#Tina's Writer Inktober

[angstmongertina]

31. Final (Inktober 2017)

And here’s the last one! Thanks everyone for joining in on this little adventure of mine and/or just sticking around for it while you suffer through a bunch of writing you don’t give a shit about (and this includes people in the tags getting spammed by my writing).

I don’t intend to stop writing these guys any time soon, though updates will almost certainly come slower as I spend more time on the ideas that I have, as well as revisit older fandoms. Said fics may also turn out to be longer one-shots or maybe even multichaptered (though probably not because I have a bad track record with those) so hopefully that’ll balance out the wait. :P

To finish off, some Halloween future!fic, involving Jihyun and Eunbyeol’s children. :D (Disclaimer: I found the names on a baby-naming site. Hopefully they aren't ridiculous... :P)

AO3 Link || Masterpost

“Eomma!”

Eunbyeol looks up at the cry, watches as Chanseong hurries over, beaming, with Chanmi toddling behind him on unsteady legs.

“Trick-or-treat!” he announces, carefully enunciating the words the way his Aunt Carina taught him.

She laughs, squatting as Chanseong watches her with one expectant eye, the other covered by a small cloth patch. “Have you already had a lot of candy?”

“Noooo.” He offers her a chocolate-smeared grin, as if to contradict his own words, and she laughs again, rolling her eyes.

“You little scamp. Your mouth is covered in chocolate.”

His mouth closes comically quickly, just as Chanmi moves closer with the flutter of cloth wings, the small antennae headband perched on her hair slipping back precariously. “Eomma! Trick trea’.”

“Good job!” She fixes the wayward accessory with several bobby pins, then runs her hand through her daughter’s hair. “Did Auntie Carina teach you that?”

Chanmi nods so vigorously that the small yellow puffballs bob in the air, nearly hitting her in the face. “Candy!”

“Okay, okay, little bumblebee.” She gets back to her feet and pulls out two small bars of chocolate, though she pauses, holding them just out of reach of the outstretched hands. “These are your final pieces for today, understood? Too much candy isn’t good for you.”

Chanseong has the good graces to look rather chastened and she has to fight a smile as he takes his piece with utmost care. “Thank you.”

She smiles, brushing his bangs out of his face and ignoring the face he makes at the gesture. “Go on, then. And don’t forget to wipe your mouth when you’re finished!”

A quiet chuckle sounds by her ear as the two scamper off, hand in hand and bearing identical grins. “They’re an unlikely pair, aren’t they? A pirate and a bee?”

Eunbyeol turns, grinning, to face her husband, finally clad in the black suit and cape she had set aside hours earlier, though she notes with some amusement that he clearly chose not to wear the accompanying wig.

“Jihyun. I was wondering where you were.”

She sighs as he wraps an arm around her waist and leans into his embrace, paying no mind to the way her hat tilts to one side, threatening to fall off entirely.

“Fixing my teeth.”

She mock scowls at him. “What’s wrong with the fangs? And where's your wig? Vampires don’t usually have turquoise hair, you know.”

“Have you tried them yourself? I can barely talk in those teeth. And I don’t think pirates and bumblebees have blue hair either.”

“Yes, well, technicalities.”

He laughs, tapping gently at the brim of her witch’s hat. “We can’t all have costumes as nice as yours. Besides, the vampire was your idea, not mine.”

“You helped me make mine and theirs,” she points out. “And if I left you to your own devices, you’d have just gone as yourself or something.”

“How well you know me, my dear. Guilty as charged.” He grins, face lighting up with affection that will never fail to make her heart squeeze in her chest. “Well, if I’m in costume, I might as well ask if you have a trick or a treat for me.”

She makes a show of searching through her pockets, coming back up empty handed. “I’m afraid I’m all out of treats. Those rascals must have taken the last ones.”

“I was hoping for something sweeter than that.”

“Oh?” She tilts her head back, quirking a playful eyebrow up at him. “What could you have in mind, I wonder. Could it be… my blood, perhaps, Count Dracula?”

“Nothing quite so… coarse, my dear,” he replies, his voice low. In spite of herself, she shivers at the heat in his tone, at the way teal eyes seem to caress her body with their gaze, at once seductive and adoring. “Perhaps… a kiss?”

Before she can even move, he shifts closer, his arm around her waist tightening, only to be blocked by the brim of her hat. She can’t resist the urge to snort as he pulls away with a very real scowl, muttering something about costumes and Halloween and stupid hats, and nearly throws said hat aside.

She almost, almost, wants to tease him about it, wants to remind him that their friends and family are in the other room, but then his lips are on hers, and she finds that she doesn’t care at all.

[imogengotdrunk]

rec some good dbh blogs!!!!!!

I don’t think I follow any *strictly* DBH blogs - only ones who post a lot about it! But I have some great recs in that regard.

-

@lusciouswhiteflame  - they create a lot of gorgeous reed900 art, and have a really cool and unique style.

@leetmorry - a lovely person and a very talented artist. I’ve been following their inktober drawings recently, and they’re absolutely beautiful!

@bri-notthecheese - again, one of the nicest people I’ve ever met online, they’re genuinely funny and kind, and their blog is A++.

@gameseverywhere - they reblog loads of great DBH stuff, and are also a genuine, lovely person, we’ve exchanged a few fun headcanons since I came onto tumblr.

@sarcasticasides - known as errantwheat on AO3. They’ve made some hilarious and adorable reed900 comics (featuring Tina Chen), and written some of my favourite DBH fics.

@thatfunkylesbianwriter - an incredible writer, known as Hey_There_Cowboy on AO3. Their recently-completed reed900 fic Electrifying has definitely become one of my all-time favourites.

@solomon-volfovich - again, a really talented artist who has drawn some amazing reed900 stuff (along with some DBH stuff in general).

@highandroid - one of the first blogs I started following, they post and reblog amazing DBH stuff every day.

[ravens-and-writings]

A Witch’s Familiar

Fantastic Beasts Inktober/Drabbletober Prompt Fill #31: Writer’s Pick.

Have a modernday AU featuring Auror Tina on Halloween duty. This far too long “drabble” also doubles as a fill for the last Promptober Prompt by @fantasticprompts.

And with this one I complete my Drabbletober writings. I hope you enjoyed it!

Halloween. For most of the No-Majs and Wizardkind it was the most fantastical time of the year: dressing up in extravagant or shocking costumes, walking up to stranger's houses and begging for candy, playing tricks and spooking each other for fun...

For Aurors it was unarguably the worst holiday of the year. Numerous wizards and witches trying to get away with a bit of magic in the open, poorly disguising it as mere magic tricks and slights of hand. People under the influence having their "fake" wands stolen by equally drunk No-Maj teens. And then some individuals thought to make a quick Dragot by selling potions and artifacts to No-Majs... conceived fakes that were anything but and often caused serious harm or damage. The number of illicit activities always spiked towards the end of October, and found its peak on Halloween night.

This year it was Tina and a small group of Aurors who patrolled the streets of Manhattan. MACUSA knew their usual culprits and had eyes on them, but feet on the ground were necessary, too. They knew what to look out for to stop any newcomers from spreading magical items among the No-Majs this night. So far, it had been pretty quiet, though.

"Alright, let's make a turn right over there and head back east again," Tina proposed. It would bring them right by Central Park, a hot-spot for illicit trade on Halloween.

The group was suitably dressed up to blend in with the unsuspecting No-Majs. There was the pirate, Johnson, complete with eyepatch to hide his actual missing eye. Diez had gone with a clown costume, though not the bright and colourful kind children were so fond of, while Higgins had turned into the token vampire for the night. Tina herself had made the most obvious costume choice there was. To the amusement of her colleagues she had donned dark robes and a pointy hat to dress up as a witch.

"I still don't know what's up with your cat, Goldstein," Higgins commented as they made their way across the street. "Something doesn't feel right about it."

Tina rolled her eyes and righted her pointy hat. This witch came with an actual familiar following on her heels tonight. "You say that about every animal."

Not long after their patrol had started, they had been joined by a red tabby cat. Much to her chagrin, she had instantly recognized the animal as an Animagus. And a certain, familiar Animagus, at that. Newton Artemis Fido Scamander, Magizoologist and overly curious boyfriend. He had wanted to see her on the job for a while now... and apparently thought tonight was a good time for it.

"Yeah, something's not right with that cat. It hissed and scratches at me when I tried to pet it earlier," Diez complained. "And cats usually love me."

"It's a he," Tina corrected them. "And yes, he's a very unusual fellow." She looked down to see Newt trotting right beside her on the sidewalk, as he had been for the past hour. "Overly stubborn, too. You must be bored out of your mind by now." The cat meowed up at her but stuck close.

"You got a very loyal companion there," Johnson added. She could tell from the tone of his voice that the older Auror knew exactly what the cat was.

She chuckled. "I know."

"Wait, that's your pet?" Diez exclaimed. He was the youngest of their group, barely out of training and still lacking a little in the observation department, it seemed.

"Something like that, yes."

Her wristband vibrated softly as a new message from headquarters came in. "We got a new address," she announced. " A 401." Spike of magical activity in a No-Maj residence.

The group nodded and ducked into the nearest alley, waiting for the leading witch to pick up her familiar before disapparating. "Okay. Let's go, people."

The address belonged to an old brownstone, not unsimilar to her own home. This one stood in a better part of Manhattan though, and was fixed up lavishly with spooky Halloween decorations. Thick spiderwebs, moving skeletons that looked eerily realistic, a few Jack O' Lanterns on the stairs...

"Keep your wands out," Tina said as she put her hand on the doorknob. "We don't know what we're dealing with."

A voice from the back spoke up. "Probably just a bunch of kids having fun on Halloween. How bad can it be?"

Just then a shrieking sound could be heard from inside, followed by a number of panicked screams.

Tina turned back to Diez and glared at him. "Yeah, just how bad can it be?"

The front door clicked open before her, revealing an equally enthusiastically decorated inside of the house. These No-Majs really went all out for Halloween, it seemed.

"Newt, no!"

The moment the door was open, the tabby cat bolted forward, off into the hallway and vanishing through the next open door, deeper into the house. Tina only barely supressed her impulse to run in after him. He was a capable wizard, she told herself. He'd been all over the world, wrangling down beasts off all kinds... he'd be able to look after himself. And Newt probably knew a great deal more about what lay ahead than they did, thanks to his cat senses.

"Goldstein. We going in or what?"

She nodded at Higgins and slowly proceeded into the house, wand raised and ready to stun whatever was waiting for them here. The smell of something burning became stronger, the further she got in. The hallway was empty of No-Majs or any threats, though, as was the kitchen beyond.

"Livingroom," Johnson mouthed, pointing to the swing door in front of her. The smokey smell seemed to come from behind there.

She nodded. "Diez, front door. Make sure, no one leaves behind our backs." She watched the young Auror retreat before pushing through the door... and stopped in her tracks not two steps into the room.

Tina Goldstein had expected some form of havoc and mayhem waiting for her in the livingroom and she was not disappointed: furniture overthrown and smashed, parts of it on fire. Just like some of the spooky decorations were. She had, however, not expected to see her boyfriend right in the midst of it. Newt Scamander was kneeling by the stylish fireplace and cooed at a medium-sized baby dragon that mustered him curiously.

"Calm down now," she heard him say. "Everything's going to be alright. You're going to be alright." The dragon sniffed at his outstretched hand for a moment before erupting into a violent sneeze, spewing little sparks everywhere.

Tina finally reacted then, checking for further creatures and locating the No-Majs that had to be here somewhere. She found them huddled together by the second doorway, staring at the scene in disbelief. As were her colleagues, much to her dismay.

"Right. Higgins, put the fires out. Johnson, look after the people there."

The watched them scramble before carefully approaching Newt and the beast. "Care to explain, mister?"

He glanced at her for a short moment, not letting the baby dragon out of his sight for long. By now it had calmed down again and even became agreeable to some petting. Curious little creature.

"You know that I've been tracking a group of traffickers for a while now," he said. "Stolen dragon eggs, from reserves and wild nests alike. They never showed up on the markets, though."

Tina nodded. "Yeah, I remember. "

"Well, meet one of the eggs." He gestured at the beast before him, and the pile of crimson eggshells near the fire.

She stared at him. "How did you-?"

"I overheard some No-Majs talking on the subway this morning, saying someone was selling really realistic looking dragon eggs on this internet thing the Muggles have. This is a Chinese Fireball and their eggs are really a sight to behold." He grimaced. "Of course, extravagant people like this would want one for their Halloween decorations."

"Mercy Lewis... why would anyone want that?"

Newt shook his head. "Apparently they're all the rage now. Something about a television show from what I heard."

Tina shook her head. "Poor beast. That must have been a shock, hatching in here." She watched the scarlet hatchling clumsily taking a few steps towards them. "Please take care of him until the Beast Division arrives, okay?"

Newt nodded and settled down, rummaging through his coat pockets. "Come here, you. You must be hungry, huh?"

She turned back to find Higgins idling about now that the fires were out, curiously watching the scene again. "Higgins, we got a trafficking situation going on here. Go back to headquarters and fill them in. And call in the Beast Division with their Dragonologists."

"Yeah, okay. I'm on it." The Auror in his vampire get-up stared for a few moments longer before finally disapparating... hopefully back to MACUSA.

"Who are you?" the older No-Maj suddenly called out from the back, eyes wide and still slightly shocked by the turn of events. "And what is that thing? And that guy? He was a cat and then-" He gestured wildly. "Just... who are you people?"

"Don't worry, sir," Tina calmed him, quickly slipping off the pointy hat for a more professional look. "We're police. That thing is a Dragon, just hatched from the egg you bought online. Care to tell us a bit more about that?"

That seemed to do something to the man, suddenly turning defensive at the realisation of strangers and the police in his home. "I'm not gonna answer any questions until I see a badge first!"

Tina rolled her eyes and produced one, thankful that MACUSA's Auror badges were charmed to appear as ordinary NYPD ones to any No-Maj eyes. "Now, the egg. Who sold it to you?"

By the end of the night, there had been 10 more incidents of freshly hatched dragons in Muggle homes all across the country. And one successful major arrest of a trafficking ring. The group operating from a dusty old warehouse in Brooklyn had not been quick enough in vacating the premises, though not for lack of trying.

Tina fell into her desk chair in the small hours of the morning, groaning in delight of being off her feet for the first time in hours.

Newt grinned at the sight, offering her a well-deserved cup of coffee. "You did well tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if your next promotion came up a little faster after this."

She shook her head. "No, we did well tonight. Though I don't appreciate you keeping things like that from me. You said you'd be out with Jacob."

He shrugged. "It was just a hunch I had... there was no way of knowing if they'd even hatch tonight. Not all of the buyers put their eggs by the fire, after all. And I wouldn't have been allowed to tag along on an official Auror investigation."

She shot him a glare ove the rim of her mug. "You wouldn't have been allowed to tag along on any Auror business, actually. You're lucky you're a cute little tabby or Higgins might have kicked you to get rid of you."

She heard a pile of paper dropping to the floor behind her. "Wait, you're-?" Tina turned around to find Diez standing a few paces behind them.

"-the cat that tagged along earlier?" Newt chuckled. "Yes. I'm an Animagus."

The young Auror stared at them. "Oh no. I'm so sorry!"

"Where do you think he dropped by from so suddenly?" Tina couldn't help but ask after Newt accepted the apology.

The man shrugged and hastily raked the papers together before dropping them onto Tina's desk. "I dunno. Came in with the Beast Division perhaps?" He quickly glanced at Newt again before hurrying off again into the maze of cubicles, muttering to himself. "Mercy Lewis, I tried to pet Newt Scamander today!"

"Tried being the key word there," Newt grinned after he had left. He leaned close and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, as he so often did to show his affection in public. "There's only one Auror who gets to pet me, cat or otherwise."

Tina smiled up at him. "I love you, too."

[angstmongertina]

29. Invitation (Inktober 2017)

Happy Halloween? (Well, the timing's one good thing that came out of my delay in finishing this one lol.)

Because no Inktober is complete without at least one Halloween themed ficlet.

I was going to have them try and decide costumes, but apparently they were more interested in being disgusting so... Here we are lol.

Minjeong is my Jaehee romancer. In my head, if she isn't the MC and doesn't open a coffee shop together with Jaehee, she ends up opening one on her own, which Jaehee visits, and they literally become a coffee shop AU. Because Baehee.

AO3 Link || Masterpost

“Hey, Jihyun?”

For a moment, he doesn’t answer, but she can’t say she’s too surprised, considering he’s staring out into the distance with the expression that she knows means he’s thinking about some new art project. Instead, she only laughs quietly to herself, slipping her hand into his as she waits for her words to filter into his consciousness.

After another few seconds, he turns to her, a sheepish smile on his face. “Sorry, did you say something?”

She shakes her head. “Nothing of importance. I just wanted to ask you something.”

“Of course.”

“How do you feel about hosting a Halloween party?”

He blinks. “A what?”

“A Halloween party. I was talking to Carina the other day and it sounded like a lot of fun. Dramatic costumes and fun decorations and themed food. Nothing big, just for the RFA and maybe a plus one.”

She receives a semi-suspicious look. “Why do I get the feeling you’re trying to play matchmaker?”

“Who, me? I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The reply rolls off her tongue, glib and as innocent as she can make it, but even so, he laughs.

“Don’t even try to deny it, my dear. What are you thinking?”

She concedes, though to be quite honest, she’s not sure if it’s because of the way he’s seen entirely through her admittedly flimsy plan, or due to the softening of his voice when he calls her that, as though she’s something wondrous, something irreplaceable.

Instead, she clears her throat. “I thought I saw Jaehee lingering around that new coffee shop by the C&R building recently.”

“Considering how much she works for Jumin, it’s no surprise that she likes coffee.”

“I’m not sure it’s just the coffee she likes.” When Jihyun gives her a skeptical look, she only laughs, squeezing his hand tighter. “I was studying there just a few days ago when I saw her talking to the owner. I’m pretty sure Jaehee’s focus wasn’t exactly on the latte that was going cold in front of her.”

“I take it you approve?”

Her grin widens. “Yup. Minjeong Park seems like a lovely woman and genuinely enjoys hearing from Jaehee, it seems like. So I mentioned the possibility of hosting a small party and got her address.”

As she brandishes an envelope, Jihyun raises an eyebrow at her. “You already have invitations written?”

“Of course!”

“And if I said no?”

She shrugs. “I figured I could convince you otherwise if I had to.”

At that, she earns a quiet chuckle, even as he tugs her forward, into his arms. “So you think you have me all figured out then?”

“Something like that.”

“Oh?” He leans in closer, so that she can’t help but close her eyes, her breath catching in anticipation. A heartbeat passes, and then he chuckles, low and teasing, before tapping her lightly on the nose. “Not quite, then.”

When she pouts, he only laughs louder. “Only trying to prove a point, love.”

“Very well. You’re extremely unpredictable,” she recites, doing her best to keep her voice flat and bored, but given the look of genuine affection on his face, she’s not convincing him of her insincerity anymore than she expected she would.

“That’s more like it,” he says, his voice husky, and she only has time to put the envelope down, out of harm’s way, before his lips are on hers, warm and passionate, and any thoughts of the party are wiped from her thoughts.

[angstmongertina]

24. Breakable (Inktober 2017)

Everyone hold on tight, ‘cause here we go.

Basically, as much as I love Another Story, there’s one big loose end that doesn’t seem like it’s going to get tied up, and that’s what Seven knows about Saeran (or rather, what he doesn’t know).

Which of course begs the question of whether or not Jihyun ever tells him about what happened to his brother. I like to think he does, because I like to think that Jihyun learns to stop keeping secrets and wants to start his new life with an unburdened conscience. Because let’s be real, Saeran’s fate (even if Jihyun doesn’t know ALL of it like Rika does) is a pretty huge burden.

So I attempted to figure out how that conversation would go. Keyword is “attempted” because everyone will surely have a different idea of how they’d react and the final outcome, but here are some of my thoughts.

Obligatory disclaimer that I’ve never written Seven before, etc. etc.

Major spoilers for V’s route.

AO3 Link || Masterpost

V looked up. The knock on his door sounded strangely foreboding, or maybe that was simply because he knew who it must be.

“Come in.”

As he expected, a second later, scruffy red hair poked into the room. “V? It’s me. Jumin said you wanted to see me?”

He sighed, even as he gestured for Luciel to sit beside him. “Yes. First, I wanted to thank you again. For everything.” Before Luciel could open his mouth, he shook his head. “You know I couldn’t have done any of this without you. I don’t know what would have happened to me, to any of the RFA, if Rika…”

“I know. And you know I would have done everything I could to protect this.” Luciel’s face was solemn, every inch of the serious young man he had first met, so many years ago now, desperate to do anything to help his brother escape their abusive past.

It nearly broke his heart.

He forced a smile, wondering if it looked as fake as it felt. “I do know. And words cannot express how much I’ve appreciated your trust… even when I don’t deserve it.”

“V?” Luciel sounded unusually worried, and he looked down to find his fingers clutching at the sheets so hard they strained, threatening to rip.

Loosening each finger took more concentration than he cared to admit, after which he drew a deep breath. Perhaps it was a coward’s move to close his eyes as well, but then again, his previous actions had already confirmed that.

“I lied, Luciel. I’m sorry.”

A long silence reigned, during which time he opened his eyes but couldn’t quite bring himself to look up from his blanket-covered lap. Even so, he could feel golden eyes, nearly burning, fixed on him with such intensity that he wondered whether he’d turn to ash before too long.

“When?”

In spite of himself, he flinched. There was no curiosity to the question, no emotion. Nothing but ice-cold certainty, as though Luciel already knew the answer and only wanted to hear him confirm it.

It was all too tempting to take the words back, to keep his own council and keep the burden of responsibility on himself and himself alone. And only a few short days earlier, he might have. Only a few days ago, he did, lying to him with shaking hands and a conscience sick with grief and self-loathing and a thousand other emotions. Except…

Except he had also learned that life almost never worked out the way he wanted it to. That someday, the truth would get out, and to let it fester, untreated, would only make it so much worse. For both himself and for Luciel. Especially for Luciel.

Hiding the truth wouldn’t protect him anymore.

V drew a deep breath, willing his voice to remain steady. “The hacker.”

This time, he couldn’t look away, could only watch as Luciel’s brow crinkled, as his quick mind drew the relevant connections between his confession and Rika and the hacker who seemed to share his style, who seemed to practically read his mind, making the leaps from his words to their inevitable conclusion. Could only watch as the lifelessness faded, replaced by fury.

“What happened?” When he didn’t answer, Luciel stood, moving closer to tower over him. “What happened to my brother?”

He looked back down at his hands, this time in helplessness. “I don’t know,” he said, very softly.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” V had never been so thankful that the room’s door was closed and that the walls appeared to have some amount of soundproofing; he half-expected nurses to rush in at the volume of the shout, but thankfully, they remained alone, a small blessing in the chaos. “You promised me he would be kept safe and happy! That if I went with you, he would be able to live a normal life! And he ended up like that? And you lied to me about it?”

For a moment, Luciel reached out as though to grab him, but stopped himself at the last minute, hand instead clenching into a fist at his side. “You’re lucky you’re already in a hospital bed,” he spat. “What, you’re not going to say anything?”

V drew a shaking breath, closing his eyes again, briefly. “I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can say that will make up for not telling you the truth earlier.”

“You’re right.” The cold, controlled rage as Luciel sat back down, visibly drawing his emotions back under his control, was all the worse, was a testament to just how much he had done to irrevocably change his life. “But you can at least start by answering my questions, I assume?”

The razor-sharp smile he received when he nodded cut deeper than any physical wound, but Luciel only leaned forward, eyes blazing. “How much did you know?”

He pressed his fingers against his closed lids, wondering whether the sudden cloudiness of his vision was a lingering effect of his surgery. “After you… left, Rika and I went to visit the house, and… persuaded your mother to let him attend church school. For a while, we kept an eye on him there, but Rika always paid special attention to him. And then, one day, she came to me and told me she had found a way to get him to a safe place, that she had taken some pictures for you and that she would keep an eye on him from then on out, but that we didn’t have to worry about his wellbeing anymore.”

“Rika…”

“Yes. I trusted her. I shouldn’t have, but then, I trusted her.” His voice sounded muffled, even to his own ears, but still he pushed on. “Back then, she was already starting to gather people to form Mint Eye. I don’t know how long he’s been with them, but it must be years already. The elixir… You saw its effects. He wouldn’t have taken kindly to any intervention.”

“You don’t know that!”

“Luciel…” Without thinking, he reached out, putting a hand on Luciel’s, but it was jerked away from his touch.

“Don’t. We could have saved him, gotten him out somehow. He’s my brother and we left him to die.” His voice cracked on the last word, and V’s heart broke as he buried his head into his hands, shoulders shaking.

“Luciel.” He waited until golden eyes turned back to him, though he hesitated before pushing on. “I’m sure there was a contingency plan in case they were discovered. Rika may have somewhat lost her sense of what is right, but she wouldn’t have sacrificed all of those people she was trying to help. There’s a chance that he—”

“He was my twin. I know. He’s gone.” The reply was so certain, so beyond hope that V said nothing, could only lower his head, blinking back his own tears as Luciel stared out into the distance, face void of any emotion. “I… guess I have nothing left now, no purpose.” A dry laugh sounded in the air, flat and unnatural. “It’s just like what’s expected of people like me, now.”

The flatness of Luciel’s voice hurt more than any amount of anger could have. The anger he deserved, but the sudden listless detachedness, especially in Luciel, who hid his own insecurities from the rest of the RFA under a mask of foolish joviality, was so much more dangerous.

He drew a careful breath, shifting closer but knowing better than to do any more. “That’s not true, Luciel.”

“Who else is there, then?” The eyes that met his were not angry or lifeless, as he expected, but lost, and so achingly like the young teenager he had seen, praying at church, years ago, that he couldn’t help but reach out, breathing a sigh of relief when Luciel froze and ignoring the way the shoulder stiffened under his touch.

“The rest of the RFA—”

“They know 707. They don’t know me.” The words were not harsh, not condemning, but even so, he shook his head.

“You never gave them a chance to. You know them everything about them, don’t you? So what do you think? Or do you think so little of them that you think they would abandon you? That I…” He trailed off, biting back the rest of his statement, but even so, the golden eyes that met his were cautious.

“Do you really think…?”

“The RFA is my family,” he said, very quietly. “And…” He hesitated again before squeezing the thin shoulder. “That includes you. So trust them. Trust me.”

There was a long pause before he nodded. “I’ll try.” For a second, something seemed to glint on Luciel’s cheek, but it was gone the next, and he couldn’t tell whether it was a trick of the light. “But… thank you. For telling me. And for the apology and for gathering everyone in the RFA. I… really appreciate it.”

He smiled, the first genuine one in some time. “Of course, Luciel. And thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

To his relief, he received a shaky one in return. “I couldn’t do anything else, I suppose. Not for my family.”

A/N: So, this may not be the end of everything, but even so, admittedly, Seven's reaction might be a bit unrealistic. I do like to think that since he has an established trust and relationship with V, it's easier for V to get to him than a random MC (yes, even with the power of MC savior magic). Of course, this makes his perceived betrayal of Saeran all the worse, so I'll simply leave it up to personal headcanons.

Also, I would like everyone in the RFA to be happy, and this is what gets me closest without needing another MC and 11 days so... :P

[angstmongertina]

28. Power (Inktober 2017)

Oh man, we’re really coming in towards the end here!

I blame struggling with finding a direction to take this in that I was interested in, as well as brainstorming Eunbyeol and Jihyun’s children for the delay in writing this. (Now, they just need names. I hate naming characters lol.)

Anyway, have some cute fluff. :P

AO3 Link || Masterpost

Lightning streaks across the dark sky, lighting up the living room. In spite of herself, Eunbyeol shivers from her position on the couch, though it doesn’t stop her from staring out at the storm raging outside, beautiful in its violent splendor.

As if on cue, Jihyun drops down beside her, carrying two mugs with a blanket thrown over his arm. She reaches out immediately, ignoring his laugh as she inhales the comforting scent of jasmine, and leaves him to juggle both the remaining cup and the throw.

After another moment of watching him struggle, she relents, taking his cup with a small grin. He only rolls his eyes, though the hands that tuck the blanket around her shoulders are tender, as is the kiss he presses to her temple. “Enjoying the storm?”

She smiles. “It’s exciting.”

“That it is. And made nicer by the fact that we’re warm and comfortable.”

At that, she hums in agreement, leaning back against his side as he drapes his arm over her shoulder. “How was your morning?”

She feels him shrug. “Uneventful, for the most part. I’m glad I got the groceries done before the storm really hit. I wouldn’t want to brave this weather for anything.”

As if to emphasize his words, another flash of lightning shoots across the sky, so bright that she blinks then jumps as thunder crashes over them almost instantaneously, nearly sloshing tea all over the couch. Jihyun isn’t quite so lucky; she must have bumped his arm when she jerked, and she turns to find him looking down with dismay at the splash on his lap.

“I’m sorry!”

He looks up with a quiet chuckle. “It’s all right. I suppose I’ll just have to change, then.”

She sits forward, silently mourning the absence of his warmth, and he gets to his feet. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

When she nods, he drops a kiss to the top of her head before heading to their bedroom. She turns, watching him turn on the light and disappear into the hallway, before turning back to the window with a sigh, to the rain still lashing against the glass panes, simultaneously electrifying and calming.

Another flash of lightning, this time far closer than she expected, heralds a thunderclap so loud that she cries out in spite of herself. At the same moment, the hall goes dark, and as she gets to her feet, she vaguely thinks she hears a crash.

“Jihyun?”

“I’m fine. The room went dark and I ran into the dresser.” In the faint light from the window, she sees him slowly navigating his way back to the living room, sliding an arm around her shoulders when he reaches her. “I guess the power must have gone out.”

She moves to the window, he keeping pace beside her, and looks out at the equally dark buildings around them. “It would appear so. There goes studying this afternoon, I suppose.”

He laughs. “I think this is a good enough excuse to take the afternoon off. Besides, you’ve deserved it.”

She leans against him slightly as the arm around her shoulder tightens in a gentle hug before turning back to the room, frowning. “Well, we should probably get some light source other than our phones. I think I kept some flashlights somewhere…”

“What about candles?”

She blinks. “Candles?”

The shrug she receives is casual, but even in the faint light, she can see a slight flush on his cheeks. “Yeah. It’ll be nice to just take the afternoon off, and they’re more romantic, aren’t they?”

“Jihyun Kim, are you trying to court me?” She can’t quite keep the amusement out of her voice, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

“Is that a problem?”

She laughs, then, before moving closer, arms sliding up to curl around his neck, even as he leans down towards her as if on instinct. “Not at all, though it’s kind of unnecessary.”

“Oh?” There’s merriment in his gaze, in the lighthearted tone of voice, but underneath that, there’s a flicker of fire that seems to fill her veins with warmth, that squeezes her chest with how much she loves him, and she drops all pretenses of coyness.

“I’m sure you know that you already have my heart,” she breathes instead, before stretching up to kiss him.

[angstmongertina]

11. Seasons (Inktober 2017)

A little shorter and a bit different this time. No dialogue and a bit more introspective. Still Jihyun/MC and still fluffy (or at least I hope it is) though.

Disclaimer: I have no idea what seasons are actually like in Korea and based a lot of it off of my experiences in the Midwest. Who knows, maybe MysMes takes place in Koreamerica? :P

I know, I know, I’m late again. I blame Critical Role. :P

AO3 Link || Masterpost

Jihyun Kim has always liked summer; after all, it is a time of brightness, of sunshine and warmth. As a child, he loved running through the cool, thick grass, admiring the richness of colors around him, all under the sun. When he grew older, summer was a time of laughter, of birdsong at dawn and crickets at dusk. Of Rika at her most vibrant.

Like the sun, he is at his strongest, at his peak then.

But Eunbyeol is different. At the first chilly morning, the first hint of autumn, she is all beaming smiles and bright eyes, switching out summer dresses for thick sweaters with unadulterated delight. The sun rises later each morning and she cheerfully sleeps in, still waking up in time to catch each breathtaking dawn.

She drags him out on the weekends, to long walks through parks and cozy cafes. On rainy days, they curl up by the window, wrapped in blankets with mugs of tea, warm and content. She tells him about the American traditions of apple picking and pumpkin carving and Halloween, her eyes sparkling, and he silently resolves to bring her to the United States someday to wander the corn mazes and go on the hay rides she describes with enthusiasm.

Winter brings with it the first snowfall, gentle flakes that are more rain than ice crystals, and he is struck by the way they cling to her hair, the way she turns her face to embrace their descent, her cheeks rosy in spite of the scarf tied snugly around her neck. She is beautiful, all purity and innocence, as she loops her arm around his and he presses a gentle kiss to her cheek.

There are quiet mornings in each other’s arms and cold afternoons walking hand-in-hand in the snowy landscape. There are warm evenings among their friends, their family, with shared dinner and laughter. There are cozy nights, wrapped in blankets and dozing off on the couch, and cheesy winter movies where Eunbyeol always pretends not to notice when he gets embarrassingly sentimental.

Christmas passes with his little found family and gifts and good cheer. He has not gone to church in years and Eunbyeol never has, but he still stops to think of Rika and his mother and to send thanks for Eunbyeol’s presence, always warm and loving and supportive. This New Year, he looks forward, to a better life and future creativity and many more years of happiness.

When the wind turns soft and warm once more, when flowers bloom and trees bud with new life, she smiles, her face as gentle as the blossoms that wave and bob in the breeze. He takes her out into fields of wildflowers, sketchbook in hand as she unpacks picnics and dances, carefree, in the grass. They go boating and swimming and always, always, get up early to watch the sunrise.

If he is the sun, he thinks, then she is the stars in the night sky, present no matter what clouds obscure his view, gradually changing as seasons come and go, but always beautiful.

And always, eternally, his.

[angstmongertina]

13. Foolish (Inktober 2017)

It was raining for most of today, and I just HAD to. I’m just so weak for cute romance tropes. :D

Again, this is very different from my original idea, but I blame the weather for messing with me, haha.

.....I’m late. Again. DAMMIT.

AO3 Link || Masterpost

The summer breeze is warm today, pulling at her skirt and tugging strands of hair out of her braid as she waits, casting her eyes out over the field. Her hands fiddle with the camera that Jihyun has gifted her “so you can save memories with more than just your phone.”

From behind her, a quiet click makes her jump and she turns around to find Jihyun grinning at her from behind a camera of his own.

“You scared me!”

He laughs then, warm and open, and she can’t help but stare. It’s been nearly a year since he’s returned to Korea, nearly a year of their relationship, and she still can’t quite get used to how much he’s changed from the man he was, how absolutely beautiful he is like this, smiling and in love with life and himself.

Then again, she’s not entirely sure she wants to.

“I’m sorry,” he says, though he doesn’t look nearly as repentant as his words would imply. “I didn’t mean to scare you. You just looked so natural that I needed to take a picture.”

His words melt her heart, and she holds out her hand eagerly. “Can I see?”

He shakes his head, still smiling, though it’s softened, more tender than amused. “Maybe later, but let’s get some pictures before the clouds come in.”

She looks up. The morning promised a beautiful day, with warmth and soft clouds floating in a sea of blue, but the summer wind has blown in darker ones, slowly approaching from the horizon. “That’s probably a good idea,” she agrees.

Arms reaching around her waist, he shows her the basics of changing the lenses and how to adjust them properly, of how to decide the best angle and where to stand. His breath tickles her ear, and she finds herself actively having to focus on his words instead of the feeling of his arms around her.

Her first photos with the camera are mediocre at best, especially considering the time she spends on them, but Jihyun’s beaming nonetheless, and she doesn’t miss the quiet click from him whenever she’s meandering around looking for a new subject, or focusing on getting the perfect angle. Besides, she isn’t the only one; it seems he can’t resist the call of nature’s splendor and wanders off on occasion, absorbed by a flower or a tree’s silhouette or a bird soaring across the sky.

To her immense satisfaction, her own subtle photos of him turn out much better, though she’s not sure if it’s her own skill improving or simply his natural beauty at work, making up for her considerable lack of talent. Regardless, she’ll take it.

Entranced in her attempts to sneak photos of him, she doesn’t notice how much the sky has darkened above them until the first drops fall on her head. “Jihyun! It’s raining!”

He looks up from his focus on a flowering mugunghwa with surprise, just as the few droplets become a downpour. Utter shock crosses his face for a second before he shakes himself, figuratively and literally, darting towards her and grabbing her hand. “The cameras! They shouldn't get too wet.”

They run, hand-in-hand, back towards her car, slipping slightly in the tall grass, now slick with rain. In spite of the fact that she’s already drenched, she can’t help but laugh as she bends over her camera, shielding it as best she can. Luckily, they haven’t wandered too far, and they stumble over a short while later, carefully putting their equipment down in the backseat, she still laughing as she tilts her face towards the sky.

“You’re soaked through,” Jihyun murmurs as he turns to her. “We should get back.”

She grins, lowering her gaze to meet his. “And you’re not? Besides, we’re already wet enough now. A little longer won’t hurt us.”

“And if we get sick?” he counters, and she can’t help but shake her head with affection. With his brow furrowed with concern, his once styled hair now plastered by rivulets to his forehead, and clothes absolutely dripping, Jihyun is the most endearing she has ever seen him, especially when his eyes widen as she steps closer, wrapping her arms around him.

“You’ll just have to keep me warm then,” she whispers before, heedless to the pouring rain, she stretches up and kisses him.

“Foolish woman.” She feels more than hears his reply over the deluge around them, but then he is kissing her back, warm and passionate, and, just as she suspected, she is anything but cold.

[angstmongertina]

26. Realization (Inktober 2017)

We return to Jihyun/MC with round I-don’t-even-know-which of “this is not where I was planning on taking this ficlet but it’s working so whatever.” Honestly, now that I think about it, it actually works better than my original idea (by which I mean I’m saving my original idea for later), so I’m happy.

Because apparently miscommunication is forever going to be the biggest source of conflict between my idiots.

AO3 Link || Masterpost

It’s a strange thing, how quickly she becomes a constant in his life. When he was traveling the world, she was never far from the forefront of his mind, a reminder of his goals and ideals, of the man he wants to become, strives every day to become. He wasn’t exaggerating about the number of canceled flight, the fact that he missed her every day.

Once he returns, they settle into a pattern. Within a week, she has given him a key to her apartment, to be used as he sees fit, especially since her schedule, with classes and study sessions and volunteer work, she hardly has the time to sleep, let alone granting him access every time he should want it. He takes it without comment and silently adjusts his schedule, ensuring he is around on her busiest days and providing anything she could need to lighten her load.

In the beginning, he wanted to properly court her, to get to know her in a way that felt natural, that was normal, but at the same time, they have already been through so much together that it seems unnecessary. She has already seen him as his worst, at his most desperate, and she has stayed by his side regardless.

Plus, between her busy schedule and his tendency to lose track of time, he ends up spending most of his nights, and not an insignificant portion of his days, there regardless.

It’s a simple thing, in all honesty, and one he doesn’t even consider until Eunbyeol looks over at him, packing up as she cooks breakfast. “Is there really a point in doing that when we both know you’ll be back later today?”

He pauses, halfway through folding his shirt, and stares while she turns back to the stove, expertly flipping the omelette and apparently completely oblivious to the bombshell that her matter-of-fact words are.

It takes her another moment to realize that he’s staring, frozen, and she simply looks at him with confusion. “Jihyun? What is it?”

“I…” He’s not sure what exactly he wants to say. She’s right in that it would certainly be more practical, considering how long he actually spends in an apartment that, if he were to be honest with himself, reminds him too much of her anyway. But at the same time… “You make it sound so simple.”

He tries to make the words sound lighthearted but evidently fails; Eunbyeol’s eyes widen immediately, even as she pales. “Oh, I didn’t realize… I’m so sorry. Forget I said anything.” Before he can react, she turns back to the stove, fiddling with their utensils until she deems breakfast ready.

As he settles at the table, he notices that hers looks slightly overcooked, but he says nothing as she busies herself with aligning her knife just right, eyes fixed downwards, on the table.

It is only when the silence has stretched uncomfortably long that he clears his throat. Out of the corner of his eye, he thinks he sees her jump, but he ignores it. “What do your plans look like for today?”

She noticeably relaxes. “Nothing terribly busy, thankfully. I have class in an hour, but that shouldn’t be too bad, and then it’s just studying for the test next week.” For a second, she looks up, the hint of a smile on her face, before her eyes dart back down to her plate, too quickly to make out the myriad of emotions lurking in her gaze. “What about you?”

“Mmm, I promised Jumin I’d meet with him about the latest project he wants to work on. I told him that I don’t work as a photographer anymore but he insists on having me take the preview images for whatever new business he’s working on.”

At that, Eunbyeol actually laughs, meeting his gaze once more. “Starring Elizabeth the 3rd, I expect?”

“I would assume so.”

She shakes her head, though the smile still lingers on her lips. “Poor Jaehee.”

“Indeed. After that… Maybe get some groceries before making dinner? I think we’re running low. Actually, is there anything in particular that you want?”

For several moments, she says nothing, and it’s not until he looks up, sees the shocked expression on her face, that he realizes what he said without thinking.

That he realizes he means every word.

“Eunbyeol?”

“Anything is fine.” The smile she offers him is too fast, distracted, but he knows her well enough to wait as she organizes her thoughts, as courage gathers in her soft eyes. “I… You don’t have to. I really didn’t mean to push you. I simply—”

“I know.” He says the words simply but her mouth snaps shut regardless. “But you’re right. And more importantly…” He looks around the cozy kitchen, the brightly lit living room and the balcony that overlooks the city at dawn, and then back at the woman he loves, who makes his day every time she enters a room, who can make any place in the world feel like home to him. “My heart is wherever you are. My belongings are far easier to move than that.”

“That’ll still take some time though,” she answers flippantly, but her eyes are shining. “Do you need any help?”

“Only if you have the time to spare.”

At that, she laughs, this time warm and full, matching the lightness of his heart. “It would be quite selfish of me to not help you move into our apartment, would it not? I’ll make time, and then we can get groceries afterwards?”

“Of course.” He grins as he stands with his finished plate, pausing on his way to the sink to press a kiss to the top of her head. “And thank you for putting up with me,” he murmurs by her ear.

He doesn’t go into any more detail, but the smile she gives him is cheeky. “Love you too.”

[angstmongertina]

27. Cage (Inktober 2017)

I’ve been super busy for most of today so this is really late. At least it’s cheesy? :P

Because I’ve been toying around with the idea of Jihyun adopting strays ever since I made my Jihyun Kim/MC headcanons post and my thought process was something along the lines of cages leads to animals leads to pets leads to strays leads to them adopting a stray cat.

AO3 Link || Masterpost

When Eunbyeol steps out of her exam and turns her phone back on, it’s to find a flurry of texts from Jihyun. She shakes her head with amusement, only to pause as the words of one of them filters into her consciousness. “You should tell Carina and Zen that they probably shouldn’t visit in the future.”

She frowns, nearly stopping in the middle of the hallway in confusion as she scrolls back through the messages until she finds the first: “So… I have good news and bad news. Good news: We have a new family member. Bad news: We need to cat proof the house.”

At that, she does freeze, at least until a backpack clips her shoulder, followed by a quick apology. She waves it off with one of her own before turning her attention back to her phone. The rest of the texts appear to be a running commentary on his whereabouts as he purchases the necessary items for their new pet, followed by applications for a name intermixed with suggestions of his own, each seemingly more outlandish than the last.

She rolls her eyes at how the messages end abruptly, presumably when he remembered why exactly she hasn’t replied, but can’t help but smile when she hears a familiar voice calling her name.

Jihyun is waiting for her, parked by the side of the road and grinning as she approaches. Much to her amusement, more than a few of her classmates eye him with interest, and, she suspects, not only because of his unusual hair color, as they walk by, which he seems rather adorably oblivious to, all of his attention apparently focused on her.

God, she’s so lucky.

“How was it?” he asks as soon as she gets close.

“Not too bad, all things considered.” An arm snakes around her waist as she stretches up, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Not that I’m complaining, of course, but what are you doing here?”

He offers her a look of false hurt. “What? You don’t believe that I would just come to pick up my girlfriend after she finishes a test?”

She raises a playful eyebrow. “Judging from the way my phone blew up earlier, you completely forgot that I had one for a while there. Too excited?”

The grin she receives in response is sheepish. “Something like that. But since I was already out getting supplies for her, I thought we could swing by to pick you up.” He nods towards the backseat, where a small carrier rests, alongside what appears to be a litter box, cat food, a scratching post, a bed, and several bags of toys.

Shaking her head ruefully, she gets into the passenger seat. “You never told me exactly how you found her, anyway.”

Jihyun shrugs. “I found her when I was taking a walk, and she followed me all the way back home. I tried looking to see if anyone had reported a lost cat, or whether the vet could find any information, but she really doesn’t seem to have an owner. And she looked so sad that I couldn’t just turn her out.”

She shakes her head, laughing. It’s just like him to be so soft-hearted that he can’t resist taking in a stray, though she has to admit that were she in the same situation, she would likely have done the same.

Lord, someone will have to keep an eye on them before their entire house turns into a rescue shelter or something.

It isn’t until they pull into the driveway that she speaks again. “Have you thought about a name? And no, Marie Antoinette doesn’t count.”

“Why not? It’s a perfectly respectable name…”

“She’s a cat, Jihyun, not a queen of France. Honestly, why I thought you had good ideas for naming pets, I don’t know.”

“Jumin quite liked ‘Elizabeth the 3rd,’” he protests with a straight face, though she spies the telltale twitch of his lips.

She rolls her eyes, though it takes significant effort to stop herself from laughing as well. “Fine. He thinks that you’re quite talented at naming things, but that’s also Jumin we’re talking about.”

In what can only be a pique of immaturity, he sticks his tongue out at her, and she gives up any pretense of holding in her laughter, even as she reaches for the carrier.

“I’ll get the rest of the stuff inside. Let her out in the spare room. It’s the only one that she shouldn’t be able to get into any mischief in at the moment.”

She nods, making her way over quickly before opening the carrier door, revealing a small grey tabby who immediately walks out almost regally and settles on the ground beside her.

Several minutes later, Jihyun walks in to find her gently petting the cat, lounging in the sun purring. “Do you have any ideas for a name, then?”

She looks up, though “How about Haru?”

He pauses before nodding. “Fine. I suppose I’ll have to tell Jumin that his cat remains the only one with an elegant name.”

“Pretentious,” she corrects, laughing, as she gets to her feet. “But that’s okay. I love you anyway, terrible naming ability and all.”

[angstmongertina]

30. Secret (Inktober 2017)

I had this overall idea when I was first working on Reunion and I’m really glad I had an opportunity to write it for another ficlet. :D

Yes, I’m still a day behind. I think I just gave up trying to fix it. But we’ll be done tomorrow. Much to some of my followers’ relief, I’m sure lol.

Someday I’ll write an epistolary story because I love them. I need to find an appropriate ship for it though.

AO3 Link || Masterpost

The house always feels too empty when he’s gone.

Eunbyeol sighs, wandering from room to room. It’s strange, really. Much of the time he’s home, he’s hidden away in his studio or else reading a book or practicing or doing something that’s confined, quiet. And yet, now that he’s gone for two weeks, the silence is deafening.

Almost as if on cue, she feels a slight bump against her leg and looks down to find Haru weaving around her ankles, somehow appearing both calm and also anxiously searching. She squats, reaching down to stroke her head with a gentle hand. “You miss him too, don’t you?”

Bright green eyes blink at her solemnly before Haru stretches and saunters to curl up by the foot of the couch, where Jihyun usually sits, and Eunbyeol isn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the impatient, almost imperious, look she receives and from a cat, no less. Nonetheless, she obeys, settling down on the seat and letting Haru clamber onto her lap before resuming the petting. “It’s only fifteen days. He’ll be back soon,” she says quietly, though she’s not sure if it’s to the cat or herself.

Quiet purring is the only reply she receives, but it’s somehow more comforting than any sympathetic words she would receive from anyone else. It’s times like these when she thinks she can understand Jumin’s former obsession with Elizabeth the 3rd.

Unlike Jumin, however, she still has plenty of work to do at home so she reaches for her textbook with a sigh, flipping it open to the relevant page.

It’s perhaps a testament to just how distracted she is by Jihyun’s absence that she doesn’t notice the note, scribbled on plain paper and tucked in an envelope against the inner crease of the page, until a bored paw pokes experimentally at it.

A reprimand is halfway out of her mouth before it registers and she puts down her notes, picking up the envelope with slightly trembling fingers. Her name is written on it in Jihyun’s flowing hand and she can only shake her head with a smile. She has no idea when he managed to slip it into her work without her noticing while finishing up his packing, but at this point, she’s come to accept that there are some things she will never understand about Jihyun’s ability to sneak thoughtful gestures past her attention.

She slides a thumb under the flap, flipping it open to find a folded sheet of paper, dated from a day ago. Hardly noticing as Haru hops off of her lap and disappears into the kitchen, she unfolds the page, smoothing it on her lap as she reads.

Eunbyeol,

It’s strange to write this letter to you while you’re working across from me, knowing that by the time you read it, I’ll be off, on a trip longer than any I’ve been on in the past two years. Even just thinking about that makes me miss your absence more than I could ever say. I have grown used to seeing you at my side, of having you in my life, and even two weeks apart seem like they will stretch on for eternity.

I know you know all of this already, just that I know you will miss me as much as I do you, but I simply have to remind you yet again of how much I love you, about how much better my life is now that you’re in it. You brought out the best in me, taught me to be a better person and to love myself, and helped me get to where I am today. Ironically enough, you are the reason why I am leaving tomorrow for so long, though I don’t begrudge you that at all. You are my angel, my star. My greatest love.

Of course, reading the words is nothing to hearing them, but as much as I plan on calling you whenever time allows, I cannot be with you often while I am away. Until then, I hope these words, and more, as time goes on, will comfort you in my absence.

May these two weeks pass quickly, so I can be reunited with you once more, my love.

Jihyun

P.S. I’ll let you in on a little secret: I feel it might be worthwhile to advise you be quite diligent in checking everything, especially when you cook. Just in case.

For several moments, Eunbyeol just sits, staring at the page, the beautiful words that Jihyun has left to keep her company while he’s gone. It’s not until she tries to reread it that she realizes her vision is blurry and she can’t help but laugh shakily at her own silliness.

At how lucky she is.

It’s not until she’s in the kitchen, preparing dinner, and discovers a sticky note stuck to the side of a pot, that she realizes her face hurts from smiling.

[angstmongertina]

19. Nature (Inktober 2017)

Inktober is in October and yet I’ve hardly written any fics that actually are about autumn, which is unacceptable.

And... the usual disclaimer about me not knowing much about Korea and thus the seasons in Korea at all. Hooray for Koreamerica. :P

Whoa, I updated before midnight for the first time in forever!

AO3 Link || Masterpost

It’s rare for anyone to enter her study when she’s working, and Eunbyeol looks up as soon as she hears the door open, only for her lips to draw into a smile. “Jihyun. This is a rare treat.”

His answering smile is sheepish, even as he steps to her side and makes a face at the thick textbook open on her desk. “I didn’t mean to interrupt. I only wanted to see whether you’re free for a break soon.”

She frowns, considers her notes. “Let me finish this chapter? It’ll only be a few minutes.”

He smiles. “Of course.”

Said studying is considerably harder with him beside her, watching over her shoulder, but she has to admit, at least to herself, that she wouldn’t change his company one bit.

Whatever he has planned, he’s certainly looking forward to it; as soon as she closes her book, he grabs her hand, pulling her to her feet. She obliges with a laugh, though she raises her brows as he leads her to the garage. “Where are we going?”

The grin he offers in response is teasing and almost childlike in his eagerness. “You’ll see. Come on. I’m driving.”

That only leaves her with more questions than it answers, but it also doesn’t seem like he plans on explaining in any more detail. Instead of bothering to ask, she sighs with feigned annoyance, which only turns his smile into a smirk, and follows in silence, even as she heeds his advice to dress warmly and wear sensible walking shoes.

She’s almost tempted to ask if she should put on a blindfold, but she also doesn’t want to know if her question will actually encourage him.

To her mild relief, he asks her to do nothing of the sort and only pulls onto the road, heading towards the outskirts of the city. She watches as trees and houses flash by, hardly paying attention to their route until they suddenly turn into a wooded park, and he stops the car.

“Jihyun?”

This time, as they get out of the car, his smile is gentle with no hint of mischief. “Come. Let’s go for a walk.”

She nods, returning his smile and taking the hand he offers as he steps towards the small path she can make out through the trees. His fingers fold around hers, warm in the chilly autumn air, and she moves closer, so that their shoulders brush together as they walk.

After some time, she stops, eyes roaming across the rich reds and oranges and golds that adorn the trees. “What brought this on? Searching for inspiration for a painting?”

“Not exactly.” He’s halted a little ahead of her, the distance spanned by their joined hands, and the tenderness in his eyes as he turns to look at her melts her heart. “You said something a while back about how much you love the leaves changing colors, and you’ve been really busy these days. When was the last time you left the house?” She opens her mouth but before she can speak, he shakes his head. “I meant for something completely unrelated to school.”

“I… Ah…” She blinks. “I’m not sure?”

“Exactly.”

He doesn’t say anything else, but he doesn’t need to. Instead, a gentle tug gets her moving again, only this time, he wraps an arm around her shoulders, as gentle and supportive as always.

They’re a little further down the path, approaching a small river that cuts across the colorful forest, when he speaks again, his voice thoughtful. “This would make a good painting, wouldn’t it? Though,” and now he’s grinning, a teasing gleam in his eyes, “anything you’re in is beautiful.”

She wrinkles her nose, even as she laughs. “That was terribly corny.”

He shrugs. “It’s autumn. Is there a better time? Besides, it’s true.”

She grins, stepping around to face him. “Flatterer.”

“Yup.” Turquoise eyes twinkle at her, so full of life and affection that for a second, they steal her breath. “And you love it.”

Rolling her eyes, she reaches out, grabbing him lightly by the scarf wrapped snugly around his neck, and gently pulls him down until she can stretch up and cover his cold lips with her own. “Correction,” she counters as she pulls away, “I love you.”

[angstmongertina]

8. Impasse (Inktober 2017)

Okay, this is earlier than usual so hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze out my idea for day 9 as well!

Have some silliness because holy shit do I need silliness after listening to some of V’s phone calls. Like, ouch my poor heart was not ready. (Also, my dad has definitely done that before when we were having dinner with my aunt’s family, haha.)

AO3 Link || Masterpost

It’s almost strange to be going on what would typically be considered a “first date” with Eunbyeol. After all, after everything that has happened between them, they’ve progressed far beyond that stage of their relationship, but at the same time, Jihyun can't deny that a bit of normalcy is also extremely appealing.

Perhaps that is why he agrees to meet her at the restaurant after not having seen her for nearly a full week, even if it requires rescheduling two meetings. Between her job and his continued return to the world of art, they have had little time to see each other, staying in touch mostly by phone. It’s only been a week, but somehow each minute apart has been more agonizing than a full day while he was traveling.

The feeling would be terrifying if it weren't so exhilarating.

Chuckling at his own exuberance, Jihyun jogs the last few steps to the entrance before checking the time. He's nearly ten minutes early, of course, and he can only grin wryly to himself as he waits, feeling for all the world like a young teenager waiting for his first girlfriend rather than like the man in his mid-twenties that he is.

It's only intensified when he hears his name and looks up to find Eunbyeol rushing towards him, a bright smile on her face. “And here I thought I was early. Were you waiting long?” she says, coming to a stop a few feet short with a bashful smile, looking as though she can't decide on the most appropriate way to greet him.

He shakes his head, shifting to close the distance between them and give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Not at all. I guess we were both eager.”

“Very much so.” She smiles, a faint hint of pink dusting her cheeks. “I was changed and ready to leave nearly an hour ago but I figured it would be a bit much to arrive that early.”

He laughs, but sobers quickly. “And you look beautiful.” Dressed as she was in a soft pink blouse and matching skirt, he doesn't think he has ever seen someone look so sweet, especially as her cheeks darken to match her outfit.

“Thank you. You look quite handsome as well.”

“Thanks.” He pauses, glancing again at his watch. “I think we should be okay to go in now. Shall we?”

She laughs as he hurries to hold the door open for her. “We shall, and thank you, although you know I can open the door myself, Jihyun.”

Her voice is more amused than annoyed, and he smiles, relaxing just a little as he offers her his arm. “I know, but allow me anyway?”

She returns the expression with one of her own as they are led to their table. “How very gentlemanly of you.”

He hesitates, waiting for the servers to leave before taking the plunge. “And if I say this is on me?”

Her response is instantaneous. “No, this dinner was my suggestion. I can cover it.”

“You paid for dinner last time,” he counters.

“That was take-out! It's hardly the same thing.” She crosses her arms across her chest, giving him a rather mulish expression. “Besides, you had just gotten back from Hawaii.”

“Eunbyeol…” He's not entirely sure what he's going to say, but it doesn't really matter as he's interrupted by the waiter, who seems to be eyeing them both with amusement.

“You know we can do separate checks as well, right? Or not, that works too,” the man adds as he and Eunbyeol shake their heads at the same time. “Well then, I'll leave you two to figuring it out, though I'll take your orders now. Any appetizers?”

They silently call a truce as they order, though that doesn't stop the waiter, now grinning openly, from wishing them both a good luck.

Before she can start again, Jihyun changes the subject, asking about her work, and, to his relief, she accepts the new topic of conversation with nothing more than a suspicious look.

By the time he excuses himself to the restroom at the end of dinner, she only sits back with a sigh of contentment and a teasing look. And if he happens to swing by the counter and pays before returning to the table…

Well, she'll catch on eventually.

[angstmongertina]

18. Waiting (Inktober 2017)

Okay, back to Jihyun/MC now that we’ve had a short detour into Zen/MC land lol.

A bit shorter but yesterday apparently tapped me out. But hey, yay fluff? Reunions are always fun. :D

AO3 Link || Masterpost

Eunbyeol checks the clock before resuming her pacing in the kitchen. There’s still plenty of time before she needs to leave, and she knows that, but that fact doesn’t do anything to change her impatience.

It’s strange, almost funny, really, just how agitated she is. For two years, he was gone, completely out of contact other than the occasional updates from Jumin and even rarer messages from him. And yet, this past week when Jihyun is at a meeting abroad, feels like it’s been one of the longest of her life.

Absentmindedly, she pulls out her phone and opens the last message she got from Jihyun, a quick “Boarding the plane now. Love you. See you soon.”

It occurs to her that if she knew a few years ago that she’d be mooning over a simple text message, especially after only five days of not seeing her boyfriend, she’d have never let herself forget it. Except…

Except then, she had no idea what kind of a man she would meet, and now she can’t imagine her life without him. Not anymore.

Her phone vibrates in her hand, and she laughs quietly to herself. Before he left, Jihyun asked to set a reminder on her phone, just in case she got caught up in her studies, and judging from its name, he knew how likely the situation actually is that she’d forget.

Then again, “you can leave for the airport now” is quite possibly the most Jihyun thing to tell her at the moment.

Still smiling, she slips her phone back into her pocket as she grabs her coat and purse. It rings again as she walks to her car, and she stops, pulling it out to find another preset message.

“Drive safe. I love you.”

She’s fairly certain she’s grinning like an idiot as she pulls out of the driveway, but she can hardly find it in herself to care. Not when his plane is due to arrive in under an hour, and he’ll finally be home.

And with her.

Traffic has never felt so frustrating before, each red light and slow driver an obstacle keeping her from reaching her destination, and she finds herself drumming her fingers against the steering wheel, quick and mechanical, as she waits. It’s enough that she almost wishes she accepted her friends’ offer of company, so at least she wouldn’t be alone with her impatient thoughts during the drive.

When she turns on the radio, it’s to find a recording of Dvorak’s Ninth Symphony, set so appropriately to play the second movement that she can’t help but wonder whether Jihyun had any control over that as well.

Her phone vibrates again as she’s pulling into a parking space, this time with a text message that makes her gasp and hurries towards the entrance as soon as she reads it. “Off the plane. Just need to get luggage.”

Of course, she forgets that actually waiting for checked bags takes forever, and she’s standing in the greeting area far too early, but frankly, it would only be worse to be waiting in the car or stuck in traffic. At least here, she’s not alone.

Travelers begin to trickle through the exit, curving around the tinted glass that blocks them from view, and her pulse quickens, searching for him in the growing crowd. For a minute, she wonders whether she’s missed him entirely, before she spies the distinctive, familiar turquoise among the rest.

She’s moving before she even realizes it, darting around embracing couples and excited grandparents without a second thought. He seems to notice her approach and has just enough time to set down his luggage before she throws herself at him, his embrace so tight that it lifts her off the ground entirely.

“Welcome back.”

His laughter tickles her skin, warm and gentle and familiar and it’s enough to make her chest tighten. “This is a nice reception. Have you been waiting long?”

“Only every minute since you left.” She pulls away just enough to look him in the eyes. “I missed you.”

“We talked all the time.”

Her lips draw into a pout. “That’s not the same thing and you know it.”

His eyes sparkle at her with amusement. “I know. And I’m glad to be back. I missed you too.”

“Even though we talked all the time?” she asks, teasing.

His gaze suddenly serious, he leans forward and presses a quick kiss to her lips. “Whenever you’re not with me.”

At that, she can only smile, blushing slightly at the affection shining in his expression.

After a moment, he appears to shake himself before bending over and picking up his suitcase. As he straightens back up, she moves to take his free hand, lacing their fingers together, fitting perfectly, just as they always have.

When she looks up, it’s to find him beaming at her, eyes soft with adoration, and her fingers tighten around his in response, even as she steps closer and presses another, quick, kiss to his cheek. “Welcome home, love.”

[angstmongertina]

9. Strings (Inktober 2017)

I’m starting to think I should just resign myself to being a day behind for a while longer, especially since my ideas keep expanding out of my control. Like, I made Jihyun cry. Again. (Incidentally, I noticed once i finished most of this that there’s a prompt for “instrument” so I suppose I kind of fucked up and need to think of something new then. Maybe a serenade, maybe a duet. We’ll see. ;D)

Disclaimer: I has been a few years since I last touched my violin and I have no idea what it’s like to pick up one that hasn’t been played in so long, so I made my best guess. :P

Here’s a link to the piece she played if you’re curious!

Spoilers for V’s route! (It’s in the tags, but I figure this one’s big enough that I should mention it here as well.)

AO3 Link || Masterpost

The violin Eunbyeol finds lying in the closet is a beautiful instrument, far too valuable for where it’s being stored. She frowns as she unzips the hard case, brushing her fingers lightly over the strings and wincing as they vibrate, out of tune and dissonant.

But even in spite of that, she can hear the quality of the sound, knows that it must be very finely crafted, and stands back up with the intention to ask Jihyun about it before remembering that he has gone out. Instead, she takes it out, holding it in her left hand and again plucks at the strings, listening to the discord and, more importantly, to the potential. It is enough so that she cannot resist the urge to bring it to the small, upright piano that Jihyun purchased as a hobby for when he needs a break from his art.

Naturally, he takes to music like he does to what seems like anything related to art: with aplomb. It's almost enough to make anyone jealous, or would be if he weren't so endearingly modest about his own capabilities.

Nonetheless, ten years of violin lessons growing up have not been completely lost on her as she settles on the piano bench, fingers finding the half-remembered d-minor chord, and she begins to tune. The strings are old, nearly brittle with age, but another inspection of the case reveals new ones, purchased recently. They are not quite the same professional quality, but certainly carefully selected, and she changes them with a careful hand before returning to her tuning.

After several more minutes, she nods. The strings are still stretching but for now… She runs her thumb along the strings, listening to the familiar ring of the notes with satisfaction. For now, this will do.

The bow, too, is old but very fine. She discovers a worn piece of rosin, tucked with care into a pocket, and drags the bow across, watching as the pale yellow hairs cover in white dust. They will need to be replaced at some point but this should do in the meantime.

Rising to her feet, she finishes tuning by ear, making the final touches before she is satisfied. Each fifth sounds with richness, filling the room with warmth, and her smile only widens as she runs through some scales. The strings bite into the soft pads of her fingertips and she knows she'll have callouses in the morning, but it is nothing to the beautiful sound that fills the air, as full and golden as the afternoon sunshine. If this is what it sounds like after what must be years of neglect, she can't imagine what it must have sounded like at its best.

She has never played a professional instrument before but this must be what it feels like.

Sufficiently warmed up, or at least as much as she can be given that she hasn't played in years, she moves to the window and waits, the bow resting lightly on the strings as she considers what she remembers. Something warm, romantic...

Perhaps there is music with the case?

She returns to the closet and rifles through the large cloth bag still lying on the carpet. Inside, she finds pages of sheet music, yellow with age but still legible. Vivaldi, Kreisler, Bach...

Beethoven.

Without a music stand, she contents herself with using the piano, putting down the sheet music and flipping it open to find the two romances. Pencil marks adorn the pages, highlighting passages and circling tempo markings. Angry slashes and gentle reminders, lasting imprints of the last person to peruse the music.

Her hand settles into the appropriate position on the fingerboard before she even consciously decides which piece to play. The notes are awkward at first, the double-stops fumbling and out of tune, but her fingers remember more than her brain does, and she finds herself standing, taking occasional glances at the music when muscle memory fails her.

It isn't until she finishes with a flourish that she realizes she has company; sometime during her performance, Jihyun has returned home, and she carefully sets the violin back down before rushing to his side. “I'm sorry I didn't hear you get ba—” She cuts herself off as soon as she gets close enough to see the tears sparkling on his cheeks. “Jihyun? What's wrong?”

He laughs shakily, swiping at his face with one hand. “I… The violin…”

“Oh, I'm sorry! I just found it in the closet and you weren't home to ask and…”

She snaps her mouth shut when he shakes his head. “No, I'm glad. It… I let it sit for far too long. I'm glad it still sounds good. I just…”

“Jihyun.” She waits until he's looking at her, instead of through her, and takes his hand, pulling him to the couch where she sits beside him. “This violin… It’s yours?”

“No. Well, yes, it is now but… I never played it. I never learned.” His fingers reach out as if to ghost over the wood before he withdraws them and takes her hand, clutching it tightly. “I… My mother… I don't believe I ever told you… She was Yeona Park.”

“The professional violinist who lost her hearing after an accident?”

The hint of a sad smile crosses his face. “Yes. I suppose you must have heard of her, since you play. I… She stopped playing after she lost her hearing, as you know. She always just kept her instrument put away. And then… the fire…”

“Jihyun, you don't—”

She cuts herself off as he takes a deep breath. “No, I should… I want you to know.” In spite of his words, he says nothing for a long while, his fingers vice-like around her own. “You may have heard that she died when our house caught on fire?”

Instead of saying anything, she simply nods, shifting until her shoulder is pressed against his, as warm and comforting as she can be.

“I… She shouldn't have. She went back to save me. She… By then, she wasn't living in the main house, hadn't been for a long time. But she saw that I hadn't made it out… So she... She went back. I hadn't seen her since I told her I never wanted to see her again and she… She died saving me…”

Even though he doesn't say it, she can hear the question in his agony, in the voice that cracks and threatens to break with every word. Why?

“She loved you,” she says, very softly. “What you told her in a moment of anger doesn’t change that, and she knew it. And…” She hesitates, squeezing his hands tighter until wet turquoise eyes meet hers. “And I think she would be happy to know that you kept this, and proud at everything you've done. You're keeping her legacy alive, Jihyun.”

For one, long, moment, he says nothing and she wonders if she has overstepped her bounds before his face crumples. Silently, she wraps her arms around him as he buries his face into the crook of her neck, shoulders shaking with the force of his grief. She feels more than hears the apologies murmured against her skin, but she knows that they are not for her, not now, and she cannot help but wonder if this is the first time he has ever let himself grieve for the woman whom he had been almost ashamed to have loved.

Eunbyeol has never met his father and knows almost as little about him, but she has never been so inclined to dislike somebody on principle in her life.

She’s not sure how much time has passed before he pulls away, eyes red-rimmed but soft and with a gentle, if watery smile. “Thank you, Eunbyeol.”

“I said nothing that isn’t true, Jihyun.”

“Nonetheless… I needed that. Thank you. Truly.”

At that, she softens. “Then of course.” She shifts to press a kiss to his cheek. “I love you, you know.”

“I know. And I love you too.”

For several more moments, they sit in silence, before she gets up, wiping the violin off carefully and storing it back into its case. “Here,” she says, holding it out to him.

To her surprise, he pushes her hand away. “No, keep it. I think…” He pauses, as if searching for the right words. “I think she would rather it be played than kept away as it was. And I don’t think I could part with it to anyone who would respect it, or who she would respect, as much as you.”

“I…” She coughs, clearing a suddenly tight throat. “Thank you, Jihyun. It would be an honor.”

[angstmongertina]

16. Defiance (Inktober 2017)

Just quick background: Eunbyeol’s a medical student around the equivalent to finishing up her second year of pre-clinical in Korea, which I believe is somewhat similar, based on my quick Google search (I’m not entirely sure on her timeline since I forgot about the two year timeskip and now I’m all over the place with her age and stuff. Goddammit). And she’s been stressed. And Jihyun tries (the operative word being TRIES) to be helpful and... Well... They’re disasters, what can I say?

It took me a while to figure out something they’d have a serious argument about, but I hope this is believable. :P (Also, for the record, I have no idea where it went. Again. Writing them is like herding cats, I swear.)

....I’m just going to stop trying to give excuses on why I’m late. I have none. I’ll instead just say that apparently I bit off more than I could chew when I thought to take on Inktober.

AO3 Link || Masterpost

She glares, arms crossed over her chest and fingers digging into her skin. Of course, in contrast, Jihyun looks calm as ever, his face as peaceful as though they were simply discussing their plans for the upcoming weekend.

Eunbyeol generally prides herself on being a patient person, understanding that poor choice of words often masks good intentions and tranquility only benefits reasonable discussion, but…

But right now, his serenity is only more infuriating.

“Eunbyeol,” and even her name on his lips, soft and placating, is enough that her fingers dig harder, painfully, into her skin. “Please, just calm down. I only meant—“

“I don’t care.” The words escape her mouth in a hiss, quiet but vehement, cutting off whatever platitude he was planning to offer, and she takes a perverse amount of pleasure in watching him take a step back, his façade fracturing just enough for her to see the maelstrom of emotions bubbling underneath the surface.

A crack in his calm, at last.

She takes a corresponding step forward, close enough now that when she points at him, she nearly pokes him in the chest and, for one moment, she almost wishes she did. “We both know what you did say, so go right on ahead and just say what you think, instead of whatever you think I would rather hear. You don’t have to pretend that you don’t think I’m wasting my time or not contributing enough or whatever it is that you meant.”

It’s a bit of a low blow, enough to make him flinch, but she can hardly find it in herself to care, watching dispassionately as he opens his mouth, only to close it, once, twice.

After a moment, she nods and, when she speaks, her voice is so cold that it takes even her by surprise. “I see, then. Thank you for informing me.”

“Eunbyeol, please, wait!” Before she can turn away, a hand on her wrist stops her, though he falls back when she glares, icy cold, and tugs her arm free.

The hurt in his eyes unexpectedly makes her chest tighten, and she turns her gaze away, her jaw clenched.

At this point, she doesn’t remember the exact wording that set her off anymore, only remembers something about stress and support and the sudden, crushing realization that he doesn’t think she can do this, that he’s preparing for her to fail. She knows for certain that she’s never blown up like this before, alternating between bitter coldness and raging inferno, but any lingering confidence after her failed exam, especially in the face of another test tomorrow, has been obliterated by his words and she’s fairly certain that the righteous anger coursing through her veins is only several moments away from melting into tears that she really doesn’t want anybody to witness. Least of all him.

Especially not now.

“Just… do whatever you want and leave me alone.” The words fall out of her mouth, softer, more vulnerable than she intended, and, eyes averted so she doesn’t see the concern that’s surely filling his gaze, she sets her face before striding out of the room, keeping her gait steady until she’s out of sight.

Only then does she run for her study, one of the few places in the house that’s hers and hers alone. Trembling hands lock the door behind her, checking it with a light pull for good measure, before she sinks to the floor, shoulders shaking. The grade, the burning disappointment, haunts her mind, swirls along with the pages and pages of notes that she should have remembered, the anatomical positions and hormones that mix and muddle. The look on Jihyun’s face, the tone of his voice, as he offered sympathy and words that only served to cut into her heart, that slithered, insidious, into her mind.

It’s all too much, and she can only bury her face in her hands and hope that it is enough to keep her cries muffled. Judging from the scuffling by the door, it isn’t, but he doesn’t say anything and she only curls in tighter on herself as her tears slow, his words still echoing in her mind. Always tired. Too stressed. No need.

No need...

Perhaps he is right in that, but then again, it’s not about need, has never been about need, but want. She sits up, not entirely sure how much time has passed, but that doesn’t matter. She has the whole night before her if she needs it, and she’ll use as much of it as necessary. For her own goals and dreams.

This was never about him.

With a resolute nod, she climbs to her feet and reaches for her backpack for her notes. She has work to do.

Hours later, she looks up to find that, other than the warm yellow lamplight, the room has gone dark, the sun having long since set. Blearily, she blinks, only to realize that, perhaps subconsciously, she has focused on the picture frame resting on the corner of her desk. Without thinking, she picks it up, lips curling at the sight of Jihyun grinning behind the glass, his arm flung around her shoulders, and remembers his pride when it was taken, celebrating her official acceptance into the medical program.

She has an apology to make.

Gentle fingers set the photograph back down in its place of honor before she hurries to the door, his name on her lips. Before she can call, however, she’s arrested by the sight of him, leaning against the opposite wall and asleep, neck cricked at an angle that’s sure to leave him sore when he awakens.

A smile rises, unbidden, to her lips as she kneels beside him, reaching out to lightly shake his shoulder. “Jihyun?”

He stirs, blinking several times before suddenly pulling her against his chest, arms wrapped around her so tightly that she’s not sure if he’s still dreaming.

“Jihyun?”

“I’m sorry.” His voice is muffled against her shoulder, but he pulls away enough to meet her gaze. “I shouldn’t have—”

She shakes her head, laying a finger against his lips. “No, it’s my fault. I’m the one who should be apologizing.” She takes a deep breath, studying his face carefully. “You were right. I was stressed after getting my scores back and I misinterpreted what you said and took it all out on you and I’m sorry.”

To her relief, he only laughs, pressing his forehead against hers. “We are a mess, aren’t we?”

At that, she has to smile back. “I suppose we are. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”