#my mom saved it but she made a joke about me planting flowers to lure butterflies to a sticky tubed death and i felt bad

[solarpunkani]

oh right one final note of the house pest saga.

I would like to emphasize that my family isn't currently having problems with spiders and roaches invading the house. Genuinely haven't seen a roach in the house in at least two months, and a spider... think last time I saw a spider large enough to be scary was like a year ago, maybe? Though I rarely see tiny ones, even.

My house isn't infested with anything. HOWEVER. The mosquitoes and house flies are getting real goddamn annoying and seem to have a knack of flying into the house whenever we open the door to let my dog out into the backyard. Even then, I'm not living in a mosquitoey haze as I type this out.

"Ani why are you clarifying this" I dunno just felt the need to.

[dibidibifiction]

Criminal In My Mind: Chapter 8

Warning: foul language

Pairings: Choi Minho x Reader; Kim Jonghyun x Kim Kibum (side) Word count: 1.7k

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction made for personal entertainment of readers. The writer does not ever intend to offend her readers nor does she aim to spread false information about anyone as to pay any disrespect to the real-life persons whom the characters are based on. She also does not claim ownership to any of the images that are being used.

masterlist Chapter 7

MINHO

I can’t believe he’s still alive. I thought I saw him die. I was there when the building collapsed.

It was Min Hyunjae. It had to be him. I wasn’t mistaken. I’m not crazy. It was him who I saw on campus wearing a hood over his head. And now he’s here? What is he planning to do?

I was fine telling anyone about my childhood. However, what happened between age fifteen and seventeen is a mystery that everyone who knows me never knew came about.

It was the night of my fifteenth birthday at the orphanage and I had just blown out my candle. Bedtime arrived but I was still hoping for my wish to come true. Before I knew it, there was a knock on the window of my bedroom. Turns out it was my big brother, fulfilling his promise that he’d get me out of there. As history confirms, he was successful in doing so, and my wish came true. 

He was already part of the syndicate when he signed me in. I had no idea what it was for, but, at the time, I’d rather go anywhere but back to the orphanage. 

A few months later, new kids are all gathered up in a room to be taught how exactly to do the job. We were also trained to fight. And there, I met Min Hyunjae.

Hyunjae was my only friend. We were inseparable. Both of us were forced to be there and lure girls our age into that dingy old warehouse, where they would be kept captive in barrels and only the universe knows what was next for them. Hyunjae and I stuck together in doing the job. We would go to high school events and club parties to meet with innocent high school girls. We would be punished together every time we failed.

I still remember the night when Hyung brought a specific girl to the building who was quite younger than the ones we usually take in. It didn’t even look like she was a teenager then. Days had gone by when he decided that he couldn’t take it anymore. He told me his plan to call the authorities and escape together with Hyunjae. I was sure it had something to do with the girl, but he never told me what would happen to her if we didn’t go through with the plan. We just knew it was time. 

The night came when we finally put an end to everything. The building was surrounded by police cars. While Hyung was about to get Hyunjae and I was supposed to run to the exits, I decided on a different plan to save the girl. While I was running towards the exit gate with her hand in mine, I heard Hyunjae call out my name, weeping. 

“Hyung is gone,” he cried. As it seemed, my brother was drilled to death for being caught that he was the one who called the cops. Before we even anticipated it, a man grabbed Hyunjae from behind and took him back inside the warehouse. I had no choice but to run before other guys came for me too, dragging the girl with me. 

I successfully took her away from the building and made sure she got to the police’s hands safely. However, my job wasn’t done yet. When I was about to go back for Hyunjae, an explosion rang my ears deaf. Despite it, I still ran into the burning building. I tried to hold onto hope and look for him when a policeman grabbed me, got me under control, and took me into a police car. In that police car was her. 

I still remember the last words I said to her. I looked into her teary eyes and said, “Be safe, okay?” 

After a minute or two, I found an opportunity to run for it. 

I ran all night. I didn’t stop. I didn’t know how long I was running and how far I had come. Eventually, my legs started to tremble and I began to feel light-headed. While I was already trudging, a car hit me from behind, causing my internal bleeding and first life gone. The lady who was driving is now my mother.

. . .

“Here we are.”

I shake myself calm and collected as Y/n rings the doorbell of her parents’ house. I can already hear people jabbering from inside.

A tiny woman with wrinkled but flawless skin answers the door. I now know where Y/n got her cute height. “Oh, darling, it’s so good to see you!” She reaches out her arms to Y/n and gives her a kiss on the cheek.”

“Happy birthday, Mother,” Y/n smiles widely. “Oh, this is Choi Minho. He kindly drove with me all the way here because I was carrying a bag full of old clothes and a box of your heavy vases,” she laughs sarcastically.

“Oh, right, the box,” I just remember. “I’ll be right-”

“No, no, no,” Y/n’s mom insists. “Come on in. We’ll get that box later. Let me take this.” She takes the cake from my hands. “It’s very nice to meet you, Minho,” she looks up to me and smiles.”

“Pleasure is mine,” I smile back at her.

We’re now walking into the house, making our way across the living room, and stepping out to the garden. I watch the place from side to side, full of decorations. Balloons, banners, and not to mention, flowers in strings hung all over the walls besides already having various kinds planted along the grass. 

I’d say this is probably too much for a fifty-fifth birthday but it’s just light and elegant to look at. 

“Wow, this party is no joke,” I say to Y/n in full amazement. 

“Why, thank you for that wonderful compliment! I worked my ass off for this,” a light brown-haired man in a cerulean blue suit appears in front of us.

“Oppa!” Y/n calls out and throws the guy a huge hug. 

‘Oppa’? Who the fuck is this guy? Why do her friends all have to be guys? And why do they have to be so good-looking? Hmm, well, at least I’m way taller than him.

“I’ll leave you kids alone,” Y/n’s mom turns away from us to entertain her other guests.

Wait. I remember him. He was with Y/n and Kibum at the café the morning after she got drunk. I almost didn’t recognize him up close. Back then he had hair that was black and longer.

“Oppa, this is Minho,” she introduces me after their exchange of sweet laughter. “Minho, this is Kim Jonghyun. He’s one of our best friends from college and now Kibum’s fiancé.”

Oh. I process that for a moment. “Oh, hi!” I now show a genuine smile. “Congratulations.”

“Thanks, man! Come with me, let’s get something to drink.”

I look to Y/n, asking with my eyes if it’s okay to leave her for a bit. 

“Go ahead,” she mouths as Jonghyun is already pulling me with him towards the bar.

As we walk across the garden, here comes Kibum, whose hair is now darker and longer to the top of his ears.

“Look who’s here! If it isn’t Choi Minho,” he sounds like he had a lot to drink already. “Hey, babe,” he kisses Jonghyun on the lips, then turns to me.

“Hey, Kibum! Having fun, huh?”

“You bet. The drinks are amazing!” he shouts despite our close distance. “I’ll catch you guys later.” He waves flirtatiously at Jonghyun and makes his way to Y/n. Before I know it, they disappear into the crowd.

“Great party. It’s sweet of you to do this for Y/n’s mom,” I give Jonghyun my praise.

“Thanks. Professor by day, party planner by night.”

“Nice. What do you teach?”

“I teach Music and Song Writing at the state university,” he informs me. “I hear you’re an artist yourself. What do you study?”

“I major in Photography. I wouldn’t call myself an artist yet. I just started going to school a year ago.”

“That’s great. You should be proud,” he pats me on the shoulder.

I thought I was done being amazed by Y/n, but it’s no wonder why many people love her, who are just as warm as her.

Jonghyun and I continue to exchange topics about arts and music when a tall man, taller than me, with graying hair and a drink in his hand approaches us. 

“I hope I’m not interrupting.”

“Hello,” Jonghyun bows to him, greeting him formally.

“Thanks for the party, Jonghyun. These cocktails are great!”

“Not at all, Dr. L/n,” Jonghyun says. “Let me introduce you to my and Y/n’s friend, Choi Minho.” He then looks at me, “Y/n’s father is a surgeon.”

“A pleasure to meet you, doctor,” I shake the man’s hand, trying to decide whether to be delighted or intimidated.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Minho. Y/n calls us almost everyday and you’re all she talks about.”

I can feel my face flush. 

. . .

Time passes by slowly, only because I haven’t seen Y/n in a minute. I have to say, her parents are not as bad as she told me while we were in the car. Now that I’ve met them, I can’t imagine them as being strict and suffocating as she described. 

Y/n’s father just told me a funny story of how, one night, she came home drunk during her college days, she burst everything out to them. About how unhappy she was that they wouldn’t accept her for who she is. To this day, she doesn’t remember it and they’re trying to keep it that way. 

With a drink in my hand, I’m now just admiring her from afar talking to her parents and other guests. I really did make a good choice of helping her carry that big heavy box. Now, I just think, damn, she’s far more stunning than how I was imagining when I didn’t get to be with her in the last couple of weeks. I thought looking after her through her window is already enough, but now, I can’t help but want more of her. I’m more than happy and esteemed to enter her world and hopefully, eventually, I’ll be a part of it.

Chapter 9