#personally I really just thought it was interesting to see MCs reaction as Id seen Sebs already

[waldensblog]

"I can teach you crucio, or I can cast it on you."

"If you cast crucio, you'll regret it forever."

[marshmallowprotection]

Heyyo! Im fairly new but i already love it here. 

Could i request a scenario where mc and GE Saeran visit eachothers animal crossing islands? - Submission

Saeran

You had taken the time to convince Saeran to come and play Animal Crossing with you since you really wanted get back to playing your copy of New Horizons. The weeds had overgrown on your island and your villagers thought you had been avoiding them after all that time that you'd spent at Mint Eye.

It would take you hours to clean up your island and fix everything that had been crying for real repairs. Isabelle was nice about it but you knew that the island rating was... subpar. Your poor system. It was going to take a while. You weren't going to let the village go to waste after it had waited all this time for you to return. You had spent so much time trying to make everything right!

It was going to look good or you were going to rip your hair out. Trying to find that specific set of items and trying to smooth out relationships and clean up was taking its time. Your groans and sighs had pulled the attention of the other members of your household.

Since you spent so much time playing, it really sparked Saeran's curiosity. He never had time to play games. He never really got that chance as a kid or even an adult. It was something that you had taken for granted.

He only researched them to figure out how to make the RFA seem like a game. So, when he asked you about this game, he was intrigued by the concept. He had no idea that games existed where you could design things and plant life into something. It hadn't even crossed your mind that he would love knowing about Flower Breeding!

It's a thoughtful game that you used to relax if you had a bad day. Though, it got a little tedious dealing with the hunt for your favorite villagers. It was purely a game that you played at your own pace and since it was very methodical and all too repetitive? It seemed like a perfect thing for him to play!

You surprised Saeran with his own copy after he spent quite some time watching you play as a backseat gamer. You'd not expected him to be really interested but hey, he was ready to try anything that he could think of without one second thought.

Anything that he could think of was worth a shot, that's what he told you.

You could tell he was making mental notes the more that you explored items and customs, as if he was making a chart in his head of what he could try later. Saeran was always thinking and creating inside his head. It wouldn't have really surprised you if he was making a map of a layout for an ideal island.

He was pretty happy about it!

But, you wanted to let him learn and experience on his own time so you didn't hound him to see his island or anything. You could tell that he was taking his time. Though, every other time you knew he had some free time during the evening, he'd be on his pink switch and playing away somewhere.

"What are you doing over there?"

"Mmm, I'll tell you later, my love."

"That just makes me more curious!"

"Hahahaha."

You would ask now and again, but he'd smile and say that he was having fun. You were just glad to see that Saeran was having fun. Clearly, he was taking the design of his island rather seriously. It was interesting. You wondered what he wanted on his island, or how he would style things.

You thought perhaps he would spend more time trying to breed flowers to get the rarer ones and make a virtual garden. Wait until he finds out that there's a Lily of the Valley, you thought with a chuckle.

It took a few weeks of trial and error with him to get him to reach out to you about the game. It was out of the blue when he approached you one evening and asked if you wanted to come and see his island now. You stared at him for a second and then hurriedly nodded your head as if he had offered you gold.

It had felt like a secret! You never got a peak at his screen so it was hard to say what he was or wasn't doing. You just were elated that he was ready to share! So, you booted up your game and sat next to him as you got everything ready to go over. He waited patiently until you hit the airport and came over to his island.

"Saeran! Oh my goodness," you breathed as the screen gave you an overview. "You've been doing breeding and terraforming? No wonder you were working so long!"

It really was. His island had multiple layers to it as well as carefully crafted waterfalls, patches of flowers and cornered sections for gardening as he needed for each item. It wasn't just flowers he was working with. He had to have gotten really lucky grinding for recipes. This man could have given Studio Ghibli a run for their money. You thought Howl had a garden utopia but he had nothing on Saeran.

You glanced at him but he had a bit of a nervous smile on his face. Your island was nothing on this caliber but you weren't focused on trying to make things perfect. You had been focused on trying to build friendships and cute interiors for the villagers as well as fixing their houses to make a good neighborhood. But, Saeran seemed to have the goal of becoming a master of the game in a matter of weeks.

"Ah, I've just been learning from what you showed me," he offered. "It's still not quite where I want it to be."

You looked back at your game, incredulous. It was still not up to par for him? This damn man was a perfectionist even when he was having fun! Not that you were jealous. Exploring his island would only reveal that he had spent a lot of time making the sections work for what he wanted.

It was like a cottage paradise... with a lot of cute villagers. Plenty of places for people to have a good tea or hang out. He'd learned how to make his own paths and it was formed just right, with glowing mushrooms and lights. If he shared his dream ID, people would kill to take selfies in that spot.

Hidden next to his house was a personal garden and a lookout over his hidden beach. He even got a picket fence and everything. You thought he was too much, too cute. Saeran was watching for your every reaction, too.

It seemed like it boosted his confidence whenever you smiled and pointed something out to him. It felt like you were praising him with all you had and it made his cheeks begin to burn hot red.

You felt subpar compared to him since you only brought him a few terrariums to decorate his house with and he put out so much already on his own! Sweet as it was, it was obvious that this man was a God.

And when he offered to visit your island, you suddenly felt nervous. But, he did the same thing for you, complimenting your island and telling you how much you had fixed up since he had seen the mess. Even the cheesy little nooks you made made him smile.

"I did make you something, though," he said from your side.

"Really?" You asked.

And, he had, you opened his gift and nearly snorted in laughter. "Did you spend time trying to craft one of our photos to be a painting? Saeran, that's so cute. I'm gonna hang this in my house. I just wish Blathers would let me put this in the museum!"

He glanced away from you. "It's not that great."

"Any gift from you is priceless."

[emma-nation]

Thinking Of You (Mona x MC Fanfiction) - Chapter 8

You said move on Where do I go? I guess second best Is all I will know

Summary: Years later, Allison has everything she wants, a brand-new internship as a doctor, a handsome boyfriend… but her first nightshift won’t go as expected…

Genre: Romance, Angst

Tag list: @zoe6111, @simsvetements, @mvrinettes, @whoinvitedalx, @scarlet-letter-a0114, @abunchofbadchoices, @kamilahmademedoit, @janurary, @talkinlikeateen, @eagle-one-1, @andreear17, @tia-bi, @monagf, @monahott, @fal-carrington, @crazzyplays, @honorablebicycle​, @teja-desai​ (let me know if you want to be tagged!)

Notes:

- English is not my first language, forgive me for any mistakes.

“Party, Allison?” Mr. Wheeler questioned. “This is how you intend to catch a serial killer? By taking her to a party?”

“Dad, first we need to get the seller,” she explained. “And what place is better than a party to catch a drug dealer?”

“I did not assigned you to the mission so you could hang out with her. You have a fiancé, don’t you remember? And besides, there will be alcohol, sex and...”

“We’re no longer teenagers, dad. We know what we’re doing, right Mona?”

Mona was not even paying attention. She was sitting on the couch, focused on Allison’s laptop. She wasn’t hearing a single word of the argument, she just kept a concentrated look on the screen, while she typed uninterrupted.

“What?” She finally asked. “In case the two of you haven’t noticed, I have an essay to finish.”

“You don’t have to worry about it,” Mr. Wheeler told. “Bring me more suspects, more evidence. This is what you’re supposed to be doing in college. Once the mission is over, you’re out.”

“Right, I forgot that wasn’t for people like me,” she scowled, closing the laptop. “Thanks for the reminder, Pops.”

Mona left to the bedroom, leaving Allison alone with her father.

“Dad, she has been so engaged with this college thing. Why did you have to ruin it?”

“I didn’t ruin anything, Allison. That’s the truth. They’re only allowing Mona there for the mission.”

“B-But can’t we arrange anything, after this is over? I mean, look at her essay. She’s so incredibly smart. All the teachers are commenting her performance in classes. It’s the first time I really see her finding pleasure in anything, other than... her past habits.”

“I’m sorry, honey. This isn’t my business and neither should be yours. She has made her own choices and there’s nothing we can’t do to change it.”

Allison went to check on Mona, but after the argument with Mr. Wheeler, she was no longer social or even accessible. She followed to the guest room, where she was supposed to have one final conversation with Griffin about their engagement. Though he was online, he took a long time to pick up the call.

“Allison, baby. Hey.”

“Hey Griffin,” she sighed. “Do you finally have a moment so we can speak? It has been days I’ve been trying to...”

“I’m sorry, I’m very busy right now. Yellow Fever epidemics. Too many patients to check.”

Another excuse. Allison rolled her eyes. It was almost like he knew what she was about to tell him.

“It’s only for a few minutes,” she insisted, losing her patience. “Come on, you had time to fly to Spain over the weekend, but you don’t have a minute for me?”

Griffin’s expression suddenly darkened.

“S-Spain? I’ve never been in Spain, Allison. I’m trapped here in this small village, without internet signal most of the time. Trust me, we barely have water to drink!”

“Well, your phone was displaying a different location a few days ago.”

“Oh...” he looked down for a moment, pensive. “I had to sell my old phone. That’s it, the new owner must have forgotten to disable my ID. Thanks for telling me.”

“No problem, now can we...”

A message of lost signal was displayed on her screen. Allison punched the keyboard, frustrated.

“You gotta be kidding me.”

----------

When Mona woke up in the morning, she was still in a bad mood because of the Detective, who was only using her to do the job he was unable to. Things only got worse when she had an accidental meeting with Allison. In the bathroom. When she had just finished. What lead them to be awkward around each other for the next hour.

"My bad," she was getting used to pronounce those words.

"There'd be no problem, Mona," Allison's cheeks went red again, "if you hadn't stared for so long."

"I was only appreciating the view. I hadn't seen it in a while, so..."

"No! Please, can we just forget it?"

"It'll be kinda hard, but I promise I'll try my best."

"Mona!" Allison's face was reaching a new shade of red.

"Consider it unseen," she spoke as Detective Wheeler arrived in the kitchen. "But I liked it," she whispered.

Allison's father interrupted them with another command. The University's basketball team would be hosting a 'Welcome Game', though Mona didn't have the smallest interest in attending, now she'd be forced to.

"Keep an eye on your suspect," he ordered, "and on this guy."

He showed the picture of a slender young male.

"He's the star of the team. Has been reported to be exhibiting abnormal behavior over the last few weeks. Watch who he speaks to, before and after the game."

She didn't have much work, as soon as they arrived in the University, the famous basketball star was casually chatting with Brian, who went back to his dorm carrying a small package.

"It'll be easier than I thought," Mona thought, snapping some pictures.

Later in class, she finished her lab experiment before any other students, so she took the time to search for places to take Allison after the game, as an apology for the morning incident.

"How do you even do that?" Her lab partner whined by her side.

His name was Leon, the leader of the RPG club, and only member too. He bonded with Mona for being rejected by the rest of their classmates as well. Later, they found out they had more in common than they could’ve imagined. He was in love with a med student, who was already committed to another guy.

"Using my brain?"

"I'm using mine, but it just... don't react!"

"Like this," Mona did all the procedure again, triggering the correct chemical reaction.

"B-But..." Leon stared at her in shock. “I followed all the instructions!”

"Now write your report, I'm not doing this for you either."

As they finished writing, they began to chat. She learned Leon had good computer skills, what could be useful at some point, in case they needed to hack Brian's phone to obtain proof.

"And how are things going with Allison?" He wanted to know.

"The same," she told, hopeless. "She hasn’t broke up with the douchebag yet. I guess I’ll just have to force him out of my way.”

"Are you bringing her to the game tonight?"

"Yes, I was kinda planning something special for after the game, but I don't really know what she likes."

"Bowling Alley," he suggested. "They have this fabulous milkshake and I've managed to achieve success with a couple of dates in there."

"Thanks for the tip."

---------

"So let's recap the plan," Allison said before they entered the stadium. "I'll seduce Brian, while you break into his dorm room and get pictures of the drugs."

"He's a bastard, Allison," Mona disagreed. "I couldn't let you do this alone. You're coming with me, I've assigned someone else to keep an eye on him. While he's distracted at the game, both of us will break into his dorm."

"D-Did you told someone else about the investigation? My dad said we should be as secretive as possible."

"We could use a hacker. Besides, Leon is like a fluffy unicorn. Loyal as a puppy."

Before they follow to the basketball game, Mona inhaled deeply, getting courage enough to ask.

"Hey Allison, would you like to do something after the game? Leon suggested we should go to the Bowling Alley, but he has been developing this stupid game, and... I don’t wanna go by myself."

She knew things didn't end well the last time they went out, but this time was different. Allison had clearly expressed she was no longer interested in keeping her engagement.

"No. Way." Allison frowned, scaring her a little. Then, her expression softened again. "You're not allowed to make such an effort yet, remember?"

"Oh, the doc's back," Mona smiled. "Anyways, he said they have a great milkshake. We don't really have to play it."

"So I'm definitely in!"

Leon was sitting in a strategic spot as combined between he and Mona. For her surprise, and displeasure, there was somebody else among the crowd, sitting in the VIP area, her father.

"What on earth is this guy doing here?" She angered. "He's clearly stalking me!"

Soon she got her answer. Before the game started, he was announced as the team's new sponsor. He looked at her and winked.

"I wish I could just go down there and pull this smirk out of his face!"

"Hey," Allison held her steady. "Focus! You said he's no threat. Let's stick to our plan."

Through his laptop, Leon sent her a message. Brian had arrived and was sitting only a few meters away, in the middle of a group of girls.

"We're good to go."

Leaving the stadium, they followed straight to the male dorm. The game was only getting started, what meant they'd have a decent amount of time to search for evidence.

"Do you have his room's number?" Allison asked.

"Yes," Mona answered. "It's right around the corner."

At the corridor, they bumped into another person. Krista. She was just leaving one of the rooms.

"Remember, Doug. Ezekiel 18:21 for our studies this week. See you there!"

"Hide me, please," Mona begged, but it was too late. She had been spotted.

"Mona, hi!" The girl greeted. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be at the game."

"I... uh... Leon, my classmate. He forgot his wallet in his dorm room. I came here to get it for him."

"And this is...?" She looked at Allison.

"Allison," Allison introduced herself. "You look strangely familiar, have we met before?"

"Hmmm, I don't think so."

"Yeah, I'm much older than you anyways."

"Hey Krista," Mona decided to mess up with her a little bit, as a payback for the other day. "I've decided to get rid of my sinful car. I'd like to purchase one exactly like yours, how much did you pay for it?"

"Good for you, Mona," she looked a little bit unsettled. "I don't know how much it costed, it was a gift from my godfather. Anyways, I should go now. I have an essay to finish."

With a satisfied look, Mona followed to Brian's room where she started picking the lock.

"Remember, your dad said I could do anything to obtain proof. Right?"

"Yes," Allison confirmed. "I'm your witness."

As the door opened, they both covered their noses.

"Ugh, it smells like rotten cheese," Allison commented.

The room was an extreme mess, it was hard to decide where to start looking for evidence. Mona started by Brian's computer, where Allison opened opened some drawers.

"No way I'm touching that pile of clothes in the corner of the room," she told. "It stinks like something died under it."

"It can't be more disgusting than that," Mona pointed to the computer screen. "He's ranking the freshmen girls and... I've got a 10, for the tough girl attitude?"

"Not even Brian could resist you, huh?"

"No one can, babe. No one."

There was nothing on his e-mail, except for Football Newsletter and party advertising. Mona sighed frustrated.

"If you were hiding your drugs, where would you hide them?"

"Under the mattress?"

"Good one," Mona lifted up the mattress a little bit, to find... romance books. "Really?"

"Come on, he deep down he must be a softie! So, in the closet maybe?" Allison suggested, but before they could even act, the door opened. Brian was back earlier than expected.

“What are you two doing in my room?!” He shouted. “I’m calling campus security, right now!”

----------

“Will you, bad boy?” Mona teased, in a intimidating manner. “Because I’m sure the last thing you want are the cops here, in your room. Am I right?”

“Oh, do you think a little thief like you? I’d like to see you prove, before I get your ass expelled from the university.”

Allison stood frozen, looking at them both. Mona had that look on her face, from when she was ready to get in a physical fight with someone. That would jeopardize the entire investigation, besides getting them both kicked out from university. Without thinking any longer, she made a decision. This is exactly what a brainless moron like Brian would like to see.

“Actually,” she removed her shirt off, revealing a lacy violet bra. “We were preparing you a surprise.”

“Excuse me?!” Brian asked, staring at her features.

“Mona told me about you and how irresistibly hot you are...” she pushed him onto the bed, climbing on top of him. “I’m sorry she isn’t good showing her feelings. I decided to give her a little hand.”

“P-Please, go ahead...”

Brian was smiling broadly. Allison winked to Mona, who was in extreme shock, inviting her to go along with her plan.

“What would you like us to do now, huh?” Allison asked him, in a seductive tone. “Anything you want.”

“M-Make out. The two of you. Please!”

Allison looked at Mona, to see if she consented. She was too dazed make a move or gave her any answer. Instead, she took a step ahead, cupping Allison’s face between her hands carefully, before placing a small kiss on her lips. Allison knew that wouldn’t be enough. Not for Brian, and especially for herself.

She pulled Mona by the waist, bringing her closer as possible and deepening the kiss. For a long time, she hadn’t felt so much pleasure in her life. The softness of Mona’s lips devouring hers, their tongues moving together, it all brought her that burning sensation she had been desiring for years. She wished that moment would never end, prolonging the kiss as much as she could, until they were both out of breath.

“Now, take off your clothes!” Brian ordered, bouncing in excitement.

“Let’s finish this...” Mona grabbed a pair of handcuffs from her pockets and restrained him on the bed post.

“Hell yeah, baby! It’s gonna get kinky here!”

“Where did you get those?” Allison asked curious.

“I stole from your father. I thought they could be useful at some point. Now go, finish searching his desk. I’ll check to the closet.”

“Wait...” Brian was confused. “What’s going on here? Are you guys cops?”

“Sort of,” Allison answered, irritated, “and if you open your mouth again, I’m going to gag you!”

Mona emerged from the closet, with the package she had previously seen Brian carrying in the morning.

“The party is over, bad boy.”

“No, please,” he begged as she unwrapped it. “D-Don’t tell anyone, I-I... I’ll pay you! My dad has a lot of money.”

“Oh shit,” Mona exclaimed, staring at the content. Allison approached, noticing some familiar blue pills.

“Really, Brian?” Allison tried to muffle a laugh. “We thought you were a drug dealer and you...”

“Can’t get it to work properly?” Mona completed, bursting into laughs.

“I have a medical condition, okay?! And if you ever tell this anyone, I’m going to kill you both!”

“Don’t worry, your secret is safe with us.”

“As long as our secret is safe too. And stop harassing girls, I mean it.”

After uncuffing him, the three of them sat down to talk about their task and what had been going on. Brian assured he wasn’t involved in any kids of drug dealing and would warn them in case he noticed anything suspicious, as long as his big secret was safe.

“I felt bad for him in the end,” Allison said as they left the room.

“Yeah, me too. All this jerk act he plays is because he...” Mona started laughing again, “has issues down there.”

Suddenly loud screaming and a big commotion started coming from all places in the University. Mona and Allison’s phones started ringing at the same time. The basketball player had fallen unconscious in the middle of the game. He had been hospitalized in a life-threatening condition.

“Stay where you are,” Mr. Wheeler ordered through the phone. “We need to check his dorm for evidence.”

----------

The police wasn’t able to find anything at the young athlete’s dorm, every evidence had been professionally cleaned. Their only hope were the surveillance cameras footage, that could’ve been caught who last entered his room.

Mr. Wheeler asked them both to go home. There was nothing else for them to do in there. Mona remained silent inside her car, blaming herself for aiming at the wrong suspect. Allison insisted and they stopped at the Bowling Alley as planned.

“It wasn’t your fault,” she told Mona, as they shared a milkshake. “It happens all the time with my dad and he has been a high-skilled detective, for years.”

“I should’ve known better,” Mona shook her head in denial. “We’re dealing with an expert, Allison. A psychopath. They don’t usually show this dark side of them. We need to start aiming for someone more... normal.”

“Any suspects?”

“None yet, but I’ll be thinking about it.”

Allison let out a deep and weary sigh.

“Jeez, I never thought this could be so intense and emotional. Even if we were just faking all the time.”

There was something else that wouldn’t leave Mona’s mind. That kiss. Was it only part of the role or Allison had true intentions when she decided to go deeper into it?

“Were we faking all the time?” Mona asked.

Allison looked down, avoiding her gaze for a moment.

“Not at all,” she finally answered, biting her lower lip.

Mona approached her, lifting up her chin.

“Would you mind doing it again? Only to be sure it was real?”

Mona leaned forward, her lips only one breath away from Allison’s. She hesitated for a moment, then placed a hand on Mona’s chest and slightly pushed her away.

“Would you mind waiting only a little longer? I still need to break off my engagement. I feel bad for doing this to Griffin. While I no longer have feelings for him, we had an entire history together.”

“I’ve waited eight years,” Mona grinned. “What’s only a few more days, right?”

“Yeah,” Allison grabbed her hand, “until the weekend I’ll be free. I promise you.”

As soon as they got home, Detective Wheeler was already waiting for them with a scowl on his face. He advanced in Mona’s direction, pinning her against the wall.

“You! You’ve ruined my investigation!” He yelled. “I’ll assure you’ll get severely punished for that!”

“Dad!” Allison shouted, pushing him aside. “What are you saying? We followed the wrong lead, and so did you, multiple times!”

“Allison, she included a total stranger in the investigation. This kid named Leon. The security cameras’ footage is gone. Considering his computer skills, he’s our main suspect now.”

“L-Leon would never do that,” Mona argued, Allison could tell she was somehow scared. “I-I was in contact with him the whole time... he was sitting at the stadium, watching the game for us!”

“While he hacked into the security system and erased everything! Now, because of your irresponsibility, we’ll need to contact the company in charge of campus’ security and attempt to retrieve footage from their server. It’s going to take weeks! Do you have any idea of how many people will die until then?”

Mona stared at the open tab on the Detective’s laptop, the security company’s website and then she realized...

“Leon didn’t do it. This security system is 99,9% impossible to be hacked. And don’t worry. Until the weekend you’re getting your footage, Detective.”

“And how can you be so sure?”

“My mom developed this security system and trust me, you don’t wanna mess with her tech skills.”

[fromthedeskofelizabeththird]

Take The Bitter With The Sweet

Reader x Jaehee

This was originally for Valentine’s but it’s more of a general fic now because of how absurdly late it is.

Jumin is up to something and Jaehee's dream is at stake. MC decides to intervene. AO3

It’s taken you weeks to pick up the basics of icing sugar cookies. Now, however, you have it down to a fine art. Love hearts, stripes, polka dots and more. Jaehee is more than impressed with your progress. She’s even started unironically calling you ‘maestro’.

The proof is in the eating, though. You could decorate a thousand cookies with perfectly executed bright red lips, only to stumble at the last because of poorly constructed dough or leaving them in the oven for thirty seconds too long. You’re somewhat fortunate in this respect. You have the world’s best guinea pig, even if his motives are on the questionable side.

“So,” you say, leaning back against the counter, arms folded. “Good?”

Yoosung brushes crumbs from his upper lip before giving you an enthusiastic thumbs up.

“Perfect!” He says. “Just the right crumbly texture to accompany a cup of coffee.”

“You’re awfully technical today,” you chuckle, breaking off part of the biscuit for yourself.

It’s only meant as an observation and not to considered for longer than three or four seconds, but for some reason it leaves him stammering as if you’ve questioned something far more personal.

“Well...that is…”

He thinks about it for an abnormally long time and you’re sure you spot the faintest hint of guilt.

And at that, you sigh. Take a bite of the cookie you so dutifully broke off.

“What’s Jumin up to?”

You can tell that you’re on the right track from the way he blushes a bright red. Ordinarily he’s only too happy to tell you about Jumin’s behaviour, tyrannical or not, so when he finally speaks and it is with the carefully considered words of one with a guilty conscience, you know there is something he’s not telling you.

“He’s...ah...he’s working on a new project. Based on consumer trends.”

“Oh? Which ones?”

“He told me not to-”

Your expression barely changes, but Yoosung completely crumbles under the pressure as if you’ve twisted his arm.

“A coffee chain!” He splutters, bowing his head against the counter. “He's considering building a coffee chain in this area!”

And now it's your turn to overreact. As a matter of fact, it’s as if a cold stone is sinking in your stomach. A coffee chain in the vicinity would almost certainly ruin you and Jaehee. You have your regulars, to be sure, but when faced with a choice on the matter, the vast majority of the public will go for a name they recognise.

Jumin knows this and you possess no doubts that this business move is personal.

“That b-”

“ I should go!” Yoosung says, eager to be out of the line of fire. In all of the time you've known him, you've never seen him move so fast.

When Jaehee returns from the wholesaler, you've decided on a plan of action and spent the past few minutes brewing in a fiery rage. At first you were upset, but then that transformed into a sort of helplessness at the prospect of wanting to fight back but not knowing what to do. You're smug when you finally settle on a plan, though, and that smugness becomes a fully fledged confidence that you cannot possibly fail.

“They were out of that icing you like,” Jaehee says as she walks through the door, “so I… what are you doing?”

It must be a strange sight. You're filling one of the paper bags you use to pack people’s take away lunches with sugar cookies and a thermos.

“I'm going to C&R,” you say, folding the bag over automatically and heading for the door.

Truthfully, you had planned to be gone before Jaehee returned, since you had a feeling she would protest your idea. In reality, though, she looks more confused than anything else, glancing from your brown paper bag to your expression of pure indignation.

“I’m going to regret asking this,” she says, placing her carrier bag on the floor. “But why?”

“Jumin’s being an ass,” you say.

“[Name], I-”

“I’ve made him some coffee and I’m going to his office right now.”

“[Name],” says Jaehee, taking you by the shoulder. “I’m not sure what he’s done, but I really don’t think that’s necessary.”

You glance around the empty shop, remembering every busy afternoon you spent scribbling names onto cups and watching strangers fall in love. The thought of Jumin sitting in his office with a glass of wine and destroying Jaehee’s dream without a second thought only infuriates you further.

“It’s necessary,” you say, envisaging the exact piece of your mind you’re going to give to Jumin. “Are you coming?”

Jaehee says only one thing to you on the subway.

“The coffee,” she says, concerned for other people even in the middle of this crisis.

“Don’t worry,” you say, cradling the paper bag. “I made it just the way I always do.”

It took the pair of you several months to get into an evening routine. When the coffee shop first opened, you spent many a night curled up on the couch and too exhausted to move, let alone get any work done on expenses or even laundry. After a little experimentation, you've worked it out to a fine art: after dinner, you do the dishes and Jaehee spends a few minutes updating her record of the day’s takings. More recently, you've taken to bringing her a cup of coffee and an iced cookie while she works and, every evening without fail, she comments on your icing as she takes a sip of the coffee.

There is so much that Jumin doesn't know. So much you want to say to him. Honestly, you're not sure you trust yourself to be civil and Jaehee’s expression of concern leaves you curious about whether she does either.

But it's for the best. You know that it is. It's like the old adage, that the key to a fulfilled life is not the pursuit of happiness, but balance: to seek tears as well as laughter and the bitter with the sweet.

Yoosung is confused when you ask for him at reception. So, for that matter, is Jaehee.

“Jumin almost certainly has meetings at the moment,” she says, as Yoosung leaves the lift. “He won't be able to-”

She assumed you planned to ask for an appointment. You didn’t.

The moment Yoosung approaches, a small smile and no doubt curious why you pursued him all of the way to C&R, you take the chance to snatch his staff ID clean from his jacket. He barely gets the opportunity to pick up on what you’ve done before you’ve sprinted back towards the lift and dived through the closing doors, using his ID card to select Jumin’s floor. Jaehee catches her breath beside you, out of breath from the sudden burst of activity and just as the lift begins to move, you’re sure that you can hear Yoosung pounding his fists against the doors.

You don’t care, however. Ordinarily, you might have and later on you might even feel an ounce of guilt. In that moment, though, all you have is anger, adrenaline and sheer unyielding will.

“Are you going to tell me what all of this is about?” Jaehee laughs as she confiscates Yoosung’s staff ID, presumably to prevent you from any further mishaps. You laugh too, though you never get the chance to tell her the full story, as a matter of moments later you arrive at Jumin’s floor.

During your (brief) planning process, you imagined storming through Jumin’s office door in a blaze of vengeful glory. In your imagination, he sat at his desk and could not hide his expression of shock as you approached.

The reality of it is quite different, however. He’s on the phone when you approach, leaving you to wait in awkward silence for him to hang up.

“[Name],” he says, almost casually. “How may I be assistance?”

He’s not in the least bit surprised to see you, no doubt because Yoosung or someone else in reception let him know in advance. Either that, or he’s all bluster and you don’t doubt that for a second.

“I-”

But Jaehee cuts you off.

“[Name] wanted to see your office!”

She links her arm through yours. Jumin raises an eyebrow.

“See,” says Jaehee, turning on her heel and gesturing at the bookcases and filing cabinets. “Isn’t it nice?”

The word ‘nice’ is accompanied by a swift and meaningful elbow to the ribs, but if anything that just spurs you on.

“I came to talk to you,” you say, unwrapping your arm from Jaehee’s and taking a seat in the chair in front of Jumin’s desk. “I have something to say.”

“[Name],” Jaehee protests. “This really isn’t necessary.”

You pull the thermos out of the bag, along with the sugar cookies. Jumin watches you do so, only looking away from your fingers to look across at Jaehee.

“You’ve heard about my franchise plans,” he says, without a hint of hesitation.

“Franchise plans?” Jaehee says, and only then does it occur to you that you never actually explained the reason you were angry enough at Jumin to confront him in his own office.

“Yoosung told me. He’s planning a coffee chain in the same area as ours.”

You’re not sure if you expected Jaehee to be surprised. Her reaction is in fact one of resignation, as if this had always been coming and she had only ever been waiting for the moment it arrived.

“I see,” she says, and even if you predicted her reaction thus far, you would never have guessed what she came to say next. “Pour the coffee.”

As a matter of fact, the comment takes you off guard so much that you hesitate.

“This coffee,” you say, unscrewing the cap with shaking fingers. “I made it myself.”

You planned an entire speech on the subway, but the words dissolve into nothing as you actually need them, so you improvise, cursing how cliched you almost certainly sound.

“I love our coffee shop,” you say. “I love our customers. I love icing our sugar cookies. And..if you take away our business, I won’t be able to make Jaehee coffee like this anymore.”

Jumin doesn’t ask for the rest of the story. Instead he reaches for the nearest cookie and admires your design. You picked one out in a hurry without paying much heed to how you had decorated it, but he seems to appreciate the lavender stripes.

“You did this yourself?”

“Yes.”

“Interesting,” he says, before reaching for the cup. “Yoosung tells me much, though I’ve not seen myself.”

You had a number of expectations of how the coffee tasting would go, too. He’d take a sip, you’d explain your dreams went into it and he’d reconsider the franchise. Of all of them, however, none included him taking a sip, only to spit the liquid back out again as if poisoned.

“Is there something wrong?” You ask.

“Is that a joke? This coffee is terrible.”

You lift the thermos and sniff the liquid inside, wrinkling your nose at the bitter scent inside before taking a sip yourself. It’s harsh against your tastebuds, but no more so than any other coffee you’ve tasted. You are a tea drinker and coffee is something you do not make a habit of indulging in, so in all honestly you’re not sure you would know a bad cup if you had one.

“I don’t understand,” you say. “This is exactly how I make coffee for Jaehee.”

“Yes,” says Jaehee, planting a warm hand on your shoulder. “And I love your coffee, [Name].”

She’s telling the truth even if she doesn’t deny Jumin’s criticism and it brings a flush to your cheeks. Jumin, on the other hand, is less than enthused.

“I hope the coffee you serve in your store is better than this,” he says, reaching for a water bottle.

Your heart skips a beat at the insult; not because you're particularly worried your coffee might be bad, but at the sudden realisation that you might have ruined everything for Jaehee.

“I,” you say, “now just a minute!”

The hand she placed on your shoulder clenches into a fist. When he realises that both of you are staring at him, Jumin sighs deeply.

“I think you are misinformed,” he says, reaching into his desk drawer for a file.

“I drew it up this morning,” he says. “I think you’ll find the terms are fair.”

Jaehee accepts the file and slowly turns the pages of the document inside. Her eyes widen with every sheet and you can only imagine what horrors lay within. Eviction notices. Diagrams of the upcoming chain.

“This is…” Jaehee trails off and you fear the worst. “This is not what I expected.”

Jumin sits back in his chair and you're sure you can make out the faintest hint of a smile.

“Is your opinion of me that low?”

“Honestly?” Jaehee says. “Yes.”

You wonder what he plans to unleash. What horror is contained in the file?

“I'm sorry,” you say. “I should've known better and now I've ruined everything.”

“[Name]...” says Jaehee, even as you turn back to Jumin.

“I know that things ended badly, but grudges don't achieve anything----”

“[NAME]!”

Jaehee rarely shouts at you and, presumably never shouted at Jumin much in all of the time they worked together, for both of you are visibly surprised.

She turns the folder around so that you can read the terms and conditions Jumin referred to and finally you understand the entire situation. Yoosung did not panic and run away because Jumin plotted to build a rival coffee chain. He had panicked because his investigation into Jaehee's shop was research into a potential investment opportunity and he had (somewhat incorrectly) thought that you were onto him, a fact that would potentially land him in hot water with Jumin.

Jumin probably did have a grudge and it was a great business move to open a rival chain, but that wasn't what he was doing.

“You're investing in our store?!”

You’re sure you don't believe him, even as you see the words written across the page.

And that's when you remember the old adage; an offhand remark from Jumin on the messenger about a fulfilled life. That life was not the pursuit of happiness, but balance: to seek tears as well as laughter and the bitter with the sweet. Strange that you had remembered his words, only to forget that he was the one to say them.

Similarly curious that you had held onto his anger and forgotten his capacity for reason.

“I am interested in such a venture,” he says. “If you are.”

You consider his words even as you scrub the dishes many hours later. You're plainly not the only one, for as you bring out a cookie and a hot drink, you find Jaehee rereading the paperwork.

“Oh,” she says, as she lifts the cup to take a sip. “It's tea.”

“I figured you wouldn't want my coffee,” you say, dropping your gaze to the floor.

Honestly, you're somewhat mortified that she has been drinking your bad coffee for so long. She, however, stands up from her seat and brushes a few loose strands of hair from your face.

“Nonsense, maestro,” she says, so close that her voice drops to a whisper and you can smell the tea leaves on her breath as she kisses your temple. “It's the only one I want.”