#don’t want money‚ just someone who wants my company — musings

[playboths]

tag dump!

ships

gave you all i had and you tossed it in the trash — rel: arthur donaldson / tashi duncan

take what you want cause i’ve got nothing left — rel: arthur donaldson / patrick zweig

every time i see you i am overcome — rel: arthur donaldson / johanna barker

we return to each other in waves. this is how water loves. — rel: arthur donaldson / johanna barker ( the hunger games )

every party thrown, all the nights alone for her. every price i paid for her. — rel: arthur donaldson / johanna barker ( the great gatsby )

miscellaneous

feelings come but they won’t go — headcanon

tell the mirror what you know it’s heard before — visage

don’t want money, just someone who wants my company — musings

[shebunie]

HIIIIII! could you do a mizu x reader when reader teases mizu so much that mizu snaps and erm...things get suggestive or just plain smut IDK 🙏🏽

𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭

𝗠𝗶𝘇𝘂 𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝟭𝟴+, 𝗻𝘀𝗳𝘄, 𝘀𝗺𝘂𝘁, 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗸, 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 (𝗿! 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴), 𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗶 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗱, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳-𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 𝟮.𝟲𝗸 𝐀/𝐍: 𝗛𝗶 <𝟯, 𝗮𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗵𝘂, 𝗜 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗶𝘇𝘂, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱! 𝗠𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗿𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗳𝗳. 𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗬 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗘𝗦 𝗦𝟮!

"I don’t want company." 

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow across the tranquil landscape. Mizu, the stoic yet skilled samurai, sat beneath a cherry blossom tree, taking a moment of relaxation from her travels. Her sword rested beside her, reflecting the fading sunlight. However, her solitude was soon interrupted by your arrival.

You, an adventurous and cheeky soul, approached her with a mischievous glint in your eyes. "I couldn't resist the allure of a lone samurai beneath the cherry blossoms," you declared, a playful grin tugging at the corners of your lips.

“What's gotten you so grumpy?” 

Mizu's piercing gaze met yours, her expression unwavering. "I said, I don’t want company," she replied, a hint of irritation in her tone.

Undeterred, you plopped down beside her, ignoring her warning. "Oh, come on, Mizu! Even a samurai needs a break. Plus, it's a crime to waste such a beautiful evening in solitude," you teased, leaning closer to her.

She sighed, realizing that you were not easily deterred. "I value my solitude. It sharpens my focus and keeps me attuned to the world around me," Mizu explained, attempting to maintain her composure.

You chuckled, tracing patterns on the grass with your fingers. "I get that, I do. But even the mighty Mizu needs a break from being a stone-cold warrior sometimes. Don't you ever get tired of all that serious stuff?"

Mizu's stoic facade cracked ever so slightly as she shot you a sideways glance. "I don't get tired. I endure," she retorted.

Your grin widened, clearly enjoying her reactions. "Endure, huh? Well, how about enduring some good company for a change? It might be just what you need."

A subtle tension hung in the air as Mizu's patience wore thin. "I've endured many challenges and adversaries. Dealing with you might be the most formidable one yet," she remarked, a flicker of amusement in her eyes.

A hand to your mouth, feigning shock enveloped your features, “Of course, you seem to be the only one who can handle it anyway.” 

Each remark a playful jab, and each counter a carefully calculated response. The verbal sparring evolved into a dance of wit and charm. Mizu found herself caught in the web of your playful teasing, her steely resolve slowly giving way to the unexpected allure of your company.

As the moon began to rise, casting a silvery glow on the landscape, you decided to up the ante. "You know, Mizu, beneath that tough exterior, I bet there's a samurai with a heart that longs for a little excitement," you mused, a sly grin playing on your lips.

Mizu raised an eyebrow, a mixture of curiosity and defiance in her gaze. "I have no interest in power or money. I have no interest in being happy. Only satisfied." 

“And what if I told you that a bit of someone, might just be the key to satisfaction?”

You leaned in, your voice a soft whisper against the gentle rustling of the cherry blossoms as you lifted a finger to trace along the jaw of the wielder. The strand of her hair followed the breeze, your eyes traced along the bridge of her nose, down to her upturned lips. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Looking at you.” you voiced, Mizu couldn't help but feel a strange mixture of discomfort and curiosity. Your presence, initially an unwelcome intrusion, now presented a challenge that intrigued her. She shifted uncomfortably under your gaze, trying to maintain her composure.

"I prefer to be unseen," Mizu remarked, her tone stern, but a glimmer of uncertainty lingered in her eyes.

You chuckled softly, the mischievous glint in your eyes undiminished. "But you look so pretty like this. Do I make you nervous?”

Mizu, unaccustomed to such flattery, found herself at a loss for words. The air around you two was charged with a newfound tension, a delicate balance between the solitude she sought and the unexpected charm you brought. The cherry blossoms overhead seemed to sway in approval, as if nature itself acknowledged the subtle shift in the atmosphere.

Your soft fingers that lingered on her face, held her chin and gently turned her gaze to you. The moon illuminated the scene, casting shadows that played on your features, giving you an almost ethereal quality.

For a moment, Mizu's stoic exterior wavered. She glanced away, the touch of your finger on her skin tingled, breaking eye contact, and the moonlight revealed a hint of vulnerability. "Empty flattery won't change my resolve," she declared, her voice a mixture of defiance and self-assurance.

But you were undeterred, your playful demeanour persisting. "Who said anything about changing your resolve? I just thought you could use a break from it every now and then," you replied shifting your focus on the sword between you, ever so carefully gliding your fingers along the hilt. 

Mizu's internal struggle played out on her face, a silent battle between the disciplined warrior and the unforeseen allure of your company.

“You look troubled,” the sultry tone of your voice called her out. Mizu let out a sigh, her resistance crumbling like a dam giving way to the persistent flow of water. The tension in her shoulders eased, and she found herself drawn into the magnetic field of your presence. "I am not troubled, I just don't want to be bothered," she insisted, though her gaze betrayed a conflict within.

Your fingers continued to dance along the intricate details of her sword, a silent acknowledgement of the craftsmanship that mirrored the complexities of Mizu herself. A sigh escaped your soft lips, “Then I’ll leave you to it.” Standing from your position, smoothing down your kimono as you turned around to leave the stoic wielder alone with the presence of the moonlit sakura’s

Mizu, unable to fully articulate the conflicting emotions within her, found herself reacting on an impulse she didn't quite understand. Her hand, the same one that had just moments ago wielded a sword with precision and control, now held onto the delicate fabric of your sleeve. Eyes, usually sharp and focused, betrayed a mix of uncertainty and something else—an unspoken acknowledgement of a connection.

You turned to look at her, surprise evident in your eyes. The air crackled with tension as Mizu's gaze held yours, the silent exchange conveying more than words ever could. In that brief moment, the boundaries that she had meticulously built around herself began to blur. She pulled you to sit on her lap.

"I didn't ask for this," Mizu grumbled, attempting to salvage some semblance of control over the situation.

With a playful smirk, you retorted, "Well, you did say you endure, right? Consider this endurance training for, an unexpected guest." Snaking your arms around her neck,  the subtle touch of your fingers on the back of her neck sent shivers down her spine.

Long slender fingers gripped your face, squishing your cheeks and making you form a pout, “This persistent attitude of yours reminds me of someone,” Mizu’s patience ran thin on your teasing, a frown etched on her face while she squinted her eyes.

You couldn't help but laugh at her attempt to regain control, your pout turning into a playful grin. "Oh, really? And who might that be?" you asked, your voice a melodic muffled blend of amusement and curiosity.

“Just like Taigen when we were children,” her grip on your plush face remained, a different glint evident in her cerulean eyes, “A fucking brat.” Pushing you down on the soft grass, as she hovered above you, her weight supported by her strong arms.

The world seemed to slow down as Mizu's unexpected move left you breathless. The scent of cherry blossoms lingered in the air, and the moonlight painted a surreal backdrop for the unfolding moment. The playful banter had given way to a charged atmosphere, and the tension between you two became palpable.

Mizu's gaze bore into yours, a mixture of intensity and a flicker of something more. The fingers that had gripped your face now traced a delicate path down your neck, leaving a trail of warmth in their wake. The weight of her body pressed against yours, and a primal energy passed between you, unspoken yet undeniable.

“I can be a brat.”

The soft rustling of the leaves overhead seemed to echo the beating of your hearts as Mizu's lips, once firm and resolute, hovered tantalizingly close to yours. Her eyes, usually guarded, now betrayed a vulnerability that mirrored your own.

"Oh, I know you can," Mizu declared, her voice low and commanding, fingers gently traced along the collar of your kimono, a feather-light touch that sent shivers down your spine. 

"You’ll do as I say," she asked, her tone firm. "no defiance, no resistance. just complete submission." Undoing the ties of her makeshift belt with one hand as the other gathered your wrists, slowly and deliberately tying it together, ensuring you're completely at her mercy. 

Mizu can see the anticipation in your eyes, the desire to be dominated and brought to your limits. “Keep those wrists exactly where they are," she commanded, voice leaving no room for negotiation.

"I want to see just how well you can follow orders." She proceeded to explore your body with rough fingertips, caressing and teasing every inch of your exposed skin. 

You closed your legs together, “I don't think I follow orders that well,” feeling every tantalizing touch of the samurai, goosebumps rising from your skin as your breath wavered. 

Looking at the wielders eyes, a mischievous glint danced in her gaze. "Oh, we'll see about that," she purred, her fingers tracing a slow path up your inner thigh. "Resistance can be quite entertaining."

As she leaned in, her warm breath grazed your ear. "Perhaps I'll have to find more creative ways to make you obey," she teased, her fingers lightly dancing along your collarbone. "You won't be closing those legs for long."

“come on my love speak up, what do you want? you want me to fuck you open for all of them to see?" Mizu whispered, leaning down to press a kiss on your forehead. She cocked her head to the side, your gaping lips brushing her earlobe as another whine escaped your throat. You whimper, the sudden feeling of her soft lips kissing your body never failing to make you feel crazy.

Mizu’s fingers drift down, fiddling with the hem of your garment before teasing you from the outside. Her boney fingers lightly ran over your underwear, soaking cunt leaking through the fabric.

Whines and begs slipping from your mouth, pleas for her to touch you. But, she stops, looking you dead in the eyes, “what do you want? say it, use your words.” She demands, watching you so closely you could come just from her gaze.

“Please, mizu.. I want you to touch me.” 

Mizu's smirk widened as she leaned in, her fingers tracing a teasing path up your arm. "Well," she purred, "you have to be more specific than that."

Your breath caught in your throat, the anticipation thick in the air. "I want..." you stammered, struggling to form coherent words. Mizu's eyes never left yours, her confidence almost maddening.

"I want your hands on me," you finally managed to express, your voice a mix of need and frustration. Mizu's laughter echoed in the room, low and sultry.

"Such a good start," she whispered, her touch now dancing along your waist. "But you can do better. Tell me exactly where you want me to touch you."

The room seemed to shrink as you gathered your thoughts, desire and embarrassment wrestling within you. "I want your lips on mine," you admitted, your cheeks flushing with a mix of arousal and vulnerability.

Mizu's gaze intensified, a hunger evident in her eyes. "And?" she urged, her fingers lingering on the edge of your anticipation.

"Everywhere," you confessed, feeling the weight of your desire in the pit of your stomach. "I want to feel you everywhere."

Her giggle filled the room again, this time a bit softer. "Now we're getting somewhere," she murmured, closing the gap between you. 

“Here?” you whine at her words, nodding. “Why are you nodding? I said to use your words.” She growled, her brows furrowing.

“I want you to touch my pussy, mizu.” you moaned out, enough to satisfy her.

“On your hands and knees,” Nimble fingers tease and twist your panties until they’re pooling around your ankles. Breath becomes heavier as she starts to kiss a pathway down the length of your back. You give in to her urges; head tipping back as her mouth glides over the plush of your behind. 

Mizu kneels between your legs, sinking her teeth into your ass and moaning in unison with you. Your back arches at the feeling, presenting your cunt for her to feast.

“Pretty girl,” Mizu growls, hands palming your ass, spreading you further apart, “with the prettiest pussy, fuck-”

She delves in. Shiny tongue weaving between webbed folds. She groans, going for a second taste, a longer lick. Mizu slurps at your cunt, the loud, lewd sound causing you to shiver, top half of your body lowering against the tatami floors. The cold sends a jolt through your already perky nipples, and you squirm. 

“Sweeter than sugar,” Mizu licks her lips, eyes memorising the sight of your wet cunt, puffy and pulsing for her -  diving back in, her tongue and lips explore you.

Kissing your puffy clit, causing an erotic moan to leap from your swollen lips. She sucks on your aching clit, flicking the talented tip of her tongue in intricate patterns that have your thighs quivering against her flushing cheeks.

Mizu’s tongue worked its usual magic; sucking, kissing, rolling— your eyes began to water, the feeling of her inside you causing your build-up to come much faster than usual.

Indents of your teeth scatter across your hand and arm after having to bite into yourself to stay quiet. It was the crack of dawn after all. So, you continue to release muffled moans against your skin, eyes squeezing shut in concentration- but fuck  Mizu knows what she’s doing with her tongue.

“Mmhm,” Mizu groans, face smushing into your cunt. Her ego swells with every, jolt of your hips as her tongue catches the perfect spot in each swirl. The way she moved had you crying like a little girl; red-faced and sobbing, begging her to let you cum. “what do you want, again?”

“Please, please mizu, please let me cum. I’ll be good, I promise.”

She’s about to make you cum faster and harder than you ever had in your life. She can sense it in the pulsing of your clit, feel it in the tremble of your legs. God, she wants to beg. 

Feeling you slip over the edge and moaning into you. To catch every essence of your release, she switches to long yet fast licks up and down the length of you;  from your buzzing clit, over your clenching hole.

“Mizu, fuck, oh my-” Your tied hands search for her, finding purchase grasping dark long tresses, “I’m-”

A calloused hand lands on your soft supple skin with a smack. The corner of her lips curls up into a grin when your body jolts, soft whines slipping past your lips.

“We’re done when I say we’re done or has the whore forgotten the endurance training she proposed?” The insult had your tummy flipping and cunt clenching, and of course Mizu noticed.  She took no time slipping her middle finger inside you, your walls sucking her in desperately. 

Leaning over your body, her perky breast mushed against your arching back as her free hand tightly pulled your hair.

“Mizu!” you squeak, clit throbbing, the roughness of her fingers rubbing against the walls of your cunt. “Please—” you whimpered, tear droplets rolling down your cheeks.

“Shut up.” She grunted out, long and slender fingers increasing their pace, pounding that spongy taste of heaven inside you, over and over again.

[nanawritesit]

Trent Lane Boyfriend Headcanons! (SFW + NSFW under the cut)

(i just finished daria and have major Trent brain rot… but there’s like no content for him so i guess i have to write it myself :p)

SFW:

He writes songs about you all the time (they don’t always make sense but you still appreciate them)

Probably shows his love through physical touch or acts of service because he’s too broke to buy you gifts or take you anywhere nice 💀

He always has an arm around your shoulder, a hand on your waist, or is at least linking pinkies with you. If you’re next to him, he’s touching you in some way

And if you ever need help with chores or a project, he offers to do it for you or help you finish it (which is saying a lot because he’s usually lazy af)

Always gives you his jacket when it’s cold without you even having to ask him :)

Loves to lay his head on your chest and fall asleep after late night gigs… you struggle to roll him off of you in the morning because he sleeps like a log 😭

Calls you his “muse” occasionally

But he mostly calls you a cuter version of your name (like how he calls Jane “Janey,”) or just a simple “Babe” or “Hon”

Most of your dates are at the bars Mystik Spiral is playing at

You’ll hang out there for a while and get pizza afterwards, then probably smoke 🍃 in the tank

He asks your opinion on song lyrics, and you’ll help him brainstorm rhymes

The man is nocturnal so you have a ton of late night phone calls

You’re basically his sugar mama because again, he’s broke and unemployed

You have to reassure him that it doesn’t bother you all the time, in fact he’s *almost* considered getting a job just for you because he loves you that much 💞

(you can call him a deadbeat all you want. i would have no problem supporting my sweet baby girl 😤)

He also gets insecure sometimes that you’ll leave him for someone more educated or successful… you’ll have to explain to him that you don’t care about that stuff and that you love him regardless of it

His idea of a perfect day is just laying in bed with you all day long… he’s big on cuddles, either laying his head on your chest or nuzzling up into your neck :)

Although he also enjoys spooning you, or having you lay on his chest while he runs his fingers through your hair (He’s the best cuddler ever, try to change my mind)

Also loves going to the music store with you, and any other shops you enjoy going to

If you like piercings, you’ll go on piercing dates together :)

If you’re nervous, he’ll hold your hand and talk you through it 💞

Keeping him company while he gets his tattoos

He likes to see what you buy for yourself so he can save up his money to buy you something nice for your birthday or anniversary 🥺

LOVES when you sleep in his t shirts ❤️ He thinks you look so hot

He doesn’t strike me as someone who has a specific type, he just likes whoever he gives with. You could be alternative like him or have the total opposite aesthetic, he just likes you for who you are 🥰

Desperately trying to get him to take care of himself by getting a better sleep schedule and maybe eating a piece of fruit every now and again 💀

Watching Sick Sad World with Jane and Daria

The two of them look up to you because you’re one of the few people they think are cool, they mostly ask you for advice on relationships, school, and resolving their disputes

Jane asking you to help her dye her hair after Daria ruined it 😀

You always encourage her and compliment her paintings, she sees you as a really cool older sister (except not actually because all of her relatives besides Trent are insane)

You try to help them out around the house with cooking and cleaning and buying groceries since their parents are never home

The other guys in the band tease him so hard because he talks about you constantly and always gets so happy when you call :)

Jesse was actually the one who set you guys up, and it makes him so happy to see you together

He keeps a picture of you on the dashboard of the tank just to make him smile whenever he sees it 💞

NSFW: (18+/ MDNI)

Lazy morning sex (even though it’s at like 4 pm) because it’s the best way to wake him up ;)

Having sex in the tank right before a show because he’s convinced he plays better after he fucks you

He’s a switch for sure, mostly because he doesn’t always have the energy to be on top

Really likes long make out sessions where you’re straddling his lap and he can run his hands all along your body

Looooves watching you ride him

But he also enjoys pinning you down and dominating you 👀

The cold metal of his rings against your skin drives you wild, especially when he’s fingering you

Will give you hickeys in the most obvious places because he thinks they look hot

Conversely, he loves it when you leave scratches down his back like you’re marking him as your territory

Listen, this man knows how to EAT 😤 (you’re probably the most nutritious thing he eats tbh)

He loves overstimulating you by making you cum on his tongue and then fucking you immediately after

But he also loves it when you return the favor… he can’t think of any better sight than you on your knees going down on him 😭

He knows that his voice turns you on and uses it against you to turn you on in public (which leads to the two of you running out to the tank for a quickie)

He’s really good at talking you through it 😫

Not super loud during sex, but he does grunt and swear a lot

And when he gets close to finishing he starts letting out some airy moans, mostly saying your name over and over

He’s not *super* freaky but he certainly knows how to show you a good time ;)

[justhere4kpop]

Mistletoe

Pairing: Kim Hongjoong x afab!Reader x Park Seonghwa

w/c: 2.4k

Genre: Fluff, Smut, Fashion Agency Owners AU!

Warnings: (Minors DNI, MDNI), Language, Smut...money?

a/n: Happy Holidays from your Secret Santa @joong-of-gold I really hope you like this, I'm not the best at writing smut! I wanted to do something really nice for you so I hope this is a nice present and surprise! You're amazing and I can't wait to grow more together over this year!!

NSFW tags under the cut

soft dom! Hwa and Joong, pet names: Baby, My Love, Darling, Angel Darling, Sweetheart, unprotected sex (wrap it), overstim, they enjoy ruining you? voyuer? Exhibitionism? idk, manhandling mxm mention (they're all three dating)...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When I admitted my feelings for my long time friends, I’d never thought a year later I’d actually be thinking about moving in together. Sure they were fine with it they’d been living together for years now, as co-owners of a fashion company and life partners they were used to living with another person, me on the other hand…this was new, the only roommates I had were in college, and that ended up horribly. I vowed to live alone for the rest of my life. When I had finally told them I had feelings for them it was their company Christmas party. They always took me, I was always the plus one to events. I was always the third wheel.

“Third wheel? Darling you have never been the third wheel.” Seonghwa took my hand gently after his fits of giggles.

“You have merely always been our third.” Hongjoong kissed my cheek.

“The long lingering touches, the money and time spent, Darling we don’t do that just for any silly friend.” Seonghwa kissed my knuckles. 

“We thought you knew, that’s why you were playing along.” they finished each other’s sentences.

“Thought I Knew? Well you could’ve said something before now! Geez the nerve of you two, how I could ever fall for the two of you is beyond me!” I threw my hands up exhausted by the conversation already. 

“Look up my love.” Hongjoong had motioned up.

“Seems someone got caught under the mistletoe.” Seonghwa had smiled cupping my chin and pulling me towards him.

Maybe the eggnog was a little strong at the office party this year, I feel lightheaded. Maybe it’s the feeling of Seonghwa’s lips on mine, maybe it’s Hongjoong taking my chin from the taller man to also give me a taste of what he could provide. Yes, that must be it…it’s the way I’m intoxicated by the two men who I’ve known for my university friends.

A year later and my whole world has spun upside down, first they made me leave my long time job to come be their personal assistant. 

“No no you won’t work at some stuffy boring office job.” Seonghwa said picking me up from work. “You’ll come work for us.”

“Why would I leave one stuffy boring office job for another?” I asked eyebrow raised.

“If you think working with your partners would be stuffy then you need to come join the fun, you’ll see how stuffy it really is.”

Little did I know how they saw me.

“Ah our muse is finally joining us?” Hongjoong said as I came to work with Hwa the next day. “My love you’ll be positively radiant in this piece I’m working on.”

“I thought we agreed on my piece first Joongie.” Hwa pouted. “Honestly you’re so unfair to me.”

“Oh hush down Angel.” he smiled and kisses Seonghwa on the cheek. “How do you feel about red my love?” he asked looking at me.

Their muse? I was still processing the thought, but it was true they had plenty of photos of us in parties, they had blown up photos of my outfits and written all over them to critique how it fit. They had started this whole company…for me?

“You’re our muse my love.” Hongjoong smiled.

“Everything we make with you in mind.” Seonghwa cupped my face.

Not everything was easy and smooth, sure I had started a new job, gotten treated like royalty, had two boyfriends who I couldn’t believe I got to wake up next to, moved in together and gotten everything I had ever wanted. I craved them we’d share kisses, touches, heavy touches, breathes, in the office, late nights, in bed shared breathes twisting together. I was never satisfied. Our anniversary was approaching, and I…I had a devious plan. They were working on their most erotic set for lingerie and I was going to surprise them, model it for them, just how they had always wanted. They always do a Christmas show, would that be a good start. Yes they certainly had raised one hell of a plaything. No never plaything, partner. They loved me as I loved them.

“Darling? You seem lost in thought again.” Seonghwa smiled and took the schedule for the day from my hand. “Why don’t you clear my schedule for after lunch, I’m in need of some special inspiration today.” he kissed my cheek. “Oh and clear Hongjoong’s for about 30 minutes after, he’ll wonder where we are.”

“You are the boss.”

“And you are wearing the skirt I made for you. You know I love when you wear my pieces.” he smiled. “Maybe I should take you out for lunch today, you'll need a good meal, and I should really show everyone what they’re missing.”

“You’d get way too jealous if we went out.”

“Oh so no Trivet for lunch? Shame, you love that place.”

“Oh so you want to show me off?”

“I’m not opposed to the idea darling.”

“Try not to get jealous then Angel Darling.” I smiled and peck his lips staining them a shade of plum red briefly.

Little did he know how much I was willing to challenge his idea of showing me off outside of work. He did say he wouldn’t get jealous.

“Date stick you up?” said a smooth talker from my left as I waited for Seonghwa to arrive. “Drink on me.” 

“Oh no my boyfriend is on his way, just held up at a meeting. He cleared his schedule to be here.”

“But couldn’t even be on time?”

I did clear his schedule so I would know if he was late or not.

“Well he is important.” sleeze bag rolled his eyes.

“I could buy this whole place if I wanted to.” he smirked.

“And I could buy this whole block.” Seonghwa popped in. “Sorry I’m late darling.”

“No worries, I’ve been thoroughly entertained.” I smiled and looked at him and gave him a kiss. 

“I wish you’d have better taste in company.”

“I thought you wouldn’t be jealous.” I chuckled and we went to our normal table. 

The waiter was flirting with me, how bold. In front of Seonghwa too, I could see his jaw clench slightly every time he ignored Seonghwa in favor of staring at me.

“Could you not flirt with the waiter?” he rolled his eyes.

“I thought you said not jealous hmm? Besides what about a free dessert?”

“I could buy you a dessert.”

“But it’s sweeter free.”

They have created a monster haven’t they. Perfect little monster for them. 

Arriving back to the office Seonghwa was insatiable, free dessert in one hand, my waist in the other.

“Another lunch I wasn’t invited to? How mean my love.” Hongjoong tapped on the desk. “And don’t think I missed you clearing your schedule Hwa, perhaps we should go home and enjoy an after meal show?”

“Why go home when the show is available here. She got a free dessert from the waiter.”

“And a free drink from sleezy at the bar.”

“No wonder he thought he had a chance.” Seonghwa rolls his eyes at the mention. “You minx.”

“Isn’t tonight the holiday party Seonghwa?” Hongjoong got up to lock the door.

“I guess we’ll be fashionably late this year.” Seonghwa smiled at the man.

“I don’t have anything to wear if we stay here.” I argued.

“Nonsense darling, you have everything you could possibly want here.”

“After all these are designed with you in mind.” Hongjoong finished Seonghwa’s thought.

Who really could say no when it came to the two of them. They are intoxicating in the best way possible and so very dedicated.

“Take it off….slowly.” Seonghwa nipped at my ear.

First came my blouse, unbuttoned slowly to reveal the lace bra underneath, next came the shoes, the skirt revealing the matching set I had picked for the day, and as I went to remove the stockings-

“Those stay on for now.” Hongjoong’s gaze lowered.

The desk was cleared behind me in an instant. Designs and papers flying, not that they cared, if they were important they’d be up on a wall or anywhere but the desk. Some where just doodles done absentmindedly during meetings that they had no interest in attending. 

“I’ll show you why you’ll never want anyone else.” Seonghwa lowered himself kissing down my torso stopping above the panty line, my hips bucked up to meet his smirk slightly.

“Never wanted anyone else but you and Joongie, Hwa.” I sighed out.

“Take care of him while I take care of you darling.” he smiled and Hongjoong moved closer to my face.

“You sure do put on quite the show for us my love. How perfect you are.” Hongjoong smiled down at me.

Seonghwa removed my far too wet panties before gently blowing on my wet folds, the chill making my legs close slightly.

“Already wet for us darling?” 

“She sure knows her place well.” Hongjoong smiled and began undoing his belt. “Be good or I’ll have to tie those beautiful hands up my love.”

Seonghwa’s velvet tongue entered my folds and the moan that escaped my lips was far more animalistic than I had intended. He knew every pleasure point in my body, both of them did, the way his plush lips encased my clit and the way Joong pushed his hardened length in my mouth. My senses, overwhelmed. Joongie pushed me up slightly to get the bra off me leaving me almost completely bare to the men I know as my lovers.

“That’s it darling, cum on my tongue.” Hwa moaned against my pussy becoming intoxicated himself.

The orgasm that hit me from his tongue sent my body into overdrive, my clit bumped his nose perfectly that little tingles could be felt far after I had started to come down. In my dazed out state the two men before me positions and Hongjoong made his way between my legs to my core. He licked a bold stripe up gathering the taste on his tongue. Seonghwa isn’t usually the talker but it seems they switched today, it does happen on occasion, it means one thing, Hongjoong is needy.

“My love, look at me.” Hongjoong’s flushed face came closer to mine. “Don’t pay attention to him right now, it’s you and me. Gonna fill you up.” he snapped his hips forward entering halfway, the thickness of his hard cock stretching me out. “So tight baby. Can’t believe it, like we’ve never had any fun together before.” he smiled and captured my lips with his. His tongued danced with mine as he began to piston his hips into mine pulling a leg over his shoulder to hit as deep as his could. He pulled at one of the stockings with his teeth before finally pulling them off, he always enjoyed removing the last piece of clothing I was wearing, every time it was different.

“That feel good baby?” he growled in my ear his hips snapping against me harder.

“Y-Yes.” I moaned feeling my stomach tighten again.

“Tell Hwa how good it feels.”

“F-Feels so-so good, Hwa.” I moaned and fumbled with Seonghwa’s pants to palm at his cock tenting his underwear. “So good Joongie.” I moaned louder.

“That’s right my love. Take what I give you.” he groaned and gave Seonghwa the side-eye almost as if in some possessive dance they do. “Cum on my cock.”

“J-Joong.” I moaned and arched off the desk, my back a little sticky from the slight sheen of sweat covering my body. My second orgasm hit me like a truck, Hongjoong could feel me spasming around his cock trying to milk him dry, it didn’t take long for his to let out a guttural groan and spill into my fluttering walls.

Seonghwa had turned me over his favorite was always from the back. Where Hongjoong had girth, Seonghwa had length, he could reach deeper than my wildest fantasies. I was so full, he was fucking Hoongjoong’s cum back into me I was seeing stars from the force he held me against the desk. The subtle creak was heard as he pushed into me.

“So wet and slippery darling, messy and so perfect.” he smirked.

“F-For you.” I moaned and gripped onto the edge of the desk, my knuckles already turning white from how hard he was snapping his hips into my backside. “Fuck, S-Seo-Seonghwa.” 

“That’s it baby, so sensitive hmm?”

I couldn’t respond, my brain turning into mush with every reach his cock made inside me.

“See that Joongie, a baby just for us, can barely keep her eyes open.” he smiled at Hongjoong.

“Her eyes might get stuck in the back of her head from how hard she’s rolling them Hwa.” he smirked.

I came for the third time that afternoon in a matter of minutes, completely sensitive and overstimulated from the attention of the two men as one of them lost himself behind me. 

“Darling.” a singsong voice called out, gentle hands running up and down my spine soothingly.

“Come back to us my love.” a hand moved hair from my forehead. “You blacked out a little after that last one.” he said with a smile. “Don’t worry though Seonghwa did too.”

“Did not.” the man on the other side of me claimed.

“You were seeing stars.” Hongjoong moved Seonghwa’s hair back as well.

“How…How did we get on the…couch?” I asked coming back little by little.

“Wanted somewhere soft for you to land.” Hongjoong smiled gently, come on lets get you cleaned up and ready for the party.

I was never alone in the aftercare process, one of them always in the shower with me…yes yes stereotypical CEO private bathroom, one went to get snacks, the other water, one went to fetch clothing, the other helped me get my hair in order. A gentle scalp massage and a loving smile in the mirror never far away from the taller of my two partners.

“I love you so much darling.” he kissed the top of my head.

“I love you too Seonghwa angel.” I took his hand.

“And do you love me the same My Love?” Hongjoong came into view and took my other hand.

“Always my Joongie.” I smiled. “I was right though.”

They looked at each other.

“Dessert is sweeter when free.” I chuckled and looked up. 

Mistletoe.

Bonus:

“Y/n? I didn’t know you were seeing someone!” my coworker James had called to attention.

“James whatever do you mean?”

“I mean that necklace you have on.” he winked and I glanced in the mirror finding a long chain of blossoming bruises along my neck. 

“Oh thank you James…it’s designer.” I winked.

[heyiwrotesomethings]

lady nagant x female reader

lady killed a target and got spotted by R who instead of calling for help starting clapping and smirking 😏. When the cops asked her who did it she just said she didn't know anyone that wOulD dO sUcH a tHiNg

then nagant tracked R down and broke into her house to ask about her actions.

friends who became lOveRs hehe byee

The Victims of Heroes

Kaina Tsutsumi (Lady Nagant) x She/Her Reader

A/N: Thank you for the excuse to try to write for Lady Nagant again. I tried two other times and both turned out bad, so I’m glad I’m finally getting a fic out for her. Warning: Brief allusion to reader’s father attempting s*icide because of the work the Hero Commission made him do. Word Count: 2,134

Kaina had to take the shot.

A very influential Hero Commission sponsored politician was running for governor of the Greater Tokyo Area. Though not public information, his plans would include creating a special task force to search for more children with outstanding quirks to begin their hero training at a criminally early age.

Kaina couldn’t allow that to happen, to have those poor, starry-eyed children’s hands be covered in blood like her own. It was difficult to move freely after killing that Hero Commission Chairman a few months ago, but she would do what had to be done.

Heroes were vigilant, searching for her to lock her up for her traitorous crime, and with the politician’s election campaign gaining traction, his security only grew tighter. Kaina became more anxious as Election Day closed in, but as fate would have it, she found her opening late one night when the self-proclaimed ‘family man’ snuck out for the company of someone other than his wife.

She watched him trail a woman on the street and when he caught up to her, he flashed her an obscene amount of cash. Kaina waited for the woman to pocket the money at least. Perhaps she could afford a therapist with it, she mused, before aiming her rifle at the man and taking the shot.

No wind, no obstacles, no moving target, she might as well have had shot him at point blank instead of the roof of a nearby convenience store. He fell into the gutter like a sack of potatoes.

Kaina expected the woman to scream, but she seemed eerily calm. She blinked, then looked up, somehow spotting Kaina right away. She was no average citizen to parse out the trajectory of a bullet that quickly. Kaina stood frozen as the woman sent her a smile accompanying with a little wave then a light golf-clap.

“You might want to make yourself scarce, Lady Nagant.” She called out, though her voice did not carry too far, “I’m going to need to put on a show here, you understand.”

Kaina slowly backed away from the edge of the roof and as the woman fell away from her line of sight, she heard a scream.

“Oh my god! Someone help! Call 119!”

Too curious for her own good, Kaina hopped a few rooftops down to continue to watch the show. She observed the once nearly empty street roar to life as police cars, ambulances and nosey neighbors flooded the street with light and sound.

“My god, it’s governor candidate Sato!” A police man gasped, “Ma’am, did you see this happen? Did you see anyone suspicious?”

The woman continued to sob as she spoke, “I-I just needed a few things at the convenience store and— and he was laying there when I came out! I just, I don’t know why anyone would do such a awful thing!” She wailed.

Kaina watched on as the officer tried to comfort the woman, her mind filled with questions. Why was this woman helping her get away with murder? They would know it was her soon enough once they found her signature bullet lodged in the politician’s head, but with this woman’s show of hysterics, the police and emergency personnel were all scatterbrained and not following any protocols.

“Let’s get you out of here ma’am. Can I drive you home?” The police officer asked.

The woman shook her head, “I live in that apartment building right there, but if you could walk me in, I would be so thankful. I’ve never been more frightened in my life.”

Kaina watched the officer lead the woman inside before making herself scarce until the chaos winded down in the early hours of the morning. She wanted answers.

It took a little snooping into the apartment records to find the right number, but she found it and climbed a couple stories up to the woman’s balcony and slipped through her unlocked sliding glass door, flinching when a lamp clicked on as soon as she slid the door behind her.

“I was starting to think you wouldn’t come.” The woman yawned, leaning further back into her cozy chair, crossing one leg over the other.

“Who are you?” Kaina demanded, “Why didn’t you tell them what really happened?”

“My name is (L/n) (Y/n),” she decided to uncross her legs and stand up for a more proper introduction, “And I didn’t give you away, because I believe you did the right thing.”

Kaina was skeptical. All the news stations could talk about was how much of a traitor she was. The Commission paid through the nose to leave no doubt in the public’s mind that she was the enemy, so how did (Y/n) come to that conclusion?

“My father was recruited by the commission when he was five years old. He did the same kind of work for them that you did, wiping out troublesome undesirables. It really messed with his head. Except, instead of taking it out on the people who raised him to do those things, he took it out on himself. I’ll never forgive the Hero Commission for what they did to him.”

“I’m sorry.” Kaina rubbed the back of her neck. That would explain it, wouldn’t it? No one truly understood the horrors of working for the Hero Commission unless they were in the trenches or reaching out to the people within.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. He survived, he’s just not all there anymore. Probably for the best, I think he’s happier this way. He smiles when I get to visit him in the hospital anyway. But that’s not what I wanted to say, I wanted to thank you. The chairman you killed a few months ago, he was the one who gave my father the ultimatum that broke him completely. You gave our family justice.”

“I’m not so heroic.” Kaina looked out to the balcony, “It’s not like I knew I was doing you any favors.”

“Justice is justice.” (Y/n) shrugged, “Anyway, I imagine being on the lamb while you do all this vigilante work has been wearing you down. You’re welcome to stay here as long as you like. Visit whenever you want. Food, shower, a bed, someone to talk to, whatever you need I want to provide it for you.”

“I can’t. That’s too much.”

“Come on, Lady Nagant, where else do you have to go?” (Y/n) held out a hand to her, “Stay.”

It would be nice, wouldn’t it? Kaina had been living on the streets. No apartment and no money because she couldn’t risk the heroes finding her. She often toyed with the idea of letting herself get caught just so she could have a place to sleep. She often wondered if she had made the right decision, and now with (Y/n) standing before her, hand outstretched and offering her home to her, it was hard to think that she had ever been wrong.

“Call Me Kaina,” she said, accepting (Y/n)’s hand.

***

“Yes!” (Y/n) jumped up from her seat as the somber newscaster reported on the list of inmates who had escaped during the Tartarus Prison Siege.

There were many troubling names that preceded and followed the name she had been desperate to hear, but she hardly cared. As long as Kaina had escaped, that’s all she needed to know.

Years had passed since Kaina had been caught. She had been fed false information and went out to take care of another Commission figurehead, but it had been a trap. (Y/n) had been devastated when she saw the news. Kaina had wanted to tell her something when she got back… (Y/n) had never gotten to hear it.

When Kaina had been locked away, (Y/n) wrote her letters. It wasn’t a crime to write a letter to a criminal after all. People wrote love letters to serial killers for god’s sake. She didn’t write anything about their time together because she knew the mail would always be read by someone else before it would reach Kaina’s hands. She didn’t even use her real name when signing the letter, but she did hide a code within the words that she prayed Kaina would see through. She did.

(Y/n) had tried to get her to tell her what she had wanted to tell her that night she got caught, but Kaina was stubbornly tight-lipped, saying it was only something she wanted to say if they could meet face to face again.

While everyone else in the city was battening down the hatches, (Y/n) was making sure her balcony door was unlocked, waiting for Kaina’s return. She had accidentally fallen asleep while she waited, but was awoken by a few thumps and bumps.

“(Y/n), (Y/n), are you home?”

Oh, how long she had dreamed to hear her voice again.

“Kaina!” (Y/n) stumbled to her feet and threw herself at Kaina, arms and legs wrapping completely around her.

Kaina held her weight easily, wrapping her arms tightly around her.

“I missed you so much.” She murmured.

“I missed you too,” (Y/n) withdrew her head from Kaina’s neck and took a minute to really look at her. She ran her fingers through Kaina’s hair, noticeably shorter since they last saw each other, “I love the hair.”

“Thanks,” Kaina chuckled, then a more serious look came over her face, “Hey, um, I know this is kind of sudden since I just got here but, I really want to tell you something that’s been eating at me forever and I got a, uh, a ‘friend’ waiting outside that really shouldn’t be left alone for too long, but I wanted to tell you without any distractions.”

“Kaina, I’ve been waiting for this for years, I think we’ve waited long enough, don’t you?”

“You’re right,” Kaina sat (Y/n) down on the counter, “wait here a second… You didn’t deep clean the apartment at any point, did you?”

“What a riveting question,” (Y/n) teased, “but no, I haven’t. Thanks for exposing me.”

“Oh, you’re fine, it’s just us.” Kaina smiled, reaching up into the far back of the highest shelf and something weakly banged on the balcony door, “Ignore that, please.”

(Y/n) shook her head in disbelief, but did as she was told. Kaina worked her way back around the counter with something behind her back and came to a stop in front of (Y/n).

“What I have behind my back was a supposed to be a part two a ways down the line after I got to say what I initially wanted to say, but I’m so, so tired of waiting. (Y/n), you’re my best friend, my confidant, my home, the worst torture in that prison was not getting to hear your voice or see your face. God, what I wouldn’t have given just to smell your shampoo. I love you, and maybe I misstranslated some code, but I feel pretty confident you feel the same way.”

(Y/n) chuckled and nodded, using her legs to pull Kaina in closer to the counter, waiting impatiently for the other shoe to drop.

“I uh, don’t think we could get away with a real wedding, but will you take this ring and be my wife? Even if it’s not exactly a legal union?”

“Yes, Kaina, you sweet, beautiful woman, I’ll be your covert wife. I love you too.”

(Y/n)’s hands snuck back into Kaina’s hair, grasping at the root before pulling her in for a kiss that was long overdue.

“Should we make our way to the honeymoon?” (Y/n) breathed, when Kaina finally gave her enough space to catch her breath. Kaina winced.

“Yeah, probably gonna need a rain check on that.” She looked to the balcony door, so (Y/n) peered over too, seeing the distressed young man sitting out there for the first time. “The poor guy isn’t right. It didn’t feel right leaving him to fend for himself, so I took him with me. Is that alright?”

“Of course, let him in.”

Kaina slid the door open and Kai slowly shuffled in.

“Where’s pops?” He hiccuped, looking around the room hopefully.

“I told you, I don’t know your pops,” Kaina gently reminded, “But we’ll help you find him when it’s safe, okay?”

“Pops… I’m sorry.”

“Here, come sit.” (Y/n) lead him to the couch and helped ease him down. “Let’s make everyone a little something good to eat, hm? I’m sure you’re both tired of prison food.”

“You’re too good to me.” Kaina smiled, putting a cartoon on for Kai in hopes that it would keep him distracted while they worked in the kitchen.

“Well after you just proposed to me so nicely and kissed me so wonderfully it’s the least I can do.” (Y/n) winked, earning her another breath stealing kiss behind the wall of the kitchen nook.

[chiptaylorsfirst]

Hi, I read the fic where you wrote about Austin Sommers with the prostitute and I really enjoyed reading it. I was wondering if you could write a fic with the same storyline and it's about how Austin first met the prostitute reader. After they first met or whatever Austin decides to go to his place with the reader or whatever

A/N: Sure, I could do that. I'm sorry if this is too short or too shallow. I promise you that I did my best. Also, this is written in Austin's perspective. Do what you will with that information. The story mentioned is this: https://at.tumblr.com/chiptaylorsfirst/kinkmas-day-2/dq7uedefark9

Word Count: 1,030

Pairing: Austin Sommers x prostitute!Reader

Warning: Implied smut, prostitution, angst, slight fluff,

Summary: Austin really likes you the moment that he meets you and when you accidentally confess your love to him, his brain is filled with questions and he yearns to tell you how he feels the same.

I had never been into strippers or prostitutes before and it somehow reminded me of when I did drag shows. The people were so rude to one another instead of building each other up and it was all similar for one reason and one reason alone; people need money and they were going to get it however they could. I thought that the only motivation I’d ever get to use my talents and skills would come from being at Cape Cod and taking those sweet little black pills every once in a while. Then, I met Y/N and meeting her made me realize that there was more beyond what I imagined in this life on Earth, that I possibly have a purpose and I’m not just here. She changed everything. 

It had been a long day and I’d just finished singing with Belle Noir at The Muse. I went out searching for someone to feed on but I ended up finding a pretty stranded girl instead. She was outside, shivering cold and half-dressed. You could tell she’d been crying and her nose was runny. I felt compassion for her which is something I hadn’t had for anyone in a very long time. She was like me when I first got here and I needed her to feel safe. “Hey, my name’s Austin Sommers. I was wondering if you knew where the gamer guy lived at around here.” She cried, shaking her head ‘no’. “I c-can’t help you. I’m sorry. I’m usually not like this. I can’t seem to help anyone.”

You could tell by looking at her that she was thoroughly broken and ruined. I wanted to help her and take her away from all the suffering. I wanted to kill whoever made this girl so upset and for some reason, I wanted her. There shouldn’t have been any reason that a beautiful girl should be stranded and left alone like this, crying and apologizing. Even if there was a reason, it was a stupid and pathetic one. I decided that I’d have to feed later and took her with me to my house.

“What happened, if you don’t mind me asking.” She sniffled before speaking. “My fucking landlord evicted me, kicked me out, and called me a ‘whore’. He said he didn’t like what I do for work and that I’m a little bitch who ruins people’s lives. I knew I couldn’t go to my parent’s house. They don’t approve of what I do either. They slammed the door on me when they found out and called me a disgrace. So I couldn’t find anywhere to stay at and burned all my belongings after what happened.” 

“Damn, that’s fucked up. Want me to let you stay at my house for a while? I’ll give you as much time as you need. I think you’ll like it.” Her eyes lit up at my words and she smiled. “Are you sure? I don’t want to be a burden on you or anything.” I smiled as I looked at her. “I promise I can take it. I think I’ll enjoy your company. Besides, I’ve gone through worse. What’s your name.” “My name’s Y/N.” The name sounded like pure gold on her lips. “Y/N is a beautiful name. What is it that you do that has people so upset?” She was quiet for a second. “I’m a prostitute. I, of course, didn’t think I’d ever be into that sort of form of work but money got thin and it just kind of happened. I knew none of the clients I had would let me stay in their home so that was another dead end. Most of them have wives and children, better things to tend to than me. It’s multiple businessmen and a few douches. But, they pay me my money so I can’t complain.”

I didn’t say anything as I parked in my driveway. I couldn’t believe that someone who was as pure-hearted as her was in such a terrible situation. I wanted to protect her and I did. For continuous days and months, I kept her in my house, warm, happy, and content. I knew I loved her then but I couldn’t tell her and whenever she finally got a house and left, I felt lonely and a pit of guilt swallowed me whole. I knew she was probably out getting money the way that she did and I didn’t like the thought of it. I no longer wanted her but I needed her.

Whenever we were together, it was love and I knew that. No matter how much she acted like it wasn’t, no matter how often we hooked up and she left, Y/N loved me. She was happy around me and it was never a forced act. I was the only one who made her happy, made her enjoy life, and see the color in it. So, one morning after a long night of multiple rounds, she wrapped her arms around me and said my name. I turned to face her, her eyes closed and a content smile on her face. “I love you, Austin,” she said, unconscious. I just looked at her for a moment, contemplating what to do. 

I knew what I heard was right and that I wasn’t hearing things. I just needed to tell her I loved her too. She didn’t know that she confessed her feelings for me and I didn’t tell her. I just waited until she was awake and paid her her money, thinking of what to say, wishing I could say something to her.

“Bye, Austin. I’ll see you later.” My heart pinged and yearned for her as I watched her leave and I knew I had to tell her one day. She needed to know that I loved her, that I wanted her, that she changed my life. She needed to know that there was at least one person in this whole world that cared for her. I just had to wait and one day she would be mine. I just had to figure out what to say and how I was going to say it.

[redjaybird]

JAY’S RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET

Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name(s): Yams Mun pronouns: She/her/they/them, but also don't mind whatever OOC Contact: DMs or D.isco (mutuals/people I vibe with only ask for my d.isco)

Who the heck are my muses anyway:

He's a little shit that causes problems and pisses people off for the heck of it. A bit of an edgelord (is that an understatement?), rude, vulgar, and extremely tough to crack if you want him in friendlier stages. Good luck. He's not going to make it easy for you.

Points of interest:

He has various verses, some things may change depending on what verse things are in. Details in his design are important and have stories behind them. In his main verses, he has extra strengthened abilities and a little extra chaotic surprise, sometimes. He has a lot of anger issues and is really shit at dealing with other emotions, often turning them into anger, too, because he doesn't know how else to handle things. He likes to think of himself as a villain, but really he's more like an anti-hero. And he's got a whole revenge case he's trying to deal out. He's got some emotional issues that he refuses to talk about, and others he will just spill because he likes to talk about himself. And he's got trust issues.

What they’ve been up to recently:

Well, this varies for people and verses. Things won't be following the same paths for everyone he interacts with. In in his main f.c5 verse, he somehow got himself in a position where he's gotta help protect the Seeds, because of the relationship he ended up in with Jacob. Everything in the B.L verses kinda got put on hold, but these days its after his Arena fell. A vampire verse, in the f.c5 land, has been distressing him. Bloody City (original) verse is getting more developments lately (yeehaw). Depends on what version you wanna deal with, really.

Where to find them:

In general modern times, usually Chicago. In the borderlands, usually Pandora. In F.C3, on Rook Islands, hanging with the pirates. In F.C5, Hope County, usually in Jacob's region. Frontier, the pirate is in Montreal in the company of Mr. Grant and Mr. Pond.

Current plans:

Plans? What are plans? We'll have to see what unfolds. Anything could happen.

Desired interactions:

Enemies to awkward found family member, enemies/rivals, slow burns of any kind of relationship (because its almost always a slow burn with him), helping him learn to cook maybe? (his whole fear of stoves and fire issue man), dad bird dad bird dad bird dad bird (has an accidentally adopted daughter in some verses btw), etc.

Offered interactions:

Uh, do you like problematic little shits? Do you like conflict? Stories are boring without conflict, after all. And it makes the good times so much more worth it, you know? If you for some reason want him to work with you, however, the price is gonna be a little different. Because he doesn't care about money.

Current open post/s:

Keep an eye out for random IC posts, they happen a lot, and are generally open to anyone if they don't have a tag. (I don't always tag ic posts but I do always tag any trigger warnings when I think they need it.) Some will have specific verse tags, sometimes, just so you know where things will be focused on but yeah, generally most things are open unless someone specifically gets @'d on.

Anything else?:

[I'm not super great at writing, and am especially bad at describing things in words, but Jay will make up for a lot in dialogue because he loves talking. Interactions can inspire art, lots of drawing going on here. Also things never stop developing. I've been running this character for 12+ years now and I'm still developing him.]

Tagging: whoev's wants to do this thing go for it, i tried

[themculibrary]

Steve/Bucky USO show Masterlist

Captain America Has a Fella (ao3) - PR Zed (przed) G, 2k

Summary: "Welcome to the USO," the director tells Audrey. And with a handshake, she's in.

Six month she's been in New York, slinging hash in a diner and going to every audition she hears about. Now she's finally got a job dancing. She's ecstatic.

She's not so sure about working with this Captain America guy, though.

Or how one showgirl finds out there's more to Captain America than meets the eye.

I'd Know That Face Anywhere (ao3) - Shay081793 E, 2k

Summary: The 107th never got captured. Instead, Bucky Barnes is in the audience when that clown "Captain America" performs to rally the troops, and holy shit, that clown is Steve Rogers.

If I said I liked your body, would you hold it against me? (ao3) - aprofessorstale T, 1k

Summary: Prompt: What if Bucky didn't get captured and was in the audience with the 107th to see Captain America?

La Libération (ao3) - hermionesmydawg M, 3k

Summary: All the blood rushed to Bucky’s face. An uncharacteristic blush from him. “I don’t recall that story. You know, I do have well-documented memory problems.”

Natasha tsked. “He knows the story.”

“He does,” Steve mused. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell it.”

“Okay,” Bucky agreed quickly.

“I’ll just tell it,” Steve said. “It was-“

“August,” Bucky interrupted, shooting a scowl at Steve. “August of ‘44, the liberation of Paris. And I was fucking miserable.”

Let's Hear It for Captain America! (ao3) - JJK T, 4k

Summary: Steve lost his virginity to a USO girl in 1943? Sure he did, if you mean he lost it to Bucky dressed in a USO girl outfit.....

* * *

Love confessions post-Azzano lead to a discovery of Steve's Captain America costume and the USO girls help out when Bucky decides he wants to dress up for Steve.

Mama Tiger Knows Best (ao3) - darth_stitch T, 415

Summary: "All right, Rogers, that handsome fella of yours better appreciate how we’re keeping you safe for him."

Riders In The Sky (ao3) - roe87 steve/bucky M, 3k

Summary: Bucky time travels back to 1943 to watch Steve perform onstage as Captain America in the USO show. (He likes the outfit, okay?)

Then he continues on to the late '40s, pays Arnim Zola a visit... then swings back around to help the Steve from his timeline as he returns the Infinity Stones.

Once he rights the main timeline, Bucky heads back again, rescues Steve from 1949, and takes him on an adventure.

Steve's USO Tour (ao3) - roe87 M, 9k

Summary: After Project Rebirth, Steve has his brand new body but Col. Phillips and the Army doesn't want him.

Senator Brandt, however, offers Steve the chance to do his part by promoting war bonds... in tights, in a USO show.

Lucky for Steve, he meets some new friends to keep him company, including a chorus girl named Bucky.

Sucker Punch (ao3) - yellow_crayon E, 15k

Summary: Steve Rogers is not the blushing virgin everyone thinks.

(Five times they almost get caught and one time they do.)

To A Girl in 1943 on the USO Tour (ao3) - UnderwhelmingAlchemist E, 4k

Summary: Steve is questioned about how exactly he lost his virginity. Technically he's only lying about the "girl" part. After all, it was someone in 1943, and it was at the end of his USO tour, and they were wearing one of the dancer's costumes. Close enough, right?

Upskirt Angle (ao3) - zetsubonna M, 315

Summary: Anon requested: During the war, Bucky gets his hands on a USO girl outfit, wears it, and makes Steve roleplay.

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What If Things Were Different (ao3) - ceealaina G, 1k

Summary: What if Bucky wasn't captured by Hydra, and instead was sitting in the audience with the rest of the 107th while Captain America took the stage?

In my head Steve and Bucky are so in love it's ridiculous, but it can be read as just two best friends if that's how you prefer it.

[hime-memes]

                  • Kidnapped / Held Captive Starters • 

Okay, I’ve compiled a list of requested kidnapping / being held captive starters. Some of these could be said in other contexts besides kidnapping, so use at your own discretion.  ** Some of them range from serious to the down right absurd. ( I think I’ve covered a range of character personality types, and I’ve added a bonus bit for a potential kidnapper’s perspective. ) 

As always: Feel free to change anything within these that you see fit to make it work for your muse & the receiver’s muse !

Recommended For:  Criminal muses or plots

Trigger Warnings For: Kidnapping - ( obviously ! ), drug / alcohol mentions, lots of swearing.

“ Where am I ? ... How did I get here ?! “ “ What was in that drink / dish ? ” “ I might not get very far, but I swear to God -- I will fight to get out of here ! “  “ I doubt anyone is looking for me ... so, why bother taking me ? “  “ Listen: contact, [ Name ], they’ll give you whatever you want - just let me go ! “  “ I’m going to make so much fucking noise someone is going to find me. “ “ Why does stuff like this always happen to me ?! “  “ I don’t know who put you up to this, but you’ve got it all wrong ... “ “ I could have gotten out of here anytime I wanted ... but, this shit show was too fun to resist watching, if I’m honest. “  “ I’m not eating or drinking anything you give me ... last time that happened, I ended up here ! “  “ Listen - I’m just thrilled to be away from the assholes I’ve got the displeasure of being related to. Congratulations, you played yourself ! “ “ Huh, my mom always said if someone kidnapped me they’d bring me back account of me never shutting up … anyway, what were we talking about ? “ “ Just because you’re holding me here like a caged animal doesn’t mean I am one. “ “ Please don’t hurt me. “ “ Did [ name ] put you up to this ? Wait … am I on candid camera ?! Very funny guys, just make sure you get my good side ! “ “ I don’t care what you do to me, I’m not selling [ Name / Organization ] out ! “ “ I don’t have the energy to fight this anymore. You win, I’ll tell you about [ plan, place, objectives, etc. ] … “ “ I didn’t think anyone would stoop this low, but to be completely honest - I’m not surprised. “ “ It never had to come to this. “ “ Please don’t toy with me, I’m already scared enough. “ “ What do you mean [ Name ] isn’t coming for me ? I thought I could always count on them … “ “ Where did you take [ Name ] ?! [Name]!? [Name]!! “ “ Oh yeah ? Well I’m going to chew through these ropes like a stinky little rat baby ! Then what ?! Your plan is gonna be so fucked ... “ “ Wait a minute — do I know you ?? Oh my God … [ name ] ?! “ “ I don’t understand, why target me ? “ “ I think you’ve got the wrong person — I don’t know what’s happening here ! “ “ When I get out of here - just know, I’m coming after you and your goons … relentlessly ! “ “ There were easier ways to get my attention ... “ “ My head hurts — Did you actually hit me ? “ “ I WANT TO GO HOME ! LET. ME. GO ! “ “ If you bastards hurt [ Name ] … I swear, there is no where you can run from me in here. “ “ I’m not locked up in here with you … you’re locked up in here with me ! … Oh, come on ! That’s the most badass line in ‘ Watchmen ‘ ! “ “ I can honestly say I didn’t see this coming. “ “ NO ! Leave [ Name ] alone ! It’s me that you have a problem with ! “ “ You left me locked up with only my thoughts for company … you can’t be that surprised that I’ve figured out [ how to get out of here / who you are / what your plan is etc. ] ! “ “ If you haven’t hurt me / killed me yet, then it clearly isn’t that personal. Is it ? If it’s money you’re after, name your price for my freedom - I’ll pay it. “ “ Tell [ Name ] I’ll get them the [ money, object of importance/ etc. ], just let me go. This has all just been one big misunderstanding ! “ “ I’m not scared, … just exhausted. There’s a difference. “ “ I already know I’m never getting out of here, so I’ll just save my tears and the pleas for mercy ... “ “ You’re insane ! Let me go - I haven’t done anything to deserve this ! “ “ Wait until my [ Parents, Spouse, Siblings ] hear about this ! Wait … what do you mean they sold me out ? No ! You’re lying ! “  “ Please let me out of here. I won’t tell anyone, just please let me go ... I’ll forget I ever saw you & forget that this ever happened. “  “ I’m not going to lie down and play the good little victim ... i’m not as dumb as you look ! “  “ I’m getting out of here one way or another. “ “ Get any closer and I’ll spit in your pathetic face. “ “ I didn’t think these would be the consequences for crossing you - it won’t happen again, just please, let me out of here ! “ “ I don’t want things to escalate anymore, just tell me what you want ! “ “ ... I’ll just add this to my extensive resume of weird experiences, and we’ll call this even. Okay ? Now, let me go. “ “ This stuff just happens in the movies ... It’s not supposed to happen to someone like me. “ 

• Bonus •  From the Kidnapper’s Perspective:

“ Fear and mock bravado go hand in hand from what I’ve seen this evening. “ “ Do you ever, and I mean this respectfully, shut the fuck up ? “ “ Treating your current predicament as some sort of ‘ Home Alone antics ‘ act would prove very dangerous for you. I’m in this business because my men and I are VERY good at what we do. “ “ Listen to me, I’ll take the tape off your mouth so you can tell me what you want from Taco Bell … if you scream out in any way, I’m putting the tape back and you can have a crunch wrap. Are we clear ? “ “ Fuck how you feel; I’m just here to get paid. “ “ … Shit, not you again … Do you have some sort of damsel in distress complex, or something ?! “ “ Trust me, no one’s doing this job sober - that’s what henchmen and goons are for. “ “ I don’t even like you, so why would I bother lying to you about your current circumstances ? “ “ … Whoops … I don’t think you’re who we were looking for. “ “ Scream until your vocal chords are raw, this place is sound proof. God himself can’t hear you now. “ “ I might be smiling, but please know — way deep down … I’m SO pissed off right now. “ “ As far as I’m concerned, you’ll never see the light of day again as long as I can help it. “  “ What can I say ? Animals belong in captivity. “ “ Groveling like this: snot nosed, eyes bleary from tears, voice hoarse from pleading for your freedom ... Ha ! It really suits you, [ Name ]. “ “ I think after this job, I’m switching careers because this bullshit is just too much ... “

[mountphoenixrp]

We have a returning citizen in Mount Phoenix:

           Aeri "Giselle" Uchinaga, a 22 year old daughter of Psyche.            She runs an online accessories store.

FC NAME/GROUP: Giselle / aespa CHARACTER NAME: Uchinaga Aeri “Giselle” AGE/DATE OF BIRTH: 22 / 30 October, 2000 PLACE OF BIRTH: Tokyo, Japan OCCUPATION: Owner of online accessories store AIRY DEFINING FEATURES: Long, straight hair that changes in shades often. Small moon symbol tattoo on the nape of her neck — an artistic reimagining of her mother’s eye. 

PERSONALITY: Giselle, from the first impression, was fearless and sassy. She always had a comeback for everything tossed at her, and whatever hardships came her way, she always took them head on. In that sense, everything seemed to be so easy to her, not only because her father always gave her everything she wanted (in absence of real desire to actually be living with her), but because she knew how people thought and felt about her. Just small ideas were enough to put her off from trusting easily, and the lack of thrill in getting to know someone new bored her so much. Despite all this, when she finds proper friends, she cherishes their bond, and displays a sweet, almost flirty demeanor. However, don’t touch her without her permission — that might put her off from ever touching or talking to you again!

HISTORY:  Whatever Giselle wanted, she had. But even then she wasn’t happy with any of it. She traveled the world from a young age from Tokyo, then eventually settled down in Seoul, with her father Michael Uchinaga, Japanese-American owner of Selle, a FinTech start-up company. She knew very earlier on who her mother was (again, Michael gave her everything she wanted, and everything he could imagine she wanted), so it was almost odd to meet other peers who didn’t have a god or goddess parent. Though she sometimes wished she was just like the others; if she didn’t have the powers she had, she would believe herself to be the luckiest daddy’s girl in the world. She knew how her father felt about her, that despite how much he loved and cared for her, she was to him the only thing hindering him from settling down with the wife of his dreams. Slowly, as she grew up, she wondered what it was that could change his way of thinking. As usual, he gave in to all of her wishes — she requested to attend university in Los Angeles, with an apartment, car, and enough money to fund a comfy lifestyle and kickstart a side business of her own. He, of course, took this as a chance to begin his search for his potential partner, and of fear of confirming this fact, she refused to let him give her that goodbye hug at the airport. Because although being able to catch glimpses of others’ thoughts was a blessing to her, having insight of her father’s inner musings wasn’t. She settled in her new environment just fine, and with free time and little friends, she decided to join a sorority for fun. Needless to say, this life was quite the experience to her. The hazing, the parties, the drama all brought a renewed sense of disgust and contempt towards people in general. She eventually made it into the sorority of her choice, but on the day her membership was confirmed, she handed in her withdrawal form and flew back to Seoul to whom she could trust the most. Her father, despite everything, loved her to bits, and she knew it. She decided to give her father a surprise by hiding in their home and waiting for him to return, but it was her who was more surprised when her father returned home with a beautiful lady in his arm. With a big grin, Michael pulled Giselle in for a hug, but as soon as he came close and wrapped his arms around her, she could feel in his heartbeat every single word in his thoughts. Why is she back now? There couldn’t be a worse time. She’s going to ruin my chances with the woman who has my heart.  It was her father who originally told her about a place named Mount Phoenix, and it was there that she came back and forth from, partly wondering what she should do with herself and whether Mount Phoenix could truly be her home. Now, she returned after spreading the word to several others who were just like her, unique, disillusioned, and needed a place to just be.

PANTHEON: Greek CHILD OF: Psyche POWERS: Giselle’s strong grasp of catching glimpses of others’ thoughts and feelings through physical contact comes from the early knowledge of her identity and the constant practice of this power. She could detect big pictures of mental and emotional states through touch, as well as others’ initial thoughts towards her. She also has the ability to charm others into doing small favors for her by displaying the godly beauty bestowed upon her by her mother. STRENGTHS: Intuitive and quick, observant and mindful of surroundings, crafty and creative when coming up with ideas WEAKNESSES: Easily bored and irritated, skeptical of people’s intentions, impatient and slightly spoiled

[bailesona]

so i lost the list of reasons why ur muse should work at the diner, but god as my witness, i’m here to remake it. maybe even improve on it! so here we go:

the pay is INSANELY good. like, recent numbers reflect that nyc’s minimum wage is rising to 15 bucks, but i feel like aisling might have accidentally panicked and told someone once it was 20 dollars an hour at the diner, and then after some discussion and HUGE outrage from richard’s elitist family, aisling, richard and stanley all agreed the pay would be $22.50 an hour. and that’s just the minimum. “oh, that’s not realistic.” guess what bestie, the very NOTION that aisling can afford an apartment in manhattan even with her billions of euros in inheritance is unrealistic, this is just reasonable and necessary.

diner squad meals. it doesn’t matter how long the shift is, or when the shift is; someone will be working in the kitchen, and as long as stanley or richard or aisling are alive, you will be fed like kings, queens or unanimously elected monarchs! if henri is in the kitchen, he prefers to cook french food, german food, or fusion food that combines these two fields of cooking. coq au vin, schnitzel, french onion soup, hand-made bratwurst. if aisling is in the kitchen, she’s more of a by-the-mood cook, but it’s often italian or irish food, so irish stews, colcannon, pizza, spaghetti bolognese. and if stanley is cooking, it’s dad food. burgers, hot dogs, tomato soup, grilled cheese. ramsay prefers spanish and mexican food, but it’s always a comfort dish. tacos, quesadillas, paella.

flexible hours. none of that “14 hour minimum” bullshit, you can choose whatever hours you want, and you can cancel last minute, it won’t matter to them. aisling can and will cover people’s shifts. so will nate, even if he grumbles about it. they will insist you go home and get some sleep if you’re struggling, but there’s no punishment in store for anyone who wants to work one hour this week and 74 next week.

team-building exercises. basically an excuse to go to the lake cabin. it’s nice, though; no trust falls, just everyone sitting together around a bonfire and eating cheeseburgers and laughing at that one insufferable customer who made stanley nearly quit.

you get to meet very interesting people. literally. goddesses, aliens, members of royalty, agents in MI6, agents in the CIA, superheroes, supervillains, criminals, people from other timelines. you’d be forgiven for assuming morality would repel many of the morally darker characters, but it’s unanimously agreed that there won’t be any violence on the diner grounds.

unless you’re the company of v. they attack infrequently. but that’s how you get to meet the superheroes, so it balances out.

the uniform? literally whatever u want. you don’t even need to wear the nametag. but henri insists on long trousers and covered shoes in the kitchen, so be warned.

diner squad vacations. yeah! stanley made a fortune on a cookbook he published in the nineties, richard comes from OLD money, and aisling has several billion dollars in a bank in ireland. leo likes to be in charge of the vacation locations. last year it was koh samui. the year before it was sicily.

[arxival]

| 권미영: future glory eden miyeong kwon

abstract

♞ wait till you hear about this next nominee: KWON MI-YEONG. they’re a FOURTH year BACHELOR OF COMPUTER SCIENCE student and FORMER IMO PARTICIPANT — impressed yet? rumor has it they’re hoping to be an EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF R&D AT THE SH GROUP, but personally, i think they should aim a little higher — something like the king’s club, for one. now, that suits them a little more, don’t you think? guess we’ll just have to see if they’ve got the talent for it in our upcoming recruitment round. ⸻ ♔

i. introduction

hiya, coco (dm for dc) here with eden kwon miyeong. there's a run down of her below but you can also see her profile and bio for a faster view. if you'd like me to pop my ims please like this post and i'll be right there

ii. background

miyeong is a chronic sufferer of eldest daughter syndrome, resting bitch face, and delusions of being a self made entrepeneur

there is some merit to that, being the sidelined child by simple virtue of being born a woman, despite being the eldest and most gifted, capable, experienced (not to mention determined) of her siblings

her dad (with the support of her mom's political pedigree) operates a tech empire in the world of enterprise and consumer saas, as well as search engines and cloud

her parents wanted a boy and made no secret of it: the moment the oldest of her younger brothers was born, she was shipped off to boarding school in america: out of sight, out of mind

never was she gifted any support, so she very much has the delusions of believing herself to be entirely self made, private feeder boarding school educated and all

stuffTM happens and she's forcibly pushed back into the family... only to guide her (utterly hopeless) brother into what she sees as her rightful inheritance

iii. model architecture

she's deeply proud, mildly delusional and hella hardworking

pulls no punches, if she wants something she will do everything in her power to get it and admires others who share that similar drive

nice but not kind, sees people as a means to an end

heavily holds her grudges but is quite generous to her benefactors

easily jealous of other's perceived ease of success

iv. training

with her family being in no way reliable, miyeong sees the king's club as a way to carve her own path as her support network to use

between her academics and extracurricular sports, she's perpetually occupied, but if anything, it's that she has not enough time that makes her a force to be reckoned with: scarily efficient and sparing no second thoughts on anything that stands in her way

with that in mind, she disdains anyone she sees as just coasting off

money she can earn, health she can work, but time she cannot buy

"fuck off", "I don't have time for this shit" are her signature phrases

v. results

after graduating, miyeong went straight into industry and into the history books as one of a landmark ai research paper's authors

she later formed an ai startup with one of her co-authors, two years after their exit she sold the company to the sh group and was parachuted in as the director for ai research, their youngest one yet

since then, she's been a rising star within the group and is a seen as a favorite heir by analysts, the head of research position all but secured within the next year

not just in korea, she's at the forefront of her field in the world, her work already eroding the kwon empire's steady position

vi. conclusion

someone she learns to begrudgingly respect

someone she consistently disdains and thus demeans

"someday you will be begging for my help" antagonistic dynamics

uneasy work relationships of mutual, dislike-fulled, benefit

she's a math god, your muse is not, what could go wrong w tutoring (spoiler alert: lots and lots of frustrated tears)

[jeannahas]

MIDNIGHT MUSINGS

As much as a love my job ( full time martial arts instructor) there are a few things that I definitely have been struggling with lately:

1: i have no relationships outside of my immediate family that are not transactional.

This is in part a colisión of innate give ADHD and my occupation- due to the inattentive ADHD, maintaining any relationship without constantly being in the same place as someone has proved nigh impossible- I’ll just… forget. This means that the people I interact with are connected to the studio In some way- all positive interactions, but ALL transactional. Pretty good friends with my bow, who owns the company- but again, employer. Pretty good friends with the chief investor of the company- but again- transactional. I have to do well, and the studio has to do well, and that knowledge taints any interactions with them.

Students: again, all mostly positive interactions- but also again, all transactional. They pay me to be positive, and to create a positive environment to learn martial arts. If they stopped paying, I find if almost impossible to maintain even those close, fun relationships. I have considered trying to organize a dinner with the black belts for us all just to enjoy the evening, but then I wouldn’t be able to come home to the wife and girls in time- and we can’t afford a babysitter so she could come with mes so again, transactional.

2: I operate out of sync with most of the world. By running most people’s hobby, I am NOT free when most people are- I work from 2:00 in the afternoon to 9:00 / 9:30 at Night- events, if set in the evening on any day other than Saturday or Sunday, are impossible. I love TTRPG’s, and while in the past I’ve been able to make online options work, I just want to sit down at a table with friends and have fun killing bugs or gnolls- and the stress and mental strain of my occupation means ( and yes I have tried) that I don’t have the mental capacity to be the GM anymore- my free time takes place while others work ( and it’s spent playing with and taking care of the kids, rather than spent crafting, or engaging in the things that ACUALLY energize me and make it possible to get through the day. ) and i work when others are free.

This compounds problem one: I (living in a city with almost no public spaces and doing almost anything in the city costs 60$ or more per person) don’t have the opportunity to come across likeminded people. This puts me in isolation and the only people I end up interacting with are either paying me, or intend to do so- it feels like a sold friendship, and no matter how deeply I actually care, I don’t know if I’d have a snowballs chance in hell maintaining any of these friendships if my situation or theirs changed where the transaction that drives my little ecosystem ( money for martial arts classes) shifted.

I an very tired.

And just want a friend I could invite over for a drink and a talk about nerdy games.

[baurbiediv]

beetlejuice

bolded italics = song lyrics

italics = flashbacks

bittersweet, beetlejuice

bitter me, how sweet of you to

ask if i’d be your muse

and go and paint me blue

labels were something you’d never been interested in while on relationships.

you thought they were pointless, if you were truly in love with someone, why slap a label on them?

when jack had first had his sights on you, it wasn’t a physical interaction, more so he just so ‘magically’ was scrolling through instagram and your account just so happened to appear on his explore page.

from then on you’d exchange messages and even escalated to exchanging each others number. any normal person would’ve thought that this was some sick joke at first, but something inside of you told yourself to give him a chance.

the more you talked to jack, the more head over heels you became. between the ‘good morning’ texts and late night facetime calls, you couldn’t have possibly asked for anything more from a guy, especially someone who was frequently seen in the limelight from time to time.

of course, he wanted to keep you on the low as he didn’t want anyone anyone to invade your personal privacy or your own personal life.

you gladly respected him for that, he treated you like you deserved to be treated.

the first time he came to visit, he voluntarily flew to your hometown of atlanta and stayed with you in your apartment for two weeks, and not to over exaggerate, you considered those two weeks to be the best of your life.

it was bittersweet when he had to go back to louisville, but nonetheless you enjoyed his company while he was there.

from the small walks in the nearby parks to the dinner nights to the nights you both stayed in and ordered take out and had a small game night with just the two of you, you felt as though your life was going perfect.

nobody had ever made you feel the way that jack has, you wonder from time to time if someone had put some kind of love spell on you that you were never aware of.

neither of you or jack had paid any attention to the tv while it played a some corny rom com as it has been long forgotten while the two of you had been lost in conversation.

“do you think your life would be any different if you found someone other than me?” you asked jack while you twirled his hoodie string around your finger.

he responded without any hesitation, “i do think that quite literally everything would be different. i mean my attitude would be different, don’t get me wrong i ain’t no grouch or anything but you bring the best out of me y/n, and i mean that.”

you rolled your eyes and smiled.

“don’t get all mushy on me mr. harlow.” jack chuckled at the statement, “i’m serious though y/n, any time i see your face it just makes my day 10x better. i mean it when i say this, i love you.”

suddenly the world came to a halt and you felt stuck. hearing those words fall from his lips made your heart skip a beat. “i love you too, jack.” you smiled as jack kissed your forehead.

now here you are present day, still just as in love with jack as you were when you shared that endearing moment on the couch with jack.

you could’ve sworn in that exact moment that you would’ve married him in that moment. you were so in love with him, and he was so in love with you.

there were times where you thought that living without jack had to be the most difficult thing of your relationship.

although he had priorities, you were his priority as well.

of course you wanted to go with jack anywhere he went but it was pricey, albeit he promised to take care of you himself but you didn’t want him spending all that kind of money on you, which you reassured him was okay.

the daily facetime calls weren’t cutting it anymore and you started missing him more and more. you’d been laying around in your apartment all day when you got the urge to call jack, but much to your avail, he never picked up. so you called him a few more times, but he still never picked up, and so ultimately you left him a few messages just to make sure he was alright.

to: jack 🫶🏽💘

hi baby

just checking in, i love you so much 💘💘

call me when you can

the next few days flew by, and still nothing from jack.

this was starting to send you into a frenzy, not hearing anything from him was starting to make you worth and even make you feel sick.

you felt a little crazy for the way you’d been feeling.

to try and take your mind off of things, you took to instagram to see what new recipes you could find and what new styling choices you could make.

but when you swiped over to your homepage, you saw jack posted up with some girl on his lap with his arms around her along with the caption, “Glad to be in the city with her. ♥️”

but the last time i seen your face, was in atlanta

and i knew that she had took my place, because you vanished

we grew distant like you left me on an isolated planet

i’d rather die than be abandoned by you

'cause you know I didn't love you for the money

only your sugar and my honey 'cause it was so sweet

admit you never even loved me

your head was spinning and your chest started feeling heavy. the only thing that you were even remotely able to do was lay down and cry. why would he do this to you? there would only be a short amount of time before people found out the truth about jack.

and you.

taglist:

@harlowsbby

[honeykaes]

𝐂𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐨 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐦 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐕

warning: mention of cheating

𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫!𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐠

About Ningguang: You’re asking why one of the richest women in the world has this job? Well, I don’t think I can reveal all my secrets without an exchange now, not to mention it’s quite rude to ask in the open like this. Why don’t we plan a more private conversation later?

About Ningguang II: I love the finer things in life what can I say? I purely worked hard to get to my position in the world. Why do you think the press can’t get enough of me, haha!~

About Zhongli: Honestly, he doesn’t know half of actually running a company. I’m one of the main reason this company is profiting and staying afloat. He hired me to keep him in check after his last business sank after all.

About (Y/n): Ah! The talk of the town. I may have invited them to some tea in my chambers. …What’s that look for. It’s only tea and conversation…~

About Yelan: I truly appreciate her. She makes my job ten times easier. You’d be shocked about the information she digs up. One reason why Golden Celeste does so well is because, not only are we one of the best casinos in the world, other companies know not to mess with us unless they want a…challenge. Let’s keep it at that.

About Golden Celeste: I will admit I am tired of his name as the reason this casino and resort is doing so well. Zhongli needs to be careful. I sense an uprising brewing in the background. And if he isn’t lucky, someone might take away his favorite toy. Oh me? Haha, I’m just musing, don’t mind it.

About Xiao: That boy is an odd one. He actually was the one who assisted in my travels from China to Las Vegas. He’s quiet though. I wonder what would make him crack…?

𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫!𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐄𝐢

About Ei: Yes, I come here from time to time as we have invested a lot in the greenery and furnishing in this establishment. I don’t like my money being wasted so I like to check up on how things are doing every now and then. This city is a…bit much for me, I must admit.

About Ei II: Siblings? I actually have quite a few. I’m part of a triplet. My eldest sister passed on though so it’s just myself, Sho and our half-brother. Whose our half brother? I think that’s none of your business.

About Zhongli: Zhongli and I have been partners for a very long time. I was tempted to cut business ties after much of my money was wasted on his previous endeavor. My late sister convinced me to give him another chance and here we are. We are only allies for her, that’s it.

About Venti: Yes…I’ve known him a long time as well. The drunkard actually had his own company before he completely sold it off and did…whatever he does now. I prefer not talking to him much if I can help it.

About Scaramouche: …I’d prefer not to speak about him.

About (Y/n): They did catch my eye when I first walked in. Hmm…I wonder if they’re sick of the city. It might be a great introduction to show them around Tokyo, where I am regarded so highly. It’s cute how they interact without knowing just how powerful I am. I enjoy our relationship.

About Sparking Sakura: My company? Yes. The top earning in the Japanese Market and one of the greatest in the world. We have dealings mainly in East Asia; however, we are beginning to finally branch out more in the West.

About Yae Miko: An old friend. Do be careful with her. She’s as tricky as a fox.

𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭!𝐘𝐚𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐨

About Yae Miko: Ah! You know of my blog! Yes, I’m quite a famous critic in the art and entertainment realm. My articles have a lot of sway. As annoying as it is, Golden Celeste is a joy to be at, so I always stay here whenever I need to come to Las Vegas

About Yae Miko II: Oh?~ I’m not here to write? Perhaps you’re right. I needed a break, plus, I heard something was quite interesting here.

About Ei: The workaholic. Since her eldest sister died, she has put everything into her work. I worry about her sometimes. She needs to get out more and live a little…

About Zhongli: To this day, I don’t understand how he was able to build this casino. I mean his credit is abysmal. I think he may have some connections with some rather shady people. I mean how else could he rebound so quickly from his bankrupt and scandal-filled company?

About Scaramouche: Ahh. Ei didn’t tell you? Figures. Yes, he is her half-brother. Her father went off and got some random woman pregnant from another company. They completely hide his birth in the country. I thought he went off to Russia or something. It’s interesting to see him here. Hehe…part of me wished I could see Ei’s face when she first realized he was here.

About Ayato: …I wouldn’t trust him if I were you. He shouldn’t even be here. I bet his trying to gather information for his own company. Do I not like him? We just have a…cat and mouse type of relationship.

About (Y/n):  Awww, just adorable. I can see why everyone is so enamored by them. Hehe…I can already think about the amusing scenarios we can put them through. I wonder how everyone would react hehe… 

About (Y/n) II: I will admit one thing, this is truly a game of chess for everyone. Who will be the winners, and who will be the losers…and who will cheat their way to victory? That’s for all of us to find out…and I for one am excited for the entertainment.

[wincore]

romeo roulette | jung yoonoh

pairing: jaehyun x fem!reader

summary: if finding your soulmate is the same as a damn game of russian roulette, you are determined to not pull the trigger at all. except, you know who your soulmate is and he doesn’t—and given a choice to pretend, you find that jaehyun is the lesser of the two burdens to bear.

genre: soulmate au, office au, fake dating, fluff (a lot), angst (a little), romcom, magical realism (??)

words: 21.2k

warnings: language

song recs: playlist here !

a/n: behold ! a kdrama compressed in a fic ! ok i was lying there was more than a little angst but all in good fun <3 i have never experienced working in an office (thanks to the panny) but i tried making it as accurate as i could !! hope you have fun with this <3

It’s not that you’ve never been looked at with a lover’s gaze, it’s just that whatever look Jaehyun has been giving you is mildly uncomfortable. It’s not supposed to be that way. Hell, even his hand clasping yours are a little too clammy for your liking.

Jung Yoonoh. Get your act together.

You wish he were a better actor than this. For someone used to eyes on him in each and every room he’s in, he’s not very good at making eye contact. You’ll be saving this performance. Not to stroke your own ego but at least you know how to behave under strong gazes.

There are three people staring at the two of you and your fingers intertwined, scrutinizing your postures and the expressions on your faces. Maybe Jaehyun should face them instead of glancing at you wordlessly. He’s a terrible liar for someone who acts so smooth. 

You look up with a short smile. The aforementioned three are your coworkers—former class rep at uni and your current boss Doyoung, your friend Soojin and Jaehyun’s friend Sicheng from IT. None of them look happy—like it concerns them. If there was a competition for nosy coworkers, this entire group would be winning awards left and right (and that’s including you). 

They’re going to find out, an annoying voice giggles inside the quiet corner of your brain. Like hell, they will. You didn’t take up acting lessons in college for nothing. You just need to focus on the details.

This whole charade dates its beginning to a week ago. 

If someone were to tell you Jung Yoonoh from marketing is your soulmate, you would most certainly either laugh or take it as a genuine insult. Hence, you were glad when you found that he isn’t. 

It was an accident. You had glimpsed at his soulmark, right below his collarbone, at a particularly wild office afterparty—and somehow, you thought it was fitting that his tattoo was a little red heart. For someone born on Valentine’s day (which you know from a night out with coworkers, not because you’re remotely interested), if his soulmark was not something as disgusting as a heart, it would be the textbook definition of irony. But then again, fate is a funny thing. Your soulmark is a heart roughly the same size, with a little more intricacy in the form of a piercing arrow.

Despite all, however, if someone were to ask you if Jung Yoonoh is the worst person to be your soulmate, the answer is no. You can name at least five coworkers off the top of your head that you’d choose him over. You would choose him over Doyoung (and especially his nagging), you would choose him over Taeyong because he’s too hot and you also don’t like men in a higher position than you are, you would choose him over Jungwoo because you suspect he’s secretly a furry. Jaehyun is certainly better than your deskmate Dongmin who, despite an angelic smile, is: a) too distant to make actual conversation with, and b) in a relationship despite being your soulmate. Sweet-tempered Dongmin doesn’t even know it’s you. You’d love to be the bearer of bad news but this one—you’re not exactly ready for it yourself.

So that’s the explanation for why you hunted down Jaehyun and in a desperate attempt to not seem pathetic, coerced him into a role that has carefully picked benefits for either of you. You just have to bite the bullet sometimes.

“And I get what out of this?”

“Me? Temporarily, that is.”

Jaehyun laughs in amusement and you drop your smile, almost offended. If you were a gift, you’d certainly be an attractive, spicy, hot one—he doesn’t have to look at you so incredulously. In a neat business suit, Jaehyun is as kempt as ever though his tie could do with some more work.  As an HR assistant, his appearance pleases you. However as a person, the perfection annoys the hell out of you. He could show himself to be more human. It would make your job (both the actual and the metaphorical) easier.

“I’m leaving,” he announces with a nonchalant exhale. “You keep messing around during work hours like this and people are going to think you’re jobless.”

“Wait!” 

You jog up to him and block his path, crossing your arms as you huff at his indignance. 

“I said no,” he repeats, and when he tries to evade you, you push him back with your palm flat against his chest. Jaehyun doesn’t show any more discomfort than usual, biting the inside of his cheek.

“You haven’t found your soulmate, right?” you say, taking a deep breath. If you have to resort to psychological warfare, so be it.

His smile wavers and he straightens, no longer leaning against the printer desk. “No. How does that matter?”

“It matters because you’re going to be my pretend-soulmate. Now, don’t be a pussy.”

He opens his mouth and closes it, furrowing his eyebrows. “You can’t always trick me into doing what you want.”

“I’ll ask Doyoung if you say no.”

“See—enough with the tricks, they don’t work anymore. I’ve known you for two years.”

“I really will ask him.”

“Not convincing enough. You don’t even talk to Doyoung outside work.”

You groan into your hand, taking a few moments to come up with another plan. How is your obvious charisma not enough? You certainly can’t tell him how rejected you feel with the whole Dongmin situation even if his rejection hasn’t officially come yet. It’s too embarrassing for a grown adult to go through. You don’t mind being lonely for the rest of your life if you’re successful. There’s a price tag on each decision you make anyway.

“I’ll treat you to lunch every day. I’ll pay.”

You cross your arms, tapping your foot in anticipation. They say the way to a man’s heart is through the stomach. Besides, Jaehyun hates spending his lunch money on himself. This ought to do something.

Jaehyun places his hand in front of his mouth in mock surprise. “Oh no, out of your beloved paycheck? That’s kind of scary, honestly.”

“Jaehyun. Stop messing around. I’m being serious.”

He purses his lips, hesitation across his face. You don’t like the way he thinks, with quiet, lost eyes and no clear giveaways on his lips.

“Okay. I’ll do it.”

You smile in relief though you try somewhat to not let it show on your face. 

“On one condition.”

Your eyes dart across his face, nothing that tells what he might suggest next. You hate when you don’t get to decide on things.

“You have to come visit my family next month and pose as my soulmate—”

“No way.”

“—and when this whole game you’re playing is over, you’re going to say I rejected you.”

You stare at him, weighing the odds. 

“Fine,” you say finally, voice pitched in slight annoyance.

Jaehyun shrugs.

“But I tell my parents that I rejected you. Or they’ll come after you with a task force or something.”

You mutter the last part.

He grimaces, holding his breath for a good few seconds and then letting it go.

“Alright. It’s not like mine and your parents know each other—or will ever meet.”

“Fine then,” you say. “We have an agreement.”

“We have an agreement,” he repeats.

Now, back to more pressing matters. The people in front of you aren’t a stupid lot—even if you've seen Doyoung spend $500 on plush toys, seen Sicheng absentmindedly walk into a desk and pretend to not be in pain for the next five minutes and Soojin somehow convinced a senior to get her coffee because she thought he was an intern (in her defence, it worked). 

The only way is to act through. You clear your throat.

"We… we discovered it last week. Our signs match."

Technically, you drew an arrow with a permanent marker over Jaehyun's tattoo in an attempt to resemble yours. It's not awful, but perhaps not perfect. 

“Discovered? Like just happened to find out?” Doyoung asks.

“Isn’t Jaehyun’s on…” Soojin leans in to whisper hurriedly in your ear. “On his butt? Did you guys sleep together?”

You contort your face in disgust. “The what? What? Who told you that? And no.”

Soojin makes an ‘ah’ sound and leans back. “I should stop listening to office rumours then.”

"You should." You glare at her.

Sicheng is the only one without questions at the tip of his tongue but the look on his face worries you most. 

“I’ve never seen your tattoo, now that I think about it,” he muses, turning to Jaehyun. “Although we’re roommates.”

Jaehyun clears his throat, looking around with shifty eyes. "Why is… why is everyone looking so suspicious?"

"It's just… so sudden," Soojin says, looking around at the others.

"Yeah," Sicheng mutters.

"Soulmate fraud is a big deal too, you know that right?" Doyoung informs. "You could get put in jail."

You throw up your hands in exasperation. "Why would we pretend? We don't have any reason to. And, uh, you're sure about the jail thing?"

You look at Doyoung, hoping your question didn’t come off too squeaky. 

"You’re right,” he says, sighing. “It’s so unlikely for soulmates to work in the same company, let alone the same building.”

“Oh, yes, I’m so lucky,” you mutter under your breath.

Doyoung sighs. "Look, we're happy for you. It's just that… it's a little sudden."

"Literally what I just said," Soojin says.

"Literally what she just said," Doyoung agrees quickly, not wanting to pick a fight. Sometimes you wonder who the real boss is.

"Look, just because we don't even acknowledge each other or find each other remotely attractive or wouldn't even be each other's office Christmas card candidate—"

Jaehyun nudges your side with his elbow and gives you a look that seems a lot like "You're making it worse".

You clear your throat. "That's what happens to most soulmates! You think you're going to land the perfect one and boom. You get a chump from marketing."

Jaehyun makes a sound of protest. "I didn't want a snob from HR either."

The two of you glare at each other, and you find that clenching his jaw makes Jaehyun slightly (around 0.05%) more attractive, or at the very least more bearable to look at.

Doyoung gasps. "Okay, I get it. You're having adjustment issues. I know a guy for that. He's helped every newly found soulmate couple adjust with each other."

"We don't need that," you interrupt, offering your fakest smile.

"You do," Doyoung responds, his smile equally fake. "I'll drive you this weekend if you're free. He’ll give you one free session. No more, because we all know how capitalism works."

People have got to stop copying your fake smile. You wish you could have it copyrighted because after all, it’s the same smile that tricks interviewees into thinking they got the job. It’s not evil if you say it isn’t. You open your mouth, look at Jaehyun doing the same and when you can't come up with an excuse, give up and nod. 

"Don't look so resentful," Doyoung says, tone slightly complaining. "I'm not doing this as your boss. We were friends in college and I'm just doing you a favour. A friendly favour."

Soojin hums in deep thought. "I feel like this is some sort of nepotism."

"I feel like you should open a dictionary once in a while," Doyoung mutters, only to get a vaguely threatening look from Soojin.

"Anyway," Sicheng diverts, eyes curious when he turns to Doyoung. "Why did you call us here?"

"Ah." Doyoung's eyes widen. "I heard promotion rumours."

Sicheng lets out a loud huff of annoyance. "You summoned us here for company gossip?"

Doyoung crosses his arms. “So, you’re not interested?”

“Who said that?” Sicheng responds quickly, leaning in.

The five of you huddle closer in a circle, looking as conspicuous as a cult. 

“You guys know that Jinyoung’s leaving, right?” Doyoung starts.

Soojin gasps audibly only to get a smack on the arm from Doyoung. “Why’s he leaving? He's like employee of the month every month. ”

A few chuckles pass through the group at her discontentment from months of losing out on the title.

“I heard he found his soulmate. Lucky ass gets tax benefits too now,” Sicheng complains. “Why is he leaving?”

“Oh, look who’s interested in gossip now,” Soojin coos.

Sichengs turns red in the face and looks away, clearing his throat. “You’re gonna answer my question, Doyoung?”

“Oh! Right.” Doyoung looks up from a text. “He got rejected by his soulmate.”

Soojin covers her mouth this time when she gasps and you can’t say your jaw doesn’t drop as well. 

“Rejected? Like our picture-perfect Jinyoung got rejected?” you repeat, trying to process the information. “Please don’t tell me he decided to be an idiot and sign a mutual rejection.”

“No, he didn’t lose his senses,” Doyoung responds with a duh undertone. “He’s getting the compensation money.”

You sigh. “Man, I feel bad for him.”

Jaehyun hums in agreement. There’s a hush over the group and you feel fear rise in your chest. You don’t want to be rejected. You’ve seen how happy Dongmin looks with his girlfriend—he’d reject you in a heartbeat. Of course, you could just receive the compensation money from the one-sided rejection and get it over with but you refuse to. It hurts to not be wanted. It hurts to not be wanted by someone who’s supposed to want you. To be specific, it hurts your pride. Every time you see the damn arrowed heart on Dongmin’s wrist, which he tries so hard to cover with his watch, you feel like throwing up. You’re glad yours isn’t as easy to spot—resting right above your hip bone.

“Anyway, someone’s getting promoted to that HR specialist position.”

You gasp. “Is it me? It’s me, right?”

Jaehyun rolls his eyes and you elbow him. “What’s with you?”

“Don’t get too excited,” he says, shrugging. “Isn’t it stupid to get your hopes up over a rumour?”

Doyoung breathes out. “Wow, (name) really sucked the life out of you, Jaehyun.”

You glare at him when Soojin breaks into a fit of laughter. “You- you know what that- you know what that sounds like, right?”

Your face contorts into disgust and you shake your head. “Let’s be more professional, alright, Soojin?”

She clears her throat and straightens her clothes, like a teenager being reprimanded. “I’m your senior. It’s embarrassing when you say that to me.”

Jaehyun speaks up and turns to you. “I think lunch break is almost over.”

You raise an eyebrow. “So?”

“You’re forgetting something.” He smiles, dimples showing, but his eyes come off menacing.

“Fuck,” you mutter under your breath. You forgot about that stupid lunch promise. 

“Hey. Professional,” Soojin warns.

You groan and link your arm through Jaehyun’s, making him bite back a smile. What is it with men and getting weirdly happy about lunch?

“We’re gonna go get lunch,” you announce.

“Ooh, (name)’s ditching quality time with coworkers for dates now,” Soojin coos.

You roll your eyes and exit the office, stopping to wait in front of the elevator.

“I think that went well,” Jaehyun says, shrugging lightly.

“Shh. What if they hear us?”

“Do you think they’re X-men? We’re a long corridor and closed doors away.”

You huff, crossing your arms. “Still…”

Jaehyun’s smug smile makes you want to smack it right off and this isn’t the first time you’ve felt this way with him. You swear he’s not as bad as some of the guys you’ve met but Jaehyun is simply annoying. An A grade nuisance. You can trust him though. If Soojin says he’s a reliable guy, you’ll believe her—she doesn’t bluff when it comes to seeing right through men, though she does have a tendency to believe stupid rumours.

“Your acting was shit though,” you snipe.

Jaehyun lets out a low sardonic laugh. “At least I was subtle when I was messing up.”

You cross your arms and huff. “You know what? You can take the next elevator ride.”

“Huh?”

You step into the elevator just as the doors open and quickly jam your finger to the close doors button. The look of betrayal on Jaehyun’s face is subtle but it’s enough to satisfy you. As the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens—it’s very applicable to elevators. He can take the other one.

However, almost immediately after, the elevator doors open and you groan, opening your mouth to send a sarcastic congratulations to Jaehyun for pressing the button on time.

Your words hitch on your tongue. Dongmin greets the two of you with a smile, standing beside Jaehyun, who has his eyes averted from you.

“Hey,” Dongmin greets. “Congratulations. I heard the news.”

“Thanks,” you croak, clearing your throat with a bit of heat on your cheeks. Jaehyun looks like he might burst into a fit of laughter any moment and you shoot him a subtle glare.

“Where are you headed to?” You ask.

“Oh, I’m going to grab a sandwich from the cafeteria.”

“We’re also headed to the cafeteria,” Jaehyun declares, with a smile that’s almost devilish.

“No, we’re not,” you say quickly, making Dongmin raise an eyebrow. You hold back a groan. If only Dongmin weren’t raised to be the politest man you know and a little bit more of an asshole. 

You hum and turn to Jaehyun. “I told you about that new cafe. Remember, honey?”

Dongmin makes an ‘o’ with his mouth. “Nicknames, already? Ah, I’m so jealous. It must be great to get along with your soulmate.”

Oh, the sweet summer child that Dongmin is.

Jaehyun furrows his eyebrows. “Oh, won’t it take too long, darling? We have—”

He makes a show of checking his Rolex, a gift he received from his superior that he spares no chance to flex.

“—Around ten minutes left.”

You hold back a groan and plaster on your smile. “Come on. Now is the best time.”

“That sounds like a load of—”

You elbow Jaehyun hard in the gut and a restrained sound dies in his throat, eyes widening in the sweet look of discomfort taking over his features. You smile triumphantly and turn to Dongmin with an immediate change of expression.

“I’ll see you in office later,” you say, bowing slightly.

Dongmin nods and gets off on the fifth floor. You watch in quiet relief as the elevator door closes and turn to your dear companion, irked.

“Did you have to do that?” Jaehyun asks, voice raspy with pain.

“You deserved it. Don’t you dare make this a bigger mess than it already is.”

“You came up with it.” Jaehyun straightens, finally. Apart from the few loose strands of his neatly parted hair, he doesn’t seem all that disgruntled.

“And we’re going to set some ground rules,” you declare, closing your arms.

Jaehyun straightens to his full height, the space between the two of you diminishing. 

"Okay," he agrees. "Then we both get a say in it. It's a contract, after all."

"Fine. First rule, no being weird around Dongmin."

Jaehyun chuckles. "I think you need to be more careful about that than I do."

You pat his cheek. "Focus. Just don't- don't be around him for too long."

Jaehyun purses his lips. "Why are you so uncomfortable around him? I thought you were doing this because you didn't want to reject him."

You glance away, feeling uncomfortable. "It doesn't matter. I just don't want him to know."

Jaehyun hums. "Fine. My turn. No calling me a chump."

Your cheeks puff up as you try to contain your laughter. "It bothered you that much, huh?"

Jaehyun furrows his brows. "No one's ever called me that before. It's always 'oh my god, he's so handsome, who is he?' or 'ooh, I might faint from how hot he is'."

You giggle. "Alright, handsome."

Jaehyun exhales, his puffed cheeks making him look like a resentful five year old instead of a grown man with a professional job. You pause before you get back on track.

“No nicknames,” you blurt. “It’s weird when you call me something endearing. And your flirting feels kind of threatening.”

“What do you mean, baby?”

“See! You’re doing it again.” You cross your arms at the look on his face; anything close to victorious over Jaehyun’s features is unbearable to you.

He raises his arms in exasperation. “How are we supposed to make this work if we act like we don’t care about each other. Guess why Doyoung’s taking us to couple therapy?”

You huff, slightly pissed off. “You’re saying it was my fault?”

“I’m saying we could have avoided that with better acting.”

“You think you’re so—”

The elevator door opens with a ding on the first floor and you turn to find a bunch of interns back from their lunch break. It would be much less of an awkward affair if you and Jaehyun weren’t well into each other’s personal spaces, noses almost touching and with a mutual glare which could be easily mistaken for a look of something more sensual. You jump away from Jaehyun and leave the elevator as fast as you can, feeling far too conscious of yourself. With long strides, you exit the corporate airs of the building to a sunny, fairly populous sidewalk. 

Jaehyun catches up to you, bending and trying to catch a glimpse of your face with an incredulous smile over his.

“Don’t say a word, Yoonoh.”

“Ooh, you’re saying my name now.”

“This isn’t funny!”

“I find it plenty funny.”

“That’s because of your trash sense of humour.”

“Mhm.”

“Don’t look so smug.”

Mondays are the days that make you want to scream in agony, not Thursdays—though they are pretty high up on the worst days of the week list. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe pretending to be in love with someone you simply cannot be in love with is an awful idea. 

Soulmates don’t need to be in love with each other, you think to yourself. There’s plenty of soulmates who are just in it for the financial benefits; you can just pretend to be one of them. This dilemma is starting to fray your nerves and Jung Yoonoh, with his lax disposition and dimpled cheeks, is making it worse. And to top it off, you now have to take him to your favourite (kind of secret) cafe in the name of the lies that slipped your tongue. It was supposed to be a quiet comfort spot for you.

You blow a puff of air out and dismiss the thought. Comfort spots aren’t real anyway when you’re all grown. There’s bound to be a breach. 

However, you will not let the (lacking) romance department of your life get sorted out by someone who doesn’t even know you. Lady luck would be an acquaintance to you at most. If fate is a game of chance after all, you might as well be the one spinning the roulette. You look at Jaehyun, piecing together the perfect plan for this seemingly frivolous play-pretend. The game is in your hands now. 

You blink at the figure of Jung Yoonoh under February sunlight on a modestly busy sidewalk. It’s not something to be surprised at—however, the stark contrast in attire makes you stare longer than you intend to. Wearing a black graphic hoodie and pair of worn out jeans, Jaehyun looks about as casual as you can bear. It’s always weird to see coworkers out of formal clothing.

“Are you just going to stare at me till Doyoung comes and picks us up?” he asks. 

You roll your eyes. 

“You look nice,” he says, and you glance down at your outfit with a flush of heat over your cheeks. It’s just a short A-line skirt, stockings and a sweatshirt. This is as basic as you get. What’s worse is that his comment didn’t sound sarcastic.

“You- You look nice too. I guess.” Once in a while, you will say something extremely stupid and pretend it never happened. The frequency increases around Jaehyun for some damn reason.

“You guess? I’m pretty sure I look more than nice.”

“And how long did you look at yourself in the mirror and practise catchphrases this time?”

Jaehyun’s ears turn the shade of cherries and you press down your smile. You knew that time you caught him talking to himself in front of a car window would play to your advantage. 

“What’s that you’re holding?” you ask, eyeing the plastic bag he’s holding.

“Ginseng,” he answers, staring blankly at the cars passing by. “I heard the couples therapist is in his sixties so he might find it useful.”

“Oh, old people stuff,” you muse quietly. “That’s quite thoughtful of you.”

You should’ve brought something, you think for a moment before realizing that couples probably don’t give separate gifts. 

“Thanks,” you mutter.

He raises an eyebrow. “For what?”

You shake your head. “Anyway, we might as well kill some time. Twenty questions. Let’s go.”

He laughs. “What are we, in college?”

You wrinkle your nose. “Don’t make us sound like we’re thirty. I bet you’re the kind of guy who has his retirement plan figured out.”

“Wrong,” he emphasizes, face leaning closer. 

“Fine. I’ll start the questions, you unsalted block of butter. How many relationships have you been in?”

Jaehyun opens his mouth and closes it, ears turning red. “That’s your first question?”

You roll your eyes. “Okay. I’m guessing it’s single digit and on the lower side.”

He rolls his eyes. “How many relationships have you been in?”

You shut your mouth. There’s a moment of silence, a breeze passing you by, carrying winter away in its arms to make room for spring. 

“Never found a relationship worth it,” you mutter, glancing away. 

Jaehyun hesitates before opening his mouth. “Me neither.”

“Good thing for us, eh? Love makes people crazy.”

Jaehyun faces you with a clipped smile. Never did you think Jaehyun from marketing would be relating to you on a personal matter.

“Oh, but I’ve had enough hookups and I can bet you’re mediocre at best in bed.” 

Jaehyun glares at you. “I am not and I can prove it to you.”

“Is that an invitation into your bed? No, thanks.”

He opens his mouth to retort but is interrupted by the Hyundai Grandeur pulling up to the sidewalk and rolling down the driver window to reveal Doyoung. He looks as overworked as usual, but his eyes are more tired, a bit of makeup covering the dark circles. You’ve heard his soulmate is a makeup artist for an idol group and wonder how they even came to be. Does fate throw darts randomly and pick its choice?

“Get in. Quick,” Doyoung instructs. “I have to drop you off and head home. My family is visiting. I didn’t even get a warning and they think I’m in a gay relationship with Taeyong because we still have our friendship rings from college.”

You want to laugh and agree but Doyoung looks rather pissed off so you hold it in. The two of you do as told, getting in the backseat and shutting the doors in sync. The car smells rather leafy mingling with the scent of fresh clothes and you eye the jar dangling from the rear-view mirror. You open your mouth to ask what scent that is when Doyoung’s voice rings out.

“What’s that?” Doyoung signals to the bag with Jaehyun.

Jaehyun looks down. “Ginseng extract.”

“Oh, the gift pack?” Doyoung asks. 

Jaehyun nods and Doyoung chuckles, shaking his head. “If that’s for Mr. Lee, forget it. He hates gifts. Something about inward appreciation and shit.”

Jaehyun groans, massaging his forehead. “What do I do with this then? Is this guy a priest?”

“Give it to Doyoung,” you suggest. “His family’s visiting.”

You hear an audible hum of approval from the driver seat and turn to Jaehyun making a face of reluctance. Maybe he isn’t so magnanimous after all, you think smiling.

“You’re both quite tame today,” Doyoung remarks, just when the silence is starting to swallow the inside of the car. “Makes me wonder if you need Mr. Lee after all.”

“We actually don’t…” You shake your head. “We’re here and it’s free so why not?”

Jaehyun shoots you a questioning look. It’s not like you can cancel when you’re in Doyoung’s car and already on the way. You’ve known your boss long enough to know the wrong answer to his questions. You look outside at Seoul streets and sigh. 

Jaehyun looks at you, your focus elsewhere and wishes this would end already. He has no idea what overcame him to accept your ridiculous offer but he must be just as ridiculous. At the very least, he finds you quite lovely to look at—not that he’d ever admit it to you. The foundation to this weird bickering friendship (if he can call it that) would be ruined by that. His ego, however, has been boosted up a few notches from the fact that you called him for help. He looks outside the window, holding back a smile. It’s a sunny day.

The therapist, Mr. Lee’s office building is a fancy one with an even fancier lobby. Baby pink leather couches cushion your bum nicely as you wait for your appointment. The architecture is that of a corporate firm and you feel quite at home with the large glass walls by the revolving door. This therapist guy must be rich as hell. The receptionist wears a formal uniform; her blouse is light pink with a grey pencil skirt and you like the look of it. You wonder if asking her where she bought it is time-appropriate. More couples sit around you and you, unfortunately, have to scoot closer to Jaehyun as a result. You do not want to catch that disease they all have. Why are they even here for therapy if they’re smiling at each other in that sickly enamored way? 

Now that you’re here, you’re starting to feel that this arrangement was ill-decisive. You should’ve done a better job of acting. You wonder if you can get a refund for that college course on acting, pouting as the ticking wall clock gets on your nerves. Even the marble floors are pink; the walls are mahogany red and there’s a heart-shaped wall clock, and should you glance around more, you’re going to nauseate yourself. This guy certainly takes his job seriously—or just really likes pink-red themes.

A woman in her early thirties exits the elevator and announces your names, and you click your tongue at the fact that she used Jung for your surname. It sounds distasteful. 

You follow her, starting to get nervous. You really hope this Mr. Lee isn’t as good as Doyoung says he is. Your fraud falling apart within three days is too embarrassing a defeat, not to mention bordering on illegal if found out. What the fuck does the government care about broken hearts and beneficial relationships? It’s so nosy. You understand the financial situation in case of happily bonded soulmates but apart from that, there really shouldn’t be this much discrepancy in the name of love.

Love drives people crazy. You’d rather not lose your good sense in the name of something so inane. After all, money makes the world go around, not love. 

Restricting a gag at the deep red heart on the door, you push them open with Jaehyun to find an old man sitting on a similar baby pink couch as in the lobby. He gets up to greet the two of you, the wrinkles on his face deepening when he smiles. Despite everything, he has a sort of grace to him, the one that comes with growing old elegantly. An upbeat song plays on a record player attached to the wall, although at a very low volume, and the tune reminds you of Animal Crossing. 

“Doyoung told me about the two of you,” Mr. Lee says, gesturing at the two of you to sit down. “How long has it been since you found out?”

“Six days,” you answer at the same time Jaehyun answers, “Four days”.

The two of you look at each other.

“Four-Six days. We didn’t keep track.”

“Ah,” Mr. Lee says. “How do you propose to celebrate your anniversary?”

You hesitate opening your mouth and declaring that you don’t really need to do that crap. Mr. Lee notices your expression and breaks into gentle laughter. 

“I’m kidding. Anniversary dates don’t matter,” he laughs. “It’s okay to celebrate your 100-day on the wrong day. Don’t worry.”

You purse your lips. To your dismay, Jaehyun isn’t as bothered by the sickly pink environment and Mr. Lee’s relaxed demeanour.

“I have a hundred percent success rate,” Mr. Lee assures the two of you, looking directly at you.

“That’s what I’m worried about,” you mutter under your breath and get a nudge from Jaehyun, who has his politest smile on.

You can’t believe Jaehyun has a better customer service mode than you do. If you didn’t know him, you’d be fooled into thinking he’s the nice guy character every office has. Unfortunately, that one goes to Dongmin. You hate getting stuck with nice guys (unless they offer financial stability).

“I think Doyoung might have been exaggerating,” Jaehyun explains calmly. “Whatever he told you.”

“He told me the two of you have a bickering problem. And staring at each other when the other isn’t looking.”

You cough. “That is not true. The staring part.”

Jaehyun narrows his eyes at you. “I knew you were checking me out,” he mutters.

You roll your eyes. “Keep dreaming, Jaehyun.”

Mr. Lee laughs. “Your bickering seems to be quite affectionate. I don’t know what that boy was worried about.”

You press your lips together into a thin smile, annoyed that anyone would ever describe your interaction with a man as affectionate. It makes you feel like an idiot. You were always better off alone—the universe was wrong to assign Dongmin to you. Maybe you needed to see the apparent love of your life clearly in love with someone else to snap you to reality.

“However, what is a playful lover’s fight in the beginning can turn into real fights.”

“Right,” you mutter. “It’s all fun and games in the beginning.”

“The two of you have almost no animosity—you’ve known each other before you discovered the soulmark, right?”

The two of you nod, having already reconciled yourselves to this session. It’s a one-time thing, you tell yourself. It will be over soon.

“The soulmate information shouldn’t influence the relationship you already had. If anything, it should be drawing you closer. First time awkwardness is common.”

He’s starting to sound a lot like your high school sex ed teacher. You get the idea to pretend to be sick and get out of this early.

“Company policy too,” Jaehyun mutters. “Unofficial company policy makes office romance out to be some sort of sacrilege.”

“You know, I was the CEO of your company so I do know the policies,” Mr. Lee says, smiling in the confident, reserved way senior citizens offering wisdom do. 

You choke on the water you were taking a sip of, a coughing fit overcoming you and Jaehyun hesitates before awkwardly patting your back.

“Huh? CEO? I’m sorry?” you manage. 

Mr. Lee lets out a loud, hearty laugh. “I stepped down two years ago.”

“That’s when I joined,” you and Jaehyun say at the same time.

Mr. Lee smiles at the two of you wordlessly. “I have an idea for the two of you. Why don’t you try turning your ‘I’s into ‘we’s? Do some activities together and when you talk about it, you’ll find yourself much closer.”

You narrow your eyes. “You know, Mr. Lee, I’m a little curious about your relation with the company—”

“My recommendations won’t help you get promotions faster.”

“Dammit.”

Jaehyun chuckles beside you but a glare from you turns it into a suppressed smile. The one thing that wouldn’t be a waste of time opened its door and closed it right back. 

“But you know how promotions work,” you press, leaning forward.

An alarm rings, so pleasant in tone that you know it’s a Samsung. Unfortunately, it’s the ugly flip model and you question Mr. Lee’s taste (and wealth).

“Oh, look, time’s up,” Mr. Lee announces, and you think you catch a hint of nervousness in his voice. 

Jaehyun springs up before his ears turn red, embarrassed by the gusto with which he himself got up and looks at you expectantly. You get up, sighing.

“Next time, Mr. Lee,” you warn. “I will get those details.”

“I charge by the hour.” He smiles.

“Stop threatening the therapist,” Jaehyun mutters to you, taking your arm and turning to leave.

“Oh, and,” Mr. Lee calls. “It’s always better to be honest than to pretend.”

You blink in surprise when Jaehyun tugs at your arm, bowing in thanks and leaving the room with you.

“Was it just me or did he see through us?” you whisper to Jaehyun.

He shakes his head, whispering back, “There’s no way he could tell. He’s probably referring to something else.”

“Like what?”

Jaehyun doesn’t answer.

“Tell me, are you always so domineering towards strangers even?” he asks. “I just thought you liked to press my buttons because I’m easygoing.”

You scoff. “Don’t flatter yourself. You’re not as cool as you think you are, especially since you get so hot and bothered by me.”

“It’s just you,” he whispers earnestly and your pulse rises. “No one else.”

You cough to kill the awkward silence and walk faster to the elevator. Jaehyun follows at a leisurely pace and it’s never occurred to you before but the sound of someone’s footsteps can also be annoying, proof currently standing beside you.

The elevator doors open, and much to your appallment, a young couple happens to be full blown making out inside the elevator, hands where there certainly shouldn’t be in broad daylight. Jaehyun whips his face away, clearing his throat loud enough for the couple to detach themselves from each other and hurriedly exit, fixing their clothes on the way.

“So he wasn’t lying about the success rate,” Jaehyun states quietly, a look of resigned horror on his face.

You can’t even respond for a few moments, following him into the elevator and shaking your head to get rid of the thought that inevitably jams itself inside your head. It might have a point, however.

"Maybe we should kiss too," you think out loud.

Jaehyun stiffens, looking at you with wide, fearful eyes. "No."

"We have to kiss, we're dating!" You exclaim, hands on your hips.

"We're not actually—ah, whatever. It’s not worth bickering with you."

"Why? Afraid you'll fall in love with me?”

Jaehyun shakes his head, and you’re suddenly aware that your bickering keeps drawing you closer to each other, your faces nearer than you’d realized.

"If anything," he starts with a confident smile. "You better not fall in love with me."

"Oh, please. You're taking this way too seriously."

"You're the one that wants to kiss me."

Your cheeks heat up. "You're- I- That's not—argh, fuck you."

Jaehyun looks smug, and you have the unstoppable urge to punch it off his face. You take a deep breath. Violence is not the way, (name).

“If we were a few years younger, you’d be begging for mercy under me,” you seethe.

Jaehyun’s eyes shift over your face in confusion, ears burning bright red with each passing second. Before he can open his mouth, you let out a short yell.

“Not like that, you pervert,” you say, leaning away from him. 

“I didn’t even say anything. On an unrelated note, were you a delinquent in school?”

You roll your eyes. “Kind of. I had a temper and a sharp tongue.”

“And now you’re a people pleaser. That’s quite the development.”

You smack his shoulder. “You’re getting on my nerves, punk.”

He makes an ‘oh’ with his mouth before smiling. “You totally did the delinquent accent.”

“I’m guessing you were the shy, little boy who flushed red at conversations about kissing.”

Jaehyun clears his throat in annoyance. “I was not. I was quite popular in high school and college, you know?”

“Yeah,” you mutter. “It’s that face of yours.”

“Sorry, what? I didn’t catch that.”

“Oh, look, we’re on the first floor.” You exit the elevator, leaving a puzzled Jaehyun to follow in stumbling steps.

“I don’t think Doyoung’s picking us up,” you state. “You take the bus? Or do you have a car to flex? I don’t ride in anything below a Tesla, unless it’s Doyoung because he’s technically my boss.”

“You’ll have to do with good old rented Hyundais,” he answers.

You exhale. Maybe he’s getting used to you. The bus stop is opposite the building, the structure squeaky clean and a bunch of people waiting on the seats. It’s a busy place and you wonder if the scammy-therapist-slash-your-former-ceo’s business has anything to do with that. You sit the first chance you get, shoulders pressed against Jaehyun’s for the lack of space and admiring the passing traffic. Seoul really just depends on the lenses you see through. Work days make the screen tinted grey and blue and you hate them often but some days, it’s good to experience those. Weekends are brighter, sunny and usually not with Jaehyun but he doesn’t really put a damper on them either.

You scan his side profile, a little envious when you realize that his confidence isn’t misplaced. You might have trained yourself to be more of a pleaser over the years but he’s the sort of person people come to like naturally. Moreover, his skin is perfect and his hair is always looking styled even in a mess. Fate and Life are partners in crime when it comes to being unfair.

Jaehyun turns to look at you and you snap your head to your lap, turning on your phone and staring at the homescreen for a good few seconds.

“Twenty questions,” Jaehyun announces. “Let’s play again. I’ll go first. Do you check me out when I walk away?”

“What is this, playing my own cards against me?” You scoff. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“So, yes or no?”

“Sometimes,” you mutter. “But it’s not the good kind of checking out. I’m checking out how terrible you look with your mess of a tie.”

Jaehyun laughs, the sound a hearty rumbling sort and you can’t help but smile back at that. It’s kind of cute when he laughs—the sound of it and the way his cheeks are dusted pink.

“My turn,” you say with a cheeky smile as you lean in to whisper. “Have you ever had a wet dream about me?”

Jaehyun chokes on air, coughing out the surprise as he stares at you dumfound. You stick the tip of your tongue out and throw him a wink, thoroughly enjoying this victory against him. It feels great to fluster someone like Jaehyun.

“No,” he says with clear emphasis. 

“Even the night you said I was so unbearably hot very loudly to Sicheng?”

Jaehyun leans back sighing, covering his face with his hand. “I was tipsy. And it was my first night out with coworkers. Give me a break.”

You giggle. “Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. There were worse incidents that night. An intern threw up on Doyoung’s shoes—I can’t even imagine the horror the poor girl experienced.”

Jaehyun shakes his head, smiling through his hand. 

“Have you ever sent nudes?” you ask, wiggling your eyebrows.

He sighs. “Maybe. Have you?”

“Oh, wouldn’t you like to know?”

He curls his lips. The answer seems to be no but you’re at least seventy percent sure he would be attracted to you in a world where your personality traits weren’t being nosy and annoying.

“Do you think you’re a good kisser?” Jaehyun asks, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

“Definitely.”

He scoffs, a smile tugging at his lips.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You cross your arms.

He shrugs, leaning in slightly as though flirting (if he had the audacity). “We could test that.”

You feel your cheeks heat up. “What happened to no kissing in the contract?”

“It’s not officially there.”

You roll your eyes, glancing away. “You know, I’m starting to believe you were some sort of desperate fuckboy in college.”

“I- I was the hottest dude on campus and if we went to the same college, you would be pining after me. I literally had the Campus Prince title and girls would follow me to see me in class.”

He crosses his arms, a frown tugging down his lips.

“Ooh, Jung Yoonoh’s getting fired up,” you say in a monotonous voice. “Wonder how many girls you pulled with your chewed up fuckboy dialogue.”

Jaehyun scoffs but he clearly finds your accusations amusing, as hinted by his unbothered smile. He asks a question again.

“What’s more important to you—truth or happiness?” 

The question catches you off-guard. Jaehyun’s eyes are delicately curious, nothing too strong and even so, you find yourself holding your breath under his gaze.

“Huh?”

“Twenty questions. We were playing?” Jaehyun raises an eyebrow.

“Right.” You clear your throat, rubbing the back of your hand. “I… I’d choose happiness, I think. I’m… I’m not sure.”

“Really?” He doesn’t look too hellbent on taking apart your answer so you breathe out. He’s starting to pry into you finally. “I think the truth will make you happier.”

“That’s not- that’s not always true.” You look away, hoping the quietness of your voice ends the conversation there. You don’t know how to talk about it—you never really have. You’ve ugly cried over the lack of your love life to a stranger after five shots of whiskey but you don’t think you can talk about things like this sober. You don’t even know why you answered. Jaehyun makes you feel oddly comfortable.

Jaehyun shrugs, getting up when the next bus halts in front. 

“What did you major in?” you ask, following him.

“Business,” he answers before thinking. “Kind of hated it. But I started out with IT and that was somehow worse.”

You gasp, taking a seat beside him on the bus. “I started with IT too! It was a nightmare. You took that Database Management course?”

Jaehyun smiles. “It was like the course equivalent of reading the back of a Wi-Fi Router.”

You laugh. Maybe he isn’t so different after all. 

“You know, you do look like a business major,” you hum, furrowing your brows as you pretend to scrutinise him.

“So, you’re indirectly saying I either look like a rich kid or a jackass.” Jaehyun raises an eyebrow.

“They’re both the same thing.”

The laughter from the two of you makes an old woman behind you grunt in displeasure and the two of you apologize. It’s nice to talk like college kids again. The Seoul sunlight shines on Jaehyun’s face and you bite back a smile when his dimples appear. They aren’t all that bad. If you get along like this, there’s no reason to worry about fate and the universe and other superfluous things offered to you on a boring old ceramic plate. It’s a smooth ride.

Your eyes drift to Dongmin’s workspace instinctively and you shake your head. This is exactly why you were avoiding him and even started the entire fake relationship with Jaehyun. You’d choose fake dating a (good-looking) chump from management over embarrassment and possible heartbreak any day.

You groan internally before glancing again and find the desk empty. Surprised, you blink and turn only to scream at Dongmin’s figure behind you.

“Shh!” he says urgently. “Don’t move. And don’t panic when I say this but there’s a bug on your shoulder.”

“What the fuck? Get it off, please,” you say, voice choking up.

Dongmin rolls up a stack of papers and you let out a low screech. “Don’t kill it on my shoulder!”

“Sorry,” he says and your eyes soften as he gently pushes the paper against your shoulder and takes it away. You breathe a sigh of relief and he signs you a thumbs up as he wiggles the paper in the air outside the window. 

“You saved me,” you say, smiling.

He returns it, his most beloved eye smile making you wonder if you made the right choice. Wouldn’t it be fun to just crash everything and watch it burn? You know you want to. Benevolence and grace were never your style. However, it’s his smile again that stops you. Maybe you don’t really want to be the bad guy after all. You’re sparing him from confusion and dread.

You’re sparing yourself from rejection and inevitable loneliness (yay).

It’s been a week, discussing details with Jaehyun before the both of you collectively decided to just wing it and hope you’re not caught. After all, there’s no real way to prove you’re not soulmates if you’re careful enough (the same way you can’t prove someone’s cheating if they’re careful enough but that’s quite a depressing analogy). Perhaps if you renounce the soulmate benefits (and Dongmin didn’t smile as often at you), it would be less morally taxing. You, however, are greedy. When you want something, you’ll do anything to get it.

You stare at the computer screen and sigh, cross checking the employee records for incorrect data and your eyelids start to droop. Of all the days, you just had to be assigned the most boring task on a Friday. You also should’ve gotten sleep instead of getting mad at Jaehyun’s dry responses to your plan of action. It was perfectly viable; unnecessary, but perfect nonetheless.

Soojin rolls her chair backwards into yours. “We’re going drinking tonight. Wanna come? You can bring your boy-toy too.”

You roll your eyes. “As much as I’d love to call him that, he’s still the chump from marketing for me.”

“Or,” Soojin emphasizes. “Your actual soulmate. How lucky is it that you work in the same building, in the same company?”

“I’m not sure if you’re being ironic.” You scroll through the database with trained eyes.

“I’m not. A lot of soulmates don’t even get to see each other because of their line of work. It’s so tragic.”

You’d be glad if you didn’t get to see Dongmin ever too. But you’ll keep that to yourself. You hum in response and hear a sigh from behind you.

“Let’s have fun,” she whines. “Is Jaehyun that much of a downer? He’s one of the hottest dudes in the building. I thought you’d be cheery.”

You pause and think to yourself. She does have a point. You’re definitely supposed to look happier. Your soulmate has the looks of a model and fifteen year old you would fawn over him no doubt.

“It’s the work,” you answer. “I’m working overtime to compensate for my rent.”

You work overtime anyway because you hate heading home to an empty apartment. 

“Ah, you signed a new lease, right? Near Songpa?” Soojin looks at you with pity and pats your shoulder. “You know what? I’ll treat you to drinks tonight. You deserve a day off, missy.”

You smile. “Thanks, Soojin.”

“And,” she adds in a singsong voice. “The love of your life is here.”

You furrow your eyebrows before tilting your head and almost sighing in exasperation at the figure of Jung Yoonoh outside the glass door. He may not show it, but you know distress when you see it. You’ve seen enough squirming undergraduates at company interviews. 

You quickly get up from your seat, praying that he didn’t mess something up. However, you find it cute when he looks like this, the urge to fluster him even more presenting itself to be rather tempting.

“I think you have a sick obsession with me, Jaehyun.” You cross your arms after closing the door behind you.

He exhales, closing his eyes for a moment before taking your arm and pulling you away from the door. 

“Woah, this isn’t high school. You can’t just pull me into a corner to make out.”

Jaehyun’s ears flare hot red and he clears his throat. “You’re in high spirits today.”

You weren’t, actually. Somehow, teasing Jaehyun gives you the same rush as caffeine. You just love when the nonchalance on his face turns into discomposure.

“I came to give Doyoung these files. Or you, since you’re practically his assistant.”

You ignore his comment. “There’s clearly something else.”

“The team sports event is coming up,” Jaehyun starts, hesitating. “I’m not managing it this year. I have to participate.”

“So?”

“So Dongmin has a higher chance of finding us out. What if he sees my mark in the changing room and it all goes to shit?”

“Great! He’ll think you’re his soulmate and I’ll be spared from this nonsense.”

“I’m being serious. It’s already difficult living with Sicheng and having to change with my doors locked. It’s kind of suspicious.”

“Do you guys sleep naked with each other or what?”

“No, but I do sleep with my shirt off.”

“Ugh. Why would you give me that image?” you complain. The image isn’t bad per se but it’s not what you need right now.

“You clearly liked it,” he mutters. 

You furrow your eyebrows. “You’re not doing this just to give me a load of unnecessary anxiety, are you? Do you know how swamped with work I am?”

“No, of course not,” he answers, no indication of which question he answered. “Also, is there a reason Soojin’s glaring at me?”

You wave your hand in dismissal. “It’s just the haven’t-warmed-up-to-coworker’s-new-boyfriend glare. Don’t worry about it.”

He doesn’t seem too relieved but you have more anxious thoughts invading the privacy of your Friday evening. You have to keep up your composure. It could happen one way or another, perhaps in a situation better than a team sports activity, but you have to figure it out. You reject your soulmate anyway—the same way he would.

Glaring at Jaehyun one last time, you get back to your desk. Jaehyun looks at your receding figure and finds himself checking you out, the largest blow he’s taken to his dignity. He shakes his head, breathing in and out. This is so not like him. He’s supposed to be the suave, handsome guy who people can’t seem to get to and yet—yet, you do it so easily. It’s unfair. He swallows his heart and tells himself he’s too old to feel this way. He’ll just drown himself in work and pretend love is a commodity like everyone else with a corporate job is supposed to. 

“You know,” Soojin starts when you get back. “Jaehyun kind of looks high if you look at him long enough. Weed is illegal though but who knows? Maybe he’s a bad boy deep down after all.”

“Which rumour have you been paying attention to now?” You sigh deeply.

Soojin laughs. “It’s funny to hear everyone’s opinions. Even if most of them turn into scandalous tall tales.”

“Anyway,” she continues. “I’m clocking out. I’ll get Jaehyun to take you to the sake bar.”

You look at her, puzzled.

“You’re a matching set now,” she follows up and you groan.

“Don’t give me that cr—”

“Toodle-oo! Let’s have some fun before we’re grey and old, eh?”

You sigh and nod. Maybe you should look into a caffeine fix, even if it costs you a mental power outage at the end of the rush. It’s not like you to be so down on a Friday but alas, Fate is as miserable a woman as you are. The sake bar is starting to sound good.

Or, you could always watch a few ASMR cooking videos instead of staring blankly at the employee records. Either way, this Friday better improve by tonight.

“This is going great,” Soojin says, louder than she probably intended after her fourth shot.

“Of course it is,” you mutter. 

You haven’t yet had a chance to drink more because of two reasons: one) Soojin is hogging the alcohol and two) it would be embarrassing to get drunk in front of Jaehyun. Adding to your misery, Soojin has been gushing over her soulmate and the way she always makes breakfast for Soojin, listing off every single recipe she’s made. You would love to listen but you’re a tiny bit past your limit.

“Wooh, Jaehyun, you look hot,” Soojin whistles, in more of an older sister manner. “I can almost see your tattoo. Why don’t the two of you show us at the same time and we can take a commemorative picture?”

You cough loudly. “Mine’s on my waist, Soojin. I’m not ready to expose skin.”

“Right. Sorry.” She turns back at lightning speed to bother Dongmin with her stories, who smiles at her politely. It seems so genuine that you’re slightly enamored with it for a moment. There’s Jungwoo from marketing beside him, some more HR employees and thankfully, no interns. Doyoung is the only one partly miserable in the lot, talking into the phone for half an hour now. 

“Shit.” Jaehyun nudges you and whispers, “I forgot about the tattoo. This T-shirt makes it very visible.”

You look at him, alarmed. You fix his jacket, startling him, and pull the zipper all the way to his neck, making sure to backhand him on the chin.

“There.”

“It’s hot in here.”

“What do you want me to do about it? God, you’re like a child.”

“I’m like a—okay. Just cover my tattoo with foundation or something.”

“You think I carry around a whole bottle of foundation?”

Jaehyun blinks, deeming it safer to keep his mouth shut. 

“Okay. Fine. I have an idea. Come to the washroom with me.”

“Oh my, this isn’t your making out in the corner type of thing, right?”

You glare at him and he shuts up, following you quietly to the surprisingly clean restroom. The fact that it isn’t gendered makes you very glad. You make Jaehyun sit on the low enough basin counter and push your knee against it to balance yourself as you take out a permanent marker from your bag.

“I hope Doyoung doesn’t fire me for sneaking away,” you mutter angrily. “He didn’t even make me receive his calls all day.”

Jaehyun scoffs lightly. “Please, Doyoung adores you and your work ethic. He talks about it more than what I need to overhear. That and Taeyong’s detailed aquarium maintenance rules.”

“He does?”

Jaehyun clears his throat and you hold back bombing him with more questions till you’re done with painting an arrow into his tattoo.

“Isn’t it weird?” He looks at you with round, curious eyes. “Yours is a heart. Mine’s a pierced heart.”

“Hm. Funny coincidence.”

“Do you have to sit on my lap for this?”

“I’m not sitting on your lap,” you hiss. You are kind of close. You train your eyes on his collarbone as you pull his neckline down. 

It would be so embarrassing to be caught like this. You’d rather be caught making out with someone in the broom closet. You hold back a pained sigh. Jaehyun has some nerve speaking to you when you’re already annoyed with him. Couldn’t he just have worn his business attire? Why does he get to go home early? Taeyong is far too lenient a boss. You start swearing internally, getting nervous when you think about the consequences of your actions.

“Has anyone ever filed a complaint against you?” Jaehyun asks, and you nudge his chin upwards to draw the line on his tattoo.

“For what? Being perfect and successful?”

“For that attitude. The ‘take what I want’ attitude.”

You roll your eyes. “No. You’re saying it like I’m awful to the core for trying to take what I want. I haven’t got such a bad soul, you know, as souls go. You wouldn't write articles about how good a soul it is but… it’s well enough.”

Jaehyun raises an eyebrow and you avert your gaze from his eyes. This sort of proximity shouldn’t be bothering you, you shouldn’t be rambling.

The door opens right then and in a fit of panic, you do the unthinkable. You press your lips to Jaehyun’s and pray that whoever walked in has no idea who you are and more importantly, can’t see the permanent marker in your hand. 

“I’m so sorry!”

You know that voice. You half regret it when you hear it. Dongmin exits the bathroom as quickly as he entered and you pull away to look at the empty space. Beside you, Jaehyun stays so still that you forget he’s there for a moment. You breathe out in relief though part of you still feels a heavy ounce of regret.

You turn back to Jaehyun and find his doe eyes soft and lost in thought.

“I get it now,” Jaehyun whispers. “It must hurt. That he doesn’t care about the system.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That he’s so reckless about discarding you.”

You separate yourself from him further, standing up and brushing your clothes. “You’re overstepping.”

“Sorry,” he responds quietly. 

There’s a pause.

“Did you just kiss me right now?”

“Shut up. I didn’t want him to see us and especially this.” You wave the marker in front of his face.

“You just kissed me in a fit of panic. That’s the first time I’ve seen someone respond to panic this way.” Jaehyun looks a little too smug.

“What are you implying?” 

“You wanted to kiss me.”

You scoff. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself.” 

You want to knock the smile right off his face but you stick to flicking his forehead, his yell of surprise satisfying. This Friday night was supposed to get better. In fact, you are going to make it better if life won’t. The soju won’t drink itself and you deem that Soojin has had enough. 

Ignoring Dongmin’s confused look, you order far too many soju shots to be considered healthy. As you promised yourself, you are going to make this Friday better.

//

You just had to go and get drunk. Jaehyun stares at you, blinking slowly and wondering just how much you can embarrass yourself before it becomes a burden for him. He has to get you home; you’re practically a matching set now. But are the halves of a pair supposed to take care of the other when they get drunk?

“You know what, guys?” You announce, standing up abruptly and immediately getting pulled back to your seat by Jaehyun. It doesn’t stop your mouth however.

“I hate the stupid system,” you continue. “To tell the truth—”

He smacks his hand over your mouth. Jaehyun has had enough of the silent mini heart attacks you give him. The rest look at him with puzzled looks and he can’t even bring himself to give them a polite smile before dragging you out of the bar. The night breeze is cold enough—maybe it’ll sober you up.

"You're so annoying, Jaehyun," you mutter, massaging your forehead. "Did you know that?"

Or maybe it won’t.

"Never heard that before."

"How do you always keep to yourself and still be the center of attention?" You cling to his arm for balance. 

"Have you considered that maybe a polite man isn't as scheming as you think he is?"

You curl your lips. "Stop using big sentences. I hate that I barely know you, and I know everyone."

Jaehyun purses his lips. "You just enjoy the power that comes with figuring people out. Don't you?"

"Whatever you say. I want life to be a nice and smooth ride but then again, I can't even face my soulmate." You let out an airy laugh. "I didn't really need one though."

Jaehyun laughs in disbelief. "You look like you're dying of loneliness."

"Ooh, that's a big claim, Yoonoh."

"You say I keep to myself but what about you? You like hiding, don't you?"

You laugh. "Is this the part where I say we're nothing alike?"

He purses his lips, shaking his head in dismissal. He's just tired of chit-chat with someone who smells like she robbed a liquor store in Itaewon.

“You must think I’m some sort of selfish, vapid, work-obsessed overachiever,” you continue, tilting your head with a blank look in your eyes.

“Well, not exac—”

“But guess what? Your opinions are invalid, Jung Yoonoh. You’re just some chump from marketing. A very good-looking chump but still.”

Jaehyun swears under his breath as you fling your arms open in the same manner a speech-giving patriot fighting for freedom would. Unfortunately, the freedom struggle is private in this day and age, and you just smacked him in the nose instead.

You sigh deeply and he looks at you again, warily now as he holds his nose.

“You’re not exactly wrong either. I’m so empty. Like a bottle of soju with no soju. Could you bring me some?”

Jaehyun massages his temples and solidifies his resolve. He’s had enough stares from people on the sidewalk. With delicate concern, he holds you up with one arm around your waist, balancing your weight evenly so you can stand. Promptly, you bury your face into his neck and an embarrassing, high-pitched squeak evades the filter of his mouth. You’re just so adept at making his days (and nights) worse.

Jaehyun tries his best to carry you to the parking lot without any signs of struggle but good lord, are you uncooperative. Once he’s down lugging you to the passenger seat, he breathes out in relief at long last and makes sure you don’t fold in over yourself dozing off the seat. Getting you to sit up, he finds himself smiling the slightest bit at your smudged lipstick. Even like this, you’re quite pretty. 

Realizing what thought came over him, he shakes his head vigorously as if he’s committing a horrible crime. He just has to get you home—Soojin had texted him the address prior to the outing just in case—and then he can go back to pretending whatever he even is supposed to.

The sports event is really just HR and Management trying to one-up the other in a more quantitative way. You’re not really fond of the sweat and heavy breathing that comes with physical exertion if it’s for the sake of competition. Competition is such a childish, masculine way of handling things, especially emotions.

HR is leading in wins, however and that means you have something to rub in Jaehyun’s face. You hate participating but you’re not allowed to opt out without a medical certificate. At least one competition, and you had to choose the three-legged race. All these potential partners, and Dongmin had to choose you.

“I’ll win,” you tell Jaehyun, stopping by him once you exit the changing room. The indoor stadium is usually a recreational facility for senior employees but on sports day, it’s closer to a gladiator arena. The seats are green and occupied by grinning employees, most of them glad for a day off but also upset they don’t get to attend their personal affairs in it.

Jaehyun stops himself from rolling his eyes. “Shouldn’t it be a ‘we’? You need a partner. Oh, are you sad you can’t pick me?”

“Not at all.” You cross your arms, annoyed at his mock pity. 

Right then, Dongmin jogs up to you in a blue tracksuit. His hair sticks to his forehead because unlike you, he takes sports very seriously. Jaehyun, on the other hand, just seems to enjoy the competition. As a guilty pleasure, you’d like to see the two of them compete one day. That would be a competition worth betting on.

“I’ll have to borrow your soulmate.” Dongmin laughs. “The race is starting.”

Life strikes again with its poorly timed irony.

“Don’t mind me,” Jaehyun says politely.

The race is easier than you thought it would be considering most of the other employees struggle with teamwork. You’re the HR team for a reason. But then again, you feel a certain hollowness pervade you while you’re pressed to Dongmin’s side. Wouldn’t it be nice?

All you can think is that Dongmin and you are perfectly in sync. The realization comes off as sad despite your victory and the wide grins on both of your faces. 

Jaehyun purses his lips and gives the two of you a nonchalant look. He’s avoided getting caught in the changing room quite well. For some reason, he’s glad that you’re winning but also dissatisfied about it. He would certainly feel different if he were participating in that race, wouldn’t he? He would win. Losing a competition is a huge blow to his ego. Lately, he seems to be losing a lot of races. The two of you have been growing closer and he doesn’t mind late night discussions about flawed systems and childhood memories; but the fact that you’re growing on him is something for him to be on edge about. He’s never felt so close to someone, and still so far.

“Oh, they have good chemistry, don’t they?” Doyoung comments beside Jaehyun, before taking a sip from his bottle.

“What chemistry?” Jaehyun snaps and Doyoung almost chokes on the water.

“Chill out, man.” Doyoung eyes Jaehyun’s figure in concern. “She’s like officially yours.”

Jaehyun refuses in a series of sputtering responses. “That’s not what I meant. I’m not jealous. I’m not that kind of man.”

“I didn’t paint you as that kind of man either,” Doyoung mutters before speaking up. “But love, Jaehyun. Love’s a weird thing.”

Jaehyunn ignores his comment and walks down to the grounds, jogging up to you. He immediately forgets to say anything at all. Smooth move, Yoonoh.

You just stick out your tongue at him subtly.

“I told you we’d win,” you say.

Jaehyun crosses his arms. “Congratulations. I thought you, quote, hate this stupid competition for dunces.”

You clear your throat and Dongmin laughs beside you. Before he can offer his bottle, Jaehyun offers his own in a rush. You raise an eyebrow but don’t question it.

“You guys really are a perfect pair.” Dongmin laughs. “Sometimes I wish Mijoo was my soulmate.”

You give him a pitiful smile. There go your happy feelings of victory.

“But I’m happy this way.” Dongmin nudges your shoulder with his. “Don’t give me that look.”

That is not the look he thinks you were giving. You smile. 

“What about this? We can go on a double date! Those are fun, right?” Dongmin muses, crossing his arms.

“No,” you and Jaehyun refuse in a panic, and Dongmin blinks in confusion at the overwhelming response.

“I'm more of a homebody,” you explain.

“Yeah, me too,” Jaehyun agrees.

It makes Dongmin laugh aloud. “Oh, fate didn’t go wrong with the two of you.”

Your smile wavers. Did it go so wrong with you and Dongmin? Jaehyun’s hand brushes yours and you look at him. A perfect side profile and flushed hot cheeks with dimples to die for. You wouldn’t mind being in love with him. You don’t mind love much at all. 

Shaking off the thought, you watch as Dongmin leaves the two of you to run to the changing rooms. Eyeing Jaehyun’s red team sweatshirt with “Management” in big typography over the chest, you look back up to his face. 

“Why did you jog over here so desperately?” You wiggle your eyebrows. “Jealous?”

“Yes. I am irreparably in love with you.”

He leans in quickly and you flinch, making his dimples show up.

“Asshole,” you curse. “I’ll file you for harassment. Don’t do that again.”

“Isn’t it harassment when you feel me up while you draw—” Jaehyun leans in to whisper. “—the soulmark?” 

“I would never have my hands near your greasy existence if I could,” you huff, scandalized. 

But the thing is, Jaehyun is getting better at this game of flustering each other and you don’t like it one bit.

“Hey, you know Dongmin’s girlfriend?” he asks suddenly. 

You nod. “Kind of. I’ve seen her pictures on Instagram.”

Jaehyun pauses before humming in realization.

You cough. “Not that I was stalking them or something. Obviously.”

Jaehyun gives you a knowing smile but doesn’t question anything, much to your aggravation. It would’ve been better if you had a chance to prove you weren’t stalking them but then again, that is exactly what you were doing.

“Well, we went to the same college. Same major too.”

“Are you serious? Wait, how do you know? Does this mean you stalked their Instagram too?”

“Too?”

“Shut up.”

There’s a beat of silence. 

“She’s not exactly the evil homewrecker type,” he says.

“I know that,” you snap. If anything, you feel like the evil homewrecker even if Dongmin’s supposed to be your soulmate.

They’re so reckless. Jaehyun was right—you do blame them in a way. They don’t care who they trample under their nauseating parade of romance. But then again, that parade is better than a personal rejection.

“I’m just saying… don't hold it against them.”

“I don’t remember asking for advice, Jung Yoonoh.”

Jaehyun shrugs, dropping the issue. The preparations for the next race is starting and it has something to do with passing balls from basket to basket—you get bored already when you see Doyoung stretch before shaking hands with Taeyong.

“Wanna get ice-cream? We funded the food truck this year.” Jaehyun looks expectantly at you.

“Sure.” 

You contemplate holding his hand for a moment but let that thought bury itself. You don’t have to pretend right now. 

Much to your despair (or delight) however, Jaehyun takes your hand absentmindedly as he walks towards the exit. It’s not that you’ve never held hands before, it’s just that Jaehyun’s skin is soft against yours.

“I can’t believe you and Mijoo were in the same course.”

It seems she’s ahead of you in every direction you look to tread on. Of course, you will not be telling Jaehyun that. You don’t exactly feel jealousy—can’t feel jealousy when your life is perfect as it is. And for Jaehyun? You hate to admit it but you’d trade places with Mijoo any day.

“Well, she didn’t really like socializing back then so I didn’t know we were in the same program either.”

You chuckle, glancing down at your intertwined fingers despite your best efforts. It feels nice like this. It feels nice to be wanted by someone—even if it’s a lie.

“Do you think- Do you think they’re brave?” You ask. “They didn’t even hesitate to disregard the system.”

“I think people in love are always brave.”

You hum, looking down at your feet. All the more reason the system fucked up. You were never even supposed to be partnered up. You’re not brave—the face you put on is. The idea of love seems to get further and further away from you.

Just then, Jaehyun tugs at your hand, walking slightly faster and making you complain as you jog to catch up with his long strides. The food truck is fairly large, on the street outside to the stadium entrance. February is catching up with its heat and you curse at global warming for this hot winter day.

“You can take up to five scoops of different flavours,” he informs you, grinning sheepishly. “I guess the cups aren’t large enough for beyond that.”

“I didn’t know you were this passionate about ice-cream,” you say.

“Sicheng rubbed off on me.”

You laugh. IT must have given Sicheng enough stress to develop a sweet tooth. You love the HR Department when you look at the others in your company.

Jaehyun has a nice smile. You don’t know why you think that but you do and now you can’t focus on anything apart from the pink dust sprinkled over his cheeks and the handsome dimples that accompany. You don’t want to stare but clearly, Jaehyun must have been blessed by some divide being if not for fate. Maybe he’s a mess up like you. As far as you know, his soulmate doesn’t exist. That little red heart is so simple that none of the soulmate designs match it.

A rather repulsing part of you is happy about it. You like the feel of Jaehyun’s hands. You like the way he looks at you. You wouldn’t mind it if he were yours.  

Jaehyun’s house is as cosy as his mother makes you feel. It’s been a while since you’ve been home and if you were perhaps less emotionally constipated, you would have tears welling up in your eyes. There’s quite a few relatives too but then again, every Asian family jumps at the chance to celebrate something as mediocre as engagements and marriage and soulmate findings. Apparently, hormones are perfectly fine to them once you’re not teenagers anymore.

This isn’t so bad. What was so scary about meeting parents again? Jaehyun’s dad did challenge you with a questionnaire but lucky for you, you know exactly how interviews work. You’ve got enough information on Jaehyun from the man himself for this visit. The briefing he gave you was boring though; you already know what you need to know about Jaehyun.

You sit at the table, while most of the other guests work in the kitchen. Jaehyun’s mother asks you questions about your life, friendly and welcoming in every way possible. Mothers are truly god-sent. You wonder how she produced someone as far from divine as Jaehyun. (Except in looks, perhaps.)

You say that out loud and get a sharp quip from Jaehyun, his mother’s eyes lighting up at your childish interaction.

“Oh my, fate is never wrong!” She remarks with a wide smile. “I’ve never seen Jaehyun open up so much with anyone before. He was such a shy boy in school, you know? All the girls would send letters and confessions and he would just turn red in the face.”

“Mom.” He smiles all too sweet at her but you can see the panic in his eyes.

She rolls her eyes before turning to you. “Darling, you have no idea how proud I feel to see him this at ease. I was honestly getting tired of all the ‘your son is so polite and well-mannered’ comments. Some bickering ought to do him good.”

“Mom,” he repeats, straightening. “I think auntie needs some help setting up the table.”

“Don’t shoo me away yet. I have to tell (name) about the time you were elected class representative in middle school. And all those sports and acting awards.”

“You don’t have to advertise me, Mom,” he says, dropping his face into his hands to rub at his eyes, already growing tired. “I’m already- I’m already hers.”

His mother coos and apart from the expected deep red flush on Jaehyun’s skin, you find yourself feeling hot in the face too. Jaehyun’s aunt calls for his mother right then and you watch as she makes her way to the kitchen entrance, the two women glancing at you and giggling to each other over some shared words.

Jaehyun takes the opportunity to grab your hand and walk away to a more obscure part of the house upstairs. With significantly less relatives, it should be a good hiding spot unless discovered by his giggling cousins that he refuses to introduce you to. 

“Aw, what a shy baby,” you coo, smiling at the thought of a younger, easily-flustered Jaehyun.

His ears are bright red and you think that he’s still easily flustered. He just doesn’t show it much anymore—there’s only one dead giveaway.

“Forget everything my mom said,” he instructs. “It’s not important information.”

“Oh, no, darling. Your mother is a gold mine of vital information. You know what? I’m going to go chat her up right now. I’m sure you were quite the teenage dream I should know about.”

Jaehyun grips your wrist before you can escape, pulling your closer.

“Don’t.”

You don’t know if it’s the proximity or the fact that there are most definitely a few family members that could walk in right now—but you find yourself embarrassed as you look at his face. It’s very pleasant, handsome even, and the strands of his hair look irresistibly soft from this distance. You reach your hand out and brush the hair out of his eyes, almost instinctively. 

“You have nice eyes, Jaehyun,” you say out loud, not sure why. He doesn’t fluster this time but it makes you all the more aware of your nearness.

Your eyes glance at the bottom of the staircase to see a little girl, around nine, hiding from behind the wall that separates the dining room and the kitchen. You return your gaze to Jaehyun with a smirk.

"We should kiss right now. Your little cousin's watching."

Jaehyun looks mildly disgusted. "Why would I want to kiss you in front of my cousin?"

You roll your eyes. “You don't get it, do you? The fastest way to convince a family is through rumours.”

Jaehyun raises an eyebrow. "So?"

"Oh my god, you're an idiot. Nosy cousins are the most effective way to spread rumours."

"Ah." Jaehyun looks enlightened enough for you to continue.

"Okay, but first you need to have these mints." You take out the emergency mints from your purse.

"What? I don't need mints. I have nice smelling breath.”

"Everyone needs mints, Jaehyun. Especially men."

Jaehyun sighs heavily. You take the opportunity to grab his wrist and pull him into a corner. 

"Have this mint or else."

You hold his face between your thumb and forefingers, cheeks squishing under the pressure as you force a mint in. He lets you do it for some reason, looking lost as he gazes at you. 

You raise an eyebrow. "Oh my, you're enjoying this. Pervert."

"Wha—what? You have to stop thinking you're hot shit, oh my god. I just got distracted for a bit."

"By me, right?"

"No! I just zoned ou—you're enjoying this."

You bite down your smile but a giggle escapes you anyway. Jaehyun rolls his eyes though he smiles, looking far too close to irresistible when his dimples show.

"You can't keep teasing me," he says, voice low.

"I've been doing it for two years. I'm pretty sure I can do it for at least two more."

Jaehyun scoffs, laughing at your statement. "You know what? I'm going to get back at you from now on. I've been so lenient."

You snort before pressing the back of your fingers to your nose. "You? You're going to get back at me? You’re good at lip service, Jaehyun."

“Huh. You might be right about that.”

There's a beat of silence and you look at him expectantly. In the next beat of your heart (or lack thereof), he cups your cheeks and presses his lips to yours, surprising the life out of you as your back hits the wall. It's not just a touch either, his mouth moves over yours and when your knees feel weak, you reluctantly admit that the rumour about Jung Yoonoh being a good kisser is true. Maybe his body count isn't a lower-end single digit after all.

He pulls apart with a short smile tugging at his lips. "Satisfied?"

You sputter out a response before clearing your throat. “I- I don’t think anyone really saw us in this corner.”

Jaehyun makes a low humming sound. “Or you could just say you want me to kiss you again? I know I’m a good kisser.”

“Fuck off.” You punch his chest, eliciting a quiet grunt from him.

You move away from him, peeking from behind the wall. Oh, she saw it alright. The giggling gives it away and the fact that a few more younger cousins have gathered. This is ridiculous. The fact that you wouldn’t mind more is even worse.

You turn back to Jaehyun with steel-set eyes. “No more kissing. Ever. Never again. Kissing is officially banned.”

Jaehyun looks perplexed. “I thought that was a good kiss. Did you not enjoy it? What do you mean no kissing?”

“And I take it back.” The heat on your face is still burning steadily. 

“Oh, I see. You liked it so much that you’re embarrassed.”

“You’re such a pain in the ass.”

“So I’m right?”

You roll your eyes and quickly walk down the stairs, a few words of complaint left hanging in the air as Jaehyun follows behind, stumbling over the steps.

Jaehyun likes how comfortable this is. He doesn’t mind glaring daggers at each other but this is fun too. It’s like he doesn’t have to be careful about the lines he might be crossing—there aren’t any damn lines at all. He can’t call it love, at least not by definition, but something is there. Something that is solid enough and heavy enough. Something he would be ready to hold on to.

You laugh at a joke Jaehyun’s dad makes. A family is the only place to feel at home. It might not be yours but maybe at the end of the night, you can convince them to disown Jaehyun and adopt you as their child instead. His cousins seem to be interested in the same things you were as a high schooler and it surprised you. Your job lets you advise the older cousins in a fairly friendly fashion. The little ones seem to like your dress and you find them far too adorable with their pink cheeks and dimples, much like Jaehyun’s. Speaking of which, he definitely got them from his dad. You look around and wonder how Jaehyun has so many female cousins and not an inkling about how women work. 

It doesn’t hurt anymore that Dongmin discarded you so recklessly.

He’s wrong. Jaehyun’s wrong. It doesn’t hurt—didn’t hurt right now at the very least. When Jaehyun kissed you, you didn’t think of Dongmin or his girlfriend or anyone else. You thought that Jaehyun’s skin is somehow always the right temperature. 

You shake your head. Jaehyun drives your getaway car and you shouldn’t get too comfortable in its worn-out leather seats. This shouldn’t be any different to you; you aren’t supposed to find love in every corner. This was all a survival instinct. 

The more stories Jaehyun’s mother shares with you over dinner, the more you find it comfortable to be here. You don’t feel this welcome in your own apartment (although, there isn’t exactly anyone else living there but you and the goddamn pigeon that wakes you up at six in the morning). The more the night progresses, the more you want to believe in this lie. Jaehyun glances at you from time to time, his gaze neither uncomfortable nor harsh and you smile at him when he does. Right now, there is no loneliness and the air is warm and smells of freshly cooked food; the way familial love works is such a mystery. You feel content.

“Why are we doing this again?” you lean in and ask Jaehyun, eyes focused on the TV as he tries to fix it.

“Because I need to get out of work, and fulfilled soulmates get a day off on Valentine’s day.”

You nod. “Your apartment kind of stinks. I feel sorry for Sicheng.”

“This is clean,” he defends, pointing at the lack of any visible mess in his room. His work table, however, has too many items scattered over it to be called neat. There’s a fairly large TV attached to the wall and you’re a little jealous about it. You only ever watch shows on your (quite beloved albeit small) laptop. The blinds aren’t fully closed, the evening city lights trying their best to pry their pervasive fingers in and add something more to the peach hue of Jaehyun’s room.

The doorbell rings just in estimated time for food delivery, a sigh leaving your mouth along with a ‘finally’. His place is strangely comfortable and much less of the war zone that you expected. There’s no reason to feel awkward, really, or even the bubbling in your stomach. You’re not seventeen, in your crush’s house. Jaehyun isn’t even someone you like that way.

It’s just two friends hanging out and watching a movie and doing other friendly activities. Two friends hanging out on Valentine's day. Two friends who have kissed more than once.

What do lovers do anyway?

This thing with Jaehyun has turned into clandestine smiles at the office building, subtle texts of ‘did you eat?’ and ‘good morning, idiot’, racing hearts at brushing hands on the occasional off-work hangouts (you refuse to call them “dates”) and overall, a lot more pink hearts floating over his head when you see him. It’s positively appalling. 

You don’t mind it one bit.

“Happy Valentine’s Day!” The delivery man wishes as he leaves and you feel a sudden rage bubble up in you. 

“Ah, does he think every couple celebrates Valentine’s day? And just because we’re in the same apartment means we’re a couple? Wow.” You cross your arms, scoffing. “Who’s he to wish me?”

“Why… Why are you getting mad?” Jaehyun asks quietly, slightly confused.

You glare at him, your anger not quite dissipated and walk back into his room, placing the box of confectionaries on the bedside table with a loud thud. Jaehyun follows, placing the drinks rather clumsily beside it. He gives you one last look of concern before settling down on his bed.

You let out another huff of complaint.

"Does everything have to be heart-shaped?"

You stare at the nauseating display of baked goods delivered in a pretty heart-shaped box. The brownie is in a clear plastic box that has a tiny bouquet of hearts atop it, the coffee cups have heart stickers around the rim, and the pastry itself is heart-shaped or rather, two halves of a heart. One of them is strawberry pink and the other chocolate brown.

“You seem… suddenly fired up,” Jaehyun comments quietly.

You don’t really care if you look crazy to him right now; he’s already seen the worse parts of you. You’re just so annoyed at all this red and pink that was delivered. Aren’t cafes supposed to stick with that beige-cream palette? 

While you contemplate, Jaehyun tears the little sugar packet and attempts to open the lid of the cup at the same time, your blood pressure rising at the sight because you were half sure he’d spill the drink. After much difficulty, he shakes the packet trying to get just enough sugar but of course, like the clumsy oaf he is, he misses almost entirely, spilling sugar over his coffee table. It’s oddly endearing but that’s a thought you’ll keep to yourself.

He turns to you with a sheepish grin and you give him a look of distaste.

“You are a sorry excuse of a person, Jaehyun.”

“Look me in the eye and tell me you wouldn’t mess this up.”

You turn to look him in the eyes, the honey shade alluring under warm apartment lights. They really are pretty. 

“I, and every other sane human being, would not mess up adding sugar to a cup of coffee.”

“You faltered for a moment there.”

That was not the reason you faltered. You roll your eyes and look away, taking a sip of your drink and sighing at the taste.

“How do you even like Americanos? Don’t you like a bit of cream and sweetness?”

 “I don’t really care for bitterness,” he answers.

“Wow, you must be a masochist.”

“And it’s quite obvious you’re a sadist.”

You snicker. “That makes us quite the pair.”

“I would like that sentence in a non-BDSM context, thank you.”

Jaehyun turns on the TV and the Netflix logo animation pops up. You raise an eyebrow at his ‘Continue Watching’ list, eyeing Bridegerton and Sweet Home, and wondering if he could be any more of an enigma. You can’t possibly figure him out at this point. You groan when he picks a title.

“Ugh. Do we have to watch a romantic comedy?”

“What? They’re funny. And I thought you liked those 2000’s movies.”

You believed in unicorns and sock goblins and love back then too. These days, you hate to see other people in love, especially when it’s fake. The movies you loved are now the movies you hate. The couples you eyed with delight at parks and cafes are now the bane of your existence. In fact, you’d go as far as to say that you enjoy the digital fireworks from a couple having a massive online breakup. Things falling apart are entertaining when it’s not happening to you.

You purse your lips. Can't you see other people happy without wanting to tear it down for yourself?

“Fine. But I’ll pick the 2000’s romcom.”

Jaehyun shrugs and hands over the remote. You see Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds on the poster and click on it immediately. The Proposal has a good enough comedy to romance ratio, in your opinion.

“I’m kind of surprised you came,” he says quietly.

“Why?” You raise an eyebrow. “Is it because of the suggestive nature of visiting someone’s apartment on Valentine’s day? Did you think we’d be doing something… more fun?”

You lean in and bat your eyelashes suggestively, although you’re clearly joking.

“I think you should know better than to get mouthy with me,” he answers as he leans in further, making your heartbeat hike at the proximity. Maybe he’s figured you out. Wouldn’t it be so nice to figure each other out at the same time—like puzzle pieces fitting together?

You move away from him. “Well, it’s not like I can go anywhere else. And I didn’t want to stay in my own apartment.”

“Maybe you enjoy my company?”

“Look, I would be sipping my coffee at a perfectly aesthetic cafe if it weren’t Valentine’s day.”

He raises an eyebrow at your nonsensical declaration and you sigh, trying to explain yourself.

“Cafes just terrorize the single folk on Valentine’s day. You should always go with Netflix,” you say.

“And chill?”

“Do you even know what that means?”

“As I’ve told you so many times, I am not stupid.”

You inhale, an idea presenting itself.  

“Hey, since we’re technically a couple, shouldn’t you be sharing your Netflix password with me?” you ask, pressing your lips into your cutest smile.

“No.”

“You’re so stingy,” you mutter. It was worth a shot.

Jaehyun laughs, your hand reaching out to poke his dimples but you stop yourself. You weren’t supposed to get this comfortable. This wasn’t your place to be. Lost in thought, the moving screen leaves you unfazed and you can’t look at him anymore. However, Jaehyun reaches out right then and wipes at the space beside your lips, your focus lifting from the beginning scenes of The Proposal and latching onto Jaehyun’s lips.

There’s a pause, your head clearing itself of thoughts when you make eye contact with him. Soft hair, doe eyes, full lips and dimples—he’s so damn attractive, it hurts your existence. Does he have to be this close to you? You have mixed feelings about that look in his eyes.

“Can I kiss you?” he whispers suddenly.

“Yes,” you answer.

If you look from a rational point of view, you should not have said that. You should have said anything but that. But you don’t want to think right now. Jaehyun’s touch is warm over your skin as his hand rests under your jaw and the other on your waist.

You should not have said that. But you feel loved.

Somewhere along, you find yourself parting only to kiss again, the feeling of skin so delightful in a way you’ve never experienced. Your shirt hikes up and you see Jaehyun eye the little heart with the arrow—the sign you so despised with a gentle smile.

“It’s pretty,” he whispers.

It’s pretty but it isn’t his. He doesn’t have to look at you like that—he’s come a long way from nervous glances and now he’s the one making you nervous. Just say it isn’t love and it will be alright.

You part, sobering up for a moment and you disentangle your limbs to sit at the side of his bed.

“What’s- What’s wrong?” Jaehyun whispers.

You exhale.

“All my life, I wait and when it comes, it’s all wrong,” you say, staring at your lap. Self-pity is the most disgusting kind of pity to feel. You’re past crying at things like this. You’re past crying for an ounce of romance, every time you listen to a love song on the radio or look at an Instagram post of a couple or pass by lovers on the sidewalk content with each other. You don’t even have cats to return home to. Modern loneliness is wearing you down but you can’t believe in fairytales anymore.

He scoffs, smiling bitterly. “I don’t even know if this is worth losing my dignity over.”

“Jaehyun—”

“We can’t pretend anymore—I can’t pretend anymore,” Jaehyun exhales. “I want you enough to forget the system. Give me an answer. Please.”

You don’t mind forgetting the system right now. Jaehyun’s lips are always the right temperature; the warmth of his body seeps through his shirt as you press yourself to him in a hug. He’s perfect and right now, you want to believe he’s perfect for you—even if he isn’t, you want to believe it into existence.

You cup Jaehyun’s cheeks, unsaid emotion in his doe eyes, and kiss him. This time, you mean it with every ounce of your being. There’s no more flustering each other, just the hot flush of intimacy when you feel skin that doesn’t burn you. It’s just the right feeling. There’s no way this can be wrong. 

Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself? You wish the voice would pipe down. It’s a coward, fearing fate just as everyone else does. But you are better than that, and this feeling is too enjoyable to let go. You don’t want this to fade.

Just then, Dongmin’s face comes to mind and you think that maybe if you kiss someone else with all you have, you don’t have to think of your shortcomings ever again.

Jaehyun pulls apart and you miss the warmth.

“You’re not… You’re not thinking of me, are you?” he asks. 

You don’t answer, even if the silence is overwhelming.

“I’d rather not have you close your eyes and think of someone else when I’m in front of you.”

“I’m sorry” is all you can say.

“You can at least pretend to love me.” His voice is a hoarse whisper. “Could. It’s not like this was ever supposed to work out.”

You gulp, looking away. “Jaehyun, come on. That’s not like you. We were- we were just… having fun.”

He takes a deep breath. “It hurts to not be wanted by someone you want. You know that. So why are you doing this to me?”

Because misery likes company.

“I’m sorry.”

It seems the phrase you barely uttered when you were younger is tumbling out of your lips in a mixture of grief and pity. Perhaps it’s karma. Perhaps it’s fate. Perhaps it’s just the consequences of your mistakes.

Jaehyun parts his lips, a sigh departing. He leans in again, pushing away all of his thoughts. A little more hurt won't kill him tonight. How and when did you bring him down to his knees?

However, he's stopped by your hands against his shoulders, his lips hovering over yours.

"Let's stop," you say. "You're right."

"Isn't this what you wanted?"

“I don’t- I don’t know. I don’t know anymore.”

You wish you could be brave enough to burn the instruction pamphlet from destiny. But right now, you need to get away from Jaehyun, away from any more misery business.

“I’ll get going,” you say, gathering your stuff. 

Jaehyun hesitates but doesn’t stop you. He would never stop you, can’t stop so how could he even dream of stopping fate? This can never work out. It felt right in the moment but you don’t know anything more than that. You can’t close your eyes and pray everything disappears. No one else will solve your problems for you, you know that.

It’s time you start fixing the mess you made. You leave with a polite goodbye and hear a loud sigh behind you once the door is closed. Blinking away the urge to walk back in, you take long and quick strides to the elevator. You’re going to fix this.

Maybe if Lady Gaga’s ‘Poker Face’ wasn’t blasting at full volume at this stupid office party, you could be thinking a little straighter.

He was right. You can’t pretend anymore. There were thousands of ways this could have gone better. You didn’t have to pretend to be soulmates when you’re not. You could’ve discarded your belief in the whole system like Dongmin and Mijoo and dated someone out of spite. You didn’t have to drag Jaehyun into your sorry mess. You need to take out the nail you hammered into your own foot.

It’s the first time you’ve visited the rooftop restaurant from the company’s subsidiary chain of high-end restaurants but you imagined it would be bigger. It’s the news’ fault for making this place seem like a football field. However, you might be feeling that way because the distance between you and Jaehyun is suffocatingly small as is the distance with Dongmin. You don’t need to see Jaehyun tonight.

You don’t intend to make your confession a public affair and you certainly don’t believe in tack things like atonement. However, improvement begins with a step in the right direction. Maybe you’ll be a better person after this. Maybe you’ll still be as annoying and pushy as ever. You need to get it off your chest so you can proceed with the already tedious journey that comes with a soulmate rejection. You wonder why there’s so many man-made laws about soulmates when fate has made it complicated enough as it is. Love is the same as legalese when it comes to this system.

You flit about the crowds, smiling and greeting people and swerving away from Jaehyun every time he tries to approach you. You’re trying to make a good decision for once. He better not intrude. You’re wearing pink too, for the first time in a while: a satin shirt, pants and blazer set in dull pink.

“Dongmin,” you say, pulling him by the sleeve of his blue tux, and away from the rest of the HR team. “I have to show you something.”

“Hm? Show me?” He blinks at you. 

You get him to follow you to the inside the premises, stopping when you’re far into a 

“Uh?” Dongmin looks around before leaning in to whisper. “You’re not plotting to murder me, are you?”

You blink, and he laughs at you incredulously. “Why are you so serious?”

“I was lying,” you rush. “With Jaehyun. He’s not my soulmate. You are.”

Dongmin blinks in confusion. “Are… you joking? That was a weird joke but it could pass as funny—”

“Dongmin.”

You pull out your shirt from your pants, exposing the tattoo on your hip. It’s the little arrowed heart that has been plaguing you for years but now when you look at it, you feel no animosity. After all, it’s been through the same things you have. 

Dongmin’s face falls into stunned silence, eyes fixated on your waist.

“That’s- That’s my—what is this?”

Russian roulette is certainly not the same without a gun.

“I lied, Dongmin,” you answer, fixing your shirt back in. “I was so afraid of your rejection that I made an even larger fool of myself.”

His initial shock seems to have partly subsided.

“You… Why didn’t you tell me?” He looks momentarily hurt.

“You have Mijoo, Dongmin. I can’t ruin something like that.”

A love that doesn’t need fate to fix it.

Dongmin glances away in guilt and sighs, though the sound is croaky. This must be more than what he can take.

“I’m sorry,” he says, haltingly. “I hurt you, didn’t I? When I thought I was being brave, I hurt you instead.”

You smile bitterly. “We all hurt someone, Dongmin. I still have to fix that one for myself.”

He scans your face, lips trembling slightly as unspoken words die on them.

“We’ll tend to the legal stuff later, hm? No compensation. We can file a mutual rejection.”

“But—”

“Shh. I’m happy enough as coworkers and I get paid more than enough for this job. Might get a promotion soon too.”

You wink at him with an added finger gun, trying to play it cool. Despite everything, a weight feels lifted from your shoulders. Now that you are truly alone, you might as well embrace this growing loneliness crawling under your skin. Discomfort could be something you can get used to. 

When you get back to the warmly lit rooftop, the HR team looks at you curiously. You have the most self-destructive thought you’ve had in a while and tell yourself, you might as well if you've come this far. This is it. This is your social death. Honesty is the best policy, unfortunately.

“Dongmin and I have the same soulmate mark,” you announce. “We’re soulmates but we’ll sign a mutual rejection.”

Doyoung looks almost like he’ll faint and Soojin’s mouth is so wide open, you could practice throwing some mini basketballs in. This is your team—almost a second family, and it’s time you stop trying to hide yourself or disguise your feelings as something they’re not. They’ll get over it, as will you.

“J-Jaehyun?” Soojin looks to your side and you turn to find Jaehyun frowning.

“You could’ve discussed this with me,” he says, an odd sound of relief in his laugh. 

It hurts to look at him but you muster up your strength.

“I’m sorry,” you say, facing him. “I didn’t want to drag you into this hell with me.”

Into this loveless hell made for you.

“(name).”

It’s so painfully quiet in this corner; there are so many eyes on you and only the hurt taking shape in Jaehyun’s eyes knock some sense into you. 

“I’ll leave first,” you say, bowing as you take your leave.

You brisk up your pace and exit the venue as quickly as you can and into the building corridor.

Unfortunately for you, you recognize the pair of footsteps that follow you—both of them having their timings wrong. Boys don’t chase after the girl when she’s walking away. Boys should leave a girl alone when she feels like she’s about to cry.

You turn to face two men and groan internally. This is the worst possible situation—you’d rather crawl into a hole than look at either of them. The corporate light shines harshly on either of their faces but the look on them is so earnest, you want to close your eyes and scream. You don’t mind being alone. You were overstepping when you wished you weren’t.

“(name),” Dongmin starts. “I’m sorry it turned out this way. If you’d told me, we could have talked this out.”

A light scoff leaves Jaehyun and Dongmin purses his lips. It’s kind of funny watching both of their tall frames in hesitant postures and you cross your arms. You’re going to deal with this quickly like you always should have. If you’re dealing with fate, you need to have a clear head—and fortune doesn’t favour fools. Being with Jaehyun was nice but he is not yours. Dongmin may have been assigned to you but you’d rather not ruin someone’s relationship.

“What would we have talked about?” you ask. “Compensation charges? Apologies?”

You see a hint of positivity on Jaehyun’s face and turn to face him, frowning.

“And you. Don’t look so smug. You’re the reason I realized this crap. It hurts. Like hell.”

He opens his mouth but no words come when he’s far too taken aback. He can’t offer consolation now, not after everything. You knew this would happen. You would undoubtedly end up wishing you didn’t fall in love with him on the day you leave.

“(name). Listen to me,” Dongmin calls again, voice gentle.

Jaehyun sighs. “We’re both fucking this up, dude.”

Dongmin takes a sharp breath.

“You know, soulmates can be platonic,” he reasons, looking only at you. “People are made for each other differently and maybe you and I—”

“You’re just making her feel worse,” Jaehyun cuts him off.

“How do you know that?” Dongmin asks, finally turning to him. “Because you’ve spent a month or two with her? I’m her soulmate.”

“I think a month or two is much better than a stranger with the same damn birthmark.”

“Oh come on,” Dongmin scoffs. “The system exists for a reason.”

“I don’t give a shit about the system. The same as your girlfriend—oh, sorry, did you forget about her already?”

“It’s not like that.” Dongmin quietens. “We’ll figure something out.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose. They’re worse than you are—honestly, you don’t know what you expected from the timid emotional maturity of men. Both of their polite facades have melted and you’re starting to miss their sweet-tempered work demeanour.

“Come with me,” Dongmin tells you.

He wraps his hand around your wrist and tugs, Jaehyun visibly tensing up at the gesture. He presses his tongue against his cheek in annoyance but refrains from doing anything rash. You feel sorry when you look at him.

“Dongmin,” you whisper. “Can we- can we have a moment?”

Dongmin nods in understanding and exits the hallway to cool off with a few splashes of water in the washroom.

“Would you go with him?” Jaehyun asks, jaw clenched. “An acquaintance as most? Are you willing to run into the arms of fate that you hated so much?”

He looks bitter and you can’t think of a sugar-coated response. You’ll just have to tell him how you feel.

“I need to sort things out, Jaehyun. This—”

You point from him to yourself.

“Couldn’t work out thanks to fate. Dongmin and I will never work out because he’s braver than I am. You know he’s doing all of that just so I don’t get hurt, right? He’s not suddenly in love with me.”

Jaehyun purses his lips, looking down to his feet. Is it so bad that he let jealousy get the best of his mouth? Envy isn’t so awful. He looks from your eyes to lips and wishes he were young enough to believe in fairytales.

“You don’t have to be brave,” he whispers. “You don’t have to be so brave to fall in love. You don’t have to be brave to stay with me.”

“We tried, Jaehyun. And we can’t cheat fate. That, at the very least, requires bravery.” 

You press your lips into a thin line. It hurts. It hurts so bad to look at him and face the consequences of this flawed design. It’s unfair. It’s unfair that you have to follow the rules even after trying your best to break them. 

“You wish you never met me, don’t you?” you whisper. “I made a mess.”

Before he responds, you bow in a short goodbye and walk towards the elevator. There’s no footsteps behind you, no Prince Charming. It’s just you and your high heels clacking against the cold marble as you head back to an empty home. You always thought freedom would feel different, that distance would give you perspective. It just feels awful when no one is around you at all. When you have no one to pick up morning calls from, receive texts from asking if you ate, spend time in peace without uttering a single word—are you free or are you lonely?

The rules state that the two of you are different. It is true. You are as different as love in real life and love in the movies; and neither of them have happy endings now.

You wish you drank some more last night if you were going to embarrass yourself like that. Thankfully, it’s the weekend and you have two more days to figure out how to face your coworkers. You frown when you think of Jaehyun. Were you wrong to tell him that you simply couldn’t choose him? What if fate is right and it falls apart? You stir your morning coffee, the will to drink it fading slowly. It’s already fallen apart—and it wasn’t fate who did that, it was you. Should you have taken his stupidly warm hands and asked him to follow you? You don’t understand how it works at all.

Centuries of questioning what love is, poking and prodding at it like a lab sample, and there’s still no perfect answer. Love is blind. Love is cruel. Love is a fever. Love is temporary insanity. Love is acceptance. Love will set you free. There’s just too many variations. You can never tell if fate is meant to make it easier or worse. 

No one questions you at the office and you're not sure if you’re glad or aggravated. Only Doyoung shoots you a pitiful look which you brush off and immediately get into work. Embarrassment is only real if you acknowledge it. However, every time Dongmin tries to talk to you, you ask for space and even alone in your thoughts, you don’t get it. They just have to drift to Jaehyun.

You wonder if what he said was true, that he wanted you enough to forget the system. It’s clearly ruined now. The spiral of thinking has you zoning out during work more often than not and even Doyoung ends up reprimanding you for your lack of focus. Sometimes you want to snap but other times, you’re just hopelessly reciting the events over and over in your head. This was supposed to happen, wasn’t it? You don’t even have the strength left in you to blame it all on Jaehyun.

You pace in the corridors after work, contemplating popping by the Marketing Department. What could go wrong? Sure, it was a little dramatic of you to leave like that but everything can be fixed, right? You groan. What you were supposed to be fixing, you made worse. Are your hands cursed or something? You shake your head, returning to your desk to gather your belongings and head home.

Unfortunately, the sight of Doyoung sitting in your chair alarms you and you stop a foot away. 

“If you’re going to reprimand me for watching cat videos instead of checking the employee records, I can assure you my efficiency is still top-notch.” 

“You’re—what? Never mind.” Doyoung shakes his head. “Can you give this ginseng pack to Jaehyun? I owe him.” 

Oh no. You know where this is going.

“You know I’m going to keep that for myself, right?” You make a face. “I’d rather die than face Jaehyun right now.”

Doyoung shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe he’ll be the one running to you. This is in case of an emergency.”

You give him a fake smile and Doyoung shakes his head. “Good to see you’re still great at pretending to be fine.”

You sigh. “Thanks for looking out for me, bossman.”

Doyoung blinks, hand covering his mouth when an audible gasp leaves him. “Woah. I think that’s the first time I’ve heard you thank me. But don’t call me bossman ever again.”

“Noted,” you say, taking your bag and leaving with a short goodbye. You’re lucky he lets you off work early, even if you never took it. Employees usually can’t leave until their superiors does and if you were a senior employee, you’d be giving your juniors quite the hell.

You seem to be good at concocting hellscapes. Perhaps, you should look for job openings in the underworld. One last thought of Jaehyun exits your head and you take the bus home, admiring the city you live in and the warmth of people and their relationships. You don’t feel jealous; you just bask in them for the time—be it a mother and her son or two bickering sisters or a lovely old couple. That’s how it’s meant to be, then. That’s how love works.

Jaehyun smacks his head against the sofa armrest for the fifteenth time in a row.

“Dude. You’re going to permanently ruin the fabric.” Sicheng says, eyes trained on his laptop screen.

“I should’ve said something more.” Jaehyun’s voice is so zombie-like, he thinks he should cast himself in the Train to Busan sequel as an extra.

“I’m glad I’m not you,” Sicheng mutters.

“Can you give me some sort of consolation, at least?”

“That’s not what I’m your friend for.”

Jaehyun sighs and resumes smacking the back of his head against the armrest. He really needs to figure this out. After all, he can’t really Google the solution to this.

“One thing doesn’t make sense,” Sicheng says, finally looking up from his screen. “Why do you have the same mark as (name)’s if you’re not soulmates?”

“You’re so incredibly—but adorably—stupid, Sicheng. She drew it in with a permanent marker. She kissed me too! It was sudden and weird but I didn’t mind it.

“Yikes.” Sicheng makes a face. “So… you didn’t take a shower for how long now?”

Jaehyun furrows his eyebrows. “What?”

“The ink hasn’t washed off. I heard you singing in the shower yesterday, how could you not have washed that off? Ugh. Don’t tell me you miss her.”

Jaehyun’s eyes widen as he jumps up and rushes to the washroom. Looking into the mirror, the tattoo poking out from his T-shirt resembles yours a lot more than his. The arrow is still drawn in. Jaehyun’s shoulder slumps. He doesn’t know what he was expecting. Turning the tap and letting the water flow, he wets his hand and rubs at his collarbone to remove the arrow.

Except it doesn’t budge. His skin turns painfully red from the rubbing but the ink, which usually washes off in less than five minutes has no intention of leaving. Did you use a different brand of marker the last time? When was it anyway? 

Jaehyun breathes out, firming his resolve. He needs to be with you.

Sicheng blinks in surprise as Jaehyun grabs his car keys, not even bothering to change from an all-black getup of a T-shirt and jeans like some emo teenager, and shuts the front door behind him. Not even a ‘goodbye, I’m leaving!’

Sicheng sighs. Love makes people crazy. He’s not falling into that trap when his soulmate literally doesn’t exist, the same as his soulmark. It seems the contestants in this game are full of exceptions.

You hit your head against your pillow. To visit Jaehyun or not to. You haven’t left your bed since you woke up around seven in the morning, and now it’s ten. Your bedsheets are a mess because you’ve rolled around too much on them (in despair, not with someone unfortunately).

You need the quiet sometimes to let your mind rest, to let your heart rest. You needed time. But maybe it’s been long enough and now you’re just searching for excuses to hold on to your last shred of dignity.

You lift your head up and glare at the box of ginseng on your table. Should you? You reluctantly get up, feeling a sting of pain in your back for lying in that awkward position for so long. Right when you’ve put on your slippers, the doorbell rings and you groan. How did the package you stress-ordered last night arrive so early? These deliveries are getting faster and faster.

You walk to the front door and open it thoughtlessly, freezing up at the sight. Your first reaction is to cover yourself. You’re not exactly your best-looking version at the moment. Jaehyun’s dark circles almost match yours but he’s better dressed than you are—in a black T-shirt and jeans while you’re wearing a Gudetama pajama set.

“We’re not just friends,” he blurts. “We’re not soulmates but we’re not just friends.”

“Huh? Oh my god, this is the most embarrassing I’ve looked.”

Jaehyun furrows his eyebrows in a question look. 

“That’s not important! Look—”

He pushes you inside, closing the door behind him. His hair is so disheveled and messy, he barely even looks like the same well-maintained marketing employee you know. 

Jaehyun tugs at his T-shirt, pulling down to reveal his tattoo—albeit with your marker-drawn arrow through it. He does have a pretty well-built chest, you note before chiding yourself for getting distracted.

You raise an eyebrow. “Do you, uh, need help scrubbing it off or something?”

“No.” Jaehyun lets out a huff of exasperation. “It won’t wash off. If it’s what I think it is—”

“Miracles don’t happen to people like us, Jaehyun,” you say quietly.

He gulps. “I don’t know about miracles but… I just needed an excuse to see you, I guess.”

You look up, a rose blush over Jaehyun’s bare face, and run your finger over the tattoo, sighing at the warmth of his skin. Your hand travels up to his cheek, resting atop it while you muster enough courage to look Jaehyun in his chocolate brown eyes.

You pull away. This isn’t the time. You still have an internal crisis to sort out. Are you even deserving of love? It makes much more sense if the answer is no. 

However, Jaehyun pulls you in by the waist, his right palm warm against your cheek.

“I don’t care what anyone says.” He runs his thumb over your cheek in a painfully fond manner. “You’re worth more than the price I pay for this.”

He leans in and presses his lips to yours swiftly, your head clearing of thoughts almost immediately. It feels so right, you can feel the spark, the red thread around your skin, hear the bells. This kiss was far more perfect than it was supposed to be.

You part, gasping. Jaehyun blinks at you, breathing heavily.

“Kiss me again.”

Jaehyun does as told and you might just believe in miracles this way. With his hand around your waist and in your hair, his lips over yours and the low rumbling laughter that parts the two of you—you might just believe in miracles. You might just believe that love isn't something you deserve by earning.

“I like this,” Jaehyun comments. “I like the way this is.”

You press your finger to his lips. “I think you should shut up and kiss me some more.”

Jaehyun rolls his eyes. “I know you’re sexually repressed as of now, but that’s no reason to take advantage of me.”

You scowl, punching him on the shoulder and moving away from him.

“Come back,” he complains in a quiet voice.

“I am not going to do that.” You cross your arms.

“Come on,” he mutters, inching closer as you inch away, till your back hits the couch and you tumble backwards onto it, your legs on the headrest. Jaehyun laughs at your position, leaning in to keep his hands on either side of you, a doting look over him.

“Hey, did you know if I kicked my leg up, it would hit you in the balls?”

“Please don’t do that.”

You giggle, Jaehyun’s nose rubbing against yours in a bunny kiss. 

“Is your place usually this much of a mess?” Jaehyun raises an eyebrow. 

You sigh heavily. “I was having a bad day, okay? Or… a bad weekend.”

“Do you even have food?”

You look away, crossing your arms. Jaehyun sighs and shakes his head.

“We should go grocery shopping. How do you live like this?”

You scoff. “Oh, spare me the lecture. I’ve heard enough horror stories about your room from Sicheng. You can’t hide from me by sweeping your clothes and belongings into his room.”

“Snitch,” he mutters under his breath.

You can’t help the giggle that erupts from your mouth and you immediately cover it. Jaehyun smiles at you fondly and you look away, unable to bear that gaze of his.

“It really won’t wash off, by the way,” Jaehyun states, scratching at his collarbone.

You narrow your eyes, smacking his arms away to roll off the couch. Taking his wrist, you walk into your bathroom and turn the tap on. Something’s strange. But also strangely right.

“Look, I already tried—ow! Don’t rub that hard!”

You blink in confusion, trying again despite Jaehyun looking like his soul already left him. It doesn’t work. Your marker isn’t even that permanent. At least his regenerating skin cells should get rid of that arrow. Unless the ink was deep enough to pierce all the layers, as in a soulmark.

You gasp.

“You were right!”

“I told you s—”

"That's the point, isn't it?" you say, realization dawning as your eyes widen. "To see if people will question the system at all."

Jaehyun shrugs. “Maybe.”

"Oh, all those unhappy marriages that could have been saved," you say as you exhale. 

Jaehyun chuckles lightly. "I think that the point was, people can be happy without their soulmates. It's whoever you make one out of. Or I Googled too many articles on anti-soulmate propaganda."

You smile, leaning in to press a kiss against his cheek. Watching his ears turn bright red is the cherry on top.

“Okay, fake-boyfriend-turned-real-soulmate.” You give him a cheeky smile. “Did you rethink your decision about sharing that Netflix password with me? I get the girlfriend free pass, right? Right?”

“I didn’t even share it with my mother.”

You whack his arm, him possibly used to it by now, judging from his lack of response. 

“Idiot.” You cross your arms. “We can Netflix… and chill then. God, I can’t believe I said that.”

Jaehyun breaks into a chuckle. “You’re so pushy.”

 “And you like being pushed around, nerd.”

“Who said that?”

Jaehyun wraps his arms around you, spinning you so that your back hits the door. He leans in to kiss you again and you smack your palm over his pouted lips. You laugh at his face, his eyes brimming with confusion.

“You’re in my apartment. I make the rules here. Think twice before you start a game with me, Mister.”

His shoulders droop. “Fine. Can you at least let me kiss you four times a day?”

“Five times, if you ask.”

He laughs before leaning in again. “Can I kiss you now?”

“Wasn’t it obvious?”

“You are one hell of a woman. Emphasis on hell.”

You laugh and grab his collar, pulling him in for the kiss that seals this deal.

You realize a few things in the moment: a) You don’t have to play roulette to find love, b) You don’t have to pick your poison to find love, and most importantly c) Love is right where you make something of it. Fate is still not in your good books but if it bends to you this way, you don’t mind at all. If Jaehyun kisses you like this every day, you don’t mind one bit.