#having my office be next to a gym and fitness center can be really annoying

[handjawbgotdeleted]

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[hookedsworks]

Edge(ING) Fitness - Chapter 42

II's POV

warning: angst/cliffhanger ahead!

reminder: the next chapter will be posted tomorrow

ao3

word count: 1115

“Vessel!” II called out on seeing him come through the gym door. He was soaked. It was raining hard out. A big raindrop slid off his lashes. III came in behind him. He smiled, seeing them together. He knew that Vessel had been stressed out recently, because III had been ignoring him for reasons unknown. “III, Ives is in a class right now, but he should be out in about ten minutes if you want to see him,” III nodded and walked deeper into the gym. I really should make him get a membership at some point. 

“Do you have a minute, love?” Vessel didn't normally ask to chat. Not when he had a workout lined up. 

“Um, yeah, I have a moment,” he flagged down one of his employees, a new guy that Ives had brought on from his team. The guy pulled his headphones off one ear. “Can you watch the desk for a second?” 

“Yep,” he leaned on the desk, watching the door and popping his headphone back over his ear. 

“Back office?” He asked, turning to Vessel and holding his hand out. Vessel took his hand and followed. Once they were alone in the back office, he turned to Vessel. “What’s up?” 

“III saw us together, after my opera. That’s why he’s ignored me for a week,” 

“What do you mean? He brought me to your opera. Why would he ignore you after that?” II was confused, and kind of angry. III took him there, he doesn't get to be mad that they were together after the show. Hell, he took him backstage. “I can’t believe he would bring me there and then get upset about it,” Vessel giggled once, twice. He held a hand over his mouth, trying to compose himself. 

“N-no,” another giggle. His giggles are so cute. “He uh…let himself in the next morning. Around six?” 5:39 AM in soft red light. II could not help his outburst. 

“He watched me blow you?!” Vessel flinched at his volume. “Sorry, sorry. Um. He watched me blow you?” he brought his voice down into a reasonable range. Vessel nodded. 

“He did, apparently. He came to my house today to talk to me about it,” 

“What was there to talk about?” II was relieved - III hadn’t gotten mad at Vessel for his own actions. He didn’t think III or Vessel would take to his lecturing the same way Ivy did… though Ivy did not seem to be tolerating it as much as he used to. III had given him a lot more spine than normal, he thought. But…then again. III watched him pleasure his partner. What fucking business did III have doing that? Why was he just waltzing into Vessel’s home? 

“Well…apparently he has a fantasy about it now. He wished he’d had his boyfriend there, wished they could have joined us,” Vessel met II's gaze, still almost giggling. II stared at Vessel. He watched for any give away as to what Vessel thought of that idea. He wouldn’t say anything. Held his face in check. “He also thought we were hot. Said you were talented,” Vessel laughed then. He followed that with a shrug. “I guess…I think he’s hot too. I like the idea anyway,” Vessel got shy when he said it, looked down at the ground. II wondered about it. Thought it would be hot, actually. He had ignored it, but he did think III was attractive. Though, he was really annoyed that III had silently watched him blow Ves. But Vessel had mentioned Ivy being there too. He tried to downplay the thrill starting to run through him at the idea of having more men, especially Ivy, in his bedroom. The idea of being at the center of all of that? II felt his face warm. Letting himself think about Ivy, remembering Ivy in all the maddeningly attractive states II had seen him in. The shorts… the smile. Drenched after a game. Relaxed on a couch on a Sunday, reading. Ivy… He'd look perfect, sex drunk and curled around Vessel. Vessel. Vessel was looking at him. He must have been staring into space. 

“I don’t mind that he watched us. Or wants more. He can think we’re hot,” II shrugged, downplaying his interest. The thought of Ivy on his knees, of Vessel in Ivy’s mouth… his own mouth ran dry at the prospect. He had never really considered it before, but with the idea in front of him. He desperately wanted to try it at least once. 

“Vessel, please leave,” the voice came from behind II. Ivy’s voice was so twisted with anger, II just barely recognized it. The last time II had heard that voice, it had been the day Roxy had tried to assault him. In some misguided attempt to hurt Ivy, she had broken into his place, made Ivy sit with her until he got home and then tried to fuck him. In front of Ivy. It was horrific, the cops had been called, it was a mess. 

“Oh, um, hi Ivy,” 

“Leave. Now.” Vessel shot a look toward him. II looked over at IV, saw anger twisting Ivy’s face into something pained.

“Go, Vessel. I’ll talk to you later,” Vessel slunk out the door, shooting a nervous glance between the two of them. The second the door clicked shut, Ivy unloaded. 

“He can think we’re hot!? Are you fucking serious? Why do you always have to take someone away from me? First Roxy, and now III? You know I love him!” II wanted to rear up in self defense. He hadn’t meant that. Ivy hadn’t caught a majority of the conversation. He didn’t, though. He bit every word back. Ivy was spitting mad, raging at II now.  

“Ivy, please. Calm down. That’s… it isn’t like that. How much did you actually hear?” 

“I heard you saying my boyfriend can think you’re hot! How the fuck could you ever find that appropriate? Especially after Roxanne?” II’s head snapped up when he heard Ivy use Roxy’s full name. He never normally did that. That meant he was beyond angry. Shit. 

“Roxanne wasn’t my fault,” was all II could think to say. He didn’t explain, couldn’t explain, needed to explain. He didn’t know how to tell Ivy that it was III who had said it, didn't know how to tell Ivy that III had wanted Ivy there too. 

“I could fucking kill you,” IV snarled. He was at a loss. Ivy turned away, throwing his hands up and storming out of the back office. II knew he had fucked up this time. 

Nevertheless, he put one foot in front of the other, running to catch IV. 

[erzaguin]

Huntmira Week 2021 Day 4: Human AU

“Hey you’re the new transfer student right? My name is Amity and as your class rep I’ll be giving you a tour of the school. Follow me and don’t fall behind. We have a schedule to keep and we are already running late.” said the cotton candy haired girl as she started walking briskly away. “Come on I wasn’t kidding I will leave you behind if you don’t hurry.” 

“Alright so you already know where the office is. If you get in any trouble this is where they’ll bring you. Down that hallway over there is the school library which you have access to at any time during school hours. Come on, we're already running behind schedule so we don’t have time to see it.” she stated as she continued walking forward at a fast pace.

“Now the school is essentially divided into four parts each of which is assigned to a different grade level. Essentially it is meant to give students more time in between classes so they can get whatever materials they need from their lockers. Speaking of which, this one is yours.” she noted as she came to a sudden stop. “The number and the combination are on the welcome packet you received at the front desk. As you may have assumed already this is the freshman hallway apart from electives all of your other classes will  be here. Any questions? No? Good. Let’s keep moving.” without so much as a pause she turned on her heels and started moving at the same brisk pace.

“The hallway to your left leads to the juniors hall and the sophomore hall was the first hallway to your left when you entered the school. As for the senior hall that would be the separate building at the back of the school. The cafeteria is right at the center of the school and it also doubles as a social area. And this is the gym.” she stated as they reached a large oval shaped building separated from the rest of the school. “Hopefully nobody notices we are late” grumbled Amity under her breath as she opened the door. 

As soon as the door opened a roar of cheers washed over the pair as they entered the building. The gymnasium was filled with the entirety of the student body who appeared to be completely enthralled by whatever the captain of the girl’s basketball team was saying. She along with the rest of the basketball team were standing at the center of the gym with the school principal standing a few feet to the side beaming with pride. 

Amity ignored them completely as she tried to make out where her friends were in the stands. Without saying a word she tugged on the transfer student’s sleeve to get them to follow her. 

“Hey Amity, you made it. Oh is this the new transfer student” whispered Willow as Amity took the empty seat behind her. “Yeah sorry we’re late I had to give them a quick tour before coming here.” grumbled Amity as she thought about how late they were. 

“Oh don’t mind Amity she can be a bit grumpy in the mornings . . . and afternoons. I’m Willow by the way” she said in a cheery voice. “I’m Gus! Your family just moved to Gravesfield right? said the young man sitting next to Willow. “You’re going to need someone to give you a run down of what you need to know abouts Gravesfield. But never fear Gus is here.” Boasted the youth before proceeding to give the transfer student a rundown. 

“The first thing to know is that Gravesfield athletes are mini celebrities in town. If there is one thing Gravesfield High is known for it would be our sports teams. And because there is only one high school everyone in town gets pretty into it.” explained Gus with excitement but before he could continue the school principal called for everyone's attention the gymnasium became quiet.

“Now that we have heard from our athletes who will be representing our school out in the field it is time to hear from our student council.”exclaimed principal Bump as a small group of students made their way to the center of the gymnasium. 

Rather than applauding the student body stayed quiet as the youths continued to make their way to the center. There were only three of them but their presence  alone commanded the attention of every individual in the gymnasium. 

“Oh boy” mumbled Amity too herself as she saw her two siblings take center stage along with their best friend hunter. 

The three stood in a line facing the other students with Hunter in the middle with Edrick to his left and Emira to his right. The tension in the gymnasium had started to increase when without raising his voice Edric said “Hey” giving the students a sly smile. Without any warning the entire gym burst into a cacophony of cheers. Which only intensified when Emira gave them a wink.

“They really are popular aren’t days,” noted Willow as she looked at Amity who was trying to shrink into herself from embarrassment. 

“This must be really weird for you to see huh?” shouted Gus  over the crowd to the transfer student. “ Yeah, if the athletes are celebrities then the members of the student council are royalty.” said Gus before pausing for dramatic effect.

“The twins are Edric and Emira Blight. Edric is the treasurer and Emira is the vice president. They are on the top of their class, always the leads in any school play, and probably the most charismatic people you’ll ever meet. Also if that name sounds familiar it’s because more than likely your parents bought your new home from their mom Odalia Blight. She is the most well known real estate agent in the area. Not only that but their family also owns a security company.You might have seen some homes with a sign that says “protected by Blight security." 

"Some? Don't you mean all? Every building in Gravesfield uses Blight security. And aren't you forgetting one very important Blight?" Added Willow as she nudged her head towards Amity.

"Oh right Amity is also a Blight and she has the top spot in the freshman class she's als…"  

"That's ok no need for my resume " Interrupted Amity with a face that shows equal amounts of annoyance and embarrassment. 

"Suit yourself " shrugged Gus. "Anyway the blond guy between the twins is the school president Hunter Wittebane. If he looks familiar it's because he's on all the promotional posters with his uncle Mayor Belos. He is the most influential man in Gravesfield and Hunter will definitely follow in his uncle's footsteps. He is the captain of all the boys sports teams as well as the debate club, book club, and history club. Honestly he’s a very intimidating guy if you think about it.” mused Gus. 

“You know there’s a lot of rumors of how he became school president during his freshman year. They don’t normally allow freshmen to run.” puzzled Willow not asking anyone in particular but was loud enough for other students to hear and joined in the conversation. 

“I heard his uncle threaten the school” said a girl sitting in the row under theirs. 

“I heard the twins charmed the school principal to let him run,” said the girl next to her. 

“I heard a rumor that people added his name to the ballot when they heard he was dating one of the twins.” said a boy from somewhere above them. 

“I heard he was dating both” shouted someone else from a distance. 

“Silence,” a commanding voice rang through the gymnasium as all the students fell quiet. Hunter had stepped up to the mic and was now scowling the students in front of him. 

“Thank you,” he said in an almost gloating tone with a smug smile on his face. 

“It's good to see that everyone is so excited about school.” whispered Emira giving Hunter a sly smile causing him to roll his eyes. 

“As you all know we are the current members of the student council. We are here to let you know elections will be coming up soon and we encourage anyone interested to go run for a position in the student council. Just know that we will also be running to keep our positions. Now if you excuse us we have work to do.” boasted Hunter before turning on his heels and making his way out of the gym.

The twins waved goodbye to the crowd causing the gymnasium to erupt into a fit of cheers which could be heard even after they had left the gymnasium. 

"Do you two always have to be so extra?" Mumbled Hunter as he walked down the hallway. 

"Oh don’t be like that Hunny" said Edric as he put an arm around Hunter and gave him a flirtatious smile.

"Yeah it's not our fault that the crowd loves us." chimed in Emira as she clinged to Hunter’s arm.

“Yeah right and don’t call me Hunny” scoffed Hunter who by now should be used to the twins' shenanigans but they always found new ways to annoy him. 

Both twins let go of Hunter at the same time and let out a gasp as they feigned being shocked. “But you used to love us calling you Hunny” Groaned Edric while pretending to cover some tears. 

“Our little Hunny is growing up. He's embarrassed of us now.” said Emira as she mimiqued her brother’s reaction.  

Hunter let out a long sigh as he looked at his best friends pretending to cry. Even knowing there were no tears there he just could not bear the thought of upsetting them. These two had been his best friends, his only real friends since pre school. Because his uncle was such a powerful and influential man many people tried approaching Hunter as a means of getting close to his uncle. He understood that the twins felt the same because of how often people approached them for their families business connections and wealth. Then there were those who were too scared to approach any of them because they found them intimidating or just out of reach. 

They had never cared about who his uncle was just as he did not care about their families business.  He just couldn’t imagine what his life would be like if they hadn't approached him on their first day of pre-school.

The twins had stopped pretending to cry once they saw the expression on Hunter’s face. “Hey you ok?” asked Emira, genuinely concerned as she approached Hunter.

“If it bothers you that much we’ll stop” sniffled Edric as real tears were threatening to break through. 

Hunter looked at the pair and could not help himself from smiling appone seeing their grief stricken faces. These were his favorite people in the world just as they were the most annoying.

 “I hate you guys.” said Hunter with a smirk. 

To this both twins lit up and latched on to either one of his arms as they continued walking down the hallway before saying in  unison “Aww we love you too Hunny.”  

“Stop calling me that” demanded Hunter as he let himself be pulled away by the two.

[thedeviltohisangel]

Good Days, Bad Days//1//

“You have it,” she whispered after a moment of silence. There was a gentle breeze that wove itself between them as if to capture the agreement they had come to and carry it somewhere they could neve break it. Clara could see in his eyes that he was being serious. That he wanted her to understand that because they wore camo and she didn’t, didn’t mean one was more expendable than the other.

masterlist is my url/writing

accepting requests for these two

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting. Everyone had told her not to think it would be like Jack Ryan when she got there but she couldn’t help it. There was no way to characterize how you would find the desert when you landed there so no one had really tried. They told her what it wouldn’t be, not what it would be. It was quiet. It was lonely. It was twelve hour days and short showers and nothing but the gym to keep her busy. She did her job and she did it well. Using her spotty network connection to research locals and their networks. Developing target packages for the case officers that worked around her and anxiously awaiting her turn to go into the field.

“Did you hear Leo met with the source you found last night?” That perked her up as she was picking over some chicken thighs at her desk.

“Yeah? Get anything good?” Leo was due to rotate out soon. She had been gearing herself up to ask about taking over his assets once he did.

“Don’t know. Debrief in an hour. You should be there.” She didn’t need to be told twice. Forcing a couple more bites into her mouth, she ran back to her housing unit to brush her hair, teeth and reapply deodorant. And after a pep talk to her reflection, she was ready. She stood towards the back of the room and hid partially behind the shoulder of a guy in camo. Her hope was to blend in, not draw any attention to herself. Listen and learn. That was the mode she was in.

“Alright, listen up. Last night we made positive contact with a lower level associate of Asif Ilyas. Through strong execution of tradecraft we are one step closer to taking down one of the most wanted terrorists. I’ll let Leo Davis up here to talk specifics and next steps.” She listened to the mission recap with full attention and smiling when her background work was highlighted as one of the keys to mission success.

“We’ve now encountered a problem. The associate said that one of Ilyas’ wives might be open for recruitment. She will only meet with another woman, only speaks Arabic and can only meet in the tribal areas.” Clara looked around the room and noticed there was an underwhelming amount of women. She assumed even less than them had the language skills and the defense skills that a remote meeting in a hostile environment would require. 

“I think Clara fits all those requirements.” She froze as her colleague from before spoke up and everyone turned to look at her. “She did the background work on this op anyways so she’s already up to speed. She got a perfect score on the Arabic language test and the guys at the shooting range said she makes it look natural.” Clara felt like shriveling up and dying. While it was true she didn’t want to be the girl behind the computer for her entire career, she didn’t want to be the center of attention either. 

“Is this all true Miss…?”

“Nilsen. And, yes. Sir.”

“Perfect. Problem solved. We start now.”

----

It hurt when she was taken off her desk. Her instincts were telling her to dive into her research and start acquainting herself with the source and what her knowledge pool would be. But her superiors had told her she needed to get better with her self defense and to leave the research to the analysts.

“This is Captain William Miller. He’ll be leading your escort to the tribal regions and his team will be at the ready in case anything goes south.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Ma’am.” She took his hand, which was large and calloused, and took note of his firm grip. 

“You as well.” It was hard to keep eye contact with him. His eyes were blue and his jaw was strong and he was looking at her in a way no one had in a long time.

“I want you to train with him and his men until everything else is in place. He’ll keep me updated on your progress and we won’t send you in until he thinks you’re ready. That clear?”

“Yes, sir.” He nodded once and then turned back the way they had come, leaving them to it.

“How comfortable are you around firearms?” Will asked as he started to lead her towards the range.

“Very. I completed all the operational qualifications prior to my arrival here.” He stopped.

“I didn’t ask how well you scored on the exam.”

“Are you asking me if a gun feels like an extension of myself when I fire it?” She continued to wither under his gaze as he kept silent. “The answer is no. But I’m sure you’re capable of fixing that for me.”

“I can. But I need you to know that me and my team are tired of dealing with CIA dipshits who like to run around a warzone like they own it. You all might be used to playing God but it puts our lives on the line when you do it. I need your assurance you’ll keep both your feet on the ground while we are working together.” 

“You have it,” she whispered after a moment of silence. There was a gentle breeze that wove itself between them as if to capture the agreement they had come to and carry it somewhere they could neve break it. Clara could see in his eyes that he was being serious. That he wanted her to understand that because they wore camo and she didn’t, didn’t mean one was more expendable than the other.

“Good. Then let’s get started.”

----

For the next few days, Will didn’t even let her fire a gun. He had her taking them apart and putting them back together and doing it until her hands were cramped. But she learned quickly. She got faster every time. More nimble. More focused. She ignored him when he tried to talk to her while she was doing it. Ignored his teasing whenever she had a misstep. Didn’t buckle under the pressure when others gathered around to watch. On day four, she finished putting it back together and took a step back from the table.

“I need a quick water break. Then I’ll be back at it,” she said as she waited for his permission to go and sit.

“Fire it.”

“What?”

“You heard me. Test how well you put it together. Fire it at that target,” he was pointing towards a metal circle a couple hundred meters away. Clara picked up the weapon with confidence, squared her shoulders and pulled the trigger. It pinged off the center of the target perfectly. “Again.” She did so until it clicked empty, placing the gun back on the table and looking at Will expectantly.

“Satisfied?” His face didn’t show any signs of emotion as he continued to look at her. 

“Be quick with the water break. Then we go again.” He walked away from her with his usual saunter that annoyed her to no end. He was broad yet so tight and moved with a grace a man of his size should not be able to possess. Clara did not go into her line of work because she was someone who sought praise. She knew that didn’t come with this territory. But there was something about Will that made her want that. She wanted him to tell her she was progressing. Wanted him to tell her she was doing better than he had given her credit for. That, soon, she would be ready.

“Don’t worry. He’s extra stoic when he’s happy.” Gavin, one of the other guys from the team, was popping grapes into his mouth as he strolled over to her with a bottle of water.

“Thanks,” she took it and drank half, “I don’t care. Just as long as I obtain whatever skills needed for him to sign off on me and this op.”

“I’m sure you’re doing fine. And we’ll be with you the whole time. That's more so what his job is about. Can we trust you to have our back? Not drag us into an ambush.”

“Well if that’s the case, I should be allowed back at my desk to do the work. I feel useless out here when I could be back there, knowing my source and understanding their access to the target.”

“That’s where you’re wrong.” She turned to see Will had made his way back. He was standing with his hands on his hips, head tilted in disappointment. “You are the target. That’s why you are here learning how to shoot. How to protect and how to kill.”

“I’m not dense, Captain. I understand they’re the enemy and we are on their turf.” She hopes he wasn’t implying that she was losing sight of what she had come there to do. He could never understand her commitment to the cause. The time she had dedicated to be able to stand before him in that moment. To get her shot at doing something meaningful for her country.

“I don’t think you do. I think-” he abruptly shut his mouth and shook his head as if he was trying to get rid of the thoughts that resided in there. “Forget it. Let’s just get back to what we were doing.”

“No. I want to hear what you think.” She didn’t think she’d be able to carry on it if she didn’t. 

“It’s best we just keep things professional from here on out.” 

“Fine.” If she imagined his face on the target for the rest of the day, he didn’t need to know that either.

----

Will was looking at the words on the page but he wasn’t reading them. He was thinking about today. How he had lost his cool, if only for a split second, and how he wishes he could shove his words back into a box and shove them under his cot. He doesn’t know if he meant what he said. Doesn’t know because he didn’t want to know her. He didn’t want to get to know Clara and what drove her to do what she did. What made her wake up in the morning. What had inspired her to learn to pull a trigger with such ferocity. It only made the necessary detachment all the harder.

“You wanna talk about what almost happened today?” Will raised one eyebrow and didn’t spare the soldier a glance.

“Just like you said. Almost happened. Nothing to talk about.”

“The point is for there to be numbness between you two. Nothing. Even animosity has the potential to derail this whole thing.” He dropped his book onto his chest with a sigh. It didn’t look like he could avoid this conversation.

“I don’t want to watch her die.” That shut up his interrupter. The past agents that Will had escorted to the tribal regions hadn’t made it back. They stuck out like sore thumbs and asked hard questions up front and kept twitching their hand towards the gun tucked to their side. He didn’t think he could watch it again. Carry her body back to the airfield and know he failed one more time.

“She’s good, man. Maybe tomorrow you start actually looking at how she’s doing instead of trying to ignore her. Might put your fears at ease.” Will felt his hand hit his shoulder in a comforting slap before he was left alone again with his book and his thoughts.

The next day, he tried his best to stay relaxed and focused while Clara worked her way through the tactical course they all trained on. He watched her find the targets easily and hide from their line of sight like it was second nature. But he still couldn’t let his guard down. Complacency was the real enemy out here and he’d been working double time every day to keep it at bay.

“Good job. You were partially exposed on that last choke point but overall don’t think you would’ve gotten yourself killed.” Clara laughed at the way he formed what she thought was  his version of a compliment. 

“Thanks.” She doesn't know what happened overnight but she was enjoying the new leaf he had turned over. Today he was more vocal. Telling her not only what she was doing wrong but also what she was doing right. He was still a man of mystery but she thinks she had managed to crack him just a little bit. “Are you going to the volleyball game tonight?” she asked after a few moments of silence. She thinks she would have remembered seeing someone as handsome as him at one of the morale events and he didn’t seem like the type but she was going to seize on her opportunity to crack further.

“Wasn’t planning too.”

“Well, you should. It’d be good for you to smile on occasion. Watching these idiots throw themselves around might do that.” He chuckled and looked at her with a smile that melted away all of her confidence.

“You’ll be there?” She hummed affirmatively. “Then save me a seat.” 

[ikenbar]

Mr. Love: Ike’s Choice Pt 4

Warnings: Kiro fluff and neighbor angst (ok maybe not super angst but there is some tension lol) also sick burns. Also Cliffhangers :D

(Chapter One parts one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven here :))

((Please read the author’s note on part one if you’re new here :D)

Chapter one:

Part Four:

Finally reaching the door to my apartment, I slumped over in exhaustion. That day had been one of the worst of my life. It was one thing after another. And in the end, it might not even be worth the fight. At least my headache was gone.

“You look like a wreck.”

And it’s back.

I slowly turned my head to look at the person behind the voice. It was my neighbor. A tall, well-built man who was dressed in a white shirt, black jeans, and a light denim jacket. His chestnut bangs were swept wildly across his face, slightly obscuring his amber eyes. His hands were full of shopping bags. Four or five bags in each hand at least. He didn’t seem to mind the weight. Which meant one of two things; heavy things are a breeze to hold for him or, more believably, all he has in those bags are instant noodles because there was another sale. That was Gavin for you. Of course it was just my luck that the one day he had off from work was the worst day of my life.

“What happened? Did you miss your mouth?” Gavin asked in a tone that dripped mockery as he gestured to my shirt.

“I can’t miss what I wasn’t aiming for.” I replied through gritted teeth.

“... what?”

“At least I was productive today.” I blew off his questions to ask my own, “What about you, Mister. Two-Trips-Are-For-The-Weak? Did you only leave your cave because you were out of Cup ‘O Sodium?”

“Don’t get angry at me because you’re a workaholic.”

“Right, because making a living for myself is a problem.”

“The only problem here is your ability to relax. Oh, and your obvious drinking problem.” He stated, gesturing to the coffee stain yet again. Though, he obviously was not just referring to my shirt. I glared at him.

“You’re just angry because I can hold a beer better than you can.” I said, flipping through my keys, trying quickly to find the one that belonged to my apartment.

“Oh?” Gavin adjusted his stance slightly, “What makes you say that?”

“Well, suggesting my ongoing record of never being impaired in any capacity by alcohol, I’d say I am wAY more adapted to it then you are.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“It’s true!” I said simply, finally finding my apartment key, “You could say it’s my superpower!” I put the key in the lock, “You’re not the only one with super abilities, ya know.”

“Excuse me?”

“Yeah. We all know you have a special power, Gavin. You’re awful at hiding it.”

“...And just what kind of power do you think I have?”

“The power to be a major douche.” I pushed open my door, flipped him the bird, and walked into my apartment. I shut the door with a resounding Bang! but stayed and listened intently to the hallway. There was a moment of silence but then I heard the rustling of shopping bags as Gavin approached the door next to mine. After a few more moments I heard the door open with a creak and shut as he walked into his apartment. “Rotten cop.” I muttered under my breath as I switched on the lights to my room.

My apartment was no beauty to behold. It was a studio apartment with two floors and one bathroom. Nonetheless, I did what I could to make it homey. My living space contained a couch, two armchairs and an entertainment center that held more books than it did movies. A television sat in the middle of the entertainment center but it was only ever used to annoy Gavin with it’s loud stereo.

 To the left of the living room was my kitchen. The kitchen was my favorite part of the apartment. I loved to cook. It relaxed me after a long day of being the tough manager. With cooking, I could be gentle and graceful in a way that still seemed strict. There was a precision and delicacy in cooking that was hard to find anywhere else. It was wonderful. My kitchen was small but the perfect fit for me. I had a four-burner stove and a beautifully marbled bar across from it, which had two stools neatly tucked under it.  I had a beautiful fridge at the edge of the kitchen that was almost always empty. I liked buying things for dinner when I got back from the gym in the morning so that the ingredients were the freshest. 

At the back of the kitchen was a large sink and cabinets that hung to the wall. The cabinets held most of my tools and utensils that I used in the kitchen except for one. That one held my bottles of scotch and whiskey. Though I hated to admit it, Gavin was right. Though he should mind his own business about it. Alcohol helped soothe my headache after a long day at work. It helped me forget about my problems. Both current and past. It helped me relax. He couldn’t understand that. He never would. I looked longingly at the cabinet. I could’ve really gone for a drink but I hated going to my foster parents house smelling like alcohol. It would just worry everyone there. So I had to refuse.

To the back of the room, there was a step that divided my bedroom from the rest of the apartment. A single bed sat towards the side wall closest to the kitchen and, across from that bed, was a bookshelf and a door leading to the bathroom. In front of the bed sat my gym bag that was used every day. Like cooking, exercising also gave me a sense of bliss. I wake up at an unnatural hour of the day to completely clear my mind and better myself. (Not to mention jam out to Kiro’s new music without anyone noticing.) Working out got me through my time in high school. After moving into my last foster parents house, they wanted to give me something that would be my own and a healthy way, besides therapy, to release my emotions. So, they signed me up for a gym membership. That’s where I found my love for Kiro. Where I found love for my family. Where I found my voice after three years of being selectively mute. It built my confidence in a way I could have never imagined. It made me stronger in ways most people wouldn’t understand. It made getting up at five in the morning worth every last minute of my life.

But the creme de la creme of the apartment was the windows on the very back wall but, more specifically, the fire escape. The opening to the fire escape left a small nook in the corner of the room. Which I loved to sit in and spend time to myself, watching the bustling of the city in front of me. Just to stop thinking about my own problems and start wondering what kind of problems those hurried people were having below me. Questioning whether they knew that someone was above them, watching over them, curious about how they lived. It was peaceful to me. Half of me wanted to cancel dinner at my Foster family’s house and people watch instead….. but I promised I would go. There is no turning back now.

Every inch of my apartment was a way for me to relax. Believe it or not, running a company where people hate you every day for being strict and wanting things to be done right was taxing. I needed to have a place where I could let my hair down and not have people yell at me for how long it was. I wanted my own space and I rarely had people over to my apartment because of that. Sure, I had the occasional family member visit, but I needed somewhere that I was certain that I could be myself. Where I wouldn’t be judged for who I was. Where I wasn’t given special treatment for my past. Where I wasn’t being bugged about what I could be doing better. Where I could just be me. And I thought I found it in that apartment… where I was alone.

I dropped my briefcase by the door and hung my keys up on the wall. I swiftly pulled off my shoes and replaced them with slippers before moving into my home. I pulled off my leather jacket and blazer in one continuous motion and threw them both on my couch. “I guess a shower is in order.” I muttered unbuttoning my shirt and heading to the bathroom. What I didn’t notice was something had flown out of the blazer and fluttered carefully to the ground.

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

I walked back into my bedroom quickly drying my hair with a towel. I rubbed my arm carefully. Thankfully, I had some aloe to ease the burns but I had better be careful of who I hugged that night. I looked down at my new outfit questionably. A white long-sleeved shirt and ripped blue jeans normally wouldn’t make me second guess anything but after today’s incident…. I grabbed a flannel from the dresser drawers under my windows and threw it on. That would have to do for now. I pulled my phone from my pocket and checked it for the umpteenth time since I had gotten home. No messages. Victor still hadn’t texted me. Sure, it was only five in the evening. He could still be working diligently but I could and should be a part of that work. I huffed and put my phone in my pocket. That man better not be doing this on purpose.

It was then when I caught a glimpse of something shining on the rug of my living space. I walked over to it and picked it up. It was Kiro’s business card. A soft warmth entered my cheeks. I can’t believe I had met him today. Of all days. When I was at my worst, he was there. Of course he was. That was just my luck…. Still. I turned the card over to reread his hurried handwriting.

 Here’s my cell phone number! Just in case you want to avoid my agent :P

 I had Kiro’s cell phone number. I can’t believe I had Kiro’s cell phone number. How lucky I must have been to have Kiro’s-... I had promised Victor the Kiro would be on my show. What if he gives me the funding? Would Krio have the time for me? What if he knew about me or my company and hates it? What if I offer him the job and he says no? What if he found out who I was and would never want to talk to me again? I mean, the only time my name was used outside of the office is when it’s a coworker complaining about how hard I am on them. What if he caught wind of that? What if he hates me…? There was only one way to answer these questions.

I took a deep breath and shakily pulled out my phone from my pocket again. After checking again for a message from Victor, still nothing, I opened the number pad and started dialing the number Kiro had written down. I brought the phone to my ear and regretted it immediately. What was I going to say?! Hey, this is the chick who saved you from that jerk earlier. I want you to do me a favor! And if you don’t, I could lose thousands of dollars and potentially my job. But hey! No pressure! I racked my brain for things to say when the call was picked up.

“Hello?”

The sound of his voice made every worry I had disappear. It didn’t matter what I said. He wouldn’t make me feel bad. He couldn’t make me feel bad. He’s Kiro!

“Hello, is this Kiro?”

“Yes, it is! Who is this?

“... Super Stranger.” I said this in a deeper voice as if I was masking my identity through the phone. Kiro gasped.

“Hey!! I was just thinking about you! Did you get to that call in time?” Kiro seemed genuinely excited to talk to me. The stress I held in my stomach returned. Now I was worried his excitement would be for not.

“Of course. I am a super hero after all.” I teased, trying to calm the storm in my stomach.

“Haha you got me there. So! Why are you calling? Is there a cat that needs saving from a tree??”

“Actually, a business. " I hesitated, "I… have a friend who is a producer at a well-known TV production company. The company can get massive funding on a new show but for that to happen, they need help with casting for it. Would you be interested?”

“Maybe…” Kiro sounded unsure, “What’s the company?”

“Ike ‘n Bar Productions.”

“What?! No way. You mean the same people who produced, Show me the Honey!? I love them! I’ve always wanted to be in one of their shows. Especially, The Pearl in her Eyes. They do such a great job with drama and tension. How do you know the producers?”

“... is that your way of getting me to reveal my secret identity?” I asked biting my tongue, “I’m just here to ask if you’re interested. And cashing in that favor you had given me.”

“Of course I’m interested! Any friend of Super Stranger is a friend to me! I’ll talk to my agent about my schedule and I’ll get back to you.”

“Why don’t I give you the producer’s extension instead? Your agent and… them can discuss details together.”

“Perfect! I’m ready when you are!”

I pulled out my wallet and pulled my business card from it. I read Kiro my work phone number and extension as he wrote it down from the other end.

“Great!” He excitedly giggled, “Then it’s a deal! So, tell me, am I going to be working alongside the great Super Stranger themselves?”

“You're really pushing to find my secret identity, huh?”

"I just want to know who I'm working with!"

I thought for a moment. "... if your manager says yes… then yes. You will see me on set. But that's a big 'if,' Kiro."

“Oh, don’t worry! He'll say yes! Remember, I owe you my life! Starring in a show doesn’t even begin to make up for it. Consider this part one of many transactions to pay off my debt to you.”

“Doing this will be enough. No need for anything else.”

“No way! You can't talk me out of this, Super Stranger! I am going to knock you off your feet the same way you did to me! I'll be the best sidekick you have ever seen. Just watch!"

"Sidekick?" My heart fluttered.

"Of course!" Kiro's excited tone faltered slightly, "... unless you wouldn't like-"

"No!" My words jumped from my stomach, "I… I would be honored to have a sidekick like you." My last sentence was said in the most courageous way I could muster.

"Then it's settled!" Kiro's tone became overly cheery again, "I am now the noble sidekick of Super Stranger! What would be my hero name?? Super Singer? Active actor? Oo! Or-"

“How about I come up with it.” I interrupted him.

“Really?” Kiro sounded unsure again.

“Of course! You came up with my name, right? So I’ll come up with yours.”

“Alright, SS!” Kiro’s excited tone returned, “I’m all ears!” I fell silent as I deeply considered choices. Should it have to do with his singing? His acting? His charismatic aura? People have said that just looking at him they fell in love with him. Maybe I could use that? I looked around the room for inspiration. My eyes fell on the clock on my stove. 5:20. I cursed.

“Well, I don't think that would be a name that parents would want their children to repeat.” Kiro teased.

"I need to get going." I reluctantly muttered, "I've got… hero business that I need to attend to."

"Anything I can help with?" Kiro asked hopefully.

"Not unless you can find a way for dinner to be illegal." I decided to be honest.

"Ah, I'm afraid there are things even I can't do.” Kiro sighed, “So, I’ll be working with you soon?”

 “You can count on it.”

“Alright! And you’d better be thinking of a good hero name while you’re at your dinner! I’m counting on you, SS!”

“I’ll find one. Don’t worry.”

“Until next time, Super Stranger!”

“Good night… Sidekick.” I hung up the phone and then brought it to my lips as if to kiss it. I’ve got a superstar on my side for this show. Now I just need captain capitalist to give me his money…Captain Capitalist... An image of Victor dressed as a Villain made the corners of my mouth rise slightly. I'd have to tell Kiro. I opened my phone again right as a message popped onto my screen. It was from Bart.

We are having spaghetti tonight! Can't wait to hear your news!!

My stomach turned and my smile fell. Thinking of useless and trivial things was fun, but I had dinner with destiny… I hope destiny isn’t disappointed with me.

End of Part Four

(Next)

[cupofteaguk]

behind these walls

summary: you’re sleeping on my best friend’s couch while your house is being renovated and you have really weird habits like attempting to sing opera in the shower and you keep eating all of my cheerios 

pairing: jungkook x fem!reader

genre: neighbors au, college au | fluff

warnings: lots of banter, sexual tension, yes it’s probably a very lowkey enemies to lovers au

word count: 4k

a/n: this is probably one of the first fics i had up on my old blog and i have a lot of love for this story so here you go! 

.

When you first meet Jeon Jungkook, you aren’t entirely sure if you like him or not.

But, then again, it could be because the pair of you had met under extremely unusual circumstances—the unfolding of an awkward introduction that had been partially your fault.

Okay, maybe it had been mostly your fault.

But, in your defense, it isn’t everyday you enter the apartment belonging to your best friend and throw yourself upon the couch, only to find that it is already occupied by a strange figure—one that is much too tall and lanky to be a certain Kim Taehyung.

“Holy shit—!”

“What the fuck!”

“I’m sorry!” You exclaim reflexively, springing off the couch, really studying it this time and noticing that there is actually a lump underneath the blankets that you originally thought had been thrown haphazardly upon the furniture. It’s only then that you realize the figure underneath the blanket has barely poked his head out, just enough to see his mess of black hair and brown eyes glaring at you.

“Is this a habit of yours?” The boy inquires suddenly, voice low and husky from having just been awaken rather abruptly. “Sitting on people who are just trying to get a good night’s rest after working overtime for the whole week?”

“Well, I wouldn’t have sat on you if you hadn’t imposed in my friend’s apartment to take refuge on his couch!” You snap back, still quite unable to believe the situation you have found yourself in—and it’s only 8:00 in the morning.

The boy groans underneath the blanket as if he desires nothing more than to rid himself of this conversation and return back to his slumber. “Seems like you’re the one imposing on me.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Nothing, nothing.” The boy waves off dismissively, turning slightly with his limited space on the couch to curl deeper into the cushions. “Taehyung let me stay here,” He states, voice slightly muffled by the blanket, saying this as if it should have been the most obvious thing in the world.

You’re about to cross your arms over your chest and retort just why exactly Taehyung would let a complete stranger spend the night on his couch (you know that Taehyung has a heart of gold, but this a new sight to behold), when the very man in question comes out of the bathroom, the steam of his recent shower following them briefly. He is running a towel through his damp brown hair, stopping in his tracks immediately upon the sight before him.

Taehyung takes in the sight of a very tired, very disinterested Jungkook pressing himself as deeply into the cushions of the couch as he can possibly go and you, wearing a deeply unimpressed scowl, arms across your chest, clearly ready to start squawking at the poor boy before he decides to intercept. “Morning you two.”

“Tae, who is this?” You inquire suddenly, not even bothering to return the morning greeting. “You haven’t been taking in strays now, have you?”

“Wow, you are certainly a delight, aren’t you?” Jungkook retorts back, just barely craning his neck to give you another bitter look that could sour milk. “Annoying isn’t a good shade on you—I almost didn’t recognize you from the pictures on Taehyung’s wall.”

You flush slightly at the adjective the boy has used to describe you. Finally, you spin on your heel to fix Taehyung with an incredulous look. The latter boy simply looks amused at the dispute unfolding before him.

“Tae,” You start, the slight waver in your voice clearly displaying your barely suppressed anger and irritation. “Why is this very rude and bitter man sleeping on your couch?”

“There’s a blanket over my head, but I can still hear you—!”

“His name is Jungkook,” Taehyung interrupts cheerily, running the towel through his hair one more time before discarding it onto another, much smaller couch in the living room. “His apartment is getting renovated—something about finally getting all the walls repainted and fixing up the layout of some of the appliances. I offered him a place to stay at until his gets finished.”

Taehyung is giving you an expectant look, as if expecting you to argue about this arrangement. You open your mouth a few times to try and say something—anything. But words fail you, because the reasoning actually makes sense and Taehyung still has a heart of gold.

Now that you have some context to match with the once mysterious man on the couch, a part of you feels guilty for impending so suddenly on the boy. Now that you know that Taehyung knows this… Jungkook (and must clearly find him trustworthy of sorts), a part of you relaxes. A little.

“Oh—alright.” You look at Jungkook, blinking a little in surprise when you find he has pulled the blanket entirely from his face. He’s wearing a suddenly sly half-smile, but that’s not why you stare.

Jungkook, in spite of his grumbling attitude and messy glares, actually looks quite young—maybe he’s the same age as you. He has freshly dyed brown hair, currently messy and sticking up in different directions from sleep. His eyes are brown, gently crinkled in the corners, lips painfully distracting, curled up into a small smile. He’s staring right back at you.

You blink again. “What?” You snap, not meaning to sound as harsh as you probably do.

Jungkook is still smiling, but he sits up this time. He’s wearing a relatively loose black t-shirt. “Taehyung told me that you come over a lot because his place is closer to campus than yours.”

You look over your shoulder to find that Taehyung has disappeared, probably to get his belongings for your first morning lecture. “Yeah,” You manage in a slightly uneasy tone. You hope Jungkook hadn’t noticed you had been checking him out moments ago. “So I suppose we’ll be seeing a lot of each other then.”

If Jungkook notices your nervous disposition, he doesn’t comment. “Maybe,” He answers vaguely. “I work a lot—but I’m expecting some time off this week because I have midterms coming up and everything. You’ll probably be seeing me in my natural state with coffee and ramen noodles in my blood.”

“Touche,” You agree quietly, well aware that midterms are rapidly approaching and that you too will be surviving the week off hot cheetos and coffee.

The pair of you are about to trail off into silence (whether it be awkward or comfortable, it’s too hard to tell right now), before Taehyung reappears from his bedroom. He has his backpack slung around his shoulder and slightly more presentable clothing on compared to this original sweatpants and oversized t-shirt. “Ready to go?” He asks you, and you nod in return.

“Okay, see you back here for lunch, Jungkook-ah,” Taehyung says brightly. “Lucky for you, Y/N is making beef bowl—it’s to die for.”

Jungkook visibly brightens at the topic of consuming food. “Looking forward to it, hyung.” He fixes you with another smile. “See you later, Y/N.”

You give him another look, wondering if this is how the next few weeks are going to play out. Instead of returning the friendly, polite gesture of parting, you merely give him a coy smile. “Don’t eat my cheerios.”

.

To say that Jungkook is an interesting roommate (forget roommate, just human being in general) would be an understatement. He’s actually quite unpredictable—he just doesn’t fit into the stereotypical prototype mold you once assumed of upon first meeting Jungkook. It’s kind of unsettling to you. He never fails to surprise you.

One prime example of this finds you in a Tuesday afternoon as you use the spare key to Taehyung’s apartment to enter the empty space. At least, you think it’s empty.

As soon as you shut the door behind you, you immediately become aware of the running water sounding through the apartment. Frowning, you gently discard your backpack onto the breakfast table, eyes flinting to the post-it note taped to the surface, your name dancing across in Taehyung’s familiar scrawl.

Y/N,

I’ve gone to my professor’s office hours to ask some questions about the upcoming physics lab. I should be back in about 3 hours.

-Tae (his name is accompanied with his classic smiley face, one that makes you smile slightly)

It’s around this time that your ears pick up a distant melody echoing between the walls of the apartment. The melody is lead by a familiar tune that you can’t quite place, yet…

Then, the voice starts belting the song, using words this time instead of mere noises, and the realization makes the smile curl almost unconsciously on your lips, because Jeon Jungkook doesn’t just sing in the shower. He belts out the notes as if he’s front stage in the middle of a sold out concert.

It’s endearing. Cute, even.

Your lips curl down when you realize that your thoughts are betraying your previous attempts to dislike this boy as much as possible.

Before you can possibly try to decide your next motives, the sound of the running water shuts off. However, Jungkook is still singing. He is still singing (still quite loudly, mind you) as the door to the bathroom opens and suddenly Jungkook is standing right front and center in the middle of the hallway. Drenched in water, shirtless—hell, practically naked if not for the towel wrapped around his waist.

And you can’t help but stare again (God, is staring the only thing you can actually do when you’re around Jeon Jungkook?), because holy shit, who knew the very tired, very bitter, very eager-to-get-rid-of-you boy was so fit? Fuck, had he been lying to you this entire time about working overtime when he really just spends every pretty penny of his life at the gym?

It takes you a second to realize that Jungkook is actually asking you a question. “I—I’m sorry, what did you say?”

You will yourself to look at Jungkook, wondering whether you will see his amused smile or sly smirk this time, along with some sort of teasing on his part. It seems as if Jungkook is incapable of getting through one conversation with you without doing or saying something to get that red dusting your cheeks…

“I asked if you had been here this whole time.”

You fix your gaze upon Jungkook and realize with a shock that he looks positively nervous—there is red across his whole cheeks, his hand is scratching the back of his neck, and he looks as if he’s suddenly trying to make himself look as small as possible.

You’re sure at this point, you’re looking a little nervous about the situation you have found yourself in. “Um… sorry,” You apologize instead of actually answering his question, although you suppose that you technically are answering his question in this way. “If it makes you feel better, you have a really nice voice…?”

Jungkook merely flushes more at your observation. The sight is so unlike the normally very confident boy you’ve become accustomed over the past week, so unlike the boy who looks as if he prefers to hide his real emotions underneath layers of easy smirks and pre-rehearsed sentences.

He finally breaks the silence. “I don’t normally sing when people are around.”

“Hm, well that makes me feel special,” You say, surprising yourself with next the genuine words that come out of your mouth: “You’re really talented, Jungkook.”

When you slide your gaze back up to look at Jungkook, he has a dark look in his eyes, intensely studying your expression—as if studying the lines across for signs of sarcasm, and growing troubled when he can’t seem to find anything.

“Thanks.”

The pair of you transition into a tense silence, neither able to look away from the other. Even though you thought your self control had developed over the few minutes you were conversing with Jungkook, your eyes unconsciously dip lower, beneath his neck and take in his collarbone, the muscles along his stomach—!

“Like what you see?”

You blink and immediately rip your gaze away from his figure—making sure to flip him off in return, a gesture he chuckles at.

.

You can’t help but let out a groan as you stretch your arms over your head, tilting back slightly and sighing when you hear the final satisfaction of bones cracking. So far, midterms have been kicking your ass in the least pleasant way possible, and you would have agreed to fling yourself off the nearest cliff if it hadn’t been for Taehyung and Jungkook keeping you company when you decide to spend a majority of your afternoons with Taehyung to study.

Jungkook’s constant presence in Taehyung’s apartment has become so normal for you that you start to expect seeing him eating in the kitchen, napping on the couch, or flipping through the TV—“He already paid for half of my rent this month as a thanks for letting him stay with me, Y/N, stop glaring at him like that”.

Today is no exception as Taehyung shoulders open the door to reveal Jungkook leaning against the kitchen counter, a spoon in hand. Immediately, the latter freezes at your appearance, his mouth parted halfway. He looks as if he’s been caught doing something, something he’s been warned against in the past.

“Y/N, you’re here…” He says by way of greeting, watching you carefully to observe your future expressions.

You eye him suspiciously. “Yeah… my afternoon classes got canceled.” You narrow your eyes slightly. “Jungkook, what are you doing?”

“Nothing?” The answer sets you slightly on edge. What has Jungkook done this time?

“Seriously, what are you doing—?” You round the corner and stop immediately when you see what Jungkook has in his bowl.

It’s your Cheerios, completely filled to the brim.

“Those are my Cheerios!” You retort, pointing at them and then pointing at Jungkook. “You’re eating my Cheerios!”

Yes, they are your Cheerios, as you had so graciously pointed out to Jungkook the multitude of times the pair of you had been in the kitchen together—and you had felt it both your duty and obligation to constantly remind the boy about your own personal box of cereal you leave at Taehyung’s during the cases you really needed something healthy to snack on during the day. The box had been emptying rather quickly over the past few weeks, leaving you to constantly go out to refill the stock, initially thinking nothing of it, until right now…

“You’re the reason I’ve been running out so quickly!” You accuse, pacing quickly to the cabinet to dig through and find the box in question.

“It’s not my fault they’re so good!” Jungkook snaps back.

Taehyung merely watches the scene with another amused look, settling himself down at the kitchen table to get started on his homework.

You pull the Cheerios box out of the cabinet, face falling upon discovering how light it has become. “You finished the whole fucking thing?” You inquire incredulously as you open the box and realize that while it is not completely devoid of those brown little donut shapes you’ve become so fond of eating over the past few years, Jungkook should have might as well finished the whole thing. Without a warning, you turn around and throw the box at him. It hits the back of his head with a hollow bang. “Asshole, I just bought this yesterday!”

“Great!” Jungkook says back, mouth full of Cheerios, holding up an empty bowl. “You can buy some more today. I just finished this.”

You narrow your eyes as you bend down momentarily to swipe up the box from the floor, straightening to bring the cardboard back down on Jungkook’s head. Although you have a tiptoe slightly (because Jungkook is tall, and you height brings you up to his neck at best), there is still a high feeling of satisfaction as Jungkook sputters something incoherent upon the box making contact with his head again. There is more force behind the attack this time, because he hunches over and tries to make himself as small as possible. However, this only makes it easier for you to continuously hit him with the cereal box.

“Ow—fuck—stop that!” Jungkook crows. “Why are you hitting so hard—you’re a lot stronger than you look.”

“Damn right!”

“Okay—okay—shit, ow!” Jungkook continues. “Fine, fine—what if I bought the Cheerios myself?”

“Then you’ll just eat them all over again!”

“Two!” He manages. “Two—I’ll buy two! I’ll label them and everything!”

Satisfied with the events, you elect to stop hitting him with the Cheerios box. You step away, watching Jungkook straighten out, his cheeks red. “You’d better.”

Watching Jungkook grumble out his response makes the smallest of smiles curl on your lips. Just a little bit.

.

One month upon Jungkook’s intrusion in your life through fate brings you into Taehyung’s apartment, pocketing the keys as you try to balance the take-out food you have in your hands. “Hey Tae, Jungkook.”

You enter the apartment to find Taehyung sitting at the breakfast table, but you stop upon noticing something wrong with the situation before you. There’s no other tall, brown-haired boy lodging around, flickering through the TV, or dancing around in the kitchen, or blasting music from his laptop.

Taehyung seems to read your mind, because he barely even spares you a glance as he answers the question you are about to ask: “Jungkook left.”

You blink, unable to help the feeling of a brick falling in your stomach. “What?”

“His apartment was finished yesterday, so he moved back in this morning.”

You bite your lip. “Well, I guess the place will be a lot quieter with him gone huh?” You turn your back to him as you rest the take-out bag on the counter, internally cursing yourself and the feelings that rumble in your chest with the realization that Jungkook was out of Taehyung’s apartment. While a part of you was supposed to expect his eventual departure (his place in Taehyung’s house had always been temporary), you still feel slightly disappointed to know that you will no longer walk into Taehyung’s apartment to find Jungkook coming out of the shower—water sticking to his bangs—or trying out new recipes when it was his turn to cook dinner.

“Mm, is that take-out?” Taehyung inquires, drawing you out of your thoughts. He laces his fingers together and stretches them over his head.

“Yeah, it’s…” You trail off, turning to read the restaurant name plastered across the take-out bag. “Jungkook’s favorite,” You find yourself saying before you can stop yourself.

Something glints in Taehyung’s eyes.

He looks at his phone and momentarily starts. “Oh shoot, Y/N, I totally forgot that I have a study session in like, five minutes. I have to go.”

Your face falls slightly. “But I bought all this food!”

Taehyung is still wearing a smile you can’t quite read yet. “Try room 267—the one across the hall. He would probably enjoy having company tonight.”

You frown, rubbing at your forehead. “Tae, I’m not in the mood for your games.”

“Trust me,” Taehyung says, swinging his backpack over his shoulder and disappearing out of the apartment, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Room 267… what on earth?

However, considering that you don’t have anything to lose, you grab the take-out box and make you way to 267, which so happens to be a few doors down from Taehyung’s. Not thinking too much into it, you knock on the door and wait.

Jungkook opens the door, and looks startled. “Y/N, what are you doing here?”

You stare at Jungkook for a second before you start to laugh, because Taehyung, that motherfucker. “Oh, Jungkook, hey, how are you?”

He bites his lip as if he’s trying to diffuse a grin. “I’m good. Happy to be back in my apartment. Tae’s couch was a killer on the back.”

“Ah, of course. I forgot how much the drama queen needs his beauty sleep,” You retort with a roll of your eyes.

“How else was I supposed to go around and impress you?” Jungkook plays along, winking a little as his grin merely widens in response. “So what can I help you with? I didn’t realize you would have missed me this much—I just left this morning.”

“You’re hilarious,” You sneer lightly. “But, uh, no, not really. Tae couldn’t eat dinner with me, and I bought way too much food so maybe you’d like to finish this with me?” You hold up the take-out, purposely showing off the name of Jungkook’s favorite restaurant, watching the way his eyes darken as he suddenly opens the door wider.

“You know I never say no to free food.”

“Yah, that reminds me, you still owe me 5 boxes of Cheerios now that you’re gone!”

Jungkook scoffs as he leads you towards the kitchen. The remodeling of his apartment had definitely done wonders to the place, despite the fact that you have never seen Jungkook’s place before the refurbishments. Everything looks cleaner and fresh, with a slightly more modern twist that looks so Jungkook for some reason—the sight makes you smile. “It was just 5 boxes!”

“Easy for you say—you were the one who ate most of them!” You retort as you place the take-out bag on the kitchen counter, suddenly becoming aware of how disarmingly quiet the apartment has grown.

Spinning on your heel, you notice Jungkook leaning against the wall, giving you a look you can’t quite place yet. “How about…” He starts in a slow, delicate sort of voice. “I make it up to you by taking you out on a date?”

You blink, having not expected that. “What?”

You must sound so exasperated by the question that Jungkook averts his gaze from you. “Well, I don’t know—it’s free food for you, and I’d be the one paying—!”

“No, no, it’s not the food.” You take a step forward, your heart beating a little quicker in your chest. However, in spite of this, you can’t help the slightly smug smile that finds itself across your mouth. “You’re asking me out on a date?”

“Well—uh, yeah.” When he sees your smile, he flushes. “You don’t have to say yes, I just thought I’d ask—I just think you’re really interesting… and I’ve kind of always wanted to get to know you more—you know, outside of Tae’s apartment.”

“Jungkookie-ah,” You drop in a teasing voice. “Are you trying to say you have a crush on me?”

He manages a half-hearted, one-shoulder. “Maybe—but maybe I’m also asking because I saw the way you were checking me when I was naked that one time, and I’m trying to spare you the embarrassment of you having to ask me out yourself.”

You choke. “You weren’t even totally naked.”

“That’s a sight you would have liked to see, huh?”

You shake your head. “You’re unbelievable. You know, for a guy trying to ask a girl out on a date, you’re not doing a really good job of selling yourself.” You’re trying to sound serious, but the smile in your voice completely gives you away.

Jungkook detaches himself from the wall. “I’m trying a few different tricks. Are any of them working?”

“Maybe you could try asking me a little bit nicer,” You challenge, tilting your chin up a little.

“I already did—!” Jungkook starts, but he stops when he catches your look. “Okay, okay.” He approaches you with a cautious tap in his step. He takes your hand, and you let him. “Y/N,” He starts, giving you doe-eyes and tilting his head a little to give you a look you can’t help but smile a little at. “Will you pretty please, with sprinkles on top of vanilla ice cream—because I know you hate cherries—let me take you out on a date?”

The little fact he throws in about the ice cream and the cherries makes a giggle erupt from the back of your throat, and you’re laughing a little. Jungkook watches you fondly.

“Yes I will—but now that you’ve bought up vanilla ice cream and sprinkles, you know that I’m expecting a part of this date to incorporate dessert.”

He grins as he leans forward and swiftly kisses your cheek. “Honestly, I would have been surprised if you weren’t.”

[thisisluxurytravel]

Review of Six Senses Uluwatu in the time of Coronavirus in Bali

I spent 3 days at Six Senses Uluwatu in May. It is one of the few hotels in Bali that stayed open during the crisis. Read on for my general review of the Six Senses Bali as well as my impression of what it feels like to travel during the Coronavirus

  Getting to the Six Senses Uluwatu.

The Six senses is located in the southernmost part of Bali. It is a mere 30 minutes drive from the airport so very convenient if you are coming to Bali for just a few days.

I came from villa Seaview near Air sanih in the North of Bali. So it was a long drive that took over 3 hours.

I was in Bali before all the travel lockdowns started and decided to ride the coronavirus here. I stayed in a beautiful and isolated villa Seaview and had been self-isolating in the house for 8 weeks. You can find more info about the villa here. As the coronavirus situation in Bali seemed mostly under control, I decided it was time to go for a minivacation and the six senses seemed like a good and safe option.

A car from Six Senses Uluwatu came to pick me up at 9 am and we drove through the whole island. I felt weird to go out of the house after 8 weeks. We drove through many villages in North Bali where life seemed almost normal. I was impressed that most of the people seemed to be wearing masks and water stations for hand washing have appeared everywhere.

Ubud and the south of Bali were much quieter with most of the shops and restaurants targeted to tourists still closed. It had an eery feeling.

  Checking in the Six Senses Uluwatu

We arrived around 12:30.

As we crossed the hotel security, an officer did the normal car security check. What was different this time is that he took my temperature.

The resort is built along a cliff and the lobby is at the top of the cliff. The view from the lobby goes out to the sea and is stunning.  There were very few customers in the hotel. I was told they were running at 10 percent occupancy.

My check-in was very swift with no other customers’ in sight. I was given a drink of Jammu (a Balinese mediational drink) and a few delicious cookies.

I and my luggage were then transferred into a golf cart and we were on our way to the villa

  The Six senses Uluwatu resort and its infrastructure

As we were driving down the curvy lane, I realized how massive and built up the Six Senses resort actually is. There are over 100 rooms. Most of them are little villas with a private pool. Given the cliffside location, all the rooms have a beautiful sea view.

What surprised me however is that we could not hear the sea. The cliff is so tall that even if you are by the side of the cliff, you can’t hear the ocean. I was coming from villa Seaview by the sea in North Bali where the pool falls into the sea and had gotten addicted to the sound of the wave so that was a bit of a disappointment.

The main area of the resort is by the cliff. There you will find the restaurants, bars, spa, gym, library, boutique, and the main pool.

The main pool is simply stunning. Imagine a huge infinity pool right by the cliff. No-one could tell me the length of the pool but I would guess it was at least 100 meters long. Most of the time, I had that huge pool to myself and it was an amazing place to do laps.

The lounge chairs by the pool are plush and comfortable. Service was flawless with water and towels brought up each time I arrived. Worth noting that the umbrellas are not moveable so at some time of the day it was difficult to get shade (and the resort is facing South)

The pool is surrounded by the Roka and Crudo restaurants. The Roka Bar has a great location and sea view.

I didn’t get to try the spa. The gym was unimpressive. It was relatively small and didn’t have a sea view so I didn’t use it. The equipment looked clean and modern though so you can keep your workout routine while there.

The garden is beautifully landscaped with a lot of bougainvillea and other exotic plants. My only complaint would be that the resort is too built up with rows upon rows of Villa. I understand that land in Bali is getting expensive and most new hotels in Bali are overbuilt. But as the six senses resorts promote sustainability, I would have appreciated a bit more space left to nature and gardens like at the Six Senses Con Dao

  The activities at Six Senses Uluwatu

Six senses usually have a weekly program of activities to keep guests entertained. I was looking forward to it (especially since I had stayed home for 8 weeks before that)

I was a bit disappointed to see that little activities were organized that week which is understandable given the low occupancy of the resort. The only activity on offer was the outdoor cinema.

The cinema is located on the right of the main pool and is totally breath-taking. I was alone so I could choose the movie from a list of about 40 movies. I loved every moment of it. Don’t miss it!

While in Bali, don’t miss exploring the island. You can read about day trips to East, West, North and even the center of Bali here.

The cliffside villa room review at Six senses Uluwatu

I stayed in the cliffside villa 36. Most of the villas at Six senses Uluwatu are one-bedrooms cliffside villas. They are quite modern and pleasantly laid out. Calling them “villa” is maybe an exaggeration because it is basically a bedroom and a large bathroom and a terrace with a pool.

The room is very well designed and comfortable. The style is “zen chic” and reminded me more of the Alila brand than the other Six Senses I have stayed at before.

The room is full of automation. You can control everything from the bed (except the pool and garden lights which are automatic so you can’t turn them off yourself). I don’t understand why hotels invest so much in-room automation. I personally find it annoying. For some reason, on my last day, the radio came on at 6:15 AM and the same song played 3 or 4 times. I never found out how to turn it off but fortunately, it turned off by itself.

The bathroom is the highlight of the room. There are 2 outdoor showers, 1 indoor shower and a great bathtub from where to relax with a pool and sea view. There is also a Japanese style toilet that stays warm the whole time. I am not sure how these fit with six senses eco-friendly values.

The pool is on the small size but big enough for a bit of swimming and I really enjoyed alternating my days between the privacy of the room pool and the splendor of the main cliffside pool.

My only regret is that the villas are too close to each other and I could hear the people staying in the villa next to me.

  TIP1: if you want more privacy on your terrace, avoid the rooms near the central staircase.

TIP 2: the best villas are located at the bottom of the resort. Nearer the cliff and facilities of the resort. The lower you are, the easier it will be to climb up to your room after a visit to the restaurants or the spa.

If you are traveling with a group or family, there are 2- and 3-bedrooms villas available. The presidential villa looks stunning.

  Review of the food at Six senses Uluwatu

As can be expected from Six Senses, the food was very good.

Due to the low occupation of the hotel, only the Roka restaurant was open.

It is a large restaurant with a view of the cliff and an indoor and outdoor area.

The breakfast was a la carte as there were not enough customers to justify a buffet

It was a cloudy day so we could use the terrace and enjoy the Seaview.

TIP: If you don’t want sugar in your juices, mention it. My first juice was very sweet

Service was impeccable and the food tasty.

Worth noting that as a precaution for the coronavirus, they would take our temperature and give hand sanitizer before allowing entry to the restaurant

True to the Six senses habit, there was a free ice cream station. It is located near the library and the boutique. I enjoyed my daily ice cream to keep me fresh on my way climbing back to the room.

  My impressions of traveling in Bali during the Coronavirus crisis

While we move to the “new normal” phase and learn to live with the virus, many people are wondering if travel can still be enjoyable.

While some changes are noticeable, it didn’t prevent me from really enjoying my stay at Six Senses Uluwatu.  I view the measures of temperature checking, hand sanitizer, and extra cleaning as necessary to ensure everybody’s health and safety. The staff was all wearing facemask which sometimes made them harder to understand but it is in my opinion a small price to pay if it means we can still enjoy travel. After staying home in lockdown for so many weeks, traveling to a new destination feels like taking a breath of fresh air.

The tourism industry has been one of the hardest hit by the Coronavirus crisis so traveling during this time also provides an income to many people who need it right now. Balinese people are very proud and will not complain but many have been hit financially very hard.

The rate of Coronavirus infection in Bali is much lower than in many other countries so the risks are probably lower here than in your home country. What you need to be careful of is not to bring the virus to the destinations that you visit. I did get a quick test before traveling and I think it is a responsible thing to do.

I would also suggest avoiding crowded places and built up hotels. Staying in low-density hotels or private villas is probably the way to go for the next few months

With those precautions in mind, happy travel!

  Conclusion

The Six Senses Uluwatu resort deserves praises for its great service and modern rooms with private sea view pools. The promotional rate due to Coronavirus is a great value (you need to book it directly with the hotel). I recommend the hotel to people coming to Bali for a few days who want a convenient and relaxing escape in Bali.

Be aware that the hotel feels much more built-up than the other six Senses resort and has little Balinese feel. You could be in a luxury hotel anywhere in the world. If you are looking for a beach hotel, it is also not the place for you as there is no beach access.

The post Review of Six Senses Uluwatu in the time of Coronavirus in Bali appeared first on Luxury travel Inspiration.

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[ti-infires30x]

Symphonic Dysfunction

Chapter 1

The cavernous walls of the hallway seemed stifling and cramped this morning. Namjoon usually found solace in the sound of his shoes click clacking across the tile, reverberating and filling the empty hall as if the acoustics were built for him. A far cry  from the Performing Arts Center that his father had conducted at, with its slatted panels that shifted and directed the sound offstage as if the world was his music box for just a few minutes. Still, he was grateful for what he had here at the YONSEI. Even if the Auditorium practically rattled,  he would make the best of it. Even if ‘the best of it’ included having his kids play their concert in the hallway outside so they could understand how it feels to hear and be heard. The first hour or so that Namjoon was at school were hardly his favorite of the day but they were definitely moments of silence that he cherished. As an interim conductor of 3 string Orchestras, a full symphony, and his part-time student status as he grapples to juggle his final semester toward his Masters degree in Conducting, he has little time to himself.

Running a hand over his face, he wipes his eyes and lets out a yawn as he finally rounds the bend to the fine arts hall. Why they stuck my parking space all the way over by the gym with the coaches, I will never know. Namjoon made it a point to avoid the coaches at all cost after their altercation over funding in the fall. How many soccer jerseys can one team need that we don’t even have room in the budget for a proper score library? Coach Wonho, a rookie soccer coach who everyone took a shining to because of  his reputation as a former starter for the South Korean Olympic team, assumed upon meeting Namjoon that he was a fellow coach. An easy misconception to adopt largely because of Namjoon’s towering height, youth, and physical fitness, however Mr.Kim was quick to correct his colleague. Ever since Namjoon told Wonho exactly where he could go to find his precious special edition cleats for his team, the two had not necessarily been on good terms.

Regardless, Mr.Kim continued to plow on and was already being thrust into his 2nd semester as Orchestra director for the YONSEI University symphony program. Mrs. Eun Joo had been very pregnant at the beginning of last year’s fall semester and had left on her 3 month maternity leave.  3 months turned into 6 months which turned into her resignation as word spread of the paternity of her child. Wonho walked around like he was the most virile man in South Korea for months afterward. The Dean, of course, caught wind and every member of faculty was greeted at the beginning of the term with a flowery email filled with sheepish wording that said in no uncertain terms: don’t fuck your coworkers. Especially the married ones.

Inadvertent as his employment was, he loved it nonetheless. The chief reason that you could tell that Mr. Kim Namjoon loved nothing more in his life than his job was the smile that could be seen on his face whenever he saw one of his kids. The visible change as his chest swelled with pride, his eyes brightened, and his legendary dimples appeared was infectious.  Each student carried that energy and confidence with them throughout their day because when that pride is directed at you, there can be no doubt in your mind that it is genuine and deserved. Of course, he can only call them his ‘kids’ in his head since in reality, there are quite a few members who are considerably older than he is.

Checking his watch, Namjoon winces at the time. 7:45am. Right on time for sectionals. With a concert date looming, Namjoon decided to buckle down and have the kids lead student taught sectionals for his struggling club students. Led by the Chamber top group, of course, the advanced students would instruct the non-major students who were merely in the Camerata Orchestra for something to be involved in, with drills and practice techniques to level up in their musicianship. As lovely as an idea that Namjoon remains convinced that it was, since its inception about 2 weeks ago, it has gone less than smoothly. The first Monday sectional featured the section leader of the violas abandoning their Little’s altogether upon hearing them screech out the opening chord of their Telemann. That Wednesday, the 1st violin first stand knocked over what had to have been the tiniest freshman girl on campus  in their attempt to rock paper scissor who gets to play the tuning note. Oh, and the poor dear that told Hobi he should ‘lighten up’. I honestly don’t know if she’s going to pick up a bass ever again.

It was now the following Friday and it was time for none other than the cello sectionals. The previous week they had gone fairly well under the guidance of Park Jimin, and Namjoon saw considerable improvement of the Camerata group’s G major 3 octave scales in rehearsal. They were working hard and there was no doubt that the reason for the improvement was Jimin’s skill paired with Taehyung’s sheer magnetic approachability. And his smile, of course his smile. As talented a cellist as Jimin is, Kim Taehyung could make the devil feel comfortable in a church. Of course it helps that many of the freshman girls were absolutely infatuated with him. And with good reason, it must be said.

Fumbling with his belongings  at the big double doors of the Orchestra hall, Namjoon goes red in the face as he drops his keys. Again. He’s had a set of keys for the Orchestra Hall since his sophomore year as a student. He was in the room more than the instructors so Eun Joo-nim finally caved and printed her annoying little try-hard a copy.

His father had told him that he should never do something he enjoyed as a job because it would soon become a chore, however, he was never happier than he was now. The job came with its difficulties of course, he got very little respect from the rest of the staff. Namjoon tried to remain patient with those who condescended to him, he really did. He fully understands how ludicrous and humiliating it must be to have a department head who has only been able to drink alcohol legally for 3 years. At 22, he was the youngest faculty member by a long shot, but that didn’t bug him at all. Having graduated high school at 16, 3 years ahead of his peers, he was comfortable with being the youngest in the room. What made Namjoon uncomfortable was the assumption that he was inherently less than qualified just because of his age. If I’m a shitty conductor, then I’m a shitty conductor but don’t you dare pin that on my age.

“Good morning Mr.Kim!”, the proud bearer of a boxy, bouncy smile swoops down and picks up Namjoon’s keys for him. Namjoon can’t help but melt a little as Taehyung grins at him as if he’s never been happier to see someone in his entire life. Taehyung is blissfully unaware of his slightly dishevelled state, touting sweatpants with one leg rolled halfway up his shin, a massive hoodie that he stole from his older brother, ashen hair that stuck straight up the back of his head, and a sleep-puffed face.

“Good morning Taehyungie,”, Namjoon indulges, as he swings the door wide for Taehyung to accommodate his cello. “And don’t call me Mr. Kim.”

“Yah, Tae! Hold the door!” From down the hall, an undeniably beautiful man cartoonishly speedwalks to the door, laden with a stack of papers that makes the broad man look tiny.

“Good morning, Jin!” Tae chimes once again.

Chest heaving, Jin storms into the office door that sits adjacent to the front entrance of the Orchestra Hall and sets the papers down with a huff.

“Yah! You call this maknae ‘Mr.Kim’ but all I get is “Good morning, Jin”? You should be ashamed, how can you treat your hyung like that? Worse still, your concertmaster? I bust my ass making sure we have scores and assignments and all I get is-” Jin’s half-hearted, bemused tirade is cut off as abruptly as it begins as another boy enters the room, the door yawning shut behind him.

“Kim Namjoon. Kim Seokjin. Kim Taehyung.” His soft voice renders any harsher tone obsolete and the boys stare at the smaller boy blinkingly as he takes up the remaining space in the office. As if answering their unspoken question he stifles a yawn and mumbles, “You’re all “Mr.Kim”.’

The tirade quieted, Jimin rolls his case to his section and begins unpacking his cello. A stark difference from his stand partner, Jimin is the picture of elegance. Or as elegant as a 21 year old man can get. His honey colored hair perfectly in place, dressed simply in a loose collared shirt and ripped dark jeans, Taehyung continuously found himself captivated with the effortless way that Jimin presented himself. I wish I could be that cool. Looking down at his own clothes, he mentally kicks himself for not putting in more effort on a day to day basis. That’s just not where my energy goes,he reconciles with himself, I’m concerned with other things.

Taehyung crosses the hall to the cello locker room, fetches his cello case, and returns to take his place next to Jimin as second chair. Jimin frets over his cello, rosining his bow, tuning and re-tuning, ensuring his music is in the right order. Glancing over at Tae, who is busying himself with plucking out chords in an attempt to play a double stop that he hasn’t yet heard, Jimin grows envious of Tae’s care-free nature. I wish I could just fly into things like Tae does, without a plan. It would save me so much trouble.

All too aware of the silence that has settled in the hall since he stopped his plucking, Tae clears his throat to cut the awkward tension. The most unsettling thing is silence in a place that is supposed to be filled with noise.

“So what are we going over in sectionals with the Little’s today?”

“Tae, you can’t call them Little’s, Jeong Jae-Sun is a year older than us.”

“But. But. He’s so… Little!” Tae pouts. “Have you seen his bow hold? He might be able to knock me out in one punch and outdrink… well, you; but he has the bow hold of a 6th grade girl.”

“Yeah I know Tae, I was tempted to bring thumbtacks to fix our Yoo Soo Jin’s collapsing wrist. If they keep playing like this, they’re going to hurt themselves.”

Jimin falls silent and rubs his wrist, empathetic pain from his own tendonitis flaring at the memory of their poor posturing. I got hurt, and I was playing correctly. Jimin had played violin since he was 3 and while he was training for his audition for Julliard his sophomore year, he worked so tirelessly that he developed carpal tunnel syndrome and couldn’t play for months. The beginning of the end of his promising violin career.

    Namjoon takes long strides out of his office to his place on the podium before chuckling, “First of all, no one could ever out drink our Jiminnie. Second of all, I’m glad you’re showing so much concern for the well being and progress of our kids because we’re having an emergency rehearsal Saturday and I need you there if you can make it.”

    Tae heaves a great dramatic sigh and throws his head back, sinking down into his chair until the neck of his cello is resting on the back of his chair. “And if I can’t make it?”

    Namjoon sobers a bit and faces Tae, “Then I completely understand, but I do hope you can make it. You make the kids more comfortable. They love you.”

    Jimin bends to set his end pin up and then hoists his cello up onto his shoulder, “Besides, what do you have planned? You practically live here.”

    “That’s pretty rich coming from the one that I found sleeping in a practice room at 4am last week.” Tae shoots back in mock defense.

    “Yeah, and what were you doing by the practice rooms at 4am last week?” Jimin wheedles.

    Tae’s face falls when he sees that he’s been beat. ”...Practicing.”

    Jimin’s face brightens into a smug shit eating grin and his posture screams an explicit, check mate.

    Tae, already embarrassed at being outed hangs his head over his cello and absently picks at the rosin build up under his bridge. Face reddening at the anticipation of the ribbing to come, Tae mumbles, “I have a date on Saturday.”

    Jin materializes from thin air next to the podium and begins shouting about how “this girl better not break your heart” and “make sure you stay safe, use protection, you don’t know what these hoes got” and “oh lord, he’s just a kid. Don’t you think you should wait a while to date again?”

    Namjoon raises a hand to silence Jin and melts further at the visibly mortified maknae in front of him. Leaning down to where they meet eye to eye, he smiles affectionately at Tae. “Well, who is it?”

    Tae, grateful for the reprieve in shouting, allows his smile to fall open once more and his cheeks redden in a very different tone as he recalls the object of his infatuation. I can’t believe I got this lucky. Years of pining and I finally got her to say yes to  a date. A real date.

    “Chung So-Young.” Jimin could tell from the lilting way Tae hung onto every vowel in her name as if he were afraid to let go of them, that he was head over heels for her.  

    “Oh, the saxophone player from Jazz Band? I thought she was with Hobi?” Jin pops Tae’s love sick bubble without remorse.

    Visibly pouting, Tae snaps back, “Look, if I swore off being interested in any girls that Hobi-hyung has been with then I would never date anyone. I don’t have many options as it is since Kang Mo-Yeon turned the entire Yonsei English Society against me. And I really like this girl.”

    Jin returns to the office, fuming. Shutting the door firmly behind him, he lasts a good 3 seconds before whipping it back open and marching back to the cello stand. Tae might have been intimidated by the massive man barreling towards him with rage in his eyes had it not been for the knowledge of his intent. Jin comes to a halt and in a deluge of profanity begins cursing anything that has to do with Kang Mo-Yeon and the YES club. “How dare she cheat on you and then convince half of the campus that you’re the jackass?! Tae-Tae?! You couldn’t hurt a fly! You’re a jackass but you’re OUR jackass and if she publishes one more vaguely accusatory article in the English Paper I will single handedly drag her ass-”

    “Jin-hyung.” the honorific coming from Namjoon is enough to give Jin reason to pause. Namjoon jerks his head to the door and the herd of cellists that are gathering around it, waiting for the sectional to begin. “There’s a time and a place. They don’t all need to know his business.” Turning to Tae, he places his hand on top of Tae’s mop of hair and  smiles down at him. “Have fun on your date. Just know that there will be a legion of cellist noonas absolutely heartbroken that their handsome oppa isn’t there to show them thumb position for the upteenth time.” Laughing at the sheepish flush that graces the boys cheeks once again, Namjoon adds, “Oh, and stop giving May Sun private lessons, I overheard her working in the practice room the other day and she knows how to do everything you’re teaching her. She’s been playing dumb to get more time with you.”

    Struck dumb by that information and deaf by the resounding cackle from his stand partner, Tae sits mouth agape like a fish as the floodgates of the door break and none other than May Sun is the first to breach the Orchestra room.

    “Good Morning Taehyung oppa!” a bright girl who is far too well done up for 8am, in a cute outfit, heels, and full makeup, plants herself firmly in front of Taehyung and presents a muffin to him. “I brought you breakfast, oppa! I wanted to say thank you for all of the time you’ve spent with me on lessons this week. Kamsahamnida- oppa!”

    Jimin does his best to choke down his laughter but Taehyung just straight up chokes. Stuttering like his bow in the Dvorak piece, he numbly takes the muffin and, in an attempt to avoid further conversation, stuffs the whole thing in his mouth.

    Namjoon prompts the confused looking girl to unpack her instrument so they can start sectionals, and she scatters to do as she’s told. Jimin leads sectionals in his signature matter of fact style, fixing bow holds now and again. Although he receives less attention borne of infatuation from his pupils, he receives the most respect and attentiveness. Jimin has studied at Julliard and has a reputation as being hands down,  the best cellist in the school, and the most stern. Conscious of his intimidating demeanor in rehearsal settings, Jimin is glad to have Taehyung present to lighten the mood. Jimin is glad for the company but frustrated that this is the one facet of the musical process that he doesn’t excel at. Taehyungie is training to become an Orchestra teacher, it only makes sense that he is a natural teacher. People are drawn to his personality, people are drawn to my music. There’s a reason I’m applying for my Master’s in Cello Performance and not Music Education. Despite his regular pep talk regarding the fact that it is ok to not excel at teaching, Jimin still envies the easy way that Tae corrects the kids with kindness and patience shining in his eyes.

    8:40am comes and goes and students enrolled in the 9am Symphony block class begin to show up. A small boy with shining white hair stalks in without a word and settles into the back row of the 2nd violin section as if he was made for that chair. Somehow willing himself invisible even in the morning light, he fades into the background of the classroom. Tae waves at him from his adjacent place in the Orchestra, furiously mouthing “Morning, Yoongi-ssi!”

    Next to make an appearance was a man with the complete opposite and equal energy as Yoongi. A tall figure entered that exuded so much attitude that he actually sauntered into the room through the side door. Dressed to the nines in an effortlessly cool look of dark jeans, a dangerously low-buttoned collared shirt, and the latest Yeezy’s that color coordinated perfectly with his round tinted glasses and bandana. Every head in the Hall turned to follow his gait to the bass locker as if transfixed by his energy. He appeared aware of but completely unbothered by the attention he was receiving, even smirking slightly as he met eyes with several of the cellists, making them blush furiously.

    Namjoon takes advantage of the pause in productivity to address him from the podium. “Nice to have you back Hoseok-hyung. I trust the Jazz Studies field trip went well and you are returning to us as a more enlightened and sensitive musician.”

To which Hobi grins, scratching the back of his head and stammers something along the lines of ‘Uh… yeah it was, great.”

    Seokjin peeks his head out from the office and shouts, “He went to New Orleans and he studied… jazz? Yeah right, Namjoon. He is returning to us with a higher alcohol tolerance and at least 3 STD’s.”

    “SEOKJIN. NOT the time.” Namjoon pulls out his Director-nim voice that he hides away for special occasions such as these.

    The entirety of the participants of the now long dismissed sectional remain standing in the back, watching the verbal volley with bated breath. Eyes bouncing from Jin to Hobi to Namjoon as if if the contents of the conversation were going to be on their final exam.

    “Don’t you guys have classes to go to? Go on, scatter.” Jimin speaks up, shooing the group away with no regard to his social reputation with them.

    The remainder of the relatively small 20 piece orchestra files in, class begins and they go straight into the Holst Planets movements that they had been agonizing over for months. After Hu Yoon-Ji and Seokjin’s savage ‘discussion’ about whether the Andante Maestoso should start on an upbow or downbow, the final missing seat is filled. Another boy barrels in and as soon as he comes into view he gives the impression that he has grown very quickly in a very short period of time. Not exactly towering in height, but large and muscular, he looks as if he should be on his way to lacrosse practice, not Orchestra. He chucks his bag near across the room and rushes to unpack his violin. Crashing through the rest of the Orchestra, nearly knocking Baek Chi-Young’s stand over in the process, he finally takes his seat next to Jin, a huge smile plastered across his face.

    “Nice of you to join us Jungkook.” Namjoon, says, with only minor sarcasm.

    “Joesonghamnida, Sunbae-” Jungkook attempts a full 90 degree bow from his chair but ends up hitting his head on his stand and knocking his instrument out of tune. Rubbing his head, he looks up at Namjoon apologetically. Namjoon could tell that he had prepared a well thought out apology and excuse to present on behalf of his tardiness but the lump on his head and the humiliated look on his face was all the penance he needed.

    “That’s okay Jungkook. Just tell Coach Wonho that you need to leave soccer practice early next week and I’m sure we can get you here on time.”

    “Yes, sunbae.”

    “And stop calling me Sunbae, Kookie.”

    “Yes, sun-... Namjoon-hyung.”

After running their 30 minute show, once, twice, and spot checking trouble areas, Namjoon finally released the class.

    “Good work today, guys!” Namjoon bellows to the fleeing kids.

    “Get home safe, hyung!” Echoes back from the retreating crowd and Namjoon is sure that it’s Hu Yoon-Ji.

    “With Jin driving? Not likely!”

    “Yah, drive yourself then!” Jin snips back from his position in the office.

Although Namjoon was technically Jin’s sunbae by occupation, Jin is more than happy to point out the 2 year age difference between the two roomates. Jin casts his thoughts back to his freshman orientation. He had waited on pins and needles for his roommate assignment and was shocked when a gangly boy with a jet black bowl haircut rolled in with a suitcase that was wider than himself. Tagging behind were an older couple that he assumed were his parents.

“Kim Namjoon?” Jin questioned, as the boy took in the room with oddly wise eyes.

“Pleased to meet you. You must be Kim Seokjin. You’re a violin performance major, aren’t you?” Dumbfounded by this child’s confidence, Jin merely nodded. Namjoon’s parents rushed in with a distinct air of protectiveness.

“So you’re Namjoon’s roomate? Please take care of him. He won’t be here long so just, while he’s here, can you please make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble for himself?” Jin agreed as noncommittally as possible and then beat a hasty retreat to the hall on the pretense of saying goodbye to his parents. His parents had left hours ago, but he needed distance from the smothering tension in that tiny brick prison. Catching his breath just outside the door he catches snippets of a conversation. Chills ran down his spine as they always do when you know that you’re overhearing something that was never intended for your ears.

“You’re only 16, are you sure you don’t want to take a gap year or two? We can still get a spot in the Engineering camp that offered you a scholarship.”

“Min-ya, it’s not worth it. He won’t listen to us. You’ve been telling him for years to abandon this music foolishness.”

What surprised Jin the most wasn’t the sentiment from Namjoon’s parents, it was more common than not in the fine arts department for students to not have the blessing of their parents. What took Jin aback was the stony silence coming from Namjoon’s side of the conversation, as if he had nothing to say so nothing should be said. That level of maturity from a sixteen year old kid was something unheard of. Even Jin, who had a supportive, if absentee family, snapped at his mother occasionally with his 19 years of experience.

He decided at that point that he would do exactly as Ms.Kim requested of him. He would protect little Namjoon and hopefully learn as much as he can from him. Not that he would ever tell him that.

“Jin-hyung, what time is your Music Theory class today?” Namjoon interrupts.

“I only teach Tuesday and Friday. We can go home for lunch and come back at 2pm for Philharmonia.”

“Excellent!” Namjoon, practically bounces out of his chair, rocking on the balls of his feet. Slipping into his jacket he qualifies, “Do you want to go to Goreul-saem first, I don’t feel like cooking tonight.”

“Namjoon, you haven’t cooked in 6 years.”

“Yah, I cook sometimes! I made ramyeon for you last week.”

“Jinja, fine. We’ll go out. But I know it’s just because of that cute noona that works the register.”

“No, I-” Namjoon panics as he goes to lock the door of the Orchestra room behind him.

“Yah, yah, yah, They serve the same menu at Booreul- saem but you’ve insisted on Goreul the past three weeks. Booreul is closer! I don’t care if you like her, just fucking ask her out already so I can stop wasting my time on it!”

Namjoon scratches the back of his head and stares at the floor. “I guess. Yeah, that’s true.”

“I know! When I have ever been wrong?” Jin slings his arm across the shoulders of his dongsaeng and they marched back down the hallway together.

[nickmahar]

The Making Of: American Giant

Camera: RED Dragon 6K Widescreen

Lens: Zeiss Ultra Primes

I talked in my previous post for Halo that I've been wanting to shoot most athletic and sports type commercials. I really like them because growing up all I did was play sports and most athletic commercials are very moody and stylized which I love. Not even 2 weeks after shooting Halo I was rushed into shooting a spot for Doug Cox and American Giant. The spot was simple, a few shots of people wearing American Giant workout gear walking straight and then intercutting sports shots and moments that encapsulate the sports world. 

Pre-Production

I'm always very hands on when it comes to pre-production so when we are looking for locations I help our producer look for locations. This would be a 2 day shoot with day 2 needing to be at a location that would accomplish every setup we needed while day 1 was running to specific locations around the bay area. Doug and Scott scouted the bay area locations and Scott and I discussed options for the second. We wanted a baseball field, track, classroom, and a few other options. We initially thought of the Berkeley Recreation center where we had previously shot a few spots for Google however they are currently under construction. Then Scott had the idea of seeing about shooting at my old high school, Dublin High. I graduated in 2009 and while I was leaving the school was undergoing total renovation to accommodate all the new homes and update the school. I go back to visit a few times a year to talk to the kids and I knew this would be the perfect location. 

We reached out to the video teacher Mike and worked it out so that we could shoot around the school during the normal school day without disturbing anything. 

Day 1

We started off the day bright and early in the Marin headlands in the North Bay. The location was a simple road in a forest that perfectly rounded over the road. Originally this location was scouted for the look and the fog but of course the day we shot had 0 fog. We arrived before the sunrise and prepped in the dark. Today was going to be a tough day for a matter of reasons. We rented extra batteries because everything was going to be ran off batteries, including the client monitor, I didn't have my normal AC John who I've had on probably every shoot I've done in the last 3 years, and we were run and gun with a steadicam. I had luckily brought a putt putt generator as backup to charge the 12 batteries we had because otherwise we would have been finished by noon. This also allowed us to use a fog machine our AD Mike had in his car. We didn't think it would work but amazingly we were able to fog up the area we wanted just enough that it stayed and looked like real fog. Our second spot was just down the road and the sun was blasting through some beautiful natural fog. 

Location 2 was by the bay bridge. We had the back part of a parking lot so that we could shoot our actress walking towards the city. This setup ended up taking much longer than it should have because we had a lot of traffic with people trying to hang out where we were shooting. The shot looked great and my team killed it even though we did a lot of the same takes. 

Lastly we finished at the beach. I love the beach but i'm not a big fan of shooting at one, especially in cold places like northern california. The biggest concern is sea water and air corroding the camera and metal pieces as well as the windy conditions. After a few takes we ended up finding a look we were happy with and we even got some unexpected birds into a few of the takes. 

Day 2

I was most excited for day 2 because it was not only at my old high school but it was handheld so I could react and create shots faster as well as we had more setups that I was excited to shoot. Our first and longest setup of the day was in a football locker room. Of course when we got into the room it felt like a train hit our faces with how strong the smell from the football pads were. I remember the smell from playing football but it was never THAT bad. I knew the look I wanted and there were some awesome skylights but I didn't know how we were going to get a light where I needed it. We eventually turned off all the lights and my gaffer Steve bravely figured out a way to get high enough to rig the one light i needed. Me explaining it doesn't do it justice so here are some photos I took of it. This setup was I believe a 1k HMI or maybe 1 600 from above and a small 1x1 LED in the shower to try and backlight any steam from the showers. The room was white so the light bounced all around the room and brought up the ambience. There were also some skylights and windows that were diffused as well. 

Next we started moving all around the school to the gym, nurse office, video production studio, track, baseball field, car truck, and finally we used the freshmen football game for our football shot. We needed a shot with the stadium lights on and our football player throwing up into a trash can. The freshmen game was coming to an end while we stood at the edge of the stadium getting our final shot. We ended up using a 1x1 LED to amplify the backlight but everything else was mostly natural light. That's the thing about run and gun or shoots that have an enormous amount of setups and a small grew, sometimes you have to just accept what you have. Thankfully I have a lot of experience with this from doing documentary stuff and am able to control a lot of it with my team. 

Conclusion

Overall the shoot went well! We did find ourselves very stressed and annoyed at some points because we were doing a lot and were undermanned however like true filmmakers we problem solved and made it work. The images from the shoot ended up being some of my favorite I've ever shot. I would like to special shout out our AD Michael for squeezing into the tiny football pads our actor couldn't fit into and spitting out sunny d over and over again. Getting him out of the pads was a massive challenge to the point it took 4 of us to get him out. I tried 2 times on my own and we thought the only way they were coming off was from cutting him out of it.