sound of their voices cutting through the fading sunlight. There’s something about their energy, the way they mess with each other without any real malice behind it, that makes it hard to tell if they’re just friends or if there’s something more simmering beneath the surface. The way Minho looks at Felix, the way Felix reacts, says a lot more than they’re willing to admit.

But for now, all they care about is the joke, the laughter, and the warm summer night ahead. The rest can wait.

The bustling energy of Wolmi Myland crescendos as the disco pang pang ride spins in vivid neon, flashing lights reflecting off the polished metal of its circular platform. Jisung smirks, tugging at his silver chains as he steps forward, his black button-up fluttering slightly in the sea breeze. “Alright, let’s do this,” he says, his confidence unmistakable as he adjusts the sleeves of his shirt, tattoos coiling down his arms catching the light.

“God, I hope you puke,” Changbin mutters from the sidelines, leaning against the railing with a half-empty soda in one hand. Beside him, Chan lets out a loud laugh.

“Bold of you to assume Jisung has anything left in his stomach,” Chan retorts.

“Fuck you, guys,” Jisung calls back without turning around, flipping them the bird over his shoulder. “You’re just jealous you’re not man enough for this ride.”

“Man enough?” Seungmin repeats, adjusting the ridiculous dick-shaped sunglasses still perched on his nose. “Bro, you’re the one who screamed on the log flume like it was a fucking horror movie.”

“THERE WAS WATER IN MY EYE,” Jisung shouts dramatically, throwing his arms in the air. Hyunjin doubles over laughing, his black hair nearly obscuring his face.

“Sure there was, drama queen,” Hyunjin teases. “Come on, let’s do this before Felix changes his mind.”

“I’m not changing my mind!” Felix protests, his voice indignant. His usual confidence wavers slightly under Minho’s amused smirk. “It’s just a ride, right? No big deal.”

“Right,” Minho says smoothly, patting Felix on the back. “And if you scream, I’ll still think you’re cute.”

Felix flushes deep red, stammering, “I- Shut up, Minho!”

They climb onto the ride, the four of them sliding into seats along the circular edge, gripping the bar behind them for balance. The operator, a middle-aged man with a mischievous grin, grabs the microphone and leans into it. “Welcome to disco pang pang! You ready to scream?”

The crowd cheers, and the speakers crackle again. “Alright, let’s start with a question: who’s single?”

Hyunjin, Felix, Minho, and Jisung raise their hands without hesitation, drawing immediate hoots and whistles from the onlookers.

Across the platform, your friend Jennie snickers and grabs your hand, thrusting it into the air. “Y/N’s single too!” she calls out, her Snow White outfit glittering under the lights.

Lisa, dressed as Cinderella, grabs Rose’s hand and does the same. “Rose is single too!”

The operator laughs, the mic amplifying his voice. “Alright, looks like we’ve got options. You four guys. Who’s best suited for Sleeping Beauty over there?” He points directly at you, your pink outfit shimmering under the ride’s lights.

Minho, Hyunjin, and Felix immediately point at Jisung, who raises an eyebrow and smirks, tilting his head. “Guess it’s unanimous,” he quips.

Minho holds up his hands. “We’re gay. No girls for us.”

Felix nods, backing him up. “None. At all.”

The operator chuckles. “Fair enough. What about Elsa, then?” He gestures toward Rose, her platinum-blonde wig catching the light.

“I’ll take that one,” Hyunjin says confidently, raising his hand with a grin.

“Alright, let’s spin!” The operator starts the ride with a sudden jolt, and the platform lurches into motion.

The ride spins and bounces, the centrifugal force sending everyone sliding against the edges, laughter and shouts filling the air. You grip the bar behind you tightly, but the ride jerks again, and suddenly your grip slips.

“Shit!” you exclaim, sliding uncontrollably toward the middle.

Jisung notices instantly, his dark eyes locking onto you as you skid along the platform. “Oh, fuck,” he mutters, reaching out instinctively with one hand while keeping the other firmly on the bar.

Minho, Hyunjin, and Felix all stretch out their hands to help too, but Jisung’s reflexes are faster. His fingers close around your wrist, and he yanks you up onto your feet just as the ride jolts again.

The force sends you sprawling. Straight into Jisung’s lap.

“Holy shit,” Jisung mutters, one arm wrapping around your waist instinctively to keep you steady. The scorpion tattoo on his neck is close enough to brush against your temple, his breath warm against your ear. “You good?”

“Yeah,” you reply calmly, despite the chaos. Your voice is soft, unfazed, as if crashing into a stranger’s lap is just another day at the amusement park.

The operator’s voice booms over the speakers, laughter in his tone. “Hold the pretty girl, Romeo!”

Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo, and Rose dissolve into howls of laughter from their seats. “Oh my god, Y/N!” Jennie screams. “You’re fucking killing me!”

The ride jerks again, and you slip slightly, but Jisung’s grip tightens, one hand still braced on the bar. “I got you,” he says smoothly, his flirty smirk returning. “Guess you’re stuck with me now.”

Minho, Felix, and Hyunjin are practically crying with laughter. “Hold her tight, Romeo!” Minho repeats through his cackling.

Felix wipes tears from his eyes. “This is fucking gold.”

The ride jerks and spins, the platform hurtling through the air with each twist, each violent lurch making Jisung grip the bar tighter. He’s barely aware of the ride itself anymore; all his focus is on you. How you’re pressed against him, your body bouncing in his lap with every sudden movement. Every jolt sends another wave of heat through him, but he has to fight it.

"Fuck," Jisung mutters under his breath, trying to keep his composure. His arm, locked securely around your waist, pulls you closer each time the ride moves. His other hand is wrapped around the bar, knuckles white from the strain of holding on. He’s trying so hard not to let his body betray him.

Your pink dress shifts with each bounce, and Jisung can feel the fabric sliding against his leg as you move in his lap. His teeth dig into his lower lip, and his mind goes to desperate places. Thinking about his grandma, his fucking grandma, just to keep things in check.

"Hold the bar, Romeo!" the operator calls out, his voice booming through the speakers, and Jisung does just that, holding on for dear life, trying not to think about how soft you feel against him, how your warmth makes his pulse quicken.

You don’t seem to be bothered by the closeness at all. Your face, calm and composed, doesn’t show any sign of embarrassment, even as you slide up and down in his lap with every turn of the ride. You’re so fucking graceful, even in the chaos, and Jisung can’t help but admire it, hell, he’s pretty sure he's never been this close to a girl, and yet he doesn't feel like you're awkward or uncomfortable.

And fuck, you’re beautiful.

Just when Jisung thinks he’s going to lose his mind from the pressure of holding you so close, the ride jerks again, and this time, it’s more intense than before. The entire group of riders is thrown in every direction, and with one final violent lurch, Jisung and you are sent crashing to the floor of the ride.

"Shit!" Jisung grunts, barely keeping you from slamming face-first into the ground. But he can’t hold on, and you both end up sprawled on the floor, laughing despite the awkwardness of the situation.

Over in another corner, Minho and Felix aren’t faring much better. The ride has whipped them into a tangle of limbs, and for a moment, it looks like they’re trying to sort out who’s on top of who. Minho’s face is flushed, and Felix is doing everything he can to avoid making eye contact, his cheeks bright red as he tries to push himself up from the floor.

“Fucking hell,” Minho mutters, grinning at Felix’s red face as he struggles to get up. “You’re such a mess, Felix.”

“I- Shut up!” Felix huffs, pushing Minho off of him, his face an even deeper shade of pink now. He’s trying not to make eye contact with anyone, but the whole ride is practically howling with laughter at the scene.

"Fucking drama queens," Hyunjin laughs, his voice cutting through the noise. He’s sitting upright with a shit-eating grin, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

“Fucking hell, I’m never riding this shit again,” Felix mutters under his breath, pushing himself to his feet, but he can’t stop the wide smile creeping across his face.

“God, you’re cute when you’re embarrassed, Felix,” Minho teases again, his voice smooth, playful, and just a little too suggestive.

“Fuck you, Minho,” Felix responds, but it’s not harsh. More like an endearing complaint.

Meanwhile, Jisung and you are still trying to right yourselves, laughing as you both get to your feet.

"Fuck," Jisung says with a grin, giving you a quick glance. “That was a hell of a ride, huh?”

You blink at him silently, but the look in your eyes is enough to make Jisung’s grin widen. He’s about to say something else when the operator hits another switch, jerking the ride once again, this time sending you sliding back toward your friends, who are standing at the edge of the platform watching the chaos unfold.

But in a desperate attempt to keep her balance, you grab hold of Rose, your best friend, yanking her toward you for support.

“Ah!” Rose squeals, stumbling backwards. “What the hell, Y/N?” She tries to pull away, but it’s too late, she’s already tumbling, and in the blink of an eye, she’s crashing straight into Hyunjin.

“Whoa!” Hyunjin grins, his eyes sparkling as he catches Rose effortlessly in his arms. “Well, hello there, Elsa.”

Rose’s face is completely blank for a moment, her eyes wide and unblinking. She’s staring at Hyunjin like she’s seen a ghost, or, more likely, the most beautiful guy she’s ever seen in her life.

“Uh, hi,” Rose finally breathes, her voice soft, almost a whisper.

Hyunjin looks down at her, amused, and flashes a charming grin. “Did you enjoy the ride, Elsa?”

Rose, still dazed, can’t seem to get her words straight. “I- I... what?” Her voice is almost too quiet, like she's too stunned to respond properly. Hyunjin’s presence is doing something to her, something that has her blushing like a schoolgirl.

The other riders are howling with laughter, and the onlookers, who’ve gathered near the ride, are absolutely losing their shit at the sight of the tangled mess of limbs. Some of them are even filming, clearly thinking this will be some viral gold.

"You guys are a fucking mess," Jisung chuckles, eyes still focused on you as you try to regain your balance, laughing with your friends. “But seriously, Y/N, you okay?”

You nod, giving him a small smile, and Jisung can’t help but feel like his heart might just burst from the simple way you look at him. Calm, serene, unbothered by the chaos around you. He wishes he could just reach out and hold you, but the ride’s still going, and the operator’s having too much fun with his matchmaking antics.

“Hold tight, Romeo!” the operator shouts again, as if he can sense the tension in the air, the way Jisung is still holding onto the bar with one hand, his other arm around your waist, trying not to make things worse.

Jisung doesn't care anymore. He pulls you a little closer, his grip tightening slightly as the ride spins once more. He holds you like you belong in his arms, and he’s not about to let go anytime soon.

The laughter from the other riders continues, but for Jisung, everything seems to quiet down except for the rhythm of your breath, the steady beat of his heart, and the way you’ve become the centre of his world, even if just for this one insane moment.

And fuck, he doesn’t want it to end.

The boys regroup by a nearby bench under the flickering lights of the boardwalk, the salty ocean air mixing with the sweetness of funnel cakes and fried snacks. Jisung, Felix, Hyunjin, and Minho look like they’ve just survived a small war, their hair tousled, shirts rumpled, and faces still flushed from the chaos of the ride.

“How you all feeling?” Chan asks, grinning as he leans back against the bench, arms crossed. His blue hair catches the light, giving him an almost ethereal glow.

“Me and Minho got real up close and personal,” Felix says, dragging a hand through his blonde hair, his freckled cheeks pinker than usual.

Minho doesn’t miss a beat, wiggling his eyebrows with a shit-eating grin. “Didn’t know you were so flexible, Lix.”

Felix groans, but the faint smile tugging at his lips betrays him. “You’re such an asshole.”

Changbin snorts, sipping from a soda cup. “You two should just fuck already. The tension’s killing the rest of us.”

Felix sputters, his face going beet red, but Minho only smirks wider, clearly enjoying the teasing. “What can I say? I’ve got that effect on people.”

Seungmin pushes his ridiculous sunglasses up his nose and deadpans, “Your effect is that you’re unbearable.”

“Love you too, Minnie,” Minho quips, blowing him a kiss.

Jisung, leaning casually against the railing, suddenly grins, his gaze drifting over the boardwalk. “I’m in love.”

Hyunjin, brushing nonexistent lint off his shirt, chimes in with a dreamy sigh. “Same.”

The group collectively turns to look where the two are staring. Across the boardwalk, you and Rose are arm in arm, laughing with Jennie, Jisoo, and Lisa as you wait at a stall for alcoholic slushies. Your cherry-red hair gleams under the lights, and your pink dress clings perfectly to your frame as you lean into Rose, whispering something that makes her giggle.

“You’re fucking kidding me,” Jeongin mutters, following their line of sight. “Kappa girls?”

Chan groans, running a hand down his face. “Oh, no. Not Kappa girls. Theta Tau has already laid claim on them. You wanna start a frat brawl?”

Hyunjin shrugs, unbothered, his black hair falling into his eyes. “Theta Tau can suck my dick.”

“Pretty sure they’d need instructions first,” Jisung adds, smirking. His eyes flick back to you, the edges of his mouth curling further. “Besides, they can’t lay claim on people. Sleeping Beauty over there?” He gestures toward you with his chin. “I’m gonna woo the shit out of her.”

Hyunjin raises his hand lazily. “And Elsa? She’s mine.”

Seungmin snickers. “You two are dead men walking.”

“You think I’m scared of those Theta Tau pricks?” Jisung scoffs, pushing off the railing and brushing off his shirt. “They can try all they want. I’ll sweep her off her feet.”

Hyunjin, ever the picture of elegance even in chaos, flips his hair dramatically. “Same goes for Rose. She’s a vision. Theta Tau can’t compete with this.” He gestures to himself with a flourish.

Chan sighs heavily, though his lips twitch with amusement. “You guys are insane. Theta Tau isn’t going to like this.”

“Who gives a fuck what they like?” Minho drawls, his voice dripping with disdain. He pops a fry into his mouth before continuing, “Theta Tau can lick my balls after practice. Everyone knows we’re the better frat anyway.”

Changbin nods in agreement, a wicked grin spreading across his face. “Yeah, they’re all talk and no action. Bunch of little bitches.”

“They won’t dare face us in a fight,” Minho continues, crossing his arms. “I say we help our boys land their princesses.”

Chan’s expression shifts, a sly grin tugging at his lips. “Then count me in. I’ve had my eye on Jennie Kim for months.”

Seungmin snorts. “This is shaping up to be a disaster.”

“Or a fucking masterpiece,” Jisung counters, his grin wide as he leans against the railing again, his dark eyes fixed on you. You’re sipping your bright pink slush, your laugh carrying across the boardwalk as Jennie clinks her drink against yours. “Either way, Sleeping Beauty’s gonna know my name by the end of the night.”

Hyunjin nudges him playfully. “Just don’t fuck it up.”

“Please,” Jisung replies, tossing his hair back dramatically. “When have I ever fucked up?”

The group exchanges knowing glances, bursting into laughter.

“Shut the fuck up,” Jisung groans, though his grin never wavers. His eyes flick back to you, watching as you and Rose wander off with your group, arm in arm. “Seriously, though. I’m calling it now, she’s gonna be my girlfriend, maybe even my wife.”

The living room of the Alpha Phi frat house is a cacophony of noise and heat, the oppressive summer weather turning the place into a makeshift sauna. Ceiling fans spin lazily overhead, providing little relief as the guys lounge on mismatched couches and beanbags, their laughter echoing off the old wooden walls. The room smells faintly of sweat, soda, and the faint sweetness of Felix’s strawberry tanghulu, the sticky glaze glinting in the sunlight streaming through the large bay windows.

“Alright, assholes,” Jisung calls out, clapping his hands together as he strides into the room. He’s wearing only a pair of black shorts, leaving his heavily tattooed torso fully on display. “Everyone shut the fuck up and pay attention. We’re about to change lives here.”

“By lives, he means his own,” Changbin mutters, lounging in a beanbag chair as he scrolls on his phone. “Or maybe ruin them.”

“Shut up, Binnie,” Hyunjin says, striding in behind Jisung, his laptop tucked under one arm. He looks as immaculate as ever despite the heat, his long black hair pulled back into a loose bun that somehow only adds to his annoyingly perfect features. “You’re going to thank us when this works.”

“If it works,” Jeongin adds from his spot on the couch, raising an eyebrow. He’s fanning himself lazily with a notebook, his legs draped over the armrest.

“It’ll fucking work,” Chan says, entering last with a determined look. His short blue hair is damp from a recent shower, and his sleeveless shirt reveals the toned muscles that only add to his already intimidating presence. “We’ve got a plan.”

“A stupid plan,” Seungmin mutters, adjusting his position in the chair he’s sprawled in. “But whatever. Let’s see it.”

Felix is curled up next to Minho on the couch, his head resting on Minho’s shoulder as he eats his tanghulu one sticky bite at a time. Minho has one arm draped casually around him, and the sight draws a few knowing smirks from the others, though no one comments. Felix doesn’t even bother looking up. “This better be worth it. It’s fucking boiling in here.”

Hyunjin plugs his laptop into the TV, and the screen flashes to life, displaying the opening slide of their PowerPoint: “Mission Princess: How to Woo and Not Fuck It Up.”

“Gentlemen,” Hyunjin begins, standing dramatically in front of the TV. “We have prepared a step-by-step presentation on how to win the hearts of our respective princesses.”

Jisung nods, arms crossed over his chest as he leans against the back of the couch. “That’s right. Last night, we did some cyberstalking- sorry, research- on our ladies. Y/N, Rose, and Jennie. Criminal law students and a forensic science major. They’re smart as hell, and we’re dumb as fuck, so we’ve got some catching up to do.”

Jeongin snorts. “Finally some self-awareness.”

“Shut it, you little shit,” Jisung fires back, flipping him off.

Hyunjin clicks to the next slide, which reads in bold letters: “Step 1: Get to Know Them.” Beneath it are three subsections, each with a ridiculous photoshopped picture of the Alpha Phi members standing in for the women they’re talking about. For Jennie, there’s Chan wearing a wig and holding a coffee cup. For Rose, it’s Hyunjin in a blue cardigan with a fake rose in his hand. And for Y/N, it’s Jisung in a sparkly pink dress and platform boots.

The room bursts into laughter.

“What the fuck is that?” Changbin howls, pointing at the screen. “Jisung, you look like a rejected K-pop trainee.”

“It’s called commitment, bitch,” Jisung replies with a smirk. “Now shut up and let me do my part.”

Hyunjin gestures for him to take the stage. Jisung pushes off the couch and stands in front of the screen, tapping the slide with a finger. “Alright, listen up, assholes. Y/N is a criminal law student. She’s smart as fuck, probably smarter than all of us combined, so don’t even try to bullshit her. She likes romantic poetry and she wears a lot of pink.” He grins, gesturing to his photoshopped picture. “Obviously, she’s got taste.”

“Obviously,” Seungmin mutters under his breath.

“Your turn, Hyunjin,” Jisung says, stepping aside.

Hyunjin clicks to the next subsection and steps forward, gesturing dramatically to the screen. “Rose. Also a criminal law student. She’s into art galleries, which means she has class, unlike some of you heathens.” He shoots a pointed look at Changbin, who flips him off without hesitation. “And she’s from New Zealand. She’s got that accent, you know, the kind that makes everything sound sexy.”

“That explains why you’re so into her,” Felix teases from Minho’s shoulder.

Hyunjin ignores him and motions to Chan. “Take it away.”

Chan clicks to the final subsection, where his own ridiculous photoshopped picture stares back at him. “Jennie,” he begins, his voice serious. “Forensic science major. Wicked smart. In her free time, she releases music. Also drinks coffee like it’s fucking crack, which, same. So, obviously, we’re perfect for each other.”

“Sure you are,” Minho quips, grinning. “And I’m the Pope.”

Chan ignores him and clicks to the next slide, which shows a bullet-pointed plan for the next steps. It’s completely absurd, involving things like “accidentally” running into the girls at their favourite café and “strategically” inviting them to Alpha Phi parties.

“You realize this is fucking insane, right?” Jeongin says, shaking his head as he glances at the screen. “This isn’t a plan. It’s a shitshow waiting to happen.”

“Shut up, Jeongin,” Jisung says, crossing his arms. “This is how legends are made.”

“And how restraining orders are filed,” Seungmin mutters, earning a snicker from Felix.

“Whatever,” Jisung says, ignoring the laughter. “We’re doing this. We’re gonna woo the shit out of these girls. And when we succeed, you’re all gonna eat your words.”

“Or just eat shit,” Changbin adds with a grin.

Jisung’s grin widens. “Either way, it’s gonna be a fucking masterpiece.”

Hyunjin clicks to the next slide and the words “Q&A Section: Don’t Be Dumbasses” flash across the screen in bold neon lettering, surrounded by a ridiculous cartoon of a brain with arms shrugging dramatically. The room erupts into laughter, and Hyunjin raises his hands for quiet.

“Alright, shut up,” he says, trying to sound authoritative but failing as his lips twitch into a grin. “We figured some of you would have questions because, let’s be real, half of you have the romantic instincts of a wet mop.”

Changbin leans back in his beanbag chair, raising his hand lazily. “Yeah, I’ve got one. What the fuck are you gonna do if this whole plan backfires, and they think you’re creepy instead of charming?”

Chan snorts. “First of all, fuck you for your lack of faith, Binnie. Second, it’s all about execution. We’re not just sliding into their lives uninvited. We’re creating opportunities for organic connections.”

“Organic?” Seungmin repeats, raising an eyebrow. “You mean like how stalking their social media last night was ‘organic’?”

Jisung waves a hand dismissively. “That was reconnaissance. Don’t make it weird.”

“It’s already weird,” Jeongin says, snickering. “Anyway, what’s the backup plan if they straight-up reject you?”

“Then we die of heartbreak,” Hyunjin says dramatically, clutching his chest. “But it won’t happen because we’re hot.”

“You’re hot,” Felix mutters, stuffing another piece of tanghulu into his mouth. “Can’t say the same for everyone here.”

“Rude,” Jisung deadpans, gesturing to himself. “Look at me. I’m a fucking work of art.”

“You’re a work of something,” Minho says, smirking. “Anyway, serious question: what if Theta Tau finds out and starts shit? You know they’re territorial as fuck.”

Chan crosses his arms, his expression hardening. “We’re ready for that. In fact...” He gestures to Hyunjin, who clicks to the next slide. The words “Battle Plan for Theta Tau” flash across the screen, accompanied by an overly dramatic image of the Alpha Phi crest.

The entire room bursts into laughter.

“The plan is literally just to beat them up?” Felix asks, pointing at the screen, where the only strategy listed reads: 1. Fight them. 2. Beat them up.

“It’s a classic,” Jisung says, shrugging nonchalantly. “Why complicate things?”

“You do realize this isn’t Game of Thrones, right?” Jeongin asks, rolling his eyes. “You can’t just fight them for dominance.”

“Sure we can,” Changbin says, cracking his knuckles. “They’re all bark and no bite. It’d be over in five minutes.”

“Or it’d escalate into a full-on frat war,” Seungmin mutters, clearly unimpressed. “But hey, whatever keeps you entertained.”

Hyunjin clears his throat. “Let’s focus on the actual goal here, which is wooing our princesses. Any other questions?”

Felix raises his hand, his tone uncharacteristically uncertain. “What happens if, you know, they’re not into it? Like, what if they’re already seeing someone?”

Jisung leans forward, resting his hands on his knees. “Then we play it cool. Back off and respect their boundaries. But that’s not gonna happen because I’m telling you, Sleeping Beauty looked at me like I was her goddamn Prince Charming.”

“You mean she fell into your lap because of a ride,” Jeongin says, grinning.

“Details,” Jisung says, waving him off. “Any other dumbass questions?”

When no one speaks up, Hyunjin clicks to the next slide, which reads: “Pitch Your Ideas” in obnoxiously bright colours. He gestures to the group. “This is your chance to contribute. Any brilliant ideas?”

Minho is the first to speak, leaning back with a lazy smirk. “You could accidentally spill coffee on them and offer to buy them a new one. Classic rom-com move.”

“That’s a shit idea,” Changbin says immediately. “What if they get pissed and throw it back in your face?”

Minho shrugs. “Then at least you’ll smell like coffee.”

Felix perks up. “What about leaving them anonymous notes? Like, romantic ones. Poetry and shit.”

“That’s creepy,” Seungmin says flatly. “They’d think they have a stalker.”

“You mean like what they already are?” Jeongin quips, earning a round of laughter.

“Okay, genius,” Felix says, glaring at Seungmin. “What’s your idea?”

“Don’t have one,” Seungmin replies, smirking. “I’m just here to watch the train wreck.”

Jisung groans, running a hand through his hair. “You’re all useless. From the data gathered, it’s clear none of us are experts in dating women long-term.”

“Felix and I are gay,” Minho says, raising his hand like a student answering a question. “We tried our best.”

Jisung snaps his fingers. “You two could befriend them. Girls love the gays.”

Felix tilts his head, considering this. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”

Minho nods slowly. “Yeah, we could be the friendly middlemen. Butter them up a little.”

“That’s the spirit,” Jisung says, clapping his hands together. “See? Teamwork makes the dream work.”

Hyunjin clicks to the next slide, which features a crudely drawn diagram of a heart surrounded by arrows labelled with absurd strategies like “be charming as fuck,” “don’t trip over your own dick,” and “look hot at all times.”

“This is our roadmap to success,” Hyunjin says, dead serious despite the ridiculousness of the slide. “If we stick to the plan, there’s no way we can fail.”

“No way you can fail,” Seungmin corrects. “The rest of us are just here for moral support.”

“Or to clean up the mess when this goes to shit,” Jeongin adds, grinning.

Chan sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Alright, let’s wrap this up. We’ve got work to do.”

“And princesses to woo,” Jisung adds, his confident grin lighting up the room. Despite the chaos, the fire in his eyes makes it clear he’s all in and nothing’s going to stop him.

The warm glow of Jennie’s room in the Kappa Tau sorority house feels like a cosy bubble away from the chaos of campus life. The soft hum of 90 Day Fiance plays in the background, the ridiculous drama on-screen prompting bursts of laughter from the girls lounging around the room. It smells faintly of vanilla candles, wine, and the comforting sweetness of melting ice cream.

Jennie’s room is the epitome of comfort and indulgence. Fairy lights strung around the walls cast a golden glow over plush rugs and mismatched pillows. Her large hanging swing chair is padded with layers of cushions and blankets, where you and Rose are curled up together. Both of you wear matching pastel pink silk robes, your hair clipped back in messy buns, and snail sheet masks clinging to your faces.

“This is the best idea ever,” Lisa says, her voice muffled through her own mask as she leans against the bed, spooning rocky road ice cream out of the pint. Her long legs are stretched out in front of her, the silky fabric of her light blue robe shimmering under the lights. “Wine, ice cream, and trash TV? Literal heaven.”

“Literal trash too,” Jisoo retorts from her spot on the floor, cross-legged with a glass of rosé in one hand and a pint of mint chocolate chip in the other. She pushes her own robe sleeve, emerald green, up her arm, careful not to spill her wine. “But, I mean, who are we kidding? This show is iconic.”

“You just like watching other people’s relationships implode,” Jennie teases from the bed, lounging with one arm draped over Felix, who is wearing a lavender robe like he’s been part of this group his whole life. Minho is stretched out on the chaise in a black silk robe, one arm resting lazily on the back, smirking as if he too has always belonged in this little sorority circle.

Felix chuckles, his freckles crinkling as he spoons some ice cream into his mouth. “I mean, she’s not wrong. It’s like watching a train wreck you can’t look away from.”

“Speaking of train wrecks,” Minho begins, his grin widening as he sets down his wine glass. “Did you hear about that cheerleader on the squad? Chloe? Apparently, she got caught going down on the gymnastics coach under the bleachers.”

“No fucking way,” Lisa gasps, sitting up straighter and nearly knocking her ice cream over.

“It’s true,” Felix says, nodding with a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Word’s all over campus. Someone filmed it. She got suspended, and the coach might lose his job.”

Jennie lets out a low whistle, swirling her wine glass. “How do people even get themselves into situations like that? Like, the bleachers? Really?”

“People are just nasty,” Jisoo says, shaking her head as she takes another spoonful of ice cream. “I mean, couldn’t she wait until she's, I don’t know, not a public fucking place?”

Rose giggles softly from beside you, her head resting lightly against your shoulder. “That’s so wild. I don’t even know how she thought she wouldn’t get caught.”

“Desperate people don’t think straight,” Minho says with a smirk. “Or maybe she just really likes the thrill of getting caught.”

Lisa throws a pillow at him. “You’re gross.”

He dodges it with a laugh. “Hey, just saying. Different strokes for different folks.”

Felix shakes his head, grinning. “You’re the worst, Minho.”

From your spot in the swing chair, you speak up quietly, your voice soft but full of curiosity. “Do you think she regrets it? Or do you think she’s just embarrassed because she got caught?”

The room falls quiet for a moment as everyone processes your question.

“Honestly,” Rose says, her voice gentle, “she’s probably just overwhelmed. I mean, it’s bad enough making a mistake, but having it become a campus-wide scandal must be horrible.”

“That’s so you, Y/N,” Jennie says with a fond smile, leaning back on the bed. “Always finding a way to sympathize with someone. You’re too good for this world.”

Lisa nods. “Yeah, if it were me, I’d be mortified but also probably pissed as hell. Like, why’s everyone so nosy?”

Jisoo shrugs. “Because drama is free entertainment.”

Jennie laughs. “You’re a menace, Jisoo.”

Felix, ever the peacemaker, adds, “Still, she didn’t deserve to have her business put on blast like that. People can be so cruel.”

“True,” Minho says, surprisingly serious for once. “But let’s not act like she didn’t bring at least some of it on herself.”

Jennie raises her wine glass. “Here’s to not giving head under bleachers.”

The group laughs, clinking glasses and pints together in mock celebration.

Rose squeezes your hand gently, a small smile on her face. “You’d never get caught up in something like that,” she says softly. “You’re too smart.”

“Neither would you.”

“Yeah, because you two are fucking angels,” Lisa says, rolling her eyes. “That’s why we have to protect you.”

Jennie nods, her tone teasing but affectionate. “We’re your big sisters. No one’s messing with our sweethearts.”

“Not on our watch,” Jisoo adds, raising her spoon like a weapon.

Minho and Felix exchange a glance, and Minho smirks. “Guess we’re part of the protective circle now, huh?”

Jennie narrows her eyes playfully. “We’ll see. You have to earn it.”

Felix leans into her, fluttering his lashes dramatically. “Have I not earned it already?”

Jennie laughs, ruffling his hair, before she glances at you and Rose curled up in the swing chair. Her eyes sparkle with mischief. “You two ready for your great love stories to kick off?” 

Rose lifts her head from your shoulder, her cheeks pink, though whether it’s from the wine or embarrassment is unclear. “It was just a bit,” she says quickly, though the soft hesitation in her voice betrays her uncertainty.

You nod along, keeping your expression neutral. “Right, just a funny little moment.”

Lisa, sprawled out on the floor with her second pint of ice cream, snorts loudly. “No, no. Those two Alpha Phi boys are into the two of you. Big time. It’s not just a ‘moment,’ babes.”

Rose’s face heats further, and she buries her face in her hands with a groan. “Oh my god, stop.”

Jisoo smirks, her gaze flicking between the two of you like a cat toying with its prey. “They’re not just into you. They’re in love. I’m calling it now.”

Minho, perched on the chaise like he owns the place, raises a hand lazily. “Can confirm.”

Felix, snuggled next to him, nods enthusiastically. “Super interested. Like, they won’t shut up about it.”

Rose sits up straighter, her wide eyes darting to you. Before either of you can respond, Jennie leans forward, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. “Are you two interested? Be honest.”

You and Rose exchange a panicked glance before simultaneously picking up the wine bottle on the nearby table. You tip it slightly, squinting at the label like it holds the secrets of the universe. “Oh, wow, fermented,” you say, nodding like a sommelier. “Uh-huh. Grapes. Cool.”

Rose nods along vigorously. “Yeah, so fascinating. It’s aged! Love that. Great stuff.”

Lisa bursts into laughter, clutching her stomach as she doubles over. “Holy shit, you two are so bad at this.”

“Seriously,” Jennie adds, her voice full of exasperated fondness. “It’s okay to admit you’re at least curious.”

Rose sets the bottle down, avoiding everyone’s gaze. “What about Theta Tau?” she asks hesitantly. “You know what they’re like.”

At the mention of the rival fraternity, Jennie’s playful smile vanishes, replaced by a steely determination. “I’m not afraid to smack a dickhead Theta boy if he starts shit.”

Lisa, Minho, Felix, and Jisoo all nod in agreement, their expressions mirroring Jennie’s resolve.

“They’re all talk anyway,” Minho says, rolling his eyes. “Big egos, no guts. I’d pay to see one of them try something.”

Felix grins. “Right? Jennie would take them out before they even got a word in.”

You shake your head, your quiet voice cutting through the heated energy. “No, seriously, guys. Rose and I can’t handle confrontation or tension. Like, at all.”

Rose nods emphatically, her soft voice chiming in. “We’ll stroke out. Full-on death by stress.”

Jennie’s expression softens slightly, her protective instincts kicking in. “Alright, alright. We’ll keep them in check. But you two don’t need to worry about Theta Tau. We’ve got your backs.”

You glance at Rose, who gives you a small smile. “Besides,” you add with a faint laugh, “don’t you like Chan?”

Jennie’s cheeks flush slightly, but she doesn’t miss a beat. “Yep,” she says with a smirk. “I’m just waiting for him to do something about it.”

Minho snorts loudly, his laughter filling the room. “Good fucking luck with that. Chan’s great at a lot of things, but making a move? Not one of them.”

“Hey, he’s getting there,” Felix chimes in, though even he sounds doubtful.

Jennie shrugs, leaning back against her pillows. “I’ve got time. But you two? Your boys are already making moves. You better be ready for what’s coming.”

The hallways of the criminal law department buzz with the usual post-lecture chatter as you and Rose step out of the classroom. The air feels heavy with the scent of old books and faint traces of someone’s too-strong cologne. You tug at the hem of your cropped lace-trim camisole, the pink and black leather racer jacket you’re wearing fitting snugly over your shoulders. Your messy bun is starting to come loose, strands of cherry-red hair brushing against your face as you adjust the strap of your bag.

“God, that lecture felt like it lasted ten fucking years,” Rose mutters, her voice tinged with exhaustion as she shifts her black leather jacket. She’s dressed in black baggy jeans, a white crop top, and chunky boots, her dark hair twisted into two neat buns that frame her face.

“Seriously,” you agree as you glance at her. “If Professor Kim said the words ‘precedent’ or ‘jurisprudence’ one more time, I think my brain would’ve shut down.”

Rose snorts, nudging you playfully. “You’re too polite to say it, but you were zoning out just as much as I was.”

You smile, your laugh blending with the bustling sounds of students moving through the hall. The two of you walk side by side, the weight of textbooks and notes pulling at your bags, when a loud voice rings out from down the corridor.

“Sleeping Beauty!”

You and Rose stop in your tracks, turning toward the sound. Down the hallway, Jisung and Hyunjin are approaching, their confident strides and undeniable presence turning more than a few heads. Jisung’s hair is tousled in that perfectly messy way that looks both effortless and intentional, his tattoos peeking out from under a fitted black shirt, his ripped jeans and combat boots giving him an edge that matches his cocky grin.

Hyunjin, on the other hand, looks ethereal. His black hair falls in loose waves around his sharp features, his long coat flowing slightly behind him as he walks. He looks like he’s stepped out of a magazine, his striking confidence tempered with a touch of artistry in the way he moves.

Jisung reaches you first, stopping just a step too close for comfort but it’s not uncomfortable. It’s electric. “This is for you,” he says, holding out a single pink rose. The petals shimmer faintly under the fluorescent lights, and you realize it’s fake.

You blink, momentarily stunned, and he winks at you. “Plastic doesn’t die,” he says, his tone teasing but soft. “Like my charm.”

Your cheeks heat up, but you manage a quiet, “Thank you,” as you take the rose.

Hyunjin, meanwhile, turns to Rose with a small, knowing smile. “And this is for you.” He hands her a white rose, the elegant simplicity of it mirroring the way he carries himself. “Something as timeless as you.”

Rose’s jaw drops slightly, but before she can respond, both boys turn on their heels, walking away with matching smirks.

“Did that just fucking happen?” Rose asks, still staring after them.

You look at the rose in your hand, the faint blush in your cheeks deepening. “I… think so?”

The two of you turn to look at each other, wide-eyed, before bursting into laughter. Without a word, you lift your hands for a high five, the sharp clap echoing down the hall as your giggles fill the space.

Rose, still grinning, tucks the white rose into one of her buns, the delicate petals standing out against her dark hair. “It suits me, doesn’t it?” she asks, posing dramatically.

“Perfectly,” you reply with a smile, sliding the pink rose into your messy bun, securing it in place. “How do I look?”

“Adorable, as always,” Rose says, nudging your shoulder lightly.

As the two of you start walking again, Rose’s smile softens into something more thoughtful. “Maybe we really will have great love stories,” she muses. “I mean, did you see Hyunjin? He looked like a fucking dream.”

You chuckle quietly, glancing down at the rose in your hand before slipping it into your hair. “Jisung’s tattoos, I like a man with tattoos.”

Rose laughs, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Reckon Hyunjin will paint me? Either make me a portrait or paint my skin. I don’t mind either way.”

You laugh along with her, the sound light and carefree. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he offered. He seems the type to do something dramatic like that.”

Rose sighs dreamily, her expression wistful. “Well, if this is the start of a great love story, I’m not complaining.”

You nod, your smile soft. “Me neither.”

The two of you exit the building into the afternoon sun, the warmth on your skin mirroring the quiet excitement blooming in your chest. Whatever happens next, it feels like the start of something beautiful.

The sound of loud music and boisterous laughter fills the Alpha Phi frat house as the boys lounge in the living room. Empty snack wrappers and soda cans are scattered across the coffee table, and Changbin and Jeongin are locked in an intense game of Mario Kart on the big screen, shouting insults at each other with every near-miss.

“Jeongin, you little shit, stop spamming red shells!” Changbin yells, leaning forward on the couch like his life depends on it.

“It’s called strategy, old man,” Jeongin shoots back, grinning as his character zooms past Changbin’s on the final lap.

Jisung leans back in an armchair, shirtless as usual, a tattooed arm draped lazily over the armrest. “Binnie’s gonna cry again. Somebody get a tissue.”

“Fuck off, Sung,” Changbin grumbles, his eyes glued to the screen.

Before anyone can respond, there’s a knock at the door, sharp and deliberate. Chan, who’s been scrolling on his phone from the other couch, groans but gets up to answer it.

“What now?” he mutters, pulling the door open.

Standing there are Jennie, Jisoo, and Lisa, each of them dressed casually but exuding the kind of confidence that instantly commands attention. Jennie crosses her arms, a sly smile on her face as she looks up at Chan.

“We’re here to help your two boys woo our two girls,” she announces without preamble. “Y/N and Rose are watching some true crime doc and drinking wine, so we decided to come here.”

Chan blinks, momentarily taken aback, before stepping aside. “Uh, come in.”

Jennie strides in like she owns the place, Lisa and Jisoo following close behind. They make their way into the living room, where the boys look up from their various positions, confusion written all over their faces.

“Why the fuck are you here?” Hyunjin asks, raising an eyebrow as he adjusts his ponytail.

Jennie ignores him, pulling a folded piece of paper from her bag and holding it up like a declaration of war. “We have a plan. A carwash fundraiser for students with learning disabilities. Girls will be in bikini tops and shorts. Guys in just swimming trunks. Stereotypical as hell, but effective.”

“Wait, what?” Jisung sits up straighter, his eyebrows shooting up. “Why are we-?”

“Because,” Jennie interrupts, her tone sharp, “this is important to Y/N and Rose. Rose has dyscalculia, and Y/N has dyslexia. This fundraiser actually matters to them, so you two are going to be there.”

Jisung glances at Hyunjin, who nods without hesitation. “Of course, we’ll be there,” Hyunjin says simply, his tone resolute.

“Good,” Jennie smirks, satisfied, before tossing the flyer onto the coffee table.

The room falls silent for a moment as the boys process what’s happening, but Jennie isn’t done. “Actually, you’re all going to be there,” she says, her gaze sweeping the room. “Every single one of you.”

“Do we have a choice?” Seungmin asks dryly, not even looking up from his phone.

“Nope.” Jisoo grins, pulling a clipboard from behind her back and handing it to Chan. “Sign your names, boys.”

Chan sighs but takes the pen, scribbling his name at the top before passing it to Minho. “This better be worth it.”

“It will be,” Jennie says with certainty.

As the clipboard makes its way around the room, Lisa crosses her arms and leans against the wall. “Think sexy,” she says, her tone casual but firm. “Oil yourselves up or something. We need to make this fundraiser a success.”

Minho smirks as he scribbles his name down. Without missing a beat, he turns to Felix, who’s sitting beside him. “You gonna oil me up, Lix?”

Felix blinks rapidly, his freckles darkening as his cheeks flush bright red. He opens his mouth, but no words come out, and he looks like a fish gasping for air.

The room erupts in laughter, and Felix buries his face in his hands. “Minho, you’re the fucking worst.”

Minho grins, unfazed. “Love you too.”

Jennie clears her throat, cutting through the chaos. “Now, let’s talk about Theta Tau.”

Lisa rolls her eyes. “Those moronic, douchey frat boys think they have some kind of claim on us.”

Jennie’s gaze sharpens as she turns to Chan, her smile turning into a smirk. “Must be why you haven’t asked me on a date, Bang Chan.”

Chan’s jaw drops slightly, his confident demeanour faltering as he gapes at her. “I- What?”

The room goes silent for a beat before the boys start snickering. Jisung covers his mouth with his hand, but his eyes gleam with amusement. Jeongin outright cackles, earning a swat from Changbin.

“Shit, you’re whipped,” Minho says, his grin wicked.

Chan stammers, trying to find the words, but Jennie doesn’t wait for an answer. “You better figure it out,” she says, her tone teasing but firm. “The ball’s in your court.”

The rest of the meeting devolves into playful chaos as the Kappa Tau girls finalize their plans, leaving the Alpha Phi boys no choice but to follow along. The challenge has been set, and the stakes have never been higher.

The sun is merciless, beating down on the campus parking lot where a row of cars glint under its rays, each awaiting its turn to be scrubbed down. Early 2000s music pumps through portable speakers, adding a nostalgic rhythm to the chaotic scene. A faint scent of soapy water hangs in the air, mixing with the tang of sunscreen and the occasional whiff of hot asphalt.

Jisung adjusts the waistband of his black shorts, the only thing he’s wearing aside from his sneakers. His tattooed skin glistens faintly, a sheen of sweat already forming as he stands alongside the other Alpha Phi boys. The tattoo that spells rockstar snakes boldly down his ribs to his hip, catching the sunlight. Across his right pec, the word BLESSED is inked above a compass, while his falling Icarus tattoo stretches across his left thigh. His right leg is a patchwork of intricate designs, and the sword running down his spine, encircled by a dragon, is an attention-grabber for anyone passing by. The scorpion tattoo on his neck adds an edge that suits his cocky grin as he surveys the scene.

“Hot as balls out here,” Changbin mutters, wiping sweat from his brow. His shorts sit low on his hips, revealing his abs. “I’m sweating like I ran a fucking marathon.”

“Stop bitching,” Minho says, grinning as he elbows Changbin. “It’s for a good cause.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jeongin chimes in, snapping the waistband of his own shorts. “Let’s just get this over with before we all melt.”

Jisung barely hears them, his attention snapping to a splash of pink and white near the centre of the lot. There you are, standing with Rose near a car dripping with suds, both of you laughing as you flick water at each other with the tips of your sponges. 

You’re wearing a pink bikini top tied behind your neck, the knot accentuating the curve of your shoulders, and white denim shorts that sit snugly on your hips. Your hair is pulled into a messy ponytail, a few loose strands sticking to your cheeks. When you turn slightly, Jisung catches sight of a tattoo at the base of your lower back, divine, written in elegant script. Above it, angel wing tattoos span your shoulder blades, the design subtle yet striking.

Jisung feels his chest tighten, the heat of the sun nothing compared to the warmth spreading through him as he watches you laugh. Rose, standing beside you in a black bikini top and ripped jean shorts, flicks water at your legs, and your high-pitched giggle sends his stomach into free fall.

“Yo, Sung,” Hyunjin says, nudging him out of his trance. “You’re staring.”

“Shut up,” Jisung mutters, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips.

Felix and Minho have already wandered off to tackle a car together, Felix’s freckled face glowing under the sun as he balances a bucket of soapy water. Jennie bounces over to Chan, her bright smile causing him to straighten up almost immediately. She gestures toward a car, and the two head off, falling into an easy rhythm as they start scrubbing.

“Looks like everyone’s pairing up,” Hyunjin says, his voice lilting as he glances at Rose and you. “Guess we better make ourselves useful.”

As if on cue, you and Rose wave them over, your smiles soft and inviting. Jisoo, standing near the speaker, grins mischievously as she changes the song to My House by 2PM. The sensual beat pulses through the air, and Jisung can’t help but smirk.

“Perfect timing,” he says, tugging at the strap of a nearby bucket as he and Hyunjin head your way.

Rose points to a car beside her, her voice teasing but sweet. “Think you two can handle this one?”

“Easily,” Hyunjin replies, grabbing a sponge with a dramatic flourish. “Watch and learn, ladies.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head as you hand Jisung a hose. “Try not to flood the parking lot.”

“No promises,” Jisung says, taking it from you with a wink. His fingers brush yours briefly, and the contact sends a spark up his arm. He busies himself with the hose, aiming a spray of water at the car as you and Rose start scrubbing the windows.

Hyunjin crouches beside Rose, dunking his sponge into the bucket with a flourish before smearing suds dramatically across the side of the car. “I call this my masterpiece,” he declares, his voice dripping with faux seriousness.

Rose giggles, flicking water at him. “Your masterpiece looks like a toddler went crazy with finger paint.”

Jisung glances at you as you scrub the hood of the car, your movements slow and deliberate. The curve of your back as you reach forward exposes the intricate detail of your angel wing tattoos, and he swallows hard, trying to focus on his task.

“So, Sleeping Beauty,” he says, his tone casual but his grin mischievous. “When do I get my happily ever after?”

You glance up at him, your eyes bright with amusement. “That depends. Are you planning on falling asleep for a hundred years first?”

Hyunjin cackles from the other side of the car. “She got you there, Sung.”

Jisung chuckles, shaking his head. “Fair enough.” He tilts the hose slightly, spraying a light mist toward you, and you let out a soft squeal as the water splashes your legs.

“Hey!” you protest, though your voice is more laughter than anger.

“Just keeping you cool,” Jisung says with a smirk.

As the hours tick by, the heat of the sun bears down, softened only by the tangy-sweet cocktails Lisa mixes at her makeshift bar. You and Jisung stand by the next car in line, sipping drinks from plastic cups with colourful straws. Yours is a strawberry daiquiri, bright pink and refreshingly cold, while Jisung’s lime-green mojito matches the mischievous glint in his eye.

“I gotta say,” Jisung says, leaning casually against the car as he takes another sip, “Lisa might be onto something with these. Who knew cocktails and car washes went together so well?”

You laugh softly, wiping suds off your arm with a wet sponge. “Leave it to her to make everything feel like a party.”

The next car rolls in, a rusty sedan driven by an older man with a salt-and-pepper moustache and a questionable smirk. He rolls down the window as he pulls up, his eyes lingering on you a second too long.

“Well, aren’t you a sight for sore eyes,” the man drawls, his tone sleazy. “Bet you make more tips than the other girls, sweetheart.”

Your smile falters slightly, but you recover quickly, brushing it off as you move toward the car. Jisung, however, freezes mid-sip, his dark eyes narrowing as the muscles in his jaw tighten.

“Don’t worry, sir,” you say gently, your voice soft but steady. “We’ll have your car spotless in no time.”

Jisung doesn’t respond immediately. Instead, he picks up the hose, his grip firm as his thumb hovers over the nozzle. The man’s grin widens as he leans out of the window, his gaze still fixed on you.

“Hey,” Jisung says suddenly, his voice smooth but loud enough to cut through the awkward tension. “You’re parked a little close to the line. Mind adjusting?”

The man leans back slightly. “Oh, yeah? Didn’t notice-”

Before he can finish, Jisung accidentally squeezes the nozzle, sending a powerful stream of water directly into the man’s face.

“Oh shit!” Jisung exclaims, his voice filled with faux panic. “I’m so sorry! Didn’t mean to-”

The man sputters, waving his hands in front of his face as the water sprays relentlessly. “Hey! Watch where you’re aiming that thing!”

“Crap, sorry!” Jisung repeats, though there’s no real urgency in his tone. If anything, his smirk is barely concealed as he adjusts his grip to send another, even stronger burst of water into the man’s face. “Must be something wrong with the hose- Ah, shit, it’s stuck!”

“Cut it out, kid!” the man huffs, wiping water from his moustache.

“Sorry, sir!” Jisung shouts, still trying to turn the hose off as he casually ups the pressure. The stream grows stronger, soaking the man’s shirt and the inside of the car door.

The commotion draws attention, and Jennie approaches with a raised eyebrow, her hands on her hips. “What’s going on here?”

The man gestures angrily, water dripping from his face and clothes. “This idiot’s hosing me down! I came for a car wash, not a goddamn shower!”

Jennie doesn’t miss a beat, her expression cool and professional despite the absurdity of the situation. “Sorry about that, sir. These hoses are college property. Government-funded, you know how it is. Sometimes they’re a bit temperamental.”

The man’s jaw drops, clearly not expecting her to brush it off so casually. “What kind of operation are you running here?!”

Jennie shrugs, tilting her head slightly. “One that raises a lot of money for good causes. But I can see you’re having a tough time. If you’d like to leave, feel free.”

The man splutters, caught between indignation and disbelief. “Unbelievable,” he mutters, rolling up the window as he starts the engine. The car jerks forward, sputtering soap suds as it disappears down the line.

Once he’s gone, Jennie turns to Jisung with a pointed look. “You’re lucky I like you.”

Jisung grins, twirling the hose dramatically before setting it back down. “I was just defending her honour. Can’t blame me for being chivalrous.”

Jennie snorts. “Chivalry, my ass.” She glances at you, her expression softening. “You okay?”

“I’m fine. Thanks, Jennie.”

“Anytime,” she says before walking off, muttering something about “men being idiots” under her breath.

As the tension eases, Jisung turns to you, his smirk softening into something more genuine. “You good, Sleeping Beauty?”

You look at him, the sunlight catching the sharp edges of his tattoos and the mischievous gleam in his dark eyes. “I’m fine,” you say, your voice quiet but steady. “Thank you.”

“Anytime,” Jisung replies, echoing Jennie’s words with a wink. “Now, let’s get this next car cleaned before I scare off all our customers.”

The sun blazes overhead, relentless and unforgiving, and Jisung is feeling every degree of the heat. He stands near a car, fanning his face dramatically with one hand. “Holy shit, I’m actually melting,” he complains to no one in particular, his bare chest glistening under the sunlight. His tattoos seem to shimmer, the inked rockstar on his ribs drawing attention as it stretches with his every breath. The scorpion on his neck gleams faintly, almost as if it’s alive.

You glance over at him from where you’re rinsing a sponge, a playful idea sparking in your mind. The bucket of clean water at your feet suddenly looks less like a tool and more like an opportunity. Biting your lip to hold back a giggle, you lift the bucket carefully, tiptoeing toward him.

Jisung continues fanning himself, muttering something about needing a fucking ice bath, completely oblivious to your approach. When you’re close enough, you tip the bucket forward, the cool water cascading over his head and shoulders with a loud splash.

“What the fuck?!” Jisung yells, spinning around to face you, his hair dripping and plastered to his forehead. Water trickles down his torso, accentuating the curve of his tattoos as his eyes widen in disbelief.

You’re already backing up, laughing uncontrollably as you clutch the now-empty bucket. “You looked hot,” you tease, your voice light and sweet despite the chaos you’ve just unleashed. “Thought I’d help cool you down.”

“Oh, you’re dead,” Jisung says, dropping the fan act entirely as he grabs the nearby hose. The grin spreading across his face is equal parts playful and dangerous.

“No, no, no!” you squeal, turning on your heel and sprinting toward the nearest car for cover.

Jisung doesn’t hesitate. The hose comes to life in his hands, spraying a sharp stream of water as he chases after you. “Get back here, Sleeping Beauty!” he shouts, laughing as you duck behind the car.

Your giggles echo in the lot as you peek out from the other side of the car, your messy ponytail swaying with the movement. “You wouldn’t dare!”

“Wouldn’t I?” Jisung counters, narrowing his eyes before aiming the hose directly at you. The water arcs through the air, catching you squarely on the side. You shriek, dashing out from behind the car in an attempt to dodge the stream.

The commotion draws attention. Rose and Hyunjin, who’ve been quietly chatting while washing a car nearby, look up just as Jisung’s spray hits you again. Rose smirks, grabbing her own sponge soaked in water, and flings it directly at Hyunjin, hitting him in the chest.

“Oh, it’s on,” Hyunjin growls, scooping up a bucket of sudsy water and launching it at her.

“What the fuck, Hyun?!” Rose yells, laughing as she gets drenched.

Jennie, who’s been working with Chan on the other side of the lot, notices the growing chaos. “Oh, hell no,” she mutters before grabbing a bucket of her own and tossing the contents in Chan’s direction.

Chan sputters, shaking water out of his blue hair before locking eyes with Jennie. His smirk is slow and deliberate. “You asked for it,” he says, lunging for the hose near his feet.

Within moments, the entire lot devolves into an all-out water fight. Lisa and Jisoo team up, grabbing buckets and sponges to take on Changbin, Felix, Minho, and Seungmin, who retaliate with hoses and cups of water. Shouts, laughter, and splashes echo through the parking lot, creating a scene of pure, unfiltered chaos.

But amid the frenzy, you and Jisung remain locked in your own battle. He corners you near the speaker, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he raises the hose. You hold up your hands, laughing breathlessly. “Truce?”

“Truce?” Jisung repeats, arching a brow. “Do I look like the kind of guy who plays fair?”

Before you can respond, he sprays a gentle mist of water over you, the droplets catching the sunlight like tiny diamonds. You laugh, brushing the water off your face as you step closer, your playful smile disarming him completely.

“You’re relentless,” you say, shaking your head.

“Only when it comes to you,” Jisung replies, his voice lower, the playful edge softening into something warmer.

Nearby, Hyunjin and Rose are in their own world, oblivious to the chaos around them. Hyunjin has ditched his sponge entirely, opting to pour bucket after bucket of water over Rose, who retaliates by flicking soap suds at his face. They’re both laughing so hard they can barely stand upright.

“Are you trying to drown me?” Rose yells, gasping for breath between giggles.

“Maybe,” Hyunjin teases, grinning as he pushes his wet hair out of his face. “But you’re too pretty to stay mad at me.”

Rose’s laughter falters for a moment, a faint blush coloring her cheeks before she grabs another sponge and flings it at him.

On the other side of the lot, Jennie and Chan have abandoned any pretense of cleaning. Jennie has somehow wrestled the hose away from him and is now gleefully spraying his chest as he tries to dodge. “This is revenge for all the shit you’ve given me, Bang Chan!” she shouts, laughing.

Chan finally grabs the hose, tugging it away from her with a triumphant grin. “Yeah? Well, let’s see how you like it!” He sprays a light stream toward her, but instead of running, Jennie steps forward, meeting his gaze with a smirk.

“Is that all you’ve got?” she taunts, crossing her arms despite the water dripping from her.

Chan hesitates for a second, his grin faltering as he takes in her challenging stare. “Maybe I’m going easy on you.”

“Don’t bother,” Jennie replies, her smirk widening.

Back in your corner of the chaos, Jisung finally lowers the hose, stepping closer until he’s standing just a foot away. “You having fun?” he asks, his voice soft but teasing.

You nod, brushing wet strands of hair out of your face. “More than I expected,” you admit, your quiet tone laced with warmth.

Jisung’s grin softens, his dark eyes scanning your face before locking onto yours. “Good. Because I’m not done with you yet.”

Before you can ask what he means, he turns the hose back on, spraying a gentle arc over your head as your laughter rings out, blending perfectly with the chaos of the day.

The sun filters through the trees lining the campus path, casting dappled patterns of light on the pavement as you make your way to the library. The pink cherry-patterned mini dress you’re wearing sways lightly with each step, your light pink wedges clicking softly against the concrete. Your hair is half-up, a small bun perched on the crown of your head, and the cherries drawn in red eyeliner on your eyelids complement the delicate pink of your eye makeup. You clutch a small stack of books to your chest, the clear gloss on your lips catching the light as you hum softly to yourself.

You’re almost at the library steps when a voice cuts through the quiet bustle of campus. “Hey, sweetheart.”

You stop short as an arm drapes across your shoulders. Instinctively, your shoulders scrunch up, the weight of the unexpected contact making you tense. You clutch your books tighter to your chest, your pulse quickening as the unfamiliar Theta Tau guy leans in, his smirk a little too wide and his cologne a little too strong.

“I hear you’ve been hanging around with that walking coloring book,” he drawls, his tone mockingly casual. “What’s his name again? The Alpha Phi guy?”

You glance at him, your soft eyes darting nervously. “Jisung,” you say quietly, though your voice is barely above a whisper. “His name is Jisung.”

“Right, right,” the Theta sneers, his grip tightening slightly as he steers you closer to him. “Guy looks like a fucking graffiti wall. What’s he got that I don’t?”

Before you can respond, a sharp whistle pierces the air. The Theta’s head snaps up, and you turn your gaze over your shoulder. Jisung is walking toward you, the sun catching on the ink that decorates his legs and arms. He’s wearing a black vest tucked into black shorts, his sneakers scuffing softly against the path as he strolls. A cigarette dangles lazily between his lips, a thin stream of smoke curling upward. His dark eyes lock onto yours, sharp and unreadable, but there’s a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

“Hey, Y/N!” Jisung calls out, his voice light and warm, but there’s an edge of something dangerous underneath. “Ready to go?”

You seize the lifeline he’s thrown, nodding quickly as you glance up at the Theta still hanging onto your shoulders. “Sorry,” you murmur, stepping out from under his arm. “I have plans.”

The Theta scowls, his sneer deepening as he looks Jisung up and down. “Back off, Alpha Phi.”

Jisung hums, taking a long drag of his cigarette as he reaches you. He slings his arm around your shoulders with casual ease, his fingers brushing lightly against your exposed skin. You lean into him instinctively, your small frame fitting comfortably against his side.

“Move on, Theta,” Jisung says, exhaling a cloud of smoke that drifts lazily between them. His voice is calm, but his dark eyes hold a warning.

The Theta scoffs, his expression twisting into something ugly. “Is that a threat?”

Jisung’s smirk widens, his sharp canines flashing as he pulls the cigarette from his lips. “Yeah,” he says, his voice dipping lower, the word drawn out deliberately. “It is.”

The tension thickens, the quiet hum of campus life fading into the background as the two men stare each other down. You grip the edge of your books tightly, your heart pounding as you glance nervously between them.

The Theta Tau guy sneers, his hands clenching at his sides. “You think you’re tough shit, huh? Just ‘cause you’ve got some fucking tattoos?”

Jisung laughs, the sound light and almost friendly, but his grin never reaches his eyes. He leans forward slightly, his tone dropping to something darker. “I think you should walk away before I make you move. And trust me, it won’t be pretty.”

The Theta’s jaw twitches, but the look in Jisung’s eyes gives him pause. He steps back, raising his hands in mock surrender. “Whatever, man,” he mutters, glaring at you briefly before turning to leave. “Enjoy your little date.”

Jisung waits until the Theta is out of earshot before taking another drag of his cigarette, his smirk softening as he turns to you. “You okay?”

You nod, your voice quiet but steady. “Thank you, Jisung.”

“Anytime, Sleeping Beauty,” he says, his grin widening as he flicks the ash from his cigarette. “Now, come on. I wasn’t lying about those plans. Let’s get out of here before another asshole shows up.”

The library is quiet, save for the soft rustling of pages and the occasional clack of a keyboard. You and Jisung settle into a table in the back corner, away from prying eyes and the sporadic chatter of other students. The afternoon sun filters through the large windows, casting warm patches of light over the dark wooden furniture. You pull out your thick book on criminal case law in South Korea and set it on the table with a quiet thud. Next to it, you place a sleek purple cover for pages, carefully aligning it as you open the text.

Jisung watches you with mild curiosity, his tattooed arms resting lazily on the table. He’s leaned back in his chair, legs stretched out under the table, his black vest taut against his chest. “What’s that for?” he asks, nodding toward the purple overlay.

“It helps with my dyslexia,” you explain softly, smoothing the edges of the page. “The colour makes it easier for me to read without the letters swimming around.”

Jisung whistles lowly, leaning forward now, his arms folding on the table as he peers at the book. “That’s intense. What’re you studying?”

You glance up at him briefly, your lips curving into a small smile. “I have a pop quiz coming up on mens rea and actus reus in specific landmark cases involving sexual offences, murder, and assaults.”

Jisung’s brows raise, his expression caught somewhere between impressed and horrified. “Holy shit, princess. That’s heavy.”

The nickname makes your cheeks warm slightly, but you duck your head back toward your book. “It’s part of the curriculum,” you say quietly. “I need to know it.”

“Do you want me to quiz you?” he offers, his tone casual but curious.

You blink at him, surprised. “You wouldn’t mind?”

Jisung smirks, leaning back again and tipping his chair onto two legs. “I don’t do shit I don’t want to, princess.”

The nickname catches you off guard again, and you tilt your head at him. “Princess?”

He shrugs, his grin widening. “When I met you, you were dressed as one. It fits.”

Your lips twitch into a smile, and you nod toward the book. “Alright, go ahead. Just… don’t make it too easy.”

“Oh, I wasn’t planning on it.” Jisung cracks his knuckles dramatically before flipping through the book, his sharp eyes scanning the dense text. He finds a section with case law summaries and leans closer, tapping one with his finger. “Alright, let’s start with this: What was the mens rea in the case of the 2003 Gwangju arson-murder incident?”

You bite your lip, thinking. “That case… the mens rea was established as intent to kill, right? The prosecution argued that the act of starting the fire directly demonstrated intent.”

“Ding ding ding,” Jisung says, grinning. “One for one. Alright, next.” He flips a few more pages, clearly enjoying himself. “Here’s a tricky one. The 1998 Seoul assault case, what was the actus reus?”

You frown, your fingers tracing the edge of the table. “That was… the act of hitting the victim with a blunt object. It was categorized as deliberate physical harm.”

“Fuck yeah, it was,” Jisung says, leaning back with a satisfied nod. “You’re a fucking genius.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head. “Hardly. I just read a lot.”

“Whatever you say, princess,” Jisung replies, his grin never wavering as he continues flipping through the book. He deliberately picks out the most obscure cases, challenging you with increasingly difficult questions, but you manage to hold your own, surprising both yourself and him.

After a while, he closes the book with a soft thud and leans forward on the table, resting his chin on his tattooed forearms. “Hey,” he says casually, his voice dropping slightly. “Wanna go to Lotte World with me next week?”

You blink, caught off guard by the sudden change in tone. “Like… a date?”

“Yeah,” he says easily, his smirk softening into something more genuine. “Theme park, lots of rides, obnoxiously expensive snacks. We can get the train straight there.”

Your heart skips a beat, and you glance down at the book, pretending to study the cover as you gather your thoughts. “I… sure,” you say finally, your voice barely above a whisper. “That sounds nice.”

Jisung’s grin widens, and he straightens up, leaning back in his chair again. “Good. It’s a date, then.”

You look up at him, your quiet smile returning. “It’s a date.”

The moment lingers, warm and unspoken, before Jisung picks up the book again, tapping the cover playfully. “But first, let’s make sure you ace that quiz, princess.”

You laugh softly, the weight of the day lifting as the two of you settle back into studying. The world outside fades, the quiet camaraderie between you and Jisung making the library feel like a sanctuary, a place where something new and exciting is beginning to unfold.

The Alpha Phi living room is a scene of organized chaos. Empty soda cans and crumpled snack wrappers litter the coffee table, and the faint smell of pizza from last night still lingers in the air. The guys are sprawled across mismatched furniture, the summer heat making the space feel even more cramped despite the humming ceiling fan above.

Jisung sits in the corner of the couch, one leg draped over the armrest, a smug grin plastered across his face. He’s only wearing a pair of neon green shorts, an unfortunate choice, but he hasn’t gotten around to doing laundry. His arms, covered in vibrant sleeves, are propped behind his head as he lounges like he owns the place.

“Alright,” Chan says, clapping his hands together as he leans forward from his seat in the armchair. His short blue hair is damp from a quick shower, and his sleeveless hoodie leaves his muscular arms on full display. “Let’s get this shit started. Progress reports, boys. Hyunjin, you’re up first.”

Hyunjin sighs dramatically, leaning back on the chaise and tossing his black hair over his shoulder with theatrical flair. “Me and Rose are a work in progress,” he says, his tone both exasperated and smug. “She’s warming up to me, though. I mean, how could she not? I’m fucking irresistible.”

“You’re fucking insufferable,” Changbin mutters from his spot on the beanbag chair, earning a chorus of laughter from the others.

Hyunjin ignores him, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “But yeah, I’m playing the long game. Slow and steady wins the race.”

“Sure it does, Romeo,” Seungmin deadpans, barely looking up from his phone.

“Alright, alright,” Chan says, raising a hand to silence the banter. “Let’s hear it, Jisung. What’s the deal with Sleeping Beauty?”

Jisung’s grin widens, and he shifts in his seat, leaning forward slightly. “Let me tell you, boys, I’m fucking killing it,” he starts, his tone full of confidence. “I helped Y/N study for her pop quiz, mens rea and actus reus, all that legal shit. We spent hours together, and I didn’t even mess with her once.”

“That’s a miracle,” Felix pipes up from the floor, where he’s lying on his stomach, his chin propped on his hands. “You not messing with someone? Did hell freeze over?”

“Shut the fuck up, Lix,” Jisung says, flicking a crumpled napkin in his direction. “Anyway, I’m building the groundwork, you know? Laying a solid fucking foundation. And get this, we’re going on a date to Lotte World next week.”

Changbin sits up abruptly, his eyes wide. “No fucking way. You got her to agree to a date?”

“Hell yeah, I did,” Jisung replies, holding out his hand for a high five. Changbin slaps his palm with a grin, the sound echoing through the room.

“Alright, Mr. Disney Prince,” Jeongin says, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “What’s your plan for Lotte World? Gonna serenade her on the Ferris wheel or something?”

“Jeongin, shut the fuck up before I turn your face into a punching bag,” Jisung shoots back, though his grin never wavers. “I’ve got it under control. Trust the process.”

Chan clears his throat, drawing the room’s attention back to him. “Not to flex or anything,” he starts, though his shit-eating grin suggests otherwise, “but I fucked Jennie after the car wash.”

The room erupts into chaos. Felix drops his head into his hands, cackling, while Changbin nearly chokes on his soda. Hyunjin lets out a loud, theatrical gasp, clutching his chest like he’s been mortally wounded.

“No fucking way,” Minho says, his eyebrows shooting up. “You’re telling me the president of Alpha Phi finally got his shit together?”

“Not only that,” Chan continues, his grin widening, “but we’re going out for dinner tomorrow. So, yeah, things are looking pretty fucking good.”

Hyunjin claps slowly, the sound dripping with mockery. “Look at you, Bang Chan. Finally living up to all those muscles.”

“Better late than never,” Seungmin mutters, still scrolling on his phone.

“Alright, alright,” Chan says, waving them off, though his smugness is impossible to ignore. “Let’s not make this about me. Jisung, Hyunjin, sounds like you two are on the right track. Keep it up.”

Jisung leans back again, stretching his arms over the back of the couch. “Don’t worry, Captain. We’ve got this shit locked down.”

The air is alive with laughter, the hum of roller coasters, and the sugary aroma of cotton candy wafting through Lotte World. The vibrant colours of the park shimmer under the bright afternoon sun, and you can’t help but feel a little giddy as you walk beside Jisung. The two of you weave through the crowds, the sounds of children squealing with delight blending with the faint music playing from the park speakers.

Jisung is a striking contrast to the whimsical surroundings, dressed entirely in black. His cargo shorts and fitted vest top show off his tattoos, the falling Icarus on his left thigh catching the light as he moves. His scorpion neck tattoo peeks out just above the neckline, and his sunglasses sit low on his nose, giving him an effortlessly cool demeanour.

You, in your light blue cropped camisole and white denim shorts, feel like a pastel-coloured foil to his dark, edgy look. Your angel wing tattoos are visible on your shoulder blades, and the cursive DIVINE inked on your lower back peeks out slightly when you adjust your messy ponytail.

“We have to go on the log flume, right?” Jisung asks, breaking the comfortable silence as he glances over at you.

You nod, smiling softly. “It’s a classic.”

“Exactly,” Jisung says, grinning as he grabs your hand. His fingers are warm, his grip firm but not overbearing, and he tugs you gently in the direction of the ride. “Come on, let’s do it before the line gets insane.”

The warmth of his hand in yours sends a subtle jolt through your chest, but you follow him without hesitation, letting him lead you through the maze of attractions. The line for the log flume is shorter than expected, and soon you’re climbing into one of the wooden boats together, the faint scent of chlorine and wet wood filling the air.

Jisung slides in beside you, his arm immediately draping across the back of your seat. His closeness is impossible to ignore, his tattooed arm brushing lightly against your shoulders, the faint scent of his cologne mingling with the water droplets clinging to the boat’s sides.

“You good?” he asks, his voice low but casual as he adjusts his sunglasses, glancing sideways at you.

You nod, your lips curving into a small smile. “Yeah. This’ll be fun.”

The boat begins to move, the gentle rocking of the water beneath it setting the rhythm for the ride. The cool breeze that sweeps through the air feels refreshing against your skin as the boat glides past the animatronic scenes that line the route. Jisung keeps his arm where it is, his fingertips occasionally brushing against your shoulder as the two of you take in the surroundings.

When the first small drop approaches, Jisung leans closer, a playful grin on his face. “You scared of getting wet?”

You glance at him, shaking your head. “Not really. Are you?”

“Please,” he scoffs, smirking. “I live for this shit.”

The boat tips over the edge, and you let out a soft squeal as the water splashes up, misting your face and dampening the ends of your hair. Jisung laughs beside you, his arm tightening slightly around your shoulders to steady you as the boat levels out.

“Not bad,” he says, his grin widening as he glances down at you. “You good?”

You nod, brushing a few droplets off your face with the back of your hand. “I told you, I’m not scared.”

“Fair enough,” Jisung replies, his tone teasing but warm. “Guess you’re braver than I thought, princess.”

The nickname makes your cheeks heat slightly, but you don’t say anything, focusing instead on the ride as the next incline comes into view. Jisung’s arm remains around you, his casual confidence somehow grounding despite the lighthearted chaos of the moment.

As the boat begins its ascent toward the biggest drop, Jisung leans closer, his voice low enough that only you can hear. “Alright, Sleeping Beauty. Last chance to bail.”

You laugh softly, shaking your head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Jisung chuckles, his grin almost triumphant as the boat crests the top of the hill. The drop comes fast and exhilarating, the water spraying up in a cascade of cool droplets that soak both of you. You let out a startled laugh, clutching the edge of the seat as Jisung’s laughter rings out beside you.

When the boat finally slows and the ride comes to an end, you’re both damp and breathless, the adrenaline still buzzing in your veins. Jisung pushes his sunglasses up onto his head, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement as he looks at you.

“Not bad, princess,” he says, his grin widening. “You survived.”

“Barely,” you reply, your voice soft but teasing.

Jisung laughs, his arm slipping from your shoulders as the boat comes to a stop. He steps out first, offering his hand to help you out. You take it, your fingers brushing against his, and for a moment, the rest of the park fades away.

As the two of you walk away from the ride, your clothes damp and your spirits high, Jisung glances at you, his smirk softening into something more genuine. “What’s next?”

You glance around the park, a quiet warmth blooming in your chest as you realize there’s nowhere else you’d rather be. “Whatever you want,” you say simply, your smile matching his.

Laughter echoes between you and Jisung as you stumble into the photobooth together, the curtain swishing closed behind you. The dampness from the log flume ride clings to your clothes, making the enclosed space feel slightly cooler than the blazing sun outside. The booth is cramped, forcing you to sit closer than you expected, your knees brushing against his.

“Alright, princess,” Jisung says, leaning over to press the buttons on the screen. His tattoos flex with the movement, and he flashes you a cheeky grin. “We’ve got five shots. Better make them count.”

The countdown begins, the screen flashing a giant “3… 2… 1.”

For the first photo, you both grab a pair of oversized sunglasses from the prop bin. You stand back to back, arms crossed dramatically as you point finger guns at the camera. Jisung’s grin is wide and mischievous as he tips his head slightly, the scorpion tattoo on his neck peeking out under his black sunglasses.

“Looking like a fucking action hero,” Jisung quips as the flash goes off.

“You mean a fucking cartoon,” you counter, giggling as you turn to face him.

The screen counts down again for the second shot, and this time, you’re mid-laugh. Jisung has just finished telling you about Changbin farting during a deadlift at the gym.

“It was so bad,” Jisung says, barely holding back his own laughter. “Felix almost puked. Minho ran out of the room. Chan legit said, ‘Fuck this,’ and walked away. I thought I was gonna die.”

You’re laughing so hard your shoulders shake, your messy ponytail bouncing as you clutch your stomach. The camera catches the moment perfectly, your head tilted back, eyes scrunched in genuine delight, while Jisung leans forward, laughing along with you.

“Jesus Christ,” you manage to say through your giggles, wiping at your eyes. “That’s disgusting.”

“Changbin’s ass is a fucking weapon of mass destruction,” Jisung agrees, grinning.

For the third photo, you decide to up the chaos. Jisung sticks out his tongue and crosses his eyes, while you puff out your cheeks and pull at your ponytail, making your hair look even messier. The flash goes off just as you both start laughing at each other’s ridiculous faces.

“Holy shit, we’re gonna look insane,” you say, catching your breath.

“That’s the point,” Jisung replies, his grin wide and unbothered. “It’s art.”

The fourth photo catches you mid-laugh again, this time at Jisung’s story about Hyunjin ripping his pants at a party.

“It wasn’t just a tear,” Jisung says, his voice animated as he gestures wildly. “Dude bent over to pick up his phone, and the entire ass seam exploded. Like, gone. Everyone saw his SpongeBob boxers.”

You’re practically wheezing, your hand covering your mouth as you try to suppress your laughter. The flash goes off again, but this time Jisung doesn’t even look at the camera. He’s watching you, a small smile playing on his lips as he takes in the way your laughter lights up your face.

For the fifth and final shot, the countdown begins again, and the laughter subsides into a quiet, lingering warmth. Jisung looks at you, his eyes softer now, the playful edge replaced by something deeper.

Before you can ask what’s on his mind, he leans in. His hand comes up to cup your face gently, his thumb brushing lightly against your cheek. His lips meet yours, warm and sure, the kiss sweet but charged with an undeniable spark.

The flash goes off, capturing the moment perfectly. You’re too caught up in the kiss to care, your heart pounding as the world outside the booth fades away.

When he pulls back, his grin returns, a little smug but mostly pleased. “Had to make the last one memorable,” he says, his voice low and slightly breathless.

You blink at him, your cheeks warm as you nod. “You… definitely did.”

Jisung chuckles, reaching for the screen to pay for two copies of the photo strip. When they print, he hands you one with a flourish. “For your scrapbook or whatever,” he says, tucking the other strip into the back of his phone case. “And this one’s mine. Gotta preserve the evidence of how hot we look.”

You laugh softly, your fingers brushing against the glossy photos. “Thanks, Jisung.”

“Anytime, princess,” he replies, pushing the curtain aside and gesturing for you to follow him. As the two of you step back into the sunlight, the photo strip in your hand feels heavier than it should—like it holds more than just images but the start of something real.

The Alpha Phi frat house is already buzzing with noise when you and Jisung arrive. Laughter and loud voices carry through the open windows, and the faint smell of someone’s late-night cooking mingles with the ever-present scent of whatever questionable air freshener they’ve been using.

Jisung pushes the door open, gesturing for you to step in first. “Welcome to the madhouse,” he says, smirking as he steps in behind you.

The living room is packed. Chan is perched on the arm of a couch, his arms crossed and an expectant grin on his face. Minho and Felix are sprawled on the cushions, Felix holding a bowl of popcorn while Minho sips from a soda can. Changbin is on the floor leaning against the coffee table, and Jeongin and Seungmin are in the corner playing cards. Hyunjin is sprawled dramatically on the chaise, his hair messily tied back.

“Finally!” Chan exclaims as soon as he spots you two. “Took you long enough.”

“Fucking hell, we were about to send a search party,” Changbin adds, tossing a crumpled wrapper at Jisung, who easily dodges it.

Jisung doesn’t respond right away. Instead, he casually pulls his phone from his pocket, holding it up so the clear case reveals the strip of photobooth pictures tucked neatly inside. The black border around the photos makes the images pop, each one filled with laughter, ridiculous faces, and, of course, that final kiss.

The room erupts into chaos.

“No fucking way,” Felix exclaims, dropping the popcorn bowl in his lap as he leans forward. “That’s so cute!”

Minho glances at the photos, his lips quirking into a sly grin. “So, that’s how I win you over, huh, Lix?” he says, his voice dripping with mock seriousness. “Just take you to a photobooth?”

Felix flushes immediately, his freckles standing out against his red cheeks. “Shut up, Minho!” he sputters, smacking him lightly on the arm.

Jisung smirks, sliding his phone back into his pocket. “Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, assholes. You’re just jealous.”

“I mean, a little,” Jeongin pipes up from the corner, his tone teasing. “You got a whole-ass date at Lotte World, and I’m stuck here losing to Seungmin at cards.”

“Get good, loser,” Seungmin retorts, barely glancing up.

Hyunjin suddenly sits up, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. “Alright, Y/N,” he says, pointing a finger at you. “Your turn. How do I win over Rose? Spill.”

You blink, surprised at being put on the spot. “Food,” you say after a moment, your lips curving into a small smile. “She’s from New Zealand, so anything that reminds her of home would mean a lot. She also mentioned wanting a portrait… either of her or something you paint for her.”

Hyunjin’s eyes light up, and he dramatically presses a hand to his chest. “Y/N, I love you,” he declares, jumping to his feet. “You’re a genius. A fucking genius!” Without another word, he bolts up the stairs, presumably to start planning his grand gesture.

Changbin chuckles, shaking his head. “It’s kinda crazy when you think about it,” he says, leaning back against the table. “This whole fucking romance train started with that disco pang pang ride.”

“Right?” Chan agrees, laughing. “That stupid ride caused absolute chaos. And now look, Jisung’s over here with photobooth kisses.”

“Fucking poetic,” Jeongin mutters, smirking.

Jisung waves them off with a dramatic eye roll. “Alright, losers, I’m done with this intervention. We’re going upstairs.”

“Wait,” Minho says, stopping him mid-step. He pulls something out of his pocket and hands it to you, a face mask in a sleek black packet. “You’re gonna need this.”

You blink at him, tilting your head. “Why?”

“Because,” Minho replies with a deadpan expression, “Jisung’s room is fucking disgusting. It’s a biohazard. This is for your safety.”

The room erupts into laughter, everyone nodding in agreement.

“Fuck off, my room isn’t that bad!” Jisung protests, but his grin gives him away.

“Bro, you live in a dumpster,” Felix says, still chuckling. “Let’s not pretend otherwise.”

You smile, accepting the face mask with a soft, “Thank you, Minho.”

Jisung groans dramatically, grabbing your hand and tugging you toward the stairs. “Don’t listen to them, princess. My room is fine. Let’s go.”

You and Jisung head upstairs, your footsteps echoing in the narrow hallway. Jisung’s hand is wrapped around yours, pulling you along as the sounds of the frat house’s chaos slowly fade behind you. The door to his room is ajar when you reach it, and he swings it open with a casual flick of his wrist, revealing the space inside.

“Alright, welcome to my humble abode,” Jisung says, stepping aside to let you in. “Don’t mind the mess.”

You raise an eyebrow as you step into his room. It’s not exactly what you were expecting. There’s a comfortable bed in the corner, a few scattered posters on the walls, but it’s the clutter that catches your attention. Piles of clothes in various states of cleanliness are stacked in one corner, and there’s a mess of gadgets, unopened boxes, and random knick-knacks littering his desk.

“It’s not dirty,” Jisung insists, closing the door behind you. “It’s just... I buy a lot of shit I never use.”

You can’t help but laugh quietly, shaking your head. “Yeah, I can see that.” You glance at him, catching a glimpse of a Star Wars figurine on the shelf, a couple of old video game consoles tucked under his desk, and what appears to be a half-used, brightly colored art set. “What is all this stuff, Jisung?”

Jisung shrugs nonchalantly, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his lips. “I mean, I was gonna do something with all of it. But, you know, procrastination is a hell of a drug.” He walks over to the desk and tosses his jacket over the back of the chair before flopping down onto the bed. “But, I’m not here to give you a tour of my shit. What do you think of my mess?”

You glance around again, spotting something on his desk that catches your eye, a criminal law textbook, open to a random page. You walk over to it, picking it up and raising an eyebrow. “Why do you have this?”

Jisung looks over at you, propping himself up on his elbows. “Figured it’d be good to have something to talk about, you know? Make me sound smart and shit.” He shrugs, completely unfazed by the fact that he’s openly admitting to this in front of you.

You look back at him, a quiet laugh escaping you. “You? Sounding smart? Yeah, sure.”

He throws his head back dramatically. “Hey, I’m a journalism major with a criminal psych minor. I can throw around some fancy words.”

“I’ll give you credit for trying,” you tease, before glancing around some more. That’s when you spot the Harry Potter shelf in the corner, filled with a collection of wands, scarves, and figurines.

“Wait,” you say, pointing at the shelf. “Are those... Harry Potter things?”

Jisung smirks, clearly proud of his collection. “Hufflepuff represent!” he announces with a dramatic flair, throwing his hands up like he’s about to lead a chant.

You laugh, shaking your head in disbelief. “Hufflepuff? Really?”

“Hell yeah,” he says, looking at you as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “We’re loyal, hardworking, and way cooler than all those other houses.”

You roll your eyes, half-amused, half-surprised. “I took the quiz, and I was a Slytherin.”

Jisung’s face twists in mock horror. “You?! A Slytherin?!” he exclaims, raising an eyebrow in exaggerated shock. “There’s no way you’re a Slytherin. I thought you were, like, all sweet and shit.”

You shrug with a smile, enjoying the banter. “Turns out, I’m secretly cunning and ambitious.”

Jisung chuckles, shaking his head. “Fuck, that’s funny. But I’ll take it. Slytherins are smart as hell.”

As you glance around his room, something else catches your eye, a small book of poetry, sitting casually on his nightstand. You pick it up, flicking through the pages. “Wait, what’s this?” you ask, your voice playful as you glance at Jisung.

He sits up on the bed, his smirk softening into something more sheepish. “I saw on your Instagram that you and the girls did a wine and poetry night, so... I bought the book,” he admits, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “Thought it might be a good way to connect.”

You stare at him for a beat, processing the unexpected gesture. And then you can’t help it. You burst out laughing. “You are a secret loser!” You hold up the book like it’s evidence. “Han Jisung, a tattooed hunk with a chest bigger than most women, is secretly a loser!”

Jisung groans, flopping back onto the bed with his hands covering his face. “I swear to god, I’m never doing anything nice for you again.”

You laugh harder, walking over to the bed and sitting on the edge. “Oh, I’m sorry, did I crush your tough guy image?” you tease, nudging him with your elbow. “You’ve got tattoos, a scorpion on your neck, and now you’re reading poetry. You’re like a walking contradiction.”

“Fuck off,” Jisung grumbles, but his voice is amused. 

You smile softly, genuinely touched by the effort, even if it’s a little silly. “I like that you’re a secret loser.”

“God, you really know how to kill a guy’s ego, don’t you?” Jisung says, though the affection in his voice is clear.

“Only because you deserve it,” you tease, picking up the poetry book and flipping through it casually. You can’t help but feel a little lighter in his presence, despite the teasing. “I like the effort. Really.”

Jisung turns his head toward you, giving you a genuine, softer smile. “You know, you’re not so bad yourself, princess.”

You look up at him, your heart unexpectedly fluttering as you feel the weight of his words. “I’m not the only one with layers, huh?”

Jisung chuckles, running a hand through his hair. “Nah. Guess not.”

The Alpha Phi living room is a cacophony of banter and energy, as it always is when all eight boys are crammed into one space. Jisung is pacing back and forth in front of his friends, his hands flailing occasionally as he speaks, clearly deep in thought or at least pretending to be.

“Okay,” he starts, stopping abruptly to face the group before continuing his restless pacing. “So, we kissed. She spent time with me in my room. Called me a loser, which, by the way, rude as fuck, but also weirdly endearing, and now I need to make her my girlfriend.”

The room is silent for a beat before Jeongin snorts. “Dude, you’re acting like this is some undercover operation.”

“It is an operation, you little shit,” Jisung fires back, jabbing a finger in Jeongin’s direction. “Step one: romance. Step two: dates. Step three: make it official. Step four: sex. In that order. Because-” he pauses for dramatic effect, spinning to face Chan, “-I am not a heathen like Chan, who fucks before a date.”

“Hey!” Chan says, throwing a crumpled napkin at him. “Don’t drag me into this shit!”

“I’m just saying,” Jisung replies, grinning, “I’m a classy man. Romancing, dates, making it official. Then sex.”

Minho, who’s lounging on the couch beside Felix, raises an eyebrow. “Is it so she’s not scared off by the fact that the tip of your dick is pierced?”

Jisung pauses mid-pace, his mouth opening and closing for a second before he sighs dramatically. “Yes. I need her to accept me as her boyfriend first so we’re locked in before Prince Albert comes into play.”

“Jesus Christ,” Changbin mutters, shaking his head. “I didn’t need to know that.”

“It’s all about transparency, Binnie,” Jisung says with a flourish. “Now, ideas, people. I need ideas. No ideas are bad ideas.”

Hyunjin leans forward, his chin resting on his hands. “Okay, hear me out. You take her to one of those rooftop restaurants. Dim lighting, candles, a view of the city. Classic romance.”

“Solid,” Jisung nods. “Not bad.”

Jeongin raises a hand. “Cook for her. Girls love a guy who can cook.”

“You can’t even boil an egg,” Seungmin mutters.

“Hey, I didn’t say I’d do it. I said he should.”

“That’s actually not terrible,” Jisung admits, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “But I’d probably burn her dinner.”

“Do a grand gesture,” Changbin offers, grinning. “Show up at her window with a boombox, ‘80s movie style.”

“Changbin,” Minho says, deadpan. “No one does that anymore.”

“That’s why it’s genius,” Changbin counters.

Jisung stares at him for a moment before shaking his head. “Fucking awful.”

“Write her a love letter,” Felix suggests quietly, still hiding behind his iced tea.

Jisung arches an eyebrow. “What am I, Shakespeare?”

“Buy her a puppy,” Jeongin adds, grinning. “No one says no to puppies.”

“Jeongin, shut the fuck up,” Jisung snaps, though he can’t suppress a small laugh. “I’m not buying a puppy.”

Chan finally clears his throat, raising a hand to silence the chaos. “Alright, alright. Let me speak, children.”

Jisung crosses his arms, leaning against the wall. “Alright, Chan. You’re the romance man, despite your questionable methods with Jennie. Talk to me, papi.”

The room erupts in a chorus of groans and laughter as Minho jumps in, his smirk widening. “Yeah, Daddy Chan, talk to us. I need to romance Felix, Hyunjin needs to romance Rose. get talking.”

Felix flushes red, his head disappearing behind his drink entirely. “Minho, stop,” he mumbles, his voice barely audible.

Chan sighs dramatically, sitting up straighter. “Fine, you want advice from Daddy Chan? Here it is. First, figure out what she actually likes. Not just the surface stuff. Get to know her for real. What makes her happy? What’s her favourite thing to do when she’s stressed?”

“That’s… actually not bad,” Jisung admits, nodding slowly.

“Second,” Chan continues, “make her feel special without overdoing it. Don’t come off as fake. Do something that’s you, but with a twist for her.”

“And third,” Chan finishes, leaning back with a smirk, “be confident, but not cocky. Show her you’re serious without being overbearing.”

The room falls silent for a moment as everyone processes the surprisingly solid advice.

“Alright,” Jisung says, clapping his hands together. “Let’s do this. Chan, I’ll give you this one, you know your shit.”

“Damn right, I do,” Chan replies, grinning.

Minho raises a hand lazily. “Same advice applies for romancing Felix?”

Felix groans. “Minho, please.”

“Of course it does,” Chan says, smirking at Felix. “Just don’t be a dumbass about it.”

The room devolves into laughter again, but beneath the chaos, Jisung feels a quiet sense of determination. Whatever it takes, he’s going to make this work. After all, he’s not a heathen, he’s a man with a plan.

The sun is low in the sky, casting an amber glow over the bustling streets of Wolmi Myland as Jisung and you stroll side by side, his arm comfortably draped over your shoulder. You’ve grown used to the warmth of his touch, the gentle weight of it sending a calm buzz through your chest, making your smile even softer. The day has been full of laughter, rides, and moments you never want to forget.

Behind you, your friends make up a merry parade. Chan and Jennie are deep in conversation, their laughter filling the air, while Hyunjin and Rose trail behind, teasing each other about something only they understand. Minho and Felix, predictably, are doing their thing. Minho flirting with Felix in that easy, almost predatory way of his, like it’s just another Tuesday.

Felix, usually a shy mess in the face of Minho’s advances, has recently been taking notes from you and the girls on how to handle Minho’s brand of charm. You, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rose had all gathered around Felix one afternoon and, in a moment of solidarity, had given him the pep talk of a lifetime. Look up through your eyelashes, bite your lip, speak soft but say something dirty, and so on.

You can hear Felix’s soft voice, but the words catch your attention because they sound like they come straight from a romance novel.

“So... you’ve been working out, huh?” Felix says, voice smooth as silk, a coy smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He looks at Minho through his lashes, lips parted ever so slightly. “I bet those arms would look even better holding me down.”

The reaction from Minho is instant, and you almost choke on your breath as you hear the sharp intake of air from him. His eyes widen as if Felix had just dropped a bomb on him, and the whole group stops in their tracks. Even Jisung’s arm around your shoulder tightens slightly, but his lips curve up in a wicked grin, clearly enjoying the chaos unfolding.

“Marry me, Felix,” Minho says, his voice high-pitched with disbelief but dripping with genuine admiration. “Right now, I’m in love with you. That was fucking hot. I-” He shakes his head as if trying to process what just happened. “Where has this version of Felix been hiding?”

Felix, suddenly more confident than you’ve ever seen him, shrugs and smirks. “You know, just had to channel my inner bad boy. You know how it is, Minho.” He looks around at all of you, a playful glint in his eye. “I can show you more... if you’re really interested.”

Jisung chuckles beside you, squeezing your shoulder lightly. “Damn, Felix, I’m proud of you. Finally found your balls.”

Chan, walking next to Jennie, throws his head back and laughs. “This shit is golden. I’ve been trying to get Felix to do this for years and now he’s out here dropping sexual innuendo like a fucking pro.” He slaps Minho on the back. “What’d you say, Minho? You in love with Felix now?”

Minho, still staring at Felix like he’s seeing him for the first time, just shakes his head in disbelief. “I might actually be. I never thought I’d say this, but damn, Felix, where’s the ring?”

Felix raises an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the attention. “Maybe you’ll have to earn it, Minho.” He winks and, for a moment, the atmosphere is a perfect blend of playful and charged.

You can’t help but laugh, the whole scene unfolding around you like a whirlwind of flirtation and teasing. Jisung’s arm around your shoulders tightens again, his smile mischievous as he lowers his head toward your ear. “I’m gonna be honest with you,” he murmurs, his voice low and teasing, “if you ever get me to say something that filthy, I think I’ll have to take you home and lock the door for the night.”

You glance at him, raising an eyebrow. “You think you can out-flirt Felix?” you tease gently.

Jisung grins, leaning in closer to brush his lips against your temple. “I know I can. I’m just waiting for the right moment.”

“Sure, sure,” you say, your voice light but with a smile playing on your lips. You feel his breath against your skin, sending a thrill through you, but you play it cool, knowing exactly what he’s doing. You lean into him, the closeness making everything feel more intimate.

Felix, still standing a few steps ahead, turns around with a look of pride on his face. “You know, I might have to teach Minho a lesson now,” he adds, “maybe show him how to actually flirt properly.”

Minho’s head snaps toward Felix, a horrified expression crossing his face. “No fucking way. You’re not doing that to me. I’m the one who does the lessons, alright?”

Jisoo and Lisa, who have been walking behind you, laugh loudly, catching the attention of the rest of the group. “Felix, babe, you’re getting too good at this,” Lisa says, grinning. “We might need to tone you down before you leave us all behind in the dating game.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if we can keep up with that level of flirtation,” Jisoo adds, shaking her head with exaggerated disbelief. “Next thing we know, you’re gonna be the one teaching us.”

Felix just grins, clearly loving the attention. “If you want, I could. We’re all about equal opportunity here, right?”

Hyunjin, who’s been walking next to Rose, chimes in, laughing. “You know what, Felix, we might have to start giving you a class for all of us. Teach us your ways.”

The laughter continues, but Jisung’s arm around you stays firm, his presence as comforting as always. His hand brushes your arm lightly as he speaks again, his voice low and playful, “You know, I’ve got some skills of my own, babe. But I’ll let you in on a little secret, nothing beats genuine affection.”

You glance up at him, your heart fluttering. “And I’m guessing you plan on showing me that tonight?”

His grin widens. “You know it, princess.”

The night is in full swing as the group gathers in front of the Disco Pang Pang ride. The neon lights blink around them, casting colourful hues across the faces of your friends. You’re laughing, your hand still resting comfortably in Jisung’s as you walk, but that’s when it happens.

Suddenly, Jisung stops in front of the entrance to the ride. You blink in confusion. Then, he drops to one knee.

The entire group freezes. You can hear Chan and Jennie snickering quietly in the background, Hyunjin and Rose watching with wide eyes. Minho and Felix glance at each other, brows raised, clearly confused but entertained. Jeongin, Seungmin, Changbin, Lisa, and Jisoo all stop and turn toward Jisung, their attention now fully on him.

You, on the other hand, snort. You can’t help it. The sudden seriousness of the moment mixed with Jisung’s complete lack of seriousness has you giggling uncontrollably. You press your hand to your mouth, trying to hide it, but the sound of your laughter fills the air.

“Oh my god,” you manage to gasp between giggles, “are you- Are you serious right now?”

Jisung’s face remains deadpan as he pulls out a ring from his pocket. But it’s not a diamond, or even a normal ring. It’s a candy ring. He holds it up, staring at you with a glint in his eye.

“Y/N L/N,” he says dramatically, “Will you accept me as I am? A sexy secret loser with enough ink on my skin to be a soccer mother’s wet dream in cliterary format? Will you be my girlfriend and accept this ring as a symbol of our romance?”

At that, you burst out laughing again, the candy ring in his hand almost forgotten as you clutch your stomach. You try to compose yourself, but it’s impossible. Jisung’s smirk only grows as he watches you dissolve into giggles.

“Yes!” you finally say between fits of laughter, “Yes, you idiot, I’ll be your girlfriend!” You extend your hand, letting him slip the candy ring onto your finger.

The whole group erupts into applause, and even Minho can’t help but laugh, though he's still trying to figure out what the hell just happened. Jisung grins widely, clearly pleased with himself, and leans in to whisper in your ear, his voice dropping to a teasing tone.

“Oh, by the way,” he says, voice low and almost too smug, “my dick’s pierced. You accepted me as your boyfriend, no take backs.”

You blink, your smile faltering for just a moment. “Your what is what?” You look around, clearly trying to process what he just said.

Minho, who has been lounging with Felix nearby, shrugs and speaks up. “It’s true,” he says casually, snuggling into Felix’s side, clearly comfortable with this new conversation. “Jisung showed us all when he got it done. The whole frat saw it. Right, guys?”

The guys all nod enthusiastically, their voices rising in unison.

“Yeah, it’s true,” Changbin adds with a smirk.

“Couldn’t stop talking about it for days,” Seungmin chimes in with a chuckle.

Jisung just grins at you, clearly pleased with the reactions. “Think of it as extra ribbing,” he says with a wink, leaning in closer to you.

You cover your mouth with your hand, trying to stifle your smile, but it's no use. Your laughter bubbles up again. You can’t believe the absurdity of it all, but at the same time, it feels right. This- he- feels right.

Jennie, who's been watching the entire exchange with a raised eyebrow, finally speaks up, her voice stern but amused. “No! No talking filth in public, you two!” she calls out, pointing at Jisung and you as she laughs. “We’re in public, for fuck’s sake.”

Jisung raises his hands in mock surrender, still grinning like a Cheshire cat. “Fine, fine,” he says, kissing the top of your head. “I’m a gentleman. I’ll keep it clean for now.”

You smile up at him, your heart racing with affection for this ridiculous, wonderful guy. “You know, I really don’t think I can take you anywhere without you making a scene.”

Jisung gives you an exaggerated look of offence. “What are you talking about? I’m a fucking angel, princess.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” you tease, rolling your eyes. “A real angel with a pierced dick and a candy ring.”

“Hell yeah,” he says, laughing along with you. “But hey, we’re at Disco Pang Pang. Our place. You wanna go on the ride? Should we go and relive the moment where we first met?”

Your heart skips a beat at the mention of the ride, the memory of how you met, of how everything changed in that one moment. The laughter, the absurdity, and the way he looked at you. It’s been perfect ever since.

“Lead the way,” you reply, your smile soft and warm as you take his hand.

Jisung’s eyes light up, and he gives you a cheeky wink. “You got it, princess.”

He pulls you along toward the entrance of the ride, and the whole group follows. You’re not sure if you’ve ever been more content in your life than you are right now, surrounded by your friends, by Jisung, and by a relationship that’s in its early stages but is already everything you ever wanted.

As you board the Disco Pang Pang, Jisung pulls you close, his arm wrapping around your waist. The ride begins to spin, and you can’t help but feel like everything has fallen into place. There’s laughter, excitement, and the feeling that this moment, this night, is exactly where you’re supposed to be.

And as the lights of the ride flash, the music thumping in your ears, you know that no matter where you go, as long as you’re with him, it’s going to be an adventure.

The ride begins to buck, and Jisung pulls you closer, a wide grin on his face as he looks at you with that familiar spark in his eyes. “You’re mine now, princess.”

You lean into him, grinning back. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

General Taglist: @nightmarenyxx

Proofread by the wonderful @eastjonowhere

[haologram]

how to be a latin lover ♡ h.js (teaser)

♡ synopsis: the dreadful semester has started — meaning your summer vacation has come to end, and so has your summer fling…or has it? ♡ genre: summer fling au ; big dummy dumb idiots to lovers ; ta x student dynamics. ♡ pairing: spanish ta!joshua hong x chaebol!fem!reader | side pairings: lee chan x jung haerim (weki meki) ; wen junhui x lee saerom (fromis_9) ♡ word count: 2.4k | full fic: tba because i don't fucking know. ♡ rating: 18+. minors do not interact, i beg. ♡ warnings: honestly, a little toxic if you squint. lots of pining. hella slow burn. [official warnings: joshua and y/n are absolute idiots. i'm talking the dumbest mfs you've ever encountered, you'll want to scream at them through the screen.] ♡ what to listen to: otro atardecer - bad bunny, the marías ; get to you - mac ayres ; more to come.

Friday, September 16th.

It'd been a little more than a week since you met with Joshua in the library.

And since the two of you officially acknowledged that you'd slept together. What you didn't know was, while he was having his own feelings about the history that weighed the two of you down, he wasn't going to force you to return his affections. In fact…he even felt a bit silly, liking you so much off of three weeks of getting the full experience of…well, you.

Better yet, he wasn't even going to tell you there are any residual feelings on his end. If he knew anything, it was you and your type. If he came off too strong – flowers, a date, chocolates and the like, he'd scare you off even more. You were skittish, like a deer, and he had to either slowly gain your trust…

Or irritate the living hell out of you every chance he got.

Subtle flirting, double entendres, maybe the occasional lingering look. He knew that if he wanted a chance, and man did he want it – he was going to have to work for it. No problem, though. You were definitely worth the wait.

"So, as you can see, the proper conjugation is hablar, not hablando." His laser pointer is steady at the bottom of the projector screen, and he looks up to see half of the class staring intently and the other half jotting down notes. You were neither of the two – your head was resting on Chan's shoulder, eyes low. He cleared his throat, your head jumping up and a wince crossing your features.

Joshua knew Chan was really no threat. The fraternity really liked him, and he was set to move in this weekend. According to Chan's Instagram story, you'd been at his dorm the night before helping him pack up. Saerom had also been there, and Soonyoung – another Beta Tau member. You had been holding a can of Red Bull and in one of the following videos, you were shotgunning another.

"Any questions?" He calls out, and Haerim shoots her hand up. "Yes, Haerim?" "Since this is a conversational class, how would we ask someone out? Or, for their number?"

The classroom fills with childish snickering, and Joshua just smiles as he shakes his head. "Well, I-" "I don't think this is an appropriate question, to be honest." Your voice is heard from the back of the classroom, and Haerim turns in her chair, a wicked smile crossing her lips as Joshua rounds the desk, perched on the edge of it. "And why not, Y/N?" She asks, and Joshua can see you shift uncomfortably in your chair.

"This is Beginner Spanish Conversation, not Coffee Meets Bagel. Flirt on your own time, at your own pace." You scoff, and Haerim's smile only grows wider. It's like she knows something about you, and Joshua notices you begin to bristle slightly. "Why are you so uptight about it, Y/N? It's just a question." "I'm paying for this class, as is everyone else. I think I'd like to appreciate my money's worth by learning something I'll actually use." "Alright, ladies. Honestly, Miss Y/N is partially correct. This is not Café y Rosquilla, but I do think that this is…a learning moment. Asking someone out does involve conversation, you know." Joshua attempts to diffuse, but he can see your subtle annoyance at his siding with Haerim. "So, for example, if I wanted to ask out…" He looks around the room, before a flash of diablerie crosses his eyes. "If I wanted to ask out Miss Y/N, I'd have to make conversation. I'd say…eres muy bonita." "Yeah?! What else?!" You hear Myungjun shout from the far left side of the room, and you can feel Chan's knee bumping yours. You scowl at him, earning a smile as he hides in his hoodie. "I'd say…" Joshua scans your face, and he knows you're probably embarrassed. Embarrassed, but enjoying his subtle attention. He pushes off the desk, pacing in front of the students. "Hm, I'd probably say I like her dress, or me gusta tu vestido."

He watches you cross your legs, tucking the extra fabric of your black dress under your thighs. "Okay, but how do you ask her out!?" Haerim interrupts excitedly, and Joshua is on the first step of the stairs before he catches your eyes again.

"You don't just ask someone out flat out like that. You build repertoire, you make conversation." He rolls his eyes playfully, and you think you're about to get off without any further embarrassment when you hear Chan speak up next to you. "How much repertoire can you even build at this point? Psychology says it only takes two minutes to decide if you like someone." Joshua sees you gape at Chan, before pinching his bicep. Chan pouts in your direction, rubbing his arm as Joshua holds back a laugh. "Psychology also says that there are five components to figuring out if we will have a crush on someone. Physical attraction, proximity, similarity, reciprocity and familiarity. Miss Y/N is very pretty, so physical attraction is checked off. Proximity is also checked, as we see each other three times a week for this class." "What about similarity?" Myungjun pipes up again, making you sink lower in your seat. Joshua is enjoying making you squirm a bit, and he steps up a few more. "Hm, I think that's something I'd have to figure out. Tell me, Miss Y/N, do you enjoy…long walks on the beach?" Your eyes are full of fire, and you'd be almost scary if he didn't notice the way your lip wanted to twitch into a smile. Haerim shouts for you to answer the question, making you send her a scornful look – and she just sticks her tongue out at you like a child. "I do…enjoy long walks on the beach."

"What a coincidence, so do I! Now, we have a similarity. Miss Y/N is familiar, because again, I do see her quite often. Now, it's about reciprocation. This is when you ask the question, this is when you try and make a move." "Shua, how do we make the move!?" Chan asks, and you kick his shin, about to tell him to shut up when Joshua finally reaches your row. He's looking you dead in the eyes, his hand gently wrapping around the edge of your desk. He leans forward, and you can hear the stupid woo-ing of your classmates. "Señorita Y/N, ¿le gustaría salir conmigo?"

Somehow, this all feels like some stupid romcom for the both of you. The class is egging you both on, and Chan is next to you with the most idiotic smile you'd ever seen. You huff, the class is now chanting for you to agree to said…"fake" date.

"No." You say quietly, and Joshua feigns pain. He holds his hand to his heart, a pained expression on his face. "You wound me, Miss Y/N."

He turns to the class, all of which are giving you the dirtiest look ever. "Now, now. This was just an example, don't look at her like that." He scolds, and the class turns back to face the front as he barrels down the steps, checking his watch. 

"Shit, it's already ten past noon. You guys are free to go, and if any of you are taking Psych with Professor Seo Jungkwon, tell him I fulfilled his lecture for the day." This earns a laugh from the class, except you. You're angrily stuffing your laptop into your bag, the class eagerly exiting the room. Chan is holding your arm, apologizing most likely, but you don't seem like you want to hear any of it. By this point, Chan looks a bit like a kicked puppy as he quickly takes the steps down, with you following slowly behind him.

Chan is out the door by the time you make it to the last step, and the classroom is empty.

You arms are crossed as you approach the desk, where Joshua is quietly shutting down the projector. His eyes don't meet yours as he disconnects the machine from the wall, winding the cord up to tie together. "Y/N." He calls gently, and you huff angrily. He bites back a smile.

"Why do you insist on embarrassing me? The first week, it was you running your mouth to my best friend. Last week, you practically held Jeonghan at gunpoint to apologize to me. Today, it's putting me on blast in front of an entire classroom with people I will continue to see for the rest of the year."

"Oh? Was it embarrassing?" He's nonchalant as he looks up, tucking the wrapped cables behind the projector. Your eyes are narrowed, and it seems you've caught onto his little game. "Do you get off on this or something? Knowing you fucked one of your students?" "Hm, not necessarily. And none of what was done was done to embarrass you, per say. It's just decent honesty, and we both know you deserved an apology for Jeonghan's behavior." He states matter-of-factly, making you purse your lips. "What about your behavior? You asked me out in front of all these people!" You gesture to the empty room, and Joshua gives you a small smile. "And you rejected me in front of all of those people. The way I see it, it's a teaching moment."

He's on the same side of the desk as you now, resting against it as you complain. HIs smile seems to be getting under your skin, because you grab his shirt by the collar, pulling his face close to yours before you speak through gritted teeth. "Use someone else as your stupid guinea pig. I don't want to be with you, Hong." You're holding him so close, your lips just barely brushing his. He can't help but scan your face quickly, his hand reaching to brush a stray curl off your face. Your eyes follow his fingers, feeling them tuck the hair behind your ear before he swallows carefully. You can feel your stomach flip slightly as his hand drops, ghosting over your hip as he pushes off the desk, making you slightly stumble back. His fingers grab you gently, pulling you flush to him before his nose is touching yours. "Tell me you don't want me," He whispers, his breath hitting your lips making your lashes flutter closed as you press your lips to his. A whimper escapes his throat as he kisses you back, his grip tightening as your hand lets go of his shirt, your palm resting against his stomach as your other hand holds his waist. The kiss is slow but desperate, your tongue licking into his mouth in the way that drove him crazy over the summer. 

He can't help himself, his hand moving to tangle in your hair, moving his lips down your jaw and exposed neck. A sharp inhale from you as he reaches one of the many sweet spots he'd discovered, a soft whine sounding in his ears making him feel dizzy as he nips at your skin. Pulling back, he holds your face close to his as he speaks again. "Tell me you don't want me, and we can stop this right now. I'll be nothing but professional for the rest of the semester."

He can tell that wasn't what you were expecting. Your eyes are wide and full of mixed emotions, but overall, they flash with a bit of fear. "I…" Your hands move to rest on his hips, a frown on your lips as you let go, and he does the same. His arms cross with an expectant look on his face, and you grimace.

"Stop embarrassing me in front of people, and if you don't have a good reason to talk to me or be near me, don't engage at all." 

He gives you a nod, his smile reappearing as he reaches to wipe your lip gloss from his lips. "That being said, I'm guessing you will not be attending office hours tonight?" Huffing, you look away. "No. I have to help Chan move into the frat house with you and your hooligan friends."

"So I'll see you tonight anyway." He speaks with a grin, and you tongue your cheek. "Leave me alone, Joshua."

You spin on your heel, but his arm is on your elbow before you can walk away. He pulls you back, pulling you into a hug, pressing his lips to your hairline as you hesitantly wrap your arms around him. He speaks against your hair, "One more. For the road."

"Joshua." You groan, trying to hide the giddy feeling spreading in your stomach. He smiles at you, planting a kiss to the tip of your nose. "Just one, and I'll let you slam out of here like we were arguing."

You roll your eyes, but let him slot his lips with yours, the minty taste of him still lingering from the previous kiss. This one is much gentler, the warmth of his body against yours comforting as he pulls away with a chaste kiss. And another. And another.

"You said one." You grumble, swatting at his side to make him let you go. He smiles, his thumb coming to wipe at your lips. Your lipgloss is gone entirely, just glitter remaining. "Mmh. I'll see you later." "Whatever." You pull away from him, and he watches as you slam your way out of the classroom, a few students from your class still lingering in the hallway catching his eye. They look questioning, but he just shrugs as the door closes. He sighs as he looks around the empty lecture hall, a glimmer on the third step up calling his eyes. 

Making his way towards the steps, he sees the gold plating of a seven-pointed star, a message engraved in the back. 

For my brightest star, Y/N.

Picking it up, the diamonds mock him.

He feels slightly stupid to think this is fate, while knowing that once you realize it's gone, you'll be panicking. It seems nothing is really going right for you these days – your car being hit, fighting with Saerom, not being able to stand your ground against him…and now your necklace is 'gone'. He wants to be selfish and say it's because you're being a bit of a jerk to him.

So he'll believe that.

haologram © 2024 || no translations, reposting or modifications are allowed. do not claim as your own. viewer discretion is advised. your media consumption is your responsibility.

[talonabraxas]

Kund ॐ Erik Jacobsen

Manly P. Hall and the Kundalini

As of late, I have been doing extensive research regarding the topic of the Kundalini, or Serpent Fire, and its relationship to the mysteries and Immortality. Any discussion regarding this topic would not be complete without direct referencing from the great Manly P. Hall. We know that the ancients combined philosophy and science into the singular study of the human body. Most contemporary sciences, however, like to separate these ideas; but not so with the ancients. You see, the functions of the body, despite all our medical advances today, remain a mystery. Therefore, the mysteries we study today also involve the human body, or bodily mysteries. So much of our symbols do relate to and correspond to the mysteries of the body and its mind, and its purpose, which is regeneration. Therefore, what did Manly P Hall have to say on the matter?

First and foremost, Hall related the concept of Kundalini to that of Hiram Abiff (CHiram), the central figure in Blue Lodge Masonry. Furthermore, he also referred to the topic as the Spirit Fire, and the Lost Key of Masonry, or human regeneration. He further related it to 33 degrees of Freemasonry and the human spinal cord. And finally, Hall also discussed the importance of raising the Spirit Fire up the vertebrae to the pineal gland:

Sufficient similarity exists between the Masonic CHiram and the Kundalini of Hindu mysticism to warrant the assumption that CHiram may be considered a symbol also of the Spirit Fire moving through the sixth ventricle of the spinal column. The exact science of human regeneration is the Lost Key of Masonry, for when the Spirit Fire is lifted up through the thirty-three degrees, or segments of the spinal column, and enters into the domed chamber of the human skull, it finally passes into the pituitary body (Isis), where it invokes Ra (the pineal gland) and demands the Sacred Name. Operative Masonry, in the fullest meaning of that term, signifies the process by which the Eye of Horus is opened. E. A. Wallis Budge has noted that in some of the papyri illustrating the entrance of the souls of the dead into the judgment hall of Osiris the deceased person has a pine cone attached to the crown of his head. The Greek mystics also carried a symbolic staff, the upper end being in the form of a pine cone, which was called the thyrsus of Bacchus. In the human brain there is a tiny gland called the pineal body, which is the sacred eye of the ancients, and corresponds to the third eye of the Cyclops. Little is known concerning the function of the pineal body, which Descartes suggested (more wisely than he knew) might be the abode of the spirit of man. As its name signifies, the pineal gland is the sacred pine cone in man–the eye single, which cannot be opened until CHiram (the Spirit Fire) is raised through the sacred seals which are called the Seven Churches in Asia (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 79).

Hall further relates Hiram Abiff (CHiram) to the three gates of the temple, and the northern gate, in which the sun never shines; like that of a Lodge room’s empty seat in the north. You see, the body is represented by the crystallized water/spirit of the north; and man’s light shines always to the north. For this reason then, the moon can come to represent our physical nature. As such, Hiram is the fiery or airy water that must be raised, which is further symbolized by the ladder (2nd degree of Freemasonry). Furthermore, Hiram also passes up by means of the ladder of the spinal cord, or Tree of Life. Moreover, the sacred number of man is nine, which is symbolized by the sacrum and coccyx; the lower part of the body, often termed the Land of Egypt. And like Moses coming out of Egypt, the human mind is illuminated by raising the brazen serpent (Tau Cross), which is personified by the Spirit Fire of the human spinal cord being raised:

As applied to Masonry, the three sunbursts represent the gates of the temple at which CHiram was struck, there being no gate in the north because the sun never shines from the northern angle of the heavens. The north is the symbol of the physical because of its relation to ice (crystallized water) and to the body (crystallized spirit). In man the light shines toward the north but never from it, because the body has no light of its own but shines with the reflected glory of the divine life-particles concealed within physical substance. For this reason the moon is accepted as the symbol of man’s physical nature. CHiram is the mysterious fiery, airy water which must be raised through the three grand centers symbolized by the ladder with three rungs and the sunburst flowers mentioned in the description of the Hindu painting. It must also pass upward by means of the ladder of seven rungs-the seven plexuses proximate to the spine. The nine segments of the sacrum and coccyx are pierced by ten foramina, through which pass the roots of the Tree of Life. Nine is the sacred number of man, and in the symbolism of the sacrum and coccyx a great mystery is concealed. That part of the body from the kidneys downward was termed by the early Qabbalists the Land of Egypt into which the children of Israel were taken during the captivity. Out of Egypt, Moses (the illuminated mind, as his name implies) led the tribes of Israel (the twelve faculties) by raising the brazen serpent in the wilderness upon the symbol of the Tau cross. Not only CHiram but the god-men of nearly every pagan Mystery ritual are personifications of the Spirit Fire in the human spinal cord (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 79).

Along this same line of thinking, Hall mentioned that man’s lower nature is symbolized by a leviathan, or sea serpent, or dragon. Furthermore, all serpentine forms have come to represent solar energy. As such, the serpent signifies the imprisoned life force, or divine energy, rushing through man’s body; it’s passion, lust and even greed are present until it is transmuted and controlled. And Jesus has also come to represent this concealed divine nature within man himself:

According to many scattered fragments extant, man’s lower nature was symbolized by a tremendous, awkward creature resembling a great sea serpent, or dragon, called leviathan. All symbols having serpentine form or motion signify the solar energy in one of its many forms. This great creature of the sea therefore represents the solar life force imprisoned in water and also the divine energy coursing through the body of man, where, until transmuted, it manifests itself as a writhing, twisting monster–man’s greeds, passions, and lusts. Among the symbols of Christ as the Savior of men are a number relating to the mystery of His divine nature concealed within the personality of the lowly Jesus (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 86).

We now see Hall relating the ancient understanding of Kundalini/Serpent Fire to that of the medical profession through the sign of the Hermes staff. Moreover, the serpent is aligned with the ideas of wisdom and even salvation; regardless of Christendom’s contemporary view of evil. In fact, the serpent tempts man with the knowledge of himself. Like that of the tree of life being compared to the spinal cord, calling it the spinal fire, which is the gift of the great serpent. And perhaps most boldly, Hall relates this Serpent Fire to the redemption of the savior, Jesus the Christ; and he uses the example of Moses raising the serpent in the desert as his example, and the example of Christ telling his disciples to be as wise as the serpents:

In the ancient Mysteries the serpent entwining a staff was the symbol of the physician. The serpent-wound staff of Hermes remains the emblem of the medical profession. Among nearly all these ancient peoples the serpent was accepted as the symbol of wisdom or salvation. The antipathy which Christendom feels towards the snake is based upon the little-understood allegory of the Garden of Eden. The serpent is true to the principle of wisdom, for it tempts man to the knowledge of himself. Therefore the knowledge of self resulted from man’s disobedience to the Demiurgus, Jehovah. How the serpent came to be in the garden of the Lord after God had declared that all creatures which He had made during the six days of creation were good has not been satisfactorily answered by the interpreters of Scripture. The tree that grows in the midst of the garden is the spinal fire; the knowledge of the use of that spinal fire is the gift of the great serpent. Notwithstanding statements to the contrary, the serpent is the symbol and prototype of the Universal Savior, who redeems the worlds by giving creation the knowledge of itself and the realization of good and evil. If this be not so, why did Moses raise a brazen serpent upon a cross in the wilderness that all who looked upon it might be saved from the sting of the lesser snakes? Was not the brazen serpent a prophecy of the crucified Man to come? If the serpent be only a thing of evil, why did Christ instruct His disciples to be as wise as serpents (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 88)?

Despite the prevailing thought that the serpent is evil, Hall counters such ideas with some esoteric thinking. He claimed the serpent represented Immortality and is a symbol of reincarnation, due to the shedding of its skin, and it being given the luster of a new skinning body. You see, metaphorically, the serpent never dies, except by violence or by injury. And the serpent is also emblematic of God, because like a serpent swallowing itself (eating its tail), the creator reabsorbs his universe back into himself:

The accepted theory that the serpent is evil cannot be substantiated. It has long been viewed as the emblem of immortality. It is the symbol of reincarnation, or metempsychosis, because it annually sheds its skin, reappearing, as it were, in a new body. There is an ancient superstition to the effect that snakes never die except by violence and that, if uninjured, they would live forever. It was also believed that snakes swallowed themselves, and this resulted in their being considered emblematic of the Supreme Creator, who periodically reabsorbed His universe back into Himself (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 88).

The history that the serpent is a universal belief, like that of the cross, and even predates Christianity, was pointed out by Hall, especially when he mentioned its origin is from that of Atlantis, “Atlantean sun worship has been perpetuated in the ritualism and ceremonialism of both Christianity and pagandom. Both the cross and the serpent were Atlantean emblems of divine wisdom (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 34).

Hall further related astral light to that of a depiction of a serpent eating it own tail, and the colors of black and white, “the alternately black and white serpent of astral light“; and further related this topic to cosmic motion, “Vishnu sitting in the blossom of the lotus on a couch formed of the coils of the serpent of cosmic motion (Manly P. Hall, Secret Teachings of all Ages, 1929, p. 77). Both of which relate to the purpose of Kundalini, which is further consciousness, which can only be sought in the etheric realm.

There is, of course, much much more to Hall’s writings regarding the Serpent Fire/ Kundalini, but I think I have made my point; this was just a teaser. I highly recommend any ardent student of the esoteric sciences take the time to delve further into his writings. In fact, there are over 154 references to the term serpent in Hall’s book Secret Teachings of all Ages (1929). If one is seeking a better understanding of the esoteric science of Kundalini, especially from a Masonic perspective, I highly recommend this course of study; I know I did.

So Mote It Be!

[bluecollarmcandtf]

Revenge at the Frat House

"On your knees!" I pointed my mind control ray at the Co-Presidents of the frat. Their eyes glazed over and their legs buckled to the floor. I knew these jocks were finally mine.

The Alpha Tau Beta house was a giant mess, but it was easy to find on Frat Row. I crossed the overgrown lawn nervously, carrying my science experiment up to the front door.

This fraternity was well known for being intolerant. They'd berated me countless times at the university, but these idiots had no idea who they were beating up. Sure, I'm gay, but I was studying neuroscience, and this device was my crowning achievement. Hunter and Josh were my first test subjects.

I didn't honestly think it would work so well. The two athletes dropped quickly to their knees when I commanded. Their eyes fluttered lazily as they wobbled on the hardwood. It definitely looked like they were ready to be reprogrammed.

"What's going on..." the blonde jock groaned.

Hunter was the school's basketball star. Everybody fawned over his perfect smile. Nearly every advertisement for the school had the guy on it, wearing a sleeveless jersey that showed off his impressive wingspan.

Now, his muscular arms dangle limply at his side, twitching occasionally.

"What's going on is revenge!" I cried, "Remember me? You led your pack of fraternity goons over and had them rough me up because I had a rainbow flag on."

"Oh yeah... " he replied dumbly.

"Well things are different now," I continued, "You won't target any gay dude again!"

"I won't..." he automatically agreed.

"It was crazy that you were ever such a homophobe. After all, you're gay yourself."

"I am...?" his blank face furrowed in confusion.

"Oh yeah," I pushed the suggestion further, "You love men. You're the gayest guy on campus. Nothing makes you happier than flirting with all dudes you can."

"I'm the gayest man on campus..." the fraternity jock agreed with a cheesy smile. He seemed happy to find a new calling in life.

I know he meant it. My device was designed to embed these suggestions into his mind, body, and personality. Hunter was a full-on fruitcake, now. It wouldn't be long before he was coming onto his fraternity brothers or getting an erection with his teammates in the shower. As far as he knew, he had always loved men, and he couldn't wait to flaunt his attraction loudly.

"And you," I turned to Josh.

The second frat bro was slumped onto the floor with his jaw hanging open. He looked half asleep with the drool hanging off his chin.

"Me..." Josh slurred.

This guy was on the wrestling team, and while he wasn't the leader of the bullies like Hunter, he was almost always the first to get physical. I still remember the feeling of his beefy arms around my neck as he taught me his lesson. Now it was my turn to teach him a lesson.

"Josh, you're not gay like your buddy, but you are a wimp," I explain.

"I'm a wimp...?" he mumbles deliriously.

"Yup! Sure, you're strong and athletic, but you're a total pushover."

"I'm a pushover..." he let the words sink in.

"Literally every male you come across will intimidate you. And anyone that intimidates you can boss you around. It doesn't matter if they're older, younger, weaker, or stronger. They get to use you as they want, but you don't mind. Your body is just a tool to be used."

"I'm a tool..." Josh agreed.

"In fact, your mouth is the most useful thing about you," I added, "I mean think about all the things you can use it for. If your bro's shoes are dirty, you can lick them clean for him. Maybe he's sweaty after a work out; just offer to suck the sweat out of his pits. Heck, maybe he's too lazy to walk to the bathroom; your mouth is perfect for that too. There are so many ways to put that face hole to use."

"My mouth is a tool..." his lips fumbled the words but there was conviction in his eyes.

Josh was fully convinced of his extremely submissive personality. He was already normalizing different situations in his head where another dude would use him as they wanted, and it felt completely natural.

"Alright, I'm going to wake you two up," I decided.

Thumping them on the forehead with my mind control device, I snapped the fraternity jocks out of their subconscious state.

"Woah," Hunter winced, "What's going on?"

The basketball star caught his bearings, noticing me as I stood over him. Hunter had never looked at me with anything other than animosity, but in that moment, he licked his lips and batted his eyes. I could tell he liked what he saw.

"Well, hello handsome," the stud purred as he checked me out.

Hunter rose from the ground and sidled up to me, planting his massive palms on my waist as he stared down into my eyes. I knew he was displaying his most charming smile.

"Anything I can do for you, daddy?" he snickered mischievously.

"I'm not interested, at the moment," I said.

"Playing hard to get?" Hunter scoffed in disappointment and turned away with a sigh, "Josh, get over here!"

The burly wrestler flinched as his buddy called to him. Josh was still on the floor, trying to make his bulky frame as small as possible in the presence of real men. He'd only been able to cast nervous glances at our shoes as we stood over him, but he quickly scurried over to Hunter when he was called.

"Come on," Hunter growled at Josh, "Let me show this guy what I can do with my tongue. I'll see if he isn't interested then!"

Hunter quickly grabbed the back of his fraternity brother's head and pulled him up into a slobbery kiss. Josh barely had time to react, but he wasn't in a position to pull away. The pair of homophobic jerks made out with each other, with Hunter moaning loudly and Josh trying to keep up.

I enjoyed the scene. Hopefully, the rest of the fraternity would be back from that party soon. I wanted to see them walk in on their Co-Presidents making out in the living room.

Now that I knew my technology worked, I was planning to convert the rest of the brothers. They needed to understand Hunter and Josh's new roles in the frat house.

Soon, they would all be bullying Hunter for how gay he'd become, and they'd be using Josh in any way that amused them. I'd definitely gotten the revenge I wanted.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Reference: 5 Symbols

for your next poem/story (pt. 1)

AESCLEPIUS WAND

The Wand or Rod of Aesclepius is a symbol of the medical profession.

The symbol belongs to the Greek God of Healing whose name it bears.

Although the origins of many symbols are indeterminate, there is a theory that the Aesclepius Wand came about due to the method of removal of a certain parasite that was drawn gradually from the body by winding it around a stick.

However, the serpent is a powerful symbol of healing, despite its toxic nature.

In general, the symbol of the serpent rising up toward the top of a pole or tree is representative of matter transforming into spirit and of enlightenment.

AKWABA

This is an African fertility symbol belonging to the Ashanti tribe.

The Akwaba is a doll, usually carved of wood, which commands the same attention as a real infant.

It is dressed, washed, and even “fed” until the human child is actually born, an example of sympathetic magic believed to ensure the arrival of the true baby.

AMULET

Although it is worn on the body as a piece of jewelry, the amulet is different from “normal” jewelry in that it holds a magical significance that is peculiar to its owner or wearer.

Generally, the powers of the amulet fall into two specific categories, either to bring luck or to avert evil;

either of these qualities arguably reflect a positive or negative attitude on the part of the owner.

The talisman is effectively the same thing as an amulet although its name derives from an Arabic word meaning “magic picture.”

A charm made specifically and inscribed with the names of the spirits, the Seal of Solomon, and other mystical symbols is more likely to be referred to as a talisman.

Significant symbols for use as amulets include birthstones (or other gems according to their magical powers), astrological signs, specific symbols such as the Hand of Fatima or the cornus, and symbols specific to the religious and spiritual beliefs of the wearer, such as the cross, the star, words, names, and numbers.

Incidentally, both amulets and talismans are referred to as “charms;” the origin of this word has the same root as the Latin word for “song,” indicating the link between a magical sound and a magical intention.

ANKH

Essentially the tau cross surmounted by a loop or circle, the ankh is a prominent feature of Ancient Egyptian reliefs, artworks, and funerary paraphernalia.

Like the tau, the ankh is a letter; specifically, it is a hieroglyph meaning “life.”

The volume of meaning that can be squeezed from such a simple symbol is awe-inspiring.

The ankh represents the male and female genitalia, the Sun coming over the horizon, and the union of Heaven and Earth.

This association with the Sun means that the ankh is traditionally drawn in gold—the color of the Sun—and never in silver, which relates to the Moon.

Putting aside the complexities of these separate elements, though, what does the ankh look like?

Its resemblance to a key gives a clue to another meaning of this magical symbol.

The Egyptians believed that the Afterlife was as meaningful as the present one, and the ankh provided the key to the gates of death and what lay beyond.

Powerful symbols frequently stray across into other cultures despite their origins, and the ankh is no exception.

Because it symbolizes immortality and the Universe, it was initially borrowed by the 4th century Coptic Christians who used it as a symbol to reinforce Christ’s message that there is life after death.

The ankh is used by the Rosicrucians too.

Even though its actual invention is shrouded in thousands of years of mystery, the ankh symbol can be bought in any high street jewelry store anywhere in the world.

ARROW

Symbol of flight, penetration, and direction.

As a weapon, the arrow is a symbol of the power of the person who carries it, along with the bow.

As a sacred symbol, it is the attribute of the Goddess of the Hunt, Artemis/Diana, as well as of Eros, who uses his arrows to pierce the people’s hearts with love.

The arrow also serves as a phallic symbol and an emblem of masculine power.

The symbol of the heart pierced with an arrow, popular on Valentine’s Day cards, is a covert symbol of sexual union.

As a symbol of direction, it works on a physical level and a metaphorical level.

The arrow that shoots high up into the sky is an emblem of the link between Earth and Heaven, a symbol of an idea, or of a message being carried directly to the Gods.

The arrow is used, too, as an analogy for swiftness and sureness, since the arrow travels in the direction in which it is shot.

The astrological sign of Sagittarius, the hybrid creature that is always depicted in the process of shooting an arrow from his bow, has a Latin root, sagitta; this means “arrow” and is derived from a verb, sagire, that means “to perceive keenly or quickly.”

Therefore, the arrow is symbolic of quick-wittedness and intuition.

Arrows were used by the ancient Arabians, Chaldeans, Greeks, and Tibetans in a form of divination called Belomancy:

This was practiced by shooting arrows in the air and reading a meaning from the direction of the arrows or their positions in relation to each other.

For example, crossed or touching arrows meant “no.”

Later, the arrows had words written on them to make any answers even more definitive.

Source ⚜ More: On Symbols ⚜ Writing Notes & References

[melancholy-of-nadia]

love u lately (m) #1 | myg/knj/pjm

title: love u lately​ chapter title: #1 - lavender haze​ pairing: yoongi x f. reader, namjoon x f. reader, jimin x f. reader (yoonminjoon x f. reader) rating/genre: m (18+) ; smut ; college/university au , pseudo frat! bts; best friends! yoonminjoon friends to lovers; summary: In the midst of your college journey, life takes an unexpected turn when you find yourself moving into a "pseudo frat" house with your childhood best friends Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin. The college experience you envisioned seems promising, but as Namjoon and Jimin get caught up in flings, their focus shifts away from you, Yoongi, and everyone else in the house. The strong bond you once shared starts to feel strained, leaving you to question your feelings and changing dynamics. Though, the haze of a single night at a party sets off a chain reaction of emotions that leaves you grappling with a question you never thought you'd ask—could you be in love with all three of them? warnings: pwp, swearing, making out, subtle body worship, penetration, cunnilingus, CONSENSUAL!! sex, nipple play, breast play, overstimulation, mutual orgasm, touch of aftercare, frustration bc guys are dumb sometimes note: thank u to @daegudrama (as always) for beta reading and editing my fics. much appreiciated. this is the first fic series i have written in 10 years (i used to be in the anime/pokemon fandoms lol) so i apologized if it isn't that great, but i will keep improving! note 2: this is also for the yoonminjoon stans !! such an underrated subunit! total word count: 8.3k drop date: august 29th, 2023, 1:00pm pst cross posted on AO3 here | Series Masterlist | #2 →

-

October 4 (Thursday)

The morning sun streams through the blinds, gently coaxing you awake. You catch the aroma of sizzling bacon wafting from the kitchen as you continue to fight the urge to sleep in longer.

With a quick stride, you open your door to find your close friends, Yoongi and Jimin, seated at the dining table, enjoying breakfast. Their subtle waves are met with your ecstatic waving. You glance at Namjoon standing near the stove wearing a tank top and basketball shorts. He tends to the bacon in the pan as it sizzles and pops. 

"Joon, could you set aside two pieces for me?" you call out, causing him to jolt as he hadn't noticed your presence in the room due to him being in zen focus trying not to burn everyone’s breakfast.

He sighs, shoulders slumping. "You better hurry and brush your teeth, or I might let Jungkook have the rest once he's out of the shower in a few minutes."

Nodding, you hurry to the second bathroom in your home to prepare for the day, aiming to grab some fresh homemade breakfast before your noon class.

This spacious house has been your shared sanctuary with your childhood best friends – Kim Namjoon, Min Yoongi, and Park Jimin – since the start of your second year of college in September. Last year, some older guy friends from your hometown who went to the same college as you lived at the house originally. Then over the summer, your best friends moved in with them to take summer courses and on-campus internships. You got added to the mix when you were desperately trying to find housing as the university waitlisted you in favor of the 29,000 new freshmen they admitted to the campus who they prioritized housing for. After looking at expensive off-campus apartments and sketchy leases, the boys couldn’t bear seeing you struggle and potentially homeless, so they let you live with them in their 4 bedroom home. Your housemate Seokjin gave up his single room, with a bit of hesitation, so you could live comfortably. The rest of the boys share rooms with each other. 

With eight people living together, the house unofficially earns the nickname "Beta Tau Sigma," or the “pseudo frat”, as some people around campus called it. While not officially recognized as a fraternity due to various complicated reasons, the BTS house still became known for its "poppin’ house parties” hosted by your lovely housemate Jung Hoseok last year. 

Your friendship with Namjoon, Yoongi, and Jimin goes back to a little over a decade ago. Namjoon became your next door neighbor as a kid, eventually he introduced you to Yoongi who was a family friend of his, and finally, you all befriended Jimin when he transferred to your middle school. You all remained close during high school. Namjoon and Yoongi, being a year older than you and Jimin, graduated and went to college. Eventually you and Jimin graduated, and the two of you got into the same college a few hours away from your hometown as them and attended together. 

However, moving in with a bunch of men was something you prefer that people didn’t know about you. You wanted to avoid any rumors being created, especially considering the guys living with you are popular among the girls at your campus. If there is something that you don’t miss from high school, it is the petty drama and baseless rumors people make to tear others down. For now, people assume you are living in the dorms with your only female friend: Hwasa. You always think that it’s for the best things are this way. You decide not to think too much beyond that, despite the probability that a few people are catching on to the fact that you probably do live with these guys platonically.

After washing up, you enter the kitchen again, taking a seat next to Yoongi who is engrossed in his Twitter feed. He finally acknowledges your presence.

"Took you long enough, huh? Don't you have Stats at 10?" He quips.

You scrunch your eyebrows at him. “Good morning to you too, Yoongs?” You retort playfully. “No stats today. It’s Thursday so I have Finance at noon!"” You exclaim loudly to the room. 

Groans resonate through the kitchen. Yoongi's teasing backfires, much to his chagrin. Taehyung descends from upstairs, puzzled by the commotion in the room.

“What’s wrong with her finance class?” He asks innocently. 

"There’s nothing wrong with the class, but it's the classmate in that class!" Namjoon sighs, leaning on the counter after placing your bacon and avocado toast plate on the table.

"Lim Jaebeom," Jimin snickers, promptly earning a discreet kick from you under the table. "Ow! Hey! No need to resort to violence! Hey! I’m only speaking facts!” He winces as he holds his knee up and rubs the pain away.

Lim Jaebeom, also known by everyone as JB, is the cute guy you met in your Macroeconomics class last year. He is popular as a member of a real fraternity, Gamma Omega Tau and the professional frat, Kappa Psi Pi (or JYP, as some called it?). Part of both fraternities, he radiates talent as a business major and an underground SoundCloud artist on the side. While your interactions remain class-related, he greets you often outside of class even after the course finished, much to your best friends’ annoyance.

Over spring semester of last year and the initial weeks of the current fall semester, you’ve developed a small crush on Jaebeom. Though when it comes to your love life, it’s been a few years since you’ve had some kind of thing going on. There’s only been two people so far: Wonwoo, captain of the Men’s varsity volleyball team who you slept with once when you boldly asked him if he would take your v-card. You and your best friends were going through an experimental era during your junior year of high school. They teased you a lot about being “innocent” but were left speechless when you told them what you’ve done. They said that was the end of the experimental era. Later on you also found out he’s your housemate Jungkook’s cousin. 

The second guy is Yeonjun. You don’t like to talk about him much, but he was in the same year and you guys talked often (much to Namjoon’s dismay). He was your fake date at your housemate Seokjin's brother's wedding the summer after you graduated high school. One thing led to another and you were sneaky links for a while. It didn’t end well though.

"She's got eyes for JB, but is too scared to make a move," Jimin teases, earning him another kick under the table to which he dodges.

"In case you forgot, it took you a month to see Irene Bae wanted you so badly," Taehyung rolls his eyes while a hint of a smile tugs your lips as you struggle to suppress your laughter seeing him call out Jimin.

The Jimin and Irene power couple relationship goes back to spring semester last year. Taehyung needed Jimin to go on a double date with him to the Psi Gamma Epsilon Formal, which is the co-ed fraternity that Taehyung’s girlfriend Jennie is in. While you have many mixed opinions about Taehyung’s tastes when it comes to women, you hate that he influenced some of those tastes on Jimin. Thus, Jennie introduced Jimin to her friend, Irene (the Sigma Mu Epsilon Campus President) and the rest is history. 

Though, you weren't aware that they were dating until a month ago when they had already been dating for three months. You are not sure how they managed to hide it from people for a while.

“Ya!! How was I supposed to know that getting asked to eat ramen together on a Friday night meant anything BUT eating ramen.” Jimin sighs as he gets up from his chair. “Maybe you should ask Jaebeom out for some ramen.” He playfully suggests, emphasizing Jaebeom's name, sending your face into a blush.

"I'm not interested in sleeping with him!" you protest, cheeks burning. In Korean slang, sharing ramen implies spending the night together. You’d rather romantically share ramen like the spaghetti eating scene in “Lady & the Tramp” than fuck him and ruin your friendship.

“Isn’t that what he’s known for? Sleeping with girls, taking sex polaroids, and plastering them on his frat bedroom wall? Taehyung butts in, since he too, knows of Jaebeom’s lifestyle like everyone else on this campus does. You, of course, are aware of it too, which is why you haven’t bothered to try your chance with him. 

“Exactly why I’m okay being the nice friend saying hi from across campus when he says hi instead of becoming a faceless polaroid in his room of him giving me backshots.” You cross your arms as you roll your eyes at him.

“Please don’t give me mental images of that.” Yoongi finally speaks up, groaning at your words again. You playfully elbow his side at your remark. He covers his face immediately as he feels himself blushing at these thoughts.

“Well, when you decide to get the balls to do something, I shall be here to give you advice. Just let me know.” Jimin says as he grabs his bag from the couch and heads to class with Taehyung, leaving you with Namjoon and Yoongi. 

“Wow, can you believe him? He thinks he can talk big now that he’s dating little Miss Sigma Mu Epsilon’s President Irene.” You let out an annoyed sigh as you take a bite out of the avocado toast Namjoon gave you.

At first you were excited for one of your guy best friends to be in a relationship again after years, but that excitement was short-lived as you noticed Jimins’ absence in the house became more evident. He would either be at his dance club, studying in the library, or spending the rest of his freetime with Irene. Maybe doing all of the above with her. 

When you and your best friends were in relationships or flings in the past, they promised that they would never leave or ignore the group to prioritize those other people first.  And they were always true to their word.

But as of lately, not anymore. While you once were used to having Jimin at home or at the dorm common area with the guys for Friday Night Game Night, this sight was slowly becoming a memory. It’s hard to admit how these subtle changes of seeing Jimin prefer to do other activities saddens you. You eventually decided to bottle up your feelings of sadness, not wanting them to see, and focus on other things filling up your plate.

Namjoon wasn’t paying attention to what you said as he uncontrollably smiles at his phone with a Kakao talk chat with someone pulled up, making your eyes narrow at him. 

“O-Oh, sorry. I was texting Jihyo.” he admits blatantly, before widening his eyes at what he just said. “What did you say?” Namoon glances at you briefly.

“Park Jihyo? Your group project partner slash sex–?” Yoongi narrows his gaze at Namjoon, before he quickly launches to cover Yoongi’s mouth. 

What? Is this seriously another sudden revelation incoming this early in the morning? You didn’t think you’d spiral into a pool of further questioning the future of your friendship with your guy best friends. Especially when it comes to Namjoon dating the campus’ kindest angel, Jihyo. Compared to Irene, you don’t have anything snarky to say about Jihyo. You admit she is better in hundreds of different ways than you. You wonder if your friends’ recent dating or fling escapades are a sign of a bigger issue in your friendship with them. You wonder if Yoongi’s also hiding someone away from your sight.

"So you’re also seeing someone?" Your pout is playful, but a hint of disappointment peeks through. "Don't tell me you're bailing on Friday Night Game Nights just like Jimin…"

Namjoon's response carries a weight of hesitation as he takes a thoughtful pause, considering his next words carefully. "Well, kind of…" His words hang in the air for a moment, a sense of complexity in his tone. "It's complicated... and no, I won't be skipping Friday Night Game Night every time like Jimin... except for this week."

The curiosity in your expression is mirrored by Yoongi's raised eyebrow. “What’s the excuse that you so kindly will be telling Yoongi and I?” you ask, the intrigue evident in your voice.

“Well actually, I may need to borrow the house so I was wondering if you guys could have Friday Night Game Night somewhere else.”

“Why should we go somewhere--” As you begin to protest, an epiphany interrupts your words, causing them to taper off. A realization dawns, connecting the dots between Yoongi's earlier comments and the direction this conversation is taking. “Wait what!? KIM NAMJOON YOU-!” 

“You’re seriously going to sexile everyone in this house?” Yoongi's words burst forth interrupting yours, his laced with a mixture of genuine surprise and a hint of humor. His widened eyes are concealed behind a hand that covers his mouth, almost as if he's trying to stifle his amusement at the sudden request.

Namjoon lets out a chuckle, his expression playful as he confirms, "Potentially! But I'm not sure yet. I might go back to her place, but I wanted to keep my options open so we could..."

Your voice cuts in before Namjoon can elaborate further, a mix of jest and sincerity in your tone, "Okay, okay, okay, I get it! We'll move game night somewhere else then!" The words rush out of you as you shield yourself from whatever details might follow that your ears weren't prepared for. You shoot Yoongi a look, seeking affirmation. "We’ll figure it out..right, Yoongi?"

Yoongi doesn't miss a beat as he follows up with a response laced with dry humor, “Right. I really don’t want to hear my best friend fucking while I’m trying to relax at the end of a stressful week.”

A blush creeps onto your cheeks, and you playfully reprimand Yoongi, your palm meeting your face in an exaggerated facepalm, "Yoongi, please spare us from any more visual details." Your laughter mingles with a hint of embarrassment, but you quickly regain your composure. "But thank you for letting us know, Namjoon..."

Namjoon's easy smile returns, and he jests, "Have fun without me, though. I know Jin and Jungkook will keep things lively without me or even Jimin there."

Even without any truly scandalous events transpiring, an air of awkwardness hangs over the conversation. The remainder of your breakfast passes in silence, each of you lost in your own thoughts. Eventually, you rise from the table, making your way back to your room to prepare for class, which looms just an hour away.

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By the time you come out of your room again, only Yoongi and Jungkook are in the living room doing last minute assignments. You assume Namjoon already left for class with Hoseok and also figure Seokjin left even before that. He’s the only person in this house taking 8am classes. 

This is the norm. On Thursdays, you walk with Yoongi to class, as his class is in the same building as yours. Sometimes, Jungkook joins you guys when he procrastinates the hour before class to finish assignments. 

“Are you ready to go? Jungkook’s done now.” Yoongi gets up from the couch already expecting your response to be yes. Jungkook looks up from his textbook to give you a thumbs up.

“Yep, all ready to go.”

The three of you step out onto campus, engaging in conversation that weaves between the events of the week and the anticipation of the impending game night. As you discuss plans, you consider the limited guests—Namjoon engaged with his "complicated" fuck buddy situation, Jimin on his weekend outings with Irene—leaving only you, Yoongi, Jungkook, Hoseok, Jin, and Taehyung for the upcoming Friday Night Game Night. At least you thought it was just the 6 of you.

Jungkook interjects, scratching his head apologetically. "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention earlier, but Taehyung and I are going out bowling and drinking with the Woogas on Friday..." His voice trails off with a sheepish smile, his plea for forgiveness evident in his gesture. The Woogas were a group of grad students who were close to Taehyung.

Surveying the group left, you pose a question, preempting any plans that would end up getting canceled. "Anybody else have plans?"

Jungkook takes a bit to contemplate, his mutterings finally clarifying the situation. "I remember Jin hyung texting the gc that he has a Kappa Psi Pi chapter till 9:30 tomorrow—pledging's keeping him busy. He might go out with his frat brothers afterward for drinks. Hoseok is out of town tonight for a competitive dance tournament with the uni dance club."

A collective sigh of resignation hangs in the air as you and Yoongi register the inevitability—it's just the two of you for the upcoming Friday night. Your expressions communicate mutual understanding, as if exchanging an unspoken acknowledgment that it won't be just this one time moving forward.

You bid farewell to Jungkook as he heads off to his own class, then turn to Yoongi with a hopeful glint in your eyes, silently urging him to weave his magic and devise a plan to fill the void left by your absent friends.

"Maybe we could hit that popular bar downtown? What's it called...Arena?" Yoongi suggests, a hint of excitement lacing his words.

A shake of your head expresses your skepticism. "On a Friday night? I heard too many weirdos go at that time, Yoongs.” 

“Then, why don’t we go house party hopping? We haven’t done that since freshman year.” He smirks, as he adds the nostalgic suggestion.

The words "house party hopping" elicit a mix of memories, both good and not-so-good. It's a ritual familiar to college freshmen to excessively drink and dance at multiple parties in one night, but it gets too difficult to do through the rest of undergrad. You, however, have only done this activity of going to multiple different parties in one night, twice. 

The first time, things went smoothly when Yoongi, Namjoon, and Jimin went to five different house parties on the frat house row. The second time was not so smooth. Contrary to popular belief of Beta Tau Sigma, everyone at the house are light-weights when it comes to drinking, with Yoongi, Jungkook and Taehyung probably being the strongest drinkers of the bunch. That night of house party hopping ended with Namjoon and Jimin getting drunk and losing their student access cards at one of the five houses you went to. Because they couldn’t get into their dorm, you and Yoongi had to carry them back to your dorm and have them to stay at the dorm’s study lounge for the night. At some point, you all almost got caught by the dorm RA making their nightly rounds to make sure everything is good. Yoongi quickly excused all of you being cramped in the small room as “studying for an accounting midterm”, to which the RA didn’t question anything further after hearing the words “accounting” and left you alone for the rest of the night.

Based on that experience, you are reluctant to even try doing that again. However this time, it is just going to be you and Yoongi, the most mature ones in the overall friend group. Or at least you like to think so.

"Well, considering how the last time went..." Your voice trails off, your narrowed eyes revealing your internal debate. "I'll think about it more and let you know."

Yoongi nods at your response and you both say goodbye as you part ways to class.

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Entering your finance class, You secure a seat near the door and the front board, a vantage point that lets you observe the classroom's dynamics. Today, however, your routine is disrupted when someone unexpectedly occupies the seat next to you. 

As you set up your notebook, your gaze lifts, revealing Jaebeom sitting beside you. A faint flutter tugs at your heart, a pulse of anticipation racing through your veins. A steady stream of thoughts races through your mind, echoing, "This is definitely sus." You've consumed enough romance novels and coming-of-age stories to recognize when circumstances take a pointed turn. You've shared casual conversations and greetings with Jaebeom, but sitting next to each other is unprecedented—there's surely more to it.

A subtle "Ahem" draws your attention, and Jaebeom turns to face you, his eyes meeting yours. "Hey, Y/N… do you mind if I sit here today? I left my glasses behind, and I can't really see from my usual spot."

Your reassurance carries a softness as you reply, "Hi, Jaebeom! Of course, no problem." A smile graces your lips, and he returns it, dispelling the suspicions you had entertained. So you guess there’s no special reason for sitting next to you. 

The rest of class goes by smoothly, but you can’t help but to think that Jaebeom has something else to ask you about. The overthinking from your wild imagination is getting to you. As the class concludes, you hurriedly pack your belongings, eager to continue with your day. Yet, before you can make your exit, Jaebeom's voice halts you in your tracks.

"Hey! I've been meaning to ask," his words are loud, receiving attention from your peers, "Do you have any plans for tomorrow? The Gammas are hosting a party, and I was wondering if you'd be interested in coming."

Bingo. This is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. Not an invite to a party per se, BUT now you suddenly have something to do with Yoongi tomorrow night after being ditched by everyone else. 

“I’m down to go! I actually changed plans with a few friends so I don’t have anything to do tomorrow night.”

Jaebeom's response brings an even wider smile to your face. “Then I’ll see you there! You can bring a friend with you if you’d like.” And with that, you and Yoongi are definitely booked for tomorrow night.

With those words, your plans for tomorrow night are sealed. The newfound excitement has you beginning to wonder whether it’s actually alright to go considering Yoongi feels indifferent towards Jaebeom. You decide to call him about the plan on your way to the library for your daily fix of iced tea.

Dialing Yoongi's number, you initiate the conversation. "You and me, Gamma Omega Tau house party," you declare, your voice laced with anticipation.

His response holds a curious tone. "...So, I'll take that as a yes to house party hopping."

Chuckling, you clarify, maintaining your stance. "Well, we could do that if you're set on it," You explain, continuing your lowkey refusal to repeat that experience. “...but I actually got personally invited to the GOT party by Jaebeom.”

Yoongi's groan resonates through the line, conveying his reluctance but also a willingness to compromise. "If there's free booze and a chance to catch up with some other friends, then count me in."

“That’s perfect!” Excitement in your voice is clear to Yoongi as you both finalize plans for tomorrow night. Perhaps it’ll end up being a fun night for the both of you compared to what everyone else was doing instead. The upset feeling from all the sudden changes continues to linger in your chest, but you brush it away with the hopes of getting wasted on Friday.

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Friday comes by like a quick breeze. The day passes in a blur of classes, assignments, and hanging out with Yoongi and the rest of your friends. Evening comes around, and you find yourself getting ready for the Gamma Omega Tau party. You choose a cute yet comfortable outfit consisting of a revealing v-bar black tube top and ripped boyfriend jeans, hoping to strike a balance between looking good and feeling at ease. After a bit of makeup and fixing your hair, you are ready to head out.

You walk over to knock on Yoongi’s bedroom door. He opens the door revealing his outfit: a black tank top, acid-washed ripped jeans, and a black leather jacket to top it off. It definitely makes him exude his signature nonchalant charm. As he greets you with a nod, you can’t help but feel a flutter of excitement for the night ahead. You guys look so hot and would definitely make the other guys jealous of your totally awesome alternative Friday night plans if they were here.

The two of you make your way to the party a couple blocks away on frat row, the streets buzzing with energy as students get ready to party for the weekend. The Gamma Omega Tau house is alive with music, laughter, and the glow of colorful lights. You both enter the party, and immediately the atmosphere hits you—a mix of pulsating music, chatter, and the distinct scent of alcohol.

Yoongi heads to the makeshift bar in the kitchen to get drinks, while you decide to explore the party on your own. You bump into a couple of familiar faces from classes, exchanging greetings and catching up briefly. Some of these faces included Hwasa, your only dear female best friend who you haven’t seen much since moving out of your shared dorm freshman year. She is a little busy taking shots with who seems to be your old dorm floor neighbors Soyoon and Jieun. But overall, the night is young, and the anticipation of what it could bring is building up inside you.

A little while later, Yoongi returns with drinks in hand—something colorful and sweet for you, and something stronger for himself. You clink your cups together before taking a sip. The music is loud, and bodies are moving to the rhythm all around you. It was a sight to behold—the carefree spirit of college life on full display.

As the night progresses, you find yourself playing various party games, dancing a little with Hwasa, and meeting new people she introduces you to. Yoongi seems to be enjoying himself from a distance, laughing and chatting with a group of guys from his music class. He occasionally watches you from afar to make sure you don’t get lost or that something even worse doesn’t happen. Frat parties can be dangerous after all. It makes you feel a little happy that he does these little things and shows how much he cares about you. More than you thought before. However, there’s a sudden moment in the lively ambience when you start to feel a pang of loneliness. A sense of being adrift in a sea of unfamiliar faces.

Time seems to slip away as you’re lost in the lights, and before you know it, you are on your third drink. The alcohol is starting to take its effect, making you feel warm and a bit more uninhibited. Maybe this wasn’t the best choice. Maybe partying is not what you needed tonight to get your mind off of things. 

And these thoughts are only amplified with the next thing you see. In the corner of the crowded kitchen, you catch Namjoon and Jihyo making out, and your heart races. You suddenly excuse yourself from the group you are chatting with and head towards the front door, seeking some space to clear your head. 

However you stop yourself from bursting out of the open door. Instead, you lean against the wall, trying to steady your breathing. The noise and chaos of the party feel overwhelming now rather than numbing your thoughts from earlier. You clutch your cup as you look around, feeling like an outsider in your own surroundings. It’s in this moment of vulnerability that someone bumps into you, spilling their red jungle juice all over your clothes. You look down at your stained jeans emotionless.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" the girl exclaims, looking genuinely apologetic as she hands you some napkins. Your vision is blurring and you can’t tell if you know her or not. Her voice sounds familiar though.

Though, you manage a weak nod letting her know it was fine. It is in that unfortunate moment that you see your crush, JB, appearing out of nowhere walking in your direction. In the several hours you’ve been here this is when he decides to show up?! Your heart continues to race faster as he approaches, his eyes locking onto yours. Not right now, you plead to the gods internally that he isn’t coming towards you. But he does.

"Hey, Y/N, are you okay?" JB asks, his concern evident in his voice as he looks you over.

You feel a lump forming in your throat, not wanting him to see you in this state of vulnerability. Your eyes well up, and you fight to hold back tears. This isn't how you want him to see you, at your lowest point, struggling to keep it together.

Just as you are about to break down, a strong hand gently takes hold of your left arm, pulling you away from JB. You are led into the dimly lit hallway, away from the noise of the party. Not many people looming in this area. The door to the bathroom opens as someone leaves, and the person guides you inside before locking the door behind you.

Your visions starts to focus fully again. And you see…

It’s Yoongi.

His presence is a lifeline you forgot that you needed moments before.

"Y-Yoongi!" The exclamation trembles in the air, a mixture of surprise, relief, and the weight of your unraveling emotions.

In the dimly lit bathroom, you finally let your guard down, the tears streaming down your cheeks. Yoongi is momentarily taken aback by the intensity of your reaction, but swiftly recovers. He extends a napkin from his pocket, offering it as a gesture of support. His features, though, oscillate between concern and puzzlement, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asks softly, his voice a comforting presence in the midst of your turmoil.

You take a shuddering breath, trying to gather your thoughts. The alcohol is making it hard to articulate your feelings, but you manage to explain how seeing Namjoon and Jihyo had triggered a sense of loneliness and panic within you. Jimin dating Irene in what seemed to be a serious relationship also has you spiraling. It all makes you question the stability of your friendships and fear that you are slowly losing the people who once meant the most to you. 

Yoongi listens intently, his gaze unwavering as he lets you pour out your feelings. When you are done, he leans against the sink, his expression thoughtful.

"I get it," he says, his voice soft but steady. "Change is hard, and sometimes it feels like everything is slipping away. But you know, life just keeps moving forward, and people change, I guess. But it doesn’t mean Namjoon or Jimin are leaving you behind."

You nod, sniffing as you wipe away your tears. "I know, but... it's just overwhelming seeing everything unfold."

He reaches out and gently tilts your chin up, meeting your gaze with his warm eyes. "You're not alone in this, Y/N. We're here for you, and we're all figuring things out as we go along."

His words strike a chord within you, a sense of comfort washing over you in the midst of your emotional storm. Yoongi's presence feels like an anchor, grounding you when everything feels chaotic.

Then, without warning, he looks at you intensely and asks, “Since we’re having this conversation, I’m questioning whether you like Jimin based on what you just said…"

You blink, caught off guard by the sudden change in topic. "What? No! Jimin's like a brother to me. A reliable brother who understands me pretty well…” You pause a bit and mumble, “Well at least he used to."

He nods, his gaze unrelenting yet thoughtful, as if he's trying to read between the lines of your response. But then he asks another question that left you momentarily speechless.

"What about Namjoon?"

You hesitate, your mind racing. Your feelings for Namjoon have always been a bit more complex, and you aren't sure how to put them into words. Namjoon was your first friend out of the trio of him, Yoongi, and Jimin. He was 7 when he moved in next door from Korea as his dad got a new job working as a Chemical Engineer for an energy company in the US. You got along well with him as kids who both played Pokemon games and he was the only person you could trade with. He’s also the one who gave you his shiny purple Wailmer from his Pokemon Emerald. Eventually as you got older, you both came to enjoy reading books and art history. What does he mean to you?

Before you can muster a response to that, Yoongi suddenly adds another question, his voice gentle yet persistent. “What about me?”

Your gaze flickers to him, and you find yourself locking eyes with him. Then you quickly look away, focusing on the purple lighting in the bathroom. 

This questions starts to add new thoughts that you hadn’t really considered due to your worries about Namjoon and Jimin. However now, the intensity of this current moment is almost overwhelming, and you feel a swirling mix of emotions within you. Yoongi's proximity, his unwavering gaze, and the weight of his questions are all converging, pulling you into a realm of introspection and vulnerability.

Yoongi seems to sense your uncertainty, your inner struggle. He steps closer, his presence enveloping you. His gaze remains fixed on yours, his face just inches away from yours. The air between you is charged, heavy with unspoken words and unexplored emotions. "You can tell me," he urges softly, his voice a gentle whisper that brushes against your skin.

As you look into his eyes again, your heart races. The alcohol has lowered your inhibitions, and in this moment, everything feels so intense, so raw. You try to form words, but they fail you. Instead, you let your gaze speak for you, letting your emotions flow through the unspoken connection between you. Suddenly Namjoon and Jimin are blurring away to only afterimages in your current state of mind. All you see in great focus is Yoongi right now.

Without another word, Yoongi closes the distance between you, his lips meeting yours in a gentle, tentative kiss. The world around you fades away, and all that matters is the warmth of his touch, the taste of his lips, and the rush of emotions that swirls between you.

The kiss is a silent confession, a release of feelings that have been building up for far too long. When Yoongi finally pulls away, his forehead rests against yours, his breath slightly uneven.

"Y-Yoongi..," you whisper, a mix of surprise and wonder in your voice.

Yoongi chuckles softly, his thumb brushing against your cheek. "Sometimes, things don't need to be said. They just need to be felt."

As you stand there, locked in each other's gaze, you realize that this unexpected turn of events has brought you closer to Yoongi in ways you didn’t anticipate. It’s a new chapter, a chance to explore something deeper and more meaningful between you.

With a gentle smile, he leans in to kiss you again, and this time, there is no hesitation, no uncertainty—just the promise of a connection that has been there all along, waiting to be acknowledged.

And so, in the dimly colored bathroom of the Gamma Omega Tau house, amid the sounds of distant laughter and music, you and Yoongi quickly unite lips once again.

As the intensity between you and Yoongi grows, the bathroom seems to shrink around you, leaving only the two of you enveloped in a bubble of shared emotion. His lips press against yours with a newfound urgency, a hunger that mirrors the feelings you have both kept hidden for so long. The taste of him is intoxicating, a blend of sweetness and warmth that sends shivers down your spine.

His hands find their way to your waist, pulling you closer to him. The touch of his fingertips against your skin sends a wave of electricity through your body, igniting a fire deep within you. Your own hands instinctively move to his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath your palms.

The kiss deepens, a passionate dance of lips and tongues that leaves no room for doubts or reservations. Yoongi's fingers trail up your back, the sensation making your breath hitch. The world outside that bathroom seems distant, irrelevant, as your focus narrows down to the connection between your bodies and the raw emotion that flows between you.

A soft moan escapes your lips, a sound that seems to fuel the fire burning between you. Yoongi's lips leave yours, trailing a path of heated kisses down your jawline, his warm breath sending shivers across your skin. His hands move to your hips, pulling you against him, and you can feel his own desire pressing against your abdomen.

With a mix of urgency and tenderness, he captures your lips once more, pouring every unspoken word and hidden longing into the kiss. Your fingers thread through his hair, tugging lightly as his lips explore your neck, leaving a trail of fire in their wake. Your heartbeat pounds in your ears, each touch, each sensation sending ripples of pleasure through your body.

The soft fabric of your clothes seems like an obstacle now, an unnecessary barrier between your skin and his. Yoongi's fingers deftly work at the buttons of your tube top, his touch leaving a trail of fire along your exposed skin. Your breath hitches as his lips find the sensitive curve of your neck, his teeth grazing your skin gently, causing a shiver to course through you.

In a moment of boldness, your hands move to the hem of his shirt, pulling it up to reveal his bare chest. Your fingers trace the contours of his muscles, feeling the rise and fall of his breath beneath your touch. His lips find yours once again, a hungry, fervent kiss that speaks of the intensity of your emotions.

With a skillful touch, Yoongi lifts you up onto the bathroom counter, the cool surface sending a shock through your body. He stands between your legs, his hands moving to cup your face, thumbs brushing over your cheeks as he gazes into your eyes.

"I've wanted this for so long," he murmurs, his voice rough with desire.

You can only respond with a breathless nod before his lips crash against yours again. Not fully understanding the words that just left his mouth. The kiss deepens, a mixture of passion and tenderness that leaves you dizzy with sensation. His hands explore every curve of your body, memorizing the feel of your skin beneath his fingertips.

Your own hands aren't idle either, roaming his chest and back, reveling in the sensation of his skin against yours. The heat between you was undeniable, a magnetic pull that draws you closer with every passing second. And in that bathroom, amid the swirling emotions and the touch of your lips, you feel an unspoken promise taking root—a promise of something more, something real and beautiful.

The outside world fades into insignificance. The party, the noise, the worries about Namjoon and Jimin and everyone else—all of it melts away, leaving only the two of you and the intensity of this moment. As you hold onto each other, lost in the depths of your feelings, you know that this is a turning point that will permanently alter your friendship with Yoongi.

As the kisses between you and Yoongi continue, the electricity in the air grows stronger, pulling you both further into the depths of your shared desire. Every touch, every caress is a testament to the unspoken connection that has been building between you for so long. It’s as if the universe has finally aligned, allowing you to explore the feelings that have been simmering beneath the surface.

A soft, almost desperate, sound escapes Yoongi's lips as he reluctantly pulls away from the kiss, his forehead resting against yours as he tries to catch his breath. His eyes, dark and intense, lock onto yours, and you can see the raw emotions swirling within them.

"We should... we should get out of here," he murmurs, his voice rough with a mixture of longing and uncertainty.

You nod in agreement, feeling a rush of excitement and nerves course through you. This is a pivotal moment, a decision that could potentially change the course of your relationship. With a shared understanding, you both turn away from the party scene and make your way through the crowd towards the exit.

The cool night air hits you as you step outside, a welcome contrast to the heated intensity of the party. Yoongi's hand finds yours, his fingers intertwining with yours as you walk side by side down the dimly lit streets. The silence between you is charged with anticipation, every step bringing you closer to a new chapter in your story.

When you finally arrive back at the house, the atmosphere is different—quieter, more intimate. Namjoon didn’t come use the house like he said he would yesterday, you briefly recall. Maybe that’s a good thing. The GOT party is still in full swing, he is there with Jihyo, but you and Yoongi are in your own world here with no one to stop what is happening. The journey up the stairs to your shared house feels like a blur, your heart racing in anticipation of what is to come.

Once inside, you both head straight to your bedroom. The air is thick with tension, the unspoken yet silly question hangs in the air: Is this really happening? As you close the door locking it behind you, the outside world fades away, leaving only the two of you in the cocoon of your own space.

Yoongi turns to you, his gaze searching yours for reassurance. Without a word, you step closer, closing the distance between you. His hands find their way to your waist, pulling you gently against him. The touch of his body against yours sends a shiver of electricity through you, a reminder of the desire that has been building between you.

His lips find yours again, a kiss that holds all the pent-up longing and emotion that have been simmering beneath the surface. The taste of him, the feel of his lips moving against yours, is intoxicating. His hands roam your body with a reverence that sends waves of pleasure coursing through you.

With each kiss, each touch, the world around you fades away, leaving only the intensity of the moment. The bed is just a few steps away, an inviting sanctuary where you could explore the depths of your connection in private. Without breaking the kiss, you take his hand and lead him towards the bed, your heart pounding in anticipation.

As you stand at the edge of the bed, your eyes meet Yoongi's, a silent agreement passing between you. With a mixture of urgency and tenderness, you begin to undress each other, the air heavy with the weight of your shared desire. Yoongi's touch is gentle, his fingers tracing every curve of your body as he reveals the skin beneath your clothes.

Soon, you are both standing before each other, bare and vulnerable, yet completely unburdened by the weight of your emotions. You shyly stare down at Yoongi’s dick, admiring its pink, veiny appearance. It looks very girthy, potentially filling to the core. You're embarrassed to admit you might have imagined Yoongi naked before. When you were a middle schooler curiously imagining bodily differences between you and your male friends. But now seeing his beautiful body before you brings some excitement to your soft skin, some heat rushing through your core and nearly down your thighs, onto the floor. Your mouth suddenly dries and you feel self-conscious that your expression may be as plain and eager as it might be. He clears his throat, but that makes him more embarrassed. You bite your bottom lip, unsure of what to do.

He takes your hand and leads you to the bed. Yoongi's lips find yours once more, a kiss that speaks of promises and possibilities. With a gentle push, he guides you onto the bed, his body following yours as the kiss deepens.

The softness of the sheets beneath you, the heat of Yoongi's body against yours—it is a sensory overload, a symphony of sensations that leaves you breathless. You feel the cold sweat of his skin on yours as your bodies press together. His lips are against your jaw and your hands are exploring his body as much as you can with your legs around his hips. He climbs down to your mound and opens his mouth letting his warm, wet tongue lap over your clit. One of Yoongi's hands finds purchase on your hip to help you move with him while the long fingers of his other hand tease your enterance before pushing inside. His hot breath on your clit and his fingers inside you makes you want to beg for more. But the sensation is so intense it has rendered you speechless, the only noise to leave your mouth is a choked, muffled groan that only urges him further.

His tongue on you feels too good and you can only let him explore. You are enjoying the sensation and the way his fingers play your body like an instrument. You let out a loud gasp when you cum, your whole body arching towards him as pleasure washed over you, your thighs tightening around to his back. You feel your insides clench and throb as your orgasm washed over you in waves.

Yoongi smirks at you for a second as he lifts his head, removing his fingers from inside you. He climbs up your body until he reaches your lips. Your hand wraps around the back of his neck and you kiss him with fervor. You taste yourself in his mouth and it makes you hungry for more. You feel the pressure in your abdomen again, desperate for more. His body is hard, but not to the point of being uncomfortable. It’s a gentle pressure, a delicious tension that makes you want more. 

"Y-Yoongi... I need more.." You whimper against his mouth, your tongue running over his bottom lip before you pull away and look into his eyes. "Please, I need more..."

"I've got you, angel." He whispers reassuringly before he moves away briefly to retrieve the condom he keeps handy in his wallet in case he ever needs it. The new nickname catches you off guard as he usually tends to call you Sunshine unless you’re having a serious conversation, like earlier. However you kind of like this name.

He opens the package with his teeth and rolls the rubber on himself. You whimper when you feel the head of his cock press against you. He slowly pushes inside, but it’s enough to make your head spin. His length fills you perfectly and you can feel yourself pulsate around him. He makes his way slowly inside you, pushing deeper until he is completely inside you. He then rests his forehead against yours. You look into each other's eyes and the intensity of his gaze is almost enough to make you cum right then and there.

"You're doing so well for me," He speaks softly, his voice hoarse with arousal. His praises pull a moan from your lips you can't supress.

He slowly pulls out then pushes back in watching as his cock disapears inside you. He pulls out again and does the same thing. His thrusts become faster with each time he pushes back inside. As your moans become louder, his thrusts become more eager. He adjusts himself until he finds a position that has his cock hitting your g-spot with each thrust, your legs lifting over his hips and your hands roaming his body to keep yourself grounded.

Yoongi's leaves small kisses along your neck and down to your breasts as he continues to fuck you. He acts carefully with each action he takes, and makes a point to watch your reaction for the slightest sign of discomfort. He never stops praising you, whispering how good you were for him and how much he loves having you like this, taking all of him. His sultry low voice is making you even more sensitive and it’s a bit overwhelming, but it somehow helps make your depressing thoughts from earlier at the party disappear. With him, you felt safe and cared for.

His hands come to cup your breast and you cry out as your body arches towards him. He keeps one hand cupping your breast and takes your nipple between his fingers and gently pinches it, eliciting a softer whimper from you. 

You pull Yoongi against you closing the gap between your bodies, your fingers grip his hair tightly as you cry out, your insides clenching around him. Your back arches off the bed as your orgasm washed over you once again. He fucks you through your orgasm, and when your legs relaxed over his hips, he keeps pushing inside you. The sensation makes you want to cry from overstimulation, but at the same time you beg for more. His cock inside you feels too good, the pleasure is too much. You don't know what to do with your body or if you should be doing something at all. Your hands find their way up his forearms and hold on to them tightly.

"Do it," You whisper intimately. "Cum for me, Yoongi..."

Your words are added motivation for him to do just that. As he moves, his thrusts pushing deeper inside you, a cascade of sensations courses through both your bodies. Your back arches instinctively, a testament to the overwhelming pleasure that envelops you. He responds by lowering himself, his forehead meeting yours in an exquisite intimacy that intensifies the connection between you two.

Amidst the whirlwind of ecstasy, a thought flits through your consciousness—a moment of profound gratitude for the intoxicating sound of Yoongi's moans. It's a melody you never envisioned hearing, a symphony of vulnerability and shared pleasure that resonates deep within you. This unexpected harmony adds a new layer to your connection, stoking the flames of desire and amazement that consume every inch of your being. It leaves you feeling content and relaxed.

Yoongi's body shudders against yours, his moans gradually subsiding into contented sighs. With a gentle sigh of satisfaction, he slides his cock out and shifts on the bed, rolling over to lay beside you. Your chests rise and fall in tandem, the rhythm of your breaths slowly synchronizing as you find yourselves tangled in the aftermath of passion.

You both move again, laying side by side. Both of you catch your breath, the world around you receding into a hazy background as your gazes lock. Eyes that have seen each other's vulnerabilities, laughter, and shared moments now reflect a new layer of intimacy that words could never capture. 

The lingering cocoons you both in a silence that speaks volumes. It's Yoongi who takes the initiative to pierce through the quiet, his voice carrying a breathless quality that mirrors the aftermath of your passion.

"How are you feeling now?" His words hang in the air, delicate yet heavy with unspoken meaning. His eyes hold a mixture of curiosity and concern, a testament to his attentiveness even in the midst of his own unraveling.

A playful smile tugs at your lips, your voice laced with a hint of mischievousness as you respond to his inquiry. "Never better," you answer, your words bathed in the soft notes of a giggle that dances between you.

His laughter echoes yours, a harmonious symphony of shared joy that envelops the space between you. It's a sound that transcends the physical, a connection that binds you beyond the realm of touch. In his laughter, you sense a quiet affirmation—a declaration that the bond you've nurtured extends beyond the passionate moments, into the realm of comfort, friendship, and a connection that defies categorization.

As the night wears on and the intensity of your connection slowly ebbs away, you find yourselves wrapped in each other's arms, your bodies intertwined in a tender embrace. Yoongi's touch is reassuring, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on your skin as you lay together in the quiet darkness.

"I want you to know," Yoongi's voice was soft, his breath tickling your ear, "that no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you. You mean a lot to me, and I don't want you to ever doubt that."

His words warm your heart, a balm to the insecurities that have been lingering in the back of your mind. In his arms, you felt safe, cherished, and valued—emotions that have been elusive for so long.

"I feel the same way," you admit, your voice barely above a whisper. "You've always been there for me, Yoongi, and I'm grateful for that."

The quiet moment between you is filled with unspoken understanding. It is a pact, a promise to stand by each other's side no matter what challenges lay ahead. In this moment, the weight of your fears seemed to be lifted, replaced by a sense of comfort and reassurance.

But the hours drift by, and as the night grows deeper and the two of you grow more sober, the lingering consequences of your actions begin to cast a shadow over your thoughts. The warmth of Yoongi's embrace can't dispel the nagging worry that what you’ve done could have far-reaching ramifications.

It was the alcohol that further fueled your doubts, the liquid courage dulling your ability to rationalize. In the haze of your tipsy stupor, you begin to wonder if the intensity of the night is a result of the moment, the shared emotions, or simply the effect of alcohol clouding your judgment.

Despite Yoongi's assurances, the fear of what could come next gnaws at you. What if this changes everything? What if it ruins the friendship that has been the foundation of your relationship? The questions spiral in your mind, a whirlwind of doubt and uncertainty that refuses to be silenced.

In an attempt to push those thoughts away, you cuddle closer into Yoongi's chest. It is a fleeting distraction, a way to drown out the voices of doubt that echoed in the back of your mind. The feeling of Yoongi’s warmth becomes a welcome distraction from the complex emotions that threaten to overwhelm you.

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A/N: HELLO! Did you like the first chapter?! would it be crazy if i told you I had been planning this fic since 2021 but never got the chance to really delve into it until right now?? Well that's exactly what happened. I'd love to hear your feedback on this fic! pls reblog and like if you enjoyed! I am currently working on chapter 2 and bits of chapter 3, so I hope to get it done by early/mid-September, so please look forward to it!