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skzwhoree · 2 years ago

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"Yearn For Me"

Hello guys!!! My last Toji fanfic received loads of love, so I decided to write another anime fanfic.

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“Yearn for Me”

Starring : y/n and Gojou Saturo

Description: Gojou is the Model student in y/n’s University. When y/n miserably fails all her classes, she seeks for help from her senior Gojou Saturo who is popularly known as the “Dream Scholar”, Gojou accepts her request but on a rather… spicy condition.

Genre- Smut

Content Summary- Sub!reader, dom!Gojou, University!au, praising, Overstimulation

word count: 1.7k

THE FOLLOWING IS NSFW CONTENT, VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

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This has been a recent fake scenario, and its eating my head, HELPP.

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“Not this again! I could’ve sworn I was gonna ace this paper!” but you did not.

Failing in an English paper has got to be one of the most embarrassing moments of your life, what was that all-nighter for? (you literally chatted with your friends online all night)

You teacher on the other hand was not very helpful was he? “y/n this is sickening, are you really trying to improve, because if this is your best, I would rather not see your worst.” It was a dead end. “I will not tolerate any more E’s from you, its either you pass my class or leave it” Dead. End.

The next day…

“Mina-chan, i suppose this is the end for me, this is the part where I sacrifice myself to the gods!” the entire cafeteria is staring at you as you bang your head on the snack table. “y/n you’re so dramatic, why don’t you take extra classes or something, save me from all your rants.” “Mina-chan so rude.” “or like ask a senior to help you out with the assignments”

“Mina-chan don’t you know all our seniors are stoners, all they know is how to smoke weed like a pro.” “Not all of them…” what does she mean by ‘not all of them’, the first thing you smell the second you enter a Year 3’s classroom is cannabis. “Gojou-san is a straight A student.” That’s a new name.

“Who’s Gojou?” you ask Mina and her face is in complete shock. She even goes as far as to call you a mummy from the Egyptian era to not know who Gojou is. “ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? GOJOU IS THE EPITOME OF BEAUTY.” Who is this Gojou and why is mina going crazy about him, and if he was that beautiful and shiny and glamorous, why haven’t you seen him yet?

“Because he’s too intelligent to attend the lectures, he doesn’t come to the university often. But when he does.. it’s a sight to see” “Mina- Chan you’re so dumb, if he doesn’t come to the uni often, how will I ask him to tutor me?”

Well lucky for you. He was at the university that day, just came to submit some assignment in person because the professor insisted.

“Y/N !!! is this your luck?? There he is!”

And wow. He was a tall man, broad shoulders, blue eyes covered with his transparent spec’s glass frame, white hair held back with a black band. His aura was magnetic, you felt pulled to him. But it wasn’t easy to just walk up to him and mention your request.

Because, wherever he went, women surrounded him. It was as if he was a celebrity, they clicked pictures with him and talked to him formally. He didn’t seem to be bothered, in fact he acted as if it was a normal occurrence for him.

But you were desperate and if to pass and get an A in your classes meant that you had to walk up to him and ask him to tutor you. You were going to do it.

“Excuse me Gojou-san!” Gojou turned as soon as he heard you call him. “Gojou-san?” he thought.

“Umm can I ask why you were running towards me with that manic look on your face? Do you, by any chance, have any intentions of stabbing me?” he was amused, and his tone was rather slick. Not what you had expected. “N-NO! I – um – I had a request that only you can fulfill.”

He looked confused. Who would not be if you say something so blunt. “Just so you know, I don’t model, so if you’re from an agency, I refuse your offer.” With that he turned the other way and started walking. “What? No! Wait! I’m not from a modeling agency, Humble yourself. I am y/n from Year 2, you’re Gojou-San right?” -who does he think he is- “I think I am?” every word from his mouth was annoying. It was as if he knew he was amazing.

“I’ve heard you’re a straight A student, I’m actually really struggling with my assignments, I was hoping you could help me?” he looked interested immediately, “Sure, I’ll help you, but I take my tution fee in cash only.” Money? Fee? For a broke student like you, does he really think you can pay? “Fee?” you say with a startled tone. “Huh? No money? And you expect me to teach you, what do you think I am, a social worker?”

He started to walk away again, he sighed loudly saying something like “Do I look like a social worker? I think I need to fix my hair.”

But you were desperate. “Wait! I don’t have money, But I’ll do anything! Please, I really have to pass my class!” He stopped. “Anything huh?”

“What do you mean anything?” he walked closer to you, with a smirk on his face. “umm yeah! I can get you morning coffee everyday, or like cook your favorite food for you, I’m a great cook actually and I could get your clothes dry cleaned for you. You know, like run errands for y-” he stopped you by placing his finger on your lips, “I have servants who do all that for me, how about you meet me in the library for our first class after uni today. I’ll take my payment after that.”

You went back to attend your classes, but something about the way he talked was bugging you. What could he possibly want as payment?

Later that day…

“WHAT?! HE AGGREED TO TUTOR YOU?” Mina yelled at the top of her voice, “SHHHH! Yes he did, we’re gonna study at the library in 5 mins”, And with that you rushed to the library, you didn’t want to be late and ruin your impression. When you reached he was already there, doing something on his phone, others at the library whispered to each other as they looked at him.

You waved to him when he looked at you, and he smirked. As you sat next to him, something that you wouldn’t have thought of in your entire life, happened.

He kissed you.

And the girls went crazy, there was an audible collective loud gasp. He kissed you deep and for once you tried to resist, but he hugged you tight so you couldn’t move. What is he doing? And why ?

After kissing you, He pulled back and started to take out books from his bag. “What? Aren’t you here to study?” you were still too shocked to utter a word. “Are you shocked? Well, don’t be. This is how you’re gonna pay me. That kiss was an advance, I’ll take the rest of the payment for today after we finish.” This? Payment? “WHAT!” you yell in the lowest pitch you can “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, IF THIS WAS THE ADVANCE WHAT IS YOUR FULL PAYMENT?” you say, still in a whisper yell.

“don’t you get it? y/n, I want to fuck you.”

No way. “Wait! I can’t do that!” you were stunned and a little annoyed by his confidence. Who does he think he is, you can’t just let him fuck you. “well then, no lessons for you, can’t believe I wasted my time for this.” And just as he got up he said, “You know, after that kiss, no woman in this room is going to spare you. Too bad.” You look around to see girls looking at you furiously, after all you had just kissed the man of their dreams.

Fuck. Dead End.

Now you were forced to take lessons from him. “No WAIT!” he smirks yet again, “Changed ya mind?” he says as he turns towards you. fuck. This isn’t good.

He sits back down and continues to take the lesson he promised. Surprisingly he was a great teacher. You could tell he put in the effort. But the payment kept bugging you.

After the lesson, he stretched a little and waited for you to pack up your bag. He grabbed you by your wrist and pulled you towards him, just to whisper in your ear, “don’t be scared, this’ll be a deal to remember. I’ll make sure you remember.”

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You pant as Gojou surrounds you in his embrace. You’re skin to skin, his length fills you up deep, the windows of his car fog up. Gojou plants little kisses on your neck as you ride him in a slow pace. “Can’t go on, m tired!” Gojou rests back his head as he says, “I like seeing you troubled, want me to help you sweetheart?” another smirk on his face. “yess, please Gojou-san!” you beg, you couldn’t have wanted anything else than gojou to help you, the slow pace was killing you, your thighs were tired. “let Gojou help her little slutty new student” he says as he quickly has you laid on the car seat.

“c’mon, don’t go quiet on me, beg.”

“Please Gojou-San, fuck me, fuck me!” he thrusts into you once, it was a hard deep thrust, “please Gojou!” Another Thrust, and as you beg him like a prayer, he fucks into your hole hard. Your wallas squeeze him tight and he grunts into your ears.

Gojou bites your ears softly, then the back of your neck, your back, your shoulders. He says “I’ve never met someone who feels so good on my dick before” “its like you were made for me to ruin you” Gojou tugs on your hair, as he cums inside of you, his fluids mix with yours as you cum with him, your hole leaks and wets his car seats. Gojou falls onto you, his heaviness acting as a sense of comfort on your body.

And just as you thought it was over.

He thrusts into you again. “Gojou-San! Can’t take anymore!”

“What? Did you think my lessons were that cheap? I’m gonna go on till I fuck with your head”

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AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA that was it GUYS! Lmk if you want a part 2! BYE.

362 notes · View notes

multi-kpop-fanfics · 1 year ago

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Remember When

pairing: vernon x fem!reader (ft. Chan, Seungkwan, Jeonghan, Jihyo, Dahyn)

genre: fluff, comedy, angst, suggestive, childhood friends to lovers to exes(?)!AU

warnings: alcohol consumption, unresolved feelings, mentions of political beliefs, propaganda, bullying, violence, cursing, anxiety

word count: 10.5k

summary: growing up in the suburbs of Athens during the seventies was turbulent to say the least - but is it turbulent enough to break the backyard trio friendship? only time could tell.

Author's note: This is my entry for the 70s;teen collab hosted by @svthub! It is based on my all time favorite greek TV show Τα Καλύτερά μας Χρόνια (alt: Remember When, Our Best Years), which takes place in the 70s and very early 80s.

p.s. 1: this fic ate my soul, spat it out and put it in the blender to repeat the process.

p.s.2: a HUGE thank you to @playmetheclassics for beta reading this monstrosity ;-;

Character introduction:

Vernon: The main character of the story and one third of the backyard trio.

Chan: Vernon's childhood best friend and one third of the backyard trio.

Seungkwan: Vernon's childhood best friend and one third of the backyard trio.

Y/N (fem!reader): Vernon's childhood friend and classmate.

Jeonghan: Vernon's older brother.

Jihyo: Vernon's older sister.

Dahyun: Chan's girlfriend (introduced later in the story).

Stelios: The father of the family (name taken directly from the TV series)

Mary: The mother of the family (name taken directly from the TV series)

©multi-kpop-fanfics, 2023. No reposting allowed. No translations allowed without permission.

August, 1970.

��Hnngh……”

“Mmmphhh…”

“Gah, I can’t keep it up anymore!”

“Ding ding ding! Vernon is the winner!” Seungkwan announces the result, “He was able to hold out for longer. Chan, hand me over your cards. I need to count them.”

Vernon checks his biceps, a proud smile on his face.

“Have you noticed any change?” Seungkwan asks.

“Yeah! My biceps have gained more volume!”

“Why do we call them biceps? They look like uncooked chicken wings.”

“They look exactly the same as yesterday and last week to me,” Chan squeezes Vernon’s arm, “All this sweat was for nothing!”

“It takes time and a lot of dynamic exercise to build up muscle.” Vernon rolls his eyes. “It’s clearly written in the magazine as well.”

“Anyways, at this stage, you’ve managed to win a super rare Pelé card, the footballer who scored his 1000th goal last year! He’s an amazing player.” Seungkwan hands the card to Vernon, who is ecstatic to add this newfound treasure to his collection.

“A rare Pelé card? I don’t have that one.” Another boy sneaks behind Vernon and steals the card.

Ah, Ares. The new kid in the school and the one who has taken up the bully role.

“Hey, give it back!” Vernon tugs at the flimsy paper until it’s torn in half.

“Aw, your little card is all torn up now.” Ares mocks him.

“You’re stupid and mean another word my brother has taught me, but I can’t say it!”

“What did you say?” Ares pushes him onto the ground and starts hitting him, but Vernon tries to fight back, kicking his feet to hit the other kid.

“Ares! There you are!”

The high-pitched voice attracts the attention of both boys, the owner of the voice being none other than Helen. AKA, Vernon’s crush.

"I've been searching for you." She crosses her arms in front of her torso. "Can we go now?"

Ares spares her one glance before he punches Vernon in the eye, leaving him on the ground with a fresh bruise as he walks away with the young girl.

Helen briefly looks over her shoulder at Vernon, but Ares pulls her by her arm to follow her until they disappear from the backyard.

It's not long before Vernon returns home, sitting right next to Jeonghan, who has a similar bruise as him.

"I seriously cannot believe both of you are years apart, yet act the same!" Stelios reprimands both sons.

"Can you stop shouting for a second?" Jeonghan grimaces.

"And what do you want me to do? Sit around and congratulate my kids for getting bruised up? I can accept a nine-year-old kid being immature, but you? You're supposed to be studying to be a lawyer, not running away from the cops with a girl!"

"Stelios!"

"Mary, that's enough!"

"No, you stop it!" Jeonghan roars, "There was no way I'd let the fucking cops arrest us!"

"Can you be realistic for once?"

"No, I prefer being idealistic."

"Idealists cannot survive in a world where dictatorship exists!"

"That's why we try to overthrow the goddamn dictatorship, Dad! Not that you could ever understand since your best man is literally in cahoots with them!"

Jeonghan angrily storms off the living room and heads straight to the bedroom, Vernon scurrying off right after.

The boys remain silent on their respective beds, save for a few hisses coming out of Jeonghan’s mouth. He rummages through his jacket to seemingly find something necessary to him.

“What are you looking for?”

“Beeswax ointment.”

“What is that?”

“It’s an ointment that helps your skin when it’s bruised. Now come over here so I can put some on your eye.” Jeonghan opens the small tin jar, and Vernon sits on his brother’s bed.

“Ew, that stinks!”

“Shut up, sprout. I’m doing this for your sake!” Jeonghan carefully swipes a small amount of the beeswax on the boy’s eye.

“Where did you get that from?”

“Martha gave it to me.”

“Is she a friend of yours?”

“Not exactly…”

“She’s your girlfriend then!”

“Shh! Don’t shout!” Jeonghan puts his hand over Vernon’s mouth. “I can’t have Mom and Dad yelling about this again!”

“Is she against the dictatorship, like you?”

“Even more than me, given the fact that her dad is part of it.”

“Were you together at the protest?”

“Yeah,” Jeonghan sighs, “I got punched by a cop while trying to protect her, but she didn’t seem to like that.”

“I got punched by a guy in the backyard because he’s hanging out with the girl I like,” Vernon admits.

“Is that why you’re reading all these dumb magazines about body growth and exercise?” The older sibling chuckles.

“They are not dumb! They will help me get bigger and impress Helen so I can win her back!”

“Okay, okay, lil mister! No need to be so dramatic.”

No matter the teasing remarks, Vernon is dead set on building muscle and transforming his body to win the girl of his dreams back.

“What do you mean he’s trying to build up his body?” Sir Nick raises his eyebrow.

"Vernon asked his dad to fill some tin cans with mud and stick them to metal bars," Chan says.

"He's definitely doing this for a woman." The older man fixes his glasses.

"He's salty about losing Helen to Ares, but we aren't supposed to know that."

"Love is full of hardships and abandonment, young lads," Sir Nick reads from his magazine, "It's written clearly in the books!"

"This isn't a book, this a magazine," Seungkwan replies, "And a women's magazine at that!"

"It is condensed wisdom, you uncultured twats!"

"At least girls aren't paying attention to us."

"But what about when we grow up? Then we'll definitely be in trouble, especially me, who's gonna be very handsome like my dad." Chan shrugs.

"You two are supposed to stay away from temptations like proper scouts!" Sir Nick reprimands them. "And the biggest of them all are none other than the spiders-"

"Women!"

"Exactly! Even the bible is full of them - they are the pinnacle of temptation!"

“Yet Vernon is willing to change himself for one.” Seungkwan pouts.

A week later, the trio regrouped in the familiar backyard where Ares is seen with Helen sitting on the edge of the old truck.

“Are you sure you’re just gonna take him head on? He’s taller than you!” Chan whispers.

“He gave you a good beating last time too…” Seungkwan adds with a defeated expression.

“I wasn’t as strong as I am now! Besides, none of you tried to back me up last time!” Vernon retorts.

“We won’t back down this time, though!”

“You better!”

They approach the truck with bravery, noticing how Helen nudges Ares who turns his attention to the trio.

“You came for another round of beating? Wasn’t last time enough for you?” He picks up a twig and swings it back and forth.

“You’ll be the one to get beaten this time!” Vernon yells and picks a twig of his own from the ground, running towards Ares.

He catches the taller boy off guard and successfully tackles him on the ground, the rest of the trio ganging up on him.

“Say you surrender! Say it!” Vernon points his twig at Ares.

"Fine! I surrender! I'm sorry for hitting you last time!"

Vernon lifts his head and looks at Helen. She flashes him a toothy grin, and he reciprocates it with excitement.

He won.

November, 1971.

“A newspaper?” Helen asks.

“Yeah, like the ones Sir Nick is selling!” Chan chirps.

“And what are we gonna write in them?” Helen asks

“We could write about the things happening in the neighborhood!” Seungkwan adds.

“That’s boring,” you scoff, “The grown-ups can just talk with each other and learn everything.”

“And that’s where we come in,” Vernon straightens his back, “We can spy on them and dish out their secrets!”

“Are you crazy?! We’re gonna get yelled at by everyone!” Helen whines.

“If you don’t want to participate, then you’re free to walk out of this,” Vernon shrugs, “No one is stopping you.”

“Okay, even if we do manage to find interesting topics to write for, how are we gonna print the actual newspaper copies?” You cross your arms in front of your chest.

“That’s a secret,” he smirks, “But my sources are well-trusted, so you don’t have to worry about it.”

“That makes it even more suspicious, Vernon.”

“Again, if you don’t trust me, you can walk out of this while it’s still early!”

"Even if we don't, what are we even supposed to be doing?" Seungkwan tilts his head.

"Easy - You guys will be the reporters, and I'm gonna be the chief editor who publishes the newspaper!"

"That sucks! Why can't I be the chief editor?!" Chan grimaces.

"Because I was the one who had the idea in the first place!" Vernon replies.

"Okay, okay, no need to fight. You can keep the role of the chief editor! But if we get caught by the headmaster, you’re gonna get the entire blame!” The rest of the group point at Vernon. And one by one the kids disappear, save for Chan who asks him, “Are you sure about this? We could get in serious trouble…”

“I’d rather get into trouble for defending myself and speaking my mind, rather than just messing up on tests!” Vernon stands his ground.

"Did your brother teach you that?"

"My sister, as well! If she hadn't stood her ground, she wouldn't have become an air hostess."

"Wow, you really have a rebellious family after all."

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A few days ago….

“Tell me what that thing is!” Vernon pulls his brother’s sleeve.

“I cannot! I’m supposed to keep it a secret, you damn sprout!” Jeonghan loudly whispers.

“Aha! It’s a printing press, isn’t it?”

“Shh! Shut the fuck up, nobody should know I have one of these!”

“Is it because they are banned?”

“That’s one way to put it - But it’s because we use them to print papers against the propaganda created by the dictators,” Jeonghan explains.

“What is propaganda?” Vernon asks, intrigued by the word.

“It’s a tactic used by governments to make people believe they are doing good things for their country, while in reality, they are just trying to gain more power - Basically, they are trying to change the people’s opinions to fit their narrative.”

“So, it’s like they are taking the people’s brains, throwing them in the washing machine, taking them out and putting them back in the people’s heads?”

“Yeah, that’s a good analogy!” Jeonghan pats his brother’s back, “Now that you know everything, keep your mouth shut, and nobody is gonna get into trouble.”

“And what if I want to use the press for a newspaper as well?”

“There’s no fucking way you’re gonna do that, sprout.”

“If you won’t let me use it, I’m gonna tell Mom and Dad everything!”

“You little fucker-” Jeonghan grits his teeth, “Fine, you win! But you better keep your promise. Otherwise I’m gonna burn all your football cards.”

“I always keep my promises, big bro.”

“....What do you even want the press for?”

“I want to publish a newspaper, like the leaflets you put around law school with your friends!”

“These aren’t just leaflets. They send serious anti-junta messages! Plus, do you really want to make yourself a target at the age of ten?”

“But I’m not gonna put the content you put in yours! I just want to write the news of the neighborhood!”

“Hey, I’m serious!” Vernon punches Jeonghan’s arm. “I even want to have my own reporters!”

“Reporters, huh?”

“Yeah, they’ll be hiding around the neighborhood and be on the lookout for juicy topics!”

“That’s just paparazzi work, sprout.”

The newspaper copies were indeed printed out and distributed on every single corner of the Gkyzi neighborhood - after an entire week of the group hiding around in public spaces to observe and eavesdrop on the grown-ups and elders.

It most definitely caused a ruckus around the residents since many secrets were out in the open, and many misunderstandings were caused - along with the school’s headmaster having to deal with aggravated parents.

It wasn’t long before the headmaster found out who the culprits were, and it definitely wasn’t a nice situation.

“What was even going on in your brains when you came up with this stupid idea?!”Stelios yells.

“We just wanted to make a newspaper like the ones you read!” Vernon defends himself.

“The newspapers we read include politics and finance, not if the food of the local tavern is poisoned!” “But everyone who ate those Cretan snails went to the hospital right after!”

“That was a one-time thing!” Mary almost pulls at her hair, “This could have easily dealt a fatal blow at the poor man’s business!”

“But-”

“No buts! You messed up big time, and you have to make up for this - you’re grounded for the rest of the month!”

“That’s unfair! Grown-ups are unfair!” Vernon yells and rushes to his room, slamming the door behind him and hiding under the blankets.

So much for trying to look smart, is all he thinks before tearing up.

February, 1972.

“Chan is still gone, is he?”

“Yeah, a lot of family trouble lately.” Vernon throws another stone towards the red bin. “He must feel terrible now that his parents are giving all of his attention to his younger sibling.”

“Thank God I have no siblings then,” Seungkwan huffs, “That would have been very draining.”

“Helen disappeared as well. Do you think something happened to her?”

“Nah, girls are cunning. They can escape things like spiders,” Seungkwan shrugs, “By the way, what are you gonna dress up as for the carnival? I’m gonna dress up as a soldier!”

“I’m gonna dress up as a cowboy, like the ones in Bonanza.”

Despite the calm discussion about their upcoming carnival activities, something was bugging Vernon about his friend’s lengthy absence. It wasn’t usual for Chan to be away from the trio, as it felt like the balance was disrupted.

The carnival celebrations would soon arrive at the neighborhood of Gkyzi, the concrete buildings dressing up in confetti and carnival masks hanging from the door frames.

The residents have all chosen their own carnival costumes - some of them decided to play safe by dressing up as a famous celebrity, and others chose to unleash their inner animal (literally).

Seungkwan and Vernon held up to their end and indeed showed up as a soldier and a cowboy, respectively.

“What do you need the binoculars for?” Vernon raises his eyebrow in question.

“Don’t be dumb. All great soldiers have binoculars to watch the enemy from afar!” Seungkwan holds them up, “Plus, you can see what other people are doing without getting caught.”

“Lemme see.” Vernon snatches them from his friend, putting them on his eyes to spy on other people.

“What do you see?”

“Uh… a gorilla chasing Marilyn Monroe…..My sister dressed as a wildcat… Bah, that’s boring!”

“Hey, I wanna see too!” Seungkwan grabs his binoculars back and starts scanning the area again, but it ends abruptly after witnessing something very disheartening.

“What’s with the long face? What did you see, Kwan?”

“Nothing.”

“Seungkwan!”

“I told you, it was nothing!”

Vernon steals the binoculars once more and focuses on the spot Seungkwan did a few seconds ago, anger overcoming his facial features as he sees Chan playing with Helen around a tree, gingerly holding her hand.

“Traitor.”

“I’m sorry, Vernon-”

“It’s not your fault, Seungkwan. He’s the one who should apologize for stealing my girl.”

He wishes Sir Nick had taught him about the pain of betrayal by a best friend, aside from the Boy Scout principles, because nothing had prepared him for this.

It’s not long before a piece of cardboard is hanging from the back on the abandoned truck, “traitors and girls are not allowed”, written with bold red crayon and a ton of grammatical errors - dictation was never Vernon’s forte.

March 25th, 1972.

It’s been roughly a month since Vernon saw Chan playing with Helen and the two boys haven’t spoken since then.

Despite the celebratory atmosphere of the day, he’s far from happy himself - there’s a consistent frown on his face, one that stays on even now, all while he’s trying to fix the tyre of his wooden cart.

“Are you still mad at your friend, sprout?” Stelios asks and Vernon nods.

“I can understand how you feel, but you’re still a kid - Not to mention that Chan is your best friend.”

“But he stole my girl!”

“Hasn’t Sir Nick taught you about the meaning of friendships and forgiveness?”

“Sir Nick constantly talks about women acting like spiders,” Vernon pouts, “But nothing about betrayal!”

“Listen here, kid.” Stelios tightens the cart's tyre. “It won’t be long before Chan comes back to you and asks for your forgiveness.”

“How do you know that, Dad?”

“We’ve all been through similar situations when we were kids,” he reminisces about his childhood with a small smile. “And what I’ve learned is that deep down, nobody wants to sacrifice their friendship for ephemeral flings, no matter how old you are.”

Stelios sets the newly fixed cart on the asphalt, patting it on the driver’s seat.

“Come on, won’t you go for a ride with your trusty car?”

“Thanks, Dad!” Vernon excitedly jumps into the seat and rolls out to his destination - his beloved backyard.

He’s surprised when he sees you sitting on the edge of the truck, but he doesn’t mind your presence - in fact, he’s starting to get used to it, even if he’s still salty about losing the car race to you.

“Hi Vernon.”

“Hi Y/N.”

“You were really good at the school celebration today,” you swing your legs back and forth, “Your poem was nice too! Mine was kinda boring.”

“I don’t think it was boring,” Vernon replies. “You recited it nicely.”

Suddenly, the both of you hear footsteps from afar and you soon see Chan appearing in the backyard, out of breath.

“Go away, you traitor!” Vernon yells.

“Let me explain!” Chan pants out. “I don’t want to have a girlfriend anymore! I want my best friend back! She’s unbearable!”

“And why should I believe you - Ow!” Vernon groans as you nudge him on the sides.

“I don’t want to be with Helen, I want to play with you and Seungkwan again! Sir Nick was right. Women are like spiders!”

Chan kneels on the ground, not hesitating to soil his clothes in order to show his regret.

You nudge Vernon again, nodding towards Chan’s direction.

He jumps down and walks towards his friend, kneeling down in front of him and giving him a tight hug.

“I missed you too, buddy.” Vernon giggles and softly headbutts Chan, finally making peace with his best friend.

June, 1973.

“Are you seriously going on a date with Y/N?”

“I can and I will! I’ve even written a letter for her.” Vernon shows the folded piece of paper.

“And you’re just gonna give it to her?!” Chan’s eyes widen in surprise.

“Of course not, you dumbass! I will ask for help from Sir Nick. He always knows best.”

“Why do you even want to go on a blind date with her? She doesn’t even like you!” Seungkwan rolls his eyes.

“That’s what you think! I’m sure that behind her tough act, she’s madly in love with me - all women act like that before the first date.”

“Who even told you this?” Chan raises his eyebrow in question.

“Sir Nick, obviously! And the pocket-sized book he gave me to read.”

“Wasn’t that a romantic novel for women?” Seungkwan grimaces.

“Well, yeah, but it helped me write the letter, so it works for me!” Vernon grins, “Gotta go now. I have a mission to accomplish.”

“Tell us how it goes!”

“Will do!”

Vernon leaves in a haste and runs towards the newspaper stand to find Sir Nick.

“Good morning Sir!”

“Hello there Vernon! What brings you here today?”

“I wanted to tell you to take a look at a letter I’ve written.”

“A letter? Destined for whom?”

“Y/N! But she doesn’t know I’m the sender, because I intend to meet her on a blind date.”

“So you’re really into her, huh?”

“I know we won’t be in the same school starting from September and I want to take my chances.”

“Ever the brave boy scout. Bravo!” Sir Nick applauds the boy, “Now give me the letter.”

Vernon hands over the letter and sits next to the older man, waiting for his approval.

“So, here we go.” Sir Nick puts on his glasses and unfolds the letter.

Hello Y/N,

You may not know who I am, but I am sending you this letter to tell you that I want to see you before we part ways this autumn.

I will wait for you this Sunday in front of the neighborhood cinema. I will be wearing a knitted yellow beanie and neat clothes.

I look forward to the moment I’ll bring you into my arms and hold you close to me.

Sincerely,

your secret admirer.

“Well well, I’m impressed! Especially with the last sentence.” Sir Nick removes his glasses and puts them in the front pocket of his shirt.

“I took it from the pocket-sized novel you gave me! I thought it would suit the message nicely.”

“It definitely does! Now what else do you want me to do?”

“Is there a way to deliver the letter to Y/N without her finding out it’s from me?”

“Youngster, you’re talking to a former scout and military soldier. It’s a piece of cake for me!”

As if on cue, you walk down the street and stop right outside the newspaper stand.

“Hello Sir Nick! Hey Vernon!”

“Good morning Y/N!”

“Is the new issue of Manina magazine here?”

“Of course!” Sir Nick goes behind the stand to search for the magazine and hides the letter inside it, “Here it is! It will be twenty drachmas.”

“Thank you! Have a good day sir!” You take the magazine and walk away.

“What now?” Vernon watches you from afar.

“Now we wait. She will notice it soon enough.”

Sir Nick is proven correct as the letter falls from the magazine and it definitely catches your attention. You step aside and sit down on the pavement to read through the letter, checking your surroundings for any suspects.

"See? Told you she would notice!"

"Let's hope she will actually appear on the date."

"I'm sure she will, lad."

Vernon keeps spying on you from afar as you keep reading his letter and an idea pops into his head, making him rush back to his friends immediately.

"Guys!"

"What's up? Did Y/N get the letter?" Seungkwan asks.

"She did, but I need to make sure she will come on the date!"

"What does that have to do with us?"

"I need you two to be my spies!"

"You want us to spy on Y/N?!" Chan almost falls on the ground.

"Don't shout, you dumbass!" Vernon shushes his friend. "All I want you to find out is how she feels about the letter. I'm sure she's already on the way to talk about it with her friend!"

"He has a point," Seungkwan ponders, "But I'm not very good at spying on people. My mom always catches me whenever I try to steal cookies from her jar."

"I guess it's up to me then." Chan sighs as he cleans his glasses and gets up, “Thank God I’ve read lots of comics with spies.”

“Oh God, this won’t end well.” Seungkwan facepalms.

Surprisingly, Chan was really good at it. He managed to remain undetected all while trying to find out your true intentions about the letter and the blind date.

“Vernon!” He comes running to the backyard.

“What’s the rush, Chan? And what….are you wearing?”

“Oh, this? It’s my spy attire! Cool, right?” Chan flexes his black coat and sunglasses,

“Ugh, just tell me what you found out!” Vernon stomps his feet on the ground.

“Y/N accepted the invitation!”

“Really?!”

“Yeah! Although she did say that guys who write letters like yours are most likely ugly.”

“Sounds exactly like something Y/N would say.” Seungkwan snickers.

“That’s just one more reason for me to do my best for the date!” Vernon straightens his back and puffs out his chest.

Sunday night comes around and Vernon is standing outside of the cinema, fixing his yellow beanie and the bowtie around the collar of his shirt.

He has already bought two tickets for the Papillon movie and now waits for you to appear.

A couple of minutes later, you walk up to him and you scan his entire outfit.

“Hey Vernon. What are you doing here?”

“I don’t think I have a lot of explaining to do…”

“You’re wearing a yellow beanie….Did you send the letter?”

“Yeah, that was me.”

“Why did you have to go through this hassle?” You ask.

“That’s because….We won’t be able to see each other on a daily basis, since I’ll be attending a boys’ middle school.”

“That’s nonsense! We will never part ways, because we’re buddies!”

“Yeah, but….This is supposed to be a date…” Vernon scratches his head.

“Did you buy tickets for the movie?”

“I got one for you and one for me.”

“Why not three?”

“Three? Who’s the third?”

“Chan! He’s right there!” You point towards the trees and Vernon mentally curses his friend, who appears from the shadows like a Matrix character.

“Hi guys…”

“Hi Chan! Do you want to watch the movie with us?”

“Uh, yeah….Sure, why not?” He replies and Vernon throws him a nasty glare.

“Great! Let’s go to the vendor, there must be more tickets left!” You exclaim happily and go to buy a third ticket.

“What are you doing?! You’re not supposed to be here!” Vernon angrily whispers to his friend.

“I’m sorry! I was worried about you and I wanted to make sure everything would go well! I had no idea she would notice me!” Chan tries to defend himself.

“...Some top-class spy you are.”

July, 1974.

“I can’t believe I have to keep the splint on for almost the entire summer. That sucks!”

“Hey, at least our parents agreed about me coming with you, so it won’t be terrible!” Chan grins.

“And what exactly can you help me do?”

“I can be your butler! I have read about them in comics - they know their bosses' secrets and always take care of them.” He pulls out a pair of gloves from his pocket. “They even wear gloves, like these ones!”

“Okay, mister butler, help me get up.. These crutches are almost as tall as me.”

“If only Seungkwan could spend the summer holidays with us as well…” Chan pouts.

“I don’t think his mom would have let him come either way.” Vernon supports himself on the crutches with his friend’s help. “Besides, he’s probably swimming in the sea of an island right now, so definitely a better choice than my dad’s village!”

“Not to mention that he would have to put up with you and your broken leg.”

“Shut up, Chan! I don’t like it either!”

“It must really suck to have a splint during summertime, though.”

“You have no idea.” Vernon balances himself on the crutches, “I wish I hadn’t joined you in that football match in the backyard.”

“But we would have lost without you!”

“Yeah, but I made myself a fool in front of Y/N!”

“She only sees you as a friend! Didn’t you learn your lesson last summer?!”

“I can’t say you are wrong…”

“What if you meet a girl here? What if she’s prettier than Y/N?”

“There’s no way it will happen!”

“Fine, if you say so,” Chan shrugs, “Anyways, enough about girls - When will the doctor remove the splint from your leg?”

“End of August, most likely,” Vernon whines, “And it sucks!”

“Can you at least take walks at the beach?”

“That I can.”

“Then we should ask your parents if they let us go to the beach!”

“Unlikely, but we can always try!”

“You’re not wrong.”

“Besides, there’s no way they would let us help around with cleaning in your state.”

“You make it sound like I’m handicapped or something…” Vernon pouts.

“You sort of are since you can’t even kick a ball!” Chan giggles and sprints away.

“Get back here, you skunk! You’ll pay for this!” Vernon tries to catch up with his friend while menacingly holding one of the crutches in the air.

July, 1975.

The neighborhood of Gkyzi is celebrating once again and of course, Vernon is dressed to the nines.

He holds a film camera in his hands and he tries his best to take pictures of his aunt walking down the street in her sequined wedding dress, her blonde hair styled to perfection to uphold the veil as she holds onto his dad’s arm - the tradition of a man walking the bride down the aisle still holds strong.

Amongst the pleasant ruckus of family and friends flocking towards the bride, Vernon snaps one photo with the intention of creating a memory of his aunt’s happy moment.

But instead, all he manages to capture is Seungkwan standing behind a tree holding his mother’s hand.

He watches them walk away in silence, fear and sadness overcoming his senses as he slowly realizes that the backyard trio will soon become a mere memory of his childhood years.

A few days later, Vernon celebrates his 14th birthday in the living room of his house. He’s surrounded by his family and Chan, waiting for the familiar birthday song to end and finally blowing away the candles on the cake. The words “Happy birthday sprout”, written with bright red syrup steal Vernon’s attention that causescausing a small smile to form on his face as he knows that soon he won’t be called a sprout anymore. The end of middle school is just a year away.

But at the same time, the years of his innocence and the adventures of the backyard trio come to a painful yet silent end.

July, 1977.

The birthday song ends, and the freshly sixteen-year-old Vernon blows away the candles of his chocolate-covered birthday cake.

As soon as he gets up, he's welcomed with a flurry of hugs and kisses from people wishing him nothing but the best.

"Thank you for the cake and the wishes, buuuut I must take my leave now, everyone," he announces with a cheeky smile.

"What? But I canceled my rehearsal so I wouldn't miss your birthday!" Jihyo pouts.

“What is even so important that you have to leave right now?” Stelios asks.

“I have to meet with Chan in less than ten minutes. We want to go south and see Jeonghan’s live performance.”

“Ah yes, the lawyer turned musician.” The father rolls his eyes.

“It’s a shame, though,” Mary sighs.“I even prepared roasted beef with potatoes for you!”

“Mom, you can just keep a portion for me!”

“Fine, if you say so,” she sighs, “Hope you have fun, darling.”

“And no alcohol!” Stelios yells right before Vernon closes the door behind him.

He hastily walks down the stairs of the apartment block, noticing Chan waiting for him on a sleek red Vespa.

“Where the hell did you get this from, skunk?” He asks.

“Surprise! Happy birthday, idiot.” Chan grins.

“I thought we would go south by taxi?”

“Are you dumb? Everyone knows my dad, and if word gets out, we’re done for!”

“As if stealing your dad’s Vespa is a mightier act.”

“Shut up and get behind me already!” Chan yells and turns on the engine, trying his best to drive in a straight line and not like a wobbly baby.

After an hour or so, they made it to the bar where Jeonghan was playing with his band, only to catch him right at the end of the live performance.

“Hey, you guys made it!” The man greets them happily, “Happy birthday, sprout.”

“Stop calling me that. I’m not a kid anymore!” Vernon playfully shoves his brother.

“What the hell are you even wearing?”

“Aunt gifted it to me.” Vernon fixes his new shirt. “What, it’s not nice?”

“It’s fucking terrible, dude,” Jeonghan laughs, “Couldn’t you have worn a normal tee like Chan did? Anyways, should I get you a couple of beers?”

“What? No whiskey?!” Chan complains.

“It’s either beer or lemonade.”

“Beer it is, then.” Vernon agrees.

“Okay, it’s settled then!” Jeonghan clapped his hands in excitement, “Now, if you’ll excuse me, but the cute blondie over there has been checking me out, and I’d hate to disappoint her.”

“Are you sure she wasn’t looking at me?” Chan points at himself.

“Shut the fuck up, you skunk.” Jeonghan smacks the younger man’s head and takes his leave.

“So…. Should we get those beers?” Vernon turns his attention to his friend.

“Not before the girls arrive.”

“The wh- Huh?”

“Surprise again! I arranged a date with two girls. They will be here soon.”

“Uhh, thanks? I guess?”

“Don’t thank me yet, skunk.”

Soon enough, the two girls arrive, introducing themselves with giggles and eyelash-batting - Vernon didn’t pay attention to their names.

A bottle of beer turns into two and two turns into three. He starts feeling a bit hazy, but his friend seems completely unfazed, as he keeps disco dancing with the girls.

“Hey, how about we walk at the beach?!” One of the girls suggests.

“Sure, sounds fun!”

“Wha- uh, s-sure, yeah.” Vernon stutters and rubs his face to wake himself up, but it’s no use.

He lowkey thanks the heavens for the bar being just a ten-minute walk from the beach.

“Dude, can you believe it? They are infatuated with us!” Chan excitedly pats his friend’s back.

“I just think they are just excited by nature…”

“Then how do you explain THIS?”

Vernon’s eyes almost fall out of his skull when he sees the girls taking off their clothes one by one, ready to dive in.

“What are they doing?!”

“What do you think they are doing?” Chan grins like an imp.

“Hey! Are you coming or not?!” The ladies wave at the two boys as they take a few steps into the ice-cold water.

“Vern, are we going in or not?!”

“I…don’t feel so good…”

“Oh come on, don’t be a coward!”

“I’m not a c-coward, my stomach f-feels weird…”

“Okay birthday boy, now is not the time to play games!”

“I need…water…”

That’s all Vernon manages to say before he passes out on the sand, the alcohol proving a little too much for him to handle.

“Vernon!”

Chan kneels down and shakes his friend’s body, tapping his cheeks in an attempt to wake him up, but his actions are futile.

“Why isn’t he waking up?!” One of the girls shouts.

“I don’t know!” Chan panics. “Fuck!”

July, 1977 - one day after Vernon’s birthday.

“It was sheer luck that Jeonghan passed by the same spot where you passed out.” Chan gulps down his lemonade. “Otherwise, mister Stelios would have kicked my ass.”

“Yours and mine both, skunk,” Vernon laughs, “Can’t believe I passed out from just two bottles of beer.”

“Real loser behavior from you, Vern.”

The two boys turn their attention to you, watching you tower over the tabletop football game with a playful grin on your face.

“What’s wrong, boys? Cat got your tongue?”

“Shut up, Y/N, just start the game!” Chan lets out an exasperated groan as he takes over the opposite side of the table, “Can’t wait to win this game and get back at you for the last time.”

“Dream on, skunk.” You scoff and throw the small white ball in the pit.

The handles on both sides are on fire, the wooden football player-shaped figures hitting and stopping the ball when needed. Vernon’s eyes are fixated on the way your hands skillfully switch from handle to handle, earning you another fair and square victory in a matter of minutes.

“This is bullshit!” Chan protests, “How do you keep winning all the time?!”

“It’s called skill, Chan.” You stretch your arms above your head. “Something you obviously don’t have. Now pay up.”

He lets out a sigh as he hands over the spare change in his pocket to his friend. Vernon goes to the bar counter and gives the money to the owner.

“Y/N has really been kickin’ your asses in games lately, huh?”

“You have no idea, Uncle Thomas.”

“So, when are you doing it?”

“Do what?”

“Confess to her, you blockhead of a youngster.” Thomas smacks Vernon’s forehead, “And don’t even dare to deny it.”

“I don’t really think I had a chance to actually confess to her…”

“Then create one, you idiot! You’re supposed to be the lovesick smartass.”

Vernon takes a look at his two friends, and you look back at him with a beaming smile.

“Take the shot while you can, lad. Time waits for no one.”

He leaves the counter and rejoins the other two, who are still bickering about tabletop football.

“Vernon, tell her that I’m actually good at this game!” Chan points to you, visibly annoyed.

“Chan, you fucking suck at that game.”

“Fuck you, Vernon.”

“Love you too, skunk.”

“Okay, enough with the talking!” You wave your hands to calm down the two boys, “Wanna take a walk to the backyard?”

“How did this come into consideration?”

“It won’t stay as it is for long, you know.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The mayor has received a grand sum of money from the government to reshape the neighborhood, aka make even more apartment blocks.”

“Okay, yeah, but what does our backyard have to do with it?” Chan asks.

“The excavators will dig the entire backyard and throw away everything. It’s part of their plan.”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” Vernon frowns.

“I wish I was, but I’m not, sadly.”

“Well, I guess that walk to the backyard is necessary now,.” Chan straightens his back and starts walking towards the bar exit. “Come on, whatcha waitin’ for?”

The walk to their destination doesn’t take them more than ten minutes. They have developed a strong muscle memory throughout their childhood years with the hours upon hours they spent playing there which resulted with them often returning home with dirt and sweat all over their skin and clothes.

Everything remained the same - the empty oil cans, the rusty old truck, and the scattered metal bars from past working sites that were never made into real buildings.

“Nothing has changed here, huh?” Chan lets out a laugh, “I still remember the time when the girls tried to claim the truck for their own.”

“That’s because we wanted equal rights to the backyard! And we gained them through hard work!”

“Are you referring to the cart race?” Vernon scoffs.

“You’re quick to catch on, Vern.” You grin and he nudges your shoulder playfully.

“You mean the one where your cart got stuck on the edge of the pavement and you couldn’t take it out?”

“How do you know that? You weren’t even there, Chan!”

“I met Seungkwan the day after the race and he told me what happened.”

“Ooh.” You narrow your eyes in anticipation. “What did he tell you?

“He said that Vernon was really mad at himself and couldn’t understand how in the world he lost a driving race to a girl.”

“Shut up, Chan!”

“It’s not like we didn’t know, Vern.” You sit on the edge of the truck. “You were clearly pissed off that day.”

“Guys come on, it’s been years since that! I think it’s time to drop it already!”

“That’s cute.”

“Ugh, you two are insufferable!” Vernon rolls his eyes.

In a split second, you exchange quick nods with Chan and he gets the message you’re trying to send him.

“It was nice to see you again my dear friends, but I’m afraid I have to leave now.” Chan announces with a beaming smile.

“And why are you so happy about it?” Vernon questions him with a neutral expression.

“Well, that’s because…” Chan skillfully lies, “I have a date soon and I need to get ready! Bye-bye!”

The two of you watch as Chan almost runs away.

“Hm, that’s weird.” Vernon grimaces.

“What’s wrong?” You ask.

“Chan never told me he has a date today.”

“Maybe he forgot to tell you?”

“Nah, he would never do that. Something is fishy here.”

“Or maybe you’re hallucinating!” You jump from the truck.

“Haha, really funny, Y/N.” He deadpans.

“I know I’m hilarious, thanks for the reminder, buddy.” You stand right in front of him.

“Can you…stop doing this?” Vernon’s voice grows softer.

“Do what?”

“Calling me your buddy.”

“But…Why would I stop doing that?” You let out an awkward laugh.

“Because I cannot be your friend anymore, Y/N.”

Your blood runs cold.

“Wait, what? What is that supposed to mean?”

“I cannot be your friend anymore because I like you, Y/N.”

“O-Oh.” You stutter.

“Remember when I sent you that letter back in middle school?”

You gasp.

“You’ve liked me since then?!”

“Yes, but you never reciprocated these feelings! I gave up after some point, but-”

You cut Vernon off by kissing him on the lips, your hands resting on his cheeks.

“Is it too late to reciprocate them now?” You whisper.

His lips curl upwards in a fond smile and his arms bring you closer to his body.

“Of course not.”

December, 1977.

“Come on, we’re going to be late for the premiere!” Mary yells from the house entrance.

“Oh shush, woman, I’m here!” Stelios fixes his tie, “So, how do I look?”

“Like a mannequin - Can we go now?”

“Fine….” he mutters while rolling his eyes.

“Darling, are you sure you’re gonna be okay?” She asks Vernon.

“Yeah, I just took a painkiller. I’ll be fine!”

“Don’t you want some of us to stay here?”

“No! I swear, I’ll be fine,” Vernon whines, “Just go, you shouldn’t miss the premiere - And say congrats to Jihyo from me.”

As soon as his parents and aunt bid him goodbye and close the door behind them, he jumps off the couch and picks up the telephone to swiftly dial your number.

“It’s me, yeah.” He lets out an awkward laugh after you pick up. “My parents just left the house, and they won’t be back until way late into the night. I’ve turned on the stove. Everything is set.”

“I’ll be there soon.” You answer and end the call abruptly, unknowingly leaving Vernon giddy in his spot.

When the doorbell rings, Vernon believes he’s prepared for everything.

But he’s most definitely not prepared to see you all dolled up at the doorstep of his house.

“What… happened to you?” He asks, dumbfounded.

“What do you mean?” You tilt your head. “How do I look?”

“You look… different. Or maybe I’m just not used to seeing you like this.”

“Be honest, do I look like a clown?”

“No, of course not!”

“Your nose will grow bigger like Pinocchio’s with your lies.” You walk inside with a laugh. “The house has changed a lot since the last time - I like how it looks now.”

“If you say so, would you like to see the rest of it?” Vernon offers his hand, and you gladly take it as he guides you straight to his room.

You make yourselves comfortable on his bed amidst the dimly lit room and the small candles burning on his nightstand.

“You’re really staying true to your romantic nature, aren’t you?”

“Well, it depends on how you see it.” He fishes a coin out of the pocket of his jeans. “Heads or tails?”

“Heads,” you pick. “What’s that for?”

“The loser has to take a shot of liquor.”

“Sounds fair enough.”

Vernon tosses the coin, and it lands on heads. The result causes a grin to form on your face.

“No need to be so happy about it,” he chuckles and takes the first shot.

“No need to be so salty about it,” you retort. “Can you close the curtains?”

“Sure.” He gets up and closes the curtains, returning to his seat.

You clear your throat and fill up the glass to the brim before downing the shot in one go.

“Oh wow.” Vernon lets out a small laugh.

“Stop laughing, I’m serious!” You slap his arm playfully.

“Me too.” He grabs your wrists and brings you in his arms. “You’re really pretty, you know?”

You stay silent and allow your lips to be captured by your boyfriend’s, letting him take the lead.

The feeling is euphoric, and neither of you want it to end - but luck isn’t on your side tonight.

The sound of the door opening and the voices of Vernon’s parents echoing in the corridor send the two of you in a state of panic.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“What do we do now?!”

“Under the bed, quickly!” He almost pushes you off the bed, and you scramble to hide under it, pulling your shoes and bag close to your body.

Vernon pulls the covers over himself, picking up the sick act once his mother opens the door of his bedroom.

"Hi honey, how are you feeling?"

"Kinda better…..Why are you back so soon?"

"Your father felt faint right before the performance, so here we are," She sighs in disappointment, “I feel really sorry for Jihyo. She was so looking forward to it…”

“Is Dad feeling any better now?”

“I think so, although I hope you’re feeling better as well,” Mary checks his temperature, “Hmm, it’s not as hot as it was before…”

“Mom, I’m sleepy…” Vernon mutters.

“I know, sweetie, I just wanted to check up on you. I’ll leave now, okay?”

“Close the door as you leave!”

Mary closes the door once she walks out of the room, and Vernon jumps out of the bed, checking underneath it.

“You can come out now.” He stretches his hand, “Careful not to make any noise.”

“No need to tell me what I already know, Vern.” You roll your eyes.

“I’m really sorry about this, I had no idea things would go that way.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” you whisper and cradle his face. “It was just…really tough luck tonight.” Vernon sighs in defeat.

“Let’s hope next time will be.” You kiss his cheek and put on your shoes.

“I think it’s better to wait until they have fallen asleep. I don’t want to startle my parents.”

“I don’t want that either.”

June, 1978.

Vernon feels like he just got thrown in a freezing cold lake.

“W-What do you mean you’re leaving?”

“We have to go back to my mother’s hometown,” you frown. “But it’s just for a month!”

“We?”

“My mom and I. She has some business to take care of back there, and I don’t want her to go on her own.”

Vernon lets out a sigh while running a hand through his hair.

“Hey, I’ll be back, I promise! Besides, we’ll always be together.” You caress his arm in an attempt to comfort him.

“This month will feel like an eon to me,” Vernon admits with a sad smile.

“Same here.” You reciprocate his smile and lean in to press a chaste kiss on his cheek. “But it’s only temporary.”

“But damn, we didn’t even manage to go on a proper date all this time.”

One month turned into two in the blink of an eye, and you still hadn’t returned. Vernon was rapidly losing hope that your stay in Ioannina would be something more than temporary.

He’s quietly reading 1984 by George Orwell, a book Jeonghan gifted to him for his 16th birthday - a very Jeonghan-coded pick that matched his rebellious character.

“Vernon! Lunch is ready!” His mother yells from the other end of the corridor.

“Coming!” He yells back, sliding his bookmark over the most recent page he read. He leaves his room, walks over to the dinner table, and sits down, his eyes gleaming at the sight of piping hot Bolognese pasta.

Time passes by and the sound of clinking cutlery on the half empty plates fill the living room.

“How’s studying going, son?”

“It’s going well so far, except for some...turbulence.”

“Turbulence? What turbulence?” Stelios raises his eyebrow in a rather menacing way.

“He’s been feeling down because Y/N left, Dad, that’s what he means,” Jihyo huffs. “Our sprout misses his girl.” She ruffles Vernon’s hair, and he pushes her hand away with a whine.

“Speaking of Y/N.” Mary flashes a playful smile and gets up from the table. "She actually sent you a letter. It arrived this morning."

As soon as she picks up the letter with her hand, it's snatched by Vernon who immediately dashes back into his room to read said letter while the nagging voice of his father gets drowned in the background.

He closes the door and sits on his bed, ripping open the envelope to reveal the neatly folded piece of paper. He gently unfolds it and your familiar handwriting appears right before his eyes. Vernon’s heart starts beating faster.

Dear Vernon,

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to write back the past two months. Things here are worse than I thought, hence why my temporary stay was extended by one month.

Which brings me to the bad news - I won’t be able to return to Athens to take the national exams.

My mom cannot handle the monthly expenses on her own anymore, and she thinks it’s a better option to stay at Ioannina since she already has a place of her own that’s good enough to house two people.

I truly don’t like this change of events, but I’m afraid there’s nothing else I can do. I just don’t have it in my heart to leave her alone……

“I know this isn’t what you wanted either, but I assure you, the distance will not get in the way of my feelings for you. We’ll always be together, no matter what.” Vernon finishes reading the letter and folds the paper back in half.

“Damn, did you learn the whole letter by heart?” Chan’s eyes widen.

“I’ve read it 45, no…..47 times by the time I got it in my hands.” Vernon sighs in defeat.

“That fucking sucks, dude.”

“I know.”

“Like, this couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

“Whose side are you on again?”

“Hey, don’t shoot me! I’m just stating facts here!” Chan defends himself. “Besides, I’m your best friend. I’m here to help you get over the bad things and have fun like an actual boy of your age!”

“And I suppose you have an idea of what boys our age do?”

“Of course I do! If I don’t have an idea about fun, who would?”

“I don’t know, man, I don’t really feel like going out…”

“Oh, come on, stop being a buzzkill!” Chan groans.

“Oh my God, stop it already, fine!” Vernon rubs his palms all over his face.

“Wonderful! I bought three tickets for the ‘Lemon Sorbet’ movie. We're gonna meet up with Dahyun in front of your house at 8 tomorrow.”

“Wait, what?”

“You heard me. We have a movie date tomorrow night!”

“Dude, I’ll end up third wheeling.”

“No you won’t! Now get up, we got stuff to do.”

“What stuff?!”

“Get beers, duh.”

February, 1979.

“Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable!”

“Dad, just stop it. There’s no use in yelling about it anymore,” Jihyo hands over a glass of water to Vernon, “What is done is done now.”

“Jihyo is right,” Mary agrees. “Besides, it’s not the end of the world if he doesn't get into university.”

“Are all of you even listening to what you’re saying?!” Stelios roars on top of his lungs. “He failed the national exams! Even Chan succeeded, and he was a worse student!”

“Dad, just stop it-”

“Stop it? Is that all you have to say?! Open your damn mouth and say which university you put on the entrance paper!”

“Can we just stay at the fact that I didn’t make it into university? That’s it.” Vernon wipes the sweat off his forehead.

“You have the audacity to say that?!”

“Yes, I do!”

“Then I have the audacity to tell you that you’re either going to do your mandatory service or get a job.” The man slams his hand on the table of the living room. “You have a family to take care of!”

“I don’t have a family to take care of and I have no goddamn reason to either get a job or go to the military!” Vernon yells back and rushes out of the house, ignoring the voices of his parents and Jihyo.

The only place he's able to think of is Uncle Thomas's bar, hoping he'll be able to find some solace there.

As soon as he enters the bar, he hears loud cheers and clinking glasses - they're probably celebrating their successful entries, he thinks and his heart sinks even deeper.

"Skunk, you made it!" Chan greets him with a tight hug. "How are you holding up?"

"Terribly, actually," Vernon admits with a loud exhale.

"Dude, it's not the end of the world."

"Easy to say…"

"Chan is right," Dahyun tries to comfort him, "You cannot let one exam define your entire future, Vernon. You still have plenty of time to decide what you truly want for yourself."

"If only I knew what I actually wanted for myself," he sighs again and takes the newspaper laying on top of the pool table, swiftly reading through the entrance bases of each university.

“So Y/N didn’t make it into the Chemistry department of Athens, huh?”

“I’m so sorry, Vernon…” Dahyun hugs him, Chan follows right after. They form a small group hug as the couple try their best to comfort their mutual friend.

“It’s okay, lovebirds.” He flashes them a sad smile. “I’m glad both of you succeeded, especially you, Dahyun.”

“I still wasn’t the first one…”

“Babe, you’re the first woman to get into medical school! The most prestigious in the entire country!”

Vernon wishes he could hug you like this and congratulate you for your success - except this time, you won’t be able to come back, save for the holidays, perhaps.

Maybe that would have helped him forget about his own troubles.

April, 1979.

The phone in the living room rings for the fifth time this week, yet Vernon refuses to pick it up.

He knows you’re the one calling him, and that’s exactly why he’s not picking up.

“You can’t avoid her forever, you know,” Chan fixes his glasses, “What if she decides to return one day?”

“You know that’s not gonna happen any time soon,” Vernon replies. “She already has a life of her own there - hell, she might have already found someone else!”

“How can you be so sure about that? You haven’t even given her the chance to let her speak to you! I would have given up if I was her, but the fact that she’s still persistent means that she’s worried.”

“Listen, Chan - My life is fucked up to the point where the last thing I can deal with right now is Y/N. Nothing has been going right, and I most definitely don’t want to humiliate myself to her.”

“The only one who is humiliating you is none other than yourself.” Chan gets up from his seat.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“You obviously need some time to work some stuff out.” The man fixes his shirt. “And I’m giving you the space you need.”

“Chan, hold on-”

“If you think I am giving up on you, that’s not the case, skunk. But if you aren’t willing to get out of the slump you’ve put yourself in, then it’s game over.”

These words are what Chan says before closing the door behind him. The sudden silence in Vernon’s house makes him feel nauseous, and he hates that feeling.

Deep down, he really wants to talk to you and let out all his feelings, yet every time he picks up the phone to dial your number, the words die down in his throat before he even turns the ring to the last digit.

Then it hits him.

He doesn’t have to call you - he can write a letter to you, just like you did when you left Athens.

Writing has been his safe haven ever since he failed the national exams and it’s the safest way to pour his feelings into something that’s not harmful to his health.

He goes into his room and turns on the lamp on his desk. He tears a piece of paper from one of his old notebooks. He grabs a pen and starts writing down everything he wanted to tell you.

Dear Y/N,

I'm sorry for staying silent all this time. Honestly, I tried to call you numerous times, but I always chickened out every single time - Real loser behavior, you'd probably say.

But I actually feel like a loser, especially after the results of the exams. Nothing has been going well for me, let alone the plans I had for the future. My dad has been pressuring me into getting a job or doing my military service - not that I would mind finding a job to get some money, but can you seriously imagine me as an ironmonger?!

By the way, congrats on your results! I always knew you'd get into Chemistry, although I wish you were able to get into Athens…..Kinda selfish, isn't it?

I don't know when you'll be able to visit Gkyzi again, but if it's within the next year, it will be hard to see each other.

Contrary to belief, I decided to enlist next month. It's a good chance for me to think through things while getting over with the service. I know it's sudden, but there isn't anything else holding me down here, especially now that you aren't here either.

I am sorry for being a loser of a boyfriend and an even more pathetic friend. You probably think I am using the military as an excuse to run away from my problems, and I can't blame you for it.

I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me.

Love you always,

Vernon.

He sets the pen down and lets out a breath he was holding, a huge weight being lifted off his chest.

"Well, it's now or never." He mutters and searches for an envelope to put the letter in. He folds it neatly and carefully places it inside, writing the sender and receptor details.

He puts on a pair of shoes and walks out of his room, clutching the envelope in his hand. However, he bumps into his dad on the way to the living room, the latter sort of looking down on him.

"And where are you off to?"

"I need to go to the mail post real quick-"

"Not before we talk."

"Dad, not right now-"

"There's never a right time for you, it seems!"

"Now is not the time, Dad!"

"And when will it be the time, Vernon? When you turn thirty you'll still live like a parasite?! Writing poems won't get you money, kid!"

"Can you just listen to me for once?!" Vernon yells back in frustration. "This isn't a fucking poem, it's a letter! A damn letter to Y/N and I just want to mail it!"

"Oh so now you have time for love letters?" Stelios follows right behind him. "When will you take up responsibility for your actions?!"

"I'll enlist in the military next month."

"You- Wait, what?"

"You heard me! I'm going to the military, just like you wanted me to! Hope you're happy now!" Vernon retorts and storms out of the house, slamming the door without hesitation.

"What happened? Where did Vernon go?" Mary rushes into the living room.

"Mary," Stelios huffs and rests his hands on his waist. "Our son is enlisting next month."

May, 1979.

Vernon finishes up packing the last of his belongings before leaving the house. He looks around his room, the memories of his childhood and early adolescence flashing before his eyes like a short film.

The last box has his favorite items in it - his film video camera, the poetry books he bought one by one with his allowance, and a few pictures of his friends to accompany him for the next twenty four months of his life.

“Ready to go, sprout?” Jihyo comes up behind him, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“I’m about to go into the military, and you’re still calling me a sprout?”

“Whether you complete your service or create your own family in ten years, you’re still my younger brother!” She ruffles his hair lovingly. “Come on, the others are waiting for us.”

Vernon nods as he seals the box with tape and picks it up in his arms.

It still feels like a fever dream, but reality hits him as soon as he walks out of the apartment block and he is greeted by the rest of his family, Chan and Dahyun, as well as Sir Nick.

“You have no idea how much you surprised me, skunk.”

“I know, it took you a fucking week to forgive me when I told you I’m enlisting.”

“You caught me like a deer in front of headlights! We already lost Seungkwan, and you’re going away too!”

“Chan, he isn’t leaving forever. It’s just twenty four months - with breaks in between!” Dahyun reprimands him, “He won’t be gone forever!”

“It will certainly feel like it…”

“Don’t worry, Chan, you’ll be fine.” Vernon hugs his friend. “We will be fine.”

“I’m really proud of you, kid,” Sir Nick approaches him. “Once a boy scout, now a grown man who’s about to serve his country - You’ve come a long way.”

“All thanks to you, sir.”

“Stop with that now, I can’t be crying at my age. Now shoo!”

“Come on now, it’s time to go, son.” Stelios pats Vernon’s back. “Put your stuff in the back, I’ll take you to the station.”

He says his goodbyes to everyone, exchanging tight hugs as he knows he won’t be able to see them any time soon again.

He places his stuff in the back of the car and slides into the backseat, closing the door behind him. He waves at them one last time before his dad turns on the engine and drives away from them.

If he had turned his head just a few seconds later, he would have seen you running towards the car while screaming his name.

You feel like tearing up as you watch the car disappear in the distance, kneeling on the asphalt with a piece of paper lying in your lap.

“Y/N!” Chan and Dahyun rush towards you.

“When- When did you get back?!”

“Just….Just an hour ago,” you sob, “If only that damn letter had reached me sooner!”

“I…I am so sorry, Y/N,” Dahyun hugs you in an attempt to comfort you, “We had no idea you’d come…”

“I didn’t alert anyone beforehand, I had no time.” Your tears run down your cheeks without hesitation.

“Fuck, I didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye.”

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