#kiro x mc

[46inpm]

MLQC Housemates Party

Hello I’m back after… awhile but been wanting to do housemates headcannons

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY🙏 as they may not lol

Victor - Red, Lucien - Purple, Kiro - Orange, Gavin - Blue, Shaw - Green, MC (You) - Pink

I'm changing MC to where she has a good alcohol tolerance and is a bit of a party girl herself

Okay now onto the actual headcanon

They do parties from casual get togethers to formal events to drinking like they’re in college

Rating: Mature

Casual Get Togethers

Just a few friends and co-workers for holidays, casual birthdays, and regular cookouts

Victor is normally the cook for this with the help of Gavin

Gavin is such a grill type of man

They’ll cook as friends are coming over with a movie playing

In the summer they have pool parties

Lucien would be in charge of taking photos of Kiro in his swim trunks to post online for later, gotta feed the fans

When they have a get together in the house there will be a few drinking games

Truth or Drink goes crazy because I know for sure none of the housemates except for MC will answer really personal questions

"Body count?" "Craziest drunken experience?" "Have you ever had a wet dream about MC?"

After that truth or drink wasn't allowed to be played anymore in the future

If it's just the housemates sitting around doing games then they'll be slightly more open

At the end when friends leaves, MC falls asleep on the couch with one cuddling her and the others continuing their conversation

“I’m telling you there’s a raccoon going through our trash.”

“We either call animal control or get rid of it ourselves.”

“Hey, you guys leave Chunky King Bob alone!”

“Great he’s named it…”

Formal Events

They have a whole mansion that's big enough to do an actual formal event

Victor and Kiro are normally the host as it’s kinda required for their reputation

Honestly, both wouldn't do them if they didn't feel obligated for work

Victor, Lucien, Kiro, and MC are the planning committee

Sorry Gavin doesn't have the imagination for this and Shaw is lazy

They'll hold meetings in Victor's office or in the dining room

Most of the time it's a black-tie event but a few times it's themed

The entire house goes on a cleaning rampage the days before

Victor punishes anyone who slacks off by making them wash the dirty garbage cans outside

Really Shaw’s punishment most of the time

Also I know Victor is going to be some animal in heat seeing you all dolled out

Just seeing the jewelry set he bought you decorating your neck and ears is doing something to this poor man

As you're getting ready before the guests start showing, he comes in your room to "check on things" but will just watch you get dress

Slow makeout session happens and when someone knocks, he'll leave pretending like he really was checking on things

"MC have you see my blue tie? Huh, Victor what're you doing?"

"Checking to make sure MC did her tasks."

You're just standing there flushed

Be prepared to be starstruck by the number of celebrities you'll see for Kiro's big birthday event

Lucien and Gavin will sneak you out of there to get alone time separately

"It's stuffy in here."

"Let's go get some fresh air."

You'll be out with them for a while having personal conversations that both of you lose track of time

Their eyes staring so lovingly into yours, never breaking eye contact, hands holding yours or rubbing your sides

THE TRIANGLE METHOD (EYES, LIPS, EYES) PLS LET ME OUT OF MY CAGE

More slow makeout sessions and boy do they want to keep going for the rest of the party

Like the Bachelorette when they have the one one-on-one convos

If Kiro or Victor find out they'll be the most grumpy toward you, imagine a pet that's giving you the silent treatment for not feeding them a third time

"While I had to have meaningless conversations with everyone, I wanted to be with you. Seems you didn't care."

Give the pouty idol your undivided attention for the next couple of hours and he'll immediately forgive you but good luck on Victor

To the housemates, it's a genuine mystery on where Shaw goes in the middle of the event

They'll see him but a second later he's gone missing for the next couple of hours

“Where’s Shaw?”

“I thought he was with you…”

“I thought he was with Gavin.”

“You need me? Did everyone leave already?”

“What the-”

“It’s been three hours.”

Clubbing/Partying

Normally all of you won't go partying together, even if someone invites the housemates out, only a few will go

Gavin, Kiro, and Shaw are always out with you having a blast

I don't ever see Victor or Lucien coming out for these

High levels of socializing and drinking just aren't them and they'll barely talk to each other while everyone's gone

Gavin is the DD (designated driver) and sober dad

Think of the meme with the dad having his children on the backpack leashes going in the opposite direction, that's him but with 3 adults

Kiro will be dancing with you, or drunk rants to someone while Shaw is doing beer pong

Shaw loves being by your side and his hand wrapped around rested on your hip

As much as Gavin and Shaw don't get along, Gavin always checks on Shaw and steps in the way if some drunks try to pick a fight

Back to the house, you're drunk along with Kiro, jumping practically off the walls

Victor and Lucien trying to get yall to drink water

You'll sing praises to everyone about Gavin taking care of everyone

When you're lying in bed, Shaw will sneak in to sleep with you

"Feeling lonely?"

"No, knowing you, you'll wake up hungover. Going to need someone to hold back your hair when you're yaking."

He'll never say the real reason to just cuddle

The only times all housemates go out to party and drink is the rare clubbing occasions

Normally high end clubs

Everyone dressed in their clubbing/partying outfits

The boys will wear nice button ups or plain t-shirts with pants that will go along while you wear a backless top and miniskirt

In the club they’ll reserve a table…for the Li family? so they can immediately sit down and start drinking

We all know Lucien says he’s a good drinker but he’s really not as he doesn’t space out his shots

You’re not helping as it’s shot o’clock every 30 minutes with you

“For going out! For finishing the week! For housemates bonding!”

“Okay, I think that’s enough. Also, Lucien you don’t have to keep taking the shots.”

“Haha, I’m fine.”

Takes a lot of pleading from all of you to have Gavin and Victor drink up (sober dads on break)

From there on things ramp up!!!

Everyone loosens up a lot and have the funniest conversations

Talking about inside jokes to personal stories

Later on the dance floor you’ll be grinding on one of them then the next and making out

The types of drunks: Lucien - possessive drunk, Kiro - happy drunk, Shaw - funny drunk, Victor - horny drunk, Gavin - crying drunk

Lucien’s Ares side come out a lot more that he just wants to be in your embrace and no one touches you

Takes a while for you to calm him down and let the others be near you

“Why did you let him kiss you?”

“Lucien, you also did too. It wouldn’t be fair to the others. Let’s all have fun.”

Kiro is the type to legit constantly compliment anyone and give some motivation speech as if they’re about to jump off a cliff

“Youu’re soo handsome and kind b-but I feel you don’t even know it.”

Shaw’s jokes are so perfectly timed with his expressions that everyone’s sides hurt from laughing, funny how he’s so calm when he says it

“I’m one drink closer to getting a tramp stamp.”

Victor isn’t a big fan on PDA but now he wants you to give him a lap dance mid club and says the dirtiest stuff

Even Lucien and Victor are at war while drunk

“You love the feeling of rubbing yourself against me.”

Poor Gavin has so much regret that he starts pouring out normally to Kiro about wishing he did things differently

“When I left I should have had-had more courage to tell her what I felt but I did not-I didn’t.”

“I get what you’re feeling! Trust me ev-everything has been working out. Like you’re here with Miss Chips getting wasted!!”

Ride share dropping all of you back home still drunk but trying to sober up, everyone is seriously tripping over themselves, laughing controllably

Trying to drink water and devour leftovers

After awhile everyone decides except Victor to sleep in his room because he has the biggest and comfiest bed

As everyone is falling asleep curled up to MC or snuggled in the comforter they knock out

[dawnsbreaking]

One of my favorite things about MLQC is the frequent use of symbolic imagery and motifs to set scenes and center characters. I think it’s incredibly clever, considering the importance of MC’s dreams, that the dreamlike symbolism is present throughout the story. At times, in MC’s confusion of piecing events together, reading the story almost feels like a sort of dream or vision interpretation. I love how consistent these symbols are for the characters and the way conflicting or contrasting imagery is used to add depth throughout the story. Also, since the story is told through MC’s perspective, the use of imagery shows us that her perception of the world is colored by her care for the main cast. When she’s with Gavin, MC notices fluttering leaves, when she’s with Victor, time slows, when she’s with Kiro, the sun is brighter, and when she’s with Lucien, she’s more attentive to light and shadow.

Under the cut, I have written more (1400ish words more) about symbolism in MLQC and how it adds depth to Lucien's characterization in particular.

Aside from adding to the mood of the story, the symbolism can also be used to narrative effect, showing us how MC is interpreting a character’s actions or motivations.

For example, we can look at how MC sorts through her feelings about Kiro/Helios in Chapter 29. Sun imagery pervaded previous chapters that centered Kiro while moon imagery is associated with Helios. In CH29, MC uses the harmony between the sun and moon as a metaphor when she accepts that Kiro and Helios are one and the same. This adds depth to what MC is feeling about Helios and also serves to contextualize the relationship between the two identities. (Note: I just love the idea that Helios has the same “sunshine” as Kiro but that he reflects it in a subtle way rather than being overwhelmingly positive like Kiro. This dynamic is only ever implied by the imagery and symbolism but it’s so perfect.)

In particular, though, I want to talk about some of the symbolism associated with Lucien and what we can learn from the way these symbols interact with one another.

Light and Shadow

One motif that is very present when the story is focused on Lucien is the balance between light and shadow. (Note: It’s very on the nose at times but executed well, I think, so I’ll give them a pass.) This motif is introduced far before Lucien’s betrayal is ever revealed, as early as his first meeting with MC. (Note: I literally wasn’t sure when the motif was first introduced but I went back to Lucien’s first scene and SURE ENOUGH, there it is. I love how consistent the writing is in this regard. The motifs are handled so well and so intentionally.)

During Lucien’s first scene in the game, light shining in from the window obscures his face. Far ahead of the betrayal, light and shadow are symbolically playing at obscuring his identity from MC. The light/shadow motif is used at first to symbolize Lucien being duplicitous, without much hinting toward his internal struggle. Later, when it’s clear that Lucien is struggling with a choice between metaphorical “dark” desire to continue his mission and “light” of protecting MC, light is used to hint at that internal conflict. An example of this is below, from Lucien's first standoff with Victor in Chapter 11.

Notably, though, sometimes, the “light” represents MC directly while the “shadow” represents Lucien. After Lucien’s internal conflict and desire to protect MC is first touched on in Chapter 16, the two are symbolically juxtaposed by scene-settings back-to-back in the last two units of CH16. 16-24 opens with a description of Lucien’s dark, gloomy room and 16-25 opens with a description of the lamp on MC’s desk casting a bright light. (Note: MC’s Evol is also represented by light often, so I think this imagery for her works even beyond its juxtaposition with Lucien.)

The same thing happens again when MC comes back from the Eternal Winter world, Lucien’s office is described as dark and shadowy when he is alone and then it’s cast in an “ephemeral glow” as soon as MC steps into the room.

Mirrors

A large part of Lucien’s character arc is his failure to properly make sense of his own identity, this struggle is represented by mirrors/reflections. Often, mirrors are shattered or distorted, implying an added difficulty of perception.

Because of the expectations that have been put on him from a young age, Lucien is very disconnected from his own identity. Even with Black Swan set completely aside, because of his savant-like personality and inability to relate to others, Lucien doesn’t view himself as a human being. Beyond that, there is also a struggle between the two identities of “Lucien” and “Ares” implied.

I think that the answer to this struggle is MC understanding Lucien and having clarity about who he is as a person. Light reflected in mirrors represents this concept symbolically in the Mirror Painting date. (Note: I believe this date is only currently available in the CN server, I read this translation) In this date, Lucien and MC paint each other and then use mirrors to reflect light onto the painting when it’s displayed. After being painted and, therefore, symbolically seen by MC, Lucien is finally allowed to turn away from the mirrors and stop worrying about who he is. The mirrors that represent his struggle with identity are able to add depth to a beautiful image when paired with the lights that represent MC’s understanding.

Shattered and Distorted Glass

This goes hand-in-hand with the mirror motif but is worth mentioning on its own because the symbolism is slightly different. While distorted mirrors imply difficulty for Lucien to perceive himself, distorted glass implies a difficulty for others to perceive Lucien. Shattered glass also represents a fractured relationship between the identities of “Lucien” and “Ares” in a few scenes.

On the wall of the abandoned Ultima Bioresearch Lab, MC finds a quotation written on the wall from the Bible. “For now we see through a glass, darkly. The truth is projected into the hearts of men through a glass lens. It’s distorted, blurry, and one-dimensional.” (Note: I’m assuming that this verse was translated from the Chinese dialogue and not transcribed from an English Bible translation, because this is, at the very least, not a popular translation of the verse that I’m familiar with. Ironically, it’s more popular to translate “glass” here as “mirror” so there goes this whole section LMAO.)

Because of the way it’s presented, I think that this image of distorted glass represents not how MC actually perceives Lucien but, rather, how Lucien believes he perceives her. Obviously, this is also foreshadowing the betrayal so, in a way, he’s correct in asserting that she is not seeing all of him. But, on the whole, this distorted glass imagery is delivered in a way that implies the distortion more as an insecurity on Lucien’s part rather than the reality of MC’s vision.

Rainbows

Keeping with Lucien’s themes of paradox and duplicity, one of his main motifs is the appearance of rainbows, despite the fact that he is colorblind. This is, again, representative of MC’s “light” being transformative to Lucien because the rainbows appear when they are together. I think that, rather than being a symbol for Lucien alone, rainbows represent Lucien’s relationship with MC. It’s a sort of combination of MC’s light imagery and Lucien’s refraction/distortion imagery. In the right circumstances, they can create something beautiful together.

It’s also implied throughout the story that Lucien is able to see colors when he’s around MC, so he is truly only able to appreciate the beauty of rainbows when he is with her. (Note: It’s unclear how this works but I think that it’s a side-effect of his Evol mimicking hers. There’s a footage mission where it seems like Lucien has to ask MC to look at something before he can tell the color of it so I think that he is somehow able to see the world through her perspective, possibly by using her Evol to have real-time visions. Does this make sense? Who knows, but I refuse to accept it just as soulmate magic!!!!)

If you haven’t, I highly recommend reading Lucien’s “Rainbow Luck” R&S. (Note: A recording is available here!) In this story, told from the perspective of Lucien’s pen, Iridescent, MC and Lucien see a rainbow together and it’s implied that this is Lucien’s first time being able to see a rainbow because MC is there. (Note: Iridescent as a name itself is an instance of Lucien’s rainbow motif.)

(Note: Lucien's Moments also features a rainbow paperweight at Bond Level 40.)

TLDR: Imagery and symbolism are used in MLQC to imply things about the characters and their relationships with MC. In particular, with Lucien, recurring imagery is used to represent his internal conflict and his desire for love and understanding from MC. The symbolism of light and its reflection/refraction is used to great effect throughout Lucien’s story, implying a complex web of internal struggles.

[autumn-lavelle]

MLQC kids -so far

So im just making this list to keep track of the MLQC kids I have made so far.

MC x Victor -Thomas (Tommy) Li

MC x Gavin - Daniel (Danny) Bai

MC x Lucien- Ophelia ?? Not sure what Lucien's last name is in Chinese.

Next up is Kiro and Mc and I'm probably making the child a girl, mostly to balance out the line up. Not sure what.

Update: Kiro x MC - Stella Chow

Maybe will do MC x Shaw but I kinda pair him up with my crack idea which is Shaw x Nikki. XD

[darealkatastrophe]

This Account is both SFW and NSFW.

*WARNING MINORS DNI, READING 18+ MATERIALS AT THIS AGE WILL CAUSE ISSUES LATER ON IN LIFE. I'M NOT AN PROFESSIONAL, HOWEVER I DID SOME RESEARCH, YOU MAY ALSO DO RESEARCH YOURSELF. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!*

● I write about random things that come in head about the characters I like. I always like to learn new things. These headcanons could be both NSFW and SFW, read at your own risk. That way you can't say I didn't warn you.

● Writing does take time, so does editing meme videos especially if you're me for sure. Some take longer then I'd like to, but better later than never at all.

●I post something like this before but I wrote like 3 things after that which is interesting for me anyways, some still in drafts.

♡ Hope you have a Good Night/ Good Day ♡

[mrlovetranslations]

Mr Love / 1 - 1

*В данном контексте под "я" главная героиня истории.* ��нна: Алло? Почему ты просто повесила трубку, когда я звонила сегодня утром? Я тогда не закончила говорить.

Я стояла у ворот LFG и, полная отчаяния, ответила на звонок.

Анна: Ты... ты в LFG, да?

Я: Да... Но безрезультатно. Я подписала соглашение о выводе инвестиций.

Казалось, будто я могу видеть Анну на том конце провода, окаменевшую.

Анна: Ты встречалась с Виктором, генеральным директором LFG?

Я: Нет... Я даже не смогла пройти мимо его помощника.

Я: Всё, чего нам не хватает, - это последний эпизод "Искателей чудес"...

Анна: Ох... Ну, тем не менее, они, пожалуй, избавили тебя от душевных стенаний. Я слышала, что генеральный директор - настоящий тиран.

Анна: Если бы ты встретилась с ним сегодня, сомневаюсь, что нам бы выдался шанс доснять финальный эпизод.

Услышав эти слова, я почему-то вспомнила образ босса-гангстера из "Крестного отца".

Я: ...Думаешь?

Анна: Да! Ты ещё новичок. Тебе нужно многому научиться. Этот Виктор - легенда в сфере финансов.

Анна: Финансовая группа Loveland была основана 9 лет назад, и сегодня она - лидер в своей отрасли. Это действительно невероятно...

Я: ...Как им это удалось...

Анна: Никто не знает... Какой-то неизвестный магнат, наверное, дергает за ниточки за кулисами.

Я: Неважно, кто дергает за ниточки, они прекращают финансирование.

Анна: На самом деле нам не на что жаловаться - у шоу не так много зрителей...

Анна: Когда твой папа был еще жив, оно и правда было популярно. Может быть, культура изменилась...

Я: Анна, ты практически управляла всем в течение 2 лет после смерти отца... Мы тебе многим обязаны...

Анна: Просто выполняла свою работу, и не сказала бы, что хорошо с ней справлялась... Просто пытаюсь держать всё н�� плаву, пока ты не закончишь обучение и не сможешь взять всё на себя.

Я до сих пор помню обещание, данное мною папе в детстве: мы сделаем лучшее шоу в мире...

Я: Анна, хоть это и звучит нереально, но я не хочу сдаваться.

Я просто не могу отказаться от мечты, которую папа построил для меня.

В этот момент мое внимание привлек крик.

Прохожая девушка А: Ааааа! Смотрите, это он! Мой кумир на все времена, мой единственный и неповторимый - КИРО!

Прохожая девушка Б: Где, где? Дай мне посмотреть. Хватит одного взгляда, чтобы влюбиться, да?...

Проследив за взглядами девушек, я увидела рекламу на гигантском экране Торговой башни.

На нём показывали Идола Киро на концерте. Он излучал сияющую ауру, привлекая каждую проходящую мимо девушку.

Прохожая девушка Б: Боже мой... Какой он красивый... Он сияет!--Ааааааа! Он смотрит на меня! Нет, я сейчас заплачу!

Прохожая девушка А: Аааа! Он смотрит на меня, а не на тебя! Ты не его фанатка. Брось притворяться!

Прохожая девушка Б: У меня кружится голова! Киро, должно быть, наделён сверхспособностями, которые заставляют всех влюбляться в него!

Прохожая девушка А: Так теперь ты признаёшь это? Разве не ты говорила, что всё это чепуха?

Прохожая девушка Б: Теперь я верю! Если сверхспособности действительно существуют, то у Киро они точно есть!

Прохожая девушка А: Хорошо, хорошо, только глаза вытри. Давай! Очередь за альбомом становится длиннее с каждой минутой.

Я: !!

Мне в голову пришла идея. Идеальный план.

Я: Анна, у меня есть план! Ты говорила, что есть много способов сделать шоу популярным.

Я: Как насчет ... для последнего шоу выложиться на полную и пригласить суперзвезду?

Я посмотрела на сияющую звезду на экране.

Я: Давай пригласим Киро!

[perhaps-in-anotherdream]

[CN] Victor x MC – S2 CH 46 (Eng Translation - Part 1)

“All I know is that I really want to see her.”

“The moment I heard him speak, I felt as if a soft voice in my mind was whispering to me, reassuring me that it was okay not to be so strong right now.”

⌚ This post contains detailed spoilers for a chapter that is yet to be released on the global server. ⌚

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

[Notes from Anika]: I’m currently working on adding subtitles to the chapter, so I’ll save myself the hassle of adding many sprites, and probably will be skipping on adding notes for voice acting too, otherwise I’d have to do it for every line he says ahah-  ಥ﹏ಥ

—

【CH 45-1, Victor part】

[Note]: The first part is the continuation of S2 CH 42-15, where it was shown that Victor and Kiro had met up in Paris. Another important segment of Victor’s “taking care of everything” before the inevitable happened. (TдT)

—

Half a month ago, in Paris.

The patter of raindrops falls rhythmically on the glass windows, accompanied by the melodious tune from the vinyl record.

As if treading on the beats, the door of the room is pushed open. A dazzling blond figure appears at the entrance.

Kiro’s gaze sweeps over the figures in the shadows of the room before finally landing straight on Victor, who is sitting in the center.

Kiro: The BOSS specially arranged a meeting with me at a secret location in Paris. So, I guess there must be an important matter to discuss.

As Kiro speaks, he walks directly to the seat opposite Victor and sits down, slightly raising his chin.

Kiro: Well, let’s begin.

Victor: I only have one thing to announce.

Victor’s gaze briefly intersects with Kiro’s, but soon shifts towards the figures in the dark corners.

Victor: Starting today, he will be the new BOSS of BS.

Victor’s deep voice resonates throughout the room, eliciting a collective gasp of astonishment.

The conference room lapses into a deathly silence, and no one utters a word. The bewildered and uncertain gazes of those lurking in the shadows silently exchange their thoughts.

Even in Kiro’s own eyes, a subtle hint of being astounded passes by, almost imperceptible.

But he quickly suppresses it, as if entering a state, and immediately displays a smile that says, “as expected.”

Hades: Since when did a test subject become worthy of being the BOSS?

Hades’s voice breaks the silence. He is the first to step out of the shadows, confronting Victor and Kiro directly.

Hades: Such a loser has no right to dictate and interfere with us.

Kiro: …

Kiro lifts his eyes, and within his radiant golden eyes, a smile filled with arrogance can be seen.

Kiro: Regarding this matter, you have no authority to intervene.

—

[Note]: From here onwards, we’re back to the present day, i.e., following the days after S2 CH 44~ do note that it’s been 15 days since the lantern festival of CH 44, but when MC says “two months” later, she is referring to all the events that took place before, minus the moments spent with Victor (TдT)

—

The early morning sunlight spills onto the desk covered with scattered documents.

Since Chen Hui was taken away by the city hall, the investigation has temporarily reached a conclusion. The company’s files and materials that were previously seized are gradually being returned.

However, following this, there has been an overwhelming influx of various government approvals and media interview articles.

The consecutive and complex tasks for over two months have been suffocating, leaving me gasping for air. I can only find small moments to do ordinary work in between and relieve stress.

I shake my hands vigorously as I prepare to submit the proposal to LFG, sighing subconsciously.

Anna: Haven’t all the issues been resolved? Why are you still heaving deep sighs?

MC: There are still so many formalities to be completed; just the thought of it gives me a headache.

MC: Luckily, all the relevant documents for the redevelopment plan have been retrieved, so it won’t affect the subsequent regular work.

MC: The several projects that were temporarily put on hold during the investigation can now be resumed. Anna, I appreciate your hard work in following up on them.

Anna: Don’t worry, I’ll take care of these things. And as for you, have you forgotten about the medical check-up again?

It’s only when Anna mentions it that I remember. The company’s annual medical examination deadline is approaching, and we’ve recently organized a round of group check-ups for everyone.

I didn’t participate in the medical check-up at that time because I was busy with the Chen Hui issue. After returning from the Lantern Festival, I remained holed up in the office dealing with various matters, and now the time has flown by.

Lantern Festival… as the two words inadvertently pop into my head, a series of gentle waves spreads in my heart. I don’t know why, but I have a feeling that I’ve forgotten something very important.

Anna: What’s on your mind, MC? Remember to make an appointment.

MC: …hmm, okay. I promise to go for the medical check-up once I’m done with my tasks! Right now, I’m heading to LFG for a routine report.

Anna: Isn’t the routine report to LFG always sent electronically?

I look at Anna in puzzlement, only to see an even more bewildered look on her face.

MC: Electronically?

I’m stumped momentarily, feeling like something has fleetingly passed through my mind, but I can’t grab hold of it.

Yeah, that’s right. Of course! It has always been the practice to submit electronic documents. How could I even forget about this?

Ever since receiving investment from LFG, all the major decisions have been conducted through online communication, with e-mail approvals, and the number of actual visits to LFG in person has been few and far between.

A familiar sense of dissonance suddenly surges within me, as if a vital part has been wiped away from my life in a mere moment, leaving no trace behind.

Perhaps noticing my unsettling expression, Anna pats me on the shoulder.

Anna: I told you that you’re too tired. Go back early today and get some rest.

I nod my head and sit back down in my seat, then proceed to open the emails on my desktop.

Indeed, the email contains the routine report for LFG, and reviewing the email history, I can see that it has always been sent as electronic manuscripts to LFG in the past.

Could it be that the delay has caused a memory bias? I shake my head. After briefly checking the document, I click the “send” button.

With the end of the workday drawing near, I set aside the lingering unsettling feeling for now and prepare to go home early and rest.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 46-1, Victor part】

As is usual LOL, through various twists and turns, following the events of the prev. CH, MC finds herself being engulfed by a strong force and ends up in the familiar white desert—

The event MC gets flashbacks of is the white desert scene of S2 CH 37 and meeting a Victor with no memories. But since Victor is erased from everyone’s memories now, the details are blurred for MC even though she desperately tries to recall~ (TдT)

—

MC: This place…

Before my eyes stretches an endless expanse of pure white desert, blending seamlessly with the distant horizon.

Waves of heat surge towards me, causing a thin sheen of sweat to form on my forehead, unbeknownst to me.

A sense of déjà vu at the sight makes me freeze in place––

I have been here before.

I feel as if a comet is reversing above my head, taking me back to that chaotic and disorderly space-time overlap incident.

Back then, after Shaw and I mistakenly stepped on that glowing boundary line, I inexplicably found myself falling into this eerie white desert.

MC: That’s right… I had walked here for a long time…

MC: And then, I… huh?

How did I eventually return to Loveland City?

?? (little boy, in flashback): Don’t waste your breath.

?? (little boy, in flashback): You had just fallen into a disordered space. If it weren’t for the CORE on you, I wouldn’t have been able to locate you among countless intricate dimensions.

Ah, yes. Afterward, I was taken out of the desert by that mysterious person from the Black Cabin.

MC: …no, that’s not right.

As if to deny my own memories, I practically cry out.

MC: [yelling]  NO!!

Before returning to Loveland City, I had clearly met someone in this desert.

Furthermore, that person should be someone really important to me.

Swirling in the rising heat, a blurry figure emerges in the distant horizon, but it only manifests for a mere second before abruptly dissipating.

It feels as though both the blazing sun and the illusion are jeering at me. If that person is so important to me, why is my memory failing me?

Lost in thought, I stand amidst the deadly silence of the sand dunes, the grains beneath my feet slowly swallowing my ankles, as if quietly trying to drag me into the sea of sand.

—

MC wearily walks through the desert, trying to find a way out. Finally, she finds a totem, and upon touching it, she is taken out of this dimension and into ruins, where she meets Shaw cue. Shaw’s part in the update~

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 46-8】

[Anika’s Notes]: One thing I want to mention before starting, throughout the entire chapter, Victor is referred as “男人” (man) while his character is defined as “Others,” unlike how his name would’ve been shown as 李泽言  (Li Zeyan) had this whole oblivion thing not happened. I’ve already wailed over it in my twitter thread, so not gonna do that again LOL. I will, however, write his name as “Man (Victor).” Otherwise, I don’t think I’ll be able to do this shit–– （ ꐦꉺωꉺ)つ)`Д˚)꘎༄ؘ 

—

After parting ways with Shaw, and in the plane on her way to Loveland City—

 —

After being away for two days, the unread messages and e-mails have piled up like a mountain. As I quickly scroll down with my finger, I happen to tap on a message that has already been read.

“——Hello, Miss MC. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to attend tonight’s networking event. I will be at the venue on the cruise ship, and I sincerely look forward to your presence…”

I blink my eyes, and then it dawns on me that a few days ago, I did receive an invitation from a business partner.

MC: Oh, yes! I almost forgot about this... Luckily, I can still make it in time.

After confirming the time for the evening cruise event, I quickly respond to several messages from my business partners. It’s only after hearing the broadcast reminder to turn off the devices that I finally put my phone down.

The past few days have been filled with such diverse and bizarre experiences that when I close my eyes, images of what I saw in the ruins flash through my mind.

Who exactly was that blurry figure? Why were there so many identical figures around that person?

And what is the connection between those overlapping points of light and the heart of the world...

Lost in my thoughts, I unconsciously sketch out that pattern in my mind. Inexplicably, a familiar warmth gradually begins to well up within me.

Unwittingly, my palm curls up, and a sudden surge of power sweeps over me. Before I can even react, everything before my eyes starts spinning.

The soft seat behind me abruptly vanishes, leaving me without anything to lean on. Caught off guard, I take a few steps back.

Suddenly, my feet sink into softness, as if I have stepped onto a sandy terrain.

MC: Why am I here again––?!

Unlike the calm and tranquil white desert from before, the quicksand this time is exceptionally swift and violent. Before I can even let out a cry of alarm, it engulfs my calves.

I quickly lift my leg, attempting to free my feet from the quicksand. However, with the slightest movement, my body begins to uncontrollably sink further. In a matter of seconds, it has already reached my knees.

MC: …I’m done for!

The image of being swallowed by the quicksand races through my mind, and I instinctively struggle, but the sinking speed only accelerates.

?? (Victor): Stop flailing about.

In the next second, a deep voice suddenly reaches my ears.

I restrain my instinct to struggle and cease my movements, listening as the voice resounds once again.

?? (Victor): Now, lie down on your back and keep your body flat.

MC: …b-but I’ll end up sinking if I do that!

?? (Victor): If you continue like this, you will only sink faster.

The other party’s voice is not sharp, yet it inexplicably makes one want to have faith in the person.

Gritting my teeth, I fight back my fear and gradually lay down in the quicksand behind me. The warm grains of sand slowly surge up, almost drowning my ears, until they finally come to a halt.

Just as I breathe a sigh of relief and try to clearly see the source of the voice, the surroundings are suddenly engulfed in a swirling sandstorm.

The moment I try to speak, dust fills my mouth, making it difficult to breathe. I struggle to lower my head and suddenly feel a strong hand gripping my wrist.

?? (Victor): [incomparably anxious]  Hold on to me tightly!

Even though I can’t see the other person’s face clearly, I instinctively hold onto his hand, reminiscent of clinging to the last piece of driftwood, and slowly shift my body.

The wind and sand brush against my face, leaving a sensation of pain akin to being cut by a sharp blade, which only intensifies the anguish in my heart.

If this continues, we will both be swallowed by the quicksand. What else can we possibly do…

As I struggle, the power within me seems to respond to my will to survive, burning fervidly in my chest.

It seems to have an impact as the surrounding sandstorm abruptly weakens a little. The hand gripping mine exerts a sudden force, pulling me out of the whirlpool in an instant.

I fall to my knees in exhaustion and apply all my strength to get back on my feet, only to find that my hands and legs have gone limp.

I can only gasp for breath, allowing uncontrollable tears to roll down my eyes. It takes me a while before I lift my head in lingering apprehension.

MC: [crying]  Th-thank you… 

Through the blur of tears, I find myself looking into a pair of ink-black eyes.

The sound of the wind brushes past my ears, but it grows distant and muffled.

I stare at the person in front of me in a daze, and my heart suddenly skips a beat.

His dark-colored coat is stained with dirt and dust smudges, yet his figure remains upright and composed.

His thin lips are slightly pursed, seemingly due to dryness, making them appear even paler in contrast.

Peering through his slightly disheveled bangs, he gazes at me with gentle and serene eyes. For some unknown reason, unfamiliar emotions of aching sorrow suddenly surge within me.

I tightly squeeze my palm in a somewhat wretched manner, fearing that if I wait for a second longer, tears will gush out of my eyes beyond my control.

Why does my heart suddenly feel as if it has lost a vital part, so empty that it makes me unable to breathe?

I have obviously never seen this man in front of me before, yet I feel as if I’ve sketched his features in my mind countless times over, and every subtle change in his expression tugs at my emotions.

MC: [sobbing]  Why do I…

I restrain the urge that arises from an unknown source, attempting to calm my breathing. Yet, the man seems to sense my gaffe.

He furrows his brows slightly and takes half a step forward, speaking in a hushed tone.

Man (Victor): [THE TONE OF TRADEMARK “VICTOR-TENDERNESS”]  Are you okay?

I open my lips, but the words “I’m fine” or “It’s okay” feel so heavy that they are choked up in my throat.

I gaze into those deep eyes, and the world before me slowly becomes blurry. The determination I’ve been obstinately holding on to seems to crumble bit by bit.

…the moment I heard him speak, I felt as if a soft voice in my mind was whispering to me, reassuring me that it was okay not to be so strong right now.

Finally, I can’t hold back anymore and grasp onto his lapel, allowing burning tears to stream down unbridled.

MC: [sobbing]  …I’m sorry. I-I might have been too scared… just give me a moment to calm down…

I struggle to explain, my words coming out in fragments, and I can sense the man’s body stiffening for a moment.

However, he stands silently in his spot, not uttering a word, allowing me to tightly hold onto his clothes as I sob.

The surroundings are quiet, with only my sobbing echoing in the gentle breeze. In the distance, the faint image of tall buildings seems to appear, only to quickly vanish into the heat waves.

Once my emotions have settled to some extent, I awkwardly loosen my grip on his clothes and nod incoherently.

MC: Thank you. I… I’m sorry about earlier.

Perhaps because I myself don’t know how to explain, in the end, I don’t say anything at all.

The man doesn’t ask me any questions, but his gaze lingers briefly on my dusty face, and his brows seem to slightly furrow.

With a belated realization, I wipe away the tear stains on my face and voice the question in my mind.

MC: Were you also accidentally sucked into this disordered space?

The man averts his gaze and speaks with an indifferent expression.

Man (Victor): I don’t know what you’re talking about.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 46-9】

The unexpected response leaves me momentarily stunned.

For a moment, I’m unsure if the person doesn’t understand what I mean or if there is some other reason, so I tentatively try to ask once again.

MC: How did you end up here?

Man (Victor): I don’t know.

MC: …?

Hearing one perfunctory answer after another, I can’t help but feel a little frustrated. However, upon reflecting for a moment, I quickly find solace.

After all, considering that we are in a space filled with unknowns and mysteries, it’s only natural to be on guard.

Moreover... I don’t have much knowledge about this place either. Perhaps this mysterious man hasn’t entered here accidentally to begin with.

The immediate priority is to get out of here as soon as possible.

With that thought in mind, I discreetly clench my fist, trying to tap into the power of CORE. However, nothing happens.

MC: Why is this happening again… oh, right, the totem!

A sudden realization strikes me, and I promptly scan the surroundings, trying to find the stone totem I had encountered earlier. But then, I hear the deep voice of the man beside me.

Man (Victor): We should go.

MC: Go? Where are we going?

Man (Victor): …I don’t know.

His perplexing response continues to baffle me, but as I watch the man’s figure gradually fade into the distance, I hesitate for a moment before ultimately deciding to chase and catch up with him.

Since he was willing to risk his life to save me just now, it’s unlikely that he would have any ill intentions toward me.

Whether he is an ordinary solemn man who got trapped here like me or a mysterious being from another dimension, two people teaming up have a better chance of finding a way out of here.

Seemingly hearing my footsteps, the man glances at me calmly but doesn’t say anything.

I clear my throat and strike up a conversation with him, trying to sound natural while maintaining moderate proximity between us.

MC: Um... I’m not really familiar with this place. Would you mind showing me the way a little longer?

MC: But I don’t quite understand. If you don’t know where we are headed, what’s the point of moving forward now?

The man’s eyes flicker for a moment as he glances slightly behind me, lifting his chin.

Man (Victor): In order to not be caught up.

MC: ...Is there something behind us?

The specious words cause a cold sweat to creep up my back. I turn my gaze in the direction he gestures, only to be greeted with an endless expanse of white sand.

But there seems to be some kind of movement not far away.

My eyes widen as I finally see a gigantic vortex that has materialized in the desert at some point, slowly spinning and extending towards our direction.

MC: What is that?

Man (Victor): Time. If we stop, we will be swallowed up before long.

As if to validate his words, the vortex continues to expand without a moment’s pause. Subconsciously, these words escape my lips.

MC: Are we really going to keep racing against it indefinitely? Until when do we have to keep moving?

Man (Victor): I don’t know––

Seemingly catching a glimpse of my wordless expression from the corner of his eye, his tone falters.

Man (Victor): But time won’t stop. So we must keep moving forward.

His resolute tone sounds as if he is stating some kind of conclusion, which only adds to my bewilderment. But I instinctively follow in his footsteps.

Why does he know all this? Who is he exactly? And why does he keep answering my questions selectively?

I surreptitiously turn my head and gaze at his profile under the scorching sun. A peculiar premonition starts to emerge within me.

He might be the key to my escape from this place.

MC: Hey! Stop for a moment!

The man glances at me with a hint of confusion but still stops in his tracks.

MC: If we keep walking, we’ll exhaust our energy sooner or later. I know a potential solution that might help us find a way out of here.

MC: Let’s go find a stone totem together!

I squat down as I speak and begin to draw earnestly on the sandy surface.

—

[Tidbits]: it’s a nod to the orphanage escape incident of S2, where kid MC did the same thing, drawing the map on the ground to explain the route to kid Victor~ 🥺

—

MC: I’ve accidentally entered this space once before, and at that time, I happened to touch a stone totem. It transported me out of here.

MC: It probably looks like this, with snake or gear patterns on top, in a very quaint style...

I point to the diagram I’ve drawn, explaining the details. But as I lift my head to look at the man, my voice suddenly trails off.

A faint outline emerges on the distant horizon, causing my eyes to widen slightly. In a somewhat incoherent manner, I point towards the distance.

MC: The city I was transported to had buildings with a similar style… perhaps the totem is somewhere nearby!

I spring up impatiently. The man stares into the distance for a moment and then silently keeps pace with me.

However, despite scaling a sand dune, the distance between us and the city remains unchanged.

MC: Strange… why can’t we seem to get any closer?

Man (Victor): That’s a mirage.

Man (Victor): This desert projects one’s innermost longing. But the manifestation is transient, and it eventually fades away.

As if in response to his words, the distant outline begins to blur, reminiscent of a drop of water spreading across a picture scroll.

MC: …why didn’t you tell me earlier?

Man (Victor): There was no need for it.

Man (Victor): As time goes on and you keep on walking, moving forward also becomes an increasing consumption of willpower.

Man (Victor): Being able to see hallucinations at this moment is something that can be considered a blessing.

I instinctively want to refute it. But the moment our eyes interlock, the words get stuck in my throat.

He isn’t teasing me. He genuinely feels that I actually need such a fantasy right now.

MC: You sound like you don’t like seeing hallucinations…

Man (Victor): [voice trailing off]  Whether I like it or not is irrelevant. If it can be a source of support for you in the desert, then it’s a good thing.

The man’s tone when he says this doesn’t sound as indifferent as before. Perhaps, within his emotions that have been weathered by the wind and sand, there still lurks a glimmer of hope?

The way I’m trying to get out of here now, has he tried the same methods too?

The moment I realize this, I feel that all my previous dissatisfaction with his attitude vanishes into thin air, and that it even surges a resonance from the depths of my heart that I’m unable to understand.

As if sensing my abrupt silence, the man’s tone softens a little.

Man (Victor): ...I haven’t seen the totem you mentioned, but I have come across some other fragments in the sand dunes.

Man (Victor): Nothing happened when I touched them, though. So I kept thinking that I couldn’t leave this place.

Man (Victor): But…

The man pauses.

Man (Victor): Now I feel like perhaps you will be able to do it.

I didn’t expect this person, who seemed to have an indifferent attitude so far, to say such words. I can’t help but be frozen in surprise.

As the man observes my bewildered expression, for reasons unknown, a subtle smile tugs at the corners of his otherwise stoic lips.

Man (Victor): [laughs softly]  So, come on. Let’s continue looking for that thing you mentioned.

The sun relentlessly shines down, and every grain of sand beneath our feet reflects a blinding white light that makes one’s head spin.

I don’t know how long we’ve been walking, but suddenly my legs give in, and I hear the man speak just at that moment.

Man (Victor): Let’s take a break for a while.

MC: But the vortex behind us––

Man (Victor): It’s still some distance away from us. We can resume our journey before it catches up.

Heaving a sigh of relief, I follow him to a massive sand dune and flop down beside him. I feel an aching sensation radiating through every bone in my body.

The surroundings are eerily quiet. In the vast sea of sand, we are but two insignificant grains of sand that can be scattered with a single breath.

MC: By the way, I don’t know what to call you. I’m MC. What’s your name?

MC: You’re not going to tell me again that you don’t know, are you?

The man remains silent for a while, his eyelashes casting a faint shadow.

Man (Victor): [sighs helplessly]  …I really don’t know.

Man (Victor): I have no idea about my own identity or why I ended up here.

Man (Victor): I don’t remember anything from the past.

I’m slightly startled, recalling the cold and indifferent “I don’t know” that I got from him before... So, it turns out that it wasn’t just a perfunctory response?

MC: …so, you don’t know how long you’ve been here either?

He nods and casually picks up a stone lying next to his feet.

Man (Victor): I was already in the desert when I regained consciousness. I don’t remember my past, and have no clarity about the future.

Man (Victor): But I remember that I need to go somewhere… because someone is waiting for me there.

MC: Where is that?

He shakes his head and calmly lowers his gaze, as if what he just said isn’t worth caring about. I, however, can’t help feeling a little distressed.

Even without knowing that so-called destination, he persists in carrying this one and only thought in his heart, continuously traversing through the desert without ever stopping–– for who knows how long.

I don’t know whether to call this person persistent or a dummy.

MC: What did you mean earlier when you said being caught up by time would swallow us?

MC: Also, what you said about the desert reflecting innermost longing… have you seen something in the mirage?

His hand stroking the stone ceases its motion, and he turns his head to look at me.

Man (Victor): Hm? Have you always had so many questions?

MC: I’m just curious... And who knows, maybe as we chat, you might also remember something.

Not sure if he’s been persuaded by my words, but he locks eyes with me for a moment before speaking.

Man (Victor): I don’t remember what will happen if we get caught up… but my subconscious tells me that we mustn’t stop.

Man (Victor): As for the images I saw, I can only remember a blurry figure.

His eyes rest on me as he says this, as if he is gazing upon a hazy memory.

Man (Victor): I can’t recall the details clearly. And even if I could, I don’t think I would remember who the other person was.

Man (Victor): All I know is that I really want to see her.

The surroundings lapse into silence, and for a moment, neither of us speaks. After a while, the man gently tosses the stone from his hand.

Man (Victor): Tell me about yourself.

MC: I… the place where I live is called Loveland City. It’s a place where miracles can happen at any moment.

MC: If you drive along the mountain road to the seaside, you will be treated to beautiful sunsets. The streets and alleys are filled with small hidden stores, and you can find delightful surprises more often than not…

I keep babbling on and on, sharing a range of topics from the smallest and trivial matters of everyday life to various incidents with some details left out.

I’m unsure whether it’s to break the monotony or to persevere with the hope of returning home just a little longer, and a little bit longer.

The man remains completely silent, leaning against the sand dune, his gaze lowered as he looks into the distance. It feels as if he is regarding my outpouring as mere background sound.

Amid the boundless tranquility, weariness begins to creep in, little by little.

My eyelids gradually grow heavy. In a half-asleep and half-awake state, I seem to hear a very soft sigh.

The sound of breathing beside his ears slowly becomes even. The man withdraws his gaze from the distance and lowers his eyes to the person beside him.

She has her eyes closed, her body curled up slightly, appearing somewhat restless. A faint sense of trance flickers in his eyes.

He doesn’t know why, but his emotions are stirred by the presence of this girl, causing ripples within him. And this slight throbbing, it seems like, isn’t the first time.

He presses one hand against his forehead, trying hard to recollect. Some scattered and broken images flash intermittently in the depths of his memory.

Amidst the sandstorm, there appeared to be a blurry figure. He is unable to make out the person’s face clearly, but he remembers that when she disappeared, she desperately yelled out a name to him––

The memories in his mind suddenly become blank, and the man opens his eyes, exhaling slowly.

Reminiscent of water droplets seeping into gravel, traces of those images fade away in an instant. His recollection of these fragments is becoming increasingly challenging to grasp.

A familiar rustling sound transmits to his ears, and he lifts his head toward the source.

The gigantic vortex reveals a glimpse of its presence within the shadows.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 46-11】

A muffled sound comes from beside my ears, as if something has collapsed with a loud thud. Startled, I’m jolted awake and find myself lying face down on the man’s back.

From behind, deep footprints meander their way, while the sand dune where we were resting earlier is now falling apart in pieces within the vortex.

Despite this, the vortex shows no signs of slowing down, continuing to expand relentlessly without satisfaction.

I draw a soft breath in lingering fear and hear a deep voice coming from beside my ear.

Man (Victor): [the trademark Victor-tenderness]  Awake?

I promptly leap off him and thank him, feeling a little embarrassed.

MC: [blushing]  Thank you. You saved me once again.

The man doesn’t say anything, but I can discern the traces of weariness in his bloodshot eyes.

We got to relax for only a moment as we are just a hair’s breadth away from being engulfed... and how much longer will we have to endure these sleepless and tireless days?

Man (Victor): What are you staring at?

I hurriedly avert my gaze and respond in a low voice.

MC: Nothing. I’m just thinking about how grateful I’m to you for earlier… I’m fully rested now!

MC: Next time, you take a break, and I’ll keep watch. I promise I won’t cause us any delays again!

As I speak with an expression of making a solemn vow, it seems like a faint smile briefly curves at the corners of the man’s lips.

Man (Victor): [chuckles indulgently]  You just focus on taking care of yourself first.

Memories stir up like fleeting ripples, reminiscent of a dragonfly lightly touching the water’s surface. But before I can say anything, the person beside me takes the lead in stepping forward.

After trekking through the blistering waves of heat for a long time, something suddenly catches my eye in the distance. As I approach closer, I can vaguely make out the outline of an arrow. 

I blink and cautiously turn my gaze to him.

MC: Is it the same kind of fragment you’ve seen before? Or is it also a mirage?

Man (Victor): Not sure. Let’s get closer and take a look.

Ten steps, three steps, one step… the arrow still hasn’t vanished. I quickly walk closer, closely examining it.

MC: Although it’s not the totem I’m looking for, it might still be able to take us away from here… want to take a gamble?

The man casts a quick glance at the encroaching vortex.

Man (Victor): Let’s go.

Man (Victor): As long as we’re not staying in this same place, anywhere else is fine.

As the man speaks, he lifts his hand in unison with me, as if by some unspoken agreement.

A familiar power suddenly surges within my body, causing the worn-out arrow feathers to glimmer faintly. In the next moment, a powerful repulsive force swiftly sweeps us up.

—

A faint smell of blood rushes to my nostrils. I open my eyes to a desolate twilight scene, with an immense heap of armor strewn across the barren plain, reflecting in my gaze.

MC: Is this a filming set?

I look around with some surprise and hear the man speak in a contemplative tone.

Man (Victor): It doesn’t seem like an artificial arrangement. Let’s look around first.

I nod and carefully avoid the scattered feathers and arrows as we walk towards the edge together. However, as we continue forward, my puzzlement intensifies more and more, and I can’t help but mutter to myself.

MC: This battlefield feels too real… there isn’t anything like this in Loveland City. It doesn’t even seem like we are in the same era.

Man (Victor): Then perhaps it is real.

Seemingly hearing my fragmented mumblings, the man naturally picks up the conversation. However, a realization suddenly strikes me.

MC: Could it be that the disordered space is connected to other worlds…?

??: Messenger! Why did you leave the military camp and come here?

Before I can finish my sentence, a shout reaches my ears from a distance. I raise my head somewhat and see a troop of soldiers clad in armor waving at me from afar.

An inexpressible sense of familiarity suddenly wells up in my heart. I stop in my tracks and whisper inquisitively to the man next to me, my mind filled with bewilderment.

MC: It’s so weird… why do I feel like I’m really the messenger they’re calling out to? Do you have a similar feeling?

Man (Victor): No. Are you sure it’s not just your imagination?

MC: …but I have a strong sense about it. How about when they get closer, I try talking to them and see what happens?

As we are speaking, the soldiers gradually draw close to us. But before I can even probe, their eyes fall in unison to my side, and they jerk to a halt.

The originally joyful expression on the soldiers’ faces disappears entirely. And in the next second, they swiftly raise their bows and arrows with a numb demeanor.

MC: …!

With no time to react, the man takes my hand and briskly turns, leading me to escape into a deeper part of the jungle.

The sound of arrows whizzing through the air chases closely behind us, reminiscent of intangible shackles. I push aside the branches and leaves obstructing our path and speak as I gasp for breath.

MC: Why would they suddenly turn violent…?

Man (Victor): [in pain and breathless]  Not sure.

The tail notes of his voice seem to be muffled. I turn around and see that the man’s suit has been slashed in several long cuts, with even dark marks seeping into the fabric.

…but how could the branches cause such deep wounds?

I anxiously pull him closer to me, wanting to get a better look at his injuries. But without any warning, a nearby boulder suddenly shakes and tumbles down, catching us off guard.

A cloud of dust and fog billows up as a deep crater is formed where the man has been standing just now. I open my eyes wide and look in the direction from which the boulder has rolled.

MC: Why… did it suddenly come rolling down like that? 

The series of coincidences seem more like some kind of “manipulation.”

The man furrows his brows. It appears that he, too, has sensed something amiss. Without uttering a word, he swiftly pulls me behind a tree, seeking shelter.

The distance between us is suddenly closed, and I can almost smell the scent of blood emanating from his body. I try to suppress my racing heartbeat, listening to the chaotic footsteps echoing through the jungle.

I cautiously peer through the gaps in the branches, and an unexpected figure abruptly enters my line of sight––

That mysterious little boy, attired in an outmoded sweatshirt and oversized beach shorts, blends in among the soldiers chasing us, creating a stark contrast.

Oddly enough, it seems as though the others are completely oblivious to his presence.

Seemingly aware of our gaze, he smiles and lifts his hat in our direction.

Little Boy: How interesting! So, it turns out those exiled by the world would end up in such a wretched state.

What does he mean by that? And why did he appear here?

My heart shudders as I notice that the little boy’s eyes are not directed at me, but rather at the man next to me.

The sudden change in the soldiers’ attitude, the inexplicable assault on him from the surrounding trees… akin to igniting a flint, an unimaginable thought suddenly springs to my mind.

Could the boy be referring to him as the person “exiled by the world”?

Just as I’m about to speak, I hear the deep voice of the person next to me resounding.

Man (Victor): Do you know me?

The little boy just grins, neither confirming nor denying it.

Little Boy: Maybe? If you want to find out, it will depend on how much patience you guys have.

As the little boy speaks, his figure disappears in an instant among the troop. The next second, we hear the shout of a soldier coming from a distance.

Soldier: Over here! Ready your arrows!

The man shifts his gaze away from the spot where the little boy has disappeared, furrowing his brows as he looks down at his feet.

I follow his line of sight, only to find the previously solid and arid ground tremble, suddenly sinking like a swamp, drowning the man’s ankles in a flash.

MC: …what is going on!

Unfathomable events unfold one after another right before our eyes, but before we can even begin to process them, countless arrows are aimed in the man’s direction.

Panicking, I hurriedly rush forward. But the man’s voice stops me in my tracks.

Man (Victor): [THAT PAINED TONE—]  Let’s part ways here.

MC: What?

The man’s voice is very soft but carries an indisputable tone.

Man (Victor): One thing I can be sure of now is that I can’t stay here for long.

Man (Victor): Leave me. It will reduce the dangers for you significantly.

As he speaks with a little more urgency in his tone, an invisible wave of energy ripples through the air, as if trying to forcefully expel him from this world.

As the surging air wave grows increasingly violent, the boulders in the surrounding seem to quake. Realizing that there is no more time for argument, I grit my teeth and lunge myself towards the man.

Before he can react, I instinctively grab his wrist without hesitation.

—

A familiar wave of heat rushes over us, and in the scorching air, there is a hint of dryness, carrying the scent of sand and dust.

Just as expected. We are greeted with the sight of that vast white desert once again. The swirling vortex remains at a distance, separated from us by a sand dune.

MC: Why does it feel like the vortex hasn’t moved?

Man (Victor): It’s time that hasn’t moved.

Seeing my bafflement, the man points towards the direction of the vortex with his finger.

Man (Victor): I have a sense that the time spent in that world won’t impact the time in this desert.

MC: You mean that the time in each world operates independently?

Man (Victor): It’s likely. But the evidence from one world is not enough; we need more…

The man suddenly pauses as if having a lump in his throat, and his brows knit into a frown.

MC: Why did you stop talking?

Man (Victor): …why did you follow me back?

It seems like the man has suddenly realized that his analysis conflicts with his earlier unyielding insistence for us to part ways. He averts his gaze and abruptly changes the subject.

A small chuckle escapes me, feeling a mixture of amusement and dissatisfaction. I pout my lips.

MC: Why do you think? You’re really a dummy.

Man (Victor): …

The man arches the corners of his eyebrows slightly, his expression becoming subtly nuanced. Realizing that my teasing has crossed a boundary, I quickly explain with a serious face.

MC: You yourself mentioned before that when you touched something in the desert, you didn’t receive any response.

MC: So, it’s highly probable that I was the one who brought you into that space just now.

MC: Can we interpret it this way, then? It’s safe to say that without me, you wouldn’t be able to travel to other worlds and would be relentlessly chased by the vortex, so...

Man (Victor): But my predicament has nothing to do with you.

Man (Victor): For you, the world we were in just now was much safer than this desert. It’s not a wise choice to turn back for a stranger.

The man’s words are indeed rational, but why is it making me so infuriated! I pout my lips indignantly.

MC: …I did not turn back for a stranger.

MC: You saved my life twice and took me on walking through this desert for so long. I’m way more familiar with you than I was with that world.

MC: And, by the way, that little boy who was talking to you earlier, I’ve seen him before too.

MC: If we can catch up with him, maybe we’ll be able to find a way to return to our own world!

I continue talking non-stop about all sorts of reasons, but I keep one thing from him––

I don’t know why, but there is a voice in my heart that keeps telling me––

I absolutely cannot leave you behind like this.

As the man listens to my systematic explanation, his expression relaxes slightly.

Man (Victor): [laughs extremely softly]  …indeed. The reasons are quite compelling.

Man (Victor): Let’s go then. Let’s search for the other fragments.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 46-12】

With our previous experience, this round of search seems to have gone much smoother. After crossing over a dozen sand dunes, a worn-out crown appears before us.

As if by a wordless tacit understanding, the man and I simultaneously put our hands on it again. As the familiar sensation of whirlwind strikes again, we find ourselves in a courtyard.

On the other side of the gauzy curtains, people dressed in gorgeous attires are laughing and frolicking near the fountain. A woman resembling a maid, carrying a wine jug above her head, gracefully approaches us.

The familiarity of the surroundings surges in my heart once more, inexplicably dispelling my nervousness. Just as I’m about to approach and intercept her to ask, my footsteps halt, and I turn around to tear off a corner of the gauzy curtain. 

MC: Though we can’t fully trust what the little boy said, it’d be wise to keep an eye out.

MC: Just in case, let’s cover your face first.

Apparently not expecting my sudden move, the man doesn’t dodge me. He allows me to swiftly cover his face, leaving only a pair of deep eyes that locks gazes with mine through the gauzy veil.

His warm breath brushes against the palm of my hand through the soft fabric, bringing me a slight tickling sensation. Only now do I realize how closely pressed we are, and I belatedly find myself speaking up.

MC: …tie it yourself.

I hand him the sheer fabric, our fingertips parting as soon as they touch.

Man (Victor): [extremely softly]  …alright.

As the man speaks, his fingertips wrap the white fabric around his ear.

I avert my gaze and carefully approach the serving maid from behind the pillars before finally opening my mouth.

MC: Hello, I––

Court Lady: Your Highness?

A brief moment of surprise crosses the other person’s eyes, and she puts down the wine jug to bow to me.

The familiar sense of recognition is reaffirmed once more, and I make a conscious effort to adapt to this implanted sense of identity, tentatively asking my questions.

MC: No need to bow. Have you happened to see a little boy around?

I describe the little boy’s appearance to her, and she seems momentarily taken aback before pointing towards a far-off location.

Court Lady: Yes, I have indeed seen a child like that. He is currently swinging on the swing over there!

Court Lady: It’s strange. I didn’t even feel like he was an unfamiliar face until you mentioned…

The man and I follow the direction pointed out by the serving maid and, sure enough, spot a small figure on the swing. Without any hesitation, we approach him at a brisk pace.

Just as we’re about a step away, the little boy turns his head and shows us a wide grin.

Little Boy: I can’t believe you actually managed to pull him out of that other space again… that’s really amusing.

MC: Hold on! We have something to ask you!

Paying no mind to my words, the little boy leaps off the swing, and his figure disappears in an instant. Suddenly, a subtle air movement stirs up in the previously tranquil courtyard, heading towards us.

The man tries to dodge the airflow by moving to the side, but it eerily follows closely beside him, forcefully lifting the veil that covers his face.

MC: …

Man (Victor): …

Court Lady: There’s an intruder! Guards!!

Several cries of alarm sound near the fountain. In response to the words, an invisible fluctuation ripples out once again.

The man and I lock eyes with each other, tugging helplessly at the corners of our lips. Before the surge of energy sweeps us up, we swiftly clasp each other’s hands.

In the subsequent time, we traverse back and forth between different worlds, relentlessly following the trails of the little boy’s figure.

Driving a severely run-down off-road vehicle, we make a desperate escape through a charging herd of wild animals…

Through an unfortunate turn of events, we find ourselves inside a spaceship, and out of nowhere, the alarm of the malfunctioning AI machinery blares…

Meanwhile, the peculiarly attired little figure remains at a distance that’s neither too far nor too close, observing us mockingly as we struggle.

Following another burst of white light, we find ourselves facing an expansive and deep space, akin to a starry sea, adorned with numerous translucent golden gears floating in the air.

The little boy lifts his head and looks up in quiet contemplation. As we draw closer, he looks at us with a mirthful smile.

Little Boy: Well, really impressive! You two actually managed to chase me this far~

Little Boy: It’s a pity, though. It’s just useless persistence, after all.

Ignoring the ridicule in his tone, I take two steps forward.

MC: Given that you never show up without a reason, I don’t believe this time is an exception.

MC: I’m sure you know how to leave the white desert, do you not?

Little Boy: You’re being so straightforward. But you’re the special one, are you not? Only you know the answer to that question.

Deep in thought, I furrow my brows, while the little boy has already shifted his attention towards the man, speaking with keen interest.

Little Boy: I know what you’re about to ask, but I’m not going to tell you.

Little Boy: Because–– it’s also a punishment.

Little Boy: Oh, right, I almost forgot. You mustn’t take him with you when you leave.

Little Boy: Those who assist in cheating will also face the punishment.

The little boy giggles. His figure gradually fades into transparency, and the familiar ripples of energy emanate once again in the surroundings.

–

After a dizzying spin, the immense desert comes into view again. Under the nearly white daylight, every grain of sand around us radiates a blinding brilliance.

I stagger a few steps and am steadied by a strong arm. Just as I regain my balance, I suddenly notice a plane ticket lying quietly at my feet.

Passenger Name: MC, Destination: Loveland City, Departure Time: 10:45 AM.

Isn’t this my return ticket?

I hesitantly reach out my hand, and a familiar power surges within my body once again. As if sensing something, the plane ticket emits a silver-white glow, even more radiant than before.

MC: …look! This seems to be a fragment for returning to Loveland City! Let’s go together!

A rare expression of hesitation briefly crosses across the man’s face.

Man (Victor): …there’s no need. You heard what he said just now. If you were to be punished…

I swiftly close the distance between us in three steps, clutching onto his sleeve.

MC: I don’t believe we are cheating at all.

MC: The real punishment for me would be if I, despite having the ability to take you with me, leave you behind out of fear of the “so-called” punishment.

MC: So, come with me!

The man’s lips twitch slightly, and he doesn’t pull back his sleeve. A white light envelopes us instantly.

–

“...This flight is now halfway through its journey, and we will soon be serving meals. Please remain seated and patiently wait…”

The sweet-sounding voice over the announcement accompanies the loud humming of the aircraft’s operations as it reaches my ears. Feeling apprehensive, I open my eyes and see the flight attendant approaching our direction with the food cart.

The man sits in the seat next to me, quietly observing the surroundings. The dim light of the cabin is reflected in his deep, dark eyes.

Without giving him a chance to speak, I reflexively grab the magazine on the seat and open it, placing it as a barrier in front of him.

MC: Shh––

I glance in the direction of the flight attendant and quietly caution him. Inadvertently, I catch a glimpse of my phone out of the corner of my eye, and the screen displays the current time.

13:28.

—

•─────⋅◍♡◍⋅─────•

—

【CH 46-13】

…when I was swept away by that force, it was exactly this time.

Just as expected, all those immensely long experiences in the disordered spaces seem to condense into a single fleeting moment upon returning to reality.

Before I have a chance to process my thoughts, an amiable voice inquires in my ear.

Flight Attendant: Hello, miss. Today’s set menu offers two options: beef and fish. May I ask which one you would like to choose?

My body tenses up, and I hastily scan my gaze across the man’s figure.

Oh dear, now there’s suddenly someone in the previously empty seat. Even if I cover his face, there’s no way she wouldn’t notice him…

After not receiving a response for a while, a hint of confusion appears on the flight attendant’s face. She lowers her body slightly and speaks in a gentler tone.

Flight Attendant: Miss? Have you made a decision?

MC: …beef, please. Thank you.

Trying to conceal my nervousness, I watch as the flight attendant smiles and hands me a meal tray. Then, she pushes the food cart and heads straight towards the back row.

The man and I share glances with each other before I tentatively call out to her.

MC: Excuse me, could I please have another serving?

The flight attendant looks at me with some bafflement for a moment, but professionally hands me another meal tray before moving away with the food cart. Once she is a bit further, I speak in a low voice.

MC: What just happened? It seems like she can’t see you?

MC: Come to think of it, I haven’t actually confirmed this before, but... are you human?

The man sets aside the magazine from his face and glances at me with a puzzled expression.

Man (Victor): What do you think?

MC: It’s hard to say from my perspective… do you mind if I poke you to find out?

Man (Victor): [sighs LONG AND HARD]  …

The man lets out a sigh, seemingly declining to comment. His expression, however, suggests tacit approval.

I reach out and poke his arm. Hmm, it’s firm;

I then prod his chest. Hmm, I can feel his heartbeat;

I gently touch his cheek again. Hmm, it feels warm as well;

Just as I’m about to feel his hair, the man grabs hold of my fingertips.

Man (Victor): Have you confirmed it now?

—

[Anika’s Reactions]: LMFAAOOO MC!! sorry I had to stop haha. what an innovative way to say you wanna touch his 104 LOL; we see you girl 😆 when you have a life-size full course meal with midnight snacks sitting right next to you, despite the predicament, it is indeed “hard” to control yourself.~ 😂 but also, the fact that she can ask him that so naturally and he just lets her have her way with him like he always has– it simply further seals their “sense of belonging” and that line that no matter what world, they’ll always meet and are destined to be 吸引 (drawn/ attracted) to each other with or without the memories. After all, attraction to another means both emotional and physical, does it not~ ❣️

—

MC: Yes, yes, I have. How do you feel now? Is there anything that feels off to you?

Man (Victor): [GODS THAT PAINED TONE]  Everything seems normal.

Man (Victor): The seat hasn’t collapsed, and the seatbelt hasn’t suddenly tangled around my hands or feet.

MC: You’re right. It’s definitely more welcoming than that spaceship world… now that I think about it, it seems like every world reacts differently to your presence.

MC: On that battlefield, the soldiers were directly on guard to fight you with swords and spears; whereas in the ruins, the dwarves simply kept their distance from you, pointing and whispering among themselves;

MC: Perhaps the inability to see your existence is a manifestation of this world?

The man’s eyebrows furrow slightly, and a hint of contemplation flashes in his eyes. After a moment, he speaks.

Man (Victor): Indeed. Other than that, there doesn’t seem to be a more plausible explanation.

MC: Compared to other worlds, this level of rejection seems relatively mild… it could be a sign that you have a special connection with Loveland City!

Man (Victor): …

MC: Why the speechless face! I’m being serious!

MC: If it’s only to this extent, I think you could totally live here. Who knows, if you stay long enough, this world will eventually embrace you?

Exhilarated, I pick up the spread-open travel magazine and gesture for him to take a look.

MC: Look, this is the seaside sunset I mentioned to you earlier… and here, during the flowering season, it’s also a sight worth visiting!

I describe the charm of Loveland City to him, but suddenly, something crosses my mind.

MC: Since you’re going to live here, you should have a name. Otherwise, it would be inconvenient to address you.

Man (Victor): …? If you’re the only person who can see me, it doesn’t seem to matter much whether I have a name or not.

MC: But selecting a name would also serve as a declaration of the beginning of your new life!

The man and I lock eyes for a moment, but then he shakes his head.

Man (Victor): I don’t have any particular ideas about a name at the moment.

MC: How about I help you in choosing one?

MC: Since we met in the desert… how about the name “Dune”? (*)

Man (Victor): …

MC: Or how about Mr. Handsome? Mr. Benevolent Enigma? (*)

Man (Victor): [much more dots than usual]  …….

Seeing the man’s expression becoming increasingly nuanced, I quickly seal my lips.

In the corner of my eye, I coincidentally happen to glance at a photo of a panda in the magazine. I seem to feel a sudden surge of emotions stirring in my heart, causing me to blurt out without thinking.

MC: How do you feel about the name Vic-Vic? (*)

MC: Just the one to be a good reminder for you to talk more, instead of being like a closed-off person.

The man’s gaze lingers on the photo for a moment, and his expression seems to soften with a touch of tenderness.

Man (Victor): [laughs elatedly, unbeknownst to him]  …childish.

─────

[Notes]: It’s gonna be a big note, and yes, it’s on the names:

– the 1st one MC chose was 沙沙 (shā shā), taking the first character from 沙漠 (shāmò; means desert) and using iterations to make it cutesy. 沙 independently means “sand.” so I’m pretty sure Elex will go for something like Sandy LMAO

– the 2nd one (Mr. Handsome) is the literal translation of 小帅; the 3rd one’s tricky. It’s 沈密仁 (Shen Mi Ren). Here, 沈 (Shen) is a surname; whereas 密 (Mi) means “enigma/ mystery”; and 仁 (Ren) means “benevolence/ kindness.”

– and lastly, it was, as you might’ve already guessed, 言言 (Yan Yan), derived from his original name 李泽言 (Li Zeyan); the same name his mom used to call him, the name of his panda friend, and one of the names the whole fandom calls him affectionately~ 😭  and as for why MC says it’s a good reminder for him to talk more, the term 言 (Yan) independently has the meaning of “word/ to speak/ to talk/ speech”~ ❣️

──────────

CH 46 Part 2: Here!

────────────────────

[endless-season]

Lucien vs Kiro 😛

Give me two characters in my inbox

Who would win in a fight

-

Honestly rather than "fights", I reckon they'd just be the type to send threatening pointed warning glares at each other and somehow manage to get by by simply putting up with each other in a 'I don't care what you do, just stay out of my way. If you don't bother me, then I won't bother you' kind of way. Nevertheless!!!

Physical Fight involving Evol - Lucien. Again, his evol is simply too OP. But also lmao this reminds me of that one beautiful fanart by East Lan :'D

Physical Fight without Evol - Kiro for sure. Lucien has no hope. His preference seems to lean towards ranged fighting where as Kiro's an expert and comfortable at any range.

Other - I think Lucien has a very slight higher ground given the whole Dr X side of their relationship.

It's prob also worth mentioning that the Hacker's Summit was basically an instance of Kiro+MC vs Lucien which... seems like Lucien won that round since he achieved both his objectives... though hard to say for sure given the limited information we got.

[michiigii-writes]

Sorry! This is neither Voltage nor on time, but I still had a good time writing… 👀

Fandom: MLQC

July 8th - Kiro x MC

It was still mid-morning by the time you got to the beach, but the day was already warm. The breeze that came off of the sea was cool as it ran through your clothes and hair, just enough to soothe your skin rather than chill you. Kiro had already set up a spot on the sand, a huge beach umbrella defending from both the sun and potential prying eyes. It was a private beach, owned by one of the companies that Kiro had done some modelling for, and it was supposed to be reserved just for the two of you, that day, but the threat of paparazzi was always a looming possibility.

Still, as you reached the beautiful idol and set your bag on the ground, you could look around and see that the view from the boardwalk, the surrounding beach houses, and even from the walk up from the parking lot were completely clear. There was nobody around.

Instead of greeting you with his usual enthusiasm, you were surprised to see Kiro was in the middle of a nap. He was outside, by himself, and he had managed to fall asleep. He was either very trusting or very tired, but from way it looked like he had been in the middle of playing a game on his phone, you were inclined to think it was the latter. He was a busy, busy man, and it had been hard enough to convince Savin to give Kiro this day off.

You wanted to wake him up, but you also wanted him to rest. Maybe there was some way you could do both?

A wicked idea came to you and you glanced around the beach again. Yes, you were definitely sure the two of you were alone. You could definitely do that.

Quietly, you crouched in front of Kiro, between his legs. He really was defenceless…maybe he wasn’t really asleep?

“Kiro? Are you awake?” You murmured, not too loudly, in case he really was asleep.

The golden-haired idol didn’t moving, continuing to snooze peacefully on the beach towel. Thank goodness he was out of direct sunlight; he definitely could have gotten a sunburn, lying openly on his back like that.

Carefully, you peeled the waistband of his shorts down; conveniently, you saw that they were swimming trunks. Exhausted as he was, Kiro had been ready to strip off his shirt and just jump into the water, if you had so chosen. He really was the sweetest…

Inch by inch, you tugged his trunks down until he was on full display. He was relaxed enough in his nap that he was half hard; idly, you wondered what kind of dream he was having. You lightly traced a finger up his length, testing to see how sensitive he was.

He didn’t move. His breathing never wavered; he was still asleep. But you could see that his cock was starting to stiffen.

Tentatively, you rubbed the underside of his cock, coaxing it to attention. As it gradually stood to attention, Kiro stirred a little in his sleep; you stopped, hand still on his cock, until your boyfriend stilled again.

You waited until Kiro’s breathing evened again, then wrapped your hands around his erection, the warmth of your grip stiffening it further. Slowly, you began to pump, matching time with Kiro’s breathing. Little by little, you could feel him growing harder in your hands; you could espy little muscle contractions in his abs, but whenever he stirred, you froze and waited for him to slip back into his dreams.

Patiently you worked, not wanting him to wake up completely, yet. You wanted him to wake up in the middle of bliss, not frustration.

Finally, beads of precum developed at the darkened head of his erection; glancing up at Kiro’s sleeping face, you could see his forehead wrinkle a little, a sign of his growing need. With a small smile, you licked around his glans and over the tip of his cock, swirling your spit and his cum where he was sensitive.

The sensation was becoming too much for Kiro to stay asleep; a small sound came from the back of his throat, somewhere between a whimper and a sigh. He was starting to wake up.

This time, you didn’t stop. Instead, you took his cock into your mouth, sucking at the head while pumping his shaft with your hands. Kiro grunted again, a little louder this time, his face tensing up and his eyelids flickering.

“Mnh…nnng…!”

You kept your pace steady, not sucking too hard, but just enough in the way you knew he liked. You could feel his body twitching from your efforts; while still fisting his cock with one hand, you splayed the other hand across his abs, touching him almost soothingly.

“MNh…Miss…Miss Chips?”

Kiro’s eyes finally opened, his voice thick with both sleep and desire. One of his hands went instinctively to your touch on his stomach, and you laced fingers into his reassuringly.

“Miss Chips!” He gasped, his eyes widening at the sight of waking up and finding you sucking you off, “Oh my…g…go-“

At his words, you sucked more eagerly, bobbing your head up and down his hot, throbbing cock. Kiro moaned, louder than he normally would, his mind too foggy with sleep to remind himself to hold back. Gasping wantonly, his head lolled back as his phone fell forgotten onto the sand, and he raked his hand through his hair.

“Oh god, Miss Chips!!” Kiro gasped, writhing against the beach towel, “You feel…s-so good….!”

Normally he could last so much longer, but you had caught him off guard, and he was so excited to wake up to your beautiful self, pleasuring him in one of his favourite ways. He could almost feel you smiling as you took him deeper and deeper into your mouth, tongue swirling around him as you sucked and rubbed him in all the right places.

Propriety completely forgotten, Kiro screamed your name, bursting into your mouth as his back arched off the towel. You could feel his cock twitching against your tongue and the roof of your mouth, could feel every twitch on his abs under your interlaced fingers, could feel his thighs quiver under your arms and chest as you lay partly on top of him. You held him tight, until every last twitch finally subsided, and his body relaxed again on the sand.

Swallowing every drop, you tucked him back into his trunks, and suddenly found yourself being pulled up beside him. Wrapping his arms around you, he kissed your lips, heedless of his taste there, kissing you long and deep before holding your forehead to his.

“That was amazing,” he breathed, nuzzling the tip of his nose against yours, “You are amazing.”

For a long, long time he held you in his arms, whispering praises to you while he kissed your lips, your face, your hair, your hands…

It was the beginning of a beautiful day. And Kiro made sure to pay the favour back several times over.

—fin—

(The prompt was Blowjobs on the Beach)

[asahinamitsuki]

~✰ Mr love queen’s choice - Kiro Icons.✰~

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Likes and reblogs will be appreciated if you like it.

 Feel free to use em ✰~

[autumn-lavelle]

"Your my shining star...don't you go away"

"I'll be a shining star for you, papa. Please don't lose your shine."

Stella is the daughter of Mc x Kiro. She has her daddies shimmering blonde hair, his smile and natural warm aura that draws everyone to her. Her eyes are Mc's though, warm and brown, full of wonder and love. She is Stella, the little star to Kiro and his inspiration in her timeline. In her time Mc was kidnapped, and her father will go missing for days or weeks sometimes. Stella worries about him, misses him and wishes to find a way to keep both him and her mother home. From her sadness she sings songs that will make people weep, or draw people like a siren call to her person. When her father goes on a 'work's trip, Stella will go around town and sing her songs. She gains the moniker 'Veela' because her voice makes people compelled to do anything to make her happy.

She gets the idea to use her gift to drawpeople to her, and have them find her father to help him come home. However she isn't strong enough...its not until a strange old man tells her about a cabin in the woods which offers many possibilities. Curious, Stella goes there and finds not just the cabin but a boy with a special pocket watch that tells her "If you want to be strong...you need The Queen." This is how Stella joins the rest of the 'possible' children. Her siblings in her heart, and all connected with the same mother.

Her power boost not only amplifies the degree in which she can suggest things in people, but also unleashes a more cold and cruel side to herself. So truly became a Veela...

[sunshinejihyun]

Chocolatey Giggles - Kiro’s Birthday 2021

Author’s note: happy birthday, you big goofball. I love you so much.

the little scene I mention with Lucien is based off @dreamer-hyun​‘s WONDERFUL fic called ‘watch the universe expand’. Go read it, it’s amazing.

Word Count: 1580

Warnings: brief mention of unrequited love concerning Lucien, unedited bc im toired

Masterlist

Kiro had awoken before her; he was expecting sunlight to be streaming in through their windows, casting a glow over her soft but he was instead met with a rumble of thunder and a flash of lightning.

He must have slept the night through, but with the worried lines creasing her forehead, Kiro knew she hadn’t slept well. He gently pulled the covers up over her shoulders and pressed a kiss to her forehead before getting out of the bed and stretching.

Even though it was his birthday, Kiro still had to work. The life of an idol never stopped, even when he wish his Evol was more like Victor’s; Kiro would love being able to stop time so he could have a little world all to himself and the woman he loves. He kept telling himself that the faster he went and got the recording finalized and perfect, he’d be back in her arms where Kiro felt the safest.

So he snuck one final peek at her face. The worried lines had fallen away and she looked peaceful; it was the perfect image to etch in his brain before he saw her once again.

The driver was already waiting for Kiro as he came down his front steps. He didn’t bother changing; he knew he should but he really just wanted even more of a reason to head on home as soon as possible.

Kiro brushed his driver away as he reached to open the idol’s door. “Please, I’m perfectly capable of opening my door.”

“Of course sir. I’ll get in the drivers seat then.”

Settling himself in his seat, Kiro pulled out of his phone to send a text.

Miss Chips! Today’s a wonderful day! Don’t worry about the rain, the best part of celebrating Kiro Day is being in the arms of the person he loves most, and that’s you! I’ll be home before you miss me too long.

Kiro hoped that seeing that message would put a smile on her face when she woke up. One of the ones where she’d smile sleepily while still rubbing her eyes and seeing the slow way her face lit up always brought strength and warmness to Kiro’s heart.

As the rain pattered on, Kiro watched the raindrops race down the window and placed bets every time on which one would win to kill time.

A ding from her phone brought her out of a restless sleep, the side of the bed next to her was cold but judging from the imprint on the pillow, Kiro had only left maybe ten minutes before. The storm last night had been noisy, and she didn’t sleep well through them. She even briefly wondered if Lucien did okay through the storm.

Before she and Kiro got together, she and Lucien would stay up late on stormy nights, only a wall between their backs as they talked on the phone through stories about fictionalized worlds. She didn’t realize it then, but Lucien told her more about himself in those stories than he ever told her to her face.

The storm connected them, and now it felt like the biggest disconnect in the world not to have his calming voice whispering to her until the sun started to rise. It wasn’t that they couldn’t talk, but he had distanced himself since she and Kiro had gotten together; she didn’t blame him either. He loved her. She loved him too, just in a different way.

She wouldn’t change anything, though. Not even for the whole world, because Kiro was her world and that would mean potentially losing him in the change.

Her phone made another sound, reminding her of the message that roused her from the light sleep she had slipped in after waiting for the sun to arise. Kiro had texted and it was a message that warmed her heart and made her feel a bit more awake.

Rubbing her eyes, she set out for the kitchen. There was coffee still in the coffee pot from when Kiro made it and she poured some in a mug before pulling out the cake box she had hidden from Kiro in an empty sealable bag of peas and carrots. He wouldn’t dare eat those on his own, so she figued it’d be a safe place to hide the mix to surprise Kiro for his birthday. As long as Savin didn’t escort him in, she and her love would be able to eat enough cake until they crashed on their couch from a sugar rush later on.

Baking the cake was mindless, the hum of the mixer calmed her nervous coffee jitters and by the time it was in the oven, she was snuggled under warm blankets on the couch. The coffee didn’t keep her awake for long and the slow drops of rain against the roof was enough to lull her back to sleep.

She woke the second time because the fire alarm started screaming. She couldn’t place where it came from at first but as soon as she spotted the smoking oven, she rushed over and pulled the burning cake pan from the oven.

Dropping the hot metal into the sink, she rushed to open the windows and clear out the smoke.

“Miss Chips? I’m hom- WAH! What’s that smell?” Kiro walked through the door, choking on the smoke as Apple Box ran to him, jumping up and landing his paws on Kiro’s shoulders.

“I burnt something!” She cried out, grabbing a handheld fan and trying to push the smoke towards the open window.

Kiro gently removed Apple Box from his shoulders and grabbed a magazine, helping her to fan the rest of the smoke out. The fire alarm had stopped screaming and the kitchen was starting to smell like burnt cake and rain, a weird combination but not an unpleasing scent.

Kiro peered into the sink and laughed. “Did you try to bake again? You know what happened to the cookies!” She had tried to bake him cookies to snack on during a plane ride a few weeks ago and no matter how long they were in the oven, they refused to cook. Kiro left with no snacks and she was left with un-cookable cookie dough.

“Shh,” she pouted, walking over to Kiro and wrapping her arms around her from behind. “I just wanted to do something nice for your birthday and it’s ruined.”

He turned, hugging her head close to his chest. “Kiro Day isn’t ruined!” Kiro kissed the crown of her head. “Just having you here like this is enough for me.” It was quiet for a moment, they stood wrapped in each other and swaying to the gentle pitter patter of the rain. “Besides, the cake isn’t ruined either.”

“Um,” she blinked, looking up at him. “It’s kinda burnt.” “Hear me out, but I saw on Tik Tok that if you mix cake with frosting and put them in balls and freeze them, they can be cake pops after you dip them in chocolate! We could do that!”

“That’s… actually genius, Mister Kiro! Good job!” She bounced up on her toes and smacked a kiss on his cheek before breaking out from his grip. “Let’s start!”

That’s how they ended up in standing side by side in the kitchen. She was on a stool and watched as Kiro guided the handheld mixer around the burnt cake and chocolate frosting.

“Now we just have to roll them into balls!” Kiro said, and she snickered as he dipped his hand in the bowl and got a clump of the messy cake.

They giggled together as they rolled each individual cake pop and every once in a while one would hip bump the other, which would throw them into another fit of giggles.

Once they had popped the cake in the freezer, they plopped on the couch and cozied up together. His arm was around her shoulder and her head was on his shoulder. Kiro draped a blanket over both of their laps and Cello jumped up and curled into her lap. Apple Box sat on Kiro’s feet which made the both of them giggle.

“I’m sorry you didn’t sleep well last night.” He said, kissing her forehead softly. She responded with a kiss of her own, placed right on the side of his throat.

“It’s fine, I had a nap earlier.” She didn’t question how Kiro knew she had a restless night; he always could tell from one look at her. He claimed once it was because her eyes didn’t sparkle as much. “I’m sorry I ruined your birthday cake,”  She picked up her head then and choked back a giggle.

“What is it?” Kiro asked, his eyebrows furrowing which just made the chocolate on his nose that much funnier.

“Hold still,” she replied, leaning over to grab her phone from the coffee table and snapping a picture of his confused face, covered with chocolate. She showed him then, and he scrambled for a napkin. “That’s going on Moments!” She declared.

“Miss Chips, don’t you dare!” Kiro’s quick fingers tickled at her stomach and sides, causing more laughter to bubble up. “If you do that, Savin will kill me!”

“...Too late!” She cried before she escaped his tickling. “Happy birthday Kiro, I love you.”

“Thank you, Miss Chips, for spending Kiro Day with me!” He replied before touching her sides softly this time and pulling her in to share a sweet, frosting tasting kiss.

[jihyuncompass]

I’ll Be Home (To You) For Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all having a wonderful holiday (or just a wonderful day for those who don’t celebrate Christmas)

I wrote this fic as a Christmas present for my very beloved friend @sunshinejihyun​. Getting to meet you and becoming your friend has been one of the greatest moments of this challenging year. And I am grateful every single day to have a friend as kind, smart, creative, passionate, and beautiful as you are. As Christmas approached I knew I had to give you something as a gift. So I hope a fic about one of your favorite boys suffices. I hope you enjoy this, and again. I love you Bryn, so much. 

Summary: Kiro has been working more than overtime as of late. Still, he makes sure to spare some time this holidays for his special someone. 

Kiro x MC

Word Count: 2.9k 

Warnings: None

Kiro’s eyes shone brightly on the giant screen. I watched as the promo for his newest music video played over the large display screen at the mall. Shoppers moved around me as I watched him on the giant display screen. A couple other passersby also stopped to watch him, they also looked just as mesmerized as I did. I sighed, a mix of contentment and also sadness. While seeing Kiro’s face on a TV screen was not uncommon, seeing his face in person had become rare as of late. 

A few weeks ago Kiro had been forced to start working more. His manager and producers wanted to release a Christmas album right on Christmas Day, about a week from now. Which meant that he was forced to work. At this point pretty much day and night, I couldn’t even really remember the last time I had seen his face in person. The last time I could recall was about a week ago, and had been just for a few minutes on a lunch break. Trying to make conversation with him over frenzied bites of lunch. 

He texted whenever he could, but it just wasn't the same as seeing him in person. His texts couldn’t quite convery his smile, or his warmth. It tied me over, but not nearly enough. 

As the promo ended I sighed again and kept walking through the mall. I came here in order to try and find the perfect gift for Kiro. A task that was much easier said than done. While I knew he would like anything I got him, I still wanted to get him something good. 

Maybe I could make something for him? I wondered walking around an art store, maybe he would appreciate something from the heart? What would I even make for him? I knew how to knit, maybe I could make him a scarf or a sweater? Would he even like something like that? 

Near the back of the store was a wall full of yarn. There seemed to be colors of all types, different textures and sizes. I was practically overwhelmed with yarn. My eyes scanned over the options. When you thought of Kiro I always thought of softer colors. Warm, like his smile. 

I picked up a warm yellow yarn. It was soft to the touch, and the perfect color for Kiro. I smiled and grabbed the rest of the supplies that I knew I would need. As I took it to the register my fingers were already itching to start knitting. 

Hurrying home I was practically running back to my apartment. I held the bag under my arm to keep it from being hit with the snow that fell from the sky. My nose burned from the cold, my fingers bright red as I walked home to my apartment.

My phone dinged as soon as I shut the front door. I dropped the bag of yarn down on the table and pulled out my phone from my shoulder bag. Kiro’s bright smiling face lit up the screen. I smiled, sitting down in a chair I answered his call. 

“Kiro!” “Miss Chips!” Kiro said. “I managed to sneak a quick break so I wanted to call you!” 

I leaned against the chair, a warm smile on my face. “How’s work going?” 

“It’s going. We’re getting close to being done.” Kiro explained. 

“Do you think you’ll be done before Christmas Eve so we can spend the holiday together?” Kiro was quiet on the other end. I tried not to make any sounds that could show I was a bit disappointed. I knew this was a possibility. There was still a good chance he would have to work. 

“I’m not sure. I’m going to try though! I want to spend Christmas with you.” Kiro said. I bit my lip. 

I looked at my bag of yarn and supplies sitting on the table. “Don’t push yourself Kiro, I don’t want you to hurt yourself!” 

He hummed on the other end. “Don’t worry about me Miss Chips!” From Kiro’s end I heard a few sounds, someone opening a door and talking. “Ah I gotta go, they want me back in the studio.” 

“You should get back in then?” 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t talk longer.” Kiro said apologetically. 

I smiled, a bit sadly. “It’s all good Kiro. Go sing your heart out okay?” 

“I will! Talk to you later!” 

The phone disconnected before I could even say goodbye. I pulled the phone away from my ear. I held back another sigh, my eyes slid over to the bag of yarn again. Well, even if I couldn’t spend the holidays with him, I still wanted to have a gift to give him the next time I saw him, and hopefully, it’ll distract me from thinking too much about Kiro’s neverending work schedule. 

I finished the sweater in the late evening on Christmas Eve. By the time I finished, my fingers were calloused and aching. Still, it was finished and that’s the most important part. I sat at my desk, back hunched as I wrote out a card to go with the gift. 

In my tiny apartment I couldn’t fit an entire Christmas tree. So instead I settled for a small one that sat on my dining table. I wrapped it in twinkle lights and a few ornaments I had in storage. It wasn’t much, but it still managed to make me smile despite that. 

After wrapping the git I set it under the small tree. As I sat back against the chair my eyes started to grow heavy. I’d woken up early to bake cookies and sweets, and finish the sweater. Now, I could feel my energy running out. I rubbed my eyes to stay awake. Not yet. I can’t sleep yet. 

Wandering around the apartment I tried to find things to keep myself awake. I turned on the TV, maybe watching a movie would help? I kept myself on my feet, blinking heavily. 

“Stay awake.” I whispered to myself. “Don’t go to sleep.” 

A sharp knock at the door broke me out of my thoughts. I rubbed my eyes again and looked at the clock. It was already midnight, it must be Kiro right. Who else would drop by here at almost midnight on Christmas Eve?

“Hey!” Kiro grinned when I opened the door. Melting snowflakes clung to the ends of Kiro’s hair. A black guitar bag was strapped to his back. I grinned back and welcomed him inside. 

“You managed to get out?”

He nodded and rubbed his freezing fingers together. “Yeah I managed to convince them to let me out for the night.” He faced me and was lightly bouncing on his heels to warm himself up. I took his hands in mine. His hands were ice cold, I held them tight to try and get him warm again. 

“Just for the night?” 

Kiro quietly sighed, exasperated. “I have to go back early tomorrow morning to finish everything.” Kiro seemed to notice the way my face fell, he frowned too then pulled his lips into a smile and squeezed my hands. “But you have me all night!” 

I cocked my head to the side. “All night huh?” 

Kiro laughed, his face flushing a little red. “I didn’t mean it like that! Unless, I mean if you want-” 

I laughed, grinning at him. “I’m just joking Kiro.” I sighed and met his bright blue eyes. “I’m just so glad I can have time with you. I’ve missed you.” 

“I’ve missed you too.” Kiro said. “But don’t worry, I have no plans for tonight other than being with you! I promise!” I led him further into the apartment and shut the door behind us. Kiro laughed at the small little tree on the dining table. 

I followed behind him. “Hey I don’t have a lot of room here!” Kiro turned back. 

“I didn’t say anything!” Kiro said. We both laughed, as I looked over his face, exhaustion seemed to be radiating off of him. While it wasn’t very obvious, up close I saw the heaviness under his eyes. Still, he looked like he was trying to force himself awake, he kept fidgeting and moving to try and keep himself moving. 

The plate of Christmas cookies on the counter caught my eye. I had completely forgotten that I had left them there. I briefly let go of Kiro’s hand, I picked up the plate of cookies and turned back to Kiro. The moment that he saw the baked goods his face lit up like a child’s. 

“I made these earlier!” You set the plate down on the dining table. Kiro reached to pick 

up some of the cookies. He paused for a second then looked at me. 

“Don’t tell Savin about this.” Kiro said. While his tone was humorous there was still a hint of seriousness there. I slid the plate closer to him. 

“Savin’s not here. He doesn’t have to know a thing.” I winked at him. Kiro’s face broke into an even bigger grin. Kiro grabbed a gingerbread man on the plate, he held it up to bite the head off before you stopped him. “Kiro wait!” 

He stopped, his face fell into a confused expression. “What? Why?” 

I motioned to the cookies. “Look at them.” Kiro looked down at the gingerbread man in his hand. It only took a moment for his face to break into the biggest smile. 

“Woah!” He lifted one of the cookies and held it up to his face. “You made a gingerbread me!” You nodded, Kiro looked between me and the little gingerbread man frosted to look like him. He lowered his arm and kept his eyes on the gingerbread man. “Man I kinda feel bad eating him.” He laughed, after another moment of looking at the Kiro-cookie he grabbed his phone from his back pocket. Making sure to snap a quick photo. 

“Gotta keep the memory of little ginger-Kiro?” 

He nodded. “Of course! He looks just like me after all!” Kiro set his phone down on the table. Taking one more good look at the gingerbread cookie. “I’m sorry little me, but you just look too good.” Kiro held back a chuckle and bit off the head of the cookie. 

“Taste good?” I asked him. 

“They taste perfect.” Kiro said. “Not that I would ever expect less from you.” I rolled my eyes. Kiro took another bite. “But they are really good. I think I might just need to have a couple more.” Kiro’s hand snuck towards the plate again. 

I slid the plate to him again. “I made them for you! So have as many as you’d like.” Kiro picked up two cookies. Keeping one in his hand and giving me the other one. I couldn’t stop myself from smiling at him when Kiro and I tapped our cookies together like a toast. 

“Oh, I have a gift for you too!” I sat up straight. We’d moved to the couch by this point. Kiro looked over, half a cookie still sticking out from his lips. 

“A gift?” Kiro said. His words were muffled by the cookie he was still chewing. I nodded as I got off the couch and went back to the dining table. Picking up the wrapped gift from under the small Christmas tree I walked back to the couch. Sliding under the blanket we’d thrown over our laps when we sat down. 

Kiro’s bright blue eyes were glimmering as he took the gift into his hands. I pressed my lips together, both excited and nervous. “Well?” I said poking him. “Go on you can open it!” 

He tore the wrapping paper open, pushing it away from the gift. He pulled out the sweater from the wrapping paper. His eyes were shining when he looked back at me. 

“Did you make this?” Kiro asked. I nodded, he looked back to the sweater, running his fingers over the yarn. 

I watched his face carefully as he stared at it. “What do you think? Do you like it?” 

Kiro stood up from the couch. He took off his jacket and pulled the sweater over his head. He smoothed out the sweater and looked back up at you with a huge smile. “It’s so soft.” He said. “I love it.” He said, Kiro kneeled down on the couch in front of me. He brought me into a tight hug, my face being pressed into the softness of the sweater’s shoulder. 

“I’m glad you liked it.” I said. Kiro pulled away enough to look at my face. 

“Of course I love it!” Kiro looked down at the sweater again and couldn’t get the smile 

off  his face.  “Okay, okay I have a gift for you too.” Kiro sat up straight. 

“Kiro you didn’t have to!” 

He shook his head as he got off the couch again. “I wanted to. Just wait there.” Kiro reached for his guitar case leaning against the wall by the front door. He set the case down on the floor and pulled his acoustic guitar from the case. Kiro sat down on the couch with his legs crossed. “I haven’t had a lot of time to myself while I’ve been working on this new album.” Kiro started. “But I wanted to give you something really special for Christmas, so during breaks and in between recording sessions I’ve been working on this for you.” He adjusted the guitar to sit in just the right spot. 

His fingers strummed the guitar strings. His eyes slipped closed as he played, not even feeling a need to look down at his fingers on the strings. I pulled my legs up to my chest, my head on my knees as I focused entirely on him. 

Kiro sang softer than he normally did for his performances. During those he always sang with high energy, always trying to seek the crowd's attention. Here though, his voice was gentle and warm. While he didn’t sing with the same energy, he sang with just as much passion. As he sang I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. My eyes traced the soft features of his face, the way his fingers moved across the guitar strings. 

Even without his Evol I knew I couldn’t stop watching him, I wanted to take in everything about this, I wanted to commit every second of this to memory, to replay it in my mind over and over after this moment ends. 

I hadn’t realized how breathless I was, or how tears were falling down my cheeks until Kiro played the last chord. His eyes opened slowly, he looked up expectantly wanting to see my expression. 

“What’d you think?” He asked. His face fell when he saw the tears in my eyes. “Miss Chips?” 

I took a couple shaky breaths and sniffled. “Kiro I-” I laughed trying to stop myself from getting even more emotional. “That was amazing. I-” I stopped again. Kiro put the guitar back in the case on the floor. He scooted closer and pulled me into another hug. This one tighter, warmer. 

“This is the most special song I’ve written, it’s just for you too.” Kiro said. When he loosened his grip enough I leaned back to look at his face. 

I kissed him, my hands resting on the side of his neck and his shoulder. Between kisses I whispered a “Thank you” over and over again. Kiro was smiling, his eyes glimmering like stars up close. “You know.” I whispered to him. “Being with you is the best Christmas present I could have ever gotten.” 

Kiro smiled again and laughed gently. “Aw, I’m really the best gift?” 

I nodded and kissed him again. “The very best.” I sighed, resting my head on his shoulder. The soft yarn tickling my nose. My eyes were growing heavier and staying shut when I closed them.  “I’m so sorry Kiro, I think I might be all worn out.” 

Kiro hummed. “Let’s get some sleep then. You don’t want to spend Christmas morning sleepy!” I hugged him tighter. 

“But I only have tonight with you, and I don’t want to waste it sleeping.” I complained. 

“We’ll still be together! Don’t stay up on my account okay?” Kiro said. I sighed. 

“I guess you’re right.” I looked up at his face. At the dark lines under his eyes “Besides, 

you look exhausted too. We could both probably use some sleep.”  I said.

This time Kiro rested his head on my shoulder. “I guess I am kinda tired.” 

“You look more than kinda.” I said running fingers through strands of golden hair. “Let’s go to bed Kiro.” 

We stumbled our way to bed, both of us struggling to keep awake now. Kiro curled up under the covers still wearing his handmade sweater. I pulled the covers over us, with half lidded eyes Kiro reached out and took my arm. 

“C’mon, come here.” Kiro whined quietly. I lied down, resting my head on his chest. My arm laying across his stomach. I could hear his heartbeat in my ears, a nice rhythm to make me drowsier. Kiro’s arm around my shoulder and back keeping me close to him. 

“Goodnight Kiro.” I said. Hardly awake now. “I love you.” 

Kiro was also barely awake when he responded. “I love you too Miss Chips.” Kiro took a long tired breath. “Merry Christmas.” 

I managed a smile just before drifting off. “Merry Christmas Kiro.”

[hisbeautifulnightmare17]

This just, this!!! The way she captures the personalities of the boys is absolutely amazing!!!! I look forward to the finished work and even more work!

(Shared with permission and due credit : ASHLYN DANIS/FB

Monster_Midget/IG

@mysticfeather /tumblr

[producer-miss-chips]

Just playing through the Time Subway. Reached part 5, and...

I love how these stations show the core of MC's relationship with each guy. What makes each one beautiful.

But that moment with Kiro. When he asks MC what she wants, and all she asks is for a song. The softness in his eyes as he plays it for her, and the way he looks at her; the change of the tone in his voice.

My heart 🥺❤️❤️❤️

[theultimateshipyard]

Kiro x Youran/MC (Mr. Love: Queen’s Choice)

Source

MLQC is a pretty titillating mobile gacha card game that I’ve been playing for over a year now with no sign of stopping. There’s four guys and, while there are no routes, you can go on dates with all of them and there’s some really great backstory/lore. 

Kiro/Qilou/Kira is my favorite bachelor, hands down. He’s a little piece of sunshine. 

[606writings]

Angst angst angst! Could i get one mr kiro reacting to mc choosing gavin over him. Like perhaps shes getting comforted during the anniversary of her fathers death by kiro and then hears gavin abd runs to him instead or something like that

SC: It’s always him [Kiro]

A/N: I’m super sorry for the late response! For some reason I couldn’t find this request until now:( But here it is, at last!

Genre: Kind of angsty.

Word count: 1,344.

You locked yourself in some empty office at the studio, you didn’t want anyone to see you crying and interrupt the filming that was happening outside.

It was an important shooting, it was one of the most popular shows currently airing on TV, and they asked you to be their producer for a special episode with Kiro as their guest.

You obviously were so excited to have such opportunity, and you even had one of your closest friends as the guest so things could only go perfectly.

That if the filming day wasn’t on the anniversary of your dad’s death, keeping you so busy that you wouldn’t even have enough time to visit your dad’s grave and buy his favorite food and some flowers.

The idea of missing such an important date had you depressed the entire day, you were doing your best effort not to burst out crying in front of all the production crew. But no matter how hard you tried, the weight on your chest would not go away, and the constant need to cry your eyes out was too much to handle. So, you decided to take five minutes alone and do what you needed to do to continue the filming without feeling like crap.

That’s how you ended up with your eyes full of tears, your right hand covering your mouth so not a single sound would come out of it and give you away. But your cries were interrupted by the sound of a known cheerful voice calling you:

“Miss Chips! Where are you? Let’s grab lunch together!”

You could hear Kiro from the other side of the door with his usual excited tone, and decided to ignore him not wanting to worry him. But your plans failed as your phone started ringing showing his name and photo on the screen, just loudly enough for him to hear it from where he was standing outside.

Calm steps started approaching the office you locked yourself in; you sighed knowing it was too late to create some sort of excuse. Besides, you didn’t want to lie to him, so you just waited for him to knock the door.

“Y/N, what’s wrong?”

You ignored his question and instead opened the door to show yourself -a completely mess by now, with your face all red and wet with tears-, and you dragged him inside the office.

“Why are you crying? Did something happen?”

Not intending to lie to him, you started explaining as you walked towards the couch, still dragging him beside you before taking a sit:

“Do you remember what I told you a couple days ago? I was excited and sad at the same time for something…”

Kiro tried to remember your recent conversations and what that had to do with your current state, until something clicked inside his mind. He opened his eyes in realization as he gave you a comprehensive look.

“Oh, it’s that day… I´m sorry, Y/N, you have to be here instead of spending some time with your dad…” His usually happy voice turned into a saddened one, as he knew how important was that date to you.

Kiro’s heart sank at the view, he started feeling guilty for not remembering what you talked about just a few days ago. Until now he noticed you weren’t acting as usual during the shooting, but he thought maybe you were just nervous since it was a bigger production than what you usually work with.

“I feel so bad that I can’t prepare something for my dad, Kiro. This is the only time I can feel as if he was still with me, and I’m stuck here… I miss him so much…” You covered your face with both hands as your cries resumed.

Kiro closed the space between you two and embraced you softly.

You thought it was a nice gesture to comfort you from just a close friend as Kiro. But in reality, it was meant much more than that to him; it was the only time he could keep you into his arms without it being awkward.

He felt guilty for thinking of something else when you were crying in his chest, but he couldn’t ignore the warm feeling growing inside him, opposite to the coldness of your tears wetting his shirt. He imagined how would it feel like if he was hugging you to show you his love; just because he wanted to hold you and keep you close to him, without the need of an excuse and not only as a way of comforting you.

Kiro imagined what would it be like if he could act without fear or worry, and be sincere with his true feelings. If he could be with you and ask you out on dates, to make you laugh, make you blush and make you smile.

Just as he was about to tighten his embrace, lost in his thoughts and with a small spark of hope growing in his chest, you carefully leaned back abandoning the warm of his arms wrapped you.

“I’m sorry, I think I ruined your shirt. I’ll ask an assistant to get you a new one right now…” You were about to get up and walk out of the room, clueless of the thoughts your blond friend was having just a second ago, ready to go back to work; instead Kiro interrupted you.

“Miss chips, there’s something I want to tell you…” He looked down, not brave enough to stare directly into your eyes, and softly grabbed one of your hands to prevent you from walking away.

“What is it?”

He sighed and, as he filled his chest with courage to speak his true feelings, the door opened suddenly drawing your attention.

Kiro looked up at you, and saw how your face brightened up showing a gentle smile. For a second he wished that expression was because of him, and he was ready to talk out loud, that until he noticed the man standing under the doorframe.

“Gavin!” You dropped Kiro’s hand and without hesitating you stood up to greet the honey eyed man that made your heart beat faster. “What are you doing here?”

Kiro froze at his place for a moment, before turning his head around to place his gaze at Gavin, who was standing nervously with both his hands hidden behind him.

“When you texted me saying you were getting home late, I knew you probably wouldn’t have enough time to buy something for your father…” Gavin stepped inside slowly showing what his hands were holding. “So I bought this.”

In front of you, he was holding a bouquet of beautiful flowers and a bento box. Your eyes, previously full of tears, now were open wide in surprise and happiness.

“I remember you once mentioned you liked to get flowers and prepare your dad’s favorite food for his anniversary. And though I’m pretty sure this is not the same, I thought maybe it would cheer you up a bit…”

Kiro could only stay quiet as he listened to Gavin’s explanation, already feeling something burning up inside him, something he could only recognize as jealousy.

It’s him, it’s always him. Does he not have a job or what…? Kiro thought, frowning.

He was about to get up and say something, slightly annoyed that Gavin had interrupted the moment he decided to confess his feelings to you, when you spoke:

“That is…” Your cheeks were now flushing, obviously moved by his surprise. “This is so sweet, thank you, Gav.”

You stood on your toes and leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on Gavin’s lips in gratitude; such an innocent gesture to you, and such a welcomed reaction to Gavin, but you ignored the pain provoked by that surprising action on your friend, sitting behind you with a broken heart.

As the couple standing before Kiro embraced each other happily, he could only witness in silence, reality sinking slowly and painfully in his mind and heart.

Yeah, it’s always him… And it will always be him…