#little red riding hee

[camping-with-monsters]

I MAKE VERY SILLY GOOFY ANIMATICS SOMETIMES.

Several months ago I created a nightcore version of “Nightmares Never End” and I haven’t been able to listen to the normal song since because I love the nightcore version so much oh my god

Anyways :)) The OCs in the first half are my own from my original story “Duck Duck Goose”, and the OCs in the second half belong to @pazam from her original story “My Little Angel” :) This might be a more oddly specific animatic but the imagery wouldn’t leave my head until I created it :))

[enhastolemyheart]

enha + boyfriend moments ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

pairing non idol!enha x fem!reader warnings none genre fluff est. relationship nets @k-films @kflixnet

a/n I wanted to try something different this time. sorry i went mia for so long :(( i decided to do something for all of enha boys and i hope u enjoy!! also i totally forgot abt jungwon's allergies while writing his part so less jus pretend he is not allergic to cats :((

banners by @cafekitsune

LEE HEESEUNG ツ

i feel like heeseung would always and i mean ALWAYS trap you between himself and whatever other object is there near you. I honestly feel he loves to see you flustered and ears all burning red just from a mere touch as he very smoothly traps you between his arms, nowhere to escape. like, the look on your face is such a ego booster and this little "moment" has to happen at least once a day. It is just a heeseung coded move and it gets you worked up every single time.

"hee, I just had to go get groceries real quick, can you let me go?" You try to excuse yourself from his hold as you were trapped between the counter and his arms. "no baby," he bends to meet your eye level, "you left without giving me a kiss." he moves in so close you think you'll combust. "cmon baby, make it up to me."

more under the cut!

PARK JONGSEONG ツ

we all know Jay's love language is acts of service and maybe even gift giving. cmon, its obvious that jay is the kind of person to always buckle your seatbelt for you, open any kind of door for you, cook meals that remind you of your culture and hometown, likee he is literally the sweetest boyfriend ever. he's perfect. he is also the type to always have a belonging of your in his bag whenever you both are outside. like that is so jay coded.

your day started with a quick breakfast at a cafe, and then your extravaganza at the amusement park. You and jay went through it all, the amazing food, the thrilling rides. he even held your hand the whole through the roller coaster to help you conquer your fear. he was there every step of the way and you both had so much fun. the sun had started setting and so you both get seated at a highly reviewed restaurant in the park for dinner. Just as the food came, you wanted to tie your hair up, feeling scorching due the humid air and all that walking you did. noticing you were having trouble finding your tie, Jay casually puts his wrist closer to you where a hair tie was sitting. "here, i kept an extra."

SIM JAEYUN ツ

jake is definitely the type of boyfriend to take you out on night drives. windows rolled down, music blasting in the air, one hand on the wheel and the other intertwined with yours. you couldn't have spent your night with jake in any other way. he loves you with all his heart and i feel like one way of showing it is through songs, so what's better than listening to playlist he made for when he thought of you, while riding around the city at its most quiet hour?

"baby, i just added some new songs to the playlist." he confesses, giving your knuckles a sweet kiss before bringing it back onto your lap. "yeah? lemme hear it jakey." he giggles as he presses play "i love you, my girl." he looks at you the whole time you were listening, together on a blanket as you indulge the beautiful night sky.

PARK SUNGHOON ツ

one thing that sunghoon loves but doesn't want to admit is waking up in your arms. quite literally, he loves falling asleep on your chest with your hand massaging his back and hair. ugh, he'd just melt to sleep then and there itself. don't get him wrong, he absolutely loves seeing you under his arms first thing in the morning. but, something about being in your embrace where he can be vulnerable and himself is just far much better. he absolutely love your sweet and hoarse voice as you greet him a good morning and then proceed to pepper his precious face with kisses to start of the day right. he feel so much better with you and your presence.

the little kisses being left on the top of sunghoon's hair wakes him up. he looks up at you from his place, hair all strewn, arms wrapped around your midriff while head tucked inside the crook of your neck. you giggle softly at his sleepy smile before running a hand through his hair, "good morning, sleeping beauty." he huff as you see the evident pink on his cheeks. "good morning" comes out muffles due to how close his mouth is to your skin, placing gentle kisses and squeezing your waist. he looks up at you through his eyelashes, giving you a full, sweet good morning kiss and murmuring that he wants to stay five more minutes in bed.

KIM SUNOO ツ

this is such a sunoo coded thing. but, he absolutely LOVES doing masks and manicures with you. like, imagine just sitting on your bed, face masks on and gossiping about anything and everything while painting each others' nails. sunoo is the type of boyfriend in whom you'll find a best friend. like, he is always the first you would go to share news and stuff and vice versa.

"and so because of niki, we got the rest of the day off!" sunoo exclaimed finishing the mini story of a recently occurred event. you couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the story. minutes pass, and now he is painting your nails this time, both of you rocking a baby pink color. you both end up binging 2000s rom-coms before dozing off sleeping soundly in each others' arms.

YANG JUNGWON ツ

ugh. jungwon is such a soft boyfie. he is always by your side helping/accompanying you to anything and everything. jungwon is very kind and caring and takes care with so much love, he loves you more than himself. he is the type to always greet you with warm hugs and cheek kisses. hand holding when going on a stroll outside no matter the time of day. he is also very BIG on words of affirmation. he is always telling he loves you and he makes sure you know.

"omg! won, look!" you point at the stray cat that was situated under a tree near the trail of the pretty park you both are at. he looks at it with wide eyes before slowly moving towards the cat, wanting to greet it. once the ginger cat understands that you both mean no harm, it starts to get close with jungwon rubbing up against his leg. "it is so cute won, it looks just like you!" you exclaim resulting in a chuckle from your boyfriend. he slowly picks up the cat, bringing its face close to his before turning to you. "see baby, you can't tell the difference between me and the cat, can you?" you chuckle softly kissing his cheek. you both decide to take the cat to a vet and then give it some food and shelter for the night.

NISHIMURA RIKI ツ

this kid. as much as playful he is, he is as equal in being sincere and true to himself and your relationship. he loves to tease you. i think quality time is one of his ways of loving you, so i can def see you both out on adventurous dates together. whether it be basketball dates, going to an amusement park together, spending time with each other at 4 am having ice cream, anything and everything you do, it's always filled with love and laughter that make up wonderful memories.

"come on baby, try and take it from me." niki exclaimes as yet again steals the basketball from your hold dribbling slowly towards the basket. "ugh, you and your damn long legs." you mumur. he laugh at your comment before stopping in front of you. he is so close that you know you are going to turn red soon if he doesn't back up. "here." he puts the ball in front of you, and you have to declare yourself stupid because inches before you can get the ball, he raises his arms, putting the ball way out of your hold. "riki! not fair." you out as you try and jump to get the ball. Niki simply laughs at your silly attempts. "you are so cute, you know that?" he bends to meet your eye level, placing a chaste kiss on your lips. "i love you" knowing the effect you had on him, you managed to snatch the ball before running away and yelling, "i love you too dork!" niki smirks at your escape before chasing after you.

a/n. tysm for reading!! i hope u liked it! this was not proofread!!

perm taglist: @jak-ey ; @snoowhore ; @hsgwrld ; @seungiesluv ; @1-800shutthefuckup ; @heeseungshim (send an ask to be added)

[jaylaxies]

wanting to ride sub!hee slowly and gently but he gets impatient and starts thrusting up into you🥴🥴

sub!hee being the usual pathetically needy pup he is while you ride him, he begs and whimpers for you to go faster but it’s definitely a prettier sight to see him cry and ask for more, his nose red and cheeks blotchy from how much he cried, until he can’t take it anymore and regains some strength to fuck his hips up to meet yours, his dick hitting the deepest spot in you as he did so. watching the expression of pure bliss on your face gets him going even more to the point he can’t stop thrusting up, breathing hard and going even faster when you praise him for being such a needy little pup for your cunt <3

[kooberryfields4ever]

releasing a little earlier than anticipated cos it’s 4:30am and i can’t sleep cos i’m busy thinking abt jay ….. i was sooo excited to work on this one icl😭😭 jay nsfw alphabet will be a ride (literally) 🙏 jake up next and then enha hyung line is finished nd i’ll probs start teasing fics/drabbles …. & i’ll probs release ones for jk/soobieboobie too so if ur interested in them pls look out🥺

content warning : nsfw below the cut, dom/sub vibes, ddlg, breeding, spanking/bdsm (minor) etc etc

MDNI !

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

jay is a very attentive and romantically in-tune guy !!! despite how rough he likes to be with ur body he’ll always make sure ur perfectly looked after when he’s done using u

and boy will he use u…… like aftercare is very much necessary….. more on that later :3

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

fingers………… guitarist…… need i elaborate???

and he’s so good with them too like to the point where some nights u beg him to just use his fingers to get u off

his favourite body part of urs is ur ass :3

just loves seeing how red it gets when he spanks u to tears

the way it jiggles after he slaps it n it just feels so good to play with it n grab it n spread it so he can get a perfect view of ur holes all creamy for him :((

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

very clean abt it, likes using condoms so he can throw away what’s necessary and there’s less to clean up

but on the off chance that he’s feeling particularly primal :))

expect to be fucked absolutely to the brim w his cum :))

like i’m talking no holding back full breeding kink jongseong mode, wants to see u full enough to carry a baby even tho ur on the pill nd the chances r so low &lt;;/3

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

has maybe thought abt babytrapping u once or twice😄😄 he can’t help it :(( the thought of u with a beautiful round belly and swollen tits makes his mouth water :(( just wants u bred so perfectly, wants to make u a mummy so bad…..

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

i think jay is one of those naturally gifted sex havers

like i don’t think he watches porn much and like everyone else i’ve spoken abt i think it’s too early into their career and they’re too busy to experience much in their own schedules

but he just gets it,,,,,, like he knows his own vibes and he knows what he’s into and he’s VERY in tune with his partners

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

reverse cowgirl :3

loves to see that fat ass bounce while he fucks u from below….

gives him a god opportunity to pull u back against his chest n wrap his fingers around ur throat too

drives him crazy seeing u get lightheaded while he pounds into ur pussy

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

defos a more serious lover but not in a sunghoon way, more intimidating….

i just see him getting rly turned on when u listen to his instructions and take what he says seriously outside of sex, so i feel like it would apply during as well

but not necessarily always serious

like there are days he feels less dom and just wants to fuck his girl nice and slow, feel u squeeze around him, that’s when he’ll be open to a few giggles and having fun

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

in between hoon and heeseung methinks

like not fully shaven but def trims shorter and more regularly than hee

feels more masculine with hair nd kind of likes when he sees ur nose buried in his bush when u give him head

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

he’s very romantic &lt;3

sex is passion and love and seduction and jay wants to make sure that even when he’s being rough and a little bit mean u know he loves u beyond what he could possibly articulate

so yeah expect candles and roses and slow sensual music while he drives himself deep into ur cunt

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

likes to have a wank every now and again, for his health x

not shy to call u up or text u (sext u) when he wants to get off and ur not around

just be prepared for videos of him jerking it from start to finish where all u can hear is the slickness of his cock in his hand and his quick breaths while he tells u how bad he misses that cunt of urs, wants to fuck his cute little girl so bad….

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

don’t shoot me

a little bit of ddlg

discovered it one night randomly when u guys were discussing ur future and having children and u referred to him as “a daddy” offhandedly

made his cock instantly hard, he just knew that second he had to fuck u and fill u with his cum and get u to call him daddy again the whole night like a good little girl

also think he’d be major into giving praise, not much of a degrader but if ur being a stubborn little girl don’t expect him to be nice about it….

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

bed.

yawnnnnn kooberry will u ever say anything different

no >:( enha hyung line to me (minus jake) want to share their intimacy with nothing but the bedroom !!!!!

like why fuck u anywhere but in his bed where he knows nobody else can see his little girl while he pounds into her tight pussy and works her clit until she’s cumming around his cock again and again :((

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

when ur being rly attentive and good for him, like without realising

like if he tells u to get something from the fridge for him and u do it without question…..

takes all of his willpower to not stop cooking and bend u over the kitchen counter to stuff u full of his fingers nd praise u for being such a good girl for daddy :3

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

probably heavy degradation, calling u a slut, whore etc

i think the worst he’d say is “stop being such a fucking brat” nd that’s if ur testing his patience like pushing his buttons to no end (which he enjoys sometimes)

would also probably start fucking u harder and faster in apology while spanking ur ass beet red for being a brat

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

prefers giving. loves treating u good and making sure ur looked after before him

it’s not sex with jeongseong if u havent orgasmed at least once before he fucks u

maybe even twice

likes receiving too, loves when u relax ur throat around him and let him use his hands to guide u nd fuck ur throat a little

especially when u gag a little omfg. drives him crazy with need like …. ur letting him use ur mouth soooo well like a good girl

defos still more of a giver

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

fast and VERY rough

like shoving ur face into the pillow to get u to shut the fuck up while he pounds into u kind of rough

can’t have anyone else hear how good his little girl takes his cock can he ???? then he’d rly have to punish u

flips u onto ur back so he can pin ur legs against the side of ur head and shove himself deeper and deeper while sucking on ur nipples and rubbing ur clit aggressively

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

he would, by this point he’s an expert with ur pussy and knows he can make u cum easily if ur both needy but on a time crunch

like i can picture him shoving u into the supply cupboard at mubank before prerecording and pressing u against the wall…. has to apologise over and over again for the stretch cos he can’t open u up properly rn but it’s okay cos ur already so wet he can just slide right in anyway :(( and then his fingers are already at ur clit or tweaking ur nipples so u cum first <3 nd he can get u on ur knees and shove his length down ur throat until he finishes with no mess :3

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

sure, risk is a part of the fun ;)

would gladly take u in semi-public places like a fitting room or an unlocked dressing room bc it turns him on thinking about the ways he can get u to shut the fuck up

like how deep can he fuck u while ur mouth is gagged with ur panties ?? the answer is VERY

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

honestly takes him a long time to cum so i don’t necessarily see him wanting to go multiple rounds when ur always so spent after the first from how long he plays with u and fucks u

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

owns them for u and u only

stuff like a small paddle or different vibrator wands cos sometimes he wants to try something new and get u to cum harder, like a challenge to himself

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

teases when he feels like a) u need punishment, or b) he’s feeling like a bit of a dickhead

likes to thrust his raw dick up and down ur wet folds while he opens up the condom wrapper, just to hear u beg a little

but if u beg hard enough (and call him daddy) he’ll forget the condom all together and just slide into u raw nd give his little girl exactly what she needs :((

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

rly low grunts

i just don’t think he’s very vocal otherwise, maybe when he’s praising u or telling u how bratty ur being

but otherwise it’s just his deep sexy grunts

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

u nd him r cooking in the kitchen when his phone rings…. his hands r all messy so he asks u to go answer it and of course like the good girl u are, u obey immediately :3 nd u look so cute when u answer, covering the microphone to whisper “it’s jake” to him, that he can’t help but rinse off his fingers immediately and pin u to the wall……. n he’s being so dirty :(( and unfair :(((( and whispering shit in ur ear like “daddy’s good girl, answering the phone for me, ur not gonna let him hear u now tho are u??” while u try to hold back moans n he shoves his fingers past ur waistband :(((

and jake’s just as confused !!!!! “y/n??? u good??? where’s jay??” he questions while jay plays with ur pussy and kisses at ur neck, telling u to answer

he’s so mean :((( u just have to tell jake to call back later he’s too busy!!!!! hanging up and tossing the phone to the side so jay can finish u off ^_^

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

slightly above average length, not too girthy

made to shove himself deep and fill u up just enough to beg for more :3

circumcised !

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

pretty average, needs to fuck u at least once a week if he can

can do without for a while but just be careful when ur back around him bc there’ll be some subconscious pent up energy there….

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

i think he falls asleep quite easily after sex

likes to clean u up and give u a massage and some food n drink but as soon as he’s done all that and cuddled up next to u he’s out like a light

[heeseongism]

i know that you've seen those concept pictures of heeseungs godly side profile.. maybe could i req a little drabble of fac sitting/riding for the first time with hee?

no bcs my first thoughts when i saw this pic was "ohhh so thats how he kitty licks your clit 😃"

heeseung is insufferable so knowing him he'd have been begging you for MONTHS to sit on his face, his wet dreams of squirming underneath you as you use his body were getting too much to handle alone.

but when he finally manages to make you give in he has no mercy on you. he lets the scent of your arousal intoxicate him and he becomes drunk on the thought of tasting your pussy. he grips the flesh of your thighs and locks them around his neck, slithering his tongue into your entrance and slurping up all your juices until you're left trembling and struggling to hold yourself up. all whilst his beautiful nose sloppily knocks and rubs against your throbbing clit.

he just can't resist getting a taste so he swirls his tongue against your nub and wraps his plump lips around it, sucking so gently whilst looking up at you as you lose yourself in the feeling of the pretty boys mouth. if his hands aren't gripping and spanking your ass until its red they're definitely roaming your body and fondling your breasts until it leaves nail marks 😵💫 hes a marking guy definitely

[sparklingsjy]

enhypen's reaction to you being smaller than them but stronger

note: requested by anon!

contains: fluff :D and you threatening to beat sunghoon up because that's normal LMFAO

heeseung:

when you and hee first started dating he always thought you would be dependent on him

considering how tiny you were, he didn't expect to see you carrying your new tv to the living room all by yourself

"who is that!? y/n?!"

heeseung runs over to you and pokes your side to make sure he isn't hallucinating

"can you move the couch a bit to the left so i can get through?"

heeseung is still surprised by the fact that your 5'2 self can even lift a heavy tv but then again, he learns something new about you every day

as you're setting up the tv on the table, he admires you while sitting on the couch

"i really am lucky to have you y/n . . ."

knowing that you're stronger than him just made him love you even more <3

jay:

we all know jay LOVES going to the gym

you enjoy working out privately but jay invited you to join him as his gym buddy one day

you both did your usual routines and before he started working on his arms, he heard you call his name

"jay! can you come spot me?"

jay cluelessly looks around for you until you turn him around after waiting for 3 minutes

"oh hey!"

"you took too long! come!"

you took him over to your already set up bench press and got ready

"y/n . . is this a joke?"

"no! hurry and spot me! can you make sure it's on 120?"

jay knew you were full of surprises but THIS was on a whole other level

"120? as in one two zero?"

"yess now hurry!"

as surprised as he is, he hurries up and spots you while admiring how your arms work so easily carrying something so heavy

once you were done, he gave you your bottle of water and patted your back

"i guess you really are stronger than me y/n.. shouldn't you be the one protecting me then?"

"in your dreams . . ."

let's say the night ended off with jay asking you a series of questions on how you're so strong and to help him gain muscle LOL

jake:

you and jake love teasing each other and had a thing for piggy back rides

one day you decided to switch it up a bit with him

"jake! since you're always giving me piggy back rides, why don't i give you one?"

"you're so cute y/n! i don't want to crush your tiny body though :("

"this tiny body is very strong though!"

"hmm i'm not sure"

"pleasee!"

jake couldn't handle your whining because he always falls for your puppy eyes

he ends up giving in and his facial expression when you're able to carry him successfully on your back is PRICELESS

"are you a robot or something? how is this even possible?"

"i told you i'm strong!"

"y/n you should be my body guard"

"noo"

"i'm being serious! you're like superman or hulk!"

"are you calling me big??"

"nonono that's not what i meant"

"i can just drop you right here right now"

"Y/N!"

sunghoon:

dear lord someone save me from hoon's arms

anyways sunghoon is always challenging you to an arm wrestle whenever he cans

it's either to show off his biceps or to tease you

HOWEVER

he will not be expecting you to beat him over and over again

"ARE YOU SURE THIS IS YOUR ARM? there's no way you're stronger than me . . . DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I LIFT?"

"what you lift is a piece of cake hoonie!"

"who are you and what have you done to my little gremlin?"

"GREMLIN? DO YOU WANT TO GET BEAT UP?"

the day goes on with you teasing hoon for losing and him trying to not let it hurt his pride <3

sunoo:

you and sunoo are so cautious with each other once you got together

he also loved spoiling you with food so it wasn't new of him to ask if you wanted something made by him

"y/n do you want a sandwich? i bought this new peanut butter spread!"

"ooh sure!"

10 minutes passed by and you got curious considering he should've finished the sandwich by now

you walked over to the kitchen to see a sweaty red-faced sunoo and an unopened jar of peanut butter

"sunoo? what's going on?"

"y/n . . . this jar does not want to open AT ALL"

you walked over to him, took the jar, and easily popped it open

"not that hard love~!"

"HUH? HOW IS THAT . . ."

"is my sunoo not capable of opening a jar?"

"i swear that jar was super glued or something . . ."

"noo you're just weak~"

"y/n . . . how do you have room to hide your strength in that small body of yours?!?"

jungwon:

when you and wonnie are on a movie marathon in the living room, he is always picking you up once the movie gets too boring

he usually just brought you two to bed for a cuddle session or deep talks but this time the movie you guys were watching was actually interesting to him

on the other hand, you were bored out of your mind

so . . . why not surprise him?

"wonnie . . sit up straight!"

"hm?"

"please!"

"okayyy y/n~"

once he sat up straight, that's when you took your chance and picked him up

"Y/N!? WHAT AND HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS?!"

"i'm bored!"

you take him over to your shared room and plop him on the bed

"there is no way you just picked me up and dropped me in the same night . ."

"the movie was bad!"

"noo not really but . . . how did you carry me? don't i weigh a lot?"

"it's because i started working out more with jay and sunghoon!"

"you're so strong y/n . . . this isn't fair!"

"one day you'll be as strong as me . . . but right now i want to sleep!"

you guys get tucked in bed but jungwon is not able to fall asleep easily since he keeps thinking back on you carrying him

"stop working out with them . . . they're making you stronger than me" he says all pouty

"shh let's sleep"

"fine . . ."

niki:

you and niki love having small wrestling fights on the weekends

you always let him win to boost his ego until his teasing pushes your limits . . .

"you're so tiny y/n you can't even beat me if you tried!"

"yeah? rematch right now!"

"are you sure you'll be able to handle me again~"

"i should be saying that to you . . ."

of course you two ended up rematching and whew niki was shocked

when you overpowered him his ego SHATTERED

"you're cheating!"

"what? how can i cheat in this?"

"you drank something didn't you?!"

"noo i'm just stronger than you niki!"

"have you just been willingly letting me win?"

"would it be bad if i said yes?"

oh he was SAD

not in like a dramatic way but he always loved teasing you for how tiny you were

now that you showed him how strong you are, he's scared to tease you again in case you decide to beat him up LMFAOA

(⁠*⁠˘⁠︶⁠˘⁠*⁠)⁠.⁠｡⁠*⁠♡

ending note: thank you for reading !

[headingalaxys-spicy]

Yandere canada with darling that behave like america please :D

“Buwahaha!” You tag his back from behind. You use so much force you almost knock him off his feet. Matthew will scream in horror from your surprise attack.

“Come on, dude! Bet you can’t catch me!”

He adored your playfulness. It’s what kept his loneliness at bay. That’s why he liked always to take up your time. The others weren’t allowed to have access to you like he did. But since you were somewhat oblivious to the fact that he slowly ensured you’d be cut off from others. You interpreted it as shyness it wasn’t bad to just have one really good friend.

While out and about shopping, you’ll get hyper-excited over [insert favorite thing at a mall or shopping center]. As you rush towards it, he will possessively hold you back with all of his might before you supersonic speed over to it.

“Y/N, don’t rush off like that; some crazy person could snatch or harm you.” He gives you a few sweet pecks on the cheek and buries his chin in your shoulder.

“Hee hee okay, scardy-cat~” You playfully poke at his cheek until he’s as red as lava. You make him bunny hop with you to where you excitedly wanted to get to. Your jollity was springing forth bright flowers that intoxicated him. He enjoyed feeling this epic high. You had the energy to maintain the tsunami of loneliness that consumed him on most days.

It was great that you had a large appetite like Alfred. It meant that Matthew used that as an excuse to become your personal chef. Why allow anyone else to feed you except him? He knows what you like best.

Unlike with America he enjoys how noisy & rambunctious you are. He will let you win 75% of your wrestling matches, video game battles, and board games just to be nice to you. This is where he does take time to drink in your sweet face to fuel him through his battle losses.

He tends to be braver & have a different demeanor when doing adrenaline junkie type of things. So if you’re at amusement parks he keeps it together a little better on most rides but not all. If it has too many loops or is just a massive drop then yeah he’s screaming his head off and squeezing your hand. He’ll be so shaken he will not let you go for the rest of the day. He will also sneakily take your phone away so you don’t get distracted by others.

[hausofmingi]

his good girl - chapter 1

pairing: song mini x stripper!reader

tags: stripper au, smut series

warnings: slight mentions of stalker, bad words (tee hee), dom!mingi, sub!reader, riding, daddydom!mingi, finger sucking, being carried and getting fucked, a bit of physical roughness (reader receiving), degradation but also praise, cum eating (off the floor!), aftercare

wc: 3.8 k

an: so I decided to give the reader a name because that feels more realistic to me as a reader than y/n. I find that sometimes reading "y/n" takes me out of it a little, so lmk if you find this helpful as well! Also, I am a little depraved so right off the bat, this gets very crazy kinky

minors dni!! 18+ only!!

“Where is the red garter belt I let you borrow?” You are racing around your and Lina’s small apartment, trying to prepare for yet another night on the job. 

“I don’t know, I may have left it at the club?” Lina answers from the bathroom. 

Red is his favorite. You don’t want to disappoint. 

“Well great Lina thanks for that, I’m never letting you borrow my shit again.” 

“Love you too!” she calls after you as you leave to go shopping. It’s not like you’re against making another trip to get some new pieces, but why do you always make the same mistake in letting Lina borrow your favorite stuff…

Your’s and Lina’s apartment is in a pretty run down building in an unsafe part of Gangnam, but no matter how shitty it is, its yours and you really want it to feel like home. 

But, that doesn’t mean you don’t feel the pair of eyes watching you as you exit out of your apartment building and walk towards the bus stop. 

You have been noticing that lately, the feeling that someone is watching you. When you leave your house, when you’re at the grocery store, while you’re going on a run. You try and brush it off because this is normal for women and all that, but today, you pay just a little harder attention. 

Out of the corner of your eye, you see a figure in a black hood (Jacket? Coat? You don’t want to look too hard) standing across the street from your apartment building. You walk a little faster to the bus stop just in case. 

That night, after spending more than you should on new lingerie sets, you and Lina are about to take the stage for your first stage set. It’s almost midnight, which is usually the time he makes his appearance. 

You always get butterflies, but not the stage fright normal kind of butterflies, the kind that make your clit perk up and your nipples harden. 

Why do you always get so worked up over a man who hasn’t even fucked you?, you think as you make your way up to the stage. 

You really have become quite the pro at this. After 4 years of working for this club, your boss has dubbed you his favorite girl. Doyeon always protects you and gives you the most popular customers, knowing you will always keep them coming back. 

You always thought it felt nice to be appreciated, especially knowing he didn’t have any intentions of coming onto you, on account of he’s a flaming fruitcake.

Its a good ways into your set, and his table still sits empty. You feel the sweat start to form on your back, but try to stay in your routine. 

Why isn’t he here? Where could he be instead? Did his company find out he was doing this? 

You always got scared that it might be leaked that idols come here, knowing the sasaengs stalker habits. Mingi, being a part of one of the biggest Korean boy groups, Ateez, must have a large number of crazy fans following him. 

Did they find out and tip the press to show up here? You didn’t see anyone outside though… Your mind runs rampant with all of the reasons that it could possibly be as you walk off stage and collect your tips from the stage manager. 

Tears start to threaten to spill, and you think you are crazy yet again to be this affected by a man you haven’t even had a conversation with. 

On the way home, Lina can tell you’re bothered and nudges your side as you walk home. 

“So you know how Taehyun has been requesting me a lot? Well he mentioned his upcoming tour tonight, I think he might finally take me along with them!” She exclaimed excitedly. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, he’s just saying that so you’ll suck him off some more.” you say. 

“Well damn… What’s got you all worked up honey?” She always called you honey when she was trying to comfort you. 

“Mingi didn’t come tonight..” you admit. 

“On a Thursday? That’s… super out of character. Well don’t worry, I’m sure practice just went long or he has an early morning schedule or….” her talking trails off as you dissociate. 

Lina has always been a nice friend, agreeing to move in with you without knowing you very well, trying her best to always cheer you up. It’s not her fault you felt like you guys were never really close. You give her props for trying though. 

You pull out your phone and check his bubble and instagram, seeing if maybe they could give you some clues. Nothing. 

You fall asleep that night thinking of the last time his fingers swiped your lip, hoping it wasn’t the last.

—

The next night at the club is gloomy. Even though it’s a Friday, attendance is lower and your energy is even lower. 

The feeling of someone watching you has been bothering you all day, but the guy in the hood has yet to make an appearance. You are just looking forward to curling up in your bed tonight and continually refreshing Mingi’s bubble messages. 

The stage manager calls for everyone to get onstage for the final number and the other girls rush out. You take your time though, not feeling like getting in a rush for this menial thing. 

You hang your head in your hands, covering your eyes and taking a breath. Just get through it, he’s just a man, you try to remind yourself. 

A smell reaches you, like a really expensive cologne. Musky and masculine, and somehow… dominant. 

You look up and standing in the doorway is him. He stands as if he owns the place, hands in his pocket, opting for a fitted vest tonight in lieu of a jacket. 

And he’s staring you down, studying you intently. If it was anyone else, you would feel the need to cover yourself and apologize. But not with him. 

You probably look like a dumbass, staring at him through the mirror with your mouth slightly open. 

He speaks first. “You were worried.” It’s a question but he doesn’t need an answer. 

“Yes,” is all you can manage to squeak out. 

He leans against the doorway, messing with his shirt cuff. You still haven’t moved, frozen in place. How did he get in here, past the security guard? How did he know which dressing room you were in? Was he the person in the hood you noticed this morning? He must be stalking you… Why doesn’t that bother you more? 

He notices your anxiety moving through you. “Don’t worry, I just know the security guard. He owed me a favor. I’m not a stalker” he responds, as if he read your mind.

“That’s… good” you say. 

He drops his arms and strides towards you, slowly as to not spook you. “Well thank you for worrying about me. I’m okay, for now. But, here’s the problem my love,” he draws his finger up your arm, making your hair stand up and bumps form. “You may be in trouble.” 

You aren’t sure what he means. “What kind of trouble?” you ask. “Like legal trouble?” 

You are afraid that maybe one of the idols ratted this place out and the feds are going to come knocking down your door and take you all away. Would Mingi still visit you in jail? Surely not, there’s no lap dances there… 

He sticks his finger under your chin and pushes it up to make you look at him. Drip. 

“Please stop letting your mind get ahead of you, baby. Let daddy speak.” DRIP. 

“A sasaeng has been getting very close to you. Too close. I can’t let you get hurt.” Awe, he wants to protect you. DRIP DRIP DRIPPING. 

“How did they find me?” you ask. 

He leans against the counter as he continues, “I am not sure, I don’t even know how much they know. Sasaengs are insane people with insane complexes. This one has been stalking me since pre-debut. But I’ve always been careful that she doesn’t see me come in here. So how she knows that you are important to me, I don’t know…” IMPORTANT TO HIM??? 

Okay you’ll have to throw these underwear out at this point. 

“So what do I need to do then? To protect myself I mean” you ask him. 

“Nothing, I want you to do absolutely nothing and let me handle it. But in the meantime, you can’t go back to your apartment.” 

Hate to say it, but fine by you. Maybe you’ll save some money by not having to replace your stolen shit anymore.

“Where will I go instead?” you ask. 

“You’ll come stay with me.” Jesus Christ, 20 year old you would be freaking the fuck out. But, it doesn’t make you freak out, in that way at least. 

“What about Lina, what about my job? I can’t live with you, much less San and Seonghwa. I’ll never see you. What if you have to travel for schedules? I’m just supposed to stay in your dorm 24/7? I have a life! I barely even know you! You only ever say 4 words to me, and then fucking leave me in a puddle, how can I just-” 

His hand stroking the side of your cheek cuts you off. “Again with the mind racing, baby. I don’t want you to uproot your life, it will be temporary. I have my own apartment now too, so we won’t be with other members. It will only be until we are 100% sure you are safe to be alone. I will take care of you, I promise.” he reassures. 

You lean into the hand that holds your head, a few tears falling into it. You finally get the courage to look up at him, making eye contact. He has dropped his heavy, dominant demeanor. Instead, his eyes hold only comfort and concern. 

Maybe he wasn’t kidding; maybe you really are important to him. 

After a minute of silence, “Okay, so what do I need to do right now?” you ask.

“Change and pack up your stuff, we are going to the apartment. Make a list of what all you need from your apartment when we get home and I will send a staff to collect it all in the morning.” 

“And take a breath, princess.” You unclench your jaw, which you didn’t even realize was clenched. He kisses your forehead before reaching down to grab your duffle bag that you carry your things in. 

You think in silence as you pack. Take a breath he says… he will protect me he says… Why me? Why is protecting me, a stripper, just some stripper that he barely speaks to. He doesn’t even know my real name…

“Yes I do,” he says from the chair he has sat down in to wait for you. Oops, you must’ve said that part outloud. 

“It’s Cora.” You like the way he flips the “r” of your American name with his Korean accent. 

“How do you know that?” he ignores you. “How do you know I used to live with San and Seonghwa?” “Touche…” you respond.

“All done?” he asks. You nod. He crosses to you and starts stroking your arms to comfort you. 

“I want you to remember though, you still have to be a good girl for me at the apartment, can you do that?” 

You look up at him through your eyelashes, surprised that he still is holding this up even at a time like this. Is it all an act, or is it truly how he is? Either way, you are turned on once again. 

“Yes..” you respond. He cocks his eyebrow, questioning your answer. 

“Yes what?” 

“Yes… daddy.”

“There’s my good girl.”

With his hand on your back, he guides you out of the dressing room and out the back door, where a black hatchback with tinted windows is waiting. He holds open the door for you, and helps you into the car. If only other men treated all their strippers like this…

The car ride home (whatever home means at the moment) is very silent. He has his hand on your thigh the entire way, the other staying steady on the wheel. His thumb rubs back and forth, another attempt at comfort you’re guessing. It works, sort of. 

Just smelling him and being near him your body is relaxed, knowing he will take care of you and wanting to give yourself to him. It’s like you are under his spell, which is crazy. You are usually so independent and self-sufficient. What about him makes you want to grant his every wish? 

“Shouldn’t you be blindfolding me, so I won’t know where your apartment is and so I won’t run away and all that?” you ask, kind of joking. 

“You won’t” he says while keeping his eyes on the road, fully confident in his answer. 

He’s probably right. 

–

Finally you reach the apartment. You almost drifted off to sleep, even though the drive was only about 20 minutes. He parks right outside the front door of the building and gets out to open your door for you. He offers his hand to help you out of the car. It’s much appreciated because you are still in your platform heels, just throwing a coat over your outfit you were going to wear to perform in. 

He keeps his hand on your back as you walk up to the doors, through the lobby, and up the elevator. It’s a really nice building with a concierge and fresh flowers all over. Sometimes you forget how big Ateez really is, and figure that Mingi bought this place with his own money. 

You wonder if he has neighbors on his floor. Do they know he lives next to them? Does he talk to his neighbors at all? Do they know that he is having his own personal stripper move in with him?

They’re gonna know now, from how loud you are being. 

How you ended up riding him in his dining room chair about 15 minutes later, you’re not so sure. 

—

He was going slow, too slow, slow enough that you could feel every. single. inch. 

You tried to grind your hips and get him in deeper, but the tight hold he had on your asscheek lets you know that even though you are on top, you are not in control. 

His other hand is holding your face, his thumb hooked in your mouth. You suck and gag on it as much as you can, but it’s hard to focus when he is going this slow. 

You felt high, things were getting foggy. All you knew is that you wanted to please him. 

“My beautiful girl, doing so well. You were waiting for this for a long time weren’t you?” his deep voice sends sparks to your clit and makes you even wetter, if that’s even possible. 

You can only close your eyes and nod. You want to throw your head back, but his hand on your cheek and thumb in your mouth keeps it facing forward. “Now baby, what did I say? Eyes. on. me.” 

He jerks your head a bit, just to make you a little scared. 

You know he would never hurt you. 

Unless you asked. 

You open your eyes like a good girl. How could you not be a good girl for him? 

His breath catches when you make eye contact with him again. His eyes bare into your soul, never breaking. 

You whimper a little when the head of his cock catches someplace you have never felt before. He smirks, knowing. He hits it again, making the upper half of your body keen forward, his thumb slipping out of your mouth. 

Your hands, which were bracing on the back of the chair, move down to his pecs. You are desperate for him, desperate for that feeling that release you dreamt about him giving you. 

You start to bounce since he let go of you, letting his arms hang down and his head fall back in pleasure. You are doing that to him. You are making him let go. 

You grind his cockhead up against your g-spot over and over again, drooling down his neck. 

You wish you could see what you guys look like, his giant body draped over the chair in ecstasy, you sat on his thick thighs bouncing on his perfect cock, licking up and down his neck. 

You’re close, really close, and your walls start to constrict down on his cock. His eyes shoot open and he jerks his head up at the feeling. 

“Hold on princess,” he practically growls at you. 

Hold onto what? You think. 

He grabs underneath your thighs, holding his hands behind your back and lifts the both of you out of the chair with him still inside of you. 

Oh my god, holy shit. 

This was too good, you couldn’t have even dreamt this up. 

You wrap your hands around his neck and he pummels into you as fast as he can, hitting your g-spot every single time as if he has memorized the angle. The sound of his balls hitting your ass covers your cries of his name. 

“Fucking. Take it.” he says, his forehead touching yours. He has essentially lost control of his body, just bouncing you wildly up and down his cock. 

It’s coming, It’s coming. Please, please, please, “please.” You don’t even know what you’re begging for, if you’re even talking out loud. You feel like you are losing your grip on reality, its so so close. 

He stills inside of you, leaving his cock right on the spot you need the most. He just shallowly thrusts, just rubbing your g-spot with his cockhead. Holy shit, it feels like fucking heaven. 

“Now,” he commands. 

And you obey. 

You flutter around him, feeling how his shallow thrusts stutter when you cum. You don’t stop for at least a full minute. 

“Thank you thank you thank you, oh fuck, thank you daddy” is all you can say as your clit jumps in ecstasy. 

His eyebrows are furrowed together, he’s close too. Right as your orgasm tapers out, you tighten your thighs around him and give him 3 bounces. That’s all he needs. 

He pulls you off of him just as he’s cumming, holding you away from him so you can watch the cum drip out of his cock and onto the floor. It’s so beautiful, you think. 

He sets your legs down on the floor, but they can’t hold you up and you fall to your knees. You can barely see straight, and you can’t catch your breath. Holy shit he may really have fucked the shit out of you. 

You keep your eyes turned to the ground while you try and slow your heart, but you see him start to squat down to your level. He picks up your chin with his hand to look up at him. “Baby… you need to clean up your mess.” 

“Wh..What?” you stutter. 

He stands up straight again, looming over you with his giant presence. “Clean it up.” his gaze falls to the ground and yours follows. 

Oh… you get it now. 

Not breaking eye contact, you lean your head down. You stick out your tongue and lick up the cum that he let fall to the floor, as well as some from you that you didn’t even realize had dripped down. He smiles. 

You feel like a pet, like a slave. 

You fucking love it. 

“That’s my good girl.” he praises you. You wipe off your mouth and look up at him through your eyelashes. He squats back down to your level, seeming to have fallen for your puppy dog eyes. 

“Does my baby need help getting cleaned up?” 

“Yes daddy.” 

He bends down to pick you up, which he does with ease, as if you weighed nothing. He guides your legs to wrap around him and he carries you into the bathroom. 

He sets you down to sit on the toilet and turns on the shower to start heating up. Why do you feel so dizzy? You gaze can’t focus. 

“Cora… don’t pass out on me my love.” he holds your face in his hands. 

“What do you need baby?” you grab onto his wrist to try and steady yourself. 

“Just a minute… I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t apologize, take your time.”

He strokes your hair as you take a few deep breaths to steady yourself. 

“Is the shower ready?” you ask. 

“Yes my love, whenever you are.”

“Will you help me?” you ask.

“Of course” he says as he starts guiding you towards the shower door. 

He lets you step in first and before you can protest that you can shower on your own, he steps in behind you. 

It's a really big shower, with beautiful blue tiles and a detachable shower head. Detachable? Huh…

You lean into his chest, your head barely meeting the middle of it due to his height. One of his arms wraps around your body while the other starts to shampoo your hair. 

Why do you already feel so comfortable with him? As if you have been showering together for years. You literally just licked this man’s cum off the floor and have no remorse about it. Should you feel guilty? 

Nah, you kind of just feel like bragging to other Atiny’s on Twitter. I sucked his beautiful cock!! Suckers!!! Probably wouldn’t be the best idea…

After washing the rest of your body and getting you out of the shower and making sure you brushed your teeth, you are now tucked into his extremely comfortable bed. You don’t usually sleep naked, but it seems right when he is too. 

You turn to face him in the bed. He was already staring at you, it seems. 

“You know, I wasn’t expecting us to fuck right off the bat..” you admit. 

“Me neither, but I am not surprised. It’s hard to resist you.”

“You’ve been resisting me for the past 6 months. You know I always craved more from you.”

“Yes I did know. But I didn’t want to enjoy you in such a public space. I just craved being around you. Its hard to resist you, though, princess. Just know that.”

I guess that makes me feel better, but still… so many things unanswered.

“I know you are probably questioning a lot of things. Just try and get some sleep tonight, okay my love?” he asks. 

“Okay..” you agree in a small voice, knowing that you will wake up tomorrow with even more unanswered questions. 

“Good girl.” He curls his arm around your middle and tucks you into his side, kissing your forehead before drifting to sleep. 

He smells like the same cologne he was wearing earlier tonight. Beautiful, musky, and masculine. You let yourself drift to sleep, breathing him in.

OKAY I DID IT MY FIRST CHAPTER. plz reblog and like.

[doodling-doodle]

So I like Just Dance

I don't normally make other content but @wainmfis decided to bring this up and give me an excuse to talk about this so thank you :)

Jack Rose with his own Eras Tour, along with many-a-headcanons for Jack and Wanderlust (Wanderrose tee hee) and the aftermath of JD2024

Buckle up, y'all, this is a long ride. I put this post into a word counter and it's almost 3,000 words. So, if you just want The Era's Tour stuff, I marked it in italic, bold, red, ALL CAP LETTERS

Alright, so, I'll get my Jack headcanons first

He started making music when he was fifteen and was allowed to release albums (With songs only approved by Night Swan on the album) when he was sixteen. He was allowed to choose his own genres though, as long as she fully wrote some of the songs.

His debut Album was Self Titled (So it was called Jack Rose)

annnd this is where that most of my inspiration on Jack comes from Taylor Swift and I have zero shame.

So all of his albums are mostly the same as hers, titles, songs, etc. (Except for 1989... how old is Jack right now? 28?? Lets say 28, it would be titled 1996)

However... there is one extra album, that happened between Speak Now and Red.

When he was around seventeen, that's when he finally used his slightly later curfew, when he was allowed to be wandering in Eternyx until eleven o'clock at night, which was insane for him because he used to only be out until nine-thirty at the latest.

He would wander around the streets for hours, running back to Swan Tower when he had about an hour and a half left.

Until the day that he found an abandoned bar turned hidden rap club in the small part of the city that Night Swan didn't go around often.

He had wanted to try putting out rap for a while, but Swan never allowed him, she said he wasn't good at it, it wasn't good music and it wouldn't do well under his name.

He would watch and listen from the outside, scurrying back home just in time for his curfew.

Until the night he decided to go in there. He had paid the servants (Hehe, serve) to not tell Night Swan he was out past curfew, and he went out to the little club in the city.

He would hide in the corner, in a hoodie to hide his face and in the dark. No one could now that he was there.

People came up to talk to him, eventually realizing who he was and quickly swearing that no one would tell a soul. That was the first time he really told anyone about his mothers ways.

They all welcomed him with open arms, and he had real friends for the first time in his life.

He would sneak back into his room through his unlocked window, the servants would fake pictures of him being in his room, either at his desk writing or in his bed on his laptop or asleep.

He eventually started fully making his raps, rather then just keeping them on paper, and he starting singing them at his little club, much to everyone's joy.

To his mother's horror.

He was under an alias (Not sure what to call him yet), and she made him not only drop it, but scaled back his curfew again and made him cancel plans to tour for months.

But she "punished" him by making him release an album full of his raps. That made him so happy, and it ended up becoming his favorite album, cover and all.

Lose Yourself. (So this is where Eminem inspiration comes in, plus NF)

When he got to tour for that album at the age of twenty, dressing how he wanted to dress, he saw his friends from the club, screaming in support. it ended up being his most successful tour before 1996's Danceverse Tour, where he finally got to leave Eternyx for the first time. That was when he was twenty-four. Even then, his mother still made him perform songs that she wrote for him. (Locked out of Heaven and Treasure for 1996)

That was the last album before the events of JD 2023. After that, it got out what Swan Army was doing, and while he wasn't blamed for what happened, he was partially questioned if he had any part in what she did to coaches.

After that, he fully detached himself from her, left nearly everything to his name in Eternyx and started a new life in Dancecity. He had an apartment and everything, he wrote songs but hadn't put out an album. Night Swan was still around, so he was scared about putting out the music that he was writing. He figured he could just get it out of his system and then write the things he'd normally write and put that out.

He got to keep in touch with his new friends, went to explore Danceverse's with all of them and was finally able to let loose- even managed to get back in touch with his old rapping friends.

But... Wanderlust was the one that was around the most, always coming around at some point, even if they just walked through the city together, running across the rooftops, or went to another Danceverse, or something, but Wander was determined to be around him. Maybe to prove a point to his father.

But months went by, writing songs together and going to Scarlet's Palace together...

Until Jack asked him on a date. And he said yes. And they kissed. They started dating about three months after the whole battle in Eternyx.

(Also saying this now, I always thought Jack was the taller one until realizing that Wander was... so I'm just gonna throw canon out the window, Jack is taller now, fight me-)

They kept it hidden, fully hidden, from Wander's parents and their friends, and any media attention.

Then... Well the thing happened.

My explanation for Jack being in Swan tower is that he 1. wanted to try and get some of his things while he knew Night Swan wasn't around, and 2. try and free some of the poor servants. He couldn't hear Wanderlust calling out to him.

So now he has to go on an adventure to free his friends and his lover.

Now... how do I go about describing Jack's powers/magic? Said powers were lying dormant after Swan tried to take it from him when he was young, but she did it wrong, and he still has them, and managed to re-awaken them. Not sure what song he would be dancing to for it, (kinda leaning towards Hope by NF, with the right imagery and maybe a few lyric changes it'd be perfect. Like imagine Jack having a battle with Mirror Jack?? Hell yeah!) but it would be right after Tainted Love when he watched the ship leaving.

So... said powers include, the same thing that Swan did with the water in the pond in the tower, visions, but also memories. Also with that, kind of what Mihaly did with the signal they sent Jack. Another thing is swan wings (Lets be honest Night Swan just jumping to the top of the top of the ship looked a little... weird. So now Jack can look cool while doing it) another thing with water!... I guess you could call it water manipulation? He's able to control waves, and storms to an extent.

I could go on about the adventure he went on, but that's for another time (maybe)

Long story short, Eternyx was collapsed, Jack found out the truth about why his brother (Yes, Cygnus) left, and why his father was never around (Vester), Wanderlust was drug out of Eternyx by The Traveler, screaming for Jack, Brezz and Mihaly ran out of there through a portal Jack made for them before he went to leave a parting shot to Night Swan. Si'ha took him out of there before it collapsed, took him to her palace and tried to help him as much as she could.

Wanderlust had a fight with The Traveler in the SpaceTime Hotel, was essentially disowned by him, and Wander went back to Eternyx to try and find Jack, shit happened, he found a crown that Jack had made for him, found out he was alive but he didn't know where he was, and left to Dancecity.

Like a month goes by, people realize what happened, and Jack is blamed for his friends being in danger (He also blamed himself) and a lot of shit Night Swan did, and Wander is trying to both find him and defend Jack, to no avail.

So Wander, of course, tries to go to Jack's apartment, to their favorite places, to other Danceverse's, to no luck.

Discoball is actually the one to find Jack at Si'ha's palace, and they go to him, show him just how bad Wanderlust was doing while searching for him. Jack immediately goes to find Wanderlust, and he does, taking him back to the palace, where Si'ha was waiting for them to get back so Wander could tell her exactly what his father did.

Anyway, time passes, Jack is still being hounded by media and everyone else other then his friends.

So... Yes, this leads to Reputation and his first tour in four years. No one knows that he and Wanderlust are dating still, have no clue who the person he's singing about in some of the songs are.

While still hounded during it, he managed to actually get the proof of him not being involved in Night Swan's schemes, which finally put a stop to some of the massive hate he was getting. He also got his first proper award from it, that he got to keep instead of Night Swan taking it from him.

A year later, when he finally feels safe to go out, he's seen with Wanderlust a little too much, leading to rumors and eventually, them saying that, yes, they'd been dating for about three years.

That's when Lover came out.

I could go on about headcanons for award shows, but not today.

He just never went on tour for Lover, and his albums went on, and there was something going on in the Danceverse's that stopped everything (Basically the equivalent of the pandemic) So by that point, Jack and Wanderlust had their own home, and they were stuck there. (Their social medias were unhinged during this time) So both of them were writing a lot of songs, leading to the first album of that year, Folklore. He and Wanderlust wrote it together, which was special to him.

But because of how insane they both were going, Jack kept making more music and put out a second album, Evermore, while Wanderlust actually made his own EP with music that he wrote about his dad and about Sara (I may elaborate about it another time)

So, now, lockdowns are lifting, and people are going on tour again but Jack didn't because he now had three albums that he would tour for...

So then two years later, Midnight's comes out, and the next year, he announces his tour.

The Jack Rose Era's Tour.

This is where I mention that... Jack re-recorded his albums, so there's "Jack's Version" Albums. When Eternyx collapsed, so did everything in it, which meant the record label he was under (Night Swan's, which meant she also had the royalty rights to his songs because she's an absolute bitch) was also gone, which meant his old albums existed, but weren't under his name. This is where he got to do all the vault tracks and even some of Wanderlust's music that he never put out.

THIS IS WHERE THE ACTUAL ERA'S TOUR HEADCANONS START HOLY SHIT I DIDN'T MEAN TO RANT THAT MUCH

So!

Let's start with the outfits.

Most of the bodysuits are the mostly same as the real Era's Tour, but I can't really see him wearing heels, at least not the type that Taylor wears, but I can see him in wedged shoes, not full heels but something. As for the dresses, those are replaced with suits and/or jumpsuits (Maybe he could pull off a dress... maybe)

As for songs/lyrics, some have been changed for the sake of context

For the Lover setlist, I'm replacing Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince with I Forgot That You Existed (If I can figure out good lyric changes to make it fit, that might change) and The Man with ME!

Fearless setlist is the same, though. (I love Love Story too much, I want to change lyrics/context for it, but if I can't, I'll replace it with something but not sure what yet) He also has something similar to the Junior Jewels shirt for You Belong With Me because it's so cute, and he has variations in the main outfits.

Evermore setlist is the same (MAN do I have headcanons about Champagne Problems, I'm putting Jack through the ringer. And for Marjorie, Oh this poor man.) However, while looking into it, some things said that Evermore's set had 'Tis The Damn Season, while others said it was No body, no crime? so for now, it's No body, no crime. The outfit is a flowy and long Jumpsuit, same color as the dress, and he gets the cape for Willow. (I might make drawings of all the outfits at some point, but don't expect them to be flawless designs because this guy seems hard to draw for some reason)

Reputation is the same, so is the outfit, BUT! This is where Wanderlust comes on stage with him too, singing all the songs with him, plus songs from his EP that fit (A lot of the songs on that EP were written around the time Reputation was written). Wander is wearing the mirror image of the outfit, the asymmetrical sleeve and pant leg on the opposite side. Wander sings the second verse and chorus of every song, except his own, which he sings most of them completely on his own.

Speak now is the same, with the dress(es) replaced with a full suit (That would match the dresses, so there would be one with flowers at the end of the sleeves and the pant legs, a purple one that matches the ballgown, etc.) And Wander is back! Similarly in a suit that would match Jack's, and he sang Enchanted with him, first verse and the bridge.

The extra era, Lose Yourself! His outfit here is basically the outfit from the actual Lose Yourself beta map. Songs would be Not Afraid, (Em, but this one may change) Hope, (NF) 'Till I Collapse, (Em) and of course, Lose Yourself with a slight outfit change. Wanderlust isn't here for this one

Red set is the same, and the outfit, shirts, 22 hat and the coat for All Too Well. No Wanderlust here :(

Folklore set is the same, dress replaced with a long jumpsuit with a vest, plus a bit of a cape (there's been multiple dresses for Folklore, right? I feel like there has been. So there'd be multiple suits) Wanderlust is on stage for Cardigan, singing the first verse and chorus, part of the bridge and the last chorus with Jack. He's in a similar suit to Jack's, just more of sleeves.

1996 set! songs are the same, but the outfit(s), while still a two piece, the skirt is more like shorts. Wanderlust is there for Shake It Off because it's cute. He sings part of each chorus with Jack, plus most of the background vocals and part of the second verse.

Surprise song set, most of the time it's both he and Wanderlust on stage, both in similar full suits, just different colors.

Midnights set, all the shirts, coats and body suits are the same, so are the songs. Lavender Haze and Anti-Hero are performed with Wanderlust. Wander does the first verse and chorus for Anti-Hero, and the second verse, chorus and bridge for Lavender Haze.

The Tour itself goes one for nearly two years, with breaks occasionally. Of course, Brezz and Mihaly are always in VIP seats in stadiums with Wanderlust's parents (It's a little awkward for The Traveler, which Wanderlust kinda enjoys knowing. Has he forgiven him? In the process of it. Not something to elaborate on now)

Jack and Wander are only slightly unhinged on stage together, more during the surprise songs when they normally just talk a little bit and have fun.

The Era's Tour chants are also here, because I love them (so Fearless Heart Hands, 123 Lets Go Bitch, Jack you'll be fine/ Wander you'll be fine, etc.)

But whenever Wanderlust and Jack are seen in public together on breaks, it's normally on a rooftop together on a "date" (COUNTLESS pictures of them just eating together on a rooftop in Dancecity, or writing songs together) Or in Sun Horizon, or in a mall, or a restaurant, Scarlets, just having fun together. Seriously, if their seen somewhere public, there will be multiple times where they are laughing their asses off over the smallest things

There is a new album, but I don't think it's going to be The Tortured Poets Department, since it's not even out as of this post, but maybe another rap album?

Buuuut... the end of the tour?

The very last show, there was an extra segment at the end of the show, after Midnights was over and they were supposed to just go backstage, instead, Jack added like an extra ten minutes to the end... to propose to Wanderlust.

Which he, of course, said yes.

And that concluded The Jack Rose Era's Tour.

JUST A QUICK ASIDE, IF YOU WANT TO STOP READING HERE YOU CAN

I'm honestly not sure if I will do more Just Dance content, at least not consistently. I will probably not make a full out fic, unless people really want it. This was fun to do, I want to do more, I just don't know when I will.

Anyway, hope y'all enjoyed this!

[duhnova]

(un)holy water - lee seokmin

demon!seokmin x fem!reader

word count: ~1.2k

kinktober masterlist

warning(s): smut under the cut (mdni!!), pwop, sex on a church alter/sex in a church, semi-public sex, big dick seokmin, slight breeding kink (mentions of wanting to have a child), slight dumbification, dick riding, mean? seokmin, choking, dove & baby are used as a petnames, whiney seokmin (post sex), slight insecurities, blood (seokmin digs his nails too hard), let me know if i’ve missed anything! - don’t mind any grammatical errors / typos (i tried)

seokmin growls lowly as he reaches his hand up to wrap around your throat, the burning of your silver cross meeting his skin unfazed him as he continued thrusting into you at an inhuman speed, his lips ghosting over the shell of your ear as he groans. he couldn’t bring himself to care about the cross that would be branded into his hand for the rest of the night, not when you sounded so pretty, moaning as your pussy sucked him in like a vacuum. 

“fuck,” he hissed, his eyes almost rolling into the back of his head when you clench around him. “so fucking tight, and its all for me.” a quiet grunt escapes him before hees capturing your lips in a kiss, swallowing the loud scream you were about to let out when he hit that spongy spot inside of you that had you seeing stars. 

“seokmin,” you gasp out when he pulls away from you, a thin line of saliva connecting your mouths for a second before he's licking his lips at the sight of you falling apart under him. your mouth had fallen open into an “o” as you let your head fall back. “more.” his eyebrows raise in amusement as he smirks. 

“so needy.. isn't this enough for you?” he digs his fingers into your throat a little tighter causing you to gasp, your vision going fuzzy at the lack of air. “ive already fucked two orgasms out of you and based off how you’re clenching around me you’re about to give me another one.” 

“min,” you whine when he pulls out of you, ruining your orgasm. “why’d you stop?” you pant quietly as you look at him with a pout, your eyes hooded. all seokmin can do is laugh, he tilts his head and looks down at you with an almost sinister smile. 

“you said you wanted more, right?” he grabs you by your hips so that you can stand up. “you have to work for more dove.” he mumbles, pushing the hair out of your face before he's gripping your chin so that you're staring him in the eyes. 

“work for it?” you looked at him almost dazed, your brain still a puddle from his relentless onslaught of fuckiing you. seokmin couldn’t help but laugh again before he fully lets you go, watching you stumble a little and he almost jumps to stabilize you, almost. he makes his way down the little steps before he's sitting down on one of the benches, his legs spread wide and his dick on full display, the angry red tip already leaking precum.

“come ride me little dove, work for your next orgasmm.” he smirks at the way you blush, your eyes widening a little before you’re stumbling to situate yourself on his lap, eager to get yourself off. seokmin groans quietly as you waste no time in sinking back down onto his dick, your whimpers echoing as you adjust to his size again.

“so big,” you mewl out as you shift around on his lap, your hands resting on his shoulders as your knees dig into the hard wood of the bench. “feels so good.” you moan as you start to bounce up and down. 

“such a good little dove,” seokmin groans out, his arms resting over the back of the bench as he watches you bounce slowly. “go faster baby.” he bites his lip when you clench around him, your fingers digging into his shoulders to get better leverage. ignoring the burning in your legs you start to bounce quicker, your arms moving to wrap around his shoulders as you lean against his body, your face resting in his neck. between your sloppy movements and breathy moans you leave wet kisses everywhere you can reach, paying extra attention to the junction under his jaw. 

“fuck,” he groans louder, tilting his head back to give you more access to his neck. his mouth falls open and his eyes flutter close as his dick twitches, your moans music to his ears. “just like that, pussy feels so good stretched around my cock.” he grunts, his hips bucking up when you grip at the hairs on the base of his neck. 

“seokmin,” you whine out, mewling when he jostles you around by bucking his hips up to meet your thrusts. you continue to moan out his name like it's a sacred prayer, your orgasm fast approaching. “gonna cum.” 

“hold it,” he grunts, his hands moving to grip your hips, helping you bounce faster. “wait for me.” he noses against the side of your head, nipping at your ear. 

“oh my god.” you gasp out, your eyes rolling into the back of your head as you moan loudly into his neck, your grip on him loosening as you allow him to bounce you however he wants. 

“thats right baby, i'm your god.” he grunts in your ear, his fingers digging into your hips until blood drizzles out past his nails. by this point you were a babbling mess, the only thing you were able to focus on was not cumming as you waited for him to give you the all clear. 

it wasn't long before seokmins moans got whinier, his head falling so his forehead rested against your shoulder. his dick twitches inside of you as he whispers about how good you feel.

“cum for me dove.” he growls quietly when he finally feels you let go, your walls clenching around him tightly. “shit.” his mouth falls open again, a little bit of drool dripping out as he empties his load deep inside of you, your pussy still clenching around him as you milk him dry. 

“minie,” you finally mumble out after a couple minutes of you both trying to recuperate. “we gotta clean up.” seokmin whines a little as he wraps his arms around your waist to hold you tight against his body. 

“no,” he pouts, he wanted to stay inside of you for as long as he could, hoping, praying, that his seed would take to you. “wanna keep you stuffed with my cum, see you grow round with my babies.” you snort quietly as you swat at his shoulders.

“you know that's not gonna happen, i'm on the pill dummy.” he pulls away to look up at you with puppy dog eyes. “no seok, don't give me that look cause then i might actually consider having your babies.” you sigh out jokingly which earns you another whine from seokmin before he huffs and buries his face back in your shoulder. 

“i know, but i cant help but think about you being mine in everyway possible.” he always got possessive, especially after sex but today was especially bad and you can tell by the grip he had on you and the way he talked about having kids. 

“i am yours min, in every sense of the word.” you mumble, running your hand through his hair causing him to smile. “now can we please clean up? were gonna ruin the wood if we sit here any longer.” he laughs quietly as he grips at your thighs tightly, keeping you pressed against him as he stands up holding you. it doesn't take much to reassure him, allowing him to bounce back to his normal self. he cracks a couple jokes as he litters kisses all over your face, teleporting you two to a bathroom where you can shower (and go another round).

feedback + reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[favorjtecrime]

surprise

୨୧ lee heesung x reader

genre : fluff && romance a/n: wrote this to avoid studying for midterms, sry if its cringe i forgot how to write warnings : lowk rushed work, tooth rotting fluff

Heesung laid on the dorm's couch, one hand laying on his abdomen and the other holding his cellphone which he was using to scroll through meaningless sns posts. He heard the dorm's door unlocking and looked up, expecting to see one of his members come in late, but was surprised to see you in an oversized puffer jacket covered from head to toe in snow. In your gloved hands was a small tote bag that seemed to be filled with a change of clothes and your hygiene products that you usually brought when staying the night.

“I didn't know you were coming over baby” hee said, walking over quickly to greet you as you unbuttoned the jacket. “I wanted to surprise you!!” you beamed happily despite the feeling of cold all over you, walking over to the boys' coat rack and hanging your jacket, slipping off your snow covered winter boots into the pair of red sandals you left there. “Did you walk all the way from your apartment?” he questioned slightly concerned, you nodded and placed the bag on their kitchen counter “you should’ve called, I could've gone down to give you a ride instead, I hate seeing my baby so cold, you’ll catch a cold at this rate” he said as he bent down to kiss your lips softly, feeling the coldness radiate from your red nose. “But then it wouldn't have been a good surprise” you remarked, he sighed and rolled his eyes playfully “well then it must be a good surprise if you walked 20 minutes in the snow.” “Yeah it is, that's why you can't know until it happens! It's all a part of the element of surprise” you stated matter-of-factly as he just laughed. “You look cold, here” he took the brown zip up he was wearing off and draped it over your shoulders, you quickly fit it onto your body and looked up at him, now in just gray sweats and a fitted top. “So, what's the surprise?” your boyfriend asked as the two of you made your way to the couch once again. “God, Hee can’t you be a little patient? Why don't we watch a show or something first” you suggest tiredly, laying down next to him in front of the tv. “Ah whatever, but this is just your warning I will fall asleep if you put on racket boys one more time” he laid his arm over your shoulder and used a remote to dim the rooms lights. You pouted at his words while the Netflix logo was shown on the tv, canceling your plans of rewatching your favorite show once again.

After a few minutes of bickering about what to watch, the two of you settled on a random movie that came up on the feed. About more than half an hour into the film, You began feeling a sense of tiredness wash over you as your head was laid up on Heesung's chest who seemed to be dozing himself to sleep as well. “Hey angel?” you felt yourself awaken slightly at the sound of his voice, letting out a small ‘mm?’ for a response. “What was the surprise you came here for?” he asked quietly, noticing the movie's end credits beginning to play. You let out a quiet giggle at his question, “there was none, i just missed you and didnt want to wait any longer” you answered softly, he smiled and turned his face to see yours, he watched you for a second before seeing your breathing calm and your face fall into a resting position. “That's better than any surprise I could ask for” he mumbled, kissing your forehead carefully not to wake you up.

[royal-confessions]

“I’m sorry but Kate looked so ridiculous in that over-the-top red outfit, especially next to the chic Kim Keon Hee” - Submitted by Anonymous

“Kate just had one job, and she couldn't do that well. Wearing that red horror and standing next to Yoon Suk Yeol, the South Korean President, and his wife Kim Keon Hee. And it's not only her awful attire, but the impression you make as a diplomat. You don't dress in a flaming red oversized coat outfit that screams "look at me!"” - Submitted by Anonymous

“While I love the colour, I kinda really hate Kate's Catherine Walker cape-styled coat (sorry!). I think Kate's gutsy to wear it though, I'll give her that.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“Kate's red oversized coat resembles what a little girl should wear. She looks like Mary Poppins/ Red riding hood all at once. It seems Kate has lost all of her remaining fashion sense.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“The hat, the oversized cape cloak thingy…the POW looked like a cross between a witch and Mary Poppins.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“Kate's all red look was definitely wearing her - not the other way around.” - Submitted by Anonymous

[manawari]

Can't stop (loving you)

a fic based on the brainrot I had with @stormdragon23 about Eun-seok and invented a new ship.

"If you tell anyone," his voice lowered into a growl. "I won't hesitate to kill you."

"If you harm me," she grumbled, finding her confidence, and was unfazed by the murderous look from the high-ranked hunter. "You will lose all your friends."

            Eun-seok stepped into the convenience store. He walked past the shelves and entered different aisles until he reached the refrigerators that kept beverages and other cold products behind thick glasses. He opened the right one and scanned each of the canned drinks before he reached out to grab a specific one for himself. Tonight had been quite a ride for him. So, Eun-seok thought he should reward himself by buying his favorite drink.

            He made his way to the cashier and stood behind another customer who was also waiting in line. So far, nobody had recognized him as the famous S-Rank hunter Geun Eun-seok — probably due to the time of the night and there were not a lot of people around, including how tired they must've been.

            Eun-seok felt them deeply.

            Early in the morning, he had to get up and begin his exercise with his knives before hopping to the shower to get ready for his work at the Hunters Guild, the most powerful guild in South Korea. It was composed of all of the country's S-Rank hunters, led by Sung III-hwan as its guild master.

            He would enter gates and battle with monsters, then spar with his guildmates in allotted times, and afterward, Eun-seok would go out in the night to do his other task before going home.

            "Uhm, excuse me?"

            Eun-seok turned over his shoulder and saw a young woman. She was several inches shorter than him with black hair and piercing green eyes that looked like emeralds. "Can I help you, miss?" He asked her.

            "You have a little bit of something on here," she pointed her finger at her jaw.

            At first, Eun-seok blinked. He raised his hand to touch the spot on his jaw with his fingertips and caught a glimpse of dark red. He wiped it on his jeans and used his sleeve to remove the rest of it. "Whoops! Animal blood."

            "Okay. . ." The woman replied.

            Eun-seok glanced at the front and waited for the cashier to finish packing the products into the plastic bag. But then, he felt eyes on his back. By the looks of it, it seemed he was being observed, so he turned behind again to spot the woman staring at him, her green eyes studying him closely.

            "Uh. . . Is there something else you need?" He asked. "It's not good when you

keep staring strangely at someone, you know?"

            "Oh, sorry!" She cleared her throat. "You look rather familiar. Are you Hunter Eun-seok?"

            He chuckled. "Keep it down, will you? I know I'm quite well-known, but I don't wish to be recognized by somebody else here."

            "I just remembered that Yoon-ho had a friend in his guild and said he was in the class of Assassin."

            "Yea- how did you know Yoon-ho?"

            "I'm also friends with him. Along with Min Byung-gyu." She said and extended her hand out. "I'm Park Hee-jin."

            The edges of Eun-seok's lips curled into a smile as he shook her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Ms. Park."

            When their hands parted, Eun-seok looked ahead and noticed that the customer in front of him had already stepped forward to the counter, leaving an available space between them, so he moved forward as well and waited once more.

            “Do you live just around this block?”

            He turned over his shoulder again and shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I live quite far from here, but since I got thirsty from finishing a task, I decided to stop by.”

            “What kind of task is it?” Hee-jin asked.

            The edge of his mouth tugged into a smirk. “Just hunter things.”

            “I see.” Hee-jin nodded. Then, her eyes widened as though she had forgotten something. “Oh! I forgot the pineapple juice!”

            “Do you want me to save your spot?”

            She shook her head. “Nope!”

            Eun-seok was about to raise his hand when the noirette had already left the line. He sighed and playfully rolled his eyes.

            As she walked into the aisles, Park Hee-jin looked around to make sure she was far enough and glanced at her hand, the one which the S-Rank hunter had touched, and the more she stared at it, the stranger the feeling in her chest was.

            She was known as the hunter with immense survival instincts. It came in handy outside the gates too, knowing the dangers of the world were different from the dangers within the dungeons. Park Hee-jin could only wonder how she felt that way around someone whom she had just met.

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            A few days later, their paths crossed once again.

            Same place. Same time.

            However, Eun-seok was looking across the shelves, in search of a specific snack, when he felt a familiar presence nearby. He diverted his attention to the right side and found none other than Park Hee-jin, who was holding a box of tea and reading its label.

            "Ms. Park," he said. "It's great to see you again."

            Hee-jin looked up and met his eyes. "Hunter Geun. It is a pleasant surprise."

            "Are you—" he stopped, noticing where her eyes were at. It was the same look she had given him on the first moment they met. He tilted his head a little in question. "Is there something on my face?"

            "Hm? Ah! Not exactly." Hee-jin reverted back to the box in her hand. She grabbed another tea box as if to compare the two.

            That must be about the blood. Eun-seok speculated. The edge of his lips suddenly twitched up, having an idea to make use of the situation.

            "Could it be that you find me, an S-Rank hunter, attractive up close?" He said.

            As expected, Hee-jin flinched. She looked at him in bewilderment. "A— attractive?! Please," she huffed, "do not flatter yourself."

            "Then why else do you have your eyes on me?" Eun-seok pressed on. "It's not like I have anything on me, except for a clean face."

            Hee-jin chuckled and cocked her head, arching an eyebrow as if she found his words entertainment. "Well, what if I do find you attractive? What will you do? Take me out on a date?"

            "Ms. Park, I am not like that," Eun-seok huffed. "It will be bold of me to take someone out for a date with such a useless reason. Or perhaps, you are interested in me?"

            She was interested. She was interested in knowing more of that blood smear he had so recklessly forgotten. Instead of making her figure it out on her own, Eun-seok would have to twist the situation to his direction.

            Mischief glistened in Hee-jin's green eyes. She tilted her head back to its original angle. "Is this your first time trying to charm a woman? Because I don't think so. S-Ranks are practically celebrities. You are probably approached a lot when you are by yourself."

            "I don't think S-Ranks and celebrities are the same. Unless you are referring to celebrities who have awakened. But no, and you got another thing wrong." Eun-seok said. "It is my first time doing this. However, I like to think that I did a great job at it."

            Hee-jin rolled her eyes and set the two boxes back to the shelf. Both of her hands grasped on the strap of her bag and gradually walked toward him, a subtle grin playing on her lips. "You are really good at thinking of yourself highly, huh? I am not surprised." She raised her head as she got closer, only reaching by his shoulder. Eun-seok's eyes widened at the proximity. "I like that you are quick to catch on to things, but don't take pride in it too much. I'm sharper than you think."

            His mind went blank. A short laugh was heard and Hee-jin began to distance herself, walking away without glancing for the last time. Only one thought lingered in his mind: what the heck?

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            The assassin lunged at the wall and jumped off to spin his body in the air as he took out his small knives, throwing them at his opponent's direction. Jin-woo quickly blocked them with his daggers and swerved aside when Eun-seok lunged at him with his long sword. The hunters were in the gymnasium, training and sparring, while Jong-in and Byung-gyu were the only ones who had not participated. Being a mage with fire powers and a mere healer, they joined a conversation with the chairman, Go Gun-hee, and Woo Jin-chul of the surveillance team.

            Eun-seok thrusted his weapon forward, but Jin-woo blocked it between his two daggers. The assassin pushed further, his mouth twitching at the sight of his opponent's gritted teeth, and Jin-woo managed to twist his daggers to not only free the sword, but to catch an opening. Eun-seok quickly dashed to a different angle to proceed his attacks.

            Jin-woo said that he once fought an assassin. Eun-seok wanted to test if fighting him, an S-Rank assassin, would bring any difference.

            He took out his other sword and was about to attack again when the alarms in the gymnasium blared. The hunters instantly halted their sessions to turn to the second floor. Jin-chul had his phone to his ear and nodded before he whispered something to the chairman's ear.

            "Hunter Geun!" Go Gun-hee called. "A hunting party wishes for your aid at their subjugation."

            "Alright!" Eun-seok nodded and inserted his swords into their sheaths that were attached to his back by a harness. Usually, it was him who got called to join a separate raid with a group of hunters whose ranks only reached A-Rank — it was because of the fact that Eun-seok wouldn't hesitate to help someone when needed.

            Surprisingly, Jong-in volunteered as well. Eun-seok was going to question him when he had already left the gym. He sighed and went to the comfort room first to change into his hunting gear. When someone reached out for an S-Rank hunter's help, the price must be a fortune. The skills were no joke and it would be shameful if S-Ranks were paid in a moderate amount.

            Eun-seok, on the other hand, didn't ask for a large payment. He was fine with receiving an equal amount as the rest. But now that he was with Jong-in, he couldn't imagine how the situation would turn out.

            Choi Jong-in was one of the few people whom he did not expect to be closer with. Of all hunters in the guild, he was the only one whose aura would demean someone. While Eun-seok tended not to judge people, Jong-in would judge people to his delight. It was a friendship blossoming out of the blue, but the true tale was only two of them who knew.

            The car pulled over a vacant space once they arrived at the location. Eun-seok got out of the passenger's seat, clad in his dark assassin clothing which consisted of a coat over his chest armor and a pair of black pants, and a silver belt was secured in his waistline. He attached his sheathed swords to his back as he made his way to the group of hunters near the gate. Jong-in walked alongside him, only wearing his red cloak over his fancy suit.

            Then, his eyes caught someone within the small crowd.

            "Park Hee-jin?" The name slipped smoothly from his mouth. Indeed, it was the pretty and sharp woman who had been showing signs of being suspicious of him. She was clad in a white shirt with long puffy sleeves and a pair of dark leggings under a white and green skirt; she had a golden pauldron on her left shoulder and a gold feather-like ornament attached to the right side of her hair. When his eyes landed upon the staff in her hand, he knew she was a mage.

            Hold on— realization lit up in his mind. She's a hunter?!

            "You know someone?" Jong-in asked him.

            "Yeah. She's friends with Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu too."

            "Ohhh, nice! A mutual friend."

            Eun-seok rolled his eyes and looked ahead and saw a hunter approaching them. "Hunter Song Chi-yul!"

            "Hunter Eun—" the middle-aged man paused. "H— Hunter Choi?!"

            "Good day!" Jong-in let out a bright smile. "Oh, you don't have to worry about paying me. You can split Eun-seok's remuneration and I will be fine with it."

            It made Eun-seok's eyes stretch wide. "You piece of—"

            "Shall we start the raid?" Jong-in cut in. "We have no time to waste."

            Chi-yul blinked, seeing the assassin glare darkly at the mage. "O— okay."

            When they joined the group, gasps filled the air. Particularly because of Jong-in's presence. Nonetheless, they began to walk toward the gate, with the two S-Ranks in front of the hunters while Chi-yul was behind them.

            Eyes were still on him. Eun-seok probably knew whom they belonged to, but he chose to evade it and focus on the subjugation.

            "I think I see something!" A hunter exclaimed. "It's— it's—"

            A monster came out of the darkness and rushed toward them. It was huge, bulky, and had a heavy weapon. While some began to whimper in fear, Eun-seok reached up to grab the hilt of his sword and about to unsheathe it until a large cloud of flames sprinted across the air, succumbing the monster whole. The whole cave was instantly lit up. Jong-in watched with a smirk as he burned the monster through his extended hand.

            "First problem is solved!" The hunter boasted.

            "Wow! Hunter Choi is so good!"

            "He's the kind of hunter I aspire to be!"

            Eun-seok scoffed at his friend and walked around the fire. He had no time for hearing praises when the task was not done yet. "Move along! We still have a boss monster to kill."

            The rest of the monsters came and the hunting party quickly defended themselves. Eun-seok killed several of them and went for the bigger ones, using various techniques with his blades. He managed to decapitate several of them in a single dash of speed.

            Though, it was not all monsters in his path. He left some for the rest of the hunters to kill. The boss monster was his main priority — his favorite target.

            Large footsteps soon echoed, rumbling through the ground. It formed a grin on his face.

            Eun-seok stopped on his tracks and waited for the monster to come out by itself. It must've sensed a strong presence near the lair. Then, distant footsteps had also shuffled from behind.

            “Ah, hyung! Just in ti—” he paused. Instead of Jong-in, he saw the B-Rank mage. “Hunter Park?” How did you manage to get here?

            Hee-jin held a stern expression. “What? Can't a B-Rank face a boss monster?”

            “Hunter Choi?”

            “Assisting the Tanks.”

            Eun-seok sighed. “Try not to get too close. I won't be able to protect you at all times.”

            He heard her scoff, so he rolled his eyes and turned his direction to the largest monster in the dungeon. It was an orc, larger than Ma Dong-wook’s gigantified form, and wielded a heavy axe. Two tusks were poked out on the corners of its mouth, its bright yellow eyes fell on the two hunters and let out a roar.

            Eun-seok caught the axe moving toward them. He ducked and threw a quick look over his shoulder, seeing how Hee-jin had gotten to safety as well. The orc swung its weapon again and the S-Rank hunter immediately swerved from it. He gritted his teeth, seeing how he must get rid of the weapon first, or at least loosen the monster’s grip on it.

            The orc lifted the heavy axe this time and was ready to attack the hunter again until a flash of light blasted at its shoulder. It stole its attention and Eun-seok took this chance to sprint to its leg, causing the monster to twitch as well, though he anticipated it and quickly pierced his sword into the flesh and used it to push his feet up, reaching at an upper spot. His hand flew on one of the spikes on its shoulder pads and launched his weight on the back of the orc’s neck.

            Unfortunately, he still wasn't able to kill it due to its movements. Eun-seok stabbed his sword in the flesh again and held onto it tightly. Now, if he could bring out his gun and—

            *screech*

            Not only did he hear a screech, but also the reverberating thud of the weapon itself. Eun-seok's eyes lit up and plucked his sword out of the flesh and raced forward. He pierced one of its eyes as he used his feet to flip his body in the air, bringing out his gun as well and pulled the trigger at the other eye.

            He landed on his feet first before the orc toppled over the ground. Eun-seok found the discarded axe, knowing it had been done by Hee-jin to speed up the process of defeat. Henceforth, not making the task harder for him.

            “Thank me later,” the mage simply said and walked away. Probably tell the others that the monster had been defeated.

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            "You met Park Hee-jin?!"

            "What did she say? It better not be something weird."

            "She's cool, right?"

            "I mentioned you to her once. It's amazing how she still remembers it."

            "I was thinking that you two should meet since she's shrewd and kind like you, but it seems like fate beat me to it."

            Eun-seok rolled his eyes as he peeled off his coat to set it on the couch. "Yeah, I did meet her, but it's not a big deal anyway."

            "Well, what do you think about her?" Yoon-ho asked.

            "Hm, do you want the truth or lie?"

            "Bruh."

            "Decent. I think she's decent."

Eun-seok replied. His best friends looked at him oddly. "What? You asked for my opinion!"

            "Wow! I guess I've expected too much." Byung-gyu rubbed the back of his neck. "Maybe you hadn't talked to her that long?"

            Eun-seok huffed. If they had known that wasn't the first time he met the mage and the words they had exchanged, it would've made sense, but he elected to hide it since he knew what Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu would react.

            "How about we should have lunch tomorrow? Just the four of us." Yoon-ho suggested.

            "Good idea, hyung!" Byung-gyu agreed.

            It's not! Eun-seok internally protested.

            He didn't think he wanted to see her again. Her and those calculating green eyes. . . He hated them. If her astuteness could lead to his secrets being revealed, Eun-seok's whole life would be torn down. He must not bring himself to trust her.

            His foot tapped the ground. Eun-seok sat on his chair with crossed arms outside of the restaurant. Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu were in a conversation as they waited for their mage friend to arrive. But since he was getting bored, Eun-seok brought out his phone and started playing a mobile game, fiercely pressing the icons to unleash his attack on his enemies.

"Yoon-ho!"

            There was a new voice. But Eun-seok was so engrossed in his game that he didn't bother to turn up his head until someone tapped him on the shoulder. It made the S-Rank to tear his attention away from the screen to look at Byung-gyu in question.

            "Hee-jin! You've met Eun-seok, right?" Yoon-ho gestured to his direction.

            When Eun-seok changed his gaze, emerald eyes were already staring at him across the table. Hee-jin wore a simple light blue blouse and a pair of high-waisted jeans; the strap of her bag sat on her shoulder. She still had a sharp gaze on him.

            Sighing, Eun-seok set his phone down and put on his kind smile. "Hello, Hunter Park."

            "Good to see you, I guess?" Hee-jin replied bluntly.

            Byung-gyu widened his eyes at her. "How rude!"

            "Maybe it's the time of the month for her. . . "

            "Hey!" Hee-jin shot a glare at Yoon-ho. "You owe me lunch, Baek!"

            "I was just joking!" Yoon-ho protested.

            Hee-jin rolled her eyes and took a seat down beside the S-Rank hunter. Right across Eun-seok. Then, Byung-gyu called for the waiter and began to give his order, followed by Yoon-ho, Hee-jin, and Eun-seok, who came last since he had to check the menu again.

            When the food came, Eun-seok indulged in his meal silently. It was clear that Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu were trying to keep the atmosphere light, followed by Hee-jin, who shared several details in her life after not seeing her two friends for the past few months. Eun-seok just listened intently and would only speak when his name was called.

            He was not always silent. He could be talkative around people he was most comfortable with. But not this time- it was as if he was seeing Hee-jin as his enemy. Shouldn't that be the right word, though? She had the potential to be a threat to him.

            He must be careful around her now.

            "Earth to Eun-seok?"

            Eun-seok snapped out of his daze.

            "Yes?"

            "You've been spacing out a lot ever since we came here," Byung-gyu stated. He turned to Hee-jin. "He's not usually like this. But all it takes for him is to be comfortable and that's when he'll talk a lot."

            "Oh? I see," Hee-jin nodded. "Well, I understand that Eun-seok is not used to my presence yet. It's not like I'm going to put him in danger or anything."

            Eun-seok almost coughed against the chopsticks in his mouth. A silent laugh reached the entrance of his ears, causing him to throw a look at Hee-jin.

            Yoon-ho scoffed. "Please! Eun-seok is capable of anything. Throw him in a gate by himself and he'd still survive."

            "Gee. . . Thanks, hyung." Eun-seok grumbled.

            "It was a compliment, idiot."

            Hee-jin laughed. "Well, he sure is capable of taking down a large monster on his own. It's no wonder Mr. Song is prepared to pay him immensely and will quickly call him for help with C-Rank dungeons."

            Her words sounded skeptical. Eun-seok could not sense even the slightest sincerity in them. Regardless of her kind complexion, he could see right through her mask. Once she found a hole or an opportunity, Hee-jin wouldn't hesitate to make her move.

            "Oh! Excuse me, I'll have to go to the restroom," Hee-jin set her utensils on her plate and got up. Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu nodded while she pushed through the door within the restaurant.

            While she was out, Eun-seok continued to eat. He could hear her moving silently through the place. Part of him felt a tad of relief, knowing she hadn't uttered anything under her breath.

            "So what do you think about her now?"

            "Who?"

            "The waitress," Yoon-ho scoffed, then he shook his head. "No, Hee-jin! Obviously!"

            "Eh. Still the same." Eun-seok shrugged.

            "Come on! I thought you'd warm up to someone once you know how nice they are? Hee-jin hasn't done anything that left you with a bad impression."

            "My mind still hasn't changed, hyung."

            Yoon-ho groaned.

            After a moment, Eun-seok excused himself and went inside of the restaurant to the comfort room. He turned to a small hallway and came across the green-eyed noirette. They both paused in front of each other. A few seconds passed and that was when Hee-jin began to walk past him, but Eun-seok caught her wrist.

            "I know what your intentions are, Hee-jin," he said darkly.

            She faced him with a grimace. "How long do you know?"

            "Since the first moment. I had an inkling that you were dubious when I told you about the animal blood."

            "Well, was it? Really?"

            Eun-seok snickered as he let go. "If I told you the truth, would you scream? Or will you stay silent like a frightened person?"

            "What—" Hee-jin widened her eyes.

            "You. . . "

            He grasped her hand again and stepped forward. Satisfaction surged in his stomach as he heard her breath quiver. Hee-jin stood frozen like a deer in headlights, though her hands balled into fists. Eun-seok craned his neck to lean on her ear.

            "If you tell anyone," his voice lowered into a growl. "I won't hesitate to kill you."

            "If you harm me," she grumbled, finding her confidence, and was unfazed by the murderous look from the high-ranked hunter. "You will lose all your friends."

            Eun-seok pulled away and met her glare. His grip loosened and Hee-jin broke her hand free, taking a step from him. Part of him knew he was not going to kill her out of cold-blood, but now that she had become a threat to him, he would be left with no choice.

            Hee-jin was clever, calculating, and no doubt— stubborn.

            No, he never wanted to lose his friends. They were the only people he had. When he was in the guild for the first time, Eun-seok found it hard to trust others after what happened to him, but when Min Byung-gyu began to approach him and dealt with his responses, Eun-seok found himself opening up to the healer. Yoon-ho also became someone close to him shortly after.

            The guild became his family.

            He liked what he was doing. As dangerous as it was, Eun-seok preferred to keep it under the radar. It was also to protect himself since he feared what everyone would see once they discovered the truth.

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            The man whimpered one last time after the sword was retracted from his chest. He gasped and coughed until the very last second of his life ascended from his body, leaving nothing but a corpse under a pool of blood. Eun-seok wiped both sides of his sword on the back of his gloved hand and pushed it back to its sheath, he went up to the window and left the room, which was now reeking of death.

            He got down from the house in agile, soundless movements. His feet landed in a soft thud and smelled a smoke of a cigarette. Eun-seok's gaze flickered up and saw Choi Jong-in leaning against the wall with his cigar between his lips.

            "You're done with your list?"

            Jong-in removed his cigarette with his two fingers and blew a small cloud of light grey smoke through his mouth. "About ten minutes ago. You seemed to enjoy being back there, so I didn't go ahead to check on you."

            "I had a few things in my mind to get out of." said Eun-seok.

            Intrigue glimmered in his eyes under the dim light of the lamppost. "Pray tell?"

            "It's—" Eun-seok looked around his surroundings. He realized they might need to be in a suitable place if he were to share personal details to his friend. "How about we go somewhere else?"

            Yes, Yoon-ho and Byung-gyu were his best friends. They were the ones who broke his shell. But Eun-seok was an assassin. Not only could he use his skills on monsters, but also on people too. Names he wished to cross out of his list as he tore their souls out of their bodies.

            Jong-in was the only one whom he could reach out to. Like him, Jong-in also killed people at nighttime. He would torture his victims first by burning their skins after covering their mouths. Jong-in was the one who provided lists of people to kill and which people they could transfer their sins to. Eun-seok found himself trusting the hunter in a different way; it made him wonder how come he hadn't gotten close with Jong-in sooner.

            The beer was bitter and mixed with lemon in his tongue. The moon watched them from afar as they sat next to each other on the hood of Jong-in's car. Eun-seok poured himself another drink and began to speak his mind out. His friend intently listened and didn't utter a word throughout the whole story.

            However, Jong-in's expression changed when Eun-seok got to the part where he was certain that Hee-jin was suspicious of him and would tell anyone once she got enough proof. Eun-seok concluded his story and drank his whole glass, waiting for a response. He could tell that Jong-in was aggravated by now.

             "First of all, if you hadn't left a single trace of blood, you wouldn't be in this mess." Jong-in scoffed. "Second— why can't she just leave you alone? That huntress doesn't know what she is getting into."

             "Exactly," Eun-seok concurred.

             "So what will you do? It's not like you are going to allow her that way."

             "I was thinking that I should take her life."

             Jong-in eyed him in bewilderment.

             "Just kidding!"

             He groaned. "You don't have to go that route, you idiot. Think of something else!”

             "Hmm," Eun-seok hummed, biting his cheek. "I was thinking if I should. . . Show her?"

             "What?"

             "Reveal myself. Bring an end to her suspicions and show who I really am." Eun-seok said.

             Jong-in stared at him in question. "You know, I don't know whether you are being serious or not."

             "I am."

             He sighed and grabbed the bottle between them to fill his glass. Jong-in raised it in front of his lips before he said. "That is a bad idea, Eun-seok. You've been hiding this thing from everyone else for a long time and you are going to simply give your identity away for a woman who is doubtful of you? What will you do to keep her silent, then?"

             "I'll figure something out." Eun-seok shrugged and placed his glass down and shoved his hands into his pockets.

            "You better!" Jong-in glowered at him. "If things go south, I am not saving your ass. And I still think that's a bad idea."

            "I got this, hyung," the assassin said. "I won't mess this up."

            He swore it.

            If Eun-seok swore to himself, he was confident that nothing would get out of his grasp. He had everything under control and that included the manipulation of the end result. It happened before, so he was certain that it could happen again.

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            He came across her again at the convenience store. But this time, she was with two young women, one of which he recognized as Jung Ye-rim, a healer in the Knights Guild. Eun-seok was not sure about the other one as she looked completely unfamiliar to him.

            So, he decided to wait for his chance to speak with Hee-jin in private.

            Eun-seok began picking up random products, pretending to inspect them while listening closely to the girls. He doubted that Hee-jin would notice his presence when she was too engrossed in her conversation with her friends.

            “Which flavor do you want, Hee-jin?” Ye-rim asked. “Grapes or oranges?”

            “Grapes! But you can pick both if you are up for oranges.” Hee-jin said.

            “Are you sure that we are going to watch ‘The Mimic’?”

            “Why? Are you scared, Ju-hee?”

            “Absolutely not! I heard that it's a story based on true events. . . ”

            “So? Can you handle it?”

            “I think so?”

            “Just think that the movie isn't real, Ju-hee. Ye-rim here will probably make fun of it.”

            The A-Rank healer scoffed. “You’re making it seem like it's a bad thing—”

            “I do not!”

            Eun-seok chuckled. Seeing the way they bonded with one another somehow reminded him of how he was to Byung-gyu and Yoon-ho — perhaps Jong-in as well.

            Then, once he took a subtle glance, Ye-rim and the other girl — Ju-hee — had walked away, leaving Hee-jin alone in the aisle. Eun-seok took this chance and moved to the other side, not making it obvious that he had come for her there; he grabbed a cup of noodles from the shelf next to her.

            “Amazing how often we stumble upon each other in convenience stores, huh?”

            He huffed and cast a gaze at her from the corner of his eye. “What should I call it? A fate? Destiny?”

            “A curse.”

            “Rude,” Eun-seok grimaced. “But true.”

            Hee-jin sighed. “Why are you even here? More or less, talking to me? If my friends see you here—”

            “I won't stay long enough to ruin your night.” Eun-seok returned the cup noodles to the shelf. He faced her fully with a stern expression. “I will cut to the chase here. You are suspicious of me, correct? You have a gut-feeling that I am more than the hunter I am.”

            Hee-jin crossed her arms, as though waiting for him to continue. Eun-seok sighed.

            “Meet me in the same block and at the second lamppost near this place.” he said to her. “9:00 PM to be precise.”

            With that, he walked away, hearing no response from her.

            Later that night, Eun-seok stood under the streetlight, leaning his back against the post. His hood was pulled back, allowing the whispering winds to twirl around his locks as his chin sat above the mask around his neck. It had been six minutes past the desired time. He didn't think that Hee-jin would be the kind of person who would turn her back on something that would finally conclude her intuitions.

            He had a feeling that this night would go exactly the way he intended.

            *pitter patter, pitter patter*

            And there she was.

            Hee-jin headed toward him, clad in a navy blue hoodie and a pair of black jeans. Her hood shrouded half of her forehead and her hands were buried inside of her pockets. The mage eyed him wearily, and if his aural perception could reach within a human body, her heart would be heard pounding against her chest.

            "Are you ready, Ms. Park?" He asked her.

            Hee-jin could only nod.

            Eun-seok pushed himself away from the post and hauled his mask to his face, the fabric clung to the bridge of his nose, then he brought his hood to his head. She wordlessly followed him into the alleyway, allowing the shadows to swallow her. Her footsteps scraped against the ground. Hee-jin carefully looked around even though she was seeing nothing but darkness, not even Eun-seok's footsteps were heard.

            She tried not to worry.

            No, wait— why should she not worry? Eun-seok, whom she had been suspecting for the past few days, had invited her to meet up with him in the middle of the night. Hee-jin couldn't even read his actions and body movements properly. Of all hunters, she viewed him as the most enigmatic one. He was quiet and his eyes could stare deeply into one's soul.

            Hee-jin just wished there would be an end to her whirling thoughts. How long do I have to endure?

            For a moment, she wondered if she was doing the right thing. Although it was too late, she hoped her instincts wouldn't put her into peril. Perhaps she had gone too far. . .

            "We're here."

            Hee-jin flinched and looked around. She could barely distinguish a figure. "Eun-seok?"

            "I'm right here."

            "Where? I don't- eek!" She yelped.

Eun-seok had his hand on her wrist. His touch was gentle. Hee-jin found her adrenaline decreasing when she realized it was him and saw his eyes, glowing in red.

            "Relax. It's just me." He said.

            "Where are we?" Hee-jin asked.

            "This is where you'll have the answers to your questions," Eun-seok let go of her wrist and made his way to the wall. He sprung up to the roof where he landed soundlessly as if his feet were guided by the thin air. He looked down at her and asked. "Can you climb?"

            Hee-jin glanced around and saw a pipe pressed at the corner. She chose to climb it and held on to the thick pipe to haul herself up to the roof, but was also careful not to steal attention from the windows nearby. As she slowly got to the top, a gloved hand reached down to her, so Hee-jin accepted it and let Eun-seok guide her to his spot.

            But that didn't stop there. Hee-jin had to follow Eun-seok across the rooftops whilst she maintained being careful with her steps. Eun-seok was going faster than her, but she was glad he managed to pull himself back instead of leaving her to completely fail to follow him.

            Eventually, Eun-seok brought her to a certain house. He commanded her to not follow him inside and stay on the edge of the roof. Hee-jin obliged and held tightly on the frame of the window, watching as the association stepped inside of the bedroom; her breath silently hitched when Eun-seok unsheathed one of his swords.

            He stood in waiting until the door opened, causing the air to change in an instant. There was a man who got shocked at the intruder in his room.

            "Who the hell are you?! Why are you—"

            The next thing that happened left Hee-jin in shambles.

            Eun-seok dashed up and swung his sword at the man, a strong whiplash drew a long cut across his chest. The S-Rank hunter yanked a fistful of his hair to throw him across the room. Before the man could scream, Eun-seok pressed his hand against his mouth; the man beneath him fought and squirmed. Hee-jin clutched on the frame tighter, her heart racing throughout the whole scene.

            But what came next was something she was not prepared for.

            Eun-seok raised his sword and pierced it into the man's heart. The B-Rank hunter couldn't tell whether the sound was her gasp or the sword that sunk through the man's vital organ.

            Hee-jin covered her mouth with her hand and sat down on the edge, raising her knees to her chest. Terror filled her eyes. Yes, she knew Eun-seok was an assassin. . . But she never thought he'd be an assassin outside the gates. Killing people. In cold blood and not uttering a single word.

            "Hee-jin?"

            She turned up and saw the assassin himself. Seeing his red eyes felt as if she was witnessing the death of the man a while ago. "Eun-seok. . . What was that?"

            "The answer to your questions," said Eun-seok. "So, are you satisfied now?"

            Hee-jin gritted her teeth. "Satisfied? You just killed someone- a human!" She stood up, wishing she could hit him if she was able to balance herself. "Are you a murderer of some sort?!"

            "What did you even expect from me?" Eun-seok simply asked.

            "I. . . I don't know! Maybe— maybe I was hoping that I was wrong about you." Hee-jin admitted. "Why, Eun-seok? How long have you been doing this? What is your reason to take people's lives and not just monsters?"

            Eun-seok just stared at her. But after a few passing seconds, he turned away and Hee-jin had no choice but to follow him once again.

            They returned to the same place before they journeyed across the rooftops. Eun-seok continued walking rather than speaking just like what Hee-jin expected. When they left the dark alleyway, Hee-jin spotted him standing in the entrance. She deeply hoped he wouldn't leave her without saying anything.

            "I kill people for a reason, Hee-jin. People who do wrong things and have no intentions to change themselves. That man you saw, for instance, has been having an affair with different women while manipulating his wife." Eun-seok explained. "Sometimes, there are things you can't rely on the police. I learned that when I got my awakening."

            "But do you ever feel remorse for the lives you claim?" Hee-jin asked.

            He shook his head. "No. Not even the time I killed the intruders in my old home for trying to rob me." Hee-jin opened her mouth, but Eun-seok proceeded. "It's a long story that I'd rather forget, Ms. Park. Are you satisfied with what you know now? Will you keep your mouth shut from now on?"

            Hee-jin was silent for a moment until she let out a sigh and glanced down. "I won't tell anyone."

            Eun-seok nodded and waited as she began to walk away. She didn't turn her head back. Hee-jin simply blended into the crowd until not a single trace of her was still seen. His chest clenched a little, though Eun-seok reminded himself that he must not feel bad when it was his intention to bring her in such a situation that would leave her speechless.

            And she was.

            The fear was so palpable she looked like she had a nightmare.

            Eun-seok couldn't blame her. Nobody else would handle his tasks the same way he did. Hee-jin most likely lived a simpler life than him, who already got blood in his hands long before he conquered monsters.

            Their lives were different.

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            Hee-jin hadn't dared to come near him again.

            If they came across each other, whether in the convenience store or somewhere in the streets, Hee-jin would look away and walk past him without a word. She didn't dare to inspect him. Eun-seok was relieved with the change and continued his day.

            Later that night, he told Jong-in that his plan worked. Jong-in was skeptical at first until he decided to believe him. The proof was also shown when Hee-jin didn't leave her distance when the two hunters were called again to aid the hunting party.

            "Hee-jin said she's not coming with us for lunch," Yoon-ho declared after he shoved his phone into his pocket while he walked out of the guild building.

            Byung-gyu frowned. "Well, that's too bad."

            "She's probably busy, hyungs. Let's go even if it's just the three of us." Eun-seok shrugged.

            He didn't care.

            With the conflict gone, Eun-seok felt he could breathe freely without having to worry about his true identity being leaked out.

            But little did he know. . . There would be side-effects.

            Several days later, with Hee-jin still avoiding him each time they found themselves in the same place, something began to bug him. As usual, he didn't pay attention to it until it happened again when Eun-seok picked up her wallet and Hee-jin immediately took it and left.

            It wasn't that she expressed no gratitude. Her distance and silence aggravated him to some extent. Eun-seok didn't know why he was feeling that way. Could it because the situation was beginning to bother him? He doubted it. He had already expected it to happen between them anyway.

            But why?

            Why did he feel affected?

            "Everyone! Be prepared to go in!" Yoon-ho exclaimed to the hunters.

            Eun-seok wrapped a black strip around his hand, tugging it tightly before continuing between his index finger and thumb, and secured it at the bottom. He pulled his sleeve across his arm and was about to join the group when he caught something from the corner of his eye. A certain mage was found dozing on a bench, unaware of the hunt that was about to begin.

            So, Eun-seok made his way toward her and stared at her. He reached out to shake her shoulder a little. Hee-jin continued to be asleep.

            "Hee-jin? Wake up." Her eyes finally snapped open. He let out a sigh. "Good, now let's—" Hee-jin brushed past him, catching him off-guard. "Hey!"

            She stopped.

            "You look like you've seen a ghost," Eun-seok remarked.

        ��   "You weren't even bothered when I began avoiding you."

            "Yeah, but you look like you're afraid of me."

            "Just get to the hunt, Hunter Geun."

            Eun-seok paused, as though he was processing those last words from her to his statement. Her tone was blunt and dry that it got him perplexed. He shook his head, realizing that he was not supposed to care when—

            "Eun-seok!"

            "Y-yes, hyung! I'm coming!" Eun-seok took off running to the group of hunters, joining Yoon-ho in the entrance.

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            The night kept him awake.

            He shifted, and shifted, around his bed. But he only ended up staring at the ceiling, allowing his thoughts to run ceaselessly in his mind. Eun-seok groaned and grabbed a pillow to press it against his face.

            There was only one word to explain his crisis.

            Hee-jin.

            It was her all over again.

            A strange feeling succumbed to his chest. It was almost as though it was the same feeling whenever he thought about his friends' reactions to him being a killer. Could it be that she was afraid of him? Eun-seok used to be annoyed by her keen observation skills, but now, he was annoyed by how she treated him like a ghost.

            He dragged his pillow to his chest and released a loud sigh. Reaching out to his nightstand, Eun-seok grabbed his phone and went to the nearest contact that he knew would help him with his dilemma.

            [Eun-seok, 10:02 PM: are you still awake, hyung?]

            [Byung-gyu, 10:05 PM: yeah. What is it?]

            He pursed his lips.

            [Eun-seok, 10:07: I need a favor.]

            Amidst the broad daylight shrouding over the city, Eun-seok sat under the shady umbrella in front of a restaurant, waiting for Hee-jin to show up. He already told his boss that he would be late due to some important matters. His fingers were tapping the table while he had his head beneath his hood, as if protecting himself from the unwanted attention since he was the only S-Rank hunter in public.

            Finally, he saw her.

            Eun-seok straightened his posture and gazed at her intently. Hee-jin's eyes met his briefly before confusion grew in her features, yet continued to make her way toward his table, stopping in front of him.

            "Eun-seok. I didn't think I'd see you here instead of Byung-gyu." Hee-jin said.

            "Byung-gyu wasn't supposed to show up. I told him to tell you to meet up since you won't probably come if you know it's me." Eun-seok confessed.

            Hee-jin sighed and took a seat across him. "So what is it?"

            "Hee-jin, I—" Eun-seok's nails scratched the surface of the table and his head twitched, but he maintained his gaze straight. "I want to say sorry. For showing you what I do every night and scaring you."

            "Now I see why you don't want me to tell anyone and also threatened me in the process—"

            "Sorry."

            Hee-jin frowned. "I wasn't going to tell anyone if you don't want me to. Whatever you do is none of my business anyway."

            "So. . . Y— you're not afraid of me?" Eun-seok's voice quivered as if he was a dog with its ears pulled back.

            "No, I guess? That is if I have to get used to being around you." Hee-jin said. "You hate me, remember?"

            "That's because I thought you were a threat."

            " . . . That's it?"

            "What else?"

            Suddenly, Hee-jin's mouth twitched and let out a snort. Eun-seok blinked in surprise. It wasn't long until she began to laugh. After a moment, Hee-jin wiped the corner of her eye with her finger and breathed out, leaving a grin on her lips. "You have a weird way of dealing with your fears, Hunter Eun-seok. Are you afraid of people becoming afraid of you?"

            Eun-seok's eyes flickered down, mumbling. "Yes."

            "I see," Hee-jin nodded. She let out a genuine smile. "How about we make a truce?"

            "What truce?"

            "I won't tell anyone about your 'little business', you stop seeing me as some enemy who must disappear," said the mage.

            Eun-seok hummed. "Alright."

            Her hand stretched out for him. The S-Rank hunter stared at it for a second, letting a smile grow lightly on his lips, and touched Hee-jin's hand with his own.

            So she wasn't entirely afraid of him. . . 

            It made him glad.

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            *pant, pant, pant*

            Eun-seok pushed himself against the wall, pressing his feet harder on the ground to steady himself. He had his hand on his upper arm as well, blocking the blood from oozing further after his target had managed to throw a kitchen knife at him. He shoved his free hand into his pocket to pull out his phone and dragged his thumb across his contacts.

            Jong-in had already left, so there was no way Eun-seok would summon him back.

            11:10 PM.

            He wondered who could be the person he'd call. Although, a name had already popped up in his head, but he wasn't certain if—

            An excruciating pain caused him to wince. Eun-seok gritted his teeth and was left with no choice but to click on the call button.

            He pressed his phone to his ear, waiting for her to pick it up. When he heard her voice, Eun-seok quickly spoke. "Hee-jin?"

            "Eun-seok? What is it?"

            "Can I come over? Please, it's— gah!"

            "Eun-seok?!"

            Eun-seok sighed. "Just tell me where you live. I— you're the only one I can reach out to."

            Hee-jin reluctantly agreed and gave him her address. Eun-seok hung up without allowing her to finish her sentence. He leaned away from the wall and took off running to the distance, his hand still clutching on his bleeding arm, though he persisted anyway. He managed to leap onto the rooftops and continued his journey there and pushed more mana into his speed, enough not to be seen by the security cameras and people.

            He arrived in a quiet vicinity of an apartment. Eun-seok glanced up to the ascending floors in the building; Hee-jin told him that she lived on the sixth floor. His stomach clenched at the thought of how he would make his way up with only one available hand. The assassin looked at his arm and removed his right palm from it and saw the amount of blood coated in his hand.

            So, he removed the thick strip from his left hand to place it around his wound, knowing it'd stop the bleeding. Eun-seok also wiped his bloodied hand on his clothing and undid the wrap he had on his other hand to cover it instead of leaving marks on areas of the apartment that he would touch.

            The assassin began his journey up on the building. He jumped on the fire escapes and moved within the shadows. As quiet as a ghost. Unfortunately, that didn't stop his arm from reminding him of the fresh and untreated wound he earned for not predicting his target's next move. Eun-seok kept going, reaching the fourth floor, and then fifth—

            He was finally on the sixth floor.

            Eun-seok remained hidden in the darkness and pulled his phone out. The screen lit brightly across his face as he typed out his message. Shortly after he sent the text, he waited until the window next to him was pushed open. Hee-jin leaned out of the window and found him.

            "Hey!" She whispered and ushered him inside with her hand.

            He obliged and walked to the edge where he lifted his leg to prop his foot on the railing while he used his left hand to reach forward and grasp on the frame. His teeth gritted at the agonizing sting. Eun-seok pushed more stamina until he threw himself inside of the apartment, crashing onto the ground — which brought more pain, but he still restrained his voice from hollering.

            "Are you okay?" The softness of Hee-jin's voice clouded his ears. "Can you walk? This isn't the perfect place to check your wounds. Someone else might see you."

            Eun-seok grunted and forced himself to rise with his arms. Hee-jin supported him to get on his feet and quickly, yet carefully, brought him to her room. There was a lampshade on the desk to partially shine the place. Hee-jin helped him get settled on the floor on the edge of her bed where he leaned his back against it, panting in exhaustion.

            "Is this where your wound is?" Hee-jin glanced at his arm that had a wrap.

            Eun-seok swallowed and nodded. "Yes."

            "You're quite careless for an S-Rank assassin, y’know? Stay here and don't move." Hee-jin got up and swiftly grabbed the medical kit on her desk. She knelt on his side and gently tugged the strip where it fell off in a single pull. Her breath drew back. "What happened here?"

            "My target struck a kitchen knife at me while I was blocking the things he was throwing at me. I managed to get here despite the pain and blood." Eun-seok explained. "I couldn't call Byung-gyu because, you know—"

             "I get it," Hee-jin sighed. She opened the box and grabbed the right supplies when her hands paused. "Can you, uh, take off your clothes? Just the upper ones, I mean! It'll be less difficult to clean the wound."

            Eun-seok nodded without a word and leaned away from the bed, grunting as he peeled off his coat. Hee-jin reached out to carefully retract it from his body faster. Next, it was his shirt. Her cheeks flushed at the passing thought of having to see his bare torso for the sake of tending his wound.

            Why do you have to get yourself hurt? She thought miserably.

            She wasn't supposed to be doing this. More or less, she wasn't supposed to let a damn assassin into her home. She had acted on an impulse after hearing the agony in his voice.

            "A little help?" Eun-seok spoke out. His back was turned to her with his black shirt halfway up.

            Hee-jin sighed and hauled the fabric up once it reached the back of his neck, allowing him to remove it completely. Eun-seok loudly breathed out and slumped back to her bed. A harness was found discarded on his lap that contained some small sharp weapons.

            Hee-jin immediately got into work and applied a cleansing liquid around his wound. The blood had somehow stopped oozing due to the strip he had attached on it. She used roughly four cotton balls before she applied another ointment for the center of the wound. Hee-jin anticipated him to wince, but Eun-seok remained neutral, so she continued until she was done. She took out a bandage to wrap it firmly around his arm.

            Silence hadn't quivered between them.

            But it only did when Eun-seok uttered under his breath. "You did quite well despite not being a healer, Ms. Park."

            Hee-jin glared. "If it weren't for me, you should've been bleeding on your own."

            "Touché," Eun-seok chuckled. "So. . . You live with your parents?"

            "Mom and my two grandparents. My dad passed two years ago." Hee-jin answered.

            "Sorry about that. . . "

            She shook her head. "No, it's fine. And I'm guessing you live alone?"

            "Yeah," Eun-seok nodded. "I have been living alone for a long time. I find it lucky that I awakened, otherwise I'd still be stuck in that sketchy apartment where people will frequently storm into my home."

            "Seemed like you had a rough start, Eun-seok," remarked Hee-jin.

            "Well, I once worked in a grocery store that had a minimum salary, so—" he let out an airy laugh. "Nonetheless, I found a good place now."

            Hee-jin hummed. She secured the wrap and cut it with a pair of shears."All done."

            "Thank you," Eun-seok smiled and was about to get up when Hee-jin grabbed his shoulder. "What?"

            "You can't leave yet! At least recover your strength. I can imagine how tough it must've been for you to get here." She told him.

            The S-Rank assassin blinked. "Okay. . . "

            "Take a rest for a bit and I'll get you something to drink. How does a glass of milk work for you?"

            "Uh. . . Fine by me!"

            Hee-jin nodded and got up to exit her room. The door was shut in a click, Eun-seok found himself pondering the situation he had gotten himself into. It was not the first time he got hurt during an assassination, it was either Jong-in helping him or he'd bring himself back to his condominium and deal with his wounds alone, but thinking about it now, Eun-seok was quite shocked by his decision to call Hee-jin earlier.

            There was no doubt that he thought she was going to drive him away. Showing up at her home, wounded and fresh from taking someone's life, yet she accepted him and offered help.

            Perhaps she wasn't truly turning him in if she found out who he was.

            Or did he overthink too much?

            Eun-seok glanced at his arm, admiring the handiwork. Then, the door opened and quick footsteps shuffled across the floor, he turned up and spotted a glass of milk being offered to him.

            He took it without a second thought. "Thanks."

            Hee-jin made her way over and sat down in front of him, crossing her legs that made her oversized shirt cover her shorts thoroughly. She placed her arms on each side of her lap and watched him for a moment. Eun-seok, however, was too occupied in drinking the milk to make a remark about it.

            "How long have you been killing people?" Hee-jin asked him.

            "Hmm. . . A year?" Eun-seok shrugged and placed his glass down. "It began when I saved this kid from his abusive father. I ended up taking his life as revenge for the hell he put his child in after I brought the kid to the child protection department."

            "Do you regret it?"

            "No. Why would I regret doing something for the best?"

            Hee-jin sighed. "I think I don't want to know what kind of morals you go by."

            "Haha! Everyone has different morals anyway, especially when you're a hunter." Eun-seok chuckled. "So, what are you up to when you're not hunting?'

            "I take a rest and that's it. Hang out with friends too if they are up to meet." Hee-jin replied.

            "Ah, Ye-rim and that other girl, right?"

            "She's Lee Ju-hee, but yeah.”

            Eun-seok nodded. He shifted his position to pull his phone out of his pocket to check the time. 11:57 PM. Only three minutes left before midnight. Knowing he must go back because of his work, Eun-seok pushed himself up to his feet and began to gather his discarded shirt, putting it on, then attached his harness back.

            "You're leaving? Already?"

            "I can't stay here for too long. Guild master might look for me if I'm late and worse, your family might see an intruder." Eun-seok explained.

            "But— what about your wound?" Hee-jin frowned.

            His lips twitched upwards. "I'll be fine. Thanks to you, I will recover soon enough."

            She sighed. "Okay. . . But be careful out there."

            Eun-seok smiled.

            Hee-jin accompanied him to the window and looked around to see if nobody hadn't seen them yet. Eun-seok grasped on the railing of the fire escape and glanced at Hee-jin for the last time, looking at her warmly before he started getting down. Though, he didn't miss the worried gaze she had on him.

            Hee-jin used to be cautious of him, but now, she was tender around him.

            It felt sort of unusual to witness that side of her. Nevertheless, Eun-seok failed to notice his smile whenever he thought about it. The way she was careful around him in a way she feared to see him in pain. . . It felt new.

            Little did he know, that was only the beginning.

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            He was in the middle of a fight when his phone received her message.

            Eun-seok dodged the incoming punch and pulled the trigger at his target's neck, causing blood to sputter out. The body collapsed lifelessly on the ground with a heavy thud. The assassin took his phone from his pocket and saw Hee-jin's texts in his notification bar.

            [ Are you still assassinating people? ] 

            [ Please tell me you are not injured. . . ]

            It made him chuckle.

            There was a seven minute difference between the two messages, so it meant he had been too occupied with his task that he didn't feel the notice vibrating on his phone. Should I pay her a visit? He thought.

            "Are you done here already?" Jong-in entered the room.

            "Yeah! But do you mind cleaning this place up for me?"

            "Pardon?"

            Eun-seok grinned at him. "I had something urgent to do."

            "And this 'something urgent' is. . . ?" Jong-in raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

            "It's a secret." Eun-seok stashed his silent gun into the compartment on his boot.

            "What are you? Five?"

            "Don't worry! I'll send you the list of people you can frame on!" Eun-seok went to the window and disappeared, not daring to hear the last words of his friend, who was likely astounded on his spot.

            It took a few moments for Jong-in to recover. His face formed into a glare when he received a message from his phone. The S-Rank mage took a glimpse of it and saw the list of names he could choose from. He sighed and muttered 'bastard' under his breath.

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            Eun-seok arrived on the sixth floor of the apartment, sitting on the railing next to the window where he had entered before. He sent the 'I'm here' message and was about to wait until he saw the window open. His eyes lit up when Hee-jin met his gaze.

            Hee-jin sighed and went inside again, allowing him to get inside. This time, he entered her apartment silently and not a single hindrance in his body, unlike the first time he brought himself there. Eun-seok brushed his hands against his pants and pulled his hood back as he turned to Hee-jin.

            "Looking for me?" He grinned.

            Hee-jin's calculating green eyes lingered on him for a while before she raised her finger, opening her mouth to say. "You got something on your face."

            "Oh!" Realization kicked in. "Right, my bad. I'll just—"

            "Nevermind that. I will just clean that myself." Hee-jin grabbed his wrist and led him to her room. "Are you always this forgetful about the traces of someone's blood on your skin?"

            "Well, I never went to someone's home after my task back then, so I paid zero attention until I found it while showering." Eun-seok explained. Then, he saw her reach out for the medical kit. "You don't have to grab those. I'm completely unscathed."

            "What?" She flashed him a sharp look.

            He sighed and stretched his arms on his sides. "See? Not a stab wound or anything."

            Hee-jin glared at him. "Then why did you still come here? You could've told me that you weren't harmed."

            "You seemed worried in your messages, so I thought it'd be better to see you in person instead," said Eun-seok.

            "I guess you're right," Hee-jin sighed.

            Eun-seok sat down on the floor beside the bed. Hee-jin walked toward him with a clean cloth and a bottle of disinfectant; the mattress dipped from her weight as she settled next to him, Eun-seok felt her hand under his jaw to pull the direction of his head to her fixed gaze. Hee-jin started rubbing the cloth, soaked in antiseptic liquid, across his cheek to remove the blood. It was cold on his skin. Not knowing what else to do, Eun-seok just kept an intent stare at her, tracing every inch of her angelic face with his eyes.

            Hee-jin had always been pretty — if not, beautiful — to him since he first met her in that convenience store. It just so happened that he harbored ill-feelings toward her and had gotten in the way. But now that things were quite okay between them, Eun-seok felt his past sentiments never existed.

            It had been such a long time since someone had cared for him this way. Not in a way like Byung-gyu, who healed everyone's wounds in battle. Not in a way like Ill-hwan or Dong-wook, who looked after the hunters equally.

            It was in a way that it was only him.

            "Hee-jin?" His voice broke the unwavering silence.

            "Hm?"

            Eun-seok swallowed lightly. "Are you, uh, used to it now? Me, being an assassin who also kills people."

            "Hmm. . . " He waited in anticipation at Hee-jin's hum. "Yeah, I think I am. Even though I don't approve of you killing people, I won't force you to stop it since you have your reasons."

            Her words brought warmth to his heart. Eun-seok thought she was going to scold him, but as it turned out, Hee-jin had no intentions of making him abandon his nightly assassinations. Still, he kept a straight face throughout the whole process. Once he was cleaned, Hee-jin got up and turned over her shoulder.

            "Do you want something to drink?" She offered.

            Eun-seok nodded.

            The next time he went to see her in the middle of the night, he brought a box of mini donuts with him that he had stashed into his bag before he began his assassinations. Eun-seok then left the cleaning operation to Jong-in and disappeared before he could even protest. As usual, the assassin waited in the fire escape until Hee-jin let him in through the window.

            The two quietly went inside of the room, and she went to get the medical kit, Eun-seok put his backpack on the floor and took out the box of mini donuts. He sat down next to his bag and placed the box on his lap. Hee-jin returned and knelt with the medkit between her hands. Eun-seok's mouth twitched and handed her the box.

            "Eh?" Her green eyes flickered at it in question. "What's this?"

            "Open it."

            Hee-jin accepted it and lifted the lid to take a peek at its contents. Her mouth parted in surprise. "Are these—?"

            "I thought I'd give something to you after all the help you've been giving me lately," Eun-seok said. His statement made her raise an eyebrow, so he added. "It might not be a big deal to you, but it is to me."

            "Oh, I see. . . " A faint smile grew on her lips. "We can share it while watching a movie or something. That is, after I tend your wounds—"

            "I'm unscathed. As you can see, I might've been more careful with my targets and less reckless as I can."

            "Now that's good to hear!" She chuckled. She sounded like music. Eun-seok wondered if there was anything else he could do to hear it again. "Hopefully, you'll keep it up."

            He snickered. "No guarantee, Ms. Park."

            Hee-jin rolled her eyes.

            A few moments later, a laptop sat across them, a movie playing on the screen as the box of donuts being the only thing that kept a small space between them. Eun-seok barely touched the donuts since he practically got them only for Hee-jin, though he did get one after she persuaded him to. His attention lingered on the flashing screen.

            Wait, that person shouldn't be knocked out easily. A thought came to him when he witnessed a character falling unconscious after being punched in the jawline.

            Eun-seok began to think this wasn't a good movie.

            There is no way you are able to dodge a bullet like that!

            Why are you still standing and not in pain when you have a cut on your nose?

            Aim for the artery!

            That is not the right way to thrust one's knife!

            How did you even—

            Eun-seok felt his heart skip a beat.

            Hee-jin had her head on his shoulder. His hand suddenly twitched on his lap, as if having an urge to hold her close. His heartbeat also increased behind his ribcage, an echoing sensation that he could hear deep in his ears; his focus gradually ebbed away from the screen as he glanced at Hee-jin.

            Despite his views on the movie, Hee-jin seemed to enjoy it. She was laid-back and serene. Eun-seok fiddled on his fingers as a coping mechanism to his growing urge to pull the green-eyed beauty closer and gently brush the hair on her forehead.

            There was that strange feeling again.

            Eun-seok wondered if it was normal. He had seen it before in shows, two people cuddling together and sharing intimate gestures, yet he never imagined himself doing it. . . Until now.

            Hee-jin was comfortable with him rather than wary. He wished to keep it that way. No matter how much he had been covered by blood or had taken lives, Eun-seok wanted her to be at ease with him no matter what.

            His mouth gently curved into a smile, letting his guard down thoroughly, and didn't move an inch. If peace could be achieved in showing up in her place every midnight, he'd be happy to do it again.

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            "Byung-gyu?" Eun-seok entered the kitchen area of the office, finding his friend taking out a tupperware from the fridge.

            The healer looked at him and waved. "Hey!"

            "Can I ask you something?"

            "Go ahead."

            At first, Eun-seok swallowed. "Er— what do you do when your heart races for someone?"

            " . . . " Byung-gyu blinked. But when he realized what the words meant, his eyes grew big. "You—"

            "Shush!" Eun-seok cut him off. "I'm just curious!"

            "Eun-seok, your heart does not beat for someone out of curiosity," his friend deadpanned.

            Eun-seok groaned. "I know! But it's just that I want to check on something. Just to be sure." He looked at him in implore. "Please don't tell anyone. . . "

            Byung-gyu sighed. "Alright. I'm guessing you don't want me to ask either, correct?"

            Eun-seok nodded.

            "Fine," Byung-gyu leaned against the counter. "Well, as far as I know, having your heart beat for someone means only one thing— you like that person. Simple as that!"

            "Uh. . . I don't think so." Eun-seok was uncertain. "What if this feeling is from an experience I've never felt? Isn't that because I'm lacking from it?"

            His friend scoffed. "That's the whole point! You fall in love with someone because they complete a part of you. They make you feel whole."

            They make you feel whole.

            Eun-seok found himself pondering.

            "Well, if you're still not sure, then try doing something different. If your heart still beats, then you're in love." Byung-gyu shrugged and started walking past the assassin. "I don't know who stole that heart of yours, even though I want to know, but that person must be lucky.”

            I hope so. Eun-seok's chest clenched.

            Try something different?

            As far as he knew, all he did was show up on Hee-jin's apartment window almost every midnight. He even brought her donuts. And during those moments, his heart was filled with warmth, seeping through his veins up to his brain where it clouded his thoughts. Small moments that he was certain he'd carry forever.

            With a faint smile on his lips, Eun-seok took out his phone and started typing a message.

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            Eun-seok stood among the people walking past him near the entrance of the mall. He had his hands shoved in his pockets as he waited. When his guild master agreed that he should take the entire day off, Eun-seok quickly headed home and changed into different clothes that would fit well in the society. A grey polyester sweatshirt and a pair of ripped jeans. Though, part of him was uncertain if it was enough.

            It was not always that he got to go out and do mundane activities.

            Eun-seok lifted his phone to check his reflection, he reached his hand up to flick his hair slightly that was parted in the middle, making sure he looked presentable. He disliked how the more he waited, the more he was beginning to feel uneasy toward himself.

            Before another fleeting thought came in, his eyes finally caught her within the crowd. Eun-seok's gaze twitched up and glued to the moving figure. She appeared when the person in front of her moved to a different direction, clad in a mint green dress that hung above her knees, swaying gracefully, as she also wore a white long-sleeved blouse underneath. Her hair was made into a loose braid with little streaks dangling to her collar. A brown bag sat on her shoulder that matched her sandals.

            His heart skipped a beat.

            Hee-jin finally reached him and a tender smile curled up on her lips, tainted in soft pink. “There was a long line on the bus. Sorry!”

            “You don't need to apologize,” Eun-seok shook his head. Then, he remembered the first thing he planned to do. “You look pretty.” He said to her.

            Amusement glimmered in Hee-jin's eyes. “Why, thank you. You don't look so bad yourself.”

            Eun-seok chuckled, not knowing how to take the compliment. He began leading her to the mall, keeping his hands tucked in his pockets, while Hee-jin walked close to him. Their arms brushed against each other when they had to move aside for the others to pass. Hee-jin's hands were clutching on her bag’s strap across her chest, Eun-seok noticed this and ignored the image of him reaching his hand out for her to take, reminding himself that they were not like those couples he had seen around.

            They first entered a store that sold various plushies, ranging from different animals to objects that were added with expressions. Eun-seok knew people liked anything that was adorable. Inevitably, Hee-jin was one of those people — she was in awe of every stuffed animal she saw and reached out to touch them, feeling the softness in her hands. Eun-seok found her amusing, yet cute nonetheless.

            As he followed her around the store, his gaze landed on something in the shelves. Eun-seok paused on his tracks and looked up where he saw a bunch of cat stuffed toys. He extended his hand out to grab a medium-sized tortoiseshell cat, holding it with both hands, he squeezed it and realized how soft it was.

            He understood why Hee-jin became lively around such things. So, Eun-seok turned around and brought it to the counter with him.

            Hee-jin snapped a photo of a small elephant plushie and sent it to Jung Ye-rim, a friend of hers from the Knights Guild, then typed out a message for her. She giggled at the healer’s response and when she was about to stash it into her bag, she paused midway when her gaze caught the sight of a stuffed cat, held by none other than Eun-seok.

            “This is for you,” he said.

            “Eh?” Hee-jin's eyes widened in confusion. “F— for me?”

            Eun-seok simply nodded.

            She took the plushie and held it to her chest. Her expression morphed in awe. Hee-jin tucked it tighter and embraced it, allowing a smile on her face at the softness of the stuffed animal; it was quite big and fit her arms completely.

            It was the right decision to request not to include a bag. Eun-seok felt a tinge of pride in his chest. “So I take it that you like it?”

            Hee-jin looked up and nodded with her chin pressed on the cat’s head. “Thank you! I meant it, even though you didn't have to get me anything.”

            “Hm? But you like these things.” Eun-seok said. “It's obvious that you should get one, hence why we are here and not look around like we're in some museum.”

            “Well, you are right,” Hee-jin chuckled.

            They exited the store and resumed their stroll in the mall. Hee-jin held her new plushie in her arms, Eun-seok observed her quietly, wearing a smile on his face, while she steered her head to check out the stores across the place. The mall had always been a populous place, people came to purchase and eat in various restaurants, then they'd leave in satisfaction.

            “Hey! Look over there!” Hee-jin tugged his sleeve.

            There was a small stall selling cotton candies. Eun-seok simply followed Hee-jin toward it and the closer they were, the stronger the scent of flavors in their noses.

            “Ah, miss! What can I do for you?” A middle-aged woman asked her newest customer.

            “I’d like this one, please.” Hee-jin pointed at the strawberry flavor. “Oh! And the mango too!”

            “Will that be in one stick or two sticks?”

            Hee-jin looked up to her companion. “Do you want the mango one?”

            “I don't have a big sweet tooth, so. . . ” Eun-seok shrugged.

            Hee-jin pouted. “Fine. I'll just eat it on my own.”

            Then, Eun-seok caught her hand reaching over to her bag, so he stopped her and took out his wallet instead. He spoke just as Hee-jin was about to protest. “I'll let you pay next time.”

            He wanted to try how it felt like to pay for someone.

            Around his friends, Eun-seok always preferred to use his money for himself rather than someone else. But now that he was with Hee-jin, he didn't have to think twice.

            The stall owner handed Hee-jin a cotton candy in a stick. Two flavors were swirled into one. Eun-seok offered to hold it since she was already carrying a stuffed animal in her arms, Hee-jin took small portions of the cotton candy and munched it inside of her mouth, then she encouraged him to eat some — though it took a couple of exchanges until Eun-seok grabbed a portion of the candy.

            It instantly melted in his tongue, leaving its sugary sweetness and a mixture of strawberry and mango wafting to the ceiling of his mouth. Eun-seok was not a big fan of sweets at all, but he wouldn't mind giving it a chance once in a while, especially when his companion had a bigger sweet tooth than him.

            They found themselves at the movie theater next. Hee-jin was the one who bought the tickets, though it did not bother Eun-seok, rather he smiled at the way her eyes lit up when she was given the chance to spend her money for the both of them. But of course, he was the one who bought popcorn for the both of them.

            Hee-jin tucked her stuffed animal to her chest. Eun-seok wanted to tease her that she really adored his gift that much, yet elected not to utter a word when the movie was already starting. She'd flinch at certain parts and her hand would reach over the popcorn where Eun-seok was gathering too, only to leading their fingers getting in contact; he flinched slightly when he felt her fingertips brushing against his own, though she was too focused on the screen to notice.

            His eyes barely left her since then.

            “That was great!” Hee-jin began as they walked out of the theater. “It had been quite a while since I've watched in the cinema. What about you?”

            “I can't remember. I usually watch movies in my house.” Eun-seok replied.

            She let out a frown. “Is it because of your ‘job’ and that's why you don't get to go out as much?”

            “Maybe. But being in public and surrounded by crowds aren't my thing, and besides—” his eyes briefly flickered at the passerbys, “it feels quite strange. To move around in places like this just to feel what it's like to be normal.”

            “I’m curious, why did you invite me out here in the first place?” Hee-jin asked.

            Eun-seok paused. In truth, he only wanted to confirm something. And without letting her wait longer, he responded. “I just noticed that I kept showing up on your apartment in the middle of the night.”

            “And?” She raised an eyebrow.

            “And. . . I don't know. It's not like I have nothing else better to do.” Then, Eun-seok's lips twitched up. “You're the only friend I have outside of the guild anyway.”

            It took a few moments for Hee-jin to return the smile. “Well, being with you has been wonderful.”

            “You’re talking like this is over,” Eun-seok huffed.

            “Is it?”

            He lightly grabbed her wrist. “There's still so much for us to see!”

            Hee-jin's breath hitched when he began to drag her across the place. The main purpose of their outing had ebbed off Eun-seok’s mind, allowing himself to let loose without thinking of his uncertain feelings for the B-Rank mage — no, scratch that. Today, he was not an S-Rank hunter, nor was she a B-Rank hunter; they were just people making the most out of their time together.

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            “Unnie! That stuffed animal you sent me is so adorable!” Jung Ye-rim gushed. “Why didn't you buy it for me? I could've paid you back.”

            Hee-jin rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, uh, I forgot because I was with someone.”

            “You are?”

            “With who?” Ju-hee piped up.

            “Uhm. . . A friend! Yes, a new friend whom I met not so long ago.” Her friends’ eyes glimmered with intrigue. Hee-jin sighed and scratched the underside of her jaw, knowing that if she told them that she was with an S-Rank hunter of all people, Ye-rim and Ju-hee would freak out. “He’s a hunter who specializes in blades.”

            “Ohhh!!!” The two healers were in awe.

            “Does that mean he took you on a date? Oh! Do I know him? What rank is he? Is he cute? Is he your type? What—”

            Ju-hee covered Ye-rim's mouth with her hand and flashed Hee-jin a broad smile. “Glad to hear that, unnie! I presume he bought something for you?”

            “Yes!” Hee-jin chuckled. “It was very sweet of him.”

            Indeed, it was very sweet of him. To invite her to the mall with him, purchase a cat plushie that she never expected him to, and spend the rest of the day with her instead of talking about the gates.

            The stuffed animal was in her bed, and every time she glanced at it, she saw the face of the assassin who had purchased it without her knowledge. Hee-jin smiled at it each time. Sure, he was a two-faced person who was kind-hearted to others, but cold and ruthless to some. . . She couldn't bring herself to push him away.

            But she didn't think she had a reason to.

            He was kind to her. He made her smile. She was at ease around him even though he got her worried beforehand. He made butterflies fly in her stomach—

            Hee-jin snapped. She turned over her stuffed animal, grabbing it to bring it on her lap. Its arms were splayed over her hands as it stared up motionlessly with its adorable smiling face. She pressed her thumbs on the soft cheeks, imagining what could it be if it were Eun-seok's cheeks.

            Oh crap. . . Hee-jin slumped down on the mattress, her long locks sprawling across the bedsheet. She raised the plushie above her face at arm’s length.

            Am I really in love with an assassin?

            She shook her head. No, Eun-seok was more than an assassin. He always had his reasons for his actions that were beyond an average human’s morals. But at the end of the day. . . He was still that kind soul.

            Part of her wondered if her feelings for him were true. She imagined herself being with him in various moments in her life, not just seeing him only at midnight where she had to check his body for wounds. Hee-jin wanted to do more like how they did at the mall.

            She sighed and pulled the stuffed cat to her chest, clutching it tightly. She wondered if Eun-seok felt the same way — or if his sentiments toward her were that of a friend.

            The moment she received his message later that night, Hee-jin practically rushed out of her bed and gently opened her door to make her way to the living room where his entrance was located. She unclasped the lock and pushed the window aside, immediately glancing at him as he patiently sat on the railing of the fire escape. A smile curved across her lips and she stepped aside, paving him a way to enter the apartment.

            Eun-seok's feet lightly descended on the floor. Hee-jin could barely make out his features, but she felt his soft gaze above her.

            “It took you quite earlier than usual,” she said.

            He chuckled. “I got the job done quicker.”

            “Well, that's good to know. Are you hurt somewhere?”

            “Not a single scratch,” then he paused. “I think?”

            Hee-jin sighed and let him follow her to her bedroom. The door was clicked shut behind her whilst she went up to grab the medical kit, which had become a permanent member in her possessions as she could never be careful when her visitor was around, so Hee-jin turned around and saw him sitting on his usual spot in her room and had her cat plushie on his lap as if to study it.

            She sat down in front of him and crossed her legs. Hee-jin extended her hand to him. Eun-seok stared at it for a moment and let out a sigh, he removed his black glove to present his bare palm that had fresh cuts.

            “Glass shards. Apparently, my glove wasn't that strong enough to resist.” He explained briefly.

            Hee-jin sighed. “Well, at least that wasn't severe.”

            “Wow. No scolding? No ‘Eun-seok, you're such an idiot?”

            “Since when I said that?” She flashed him a slight glare.

            “Your eyes seem to say so.”

            Hee-jin rolled her eyes. “Well, we can't prevent accidents no matter what, but all I want is for you to be—”

            “Careful. Yes, I get it.” Eun-seok nodded. He grinned. “I'm an S-Rank hunter, Hee-jin. It takes more than mere powerless humans to defeat me.”

            “Just because you're an S-Rank doesn't mean you are immortal, Eun-seok,” Hee-jin grumbled. She grabbed a roll of bandage to wrap it around the now cleaned wound on his palm.

            Then, his finger touched the underneath of her chin to lift her gaze a little to meet his gaze amidst the soft light from her lamp. “Are you worried that you might not be able to see me again one day?” Eun-seok said to her.

            Hee-jin suddenly flushed at his gesture and immediately pulled her chin away. “Don't say things like that. You're only making it a bit worse.”

            “Sorry,” Eun-seok mumbled. He bit his cheek and glanced at the cat stuffy on his lap, changing the subject. “Why do I get the feeling that you keep this cat close whenever you sleep?”

            “I do.” Hee-jin nodded. She took it and pulled it to her chest, wrapping her arms around it tightly.

            He let out a smile. “I’m glad to hear that. I've heard that girls are easily fond of stuffed animals.”

            “And you got that right,” chuckled Hee-jin. “But most of all— it kind of brings me comfort, knowing that you'll show up by midnight.”

            As much as she felt quite mortified by her words, Eun-seok's gaze turned warmer, almost palpable enough to feel it through her veins. Hee-jin thought she'd say what needed to be said.

            “I will always show up. If you'd like, we can go hang out somewhere else other than here.” Eun-seok suggested.

            “But you're busy with raids?”

            He frowned. “Right. . . “

            “Hmm. . . I'm good with us just being here.” Hee-jin said. “I understand that you have other things to put first.”

            Eun-seok nodded. “Thank you for always being understanding, Hee-jin.”

            “And maybe you get to put yourself first this time.”

            “Hm?”

            “I noticed that you barely paid attention to your happiness. For instance, the mall looked rather foreign to you since you didn't get to go there as much.” She explained. “You always focus on what you need to do, not what you want.”

            Eun-seok never missed his duties. Whether it was raiding gates or assassinating, he always put them first above anything else. Hee-jin wondered if he was doing it out of obligation or that was how his life revolved around ever since being a hunter changed his life.

            He didn't stay that long, unfortunately, but Hee-jin walked him to the window like how she usually did. Well, except for that one time where she had fallen asleep in the middle of watching a movie with him. Eun-seok headed to the window and gently opened it, allowing the subtle wind to flush into the quiet and dark place; Hee-jin wrapped her arms around herself when the cold touched her bare skin.

            “You know. . . I realized something.” Eun-seok began.

            Hee-jin blinked at him and waited for a continuation.

            “Yeah, I do not get to put myself first. I always do what I think is needed, not pausing for a moment and decide if that's what I want. The line had blurred between those two words a long time ago that I forgot the difference.” He said. “But at this point, I think. . . I think I should try doing what I want.”

            “Oh, that's a great thing to hear,” Hee-jin replied. “Ever thought about the first thing already?”

            Slowly, he turned around. His features were indistinguishable because of the darkness. Not even the distant lights from the city were enough for her to trace a single detail. She caught him stepping forward, her breath letting out a tiny gasp when his cold hand went to her jaw, and his shadow loomed over her more. His eyes became more visible, carrying an emotion she was unable to recognize.

            She found herself under a spell.

            Unable to move. Unable to breathe evenly.

            His voice was like a mere echo when he spoke. “Feel free to push me away if you're not comfortable.”

            Hee-jin was lost for words and failed to process what he meant. Her bottom lip unknowingly quivered when his warm breath fanned over her lips. She had an inkling where she'd find herself into. . . But the wires in her mind joined into tangles, disrupting and eating every what was left in her senses—

            Mmph! Her mouth let out a muffled sound in surprise.

            Lips. Eun-seok's lips were on her own. His hand on her jaw was steady, yet gentle. He must've felt her relax and deepened the kiss. Her brain had gone haywire. Were her lips moving too? Was she kissing back? She could never tell.

            Unlike his breath, his lips were cold against her own, like a desperate man longing for a life source. 

            He pulled away while it felt like an eon for her. Hee-jin realized she had her eyes open the entire time, only then to part her mouth after the unreciprocated kiss. Eun-seok moved to her ear this time, whispering;

            “That's what I want,” words flew into her ear like a prayer. “But, I want you to think about it carefully. I will be waiting until then.”

            He went away in a breeze.

            Only that remained was the strong memory. The sensation of his kiss was neither a beseech nor a wish for permission. It was more like a question to her. Hee-jin shook her head, her fingers rose to graze over her lips, wondering how it felt to be kissed by an S-Rank.

            Want?

            How long had he been wanting that? To kiss her?

            How long must he have been wanting her?

            Hee-jin didn't think she would get a good night's sleep after that.

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            “Mwehehe~ hihi!”

            “Dude, you sound like a goblin.”

            “I. . . Want more shots!”

            “Tae-gyu! Stop moving around!”

            “Ehh??” A drunk Tae-gyu looked over Byung-gyu, who was holding the rest of his weight and struggling at the same time. “Why is there a twink here?”

            “Shut it, you fool! You shouldn't have been in this state if you hadn't drunk sixteen glasses!” Byung-gyu hissed. He adjusted his grip around the archer and groaned when Tae-gyu pressed more weight on his frame. “Jin-woo!”

            “Calm down. You have a motorcycle, right? Just take Tae-gyu to his house and leave him at his doorstep.” Jin-woo huffed, turning to Yoon-ho, who was now passed out on the table. “I'll just have to teleport this guy to his bedroom and leave him there.”

            Byung-gyu gritted his teeth. “Why can't you teleport Tae-gyu too? If I take him on my motorcycle, he'll fall in the middle of the road!”

            “You're a healer, so just heal him if anything happens.”

            Byung-gyu glared daggers at the youngest S-Rank hunter.

            Eun-seok watched the chaos across them. Everyone may know what would happen if S-Ranks like them walked into a bar for a boys’ night out, but that didn't stop them from doing it anyway. Yoon-ho and Tae-gyu were the easiest ones who got drunk while Byung-gyu remained light-headed since he had a vehicle to drive and Jin-woo was unable to be inebriated due to his powers.

            On the other hand, Jong-in and Eun-seok didn't drink too much since they had some ‘business’ left to do. The rest were occupied enough not to notice it. Byung-gyu and Jin-woo started arguing whether or not either of them would take Tae-gyu home.

            “Let's leave these idiots alone,” Jong-in whispered. “I heard that there is a loan shark that has been targeting students.”

            Eun-seok nodded. The two made their way to the exit when Eun-seok felt his phone vibrated against his pocket.

            [ Are you on your job already? Take care! Try not to get hurt too much. ]

            Hee-jin. . . He stared at the message longingly.

            She always sent him messages, but not just when she knew he was about to assassinate people, Hee-jin also sent him messages when he was at work. Such simple gestures never failed to flutter his heart. Then, Eun-seok remembered what he did the other night—

            He kissed her.

            He didn't regret it either. Eun-seok did what his heart told him to, what he deeply wanted, and expected nothing in return, but a chance for her to think about it. Be with him or stay as a friend. She only had two options to choose from, though he'd accept it either way.

            Hee-jin had enamored his heart deeply, plaguing his mind in a way he couldn't get enough of her.

            “Are you coming, Eun-seok?”

            He looked up and saw Jong-in, waiting for him next to his car. Eun-seok shook his head. “You'll go ahead. I have somewhere to go.”

            “Is this about a person?” Jong-in raised an eyebrow. “You can't easily hide it, Eun-seok. You've started to get your tasks done quicker than you used to.” Then, the corner of his lips twitched into a grin. “But I can't blame you, so do what you want. It's a miracle how she accepted what kind of person you are.”

            Eun-seok let out a chuckle. “It’s a surprise for me too. Will you be okay on your own, hyung?”

            “No need to worry about me,” Jong-in huffed, opening the door to the driver's seat. He sat inside and pulled it shut. “I shall be expecting good results, Eun-seok.” He smirked.

            Eun-seok playfully rolled his eyes.

            He expected nothing.

            If Hee-jin asked, he'd tell her that he was not in the mood to kill people and that he chose to spend time with her instead. Though, Eun-seok wanted to see her reaction when he showed up to her apartment in casual clothes instead of a uniform that reeked of death.

            He showed up in front of her door several moments later. He was able to distinguish which door she lived in even though he only entered the apartment from the outside and used his skills. Eun-seok knocked on the door and waited.

            When there was no response, he held up his closed hand again and was about to knock when the door was pulled open. His lips parted slightly as a new sight unraveled in front of him. Hee-jin met his gaze with widened eyes; she surprisingly looked different this time — her coal black hair was pulled into a messy bun with several strands hanging loosely to her collarbone. She wore a plain white shirt and a pair of shorts.

            “Y— you're here?” She said. “But. . . But I thought—?”

            Eun-seok blinked at first and cleared his throat. “Uh. . . I didn't feel like doing my task tonight, so I came to you instead.”

            “Oh. . . I see.” Hee-jin's cheeks flushed and clutched on the hem of her shirt. “Come inside then.”

            Eun-seok obliged and took off his shoes once he was inside, sliding his feet on the slippers Hee-jin had offered to him. Unlike him, she walked barefoot across the wooden floor and headed to the couch where a television was shining across the room. It was the only source of light in the place besides the lampshade on the nightstand.

            Hee-jin settled on the cushions while Eun-seok looked around in reluctance. It felt quite unusual of him to enter her home in a normal way instead of sneaking through the window.

            “So. . . Your family?” He asked her.

            “Out. They were meeting up with some friends.” Hee-jin said, putting a pillow on her lap. “It's okay, Eun-seok. You don't have to be nervous or anything.” She shrugged.

            Eun-seok nodded and joined her on the couch. There was a small distance between them. He wanted to be closer, but he was not sure why he felt weird about the idea. The television wasn't much of a distraction either, his ears being not able to accept its sounds when his senses were utterly fixated on the beauty beside him.

            Hee-jin fiddled on the pillow with her nails, her lips were firmly pressed shut, almost as if biting her bottom lip with her teeth. Eun-seok stared at her in question. If she was mumbling to herself right now, he would've been able to hear what was in her mind, but she was completely silent — it made him wish he should've gained a mind-reading ability instead.

            “Come closer.”

            “Pardon?” Eun-seok asked.

            Hee-jin pursed her lips. “Come closer, Eun-seok.”

            And he did. Eun-seok scooted to her direction, yet still maintained some space between them.

            “Closer.”

            The hunter gulped. Even if there were several inches left between them, he still did, causing his hip to bump against hers.

            He cleared his throat. “Is this enou—”

            Suddenly, Hee-jin grabbed his shoulder and threw her leg across his lap, straddling him. Eun-seok was too caught off-guard to catch everything except that Hee-jin's face was looming over him and her knees were pressed on the cushions.

            “H— Hee-jin?!” Eun-seok was too aghast to speak another word.

            “You remember what you did last night, right?” Hee-jin had both of her hands on his shoulders. She briefly bit her bottom lip again and continued. “Well. . . I thought about it. Carefully.”

            Eun-seok blinked. “A— and?”

            “This is my answer.” Hee-jin swooped down and sealed his mouth with hers.

            Unlike what he did, Hee-jin was forceful on her kiss. Eun-seok had kissed her featherlight, but Hee-jin was kissing him as if she was desperate, sending a rushing river of feelings through his veins that Eun-seok was unable to comprehend. It was only when Hee-jin deepened the kiss he closed his eyes and reciprocated, parting his mouth a little to kiss her properly; an indistinct sound was released from her.

            Satisfaction rumbled in his stomach, Eun-seok reached his hand up to her hair, gently curling his fingers around her bun, and his other hand went over her hip. He surged forward, causing Hee-jin to gasp against his mouth as she fell on his lap instead of standing on her knees.

            He found it addicting. Intoxicating. The only thing that pulled him back that night was how he didn't want to make Hee-jin uncomfortable, especially when he was not sure if she felt the same, but now that he knew the answer. . . Eun-seok suddenly had the urge to make her feel loved in a way he never had.

            “Ah.” Hee-jin grabbed his hair to pull him off her. Eun-seok realized she was panting and leaned away, not as exhausted as she was.

            “Hee-jin?” He whispered. “You okay?”

            “Yeah. . . ” Hee-jin breathed out. “Where was I?”

            Eun-seok let out an airy chuckle. He removed his hand from her bun, yet brought along more strands of hair to fall. “Hmm. . . What's your answer again?”

            His hand squeezed her waist, Hee-jin tightened her grip on his shoulders. Eun-seok's gaze fell on her lips, swollen and glistening, once more, but the only thing that was holding back was her hand on the back of his head.

            “Haven't I given it already?” She said, finally coming to her senses.

            “You did?” Eun-seok smirked. “I can't seem to remember it.”

            Hee-jin glared. “Don’t be an idiot, Eun-seok. I wouldn't have kissed you if I didn't feel the same way!”

            “I'd like to hear it in your own words, Ms. Park.”

            Hee-jin rolled her eyes. “You didn't say yours either.”

            “If that's the case—” Eun-seok pulled her close to him until her chest collided with his. He officially removed the hair tie from her bun to let her soft locks fall gracefully. His arms went around her waist, engulfing her in a loving embrace before leaning up to press a deep kiss on her cheek, and another on the pulse point of her neck. “I love you.”

            He felt her shudder.

            In truth, Eun-seok believed it was not necessary to say those three words. Not that he hadn't spoken it for a long time, he thought it was better if he expressed it through his actions. “I love you” was just the tip of an iceberg for him. But since Hee-jin wanted to hear it, he'd happily comply.

            “I. . . ” Hee-jin swallowed. “I love—”

            His lips went to her jaw, gently nipping it, but not enough to leave a mark. However, it did pull a mewl from her. It astounded Hee-jin by how he knew such gestures. She may not be fond of drinking alcohol, but his charms alone had left her intoxicated.

            She sighed and melted in his arms. Eun-seok stopped his ministrations, smiling as the mage placed her head on the junction between his shoulder and neck, her rapid heartbeat was felt against his chest.

            “You don't have to say it back,” he told her. “I already know anyway.”

            “So you just wanted to kiss me more as an excuse?”

            Eun-seok chuckled. He held the back of her head to press a kiss on the crown of it. “Yes.”

            “Who knew a cold assassin like you is actually affectionate?” Hee-jin jested.

            “Only for you, Ms. Park.”

            She blushed. Then she buried her face on the crook of his neck. “You better.”

            Eun-seok nuzzled her forehead.

            Needless to say, the entire night was spent with affection. Hee-jin was the first, and hopefully only, person who broke his exteriors. Whether it was the mask of a hunter or a cold-blooded assassin, Hee-jin saw through him and cherished the whole person he was.

[domokunrainbowkinz]

back by unpopular demand: me, with my manhwa posting :)

titles discussed:

the pawn' revenge (18+)

sign (18+)

dawn of the dragon (18+)

cold blooded beast / in cold love (18+, idk why manta and lezhin translated it differently...sidenote I prefer the manta tl, it was more smoothly translated imo)

necromancer survival

red limit (18+)

frenemies: thicker than blood (18+)

dead man's switch (18+)

in the doghouse (18+)

4 week lovers (18+ on lezhin, 15+ on manta)

the pawn's revenge (18+) - i love you crime thrillers i love you damaged manipulative protagonists and i love you ride-or-die ML's who will do anything for love. it's a pretty gritty story about being sold off as a prostitute to the red light district, and what you would do to escape that situation, even if that means teaming up with a kidnapper/serial killer to claw your way to the top. ofc it does develop beyond that, and especially in s3 i am really interested to see how je-oh will go against hee-seo, as well as how he's gonna go about addressing the fact he genuinely loves and cares about seong-rok, despite his better judgment. idk man i just really love je-oh as a character, i want to study him under a microscope. i'm always biased towards manipulative characters who are a little fucked in the head <3 i really liked this one, but i would proceed with caution because there is non-con/dub-con in this one (not between the MC and ML except for 1 instance in s3).

sign (18+) - god this shit was so cute i wanted to explode. it's a pretty low-stakes, feel-good, fluffy read with some pretty good smut. it's about a guy who works part-time at a cafe owned by a deaf person, and their relationship is so OUGH..........god they're so cute, they are so down bad for each other and at the very end i thought to myself "damnb...maybe love IS real.......". i'm not deaf so i can't fully speak on how well the story represents deaf people, but just from an outsider's perspective it doesn't feel like the story treated him as an object of pity nor does it erase his disability, and he also has a lot of agency with regards to his decisions, so he's definintly not depicted as helpless. i do want to say that the plot does dry up a bit in s3 and it mainly focuses on the side couple (which unfortunately i wasn't super interested in), but other than that i HIGHLY recommend this if you're looking for a light read!! i have this bookmarked as a comfort read and it's also one of my faves for now <3

dawn of the dragon (18+) - i'm always a sucker for reincarnation stories and clingy ML's, so this one got me hook line and sinker. the dragon ML is so cute, i want to tuck him in and give him some hot choccy <3 the MC is also such a funny asshole, and his relationship with the ML is such a delight to read. one thing i do wanna say tho is they used the amnesia plot device twice???? once for the ML and another time for the MC, which made me go "ok......but why......???" like idk i don't think it was necessary to give the MC amnesia, it almost just felt like an excuse to go back to the chasing phase rather than have them in an established relationship. just my opinion though eheh 🤪

cold blooded beast / in cold love (18+) - not sure why manta and lezhin translated the title differently, but i will say right now that i think the manta tl is better. for some reason the lezhin tl localized a lot of terms (they changed "imugi" to "basilisk" and "yeoju" to "magic stone (????)") which confused me like just add a tl note, i PROMISE it's not gonna kill you to keep the original terms. it's another reincarnation story involving dragons and tragic pasts and amnesia, and the ML has 2 (two) dicks babey!!!!!!!!!!! i did finish the entire story through a fan tl, and overall it's a pretty standard supernatural romance, i honestly have no strong feelings about this one.

necromancer survival - i read this one a while back and totally forgot about it....anyways i have a BONE to pick with this one, i've seen so many people rave about it but i ended up not liking it and i'm so mad about that!!!!!!!! on the surface it seems like something i'd like, but the way it was executed just made me go "meh.....", and i think a lot of that stems from me just straight up not liking the MC (i know these types of MC's are supposed to elicit a "protect him uwu" instinct from readers but instead he made me go "grow a spine!!!! fight back!!! FIGHT BACK!!!!!!!!!" anyways he made me want to tear my hair out) and the only reason i even finished all the available chapters is because of the ML and his undead squad. a lot of people did say the novel is better and more explicit with the horror and romance, but as of right now i don't think i will read the novel, since again, most of my dislike stems from the way the MC was written. also i felt like the romance just came outta nowhere, like the ML treats the MC like shit and then suddenly develops feelings out of nowhere 🥴

red limit (18+) - i ALSO have a bone to pick with this one, like it could've been so good but then the author had to throw in some UNNECESSARY BULLSHIT in the last 5 chapters that soured the entire ending and side stories for me i was so mad!!!!!!!! like you didn't have to do allat 😭 everything before that was just so beautifully depicted and written, with the way they slowly show the relationship deepening, the way the level of intimacy increases with each interaction, the insecurity, the careful breaking down of walls AUGH....but then for SOME REASON they threw in some half-assed, forced misunderstanding at the end that made me go "HELLO???? WHY???????" i'm so bitter >:( going back to positives though, the art in this is so unique. the use of a grayscale palette with splashes of red is so striking, and i LOVED the use of full colour in certain panels to signify where the MC is at emotionally. i do think this is still a good read, but you'll just have to ignore the Bullshit at the end.

frenemies: thicker than blood (18+) - OUUUGH this one slapped!!!!!!!!! a childhood rivals-to-lovers murim story that i absolutely blasted through, the MC and ML's relationship is so ouuuuuuuuughhhh like they are each others' ride or die. i thought the plot was also quite interesting as well, since we get to see the power struggle within the murim society, and at its core, the entire plot is really a revenge story. i really liked this one as a wuxia danmei enjoyer, so i think other danmei fans would enjoy this one as well!!! i have this bookmarked as a comfort read, and it's also one of my faves now <3

dead man's switch (18+) - a zombie apocalypse BL manhwa!!!!! it's about a university campus overrun with zombies, and the MC and ML are trying to survive and escape to get help. at first glance the ML is a total psycho and seems to be abnormally obsessed with the MC, but at the end of S1 you find out why, though there are hints dropped throughout the first season that make you guess (unfortunately i was spoiled by a summary i saw online 😔 but it didn't take away from the enjoyment). i think fans of zombie media would like this one, it does play out a lot like a zombie movie (humans dividing into groups, hoarding food, survival of the fittest etc), so it feels pretty familiar.

in the doghouse (18+) - i'm gonna be real i'm just reading this to see how freaky the FL and ML are gonna get. the ML is a total masochistic sub looking for his sadist dom, and i am excited to see the FL finally become the femdom of his dreams. besides that though, i do love how the FL is written, the struggles she goes through with her parasitic family really make her feel disempowered and you can FEEL her frustration through the panels. anyways i'm rooting for you courtney become the femdom of richard's dreams babygirl <3

4 week lovers (18+) - i'm actually baffled there's a 15+ version that omits the sex scenes bc babey that's like 90% of the story. gonna be real here and say i don't know if the 15+ version is worth reading, because I think the sex scenes are probably the best part about this manhwa lol. i do like the relationship and they do have a lot of cute moments, but there's not really a plot besides in the first season where they get together at the end, after that it's just them developing their relationship and having nasty borderline-kinky sex. that's not to say there's no depth to the characters though, the MC's backstory is very sad and explains a lot about his behaviour, and his issues don't magically disappear once he and the ML enter a relationship. i'm still continuing with this one though because i do want to see how far they go with regards to the MC and ML's obsession with each other, and also i want to see how freaky they will get :)

[giggly-squiggily]

Hi hiii, for the candy heart event can I request, Ler Kunigami Lee Chigiri with 🧡 Love bug <33

*muffled screaming from all the Blue Lock prompts* My HEART!!! I had to do this one- I had to! Chigiri beloved! I gotcha covered, anon! :D

“Ugh, Chi? I think there was a mixup in the wash.” Kunigami walked in, the sweats he wore way too small for his frame. “I think I got your clothes.”

“How’d you get-” Chigiri turned, eyes widening at the sight before twisting away once more. Something resembling a muffled snort escaped.

“What’s so funny?” Kunigami asked, putting his hands on his hips and further reminding himself the clothes he wore were too small. “Come on- give it to me straight. I look ridiculous, don’t I?”

“What? Not-” Chigiri turned to face him, flattening his lips as he took in the sight. It was then Kunigami realized who had his sweatshirt. “You look normal to me-hee.”

“Dude, these pants are riding up my crack.” Kunigami turned, gesturing to his butt. “One wrong move and everyone’s getting a show they didn’t pay for.”

That did it. Chigiri wheezed, doubling over in laughter at the thought. He buried his face into the sleeves of his stolen sweatshirt, barely muffling the sound. “Oh gaahhahahd! Kunigahahami, you loohoohk so funuhuuhny!”

“I do, huh? Now- who would do this to me?” Kunigami grinned, quickly closing the distance between them to tickle the redhead’s sides. “Some naughty little princess stole my stuff and replaced them with doll clothes! Now, who could that be?”

“Whhoohohoho you cahahhahalling a priihihihncess?” Chigiri squeaked upon feeling Kunigami’s hands on him, shoving at his chest in vain. “Kuhuhuuhhunigahahahmi, gehehehhet ohohohoohff!”

“Tell me you did it and maybe I will.” The ginger snickered, pulling the smaller man closer as one hand dug into his stomach. The other came up to tickle his neck, making Chigiri scrunch up with a cackle. “Come on- I know a prank when I see one. It’s so obviously you.”

“Hohohoohow do yohoohohohu know it wahhahahhas mehehehehe? Whhihiihihiiy woohohohuld I- AHEHAHHHA KUHUHUUNI!” Chigiri all but squealed when the back of his ribs got tazed. “FIHIIHIIHNE FIHIHIIHNE I DIHIHIIHID IT!”

“Knew it.” Kunigami grinned, releasing the other and watching Chigiri stumble to safety. “You can’t hide anything from me, princess.”

“Shuhuhuht up.” Chigiri huffed with a glare, hugging himself protectively. Taking another look at Kunigami, he giggled. “Hehe, you look silly.”

“So do you, sweatshirt stealer.” Kunigami snorted, walking over and gently kissing his forehead. “I guess that comes with the territory.”

“Heh, boyfriend privileges.” Chigiri agreed. “Can I keep this?” He pulled at his too long shirt. “It smells like you.”

“Sure. Only if I get to keep this though.” Kunigami flexed, eyes widening when he heard a loud rip. Looking over his shoulder, his cheeks flushed bright red. “Eherm…we might need new pants.”

Chigiri laughed so hard he choked.

~Send me a pairing and a candy heart phrase~

[arcxnumvitae]

❤️ RED HEART — what are three of your oc's positive traits? (Soonhee)

@lunarxdaydream || details about ocs!

oh uhhhhh

Loyal. If someone manages to get to this nigh unreachable point with Soon-hee where she trusts them enough to consider them incredibly important to her, she's a ride or die for life. She's the one you can come to if you need to bury a body.

Playful. This also comes with the note that this trait only exists if she likes someone enough, she actually has a playful streak! The key is getting her in such a lighthearted mood where she's willing to be a little more "open" to begin with.

Independent. This can go without saying I feel like. She already was a very independent person back during her first human life (regardless of her feelings characterizing her own 'dependence' on her 'suitors') but her sense of 'I can do it fine myself' only amped up then. For....obvious reasons.