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ihavenoideawhatiamdoingjustgay2 · 4 months ago

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Once a Blue Moon

Genre : Sick-fic

Notes : The header is hyperboling it she's fine you guys, not edited yet, pls tell me if you find an error though, domestic fluff if you squint, fluff fluff fluff,A good counterpart for this one is "Those Stars in your Eyes" where you are sick,

Sypnoses : Arlecchino comes home, already not feeling well, will it get worse?

Words : 2.689

Take me to AO3

You have no idea when you had woken up, it could have been five minutes, or half an hour, time passed like that when you had someone to look at beside you, someone who had put her wing around your sleeping form, keeping you warm in this cold room, she knew that, so she took it upon herself to keep you warm in her little ways she only showed in her discreet manners. You sighed into her chest, silent, your eyes still closed. She would probably have to wake soon, but it was odd for you to awake earlier than her, a nice odity though, so you`d use it to your advantage, just for the memory, you would most likely fall asleep soon anyways, your heartbeat already slowing down. You pulled her closer to you, hiding from the small sliver of ligth.

Ligth?

Ligth!?

You shock up from your half sleep and there was, indeed ligth, shining rigth onto her face. Her eyes were closed shut and she was biting her lips.

„Huh.“ your hand brushed her bangs away. „Even in sleep, you can not find peace.“ you watch her as she does not move then eye the clock. Your eyes go wide.

„Arlecchino?“ you shake her shoulder. She did not even notice. You knew having her go to sleep with a fever was a bad idea! „Arlecchino are you dead?“ you nearly shout, still shaking her. Oh you knew something was wrong after yesterday!

***

You stand in front of a hearth, watching the Keetle, waiting for its familiar screeching sound, waiting for the door to slam. You stretch a bit and your back cracks, the maid behind you cringes.

Arlecchino had sent you a messenger yesterday evening, telling you not to wait and that the meeting would go a bit longer than planned. A bit was a codeword for `the whole nigth` from now on apparently. You weren`t happy waking to a cold place next to you, but you knew she`d be even more unhappy standing around a whole night with coleuges that she despised. You just got done pouring the tea when the slam came. Perfect timing. You waited a few seconds, but only the clicking of high heels sounded in your ears.

„Jules, do go out and take a break.“ you say to the very maid that cringed as she cleaned some counter tops. She dissapeard as Arlecchino entered the room, a big thundercloud above her head.

„Only thinking of themselves, aren`t they?“ she asked, trying to reach the tea, but you take her hand before she could.

„It is not finished yet.“ you tell her and she presses her hands against the counter.

„It is just rediculess, they are throwing ideas at eachothers heads and see what will stick! As if this isn`t the biggest project of the Fatui yet!“

You have your hand slide to hers. She looks at it, then at you. „No one is here?“

„We are alone.“

She pulls you into her strong arms rigth away, hugging you tigth, hiding her face in your neck. Her rather hot face, you notice now. She mutered insults into your neck, directed at her colleagues.

„The outside wasn`t able to calm you.“

She shock her head, and abandond her place in your neck in favor of looking into your eyes, or trying to. „The palace is colder than the outside, staying in there for so long with nothing but my coat...“ you saw her go over the meeting in her mind, pick it apart, seeth.

„Do you think that you catched something?“ you put your hand against her forehead.

„Mayhabs, what do you think, dear?“

She couldn`t have had a better timing for cough.

You removed your hand and checked the tea. „I think you`re sick.“

She shrugged.“It`s just an itch., nothing a little tea can`t fix.“

You sqeeze both bags out. „Sure.“ You had to go shoping anyways, maybe you could get some vitamine pills.

She takes the tea from your hand, leaving the kitchen. „I will see you at the orphanage then?“

„Arlecchino.“ she turned at your tone.“Didn`t you forget something?“

She stared at you, she rolled her eyes when it clicked. „You are too corny for me.“ she pulled you close, kissing your temple, before making her way to the office.

„I will see you at the house, do try to get some sleep!“

„Yeah, yeah.“

***

She had indeed joined you later when you were at the playground close by, looking less elegant than usuall, wearing her coat. She had hid herself in your neck, telling you how she was even more tired after her nap. You had added candles to your shopping list and more tea.

„Arlecchino!“ you said one last time and she woke up in a coughing fit. You fall around her arms rigth away. „Oh thank the archons you aren`t dead!“

„Of course I am not dead you fool! Get off me!“ you do so, helping her sit up, getting her water. She was boiling when you touched her hand. „Archons I am cold...what time is it.“

„Nine.“ you say.

She curses in fontanian while jumping out of the bed, having her hair cascade down. She had to stabilize herself. You tried to form a coherent argument as to why she should stay home as she gets dressed.

You follow her to the vanity as she gets her jacket. „You are sick!“

„Yes I know.“ she brushed through her hair, styling it, coughing in between.

„There was already a meeting last nigth! Why would you have to go again?“

She fastened the winged accesoire in her hair. „It will be short this time and it is only between the top five.“

You crossed your arms in front of your chest. „Arlecchino.“ she stood up, looking ready, but you knew her well enough.“You will call in sick.“

„I am afraid that won`t work, my love.“

You sighed as she took out her coat. „Do you really want your co-workers to notice your weakness?“

„They cough themselves at the cold, it won`t be much of an issue.“

You put yourself in front of the door, blocking her way. „I do not want you to go. You are sick and need to be taken care of.“

She moved up to you, slowly, nearly like a predator, shoes clicking on the floor. „Dear.“ she said with a sligth edge.

„How dare you trying to threathen me!“ you nearly shout. She isn`t faced by it, remaining in her calm demeanor, putting her hands on your shoulders, pulling you aside.

„I need to get to work, dear.“ there is an urge in her eyes. „How about a comprimise? I will go to this meeting, get home and will take a much needed break. I will take the weekend off too.“

You thougth about it, watched the clock, then at her. This was a good deal, even if it felt like the ilusion of a comprimise. „Ok, but you will get home rigth after it is over.“

She pressed her hot lips against your forehead. „I will see you later.“

You whisper an „I love you.“, watching her get away, hurying through the front door.

You always fell for her ways.

***

You sit on a sofa close to the front door, a small table with a lamp on it next to you. You had just returned from shopping and Jules was stacking everything up in the kitchen. You had also made a short trip to the House, to say hello to the children and to inform them that their „Father“ would be gone for the weekend. They had been sad, but there was nothing to do about it, they shouldn`t get sick to, you yourself had avoided the Infants because of that reason, considering everything, you migth get sick to, or were already and just didn`t notice it.

It was then that the door opened, it made you look up to the pale figure entering the house. She was coughing rigth away. You watched in silence. She looked up, towards you. „Hello Honey.“ she said, weirdly soft.

„Bed.“ you just said and she put her hands up as if she were a criminal that was just caugth.

„Whatever you want.“

When she was gone you went into the next room, telling Jules to warm up some water to put the Vitamins in. Then you went up yourself.

She was sitting in front of the vanity, removingher make up, earrings and what not. You leaned against the closed door, watching untill she was finished. She then watched you, proping her head up on her hands. How can she look so sick but so elegant at the same time?

A smile then crocked at her lips. „No kiss?“

„You-“ you take a breath before shouting. Control your emotions. „Just get to bed, I will check on Jules.“

She already moved to the bed. „Of course dear.“

You tch`d, moving out of the room to lean over the railing. „How is it going Jules?“

„It is all well! The water is already boiling.“

„Perfect, please do start on some chicken soup, and do not forget to kock.“

„Of course and I´d never!“

You nod, thinking a bit, before getting back to an Arlecchino that was sitting in bed properly, with the blanket covering her legs, her hand were folded above her lap and she wore the pink pyjamas you picked out. It was just that...you snickered, moving towards to sit on her lap.

„You need to button it, get all warmed up.“ you get your fingers on the top one while she is chuckling.

„Oh, I know.“ she pulls you closer by the waist, having her sharp nails scrape the fabric covering your skin, trying to get her hands under it.

„Getting clingy, eh?“ you ask, finishing up on the buttons.

She only shrugged, her other hand moving over to your thigh. „What will be your way to heal me?“

You shake your head, smiling. „My mom used to give me these vitamine pills when I was younger. Put them in some warm water, had them resolve? I got better in a day. Also some chicken soup.“

She nodded, acknowledgment in her eyes. „The same method you use on the children?“

You nod, hands moving towards her long silky hair to play with it. „You will be back to your feet in no time...how has the meeting been?“

„More civiliced, but I still felt as if I entered a circus. I am glad that you never have to meet them in such a setting.“

Her hands start kneading, nails carefully scraping your skin untill a knock is heard. You try to get up, but she holds you down. „Come in Jules.“

You blush, stopping in your actions, trying to find something else to do as she came in, look somewhere else. You could already feel the faint blush on your cheeks. You felt childish for it, youhad been married for about three years, she had kissed you in front of others. But this was way different. You looked back up at her when Jules was gone, as she took the tea. She crocked a brow, then smiled.

„I could have taken it.“

„I like you better here. Do you want some?“

She refered to the Tea, but you were sure you`d straigth up die if you`d drink it, it was that bitter indeed. So you took the glass with the vitamins, ony now noticing the thermometer. Smart Jules.

You simply hand it to Arlecchino with a „Check it?“ before having the taste of oranges fill your mouth. It was more amplified though, artificial, of course. Her hands and body had been more warm than the ussuall, you`d even compare her to a scorching sun rigth now. The thermometer beeped and you take it out before she can move her hand.

Forty two celcius. You bite your lip. „This is the highest fever I have ever seen personally.“

„I have had higher.“ she shrugged it off.

You look at her, an unspoken question in your face.

„Long story, I will tell you some other time.“

You nod, deciding that she`d go to the hospital if that high fever would accure. She then shooed you of her lap in favor of the soup. Of course she would take her end of the comprimise. She was your Peruere, after all. You had the name turn in your mind. It was still odd to you. Her name, how soft it sounded from her newer one that you had grown accostumed to. But sometimes it still fit her, like now, the Woman sitting in front of you, eating soup? Puruere. The „Father“ teaching a child? Puruere. Your Husband? Well, there it got complicated.

When she finished her soup, you lowered your head onto her lap, grabing the water with the vitamines. Arlecchino watched you, curious as you hum at the taste.

„Is it good?“

„Sweet.“

You smiled when she pulled a face, knowing that she`d still drink it. You put the cup back to the plate, deciding that this would be the place to lounge, rigth on her lap. Your scary wolf. She started to have her hand rake through your hair, over your head soon after, leaning back while in thougth. You meanwhile leaned into her touch, closing your eyes, getting the occasional snicker as she deepend her thougths. You eventually dooze of, not noticing when Arlecchino calls Jules in to ask for documents. She arranged them neatly next to her, her other hand still tied to your hair. You wake up only when a paper brushes your side and she stops. You look up, suprised, then at the papers.

„Arlecchino-“ there is a sharp edge to your voice.

„I am only reading, dear.“

You crock a brow, look at the empty nigthstand. „You drank it all up?“

She nodded, slowly, then took a tissue. You only noticed the shadow under her eyes now and you squint your eyes. „Did you sleep enough.“

She pushes some of her hair to the side. „I sadly could not make enough time, I know, it is foolish.“

A crease appears between your eyebrows as you sit up, take her head between your hands. „What is this project?“ you look towards the folder on her side, a big red CONFIDENTIAL is written on it. She puts the papers inside.

„Nothing you should be worried about yet.“ she then takes some other papers from her nigthstand. „Can you read these to me?“

„It has to do with the Gnoses rigth?“ you ask, crocking your head. „You mumbled about it while I was in your office. and just now.“

It only takes seconds for her to build her composure back up. „It is. But you will get to those meetings to once it is all confirmed, you will play as much a part of this as me.“

You hesitate before taking the papers. „Please, we are married now, stop keeping your work from me...it is like you said.“ You interupt her as she opend her mouth. „Now lie down. I will read to you and you will get enough sleep.“

She sighs, but does as you say, her head on the pillows, completly tugged in. She looked almost cute. You took the place beside her, proping her head up on your arm while simultaneously cuddling her closer. She was so close rigth now, you were actually able to count her eyelashes. You smile, looking back down at the papers and read them to her. They were about legends of the gods. It was weird, considering your wifes...believes, or lack of them therefore. But considering her new mission, it migth make sense. It did not take long until you noticed how her eyelids grew heavy, you in turn started to speak a bit more quiet while gently rubbing circles into her back untill she was asleep.

#genshin impact #arlechinno genshin #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin arlecchino #arlecchino genshin #genshin impact arlecchino #arlecchino x reader #arlecchino #ao3 #fan fic #my fan fiction

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player1064 · 10 months ago

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“It’s still just as hard to return to his own bed afterwards as it had been four years ago” has RUINED me.. pls expand on them getting together omgggg

(in reference to my drabble from the other day)

me writing parts of the wife-Gary saga where they're in a committed relationship: fun. silly. these two idiots are so insufferable and drive everyone crazy w how in love they are.

me writing parts of the wife-Gary saga BEFORE they're in a committed relationship: they are so fucking tragic. and the REASON they are so fucking tragic is bc they are stupid. and repressed. and don't know how to have normal human conversations with each other.

---

June, 2016.

“God, Carragher, ‘re you stalkin’ me? How is it that you’re always here after the shit games?”

“Calm down, lad, it’s only happened twice and I know you’ve had a lot more shit games than that. ‘Sides, ‘salmost like talkin’ about football is my job.”

“They should fuckin’ fire you, then,” Gary mutters.

Jamie raises a hand to his chest with an over-dramatic gasp. “But then we’d both be out a job. Think of the children, Gaz, how’re we gonna provide for them?”

Gary chuckles, but it comes out weak and bitter, shooting down any hopes Jamie has of lightening the mood.

He looks bad, is the thing. He looks really, really bad. Each month of the last six seems to have aged him an extra year, he’s pale and unkempt and he’s gained weight since Jamie had last seen him. And he’s looking at Jamie like – like he’d rather be looking at anyone else. Like he doesn’t trust him.

“That was cruel, Jamie, what you wrote,” he says flatly.

It’s my job, Jamie could argue, the articles get more clicks if I’m mean.

Instead, he looks Gary in the eye and says “I know. But someone had to say it.”

Gary rubs a hand over his jaw, huffs a sigh. “D’you not remember what it was like?” he asks, squinting at Jamie. “To wear the badge. I mean, I know it weren’t the same as Liverpool, for you. Weren’t the same as United for me, to be fair. But you must remember. End of the day, they’re just boys. We were too, all them years ago.”

“Gary, they played like shit,” Jamie says, gentle as he can. It doesn’t even occur to him to lie, to tell some meaningless platitude about how they tried their best. It was fucking Iceland.

“Yeah,” Gary says. “Yeah, I know.”

All Jamie wants is to say something mean, to tease Gary and make him laugh and for everything to just go back to fucking normal, for him to have seen Gary more than twice in the last six months. For those two meetings to have been after some fucking wins, instead of –

They sit side by side in the hotel bar, drinking in silence and staring blankly ahead.

Feels a lot like Barcelona.

“Ha,” Gary replies when he tells him this. “Fucking Spain.”

Jamie, who has never known Spain to do anything but take, raises his glass to that. “Fuckin’ Spain.”

Gary turns his head to look at him, makes a little high-pitched humming noise before shaking his head and staring down at the counter top instead.

“What?”

“Nothin’,” he says quickly. “’s stupid.”

Not like Jamie’s got anything better to do than sit and wait for Gary to get over himself, so that’s exactly what he does.

Eventually, Gary starts up again, voice unsteady. “I always wondered, um. If Spain was as shit for you as it was for me.”

“Well I never lost 7-0, lad, so I’m gonna go with no,” Jamie jokes, even though he knows that’s not what Gary means.

Because what he knows Gary means is –

“I mean Madrid, James. I guess – I’ve been thinkin’ a lot, obviously, about Spain. And how before all this –” he waves a hand vaguely in the air. “—before all this, Spain was just – it was only ever Madrid, tha’s all it meant to me. And I always wondered, ever since – d’you remember 2004? I always remember gettin’ to training camp, that year, an’ I saw you ‘n him, and I thought, I mean – I wondered, if maybe it was the same. For you, as it was for me. I remember thinkin’ that.”

2004 was… What springs to mind, when Jamie thinks of 2004, when he thinks of Gary Neville in 2004, is how much he fucking hated him. He remembers watching him at England camps, watching him with Beckham and wondering how the fuck they were able to carry on like nothing had changed, when it was taking all of Jamie’s energy to be civil to his oldest friend.

“I think…” he says carefully, ever so slightly terrified that he’s read this all wrong. “I think it was, yeah. I think it was the same.”

Gary breathes a sigh of relief.

He looks back at Jamie, unblinking, and asks quietly “what about Valencia?”

“What about it?”

“Was’at the same, for you. As Madrid. ‘Cause it felt – not the same, I s’pose, but – similar. Similar enough. For me.”

Jamie takes him in, the dark circles under his eyes, the hunched shoulders. The way he’s nervously biting his lip. Jamie takes it all in, and he thinks fucking Spain, and he thinks fucking Iceland.

“What’re you asking me, Gary?”

“Come up to my room with me?”

“Jamie,” Gary says breathlessly, eyes wide, as Jamie grinds their hips together like they’re a pair of fucking teenagers, “Jamie, Jamie, Jamie.”

“Christ, Gary,” Jamie huffs. Except it comes out softer than he’d meant it to. Christ, Gary. He splays one hand over Gary’s bare chest, scraping his fingernails over the pale skin. “You really don’t ever shut up, do ya?”

Gary flushes, brings a hand up to cover his mouth. Jamie grabs hold of his wrist and tugs it away.

“No, I didn’t mean –” he starts, painfully aware of what a fucking fool he’s about to make of himself. “I didn’t mean stop. ‘s nice. ‘s always nice, t’hear you dronin’ on.”

“Oh fuck you, Carra,” Gary says, but there’s a new twinkle in his eye. His blush has toned down to a delicious shade of pink, which makes Jamie want to do stupid things, like lean down and kiss him on the cheek, or say to him –

No. That can’t be what this is.

He smirks instead, says “think I’d rather fuck you,” delights in the way Gary’s grip on his arse tightens.

“Maybe next time, James, go easy on an old man.”

“Bit full of ourselves, are we? Thinkin’ I’ll be wantin’ a repeat performance?”

“More thinkin’ you’ll be wantin’ a rematch, ‘cause so far you’re a shit fuckin’ lay.”

“Am I fuck.”

The problem, when you really think about it, isn’t Jamie at all. He’s lying on his side, propped up with his elbow, and he’s watching Gary smile dozily at him.

The problem isn’t Gary, either. Or maybe it is, maybe the fact that he’s not the problem is causing a whole new set of problems, but Jamie can’t slow down his racing mind enough to deal with that right now.

No, the problem is fucking Spain, it's Valencia, it's Madrid, it’s David Beckham and it’s Michael Owen. The problem is this hotel in France, and it’s Iceland, and it’s Roy Hodgson, and it’s fifty years of hurt. The problem is about an hour’s drive down the M62, the problem is lying across from him, fingers lightly tracing the scars on his stomach, and the problem is saying “think I could love you, y’know,” as easily as you might say ‘it’s going to rain today’, or ‘Manchester United will never win the league again’.

And the problem, the real problem, is that Jamie can’t say it back. The problem is he’s never been able to say it, not to anyone.

So fine, maybe Jamie’s the problem.

He leans forward and brushes his lips against Gary’s, feels his pleased little hum, feels him try pull Jamie closer.

Jamie pulls away, slips out of the bed. He keeps his back to Gary when he says “I’ll see you at work when new season starts, then, yeah?”

“Oh,” he hears Gary say, voice small. “Oh, right. Yeah, I’ll – yeah.”

Jamie pulls his clothes back on and walks out the door. He’s got a flight to catch soon, anyways.

#also me in general: I love writing silly fluffy stuff I love writing humour #but then me: sees an opportunity to write angst and loses my MIND #thank yooouuu for the prompt!!#carraville #drabbles #yeah mickey's still on my mind btw. clearly.#wife gary saga

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jebewonmorelike · 1 year ago

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✰⋆⁺ Steal Your Heart ⁺⋆✰

*ੈ Part Three: The Magician ♡ Han Yujin

♡ Steal Your Heart Masterlist

♡ Read this Introductory Post and the Masterlist for details!

♡ Read Part One, Part Two (Gyuvin), and Part Three (Jiwoong) Here!

˚☽˚｡⋆ Steal Your Heart: An Interactive Fanfiction Game

... Collect Points to Determine Your Love Interest and Special Ending!!

⁺⋆✰ wc: 9.5k (sorry it took so long but i had panic attacks for a month straight. pls enjoy, i know the chapters just get longer. sorry. i promise they're good though!)

⁺⋆✰ reader-insert pronouns: none used; n/a -- reader is the 10th member of AU ZB1, but the group is referred to only as an "idol" group. no mentions or descriptions of gender of reader.

⁺⋆✰ chapter warnings: crime (reader was wrongfully convicted of a crime), swearing, injury/vague descriptions of blood, suggestion of a drinking problem, mild violence, angst, the choice *ugh, fine* is for kids only (light yujin romance), and lots of really funny and insane shenanigans! all ages welcome; pg-13+ themes.

⁺⋆✰ summary: for series summary click here. jiwoong, gyuvin, and (y/n) are now fully awakened to their powers in the metaverse, confronting their company's president head-on as the fate of au!zb1 lies in their hands. youngest member of zb1, han yujin, has been enjoying his time at university during the group's hiatus. what happens when a wrench is thrown into his plans? inspired by the jrpg persona 5.

⁺⋆✰ please download the scoresheet for the game here!

・゜゜ . . * ✧･ﾟ・ ✧･ﾟ: ・゜゜・．

Welcome back, Player! Get your scoresheet ready-- are you ready to start the fourth installment of our game? Soon we'll get to see how your Chapter Choice from Part Three plays out! Remember to tally your points on your scoresheet! I think it's time we heard from our youngest member, don't you agree?

JUNE 21st -- AFTERNOON

Yujin had begged Manager Sang to let him miss today’s company meeting. He assumed they’d just be receiving more vaguely discouraging news from President Kim like they usually did every few weeks, so what was the point of going anyway?

Total Control were just counting down the days until ZeroBaseOne’s contracts expired at this point. That way they could finally pawn off Gunwook and himself to the highest bidding company for re-debut and push Hao as fully a soloist.

But after a semester exploring an incredible gift of an opportunity he had been given, Yujin wasn’t even sure if he wanted to redebut anymore.

From the start, Yujin had only wanted to be in ZeroBaseOne. He was barely in high school when Total Control’s survival show changed his life forever. His members became his friends and often his parents-by-proxy. Obviously, he didn’t need that sort of coddling anymore, but it never stopped them from pinching his cheeks and cooing at him affectionately as he seethed.

Despite his annoying members and the indefinite hiatus of the group, Yujin could imagine less and less having an idol career separate from the incredibly dysfunctional family you all had formed throughout the years.

But the inherent need to dance still called unshakably to him. And that’s where attending university had swooped in to save him…

When Yujin auditioned for the Dance Performance major at the Korean National University of Arts in the winter, he’d been automatically waitlisted. It broke his heart, but he ultimately knew he wouldn’t have been able to afford university anyway-- what with the debt he owed the company continuing to pile up and all.

No work, no pay. For anyone.

Manager Sang had somehow caught word of this and held a meeting with the upper management of Total Control right away. When President Kim called Yujin into his executive office the following week and told him that the company would pay his university tuition if he eventually passed the Dance Performance major audition, the youngest member of ZeroBaseOne was shocked.

He’d always thought of President Kim as a bit of a blowhard, so this seemingly benevolent opportunity left him a bit shaken. So shaken that Yujin could barely focus on reading or interpreting the lengthy contract shoved immediately in front of him.

Luckily, Manager Sang was there to explain it to him and, after assuring he found no pitfalls in it, Yujin shakily signed his name on the dotted line in a happy daze.

That had been the only good news Yujin had received from the company since your... accident. So he almost threw up from whiplash after President Kim announced half an hour ago in the company boardroom that all ZeroBaseOne members (the ones not currently serving time for a felony, of course) would start preparing for a comeback by the start of next week.

Yujin had come straight to the company after his calculus exam that afternoon feeling positive that his efforts had yielded him good results. There had been no doubt in his mind that he’d ace his audition for the Dance Performance department after the meeting at Total Control, but a full hyperventilation episode in the bathroom later has Yujin currently sprinting down the street-- three minutes late for his audition appointment.

“Han Yujin-sshi?” A feminine voice is calling as Yujin nearly collapses into the university’s main auditorium. The tone of the voice suggests that it’s called his name several times already. Yujin bows furiously in apology at the judges’ panel as he runs down the aisle, throwing his duffel bag down haphazardly on a theater seat and unlacing his shoes like he’s gunning for a world record.

He clambers up onto the stage, gulping when he suddenly remembers how big the auditorium is-- something that would never have bothered him a year ago. Yujin had been practicing almost every night for at least nine weeks with Hanbin at his dance studio, perfecting his audition routine until there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that he would make the cut.

Yujin had pulled an all-nighter studying for his calculus final last night, but Hanbin had reassured him that he had nothing to worry about.

“You know what you have to do,” Hanbin said, running his hand through Yujin’s hair fondly. “Nothing’s gonna get in the way of this between now and tomorrow. Believe in yourself. You’re a shoe-in.”

Hanbin could never have predicted the news they’d received this afternoon and the pained look in his eyes from across the conference room said it all.

“I am new student, Han Yujin,” he introduces himself a bit robotically to the panel of six judges in front of him. He knows a couple of them from his elective dance classes this past semester, but most of the other judges are higher-ups in the department that he’d only seen at his previous failed audition. There’s a wave of nausea in Yujin’s stomach and he quietly swallows it down. “I am eighteen years old and I have been dancing since I was in middle school. I’m grateful for the opportunity to display my skills to the judges and I will work hard to be a member of the Dance Performance school.”

Yujin waits for the music to start in his opening stance but when it doesn’t, he realizes there’s whispering coming from the judges’ table.

“Excuse me, Han Yujin-sshi,” a rather stern-looking older man that Yujin doesn’t recognize calls out to him. The hopeful student brings his arms back to his side, nodding compliantly at him. “Are you the idol Han Yujin?”

Yujin bows quickly. “Yes, sir. I am Han Yujin of idol group ZeroBaseOne.”

“I see,” the older man replies, whispering something to the woman beside him before meeting Yujin’s gaze again. “I’ve heard your group has made quite the mess of yourselves. I’m surprised you admitted to your membership under these circumstances, but I respect the honesty nonetheless. Please continue with your performance, Han Yujin-sshi.”

The audition is a blur. The music comes on and Yujin performs his routine, but his mind is everywhere but the auditorium. Instead, he’s thinking about the judge’s comments, Hanbin’s look of pity across the boardroom, the air in his lungs that never seems like it’s enough, the thought of not being able to go to university anymore...

The monthly envelopes of cash that his parents have to send him so that he can eat...

The otherworldly roar of the crowd only a little over a year ago when ZeroBaseOne performed a sold-out encore show at the Skydome...

The bloodcurdling sound of you screaming your lungs out wafting all the way to the police station waiting room as you plead your innocence...

“Thank you, Yujin-sshi. We’ll look forward to seeing your continued improvement at our next audition.”

JUNE 21st -- EVENING

Yujin stands outside the door of your dorm building, stuck ruminating about whether or not to go inside. On one hand, if he went inside he’d have to tell everyone about his failure. But on the other hand, he could go to sleep in his perfect, warm bed and (hopefully) never wake up.

He takes a deep breath. Maybe he could avoid everyone if he just kept his head down and made a beeline straight to his room.

Yujin opens the door, ready to make a run for it when he comes face to face with…

Let's find out the effects of your Chapter Choice for Part Three, Player! To refresh your memory, Choice 1 was to make Jiwoong do Lots of Aegyo while Choice 2 was to request A Kiss.

⁺⋆✰ If You Chose “LOTS OF AEGYO”:

“You—,” Jiwoong stutters, taking a step back. “You wouldn’t. You couldn’t.”

“I can,” you affirm with an evil smile. “And I will. And I’ll also film it and make you post it.”

“But… But I have a reputation to uphold!” Jiwoong protests, running his hands through his hair in anguish.

“Do you?” You and Gyuvin snort at the same time.

“Oh, shut up,” Jiwoong spits, shaking his head in disbelief. “Why couldn’t you have asked me to, like… make your bed… or… I dunno, like, kiss you or something?”

“WhAt,” you squeak. “Why would I ask you to kiss me?”

“I dunno, you probably can’t get anyone else to,” Jiwoong replies with a shrug, his ears turning crimson. “Okay, can we just get on with the aegyo?”

“Yeah, can we?” Gyuvin seconds with a huff.

“Yeah… Yeah, okay,” you agree, pulling out your phone and opening the camera app. “Can you do a cheek poke?”

Jiwoong sulks, puffing out his cheek and poking it with his index finger. He looks like a depressed toddler. You take a pic.

“Uh, how about a finger heart?” Gyuvin suggests with a shrug as he stares at Jiwoong like his hyung has three heads.

Jiwoong makes a finger heart with his right hand, positioning it in front of his face as he continues to frown.

“Can you just f*cking lighten up for a second?” You ask, lowering your phone. “Is it that hard? Do I need to physically force you to look happy?”

“Happiness wasn’t part of the deal,” Jiwoong replies with a smirk, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“No, no, no, no— get those hands out of your pockets! I’m not done with you!” You shout, walking over to Jiwoong and prying both of his hands back into the open. You form a ‘C’ with each of his hands and stick them to each of his cheeks. “Ohhhh, soooo cute Jiwoongie!”

Jiwoong is placated as he stares back at you, doe-eyed as you take a picture. It’s as good as you’re gonna get.

You send it to him and then grab his phone from his hands, making sure he opens Instagram to post it. Once you hand it back to him, you watch attentively as he types a caption and posts the aegyo picture.

“Aren’t you just the cutest baby boy in the whole world?” You tease as Jiwoong turns red again, rubbing it in as much as possible while you have the opportunity. “Jiwoongie is sooo adorable, I could just. Eat. Him. Right. Up.”

Your bond with Jiwoong has grown stronger. +0 Jiwoong Point.

・゜゜ . . * ✧･ﾟ・ ✧･ﾟ: ・゜゜・．

⁺⋆✰ If You Chose “A KISS”:

“A WHAT!?” Gyuvin shouts, your hand flying to cover his mouth. You definitely don’t need to attract the attention of anyone else in the dorm right now. Still, your tallest friend continues to protest, “MMWHHMM!”

Jiwoong just blinks at you, eyes widening a bit in nervous surprise. “Are you—… are you serious?”

Gyuvin’s hand closes around yours, prying it off of his mouth. ��I’d f*cking love to hear the answer to that question as well, actually.”

“Well, I know it’s a large price to pay and might even be too much to ask in exchange for joining the Phantom Thieves,” you explain, glaring at Gyuvin as he slowly catches on. “Clearly, Jiwoong is shocked and disgusted by this proposition so—.”

“I am?” Jiwoong interrupts.

“Yes! Exactly! You are,” you agree enthusiastically, not realizing that Jiwoong’s statement had actually been a question. “So it seems like you aren’t going to be able to join the Phantom Thieves after all! Oh noooo! This is terrible news. But since you really don’t want to kiss me—.”

“Who said I don’t wanna kiss you, (Y/N)?” Jiwoong interrupts again, a dangerous smirk now turning up one corner of his lips. “Would be a lot more fun than listening to the two of you keep yapping.”

You’re silent, suddenly aware of the possibility you might be caught in your own trap. Jiwoong’s arms fold across his chest— one eyebrow arching smugly. Even though he had spent the better part of a year ignoring you and talking about you behind your back, you should’ve known that Jiwoong would somehow still be down to kiss you.

He’s down to kiss everyone.

“In fact, the only one who said I don’t wanna kiss you, is you,” Jiwoong continues, taking a step towards you. “And how funny is it that you’re the one who suggested it in the first place? Maybe you’ve been thinking about kissing me this whole time.”

“That’s enough, hyung,” Gyuvin warns, large hand resting on Jiwoong’s shoulder. “We’ll just pick something else.”

As Gyuvin starts to turn you back around to discuss a different price, Jiwoong suddenly pipes up.

“W-wait! Wait. Just wait a minute,” he says, both hands extended in front of him. This is not the stance of someone with the upperhand. “You… you already picked the price! N-no take backs! Yeah, I said it. Get over here and kiss me, (Y/N).”

“I can do literally whatever I want to actually,” you respond with a shrug. “And now that you made fun of me, I’m gonna make the price MUCH worse now.”

“NO! No, (Y/N), please,” Jiwoong begs, closing the distance between you as he places his hands on both of your shoulders and shakes them. “Just let me kiss you! PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, LET ME KISS YOU!”

You have to admit, it’s a pretty nice ego stroke to have Jiwoong desperate to kiss you. Not to mention, he does look a lot more handsome when he’s not esophagus-deep in a drunken bar hook-up.

A lot more like himself, too.

You lean in.

Closer.

Even closer.

And place the teensiest, tiniest peck on Jiwoong’s pretty, pink lips.

Your bond with Jiwoong has grown stronger. +1 Jiwoong Point. Please add +1 Jiwoong Point to your scoresheet.

“Oh my god,” Gyuvin says.

“Oh my god,” Jiwoong says.

“Oh my god,” you say.

・゜゜ . . * ✧･ﾟ・ ✧･ﾟ: ・゜゜・．

All Continue Reading Below

“Remind me to apply for on-campus living next semester,” Yujin huffs with disgust, dropping his duffel bag in the middle of the hallway.

“Yujin-ah!” Gyuvin exclaims, you and Jiwoong jumping back to find your youngest member standing hollow-eyed at the floor. “How—… how long have you been standing there, buddy?”

Yujin shrugs. “I dunno, a minute or so.”

Sh*t. There’s literally no way he hadn’t just heard you speak. The three of you wait in silence for the youngest to comment on it.

“If you’re waiting for me to congratulate you about getting your voice back,” Yujin says, eyes glued to the floor, “I literally could not give a flying f*ck about it.”

You breathe a collective sigh of relief. Indifference was usually what you could expect from Yujin and, though it hurts you most of the time, you couldn’t be more grateful for it right now.

“So… you won’t tell anyone about it?” You request, smiling sweetly at your maknae.

“Whatever,” Yujin replies with a roll of his eyes. You’re fairly certain you can interpret this angsty teenager response to mean something like ‘okay’.

The door flies open, a panicked Hanbin scrambling through and into the hallway. “HOWDIDITGOWEREYOULATEAFTERTHEMEETINGWEREYOUTOOUPSETTOPERFORMWELLDIDYOUMAKEITINTOTHEPROGRAM?”

F*ck. Yujin’s audition was today. You instantly feel bad for forgetting.

Yujin shakes his head back and forth just once. So that’s why he was being extra mopey and aloof. He’d worked so hard. Poor thing.

You all sit in the awkward air until Hanbin finally says, “There’s beef marinating in the fridge. I’ll go cook it.”

“BEEF,” Gyuvin yells, pumping his fist up to the sky triumphantly. You grab his arm and force it back down to his side, trying your best to be mindful of Yujin’s feelings. It’s too little too late though and Yujin lets out a long sigh before walking off down the hallway to his room.

“Do you have kimchi?” Jiwoong calls as Hanbin traipses off to the kitchen. “I think you should check if there’s any kimchi left. Someone might have… eaten it for lunch… or something.”

“All of it!? I bought that big container two days ago,” Hanbin calls back. “You and Gyuvin go buy some then! (Y/N), can you come help me, please?”

You start to make your way to the kitchen, but a large hand on your shoulder stops you. Gyuvin’s lips are pressed together nervously as he blinks back at you. “Oh um, (Y/N)? There’s something I need to tell you before--.”

“C’mon! Whatever it is, it can wait. Kimchi can not,” Jiwoong hurries, grabbing Gyuvin and pulling your best friend out the door behind him.

“So, what happened at the company meeting today?” The robotic voice of your phone screenreader rings out, cutting through the sizzling of oil in the skillet pan.

The piece of meat that Hanbin’s holding falls from his hand and splashes back into the bowl of bulgogi marinade. He fishes it back out without looking up at you, calmly replying, “Oh, it was just a regular meeting.”

You nod, aware that Hanbin’s lying to you but unsure as to why. You type again and hit play: “Why would Yujin have gotten ‘upset’ after ‘just a regular meeting’?”

Hanbin places another strip of beef into the skillet, turning up the heat. “Can you get more vegetable oil, please? There’s a new bottle in the hallway closet.”

You press your lips together, walking out of the kitchen and to the hallway closet. You open the door, locating the unopened bottle of oil on the third shelf when a series of buzzes in your pocket grabs your attention.

“(Y/N), can you hurry?” Hanbin calls from the kitchen. “I need to put more in now!”

Buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz. Buzz, buzz.

It seems urgent. And vaguely Canadian.

Mini-Decision: Would you rather be Hanbin’s Helper or reply to those Matt-sterious Texts?

If you chose "Hanbin's Helper", read below:

You shrug, deciding the texts will have to wait for this moment. If someone was dying, then maybe it was just their time.

Running back to the kitchen with the vegetable oil bottle, you toss it to Hanbin who lets out a little panicked yelp before catching it easily in one hand.

“Thank you, honey,” he says, cracking the seal on the bottle and pouring in a liberal amount of oil. “I can always count on you!”

Your bond with Hanbin has grown stronger. +1 Hanbin Point. Please add +1 Hanbin Point to your scoresheet.

You grin, standing next to Hanbin and resting your head on his shoulder. He chuckles at your rare display of affection.

You finally pull out your phone and read the urgent series of texts…

“Something did happen today,” Hanbin says softly, placing more beef into the pan. “At the meeting. I’m sure you could already tell.”

You nod, quietly watching the oil bubble around the meat.

“Gyubinnie didn’t say anything to you though?” He asks with a pout. “He always spills the beans to you. I wonder why he didn’t tell you yet.”

Maybe he was trying to, you think.

“But I’d imagine it’s the same reason that I don’t want to tell you,” Hanbin continues with a laugh. “The truth is, I never saw this coming, lovey. I don’t know what we’re gonna do.”

You lock eyes with him, brow furrowed with concern as your face pleads for him to tell you.

Hanbin swallows, appearing nervous again. “I don’t want to be doing this unless it’s all of us. Together. It’s not right any other way.”

Your bond with Hanbin has grown stronger. +1 Hanbin Point. Please add +1 Hanbin Point to your scoresheet.

・゜゜ . . * ✧･ﾟ・ ✧･ﾟ: ・゜゜・．

If you chose "Matt-sterious Texts", read below:

Your fear of Hanbin’s scolding is strong, but your curiosity about the multiple buzzing texts in your pocket is undoubtedly stronger.

Pulling out your phone, you read the series of urgent texts…

Your bond with Matthew has grown stronger. +1 Matthew Point. Please add +1 Matthew Point to your scoresheet.

What did Matt mean by that? Things might get even harder on me now?

“F*ck, the vegetable oil,” you whisper, grabbing the bottle and sprinting towards the kitchen. You stop dead in your tracks when you find Hanbin glaring at you, hand on his hip in the sassiest stance a man could possibly take.

You wince at him, sheepishly walking up to him and handing him the unopened bottle.

“Seriously? I had to turn the burner off,” he scolds as he takes the bottle, turning around and resuming his pan frying. “If you’re not going to be helpful, then just sit over there so you don’t keep f*cking things up.”

Hanbin could have a viper tongue when he was mad. Fortunately, he knew this about himself and he was already turning around to apologize as soon as the words came out of his mouth.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t soon enough to keep a tear from rolling down your cheek.

“Ohhhh, no,” Hanbin coos, pulling you in for a hug immediately and cradling your head to his chest. “I’m so sorry, honey. I didn’t mean that.”

He holds you close to his side as he turns you both around so he can cook and dote on you simultaneously. “Are you okay, (Y/N)? Did something distract you earlier?”

You nod slowly into his shoulder, pulling out your phone and holding up the texts from Matthew so Hanbin can read them.

“Ahhh, I see,” he says, patting your head. “This would be pretty bothersome to read, huh?”

You gulp sadly, a little pout on your lips that Hanbin absolutely lights up at.

“I’ll bring Matthew’s papers to the company,” he assures quickly. “And I guess I should explain what’s going on to you, too. I really don’t want to be the bearer of tough news, but you deserve to know.”

・゜゜ . . * ✧･ﾟ・ ✧･ﾟ: ・゜゜・．

All Continue Reading Below

“What he’s trying to say is, we’re having a comeback,” Yujin announces unceremoniously as he sits down at the kitchen table. Hanbin turns around and glares at him but Yujin just shrugs. “What? You were gonna find out eventually that you’re getting left in the dust. So what if I don’t sugar coat it? You only have yourself to blame anyway.”

You’re not mad at him. You know he’s just extra angry tonight about his audition. Still, the news feels like a gut punch-- and you’ve been taking a lot of those lately. You feel a lump in your throat start to form, but the sudden question of why this was happening distracts you momentarily.

President Kim couldn’t possibly think rehabilitating such a problematic group was a good investment of his money or time or reputation.

So what was he planning?

“I’m sorry, (Y/N),” Hanbin says, shaking his head. “I’m just as upset as you are.”

Yujin snorts. “Don’t oversell it.”

“Yujin-ah--,” Hanbin starts to scold when he’s interrupted by ecstatic shouting.

“Kimchi: SECURED,” Gyuvin announces excitedly as he and Jiwoong enter the dorm with a big container of kimchi from the shop down the street.

“Ew, you’re so embarrassing,” Yujin says annoyedly as his eyes glue to his phone screen. “Just say you got the kimchi in a normal way.”

Gyuvin takes both of Yujin’s cheeks in one hand and squishes them emphatically. “I live to embarrass my only son.”

“Hello?” A voice suddenly calls from the front of the dorm. “Oh, it smells amazing in here.”

Manager Sang bumbles into the kitchen, a big envelope tucked under his arm. He’s wearing a corduroy button up, dress khakis and thick-framed black glasses— his Total Control Badge hanging from a lanyard around his neck.

He usually checks in on the dorm more often, but this is the first time you’ve seen Manager Sang this week. Except, of course, for the brief appearance of his likeness at King Hyunwoo’s palace last night. You eye him up and down curiously.

“Hanbinnie’s cooking for you all again, I see,” he observes with a chuckle before scanning the room and fixing on Yujin.” “Yujinnie, I have some… paperwork for you.”

“Huh?” Yujin responds like a zombie, completely worn out from his week of exams and his failed audition. “Paperwork? Is it for next semester?”

“Yeah, uh, just,” Manager Sang stammers, placing the envelope on the table in front of your maknae. “Just some stuff we need you to sign.”

“I’m gonna start looking at class options tomorrow,” Yujin says, a bit of levity in his voice as he talks about continuing school. He picks up the envelope and begins ripping it open, excitement continuing to build in his voice. “Maybe it’s a good idea to get my academic requirements out of the way first anyway.”

The smile on his face fades slowly as he pulls out a large, stapled packet of what appear to be legal documents.

“This—… this is my contract with the company to pay for my university,” Yujin says confusedly. “Do I just have to sign to renew it for next semester or something?”

Manager Sang swallows hard, replying shakily, “Well… Not exactly…”

Yujin starts to leaf through the pages of the contract, his brow furrowing with concern. “Why--... Why are a bunch of things circled in red Sharpie?”

“You see, um... President Kim heard from your university’s dance department that you did not pass your audition today,” Manager Sang explains nervously. “So we need to collect some signatures and the promised payment for failure to succeed. Including accrued interest, of course.”

“PAYMENT!?” Yujin shouts, standing up from his chair-- the speed at which he continues to flip the pages of the contract is growing alarming. No one moves a muscle as you wait for Manager Sang to fix the problem, like he always does.

“Y-yes, Yujinnie. Don’t you remember?” Manager Sang replies, a sweat beginning to break at his hairline. “If you failed to pass the audition for next semester, Total Control is no longer liable to pay for this past semester of your university studies.”

The contract falls from Yujin’s hands and onto the table. You take the opportunity to pick it up and rifle through it as Manager Sang continues to mumble on about clauses and fine-print.

You find it on the fourteenth page, a small-print section labeled and circled in red Sharpie: Proceedings for Failure to Succeed.

A silence falls over the room. You’re almost afraid to look at Yujin— the energy radiating from him is absolutely white-hot.

“You told me to sign this,” Yujin says finally through gritted teeth. Jabbing a finger right at the middle of Manager Sang’s chest, he accuses, “You read the fine-print for me and you told me it was safe to sign.”

ZeroBaseOne had once been so popular that you’d had too many managers and staff to keep track of. Manager Sang had been with you since pre-debut, though, and the members favored him because of the bond that was shared. In recent years, President Kim had also begun to favor Manager Sang and promoted him to Head Manager. When ZB1 and Total Control effectively collapsed, Manager Sang was the only manager who remained at the dying company.

You’re suddenly faced with another question of ‘why’.

“I’m sorry you’re so upset,” Manager Sang swallows, stepping backward out of Yujin’s range of motion. “You should always read a contract yourself, Yujinnie. Maybe this can be a lesson for you. In the meantime, the payment is due by Monday.”

Manager Sang rushes out of the dorm and Yujin runs after him.

“Go get him and calm him down,” Hanbin orders the three of you, keeping his hands on the skillet handle and spatula to keep from tearing his hair out. “Now!”

You, Jiwoong and Gyuvin clamber out of the kitchen towards the front door— your hands grabbing the hem of Yujin’s t-shirt just before he escapes into the cool, night air.

He’s screaming, kicking, crying and the force of his despair knocks you both down to the floor. Jiwoong locks the front door as Yujin collapses onto you.

“It’s not fair,” he cries and you just smother him into you more— Gyuvin and Jiwoong wrapping themselves around him so that he’s contained on all sides. “It’s not fair.”

“It’s not,” you agree, knowing all too well the gut wrenching pain of your f*cked up company betraying you. “It’s not fair at all.”

“It’s gonna be okay, Yujinnie,” Gyuvin soothes, rubbing his back. “It’s all gonna work out.”

“I want to go,” Yujin begs— not you or Gyuvin or Jiwoong, but the universe. He’s not speaking entirely intelligibly, but you know he means he just wants to keep going to school. “I can’t pay that money-- I can’t pay it so I can’t go anymore and I JUST WANT TO GO!”

“COMMAND HEARD: GO. COMMAND ACCEPTED. DESTINATION: METAVERSE. HAVE A NICE TRIP!”

“She really just does whatever she wants, huh?” Gyuvin wonders, shaking his head.

“What!?” Jiwoong shouts as that familiar red haze fills the air. “I thought the Metaverse was that castle at Total Control? That’s what Gyuvin said while we were at the market just now!”

“I—… thought so, too,” you say, watching as your dorm transforms into a cold, damp stone labyrinth. It’s dark; the only light coming from wooden torches hung on the walls of rock every few feet. Haunting screams and cries echo and ricochet down the hallway.

“Oh good,” Yujin says as he sits up, wiping his eyes and nose and looking around at his new surroundings. “I’m dead.”

“I…” You start to reply, marveling at what you can only assume to be the Metaverse version of your dorm. “I wouldn’t count on that just yet.”

Yujin throws his arms up exasperatedly. “Well, sh*t! Can someone put me out of my misery already?”

“(Y/N), this… this looks like some sort of prison,” Jiwoong whispers, palm up-turned towards the dark, stone ceiling above— a drop of murky water splashing onto his skin.

“Sounds like one, too,” Gyuvin snorts despite the chilled expression on his face giving him away.

“Okay, but for real,” Yujin pipes up behind you, the slightest bit of worry starting to creep into his voice. “Did I pass out or, like… get sick or something?”

“Yeah,” you reply absentmindedly, a million different questions running through your own head. Yujin starts to wander off a bit and your hand shoots out to grab his wrist— keeping him safely glued to your side. “Or something.”

“Hey, let me go,” Yujin huffs, trying to free himself from your grasp. “This is my dream, isn’t it?”

You look at your angry maknae, finding red, puffy eyes and a still-quivering lip from the grief he’d just suffered.

Not a chance in hell that you’re letting him go. He’ll thank you one day.

“F*cking let go, (Y/N),” he shouts, gripping your forearm with his free hand and twisting. “Even in my subconscious, you’re such a d*ck!”

But that day is not today.

“WHO DARES TO TRESPASS IN THE ROYAL DUNGEON!?” A shadow guard’s voice bellows down the hallway that, in real life, leads to Yujin and Hanbin’s bedrooms.

“Sh*t, sh*t, sh*t,” Gyuvin says, pushing Jiwoong down with him to hide in a crevice in the stone wall. There’s another crevice of a similar size a bit farther away which you dart towards, using all your effort to pull a reluctant Yujin to safety with you.

“Owww,” Yujin whines as you shove him out of sight of the shadow guard bumbling down the hallway. You squish his lips together with your free hand, eyes begging him to be quiet. It’s easy to see the message isn’t registering. Instead, you watch in slow motion as Yujin’s pointer finger rises from his side and goes straight into your left ear.

He grins triumphantly as you jump back and, in your discomfort, let go of Yujin’s wrist. He runs out of the cove in the wall and straight into the path of the shadow guard. Gyuvin catches your eye from across the dark hallway-- fear apparent as he looks to you for a new game plan.

“Whoah, this looks SO real,” Yujin marvels as the shadow guard breaks out in a sprint towards him. You gasp in horror as the giant figure crashes into Yujin, knocking him to the ground-- the back of his head hitting the cold stone beneath him. He sits up shakily, rubbing the back of his head and then bringing his hand towards his face.

The rich, red sheen of blood dripping from his fingers makes your heart sink to your stomach.

“This... feels so real, too, actually,” Yujin says dazedly as the shadow guard pulls him to his knees by the collar of his shirt. “(Y/N)...? (Y/N), I think I need h--....”

Your gaze fixes back on Gyuvin as you make a fist at him, signaling it's time for an all-out attack. He nods, tapping Jiwoong beside him to get ready. You hold up three fingers, then two, one...

You take the first attack. A gust of wind flies from your palm, but unlike the shadow guards you’d encountered before, this one doesn’t fall to the ground. Instead, it merely teeters before righting itself and turning to face you.

Gyuvin releases a blast of ice next, icicles flying through the air and tearing a hole through the shadow guard’s chest. It’s clear the wound is serious as the guard loses his grip on Yujin, the youngest boy collapsing limply to the ground again.

But much to your horror, the wound in the shadow’s chest begins to mend itself-- the black vapors inside of him growing thicker and thicker by the second.

“Jiwoong-ah, NOW!” You shout as a series of fireballs fly towards the shadow. They rip three separate holes in the guard’s form, finally knocking him backwards. But it’s not enough to vanquish the shadow guard. You need more power and, as the shadow guard’s wounds begin to heal again, you need it fast.

~I think it’s time we acquired a new skill. What do you say, my friend?~

“I think your timing is impeccable, Arsène,” you praise, closing your eyes as you feel a new source of power surge through you. You extend your arms, an immeasurable amount of flower petals flying from your palms and attaching to the shadow guard.

New Skill Unlocked: In Bloom ˚❀༉‧₊

The guard sinks to the ground as he’s buried alive in flower petals and you run to Yujin, who’s staring wide-eyed up at you— one hand still cradling the wound on his head.

“Yujin-ah,” Gyuvin calls as he and Jiwoong land next to you. “Are you okay? Are you dizzy?”

Yujin shakes his head innocently. “N-no…”

“Which question was that an answer to?” Jiwoong asks, brow furrowed in concern.

“I’m okay, I think,” Yujin responds. You gently detach his hand from the back of his head and bring it toward you in the dim light, finding more fresh blood on his fingers. He looks up at you, much more scared than before. “What’s happening?”

You take his blood-stained hand and pull him to his feet. “You’re going to be okay, Yujinnie. I promise.”

“But—,” Yujin starts to protest as Gyuvin interrupts him.

“I think we should take a look around, (Y/N),” your right-hand man suggests, wrapping an arm supportively around the youngest’s shoulders. He gestures to the incapacitated guard on the ground, “Ya know, while we have the chance?”

You nod decisively. “I think you’re right, Binnie. Let’s tread carefully— stay behind me.”

You take a deep breath as you follow the direction of the loudest screams: they’re coming from where Yujin’s room is. As you approach, you find metal prison bars running vertically in the cement doorway, revealing a Metaverse version of your maknae. He’s wearing matching dark grey and white striped shirt and pants, hunched over a grey, sleight desk as the sound of furious pencil scribbles echo off the damp walls.

“Is that--... Is that me?” Yujin whispers, pushing you aside so he can get a better look. “Why the hell am I a prisoner!?”

“I think each one of us has a cell just like this,” you say, looking at Gyuvin and Jiwoong. “It might be a reflection of how President Kim sees us: his prisoners.”

Metaverse Yujin puts his pencil down, picking up the finished document in his hand and looking it over. He slides it to the side of the desk, but, as soon as he does, the paper disappears. Metaverse Yujin screams in frustration, slamming his fists on the desk as he grabs another sheet of paper from the pile and continues his maniacal pencil scribbling.

“To think we’re all serving time for crimes that President Kim committed,” Jiwoong shudders, shaking his head in disgust.

“I’d say it’s a pretty good reflection of our reality,” Gyuvin says, looking at you sadly. “It only makes sense our dorm is King Hyunwoo’s dungeon.”

“Hold on. Did you just say President Kim’s crimes?” Yujin asks, a confused frown on his face. “And… King Hyunwoo?”

You watch as Metaverse Yujin has another episode of hysterics. If President Kim thinks Yujin is suffering this much... It’s because he’s personally made sure that he is.

“Yujin-ah!” Yujin calls, knocking on the metal bars with his knuckles. “Over here!”

Metaverse Yujin’s head snaps around, locking eyes with his real-life counterpart. He stands up from his desk-- a wild, frantic look in his eyes as he runs to the metal-barred doorway. Yujin jumps back as the Metaverse Yujin’s bleeding knuckles wrap around the bars, shaking them desperately. “Make it stop! Please, make it f*cking stop!”

“What happened to you, Yujinnie?” Jiwoong asks, eyeing the young prisoner with a concern you hadn’t seen from him in a long time. “Why are you being held captive like this?”

“You don’t have much time,” Metaverse Yujin whispers, trembling as he peers down the hallway. “He’s coming back. I can’t be punished again. I CAN’T!”

“Ssssh, Yujinnie. It’s gonna be okay,” Gyuvin soothes, placing a hand on top of the prisoner’s. “We’re gonna get you out of here!”

Metaverse Yujinnie sinks to the ground in despair. “You can’t... I can’t...”

“But... I can,” Yujin whispers. You look over at him to see that he’s crying again, but this time his tears are different. They’re not helpless. They’re defiant. “I can get you out of here. I can make President Kim pay for what he’s done to you. I... I can make sure I never have to feel like this ever again.”

“Yujin-sshi,” an ominous voice echoes down the hall. Your body tenses and you grab Yujin by the shoulders, shoving him behind you to shield him. “Are you working hard, Yujin-sshi? Are you making something of yourself yet?”

As the figure comes into focus, your lips part in shock. “Manager Sang?”

“You think you can escape the fate that King Hyunwoo chose for you, Yujin-sshi?” Manager Sang mocks as he draws closer. His chest is bound in chains-- a giant lock at the front. “What about you, (Y/N)-sshi? Do you really dare to climb out of the grave you’ve been hiding in this year? Trying to protect your youngest member when it was your carelessness that killed his future in the first place...”

“You--... you’re in on this?” Gyuvin asks, disgusted at the man who’d taken care of you the most throughout your careers. “You were on President Kim’s side this whole time!? How long have you been selling us out for?”

“Since the day I made... the choice. When the King asked me to wrap (Y/N)-sshi’s hands around the wheel that night while he fled the scene, I made the choice,” Manager Sang announces, eyes glowing red. “The choice to call the paparazzi when Jiwoong-sshi’s out at night. The choice to deliver the bribe checks to the media when Gyuvin-sshi schedules another meeting. And the choice to convince the youngest member to sign a contract.”

It’s only now you realize that someone’s hand is gripping into your upper arm, nails digging into your skin. You turn to your right, ready to pry them off before you remember who you’d placed behind you to shield them.

“President Kim knew you would fail, Yujin-sshi,” Manager Sang continues. “Everyone at the company knew you would fail. That’s the only reason the investment was approved in the first place.”

Yujin’s fingers have turned white with how hard they’re gripping you, but the look in his eyes makes you hesitant to interrupt him-- no matter how painful it is for you. He’s panting heavily in an attempt to catch his breath and, before you know it, he’s started screaming.

“(Y/N)...” Gyuvin says softly, his gaze falling to your arm. A stream of blood has begun trickling down your arm past Yujin’s fingers.

You shake your head. You’ll just have to power through it.

“And, just on the off chance that you really wouldn’t fail, President Kim asked me to help take some measures to ensure that you did,” Manager Sang says with a satisfied smile. “President Kim needed my help. He always needs my help. So, I asked you for your schedule at the beginning of the week: how else would Total Control have known to plan such a bombshell of a meeting for ZeroBaseOne just minutes before your audition, Yujin-sshi?”

“SHUT UP!” Yujin shouts behind you. His hand finally leaves your arm, starting to hit the concrete wall next to him with his fists. “EVERYONE JUST SHUT UP!”

NO CAN DO, FINE SIR. THERE’S SOMETHING I MUST MAKE YOU PRIVY TO: I AM ZORRO, MASKED SWORDSMAN AND YOUR NEW PARTNER IN THIS QUEST FOR JUSTICE.

“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?” Yujin shouts, crouching down to the ground-- trying to find any semblance of reality he can.

THOUGH THE BURDEN OF GREAT PURPOSE IS A MIGHTY ONE, WE WILL BEAR THE WEIGHT TOGETHER. IT’S TIME TO TAKE BACK YOUR LIFE... COMMENCE THE FIGHT!

Jiwoong gasps as a mask begins to form on Yujin’s face-- the material fusing with his skin as it has each time before. You wish your youngest member didn’t have to feel this pain or join the dangerous fight you accidentally stumbled into this week. It had always been your instinct to continue to protect him, no matter how much he resented you.

SSchrip...

New Confidant Unlocked: Magician *ੈ Han Yujin

But after seeing him promise Metaverse Yujin to stop the pain he’s been feeling, you know for sure that Yujin has grown into the man you’d all hoped he would. He didn’t need to be shielded from the truth. In fact, he might be crucial in helping you expose it.

Yujin is still doubled over, a new mask resting across his eyes. You can’t help but smile when you see the bunny ears on each side.

“If you’re all done messing around,” Manager Sang suddenly says behind you, “I’d like to kill you so I can collect my check.”

Jiwoong steps forward, raising his hand as he prepares to throw a fireball, but something restrains his arm before he can. Yujin smirks, releasing Jiwoong’s hand from his grip.

Step aside, Hyung... I'll handle this. ‧ ₊ ✫ ˚・

Jiwoong makes room for Yujin at the front, folding his arms across his chest with a laugh. “Less work for me.”

New Skill Unlocked: Hyung Card ೀ

When Yujin takes center, you’re confused when he doesn’t raise his hands in the direction of Manager Sang like you, Gyuvin and Jiwoong usually do to use your powers. Instead, he brings them together, fingers loosely interlacing as his palms meet. He stares at his thumbs, then up at Manager Sang without blinking.

“Oh sh*t,” Gyuvin says with a grin as a strange, purple fog forms above Yujin and slowly engulfs Manager Sang. Yujin finally blinks and the cloud lets up, revealing your manager writhing on the ground in a confused and panicked state.

“Too cute,” Manager Sang whispers over and over, hands covering his eyes. “He’s just too cute. Too cute. TOO CUTE!”

“Wait, WHAT!?” Yujin shouts, stamping his foot. “Did I just brainwash him with... cuteness!?”

New Skill Unlocked: Super Aegyo ₊˚⊹♡

The three of you very poorly stifle your laughter as Yujin turns around to glare at you. His mask now has glowing pink cheeks and little heart-shaped bubbles flying from the eye holes. You have to look away from all the cuteness before it brainwashes you, too.

“Oh, COME ON!” Yujin yells with a pout. “I’m not cute! I’m not a baby! You saw how fast I took him down!”

“You can sulk about it later, Yujinnie,” you say, grabbing his shoulders and turning him back around. “How about you finish this?”

“Really?” Yujin asks, brow raised in surprise. “You think I can?”

“I know you can,” you respond with a smile. “And I know you’re upset with your power, but the truth is... I think it might be the strongest one yet.”

He smiles back at you. “Thanks.”

Bringing his palms together again and focusing his eyes on Manager Sang, another cloud of purple fog swallows up your manager until a soft plea can be heard from within it.

“Please, please stop,” Manager Sang begs as Yujin blinks away the fog. “I--... I can’t do this anymore. I... I surrender.”

You approach him cautiously, Gyuvin, Yujin and Jiwoong following suit. “You... surrender?”

“Yes, I--... I can change! I’ve worked for King Hyunwoo... President Kim... for so long. I remember when you all were just kids still waiting to debut,” he says, a soft, reminiscent smile forming on his lips. “I knew you’d be successful. I knew it from the moment you stepped on stage at your first FanCon. None of the groups before you at Total Control ever had enough support to have a FanCon. But you did within just three months.”

“Then why have you been doing this?” Gyuvin asks, distrust still palpable in his voice. “Playing President Kim’s lackey?”

“Last year. After... everything happened,” Manager Sang says with a regretful sigh. “I handed in my resignation letter. But my wife had just had a baby that same month and... our baby was very ill when she was born. President Kim promised to give me a raise if I continued working and reported all of your information back to him. For many reasons, I couldn’t say no.”

“But we trusted you,” Jiwoong says quietly. “We trusted you and you... You’ve just been helping President Kim hurt us? You could’ve done the right thing at any point this year. Can you really sleep at night knowing the harm you’ve caused?”

“I’ll regret it for the rest of my life,” Manager Sang answers after a long moment. “After my involvement with staging the crime scene, I was at the mercy of President Kim. If I hadn’t done that... I truly wish I hadn’t played along for once. I’m sorry for the harm I’ve caused you, (Y/N)-sshi. I’m sorry for the harm I’ve continued to cause you all.”

You nod solemnly. “I wish you could tell the truth now in the real world. But I don’t see how that would be possible.”

“M-maybe... I--... C-can...” Manager Sang’s voice becomes choppy, his form appearing to glitch. He continues to glitch in and out until finally fading away.

Gyuvin runs his hand through the space which was previously occupied by Manager Sang, finding only air in his place. “What the hell was that?”

“I’m not sure,” you say, brow furrowing as you think of the implications of the events that just unfolded. Had Metaverse Manager Sang been a projection of President Kim’s cognition like everything else in the Metaverse has been... Or was it Manager Sang’s own cognition that had apologized to them just now? “I think we need to--.”

Thud.

“Yujin-ah!” Jiwoong shouts as your youngest topples over onto the cold, damp cement. You reach your hand out, shielding Yujin’s head from taking any more damage tonight.

“Yujin-ah,” you call, the three of you moving him into a more comfortable position. “Can you hear me? We’re going home now, okay?”

As soon as you say the words, the red haze around you begins to dissipate. The dark prison walls turn plastered and beige again-- the doors to each of your rooms reappearing in the place of the vertical metal bars.

“WE DO AWAIT YOUR HASTY RETURN. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ANY INJURY SUSTAINED IN THE METAVERSE MAY CARRY OVER INTO THE REAL WORLD. TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEALTH.”

“Is--... Is she watching us?” Gyuvin asks with a frown.

“Everything okay out there guys?”

Fuck. You totally forgot Hanbin was still in the kitchen.

“We need to get Yujin to his room right now,” you urge, looking at your youngest member sprawled out on the floor of the foyer.

Both Gyuvin and Jiwoong conveniently avoid your gaze…

Mini-Decision: Someone’s gotta carry Yujin. Will you say “Ugh, Fine” or “Woongie SO Strong”? ~

Author’s Note: PLEASE only choose “ugh, fine” if you are Yujin’s real age/a minor! Obviously Yujin is 18 in this fic, but that’s just for story purposes. ONLY MINORS choose this option if you’d like to unlock Yujin’s ending at the end! This choice has a hint of romance so a reminder that this fic isn’t real, Yujin is just a character in this story, the romance is all age appropriate and JUST FICTION. Thank you for being respectful and kind!

If you chose “Ugh, Fine”, read below:

With a heavy sigh, you grab Yujin’s left arm and point to Jiwoong to grab the other one. Gyuvin supports him and, together they lift Yujin onto your back. “Stay here and distract Hanbinnie,” you whisper, rushing down the hall as fast as you can and into Yujin’s room.

“We’re... Um...” You hear Gyuvin call to Hanbin in the kitchen, “Changing! Yeah. We’re just changing.”

“Oh for f*ck’s sake,” Jiwoong mutters.

“... In the hallway?” Hanbin responds confusedly, footsteps pattering towards the foyer as you lock the door behind you. “You’re wearing the same clothes as you were before.”

“I meant metaphorically,” Gyuvin clarifies with a nervous laugh. What follows is a loud smack and a mumbled, “Ow.”

You sit down on the edge of Yujin’s bed, unwrapping his arms from around your neck and situating him so that he’s propped up on his pillows. He looks so peaceful resting like this and you wish you could just let him sleep, but you need to wake him up to check if he has a concussion first.

“Yujin-ah,” you say softly, brushing a lock of hair from his eyes. His lashes start to flutter against his cheeks until they’re staring up at you. He sits up quickly-- too quickly and you gently nudge him back down to a reclined position. “Don’t move too fast. You’ll get dizzy. How do you feel?”

“Was it real?” He asks excitedly, stars in his eyes. “The dungeon? The magic powers? Manager Sang?”

You press your lips together, conflicted. You could still tell Yujin it wasn’t real. That he hit his head running to the door and must’ve had a crazy dream. That everything was the way it had always been. That he could go back to passively disliking you and maybe working out a new deal with President Kim and Manager Sang. That he won’t get hurt again...

“Yeah,” you admit finally. “It was all real.”

“I knew it,” Yujin says with a grin, folding his arms across his chest satisfactorily. “I knew you wouldn’t lie to me. You need my help, obviously”

You smile back at him. “I do need your help actually. But, more importantly, you need your help.”

Yujin’s smile fades as he looks down at his lap. He doesn’t say anything, but his silence alone confirms the truth.

“I’m so sorry, Yujinnie,” you say, placing a hand on his wrist. “I wish you didn’t have to go through any of this. I wish we all could’ve stayed as happy as we always were forever. I’d do anything to go back and change it. Maybe now I can finally make things right... and with you by my side again.”

Much to your surprise, your typically sarcastic and affection-avoidant maknae places his hand on top of yours. “It’s not your fault, (Y/N). I didn’t know that before. But I do now.”

“Oh, it’s really okay--.”

“It’s not,” Yujin cuts you off. He’s clearly a bit uncomfortable with the sincerity he’s having to display, but you appreciate it nonetheless. “And I’m sorry.”

“That actually means a lot to me,” you say with a smile, which Yujin happily returns. “I missed talking to you, kiddo.”

“Oh come on! We’re almost the exact same age. I’m NOT a kiddo,” he corrects with a groan. He then looks at his lap, a little blush on his cheeks. “And I’ll prove it to you.”

Your bond with Yujin has grown stronger. +1 Yujin Point. Please add +1 Yujin Point to your scoresheet.

“(Y/N), open the door,” Gyuvin whisper-yells as he jiggles the doorknob. You rush over to the door, Jiwoong and Gyuvin almost knocking you over as they barge inside.

・゜゜ . . * ✧･ﾟ・ ✧･ﾟ: ・゜゜・．

If you chose "Woongie SO Strong", read below:

“Oh my goodness,” you coo quietly, grabbing Jiwoong’s right bicep and squeezing. “I didn’t realize how big your arms were!”

“Wh—… What?” Jiwoong stammers as you continue to feel up his arm. “Me?”

“Woongie soooooo strong,” you sing-song, batting your eyelashes at him for full effect.

Unfortunately for Jiwoong, you know exactly how to play to his weakness and his chest begins to puff at your flattering. “I— I guess, yeah. Yeah! I kind of totally am actually.”

Gyuvin snorts, turning away from you to keep from ruining your evil plot.

“So stroooong and SO handsome,” you add, just to knock it out of the park.

“I’ve heard this a lot in my lifetime actually, but,” Jiwoong replies, one eyebrow piquing at you charismatically, “I never thought I’d hear it from you. Maybe we could talk more about how handsome and strong you think I am over coffee or—.”

“—SO strong you could carry a full-sized Yujin!” You finish. Trap successful.

Jiwoong’s previously seductive expression turns quickly to disappointment. “Aw,” he grumbles, removing his arm from your grasp. “I thought you’d finally seen the light.”

“The light being…?” Gyuvin asks, patting Jiwoong’s shoulder comfortingly.

“Me,” Jiwoong answers, brushing Gyuvin’s hand off and fixing his shirt; trying to re-establish his dignity. “I thought you’d finally seen me.”

Your eyes widen in surprise at the sincerity of his last sentence. Jiwoong is surprised by it too and he coughs awkwardly to distract from it.

“Okay, okay. I’ll do it,” Jiwoong relents, stooping down and picking up Yujin all by himself.

“Holy sh*t, you actually are kind of strong,” you marvel a bit at his unexpected strength.

Jiwoong shrugs as he carries Yujin down the hall to his room. “I know. Blew your chance though.”

Your bond with Jiwoong has grown stronger. +1 Jiwoong Point. Please add +1 Jiwoong Point to your scoresheet.

As Jiwoong shuts Yujin’s door behind him, you look up at Gyuvin confusedly and whisper, “He’s just joking around, right?”

“Kids, what’re you doing out there?” Hanbin asks as you hear the oil in the skillet slowly stop sizzling. Entering the hallway, his brow furrows as he looks around. “Where’d Yujinnie go? Didn’t I tell you to calm him down?”

“We did,” Gyuvin answers quickly. “In fact, we got him so calm that he’s now unconscious.”

Hanbin’s eyes bulge at this. “Excuse me!?”

You sigh, looking up at the ceiling and shaking your head. You should’ve made Gyuvin carry Yujin instead.

“I mean, he’s just taking a nap,” Gyuvin thankfully corrects his previous blunder.

“But—… I just finished dinner,” Hanbin responds sadly. With a sigh, he continues, “I understand though. It’s been a hard day for him. You guys’ll still eat, right?”

“Of course!” Gyuvin exclaims as you nod enthusiastically beside him. “Um, could you just give us a couple minutes though?”

“Oh, uh… Sure,” Hanbin agrees confusedly. “Why?”

“I have to… Give… (Y/N)… something,” Gyuvin improvs absolutely seamlessly. “Yeah, I have to give (Y/N) something now or else I’ll forget to do it later! We’ll be riiiiight back.”

“Oookaaay,” Hanbin says with a sigh as you and Gyuvin run suspiciously down the hall. “I’ll just bring a bowl to Gunwook in the meantime, I guess.”

・゜゜ . . * ✧･ﾟ・ ✧･ﾟ: ・゜゜・．

All Continue Reading Below

JUNE 21st -- NIGHT

After eventually scarfing down beef bulgogi like it's your occupation, the four members of the Phantom Thieves sit on Yujin’s bed-- gathered around your youngest member like he’s the baby Jesus in his manger. It’s a bit of a funny sight.

“Are you sure you're alright, Yujinnie?” Gyuvin asks, turning Yujin’s head so he can see the back of it. “It’s healed a lot. And you can’t even see the indents on (Y/N)’s arm anymore… But still. That was way too close of a call.”

“Way too close,” you agree, bottom lip tucking between your teeth in thought. “If injuries we get in the Metaverse can carry over to the real world… What if we had a way to heal them while we were still in there?”

“You mean, like, medicine and bandages and stuff? Can you bring real world objects into the Metaverse like that?” Jiwoong asks.

“I don’t see why not,” you reply, tilting your head to the side as you consider it. “We’re able to bring our phones in with us. Maybe anything that’s in our hands or pockets is fair game. I think we need to stock up on whatever we can get.”

“So… what happens now?” Yujin asks and it’s a very good question. “We’re—… We’re gonna take down President Kim? Through the… Metaverse, or whatever? How do we even do that?”

“I don’t really know yet,” you admit honestly. “But I think we’re getting closer to finding the answer. All thanks to the newest member of the Phantom Thieves!”

A reluctant smile turns up one corner of Yujin’s lips. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. I guess I had to do one thing well tonight.”

“We’ll fix that, too,” you say and you mean it. “We’ll get you back in school and we’ll get all your debt paid, okay? Everyone’s debt will get paid.”

“We’re gonna need to plant some money trees, then,” Gyuvin says, scratching the back of his neck. “We can’t stockpile meds and first aid sh*t and then pay Yujinnie’s university debt on our own. Jiwoong hyung’s in the negative over there after last night.”

“Hey, I have a little bit of money left,” Jiwoong says, pulling out his wallet and opening it. It’s completely empty. “F*ck, did I lose my ID too?”

“Gyubinnie’s right,” Yujin says with a nod. “We need money. And as the news and best member of the Phantom Thieves, I’m about to make a suggestion that no one will like…”

“No…” You whisper.

“You can’t mean,” Gyuvin whispers.

“I think we should try to get Ricky hyung on board,” Yujin says definitively; a chorus of groans echoing into the air. “I mean, do you guys have any better ideas for quick cash?”

“But Ricky hates me,” you whine, leaning your forehead on Jiwoong’s shoulder.

“To be fair, everyone basically hates you,” Yujin says with a shrug. Curse your savage maknae. “But, once they know the truth, they won’t anymore. Probably. Ricky included. Probably.”

You sigh defeatedly. “I guess if there’s really no better option… It’s settled. We’ll go talk to Ricky at his Club Jeune Et Riche on Friday.”

“Oooh,” Jiwoong hums, shaking his head. “No can do. We’ll be at the company.”

Gyuvin smacks Jiwoong so hard, he goes flying backward off the bed. “If you don’t shut your mouth--.”

“I already know about that actually,” you say, chewing your cheek. “Courtesy of our smart-mouthed maknae.”

Yujin smiles sheepishly. “Sorry. Again.”

“I’m sorry, (Y/N),” Gyuvin says, looking at you shamefully. “I wanted you to hear it from me, but I... Guess I fumbled the bag.”

You’re not mad at Gyuvin either. Or any of your members (except Hao-- you’re always mad at Hao). You just feel sad. And left out. And hurt. And happy that maybe you didn’t ruin their lives completely. And okay, maybe a bit mad.

But a leader must trudge on.

“It’s okay. I’ll go talk to Ricky on Friday by myself then,” you announce, biting your lip. “I just can’t imagine he’d even give me the time of day...”

Jiwoong clears his throat awkwardly, climbing back up onto Yujin’s bed. “Well, what if he didn’t know it was you he was talking to?”

You raise an eyebrow at him curiously. “What are you suggesting?”

“What if... American heiress and art collector, Rebecca Song, paid him a visit instead?” Jiwoong suggests with a grin.

“Who’s Rebecca Song?” Gyuvin asks confusedly. “Or... is that the--... That’s the point, isn’t it? Okay, I get it now.”

“Some acting work for (Y/N)? Don’t you have the lowest rated web drama of all time or something?” Yujin muses, smiling evilly as he considers it. “Make sure you film it.”

It’s not a bad suggestion though. You like to think you’ve gotten better at acting since your web drama fiasco in 2019 (a romantic comedy set in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by clowns instead of zombies), but you have no proof of that. Still, Ricky could very well slam the door at just the sight of your face...

What do you wanna do, Player?

⁺⋆✰ Chapter Choice ✰⋆⁺

It's your decision, Player. Will you visit Ricky as...

CHOICE 1: Yourself

CHOICE 2: Rebecca Song: Esteemed Foreign Art Collector

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wizardsoup · 2 years ago

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like no you dont understand. d&d is sometimes just like a really normal thing but sometimes @starshipsandsuperheroes spends two years of real time developing a poison specifically to fuck up this dandy rakshasa who tried to play stupid games. (as always pls click for high res).

#amelia voice Play stupid games win. well. nothing really.#my art #rogue #assassin #d&d #lakewood

12 notes · View notes

newmusickarl · 2 years ago

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5-9’s Album of the Month Podcast – Episode 3 Out Now, Episode 4 Coming Soon!

Just a reminder that the latest episode of the 5-9 Album of the Month Podcast is now available, reviewing some of the best albums we heard in March. As ever I take a seat alongside 5-9 Editor Andrew Belt and Check This Out’s Kiley Larsen to review five high profile album releases from the past month in music, and ultimately name one as our Album of the Month at the end of the discussion. With some divided opinions between us, which one reigned supreme?

Then for our April review episode dropping in early May, the five albums we will be discussing are:

Language by Circles Around The Sun

Fuse by Everything But The Girl

72 Seasons by Metallica

First Two Pages of Frankenstein by The National

Garden Party by Rose City Band (Poll winner!)

If you want to listen to the latest episode simply click the link below, but also be sure to follow 5-9 Blog on Instagram and Twitter for more news and polls relating to the podcast, along with other great content like film reviews, sports articles and more.

Listen to the March 2023 episode here

Album & EP Recommendations

A Kiss For The Whole World by Enter Shikari

I feel like I say this every time Enter Shikari bring out a new record, but they really are one of a kind. When they first released their incredible debut Take To The Skies back in 2007, the euphoric collision of trance and metal was unlike anything I had ever heard. As a teenager at the time that record was everything and whilst many (including shamefully myself initially) wrote them off as surely being a flash in the pan, the St Albans quartet have just gone from strength to strength.

Across six brilliant albums, their rave/metal fusion has since evolved to include more elements of grime, pop and punk, whilst their lyrical messages both social and political have also grown in scope alongside their sonic ambitions. Their musical journey has been nothing short of a triumph and album number seven feels like them taking stock of just how far they’ve come.

When we last heard from the Shikari boys, it was at the height of lockdown when they were found revelling in the abyss on their most ambitious outing to date - Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible. Now with A Kiss For The Whole World, it’s like the band have re-emerged from those depths, this time filled with hope, positivity and gratitude. There’s a sense of optimism in the songs here, with the band also referencing their previous work multiple times (“You’re still standing like a statue” on the title track, “Wish I was back at the Dreamer’s Hotel” on Jailbreak and “I went to live outside to find myself” on Giant Pacific Octopus to name just a few easter eggs).

It presents an interesting dynamic at the heart of the record, almost like the band know how dire the world is right now, but on the flip side they are just so grateful for their fans and the career that they’ve been able to have until now. With these contrasting emotions driving forward the writing, it all makes for a thrilling 30-minute listen that’s impactful yet joyous, and also plays out like a love letter to their fans.

The kitchen sink of ideas thrown at Nothing Is True… has also been refined a bit more this time too, with this album seamlessly flowing from one track to the next. As ever with Shikari, the singles for the record sound better in the context of the whole, as electronically-charged thumper (Pls) Set Me On Fire and motivational anthem It Hurts both hit much harder now. Leap Into the Lightning is then a dubstep-induced message of encouragement to make bold choices, whilst Dead Wood is a string-tinged adaptation of Pinocchio, with Shikari seemingly getting in on the Hollywood trend of revisiting that story but of course doing it in their own unique way.

If Dead Wood is their Pinocchio then Jailbreak is their Papillion, as the band repeat their mantra “I hope I keep hope intact” during the euphoric outro. It’s already one of my favourite Shikari songs and it leads seamlessly into Prodigy-inspired banger Bloodshot. As great as the main part of that song is, the Coda for the track that follows may be one of the most beautiful arrangements the band have ever put to record – an utterly stunning orchestral composition that successfully brings out all the goosebumps. It all then gets brought to a rousing climax with the poignant closing two-parter Giant Pacific Octopus, where frontman Rou Reynolds questions “I don’t know you anymore - or maybe I never did?”

When I get asked what Enter Shikari’s best album is or am asked for suggestions on where someone should start with their catalogue, I always struggle to find an answer. The reality is each new album is always as good as the last one, with the band yet to deliver a misfire across their 15+ years doing this - even when their batshit crazy, genre-bending sound is almost tailor made to serve up a misstep or two. With each new release and each new triumph my respect and admiration for the band only grows stronger and it seems with A Kiss For The Whole World, the feeling is mutual. One of Britain’s most underrated bands and I really hope they finally get their first number one album later today – fingers crossed!

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MTV Unplugged (Live) by Twenty One Pilots

Whilst not for everyone, I’ll be the first to admit I love these MTV Unplugged sessions. From Nirvana serving up an all-time classic live album with theirs back in the mid-90s, to incredible recent releases from some of my own favourites like Placebo and Tash Sultana, these sessions have given us some great music over the years. So when I saw that mainstream superstars Twenty One Pilots had released their own MTV Unplugged live album, I was naturally intrigued as to what they might do with the concept.

As opposed to simply taking the easy route and busting out a few acoustic versions for fans, the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun instead use the Unplugged concept to present their live show in an interesting new format. Rather than just using a pre-recorded track as they would normally, the pair use hands-free looping and sampling to build their songs out in front of the crowd in real time – even using the audience themselves at points as their instruments. Not only that, but the arrangements of their biggest hits have been reworked, some mashed up together whilst others simply remixed into a new alternate version.

Altogether it makes for a fascinating 30-minute listen, with the duo using the audience members as their drum kit on a cool mashup of Ride / Nico And The Niners, whilst also elsewhere serving up awesome live versions of Shy Away and Stressed Out. However, the pair save the best moment for last, combining two of their best songs in Car Radio and Heathens into a spectacular grand finale.

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Exotico by Temples

If you are looking for a summer indie rock record bursting with catchy melodies, glistening guitar solos and trippy instrumentals, then look no further. English Psych-rockers Temples recently returned with their dazzling new album, Exotico, which is just a whole heap of fun.

Drawing shades to the likes of Tame Impala, MGMT and Life Is Yours-era Foals but with that vintage 70s psychedelic sound, this is Temples at their bold, cinematic best. Single Gamma Rays already feels like it could be one of the songs of the summer, whilst the title track plays out like the soundtrack to a futuristic Western. The first third of the record really is all killer and no filler, with early favourite Oval Stones boasting the catchiest orient-inspired groove.

Of course, at 16 tracks and pretty much an hour in length, the less patient few may find listening to Exotico front to back in one sitting a bit of a challenge, especially within the current trend of shorter 30–40-minute albums. However, Temples do reward those who stay the course, with the hypnotic synths of Giallo, the mesmerising tropical guitars of Inner Space and the paranormal sonic vortex that is penultimate track Afterlife, just some of the delights in the latter half of the record.

I’m already finding a lot to enjoy in this new Temples record, and I can’t wait to return to it on those hazy summer days that are (hopefully UK weather!) coming up.

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Forever Means EP by Angel Olsen

And on the shortplay front, American singer-songwriter Angel Olsen recently returned with a spellbinding new four track, 15-minute listen. Opener Nothing’s Free is my personal highlight, a haunting ballad centred around Olsen’s soft vocals with a light jazz-blues inspired arrangement. Once those horns arrive towards the back-end, you’re sure to be swept away.

The title track also leaves a big impression, featuring a simple guitar backing and Olsen’s aching falsetto vocals with some slight shades to the late, great Jeff Buckley. The folksy Time Bandits is equally gorgeous, before Holding On offers up the fist-pump-the-air, triumphantly defiant finale, full of big rock guitars as Olsen heartbreakingly sings “Couldn’t see the light you brought to me, now you’re gone and I can see.” An excellent EP that continues Olsen’s typically fantastic recent output.

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Garden Party by Rose City Band

“There’s no better way to describe Rose City Band, and this new record especially, as the tightest, most enjoyable first set the Grateful Dead would perform in the late-70s - one in which we’re treated to the best freeform guitar interplay that’s still reigned in before the sun sets on a second set full of surprises. “Porch Boogie” invites the dirt churners to groove as Paul Hasenburg’s keys work (phenomenal throughout the album) fills the gaps of Johnson’s psychedelic solos.

As much as Earth Trip fit the times in which it was crafted, Garden Party returns to the carefree picnic days of Summerlong and builds upon that feeling for their best record. Letting the Rose City Band catalog breathe on the road has opened the door to the complete capabilities of Johnson’s vision for the project, and his supporting cast is absolutely locked in right now.”

Read Kiley Larsen’s full review here

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Also worth checking out: 72 Seasons by Metallica, Fuse by Everything But The Girl, Plus Ultra by Chappaqua Wrestling, Multitudes by Feist, Intellectual Property by Waterparks, Big Picture by Fenne Lily, Stay Teenage EP by Billy Tibbals

Tracks of the Week

Couldn’t Make It Up by Ben Howard

Two years since his last release Collections From The Whiteout, singer-songwriter Ben Howard has announced his new album Is It? will be released fairly imminently this coming June. With Ben you never really know what to expect from his albums other than they are usually a fascinating listen, but he’s given us a bit of insight to the album’s possible direction with this jangly summer number that will serve as the album’s opening track.

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A Child’s Question, August by PJ Harvey

Also announcing a new album this week is the legendary Polly Jean Harvey, whose tenth album will be coming this July and is titled I Inside the Old Year Dying. Interestingly it will also be her first independent release since 1992, having recently signed with Partisan Records. In her own words, “the album is about searching, looking – the intensity of first love, and seeking meaning.” The first taste is A Child’s Question, August, a typically stirring folk track led by ritual-like drumming and Polly’s choral voice.

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The Score by Grian Chatten

The Fontaines D.C. frontman also made a splash this week, releasing his debut solo single - The Score. There’s no official word on a full length yet, but this first taste of what Chatten’s solo material could deliver is mighty intriguing, a sunkissed and string-tinged acoustic number written on a lustful night in Madrid.

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Mermaids by Florence & The Machine

Last Friday, Florence quite unceremoniously reissued her acclaimed 2022 album Dance Fever, this time titled The Complete Edition and featuring a couple of reworked versions and a few new tracks. One of these new tracks is Mermaids and it is already one of my favourite Florence & The Machine tracks. Powered by rumbling horns, exquisitely written lyrics and an anthemic refrain of “Cheerful Oblivion”, it’s a phenomenal track that I can’t quite believe didn’t make the original album cut.

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This Is A Photograph II by Kevin Morby

One of my Top 20 Albums of 2022, Kevin Morby’s This Is A Photograph was an incredible project, autobiographical and reminiscent whilst also sonically invigorating. Now, the Texan singer-songwriter is releasing a new companion project to that record, titled More Photographs (A Continuum). The album will feature reworkings as well as completely new songs, with this first taste a sort of a mix of the two – a funky and cinematic sequel to the original album’s brilliant title track.

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Love Make A Fool (Orchestral Version) by James

Mancunian indie legends James have begun their much-anticipated new tour this week, where they will be joined by a full orchestra and gospel choir on all dates. Alongside the tour their new orchestrated record Be Opened By The Wonderful is due out in early June, celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary. Although it will predominantly feature reworked versions of their greatest hits, there is also this new gorgeous new track, Love Make A Fool. Wonderfully arranged with poignant lyrics, it serves as a welcome reminder as to just how James have managed to still endure after all this time.

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Double Fantasy by The Weeknd featuring Future

It won’t be long now until The Weeknd’s HBO show The Idol hits our screens, due to premiere this June. Naturally I’m expecting the show to have a killer soundtrack, and this atmospheric, neon-soaked collaboration with Future is a good indicator that my expectations are correct.

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Mother by George FitzGerald & SYML

Hot off the back of his brilliant 2022 album Stellar Drifting, electronic musician George FitGerald has announced a new four track EP titled Not As I will be arriving this June. Mother is the first single from the project, a beautifully ambient groove featuring American musician SYML on vocal duties.

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High Life by Bloc Party

It has become tradition for indie legends Bloc Party to release a standalone single following the release of an album, with gems like Two More Years, Flux and One More Chance gifted to fans over the years. Whilst High Life isn’t quite to that standard, it’s a great upbeat summer tune with a danceable central guitar riff and a catchy chorus.

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Children by Opus Kink

A band who released my EP of the Year in 2022 with ‘Til The Stream Runs Dry, ska-punk outfit Opus Kink have a new EP on the way in May titled My Eyes Brother! Children is one of three tracks to have been released from the project so far and is my current favourite, a wonderfully maddening sensual barrage of snarling vocals and cacophonous trumpets.

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The Analyst by pecq

And finally this week, electro indie duo pecq have recently released their latest single from their forthcoming EP, Amnesia’s Ritual, which is due out in early May. Offering unique, entirely self-produced soundscapes, pecq blend ambient electronics, ethereal vocals and field recordings into tracks that are quite special. The Analyst is a perfect example of this, and a good way of introducing you to their dreamy sound.

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Also worth checking out: Ribs by Rachel Chinouriri, Don’t Let Me Down by Gus Dapperton & BENEE, Rescued by Foo Fighters,The Canary Trainer by Smashing Pumpkins, Jealousy by The Xcerts, Three Drums by Four Tet, Time (is a healer) by Keir, Life Is Yours (Dan Carey Dub) by Foals

REMINDER: If you use Apple Music, you can also keep up-to-date with all my favourite 2023 tracks through my Best of 2023 playlist. Constantly updated throughout the year with songs I enjoy, it is then finalised into a Top 100 Songs of the Year in December.

Add the playlist to your library here

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