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luxerians · 3 months ago

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The Last Mask (07)

Hwang In-ho/Oh Young-il/Player 001 x Reader

Chapter 07 - Oh Young-il

Story Masterlist

NEXT : Chapter 08

PREV : Chapter 06

All six of you were led back to the dormitory. As you stepped inside, a low murmur of chatter echoed among the surviving players. But the moment your group entered, the room fell silent. You felt the weight of every gaze, the burn of eyes boring into your team as if your survival was a personal affront.

“They don’t seem so happy to see us,” player 001 remarked, his tone light but tinged with awareness.

With player 001 leading the way, your team moved toward the familiar corner where you often gathered. The quiet tension lingered, following you like eyes.

You glanced back at player 222, who trailed at the far end of your group. Slowing your pace, you allowed her to catch up before wrapping a gentle arm around her shoulders.

“Hey, have you made any friends here yet?” you asked softly.

She shook her head silently, her expression fragile. Offering her a small, reassuring smile, you said, “Then stay with us. We usually hang out in that corner.”

You nodded toward the area your group was heading for. Player 222 hesitated, her eyes flicking to the others as if gauging whether she’d be welcomed. Noticing her uncertainty, you gave her shoulder a comforting pat, keeping your arm around her as you gently guided her forward.

As you walked, Jung-bae’s enthusiastic wave caught your attention. You followed his line of sight and saw the mother (149) and her son (007). The mother’s face lit up with pure relief and joy at seeing your group alive. She and her son waved at you and player 222 with genuine warmth.

“That sweet old lady,” Jung-bae commented wistfully. “I miss my mom.”

You returned the wave with a smile while player 222 bowed politely to them. After the brief exchange, you continued toward the corner with player 222 at your side.

Once there, your group settled in. Gi-hun took his usual spot at the far end, and player 222 sat on the lower staircases just in front of him. Player 001 sat beside Gi-hun, with you taking the lower step in front of him, next to player 222. Dae-ho and Jung-bae sat nearby, completing the circle. For the first time since returning, the corner felt like a small haven amidst the uneasy silence of the dormitory.

“I’m sorry about earlier, everyone,” player 001 spoke up, drawing the group’s attention. He was clearly referring to his struggles during the Spinning Top event.

“It’s okay,” you said first, offering him a reassuring smile. “Everyone has moments like that, but you didn’t give up, and that’s what mattered.”

Player 001 glanced at you, his eyes softening. He smiled appreciatively. Jung-bae patted his knee with a comforting smile, while Dae-ho shook his head as if dismissing the need for an apology.

“Don’t be,” Gi-hun added. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made the last kick.”

Player 001 turned his attention to player 222, his tone gentle. “Player 222, are you feeling alright?”

“Yes,” she replied quietly, nodding with a small smile. “Thank you all for letting me be on your team.”

You smiled warmly at her. “From now on, just stay with us.”

Player 222’s gazed at you in surprise before she bowed her head respectfully. “Okay. Thank you, big sis.”

Jung-bae chimed in, his tone light. “She smashed that Ddakji and flipped it on her first try. That was impressive.”

Player 222’s smile grew, but she lowered her head slightly, her expression bashful. You smiled wider at her reaction.

“She did great, even while carrying a baby. We were lucky she joined our team,” Jung-bae added.

“What about your Flying Stone play? You hit it with one shot,” Dae-ho said. He got up from the staircase and mimicked Jung-bae’s underhand throw. “Bam! You were like Kim Byung-hyun.”

Laughter rippled through the group, you and player 001 joining in. Jung-bae shook his head, chuckling. “And you? Was Gonggi the only game you ever played?”

Jung-bae then mimicked Dae-ho’s swift movements during Gonggi, adding exaggerated sound effects as if reenacting a battle. “I could barely see your hands. It was like watching a martial arts movie.”

Dae-ho laughed before he shared, “I’m the only son for two generations. My mom only let me play at home with my sisters.”

“And yet they let their precious son join the Marines?” asked Jung-bae, raising his eyebrows.

Dae-ho’s face froze for a moment. He stared at Jung-bae, his grin faltering slightly, then replied, “My father’s idea. He wanted me to be more of a man. He fought in the Vietnam War, you see.”

“Oh,” you said softly, the others nodding as they listened.

“He sounds like a great man,” said Jung-bae. “Was he a Marine too?”

“Yeah, well…” Dae-ho muttered, then suddenly shifted his attention to you. His tone brightened as he said in awe, “But how could we forget about Miss? The way you threw those arrows was awesome!”

He mimicked the way the arrows arched in the air and landed perfectly in the vase. “You must’ve done that a lot!”

Jung-bae turned to you as well, nodding in agreement. “That’s right. You passed on the first try and still had arrows left. Did you play sports like that?”

You chuckled, feeling a bit shy under their praise. “Not really. My school had games like Tuho during festivals. I joined for fun and found out I was good at it.”

“Ah,” the others murmured, nodding in understanding.

Jung-bae grinned at you. “We were lucky to have you. Oh, does your family know about your Tuho skills?”

You blinked and nodded. “Yeah, they do.”

Jung-bae leaned forward, his tone teasing. “Then they have nothing to be afraid of. If any bad guys show up, you’ll just grab something and throw it right into their eyes.”

Gi-hun, player 001, and Dae-ho let out brief, subtle laughs, and you couldn’t help but grin along. But as Jung-bae’s teasing lingered in the air, your mind wandered. You thought of your parents at the hospital and Ji-yoo. They must be wondering where you are right now, you realized.

Your smile gradually faded, and though you didn’t notice, player 001 and player 222 did. Their gazes lingered on you, a quiet concern settling between them. Jung-bae, however, remained oblivious.

“Oh, wait,” Jung-bae asked again, his tone light. “Do your parents know you’re here?”

You put on a small smile. “Oh, no, they don’t. They’re in the hospital right now, so I’m sure they have no idea where I am.”

The shift in the group’s mood was immediate. Their laughter faded, replaced by concern. Jung-bae tilted his head, his tone curious but cautious. “The hospital? Why? Are they sick?”

You forced a small smile, trying to sound casual. “Not exactly. They had a run-in with some loan sharks. My dad borrowed money, couldn’t pay it back, and… well, things got out of hand.”

The group went quiet, their gazes fixed on you. The weight of their attention felt heavy, and you glanced around, catching their curious and concerned expressions. You forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry. My parents are doing fine in the hospital now.”

“Miss…” Dae-ho’s voice broke the silence, hesitant. He pulled his jacket’s collar up to his nose as if it could shield him from the gravity of his own question. “What did the loan sharks do?”

At first, you hesitated, unsure if you should tell them. Their concerned faces made it harder to avoid, so you took a breath and put on a fake smile, trying to mask the unease growing inside you.

“They roughed up my parents. Dropped them off on the porch. They’re in the hospital now, but they’re tough. They’ll bounce back,” you pause, glancing at the floor briefly, then looked up with that same forced smile. “I'm taking care of their debt now. But it's tough because the loan sharks recently tripled the amount.”

Player 001 leaned forward slightly, his calm voice cutting through the tension. “How much?”

You informed, “It’s not just the loan anymore. The hospital bills for my parents… the interest… everything together. It’s 350 million won.”

“Wah,” Jung-bae said, staggered by the amount. “Unless you hit a jackpot or something, that’s impossible to pay off by yourself. Those loan sharks are scum.”

Dae-ho spoke up, “Miss, I didn’t realize you were carrying so much. You always seemed cheerful, and I thought it was just money issues bringing you here. But you’ve really been through a lot.”

“Did those loan sharks ever hurt you?” player 001 asked, his gaze steady and piercing.

This was when your fake smile dropped. You dropped your gaze and said, “No. But they sent me a note. It said they’d… resort to drastic measures if I didn’t pay. They threatened to hurt my little sister. That’s why I’m here. I need the money for my family.”

You glanced at player 001, catching the way he stared at you deeply, his expression unreadable but intense. Gi-hun also stared at you, quiet and contemplative. It struck you that he might be thinking you’d consider staying in the game longer to accumulate more prize money.

Quickly, you spoke up, “Not that I plan to stay here any longer, though. No matter how much I earn, I want to go home.”

Gi-hun nodded in understanding, the tension in his face easing. Turning to Jung-bae, you bowed your head slightly. “Sorry for bringing up such a heavy topic.”

The group shook their heads, brushing off your apology. Jung-bae was the first to respond. “No, it’s fine! Honestly, I’ve been curious about why you’re here anyway. You look so out of place.”

Dae-ho nodded energetically. “I’ve been wondering the same thing too. You and Miss 222… you don’t seem like you belong here.”

You blinked at him. “Is it because we’re girls?”

Dae-ho grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. “Well, yeah. But Miss 222 is pregnant, and you… you’re really pretty. Honestly, you should be filming a commercial, not stuck here.”

The unexpected compliment made you smile sincerely this time. Heat rose to your cheeks as you glanced away shyly. Before you could respond, player 222 spoke softly, “Yes, you’re very beautiful, big sis.”

Jung-bae and Gi-hun smiled in agreement, their expressions earnest. Player 001 chimed in, “I agree. Many players here keep glancing at you.”

You lowered your head bashfully.

Suddenly, Dae-ho pushed himself up from his seat and stepped confidently into the center of your group, his usual energy lighting up the moment.

“Listen. Perhaps we should learn each other’s names. I still don’t know your names, gentlemen. Or yours, Miss,” he said, glancing at player 222 before turning back to you with a grin. “Though I already know yours. Still, let’s do this properly as a group.”

He straightened up. “I’ll start. I’m Kang Dae-ho. ‘Dae’ means big, and ‘ho’ means tiger.”

Jung-bae chuckled lightly. “Oh, ‘big tiger.’ Cool name. My name is Park Jung-bae. ‘Righteous’ and ‘twice.’ My parents wanted me to be twice as righteous.”

Player 222 hesitated briefly before introducing herself. “My name is Kim Jun-hee. I don’t know what it means, though.”

The group smiled at her warmly. Player 001’s voice softened as he spoke to her, “Jun-hee, when you get out of here, go see a doctor right away. You’ve been under a lot of stress. You need to get yourself checked out.”

You noticed how gentle his tone was, and it melted your heart. He was genuinely considerate of her condition, and it showed in every word.

“Okay,” Jun-hee replied, her voice small but grateful.

Player 001 shifted his gaze to you, and you noticed the others following suit. Their expectant looks made it clear they were waiting for your introduction.

“My name is [Your Full Name],” you said next, offering a small smile. “I’ve never checked what it means.”

The others nodded in acceptance, their smiles encouraging. Player 001 also commented with a soft smile, “It sounds perfect for you. Beautiful, even.”

You hung your head bashfully.

Finally, player 001 spoke. “I’m Oh Young-il.”

You stared at him. Finally, you got his name.

“Young-il?” Jung-bae repeated in bewilderment.

“Yes,” Young-il said, pointing at his player number. “Young-il sounds like ‘zero one,’ and that’s my number. Easy to remember.”

Dae-ho’s eyes lit up as he pointed to the number on Young-il’s uniform. “Oh, that’s true! Your name is your number!”

“What a coincidence,” you remarked, smiling. “Maybe the game makers noticed the connection and assigned you as 001 on purpose.”

Young-il chuckled at your comment, his eyes glinting with amusement. “Who knows? It does feel a little too perfect.”

Jung-bae nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it’s almost like fate.”

Young-il turned to the man beside him with a curious expression. “Oh, Gi-hun. What’s your last name?”

“My name is Seong Gi-hun,” he said, finally introducing himself as his gaze flicked to you and the rest of the group.

You and the others nodded, murmuring sounds of acknowledgment. Young-il, however, tilted his head thoughtfully before remarking, “Oh. But ‘Seong’ literally means ‘last name.’”

He broke into a laugh at his own comment, his amusement evident. The rest of the group stared at him as if not quite catching on. You stared at him for a moment, then it clicked – he was probably making a dad joke. Unable to hold back, you chuckled softly, the lighthearted moment easing the mood a little.

A blaring beeping noise echoed through the dormitory. As usual, the main double doors opened, and the pink-clad guards marched in. At the front, the familiar square-masked guard stood.

You and the rest of the players turned to watch. Many began rising from their seats or stepping away from their hangout spots, awaiting the the announcement.

“Congratulations to all of you for making it through the second game. Here are the results of the second game,” the square-masked guard announced, holding up a remote control.

With a click, the dormitory lights dimmed, leaving the room bathed in the eerie glow of the piggy bank suspended near the ceiling. The familiar sound of money dropping filled the air as stacks of bills cascaded into the transparent bank. Almost every player stood, their eyes fixed on the mesmerizing sight.

You found yourself staring too, unable to shake the grim realization that each stack represented the lives of players who didn’t make it.

When the flow of money stopped, the guard spoke again. “In the second game, 114 players were eliminated. The prize money accumulated up to this point is 19.8 billion won. Since there are 258 players remaining, each person’s share is 76,744,186 won.”

Hearing the amount, you hung your head low. The number was far from what you needed to cover your debt. Disappointment gnawed at you. Unbeknownst to you, Young-il, standing just beside you, stared at you.

“Wait, what?” a player exclaimed, his tone sharp with dissatisfaction. “It’s still under 100 million? It’s not even 80 million.”

A woman with an ‘O’ patch on her chest asked bluntly, “Only 114 people died? Is that all? Did you count them right?”

Another voice from the O zone yelled out, “That’s all? But you shot all those people!”

Player 100 joined in, his voice rising above the others. “Count them again!”

The dissatisfaction rippled through the crowd as more players voiced their anger.

The square-masked guard's voice cut through the noise. “I completely understand your disappointment. However, we always keep the door open for you to pursue new opportunities. You will now take a vote to decide whether to continue the games or not.”

The circle-masked guards moved efficiently, setting up the voting equipment. The square guard continued, “Whether to continue the games for a bigger prize or to stop here is entirely your choice. Please feel free to exercise your right to choose in a democratic manner.”

All of you were given a short break as the circle guards set up everything for the voting. You stood there, your head still hung low, disappointment lingering at the thought of 70 million won being nowhere near enough to solve your problems.

“[Your name],” Gi-hun called, breaking through your thoughts.

You blinked and turned to him. Gi-hun stepped down onto the same staircase where you stood, positioning himself on your left since Young-il was already standing to your right. His stare was steady.

“If the vote goes our way and we leave this game,” Gi-hun began, “memorize my phone number. Contact me. I want to help you and your situation.”

You gaped at him, stunned by his sudden offer. From the corner of your eye, you noticed Jun-hee observing the two of you, her curiosity clear. Behind you, the subtle sound of shifting made you aware that Young-il had fully turned his attention to your conversation.

Gi-hun continued, “I still have billions of won left. More than enough to help your family. If you’re more comfortable, we can arrange to meet somewhere. Maybe at a park or a subway station.”

His words caught you off guard, but they brought a warm smile to your face. You nodded gratefully. “Thank you. That would mean a lot.”

Gi-hun returned your smile. Before you could say more, Young-il’s voice interrupted gently.

“I’d like to help as well,” Young-il said calmly.

You turned to him, your eyes wide in surprise. His gaze met yours, steady and kind.

“Whether it’s protection or financial support, I’ll do whatever I can. If we leave this place, let’s set up a meeting as well,” Young-il offered.

A soft warmth spread across your cheeks as his words sank in. You bowed your head respectfully, your voice filled with gratitude. “Thank you so much, you two.”

Young-il’s smile widened, but it quickly faltered when he noticed Gi-hun staring at the O patch on his chest. Young-il reassured him, “Don’t worry. I want to stop here too.”

Gi-hun’s shoulders relaxed, his posture softening as he nodded. “Ah, right. You have a wife waiting for you at the hospital.”

The words landed like a thunderclap. Your body froze, a chill running through you as your eyes darted to Young-il. You had suspected he might be married. His maturity and demeanor hinted at it. But hearing it confirmed struck you harder than you expected. It was in that instant you realized you had developed a crush on him, and the realization made your heart sink.

Your gaze stayed locked on Young-il, searching his face for confirmation. But instead of a smile, his expression tightened. He froze, his features tense, and the cheerful warmth he’d carried moments ago vanished. His silence stretched on until Gi-hun frowned and asked, “What? What’s wrong?”

Young-il’s eyes flicked to you briefly before he averted his gaze, his discomfort clear. You couldn’t help but gawk at him, your emotions tangled between disappointment and confusion. Young-il ruffled his hair awkwardly, exhaling deeply as if bracing himself.

“Well, about that…” he began, his tone hesitant, but you had heard enough.

Your gaze shifted away from him, and that’s when you noticed the other players gathering at the far back of the dormitory. The guards appeared to have finished setting up for the voting process.

Without another word, you stood and left the circle, making your way toward the crowd. The noise of the group and the hum of activity around you dulled the turmoil in your mind, but the questions lingering about Young-il remained unanswered.

You couldn’t understand why you felt so angry. It wasn’t his fault. Deep down, you’d always suspected he might be married. Still, you’d let yourself get swept up in the little moments, the kind words and gestures that made your heart skip a beat. You’d let your feelings blind you to reality.

You never saw this coming – you having a crush on an older adult male. The teenage version of you would be terrified, but you couldn’t help it. This Young-il guy was so charming, so caring, so considerate towards you.

But he’s married already. He has a wife waiting for him. At the hospital.

You facepalmed. Gosh, you’re such a whore.

You heard shuffling behind you, followed by the low muttering of familiar voices. You didn’t need to look to know that Jung-bae and Dae-ho were there. It seemed the rest of your group had followed you into the crowd, though you weren’t sure about Young-il or Gi-hun.

“Are you okay?” Gi-hun’s voice reached you from behind, but it didn’t seem directed at you.

There was a moment of silence before Young-il replied, “Yeah…”

His voice was calm but carried a faint edge.

You didn’t turn to look, keeping your focus ahead. That’s when you felt a presence beside you. A quick glance out of the corner of your eye revealed the adorable Jun-hee standing there. You looped your arm gently through hers. She turned her head to you and smiled.

The square-masked guard’s voice cut through the murmurs. “This time, the vote will begin with player 001. Player 001, please cast your vote.”

You stayed focused on the front, though the sound of movement behind you did not go unnoticed. A presence brushed past you. You glanced sideways and saw Young-il. He was already looking at you, his expression unreadable. He gave you a slight nod before continuing toward the voting counter.

You weren’t sure what his nod meant, but you feigned indifference and turned your attention back to the process. At the counter, Young-il pressed the X button, the deep ping echoing in the room. The tally on the TV screen updated immediately. He removed his O patch, replacing it with the red X patch, then walked to the X zone. His eyes immediately found yours.

Caught off guard, you quickly looked away and focused on the ongoing voting. Player 006 was next, voting for X as well. Then came player 007’s turn – the son from the mother-and-son duo. He was just about to step forward when his mother stopped him.

“Yong-sik, don’t get any foolish ideas,” she said. “If we put our money together, it’d be over 150 million. We’ll pay off your debt with it and use the rest to open a produce store or something. Okay?”

So his name is Yong-sik, you mused.

Yong-sik nodded wordlessly and made his way to the counter. His eyes lingered on the buttons, his expression contemplative. He glanced at the TV screen displaying the tally before finally pressing the O button.

You blinked in surprise. If you were shocked, you couldn’t imagine how his mother felt.

The voting continued, the process moving along steadily. As the numbers shifted on the screen, you began to notice the absurdity of the tie forming. Despite witnessing so much death, so many players were still willing to risk their lives for money.

Player 100 stepped up and, predictably, pressed the O button. Then it was player 120’s turn. She hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over the buttons, before choosing O as well.

Several more players followed, each selecting O. The tally climbed to [X: 33 | O: 36] when Gi-hun suddenly pushed his way through the crowd. You watched him with wide eyes, wondering if he was about to disrupt the voting process again.

He emerged from the throng and turned to face you and the other unvoters. His voice was loud and urgent. “Everyone!”

“Are you all out of your minds?!”

Another voice cut through the room, sharp and commanding. You jolted at the sound and turned to see Young-il stepping forward from the X zone. He moved to stand in the middle of the X and O areas, his gaze sweeping over the players.

“You still want to keep going after watching all those people die?” Young-il shouted. “Who’s to say you won’t die in the next game? We have to stop. We’ll all die if we keep going! Come to your senses, and leave with that money. You’ve got to survive first, or there won’t be a next step.”

“What do you think we can do with a mere 70 million?” player 100 demanded, stepping forward from the crowd of O voters. His voice was loud, cutting through the tense silence. “I don’t know how much you owe, but for most people here, that doesn’t even cover 10% of their debt.”

You rolled your eyes, unable to stop yourself. Yeah, especially you with your 10 billion won debt.

“There’s no next step for us!” player 100 continued, his voice rising with each word. “That money won’t change anything!”

“Yes, he’s right!” another O voter chimed in. “With that amount of money, I won’t last long!”

Player 100 turned his attention toward the unvoters. “It was 25 million after the first game, and now it’s 76 million! After just one more game, the prize will be at least 240 million! That’s the kind of money that can actually change lives!”

A petite woman (player 095) suddenly spoke up, her voice trembling. “But I can’t do this anymore.”

All gazes were cast onto her. Tears streamed down her face. You recognized her from the Seven Legs Hexathlon, where she’d been on the same team as the mother and son duo and player 120.

Her body shook as sobs racked her frame. “Please. Please let me out of here. I really want to go home. I don’t want to die.”

Your heart clenched at her words, her fear echoing your own. You wanted to go home too, as did many others. But with the majority voting O, it felt like there was no escape.

A heavy silence followed her cries, broken only by her quiet sobbing. Then another O voter spoke up, guilt etched into his face, though his resolve to stay was clear. “Young lady, you’re young, so you’d probably have another chance.”

He looked like he was holding back tears as well. “But I don’t.”

“Please,” player 095 begged, clasping her hands together in a desperate gesture. Her cries were gut-wrenching, and you felt your own eyes begin to sting with unshed tears.

“My family and I have no future,” the O voter continued, his voice breaking. “My business failed, and now I owe over 500 million. I’ve got to make at least half of that here if I want a real shot at a fresh start.”

“What if you die?” Young-il’s voice cut through the silence. “If you die here, your family won’t even get your body. Then it’d be the end for you and your family!”

The O voter stared at him, his expression shifting as the weight of his words began to sink in. He cast their gaze downward, silent, as Young-il pressed further. “Don’t you see?”

“Don’t get fucking scared!”

The sudden outburst turned every head. Player 226 – another greedy player akin to player 100 – stepped forward. He continued, “Ddakji, Red Light, Green Light, Spinning Top! It’s not like the games are that difficult.”

He pointed at the TV screen. “Look. There are still 258 players. Way more than half of us survived! We’ve made it this far, so let’s do this one more time!”

Player 100 joined in. “You make such a good point, young man. That’s right! We’ve all played the games well and are still standing! Now, let’s play one more game! Just one more, and that’s it! Let’s play just one more game!”

“Yeah, let’s play one more game!” Player 226 shouted.

“One more game!” Player 100 began to chant.

The phrase spread quickly, the dormitory booming with voices as a majority of players picked up the chant. The sheer volume of it made your chest tighten. You hung your head low, the reality of the situation hitting you hard. This voting session was going to end with O as the majority. The thought frustrated you.

Unbeknownst to you, Young-il glanced in your direction, his expression unreadable.

Ten minutes had passed, and the voting process was still ongoing. You had tuned out the numbers being called, lost in your thoughts, when a slight shuffling nearby snapped you out of your trance. A presence settled beside you, and you turned your head to see a man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties. The number on his chest read 299. Behind him stood two other male players, and it was clear from their demeanor that the three of them were close.

What caught you off guard was that player 299 was already staring at you. As your eyes met, he smiled and spoke up, “Hi there. I’m Lee Min-jae.”

Blinking in perplexity, you hesitated before introducing yourself. His grin widened. “I want to say nice to meet you, but this isn’t exactly the perfect place for it, is it?”

You nodded blankly, unsure of what to say. He continued without missing a beat. “Anyway, I’ve been meaning to ask if you’d be okay hanging out with me later. After this vote.”

Your eyes widened in surprise. “Hang out?”

“Yeah, with me and my friends,” he gestured briefly to the two men behind him. “I noticed you always hang out with the previous winner and his group. But if you don’t mind, I was hoping you could leave them for this evening and spend some time with us instead.”

You averted your gaze, feeling a little uncomfortable with the sudden invitation.

“Umm, I’m not sure yet,” you replied cautiously.

Min-jae didn’t seem deterred. “Come on. It’ll be fun. We’ll take care of you, promise.”

His friends chimed in as well. One of them, a tall man with number 277, added, “Yeah, it’ll be good to relax a little. Everyone’s so tense here.”

The other, player 304, nodded in agreement. “Exactly. We’ve got to find small ways to keep ourselves sane in this place.”

You noticed from the corner of your eye that Jun-hee was subtly observing the interaction, her gaze shifting between you and the trio. Her quiet presence gave you a strange sense of reassurance.

Feeling cornered but not wanting to be rude, you deflected with a polite smile. “I’ll see if I have time later. Things are a bit hectic right now.”

That response seemed to satisfy Min-jae, who nodded with an easygoing grin. “Fair enough. Just let me know if you’re up for it.”

With that, he stepped back, rejoining his friends. The three of them exchanged a few words among themselves before turning their attention back to the voting process. You let out a small sigh of relief, grateful that the conversation had ended for now.

Thirty minutes passed, and the final vote from Gi-hun echoed through the room with a deep ping. The TV screen updated with the final tally: [X: 117 | O: 141].

It was a complete defeat for your side.

The square-masked guard’s voice broke through the noise. “The results are 141 for O and 117 for X. Based on the majority vote, we will proceed to the third game tomorrow. Thank you.”

The players began to disperse. In the X zone, you stood beside Jun-hee, with Dae-ho on her other side. In front of you was Young-il, his posture tense. Gi-hun remained by the voting counter, frozen in place, his disheartened expression making it clear he hadn’t expected such a defeat.

Your frustration simmered beneath the surface. The vote itself had been crushing, but what stung even more was Jung-bae’s unexpected decision to vote for O. You’d thought everyone in your group had agreed to leave this time, yet there he was, standing in the O zone. It felt like a betrayal.

Letting out a weary sigh, you turned and walked away, heading for your bed. The dormitory felt suffocating, and all you wanted was a moment to collect yourself.

NEXT : Chapter 08

PREV : Chapter 06

Story Masterlist

I would love to know what you think so feel free to comment as long as you could!

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#hwang in ho #hwang in ho x reader #hwang in ho fanfic #in ho #the front man #player 001 #squid game #squid game season 2 #squid game s2 #front man x reader #front man x you

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cannedbabs · 3 months ago

Note

Hello, loving you're rewrite of RBTI so far!! If I may ask, what was Turbo up to before he bumped into Ralph and Vanellope? Also, how did he run into those two? That must've been such a 'lovely' reunion, hehehe.

Thank you so much for liking my rewrite!!! That means the absolute world to me, and I LOVE the questions!!

Turbo was up to a.. LOT of stuff

His first go on the internet was quite literally a rabbit chase. BEV detects him as a virus due to the Cybug coding. Like stated previously(?) he can’t control it despite WANTING to.

((More under cut just since I feel like this is gonna be a LONG post!!))

Did I mention this entire AU is based off of ONE simple Ralph Breaks the Internet concept art spread?

In the back you can see while Ralph is looking for directions on the Darknet, there is a Turbo Torrent sign! So naturally it’s canon to this AU too :] we love a man who hates capitalism and promotes piracy. So in this rewrite he ends up becoming a menace to the Darknet, striking fear into most Netizens who inhabit or do business there. Thankfully they live in somewhat peace since Turbo leaves to do his own thing, but he’s got a decent business going on. Picking up on how to code was VERRRY beneficial to him even now, he has skills some can’t even dream of (while arcade coding is much different he managed to pick it up quick on the internet. Probably manipulated Knowsmore into it too)

This is 90% of what he was doing before Ralph and Vanellope accessed the internet. Their ‘reunion’ goes as follows, roughly via a shitty comic

((I haven’t come up with a plotline other than the wheel to sugar rush breaking. But that is VERY much probably subject to change until I think of something more creative. I don’t like it for multiple reasons, main one being it feels throw away since Sugar Rush in WIR was a two player console but for RBTI it was one player just so they could retcon and do the movie how they did 😒))

But! All that to say FOR NOW Spamely is still sending them on quests for money. Though instead of Shank and Slaughter Race (arguably my LEAST fav part of RBTI) there is now a ‘game hub’ with a multitude of games instead of just… one… game in the middle of the internet?? And there’s a rare upgrade in it people are willing to pay a LOT for!

Gotta give Turbo credit, he knows how to race! Though yeah he swipes it from Vanellope, places first, and garners the attention from Ralph who is probably gonna beat the filling out of him for real this time.

((Like always more questions appreciated!!! Helps me get out of art block actually and pushes me to try to draw stuff I normally wouldn’t!! :] I appreciate all of you who enjoy this rewrite SOOO much!!!))

#turbo wreck it ralph #wir #wreck it ralph #wreck it ralph turbo #turbo #turbo wir #turbotastic #turbotime #king candy #king candy wir #ralph breaks the internet #ralph wreck it ralph #vanellope wreck it ralph #wir vanellope #princess vanellope #vanellope von schweetz #rbti #rbti rewrite

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vanteguccir · 10 months ago

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ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤHOCKEY DRAMA * MATT STURNIOLO

SUMMARY　::　where Y/N is a hockey player of the Boston High-school hockey team, and during one of her games, her temper is tested by her opponent while her boyfriend, Matt, is watching.

FEATURING　Matt Sturniolo x reader　REQUESTED?　yes.

WARNINGS　::　Physical fighting, blood, bruises.

AUTHOR'S NOTE　::　that is my work, I DON'T authorize any form of plagiarism; copy, "inspiration" or translation! | english isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

Y/N adjusted the straps of her helmet and took one last look around the locker room. The muffled noise of the crowd, which already filled the gym, pulsed through the walls. The tension in the air was palpable. This game wasn't just another game of the season; it was the decisive game that would define the regional champion. And for Y/N, there was an extra motivation: Matt. Her boyfriend was in the audience, and she wanted more than ever to impress him with her performance.

While sliding across the ice during warm-ups, Y/N observed the opposing team, known for its physical and aggressive play, looked more determined than ever. Among them, one player in particular stood out: Lilian. Tall, robust, and with a look that exuded competitiveness, Lilian had a reputation for being ruthless. Y/N knew she would have to pay attention to her throughout the game.

The opening whistle sounded, and the game began with frenetic intensity. Y/N moved with agility, looking for gaps in the opponent's defense. Every pass, every deflection, was meticulously calculated.

And it didn't take long for her to find an opportunity.

With a quick sprint, Y/N escaped to the right, receiving a precise pass from her teammate and, with an elegant movement of her stick, sent the puck directly into the corner of the net.

The electric sound of the puck hitting the net was followed by a roar from the crowd. Matt, who was sitting in the center bleachers, jumped to his feet, cheering and shouting her name, a huge smile taking over his face as his hands grabbed the front of his brothers' hoodies, shaking their upper bodies with euphoria.

Y/N's confidence was high, but the game was far from won. The opposing team increased the pressure, and Lilian, especially, seemed to have fixed Y/N as her main target.

In one of the most critical moves, Lilian came forward with force, bumping into Y/N with an intensity that bordered on brutality. Y/N managed to stay upright but felt the impact reverberate through her bones.

She returned Lilian's gaze with firm determination. She would not allow herself to be intimidated.

The minutes passed, and the game became increasingly fierce. Y/N was determined to score another goal. Her ears seemed to constantly search for the loud and firm comments of encouragement that escaped her boyfriend's lips, drawing strength from there. With a combination of speed and precision, she advanced towards the opponent's goal again.

But Lilian was there, and this time, she wasn't willing to allow Y/N to pass. In a split second, Lilian collided violently against Y/N, knocking her onto the ice. The impact was so strong that Y/N felt the air leave her lungs, her hands quickly letting go of the stick and gluing to her chest covered by heavy clothes, trying desperately to take a long breath.

The referee blew the whistle, signaling a penalty, but the damage was already done.

With anger boiling inside her, Y/N stood up with difficulty, breathing harshly. She felt humiliated and enraged. Without thinking twice, the girl skated towards the locker room, ignoring the screams of her teammates and her coach, who called for her, cutting through the silence that had settled in the gym after the incident.

The door closed behind her back, muffling the sound of the crowd and the frenzy of the game, echoing like a dull thud throughout the space. In the silence of the locker room, Y/N took a deep breath, trying to control the storm of emotions that was stirring inside her.

She sat down on the main bench, removing her helmet and running her hands through her sweat-damp hair. Anger burned through her veins, not just because of Lilian's aggression, but because of the frustration of feeling like she was letting down her team and, especially, Matt. He had come to watch her play, and all she wanted was to put on a spectacular show for him.

Tears began to form, but Y/N took another deep breath, refusing to let them fall. She wouldn't give in.

The girl closed her eyes tightly, trying to center herself, but as she did so, a stab of pain appeared above her eye. A wince scaped her lips as she touched the painful area, noticing something warm and wet on her fingers. Raising them to her eye level, she saw blood.

The anger, which was already intense, intensified even more. The girl felt her blood boiling as her hands shook with hatred. The sight of blood dripping from her eyebrow was the trigger that was needed for her uncontrolled fury.

Without thinking twice, Y/N put the helmet back on harshly, ignoring the pain. She wouldn't let Lilian get away with that. Y/N got out of the locker room with firm slides, determined to show that no one would take her down without consequences.

Back on the ice, Y/N felt a new surge of energy, this time fueled by anger and the need for revenge. Her eyes were fixed on Lilian, who didn't seem to expect her to return so soon. With impressive speed, Y/N skated directly towards her opponent, leaving her coach's questions behind.

When the distance between them closed, Y/N kept going, hitting her shoulder against the other girl with all the strength she had. The impact threw Lilian to the ground, who fell onto her back, surprised and in pain, a loud cry scream echoing afterward.

The referee blew his whistle frantically, but Y/N ignored his and Lilian's screams. Her focus was absolute.

She took the puck from one of the opposing players with surprising dexterity and began advancing towards the goal. Every movement was fierce, precise. She was in a state of flux, where nothing else mattered other than the next goal.

With impressive skill, Y/N scored one after another. The crowd was in a frenzy, and the energy in the gym was electric. Matt, in the bleachers, watched everything with wide eyes, his screams standing out among the crowd. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Y/N was playing like never before, in a way he himself had never witnessed.

With each goal, Y/N felt increasing satisfaction. She was showing everyone – her team, her opponents, the watchers, and especially Lilian – that she was really good. Blood was still running from her eyebrow, dripping onto her lips held by the mouth guard, the metallic taste flooding her tongue.

When the final whistle sounded, declaring her team's victory, Y/N felt a wave of relief flood her body. She dropped the stick on the ice floor and ripped off her helmet, taking her mouth guard off of her lips, finally breathing properly, her eyes darting around the gym as euphoria took over her body, adrenaline rushing through her veins like lightning.

It was at that moment that she saw Matt jump over the railing that separated the bleachers from the ice. The brunette ran towards her, slipping slightly on the ice, a consequence of his inappropriate sneakers, leaving behind the screams of his brothers who tried to dissuade him.

She felt her heart speed up even more, wetting her lips in anticipation.

When Matt finally reached Y/N, he quickly threw himself in front of her, raising his arms and cupping his girl's face with both hands firmly, his gaze filled with concern and love. His blue eyes scanned the cut on her eyebrow, trying to wipe away the blood on her skin with trembling fingers.

"Y/N, baby, are you okay? You're bleeding so much. Let me see this..."

Y/N, still breathing heavily, felt a wave of emotions wash over her. Before Matt could continue, she cut him off with a passionate kiss, wrapping her hands around his thick hoodie-covered waist and pulling him closer, the significant height that her skateboards provided her aiding her in her action.

It was a kiss full of intensity, relief, and love.

Matt sighed deeply, the hot air hitting the girl's cold face, causing the blush in the area to intensify, feeling enveloped by the passion and strength that emanated from her.

When they finally separated, Matt hugged her tightly, his body shaking slightly with the adrenaline that took his body along with his heart racing at a thousand miles per hour. His large hands hugged her head against his own right shoulder, his fingers stroking her tied hair gently.

"I'm so proud of you, Y/N. You were amazing. I've never seen anyone play like you played today. You were so strong, so brave..." Y/N smiled against his covered skin, feeling his hushed words warm her heart.

"It was all for you, babe. Every goal-"

"Y/N!" The coach shouted, approaching with quick, steady steps, his ice-appropriate sneakers keeping him upright. "What in God's name was that? This is a hockey game. What, are you trying out for the gymnastics team? If you do that again, you'll be out!"

Matt watched him with wide eyes, his lips pressed into a thin line in an attempt to hold back his laughter.

"Sorry, coach. I just did what I had to do." Y/N rolled her eyes, letting out a breathless laugh.

The coach shook his head, opening an almost imperceptible smile.

"You played with your heart today, kid. Just try to keep a little more control next time, okay? We don't want you to miss big opportunities."

"You got it, coach." Y/N nodded quickly, Matt's arms still holding her tightly, one arm grasping firmly around her waist, keeping her close.

"Now take her to the infirmary, boy." The coach approached, casting a glance toward Matt while patting her right shoulder.

"Yes, sir, I'll take care of her."

"You better."

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loveinhawkins · 2 years ago

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The Championship Game of 1985 is only a quarter of the way done, and Eddie is already certain that it’s not going to be a Hawkins victory.

It kinda blows, honestly. It’s boring, like correctly guessing the ending of a movie five minutes in.

And yeah, sue him, maybe high school basketball is a legitimate source of entertainment—he can admit that in the safety of his own head, at least.

Take, for example, the first game of the ‘83 tournament, when a timeout was called with only seconds remaining: the Tigers’ last hope of winning was to miraculously sink a shot with the fraction of time they had left. The tension in the air was palpable as the team formed a huddle—Eddie couldn’t hear anything apart from students chanting, but he stood on his tiptoes and found a gap in the crowd, just in time to read Steve Harrington’s lips: “I’ll make it.”

And he had—with a goddamn stunning full-court jump shot, too, the ball falling through the net just before the buzzer sounded.

Like, come on. Eddie would only admit it under pain of death, but that definitely rivals the intensity of any worthy campaign.

But he can see none of that excitement now. The Tigers have had few opportunities to even get the ball, and whenever they do, Billy Hargrove seems to have taken it upon himself to hog the damn thing, like it’s a symbol of his masculinity.

Of course, he loses the ball—again—and his nostrils flare with anger.

Maybe that’s why Eddie notices it. He’s checked out of paying attention to the game itself, instead focusing on the jaded expressions of Hargrove’s teammates.

As the ball makes its way down center court, Eddie’s eyes are instead drawn to Steve Harrington. He looks pissed, wiping sweat off his forehead and shouting what looks like some pretty choice words at Hargrove’s back.

Hargrove doesn’t seem to acknowledge it, but for just a moment he goes completely still, and all Eddie can think is danger.

It’s covert, the way it’s all done. Hargrove’s move is quick and calculated; he steps far enough away afterwards that it looks like the whole thing is the fault of a rival player.

But Eddie sees the subtle shove. Sees Steve lose his footing.

He goes down hard.

Winces ripple through the audience. Eddie hears Robin Buckley from band suck air through her teeth, then ramble, “Shit, do you think it’s really bad? Beth Wildfire, on my soccer team, her bone, like, came out of her whole knee, you could see it, must’ve been six inches—”

It doesn’t look like anything as gory as that has happened; Steve is already up, and from the redness of his face, it initially seems as if the only thing that’s been hurt is his pride.

But as Eddie sidles to the end of the front row, within earshot of the bench, he sees that Steve can’t put his weight on one ankle, sees the telling way he grits his teeth while speaking.

“I can keep going,” he says, even as Jason Carver’s getting pulled up to replace him.

The coach barely spares Steve a glance, clapping Carver on the shoulder as he jogs onto the court.

“Get someone to take you over to the nurse.”

Steve’s spine goes rigid. “But I can—”

“Look, I don’t have time for this.” The coach finally looks at Steve directly, pointing a stern finger at his chest. “You’re benched, Harrington.”

Steve visibly deflates. He opens his mouth, but no words come out, and then he glances to the side, as if suddenly aware that he’s drawing attention to himself.

This time, when his teeth clench, Eddie thinks that it’s more from embarrassment than pain.

“Whatever,” Steve mutters, and he limps out of the hall—close enough that he clips Eddie by the shoulder as he goes.

Eddie doesn’t know that he’s made a decision until he’s already moving, stepping to the side.

He turns and heads for the exit.

There’s a jeering call from the bench: Mark Lewinsky.

“Aw, what are you gonna do, Munson? Nurse him back to health?”

Obscene moaning noises, punctuated with laughter.

Eddie rolls his eyes.

He finds Steve in the corridor, bracing himself with a hand against the wall. There’s a couple of pictures on the floor, class photos taken for the yearbook that had been pinned up; Steve must have inadvertently torn them down as he grappled for balance.

“Go away, Munson,” he says without looking. “Go back to the game.”

“I’ve kinda lost interest,” Eddie says lightly. He manages to watch Steve take one painful step before he simply can’t do it anymore—stepping forward, he says, “Christ, Harrington, here.”

Steve jolts away from his hand. “Fuck off, I don’t need—”

“Well, fuck you too, then,” Eddie snaps. Something’s burning in his chest, a sudden and fierce hurt. “Jesus Christ. You know what I am isn’t fucking catching, right?”

He shocks himself by saying it.

In the silence that follows all he can think is that, for once, his dad was right: he never did learn how to shut his damn mouth.

Steve’s staring at him, pressing his back against the wall like it’s the one thing keeping him upright.

“That’s—that’s not why—” He breaks off, looks completely lost.

Somewhere within Eddie’s own mortification, he takes pity on him.

He sniffs, tries to act nonchalant. “Don’t hurt yourself, man.”

“No, I—I didn’t mean…” Steve sighs. “I’m sorry. That’s not—I just meant—” He pushes off from the wall again, wobbles until his hand finds purchase. “Just meant I can do it myself.”

Eddie feels his heart rate slow. He tilts his head. Re-examines Steve’s posture: the set to his jaw, the pained determination.

Years ago, Eddie broke his wrist at the fair, thanks to an awkward crash while on the bumper cars. It was the first summer that staying at Wayne’s had become a permanent thing, and Eddie had hidden his wrist beneath the folds of his too-large leather jacket, but Wayne met him off the ride and immediately noticed (“Chrissake, Ed. I’m not mad, kid. Just… lemme help you?”).

Eddie tried to stay silent as he got wrapped into a splint, because anything else felt like admitting to something.

Felt shameful.

“Yeah, you can,” Eddie says, shrugging. He pauses. Takes a chance. “Doesn’t mean you have to, though.”

He moves forward again—slower this time. Offers his hand.

Steve takes it.

“For the record,” he says, grunting as he shifts his weight, “I could’ve kept playing. Like, I’ve had worse.”

Yeah, Eddie thinks, you sure have.

Steve clearly hasn’t sensed that Eddie’s thoughts have gone to how messed up his face was last winter, because he keeps talking.

“Anyway. My own damn fault.” A rueful grin. “Didn’t plant my feet.”

“Don’t,” Eddie says. “You don’t have to… I saw. I saw Hargrove, man.”

Steve scoffs quietly. “Yeah, of course you did.”

“Shit, Harrington, way to make me sound like a stalker.”

“No, it’s just—” Steve shakes his head. “Just typical, that’s all. Remember when the fire alarm went off, last spring? You were the only one who noticed Debbie Lyons was missing.”

“Uh, so?”

Steve smiles. “So… you notice things.”

Eddie doesn’t know what to say.

But he gives it a try as they round another corner.

“What the fuck is Hargrove’s problem with you, dude?”

Steve chuckles wryly. “I’m really annoying.”

“Yeah, fair enough,” Eddie says, grinning when Steve manages to elbow him in the ribs. “But not, like, ‘intentionally injure’ levels of annoying. He threw the game, too.”

“Huh?”

Eddie fixes Steve with a pointed look. “Took out one of our best players.”

Steve rolls his eyes, but still looks undeniably pleased. “Shuddup.” He sobers in the space of taking another step and says, “With Hargrove, it’s… there’s bigger things than basketball, y’know?”

Eddie hears the just drop it underneath what’s spoken. He nods.

They’re almost at the nurse’s office when Steve sighs. “S’not exactly how I pictured it.”

“Hmm?”

“My last game.” Steve winces slightly as they inch closer to the door; Eddie tries to take more of his weight. “Had it in my head that I’d win, go out on a high.”

Eddie’s staring down the prospect of repeating senior year again—he knows all about having ideas in your head that don’t quite pan out.

“Life isn’t like a movie, Harrington,” he says.

It comes out perhaps more fond than he intended.

For some reason, Steve starts laughing like he’s heard something downright hilarious. “Yeah, gonna have to agree to disagree on that one, Munson.”

In the nurse’s office, they find out Steve’s probably got a bad sprain rather than a fracture (“See? I totally could’ve kept playing,” Steve insists), but that he should get it checked out at the hospital, just in case.

Ice pack in one hand, Steve makes a call on the office phone, with what sounds like a morbidly curious teen on the other end: “No, dude, there’s no blood—can you be normal for, like, two seconds and put your mom on? Thank you.”

As Steve hangs up, Eddie is very aware that the right time to leave was probably five minutes ago.

He stays put.

“This was supposed to be my last game, too,” he says.

“Was?”

Eddie clicks his tongue. “Well. S’not confirmed yet, haven’t had my last test results back. But uh, it’s kinda like the game.” He nods in the direction that they came, towards the basketball court. “I already know which way it’s gonna go.”

There’s no judgement in Steve’s eyes. “Sorry. Must’ve been boring to watch.”

Eddie smiles. “Nah, you’re good.”

He doesn’t say that, in his eyes, Steve’s single-handedly given the school almost all of its memorable basketball moments. That his secret favourite one isn’t even a Tigers victory: there was a game when Steve was poised to take the winning shot, and a kid from Connersville fainted.

In the few seconds of confusion, Steve could’ve still taken the shot. He could’ve won.

But as soon as he realised what was going on, he refused to.

To Eddie, that says more about him than any triumph ever could.

The phone rings again; the nurse is letting a Mrs Henderson in at the front of the school to pick up Steve.

“Guess that’s my cue,” Eddie says, because there’s only so many people allowed in the office at one time.

“See you, Munson. Um, thanks, by the way. Hope next year’s championship is, uh, better.”

There’s something in the way he says it, like even while still in the building, he’s drifting away, high school in his rear view mirror.

Oh, Eddie thinks wistfully, you’re already halfway outta here, aren’t you?

Goddamnit. I might actually miss you, Steve Harrington. You and your stupid hair.

“Hmm, can’t see myself going to watch next year.”

“Oh, yeah? How come?”

Eddie lingers in the doorway. Maybe it’s the fact that in a few weeks they’re never gonna see each other again. Maybe that helps him say it. Makes him a little braver.

He’s never learned to shut his damn mouth.

“My favourite player’s leaving,” he says.

And sure, he leaves barely a second later; he’s not that brave.

But he stays just long enough to catch Steve’s smile: startled, pleased, and perhaps just a little shy—like he’s made the winning shot after all.

#i just love the thought that Eddie used to secretly enjoy basketball ‘for some reason’ ❤️#pre steddie #steddie #steddie fic #steddie ficlet #steve harrington #eddie munson #steve x eddie #implied homophobia

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midnightanxietytm · 1 year ago

Text

He takes his whiskey neat

A/N: Look, I think i was possessed while writing this one /j. It was like 1 am and I was procrastination on college work, I dunno what happened but this is the ungodly spawn of my imagination mixed with sleep deprivation, caffeine and stress. Enjoy and don't question it too much

Contents: Ford Pines x reader, pinning (lots of pining), I pictured reader in their late 40s to early 50s so there is an age gap but nothing extreme. There's some plot in those holes. uhhh lots of tension and no payoff because im pretty sure I passed out before I got to that part.

Word count: 996

There’s this look on his eyes now that you can’t quite figure out.

Ever since Stanford Pines came back from the portal, ever since weirdmageddon and the end of that fateful summer, something about him fundamentally changed. There’s contempt, relief, sure, but there's more to it, something that he keeps deep in that rattling metal-protected brain of his.

And god forbid sometimes you just want to pick him apart entirely, figure out every detail, note it down, absorb it, maybe then his mere presence won’t entice you, mess you, so goddamn much.

It culminates, as all events are bound to do, right before that year’s summer vacation, you blame the heat.

Soos and Melody took a vacation for themselves, entrusting the shack back to Stan’s less than trustworthy hands, just like old times. Ford slips back into the basement so easily you almost follow him; your mind briefly longing for that nostalgia of being freshly out of college, when you and Ford were easily impressed by the oddness of the world.

You were a prodigy; a good ten years younger than him yet still doing your masters while he did his doctorate, and in the same area with similar themes! Back then, you two were just bright-eyed yet very tired academics… Then Gravity Falls presented itself on a silver platter, and Bill followed through.

You were there, on the day of the portal, or at least, almost there, going back for the thousandth time, expecting no answer to your knocks at the door as usual, only to be met with the fallout of something far worse than refusal.

And then he was back, less jittery, less paranoid and less sleep deprived than he was before at least. But there was that thing in his eyes, that inherent distrust, detachment…? You struggled to find the words and if there’s one thing that you as a scientist can’t deal with is a question that goes unresearched.

So it began; your “research” depended on experiment and to experiment, you firstly decided to get close to your unwilling subject. And you go down the rabbit hole.

You find him in the basement, of course. He’s drawing on loose sheets of paper, some of the discarded pieces lay on the floor, and the cd player by his side is playing just loud enough to muffle your footsteps as you approach him by his right side. “Updating the journal?” You ask, nonchalantly, as if you hadn't obsessively turned each page of his journals before, as if your own handwriting wasn’t squeezed in the first ones before his old muse took all the space left.

Ford just hums, raising his chin slightly, but not his eyes, just to acknowledge the question. “Not really, just trying to get some proportion practice. Looking back, some of my work on the first journal was… Not the best.”

A chuckle leaves your mouth; “If you say so…” You hum, picking up one of the filled out pages that were pushed aside in the table and pretending to look it over as he places his pen down and looks up at you.

“Any advice?” He asks, and once again you pretend to be paying attention to anything but him and his every movement.

“Not really… I think you’re good.” You place the paper back at the table, leaning against it. “Thought you’d be going through your abstract phase by now, honestly.” And you smirk down at him.

He leans back, crossing his arms; “I fear I’m too logical to have an abstract phase, even my craziest dreams have math and science behind them.” And you both laugh, and your curiosity itches more and more every millisecond.

The next words that leave your mouth were planned and inwardly rehearsed, but they come out natural as a summer breeze. “Every tortured artist has an abstract phase, get on with the times, sixer!” It comes out as a joke, it's a test. And suddenly you’re too nervous to stay there, staring at him and waiting for a rebuttal. You push yourself off the table and zipline to one of the bookshelves, reaching towards the back of it, you pull the ‘eureka whiskey’ and the two cups.

He just watches you for a second, then accepts the cup as you pour him one, then one for yourself.

And it’s truly the eureka whiskey, because goddamn you just found something in those eyes.

He takes a sip; “Yeah I guess those portal days would do for some good surrealist pieces at least.”

“I can’t even imagine.” You say.

He smirks, lips inches from his cup. “You can’t…” He takes a sip. “That’s the point of surrealist.” You want his brain under a microscope, you want his breath mixing with yours, you want to never see him again, you want to wake up near him every day.

The curse of science is that in the endeavor to figure out the world, the scientist often loses sight of themselves.

The witty remarks, the planned lines, the psychological strategies, all fly out of you head and you lean back against his desk. He’s leaned further back now and his chair is turned diagonally towards you and he watches with a smile and those eyes. “What did you see?” It’s almost a whisper, because you think he might actually tell you, and that scares you more than anything.

“Too much…” He swallows, sighs, takes a swing of whiskey and rests the empty cup on the desk. “It was very chaotic, honestly that’s all I want to say…” You sigh, pushing yourself up to sit at his desk, and his head tilts as he watches you.

“I’m glad you’re back.” You settle, even though it doesn’t even come near to all the things you want to express. He smiles, and his eyes travel down, landing on your hands, holding your barely touched whiskey glass. You follow his gaze, and chuckle. “I’m more of a whine person.”

“I know…”

#midnight writes #taking requests #ford pines #ford x reader #ford pines x reader #grunkle ford #swooning over stans #fanfic writing #gravity falls #mutual pining #title inspired hozier's song #you know which one #too sweet #the author regrets nothing #hozier reference #asks open

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kai-uh-arcadian · 5 months ago

Text

Something you’ll never know

synopsis: you and aeri were inseparable while you were growing up. Is that connection still there?

word count: 15k (jeeez) (it could've been 3 parts but I love you all so much so here you are)

cw: angst, cussing, drinking, f reader, childhood best friends to...(?) idk if there's any i missed please lmk!

notes! So sorry if its a confusing read with the timelines and such. the italic paragraphs are flashbacks/memories! for clarification Aeri and reader are ages 12, 22, and then 30 in this. It's inspired by the movie Past Lives (one of my fav movies, I recommend it!) barely proofread again, I also tried to add extra space in between different scenes, I hope it flows okay!

This is my first angsty fic ever but I had a lot of fun writing it! I really hope you enjoy it and if you'd like to, lmk your thoughts!!

as always dms and asks are always open!

xoxo love youuu (: <3

20 years ago in Southern California, SM Elementary School

Ever since you can remember, Aeri Uchinaga has been a constant presence in your life. You first met in preschool, where she quickly took a liking to you for reasons you couldn't quite understand. As a ‘slow-to-warm-up’ child, you were perfectly fine with doing quiet activities on your own while your classmates ran around, chatting amongst themselves. But Aeri must have seen you as a challenge or a game, maybe? She was determined to crack the ice and see what lay beneath your quiet exterior. She would always join you at the drawing table and start rambling about a variety of things that crossed her mind or even go as far as sharing her stuffed animals with you when she saw you playing ‘family’ alone with your own.

And before you knew it, she had you hooked. Aeri was more outspoken than you at the time, and she often took the reins in your friendship, but you were (more than) happy to follow her lead. You quickly learned that she had a habit of charging in head first, and it became your unspoken mission to keep her from getting into too much trouble.

You promised yourself that you'd always be there supporting her from behind.

You dribbled the soccer ball skillfully toward the goal, weaving through defenders with ease. Just as you were about to score, a loud yelp from the basketball court made you stop dead in your tracks. Your hesitation cost you as a player from the opposing team slid in, tackling you. Pain shot through your leg as your planted foot twisted in a way that it should NOT twist.

You got up from the ground and ignored the pain as you waved to a classmate on the sideline to take your place on the field. You limped as quickly as you could toward the court from the field, fighting back tears. The adrenaline kept you moving.

Eventually you made it to the basketball court where Aeri was.

“Are you okay?” you asked as you reached a hurt Aeri, who was hissing slightly at the sight of her skinned knee. Almost every ounce of pain washed away when you saw her.

She looked up, surprised, as your shadow blocked the sun. To her, you probably looked like an angel.

“Y/n,” she sniffled, “Where did you come from?”

“I was just playing soccer,” you replied, kneeling in front of her and offering your back. “Here, hop on. Let’s get you to the nurse.”

“Mm~ okay,” Aeri shyly mumbled as she climbed onto your back, resting her chin in the crook of your neck as you hobbled toward the infirmary.

“How did you know I was hurt?” she inquired softly.

“I dunno, my Aeri instincts must've kicked in... But you do have a pretty distinctive scream that I could hear all the way from the soccer field” You chuckled

“Ah~! What!? That’s so embarrassing!” She buried her face into your neck. “Why did you come over? You said you were playing soccer?”

“Well yeah I was, but remember when we were five and had our first sleepover?” you asked, chuckling. “Ya know, the one where you couldn’t stop crying because you missed your parents, especially your mom.”

“Hey! Why bring that up now?” she groaned, playfully hitting your back with her fists. “It wasn’t my choice! My parents were busy with work, okay!”

“Nono~ we made a pinky promise, remember? I told you, ‘I’ll always be here for you, no matter what.’ And I vaguely remember claiming I’d be your prince or somethin' like that.. I’m just keeping my word.” You smiled at the memory.

“That was like seven years ago…I can't believe you even remember that” she sighed contentedly. “Well, thank you, my prince.” she let out a teasing chuckle

“Of course, Lady Aeri,” you replied in a playful, formal tone, adjusting her higher on your back with a little hop.

There was a small break of silence before Aeri took notice of the cadence of your steps.

“...Wait, are you limping?” Her tone suddenly turned serious, like a mother about to scold her child.

“Uh…” You hesitated, “No…?” you chuckled nervously hoping she'd drop the topic (she didn't).

She peeked over your shoulder and saw your left ankle, red and beginning to swell.

“Ah~! What happened!? Let me down, I can walk! You idiot!” she exclaimed, trying to wriggle off your back.

“No way! We’re almost there anyways, and all this wiggling isn’t helping the pain either!” you bickered with the girl on your back before finally reaching the school entrance.

After school, your mom tended to your hurt ankle. It wasn’t anything serious, just a mild sprain. You worked silently on your assignment before she spoke up.

“Y/n, honey~” your mom cooed before sitting down next to you at the kitchen table while you were doing homework. “What do you think about Aeri? Do you like her?”

“Hmm,” You hummed while placing your pencil down as memories of her flooded your mind.

One specific memory came to the forefront of your mind,

You and Aeri were laying in the lush grass together with your heads touching and holding hands.

“Aeri, look!” You pointed to the sky “I see a shark.. Or maybe a really big tuna?” a playful giggle escaped your lips

“Mhm~!” she agreed, “Look over there! Doesn’t that look like Haku from Spirited Away?” Aeri’s eyes widened in excitement as her favorite character appeared in the sky, her finger excitedly pointing

“Yeah! I think it does!” You stole a glance of her.

Her eyes were glued to the blue sky adorned with fluffy white clouds that looked like they felt like cotton candy. The sun reflected against her dark brown hair and made it look like a beautiful dark ocean rippling in the wind

It was a cool summer day. A gentle breeze wafted her scent of strawberry shampoo and a light rose scent from her deodorant. The sky stretched over both of you like a blue canvas with puffy cotton balls. The warmth of the sunshine wrapped the two of you into an embrace only you both could feel.

You stared at her with so much… happiness? While she pointed out various shapes, her face lit up more and more each time she spotted one

“What is this feeling?” You thought “It feels like i’m going down a steep slope of a rollercoaster when I’m around her”

“Hm~ Y/n? Is there something on my face? Did you hear me?” She briefly stopped her tangent when she felt a soft gaze.

“Oh~! No sorry,” You giggled

“I- just” you began barely above a whisper

“Wow, look!” Aeri unknowingly cut you off “Those ones look like two hearts about to mash together” she exclaimed giddily

Your gaze went back to the clouds and you paused for a few seconds causing Aeri to look at you

“Were you gonna say something?” She mumbled and you met her eyes

“I’m just.. Really happy right now!” you said, unable to verbalize the feelings you were having.

“I like her” you replied to your mom

“Ohh~”She nodded in response before genuinely inquiring “Why?”

“Well… She said I’m like her prince” she responded to her mother so nonchalantly and innocently

“Her prince?”

“Mhm, I think i’ll marry her one day” You smiled before picking up your pencil again-- completely unphased.

“Mm~ I see, I see. Well Y/n, does she want to marry you, too?”

“I don't know if she likes me too, but if she does I know she'll say when we’re ready!” She smiled brightly at her mom

“Ah okay~ When did you grow up my sweet daughter?” Your mom lightly pinched your cheek which caused you to giggle. “Well, I was on the phone with her mom earlier... Do you want to go on a date with her?"

Of course you excitedly nodded your head in agreement

You and Aeri stepped into the park, nature wrapped around you two like a comforting hug. The trees swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves left a playful pattern of light and shadows on the ground below. While birds chirped happily overhead, their songs blending with the soft rustle of leaves, creating a soothing melody that seemed to dance through the air. Both of your mom’s made their way to a nearby spot to watch you both

“Aeri! Let’s go” You said as you grabbed her free hand

“Oh~ Ma, can you hold these?” Aeri swiftly passed the small bouquet of flowers you had bought her to her mother before being whisked away by your eager pull

“Oh!” was all Mrs.Uchinaga could get out before the two of you ran off exploring the park. She couldn’t contain her laughter and began to take a digital camera out of her purse.

“They look good together, so happy huh?” Your mom glanced at Mrs.Uchinaga as she was snapping a picture of the two of you running hand in hand in the luscious green field.

“Yeah~ Aeri talks about Y/n a lot. She says she wants to marry her one day” Her mom let out an astonished laugh “When did our girls grow up?

“That’s exactly what Y/n said! “ She laughed, “We can’t be too surprised right?

"Ah~ I guess not." Aeri's mom began, "Remember that time we kept Y/n overnight once and Aeri was crying uncontrollably and then suddenly stopped? My god, it was so scary! I thought something had happened to her but when I checked the baby monitor, Y/n snuck out of her own crib and into Aeri’s! And then they fell asleep like that!” She laughed with a tinge of nostalgic sadness

“Ahh~ They were about two and a half years old huh? Oh~! Remember that time I told you when I put them in charge of her brother while I was making them lunch and when I walked back into the living room and found all of them asleep on the couch with Kosei in between them! It was so cute~!” Your mom smiled brightly “I have the photo somewhere still!”

Both you parents sighed contentedly, reminiscing on you two. After a bit of comfortable silence, you mom spoke up

“My Y/n cares about Aeri a lot. I can see she does too, it puts my heart at ease to know my daughter has someone who cares so deeply about her.” Your mom’s eyes began to get a bit watery

Mrs. Uchinaga placed her hand reassuringly over hers, a warm smile gracing her lips. "She's a smart girl—you shouldn’t worry too much. I'm forever grateful she's been in my Aeri's life. Look at them," she pointed affectionately at the two of you, nestled under the low-hanging branches of the weeping willow tree.

"Aeri! This is where we can take our shoes off," you exclaimed, gently parting the "curtain" of leaves as if entering a secret world.

Your imagination ran wild, the simple weeping willow tree transformed into a spacious apartment in a bustling city.

"And here is where our dining room is," Aeri chimed in, moving to the large stones and pretending they were seats. "Here, sit. Let me get you a coffee, honey," she playfully immersed herself in the game of house.

Aeri returned with a hollowed out rock with a stick in it, “Here’s your coffee!”

You pretend slurped through the stick straw, “This is soo~ delicious” and you fake slurped more causing both of you to giggle

“Hey, Aeri” you placed the rock coffee cup down and Aeri joined you at the “dining table”

“Where do you wanna live when you grow up?” you met her gaze

“Mmm, definitely a city. I want my fashion business to be very popular!” She flashed a cheerful thumbs up “What about you?”

“Mm..” You looked down, shyly contemplating

“Are you getting shy?!” She gently nudged your shoulder teasing you

“Nono~!” You waved your hands in defense while a smile appeared on your face “Hm.. I guess wherever you go?”

While you and Aeri played house, imagining your future together, your parents sat nearby on the park bench in comfortable silence, smiling as they watched the two of you. A gentle breeze drifted through, rustling the leaves and carrying the scent of blooming flowers through the air, adding to the peaceful moment.

“We’re moving soon,” Aeri’s mom finally said, breaking the quiet. Which explained why she asked to take them on a 'date'

Your mom didn’t respond right away, her gaze still on you and Aeri. After a few more beats, she spoke, doing her best to mask her emotions. “Oh… where?”

“South Korea,” Aeri’s mom replied softly.

Your mom paused, her voice steady but tinged with sadness. “Why leave everything behind?”

“There are better opportunities ahead than the ones we’ll leave behind,” Aeri’s mom answered with a quiet sigh, as if trying to convince herself as much as anyone else.

Later, on the car ride home, you and Aeri had both fallen asleep in the backseat, your hands still clasped together, oblivious to the change that was coming. Your mom glanced back at the two of you and with a bittersweet smile, she snapped a quick photo.

Neither of you knew how much your lives would change in the next few weeks.

You sat at your desk, your gaze unfocused as you stared blankly ahead, lost in a haze of thoughts that swirled around you like fog. Aeri’s voice cut through the noise, her laughter ringing out as she animatedly chatted with her friends nearby. Her vibrant energy filled the room, lighting up the space, yet somehow, it made the gap between you two feel even wider. You were in the same room, but it felt like you were worlds apart—both of you in your own little world.

"You're leaving?" one of her friends exclaimed, disbelief in her voice.

"Yeah!" Aeri replied, her excitement unmistakable.

"Never coming back?" another girl pressed, curiosity laced her voice.

"I don’t think so!" Aeri laughed, her tone light, almost carefree.

"What?! Why not!?" the girl pushed further, as if she couldn’t fathom the idea.

"Well.. I could never become a fashion designer here!" Aeri giggled, like her answer was obvious… like she wasn’t about to leave behind everything you had known together.

After school, you found yourself walking past Aeri as she waved her friends goodbye. Her cheerful farewell echoed behind you as you caught a glimpse of her. Her smile was as bright as ever, but for the first time, it felt distant—like it no longer belonged to you.

"Oh, bye!" she called out to her friends, her voice cheerful before turning her attention to you.

"Wait up!" she hurried to catch up with your steps.

You slowed down slightly, but something in you hesitated.

"Oh, sorry," you murmured.

She quickly caught up and the two of you began the familiar walk home, the silence between you felt heavier than ever. Aeri seemed comfortable, at ease with the quiet, but for you, the weight in your chest grew with every step. Even though she was right beside you, it felt like she was already slipping away—like an invisible wall was growing between you, expanding with each moment.

It was disorienting, jarring even, to think that after today, she wouldn’t be walking next to you every day like she had since kindergarten. Each footstep echoed what was coming, and despite the comfort of routine, the reality of her departure pressed down on you, suffocating the words you wanted to say but couldn’t find.

The world around continued its hustle and bustle, completely indifferent to the storm brewing in your heart. Cars rushed by, bikes whizzed past, and people hurried along the sidewalk, insensitive to the internal chaos you were grappling with.

Every emotion flooded through you, leaving you drowning in a mix of sadness and anger. Each step felt trudging through quicksand as if your feet had been stuck in concrete. Your body was subconsciously pulling you away from your house to prolong your inevitable separation– like a dog who doesn’t want their walk to be over yet.

As you reached the fork in the road that diverged toward your respective houses, a heavy cloud hung above your head, thick with everything you wanted to say.

"Bye, n/n," Aeri's voice carried a tinge of melancholy as she began to walk away, her figure receding into the distance.

You paused, unable to tear your gaze away from her retreating form.

Every memory you’ve shared with her played in your head like a movie montage.

“C’mon Aeri, don’t be scared! I’m right here with you!” You aggressively whispered while carrying a bag of snacks and a blanket, trying to convince Aeri onto the roof of your house

“What if we get in trouble? What if we get locked out and we’re stuck here forever!” Aeri said to you from inside through the opened window

“My parents know I do this, it’s a flat surface so you have to be a real dummy to slip off! And don’t worry, it only locks from the inside and if you’re scared you can just hold onto me!” You reached out your hand to Aeri

She couldn't help but smile, your own reassuring grin reflecting back at her. She warmly accepted your hand, her breath hitched when your hands made contact.

“O-oh thanks, let’s place the blanket down!” Aeri was glad it was dark because she was sure her face was the same shade as a tomato!

"Not too shabby, huh?" You chuckled lightly, settling onto the soft surface and patting the spot beside you, inviting her to join you.

It was a warm summer night. A gentle breeze wafted your scent of shampoo and a cologne-y scent from your deodorant. The sky stretched over both of you like a dark blue canvas with twinkling stars. The warmth of the evening wrapped the two of you into an embrace only you both could feel.

You felt her staring at you while you pointed out various constellations, your face lit up more and more each time you spotted one

“Hm, Aeri? Did you hear me?” You briefly stopped your tangent when you felt a soft gaze on you

“Oh~! No sorry,” Aeri giggled “What did you say?”

You scooted closer so your head was touching hers, “See those stars over there? It’s kinda like a weird looking 7?” You extended your arm while pointing, trying your best to point out three out of the millions of stars in the sky

“Hm.. oh! Yes!”

“That’s me! And your birthday is October 30 making you a Scorpio! and hmm” You began to move your pointer finger to search in the sky

“Ah! There! You see that pattern that kind of looks like a snake with claws?”

“Yeah~ I actually do!” Aeri giggled as her imagination took over

“Well, Aeri if you ever feel sad or something and I’m not with you for some reason ” You chuckled sweetly. “I just want you to know that we’re always together in the sky!” You both turned to meet each other’s gaze at the same time

“Well I don’t think we’ll ever get separated, I want to be with you forever!” She innocently beamed which caused you both to giggle

“Me too Aeri!”

After a few hesitant moments, you found your voice, though it felt as if your heart might stop with the effort.

“Aeri,” you called out softly, the word heavy with all the feelings you had kept buried for so long.

“Mm?” She turned to face you, her expression softening when her eyes met yours, and the cheerful energy from earlier was nowhere to be found.

“I.. I like you,” you said, your voice trembling slightly, but you held her gaze, resisting the urge to look away. You felt as though you might crumble, but you forced yourself to keep going. “I’m glad we spent our childhood.. together.”

Her smile faltered, shifting into something sadder, something that you couldn't understand. She didn’t respond immediately, as if the words you’d just said had stolen her breath, and for a moment, neither of you spoke. She was at a loss for words and the silence stretched endlessly between you.

You bit the inside of your cheek, trying desperately to maintain your composure. “Bye… Aeri,” you added softly, your voice cracking ever so slightly as you turned away towards your house, trying to put on a brave face.

You couldn’t bear to see the sadness in her eyes any longer. Tears threatened to spill, but you fought them back, willing yourself to hold on just a little longer.

“Bye..” she faintly whispered out

The moment you started walking toward your house, your chest tightened. Tears streamed down your face as the weight of the world as you knew it came crashing down.

What you'll never know and what you couldn’t see, was that Aeri began crying too.

About 10 years later, you sat at your desk in your cozy apartment room at UCLA, the late afternoon sun casting soft rays across the scattered textbooks and notes. With a sigh, you pushed some papers aside to rest your elbow on the desk, propping your chin on your hand.

“How the actual fuck do I even solve this?” you muttered to yourself, staring at the confusing statistics problem on your laptop. After a moment of frustration, you searched for a tutorial on YouTube, hoping for a miracle.

As you scrolled through the list of videos, you could hear your roommate Yunjin bustling around in the kitchen.

“Jennie-poo~!” you called out, leaning back in your chair. “Can you come here?”

A few seconds later, you heard your door creak open. "Huh?" came Yunjin's voice, her (dyed) red hair poking around the doorframe as she stepped inside.

“Do you have any idea how to solve this?” you asked, switching your browser back to the page filled with complex formulas. You pointed at the screen. “I seriously have no clue what they’re even fucking asking”

Yunjin leaned down, squinting at the problem for a moment before laughing. “Yeah, I’m gonna be honest with you—zero clue. You’re so fucked,” she said, still giggling.

Yunjin, aka Jennifer, was from upstate New York, and the two of you had been roommates for four years. It felt like fate sometimes—being assigned to live together your freshman year was totally random, but she was practically you in a different form.

“You’re absolutely no help,” you groaned, laughing a little despite yourself as you buried your face in your hands.

“You’re so welcome,” she said, patting your head playfully. “I’m gonna make some jjajangmyeon, do you want any?”

“Not right now. Maybe save some for me later? I gotta finish this shit” you replied, sitting back up and stretching.

“Yeah, of course. Good luck!” Yunjin said with a wink as she left your room.

You sighed deeply as you turned back to your YouTube tab, clicking on a video tutorial. As fucking expected, an ad began to play—one of those painfully long ones you couldn’t skip.

“Do you want to be a model? Do you think you have what it takes?”

The words faded into the background as your mind started to wander, pulled back by an unexpected memory.

Aeri.

It had been so long since you’d allowed yourself to think about her. Years, even. But something about the mention of fashion, pulled you back into the past. The past where she lived, where her dreams had once shone so brightly.

Aeri had always talked about becoming a fashion designer—about where she'd live and make a name for herself. You could still picture her so clearly, sitting beside you, messily sketching her ideas in her notebooks. Dresses, bags, runway looks… She used to tell you all about it, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

“I could never become a designer here,” she’d said once, laughing. She was always so sure of her path. Always ready to go after her dreams, no matter the cost.

She may have been right

Suddenly, the thought of her became overwhelming. You couldn’t help but wonder what had become of that dream. Did she make it? Was she in South Korea, living the life she’d always wanted? Or had things turned out differently?

Your fingers hovered over the keyboard as your mind drifted back to the memory of her laughter and the way she’d talked about her plans with ABSOLUTE certainty.

Without thinking, you opened a new tab. You hesitated for a moment, a tightness in your chest returning.

A memory flashed into your mind to when you were having a sleepover with her

“Y/n…” Aeri’s voice came softly from the left side of your bed, sadness creeping into her usual playful tone.

“Mm? What’s wrong?” you asked, glancing over at her.

“I wish you wanted to be a model,” she pouted. “Then you could try on the clothes I design.”

You laughed softly. “I mean, I still could... Why are you thinking about that now?”

“Well, obviously I want to be a designer! SO of course I want you to be the first person to wear the clothes I make,” she beamed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

The video kept playing and the math tutorial began playing.

Why the hell am I thinking about that now? It’s been like 10 years?

Aeri Uchinaga…

You leaned back in your chair and positioned your head towards the ceiling

What are you up to…

With a sigh, you slingshotted forward and opened Facebook and began to search.

After an hour of searching, you finally found a lead—her father’s company page. It was a bit tedious to find her or her family, considering they lived in a completely different country.

“Hi, I’m looking for my childhood best friend, Aeri Uchinaga . Please let me know how I can contact her.”

And with that, you posted the message and, for the first time in hours, tried to return to your homework.

A few weeks later, on the complete opposite side of the world at 5:30 PM in Seoul...

Aeri sat in her dorm, the warm afternoon sunlight streaming through the window as she lounged on her bed, phone pressed to her ear, laptop resting in her lap.

“Ne~ umma, remember Xinyi? She plays basketball in college now!” Aeri said with a smile, scrolling through Facebook while chatting with her mother.

“Wow~! I’m not surprised,” Mrs. Uchinaga replied with a chuckle on the other end. “She was always knocking on our door, asking you to play.”

Aeri laughed lightly. “Yeah, even though I was pretty bad. She tried so hard to teach me, but I was just ass”

“It’s okay, darling. Sports weren’t really your thing,” her mother comforted warmly.

Aeri absentmindedly scrolled through her feed, clicking on old profiles and updates from people she hadn’t thought about in years.

“Who else should we look up?” She asked her mom.

Aeri paused, a small smile creeping onto her lips. “Who’s the one I had a huge crush on?”

“Y/n L/n” they both said at the same time, sharing a laugh.

Aeri’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, and she began typing your name, curiosity piqued as she searched for her old crush. As she clicked through posts, she suddenly froze.

“Umma! This is crazy!” Aeri exclaimed, her voice full of shock. “She posted on dad’s Facebook page a few weeks ago looking for me!”

“Oh wow really? Well~ I’m not too surprised, Aeri. She really liked you!” her mom replied, her voice filled with warmth.

“I’m looking for my childhood best friend, Aeri Uchinaga ...” Aeri read aloud to her mom as her eyes scanned the message.

Aeri’s heart raced as she scrolled through your profile. Even though your hair was longer and your features were more defined, the essence of you—the same joyful glint in your eyes—hadn’t changed at all. It was as if time hadn’t erased any part of the person she remembered so vividly.

“Umma, I’ll call you back,” Aeri said quickly, cutting her mom off as she reassured her with a chuckle, “Yes! I promise I’m eating well!”

She ended the call with a smile, but her pulse quickened as she stared at the screen. Her eyes scanned the message again and again, as if reading your name over and over would somehow make this more real.

“Ahh~” Aeri inhaled deeply, her fingers trembling slightly as she sent you a friend request and began typing a message to you.

“Y/n! It’s Aeri, you remember me?”

It was 1:30 AM in your on-campus apartment in LA when your phone buzzed, receiving the new message.

“Fuck her! She doesn’t deserve you! You’re like… sooo out of her league,” Yuna mumbled to your other friend, Ryujin, as she poured another shot for her.

“Right?” Ryujin sighed before pausing to take the shot. “I just don’t know why I miss her… so much,” she grimaced as the alcohol hit the back of her throat.

“Ryu, you should have some water,” you slurred, hiccuping as you passed her your water bottle.

“Y/nn~ how about you drink some water,” your roommate Yunjin chimed in, giggling as she slumped over on the couch.

The four of you sat in the living room, post-gaming the bar, waiting for your DoorDash to arrive. Ryujin rested her head in your lap, and without thinking, you rubbed her back to comfort her.

You took a long gulp of water with a satisfied “Ah~” before reaching for your beer.

“Wellll~ Beer is basically water. You should have some too Jennie-poo! It isn’t a post-game if we don’t drink till we die,” you exclaimed, taking a sip from the can.

“UGH~” Ryujin groaned, deadpanning, “I want to die~”

“Girl, she literally cheated on you and then wanted to be exclusive while she was fucking someone else—like, what?” Yuna added, deadpan.

That comment made all of you burst out laughing(she was right), even as Ryujin lightly punched Yuna in the arm.

“Hey~! Be niceeee~ Show some compassion!” Yunjin scolded, trying and failing to stifle her laughter.

You were still chuckling when your phone buzzed again in your pocket. Grabbing it, you blinked a couple of times, trying to focus your eyes on the notification.

Giselle?

Your vision was still a little too blurry to make sense of it.

"Hey!" Yunjin faked being cold

“You have a secret girlfriend or somethin'?” Yunjin teased, sounding just like a jealous girlfriend.

“Huh?” you responded, still distracted.

“Who’s messaging you at 1:30 in the morning? You have a sneaky link you’re not telling us about?” Yunjin continued, laughing.

Meanwhile, Ryujin was still moping in your lap. “Hey! Sensitive subject!” she groaned dramatically.

“Fuck if I know, I honestly have zero clue,” you mumbled, your words slurring as you stared at your phone before turning it off.

The next morning, you woke up in your bed with a slight headache. You groaned, rolling over to reach for your water bottle and chugged it like it was the last water on Earth.

The cold water worked its magic, refreshing you enough to (barely) function. You grabbed your phone from the charger and started scrolling through your notifications, still half-asleep. But then, one notification made you freeze—last night’s Facebook message.

You clicked on it, your grogginess instantly fading as your eyes widened in surprise. It was from none other than the girl who made you experience your first instance of love—Aeri Uchinaga.

“Giselle Uchinaga?” you muttered to yourself, reading her profile in disbelief.

That’s why you couldn’t find her! It made complete sense now. Her features were more mature, but that familiar smile—the one that had always warmed your heart—was still there, lighting up her face in every picture. You couldn’t stop smiling as you scrolled through her photos.

Just then, Yunjin’s voice broke through your thoughts, pulling you back to reality.

“Y/n! Are you awake? I made avocado toast and eggs!” she announced from the other side of your door.

“Ahh~ okay, yeah, lemme pee and I’ll be out!” you called back, your voice still raspy from sleep.

You quickly splashed some water on your face and pulled on a pair of sweats and a hoodie before stepping out of your room.

“Good morning!” you chirped, only to be met with a synchronized groan from Yuna and Ryujin.

“How the fuck do you have this much energy? What puts you in such a good mood?” Yuna asked, holding an ice pack on her forehead.

“Hm?” you replied, walking over to your coffee cup on the table that Yunjin had filled for you. “Thank Jennie-poo! And nothing, I just don’t have a massive hangover like you two idiots—should’ve drank beer instead of taking shots”

As you sipped your coffee, your mind of course, drifted back to last night. That damn text from Aeri.

The two of you exchanged a few quick messages, exchanging numbers, and catching up briefly before settling on a time that worked best for both of you to video call. It felt surreal, reading Aeri’s replies after all these years—like time had somehow folded in on itself, bringing the past back into the present.

You found yourself staring at your phone, the FaceTime app open and ready, but your heart pounding in your chest. What if things had changed too much? What if she wasn’t the Aeri you remembered? What if you weren’t the person she expected? Your thoughts spiraled as you adjusted your hair for what felt like the tenth time.

It’s just a call, you reminded yourself. It’s just Aeri. You’ve known her before.

But even though you’d told yourself that a hundred times, the butterflies in your stomach wouldn’t settle. The phone buzzed in your hand as the screen lit up. Incoming FaceTime: Aeri Uchinaga.

You took a deep breath, your thumb hovering over the screen for a moment longer than it should have. Then, finally, you swiped to answer.

Aeri’s face appeared, pixelated for just a second before the connection stabilized. There she was. Her familiar eyes, her smile—the same, but different? You stared at each other for a beat, neither of you quite sure how to start.

Aeri broke the silence with a nervous laugh. “Wow.. it’s been so long. I almost forgot what you looked like!”

You smiled, feeling the same rush of emotions you hadn’t felt in years. “I know right? I wasn’t sure what to expect either. You look… different. In a good way, of course.” nervousness still present in your voice

“Same to you,” Aeri said, her voice softening as she studied your face. “It’s like, you’ve changed, but... not really, you know?”

You laughed, the tension beginning to ease. “Except now you’re Giselle, huh?”

Aeri grinned, rolling her eyes playfully. “Yeah, that’s a long story. But trust me, it’s still me. Aeri Uchinaga at heart.”

You both chuckled, the ice slowly breaking as the conversation started to feel more familiar. It was strange, seeing her face again like this after so many years—older, more mature, but still with that same smile.

“Soo.. You’re really out there becoming a designer, huh?” you teased, shaking your head with an incredulous smile. “It’s kind of wild thinking about you... you know, living in Korea and actually doing all the things you told me you would like years ago”

Aeri laughed, her tone warm but modest. “Don’t let social media fool you. I’m not as glamorous as it seems. I’m still the same girl who couldn’t shoot a basketball to save her life.”

You grinned, shaking your head. “Oh god yeah! I remember! You were sooo bad. I thought for sure you were going to quit after that first fall.”

“Whatever! I literally was just trying to impress you,” she joked, her laugh lighting up the screen.

With each passing minute, the conversation felt easier. The laughter flowed naturally, memories of your childhood together resurfacing as if no time had passed at all.

“So... how have you been, really?” Aeri asked after a while, her tone more serious now. “I feel like I missed so much. of your life"

You nodded, the weight of the years between you sinking in. “Yeah, it feels strange, I feel the same too. I’ve been good, I guess. But seeing you like this… I dunno.. It feels like yesterday, you were just that little girl on the other side of the road from me.”

Aeri smiled, her expression softening. “Right? I don’t know, life is so weird sometimes.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, a small smile tugging at your lips. “And now, you’re the girl on my screen.”

As the night went on, you both talked about everything—your lives, your dreams, the things you had wanted to say but never got the chance to. It was like reconnecting with a part of yourself you thought you’d lost. By the end of the call, there was an unspoken understanding between you both. This wasn’t just a one-off conversation.

“So, let’s not wait another decade to do this again?” you said with a grin.

Aeri laughed. “Deal. Next time, I’ll tell you the full story behind ‘Giselle.’”

“I’m holding you to that, Aeri” you replied, your heart feeling lighter than it had in years.

And that’s how it was. For a few months, you both shared everything—your days, your worries, even the smallest details. You started waiting for her calls, looking forward to the time you’d spend talking. She was always there, her laughter filling your nights(and early mornings!), making you feel closer to her despite the distance.

It was almost as if you were in a relationship. The way she looked at you through the screen, the way your conversations lingered on hopes and what-ifs. You could almost imagine what it would be like to be with her again, for real.

You routinely called Aeri during your day.

Hey,” you greeted with a smile as the screen connected.

“Hey,” Aeri chuckled softly on the other end.

“Is it 7:00 in the morning there? I thought you said you never wake up before 10:00,” you teased, noting how early it was for her.

“I don’t,” Aeri replied, a smile tugging at her lips. “But this was the only time that worked for you, right?”

“Well yeah but don’t you have class today?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeahh~” she admitted, “but it’s later~” sleepiness still evident in her voice

You couldn’t help but tease her. “Ya know Aeri, your english is pretty rusty”

“Hey!” Aeri chuckled in return and her eyes opened slightly. “I only speak English with you and my mom!”

You both laughed yet some silence strung between the two of you

“So, you said you were leaving California to be the world’s greatest designer... You still want that?”

Aeri paused for a moment while shifting in her bed, then smiled. “Hmm... I think maybe I’ll have a business like.. My own line of clothes”

“Ahh wow~” You sighed, “ You’re the same Aeri I remember. Wanting to do everything, have everything and also still so sassy.” you teased again

She laughed, feigning shock. “Sassy? Wow, can’t believe you think of me like that”

Aeri’s grin widened before continuing, “Actually... I got invited to Japan this summer to design for this brand for a whole month. My professor helped me get into the program!”

“Wait, so you’ll be in Japan for a month?” you asked, surprised. “That’s amazing.”

“Yeah,” Aeri nodded, her excitement palpable. “It’s crazy. I can’t believe it’s happening.”

“So, how are your applications going?” she asked, her voice softening.

“Hmm, wellll~ they’re going,” you replied with a small smile. “I’m looking at Boston for grad school.”

Aeri sighed, a hint of nostalgia in her voice. “Ah wow, look at us.. when did we grow up? It feels like we’re almost... truly adults.”

“Hmm, I know,” you agreed, a thoughtful pause hanging between you. “Too soon though.”

You hung up shortly after and went about your day. You studied with Yunjin, and later, the girls came over for dinner, followed by a late-night study session. By the time you showered and finally settled into bed, it was already 1 AM when your phone buzzed—Aeri was calling.

“Hello?” You mumbled out as you turned your lamp on

“Oh sorry, were you sleeping?” she asked, her face slightly blurry on the screen.

“Mm,” you sighed softly, rubbing your eyes. “No, I just got into bed, actually.”

“Long day?”

“Mhm, but that’s alright. What’s up?” you asked, shifting into a more comfortable position and reaching for your glasses.

“I’m just.. in Haebonchang right now,” she said, flipping the camera to show the view. “Look how beautiful the sunset is, Y/n.”

The sunset was breathtaking, shades of pink, orange, and purple blending into each other like a painting across the sky.

“Wow... it’s beautiful, Aeri,” you said in awe.

Aeri’s voice softened before she flipped the camera back to herself. “Yeah... I wish you were here,” she said quietly, her eyes flickering between the camera and the fading light.

There was a pause, her words lingering in the space between you.

“Maybe one day.. We could go there together,” you whispered, your voice tinged with sadness.

“Yeah.. I’d really like that,” Aeri responded, her tone gentle but carrying the weight of something more.

There was a brief second of silence. As if both of you were hesitating to speak up.

“I miss you,” you whispered, barely audible, your voice filled with longing. Time zones didn’t matter, distance didn’t matter. You really just longed for Aeri.

Those three words heavily hung in the air between you two.

“I miss you too,” Aeri quietly admitted, her voice soft but sincere, resistance evident in her confession.

The day after that interaction, things started to feel different. The FaceTime calls slowly became more sparse, and her texts were less frequent. You tried not to overthink it, giving her the space you thought she might need. But as the days passed, the silence began to weigh on you. Eventually, you double texted her, unable to ignore any longer.

“Aeri, is everything okay?”

For the first time in days, her response came instantly.

“Yeah sorry, I’m okay. I just have something on my mind. Can we call later?”

Her words did nothing to ease your nerves.

“Of course,” you typed back, keeping it simple, though your heart raced.

The uncertainty gnawed at you, the anxiety tightening in your chest as you stared at the screen.

Finally, what felt like days but in reality was just a few hours, Aeri called you.

You hesitantly answered “Hey Aeri, you okay?”

There was a pause, and that’s when you knew it didn’t seem promising.

“Y/n,” she began softly, her face on the screen appearing hesitant, almost conflicted.

“..Aeri?” you prompted gently, your voice unsure now.

She sighed deeply, her gaze dropping for a second before meeting yours again. “Y/n… I need to talk to you about something.”

Your heart skipped a beat. “Yeah I know, what’s going on? You okay?”

“When is it possible for you to visit me in Seoul?” she asked bluntly, though her tone remained soft.

You hesitated. “Well, maybe about a year or so? Just with grad schoo–”

She cut you off gently, “I know.. You don’t have to explain yourself, I just– God,” She paused as if holding herself back from admitting something. “It’ll be over a year and a half until I can visit you”

Your eyes stayed glued to the screen, watching her struggle to compose herself. The pit in your stomach deepened

Aeri swallowed hard, clearly struggling with her next words. “I think we should stop talking for a while”

Your chest tightened.

“Why?”

“I came here..” She began, “ No– I’ve had this goal since forever. I want to accomplish something here but.. I can’t stop myself from looking up flights to California every day.

And I think… I think I need to focus on committing my life here”

You blinked, the realization slowly sinking in. She was leaving again.

“So you want.. to stop talking to me?” Your words trailed off, unsure of how to finish that thought or if there’s anything more you could possibly say.

“Just for now,” she said quietly, her eyes softening with what seemed like guilt. “And I really don’t want to lose you. But I know.. I have to give this my all.”

You bit your lip, trying to keep the lump in your throat from forming. “Aeri.. It took me 10 years to find you.”

She looked down again, exhaling slowly trying to fight a sob from coming out. “I know Y/n, but I’ll be back before you know it.. It’s just a brief break”

Fuck

You nodded slowly, though your heart ached. “Alright then Aeri ”

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was barely above a whisper now. “I’m so sorry” She began to cry.

“No need to be sorry,” You said as you choked back your own tears, clearing your throat to cover it. “We weren’t dating or anything so don’t worry about it. Really.”

There was a long pause, the silence between you filled with all the things neither of you were ready to say.

“Take care of yourself and good luck, okay?” Aeri said, her voice soft but final.

“You too,” you replied, your throat tight, the words barely escaping. “I’ll be right here.”

The call ended, and for the first time in months, the silence felt unbearable.

Aeri never knew that this was the hardest you cried in years.

Whoever said times heals everything, is a straight up liar. Time doesn’t heal, it just lets you get used to how things are now.

It had been about eight years since you had last spoken to her and honestly, you didn’t think much of Aeri anymore. Life had moved on, as it does. Although, there were days when you’d think back on everything but those thoughts were extremely rare now, fleeting, like a distant memory and it didn’t sting the way it used to. You’d convinced yourself that was just how things went. People come and go, and life moves forward whether you’re ready or not.

Once you graduated and started your new job in Boston not long after. You settled into a routine that felt strange at first but eventually became your new normal

Somehow, you managed to entice Yunjin to move to Boston. She had moved into a place not too far from yours with her (now!) fiance. Her sister also lives in Boston too so the transition wasn’t too hard. Yuna and Ryujin had ended up in New York, so weekends/every other weekend often meant catching a train to visit them or planning get-togethers whenever everyone’s schedules aligned.

Your 9-to-5 job wasn’t glamorous, but it was steady—something you could rely on. You fell into the rhythm of it quickly enough. The crowded subway rides during rush hour, the packed streets of Boston, the distant hum of the city became part of your daily routine. You’d slip into your office, get your work done, and slip out at the end of the day. It wasn’t what you imagined back when you were chasing dreams in California, picturing something a little more exciting, maybe a little more daring. But it wasn’t bad either—it was.. just comfortable.

After work, you'd sometimes grab a drink with coworkers or meet up with the woman you’d met shortly after getting into grad school. There was nothing too serious between the two of you, just the occasional dinners or casual hangouts. She was fun to be around—easygoing, good company, someone you could relax with. You’d meet up after work at a bar downtown, sharing a drink and small talk about your days. Or sometimes, you’d catch a movie or grab takeout, sitting side by side on the couch in her small apartment, talking about work or random things that made you laugh.

It wasn’t the life-altering-head-over-heels kind of thing, but it felt normal, almost comforting. There was no pressure to be anything more than it was or used to be, and that was fine with you both. Life had settled into place without much fanfare, a quiet routine that you didn’t mind..

It wasn’t until one quiet evening, after a long day at work, that something finally disrupted your routine. You were sitting on the couch, nursing a beer, and scrolling through your phone without much thought, letting the noise of the day slowly fade away.

That was until a notification lit up your screen. You glanced at it out of habit, not expecting anything important. But the name made you pause.

Aeri Yizhuo.

Who?

Aeri…?

Your heart skipped a beat as recognition clicked into place.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

For a second, your heart skipped a beat. You stared at the message, the familiar feeling creeping back into your chest, one you hadn’t felt in ages. You hadn’t thought of her in so long, and yet, there she was. After all this time.

And then, the truth hit you like a punch to the gut.

Aeri was married now.

You felt the sting of it, sharp and unexpected, cutting deeper than you would’ve liked to admit. It shouldn’t have hurt this much. You hadn’t thought about her in so long as you knew she’d been building a life in Korea. You had moved on! Or at least, that’s what you told yourself.

But here she was, after all these years she still had the ability to make you feel something. A feeling couldn’t quite put your finger on.

After all this time, part of you had still hoped for something. For something more than this.

About a month or two after your surprise catch-up with Aeri, you finally decided it was time to visit her. The timing was perfect—it was the end of the fiscal year, and you had some extra days off to use. You figured, why not? It would be a good vacation right? The thought of seeing her after all this time felt surreal, but exciting in a way you couldn’t quite describe. You’d booked your flight, set to leave next weekend so you and your friends decided to meet this weekend.

"So," Yunjin piped up, setting down her shot glass with a grin, "Why are you going to Korea?" You, Yunjin, Yuna, and Ryujin were all seated in Yunjin and Kazuha's shared apartment, a half-empty bottle of vodka in the middle of the table while your beer cans scattered around your side.

"She's going to see that girl, rememberrr?" Ryujin teased, her tone playful.

"Who?" you replied, pretending not to know who she was talking about.

Ryujin rolled her eyes, clearly not buying it. "Don't play dumb, idiot. You know exactly who I'm talking about—your first love, right? I thought she lives there, doesn't she?"

"Oh, I see how it is," Yuna chimed in with a smirk. "You just broke up with your girlfriend so you could go see her, huh? You dog"

"What! I’m going for vacation," you exclaimed, shaking your head. "And plus, you guys are crazy. She's married now."

"WHAT? Seriously?" Yunjin blurted out, her voice incredulous.

"Mhm," you nodded, your tone more casual now though it stung to admit it. "For like five or six years now"

You couldn’t even bring yourself to feel bad about it. After all, from your previous conversation with Aeri, it was clear how happy she was. She’d met her wife, Ning Yizhou, during her design trip in Japan. Aeri had described Ning as an absolutely beautiful soul, someone kind and supportive. They both work together now, running Aeri’s business, Giselle.

From the way Aeri spoke about Ning, you could hear the genuine love and admiration in her voice. There was no bitterness in your heart—how could there be? You were happy for her, happy that she had found someone who brought light into her life, someone who shared in her dreams.

In fact, you were proud of her. She really did accomplish everything she had set out to do. It was bittersweet, of course, but you were genuinely happy for her.

That’s all that mattered.

Right?

You stood just outside of Incheon International Airport, the thick scent of rain mingling with the smoke from your cigarette as you waited for your Uber. The weather had suddenly turned gray the second you had landed, casting a quiet gloom over the city, the kind that sinks into your bones(What a great sign, huh?). Raindrops softly patterned on the sidewalk while you took another slow drag, the smoke curling up into the damp air.

The second you crushed the cigarette beneath your shoe and bent over to pick it up, a car pulled up in front of you, headlights cutting through the misty rain. You quickly threw it in the appropriate spot in the trash can and opened the back door, climbing in with a sigh.

“Annyeonghaseyo~,” you greeted the driver in your best (broken) Korean, trying to remember the phrases you had studied years ago for Aeri.

The driver smiled politely in the rearview mirror, his eyes crinkling with amusement. “Ah, I also speak English. Are you going to the hotel?”

You felt your cheeks flush slightly, nodding as you let out a small, relieved laugh, “Yes, please!” lowering your head in a polite bow.

The car slipped into the rainy Seoul night, the city lights blurring through the raindrops on the windows. The sound of rain hitting the roof of the car was soothing. Your eyes traced the streets as you drove deeper into the heart of the city. The roads were wet and glistening, the neon signs reflecting off the slick pavement, painting the night in hues of red, blue, and green.

The drive felt longer than it was, the beautiful city of Seoul was a lot to take in. Finally, you pulled up to the front of your hotel, the bright lights of the entrance cutting through the rain. The driver helped you with your bags, and you handed him some Won with a shy bow and a “gamsahamnida,” before heading inside.

Checking in was a blur of polite smiles and hurried conversations with the hotel staff. Before you knew it, you were standing in your empty room, the door clicking shut behind you with a finality that made the space feel even bigger.

The rain had picked up, drumming harder against the window. You crossed the room slowly, setting your bag down by the bed before making your way to the large floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the city. The lights of Seoul stretched out before you, and they were incredibly bright.

A reflection of your younger self flickered in the glass, dim and blurred by the raindrops. It was as if your inner child was staring right back at you—smiling brightly in those stupid colorful shorts your Mom loved to dress you in with a big toothy grin stretching across your face.

As quickly as she appeared, she vanished. Then reflected back was an almost unrecognizable adult. It was you. The light in your eyes was still prevalent, but it just wasn’t as bright as it used to be. Years must have dimmed that spark and softened the edges of the person you once were.

You leaned your forehead against the cool glass, watching as your breath fogged up the window. The city below pulsed with life, its bright lights and movement carrying on unaware of your inner turmoil.

In that moment, surrounded by the bright lights of a city that was so beautiful and full of life.

You had never felt more alone.

Some bridges in Korean folklore represent reunion and enduring love, like the Magpie Bridge, where separated lovers meet once a year to reaffirm their bond. Others, however, represent a fleeting reconnection—brief moments that can’t last, like this one.

The next morning, you got ready and made your way to Seonyudo Park Bridge, a location Aeri had sent you earlier. The sky wasn’t rainy (luckily) and the soft hum of the city seemed distant as you stood at the edge of the bridge, anxiously watching pedestrians and tourists bustle around. Snippets of Korean and bits of broken English floated past you as you nervously fidgeted with the strap of your tote bag.

You shifted your weight, glancing around, when a voice called out, one you hadn’t heard in person in years.

“Y/n!”

Your head instinctively turned.

Suddenly, in front of you stood a child. She wore jean shorts, a Hello Kitty shirt, and had medium length black hair. Her smile was bright, lighting up her entire face, and her eyes sparkled with a familiar excitement.

It was a smile you could recognize anywhere.

For a moment, you were transported back in time. There she was—Aeri, as you remembered her as a child, standing on the other side of the bridge. You froze, staring in disbelief as the vision of her younger self ran toward you, wide-eyed and full of life. It felt so real—the way she moved, the way her smile hadn't changed.

But then you blinked, and the vision vanished and adult, present time Aeri was just walking toward you. She looked different—grown up. Her hair had grown longer, her figure more filled in, and her features had sharpened with time. But that damn smile, the way her eyes crinkled in the corners when she smiled, was exactly the same as you remembered it from 20 years ago.

Without thinking, your body moved on its own, a shy yet goofy smile creeping across your face as you walked toward her. Your strides were longer, more eager, and you met her about three-quarters of the way across the bridge. You met her where she was.

Now standing just a foot apart, neither of you spoke at first. You both stood there, taking each other in, as if afraid to break the fragile moment. Aeri was still shorter than you by a couple of inches, and she was dressed in a sleek black leather jacket with gray slacks that made her look effortlessly beautiful.

You looked down at her, your heart racing, and for a few seconds, the world around you seemed to fade away. The silence between you wasn’t awkward—it was heavy, but not uncomfortable. It was the weight of everything left unsaid, everything that had built up over the years.

Finally, Aeri sighed softly, her eyes locked on yours, and a smile tugged at her lips. “Wow~,” she whispered, looking up at you with a mix of awe and warmth.

She surprisingly embraced you in an unexpected hug. Your hands hovered, ghosting across her sides.

“I missed you” She muffled out on your shoulder

You didn’t respond.

You both pulled back from the hug, standing there, just staring at each other. There was something almost surreal about it—the way you both remembered each other so clearly, yet in this moment, you felt like strangers, familiar but somehow unrecognizable.

“You look amazing,” you croaked out, your voice betraying the flood of emotions. “You’ve changed but... you haven’t? If that makes sense.” A nervous laugh escaped your lips.

Aeri lowered her head, letting out a soft, breathy chuckle. “I could say the same to you... When did you get so tall?”

You shyly smirked “I think you’ve just always been short.”

“Ah~ so you haven’t changed at all. Still so~ annoying,” she teased, her laugh infectious.

The laughter faded, and a comfortable silence settled between you both as you took each other in again, the weight of time pressing gently on the moment.

“So...” Aeri smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. “You wanna go? I’ve got a few places planned for us.”

“Yeah, of course. Let’s go,” you replied, and without another word, you followed Aeri much like a dog

The Han River has long been a symbol of flow, change, and life in Korea. Flowing water symbolizes the constant change in ones life.. they’re moving in different directions, but still connected in some way.

The walk wasn’t far, but neither of you spoke at first. Aeri led the way and you followed, both of you too shy to break the silence. Finally, she guided you to a quiet spot near the bank of the Han River, the water glistening under the dim light of the overcast sky.

“How’s here?” Aeri finally spoke, settling down near the water’s edge.

“Mmm,” you murmured, nodding as you sat beside her. The lush grass below you.

You both sat quietly, watching the water, the silence growing heavier with unsaid words.

“Was the last time we talked really eight years ago?” Aeri sighed, breaking the silence again.

“I think so? We’re 30 now... So, yeah, I guess it was,” you said, turning your head slightly toward her. “Feels weird huh?” You gave her a little half smile.

“Wow...” she whispered, her voice carrying the weight of those lost years.

After a brief pause, she added, “You know.. before I got married, I went to New York with my wife.”

“I know.”

“I sent you a message on Facebook, I didn’t know if you had changed your number” she continued, smiling softly but with a hint of sadness in her eyes. “But you didn’t respond”

There was another pause. It felt like she had more to say, so you stayed quiet, waiting.

“I wanted to see you,” she admitted quietly. “I was disappointed.”

“I’m sorry,” you said, your gaze fixed on the water, avoiding her eyes. There wasn’t much else you could say, something was hanging in the air between you.

Aeri shifted, her tone changing slightly. “Well, I also wanted to meet your girlfriend. How are you guys doing?”

“We’re not together right now,” you admitted.

“Oh, I’m sorry... I didn’t mean to— wait, did you break up?” she asked, concern lacing her voice.

“Oh well no, I don't know, we’re just... in a weird spot right now. She wants to get married but...”

“But you don’t?” Aeri asked, cutting through your hesitation.

“Yeah it's just, I don’t know, it’s just... complicated,” you sighed, trying not to reveal too much, keeping your emotions in check.

“What’s complicated?” she pressed, her voice direct, almost matter-of-fact.

You chuckled lightly at her tone. “I’m still paying off my student loans. I just don’t want my wife to carry that burden, you know? Boston is expensive enough as it is...” It wasn’t entirely a lie. But deep down, you knew there was more to your hesitation than just the financial part.

“I just feel like she deserves someone better than me. We’ve been together but.. not really together for so long... She deserves someone who can give her what she wants. Someone... less ordinary and..”

“Ordinary?” Aeri interrupted softly, her voice filled with disbelief. “You’re far from ordinary, Y/n. You know you’re...” she trailed off, as if catching herself before saying too much.

You gave her a small smile, ignoring her hesitation. It was clear neither of you wanted to dig into old feelings, not yet, maybe even never. There was too much that both of you were avoiding.

“So, how’s work?” you asked, gently steering the conversation away from the tension that had built up. The question felt like a safe place to land, something casual and mundane.

Aeri smiled, seeming to relax a little. “Busy, as always. Giselle’s doing well, though. It’s everything I dreamed of... and more stressful than I imagined.”

“That sounds about right,” you chuckled, the heaviness between you starting to ease. “But, I knew you could do it. I’m really proud of you, Aeri.”

Slowly, the awkwardness began to dissipate. You found yourselves laughing about silly memories from when you were younger, filling in the gaps from the eight years you had missed.

Aeri told you about the ups and downs of her business, her wife, her travels, and the unexpected ways life had changed her. You shared stories of grad school, your friends, your job, and the quiet moments of your own life that had shaped you. It was easy to get lost in the rhythm of it, the back and forth, as though no time had passed at all.

Before you knew it, the sun had started to dip, casting soft shades of pink and orange across the sky. .

“Remember that one time when you fe–”

Your stomach grumbled loudly, cutting through Aeri’s story

“Oh my god, are you hungry?” Aeri’s eyes widened with concern.

Oh, no I’m fine, really!” You tried to assuage but of course she did not relent

“No it’s okay, I could eat too. Let’s go get some food, there’s a great to-go spot nearby, and then I’ve got one more place I want to show you.”

She was already on her feet, tugging at your sleeve before you could even think to protest. Not that you would, of course.

You chuckled softly, offering a simple, “Alright,” as a smile crept onto your face. It just felt so natural. Aeri was still the same, always charging ahead, her excitement infectious, leading you from behind as she had so many times before.

Some things really never change.

Soon, you both arrived at a cozy 24-hour convenience store, the kind that makes it fresh right there. It was small and tucked away, but the smell of freshly made meals greeted you the moment you stepped inside. You ordered an onigiri, feeling like that’s all your stomach could handle after such a day like this.

You unwrapped it and took a bite, savoring the simple comfort of the food, but before you could settle in, Aeri was pulling you along again, her food in hand, excitement bubbling in her voice.

“Let’s go, the bus comes in three minutes!” she said, glancing at her phone with a grin.

You both made it onto the bus(after scarfing down your rice ball) barely just in time. With no seats available, you were left standing together, holding the same pole.

Strangers pressed in around you, the sounds of conversation and the hum of the city filling the space. But in that moment, it felt like it was only the two of you in the world.

Your fingers brushed against each other, but neither of you moved. The silence stretched between you, not awkward, just heavy with all the years missed.

You met Aeri’s gaze, and for a brief second, it felt like time slowed.

The bus glided (not) smoothly through the city streets, and yet the tension between you was almost tangible. Your mind raced with everything you wanted to say, but none of the words seemed right.

"Ae—" you started to say, but before the words could form, Aeri cut you off softly.

“Oh, we’re here,” she said, her voice gently pulling you both back into the present moment.

The bus came to a stop, and you followed her out, stepping into the cool evening air. The two of you walked side by side, the quiet comfort between you settling in again as you made your way toward Namsan Tower, known for its Love Lock Bridge.

“Do you want a picture?” Aeri asked, breaking the silence. “It is your vacation, right? I feel like you haven’t taken many pictures while you’ve been here. Probably my fault,” she laughed lightly, her tone warm.

“Oh yeah, sure!” you said, handing her your phone.

You posed in front of a scenic spot along the path, flashing your signature bright smile.

“Ah~ so cute,” she teased, snapping a few photos before handing your phone back to you.

“Thanks,” you said, quickly glancing at the picture before slipping the phone into your pocket.

The two of you continued walking, your shoulders brushing against each other now and then as the foot traffic toward the bridge picked up. Just before you reached the bridge, Aeri stopped in her tracks, turning to you with a serious look.

“Y/n,” she said, her voice soft but steady.

“Hmm?” you looked at her curiously.

“Why did you... search for me?” she asked quietly, her gaze lingering on you.

“Eight years ago?” you finished for her.

“Mhm,” she nodded.

“Do you really want to know?” you asked, meeting her eyes. She gave a small nod in response, waiting.

You took a deep breath, searching for the right words. “I wanted to see you again... I don’t know. You left so suddenly, and I guess I was a little pissed off, honestly.”

“I’m sorry,” Aeri said softly.

You let out a small huff of laughter. “Why are you apologizing?”

“I guess... you’re right. I don’t have anything to be sorry for,” she admitted, smiling faintly.

“You were just in my entire life, and then you left... and then, bam, I found you again,” you said, the words coming out more candidly than you expected.

“Why would you do that?” she asked, her voice carrying a hint of vulnerability.

“I don’t know, honestly... You kept entering my mind when I was in college. I thought about you... a lot,” you admitted.

Aeri nodded, her expression softening. “I see.”

“We were babies back then, huh?” you chuckled, the tension easing. “And even eight years ago... we were still figuring things out.”

“Yeah,” Aeri smiled, a bittersweet glint in her eyes. “I can’t believe we’re not ‘babies’ anymore.”

You both finally arrived at the Love Lock Bridge, the sky now a deep shade of blue, illuminated by the city lights below. The bridge was alive with the soft hum of conversations you couldn’t quite understand and the distant sounds of traffic, but you felt a quiet stillness between you and Aeri walked around.

“Ning and I came here for our anniversary,” Aeri said, her voice almost wistful as she glanced around. “It was hard to find at first. We spent months looking for the perfect spot to place our lock.”

She started scanning the rows upon rows of locks, her fingers brushing over the cold metal as she looked for hers. But while she was focused on finding it, you couldn’t stop staring at her—the way her hair fell over her face as she leaned in, the subtle concentration etched on her features, the soft smile that tugged at her lips every now and then as she searched.

You knew you should probably be at least trying to help her, but at this moment, it felt like she was a world away, even as she stood right next to you. She was talking about their anniversary, their love, and you couldn’t shake away the sinking feeling.

Then suddenly, She spotted it. A small, worn lock with their names etched in faded letters. Ning and Aeri. She pointed at it.

“There,” she said softly.

Your eyes followed your finger, and she smiled when she saw it.

“Wow... I didn’t think we’d be able to find it.”

You forced a smile, but the heaviness in your chest lingered. After a few moments of small talk about the lock, the conversation lulled, and Aeri checked the time. The soft glow of the city lights and the quiet hum of the evening reminded you both that this reunion, like everything, had to come to an end.

“I should probably head home,” Aeri said quietly, her voice carrying a hint of reluctance. She didn’t want to break the moment, but it was inevitable.

You nodded, your own smile fading. “Yeah, I should get back too.”

Home. She was going home to someone—to a life that didn’t include you. And as much as you tried to push the thought aside, it stung.

She walked with you toward the bus stop, in silence. The conversation from earlier echoed in your mind—how you had found her again, only to realize that the distance between your lives was now undeniable.

When the bus pulled up, Aeri watched as you stepped inside. She gave you one last, soft smile, the kind that carried more meaning than any words could, just before the doors closed between you.

You said your quiet goodbye, instead of walking her home like you used to, you headed back to your own place. Alone.

The next day arrived with a clearer sky, though the weight of the previous night still lingered faintly in your chest. You weren’t sure how to feel, but Aeri’s early morning text had a way of pulling you out of your thoughts: “Let’s go to Seoul Tower today! I feel like everyone who visits needs to see it.”

Of course you agreed, a few hours later when you had checked out of your hotel, you found yourself walking toward one of Seoul’s most famous places, N Seoul Tower, with Aeri by your side. The streets were alive with locals and tourists, bustling around market stalls and snapping photos.

There was a vibrant energy of the city surrounding you, but your focus was on Aeri, who was as animated as ever, pointing out landmarks and sharing random facts about the places you passed. It was cute.

“This place is sooo a must for anyone visiting Seoul,” Aeri said with a grin as you passed a shop offering hanbok rentals. “Wanna try one on?” She teased “Or are you more in the mood for food?”

You bantered back. “Let’s try food first. I don’t think I’m ready for a hanbok yet,” you playfully rolled your eyes

You stopped at a food stall, grabbing some hotteok, tteokbokki, and grilled meat skewers.

“You have to try this. It’s my favorite,” she said, handing you a cup of hotteok, her face lighting up as you took a bite of the warm treat “See?! I knew you’d like it.”

The day moved quickly as you wandered through the crowded streets, snapping photos, enjoying the ‘touristy’ vibe. It felt easier, lighter, as if you could both escape into the city, even if just for a while.

As the sun began to set, casting a warm golden hue over the city, Aeri led you to the top of N Seoul Tower. From the observation deck, you could see all of Seoul stretched out before you. The view was breathtaking, the city bathed in the soft light of the sun.

“This city... it’s strange how much it’s become home,” Aeri said quietly, her voice softer now. She leaned against the railing, staring out at the skyline. “I never thought I’d feel that way when I first moved here.”

You stood beside her. “It’s beautiful,” you said, your own voice hushed, as if speaking too loudly might break the delicate moment. You stared at her as she gazed out over the city, your mind was elsewhere.

For a while, you both stood in silence, taking in the view. In that moment, it didn’t matter where you had come from or where you were going.

For now, this was enough.

After spending the day embodying a tourist and such, the sun had long set, and the once-bustling streets now felt quieter as you followed Aeri back to her apartment.

You were nervous of course,

“She knows I’m coming. right?” you asked, pausing mid-step.

“Of course,” Aeri replied, leading you up the steps to her apartment—the place she now called home.

As you entered, Aeri's wife, Ning, was already by the door. You weren’t sure what you had expected, but seeing her in the flesh felt surreal, like a final confirmation of the life Aeri had built without you. It felt like the gap between your past with Aeri and her present had suddenly become tangible.

After a brief moment of silence, you gave Ning a polite bow, offering your best attempt at broken Korean. “Annyeonghaseyo,” you said, smiling awkwardly.

Ning returned the gesture with a polite bow of her own. “Hello,” she responded in careful English.

For a second, both of you stood there, staring at each other incredulously, trying to find the right words, the weight of the moment hanging between you.

You nodded, your heart racing slightly. “It’s nice to meet you,” you added, this time in your most broken Korean.

Ning smiled kindly, understanding the effort you were making. “It’s nice to meet you too,” she said

Ning chuckled softly, the slight language barrier immediately apparent but not uncomfortable. “Aeri told me… a lot about you.” she responded in English

“Likewise”

Aeri came to your side, sensing the mix of emotions swirling in the air. “Ning, should we grab something to eat? She’s leaving later tonight, so I think we should eat,” Aeri said in Korean, but you didn’t quite catch the words.

Ning nodded and turned to you, switching back to English. “What do you like to eat?”

You pondered for a moment, thinking of something simple but satisfying. “Hmm… samgyupsal?”

Ning’s face immediately lit up at the mention of her favorite food. “Let’s go get samgyupsal!” she said, her excitement evident.

You three ended up at a cozy late-night bar and restaurant, the soft hum of conversation and clinking of glasses filling the space. Dinner had gone smoothly, the samgyupsal hitting the spot, and now you were all nursing drinks, passing time until your Uber was set to arrive.

“So, have you traveled out of the United States before?” Ning asked in Korean, her expression curious. Of course, you didn’t understand, but Aeri leaned in, her voice low as she translated.

“She’s asking if you’ve been out of the country before,” Aeri said with a small smile, eyes flicking between you and her wife.

You shook your head with a soft laugh. “I’ve been to Japan and Spain before, but I think Korea has been my favorite so far.”

Aeri translated the words, and Ning nodded with a smile.

“She says Seoul is a good place to start when visiting Korea, but if you come back, you should visit Jeju Island. It’s beautiful there,” Aeri translated again, while Ning added in her own bit in Korean, her face lighting up.

“I’ve heard great things about Jeju,” you said, returning the smile. “Maybe next time.”

The small talk flowed easily enough, but as the night wore on, Aeri slowly stopped translating, and Ning sat quietly, sipping her drink. It created an odd dynamic—one where it felt like Aeri was caught between two worlds, and Ning, though polite, was drifting further into her own thoughts.

You couldn’t help it. With the drinks loosening your tongue and emotions swirling inside you, the words began to spill out. Leaning in slightly, you lowered your voice, careful to keep your tone steady. “Aeri… thanks for introducing me to your wife.”

Aeri blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in conversation. “Mm,” she mumbled, her gaze flickering between you and her drink, unsure of where you were headed.

“I can tell she really loves you,” you added softly, the sincerity in your voice clear. "I didn't realize liking your wife would hurt this much."

Aeri’s eyes softened, her brow furrowing slightly. “Really?” she asked, her voice almost hesitant, as if she needed confirmation.

“Of course,” you replied, your words gentle, but heavy with the weight of what you weren’t saying.

A moment of silence passed, the sounds of the bar fading into the background as the two of you sat there, the space between you filled with things that had been left unsaid for too long.

You took a sip from your glass, gathering the courage to speak again. “… When we stopped talking back then… I really missed you. Did you miss me?”

The question hung in the air, heavy and raw, as if you’d been holding it in for years.

Aeri’s gaze dropped for a moment, her fingers tracing the rim of her glass. When she finally looked up at you, her voice was softer, almost vulnerable. “Of course I did, Y/n.”

A dry laugh escaped your lips. “But you met your wife then.” There was an edge to your voice, a bitterness that surprised even you.

Aeri responded instantly, almost defensively. “And you had a girlfriend.”

You scoffed softly. “Right,” you murmured, shaking your head with a small smile. “Sorry.”

Aeri fidgeted with the rim of her glass. “It’s okay.”

After a few quiet moments, you exhaled, the weight of your thoughts pressing down on you. The words slipped out before you had the chance to stop them. “Seeing you again… it’s made me have some strange thoughts.”

Aeri lifted her eyes to yours, her gaze gentle but curious. “What kind of thoughts?” she asked softly.

You hesitated, your fingers tracing the rim of your glass as you searched for the right words. “I keep thinking… what if I had come here eight years ago? What if you never left California? If we’d just grown up together, stayed in each other’s lives…”

You paused, the questions swirling in your mind before you continued, your voice growing softer. “Would I have still searched for you? Would we have dated? Broken up? Gotten married and had kids? Just.. you know, stuff like that.”

You glanced at Aeri, her expression unreadable as she absorbed everything you said.

“And what I’ve realized,” you continued, almost to yourself, “is that California… it was always too small for your ambition. You outgrew it before either of us realized. I’m happy you moved here, Aeri, I really am.

And the truth is, I liked you because you’re you. And who you are…” You trailed off for a moment, letting the words sink in before you finished quietly. “Who you are is someone who leaves.”

Aeri’s lips parted slightly, her breath catching. She looked away for a second, as if trying to gather her thoughts, before her voice came out in a whisper. “The Aeri Uchinaga you remember… she doesn’t exist anymore.”

Her words cracked slightly, as if admitting it to herself for the first time.

You felt a soft chuckle escape you, one tinged with understanding. “I know,” you replied. “I know.”

She nodded, but quickly added, “But… that doesn’t mean she never existed.” Her eyes met yours again, softer now. “I left that version of me behind 20 years ago. I left her with you.”

Her words, the honesty in them, tugged at something deep within you. “I know,” you repeated, meeting her gaze, a strange sense of peace settling over you. “I know we were only twelve… but I really did love her.”

Aeri’s lips curved into a small, sad smile, the kind that holds years of unspoken truths. “I know,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

You both let out a quiet laugh, the sound soft but comforting, a brief return to the simplicity of who you used to be.

“I think we must’ve been something together in our past lives,” she said after a while, her voice distant, thoughtful. “Otherwise, why would we be here together right now?”

You thought about her words, turning them over in your mind. “I agree,” you finally said. “But in this life… we obviously just aren’t those people to each other, are we? We’re finally in the same city for the first time in 20 years, and here we are, sitting together... with your wife.”

Your expression softened, as you quietly acknowledged the truth you both knew. “To Ning, you’re someone who stays,” you whispered.

A few moments of silence passed between you and Aeri.

“Who do you think we were to each other in our past lives?” Aeri asked suddenly, her voice soft, almost wistful.

You tilted your head, considering the question. “Hmm… I don’t know,” you said, your tone thoughtful. “Maybe we were forced into a political marriage to stop a war…Or maybe we were just two strangers on a bus who happened to sit next to each other. Or even.. maybe I was just a branch you decided to sit on as a bird on a cold morning.”

You and Aeri chuckled at that, though you could sense a sadness behind it.

You both sat in the quiet for a few more moments, the weight of those imagined lives lingering in the air, until Aeri excused herself to use the restroom, leaving you alone with Ning.

You turned toward her, feeling guilty for the past hour. “I’m sorry we spoke alone,” you said gently, your voice low. “It won’t happen again.”

Ning gave you a small, gentle smile, though there was something sad in her eyes. “Don’t worry,” she replied, her English hesitant but kind. “You two haven’t seen each other in a while. I’m glad I got to meet you Y/n.”

You nodded, her response easing some of the tension in your chest. “I’m glad too,” you said softly, offering her a smile in return

When Aeri returned, you paid the bill and the three of you made your way back to the apartment to grab your luggage. The atmosphere had shifted slightly—quiet, but not uncomfortable, just the natural stillness that follows the end of a long day.

“Hey, I’m gonna walk her to her Uber,” Aeri said to Ning, offering her a small, reassuring smile before turning toward you and the door.

You paused for a moment, glancing at Ning. Bowing slightly, you tried your best to piece together the Korean you’d practiced. “Nice to meet you. Come visit me in California.”

Ning’s eyes softened, and despite the awkwardness of the language barrier, her warmth was undeniable. She returned the bow, her own English just as halting but genuine. “Definitely,” she replied, her smile sincere. You offered her a small smile in return before following Aeri out the door.

As you and Aeri stepped out of the apartment, the cool night air hit you both. You walked side by side down the quiet street, neither of you saying much, both lost in your own thoughts.

The streets were dimly lit, the distant hum of the city lingering in the background. Every now and then, your shoulders brushed, but neither of you acknowledged it.

As you neared the end of the street, where your Uber was set to pick you up, you both stopped, standing under a flickering streetlight. The quiet air felt thick, the weight of the goodbye neither of you wanted to acknowledge.

Aeri shifted slightly, glancing at you before looking away, her hands fidgeting in her jacket pockets. “Will it be here soon?” she asked, her voice soft, trying to smooth over the tension between you.

You glanced at your phone, the screen glowing back at you. “Two minutes,” you replied, your voice barely above a whisper.

Silence.

Some more silence fell between you two as the night deepened, the distant sounds of the city humming softly around you. Neither of you made any effort to fill the quiet, as if both afraid that words would shatter whatever remained between you.

Finally, the low rumble of a car pulling up signaled that your time was almost up. You glanced at the Uber, then down at your bags. With a sigh, you began to pack them into the trunk, your movements slow, almost hesitant, as if trying to delay the inevitable.

Just as you were about to open the car door, something inside you stirred. You couldn’t let this moment end without saying it.

“Aeri,” you called out, your voice breaking the silence as you turned toward her, your hand resting on the handle of the door.

She looked up, her eyes lighting up just a little as she responded, “Mm?”

For a moment, you hesitated, unsure if you should say the words that had been circling in your mind. But the thought of leaving without voicing them felt unbearable. So you smiled, that bittersweet smile tugging at your lips as you spoke.

“What if this is a past life as well, and we are already something else to each other in our next life? Who do you think we are then?” You could feel a deep sadness in your voice as the words left your lips.

Aeri blinked, the question taking her by surprise. Her eyes searched for yours, as if trying to understand the depth of your meaning. She looked almost vulnerable at that moment, her lips parting slightly before she whispered, “I-I don’t know.” Careful with her words

There was something in the way she said it—like she wanted to know, like she wished she had an answer for you but couldn’t bring herself to find one. The distance between you two felt like more than just the physical space separating you—it was something neither of you could cross.

You had realized just then. At that moment. That she hasn’t been looking at you with any sort of love or longing. She’d just been looking at you with nostalgia. A life before the weight of the world crashed down on her.

You lowered your head with a sad laugh in response to her.

“Alright,” you began, “Goodbye, Aeri Uchinaga.. See you then.” you whispered finally parting ways with the girl you'd known 20 years ago.

A feeling of loss over you, almost suffocating. You still managed a genuine smile because you were happy Aeri was happy.

Bittersweet.

“See you.. then, Y/n L/n” she whispered.

With that, you gave her a small nod, your heart heavy. The air between you felt thick with everything unsaid. Aeri looked back at you, her eyes holding a mix of emotions—nostalgia, sadness, maybe a little bit of both.

You opened the door and got into the backseat of the Uber. You glanced out the window one last time, catching a glimpse of Aeri standing there under the streetlight. She looked a little blurry in the dim light, but still the same Aeri you’ve always known.

For a second, your eyes met again. Neither of you waved, neither of you spoke. You both knew this was how it had to end.

You took a deep breath and nodded to the driver, and the car pulled away.

You silently stared out the window as the scenery of Seoul flashed by while tears streamed down your face.

You’ll never know that she was crying too. Harder than she ever had before.

#kywrites #aeri x reader #aespa #kytalks #aespa x reader #aespa x you #aespa giselle x reader #aespa giselle #giselle x you #giselle x reader #giselle #aespa x fem reader #aespa aeri #aeri uchinaga #aeri uchinaga x reader #aeri #kpop x reader

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iwaoiness · 6 months ago

Text

When Iwaizumi-senpai is having a shitty day, he’s genuinely terrifying. And today is one of those days. During the morning practice, there’s tension in his broad shoulders and a clouded expression on his face. He doesn’t say much, sticking to monosyllabic responses. Kindaichi suspects something is wrong but doesn’t confirm it until he notices Oikawa-san being unusually calm around him. There are no annoying comments, he’s not flitting around Iwaizumi-senpai like a hummingbird, no teasing, no tossing balls at his back and hiding behind Mattsun, no jumping on him and hanging off him like a koala. Oikawa-san is just there, calm and collected, keeping the practice running smoothly without drawing any attention to Iwaizumi-senpai, giving him space.

This actually takes Kindaichi by surprise. But he says nothing, not that he had much time to anyway, since the bell rings just as he’s finishing changing, and he has to dash out like a bat out of hell, shoes in hand, his uniform shirt untucked, and his pants unbuttoned, racing to make it to his math class on time with the strict sensei.

It isn’t until the practice after classes that he thinks about it again, noticing how much worse Iwaizumi's mood has become.

If earlier his expression was clouded, now it’s completely dark. He doesn’t speak to anyone, and the only sounds that leave his lips are hoarse apologies. And it gets worse during the practice set they’re playing. Iwaizumi is an exceptional player, but today, all his hits and serves are, at best, terrible. His receives are mediocre, barely managing to save the balls deflected by the blockers, and his blocks are far below his usual level.

And Iwaizumi knows it, which only seems to frustrate him more, turning him into a ticking time bomb ready to explode.

Kindaichi tries to cheer him up with encouraging words, but they barely reach Hajime. He seems to be in his own world. He doesn’t even hear Irihata-san’s instructions.

It’s only when one of his intense spikes goes completely off course with a dull thud, plunging the gym into a heavy silence, that he finally snaps.

“To hell with this fucking shit!” he yells angrily, hands clutching his hair, pulling it in frustration and startling everyone. “Dammit! Fucking dammit! Fuck it!” He squats down, head bowed, huffing in an attempt to control his rage.

Yutaro blinks in near fear, clutching Kunimi’s shoulder tightly, who is too shocked to even protest. No one says a word yet.

Until, of course, Oikawa-san steps in.

“Okay!” He claps to get everyone’s attention, wearing an easy smile. “I think it’s a good time for a switch! Group C, you ready?” He turns to the bench where the first and some second years are sitting; they nod, still a little shaken. “Great, then come on in for us,” he encourages them, getting the coach’s approval.

“Finally, a break!”

“I thought my hands would fall off from all the blocking.”

Kindaichi barely registers Matsukawa-san’s and Hanamaki-san’s words, still watching Iwaizumi. His breathing is still a little heavy, and he soon stands up as the two third-years gently pat his back. He keeps his head down as he heads to the opposite bench from everyone else, shoulders tense and fists clenched.

Kindaichi twists his lips into a frown, letting Kunimi drag him to the bench. They drink water and towel off while the practice set resumes. The young boy tries to focus on his teammates, but his eyes keep drifting back to where Iwaizumi-san is sitting, leaning against the wall, one leg bouncing frantically, arms crossed, and a towel covering his head and face.

He’s alone, but not for long. Yutaro’s eyes widen in slight surprise when he sees Oikawa-san approach and sit down so close to Iwaizumi-san that their legs and arms are touching. For the moment, he doesn’t say anything, taking a long sip from his bottle before closing it and placing it on the floor.

And then, he casually places his leg over Iwaizumi’s, completely stopping his frantic movements. That’s when Iwaizumi rests his head on Oikawa’s shoulder, and the storm seems to calm. Kindaichi can’t help but blush in embarrassment, quickly averting his gaze, feeling like he’s intruding on an incredibly intimate moment.

But his curiosity gets the better of him, and he sneaks another glance at them. Oikawa is playing with Iwaizumi’s hand on his thigh, stretching his fingers, gently caressing them, intertwining them with his own. He’s moving his lips, speaking to him, and from the way they’re softly curled up, he’s either telling something funny or teasing him. Iwaizumi looks more relaxed by the second, and moments later, he pulls the towel off his head with his free hand, tossing it to the floor.

He still doesn’t say anything, just listening, staring at their intertwined hands. But his expression softens; he’s no longer frowning, and there’s a small tug at his lips before he finally speaks. Kindaichi can’t make out what they’re saying, but he feels a little better seeing that Iwaizumi-san is okay, so he turns his attention back to the game, enjoying it.

Though, a little later, amidst the shouts and the squeaking of sneakers, he hears Iwaizumi-san’s laughter. Yutaro blinks in surprise when he looks at them again because it’s one of the very few times he hears that laugh from him—so clean, loud, and genuine (though the one to coax it out of him is always Oikawa). He finds them in practically the same position, with his captain looking at him amusedly and his vice-captain still laughing, head now lifted to look at Oikawa with squinted eyes.

Oikawa’s leg is still over Iwaizumi’s. Their hands are still intertwined. Their arms still touch.

Kindaichi once again feels like he’s intruding on an incredibly intimate moment and looks away.

Then, he thinks.

Oh, so this is what real love looks like.

...

i miss my laptop but i miss iwaoi much more

u can find me on my ao3 🍉

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czechwoso · 16 days ago

Note

Smut: Leah being angry after lost game and reader want to make her feel better?

Not the Liverpool match today being an inspiration.

Feeling better? (Leah Williamson x reader) 18+

Summary: Leah is very angry after lost game and reader is using sex to make her feel more relaxed

TW: 18+, smut. (Leah recieving)

Disclaimer: my first time writing smut, english is not my first language

MASTERLIST

It was terrible day for Arsenal today. First of all Katie got a red card in the 20th minute, unfairly in your opinion, so you were playing with 10 players almost the whole time.

To make matters worse, the Chelsea players have injured Stina Blackstenius so badly that she may not be able to play in next matches.

Even though you were playing with ten players for most of the game, Arsenal managed to defend and not to gain a goal - that was mainly thanks to Leah, who was amazing.

Unfortunately, in the last minute, after a corner kick, Chelsea scored and there was no more time to equalise.

The feeling of sadness and anger that reigned in the cabin was indescribable. Arsenal were by far the better team, yet Chelsea take the three points today. They had two good actions themselves, which unfortunately ended up on the crossbar.

You were upset. On the other hand, Arsenal were still top of the leads by a comfortable margin. Your girlfriend Leah, being the more competitive type, took the loss much harder and barely spoke on the way home. And when she did, it was swearing.

You came home. Leah angrily smacked her stuff on the floor and angrily curled up on the couch. "I hate these fakin Blues," she growled.

"Leah...I mean, you can't undo what happened. We're still 15 points ahead in the scoreboard," you tried to comfort her.

"I know..I just..hate losing, specially against Chelsea," she growled, still a bit red of anger. You could not help yourself and went to hug her. She was getting so irresistible when she was furious.

"Do you want pasta for dinner?" you tried to change topic. "Not hungry, I don't want to eat now," Leah answered. At this moment, you layed down on Leah, starting to kissing her neck.

"I would love to eat...something," you said with the voice full of desire, smirked on Leah.

"Y/n, if you are trying to distract me with sex...then please continue," Leah melted a bit, holding your head and deep kissed you, quickly taking your shirt off.

"I just...you are so sexy when you are red of anger," you moaned.

"Then stop talking and make me cum," said Leah with her cracked voice. You gently took her tracksuits off, kissing her thighs. Then you rolled off her t-shirt, kissing her belly before you took her t-shirt and her black bra off.

"Ah, y/n," Leah moaned while you were kissing her neck, rubbing her nipples.

"You know what to say," you whispered in her ears.

"Please, y/n, fuck me." murmured Leah with voice full of desire, holding your head. Her voice was cracked and that was something you loved.

You slided with your mouth to her belly, kissing her abdominal muscles, your favourite part of her, Leah was holding your neck. "My needy angry lady," you teased her.

Then you finally reached her clito, tease with the tongue, while Leah squeezed your head with her thighs, slowly moaning. Her hand were on your head, slowly pressing your face into her vj.

"Please, y/n, let me cum," moaned Leah. You felt her wetness in your face and found it incredibly hot. Then, exhaused from her orgasm, she slowly cuddled into you. You took a blanked and wrapped both of you into it, placing a kiss into Leah's hair.

"Feeling better?" you murmured playfully, drawing patterns on Leah's back. She was curled up in your hug.

"Gosh, I needed that," moaned Leah, diving her face into your chest while you were stroking her hair. "And now you wanna continue with cuddling seasion?" You smiled. That was completely different Leah. You loved all her sides.

"Yes please," said Leah with her puppy eyes you coudn't resist. You wrapped her into your hug and she completely melted.

"I just hope we can do this even without us loosing the game at first," Leah smiled.

"Everytime you want my queen. But your anger really turned me on."

#leah williamson x reader #woso x reader #woso fanfics #woso imagine

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kuroshitsuji-wiki · 6 days ago

Text

Trivia: Public School Arc and more!

A wiki is renownedly never done. However, after a major set-back and subsequent migrations, I have finally finished all major Season 4/Public School Arc-related edits on the wiki!!! (Unless wiki.gg suddenly bans the words "witch" and "werewolf," Season 5 edits should be done much quicker and with far less head- and heartache.)

While I was actually fixing up the final page on my list, I saw the news that the manga is coming back and hurried to report on that mid-page-revision. It was... interesting timing.

One of the things I was unable to do during the airing of Season 4 because I was just too busy with other stuff was going through all of Mr. K's and Yana's tweets, extracting all fun trivia, and adding them to the wiki. I have done that now, but also thought I could bundle them all up and share them here too!

Public School Arc trivia

Otoha wrote the opening "The Parade of Battlers" based on the entirety of Kuroshitsuji, particularly on Ciel's life, not just on the Public School Arc.

Ciel has a cookie in his mouth when he hurries to school in the first chapter/episode of the arc and not a piece of toast because Queen Elizabeth II apparently had cookies and tea first thing in the morning.

Soma's observation in Chapter 71 that Cole is "a bit like Ciel" was also meant to refer to the Chapter 129 reveal.

Mr. K said that Violet's drawing of Ciel and the Jabberwock could mean that he is hostile towards Ciel or that he wants Ciel to eradicate something sinister at school, like St. George did. (Per legend, St. George once killed a dragon that extorted tribute from villagers.)

In the fourth episode, Sebastian reads out a Latin poem (part of the Elegiae) to his class. They have a special languages expert on the anime team, and he apparently approved Daisuke Ono's Latin pronunication on his first try, to everyone's surprise.

While making the chapter, Yana had concerns that Ciel could not possibly throw the lantern far enough for it to land inside the Violet Wolf dorm. Mr. K brushed her off though, but later realised that he was wrong. They asked for Sebastian to help Ciel get the lantern to its destination in the anime.

The order in which the cricket teams enter the grand hall for the eve of the tournament party corresponds with their ranking in the previous year's tournament. (Meaning, in 1888, the ranking was: 1. Green Lion, 2. Scarlet Fox, 3. Violet Wolf, 4. Sapphire Owl.)

It was obvious, but Mr. K confirmed that yes, Vincent did not win the cricket tournament fairly, and that Francis and Tanaka know the truth behind the first Miracle of Sapphires.

Yana consulted the Japanese Cricket Association about the "Sword in the Stone" technique. They were surprised by her idea, but gave her the green light for it as it did not violate any rules then.

Mr. K said it is a "positive technique that proves that there is a way to fight even if you're not a star player = someone who cannot pull the sword out."

Yana actually said that what she did to Joanne Harcourt is terrible.

Tanaka and Francis' dance during the afterparty was Yana's personal highlight.

Because Eton College has a "Fourth of June" celebration (though it does not entail a cricket tournament), the tournament takes place on June 4th too. Eton College's festivities do include a boat parade though; it was the basis for Weston College's.

The director Kenjiro Okada added Maurice's little appearance in the penultimate episode.

They might not have been able to make the Public School Arc if they had not had the help of Rico Murakami, the historical advisor.

The covers for chapters 68, 71, 72, 73, and 83 were drawn in the style of Alfons Mucha, obviously.

Character trivia

Francis Midford is the only human character Sebastian is afraid of.

Agni is the strongest human character in the series.

Because Edward is the heir of a marquess, he could have been in Scarlet Fox too.

Mr. K noted that Edward's ability of "single-minded respect" might make him powerful in battle one day.

According to Mr. K, Soma just cannot read the air; still, he gets along with everyone (except Sebastian). He is also one of the few "purely good" characters in the series and always believes in the goodness of people.

Bluewer knows the Weston College rules by heart.

Clayton raises his hands extra high when Sebastian carries Ciel away after they won the tournament because that is how one claps in the Imperial Theatre. Mr. K noted that this might mean that he is actually a nice person.

Maaya Sakamoto was a bit worried for Ciel to have to go to school as he's such a loner and not good with people. He ended up positively surprising her though with how well he handled the situation.

The question of "can Ciel even do this?" actually came up during the first Public School Arc manga meeting. Yana and the others decided that Ciel gained enough experience during the Circus Arc and would be fine. Yana also noted that while Ciel "might not have grown much in terms of appearance or ability" since the first chapter, he is nonetheless "growing steadily and brazenly on the inside."

It was difficult finding a replacement for Tanaka's late voice actor Shunji Fujimura. For that reason, the team decided to bring back Mugihito who voiced Tanaka in the first Drama CD.

Lau talks like a Japanese mafia boss despite his cluelessness.

Yana remarked that Lau and the Viscount of Druitt have the odd tendency to always be there for important points in the story.

Because the Midfords are a family of swordfighters, Yana asked Aniplex to make them look strong.

Other trivia

New staff members could not believe that Kuroshitsuji has a cast full of prominent voice actors. For example, they were surprised that Finnian is voiced by Yuki Kaji.

The little "in-between/breather" chapters are difficult to animate because they often feature a different setting, different characters, different clothes, etc. They are just as demanding to make as a new season.

For basically the same reasons, "breather" chapters are amongst the most difficult/tedious chapters to make amongst the manga staff too. E.g. the boat parade and the afterparty were hard to make because so many characters appeared, many of which even needed new clothes for the occasion.

The Luxury Liner Arc was the most difficult arc to make, according to Yana's assistants: Back then, everything was still done manually, and they could not copy-paste the Bizarre Dolls, for example. The tilting ship also made things extra hard, and Yana had to make a little model out of a milk box as a visualisation help.

Death Scythes (especially Grelle's and Undertaker's) make Yana's assistants despair. Yana later asked a professional to make 3D models of them so that drawing them would be easier.

Mr. K (and another K-san from the Media Division) always supervise the voice recordings for episodes.

The design of the saucer on the cover of the Monthly GFantasy May 2024 issue is a nod to the Public School Arc.

Her research for the Public School Arc helped Yana make Twisted Wonderland.

The more sinful a person is, the stronger are their "future episodes".

I might have forgotten something, but that should be (almost?) all of them^^'

Hope we get a lot of information from Yana and Mr. K during Season 5 too!

#kuroshitsuji #black butler #kuroshitsuji: public school arc #sebastian michaelis #ciel phantomhive #soma asman kadar #agni #gregory violet #edward midford #tanaka #francis midford #clayton #lawrence bluewer #maurice cole #lau #aleister chamber #grim reapers #I also just hit 100 followers! thank you^^#(and now on to S5 prep edits and manga hiatus end prep edits and...)

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reminiscingtonight · 1 year ago

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And The Things You'd Do

Lia Wälti x Russo!Reader (Alessia Russo & Russo!Reader + Kyra Cooney-Cross & Russo!Reader)

Word Count: 1.4k

[The Thing About Families Masterlist]

It’s the shuffling of feet that draws your attention.

You’re off stretching on the side of the field. Having just come back from injury, you’ve been approved for some light training and warm-ups while the other girls do their own drills. You’ve been doing alright all by your lonesome, so you’re surprised to see the Australian girl approaching.

You’re quick to narrow your eyes at the sheepish look on her face.

“What is it?”

Kyra turns and you instantly see the problem. She tries to wiggle her arm, one sleeve somehow caught underneath her pinnie. “I’m stuck.”

Sighing, you jerk your head at her. “C’mere.”

The young girl brightens up at your command, dutifully rushing to your side before allowing you to free her from her self-made prison.

“Go on,” you chuckle when she finally pops free.

Kyra lets out a whoop before sprinting back towards the other girls.

You’re smiling fondly at her departing figure when you hear a familiar drawl.

“Thought you were getting sick of her.”

You roll your eyes. “Please. I had to grow up with you, Gio, and Luca. Kyra’s a breeze compared to you lot.”

Alessia lets out an offended squawk. “You take that back!”

You raise an eyebrow at her raised arm and Alessia freezes. She gives you a grin, quickly recycling her plans to give you a noogie. “Sorry. Point taken.”

“What can I say? She grew on me.”

Alessia huffs, dragging a toe in the grass as the two of you slowly make your way back to the others. “The taste of coffee can grow on you. Being relegated to passenger-side-car-DJ can grow on you. Annoying Australians cannot grow on you!”

“Relax, rat. I’m not replacing you with her. Think of Kyra as your unofficial niece.”

Alessia pulls a face at your words.

You shake your head. “Take it up with Lia. I’m pretty sure she’s ready to duel Mini for guardianship.”

---

So maybe you should’ve thought things through.

When the ref whips out her red card, pointing for you to get off the field, you realize you might have gone a little too far.

In your defense, it really wasn’t your fault.

The first yellow you get on purpose.

No one messes with your baby sister.

When Alessia is blatantly fouled and the referee lets play go on without a single care that the blonde is clutching her ankle in pain, it only seems right that you bulldoze through the player at fault.

She milks the muck out of it and you’re rolling your eyes at the yellow card pointed your way, confidently swaggering your way back across the field to where Alessia’s still on the ground.

Alessia winces when the trainer presses a little too hard on the joint, fingers nearly crushing yours that you’ve graciously lent her for support.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“Didn’t have to do what?”

Alessia tries to look stern but all you can see is the little girl who would follow you everywhere just because she could. You know she’s trying to be strong but you’d recognize the tearful look on her face from a mile away.

Lia doesn’t find the humor in your act of retribution, rightfully chastising you into the locker room at halftime.

“It’s not my fault! Look what she did to Less! She’ll lucky if she only needs to be in the boot for two weeks!”

It isn’t until Kim gives you one of her disapproving glares that you wilt.

“Sorry Kim,” you mumble, scuffing your shoes on the ground. “Won’t happen again.”

It happens again.

There’s only ten minutes left in the match when you feed the ball into your midfield and time seems to come to a standstill.

You watch on with a twisted horror as Kyra leaps up to receive your ball. She barely gets a touch on it before she’s caught on the wrong side of a flying elbow, crumpling to the ground.

The whistle blows and you can practically hear the blood pumping in your ears. One second you’re rushing across the field to be by Kyra’s side. The next you’re pivoting midstride, catching sight of the smirk on the offending player’s face.

No one’s close enough to stop you from shoving her over.

“You think that’s funny? Throwing your elbow into her face? Let’s see if you think it’s funny when I do it to you!”

Steph catches you by the waist and hauls you back before anyone can test how serious you are.

You’re still yelling and spitting when the ref stalks over, hand already digging into her pocket.

There are boos and jeers when the inevitable comes and you throw a hand up in disgust.

“Go on then, you gonna card her for drawing blood too?”

It’s clear your teammates don’t know what to do.

Getting a yellow card is rare enough for you. But getting two and then being thrown out of a game? Practically unheard of in the years you’ve been at the club.

You ignore the look on their faces as you stomp all the way off the pitch and straight for the med room. You see Leah quirk her eyebrow, ready to give you an earful but you just push past, knowing full well that you’re going to get your ass handed to you later.

Alessia blinks up in surprise at the sound of the door opening.

She’s sat on top of an examining table, ankle propped on a pillow and wrapped in ice.

It only takes a second for her to realize what’s wrong with the picture. Alessia glances at the clock on the wall before her eyes flicker back to your fuming face. “What did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything,” you mutter. You poke at the ice, ignoring the way Alessia hisses and slaps your shoulder. “How’s the foot? Are we going to need to amputate?”

Alessia rolls her eyes. “My foot is fine. Now what is this I hear of you getting a red card?”

You glare at her phone, the sound of another message coming in, no doubt your mother telling Alessia about what you’ve done.

“Tell ma to stop snitching. That girl got exactly what she deserved for elbowing Kyra In the face.”

“Kyra got what?” Alessia gasps, eyes going wide.

Before you can repeat, the door opens behind you.

The two of you turn to see a sullen looking Kyra.

“Hi.”

You don’t think you’ve ever heard Kyra so quiet before.

“Oh wow, you look miserable.” You’re not sure if Alessia thinks this is hilarious or sad, but you’d definitely say the latter.

Kyra did look miserable. Her nose is already becoming discolored, swelling and bruises become more prominent.

“C’mere,” you huff, pressing an icepack against her nose when she gets close enough to you.

Kyra hisses and tries to jerk back but you just follow with the ice.

“The sooner you stop moving the sooner your 15 minutes of icing will be done.”

You don’t even make it to the 15 before the door slams open again for the third time.

“What did I say about getting unnecessary cards?!”

“Unnecessary?” you gwak. “Look at the kid! What part of me defending her was unnecessary?”

You backtrack. “Look at both of the kids.” You gesture wildly between Alessia and Kyra.

Lia rolls her eyes but follows your fingers nonetheless.

“Ma’s never going to let Less leave our house ever again, and Mini will probably drop by to kidnap Kyra and revoke our Australian baby access!”

“I’m not a baby--”

“Ma can’t stop me from moving out--”

You and Lia whip around to glare at Alessia. “You’re not moving out.”

Alessia frowns. “Whatever.” She crosses her arms. “Kyra’s a baby.”

The younger girl gasps in defiance before whimpering at the pain that radiates through her nose.

Lia looks a little exasperated when she turns back to you.

“Please. No more red cards.”

“No more red cards,” you echo.

When Lia grabs hold of your hand, leading you back to be chewed out by your captains, you turn to get one last glance at the two troublemakers.

Alessia and Kyra are already looking your way, shooting you two thumbs up.

You shake your head.

Oh the things you do for family.

#lia walti x reader #lia walti imagine #alessia russo x reader #alessia russo imagine #kyra cooney cross x reader #kyra cooney cross imagine #woso x reader #woso imagine #Ace writes

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li-an-nie · 2 months ago

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The origin of Isagi’s talent and a message for us (ft. Naruhaya & Kaiser)

Hi! This is something I've been thinking about for quite a while... and today I finally want to share with you my theory, or rather explanation, for Isagi Yoichi – his character, where his talent for adaptability comes from, as well as our own takeaways we can draw from Kaneshiro's characters.

This is a lot, but I think it shows how powerful the story of Blue Lock really can be!

Transformation

People often like to joke about Slursagi - how this ordinary guy with the seemingly most ordinariest of parents has so far spit out some of the wildest insults on the field haha. Well, sadly I don’t have an explanation for all of that, but I do have one for his incredibly fast and exponential progress in Blue Lock. I mean, we all know by now, as Naruhaya has said before and as was kinda picked up in the most recent chapters – it's his innate aptitude for adaptability, learning and change. Destroying yourself and then rebuilding your best version. Abandoning everything else and thinking of yourself as just a means to an end. While everyone else in Blue Lock had good enough soccer skills to manage just fine on their own so far, this is the method Isagi had to use in order to keep up with all the other players.

(see Ch. 53)

The question is just, where did this amazing talent come from? Is this a learned skill or a mutation, as Ego talked about? Is it nurture or nature?

If we look at it, the other guys in Blue Lock have all these sad backstories, traumas and toxic family relationships and whatnot. Yet Isagi has come so far, despite his ordinary background. Or rather... because of it. Or rather... only someone with a background like him could actually pull this off..! Why? Because Isagi has something that many of us don’t – unconditional love and support.

Again, this is just my own interpretation, but think about the term ‘destroying yourself’ first – what the hell does that even mean (if we ignore the edginess in that statement)?

(This is going to get super abstract, and even I don’t 100% know what I’m talking about, but hear me out first.)

It can mean so much – destroying your personality, your preconceptions of the world or a field, your prejudices, your obsessions, your pride, your fears, your regrets, basically anything that is capable of holding you back. Most people can’t simply do that. Naruhaya couldn’t. We all have inhibitions about certain things, no matter how hard we try, it often feels impossible to let go of certain thoughts and emotions. We're tethered to the past, afraid of losing our ‘self’ we’ve built in the process. There’s always a fear – if we fail, if we slip up, we might genuinely end up with nothing but our own ruin and failures, and that’s why we can never really go 100% of the way.

But Isagi can.

(see Ch. 55)

Origin

Isagi grew up in an ordinary household. But I'd say his family, his parents are actually far from ordinary.

We see it in the spin-off novel first, where Isagi’s incredible spatial awareness was apparent from a young age, making him very timid and much like a scaredy-cat in the beginning. But instead of scolding or condemning him, his parents always tried to understand and support him. And the same applied when Isagi first expressed his desire for a soccer ball.

(see BL Spin-Off - Isagi Yoichi Ch.2)

It doesn't matter if he's a crybaby, as long as he grows up healthy. For the first time, their timid, only son showed them what he wanted to do with his own will. That alone was enough to satisfy them completely.

With that out the way, this scene you probably remember from the manga is more than enough to illustrate everything (Ch. 152).

"You’re still our son, whether you’re special or average. What makes me happy is that you’re doing what you want, and giving your best at it."

"Whether you win or lose, no matter what… we’ll always be there for you, Yocchan."

"So live your life as you want."

Jesus Christ. If that’s not the most loving and supportive parents in the world, then what is?

Isagi’s parents have simply no expectations of him. They love and support him so unconditionally. They encourage and adore him, and they will always think of him their precious son, no matter if he wins or loses, if he chooses to live an average person’s life or risk everything to become the best striker in the world. Isagi knows this, and he grew up like this, he grew up with a certainty that no matter what you will still be loved. That’s why he can sacrifice everything of himself – because ultimately, under that everything is something that will never leave, and this certainty is what enables him to push so far in the first place. He developed a mindset that could push itself to its limits, and it directly impacted not only his life decisions but his evolution on the soccer field as well.

(see Ch. 55)

Naruhaya, on the other hand, had the same talent for adaptability, but he wasn't able to go as far as Isagi. Because unlike Isagi, there were things he had to protect, the stakes were too high – his sisters, and their precarious financial situation. Even though a dire situation like this should enable him to push himself even further, that stake is also exactly what held him back in the end. In his case, it matters so much whether he wins or loses. When it starts to matter, you ultimately become afraid of what will happen if you do lose, and for him that meant so much more than just the end of his dreams. Isn’t it natural to feel more under stress when the stakes are higher?

Opposites

So because of this foundation that Isagi has, he is different than the rest. This would kind of speak against the assumption I had at the beginning of Blue Lock, that his ordinariness is meant to represent all of us. With basically the message that anyone can evolve and transform themselves for the better, just like Isagi. But to be honest that was already thrown out of the window through the spin-off, where you see that Isagi was already gifted as a child. And I’m not even sure if this was supposed to be Kaneshiro’s intended takeaway to begin with, but there’s another way this message can fit together. The missing piece lies in Kaiser.

Because yeah, we all saw what Isagi realized in Ch. 282 was basically following the same thing Kaiser did 20 chapters before (discard everything but your original ego).

If we take into account what we know Isagi, it becomes all the more heartbreaking and ironic when we actually see Kaiser do the same type of evolution in Ch. 262 for the first time – I quote, “past achievements, pride, everything he ever won”, literally the joy he felt about becoming human, he was willing to destroy and throw it all away, he became zero, despite knowing that if he fails that’s all there would be left – zero.

(see Ch. 262)

He’s always had zero, and the soccer ball is the first thing he ever truly ‘gains’. After his career takes off, he slowly acquired more and more, fame, money, achievements, you name it. This would be the first time he possesses so much, but he doesn’t know the pain of losing something yet, because he never had anything before to begin with. Kaiser built himself a high mountain out of things he never had, but then was willing to risk the pain of losing everything and roll back down into that pit of nothing again, all for the sake of his goal. If that's not strength, then what is?

And it’s also a direct contrast to Isagi.

Isagi and Kaiser are opposites, they are extremes that came from completely different worlds and family backgrounds. And yet they are also exactly the same, because they had the same strengths and resolves and were able to undergo the same kind of evolution. One has all the love and one lived their entire life deprived of it, one never questioned being human and one never believed themself to be one, yet they both were able to discard everything of themselves and then rebuild a better version – all for the sake of their goals.

Takeaway

So coming back to the message, how does that apply to us, the average person? Isagi and Kaiser represent a spectrum, and if you ever feel stuck somewhere in life, then remember – you are somewhere in between those two worlds. Doesn't that mean that you're capable of the same change too? I also don’t think it matters whether you’re a genius or talented learner, in real life there’s no clear line between those things anyway. Every one of us excels at something and every one of us has to learn and adapt in other areas. But what Blue Lock ultimately shows is that no matter what background, age or ambition, in the end, the things that can push us forward the most are our own dreams and ego. We are all capable of change.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk!

#blue lock #bllk #media analysis #isagi yoichi #michael kaiser #blue lock meta #I wish this was my thesis paper lmao

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the-monkeies-girl · 9 months ago

Note

Your fics are amazing girl.

I was wondering if you could write something about a male human coming over probably like a friend for reader he does not like apes especially noa and noa hates him as well how would this go?

*Crackles my knuckles*

Title: Yours, Mine, Mine. Fandom: ( Kingdom of the ) Planet of the Apes. Rating: T. ( Ape Aggression, mentions of rough sex, etc etc. you know what to expect with a Possessive Ape. BARK, BARK BARK. ) Pairing: Implied! Noa x Human! Reader, Implied! Human! Reader x Human!Male. ( You guys did this to me. ) Words: 4.3k+. Summary: Noa knew you had a past. He just never expected it to come back. ( Bonus ending is NSFW - READ THAT AT YOUR OWN RISK. )

●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・○・●・●・○・

Feeling a small breeze run through the land, causing some petals of the wild flowers to stick to your already wet fingers and palms, you shifted your weight on your crouched down feet to align yourself properly to shield yourself from the adverse chill. Odd for the time of year, you thought idly and let your hands intently wring out one of your shirts that you had been washing in the river near the Clan. Maybe there was an afternoon storm on the way and this was the precursor, tilting your head at that, you dropped it into your pocket and ran with it when your eyes noticed the ashen clouds far off into the distance.

A few hours or so and then torrential rain. It would only last a few minutes as it often did with these late afternoon, early evening storms, but it was enough time for you to press your chest against the Leader of the Eagle Clan, his hand around your waist as he pulled you in close to his body as the rain pounded to the ground below. Sighing longingly, you continued. Under a small make-shift awning near the hut where the fish was hung to dry, your hand pressing against his broad chest to keep your balance, you’re on your tippy toes, so close to his face… so.. Close… Tilting forward, you had closed your eyes with slightly puckered lips and almost found yourself tipping into the water but were able to catch yourself before your entire body went in for a wash.. At least… Those ideas… They were what you sought for in your mid-day fantasy while doing laundry.

Let your eyes gaze around, there was not much happening as far as events for the Village. Out of your right periphery, you knew that you were being admired from afar, their envious-in-color green gaze laying right between your shoulder blades, intent with every look over at seething when your hands moved, causing the shift against your collarbones and then your shoulders themselves. Rapid breathing was then induced as the Chimp tried to keep his focus on the nests in front of him, being displayed by Anaya and Soona for the group of Apes that were about to venture out to acquire their eggs the next sunrise.

Nests were important, you knew that, and instead of pestering them with questions ( never a problem to them, but you felt like you bothered the Apes at times ), you chose to take the afternoon free to clean the few articles of clothing you actually had. To your left were some bustling Bonobos with a few Chimps playing Monkey Ball in the field adjacent to the village and to the right of the main Eagle Enclosure, perched high above.

You never understood the concept of Monkey Ball. Well… You wrung out the shirt in your hand and placed it on a rock to your side to dry in the sun before the impending storm drifted in, you were kicked in the shin playing your first time, left with a pretty nasty purple bruise and you never sought to try it again, not that the Master of the Birds would let you having seen what happened to you. Echo fragile! You could still hear his voice, scolding not you but the other players after you were hit and you were ultimately banned from playing. You cheered on when Noa would play, when Soona or Anaya would play, but you were not one to give into the temptation to try again.

Drawing a deep breath in, you enjoyed the stinging sensation as your ribs were pressed deliciously against your bent thighs as you were hunched over yourself to watch and address the clothing you were working on. Almost done, you were on the last pair of pants. A few holes, you noticed. You’d have to ask Dar for some thread, knowing you had a small set of needles you had stolen years ago in the idea that you’d be able to patch most of your clothing back to life. It proved successful for the most part, you beamed with pride at that thought and smiled to yourself at the vague floating idea that… Noa liked it.

That… You being able to clean and fix things, not to the extent he was able to with the unknown power he really had, was something he sought for in a mate. Not that you were thinking about that! Your shoulders stiffened for a moment as a low setting groan escaped your lips. It was foolish thinking as it had been for a few months now.

There was rustling to your right, near the cusp of where the village turned into the woods. Blinking, your eyebrows furrowed upon the sound and you were hesitant to really raise your eyes to meet whatever was making that sound. Probably an animal, maybe a rabbit but you still found your heart racing and jumping to sit in the middle of your esophagus.

Laying the clothing you were working on, you wiped your hands off on your thighs and rose, trying desperately to ignore the stinging of your thighs for sitting in that position for a prolonged time. You admired the Apes for being able to do it for hours on end, their legs shorter and more muscular and could withstand their weight on their feet like that. You were confident that Noa would charge if he sensed something dangerous as you trailed towards the lining of thick trees that stretched for miles on end surrounding the entire Village.

Amply, your eyes shifted. Your mouth dropped at the appearance of flesh. Bare arms, no fur. Bare arms, no FUR! You yelled inside of mind and without hesitation, you sprinted towards the cause of the sound and found your entire body slamming against the sleek frame of a Male Human. Familiar in nature, you gasped as they held onto you around your hips and pressed you deeply into them, almost like two-longing puzzle pieces that finally found each other.

“Oh my god!” You cried, digging your face into their neck, breathing in and getting a mixture of spruce and soap that you knew he had been hoarding for years. And for a moment you felt your feet leave the ground, “S-Silas! Wha.. What…” With your mind racing a thousand thoughts per second, you were placed on the ground and finally allowed yourself a good view of the man that you had nearly tackled to the ground. Wheezing slightly, you felt tears hitting your lips, tracing the shape before they fell into your mouth, your face contorted in an ugly cry but you knew he didn't care. He was mimicking your appearance, even down to the tears as a hand raised and he placed it lightly against your cheek.

“I thought you were dead.” He finally spoke as your eyes squeezed shut, sinking into the minor sensation of bare skin hitting your own. “We all thought you were dead! You went fishing a year ago and never came back!” Silas’ voice cracked around the edges, his dark brown eyes that you had known since you were a child now shifting into a lightly sunken in honey as the sun hit him.

His dark blond hair was a welcome compared to the flush of dark fur you were so adapted to. Sharpened cheekbones, the boyish grin he had never lost from childhood, thick and strong brows. You choked out a cry and instead of saying anything - Anything at all about how you survived, about how you were found by Apes and they let you stay - anything about Noa, you threw yourself at your fellow human again, his strength able to hold your weight as he pushed his own embrace on you.

“Ho-How?”

“The group,” He said and grasped the back of your head to keep you near him while his other hand wrapped around your waist once again. His fingers tangled straight into your hair. “We’ve been traveling the area… We… I… Hoped we would figure out what happened to you. If you were hunted by Apes, if-if you died.” That sounded like Silas. Never one to let something die on its own, he was obsessive and would track down the meaning and reasoning to anything. “I needed to know what happened to you.”

Your lips parted, tongue speaking out to wet them as you had been breathing heavily and they became dry. Pressing your face further into his neck, you let a small cry out at that. “I--- I was hunted.” He stiffened his embrace, hardening his hands on your hips. “I was found by…” Slowly, you words came to a pause when you pulled back to see the face you knew so well, something you did not know you longed to see anymore after spending a year with the Apes, completely shell-shocked and set into a hardened glance. Your eyes widening at realization to what Silas was staring at, you swallowed hard.

Noa.

The Ape was hunched, on all fours. Hackles were evident as the sun shone rays against his body. You could hear him breathing in and out through his nose, his usually green eyes were blown out of proportion and looked completely shelled by black. Threat, his stance said, coming forward a few feet on all fours, big threat his eyes said as he narrowed them on Silas, putting himself into a fared stare down with the human. Easy. Noa thought to himself. Easy to run forward, push you aside with one hand and absolutely let his fangs dig into this… This thing’s neck. He wanted to. How he wanted to taste the blood along his teeth, how he wanted satisfaction. Noa could crush him in one swipe. His fists could slam down and crush their ribs into a fine dust.

At first glance when the Ape took a second away from Anaya and Soona, Noa had thought you traveled into the woods alone on your own volition, but you were lured. Yes, lured. This male lured you here and now? His gaze was resting on the familiar touch this man had on you. Touching you! Noa hissed, a sound you didn't know he was capable of making, causing your eyes to widen, tears now falling out of primal fear. You’d… never seen him so intimidating, so… mean and scary.

The idea that he smiled at you seemed so faded, the feeling of his otherwise calloused fingers touching you here and there were swept into the wind, the sweeping and gentle nature of the wrinkles aligning his face were contorted into pure implacable malice. He was an Ape to be reckoned with, in all definitions of the phrase. Noa could kill you. Worse. Noa could kill both of you and go after the rest of the human group. They were in the area - he was a master of tracking.

You hated yourself for going down that train of thought, knowing that the Ape Leader was not aggressive, he was… not… Never an animal, he was beyond that in his intelligence and understanding but the lick of electricity sitting in your body was shouting at you that you had every right to be afraid of him.

He growled deep in his chest, the pure force he had on the ground causing a few twigs to snap under his curled up fists as he rounded, pacing back and forth for a second in a sliver of contemplation. Ribs were an easy spot to hit, especially for Noa. The bigger the target, the easier to hit. He was not a fighter, he knew that. But this… Disgusting display with you. How long--- His mind flared and his nose mimicked the action as he huffed loudly. Have you been seeing this Human behind his back? For how long?

“Noa---”

You were suddenly tucked behind Silas’ back, a knife in his hand. He was defensive in nature to the sight of an Ape. You looked at the weapon knowing it would do absolutely nothing to the Chimp, then back at Noa, and then to the profile of your friend's face. “Stop.” Grasping your friend's arm, you tried to get him to put the weapon down as Noa now garnered it to be more of a threat, as well as the action of pushing you backwards like you really needed protecting.

“Noa, no!” Your voice had never sounded so screeching as you pushed past Silas’ shoulder and screeched onto your knees to stop Noa from completely charging once his gaze caught the glinting of the knife. He’d shifted to go forward, stopping only when you quite frankly slammed your body against his. Your knees were bleeding, you could feel the wetness from beneath your pants as you placed a hand on the Apes chest.

Harder than needed, you were pressing in the muscles and felt the racing of his heart under the already taut and stretched tendons. You had no idea how you moved so fast or how you managed to get him to stop without your entire body being tossed to the side. Noa was reluctant to stop at your touch, lunging forward a bit more as you scrambled after him and grasped around his neck instead of his chest to get him to look at you. “Noa!”

“Echo Male.”

You did not recognize the voice that was using, his vocal cords were coarse and fried around the edges, your fingertips feeling the movement of the words when he spoke with your grasp still on him. It sent a shiver of apprehension down your spine at the idea that he could very well toss you aside and do what the prickling hair along his spine and his shoulders intended to do. Kill the threat, he said with his animalistic eyes, kill the threat and then take you back to the village. You were his.

Silas shuffled backwards a bit, perplexed more now than he was when he’d found you. You--- knew this Ape? He thought to himself, mouth falling open to ask the question but he must have figured that saying something was just going to cause Noa to snap.

“Friend.” You gasped softly, watching as he drew his slow gaze towards the threat after he looked at you upon release of your phrase.

Noa’s breathing became shallow and more rapid at the confirmation you gave him. You knew him. You knew this man. This man who had touched you. His eyes flickered down to you, face pressed with fear that you were about to bear witness to absolute carnage before he focused back in on the male. He was cowering, but still standing his ground. Noa thought that to be rather admirable and it would give him great satisfaction to know that he defended you and took what was his from competition that was going to give him a good fight. Has he touched you before? Make you his? Were you this Echo’s mate? Did he lay claim to you? Noa’s teeth gritted together, so loud that you were able to hear it from your position of holding him. The muscles along his neck tickled with the thoughts running rampant and rusting in his stomach in a glass of bile at the visuals he had.

Human hands on you, human hands giving you pleasure, human lips against your hot skin, so hot Noa thought and let his eyes flicker to your neck where he could see your heart beating with anxiety. He wanted to bite you. Right then and there he’d dig his sharpened teeth right into you, make eye contact with this other man, and tell him that you were Noa’s, no one else. Even if you scrabbled against him, grasping his shoulders, he’d just push himself into you further until your blood hit his tongue and he’d allow himself the utmost pleasure of licking up the reddened splatter off your neck before drifting his attention elsewhere.

Thigh? Mine.

Arm? Mine.

Breasts? Mine, mine, mine.

Were you lovers before Noa offered you to join the Clan? Before he… offered himself? Juxtaposed in asking it was never actually said, but he figured that his attention on you, his eyes on you at all times, were enough to solidify that you were no longer an Echo to him. You were, by all means other than physical, his mate. Mine, his mind tore itself apart. Aggression was bubbling on the surface as he bared his teeth towards the other male, your eyes catching the shine of his fangs and captivating you for a split second in an entire shield of terror.

There was no way for you to know how to stop an Ape from charging. You did what you could, putting your body in the middle of the situation, still holding onto Noa with all your might but even then… Silas made eye contact with you as he finally found it in himself to speak, allowing Noa to stiffen at the meager and weak sound. He preened. He was stronger, not afraid.

“You’ve… been living with animals?”

Bad choice of words, you wanted to scream at him as Noa lurched at the implications, dropping you straight onto the ground with a hard ‘thump’. Groaning lightly, you pushed past the cramping on the side of your body and scattered on your hands and knees, “Noa, you need to stop!”

“Threat.”

That’s all he said, closing the gap between himself and Silas. The human was pressed hard against a tree, back crunching upon impact, hands grasping at Noa’s grasp around his neck as the Ape had grabbed him by the the most vulnerable part of the human body.

“N-Noa, no!” You had no idea how you ended up on your feet but there you were, tossing yourself upwards and moving with such speed that in any other situation you would have thought your movements to be rather funny, but nothing about this… Your eyes widened at Noa’s grasp and how it tightened once you were in his periphery. You needed to know that this was for you, that he was doing this for you. For him. For the future moments where Noa bred you into oblivion, hoping that something would come to fruition, the moments of soft bruises against your body that his hands would give you.

Silas made eye contact with you and snarled, “I-I knew you were an Ape lover, yo-you never shut up about them when we were kids,” Brown eyes now equal in darkness to Noa’s drifted and made eye contact with the Chimpanzee as he spat rather nastility, spit hitting Noa’s muzzle. “Never thought you’d actually fuck one.”

The implication caused you to stay stagnant, suddenly flushed with realization as to what caused Noa to spearhead this display. Possession was well established as a pattern of behavior with Apes, you had never noticed it in full though as you were just an Echo to them. They had no claim to be possessive towards you. Heat rose through your body despite your mind telling you how inappropriate it was to feel. Noa was… claiming you for himself in this exhibition of aggression, and in his mind, everything he had done, and everything he surely intended to do… Were subdued and justified.

“Noa, let him go.” You pleaded this time, tears falling down your face again. Upon smelling the saltiness, he loosened his grasp for only a second before going back in with more infliction.

“He’ll bring other Humans back.”

Shocked at the fact that Noa called them what they actually were, ‘Humans’, you pushed past it quickly to bargain with him, hopefully he was able to listen to reasoning. “No he won’t.” You stared at Silas who began struggling against the tree. He couldn’t breathe. Sympathetically, you took a deep breath in and let it linger in your lungs until it felt like your ribcage was on fire. It might have been. Noa did drop you only a few minutes ago. “He won’t, trust me. You--- You need to let him go.”

Noa finally dabbled upon intense contemplation and it only was spurred by the gentle placing of your hand on his forearm, telling him in silence he needed to stop before Silas was dead. Before Noa took a life and had to deal with the utmost consequences of it once he had time to reflect on what he did. At least, that’s what you thought at first but you wondered if Noa went ahead and snapped his neck if he’d ever feel regret. What he was doing was defending what he saw as his own. You… You knew better and grasped a handful of his fur and tugged on it to get him to release his grasp. Please, the action said.

Noa growled, his teeth fully bared to Silas’ eyes, widening at the sharpness that gleamed against the sun that was seeping through the thick tree leaves above. “If you come back,” He slowly released the man and his back slid down the tree trunk until he was on the ground, grasping his throat where bruises were no doubt forming. You watched him and swallowed hard at the fact that you… Were indirectly saying goodbye to him, to your past. Maybe it was what Noa’s intentions were.

“If you bring any… other… humans,” Noa bend down and grasped a handful of blond hair, lifting Silas’ head to be eye level with him, Noa’s saliva splattered against the skin of a human as he was very adamant to inflict his words with the utmost intimidation, “I will not… hesitate. I will… kill you…I should kill you for touching her.” Noa didn't need to gesture at you at all as the human eyes drifted towards you with a shocked realization that his suspicions had to be correct. “She wants you to live… Do not understand why. Weak.”

Silas’ was let go, straggling on the ground as he looked at you, then back to Noa and then back towards you.

“Leave.” You said, trying to sound assuring without any knowledge that he actually wouldn’t come back. He stood, still holding his neck, looking straight at Noa with inflicted and instinctual fear in his eyes before he looked at you.

“Hope you enjoy your pet.” Silas snapped at you.

Noa lurched forward, chest to chest with him and crushed the fragile state of the human body with his strength and without another word, the human splattered against the tree again, afraid for a second that he was going to be killed before he rounded the tree trunk and darted off in the darkness of the woods. Finally letting your breath out, you dropped to your knees and looked up at Noa who was still prickling around the edges, his thighs tightened and spurred like he was thinking about chasing after him. You were still crying, your tears falling and dropping into the ground below to make small droplets of mud around your body.

Noa dropped finally, crouching next to you. His breathing was still hard, through his nose as he fixated on a spot on the tree in front of himself to get his nerves to come down. Finally… He looked over at you, his dark eyes fading into normalcy as he looked along your face. There was dirt on your cheek.

He surged forward and touched it lightly, noticing the flinch you gave as he came near you suddenly. Noa’s heart dropped straight into the stomach and it felt like it was right out of his body and burrowing into the Earth itself. He tried again… This time a bit more slowly, his hand rested on your cheek for a sliver of a moment as he wiped the dirt off. Gently… His thumb fell and pressed against your bottom lip as he tore it in a downward motion to see your bottom teeth. Swallowing back the last bit of intricate primal reactions, he let his eyes fall into yours.

Bonus Ending: ( NSFW, 18+ ) Your head jolted backwards at the feeling of his large hand grasping at your right thigh to get you properly adjusted on the shelf he made with his own thighs to get you to not make any contact with the woods below. Noa was buried inside of your body, his cock throbbing already upon the pleasure of mere penetration. He did not surge to move though, instead, he took his time and watched as your face contorted in front of his jealous eyes.

Your eyelids were shut as he brought his face in near your own, letting his tongue out to graze it right along the side of your cheek. Salty from tears, salty from sweat but all the more alluring to him as he trailed the very tip of his tongue downwards, hunching himself over you, fur tickling at your skin in the best ways possible.

He wanted to be in your skin, his hand ran up your thigh, dipping a bit between your legs before he cushioned it against your back that had previously been pressed against the bark of the tree trunk you were propping yourself up against for leverage. Noa shifted his hips finally, forward to really get the most of the pulsation of your wetness around him, before he grasped at your hips with his other hand, now holding your entire weight by the bone there and the arm that was encasing your back and guided you back and then forward again. He looked down, curious at first but felt something snap at the visual of his shaft, slick with your juices, bringing you to the cusp.

Noa’s narrow waist rushed forward, harder than he had thought as you gasped, losing all the air in your body, hand bracing itself against his shoulder as your expression twisted into that of pleasure mixed with succulent pain that teetered towards more insatiable.

Your skin was beating where his teeth had sunken in minutes ago, solidifying what had happened only thirty minutes ago. Your neck, he looked at it and brought his mouth back down to lick at the tender skin, was the first place that he paid close attention to.The moan rocketed from your mouth at that, Noa’s blunted teeth teasing the skin again before he sank right in again.

Rain began falling from the sky, pattering along the linings of the tree leaves before they fell into your naked body, covered in full by Noa’s. The pace he set was hard and fast, eager for the satisfaction he knew was coming, the satisfaction you needed and when you finally managed to open your lids to look at him with hooded eyes, your gaze pierced right into him and sent him spiraling, hips snapping back and then forward with such fever that you were unable to keep up and began shouting to the highest levels of hell itself.

Mine.

#*lays flat down on the ground*#noa #noa x reader #pota #planet of the apes #planet of the apes x reader #kotpota #kingdom of the planet of the apes #mae #proximus caesar

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