#it makes me beyond happy that overall they all seem to hold that time positively
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okay shutting up now
#except in the tags#as i usually do#omgdksbdksjfjdjfjjf#bye#alison speaks?#i need to truly shut up#but like#damn#idk idk idk idk#like sure i think theyâre mostly better off as soloist (imo liam was built to be in a band)#but like⌠i think itâs healthy for them to interact with memories and 1d stuff in a positive way#bc it is a very big part of their career no matter what is said#but i think continously pushing that arguement isnât great either#bc to a certain extent solo fans being upset about it#probably comes from the ever existing seniority complex within fandoms#that was VERY PREVALENT in the 1d community#like that insecurity is probably a fuel to it all#in a way that being an old directioner and them never touching a 1d track or speaking about it EVER wouldâve felt in a different sense#but beyond psycho analyzing thisâŚ.#all i truly hope for is them to be able to process that time#it makes me beyond happy that overall they all seem to hold that time positively#hell i was over the moon to see that zayn had even mentioned it at all#and i think yeah it took time because people are bound to ask#bc back to the other point⌠itâs a huge part of their careers and will probably always will be#and i get the want for them to be able to step away and continue to build themselves as soloists#but ignoring who they were in the group for the sake of solo work completely misses the point that#they are FULLY themselves when recognized for ALL their parts#X the soloist and X of one direction shouldnât be to different people#because theyâre not#(will continue in rb tags)
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Dreamer - Yandere!Vampire!Yeosang
Yandere AU & Vampire AU - First Person POV
Genre: Mature, Smutty Themes, Internal Monologue
Pairing:Â Yeosang X Implied Chubby!Fem!Reader
Words: 1,771
Warnings:Â Hunter/Prey dynamics, Invasion of dreams mentioned multiple times, Possessive and sexual thoughts, violence and blood mentioned. This is a Yandere story, it will contain themes such as stalking, violence, obsession, possessive natures, and just general overall creepiness and swearing. You have been warned.
A/n: It's been a while... sorry for the delay in posting things, like I said, life has been crazy! I hope you all enjoy this one, something short and sweet for you all. Dedicating this one to @anyamaris hehehe... As always, Feedback is greatly appreciated! Enjoy~
The Sixteenth and Final of The Feral Drabbles
The loud chiming of the clock tower rings through my ears, nearly drowning out all other sounds. Golden light filters in through the widows, filling the stone walls with the last rays of the setting sun. If I listen closely, I can still make out the faint sounds of your heavy breaths. You cannot escape me, Starling. No matter where you hide, no matter how far you run, I will always find you.
I donât know how many times I have told you how futile it is to try and get away from me, but you never seen to want to listen. Iâm starting to think you rather enjoy the chase. Something about the imminent danger I pose simply gets your blood thrumming with excitement. I can just tell.
Of course, I could end this all in an instant. I could appear beside you at any given moment. My speed and tracking abilities are unmatched, especially when I have what I want in my sights. Yet, where would the fun be in that? I love listening to your heart race because of me. I love knowing I can make your scent spike suddenly with the slightest of sounds. You can sense me getting closer, canât you? You know that I always get what I want, and what I want is you.
You smell amazing⌠Have I said that already? That pungent aroma of fear, permeated with the slightest thrill of excitement. Donât think I havenât noticed. After all, I know you better than you know yourself. In time, Iâll show you just how perfect I am for you, just as I know how perfect you are for me.
For months Iâve been studying you. The shadows have always been my friends, but when it comes to you, I am the shadows. All those dark and lonely nights I watched you, longing to be beside you, and finally be able to hold you in my arms. I longed to be able to brush my fingertips over your face, tracing loving patterns into your skin that only I can see. I wish to be there for you, and I so badly want you to be there for me.
Your soul called to me. The scent of your blood intoxicates me. Your laugh enchants me, and your smile sets my long dead heart aflutter. Just the sight of you has brought me back to life in ways I never thought possible, and I will cling to that essence of vitality for as long as we both shall live.
There is no me if there is no you.
Now, if only you could see that.
Iâll admit, knocking you out and bringing you to an unknown location was probably not the best way to properly introduce myself. In my defence though, I did overhear you talking to that one friend of yours about certain particular fantasies youâve always had. Youâll have to excuse me for jumping the gun. I got too excited, and besides, itâs not like you donât know me.
For months Iâve been appearing in your dreams. It started out small, just in passing at first. A glance of my face here. A hint of my voice there. You seemed to be reacting positively to me, too! I noticed a few times you seemed to be looking forward to my slight visits. Sometimes, youâd even go so far as to continue searching for me in your mind when I passed by. A fact of which made me happy beyond doubt.
Then came the nightmares.
Youâre prone to them, arenât you? The darkest recesses of your mind which you hide away in the light come creeping out of the shadows to torture you while in your most vulnerable state. Theyâre relentless, and unforgiving. A hindrance to your livelihood which dulls your shine, and petrifies your strength.
You can see why I couldnât have that. I vowed to keep you safe, and that will always include keeping you safe from yourself.
Which is why I had to step in. I couldnât leave you to suffer all alone. Not only could I prove to you how valuable I could be to you in your dreams, but it let me interact with you. Even on a subconscious level, I could tell it was going to benefit me greatly. I could talk to you, protect you, keep you interestedâŚ
And interested you were! I can still recall the way your eyes felt raking over my full visage for the first time. I could tell that you liked me, and that only made me know stepping into your subconscious mind was the right thing to do.Â
We were finally making progress! You could see me for who I was, and I could finally see you without hiding myself away. I could interact with you on a more personal level, even within a dream.Â
Everything I said, everything I did, was real. Thereâs no question about it. I would never deceive you like that, anyways. You deserve my truth, for it will soon become yours as well.
Those nightmares, though recurring, also let me understand you better. Those monsters stalking your dreams will never be able to hurt you again. I made sure of it. I showed them what a true beast looked like. Though, I will say, feeling their blood drip from my hands after rendering them limb from limb is immensely more satisfying in real life than within any dream your mind can conjure. I only wish I could have inflicted more damage on them while they were still aliveâŚ
They didnât suffer enough. Not after what they all did to you. Nobody hurts you, cheats you, lies to you and gets away with it. No one.
Iâll tear them all to shreds. Iâll rip their pathetic flesh from their bones and feed their mangled corpses to the sea. Hell is a blessing compared to what I have prepared for anyone that crosses you. After all, there is nothing I wouldnât do for youâŚ
Oh, look at me⌠getting so caught up in my thoughts of you again that I nearly missed the sound of you changing your hiding place. Itâs adorable how you think you can get away from me. As if you really want to. Why else would you have ran up the clocktower rather than out into the streets the first chance you got?
What will I get once I finally catch my prize? Iâll finally be able to properly feel your skin beneath my touch. Will you hold onto me as tightly as Iâll be holding onto you? Will you whisper my name so sweetly, granting me a long since desired wish? Or maybe, just maybeâŚa kiss?Â
Oh, how Iâve longed to feel your lips pressed against my own, My Sweet Starling. Ever since that one fateful night, that glorious dream we shared, Iâve been longing to know what you taste like in real life. Youâve already let me touch you once before, now all thereâs left to do is make your whole body shake in ecstasy in real life.
I know it was simply a dream, but fuck- I can still hear the way you cried out for me. The way your thighs wrapped around my head as I worshipped you between your legs⌠as I buried myself deep inside of you⌠I want to feel it again. This time, I want it to be real.
I want to hear those sinful lips of yours crying out my name. I want to hear you gasp as I sink my fangs into your flesh, and drink my fill of you. I want to feel your nails cutting into my back and pulling me closer because you cannot get enough of me. You already know that I can never get enough of you, and I will always prove that my love for you is true.
Oh, Starling⌠youâre going to make me moan if you keep smelling like thatâŚ
Delectable. Sinful.
âŚMine.
Already I can feel my mouth salivating at the thought of catching you. My fangs are nearly pricking my lips. Starling, I donât know if I can hold myself back for much longerâŚ
I can hear your heart racing nearly in time with mine.
Tell me⌠are you as excited as I am right now? Thereâs something about the thrill of the chase, isnât there? Knowing that Iâm hunting you, wanting to catch you and finally make you mine. I swore to you that I meant you no harm, and that fact will always hold true. I will never hurt you. You are mine, and I am yours. Thatâs how it should be. Thatâs how it shall always be.
See! I knew you wouldnât be able to deny me! Weâre meant to be!
Look at you trying to be quiet after purposely giving away your location. Itâs extremely endearing, you know. Try to hide all you want, but you can never escape the inevitable.
You may be able to lie to yourself, My Glorious Starling, but you cannot lie to me. Like I said before, I know you better than you know yourself. I can smell the excitement pouring off of you. You want me to catch you. I knew you wouldnât be able to forget all that Iâve done for you in your dreams so easily. After all, my actions have always been, and will always be, as real as I am.
Come out, come out, wherever you are.
The longer I let this go on, the more excited you seem to get. Just listen to your heart racing for me! Itâs getting louder with each step, and this time, thereâs nowhere you can run. This will be the last place you can ever hide from me. Or rather, should I say, the last place Iâll let you hide from me.
From now on, youâre mine.
Fuck- I havenât felt this excited in centuries. Do you realize how special you are? My blood feels like itâs lighting a fire within my veins, and my hands are shaking. Do you see the effect you have on me?
And, oh, when I finally get my hands on youâŚ
There will be no part of you untouched - unloved - by me. I plan to spend however long it takes worshipping you and showing you just how loved you are by me. Mentally, physically, spiritually⌠Nothing is too much for you. You deserve nothing but my best, and my best is what youâve always deserved. Nothing less.
Tick tock, My Glorious Starling⌠Your time is up.
#cultofdionysusnet#mfu-net#yandere ateez#yandere yeosang#yandere kpop#ateez x reader#ateez scenarios#ateez imagines#yeosang x reader#yeosang imagines#yeosang scenarios#kpop x reader#kpop imagines#kpop scenarios#vampire au#chubby reader#kpop au#ateez au
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Speed (Final Rose x MHA)
Tenko - who had once been Lightning Farron - couldnât help but smile as Tenya took her hand, shook it vigorously, and then bowed.
âI look forward to your guidance! Please, teach me!â
âI must say,â Tenko drawled. âYou donât seem the least bit bothered by this.â
Tenya straightened and let go of her hand. âI have seen firsthand how beneficial your guidance has been to the others. If defeat now is required for success later, then I shall gladly endure it. After all, we are here to learn!â
âYes.â Tenko smiled, remembering another speedster with a similar attitude. Unbeknownst to her, this would kick off the Genuine Smile Counter, which Mina used to keep track of how many times she was observed genuinely smiling during class. Bets would be made, and money would exchange hands. âWe are. I assume you have no objections to doing this in public?â
Tenya shook his head. âI would be happy for others to witness our battle. I have already spoken to Midoriya and several others and asked them to observe. Following your example, we have begun to train together regularly and provide each other with advice and ideas for improvement.â
âExcellent.â Tenko nodded. âI applaud your efforts. You are truly deserving of your position as class president. I look forward to seeing the fruits of your efforts.â
âWe look forward to showing you.â
X Â Â X Â Â X
Tenya prepared himself. He had the advantage of having seen Tenko fight multiple times now. He had also spoken extensively with those sheâd already fought to better grasp both her fighting style and her overall abilities.
Peerless precision. Ridiculous strength. Incredible speed.
But by far the most impressive accolade Tenko had received was from Bakugo.
âItâs like she can see the fucking future. Whatever youâre about to do, she already knows, and you can bet sheâll beat the shit out of you for it.â
While not given to such vulgar turns of phrase, Tenya concurred. His quirk not only granted him increased speed but also some level of increased perception so he could actually use that speed properly. Tenkoâs reflexes went beyond the human limit and reached into the realm of precognition. It wasnât something she did all the time, but every so often in her spars against the others, he had seen her respond to a move before her opponent had even begun making that move.
Tenya was not foolish enough to believe that he would be immune to such prowess. His only recourse was to trust in his speed. If he could go fast enough, then perhaps he would be able to strike with a blow she could not anticipate.
âWe can begin whenever you are ready,â Tenko said.
âThank you for your consideration. Let us begin!â
Tenya dashed forward, quirk flaring to life. He could not afford to hold back!
X Â Â X Â Â X
Tenko leaned to the side, allowing Tenyaâs kick to sweep past her. The boy skidded past and turned, speed increasing yet again as his quirk shifted into a higher gear. Another kick followed and then another and another. Each had the strength to smash steel, but she was not there to be hit by any of them.
Her lips twitched. This was quite nostalgic.
It reminded her of a young Ruby, except instead of kicks, Ruby had relied on her scythe. Much like a young Ruby, Tenya had a straightforward fighting style, one that relied on extreme speed to first close the distance and then used that same speed, as well as his impressive leg strength, to throw devastating kicks.
And much like a young Ruby, the style, while highly effective against less-skilled opponents, had glaring weaknesses against someone with more skill and experience. Tenya had a tendency to approach in a straight line, making his attacks more predictable. This was exacerbated by him relying solely on his legs. Admittedly, any punch he threw would be weaker than his kicks, but his sheer speed would grant his punches considerable force as well.
But perhaps the thing Tenko noticed most was his footwork. His running form was excellent, doubtless the result of many years of practice and hard work. He was to be commended from that. Yet that same footwork also made him prone to straight line movement, broken only by turns when necessary, as well as movements that were predictable and relatively easy to compensate for. His turns were wide, and there was little to no use of feints, jinks, and deception.
In short, against an opponent who wasnât overwhelmed by his speed, Tenyaâs attacks were easy to see coming and easy to account for. Moreover, he had gotten used to being faster than his opponents, so he had a habit of setting himself up for each of his kicks in a manner that maximised the speed and force of each kick but which also left him open.
Well. Enough dodging. It was time to counterattack.
X Â Â X Â Â X
Tenya missed again, and then Tenko vanished. What? Where was...
âBehind you.â
Tenya whirled, only to find himself staring at empty space.
âStill behind you.â
He tried to turn again, only to once again find himself unable to catch sight of his foe.
âYouâre very fast in a straight line, amongst the fastest Iâve fought. But it takes you too long to turn, and your turns are too wide. A nimble opponent can get inside that turning circle, and when that happens...â
Tenya found himself flying through the air. He twisted, landing on his feet and skidding as he rubbed at his side. That kick had been a warning. It could easily have been worse. And her words were true. Once sheâd gotten behind him, he hadnât been able to maintain his speed and turn quickly and tightly enough to keep up with her.
Tenkoâs lips curved up into a faint smile. âAnd your running style is clearly based on traditional running, both sprints and long distance. Yet there are other forms of running.â She jogged toward him, and then burst into motion.
His eyes widened. For a moment, he could have sworn he was looking at three of her. An illusion? No. Footwork. She was using her footwork to create the illusion of moving in different directions, a series of feints and fakes fooling his well-honed instincts into believing she was going one way only for her to go the other.
âDeception is part of battle. You hit so hard that even a single clean strike can finish a fight. Hiding your true intentions will aid you in landing that strike.â
Tenya surged forward to meet her. Left! No! It was the right! He almost tripped over his own feet in a bid to adjust and found himself wincing as another blow caught him in the side. He turned, and Tenko closed in on him again, that remarkable footwork making it impossible to tell what would happen next.
âIâd recommend watching sports like soccer, basketball, and rugby to see how footwork can be used to deceive while still moving at high speed.â She kicked at his head... no! Another fake. He tumbled back as the kick caught him in the shoulder and lifted him off his feet. âAnd you should investigate how feints and fakes are used in different martial arts to disguise where your kicks are going.â
Tenya tried to keep pace with Tenko, but couldnât. It wasnât because of her raw speed either. She wasnât moving faster than he was. Instead, she was making her movements erratic and unpredictable, attacking from different ranges and different angles.
âA straightforward approach is fine against less skilled opponents. But against those who can keep up with your speed, you will need to be more cunning. Speed is important, but distance, timing, and angles are all key to connecting with your attacks. Predictability is death.â
She punctuated her words with a lesson in each concept, her peerless footwork never faltering.
And then she punched him.
It was the first punch sheâd thrown all fight, and it caught him utterly off guard. The punch landed squarely on his jaw with just enough force to jolt him, but he knew she could have taken his head off with it.
âYou also have two arms. Now, your punches will never be as strong as your kicks, but if you put your momentum into them, they will still be devastatingly powerful. Moreover, combining punches and kicks will make it even more difficult for your opponent to keep up because punches arrive from different angles and from different ranges than kicks.â
Tenya found himself completely on the defensive as attack after attack overwhelmed his defences. Yet she pulled her strikes. She was not trying to injure him, merely illustrate tactics he could use. And already, he found himself smiling as he began to put together the pieces.
Yes.
He could see the fighting style that Tenko envisioned.
Finally, the spar ended, and he found himself flat on his back.
âThank you,â Tenya said as he got to his feet. âYou have given me much to think about.â
âHmm...â Tenko nodded. âYouâre welcome. How do you feel about regular games of tag?â Her gaze drifted to the rest of the class. âI can think of several who would benefit.â
âTag?â Tenyaâs eyes widened. âFootwork.â
âPrecisely. Thereâs no better place for you to learn and practice the footwork youâll need.â
âIt has been a while since I have played tag.â Tenya had stopped playing when his quirk made it all but impossible to lose. He had a feeling that wouldnât be the case against Tenko. âI... I look forward to it!â
X Â Â X Â Â X
Authorâs Notes
Tenya is extremely similar to Ruby at the same age. Their styles have similar weaknesses, and if you replaced âscytheâ with âkicksâ youâd get Tenya. Thatâs why Tenko brought up tag. She used that to help train Ruby and it worked wonders. Sheâs hoping it can do the same here.
And tag will also helps others, like Midoriya, improve as well.
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oh nice, this is such an interesting take, sorry to highjack but i can't stop myself:
i don't see the characters having ambitions and goals beyond saving lives and having a happy family life is happening, it would be interesting (and maybe with buck we've seen that he'd like a leadership position in the future? maybe?) but overall, it seems to me that if somehow they managed to give the characters other goals, it would be almost antithetical to the show itself?
they kinda all need to be firefighters/first responders in LA for the narrative to hold together...how else could they do "911, what's your emergency?" bits interspersed in between their interpersonal drama? if bobby suddenly decided to retire and open a restaurant or something, where would the show find time for it in the run time without relegating him from the main cast to a supporting character?
i don't know if I'm making sense, but I think that based on the nature and structure of the show, the characters just cannot be allowed to have long-term future goals that lead them away from the firehouse, otherwise the whole show falls apart. i think it's like an inbuilt bug đ¤ˇââď¸
but I'd like to know if i'm not missing some possibility here, because yeah... the characters don't seem like they have bigger any personal goals...
tho eddie's might be "deal with trauma" "deal with repression" besides his desire to have a romantic partner?
you know what the actual problem is with 911? that it never set up any ambitions outside of romance for the characters. the entire discussion about "but what about eddie?" just because of bucktommy possibly being endgame highlights once again that none of the characters have long-term goals in life that they want to achieve, something related to any hobbies or careers. they exist and haven't moved anywhere in years as characters. none of them have a defined passion or goal outside their job, and there is no clear trajectory set up for them of where they want to go in life that is not about romantic love or having a family. as soon as you take away the possibility that eddie might be together with buck someday, suddenly it feels like eddies's story is over because what else is left there that people could root for? on paper, he already has achieved everything regarding platonic and romantic and familial love. i beg 911 to finally give the characters goals and allow them to step outside the 118 cage. i know why they haven't yet, but it doesn't make for good television in the long run. the plot cannot keep going in circles or else the show has a real problem. grey's anatomy, despite all its flaws, did this much better because the workplace of choice allowed for continuous development and changing trajectories/careers.
You know what, I actually find this take really interesting and I think I agree for the most part. I think the issue with moving people forward career wise is that means we face the possibility of losing cast. Like if Hen had become a doctor, it wouldâve been difficult to keep focusing on her storyline so 9-1-1 is about firefighters, cops, and dispatchers. We donât go into the hospital unless someone is hurt. Same if someone gets promoted, like Athena, or retires. There will be a huge dynamic shift. Weâve not lost main cast like on other shows, where characters are killed off every season. To have ambition in life often means moving on and I donât think 9-1-1 quite knows how to play both ends just yet.
Like if firefighters are promoted. Hen would be a great captain, but that would mean losing her at the 118 or having Bobby retire. If she left, Eddie could transition fully into paramedic if he so wished but what if he didnât? Maybe Ravi? Iâm not even sure about what could happen with Chim. Athena could take a promotion to lieutenant but she wouldnât be on the streets as much. I feel like Maddie has more room for career advancement, maybe into a supervisory position with Josh.
I definitely see what youâre saying and Iâm curious to know what other people think
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switching my positions
summary: Fresh out of college, Min Yoongi makes a name for himself amongst his online fanbase as an artist who writes about the ins and outs of falling in love. But when he is signed to a record label, his producer insists that he reveal a public romantic relationship to weed off any potential scandals or dangerous assumptions about the source of his love songs. So who else should Yoongi turn to, but you: his managerâbut more than that, his best friend and secret crush.Â
pairing: yoongi x fem!reader
genre: solo artist!yoongi, manager!y/n, fake dating au, friends to lovers au | fluff/angstÂ
warnings: yoongi starts off as a musician on youtube but itâs not really highlighted for most of the story, kim seokjin is a Hot Music Executive whoâll take good care of his favorite boy, jungkook gets promoted from a cameraman to a bodyguard and i love to see it <3, nayeon + hoseok cameo as radio show hosts BECAUSE THIS STORY HAS SO MANY CHARACTERS IâM SORRY, IU shows up as a ~superstar~ because i love her so much, itâs a slow burn fic what can i say, mutual pining, actually an idiots to lovers plot tbh ????, recreational alcohol consumption, POV switches occasionally but i try to make it as obvious as possible as to what is going on, mentions of insecurity, thereâs angst BUT ITâS A HAPPY ENDING !!!Â
word count: 40.1kÂ
a/n: big big thank you to @gukyiâ for being my fic consultant for this story! she encouraged me and believed in this story more than I ever could (and contributed like 50% of the foundation that made this fic into what it is), and also reminded me that yes this is a fic so no it doesnât require one hundred percent accuracy to the music industry despite every discord message i sent her falling somewhere along the lines of âhow realistic is this scenarioâŚâ she was a very big support for this fic, and this story wouldnât have existed without her!!Â
and regarding the word count⌠my hand slipped. Iâve clowned this fic a lot over the past month but I am really happy that this is done and so so excited for you all to read it. Pls enjoy!!!!!!! XxÂ
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CHAPTER 1: THE DISCOVERYÂ
.
Youâre late.Â
Yoongi lets you know that much as you have to shove your way through a rather large crowd of people to reach him. When he turns away from his keyboard to glance down at you, your chest is heaving and your knees are bent in order for your hands to rest upon your thighs. Thereâs a plastic bag curled on your arm, the hard plastic of CD cases reflecting off the street lamps.Â
âSorry, sorry!â You breathe out, giving yourself a few more seconds to catch your breath. Nothing more, nothing less, because there is a crowd of people around you, currently staring you down, counting down the seconds until the clock struck 8:00âbut many people wondering just who were you to shove your way towards the front. âThe printer wasnât working, and do you realize how difficult it is to get your stupid picture into these cases?âÂ
Yoongi scoffs, walking towards you and holding both his hands out. âDonât call them stupid, you took the picture,â He hisses, taking the plastic bag from you and rummaging through the many CDs you had to make for him last minute. After ensuring that everything he had asked for is in this very bag, he softens up. âBut thanks for getting these done for me.âÂ
You finally are able to straighten up into a full standing position. âNot my fault you underestimated how many of your wonderful fans were going to show up.âÂ
Yoongi reaches over and presses his index finger straight into your forehead for that comment. The force knocks you back a few steps, and Yoongi takes your few seconds of distractions to pull a phone out of his pocket. âJust go off to the side, dummy, my show starts soon.âÂ
âFine, fine,â You tease back, easy smile, but your hand goes up to take the phone from him. âBreak a leg, Min Yoongi.âÂ
Yoongi gives you a playful glare but he turns away from you to line up his CDs along the now-table next to his set. As soon as he starts placing CDs atop the surface, a small line of people step from the crowdâpointing to the CDs and holding out a stack of cash. Yoongi nods, takes the money, and hands over the CD. This happens a few more times before the line of people have died down. Yoongi looks over at the significantly less amount of cases at his table, and looks over at you, where he flashes a thumbs up.Â
As Yoongi steps up to his keyboard and microphone, the crowd around him starts to cheer. The claps echo through the gathering of people, enough to draw the attention of passersby who crane their heads to see who has attracted so many listeners.Â
Yoongiâs fingers curl around the microphone. âHey guys, thank you all for coming out today.âÂ
The crowd claps back in acknowledgement, a few of them giving their own shy nods and waves towards Yoongiâgestures that the boy responds with his own nods and gummy smiles.Â
His attention returns back to the next set of words heâll speak into the microphone. âI got a couple covers and original songs for tonight, all requested by you guysâso letâs have some fun today.â His voice is deep, raspy and gentle, croaks slightly along the edges, but a perfect reflection of the soothing nature he brings to his audience.Â
And you are attune to every single second of it. Of course you are. You blend into the crowd but really your responsibilities for Yoongi lie far beyond just packaging CDs for him and dashing through hoards of people at the last fucking second to make your delivery. You further prove this further by logging into his phone and clicking into the first background music heâs produced for todayâs show. Using the music as a guide, Yoongi starts to sing. His fingers dance across the keyboard to bring an extra sound to his performanceâto give it that extra live element that his fans love.Â
You know that Yoongi has added these additional things over the months because he adores his fanbase and would likely do anything and everything he could to give them the best experience he could offer. After all, theyâve propelled him to this very spotâhis own little corner of the bustling city streets amongst all the bars, shops, universities, street food stalls, and cafes.Â
As the music continues from one song to the next, and Yoongi shifts his focus from singing to rapping to the in betweens, you see his passion. You hear it in his voice, in the way his lines string together where it seems like the boy doesnât require oxygen anymore. Months of these live shows, even longer years to get hereâand the people around him only continue to watch him in awe. Just like heâs done since the beginning.Â
Min Yoongi started off his music career on Youtube, where he uploaded music covers with his own special beat thrown into the mix. Yoongi enjoyed music arrangement (still does), and used his videos as an opportunity to explore that hobby and share it with people who could also enjoy it. And enjoy it people did, as viewers started pouring in and his fanbase grew in the form of positive comments and increasing subscribers. From some videos, Yoongi had always teased the idea of original songs he had written in various notebooks that expressed the wide range of his emotionsâoverall all the trials and tribulations of growing up: the notion of love in all its forms. Normally, there was always a fear of an audience losing interest at the prospect of original songs, especially coming from someone who previously arranged already popular #1 hits.Â
But that never happened with Min Yoongi. His songwriting abilities became part of his brandâbecame his entire brand. Yoongi always wrote out love to be more than sappy pop songs or tragic heartbreak. He established himself as someone who seemed to speak from the mind of every single person he came into contact with. At least, thatâs what his comment section claims.Â
In the beginning of his Youtube career, you found Yoongiâs online persona unusual and amusing to say the least, but it was always clouded with an air of sweetness and sensibility. After all, you had known him about a year before Youtube was even an option for him to pursue. The pair of you met in a general ed college classâbig lecture halls and voices getting lost in the background as the professorsâ voice boomed through speaker systems. Yoongi had asked to borrow a pencil, and the pair of you spent the rest of the class making side-handed comments about the lecture material. You sat next to each other for the rest of the semester and have been friends ever since.
So itâs not like Yoongiâs core characteristics have ever been anything other than caring, thoughtful, or loyalâheâs just never been outwardly expressive about those emotions. But Youtube changed everything: itâs made him a more vocal person, more open about his feelings as well as his need to share those feelings with the world.Â
The world responded positivelyâwrote in the comments that they would love to hear some of his original songs, that he had already provided just a small taste of his talent and left them an insatiable desire for more.Â
As soon as you and Yoongi graduated, his commitment to Youtube increased tenfold. With the previous obligations of assignments, papers, and research internships out of the way, it left more time for writing, for filming, for editing, for sharing. As his work levels increased, so did his subscribers. And so did the attention.Â
Youâll never forget the day his followers suggested live street performances in one of Yoongiâs neighboring citiesâa city street more specifically that was famous for taking in street performances of all origins and talents, a place for him to show off his freestyling on a keyboard and finally meet his fans firsthand. The idea caught on so quickly and vividly that Yoongi was immediately attracted to the idea. He held his first performance just a few months ago, as a thank you present for reaching one million subscribers. If you had trouble materializing Yoongiâs musical success before, the first live performance and meet and greet Yoongi hosted did well to eradicate all those thoughts.Â
Hundreds of people showed upâstanding alongside the shops, restaurants, food vendors, and cafes that already lined the streets, everyone intersecting to meet the artist who made them feel heard.Â
You still remember that day very vividly. Yoongi had been so nervous that day, had worked so hard to put together the perfect set for his fans. Obviously, though, he had nothing to worry about. Soon, one show turned into two, and just like the request for live performances and meet and greets, the question of monetary compensation became a topic of discussion amongst Yoongiâs fans. Thatâs where the question of albums came into play: a singular place for Yoongi to put his covers and original placeâand charge money for it as well!Â
As per the request, eventually you and Yoongi decided that exclusive covers and original songs would be part of his album as a way to open up different modes of access rather than take away an individualâs general (free of charge) chance to view Yoongiâs content and just simply support without having to spend money. The introduction of his albums has been a very recent development, something added into Yoongiâs live performances after the tenth show and usually always sold out by the end of any aforementioned show. From what youâve been able to see as of now, the albums have been a good addition.Â
In terms of Yoongiâs current career, you acknowledge that it has always been you and Yoongiâhim staying up late for last minute song-writing sessions or recording or arranging a specific set of chords he had been holding off for weeks, or you arranging the time and date of his live shows and fulfilling requests to put songs on CDs and figure out how to market those in an era of streaming services. And if thereâs anyone who knows that he has what it takes to get bigâitâs you. After all, you would do anything for him. As you would have done from the moment you met him.Â
An hour laterâafter twenty songs and a swaying crowd around him singing alongâthe last song fades out and Yoongi pulls back from the microphone to catch his breath. Everyone else around him seems to hold onto their own, before Yoongi pulls himself back towards the mic to utter his last words for the night: âThanks for coming out you guys. I really, really appreciate it.âÂ
In the midst of the claps and cheers, Yoongi smiles towards the audience, turns around to address the circle of crowd that has formed around him.Â
As some of the crowd begins to disperse and some begin to linger for a potential meet and greet, Yoongi hastily remembers to return back to his mic for one last word to his audience. âAnd thank you guys so much for one million subs!âÂ
You smile to yourself as members of the crowd acknowledge his thanks with thanks of their own. As you watch Yoongi start disassembling his equipment for the night, you simply stand where youâve stood for the past hour, allowing the crowd to simmer past you towards their next destination for the time. You pocket Yoongiâs phone into your coat, waiting for a few minutes, before you slip around towards the front of the crowd. There, a boy stands in front of a tripod, and his fingers dance around to unclip his camera from the standee.Â
âYou get the whole thing, Jungkook?â You ask with the tilt of your head.Â
Jungkook whirls towards you, bright eyes full of excitement as he holds the camera with both his hands now. He utters your name. âOh shit, yeah I did. Weâll get to see how Yoongiâs mic set up works.â He taps to the cord that connects the mic on Yoongiâs clothes and on his piano into the camera.Â
You perk up at the sight of new technology. âOooh, going fancy with us, I see JK. Very future.âÂ
Jungkookâs grin widens, as it always does when talking about cameras and filmography. âYes. FutureâŚâ He stretches out the word with the exact dips, curls, and croaks the way Squidward does in that one Spongebob episode, which makes you laugh. Jungkook clicks through the video of Yoongiâs set that heâs just recorded, before he clicks the screen off and lowers the camera. âItâll probably be better if I wait until we get back to look through the footage. Iâm sure Yoongi is anxious to get back tooâŚâ He looks up towards where Yoongi is supposed to be standing a few feet away, but the younger boy trails off. âHey, look over there.â He jerks his chin towards Yoongi. âSome guy is talking to him. Do you know him?âÂ
Furrowing your eyebrows in confusionânone of your college friends had texted saying they were going to come by and listen in on Yoongiâs setâyou crane your own neck towards the direction Jungkook is gesturing to. Up ahead, Yoongi is indeed talking to some guy that you donât recognize so of course it would peak your curiosity.Â
Itâs a feeling that increases tenfold when Yoongi looks up, seems to find you from his search, and points across the space right at you. Thereâs even something in his eyes that beg you to walk over to him. This makes your frown deepen, because what the hell is this about?Â
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Min Yoongi doesnât allow for too much vocal expression that doesnât involve the assistance of a keyboard or a music arrangement, but he speaks into the microphone without thinking. âAnd thank you guys so much for one million subs!â His smile widens as the crowd responds with the claps and cheers of their ownâall responding to him and communicating with him. This is it, this is what makes coming out to do these shows all worth it. Obviously thereâs a thrill he gets from being in front of a camera and another thrill from uploading a video that people can access from all over the world. But to see the faces of the people who have left positive comments underneath those aforementioned videos⌠now thatâs a completely different kind of feeling he didnât think he would enjoy so much.Â
So Yoongi steps away from the mic to put away his equipment for the day. He only gets so far as to open the case for his microphone and mic holder before heâs hearing his name behind him. Turning around, he is faced with a few unfamiliar and a few familiar fans that are asking him for pictures and a short conversation. He indulges them, of course he does, and he signs a few albums while heâs at it.Â
Itâs like you always teased him about: he really is a softie for his fans.Â
The fan interactions only last for a few minutes, before another voice comes inâitâs a deeper voice and radiates so much confidence and presence that it actually halts the next fan from trying to finish a conversation with Yoongi. All gazes turn towards the source of the voice: itâs a tall man with broad shoulders, pointy boots and a long coat that drapes down, hands stuffed into the pocket of that very coat. He looks like a model.Â
The man gives an apologetic smile. âSorry for interrupting, but I need to request a chat with Mr. Min and am in a bit of a hurry. Do you mind if I cut in for a moment?âÂ
The fan gives a weak smile. âN-No problem.âÂ
Yoongi gives his own small smile. âSorry about that. Oh, here.â He quickly makes a grab for the CD in her hesitant hands, signing his name across the sleek surface. âThanks for coming by. Have a good rest of the night.âÂ
Her smile brightens. âThank you so much!â With a quick little bow, she runs off towards her friends.Â
This leaves Yoongi alone with the stranger. âWhat can I help you with?âÂ
The stranger extends his arm. âMr. Min, Iâm Kim Seokjin. Iâm a music executive. Nice to meet you.âÂ
Music executive. These two words pique Yoongiâs interest. Just enough. âWow, uh, nice to meet you sir.â Yoongi canât help but lower his head slightly in a small bow as he returns Kim Seokjinâs handshake.Â
Seokjin waves him off. âOh, no need to be so formal Mr. Min. I just thought that I should finally come by to introduce myself. Iâve been following your Youtube channel for awhile and think that youâre extremely talented, very capable to be a recording artist, in fact.âÂ
Yoongi blinks in surprise, completely taken aback by the direction of this conversation. When he came out for his show today, having a conversation with a whole ass music executive hadnât been on the list of things he was expecting. Of course, it was always a dream of his to be a recording artist. But he thought something like that would always just remain a dream. âT-Thank you.âÂ
Seokjin continues. âHonestly, this is the third live performance of yours that I attended. Artists like you who radiate lots of passion and dedication both through the screen and on a stage are pretty rare. But your confidence and presence is quite admirable.âÂ
At that, Yoongi canât help but laugh a little. He scratches the back of his neck. âWell, I wouldnât call this a stage, Mr. Kim, itâs just a small street corner.âÂ
Seokjin laughs. âFair enoughâbut you treat this little street corner like a stage and I find that cool. It appears that thatâs what a lot of your fans think as well.â He pauses. âMr. Min,â He starts up again after a moment. âHave you ever considered becoming a recording artist? Signing with a music label, releasing music and being able to reach millions of people? Having concerts in venues all over the world?âÂ
At the question, Yoongi utters a scoff of disbelief. âI have,â He acknowledges after a few minutes. âHaving this youtube channel and these street performances is amazingâŚâÂ
âOf course,â Seokjin replies with a nod.Â
âBut sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to do more than that. So, to answer your question, I have thought about it before. Many times, in fact.âÂ
Seokjin nods again. âWhat if I told you that I was interested in signing you, Mr. Min?âÂ
Yoongi stares at that, stares and stares with unblinking eyes, one hundred percent of his attention on the man standing in front of himâwaiting for the signs, waiting to see the laugh or the glint that gives away his prankster tendencies. But none of those things come. Seokjin just stares right back, challenging him to question him and agree to his claim.Â
But Yoongi is younger, more naive, so of course he falls for it. âWhy would you want to sign me?âÂ
Seokjin grins. âMr. Min, I like to think Iâm pretty good at spotting talented people who have a fully fledged career ahead of themâwhich is something my gut is telling me that you can do. And donât worry, itâs not just the gut feeling I have. Like I mentioned, Iâve been keeping tabs on you for a few months and Iâve seen the numbers and the turn out. You clearly have what it takes to bring fans in, keep them, and create events thatâll drive their attentionâand I want to help you make an opportunity out of that.âÂ
Yoongi hears the words of the older man, he really does, but he still cannot help the feeling of his head spinning at all the positive things Kim Seokjin says to him. Not only that he believes Yoongi has what it takes to make it, but that Yoongi has the concrete numbers to back that up. He is offering Yoongi an opportunityâan opportunity that seemed much too big for his youtube channel to birth, an opportunity that he had always just written off as nothing more than a dream. Yet for Seokjin to say that it could be more than that? And for all of this to happen on a normal performance night?Â
Was Yoongi about to faint right now or what.Â
Seokjin takes in Yoongiâs stunned silence and smiles. âI understand that this could be a lot to take in. No worries. I have a card for you to takeâso call me when you make up your mind, alright?â He rummages into the pocket of his coat before producing a business card. The name KSJ RECORDS is printed on the surface, shiny lettering in sleek font.Â
Yoongi takes it wordlessly.Â
âBy the way, do you have a manager?â Seokjin asks. âYou can have them reach out to me if thatâll make it easier.âÂ
Yoongi stays quiet for a moment. He doesnât have a manager; he never really saw the need for one if his schedule was as simple as it was. After all, it was more than enough for him to handle with youâ!Â
His mind explodes, as if someone had just plugged it into an outlet. His gaze flickers to you, where he sees you now standing just a few feet away next to Jungkook. Youâre already staring back at him, but your head tilts slightly as if you could read his internal struggle. Before Yoongi can even figure why heâs looking at you, his body seems to act on its own. His arm raises, finger pointing straight at you. âSheâs over there.âÂ
You furrow your eyebrows in confusion, seeming to read something in his gaze that even Yoongi couldnât figure out. Still, you walk over to them. âWhatâs going on?âÂ
Seokjin acts first, turning towards you and giving you a nod in greeting. âHi there, Iâm Kim Seokjin. Yoongi says youâre his manager, is that correct?âÂ
You blink, caught off guard by the question because you definitely were not Yoongiâs manager. He knows that you know this. You give Yoongi another look, and his eyes widen at you, poorly attempting to transmit a singular message: please.Â
You understand immediately, of course you do (youâre his best friend), as you turn back to look at Seokjin. âI am, itâs nice to meet you.âÂ
The pair of you shake hands. âI was just telling Mr. Min over there that I was interested in signing him to my company. Iâm a music executive for KSJ records, and think that he would make a great addition to the team.âÂ
It takes you a second to process the news, but you do so quicker and much more graceful than Yoongi could ever hope to do. âOh my gosh, are you serious?â You turn to look at him, bright-eyed. âYoongi, thatâs amazing!âÂ
âHe hasnât made a decision yet,â Seokjin continues to explain. âI donât blame him, itâs a lot to process. I just told him that he could have you call me once he made up his mind. Then, contracts could be drawn up.â He pauses for a moment, then seems to scramble on something when you donât say anything immediately. âOf course, you would remain his manager. Iâm sure that heâs gotten as far as he has with your help. I would want you part of Mr. Minâs team regardless.â Seokjin composes himself quickly afterwards. âLike I said, take some time to come to a decision and let me know. Let me give you my card as well.â He mirrors his previous movement at Yoongi towards you now until you have his business card between your fingers.Â
âW-Well,â You start, lowering the card and offering up your hand. âThank you so much for coming by, Mr. Kim. Weâll be sure to send you a response soon.âÂ
Seokjin takes your hand carefully, giving it a firm shake. âI look forward to hearing from you.â He turns to Yoongi. âAnd I hope weâll be able to work together, Mr. Min.âÂ
Yoongi blinks, but he snaps himself out long enough to return Seokjinâs handshake. âY-YesâŚâ He replies, still feeling completely starstruck by what the fuck this encounter had just been. âT-Thank you for stopping byâŚâ He trails off. He stays quiet as he watches Seokjin give one last departing word before heâs turning around and making his way down the street of the city.Â
When he regains some of his attention back, he turns to find that youâre already staring at him with an unreadable expression across your face. âLetâs head back,â You say at least, holding up the business card. âWe have a lot to talk about.âÂ
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âNo way,â Jungkook utters, completely shocked as he practically throws himself onto the couch in the living room. His camera equipment has been set down near the door, too much exhaustion present in its owner for the trudge back into his room. âYou got casted today? Thatâs incredible, hyung!âÂ
âI-I didnât even realize what was going on,â Yoongi grumbles back, crossing his arms over his chest. âI still wonder if that moment even happened or if I conjured it up in a strange fever dream.âÂ
You raise your hand slightly. âI was there. Can confirm that it was real.â You dig the business card out of your pocket and stare down at it.Â
Jungkook hikes himself deeper into the couch as he turns on his phone to start scrolling. âI gotta know who this guy is. Kim Seokjin you said? Of KSJ records?âÂ
âYeah, KSJ records,â Yoongi replies, looking down at his own business card. âHe seemed pretty legit.âÂ
A whistle from Jungkook confirms that. âYeah, heâs definitely real. And look at that!â Jungkook turns the phone over to expose the photographs of Seokjin. âUsed to be a singer as well. I bet he knows a lot about the industry.âÂ
Yoongi nods. âHe did seem nice.âÂ
âSo, does that mean youâre planning to meet up with him? Get signed and all that jazz?âÂ
âAll that jazz?â Yoongi echoes, but he shakes his head before he could go off on that tangent. âBut honestly? Yeah, Iâm thinking about it. I really do love youtube and do want to continue that, but I just feel like thereâs more for me to explore with the right connections.âÂ
Jungkook grins. âWow, I canât believe my roommate is gonna be famous.â He says the last word with a bite of curl in his tone, flashing a teasing smile when Yoongi merely glares in embarrassment. Jungkookâs eyes flicker further back towards where you are standing in the apartment, calling your name to get your attention. âWhat do you think of the idea, Miss. Manager?âÂ
You perk up at that. âBefore I get into my answerâwhen did I suddenly become your manager? I donât remember us ever having that conversation.â Youâre situated in the kitchen, drumming one hand on the counter and using the other hand to stir some last night boxed mac and cheese.Â
Yoongi coughs at your observation, sinking himself further down into the couch. âI didnât want Seokjin to think I was an idiot or something for not having a manager. But when I do officially make up my mindâŚâ He angles his head to stare over at you. âYouâll do it for me, right? Youâll actually be my manager?âÂ
You frown, hesitant. âYouâre serious about asking me? I donât know anything about being a manager though.âÂ
Yoongi almost pouts at that, sitting up so he can whirl around completely on the couch to face you. âBut you know me and my music career almost better than anyone! And you graduated with a business degree, what do you mean you donât know anything about being a manager?âÂ
You flush hotly at that. âIt was just a general business degree, Yoongi, it seems like what you need to make it big is a legit artist manager! Someone who will actually know how to schedule your tour dates or keep up with your public image and know exactly how to market you to the general public. You really want me doing that for you?âÂ
Yoongi gaps at that. âOkay, but whoâs the one who literally schedules my street performances and helps me with editing my videos?âÂ
âJungkook does some of the editing too,â You grumble underneath your breath.Â
âYah! Stop selling yourself short!â Yoongi interjects, pointing at you accusingly. He does, however, lower his finger long enough to turn and address his roommate. âNot that you donât help out with any of the editing, JungkookâŚâÂ
Jungkook waves him off. âI know where my talents lie.âÂ
Yoongi turns back to you. âBesides, Seokjin acknowledged that you and I basically come as a packaged deal. He saw that you were working just as hard to get me my gigs.âÂ
You give him a one-shouldered shrug, the hesitation still laced in your tone. âI donât know Yoongi. I just donât want to fuck up and jeopardize your shot.âÂ
Yoongiâs attention is one hundred percent focused on you now, so much so that he has made his way into the kitchen and has come so close that he can switch off the stove that held the macaroni and cheese. âHey, listen, the only reason Iâve even been given a shot was thanks to you. You work just as hard as me to keep my channel up and runningâand you already have another job on the side, so you donât have to do anything for me. But you do.â He plants both his hands on your shoulders and twists you around. âWould you be my manager? Please? I seriously donât trust anyone else enough to do this for me.âÂ
You sigh, staring down Yoongi as tensely as heâs staring you down. He sees the flicker of continuing hesitation in your eyes, and responds with just tightening his grip on your shouldersâtrying to convey as much pleading as he could to you. Honestly, if you rejected his request, he knows that he wouldnât be able to do this without you.Â
So when you seem to realize that he wonât give up, you sigh and look down for a moment. âDamn that I can never say no to you, Min Yoongi.âÂ
Hearing those words of confirmation, Yoongiâs gaze hyper focuses on you. Even when you look back over at him, you donât look away and that merely confirms the unspoken question of your participation.Â
When he realizes that you arenât going to outright reject him, and that youâre actually on board for him, Yoongiâs face lights up as he immediately envelops you into a hug. âThank you! Thank youâwow, that means a lot to me.âÂ
You suck in a breath at his words, tensing slightly at his words, but you eventually learn to relax long enough to pat him slowly on the back to return his hug. âDonât thank me yet,â You grumble into his shoulder. âWe havenât even had a meeting. I may not be able to negotiate as well as you think I can.âÂ
Yoongi shakes his head at that, tightening his hold on you. From his close proximity to you, he doesnât notice the way your breath seems to shake and your heart seems to quicken. âIt doesnât matter,â He reassures, finally backing off. âI donât care if you donât know how to do all those fancy manager things. Like I said, youâre the only one I could trust to do this.âÂ
You stare at Yoongi for a few more seconds before you sigh in defeat, knowing that youâve just put all your thoughts and feelings on the table for him to react to. âAlright then,â You say, placing one of your hands across your chest and onto your shoulderâatop his hand still lingering. âIâll make the call tomorrow then.âÂ
Yoongi nods. âThank you.âÂ
Thereâs a brief silence that covers the pair of you, before a voice rings from the living room. âDo you mind bringing the mac and cheese over here?âÂ
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CHAPTER 2: THE REQUESTÂ
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One year later, and you learn that the crowds from Yoongiâs street performances are nothing in comparison to this. Thisâoverwhelming and unmatched in all degrees, the screams and the cries and the shoves, all of it echoes around you just as it has for the past few months. Surprisingly, youâve always been okay with being a little more firm if the situation called for such and today is absolutely no exception.Â
âOff,â You say gently, tapping an outstretched hand trying to get past you and grab at the person behind you.Â
The girl youâve intercepted jerks her hand back as if youâve burned her, her eyes wide and vaguely hurt as if youâve singled her out specifically from this crowd. Rather, itâs more along the lines of keeping your client safe and trying to avoid the incident from last week. You block the memory out for the time being.Â
You feel a hot breath at your ear. âIf you make my fans cry, I swearâ!âÂ
âTry to be less desirable then,â You bite back over your shoulder, holding up your hand when another fan tries to shove a sharpie past you. âSorry, but weâre in a bit of a rush,â You say to the boy. âCome to the next concertâweâll have a meet and greet then too.âÂ
The boy deflates, but that expression only lasts for a second before he seems to brighten slightly at whatever has just occurred behind you. Stealing a glance, you realize itâs because Min Yoongi has just thrown him an apologetic wink.Â
The car appears in view a lot quicker than you had been anticipating, which is good as you muster all your energy to pull the handle that opens the car door. You step off to the side, further cutting off the fans who are trying to keep Yoongi from entering the vehicle. Soon enough, a taller and more dominating figure appears next to you as Yoongi manages to slide his way into the back seat. You and Jungkook exchange a nodâyou had been in the front of Yoongiâs protection squad and he had been in the back, and the arrangement continues to work wonders. As long as Yoongi doesnât lose a whole sleeve (like last time) then you would consider this departure a success.Â
Jungkook tilts his head towards the still opened car door, allowing you to enter the car yourself. As soon as youâre settled, Jungkook leans forward to join you. He slides his way into the seat all the way in the back of the car. Closing the door behind him, you signal Taehyung to take off with a nod into the rearview mirror.Â
The screams and calls of Yoongiâs name are loud, and pass through the metal structure of the car as if it is nothing. But you know that the boy doesnât mind, and that he lives and breathes moments like these as he has for the past few months.Â
Itâs crazy to think how much a year could change, after you and Yoongi decided to meet up with Seokjin to discuss how Yoongi was going to be signed under KSJ records. Seokjin had talked about the big plans he had in pushing Yoongi towards the spotlightâand goals like an album, a concert, and meet-and-greets around the country had been promised for Yoongiâs first year.Â
And of course, Yoongi was completely enchanted by the promises. Just one final âof courseâ confirmation to have you as his manager, and Yoongi was signing on the dotted line. Truth be told, you didnât know what KSJ records would have in store for Yoongiâhow long that glimmer of passion would remain in the boyâs eyes.Â
A year later, and you acknowledge that you might have underestimated Kim Seokjin. As a former performer, he knew all the ins and outs of the music industry and his well established connections as well as his good ear for good music meant that Yoongi was allowing his music to get the treatment it deserved. Pair that with Yoongiâs growing popularity on Youtube, and it all equates to an EP that debuts with tens of thousands of copies sold within the first week. The EP itself hadnât been muchâjust six songs that contained a mix of old songs and new songs, but all written by Yoongi. His previous (although small) experience with producing and arrangement allowed him constant access into the various studios at KSJ records, where he learned from all the other producers on how to make good music.
The hands-on, personal touch Seokjin allowed Yoongi to deliver in his music had been a good call and a large contributor to the success of the EP. You recall fans praising the album and talking about how it matched Yoongiâs youtube aesthetic perfectly, but just with the higher quality element that top notch equipment could bring to music.Â
In a way, the current atmosphere of concerts and meet-and-greets is just a way to celebrate the success of Yoongiâs music career launching off into the stratosphere.Â
âHey.â Thereâs a gentle tap against your head, and you jump before turning to face Yoongi in the seat next to you. âYou good?âÂ
You blink, bringing your finger up to brush the hair out of your face. âYeah, just spaced out.âÂ
âCool. I thought you might have fallen asleep.âÂ
âIf anyone should have fallen asleep by now, itâs you,â You point out. âI think that todayâs meet-and-greet was the largest one youâve had so far.âÂ
âDonât worry,â Yoongi says. âI have every intention of following asleep as soon as I fall into bed. Plus, donât let me hold a pen for the next weekâI think my wrist almost fell off.âÂ
You laugh, angling yourself so you can face him. âBut you love it, donât you?âÂ
Yoongiâs gaze softens as he lets your question sink in. âCourse I do. I never realized how cool it would be to have an audience sing my lyrics back to you. More than that, it was all lyrics I used to write in the apartment, or in between lectures back at college, or late into the night on my phone⌠back when the idea of all this was just a dream.â He pivots his body towards you, eyes bright as the passion for his current place in life seems to have gotten him hyped up again. âYou know, during the meet and greet, this girl came up to me all confidently and told me that my album got her through a tough time. I think thatâs when it really hit me that this was all happening.âÂ
The corner of your lips quirk up into a smile. âOh yeah, I actually do remember you writing those songs and you showing me the lyrics. You speak from the heart, and your fans understand that. Helps that youâre pretty cute too. Anyone with eyes could see that.â As soon as those words escape your lips, you almost want to chide yourself and immediately throw yourself out of the car. Why would you say something like thatâwhy would you openly admit to Yoongiâs cuteness? Your face grows warm at the realization, leaving you to hope that Yoongi wonât notice your flustered state.Â
Yoongi doesnât notice. Heâs too busy gawking at your observation, too busy tearing his gaze away from you to stare firmly out of the car window.Â
Jungkook simply shifts his gaze between the two of you.Â
In the midst of the silence, you fish out your phone and start scrolling through your social media pages. Due to the third party cookie ads that follow you around, you immediately notice news of Yoongiâs concert of the day has started hitting various news sitesâmost articles praising Yoongi on his song selections and live adaptations of his music to suit the concert style more. Reading these articles leave you unable to stop the grin, because Yoongi deserves this so fucking much that you could have sworn your heart sings a little as you continue reading.Â
Itâs a moment that lasts for only a couple of seconds, as recommended articles start coming up that do well in setting up the gray cloud. With the increased amount of attention that comes from being a newly top rated best selling album artist, so does the intrusion into personal life that followsâthe dark side of the media, the side that just loves to stick its nose in places it does not belong. Itâs something that you had been seeing since Yoongiâs youtube account hit five hundred thousand, but at the time these kinds of questions were more dark shadows or curious inquiries taken in the form of casual comments.Â
Now, those questions have become much more normalized, as a common curiosity seems to have taken form from all these drama articles: was Min Yoongi dating anyone? And even better: who is Min Yoongi writing all his love songs for?Â
As if love was limited to romantic relationships, and wasnât a feeling one could recreate from other love songs or romantic comedies. Or just the feelings of growing up.Â
âWeâre here!â Taehyung calls from the front seat, as you jump up from your train of thought. Refocusing on your surroundings, you realize that youâve made it into the parking lot of the hotel.Â
You sigh, regathering your belongings that have moved around during the drive. âThanks, Taehyung.âÂ
âHey.â Taehyung utters for you to come closer to him as soon as the pair of you step out of the car. He jerks toward Yoongi, who is exiting from his side of the car before quickly side-stepping to let Jungkook come out as well. âWas that flirting back there?âÂ
You protest hotly at once, your hand raising up and wave side-to-side frantically in complete denial. âN-No, it wasnâtâ!âÂ
âOkay, good,â Taehyung interrupts, leaning back to stuff his hands into his pants pockets. âBecause if that was the case I think we would have had to re-evaluate your definition of flirtingâ!âÂ
âWill you stop?â You squeak.Â
âIs everything okay?â Yoongi asks, having rounded around the car to stare over at you and Taehyung.Â
You whirl around quickly, tightening up your expression once more to make sure that any remnants of your conversation with Taehyung would be undetected. âYep!â You say immediately. âEverything is fine. Letâs get going, yeah?â You allow Jungkook to lead the four of you out of the parking lot and into the elevator thatâll take you to the main floor of the hotel room. Yoongi has to slip on a pair of glasses and a baseball cap, just on the off chance that a fan might be staying in the same roomâit happened a few stops agoâbefore the four of you are making your way through the lobby. The four of you have reserved four separate rooms for your overnight stay in the city, rooms that you have already checked into earlier that day, so it feels nice to just make your way to the elevator and select the correct floor.Â
Taehyung decides to check in first for the night, waving you all off and congratulating Yoongi on another well done performance. Jungkook lingers around as you make your way to Yoongiâs room next.Â
âThanks for walking me,â Yoongi says, sliding the key card into the slot and pulling out when he hears the beep of confirmation on his door.Â
Jungkook flashes him a thumbs up. âGood show today. Now get some rest.âÂ
Yoongi nods, just about to close the door when you make a sudden noise from the back of your throat. âOH!â You call out suddenly, startling both boys as you reach your arm out suddenly to prevent Yoongi from closing the door. He had been so close too. âSorry, I just realized. Seokjin sent me an email of some deadlines he wanted me to go over with you. Your sleep is gonna have to be put on hold.âÂ
Yoongi grumbles something under his breath.Â
You turn to look at Jungkook. âWeâll be fine, Jungkook, go rest upâyou deserve it.âÂ
Jungkook nods, grinning at Yoongi. âSee you guys around.âÂ
âNo fairâŚâ Yoongi pouts as he watches Jungkook stroll down the hall to reach his hotel room. âWhy do they get to rest and I donât? Iâm so tiredâŚâÂ
âWell, this is the price of fame,â You retort with the shrug of your shoulders. âYou have your face the paparazzi want to see, and the name that sells the albums. Naturally, it means you just have to put in more work than everyone else.âÂ
Yoongi runs a hand through his hair, still pouting but less so as he opens the door once more for the both of you to enter. âWhen you put it that wayâŚâÂ
You giggle behind him. âFor the fans, Min Yoongi.âÂ
You immediately task yourself with throwing yourself atop his bed, surprisingly put together despite the fact that you had checked everyone in earlier that day. You would have assumed he would have taken a nap. But the bed doesnât look slept in at all.Â
Yoongi notices your observation immediately. âI was too nervous to fall asleep earlier today,â He provides, taking a seat on the couch on the other side of the room. âSo what was it that Seokjin needed you to go over with me?âÂ
âItâs short, I promise,â You reassure, pulling out the iPhone from your pocket. As soon as you unlock the device, youâre faced with the articles you had previously been looking upâthe ones about Yoongiâs dating life. Without meaning to, you sigh heavily at the sight.Â
Yoongi quirks an eyebrow. âWhatâs up?âÂ
You jerk up. âOh, no, nothing sorry. I justâŚâ You hold the phone up for Yoongi to see. âThese articles about you and your dating lifeâitâs getting worse.âÂ
âOh.â Yoongiâs fingers fiddle with each other. âYeah, Iâve seen a few of those floating around too. Honestly, for someone who writes a lot of songs about love, these curiosities donât really surprise me. I wish that they wouldnât be so intrusive.âÂ
âUnfortunately, people always think itâs their right to know who these love songs are for.â You spare him a quick glance, only to realize that heâs already staring at you. Hastily, you look back down. âIf the songs are even for anyone, that is.âÂ
Yoongi is quiet for a moment. âRight.âÂ
âAnywaysâŚâ You exit your internet app, tapping through until Seokjinâs email comes up. âSeokjin just wants to know your progress on the new songs. Heâs trying to gauge your progress so he can see whether or not to arrange studio time for you to start recording.âÂ
The new songsâitâs a reference to Seokjinâs next plan for Yoongiâs career. With the launch of the EP and the current success that it has been harboring, it makes sense that the next step would be to launch a full-length album. Technically it could be called a repackage, since the album would most likely feature a few songs from the EP and cover the rest of the spots with new music.Â
But aforementioned new music takes time to write, not that Yoongi ever had a problem with writing music. That has always been second nature for himâand was something he could do anywhere so long as he had a functioning, conscious mind. It was all just a matter of whether or not he could create the required number of actual songs within the scheduled deadline. With those higher expectations, time definitely plays the biggest issue and it makes sense if Yoongi couldnât write proper songs given the current circumstances.Â
Nonetheless, Yoongi nods at the question. âI actually have rough drafts of most of the songs, if that was okay with Seokjin. We could probably schedule some meetings to polish up the writing, since a lot of them are still in the beginning stage.âÂ
You blink at his answer, surprised by his response. You had been expecting one, or maybe two songs to be written out but to have all eight songs written out? âW-WowâŚâ You utter. âYou wrote so many songs so quickly.âÂ
Yoongi shrugs, but he does look a little prideful at your words. You donât notice his lingering gaze. âI have a lot to reflect on, what can I say.âÂ
âI-I mean,â You stammer, not really hearing his response. âI could schedule the meeting with Seokjin, but if he knows that you have everything basically done, heâll probably be okay with giving you a little more time to polish up your work yourself.âÂ
Yoongi ponders this, but he shakes his head. âNo, go ahead and schedule the meeting. Itâs actually nice having extra hands in the music.âÂ
You nod. âAlright then, Iâll go and do that. I think I should also just go over tomorrowâs schedule with you.â Quickly, you relay the time details of what tomorrowâs day will look like since youâre flying out for another show the next morning. You give him some details about the stage, how many people are going, and how many people he will be meeting afterwards. Itâs a standard review conversation, one of the many that youâve had with Yoongi over the year. âAnd⌠that should be it,â You wrap up as soon as youâve reviewed the day. Looking over the schedule once more, you cannot help but sigh once more.Â
âWhat is it this time?â Yoongi asks from the side.Â
âOh, no nothing!â You reassure with a promising smile. âJust another busy day.âÂ
Yoongi gives you a grin, but you can see the exhaustion clinging to the corner of his eyes. âThereâs only a few more stops left of the concertâwhat happened to you being positive rock?âÂ
At that, you laugh nervously. âSorry, sorry. Youâre right.â You clench a fist in front of him and pump it up to showcase a display of energy. âAnother day of excitement and one more day towards fulfilling your dreams!â You lower your fist and give him a slightly dryer look. âHow was that?âÂ
âI could have done without the look at the end, but itâll do, I guess.â Yoongi stands up from his place on the couch and throws himself atop his bed. His head ends up near you, his back on the mattress, and his feet dangling off the side. âThereâs only a few stops left of the tour, and for some people this is their first time seeing me live. And for other people, maybe they saw me back when I would perform on the streets, so in that case itâs their first time seeing me perform on a stage and everything!â He lifts one of his hands up into his field of view. âEither way, I just want to do the best I can for the people that take time out to come see me and support me. Because I owe them everythingâI owe them more than what I can give them.âÂ
You donât say anything to that. What could you say, anyways? Instead, you reach over and run your fingers through his hair. After a second, you retract your hand. You shouldnât let yourself linger for too long anyways. âItâs late,â You say, a tone of finality in your voice. âI should head to my room. Iâll make sure to let Seokjin know your update.â You slide off the bed into a standing position. âYou should get some rest.â You turn to him. âYou may not think you can pay back your fans, but you probably help them out every single day. The same way they help you out too.âÂ
Yoongi tilts his head back to see you. Upside down, but still look at you nonetheless. He grins. âThereâs that positive energy I was looking for. Thanks.âÂ
You laugh, already making your way towards his hotel room door. âThank me by giving me another kickass performance tomorrow. Makes my job a whole lot easier.âÂ
.Â
The following weeks of concert tours pass by without a hitch. To Yoongi, any event now that doesnât end up with a torn sleeve and nail scratches up and down his arm is a success. And you havenât freaked out for the remaining dates as you had when security had been at its worstâso heâd consider that the icing on top of the cake. Although heâs glad to finally be be home and be anchored to his own bed and be in his own space for the first time in months, he knows that his first concert experience to celebrate his first EP had truly been a memorable undertaking.Â
And it had been more successful than anyone at KSJ records could have predicted. At least, thatâs what Seokjin tells him when Yoongi arrives at the studio the following day to start going through the process of polishing up his song lyrics.Â
âIt seems that you really enjoyed yourself throughout the tour,â Seokjin remarks as Yoongi steps into the formerâs office. Seokjin is scrolling through some articles on his laptop. He closes it as Yoongi takes a seat and regards the younger boy with a look of curiosity and wonder. âHow was it?âÂ
Yoongi brightens. âSo much fun. I didnât realize how cool it would feel to have audience members sing song lyrics right back at me, but that was probably my favorite moment.âÂ
âAh, of course, first time for everything as they always say.â Seokjin folds his fingers atop one another. âAnd how was your team?â He says your name, given that you are Yoongiâs manager. âAlong with Jungkook and Taehyung? I wish I could have given you more people, but we didnât know how crazy moving you around was going to be.âÂ
Yoongi nods. âI mean⌠it was fine. Jungkook was really good.â He canât help but think that Jungkook should have been goodâafter all, Yoongi is the reason why Jungkook has been getting safe with job security recently. âAnd Taehyung too. I think having the small team was good because we ended up all getting really connected and had this whole system in place after a few stops.âÂ
âI heard a fan tore your sleeve,â Seokjin points out, looking mildly concerned. âHow did that go?âÂ
âOh, it was just a one time thing,â Yoongi tries to brush off with the wave of his hand. He thinks of you, because of course he does. He mentions you. âShe would tap the fans who were getting too close. It was reassuring, honestly.âÂ
âThatâs good to hear,â Seokjin says. âAnd Iâve heard that youâve been making a lot of headway with the upcoming album. So weâre definitely gonna set some time for us to go through the lyrics and structure what youâve come up with already. But I did want to go over something with you firstâthe main reason I called you in, actually.âÂ
Yoongi tilts his head. âOkay, whatâs up?âÂ
Seokjin re-opens his laptop, and clicks through a few links before heâs pivoting the laptop in a 180 degree motion so Yoongi can see the screen. At once, heâs faced with several articles, all centering around the topic that has been haunting him since the beginning of his concert journey. He gets a flashback to one of the nights you came into his hotel room to discuss scheduling, and how you had mentioned this particular topic showing up more and more.
Yoongi had known it was becoming a problem. He just didnât think it was something that required urgent discussion.Â
âAs Iâm sure youâre aware, your growing popularity means that people are developing a growing interest in your relationship. Since you are labeled specifically as a song-writer who writes songs about growing up, struggles, and love, this only heightens peopleâs curiosity.âÂ
Yoongi allows Seokjin to continue talking, as he moves forward in his chair to actually scroll through one of the articles Seokjin has pulled up. Itâs entitled: UP AND COMING SINGER SONGWRITER MIN YOONGI IS DEFINITELY IN A RELATIONSHIP, BUT WITH WHO? As he scrolls down, thereâs several people that are listed as potential girlfriends to Yoongiâs partnershipâsome people he does not know at all, some people he has only seen once.Â
Youâre on the list too, and Yoongiâs eyes widen when he identifies your picture amongst the lot. He zeroes in on the description underneath the simple title: Yoongiâs manager? Although most manager and artist relationships are platonic, we canât leave this one out! Fans have tracked down Min Yoongiâs current manager as an old assistant from Min Yoongiâs youtube days, so thereâs definitely some history between them!Â
âThis article has been blowing up. You may or may not know, but people making assumptions about your relationship status could be dangerous. Since you write songs about relationships, it leaves a lot of room for error and scandals, especially if news sites decide to publish something or someone else with bad intentions try to claim you wrote a song about them. Or something else of the sort.âÂ
Yoongi nods slowly at that, not entirely understanding what direction Seokjin is going with his build up. It makes sense though. Leaving Yoongi out in the open like this could be dangerous for his career. âS-So, what ideas do you have to combat that?âÂ
âIâve been thinking about this in the recent weeks youâve been on tour,â Seokjin says quietly, pressing his hands together. âI think that we should push your relationship status into the publicâget you a girlfriend to maintain your âpure romantic heartâ reputation so it looks like youâre writing love songs solely for your girlfriend.âÂ
It takes a second for the words to sink in. âAaaaah,â Yoongi finally says, but his voice sounds far away all of a sudden, the further time seems to creep on. Sure, heâs seen this concept of surface relationships between in film and televisionâand the idea of it makes some sense. For someone whose best songs were related to moments of being in love, surely most people would suspect that the inspiration for those songs had to come from somewhere. If Yoongi came out to admit his lack of relationship experience, would people approve of that? Or would they think he was lying?Â
In that regard then, it makes sense that Seokjin would come up with the idea. But faking a relationship for the sake of faking a relationship has never been something Yoongi thought he would ever have to go through.Â
Mainly because first of allâwho would play Yoongiâs girlfriend?Â
Now, Yoongi isnât the worst actor in the world. But he can be stiff at times, and if Seokjin wants to push a relationship status into the public eye then Yoongi imagines that this girlfriend would be someone Yoongi felt the most natural around. Someone he wouldnât mind pretending to be in a relationship with.Â
Would Yoongi even get a say in the matter? Or would Yoongiâs approval be the only requirement before Seokjin went off to find a girlfriend for Yoongi himself?
âD-Did you have someone in mind?â Yoongi finds himself asking instead.Â
Seokjin hums, tapping his chin with his finger. âNot at the moment. I just wanted to bring it up with you in case you had an idea for someone.â Mindlessly, he reaches to take back the laptop and flip it back towards him. This exposes him to the article Yoongi had been previously scrolling throughâone where pictures of you are plastered over the current screen.Â
At the sight, Seokjin wavers slightly, staring down your pictures and furrowing his eyebrows. Yoongi looks over, noticing immediately that the laptop (and the pictures of you from that article) is no longer right in front of him but rather in front of Seokjin instead. When he glances over at Seokjin, he finds the older man lost in thought, running the side of his finger across his lip. Back and forth, clearly pondering something.Â
âYesâŚâ Seokjin says after a moment. âThat could work, actually.â He looks across the desk at Yoongi. âGood idea, Yoongi. I think originally, I would have said no, but these pictures and this description actually makes a valid point.âÂ
Yoongi blinks, not really connecting the dots right away. âUh, sorry, Seokjin, but Iâm not really followingâŚâÂ
Seokjin makes a noise, gesturing to his laptop screen that he has just gotten back from Yoongi. âYou were suggesting Y/N as your fake girlfriend, werenât you? Iâm assuming thatâs why you stopped on these pictures. My initial thought was that it probably wouldnât work, but actually considering your history with each other it seems like this could be the most likely case scenario.âÂ
It takes another second for the information to fully process. You. His fake girlfriend. Seokjin misunderstanding that unintentionally stopping on your pictures meant that Yoongi was trying to convey some sort of message.Â
Youâplaying the role of his fake girlfriend, the âsupposedâ inspiration for all his music. It would be funny if it wasnât so ironic.Â
It would be funny if you didnât inspire all of his musicâbut you do. And Yoongi isnât laughing. Â
He should say something. He knows that it would make sense, as Seokjin is claiming, but it would also potentially inch him towards a can of worms he has been so sure would never see the sunlight. More than that, having you as his fake girlfriend would bring him the closest he has ever been to feeling hopeful.Â
He really should say something.Â
But for some reason, the words donât come out. He just lets Seokjin believe his ingenious plan. âYes, yes!â Seokjin continues after the many moments of silence that lapse between the two of you. âThis could work actually. You guys have known each other for years, and older fans of yours from the youtube days would definitely recognize Y/N. That way, the announcement of your relationship wouldnât seem entirely out of line, especially if we say that you guys have been dating for years. It also makes sense that we could say you becoming Yoongiâs âmanagerâ was always part of a cover upâafter all, thatâs what they did in that movie That Thing You DoâŚâÂ
The more Seokjin drones on and on about his plan, and how exactly he intends to work up to it, the more nervous Yoongi gets. Was Seokjin actually planning on doing thisâenlist you as Yoongiâs fake girlfriend and drag you along to participate in this facade? Yoongi is mildly shocked. He should have known Seokjin would follow through on the question, but he had just assumed that today was just the idea phase and that plans to arrange this fake relationship would take weeks.Â
But if thereâs anything Yoongi knows about Seokjin, itâs that the man knows how to get something done. Quickly, too. In Seokjinâs word, itâs a natural occurrence for a simple idea phase to morph into actual concrete plans within the time span of a day. Yoongi should have planned this out betterâbut then again, he didnât think that him accidentally stopping on a picture of you from a fucking drama article would serve as the catalyst for Seokjinâs ideas.Â
Yoongi straightens up onto his feet. âWhy donât I talk to Y/N first about this?â He asks. âThe idea may seem good on paper, but if sheâs uncomfortable then itâs a no go.âÂ
Seokjin studies Yoongi carefully, before the former relents. âOkay, fair enough. Let me know what happens.âÂ
As soon as the pair of them exchange the last nods, Yoongi is dashing out of Seokjinâs office with one clear objective in mind: to talk to you.Â
Luckily, you arenât too far away. Youâre in your office, typing up something on your laptop and your eyes scanning through what he can only assume are emails. Itâs eyes that widen when Yoongi practically storms into your space, shutting the door behind him.Â
You straighten up. âYoongi, you alright? You look like you just ran a marathon.âÂ
Yoongi doesnât even realize that his chest is heaving until you point that out. He coughs. âYeah, yeah, Iâm fine. Didnât run a marathon though.âÂ
Your eyebrows furrow, but the corner of your lips turn up in mild curiosity. âOkay. Whatâs up?âÂ
Yoongi presses his lips together. Even with the many feet of space between the two of youâhe can make out the glimmer in your eyes from the sunlight pouring through the window, he can see the shadow of your eyelashes and the line where your collarbone dips below your blouse. Fuck, heâs in deep. Thereâs no way he could ask you something so monumental to the downfall of his sanity. But he knows that itâs too late to just walk away. Partly because heâs already in your office and partly because the idea has already been planted into Seokjinâs head. And if Yoongi didnât speak up, then Seokjin was going to.Â
So Yoongi opens his mouth. âI may or may not have gotten you into a situation,â He starts up.Â
You snort, of course not taking him seriously. âThat might just be the summary of our relationship.âÂ
âNo, I donât think you understandâŚâ Yoongi pleads, stepping deeper into the office.Â
You frown at his behavior, closing your laptop this time to address him completely. âOkay, whatâs up, really? Youâre kind of scaring meâŚâÂ
âOh, donât worry, itâs not⌠scary or anythingâŚâ He trails off.Â
You raise an eyebrow. âLet me be the judge of that.âÂ
So Yoongi shoves his hands deep into his coat pocket, and slides next to your desk, leaning against the surface as he starts his story. He covers everything: from Seokjin bringing up the drama articles about his relationship status, how he had scrolled through and saw your name, how Seokjin had misinterpreted that as a sign, and worse of all, how Seokjin thought it would be a good idea for you to play as Yoongiâs fake girlfriend.Â
To say youâre appalled would be an understatement. Youâre staring up at him, eyes wide and lips parted. âAre you serious?â You ask. âB-But Iâm your manager!â You scoff at yourself. âNo, more than thatâIâm your friend, Yoongi. Seokjin must be on something. He has to be. What did you guys decide on? Please tell me that you said no.âÂ
âW-Well, there was no agreement or disagreement,â Yoongi argues weakly. âI walked out before Seokjin could make up his mind.â He pauses for a moment, something sinking in. âWait a minute,â He brings up, a slightly teasing smile across his face. âDo you really find the idea of dating me that gross?âÂ
You make a noise in the back of your throat at his accusation, and you immediately begin to scramble. âI-I mean,â You start, the flush present in your throat as you start speaking very quickly at once. Both your hands go up in a defensive position. âItâs not that I donât find you gross⌠because I donât! Youâre a very attractive personâitâs just thatâweâre friends andâstop looking at me like that!â You stand up, slamming your palms onto the table when you realize that heâs just flashing you a shit-eating grin.Â
He has half the mind to be mildly disheartened that you are so against the idea of dating him. But then again, heâd probably say no to fake dating you if he was being forced into a situation like this. Heâd definitely say no.Â
Okay, heâd probably say no.Â
âWell, I told Seokjin that if you were uncomfortable with the idea, then itâd be a no go and he seemed to respect the idea.âÂ
Still standing, you sigh and press your face into the palm of your hand. Your fingers brush through your hair. âOkay, letâs step back for a moment.â You remove your hands from your face. âIf I were to say yes, what exactly would that entail?âÂ
Yoongi manages a weak one-shouldered shrug. âIâm not sure exactly. Seokjin would probably have a better idea of that. I imagine KSJ records would release a statement about our relationship, and we would be scheduled to go to variety shows or press interviews together. Weâd probably have to go out to restaurants together too. Hold handsâŚâ The thought of holding your hand dries up his throat a little, but he passes it off well by faking a cough. âThat sort of stuff.âÂ
You glare at him. âAnd what about your fans? Youâre trying to preserve this âpure romantic heartâ image, but Iâm sure thereâs a lot of fans that like to believe the songs could be about them.âÂ
He shrugs. âThatâIâm not too sure about. I imagine Seokjin prefers the idea of my fans believing that my heart only belongs to one person rather than them believing that Iâll just write a love song for anyone.âÂ
You nod. âThatâs valid, I guess.âÂ
Yoongi stares at you from the smaller space of distance between the two of you. âAgain, you donât have to say yes. Frankly, I think itâs a batshit crazy idea.âÂ
âItâs not⌠completely out of line.â After a moment, you sigh. âI can actually understand why Seokjin would get the idea of trying to set you up like this. The news articles will probably get worse. And since your songs market themselves on being personal, people want to know who the songs are about. If Seokjin gave the public a face, then thereâd be no room for assumptions and even less room for scandals to come about.â You give him a look. âSadly, if you were to stay single, thereâs only so much I could do as your manager to control that bad press.âÂ
Yoongi raises both his eyebrows up. âDoes that mean youâre saying yesâ?âÂ
âIâm not⌠saying anything yet.â You plop yourself back down into your seat. âIâm not saying yes. But Iâm not saying no either.â You sink further into your seat. âHopefully Seokjin will change his mind before I have to make up mine?âÂ
Thatâs an unlikely case. But Yoongi doesnât argue with you, and you donât wait for him to. He simply nods one more time before leaving your office.Â
.
You would be lying if you said you never thought about dating Yoongi. Of course you have. Youâre sure that youâve had a crush on the boy within the first week of your introductions. This crush explains so many of your past actionsâyour support for his Youtube channel, your fulfillment as his manager, and now this pull towards agreeing to become his fake girlfriend. And you hate yourself for the every second you consider it a good idea.Â
Because itâs not a good idea. Itâs a terrible idea. More than that, itâs an unfair idea. Agreeing to fake date someone you actually want to date seems like too cruel a hand to be dealt. Considering your more-often-than-not fragile state, setting yourself up with Yoongi in this way already seems doomed to fail. It would be unfair to Yoongi, because agreeing to this would deprive him of an actual relationship he could be happy in. But it would be more unfair to you, because losing control would mean losing your best friend.Â
So you donât give Yoongi a positive confirmation. But you donât give him a negative one either. See, you donât have the heart to just outwardly reject him, because you know that he needs you to help him with this. You know that he understands the situation heâs been put in, and that getting a fake girlfriend seems to be the best case scenario. You know that it wouldnât make sense with any other girlâit had to be you. Saying no straight to face is something that you donât have the heart to do.Â
Rather than give a yes or no answer, you opt for the second best option: hold off and avoid indulging too deeply.Â
Itâs a strategy that works for a grand total of one day.Â
The following day post Yoongiâs conversation, you show up to work with information that Yoongi is going to start recording songs for his new album. His first full-length album, at thatâsomething he has been working hard for since the beginning. Every second of free time available to him during the tour, during off-days had been dedicated to writing the music necessary to fill the album. You know how hard heâs been workingâyouâve watched throughout the duration of his tour, and spoke to him for many nights about the progression of this album.Â
You just didnât think that the recording part would be coming around so soon.Â
This is a thought you reflect to Seokjin when you enter the recording studio. Yoongi is already behind the glass, and his voice is amplified in the studio, where they appear to be discussing the arrangement for how a song is going to go. This leaves you vaguely surprisedâif Yoongi is in the booth already, it means that there must have been some ground covered on how the arrangement was supposed to go. Just how long has Yoongi been in the studio before you showed up?Â
âAh, good morning,â Seokjin greets from the back of the studio, seated on the couch and his arms resting along the back. âDonât get mad, but Yoongi worked through the night again.âÂ
Your lips part into a gape as your eyes widen in disbelief. âPlease tell me youâre joking,â You return.Â
Seokjin merely laughs in return. âI wish I was! When I left, he was going at it with Namjoon and when I came back this morning they were still going at it. But, you know, who am I to rain in on a breakthrough moment?âÂ
You relent your control of the situation slightly (only slightly) at Seokjinâs rhetorical question. Namjoon is one of Seokjinâs top producers and arrangersâvery gifted in songwriting and how to make a good song. From the year that you and Yoongi have been a part of KSJ records, Yoongi and Namjoon have gotten along great and their close relationship has been the reason for many late nights. The pair of them were always caught in the drift of making sleepless but record-selling hits.Â
Like Seokjin said, who are you to interrupt art in progress?Â
Although you have a sudden flurry of desires and objectives (mainly to reprimand Yoongi for being so careless with a slap or a hit where you could put him to sleep yourself), you bite it down long enough to shed your jacket and rest it on the armrest of the couch. âFine, fine, Iâll let it go this time.âÂ
Seokjin chuckles at that, removing his gaze from you and sliding it across the studio back into the booth where Yoongi is still in the midst of discussing something with Namjoon. Something about how the arrangement isnât as smooth or on beat as they had originally intended. âYouâre a good manager,â He says at last. âI can tell that you really do care about him and will definitely give him a peace of your mind once heâs done with todayâs session. And whatâs moreâŚâ He laughs. âHeâll actually let you walk all over him. Youâd be surprised how often I see managers in it just for the money, where they donât have their artistâs best interest in mind. Youâre definitely not like that.âÂ
You slide into the vacant seat next to Seokjin. âIf I donât keep an eye on him, I know that no one else will. Itâs nothing against other people, but no one else in his life is as involved in his career as I am. But Iâm his friend first, and his manager second.âÂ
The pair of you are quiet for a moment, as you watch Namjoon fiddle with some of the switches on the music panel. They seem to come to an agreement on the newly modified beat, because it starts playing through the speakers in the booth. Yoongi presses his hands against the headphones heâs wearing, and starts to relay the lyrics into the microphone. It starts off slowâYoongi has his phone in his hands to read the lyrics, to double check the flow and the tempo. After a few lines, he stops. âAhâletâs reword this line. I do like the change we made to the music, so letâs change the lyrics to match.â His voice is amplified through the studio.Â
Namjoon presses a button on the music panel, allowing him to communicate with Yoongi. âSure. Want to head in and make the changes?âÂ
Yoongi ponders this for a moment, but shakes his head. âGive me a second. Maybe if I listen to the song again, I can feel what I vibe with.âÂ
âSounds good.â Namjoon releases his hold on the button, and turns around in his chair to face you and Seokjin. The sight of you makes his eyes widen, as Namjoon coughs back a choke. âO-Oh, Y/N, youâre hereâ!âÂ
His words make you narrow your eyes as you point a finger at him. âYAH! Which one of you was it that contributed to your all-nighter?âÂ
âI donât know, I donât know!â Namjoon protests, raising both of his hands up in defense. âWe were both in the groove!âÂ
You lower your finger with a sigh. âYouâre lucky that youâre in the middle of helping Yoongi achieve his dreams. Otherwise Iâd kick both of your asses.âÂ
Namjoon seems to realize that youâre not messing around, because he emits a nervous laugh. âI promise weâll be a little more careful next timeâŚâÂ
âOh, Namjoon, I rewrote some of the lines!â Yoongi calls from inside the booth.Â
Namjoon whirls around in his chair again to press the button. âSounds good, letâs do it.âÂ
As the music starts up again, Seokjin decides to speak up once more. âYoongi told me that he talked to you about the little fake dating plan I had.âÂ
The mention of it, as well as your previous internal insistence of not talking or thinking about that, makes you stiffen. âHe might have mentioned something like that.âÂ
When you turn to look at Seokjin, he has an unreadable look glinting in his eyes. âSince you were talking about achieving Yoongiâs dreams and allâŚâ He trails off. âI wanted to apologize for bringing that idea onto you so quickly. I didnât really consider how youâd feel about the arrangement. I just wanted to try and do what I thought was best for Yoongi.âÂ
You sigh. âI know why you thought of the idea. And I totally agree with youâI think that if he wants to carry on, this is the least costly next step that should be taken. I just⌠I donât know if Iâm the best fit for it.âÂ
Seokjin nods. âI respect your decision. After all, Yoongi told me that if you were uncomfortable with it, then itâd be an immediate no go.âÂ
The corner of your lips turns up upon hearing Yoongiâs thought process. Even though youâve already heard the words from the man himselfâitâs nice to hear that assurance from his boss. Knowing that Yoongi puts your thoughts and feelings on the forefront of his mind is a nice feeling. A misleading feeling if you let yourself think too deeply into it. But a nice feeling, nonetheless.Â
You decide not to comment immediately on Seokjinâs apology; rather, you tune into what exactly Yoongi is singing about in the song. Itâs got a softer beat to itâan opening song to the album, perhaps? Itâs much more whimsy compared to his hard-hitting personal rants that touch on the frustration of miscommunication, of not saying something when he should have said something.Â
Instead, this is a song about distanceâabout missing someone due to distance and the longing of returning home because of the normality it brought. About how even closeness sometimes isnât enough to fill the gap of desire in his heart. It takes on a beat youâve never heard before, and a feeling of missing something that isnât even tangible for you as a listener. Nevertheless, his words, his raspiness, and the hard lines hidden within the otherwise soft tone of the song work hard to poke at your edges and your weak spots. The parts of you that have always been willing to cave for Yoongi, the part of you that has never hesitated to do what needed to be done if it benefited Yoongi.Â
You were his manager, so you always want whatâs best for him. But youâre also a friend who has been in love with him for years, so you will do whatever it takes to get him there.Â
You hope you donât regret this.
âActually,â You admit quietly, but itâs loud enough to perk Seokjinâs attention. âIâll do it.âÂ
Seokjin blinks, clearly trying to process your words right off the bat. âYouâllâŚâ He trails off.
You look away. You have a feeling that if Seokjin looks at you for too long, heâll see your emotions spill out across the entire fucking studio. âDo the fake dating idea.âÂ
Seokjin fumbles a little. âH-Hold on a secondâare you sure? Seriously, Iâm not trying to pressure you or anything. Since youâre the one least adjusted to being in the spotlight, a lot of this pressure is going to fall onto you. I donât want you to say yes and then regret it later on⌠so maybe you should think a little more about thisâŚâÂ
You steel yourself. It feels a little bit like holding your breath. Finally, you spare Seokjin a look. âI wonât regret it,â You say. âYou and I both said that Yoongi needs me to keep going at this paceâI was going to get roped in eventually, so I think itâll just be easier if I agree now rather than drag this thing around for a couple of months. BesidesâŚâ You try to relax a little in your seat, but itâs hard to tell if youâre being convincing or not. âItâs nothing too serious right? You just want us to go out together, hold hands occasionally, speak highly of each other⌠We already do half of those things but itâll just be emphasized now. No big deal.âÂ
Seokjin is wearing that unreadable look in his eyes again, like he knows something that you donât even know yourself. âYouâre right,â He settles with after a long pause. âItâs nothing too serious. Youâll probably have people also digging into your space though, but weâll make all the necessary arrangements before any sort of announcement.âÂ
âIf thatâs the case,â You reply. âThen Iâm sure itâll all be fine. Besides.â You try for a smile. âItâs all just fake anyways, right? As long as the ones who really matter know that, then I donât really see the harm in it.âÂ
Seokjin only continues to stare at you, before he relents. You know just as well as he does that your decision is one of an adult, and that if you really had a problem with something you would vote your opinion without hesitation. No matter if he can somehow read the thoughts in your head.Â
At last, he nods. âWe might need you to sign another NDA butâŚâ He extends an arm out towards you. âWelcome abroad, Min Yoongiâs girlfriend.âÂ
You laugh a little, hollow but still present, as you reach over to take his head. âWeâll start having problems if that nickname becomes a regular thing.âÂ
Seokjin laughs a little louder, a complete opposite of his more quiet and observant side displayed just a few seconds ago. âDonât worryâjust for formalities. HEY, Namjoon, let me talk to Yoongi for a second.â He practically throws himself off of the couch and towards the music panel where Namjoon and Yoongi are still mid-discussion about another aspect of music you do not understand. Namjoon relents, pushing himself and his chair off to the side as Seokjin comes up to press the button on the panel that allows for discussion between the booth and the studio. âHey, Min Yoongi, thereâs been some discussions behind the scenes. Say hello to your new girlfriend!âÂ
Thereâs a brief silence in the studio, and Yoongiâs eyes immediately bug out of his head like this is the last thing he expected to hear on this very casual Wednesday morning. Knowing the agenda for the day, it probably has been. âWhat?â Yoongi says after a long moment, his voice amplified by the speakers in the studio.Â
Seokjin turns towards you, jerking his head at the booth, and you get up with a sigh. You approach the music panel where Seokjin and Namjoon are currently situatedâand arenât sure how to feel when you see the way Yoongiâs eyes widen at the sight of you through the window.Â
Still, you cannot help your own weak smile as you lean in towards the microphone. âHi honey,â You say.Â
Yoongi continues to stare at you, before his lips part and his face takes on a very unusual shade of red. âHUH?âÂ
.Â
.Â
CHAPTERÂ 3: THE ANNOUNCEMENTÂ
.Â
KSJ records releases a statement within the next following days, and it gains momentum like nothing youâve ever seen before.Â
HELLO, WE ARE KSJ RECORDS.Â
Recently, we acknowledge that many fans have developed a curiosity about the relationship status of our newest artist Min Yoongi. The release of his latest EP and the undertaking of his concert has left many questions regarding who he writes his songs forâand many of the different assumptions made by people around the world could leave very dangerous and lasting impressions on people that our artist sees as platonic. We want to respond properly and say the truth.Â
Min Yoongi has been in a relationship with his current manager, Y/N, for the past three years. When Min Yoongi was first signed to KSJ Records, they were already in a relationship and Y/N was assigned the task as Yoongiâs manager given her experience working alongside him during his Youtube career. They have good feelings about each other, and have agreed to make this information public to avoid future misunderstandings. KSJ Records and Yoongi hope that you all will support their relationship as they continue to navigate through Yoongiâs growing career together.Â
You cannot help but laugh a little at the statement, which is flying so close to the truth that it might as well have been your reality. And in a way, it is. Youâve already prepared, molded your online presence just barely to meet these new expectations to the new facade you have to put up.Â
And itâs not like the announcement actually changes anything in your daily life. In the days leading up to the post, you had decided to delete your Twitter account (you werenât making much use of that platform anywaysâwhat, with all the thirst accounts for Yoongi that you were stumbling upon due to internet cookies and the algorithm), and archive a fair number of your Instagram photos on an account that was already set to private. For someone who didnât live and breathe social media, it wasnât too hard to rid of that element in your life.Â
One thing you hadnât really accounted for, however, were the news stories that wrote about you in the hours following the press release. Several of them were base-level lists about your childhood and how your relationship with Yoongi could have festeredâmost of which were correct given that older fans of Yoongi knew what university he attended and how you were also a student there. But that information is generally public, and itâs not like you attend the university anymore.
Other than that, there are a few comments on your looks, a few assumptions on your personality. But surprising, thereâs nothing too severe. At least, from the surface-level information you can collect from just doing a basic google search. Social media would probably be a more difficult battle, one that you would need nerves of steel and a hardened heart in order to navigate, but like mentioned: professionally managing your own personal social media isnât exactly your forte.Â
Over the next week, you follow Seokjinâs advice to lay low and let the news of your relationship with Yoongi continue to spread through the ranks. You spend that time in your apartment, answering a few messages from friends and family but doing what you could to keep the information as limited as possible. You assume that too many people knowing, regardless of how close or trustworthy they were, sort of went against the NDA you had to sign. And youâre not sure how your friends would react if they found out you were only dating Yoongi for a cover-up. Especially since some of them actually are fully aware of your feelings for him.Â
Regardless, you carry on. Yoongi sends you some screenshots he takes of supportive messages from his fans wishing the both of you the best in your relationship, and he also sends you some memes about your relationship that make you laugh. His fans have a good sense of humor, what could you say.Â
However, a week is the most you allow yourself to hide away within the comfort (and boring nature) of your apartment before youâre already texting Seokjin with news that you were showing up to the studio.Â
Surprisingly, Seokjin doesnât question this. He calls you. âI was just about to ask if you were going to come over anyways!â He says in a rather upbeat nature. âSo itâs good to hear that weâre both on the same page.âÂ
So you step out of your apartment, dressed up in your usual work uniform and feeling much more put-together than you had been for the week you were ordered to remain quiet and lowkey. Thereâs something exciting about stepping out after being unable to do so for an extended period of timeâand it shows in the little bounce that occurs with every step that you take down the sidewalk. Since you usually take the subway to work, you decide to dawn a bucket hat with a face mask tucked over your nose and mouth to blend in just enough but not so much so that your strange fashion choices could draw attention.Â
It doesnât, and you enjoy the rocking of the subway racing down the tracks as you peer out of the window quietly. KSJ Records is just a few stops away from your apartment, so you waste no time standing out and stepping out as soon as the doors of the subway open at the right stop. You bound up the stairs, through the familiar pathways youâve always taken to get to work, and after a few blocks, you arrive at the building of KSJ Records.Â
As you shoulder open the door, you greet the secretary behind the table, who smiles back at you. âOh, good morning!â She greets cheerfully. âSeokjin is waiting for you in his office. I believe Yoongi is already with him.âÂ
You nod. âSounds good, thank you so much!â You bound deeper in, navigating through the different hallways until you arrive at Seokjinâs office. True to the word from the front desk, Yoongi is already there. He looks surprisingly meek for someone who has been trending on Twitter for a few days, but you suppose that heâs still trying to adjust to the fact that Seokjinâs plan is already in motion. After all, he didnât even get the final say before Seokjin started taking the situation into his own hands. The last he had heard of it was your apparent agreement before Seokjin drew up a company statement for him to approve.Â
A part of you feels guiltyâbut Yoongi had been the one to ask you first! Perhaps heâs still in that normal state of uncertainty. After all, you feel like that as well.Â
âGood morning guys,â You greet as soon as you register who exactly is in Seokjinâs office. You close the door behind you as both boys turn to acknowledge you.Â
Seokjin grins. âHi, thanks for coming in.âÂ
You wave him off. âYou gave me the week off. I was starting to get a little restless.â You take a seat in the other vacant chair, in front of Seokjin and besides Yoongi. âWhatâs up, Yoongi?âÂ
Yoongi is already looking at you when you turn to greet him, but as soon as you ask your question, the corner of his lips quirk up into a vaguely uneasy and nervous smile. âH-Hi honey.âÂ
You freeze at that, immediately furrowing your eyebrows as you produce your own nervous smile. âHi?â You return. âWhat the fuck are you on?âÂ
Seokjin interrupts before Yoongi can get an answer in. âStop, stop, youâre way too stiff, Yoongi!âÂ
âWell, Iâm trying!â Yoongi spits, before looking back at you with an utterance of your name. âSorry, Seokjin wanted me to try treating you the same way I would treat a girlfriend. Apparently I didnât do too hot.âÂ
âNot apparently, you just didnât do hot at all,â Seokjin retorts back, flashing you an apologetic smile. âWe were trying out a few moves easier to see how well you guys can adjust from having your normal manager slash artist relationship to displaying a long term, healthy and happy romantic relationship. Itâs one thing to say that you guys are dating, but you guys do need to have something of an act ready.âÂ
You fold your fingers over each other, your mind on a dissociation for the briefest of seconds as the realization sinks its teeth just a little deeper. Holding hands and saying cute shit to each other had been easy to talk about in passing dialogue to Seokjinâbut actually having to do it is a hurdle you hadnât considered to the fullest.Â
âI meanâŚâ You speak up after a moment. âWhat if weâre just one of those couples that arenât handsey with each other? Or donât need that lovey dovey look in each otherâs eyes to prove that weâre in a relationship?âÂ
Seokjin ponders this for a second. âTrue. But if weâre starting this, there needs to be a full level commitment on the act. If people start questioning the legitimacy of your relationship, that would be an even worse scandal than just letting people make assumptions about Yoongiâs relationship status in general! We definitely, at least, need to develop a basic level of your relationship, and then you guys can work around your own varying levels of comfort. This is something that we need to get rolling as soon as possible, because you.â He points at Yoongi. âAre booked in the next few days to do some radio interviews. And you.â He points at you. âAre going to go with him, as his girlfriend.âÂ
Even though you had known the label was coming, you canât stop from feeling hot all over at how you were now technically Yoongiâs girlfriend.Â
âSo,â Seokjin continues. âHow about I give you a base level of what Iâm looking for. And we can do a few practice runs to make sure you guys are comfortable enough with these expectations?âÂ
Yoongi nods, leaving you little option but to do the same. But the thought from the recording booth bubbles up again: you hope you wonât regret this.Â
.Â
A few days later and you donât think youâll regret the outcome of this situation. But youâll definitely get a little sick on the way.Â
âI donât know if I can do this,â You say in the car. Youâre sitting in the back, next to Yoongi, staring straight ahead at the passenger seat before you. âAnd stay all in one piece,â You add as an afterthought.Â
Yoongi glances over at you, looking nervous enough to admit a pout. âAt least you donât have to say anythingâIâm the one doing all the talkingâŚâÂ
You huff out a breath. This is true. Youâre just here to play the supportive girlfriend, the agreeable partner whoâll publicly accompany Yoongi to a public event since a public announcement. Seokjin says that doing this with the lense of a romantic relationship makes you seem friendly, open, and supportive of the relationship. Youâre not too sure how public perception is shaped, but you understand where Seokjin is coming from. Tagging along to an event as a girlfriend instead of a manager makes you and Yoongi seem free. Like you have nothing to hide.Â
Only in reality, itâs the complete opposite. With everything coming out to the surface, you have everything to hide.Â
It only takes a few more minutes of driving before you arrive at the radio station. The instructions for todayâs assignment have been easy: get out of the car, and walk the many steps needed to reach the entrance of the station. The empty step ahead is surrounded by paparazzi and fans, all screaming and shoutingâtrying to get their fill of Yoongi.Â
You sigh. You could do this. You and Yoongi have been practicing for the past few days. Albeit, âpracticingâ just mainly consisted of the pair of you walking down a hallway close together. It was more lackluster than anything else, and you donât think it was entirely productive use of time. Seokjin seemed to think that the pair of you needed to work on a closer level of proximity. But you know the truth about your feelings, and know that the complications will come from just being too close to him.Â
Yoongi unbuckles his seatbelt and is already moving to tug at the handle thatâll open his side of the car door, immediately exposing him to the walkway along with the flashing cameras and loud screams. Before he can pull all the way, however, he stops short. Youâre about to ask what the problem is, before he angles towards you and flashes you that grin he has when heâs thinking of ideas you wouldnât approve of. âI have an idea,â He breathes out, quickly reaching over to grab your hand.Â
You stiffen at the contact, trying to ignore the flash of your heart speeding up in your chest. You and Yoongi hadnât agreed on thisâif you had, maybe you would have been a little more prepared for the situation! Oh god.Â
On instinct, you try to wiggle out of his grasp. âWhat are you doing?â You hiss.Â
Yoongi gives you a dry look, reaching over to grab your hand again. âCalm down,â He argues back, lacing your fingers together for extra measure, like thatâs gonna be the thing to help you calm the fuck down. âThisâll help sell it, okay? Just trust me.âÂ
Leaving little room for arguments, he squeezes your hand briefly before loosening it enough. He pulls the car door handle, pushing it outwards, and stepping out into the wild. People notice his appearance immediately, because the screams grow louder as Yoongi uses his unoccupied hand to wave and bow towards those who have come out to see him.Â
You trail behind rather helplessly; the hand connected to Yoongi pulling you out of the car. Yoongi stays near the door, staring down at you with a rather watchful gaze that only leaves you feeling hotter than before. Still, you donât speak of it as Yoongi steps back just enough for you to step out of the car. âYou okay?â He asks.Â
You nod, readjusting yourself with one hand before Yoongi starts to pull you alongside him to walk the distance towards the radio station entrance. Although you want to engage slightly with the crowd, your nerves keep you mainly at bay, forcing you to angle your head downwards just enough to avoid any serious eye contact. Yoongi keeps his gaze ahead, walking a rather brisk pace towards the radio studioâwhere security leads the way in opening the door for the pair of you. Whether heâs walking fast because he doesnât want to keep up the charade of holding your hand for so long⌠or because he can feel how sweaty your palm is getting. You donât know.Â
Itâs only a few more steps before you and Yoongi are entering the building for the radio show, where Jungkook is lingering near the entrance. Heâs on his phone, probably having just made a call with Seokjin about your arrival, before he spots the two of you entering. âHey guys, how was it?âÂ
Yoongi nods. âA little loud, but I think it went alright.âÂ
Jungkookâs eyes flicker down to your intertwined hands. âWow, you guys are committed,â He comments.Â
You seem to remember that your soul has returned to the body that is still currently holding hands with Min Yoongi. Alarmingly, you take your hand back. âY-Yeah, Yoongi thought it would be a good show for the people outside! No biggieâjust a simple hand holding technique, people do that all the time!â You realize that youâre rambling.Â
Yoongi, oblivious as always, raises an eyebrow. âYou okay?âÂ
âY-Yeah,â You manage. âWhy do you ask?âÂ
Yoongi is about to answer, before an intern shyly approaches the three of you with an iPad in hand.Â
âAre you all under Mr. Minâs team?â She asks, fishing out some badges when you nod in confirmation. âOkay, so make sure to take these so everyone knows who you are. Mr. Min? I can lead you to the studio youâll be interviewing in, if youâll follow meâdid you need me to grab a soda for you?â She begins listing a series of questions about his well-being, leaving you and Jungkook behind in the hallway with your newly acquired badges in hand.
Jungkook, observant as always, gives you a look. âWhat was that all about?âÂ
âHuh? I-It was nothingâŚâ You trail off looping the badge around your neck, meeting Jungkookâs eyes and realizing that heâs wearing a shit-eating grin. The same kind of grin that Taehyung gives you when youâre standing too close to Yoongi. Your eyes flare. âWHAT DO YOU KNOW?â Â
Jungkook laughs. âCalm down, calm down, Taehyung and I gossip a lot on the sideâhey, what the fuck, donât hit meâweâre in a public place!âÂ
You relent your aggression, but only slightly. You lower your arms as well. âJustâdonât tell Yoongi.âÂ
Jungkook levels with you a dry look. âDo you think I have a death wish? Câmon, letâs head over.âÂ
With a hesitant sigh, you relent and let Jungkook lead you down the halls of this studio, until the pair of you find a door with Yoongiâs name written on the white board. Thereâs a darkened LIVE light panel above the frame, indicating that Yoongiâs radio interview hasnât started yet. Thereâs some people lingering about, who nod and open the door for you when you present your TALENT badge at them. The inside of a radio booth is similar to the recording booths Yoongi has found a home in as of late. Thereâs people in this current room, headphones on and monitoring whatâs happening before them while being surrounded with sound panels and laptop screens. On the other side of the glass is Yoongi, and the main hosts of the radio station, Jung Hoseok and Im Nayeon.Â
From your side, you can hear their conversation amplified through speakers in the studio. Theyâre all currently joking around about external mattersâit makes sense too. Yoongi has been on this particular radio show a handful of times.Â
âOkay, okay, you guys,â Hoseok speaks after a few more minutes of playful banter. âToday, we have a very special guest with us today. Heâs fresh off the tour of his first and most recent EP, we have Min Yoongi in the studio! Yay!â He claps. Nayeon follows suit.Â
Yoongi stops his clapping sooner to speak into the microphone in front of him. âThanks for having me back.âÂ
âThank you for deciding to hang out with us for the afternoon,â Nayeon says. âEspecially since youâre a big hot shot now.âÂ
Yoongi laughs. âI wouldnât say that⌠I just finished my first tour, Nayeon, no big deal.âÂ
ââNo big dealâ,â Nayeon quotes him. âAs if your EP didnât chart into a top 50 list or anything like that.âÂ
The conversation trails like this for a little bit. Yoongi is scheduled to spend thirty minutes doing a segment, which is meant to be uploaded onto Youtube later, so it gives the three of them a lot of legroom to play around and play off of each other. The purpose of the interview is to discuss the tour, the progress of the album, and (if anyone dared venture there) the status of his relationshipâ!Â
âWell, moving on from the albumâwhich Iâm sure is going to be a huge success, by the way,â Nayeon continues on, bringing you back from the daydream that youâve slipped into. âSeriously, itâs a very highly anticipated release.âÂ
Yoongi manages a nervous smile. âIâll make sure not to let anyone down.âÂ
Nayeon nods. âI think itâs a good time to ask about a recent development that has occurred with you as of late.âÂ
âAnd, that is the announcement of your relationship,â Nayeon carries on. She glances at Yoongi from across the table. âWeâre allowed to ask you questions about it, right?âÂ
Yoongi nods, choosing his words very carefully. âIâm all ears for your questions, Nayeon.âÂ
Nayeon brightens at that. âI just think that a lot of people want to know: how are you guys doing since the announcement?âÂ
He takes in a breath. To the general public, itâll probably look as if heâs steeling himself to finally come clean about a relationship heâs been hiding for three years. But to you, you know itâs because heâs just trying to figure out what exactly to say.Â
âWeâve been doing well,â He says with a nod of assurance. âIt was a little stressful at first, and it still is because of how recent the news is, but I am glad we decided to make this call. Y/N has been with me since the beginning and has supported me and has been the inspiration for a lot of my musicâand Iâm at a point in my life where I want my fans to know that rather than drag them along and just make them assume these parts of my life.âÂ
âThatâs so sweet,â Nayeon gushes. âSo Y/N wasnât always just your manager, even back in your Youtube days?âÂ
Yoongi shakes his head. âActually, she was my girlfriend before I decided to upload song covers.âÂ
Nayeon swoons a little. âCan you tell us the story of how we met? You can be brief, of course.âÂ
Yoongi laughs. âWe shared a class together in college, and she was probably the funniest person I had ever metâof course, we were friends for about a year before we started dating. But Y/N was always very supportive about me pursuing music, even when it was just a hobby. When I did start my Youtube channel, she stayed up to help with editing and just letting me know how some lyrics I had written would sound. She was a business major in college, so it felt right to let her have the reins on scheduling my appearancesâand now sheâs my manager. Besides just being my girlfriend, we work together really well.âÂ
You huff out a breath, something you hadnât even realized that you were holding. You didnât think Yoongi lying straight through his teeth could cause you so much anxiety. As if there are people around this radio station to fact check everything leaving Yoongiâs mouth.Â
Nayeon hesitates for a moment. âAlright, I want to ask one more question.âÂ
Yoongi gestures for her to continue.Â
âYou write a lot about being in love and all these little moments of stability and that feeling of contentmentâbut what is your experience with love? How did you know that you were in love?âÂ
Your lips part in shock at the question, having not expected it. After all, Seokjin didnât quiz Yoongi on this answer. And to talk about love in such a personal mannerâwould Yoongi even have an answer for everyone?Â
Your gaze is trained on Yoongi, watching them through the glass separating you from him. It seems as if the entire room is silenced in anticipation. You can feel Jungkookâs gaze hot on your back, clearly trying to gauge your responseâbut you try not to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.Â
âItâs actually funny,â Yoongi speaks up after a moment. Your heart lurches, thinking that heâs going to divert from the question. But you should know him better. âI always thought love, when it came to romance, was supposed to be this big explosion of fireworks and what notâlike in the movies. You see someone and thereâs this feeling in your gut right away, you know, this whole concept of love at first sight. I used to think that was how I was going to fall in love. It was going to be dramatic, but everything I wanted right away, and I was going to be whisked off and everything would be sunshine and rainbows. I thought that Iâd meet someone, and theyâd be everything I wanted them to be right off the bat, and that Iâd know right away theyâd be the one.Â
But the truth is, through my relationship, I realized that itâs not like that. I didnât know Y/N would be the one right away. It took a long timeâbecause we liked each other, but thatâs not the big explosion of fireworks I was promised. We liked each other, but it was never love at first sight. And truthfully, she wasnât even everything I wanted right off the bat. Iâve realized that love is more about these adjustments you as people have to make to fit, and it happened so subtly with me that then I didnât realize it was happening until I just woke up one day and knew.Â
I knew because one morning, I woke up in a fitâI had fallen asleep at my desk again trying to get through some of the music arrangement of this one video I was working on, or something like that. I was always working on music and editingâso I actually donât remember. Anyways, I woke up and my head was resting on a pillow, and there was a blanket over my shoulder, which I didnât remember fixing up the night before. I got out of the little makeshift studio I had in my apartment, and there was breakfast food from this cafe I really like around the corner at my table. It was a little cold, but Y/N had taped a little note on the bag with heating instructions and what not, just telling me to do my bestâreally nice and supportive things. I had assumed that she had gone back home, because she knew I was pulling another all-nighter for work. Thatâs what I thought, until I look into the living room and find her sleeping on my couch. More than that, her hands were still on her laptop, where she had been in the process of still editing one of my videos. She still had her headphones on and everything. We had been dating for a little less than a year at that point, so it wasnât like this was a rare thing. It was a pretty normal thing for her to doâwrap me up in blankets and buy me breakfast food the following morning, even falling asleep on the couch was a weekly occurrence. But I just saw her sleeping on my couch and I felt this wave of warmth and contentment. Like I always knew that sheâd be on my team. I think that was the moment I really knew what love was.âÂ
Itâs a long story, one that ends with a stunned silenceâlike no one had expected him to give out such a detailed answer and make it sound poetic at the same time. Thatâs the songwriter Min Yoongi for you, you supposed.Â
Quickly, both the studio and the booth give out a chorus of awâs and oohâs, gushing amongst one another over the charming nature of Yoongiâs story. But you are still trapped into submission, staring straight through the glass with millions of questions still going through your mind. The spike in your heart rate also points to the rush of adrenaline flowing through you. Because you know this story that he is telling. Heâs not lying through his teeth. You remember this night. Or, one of the nights, at least. Like Yoongi had said, you giving out blankets and food like air was second nature in your friendship. So was you falling asleep on the couch.Â
Did those situations hold as much weight for him as they did for you? Or, was he just making up his feelings? After all, the key to lying was skirting as close to the truth as possible. That kind of situation may work for Yoongi, as the liar, but it wasnât as comforting for you.Â
You watch the way Yoongi laughs at the gushing Nayeon does, the way he smiles brightly and continues to reinforce how important you areâand you recognize his facade better than anyone else. Of course heâs lying, and you reach their realization with a bit of downfall in your stomach. Thereâs no way he would be telling the truth, especially considering the situation the pair of you are now in where Yoongiâs career is dependent on his ability to tell a proper lie.Â
You allow yourself to sink a little deeper into the studio, near the back where the producers of the radio station can discuss amongst each other. This puts you with Jungkook, who has been watching the situation closely the entire time.Â
âYoongi can be quite the actor,â Jungkook mumbles. He has this unreadable expression in his eyes, but you know that Jungkook knows that situation Yoongi is describing. It had been Jungkookâs apartment as well. He glances at you, but says nothing.Â
You continue to stare ahead. That pensive silence continues as Yoongi is released from the radio interview, and thanks Nayeon and Hoseok eagerly for their time and energy. Nayeon returns the gesture, waving to you through the glass when Yoongi points you out. You weakly return the action.Â
It isnât until you get into the car, where the pair of you are safe from the wandering eyes and careful ears of the entire world, that one of you elects to speak up. âSo, what did you think?â Yoongi asks.Â
By this point, youâve recovered swiftly from your disappointment. You smile like itâs your only shield. âAs your manager, Iâm glad that you were able to make love so poeticâjust on brand for you. As your fake girlfriend, I also really have to congratulate you for your storytelling. I even remember those nights too, so it was definitely a good memory to lie about.âÂ
Yoongi flushes a little at your comment, looking pleased with himself for a moment. You smile at his expression, before turning to train your gaze out of the window. The gesture makes you miss the way the smile slips off his face, the way he glances over at you. A good memory to lie aboutâright.Â
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Yoongiâs radio interview goes viral, and so does any hope you have in trying to forget the tale he had spun during it. Granted, you are happy that people bought his story. You just wish that it wouldnât have muddled up all your thoughts and feelings along the way.Â
Naturally, Seokjin is excited about the good press and the fact that the pair of you completed your first assignment well enough. At least, thatâs the display heâs presenting when you walk into his office two days after the radio interview. Yesterday was spent looking over social media to see the publicâs reaction to Yoongiâs speech about love, and if you as his manager would need to do any damage control. Luckily, you do not. As his manager, it leaves you in good spirits.Â
But as someone who actually has a crush on Yoongi, itâs less so.Â
That dejection only furthers itself when you see how excited Seokjin looks, like heâs already plotting the next steps to his little project.Â
âAh, Y/N!â Seokjin greets carefully. âHi, hi, congratulations on your first successful outing with Yoongi! Per the reports Iâve been seeing over social media, you guys did a very good job.âÂ
You sigh, placing four coffee orders onto the table and sliding into the seat in front of Seokjinâs desk. âI didnât really do that much,â You admit with a half-hearted shrug. âYoongi did all the talking. I just waved at Nayeon through the glass window.âÂ
âAaahh,â Seokjin hums, opening up his laptop and turning it around in order for you to see what is on his screen. âSeems like you did a little more than that.âÂ
Your gaze flints down to the big, bold words across the screen: THE INSIDER REPORT ON MIN YOONGIâS RADIO INTERVIEW: Employees at the K-IM Radio Station detail their experience meeting Yoongi and his girlfriend following the announcement of their relationship.Â
That piques your interest, and you scoot forward in your chair slightly in order to reach out and see what Seokjin is talking about. Itâs not a very lengthy articleâthere is a summary detailing Yoongiâs interview, of course referencing his grand speech about loveâbut thatâs not what takes up the most space.Â
Your eyes continue to skim over, almost not even believing what you were reading. The intern that first greeted you and Yoongi is in here, talking about how the pair of you were holding hands âin such a loving way, and the way they looked at each other before I led him to the radio booth was so romantic!â (The internâs words, not yours). Thereâs even some excerpts from the employees and producers inside the radio booth, the same room you had spent the interview in. Surprisingly, a lot of the accounts are not talking about what Yoongi said. Itâs all about how you looked when Yoongi was telling his story.Â
âIt was such a powerful speech, I couldnât help but look over to Y/N to see her reaction, and she was staring back at Yoongi in such a way that I knew immediately that the genuine nature of their love was a two-way street.âÂ
â... a definite softness in her gaze, like she was reliving that memory with him.âÂ
And so on, and so on.Â
Your face feels a little warmer when your eyes as you push the laptop away, glancing up to see Seokjinâs staring at you. âSee? You did good. The small gestures you do can go a long wayâespecially when you donât notice youâre doing them.âÂ
You close the laptop, as if that can physically distance yourself from the assurances of those who had been around you. âRightâŚâ You manage weakly.Â
âWell,â Seokjin hums, already moving onto the next point of the conversation. If he senses something fishy in your response, he doesnât comment on it. âAnyways, Yoongi is in the studio right now with Namjoon, so I just want a little update report on your relationship with Yoongi. As in, how is it going between the two of you?âÂ
You ponder this for a moment, thinking about how he took your hand in the car, how he recounted such a personal story to explain the details of his love, the look he gave you when you congratulated his storytelling abilitiesâlike he knew something that you did not.Â
At the same time, it was such a minor appearance that you didnât get much of a feel about the romantic aspect of this fake relationship. This is why you sigh. âIâm not too sure. We had such a minor acting role together that itâs hard to say. I will say that right now it feels pretty much the same.âÂ
âAlright, fair enough,â Seokjin approves with a nod. âSo you donât have a problem if I want to plan some informal hang-outs for you and Yoongi? Just as a way to keep your guys in the public eye enough times that fans donât start doubting your relationship.âÂ
You smile weakly. âOf course. Thatâs what I signed the NDA for.âÂ
Seokjin laughs, finally waving you off. âOkay, sure. Iâll look into where I think your relationship will make the biggest impact and will update you and Yoongi when Iâve made my decisions.â Finally, he looks over the multiple cups of coffee you had brought over on your cardboard tray, and fishes out the one with his name on it. âThis one for me?âÂ
You lean over, flickering your gaze from the cup to his face. âWell, at the very least, I know you can read now.âÂ
His relaxed expression morphs into a playful scowl. âGet out of here brat.âÂ
Your laughter echoes through his office as you take your cardboard tray of three coffee cups and reemerge back into the hallway of the record studio. You walk the familiar path until you reach the door to the recording roomâpulling open the door and letting yourself in. Inside the booth, Yoongi is rapping away into his microphone, as his low voice fills the tiny space of this studio. You place the tray down onto one of the tables, picking up your own before sliding over to take a seat on the couch.Â
As you continue listening to Yoongi wistfully hum about a desire to cross an emotional distance, about how he tells the truth because âitâs you, itâs always been youââyou cannot help your mind wandering into what Seokjin has in store for you over the course of the next few months.Â
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CHAPTER 4: TURNING POINTÂ
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Yoongiâs first full length album is set to release in two months.Â
At least, thatâs what KSJ records claims after uploading a quarterly report of Yoongiâs schedule. At first, you donât think itâs a big deal for Yoongiâs label to post a tentative update about his music progress, but his fans are extremely observant and catch on immediately. Itâs good to draw up the hype, you suppose.Â
Anyways, at the rate that Yoongi is working on the songs for the album, you wonât be surprised if he manages to follow the schedule down to a T. The boy lives and breathes music, and last time you checked the album would consist partly of songs from his EP and new songsâmeaning that it cuts down Yoongiâs usual workload into half. Not that he minds, at any rate.Â
âOkay, Min Yoongi,â Seokjin starts up, standing at the head of the meeting room which only consists of three people. Normally, with meetings with the head of KSJ records himself, thereâs a lot more people around to discuss schedule, promotions, and the likes. The fact that itâs just you and Yoongi tells you exactly what youâre doing here. âItâs been a few weeks since your radio interview, and I know that youâre doing well in your progress of the albumâbut I think itâll do you well to take a break.âÂ
Yoongi huffs. âItâs nice that youâre reminding me about this, but Iâll rest when the album is released.âÂ
Seokjin snorts. âWhen did I say rest? I just meant take a break from your album work. Plus you need to get some vitamin C, or whatever shit you get from the sun.â Â
âItâs vitamin D,â You interject gently.Â
âPish posh,â Seokjin waves away your interruption. âAnyways, like I was saying, there is a way for us to kill two birds with one stone. So that you.â He points to Yoongi. âCan get out of the studio for a few hours and you.â He points to you. âCan play into a relationship thatâll help us kill two birds with one stone.âÂ
You raise an eyebrow. âWhat exactly are you proposing?âÂ
âWell,â Seokjin continues, leaning over his side of the table to get a few good at his laptop, where it appears that he has a few notes written down regarding the direction of this meeting. âIn order to continue generating curiosity about Yoongiâs upcoming album and maintain the publicâs constant queries about your relationship, I want you two to go on public outings. I have a few specific places I think would be good cornerstones to touch on, but Iâm also willing to let the two of you figure out where you want to spend your time.â He glances up at the two of you. âThat should be okay, right?âÂ
You and Yoongi glance at each other. Come to think of it, the pair of you havenât talked about nor reviewed the events at the radio station since it happened and the underlying questions you still have about his side of the story feels vaguely like a weight hanging over you both. But Yoongi smiles at you, and you think that you can continue to do what youâve done for years: hide away your feelings.Â
âYeah, that should be fine,â You speak up first, smiling back at Yoongi. You turn to Seokjin. âWhat did you have in mind?âÂ
The question is how you find yourself in a car with Yoongi a few days later, your hands in your lap and your mind spinning with nerves. The radio interview had been one case, but a limited one at thatâyour role had been very minor and your interaction with Yoongi had only been seconds long. They had definitely been a lot smaller than this new role that Seokjin has assigned to you.Â
For today, Seokjin has directed the pair of you to the streets of Yoongiâs old stomping groundâthe same shopping district with the same corner Yoongi spent all his nights performing in from a time period that seems so long enough. Not long enough, apparently, as Seokjin thinks it would be a nice nod to be âaccidentallyâ discovered walking along a place that holds so much memory.Â
âI just want you guys to walk aroundâbe happy, but be close,â Seokjin had noted just a few hours prior to you and Yoongiâs departure. âJust look like the pair of you are on a date. Hold hands, smile at each other, all that jazz. Nothing too serious.âÂ
Too bad it actually was kind of serious for you.Â
You and Yoongi make minor conversation, making some jokes here and there that do well in helping to ease your nerves. You donât think Yoongi would take notice, but he can be strangely observant. Perhaps the way you keep bouncing one of your legs helps let him know that something is up.Â
âAre you okay?â He asks.Â
You stop bouncing your leg. âIt kind of feels like Iâm about to perform, or somethingâitâs that same kind of rush.âÂ
Yoongi stares at you for a moment, before he looks out his side of the window. âWell, technically speaking, you are about to perform. You know, with this whole relationship being an act and all.âÂ
âVery true,â You say, nodding your head. âDo we need a game plan?âÂ
Yoongi shrugs. âI thought that weâd just wing it. We held hands back at the radio station so, uh, Iâm assuming that youâre still comfortable with doing that?âÂ
âO-Oh yeah, of course!âÂ
âThen, we can do that. And walk around. Improvise while we do soâjust see how the day goes.âÂ
You nod. âOkay, true, true. That sounds good.â You canât help but give him a sneaky smile. âLook at you, Min Yoongi, youâve become quite the performer. Improvisation used to be something you were never too good at.âÂ
Yoongi flushes a little, smiling back at you. âGive me a little credit. You gotta have backups for your backups, especially in situations when your sound gives up on you in the middle of one of your sets.âÂ
You laugh, because this reminds you about one of Yoongiâs first live sets along the very street the pair of you will be approaching shortly. His speakers had just given up, forcing Yoongi to go entirely acapella. In a way, that mistake ended up garnering him more fans who grew to respect his craft and talent for music and singing. But as they say, hindsight is 20 20.Â
You and Yoongi continue to laugh about that memory for a few minutes before Taehyung arrives along the outskirts of the shopping district, pulling up along the curb. The car is on the other side of this bustling area, just a few feet away from the pedestrian walkway that is littering with people going to and fro.Â
Taehyung turns around in his seat to give the pair of you a look. âNow kids, I want you to call me whenever youâre ready to get picked up.â Heâs grinning around the words thoughÂ
You glare at him. âSure thing dad,â You bite back, already opening the car door to take your leave. Your feet land onto the concrete of the sidewalk as you pull yourself into a standing position. Yoongi joins you shortly after, standing close to you. âBye,â You say, slamming the door into Taehyungâs face before he can get in one last snarky reply.Â
Yoongi looks like heâs trying hard not to laugh for Taehyungâs benefit. But itâs an act he can only hold together for so long, because he does start to laugh as soon as Taehyung and the company car turn the corner and disappear out of sight.
After a second, Yoongi turns to you and gestures towards the pedestrian walkway just a few feet ahead. âShall we?âÂ
You nod, taking the hand that he extends out to you. Just an act, you tell yourself, you allow him to lace your fingers together. Nevermind the fact that the weight on your hand feels entirely too reassuring and comforting for the current context.Â
Ignoring that feeling, you squeeze his hand and let him lead you towards the walkway, where you cross the street with no problem. Since Yoongi nor Seokjin had announced Yoongiâs presence at this plaza for the day, you can only hope that too much attention wonât be drawn to you.Â
Itâs a thought that you are able to entertain for a few minutes. Yoongi may not have the star quality status of mainstream celebrities (yet), but heâs still someone who has been on the radio, has done a country-wide tour, and has a youtube following of a couple million people (four now, the last time you checkedâsubscriber counts tend to zip by after a person hits a million). That small list of accomplishments is more than enough to drag in a few wandering eyes. Okay, maybe a little more than a few.Â
You think that youâve kind of developed a seventh sense to knowing when Yoongi was being recognized. Itâs shown in the double-glances some people start shooting at him, at quick whispers behind closed hands, and craning necks over shoulders.Â
Youâre okay with people knowing about Yoongiâs current location, but the memory of his tours and even the crowd problem that came up during his street performances flashback in your mind. You donât think you want to deal with that situation right nowâsecretly preferring if people just observed from a distance.Â
Without thinking twice, you tighten your hold on Yoongiâs hand long enough to lead him into one of the stores along the sidewalkâan accessories booth with fake glasses, rings, earrings, the likes.Â
Yoongi watches you, a touch of amusement in his eyes like he knows what youâre thinking. Still, he asks. âWhat are you doing?âÂ
You rummage through the wide selection of glasses, fully aware that one or two people have spotted the pair of you and are lingering near the entrance to catch a glance at what you two are doing. From the looks of it, no one is going to stir up a commotion. You still want to make sure.Â
âYou stand out,â You explain vaguely, finding a pair of circle glasses in black-rims from the pile before turning around and more or less smashing the glasses against his face. Itâs difficult to try and put glasses on another person, you miss his ears a few times and almost get him in the eye, but Yoongi strangely enough lets you manhandle him.Â
In the midst of your last few attempts you step forward and scoot even closer to him to try and get the glasses more properly situated on his face. Due to the proximity, Yoongiâs hands fly up from his side to avoid being pressed uncomfortably against his chest, choosing to rest at your waist. At first, you donât feel the weight of his hands, youâre too focused on making sure the fake glasses youâve selected can fit in place.Â
As soon as youâve properly aligned the glasses to his face, you lower your hands from his face. The action makes you suddenly hyper aware of the current position youâve put yourself in. Itâs not very often that you get handsy with Yoongi, itâs a side of you that comes out when the pair of you are in a hurry, but hardly during candid moments like this.Â
Immediately, Yoongiâs hands feel like warm flames tickling your skin, and you suddenly feel hyper aware of his position, of his closeness. Your eyes flicker up, seeing his face with those glasses youâve just shoved onto him sitting nicely at the bridge of his nose, highlighting the intensity of his gaze. The stare heâs giving you only heightens the gravitational pull you feel towards him.Â
You donât know how long the pair of you are just standing in the middle of the store, staring at each other, until you feel the weight of a third party approaching the pair of you.Â
You practically shove yourself away from Yoongi, trying to make it seem as if youâre just stepping back to get an overall look at his face (Yoongi featuring glasses). Yoongi lets you go.Â
The third party is an employee of the accessories booth, smiling widely. âSorry to interrupt,â She says, looking over at Yoongi. âSir, I just want to say that those glasses look great on you. And just to let you know weâre having a sale on that collection so itâs a buy one get the other one half off so maybe you two can match if youâre up to itâŚâÂ
You tune her out after a second, realizing that you canât really keep up with what sheâs saying considering the current firestorm thatâs going on inside your head. Why couldnât you have just asked Yoongi to put the glasses on himself? You curse yourself for letting your guard downâsometimes you try to do things of your own accord, and today you were paying the price.
When you donât speak after a few seconds, Yoongi smiles at the employee. âGot it, thanks a lot.â He waits until the employee returns back to rearranging some earrings on a nearby shelf before turning back to you. âHow does it look?âÂ
He does look good, but you play it down by tilting your head and settling with a shrug. âWell, youâve looked betterâbut thisâll have to do.âÂ
Yoongi laughs, before he does something that catches you off guard. He steps closer to you. âSo you think there are times when I do look good?âÂ
You try not to look too bewildered at his gesture. You can tell that he does feel a little nervous about the fact heâs testing the waters so boldly without any practice, but itâs all part of the act. Just as Seokjin said: be happy, be close.Â
So you place a hand on his chest, pushing him slightly with your own little teasing smile. âI said betterâthat doesnât always mean you were ever good to begin with.âÂ
Yoongi makes a noise of protest, and without warning just swings his arm around your shoulder and pulls you close to his side. âYouâre breaking my heart everyday!âÂ
âYou must like the abuse, youâre still with me,â You bite back playfully without thought. For a split second, it doesnât feel like youâre in a store with people who vaguely recognize Yoongiâs appearanceâfor a split second, it feels like just you and him, and everything youâve ever wanted.Â
Upon Yoongiâs lips hover over the shell of your ear. âGood job, I think the group of girls outside caught our picture.âÂ
That dreamy fantasy where it was just you and Yoongi and nothing else mattered came crashing down, squaring you right back into reality. Itâs not a disappointing feeling per sayâjust a vague extra hammering of your heartbeat, a vague guilt that you let your mind let its guard down like that. âRight,â You say. âUhâŚâ You try to think, which proves to be a difficult thing to do with Yoongiâs weight pressed up against you and everything. You clap your hands together. âOkay, letâs grab a hat and then weâll be on our way.âÂ
You make sure to be a little less handsy when it comes to hat selections, but you knew there was only so far you could escape given the current context of the situation. Yoongi seems to know that, because he stays close to you as youâre both shifting through hats, and even when he pays for his hat and glasses combination before exiting the booth. The pair of you pass through the two girls that were lingering outside of the booth, where Yoongi gives them the smallest wave and hello before carrying on with the rest of the trip.Â
With the hat and glasses combination, it definitely draws less attention to Yoongiâs classic fluffy black hair and gummy smileâespecially if youâre using what was going on in the beginning of your trip as a baseline. This means that you and Yoongi can carry on with the rest of your outing with feeling the obvious heavy weight of gazes on your shoulder.Â
With intertwined hands the pair of you first stop by one of the local cafes and sit right alongside the window to enjoy some pasta and soda combinations. You roll up the noodles onto your fork and clink utensils with Yoongi before slipping the noodles in your mouthâtomato sauce with flavor slipped into every side piece of noodle. Itâs amazing, and you cannot help but gush so as you smile brightly around your fork.Â
Youâre too busy stirring your fork around yet another string of pasta that you fail to see the softening look of the boy across the table from you. Itâs a look that disappears by the time your gaze glints back up to resume the conversation. The pasta is considered a snack above all else, so it doesnât take long for the pair of you to finish up your meal. Leaving a tip behind on the table, Yoongi walks over to you just as youâre straightening up from your chair. Silently, he offers his hand to you.Â
Knowing the routine by now, you take his hand, silently lacing your fingers together and letting him lead the way out of the cafe and back onto the sidewalk. The later afternoon shows itself in the steady increase of people, which is good because it makes you feel as if you can blend into the crowd either. There are still the occasional phones out, trailing after you and Yoongi as you walk along the sidewalk, but nothing that ever makes you feel as if you need to call Taehyung.Â
âActually, this isnât as bad as I thought itâd be,â You grumble to Yoongi quietly, a comment that he laughs at.Â
âIâm not that famous,â Yoongi jokingly teases you. âAnd my fans are just being respectfulâgive them a little credit.â His voice dies down shortly after, however, but it only takes you a few seconds to realize why.Â
The pair of you, in the midst of your simple âwalk along the sidewalkâ plan, have arrived at a very familiar street corner. The sunset means that arriving performers who work best once the sun leaves are just beginning to set up their stageâlaying out equipment, testing out sound systems, saying hello to some passersby who recognize the artists getting ready. You can read the signs of these interactions very easily. After all, itâs what Yoongi used to do a year ago, at this very spot too.Â
In front of you, a new performer, a singer, is setting up her own equipmentâguitar in hand as she practices her strumming. You inch closer to Yoongi, your arms molded against each other. âHey, hey,â You whisper at Yoongi. The boy leans over to better hear you. âShe reminds me of you.âÂ
Yoongi laughs. âWhat do you mean? How?âÂ
You glance over at the girl again, not noticing the way Yoongi is still staring at you, quietly awaiting your answer. âYou guys have the same drive,â You eventually note. âAnd the same determination. Itâs easy to see in her, just as itâs always been like that for youâŚâ You trail off, looking over to realize that heâs still looking at you.Â
âYou noticed those things, huh?â Yoongi asks quietly.Â
His gaze is too enticing to look away from, pulling you in through a situation not unlike what had happened at the accessories shop earlier that afternoon. âI-I mean, of course I doâŚâ Yoongiâs gaze feels like hot magnets that are just pulling the next words out of you. âI always notice with you.âÂ
The world seems to quiet down at that, everything slowing down as you feel yourself mentally curse yourself out for those words. Why would you say it like that?Â
A million thoughts go through your head at once. You werenât really lying or trying to play a part. You were being honest. You do always notice with Yoongi. And since he clearly only sees you as a friend that could participate in whatever scheme he can get himself into, then he would obviously hear your statement and think of it as nothing more than a friendly complement. Right? RIGHT?Â
Except, Yoongi is still just standing next to you, staring at you, not making any sort of comment whatsoever. He has that unreadable expression in his gaze, a look he always gives you when you let the cracks slip in your facade, but itâs something he never talks about, never explains to youâjust like right now.Â
The silence grows tense, so tense that it begins to feel like weights on your shoulders, like a coil wrapping itself around your heart, because why isnât he saying anything?Â
Yoongi hums, low and throaty and that coil around your heart drops into your stomach. âIs that so?â He inquires softly, continuing to gaze at you.Â
His gaze drops down to your lips, and that coil is replaced with butterflies all around you. It starts are a flutter in your stomach, in your heart, and your mind starts to race because what the fuck is happening?
Around you, the growing number of people means that someone accidentally bumps into you, driving you forward right into Yoongiâs chest. The pair of you stumble, effectively dissipating that cloud of tension that had threatened to curl through you. You cough, taking a small step away from Yoongi so that while the pair of you were still holding hands, that was the only thing connecting the pair of you.Â
You and Yoongi donât have another run in like that for the remainder of the date, as that late afternoon sunset fades away into nighttime and you and Yoongi spend that time trying to enjoy each otherâs presence whilst also not engaging in too much physical contact. Your fingers remain loosely intertwined but it never tightens as if the small air of space between your hands can hide away the nerves and tension you feel yourself trying to contain.Â
Even when Taehyung comes to pick the two of you up, and you no longer are under the obligation to hold hands, that air of space still feels heavy between the two of you.Â
.
The overwhelming positive response of your first official public date sends Seokjin through the moon, as well as provides him with a drive to arrange and send you and Yoongi out on more dates. All of which, fortunately for you, donât come nearly as close to the level of tension experienced from the first date. Partly because you know your limits, and go into each planned date with a level of expectation for yourself as well as rules that youâve internally programmed yourself to follow every time you and Yoongi step out of the car.Â
At the museum date, you make sure to keep your distance, using your intertwined hands with Yoongi as the only signal of your relationship. The pair of you joke around about the art pieces, whispering between each other about how many fans have taken pictures of the pair of you lingering about the museum, as well as relay information to each other about various rooms that you are interested in. But in a way, it definitely feels more like a typical friendly hang-out rather than a date.Â
The same idea can be applied to the next date Seokjin sends you onâa casual date at one of the local botanical gardens, each garden filled with a different culture to serve as the theme for its layout and plant growth. Some gardens have little cafe booths and grassy fields to buy some snacks before sitting down to enjoy the sunlight, which is an idea that Yoongi suggests that the two of you do. He points to one of the ice cream shops along the outskirts of a garden, and claims a seat on one of the benches so the two of you can enjoy your treat. The current summertime weather emits a warmer heat and breeze that curls lightly through the air throughout the day, making for a perfectly comfortable season to wear a sundress. Itâs also the kind of undetectable weather for ice cream to melt down the cone, onto unsuspecting fingers curled into the dry waffle texture. Yoongi makes that well aware by poking your cheek with his sticky finger, garnering several pictures of the encounter.Â
Seokjin has even tried to implement studio life into his constant narrative to keep up the facade of your relationship with Yoongi. While the pair of you go on these occasional dates, Yoongi also has a deadline to fulfill with his album release. On the days where dates are not planned out, heâll be in the studioârearranging songs to fit in with the music beats that have more or less been tapered down to perfection. As his manager, sometimes you find yourself staying past your allotted time slot of being at the studio, before sneaking into the recording booth way past midnight to see what Yoongi and Namjoon are up to.Â
Just as it follows: you straighten up, craning your neck backwards a little to allow for slight muscle extensions after sitting at a desk for an extra hour too long. With Yoongiâs album steadily approaching, there are interviews that need to be arranged, magazines and newspapers and radio shows alike all reaching out to you for the opportunity to cover Yoongiâs growth as an artist. Albums also equate to tours to help promote the album, and with the close call from Yoongiâs last experience with such, it means that you need to book more locationsâor the same location across multiple dates.Â
Overall, the growing pile of work means that you and everyone else at KSJ Studios are just as anticipated for Yoongiâs album release as the general public. It seems as if his collective fanbase are hoping and waiting under the same parameters: was the album going to be as good as they were expecting?Â
You shoulder your purse, stepping out of your office and shutting it behind you. You navigate through the hallways, glancing sideways to peek out the long glassway of windows, all overlooking the city skyline, the multicolor lights flickering ahead in the distance. You quirk a lip.Â
Your usual brisk pace dies down when you pass the studio you know Yoongi and Namjoon are recording in. The soundproof walls inside mean that hardly any music ever seeps out from between the cracks, only heightening your curiosity. Your busy schedule recently has made it so you have hardly been able to hear what Yoongi and Namjoon have come up with.Â
You glance down at your watch. It was nearing midnight. Well, you think to yourself, a little peek wouldnât hurt. You reach over to grip the door handle, pushing it down and pushing it open. Inside is the usual scene: Yoongi behind the glass, his fingers curled around the headphones as he speaks into the microphone. His voice filters through the main studio area, where Namjoon sits behind computers and music panels, capturing every single second of what is going on.Â
Further driven by curiosity, you find yourself pulling harder at the door to let yourself in. Namjoon turns at the sound, but softens a little when he sees that itâs you.Â
âBurning the midnight oil?â You tease, standing next to Namjoon at the table, watching Yoongiâs closed eyes as he loses himself in the song.Â
Namjoon grins back. âYouâre not gonna tell us to stop, are you?âÂ
âHey.â You bring both arms up in a sign of surrender. âIâm off the clock on this one. Just wanted to see what you two were up to.âÂ
Suddenly, Yoongi calls your name from behind the glass, as the noise is amplified through the studio. You jump slightly, having not expected to be noticed so soon. Yoongi waves. âItâs late!â He calls. âWhat are you still doing here?âÂ
You lean forward to press the button that opens the two-way communication. âIâm not sure you heard, but thereâs an artist in this studio thatâs working on an upcoming albumâitâs causing a lot of pain for the rest of us.âÂ
Yoongi laughs at that. âTouche, touche.â He brightens up slightly. âHey, weâre wrapping up on this song, so if you stick around Iâll drive you home.âÂ
This is a natural offer for Yoongi to make, considering the extent to which youâve spent long nights here. Brushing it off as nothing more than Yoongi just being a good pal, you nod and flash him a thumbs up. âSounds good, sounds good. But take your time. Donât let me get in the way.âÂ
You turn around, allowing the music of Yoongiâs song to refilter back through the studio. You park yourself atop the couch at the back, settling into the soft cushions. Come to think of it, falling asleep definitely isnât the worst thing in the world to doâespecially on this couch. And youâre exhausted, what with scheduling events all day and having to burn through your social battery by making one too many phone calls with various people within the industry.Â
The last thing you remember is Yoongiâs soft humming that fades away into a quiet static.Â
You jerk awake after what feels like a few minutesâbut judging from your new position on the couch (horizontal this time, instead of vertical) and the blanket that has been tucked under your chin, you realize quickly that this few minutes has actually been a few hours. It might be hard to believe that, because the world around you still seems very similar to what it had been when you fell asleep. The lack of windows in the studio make it very difficult to distinguish timeâalthough Yoongiâs voice sounds much closer than it had when you first fell asleep.Â
You sit up.Â
Namjoon and Yoongi jolt at your sudden movement. âWoah! Sheâs awake now,â Yoongi teases.Â
Blinking for a few seconds, you turn your head to find Yoongi out of the recording booth and instead sitting at one of the tables in the actual studio setting. Surrounding Namjoon and Yoongi looks like an entire McDonalds family meal: chicken nuggets, $1 menu burgers, lots of french friesâŚÂ
You let out a breath to help further situate you to your new surroundings. âMin YoongiâŚâ You start, voice hoarse. âYou said you were just finishing up.âÂ
âI was,â Yoongi explains, looking vaguely guilty. Only vaguely though. âBut I had this sudden epiphany, like holy shit you really had to be hereâit was crazy.âÂ
âI was here,â You choke out.Â
Yoongi waves you off. âYou know what I meanâhere here. Anyways, yeah, we realized that we couldnât leave, especially when I got Namjoon on the same page. He was just as excited as I was!âÂ
Namjoon slaps his hand. âDonât drag me into this!âÂ
Yoongi ignores him. âAnyways, itâs like two in the morning and we got hungry. McDonalds is the food of champions, after all. You hungry? Here, have some water first.â He grabs a bottle of water from the table and unscrews the cap. Suddenly, heâs standing up and making his way towards the couch. He sits down next to you, offering the water to you. âHere. You must be thirsty.âÂ
You are. Still heavy-lidded too, but you try your best to blink away the exhaustion as you blindly reach for the water and manage to grab it after Yoongi adjusts his own angled arm. He watches you as you tilt your head back to down some of the water, accidentally drinking a little more than your mouth can handle. Some of it slides down the corner of your lip, making you angle your head back properly and remove your lips from the bottle head.Â
Yoongi softens a little at your clumsy nature, tugging the sleeve of his long-sleeved forward in order to pat the corner of your mouth. âAw, look at my tiny little baby, canât even drink water properly,â He coos.Â
You flinch slightly away from him, trying for a glare that comes out more like a pout. Yoongi laughs softly at the sight. âThere are no cameras around us, Min Yoongi,â You grumble out. âYou donât need to be so attentive.âÂ
âNevermind that, Iâm just trying to be a friend. You want a french fry?â He reaches across the space separating the couch from the table, and grabs the box of salty french fries. His voice carries that usual positive disposition from previously, but the light in his eyes has died down a little. You donât notice it, too busy looking at the french fries and realizing that you are actually a little hungry.Â
The remainder of Yoongi and Namjoonâs break is dedicated to finishing up the family meal, before Yoongi looks at the clock and claps his hands together. âHey Namjoon, I think I should take my girl home before we get back to working. Is that okay?âÂ
Namjoonâs eyes flicker between the two of you, but he relents. âOf course.â He utters your name. âHave a good night.âÂ
âI should be saying that to you,â You return teasingly, more of your senses have returned since putting food into your stomach. âSee you tomorrow, Namjoon.âÂ
So Yoongi takes you home, driving through the darkened streets, making light conversation with you, completely ignoring the fact that he has just addressed you as his girl, before your phone starts to buzz in your lap. Itâs a notification from Instagram, saying that Namjoon has tagged you in a picture. Raising an eyebrow, you tap the alert, which takes you to a picture from just a few minutes agoâyou and Yoongi at the studio, Yoongi tapping gently at your face with his sweater paw. The caption burns into your mind: three am company, ft my favorite artist and his favorite girl.Â
His favorite girl.Â
His girl.Â
.
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CHAPTER 5: HIS GIRLÂ
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Yoongiâs album is entitled Y2, and it releases in the autumn, when the leaves are colored orange and the breeze has called for cozy jackets and big sweaters. Itâs the perfect attire to wear as the earphones get plugged in and slipped into earsâcurled up by soft cashmere and Yoongiâs luring voice. Heâs got about sixteen songs on the album, a sweet mixture of loose beats and soft vocal voices that seem to simultaneously battle the drawn out harsh tone of stories extended across various three minute arrangements. The stories cover the low pointâpassive aggressive fights, of late nights, of âholding your hand, being so close, yet feeling so lonelyâ. But the songs also touch on the high pointsâcoming back together, of soft morning light, of âbeing with you, wiping the traces of exhaustion from the corner of your lips, so close yet so far away, and still knowing youâre all I [he] could ever wantâ.Â
At least, it is what one article touches upon in a Y2 review, where the journalist gives high remarks to Yoongiâs album. She calls it a refreshing interpretation of music, continuing in the era of singers actually singing about their feelings. More than that, an era of storytelling in music. Of anything, of life, of the highs and the lowsâthe sadness, the happiness, the softness.Â
Safe to say that Yoongi is very excited to read this review on his phone, along with the surplus of positive things people have to sayâfrom highly regarded journalists who belong to highly regarded newspaper companies, from social media, from his friends and family. Most especially, from you. You: whose hand he holds underneath the table as the numbers of listens start pouring in from various streaming websites.Â
Heâs been nervous about this. Heâs put his blood, sweat, and tears into the creation of this album, every song has been nailed down to perfection. His name, and his heart, is back out into the world.Â
The night of the album release is the launch party.Â
âDude, itâs supposed to be a chill night,â Jungkook calls from the hallway, and you canât help but laugh at how exasperated the boy sounds. âWould you just calm down?â Jungkook emerges from the aforementioned hallway. Despite his mention of this âchill nightâ, heâs still wearing something vaguely casual chic. âYouâre his manager. Manage his overthinking tendencies.âÂ
You laugh, watching as Jungkook plops down into the empty spot next to you on the couch, immediately leaning back into the cushion. âYou know as well as I do that I donât have that much control over him.âÂ
Jungkook shrugs his shoulders. âYou probably have more control than you think.âÂ
Before you can ask more questions, think more deeply into what the fuck Jungkook means by that, his eyes land on the hallway entrance before straightening up in the cusion. Your eyes follow Jungkookâs movement, where Yoongi is now standing in the once vacant space of his apartment. But his stance isnât what gets you to stare, what makes your breath feel like it has just caught in your chest. Although heâs following the âcasual chicâ dress code that Seokjin has ordered, thereâs something about a white t-shirt that hits differently when itâs paired with a coat and dark jeans that highlight his long legs.Â
Yoongi gestures down at what heâs wearing meekly. âWhat do you think?â Although it appears that heâs addressing both you and Jungkook, his gaze is almost entirely fixed on you.Â
Trying hard to ignore the racing of your heart, you straighten up and somehow manage to make your way over to him without snapping your ankle on your chunky platform boots. Doing your best to pay attention to his outfit over his face, you reach over to straighten out the silver necklace heâs got dangling at his chest. âYou look good,â You settle calmly. âAnd Jungkook is rightâitâs supposed to be a chill night. Seokjin just invited people from the label. And some of your friends as well. Relax a bit, will you?âÂ
Finally, you force yourself to level your gaze with Yoongiâs, fully confident that heâs just staring at you and probably wondering why you arenât making eye contact with him. But when you do manage to glance at Yoongiâs face, you realize quickly that heâs not even staring at you. Instead, heâs staring down, at the curve of your throat.Â
Without warning, your cardiac system seems to pump itself too hard, because your breath of surprise comes out through your nose, effectively bringing up and lowering your lungs so fast that anyone would be able to read your vital sounds now. This proves to be true, because Yoongiâs gaze darts up from your neck to your eyes so quickly, that you probably wouldnât have noticed had you stuck around without looking at his eyes. Doing that, however, might have saved you from this now tricky situation. âSorry,â Yoongi manages, eyes flickering between yours. âI, uh, didnât hear what you said.âÂ
You realize the gravity of your positionâyour fingers now curled around the lapels of Yoongiâs jacket and one of his hands curled around your waist. That gravitational pull from every single one of your dates with Yoongi comes back again, curling around your neck and seeming to push you closer, closerâ!Â
Jungkook coughs loudly from behind you.Â
You and Yoongi tear your gazes away from each other, as you uncurl both of your fingers from around Yoongiâs coat. âI-uh,â You start. âWas just saying that you should relax a little. You donât have to try and impress anyone tonight.âÂ
Yoongi sneaks one last glance at you. âWeâll see,â He says, before stepping away from you and brushing past Jungkook to make his way towards the door. Jungkook turns to look at you, wide-eyed and mouthing the words âwhat the fuck was that?âÂ
To which you shake your head, very sure that you donât want to get into this tonight of all nights. This was supposed to be a celebration for Yoongi. Just as youâve done for the past few months, you can continue to keep your emotions in check. Easy-peasy.Â
Except itâs not easy-peasy because you see Seokjin at the club that heâs reserved for Yoongiâs album release party, and you realize that this is not a chill event for youâyou still have to keep up the facade of your relationship in front of everyone.Â
Yoongi seems to realize this at the same time you do, because he inches closer to you and laces your fingers together. From afar, Seokjin nods in an unspoken confirmation regarding your behavior.Â
The beginning of the party starts with the trickle in of the various guests Seokjin has invitedâfrom the friends he has made in the business, to others signed under the KSJ records label, to you, Jungkook, and Yoongiâs personal friends from college. The onslaught of new people fills you with the usual sense of excitement after not having attended a party in what feels like years. Working as a manager for a budding new artist is a lot less about the parties and more about the hustle.Â
The first hour of the event is dedicated to the mingling of peopleâof free food and conversations around the bottomless cocktails that every guest rushes to the bar to take full advantage of. Itâs nice to be able to catch up with the friends that you and Yoongi havenât spoken to since graduationâwhich is the group you and Yoongi first approach, as Yoongi is slinging his arm around one Park Jimin. The latter whose eyes widen and lips curl up into a grin at the sight of the two of you. Itâs nice to see an old friend again, it almost brings you back to a time where you and Yoongi were both in-tune and surface-level friends.
âHey, congratulations on the new album release!â Jimin exclaims brightly after the three of you have acquired some drinks from the bartender. Jimin raises his drink first, to which you and Yoongi follow suit.Â
As the glasses clink into the air, Jimin adds in another thing that reminds you of the fact that you and Yoongi are not back in college. You are here, in the present, with a fake relationship on the line.Â
âAnd congratulations to your relationship announcement,â Jimin continues.Â
You cough on your drink at that, lowering the glass immediately, feeling guilty all of a sudden. âJimin, I know what all those reports have been sayingâŚâÂ
âDonât worry,â Jimin brushes off. âI read through some of them. You guys have been dating for three years, right? Iâm honestly surprised I never saw it. In hindsight, it makes sense.â Jimin takes a longer sip, gesturing towards Yoongi with a noise of acknowledgement coming from his throat. âHmâI guess because you guys are dating now, I can let the cat out of the bagâbut, Yoongi liked you from the first moment he met you.âÂ
Now itâs Yoongiâs turn to choke on his drink, his chest heaving as he coughs into his sleeve. âJimin, ah, you donât need to talk about thatâ!âÂ
Jimin laughs, naturally assuming that Yoongiâs choke was done out of shyness and not something deeper than that. âWhat, you think just because this happened when we were at college, I wouldnât have said something all these years later?âÂ
You canât help but smile at their exchange. Although Jiminâs comment about Yoongiâs crush definitely piques your interest. You turn to Yoongi. âYou had a crush on me back then?âÂ
Yoongi opens his mouth, but Jimin beats him to it. âOh yeah, he wouldnât shut up about youâsaid that you had this smile like starlight and were super easy to talk to.âÂ
âYou have a great memory for someone who almost flunked college algebra,â Yoongi bites out hotly.Â
Jimin, clearly oblivious to the situation, laughs out loud. âI agree. Normally I would have forgotten all about that. But.â With Jiminâs fingers still curled around the wine glass, he is only able to point an index finger out at Yoongi. âIâll never forget that look in your eyes. Like you saw something you were never going to let go of.âÂ
You know Jimin is the one talking, but you cannot help but look at Yoongi as you feel your world spinning slightly around you. You blame it on the alcoholâas small of a sip as you have taken so far. Jimin, unlike a lot of the other parties youâve been spending your time with, is not in on the joke of your relationship with Yoongi being a PR cover story. So there has to be some merit to it. Right?Â
Right?Â
Before you can even think how to phrase the billions of questions flying through your mind, the soft beat of a hand against a microphone sounds through the bar, as the original music that has been pounding through the club gets lowered to show that someone is trying to command everyoneâs attention.Â
Itâs Kim Seokjin, situated at the stage, with the microphone in hand. âHey everyone! Before we actually start unveiling the numbers that Y2 has hit so far, I just want to say a few words. First of all, thank you everyone so much for joining us tonight as we celebrate the anticipated release of Min Yoongiâs album.âÂ
Lots of claps sound from the guests, several cheers, one of you and Jimin join in just for the sake of embarrassing Yoongi. If heâs flustered with the attention, heâs gotten a lot better at hiding it.Â
âActually,â Seokjin continues. âWhy donât we have the man of the hour join us? After all, my words donât mean shit up hereâI wasnât the one who just released new music. Yoongi, come on up!âÂ
Lots more claps and cheers, and the music volume increases dramatically just to give Yoongi some sort of platform to enter on. It makes you laugh. Seokjin is clearly having fun with his role. So you watch, sticking by Jimin, as Yoongi emerges from the crowd to step onto the stage. Seokjin pulls the microphone away from the pair of them as he leans over to whisper something into Yoongiâs ear, where the latter nods a few times before accepting the microphone that is now being extended out to him.Â
Yoongi clears his throat, speaking over the lowering music. âHi guys, thanks so much for coming out,â He starts, laughing a little when there is another round of cheers. âAs Iâm sure a lot of you know, this is my first full length album thatâs being released out into the world and itâs basically everything I ever could have dreamed of. One lesson that Iâve learned is that making albums of both the cover songs I did and the original songs I would produce in my shitty college apartment is a completely different experience than getting professional equipment to do a lot of the work for me.âÂ
You laugh at that, the memories floating through your mind.Â
Yoongi smiles a little at the feedback he gets. But he continues. âAnd of course a lot of that professional equipment was able to work in my favor because I had helped. Seokjin of course, deserves a thank you for letting me learn and experiment with new sounds, and for letting me take a risk by trying out beats and stories that a lot of people might have turned down. And Namjoon.â He seems to spot Namjoon from the crowd, because he delivers a nod. âFor being more than my favorite producer, but also my mentor and my guide. We had a lot of lightbulb late nights together. And finallyâŚâ His eyes land on you, and you feel yourself self-consciously straighten up. âY/Nâmy Y/N. For those of you who donât know, my girlfriend is my manager and we recently made our relationship public. I thought the transition from private to public would have been the hardest thing of my life, but she made it so easy. Just as sheâs always made it so easy to inspire my music, to be my best friendâand to love her.âÂ
Love.Â
You suddenly feel like youâre seeing the world through a small lens, unable to believe the words you are hearing and the sights you are seeing. Yoongi is staring right back at you, with all this love and adoration in his eyes, lips quirking up as a result of the coos from the audience.Â
Itâs a vague kind of spotlight anxiety from seeing so many people looking at you considering the circumstances. Itâs a feeling that only heightens when Yoongi opens his mouth again to continue speaking. âActually, honey, why donât you come up here, so I can thank you properly.âÂ
The whoops and cheers sound again, and Jimin has to nudge you in the ribs to get you to move. Your initial thoughts are one of panic, suspicion, and curiosity. One glance at Seokjinâs direction conveys the high influx of questions that are flowing through your mindâwhat exactly are those two boys planning?Â
Yoongiâs hand extends out to you, helping you up onto the stage, as you turn around to face the crowd of people Yoongi has just been addressing. Of course, you have less experience hiding your general shyness around crowds, so the most you can muster is a smile and a wave.Â
Yoongi laughs into the microphone. âDonât worry baby, I didnât call you up to embarrass you. I just wanted to show you that all of thisâŚâ He gestures to the whole club, the crowds of people who have taken time out of their schedule to show support, the sounds of his album now filtering through the speakers. âAll of this was possible because you believed in me, you supported me, and agreed to help me work toward my dream. This is all as much yours as it is mine.âÂ
Then, he surprises you by leaning forward to brush his lips across your cheekâa gesture that further incites a bigger reaction of positive cheers and hoots from the audience. You turn your head immediately towards him as soon as he pulls away, your eyes wide with surprise. After all, you and Yoongi have never discussed the rule on kissing before, have never brought up any sort of lip contact to any degree. His boldness is something that takes you completely off guard.Â
And judging from the uncertain look that dances behind his eyes, a flicker that only you can see and decipher, you can tell that he hadnât been expecting that from himself either.Â
Youâre about to pull away, maybe walk off the stage and take another drink to whatever the fuck that was all about, before Jiminâs familiar voice sounds off from within the crowd.Â
âYou call that a kiss, Min Yoongi?â Jimin calls, close enough now that itâs easier to see him. âCâmon, kiss your girlfriend like you mean it!âÂ
The rest of the crowd immediately catches onto what Jimin is doing, and they play into it immediately. Suddenly, shouts of âKISS HER, KISS HER!â sound throughout the guests.Â
The new direction that this has taken over the span of just a few seconds seconds you into another wild onslaught of differing emotions. Nevermind the fact that youâve never agreed to actually kiss Min Yoongi. Obviously, the internal choice has been made for a handful of reasons, none of which you can explain to Yoongi or Seokjin without digging yourself further into this hole where you would truly have no way of escaping.
Which is why you clearly canât say anything of protest right now. Everyone thinks the pair of you have been dating for years, and that kissing has become a natural action for you both to do. Of course they would play into Jiminâs game, thinking nothing harmful of it.Â
Your heart pounds loudly in your ears as you shift your gaze from the crowd of people before you to Yoongi, who looks equally as stunned by the request as you. He plays it off a little bit, however, smiling as he brings the microphone close to his mouth again. âIâm not sure you all would want to be subjected by some PDA, especially you over there, Park.âÂ
Jimin makes a noise of disapproval. âItâll just be this one time! Iâm sure people donât mind! Spread the love, Min.âÂ
Other people from the guest list add on that they donât mind in between their laughter and giggles, probably writing off you and Yoongiâs shy disposition as just that: a shy, private couple who is still getting used to the watchful eye of the general public. Nevermind the fact that you and Yoongi have just never kissed each other before.Â
Yoongi then turns to look at you, microphone down to his legs so that it canât pick up the small whispers the pair of you start exchanging. âSorry, I shouldnât have brought you up hereâŚâÂ
âNo, no, itâs fine, I understand why you did itâŚâ You trail off. âKissing my cheek, on the other handâŚâÂ
Yoongi groans. âYeah, thatâs my bad. Seokjin said I could consider doing it but I wasnât thinking when I leaned over. I completely forgot that Jimin is a menace to society. Iâm gonna kick his ass after this.âÂ
You want to continue this private, side-lined conversation, but it is overrun by the louder voices that keep repeating the same two lines over and over again: âKISS HER, KISS HER!â until the echoes of it start ringing in your ear drums.Â
Yoongi switches topics to the more pressing one at hand. âSo, uh, I guess we shouldâŚâÂ
You exhale quickly, nodding. âIt seems soâŚâÂ
Yoongi inches closer to you, his breath fanning your lips as your eyes instinctively close. âIâm sorry,â He whispers, the final thing he says to you before he kisses you.Â
Now, letâs backtrack a little. Youâve liked Yoongi for years, so to say that youâve never thought of this moment would just be a lie to yourself. Of course youâve thought about kissing Yoongi. Or, at the very least, youâve caught yourself staring at his lips when he would go off on another spiral about his passions. That type of talking is very hot, so what?Â
But you never thought you would be able to experience it, to kiss the lips youâve flickered your eyes to more times than youâre willing to admit. So as soon as you feel the weight of his mouth against your own, your brain goes haywire. Suddenly, all your senses are hyper focused on Yoongiâfrom his lips, to the warmth of his body wrapping itself around you, to his fingers curled around your wrist.Â
You hardly hear the cheers from the audience, too busy allowing your heart to melt into butterflies as he presses harder into you, moving his lips against yours. You part your lips as well, curling your wrist to gather the material of his shirt into your hands.Â
It feels like time has stretched out before Seokjin claps both of you on the back, forcing you to jolt away from Yoongi. He actually looks flustered this timeâpink cheeks and reddened lips, his eyes are fixated on you, chest heaving. You feel like youâre in a similar state of shock, especially because kissing Yoongi makes something dawn on you. A realization of ice cold water.Â
This isnât just a crush youâve harbored on Yoongi for the past few years. This isnât just some small schoolgirl crush living out a fantasy, or something you can easily brush off, or simple butterflies you can squash everytime he reaches out to hold your hand. This is love. Youâre in love with your best friend. And you have absolutely no fucking clue what to do about it.Â
If the audience is taken aback by this long-term couple in front of them looking zero point two seconds away from devouring each other in a frenzied passion, no one settles long enough to comment or stare upon it for too long. Seokjin does well to grab the microphone from Yoongi and bring the attention back to the actual party on hand. He mentions another round of free alcohol, which are two words that can take anyoneâs attention away.Â
âAnd Yoongi, uh, I actually need to borrow for you a moment,â Seokjin murmurs in a low voice. âSo I hope Iâm not taking away fromâŚâ He trails off, gesturing awkwardly between the two of you. âWhatever this isâŚâÂ
âOh no!â You interject quickly, taking a step away from Yoongi. âNot taking away at all.âÂ
Yoongi gives you a concerned look. âMaybe we should, uh, talk about thatâŚâÂ
You shake your head. âNo, itâs okay, seriously.â You shrug a shoulder. âJust part of the act, right?âÂ
Yoongiâs concern melts away into something that might be hurt, but itâs gone just as quickly as it had come. âIâll try not to be long then.âÂ
You nod. âYeah, no problemâno need to rush or anything⌠Iâll just be hanging out with JiminâŚâÂ
Yoongi gazes at you for a few seconds longer, before he lets himself get dragged off the stage by Seokjin. Rather than immediately go out to seek your old friend, you find your gaze following after the two of them, trying to see where exactly Yoongi is getting roped into.Â
You continue to trail after them in the club, until the two of them are pulled into a boothâthe person opposite of them makes your lips part in utter shock.Â
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âYoongi, I want you to meet an old friend of mine,â Seokjin starts as he and Yoongi dive deeper into the thrones of people. Yoongi feels himself being directed towards a corner booth, currently occupied by two people. âShe wanted me to introduce you.â Finally, the pair of them stop at the head of the table. âThis is Lee Jieun.âÂ
Right off the bat, Yoongi is vaguely insulted that Seokjin thought that someone like Lee Jieun needed an introductionâbecause who wouldnât know who Lee Jieun?Â
Lee Jieun, like Yoongi, is a singer-songwriter with a sweetheart reputation, who weaves stories and experiences through her music. But unlike Yoongi, who got his start through Youtube and built himself from the ground up, Lee Jieun signed into a record label at the age of 15. As one could tell, she was that talented. Still is, as a matter of fact. Her albums are continuously winning awards, establishing herself in the charts, connecting with people all over the world. He would knowâwhen Yoongi finally discovered Jieun in the midst of his Youtuber days, it was the catalyst that served as the biggest influence towards the release of his original songs. The fact that theyâre both the same age only makes Yoongi even more in awe of her.Â
Yoongi being able to see Lee Jieun, in the flesh, is a powerful enough sight to leave him speechless.Â
Lee Jieun sits at the booth, looking all prettied up with her big eyes and red lips. Everything about her seems regal, from the smile she flashes Yoongi to the hand she extends out towards him.Â
It takes a second for Yoongi to register what he needs to do. Hastily, he steps forward and takes her hand in his. Despite her delicate nature, her handshake is firm as the pair of them move their joined hands up and down once. Honestly, considering their status difference, he feels like a handshake is too casual for them, but he doesnât speak of it. He just basks in the moment, until he lets go of her hand.Â
Afterwards, he joins Seokjin in the booth, sliding into his seat.Â
Jieun smiles brightly at the two of them. âThank you for going out of your way to come talk to me. I hope I wasnât disrupting your night.âÂ
Yoongi shakes his head immediately. âOh, god no. Of course not. Iâm justâIâm really honored to see you here. I-I had no idea that you were friends with Seokjin.âÂ
Jieun laughs. âOh yeah, we go way backâwe were actually signed under the same label. Seokjin left to pursue management a few years ago, but weâve always kept in touch.â She reaches over to take her glass of soda from the table. âHe told me when he signed you, you know. He said that you were doing street performances a few cities down?âÂ
Yoongi flushes at that. âOh yeahâmy origin story.âÂ
âI mean, everyone starts from somewhere,â Jieun brushes off, laying down her cup again. âSo Iâve honestly been looking out for your name since Seokjin signed you. I heard about your tour, but knew that I wanted to wait until your first full length album just to make sure your reputation was a little more fleshed out before bringing up my idea with Seokjin.âÂ
Yoongi blinks, switching his gaze from Jieun to Seokjin. The latter nods, as if to let him know that Jieun would be the one providing information. So Yoongi turns back to Jieun.Â
Jieun continues. âSince it seems that weâve both developed a songwriting, storytelling reputation amongst the music industry, I was hoping that youâd agree to do a collaboration with me. Just one single, both of our names attached to it. Itâs been awhile since I worked with another artist, and Iâm sure that doing this will only further put your name out there. It could also be a really good learning experience.âÂ
Yoongi almost cannot believe his ears. Lee Jieun wanted to do a collaboration? With him and his inexperienced ass?Â
Yoongi coughs out in wonder. âWow.âÂ
Jieun smirks. âNot what you were expecting?â
âNo, no, not at all!â Yoongi reassures, but then he backpedals a little. âI mean, itâs not that I was expecting you to ask for a collaborationâI justâ!â He cuts himself off, exhaling heavily to calm his nerves. âItâs just, you were a very big reason I even wanted to sing my original songs back when I was street performing. So the fact that youâre asking me to do a song together is honestly so crazy to me.âÂ
Jieun grins. âIâm honoredâso are you agreeing to my request?âÂ
Almost on instinct, Yoongi turns to Seokjin. Itâs not that Yoongi doesnât want to do the collab, itâll probably be the single most greatest thing to happen in his career, but Seokjin was technically his boss and their contract had it so Seokjin usually had to final say in what he believed would be best for him.Â
And for the briefest flicker of a second, Yoongiâs mind switches to you. More than Seokjinâs approval, he finds himself seeking your praise the most. After all, you know how much he admires Lee Jieun. He wants to share this moment with you.Â
Instead of jumping up to go find you, he forces himself to stay rooted to his seat. âI-I think I would be the one who feels honored. T-That is, if Seokjin says itâs okay.âÂ
Seokjin holds his arms out. âOf course itâs okay! The collaboration was also partly my idea. Anywho.â He turns back to Jieun. âWeâll have to run through Yoongiâs schedule with his manager just to see when heâs available. But after that, we can get started.âÂ
At the mention of you, Yoongiâs manager, Jieunâs eyes brighten with her smile. âOh yes, your girlfriend.â She sits a little straighter, trying to seek you out. âSheâs here at the event right? Iâd really love to meet her, if thatâs okay?âÂ
Yoongi nods immediately. âO-Of course!â He also sits up a little straighter, moving about in his seat to try and locate you. He finds you near the bar, seeming to have ditched your hang-out with Jimin, as you take an occasional sip of your drink. âSheâs over there.âÂ
With a nod, the three of them move out of the booth and towards the bar, where youâre still slouched over, scrolling through Instagram on your phone. You seem to notice their approaching presence, because you take a quick glance over to acknowledge them, before doing a double take when you realize who else is in Yoongiâs company.Â
âOh my gosh!â You exclaim, immediately sliding out of your bar stool, your gaze fixated on Jieun.Â
Seokjin laughs at your starstruck reaction. âY/N, this is Lee Jieunâbut Iâm guessing you already knew that?âÂ
You seem to realize your behavior, because your shyness comes back. âI do. Um, hi! Itâs really nice to meet you.â You reach over to offer your hand.Â
Jieun takes it, shaking for a second. âThe pleasure is all mine.âÂ
Your gaze immediately flints to Yoongi. âYoongi, you didnât tell me that you were acquainted with Lee Jieun herself!âÂ
Yoongi waves you off. âActually, Seokjin is the mutual party.âÂ
Your lips part in shock, as you nod once, twice, in understanding. âWell, uh, in that case, I hope youâre having a good time tonight, Jieun.âÂ
âItâs really a wonderful launch party,â Jieun praises. âBut I do admit to having ulterior motives. I actually came by to ask Yoongi if he wanted to work on a collab song with me.âÂ
Your lips part, and Yoongi feels a vague sense of pride swell up in his chest when you turn to look at him, eyes brighter than they have been all night. âYoongi! Thatâs so amazing! I hope you agreed.âÂ
âI did, actually,â Yoongi says with the nod of his head. If you notice that heâs puffing his chest out a little as your words go straight to his head, you donât comment on it. âWeâll definitely have to go over my schedule with you, pick some dates where Jieun and I can have some writing sessions, and then the recording sessions, just to name the big picture stuff thatâll have to get done. But we should all be good to go.âÂ
As Yoongi continues to list everything thatâll need to be done in order to create music together, your gaze shifts between Yoongi and Jieun occasionally, taking in their equal excitement and passion for the long project ahead. It isnât until the end, when you and Yoongi leave the launch party, after having collected praise and much more from the many friends and connections that have been gained throughout the night, you enter the car wearing an unreadable expressionâlike youâre pondering something that threatens to break you.Â
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To be frank, you arenât surprised that Lee Jieun asks Yoongi to collaborate together. Sure, maybe she came a little earlier than you had expected, but you always knew it was a matter of time before the pair of them met. Their reputations are too similar, their personalities too good together; youâre sure that fate would have lined them up at some point.Â
It just feels like maybe the universe made them a little too perfect for each otherâand itâs something that becomes glaringly obvious as a month of songwriting goes by without a hitch. Every few days, Jieun would turn up to KSJ Records, bright-eyed and always looking so, so pretty. Every few days, Jieun and Yoongi would sit next to each other, conversing about the story of their song, both bright-eyed with unbridled affection for what they were writing. And sure, Namjoon would be a part of these songwriting sessions. But thatâs not the point.Â
The point is that as Yoongi gets bigger and success becomes a more natural occurrence in his life, the more people heâs going to meet with whom he shares a common interest and dedication for. People he would probably (most definitely) get along with a lot better than he could get along with you. Friendship is nice and all, but it canât substitute for the powerful combination of passion, intimacy, and commitment that comes out of romantic companionship.Â
And you see it in his eyes: the excitement he gets when heâs surrounded with like-minded people. Youâre Yoongiâs manager, sure, and one of his best friends, obviously, but thereâs only so much you can contribute to conversations about the actual music. Truth be told, when it comes to editing, you just do whatever Yoongi tells you to. And donât even get you started on the music arrangementsâyou canât even lift a candle to what Yoongi himself can do. Or Namjoon. Or especially Lee Jieun.Â
And although you know that Yoongi means no ill-intention, it feels as if he takes every opportunity to remind you of that fact.Â
âI mean, sheâs amazing.â Heâs sighing dreamily over his bulgogi. The pair of you are at a corner booth in a Korean barbeque restaurant, on another fake date Seokjin has prearranged for you. Itâs not the first date youâve been on since Jieun entered the picture, and itâs definitely not the first time Yoongi is bringing her up. And although this isnât even a real date, and although this isnât a real relationship, thereâs only so much you can takeâboth as a friend and as someone who is starting to feel the curl of jealousy in your stomach.Â
Still, you refuse to let the cat out of the bag. So you sigh, picking up your chopsticks and digging into your meat. The only thing you can manage is: âI bet she is.âÂ
But Yoongi doesnât stop there. âYou should have seen her today, she was on fire. Songwriting abilities, obviously. We were stuck on this one part of the song, but then she just swooped in with this perfect one-liner that made my heart drop. Seriously, it was so cool. I donât know how her mind works, but I want to keep hanging out with her to learn more.âÂ
You almost drop your meat completely into your salt dish, but you recover quickly with a cough. The noise helps cover up the fact that your heart feels the white-hot burn of frustration and confusion. âW-Well, you guys do make a good team. You know, being on the same level talent-wise.âÂ
Yoongi laughs at that, completely oblivious to your state of mind. âTalent-wise? I wouldnât say Iâm anywhere near the level Jieun is atâŚâÂ
As he trails off, you dare yourself to flicker your gaze up to him, seeing the pink flush that dusts along his cheeks. Interpreting this as shyness for the internal praise and fondness he has for Jieun, you look away and pick up the plate of raw beef brisket to dump into the grill.Â
Yoongi notices what youâre doing, and immediately reaches over to take the plate from you. âHere, let me do it.âÂ
A part of you wants to fight about it, but you know doing so will just lead you down the path of no manâs land. So you let go, offering the tongs to Yoongi as he takes it to scrap the meat into the grill between the two of you. He takes the silence as an opportunity to further gush about Jieun, and how he canât wait to work on music arrangements with her, how heâs excited to record the song with her, so on and so forth.Â
How could you even contribute to a conversation like this? Heâs talking to you about a girl in a way that reminds you of your college daysâback when the pair of you were strictly friends and nothing more, and he would talk to you about girls he thought were cute. It feels a little bit like right now. Yoongi and Jieun do make a good team, they get along together, and have formed a closeness within such a short period of time that anyone passing by the studio would assume theyâve been friends for years. Or, even further, that they were dating. At the very least, Yoongi speaks highly enough of Jieun that one could assume that she was the one he liked, and not you.Â
It feels a little bit like being left behindâitâs a thought that only continues to fester.Â
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It takes a few more weeks, but you eventually draft up Yoongiâs tour schedule. Itâs a few sheets of paper that detail the duration of the tour, the cities, the locations, the dates of each location, the size of the venue, how ticket distribution will work, on, and on, and onâall information that Yoongi has insisted on knowing about ever since he was signed into KSJ Records. The man just likes to know what his fans have to go through in order to see him, and you respect that.Â
However, before you can officially create the tour post thatâll be up on the KSJ Records social media account, it needs to go through a final approval: from Yoongi himself. And because he likes to take notes with paper and pen, like the old-fashioned songwriter he is, heâs asked you to print everything out for him.Â
This is what leads you to stand near the printer in your office, waiting for the last page to print and slide into your awaiting hands. Once all the pages come out, you flip through them to make sure that every city on the tour is accounted for. You turn back to your desk, collecting some magazines that have been stacked on top of your table.Â
Along with getting the setlist for the tour, Yoongi had also asked you to get a hold of some magazines and articles that provided reviews from his first tour. Something about wanting to read any critiques people might have had for his show.
You gather the small stack as well before sliding it into your bag and stepping out into the hall. Itâs surprisingly early for you to be leaving your office, the late afternoon, but thereâs a part of you that just wants to give the document stack to Yoongi and dip out for the rest of the night. By now, the doubts of Yoongiâs affection for Jieun has dug itself deeper into your mind and letting yourself be around Yoongi for too long brings up too many questions that cannot be good for your mentality.Â
Questions like: If he could, would Yoongi prefer to date Jieun for real?Â
Was Jieun better than you?Â
And the best one of them all: Were you just holding Yoongi back from better relationships?Â
You continue to walk down the hallway of the building, your pace a little slower than normal because of the cloudy thoughts that threaten to overtake your mind. Finally, you stop outside of the studio you know Yoongi and Jieun are recording in. You take in a deep breath, forcing your usual cheery personality to shine through as you pull down on the handle and let yourself into the studio.Â
As soon as you step inside, you almost wish that you had just slid the documents under the door. The sight of that would probably have been easier to process than the one in front of your eyes right now.Â
Namjoon, as usual at the desk surrounded by music panels and laptops, playing the recently finished music through the recording booth situated on the other side of the glass. Behind this aforementioned sheet of glass are Jieun and Yoongi. With headphones on, theyâre standing next to each other behind the microphone. Their shoulders practically touching, you donât miss the way they both keep sneaking glances at each other, the corner of their lips turning up, looking like theyâre having the best time together.Â
You try not to slam down the door behind you, but your grip on the knob is a little too harsh to call for a softer click. Fortunately (or unfortunately, given how much fun Yoongi and Jieun look like theyâre havingâwait, did Jieun just touch Yoongiâs arm), neither of them notice your arrival.Â
Namjoon, however, notices.Â
He turns around to look at you. âHey, whatâs up?âÂ
You try for a smile, your hand brushing against the door. âSorry, I slipped a little,â You lie cleanly. You hold up the documents in your other hand. âYoongi wanted me to prepare a few things for him, stuff for the upcoming tour.âÂ
Namjoon gestures for you to sit next to him, something that you follow. As soon as you sit down, Namjoon asks to see these aforementioned documents, which you pull out of your bag and hand over to him. Itâs quiet between the two of you, the only sounds being the laughs and giggles between Yoongi and Jieunâas if one has them as just told a secret only understood between them. Itâs a feeling that doesnât settle well in your stomach.Â
âWow, this is very efficient,â Namjoon observes, seeming completely oblivious to your internal seething.Â
You shrug, eyes still locked in on the inside of the recording booth. âYoongi asked for the best, so I gave him the best. Hey, soâ!â You change topics. âIs there a reason theyâre in the booth together? Donât a lot of collabs nowadays just exchange everything virtually?âÂ
Namjoon hums. âI didnât know the jealous girlfriend was a full time act of yours now.â Heâs clearly just trying to have fun. After all, only Taehyung and Jungkook know about your crush on Yoongi. âBut honestly? Iâm not too sure. They just wanted to go in togetherâsaid that they could be more personal when working in a face-to-face setting. And theyâre actually making a lot of changes as they keep going through the song and hearing how the music is turning out. Theyâre a good team.âÂ
Namjoonâs usage of the very same phrase that has been haunting you for the past few weeks doesnât sit well in your stomach.Â
Namjoon returns the documents to you. âDid you want to talk to him now? See if heâs cool with you just dropping it off?âÂ
You nod. âIf thatâs okay?âÂ
Namjoon smiles. âWeâll just wait until they take a breath.âÂ
Waiting doesnât turn out to take a long time, because Jieun stops the song to make another statement about what line should replace the one they just sung. And Yoongi looks at her like sheâs just hung up all the stars in the galaxy.Â
âNamjoon, do you mind starting the song over? We got a new idea for this part,â Jieun calls from inside the booth.Â
Namjoon leans forward to press the button. âActually, you guys have some company.âÂ
You lean forward as well. âHey guys.âÂ
Jieun grins, waving at you through the window. Yoongi acknowledges you as well, but thereâs something suddenly stiff about his movements. You notice that heâs also stepping away from Jieun, as if to hide what has been going on between him and Jieun. As if that makes you feel any fucking better.Â
âHey, uh, Yoongi?â You continue. âI have the documents you asked me to prepare for you. I can just leave it here for you to go over if thatâs cool. Maybe take a little bit of time today to go over everything.âÂ
Yoongi thinks about this for a moment. âActually⌠honey,â He adds the pet name as an afterthought. âDo you mind dropping it off at my apartment? Weâre probably just gonna be focusing on the song until pretty late tonight.âÂ
The acknowledgement Yoongi has that he and Jieun are in for another late night only grows the seeds of doubt in your mind, as you clench your teeth. You canât let your insecurities get the best of you. Not now. âSure,â You manage, trying for a small.Â
Yoongi grins. âThanks baby. Iâll make it up to you this weekend, okay?âÂ
At this point, it just feels like heâs teasing you and itâs something you find you arenât really in the mood for. So you manage a curt reply, giving a positive response that youâll drop by his apartment to deliver the documents regarding his upcoming tour, before youâre up and out of the studio before Jieun, Yoongi, or Namjoon can say one last thing. But you donât care. The sooner youâre out of there, looking at the heart-eye festival between Jieun and Yoongi, the better you feel.Â
So you take the train to Yoongiâs apartment, a now much bigger space in a slightly nicer area of the city. At least, nicer than the college apartment he shared with Jungkook that was no stranger to bed bugs and constant maintenance issues. The newer apartment Yoongi has recently acquired is nicer, has more modern finishes, and is now a space he fills in all by himself.Â
As you unlock the door to his apartment, you immediately make your way down the small hallway entrance, where a mirror and his shoes occupy a small corner of the area. The hallway opens up into the living room, and you turn on the light and take in the vaguely familiar sight of his new furnitureâhome pieces that you helped arrange with him a few months ago. Come to think of it, that was probably the first and last time you had come by Yoongiâs apartment. Before certain life elements got involved.Â
Tonguing the inside of your cheek, you plop yourself down on the couch and place the document stack at the corner of the coffee table. It looks rather strange just stacked like that, no context provided, so your eyes shift over for a pen and a post-it note.Â
You find a stack of post-it notes, and find a pen sticking out from inside a notebook. Paying little attention to the notebook, you just make a grab for the pen and rip it out of the notebook with the aggression of a gorilla. The notebook flies open, the contents inside barring itself right at you.Â
Your immediate reaction is to close the notebook. After all, it just takes one glance at Yoongiâs scrambled handwriting to know that this is one of his writing journals. His most recent one, in fact, judging from how flat the pages after the one currently open appearâlike it hasnât been stained with a pen yet.Â
You want to close itâyou really do. You and Yoongi have built a friendship on trust. Thatâs what kept you both together throughout the long years, and you know better than to risk everything just for the chance to scope through what is essentially a songwriterâs diary.Â
Your fingers inch towards the edge of the book, about to close it shut, before the title at the top header makes you freeze.Â
MY SECRETÂ
Without meaning to, your eyes read over the lines. And you feel sick to your stomach.Â
The song is so raw, so personal, brimming with desire in every verse. It covers lingering stares, secret smiles. A barrier. How Yoongi âwants you more and more with each day, but I know I canât have you, that I shouldnât have youâ. And you know Yoongiâyou know him better than anyone. You know that for all the love songs he sings and the topics he sings about that he feigns ignorance for, he draws on personal experience to write his music. How else could he make everything so personable?Â
How could this song not be about Jieun?Â
The lingering stares, secret smiles: it clearly points to the events in the recording booth you saw earlier that day, and if heâs writing a song about it, itâs obvious that today hadnât been the first time for those stares and smiles.Â
The barrier: obviously you. The relationship facade heâs forced to put up with you, when heâs clearly so much happier with someone else.Â
With those factors, itâs so clear that Yoongi would want Jieun, but would be unable to have her.Â
And youâre just the girl in the background with the starry eyes for a guy who would never even look at you the way you want him to.Â
That realization brings the hot tears to your eyes, as you slam the notebook shut and bring your hand to your mouth, biting your finger to muffle your sobs. What comes out is the build-up of months of insecurities, of having to keep the biggest secret of your life to yourself, and the additional jealousy brought in by a third party.Â
This despair and sadness isnât good for you, and you know that only continuing to hide it away in light of Yoongi and Jieunâs partnership, in light of your feelings, and Yoongiâs exploding careerâyou should only be able to handle so much. Youâre a human being, and you have your limits.Â
And you think this might be it.Â
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CHAPTER 6: TRUTHSÂ
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âY-Yeah, I think itâs food poisoning or something,â You speak quietly into the phone, playing with the edges of your blanket. âIâm really sorry, Seokjin, Iâll try to send out some emails to respond to news outlets todayâŚâÂ
âHey, no, youâre totally fine,â Seokjin replies hastily. âI donât blame you for that. Just try and get some rest today, and update me on how you feel tomorrow.â A pause. âWhat was it?â
âUh, it must have been in the takeout I got last night.â Thatâs a lie. You cooked your own dinner last night, and are lying straight through your teeth regarding your condition, but you canât find it in yourself to go to work today. Not since the discovery of Yoongiâs crush on Jieun made you want to dig yourself into a hole and never crawl out.Â
Itâs not like you ever thought you had a chance with Yoongiâbut you had just thought maybe something would be different after the hand holding, after his radio interview, after your kiss together.Â
But Jieun serves as that nice splash of reality that Yoongi wants someone better than you. Someone more like himâsomeone passionate about music, who gets along with him better, who can write music with and write music about.Â
At this point, it just feels like youâre a weight, dragging Yoongi down in the waves of his past.Â
On the other side of the phone, Seokjin sighs. âDamn, thatâs always the worst. Those are the ones you suspect the least. Anyways, Iâll let you go. Get some rest. Maybe Iâll let Yoongi know so he can bring some soup.âÂ
The mention of Yoongi makes you feel like you could actually get food poisoning. âYou can let him know, but heâll probably be too hung up on Jieun to give a shit.âÂ
Seokjin, of course, knows nothing, so he laughs at what he thinks is your joke. âThatâs true. Theyâre actually at it again today, which is surprising considering Jieun only comes by a few times a week. But no, she was here bright and early and so was Yoongi. Basically, they showed up to the studio at the same time. They called it fate, or some shit like that.âÂ
âYou donât say,â You return dryly.Â
Namjoonâs confirmation that they make a good team, paired with Seokjinâs admittance that Yoongi is hung up on Jieun, puts you in a delicate mood for the rest of the day. You try to watch some TV shows, some movies, play some video games, but you are constantly distracted by thoughts of Yoongi and Jieun.Â
Youâre all curled up on the couch, about to click into another movie, when thereâs a knock on your door. Your heart leaps in your throat as you stand up. You hate the brief flicker of hope in your chest, the curiosity that perhaps Yoongi is the one knocking.Â
All those hopes are dashed when you see it is Jungkook on the other side of the door.Â
âOh,â You remark, the smile dropping from your face. âItâs just you.âÂ
Jungkook looks at you like you pissed in his cereal. âUh, I donât see other amazing friends over here bringing you store-bought chicken soup because they heard you got food poisoning last night.â He holds up the bag for extra emphasis.Â
You roll your eyes, grabbing the bag from him. âI donât actually have food poisoning, I just didnât want to go to work today.âÂ
Jungkook furrows his eyebrows at your statement. Thereâs a lot youâve given him that he can work with, lots of things he can ask about. Maybe ask why you would lie about your food poisoning, maybe ask why you didnât want to go to work today, maybe ask why you still looked like shit.Â
But the first thing he says: âYou owe me twenty dollars.âÂ
You roll your eyes, beckoning him inside with the jerk of your head. âSure.âÂ
Jungkook laughs a little. âWait, okay, I was actually kidding.â But he still steps into your apartment. âIâll be serious now. Why lie about food poisoning? And since when do you not want to go to work? If anything, you love to go so you can stare at Yoongiâs ass through the recording boothâ!â He cuts himself off when you give him a glare of such pure hatred that it actually shocks him. âWait, are you mad at Yoongi?âÂ
You tear your gaze away from him, placing the bag of groceries on your countertop. Sorting through what Jungkook has bought serves to be a good distraction.Â
Jungkook continues to look at you. Heâs quiet, but he always has a lot to say, and since youâve been his friend for so long that only heightens his need to talk. âI knew it!â He finally says. âI knew you were mad at him. Taehyung and I were placing bets down.âÂ
You slam the can of chicken soup on the counter. âHEY. What did I say about gossiping?âÂ
âNot in front of your face?âÂ
Your hand flinches, as if to stop yourself from grabbing the can and throwing it at his stupid face. Jungkook doesnât even move in fear, the bastard. âIâm just gonna pretend I donât know about the bets. You want a can of chicken soup?âÂ
Jungkook confirmation finds you at the stove, heating up two of the many cans Jungkook had bought for you. Included in his twenty-dollar purchase had been a few containers of tums, and some orange juice.Â
Jungkook lingers in the back. âYou wanna tell me why youâre mad at Yoongi?âÂ
You whirl around to face him. âHow did you even know I was upset?âÂ
Jungkook snorts, but quiets down when you glare at him. He coughs. âYouâre pretty easy to read, you know. Youâve been acting weird ever since Jieun started coming by the studio.âÂ
âWeird how?âÂ
He shrugs. âI donât know. Youâre just a little quieter. And you havenât been spending as much time in the studio as you used to. That was the biggest giveaway.âÂ
Youâre quiet for a moment. You rub at your cheek. âDoes Yoongi know?âÂ
Jungkook shakes his head. âDoubtful. But I think he knows something is up. I was on the phone with him last night.âÂ
Itâs your turn to snort. âOkay, thatâs really fucking funny.â At Jungkookâs raised eyebrow, you explain. âI thought heâd be too busy comparing Jieun to sunlight, or something, to notice me.âÂ
âOh, so youâre jealous.âÂ
You and Jungkook have a staring contest, before you sigh. âI accidentally saw Yoongiâs writing notebook yesterday. It had all these love confessions in it, and Iâm pretty sure he was talking about Jieun.âÂ
Jungkookâs eyes widen. âNo way? Are you sure?âÂ
You cough. âWell, Iâm not a hundred percent. But it was all about this forbidden crush he couldnât act on because of a barrier. Who else could be the barrier? He obviously thinks Iâm holding him back from pursuing a relationship with Jieun.â You think about your words for a second, trying to decide if Jungkook is trustworthy enough to disclose this information to. âI think Iâm gonna break it off with him. Maybe quit too, while Iâm at it.âÂ
Jungkookâs lips part. âBut why?âÂ
âWhat else am I supposed to do?â You cry. âI canât keep up this fake dating with Yoongi anymore, itâs too complicated, and Iâm actually in love with him so that opens up this whole other series of complications. And itâs not fair to Yoongiâhe shouldnât have to deal with feelings he obviously doesnât return. The whole charade thing just isnât doing me any good. And even if I break off the relationship, I would still have to see him all the time because of the whole manager situation. Quitting just seems like the best option for me.âÂ
Jungkook is quiet for a second. âHow do you even know he wrote that song about Jieun?â He finally asks, speaking carefully.Â
You shrug. âI donât know. I just have this feeling. Who else has he been spending all this time with? Who else could that song possibly be about?âÂ
Jungkook gives you a long, hard look, like he almost canât believe your brain can be thinking those thoughts. But he relents. âI think you should talk to Yoongi before quitting. Heâs one of your best friends. He deserves to know why, at least.â He looks over your shoulder. âThe chicken soup is done.âÂ
You whirl back around to turn off the stove. But also so Jungkook canât see the tears glassing over your eyes.Â
.Â
It turns out, telling Yoongi you want to quit is a much more difficult task than you could have thought. For starters, Seokjin sets the pair of you up on more dates than before. Apparently, there are some rumors going around regarding Jieunâs more and more frequent turn-ups at KSJ Records, and people have started connecting the dots that her appearances are tied to either one of two reasons. Either Yoongi and Jieun are collaborating on music. Or theyâre dating.Â
The second reason is a lot juicier, much more exciting, so naturally a lot of people have gravitated towards supporting that reason. To try and expel those thoughts, Seokjin sends you out on more dates with Yoongi. Itâs all fine, but your thoughts about breaking off this relationship and quitting just makes you more quiet and closed off as you wallow deeper into your thoughts.Â
You suddenly donât know how to contribute to the conversations Yoongi tries to bring up to you. The words seem to fail you every time, and you feel yourself constantly resorting to silence or one-worded answers. And it constantly always feels like Yoongi is standing too close to you. Every step towards you is a step away from him. When he tries to hold your hand on the sixth date in two weeks, you wiggle out of his grasp and pretend that you need to fix your jacket.Â
Your own journey to self-destruction means that you are completely oblivious to the hurt in Yoongiâs eyes with every step you take to distance yourself from him. But what could you even say to him?
How could you tell him you want to quit your job in public? That would obviously lead to a fight, and it would reflect badly on Yoongiâs public image. Just because you want to quit doesnât mean you still care about him, because you do. And you still want him to succeed. With Seokjinâs constant scheduling of dates, it leaves little room for you to share in an actual private discussion. The only off times Yoongi has are the days Jieun comes by the studio, and you try to stay a mile away from that place now.Â
But it turns out, you donât have a choice today, because Seokjin calls you into his office and tells you to drop off the samples of cover art that has just been dropped off at the studio. The cover art is something that Jieun and Yoongi have designed together for the album, to be displayed when the single is released.Â
With heavy feet, you make your way through the hallways and towards Yoongiâs studio space. Every fiber in your being hopes that Yoongi and Jieun will be in the recording booth, working on their song (or even better, just not in the studio at all), so that you donât have to face them enjoying each otherâs company right in front of your face. Thereâs no music coming through the door, so your heart soars that latter prospect.Â
As you open the door, however, you realize that thereâs no way for you to be so lucky.Â
Inside, Yoongi and Jieun are eating lunch, takeout noodles split between the two of them, and theyâre in the middle of laughing. The laughter, however, stops when you open the door, effectively interrupting their fucking date. Which is a thought that does nothing to make you feel better. The silence that echoes on only further makes you feel like shit.Â
You and Yoongi sharing a room privately nowadays is a rarity, since youâve been doing a good job at avoiding him at all costs. His unanswered text messages and shortened calls echo through your mind at the sight of him. With the look heâs giving you, you wonder if heâs thinking the same thing.Â
Jieun, however, remains completely oblivious to the situation as she gives you her normally bright cheery greeting. You stare at you, momentarily stunned. You would have thought Yoongi shared the troubles of your relationship with her, for some reason. You try to remain nice about it, though, giving Jieun a small smile as you return her greeting.Â
âI, uh,â You start, bringing the package up for both of them to see. âYour cover art came in today. Seokjin just asked if I could drop it off here.âÂ
Jieun brightens at the sight. âOh my gosh, it came! Do you mind if IâŚ?â She trails off, hands reaching out to take the package from you. You give it to her. âYoongi, isnât that so exciting?âÂ
âYeahâŚâ Yoongi trails off. A quick glance at him tells you that heâs staring at you. You look away. âDid you see it yet?â He asks you.Â
You shrug. âI, uh, havenât. But, anyways, I have to get going.âÂ
âHey,â Jieun calls, freezing you slightly in your path. âThanks for bringing this over. We really appreciate it.âÂ
We?
The use of that specific noun, while supposedly harmless in the current context, makes your stomach flare with that white hot curl of jealousy. Your teeth clench, as you swallow down the spiteful words that almost manage to escape into the air around you. You smile, no teeth. âYouâre welcome.â Thatâs the only thing you can manage before youâre turning around to open the door and practically bolt yourself out of the studio.Â
You only make it a few feet before the door to the studio opens and you hear footsteps trailing after you. He calls your name, and your heart drops. You are so not ready for any type of one-on-one conversation with Yoongi right now.Â
But your entire soul still gravitates toward him, so you stop and turn around to face him.Â
Yoongi is by himself this time, and looking like a mixture of confused and defeated as he approaches you. âListen,â He starts. âI know that we havenât had a lot of time to really talkâŚâÂ
âItâs okay,â You brush off.Â
Yoongi says your name again. âYou know, you donât need to lie to me. Youâre my best friendâI can tell when youâre hiding something from me.âÂ
You sigh, shaking your head as every nerve in your body is telling you to walk away. âYoongi, Iâm not sure I can do this right now.âÂ
âDo what?â He presses. âI know that Iâve been super busy, but if you want to talk you can just let me know. Tell me whatâs bothering you, okay? Because IâŚâ He trails off, sighing, and you feel that vague sense of guilt wash over you. âI can tell that youâre avoiding me and itâs really shitty. I canât even focus that much on my song with Jieun.âÂ
The mention of Jieun stiffens you up again. âWell, sorry for being an inconvenience,â You spit. âWhy donât you go back to your new fucking girlfriend if youâre gonna bring her up to my face again.â You couldnât stop yourself this timeâthe words were too ready at your lips. Your chest is heaving from it too, but it is things that you know that you will regret saying.Â
Yoongiâs eyebrows furrow deeper together as your words.Â
You stare right back at him, the shadow of a thought passing over you. If youâre going to tell Yoongi your biggest secret, it might as well be right now. You donât know the next time you will be this brave, this reactive, this bold.Â
Both of you open your mouths at the same time.Â
âDid you just call Jieun my girlfriend?â
âIâm quitting.âÂ
You clamp your mouth shut. You hadnât meant to speak at the same time as him. A small wave of regret passes through you, as you hope that Yoongi wouldnât have heard your statement over his question. But of course he does.Â
Yoongiâs frowns at you. âDid you just say you were quitting?âÂ
You take a step back, running a hand through your hair as your exhale comes out shaky. More shaky than you intended it to. Oh no. âYeah,â You manage, already feeling your emotions bottling up. âI was gonna try and talk to Seokjin about quitting before I left.âÂ
If Yoongi thinks you were joking before, he definitely doesnât now because he takes a step towards you and catches your wrist before you can go that far. âB-But why?â His eyes have gotten a little wider, and heâs staring at you like his world is being pulled apart.Â
You try to tug your wrist away to no avail. Your mind tries to flash through several different excuses, but you realize that you need to tell him the truth. Yoongi deserves that much, at least.
As you try to collect your thoughts, Yoongi starts scrambling. âW-Was it something I did?â He asks quickly. âBecause normally youâd always try to call me out and Iâd fix myself immediately. A-Are you unhappy with your position? Because I can try to get Seokjin to give you less workload or something. I-Iâm really sorry if it was something that I did to hurt you. I-I just really need you here so talk to me⌠pleaseâŚâÂ
You shake your head. âItâs a little more complicated than that,â You whisper. âI know your secret, Yoongi, and thatâs why I canât do this anymore.âÂ
âW-What secret?â His eyes are still on you.Â
You take in another breath. âI went over to your apartment that night,â You start. âAnd I saw what you were writing in your journal. I know that youâre in love with Jieun, and that you only see me as a barrier to pursuing a relationship with her. And that sucks because normally, Iâd encourage you to go after her. But weâre doing this whole dating thing, and I feel like Iâm neck-deep becauseâŚâ Your words come out a little more shaky. âBecause Iâm in love with you,â You whisper. âIâve been in love with you for years. B-But I know now that Iâll never measure up to Jieun, or any of the other girls in this industry who deserve you more than I do. I thought that I could keep being professional for you and your career. But itâs too hard for me.âÂ
âW-Wait,â Yoongi says, tightening his grip on you. âCan you just let me explain, please? Itâs not like that, I promise you.âÂ
You rip your wrist from his hand. âI read it!â You retort loudly. âWho else could be the person you want more than anything, but canât have because of a physical barrier? When else have you used a real person to inspire your music? Itâs too hard for me, Yoongi! I canât keep doing this!âÂ
Yoongi seems to be struggling with his next words. âSo, what?â Yoongi asks, circling around his next question carefully. âYouâre just going to leave? Is this⌠the end of our friendship?âÂ
You sigh, running a hand through your hair. âI donât know! I havenât thought this out that far. But I know that we shouldnât be doing this fake dating charade anymore, because I know thereâs no way these past few months have meant the same to you as it did to me. I also know that I canât really be in the same room with you right now.âÂ
Yoongi hopelessly gazes over at you, his own chest heaving as he himself struggles with what to say. âPlease donât do this,â He returns softly.Â
Your gaze lingers on Yoongiâs for just a while longer, trying to burn the image of him in your mind, before you shake your head. âIâm sorry.âÂ
.Â
As it turns out, Seokjin is out of the office for the rest of the evening. Which is fine, right? Whatever. You can just call him tomorrow morning and schedule a meeting with him, tell him the urgency of it and will definitely be able to muster your strength for another conversation about your secret feelings for Yoongi.Â
You return to your apartment and immediately burst into tears as the weight of todayâs confrontation sinks its teeth right into your neck. You just shared your feelings with Yoongi, you threatened your employment, and almost cut off your friendship with Yoongi as a result of that.Â
Your many years of friendship, of late nights, of laughter together. It seems silly to want to cut off an important friendship just like thatâbut it just seems unfair of you to carry on with a friendship where youâre always going to crave more. And if Yoongi is smart, heâll know that as well, and he wonât come back.Â
Still, a part of you just hopes a little. Even though, of course, itâs a stupid thing to hope for. Yoongi has already established his taste, and itâs definitely for people leagues above you. The thought only makes you cry a little harder, so much so that you try to drink some water in order to calm down.Â
Youâre in the beginning stages of patting down your face, of grabbing some spoons to put into the freezer, when thereâs a series of frantic knocking at your door. You turn your head towards the source of the noise, trying to figure out who could be visiting at a time like this. Itâs been a few hours since your confrontation with Yoongi at the studio, but you assume that heâs probably blowing smoke up Jieunâs ass. Thereâs no way that it could be him.Â
So you open the door, and freeze when you realize that it is Yoongi.Â
More than that, itâs Yoongi with his chest heaving. Almost like he has just run around the entire city to reach you.Â
The only thing you can manage right now is a wide-eyed stare.
Yoongi stares right back at you. Just a few hours ago, he had looked so helpless and lost for words. A first, actually. But this time, heâs staring at you with so much intensity that you cannot look away.Â
Yoongi finally seems to catch his breath. âYouâre an idiot,â He states.Â
Youâre so caught off guard by that statement that you forget youâre supposed to be upset with him. âIâm sorry?â You ask.Â
Yoongi huffs, practically barreling past you to step into your house. You try to tell him to stop, but heâs distracted by rummaging through his backpack for something. With a sigh, you decide to close the door. As soon as heâs standing in your kitchen, he finds an old, beaten up notebook that you vaguely remember from his college days. He points at you with his notebook. âYouâre an idiot,â He repeats. âIf you think that the lyrics on my coffee table are the first time Iâve written lyrics about a specific person.âÂ
At your shocked expression, he immediately starts flipping through the notebook. You notice that certain pages are marked with sticky tabs.Â
Yoongi settles on a page and clears his throat. âHidden within the walls of our lecture hall, your laughter curls through the cracks like liquid fire. You light up my day amongst borrowed pencils and shared jokes. I knew that you were going to change my life,â he reads. He looks up at you. âThe first day I met you, when I asked you to borrow a pencil.â You remember those lyrics. It was from a song he had written called âstarlightââthe opening song on his first EP.Â
He flips through a few more pages. âI never learned about love, but I watch her believe in my dreams, take the same steps to join my team, and I feel like I could figure it out.â He looks at you. âWhen you agreed to help me with my Youtube channel.â
He continues through his notebooks of lyrics, of stories, of secrets. Every single lyric he reads to you connects back to some memory he holds of the two of you. All the memories together in college: from the panic attack he had in the bathroom of the first party the pair of you attended, to exploring the nearby cities via subway until early mornings, to corner ramen shops.Â
Soon enough, he moves on to the lyrics he had written during his first tour. The distance he felt, and how that related to the emotional distance he felt with youâthat desire he constantly felt for more, and how the manager and artist relationship the pair of you had couldnât hold a candle to the friendship you once held. The distance was never a physical challenge, and that was something you could never connect the dots on.Â
Every stone of his hidden affection is turned over, every lyric he has marked read over and explained with such a passion. Itâs like he has waited years to finally have his turn, to finally speak the way heâs always wanted toâdirectly, with no tricks of music and whimsical arrangements to make you doubt everything he could say.Â
He had written whole songs about the fake dating experience, of how he wasnât sure he could only pretend to love you when it was the only thing he ever knew how to do.Â
Finally, he flips to his most recent song. The very song that you had stumbled upon the other day in his apartment. âI want you more and more with each day, but I know I canât have you, that I shouldnât have you,â He reads. He looks up at you. âThe barrier was the blanket of our fake relationship. You were never stopping me from doing anything, because you were the only thing I have ever wanted. SoâŚâ He gestures to all the notebooks that he has laid out across your kitchen counter. âDo you now see how many song lyrics are actually about you? All about you. Because youâre all Iâve always known.âÂ
Your gaze carefully studies each notebook, layered over each other, overflowing with dedication and passion. The privacy of someone who has surprisingly spent his entire singing career sharing nothing but his darkest secrets. Your arms are overlapped with each other, tightening against your form. âI-I had no idea.âÂ
Yoongi shakes his head, but when he looks at you, his eyes are soft. âI figured that.â Heâs leaning across the counter to keep his gaze leveled with you, but he pushes himself even closer to tap a finger on the spot between your eyes. âI thought I made it so obvious. You were never listening.âÂ
âI-I never thought to,â You admit softly. But Yoongi has a point. Ever since he started writing and sharing his original songs, he has done nothing but sing them to you in any and all forms. From the private sessions the pair of you shared in his college apartment, to the performances he would deliver on the street, in the recording booth at all hours of the day, to the tours and the audiences that sing those love declarations right back at you. For years, Yoongi has done nothing but give, and give, and give. And you had no idea.Â
Your breath hitches, and Yoongi rounds the counter and gathers your face in his hands. âShh,â He coos softly. âItâs not your fault.âÂ
You sniff. âIt is my fault! Iâm such a stupid bitch. And I treated you and Jieun like shit because I thought you were in love with her. I thought I was holding you back from being able to date who you really wanted to be with.âÂ
Yoongi shrugs. âI mean, technically, you were.â At your look, he hastily goes to explain himself. âThe person I really wanted to date was you. But since we were, uh, fake dating, that prevented me from being able to date you for realâŚâ Â
You groan at his teasing grin. âYou idiot, that was so bad.âÂ
âSorry, sorry.â Yoongi is still grinning though, tracing his thumb over your cheekbone. His eyes follow the movement, mentally outlining you into his mind. âI just wanted to see you smile.â His smile slips a little. âSince you had been ignoring me for so long.âÂ
You pout. âI told you, I thought you were in love with Jieun. And honestly, that would make a lot of sense⌠sheâs really pretty and talented and you guys could talk about music for hours, especially compared to meâ!âÂ
âStop,â Yoongi cuts in, closing his eyes briefly. âIâm gonna stop you there before you say something I donât like.â He angles his head to level his gaze with you. âJieun is really cool, Iâll probably be the first one to admit that. But sheâs not you. Hey, câmon, look at me.â He forces you to look at him again. âYou are also so, so pretty and smart and talented. You may not know a lot about music and songwriting, but you were always the one who pulled all-nighters with me to edit my videos, or learn music with me, or point out if something in my music didnât sound right. Your passion to help is something I really love about you.âÂ
You pursue your lips to hide your smile. âLove, huh?âÂ
Yoongi doesnât even hesitant. âWell, yeah, because Iâm in love with you. I thought that was obvious.âÂ
You exhale. âYeah, well, itâs different hearing you say it outloud.âÂ
Yoongi grins. âWell, hopefully youâll get used to it. I have many years to make it up to you.â His smile dies down a little. âIâm sorry,â He finally settles with. âI should have been more straightforward and honest with you about my feelings. You must have been suffering for so long, having to keep it all in and everything.âÂ
You shake your head. âIâm also sorry,â You whisper. âFor jumping to conclusions so fast. And also not really listening to your lyrics. That was kind of stupid of me, considering Iâm your manager and everything.âÂ
Yoongi laughs. âIt seems like youâre good now, seeing as youâve just gotten an exclusive behind-the-scenes artist cut and commentary about his songs.â He pauses for a second. âSo, I hope this means that you wonât quit being my manager. And that, maybe, we can promote our relationship from fake dates to real ones.âÂ
You smile. âIâd like that.âÂ
His smile turns softer. âAnd I was hoping that maybe I can kiss you again. For real, this time. No cameras, no Seokjin breathing down our necks.âÂ
You giggle. âJust so you know, if the kiss at your album release party had been a real one and we were actually dating at the time, I probably would have wanted you to fuck me in the bathroom or something.âÂ
Yoongi groans. âDonât say that with that cute smile on your face. Makes me want to do things to you.âÂ
âI donât see you pulling away though.âÂ
âOf course not.â Yoongiâs figure loams over you now, his lips brushing against yours. âI have three years to make up to you.âÂ
With that, he kisses you, silencing whatever next words you were going to say. That is, if you even had any to begin with. Now that heâs kissing you, stealing the breath from your lungs, youâre not even too sure any thoughts have been floating around at all. Unlike the kiss at the album release party, which had been softer and dainty, held back to hide a secret, this kiss is rougher. Yoongi is already moving his lips against yours, already parting his lips to brush his tongue against your lower lips. His hands are already sliding across the counter, trying to cover you more and more.Â
His hand slips on the counter though, almost sending his sprawling on top of you. You catch him with your hand on his chest, as the sudden action makes both of you pull away from each other. The sight you both face is very much like the sight from the launch party: flushed cheeks and redden lips, a desire for more flickering behind eyes.Â
But this time, there is no expectation to carry on in a party like a long-term couple. That is what allows Yoongi to wrap his arms around you, pulling you to his chest this time. He kisses you again, slower, softer, but you deepen the kiss with the part of your own lips this time. There is an unspoken agreement between the two of you as he lifts you into his arms and blindly navigates through your apartment, into your bedroom, where you both fall atop the mattress.Â
âAnd just for the record,â You whisper, right when Yoongi pulls away to let both of you catch your breath. âI love you too.â Youâve already admitted your feelings earlier in the day, but itâs worth it to see Yoongi deliver that heart pounding gummy smile.Â
#btswritingcafe#ficswithluv#yoongi scenarios#yoongi scenario#yoongi fluff#yoongi x y/n#yoongi angst#yoongi x reader#bts scenarios#bts x reader#bts fluff#bts angst#bts imagines#traci writes
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[10:00 PM] Ryomen Sukuna
LOG 14 OF MY JUJUTSU KAISEN TIMESTAMP DRABBLES
CHARACTERS: Sukuna X You WORD COUNT: 1,202 GENRE: fluff | kinda smut? | kinda angst | salaryman Sukuna TRIGGER WARNING: nudity | some touching lol | profanity | possessiveness | unhealthy amounts of jealousy lol SPOILERS: n/a
collection masterlist
photo/fanart credits to @/Natsushio on Weibo
"Baby."
Sukuna knows you heard him. Still, you continued walking as if you didn't, going ahead of him about ten paces ahead, your posture and the overall attitude in your gait speaking volumes of your current mood. He easily kept up with you, placing an arm over your shoulder, but much to his surprise, you shrugged it off you and walked the remaining expanse of sidewalk towards your shared apartment. He just watched in annoyance as you walked into the lobby and got into the elevator before him.
"Trouble with your princess?" this nosy grandma, who lived at one of the units at the first floor, asked.
Sukuna just smiled awkwardly, bowing slightly as he passed her by on his way to the elevator. When he finally got into your unit, he found your coat lying on the hallway, picking it up only to see your jeans a few steps ahead then your shirt. He finally found you in the kitchen already wrapped in a robe which you didn't even bother tying up, agitatedly pouring yourself a glass of wine, the cerise liquid sloshing around the glass violently.
You were behaving rather out of character, making a mess out of your clothes when he knew just how much you hated it when he leaves his things scattered about. On top of that, you left the cutlery drawer open with the corkscrew you used on top of the counter, droplets of red wine littering the granite top. You just passed him by without saying anything, refusing to look at him on your way to your bedroom.
I see how it is, he thought, taking long strides to the direction you went. He eyed you sternly, having had enough of your attitude. "Y/N, what's going on?" he demanded.
You flinched visibly at the way he addressed you. He doesn't call you by your name unless he was dead serious about something. "It's nothing. Don't mind me."
"Woman, don't tell me it's nothing when â"
Before he could finish, you walked into the adjoining bathroom, turning on the tap to the tub to tune him out. You were evidently being passive-aggressive now, and he detested it when you did that.
"Just go back to your party. I'm sure everyone's wondering where you've gone," you told him, picking up your glass from the dresser top. "Especially Miss Hanako." You shot him a sardonic smile before taking a swig out of your wine, the way you said the womanâs name dripping with vitriol.
And then it hit him. You've been dishing out barb since you told him you wanted to leave the company party he was partly hosting for his department. You did so when the secretary to the president arrived and started chatting him up. He was now thinking your behavior thereafter had something to do with it. You were fine before that so it could only mean one thing.
He didn't know whether to laugh or what at the thought of it. When he decided to pursue you, he didn't have qualms about it even if you were a good six years younger than him. He knew how problematic it could get having an immature partner, but that's where you were different. You held yourself with such confidence, grace and equilibrium way beyond your age, you shared the same pragmatic mindset he had and you didn't seem to have a proclivity for drama like others your age. You hardly ever fought because of petty things and he loved that about you.
But then, you're still young and he didn't hold it against you that you're suddenly acting like a brat. If anything, he was happy about it because you were never ever jealous. It sometimes made him doubt how you felt about him when you yourself would be pointing at other chicks for him to look at while saying things like, "Baby, look at her ass. Damn, she's sexy." And now that the green-eyed monster is rearing its head to the surface, he couldn't say he didn't like it.
"What about her?" he asked cautiously, making you jump the hoops.
You sneered, the action very intimidating despite your angelic features. âOh, I donât know, Sukuna. You tell me. You seemed to be enjoying her company. Donât stop at my expense.â
He leveled his expressions to you. âWell, she is something, isnât she? Smart, too.â
âYeah, you deserve each other,â you hissed, the anger flaring up in your eyes making him stir alive.
âBut sheâs married.â
âAll the better!â Seeing through what he was doing, you turned towards the bathroom and slammed the door shut. He didn't hear you lock it so he followed suit.
"If you're jealous, just say so already!" he told you. He wanted to hear it out of your mouth.
"Why would I be jealous? She looks like a bad rip-off of 80s Brooke Shields!" you spat, confirming his thoughts. You climbed into the bathtub sulkily, eyes on the bubbly water.
Sukuna knew he shouldn't even be thrilled about the prospect of it. If you were jealous then that means you were kinda doubting him in terms of his loyalty to you, and he should not like that, but at the same time, you were also being possessive which you rarely do. He couldn't help it.
Loosening his tie, he began shedding his clothes off, stripping naked before you, revealing the tattooed expanse of his skin and his impressive musculature as he tossed one garment after the other.
"What are you doing?" you asked as he approached, the way you mumbled the words causing him to just sigh, feeing defeated at how endearing you looked hugging your knees to yourself. "I thought I told you to go back to your party."
He didn't say anything as he went into the tub, sitting opposite you, but it wasn't long before he was pulling you towards him, positioning you between his legs so your back was pressed against his hard chest. He then began planting hungry kisses on your neck, down to your shoulders, his large hands wandering all over your body, one already having found itself on your breasts while the other coaxed your head to turn towards him so he can kiss you, his movements urgent yet languid and gentle.
"I'm all yours," he breathed against your lips, grinning. "You know that, right?"
"I know." You shrugged, facing forward again. âI donât like the way that witch was touching you though. And you were all smiles about it, too.â You smacked him on the thigh, eliciting that deep laughter you adored no matter how mad you were at him. âDonât laugh! Itâs not funny.â
âIt kinda is.â
âIf you even think for a second that anyone can have you, Ryomen Sukuna, youâre wrong.â You looked him in the eyes, your dark orbs boring into him while your hand touched the side of his face, your crimson-painted nails looking like claws against his cheek. âYouâre mine.â
He wrapped his arm around you, kissing you on the temple before placing his chin on your shoulder. "Jealousy is ugly, baby," he whispered in your ear, "but I gotta say, you wear it so well."
-END-
Okay. Before I get another "untimely (and unsolicited, if I'm allowed to say) lecture" about the etymology of the word "RyĹmen (严é˘/ăăă)" meaning "two-faced/two-sided" and not a surname or given name , let me say it now, I KNOW, but thanks anyway. Sukuna and I are neighbors, just 4 hours by train. Geez. However, I am using his whole name in literature form, so if I do switch it up and use it as a surname for him (cause heaven forbid, the Kamigami rain hell on me) it's all for fun and literary creativity. No need to get too pressed over it.
No more fighting on my comments to point this out @fushigummy @kenkinori XD
And I have nothing against the 1980s or Brooke Shields. *waves at her fans*
It's established. I love bathtub scenes although I detest the idea of stewing in my own filth. But yeah, look forward to more bathtub drabbles.
I say too many things. Bye.
Thank you so much for reading. Likes, comments and reblogs are deeply appreciated! Hope you enjoyed it.
Š ORIGINAL WORK BY nanaminokanojo. CHARACTERS ARE INSPIRED BY GEGE AKUTAMI'S JUJUTSU KAISEN. [20210603]
PHOTO/IMAGE/GIF/FANART CREDITS TO THE RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
#sukuna#ryomen sukuna#jjk sukuna#jjk ryomen sukuna#jujutsu kaisen sukuna#jujutsu kaisen ryomen sukuna#jjk#jujutsu kaisen#sukuna smut#sukuna fluff#sukuna x you#ryomen sukuna x you#ryomen sukuna smut#ryomen sukuna fluff#sukuna x reader#ryomen sukuna x reader#jujutsu kaisen fluff#jjk fanfic#jjk fanfiction#jjk smut#jjk fluff#jujustu kaisen fluff#jujutsu kaisen smut#jujutsu kaisen fanfic#jujutsu kaisen fanfiction#jjk x you#jjk x reader#jujutsu kaisen x you#jujutsu kaisen x reader#sukuna fanfic
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nct dream reaction to their s/o rejecting their cuddles and kisses
request: @heartyyjeno requested âhello omg i need to check ur blog cause it looks really cute! can i get an nct dream reaction to their s/o refusing their cuddles and kisses?â genre: fluff and a pinch of angst i guess?? warnings: none, let me know if there is a/n: thanks so much for the compliment and request! youâre too sweet! please enjoy :)
âł mark
this kid is just hecka confused at first
like he goes to wrap his arms around your waist and you kinda just move out of his reach
and heâs like ????????
brushes it off at first
but when you move to avoid holding his hand heâs like
âwell somethingâs clearly upâ
gets kinda scared because he thinks he might have done something to piss you off or something like that
he has a very long internal battle about whether or not he should ask you about it
he feels like bringing it up might make him seem clingy
but he also just wants to make sure youâre okay
so in the end does ask about it
he asks very cautiously and hesitantly though
is just glad that he figures out why you were doing that and respects you and what youâre feeling like no matter what
âłÂ renjun
youâre just hanging out and when he first approaches you he tries to press a casual kiss on your cheek
lowkey offended when you reject it
but when he realizing that youâre avoiding skinship heâs just like âoh?â âwhatâs this?â
doesnât actually say that out loud, but kinda just thinks âhuh. thatâs not normalâ
doesnât try to initiate physical contact after that
he kinda just assumes that you arenât in the mood, maybe you had a bad day and donât want that at the moment
he doesnât want press it, so he mostly just leaves you be
might ask you if somethingâs up just in case he can help
if you brush it off heâll continue to leave you be
but if it keeps going on after that day, heâll get pretty concerned
because heâs not sure if youâre having a hard time and also starts to wonder if heâs done something wrong
so he approaches the subject very gently but wonât stop until you both come to an understanding :)
âłÂ jeno
lover boy notices right away especially if you dodge his kisses
because i mean you never avoid his kisses, for why would you
but today you did
and heâs hecka confused and also a bit of a sad boi
heâs like âwhy doe?â
and so he asks you after a few seconds
because he just wants to understand you
isnât like overly direct or blunt about it
just is like âhey is everything alright, you donât usually avoid my kisses like that
very soft and understanding
will fight anyone you made you feel sad if thatâs the reason why youâre avoiding his kisses
especially if that person is himself
like heâd feel so bad if he did something that made you want to dodge his affection
you might have to cuddle him to make up for it lol
âłÂ haechan
heâs literally so offended
probably gets really annoyed lmao
and then heâs even more annoying and clingy than usual
iâm sorry guys; i absolutely adore hyuck but my gosh heâd be such a brat sometimes lmao
but after a while
honestly he just feels a little hurt
and he kinda just suddenly stops trying to cuddle you and goes off and just pouts
looks childish but really just feels bad because he thinks he may have over done it judging by the irritated look on your face
sucks up his pride and after a while goes and apologizes to you because heâs really just a big sweetie
is really glad to hear your explanation
even more glad to hear it wasnât him in the first place that made you do that in the first place
is ecstatic if you let him cuddle you for the rest of the day
âłÂ jaemin
honestly at first he wasnât too worried about it
only because sometimes heâs just so clingy that youâve rejected his affection before
heâs a little pouty still
but then he gets big time worried because you keep rejecting him over and over again
and heâs worried for his baby cuz youâve never acted like this before
heâs also a little bit worried that heâs been/is being too overbearing
overall just wants to make sure his baby is okay
so he asks you about it very gently
and makes sure to talk it out so that you both understand each other
asks you sweetly if he can kiss you
because gosh he just wants to love you and we all know his love language is through physical affection
and of course you say yes because who could say no
(also heâs giving you puppy eyes and he looks like he might die if he canât kiss you right then and there)
âłÂ chenle
chenle absolutely loves hugging you
heâs not a suuuuper cuddly guy in the first place
but like i said he just loves big playful hugs
and so heâs a poor little sad (and very confused) boi who canât figure out why you just rejected his hug
he just wants to give you a big squeeze and see you smile in they way you do every time he hugs you
but instead you pulled his arms off of you and heâs so sad
like please protecc him
he gets pretty pouty
and honestly isnât too sure how to deal with it
like he doesnât know how or if he should bring it up to you
so he hesitantly asks why you didnât want him to hug you
is very relieved when he finally understands where youâre coming from
but he doesnât initiate contact until you do
the baby is just beyond happy when you hug him tightly
i think he melted btw
âłÂ jisung
is absolutely terrified
definitely notices right away
especially because he doesnât go for kisses or cuddles super often
so when you reject his adorable sweet kiss to your cheek (how could you omg)
he really just malfunctions and doesnât know what the frick to do
or why the frick you did that
again, heâs just mortified because heâs absolutely positive that he did something terribly wrong
so he starts to avoid you because he doesnât want to do anything else wrong (iâm sobbing leave me alone please protect him)
and so youâre like ???
why is he doing this??
and so you end up being the one who asks him why heâs avoiding you and sulking in the corner
and heâs like ?? âwhy were yOU avoiding me?? didnât i do something awful??â
and youâre like âoH no no no, iâm sorry loveâ and you explain it to him and then you have to cuddle him for the rest of the day to make it up
#nct#nct fluff#nct dream#nct dream reactions#nct dream fluff#nct reactions#nct angst#nct dream angst#nct dream mark#nct dream renjun#nct dream jeno#nct dream haechan#nct dream jaemin#nct dream chenle#nct dream jisung#mark lee#huang renjun#lee jeno#lee donghyuck#lee haechan#zhong chenle#park jisung#mark#renjun#haechan#chenle#jisung#nct u#nct 127#wayv
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XP-Pen Artist Pro 24 Review
I drew this with an XP-Pen Artist Pro 24, which the team at XP-Pen kindly sent to me for review. Iâve had to opportunity to use this tablet on-and-off over the course of the past several weeks, and while there were a few issues my overall impression is positive.
Unboxing / Contents
Apart from the 24â display tablet itself, the package comes with the usual cabling peripherals, plus some bonus extras. If your machine supports a USB-C connection for display, youâll only need the one cable (plus the power connection). Otherwise, thereâs a HDMI and a USB-C to USB converter included as well.
The extras include: an additional stylus, a one-size-fits-all artistâs glove, and a microfiber cloth.
The container for the stylus twists open to reveal 8 extra stylus nibs. Its cap can also be removed to use as a stylus holder.
Driver (Installation & General Use)
There were a few issues with installation, mostly tied to interactions between the driver, Windows 10 and Windows Ink.
Initially, brush strokes were offset from the stylusâ point of contact with the screen by about 3-4 centimetres when attempting to draw in Photoshop CS6. Random straight strokes also occurred frequently. This same problem did not occur in MS Paint or Photoshop CC 2019. This was fixed by changing the UI scaling setting for the monitor in Windows settings from 125% (which was apparently the default) to 100%.
Initially, brush strokes had no pen pressure in Photoshop CC 2019. Photoshop CS6, on the other hand, did (but suffered from the previous offset problem). This was fixed by turning on the Windows Ink setting in the XP-Pen driver menu. So in other words: CC 2019 needs Windows Ink on to recognise pen pressure, while CS6 didnât, but was affected by UI scaling.
Interestingly, if Windows Task Manager was in focus and Windows Ink was not enabled in driver settings, stylus input was not recognised at all. There may be other programs that have this issue, but this was the only one I encountered so far.
I will say that Iâve had many problems with Wacom drivers interacting badly with Windows Ink and other things in the past before, so these types of issues are not exclusive to the XP-Pen drivers.
Iâm currently using driver version 3.0.5, a beta build that has a lovely UI; itâs clear and laid out well. I did also try version 1.6.4 initially, which was fine â the UI for that version was similar to the layout you find with Wacom drivers.
Apart from the issues during installation that required troubleshooting, I havenât had many major complaints with the driver in day-to-day use, I do think that there are a few areas for improvement, however.
The driver stops working correctly each time the computer is set to sleep and woken up again. To fix this the driver must be exited from the system tray and then relaunched.
There also doesnât seem to be a way to bind WIN+SHIFT+ARROW to any of the express keys. WIN+SHIFT+ARROW (left or right arrow) is the Windows shortcut to quickly move a focused window to another monitor, so itâs something I use a lot if Iâm on a multi-monitor setup. Unfortunately, attempting to set this shortcut in the express keys menu will simply move the actual driver window over to the other monitor while the custom input is not properly recognised in the text field.
The driver does offer a âswitch monitorâ option for the express keys that when clicked will transfer your stylus input to another monitor, which is extremely useful.
Screen
At 24â with a 2560x1440p QHD resolution, images are sharp and crisp even when viewed from a close range while drawing. Genuinely, it feels great to paint on based off this aspect alone.
The colour temperature is set to 6500K by default in the the driver settings. I think initially it felt just a touch too saturated, but overall Iâm fairly happy with the colour display.
The monitor has touch-sensitive inputs on the top right corner: a -/+ for quickly adjusting the brightness, a menu for further settings, and power. I found myself using these to adjust the brightness throughout the day frequently. The power input requires a few seconds of continued contact from your finger to react, which prevents you from accidentally brushing it and turning the monitor on/off.
The monitor comes with a built-in stand. I found it easy to adjust to different viewing angles and also incredibly sturdy. I had no problems leaning on the monitor while drawing.
The monitor also comes with a pre-applied anti-glare screen protector. I wasnât bothered by it and it seems to be holding out well after several weeks of use. I think the screen itself definitely needs the additional anti-glare, as being a display tablet means that itâs significantly more reflective than my main display.
Stylus
My first impression of the stylus was that itâs lighter in comparison to the Wacom styluses that Iâm used to â there is very little to no weighting on the back end of the stylus, which makes it feel noticeably different when gripped. To be honest, though, I forgot about it when I was actually painting. Still, I would prefer a bit more weighting because I do think it makes the stylus more comfortable to hold overall for long periods of time.
Thereâs also no eraser nib, but Iâve personally never used those on Wacom tablets (I always use shortcuts to switch between brush and eraser instead) so this was a non-issue for me.
The two shortcut buttons on the side of the stylus sit quite flat to the surface, so I think they would be less likely to bother people who donât use them. I use them a lot, however, and found that they were still easy to click despite being quite flat.
Unfortunately however I ran into a curious issue with using one of the stylus buttons to activate the eyedropper tool. When the âaltâ key is mapped to one of the triggers on the stylus, activation of the eyedropper function in Photoshop (tested in both CS6 and CC 2019) is somewhat unreliable. That is, when the âaltâ key is held down, the expected result is that once you tap the stylus on the canvas, a âmouse-clickâ will be triggered and the eyedropper will activate. While this works perfectly fine if you hold down âaltâ from the keyboard (or hold down an âaltâ thatâs bound to one of the 20 express keys), when you hold âaltâ from a stylus trigger I found that tapping quickly with the stylus only seemed to activate the eyedropper about 50% of the time. In order to activate it more reliably, I had to press harder and longer with the stylus, which can become tiring and slowed down my painting process. I also found that frequently, pressing down longer would lock me into the eyedropping function until I clicked the trigger key again.
After submitting feedback about this XP-Penâs R&D department, I was informed that this issue occurs because the stylus is only able to send one message to the tablet at a time. Pressing âaltâ on the stylus and trying to âclickâ at the same time counts as two messages, which may interact with each other unexpectedly. This is why it sometimes works and sometimes doesnât.
The buttons seem to otherwise work completely fine for any other functions that donât require the stylus to send two simultaneous messages, so unless youâre like me and like to bind âaltâ to a stylus trigger, this wonât affect you.
Pen Pressure & Activation Force
Most current-gen tablets flash a big number for the pen pressure levels as a selling point. Having used tablets with 512, 2k, 4k and 8k levels of pressure sensitivity, Iâd say I noticed the biggest difference when switching from 512 to 2k, but in my opinion beyond 2k the change is minimal and has no real impact on the way I draw. The XP-Pen Artist Pro 24 comes with 8192 levels of sensitivty, which is a very big number, but in practical application all I can say is that it works the way I expect it to and I donât have any complaints regarding the transition between pressure levels on the default linear pressure curve.
More importantly I did notice that the IAF (initial activation force) was not as low as I would have liked. Very light input is not recognised, or only partially recognised before dropping off and on again. In a practical sense this doesnât actually impact me through most of (perhaps 97%) of the painting process, but it did give me pause once in a while when I wanted to make a really light stroke and had to adjust my method. The drivers for this tablet do come with a pressure curve you can adjust to your preferences, so this can help a little, although after some tests I preferred to leave mine on the default setting.
Summary of Drawing Experience (tl;dr)
I think the mark of a good tool or piece of hardware is that it does not draw attention to itself during the course of its use. An ideal drawing experience allows me to be fully immersed in the act of drawing without having my focus shifted to dealing with the tool. With this in mind the XP-Pen Artist Pro performed very well for the most part, but was held back by a couple of issues.
Pros:
The monitor resolution honestly feels great to look at; the pixel density means that I can basically forget about pixels even with my face positioned closer to the screen.
The parallax between the tip of the stylus and the actual position of input was very minimal and basically not noticeable for me, especially after the simple calibration process offered by the driver.
At normal room temperature (say up to about mid-20âs celsius) the monitor screen stays impressively cool to the touch and I was never bothered by resting my drawing hand on its surface even when painting for long sessions.
The 20 express keys and 2 roller rings are extremely helpful and I actually found myself using all of them, despite initially thinking that Iâd only need half of them. The keys are also comfortable and responsive to click (which sounds like it should obviously be so, but having used some Intuos iterations in the past which had some very annoying-to-click express keys, I donât take this feature for granted anymore).
Cons:
The driver needs to be restarted everytime the computer wakes from sleep in order to work.
Higher IAF was noticeable when very light strokes were desirable. Also, the input will on rare occasions glitch by performing a completely straight max opacity + max brush size stroke. This seemed to happen primarily when I was trying to get light strokes to register. (It didnât happen often enough to bother me much since itâs just a quick undo, but it did happen enough times that I noticed it.)
The issue with eyedropping using âaltâ mapped to a stylus trigger as detailed above. Quite unlucky for someone like me who has over a decade of muscle memory for this particular mapping.
Overall, as I said at the beginning, my impression of the tablet is positive. While I think it has room for improvement when it comes to driver performance and the initial activation force especially, it also has a lot to offer at a highly competitive price point ($900USD at retail), and it wouldâve been amazing if something like this had been available to me back when I first started digital painting. As I do enjoy using it for the most part Iâll probably continue to use it on-and-off in future.
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I teased this in a previous post and people asked me to expand so...hereâs my controversial take that Rhysand and Nesta are actually parallel characters in many ways and that they both hate each other so much because they ultimately hate themselves.
Alright ladies and gentleman, antiâs and stans, buckle your fucking seatbelts or hope off the roller coaster here because Iâm about to learn you a thing or two about the most divisive characters in the ACOTAR world.Â
Starting out very broadly- both characters are introduced as sort of confusing villains (Rhys is âevilâ but heâs also helping Feyre. Nesta is an âawful sisterâ, but she also is protective of Elain and tells Feyre essentially to go and be happy), both have faced significant trauma and grapple with self-loathing and feelings of not being good enough, and both ultimately find redemption and healing with their mates who love them. They also both currently exist in a strange parallel coming out of ACOSF where Rhys is supposedly âchosen by the Cauldronâ and Nesta is âblessed by the Motherâ- the two sacred entities of Prythian.
Intrigued? More specifics and text analysis under the cut
Mommy (and Daddy) Issues:
Both characters were basically raised by their motherâs alone and then lost them at a young age and that had a deep impact on them. Rhysand had a far more positive experience of being raised by his mother HOWEVER I would argue that it was still âgroomingâ of a type since she took him away to train in Illyria specifically so that he wouldnât be influenced by his father.
Rhysâ mother did this out of love and Nestaâs mother groomed her out of a social climbing agenda, but it had the same effect- they both lost the parent who was their primary caregiver at a young age and they were both not close with their fatherâs because of their motherâs actions (again this was a good thing for Rhys, not as much for Nesta).
Parents Death: Rhys and Nesta both blame themselves for one of their parentâs death and are deeply affected by feeling like they failed someone important to them.
Rhys thinks that he is responsible for his mother and sisterâs death because he gave Tamlin info
Rhys even says after this âIt should have been me.â
Nesta feels that she was unable to save her father and she hates herself for it.
Rocky sibling relationship and Separation:
Rhysand and Cassian are obviously a lot further along in their sibling journey, but itâs stated that he and Cassian HATED each other and fought constantly essentially until Azriel arrived and then they decided to be âalliesâ.
Nesta and Feyre are also at each others throats but seem to put their differences aside in order to not upset Elain. (Even when Feyre first goes back to the human lands Nesta says NOPE NO FAE! But as soon as Elain asks her to do as Feyre says she agrees) and then Nesta states in ACOSF that she and Feyre were brought together by Elain to be allies in the war.
Rhysand and Cassian obviously grew into true brothers despite their adversarial, insulting, bitter beginning... and Nesta and Feyre after ACOSF have done the same. Obviously thereâs still a lot of work to be done in that relationship, but the parallel stands (and is just strengthened by the fact that in both cases itâs the character with more power in the relationship- Nesta for being the oldest and Rhys for being the one whose family took Cassian in is then mated to the opposite sibling!)
Both have a parent who essentially separated them from their âsiblingsâ for their own benefit. Nestaâs mom isolated her as a child so that she could groom her and tell her how to maneuver her sisters when the time was right while Rhysâ father- afraid of his, Cassian, and Azrielâs combined power- separated them for 7 years through the first war to ensure they wouldnât ally against him. Nesta was also separated from Feyre by Tamlin and tried to go to the wall to get her back but couldnât get through- which is very reminiscent to me of the scene at the beginning of ACOWAR from the first war where Rhys is searching desperately but without hope for Cassian.
Shared Trauma and Learning to be âEvilâ to protect their family:
both characters are sexual assault survivors who spend a chunk of their book (Iâm counting ACOMAF as essentially Rhysâ book since thatâs when we learn more about him as a character) grappling with that, coming to terms with it, and moving forward with a general attitude of âNever Again.â I would also argue that even their abusers are parallels as Rhysand was only âwithâ Amarantha because he was trying to protect his family and Nesta was only âwithâ Tomas because she thought his family might be able to take in and feed Elain (she says in ACOSF that she would give him whatever he wanted- her body meant nothing to her and Elain meant everything, which is essentially Rhysâ UTM mindset). In addition, both characters are able to escape their abusers out of love for Feyre. Rhys does so when Amarantha is about to kill Feyre, and Nesta does so because she realizes that Tomas would never go to the wall with her to save Feyre.
 Beyond this, both characters express that it is the lack of control over their own lives that truly haunts them. Rhys when he felt like he had no choice but to be Amaranthaâs puppet and Nesta with a lot of her life, but especially when she is forced into the cauldron. Both of these are things that make them feel like failures for not protecting others. Rhys is haunted that he couldnât protect Feyre under the mountain and Nesta is haunted that she couldnât protect Elain from the cauldron.
This leads both characters to have a terrifying power-surge nightmare brought on by their trauma (Rhys from Amarantha; Nesta from the Cauldron) that terrifies those around them and can only be stopped by their mate.
In addition to this, they both have a âpersonaâ that they put on and sometimes feel like they canât shake off, a face that they made to protect themselves and their family. Rhys with his âCourt of Nightmaresâ persona that he uses UTM, in the Hewn City, and with the other High Lords until the war. Part of his growth is letting people see beyond that âmost powerful high lord of darknessâ mask.
For Nesta this is expressed by her âwolvesâ that she uses to put up a wall between her and the people who mocked her and her family, and especially Elain. And her learning to open up with Cassian and her found family was really important for her growth
HOWEVER, they both also keep that persona. Rhys has his mask polished for when anyone might threaten the people he loves and so does Nesta. Neither of them truly gave up that side of themselves, the darkness, they simply learned to stop it from consuming them.Â
They also both LIKE doing this to their enemies. Rhys likes to toy with his enemies and torture those who would harm his family or betray him and so does Nesta- she revels in cutting down anyone who insults Elain and says in ACOSF that sheâs felt the urge to do the same for Cassian. They both wield words like weapons and use their intelligence to ensure they are always one quip ahead of their enemies. Something that both Feyre and Cassian admire in their mates and try to emulate to a degree.
(Bonus points for the fact that in both cases their families did not ASK to be protected/sacrificed for.)
Found family and sacrifice:
Rhys calls Cassian and Azriel his âbrothersâ after becoming close while training and they conquer the blood rite together. Nesta calls Emerie and Gwyn her âsistersâ after becoming close while training and they conquer the blood rite together. Rhys sacrifices himself to Amarantha in order to protect Cassian and Azriel (and Velaris). Nesta sacrifices herself to hold the path of Enalius to protect Emerie and Gwyn. Thereâs also a line in ACOMAF and a parallel line in ACOSF essentially about Nesta being willing to do anything- including âwhoreâ herself- to protect Elain, and in order to protect his brotherâs thatâs exactly what Rhys did- âwhoreâ himself to Amarantha.
Both are âsaved byâ and feel not good enough for their mate:
I hesitate to use the word âsaved byâ because ultimately both characters have more agency than that, HOWEVER, both characters rely on their mate to a degree to pull them out of a very dark time and place. Feyre helps Rhys remember who he is and forgive himself for under the mountain and he even specifically calls her his âsalvation.â
I donât think I need to even say the Nesta part here, all of ACOSF is essentially Cassian helping Nesta climb out of a dark period so that they can heal together.
(Both also start connecting with their mates on a âjust sexâ situation.)
Both characters think that because of the things theyâve done and the darkness inside of them that they donât deserve the people they have been mated to.
Obviously there are many differences, but the characters are similar in a lot of ways and what I think this really highlights is just how true that line is in ACOSF about Nesta being a wolf that was never allowed to learn how to be a wolf. Meanwhile Rhys is 500 years older and has always had power and agency of some kind even at his lowest point. Nesta didnât have that power and wasnât allowed to really unleash herself so she armed herself with a steel exterior to make up for that lack of power and control. Which is very similar to what Rhysand did when he felt he didnât have power under the mountain- put on a cold face, not let anyone in, and act cruel in order to get through it.
Overall itâs an interesting character study because in a lot of ways these are very similar characters, but there is such a MASSIVE divide among the fandom of liking and hating one or both of them. Ultimately, I do think that a lot of the hate Nesta gets is because sheâs a woman and female characters simply arenât allowed to have the same flaws as male ones- which is kind of Nestaâs whole life story. BUT I think that Rhysand actually gets unintentionally screwed over by the narrative in one big way. Becuase my final paralell is that I think a lot of people came around on Nesta when they saw in her perspective that she knows she has problems and how much she was struggling⌠and I also think that Rhysand is so hated by those who dislike him because of Feyreâs âhe can do no wrongâ perspective. I think if we saw more of Rhysand internally struggling and knowing that he made the wrong call sometimes and second guessing himself heâd be a lot more likeable character. We know heâs capable of this because when Cassian calls him out on the training roof for always thinking the worst of Nesta he just says âyouâre right. Iâm sorryâ and he even *kinda* admits some wrong when heâs so shocked by how deep Nestaâs trauma is. Feyre and the rest of the IC constantly exalting Rhys as perfect when he so clearly isnât and in fact has a lot of the same âflawsâ as Nesta is probably the most frustrating thing about the character, which ultimately I think is kind of unfair because we know from his few perspectives that he doesnât see himself that way.
#nesta archeron#rhysand#nessian#Feysand#acosf#cassian#feyre archeron#acosf spoilers#a court of silver flames#a court of silver flames spoilers#Azriel#acotar#acowar#acomaf#acofas#sarah j maas#a court of wings and embers#a court of thorns and roses#a court of mist and fury#a court of wings and ruin#nesta stan#cassian and nesta#feyreandrhysand#elain archeron#gwyneth berdara#gwyn#emerie
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Overall - A Happy + Very Soggy Pup
Grade - A
Score - 97
Well here it is... It's now the morning and I must say my expectations were high for this diaper and it didn't let me down. Leak-free and very soft, the ABU Alpha GatorZ held up beyond what I was hoping for. Oh and the swell ?! Well we will discuss that a little later on.
Waking up feeling well relaxed and sleeping through the night in a dry bed is somewhat a rarity for me. Most diapers I try week leak in some regard, then again to be fair I do tend to roll or move while sleeping. ( at least that's what my partner tells me) This morning I woke up still holding my plushie in relatively the same position I recall falling asleep in.
Bolt loves to make sure I'm a good boy and stay padded, plus I'm sure he appreciates the fact he didn't have to dodge a puddle last night. A quick note, yes I do have nighttime accidents occasionally, and will do a write up on my process to protect your bed. Please PROTECT YOUR BEDDING.
As mentioned, I have night time accidents but note what you're seeing is actually the result of a few drinks last night and a very heavy wet while brushing teeth this morning.
Tape Adjustment and Need to Re-Align
The GatorZ maintained their shape and remained snug all night. I would credit this to the cut and materials used. The back sheet is a cloth like material and the best thing to relate it to would be a Luvs or Pampers diaper from around 2010-ish. If you look closely there is separation of the outer "cloth" from the waterproof plastic sheet, however this doesn't seem to effect the function or liquid barrier.
While on the topic of tapes, I love the inclusion of adhesive sticky parts on each one . Again, in my First Impressions post, I talked about being a physically larger / heavy member of the AB/DL community and how finding that "right fit" is usually a struggle when wearing cute AB/DL focused diapers, especially with cloth backed products; thier inclusion allowed me to feel secure once setting the tapes.
I did have to reposition the top tapes sightly when I got out of bed this morning. This was mainly due to wanting to add a booster ( for science of course - I really just wanted to have more time enjoying feeling cute in a diaper for a change), and Secondarily, although the materials were still mostly snug, I found the waist relaxed and was loose enough that I could slip 2 fingers in and I personally prefer a snug waist hugging diaper.
That's about 4 inches at the thickest point, and I love the way it folds and gets the stretch creases đĽ°
Absorbance and Capacity
One word - Outstanding
The stream or a river
My diaper was there for me
It held all my pee
I am without words, while I'm sure I won't be near the claimed volume that these are able to hold, they took a lot of fluid and captured it well. Without tearing one apart, I can't comment on the construction or how this diaper was able to absorb as effectively as they did.
Side sleepers, you may enjoy this diaper. I tend to sleep on my side and usually when I wake up I will find that some pee have escaped the diaper at either my waist or a leg cuff. Most leak guards I have experienced on diapers were ineffective at stopping this type of leak, simply based on the design. Where the diaper meets the skin there is an imperfect seal, my experience is most likely a lucky occurrence but I will be testing these on going when I am able to get my paws on a pack or more :3
Back sleepers, my boyfriend tells me you will like these as the back panel is high enough to help protect against a wet backside in bed.
Front or Stomach Sleepers, use a stuffer I don't know good these work, but I have tips on effectively protecting your bed too.
As a sleeper, the GatorZ wicked great, and soaked up my night time wets and morning flood very well.
TL?DR
How long was I in this?
13 hours ( 3 drinking and gaming + 7 sleeping + 3 "science" )
Would I recommend?
Heck yes, if you can order some.. mine were delayed
Are they as awesome as everyone's saying?
Most ppl are hyping these up to be more then they are, but there are really comfy, and you should consider trying them out. I like them and I will be buying more when they are back in stock ( as of Jan 2022 )
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The Kaiser wasnât very good at being a villain (and thatâs the point, actually)
Kenâs journey of redemption is generally well-documented overall, and it was explicit enough in the series that thereâs only so much you really need to explain it, but due to the blurred boundary of what was supernatural influence from the Dark Seed and what was Kenâs own emotional problems wreaking havoc, itâs somewhat more difficult to bridge that gap between the Kaiser and Ken, and how they can be the same person.
The easiest way to understand it comes from both directions. One is that Ken, even in his normal element, is much more assertive than heâs often given credit for -- itâs just that the Kaiser is a (fragile) manifestation of that very carefully cultivated to channel that in all of the wrong directions. The other has to do with the fact that the Kaiser is actually really terrible at being a villain, and the persona itself is very fragile and difficult for him to maintain.
Rewatching the first half of 02 shows multiple indications that, for all he seemed to be the stereotype âevil geniusâ, Ken was forcing himself into the mold. He was never cut out for it from day one. Even from the beginning, Kenâs actual nature as a lonely and inherently kind eleven-year-old child was tearing apart at the Kaiser persona, and the fateful episode 21 was not so much a single turning point for him as much as it was the last straw in a series of things tumbling down for him.
Before we continue: While all of the meta on this blog is only possible thanks to support and input from a handful of friends (whose names will not be disclosed on account of privacy requests), this one in particular arose from a long and extensive discussion with said friends that I am extremely grateful for. As always, I hope I was able to convey your points well.
Well, firstly, itâs important to understand that, much like nearly any other character in this series, Kenâs surface demeanor is a bit deceptive. The Crest of Kindness has the original Japanese name of yasashisa (ĺŞăă), which has a secondary meaning of âgentlenessâ (lost in translation, but still apparent with the bubble metaphor in 02 episode 23). That also ties into the secondary meaning of âkindâ -- itâs not just about being naturally âsoftâ, but actively choosing to be gentle with others even when youâre theoretically capable of not doing so. (For those of you who have seen Appmon, the entire point of that series was about what it means to consciously and deliberately choose to be kind, and, in fact, quite a few parallels could be made between Ken and Haru...)
The contrast between Daisuke and Ken goes far beyond just the surface. Daisukeâs surface demeanor is abrasive, but heâs not actually very good at being assertive until push comes to shove, and he otherwise tends to bend easily to others or get overwhelmed; in contrast, Ken has a more polite demeanor and for the most part seems non-confrontational, but has much stronger control of his emotions and is more easily able to be assertive than Daisuke is. (Of course, both of them share the common point of being like-minded when itâs something that really matters, but Ken is much better at imposing his will and getting what he wants done before Daisuke ever gets to that point, which is what fuels the whole punchline of Daisuke and Kenâs Shopping Carol.)
So, the point is: Daisuke is kind out of instinct and just ânaturallyâ being so, but Ken is kind because he consciously believes in treating others well and not causing conflict, and not causing pain to others.
Thatâs not to say that Kenâs behavior is out of suppression or anything! Itâs not a case like Takeru, whoâs trying to push complicated emotions down while pretending theyâre not boiling under the surface, nor is he like Hikari, whoâs compulsively pressing her emotions down out of a desire not to burden others. Rather, even as early as 02 episode 26, heâs very straightforward about what his issue is and what he thinks about it. Kenâs âshynessâ during the latter half of 02 is largely due to shame and hesitation from not knowing the other 02 kids well, but as the series goes on and as we go into post-02 material, he indicates that heâs perfectly wiling to be vocal about what he thinks without necessarily fighting any compulsion to suppress it. For someone who claims he doesnât know much about his own heart, he arguably seems to have the best grip on understanding himself compared to a lot of this cast!
So in essence, the main take-home here is that Ken is theoretically capable of being strong-willed and assertive, and is very good at choosing when he wants to be assertive and when he wants to hold back. And he likes seeing people get along, and he wants everyone to be happy, and he doesnât like seeing people be hurt or hurting others, and under normal circumstances, Ken has very good control of his emotions for the most part and quite a lot of self-awareness. Thatâs why Ken is the one to get the unique designation of this Crest; everyone in this cast can be said to be generous and supportive of others in some form, but thereâs a difference between being a ânaturalâ doormat who defers to others by default (Daisuke being a very good indicator of how this kind of mentality has a flip side of lack of self-esteem and high insecurity, and Tamersâs Takato being a good indication of how âbeing deferentialâ doesnât necessarily preclude you from having tendencies towards selfishness or cowardice), versus choosing to be kind by understanding everything and still being gentle out of a belief that itâs the right thing to do (again: see Shinkai Haru). And itâs why Wormmon says in the 02 episode 23 flashback that Kenâs kindness can be used against him; being âkindâ in this way requires a lot of mental fortitude, strength, and guts, all of which are things that could easily be very bad things when applied in the wrong direction.
This means that all the Dark Seed really needed to do in order to turn him into the Kaiser...was make him lose grip on that self-control.
Actually, Ken says it himself in less-than-subtle words in Spring 2003:
âŚIt was revenge. But who was this revenge against? Did I want to triumph over the ones who made fun of me? The ones who looked down on me and used me? But⌠In the end, it was revenge against myself. I couldnât do anything but deny the kind of human being that I was.
So in other words, the Kaiser persona was, effectively, a self-loathing eleven-year-old boy throwing a massive tantrum. A lot of the Kaiserâs actions in the first half of 02 are honestly rather petty -- heâs basically upset at the kids spoiling his holiday in 02 episode 6, he attempts torturing Daisuke out of a petty grudge over a soccer sliding tackle in 02 episode 8, and everything to do with expanding his territory and eventually (hopefully?) becoming ruler of the Digital World is frankly very sloppy. For all heâs said to be a genius, his genius only seems to extend to book smarts, and his âtactical planning abilitiesâ never really expand beyond that of a soccer field sort of affair; his way of locking down control on other things is basically just âbrainwash it harderâ or âwhip it harderâ and applying harder brute force instead of doing something in the long-term like, say, trying to rule with charisma and recruiting allies.
(Again, bringing Appmon back into this, seeing Cloud in action will give you a much better example of a charismatic human villain whoâs actually competent at his job. Or, heck, you can even look back at Saversâs Kurata, who at least was savvy enough to pull strings with people in powerful positions. Or even the Kaiserâs predecessor Saiba Neo from V-Tamer, who may have been openly sadistic but still had the sense to align himself with background power. Really, compared to all of these folks, the Kaiser is downright pathetic.)
Remembering that Ken fell into the Kaiser persona partially as a desperate attempt to become a âperfect personâ like Osamu, Ken âimitatedâ Osamuâs cruelty to him because he felt that was how he could improve himself to become a âstrongâ person better than him. But the irony here is that Osamuâs âcrueltyâ was something that he himself never liked, and mainly came from lashing out at Ken due to feeling like he had a lack of control over his own life. So Osamu was never happy in that position, and Ken, who is indirectly pointed out via the bubble metaphor to be even more fundamentally inclined towards gentleness, is probably even more miserable.
Because everything Ken does as the Kaiser is âunfocused lashing out at everyoneâ, the Kaiser has less control over his emotions than Ken normally would. Takeru manages to emotionally pin him to a corner by confronting him with enough assertion in 02 episode 19 (this is before he punches him), and correctly points out that the Kaiser isnât capable of winning with words (i.e. ideologically) and resorts to violence as the first thing he can think of. Youâd think that if the Kaiser were actually someone with the self-confidence to consider the other Chosen Children beneath him, he wouldnât even bother giving them the time of day, but Takeru just happening to be a little assertive is enough to make him lose his composure and start falling apart, and a lot of his shaken âinsects!â yelling comes from him seeming pretty desperate to cling onto that rather than being all that confident about his natural superiority over anyone. 02 episode 20 establishes that heâs getting himself in over his head by tampering with the powers of darkness he canât control, and while, on a plot level, it means that heâs misjudged his own capabilities, on a metaphorical level, it corresponds to the fact that even Ken himself is incapable of getting himself out of the emotional abyss heâs in.
And on the flip side, one of the biggest âtellsâ that Ken is still miserable during all of this is 02 episode 9, where heâs seen ruminating on the âgloryâ heâs getting in the real world despite having just decided to leave it all behind. The episode prior, after all, had been called âThe Digimon Kaiserâs Lonelinessâ. The media is using him like some kind of âhot topicâ, his parentsâ affection (in his mind) is shallow and based only on his achievements, and he has no friends (how much of a role Akiyama Ryou played in his childhood is unclear, but either way, heâs no longer around now). With no emotional support coming from any direction in the real world, heâs resorting to at least trying to have some âfunâ in what he perceives to be a âgameâ, and yet heâs still not having fun at all.
If you look carefully at a lot of the Kaiserâs actions during the first half of the series, one thing youâll notice is that there are multiple indications that heâs not quite up to par to being as sadistic as youâd think heâd be. Recalling that we learn in 02 episodes 20-21 that the Kaiser is under the impression that the Digital World is like a game that he can âresetâ and the Digimon in it not real living beings, it has interesting implications of the fact that heâs actually very hesitant to physically harm other human beings -- he certainly likes emotionally toying with them, but even when heâs trying to take petty revenge on Daisuke in 02 episode 8, he goes out of his way to set up a trap with Bakemon to torture him rather than, well, actually using the kids as hostages. Thatâs a hell of a lot of work to do, but he instead uses this extremely roundabout way to get them out of the picture in a somewhat less harmful way, risking having them escape (which is exactly what happens).
And in 02 episode 19, when Takeru confronts him and he ends up whipping him, you can hear a slight â...gh?â in the Japanese audio for a split second right after that, meaning that the Kaiser is, for some reason, having a hard time dealing with the fact that he just hit Takeru, and he does a very poor job defending himself against Takeru punching him out despite ostensibly being trained in judo. (Seriously, if you watch the animation of the scene, heâs just lying there while Takeru repeatedly punches the hell out of him, because heâs so out of it.) Regarding the Digimon, heâs convinced himself that theyâre not living beings, but regarding the human Chosen Children, who undeniably are, no matter how much he might look down on them, he has a suspiciously hard time harming them as much as he could...
On top of that, one interesting question that might come up to one rewatching the first half of 02 is the strange âcontradictionâ of why the Kaiser ostensibly seems to hate Wormmon so much, calling him an unworthy idea of a partner in 02 episodes 10 and 19, and yet does remarkably little to get Wormmon away from him or off his case (he hates Wormmon calling him âKen-chanâ, yet doesnât really try very hard to stop him). He could have easily locked Wormmon away in a cage or something if he really wanted to -- actually, thereâs the question, why doesnât he slap an Evil Ring on him? Because in the end, Wormmon is the only emotional support heâs really getting, and so itâs likely he unconsciously doesnât want to lose that. Recalling that Digimon are fundamentally linked to the inner self, the Kaiser rejecting Wormmon for being âweakâ is analogous to Ken rejecting his own self for being âweakâ and ânot perfectâ -- which means that the fact he still keeps Wormmon around is analogous to the fact that Ken hasnât really been able to bring himself to completely let his fundamental nature go. And, hence, itâs why he gets so initially incensed at Wormmonâs âbetrayalâ at 02 episode 10 (and yet still keeps him around despite that), and is ultimately emotionally destroyed by his death in 02 episode 21.
Although, actually, if you look carefully at 02 episode 21, itâs not quite Wormmonâs death that necessarily does it -- the turning point where he sheds the Kaiser persona is right before that (and in case you have any doubts, the animation puts highlights in his eyes for the first time in the series right at that point). Wormmonâs death is the first major consequence of his actions that he has to deal with, but what actually brought Ken back to his senses was his own realization that Digimon are living beings, that his actions have had permanent effects this whole time, and that he canât take back anything heâd done.
Remember that 02 is a series that is largely about moving on and accepting that you canât change the past, and that you have to move forward regardless of that. Kenâs fall into sadism was only possible by driving him into extremely deep-seated denial -- he was already starting to face the potential reality of Digimon being real, existing beings in the real world an episode prior. He says, outright, in 02 episode 21, that part of the reason he came to the Digital World to do all of this was escapism -- and, presumably, under the idea that any mistake he made could be rolled back and redone, unlike Osamuâs death. But the Digital World is not a place you can reset like a game, Ken will have to live with the consequences of his actions again, and moreover, every single one of the actions heâd been convincing himself were relatively meaningless had caused severe and permanent harm, and the entire thing overwhelms him.
Itâs also important to point out that this was probably where the Dark Seed had to work a lot of magic to get Ken to embrace this kind of denial so easily -- after all, itâs established in the final quarter of the series that it does have a tangible impact on personality and puts a damper on oneâs ability to feel empathy. In the flashback in 02 episode 23, regardless of whether Ken considered the Digital World to be a âgameâ or âable to be reversedâ or not, he clearly still didnât care and treated those around him with proper kindness (even if he did consider it to be all of that, it probably wouldnât have been entirely unlike how a lot of us have a hard time picking rude choices in video games). Itâs a very complicated chain reaction of events that allowed this to be even possible, and it was so against his fundamental nature that once the denial broke and Ken reached his limit, he wasnât able to do it anymore. The Chosen Childrenâs main role in 02 episode 21 was really just cleaning up the massive mess heâd made in the form of Chimeramon, but as far as the whole thing about the Kaiserâs persona completely falling apart and Ken being forced to confront his own self goes, that was pretty much all Ken and Wormmon, in a series of dominoes that had already been collapsing for episodes on end.
The following episodes have Ken treat the 02 team with a certain amount of detachment, and this is often construed by a handful of people as being reflective of Ken being standoffish of some sort. The fact that Daisuke and Ken are often promoted in franchise materials as ârivalsâ mainly due to them being in the âprotagonist and right-hand-manâ position such characters are in might tempt you to think that way, but they are most definitely not!! (Considering that even saying that Taichi and Yamato fit that mold is a bit questionable, and neither Ruki nor Jian quite fulfill the expectations of the role in regards to the genre-subverting Tamers, Frontier, which is explicitly said to be deliberately written to be conventional, is probably the first proper execution of this trope in the form of Takuya and Kouji.) Kenâs detachment from the group at this time in the series is something he actually gives the reason for quite directly: he believes itâs his fault and doesnât want to burden them with what he considers to be his job, and in the end Daisuke ultimately breaks through to him and they become completely normal friends who get along. âRivalâ what?
Ken is, at worst, distant during this point of the series, but heâs actually very straightforward about what he wants and intends to do; itâs just that heâs being a bit blunt about it because heâs still drowning in his shame and not sure how to approach them. (Also, consider the fact he was rather lacking in friends or a support group before all of this; he doesnât have a lot of experience in socializing, either.) So he keeps everyone at armâs length, and the reason he comes off as so standoffish is because heâs so assertive! He directly and bluntly makes some very strong remarks about how he believes everyone else shouldnât be getting involved! Again, when left to his own devices and not being manipulated into by a supernatural evil seed into multiple levels of denial, Ken is very in control of what he wants and thinks, and is even very open about speaking his mind.
Thatâs even when theyâre not good decisions, mind you. Ken starts off the climax of 02 episode 26 being very firm about wanting to suicidally throw himself into the reactor in order to stop it, and 02 episode 30 has him consider himself a burden to the team after the fallout with Iori and try to stay out of it despite them very badly needing his presence, which Daisuke (of all people!) rightfully calls him out for being childish about. But he also listens to reason very quickly and acknowledges the othersâ point very easily, with Daisuke reminding him in 02 episode 26 that his suicidal recklessness is actually pretty self-centered and short-sighted of him, since itâll prevent him from doing anything else to take responsibility for his actions going forward, and Miyako, uh, slapping him in 02 episode 30. (But he comes quietly right away as if acknowledging his own idiocy, and never holds it against her thereafter.)
Nevertheless, the point is: you can see that this kind of assertiveness is the same kind of assertiveness he had as the Kaiser, just channeled in a different direction and for a different purpose. But as the Kaiser, he was angrily lashing out at anything and everything and stepping on anything he could just so he could have a show of power; once he comes back to his senses, he reserves that force for it being something he consciously believes is the right thing to do (regardless of whether itâs actually the right thing to do or not).
Because of the fact Ken spends a lot of the last quarter of 02 suffering and parsing a lot of trauma, a lot of people have tended to pin him as constantly sad and being a soft crybaby, but that couldnât be further from the truth! Despite all the emotional pain he goes through, Ken has a hell of a ton of strength through all of this -- he even flings a well-aimed quip at Oikawa in 02 episode 44 despite being in a completely helpless situation, and in 02 episode 45 he himself is the one who volunteers to open the gate to the Dark Ocean, despite knowing exactly what it entails. That takes a lot of guts, and all things considered, his recovery from being the Kaiser spans only four months and is altogether incredibly fast given what he went through -- it did not take long for him to regain his bearings and get himself back on track. Again, itâs the same kind of âassertivenessâ and capacity for action that fuels what the Kaiser did, just better controlled and in a direction Ken knows he actually wants.
This is also why I tend to object to insinuations that Ken would be overly touchy about or traumatized by the mere discussion of him being the Kaiser in the aftermath of 02, because the series itself, multiple times, portrayed him as being very able to talk about his experiences bluntly and honestly, at worst maybe considering it a bit of an awkward topic. He has no problems admitting that it was a thing that happened, especially if it involves discussing it as part of taking responsibility or preventing further damage -- itâs just that he of course doesnât enjoy it either, and is equally as open about the shame he feels as a result. All of the times Ken loses his composure in the latter half of 02 involve either physical pain being inflicted on him, or a lot more actively vicious invocation of his memories and insecurities, and even then he gets himself back on his feet with a rather prompt amount of speed. Poorly timed of a statement as it may have been, Miyako is not incorrect when she says in 02 episode 31 that he has a certain amount of natural resilience that he carried from being the Kaiser.
All the way back in 02 episode 9, shortly after it was revealed to the group that Ken was the Kaiser, Iori, Hikari, and Takeru all label Ken as someone who doesnât look like someone who could do something so horrible, and Hikari even says that his smile looks âgentleâ (note that this is yasashisou, a word derived from the same root word used for his Crest). So in other words, even all three of them were able to catch on to his actual nature betraying himself even during that awful period of time. Itâs still poking through, all things considered.
But we as the audience know heâs putting on that face for the camera, and his eyes are still as dead-eyed as they are for the first half of the series, and when Miyako accidentally makes him laugh during the Christmas party in 02 episode 38, itâs very much framed as probably the first time Ken has been this genuinely happy in a long while. He was never able to be this happy even when âsatisfyingâ himself by stepping on others as the Kaiser.
And thatâs why itâs so extremely unlikely that Ken will ever be able to lapse back into the Kaiser persona after the events of 02, even with the Dark Seed technically still inside his neck. He wasnât enjoying it anyway; the Kaiser persona wasnât a habit that he fell into out of emotional suppression or even catharsis, but rather him forcing himself into a role he was never comfortable in to begin with. He was never truly satisfied with anything he was getting out of it, and moreover, it took the combination of supernatural influence and a hell of a lot of denial to allow it to get that far in the first place, because of how far against his fundamental nature that was.  (Again, for those of you who have seen Appmon: think about what it would take to get Haru to embrace sadism.) Even Osamu wasnât enjoying being cold; being kind and living your life with positivity is a lot more fulfilling and fun, anyway.
In 02 episode 48, Ken describes the influence of the Seed as âhorribleâ in retrospect; even if it didnât involve physical pain and exhaustion the way it did for the Dark Seed children, the entire experience sucked even back then. And while Ken theorizes about the Dark Seedâs influence being countered by the power of love earlier in the episode, when you look at the whole of 02, itâs not just his familyâs love -- Ken now has the emotional support of his family, and Wormmon, and his newfound friends, and thatâs giving him all of the fulfillment he wanted that putting on a front of sadism wasnât giving him, and he doesnât really need anything else anymore.
02 itself is very much about the fact that itâs not a bad thing to rely on the support of others to be happy; the Ken and Kaiser are undoubtedly the same person, but the latterâs existence requires a very specific lineup of events and factors to happen, and one of the massive parts behind that was a severe lack of emotional support or anyone who properly understood him. And by the end of the series, Ken has more than enough strength of heart to accept everything thatâs happened and move on, and to stop reaching out to denial and clinging onto the past, and he has emotional support and understanding from a whole new group of friends that thoroughly understand everything he did and went through, and wholeheartedly accept and love him anyway.
He is never going to have a gaping hole in his life like that again.
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Demon Comfort (3/3)
DECEMBER DRABBLES DAY 14 Sanders Sides: Logan, Virgil Blurb: Lurking under a Humanâs bed should be downright dull for a Demon of Loganâs rank. And yetâŚhe canât help but be intrigued by his human charge. Fic Type: Demon!AU, Demon!Logan Overall Fic Warnings: Near Death Experiences, Freezing, Burning, Hazing Talk, Manipulation Taglist in reblog. To Catch Up: Part 1 Part 2Â
Heâd been staring at the pages of the book Virgil had brought for him for hours now, not taking in a single word written there.Â
How could he when his charge was late.Â
Logan tsked, tail tapping a staccato against the bed frame as he flipped the book shut, turning his head to glare at the door, doing his best to ignore the twisting in his chest the--the worry that he was feeling. Â
Virgil could take care of himself. He knew that.
But after having to rescue his charge twice from life or death situations. It was...stressful, far more stressful than it should ever be, to wait for him to come back home from class. Especially since it was easily becoming clear that despite his craving for a fresh start, despite the fact that Logan had gone out and handily taken care of the six people responsible for nearly cooking his human in the boiler room, that Virgil still was not happy here.
Logan paused, tilting his head as he felt the first threads of the familiar thundercloud approaching. Finally. He relaxed when the bedroom door swung open, a black and purple backpack dropping to the floor a second later with a muted thud.
If it werenât for the fact that he was trying to stick to the very last shreds of the rules of conduct between demon and human where he wouldnât reveal himself unless Virgil called for him, Logan would have been out from under the bed in a flash demanding to know where in the world his charge had been and why he was only getting home now when Logan knew the boy had finished classes before lunch and had a mountain of unfinished final term papers to complete and--
Virgil dropped to his knees next to the bed, a purple blanket pooling at his feet. âScoot over.â He said, not giving Logan a chance to react before shoving his way under the bed.
âWha--WHY?!â He choked out in surprise. This wasnât---Virgil had never indicated an interest in visiting him under here before.Â
Yet as soon as he caught sight of his tear streaked face, Logan found himself automatically lifting one wing and shifting his position to hold out an arm so he could slip underneath, a hot spike of anger rising in his chest. Virgil didnât cry. He didnât--What had happened to his dark and broody charge?
Virgil didnât hesitate, ducking under both wing and arm to curl up into his chest, his soft hair tickling Loganâs chin as the boy choked back a sob, clinging to him. âJu--just hold me for a minute, okay?â He whispered.
Logan lowered his wing, easily hiding him from view as he tightened his grip around him, holding Virgil close as he ran gentle claws through his hair. âOf course.â He said, careful to keep his voice from echoing.Â
He frowned up at the pitch black cloud that hung like an anvil over Virgilâs head, catching only glimpses of the past four hours of torture his charge had been through. Glimpses because Virgilâs thoughts were being slippery, his human not wanting him to know exactly what had gone wrong. Annoying that. He shouldnât have admitted to being able to see and influence the boyâs thoughts. âYouâre safe here.â He whispered, fighting the fury rising within him as Virgil broke down, hot tears dripping onto his chest.Â
âI-I know. I ju-just--â He shuddered. âI hate this place.âÂ
Logan blinked. Huh? How was that--just this morning his charge had once again shrugged off the light meddling that heâd done to the tangle of thoughts over his head to try and convince him to leave! Yet Virgil had been firm in stating that he was fine here.Â
Obviously he wasnât doing so fine if he hated being here.Â
Logan ran his claws through Virgilâs hair, observing those twisting thoughts with no intention of meddling at the moment.Â
No, he was seeking to understand why the sudden change of heart when nothing he had suggested had worked. âWe both do. Why do you think Iâve been trying to convince you to leave?â The cold for one was getting tiresome. Spring should be bringing warmer temperatures and yet up here in the north it hardly felt like theyâd come out of winter at all.
âI just--â The dark cloud over his head seemed to grow darker. âI just...wanted it to change you know? How can I be a thousand miles away from my old life, and yet everyone here still treats me like Iâm the scum of the earth? I just--I just...wish someone here besides you would like me. You know? Where I could just--relax and not constantly be worrying if Iâm secretly hated and theyâre gonna try and--and--â
âLock you in the janitorâs closet?â Logan asked, his chest rumbling with a suppressed growl as he finally found the thread leading to the event that Virgil had been trying to hide from him.
Even with him drastically reducing his meddling with Virgilâs thoughts, it seemed like his charge really couldnât catch a break here. Especially if this--this freshman hazing kept up. Even if Virgil kept insisting that it was nothing and that his...peersââŚantics should stay unreported to the police--not that that hadnât stopped Logan from going off and enacting his own little revenge on the people that had threatened his humanâs life--it would only be a matter of time before he would need to guard his charge twenty-four seven to keep him safe. To keep him alive.Â
That was no way for a human to live. A demonâs guardianship was hardly a good guardianship after all.
Virgil gave a bitter laugh, thoughts swirling, giving Logan glimpses of the faces of the new people torturing his charge.Â
It was a bittersweet realization that. Sure he was proud his ability to terrorize others hadnât been dulled with this...softening towards this one particular human, but if getting rid of the one batch of rotten eggs only encouraged another group to take up the calling to make Virgilâs life miserable---
âThey took my backpack this time.â He whispered, resting his head against Loganâs chest. âI had to MacGyver a way to melt the hinges off the door with chemicals from the closet before I could escape. Then it took me another hour to track down where theyâd thrown my bag--at least I found it.âÂ
Was that supposed to be reassuring? That this time, heâd managed to get free by himself? If it was...it didnât make Logan feel any better. Not when it left his charge in tears.Â
Not when it left him wondering what would have happened if Virgil hadnât managed to MacGyver-whatever that meant- his way out of his predicament. Just how long would it have been before Logan would have realized he wasnât coming back? That he needed help? It just--that ache that--that worry in his chest only grew stronger at the thought.Â
Honestly, he didnât understand most human devices, but if he needed to obtain a freaking cell phone and enchant it so that Virgil would always be able to contact him he would. The hassle would be worth it if it meant his charge would remain safe. That at the first sign of trouble Virgil could call for help and immediately receive it.
Better than leaving him wondering if Logan would find him in time. If heâd--- He exhaled. âI know it wonât mean much coming from me.â He whispered, committing to memory the faces of the people he needed to go take care of next, all too aware of how much he, himself, had contributed to his chargeâs woes while here. âBut you donât deserve this.â
Virgil let out a shaky breath, the dark cloud swirling over his head shifting to a lighter grey as he looked up meeting Loganâs slitted eyes. âI want to make a deal.âÂ
He blinked, ignoring how his hearts leapt at the words every demon craved to hear at the unexpected phrase. âNo you donât.âÂ
Virgil set his jaw, eyes unwavering. âI do.â
Logan frowned, fighting the desire to break eye contact to see what the twisting threads of thought were leading to. To find out why Virgil was requesting this now. No, it was best to hear it straight from the human himself.Â
He let out a slow breath. Knowing his charge, his reasoning would be convoluted and yet still make perfect sense. âIâm willing to hear you out, but I do not agree to agree to anything beyond that. Youâve already dealt with enough trouble in your life without adding a demonic deal to it.âÂ
Virgil gave a wobbly smirk, hardly fazed as he tapped Loganâs chest with a single finger. âYour side.â He said. âYou want me to move elsewhere. Want me to go to a different school. Someplace warmer. Safer.âÂ
Logan gave a slow nod. âYes?â Though wasnât this deal supposed to be about what the human wanted to get instead of the demon? Â
âThen Iâll agree to moving. Even let you pick the school and the place Iâll stay at IF.â He stressed the word again tapping Loganâs chest. âYou agree to three things first.âÂ
Three things in exchange for one of safety? Typical human. He narrowed his eyes, tail tapping against the floorboards. âAnd those are?âÂ
âOne. You stop hiding under my bed like an overgrown dust bunny. Two. You become my roommate and go to the school youâve chosen with me--donât give me that look.âÂ
Logan growled, tail dancing back and forth against the wall. He would give out all the looks he wanted thank you very much. Because that was---okay being out from under the bed would be wonderful but be a roommate?! âI canât replace your need for human interaction and companionship, Virgil.â
Sure, it did make a nice loophole that his superiors couldnât argue against because the human had requested his near-constant presence in this deal. But it couldnât work. Demons and Humans werenât meant to be roommates. It was hardly a healthy relationship when Logan had the ability to manipulate Virgilâs thoughts! Plus! Figuring out an adequate human disguise to uphold all hours of the day in order to go to school would be a nightmare and a half with the rituals and the charm work involved to hide his demonic looks. Â
âThree.â Virgil continued, ignoring Loganâs outburst, the cloud above his head shifting closer to white as he grew more fond of how this deal was turning out. âYou pick out our other roommate or roommates. Ones who know you are a demon so you wonât have to disguise yourself when youâre home.â Â
That was---huh. So heâd only have to look human while in public? Logan tsked, claws carefully brushing Virgilâs tear streaked cheeks, his wings quivering with the urge to agree to this--this foolhardiness as his mind raced to find any downsides for his end of this deal. For any loopholes to exploit despite him not wanting to do anything of the sort to Virgil. Not when his charge was finally finally willing to move away from this awful place.
Except there was one problem. The humans.
âMost humans who willingly interact with demons are not the sort of individuals I would trust to room with you.â He said, shaking his head. His goal was to keep Virgil safe. Not set him up for further attempts on his life.
Virgil raised an eyebrow, eyes glinting. âI specifically said those who know you are a demon, Lo. That doesnât have to mean theyâve interacted with others.âÂ
Clever. âBut I donât interact with other humans!â If he hadnât broken the rules, Virgil would never be having this conversation with him in the first place because he wouldnât know Logan existed. âDemons donât interact with humans unless they are summoned. How am I--!â
âI never summoned you though. And yet here we are.âÂ
Logan had to look away at that. Avoid staring at the positively smug face his charge was giving him. âThatâs different.â He finally muttered. Most demons didnât care what happened to the humans they dealt with. Logan was an outlier in that sense. Sent to lurk under a bed as punishment and instead found that he liked it even if Virgilâs stubborn nature drove him up the wall most of the time.Â
âDifferent because you were hiding under my bed for who knows how long?âÂ
He grimaced. It hadnât even been a year yet. Not that long at all in human terms. âIn a way.âÂ
He flinched as Virgil placed a palm against his cheek, turning his head back to face him. âYou were the monster under my bed until you decided I needed a Guardian instead.â He said softly. âWhy canât you go find another human whose needs are similar to mine? Find someone we both can get along with. And once you do, Iâll move wherever you want me to for school. Those are my terms.âÂ
Logan hardly cared if another human liked him. He was a demon. Humans were supposed to fear his kind. But Virgil? His human needed a good roommate. One that would want to be around him, unlike Virgilâs current set that barely acknowledged his existence unless it was his turn to take out the trash. However, if he was out hunting for this good roommateâŚthat would mean--
âI can hardly be considered a Guardian if youâre left defenseless while Iâm off searching who knows where for who knows how long for this hypothetical person!â Logan retorted. âYou would have to allow me to establish a means to ensure youâre safe while I am gone or that you could summon me if you find yourself in danger before I would even consider--âÂ
âWhat sort of thing?âÂ
Logan frowned. Was the stress of three near death attempts addling his chargeâs mind? Perhaps the air underneath the bed wasât flowing properly--he shifted, teleporting them both onto Virgilâs bed where he could have this conversation in a more proper format. After all, humans didnât usually make deals under their beds. Though it probably was too much to expect his charge to draw a sigil on the floor. Not if he wanted his deposit back.Â
He kept a wing securely around Virgil as the human adjusted his position to rest more comfortably against him, a move that should be more counter-intuitive despite Loganâs proclamations of keeping him safe. There was too much trust here. Virgil had hardly done more than sharply inhale at them suddenly appearing on top of his bed.
âSo?â He asked once he was comfortable, fingers brushing against the inside of Loganâs wing. âWhat sort of thing were you thinking?âÂ
Logan shrugged a shoulder, trying to not focus on how relaxed Virgil was with him. â...I was considering a cell phone.âÂ
The laugh his charge let out shouldnât make his hearts flutter so.
Virgil grinned, shaking his head, the storm cloud above him glittering brightly despite itâs shifting state. âThatâs so...human, Lo. But what if it dies? What if I get mine taken away? Theyâre hardly reliable despite how much I use mine. Isnât there a sort ofâŚâ He waved a hand around. âSigil or spell or mark? Something that you can place on me?âÂ
Yes. But--
Before he could speak his charge ducked out from under his wing, grabbing at his backpack on the floor and digging into it. âI could draw something on me.â He offered, pulling out a pen. âAnd then you enchant it or whatever to--are you okay?â
That was---ha. Logan swallowed, wings shifting back as he looked his human in the eyes. âThat is...itâs not a light commitment to make, Virgil.â He finally answered. âYou shouldnât allow any demon, let alone me--â Despite how much he desperately wanted it. It would be so much easier to ensure he could protect Virgil than using a cell phone. â--to mark you so. I doubt you want a permanent connection to me and a sigil once placed on living flesh cannot easily be removed.âÂ
Virgil tapped his pen against his lips, tilting his head as he silently studied Logan.Â
His tail twisted at the scrutiny. âItâs too much of a risk.â He repeated, holding his hands palm up. âYou have no guarantee that I will remain a...Guardian to you.â Though at this point he couldnât see him being anything else. âI am a Demon. Itâs not in our nature to--â
He cut off as Virgil reached out, resting his hands in Loganâs clawed ones, gently squeezing them. âLo.âÂ
His hearts skipped a beat at the nickname. Gah. If Virgil ever figured out how being called Lo truly affected him, far more than any deal would, he would be completely done for--he flinched, inhaling sharply as a purplish glow appeared, covering both of their hands as his charge gave a small smirk.Â
âYouâve saved my life twice now.â He said softly, leaning forward, unfazed by the glow.Â
Though of course Virgil would have no idea that this wasnât normal, not when Logan hadnât done anything!Â
âThatâs hardly a demonâs nature now is it? To save someone? Someone who made no deal to gain such protection?âÂ
âŚ.No. It wasnât normal. He knew that. He-- Logan made a sound in his throat as the purplish glow shifted between them winding like a ribbon around their wrists. He eyed it warily, it was a sign, despite the fact that the glowing ribbon should be red instead of purple, that a deal was being struck though Logan had made no active attempt to initiate one. Hadnât wanted--
âYouâre no ordinary demon, Lo.âÂ
No...he wasnât much like the others was he? Interacting with humans...a human...with Virgil willingly without being compelled to. To want to protect his charge, seeking to help him instead of...well...continuing to make him suffer.Â
âIf you donât want the mark on me to be permanent then make it temporary.â Virgil said, maintaining eye contact. âMake it last as long as you need it to. But I know you know you want to know Iâm okay. Is this not a good way to go about it?â Â
His breath caught in his throat. There was too much trust in him here. Far too much. Virgil didnât know what he was getting into. He couldnât--it wasnât safe. âI donât--â Logan swallowed, fingers trembling in Virgilâs hands as the ribbon pulsed around them. âA demonic deal is never safe.â He couldnât risk his charge like this. Something would go wrong. It wasnât worth it. âI donât want to make this type of deal. Any deal with you.â He whispered, wings fluttering with heat as he broke eye contact, bowing his head to his charge.Â
âLo?â Virgil adjusted his grip, squeezing his hands. Â
He shuddered, eyes burning despite his inability to shed tears, his hearts pounding like the drums of war as he clung to those hands, careful always careful so that his claws wouldnât pierce his delicate flesh, wouldnât draw blood to seal whatever deal this purple ribbon was trying to instigate. He couldnât hurt him.Â
âItâs not proper.â He said softly. âA demon shouldnât care about this. A demon would just say yes. But I canât. Because I do. I care. I just want you safe, Virgil. Protected. Happy. A deal wonât-- I canât---a demon canât--âÂ
âPerhaps.â Virgil tilted his head, peering up into Loganâs slitted eyes. âYou should stop thinking of yourself as a demon then.â
He blinked, wings drawing back as the purple ribbon pulsed. âWhat?â But that--thatâs what he was. Sure, he wasnât acting like one currently, but no one would look at him and think he was anything else.
âWell...youâve already said it yourself, havenât you? Starting back when I nearly froze to death. What you really are.âÂ
Heâd said a lot of--Wait. Logan looked up, barely able to breathe from how tight his chest felt. âYou...remember that time?âÂ
Virgil shook his head. âNot all of it. But I do remember one thing, Lo.â He grinned, eyes glittering as the purple ribbon flashed a brilliant indigo, the bright warm light washing over Logan before he could blink. Â
âYouâre a Guardian. My Guardian.â End.
#Demon Comfort#December Drabbles#stillebesat#Sanders Sides#Logan#Virgil#Logic#Anxiety#Demon!Logan#Near Death experience tw#Hazing tw#Manipulation tw#December Day 14
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Why Cullen?
Today I bring you a post Iâve been in the process of mentally drafting for a while, a post that essentially analyzes the age old question in the Dragon Age fandom: Why is there always something with Cullen?
To do this, I am going to go through different âphasesâ of Cullen discourse. My thesis and answering the titular question: Itâs complicated, and I donât think I can answer âWhy Cullen,â but âthereâs sometimes recycled discourses made about his character through the years, maybe thereâs a pattern.â When it comes to Cullenâs detractors, I understand the fact that it might be frustrating to see much content for someone so âboringâ when thereâs more âinterestingâ and âwell doneâ characters (though interest is of course relevant) so it leads to a lot of vitriol from both new and old fans who think the man had too much screen time already. Furthermore, he is highly complicated man dressed as a Disney prince, and the âDisney-esqueâ feel of his romance creates a dissonance between coming to terms with his problematic past and reveling in the romanticism. We can have a happy medium everyone, Â but because of what I can only describe as âtik tok thoughtâ itâs become looked down upon to have problematic favorites, which leads to guilt in liking something problematic, or outright revisionism.
But liking things with problematic elements doesnât make you a bad person.
Alright, letâs begin:Â
The first phase truly began of course with DAO with Cullenâs crush on the female Circle Mage Warden. Some were endeared, others not so much. I cannot speak to this phase too much as I was around 15-16 and pretty preoccupied with my high school drama instead of fandom, though I played both DAO and DA2 upon itâs release and followed updates for DA2 before it came out. Despite not being an active fandom member I was what they would call, a lurker. I knew some people liked Cullen and thought he was cute, wishing for more screen time after the game and hoping heâd be in DAI through IMDB message boards (remember those?) and YoutTube comments. When news broke heâd be an advisor in DAI and a romance option, I remember seeing a lot of people in those same spaces rejoice. Iâm sure there were also people who werenât so pleased, but from what I saw, people were happy. When Inquisition did release, I actually did quite a bit more lurking on tumblr despite the fact I didnât have a blog, because I played the romance route, really gravitated toward it, and wanted to see fanart and such. People liked the romance, liked his arc and how Bioware handled his struggles with lyrium; and found it realistic. Even in my lurking days I did see some blowback on Cullen from detractors, those who didnât think he should have been the military advisor (which canonically it makes total sense to me why heâs where heâs at, but I wonât get into it here however.) But likely because I wasnât fully âin fandom,â my surface level understanding of how tumblr felt about Cullen was relatively positive and there was only standard fare discourse.
Phase 2: I can speak about this phase better because I established this blog in 2017. Two years after DAI was released, you still had a lot of fans who loved his romance and character, but you also saw a lot of those fans really dive into his flaws, insisting even that just focusing on the Disney Prince aspects of him reduced his character. There were also more internal debates. Would realistically Cullen be a good father was one. One thing however was for sure, there was a strange them and us line between detractors and fans, and to many fans, myself included, oftentimes the Cullen blowback would extend beyond the valid, âhey I donât think his characterization was handled wellâ or âhis redemption arc isnât that greatâ to outright vitriolic hate that blatantly ignored his PTSD and lyrium addiction, and even sometimes âyou just like Cullen because heâs white.â As a POC fan it was a fantastic thing to be accused of. I used to be more involved with discord during this period and I remember a few discussions about this as well. Even those indifferent to Cullen didnât get it.
Overall, I have to say the air was one where people in Cullen fandom enjoyed all aspects of him, from delving into this troubled past to indulging in the Disney prince aspects of him. It was a happy medium I think, even if occasionally I would see a Cullen fan feel bad for liking him, and feel like they needed to justify it. Heck I even did and still do feel that way sometimes, like I need to justify what I like. But we all come into fandom for different reasons. I come into fandom some days for different things. Sometimes I want smut with my favorite character, other times I want more intense thought pieces and challenging fics. Great thing about fandom is that itâs a bakery that has cherry tarts, cinnamon rolls, or all kinds of pie depending on your mood. Craving a different sweet treat, you can make your own. Or you can commission an artist or writer for something you fancy.
*(sexual assault mentions here late in the paragraph****)And now Iâve been warped back into Cullen/DA fandom through what I am calling phase three, where the general air on Cullen reads asâŚ.very different. After having one foot outside DA fandom for a while coming back and reading the air has been different. There was the bizarre nuggetgate and other things with Cullen. Now, instead of accepting his flaws and exploring him there seems to be a lot of revisionism going on, as if his past never happened or weâre supposed to ignore he was a templar. A sexually active Cullen is looked down upon but in a different way from before. Instead of smut works with him âreducing his complicated character.â itâs distasteful to write smut with him where heâs sexually dominant or even just a lot of smut because he was sexually assaulted. (***Now, it is implied that he was, if you are a female Circle mage in DAO, with âsifting through my thoughts, tempting me with the one thing I always wanted but could never haveâ but this is an implication. I will be honest, it is what I have implied. However, itâs not there if youâre not a female Mage. He was however canonically sexually harassed in the Winter Palace, something I will always argue, even if canon treats it like a joke, even if Leliana tells him to âjust look pretty.â Just because he is a man doesnât make it funny that someone grabbed his bottom, and if you take Cole he flat out says âCullen is afraid.â***)
So here I am, wondering what changed and whatâs going on. Hereâs what I believe: Cullen is a complicated character and his flaws and his past make him interesting to me, and they are interesting to explore. However there is nothing wrong with wanting to just explore a romantic, sexual Cullen. Heâs a character with many facets. Heâs romantic, determined, nostalgic, stubborn, unrelenting, loyal, driven, all things that made him seem so real. Here we get to my theory: in todayâs media âcriticismsâ I see peopleâparticularly younger peopleâbeat themselves up for liking something problematic. Itâs like every time you engage with media thatâs potentially problematic you have to write essays to yourself why it is so and hold yourself accountable. I see this on tik-tok a lot and why I refer to it as âtik tok thought.â Look at the way some young Hamilton fans talk about the musical, or heck even here, and you may see what I mean. Itâs like if you donât acknowledge the problematic aspects of the historical figures behind their fictional portrayals in the show youâre a bad person. Same thing with nostalgic Disney fans my age in younger, if you donât clown on Ariel for âchoosing a man over anythingâ (SHE LIKED THE SURFACE WORLD BEFORE SHE MET ERIC) you donât get your brownie points.
I want to make it clear: being critical of media is good. I am glad I see young people and people my age think about the messages we are given in media, but somehow this is turned into ANALYZE EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. Yaâll Iâm a grad student. Iâm critical most of the time, when I come to my tumblr blogâs lawn Iâm here mostly to have some fun, and hey sometimes my fun is being critical. But sometimes it isnât. You do not have to always be critical. You do not have to beat yourself up for liking something thatâs problematic or write an essay about why it is as if thatâs your due diligence in stanning a fictional character. Iâm going to be honest I used to kind of think I had to justify my likes once, especially because of the Cullen vitriol on tumblr. I worked overtime in my early fanfic efforts to try to prove to the world I knew Cullen was problematic for fear Iâd be perceived as just an idiot horny fangirl. Well, let me tell you: I largely donât think that way anymore. If I want to just enjoy writing some smut or reading some smut with him, I am. But I think there is a second part of this in Cullen fandom currently, a revisionism of his problematic elements. Now, if you have to do mental gymnastics with a character in an effort to ignore problematic elements, perhaps you donât like the character that much. Thatâs totally okay. DA has many awesome characters to write about and stan.
So, why Cullen? For so many reasons a bit of a shit show has always followed this character. Thereâs a divide between fans and his detractors and sometimes thereâs a divide within the Cullen fandom. What I can extrapolate for now is the need to keep him squeaky clean and safe and away from anything âproblematicâ because his of past, his templar roots, or the fact that heâs white when there are POC characters with less content. It reads as a guilt associated with liking him. But please, do not be guilty. Heâs not real. Templars arenât real, mages arenât real, Cullen isnât real. Hereâs my advice, something I learned while in my directing class in college. What my teacher always said was direct what turns you on, direct a story that gets you thinking, gets you excited. What gets you thinking and excited in a fictional world may be tons of conflict and dramatics, or it may be peace and love. Sometimes it can be both or more. Donât shame others for coming to a bakery and wanting blueberry when you want cherry, and the baker has both, especially if the baker labels each pie, especially if the recipe for the pie has some salt in it and people like the salt. We can have it all and enjoy it all. What we want in our fiction doesnât always align with something we may want real life. Lots of people write Modern girl in Thedas stories. Yaâll if that actually happened to one of us it would probably suck. Iâd probably get killed and not even get to meet Cullen and pose around the desk to get things going, so Iâd rather it not happen. However, it is fun to read about.
Again, donât be guilty for liking Cullen, please. But if you have to do a lot of mental gymnastics to like Cullen, maybe you donât like him at all. To that I say, there are many other amazing characters, or perhaps you could write your own.
#fandom critical#I spent too long on this#deleted a lot#but now it's written and I can move on#Cullen rutherford
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Dating Grell HC!
Hi! SO sorry for taking this long, irl stuff got in my way but Iâm finally here! Agreed, finding Grell content is kind of difficult, and though they arenât my favorite character, I do enjoy their personality. Before we start, I would like to clarify that I wrote this with gender neutral pronouns for Grell since Iâm kind of confused: in the manga and anime sometimes, characters will refer to them with: He/Him pronouns, they refer to themselves with: She/her but their wiki refers to them with they/them pronouns; so, if someone could clarify that for me (and provide a link that confirms is cannon) I would be beyond grateful!
Word count: 1220
Keys: Y/n = Your name.
Summary: Grell starts to feel in a way they have never felt before.
Warnings/Additional notes: noneâŚI think(? But I tried to keep it neutral for the reader too, since pronouns werenât specified.
Grell being a reaper they have little to no time on their hands, so most probably they met you at work.
They were the one to approach you first by practically throwing themselves at you going on a ramble about how GORGEOUS you are.
I think that at the beginning their feelings are more like a simple crush that will fade away with time or mindless lust that is set to disappear the moment they get to have sex with you.
So, until that happens you will have to deal with practically a cat, they get all touchy: rubbing their cheek against yours, hugging you enthusiastically (like how a child would hug a stuffed toy) begging for attention constantly and even directing not so subtle innuendos at you.
But overall Grell is someone fun and pleasing to be around (especially if you are feeling a bit down) their bubbly and dramatic personality is just so contagious you canât help but smile!
So thatâs why you donât push them away as harshly as Sebastian or William would
And I feel like thatâs why they get a little bit more interested in you.
Even though they identify themselves as a masochist, that does not mean they enjoy being treated poorly all the time, they know their personality isâŚhard to cope with, but Grell appreciate when someone would still make the effort to get along.
So, when you donât justâŚyou knowâŚkick them in the face every time they approach you (cofcofSeb&Willcofcof) they feel more comfortable being themselves around you, since no matter how eccentric they might be, you always continue the conversation in a kind manner.
Grell is someone whoâs VERY emotionally driven, to the point I think it must be hard for them to differentiate certain emotions like: anger to frustration, sadness with deception and romantic love to lustful attraction. I feel like for them thereâs no grey area, is either love or hate so in the beginning this might cause your relationship a bit of trouble.
As your relationship grew closer you started to notice a change in Grellâs behavior: They started being a bit more serious (still as theatrical as ever but different none the less)
They suddenly seemed to have become aware of what personal space is supposed to mean, the hugs became relatively short, the innuendos stopped almost completely and when the two of you started talking, Grell was eerily quiet.
This probably would make you feel like you might have angered them in some way, but donât worryâŚthe truth is..Grell is just confused.
Lust driven love is all theyâre ever known, but their feelings for you have changed, evolved if you may. The only thing they know: is that they like you, but not in the way they like Will, Sebastian or Undertaker, no. They like you in a different wayâŚa deeper way.
So please be patient and let them figure it out on their own.
BUT tbh I donât think they figured out on their ownâŚI just think they where in the phantomhive manor one day (just to tease Sebastian or double-check these newfound feelings were indeed different) But Ciel just felt so uneasy since he had never seen Grell so quiet and deep in thought.
âWhat is wrong with you, Grell?âHis words condescending as ever.
âPay no mind to them, master. The reaper is just hopelessly in loveâSaid Sebastian with a smirk creeping on his lips.
Sebastianâs words were almost eye-opening to them. âLove? Was it truly the right word to describe this feeling?â
Yes, yes it was, they knew the moment they went back to you that day.
Saying that you were surprised when Grell suddenly appeared at your house, late at night, pinning you to the floor by giving you the BIGGEST hug in your life, after weeks of not seeing each other since apparently, they were ignoring you, was a severe understatement.
âWhat has gotten into you, Grell?â you questioned, caressing their long red hair.
âOh! Y/N my love! I love you!âYou smiled, Grell had finally come back to you.
âHa Ha Ha, I love you too, Grell!âGrell froze in place.
You thought they were messing around with you like countless time before, so you just responded in the usual joking manner.
âNo, no, no! Youâve got it all wrong my dear!âFor the first time since you had known them, their expression turned serious and gently took your hands in theirs.
âY/n you are probably the only person I have ever felt this strongly, I feel like if you were to die today, I will die with you! Y/n my dearâŚI love you! This are my true feelingsâŚWonât you accept them?
Such sweet words, spoken with the most profound sincerity.
You couldnât help but tear up a little (Which made Grell panic a bit)
âYes, Grell, I love you too, so please accept this feelings of mine as well.âThe hugh that followed was not only an acceptance but the seal of a promise, the true love kind of promise.
From here onwards you can see a change in Grellâs behavior towards you (in a positive way that is)
Dating Grell means you get to see them in a whole new light.
They are much more sincere (still dramatic as ever but a bit toned down)
They allow themselves to be vulnerable with you, no longer hiding their worries under a carefree and almost indifferent facade.
You become a safe place they can come to when things get difficult or simply when they just feel tired and overwhelmed with their reaper duties.
Something that stays pretty much the same in your relationship is how much attention-seeking they are.
You have to put on hold whatever youâre doing âcause those things can wait but Grell donât.
âNee~ honey, pay attention to me!â is a phrase you might hear often if you even dare to pay attention to something else when they are right beside you!
Grell will 100% shower you in kisses constantly.
Cuddles! Cuddles are a MUST with them.
Be prepared for Lots LOTS of PDA, they donât care if itâs not the appropriate time or place, they need to show you how much you mean to them now!
I feel like they are the type to pull you closer and start dancing or reciting a dramatic dialogue of some romantic play they recently saw, out of nowhere in the middle of the street.
Grell also loves when you touch, caress, braid or brush their hair, is just so adorable! (If you want to turn them on, just pull their hair a little and see what happens ;)
If you have long hair, they will do the same but if you donât expect them to go wild with how much flower crowns, hats, hair pins, etc they gift you.
Matching outfits! They even gifted you a red coat like theirs!
Grell loves when you let them do your make up! (if you wear any that is, otherwise they would allow you to do theirs) and it goes without saying, they are so good at it! you always end up feeling like royalty.
Theatrical pet names!
Sometimes they would allow you to borrow their Death Scythe (even if is for ridiculous things like idk cutting bread lol) but shhh, donât tell Will!
Theater Dates!
Kisses, TONS of kisses (they love when you bite their lips, if you do; you might even hear them moan)
Overall, Grell is just so happy to have someone like you in their life and they will demonstrate it to you every chance they get.
âĄâ¤âĄâ¤âĄâ¤âĄâ¤
If you spot any misplaced pronouns, please let me know! I will correct it asap! just know that I didnât do it with any ill intention and that english is not my first language and perhaps thatâs why something might have slipped! as well grammatical errors, Iâm trying to polish my writing in this language so calling me out on any mistakes helps me a lot!
I will forever thank you if you go check out my other profile: @aileysmirnovâ where I post things about my OC: edits, one-shots, imagines, art, etc. If you like Greek mythology and the bat family maybe you would like her as much as I do!
Anyway! Thank you for reading!
#grell sutcliff#grell sutcliff x reader#black butler#black butler fanfiction#black butler grell#kuroshitsuji#black butler edit#sebastian michaelis#ciel phantomhive#black butler fandom
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Jin: âI just hope anyone who likes me is happyâ
When youâre trying to speak candidly with someone, itâs not always easy to be pleasant and considerate at the same time. Jin is all those things. âButterâ is staying on top of the Billboard Hot 100. How does it feel? Jin: I canât really get a feel for what kind of response itâs getting since I can only go to and from work right now. Since all the awards shows are done remotely/have moved online, too, we canât accept any awards in person or feel the vibe in person or anything. And I donât use the Internet much, really. Consequently, I ended up feeling less pressure and I could enjoy the promotional period itself a little better. Iâm just glad weâre doing well in the meantime.
In your last interview with Weverse Magazine, you talked about the pressure you felt after âDynamiteâ topped the Billboard Hot 100, but it seems like youâre mostly over that. Jin: You could say that I cleared my mind, or that I worked through some things. Iâm pretty sure I am doing better than then. Iâm keeping a pretty regular routine now that Iâm getting accustomed to commuting life, even though my schedule is sometimes a bit erratic. When I had to keep working without a single day off, I was sometimes really tired because I had things of my own to do after work before going to bed, but now after cycling through this routine for a while Iâm a little healthier and Iâm getting a little more sleep, too.
Before âButterâ came out, you released a solo song, âAbyss.â You were very forthcoming about the psychological difficulties you revealed in the lyrics and what you wrote about the song. What effect did releasing âAbyssâ have on you? Jin: I felt a kind of relief. I want my fans to picture me as being happy and I donât actually want them to know that I feel that way, but now and then I feel the need to talk about whatâs inside me. Itâs been a few years since I expressed it in a song or explained anything about it so I feel a tiny bit relieved.
Part of the lyrics say, âI want to know more about you today.â That overlaps with the line, âI hold my breath and enter my ocean,â to make a song thatâs like youâre meeting your own inner self. Jin: Even I donât know myself very well, and I was also depressed at the time, and thatâs how I chose to face that part of myself. I never had a chance to meet myself, and I just feel like I was submerged in my own ocean and came back up to walk on the beach.
Itâs not a perfect solution, but just the act itself of trying to go deep into the place with the answer appears to have had a positive influence on you. Jin: Iâm trying. I thought that sort of exercise was right for me, but if this doesnât resolve anything, Iâll try something else, and then something else. If Iâm having a hard time, I can ask the label for some time off to do something else. I feel like just being able to do that, even, is a little bit helpful itself.
Is your style of singing in that song related to the message you wanted to convey? You tried to reveal the problems you had in a frank manner and solve them in some way, and the song disclosed your emotions as straightforwardly as the lyrics did. Jin: I handled the overall direction and composition of the song with Kye Bumzoo, one of the producers, and Pdogg, the other producer, directed while I recorded the vocals. We decided I would just go with my gut and not try to make it sound pretty or anything. That goes for the lyrics, too. I prefer songs that convey emotion in a calm, straightforward manner, both when I sing and when Iâm listening to music.
Then what about âButterâ? Although itâs also straightforward like âAbyss,â the feelings it expresses are more pleasant. Jin: Seriously, sometimes I think how great itâd be if I could sing this kind of song exclusivelyâother than the chorus. (laughs) I mean, every song we sing is so high-pitched. If you take out the chorus of this song, I thought I could do this song live pretty comfortably, no matter how hard the dance moves are.
You sing the âButterâ chorus in a light, high pitch. You must have given a lot of thought about how to express yourself for that part. Jin: I felt pressure because the notes in the chorus are particularly high, so I put all my power into singing it, but I actually ended up putting too much power into my vocals, so I kept thinking I have to ease up and chill. When we were doing the first performance in particular, I forgot all of that and put power behind my vocals. I get nervous for every performance, but some make me especially nervous. I feel it sometimes whenever I do those performances. Inside Iâm like, RightâSeokjin, you said you would ease up, remember? Anyway, itâs also nice that I get to show off a lot in âButter.â You know Iâm handsome, right? (laughs) It makes me happy that I can show off my handsome face to my heartâs content and show you everything Iâm capable of. I wanted to show all of this off in a performance as quickly as possible.
âButterâ opens with you making gestures with your hands while looking cheerfully into the camera. I imagine you had a lot of fun preparing for the performance. Jin: Practice is honestly a burden, though. Usually when we practice, Iâm slow at learning the moves. So Iâm not very good at it. [And] when I practiced with [performance director Son] Sung Deuk, he was really worried at first. This is toughâcan he pull it off? He worried a lot, right up until we got up for our first performance, but when he saw me again after two or three weeks of doing âButter,â he said to me, Whoa, is this Seokjin, the guy getting all that hot feedback lately? (laughs) He said I was dancing great. At first I hadnât seen the response, so I asked him if he was teasing me, but he said, âNo, everybodyâs saying youâre dancing great.â If thatâs really true, itâs all thanks to him. (laughs)
In the âARMY Corner Storeâ video uploaded to YouTube for FESTA 2021 in celebration of the eighth anniversary of your debut, you said you put a lot of effort into following the songs and dances. Arenât you satisfied with how âButterâ turned out? I feel like the song was more enjoyable thanks to the character youâve built up over time. Jin: Well, the song where Iâm most satisfied with myself is âButter,â because Iâve been honing my skills for a long time at this point, and âButterâ is our latest release. As time goes by and we come out with more songs, and if I improve more, my favorite song will be whatever is newest, and then âButterâ might not be as satisfying to me anymore. But itâs the most satisfying one for now.
In what ways have you gotten better? Jin: When I first started this job, I practiced according to the staffâs directions, and even now in the case of dancing Iâm still striving to follow along, but it takes me less time to adjust than it used to. When I review after practice, I can see how itâs going and what I need to do. It takes a little less time to line myself up with the beat than before, and I think Iâve become able to refine it a bit better. I was also happy this time around when Hobi told me my dancing really improved.
How was performing for âPermission to Danceâ? Jin: I really like the song, but when we perform it, I wish Iâd had more time to prepare. We had a comeback in May with âButterâ and then a fan meeting concert in June, so we got ready for âPermission to Danceâ at the same time we were filming performances of âButter.â We didnât have anything else we had to work on before âButterâ so we had plenty of time to practice it, but we had to practice âPermission to Danceâ and get ready for the fan meeting simultaneously. Timeâs always tight, but I think I couldâve done even better if I couldâve taken a little more time. I wish I had had more time to put a little more effort in.
The more time you spend practicing, the better the outcome, and the more ambitious you end up becoming. Jin: So, Iâm not good at memorizing lyrics, for instance. I think some of the other members can catch on real quick, but itâs not like that for me. So if we do something like a new song or a special one at a fan meeting, I have to spend more time preparing than the others. When a new songâs coming out, I have to practice for at least 4-5 days to get the hang of it.
You performed the rap in âDaechwitaâ for BTS 2021 MUSTER SOWOOZOO, but itâs really rare to see you rapping. I imagine the process you went through to practice was intense. Jin: It was so hard. I had to do âDaechwitaâ and âChicken Noodle Soup,â but it was only about a month before the concert when the set list was decided. During that time, Iâd come home after finishing work, turn on the music for âDaechwitaâ and practice it for 15 minutes, then do âChicken Noodle Soupâ after that, and then go straight to sleep. The next day Iâd wake up, go to work, come home and do another 15 minutes of âDaechwitaâ and more âChicken Noodle Soup.â I kept repeating that for a really long time. Iâm terrible at memorizing lyrics so that kind of took a while.
Thatâs a lot of time to keep practicing constantly like that. Your work-life balance must also be important, too. Itâs difficult to practice beyond a certain amount of time every day without having some time to relax. Jin: Exactly. Like I said, my skills are lacking when it comes to memorizing lyrics, but I think I have other abilities that cover up for what I lack. In fact, I enjoy constantly memorizing things like that. My gift is my ability to enjoy practicing repeatedly, so if I somehow succeed before the deadline, I give myself praise. (laughs) Practicing takes me a long time, so I just decided to treat it as one big project. The way I do it is, when I say itâs time for a break, itâs time for a break, and I rest to my heartâs content.
You seemed to be talking about the importance of time spent outside working hours in âARMY Corner Storeâ when you said the measure of your satisfaction is the degree to which you can pass your day meaninglessly. As a member of BTS, you must not have that much time to spend as you please. Jin: Koreans my age have no choice but to self-improve these days. You have to improve your qualifications, learn things, and people even tell you your hobbies have to be productive, even though theyâre hobbies. After being taught that way since I was young, I think I need to follow through on that somehow. I feel like I have to do something productive, even when Iâm trying to take a break. But if I donât do a single thing and just loaf around in bed, or do some unproductive, unnecessary activity, I actually end up feeling satisfied. Go from sleeping to waking up, waking up to eating, eating to sleeping again. Wake up from sleep and suddenly want to watch TV, and go watch it. If thereâs nothing good on TV, play a game, then look at the clock, and if itâs late, sleep. I think everyone needs days like this.
That time must become all the more important when youâre busy being a member of BTS, since you donât have much time to spend that way. Jin: When Iâm not working, all I really want to do is something I enjoy for myself. In that case, people might wonder why youâre doing things that wonât help you in life, but I think that timeâs important for everyone. Society is always seeking out the things that are useful. And thatâs good, too, but for our own sake, I think we require time to find stability in our own minds, even if it looks useless in the eyes of others.
Speaking of which, you posted a picture of yourself eating with Bang Si-hyuk, the producer, on Weverse. Itâs amazing that two people with so much influence and things to do can take the time to relax together. Jin: People around the office might feel he is unapproachable, but I donât find him to be like that. (laughs) So I asked him in passing to have a drink and he suddenly said, âOkay, when are you free?â Most of the time, though, I only meet like that on a spur of the moment, so I said, âUh, Iâm busy right now. This dayâs all booked up, too, and soâs this day.â (laughs) âThen just give me a rough time and Iâll make time when youâre done.â We talked back and forth like that and he came to see me the next day for dinner when I was all finished with work. And he said heâd cook for me and buy wine, too. Anyway, it was a nice meal.
You couldnât have felt that comfortable with him before your debut (laughs) but as time passed, many things have changed. Everyone became so successful, too. Jin: You could say that I was in a position where I was looking for a job when I was a trainee. At the time, I thought people who got chosen seemed really cool, but by contrast I had no confidence. I donât think it wouldâve actually happened this way, but I thought if I talked to someone who found work, they would give me the cold shoulder, sort of. So I didnât feel very confident.
I think you showed that you have confidence with the joke you told on tvNâs You Quiz on the Block about your older brother calling you Mr. Seokjin lately, or when you talked about the mood when an older relative gave you money for Korean New Years on V LIVE. That you can easily accept anyone no matter how they handle you. Jin: Right. If I donât behave that way, everyone else has a harder time. People I know will say âthe superstar is hereâ as a joke. If I say, âSuperstar? What are you talking about? Donât say that,â and give them a serious look, theyâll have no idea what to call me next time or what to talk about. Honestly, if someone whoâs meeting me for the first time or doesnât see me that often responds in that kind of somewhat exaggerated way, they might think itâs fun. Iâm sure thatâs the way Iâd react if I met a really famous person. So if someone says, âAha, the superstar is here,â I say, âthe superstar has come!â too. As long as I donât respond in a serious way so everyone can tell itâs a joke, the ice is broken.
Now that youâre a superstar for realânot a jokeâis there anything youâd tell the old, unconfident Jin from the past if you could meet him? Jin: I donât know what I would tell him. I want to tell him to keep his head up (laughs) but if I gave my old self too much to think about, he might end up feeling exhausted after practice and give up. I think it would be enough just to tell him to work hard.
Where do you find the ambition to keep working hard, even now? Jin: From ARMYâs reactions, of course. Iâd say Iâm trying harder and trying to do well without exhausting myself so I can see people on Twitter or Weverse saying Iâve improved or that Iâm doing a good job. And these days we have to do the performances on film, and we shoot them in advance for the sake of quality. Because of that, we usually record the performances long before the songs get released, which means we have to change our looks for the recording. Itâs hard to go public with my new look until anythingâs officially released for that reason, or else there could be spoilers. That makes me all the more eager to show off the best parts of myself in our performances. If it werenât for the current situation, I could instantly see our fansâ reactions, so itâs a shame they canât see me working this hard.
What would you like to say to ARMY? Jin: I hope our fans donât lose their laughter. Iâm not really good at saying those kinds of cheesy things. Itâs not in my personality. I feel embarrassed and cringey when I talk like that and I canât take myself seriously, so I try to keep it to a minimum. But fans watch us as a hobby, you know? Hobbies are all about enjoying yourself and being able to laugh, so I want to look happy for them, not exhausted. I go out of my way to make funny posts or leave funny replies on Weverse to make them happier. I just hope anyone who likes me is happy. And I donât want them to see anything bad. Thatâs how I feel about my work.
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Why Cap Being Internally Closeted Is Not Only Possible, But Valid RepresentationÂ
i wrote this to a lot of mitski and onsind, so you canât blame me for any feelings that bleed through
now i donât know if it actually exists, but iâve heard of there being a lot of discourse surrounding the captains story arc regarding his sexuality- i believe the general gist is that having a queer character that remains closeted to themselves is either unrealistic or âbadâ representation, and as someone who really treasures the captain and relates to his story so far a lot, i thought i might break this down a bit.Â
iâve divded up every complaint iâve heard about this into four main questions which iâll be covering below the âkeep readingâ, because this is gonna be pretty comprehensive. full disclaimer i reference my experiences as an ex-evangelical non binary butch lesbian a couple times, and i spent a year studying repression and the psychological impacts of high demand sexual ethics for my graduating sociology paper, so this is coming with some background to it i swear
the big questions:
can you EVEN be gay and not know it????
but isn't this just ANOTHER coming out arc, and aren't we supposed to be moving beyond those?
but if cap can't have a relationship with a man because he's a ghost, what's the point?
since cap's dead, isn't this technically bury your gays, and isn't that bad?Â
1. "but is it really possible to not know? Isn't that bad representation?"
short answer: no and no.
before i get into the validity of the captain's ignorance about his own orientation as 21st century rep, let's break down how the hell the captain can be so clearly attracted to men and still not even consider the possibility that he might be gay, as brought to you by someone who literally experienced this shit.
the captain's particular situation is both a direct result of the lack of information around human sexuality he would have had (aka clear messaging that it's actually possible for him to be attracted to men. i don't mean acceptable or allowed, i mean physically capable of happening- the idea that orientations other than heterosexual exist and are available to him, a man), and a subconscious survival mechanism. the environment in which he lives is outright hostile to gay people, while the military man identity he has constructed for himself doesn't allow for any form of deviation from societal norms, let alone one so base level and major. as a result of this killer combo of information and environment, instincts take over and the mind does it's best to repress the âdeviantâ feelings until a. one of these two things changes, or b. the act of repression becomes so destructive and/or exhuasting that it becomes impossible to maintain. the key to maintaining a long-term state of repression of desire is diverting that energy elsewhere, and a high-demand group such as the military is the perfect place for the captain to do this (this technqiue is frequented by religions and extremist ideologies worldwide, but thatâs not really what weâre here to focus on).Â
while the brain is actively repressing âdeviantâ feelings (aka gay shit), this doesn't mean you don't experience the feelings at all. when performed as a subconscious act of survival, the aim of repression is to minimise/transform the feelings into a state where they can no longer cause immediate danger, and something as big as sexual/romantic orientation is going to keep popping up, but as long as the individual in question never understands what theyâre feeling, theyâll be able to continue relatively undisturbed. you know how in heist movies, the leader of the group will only tell each team member part of the plan so they canât screw things up for everyone else if they get caught? itâs kind of like that.
this is how the captain appears to have operated in life AND in death, and itâs a relatively common experience for lgbtq people whoâve grown up in similar circumstances (aka with a lack of information and in an unfriendly-to-hostile environment), and accounts for how some people can even go on to get married and have children before realising that theyâre gay and/or trans.Â
personally, while i can now identify what were strong homo crushes all the way back to childhood, at the time i genuinely had no idea. there was the underlying sense that i probably shouldn't tell people how attached i was to these girls because i would seem weird, and that my feelings were stronger than the ones other people used to describe friendships, but like-like them in the way that other girls like-liked boys? no way! actually scratch that, it wasn't even a no way, because i had no idea that i even could. i even had my own havers, at least in terms of the emotional hold and devotion she got from me, except she treated me way less well than capâs beau. snatches of the existence of lgbt people made it through the cone of silence, i definitely heard the words gay and lesbian, but my levels of informations mirrored those that the captain would have had: virtually none, beyond the idea that these words exist, some people are them, and that's not something that we support or think is okay, so let's just not speak about it. despite only attending religious schools for the first couple years of primary, until i got my own technology and social media accounts to explore lgbtq content on my own- option a out of the two catalysts for change- the possibility of me being gay was not at all on my radar. donât even get me started on how long it took me to explore butchness and my overall gender, two things which now feel glaringly obvious.Â
when shit starts to break down, you can also make the conscious choice to repress which can delay the eventual smashing down of the mental closet door for a time (essentially when the closet door starts to open, you just say âno thanksâ and shut it again by pointedly Not Thinking About It). in the abscence of identifying yourself by your attractions, it becomes quite common to identify with a lack- in my case, this meant becoming proud of how sensible and not boy crazy i was, and in the captainâs case, this means becoming proud of how sensible and not sensuous/wild (aka woman crazy) he was, identifying with his LACK of desire for women and partying (which, even in the 40s, involved the expectation of opposite sex romances and hook ups). iâm not saying thatâs the only reason heâs a rule follower, but i think the contrast between About Last Night and Perfect Day pretty much support this. (the captain getting on his high horse about general party antics that he inherently felt excluded from because of underlying awareness of his difference & his tendency to project his regimented expectations of himself onto others, vs. joining in the reception party, awareness of how the environment supports difference in the form of clare and sam, and relaxing his own rules by dancing with men- the captain doesnât mind a party when feels like he has a place there.)
so the captain was operating in a high demand, highly regulated environment (primarily the military, but also early 20th century England itself), with regimented roles, rules, and expectations. working on the assumption that he wouldn't have had out/disclosing lgbt friends, he would have had little to no exposure to lgbt identities, and what information he did receive would have been hushed and negatively geared. while my world started to open up when i started high school was allowed to have my own phone + instagram account, resulting in me realising something wasn't quite 'right' within a few years (making me a relatively early realiser compared to those who don't come out to themselves until adulthood), in life the captain never had that experience. he didn't receive the information he needed, his environment didn't grow less hostile. with the near-exception of havers related heartbreak, his well disciplined and lifelong method of repression never became destructive/exhaustive enough to permanently override the danger signals in his mind and allow him to put his feelings into words. neither of the most common catalysts for change happened for him, so he continued as usual, even after his death.
BUT, and hereâs where we come to why this is actually great representation, arrival of mike and Alison represents the opening up of new world. for the first time, the captain is actively made aware of the fact that his environment is no longer hostile, and better than that, itâs affirming. heâs also getting access to positively geared information about lgbtq people and identities, so option a of the two catalysts for change is absolutely present, and resoundingly positive.Â
the captainâs arc is also relatively unique as it acknowledges the oppressive nature of his environment, but actually focuses on the internal consequences, and the way that systems like those that the captain lived in succeed because they turn us into our own oppressors. for whatever reason, we repress ourseslves, and often canât help it, and i find that the significance of the journey to overcome that is often overlooked in more mainstream queer media. perhaps itâs just not very cinematic, or it remains too confronting for cishet audiences, but ghosts manages to touch on it with a lovely amount of humour and hope. Jamie Babbitâs But Iâm A Cheerleader is another favourite piece of queer media for the same reasons.
not only does it show this, but as the captain continues to get gayer and lean into some of his less conventional traits (like an interest in fashion and the wedding planning), it shows lgbt people who have been or are going through this that there CAN be a positive outcome. it takes a lot to unlearn all the things that have painted you as wrong, especially when a massive institution is desperate to continue doing so, but you can do it, you can be happy, and it's never too late. (i've been meaning to say that last point for ages for ages, but a mutual beat me to it here)
2. not just another coming out arc
i absolutely support the demand for queer stories that donât center around coming out (itâs like shrodingerâs queer: if youâre not coming out on screen, do you really even exist?), but i donât align with the criticisms that the captain should already be out. for the reasons mentioned above, the captainâs particular story is fairly different to the âyoung white teenager who mostly knows gay is fine, itâs just everyone else thatâs got the problem, but have a unremarkably straight sounding soundtrack, a trauma porn romance, and a cishet saviourâ that we keep seeing. the captainâs ongoing journey with his sexuality emphasises the overaching theme of the show: recovering from trauma and humanityâs endless capacity for growth, and i think thatâs worth showing over and over again until it stops being true.
additionally, while the captainâs journey regarding his gayness is a big part of his character and story, ghosts makes it clear that itâs not the ONLY part, and being gay is far from his ONLY characteristic or dramatic/comedic engine. the fact that iâm even having to congratulate ghosts for doing that really shows how much film and television is struggling huh.
while all queer media is, and should be, subject to criticism, i think if it helps even one person then it absolutely deserves to exist, and i can say iâve found the captainâs journey to be the lgbt story iâve found thatâs closest to my own, which says a lot considering heâs a dead world war 2 soldier who hangs out with other ghosts including a slutty Tory, a georgian noblewoman, and a literal caveman.Â
3. if captain gay, why he no have boyfriend????Â
another complaint thatâs been circulating is that since the captain doesnât, and likely wonât, have a boyfriend, that makes him Bad Representation because it follows the sad single gay trope. i kind of get the logic from this one, and a lot of it is up to personal interpretation, but part of me really enjoys the fact that the captainâs journey towards accepting himself is separated from having a relationship.
coming out is often paired with having romantic/sexual relationships (either as the reason or reward for doing so). my own struggle with repression didn't end the second that came out, and i still struggle with letting myself develop & acknowledge romantic feelings as a result of actively shutting them (and most other feelings in general) down for years, and statistics show that lgbtq youth in particular tend not to live out their 'teen years' until their twenties. by not giving cap a relationship straight away, ghosts separates the act of claiming identity and sexual orientation from finding a partner (two things which are, more often than not, separate), and also provides some very nice validation to folks who have yet to have the relationship they want, especially when lots of mainstream queer media is now jumping on the cishet media bandwagon of acting as if every person loses their virginity and has a life defining relationship at sixteen. itâs essentially a continuation of the earlier theme of âitâs never too lateâ, and whoâs to say the captain wonât get a gay bear ghost boyfriend to go haunt nazis with??? people die all the time, it could happen.
(also, i think him and julian will have definitely shagged at least once. it was a low moment for both of them and they refuse to speak of it.)
lots of asexual/ace spectrum fans have come out to say how much theyâve loved being able to headcanon cap as ace, and while thatâs not a headcanon i personally have, i think itâs brilliant that ace fans feel seen by his character- weâre all in this soup together babey (and sorry for cursing everyone still reading this with that cap/julian headcanon. iâm just a vessel)
4. âokay, but capâs a GHOST- doesnât that make this Bury Your Gays?â
this is a bit of a complex one, but iâm going to say no as a result of the following break down.
Bury Your Gays (BYG), aka the trope where lgbtq characters are consistently killed off (and often with a heavy dose of trauma, while cishet characters survive) is probably one of my least favourite lgbt media tropes. BYG has two main points:
1. the lgbt character is killed, thus removing them from story entirely- hence the use of the phrase âkilled OFFâ (killed off of the show/film)
2. the characterâs death reinforces the perception that lgbtq peopleâs lives must end in tragedy, instead of being long and fulfilling, or are inherently less valuable. bonus points if the character is killed in a hate crime or confesses same-gender love right before they die (that one implies that queer love genuinely has no future!)
not every death of an lgbtq character is bury your gays, and i personally feel that the captain is an example of an lgbt death that isnât.Â
first of all, while the captain is dead, so are the vast majority of characters in ghosts. the premise of the show means that death is not the end of the line for its characters- for most of them, itâs the only reason we get to see them on screen at all. as such, the captain being dead doesnât remove him from the story, so point one is irrelevant.
at the time of posting, we donât know how or why the captain died, but we've had nothing to suggest his death was in any way related to his latent sexuality, so his mysterious death doesnât actively play into the supposedly inherent tragedy of queer lives, nor the supposedly lesser value. thatâs as of right now- since we donât know the circumstances of his death itâs a little tough to analyse properly. while the captainâs life absolutely features missed opportunities and itâs fair share of tragedy, hope and growth (which seems to be the theme of this post) abounds in equal measure. the captain may not be alive, but we DO get to see him growing and having a relatively happy existence, that for the most part seems to be getting even better as he learns to open up and be himself unapologetically- that doesnât feel like BYG to me.
while writng this, itâs just occured to me that death really is a second chance for most of the ghosts, especially with the introduction of alison. from mary learning to read, to thomas finding modern music, theyâve all been given the chance explore things they never could have while they were alive, and hopefully grow enough to one day be sucked off move on.
in conclusion,
i love the captain very much and i hope his arc lives up to the standards itâs set so far. i donât know where to put this in this post, but iâd alo like to say i LOVE how in Perfect Day, the captain wasnât used as an educational experienced for fanny at all. i am very tired of people expecting me to be the walking talking homophobe educator and rehabilitator, so the fact that itâs alison and the other ghosts that call fanny out while the captain just gets to have fun with the wedding organisation made me very happy.
hereâs a few other cap posts that iâve done:
the captainâs arc if adam and the film crew stayed
a possible cap coming outÂ
the captain backstory headcanon
if youâve read this far,
thank you!
also check out @alex-ghosts-corner , this post inspired me very much to write this
#i subluxed all my fingers and wrists doing this but worth it#bbc ghosts#bbc ghosts headcanon#bbc ghosts analysis#the captain#caphavers#the captain x havers#ben willbond#lgbt representation#lgbt rep#queer media#lgbt media
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