#personal slight / attack on their individual work and person | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tiny-pretty-sana · 8 months

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push and pull | jeongyeon x jihyo

[request 1] [request 2] pairing: jeongyeon x jihyo genre: plot with smut and a bit of angst warnings: nsfw (+18), minors dni, men dni tags: ceo!jeongyeon, ceo!jihyo, service top!jeongyeon, rival relationship, enemies to lovers (kinda?), betrayal, happy ending, other twice members w/c: 18.4 k a/n: first time writing smut, i'm nervous!! i'm also nervous bc i made jeongyeon a woman in stem and i'm not so i just used big words randomly. i tried to turn those requests into this and i hope i made justice to what you had in mind even though it took me longer way than i expected. feel free to leave any comments, feedback or suggestions 🖤

"You could have sent me a message" is the first thing Jeongyeon says to the woman who just entered her office bowing ninety degrees with a serious face. "This better be important, Mina-ssi, no one should see you enter this building" she says, warning the young woman.

She just nods as she looks for the right words thinking about the dialogue she has been practicing in her head since she decided to address this issue face to face without intermediaries. At first she hesitates, but decides to be clear instead of beating around the bush.

"Excuse me Jeongyeon-nim, but I think this will interest you" she finally speaks and the other waves her hand inviting her to sit across the table of her huge office, making her take a seat immediately before continuing. "ZoneTech is starting to work on video games."

As soon as those words leave her mouth, the Signal Systems CEO's face changes and her body takes on a different posture, her jaw tightens and her fists clench tightly. On the other side of the big desk Mina, analyzing her every move, notices her obvious frustration. For a few seconds she remains silent waiting for any question or comment from the other woman, but this one, who is somewhere between surprise and anger, does not utter a single sound beyond a breath that deepens and accelerates as the rage invades her. This is a personal attack. It’s not the first time something like this has happened; after all, this whole war has been going on for more than half a century.

In 1942, friends and partners in business, Yoo Byungho and Park Youngho, opened a home furnishings store. At that time, the country was going through difficult times with the Japanese occupation and the subsequent Korean War that led to so many years of political instability, but thanks to Yoo's creativity and Park's sales skills, the business not only survived but grew from a humble store to a small and promising company. In the early 1960s, a new era of prosperity would come for the country and for these entrepreneurs as well when they expanded the business importing and selling household appliances, founding Zone Systems. Unfortunately, due to constant disagreements between Yoo Byungho and Park Youngho, this pioneering company would not reach its fifth anniversary, as the partners broke their alliance and created Signal Systems and ZoneTech, respectively. Against all odds, taking different paths was the key to success for both.

Today, Signal Systems and ZoneTech have established themselves as the most important companies in the country, having a great influence on economic, political and cultural development. Despite the impressive achievements of each of them individually, it is impossible to talk about one without mentioning the other, the reason for this is not the shared origins but the numbers, data and rankings always place one behind the other with slight difference, if one year the market has been dominated by ZoneTech, it is most likely that the following year those numbers will be surpassed by Signal Systems. If you ask any technology expert, economic expert or ordinary consumer which brand is better, the answer will never be unanimous.

And it is a really complex answer since both cover the same businesses such as consumer electronics, technology, finance and, in recent years, have incorporated entertainment. The only thing that makes them different is that SignalSystems is known for creating and using the most advanced technology always wrapped in the most sophisticated designs, while ZoneTech stands out for making that technology accessible to the general public with more affordable prices and more practical designs.

This is how a disagreement between partners has now become a war between the largest South Korean business groups, a battle that has been going on for six decades and in which four generations of the Yoo and Park families have already participated. A dispute that is now at its peak since the great-granddaughters of the two businessmen, Yoo Jeongyeon and Park Jihyo, took over as CEO, and, like their ancestors, they were friends before they were rivals.

"How do you know?" is the first thing she asks.

"Well, as you know I am a programmer. This last month they have been doing individual interviews to workers from each of the departments telling us that they are looking for new ways to organize the work teams according to our interests, aptitudes and skills, since they want to release different products next year and they need the highest efficiency" she begins to explain confusing Jeongyeon, who doesn't quite understand what Mina is trying to say with all of this. Still she listens to her carefully trying to get answers.

"At first they were normal questions about our work interests and whether we had hobbies related to our work, but when I mentioned my liking for video games they seemed interested. The questions started out generic... what kind of video games I play and so on, but then they asked me if I think the company would have the capacity to create their own games and if I would be interested in working on that hypothetical project" she seems to conclude.

The CEO, with an increasing anger, gets up from the desk without knowing what to do with her hands and tries to calm down her nerves before speaking "I want information, I want data and I want documents that prove what you tell me, that's what I pay you for, not for you to come to me with assumptions''. At no time she raises her voice, but her tone is stern and threatening, although not enough for the programmer to lose her signature serene demeanor.

"I know, that's why I didn’t come until now" she replies "I was handed this morning" she says as she takes a folder out of her briefcase and puts it on the table.

Seeing that it is a folder with the orange logo of the rival company neatly printed and partially covered by a red and black stamp warning that it is confidential information, she returns to her chair and takes the papers in her hands. A quick read is all it takes for Jeongyeon to come to the same conclusion as her informant "ZoneTech is going to create a video game" she mutters to herself. As she reads her jaw tightens again and her fists clench the pages until she stands up and begins to scan each page. When she has a copy of the thirty pages that make up the document, she places them back in the folder and returns it to its owner.

"You may leave, Mina-ssi" is the last thing her boss says and she does what she is told, taking the folder and her briefcase, not without bowing before walking through the door.

Once she is alone in her office, she goes through the papers again, this time more carefully and without losing detail. Unlike Park Jihyo, she does get involved in the development process of many products, as both her hobbies and her studies have always leaned towards engineering and programming and not on business and economics like her rival. In fact, the ten video games that have been released in the last three years under the Signal Games brand were Yoo Jeongyeon's own idea and creation, who saw an opportunity in this market in which the company never dared to venture before. Perhaps this is why she gets the best of her for the first time and grabs the phone.

"Dahyun-ssi, I need the usual apology basket for Miss Im, but this time write ‘thank you’ on the card" she asks her secretary.

Just a few meters away from the door of her office, Kim Dahyun tries to hide her surprise and takes note of the instructions given by her boss "Okay, you will have the basket ready in an hour. Should I also add the usual bouquet with flowers that mean friendship, or would you rather I also exchange them for thank yous?"?"

"Mhm… good point, Dahyun-ssi, I hadn't thought of that. Use both of them and add some blue if possible, I trust you. When it's ready, send everything to her home and also free up my schedule for the rest of the day. Thank you very much."

Of course, the favor she asks to her longtime best friend, Nayeon, costs her more than a basket of her favorite foreign snacks, three packages of the best meat on the continent and of course the latest model of the Signal System cell phone. ₩ 10 billion for his next movie is exactly what it costs her. That is the price of Jihyo's personal phone number. For anyone else it would be crazy, but for the CEO, who was putting her friend in such a compromising situation after the latter had for years stayed out of the fights between them, the price seems more than reasonable.

The negotiation was not easy, but as soon as Nayeon had the basket on her doors and the first payment for the financing for her next film project, Jeongyeon received a message with the phone number. Minutes later, at the other end of the Central Business District, Park Jihyo smiles with satisfaction when her phone lights up with the name: Yoo Jeongyeon.

"I was waiting for your call, Jeongyeon-ssi" is what Jeongyeon hears after a single tone.

"Then I'll save the explanations, I have an offer. It will have to be face to face and just the two of us. As soon as possible. I want neither intermediaries nor interveners."

"Where will we meet? You know perfectly well that if we are seen in the same building the effect on the stock market would be immediate, but if we do it in secret and the press catches us it will be all over the news making all kinds of assumptions and spreading all kinds of rumors. And I don't think your father would like that, would he?" she says with a sarcastic and mocking tone.

"Jihyo-sunbaenim, I'm not for your stupid games right now" she says with a tone that denotes that her patience at the moment is at its limit. "I'll take care of the place, it will be neutral, casual and public enough so as not to raise more suspicion than is necessary. Try to keep it discreet and of course don't wear or bring anything that would imply that this is a business related meeting" she makes clear with a serious tone that only provokes Jihyo more to keep pushing Jeongyeon's buttons.

"And why would you and I be in one place if not for work?" she says with obvious sarcasm in her tone that doesn't go unnoticed by the other one.

"We can just be some old friends getting together to catch up" as soon as she says that a loud and snarky laugh is heard but no words precede it, so she keeps talking. "I'll send you the address, see you there" she declares.

"Wait!" she says before she can cut the call "Did you have my contact saved or did your spy give it to you?" she adds but before she gets an answer she hears a few beeps indicating that the call has ended.

That’s how the first private conversation the two have had in four years ends, a conversation that leaves both of them with such a strange feeling. It's not as if they haven't spoken during all this time, they have actually crossed some words on more than one occasion during all kinds of events acting as complete strangers with empty words without any purpose beyond showing a cordial and polite relationship in front of colleagues, business partners, politicians and the press. Now, although the conversation was brief and straight to the point it felt personal somehow with the warnings, the sarcasm and the challenging undertones of the conversation that is never present or at least not so obvious in the formal and aseptic talks they usually have in front of others.

It was almost like going back to that usual bickering between the two that used to annoy Nayeon during their high school years when the three of them were inseparable friends. However, the difference was that this time it did not come from playfulness but from the current hostility that exists between the two businesswomen.

There was a time when things were different. It had always been Jeongyeon and Nayeon until the first week of their senior year when they were approached by a short girl with big bright eyes that introduced herself to Jeongyeon even though they both perfectly knew well who the other was and with determination told her that she would be as good or better then her. From that day their friendship but also a friendly competition between the three of them began. By the middle of the school year, Jihyo had already surpassed the highest grades and top scores in all the clubs and sports that up to then belonged to his unnies Nayeon and Jeongyeon.

This situation, far from distancing or confronting them, made them get closer and become great friends. Despite the rivalry that had marked the relationship between their families, Jeongyeon did not mind because she expected the new students to beat records and records just as she had done since she arrived. On the other hand, Nayeon enjoyed having someone as competitive as her while Jihyo did not really care as she considered Jeongyeon her greatest competition and example to follow because, like her, she would inherit a big company and had to be as good as her. This was not the case with Nayeon, who, although she had an impressive academic record like the other two, she was the daughter of an actor and a writer, so outside of school their competition was a simple game with no major meaning for both of them.

Needless to say, many things have changed over the years and nothing is the same now. Nayeon has been there for both of them as a friend, confidant partner in crime and sometimes even as a wingwoman, but they are no longer '3mix' as they used to call their small squad. Now they are just Nayeon and Jeongyeon on one side and Nayeon and Jihyo on the other.

Two days after the call, the two find themselves staring defiantly at each other in one of the best restaurants in the city. The older one arrived early and was already seated in a more distant and private corner of the establishment when Jihyo arrived led by some waiter. As soon as he left, they exchanged a cordial greeting and the first words.

"So a restaurant," is the first thing Jihyo says with a provocative smile as she takes a seat.

"Can you think of anything better? I thought you usually like my ideas quite a bit" she replies immediately without thinking much and as soon as those words leave her mouth she regrets it, she has come here to look for solutions not to make the whole situation worse.

"It's not a complaint, but don't think that by inviting me to dinner I'll take you up on your offer" she replies in the same defensive tone.

Jeongyeon rolls her eyes at Jihyo's unassertive attitude, although she understands that she herself has not been very welcoming so far. They haven't even ordered yet, so there's still time to change the course of the conversation and the dinner, so she intends to do her best to leave this restaurant with a closed deal and not a fight that will make the problem grow even bigger. And she knows for a fact that falling for Jihyo's games will only make things worse.

As if the waiter had heard her thoughts, he appears with the menu giving them a chance to make a fresh start and forget the little run-in they had just a few seconds ago. They both take it, thanking the waiter and strat going through the expensive and exclusive dishes, looking up from time to time to stare at each other, as if making sure that they are really at the same table about to share a dinner, just the two of them with no one else around. The last time they did something like this was so long ago that it seems like a dream, as if those memories are not theirs. Jeongyeon looks at her trying to read her, long ago a single grin, frown or sneer was enough to guess her mood or if something was on her mind, but now it almost feels like the person in front of her is a complete stranger.

Jihyo is no longer the enthusiastic, competitive, playful but insecure and innocent teenager who used to call her unnie with those big bright eyes, those cheeks that made you want to pinch them and her characteristic long brown hair. Now she has an ambitious and confident woman in front of her, still with reminiscences of her playful personality, it is obvious that she still likes to play games, but they are not innocent anymore.

She knows what she wants and does whatever it takes to get it, that is something she has made that clear to Jeongyeon these past years with her mind games, strategies and foul play. The sparkle in her eyes has disappeared and they are no longer so expressive, the gaze is cold and she feels like she is analyzing each and every one of her moves. Her appearance seems to have changed according to her personality, it is obvious that she looks much more mature, she is now a 26 year old woman, but it is not only the passing of time, her look is also a statement.

Her hair is shoulder-length, a little longer than hers, and dyed black. Her features are more defined and her jaw is sharp, her characteristic cheeks have disappeared with age, but her mole is still on the tip of her nose. Actually, her whole body is much more defined even though the black blazer style dress she wears covers her arms, Jeongyeon got a glimpse of her toned and tanned legs before she sat down.

"You look great, Jihyo-sunbaenim" she compliments her to break the ice and tries to show that she didn’t come here looking for a challenge or a fight.

This catches the younger one off guard, surprising her, none of the thousand scenarios of the encounter she has been creating in her head these days had prepared her to receive a kind comment from Jeongyeon that seemed sincere. She has always been a person with a cold and distant attitude, saying nice words, giving or receiving displays of affection is not her thing, or at least it wasn't. Maybe she has changed too, Jihyo thinks to herself.

"You too, you look good, Jeongyeon-ssi" she replies with a small smile without showing her teeth and takes the liberty to tease. "I see your style has been refined, I hope your dad didn't have to burn your sweatshirts like she used to promise."

The comment makes them both relax and the tension dissipates slightly with their soft laughter, for a moment they seem to know each other and it’s like nothing has happened between them just for a few seconds.

When they were teenagers and were forced to attend all types of social and business related events, it was common to see Jeongyeon wearing a sweatshirt among the elegant women's dresses and the boring men's suits. That always annoyed her father, but also the young Jihyo who would always lectured her about the importance of etiquette and reminded her that in the future she would be the heiress of an important company, so she should dress like one.

Now Jeongyeon is in front of her and still keeps a somewhat more casual style than expected from the CEO of one of the biggest South Korean companies with her blonde highlights in some parts of her hair and her characteristic tomboy style, now much more sophisticated. Black pants, a beige shirt with a brown turtleneck sweater underneath. Comfortable and discreet, but it really suits her.

Jihyo shakes those thoughts out of her head when the taller one asks if she would like to have the same wine as her. Usually, Jihyo would order a beer, but in a restaurant like this it's more suitable if she orders wine, especially when Jeongyeon points out the wine she chose would go very well with her meat. It kind of hurts her pride but she knows she is right.

After the waiter takes their order they continue a conversation so superficial that they will surely forget it before dessert, however they do not take their eyes off each other analyzing and memorizing every movement, no matter how subtle it may be. It is not until they drink their second glass of wine that Jihyo dares to talk about the reason that has brought them here, or rather to ask what it is.

"I’m guessing you didn't invite me to dinner to talk about wine," Jihyo says with a slightly sarcastic tone. "What's that offer you mentioned? It must be very interesting for you to have dared to call me and even put Nayeon-unnie in the middle of it."

At this Jeongyeon nods "Always straight to the point, some things never change" she says receiving a shrug in response. "Well let's get down to business then...". She takes a a long sip and says "Forget about video games and in return Signal Entertainment will disappear from the industry with the only condition that the group becomes part of your company, with no cost, those girls have worked hard and are succeeding, it wouldn't be fair to them" she states in the shortest and most concise way possible.

For the first time since they sat down, Jeongyeon can read Jihyo's expression, the surprise on her face is more than obvious, but it soon changes to one of satisfaction. Her strategy was working like a charm, even much better than she expected.

"I knew the video game thing would get you to react right away, but I have to admit I'm getting more than I intended" she says amused "Actually some things never change, you're still the same nerd you were in high school" she laughs.

"Do we have a deal then?" she asks, ignoring her remark.

"Not so fast. If I remember correctly your Itzy girls debuted a year after ZoneMusic debuted StrayKids...if we brought our own video games to market we'd be balancing the scales don't you think?" she says, unable to help grinning. "Why would I turn down the chance to beat you on your own ground?" she adds defiantly.

"I didn't want to get to this part of the deal, but if you don't accept it I will file a lawsuit against ZoneTech for plagiarizing our technology and using it in your products on more than one occasion."

"I didn't know you were capable of taking risks, it seems that there are also things that change" she says completely carefree and even amused, for her this is a game, but for Jeongyeon it is not.

"I promise you I don't want to do it, but if necessary I will go all the way because it's a won case."

"You seem very confident, you know the best law firms would fight over the case and it wouldn't stay in court. It would be all over the media and it would end up becoming a public trial."

"I know, and that's why I want to avoid it. The evidence is more than obvious, without getting too technical, your products have always come out later and I have proof that you have spies in my company."

At this last statement, Jihyo lets out a wry laugh "You say that as if you don't have your own spies lurking around my company, in fact we are here because of one of them, aren't we?"

"I don't know, can you prove it?" challenges Jeongyeon. "Because I have recordings and audios that prove that discarded programs, software and designs have been stolen from me and then used by your company" as she says this, thebCEO can see her rival's face change even though she tries to hide it as best she can. "I have more than enough with the information, I don't need my... informants to steal and if they did I would like to think they would do it better than this girl, I don't know if you are familiar with the name Son Chaeyoung, short, dyed black her and plenty of tattoos."

Of course she knows who the girl she is talking about is, the same way she knows that Myoui Mina is the one who gave her the video game information, but there is no way to prove it since that information was shared with fifty other workers. Fortunately for Chaeyoung, Jeongyeon has better plans for her if Jihyo accepts her offer, her work as a designer is so good that she intends to come to an agreement with her before she ends up working for ZoneTech, but unfortunately for Park Jihyo, the tattooed girl is not so good when it comes to computer science, espionage and keeping secrets. Chaeyoung was recently caught on the servers floor trying – unsuccessfully – to steal a software program, and who caught her was none other than Minatozaki Sana, ZoneTech's receptionist, but a computer scientist and shadow informant for Signal Systems.

According to the Japanese woman, despite her boss Yoo's request not to go into details, she only needed to unbutton a couple of buttons on her shirt and a couple of innuendos for the short girl to end up on her bed showing her all her tattoos and confessing to her what a designer was doing with a laptop and a bunch of cables on the server floor in an attempt to impress her.

This same story, although omitting quite a few details, is what Jeongyeon tells Jihyo to show her that she is not playing a game and that she is totally being serious, but Park is stubborn and the conversation continues until dessert arrives. The older one assures her that any judge would eventually be on her side, she even invites her to check with her own lawyers before giving her an answer. She also assures her that she would not like to have to solve it in court because it would be a long and tedious process for both of them regardless of who wins. She reminds her of the fuss that would be caused and that the legal process itself would be nothing compared to having the media on their backs for months digging up dirt of the company, their family and even personal issues that may or may not be a lie would come into play. And in this sense, they both know that it would only be enough for their personal interests to be exposed for their public image and status to be seriously damaged.

Jihyo is confident that she could get some good lawyers and the possibility of a billion won lawsuit does not worry her; however, the damage it could cause to the company's image and her family's legacy and especially the work her father did, worries her and is what makes her consider Jeongyeon's words. If the theft of information and espionage were to come to public knowledge, she should prepare herself for the worst.

"Think about it, Jihyo-ah," Jeongyeon says, dropping the formalities, once again rendering the other speechless, she just takes a sip of her wine instead. "I know I have no right to ask you to trust me, but we were once friends and I wouldn't want this senseless family war to continue for another sixty years."

"And your way of ending it is to sue me?" she says in disbelief.

"It's not like that, I've offered you a deal that you know would benefit both of us. You've always loved music as much as I love video games, we both win".

All of this is not enough to convince her when she does not trust the person in front of her, there is something that makes her distrustful, it seems all too simple to end four years of hatred between them. Why now? Why all of a sudden? Is this all about stupid video games or are they just a way to build bridges between companies? Is this all a strategy? Is this all a strategy? are some of the questions that go through her mind.

"How do I know I can trust you?".

"First of all, Nayeon-unnie would finish me off if I tried to hurt you, carrying out the lawsuit would mean ending a friendship of over 20 years. But if that's not enough to convince you, I can show you all the evidence I could present against you, so you can see that I'm serious about this. Obviously it would be stupid to give them to you since I would be helping you prepare a good defense, but if you come to my place I will show everything to you. Even the security videos and recordings of Son Chaeyoung. You just have to set a day for me."

"I want to see them now," she replies resolutely.

This time it is Jeongyeon who is caught by surprise, she did not expect to receive such an immediate response. It is rushed but true to her word, Jeongyeon pays for the luxurious dinner and they both leave the restaurant catching some curious glances and hearing some murmurs in the background.

"I guess you didn't come driving in those heels" says Jeongyeon as she looks up and down her perfectly sculpted legs "I can give you a ride and then I'll have someone drive you back to your house".

She takes some time to actually give her an answer. Under normal circumstances, Jihyo wouldn't accept the favor as she prefers to do things her own way, but under normal circumstances she wouldn't be going to her former friend's house on a Friday night either, so she agrees and they both leave in the same car after Jihyo gives her driver and bodyguard the night off.

The drive to Jeongyeon's house is longer than expected but they barely exchange a few words and just stare at the road while listening to music. The music is soft, perfect for driving at night. The volume is loud enough so that they don't have to engage in conversation, but none of them are able to pay attention to it when all they are able to hear are their own thoughts. They have met again, they have talked after a long time, the deal, the lawsuit… but also the compliments, the teasing and the bickering. There are so many things to think about and so many feelings to process, they don't even know how they feel about what's going on.

At last they arrive, Jeongyeon's house, unlike hers, is on the outskirts of the city, in one of the most expensive districts of the capital, although her own luxurious duplex apartment in the city center probably cost the same as this huge, modern house. It really suits her, Jihyo thinks as she gets inside, led by the taller one. She's never been much of a sociable person, but she doesn't like to be isolated either, and though she may boast a simple lifestyle, she wouldn’t give up the comforts that her family's money and status have brought her. After all, that is how they both grew up and it is all they know. It is in an area away from the hustle and bustle of the city but not far away you can see luxurious homes and the occasional mansion. The interior as well as the exterior has a modern and contemporary design with the newest and most advanced technology in every corner from the living room to the kitchen where they are now.

"Beer right?" she asks, earning a confused look from Jihyo, when they were friends she wasn't old enough to drink and lately they hadn't shared any context casual enough for her to know about her fondness for beer. Jeongyeon seems to read her mind and while opening the fridge she simply says "The cans that Nayeon-unnie keeps in her fridge" she clarifies, of course that was it, although the two pretend the other doesn't exist on a daily basis, when they are spending time with their friend sometimes it is inevitable that she briefly mentions the other or or remember her existence, especially when there is a space in Nayeon's fridge reserved exclusively for the beers and soju she usually drinks with Jihyo.

Despite cutting off any personal relationship between them, they have never stopped being present in each other's lives either for work or for their best friend. A fact that makes Jeongyeon's decision decisive, this situation must end no matter what, we can't go on fighting all our lives.

She offers her the beer and instructs her to follow her to her office, once there she asks her to turn around to open the strongbox where she has all the evidence she would use in case the lawsuit goes through. When she is able to look again she finds before her a series of folders stacked one on top of the other rising about 20 centimeters above the table, several hard drives and also CDs. Jihyo assumes that they are actually the same contents in different formats, knowing the cautious nature of the woman next to her, it is an assumption but also a wish. In front of her is what could bring her career, her company, her family and her legacy to an end. It is at this exact moment and without yet diving into the documents that she becomes fully aware of the gravity of the situation.

She could try to defend herself against every attack and will do so if necessary, but she is not so arrogant as to think she would come out unscathed. She knows full well that the damage it would cause would be fatal even if she could strike back with every blow, and that would mean the end for ZoneTech and for Signal Systems as well.

"Go ahead, take a seat" Jeongyeon invites her knowing that she is in full control of the situation right now.

"Can I see everything?" she says looking directly at Jeongyeon and from the expression on her face, Jeongyeon doesn't know if she is genuinely asking her permission or if she is testing her to see if this is not some trick.

"If you're going to go through all the documents, I guess we'd better get comfortable. Let's go to the living room."

So that is what they do. After reaching an agreement for Jihyo to leave their cell phones away from her, they both get comfortable in the living room, each one with a beer in one hand and several folders in the other. Although the tension is not the same as it was at the beginning of the evening, neither one of them trusts the other, the tension is in the air. Jeongyeon, in addition to making Jihyo leave her cell phones in another room, doesn't take her eyes off her and the latter can't help but look over the documents to see what the other is doing.

From time to time Jihyo, not being well versed in the subject, asks Jeongyeon some questions and she has no problem in resolving her doubts. Soon they open the second beer and between the questions and the occasional accusation of plagiarizing each other's products and marketing strategies on both sides, they also start to mention some anecdotes from the past and on occasion they share things about their current life without going into details.

It's getting later and later, but the activity, conversation and beers keep them going for the time being. Jeongyeon is actually taken by surprise by Jihyo's determination, she is really willing to read every single document, she is already on the fourth folder and still has three more to go plus videos, recordings and images. The older one could leave the other one going through everything alone while she does something other than look at her while attentively reading documents with a frown on her face, making the same expression that appears on her face when she tastes food she likes, just like she did sometime during dinner and a few hours ago with the first sip of beer.

She could give her space, but at the end of the day, it's not as awkward as she'd hoped but she also knows she has to be cautious because any misstep could ruin everything. And, although she'd never admit it, she'd rather be talking and catching up by pretending for a moment that their friendship never broke up, rather than explaining stuff about technology on a Friday night after two glasses of wine and a few cans of beer.

"Are you really planning to read the whole thing? Aren't you tired?" she asks with honest concern.

"If you want me to leave, just say so," she says, finishing the can of beer in one gulp. "But I need to know what I'd have to deal with. I don't think you'd be thinking about sleeping either if you were in my situation."

"That's not what I mean, I mean if you're not tired of all this – aren't you tired of trying to outdo me at everything?"

At this unexpected question Jihyo just bursts out laughing "Oh my god, I didn't have you down as someone this self-centered. Do you really think this whole situation is about me trying to prove I'm better than you?"

"Well I think it's pretty obvious, in fact, if memory serves me correctly, the first thing you told us after saying your name to us is that you would be as good as us in everything. Soon after that I remember you had the highest grades in high school and beat our records in soccer, archery and athletics" as Jeongyeon recalls, on the other side of the couch, Jihyo looks at her in disbelief frowning and holding the bridge of her nose while listening to her. "I know that was like a game, it was our thing and you outdid me in everything, but we are adults now, we can't be playing games or fooling around. I think it's time to accept that this isn't getting anywhere, no one is winning here."

"Are you drunk already or are you still just as dense?" is what comes out of Jihyo's mouth almost unconsciously and she instantly regrets it and takes a breath before starting over. "Sorry that came out harsher than I intended. What I mean is that you haven't really changed, have you? You've always understood numbers, computers, video games and all that like no one else, but when it comes to people..."

"What do you mean?"

"This has never been about me trying to be better than you or beating you, well now it is but it's not about you, it's about doing my job and keeping my company at the top" she states and adds “and certainly the fact that it's you makes it all the more entertaining”.

Jeongyeon ust rolls her eyes at that last remark.

"You should know better after what happened" she says without going any deeper into the subject because it's not necessary for the other to understand what she's referring to. "It's really frustrating that you don't realize the things you have right in front of your eyes, I've never known if you're really unaware or if you're faking it" she sighs. "Knowing that I would be in the same high school as the heiress of the rival company and my family's enemies, needless to say I wanted to be better than you, but you didn't treat me as such so before I knew it we became friends and we were getting closer each day. I only saw you as my rival the first week, it didn't take you long to become my role model".

"Role model?" is surprised Jeongyeon as she approaches Jihyo, feeling curious to know the younger girl's side of the story and to know what she means when she says she doesn't realize things.

"Think about it, your future and mine were going to be quite similar. Heiress to one of the biggest companies in the country, the first woman to be in charge and you were older than me. You had the best grades, records in most sports, captain of the soccer team and participated in dozens of clubs. I looked up to you and wanted to follow in your footsteps because I knew they were the right ones, I didn't want to beat you, I aspired to be as good as you".

Jihyo's heart is racing as her story progresses because even though nothing new is going to come to light. There are things that are still unresolved, conversations that were never had and wounds that remain unhealed that she doesn't want to think about. Her heart doesn't race much faster than Jeongyeon who knows as much as she does what she's about to hear.

"But we both know it was more than just admiration, I loved you and just wanted to be good enough for you. I-"

Right when Jihyo is in the middle of her confession, a wave of feelings hits Jeongyeon throwing her to the lips of the woman in front of her looking at her with those big and expressive brown eyes. It takes a few seconds for Jihyo to realize what is happening but when she does she doesn't move away, instead she lets herself go and closes her eyes ignoring all the alarms going off in her mind. It's a timid kiss, their lips don't even move until Jeongyeon takes the lead. At first her kisses, like her movements, are delicate and tentative giving Jihyo room to stop her at any moment, but this doesn't happen. They both know that the sensible thing to do would be to stop, but they don't know how to do it, they can't do it. It seems that tonight the two of them are letting each other break through all the walls and for a moment they forget about the world and their problems. It feels too right to be a mistake.

Their lips feel so familiar it makes their hearts ache. Their mouths taste like beer, memories and regrets. The taste of the past on their lips is so strong that it makes them pause. For a few seconds they exchange glances, catch their breaths and look for any sign that makes them stop or a gesture that invites them to continue. Jihyo is the first to speak after coming to her senses.

"What the fuck Jeongyeon?" she wonders out loud.

All that confidence she had when she threw herself at the younger one's lips vanishes right after hearing her words.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaims with hesitant and nervous gestures. "I thought... I shouldn't have-"

This time it is Jihyo who interrupts her, but not with a kiss but with a statement that surprises her even more.

"I thought you hated me," she admits.

"What? I have never hated you, Jihyo" she replies somewhat more relaxed and looking into her eyes with honesty.

"I have...sometimes I still do" she confesses leaving Jeongyeon stunned.

"In that case it's better to stop here and forget about what happened. I'll take you home" she says, trying to brush it off and getting up from the couch, obviously trying to show indifference to Jihyo's words but she can see a slight pain in her eyes.

When she is about to get her car keys she feels a hand around her wrist and then turns around and sees Jihyo looking up at her with an amused smile "You didn't let me finish, I know we shouldn't do this, the last time we kissed things didn't end well" she says more as a reminder to herself than to Jeongyeon "that's what makes me want to hate you, no matter what you do you're always going to drive me crazy. I hate that you still have this effect on me."

Hearing her words Jeongyeon's whole body heats up and she can feel her cheeks burning as she hears the low tone of Jihyo's voice, she doesn't know what to reply and the other one isn't sure if she wants to hear what she has to say. Before she can give her an answer she pulls her arm pushing her towards the couch right next to her.

Are you sure?" asks Jeonyeon "We can stop if you want, at any time and we can forget about everything that has happened since you walked in the door."

"Unnie..." she replies lowering her tone and leaving Jeongyeon speechless, she no longer remembered how the word sounded coming from Jihyo's mouth. "Let's forget everything that happened before we walked through that door, just don't hurt me this time" she pleads with a sigh, letting herself look vulnerable like she never did before.

In front of her is no longer the successful and intimidating CEO who occasionally makes her job impossible. Gone is his cold, distant and inaccessible image. It is simply Jihyo, who asks her to guard her heart, to tear down her walls to let her pass and remind her that she is the woman who never fails to make her heart race, who takes her breath away, who makes her head spin and gives her butterflies in her stomach.

She knows perfectly well why all she is asking her not to hurt her, she doesn't need to explain it to Jeongyeon to understand what she means. But before she can give her an answer as reassurance, other than nodding her head, it is Jihyo who makes the first move.

This time it is not so sudden, the movements are smoother, they take their time to place themselves in a more comfortable position, still keeping a safe distance between them. She doesn't know what time it is or how far she is willing to go, but she doesn't want this to come to an end, she wants to savor every moment without rushing. She touches Jeongyeon as if she wants to check that she is really there, that she is not a memory and that she is not going to vanish from one moment to the next as she has done so many times before. She doesn't know what time it is or how far she is willing to go, but she doesn't want it to end. She touches Jeongyeon slowly as if she is memorizing every fold of her clothes with her hands, as if she is afraid that it is really a dream that could vanish at any moment. The taller one lets herself be touched without putting up any resistance, she lets Jihyo take the lead, she knows she needs control right now and is willing to give it to her – for now – .

The younger one gently caresses her cheek, tucks a lock of hair behind her ear and moves her hand down to her collarbones. Her fingers slowly snake around his neck and when she squeezes lightly at last Jeongyeon reacts by letting out a soft whimper. As she maintains her grip, his eyes travel from his own hand to the lips of the woman whose neck she grips as delicately as she does precisely and then to her eyes, where he sees something she hadn't seen before. Immediately the grip on her neck tightens a little more and Jihyo moves until she ends up on her thighs, straddling her.

"If you hurt me it's over" this time it doesn't sound like a plea at all but more like a threat and Jeongyeon has a feeling it won't be the first one she'll hear tonight.

"Yes ma'am" Jeongyeon whispers, unable to help but smile, far from being uncomfortable in the position she is in.

As soon as these words leave her mouth, Jihyo releases her neck to grab her shirt and crush their lips together in a hungry kiss. This time it's deeper and more passionate, but full of emotions like the first one of the night. Their lips explore each other again with kisses that are increasingly impatient, heated and wet creating sounds that fill the silent room.

Shortly their tongues start to get involved exploring every inch of their mouths moving in perfect synchrony. As they devour each other it is not their tongues fighting for dominance, but them fighting for control until Jihyo caresses the roof of her mouth with the tip of tongue leaving Jeongyeon at her mercy making her forget all about her little power game as the first moan escapes from her lips. Hearing the sound echoing against her mouth, Jihyo's hands clinging to his shirt pulling her closer and feels the heat coming off her skin as she wraps her arms around her neck.

They kiss for what feels like hours pausing only to catch their breath or let out soft moans against each other's mouths. But their hands have barely explored each other's skin and not a single button or zipper has been undone yet. When eager kisses are not enough Jeongyeon's lips move from her mouth to her jaw and down to Jihyo's neck as she caresses the naked caramel skin of her exposed thighs.

When Jeongyeon starts tracing kisses all over her neck, Jihyo can no longer ignore the growing wetness between her legs especially when the kisses are accompanied by soft bites and licks that go all the way down to her chest, driving her crazy.

"Take off my dress" she commands with a whisper against her ear before nibbling it, sending a shiver down Jeongyeon's spine.

Then Jeongyeon without taking her mouth off her neck undoes the buttons of her black blazer style dress which fortunately stays closed with only two of them. This is the only moment when they stop kissing to help Jihyo undo her dress and throw it on the other side of the couch. This time they lock their eyes instead of their mouths, as they do so, they can't help but smile seeing each other's red and swollen lips. In Jeongyeon's case the image of Jihyo on top of her makes her mouth dry. The path her gaze follows begins at the hungry eyes and is followed by her glossy, wet lips, her neck painted with red marks that will soon begin to darken to purple and her body solely covered by a set of lacy black that leaves her breathless. It is the first time they have seen each other like this and Jeongyeon needs a few seconds to process this view.

She has Jihyo sitting on her thighs dressed only in her underwear which, despite being black, doesn't quite hide the wet spot between Jihyo's legs. Knowing that she is the reason for that wet spot makes Jeongyeon feel her own and squeeze her thighs in seeking some relief, this action doesn't go unnoticed by the woman on top of her who doesn't take long to tease her about it.

"Do you like what you see? Tell me what you want" .

Jeongyeon just nods and stares without missing a single detail of her defined muscles, of how her chest rises in sync with her breathing and how her abs tighten as she continues stroking her thighs. It's impossible to have Jihyo in front of you like this and not want everything with her.

"I-I want you" she stutters against his mouth.

It's not the response Jihyo expected to receive, but it satisfies her enough to return to kissing Jeongyeon impatiently, her kisses are accompanied by the subtle grind of her hips against her thighs. His hands run through her hair and grab it to guide his mouth to her chest but before working on her chest Jeongyeon is quick to unclasp her bra finally releasing her mouth-watering breasts to capture them with her mouth eagerly. The moan that escapes her as she feels the warmth of his tongue brushing against her nipple hardened by both the cold and the growing pleasure invites Jeongyeon to continue her ministrations and give attention to the other breast with one of her hands brushing her finger softly over the nub just to end up trapping it between two fingers, pinching it with a little pressure.

Her other hand, which just seconds ago was caressing her thighs, moves to her lower back keeping Jihyo in place but also testing new limits by sliding her hand inside her underwear. A touch that gives Jihyo goosebumps in anticipation for what is to come.

Bodies exploring each other, blood rushing through their veins and breaths racing. The sound of wet kisses, labored breaths and muffled moans from each other's mouths is all they hear, but all their senses are getting the attention they need to push them further into each other.

Jeongyeon has her mouth busy playing, teasing, licking, sucking and nibbling on Jihyo's breasts as her hands grab and caress her by sinking their fingers into each other's bare skin. Most of the time her eyes are closed, unable to keep them open as the sounds coming from her mouth cause her mind to cloud and her core to throb. It's an overwhelming sensation, just like the desire that drives Jihyo to move her hips seeking more pleasure as she rubs her center against Jeongyeon's body, bringing herself to the brink. She notices the beads of sweat running down her chest and being caught by Jeongyeon's tongue, taking her to new places making her feel things she's never felt before, she's doing wonders with her mouth but right now she needs her somewhere else as she notices the building sensation in her stomach. She doesn't want it to end yet and like this, she needs more, she needs her.

Using the grip she has on the older girl's hair she pulls her away delighted by the image of Jeongyeon's wet mouth attached by a string of saliva to her nipple "Fuck..." she murmurs as she shifts her posture getting off her lap. At the loss of contact Jeongyeon whines and looks at her with pleading eyes making Jihyo grin "I would never have guessed you were this needy" she says as she moves her hand to Jeongyeon's face and grabs her by the jaw to devour her mouth before whispering "Get on your knees''. The words that come out of her mouth are halfway between command and plea as she sits back down on the couch, leaving a space between her slightly spread legs for Jeongyeon to position herself.

She doesn't need to repeat it a second time as it barely takes her time to position herself on the floor on her knees and between his legs. Due to the difference in height between them their faces are almost at the same height, but that doesn't matter when it is more than evident that Jihyo is in charge, even though she is the one in a more vulnerable position as she is the one who is almost naked and with her legs spread wide open exposing herself completely. Jeongyeon looks at her wanting to learn by heart every detail of her body, but behind her gaze there is more than just lust, there is admiration and adoration. She just watches without saying or doing anything, waiting for Jihyo's next command as she feels her whole body burning and a tingling sensation in her stomach as a result of the urge to please Jihyo in this way.

Not once does her hand loosen its hold on his jaw, only loosening it as Jeongyeon positions herself and once she is on her knees under her attentive and hungry gaze she uses her thumb to ghost over her lips, a motion that Jeongyeon immediately responds to by trapping the finger between her lips sucking it and stroking it with her tongue giving her a taste of what is to come. The warm, wet sensation of her mouth trapping his finger catches her breath and the ache between her thighs grows at the image and the contact of his fingers with the walls of her mouth.

"I need you" she breathes as she slides her finger out of her mouth to take them into her own tasting Jeongyeon's mouth.

In her eyes, as in her words, what she senses is desire, hunger and lust. She wants this as much as she does and is willing to give it to her. Without looking away she caresses her legs from her ankles to the edge of her lacy panties, taking her time and switching between soft kisses and the occasional playful nibble. When he brings his mouth to her inner thigh to deposit a kiss he inhales Jihyo's scent, makes her light-headed and sends a shiver down to her own throbbing center.

She's dying to taste it, but she is not done with the teasing until she slides a finger along her clothed core, drawing a louder moan from her throat than before. It's embarrassing how sensitive and pent up she is to make sounds like that with a single touch. From that moment on she knows it won't last long as her whole body jerks from the light touch that has allowed her to feel her wetness despite the piece of cloth that still separates her from her target.

That's when she finally decides to completely undress Jihyo and she, feeling the cold air against her uncomfortable and growing dampness, lets out a breathy whimper. Jeongyeon shoves a hand between her legs to spread them more in order to gain better access and to take a few seconds to revel in the image in front of her. Just inches from her eyes, nose and mouth is Jihyo's glistening sex that leaves her stunned. Intoxicated by what she sees, the smell of Jihyo's pleasure and the sensation of her own pleasure she finally reacts and looks her back up into Jihyo's eyes.

"Can I?" she says, asking for permission.

"Please" she tries to say in a neutral tone that fails to hide the desperation to receive the attention she so strongly craves.

That's all it takes for Jeongyeon to bury her head between Jihyo's tanned legs.

She starts where she left off, with kisses and nibbles on her inner thighs slowly until her whimpers sound too needy to continue ignoring them and to prolong her torture. They seem to have come to an agreement because at that very moment she notices her hands grabbing her hair again to guide her to where she needs her the most.

The first contact is a tentative lick with his flat tongue from bottom to top that stops before reaching her clit, that's enough for a moan to escape from her half-opened mouth. He repeats the action a couple more times at a slow pace, sliding his tongue between her folds and her slit and even teasing her hole but never reaching her bundle of nerves testing her limits once again, enjoying her every reaction and tasting her wetness. His hands do the same, sliding up and down caressing and grabbing her thighs, her hips, her torso, her chest and her ass without stopping anywhere, leaving caresses with his fingertips and sometimes gentle scratches.

Despite the pleasurable but torturous ministrations, Jihyo is loving every second, every lick and every rub, her moans getting louder and louder as the pleasure washes over her and the embarrassment of sounding desperate fades away. The sounds coming out of Jihyo and the wet sounds of which she herself is to blame motivate her to go one step further, sucking on her clit. As she does so she looks up so as not to miss a single detail of Jihyo's reaction. His act catches her by surprise, but her body is quicker to react than she is and it takes seconds for Jeongyeon to notice how the grip on her hair is tighter and how Jihyo's thighs now press the sides of her head covering her ears, even then she doesn't stop hearing Jihyo's moans.

"Oh fuck right there, stop teasing" she sighs between moans guiding Jeongyeon's head between her legs.

She continues licking, sucking and nibbling gently making her juices drip down her spit onto the couch and onto Jeonyeon's chin who notices how her own arousal becomes uncomfortable every time she makes a move however small and feels the seams of her pants rubbing against her hardening clit making her moan against her center.

For a first time together there is no awkwardness and Jeongyeon manages to hit all the right places swirling her tongue around her clit, lapping on her juices and dipping her tongue inside her only to remove it seconds later making her pussy clench around nothing. When she doesn't like something Jihyo lets you know right away and guides you with her words or by pulling your hair, she is also not shy when letting you know she is doing the right move in the perfect place by being much more vocal and also doesn't hesitate to praise her when she deserves it.

"Yes baby! just like that!" she moans loudly as Jeongyeon draws shapes onto her clit while she easily slides two fingers inside her.

Jihyo feels herself getting closer and closer to her high and grinds her hips against her mouth as she pulls her as close as physically possible. Jeongyeon's fingers move faster and deeper reaching new places as she curls her fingers. This has Jihyo squirming under his touch making her feel light-headed and too close to the edge even if she is still fully dressed and untouched.

Making Jihyo feel so good, hearing her praises in between her loud moans as she begs for more, feeling her warm and wet insides, seeing how she is unable to maintain eye contact because she can't help but close her eyes and arch her body has her so dizzy and overwhelmed with her own sensations. When she hears her call her "baby" she can't help but slide her free hand between her legs and apply a little pressure teasing herself and focusing on her own heat instead of her aching knees.

The mere hint of her fingers stroking over the fabric makes her jerk and gasps, sending vibrations to Jihyo's throbbing cunt. Totally intoxicated by her choking breaths and the scent of the woman trapping her between her legs, she doesn't even realize how his eyes are piercing her until she hears "Don't you dare." That makes her gulp pull her hand away immediately, but at no point do her fingers stop darting in and out of Jihyo who looks at her with a mischievous smile.

"Sorry" she apologizes before going down on her again.

"Now be good and make me cum please" she says a little breathless and bites her lip when she feels his tongue again. "I will make you feel so good and you will cum when I give you permission baby."

She swears that every time she hears that pet name come out of Jihyo's mouth she is about to cum, just like she is about to do thanks to her good work. Since Jeongyeon is back to accompanying the fingering with her tongue all over her thighs, folds and clit, Jihyo is soon back to being close to her release.

"B-baby I'm so... close. Don't stop!" she cries out what is meant to be a warning, but she can't help it when she shatters as she reaches her orgasm.

All it takes for Jeongyeon to bring her to climax is suck on her swollen nub at the same time she curves her fingers deep inside her hitting her sweet spot. Her whole body arches completely tense just before she starts to jerk as she tugs Jeongyeon's hair with one hand and puts her other hand to her mouth in a futile attempt to silence the obscene scream she just let out, she doesn't say the name of the woman responsible for her screams but "baby".

That doesn't stop Jeongyeon who continues her movements slowing down when she notices his legs squeezing her head and that's when she moves her mouth away just a few centimeters, she can still feel his breath against her middle as she allows her some time to come down from her high and doesn't take long to fill her thighs with kisses as she cleans her up a gesture that melts Jihyo's heart who sees for the first time this loving and sweet side of her unnie.

At that moment she realizes where her hand is and finally lets go of Jeongyeon's hair who starts to feel a slight discomfort from all the tugging "I'm sorry" she whispers before pulling the collar of her shirt to kiss her again tasting herself first in her mouth and then on her cum covered fingers looking at Jeongyeon with hungry and lustful eyes that make her press her thighs against each other.

"Stop" Jihyo reminds her "You’ve been very good to me, let me make you feel good now. Where’s your room, unnie?" she asks her in a way that makes Jeongyeon feel some embarrassment for being treated this way by someone younger than her, making her blush because she is enjoying it more than she deems appropriate.

The second round is on the bed and barely lasts a few minutes. After Jihyo practically rips off Jeongyeon's clothes and gets on top of her making herself comfortable between her legs, Jihyo takes control and starts rubbing their slick centers while their mouths devour each other in an animalistic way. She is still sensitive from her first orgasm and Jeongyeon is already on the verge of cumming just by eating her out, so they cum in no time. In any other situation or with someone else it would have been almost embarrassing, but between them the situation far from feeling awkward feels right, safe and they even joke about it but not for long.

They go fast and they go slow, sometimes gentle and sometimes rougher trying different things, discovering each other's bodies, learning what the other likes as if they were trying to make up for all that lost time and those first times they didn't have together in one night. It doesn't take them long to recover from the earth shattering orgasm they've shared either, so the second round turns into a third and a fourth until they lose count of the kisses, caresses and orgasms they've given each other. As the night progresses they become more vocal and when they go for the last round they whisper sweet nothings to each other between kisses that are no longer about pleasure but about feeling each other. When their bodies are exhausted and their eyelids begin to close involuntarily the first rays of sun are rising through the trees and mountains.

"Don't go" she blurts out without thinking and in an attempt to regain her composure adds "Get some sleep, you're too tired to go home, it's dangerous, you could cause an accident".

"You say that like I'm going to drive" she giggles. "Just say you want me to stay" she pushes.

"Why would I want that?" she says it trying to sound annoyed by the accusation, but she's too tired for it.

Jihyo shakes her head and smiles getting too close to her and her lips causing Jeongyeon to close her eyes in anticipation but instead of noticing a kiss she notices Jihyo's breath against her lips saying "You're such a tsundere... it's very charming honey."

Jeongyeon almost chokes when she hears the pet name, it's not the first one of the night, but it's the first one she doesn't say to her between moans. Maybe because she knows there is some truth in her words she doesn't talk back and just says "Just stay, we'll talk about this tomorrow" she says in a soothing voice as her eyes struggle to stay open at least until she hears Jihyo's answer, but she lies on her side turning her back to her as she doesn't feel ready to look her in the eyes in case he rejects her offer.

"I'm staying, I missed you" he whispers as he hugs her from behind, spooning her. Once again it is Jihyo who proves that she is the brave one between the two by daring to name what she feels and say it out loud exposing herself once again and being vulnerable in front of Jeongyeon even though she has promised herself a thousand times during this time that she would never do like this again, that she would protect her heart like she hadn't done in the past.

When she wakes up she notices a warm body on her body and she doesn't need to open her eyes to know who it is, Jihyo is still there and this time she is the one in his arms. Nor does she need to remember what has happened as the mixture of smells from the room and the sheets hits her invading her nostrils. She would swear she can feel Jihyo's taste on her tongue, his fingers ghosting over the skin of her back and even his fingers running through her hair sending a shiver up her back as she recreates moments from the night before in her head. The memories cut her breath away, but her mind soon travels elsewhere and the memories of the night are replaced by a compelling need to shower and change the sheets. Some habits never die, not even when Jihyo is naked in her bed.

On any other occasion Jeongyeon would already be throwing the sheets in the washing machine, preparing breakfast and cleaning up the mess in the living room where the paperwork is piled up among some beer cans. However,the uncertainty and the thought that this was a slip-up or an unforgettable accident that would never happen again keeps her pinned to the bed more firmly than the grip of Jihyo's arms or the leg that is currently wrapped around her waist.

The woman above her keeping her warm and all her senses alert doesn't take much longer than her to wake up, but those minutes are enough for Jeongyeon to overthink about every possible scenario and about all the paths this can take from now on making the warmth she felt in her chest when she smelled Jihyo's hair before she opened her eyes turn into an unpleasant pressure in her chest caused by the growing anxiety she tries to manage as best she can.

"Morning, Jeong" she hears Jihyo say in a husky voice.

Looking at her she can't help but smile at the sight of the traces of makeup, this is another thing she wouldn't have allowed under normal circumstances, but the truth is that she usually didn't end up collapsing on her bed as the first rays of sunshine come out. Seeing Jihyo with her eyes slightly closed, makeup messed up, lips still swollen and some marks spread across her neck and chest makes her light-headed.

"Good morning, Ji."

That way of calling her draws an immediate smile on Jihyo's face, she's used to being called that, Nayeon calls her that often, but on Jeongyeon's lips it just sounds different, she doesn't remember the last time she called her that way. To think that just a few hours ago he was referring to her as Jihyo-sunbaenim makes her head spin.

Jihyo dares once again to try her luck and gives her a peck on the lips, getting an unexpected response.

"We should take a shower."

The two have different plans, but the two have their way and before getting into the shower they share a heated make out session that ends with Jeongyeon panting against her mouth as she reaches orgasm riding Jihyo's thigh.

After sharing a shower in which they exchange kisses again and which becomes the perfect opportunity for Jeongyeon to return the favor, they both end up wrapped in the comfortable clothes of the owner of the house who prepares coffee and a delicious and abundant breakfast for both of them, while Jihyo watches her feeling her heart pounding in her chest.

Their relationship had never gone this far, neither when they were secretly in love with each other nor after Jihyo's first confession years ago. Certainly the furthest they got in their relationship beyond friendship was with that same confession with a bouquet of flowers that ended in a kiss. This is all new to both of them, but it feels dangerously familiar as if they have done it all their lives, something that frightens both of them. Neither can rationally explain that something that shouldn't have happened in the first place feels so natural to both of them as if the years, the distance and the enmity that has lasted almost five years never happened. And this time not even Jihyo is able to say out loud how normal this situation feels, fearing that it's all in her head and going too far risking being wrong and ending it all in one fell swoop, just like it happened the other time.

They talk, the conversation is not as deep as it should be given the circumstances, but it doesn't stay superficial either and they touch almost all the important points. They talk about Jeongyeon's offer or threat – depending on who you ask – and come to the conclusion that they shouldn't be mixing personal matters with work, so it still stands and Jihyo will have some time to think about it and consult with her own legal team if she considers so. On what happened last night they both agree that they got carried away without giving much thought to the possible consequences. Jihyo described it as a "moment of weakness" while Jeongyeon called it an "impulsive and irresponsible act," but neither dared to pretend it was a mistake.

After a heated conversation that was interrupted several times by some insults, cursing, accusations and kisses they came to the conclusion that it had been a good time that both had enjoyed, but if repeated they should have a conversation beforehand that they don't know if they are ready for. And of course, Nayeon can't know anything about this, at least while they figure out what will happen between them from now on. They talk about everything and nothing, their friendship, their estrangement and the open war between them, which seems to have finally reached a point of truce. But always leaving out the taboo subject that always comes up but they don't dare to talk about, they just tiptoe around it.

Before the situation becomes too domestic, Jihyo decides she should leave. "Can your driver take me or should I call mine to come?" she asks.

"I don't plan to go out and he lives nearby, if you want to go now it's better if he takes you home" she offers ignoring the slight but obvious awkwardness that has settled between them.

Jihyo nods and in a few minutes she is ready to go, Jeongyeon is even kind enough to give her something more comfortable than her clothes from last night and offers her a pair of sneakers that are too small for her, so she doesn't have to wear heels.

"Thank you."

"They're just sneakers, I don't even wear them" she shrugs without noticing Jihyo's sudden and unusual shyness.

"It’s not about the sneakers…” she stutters. “Just- thank you for everything."

"Don't thank me at all, I-I really enjoyed it Jihyo-ah" smiles Jeongyeon with a slight blush painting her cheeks and the tips of her ears.

"Me too unnie" she says, staying awfully close as her gaze drifts down to her lips, but she does nothing.

They both giggle nervously not really knowing how to act around each other after everything that has happened in the last few hours. Now it's awkward, they have no regrets but that's not how things were supposed to have ended, they had arranged to meet to talk business. And they had done that but they also got drunk on each other's lips, sank between each other's legs, spent the night with their limbs intertwined and now they were struggling to quiet the butterflies in their stomachs.

It doesn't take Jihyo much longer to get into the car to leave, Jeongyeon opens her door for her and before closing it she says "Think about what I showed you last night, take as much time as you need." She then closes her door, last night she had taught her many things and she knows exactly what she means but her mind can't help but go to other places, feeling her skin bristle and her stomach tighten as she remembers the image of jeongyeon emerging from between her legs and looking at her with those puppy eyes and swollen red lips covered in a layer of both saliva and her own juices. The memory is so vivid it's as if she's standing in front of her right now and she bites down on her finger to make sure she doesn't let out a moan right then and there as her thighs rub together involuntarily seeking to feel something.

When she gets home she doesn't receive any message or call, the next day neither and when the weekend is coming to an end neither. She knows that Jeongyeon sometimes needs to take some distance and be left alone with her thoughts to process things. If she herself was anxious and a bit scared about what would happen from now on it is natural to think that the other would be the same, maybe a bit more so given her reserved personality.

Days go by and she still receives nothing making her anxiety increase.

Of course she could write or call her at any time, at this point it is more than obvious that Jihyo is not afraid to take the lead and make the first move. But this time is different, she needs Jeongyeon to take the initiative for the first time for more than just preparing a lawsuit that threatens the future of her company, her life as she knows it and her family's legacy.

It's a matter of pride, she knows. She refuses to pursue someone who wouldn't do the same for her but also out of fear of being rejected once again and getting her heart broken. She thought that after all she has been through and with her age she is more than ready to face rejection, but the truth is that if Jeongyeon rejects her again when there are no more external reasons to do so, it is likely that this time the pain will be much worse.

By the time a week has passed Jihyo's uncertainty has turned into disappointment, she even comes to think that being directly rejected after receiving her first kiss was less cruel than whatever Jeongyeon is doing now. But in fact, it could be much worse.

After spending the weekend turning down invitations to meet friends because lying in bed staring at her phone with the screen off while listening to the most heartbreaking ballads is what she needs right now, Jihyo gets the news on Monday morning.

"Jihyo-nim, Hirai Momo is coming, it seems to be some kind of emergency" her secretary Lily announces over the phone. When this happens nothing good happens, problems with products that are about to be released, system failures that were not foreseen and hundreds of other problems that Jihyo doesn't understand but which she knows mean that something is not working as it should.

Hirai Momo, one of the software developers at the head of the department enters nervously and hurriedly with her fringe hairs sticking to her forehead from sweat, her shirt sleeves rolled up and her tie unbuttoned. She is out of breath and her glasses are covered in a layer of mist indicating the urgency of the situation as Momo seems to have come running into the office. All the signs alert Jihyo and prepare her for the worst, she is ready to hear that their new line of cell phones that are about to be shipped to every store in the country will have to be recalled due to some glitch, like that time they discovered that their new long lasting batteries exploded. She was prepared to listen to anything except for what Momo says as soon as she catches her breath without even leaning in.

"We've been hacked."

The initial shock leaves Jihyo frozen in place within moments but it doesn't take her long to react as she puts the pieces together, of course it's Horai Momo who's breaking the news to her that they've suffered an attack. It only takes her a few seconds to get up with fire in her eyes and stand in front of Momo making the employee swallow hard.

"It has been stopped, but we don't know yet who has done it or what information they have stolen or altered" she says before Jihyo unleashes her anger at her, but this is not enough.

"You better fix this as soon as possible or I will fire you and make sure you have to go back to Japan because you are not going to be hired anywhere in this country, not even to clean toilets" Jihyo threatens pointing her finger and staring straight into the face of the woman in front of her who is not able to look her back in the eyes because if she does she knows she will end up crying.

"Yes, Jihyo-nim. I'll fix it" she says bowing a bunch of times while stuttering a few apologies before walking away.

I should have figured it out, now she feels completely stupid for falling for it. It's kind of evil and sick even for their fucked up relationship, Jihyo thinks.

Without thinking twice she grabs her bag and leaves the office asking Lily to cancel all meetings until further notice, seeing the obvious anger of her boss she doesn't even dare to open her mouth and just nods vigorously. She has seen Jihyo angry a million times, but never like this, so she imagines that the news Hirai gave her must be very serious.

As she is about to leave the building she catches a glimpse of Minatozaki Sana at her reception desk and unable to control her anger she heads to her desk. Sana's usual smiling expression disappears as soon as she sees her boss's gaze and she freezes in place, from the look on her face only one thing can have happened, she knows it.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told your friend Hirai. If I find out that you are involved in this you can start packing your bags to go back to Japan because I will personally make your life a living hell" she threatens her with a stern tone, but low enough to only reach the receptionist's ears. As quickly as he arrived, she disappears from her side and exits the building where a car is waiting for her.

From the very first minute Sana got into all this she knew it was risky and she is not worried about the consequences because she knows that just as Jeongyeon promised them, she has nothing to worry about. Still there is something bothering Sana because she doesn't really know what the CEO is referring to, so she decides to immediately look for Mina and Momo to get answers.

Meanwhile, Jihyo, who feels that she has more than enough information, gives her driver the address of Signal Systems' main building at the other end of the Central Business District. There he is greeted by a wide-eyed receptionist, Chou Tzuyu, who can't hide her puzzled face when the CEO of the rival company she works for as an informant is in front of her. However, her job at Signal Systems is to receive those who have an appointment with Yoo Jeongyeon and let her or her secretary know that they have arrived. Obviously, the name Park Jihyo is not among today's meeting list and has never been before, so the astonishment among the workers and visitors who have recognized her is generalized. Tzuyu can only fear the worst and her suspicions are not misguided when she leans on the counter asking for Jeongyeon's floor number, the way to the elevators and orders her not to warn that she is here. The receptionist who is smart enough and appreciates her life does as she tells her and also gives her a guest access card without asking any questions.

That's how Park Jihyo gets to the top floor of the Signal Systems building where the office of its CEO, Yoo Jeongyeon, is located, nothing more than that. But for Jihyo, right now she is nothing more than her rival, one who uses disgusting tactics even for her usual game which includes espionage among other things of questionable ethics. Between the elevator and their destination is the desk of Dahyun, Joengyeon's trusted secretary and Jihyo's informant.

"Good morning, Dahyun" she greets her with a smile that sends a shiver through Dahyun's body, who seeing the fire in Jihyo's eyes doesn't know if she should fear for her job or her life. "I come to see your dear boss, I guess she's in her office."

The secretary nods and when she opens her mouth to continue, Jihyo makes a gesture with her hand telling her to shut up and then walks with firm steps towards the office. She storms in, but what she sees leaves her as shocked as those in the room.

"Jihyo?!" Jeongyeon's voice sounds surprised and confused.

"JIHYO?!" the woman with her back facing the door exclaims even more surprised and confused.

"Nayeon?" she is so astonished that for a moment she forgets why she has come here.

They look at each other, shocked by the situation they are in, they stare at each other without saying anything for a few seconds until Jeongyeon decides to take control of the situation as she feels her heart hammering in her chest. It's been a week since she saw Jihyo and since then she hadn't contacted her, so the last thing she expected was for her to suddenly walk into her office just on the same day and at the same time that Nayeon does.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, trying to control the trembling in her voice.

"Stop pretending, I'm not falling for your game. You know what I'm doing here" she says harshly, very different since the last time he talked to her.

"Well... I guess" she says, looking at Nayeon with concern. The older woman looks at one and then the other like she's watching a tennis match. "But I mean, you could have texted or called me," she says, turning her gaze to Nyeon again to see if Jihyo gets the message.

"Yeah right, the only way with you the only way things can be done is face to face or did you want to have more proof to add to your fucking folders?" says Jihyo starting to lose her composure as she feels like she is being treated like a complete idiot once again.

"I think this is a conversation you two should have between the two of you" Nayeon says stepping in for the first time. "And I know maybe this is my fault because I was the one who asked not to know about your stupid corporate war, but I think I deserve an explanation. I thought you two didn't talk and all of a sudden you show up unannounced talking about proofs and folders."

"You're right unnie" she says, directing her gaze towards Nayeon and then Jeongyeon, looking at the latter in a way so cold and full of rage that it makes her stomach turn. "Why don't you explain it to her? Tell her. Tell how you invited me to dinner to make me a deal and how it was actually a threat. I give in to what you ask or you ruin my life, my family and the work we've done for decades."

Her gestures are exaggerated and she doesn't take her eyes off Jeongyeon who looks at her dumbfounded not knowing what Jihyo is getting at, at first she thought she was being theatrical, she can be very passionate sometimes. It's not until she sees her eyes that she realizes she's totally serious, there's no sparkle in those big beautiful eyes anymore. Then she sees it, she has the same look as that one time, but this time she doesn't understand why.

Neither of the older girls knows quite what to answer, but they don't need to because Jihyo continues "Come on! tell her what happened later" she insists. She sounds really hurt, almost desperate, worrying both of them who have never seen Jihyo this distraught.

"Jihyo, calm down" Jeongyeon says in a soft tone as she approaches her. "I don't know what happened, but I do know that you don't want to tell Nayeon like this. Calm down and we'll talk."

"Don't even fucking think about telling me to calm down Jeongyeon. In fact I would really like my friend to know the kind of person she has next to her. Someone capable of doing what you have done to me" at this point she starts to raise her voice.

"I'm going to need one of you to explain to me what's going on, but I understand this is something you two need to work out between yourselves" she says still in her seat as she gestures for Jihyo to come closer and when she does she grabs her hand and caresses it trying to calm her down. "Breath" she whispers to the younger girl who is breathing fast, then looks at Jeongyeon threateningly and says "If you did something to her, this time I'm going to pick a side Yoo Jeongyeon" Nayeon warns Jeongyeon pointing her finger at her. "I'm going to leave, please don't do anything stupid, I'm serious."

Nayeon over the years has learned to stay out of her friends' fight because after trying to intervene numerous times over the years she knows that all they need is to have a conversation that they have never been willing to have. She has heard both sides of the story and knows the motives that have driven each to do what they have done and, while she has not always agreed, she understands why each has done things the way they have and would be unable to judge them for it. She also knows about spies, informants, infiltrators... or whatever they call it. She is the first to know that they do not always act according to the image of impeccable businesswomen they portray to the world. At the end of the day they are her friends despite the feud that exists – or existed – but if Jeongyeon has harmed Jihyo in some way that has gone beyond their professional rivalry, she wants to know about it even if she has to wait for them to sort things out on their own first.

They both watch Nayeon leave the office and look at each other. Jihyo has her clenched fists and tight jaw, she is still breathing heavily and can see her veins bulging in her neck and arms. From the obvious tension all over her body she can tell that she is indeed holding back and trying not to lose control. Jeongyeon is at a safe distance and is doing her best to try to maintain eye contact and to keep her trembling hands busy and out of Jihyo's sight, adjusting her clothes and hides them from time to time in the sleeves of her blazer, a gesture she had managed to shed but which is inevitable to return at times like this. Her calmness had left with Nayeon. She still doesn't know what's going on and is afraid of making a mistake with Jihyo that will take her back to square one or much worse. She's willing to do everything in her power to avoid it, but it's definitely a possibility considering she's never seen Jihyo like this.

"Ji I swear- ".

"Don't even think of calling me that" she raises her tone. "Stop lying, cut the act, Nayeon is not here."

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" the other tries again. "I know you're completely confident that I know but maybe it's good to talk things out for once."

"Oh this will be a good conversation because I would really like to know why you are a backstabbing bitch who is capable of betraying me again."

Maybe it's not in the best of circumstances, but Jihyo finally says it. The time has finally come to talk about the subject that both of them have been purposely ignoring. They never talked about it when it happened and neither did they talk about it at the restaurant, in Jeongyeon's living room, in her bed or the next day while having breakfast. They talked about many other things and talked about the past but this was a badly healed wound that no one dared to touch.

"Finally you say it, I knew you haven't let it go, are you still angry about it?"

"I'm not, but even if I were you would have no right to judge me. Tell me what kind of friend would take advantage of the moment I was going through for her own benefit."

"That's not what happened, there's a reason."

"Jeongyeon..." he spits out her name while getting as close as the table between the two of them allows her. "This isn't about having different opinions, it's about facts and the facts speak for themselves. My father died, you stood by me through the entire funeral, you hugged me and promised to be there for whatever I needed" she says as angry tears build up in her eyes. "Overnight you cut off all contact with me and a month later ZoneTech released an announcement informing that Yoo Jeongyeon was taking over as CEO of the company."

Our brains have a tendency to forget the bad times so that we can move on, but for Jihyo it was impossible to forget everything that happened during one of the darkest chapters of her life. She was only 22 years old, studying abroad about to graduate from a prestigious foreign university. One day while studying in the library for the first exams of the term she got a call from her mother crying inconsolably telling her that her father had suffered a heart attack. She still remembers the cry of pain her mother let out when she asked if he was okay, if he was in the hospital. Her father had died on the spot and there was nothing they could do. She left everything immediately and thanks to a family friend she was able to go on a private flight back to Korea a few hours after the call.

During those days she did not shed a tear, but she knew that if at any time tears came to her eyes Nayeon and even Jeongyeon would be there to offer her a shoulder to cry on. It had been a while since the relationship between her and Jeongyeon had changed and they were becoming more and more distant, but she was the first to let her know that she was there for whatever he needed and she proved it by not leaving his side during the funeral and even during the opening of the will in which only the closest family members were allowed to be there.

No one expects to have to read the will of someone as young as Jihyo's father, not even Jihyo herself. When he named Jihyo as the sole heir and manager of the company and the family estate, he believed that when the time came for them to open her will, she would already have a successful career within the company and maybe even a family to take care of. However, that was not the case, so his daughter was forced to leave her new life as a student abroad with all her new friends and aspirations to return home and take the reins of a technology empire and one of the largest fortunes in the country while maintaining her excellent academic record as a model student in a new university.

Needless to say, it was difficult and she even paid for it with her health at times as she did not eat properly, she was overworked and under-rested. Despite having people who could do a lot of things for her, she needed to keep her mind busy because on top of her father's death there was the uproar with the press and media when some of the details of the will came to light. A few days later her friend and unconditional support during this hard process, Jeongyeon had started to avoid her and Nayeon from one day to another without giving any explanation.

The reason was discovered soon after through Signal Systems' statement, after that it was Jihyo who decided not to talk to Jeongyeon ever again unless there were cameras, potential partners or important clients in front of them.

Jeongyeon sighs because despite having good reasons that back up her decisions, she didn't act wisely and now she knows it, but that still doesn't explain why Jihyo has suddenly stormed into her office accusing her of betraying her. Before sharing her side of the story and asking for explanations she steps out from behind her desk to continue the conversation on the couch she has for more informal meetings. When she puts her hand on Jihyo's arm inviting her to make herself comfortable, she moves her arm away and mumbles, "Don't touch me". She is hurt, maybe even more hurt than angry.

Being aware of the younger girl's hostility, Jeongyeon believes it is a must to calm the situation down if she wants Jihyo to listen to her instead of looking for the perfect opportunity to elevate the conflict to another level, fearing that everything will end up exploding hurting the two of them and by extension Nayeon.

She takes the first step by offering her a tissue with her still shaking hands to wipe away her tears and offers her a smile. Jihyo immediately notices the shaking hands and all the alarms go off in her head, she had forgotten that sometimes in stressful situations Jeongyeon suffers anxiety attacks if she wasn't starting to have one already. Even if she feels absolute disgust towards her right now, she would hate herself if she triggered an anxiety or panic attack.

"I'm fine," Jeongyeon assures her, noticing the panic in her eyes, "but we both need to calm down and since it's too early for a beer I'll ask my secretary to make us some tea," she concludes.

Reluctantly Jihyo agrees and in a few minutes they are seated drinking tea in silence, thinking about how they got to this point. They have always had problems with communication, and although it has been between yelling, this is the first time they have been so honest with each other. Not keeping up appearances, not ignoring each other's problems, and not bottling up their feelings. They haven't done it in the most healthy or civilized way, but it's a start.

After several sips Jeongyeon's hands stop shaking, but Jihyo shifts on her seat impatiently.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you what I did to make you like this" the older one breaks the ice "as you pointed out I can be quite dense" she says shyly. "If this is all about the deal I offered and the lawsuit, I-"

"Stop! Do you really think I'm worried about a lawsuit right now when you just fucking hacked me?" she asks, losing her temper again, but she doesn't mind, it hurts so much that she couldn't care less if Jeongyeon sees her like this or if everyone in this building could hear her. "You sleep with me, and once again you suddenly disappear. Today when I got to work they hacked ZoneTech and when I got here there's Nayeon. You had it all planned" she accuses her directly as tears start to fall from her eyes. "I just asked you not to hurt me and you ruined me" she says trying to hold back the tears.

It takes Jeongyeon a moment to process and react to all the information Jihyo has given her between screams and tears. She doesn't understand anything that has happened, but it breaks her heart to see Jihyo. Not even during her father's funeral did she cry or when he first broke her heart and now she has her in front of her telling her that she has ruined his life. It hurts her that Jihyo might actually think she would do something like that, but seeing her sobbing with her mascara smeared and her eyes bloodshot from anger and crying makes her chest hurt.

Despite her fear of how she might react, she wraps her arms around her and finally speaks “Ji, trust me one more time and believe me when I tell you that I had nothing to do with this and I know deep down you know that I wouldn't be able to do something like this. I would never hurt you" she whispers softly in her ear trying to soothe her, but Jihyo's crying only increases soaking her shirt on the part of her chest where her head is resting.

The sobs get louder and she begins to hear Jihyo cursing at her and telling her that she hates her, but she can't blame her. It's been some unfortunate coincidences and no wonder Jihyo has thought the worst.

"Stop treating me like an idiot, you already did it once" she manages to say between sobs.

Jeongyeon sighs as she continues to hug her and caress her back "I think it's time to explain everything that happened" she says as she pulls away from Jihyo to look at her face and grabs her hands so as not to lose contact with her skin. She looks away, unable to look at her because of the pain, anger and embarrassment she feels.

"I told you the other day and I will tell you as many times as necessary until you believe it. I don't hate you and I have never hated you, nor have I ever wanted to hurt you. I love you, I always have and I'm so afraid of what you make me feel that all this time I thought that by pushing you away I was protecting both myself and you as well" she sighs. "Our lives are so complicated and I thought that someday these feelings would go away" she looks at her anxiously looking for a reaction in Jihyo, who still won't look at her, but at least the crying is more controlled. "I thought what I felt for you was a high school crush that could ruin everything for me, but it's not like that and running away from you and everything you make me feel almost ruined my happiness."

Until now Jeongyeon had never been clear with her feelings, but that's not all. "I thought that by running away from me I was doing you a favor and that if you hated me everything would be easier. That's why I never gave you the reasons or explanations you deserve and now I know it was a huge mistake, but after everything that has happened I wouldn't forgive myself for pushing you away from me again, because I know that this time it would be the final one. If you are willing to listen to me, I will tell you everything, but I promise you that I have nothing to do with this hacker attack you have suffered."

Jihyo is not sure, experience, all the times she ended up calling Nayeon crying, all the times she ended up in bed with strangers and the times she got drunk looking for some relief tell her to be smarter, that this time she should be the one to end it all instead of staying to suffer another disappointment. However, the more irrational part of her, the part that still thinks there is a possibility of a future together, begs her to stay and listen to her.

She looks down at her hands between Jeongyeon and when he manages to calm her breathing she looks up at her not quite sure of what to do or what to say even though she has already made up her mind.

"You look awful" Jeongyeon tells her in a pointless attempt to tease that almost bring Jihyo to tears again "Fuck- sorry I was trying to joke, Ji" she says nervously repeating the affectionate nickname once more. With one of her hands she tries to fix the mess of her makeup and with all the gentleness in the world she reaches over and kisses the tears still left on her cheeks. "There's a restroom over there, take your time" and Jihyo just nods, too defeated to refuse.

Just as he told her, she takes her time and manages her best to clean her face, fix her hair and clothes trying to pull herself together. After Jeongyeon has seen her like this, she feels pathetic. Until her breathing returns to normal she doesn't come out of the restroom, though her red and puffy eyes give her away.

"About the hacking let me take care of it, we'll find the culprits and I'll do my best to fix it and prove to you that it wasn't me."

"I believe you" Jihyo finally speaks and the relief is so great that Jeongyeon can't help but let out the breath she has been holding. "This morning when Hirai Momo came to my office I assumed it was your doing, the attack has been stopped, but when I left they didn't know what its origin was or what exactly they did."

"I will talk to Momo, it will be solved today" she assures her while holding her hand.

Before continuing with their unfinished conversation, Jeongyeon calls Hirai Momo and makes her look for Myoui Mina and also Minatozaki Sana who, to Jihyo's surprise, is also some computer expert. After listening to too many technical words, Jihyo was finally able to participate in the conversation and they ended up making a deal: if they managed to find out who was responsible in 24 hours, they can keep working in the company and they will not have to go back to Japan as she had warned Momo and Sana hours before. Jeongyeon, in her efforts to show Jihyo that things would be different from now on if she trusted her, encouraged them with the promise of inviting them to dinner at the best restaurant in the country.

Once she hangs up the phone she directs her gaze towards Jihyo "What do you say? Let's get out of here, grab some food and I'll take you wherever you tell me so I can explain everything to you. I'll even burn paper by paper all the evidence of the lawsuit if I have to because I don't plan to lose you and take the risk of Nayeon killing me."

This time Jihyo smiles and nods, taking her hand "Come on, but if you give me reason to be suspicious I'm telling Nayeon" she jokingly warns her.

So that's what they did, Jeongyeon told Dahyun to cancel everything on her schedule for the rest of the day and hoping to get lucky, she also told her to let her know if they have to cancel their meetings the next day. Of course Kim Dahyun did that and rearranged his schedule but not before opening the group chat with Chayeoung and Tzuyu to tell them everything she had overheard, especially the mention of Minatozaki Sana, Chaeyoung's situationship.

They end up at Jeongyeon's house as well, although the purpose is quite different this time. Jeongyeon explains to her the reason behind each time she broke his heart. She explains how her father did everything he could to keep her away from Jihyo, even forcing her to study abroad. She tells her that that kiss she gave her after receiving her bouquet of flowers and her confession on her graduation day was sincere, but knowing that she would be away for so many years at a university thousands of miles away she didn't want to take away her opportunity to have a first high school love and maybe to find someone who was really good for her, someone who wasn't afraid to love her. She reveals to her each of the events that led her to accept the CEO position after finding out that her father would do everything in his power to end ZoneTech by taking advantage of the instability he thought Mr. Park’s death would bring. She did that in an attempt to protect her but it didn't last long since she was forced to respond to the constant attacks that Jihyo initiated once she settled into the position. And of course she makes it clear to her that this last week of silence had been an attempt to give her space when the truth is that she was dying to talk to her, to listen to her, to see her and to feel her in her arms again.

When the conversation ends, it's already dark and Jihyo goes back to sleep in Jeongyeon's bed, but tonight they just share kisses, secrets, apologies and the promise of a future together. Before sleep overcomes them Jeongyeon whispers in her ear "Don't go to work tomorrow, let me take you on a date to make up for my mistakes and to start making up for time we wasted".

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animeyanderelover · 1 year

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Can I have yandere sakamaki and mukami cast with older brother that are always gentle and treat them so nicely. But one day when they try to find him. one day, they saw their brother fighting somebody and that person saw them and tried to attack them. Reader decide to shield them using his body. In the end reader get badly injured but survive nonetheless.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, obsession, possessive behavior, clinginess, paranoia, blood, violence, torture, death

As long as you're safe...

Shu Sakamaki

🎵 Shu just wants to hang out with his brother, the person he's closest with but strangely enough he can't find you in the mansion. Now, Shu doesn't worry his head too much, it isn't unlikely for his brother to be outside though so he simply ventures the exterior of the Sakamaki property. His keen senses pick up surely enough some noises, under them the clearly recognizable voice of his brother and that's when he suspects that something is going on and he starts running to the source of the voice, slight panic dwelling up inside his chest. When he spots you, his heart drops as he realizes that you're fighting someone, a silver knife shining in their hand as they try to stab you. Your younger brother stops for a moment in his steps, tries to work out quickly how to help you but unfortunately he's spotted by the hunter who kicks you away and switches his target, storming to him. Knife about to plunge into his chest only for you to protectively hug him, the sharp metal embedding itself in your back over and over again. The taste of your blood pungent in the air as silent yet potent shock pulses through Shu's entire body, hands flying to your back only to pull back as if he's burnt himself, palms stained in dark red.

🎵 A piercing scream fills the air when Shu grabs the arm of them when they try to stab you again, breaking it in one swift motion and kicking the knife away as soon as they let it drop. Blue eyes dark with the desire to kill as he carefully lies you down on your stomach, gaze fixed on the vampire hunter. He wants to hurt them so badly but knows that he can't waist time since you need medical treatment. One hand is wrapped around their throat as he squeezes down, a sickening crack before they go limp in his hand and he drops them carelessly before quickly turning to you, half-conscious. You give him a half-hearted grin as you compliment him on his nice murder yet Shu has other worries, doing his best to maintain his fear as he helps you to stand up, hurrying back into the mansion with you so that your injuries can be treated. He's so disappointed and frustrated with himself as he blames himself. He could have done more. If he would have acted quicker, none of this would have happened. Why is he still so incapable after all those years? He isn't a child anymore. He finds himself hovering near you after that incident a lot more, especially during the healing process of your injuries.

Reiji Sakamaki

☕ You're late for an appointment with him, a study session which Reiji likes to do with you together as a way to boast his own intelligence and gain your compliments. You're always punctual so this is definitely odd, he doesn't believe that you'd just dismiss him so there must be a reason. That's how Reiji finds himself searching for you around the mansion, passive-aggressive when none of the other brothers can answer his question of where you are at the moment. That is the point where he starts to worry as he enters the surroundings of their estate. Catching you in the middle of a fight throws him off-guard as he eyes the dagger shimmering in the moonlight and the few scratches you already have. It's the fact that you're slightly injured that disturbs him, you've always been this untouchable individual in his eyes. How can you be hurt? It's in this frozen state that the hunter attacks him only for you to shield him, knife driving itself in your chest before you kick them away with brutal strength, surely rupturing a number of organs. When you turn around to ask Reiji if he's alright, his eyes can't remove themselves from the rapidly growing blood spot on your shirt.

☕ He's in total shock as essentially his belief of this strong and untouchable brother in his head is shattered seeing him wounded like this, holding himself together despite the lethal injury. When Reiji eventually snaps out of it, he has troubles holding back his dwelling panic as he pushes you back into the mansion into his own chambers, ordering you to lay down on his bed, unbotton your shirt and let him bandage and stitch your injury. You try to overplay it, tell him it's fine which only seems to make him snap more as he nearly yells at you to do as he says, hands slightly trembling as he collects everything he needs. If even one of the other brothers tries to peek inside his room, he shouts at them to leave, composure crumbling a he spends the next hour stitching the wound together. It's a shattering experience, seeing that you aren't indestructable, soon after the insecurities come as he realises that he's the one who is responsible for your injury, for the long scar that'll be a reminder of it for eternity. It throws him into a fit of despair. He searches outside for the hunter, half-alive at this point and staring with blury eyes up at Reiji. Oh, he will make sure that this human will pay dearly for this.

Ayato Sakamaki

🥇He's rushing through the mansion, a basketball in his hands as he wants to challenge you to yet another game in hopes of beating you but can't seem to find you. It's frustrating, where are you? It's so boring without you around after all, only you can provide him with a good challenge. He gets visibly more agitated the longer he can't find you, plans to brattily yell at you as soon as he has found you because you weren't where he wanted you to be. That all is wiped off his mind when he finally does find you, in the middle of a serious fight with a vampire hunter who has sneaked inside the compound of your property. Ayato acts unfortunately without thinking as he aggressively launches at the person who dares to try to take his brother away from him, underestimating their reflexes. A knife that was intended to pierce through his stomach is instead stuck in your abdomen as you spit moments later some blood out, some of it dropping on Ayato's face. A few seconds just pass by where he sits on the ground, staring at the soaked fabric of your clothes before he sees literally red, head pounding with wrath. How dare they? How dare they?!

🥇He isn't fully himself, lost in searing anger as he grabs the hunter by their throat and pushes them to the ground, kicking and throwing them angrily around as he keeps shouting at them, his whole body shaking with rage and sadistic blood lust. You stop him after a while, point out how the human is barely alive anymore and decide to end things quickly as you break their neck, knife still stuck in your stomach. He's confused and angry, not sure what to do now as he watches his older brother picking up the basketball, tossing it to him and jokingly telling him that he fears that he can't play with his younger brother now before staggering on his feet, causing Ayato to rush over and quickly support him. Fear is pumping through his veins as he yells at his brother what he is supposed to do now before being told what to do, dragging Reiji as a result out of his own room to assist the oldest sibling in removing the knife and stopping the blood loss quickly. A part of Ayato blames himself for what happened, the other one rejects those feelings of guilt as he decides to blame anyone else besides himself. His stupid brothers, that dead hunter and even his own brother who is supposed to be the strongest.

Kanato Sakamaki

🧸 Kanato is a walking time bomb without his brother around since he is co-dependent and relies on his brother a lot. You missed a tea party with him and Teddy so he's beyond livid, clutching the plushie tightly in his arms as he storms around the mansion in search of you. How could you just ditch him?! You're a terrible older brother, you're supposed to take care of him! No matter how had he searches, he can't find you though so that only worsens his mood and soon he starts screeching your name, anger and anxiety piling up inside of him as he can't find you. It's only when he goes into the garden that he spots you and shouts your name, noticing a moment later the stranger next to you who you're fighting against. His loud and obnoxious voice draws both yours and their attention to him and as you call Kanato's name out shocked, the vampire hunter instantly switches his targets, planning to attack him and leaving Kanato clutching his Teddy even tighter. You stop them before they can reach your younger brother, although only moments later their knife is driven into your abdomen, the attacker twisting it around and eliciting a painful hiss from you.

🧸 The scent of your blood tears Kanato out of his state of shock and suddenly he's grabbing the assaulter from behind by the neck, crying and yelling at them that they should never hurt his brother and that they should die. His older brother uses the distraction to pull the knife out and ram it into their own heart, killing them. Kanato is in a frenzy though, blood lust still there as he grabs the knife and continues to stab them, tears in his eyes as he screams for them to die and it isn't until his brother pulls him back that he stops, only to cling onto his blood-stained shirt and start crying hysterically as he tries to stop the bleeding by himself, coating himself in his brother's blood as a result. You're forced to walk back with him clinging to you like a little koala, hissing and crying the moment you try to pull him off you. He isn't of good help but you luckily you can cater to your wound all by yourself, leaving Kanato with you to avoid the boy entering a frenzy mental breakdown. Needless to say, your younger brother is half-distraught and half-angry with you, his presence suffocating from that day on as he demands you to stay from now on with him, threatens to hurt himself otherwise.

Laito Sakamaki

🎹 Laito may not be as permanently clingy as some other brothers are but he still likes hanging around with you. Usually he always has a good idea of where you are so it's a bit of a surprise for him to not know where you are as of now. Well, let's find his older brother then~ Initially it's a bit like a game of hide and seek for him as he wanders through the Sakamaki property in order to find you but the fun ends when his ears pick up the noises coming from the garden, sounding like a fight is going on as he recognizes your low growls you only use when you're serious. His expression falters as he now rushes to the location the sounds are coming from only to stumble into the middle of a fight between you and a vampire hunter who somehow has gotten inside their property. He isn't as hot-blooded as Ayato would be though, green eyes observing as he hides himself to find a good opening to join you in your fight and get rid of the pest. The hunter is experienced though and spots Laito, instantly storms towards him as he recognizes that he's weaker than the other vampire he's fighting against right now. Your calmness falters for a moment as you see them attacking Laito, letting your guard down for a moment.

🎹 His brother shields him in time but the price is a knife rammed in his ribcage, taking him off-guard as his older brother stumbles back, gritting his teeth as he clutches the fresh wound, blood seeping through his clothes. Eery silence befalls the surroundings for a few moments before Laito launches at the hunter, pushing him down and giving his older brother time to grab them and restrict their movements as they drop their knife for Laito to snatch it away, glaring at it with gleaming eyes as it's covered in his brother's blood. He hears how you break the bones in their limbs and swiftly decides to join in the fun for some revenge, grinning down at the human before waving his hand, wishing them farewell before he plunges the knife into their throat, watching the life slowly leaving them. He would have loved to prolong their suffering but has little time as he helps you quickly to rush back into the mansion. He may appear fine upon first glance but is still brimming with blood lust so you have to keep him calm enough or otherwise he might actually go on a murder spread. Let's just say that after this unpleasant encounter, he's sticking a lot more to you.

Subaru Sakamaki

⬜️Subaru is very aggressive but at the same time he's very obedient as he listens to whatever his brother tells him to do if it doesn't involve hurting him or leaving him. The oldest Sakamaki boy is like the lid containing Subaru's anger so he often searches for him when he's upset or mad about something and needs to calm down. So it's quite bad that the youngest one can't find you as he starts trashing around in the mansion, destroys vases and walls the longer he looks for you without success and his brothers avoid him on sight as they know better. Now, when he finds you outside the house as you dodge and attack a vampire hunter, he instantly wants to help and protect you and resorts to violence as he storms in to assault them, triggered by the silver dagger that they try to hurt you with. They're initially caught off-guard as he pushes them away with sheer strength alone, manage to come quickly back to their senses and come back for him, using quick attacks to make him lose balance shortly before striking down with the dagger. You cover him in the last moment as the hunter slashes down your back, the heavy scent of blood filling the air and making Subaru nauseous.

⬜️There are too much emotions at once mercilessly overwhelming him. Anger, shock, panic, guilt, shame and many more he can't even decipher. His body starts shaking as he temporarily stops thinking clearly but when he snaps out of this searing haze of rage, he's smashed the head of the person with his brutal strength. He pays no mind to them afterwards though, quickly rushes to help you up and half-carries you back inside the estate, shaking with fear and panic as he doesn't know what to do now. Instead he just does what he's used too, listening to you and following your instructions. He considers dragging Reiji to your room to help you but you insist that you can handle it all on your own with his hands. His stomach is turning and twisting when he helps you cleaning the wound, hot guilt flodding his veins since he blames himself for those injuries. He knows that he's the youngest and that you're the oldest but he thought that now that he's older that he'd be able to protect you at least a little bit. Why is he still acting like the small boy from back then? The feeling of helplessness haunts him, the invasive thought that he couldn't protect his mother back then nor you now.

Ruki Mukami

📘 Ruki is protective of his family, he's lost his family by blood already once and he won't let it happen again. His older brother is his idol and aspires Ruki til this day. He initially just wants to talk with his brother about something but when he can't find him in their house, he starts panicking a bit. He's just a tad bit controlling so the fact that he doesn't know where his brother is at the moment bothers him more than it should. Afte he couldn't find you in the mansion, he heads out into the garden surrounding the place and surely enough finds you there. It brings him no relief though when he realises that a vampire hunter is also there, fighting against you as you try to win the upper hand. Ruki stops in his tracks, trying to collect himself and help you but they notice him and dash to him, the silver knight glowing under the moonlight. Ruki is sure that he could have defended himself yet you throw yourself against the hunter to keep him away from your younger brother, earning a couple of stabs in your abdomen yet still managing to strip them off all their weapons and the rest is easy play as you twist their head and snap their neck, watch how they go limp under you.

📘 Ruki is tense, trembling slightly as his eyes take in the injuries you've endured for him. You try to be as nonchalant as possible as you ask him if he's fine, earning a throaty choke from him. How can you ask him this question in your condition?! Suddenly he's rushing to you, tries to stop the numerous bleeding spots, hands shaky. When his older brother attempts to calm him down, he nearly yells at him. How can he expect him to calm down?! You're quickly brought back and all of his other brothers start making a fuss when they see your injuries, somehow pressuring Ruki even more as he escorts you to his room to give you medical treatment. He's very close to hyperventilating in that moment, his chest heaving with each troubled breath he takes as he spends the next few hours cleaning the wounds and stitching the skin back together. As soon as he has made sure that his older brother will be alright, he collapses onto the ground as his legs shortly lose all strength. This event leaves a mark on him as Ruki grows paranoid all over again. He monitors his brother closely as his body heals from all the wounds, prays that there will be no scars left since it's entirely his fault. He's such a failure.

Kou Mukami

🎤 Kou has grown significantly clingy after he's been turned alongside with all of his brothers into a vampire and he's specifically often to find around the oldest Mukami brother. There's just such a feeling of security and safety there when he's around him and Kou is low-key addicted to this warm feeling, especially when he's having one of his nightmares. Somehow he can't find you currently though and he's pouting initially a bit because of it as he doesn't instantly assume the worst. At least until he has figured out that you are nowhere inside the mansion which does make him anxious. Why would you leave without telling him or any of his other brothers? He goes outside in order to continue searching for you, his attention drawn to the noise coming from somewhere deep inside the garden. When Kou finally finds you, he realises with growing fear why he couldn't find you as you're currently going head to head with a vampire hunter who has somehow found this place. When they suddenly come for him, you act without thinking as you throw yourself between him and them, sacrifice yourself as the knife is plunged in your chest.

🎤 Kou quickly thinks and reacts, grabs them and throws them down, hands engulfing their neck before swiftly twisting it, the adrenaline pumping through his veins as much as this sickening feeling does when he turns around to you as you pull the knife out of your chest. This looks really bad, he knows that despite you trying your best to downplay it to spare him from worrying yet that only makes it worse. Kou knows that he has to get you to Ruki as quickly as possible as he assists you to get up, careful to not worsen your pain nor the bleeding. There are tears in his eyes when he brings you back into the mansion, screams for Ruki to come as quickly as possible and refuses to leave your side the entire time, choking when he sees from close the wound you received in order to protect him. He doesn't want to stray away from his brother's side after that day at all as he feels paranoid if he's gone for more than five minutes. This accident is just sheer nightmare fuel and they're very frequent the next few weeks as he dreams that his older brother really died. He's a sobbing mess every time he awakes from such dreams, shouting for you in and outside his sleep.

Yuma Mukami

🌱Yuma is arguably the chillest younger brother from the Mukami boys even if he also is the one who took the longest to accept you as his older brother. He's quite excited that day since the vegetables he planted together with you are finally ripse so he wants harvest them together with you which is why he starts searching for you, furrowing his brows when he can't find you anywhere in the house. Honestly, where are you? You may be the oldest but sometimes you're really troublesome. A thought that bites him back when he finds you outside the mansion, struggling against a vampire hunter who wanted to sneak on the property of the Mukami brothers. There are a few cuts on your skin whenever they manage to scratch your skin slightly with their weapon made out of silver. Yuma quickly comes to your help and catches them off-guard by ripping them off you and throwing you away, helping you up and barking at you how you got yourself in this problem all of a sudden. You don't get much time to answer as the hunter launches at you two again, although they're now at a disadvantage with two Impure Vampires against one human. You two nearly overwhelm them.

🌱In their last moments they get desperate, charging at Yuma with newfound ferocity which shortly throws him off-guard. You realise what they plan to do and throw yourself in the last moment in front of him, shielding him as the knife insted pierces through your ribcage. With their weapon now stuck inside of you, they're defenseless as Yuma lifts them up by their head and mercilessly crushes their skull before throwing the corpse carelessly away, grabbing his older brother as he stumbles back, knife still stuck in his skin. Even if he tries to assure his younger brother that he can walk, his false claims fall on deaf ears as he's picked up and piggybacked by Yuma who worries back to inform Ruki of what has happened. He still knows that Ruki needs space to treat the injury so he just waits outside the room, trying to keep a straight face despite the nagging fear of the injury you received. He's back to scolding you for always getting in troubles even if you're the oldest one as soon as he knows that you'll make it, warns you that you'll get nothing from the vegetables he harvested all by himself. He's joking though, tells Ruki to prepare you a bigger plate to enjoy.

Azusa Mukami

🔪 Azusa is the clingiest from the brothers as he's heavily co-dependent to the point where he struggles to make decisions for himself when his older brother isn't with him. He just doesn't know how to properly function without his cherished brother and it's something that worries you as the oldest just as much as all other Mukamis. So when Azusa can't find you, he always starts searching for you. It's one of those days again as he walks around the property, the grip on his knife tightening the longer he can't find you as anxiety eats him away from the inside. Where are you? Please come soon, he's so anxious and lonely without you. He didn't anticipate stumbling upon the middle of a battle and when he sees you, he stills out of shock. Your eyes fall upon him and widen in shock as you shout at him to quickly get away and inform your other brothers what is going on. That's when the attacker decides to go for him though, underestimating him for looking weaker than you. You don't let him though, use your enhanced speed to get between Azusa and him, hissing when you feel how they drive their knife close into your stomach, although you manage to break their leg as a result.

🔪 You struggle with your wound but so do they with their broken leg. You do your best to push them away as they try to stab you again only for Azusa to appear behind them in a flash, a dangerous glint in his normally tired eyes as he uses his own knife to stab them over and over again in the back as you secure your hold on them to allow Azusa to do as he does. With a final stab in the back of their neck, they finally go limp in your hold and you quickly push them away from you, beathing through the pain as you clutch your wound. Azusa goes down on his knees, crawls to you and clutches the bloody fabric of your clothes as he tries to somehow stop the bleeding, tremors going visibly through his body. He doesn't separate from his brother even once when both of them come back into the mansion, not even when Ruki instantly takes their oldest brother to treat the wounds on his stomach. He falls down the hole of self-harming tendencies again as he always grabs his knife as soon as he isn't with his brother which leaves the rest of his brothers little choice but let him stay with you all the time, unable to take any distance. Especially when he wants to punish himself for being at fault for your wounds.

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gacha-incels · 2 months

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imo this is another reason it’s so frustrating to have these young idk ~20 year old type “content creator” shills treating this entire thing like it’s some z-list western youtuber vs youtuber drama blasting no-context and misinfo out buckshot to their extremely impressionable young audience. when you look at their social medias their entire online life revolves around this specific game company and playing their games and posting about their games and making “content” about their games and following other kids who post about their games and play their games and post about their games etc. - essentially consumption of this media has become a central facet of their personality, and any slight on the product is now a slight on them personally. there’s also a growing cult of personality around the director that fosters another type of parasocial relationship. I’ve never witnessed “fandom” spaces for an extended period of time like this so it’s been surprising to me just how extreme all of this gets. But when something threatens the media that these fans have tied so closely to their sense of self they are going to be easily manipulated into placing the blame on a particular group or separating into an Us vs Them mentality. In this case so many of them have been laser focused on exonerating Project Moon that they’re slandering and putting targets on artists who do not deserve to be harassed and groups that are genuinely helping victims of feminist ideological verification in South Korea. at some point the short-sightedness of this becomes obscene.

I don’t think any of these kids and young adults (not saying this to demean you, the typical age group is ~ 16-22) comprehend the severity of the systemic issue that Project Moon had (and has) put itself into. This isn’t My Side vs Your Side, this is about violent antifeminism, systemic misogyny and worker’s rights in South Korea. This is not about you as a fan of a videogame, especially if you do not live there. Again I genuinely do not think Project Moon superfans should be making posts about this issue if you are looking at it in the latter way and not the former. You see this as some “drama” or “event” that effects you and the fans as individuals and the words “vellmori left on her own” or “watch the video” will make people stop talking about it. You repeat this with no contextual knowledge of how any of the labor laws or defamation laws in South Korea work, you look at this case in the bubble of your video game and nothing else. No one serious is doing this tit for tat bullshit in South Korea. I’ve literally been following this case and similar cases for over a year now, you can scroll through this entire blog’s archive and see the landslide of similar feminist ideological verification cases that have taken place since Project Moon’s. PM 7/25 is still referenced as a significant event when newspapers publish articles about this issue. No one is waffling about if the artist left on her own, they understand the situation in their own country. The strange idea that has somehow spread in the English speaking community that KGCS is some grifter group is absolutely baffling. The posts in english “warning” not to donate to them were hilarious at best and extremely condescending at worst, you’re talking like this is some scam gofundme. They probably don’t even know you exist. They typically raise the money they need within a couple of hours, close the donation pool, and then refund anyone who asks. This group not only helped Studio Ppuri’s animator avoid being fired in an event that almost mirrored project moon’s, they raised money for her legal fees that she used to press criminal charges against her harassers and helped set up meetings with the animation directors to explain the “controversial” shots. This was one of the biggest cases of targeted attacks from incel men, it had the chickenshit company Nexon deleting Studio Ppuri’s videos and their studio name was removed from the credits in the Korean broadcast of Solo Leveling. you can search the studio ppuri tag on this blog to see it all, I’ve found an article that has a short interview with the animator that I’ll post later.

Needless to say this is a serious societal, systemic issue, it does not deserve some westerners butting their heads in because they don’t want to feel guilty about playing a videogame. It’s disturbing to see this treated like some drama you just want to be over. it’s gross to watch information twisted and used in pedantic tit for tat arguments you only care about the end product of - “winning” and stopping any further discussion or “drama”. Please get some perspective.

#project moon #limbus company #kgcs #feminist thought verification

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dustbuniesworld · 2 months

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Time Of Dying

Warnings: Kidnapping, swearing, mild depictions of SA

Description: Eve Stone, a scout under Captain Levi, is kidnapped by someone from the underground.

Begins under the cut.

Please read with caution.

Finally home.

After a week long expedition outside the walls, Levi Squad returned to headquarters in high spirits.

"Stone, you're on stable duty!" Captain Levi called out before heading into the castle. Eve groaned aloud and made her way to the stables to settle the horses for the night.

She began her chore by leading the horses to their individual stables, and throwing hay into them. Tired and hungry, she didn’t take notice of the man cautiously approaching from the far side of the stables.

The man lied in wait at the far end until Eve reached him, when she was close enough he grabbed Eve’s ginger hair and forced her head forward, smashing it against the wooden pole in front of her, knocking her out.

Once the young woman was out, he slung her limp body over his shoulders; slipping out of the stables and moving towards the forest. The horses neighed for a moment but stopped, quickly becoming invested in eating the hay Eve had left them.

Inside the other cadets gathered for dinner, speaking amongst themselves when Levi came into the room. Looking around, privately counting cadets, Levi noticed Eve’s absence. “Braus go get Stone from the stables, I can’t have my team malnourished”, Levi ordered. Sasha saluted, making her way outside to retrieve her comrade.

A slight chill raised the hairs on Sasha’s arms as she approached the poorly lit stables. Thinking it strange that it wasn’t more lit for Eve to have been working in the stables, she took caution entering. Only to find it empty, save for the steeds.

Worry filled the hungry girl, as there was no sign of her comrade, Sasha ran back inside. “Captain Levi! She’s not in the stables, sir. There is no sign of her in the area”, Braus reported to the captain breathlessly, panic rising in her chest.

“Cadets, we are going to scour the surrounding area until Eve Stone is found. Let’s hope she didn’t get herself killed, shall we”, Levi ordered his subordinates, heading toward the door himself.

While the cadets were searching the area with their ODM gear for any sign of their friend, Eve was hidden away in a small cave.

Water dripped onto Eve’s forehead, waking her up.

Where am I?

Why am I tied up?

Where is captain Levi?

Were some of the thoughts running through her mind as she sat on the cold ground, shivering with rope binding her hands behind her back.

“Oh good you’re awake”, a gruff voice spoke to Eve, startling her. Swinging her head around to see who was speaking Eve’s eye met with a man whom was almost six-foot tall, fat, and dirty. The hungry look in his eyes filled Eve with fear, a knot twisting in her stomach.

Having no weapons on her person, and with bound hands, Eve was at this strangers mercy. “Who are you, what do you want with me”, Eve questioned her attacker. He chuckled and replied, “just some fun”.

Before Eve could comprehend what was happening the fat man was moving towards her and reaching for her pants. He had already pulled her pants halfway down, when Eve’s mind came out of its fog, and she started to struggle to keep herself clothed; squeezing her knees together to keep him from moving the pants more.

That action did not bode well with the man, he back handed Eve, hard, causing her to loosen her knees and allowing her bottoms to be pulled to her ankles.

Panic began to set in, Eve tried to shimmy herself away from this horrid man, but he grabbed her by the throat and held her down with one hand. With the other he pulled his pant down to his thighs and using his knee to part Eve’s legs.

She screamed when he entered her.

Captain Levi, Hanji, Eren, and Mikasa were the ground search team pushing through the shrubbery in case their lost cadet has somehow fallen and hit her head. Hanji was about to suggest moving the ground search elsewhere when Eve’s scream reached their ears. It was followed but a guttural sound, that made Levi’s stomach churn.

Levi was the first of the search party to reach the cave, with Hanji on his heels and the sight made him sick to his stomach. Enraged that someone thought they could touch one of his cadets. It was no secret that Levi protected his team with fierceness, and Eve was no exception.

“LEVI”, Hanji cried out as the 5’3” man surged forward to help his cadet. He grabbed the man on top of the young woman by the hair and ripped him off of Eve, raising his knee and slamming it into his face repeatedly.

Hanji stood outside to keep the other cadets arriving at the scene from seeing Eve in such a compromised and vulnerable position. Trying to save the poor girl some dignity. Stone faced as the man cried out from Levi’s blows.

Levi had nearly killed the man before he released his grip on the fat bastard. Slowly approaching Eve, he dropped to his knees and gingerly pulled her pants back up. “Come on cadet, I’ll take you home”, Levi softly spoke to Eve reaching beneath her knees with one arm and his other under her head, picking her up.

Eve whimpered in pain, burying her face in Levi’s chest. Allowing him to carry her out of the cave, where the rest of the Levi squad had gathered.

The entire way he carried her back to the castle Levi spoke to Eve. Telling her that nothing like this would ever happen again, and the animal who had done this to her would be torn to shreds. Eve cried the entire time, not from his words but from her dignity being stolen.

Levi took Eve to his room, and laid her upon his bed. Cut the rope binding her hands, “Captain I’m so sorry, I didn’t see h”, Eve spoke hoarsely, her throat raw from screaming, but before she could finish Levi cut her off, “This is the doing of a sick beast, not you Eve. Do not apologize for what is it of your control”.

Author’s Note: I feel like this is dragging on, so I’ll end it here. Let me know your thoughts, taking all criticism as long as it’s helpful!

#levi ackerman #captain levi #levi aot #levi x reader #attack on titan #hange zoe #mikasa aot #eren yeager #levi attack on titan

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aniamra · 10 months

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Traits that make people terrible moderators

These are just some observations I've made being a moderator in multiple settings, in wonderful teams and bad teams, as well as being in communities that have absolutely festered due to poor moderation. Many of these traits are things you can identify before the person is even appointed a moderator in the first place. (Most of this applies to large-scale servers and/or communities, and isn't always applicable to small and/or personal servers. I am not writing some sort rule book absolutely everyone has to follow, these are just traits that would not make the mod-team cut, to me, you don't have to agree with me.)

Having any hesitation with confrontation. (being a moderator requires confrontation, this is not negotiable. if the idea of confronting difficult people gives you anxiety or panic attacks, don't apply to be a moderator)

Being too eager to confront and/or unable to use tact/kindness when confronting. (those that seek confrontation should not be moderators)

Gets personally offended easily. (any mod that is constantly getting into fights with other users because of perceived slights, will make the whole community feel unable to talk to the mod team)

Is incapable of repairative reading. (moderators need to be capable of reading the best out of someone and not jumping to negative conclusions)

Lacking in compassion. (using tact and kindness leads to faster, more permanent, diffusion of conflicts)

Views any confrontation as a personal attack. (being a moderator means getting a lot of questions, suggestions, and well-meaning 'confrontation' and needs to be met without hostility. ps: tact and firmness are not the same as hostility)

Cares more about their own wants than the server. This can manifest in the form of, in the case of a server/community created for a single individual, ignoring comforts/needs of the individual; in the case of a collective community, being unwilling to negotiate or compromise with the rest or the community/team. Just any abuse of power in general.

Likes to control others. (moderation is about cohesive harmony for a shared goal, not control)

Incapable of being objective and applying the same rules appropriately to all users. (those that expect exceptions for their friends or people they want to impress, or express any other bias of application of the rules, should not be moderators)

Incapable of following the rules, themselves. (if someone wasn't following the rules before they became a mod, it won't change when they do become a mod)

Wants to be a mod for the social collateral, not because they want the community to run smoothly. (those that are constantly vying for attention and validation, that then apply for being a mod, should not be made mods)

Lacks humility. (knowing when to admit you're wrong or have overstepped, is important to being a good moderator)

Lacks the self-awareness of knowing when to put something down and walk away. (as a moderator, self-moderation is a vital skill that must be learned to be able to moderate others)

Refuses to communicate directly and clearly in any given circumstance. (vague communication is bad moderation, any user being approached by a mod should know exactly what they did wrong, and what is expected for future change)

Is prone to soap-boxing/lecturing instead of being concise. (this goes back to communicating clearly and directly; being overly verbose and preachy can make it difficult to understand. You need to give room to allow the member you are confronting to talk and ask questions.)

Incapable of deferring to others with grace where appropriate. (knowing when you're not the best mod for the job, when you're lacking in information, when your ideas just won't work, or when you're compromised is important. and knowing how to properly delicate tasks is a Must for an admin)

#internet #moderation #discord servers

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kanencrow · 1 year

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Please pleeasee you can write headcanons for Gwen Stacy with a very problematic airhead gn!reader who is always causing trouble, where she always has to save and take care of them AND their bullshit?

Babysitting a Partner - Across The Spiderverse | Headcanon

A/N: Of course I can! I tried to think of all that I could, so apologies that it's so short! Hope you enjoy!

SUMMARY: How would Gwen Stacy be with dating an S/O who’s an airhead, problematic, and a troublemaker?

WARNINGS: All characters are 18+. Swearing, Talks of Wounds, Talks of Blood, Slight Talk of Physical Violence.

WORD COUNT: 1000+

You’re probably considered to be the human embodiment of a problem. But it’s okay, because Gwen still loves you, even though you can be a pain in the ass sometimes. If she wasn’t Spider-Woman, it would have been a lot harder to keep a close eye on you and to make sure nothing terrible ever happened to you. Maybe that was why you stumbled your way into her life, because fate decided that she was the only person who would have been able to deal with your colorful personality – and colorful actions.

There had been many times where she’s had to stop what she was doing, just for the sake of keeping you from getting hurt. Sometimes you do impulsive things, or you don’t think certain decisions through completely, and more often than not, Gwen’s spidey senses start tingling, and she’s having to drop everything to go and find you. One time she found you trying to fight a group of thugs, who were beating up on some poor guy who was just wanting to go home after a long day at work. It was a close call. You almost ended up getting knocked out, but before one of the lowly men could swing on you, she had swooped down from a building and webbed his hand, which allowed her to yank him away from you.

There were other times where she wasn’t so lucky in getting to you in time. There was one particular night where she was busy fighting crime, saving people from fires or other terrible situations, and eating some pizza when she eventually had the ability to take a break. You had been holed up in your dorm for the majority of the day, and so while she was resting and enjoying her pizza, and you were leaving university to get some food in your own system, you encountered two people who were close to your age. Of course, they were up to no good, yet again, and so when they saw you, they started following you, before they eventually struck.

You couldn’t even begin to understand why they had attacked you, but they did, and you ended up getting hurt in turn. Gwen felt her senses tingle again, and when she dropped everything she was doing to find you, she had spotted you on the ground, bleeding from your head and clutching your abdomen, as though you had been stabbed. Though, luckily, when she rushed to your side and tended to you, you weren’t terribly hurt, but it was enough to warrant panic from her. Enough panic to where you ended up staying at the local hospital for a night. You didn’t want to, but she said that you couldn’t say no, and so you relented.

After that terrible event, she made sure to keep a much closer eye on you, even when she was too busy dealing with her villain of the week. You were still just as much of an airhead, even after what should have been a life-changing event. You acted as though you were a dare-devil in a way, which was sometimes endearing, but only when she had the ability to experience it with her own two eyes. You knew that she was Spider-Woman. So, sometimes, you’d find yourself attempting to show off to her, while the two of you relaxed on the roof of a building whenever your days were typically slow. Walking along the edge of it and yelling to your girlfriend ‘Gwen, watch this!’ and then almost proceeding to fall to your death was her least favorite thing in the world.

Trust me, there’s been many times where she tries to get you to just relax. You’re just such a high-strung individual that it makes it hard for her to get you to calm down, especially when she doesn’t let you get your jitters out first. She won’t hesitate to stick you with one of her webs and use that as a leash to keep you close to her. Think of those children backpacks that have a leash connected to it. That’d be you whenever the one and only Spider-Woman is done with your shit. Hell, sometimes she’ll shoot her webbing at your feet, just to get you to stay put. And of course you’ll complain, but like… she doesn’t really care.

Just stop moving.

It’s hard out here when your partner is an airhead, she thinks.

And when it comes to hanging out with her at your dorm, you always somehow manage to give her a heart attack, even when she can tell what’s about to happen, without it having fully happened yet. There’s been way too many times where she’s had to take a knife away from you, because you’ve almost accidentally cut yourself. There was even one time in particular when you tried to move too quickly, and in turn, it caused you to bump a glass cup off of the counter. And of course, the one and only Spider-Woman was there to catch it. And of course, she scolded you gently and told you to be more careful.

But did you really listen?

No.

You just have a habit of rebelling. It’s what makes you, you, and although it can sometimes get on Gwen’s nerves, or it can stress her out a little too much, she still really cares about you. The days where you’re too tired to be a miscreant are probably her favorite, though. But you definitely didn’t hear that from her. And honestly, you don’t always need to be tired in order for you to just cool it. You may be an airhead, but you can gather whenever she’s feeling a bit too stressed out, and so even though there are still those urges to get into trouble, you relent and decide to give your wonderful girlfriend a break.

And she appreciates it.

Though she loves going on adventures with you and your curious mind, she’d still love to just relax in your dorm and watch some movies with you. Maybe even play some games together, or even bake something – but there’s no way in hell she’s letting you hold anything that can cut you.

Being Spider-Woman is a job as is. She’d like to not be a medic, too.

She already has to deal with herself getting hurt.

#spider gwen x reader #gwen stacy x reader #atsv x reader #itsv x reader

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demigodickrider · 10 months

Text

indefinitely, forever ☆ okkotsu yuuta! [2/3]

okkotsu yuuta (post shibuya) x fem!reader click here for: part one | part two | part three - no spoilers from the manga, dwdw ;) - alternative universe where yuuta is an SCP? - [18+] three-part series, 10k+ words in total

(note: not proofread, expect grammar mistakes) warning: contains descriptions of blood, yuuta is a bit OOC/has that gojo satoru influence, romance, happy ending but contains slight angst and comfort, 2nd person pov, reader swears like a sailor

Nanami and Maki were nowhere to be seen, probably being told to retreat back into their offices for further discussion.

All eyes were on you however, being flailed around like a ragdoll in Rika's hand as she continues her slaughter. You could tell just how much the pair were enjoying this; the bloodshed had the walls painted in complete red. A stark contrast to the bland whiteness of the facility. You couldn't bear to watch as screams erupted all around you, silenced once Rika descends her attack on them, which had somehow grown more destructive over time.

"Where now?"

You point weakly at the hall to the left. Fuck the Foundation for designing their buildings akin to mazes. It left you bedridden and sick the first night you had to memorize their layout. But it felt worth it now, the three of you trudging forward and towards the exit with no difficulty.

"Elevator. Push the down button."

"Not up?"

"That's a secret alert button," Secrets spew out of your mouth like a waterfall. Nothing really mattered now that you're siding with evil. "Don't press that or we're fucked."

Yuta does as you told him to.

Now's a matter of defending yourselves before it arrives.

Rika sets you down on the ground, a low rumble emitting from her throat. Your knees felt weak like jelly, but you manage. Rika disappears back into Yuta's body without a trace, leaving the two of you alone. Now you both look human more than ever, but the blood tainting your clothing had a lot of convincing to do if you were to try and prove so.

Your ears pick up on the hurried footsteps approaching near, and Yuta readies his katana. The figures come closer, light behind them casting a familiar silhouette over two individuals holstering weapons-

"Wait! Those are my friends."

Yuta lowers the weapon slightly.

They slow down, coming to a stop.

Maki's eyes were practically bulging out of their sockets, seeing that you were in the hands of Rika. Nanami looked beyond frustrated. "Let her go, or we'll have no choice but to neutralize you."

"Wait, you guys. This isn't-"

Yuta cuts you, "I don't want to."

"Can't you at least let me talk to them?"

"What's going on?" Maki's gaze drifts between the two of you, suspicion lingering in the air. "Are you two working together? Seriously, get your head out of the gutter! If you're working with him just because you almost saw him naked-"

"Huh-"

"That has nothing to do with this!" You protest, your ears burning from the sudden accusation. "Listen to me, alright?"

"I'm listening." Nanami's spectacles glint under the light menacingly, weapon in hand. You've worked with him long enough to know that he'd most likely believe in reason than what's shown up front. Yet you were at a loss for words to even explain the absurdity of your situation: how would you tell them that you were coerced into this? The blood on their hands was as much the same as on yours; you lead them out all the way here. Despite wanting to do what's right, you chose to be selfish and instead helped the pair of anomalies.

You were the one who chose to betray the Foundation.

You're just as guilty as Yuta is. No less, no more.

"I... He broke out of his cell and..." Before you could finish, the elevator has reached your level. The metal doors open. "Nanami, Maki, I-"

Yuta pats your shoulder, "We need to go. Now."

"But-"

"Now." And there's that same dead-eyed look again, replacing any friendliness you had shared. You swallowed thickly, nodding at his command, knowing very well that the only two people you cared for are now no longer trusting of you.

Your nails dig deep into the palm of your hands when you had to turn your back on them. Yuta waits for you to enter then presses it close, noting how your friends stood aghast without firing their weapons.

It seems that they, too, have chosen to be just as guilty as you are.

...

"Are you okay?" Yuta's soft voice brought you back to reality. You were no longer back at the facility but rather in the comfort of your own home. Yuta had no clue about the city, finding himself displaced from the hometown he had been used to. You were lucky enough that you had just moved into a new residential area no one knew, an hour away from the underground base.

You had no energy to fight with the criminal sitting in front of you. He sat with both legs crossed, watching the snow trickle outside. He's wearing an oversized sweater of yours that had somehow fit perfectly on him. Droplets of water cascade down the side of his cheeks from his damp hair, no longer retaining its slicked down shape.

"Obviously not." You reply snarkily.

Yuta shifts away from the magical sight and onto your tired face. Your cheeks flush red and your pants were loose. Somehow you've lost even more weight prior to getting the job. You put your head in your hands, wanting to cry, yet finding the energy to do so was futile.

He shifted in his seat, uncomfortable at your sorrow.

"I'm sorry."

Hearing him apologize drove you mad.

"Say sorry one more time and I'm kicking you out."

He zips his lips shut, choosing to avert his focus on the falling snow again. It's December this time around, mid-winter. He'd lost count of the days he spent in the military looking up at high ceilings made of concrete at night, with little to no light. They had always treated him so unkindly; so inhumanely; leaving him to sleep on the floor like an animal and locking him up until it was time to leave for a mission. At least he had a bed during his time in the facility.

He hears a sniffle from you and scoots closer. There's this instinct he has that tells him to hold you close- maybe even give you a reassuring hug- but he's not so sure. He knows, clearly, that he's the cause of your demise and that he had just screwed your life over completely; but the Foundation would keep things discreet about the damage and betrayal you've caused. There's a benefit to working in secrecy, he supposes. So he does the next best thing he could think of:

"Are you hungry?"

His words made your stomach complain. All day you were merely surviving off coffee and stale breadsticks from the staff kitchen; some days you even forgot to eat from how tired you were.

You glare at him between the cracks of your fingers.

"Okay." Yuta gets up and walks over to the kitchen. Despite his isolation from the outside world, he had gotten pretty skilled in cooking. Having Rika around was tenacious as she always preferred eating meat raw; but tendencies are simply tendencies and when Rika isn't around, Yuta preferred cooking for himself.

You wiped your tears off with the paws of your sweater. It's December, just a little over two weeks left before Christmas. Just yesterday you were planning with Maki to go on a trip, but now...

Now you can't even use your phone in case you were tracked.

Hot tears spill from the corners of your eyes as you broke down once again, this time in a fit. Whatever exhaustion that had piled up pushed you to the very edge. For weeks you've been dreading going to work, only staying for the paycheck and for your friends. Hell, you had to convince yourself that you had a crush on one of the guys in the lounge just so you could continue going.

Maybe this was a sign that you should've quitted earlier.

Your logic battles with your conscience.

It's clearly Yuta's fault, so why are you beating yourself up?

Grief turns to anger as you stood from your seat and stomp angrily towards the man poking around in your fridge. There's an array of wilted vegetables across the counter. The thought of grocery shopping crossed your mind for a brief while; then it was overpowered by the sheer emotion of wanting to strangle the source of your troubles: fucking Yuta Okkotsu and his damned pet monster.

"Dinner's not ready yet- urhmp!"

You take him by the collar and slam him onto the counter. You earn a high-pitched yelp from the man once you punch him, this time not missing; right in his fucking face. Yuta groans in pain, a purple bruise forming on his cheek. The imprints of your knuckles fade slowly from his pale skin, and he winces as you pulled him back up by the collar. Your left hand takes the win yet again as you slap him hard across his face- so hard that stars burst within his vision. You were surprised to find that Rika hadn't come out and attacked you yet for what you did to him.

"Aren't you sorry for what you did to me?"

His eyebrows knit together, arms limp on his sides. "I'm sorry."

"You think that's fucking enough?" Your words come out harsh through gritted teeth. Yuta exhales, both hands coming up to grip your wrists firmly and forcing them off his collar.

"No, it isn't. I know that."

"I'll fucking kill you one day."

"No, you can't. You know that."

You try to budge your hands away from his grip to no avail. His hands are just as cold as you remember them. His eyes fail to mask his worry when he saw your bruised knuckles and the cuts on your arm. He had forgotten just how fragile you were compared to him, a supernatural human with a stupidly OP alien slash monster slash creature by his side to almost always heal him without actively seeking for it. You were human; as dainty as a dandelion; a single blow by his hand and you'd be crushed in an instant.

Despite being roughed up, Yuta made sure to be extra gentle handling you. To make sure you wouldn't break at his touch.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"Fuck off. Don't pretend like you give a shit about me."

He says nothing, hands moving up to cover over yours in spite of what you said. While you may not be physically strong, you've formulated your vocabulary enough to hurt like shards of broken glass. The room falls into temporary solace as he heals you.

"Listen. I'm really sorry."

The purple on your knuckles slowly started to fade, and the stinging subsided. "I don't give a shit, Yuta. You ruined my life and I'm not forgiving you for as long as you live."

"Then can I show you just how sorry I am?"

"And how would you do that? You think you're gonna win my heart over by some cooking?" You grit your teeth in pain when he massages over the sore knuckles that were just healed.

"I'll earn it however you want me to."

"Huh?"

Yuta's fingers glide over the cuts and bruises on your arm, counting them. "Whatever it takes for you to forgive me, I'll do it. I don't want to become estranged to you."

There's this weird feeling in your chest that's telling you to slap him again. But you hold back, mulling his words over and over. Whatever it takes, he says? You could practically use him however you wanted to for your own personal gain. With those looks of his, you could turn him into a runaway model and have all the money for yourself. The gears of business turned into your head. You could have him clean your house everyday, tell him to get a job, and live burden-free for the rest of your life. Having Rika would be an extra plus for security.

But wait a damn minute; estranged? You've just met him today and you're both acting like lovers living underneath the same roof.

He must've caught this realization of yours with the odd way he looks down at your hand, then at his, then back to your face. Yuta feels a little self-conscious, "Um, what? Is there something on my face?"

Hey hey, wait. Doesn't he look a little cute?

You raise a hand and slap yourself.

"Huh- are you okay?!"

"If I don't kill you, then I'll kill myself."

"Oh heavens, no. Please don't do that." Yuta slips his fingers in yours without much thought, pulling you closer to him. "Just breathe. Breathe in slowly, then out. This... this isn't worth that much to die for, alright? I'll help you find another job. I won't be much of a burden to you anymore since I'll move out soon, so please don't-"

He smells so much like the vanilla shampoo you love.

"Yuta." You cut his rambling off.

The poor boy is shaking with anxiety. Whatever deadly facade he had on just a few hours ago had evaporated along with your sadness, "Y-Yeah?"

"Do you realize just how absurd we are right now?"

"What do you mean?" He blinks innocently.

"This... whatever you're doing to me."

He rakes his eyes on you- head to toe, then back up to you. "The healing? It's Rika's powers and not mine."

"No. I mean, the situation that we're in right now."

"...That I killed people and that we're on the run?"

"No. It's how close we are together."

Yuta's face turns pink at the realization, "Oh, uh. Sorry, I..." Your hands and his untangle. It's hard to believe that this was the same man that hunted you down akin a predator to its prey; his eyes that once held no regard for human life are now shaking from your intense query. He deftly looks away from you to the side instead, putting his arms behind his back. He wants to curl into a ball and melt into a puddle; his very own innocence had chipped away the walls he had once built to keep emotions at an arm's length away.

Yuta's heart stutters, like a teenage boy with a crush.

"You know... if you like touching me so much all you gotta do is ask." Something else swells within you seeing him vulnerable like that. A deadly man with a deadly SCP no doubt; but worked up just because you reminded him of his proximity? It was your turn to tease him.

"I... Why do you say it like that?"

"Then why do you keep touching me?"

His eyes meet yours, "Because I need to heal you?"

"I don't believe you."

"Would you rather I touch you in a different way, then?" Yuta asks, dipping his head closer to you. The air changes in a split second, and you feel hotter than you should be in early December.

"...Huh?"

He mimics your words with a befitting smile, "If you want me to touch you so much, all you gotta do is ask..."

You felt like you were going to explode.

From tension or embarrassment, you don't know.

"Fuck you, Yuta."

You mock him.

Yuta chuckles,

"Sure."

Your eyes widen when he puts a hand behind your head, leaning closer to kiss you softly on the lips.

Time had somehow stopped for the two of you, the snow outside halting in their descent. His usually cold fingers had turned warm, resting nicely on the crook of your neck. His lips were plush soft against yours. His other hand cups your face, thumb stroking your cheek slowly with the kind of affection you've never felt before.

This was personal.

This was intimate.

This has got to be some kind of fucked up love.

He pulls back abruptly, guilt pooling in his eyes. "I'm sorry-"

Yeah, it has to be.

It must be with the way you responded back to him just as hungrily when he tore apart from you. Your hands grasp desperately at the clothing you lent to him, smelling so sweetly of your strawberry scented fabric softener, as if he was going to crumble to dust in your arms. It must be in the way your eyes flutter to a close, devoting all trust in a man you barely knew. It must be in the way his touches kindle a fire in you, raising the hair on your arms and back, how your body eases into the warmth his body emits. It must be how you yearn for his touch despite knowing him so briefly; as if you had known each other forever. It must be in the way his lips fit so perfectly on yours, cherry red on Merlot wine, drunken in each other.

It must be, it must be, it must be.

It must be some kind of fucked up destiny.

His hands travel down to your waist, holding you in place. Yuta loved touching; but especially touching you now, after having just realized how devoid of love he truly was. Regarded as viler than human all his years, pent-up frustration had him abandoning his emotions; his only saving grace of ever being considered human.

But in your arms, he felt human.

Each kiss lasted longer than the last. Outside, the world had turned a shade of dark only the moon can light up. You both finally break apart, catching your breaths. You notice the pinkish hue dusting his bruised cheeks and he notices the shy smile on your lips.

"Yuta... my legs."

"I got you," Yuta mumbles softly, carefully switching your positions and placing you on top of the counter. Now he's the one looking up at you, his lips a shade redder than before and the most lovesick gaze in his eyes you've ever seen. "You look so pretty when you smile."

You blush, "See, that's my first kiss you took."

"I thought the floor took your first?"

You smack him lightly, "Don't bring that up!"

He chuckles at the memory.

"I'm sorry that I punched you. Does it still hurt?" In the back of your mind you shot yourself for casting your pride aside, but you had to. He had kissed all the hatred you had for him away.

"Don't be." He rubs his cheeks, "I can heal myself, I deserved it."

"Yeah you know what, you're right. You do."

--------------------------------------------------------------> part 3 (smut)

#jujutsu kaisen smut #jjk #jjk x reader smut #jjk yuuta #yuuta okkotsu #yuuta x you #okkotsu yuta #okkotsu yuuta #yuta okkotsu #how many fucking tags does yuta have #i had to redo tags imma kms #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #x reader #fanfiction #jjk fanfic

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titlemewickedwonderland · 1 year

Text

Weather the Storm (Rain Ghoul x fem!reader)

Summary: Y/n loves Papa and his ghouls. They were like family despite her not knowing them long. She is so used to making sure everyone was happy and had what they needed that when she gets caught up in a bad storm that causes her to panic she's surprised that there is someone there to catch her after all and calm her down.

Fandom: Ghost Band (Swedish band)

Pairings: Rain Ghoul x Fem!reader

Auth. Note: The portrayal of Ghouls and Papa is from a fandom base and imagination alone; the personas of the band do not have anything to do with the real people behind the masks. I am a fan of their music and respect their privacy so their stage persona is separate from the real-life individuals in my works.

Triggers: Anxiety, panic attacks, angst, comfort, and fluff

Check out my Workshop

It's always a great morning when you wake up to the scent of freshly brewed coffee - a bonus when the hint of sugary sweetness of the donuts and pastries lining in boxes along the kitchen countertops but it was Y/n's pleasure to be able to spoil her boys especially after they just got back from tour. She knew no matter how much relief they all felt to be back at the Abbey and their own rooms she knew that it would not slap a balm over the temperaments that were always generally so high-strung from stress and overall exhaustion of the tour. Y/n always knew what to do to make things easier; it was after all part of her job. To make sure all the ghouls were taken care of and Copia had everything he needed before tour and during the tour - to allow some breather room for them was a key part of touring with them; something she'd found out real quick during her first tour with them.

Siblings of Sin were growing each day with new faces and Y/n hadn't been here more than a year just yet but because of her superb organization skills, calm disposition, and being practically the sunshine of everyone's morning kept her at a close positioning with Papa and his ghouls. She'd like to think she started a firm bond with them all during her time with them on tour and was a quick study when it came to picking up their habits and personalities.

So when a pair of arms snaked around her waist while she was busy on her ever-presence tablet in her hands confirming the day's schedule a tail snaking up her slacks-covered leg to gain her attention Y/n was not surprised and merely pulled a smile from her face as she reached over to grab a random pastry out of a box and lift it up to the figure behind her who was busy nuzzling against her neck with a low purr of sleepy content.

"How do you always smell so fucking good?" Dew's voice grumbled as he took a little nip of her neck

"Oi there, gremlin. Take a bite out of something else; I need my throat." Y/n grinned despite her chiding remark as she pulled her neck from the fire ghoul's reach and shoved the edge of the flaky pastry into his slightly parted mouth.

Dew couldn't even find the strength to be mad when the sweetness of the sugary dessert hit his taste buds and he chittered happily while taking a seat at the kitchen island to munch on his treat.

"Is anyone else up yet? I have fresh coffee and pastries for everyone." she turned to lean her back against the edge of the counter and peer across the space at the fire ghoul

Dew looked so disheveled with his long pale brown hair a slight mess and sleep still crusting to the corner of his eyes that were only half-lidded as he licked the sugary goodness from his fingertips. Despite her having seen the ghouls without their human disguises before she came to find that they enjoyed their human appearances even being so bold as to hold partial glamor and allow certain parts of their ghoulish features lose like tails, horns, and fangs even in the confinements of their own ghoul's apartments; the only time she'd ever seen them fully dressed up in their formal ghoul attire was either when they were in public, out of their quarters with other siblings, or performing. She was content and a little smug to know she was one of those very very few outsiders who had the privilege to see them as they were - not a lot of people had that opportunity but when you are Y/n with her positioning within the clergy it came with its perks.

"Hmm, Aether and Swiss are in Aether's nest" Dew shrugged and reached towards the counter for another pastry with his hand while his finger wiggled in his pointed ear to dislodge the cotton feeling of sleep he felt there. "Mountain is always up before any of us so he's probably in the greenhouse. I haven't heard from Rain though. He might either be sleeping or out with Mountain?"

Y/n pouted tapping at her tablet thoughtfully without looking back at him and gave a few thoughtful nods. "Hmm okay. That's fine, you guys actually have a free schedule for the next few days - Sister Imperator insisted you guys take an extra day for decompression. Something about Copia having a bit of a fuss over what happened during the last show on tour." the young woman hummed mildly before her gaze lifted just in time to see Dew grab a third pastry and her hand swatted at his playfully but didn't stop him from grabbing one.

"Save those for the others Dew." she chided lightly but a smile played at the edge of her lips

"Why? You got something sweeter for me?" he shot her a toothy grin that looked too far feral and Y/n briefly wondered if their ruts were coming; casting a quick glance at her calendar she was inwardly relieved to find that she had at least 2 weeks til that happened.

"You're starting to sound like Swiss. That's his pickup line. Don't steal his swag, little fire ghoul. It doesn't suit you." she smirked playfully

"Tch." Dew slumped back into his seat and Y/n smiled at him warmly before tipping her head towards the door to the kitchen.

"Why don't you go join Aether and Swiss? Relax and be lazy for once, you have no practices or anything of that sort for a few days. I'll go check up on Mountain and Rain to make sure they're okay before checking in with Papa. Satanas knows that man will need all the comfort he can get."

"Just get him a few siblings. They'll fuck the stress out of him." Dew followed behind her as the pair headed for the door and she swatted at his arm with a slight scowl.

"You know it's true." he shot her a cheeky little grin but Y/n just gave a shudder.

"I love Papa but I rather not be thinking of what kind of destressing he gets up to," she replied before chuckling under her breath and heading down the hall towards Mountain and Rain's rooms while Dew headed in the opposite direction to join his pack mates in a ghoul snuggle pile.

When neither ghoul answered to her knocks she found a slight frown tugging at her lips. It wasn't as if they particularly needed her to check up on them now that they were back home; they had more range of the abbey than most clergy members so it wasn't unusual if they were out of their rooms but for her own peace of mind and probably a little bit out of habit Y/n couldn't help herself but twinge with worry when she got no responses.

She did not allow their lack of presence to dislodge her focus though. She did in fact have work to do; pish posh if she was told to take a day for resting after they returned from the tour - Papa insisted on it that she deserved a break as much as any of them since she holstered more work than most on the tours second to the band mates themselves but Y/n was a creature of habit and maybe a bit of an overachiever. So she'd picked up the work that was supposed to be looked at the next day and got a head start on it.

Hidden away in Copia's office as she worked in her corner assigned for her personally by Papa she didn't realize how much time had passed. Hidden away in the nook that smelled of his cologne, incense, and ink from books. While the church was very modern when it came to technology for the most part Y/n enjoyed the fact that Copia kept himself a little less modern with books and ink wells as much as a laptop tucked away. She loved the older ways of doing things too; switching between answering emails needed and writing down some paperwork by the hand she was in her happy place.

Until her stomach growled and she was forced to take her wary eyes from her work to look at the clock on the wall and frowned in surprise when her eyes read that it was nearly dinnertime already. Dinner time huh? She'd skipped breakfast to make sure her ghouls were settling in fine and she'd worked through lunch as time got away from her. She didn't know just how bad her hunger was until her stomach damn near cramped in on itself and she swore it was almost as bad as period cramps. Sighing she carefully went through her routine of shutting things down, saving and tabbing things she was working on, and piling things neatly into drawers or her organizers.

Happily, she stretched her body hearing the crackling and pops of her bones as she unfolded herself carefully from her hair making her internally joke to herself that she was old as she headed for the doors. But that happy buzz left with the presence of what was behind the door. Rain. No, not her precious and shy ghoul. But actual rain from the sky. It was pouring down in torrents making a thunderous sound come as it pelted the roof making her flinch involuntarily. It wasn't that she hated it when it rained...she was just not overly fond of the lightning and thunder that came with rainstorms. A bad memory of when she was accidentally locked in a closet during a storm when she was young caused more trauma then people would give credit.

Y/n breathed in deeply the scent of fresh rain and wet earth before she was closing and locked Papa's office door with her copy of the key before making her way down the stone hallways. In the daylight on any normal day, the place had a nice vibe; almost nostalgic even during the nights on the rare occasion she'd walk those halls past sundown. But during storms like tonight, the place was eery; scary even, and made the hair on her arms rise on end. The halls were empty and her footsteps were drowned out by the thundering of the rain on the roof. Still, she had to press on and headed for the eating hall. But as she began to walk down the isolated halls a flash of lightening illuminated the dim area that was only lit by a few violently flickering candles on the walls and she whipped her head around when she felt herself being watched. Surely not, there was nothing to be worried about here at the Abbey. The only demons that lurked in these halls were the ghouls and she was friendly with most of them; well civil at best unless they were Papa's ghouls. Sister Imperators were...well they often enjoyed creeping her out whether intentionally or not.

She wasn't expecting to see anything when she looked over her shoulder but her heart leaped up into her throat when she saw a black-clad figure at the end of the hall; the lights flickering on the silver mask and the lightening that slashed across the sky briefly made the figure look utterly terrifying. Despite her knowledge of the halls and those who walked it both human and ghoul, it did nothing to qualm the utter animalistic fear that suddenly leaped through her as she turned and bolted down the hallway; her feet slapping loudly but being lost in the sound of the rain as she panted each breath through trembling lips. Was the figure following her? Why was she running? Was she in danger? Yes...no! no of course she wasn't! Was she?

She slammed open a pair of wide doors that opened to a vast room beyond and she was surprised to find that she'd made it to the mass hall where the sermons were usually held. The large space looked foreboding but empty even as lightning flashed and thunder rolled. Her mind fogged over with fear and her chest felt tight as she stumbled through the pews before collapsing in the corner by the stage as if trying to hide from something or someone within the room. But she was alone right? She shouldn't be running; it was stupid - just a silly panic attack about a stupid storm. But then the lights illuminated the room again and there stood that same figure just a few feet away from her and she screamed.

A pair of cold hands gripped her shoulders and she flailed trying to dislodge them only for a few pinpricks of pain to dig into the skin beneath her silk shirt and causing her mind to stutter to a stop when her big eyes lifted to meet the familiar silver masked face of a ghoul looming over her. Except it wasn't so scary anymore when dark brown eyes flashed through the eyes of it on another flash and she realized with a stupid amount of relief as she recognized them instinctively despite not knowing the face behind it.

"Satanas Y/n," the voice was soft as the figure knelt down in front of her and she threw her arms around their necks ignoring the way the mask dug into her shoulder and head as she squeezed tightly

"Hey, it's okay...." cold but reassuring hands crept up her back to hold her to them.

Rain held her tightly to him before realizing that he was soaked to the bone from the thunderstorm beyond and pulled away. "Hey, I'm getting you wet. Hold on Y/n-"

"I don't care! Shit, just..." she swallowed as her shaking fingers gripped the wet fabric of his back shirt as if afraid to let him go.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you, baby girl. We were worried when we couldn't find you or get a hold of you. I was out looking for you when I saw you in the hall running...satan below I've never seen you that scared before. Are you okay?" he reached up to wipe at the tear stains from her face.

Y/n let out a teary laugh and shook her head. "I-I'm sorry. You caught me off guard...I was in Papa's office doing some work and lost track of time. I didn't know we were going to have a storm. You just surprised me...I-I'm not overly fond of what comes during a storm." her smile was a bit wary as she looked out the window and let her hands drop to her lap as she slowly calmed down breathing in the familiar scent of Rain - like the fresh and crisp air after a storm, something like a lakeside trip during summer, and his natural Ghoul scent cologne that was indescribable.

"You're afraid of storms?" Rain tilted his head slightly to the side and Y/n couldn't help the flush that crept up her neck and face.

"It's silly. I know. It's just..." She looked down at her fingers as she played with them. "When I was little, I was playing hide and go seek with my siblings. I found myself locked in a closet on accident and they couldn't find me all day - lucky me that it started a thunderstorm during that time too." she shuddered at the memory.

The water ghoul gave a little chittering sound of comfort as he curled his tail around her leg and rested the side of his mask against her leg to look up at her; he reminded her of a puppy or kitten begging for attention. The sight made her smile despite her ebbing fear.

"It's not silly." his hand squeezes her calf and his eyes soften before he sits up. "Can I help you?"

"Hmm?" she frowns confused before flinching when another crash of thunder above them catches her off guard.

Rain is right there to pull her up to her feet. Keeping his hands on her at all times to give her a sense of comfort he begins to lead her back towards the doors and she is more confused than ever.

"Rain! What are you doing?" Y/n hoped he was just taking her back to the dorms to dry off and watch a movie or something but instead he pulls her out towards the open hallway where beyond the safety of the roof lay the torrent of rain falling.

"Rain-" she tugged on his hand but his grip was firm as he turned to her. His eyes were right behind his mask as he tilted his head at her.

"If you don't face your fear, pretty girl. You'll never learn to get over it. Come on, I got you I promise. Do you trust me?" he held out a hand to her and she just stared at him as if he was crazy.

"I don't think that's a good way to-" she began but the slight ghoul was already reaching up to tug his mask off his face.

no matter how many times she sees him without one she's struck with how utterly beautiful he is with his ashen skin, strong nose, piercing dark eyes, and thick waves of hair that nearly reached his shoulders. He placed the mask down before taking a few steps out into the rain. Not caring that within seconds he was soaked and dripping with the hair in his face that he swept away with his long strong fingers to give her a toothy grin that flashed white with the spark of lightning.

"Come on Y/n. rain won't hurt you." Y/n's lips curled up slightly as she stared at his outstretched hand.

"This rain or that rain?" she tipped her chin between him and the water rushing to the ground above them.

"Neither." the ghoul smiled a little softer as he watched her debate.

Before she could stop herself and think more clearly she reached out and took his hand. Allowing the other to pull her into the downpour and soak into her clothes in an instant. She shuddered and closed her eyes trying to imagine herself in a shower instead of a thunderstorm but it did little. As if feeling her unease and panic rising Rain's body pressed to her back and his arms wrapped around her waist to hold her tightly whether for comfort or to keep her from running she didn't know but she tried to focus on his warmth at her back instead of the water getting into her eyes.

"R-Rain I don't think it's working." the girl jerked back into him at a crack of lightning but the water ghoul was right there with her.

His mouth pressed to her ear and she felt the prickle of his stubble against the soft shell as he murmured; a voice calm and collected but deep as if coaxing her muscles to relax with the sound of his voice alone. "It's just water, baby. It's not going to hurt you. Feel it hitting your skin. Listen to the way it hits the ground - get lost in its voice. The thunder isn't something to be afraid of, think of it as a friend - the lightning as a smile as the storm speaks to you." he was slowly rocking them side to side as he spoke.

"You've dealt with so much more noise than this. Come on honey." he crooned as he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

"Rain I-" Y/n swallowed and she turned her face to look at him. He looked utterly beautiful under the spray of water that rushed them. He wasn't even cold or shivering from it like she was.

He flashed her a smile before nuzzling his nose against her neck. "How about this...think of a storm as one of your ghouls."

"M-My ghouls?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Copia's adopted you so in reality you're like our holder as much as he is." Rain chirped between placing soft kisses to her neck.

"A-and how is that supposed to help?"

The water ghoul pulled his head away and instead ran his hands up her sides to her shoulders and squeezed. "Picture this." his voice was so low she had to tilt her head back so that she could hear it better over the rain.

"The thunder is the sound of Mountain as he beats at his drumset. The sharp strike of lightning is as violent but beautiful as Dew's sharp tongue. The darkened clouds remind you of Swiss and his presence is so powerful and striking you can't ignore it. The howling wind that whips the trees is Aether with his carefree and wild spirit."

Y/n's eyes had slid closed at the lull of his voice as she sagged against him but they opened to stare into the darkened eyes of the water ghoul. "And you?"

A slow quirk of his mouth teased at the edge of her own. "I'm the rain that falls at your feet; washing away all your worries."

Y/n's lips parted slightly as if to say something but instead, she found herself nodding slowly. "I-I think I might like storms after all, then," she mumbled breathlessly

"Good." a growl vibrated through her back as he pressed closer to capture her wet lips and she arched up into him only to be spun around to be pressed to a pillar.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back; fumbling slightly with the intensity of his kisses. When they needed breath they parted and Rain rested his forehead against hers breathing her in as she panted in his arms. He reached up a hand to brush away the wet strands of her hair from her face and wipe at the raindrops on her lashes with a small smile.

"Rain! Y/n!" a voice shouted through the storm and they looked over to find the other pack members rushing down the pathway toward them.

"You found her! We were worried!" Aether sighed in relief as they reached the pair. "Satanas, you're going to catch a cold. What are you doing Rain? Let's get her inside before she gets sick!" ever the mother hen the quintessence ghoul pulled off his jacket to drape it around the girl.

Y/n laughed a bit and flushed as she squeezed Rain's hand when he entwined their fingers. "I'm okay...just...being reminded again why nature is such a beautiful thing." she gave a secretive smile to the water ghoul who smirked back at her.

Dew and Swiss followed behind with the forgotten mask in Dews hands while Mountain forged ahead of them leading the way back towards the dorms rumbling almost as deep as the thunder above their heads.

"Let's get you dry and warm, blossom. I'll make you some hot cocoa and we can watch a movie."

"Actually...I was wondering if perhaps we could grab something to eat first? I-I kind of forgot about food today...too caught up in work." Y/n flushed when a few disapproving eyes landed on her and suddenly she was hauled up into another ghoul's arms.

"Brat, when are you going to learn rest days apply to you too." Swiss sighed as he carried her bridal style down the hallway.

Y/n smiled and rested her head against his shoulder. "Food....I want food and then a snuggle pile."

Rain chirped happily in reply as he wrapped his tail around her ankle as he walked beside the pair and gave a grin. "Sounds like a plan."

"And no more playing in a thunderstorm for satanas sake! We have to deal with Rain doing that enough times but he's a water ghoul it's in his nature. you get sick far too easily as a human." Aether added pointing an accusing finger at her.

"I dunno guys...I think I actually love storms." Y/n replied thoughtfully as she closed her eyes with a slight smile listening to Swiss' purr rumble his chest.

"Why's that Blossom?" Mountain piped up curiously.

"Someone special told me storms are like friends if you know where to look." she replied peeking an eye open to peer at Rain who gave her a fond smile.

The rest made noises of approval and appreciation but said nothing. They weren't stupid; they could read the signs but they said nothing as they took their precious human back to their den for some proper rest.

#ghost fanfiction #The band ghost #ghost band #Rain ghoul #rain ghoul x reader #poly!ghouls #ghost oneshot #Rain #tags are open

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storiesofsung · 6 months

Text

Obey Me Rewrite - the Passion Project

Note: spoilers below the cut

I’ve always been in love with the game obey me and been super passionate about it as a long time fan however the game itself is kind of lacking.

Obviously it does what it does well, it’s a dating simulator about demons from hell but what I mean is it lacks potential.

I love the characters and their relationships with each other and the overall concept, that is what made me fall in love with it in the first place however I do have my own issues with the game not as a dating simulation but as a story.

To give you more context:

Characterization

- characters are given great potential with interesting backstories and fun personalities however the direction the game takes them completely wastes any sort of progression as interesting 3 dimensional characters

Example: Satan - he is shown to show personal struggle with a sort of inferiority complex with the way he was brought into this world (or hell) by people only viewing him as an extension of Lucifer and only as wrath, not as an individual living being. He works hard to create a name for himself and he prides himself on wisdom. He has a strong character and one of the best self restraint in terms of anger I dare say (he did attack mc but honestly from the way he was acting in Nightbringer it is progression) plus he is calm and collected and obviously by now a respected demon. Though he knowledgeable in itself, he still has issues to work with, one being working out his difficulties with Lucifer, (maybe) coming to terms with the way he was born and the trauma he went through when Lilith fell (he technically felt Lucifer’s pain). Instead as the series progressed we only saw him a soft cat boy, cmon 😀.

There are much more examples of this in fact all of them have such wasted potential, I’m not going to go in depth (unless someone asks me to hehe) but a very notable mention I would also like to make is

Example 2: MC - I’m not going to comment on how they are dull or has no personality because actually they can be very sassy depending on which options you choose. Also the mc is supposed to just be a self insert so I understand that enough. Anyways what I would like to give note to is the fact that mc forgave belphie right away after he I don’t know KILLED US? Or should I say, more accurately, the game forced us to forgive him so we would have the belphie lovey dovey options (no hate to belphie stans I’m just saying). What I mean to say is that we shouldn’t have not forgiven him you know, honestly it’s more of pacing. We COULD have forgiven him and actually that would be interesting development and a look into their backstory as angels, however there was no real progression towards forgiveness or us even being remotely scared of him (I may be wrong on this but I remember belphie and mc becoming besties real quick with no hard feelings) like the snappy mc incorrect quotes I think would actually fit well into the story as well as proper talk and real progression towards forgiveness.

2. Concepts and storylines

This is slightly less of an issue but I do take slight to the way the game handles storylines. Season 1 was the best (in my opinion) because it was less of “uwu mc marry me” content and more of demons being demons.

Alright so this really bugged me but I don’t like how MC is a a descendant of Lilith, like I know the brothers and Lilith are not blood related and are honestly more found family and that MC and Lilith and so far related (in terms of how many generations were between them) that they barely share dna I believe (in terms of physical dna and all that good stuff not the angelic powers) but I’ve always found it kind of gross but I guess that’s just a me problem…

I’m going to take the next part of my issues with concepts and storyline as general as possible but it’s really long but… hell doesn’t feel like hell, or should I say devildom doesn’t sound like hell

There is technology in other depictions of hell (like Hazbin hotel) but that’s done better because it’s not so emphasized (I know DDD is part of the game but I think they drive the technology bit overboard) it’s a lot less subtle and hell just feels like an abridged human world with slight magic involved.

The demons don’t even act like demons or look like demons, as hot as their demon forms are they look like emo teenagers that just discovered hot topic like girl bye 😭. They don’t act remotely demonic like sometimes, and everything just seems like a cosplay is the best way I can describe it. I know it’s 12+ and not 18+ but I really enjoy the more gorey fanfic versions of obey me concepts because that feels like hell, it brings out emotions in me of shocked scared and surprised which is what Dre me into the game in the first place, not a bunch of boys going to play dress up and harass the MC.

I have much more problems with the game( I still love so obviously I’m gonna play it) but this is more of a rant and I just played Nightbringer so I hope there is more lore that resolves some of my issues but yeah!

I’m not that skilled of a writer or anything but I would really like to try and rewrite obey me as a kind of “real hell” as a passion project, obviouslt no characters, or anything trademarked belong to me this is more of for fun. Again I’m not that experienced so if anyone would like to give me tips on how to write or would lousy like to chat about obey me, about this rant and other issues or just obey me in general feel free to dm me I’m always looking for more obey me stuff hehe but yeah, or actually honestly I just want your opinion on this.

I know it’s not that deep it’s a game about horny demons but it still means a lot to me and I hope you guys understand where I’m coming from. Thank you.

#obey me #obey me one master to rule them all #obey me fandom #obey me fanfic #obey me mammon #obey me lucifer #obey me leviathan #obey me brothers #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me belphie #rant post #obey me rant #obey me undateables #obey me nightbringer

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wavypotatochips · 2 years

Note

Omg I love the way you write for Sergio, can I request something angsty where Reader and Sergio are dating and she feels like someone been following her for weeks but she never told anyone and one day someone actually tried to harass her like she has a stalker and Sergio finds her crying at home so he gets all protective please? Thank you so much

𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐌𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐝 | 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐨 𝐑𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐬

𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴: Sergio Ramos x Female Reader

Word Count : 2k

𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦: I am so glad you like my writing style! Of course I can write your request (: I am sorry this took me such a long time to post c': Thank you so much for your patience!! I Hope you like how I represent your idea ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚!!

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Anxiety Attack, Paranoia, Being Chased, and Suggestive Stalking.

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ REQUESTS ARE OPEN, currently covered in college work so as of now uploads will mainly be on weekends. Thank you for your patience c’: ♥

𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙤𝙛 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙉𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚.

You tell yourself, "Come on, it's just your mind playing tricks on you," as you pick up the pace. You decided to get some fresh air and visit a neighborhood café for a cup of coffee and a snack. However, as you leave your car and cross the street to the cafe, you can't help but feel eyes on you once again. You try your very best to ignore the feeling by telling yourself that you are just being paranoid, but the unease didn't go away. Every time you left your house in the previous several weeks, whether it was to get the mail or go grocery shopping, you couldn't help but sense that someone was watching you. The eyes felt more like those of a predator, with you as its target, than like normal paparazzi seeking to obtain content. As you thought you could be overreacting, you were hesitant to tell Sergio Ramos about it. Yet, as this feeling grew stronger, you began to suspect that you aren't hallucinating.

You quickly cross the street after checking both directions. The familiar prickling sensation at the back of your neck, the sensation of being watched, returns. Even though you made an effort, it was difficult to shake off. As you quickly open the door to the cafe, you scan around to see if you recognize anyone, but all you see are random individuals going about their daily lives. You could not escape the impression that someone was following you even though there was nobody you could recognize. Your thoughts were plagued by it constantly, like a weight on your shoulders. As your thoughts start to stray, your pulse rate increases as you patiently wait in line. What if someone is really following me? What if they have bad intentions? What if today is the day they will come out of the shadows?, you think to yourself.

The employee interrupts your train of thinking with "Ma'am? ", leading you to look up. You flinch slightly at the sound of their voice and mumble a sorry before hastily approaching the cashier. "May I have one iced Americano with a pumpkin loaf?" She nods and puts everything in, and as you take out your wallet to retrieve your card, the employee says, "Well someone already paid for it so you don't have to worry!" As you heard this, your eyes widened. In order to not appear suspicious, you just gave the clerk a slight smile. "Can you tell me who it was? Just so I may personally thank them." "Sorry ma'am, I don't know," the cashier says while shaking their head. " Someone from the drive-through apparently noticed you and asked if they could pay for you." You simply nod your head and proceed to the location where you will retrieve your items. You kept looking around, trying to spot anyone who might be watching you. You were wearing clothes to disguise yourself so that no one would notice you, including sunglasses, a cap, and a tracksuit, so you knew that someone pin-pointing you was not a coincidence.

You lightly bite the inside of your lower lip, deciding it would be best to just leave the cafe and return home as soon as possible. Since you had no idea which drink would be yours, you made sure to observe every employee make it, but just to be cautious, nothing was added. Your name is called a short while later, indicating that the employee is holding your order. You swiftly leave the store after saying a short thank you to the employee. As you exit, you take a drink of your iced americano and sigh slightly as the beverage's chilly sensation spreads throughout your body. To get back to your car, which is situated in a medium parking lot, you swiftly cross the street. You are ready to take another sip as you make your way to your car but stop yourself when you notice someone in all black pulling something out from under your vehicle. When you watch the person inspect what appears to be an airtag, your heart seems to skip a beat. They have been tracking your location this entire time. Accidentally stepping on a chip bag as you slowly start to back up causes the person to look up at you as soon as they hear the bag crumble. To prevent you from recognizing them, they are hiding their face with a ski mask. Five seconds pass before they start to run in your direction, which causes you to scream, hurl the coffee at them, and immediately run away from them. Running deeper into the parking lot was not the best course of action; rather, it would have been better to return to the coffee shop. Yet, your feet started to move before you had time to stop and consider. "Y/N, my sweetheart! HOW DID THE COFFEE GO? I HAD BEEN DYING TO MEET YOU AND I KNOW THIS IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE! ILL TREAT YOU SO GOOD MY LOVE" The person yells, prompting your adrenaline to skyrocket. By the way they spoke, this person appeared to be an obsessed stalker rather than someone who was trying to harm you. They kept gushing about how wonderful you are and how they would treat you so well. Running as rapidly as you could through the parking lot, you duck behind a car, trying to mask the sound of your labored breathing while doing so. The figure, who we now know to be a man, was likewise panting rapidly as he swung his head from side to side in an effort to find you. He turns and asks, "My Love, where did you go?" before running the other way. Thank goodness, he fled the other way, and as soon as you saw him go farther than you had been, you sprint to your car.

As soon as you got in your car, you sped off to your house. Should you have dialed 911? Definitely. But right now, all you wanted was to feel secure, and the only place you felt secure was at home. You drove while sternly fighting back the tears since you didn't want to endanger other drivers or yourself. The energy spike from the adrenaline has your entire body shaking, and it keeps doing so even after you go home.

You swiftly pull into your driveway, park the car, and enter your home. Your cheeks start to get wet as the tears that had been pleading to come out finally do. You raise your arms over your head and place your hands on top of your head as you hyperventilate, hoping that this will force air into your lungs. While you recall the events that happened, your mind feels like it is racing at 100 mph. You begin to reflect on all of your suspicions, believing that you were overreacting when, in fact, you were not. Your body continues to shiver as you pace back and forth, feeling increasingly nervous that the mysterious person is watching you in various ways. What if they hacked into your phone? What if there's actually a camera in your house right now? Your overthinking causes your head to pound, and you start crying because you're unsure of what to do. You were so preoccupied with your thoughts that you failed to see Sergio coming your way. Sergio was exercising in the gym room while wearing headphones, so he was oblivious to your entrance. He only became aware of your entrance when he noticed the mirror in the exercise room wobbling slightly as a result of you slamming the door. He removes his headphones, exits the room, and enters the living room while wearing only a pair of futebol shorts. He grinned broadly in anticipation of seeing the love of his life, but as soon as his eyes met yours, his smile vanished and he hurried to your side.

He frantically asks, "My love, what happened?!?" while placing his hands on your sides and bending slightly at the knees in an effort to look into your eyes. When you first saw him in front of you, you immediately embraced him and sobbed into his neck. He was sweaty, but you didn't mind because you just wanted to be near him. incredibly close. Sergio pulls you up by the thighs and walks over to a neighboring couch. He reclines with you on his lap and gives you a comforting back rub. He waited patiently for the right moment since he knew that in the heat of the moment, it would be preferable to keep silent so you can calm down a bit. You start sniffing around ten minutes later when you eventually start to feel a little calmer. When Sergio notices that you are frowning, he lifts your head off his shoulder to look at your face. He asks calmly, "What happened, my love?," as he uses his thumb to dab the tears off of your now-red, tear-stained cheeks. " Promise not to get angry with me?," you murmur as you delicately bite your lip. "I could never be angry with you." You give him a slight nod and slide from his lap to take a seat next to him. You started spilling every detail about what had been happening over the last few weeks as soon as you sat down next to him. Whether you check the mail, take your car to be washed, even just watering the garden in the front yard, etc…. you sense someone is watching you. And you just withheld the information from him because you were unsure of whether you were overreacting. You also explained how only when you are with him, and only him, do you ever feel secure.

Sergio's face became more enraged the more you expressed. You were aware that the unknown person was the target of the rage, not you. Sergio is a fiercely protective boyfriend who would stop at nothing to ensure the safety and well-being of you. His anger quickly flared up knowing that you felt threatened. He thinks about what he will do when he finds this man, including beating him until he is reduced to a pulp and forcing him to make apologies to you. How could anyone think they could love you more than he could? When it comes to providing you with the finest, he is the best.

He slowly gets to his feet, making you bite your bottom lip as you wait to see what he will do next. He is now the one who is pacing back and forth. "My love, I'm very sorry that I am unable to provide you with the comfort you may need at this time. I am beyond furious that this has happened to you. When you are not with me, I will hire full-time protection for you." He's starting to overreact now, so you say, "Babe," in an effort to attract his attention. "Well, you know what," he bellows as he continues to ramble, ignoring you. You'll always be with me since you're only comfortable when you are with me. I'll now make sure to always be by your side no matter what.” You call out, "Baby," once again in an effort to grab his attention. “I'll make sure you're able to attend all team practices and activities, or I won't play. Easy as that. Let me just fetch my phone and I'll figure it all out," he says, patting his shorts. After shouting "Baby!" a little louder and getting out of the chair, he eventually stops talking and turns to face you. You approach him and put your arms around his waist while giving him a little smile as you glance up at him in an attempt to calm him down. "How about we buy some Chinese food, cuddle on the couch, and ask Justin to get it for us?" You give him those puppy dog eyes, trying to get him to agree to text one of the security guards you two already have, "We can talk about this tomorrow when we both are more clear in our heads." Because of the anxiety episode you just experienced, your mind is clouded, and you can see that Sergio's mind is not in the proper state to be making decisions. Sergio's actions may have appeared possessive or controlling to an outsider, but you were aware that they were motivated by love and compassion. You were pleased to have him as your partner and appreciated his constant commitment to your safety and security.

He exhales, venting his irritation, and then nods in agreement with your suggestion. "Okay, but give me a minute to shower first. I'll text Justin before I enter so that maybe when I exit he will already be here." You give him a cheek kiss while standing on your tiptoes saying, "Thank you, baby." You didn't want to panic over someone who was nowhere near you right now; all you wanted to do was cuddle with your boyfriend. You will undoubtedly make a police report tomorrow, but for the moment, you only wanted to be with Sergio. He runs his hand through his hair and sighs, " Y/N…..You're going to be the death of me."

#sergio ramos imagine #Sergio ramos one shot #Sergio ramos fanfic #Sergio ramos x y/n #Sergio Ramos x reader #football fanfic #football imagine #female reader #soccer x reader #x reader #footballer x reader #soccer imagine #psg imagines #Sergio Ramos #Ramos x y/n #Ramos one shot #Sergio Ramos angst

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myfriendofmiseryyy · 1 year

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Pedro pascal characters and how they react to you being insecure in your relationship

AN: again thankyou so much for the love on the previous HCs,I have a AUHD reader in mind (again no surprise there) but this can be read with any reader in mind. If you are feeling insecure in any relationship just know that communication is key and you are loved <33

Minors dni,slight smut,lots of mentions of insecurities and mental health

Javi g 💕🧸

when you start distancing yourself from Javi he actually feels quite hurt,he is a insecure man himself and thinks it’s his fault. But as soon as you tell him the truth,this man will immediately be showering you in affirmation and how much he loves you. You tell him about your fear of rejection and being left alone and he listens contently,wanting to understand what you are going through,and he does understand. He understands that you have worked so hard to overcome all of your fears and challenges in life,and he is so proud of you,and he tells you every single day. he tells you that he will never leave you,and that you made him a better person just from being yourself around him. Javi wants nothing more than for you to be happy and comfortable,and he will do anything for you to achieve that.constant reassurance?you got it. Space when you need it? Javi will go hang out with Gabriella. Midnight drives to the cliffs to clear your head? Javi has already got the car ready full with picnic blankets and a spliff for you to share (if you want he won’t pressure you) “ I will do anything for you benita” he whispers to you as you curl up next to him that night “anything”.

Frankie morales 🐠

Admittedly at first when you start to distant yourself from him,frankie also distances himself. Not because he doesn’t love you,because he doesn’t know how to approach his feelings about this. He goes for a drive to clear his head and when he gets back he finds you on the sofa waiting for him,

Frankie sighs softly and sits down next to you “what’s up mi amor? Please tell me” you hesitate to tell him,you know for a fact frankie also has a lot of insecurities about himself and you don’t want to worry him. “I just feel…insecure” you say resting your head on his shoulder “what about,You know you are gorgeous right?” Frankie looks at you with those puppy dog eyes that you can’t resist. You sigh softly “about us,I’m worried you will leave me for someone better,someone who isn’t broken like me,someone who doesn’t breakdown at the fear of rejection or being hurt” you say into his shoulder.

“Oh baby girl,you know I would NEVER leave you right?you made me a better man,you made me the man I am today,you helped me through the toughest time of my life,and your not “broken” nothing about you is broken, you are the strongest women I’ve ever had the pleasure to know,everything about you is beautiful and amazing,and I love you”. Frankie kisses your forehead,” I would be nothing without you.” He whispers. You are Frankie have spent sleepless nights having deep conversations about both your insecurities,about how you both have individual fears about your relationship and relationships in general,about how you are both determined to make it work. You met 3 years ago when Frankie was in rehab,you were his light at the end of the tunnel. And he constantly tells you that, you saved him. Made him get his life back on track,if it wasn’t for you he would still be on the coke. You’ve spent endless night’s comforting him through his nightmares and panic attacks,and he has spent countless hours comforting you through your thoughts exactly like this. But neither of you would change it for the world,he’s yours and you’re his,for life. You look down at your ring finger to see the most beautiful ring,made of your favourite opal crystal that Frankie picked out for you. The night Frankie proposed to you was perfect,you both camping in the mountains,he proposed as soon as the sun was setting in the sky. “I made a promise that night”he says holding your hand gently “that I will love you for the rest of our lives,I’m keeping my promise until the day I die” he says softly. “Nothing will ever change that.”

He kisses you passionately.

“Come on darling let’s go to bed,let me show you how much I love you”

Javier Peña 🚬

Honestly,he doesn’t get it. He knows that you feel insecure but he doesn’t really get why,he has to speak to Murphy about it only then does it dawn on him. He comes home and apologises in the only way he knows how. Angry but passionate sex,Javier doesn’t normally do aftercare but he made sure to look after you especially when it was a “rough” session. “You know I really care about you right? He whispers into your ear while holding you tightly “im sorry if I made you insecure in anyway querida niña,I’m shit at emotions but…I care about you,you give me something to fight for” he tucks your hair behind you ear “and i promise I will fight anything or anyone who gets in the way of our relationship” he kisses your temple,”get some sleep cariño,I’ll be here when you wake up i promise”

Jack “whiskey” Daniels

Whiskey gets it,he too is extremely insecure in relationships. But for a different reason,he constantly worries that you will get violently killed like his ex wife and unborn baby he has nightmares about it every night. He is also worried you will leave him for someone who is home more often,him being away on statesman missions often.

When you tell him about your insecurities,he is immediately by your side telling you how much he loves you and how he also has insecurities “let’s work through this together sugar,last thing I want is to lose you,I never want to be away from you. You are my one true love” he whispers to you. “I might be going soft in my old age but I will do anything for you to be happy” he chuckles softly. “You are beautiful,inside and out sugar.”

He proves it to you too,taking you to bed and insisting you’re not to heavy to ride his face “save a horse ride a cowboy” is forever both of your motos ;)

Marcus (soft boi) pike

Oh Marcus knows this all to well,he is constantly insecure in his relationships worrying he is moving to fast (fuck you Lisbon) he is constantly worried he is saying the wrong things,if he is loving you to hard,and if you love him the way he loves you. He goes to therapy for it,and his therapist is a very wise man. He tells Marcus that he has a very big heart,and he is a rare soul,that should be treasured. That is how Marcus found you,in the waiting room of his therapists office,you both had separate therapists but you hit it off there and then. He got your number and you next back and forth for weeks before he asked you on a date,typical marcus pike style. You’ve loved him since day one,but it took a while for you to say it because you agreed to take your relationship slow. Now 4 years later,you are married with a 2 year old and Marcus is retired from the FBI. Marcus knows when you are having a bad day,just like when you know he is having a bad day. He sits down next to you in bed after a long day of dealing with a demanding toddler,

“Hey sweetheart,you ok? You seem quiet today” he asks as he snuggles in next to you,”I’m just having one of those days where my stupid thoughts won’t shut up” you murmur into his chest

“What about darling?” He strokes your hair “about everything,I’m worried that our relationship is being strained because I don’t want sex as much as I used to,and I don’t look like I used to I’m worried you will find someone else” you sigh

“Oh baby,you know i will never love anyone the way I love you right? I will never find anyone more attractive and sexy as you,no matter what your body looks like. You gave birth to our beautiful baby girl,and nursed her for over a year.I’m so proud of you hunny. your body is a temple,and I want to worship it for the rest of my life.” He kisses you deeply,meaning every single word. He always does,he always acts on his words,it’s one of the things you love most about him,when you first got together you agreed that communication is key in a relationship,you have spent many nights having deep conversations with Marcus about both of your pasts. You knew he had a bad past with relationships because…well he was in therapy for it,but you never understood why a women could treat this man bad,he is the equivalent of a perfect husband,and you want to spend the rest of your life’s proving that.

#marcus pike #pedro pascal cinematic universe #pedro pascal characters #frankie morales #agent whiskey #javier pena imagine #javi gutierrez #the unbearable weight of massive talent #pedro pascal headcanon #fluff #slight smut

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hand-picked-star · 1 month

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The 13th Anniversary Arshi Fiesta

Moodboard : Historical AU

Whispers of the heart | Chapter 24

DISCLAIMER: The story is set in the early 20th century. While I have made efforts to capture the essence of the era, there may be inaccuracies as this is a work of fantasy. I do not own the characters Arnav and Khushi, and this story is purely fictional with no relation to any real individuals, living or dead. Any resemblance to actual persons or events is purely coincidental.

WARNING: 18+, MATURE CONTENT.

Chapter 24

And at last, the day of prosecution finally arrived. The court was brimming with people.

Arnav as a prosecution lawyer started first, "Your Honor, today we stand before you to seek justice for the countless lives that have been devastated by a criminal conspiracy rooted in greed, brutality, and the complete disregard for human dignity. The defendants in this case are not mere opportunistic criminals. They are orchestrators of a scheme that goes beyond mere dacoity. They preyed upon the innocent, massacred entire families, and took lives in cold blood to satisfy their insatiable hunger for power and wealth."

After a brief pause, he started again, "This case goes beyond punishment. It's about restoring justice for the victims. We ask you to affirm that no one is above the law and that justice will prevail. Thank you."

The the defence lawyer stepped forward, "Your Honor, my prosecutor friend paints my client as a heartless criminal, but we must remember the foundation of our justice system: the presumption of innocence. My client, Mr. Rajjani, is a respected individual who was caught in an unfortunate situation. On the day in question, he was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. His presence was purely incidental. The prosecution's case against him relies on circumstantial evidence and assumptions. We ask you to carefully consider the facts and recognize that Mr. Rajjani is not guilty of the crimes for which he has been accused. Thank you."

"Nice speech, Mr. Patel," Arnav remarked with a nod as Mr. Patel concluded his opening argument.

Mr. Patel adjusted his spectacles, a subtle smile playing on his lips. "For you to learn from it, my friend," he replied smoothly, his tone both genial and slightly teasing. A slight smirk curled in the corner of Arnav's lips.

Mr. Kishori Lal Patel was a distinguished and seasoned lawyer, a man who carried the weight of decades of experience on his shoulders. However, it was disheartening that his expertise was being applied to the defence of someone implicated in such grave and serious offences.

Then, the court proceedings began. The investigating police officer, the medical examiners, and the Registrar of Deeds of the Land Registry Office all of them involving the Tiwari case gave their testimony. And then, to everyone's surprise, Arnav called Mr. Lallan as the state witness to testify in the witness box. Mr. Lallan identified his accomplices and confirmed that Mr. Rajjani was also a member of the group. He also told the court about the involvement of Mr.Lala. Following his testimony, the defence lawyer commenced cross-examination.

"Mr. Lallan, why should we believe that you're not lying just to avoid the death penalty?" the defence lawyer began.

"Objection, speculation."

"I can ask that question, Your Honour." Mr.Patel protested.

"Overruled . Please continue Mr.Patel."

"Thank you Your Honour. Please answer my question Mr.Lallan."

"I am telling the truth."

"Very well. The other accused had never seen each other's faces before. Are you certain you saw my clients, Mr. Rajjani, and Mr. Lala during these attacks?" the defence lawyer asked.

"We all have a similar tattoo on our thighs. You can check him too," Mr. Lallan said eagerly, causing a ripple of whispers to spread through the crowd. This was precisely what Arnav had hoped for, and Mr. Lallan did not disappoint him.

As the judge ordered everyone to expose their thighs and reveal their identical tattoos, the case seemed to be nearing its conclusion. However, Arnav requested one more witness to be brought to the stand. He detailed the pattern of the previous cases and the documents collected from the Land Registry Office to link the cases together, a proof that these events were not purely coincidental. Then he asked the sole survivor to testify. Madumati Ji took her place in the witness box and took her oath.

"Madumati Ji, please tell us what happened that night," Arnav asked, his voice steady and commanding.

"Objection, Relevance."

"Didn't I submit the evidences to link these cases together? " Arnav retorted.

"Overruled, witnesses may answer the question."

"Thank you, your honour. So tell us about the night, Madhumati ji."

"Hayree Nand Kishor, That was a horrible night,''Madumati Ji began, her voice trembling. "I heard Khushi, I mean, Sashi Gupta's daughter screaming in her room, so I rushed to see what was happening. What I saw there.." She took a deep breathbstruggling to continue, "Garima Ji was being assaulted by a man."

"Please be clear, Madumati Ji," Arnav urged, his tone firm but gentle.

"He was forcing himself on her,'' Madumati Ji whispered. ''And another man was approaching Khushi. That man was near the door. They didn't see me. So I grabbed the door bolt and struck him with all my strength. When he fell, I took Khushi and hid with her in a crevice in the kitchen. I don't know how long we stayed there until I heard Mahindar Ji's voice."

"Thank you, Madumati ji. Did you see any of their faces?" Arnav asked softly.

"No, Nand Kishor, their faces were covered with a gamcha, but both had a mark shaped like a star on their thigh."

"Did you inform the police at that time?"

"Yes."

"Anything else, Madhumati ji?"

"Yes, the man who assaulted Garima ji was naked. He had a large black mark on his back, kind of a birthmark. I reported it to the police as well."

"Thank you, Madhumati ji."

"Your Honor, this is a copy of the drawing of the tattoo and Madumati ji's statement from 12 years ago." Arnav handed the documents to the court clerk, who passed them to the judge. The picture displayed a pentagonal star-shaped tattoo."The same tattoo our state witness, Mr.Lallan talked about and also present on our defendants' bodies."

"The court acknowledges the evidence. Defence, you may cross-examine," the judge remarked, indicating the defence lawyer to proceed.

"Madumati Ji, let me ask you a few questions. You mentioned that you didn't see the men's faces because they were covered, correct?" the defence lawyer asked, stepping forward.

"Yes, that's right." eyeing him suspiciously. Her voice was steady despite the tension.

"And this incident happened 12 years ago, is that correct?"

"Are you weak in math, Nand Kishor?"

A ripple of laughter swept through the crowd. Arnav ducked his head to conceal a smile, accustomed to Buaji's antics.

"Silence, please. Madhumati Ji, please answer the question."

"Yes."

"You see, Madhumati Ji, memory can be a tricky thing, especially after such a long time," the defence lawyer said, pausing before continuing. "Are you absolutely certain those marks were star-shaped tattoos and not something else? It was dark, and you were clearly scared. Maybe you saw something else. How can you be so sure?" The defence lawyer pressed, trying to sow doubt.

"Objection, leading question, Your Honor."

"Sustained. Counsel, please refrain from asking leading questions."

"I want to answer that question, Judge shaheeb," Madumati Ji stated firmly, her voice unwavering. "Yes, I was scared that night, but those marks are burned into my memory. And that picture in your hand, I drew it, not today, but 12 years ago. I know what I saw."

"Your Honor, while we respect Madumati Ji's testimony, we ask the court to consider the potential fallibility of her memory due to the traumatic nature of the event and the significant passage of time. Thank you. No more questions," the defence lawyer addressed the judge.

"Thank you, Counselor. We will take that into consideration. Madumati Ji, you may step down," the judge said.

Addressing Arnav, the judge added, "Mr. Raizada, proceed with your next witness."

"Thank you, Your Honor. I request that Madhumati Ji be allowed to remain on the stand a little longer to identify a crucial mark for me."

With the court's permission granted, he continued, ''Your Honor, I now ask permission to question Mr. Shyam Manohar Lala.'' Arnav had previously obtained a court order to bring Mr. Lala to the witness box and to restrict him from leaving the province or the country.

As Arnav approached Mr.Lala, the tension between them became evident. He posed a single question, "Lalaji, how do you respond to the evidence implicating you in this case?"

"I am completely innocent, Your Honor," Mr. Lala retorted. "Ramprasad is lying. They sold their lands to me willingly. They are trying to defame me."

"Why would he do that? Do you have any animosity with him?"

"I don't know. Perhaps you coerced him into lying," Mr.Lala seethed at Arnav.

"Objection, Your Honour, Argumentative." The defence lawyer stated firmly.

"Sustained, Mr.Raizada, please rephrase your question."

But Arnav's eyes twinkled with satisfaction, seeing Mr. Lala growing agitated with each passing second. He leaned forward, a smirk curling on his lips. "It is highly inappropriate to accuse a lawyer of misconduct, especially in court," he said, his tone cool and composed. "However, for the sake of clarity, could you please show us your left thigh?"

"Objection, Your Honor. Unnecessary invasion of privacy and improper line of questioning," the defence lawyer interjected, standing up.

"What kind of insult is this, Your Honor? I have no involvement in this," Mr. Lala insisted, stressing his innocence.

"Then why the hesitation?" Arnav pressed. "We only have a doubt. Lalaji, please assist us in clearing it up."

"Objection overruled. Please show us your thigh, Mr. Lala, and help resolve our doubts," the judge ruled.

Upon the judge's order, Mr.Lala reluctantly exposed his thigh, revealing the pentagonal tattoo. This sight sent a wave of gasps through the courtroom.

"I wish I could stop there, Lalaji," Arnav said with a steely resolve, "but could you please also show us your back?"

As Mr.Lala turned and exposed his back, revealing the distinctive birthmark, Arnav's smirk deepened.

"Madhumati ji, have you seen mark before?" Arnav asked Madhumati ji without turning toward her. His eyes fixed on Mr.Lala.

"YES, YES, that's the mark Judge shaheeb. I will never forget this mark."

Arnav turned to face the judge and said, "That's all, Your Honor."

Khushi sat idly at her office desk, her gaze drifting toward the gloomy sky outside. Today, she felt a deep sense of melancholy that seemed to engulf her. For the past few days, she had been experiencing these sudden bouts of sadness, a feeling of wanting to cry that she couldn't quite explain. With a sigh, she picked up the newspaper for the day.

Shyam Manohar Lala, Mohan Rajjani and 7 others Sentenced to Death for Heinous Crimes in Landmark Verdict

The headline stirred a bittersweet feeling within her. She was present in the courtroom yesterday. It was her first time attending one of Arnav's proceedings, and she couldn't help but think she should have chosen a different case for her debut. She would have relished seeing him in his element under happier circumstances than witnessing this particular trial. But perhaps, she mused, it was simply her destiny to see him fighting for her and her family.

She was undoubtedly relieved that her parents' murderers had been brought to justice, but the resurgence of painful memories cast a sombre shadow over her. She knew she needed to go home and rest. The past few months had been difficult for both her and Arnav. It was a relief that the nightmares had eased down a little bit. Despite this, she felt persistently exhausted. She just felt tired all the time. They would stay in the Rajput Haveli for a few days more, as Dewali was this week. Then they would return back to their home.

But suddenly, after few days, Khushi fell ill and caught a severe case of stomach flu. Amma, Babuji, Bua Ji, and Arnav all scolded her for indulging in too many jalebis, rabri, and golgappas the previous day. Despite their concerns, her condition worsened over the next ten days, showing no signs of improvement. The doctor visited today, diagnosing her as dehydrated and advised them to give her more fluid. How could she keep herself rehydrated when the mere sight of food made her sick?

Suddenly, Buaji's shriek startled everyone. "Arey, Manoroma, have we all lost our marbles, Nand Kishor? Payaliya, go ask Hariprakash to fetch Ganga Tai!"

Upon hearing Buaji's words, everyone suddenly turned their gaze towards Khushi. She felt like a deer caught in headlights and managed a nervous smile. In return, they all smiled back at her as well. Though their smiles were well-natured, but they seemed menacing to her. Khushi pursed her lips, feeling her heart pounding loudly. Out of everyone's sight, she tenderly placed her hand on her stomach. And somehow, she knew. She didn't need Ganga Tai, the local midwife, to tell her what was happening.

"Arnav, uthiye na," Khushi whined, gently shaking Arnav from a deep slumber. Her voice was filled with a mix of desperation and impatience.

"What happened?" Arnav mumbled, his voice muffled as he buried his face deeper into the pillow.

"I want to eat jalebis," her voice rising with a hint of excitement.

Arnav slowly raised his head, squinting at the bedside clock. "It's three in the morning, Khushi. Go back to sleep."

"I can't sleep. The baby wants jalebis."

Arnav sighed deeply, propping himself up on one elbow. "Alright, only on one condition."

Khushi's eyes brightened with hope. "Kya?"

"You have to drink a glass of milk too."

Khushi scrunched up her nose. "But milk is yucky."

Arnav gave her a stern look. "Then I'm going back to sleep."

Khushi's eyes widened in alarm. "No, no, no! Okay, I'll drink the milk. Now please, let's go."

Arnav got up lazily from the bed and turned on the light. Khushi, with a playful pout, spread her arms as if she were a child wanting to be picked up. Chuckling, Arnav gathered her into his arms.

Him, being a father hadn't fully settled in yet. Perhaps it was a gradual process, and with time, he would gain the momentum to fully embrace parenthood.

They had returned from the Rajput Haveli two weeks ago. Though Chachu and Chachi had wanted them to stay at the haveli, it was no longer fitting to live there for an extended period after their marriage. Staying there long-term now seemed inappropriate. Instead, they had brought Buaji to live with them in their house.

As Arnav walked through the corridor with Khushi in his arms, this was the third time that week they were embarking on a midnight mission for jalebis. Soon after her sickness subsided, her cravings for jalebis reared their head. The first time, her craving had been for hot jalebis without chasni. The next, she demanded them with chasni and added countless conditions. They couldn't disturb Gauri ji or Buaji, as the thought of waking them up made Khushi tear up out of guilt. So, the only person left to make the jalebis was him. It felt as though she had no affection for him anymore, only her love for the sweet treat prevailed at that moment.

Khushi had meticulously guided him through the process of making jalebis this past week, and now he had become a pro. His once hesitant hands now moved with precision, swirling the dough in the hot oil with confidence, ensuring each jalebi was crisp and golden and then dipped them in the perfectly sticky, sweet chasni.

They settled on the balcony with a small plate of hot jalebis and a glass of milk. She savoured each piece of jalebis with evident delight.

"Wow, these are sooo good, you've learned to make such delicious jalebis," Khushi praised Arnav in between bites.

"Yeah, if I ever fail as a lawyer, I might just start a stall in the market."

"At least you'd have one loyal customer," Khushi winked, offering him a piece of the sweet delicacy.

Arnav caught Khushi's hand, taking a bite of the offered jalebi. His tongue lightly swept over the tips of her fingers, sending a ripple through her skin. One by one, without breaking eye contact, he polished off all the sweet chasni from her fingers.

"Yeah, you were right. Today's jalebis are extra delicious," he said, winking at her. A lovely redness tinted her flawless skin, which looked radiant under the moonlight.

"Are you trying to correct a past mistake?" Arnav laughed, remembering their childhood moment.

"Maybe."

"Or are you trying to seduce your wife, Mr. Raizada?"

"I can't help it. You're just so irresistible," he leaned in to kiss her lips, enveloping her smile with his own. "And so, so, so sweet." He punctuated each word with a press of his lips against hers.

He kissed her some more. At least he could do that, since the doctors had banned any physical intimacy until her fourth month of pregnancy. Releasing her lips, he said, "Alas, all my seducing will go to waste."

"Serves you right. How shameful it is. Now that I'm pregnant, everyone will know what we do...what we did," she whispered, pursing her lips.

Arnav burst out laughing. She swatted his shoulder lightly, then joined in his laughter as well.

Arnav's birthday was approaching next week, and Khushi wanted to do something special for him, despite his dislike for celebrations. Last year, she had cooked his favourite dishes, but this year she wanted to make a more significant impact. After discovering her influence over him physically, she was determined to come up with something that would truly blow his mind.

However, since she couldn't be intimate with him due to the doctor's restrictions, that plan was off the table. She pondered other ways to make him feel special and happy. Her mind raced with ideas throughout the day. She decided she needed to explore the secluded spots of the library and gather inspiration, so she planned to visit the library to search for ideas and find the perfect setting to surprise him.

She wished for a magical box where she could write, "What is another way to make your husband happy physically when you're pregnant?" and have all the answers appear before her. Life would be so much simpler if someone could provide a straightforward solution.

After a discreet search, Khushi finally found a book that seemed to promise answers. However, as she leafed through it, the content was convoluted and confusing, leaving her more perplexed than enlightened. But she was determined to decode those confusing texts.

It was five minutes to midnight on Arnav's birthday. He had a crucial hearing the next day and was working late in his study. Khushi timidly knocked on the door, causing him to look up from his file.

"What are you doing still staying up?" he asked.

"I wanted to wish you a happy birthday," Khushi said shyly.

He crossed his arms over his chest and smiled at her, an amused glint dancing in his eyes as he observed his suddenly shy wife. He raised an eyebrow.

"Happy birthday, Arnav," she said, growing nervous under his silent gaze.

"Why are you so shy all of a sudden?"

"I didn't bring a gift."

He extended his hand toward her. She took it, allowing him to pull her close until she stood in front of him, where he sat. He placed a hand gently over her belly.

"You've already given me the best gift in the world," he said softly.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and rested his head on her stomach after placing a tender kiss there. Khushi's fingers tangled in his hair as she smiled.

"I want to try something. Promise me you won't laugh," Khushi whispered, nervously playing with his hair.

"What?" Arnav asked, intrigued.

"Close your eyes."

Instead of following her request, Arnav frowned, his curiosity piqued. Taking a deep breath, Khushi settled on his lap, surprising him. Her legs straddled him as she lowered herself on his body. He instinctively grabbed her waist.

"What are you doing?" he asked, a mix of curiosity and concern in his voice.

"Kuch nehi," she replied softly, her eyes locked onto his. "I just want to kiss you."

And she kissed him once, twice, three times, her lips soft against his. She trailed kisses along his chin, his jaw, his neck. His stubble tickled her sensitive lips. She gently rubbed the back of his neck, massaging his scalp with her fingers. The soothing touch and tender kisses felt nice to him, too nice actually. Her kisses, he could take, but what was becoming unbearable was the way her body moved against him. He grabbed her hips to still her and pressed his forehead against hers.

"You're doing it on purpose." he whispered, his voice strained. "Don't start something you can't finish."

Khushi bit her lip to hide her smile, her face flushing slightly. "But I intend to finish,'' she whispered back, kissing him again.

Arnav squinted slightly, trying to gauge her intentions as she slowly slid down his body, kneeling between his legs. Her hands rested on his thighs, then moved a little higher, grazing the growing bulge in his pants. Before she could go further, Arnav caught her hands.

"You don't have to," he murmured, his voice thick, his breathing ragged.

"But you want me to," Khushi replied, her gaze meeting his. Eyes sparkled with mirth.

"How do you know?"

"I can see it in your eyes," she whispered. She pressed her lips together, a ghost of a smile dancing on her face.

"Damn it,'' Arnav exhaled, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I've got the best wife ever. Let's go to our room."

She giggled as he pulled her up by her shoulders and scooped her into his arms. He carried her towards their bedroom, determined to finish what they had started.

At the end of next month, La and NK got married. The way they clicked together from the very beginning, it was inevitable that they would end up together. Khushi couldn’t attend their wedding for obvious reasons, but La and NK assured her that they would visit soon. In fact, they planned to enjoy their honeymoon in India. Khushi was over the moon to have her two best friends with her. Over time, NK and La fell in love with India and its people so much that they decided to stay for an extended period to help Khushi with the foundation.

As her dream regarding the foundation slowly came to fruition, she found herself yearning to focus on her other dreams. Khushi had always dreamed of becoming a writer, but whenever she sat down to write, her ideas felt scattered, elusive, like pieces of a puzzle that just wouldn't fit together. Despite having the time, she struggled to find the focus and direction she needed before. Her thoughts seemed to drift aimlessly, and her creative energy, though abundant, was unfocused.

Then came the unexpected news of her pregnancy, which brought a sense of calm and clarity that she hadn't anticipated. Though the first few weeks were overwhelming, filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety. As her body changed, so did her perspective. The life growing inside her gave her a new sense of purpose and a grounding she hadn't felt before. The scattered thoughts that once filled her mind began to settle, like leaves gently falling into place.

The quiet moments, especially in the early mornings when the world was still asleep, became her sanctuary. The ideas that had once been disjointed started to come together.

As her pregnancy progressed, Khushi found inspiration in the smallest of things-the gentle flutter of the baby's movements, the warm sunlight streaming through the window, the quiet moments of reflection. Each day, she would write a little more, her words a reflection of her journey, filled with the raw emotions of impending motherhood. There were days when the physical toll of pregnancy would slow her down, but she pressed on, driven by the idea that she was creating something lasting, something she could share with her child one day.

Writing became a form of therapy for Khushi, a way to process the changes happening in her life. The book she was crafting wasn't just a story; it was a reflection of her own experiences, fears, hopes, and dreams. Every chapter was infused with the emotions she was feeling-the joy, the uncertainty, the love that was growing each day for the little one she had yet to meet.

As her due date approached, Khushi found herself writing the final chapter, feeling a deep sense of accomplishment. The book was a journey, much like her pregnancy, filled with unexpected twists, moments of doubt, and overwhelming joy. When she finally held her first draft in her hand, she realized that the time she had spent writing had not only brought her closer to her dream of being an author but had also prepared her for the beautiful, challenging journey of motherhood.

Her book, once a distant dream, was now a testament to the strength and resilience she had discovered within herself during those nine months. Khushi knew that this was just the beginning of her story-both as a mother and as a writer.

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#ipkknd #arnav singh raizada #khushi kumari gupta #arshi #ipk 13th anniversary fiesta #13 years of ipkknd #whispers of the heart

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