#finally in love again kazuki

[kirumiri]

on a date!!

[littlemousenix]

KAZUKI SERIZAWA | MAIN STORY

[xoxolilicarabina]

Finally, In Love Again

Fanfiction

Cerveja Artesanal

Após sua festa de casamento, Aki desfruta dos sons que sua esposa consegue fazer.

Substituto Insignificante e Razoavelmente Excitante

Aki deseja ir a Okinawa com sua amante, mas ela tem outras prioridades.

[cumironi]

HI, BABY : GOJO SATORU , GETO SUGURU

your kid loves you so much, maybe more than he loves his fathers. just like your husbands, he can't get enough of you and just like how his fathers often calls you baby, your son takes after them and one day when you want to take a shower, he comes to you and calls you ‘hi baby!’

content warning: poly! satosugu, just nothing but fluff

REQUESTS ARE OPEN!!

the morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm glow over the cozy household. It was a typical day, filled with the sounds of satoru and suguru bustling in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, and your three-year-old son, kazuki, running around with boundless energy.

the kitchen was filled with the comforting aroma of pancakes and freshly brewed coffee. satoru was at the stove, flipping pancakes with a flourish, while suguru was setting the table with an assortment of toppings — syrup, berries, and whipped cream. kazuki sat in his high chair, eagerly awaiting his breakfast, his eyes wide with anticipation.

you took a seat next to kazuki, ruffling his hair. “good morning, sweetheart. are you excited for pancakes?” kazuki nodded vigorously, his small hands clapping in excitement. “yes, mommy! pancakes!” satoru turned from the stove, a mischievous grin on his face. “who wants the first pancake, the baby or the baby?” he winked at you and then at kazuki.

kazuki giggled, pointing at himself. “me, baby!”

suguru chuckled as he poured juice into glasses. “looks like kazuki wins this round. but don't worry, love,” he said to you, “there's plenty more where that came from.” you smiled, leaning over to kiss Kazuki’s cheek. “well, I guess our little baby gets the first pancake.” satoru served the first golden pancake to kazuki, who squealed in delight. he then placed another on your plate, giving you a wink. “and here’s one for the most beautiful baby in the house.” suguru laughed, sitting down beside you. “Smooth, satoru. Very smooth.”

as kazuki started smearing syrup all over his pancake (and a bit on his face), you took a bite and sighed contentedly. “these are delicious, satoru. perfect as always.” you hold your husband's hand for a moment. satoru feigned a bow, still seated. “why, thank you. It’s all in the wrist action.” he demonstrated with an exaggerated pancake flip that had kazuki laughing and clapping his sticky hands.

suguru reached over, wiping syrup from Kazuki’s cheek with a napkin. “you know, it’s a good thing we’re a team. I’m not sure how one person could handle this much morning chaos.” you chuckled, nodding in agreement. “definitely. It’s a team effort every morning.” kazuki, with syrup still on his face and a piece of pancake in his hand, looked up at you, beaming. “mommy, baby!” you laughed, gently wiping his face.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

kazuki pointed to you, then to himself, and finally to satoru and suguru. “baby, baby, baby, baby!” suguru grinned. “you’ve got it right, Kazuki. We’re all each other’s babies.” satoru leaned in, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at you. “you know, I think kazuki’s onto something. we should all just call each other baby from now on.” you rolled your eyes playfully. “alright, baby. but only if you remember to make the pancakes every morning.” kazuki giggled, clearly enjoying the playful banter between his parents. “hi, baby!” he chimed in once more, causing all of you to burst into laughter.

after breakfast, you stood up, ruffling Kazuki’s hair once more. “alright, time for mommy to take a shower. I’ll see you all in a bit.” kazuki immediately perked up. “shower, baby?” you smiled, shaking your head. “not this time, sweetheart. let mommy have a quick shower, okay?”

kazuki pouted for a moment, but then satoru swooped in, distracting him with a playful tickle. “how about we build a fort while Mommy showers?”

kazuki’s eyes lit up again. “fort, baby!”

suguru stood up as he reached out his hand to touch your back lovingly , smiling at you. “go enjoy your shower. we’ve got this.” you nod your head as you kiss his cheeks before going to the bathroom.

as you left the kitchen, you could hear satoru and suguru already planning the grand fort construction with kazuki’s enthusiastic input. your heart swelled with love for your family, knowing that every moment with them, from breakfast banter to building forts, was a treasure.

kazuki had always been a mama's boy. his eyes lit up every time you entered the room, and he would cling to you, showering you with love and affection. while satoru and suguru were equally adored by their son, there was no denying that kazuki had a special place in his heart just for you.

you turn the water on and fill the bath up with water. you pour a bubble bath with a strawberry and cream scent. right before you take off your clothes a small knock sounded, followed by a tiny voice, “hi, baby!” a sliding door that connects your bathroom and bedroom slides open, showing your son smiling ear to ear standing there with a big grin on his face. his sparkling eyes were filled with love, and his tiny hands clutched his favorite stuffed animal.. you couldn't help but chuckle. It was endearing how kazuki had picked up on the term of endearment that satoru and suguru often used. “did you just call me baby?” you asked through the door, amusement evident in your voice.

“hi, baby!” kazuki repeated, his voice full of excitement and determination. “hi, baby," he said once more, giggling as he wiggled his way into the bathroom. before you could protest, kazuki had already started tugging at his clothes, eager to join you. his presence was like a ray of sunshine, and you couldn't resist the infectious joy he brought with him.

with a sigh of defeat mixed with affection, you allowed him to step into the shower with you. the warm water cascaded down, and Kazuki's laughter filled the room, echoing off the tiles. he reached up, tiny fingers trying to catch the water droplets, his giggles turning into a delightful symphony. your plan to relax disappears now, not that you're complaining anyway.

moments later, the bathroom door creaked open again, and satoru's head peeked in. “ey, I heard someone call for a shower party. mind if I join, baby?”

suguru's voice followed, “well if satoru's in, count me in too, baby.” you rolled your eyes but couldn't help smiling. “it seems like I can't get a moment alone, can I?” kazuki looked up at his fathers and then at you, his eyes gleaming with happiness. “i, baby!” he chimed in once more, making everyone burst into laughter.

and so, the shower turned into a family affair, with kazuki splashing around, satoru making exaggerated faces to elicit more giggles, and suguru playfully washing his son's hair. the small bathroom was filled with love, warmth, and laughter, a testament to the unbreakable bonds you all shared.

as chaotic as it was, these were the moments that made your family so special. the love between you, satoru, suguru, and Kazuki was a beautiful, living thing, nurtured in every “hi, baby” and every shared laugh. It was a reminder that even in the simplest of routines, there was magic and joy in being together.

[smiieepy]

RANKING DORM SONGS NOW THAT THEY'RE ALL RELEASED (MY OPINIONS SOLELY BASED ON THE MUSIC, NOT MVS) !!!!!!

1. Diasomnia Dorm Song 「恣意天変」 / Arbitrary Natural Disaster

MY HEADPHONES DIED WHILE I WAS FINISHING UP LISTENING TO FAR OUT SO I COULDN'T LISTEN TO THIS WITH THEM BUT IT'S OKAY BECAUSE I'VE LOOPED IT SO MUCH ANYWAY BECAUSE I'M OBSESSED WITH MALLEUS' VOICE (no that's not the only reason, I will be elaborating)

as i will state many times in this post i am a sucker for a lot of things and one of them is choir and orchestra. the opening being the background choir singing already sealed the deal for me that i was going to love this. i wish i remember more musical terminology so i could really voice all of my feelings on this properly but alas... i think beginning and ending the song with the choir really set the tone for the... i forget the word but the genre??? the vibe??? like how do i say it's giving church choral hymn but in the best way???

i think the other three's (lilia, sebek, and silver) voices all blend together well, in a way that feels intentional versus merely indistinct. like, you can definitely tell who's singing what parts—sebek's voice has this strong, regal quality to it that i find really pleasant, silver's voice is brighter and contrasts the darker voices of the other's, and lilia's voice of course is distinct as always. it doesn't feel muddled, they're meant to sound like one/in unison as a buildup to malleus' entrance. then there's the brief silence before...

SUBEEEEETEEEE WOOOOOOOOOOO

i don't think you guys understand. i don't think you understand how deeply this impacted me. LITERAL CHILLS LOOPING THAT ONE BIT ON REPEAT (i'm sure most of you do understand the feeling i know i'm being melodramatic but still) TEARING MY HAIR OUT MALLEUS!!! OHHH YOUR VOICE. YOUR VOICE. IT WAS SO REGAL AND GRAND IN GLOMASQ AND FOR MY EARS TO BE BLESSED ONCE AGAIN IN THIS TIMELINE??? GLORY BE TO MALLEUS DRACONIA FUCKING AMEN!!!!!

his voice is just. so rich and decadent and and (searches up synonyms for "this was so good i don't think i'll ever recover") like i don't even mean this in a sexual way but i can't think of a more fitting word than fucking ORGASMIC. like it really is the feeling of ascending his voice is the trumpets of heaven finally greeting you after a grueling lifetime of goodness and purity i don't know what could top this?!?!?!? so sorry for this i just don't know how to describe how i feel about malleus' voice. kazuki kato the man you are.

back to talking about the music instead of just simping over malleus' voice! i really enjoy the syncopation right after that, like how the song is in common time but the chorus has that 1-2-3 1-2-3 after malleus' glorious ass fucking belt and then the others join him hhhhh i just really enjoy this one

i desperately wanted entanglement to be my favorite because octavinelle is my favorite dorm but shiitenpen just blew every other song out of the water for me (and the mv was my favorite too!). i know i made it sound like it's just because of malleus but it's truly not (even though his voice is admittedly a large part of that), the arrangement of the piece and the structure to put emphasis on the chorus while making the rest feel like a buildup but not underwhelming struck a perfect balance that i just!!! i can't breathe i love shiitenpen so much LONG LIVE MALLEUS DRACON—GUNSHOTS 💥💥💥

2. Octavinelle Dorm Song 「Entanglement」

THE SHOCK AND DEVASTATION I FELT WHEN LA VOLONTÉ WAS RELEASED INSTEAD OF THIS AND WE REALIZED IT WASN'T DORM ORDER. I LOVELEOVLOEVLEOEERGERHHEH!!!!!!!!!!!!

serious thoughts: jade's voice being so overpowering during the first chorus is funny and i'm only chill with it because i'm a jade stan and am fucking obsessed with jade's voice plus azul and floyd get solos elsewhere so it's forgivable imo. i really enjoy the personality in floyd's singing too, like you can definitely tell who's who in the trio but floyd especially you'll listen to the little inflections he adds and be like "yup, that's definitely him!"

i love that it's a jazzy song bc duh. what else would it be. and it was executed so well i would genuinely listen to this even if it wasn't a twst song it's so easy to tap your foot along to! and i know these aren't the only three instruments but bass + drums + piano — it's literally THEM!!!

also the bridge (i am also the biggest sucker for songs with bridges... sighs longingly... death of the bridge is real, guys)??? hello??? ate down??? left no crumbs??? azul's sort of hushed, secretive singing, then jade picking the energy back up and then floyd's growl scratched my brain so hard and then going back into the chorus AAAAHHHHHH!!!!! i have this thing for growls in singing so when i heard that you KNOW i went insane bouncing off the walls screaming tempted to convert back from jade to floyd stan again!!! the worms know what they want!!!

all in all octavinelle is my favorite dorm and i'm SO happy i wasn't disappointed by their song because if i was i would've been devastated but i never really had any doubt because c'mon. we SEE octavinelle. they have the class. the vibes. the fancy. they are THAT BITCH (my clear bias is showing). TLDR ENTANGLEMENT 🔛🔝

3. Ignihyde Dorm Song 「双絶アイオーン」 / SouZetsu Aion

I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO HATE THIS ONE HONESTLY BUT IT'S SUCH AN EARWORM IT'S BEEN STUCK IN MY HEAD EVER SINCE I HEARD IT!!!!!!! i normally don't like songs with such a techno feel but it was executed so well and the chorus has such MOVEMENT to it like i feel like bouncing i feel like jiving i am WIGGLING!!! and idia's "welcome to the underworld" bit I SCREAMED hearing how well it flowed into the whole song after just the glimpse from the preview???

i also enjoyed the harmony by ortho because maybe i'm just forgetting but i feel like some of the other songs could've had more harmonies in them??? like in obedience for example i feel like in the chorus they were all singing in unison and considering there are five of them it felt a little flat. i talk about this in my far out review but that one is an example of utilizing harmonies very well, and ofc i'm not expecting each song to be able to pull off such intense harmony, but i feel like certain songs had that aspect missing and i'm glad souzetsu aeon didn't lack in that department.

also saw in the comments of the video i was watching (shoutout to blume on youtube!!!) that there's a "third singer" which is og/dead ortho and idk if that's real or just a theory or something but that's so cool if it is and even if it's just pitching of the existing vocals and not intended i think I'll just think of it like that because that's super cool!

4. Scarabia Dorm Song 「Far-Out」

i'm really a sucker for anything utilizing the Arabic scale so you KNOW i ate this up and the chorus was so fun i adore it! since it just came out i don't have a lot of thoughts yet and will probably come back here to add more thoughts once i've listened a few more times! jamil's voice is so buttery smooth and kalim's has an enthusiastic energy perfectly befitting his character! another thing i thoroughly enjoy (as you may have begun picking up by now there's certain things that just scratch the itch in my brain) THE HARMONIES!!!!! i love it when harmonies aren't subtly hidden or shyly sung in the back but on par with the main vocal and this song integrates that so well without them being overpowering!

i also enjoy the background vocals, so even when they're holding their notes and not singing a lot of different words, there's still that urgent feeling brought with not just the instruments but the vocalizing! background vocals are just as important as main vocals and far out really displays that!

5. Pomefiore Dorm Song 「La volonté」

as a former orchestra kid i was freaking SUCTIONED by the usage of stringed instrumentals at the beginning and how it didn't just shift into a completely different vibe but was integrated into the rest of the song!!! i feel like it's a balance that often isn't struck for songs not of the classical genre but la volonté integrated the strings so wonderfully it made me so happy to hear!!!

i didn't like this song at first tbh but i think it was misdirected anger at the delayed release of entanglement because i actually really like this one i've realized once entanglement was released and my anger quelled! i really am just a sucker for the strings and how the piece has so much movement and the backing to the vocals has so much substance and energy and never falls into the trap of becoming flat and robotic.

can we talk about rook's voice? because HELLO SAILORRR 😻 oh and vil and epel are there too ig... (vil's angelic lalala at the end i'm ascending 🧘) I JUST LOVE POMEFIORE IT'S MY DORM!!!

6. Heartslabyul Dorm Song 「Obedience」

okay so. i like it and i don't know how it ended up so low? you can definitely tell which dorm it's supposed to be for but i think it's just a bit basic... "yes your majesty" goes hard and is iconic but i think in comparison to some of the other pieces, it really just did give average anime song vibes. while it followed the heartslabyul motif/vibe with the lyricism, i find it kind of forgettable otherwise. i think heartslabyul is a dorm which, like pomefiore, could've integrated stringed instruments into it to give it a more elegant feel but they went for a more modern, techno-y (sorta more ignihyde adjacent?) vibe for it that i don't think MISSED the mark per se, but it kinda just felt like it could've been better—untapped potential sort of thing. i still like the song, just not one of my favorites!

7. Savanaclaw Dorm Song 「DIADEM」

leona's voice jumpscared tf out of me when i first listened to this i did NOT know he could go that high was literally like "who's this bitch" lmao but anyway i feel like savanaclaw would probably be the hardest to come up with what kind of song it should be if that makes sense? so respect for all the efforts that went into this song because i feel like every other dorm has a distinct aesthetic that matches with some sort of musical genre and savanaclaw's aesthetic feels the least music-adjacent. as it turns out, i think diadem is the one song that i would listen to and feel a sort of disconnect from the dorm it's supposed to represent. every other song strongly gives me the vibes of their intended dorm, but for diadem if i picked up the song in the middle and listened it would only be by process of elimination that i would come to the conclusion that it's for savanaclaw. the beginning obviously gives savanaclaw vibes, but then it kind of just... falls off imo. many other songs utilize a drastic change from the initial few seconds for a sort of dramatic effect, like entanglement and la volonté, but diadem just feels like it fully strays away from the initial vibe.

don't take anything i've said about diadem personally if you like it because it's still a good song, i just really don't like it lmao.

Overall Thoughts:

it's a very close tie between entanglement, shiitenpen, and souzetsu aeon but i think i'm happy with the placement i've given them. the three are honestly tied in my head, but i'm ranking with a "if i HAD to choose" attitude. they all have their own strengths and i think all of the songs are well produced, even the ones i ranked lowly! i feel like my top three are the songs that had the most distinctive vibes to them that SCREAMED the dorm they represent—like the difference between passing and exceeding.

if you've made it this far through my horrible grammar + internet speak + sentence structure let me know what you think! i'm really curious to hear about others' favorites and how they'd rank the songs because i genuinely can see how a song i ranked low like diadem could be someone else's favorite—they're all so well done!

[themattress]

The Evolution of Yu-Gi-Oh! Villainy

Thinking back on this post from @ultraericthered, It's interesting to note that Kazuki Takahashi developed in how he wrote villains as the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga progressed.

Let's look at how he initially wrote villains, shall we?

They're all the same type of one-dimensional, psychotic, horrible person. It gets old fast.

We then get a pair of two-parters with a slight step up.

Kaiba and Hirutani respectively are still one-dimensional, psychotic, horrible people, but they actually feel dangerous. Yami Yugi has been owning every other shmuck with relative ease; he honestly came off as more frightening than they did! Kaiba and Hirutani, meanwhile, show a more calculating and intelligent side to them that allows them to pose a genuine threat.

Then there's Takahashi's first attempt at a "Big Bad": Shadi.

And Takahashi himself has admitted that he sucked. He tried so hard to make him mysterious that he just ended up being confusing and bland, with no charisma or even an identifiable motive for antagonizing Yugi and his friends. Takahashi himself hadn't actually thought of any concrete plans for Shadi or the story's lore beyond vague details at this point, so much of how Shadi is presented here and the things he does end up feeling contradictory to how the narrative develops later. So after this failure, Takahashi went back to making one-note assholes before bringing back one of the best of them and elevating him to Big Bad status.

Now with the first name of Seto, Kaiba worked beautifully as a Big Bad since he had a clear motivation, established history with the protagonist, and we already knew he was a threat, with the new additions of just how rich and skilled at games he is plus a backstory explaining why he is the way he is cementing him as the series' best villain to date without question.

However, he was still lacking a key element: charisma.

"What?", you may be saying, "The Hell do you mean; Kaiba's super charismatic!"

Kaiba post-Mind Crush is super charismatic, yes. He's even charismatic in the 1998 Toei anime adaptation, where he has green hair and is more of a classy, scheming supervillain.

But originally?

He can pretend to be charismatic, particularly when he's playing for a crowd, but otherwise Kaiba is still the same charmless thug as before, and the actions he takes in this arc reach truly vile territory. Again, he's a wonderfully effective villain, but it's not because you love to hate him - you just hate him and want to see him brought down. You don't enjoy his villainy.

Once again, the arc is followed up by a few more one-off forgettable baddies, although at the end of that run we get Hirutani making a return appearance, now with a ratty sidekick named Nezumi who I feel like more could have been done with. And after that, he finally debuted.

Yami Bakura, while a step down from Kaiba in DEATH-T in terms of scale (feeling more akin to Kaiba in his debut two-parter instead), was when Takahashi finally managed to crack the charisma code. Yes, he's a psychotic asshole, but he carries himself with such conviction, schemes and plays games in such a meticulous way, and has such a sense of theatrical flamboyance and gallows humor that it's impossible not to be entertained by his twisted Dungeon Master antics. And unlike Shadi, he is mysterious the right way; you can tell there's a lot more to him that you don't know yet, but the arc foreshadows much of it impeccably, and as he goes on to be the main overarching antagonist of the whole series it's great to see him only become more dangerous until he successfully pays off all of his long-term planning.

And then...

Maximiilion J. Pegasus (Pegasus J. Crawford in the Japanese version) is the apotheosis of Takahashi learning to write villains. Like Shadi, he has crucial and mysterious ties to the overarching narrative, but like Yami Bakura it's done correctly. Like Kaiba, he's a large-scale corporate rich guy whom Yugi and his friends must fight through a dangerous game tournament to reach after he does something bad to Grandpa Moto, all while he monitors everything from his stronghold, and at the very end fully reveals a tragic backstory that explains but does not excuse him. Like Yami Bakura, he is insanely charismatic and you enjoy watching him even when he's doing the most dastardly things. And to take things a step further, he is directly connected to all of those prior Big Bads: he got his Millennium Eye from Shadi personally, he is colluding with Kaiba Corp which only became possible because Yami Yugi defeated and Mind Crushed Kaiba in DEATH-T, and he ends up killed by Yami Bakura!

I won't be talking about Mr. Clown, because ultimately he's just a decoy while Yami Bakura, under the guise of being an ally now, makes crucial progress in his big overarching evil plan.

Then we get the disappointment that is Marik Ishtar.

No, not that Marik Ishtar! He's actually great! A slight step down from Pegasus but a major step up from Mr. Clown, Marik is a different sort of villain: a distant, shadowy evil mastermind behind a criminal organization engaged in a conspiracy across Domino City. Marik is threatening, charismatic, and interesting: increasingly so as we learn his backstory, discover his blood ties to Ishizu, and see him enter a deliciously sinister alliance with Yami Bakura.

But then...

Not only does Yami Marik come out of nowhere, but his character can be summed up here:

Now, these kinds of crazy, evil-for-evil's-sake, "I wanna destroy everything" villains can be done well. But I'm sorry, I just don't think Takahashi knew how to do so. Yami Marik is boring. He's not remotely charming or engaging in his vile villainy, he is overpowered to an irritating degree, and he only serves to further complicate and elongate what was already a very complicated and elongated story arc. It feels like Takahashi was going to carry Marik all the way through but then gave him such a dark and sad backstory that he felt sorry for him and wanted to redeem him, but couldn't think of a viable way without inventing this even eviler alternate personality to serve as a scapegoat. So I am absolutely not a fan of Yami Marik....

...in the original manga.

Yes, for all that the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime adaptation screws up, it can sometimes fluke into improving on the source material, and Yami Marik is one of the biggest examples. Animation and voice-acting single-handedly change him from a boring villain to a wonderfully entertaining one; devouring the scenery and coming off more feral monster than serial killer.

Finally, we have Zorc Necrophades and Akhenaden.

Zorc is the standard Final Boss villain who has been built up to for a long time, and he serves that role very well. But Akhenaden is where the real interest lies. He's essentially Takahashi writing a Shakespearean tragic villain: a complex man both loathsome and pitiable, whose understandable desires and conflicting emotions lead him down a dark path that ends with him losing his humanity and becoming a hollow vessel for Zorc's soul, fueled only by hatred. Additionally, he has deep connections to all prior Big Bads and to Yami Yugi himself. He is worthy of Ultimate Villain status (which the Duel Monsters anime sadly took away from him).

My ranking of the manga's Big Bads: Shadi < Mr. Clown < Yami Marik < Marik < Kaiba < Zorc/Akhenaden < Bakura < Pegasus (would've been Kaiba < Marik if not for Yami Marik).

[shuubah]

Semblances of Leon in Kazuki Kato and His Songs

If I had a nickel every time lyrics sung by Kazuki Kato matched perfectly with Leon Dompteur's story, I'd have 3 nickels — which isn't a lot. But it's weird that it has happened thrice.

I really got into Kazuki Kato and started checking out his works lately as he's the voice actor of my beloved Leon. And the more I look into him, the more I feel like he really is like Leon, be it in terms of looks or personality. After all, it was his final appearance in Sora's Senpai Club where Sora called him 100% ikémen that captured my heart. He's a cool, level-headed, kind and non-judgemental guy. On top of that, he'd respectfully ask to know his partner's wish as to whether she wants to stay with him or prefers some other guy he saw her getting intimate with!? Hmm, doesn't it sound like someone 2D I know and fangirl over?

Sure, one could easily lie in an interview, but not even as an audience could I imagine being calm in that cheating scenario Sora flung on him suddenly. I've watched many clips of Kazuki's other shows and videos as well, and he always seems to exude this charisma and appeal, and his actions are bold and confident, much like our lion boy. His hair, especially in the earlier days, can also be seen rather long and messy, like a lion's mane.

Then there's his voice. My goodness! I mean, yeah, that's where it all started for me thanks to Leon, but I didn't expect Kazuki Kato to be a full-fledged artist. Alongside his solo songs, he sang covers, as a member of the band JOKER, as a cast of theatrical plays, and as the voice actor of Kento Aizome from B Project group THRIVE. Compared to his long career, the number of his songs I've listened to is meager. But his singing truly is amazing. His voice sounds so, so beautiful in Love Union, I keep listening to his lines over and over again and get overwhelmed with emotions, mostly because of Leon — which I'll get back to shortly.

At any rate, I don't know how Kazuki managed to be this good at singing when he decided to become a singer only after he felt lost in the entertainment industry. What do you mean he wasn't always aiming to be a singer!? Or an actor or a voice actor for that matter!? Because that man really aces whatever he does! Life really is strange and unpredictable, and I'm glad that fate somehow brought him to the world of entertainment. It's like he was born to be the Kazuki Kato we know.

Yes yes, I'm gushing over him. There's nothing to hide at this point. At first, it was so easy for me to see Leon in him. Boy, I should've known what I was getting myself into when I imagined the voice actor as the real life version of my current most favorite fictional man! I've dug a hole for myself deep enough that now I don't even need the semblance of his character to be into him. But when I listen to his songs, original solo or otherwise, there are times when I grasp the lyrics and I feel surprised because they go with Leon impeccably.

Long ramble finished, now I'm gonna do what I originally set out to do — put together all the lyrics sung by Kazuki Kato that I associate with Leon, translated by none other than me. Because either the translations I found had mistakes or there wasn't any translation to begin with. I'm feeling tempted to actually go and fully translate his songs. For now, it's only these lines for my dear lion boy! Beware of hints of events from Leon's main route.

"Caressing your hair, in the end your wiped away tears gleam like orion"

— Love Union (Kento Aizome from THRIVE)

"What do you see in the sky you look up at?"

"Who do you see in the sky you look up at?"

— Faith (solo)

"Embrace me in the endless rain

If you're hiding the answer

Please whisper to me with your unchanging voice

At least envelop my broken heart"

— Jougen no Tsuki (cover)

[moutheyes]

gelboys cinematography go brrr: episode 3

people seemed to enjoy my previous post on the exquisite cinematography in gelboys so I might as well go ahead and yap to my heart's content about it. here's what i noticed + loved in episode 3:

reversing chian's POV

@aikawa-kazuki has a great breakdown of the layering in the scene towards the beginning of the episode, which shows chian "stuck" between bua and fourmod. but when we got to the end of the episode, I lost my marbles over these shots:

because now, after spending the entire episode with chian, marinating in his headspace, we finally get to see his POV of that same scenario (now with added misery, having gone through it once already). and we get it threefold! 1) behind the shoulder shot, once again establishing those delicious layers; 2) the intimate straight-on reaction shot of his face as his expression falls; 3) most devastatingly, the camera then assumes his POV, showing the audience exactly what he sees: the possibility of fourmod, who is in the center of his vision but chian's not sure he wants to commit yet, and the unreachability of bua behind him, attention snagged elsewhere.

at the start of the episode, he goes to fourmod and plays it cool. at the end of the episode, he chooses to be alone...

chian's visual motif: an island in chaotic waters

... but chian actually is alone, a lot. @tinrange breaks down the implied context of chian's social life and his lack of human connection, and the knowledge that he's living alone, separated from his family, drives that home even more. in the scenes above, bua is always with moo, while fourmod has his gang of friends, and chian is by himself. but even when he's with his classmates, he cuts a lonely figure, and the cinematography highlights that, whether it's situating him alone in a cluttered—albeit empty—house (think back to the boisterous fullness of fourmod's house, for comparison) or with others but somehow still the odd man out. there was also a snippet of conversation that implied chian had already been accepted to a uni program, so while his classmates are studying or even just hanging out, he's left to his own devices, scrolling endlessly through social media or binging shows on 2.0x speed (fantastic detail btw).

that's why this subway shot was so effective, as it pans from the train emptying at the final stop back to chian, alone with his angst. the external space finally reflects his internal state.

framing digital fantasy vs. reality

jumping back to the very first scene to quickly talk about the transition here between the portrait mode recording of chian and bua doing their dance challenge and the following shot, which brings the viewer back into "real" space—the physical reality behind what we see on a screen, basically. the framing is the same, but the field of vision in landscape mode gains both width and depth. instead of chian and bua dancing next to each other on the same plane, he's now separated from bua and moo, diminished due to the camera's perspective and his seated position—as well as his emotional state.

panning + tilting across POVs

something I've really enjoyed about gelboys is the use of the slow, deliberate pan to shift POVs within a scene. usually panning and tilting are used to create suspense and/or reveal new information (ref. the train scene above), but here it's also used to extend the take, to let the viewer sit inside of a scene for longer while still providing a change of perspective or additional information. it's hard to illustrate effectively without gifs (and I currently lack the ad*be access to make them myself) but I'll try my best. here's a simple example:

this is a continuous shot that pans very slightly from left to right. at first the camera is centered on fourmod, with chian only partially framed—but still enough to let the viewer see his expressions clearly. after chian says he'll wait with fourmod until his phone is charged, we get the following information: fourmod's pleased little smile followed by chian turning away to avoid [fill in the blank—fourmod's earnestness? his own feelings?], and, as the camera moves to center his face, a complicated little smile.

this kind of transition happens a few times in each episode. the following scene was the most effective use of it, and was combined with a more definitive POV shift via cut:

the first two frames show the shift from chian's POV to fourmod's, as chian rejects fourmod's choice of sappy IG caption. the camera tilts down to focus on fourmod's expression as it goes from forced smile to crestfallen. this time, chian's face isn't kept in the frame; the viewer no longer knows what he's thinking as he decides to end the date and leave. the cut that happens there situates the camera firmly in fourmod's POV to close out the scene. (while chian is the POV character for this episode, fourmod is technically the protagonist of the entire series so this wasn't super jarring, and the initial tilt shot helped ease that visual transition anyway.)

the rollerblading scene also uses panning to briefly change POVs, and the way it does it is kinda clever, switching the moment fourmod takes a picture of chian, but all of my screenshots look dumb. my eternal devotion for a gifset of this scene...

don't forget about baa... he's there...

yeah. can't wait for sad boys club next week!! :')

[animespeakeasy]

The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic: A Show That Hurts So Good

Isekai anime tend to follow a predictable formula—hero gets summoned, gains an overpowered ability, and steamrolls every enemy in sight. But The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic takes that script, breaks its bones, and heals it into something stronger. This isn’t your usual power fantasy—it’s a survival story where healing magic isn’t just a skill, it’s a full-contact sport.

Even if you usually avoid isekai like a plague (don’t worry, Usato could probably heal that too), this show might just resuscitate your interest.

Plot: This Healer Needs Healing

Usato is your average high schooler—until he and his friends get summoned to another world. His friends are blessed with traditional hero powers, but Usato? He’s stuck with healing magic. Normally, that would mean a cozy job in the backlines, sipping potions while the real fighters do their thing.

But instead of getting a cushy cleric gig, he’s forcefully recruited (read: abducted) by Rose, the commander of the kingdom’s Rescue Team. Her training philosophy? “A good healer must survive any injury.” The solution? Beat Usato within an inch of his life, make him heal himself, then repeat until he’s practically unkillable. Turns out, healing magic is overpowered—if you’re willing to suffer for it.

Characters: A Cast That’ll Beat the Interest Into You (Literally)

• Usato: The poor guy who gets dragged through the wringer (sometimes literally) but somehow comes out stronger. His journey from “Please don’t hurt me” to “Come at me, bro” is comedy gold.

• Rose: Imagine if a military drill sergeant and a Dark Souls boss had a baby. That’s Rose. If her healing fists of fury don’t make you love her, her sheer intensity will.

�� Suzune & Kazuki: The actual heroes of the summoning, but let’s be honest—Usato is the real protagonist here.

Watching Usato turn from a helpless healer into a walking tank is a delight. It’s rare for an isekai protagonist to earn their strength instead of being handed it, and Usato does it in the most painfully hilarious way possible.

Why Even Non-Isekai Fans Should Watch

• It Mends the Usual Formula: Instead of a hero effortlessly destroying enemies, we get a healer who survives them. The twist alone makes it worth a watch.

• The Comedy Hits Hard: If slapstick humor had a healing factor, it would look like this. Watching Usato get trained like a ragdoll in a physics engine is strangely addicting.

• It’s Surprisingly Heartwarming: Beneath all the bruises (and there are many), the show has a genuine message about resilience, determination, and finding your own path—even if that path is paved with Rose’s punches.

Final Verdict

If you’re looking for an anime that will knock you off your feet—and then heal you back up so it can do it again—The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic is the perfect prescription. With its fresh take on healing, relentless comedy, and a protagonist who suffers for our entertainment, this isekai proves that sometimes, the best way to grow stronger… is to break first.

[apostaterevolutionary]

Me: I'm going to take a break from writing for a bit

My brain: hey remember the haircut scene in exodus :)))))))))))

Anyway lmao, drabble time. Short enough to just post here, but also on AO3

----------------------------------------

“Oh, wait,” Kazuki said, bending down as Soushi went to step away now that the impromptu haircut was complete.

Why Kazuki had decided on now, of all times, to finally do this, Soushi didn’t know, but at least he’d been present to help. Stress did strange things to people, he supposed, and it was hard not to feel restless given the circumstances. Not being able to do something about it only intensified the feeling and Soushi knew Kazuki especially hated feeling useless, forced to wait for everyone else to act when he couldn’t.

“Here,” Kazuki said, sitting back up now and holding out his hand with a lock of his recently trimmed hair resting gently on his palm.

Soushi looked at him questioningly, having no idea what Kazuki was getting at here.

“You should keep it,” Kazuki added, smiling so sincerely it made something in Soushi’s chest hurt in spite of both the absurdity and the tension of the moment. “For luck.”

Soushi didn’t really understand, but even he could see this was a gift so he nodded anyway, offering his hand so Kazuki could deposit the small bundle of hair there – he’d need to find something to tie around it to keep the strands together. “Thank you.”

Kazuki just laughed lightly, apparently realizing that Soushi didn’t understand the gesture. “It’s something I read in a story once, giving a lock of hair to someone important in order to protect them. Maybe it’ll help keep you safe, too. And then I know this part of me still has purpose, even though it was cut off.”

Soushi’s mouth fell into a small ‘o’, the significance of the gesture suddenly coming together in his mind. He thought he remembered that story too, maybe something they’d read in school, or something someone had told them once. The details were fuzzy, but the intention was clear: a talisman of protection and token of affection combined into one.

His expression switched to one of determination and he picked up the scissors again, ignoring Kazuki’s look of concern. This was something Soushi virtually never did, but his hair was certainly less important than the person sitting before him. He snipped a small bit from the end of his own ponytail and then offered it to Kazuki, who was staring at him in state of seemingly near shock.

“Here,” Soushi said, holding it out perhaps a bit too insistently, his body maybe a bit too stiff. “You need protection, too. Though we’ll both need to find some string, or…”

Kazuki’s surprise melted into a smile, warm and genuine. “Thank you, Soushi.”

It was only hair, certainly not enough to really make a difference, but at times like these, Soushi was starting to understand the power of intention and belief. Story or not, superstition or not, anything that might keep Kazuki safe was worth trying. He’d keep the lock of Kazuki’s hair close too – whether it really provided protection or not, it carried Kazuki’s thoughts and love, and that was enough. Besides, Soushi would always treasure having something of Kazuki’s that he could hold so closely.

[wooahaeruby]

Chapter 16: Into The Thick Of It

Chapter Word Count: 5,469 (nice)

Anything in Bold Italics are Korean/Another language.

Master List | Prev | Next

“It’s late, Mimi,” you whined into the phone, pulling the blankets over your head, Jihoon giving a scoff beside you, tapping away on his ipad in bed. Pulling the phone away from your ear, you frowned. “It’s midnight here in the Philippines.” 

“ And it’s one in the afternoon here.” She huffed, “ Anyways, I need to know what you are doing after Christmas.” 

“ After Christmas? I don’t even know what I’m doing tomorrow. We fly to Singapore tomorrow.” 

“ Well ask Jihoon, he is there, isn’t he?” 

“Mimi-” You groaned, throwing the blankets back and looking at Jihoon. “ What are we doing after Christmas?” 

He dropped the ipad to his chest, patting around the blankets for his phone and opening his calendar. “ Indonesia on the 28th then the New Years event, then we would be home until we get work done for the comeback.” 

“So busy?” He only nodded. "We are busy until after new years.” 

“ So if we come for a week or two after new years, would that be an issue?”

“Yeah that shouldn’t be a- Wait- '' You pouted your lips in confusion. “Did you save that fast?” 

“ Well-” 

“Oh just tell her, they will tell ‘em anyways!” Papa’s voice was heard in the back. 

You heard Mimi hush him and a small sound of a hit with a quiet ‘ hey!” from Papa. “ Jamie and Kazuki, such lovely boys by the way, I’m so glad you met them. They were so sweet when I went over to your place to get everything finalized with the packing and said they’d lend your grandfather and I the last bit of money to help us fly out.” 

“Mimi- I could have done that, all you had to do was ask.” 

“ Don’t worry about it, sweetheart, it was only a few hundred bucks and we agreed to use their new frequent flier card to give them miles so they can come see you next.” 

“ Of course you all made a deal.” You laughed quietly. Jihoon reached over you, pulling the blankets back over the two of you, tossing his phone, watch, and ipad on the nightstand and curling up. “How about the second week of January?” 

“ Sounds perfect, I’ll book it tonight. And everything should be shipped out to your apartment within the week.” 

“Okay, I’ll make sure the staff know. Thank you, Mimi, I can’t wait to see you. Love you, tell Papa too.” 

Hanging up and tossing your phone aside, you attempted to get comfortable, back to the other. You tug on the blanket that Jihoon was attempting to hog for the fourth night in a row. 

“Come on.” You grumbled, looking over your shoulder only to see the back of his head and back. “Give it up.” 

“ Just move closer .” He shot back. Something playful was thrumming through the bond. 

“And you say I’m annoying.” Tugging the blanket again, he didn’t budge in the slightest. 

“ You won’t win this.”

Your shoulders sagged. Maybe you should start working out to try and win this battle of the blankets… He was a human heater…And you will use that to your advantage if he was going to take the majority of the comforter. 

In the dark and quiet of the hotel room, you scooted backwards until your back met his and the buzz under your skin began to lull you. 

There was a warmth at your back and a weight was around your middle. When you cracked your eyes open to look around, it was still dark outside, no light in the sky that peeked through the curtains. The blankets were snuggly wrapped around you which you appreciated, knowing Jihoon didn’t steal them, but when you shifted, your brain finally processed that it was an arm that was wrapped around your middle. You heard a short intake of air from behind you then Jihoon shifting as he tugged you closer to his chest. 

You were still tired, the warmth he was emitting and the rumbling soulbond was weighing your eyelids down. Being the little spoon was also comforting, bringing a feeling of protection, it was calming overall. In your drowsy state, you didn’t think it was that important, really it was bound to happen eventually. Step one was Jihoon sleeping next to you, step two was him cuddling up to you (then him vehemently denying it if you brought it in any capacity). The third step? You didn’t know what that even was at this point, but you will enjoy sapping body heat and the comfort any given day of the week from him. 

Sitting on the sidelines of the In the Soop filming was interesting to say the least. While the members were technically on ‘vacation’ with this mini getaway, there was a lot of stress they’d still be going home to. 

Almost exactly when you all would return to Seoul, Vernon would be recording and filming for his solo Black Eye. When having the after concert dinner in Singapore not too long ago, Vernon mentioned he had the melody down, all that was left with the lyrics which he wanted to work on while here. You had asked about his solo out of curiosity and got really excited when he said it was going to be more punk pop than rap heavy. When he saw your excitement, he did play a bit of the instrumental that was done, saying that you’d have to have patience to hear the rest of it (which made you pout like a child). 

“ They’ve been working out for almost an hour and two of them are striping.” Hyeji snorted, sitting in the house just off the main property, looking at the live camera feeds that the staff was monitoring. 

You had curled up on a mattress pad on the floor reading a book Wonwoo had lent you from his little collection. Since you were staff, you didn’t need to monitor anything or do much if you didn’t want to. “ And they’ve worked out for longer back at home. Who is in there?” 

“Jihoon-ah, Soonyoung-ah, Jisoo-ah, and Chanie. Soonyoung-ah took off his shirt and Chanie followed not long after.” 

“ Not even surprised.” Snorting out a laugh, you closed the book, using your finger as a bookmark. You focused on the hum of the shared bond, smiling and shaking your head. “ Jihoon feels happy. Stupid gym rat.” 

Hyeji and the man monitoring alongside her gave quiet chuckles. “ Happy they made the Soop team build them a larger gym than last year.” 

“You’ve given into the Seventeen Effect. They get what they want.” 

Turning back to the book, you continued to read, letting the murmurs and idle chatter of the staff blend into the background. This was the first time you’ve been properly away from Jihoon for longer than a couple hours. Since the morning when everyone left, he did text you here and there, but he fell asleep on the ride (he apologized), then your phone died once you arrived (you apologized), and now he was off with the guys. It felt weird, maybe you were a little antsy but you were going to make the best of the situation. 

While you were still tired from the constant travel and your depression was lingering, it was a literal breath of fresh air being back in South Korea and in the gorgeous landscape. For the days you’d be here, the head of production did say that no cameras were in this general area. If you wished to explore you could, just let them know in case you are seen on any cameras close to the Soop sight and they’d edit or blur you out as they did with staff. 

To your delight, the Soop team stocked the kitchens just as full as the kitchen Seventeen was using. When staff started to get hungry, you offered to help the crew members make the prepackaged meals and side dishes to pick at and share. Though you didn’t know much of the staff well, Hyeji was more than happy to help with introductions when the majority sat to eat.  

“ Oh oh! Chaeyoung’s soulmate was an intern at Hybe just before Covid! They had drawing soulmarks. They could draw on their skin and it would appear on the other. ” One of the older women on the sound team, Ji-yu, laughed. “ And now they are off on their late honeymoon, they got married not that long ago, right before the tour started.” 

“Wah, I almost forgot the wedding was back in June.” Hayoon, another woman from the social media and PR crew with Hyeji, looked blown away. “ I’m just over here married to this hunk.” She motioned to the man beside her, Dae-Seong, a man from the video team; tall, well built, kinda reminded you of when Wonwoo stood tall, sleeper build.

“ Ya, you begged me to marry you two months after our bond settled.” His low rumble of  a voice held no bite, but Hayoon leaned against him, smiling wide and kissing his cheek. 

“ Yeah, I did do that, didn’t I?” 

Conversation continued to ebb and flow between your small group at the table. Outside of the bubble of your companions, many others of the staff gathered and ate, some staying to enjoy the meal while others took a plate of food to return to whatever job position that they were in before. It was nice hearing voices that weren’t coworkers or members of Seventeen, not that any of them were annoying to listen to, it was just nice to hear voices outside of them.

“Ruby-ah,” Ji-yu called your nickname and your attention was drawn up to her, continuing to bring chopsticks full of food to your mouth.” Have you and Jihoon-ah talked about anything like that? Marriage? The future?” 

You choked on the rice you just shoved into your mouth. The harsh coughing you let out was helped by Hyeji handing you a water bottle and patting you on the back. From both the choking on food and embarrassment you waved them off, catching your breath. 

“ I- Listen- We have barely talked about the stuff we have going on now- Plus it’s only been two months- And with his career-” You rambled, stumbling over your words, face flushing brighter with each passing moment.

Hyeji snorted, trying to hold in the cackling you knew she was ready to let out. “ Ruby-ah, do you wanna know a secret?” 

Deflating in your seat, the pout that spread on your lips had Hayoon, Dae-Seong, and Ji-yu snickering. “ You are going to tell me anyway.” 

“A little bird in the travel team told me that Jihoon asked if both of you could just share a room during the Japan leg of the tour to,” She made air quotes, “ ‘lessen expenses’.” 

“I’m going for a walk-” Standing up quickly as the table erupted into laughter, you pull your (read: Jihoon’s) sweatshirt hood over your head and scurry out of the backdoor where you left your shoes. 

The cool evening air was welcoming against your heated face. Looking off into the distance, you could see the lights of the buildings from Seventeen’s accommodations, even a few people you couldn’t make out wandering around (but you did manage to spot Mingyu’s tall ass). 

You walked towards the edge of the river, letting the light in the distance and the gentle shine of the moon guide you. Listening to the sound of the water rolling over the rocks, the quiet swishing of wind, and the rustling of the crisp autumn leaves took your mind off the…previous and definitely should be a private conversation between you and Jihoon instead of being asked by practically strangers. Marriage wasn’t something out of the question, the conversation was too early to have. On top of that his mother still doesn’t like you and Jihoon hasn't met your family yet. 

“Ahhh, this is stupid.” Pushing the hood back and running your hands through your hair, you sighed.. “Snap out of it, idiot. It’s not that serious.” 

Finding a larger rock just off the water, you leaned yourself against it, sliding the hood back up and slipping your hands into your sweatshirt pockets, resting atop your phone. You drummed your fingers against your phone case, breathing in the refreshing air that was untainted by the industry surrounding the city. Though it was relatively dark outside, you could faintly see the colors of the autumn woods over the green mountains, loving the ever changing leaves until they all eventually fall to the ground when the time came. 

A shiver shot down your spine, the crunching of rocks and pebbles underfoot caught your attention but you didn’t need to turn to see who approached you. A hand was placed on your back, sliding up around your shoulder as he rounded the rock you leaned against. When Jihoon came into your peripheral view, you let yourself sink into his side, thunking your head against his shoulder. Letting your eyes slide closed, you reached around him and held his waist, scoffing softly as he was only in a t-shirt and joggers.

“ It’s cold out here.”  

“ Mmm, maybe if you wore warm clothes, you wouldn’t be cold.” 

“Can’t do that when you take all my sweatshirts.” 

Faking a dramatic gasp, you shrugged your shoulders up until your chin went into the collar of the very much stolen sweatshirt. “ You keep leaving them at my place or giving them to me so technically it is your fault.” 

Jihoon pinched your arm, making you whine and hit him on the chest. Jihoon mocked your whine before he spoke up. “Don’t turn this on me like you don’t complain that you are cold all the time.”

“Rude but I’ll accept my actions.” 

“ Why did you feel startled earlier?” 

“Oh- it was nothing,” You brushed it off, tightening your hold on his waist. “ I was having dinner with some of the staff I was making friends with and they brought up something and I choked on my food.” 

You knew he didn't believe you fully but he chose not to respond, instead of continuing, you took comfort in basking in the bond's warmth and the tranquil feeling Jihoon was embracing at that moment. The subtle rise and fall of his shoulder with each breath was familiar and just as you did previously on your phone, you drummed your fingers against the side of his waist you held. Feeling his cheek bump against the top of your head, Jihoon yawned, definitely trying to keep it quiet but failed horribly. 

Lifting your head and resting your chin on his shoulder, you could see him look down at you tiredly from the corner of his eyes. “ If you are tired, go back to everyone. You can stop by between things you got going on tomorrow. Enjoy the vacation.” 

Jihoon gave a gruff grunt, the tired pout he typically likes to sport evident on his face. “ I should…I sleep better with you though.” 

“Go, Jihoon-ah. I’m not going anywhere.” 

With much reluctance and a teeny bit of whining (which he denies he wasn’t whining), Jihoon finally placed a kiss to your forehead, muttering a goodnight against your skin. He kept you wrapped in his arms for a much longer hug than he probably intended and you didn’t want to let him go, but he was tired and needed sleep. Giving the final push, Jihoon kissed your forehead once more before he took the trek back to the main houses.

Watching him leave, you chuckled silently. For the first time in at least two weeks, you’d be sleeping on your own away from him. You got used to the bond being so close, to his rhythmic breathing that lulled you to sleep. It made you feel secure, knowing that both you and Jihoon were safe, comfortable, and able to sleep through the night. Hopefully you both could sleep through the night without an issue, him more than you if his small comments and the outwardly denying love for curling up in bed beside you, holding you to his chest. Maybe you’d be a little cold tonight, maybe you were glad you had stolen a sweatshirt that definitely smelled like his cologne.

You stood tall and stretched your limbs, yawning and grunting out in the pleasant feeling of tension leaving your body. With Jihoon gone, a cold shiver went down your spine and the chill of the night started to settle in your bones. Shuffling your feet over the rocks carefully, you made your way back to the staff house, slipping in through the backdoor that you left through earlier. Much of the house has settled down but Hyeji and Ji-yu were at the table, passing phones back and forth, laughing at something they saw occasionally. When they heard the door close, both turned to look at you and both of their expressions were soft and inviting.

“ Ruby-ah, come sit with us again.” Hyeji motioned over and you lazily shuffled over, sliding into the seat adjacent to the both of them. 

Ji-yu hummed, “ Sorry for the teasing earlier. Seemed a little too easy.” She gave a wink and you shrugged. 

“ I plan to just go with the flow with Jihoon. If the conversation comes up, it comes up. If it doesn’t, we can sit down together and talk about it when the time feels right.” 

“ Very mature of you,” She placed her phone face down, focusing all her attention on you. “ When we were told that Jihoon-ah had found his soulmate and you’d be joining us, many of the crew from Pledis were a little protective. Bringing other staff in is fine but a soulmate? We’ve been working with them for years, they are a part of our little family.” 

“ At least you guys were nice about it. Don’t even get me started on when I met his mother.” You dropped your head against the table, laughing at yourself. Hyeji snickered and covered it up with a slap of her hand to her mouth. Ji-yu raised a brow, not fully understanding and you took the time to explain exactly how that horrible lunch went. 

“ So you are a well accomplished person and she still thinks you aren’t worthy? Typical mother-in-laws.” Ji-yu rolled her eyes. “ My mother-in-law wanted me to be a housewife and have a bunch of kids. My soulmate and I didn’t plan on having kids and she did not like that one. She holds it against me and it’s been ten years.” 

Hyeji chimed in, “ I hope my soulmate’s parents are never like that because if they are, I’ll scream.” 

“And like I told Jihoon, she should be lucky I’m caring for his ass. He can barely cook and I’m finally getting him on a proper sleep schedule most days. Maybe I’ll teach him how to bake for fun.” 

“That’s what you get when he spent his teen years in a dorm with other teenage boys. We should be happy some of them can cook now.” 

“ Amen.” Ji-yu leaned back in her chair. “ Vernon-ah can barely follow directions in a package. He’d live off toast and beans if no one fed him.” 

“ Do you know how many times the maknae line has shown up at my apartment just wanting food?” You were exasperated, huffing and shaking your head in no particular direction. “ I started to have them buy the groceries because they eat out my fridge.” 

“What about Jihoon? He has a bottomless pit for a stomach.” 

“Don’t remind me.” Groaning, you rested your chin on your hand, “ I told him that he is also eating everything in my fridge. He just smugly handed me his black card and said food shopping was on him now.” 

“Already sounding like a married couple.” Hyeji added.

Ji-yu pouted, “You are making me feel old.” 

“I feel like I've aged ten years since I’ve settled here because of Seventeen.” 

“ Join the party, Ruby-ah.” 

It didn’t take long for the three of you to branch off for the night. You took the mattress pad from your haphazard spot on the floor and found a corner of the main room that was free to curl up in for the night. Pulling to the collar of the sweatshirt up to your chin, you tucked into the comforter provided, closing your eyes and letting your breathing slow. Soon you were twisting and turning to get comfortable. The mattress wasn’t uncomfortable…you simply got used to a certain body heat resting beside you until you passed out. Pouting, you turned flat on your back, staring up at the ceiling. 

Most of the crew had settled in for the night, the house was quiet. You didn’t know how long you were just lying there, staring. Hyeji was knocked out on the couch, you could hear her quiet breathing and the quiet snoring. Under your pillow, you felt your phone buzz, and fished it out. You hissed out in pain at the blinding brightness and quickly lowered it to protect some of your sight. 

With quick tapping to find the notification, you smiled to yourself at the text you received. 

[Jihoonie 11:49PM] I can’t sleep. [To Jihoonie 11:50 PM]  Yeah, me too.  [Jihoonie 11:50 PM] Come here. 

You scoffed quietly at that.

[To Jihoonie 11:51 PM] I’m not gonna walk all the way over there to sleep then trudge my ass back here in the morning, idiot. We can go a few days without sleeping next to each other.   [Jihoonie 11:51 PM] You suck. →_→ [To Jihoonie 11:52 PM] No u ←_← Goodnight, Jihoon-ah. [Jihoonie 11:52 PM] →_→ Fine.  Goodnight.  Not like I need my sleep or anything.  Totally don’t. 

Taking a deep breath, you pinched the bridge of your nose but still managed a silent laugh, shaking your shoulders. Part of you wished to post this on instagram to expose the childish behaviors of your soulmate as a joke. If only Carats knew all the silly, childish things Jihoon subjects you to on a daily basis. Just this morning before you were to head out to Hybe, he wanted to make a blanket fort with the couch cushions and watch a movie. An absolute dork.

[To Jihoonie 11:53 PM] ←_← I’m changing your name in my contacts.  You changed Jihoonie to Twerp #1  There we go.  [Jihoonie 11:54 PM] ￣へ￣  Jihoon changed Ruby to Rude

You could feel he was tired through the bond, you could also feel that he was happy. Shaking your head, you typed out one final message. 

[To Jihoonie 11:55 PM] Goodnight, Jihoonie. Sleep as well as you can.  [Jihoonie 11:55 PM] (￣o￣) . z Z Goodnight, Ruby-ah 

By the third day, you had finished the book Wonwoo gave you since it wasn’t a long read and moved onto one that Minghao suggested. It was another short read, this one on the importance of inner peace and it sounded like a nice thing to find with the depression you’re coming down from. You had curled up on a seat outside, dressed in another hoodie of Jihoon’s (You brought three) and a blanket that was in the closet you peeked in earlier. 

When you raised your head, hearing Soonyoung and Seokmin in the distance, you tried to hold in the laughter that followed. There they were, standing on a rock in the middle of the river, with one of the other members standing on the edge of the water. 

“ Just jump!” You heard Jeonghan and you instantly knew this was all his idea… 

Standing up and closing your book, you left it and your phone in the seat, walking over to stand just off camera to watch the chaos ensue. You nearly fell over cackling when the two jumped in and scrambled to get out. You did squat down and hugged your knees laughing, covering your mouth to keep quiet when the oar floated off and Soonyoung swam to shore. Jeonghan tossed a towel over Soonyoung, walking off further from shore to wait for Seokmin. 

“ Ya! Ruby-ah! I lost a bet!” Seokmin called from the canoe, noticing you off to the side. 

“ Ahh~ Ruby-ah, come here!” Jeonghan called out, waving you over when he and Soonyoung moved towards the camping tent. 

Jeonghan waved the cameraman off that was filming in the distance and once more motioned for you to come over. Catching your breath finally, you stood back up from crouching and hurried your way over. When Seokmin managed to get off the canoe and onto dry land, he sprinted over, ready to take a towel. On your trek over, you could see Soonyoung and Jeonghan talking to Seokmin who’s back was turned to you. As you got within a few feet of the trio, the three of them were looking at you with the most evil glint in their eyes. 

“What?” You questioned, tilting your head to the side before Seokmin and Soonyoung were charging at you with wide, mischievous grins spread on their faces. 

The panicking fight or flight response had you running as fast as you psychically could away from them. Sadly, you weren’t close to being fast enough from getting away from whatever their plan was. 

Seokmin halted your fleeing, wrapping his arms under your armpits while Soonyoung joined in grabbing your legs to pick you up. You yelled out in protest, trying to kick your feet and wrangle yourself away. These assholes were laughing and moving as quickly as they could towards the fucking river . 

“Don’t you dare!” You yelled, screamed , and they didn’t stop. “ Stop it! Assholes!” 

“We are going for a dip, Ruby-ah!” Soonyoung cackled . 

They were high knees running in the water at this point and when it was deep enough, you went under with them. They instantly released you once you hit the water and you thrashed for a few moments before you surfaced and your feet found the rocky river floor below. Panting for air, you stood with scrunched up shoulders and murder in your eyes. 

“ You have…two seconds to run…before I kill you…” You took a forced breath of air in. “One…” 

And they bolted. 

Soonyoung, while agile on land, couldn’t get away fast enough in the water. You tackled him into the water, placing him into a sloppy chokehold to not hurt him but ended up giving him a noogie when he was back above water. You tossed him aside and waded your way through the water towards Seokmin who was catching his breath, standing knee deep in water. 

“ Lee Seokmin!” You yelled out, grabbing Seokmin by the arm and pulling him back. He lost his footing and fell back with a gasp, cushioned by the water behind him (and you making sure he didn’t actually get hurt). 

He whined so you knew he was fine, and ignored any complaining from either of them as you exited the water. Jeonghan, probably the mastermind behind all of this, was waiting for you with a wide smile, his phone in hand recording, and a towel. 

“ Ruby-ah?!” Jihoon’s panicked voice sounded out of breath in the distance. You could feel the bond warming but it only added to the boiling anger that pulsed in your veins. 

“By the river! They’re fine, Jihoonie.” Jeonghan scoffed, yelling over his shoulder. “ Just wet and very very angry.” 

“ Do you want to join them in the water?” You asked, pulling the sweatshirt over your head and sighing at your shirt clinging to your body uncomfortably. 

Jihoon closed in on the two of you (four but dumb and dumber in your opinion were still in the water), panting to catch his breath and groaning in frustration. His clothes were disheveled, same with his hair, and he took the towel from Jeonghan, dropping it over your head and helping you dry your hair. 

“ You need to stop scaring the shit out of me.” He spoke flatly, sighing when a shiver ripped through you. 

Your teeth started to chatter together causing you to huddle closer to Jihoon. “ Blame those three. Seokminie and Soonyoung-ah chased me down and threw me in.” 

“ Sorry~” Jeonghan snickered, tossing towels over to Seokmin and Soonyoung as they started towards the main houses to change. 

“ Sorry, Ruby-ah~!” Seokmin said in a sing-song tone, but there was a shake in his voice from the cold. 

“ Let’s get you back to the staff house.” Jihoon wrapped you up in the towel, took the soaked sweatshirt and walked back with you. “ I’ll deal with them later.” 

“ ‘m sorry.” You managed to get out albeit shaky. “ Jeonghanie called me over after I saw Seok-Soon jump into the river. I thought it would just say hello but they had other plans.” 

“Never trust when Jeonghan-hyung and Seokminie are together.” 

Laughing now, you took Jihoon’s hand to warm your freezing ones.  He flinched at the feeling but didn’t pull back from the touch. “Noted. Seokminie is Jeonghan’s prodigy after all.”

When you walked to the backdoor, Hyeji was already standing there with a fresh towel and a sympathetic smile. “ They got you good.” 

“ Shut up.” You huffed, taking the new towel and shuffled inside to find your suitcase. 

“ Don’t just stand there, come on in, Jihoon-ah.” The door closed not long after that. “ Go take a shower, Ruby-ah, I’ll keep your soulmate company~” 

“Why am I friends with you?” You threw a glare over your shoulder, grabbing a fresh pair of clothes from your bag. 

“ Because you’d only have thirteen idiots as friends here in Korea.” 

“Hey-” Jihoon furrowed his brow, dropping himself on the couch. 

You did end up taking a short shower, happy for the hot water running over your skin and hair, quick to warm up the numbness in your limbs. You tossed on the third sweatshirt of Jihoon’s that you brought along and a pair of sweatpants before making your way back to the living room. Hyeji was sitting at the table on her phone and Jihoon…Well he was asleep again, only now on your mattress pad. It was kinda early for him, he did stay up all night with the guys from what one of the camera guys said this morning. 

“ It’s kind of funny,” Hyeji caught your attention, side-eyeing you as you shuffled over towards him. “ I’ve known Jihoon-ah for a while, he isn’t outwardly affectionate with words or physically, but when he talks about you, looks at you…He is definitely in love with you.”

You blinked once, twice. She just said the L word. You hadn’t even thought about that word because everything has been moving a million miles a minute.

“ Don’t think about it too hard. Maybe take a nap with him, both of you look like you need it.” She stood up and shoved her hands and phone into her back pockets. “ I’ll wake you up later if you sleep too long.” Hyeji walked out the front door of the house, humming to herself.

You graced her with a hum and scrambled out the door to grab your book and phone before returning to lie down beside Jihoon. Unlike the typical arrangement you’ve fallen into, you had the perfect opportunity to be the big spoon in this cuddle session. When you pulled the comforter back, Jihoon was curled up on his side, facing the wall and corner you picked last night. 

You slid in behind him and dropped the blanket over the both of you, slinging an arm gently over his waist to get comfortable. He stirred in his sleep but the slow sounds of breathing didn’t change. Pressing your front to his back, you rested your forehead against the back of his neck, snuggling up close. It didn’t take long for your own breathing to fully even out and fall into the same, slow rhythm that Jihoon had. 

With your eyes closed, you basked in the peace you’ve surrounded yourself in. Things were difficult, you’d worry about Jihoon, he’d worry about you, but being able to hold him (or be held) like this, all the worries went away. In moments like this, it was just you and Jihoon, two souls bound together by the strings of fate. You reminded yourself that if Jihoon was beside you, you could face anything together. It was soulmates against the world, and if you were being honest, you’d like to think you were kicking ass.

[littlemousenix]

FINALLY, IN LOVE AGAIN | PROLOGUE

[xoxolilicarabina]

Substituto Insignificante e Razoavelmente Excitante

Sumário: Aki deseja ir a Okinawa com sua amante, mas ela tem outras prioridades.

Classificação Indicativa: 16

Palavras: 710

AO3

Os raios de sol eram um calor gostoso contra sua pele, a areia quente sob suas costas.

Mesmo que sua pele clara tendesse a queimar em tais circunstâncias, ele não se importava. Não quando ele estava aqui, com as ondas batendo suavemente na praia, e o corpo macio e abençoadamente nu de sua amante ao lado dele.

Com um sorriso sonolento e satisfeito, Aki rolou para encará-la e estendeu a mão para...

A ausência de um corpo quente o fez grunhir de confusão, um olho se abrindo. Era apenas um sonho, que ele vinha tendo com regularidade nos últimos meses. O sol, a areia e o sexo. Um trio perfeito. Ele queria ir a Okinawa com MC um dia desses, e parecia que seu desejo só fazia crescer no íntimo de seu coração.

Seus dedos se enrolaram nos lençóis ainda quentes, e ele piscou, um sorriso preguiçoso se curvando em seus lábios com a visão que o cumprimentou.

"Bom dia." Ele raspou sonolento.

Seus cachos escuros deslizaram pela pele pálida, e ela olhou por cima do ombro para ele. "Bom dia."

Ele bocejou e sentou-se, os lençóis se acumulando em seus quadris. "É cedo."

O sol estava espreitando sobre o horizonte de Jiyugaoka, iluminado atrás da janela de vidro próxima. Ele deslizou pela cama em direção a ela. Suas mãos alcançaram seus quadris ainda nus, roçando as curvas que suas mãos e língua haviam traçado na noite anterior.

Ele tinha visto fotos de MC Serizawa de anos anteriores, quando seu irmão saiu de casa e ela começou a participar de eventos promovidos pela família Fujishima, acompanhada de seu novo marido, que fazia negócios com sua empresa. Ela era bonita na época, mas os anos só melhoraram sua aparência. Ele gostava do jeito que seus quadris eram redondos onde antes eram magros, seus seios mais cheios e suas curvas mais definidas.

Uma mão encontrou o peito cheio, o polegar dedilhando sobre um mamilo, e Aki não pôde evitar o sorriso que surgiu quando franziu sob seu toque.

"Eu tenho coisas para fazer." Ela murmurou.

Ele sabe o que isso significa. Ele apertou um beijo no ombro dela; carícias suaves e molhadas que lentamente subiram em direção ao pescoço.

"Ele pode esperar. Fique, por favor. Podemos tomar café da manhã." Sua outra mão deslizou sobre seu estômago, rastejando mais baixo enquanto ele sussurrava: "Mais tarde."

A mão dela na dele rendeu seu progresso. "Hoje não."

Foi a mesma coisa que ela disse nas poucas vezes que ele acordou com ela ainda em sua cama; hoje não. Como seu marido não sabia de seu caso, Aki não sabia. Mas aquele homem sempre viveu em seu próprio mundo. Ele não era malicioso ou abusivo contra sua esposa, ele era apenas muito distraído. Egoísta, talvez. Esperava que ela vivesse em torno dele, e, até onde lhe supunha, ela vivia. Mas não dava nada em troca.

MC levantou-se da cama e pegou seu vestido, deslizando-o sobre a cabeça e cobrindo toda aquela pele bonita de que ela tanto gostava.

"Kazuki tem um jantar de negócios hoje à noite, assim que ele voltar dos Estados Unidos. Preciso sair para comprar um vestido novo e depois ir buscá-lo em Narita."

Sempre havia algo. Uma festa, um jantar, seu marido, seus amigos. Isso o machucou mais do que ele gostaria de reconhecer, já que o lembra de que ele é uma prioridade baixa para ela. Ela ama o marido, ela é apenas solitária, e o papel dele em sua vida é apenas como um substituto insignificante e razoavelmente excitante.

Um escárnio sobe por sua garganta. Isso é carma? Suas ex-namoradas adorariam vê-lo nessa situação, ele imagina.

Ele teria protestado, as palavras estavam na ponta de sua língua, mas ficaram lá. Em vez disso, ele fingiu um encolher de ombros indiferente.

"Suponho que vou vê-la quando a ver, então."

Quando Kazuki tiver sua próxima viagem ao exterior, provavelmente. Ou quando ele não voltar do trabalho alguma noite.

Sua bolsa já estava em seu ombro, pronta para sair, mas ela fez uma pausa e se inclinou, escovando os lábios sobre os dele em uma despedida final. MC ainda cheirava a sexo puxando a excitação de Aki, mesmo quando ela estava no meio do caminho.

"Como sempre."

Como Kazuki poderia não saber?

[lilfishiefigureskates]

Japanese National Championships Preview

Men - My Predicted Top 6 (in no particular order)

Kao Miura—He's had a lot of ups and downs this season, and he's also been dealing with his leg injury. If he puts everything together, he could finally make the podium here and make the World's team again. He is my fav so I really hope he does well here. #FuecocoTrioForever.

Kazuki Tomono - He's had a little trouble with consistency with his quads, but I really like his programs and he has good performance skills. I do think Kao, Shun, Sota, and Yuma will be fighting for the podium spots. Kazuki and Koshiro will be rounding out the top 6.

Koshiro Shimada - He's had a little trouble with the 3A this season and he's been stepping out of his combo, but he is a skilled performer and made a pretty big improvement from his first grind prix to his second.

Shun Sato - I'm still so happy that he made the podium at the Grand Prix Final. If he does well here I think it's pretty safe to say that he will finally make the World's team. He's been pretty solid all season except for the 4F in the free, so I'm nervous to see if he'll be able to put it down. #FuecocoTrioForever.

Sota Yamamoto - I really do think it's going to be a battle between him and Kao to see who will get bronze and who will get 4th in this competition. Last year Sota got 3rd but Kao got the World's spot because he went to the GPF, but this year neither of them went so we'll see what happens. I love both Sota and Kao so I am a little conflicted.

Yuma Kagiyama - He is truly the one to beat here. I just hope his 4S will be okay because it is such a good jump for him and I was surprised he made mistakes on it in both the short and free at the GPF. I hope we see a performance very similar to what we saw at the NHK Trophy. #FuecocoTrioForver.

Women - My Predicted Top 6 (in no particular order)

Hana Yoshida - The competition between the Japanese women is so tight I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen. Hana has been pretty consistent this season and has been putting the 3A in the free with various degrees of success. Both of her programs are a bit weird but she does weird well and she’s super cute.

Kaori Sakamoto - Didn’t have the skate she wanted at the GPF, mainly due to the fall on her combo in the short. I hope she doesn’t backload the combo again it makes me so nervous. If she pulls out two solid routines I have no doubt she’ll make it to the top of the podium.

Mao Shimada - I love seeing her compete against the seniors because it demonstrates just how strong she is. She had a couple of mistakes on her bigger elements at the GPF but her showmanship is great. Defying Gravity was such a great program choice and I think it fits her so well and so looks so happy when she performs it.

Mone Chiba - OUR HIGHEST RANKED JAPANESE WOMAN AT THE GPF!!! She has been so solid on all of her jumps this season. Would love to see her bring out her personality just a smidge more. Her skating skills are excellent and I’m already looking forward to seeing her spiral in the free program because it is gorgeous. I think her and Kaori are the closest to being locked in for the World’s team.

Rinka Watanabe - I like her programs this season so much better than her programs last season. Had a great showing at Skate America but the free program at the Cup of China betrayed her which was so sad because she landed her 3A. I love her so much and I just hope she has a good competition.

Wakaba Higuchi - I need Wakaba to get on this podium because I need her to be on the World’s team. I hope she learned her lesson from the GPF and doesn’t backload the combo in the short because it isn’t worth it. I hope she fully rotates her 3Lz3T again!

Pairs - My Predicted Top 3 (in no particular order)

Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara - They’re obviously winning this thing so I want to see a stellar performance since the pressure is low.

Sae Shimizu / Lucas Tsuyoshi Honda - I haven’t seen them skate this season but I looked at their stats and they’ve scored better than Yuzuki and Tristin so yeah.

Yuna Nagaoka / Sumitada Moriguchi - I actually really liked this team and was happy to see them get a second assignment after their performance at the NHK. I really like their short program and the free was nice too. They really struggled with the short at Finlandia so hopefully they can put down two clean programs.

Ice Dance - My Predicted Top 3 (in no particular order)

Ayano Sasaki / Yoshimitsu Ikeda - I also have not seen them compete this season but based on stats I think they’re gonna land ahead of Kuneshita and Alec.

Azusa Tanaka / Shingo Nishiyama - They were a bit slow at NHK but they served face so it’s okay. Not a big of their free program because Fur Elise is such a slow song and they were skating so slow so the whole thing was very slow idk.

Utana Yoshida / Masaya Morita - I think they’re the favs to win here since they scored higher than Azusa and Shingo at NHK. They had good edge quality and they were acting their faces off. I really liked their Romeo and Juliet free program.

I know JNats can be a bit hard for people to watch because the stream is behind a paywall and the time zone can be rough for a lot of people, but I hope those who want to watch are able. I love JNats so much because the depth of field in Japan is insane. I love pregaming Xmas with JNats, it just feels so right. Happy watching and I hope we all survive this JNats because I am super nervous!

[seekers-who-are-lovers]

‘Kill the longing, close the wound’

Written for @flashfictionfridayofficial with the prompt #FFF255 In the Heart

Fandom: Buddy Daddies

Pairing: Kazuki Kurusu/Rei Suwa, Kazurei

Word Count: 605

Warning: Not so fluffy, a bit angsty, written during the first scenes of Episode 11 : Everyone Will Be Hypocrites

~~

“I'll never know which way to flow/Set a course that I don't know.” (“Everything Flows,” Teenage Fanclub)

WHEN Kazuki took the last batch of what he owned from the loft already prepared at the foyer, he realised that Rei was not in. There was, however, a note on the dining table.

“Give me some more time,” it said. Kazuki rolled his eyes and shook his head. He angrily crumpled the paper and discarded it to the next waste bin which was at the kitchen. He missed the target. Kazuki walked on and didn’t bother to pick it up.

He headed back again to his old room to check if he forgot something, just in case, like the rest of his collection of crime fiction that he kept underneath his bed, and the empty vintage American gin bottles he got as birthday presents. For the last time, he savoured the moment to take one last look at the place he once called home for almost three and a half years, which was now devoid of his computers, clothes and other paraphernalia.

And the kitchen? It was his favourite place in the apartment. He ran his fingers onto the tabletop, glanced at the tidied jars and the cans of spices. Until his sight fell on the bottles of Balsamico and olive oil that one of them forgot to bring back to the cupboards. It irritated him that none of them bothered, i.e. leaving the condiments stay untouched since Miri had lived with her mother. Come to think of it this used to be his kingdom once, but he felt hollow now more than ever.

He let out a sigh he was keeping for so long. When he closed the door of the apartment it felt final and infallible that he never looked back. The action pierced his heart.

Time to move forward, Kazuki.

~~

The Comedian knew the way to the Fairy Lips by heart. He knew it even if his eyes were closed. He could tell the alleyways and pinpoint the correct shield. This was where he always went whenever his heart was heavy, full of sorrow. Just like tonight.

“Well, well, look who’s here? The Comedian is here, Carol, ready to make us laugh,” the violet-haired Dorothy told her girlfriend.

“What can we do for you today, Kazu-kun? Didn’t it work out with your new love?” Dorothy’s punches went straight to his guts.

“Kazu-kun, we miss your jokes! We haven’t seen you in a long time,” Carol quipped, grabbing his arm, kissing his cheeks.

After Rei had decided that they had to go their separate ways, he was without anchor. Miri pointed them to the right direction of their relationship and most of all, held them together like a glue. First it was Yuzu, then Miri was gone. Now Rei too.

~~

He was heartbroken, but what could he do? He was used to it. He was used to people “abandoning” him. Intentional or otherwise. The sound of a rush-hour traffic in downtown Fukuoka couldn’t assuage the pain he was feeling inside.

Truth to tell it baffled him the moment Rei decided it was better for them to be separated after being partners for less than four years. And in order to save face, he told Rei that he could keep his loft by himself. Besides, the apartment was too big for one person.

But the younger man was insistent on giving him a parting gift: his ST Dupont lighter and a promise that he would abandon smoking forever. It remained to be seen if he would keep it and Kazuki would pretend that he never cared.

tbc

Note: June used to be a month for Kazureiweek. So I am reliving it bc I miss it. Also, I’ve been meaning to write a story during the Episode 11 era. I’ve been thinking of other possibilities if things turn out differently: if the situation wouldn’t be resolved during the second balcony scene.

[zapreportsblog]

A Mother's Search

➥ summary : Miri’s mother finally finds her

➥ Buddy Daddies x Reader, Kazuki x Reader x Miri x Rei

The gentle rays of the sun bathed the city park in a warm glow, casting a peaceful ambiance over the gathering of families and friends. Among them, a young woman named (Y/N) sat on a bench, her eyes scanning the playing children with a bittersweet longing. (Y/N) had been through a heart-wrenching journey, one that began the day her daughter, Miri, was taken away from her.

Miri's disappearance had left a void in (Y/N)'s life, an ache that never truly faded. For years, she had tirelessly searched, following every lead, desperate to find her missing child. Her life had become a ceaseless quest, guided by the singular hope of reuniting with her beloved daughter.

One summer afternoon, as the park buzzed with life, (Y/N)'s gaze froze upon a sight that sent a shock through her heart. There, among a group of kids, was a girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to the photograph (Y/N) had cherished for years. Trembling with a mix of anticipation and fear, she observed the girl, her heart pounding in her chest.

The girl laughed, her eyes sparkling with delight as she played with a boy and another girl, the three of them seemingly lost in their joyful activities. It was a scene that should have filled (Y/N) with happiness, but instead, tears welled up in her eyes. This was the moment she had dreamt of for years—the moment she would finally see her daughter again.

Summoning all her courage, (Y/N) stood up, her legs feeling like jelly as she approached the trio. Her steps were hesitant, her breaths coming in shallow gasps as she struggled to maintain her composure. As she got closer, her heart raced, and her eyes locked onto the girl's face.

And then, in a surge of emotions, she couldn't contain herself any longer. With a strangled cry, (Y/N) rushed forward and enveloped the girl in a tight embrace. Tears streamed down her cheeks as her arms held onto the precious figure before her. "Miri... My sweet Miri..."

The girl stiffened in her embrace, clearly startled by the sudden affection from a stranger. But before (Y/N) could fully process the moment, a voice laced with authority and concern cut through the air. "Who are you? What are you doing with Miri-chan?" The voice belonged to a tall, protective-looking young man, who had immediately stepped in to shield the girl from (Y/N)'s grip.

Miri, now struggling to break free from (Y/N)'s hug, cast a bewildered glance between the two figures. Her eyes held a mix of confusion and curiosity, unsure of what was happening.

In the midst of this tension, (Y/N) finally managed to choke out, her voice quivering, "I'm her mother... I've been searching for her for so long." Her voice trembled with a mixture of emotions—relief, desperation, and a deep, enduring love.

The young man's stern expression faltered, replaced by a mixture of surprise and disbelief. Miri's gaze flickered from her mother to the stranger beside her, her own expression shifting from confusion to something resembling understanding. As if a floodgate had been opened, memories and emotions began to resurface within her.

In that fragile moment, (Y/N)'s tears fell freely as she stared into Miri's eyes, searching for the spark of recognition, the connection that had never truly faded despite years of separation. And as their gazes locked, a glimmer of recognition shone in Miri's eyes—a connection that transcended time and distance.

Kazuki's protective stance softened as he exchanged glances with Rei. The depth of the situation was becoming clear, and they both realized that their assumptions might have been premature. "I'm Kazuki," he finally said, his voice gentler now, his eyes locked onto (Y/N)'s. "This is Rei. Come with us."

(Y/N) nodded, her heart still racing, but a glimmer of hope now mingling with the fear. She released Miri from the hug, allowing the girl to step back. Kazuki gestured for (Y/N) to follow them, leading the way as they left the bustling park and made their way towards an apartment complex nearby.

As they entered Kazuki and Rei's cozy apartment, (Y/N) felt a mixture of trepidation and anticipation. This was a moment she had dreamed of, a chance to finally explain herself and hear about the life her daughter had led during their separation. She took a deep breath, steadying herself for the emotional journey ahead.

Sitting down in the living room, (Y/N) shared her story with Kazuki and Rei. She recounted the day Miri had been taken from her, the years of relentless searching, and the way she had stumbled upon the familiar face of her daughter at the park. Her voice trembled with emotion, but her determination to convey the truth was unwavering.

Kazuki and Rei listened in rapt attention, their expressions shifting from skepticism to empathy as the tale unfolded. They could sense the pain and longing in (Y/N)'s words, and it was becoming evident that there was a deeper connection that they needed to understand.

After (Y/N) finished her account, there was a moment of heavy silence in the room. Miri sat nearby, her eyes wide as she absorbed the magnitude of what she had just heard. Rei finally broke the silence, her voice gentle yet probing. "Miri, do you remember anything?"

Miri looked down, her brows furrowing in deep thought. Memories, like fragments of dreams, began to surface—fleeting images, feelings, and flashes of familiarity. She glanced at her mother, then back at Rei, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I remember snippets. A woman's voice, a warm embrace..."

(Y/N)'s heart skipped a beat, tears pooling in her eyes once more. She leaned forward, reaching out to gently touch Miri's hand. "Sweetheart, that was me. I've been looking for you all these years."

Miri's gaze met her mother's, a mixture of wonder and disbelief in her eyes. Emotions warred within her—confusion, the pull of forgotten memories, and a growing connection that she couldn't ignore.

Kazuki cleared his throat, his voice filled with a newfound understanding. "We'll need to figure this out, but it seems like there's more to this story than we initially thought. We want what's best for Miri-chan."

Rei nodded in agreement, his expression softening. "Let's take things one step at a time. Miri, if you're comfortable, we'll help you navigate this."

Miri looked between her newfound family and the mother who had suddenly reappeared in her life. It was a moment of reckoning, a crossroads where past and present converged. As her heart raced, she nodded slowly, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions that were both familiar and new.

Miri's gaze shifted between her mother and the two individuals who seemed to be intertwined in her life in ways she couldn't comprehend. Her heart raced with a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. "Okay," she finally said in a small voice, nodding at Kazuki and Rei.

With a gentle smile, (Y/N) watched as Miri darted off towards her room, her excitement palpable. It was a bittersweet moment for her—years of waiting and hoping had led to this point, but she understood that there were still uncertainties to navigate.

As Miri disappeared into her room, Rei turned his attention back to (Y/N), her expression thoughtful. "I hope you understand that we need some form of documentation to ensure that Miri is really your daughter. It's not that we don't believe you, but we need to be certain."

(Y/N) nodded, her eyes reflecting a mixture of determination and understanding. "Of course, I completely understand. I have some documents at home that can prove my relationship to Miri. I'll bring them over later tonight."

Kazuki added, "We're just trying to be cautious. Miri's safety is our top priority."

With a grateful smile, (Y/N) replied, "I appreciate that. I'll do whatever it takes to show you that I am her mother."

As much as it pained her to leave, (Y/N) eventually bid Kazuki and Rei farewell, promising to return later with the necessary documents. Her heart raced with anticipation as she walked away from the apartment, her mind consumed by thoughts of the reunion that might finally be within reach.

Later that evening, as the city's lights began to twinkle against the darkening sky, (Y/N) returned to the apartment with a folder in hand. Her palms were sweaty, and her heart raced with a mixture of hope and anxiety. She knocked on the door, and Rei answered, his expression guarded yet curious.

(Y/N) offered the folder to Rei, her voice steady but her eyes reflecting the years of longing. "These are the documents you asked for. Birth certificates, medical records, and anything else that could help you believe that I am Miri's mother."

Rei accepted the folder, his eyes never leaving (Y/N)'s. "Thank you. Please understand that we just want the best for Miri."

"I do understand," (Y/N) replied, her voice tinged with emotion. "I've been searching for her for so long, and I want her to have the best life possible."

Rei nodded and retreated to another room with the folder. (Y/N) could feel the tension in the air, a mix of anticipation and trepidation. She waited anxiously, her heart pounding as she imagined the confirmation that could finally bring her daughter back into her arms.

Inside the room, Rei's fingers danced across the keyboard as he scanned the documents and cross-referenced the information. His skills were not limited to those of an ordinary person; he was proficient in digging deeper into digital realms. His commitment to ensuring Miri's safety was unwavering.

Minutes passed, each one feeling like an eternity to (Y/N) as she paced the living room. Finally, the door to the room opened, and Rei stepped out, his expression softened. "Everything checks out. These documents seem to confirm your identity as Miri's mother."

Tears welled up in (Y/N)'s eyes as she breathed a sigh of relief. It was a moment of triumph, of validation after years of uncertainty. With gratitude in her voice, she said, "Thank you, Rei."

Rei nodded, his eyes meeting (Y/N)'s with a newfound warmth. "Welcome back to Miri's life."

As the door closed behind her, (Y/N) could hardly contain her excitement. The journey had been long and fraught with challenges, but she was now on the brink of a reunion that would reshape her world. The pieces of her heart that had been missing for so long were finally falling into place.