#also ik the characterization is off
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
You guys ready for straight ASS?????
#karkat vantas#eridan ampora#homestuck#hellop art#eridan#karkat#kankri vantas#cronus ampora#kankri#cronus#kinda kancro#crokan#whatever the fuck the ship name is#but not really tbh i just want views#please view this my posts are flopping this is so sad#next update will maybe be better#if im okay enough and dont speedrun it#also ik the characterization is off#dont even talk about it#if i see that damn water filter on my art istg ima#pogz art#my homestuck art#schoolstuckau#schoolstuck#homestuckau
67 notes
¡
View notes
Text
some silly drawings n a couple notes on how id draw immortalis bobby or flamehead/fireface, the latter a name given by the lovely Laure, a true creative genius.
#art#original art#dead cells bobby#deadcells#dead cells#immortalis#dead cells immortalis#laure esposito#immortalis beheaded#immortalis bobby#mild immortalis spoilers#but none if youve seen the eps on the site with a VPN#started off of with that italian bobby#because it was funny#also ik its probably never going to show#but imagine if they got the pets#a leghugger pet for laure would be awesome#also small characterization note#i hade laure do her best to keep her hands away from her face#to not get sick as much#cause shes probably not gotten the chance to wash her hands for a good while!#just a small detail i noticed/dumped in cause why not
142 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Why I imagine Dottore wasn't in the Arlecchino short despite already being an harbinger:
Scaramouche: So are you gonna change? We have like, a whole trial for the murder of an Habinger to get to? Dottore: SCARA FUCK OFF I'M BUSY! I'M BUSY I'M DOING A MALPRACTICE. LET ME FUCKING DO HUMAN EXPERIMENTS IN PEACE I DON'T GIVE A SINGLE SHIT ABOUT THAT TRIAL.
#textpost#scara#scaramuche#the baladeer#dottore#il dottore#fatui#dottore is just insane idk how scara thought he was a well adjusted person#bro is off the wall insane and scara was like#ah yes look at this person who has my best interest at heart#also ik this is occ as shit lmao i don't think dottore talks like this#imagine this is like#a random ass clone or smth#that just costantly cusses idk this is stupid and just for fun i'm sorry for the lack of canon compliant characterization i usually strive#to give my followers
25 notes
¡
View notes
Text
chromatic (kirishima fic) update
how it started, chromatic v1:
how itâs (maybe) going, subject to change:
ive just started part III btw
#[â] â talks!#sorry SDFHLDH i needed to rant somewhere it's not going . just thought of a plot device that complicates everything#by 3x but is necessary for the story i want to tell . all i will say is that ill be so impressed if i actually finish this#and i will also be impressed if i somehow manage to fit it into oneshot form#im tweaking sooo bad reader might as well be a whole oc ahsdsjd#romance where... kirishima where... would anyone even read 50k words of like (basically) character/trauma analysis#<- yeah me i'm so giddy when i try to cosplay the second coming of gege akutami towards my mc#i actually need to learn how to characterize characters and . study the manga instead of going off of vague impressions LFJDSK#one day i will write a proper canon character-driven shortfic or an actual longfic đ#ik i said end of summer but this. this is the reason i am not posting writing. sorry !#will still be around to chat/rb tho!! and get through the 13 fics on my drafts tbr list shgdkjadls.. soon....#<- if u've gotten here thank u !! sending hugs n lots of love <3
14 notes
¡
View notes
Text
i just finished rewatching literally all of szn 3 of haikyuu to get some semi characterization, tell me why this man has genuinely less than 10 minutes of screen time????
#atp hes an oc#kinda fun for me#wont have to worry about ooc#because im not mentioning music at all so im probably written off from that alone LMAO#i will fight one dimensional characterization kicking and screaming#also this is my first time rewatching since i started this blog#and i have sm more attachment to them???#like#i dont see noya i see [REDACTED FIC NAME] noya#when iwa and oikawa come to watch i was ike 'oh hey thats eggys partner' literally no hesitation#they make me crazy#off my rocker
14 notes
¡
View notes
Text
itâs cupid, stupid! | lhs
ŕ¨ŕ§ SYNOPSIS -âşÂ To hell with Lee Heeseung, you couldn't find someone you hated more than the boy who's by your side no matter what. You figured that maybe the summer before university would be the best way to finally let go of him, and to leave the hate you have in your childhood- but no. What do you mean you have to spend ALL summer with him?
ŕ¨ŕ§ PAIR -âş golden boy!heeseung x fem-pres!reader
ŕ¨ŕ§ GENRE -âş fluff, pining, hurt/angst, slow burn (oops), bakery au, summer au, post highschool au | ŕ¨ŕ§ TROPES -âş (slightly one sided) enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers | ŕ¨ŕ§ WC -âş 20k (jfc)
ŕ¨ŕ§ INCLUDES -âş CURSING, food mentions, a self indulgent characterization of my grandmother but sheâs also everyone elseâs in this fic, the bakery has foods from like 40 different cultures, both mc and hee get burned but itâs tiny, heeseungâs parents r lowk overachieving assholes this is NOT a reflection of anyone irl, ew so much banter, heeseung and mc drink from the same straw ik thatâs an ick for some LOL, underaged alcohol consumption (and being drunk)âŚsorry
ŕ¨ŕ§ REN SAYS... thank u thank u thank u peng aka @jlheon for beta reading this in one sitting for me!!! your comments were so cute i'm so glad you enjoyed reading it <3
plsplsplspls reblog and send feedback/asks if you liked this!
Lee Heeseung might only have eleven characters to his name, but they spelt trouble in forty different ways.Â
It starts with the same old Lee Heeseung spilling his applesauce on you in the first grade, with his cup of mushy lukewarm grossness splattered across your new pants with glittery stars on them. You shriek when it happens, frantically wiping off the mess and yelling at his Lightning McQueen lunchbox with all of the bottled up rage a six year old can have. His eyes are wide, but all his friends laugh and say girls are so angry all the time, so he stops himself from apologizing. Which, you think his friends were being a little rude to all girls alike, but what mattered was that Lee Heeseung never ended up saying sorry.Â
But thatâs just one way of spelling it. He hit you in the face with a ball, ran into you when your knee was scraped and you almost were bursting into tears, and tripped you in the lunch line.Â
Did the universe hate you, or did he?Â
You figured it was the latter.
Heeseungâs been stuck to you your entire life with some extra strong adhesive that you canât seem to get off. You wish you could get some of the same glue that stuck you two to the hip and attach his tongue to the nearest streetlight, but things almost never worked in your favor. If you could catch him, just once, like one of the dumb boys who lick frozen poles in winter, youâd be satisfied.Â
The blackmail would trump any sort of Heeseung related adversity your elementary grade self had to deal with.Â
Unfortunately, the years have rendered you no protection against him, and in the small victories you find yourself in, you also see Heeseung right next to you. The exam you aced was topped by Heeseung with a 98%, just a bit higher than your 96%, and it couldnât even feel good to talk about it because you knew all your friends talked about was how he did the best. Better than you.Â
There was no accomplishment anymore when Heeseung was around.Â
Heeseung was perfect in everyoneâs eyes, a golden boy in their praises and a role model for their parents. If people didnât want to be with Lee Heeseung, people wanted to be Lee Heeseung. That? That was something you hated. How could people want to be someone who you couldnât stand?
Summer is a new slate- a very humid new beginning for you to get away from people at school and hang out with only your closest of friends and to ghost any new message you get. That is, if you choose to. Or, you could have an objectively more âhot girl summerâ where you go to pools and post pictures on social media and talk about strangers on the internet. Unfortunately, none of those things seemed to be a viable option, with your friends in different countries and in cute swimsuits. Your visits to your grandmother had been so pushed back with all of the finals on top of exams and end of the year festivities that it had been a while since you last saw her. Spending time with her this summer was your number one priority- your friends could wait a few weeks to hang out again.Â
You spend your first Saturday at her house making pastries with oddly reminiscent spices and a sprinkle of your childhood within every slice. If thereâs one person you can trust to stay the same, itâs your dear grandma, with her decade old recipes and hard to find ingredients that she sometimes makes you go on a manhunt for. Itâs endearing in a way to know that her cooking will never change, and maybe itâs the reason you make an effort to visit when you can. You love your grandma, and you always have, because sheâs the only true constant in a world thatâs constantly changing.Â
Youâve made a feast by the time the sun barely peeks from the edge of the ground. Youâve measured countless spoons of sauces and powdery substances that all look the same and you're surprised the sauce you burned still tastes good. Sheâs finished setting up the table, and you two can finally dig into your favorite authentic cooking. Even if you see her quite frequently, she doesnât always cook. Sometimes itâs leftovers, sometimes itâs take-out. But today was different.Â
After youâve both finished, your grandma hands you plastic wrapped dishes filled with mere fractions of what you two have made. She tells you to go to the Leeâs down the road, and your eyes narrow slightly. Lee is also the last name of Heeseung. So, what would be the odds it was him?Â
Not likely. Heeseung would think heâs too cool to live in an area like this. His parents are probably minted- and if not loaded, then well off.Â
Well, you were 100% wrong! Lee Heeseung does seem to live here, and you will admit the porcelain figures of calico cats in the dark as shapeless silhouettes were a little frightening at first. Your grandma washed away your previous concerns with a âOf course theyâll be home! Heeseung always answers the door for me.â and pushes you out of the house to deliver the two boxes of leftovers that smell delectable. If you werenât so full, youâd just take a different route and have it for yourself.Â
You can hear the âitâs our neighbor!â And a pair of footsteps tumbling down the carpeted stairs to answer the doorbell.Â
Lee fucking Heeseung in his sock and pajama clad glory. How punchable he looked in this very moment, with his warm brown dyed hair and white t-shirt.Â
âI have leftovers. For your family.â His widened eyes immediately go back to their normal state, and he reaches out to meet your offering halfway.Â
âYou live here?â He asks, in a calm, civil manner that you donât think youâve ever seen with him.Â
âGrandma does- Iâm just her errandâŚrunner.â You respond, in a not so smooth way. You wince internally at how choppy your words come out, but make no further effort to fix it. By now, itâs Heeseung whoâs holding the styrofoam boxes. Your job is done. âDo you live here?âÂ
He nods solemnly, a smile filled with a smidgen of pride dusted across his features. He loves this house- Heeseungâs been in it his entire life, and itâs obvious the memories that have stayed with him since childhood make him far from ashamed to say itâs where heâs grown up all these years. But you? Could you say the same thing about the simple abode you went home to everyday?Â
Maybe not. Another reason why Heeseung had it perfect, and another reason to resent him.Â
You sighed to ease the tension that had condensed between the two of you. His mom wondered what took him so long, and he wondered the same question.Â
Before youâre about to turn away, he blurts, âThanks for the food.â You turn around, nodding a silent âof course,â and walking away.Â
At that very moment, there was no reason to hate Lee Heeseung. But as you walked away and back to your house, you hated the calico cats and the gate you entered through the house he went back inside to.Â
The nostalgic board game high with your grandma does not last for long. As if the universe needed another reason to hate you, the unfortunate truth was that there was always more in store when you were subjected to a bad day, a bad week, or even a case of bad luck. You come back to the mahogany door to terrible news- your grandmother is sick. You rush out of her house the same day with the names of medicinal cures scribbled on a notecard and an urgency in your step. You buy her enough to last for the next few lifetimes, but it doesnât matter. Anything healthy you could find in the fresh food aisle, you put in your cart, and when you came home, she was already up and sweeping the cold floors with a cough threatening to overwhelm her.Â
Sometimes, you wish she didnât overwork herself. You gently coerce her into laying on the couch, taking some of the medicine you got with a cup of warm water to ease her throat. She says nothing and you expect nothing in return for the last minute shopping youâve done, but her eyes hold a sincere thankfulness that you know she will never speak aloud. When sheâs retired to her bed, you finish unpacking the groceries and complete the mental task of chores your grandma wouldâve exerted herself to finish independently. When youâve finished, your hands are dry with soap and cleaning products, and your arms ache from the mopping, but the house is clean, and your grandma is sleeping well in the other room. You turn off the tv with one of her shows and switch off the light, heading back to your room and changing out of your clothes. By the time you crawl into your bed and charge your phone, the moon is the last thing you remember seeing before you fall asleep.
Monday comes unexpectedly, despite time still being on its course. You find yourself flipping through the cookbooks that littered the walls in your grandmotherâs room, and in turn, the absolute urge to busy yourself in her passions manifested in the impulsive decision to work at her bakery.Â
âCould- could I go work in the shop?âÂ
At first, her rejection was through scowls and furrowed eyebrows wondering why someone like you would want to fill their youthful summer days dusting surfaces with flour and kneading doughs instead of living the dream and swimming in turquoise waters. Her second rejection is easier to register. âI already have Hee helping me.â She states plainly, excusing the idea of two people in one room to run her business. Your nose scrunches up, and the temperature of your blood increases tenfold.
âHeeseung,â she clarifies, with almost too much enthusiasm. âHeâs in your grade. Goes to your school, too.â She smiles, brushing a section of hair behind your ear and examining the imperfections on your skin. You frown, the obvious displeasure plastered on your features. Itâs not hard to notice you donât like what she just told you. âYou donât like him?â
âItâs whatever.â You tell her, shrugging away from her gaze and shrinking in on yourself. âI donât care much for him.âÂ
What a lie! âIt seems like you donât like him.â She comments.
Of course you donât like him. Heeseung is stuck up, arrogant, and looks past people like you- people who just arenât as perfect as him. âI mean, why canât I help you? Shouldnât HeeseungâŚ.rest for the summer?âÂ
âItâs fine- heâs helped me out multiple times anyways.â She concludes, closing the book she was reading previously. âI wouldnât mind you coming down to help, Iâm sure 17 year olds like you and Hee can run things by yourself.â You raise an eyebrow at both of your names mentioned, but donât speak out against her.Â
You can run it by yourself, but you wonât, simply because your grandmother seems to have an affinity for some boy you just happen to hate. Plus, if Heeseung messes up, you get all the triple chocolate cake to yourself, so youâll pray on his downfall until then.Â
Wednesday morning is when you head over to the bakery, at a much earlier time than usual. The business doesnât open until at least an hour later, and you spend the time preparing the mixing stands and covering the sweet rolls to be baked in a light sheen of oil. When the sun shines more vibrantly in the morning sky, and the cars honk at the traffic, a ruffled head of hair enters the building, and youâre very worried that you mightâve forgotten to lock the doors. âSorry, weâre closed!â You yell out, but Lee Heeseungâs tuft of tinted hair is already in your vicinity.Â
âThe real question would be why youâre here, Miss _____.â He glances towards you, curiosity glazing his eyes over. You immediately scowl at his slightly teasing tone, one that could feel even condescending if he pushed that boundary just a bit more. Lee Heeseung might objectively be better than you in the eyes of an average high schooler, but frankly, you were just the same, and he had no right to sound that amused when you woke up and came here first. Itâs 8:03am, and you already found just one more reason to hate him.Â
You roll your eyes, knowing that with your back turned to him, he wouldnât notice the obvious displeasure. âI canât help out my grandma?âÂ
Itâs so quiet in the place that you hear him suck on a breath behind you. âSheâs your grandma?âÂ
âDid you not remember when I dropped off the food? Oh right, you probably wouldnât spend your time on something soâŚ,â you pause, racking your brain for a word you think he would use. ââinsignificant.ââÂ
Rustling. He takes a bowl and a carton of eggs. âDonât put words in my mouth. Sorry, itâs just so difficult to believe youâre related to her.â Were you really that detached from your culture, or was Heeseung just mean?Â
Lee Heeseungâs words get right under your skin, and it makes you see red. You frown in his direction, disregarding his words and moving on with your day. âYeah, my grandma is nice, I just donât know why she thinks youâre a saint.â
âShe thinks Iâm a saint?â And you see something for the first time, something thatâs akin to stars in his eyes, and the corner of his lips turn in satisfaction. He doesnât even comment on how youâve let it slip that youâre jealous of their relationship.Â
âMaybe in your dreams.âÂ
âYou just said-âÂ
You feel like two cats about the fight behind a dumpster, before the door jingles, and someone walks into your conversation with Heeseung.Â
âSorry, is the shop not-?â
You rush to the counter before Heeseung does, counting it as a mental victory to take the first order.Â
âIt is! What would you like?â Itâs something else you can tell your grandma when you get home- that youâve been starting off all the work in the bakery, and youâre ânot sure what Heeseung really does.â
The professionalism masks the irritation on his features, and you wouldâve killed to see Lee Heeseungâs frown once more.Â
When the customer is done telling you his order, you make sure he gets everything he needs, fully satisfied before the ring of the door is heard once more during his departure. The corner of your lip turns up into a grin, victorious as you childishly tease your co-worker.Â
âIâm going to do the most around here, and I donât need your pretty face getting in the way of things.âÂ
While he denies the rest, Heeseung doesnât quite ignore what you said about his features.Â
When noon has passed, but the sun still glares down on everyone outside, you work just as hard as the white ceiling fan providing cool air for everyone inside. You work in silence, with a playlist filling the air and adding to the ambience, as you listen to your own music through your headphones. Heeseung works without interacting with you more than what needs to be done, and rarely asks for help. He doesnât let people down; if anything, he exceeds their expectations, but never yours. Itâs been like this since the beginning, and youâre convinced itâs something personal- some wrangle ever since you two learned what cooties were that lasted until now.Â
â____,â He starts, turning to you. You glance at him, waiting for the boy to continue. âCan you make the brown sugar milk tea- itâs on the-âÂ
âI know where it is.â You snip.
Heeseung makes the right choice (in your opinion) to say nothing as you proceed to grab a cup and open the container of boba pearls. After youâve taken a few orders, you move to the back of the bakery to pull the tray of matcha sheet cake onto the counter to cool.Â
âHave you seen the scissors?â Heeseung asks out of nowhere, startling you from the doorway.Â
Reaching for the ones you used to cut the parchment paper with, you hand the pair to him and with a mumbled âthank you,â he makes his leave.
In an odd way, youâre stunned by the silence that follows. A âyou suck, _____!â would be more in character for villainous Lee Heeseung than whatever just happened. But youâre way too occupied with the bakery, and go back to cutting squares in the matcha cake.Â
Itâs the same for the next hour until the rush ends and you get a bit more time to yourselves between orders. Heeseung agrees to wash the dishes and you clean the tables to the sound of your playlist from the speakers.Â
âYou have good music taste.â Is the first thing that comes out of his mouth when he emerges. He wipes his hand on a white towel and you stare at him, utterly puzzled. Whereâs the malice? Whereâs his snarky comments?
âIâm waiting for you to tell me itâs not as good as yours, or something along those lines.â You deadpan.Â
Heeseung rolls his eyes. âIâm not that mean, I can give a compliment or two when I feel like it.âÂ
âOh, poor Lee Heeseung only has so much room in his heart to compliment people. How thankful should I be that you spend your daily supply of niceness on me?â You snap, cleaning off the tables. Your chest feels light and you donât feel as angry as you did this morning, finding your digs to be more playful that serious
Blame it on the lack of sleep.
âI think you should be bowing down to me and only talking when I tell you to.â He jokes, and when you glance up, thereâs a semblance of a smile on his face. âAnyways, when are you leaving?â
âWhenever you leave.â You tell him, shrugging.Â
âYour grandma said she didnât want you to stay too late but she also wanted me to take you home, and I think sheâd throw a fit if you didnât. You were dropped off this morning, right?â
âIâd die before getting into a car with you, Lee Heeseung.âÂ
âIf I had to get into a car with you, thatâs probably how Iâd die.â He responds lightly. You furrow your eyebrows and rack your brain for some sort of retort that hurts Heeseungâs pride, but nothing comes up.Â
âMy driving skills are very good, Iâll have you know.âÂ
He jabs, âDidnât think you had it in you.â
âHow about, next time you come, you leave with your bumper falling off? Some bad driving, yeah?âÂ
Heeseung could start feeling dizzy if his eyes continue to roll around in his skull. âSure, weâll see what your insurance has to say about that.âÂ
The aroma of vanilla slips through the air, and momentarily distracts you as you make haste to get it from the ringing oven. Unfortunately, your enthusiasm spills over the rim, and when reaching inside, you feel the burn of the sheet cake as you leave it on the iron rack to cool. Heeseung doesnât tear his eyes from the way you jump back, squeezing the tender skin between your fingers as you blow on it in puffs.Â
âAre you okay? Here-â He reaches for your hand, but gentle. âLet me see that.â Heeseung soothes the slight pain with his thumb running over the burn, and his breath cooling it down slowly.Â
âIâm fine.â You tell him, slowly pulling your finger away. His gaze snaps back up at you, and you feel your disdain for him dwindle ever so slightly. Maybe the Heeseung that rushed to make sure you were okay isnât so bad.Â
âRight. Youâll be fine.â And he doesnât know if itâs something he tells himself, or if heâs telling you, when he goes to get some ointment.Â
âA grad party? With Heeseung? Invited?âÂ
You canât see him, but you almost hear Sunooâs pout from the line. âYeah, I donât even know why you two fight anyways.âÂ
You huff, laying back down on your bed after Sunooâs confession made you shoot up in surprise. âHave you seen him? Heâs the most stuck-up annoying person ever.âÂ
Your friend hums. âTo be honest, I donât think you really know him.âÂ
âI know him plenty. And thereâs nothing good about him, like, ever!âÂ
âYou barely even talk to him, ____.â The last week proves differently, but you bite your tongue.
âI talk to him enough!â Youâd defend yourself until the end of the earth. âHeâs justâŚalways around me- not like I even want him to, or heâs always hanging out with my friends, or-â
âOur friends.âÂ
âWell, not really.â You think hard. âTheyâre only friends because you and I are friends, so Iâm friends with Heeseung in a distant obligatory way. And I need to keep it that way by not coming to this party.âÂ
âCome on!â Sunoo whines from the phone, and you laugh at his antics. âItâs a grad party, youâll be too busy talking with everyone else to care anyways.âÂ
âWell, maybe for a bit.âÂ
âWhenâs the next time weâll even be able to see each other anyways? Considering all of this college stuff.âÂ
You break his facade. âWeâre literally going swimming in two weeks from now.â Sunoo laughs. âNo, ____. Swimming is different from eating snacks and playing dumb board games.âÂ
Heâs right, and you admit that itâll be fun for something once last time.Â
Maybe Heeseung wonât even show up.Â
The next day at the bakery, you rush to ask him, almost too eager to know his answer. âAre you going to Sunooâs party?â Please say no please please please-
âOf course. Iâm his friend. You werenât invited, or something?â His tone makes you want to light a fire on his head.Â
âIâm his friend, too. I was the first person he talked to about it, so of course I was invited, and of course Iâm going.â You say it as if the boy in front of you didnât make you single handedly question your attendance last night. You say it like your demeanor never faltered, not even once. You say it like Heeseung had no say in the decision.
Because he definitely didnât.
âIâll see you there, then.â He smiles at you, a glint of evil in his eyes as he gauges your reaction. You return his scheming grin, frosting a slice of cake before walking out and calling the order number. When Heeseung emerges from the paper white curtains, he sees you engrossed in helping a customer pick out a few of the best options for âsomething not so sweet.âÂ
When youâre done, you turn around to take a sip of your iced tea. âReally?â He starts, stirring some milk into a swirling shot of espresso. âThe red bean cake is your definition of not too sweet?â Your ear-to-ear smile falls when you hear the off-handed comment from Heeseung, leaning against the counter with his taro milk tea, with close to no sugar.Â
âIâm sure if they asked you, they wouldâve walked out with a cake that tastes like a sponge.â You retaliate. You do your best not to look so affected, seeing as there were other people in the vicinity. Itâs a bakery, you have to keep up the comforting atmosphere.Â
âI donât really think youâre the best person to offer advice for those kinds of things, unfortunately.â His tone snips at your resolve, and with every passing moment you stare at his lips and listen to his words, the more you wish to sew them together.Â
âSure, and theyâll be satisfied with eating basically paper? Your standards are also a little far-fetched.â You busy yourself with cleaning the cups and bowls from this morning, physically turning away from him.Â
He walks past you and into the kitchen, but not before saying, âIâm sorry one of us has good taste.âÂ
You pray to every being that someone keeps Heeseung from speaking another insufferable word.Â
Sunooâs house is as quaint as you remember, and although you donât find yourself making the resemblance often, it suits him. With one hand occupied with holding a gift, and the other about to press the doorbell, youâre interrupted by an all too familiar voice.Â
âI guess you did show up. Sucks to see my dreams didnât come true.â
âI will throw this at you.â You motion to the neat basket in your hands.
Heeseung sighs dramatically, before continuing in the same feigned tone. âWould be a shame if Sunoo only had one gift from us.âÂ
âHeâd understand.â You turn around to ring the doorbell, and Sunoo emerges, a bright smile on his face. He greets the both of you, and his quick side hug immediately reminds you of why youâre here.Â
You will have a good time. And you wonât let any auburn haired boy ruin that.Â
Despite being close to Sunoo, youâre not as close to the rest of his friends. He keeps his circle small, only with people he spends time with regularly. Which would be good for any other day, but for today, you feel almost like an outsider. Sunooâs group of friends greet you all the same, and shower the boy behind you with affection. When you walk towards the kitchen, you catch some more of your mutual friends, and your nerves slowly ease away. You join their ongoing card game, an observer to it all as they yell in success or defeat.Â
The group of people playing Taboo suddenly doubles as the six of Sunooâs friends decide they want in. With the way you move to the floor, youâre so preoccupied with making sure thereâs enough space for everyone and that all the cards are there, that you donât realize where youâre sitting.Â
Cross legged, on the ground, next to Lee Heeseung.Â
You canât get up, and you weakly protest against the many thoughts telling you that a game of Taboo with Lee Heeseung would get you so heated that everyone would see steam out of your ears by the end of the first round.Â
âYou know how to play?â Yuna starts to thumb through the cards, making sure all of them are placed in the right orientation. While the majority of you guys nod, a few of them shake their heads, and it prompts a quick explanation from Ryujin.Â
âSo, everyone gets a set of cards in a team of 3, and you have to describe it without using the words in the white box below. So for example, if my word is Vanilla, I canât use the words bean, flavor, ice cream, extract, or chocolate.â She shows everyone the example card, and you all nod your heads. âOkay, now we divide into teams!â You tune out the rest of her words as she divides you all into sections based on where youâre sitting, and it leaves you with a twisting feeling.Â
âBlue will be ____, Heeseung, and Jungwon!âÂ
Truly, was luck ever on your side?
You donât have time to ponder just how horrible things are going, because Jungwonâs excitedly pulling you two close into a circle to discuss game plans.Â
âOkay, just skip the cards you canât answer, think about references rather than actual descriptions. Guys, the prize is good, Sunoo told me.â And the need to win anything reignites in your eyes, determination being your main motivation.Â
Jake, Sunghoon, and Yuna go first, and guess four cards correctly. You feel the excitement coursing through the air like electricity, as everyoneâs competitive spirit shows through.Â
Itâs finally your turn, and you volunteer to be the describer, picking up the cards with anticipation. You share a look with Heeseung and Jungwon, praying they share your wave of telepathy.Â
First word- Engine.Â
You scan through the words youâre not allowed to use, Jake watching over as your referee in case you slip up.Â
âOkay, itâs the thing in the-â Youâre about to say car, but you pause, quickly trying to reevaluate your descriptions. The timer looms, and you feel panic settle in. âThe thing that powers theâŚvroom vroom.âÂ
In Jungwonâs head, it clicks. âEngine!â You toss the card, reading the next. Egypt?Â
âItâs a 3D thing, but it has three sides in north Africa.âÂ
âPyramids.â Heeseung answers smoothly.Â
You grin unknowingly. âRight-right, okay. Where is it?â
âEgypt.âÂ
âThis is a Jesus related celebration-â You continue, glancing at the hourglass as the sand slips through.
âEaster!â Jungwon says. âChristmas!âÂ
âThe second one! Itâs one of the little things you⌠put up!âÂ
âStockings!â And you shake your head at Jungwon, goading them to think a bit more and guess. You glance up almost sheepishly, at a loss of words and stumbling over thoughts. Heeseung sighs, leaning back before looking at you again.Â
âOh, donât look at me like that.â You huff, flicking at the card anxiously.Â
âLike what? Like you canât describe a simple word?âÂ
âOh, as if you could-â
âOrnament!â And with that, the timer ends. You glare at Heeseung, hard, and if you were anything like Superman, you really wouldâve burned holes through his skull. Thankfully, with Jungwon was your mediator, you donât say anything snarky back at him, staying silent as the other groups go.Â
The first round tension eases as the night carries on. As Jake and Sunghoon score 7 cards in one round, it prompts you, Heeseung, and Jungwon to come together, a jittery feeling as you sip from a can of soda and pray your brain works in tandem with both of them.Â
Remembering Heeseungâs your describer, you sink in your seat a little, feeling hopelessness consume your mind- but Jungwon doesnât let you sulk as he cheers Heeseung on. âLast round!â He says, a sparkle in his eye. The teams are so close, and despite your team having the lowest points by being the last group to go, you know you can score the 6 points needed to beat Ni-ki, Ryujin, and Sunoo.Â
The hourglass is flipped, and you hold your breath.Â
âNaturally occuring formation,â he says smoothly, glancing at you and Jungwon. âHot stuff.âÂ
It clicks. âVolcano!â Jungwon smiles, feeling victory running through his veins. Heeseungâs lip curls up.Â
âItâs the saying with too many people, âthreeâs a..â He waits for you both to finish the line.Â
âCrowd!â Heeseung and you smile at each other as he continues to rush through the cards, briefly glancing over to the timer.Â
He falters slightly, before lighting up. âWhen youâre excited, youâre on ____ 9.â You finish it quickly, burning holes into the back of his cards before he continues. You have to win.Â
âJungwon, we played this game in 2020 on Discord with the guys!âÂ
âAmong Us.â and you laugh at the references he makes to win.
â____, itâs the 60% thing you like at the bakery.â
Your breath hitches, and you almost forget to answer until you see the way heâs looking at you.Â
âChocolate.â You mumble, and he cracks a grin again, relieved to get it in only four seconds.Â
With the way he looks at the words and furrows his eyes, you worry that the sand will slip through the hourglass completely before he can finish explaining the sixth and final word.Â
Heeseung chooses to deviate from the normal meaning of the words, and chooses to use a different meaning of it in order to not risk using a word on his unavailable list. âWhen something is more spicy than you expect, you say it has a little something to it.âÂ
Your heart is beating wildly, and youâre barely in the same spot as you were when you first started, leaning over and closer to Heeseungâs curly fringe. âKick!â you yell out, and the room explodes in commotion, carefully counting the tallies under every team name. Yeji sighs as she marks down your final tally, and you stand up, all in a group hug before you even realize it. You watch Heeseung, looking up at the way his eyes are closed and his smileâs wide. The adrenaline keeps you jumping with your partners, unaware of how Sunoo observes the carefree way you cling onto his friend, and the supposed bane of your existence. When you two finally stop cheering at your long awaited victory, you shoot Heeseung a glance, noticing how heâs already looking at you with the same gears turning in his head. Although youâve created space, heâs zoned out, and you can tell he hasnât noticed that you two once again make eye contact. It takes a raised eyebrow from you for him to look elsewhere, absentmindedly tonguing the inside of his cheek, feeling almost embarrassed to have been so close.Â
Thereâs a bubbling feeling in your stomach whenever you think about how he remembered- how Lee Heeseung pays attention to the little things. You push it down, because itâs nothing more than what coworkers do for each other. Heâs cordial, as always. Thatâs all it is.
âDidnât seem like you hated Heeseung much.â Sunoo comments, a smile puffing up his cheeks. You roll your eyes, helping him pick up some of the stray trash from the floor after the party is over.Â
âDonât even!â You start, debating if you should throw a Dorito in his face. âItâs just for the games, he was literally insufferable every other minute.âÂ
Sunoo is unfortunately the victim to your back-and-forth, trying for you to see with reason but falling short to your simple petty nature. He fails to see how Heeseung has treated you, but deep down, you see it. You see the occasional stare Heeseung finds himself in with you, the frown on his features or the way he always carries himself as if heâs somehow better than you. Itâs exasperating how easily he surpasses you, and always glances back to make sure you know. The looks he gives you are deceptive, and you basically see his thoughts laid out in front of him before he turns away. You swear to Sunoo that he has it out for you, always trying to boost that inflated ego of his by showing you how much better he is at anything.Â
âHow are you so sure Heeseung just wants to rub it all in your face? Well, wait.â He pauses, tying a trash bag closed. âWhy do you look at him so much that you catch him staring?âÂ
Oh. You think about it, truly emptying your brain to find a proper answer, but deep down, there was none to be found.Â
âI donât know, Sunoo,â you huff. âHe just always looks at me.âÂ
âMaybe he wants to be friends.âÂ
Violently shaking your head, you smash in a water bottle, feeling a flash of confusion pass through you. âWhy would he want to be friends with me? To show heâs such a nice and caring person?â The boy on the receiving end sighs, slumping to the floor in the kitchen. You stare at him, watching how Sunoo deflates before going to wash his hands in the sink. âYouâre insufferable.â He calls out, laughing quietly.Â
A frown makes its way onto your features unknowingly, your eyebrows furrowing in confusion as you truly put yourself in your friendâs shoes.Â
Surely, Sunoo sees what you mean, right? Thereâs just no way Heeseung would want to be friends with you either- itâs not like you treat him any better than he treats you. Plus, Heeseung has had it out for you, always by your side for the best and for the worst times, somehow dampening your mood in both.Â
Right?
After a tight hug from Sunoo and your efforts to lift his mood after a long day, you get in your car, a random song from your playlist coursing through the stuffy air.Â
There is mutual hatred- well, maybe not hatred, but dislike. A definite dislike between you and some part time bakery employee who also happens to be the worst boy youâve ever met.Â
Youâre beginning to think that this feud between you two is a small flame that youâre shoveling piles of wood into, igniting from your own hands.Â
You have no idea how to prove it, though. You canât let yourself look like an idiot by simply being nice to him if he really has it out for you and hates you- or else heâll get some sort of upper hand.Â
Your plan goes like this; Youâll give Lee Heeseung one chance to prove himself as an arrogant and selfish person, and when it happens, itâll be true solid evidence you have to dislike him. Itâll prove that Lee Heeseung hasnât changed one bit, and that you were always right in your beliefs.Â
You trust the universe will help you out one time, and pray for the best.Â
So thatâs why, when your grandmother invites you to join her at the Leeâs once again, you agree, finally getting to try not just the leftovers of Mrs. Leeâs delicious galbi recipe.Â
And thatâs how you're standing in front of his doorstep with a welcome mat under your feet, and a porcelain cat staring up at you from the porch.Â
You hear the commotion that follows your knock, and you're greeted with a warm smile from whom you can only assume is Heeseungâs mother. After she invites you in, you meet the rest of the family, and make sure your grandmother has taken a seat. Heeseung glances at you from the stairs, before wordlessly joining the table, quickly grabbing bowls in the kitchen before coming to sit down. Everyone interacts, and youâre stuck smiling and shaking hands with his father and bowing to his grandmother, asking if thereâs anything you can do to help.Â
When his mother brings the steaming aromatic food over, your eyes light up. âHere, Heeseung, sit next to ____!âÂ
Your smile drops.Â
He takes the empty seat next to you, flashing you a grin. âLong time no see.â You roll your eyes, with the distance between the two of you closer than ever, you lean over to make sure your grandma gets plenty of cabbage kim-chi and warm sauces with her rice, helping her whenever necessary. By the time you sit back down, your bowl already is full of food. You glance over at the culprit.
Heeseung just shrugs when you raise an eyebrow, muttering a thank you before digging in.Â
âI hear youâre planning to attend the same university as Heeseung.â His motherâs words cause your eyes to widen, choking slightly on your bite before you feel someoneâs hand on your back. âYou okay, ____?â And the mirth in his eyes tells you he finds your reaction funny.
You shake your head in earnest, feeling yourself lose even more passion for school. She continues, reaching for some grilled meats with her chopsticks. âItâs exciting, isnât it? You two are basically neighbors, and youâre always super hard working. Maybe Heeseung could learn a thing or two, since I hear so much about how you help out your grandma.â
Youâre pleased to hear she likes you, but it all comes out at once, and her confessions leave you in surprise. You glance over at the boy next to you, hoping to gain some wicked satisfaction from it all, but what you see leaves you with a dejected look. Heeseungâs gaze is steely, and you notice the almost glare his mom sends her son after saying it. He feels small, unlike the confidence that surrounds him after test scores or when he got admitted into his colleges. Something doesnât feel right, and it leaves a sour feeling on your tongue when you try to make yourself bigger than him.Â
âHeeseung has always done well. Iâm sure heâll continue to do well both at the bakery and in school.â You donât mean to disagree with her, but itâs true. You hate to admit it, at least to his face, but Heeseungâs worked just as hard or harder than everyone else. He tilts his head in confusion as to why youâd voice something like that, and you roll your eyes, hoping that he never brings it up again. Â
You continue to talk with his mother, laughing at her comments and going along with whatever she has to say, no matter how traditional her views might be. You thank her profusely for the meal, and she waves you off with a bashful look. âItâs nothing,â she communicates through her laughs and small hug when you two are about to leave.
âSee!â Your grandma says on the walk back, as you carry tupperware of marinated meats and soup. âHee isnât so bad after all.âÂ
âI guess.â You really have nothing else to tell her, not wanting to ruin the delicate moments between you two as the sun casts down a slim glow. âHe didnât really say much.âÂ
His mom, however, made you realize just why Heeseung performs at the standard he does- because he really has no choice but to be the best, or to accept failure in front of his parentsâ eyes. Itâs a corrosive treatment, one that slowly digs away at anyoneâs ability to be passionate about truly anything.Â
She changes the subject. âHowâs the bakery?âÂ
You want to tell her that Heeseung is annoying, that he runs around always telling you to do things, that heâs always too busy covered in flour and coconut cream to help you out. You want to tell her that you hate Heeseung, and that your quality of life decreases whenever heâs around. He messes with you, sends jokes and digs your way, and you donât know how to get him out of there faster.Â
âHeeseungâs fine. I know heâs a big help to you.â And maybe, heâs become a big help to you, too.Â
There is one thing youâre not sure you can perfect- macarons.Â
Theyâre dumb, take so little ingredients yet such precision- and to be honest, do they even taste that good? In your personal opinion, theyâre nothing amazing, and honestly, the scraps of chocolate cake that you donât use for cake pops serves you well.Â
The night before, you and Heeseung both mutually agreed to stay for a bit longer, starting on the macarons so neither of you would mess up tomorrow morning in a rush. Itâs a large order, and you get them relatively often. You try to get tips from your grandmother the night before that, writing them down in your phone and making sure you listen to every piece of advice she says. You write down the last thing in your notes, ominously typed out in bold text. âdonât overdo it.â it reads, and you stay up watching videos on how other people make them look so perfect.Â
Staying late for the shift meant you shifted your routine by a few hours- showering later, eating a bit later, and sleeping less than you shouldâve. You were tired already, but the extra work only added to it, making you feel less and less confident in every piped macaron.Â
The alarm reads 8:00am, a criminally late hour if you want to get to work on time. Sending a quick apologetic text to your coworker, you rush out of the house, driving as carefully as you can to make it there while scraping as much time off as you can. Rushing in, you see Heeseung, leaning over and assessing your yellow batch. If the grid you used was supposed to be a 5 by 11 sheet, then there should be 55 macarons- but you notice, in a few places, there are missing confections.Â
One culprit. âHow childish do you have to be to eat the ones Iâve made?â The immediate accusation has Heeseung looking up at you, straightening his back to narrow his eyes.Â
âSome of your macarons were hollow shelled.âÂ
âWhat, so you go and throw them away without even asking me?â
Heeseung hates how the mood is immediately dampened, finding himself getting more heated around you. âWe literally need 25 of each- only four of yours were hollow- I had to start making another batch because I didnât want to risk mine being hollow, too.â He tries to explain, tapping his fingers on the counter. Your skin feels hot- how dare he mess with the batch you already worked so hard to pipe and fold? If you were to fish out the shells from the trash right now, you would be positive that they werenât even that empty. You grab one of the tools from near the sink, going to inspect his red ones.Â
His attempt to make himself look human is shattered when you notice that none of his, are in fact, hollow like how he presumes they were.Â
âYou didnât even check yours!â You exclaim, feeling targeted.Â
He rolls his eyes. âIt doesnât even matter whoâs batch it was- why do you care so much that I was trying to help you out because you were late today?âÂ
That- that was your reason. Lee Heeseung once again spelt trouble, by meddling in your macarons when you couldâve so easily examined them yourself. He turns around to start washing the utensils in the sink, as you stand there and seethe. Blame it on the sleep, or on the stress of rushing out this morning, but all of it makes you walk out of the building, feeling the hot tears fill your waterline before they spill and cascade down your skin.Â
You worked so hard to make them- and even if they werenât perfect, even if what he had to say was right, you just wished you couldâve seen it for yourself. You havenât worked there much prior to the summer, and macarons have always been something youâve wanted to nail, so to see Heeseung set the standard according to his own feelings and just throw out the ones you wanted to see- well, it hurts. Itâs a jab at your pride, at all the effort youâve put into learning and watching videos, sacrificing sleep to listen to people croak advice after advice on one of the greatest baking feats. It hurts to see once again that youâve failed to be like Heeseung, and that he took matters into his own hands by assessing your tray for you
Fishing out your phone, you look for one contact to offer comfort. âGrandma?â You ask, sinking down to rest your head on your knees without sitting on the cement. Youâre next to your car, not wanting to go through the efforts of finding your keys.Â
âWhatâs wrong?â She asks immediately after hearing your sniffle, and you tell her. You tell her about how your shells were uneven, and how you worked so hard for them, and how Heeseung threw them away before you could even see for yourself. She understands your pain, and tells you that no one can perfect something as difficult as macarons- and that during spring break, she had seen Heeseung go through the same thing. It helps, just a little, to know that he started from the same place as you, too. You calm down with her further reassurance, and wipe your puffy eyes before coming back in. Youâre afraid the patrons will notice somethingâs up, and ignore Heeseungâs worried looks to pat cold water onto your eyelids in hopes of helping them look less red.
He sees all of it- Heeseung Isn't stupid, he knows what heâs done, but he canât get himself to apologize. And as you knew, he went through the same heartbreaking process, and in his thorough reassessment of the situation, he doesnât know why he didnât see it from your perspective until you stormed out.Â
âI'm sorry,â he writes on the bag of lemon curd he made for your macarons. But it does little to salvage your disposition for today. You ignore him, never asking for any help, or any opinion even in the times you usually would. Itâs quiet throughout the whole day, like a gray cloud has dampened the colors in the sky, and you clock out at exactly the right time after everything is done, put away, and cleaned. you refuse to leave a mess for Heeseung to point out, but you leave feeling angry, sad, but mostly, disappointed.Â
The next day, you arrive at the bakery to find Heeseung sipping from a dangerously large cup of instant boba and taro milk. His eyes dart up to witness all of your struggling glory carrying a shipment that came to the house instead of the shop. In a hurry, he grabs a few boxes from the top and sets them down on the counter, and whatever you were carrying follows suit. He treats you as if you didnât fight, as if you two arenât filling the room with tension the more you steal glances at each other. He grabs his drink, one that heâs prepared 15 minutes ago, and finishes almost another quarter of it in one long sip.
You want to tease him for how much taro heâs had when itâs barely 8 oâclock, but itâs not the right time. Days like this are always slow, only dragged out longer by the silence and lack of tasks. The awkward silence between you two fuels him to grab scissors and start opening the boxes.Â
âI thought your grandma mightâve told you I could handle it.â Heeseung comments, refilling the crushed water and oreo toppings. âI was checking the delivery updates pretty often.â
âNot often enough,â you snap. You fight back a glare, and proceed to open up your own box of extracts. âIâm her granddaughter. Maybe you should go enjoy summer with your friends. Donât you have a beach trip to thirst trap at or something?â Itâs meant to be an insult, but Heeseung quietly chuckles, finding it a little funny.Â
âYes, we are having a beach trip soon. But i already told your grandma Iâll work in the morning before your aunt comes to take over.â You frown, wondering why your grandma never reaches out to you and asks you to help.
With emphasis on the syllables in his name, you fire back, âLetâs be clear, Heeseung, she wants my help much more than she needs yours.â He glares, stirring a cup with his eyebrows furrowed and lips curled down in distaste.Â
âIâm sure thatâs why she was so enthusiastic about coming over to our house and talking to me.â Itâs your turn to scowl, and youâre afraid Heeseungâs comments will only take years off your life and produce wrinkles on your face much quicker.Â
âFunnily enough, I heard she didnât want you working there at all.â You cross your arms to look at him as a way to further your point.Â
He responds defensively. âYeah. as if.â Even the way Heeseung rolls his eyes at you is annoying. âShe just wants me around more than you.âÂ
You canât feel offended, especially when his tone is so light. It probably isnât even true- how much your grandmother prefers Lee Heeseung over you, just like anyone else. The feeling burns you and you shrink away from the heat of the sudden fire accompanied by the implications of his words. Heeseung catches on to the sudden shift in your demeanor.Â
âHey, I didnât mean that.â He tries to apologize, watching you carefully.
The flames leave you angry with his response, feeling once again belittled by him. âBullshit. Are you glad youâre the favorite for every single person you know?âÂ
His eyebrows furrow, feeling the bite of your words, and the mood instantly changes. âThatâs not what I meant, ____.âÂ
You roll your eyes. âOf course thatâs not what you meant, Heeseung. Of course youâre the one whoâs perfect, and Iâm simply the one who misinterprets all of it. Of course you have never had a bad intention ever and you are loved by everyone. Why canât you just go? Do you really have to take one more thing away from me and make it your own?â The years of resentment pile up in the words you throw at him, and the built up wall youâve created finally shows just why you should despise him so much. âOr was it not your intention to do that either?âÂ
Itâs too early, to be honest, to be fighting like this, and youâre definitely saying things that youâre going to regret. But youâre tired of being second to him- tired of never getting the recognition you so badly deserved from those who you actually wanted to hear it from. Youâre tired of never being heard by your teachers, getting grades that swoop right under a certain someoneâs. All on purpose. (right?)
Despite the sudden urge to bicker with you about how you think everything is about you, and how youâve never given him a chance, the boy beside you is observant to how hurt you sound being so vulnerable. Heeseung finds himself trying to rethink the past ten years of shared childhood experiences. Heâs never really thought about what heâs done to deserve such resentment from you, but the more he says silent, the more he realizes that heâs always so graciously soaked up praise from everyone, and because of it, you were always left sulking in his shadow.Â
âIâm sorry.â But itâs more than that.Â
You feel stupid for expecting anything deeper. âIs that all you have to-â
He cuts you off, trying to articulate the words and form reason. âNo, thereâs more. God- let me just think.â You hear how badly he needs to get it out, and you stay quiet, having let all of your anger out already.Â
âIâm sorry for hurting you. Iâm not going to apologize for all of the things Iâve achieved,â he says firmly. âBecause thatâs never how things were for me- I have no reason to feel bad about what I did.â And you can respect him for standing his ground in a situation full of misunderstanding. âI never did it to hurt you, and I never did it to get in your face and show I was better. But Iâm sorry for hurting you unintentionally. Iâm sorry I never realized that those things were just as important to you, and Iâm sorry for always assuming the worst when weâd talk. Iâm sorry I never apologized, and held all of this against you, and made this thing between us worse than it was supposed to be. And, Iâm sorry, too, about the macarons. That was stupid. I really shouldâve known.â
You feel overwhelmed, your mind trying to undo the years of built up feelings towards him under the assumption that he meant to do those things. âI thought you did it because you genuinely didnât want to see me happy. Like that time you did the extra credit in biology just so you could score better than me.â You breathe, words coming out without really realizing what youâre saying. âOr like that time in first grade where you spilled your applesauce on me, and never apologized. I kept thinking, what the fuck did I do to deserve it? What had I done to make you feel like we had to compete?â Your open ended questions continue to resonate within your co-workerâs mind, and the more you ramble, the more he sees just how twisted he looks.Â
âIn first grade, that was because the boys said Iâd get cooties if I went to talk to you. Believe me, ____, I tried. But every single time I try to fix things between us, you never let me, I swear.âÂ
Itâs your turn to be confused, swearing that you never saw him apologize. âWhen have you ever tried to be nice to me?âÂ
âI tried to let stuff go. Like all the little things weâd say about each other- I tried to understand why you were always so unhappy around me. But you always said I was meddling in your business or that I just wanted to find another way to get under your skin.âÂ
It settles, then, the realization that youâve turned him into the villain a bit more than you shouldâve. You know thereâs always been mutual dislike- there are certain times where you know Heeseung had it out for you, with his sneers, his comments or the way heâd smile at your defeat- but you werenât a saint either. There were other times that maybe, he wasnât out to get you, but you were always so consumed with the idea of hating Lee Heeseung that you hated the idea of him being a decent person, too.Â
âIâm sorry,â You say, leaving your emotions to witness. âI really shouldâve paid attention to your genuine efforts back then, too.â
And youâre not the only one whoâs at a loss for words this time. Heeseung is in uncharted territory, unsure of how to process the way youâre apologizing, and being so open. And heâs antagonized you too; made you out to be a mood killer and party pooper in every event imaginable, despising the idea of being around you because you two always disagree somehow.Â
âBut, why do you do it? Why do you come here if itâs really anything personal?âÂ
He answers in the only way he sees fit. âI want to help her out, sheâs always cooked for our family, sheâs let me come over a few times, just little things for my family and I. I never meant to take your grandma away from you like that, I promise. Sheâs just so kind, and she cares so much about me, so of course I want to care for her, too. I just didnât think itâd be at the expense of you.â
Despite still feeling hurt, you nod, trying to be mature and talking about it rather than burying it deep. âAll I hear about is how she wants you to come, and how she never needs my help anymore because she has you already volunteering. Itâs like I barely mean anything to her.â Your words sting for Heeseung, but not because thereâs any anger directed at him. Heeseung feels a pang of relatability in his chest, the inability to ever be enough for those around you gnawing away at your self-esteem.Â
He shakes his head, begging you silently to understand. âShe doesnât want you to work so hard.â He starts, running a hand through his hair. âShe tells me about how sheâs worried if youâre eating, or if youâre stressed. Sheâs watched you through-out your whole life, ____. All sheâs ever wanted was for you to finally enjoy the summer you worked so hard for.â
âI just wish it felt that way.â You admit.
To hear such high praise from his lips feels foreign- the idea of Lee Heeseung noticing how hard youâve worked, realizing the amount of effort youâve put into your standing and accomplishments, itâs weird. You know he understands completely how stressful itâs all been, considering he was stuck to your side the whole time in highschool whether you liked it or not. Lee Heeseung has worked hard, if not harder, than you, and for him to be able to admit that is so much different than what your perception of him would think. Itâs awkward to meet his gaze, and his small smile eases the tension a little when you laugh at his attempt to soothe things out.Â
âI feel dumb, for thinking so horribly of you. I honestly never thought you looked at me like I was an equal, just someone you could surpass.â He shakes his head, about to reach out and grab your wrist before he realizes just how intimate it would be.Â
âYouâre not dumb, _____. You never have been. Iâve always looked up to you.âÂ
There are knots in your chest- the ones that make it feel as tight and hard to breathe as you do right now- that slowly become untangled the more he speaks of you. His words undo them, little by little, and even if it takes a long time to fix the rift between you two, at least you know you have help.Â
Internally, your heart begs you to ask. âWhy do you even care?âÂ
He pauses, mulling over his words, and looking for a proper response. âI donât know.â He sighs. âI just want to, weâve been around each other since we were kids, and if there was someone who Iâd hope to have by my side, whether or not weâre close, it was you.âÂ
Your breath hitches at his confession, and your mind runs in a hundred different directions, without ever expecting those words to tumble from his lips. You promise yourself to do things differently from now on, not trusting your words to continue the conversation.Â
âWe should finish unpacking.â And the rest is that.Â
When you two leave to go home, the old tension feels different- lighter, almost. As much as you know he would do things to get on your nerves, never understanding just why you were so negative and brooding around him, your perception of him wasnât the best, either. And still, you may be a bit mad at him, and not exactly friendly, but at least youâve both let go of the unspoken baggage. Â
When you sit in the passenger seat, youâre less inclined to turn away and face the window, and make small talk with the radio on.Â
Things arenât perfect- the years of hurt heâs done to you doesnât dissipate in a day, but itâs getting better, and you can only hope it continues that way.Â
A week passes between the two of you, and time flows easier now that you two talked things out. You donât dread going to work, and you didnât refuse when he offered to buy food on the way home a few days ago. Sure, some topics between you two are sore, and youâre not best of friends, but itâs light years ahead of what it was like before.Â
You can never truly get rid of the banter between you two- there are clever insults youâve crafted in your head that you love to see his reaction to, and youâre just the right person for Heeseung to bicker with.Â
âDo you ever stop drinking that soy milk?â Your coworker asks. You nurse your cup, keeping it close as you rush to defend your end of shift drink. âYouâre like, a baby.â
âItâs lactose free. And a very good basic drink.â You explain, frowning at yet another large cup of taro tea he holds in his hands. âYour drink probably tastes like nothing.âÂ
He holds it out, and you raise an eyebrow. âJust use the same straw,â he insists. You truly donât mind, but itâs so weird now to know that Heeseung, like, your friend. But you take a sip anyways, cringing at how your suspicions were right- Thereâs barely a hint of sweetness in there.Â
âDonât make that face!â He comments when you grimace, and also feels the need to protect his opinion on 15% sweet options.Â
âAnyways,â you change the subject, determined to get him to see your sweet tooth ways. âHelp me make some creme brĂťlĂŠe for my grandma. Iâve never tried.â And he sets his cup down, and for the first time possibly, Heeseung joins you to do something.Â
âIt should be easy, right?â He says, and with a look of determination, you set off.Â
âHeat the cream.â You tell him, reading the instructions from your phone.Â
He retorts lightly, âSo rude.â and you turn around to scoff, all in good fun.Â
âYouâre insufferable.â And he tilts his head, offering you a small pouty smile when he turns on the stove.Â
The mood feels so much less stuffy than it did before when he says, âMust suck to always hate me like how you do.âÂ
âI have an egg yolk in my hand that iâm willing to throw at you.â He chuckles, and peers over at your bowl.Â
âYouâre pretty good at that.â He notes, and you fight the urge to beam at his compliment for your yolk-separation skills. After heâs poured in enough cream, he grabs the sugar and a measuring spoon, fishing your phone out from beside you and reading the measurements.Â
He adds so much less than what the recipe says, and you only know this because when you glance over, the scale reads a number much lower than 65 grams.Â
âHeeseung,â You call out, in a playfully stern manner, and the boy in question turns around like heâs been caught. âBring back the sugar.âÂ
âWeâve run out.â He says, the lie appearing as a wide smile on his face. Unconvinced, you walk over, and in turn, he holds the jar up out of your reach. You refuse to reach for it, knowing that the boy in front of you is much taller, but also that you donât want to break the glass with some horseplay.
Your voice goes from demanding to reasoning. âGive it back. God, I canât stand you and all of your low sugar preferences. The sugar is literally needed for the texture!â He simply shakes his head, walking over to add just one more unmeasured spoonful. âYou didnât even weigh it.âÂ
Heeseung mocks you- a high-pitched and garbled version that follows the intonation of your words, and you let out a surprised scoff at his immaturity. Getting a whisk, you make sure the newly added sugar is fully dissolved. He returns with the pot of cream that bubbles slowly, with an oven mitt around the hot handle. Without a look in your direction, Heeseung holds out his arm between you and the heated cream, and it really doesnât do much- but yet, at the same time, it does. Itâs something he does subconsciously; and something you do your best not to pay attention to in order to properly reach for the whisk.
He slaps your hand away lightly, and you mumble an âow!â in response. âDonât touch that. Let me whisk it. Itâs hot.â He reprimands gently.
Yeah, youâre still doing your best not to pay attention to it.Â
When the mixture transforms from a deep yellow to a pale banana color, he leans down and checks the side of the bowl for any egg and sugar heâs missed. âHere,â you reach out. âLet me get the pot.â Heeseung glances up, and shakes his head quickly.
âNo itâs okay-â and it happens quickly, the hand that was whisking leaves to swat your hand away, but it instead makes contact with the rim of the metal appliance when he doesnât pay attention to where his hand is placed. Although Heeseung only hisses quietly at the pain, you immediately feel bad.Â
âJust give it to me,â you demand, and pry the pot out of his hand to let him nurse his wound, leaving it in the sink and quickly going to the medicine cabinet for burn relief cream- the same one you used a few weeks ago. After you grab it, you return to him, reaching out your hand and waiting for him to show you the puffy red skin.Â
He slowly puts his hand on your palm, and you twist around his finger to apply the ointment, doing your best to spread it without pressing too hard.Â
âThank you.âÂ
You glare. âDonât hold hot things if youâre not fully attending to them.â And he puts his hands up in surrender, taking a step back.Â
âIâll be preparing your ramekins, boss.â The nickname has a nice ring to it.Â
When itâs done, the creme brĂťlĂŠe comes out with a slight wobble in the middle, indicating a well-cooked perfection. âGrab the blowtorch!â You shove him into the direction of where it is, and he complies. You sprinkle sugar over five of the six dishes, using a spoon to shape the sugar in the last dish into a heart since you thought it looks cute.Â
Heeseung comes back from your right, leaning over to watch you intently. âA heart? You make it seem like youâre in love, or something.â He jokes, evading a jab with your right elbow.Â
âShut up.âÂ
âYou shut up.â
âYou argue like a-â youâre about to finish your sentence with âchild,â but when you turn your head (in hopes that saying it directly would add more emphasis), youâre face to face with Heeseung, with a proximity between you two thatâs far less than expected.Â
He takes a quick step away, and you glance somewhere else with a nervousness in your eye.Â
Neither of you say anything, not really sure if you should apologize or if he should, and you return to your current task, a small churning turning in your stomach. You take a step back to let him caramelize the sugar, and he holds the blowtorch with his non-burned hand.Â
Itâs good, is the only thing you think when you crack the sugar and scoop a bit, admiring the texture. When you and Heeseung finished one each, you begin to clean up and wash the equipment you used.Â
âItâs late, _____. Iâll take you home.â He states the obvious, and for what?
âHow else am I supposed to get back?â You laugh, and in response, he shrugs.Â
âJust a reminder as to which one of us is so graciously kind to drive you too and from the bakery almost everyday.â
âIf I had a choice, I couldâve easily taken my own car. You know my grandma needs it for her errands. Like her Wednesday bingo night, or whatever.â He chuckles, holding the door open and unlocking the car.Â
Being in the same space as Lee Heeseung isnât as excruciating as how it used to be- and now, itâs just an opportunity for you to finally ask your burning questions.Â
âHeeseung, Iâm just curious. How did you even meet my grandma?âÂ
He furrows his eyebrows. âI think it was the mailbox,â he starts, trying to remember. âShe dropped her mail, and it blew out into the street, so I went to get it for her. And on the walk back, she just started asking me questions. Apparently she and my mom were closer than I thought.â
âAnd thatâs how you started working?âÂ
âFirst, it was community service. Just using the cash register- since weâre cashless, itâs nothing illegal to have me manage orders.â
âAnd she just thought you were an angel from the get-go, or something?âÂ
âWho doesnât?â And you glare, mocking him like what he did to you earlier. Heeseungâs lips curl into a grin at your antics, never taking it to heart.Â
âMe, obviously.â And itâs a half-lie, because secretly, Heeseung isnât so bad.Â
âWell,â he starts, motioning. âI donât think thereâs anything I do or could do that youâd like.âÂ
You splutter, âThatâs not true!â And he raises an eyebrow at your indignant words.Â
âName one thing that you like about me.âÂ
âNo!â You refuse, crossing your arms. âYou already have a large enough ego from the teachers.âÂ
Heeseung rolls his eyes at you, tapping his hands tapping on the wheel impatiently. âThatâs lame, ____. Youâre just further proving my point.âÂ
With a sigh, you tell him, âI like how you helped us win in Taboo.â And he gives you a look.Â
âCop-out.âÂ
âWhat-? No!â Emptying your brain, you try to find something you truly like about the boy who makes life a living hell- or, well, used to (he still kind of does). âOkay, fine. I like that you care about my grandma.âÂ
Heeseung stays kind of quiet, not really sure what to do now that youâre once again being sincere. âWell, sheâs like- the only person who doesn��t expect something from me.âÂ
Confusion floods your thoughts. âWhat do you mean?â
âIâm grateful for everyone in my life,â He prefaces. âBut itâs no fun having to always work for peopleâs approval, sometimes, I wish that someone could just appreciate me for me, and thatâs how your grandma is. No expectations with her. Sheâs just happy Iâm still around- which, I know, is bare minimum, but at least I donât have to try so hard for her to like me.â The light turns green, and the car rumbles as he slowly accelerates.
You mull over his confession. âDo I expect something from you then, too?â
âYou expect me to perform well, because I always have- and therefore, I have to do well, or else youâll just rub it in my face.â He states plainly, and you grimace for the second time today.Â
âSorry, I wonât do that anymore.â Heeseung waves you off.Â
âItâs no big deal- plus, you werenât the only one who thought Iâd do well all the time. Itâs something everyone thought of me. If anything, you were the one who just motivated me to always work harder.âÂ
âBut isnât that a good thing? To be the best?âÂ
He shakes his head and when you take a good look at him, Heeseung has a glassy look in his eye. âSometimes, yes. A lot of the time, no. I just want to do well without anyone forcing that on to me. I donât want the expectation to be perfect, because then, itâs so much easier for me to stumble.â You donât realize just how much weight Heeseung carries on his back from the words of his peers and his family. And to you, he resembles a diamond; perfect, but from pressure.Â
âWell, from now on, I wonât expect it from you. And if I do better, then I wonât rub it in your face. So thatâll make two people you wonât have to worry about.â The response he gives you is non-verbal, but his change in expression is first laced with surprise, and then silent appreciation.
âThanks,â he says, once again at a loss for words. âI appreciate it.âÂ
You send Heeseung a smile, understanding how it feels to always have to do good. You can only hope that he gets his break from the pressure before he burns out.Â
âOh, I should tell you now. I canât make it next Friday. I have plans, and Iâd figure Iâd let you know now so you could find someone to replace me.â He announces. When he looks over to see your response, you nod in understanding.
âWhat are you doing?âÂ
âGrad party.â Heeseung says plainly. âItâs Jakeâs, so if Iâm hungover, Iâll try to let you know if Iâll be good by morning.âÂ
âSo considerate.â You comment, albeit a bit teasing. He scoffs, making the final turn before reaching your house. âTo be expected from someone like you.â
âSomeone like me?â He questions. âAnd what kind of person am I?â
âSomeone whoâs going to have to work alone for the next two weeks if he doesnât shut up.â He laughs, his eyes scrunching up as unlocks the car. âThanks for the ride.âÂ
âOf course, ____.â
A few days go by, but one morning, you walk outside to see Heeseung parked in his car, scrolling on his phone- and it takes you walking up to him to roll the window down.Â
âYou didnât even text me you were coming,â you start, pouting slightly.Â
Heeseung pats the passenger side. âJust- get in, will you?â And you comply, never one to refuse a free trip to work.Â
âSo why today?â You ask, fiddling with your fingers and bag. âYou usually never pick me up on Thursdays.â
âSince itâs your grandmaâs birthday and all, I figured I could just pick you up, and drop you off. She called me yesterday asking to come over, and invite my parents, too. And they couldnât come because of a work trip, but I promised her.âÂ
You stay silent. âFuck, thatâs today?â And Heeseung laughs- not at you, just at the situation.Â
He nods, eyes still glued to the road. âHave you decided what you want to get her?â
âFlowers, definitely. Probably these treats sheâs been thinking about getting from the store. I have this really nice collection of kitchen appliances that I know sheâll like.â And youâre rambling, but Heeseung makes no effort to stop you. âShe loves to peel stuff by hand, but I was trying this thing out in the store and it actually works perfectly. Here, Iâll pull it up.â And he takes a quick look at the overpriced appliance, realizing that you also care immensely, but in different ways. âI still need to get her stuff, though- Iâm not sure how Iâm supposed to get to the flower shop if they close when we close.â And it leaves you dejected, since you know what flowers are her favorite, and how happy sheâd be if she saw them on the table for a while.Â
âWeâll figure it out,â Heeseung promises, and you nod, believing his words.Â
You close a bit earlier than usual, and Heeseung writes on a small sticky note for patrons to come tomorrow. The bakery closes at 8:00 PM everyday, and usually 30 minutes canât hurt- or at least, you hope it doesnât.Â
When you continue to anxiously check the clock, he comes to your side, rubbing your shoulder and telling you that â30 minutes is plenty of time.âÂ
âWe have to walk there though, and clean up. Thereâs virtually no parking there ever since that other place opened up nearby.â And he curses, not taking something like that into consideration. While you might be ending earlier, you canât just leave anything out in fear that someoneâs going to try and break in, but you also donât have nearly enough time to properly wash the dishes and wipe down the tables and counters. Instead, you both opt for putting away the large equipment and the food, turning off the lights so anyone who looks in gets the impression itâs closed with the lack of displays or people around. Then, you two can come back to finish organizing and preparing for tomorrow.Â
His reassurance is easy to listen to, and Heeseungâs ability to figure out a plan is comforting in and of itself. Youâre grateful heâs even willing to come with.Â
âYou can just wait in the car, really-âÂ
Heeseung looks at you like youâre mad. âWe talked about this,â he pressed. âItâs dangerous to go out alone. I have nothing to do in the car anyways.â
Finally, you shut off the lights and start dragging Heeseungâs arm, whoâs still taking the key out of the lock as heâs being taken away by your impatience. Setting off in a brisk walk, you continue to check your phone, trying to beat time. Heeseung promises you once more that itâll be okay, and you ask him what he got for your grandma to change the conversation. You both know her well, and your gifts reflect what qualities you care for most. You realize that Heeseung always keeps others in the back of his mind- like his thoughtful gift to Sunoo, with a handwritten card that Sunoo read a bit of to you guys before Heeseung stopped the further embarrassment. You didnât realize it then, but the people in his life feel wanted all the time because he has the love to give them.Â
You get there barely five minutes before 8:00 PM, and the discontent that washes over the shop ownerâs face is apparent. âWeâre closed,â she says, and you canât imagine itâs easy to stay by yourself in a room so stuffy and full of pollen. You walk up to her with Heeseung following behind you, observing the way you practically beg for her to let you find some flowers. You promise you wonât take long, and she sighs, unraveling some of the wrapping paper she knows youâll want.Â
There arenât many left now that the day is over- and you wonder what kind of people frequent the flower shops. Is it apologetic husbands trying to win over their disappointed wives? Is it children buying flowers for their parents and elders? Or is it people like you and Heeseung, who want to gift it to someone they care about?
âCan you trim the thorns?â And she shakes her head, continuing to ring your bouquet up. You feel horrible, understanding exactly how it feels when someone at the bakery asks for something so grandiose near closing, when your social battery has depleted and you donât have any more smiles to give. And you know this, but youâre willing to go above and beyond if the shop owner is okay with it. The effort sheâs put in already to cut the papers and ribbons to accentuate the flowers is already plenty, but itâs your grandma, and you make sure to come back to support her generously again.Â
âPlease,â you exhale, desperation and anger mixing in your tone. âIâll pay extra.â With that, the shop owner sighs, taking your forty dollars and looking up as she opens the cash register. âJust keep it.â You say, in apology for earlier. She doesnât decline the offer, and slides the crumpled bill into the slot with the rest of them, and ties a purple ribbon around the bouquet.Â
You almost forget that he watches the whole ordeal, until the owner of the flower shop mutters a âcouples these daysâ under her breath, and your eyes widen.
With profuse thanks, you grab the neatly wrapped flowers and leave, but the moment you turn the corner, you gawk. âDid you hear what she said?â
âThat weâre a couple?â Heeseung brushes it off like itâs nothing. âYeah. But- what kind of boyfriend would I be if I wasnât the one paying for them?âÂ
Heeseung paying for flowers to give to you- itâs a thought that leaves you quiet as your feet follow the same steps you took to get there. Of course he would- and you wonder if youâd ever want to be on the receiving end of it from him- or, actually, anyone for that matter. Youâre not sure your mind automatically wants such a sweet gesture from Lee Heeseung himself.
âThank you for coming, again.âÂ
âQuit worrying about bothering me,â and itâs like he can read your mind. âBelieve it or not, I donât mind being around you.â His sarcastic comment still holds that undercurrent of honesty, and itâs like he knows just what you need to hear.Â
The walk back is much less stressful than the walk to. It falls back to that simple dynamic between two people who have begun to tolerate each other, full of little insults, hits to the side, and laughing. You finally make it back, and the sun paints the sky with swirling blue and pink. The sunset illuminates Heeseungâs side profile as he unlocks the door again, and when you finally pay attention to his jawline, or the gentle purse of his lips in concentration, you come to the conclusion that Heeseung is more than easy on the eyes.Â
And as you two clean up, the flowers sit in the passenger seat; a symbol of care for your grandmother, and Lee Heeseungâs time well spent with you.
The trips with leftovers become more frequent, and his parents always remember who you are every time you come bearing gifts. â____!â They exclaim, returning the old tupperware with more dishes on top. It feels like at this point, your grandma cooks for them, and they cook for her just as much.Â
âGo bother Heeseung, wonât you? We have dinner in a moment, but heâs been so busy with his work.â You smile at her, curious as to what he even has to do now that schoolâs over. âItâs the room to your left when you go up.âÂ
You knock on his door and he yells in response, telling you to come in. Under the assumption that itâs his family, Heeseung goes wide-eyed when he notices itâs you in his messy room with his pajamas and old t-shirts strewn here and there.Â
âI did not expect it to be you,â he mumbles, quickly getting out of his chair to fix his covers and pick up a sock. A laugh bubbles from your throat with the way heâs scrambling to make things presentable right before you.Â
âDonât worry. I donât think Iâll be staying long anyways. Your mom told me to drag you downstairs because you were too invested in your work.â He looks sheepish as he mumbles a quick apology, and after the quick tidying, he shuts his laptop and organizes his desk. âWhat do you even have to do anyways?âÂ
âIâm just making music- I started this internship with an entertainment company where they let me shadow a producer and offer input on some unreleased songs for their artists- so Iâm just looking at the tracks and making demos.âÂ
âThey let you do that? I figured shadowing wasnât possible for a company so big.â He nods, a smile dusting his features, and you can tell he takes pride in what heâs accomplished.
Youâre about to ask more, but a call of your names from downstairs leaves you two quickly walking down.Â
âHave dinner with us!â His dad tells you, and you want to tell him you already ate a bit, but the noodles look delicious, and you agree to only eat a little bit. You glance over at Heeseung, but he offers a small smile as he pulls out a chair for you.Â
And so it begins again, but just without your grandmother.Â
â____, what are you planning to do in the future?â Heeseungâs dad starts.Â
âIâm planning to study Biology in the fall at uni.â You start. âI had an internship last summer before senior year, and I really learned a lot from it, so I knew what I wanted to do by the time I applied for schools.â His mother praises you, as all Asian mothers do, and you can see why Heeseung is so kind-hearted by the way his parents speak to you.Â
The conversation naturally switches from your plans to Heeseungâs, as they talk about his pursuit in music production.Â
âIâm sure heâs doing a good job, Iâm always in classes with him, and thereâs nothing you need to worry about.â
His mother continues, however. âI mean, thereâs always ways kids can get ahead. I always tell him to apply for things early, and he couldâve gotten more scholarships and finished his internship last summer if he wasnât so behind. But heâs doing it now, so there's nothing we can say about it.â Her words rub you the wrong way immensely. While your own parents were never the most involved in your high school academics and were supportive of any career path you chose, they never placed an expectation on you to do the best and overachieve. But you get the sense that for Heeseung, no matter how supportive they were, it was never really good enough. Itâs torturous.
But, you donât really know how to respond, humming to ease the growing silence instead. âThatâs always true, but I know a lot of people look up to him, including me. Heâs doing great regardless of when he does it.â No matter how gently you put it, you know itâs in total opposition to how they think and feel when it comes to their own son, but you can only hope that it helps ease the tension.
The rest of dinner goes smoothly, with the discussion of your summer and how things have been with friends, parties, and planned trips. You finish their food quickly, complimenting Heeseungâs motherâs cooking once again and watching her face light up.Â
âYou should head home, we donât want your grandma to be too worried.â His dad starts, and you agree, quick to grab your bag. Heeseung takes the containers from your hand and starts putting on his sandals. âIâll walk you home.â Despite your refusal to let him carry your things, he insists, and you miss the way his mom stares fondly at you two from the kitchen island.Â
The warm summer air gives you the illusion that itâs not so late, and with the way light still peaks from the horizon, you feel less tired the later the summer nights get.Â
The boy next to you speaks up first. âDid you mean it?â You sneak a glance at his relaxed posture, a hand in his sweatpants and bangs on his forehead.Â
âWhat part?âÂ
âAny part.âÂ
You nod, feeling almost incredulous that he thought youâd make up something like that after you two agreed to be on good terms.
âOf course, Hee- I wouldnât lie about that stuff, especially not to your parents.âÂ
âIâm sorry about them, by the way.â He reaches up to run a hand through his hair. âThey have high expectations sometimes, Iâm sorry if itâs uncomfortable to hear them talk about me like that so openly.â The first instinct you have is to reach for his shoulder, making eye contact with him and offering a semblance of comfort before you walk across the street.Â
âNo, you donât need to apologize for stuff like that. Iâm sorry your parents hold you to those kinds of expectations.âÂ
âItâs okay, Iâm used to it.âÂ
âBut the problem is, you shouldnât have to be used to it. Youâve genuinely done so much and you deserve some recognition rather than someone always telling you to do better.â
It goes quiet, but you donât choose to bring anything else up, enjoying the crickets chirping and the gentle breeze that carries you home.Â
You stop outside your door and unlock it, inviting him in to say hi to your grandmother.
âThank you,â you tell him as heâs leaving. âFor walking me home.âÂ
Heeseung simply shakes his head. âIt was nothing, really. Thank you for seeing my parents again and whatnot.â He smiles, waving at you before walking back, and a grin makes its way onto your face before you even notice it.Â
Your phone dings at an hour earlier than you expected to get up, and it leaves you in an annoyed mood while you turn off your alarms.
hee: dude you HAVE to come in we just got a huge order for triple chocolate cake they said theyâd pay extra if we finished by today
y/n: help wtf r u doing at the bakeryÂ
hee: i was making brownies i asked ur grandma this morning if i could
y/n: what forâŚ
hee: because i had a craving ??? what else..
y/n: oh LOL ok ill be there in 30
Originally, you and Heeseung were going to have the day off, and your aunt and grandma were going to work instead- but the tempting offer from Heeseung leaves you explaining why you have to come in for work, and that they should stay at home. You say anything that comes to mind, but they know you wouldnât let them come with the way you were dressed and already grabbing your shoes and keys.
When you finally rush to the doors, you see Heeseung cutting into the chocolate treats, and when you two make eye contact, he shoves the piece in his mouth and nods.Â
âGross.â You comment, laughing.Â
He says something intangible, and you shake your head, putting on your apron.
The amount of work you two have put in is simply criminal to be fake, and the day off you have is getting darker the longer you two stay.
You voice your concerns. âDo you think theyâre lying about the tip?What they told you seems like much.âÂ
Heeseung shrugs, and sprinkles sea salt over the piece he picks up. âIâd hope itâs true. They seemed pretty desperate. I called them back today telling them their order would be done soon, so if they show up and pay more, thatâd be great.âÂ
âIâm glad youâre so optimistic.â You laugh.Â
âI have to be, because youâre definitely not.â Heeseung laughs when he sees the scowl on your face.Â
âOh yeah? I think Iâm at least a little better than the time you spilled the tapioca pearls and then talked about how everyone had it out for you that day.â He rolls his eyes.Â
âBetween the two of us, Iâll always hear you saying âfuck, i dropped the spoonâ more.â His teasing has you smiling.Â
âFocus on your lettering. Or do you need someone to hold your hand and help you?â You lean over to look at him spelling CONGRATS with brown icing. âYou messed up.â Nitpicking, you point out a random loop and make fun of him for it despite it not looking bad at all.Â
âI did not!â He huffs defensively. âI want to see you try.â He passes you the bag, and you get a piece of plastic wrap on the counter before starting.Â
âLee Heeseung sucks.â He reads. âDid you seriously write that?â You laugh at how offended he is, and the boy next to you is quick to pull the bag from your hand to start piping. halfway through the word âhate,â you elbow his side, and it causes his letter âtâ to be dragged too far.
âHey!â He runs over, smearing a bit of icing on your forehead before you duck and try to avoid all his other attacks. The laughs bubble from your stomach, the adrenaline causing you two to chase each other around the kitchen. Youâre not even sure what Heeseung would do if he catches you, but you donât want to find out.Â
âI think we should package those cakes!â You remind him, albeit as a distraction. He sighs, crossing his arms in defeat before agreeing and heading back over. You narrowly avoid his glare, a wide smile on your face as you hum in victory. Itâs a bit past closing, and he makes sure to flip the sign, still keeping the light on.Â
The customer rings the phone, telling Heeseung that sheâll be there in a few minutes. By the time youâve boxed all three cakes and cleaned up any edges, she walks in. You ring her up at the counter, and she pulls out her largest bills, telling you to take the change as a gift. You two both thank her immensely, making sure she can carry the cakes out to her car before closing for the night.Â
When Heeseung enters through the front door, immediately you start cheering. âWe just got paid tonight, Hee!âÂ
The boy grins, subtracting the total from the amount she gave, and itâs clear that she was being serious when she said she would pay extra. âI think this calls for celebration.âÂ
You donât really have an excuse to see him outside of work, and the idea of being alone in a non-bakery setting feels scarily new.Â
And youâre about to make up an excuse about how you have to be home (you donât), but your stomach makes a low sound, and it serves as an answer in place of your faltering words.Â
âIâm thinking Korean.â
You donât expect to learn something new about Lee Heeseung, until you see him order two bowls of stir fried ramen despite the restaurant serving much more elegant dishes.Â
âRamen?â A glance at the menu has you reading one of the more expensive meals offered. âYou couldâve had- I donât know, their Honey Garlic Short Ribs.âÂ
He scrunches his nose in disapproval as a testament to how much he adores his instant noodles. âItâs just not the same. We barely have noodles at home, since my mom always insists on making it from scratch or boiling them in those big packages. Never just ramen.â You take a sip of your water, surprised.Â
âYou donât have ramen? God, come over more often, Iâll make you some.â You suggest lightheartedly.Â
He glances over, taking you up on the offer. âWoah- me, in your space?â You send him a glare, looking away and ignoring his laughs.Â
The food comes relatively quickly, and he looks over what youâve gotten to judge it. âIt looks good. Let me have some.â He says, reaching over with his wooden chopsticks.Â
You gasp at his suddenness, quick to refuse and to drag your plate away from him as you pick up a short rib and eat it before he can. The meat tastes wonderfully marinated and tender, and you donât realize that the haphazard way you tried to eat it left some sauce on your mouth. Heeseung glances over with a frown, about to comment on how incredibly stingy you are until he notices thereâs red sauce on your chin, and grabs his tissue.Â
âHere.â He says, tapping you on the shoulder. And silently, he wipes it off, to make sure you wonât have to walk around with people seeing and saying anything.Â
âOh- thanks.â Itâs pathetic the way your throat dries up, and how you force yourself to drink your water and move on. You hear about this only in movies- about male leads you turn to burns and wax poetic about how much they love you. You donât expect it to happen so suddenly.
âIs yours any good?â You ask, averting your gaze. His fried eggs and boiled shrimp sit neatly on his stir fried noodles, the presentation better than you could ever make it at home.Â
With a shrug, he replies, âWeâll see.â He tries some, and you see a satisfied grin on his features.Â
âIs ramen really that good, Hee?â His enthusiastic nods tell you all you need to know as you continue eating, your pile of bones growing ever so slowly. You two make small talk, about his recent beach trip, or about you rafting with your friends. He talks of college- about going away and his fears of growing up. You tell him youâre scared to dorm, since youâve been around your family for so long, and you share each otherâs sentiments about the rapidly approaching adulthood youâll both have to face. Itâs nice like this, not to bicker and to argue and to despise him. Itâs nice to just exist around Lee Heeseung, and you wonder why you havenât done something like this before- sitting next to him and being able to talk freely about the interests and questions you share.Â
You guess that it was just the timing- you were both always so stressed from school, unable to properly sit down to sort out your emotions. And yeah- summer is a new slate, and this year feels just a bit more life-changing than the rest of them.Â
âYou eat so slow.â And you shoot him yet another scowl, picking up some rice.Â
âYou ordered ramen and you eat like youâve been starved for three years.âÂ
âWhatever. Iâll cover the bill?âÂ
Narrowing your eyes, you try to remember if you two had discussed anything about payments before. âNo- I thought we were just going to split the bill.â
He doesnât seem to care too much. âIâll pay for you, since I couldnât have done it without you,â refering to all the baking you did today. Â
Exasperated, you refute his horrible reasoning. âI wouldnât have even found out about her order if you werenât there. Just let me split it.â You reach out expectantly, and he retracts the receipt, clutching it close.Â
âJust pay me back sometime for something else,â and itâs the last thing he says before turning on his heel and leaving you with your agape.Â
When you clean up and join him in the car, the first thing you tell him is that heâs âannoying,â and âso stubborn it hurts.âÂ
Heeseung just laughs at you, telling you itâs nothing special- like heâs used to paying for others. And thinking about how many people come in to ask him for his number or hope for a date, your assumption makes sense- that he does these things for everyone, and youâre not an outlier in any way.Â
When the bakery is one chestnut haired boy short, things are much less interesting.Â
âDonât have too much fun without me.â You joke when Heeseung begins to undo his apron.Â
âYou can come,â He offers with a small yet sincere smile on his face. âI asked, you all know each other anyways.â You feel your heart stir with the way Heeseung keeps you in his thoughts.Â
All you do is refuse his offer. âI have to rewatch my rom-coms.â You wave him off, and within minutes, youâre left alone. The quiet music plays and the bell jingles every so often as patrons come for pick-up orders or drinks. Thankfully it was slow for a Friday, and you werenât rushing around the shop.
Thereâs a girl whoâs around your age who walks in, curious as to whoâs taking her order before making eye contact with you emerging from behind the curtain.Â
âWhereâs the boy you usually work with?â She says, getting a list of what her and her friends wanted. âIâve been meaning to ask for his number.âÂ
You canât lie and say youâre indifferent to her question, but nonetheless, you take her order and give her his phone number saved in his contact. âHeâs not dating anyone, so donât worry.â You tell her, handing over the receipt. She smiles, and your heart tightens a little at the thought of Heeseung. One of you two is well-liked, one out of the two of you is perfect in every way, and it wasnât you.Â
Without any of your usual weekly plans with your friends, the drive home was quiet as you figured out what to do for the weekend. You would feel bad every time your grandma had to take a shift despite her recovering quickly, and despite her being excited to work again. When home, you decide to make dinner, change, clean up around the house, and retreat to your old room. The show you were catching up on until the wee hours of night was interrupted, and a familiar contact flashes on the screen.Â
âHeeseung?â You ask, confused. Itâs 12:00 AM.Â
â____-ie.â The line giggles a bit before you hear some shuffling. âMy head hurts.âÂ
Youâre a bit shocked to hear him like this, but youâre not going to hang up on him and leave him confused. âDid you drink too much?â You ask, trying to choose your words carefully.Â
âYeah,â Heeseung responds, sighing. âI lost a bet, _____. And I lost cup pong, too.â He sounds dejected, like a hurt puppy as he elongates his syllables and pauses between thoughts. âI was going to tell you something.âÂ
âThat you canât come in for work tomorrow? You sound out of it, Heeseung.âÂ
He groans, and more shuffling comes from his side. âYeah, but I canât drive, ____-ie.â You cringe at the nickname, but refuse to say anything about it with the way heâs acting now. âNo one else can take me home, and my parents canât know.â He sounds stressed, and youâre quick to reassure him before he starts crying.Â
âWhere are you?âÂ
âYouâll pick me up?â Heeseung asks, his tone filled with elation.Â
âMaybe. Depends on how I feel in the next 10 minutes.âÂ
âIâll cover your shifts anytime, Iâll drive you home, Iâll buy food for you, Iâll sneak you outâŚâ He continues to ramble about all the favors he could do for you, and you laugh before getting out of bed. Â
âYou better mean it.âÂ
âI want to see you.â You know he just wants to go home, you know he doesnât mean anything else with his words. You know he just wants to sober up and go to sleep.Â
You know itâs nothing more between you two, yet your heart still beats wildly with every minute you drive, the words echoing in your head.Â
âI got you water, and some food- I have no idea if you ate or not.â Is the first thing you tell him when he stumbles out of the house and into your car.Â
Heeseungâs one drowsy blink away from falling asleep, and you have to shake him away to make sure he doesnât fall asleep with a hangover. âHee!â You rush to park on a random sidewalk before unbuckling your seatbelt.Â
You brush back his red hair, pushing his curly bangs away and wiping the sweat from his forehead. He slowly blinks, adjusting to the proximity between you two. You shove a water bottle in his hand before getting a tissue to wipe the light sheen off of his skin.Â
âWhat are you doing, hm?â And his voice, rough with exhaustion, has you quiet for a moment as your skin gets hot.Â
Despite your heart thrumming faster, you force yourself to answer simply. âYouâre going to have a hangover.âÂ
He opens his water, drinking almost a third before he leans back. âMy head still hurts.â He whines, and you have to laugh.Â
âHere,â you suggest, opening the tupperware of fried rice. âEat.âÂ
He refuses, continuing to drink from his water, and you donât have it in you to be annoyed at him. Instead, you grab a spoon. âI canât believe Iâm doing this,â You mumble, starting to break up the fried egg and mix it all together.
After the first bite, âItâs good,â He says simply. âIâm glad I got to see you.âÂ
You feel the incessant pounding in your eardrums and your whole face feels hot. âEat, before you throw up.âÂ
âI missed you.â Despite the harmless intention, you canât stand to let Heeseung sweet-talk you, and it almost frustrates you to know thereâs no weight to his words.
You roll your eyes at him and force him to finish his water. âSober up before you get home.âÂ
In the quiet of the night, in the small neighborhood with everyone asleep, no one would know about the loudness of your chest, about how his eyes still hold his twinkle as he gazes tiredly at you, letting him dote on him.Â
You continue to make sure he drinks and eats, and youâre so engrossed in taking care of him that you donât realize how little the distance is between you. Making eye contact with him leaves you stunned into silence, but Heeseung says nothing to dispel whatâs between you two. He reaches up, his palm cupping your jaw, and you swear, past the alcohol, thereâs the faint fresh scent of the ocean, one that you recognize from being around him so often.Â
You hold your breath, keeping the box in your steady as you wait for what heâs about to do next. He stares in silent question, glancing only to your lips and back up. Itâs like time doesnât even pass anymore, like a moment written in eternity when you brush away some of his hair.
You swear youâre about to kiss Lee Heeseung for the first time in your life.Â
Instead, you cough and duck from his intimate stare, and he pulls away. The heat of his thumb still lingers on your cheek, and the way he looks at you doesnât go unnoticed.Â
âYouâre feeling better, right? Iâll drive you home.âÂ
The wind whips against your window and the streets lay bare as you turn into his neighborhood. Itâs all you can do. You canât be in love, not with Heeseung.Â
Heeseung texts you profusely the next day, apologizing before he leaves the house to see you in person. âiâm sorry if anything happened last night, please let me know if I overstepped a boundary,â and despite his words being through text, your mouth feels like itâs dried up, and that you have no idea what to tell him. You send him something vague about driving yourself, nothing that alludes to how your heart raced and skipped a few beats, and how you still think about the gentle way he caresses your jaw.Â
How are you supposed to pretend things were the same? Like you werenât watching him, like his gaze wasnât with care, and his touches were not electric. How could you pretend that you werenât slowly falling for Lee Heeseung?
âDid I,â He starts as he rushes through the door. âDid I do something wrong?âÂ
Shaking your head, you continue to crush up the cookies in their topping container. âI just donât want to bother you with driving me around anymore.âÂ
âBut youâre not a bother.â Heeseung can barely recall what happened yesterday, and he doesnât know what caused your sudden lack of interest with your texts from the morning. âLook, ____-âÂ
In a desperate attempt to push down your unreturned feelings and return things to how they were, you cut him off. âHeeseung, drop it.âÂ
The day stretches for an eternity, and Heeseung knows somethingâs wrong. As one last chance to fix things before he goes, he speaks up. âPlease, what did I do?âÂ
And you want to oh-so desperately tell him that last night, you were about to kiss, that the distance between you two was so finite and the way he looked at you had your stomach churning with butterflies. That somewhere, you realized just how similar you two were- that Lee Heeseung understood hard work, he paid attention to the little things, he related to and comforted you in the times that you felt like you were never enough. And those are just the handful of reasons why. You never knew just how well you truly knew him until you evaluated the years youâve spent together. Some things you pick up subconsciously; like the way he fidgets or nervously smiles when a girl asks for his number, or the way he always looks back at you when he rejects her advances. Itâs weird how quickly the knots that made your relationship so complicated suddenly untangle. Itâs really just this long windy string that connects you and him, and within the miscommunication, itâs gone awry.Â
You and him are in the same vein, and with how much time you spend with each other, itâd be criminal if you didnât slowly fall for the way he sings along the radio or how he started to open your door. He cares, in all of the minuscule tiny ways that make your heart ache so terribly. âNothing, itâsâŚâ Itâs almost sick how your mind immediately wanders to some stupid scenario where you and Heeseung ended whatever was going on between you two, and you admitted feelings to each other. Heeseung drives you around in his car, Heeseung comes to your house with baked goods he made himself, Heeseungâs eyes glitter when you two get good scores on a test, telling you how happy he is. âItâs just nothing.â You tell him, not really sure what to make of your feelings at all. And while your emotions towards the boy are new and fresh, they're so real- it snowballs fast.
âItâs not nothing if somethingâs changed between us.â He reasons, a look in his eye begging you to explain.Â
âIt should be nothing, Heeseung. Weâve never gotten along, so whatâs the difference now?â The words leave a burn on your tongue, and you hate the way Heeseung looks away for a moment before he agrees.Â
âRight.â He says, monotone and lifeless. âWhy bother?âÂ
And youâre angry with yourself for the way you nod, taking your things. You want to scream in his face that youâve begun to tolerate Lee Heeseung, in more ways than one. You donât just tolerate him- you appreciate him, you care for him, you want him to be yours.Â
âOkay- Hee, wait.â You falter in your decisions, your heartstrings pulling you in an enchanting way towards him- against all rational. âIâm sorry.â You canât let a good thing go, you canât risk never talking to him again, simply because you donât know what itâs like to live life without him. You see him in every memory, in every class photo, and you canât bear to be the reason you two stop talking- all because you were too scared to speak your mind.
He turns around, waiting for you to continue, crossing his arms as he proceeds to lean against the counter. If you were honest with yourself, youâd admit that Lee Heeseung is one of the most attractive people youâve met.Â
âDo you mean it?â You ask, feeling foolish. He should be asking you that- after what youâve just told him.
Heeseung takes a step closer, his gaze on the ground as he nears the cash register, slowly closing the distance between you two.
âDo you mean it?â He asks, his voice small. Thereâs still space between you two, and it feels like oceans apart. And you soak up his words for consideration, truly questioning if you did.Â
âNo, Heeseung-â You stare at the blinds, looking around the space only to realize just how secluded you two were- that no one outside of the bakery would know just what loops and hurdles you two had been through to get here. âI could never. I shouldnât have said it.âÂ
âIs it true, then? That we get along, now?â His slow steps finally leave the crunching of his shoes in front of you, and you nod your head. And after he sees your confirmation, he continues. âHow do you feel about me, ____?â
Your surprised gaze meets his, and you see the small smile on his lips, and the almost playful look in his eye indicating that heâs not really hurt anymore.
âI hate you, Lee Heeseung.â You say, emboldened by his teasing. âI hated you for spilling all of that applesauce on me when we were eight, I hate how you get along with everyone, I hate how you act like youâre better than me.â You pause, to think of more, but his hand reaches up to cup your chin, pointing up to make sure youâre looking at him.Â
âI hate all that humming you do at work,â you start, your voice small, feeling shy now that heâs forced to make eye contact (which is extremely attractive and turns your legs into jelly). âOr your piping skills, or how good your macarons taste compared to mine.â
Heeseung is so dangerously close, like how you were just last night. âWhat else?â He goads you on, wanting to hear just how much more you have left.Â
âI hate everything about you,â You barely murmur above a whisper with him being so close to you. âBut Iâd hate it if you didnât return my feelings, either.âÂ
He smiles, finally hearing you admit the very things thatâs been plaguing your relationship with the idea of more.Â
âAnything more to add?âÂ
You scoff, reaching up and tangling your hands in his hair. The last thing that reaches Lee Heeseungâs ears are the words, âYouâre so annoying,â before you crash your lips into his.Â
Your kiss with Heeseung satisfies a longing thatâs lasted for a while- to know what it felt like to be so close to him, to kiss his rosy lips just once. Itâs tantalizing- the way you canât pull away, and the way he doesnât let you with how his hand rests on your lower back to pull you closer. When your hold on his hair loosens slightly, he gingerly lets you lean back. Your forehead comes to rest with his as you open your eyes, letting out a slow breath as you think about the ghost of his kiss on your lips. Heâs hesitant to separate from you completely, and rests his hand on your waist instead.Â
You smile, biting your lip so you donât giggle like an excited girl whoâs just told her friends about a measly interaction with her crush. Your heart feels like a floating balloon, and your lips stretch into a grin, prompting Heeseung to smile at you, too.Â
An idiot. Thatâs what you both look like. But when Lee Heeseung presses a small kiss on your forehead and intertwines your fingers, you couldnât care less.Â
âHeeseung, stop piping heart macarons, itâs embarrassing.â He rolls his eyes at you and adjusts the piping bag with red macaron batter inside.Â
He mimics you childishly, and you want to scoop the lemon curd to plop on his head. âStop piping heart macarons, yeah, okay, so why do I see you eating them?â
âI donât. Iâd never.â Youâre lying, and you both know that, but Heeseung entertains your false narrative a bit more.Â
âIâll have you know, the lady at the law firm a few blocks down came here earlier and ordered some of them.â He retorts. You stick your tongue out at him and continue to mix the drink youâve been preparing.
âWhat does she want them for, hm? I can imagine sheâs in the season of love in July.â He laughs at your childish comment, continuing to pipe out almost identical hearts onto the baking sheet.Â
âMaybe she loves her partner so much and wants to shower them in affection.â He grins, alluding to your relationship. You want to flick him across the forehead, rolling your eyes and walking over after finishing your drink for a to-go order.Â
With an elbow on the counter, you watch him from the side as he diligently fills in the heart outlines. âYouâve always liked my macarons, though.â He reminds you. âRemember? You said it when we k-â
âCan you shut up about that?â You cut him off, feeling embarrassed. âIt was like- a month ago.âÂ
Itâs your exasperation that fuels him to tease you further. âIt was a good kiss, was it n-â
You bump his shoulder, and he messes up one of the macarons, pausing before looking up at you. âHey!â He whines, frowning. âThese are supposed to be for that lawyer, remember?âÂ
You roll your eyes, and you know when Heeseung lies through his teeth. âYeah, yeah,â You mutter, using a clean finger to wipe at the edge to make it look nice once more. You play along with his lie. âAnd we definitely fell in love because of cupid.âÂ
my baby is done!! as always pleaseeeeee let me know what you think!! even if it is just 'hdefhjfhds' that means the world to me!!!
reblogs are appreciated!! reblogs w comments are da best and asks !! let me know what you think NO JUDGEMENT!
tagging @sumzysworld !
send ask or dm if you'd like to be added to my perm taglist
#heeseung#heeseung x reader#heeseung enhypen#heeseung fluff#heeseung imagines#heeseung oneshots#enhypen#enhypen au#enhypen x reader#enhypen imagines#enhypen fluff#enha#enha x reader#enha fluff#enha imagines#enhypen scenarios#heeseung enha#engene#enha heeseung#enhypen heeseung#lee heeseung#lee heeseung x reader#lee heeseung imagines#lee heeseung fluff#lee heeseung x you#heeseung x female reader
2K notes
¡
View notes
Text
^this is me when someone respectfully disagrees with me btw
ANYWAYS! pls dont take this as me arguing in a mean way or anything, i love Sonic a lot!!! and i like talking about it and i think you bring up a lot of interesting points!!!! so im gonna go over it all in maybe a not super cohesive way???
i wanna start by acknowledging what you said at the start, "the wording of the second bolded point echoes IDW Sonic's wording of his principles in IDW #2 that Amy swoons over" and clarifying that i was referencing It Doesn't Matter from sa1 and sa2,,, (the full lyric is "Don't ask me why; I don't need a reason / I got my way, my own way!), and the reason why i alluded to it is because i was trying to make that connection that Sonic still has the same basic principals that he did during the adventure era, but i guess i wasnt clear enough oops ^^; i honestly completely forgot that theres a reference to that lyric in idw #2 but,, uh, happy accident i guess?
ok now onto my actual thoughts
i actually wanna agree with you on that first part, cuz as i think about it its something that makes a lot of sense and i havent really been able to fully wrap my head around it -- Sonic being reactive to whats in front of him is exactly how he is!!! idk how i didnt realize that before lol
as to what you said to my first point, i think that theres a level of dissonance between the games and comics with the threats theyre dealing with, and it kinda prevents me from explaining myself with examples. this MIGHT be a reach!!!! im sorry if it is BUT im gonna compare satbk and frontiers for a sec, since we're talking about satbk a lot here (as we should. its such a good game)
(and im not sure if youre lumping in Sonic in IDW with Sonic in Frontiers? a lot of people do but. idk maybe you dont lol. for the purposes of my point i will)
i think that there are parallels to be drawn between how Sonic treats Merlina and Sage, vs how he treats King Arthur and The End. he has a lot of patience for Merlina and Sage as he realizes theres a lot more to them besides just wanting to kill him, but he'll still take what they throw at him like he takes anything else. then you compare that to Arthur and The End, and Sonic is like. ready to destroy those guys. and i think that, while Sonic is first and foremost just living in the moment and reacting to what people throw at him, i also think that theres a huge difference between when Sonic is fighting a person and when Sonic is fighting a powerful entity. granted, he didnt know that King Arthur was an illusion, but he did know he was an immortal tyrant associated with hell. i mean. the underworld
i would love to use an example from the comics showing how he does treat similar scaled threats the same way but i. cant! because he doesnt face threats like that in IDW! hes dealing with things like "the dragon is back" and "that girl has psychological issues". the only thing that comes close to the world-ending threat that we see in the games is the metal virus, and it was both a lot more complicated than typical "defeat the bad guy, save the world" that we see in the games. now, that does NOT mean i dont think the games have complex stories but if i delved into every situation Sonic has been put in then we would be here for so long. and i dont wanna do that. so yeag.
basically to sum up my points above, im saying that the reason IDW Sonic has been pretty lax with his enemies, and even tries to help some of them, is because theyre not really the same level of threats as most of the villains he faces in the games. he can deal with them fine without ending them outright, so he doesnt really have an issue with letting them live. hes just kind of easy-going and chill like that. at least thats how i see it, maybe im missing something?
also, to your point that "Sonic doesnt fight for freedom, he fights against oppression" i just. do not agree lol. i mean, hes been associated with the Freedom Fighters since 1993, but theres also some more direct reference to it in reference to specifically Sonic
the Sonic Adventure Stylebook, page 9 (translated) - "He loves freedom and hates crookedness. He is impulsive and short-tempered, but also has a kindness that can't be ignored when someone is in trouble."
Sonic the Hedgehog Encyclo-speed-ia, page 13 - "Sonic is usually laid back and cool, but he's driven to fight injustice - not in the name of the law, but for the ideal of freedom."
and then i WAS going to add more examples, but the wayback machine is down right now so. can i just say source: trust me? sorry i wish i could add more examples :( i dont wanna dwell on this "for freedom or against oppression" point too much though, cuz i honestly think its just kinda arguing semantics. as well as the fact that i feel like both things are true, i just kinda didnt phrase it well in my original post
um. and now i kinda wanna go completely off the rails so please be nice to me but im gonna say something that may be controversial,,, i am of the mind that, because IDW is canon material, then it shouldnt be seen as a different character than how Sonic was written in some earlier games, even if it seems like it. because its just as much as source material as anything else! i really just think that most "out of character" things are more akin to different facets of a character. i think that writing off all of Sonic in IDW because some things he does contradicts what he does in the games is just kinda. idk. i dont like how quick people are to do that. i mean like, i got into Sonic because of IDW, and then i went and played the games and it never really felt any different to me -- just Sonic responding different to different situations. maybe i need to do another read through of IDW! but i really dont think that writing off an entire canon comic series is a good thing to do when looking at the facets of a character's personality. that could just be me
anyways ummmmm yeah i dont really have anything else to say? i dont disagree with everything you said, but there are some things that i dont think are quite right,,, hopefully this all makes more sense than my original post cuz i dont think i did a good job articulating my points
um. idk what else to add. bye bye i hope you at least liked my drawing of a super sad alien
"sonic just wants to be best friends with his enemies"
WRONG thats only in the idw comics. extremely loud incorrect buzzer.
#footnotes:#1. i dont usually bring up this point cuz im scared ppl will laugh at me for it.. but idw takes place a month after sonic was tortured in#the death egg. so i think that a lot of his more anxious moments in idw can be attributed to that#2. i also wanna be clear that whatever issues you or anyone else has with Sonics characterization shouldnt be attributed to Ian Flynn or#Evan Stanley and it should be directed toward the creative directors and the ip. if they were writing sonic in a way the ip didnt like they#would be forced to change it. just throwin that out there! ik you didnt say it in your post but ive seen a lot of ppl say it so. bleh#3. idw definitely shows Sonic being anxious or unsure more often than the games but i dont really think thats a bad thing. i like it when h#feels like a person! and part of being a person having those sorts of moments i suppose. if that makes sense#4. i have a more in depth look on The Phantom Rider specifically on my blog somewhere. i do think that the latest issues are the best Sonic#has been so far and earlier issues had some shaky moments with his characterization#though i think thats to be expected when coming off of Forces#5. i know i didnt respond to like the last third of what you said i just dont really know what to say other than big text that says#'i disagree'. and like theres so much there to unpack but i dont really think im smart enough for that#/#these footnotes are all over the place btw its just throwing some thoughts out there. not really contributing to my main point#idk. am i wrong? do i know anything? i feel like i know Sonic so well but when i try to explain i forget who he is. whats a hedgehog#ok fuck this post is making me so anxious i dont wanna be misinterpreted WAUGH im posting it anyways whatever. go my scarab#edit: ALSO ppl are talking about my post in serverssss???? (twirls hair) omg
548 notes
¡
View notes
Text
ââ THE TAMING OF THE CROW
Synopsis: Despite an initial reluctance, Tabito heads off to a mysterious soccer program by the name of Blue Lock. Luckily, itâs not long before you get to see him again. Continuation of Five Ways to Kill a Crow and How to Drown a Crow!
Event Masterlist
Pairing: Karasu x Reader
Chapter Word Count: 16.1k
Content Warnings: spoilers for the u-20 arc of the manga, otoya slander to an unhealthy degree, readerâs best friend is crazily down bad, the bllk boys have karasu STRESSING, half of them think reader is fine af đŻ, did i mention otoya slander because there is a LOT of that, 99% crackfic so donât expect stunning characterization in this one itâs mostly silly compared to the first two parts, chigiriâs sister is also referred to as chigiri, reader & co. accidentally become famous
A/N: here is the final continuation of fwtkac that you requested karasu anon đ incidentally also the longestâŚw this installment the mini-series is over 30k words LMAOAO i hope you have enjoyed the ride because ik i have!!
Additional: part of my 500 follower event! see the event description and rules to make a request of your own. now closed!
Surprisingly, it wasnât that difficult to reveal your relationship with Tabito to the rest of your friends and classmates. There wasnât an official announcement or anything along those lines â neither of you were that big on social media, so you didnât bother with launching each other there, and since half of the school already thought you were dating, things settled into an even rhythm quite quickly.
Tabitoâs friends and teammates werenât all-too-shocked, either. Apparently, you were just about the last person to find out about the crush he had had on you since middle school, so to everyone else, him asking you out had been all but foregone conclusion. What your respective circles were surprised about, at least at first, was that you had said yes.
Youâre way too hot for him. This was what Tabitoâs group said upon finding out about the news, which was met with crabbiness from Tabito and nothing more than a snort from you. They were just messing with him in any way they could, considering how difficult it typically was to find cracks in his flawless demeanor, so it was easy to dismiss. On the other hand, your own friends gave you confused looks â werenât you just talking about how much you hate him? You could only shrug, because they werenât wrong, exactly. You had been complaining about him only days previously, but it was funny how quickly things could change. They accepted it without much more questioning, however, congratulating you on finally getting a boyfriend, and after that life continued as it previously had, except now whenever your friend groups decided to hang out together, you would find yourself at Tabitoâs side instead of as far as possible from him.
Being his official girlfriend was everything you had expected and more. He got along well with your parents â your father remembered his name and asked you how he was doing constantly, and your mother was always pleased by the steady supply of flowers he provided for your kitchen counter â as well as your friends, managing to strike that elusive balance of showing them kindness without being overly involved in their lives. His family adored you, especially his older sister, who frequently took you out shopping or for coffee, much to Tabitoâs chagrin. All in all, things were going well, and though you two still competed over your grades, it was without the fervor of the past, so that you were gladder for one anotherâs success than you were incensed by them.
âI hate couples,â your best friend announced one day at lunch. You had finished eating early, so you were leaning against Tabitoâs arm and playing Subway Surfers on his phone while he talked to one of his teammates about their upcoming match. Ever since you had discovered his penchant for the childish game, it had become a personal goal of yours to beat his high score, though you had not yet even come close.
âHm,â you said. She scowled.
âIâm serious!â she said.
âYouâre just mad because youâre single,â you said. âI told you Iâm working on it, didnât I? Itâs not my fault all of Tabitoâs friends are losers!â
She sighed. âI know. Actually, you two arenât the ones that prompted me to say that this time, oddly enough.â
âOh, then who did?â you said.
âYou know how I went to visit my cousins last weekend?â she said. You nodded. âWell, we went to watch a movie while we were there, that new one I was really excited about, but somehow it ended up that we got stuck behind this guy on a date!â
âHowâd you know that he was on a date?â you said.
âBecause there was a girl sitting next to him, and he sucked her face off for the entire movie, thereby completely blocking the screen. Can you believe it? The worst part is, he was totally stupid looking!â she said.
âThatâs annoying,â you said, secure in the knowledge that you and Tabito would never do something like that. Public displays of affection beyond hugging or holding hands werenât really your vibe, and just the thought of making out in a movie theater caused you to feel nauseous. âHowâd you know he was dumb looking, though? Wasnât the theater dark?â
âI confronted him afterwards,â she said.
âWhile he was on a date? Thatâs a bold move,â you said. âWhat did the girl say?â
âHuh? Oh, she had already left. Guess she wasnât that into him,â your best friend said.
âYikes,â you said before pouting as your little Subway Surfers character was hit by a train. âAw, man, I died. At this rate, Iâll never beat the high score.â
âHey, can I have my phone for a second?â Tabito said, turning to you and plucking the device out of your hand before you could answer. You frowned, so he patted you on the head. âIâll give it back. I just need to text our coach and remind him to bring my cooler back during the game tonight.â
âWhatever,â you said before directing your attention towards your best friend again. âOkay, describe this guy. Iâm really interested in what could have driven you to judge his appearance so harshly.â
âListen!â she said. âHis hair was green!â
âGreen?â you said.Â
âYes! Well, mostly it was a grayish white, but there was a green streak, and the undercut part was also green,â she said. You tried to picture it and found you were entirely incapable of imagining anything but the most ridiculous of styles.
âThatâs wild,â you said. âWho told him that was a good idea?â
âI just wonder how much bleach he has to use to get it to be that color,â she said. You shuddered.
âI know for a fact that he had the most damaged, dead, crunchy-looking hair ever,â you said. Your best friend shook her head.
âIt was actually pretty shiny and luscious,â she said. âIf it werenât for the weird choice of color and his terrible theater etiquette, I could see why someone might consider him attractive.â
âMaybe you can fix him,â you suggested. She immediately scowled in a clear-cut refusal.
âThe main thing Iâve learned from your relationship with Karasu is that you can never fix a manâs hair, no matter how much he likes you,â she said.
âHuh? Did you say my name?â Tabito said, handing you his phone back. âWhatâs up?â
âNothing,â you and your best friend said in unison.
âThat was suspicious,â he informed you.
âJust know that Iâll break up with you if you ever dye even a strand of your hair green,â you said.
He gave you an odd look. âIâll keep that in mind.â
âAnyways, thatâs my rant for the day,â your best friend said as Tabito evidently decided it would be for the best to leave you to your own conversation, which he was missing far too much context from to possibly understand.
âThat really is awful,â you said. âDonât worry. Someday soon, weâll find you someone to date, and then you can be the annoying couple everyone slanders. Trust me on that one.â
âI do,â she said. âI have faith that youâre just being picky because you love me so much that you refuse to let me be with a substandard man.â
âExactly,â you said.
She made a heart with her hands. âYouâre the best.â
âI try!â
Now that autumn was bleeding into winter, it was getting chillier and chillier out during Bambi Osakaâs games. Thankfully, Tabito had draped his large jacket over your shoulders before running off to yell at his coach for once again forgetting to bring his cooler back, so you were mostly protected from the frost in the air. You could not say the same for the Bambi Osaka boys, who all looked miserably cold as they jogged in place, trying to warm up in their shorts and jerseys while Tabito and the coach argued.
âY/N! I didnât realize you were coming today!â a familiar voice said, its owner leaning over the fence separating the bleachers from the field. You extended your hand to ruffle his hair.
âI come to all of your games, Hiori, why would this one be any different?â you said. He gave you a sheepish grin.
âI know, but now thatâs it not as nice out, I thought you might not,â he said. You pulled on the sleeve of your jacket to draw attention to it; Hiori grunted in approval when he noticed.
âDonât worry, Tabitoâs on top of it. Just between us two, I think he would cry if I had to miss one of his games, so he always makes sure Iâm as comfortable as possible when I come,â you said.
âHeâs a really considerate guy,â Hiori said. As if on cue, both of you turned to look at where he and their coach were still going at it.
âHoly fucking shit!â Tabito screamed. âGive me my cooler back, dude, youâve had it for weeks!â
âI need it for the party Iâm throwing this Saturday!â their coach shouted back.Â
âI donât give a damn about your party! Give me back my cooler!â
âRight,â you said, stifling a laugh. âSuper considerate.â
Hiori cringed. âI guess nobodyâs perfect.â
Ever since you had started dating Tabito, Hiori had become something of a permanent fixture in your life. He never tried to flirt with you or anything â you didnât even think he was capable of having those feelings â but he was just so used to trailing after Tabito that, by extension, he began to follow you around as well. It wasnât really that bad; you both lived close to one another, and frequently heâd ask you to come to the convenience store with him so he could ask you for advice under the guise of buying snacks together. You always went along with it, as you sensed he didnât have many other sources of reliable help and wisdom.
For his part, Tabito didnât really mind that Hioriâs attachment to him now included you. The thought of being jealous of the younger boy never even crossed his mind, mostly because he, too, didnât really believe that the gentle and benign Hiori was capable of anything as underhanded as stealing his girlfriend. Overall, he was more bemused than anything, treating him with the careful fondness of someone who had been given a puppy they had no idea how to care for but found cute anyways.
Soon enough, Tabito joined you and Hiori, dragging his feet and hanging his head as he flopped against the fence. Exhaling, you reached out and stroked the side of his face with the back of your hand.
âAny success?â you said.
âNope,â he said. âAnother week without my cooler.â
âAt least itâs getting to be winter,â Hiori said. âYou wonât really need it to keep your drinks chilled for a while, right?â
âTell that to my sister,â Tabito said. âShe keeps bugging me about where I put it. I guess she needs it for college or something. Donât ask me why.â
âIâm sure heâll bring it to the next game,â Hiori said optimistically. Tabito let out a defeated sigh.
âWe can only hope,â he said.
âIn the meantime, you two should go over with the rest of your team before you both get yelled at for slacking off and get me banned from coming to anymore games,â you said.
âIf he keeps holding my cooler hostage and bans you from games, Iâll fight that dumbass coach!â Tabito said. You pushed him away affectionately.
âAlright, alright, I feel very comforted by that. Thank you for defending my â and your coolerâs â honor,â you said. âGo play soccer.â
With a joking salute, Tabito, and also Hiori, ran off to join the rest of their team, and you settled back to sit with the rest of the attendees of the game, who were mostly parents of the players. All of them knew who you were at this point, though, so you were welcomed with open arms, easily joining in on their discussions about such subjects as how their children were doing in school and what their plans for dinner were.
It was a comfortable existence, and as you pulled Tabitoâs jacket tighter around you, you thought that you could get used to it. If only things could stay exactly like this, you would be quite happy. If you could spend every day with Tabito and Hiori and the rest of your friends, you would never complain again.
Unfortunately, life was always changing, as you knew all too well. One day, both Tabito and Hiori received letters summoning them to some soccer training camp far away from your corner of the country, and though Hiori leapt at the chance, Tabito was initially uncertain at the prospect of leaving everything behind for a program that wasnât even a sure thing.
âWhat if it doesnât help me and I give up my schooling for it?â he said, pacing around his bedroom. You raised your eyebrows at him from your seat at his desk, where you were working on a lab report for Chemistry. âDo they really expect me to run there during my last year of high school? What about board exams and college? How am I supposed to get into a good university if Iâm playing soccer when I should be studying?â
âWhy do you think you wonât succeed in the program?â you said. âYouâre amazing at soccer. If you join, youâll definitely do well, and then youâll become a professional athlete, so you wonât have to worry about college or anything like that.â
âOf course Iâll do well,â he said. This actually wasnât anything like his normal self-confidence; when he was in this kind of mood, he didnât brag, he only evaluated himself and the situation honestly, weighing the costs and benefits until he could come to a conclusion that he was satisfied with. âI just donât like the thought of not having a fallback option. Even if I become a professional athlete, things like injuries can happen to anyone. Itâs not smart to not have a backup plan. Thatâs why I wasnât planning on trying out for the U-20 squad until after I got accepted to a university.â
âYou canât give up on your dreams for the sake of a backup plan, though,â you said, finishing up the report and clicking the submit button, shutting your laptop and spinning the chair around so you were looking at him. âI know itâs nerve-wracking, but isnât that how itâs supposed to be?â
âNo,â he said bluntly.
Blue Lock and its outcomes were like the water â entirely out of Tabitoâs control, and hence something he was automatically opposed to. But unlike swimming and wading, this was also an opportunity for him to pursue his greatest dreams, so you stood and grabbed him by the shoulders. He halted in his tracks, cocking his head at you as you clasped his hands in between your own and gave him the sternest look you could muster.
âListen to me,â you said. âYou are not going to drown. Youâre not because I say youâre not, and have I ever led you astray? Youâre going to go to this Blue Lock place with Hiori, and then the two of you are going to come back and be so good at soccer that you immediately join the national team and end up so rich and famous that I canât help but marry you and become your trophy wife.â
âWhen you say you, youâre referring to me, not Hiori, right?â he checked with a snicker. You poked him in the chest.
âObviously,â you said.
âDo you really think itâll be okay?â he said.Â
âI think you wonât know if you donât try. Youâre so smart, Tabito; even if you somehow fail as a soccer player, I donât think youâll be unable to go to college. In fact, you could probably do this camp, come back and take your exams while on a break, and still get second in our class,â you said.
âSecond?â he said.
âOf course, Iâll be the one getting first,â you said. âSecond is still respectable, though. Any university of note would kill to have you, but a chance to improve your soccer career like this might not come around again for a while, if ever. Take it. Take it with both hands and donât regret it a bit, okay?â
âYouâre convincing,â he said, embracing you tightly, burying his face in the crook of your neck. âThank you.â
âSo youâll do it?â you said.
âIâll do it.â
A week later, he was gone. Even his phone was taken away, leaving you without any manner of contacting him in the meantime. To be sure, it was lonely, but you were too busy being proud of him to be depressed about it. Besides, you werenât the type to abandon your friends just because you were in a relationship, so your invitations to events had never stopped coming. Now, you just said yes to them more often, much to everyoneâs excitement.
That was what you did while Tabito was busy at Blue Lock: you hung out with your friends, having sleepovers and going for platonic dates with the ones you were particularly close with, and you visited his sister at her college when she was free, so you could hear embarrassing stories about his past, which you carefully filed away for later use. Occasionally, you even met up with Yukimiyaâs girlfriend â in a shocking twist, he had also been invited to Blue Lock, much like Tabito â and the two of you would speculate about what your boyfriends might be up to in that strange facility and whether they mightâve met each other yet or not.Â
It wasnât horrible. Undeniably, you missed him, but it was bearable, and you knew he would be back as soon as he could be, so for the most part, you didnât let yourself grow too sad. Your father was probably the worst off out of anyone, actually, always nagging you about when Tabito would return. He had grown used to having a friend to watch sports alongside, and was now entirely forlorn without any company to discuss his beloved games with.Â
Some weeks after Blue Lock began, you received two emails with nearly identical subject headers. With a confused frown, you opened both of them in turn, but slowly, your expression turned to a smile as you read over their contents.
Congratulations, Y/N L/N! Blue Lock 11 player number 6, Tabito Karasu, has designated you as the recipient of his friends/family ticket to the Blue Lock 11 vs Japan U-20 match! Scan the attached QR code upon your arrival to the stadium in order to make your way to your VIP seat.
Congratulations, Y/N L/N! Blue Lock 11 substitute number 16, Yo Hiori, has designated you as the recipient of his friends/family ticket to the Blue Lock 11 vs Japan U-20 match! Scan the attached QR code upon your arrival to the stadium in order to make your way to your VIP seat.
Both Tabito and Hiori had chosen to give you their seats, which meant you technically had an extra one, so you could bring someone along with you. Your first thought was your father, considering how much he loved soccer, but then you pondered it further and decided that you probably did not want to spend the whole match listening to him explaining the rules. Plus, the game was in Tokyo, so if the two of you went together, you both would have to share a hotel room, and heâd make you spend the entire trip with him instead of exploring and possibly seeing Tabito, if you got the chance.
No, there was really only one choice. With an aunt who lived in the city and a deep-rooted desire to get a boyfriend, your best friend was the clear pick to take along with you to the game, and you knew before you even asked that she would agree to it. After all, what better way was there for you both to spend the two weeks of your last winter break before university?
As you had expected, she agreed enthusiastically and readily, texting you that her aunt was alright with you two staying at her place, as long as you didnât mind that sheâd probably be busy with work most of the time. Of course, this was more of a benefit than a drawback, so you forwarded the email containing Hioriâs invitation to her and immediately began the process of packing for your two week vacation.
Since you would be staying with a responsible adult â meaning your best friendâs aunt, not her herself â your parents didnât mind that you were going on a mini-trip without them. Your father already knew about the game thanks to his subscription to the JFUâs magazine, and he was so exhilarated at the thought of you getting to attend it in person that you almost felt bad not telling him that he couldâve come, too. Then you imagined having to sleep in a twin bed while he snored in the one across from you and stopped feeling guilty entirely.
âDo you think it would be corny if I wore blue to the game?â you said when the day of the match dawned. You had made a mess of your suitcase trying to decide what you wanted to wear, and when you looked over at your best friendâs side of the room, you noticed that it was in a similar state.
âMaybe a little bit,â she said. âAt least, if you went for an all-blue Smurf aesthetic. It would kind of make you look like a mascot or something.â
âI was thinking about that,â you said. âUgh! This is so hard. Normally, I just wear one of Tabitoâs jackets or extra jerseys at his games, so that I look all supportive and whatnot, but itâs kind of hard to do that when I havenât even spoken to him in weeks and have zero clue what his Blue Lock jersey looks like.â
âThat one coat you brought is his, right? You could wear that with a blue shirt underneath it so that itâs subtle but still clear which side youâre on,â she suggested. You closed your eyes, mentally putting the clothes on and deciding that it was a great outfit idea, giving off the exact effect you were aiming for.
âI knew âHioriâ invited you for a reason,â you said. She chucked a pillow at you, fully aware that she was only even going to the game because you had been invited by both Bambi Osaka boys.
âIâll be sure to thank him when I see him,â she said.
âDo you know what he looks like?â you said.
âNo, but wonât his jersey say his name?â she reasoned.
âTouchĂŠ,â you said. âAnyways, what are you going to wear?â
âIt needs to be something casual but also cute, so if any of the players â the single ones, anyways â happen to look up at me, they are instantly smitten and ask me for my number once they win the game, after which we date until Iâve graduated college and theyâve made it in the big leagues, whereupon they will propose to me and we will get married in the most extravagant wedding the world has ever seen,â she said.
âUm,â you said, your mind working overtime to comprehend the run-on. âSure. In that case, maybe you should go with the sweater dress you brought. Itâs not blue, but you look really pretty in it, and if you put on a longer cardigan along with some tights, you should stay warm. Maybe your aunt has a blue scarf you can borrow? If you want to look spirited.â
âYouâre a genius!â she said.Â
âThanks, I do my best,â you said before a silence lapsed between the two of you, both too busy getting ready to gossip, as you had been non-stop since you had arrived in Tokyo.
The ticket scanner definitely looked suspicious at the fact that both of you claimed to be named Y/N L/N, but there was nothing that she could do about it. After all, you both had unique invitations from two separate members of Blue Lock, so what did it matter what your names were? With a curt nod, she approved your tickets and described which way you had to go to get to your seats, though you were certain she was glaring at you as you walked in the direction she had indicated.
âAre you excited?â your best friend said, rubbing her hands together to warm them up.Â
âIâm more excited to see Tabito again than anything. No matter how the game goes, Iâm happy if heâs there,â you said.
âI canât believe you just said that,â she said. âPining has made you a changed woman. The Y/N I once knew would never say anything along those lines.â
âOh, but you can plan your wedding and itâs perfectly normal?â you said, raising your eyebrows. She gave you a double-thumbs-up.
âThatâs all hypothetical, so itâs not an issue,â she said. âOn the other hand, you being all sappy about Karasu is reality.â
âYou have a point,â you said. âMy apologies. Moving on, are you excited?â
âJust to see if the players are good looking,â she said. âI donât know that much about soccer.â
âItâs okay, I donât, either,â you said.
âYour boyfriend is literally on the team?â she said.Â
âLook, as long as someone on our side kicks the ball into the net, Iâm happy,â you said. âIf someone on the other side kicks the ball into the net, then Iâm sad. Thatâs kind of the gist of it. Tabito and Hiori have tried explaining the finer details of the sport, but to be honest, itâs a bit beyond me.â
âExcuse me, but is anyone sitting with you two?â a bright voice said. You looked up to see a tall girl with cascading red hair and a brilliant grin pointing at the seat on your left with a questioning tilt to her head.
âNope,â you said. Unfortunately, Yukimiyaâs girlfriendâs school break didnât align with the game, and she had regretfully told you over the phone that she would be unable to make it, so you and your best friend were on your own. âAll yours!â
âThanks!â she said. âMy mother went to go sit with the other parents, and I was planning on going with her, but you two look closer to my age, so I was hoping it would be alright if I stayed here instead.â
âBelieve me, I get it,â you said. âIâve had to hang out with way too many parents at Tabitoâs games. Theyâre nice and all, but most of the stuff they talk about is hardly relatable.â
âExactly!â she said. âI canât explain how happy I am to have found you two. Iâm Hyoma Chigiriâs sister, by the way! According to the email we got, heâs number 4. Which players do you both know?â
âIâm number 6âs girlfriend,â you said, motioning down towards where the players were beginning to enter the field, getting some last-minute practice in before the game. âTabito Karasu.â
You wished he would look over so you could wave at him, but he was utterly focused on his teammates and their warm up, so you contented yourself with admiring him from afar. It was clear to anyone that he was in his element, and a lump formed in your throat when you remembered that he had almost given this up. He had almost stayed back, and you could not even begin to fathom how much he would have regretted it if he had.
âI see him!â Chigiri said, shading her eyes with her hand so she didnât have to narrow them against the sun. âMy brotherâs right over by where he is.â
Her brother was almost identical to her, a lean boy with flowing hair and a pointed face, and even if she hadnât pointed him out, you wouldâve made the connection.
âHe looks just like you,â your best friend said, vocalizing what you had been thinking.
âWe get that a lot,â Chigiri said. âWhat about you? Who are you with?â
âTechnically, Iâm not with anyone,â your best friend said. âThe thing is, both Karasu and number 16, Yo Hiori, invited Y/N, so I just took her extra â what the fuck.â
âIs everything okay?â you said. Both you and Chigiri shot her concerned looks, but she was too busy staring at the field with her jaw dropped to pick up on it. âHello? Whatâs gotten into you?â
âY/N L/N,â she said. âWhy is your boyfriend talking to that â that â that creature? Why is that thing even on the field in the first place?â
âNumber 9?â Chigiri said. âDo you know him?â
True to her word, Tabito was speaking animatedly to player number 9, who according to his jersey was named Otoya. He was a slender and clearly handsome boy, his pale hair streaked through with green and his features distinctly sharp despite the distance. For some reason, there was something familiar about his description, and it was only when you noticed that your best friend was all but seething that the conversation came back to you.
âAre you serious?â you said. âThat Otoya dude is the theater guy?â
âDeadly serious,â she snapped. âWhat is he doing here? Shouldnât he be off ruining innocent moviegoersâ experiences?â
âPlaying soccer, Iâd expect,â you said. âIt looks like heâs starting for the Blue Lock 11, too. He must be good â I mean, even Hiori is just a substitute, and heâs crazy talented, so their starting lineup must be nothing short of spectacular.â
The two teams got into position as the clock was set up, and a hush fell over the stadium as the ball was brought onto the field for the kickoff. Unexpectedly, Chigiri grabbed your hand, clutching it so tightly that your circulation was impaired, and when you glanced over at her, you saw that her shoulders were tense.
âHyoma tore his ACL recently,â she murmured. âHe never said it aloud, but I think heâs wanted to quit soccer ever since. This is the first time heâs starting in a game since before he was injured. Iâm worried itâll happen again.â
You rubbed soothing circles against her wrist. âHeâll be alright. I donât think they would put him in if it was a health risk. Plus, they have substitutes, and Iâm sure heâs much more in-tune with his body now, so the second he feels something off, heâll probably ask to be put out.â
Chigiri dabbed at her face. âThanks. Youâre right. This is an exciting game! I shouldnât bring down the mood. Letâs get ready to cheer our lungs out!â
The referee blew the whistle, and then the match was on. You could hardly keep up with the playersâ movements, so fast was it all; this was a level of skill that even you could recognize was far above anything you had ever seen. Every single player on the pitch was at least on Tabito and Hioriâs level, if not above it. Unlike Bambi Osaka, where Tabito was the captain of the team and often had to play doubly as aggressively because of that, he blended right into the mix of talents that was this motley collection of high school forwards. You could tell even from so far away that this thrilled him instead of grating on his nerves; he wasnât the kind of person who craved the spotlight, after all. If anything, it was something he shied away from, preferring to strike at his opponentâs weak points from the dark, and it was only here, with the rest of the Blue Lock 11, that he could finally play how he preferred.
When the first goal on Blue Lockâs side was scored, by the tall, pale-haired number 7, you, your best friend, and Chigiri shot to your feet, screaming and clapping as loud as you could. Your enthusiasm, which was a stark contrast to everyone elseâs quiet confusion, sparked a tidal wave. The entire stadium resounded with a roar of approval as the number 7 â Nagi â crashed to the ground before raising his fist, getting tackled by his teammates directly afterwards in celebration.Â
âThat was amazing!â your best friend said as everyone settled for the restart. âI never realized that soccer could be so exciting to watch.â
âThat guy is skilled,â you agreed. âSo is everyone else. Including that Otoyaââ
âDonât even mention him!â she said. âNagiâs the one who scored, so stick to praising him!â
âHyomaâs doing so well!â Chigiri said, her cheeks pink from the cold and round from her grin. âI canât believe it. Itâs like he was never hurt at all!â
âHonestly, this is way more intense than I expected,â your best friend said, hugging herself tightly. âI really hope they manage to win.â
âThey will,â you said. âIâm confident of that.â
Maybe the Blue Lock 11 were the underdogs, but something told you that they were going to win. There was just this fire to them, a heat and a hatred that emanated off of only their side of the field. The docile U-20 boys, who were so dependent on the efforts of defender Aiku and midfielder Sae, could never hope to compete with that overwhelming energy, which was so potent that the bleachers themselves were washed in it.
That was why you werenât even surprised when number 10, Rin, scored another goal right before half-time, ending the first half with a lead for Blue Lock. You knew for a fact that your voice would be hoarse the next day from how much you were shouting, but based on your best friendâs and Chigiriâs faces, you figured you were in good company and didnât even take any measures to lessen the severity of the consequence.
As the players began to move towards their respective locker rooms, Chigiri stood up and began to wave her hands frantically.
âHyoma! Over here!â she called out. Her brother paused in the middle of drinking from his water bottle, whipping around, his face turning the same shade as his hair when he noticed his sister, who pulled out her phone and took a picture of him. âHe noticed me! Ah, hello, Hyoma! Youâre doing awesome!â
Tabito and Otoya walked past where the younger Chigiri was frozen in place, and before they could vanish into the locker room and out of your sight, you cupped your hands around your mouth.
âTabito!â you said. He stopped in his tracks before twisting back to face you, his face breaking into such a wide grin when he saw you that it was a wonder his face did not ache from it. He raised his hand in greeting, and you did the same, so relieved to see him again that you thought you might vomit from the giddiness.
Beside you, your best friend stood, drawing herself to her full height. Then, before you could stop her, she jabbed her finger towards Otoya, who had remained at Karasuâs side when he had stopped to greet you. Otoya turned his head this way and that before pointing at himself hesitantly. Your best friend nodded and then stuck up her middle finger at him, causing Tabito to burst into a fit of laughter, his shoulders shaking as he dragged the helpless Otoya away from where he was suddenly rooted to the ground in perplexity.
âThatâs what he gets,â she said with satisfaction, sitting back down now that she had accomplished her mission.
âHe probably has no idea who you are,â you said, giggling to yourself, finding great entertainment in the one-sided feud she had with Otoya, who appeared to be a great friend of Tabitoâs. âAlso, you described him horribly back then. Heâs really pretty good-looking, and the hair is nowhere near as bad as you made it sound.â
âIâm telling Karasu you said that,â she said. âIf I was him, Iâd be offended! My beloved girlfriend finds a guy who appears to be fresh out of the swamp attractive? That would really make me insecure.â
âI donât find him attractive, I just said that heâs good looking. Itâs objective,â you said. âAnd fresh out of the swamp? Arenât you being a little harsh?â
She glared at you. âNo way. He owes me the price of the ticket he made me waste, but since he obviously isnât going to pay me back, Iâm going to make as much fun of him as possible.â
âYou do that,â you said, judging that there was no arguing with her. âChigiri, do you want any snacks? Iâm going to head to the concession stands while thereâs a break.â
âCould you get me some fries? Iâll send you the money,â she said.
âAs long as you save my seat,â you said.Â
âOf course! Go quickly, Iâm sure the lines are going to be long. Thereâs a lot of people here,â she said.
âGood idea,â you said, racing off and cutting through the crowds swarming the many concession stands so that you could get some fries for her, candy for your best friend, and chips for yourself.
The second half was even more exciting than the first, though you hadnât previously thought that that was possible. A boy named Shidou, who had something like a current crackling through him, joined the U-20s as their striker, and in quick succession, he managed to not only tie up the score but actually get a lead, thereby undoing all of the work that Nagi and Rin had put in. To make things worse, right after Shidouâs first goal, Hyoma Chigiri collapsed, earning a gasp from his sister as she shoved a fistful of fries in her mouth. Simultaneously, one of their defenders, the number 3, stumbled before slumping over entirely
âIt looks like a cramp,â you reassured Chigiri as one of the other players helped her brother stretch out his leg and then stand. âAnd I think Niko mustâve sprained his ankle during that earlier play. Theyâre going to have to put in alternates, but itâs not serious. Both of them just need some rest and theyâll be okay.â
âIf you say so,â she said, biting her lip.
âNo way, is that Reo Mikage?â your best friend said, her eyes wide as a tall, well-built boy took Nikoâs place on the field. He had purple hair tied back in a messy ponytail, and a desperate sort of anger simmered beneath his serene exterior. You squinted and found she was right â the name Reo was indeed written above the large number 14 on his back.
âLike the corporate heir?â you said. Everyone who was anyone knew about the Mikages, but what business did the son have playing soccer? Then again, you supposed even the wealthiest people in the world had to have hobbies. Maybe soccer was just what filled the void for him. You supposed you couldnât really comment either way.
âIâm sure of it!â your best friend said. âOh, man, Y/N, heâs even more gorgeous in personâŚdo you think Karasu knows him? Can I get an introduction? Heâs so dreamy and perfect and amazing and unreal!â
âI can ask. Iâm sure theyâre at least acquainted, considering theyâre playing on the same team â wait! Look, itâs Hiori! Oh my goodness, itâs Hiori! Yay, yay, Hiori! Youâve got this!â you squealed, pointing at him insistently. He was the one going in for Chigiri, and though he seemed solemn, you knew he must be nothing less than agitated at the moment. You willed him to glance up at you, and whether it was divine intervention or just a coincidence, he happened to shift towards your direction and thus made direct eye contact with you.
Immediately, any gloominess dropped from his shoulders, and you showed him your fingers, which were crossed for luck. He mimicked the gesture before running out to the field, where Otoya patted him on the back in greeting.
âSomebody save that poor, innocent boy,â your best friend said as the game began again.
âHiori? From what?â you said.
âFrom being corrupted and turned into a bad-mannered asshole by Otoya,â she said.
âFair enough,â you said before your jaw dropped as Reo Mikage perfectly mimicked Aikuâs signature defensive move, stopping Shidou from scoring yet again. âWoah. Reoâs rich and a soccer genius? I thought you were full of bullshit earlier, but you actually might be onto something.â
âExactly,â your best friend said with a smitten sigh. âWhat a man.â
Despite Reoâs prowess and the goalieâs unorthodox methods, they were ultimately unable to stop Shidou from making that second goal. As the U-20 boys celebrated and the referee called for the ball to be retrieved, Blue Lockâs number 11, Isagi, stomped over to the sideline where their coach was sitting.
âThey look like theyâre arguing,â Chigiri said. âDo you think everything is alright?â
You werenât sure when or how you had become the designated soccer expert, but for some reason, both Chigiri and your best friend looked at you expectantly, like you knew what the hell Isagi was pressed about.Â
âMaybe heâs mad about his cooler?â you said.
âHuh?â your best friend said.
âNever mind,â you said. âUh, if I had to guess, heâs probably either asking the coach to give them a new strategy or calling for their substitute to be put in. Shidou and Sae have backed them into a corner, and if they donât switch things up soon, theyâre going to lose.â
âLooks like Karasu and Hiori taught you more than you realized,â your best friend said as Isagi jogged back to the field and the referee whistled to call for a pause to the game. One of the benched Blue Lock members, their number 13, stood up, and you actually shivered when he did. He made every single other player look like a gentle kitten in comparison to his hulking presence, even those towering monsters like Shidou and Aiku. There was no doubt about it; this was a beast amongst men, his fangs bared as he stormed onto the field, and the only thing you could not understand was why he had not been playing from the start.
âThat guy is scary,â you said.
âScary hot,â my best friend said.
âMoving on from Reo already?â you said. âThis is why youâll never have a boyfriend. Too fickle.â
âListen, I have to keep my options open! Not everyone is lucky enough to have someone whoâs good-looking, talented, and has been obsessed with them for years,â she said, elbowing you in the side with a smirk. You rolled your eyes, though you could not help but look down at Tabito when she said that. âWhat if I get rejected by Reo? I need to have another option, or else Iâm fresh out of luck.â
âLooks like heâs replacing Otoya,â you said. âWhatâs his name? Barou? Iâm interested to see how he does.â
âHeâs getting rid of that wannabe bog monster? Even better! Heâs quickly shooting up in my rankings,â my best friend said.
âWannabe â okay, Iâll just be happy for you,â you said. âThough his hair isnât so green as to deserve this much slanderâŚâ
âThanks,â she said, ignoring the rest of what you had said.
âI hope they can make a comeback,â Chigiri stressed. âItâll crush Hyoma if they lose.â
âNo matter what happens now, he should be proud of how he did in the match,â you said. âPass that message along when you see him, please. Thereâs no way heâs not going to get scouted by some seriously great clubs in the future.â
âYouâre really kind,â Chigiri said, leaning her head on your shoulder with a sniffle. âI hope that Hyoma and your boyfriend stay on the same team for a while. Watching games is so much more fun with you.â
âThanks! You as well. But speaking of being on the same teamâŚâ You whipped out your phone during the lull of the match, pulling up Yukimiyaâs girlfriendâs contact and typing out a quick text.
âare you watching the game??â
She responded almost immediately. âi convinced my parents to let me skip school so i could lol. iâm so stressed out right now!! karasu is playing super well btw.â
âso is yukimiya!!â
âthx!! omg also i saw you and your best friend on the screen HAHA.â
The last text was startling, to say the least. Nudging your best friend, you showed her the message, after which she took out her own phone, flipped on the camera, and checked her appearance in it.
âno way. when??â
âYES it was right after nagi scored in the first half. you two + the redhead were the ones who started the cheering, so they focused on you guys at first!! dw you all looked rlly pretty. as usual <3â
âohhh that makes sense. and tyyyy but youâre the pretty one here!!â
âSTOP you are the sweetest. also look at this LMAO theyâre already making edits of you guys!!â
âWHAT?!?!?!â
She sent you a link, which you opened with trepidation, beckoning Chigiri and your best friend over. Turning up the volume, you held up your phone as an edit of the three of you at various points in the match began to play. You were equally impressed and horrified at the speed with which the editors had gotten to work, but you couldnât even be upset â whether it was the song or the clips they had chosen, the video made you all look magnificent. You saved it to your folder and then put your phone away, vowing to go through the comments later.
Mere minutes after you all tuned back into the flow of the game, Barou somehow pulled off a near-miraculous sliding shot, slamming the ball into the goal and once again tying back the score. This time, nobody was uncertain about what to do; every single person was on their feet, whooping as Barou tore off his jersey and tossed it in the air, flexing his arms and raising his chin as Tabito wrapped an arm around his neck, Nagi jumped on his back, and Isagi clapped him on the shoulder.
âWow,â your best friend said.
âWow is right! That was an incredible play. Barou is in another realm entirely!â you said, your palms stinging from how hard you were slapping them together. Your rudimentary soccer knowledge was apparently sufficient enough for you to keep up with the game, though just barely.
âOh, I donât know enough about soccer to be in awe of his goal,â she said. âIâm talking about those wow muscles of his. I bet he could carry me with one armâŚâ
âEw, nasty,â you said, smacking her, fully aware of where her thoughts had just gone.
âCome on, you know itâs true!â she protested.
âI have a boyfriend. Iâm not allowed to answer that,â you said.
âBut youâre allowed to say that Otoya is good-looking?â she said.
âThat was just me being nice!â you said.Â
âI sense favoritism,â she said. âAnd not even the good kind, because for some reason, youâre favoring the worst guy in the bunch! Since Karasu isnât around to be disappointed in you, Iâll do it on his behalf.â
âShut up,â you said half-heartedly. âI liked you better when you were in love with Reo.â
âBelieve me, I still am,â she said. âHeâs not the kind of person you get over easily.â
âAh, and remind me of how many times youâve spoken to him?â
âThatâs not the point!â
The match was decided when Sae and Rin â who were supposedly brothers, according to the guys Chigiri had overheard while she was heading to the trash can â got into a fight for dominance over the ball. Somehow, it managed to end up in exactly the spot where Isagi was waiting, and without taking a moment to think, he drew his leg back. At the very last second of the gameâs overtime, he sent it streaking into the net.
âThey did it!â Chigiri shrieked, tackling you and your best friend in a hug.Â
âThey did!â you shrieked back, equally as overwhelmed.Â
âI canât believe it!â your best friend said. âThey really pulled it off!â
With that one-goal lead, Blue Lock had managed it. They had won the game against the U-20s, thereby cementing their place in the world of soccer for good. Those whispered hopes that Tabito had shared with you, his dreams of being an athlete and playing the sport he lovedâŚthey were as you had always assured him: inevitabilities instead of impossibilities.Â
After all, you would say to him, over and over until you were sure he believed you. Do you think I would spend so long hating someone if they were mediocre? You can do whatever you turn your mind to. Whether itâs winning a soccer game or managing a company or getting the girl you like, your success is a guarantee.
The Blue Lock boys were ushered back to their facility after the game, so you didnât get a chance to congratulate Tabito, but even being able to wave at him had lifted your spirits immensely, so you didnât feel like you had wasted the trip.
In fact, you had a new pastime to occupy yourself with: namely, watching edits of yourself and liking all of the comments hyping you up. There were many of both, and when you werenât listening to your best friend rambling about her favorite Blue Lock boy of the hour â Barou and Reo were definitely the ones she brought up the most, but Nagi and Isagi were mentioned a fair bit, too â you spent your hours on social media, sending the best edits to the group chat that you and your best friend had created with Yukimiyaâs girlfriend and the elder Chigiri.
A couple of days after the game, you and your best friend were lounging in her auntâs living room when you got a call from a number you had not seen on your phone in ages. Springing to your feet, you answered it immediately.
âTabito? I thought they took your phone in Blue Lock?â you said.
âHi, Y/N. Yes, they did, but we just got our stuff back and are on the buses back to the city. Weâre on break for the next two weeks! Are you still in Tokyo?â he said.
âYes! Iâm here for about that amount of time â for all of winter break,â you said.
âPerfect. Some of the guys have plans to meet up in Shibuya tomorrow, but I donât mind cancelingââ
âWait,â you cut him off, an idea formulating in your mind. âAre Barou, Nagi, Isagi, and Reo Mikage included when you say âsome of the guys?ââ
âUh, I think Reoâs going to be there, but not any of the others. Why?â he said quizzically. Your best friend gave you a puzzled look, obviously wondering why you had just listed off her top Blue Lock crushes while on the phone with your boyfriend.
âIs it okay if we come, too?â you said. Tabito hummed uncertainly.
âEr, I donât knowâŚitâs not that I donât want you to or that theyâd mind or anything! In fact, theyâd probably be delighted if you showed up. Rather, itâs that a few of them are a little bit odd, and youâd probably not enjoy yourself very much if you came,â he said.
âOn the contrary, I think we would enjoy ourselves a great deal. Some of us more than others, naturally, but as long as youâre there, Iâll have fun, and as for my plus oneâŚletâs just say that she could probably listen to a speech about the drying of cement, as long as it was Reo giving it,â you said.
âI see whatâs happening here,â he said with a snort. âOkay, I got it. Iâll ask them and let you know what they say, alright?â
âIf they say no, then tell them you canât go and come hang out with me,â you instructed him. âI want to be with you tomorrow. Iâve missed you for far too long.â
âWill do. I miss you more.â
The line went abruptly dead, ostensibly from a lack of signal on his part, but now that you knew you were going to see him the next day either way, you just tossed the useless device aside and grinned devilishly at your best friend.
âWhat was that all about?â she said.
âJust go ahead and tell me you love me,â you said.
âI love you?â she said.
âAnd I love you,â you said. âSo much that Iâm making my boyfriend take us along on his group date with his soccer group â where none other than the man himself, Reo Mikage, will be present.â
About an hour or so later, Tabito texted you in the affirmative, sending you the address of the cafe where they were planning on meeting up at and giving you a rough estimate of the time theyâd all be there. You and your best friend stayed up late that night, picking out your outfits â well, mostly hers, you were at the point in your relationship where you were positive that Tabito would find you pretty even in a trash bag, so you werenât anywhere near worried about your own clothing â and planning what sheâd say to sweep Reo off of his feet. Once you were done with that, you got in your pajamas and watched romantic comedies to get yourselves in âthe zoneâ and be completely prepared for the day to come, which might have qualified as one of the most important in her life.Â
You were the first ones at the cafe the next morning, so you took the liberty of choosing the largest table you could find and setting your things down before looking up their menu online. Your best friend, who was the one that had convinced you to be so obsessively punctual for fear of making a bad first impression on Reo, did the same, though she left two seats in between you and herself.
âTell Karasu to sit next to you, and then have him get Reo to sit in between himself and me,â she said to you.
âYup, I know the plan,â you said.
âGood,â she said. âHave you picked what youâre ordering? Since no one else is here yet, I can go in and grab stuff for both of us.â
âYeah, I want this, and this,â you said, pointing at the exact menu items so that there was no room for misinterpretation.
âMm, looks good,â she said. âEek, I think thereâs a line.â
âItâs peak brunch time,â you said. âWeâre lucky to have gotten a table at all, let alone one so big. Just leave your sweater on your chair so no one else takes it. Unless you want me to go in instead?â
âNope, I donât want to look like a friendless loser if Reo gets here before you come back or the others show up,â she said.
âYou should hurry up and join the queue before it gets any worse, then,â you said. âIt would suck if you were stuck waiting and Reo left before you could even meet him.â
âIâm going!â she said, speeding into the cafe, the glass door clanging shut behind her. You laughed softly at how easy she was to rile up, resting your chin in your hands and regarding the bustling scenery of the street with adoration. Tokyo was different from home, but you didnât mind the change. It was fun, anyways, coming up with backstories for the people who walked past, inquiring into their lives from the snippets you were shown with the curiosity of a squirrel.
âIs it okay if I sit here?â a light, playful voice said, distracting you from your thoughts. The speaker was a boy in a dark jacket, with headphones slung around his neck and a beanie pulled low over his hair, though a few stubborn strands poked out anyways â grayish-white strands, in specific, which were cut through by brilliant green. You swore under your breath. How had you not realized that he would be here as well? You could only hope that Reo would distract your best friend well enough that she would not flip out over Otoyaâs presence
âYouâre Otoya, right?â you said. At the mention of his name, he grinned and slid into the seat designated for Tabito, leaning his elbow on the table and batting his eyelashes at you.
âThatâs me. How did you know? Iâm certain weâve not met before, because Iâd remember a lady as pretty as yourself,â he said.Â
âYou played in the match against the U-20s,â you said.
âYou watched that?â he said. âI was pretty great, wasnât I?â
âI donât seem to remember you ever scoring,â you said thoughtfully. âAnd werenât you subbed out? Ah, but yes, I was actually in the audience that day.â
Otoya wilted. âOh. Were you rooting for the U-20s?â
âNo, I was on Blue Lockâs side,â you said.
âHold on, are you one of the guyâs sisters?â he said, stroking his chin and inspecting you. âProbably not Chigiriâs, but maybe Barouâs? I think he mentioned having younger sisters at one point. But I hope not, heâd definitely kill me for talking to you. Speaking of which, what are you even doing around here? Wanna go somewhere a bit nicer together?â
âIâm waiting for my boyfriend,â you said.
âBoyfriend?â Otoya said, face growing unnaturally pale. He inched his chair away from you. âWhoâs your boyfriend?â
Before you could respond, a hand covered your eyes, blacking out your vision. âGuess who?â
âTabito!â you said, standing up, yanking his hand away from you and kicking your chair out of the way so you could hug him. He was already waiting for you, pulling you to his chest immediately, burying his nose in your hair as he did when he was particularly tense or had been missing you.
âThatâs correct. Gold star for Y/N,â he said.Â
Though it had been a while, now that you were back in his embrace, it felt like no time at all had passed. That was how it was between you and him, a product of the many years you both had known one another before ever dating. Tabito was as much your friend as he was your boyfriend, a confidante and a rival and a companion and a lover all wrapped into one package. There could not be secrets nor distance between the two of you, not when you both had been studying one anotherâs complexities since before you had even understood what it meant to pay such special attention to another person.
âSit next to me,â you said, tugging on his coat.
âSure thing,â he said. âDude, move over.â
Otoya scrambled to his feet, taking the seat on Tabitoâs other side and eyeing you warily, his cheeks flushed a light pink â no doubt due to that brand of humiliation which was borne from trying to get with oneâs friendâs girlfriend.
âYouâre Y/N?â he said.
âThatâs me. Has Tabito mentioned my name or something?â you said. When he realized you werenât going to rat him out, Otoya relaxed and pretended to gag.
âAll of the time. I thought you were his celebrity crush or idol, the way he talked about you! I couldnât believe you were real when he waved at you during the game. You were sitting a bit too far away for me to get a good look at you, but you waved back, so I had no choice but to believe him,â he said. You recognized that this was his attempt at an apology, and, finding no merit in anything but acceptance, you shrugged.
âI wasnât that crazy,â Tabito said.
âI donât know. Otoya doesnât seem like the lying type,â you said. Otoya let out a sigh of relief, catching your eye and mouthing thank you when Tabito gave you an irritated look.
âHe totally is! Donât believe a word out of this assholeâs mouth, heâs full of shit!â he said.
âSo that must be why youâre friends, then?â you said. Otoya let out a choked laugh, and Tabito gave you such a kicked-puppy look that you could not help but lean over and press a kiss to his cheek. âJust joking. Who else is coming?â
âWell, you already know about Reo, but besides him, Tokimitsu said heâd come, Aryu, and Yuki,â Tabito said, counting off each name on his fingers.
âYuki? Like Yukimiya? You two are friends now?â you said, already planning double dates with Yukimiya and his girlfriend in your head.
âWe were in Blue Lock together. That kind of experience can bond anyone,â Tabito said.
âThis guy really hated Yuki at first, though,â Otoya said, jabbing his thumb towards Tabito, who scowled. âSo fucking funny. Yuki would just be standing there, and heâd go crazy, talking about how âone centimeter isnât a big dealâ and how Yuki was âjust an average, mediocre guy.ââ
âYou can stop talking now,â Tabito said.
âBut allâs well that ends well, right? Now Yuki and Karasu are great pals. He never did explain what his problem was at the start, however. Iâve always wondered,â Otoya said, in a tone that clearly suggested he was fishing for an elaboration from you.Â
âI canât believe youâre telling on me! And to my girlfriend of all people!â Tabito said, crossing his arms over his chest.
âWhy does Tabito not like Yuki? Itâs a funny story, really,â you began.
âOne we do not need to go over,â Tabito said. Now that the misunderstanding was well beyond cleared up, that fight right before you two had gotten together was a point of great embarrassment for Tabito, who still could not quite believe that he had behaved so irrationally.
âWhat donât we need to go over?â It was another newcomer, but one who you knew â Yukimiya himself, who beamed when he saw you. âOh, Y/N! Karasu mentioned you were going to be here, but to be quite frank with you, I sort of forgot. How have you been?â
âCanât complain. What about you?â you said. âGreat job in the game against the U-20s, by the way.â
âThanks!â he said, sitting down across from you. âIâm in the same boat. Itâs nice to be on a break. I actually slept in for the first time in forever, and I got to use my own skin products instead of the crap Blue Lock gave us.â
âIâm happy for you,â you said. âYou all deserve a break. Itâs obvious youâve been working really hard.â
âPardon, madam!â You hardly had the time to react before a spindly man with flowing black hair and dark, painted fingernails was crouching beside you. âIâm sorry if Iâm overstepping, but I just â I have to acknowledge glam when itâs so obviously in front of me.â
âWhat?â you said.
âHere he goes,â Otoya said, steepling his fingers in anticipation.
âItâs justâŚI was aware that Karasu was bringing his girlfriend and her best friend to this little meeting of ours, but I didnât know that one of you would turn out to be the most glam individual Iâve had the pleasure of seeing in ages! Please, tell me youâre the best friend,â he said.
âSheâs the girlfriend, Aryu, so leave her alone,â Tabito said. Aryu pressed the back of his hand against his forehead.
âIn another life, my dear,â he said, fluttering his fingers at you.
âNo?â Tabito said. âIn no other life! Sheâs mine in every one, so piss off!â
âUh, thanks for the compliment. Itâs nice to meet you, Aryu,â you said awkwardly. Otoya and Yukimiya did nothing to dissipate the tension, both of them exchanging looks and giggling.
âSorry about him,â a stocky boy with huge, panicked eyes said, taking the chair beside where Aryu was still muttering to himself about a âgrand love affairâ that would âshock the world with its glam potential.â âYouâre the girl from the edits, arenât you? Y/N L/N? Iâm Tokimitsu.â
âHow do you know her full, official, government name?â Tabito said, arching his eyebrows. Tokimitsu shook his head so rapidly you thought his neck might snap or something from the speed of it.
âNo, no, itâs not like that, Karasu! Sheâs just famous at the moment!â he said.
Tabitoâs eyes flicked towards you for confirmation. You rubbed the back of your neck, beginning to explain for the benefit of the entire table.
âRight when Nagi scored, the three of us â my best friend, Chigiri, and I â were the only ones cheering, so the cameras focused on us,â you said. âAfter that, they would periodically show us throughout the match, and people have been making edits of those clips. At first, we were just the unnamed Blue Lock fans, but I think I liked one too many comments calling me hot, because now everyone knows who we all areâŚâ
âSome of the edits are really good,â Tokimitsu agreed. âTheyâre all over my dashboard. People have even started shipping you guys with the players! Right now, the most popular pairings are you with Karasuââ
âGood,â Tabito said, sticking his nose in the air. You pinched him on the bicep, finding his uncharacteristic possessiveness as endearing as it was unnecessary.
ââand your best friend with Otoya,â Tokimitsu continued.
âHuh?â Otoya said.
âThe clip of her giving you the middle finger right before halftime is super popular,â Tokimitsu said. âPeople have actually taken screenshots and made matching profile pictures. Itâs a whole movement.â
âHuh?â Otoya said. âHow am I supposed to flirt with girls if everyone thinks Iâm taken by some psycho who hates me for no reason? Where can I file a complaint? This needs to be stopped at once!â
âItâs not for no reason, exactly,â you said.
âThereâs a legitimate explanation?â Tabito said.
âLegitimate is a stretch, but there is an explanation,â you said. âYou know her. She wouldnât hate someone without having at least some kind of logic to it.â
A shiny black limousine pulled up in front of the cafe, and the back doors opened to reveal Reo Mikage, who stepped out and thanked the driver before walking over to join the rest of you. You were about to tell him to take the seat in between Tabito and your best friend, but then you realized that there was a massive problem: somebody was already sitting there. Namely, Otoya, who was busily swiping through his phone and reporting every account that he came across which had either him or your best friend as a profile picture.
âMy apologies for the tardiness,â Reo said. His mere voice had a particular cadence to it that spoke to his wealth and upbringing, and down to the slightest, his mannerisms were genteel and refined. âI had to sneak out from a meeting to come here.â
âSneaking out from a meeting to come to another meeting? Youâre a busy guy, Reo!â Aryu said, evidently completely over his earlier heartbreak. âWhat a glam schedule.â
âThatâs not the word Iâd use for it,â Reo said, running a hand through his hair, which fell loosely around his face now that he wasnât playing soccer. âAnyways, I hope I didnât keep you all waiting for too long.â
âNo, we havenât gotten started yet,â Tabito said.
âWeâve been discussing the edits people made of Y/N and her friends!â Tokimitsu said. Reo looked over at you and smiled politely.
âIâve seen a few of them. Itâs an impressive marketing strategy on the JFUâs part â by sprinkling in clips of you three, they managed to appeal to a broader audience. Now, people who ordinarily never would have watched the game are watching reruns, therefore increasing their revenue tenfold,â he said, offering you his hand to shake. âIâm Reo Mikage.â
âY/N L/N,â you said, taking it as professionally as you could, all the while wondering what was holding your best friend up. She ought to be here as soon as possible, or else she really might lose her chance.Â
Like she had read your mind, the glass door of the cafe swung open, and your best friend strolled out, two plastic cups balanced in one hand and two scones in a napkin held in the other.Â
âSorry I took so long,â she said, thankfully oblivious to the members of the meeting you were crashing. âThe barista got confused and made my drink iced. I told her it wasnât a big deal, but she insisted on dumping it and remaking it properly, free of charge. Apparently, sheâs new or something, so sheâs still in that phase where she isnât entirely jaded by the public yet.â
âItâs okay,â you said. âTabito. Grab my drink before sheâ!â
âYou!â your best friend said, pointing at Otoya, who groaned in defeat and buried his face in his hands. Your drink slipped from her hands and clattered to the ground, spilling out onto the concrete, though she took no notice of it, putting the rest of the goods on the table and glaring at Otoya.
âMy drink,â you said mournfully.
âIâll go get you a new one,â Tabito said, making like he was going to stand. You grabbed onto his arm and shook your head.
âNo, donât leave me here,â you said.
âWhat? Why not?â he said. You pointed at the infamous duo, both of whom looked about ready to blow up, and then you looped your arms around his neck, peeking over his shoulder at the pair.
âIf they get in a fight, Iâll be stuck in the crossfire,â you said. âYou have to stay here and defend me if it comes to that. Quick, take the scones while sheâs distracted. Iâm going to eat them as payback for her dropping my drink.â
He did as you commanded. âHere you go.â
âThank you,â you said.
âYou owe me ten dollars!â your best friend said.
âWhat? No, I donât. Weâve never even met, so why would I owe you any money at all?â Otoya said. âWait. We havenât met, right? Or did we go on a date at some point? If so, Iâm sorry that it didnât work out, but you have to understand that things just end up like that sometimes. Iâm not going to compensate you for that.â
âJeez, Otoya,â Yukimiya said with a chuckle. âYouâre kind of horrible, man. How many dates have you been on, if you donât even remember whether you were with her at some point?â
âDo you really want the answer to that?â Otoya said. Yukimiya made a face.
âYou were definitely on a date,â your best friend said. âI wasnât, though. In fact, I was just innocently trying to watch a movie with my cousins, when somebody decided that they would just go ahead and make out with their date, right in front of my face, for the entire one hour and forty-seven minutes of the film!â
âWhoâs somebody?â Tokimitsu whispered.
âProbably Otoya,â Aryu whispered back.
âOh, I do remember you!â Otoya said, snapping his fingers. âYou came and yelled at me after the movie, too, right? That was funny.â
âOkay, guys, how about we all relax and get to the point of this meeting instead of squabbling over past grievances?â Reo interrupted before the argument could grow anymore heated. Satisfied that things were now under control, you ceased your cowering behind Tabito, though you did make sure to shove the last of the scones in your mouth before your best friend could ask where they had disappeared to.
âFine by me,â Otoya said when your best friend did not respond. âYo, you gonna sit down or what?â
âYou guys can have your meeting without us, since Iâm quite sure itâs not anything that weâll be able to meaningfully contribute to. In the meantime, she and I will go and get a replacement drink for me,â you said.
As soon as the two of you were inside and out of earshot of the boys, she let out a wail. âI completely made an awful first impression on Reo Mikage!â
âI canât lie, you definitely did,â you said. âBut at least it was entertaining for the rest of us. Cheer up! Thereâs still Barou, Nagi, and Isagi, right? You have an entire list for a reason. Reo might be a wash, but that doesnât mean you have to give up entirely.â
âYouâre right, but that doesnât mean it doesnât hurt. If only that lettuce-headed Otoya werenât here! Things wouldâve gone perfectly, but ruining my life must be a particular hobby of his,â she said.
âYou might be better off if you pretend heâs not around,â you said. âHow about this? Weâll get Tabito to set you up on a date with one of the others on your roster, and Iâll personally ensure that Otoya stays far, far away.â
âThanks,â she said. âHere, Iâll pay for your drink, since I spilled it the first time.â
âYeah, I was going to make you do that even if you didnât offer.â
Upon your return outside, drinks and additional scones in hand, you were met with a larger group than you had left. Even more of the Blue Lock boys had appeared, and all of them were talking animatedly with one another.
âYouâre Hyoma!â you said, taking a sip from your still-hot beverage, waving at your new friendâs little brother. âI sat with your sister at the game.â
âSheâs mentioned you a couple of times. Said you thought I did well in the game,â Chigiri said, scratching the bridge of his nose shyly. âI really appreciate it. Youâre Karasuâs girlfriend, right?â
âYes! Thank you for knowing that!â Tabito said, snatching your drink from you and taking a swig, bursting into a coughing fit as it scalded his throat.
âThatâs what you get,â you said, taking your drink back, blowing on it to cool it before taking the tiniest sip. âAlright, I know Isagi and Chigiri, but whoâs the third one?â
âThatâs Bachira,â Tabito said. âHeâs a fascinating guy.â
âYou know what we should do? Since all of us are together for the first time outside of Blue Lock, we should hang out!â Bachira said, rocking on his heels.Â
âThatâs good with me. Our meeting ended up not being that productive,â Yukimiya said.
âMostly due to certain individuals,â Reo agreed, looking pointedly at Otoya.
âMe? Blame her!â Otoya said, pointing at your best friend, who was busy exchanging hair care tips with Aryu instead of putting the moves on Isagi, as you thought she mightâve.Â
âReoâs too much of a glam gentleman to blame a lady for anything,â Aryu said.
âWhat he said,â Reo agreed. âThough, again, I wouldnât put it like that.â
âWhere should we go?â Tokimitsu said. âIâm okay with anything.â
âWait, what about Nagi? Isnât he with you guys?â Reo said to Isagi, who hummed.
âHe was supposed to meet up with us, but he overslept, and then he saw an arcade on the way, so he stopped in there,â Isagi said.
âReo, I bet you have Nagiâs location on your phone at all times, right?â Bachira said. Reo nodded. âThen I say we use that to go and find him!â
âAn arcade day does sound like a blast,â Yukimiya said.
âThanks for the invite, but I think Iâm going to stay back and spend the day with Y/N,â Tabito said.
âShe can come, too!â Bachira said. âOn one condition: she has to be my partner for rhyming ping-pong.â
âThatâs a fair deal in my books,â you said. Ordinarily, you would have agreed with Tabito â a calm date with him was far more appealing than the prospect of going to an arcade with a bunch of soccer players â but above all else, you were a loyal friend, and you could hardly abandon your best friend when Reo, Nagi, and Isagi would all be present at this gathering.
âAre you sure? You donât have to feel bad for me. I donât mind missing out on hanging with these idiots. I see enough of them in Blue Lock as it is,â Tabito said.
âIâm offended,â Otoya said dryly. âWhat happened to bros before hoes?â
âConsidering sheâs his girlfriend and heâs liked her for going on six years now, Iâd say sheâs probably a bit more than a âhoe,ââ Yukimiya said.
âI donât feel bad for you, Tabito, so you can put that out of your mind. I havenât gone to an arcade or played rhyming ping-pong in ages. Itâll be fun, I think,â you said, kicking him under the table and angling your chin towards Reo and Isagi ever-so-slightly. His mouth formed an âoâ in realization.
âThen I guess weâre off to the arcade,â he said. âLead the way, Reo.â
âFollow me,â Reo said, holding up his phone, which displayed the elusive Nagiâs location on the screen.
You all mustâve appeared an odd group to any onlookers, but that didnât stop any of you from enjoying yourselves as you weaved through the streets of Shibuya. You walked with Tabito, your hand intertwined with his like usual, both of you pointing out window displays you found appealing or ridiculous. Chigiri and Bachira hotly debated which arcade games were the best, Isagi doing his best to mediate while Otoya egged both of them on in turn. Reo and Yukimiya continued their discussion on the economics of Blue Lock from the earlier meeting, and Aryu described every single step he took in the shower to your best friend and Tokimitsu, both of whom were enthralled by the topic. All in all, it was a blend which should not have worked but somehow did, and more than simply working, it really excelled.
âThere you are, pain-in-the-ass gamer prince!â Tabito cackled as everyone entered the arcade and saw Nagi sitting at one of the booths, controls in his hands and a small frown on his face as he gunned down his virtual enemies. Letting go of you, Tabito wrestled Nagi into a headlock, messing with his hair as Nagi whined in protest. âYouâre going to lose all of your friends, you jerk!â
âCaught red-handed,â Reo said with a sigh. âClassic Nagi.â
âNow that weâve found him, itâs time to party!â Bachira said, pumping his fist in the air. âTokimitsu, letâs go play darts!â
âOkay!â Tokimitsu said.
âIâm heading over to the claw machine,â your best friend said. âWanna come, Y/N?â
âSure, Iâll cheer you on,â you said. âIâm pretty bad at it myself, so I wonât waste my money on my own attempts.â
Everyone dispersed throughout the arcade. Tabito, Otoya, and Aryu followed you and your best friend towards the claw machine, much to your best friendâs disgust â you were certain that she had been hoping Isagi, Nagi, or Reo would come with you, but all three of them were preoccupied with the darts competition Bachira had set up, leaving her to side-eye Otoya and stick to conversing only with Aryu. For his part, Aryu was happy to oblige her, as sticking close to your best friend had the double effect of cooling Tabitoâs ire from earlier as well as alleviating the hostility between her and Otoya.
âThis has got to be rigged!â your best friend said when her third attempt at trying to nab a panda plushie proved unsuccessful. On each attempt, right before she was able to drop the plushie into the chute, the claw would give out and it would fall back into the pile, leaving her out of money and patience.
âMove out of the way,â Otoya said. âLet me show you how the masters get it done.â
âYou call yourself a claw-machine master?â you said. âWhat, do you practice or something?â
Otoya entered a token into the machine and shouldered past your fuming best friend, grabbing the controls with casual ease. âGirls love it when you win stuffed animals for them. Check out my flow!â
âI never put you down as someone with this type of functional glam,â Aryu said, pressing his face against the glass of the machine. âI sincerely repent for the underestimation!â
âYou really are a master,â you breathed, doing the same, watching in astonishment as Otoya expertly maneuvered the plushie towards the chute.
âStop shaking the machine, idiots, youâll make him mess up,â Tabito said, pulling you and Aryu away from the glass by the back of your collars and holding you there until Otoya had retrieved his prize.
âBam,â Otoya said, tossing the panda at your best friend. âNinja skills.â
It hit her in the face and fell to the ground; with a withering glare, she stooped over and tucked it under her arm before stomping away.
âYou better not find yourself anywhere near the dartboards! Iâm warning you, I have a bad aim, so look out!â she threatened before disappearing, presumably to join in on Bachiraâs tournament.
âIsnât that just a self-insult?â Otoya said. âSucking at darts is even worse than sucking at the claw machine, donât you think?â
âShe means sheâll hit you with the dart and you canât blame her for it because she warned you, you dunce,â Tabito said, face-palming. âCome on, Y/N, letâs go see how the tournamentâs going.â
The tournament seemed to have split into two sections. On the right side, Reo, Tokimitsu, Yukimiya, and your best friend were tossing darts at the board with precision and care, tallying up their scores and congratulating one another after each round. On the left, Nagi was standing in front of the board with his arms spread and his back to Bachira, Isagi, and Chigiri, who were gleefully taking turns throwing darts in his direction, talking about how this was his âpunishmentâ for standing them up.
âWhoâs winning?â you said, right as Bachira sent a dart shooting towards the back of Nagiâs head. Nagi exhaled heavily.
âSorry,â he repeated for the thousandth time.
âDo you think itâs even possible for someone to win in a game like that?â Tabito said. âBetter to ask those guys.â
âI think Yuki is up right now,â Reo said in response to your unasked question. âAlthough Tokimitsuâs catching up. Itâs super close. Could be anyoneâs game.â
âNow that youâre here, Y/N, letâs go play rhyming ping-pong!â Bachira said.
âWho will we play against, though?â you said.
âNagi, for one,â Bachira said.
âI donât want to,â Nagi said. Bachira raised another dart, causing Nagiâs sleepy frown to deepen. âOkay, I will.â
âThen Tabito can be your teammate,â you said.Â
âYouâre challenging me?â Tabito said. âYouâre going to regret that. Prepare to lose.â
âBachira and I wonât let you get even a point, right, Bachira?â you said.Â
âThatâs right!â Bachira said, high-fiving you and charging forwards as the entire group headed over to the ping-pong table. Picking out four paddles from the rack, he handed one each to you, Tabito, and Nagi, keeping the last for himself and joining you on your side of the table.
âIf we beat you, then you have to take me to the aquarium for our next date!â you said, brandishing your paddle at Tabito.
âFine, but if we beat you, then you have to join me during my workouts for the rest of the break!â he said, tossing the ball up and down in the air.
âWe have to crush them,â you said to Bachira. âIf I have to workout with him, Iâll probably die.â
âGot it,â Bachira said, rolling his shoulders. âReady when you are.â
âNagi, get your head in the game,â Tabito said to his reluctant partner. âWe need to win this. The aquarium is so creepy and unromantic! What kind of first date back from Blue Lock would that be? I need your talents, prodigy.â
âOkay,â Nagi said. âAre we starting?â
âYeah, you can serve. Do you know how to play?â Tabito said.
âNot really,â he said.
âWhenever you hit the ball, you have to say a word that the other team can rhyme to, and when they return the serve, they have to come up with that rhyme and say it,â Bachira said. âPretty easy, right?â
âItâll be a simple win,â you said. âIâm first in the class for Modern Literature, so I know a lot of words.â
âDonât underestimate Nagi,â Reo said. âHe may look like little more than a typical idiot slacker, but he actually came second in our year without studying at all.â
âIâm so torn,â your best friend said. âWho do I root for?â
âWhyâs it a question? Wouldnât you want to root for your best friend?â Chigiri said.Â
âYou wouldnât get it,â she said.
âHmph,â Chigiri said. âWhatever.â
âOkay, are both sides ready?â Yukimiya said. He had been chosen to referee, mostly because he was the most impartial. All of you nodded, and he whistled. âRhyming ping-pong, begin! Your serve, Nagi!â
âUm,â Nagi said, tossing the ball in the air and tapping it with his paddle. âOrange?â
Yukimiya whistled again. âOut! Y/N and Bachira are the winners!â
âWhat was that?â Tabito screeched.
âHe mustâve gotten nervous in the face of Bachira and Iâs combined prowess,â you said, tossing your hair.
âNot really. I just didnât wanna play,â Nagi said. âThereâs some good aquariums in Tokyo, Karasu. You can probably have a fun date there.â
âYouâre the worst,â Tabito said. âIâm taking Chigiri next time. I bet he wouldnât have picked orange as his first word!â
âI wouldâve gone with bat,â Chigiri said.
âOoh, and then I wouldâve said cat!â you said. Bachira had vanished alongside Isagi and Reo, giving some excuse about karaoke before running out the door after them, leaving you standing alone across from the furious Tabito and lethargic Nagi.
âMaybe we shouldâve teamed up,â Chigiri said to you. You winked and gave him a thumbs-up in assent.
âCan we go see what Reo and the others are doing?â Nagi said, limp in another one of Tabitoâs headlocks, completely unbothered by the vulnerable position that he was being held in.Â
âBachira said they were going for karaoke,â you said. âMaybe we should find Otoya and Aryu before joining them, though.â
âHow about just Aryu?â your best friend suggested, though her ideas went unheard.
âIâll text them,â Yukimiya said.
âNo need,â Otoya said, peeking his head into the door. âWeâve been looking for you guys for a while.â
âSuch unglam conduct, disappearing like that,â Aryu said in disappointment.
âSorry!â Tokimitsu yelped.Â
âSince weâre all here now, we should be good to head to karaoke,â Yukimiya said.
âKarasu and I are going to do a duet,â Otoya informed everyone as you all followed the signs for the karaoke section of the building.
âHell yeah,â Tabito snickered. âWeâll knock everyoneâs socks off. Theyâre not ready.â
âWhat song?â Tokimitsu said.
âSomething with a lot of belting,â Otoya said.Â
âPlease donât,â your best friend said. âI didnât bring ear plugs, and I do value my hearing.â
âWait a second,â you said. âHey, Tabito, Yukimiya â isnât that Aiku from the U-20 squad?â
âHuh?â Tabito said.
âIt is!â Yukimiya said. âHeâs talking to Reo, Isagi, and Bachira, too. Thatâs unexpected.â
âLooks like the whole gangâs here, in fact,â Tabito said, cracking his knuckles and motioning towards the rest of the U-20 squad, who were glowering at the boys beside you as they approached.
âA fight?â Nagi said.
âCould be,â Otoya said, striking a ninja-pose that caused your best friend to dissolve into a fit of laughter, which he ignored completely. âIâm stoked.â
âNeed backup, Isagi?â Yukimiya said, his hands in his pockets and a genial smile on his face. âWeâve got you.â
âAh, but donât expect anything from me!â you said, flashing them all a peace sign. âIâll cheer for you from the corner, though.â
âA girl? Helloââ Aiku began, though he was immediately interrupted by Tabito.
âNope, donât even think about it,â he said.Â
âCanât blame a guy for trying,â Aiku said.Â
âWhat are you all doing here?â one of the U-20 boys, whose name you couldnât recall, said.
âLikely the same thing as you,â Chigiri said.
âBut in a more glam way, naturally,â Aryu added.
âThe fuck? Donât think I wonât mess you up, freak!â the U-20 player said.
âFreak?â Aryu said. âSay that again, I dare you!â
âHow about we settle this over a game of bowling?â Aiku suggested. âThat way, none of us get in trouble with our coaches for accidentally injuring ourselves.â
âFine by us,â Yukimiya said. âWeâll beat you either way.â
âIâd prefer it if I didnât have to watch you all pummel each other,â you agreed.
âSame,â your best friend said. âThough I wouldnât mind too much if you roughed Otoya up a bitâŚâ
âHey!â the boy in question said.
âThe ladies have spoken,â Aiku said. âBowling it is!â
âAre you going to play?â Tabito asked you as you all trekked towards the bowling alley.Â
âNah, this is a feud between Blue Lock and the U-20 players. Iâm just an onlooker,â you said.
âAw, but youâre the bowling champion! Weâd win for sure if we had you on our side,â he said. Going bowling had been a common event for both of your friend groups all throughout high school, so he had been privy to many a round in which you absolutely annihilated everyone else, demolishing him and his friends and yours alike with a careful, needle-like precision.
âYouâre not half-bad yourself. Plus, who knows how good the others are? Itâll be alright. Go beat those U-20 boys again, and then letâs get out of here,â you said.
âJust us? Or do you mean everyone?â he said.
âJust us,â you said. âIâve been downright helpful all day, so no one can begrudge me for being a little bit selfish and sneaking off with you. Iâll only do it if you win, though.â
That was a lie, but Tabito was the type who performed better under pressure. The thought that he might miss out on a date with you â especially one not at the aquarium â would be more than enough to drive him to bowling success.
âY/N!â your best friend hissed to you as Tabito and the others went to check in at the counter. âCheck it out! Itâs Shoei Barou!â
âHeâs bowling all by himself? Huh, thatâs a little startling. The more you know, I guess,â you said. Privately, you had believed the intimidating Barou would have had similarly intimidating habits, like powerlifting, or beating up thugs in alleyways, or activities more along those lines, but of course, everyone had layers, so maybe you shouldnât have assumed.
âItâs kind of cute, if Iâm being honest,â she said. âLike, oh my gosh, youâre a friendless loner! I need you so badly.â
âThereâs a lid for every pot,â you said, not at all seeing the appeal in that kind of person but having decided long ago that you were more glad than anything that you and she didnât have the same taste in men â you had likely avoided many awkward situations in that way. âWell, whatâs your plan? Youâve got Reo, Barou, Nagi, and Isagi all in one room. Whoâre you going to go for?âÂ
âLetâs weigh the pros and cons. That should help us come to a proper conclusion,â she said.
âGot it. Cons: Reo finds you super immature for fighting with Otoya, Nagi doesnât seem to care about you one way or another, Isagi is much more interested in hanging out with Bachira and Chigiri than trying to talk to you, and you havenât even met Barou yet,â you said. She gulped.
âAnd, uh, the pros?â she said. You frowned.
âUhâŚat least Nagiâs opinion of you isnât bad?â you said. âAnd you havenât had the chance to make a terrible impression on Barou yet.â
âThatâs it?â she said.
âSorry,â you said. âBut kind of. Itâs not looking good.â
âWhat do I do, then?â she said. âIs it time for me to give up on my dreams? Am I destined to be single forever? Will the closest I get to a wedding be in the form of attending yours as a bridesmaid?â
âDonât be pessimistic,â you said. âThereâs always Aiku. He seems like heâd take anything on legs for a date or two.â
In unison, you glanced over at Aiku. He, and Otoya for that matter, were talking to a pair of girls, who were hooked on their every word, irises sparkling as they listened to both boys flirt. You and your best friend exchanged looks.
âIâd rather die alone,â she said.Â
âThat kind of relationship wouldnât last,â you affirmed. âDonât worry. Iâll ask Tabito if he can introduce you to Barou. Heâs likely your best bet at this point.â
âYou might be right about that,â she said, following after you as you made your way towards where the ones not actively bowling were hanging out.
This, unfortunately, was a fatal mistake. The route took you past Otoya and Aiku, and, more importantly, the girls they were chatting with. One of them happened to catch a glimpse of you both, and she immediately gasped, shoving past Otoya to tap the two of you on our shoulders.
âYouâre the girls from the edits!â she said. You winced at the murderous expressions on Aikuâs and Otoyaâs faces.
âYeah, we are,â you said.
âNo way!â the other girl said to your best friend. âYou and your boyfriend are my sister and her boyfriendâs profile pictures!â
âBoyfriend?â your best friend said. âIâm single, though?â
âThe guy you gave the middle finger to at the Blue Lock vs U-20 match! Arenât you two dating?â she said.
âNo!â your best friend and Otoya said at the same time.
âWait, I didnât recognize you because of the hat, but youâre the confused player that she flipped off!â the girl said to Otoya. âCan we get a picture of the two of you together? Weâre guaranteed to go viral if we can post something like that!â
âOh, boy,â you said. âAiku, you seem like a nice guy, so Iâm going to advise you to run right about now.â
âWhat?â he said.Â
âDonât say I didnât warn you!â you said, darting off before you were caught up in the fallout that would accompany the request, not slowing your pace until you were safely over by Tabito and the rest, far away from the brewing situation.
âI think weâre going to do it!â Tabito said when he saw that you were once again at his side. âAs long as Nagi is more motivated to bowl than he was to play rhyming ping-pong.â
âYeah, yeah, whatever, thatâs great,â you said. âLetâs go.â
âRight now?â he said.
âRight now,â you said.
âDid something happen?â he said.
âThis bowling alley is about to turn into a war zone,â you said, gesturing over to where Otoya and your best friend were standing stiffly beside one another, the girl angling her phone to take as many photos of them as possible.
âUh-oh,â he said. âSee you guys later!â
âWhat? Youâre already leaving?â Chigiri said.
âYup, it was great to meet you all! Good luck in Blue Lock. Hope to see you again!â you said, sprinting towards the doors with Tabito, ducking out right as your best friend went off on a tirade about how Otoya needed to stay a âminimum of two bodiesâ away from her at all times lest he âinfect her with the green hair disease.â âPhew.â
âWe made it,â Tabito said. âNow what?â
âNow we do whatever we want,â you said, reaching up and kissing him softly. âNo more worrying about everyone else. Letâs do something for just the two of us.â
âFinally,â he said, wrapping an arm around your shoulders as you left the arcade behind. âIâve been missing you for so long, and when I finally got you back, I had to share you with all of my dumbass teammates. Not fair.â
âIâm sorry,â you said. âItâs like Otoya said â bros before hoes.â
âOtoyaâs a jackass,â he said.Â
âTrue,â you said. âBut enough about him. I want to hear about everything you did in Blue Lock, so that when you have to go back, I can imagine what you might be up to at any given moment and feel a little better.â
âGross,â he said.
âYou act as though you hate it, but I knew deep down you like it,â you said. He wrinkled his nose, though it did little to hide his prominent blush.
âNah,â he said, drawing you impossibly closer to his side, as much to be affectionate as to prevent you from further exposure to the redness of his face. âI just like you.â
âOh?â you said. âThatâs good, because I like you, too.â
âI already knew that,â he said.
âNever mind,â you said. âIf thatâs the case, then I hate you.â
âNo, you donât,â he said. You smiled, playing with his fingers as the two of you walked around the city with no destination in mind, no end goal but to enjoy each otherâs company.
âNo, I donât.â
#karasu x reader#karasu x y/n#karasu x you#karasu tabito#bllk x reader#bllk#blue lock#established relationship#reader insert#m1ckeyb3rry milestone#m1ckeyb3rry writes
178 notes
¡
View notes
Note
hiiiii!!!! i was wondering if u could share some of the most common to least common bpd symptoms?âŚ.and maybe ones u struggle with??? <:3
ive been thinking i have bpd for awhile,, (since i was 15,iâm almost 18 now) BUT i dont wanna self diagnose bc i donât wanna offend anyoneâŚâŚis that offensive? to self diagnose? idek <:p
there isnt rlly least 2 most common, bpd is a spectrum and has a wide range of experiences!!! but i will list the diagnostic criteria 4 u, and explain it in a way some1 first learning abt bpd can understand ^w^
u must experience at least 5 of the 9 symptoms from the criteria in order 2 be diagnosed!!!
1: frantic efforts 2 avoid real or imagined abandonment; this does not include suicidal or self mutilating behavior covered in criteria 5.
this means an intense fear of abandonment. if u have bpd, being abandoned by those u love is most likely ur biggest fear. ik its mine!!! xD this can look like a number of things. this can include an avoidant attachment style, pushing ppl away becuz u feel a need 2 abandon them first b4 it happens 2 u. u might do the opposite and cling rlly hard. u might resort 2 manipulation tactics n threats 2 try 2 get them 2 stay even if its not in their best interest (not every1 w bpd does this, and not every1 w bpd doing this is doing it on purpose. ive done this in the past b4 i reflected on my own behavior and realized it was wrong. we r not abusers by default and we dont have bad intentions.) u might beg them 2 stay, promise them things, try 2 change urself 4 them, yell at them 4 wanting 2 leave. its terrifying what the fear might do 2 u.
2: a pattern of unstable and intense interpersonal relationships characterized by extremes of idealization and devaluation.
this ones pretty simple, consistently unstable relationships throughout ur life!!! but it might get a lil confusing at "extremes of idealization and devaluation", so ill try 2 explain that using a term from the bpd community, "splitting". splitting is when u switch from one extreme view of a person, object, character, pretty much anything, 2 the opposite. it USUALLY means going from loving some1 2 hating them, but it can mean the opposite (hating 2 loving), and it can apply 2 anything, not just a person. a good example of splitting is when ur fp (favorite person, another term from the bpd community) disagrees with u abt smth, or u see them hanging out with other ppl, u mightve viewed them as perfect b4 and now u feel an intense hatred and can only see them as a bad person. 2 other ppl, experiencing such a drastic change in perception over smth so small is seen as ridiculous, but rlly its entirely valid. its part of the disorder, its okay.
3: markedly and persistently unstable self image or sense of self.
u dont rlly know who u r a lot of the time, u dont have a strong sense of identity, if any at all. u might change styles often, change the way u talk, the jokes u make, ur beliefs, ur interests, ur hobbies. u might find urself basing ur entire personality on those around u. a common experience is that when ur favorite person or favorite ppl leave u, u dont know who u r anymore, becuz ur entire sense of self was mirrored from them. its like being a chameleon, but ur constantly mirroring other ppl, and ur nevr rlly ur own person.
4: impulsivity in at least two areas that r potentially self damaging (the examples listed in the DSM-5 include spending, sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, and binge eating, but i will provide moar examples!!!); this does not include suicidal or self mutilating behavior covered in criteria 5.
this ones also pretty simple!!! but personally i find that i become moar impulsive while in a bad headspace, or while im having a bpd episode/suicidal outburst. moar impulsive actions may include property damage, physical fights, running away, cutting contact with ppl, getting in contact with ppl who u know r dangerous, etc. those r all i could think of off the top of my head and they may not be the best examples, srry!!! :(
5: recurrent suicidal behaviors, gestures, threats, or self mutilating behavior.
i would like 2 say that self harm doesnt just mean cutting!!! self harm includes burning, hitting, ripping out hair, picking at skin, stabbing, and many moar. personally ive always been a cutter and i started when i was 9 or 10, but i want every1 2 know that all self harm is valid and this is a safe space 2 discuss it. im not gonna make any1 feel ashamed of it <3 also!!! suicidal threats and gestures may come across as manipulative, but that is almost NEVR our intention. we may act out in suicidal ways becuz its the only thing that gets us any sort of attention or care that we desperately need. i dont give a shit abt "ew theyre threatening suicide 4 attention, lets ignore them" becuz attention is a basic human need, and some1 threatening suicide REGARDLESS of their intentions is always a concern. whether its a call 4 help or not, they need help. dont disregard their mental health becuz their suicidal ideation doesnt present in an "acceptable" manner. all suicidal ideation, IS suicidal ideation. whether its passive, 4 attention, active w a plan, its all valid and requires attention and care.
6: affective instability due 2 a marked reactivity of mood (eg, intense episodic dysphoria, irritability, or anxiety usually lasting a few hours and only rarely moar than a few days)
intense mood swings!!! u can feel happy one moment, and then switch 2 being depressed or anxious, and then go back 2 "normal" 10 minutes later. sometimes it just happens 4 no reason!!! absolutely fucking sucks
7: chronic feelings of emptiness.
this one is hard 2 explain and can mean varying things 4 different ppl. 4 me, it means i will never be happy in the long term (maybe with medication, but.. rawdogging life? bad idea) nothing gives me any sort of long term joy and i dont feel like i have a purpose. its like theres a hole in my chest that will nevr be filled. nothing will make me complete.
8: inappropriate, intense anger or difficulty controlling anger (eg, frequent displays of temper, constant anger, or recurrent physical fights)
angy
(also not every1 w bpd gets in2 physical fights or r angry at other ppl often, some ppl r moar angry at themselves)
9: transient, stress related paranoid ideation or severe dissociative symptoms.
paranoia is a symptom of bpd!!! although its shortlived in nature, and as stated above, stress related. dissociative symptoms can also present in a variety of ways!!! u can present with a fractured sense of self which may actually lead 2 u developing headmates iirc, but with them usually appearing as other versions of urself. or u might just dissociate due 2 stress or ur brain wanting 2 remove traumatic memories, 4 me dissociating feels like the whole world is fuzzy and blurry and i cant form any thoughts or emotions. i have dissociative amnesia and experience memory loss when this happens, which sucks becuz i dissociate at least once everyday. my memories r incredibly spotty and unreliable, its liek my brain is made of swiss cheese!!!
personally, i experience all of the symptoms from the diagnostic criteria, and they all effect my life on a daily basis. but that isnt 2 say that u need all of them in order 2 have bpd, as i said b4, u only need at least 5!!! there r also different types of bpd (not medically, theyre labels created by the bpd community) look in2 it if u resonate with some of the symptoms but not all of them!!! a lot of ppl who suspect they have bpd but dont present in a stereotypical way often relate 2 the term "quiet bpd", i recommend looking in2 it!!!
self diagnosis is entirely valid, and most of the ppl who r offended by it r neurotypical or they dont have the disorders that ppl r self diagnosing with. it stems mostly from ableism towards autistic ppl, specifically autistic ppl who self diagnose becuz they know theyre autistic but dont have the resources/time 2 get a diagnosis from a professional. if u believe ur borderline, and u've done ur research, i believe u. self diagnosis is not actually offensive 2 those who have mental disorders, im pretty sure the bpd community is accepting of self diagnosis!!! and if u cant find a community of ppl who r accepting of ur self diagnosis, just know that i believe u and this is a safe space 4 self diagnosis and ppl w bpd :3
bpd is also incredibly hard 2 get diagnosed with. its one of the most stigmatized disorders and often mental health professionals have a bias against it. sometimes, professional diagnosis is not an option 4 us. i knew i had bpd 4 years b4 i was able 2 get diagnosed. good luck!!!!
#jack.txt#birdie#damagedcoda6669#bpd#bpd awareness#borderline personality disorder#mental health#bpd safe#tw s3lf harm#tw self h4rm#tw sui ideation#tw self harm#tw sh#tw suicidal ideation
142 notes
¡
View notes
Text
WHAT'S UP!
Welcome to my post where I praise the fanon original league version of Jayvik!!!
I'm gonna be real, I will miss the Og machine herald Viktor. I never played league, and I'm not going to, but before season 2 came out I read his lore and he's actually a pretty fun character.
Then after season two act 1 came out, I dove into the world of fanfiction cause I started shipping Jayvik and found kind a few fics about the league of legend versions of the characters. And here is what I will say.
If we go with fanon alone, I actually prefer the league versions.
League Viktor and League Jayce are actual enemies for most of the time. They used to be colleagues, then Viktor was getting into brainwashing whilst Jayce was a dick and got him kicked out of the academy. He also didn't speak up when some other scientist took credit of Viktors invention. Oh and there were misunderstandings about some crystal...
Long story short, they don't like each other. But in the fics they often times either clear the misunderstandings and make up or yearn for each other whilst on opposite sites. Or they fight each other which leads to make out sessions because why not.
The characters are also generally more fun to read about.
Jayce is a huge dick, that is literally his most defining personality trade. He is a cocky bastard and people like him until they get to know him because he's just such an asshole.
And Viktor is just... Really fucking silly. He wants to get rid of his emotions and says that he already did get rid off them, but then Jayce pisses him off and you can tell no way?? Where did you get rid off your emotions? You've been whining non stop. There's also still love, kindness and empathy within Viktor, but he somehow convinces himself that he is emotionless. It gets especially good when that's played for comedy, which it oftentimes is!
Also, the nicknames! They still call each other Jayce and Viktor but Viktor also calls Jayce "Defender" short for "Defender of tomorrow" which is jayces title, and Jayce calls him either V or Machine Herald, depending on the mood.
Arcane season 2 was too rushed and packed with so many seperate story lines that we didn't have enough time for the characters. We needed at least one more season.
But the fanon for the league version, as someone who never played it, gives me this huge time frame of them being enemies but they used to be colleagues or friends (or more than friends depending on the writer), and then a huge time frame of them being enemies.
Og machine herald League Viktor though??? PEAK, WHAT A FUNNY CRINGEFAIL LOSER!
Now more to Arcane...
I think as much as I love Jayvik there, it's all just too sad, especially if you don't necessarily want to read act 1 fanfictions or AUs.
Also Viktor is super hard to characterize because his personally changes with almost every act. That's why I don't buy it when people complain about the way he is characterized because Ik all yall want is sassy S1 Act 1 Viktor, but I prefer the less confident and workaholic Act 2 Viktor. We are not the same.
The Fanon of League is just, somehow, more consistent in a way, because it has existed just much longer and people probably get inspired by the same shippers for how to write their dynamic.
Arcane fics though depend on how the individual interprets the characters, and with characters whose arcs were rushed sm it's just impossible.
So Og machine herald Viktor, you will be missed. I hope people don't stop writing for them and drawing fanart!!
#arcane#jayce league of legends#viktor league of legends#league of legends#jayce arcane#jayce talis#jayce giopara#arcane viktor#jayvik#vikjayce
32 notes
¡
View notes
Text
bringing from my writing blog bc iâm slightly proud of this
goodnight friends i have written and been creative tonight iâve filled my quota
Jouno hated Tecchou. From the first time they had met.
That was it. Thatâs all there was. Hate mixed with a deep enamoration from the latter.
He was surpringly easy to hate as well. from his insufferable food combinations to his borderline idiotic habits, like staring at Jouno for example. Jouno absolutely loathed the way he could feel Tecchous curious stare follow his hands, or the sway of his cape, or any number of other assorted things his idiotic eyes mightâve gotten fixated on.
Jouno had no reason to be stared at, sure he had plenty to be perceived and even to be feared by criminals. If anything he made his personality fairly obvious and justifiable to stay away from, he gleefully provided plenty of reasons. But none to justifiably recieve a gaze so soft and curious as tecchous.
It burned him a little more each and every time he felt the familiar gaze crawling on his skin.
Jouno hated Tecchou.
Tecchou did not hate Jouno in return.
Jouno never understood why.
Tecchou already knew quite a bit about him, from his background to the meeting that allowed Jouno into the Hunting Dogs. Mostly things shared over drinks that Tecchou never seemed to forget.
All he provided could be used in very effective case against Jouno, and yet all he was ever met with were the feelings of lingering stares as his cape billowed about, or while small white starnds of hair brushed against his cheek in the wind.
He never understood it, perhaps he never would. Annoying..
For now he was content with hating Tecchou for as long as it took for him to hate him back.
#also bringing my og tags ->#yeahhhhh apologies if heâs a little pathetic in this one ik my characterization is off#heâs suuuper defensive I hope that comes across well in here :3#For what itâs worth I donât believe Jouno really hate-hates tecchou#I honestly see it as a strange defense mechanism#Whic could be for several reasons. My favorite and personal Interpretation which was put into words for me by @/aliciwig that jouno hates#Tecchou bc tecchou represents justice and sees kindness and justice in jouno#Of which jouno does not see in himself#Hence my interpretation as a strange defense mechanism#Idk it makes more sense than I can put into words i love projecting#bsd jouno#jouno saigiku#tecchou suehiro#bsd tecchou#bsd saigiku#suegiku#saihiro#tetchĹ suehiro#bsd tetchou#jouno x tetchou#saigiku jĹno#tetchou suehiro#saigiku jouno#bsd fic#bungou stray dogs#bsd fanfic#fanfic
32 notes
¡
View notes
Note
Is Wan canon? Because I see it referenced a lot when people argue about characterization.
It's one of the official series, but I wouldn't call stuff that happens there 'canon',,, the character characterization in WAN often relies on comedy etc (like sorry but i dont think Chuuya would start rolling on the floor while crying in front of everyone just bc he lost his hat),,,
There's also a lot of stuff like character interactions which never happened in the original timeline - for example WAN Atsushi and Chuuya met multiple times, while the OG manga ones never met before (im not counting Atsushi seeing Chuuya from x metres away as them actually interacting)(i wonder if he even knew it was chuuya)(tho uhh maybe they did interact in canon bc they did meet in one of the Audio dramas??)(audio dramas seem pretty canon to me idk)(sab wait that's not the point of the post))
So personally i see WAN as a good inspiration on what characters could be like (for example Chuuya liking dogs, i dont think it was ever mentioned in the og manga?? I may be forgetting something tho idk), but it's not like, a very canon source for me bc of how much it relies on comedy etc???? Idk i would say some things can be said to be 'canon' in it but not the entirety??? But then it's just welp, my own 'ik better what this character would be like' playing a part so
But overall WAN is just a spin-off, not part of the original story,, i would say you can treat it like beast - an au or something idk (tho WAN itself has so many aus already))
57 notes
¡
View notes
Note
Hii, I hope you you're doing well I wanted to know if you have any thoughts/opinions on the team 7 vs team taka debate that I see some people get very passionate aboutđ
oh this is like opening pandoraâs box. i have alot of thoughts on it but i will try to keep it simply.
my honest opinion is that both sides are veryy biased.
team 7 stans fear to admit that sasuke cared for team taka even if thereâs proof he did because most of team 7 stans are shippers and shippers tend to not like admitting that sasuke does care for other people outside of the character they ship him with. which is not new i mean i see people claiming sasuke loves more naruto/sakura than he ever loved itachi and itâs just not true. again, itâs just a shipping thing i see because i assume they like the âcharacter hates everyone but you trope â¤ď¸â when it definitely doesnât fit sasuke. they act like sasuke had no choice to be a team with taka when he himself chose them because he wanted them with him. (ik this gets ss especially heated after sasuke rejected sakura when she wanted to come with him. just to later sasuke pick a team that included a girl in it lol) itâs just annoying and honestly pathetic so o ignore them all the same.
on the other hand, team taka stans claim than sasuke never cared for team 7 post part 1 and act like narutoâs feelings are completely one sided. and while itâs true sasuke cared for sakura and kakashi in part 1 and later managed to cut his bonds with them, this is not the case with naruto because sasuke HIMSELF states it. taka also gets too fanonized because ppl see taka supporting blindly sasuke and think that itâs how team 7/naruto should act when that completely ignores that well, sasukeâs path is not free of flaws and his self-harming actions arenât really smth to ignore. again, takaâs devotion for sasuke is a very blind one, while narutoâs devotion can be a kind of selfish at times, it at least keeps him awake when sasuke is doing smth thatâs self destructive. also as perfect as ppl say taka are, they ignore that sasuke doesnât return the same devotion to his teammates. heâs not completely honest with his goals (as we see him only telling obito in private that he wanted to slaughter everyone in konoha and prior he had been just feigning in front of taka when he said he just wanted the take down the elders only.), he also left and cut them off during the 5 kage arc and he didnât have any intention of going to seek them again, only after they seek him first he accepted them back to help them. and like Yes, sasuke cares for them as a team as he did for team 7, since we can see him fighting for them in their fight against bee with the same determination he wanted to fight for team 7 in their fight against gaara. but thereâs still a disconnect between them. and this is ignored by stans that also blatantly deny that naruto is special to sasuke in a way nobody but itachi is even when sasuke himself is the one saying this and individualizing naruto from team 7 in a way he doesnât do with any other in team 7 AND in team taka.
so to put it simply, sasuke has show care for both teams but neither team is perfect and thereâs things to criticize in each of them and personally itâs what makes them fun! i get having preference everyone has it but this discourse just has both sides acting biased and denying sasukeâs actual characterization to fit either of their agendas
#ask#this is a mess sorry i did it in a rush#also hii Hope ur doing well too!! ignore my bad manners
38 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Iâm kind of convinced that the only reason Worst Wolverine worked so well is because of the early 2000s X-men movies and like okay
Hereâs my point:
In those movies they tried sooooo hard to characterize Logan as some stoic bad boy who just goes off and does his own thing because heâs haunted by his past and like?
Yeah some of that is true but really he just a funny little guy. He cracks jokes, is kind of an idiot at times, and he does little things that give him such an unserious personality (think him telling cyclops to stay out of his way while literally holding him in place or using the fire to light his cigar in the Danger Room). Also at the end of X-Men (the first one) Jean (and everyone else) acts like this man is just going off on his own mission and abandoning them but like literally he was going on missions for Xavier đ
And like the first three versions of that Wolverine was good because I think it really endeared general audiences to the characterâŚďżź
So could you fucking imagine if Worst Wolverine was the Logan we got in the beginning? Tbh I donât think he would have been the break out star of those movies bc no one would have liked him and I find this so fucking funny
Bc in the 2013 and 2017 appearances of this character we really go get to see that more angry, serious version of him dealing with the fallout of major tragedies, like he is in DP&W. And both movies (to my knowledge) are extremely popular among both general audiences and comic book fans (except for the robot ik).
But I think Worst Wolverine is my favorite because he blends the unseriousness of the X-Men movies with that tough and gritty character from the solo Wolverine movies and idk what Hugh Jackman has planned for his career but I really do hope we get to see more of Worst Wolverine bc heâs actually the best.
#deadpool and wolverine#logan howlett#wolverine#hugh jackman#worst wolverine#I accept that might be wrong but Iâll also take no criticism on this because I love him too much
32 notes
¡
View notes
Text
itâs kind of funny how i put off reading scum villain for so long after reading and consuming adaptations for mdzs and then reading tgcf. im not really a fan of the fan-service sex scenes in danmei because it just takes me out of the story emotionally, and i had a friend warn me that this was pretty much the case with svsss. but likeâŚ.not so much? at least not the main story.
to back up, my first introduction to any danmei media was watching the untamed. i fucking LOVED the untamed. it consumed my every waking thought for like a solid month lol. itâs actually hard to describe in hindsight just how captivated i was by wei wuxian and lan wangji. and because i loved it so much, i chose to wait for the english translations to be officially released instead of finding unofficial versions online. in the meantime, i âreadâ tgcf (skimmed) for the first time (bad idea. i finally reread it though last month for real and damn. not quite relevant though). anyway, when i finally got to book 4 of mdzs, well i knew there was the infamous bathtub scene coming, but i underestimated how much this scene would justâŚcheapen the entire story for me. and this is my own fault, i know, for taking the untamed so much to heart and not being prepared to engage with such different characterizations of the two characters i adored so much. like nothing couldâve prepared me for the fact that lan zhan was actually a nymphomaniac who was determined to have rough sex with wwx every dayâŚit just made the story feel less meaningful to me. it took away the gravity it developed for me.
so knowing how the sex scenes in mdzs affected me, of course i was skeptical of svsss based on what iâd heard. and well maybe itâs because svsss was so tonally different from mdzs and tgcf, and maybe because i knew something very graphic was coming, but shen qingqiu and luo binghe boning to save the world at the end of the main story actually madeâŚperfect sense?? like it wasnât even really supposed to be romantic at all and yet it felt 110% more earned and necessary than the scenes in mdzs. which was just really surprising to me.
anyway i donât make this to start mdzs vs. svsss discourse but more so just to discuss my thoughts on the two as someone who doesnât particularly enjoy gratuitous sex scenes and reads mostly for romance and plot (personal preference!). i still love mdzs and itâll always have a special place in my heart, but watching the untamed and getting attached to that version of the story first definitely gave me unrealistic expectations for the source material.
im just rambling about this because im curious if anyone had a similar experience with how they read the mxtx novels? also in discussing the novels, im not giving tooooo much weight to the extras.
iâll add another probably unpopular opinion that the lack of explicit content in tgcf (ik, due to censorship) actually worked in its favor in terms of emotional impact for me.
so yeah i just wanna know what people out there think of sex scenes in mxtx and their gratuitousness and how that affects the novel for you!!!
#mxtx#mdzs#tgcf#svsss#danmei#wangxian#hualian#bingqiu#heaven official's blessing#scum villainâs self saving system#grandmaster of demonic cultivation#the untamed#rambling
79 notes
¡
View notes
Note
heyy! i hope this doesnât come off as rude because youâre one of my fav joost writers and i genuinely enjoy ur writing so much but i have sort of some constructive criticism¿¿¿ so i love the way u characterize joost sm, however, sth that i find hard to believe in pretty much every joost fic in this app is the dialogue. now, joost has great english skills, however theyâre not quite perfect. the way he words some phrases, how he conjugates some verbs, his overall expressions are very telling that heâs not a native speaker. and sometimes i read some of his dialogue in fics and iâm like âthereâs no way he wouldâve said thatđâ, because while u do a great job writing what he would say, he wouldnât say it in that way, you know what i mean? So yeah i really hope youâre not offended by this, i just think u have so much to offer, and by changing this tiny aspect (making his grammar a bit different, etc.) your fics would be even better. but thatâs it, again, u can completely ignore this, ik itâs unsolicited advice and it can be annoying asfđ thank u anyway!
hiiiiii!!! i totally understand where youâre coming from anon !!! i donât mind constructive and your message was very respectful.
iâve definitely thought about changing joostâs speech patterns / grammar in my fics, i do know i write his speech very âperfectâ (i am a native english speaker haha) i just donât want to come off like iâm âmockingâ his accent u feel me? mostly because itâs hard to tell which words he doesnât always get right and thatâs not necessarily something i want to make up because then it does kind of get into kind of a weird territory. (i hope this makes sense? it just feels wrong to me to make up which words/grammar rules heâd get wrong, since itâs not always a 100% thing with him. heâll get something right one time, and get it wrong another)
on the other side of the coin i also donât want it to seem like im âdismissingâ the fact he speaks with an accent so of course i always strive to make dialogue more accurate so i appreciate your comment. i do tend to watch interviews of his / videos of him when iâm writing so i can keep his general âvibeâ in mind, but yeah for sure iâll definitely watch out for particulars that are solidified in his speech when it comes to his english speaking!
27 notes
¡
View notes