#farewell hugs end 1st round

[soranihimawari]

Hi Scores & Taiyaki

Hi Scores & Taiyaki

Welcome back to part 3 of the Kuroo x 1st person fic. This will be the last installment for now unless I decide to use Social Dummy again to continue the character’s relationship. But first things first, thanks for reading this and major shoutouts to @vbcshenaningansnwritings​ for reblogging my stories & @kaidasen​ for encouraging me to post these drabbles/drafts/fics. ::hugs to you::

Taglist: still open

The weeklong camp had come to an end before it had begun. I had a lot of fun hanging out with the girls during the end of camp barbecue. There were a few instances where I had to chase after Bokuto to remind him to not steal so much food from the different grills, but he just laughed it off before running away with a plate full of food for Akaashi. Kuroo on the other hand, was busy keeping track of his protoges, Kenma and Tsukishima (another tall middle blocker from Karasuno) by also doing the same thing. There was a moment before the visiting teams started to pack their belongings where Kenma tugged on my sleeve to pull me aside causing my conversation with the female managers to be cut short. (We had already traded contact info during the many nights we stayed up exchanging stories of their teams antics, so we all decided to text each other later).

“Everything ok Kenma?” I asked when we stopped walking. There was a safe distance between the side of the building where we stood and the other members of the teams.

“Kuroo seems to really like you,” he said in a low tone. I nodded as I kicked the invisible pile of dust on the concrete floor. His console was tucked away in his track jacket pocket, but he continued to play a different game on his phone.

“I have a feeling that I already know,” I replied with a smirk.

“Good. Because I couldn’t get him to shut up about you after you helped Lev out the other day.”

A chortle escaped my lips, “I see. Well, if that’s all you wanted to tell me, then I guess we could head back. C’mon, Karasuno is about to leave now too. Let’s say bye to Shoyo & Tsukki.”

It seemed as though everyone had begun saying their farewells by the time we returned.

***

Summer vacation quickly ended for me as soon as it had begun. Classes were starting again the following day, so naturally by the time I had arrived back home, I greeted my parents before calling my close friend, Riza.

“Kenma confirmed to me that Kuroo does like me and we may or may not have spent more time alone after lights out,” I explained collapsing on my mattress.

“Oh ho ho,” Riza chuckled on her end of the line. “So, the tom cat finally came around to liking you? That’s terrific. All of his fans are going to be heart broken when you guys go out on your date next Saturday.”

“I know. I am not looking forward to receiving those glares from his exes though.”

“Meh, you’ll be fine. They were the ones who let him go with the exception of Angela though. Those two always fought, but I am glad you two never really fought. Well, maybe except in trig when you both arrived at different limit answers, haha.”

“Of course you’d remember how well he took being wrong, Riz.”

“Mmhm. I gotta back my friend up whenever he assumes he is the smartest in the room. Anyways, I’m gonna go prepare for bed. See you in class tomorrow.”

“Okidokie. Meet at the convenience store at seven?”

“I’ll be there. Later Kat.”

***

The days seemed to have blurred together, but with both Kuroo and I heavily invested in our separate clubs outside of school hours, we barely had any time to discuss finalizing our plans for our arcade date. On Friday night before our date, I received a call from him. He seemed a bit stressed out, more so than usual, but that was to be expected since the team had a qualifying match scheduled in a few days time.

“Coach is making us have an extra practice on Wednesday and that’s when this chem lab is due. There’s also this make up test I have to do for history and I’m falling behind in trig since I can’t really find the time for homework. Kat, I don’t know what to do.” 

I was seated at my desk in front of my computer screen in the middle of typing an essay for English class. It was a three to five page paper discussing the themes of Westernized fairy tales which I stopped writing because clearly, Kuroo needed someone to snap him back into focus.

“Take a deep breath first,” I heard him inhale and upon his exhale, I continued. “Good. Now, listen to me carefully Tetsuro: meet me in the library after class on Monday. Bring all your materials for the classes you fell behind on. I’ll make copy of my notes and bring a pen to correct your mistakes on the trig quizzes since you got an 80% last time.”

“Our second date is a study date, huh?”

I chuckled. “It can be. Let’s survive the first one, yeah? The forecast called for rain tomorrow afternoon, so hopefully we won’t get caught in it on the way back.”

***

I arrived first to the arcade around 17:50. I was dressed in the best casual attire I could think of: navy wide leg pants, a white dress shirt paired underneath with a lemon yellow camisole. My shoes were black rain boots and my hair was left down. Kuroo came a few minutes later dressed in an all black street ensemble attire that made me think I was a bit out of his league (more so than before).

“You did not have to come here looking like an idol star,” I teased when he reached out to hold my hand.

“And you didn’t have to either,” he said with a smile. “Let’s go inside to play Street Fighter II again, yeah?” I nodded.

A few hours passed us by as we kept reloading the game cards playing different arcade games ranging from fighting games, TETRIS, and music games (like JuBEAT FESTO). Kuroo’s cat like smile made me more competitive when he failed the last song of JuBeat.

“Move aside, lemme see if I can beat your score sir,” I mused. I swiped my card and selected my first song and the speed. The tiles began to glow with the first few notes coming from the machine. There were a lot of encouraging words coming through the screen: “Combo!” “Perfect” “100 note streak!”

“By the time my round ended, the title card illuminated with a new hi-score slot waiting for my initials to be put in.

“If I wanted to date Kenma, I would have just taken him here,” Kuroo muttered under his breath. “Well, you win. I bow down to you, Kat-chan. Queen of JuBEAT FESTO.”

“You don’t have to, but maybe we should go? It’s almost 20:30 and I don’t want to stay out too late. Let’s go grab a bite to eat, yeah?”

There were a few food cart vendors located down the street from the arcade. Their carts were lined up against the entrance way of an old park where there once was a sunflower field. Years of urbanization caused the flowers to no longer be planted, but in their stead, a field of peonies were grown. I took a seat on one of the benches facing the flowers. A warm smile graced my lips as I leaned down to pluck one off the field. 

“Such a pretty flower for a pretty date,” Kuroo’s voice made me yelp in surprise. He cackled as he extended one of the taiyaki he bought toward me. “Here, I got you a taiyaki.” I took one of the fish shaped pastries an thanked him. We raised our fishes to each other and began to munch on them; we sat there for about half an hour making the time pass by playing a question game with each other. 

“Your turn,” I reminded Kuroo with a nudge of my elbow. “Ask me anything you like.”

“Alright,” Kuroo replied. “Hmm...I got it! Kat, how many dates do we have to go on before I ask you to be my girlfriend?”

I leaned forward and folded my arms over my thighs, a hum drawn out into the air. I made direct eye contact with the peonies, the one I plucked remained on the bench. He had a puzzled emotion worn on his face.

“As many as it takes for me to believe you actually like me. Kuroo,” I swallowed thickly. “You’re someone who would break up with a girl over the fact that they bore you or that they didn’t understand your commitment to your team as captain. It’s going to take some time for me to believe your emotions toward me are genuine. Sure, we had fun at training camp, but I need you think this through. Are you sure you want to be with me?”

At this point, Kuroo stood up and immediately crouched down in front of me. The summer breeze made his hair dance in the wind along with the blooms behind him. 

“I’m sure,” he replied. A hand of his combed a few pieces of my hair behind my ear; he grabbed the plucked peony blossom and placed it behind my exposed ear. “See? You do look more glamorous with it in your hair. C’mon, I suppose it’s time for me to walk you home.”

He pulled me up off the bench and placed a light kiss atop the crown of my head. 

We arrived at the fork in the sidewalk where we would have originally had split up before, but instead Kuroo escorted me to the front courtyard of my apartment complex building. He held my hand the entire walk over, telling me more stories of his childhood with Kenma up until the time Kenma turned twelve and they  climbed a tree to rescue a kitten. 

“And that’s how Kenma had his first pet,” Kuroo said, a triumphant smile over his face.

“So it seems,” I replied, a shortened giggle fell out of my mouth. He raised my hand to his lips, thanking me for a wonderful outing. His thumb traced over my knuckles lightly. I removed the flower from behind my ear before offering it to him. He pushed it back toward me before he tilted my chin up to meet his gaze.

“Keep it, sweetheart,” his voice told me. He leaned down again and kissed me, slowly to quiet my irrational fears of not being wanted by him. One kiss was all it took for both of us to come to terms with our outlook on each other. My eyes fluttered open, my hand still wrapped around the peony’s stem. He kissed my cheek when I wasn’t looking directly at him.

“Go on upstairs. I’ll leave after you go,” he told me in an hazy tone. He squeezed my hand gently. 

“Thank you for today,” I began as I turned around to open the door of the lobby. “See ya at school next week.”

***

About a month and half after our first date, Kuroo and I found ourselves curled up on the couch in his living room with a Ghibli film playing in the background. His arm was resting comfortably against my waist, drawing small circles on my skin. I turned my eyes away from the tv to look up at him before I decided I was done watching the film. I committed the minute details of his face to memory. 

He cocked his head to the side with a curious brow lifted toward me right up until the moment I initiated a kiss. Kuroo did not object to this sign of affection pouring from me. His hand moved away from my waist to my back, then I felt his arms loop behind me to pull me over his lap. I found myself wrapping my legs around his waist as my hands made their way on to the fabric of his shirt prior to me holding on to it for balance as he began to work on deepening our kiss. I found myself smiling into every kiss he gave me, stealing every ounce of air he had inside his lungs. He rested his head against the crook of my neck, his breathing uneven. 

“Three years of wondering what it would feel like to have you alone like this,” his voice reverberated gently against my skin causing a blush to dance across my face. Slowly, I felt his lips imprint open mouthed kisses up the side of my neck. He was gentle with me at first, much like the first person to kiss me like this. My breath was caught in my throat and it seemed he didn’t care as a whimper escaped my lips in anticipation not knowing where his lips were headed to next. Damn this boy, my inner thoughts cursed at him.

Each kiss gained momentum the closer his lips grazed against my own. In the past couple of dates that we had had, I mentioned off hand to Kuroo that if he were to kiss my neck, even playfully, I’d crumble beneath his touch. Smooth ass mother fucker, I thought. 

“Shh...” I hushed him within a few seconds when I felt his one of his hands disappear under the back of my shirt and the other stabilized the back of my neck. I’d like to think he counted how many layers of clothing there was between us, but his coarse hands roamed my body curious to know how soft my skin was.  

He pushed me forward, causing me to crash on to his demanding lips again; his hands were wrapped around my waist and mine laced lightly around the back of his neck, giving me more support to push myself into him more. His mouth was compressed against mine, yet this kiss remained as light as we had intended it to be. We sat like this for a few moments before our lips began to move rhythmically over the other, the pace being set by him.

I exhaled through my nose, not wanting to let go of him. There was an overwhelming feeling of mutual relief toward each other finally seeing what we could be. Relief raced out of hearts for a moment only to be replaced with this sense of combined eccentric panic, and lust. More, I thought. I need more of this kind of physical affection.

Kuroo’s hand on the small of my back travelled higher in an attempt to pull my shirt over my head, to which I shook my head in agreement.

“It’s too hot,” I said, lifting the fabric over my head and tossing it to the side. Kuroo’s eyed my exposed top half through running his hands up my sides. My chest rose and fell with every touch his grazed my skin.

“I concur,” he said. I shrugged before I leaned down, hands pressing his shoulders back on to the back of the couch. From there, I began my barrage of open mouthed kisses down his neck, leaving bite marks behind his ear. Hearing him hiss an exasperated sigh when he pulled me toward him causing me to stop.

My hair hung over my shoulders as Kuroo tilted his head up again to press his forehead against mine. He and I exchanged a few words making sure the other was doing ok; most of our replies were done in a hummed tone of the “yes,” variety.

Our heart rates needed to return to a normal pace prior to us continuing where we had left off. Kuroo’s playful shine in his eyes and smirk told me everything I wanted to know. I caressed his cheek when I pulled away, the inside of my palm warm from his flushed face. 

“Kat,” he breathed my name so effortlessly it caused me to stop stroking the side of his face.

“Hmm?” my vocal chords vibrates at the sound of my name. “What is it?”

Suddenly, I took note of how Kuroo’s eyes were trying to refocus themselves on my face; pupils dilated meaning he felt the rush of serotonin enter his system. He shifted his weight underneath me and whispered something along the lines of “you’re staying over tonight,” in my ear to which I nodded. I didn’t have time to wait since I felt him stand up with his hands under my thighs.

“W-woah!” I said, stifling a laugh when I moved my arms around his neck for balance. “Where are you taking me?” As if I didn’t already know the answer. I arched my eyebrow up at him with a teasing expression.

“My room,” Kuroo answered, his eyes crinkled with a smile. “To continue where we left off kitten.”

[investmart007]

SEOUL, South Korea | Tears, farewell hugs end 1st round of Korean reunions

New Post has been published on https://is.gd/VsiByQ

SEOUL, South Korea | Tears, farewell hugs end 1st round of Korean reunions

SEOUL, South Korea  — As her two North Korean daughters, both in their 70s, wailed outside her bus, 99-year-old Han Shin-ja pounded the windows from inside in despair, moving her lips to say “don’t cry” and “farewell.”

As her bus left for South Korea on Wednesday, Han’s daughters chased the moving vehicle before being stopped by a North Korean official, a predictable but no less heart-wrenching departure that’s likely to be the last time they saw their mother before the die.

Han’s family was among hundreds of elderly Koreans who tearfully said their final goodbyes at the end of the first round of rare reunions between relatives separated by the 1950-53 Korean War.

About 200 South Koreans returned home after the end of three days of meetings with North Korean relatives at the North’s Diamond Mountain resort. Another 337 South Koreans will participate in a second round of reunions from Friday to Sunday.

The first set of meetings created heart-wrenching images of relatives weeping, embracing and caressing each other in a rush of emotions. Many of the South Korean participants were war refugees who reunited with the siblings or infant children they left behind, many of whom are now into their 70s.

At their final lunch meeting on Wednesday, 91-year-old Lee Ki-soon seemed lost for words as he quietly drank a glass of “soju,” a vodka-like alcohol loved in both Koreas, with his 75-year-old North Korean son, according to pool reports.

An Jong Sun, a 70-year-old North Korean, carefully fed her 100-year-old South Korean father food.

Nearby, Ri Chol, a 61-year-old North Korean, quietly wept as he grasped the hands of a 93-year-old South Korean grandmother he was only just getting to know.

“Don’t cry, Chol,” Kwon Seok, also in tears, told her grandson. Han told her two North Korean daughters to eat a lot of “chap-ssal,” or sticky rice, for health. The daughters quietly sobbed as Han told them she would always pray for their happiness and also for the future of her North Korean great-grandchildren she never got to see.

After organizers aired an announcement that the reunions were officially over, Han and her daughters broke down, weeping, embracing each other and temporarily refusing to leave their lunch table. Two North Korean officials politely separated Han from one of her daughters, 71-year-old Kim Kyong Yong, who kept holding on to one of Han’s arm.

Some relatives exchanged their phone numbers and home addresses, although the Koreas since the end of the war have banned ordinary citizens from visiting relatives on the other side of the border or contacting them without permission.

Shin Jae-cheon, a 92-year-old from the South Korean town of Gimpo, not far from the border, lamented that his 70-year-old North Korean sister lived about an hour’s drive away all these years. “It will take 40 minutes for me to drive there,” Shin told his sister, Sin Kum Sun, who lives in the North Korean border town of Kaesong. “The bus that goes to my home is No. 8. No. 8. The No. 8 bus,” Shin added, expressing a wish for his sister to come visit one day.

Nearly 20,000 people have participated in 20 rounds of face-to-face reunions held between the countries since 2000. No one has had a second chance to see their relatives.

The latest reunions come after a three-year hiatus during which North Korea conducted three nuclear tests and multiple missile launches that demonstrated a potential capability to strike the U.S. mainland. Analysts say the North still has some work to do before those missiles are perfected, however. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has shifted toward diplomacy in 2018 and has met South Korean President Moon Jae-in twice and also held a summit with President Donald Trump.

While Seoul has long pushed for more reunions, analysts say North Korea is reluctant because of fears that increasing their frequency will loosen its authoritarian control and relinquish a coveted bargaining chip.

By KIM TONG-HYUNG ,  Associated Press

[sandinz]

It won’t come as too much of a surprise to hear that blogging has taken a backwards step in our busy lives for the time being. We’re not boating until early April – instead we’re enjoying three months off, relishing the space-between-‘work’ to travel, and be with family and friends in the northern and southern hemispheres. I guess it’s a kind of self-imposed annualised hours contract!

A Nigerian adventure – and a surreal stool story

I had a fascinating and fun trip to Nigeria for ten days in January (read all about it here), to stay with my youngest daughter who is teaching there at an International School. Unfortunately this culminated with me being hospitalised, and isolated, five days after returning to UK with a possible ‘infectious disease’. Thankfully all the test results came back negative; whatever had hitched a ride in my gut worked its way out successfully (though revoltingly and painfully …). Having been a midwife for the last 25 years of my career, the ‘stool chart’ I was presented with to fill in for every toilet visit was quite an education (apologies for those of a weak constitution!).

Type 6 and 7 are in the shaded area on the chart, which is where my ticks were consistently placed.

Until Wednesday.

That morning the hospital chaplain popped his head round the door (best not to come in as you had to gown and glove up!) just to say a cheery ‘Hi‘, shortly followed by a text from the adorable Helen from Wild Side, reminding me she was praying for my health. Next minute the Gideon contact came to see if I had one of their bibles in my locker. I didn’t, so he replaced it. I thought I may take a sneaky peak as I’ve not read one for decades – but it came sealed which I thought odd. Till Helen’s detective brain suggested it’s because of the potential infection! So I opened it, and randomly picked a page – it was the story of Jesus healing the sick. That afternoon all my results came back negative, which was a shock for everyone, and from that moment on I started rising up the toll chart each day, without any medication, until by Friday all was ‘normal’ once again.

I’m not and never will be a ‘believer’, it’s just too far fetched and illogical to me. However I was impressed at the turn of events and extremely grateful to whatever force or sureal coincidences may have been on my side. I don’t do ‘ill’, and we’d got places to go and people to see …

Blacking Areandare

Barry meanwhile had remained in Birmingham while I was abroad, getting the boat ready for its BSC, aka ‘Boat Safety Certificate’ (a requirement every four years), which it passed smoothly hurrah! Once I returned we moved to Hawne Basin on 9th February, to begin the process of blacking Areandare’s hull – for the first time in three years.

It was a much-needed job. Barry had joked for a while that I’d find an excuse not to help him, and I’d insisted I would be there. I hadn’t anticipated being incapacitated and totally unable to do more than a bit of scraping on the first day! Maybe there’s some truth in the saying that “… you get what you wish for” husband lol?!

Bless him, he ended up doing it all alone – and a fantastic job he did. He totally deserves a break for six weeks.

Water blasted and ready to scrape!

Brand new anode looking smart

The new blacked bottom

Back into the water

Family times north and south

Last week we enjoyed time with our UK family at Northmoor House. As a family, we’ve gathered here many times since 1995, consequently it’s holds an abundance of happy memories and tales of times gone by. My younger sister had brought a video of two visits in 2000 and 2001, when dad was alive and energetic, which were heartwarming to watch and listen him chatting and laughing. This year there were 11 young children running around the enormous building, getting into all sorts of mischief, and loving every minute of it! I overheard my eldest grandson saying to his younger brother on their last afternoon, “I’m really gonna miss this place. Are you?” And he replied “Yes. I am.” Then they hugged each other tightly. Bless them.

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Tomorrow we’re flying to New Zealand, to see Barry’s family and friends – and won’t return to UK until 1st April. It’ll be the first time Barry has seen his daughter and son for three and a half years. His sister and brother who live in Australia are also coming for our last week there, I’ve lost track of when he last saw them (his other brother lives in Gisborne, where we’ll be spending most of our time).

The 2017 trading season

Our trading season commences mid-April, when I’ll be facepainting at Hadley Bowling Green Inn, then St Richard’s Festival Droitwich where we’ll both be trading for the fourth year running.

Our itinerary currently looks like this:

16th April – Facepainting at Hadley Bowling Green Inn

29th April to 1st May – St Richard’s Festival, Droitwich (Home Brew Boat and Funtastic Facepainting)

13th to 14th May – Burton-on-Trent RCTA Floating Market (Home Brew Boat and Funtastic Facepainting)

20th to 21st May – Mercia Marina Floating Market (Home Brew Boat and Funtastic Facepainting)

27th to 29th May – Fazeley RCTA Floating Market (Home Brew Boat only)

15th to 16th June – FAB Middlewich (Home Brew Boat and Funtastic Facepainting)

24th to 25th June – Chester RCTA Floating Market (Home Brew Boat only)

A bit of a break here in July, as we have some friends coming to stay from NZ, and we’re away for a week on a Scottish narrow boating holiday with a fellow trader (The Doggie Boat) and another 17 people! We’ll be doing The Falkirk Wheel twice – one of Barry’s dreams coming true).

29th July – Linslade Canal Festival (Home Brew Boat only)

12th to 13th August – Blisworth Canal Festival (Home Brew Boat and Funtastic Facepainting)

8th to 9th September – Black Country Boating Festival (Home Brew Boat and Funtastic Facepainting)

15th to 16th September – Tipton Canal Festival (Home Brew Boat and Funtastic Facepainting)

22nd to 23rd September – Huddlesford Heritage Gathering – (Home Brew Boat and Funtastic Facepainting)

Pay back time in the winter

We’ve applied to have our own ‘Calendar Club‘ store this year, which is likely to commence around the end of September/early October and will entail one or both of us being in the shop or Mall Unit seven days a week until early January. We won;t know until closer to the time where this will be, but it’s likely to be somewhere in the midlands.

While I’m away in New Zealand, I’ll do my best at some stage to continue drafting a post about our Calendar Club experiences and publish it – they’re looking for more store operators and the timings of this could suit many narrowboaters, especially traders.

Haere Ra UK – farewell for now, we’re flying south to the sun! So looking forward to being back in Aotearoa and catching up with so many beautiful people there.

Having a blogging break … It won't come as too much of a surprise to hear that blogging has taken a backwards step in our busy lives for the time being.