#taps the board this will be on the quiz

[khairosclerosis]

💡 protip #2: if you don't have time to draw or yap about your blorbos, do an art meme 👍 you still don't have time but you do have whimsy ✅

edit: link to template oopsie ..

[puppys-rhythm-heaven]

hyperfixations are funny cuz sometimes i remember that most people probably can't like. name every rhythm heaven game in order. i can just casually do it. actually most rhythm heaven fans probably could do that we're all kind of unhinged about funni moosic gayme-

[giuliettagaltieri]

Sparkly Pink Skirt

Pairing: College student! Eren Jaeger x College student! reader

Synopsis: When you are head over heels for Eren since high school, he finds it difficult to take in when you start to avoid him.

Word Count: 2586 

You are a riddle Eren has long given up on solving.

He closes his eyes to refrain from rolling them when your hand untangles from his arm and shoots up into the air to answer a question, your charm bracelet jingling loudly. He knows that it would be so unnecessarily intricate, he might as well take a quick nap.

It has always been like that since he met you in high school.  Teachers were always so fond of you due to the efforts you gave in your academics.

Eren spreads his thighs to lean more on his chair. You are still talking. He drums a finger on his desk and glances at you. You don't even realize that you are driving everyone to snoozeville. Except your biology professor, of course. She seemed just as giddy as you.

Nerds.

With a deep breath, you then smoothed out your frilly pink skirt and sat back down beside Eren and wrapped your arm around his again as you giggle at nothing in particular. "Ren, I was just thinking. We should get milkshakes later."

Eren sighs. "Can't."

She's not his girl, he feels no obligation to indulge her.

Her smile drops before it returns once more. "What about tomorrow?"

"Shut up. She mentioned a quiz or something." Eren nodded to the professor.

It was a lame excuse to get you off him but you did not buy it for one second and even pouted at him. "No, the professor was just talking about thermoregulation. Were you not listening?"

Eren's eyes flitted to you before staring into the empty space of the white board once more, not having enough energy to deal with you at the moment.

At lunch, you always invite yourself to sit next to him.

His peers nod at you as you place your pink Sanrio lunchbox on the table.  Eren scrunches his nose at your strong strawberry perfume that you no doubt just sprayed on yourself before coming.

“Hey Jean, Armin, and Connie!”  You say with the brightest smile as you scooch closer to Eren, who was taking a chug at his energy drink, before you steal it away from him.

A moment of silence falls on your table but you don’t waver and instead you glare at him.

“I told you a million times!  These are harmful for-”

Eren clicks his tongue and your shoulders drop.

“Ren, I just don’t want you getting sick.  You drink like a hundred cans per day.”

He scoffs at your exaggeration.

You tap your chunky shoes, your expression falling.

“I’m sorry. Here.”  You pull out a tumbler from your bag.  “I made you cucumber lemonade this morning.”  Apologetically, you smile at the others on your table who were looking almost too busy with their forks and ketchup.  “I brought fruit sandwiches for all of us.”

Connie cheers while Jean and Armin thanks you like how a normal person would.  

Eren takes the strawberry one which you offered him.  His taste buds feel weird from all the flavors, having been used to artificial snacks that he often got from convenience stores.

“Does it taste good?”  You ask him eagerly, eyes all bright as your hands fiddle with your hair.

You already know that he finds it tolerable, Eren had it countless of times.  He doesn’t know why you bother asking him every time you feed him the food you make.

“It’s gonna give me diabetes.”  He comments.

“You ungrateful fu-”  

You cut off Jean’s accusation with a soft smile before you turn to Eren once more, already used to his quips.  Your smile widens when he takes another bite anyway.

“I mixed the cream myself.  I added less sugar, it’s not going to give you diabetes.”  You giggle as you grab a tissue and playfully smack Eren’s mouth with it and the tissue sticks to the whipped cream in the corner of his lips.

Jean coughs.  “You guys coming to the party later?”

Connie responds with a ‘yes’ without hesitation.

“Today’s Thursday.”  You point out.  But Connie just shrugs like a party on a weekday is totally fine, making you sigh.

“I don’t know, I have to study for midterms.  Are you going to come, Ren?”  You turn to him.

He shrugs. “There’s free booze.  Why not?”

You roll your eyes and look at Armin.  “Are you coming too, Armin?”

Armin smiles excitedly.  “Yes! Mikasa’s here to represent their school in an event.  She told us that she’ll be attending.”

Eren chuckles, making you look at him.  “It’s been quite a while, hasn’t it?”

The three of them were inseparable ever since you met them.  You tagged along most of the time but their friendship goes way back.  Mikasa, however, she had to study in her mother’s hometown for high school senior year and even now, in college.

You took a bite off your kiwi sandwich as you consider attending.

Eren knocks your thigh with his, making it jiggle softly.  “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

Well, you do have a lot of time to study before the exams, one party will not be that big of a deal.

You smile at Eren.  “Okay!”

Seven rolled around rather quickly and you find yourself seated in Eren’s dodge challenger.  He buckles you in as you are too busy pulling your thigh highs up.

You resist the urge to fan yourself despite the blasting ac.  

Eren just had to be so unfairly handsome, doesn’t he?

His black shirt was illegally stretched across his chest, his pecs shamefully bulging out, his arms immorally straining on the sleeves of his shirt.  His jeans too immorally taut against his muscular thighs. You look away, not wanting to objectify the person beside you any more than you already have.

Oh, but his man bun and piercings are just so sinfully attractive!

The party was already starting when you arrive, you can tell by the blasting music which you heard a block away.  The two floored house had its windows flashing in neon lights.  The outside was pretty empty, aside from the cars haphazardly parked by irresponsible teenagers.

You scurry next to Eren the moment you got out and you whine, trying to keep up with his long strides.  He opens the door and heads inside, leaving you to push the door yourself and you almost lose him in the crowd but you managed to grab a fistful of his shirt.  

He leads you inside and you struggled to avoid being pushed around by sweaty party animals.

Soon enough, you find yourself seated with the gang in the terrace.  You take the deepest breath, after trying to hold it while passing the crowd earlier.

“You okay?” Mikasa smiles and offers you a drink.

“Hey, Mika! Yes, I’m fine.”  You thank her for the drink, sniffing it to see if there’s alcohol in it and gulping it down when you see that it’s just plain juice.

Eren leans to give Mikasa a one arm hug and you see how flustered Mikasa has become despite how dim the terrace was.

Everybody was having fun, catching up and you enjoyed it too.  Only, you can’t help but feel a little out of place when they began talking about their youth.  The rest of the gang knew each other back in grade school, and you only joined when you were in high school.

Reiner and Bertholdt went downstairs to dance, so did Ymir and Historia.  Sasha raided the kitchen with Connie.  The rest stayed to chat and you just sat there with them, listening to them laugh as they recall their shenanigans.

You were feeling kind of hungry and you grab Eren’s sleeve to have him accompany you downstairs.  

“Ren, I’m hungry.”

He clicks his tongue.  “Go eat.”

“Come with me?”  

Eren’s eyebrows twitched as he spoke in a hushed voice.  “Can you stop being annoying just for tonight?  My plans don’t include babysitting you.”

You immediately let go of his sleeve, your hand fall to your thigh and you look away from him as you feel your nose sting, knowing that tears will come any moment now.

“Okay.” You whisper, head hanging low.

Eren resumes his conversation with Armin and Mikasa and in the brief moment you look up, you see him smiling at her.

You bite your lip the entire time, not wanting to cry in front of them.

Eren already thinks you’re annoying.

Of course, perhaps you do go a bit too far in showing your affection for him.

You wait for a couple of minutes more before you slip downstairs.

The party was still as alive as the moment you arrived.  Sasha and Connie were in the kitchen, trying to stuff their mouth with marshmallows.  You grab a pocky and head out without disturbing their intense competition.

You were knocked around more times than once but you did manage to get out of that suffocating house.  The night breeze bit your skin but you preferred it anyway.  It was unbelievably convenient when you see a beanbag in the porch and you collapse into it, bringing your heavy wedged shoes up to pull your knees to your chest, an attempt to make yourself more invisible.

The strawberry pocky was your only company and you wanted to smack your own head for not bringing any juice.

“The party a little too much for you?”

You gasp, startled.

Jean was leaning on the wall behind you, his arms crossed as he remained staring at the empty street.

“Uh yeah. Wanted to cool down a bit.  I’ll be back shortly.”  You say meekly.

He heaves a sigh and pushes himself off the wall.  “Wanna go drive around town?”

You look at your shoes and then to Jean.  

“Yeah, that does sound a lot better than just sitting here.”

He offers a hand and you take it.  His Range Rover comes to view and he opens the door for you.  Making you chuckle.

“What?” He smiles.

You shake your head.  “You’re so chivalrous, Jean.”

He grins. “Nah, it’s a bare minimum. ‘S not that big of a deal.”

Smiling, you say, “But I appreciate it.  Thank you.”

Jean drove you around and even got you a slushy in a store that was open 24/7.

But on the way back to the party, you asked him if he could drive you home instead, already exhausted.

You thank Jean after he drops you off in your dorm and doesn’t leave until you got inside.  You quickly sent him another quick thank you.

The moment you’re inside your dorm room, you peel off your clothes and took a quick shower.  You are about to go to bed when you hear a ping.

“Where are you?”  Eren texted.

“Dorm.”

“Who drove you home?”

“You should’ve told me you wanted to leave.”

“I didn’t wanna bother you.”  

“You can’t just leave without telling me.”

Perhaps you were a little too tired and emotionally exhausted after what happened in the party but your fingers punched letter by letter and hit ‘send’ before you can process what you just said.

“Yes, I can.  You’re not my boyfriend.”

But it was done.  You sent it. And he read it.

Three dots appeared on his end before it vanished.  You bite your lip when it appears again.  The cycle kept repeating and you just decided to go offline.  

You have no classes with him tomorrow, thankfully. You would not want to face him anytime soon.

To say that Eren was confused when he does not see you in his usual parking space was an understatement.  You must have woken up late.  He’s sure your attitude from last night was already gone.  You just slept though your alarm.

He nods at Connie and Armin when he gets to his first period.

“I didn’t see Y/N.”  Connie says, still looking at the door, half expecting to see you there, waving at them.

“Late perhaps.”  Eren mutters.

“I wonder about that.”  Jean quips as he seats himself next to Eren.

“What do you mean by that, Jean?”  Armin asks, concerned.

But Jean only smiles at them.  “Nothing.”

Eren did not appreciate being kept in the dark, it has been happening since last night and it’s starting to piss him off.

“You drove her home, didn’t you?”  Eren asks Jean, almost accusingly.

“What if I did?”  Jean gave a coy smile.

Eren clicks his tongue to dismiss Jean.

Armin glances at Eren but it was difficult to read him, when Eren’s eyes are as dead as always.  But in a millisecond, he thought he saw Eren’s brow twitch.

You were still nowhere to be found by lunch.

It started to bother them all when Eren looks like he’s just about to snap.  His leg was bouncing without pause and he kept clenching and unclenching his hand.

“Maybe she’s sick and didn’t come to school?” Connie suggests just to ease the tension for a moment.

Jean shakes his head and pops a fry on his mouth. “Saw her this morning on my way to second period.”  He glances at how uneasy Eren was and pretended to let the information slip. “Y/N said that she wanted to try that dessert café a few blocks away from the campus for lunch.”

Eren’s foot shifted but he remained seated.

“Armin, I need to review for basic cal.  Help me out a bit.”  Jean sighs as he stands to leave.

Armin quickly catches on and nods.  “Of course.”

Connie was about to protest but Eren’s sharp stare got him to stand as well.  “Right! I also need to study.”  Jean elbows him harder than intended.  “No one would believe that coming from you.”

He’s not stupid.  He knew what they were doing and he wanted to smack them for it but he doesn’t feel the need to stop them either.

The tray on your hand looks like what dreams are made of, you concluded.

A rainbow crepe, crème brûlée, lemon cake, tiramisu, oh you can’t wait to try more.  You sat down quickly and your hand hovered over them, not knowing which one you should try first.  Deciding on the tiramisu, you snatched the fork and took your first bite.

You cup your cheeks as you chew the tiramisu, eyes closing in pure happiness.  The mascarpone and coffee soaked lady fingers were so rich it ruined every dessert that you had.

“Enjoying yourself?”

It was cute how you squeaked in surprise.

Eren taps a finger on surface of the table.

“What are you doing here?”  You mumble, eyes now on your lap, fingers tracing the glitters on your rose-colored skirt.

“Am I not allowed to come here?”  The corner of his lips twitch to a smirk.

You look at him for a moment before you avoid eye contact again.  

Well, he certainly looks out of placed. Especially with his black attire and piercings, the kids from two tables behind him were stealing glances at you.

“I’m guessing you’re not here for the cakes served in sparkly pink plates.”

Eren flashes you an amused smile.  “No but I did come for the girl in sparkly pink skirt.”

Your eyes rounded, your face heating up.  You did have a feeling he was here to talk to you but it did not stop you from feeling all shy.

The next Thursday, your biology teacher hears the familiar click clack of your shoes and looks up with a smile.

But instead of seeing you clinging on Eren’s arm, he had it wrapped around your waist.

[kekaki-cupcakes]

hello!! Hope you’re doing well!!

could you please do a Leo x mortal reader cafe au like the Connor stoll one? And could the reader be a Greek mythology nerd also please have a little brother who she’ll randomly quiz about the Olympian gods?

have a nice day 😚😚

heyyy i didn't get your whole request in but i got the vibe dw and also kind of made a moodpboard for it cause I loved the whole aesthetic and no one requests mood boards <3 LISTEN TO EXPRESSO BY SABRINA!

Leo Valdez x Reader--- cafe au

»»————-　★　————-««

“Hello,” you said, looking up from your screen for a millisecond, “what can I get you today?”

When whoever it was ordering didn’t respond, you raised an eyebrow, hand hovering over the digital menu. The boy frowned at the screen above your head where it listed all the different drinks. He had the nicest brown curls, you noticed, and looked back down before he caught you staring. 

He tapped his fingers quickly on the counter. Sabrina Carpenter's new song was playing over the cafe speakers. It sounded like summer.

“How many espresso shots are you legally allowed to put in one drink?” The boy asked with a crackly voice. He had dark smudges under his eyes. And on his hands. Huh. You really needed a camera to look into at times like this, for comedic effect. Like the office.

“About six,” you said, dropping your customer service voice with a shrug, and opened up a new order on the tablet, your bracelets jingling. “What can I get you today?” 

You loved your bracelets. Some were from that second hand store down the street full of goths and grandmas where you’d bought yet another version of the Odyssey yesterday, and the rest were from your little brother. 

You never admitted it to anyone, but he’d made them based on all your favorite Greek gods. The ones you were wearing today had pomegranate seed charms and antler horn patterns.  

His eyes widened considerably. They were brown. And sparkly. “What happened to your voice?”

You squinted at him. Someone else came into the cafe with three little dogs stuffed into their giant handbag. 

“That was my customer service voice.” Your brain was finally receiving enrichment in messing with this cute greasy boy. You put it on again, paired with a fake smile. “What can I get for you today?” 

He chuckled, and hitched a giant canvas tote bag over his shoulder. There was a giant inked cat with butterfly wings on it, and a long metal pipe sticking out the back. You had a feeling this boy would steal your name if he got ahold of it, or trap you in a ring of flowers deep in a forest.

“Uh,” he trailed off, and then winked, scrunching up his entire face. “Surprise me.”

You blinked at him. How entirely helpful. You watched him pull an entire fucking old fashioned pocketwatch out of his pocket to check the time. 

Medium was the most commonly ordered size of drink, so you selected that, and then a caramel latte with whipped cream. You had that knack that every person in your generation seemed to have been born with. 

Selecting random objects and flavors to match someone’s vibe precisely. You just happened to be a barista. 

For instance, this talkative sleep deprived boy was rocky road slices with peanuts in them, and torn open sugar packets, and caramel. Your coworker, Lou Ellen, who was wiping down tables behind the handbag dog man, was those butterfly shaped ice-cubes and home brewed black coffee from a saucepan and dragon fruit juices.                            And that thick book on Greek mythology she’d bought you for your birthday last year [she’d nicked it from the library and peeled the sticker off]. 

“Four dollars and sixty cents,” you said patronizingly, in your customer service voice. He grinned like you had just invented the funniest inside joke ever, and handed over five dollars in fifty cents coins.

“Keep the change.”

You printed out the receipt and reached for a medium sized cup and the ballpoint pen from a uni campus open day, after pocketing the generous tip of forty cents and a paperclip. 

What a gentleman. “Name?” 

“Leo Valdez, super sized Mcshizzle, bad boy supreme,” Leo Valdez super sized Mcshizzle bad boy supreme said happily, as one of the handbag dogs escaped the bag and started chewing on his laces. 

You desperately needed that camera to look into now. You should be the star of a sitcom at this point, with you as the tired main character dealing with silly customers while desperately longing to go home and read your books, Lou Ellen as the hilarious trashy best friend, Will [your coworker who was currently taking out the trash] as the angry bisexual lumped with the night shift crew, and your little brother, who would pop in at random times in each episode to deliver the punchline.  

Instead of letting the credits roll, unfortunately, you scribbled out an unintelligible scrawl to represent the complete nonsense you were supposed to instead. Your smile was strained this time. “I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

Leo [you assumed that was his name] beamed. “Thanks!”

It was only as you frothed the milk and tried not to burn your fingertips on the spout did you realize that the song was still going. Lou must’ve looped it, as she did with every song ever until she got sick of it and hated it. 

You nodded your head and tipped the bubbling milk into the cup, reaching for the tube of caramel sauce. “Soft skin and I perfumed it for ya, I know I Mountain Dew it for ya.” 

“That morning coffee, brewed it for ya.” You rolled your eyes to no one and tipped the extra caramel sauce into it. It was ten o'clock at night, and your shift had just started. Morning coffees meant college students rushing in at two a.m. so they could finish their projects. 

You shook up the whipped cream. “One touch and I brand-newed it for ya.” 

One of the most satisfying parts of your job, apart from spinning around and introducing yourself as the manager [you are not the manager] when someone demands to see the manager [who comes in once a month, looks around, and leaves again], is the whipped cream. The sound of it and the little pattern it makes just itches a scratch. 

You smile as you finish the swirl, which sinks into the cup of espresso shots and caramel milk. You spin around, “now he’s thinkin’ ‘bout me every night, oh…”   

“Is it that sweet? I guess so,” you hum under your breath, and ducking the spray bottle Lou Ellen launches over your head, you stick a straw in the cup and walk to the bench, where Will’s serving the man with three purse dogs a jelly donut. 

Leo’s digging through his bag while you wait, not bothering to rush him and leave the 24/7 rip off starbucks diner empty. 

You pick up the pen and take the lid off with your teeth, doodling a little cat on the blank bit of the cup. The tail comes out all wrong, and one of the whiskers slides halfway around on the plastic with a scratchy sound. 

You add rushed fairy wings to its soft looking back, and hand the cup over as Sabrina Carpenter sings about being a singer. Her voice is so pretty. Like caramel. “There you go.”

Leo grinned at you, and while you watched in absolute horror, proceeded to pour an entire monster energy drink he’d pulled from his tote bag into the perfectly made coffee. 

“Excuse me?” you whisper shrieked. 

He blinked at you owlishly, and you tried not to notice how warm his eyes looked in the vintage yellow lights of the shop that made everything seem seventies. “What?”

“That’s enough caffeine and chemicals to give a water buffalo a heart attack,” you said, pointing at his awful concoction. It started to fizz. You wondered if the building had chemical reaction insurance.

“I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Leo shrugged, and picked up his cup happily. He looked down at it, and a grin split across his face. “I got a drawing!”

»»————-　★　————-««

It was only a few days later when the bell rattled quietly by the door and you looked up to see Leo and smiled despite yourself, fingers tapping on the cup in your hand, wear the ring you’d made from that paperclip sat, did you realize what role he would play in your heart shaped ice-cubes Sabrina Carpenter soundtracked paperback books late night set ballpoint pen sitcom.

The love interest. 

»»————-　★　————-««

[eleganzadellarosa]

Bad Reputation

pairing: fuckboy!kyungsoo x fem!reader

genre: SMUT (an unhealthy amount but I’m not sorry), would you call this enemies to lovers?

summary: A bet with the school fuckboy has you going back to your old ways.

warnings: MDNI (threesome, unprotected sex (wrap it up immediately 👀), oral (m and f receiving), squirting, slight mean/cocky dom kyungsoo, choking, overstimulation, orgasm denial, pussy slapping, daddy kink, name calling)

word count: 5.78K

A/N: Anon requested! This was very fun to write and I incorporated the threesome in a different way? I hope you enjoy it!

taglist: @sleepingbeautydo (🥺🫶)

He was well known around campus.

For his good looks and fuckboy antics.

Just looking at him you would never guess though and that’s probably how it all started. At first you just knew about him from hearsay, but then you had a class with him and saw firsthand how he would flirt with every girl he found attractive and how they would immediately fold.

You couldn’t help but scoff seeing him wrap an arm around one girl’s shoulder and whisper something in her ear that made her giggle. Or how his hand rubbed dangerously high on the thigh of another girl minutes later. You weren’t sure how every girl saw this but still ended up bent over in his dorm room that same night.

It’s not that you didn’t find him attractive either, because you did, you just hated his cocky attitude. He’s also never bothered you, so you guess you didn’t make his “attractive list”. It didn’t upset you since you’d rather have someone who liked you AND didn’t try to fuck the whole campus.

“Okay class, see you next week for finals. Make sure you’re ready, study study study!”

The teacher tapped on the board with the dry erase marker to add extra emphasis to the last part. Your grades were good thankfully so you didn’t have much to worry about. Now that you thought about it, how was he passing this class? Maybe he was a lot smarter than he looked given that this class was not for people who skipped out on studying.

“Hey girl, you think you could help me study this weekend? I think I got it but I wanna have someone quiz me to make sure.”

Your friend from class. You weren’t extremely close but you always helped each other whenever in pertained to homework or exams. You nodded with an “of course” and finished stuffing the rest of your things in your backpack. There was a pair of eyes on you, staring you down ever since your friend came up to you. You were afraid to look back but you’ve never been one to back down.

Sure enough, the pair of eyes boring holes into you belong to Kyungsoo. What the hell was he staring at and why now out of all days?

“Is there something I can help you with?” Your left eyebrow stood tall in confusion and a hand landed to rest on your hip.

“Is staring bad sweetheart? You say it like it’s a bad thing.”

Ugh there’s that stupid overconfidence. “Um actually yes, staring is bad. Did your mother never teach you that? Seems there’s a lot she didn’t teach you…” you trailed off and whispered under your breath when you spoke the end of your sentence.

He scoffed and stood from his seat, making his way over to you. When he reached the space in front of you, he eyed you down curiously. “Hmm, not bad.”

Again, you were confused but nothing he did ever made much sense. “Care to explain why you’re in my personal space?” Your arms were folded against your chest as you tapped your foot, waiting for a reply.

“Ooo feisty little thing aren’t you? You don’t have to be so mean to me babygirl.” He feigned a pout and tapped your chin with his index finger before you swatted it away. “To answer your question, you just caught my eye so I wanted a closer look.”

“Oh, because you flirted with every other girl in class and I’m the only one who doesn’t care?” You rolled your eyes and he chuckled darkly.

“Trust me, if I wanted you to fall for me, I could easily do it.”

A smug look painted your face. “I don’t think overconfidence is cute, so with that being said, you’re overestimating your so called abilities.”

He smiled, tongue in cheek. “Is that a challenge?” He leaned in, hands on either side of you on your desk, his breath ghosting over your lips.

Unfortunately that move had you swooning just a tad but you weren’t going to let him know that. Your stubborn attitude was going to get you in trouble one day and maybe it was today. “Bet. You have two weeks. We’ll see just how desperate you get when you see I’m not falling for any of it.”

He wrapped a hand around your waist and caressed your cheek, his mouth coming down to whisper in your ear, “If there’s anyone being desperate, it’s going to be you begging me to get this dick deeper inside of you. Can’t wait to see it, I’d love to see you beg.” He walked away looking triumphant and made sure to pat your butt.

He wasn’t going to win, you weren’t going to let him.

The rest of the week went by unbothered so for you to have forgotten the bet you made with the bold boy, is not surprising. It wasn’t until he came up and wrapped an arm around your waist and planted a kiss on your cheek that you were snatched back to the reality of it all.

“Ugh what the hell?” You quickly wipe your cheek on the back of your sleeve. A look of disgust showing through how you stuck out your tongue and gagged.

He stood in front of you now and watched you closely before squinting and crossing his arms. "Well someone definitely didn't get much sleep last night."

You gasped and squished your cheeks in your hands. You thought two layers of concealer would do the trick but you also didn't expect for someone to be so close they could practically see your pores. "Kyungsoo please fuck off, I don't have time for this."

"Aww but I was going to offer to get you a coffee. Help you wake up before the exam later."

You rolled your eyes and looked at him with a deadpan expression. "Don't you have one of your other hoes you could be bothering? I need to go sit for a while and maybe close my eyes before I pass out."

"I could" he said with a click of his tongue "But I'd rather be bothering you right now. And don't talk about my "hoes" as if you're not going to be one of them soon."

At that you let out a hearty laugh. "You're so stupid, I forgot about this stupid bet since you didn't do anything this whole week and now you only have a week left which is nowhere near enough time to get me to even want to kiss you."

He draped an arm over your shoulder and pulled you in close, not having enough strength to fight back. "Baby you still don't understand. I know exactly what I'm doing and when I have you gagging, I'll try not to say 'I told you so' okay?"

You annoyingly shook him off of you and turned to face him. “What makes you SO sure that I’d be attracted to you at all?”

“Because if I were to do this” he grabbed your hand and kissed up your arm, “your breathing stops. The same way it did last week when I got close to you.”

Your face flushed with embarrassment. He wasn’t wrong and you hated that you had that reaction for him but it was his fault for not being ugly. If the situation was different and he was as sweet and nice as he looked, you’d give him a chance.

“Anyway, I’m officially inviting you to Cam’s party this weekend and you can’t say you’ll be busy because finals are today.”

“I never said I wanted to go to Cam’s party but I appreciate the invite.”

“Don’t be such a party pooper and come hang!” He grabbed your hand and rubbed a thumb over the soft skin. “Wear something irresistible too, I wanna be desperate.”

He was unbearable but admittedly he did have some charm to him. You were also curious what Cam’s party was going to be like since you’ve never been to one because apparently they were “invite only”. You didn’t care enough to try to get invited but it would be nice to relax and party after having such a stressful semester.

“Okay fine, I’ll come but don’t think that changes anything.”

He smiled, quickly grabbing your phone and holding it up to your face to unlock it. “Here, now you have my number and you can call or text me whenever you’d like.” He shot you a wink and handed you back your phone. “Don’t say you won’t call or text me either because I know you will.”

He walked away, not giving you a chance to say anything. Maybe he would win this bet, he already had you going to a party you didn’t give two fucks about 5 minutes ago.

“Girl why won’t you just fuck him? Everyone else has and they say he’s AMAZING in bed.” Your friend sat on the opposite end of your bed, concentrating on painting your toenails.

“Exactly my point, the fuck? Why would I want to fuck THE fuckboy? I’m not trying to do that and then catch feelings just for him to leave me for the next girl and then hit me up whenever he wants to take me to pound town.”

You stretched your hand out in front of you to check your work, making sure it looked just right before curing your nails under the UV light.

“Okay so you do think you’d catch feelings? Your pussy probably looks like a raisin because you never get dicked down anymore. You used to be a "hot girl", what happened to her?"

She was right. You had your hoe phase in your freshman year that trickled down from your senior year of high school but you didn't want to be known around school for that, so you vowed to change. And change you did. You planned on reviving that side of you just a bit for the party tomorrow, you were kind of interested in seeing if you were still capable of being irresistible. If he wanted a challenge, you would give it to him especially if it meant being able to prove your point.

"She's not me anymore and I'm not really trying to go back to being her. I want a boyfriend, not the whole school. But if you must know, I aim to be her tomorrow. See what kind of results I can get; see if I still got it."

"Pfft, bitch you never lost it, you just don't act on it. If I was a guy, I'd eat you out right now." She stuck her tongue out and closed her eyes as if she was tasting something delicious. You swatted at her arm and she chuckled. She went back to painting your nails before speaking up again. "If you do fuck him, can I have your pink bra with the sparkles on it and have the pleasure of saying I knew it?"

You raised your leg as if you were going to kick her in the shoulder. "Babes, I'm really going to need you to stop acting like I'm going to fold so quickly. I have no intentions on fucking him at all. Yes, he's attractive but again, I don't want someone that acts like the old me."

She clicked her tongue as she admired the finished product. "Well I don't think you're weak, I just don't think it's going to work out the way you think it will, but we'll see." She pressed her lips together and raised her brows.

You wiggled your toes and took another look at your fingers. "I promise if you're right, I'll kiss you and give you my bra." You rolled your eyes and smiled when she smiled seductively. "Oh yeah, do you know how far Cam's house is from here?"

"Girl I've never been to that man's house a day in my life. Don't you have the address, just put it in your maps."

Oh shit, you don't have the address. That cheeky fucker was right, you'd have to text him for something. You couldn't help but laugh in disbelief, he most likely planned it out just so he could rub it in your face. You took out your phone and searched for his number, not knowing what he saved himself as. A look of disgust showed when you see he was saved as "Daddy 🍆💧". He was so fucking annoying and it made your blood boil.

You: First off, ew. I'm changing your name immediately. And...I need Cam's addy.

He quickly read the message and it took him no time to reply.

Daddy 🍆💧: Oh look who sent Daddy a text.

Daddy 🍆💧: Don't change it, you're gonna wanna change it back tomorrow.

Daddy🍆💧: Here

He shared the contact card for Cam which contained all the information you needed and then some.

Daddy 🍆💧: Can't wait to see what you wear tomorrow 😍

You wanted to scrape your eyes out of your head. He made your skin crawl and you wanted to vomit. He was so cringey, how the fuck was he gathering up these girls like Pokemon? It didn't matter, you were confident you weren't going to be added to that list.

Luckily for you, Cam's house was a 10 minute walk from your dorms, nothing you couldn't handle. You looked in the mirror one last time. A black tube top, tortoise patterned asymmetrical skirt and black lace up sandals. You did look hot, maybe a little too hot. But that's what you wanted, you wanted to walk through the door and all eyes be on you. So when you knocked on the door and Cam answered it, immediately eyeing you up and down, you knew you succeeded.

"No fucking way...Kyungsoo, your "girl" is here!" He shouted behind him while keeping his eyes scanning your body, landing specifically on your exposed thighs.

Kyungsoo worked his way through the crowd, trying to get to the front door without having to stop and greet people. He finally made it, eyes growing in size when he saw you standing in the doorway. He didn't doubt it, but holy fuck did you clean up nicely. You were far from ugly but this was a whole new side to you that he never expected to see. He grabbed your hand, mouth still agape, and raised your arm above you making you do a spin.

"Oh my...I could cum right now just looking at you..." He couldn't stop spinning you to see angles he's already seen. He bit his lip and gave an approving nod. "Fair play. You really did come looking hot enough to make me desperate." He pulled you in by the waist and whispered in your ear, "But I'm still going to win this bet."

He shot you a wink and walked away with a group of friends, off to do whatever college boys do. You finally took in your surroundings, not having much time to do so while you were being ogled at. The vibes were not what you were expecting. Sure it was loud because of the countless amounts of people, but it didn't feel like those parties you'd see on TV.

Angel by Kali Uchis played loudly out of the speakers as you explored the bottom half of the house some more.

~Baby you should know that you’re everything I’m craving~

The beat and melody of the song had you really feeling yourself in your outfit, you felt so sexy. You didn't need the attention or compliments, you felt it for yourself just how good you looked. There were a few familiar faces, but no one that you'd really bother starting a conversation with. You weren't here because you wanted to be, it was only because of this stupid bet. Might as well take the time to try and have fun.

There were drinks everywhere of different colors, in different glasses, you weren't sure what was what and what to try.

"That blue one is pretty good as long as you don't mind that sting from the vodka."

You turned around to see where the voice came from. It belonged to a handsome guy that stood a few feet away from you, hand resting against the bar. "And how do I know I should trust your taste?" You made sure to add a flirtatious tinge to your voice.

He laughed and picked up one of the cups containing the blue liquid. "Well I think you're pretty, so that proves I have good taste right?"

Cute. "I guess that's good enough. I'll be mad if you let me down." You carefully sipped the drink, letting your tongue savor the flavors. It was good, really good. "Maybe you do have good taste."

You talked to him for about 15 more minutes, downing 2 more of the blue drinks and one of the orange ones. The buzz from the alcohol prickled at your skin. That was enough drinks for now, especially if you wanted the strength to walk back home. The song switched to something you could dance to, twerk to even. Before you had time to finish the thought, the guy you'd been talking to asks you if you want to dance with him.

He pulled you into the large area among the other party goers. Things heated up quickly between you two and you were grinding against each other in no time. You haven't let loose like this in quite some time and it was lots of fun in all honesty. He ran his hands along your sides and rested them on your hips as you moved them rhythmically against his crotch. The hand then danced up your spine and tangled in your hair making you stand up but not stop dancing.

"I didn't say you could dance on anyone else tonight." That definitely didn't sound like the same guy.

You turned your head to the side to see who was standing behind you now. "Kyungsoo?" When did he get here? How long have you been dancing on him? You slowed down your pace, but his hand kept your hips steady as he helped moved them to the beat yet again. "Don't stop just because you know it's me. Keep doing what you were doing."

His breath was hot against your ear, sending tingles down your spine and straight to your core. You had the sudden urge to tease him, wanting to see how he would react. You bent over slightly rubbing your ass against him and looked back to watch his expression. His lip was between his teeth, a hand caressing your ass. Why was this turning you on? Perhaps you shouldn't have had so many drinks, but that didn't feel like the problem. You definitely weren't drunk or anywhere close to it.

He was growing hard against you, you felt it. Did you really have that effect on him or was he just a normal horny man? He tapped on your left hip, signalling you to stand up. He turned you to face him, lips ghosting over yours.

"Do you want to kiss me or do you want to keep grinding on me until I take you to a bedroom to fuck you dumb?"

"If I say yes just this once, are you going to kiss me well enough to make me want to fuck you?"

He smirked and licked his lips. "I guess we'll have to see then huh?" He leaned in, wrapping a hand around your throat to squeeze the sides just gently. His lips were soft but the kiss was hungry. He dragged his teeth over your bottom lip before swiping his tongue over it asking for entry. Once granted, his tongue danced with yours deepening the already sensual kiss. His other hand found its way down your back and gripping your ass. Damn, he was a great kisser. So far the rumors were true and you wanted to beat yourself up for wondering if everything else was just as factual.

He pulled away, a trail of saliva connecting the both of you. He stared at you with hooded lids, a thumb rubbing over your lips. "How you feeling?" He knew the answer but you weren't ready to let him win just yet, even though he technically already has. "Too scared to say you want this dick now?"

"Fuck you Kyungsoo." Your words were venomous but the throb between your legs was just as lethal.

"Maybe you'll get the chance to if you fix that mouth of yours princess." He released his grip on you and walked away into the crowd to no longer be seen.

You stood there, thighs threatening to squeeze to ease some of the pressure on your clit. Fuck, maybe your friend was right, you do want to fuck him. You spent all these years trying to deny your urges for him, but tonight you might have to drop the facade to get what you want.

You walked around trying to take your mind off the man you swore you didn't have feelings for. All those drinks had your bladder full so it was time to find a bathroom. A few girls complimented your outfit as you made your way up the stairs through all the kissing couples and groping dudes. Most of the rooms were locked and you know they wouldn't be vacant for a while. Hopefully there was an extra bathroom somewhere before you actually peed on yourself.

Thankfully, the door at the end of the hall lead to a really nice bathroom, its size making you believe it was the master. You took in the restroom in all its glory while you sat on the toilet. Cam's house was huge, his parents must be rich. After releasing all the liquid in your bladder, you went to explore some more. You opened up a few doors that ended up being closets when you heard groans and grunts coming from one of the others and curiosity got the best of you.

When you opened it, you saw him. His head was back and his eyes were squeezed shut, his hand tangled in the girl's hair that had her lips wrapped around his dick. Of course he'd find someone else to suck him off after he kissed you like he loved you not too long ago. He noticed the new stream of light entering the room and looked down to see you standing, watching in the doorway.

He licked his lips and bobbed the girls head faster while keeping piercing eye contact. Shamefully, this had you sopping wet. Your panties were sticking to your core uncomfortably now and seeing how he looked at you made you want to jump him.

"Are you going to stand there frustrated or are you going to come join in?" He was inviting you, seeing if you'd take the bait and let him have his sweet victory.

It's nothing you've never done before and you felt like you would pass out if you didn't cum. Why not take it if he was offering it? You slowly strut over to the bed and climbed on top of it, sitting next to him. He was bucking his hips upwards into her mouth but all his attention was on you. He reached a hand under your skirt, feeling the growing wet patch on your panties. He slid the fabric to the side and teased your folds with his finger.

"You got this wet from watching me or has she been purring since I kissed you earlier?"

He's such a cocky bastard but he was right, you have been no good since that kiss earlier. "Does it matter or are you going to do something about it?"

He clicked his tongue and pinched your clit making you yelp in surprise. "Sit on my face while I think about it." He leaned back so his back was flush against the bed and tugged on your hips. You were turned so that you faced the girl blowing him and your ass pointed towards his face.

He used two fingers to spread your panties to the side and play with your clit, spreading the mess over them before he plunged them into you. You immediately squeezed around his fingers causing him to let out a low moan. He breathlessly told you to take them off and you did so without hesitation, resuming your previous position. His breath danced over your heat, teasing you more with his fingers.

"Kyungsoo-fuck...please just...stop teasing." Your hips were trying to move down onto his mouth but his hands on the back of your thighs kept you in place.

"I thought you could have patience with me? That's what you told me before."

You clenched your teeth in annoyance. You knew he was going to tease you until you were begging, you should have never agreed to this stupid bet. "I didn't come up here to have you annoy me, you make me so sick."

At that, he let go of your thighs, your pussy crashing down on his face. His tongue came out and pressed circles into your clit making you let out a breathy "oh". His arms were wrapped around your thighs, keeping you in place as you squirmed. It felt amazing. 2 out of 3 things were right so far, only one thing left to confirm all the rumors. The girl who diligently bobbed her head, released him with a pop and looked up at you. "You take the dick, I take the balls? My jaw is tired."

A weird thing to bond over, but your mind was fuzzy and you'd do anything to have him keep going. She sunk down lower on her knees and sucked each of them into her mouth, a deep groan coming from him, sending vibrations through your body. You whined when you saw just how big and thick he was, head still leaking precum. You carefully kitten licked up his shaft and at the head. It twitched, leaking even more of the sticky liquid. You glided him into your mouth, hollowing your cheeks as you sucked as far as you could go before his tip touched the back of your throat.

He reached down to hold your head in place as he bucked up into your mouth, his other hand working its fingers into you as he sucked on your clit harshly. You were a moaning mess now, trying to breathe through your nostrils as tears threatened to fall. The hold on your head softened and you took the opportunity to come up and breathe, only resulting in a violent coughing fit.

The salty taste of his precum on your tongue was amazing, you craved more. You wrapped your hand around what barely fit in your mouth. You hadn't noticed you were sharing until your tongue collided with something that felt oddly similar. You and your "new friend" were both kissing at his head, lips occasionally brushing against each other. She looked a lot more drunk than you did but he had you both captured in a spell, so you probably looked no different. He was rolling his hips so it could slide between both your wet mouths.

His fingers picked up the pace now, a knot forming in the pit of your stomach. Your orgasm was close and you hoped he'd let you have it. As expected, he pulled out his fingers and pushed up on you to move you away from him. He tapped on the cheek of the other girl and sat up. His chin glistened with your essence, his eyes dark with lust.

"On the bed, ass up." The was a sense of dominance to his voice, only adding to the slick that your pussy released. When you bent over on the bed, he landed a harsh smack on your ass causing you to lurch forward.

"Fuck Kyungsoo stop..."

"Hmm, you like that? The way your pussy is fluttering right now, I don't think you want me to. Watch." He brought his hand down on the other side, a loud echo in the room. It stung but in the best way possible. You couldn't help but moan into the sheets. "See how much you love it? Tell me how much it makes you wet."

"I'd never do tha-ah!" another smack, this one leaving a handprint.

He sighed deeply, "looks like I have to fuck the brat out of you."

He gave you no time to reply as he lined up with your entrance and slammed inside, your slick walls making it easy for him to move in and out. He was ramming his dick into you, his hands gripping your hips enough to leave bruises. He instructed the other girl to rub her clit while she kissed him and to not stop until she came.

You couldn't see but the kiss sounded sloppy. His thrusts were fast and you weren't sure how he was multitasking right now, or how he hasn't cum yet. He leaned away from the kiss so he could wet his thumb in his mouth and insert it in your ass, adding to the overall pleasure. You were screaming at this point, his dick constantly hitting that gummy spot in you. Your orgasm was quickly approaching again, your eyes rolling back, your toes curling.

"K-kyungsoo, p-please lemme cum this time. Please."

He didn't hear you, or so he acted. Your walls were clenching on him tight, ready to pulse around him if he let you cum. The girl above you screamed his name when she came over her fingers. A few more seconds were all you needed to tip you over the edge, but he slowed in you, almost coming to a complete stop. You craned your neck using all the strength you had left in your body. There better had been a good reason he ruined your orgasm like this.

There was a shift on the bed making you turn your head. The other girl was leaving, looking satisfied with her long awaited release. She left the room as if she wasn't just making out with the man who still has his dick inside you.

"Kyungsoo please just let me cum." You were desperate now, just wanting to finally get things over with so you didn't feel the aching pain anymore.

"I hope you didn't think I was going to let you off easy." He says, lifting you so that your back was pressed against his chest. Even the slight movement sent tingles to your pussy. "You can get what you want when you beg." His hand was around your neck, making you arch against him, his dick moving ever so slightly.

"Why would I do that when you know what I want?" It was hard not being bratty because you were so stubborn. You weren't sure how much more of this you could take though.

He brought his free hand down to slap your clit. "Bad girl, that's not what I wanted to hear."

Your body jolted from the slap, the overstimulation becoming too much to handle. "Please Kyungsoo, I really need to cum."

He was at your ear again, his breath warming your entire body. "Then beg slut." He pushed your head back into the mattress and began to pound into you. Your breath getting caught in your throat as you tried to moan. "Just beg and I'll make you squirt."

The way his dick rubbed against your walls was intoxicating. His name rolled off your tongue like it was the only one you knew. There it was again, that same knot waiting to snap. He knew you were close, that's why he thrust his hips viciously, making you moan and whimper uncontrollably. You had to do it now, you really needed this and God was he making you feel so good.

"Please don't stop, I need your dick to cum. I'm desperate now, please." Tears stained your cheeks as you confessed.

He pulled you up against his chest once again, hand back around your throat. Yet this time, he was plunging his dick so deep in you at this new angle. "Say it again, you're so what?"

"S-so desperate, Kyungsoo please!"

"Good girl, I knew you could do it. You wanna cum on Daddy's dick so badly don't you? Want Daddy to help you cum?" You nodded quickly, not being able to utter a word with his tightening grip around your throat. "Say it. You can do it."

"I want to cum on Daddy's dick, fuuuuck."

He loved hearing you choke out your words, feeling your pussy squeeze him like this. He had you right where he wanted you, having waited for this since he first laid eyes on you. He knew it'd be a challenge since he couldn't control his desires with anyone else. You were perfect but seemingly unattainable as you threw him side eyes and gags in disgust. When you agreed to this bet, he never thought he'd actually succeed but he had to make you believe he would just so he tried harder.

Seeing you here with tears streaming down your cheeks, moaning like it's the best sex you've ever had; he wanted nothing else than to relive this every change he got. Kyungsoo sped up even more feeling your walls twitch around him. There was no stopping this time. His other hand rubbed ruthless circles on your clit, finally giving you the pleasure of reaching your high. You gasped as he let go of your neck, a high pitched call of his name and you squirting all over the bed sheets.

It was mind-blowing. It had you seeing stars, your ears were ringing, your body was limp. 3 for 3, the rumors were all true. Who knew you'd be doing your research tonight? He stilled in you not long after, his warm seed filling you up to the brim. There was no better sight than seeing you all fucked out with his cum dripping out of you; he almost got hard again.

You were still breathing heavily as you tried to recover from your high. You felt the bed dip down and a heavy arm wrapped around your torso. When you opened your eyes, his big ones started back at you.

"I usually wear a condom but I couldn't help myself tonight." He gently rubbed your cheek as he looked in your eyes lovingly. This wasn't the Kyungsoo you were used to. He seemed calm, sweet, loyal. Just the person you needed him to be in this moment.

"Is that what you tell all your hoes?"

He rolled his eyes but a smile crept across his face. "Bratty to the end I see. And no, I've only told you that."

Admittedly that made you blush. Were you the first to fuck him raw? That didn't seem true, but you'd rather believe him for now. There was silence in the room, clashing with the blasting music coming from downstairs.

"Maybe it's time for a reputation change."

You ticked an eyebrow upwards, "Oh? Tired of your bad rep now?"

He smiled again, this time a lot more innocently. "For you? Definitely."

[sugurusdiscordmoderator]

barista suguru and reader has the biggest crush on him that they try to ask him out but got too nervous to do so!! however.. reader suddenly see him at a party they were invited in, and what does alcohol do to a person sometimes? confidence, and they hook up (eventually got together??) I'm not sure if this request makes sense, and English isn't my first language..

omg hi anon thank you for the ask - not sure if you're an AOT fan but @humanitys-strongest-bamf has an amazing fic similar to this w Levi and its god tier

anywaysss here we go <3

(The ages in this are all fucked up lol, Megumi, Nobara, and Yuji are 22 and Gojo, Geto, and Shoko are like 25)

content warning: Haibara and Nanami are lovers lmao, weed, alcohol, cigarettes, hookup culture

(this is my original drawing please do not repost)

-

Being well known on your college campus is a blessing and a curse. You loved being involved in a lot of clubs and participating in social events. Going to the library or trying to study was nearly impossible with how many people knew you. However being a senior, you needed to focus and get things done. You lived a little ways off campus to save money and started frequenting a little coffee shop a few blocks from your apartment.

The first time you stopped, you had been walking home from class when a storm with bad winds blew in, and you decided to just study in this cafe until the storm passes. There are little tables all throughout, you grab one near the back and pull out some of your course materials and get started writing notes and going over chapters for your quiz in a few days. That is when a yawn washes over you and the exhaustion from late nights sets in. You figure you might as well get a drink while you're at this coffee shop.

Walking up to the counter you squint up at the menu board trying to decide what you're in the mood for.

"What can I get for you?" a man's voice asks.

Lost in your indecisiveness you don't even look down to make eye contact reading between Americano, Latte, Cold Brew, etc.

"Mmmm, not sure yet, I may need a few minutes," biting your bottom lip thinking about how much caffeine you want to intake today.

"We also have a list of specials down in front of you," he says politely and you see him walk away out of your peripherals.

The thing is, you're not a huge coffee person. Half the time it's too sweet, half the time it's too bitter. The caffeine gives you jitters and makes you anxious. Also sometimes coffee just messes your stomach up so you just have given up on expensive coffee places and opt for making your own shitty coffee at home.

You glance down at the specials list, reading them to yourself,

"Almond Joy Latte

Sparkling Green Tea Refresher

Pink Velvet Cold Brew

Barista's Choice"

You finally look up at the employee, a tall man that is turned around cleaning the espresso machine. His hair is pulled back into a cute bun and his frame is just large. You look at his hands, so large and strong with some veins protruding. He has a black button up on with the sleeves rolled up, exposing tattoos on his forearms. Matching it with black pants and a black apron, he looks kind of dark and mysterious.

He turns around and catches your eye, forgetting all the words that were about to form in your head.

"Still need a minute?" He squints his eyes a little and smiles softly as your eyes rake over his whole face. He has a piece of black bangs sticking out from the bun, pierced ears, a lip ring, amber eyes, and an amazingly chiseled jaw. Your mouth opens but nothing comes out and you can feel the heat spread across your cheeks.

"Uh, I, sorry," you shake your head and try to laugh at your own stupor, "Can I do the barista's choice?"

He nods, "Any preferences?"

"Uhm, no, whatever you like," you completely lie through your teeth trying to seem chill. He taps in the order on the iPad at the register and flips it over for you to pay and sign. At least it isn't too expensive if you don't like it, but you eagerly press the "25%" tip button hoping Mr. tall, dark, and handsome appreciates it.

"I'll bring it over to you when it's ready," he smiles and nods his head towards where you were seated.

"Thanks," you smile awkwardly walking back to your course materials, although it's not like you'll be focusing on anything other than the barista soon. You not-so-casually watch him work, obsessed with a man you've hardly spoken to once.

A few minutes later he brings over a cute tea cup and saucer, and you immediately smile when he sets it down, seeing the little design on top.

"It's a dirty chai...like a chai tea latte with a shot of espresso in it and a little special touch. Let me know if you like it."

The man smirks and walks away before you can even properly thank him. You burn your tongue eagerly taking a sip too soon, trying to find another excuse to talk to him. You try to take your mind off of it by scrolling through instagram for a bit while drinking your latte but around this time of year its all couples and engagements and babies which only adds to how down bad you feel. You get a text from your friend Nobara letting you know that a friend of her friend, Megumi, is having a party Friday and the friend told Megumi who told Nobara that they could bring whoever. After deciphering the word vomit of a text she sent you you send back a "thumbs up emoji" letting her know you'll be there because nobody else has invited you anywhere yet.

You finish your drink and decide to pack up your stuff and head home, a few blocks in the rain won't hurt you. It might cool you off from thinking about the dreamy barista you just met. You set the cute mug on the counter, and he turns around when he hears the noise. He raised an eyebrow, as if asking 'how was it?'

"It was great," you smile, "uhm, have a good one," you slightly shrug and turn around to go before he can add anything, just like he did to you earlier.

-

The next few days are uneventful, you walk by the coffee shop every day on your way to campus, wondering if he is working or if you should go in, but not wanting to struggle to pick a drink or pay for coffee again.

On Friday Nobara walks back to your apartment with you, she commutes in to town so whenever there is a party or something going on she crashes on your couch. She eyes the little cafe, "Want coffee? I think tonight might be pretty fun from the sounds of it!" She practically squeals and you find it adorable how excited she is. "Sure" you grumble, holding the door open for her.

She waltzes right up to the counter, decisive as always, and knows exactly what she wants. You trail behind her, not seeing any employees at the counter, squinting up at the menu board yet again. That's when you hear giggling come from the back room and see the handsome barista come out with some supplies, followed by a cute girl with a short brown bob who seems to be helping him.

You can't help but think about his beautiful laugh, and how you can hear it again.

"See ya tonight Shoko" he says, putting his apron back on and refocusing his attention to Nobara.

"Bye Geto!" This so called Shoko calls back to him as she walks out the front door. You cant help but feel a twinge of jealousy at the way he was in the backroom with his apron off and laughing with a girl.

Like girl - quit being delusional, you just heard his name for the first time and he probably doesn't even know who you are.

"Y/n, what do you want?" Nobara interrupts your talk with yourself.

"I'll have what she's having," you say overly confident, smiling at Geto. They both side eye you and you just remain oblivious, opting to go on your phone as you let your friend pay for your coffee as payment for her 'hotel' for the night. The two of you move out of the way and stand off to the side waiting for your drinks while Nobara talks about how Megumi's other friend Yuji is going to be there tonight with his big brother Sukuna and how excited she is because they're both sooo attractive. You nod your head along with what she says while scrolling on your phone. It's not that you don't care what she's saying, it's just that she knows so much about everything. All the gossip on campus is at your fingertips because of her, good or bad. You zone out staring at whatever drinks the barista is making, watching his damn good looking hands do his job. He walks over to you with two cups and you can't help but just stare at him. His outfit today consists of jeans and a tight black tshirt with a flannel jacket over top.

"Two iced matcha lattes with coconut milk and a strawberry cold foam on top," He smiles as Nobara eagerly grabs both of the drinks and hands one to you.

She sips it right away, "This is the best I've ever had thank youuu," she dramatically draws out while pulling you out the door heading to your apartment again. You look back to see him watching you leave and give a small wave with the hand that is holding your drink. You can't tell if you're imagining it but you think you see a faint blush over his cheeks.

-

You and Nobara enjoy your typical pregame activities, getting ready together, listening to music, and sharing a blunt.

"The guy at the coffee shop was checking you out," she half slurs, talking while applying her lip gloss.

"What makes you say that?" You think she's messing with you but you also hadn't told her about your little crush.

"When I was ordering he was staring at you the WHOLE time. Like he didn't even make eye contact with me I don't think!" She wines, "God it's not fair he's so gorgeous."

"To be fair Nobara, you think most guys are gorgeous" You giggle and walk towards the freezer to grab some liquor. "Speaking of gorgeous men, who's party are we even going to tonight?"

"I think it's at some guy named Satoru Gojo's house? I guess he's good childhood friends with Megumi from when he didn't really have a dad." There goes your friend, sharing other people's business when she didn't really need to.

"Mmm," you nod and throw back a shot of liquor, "I think I had a class with him when I was like a freshman and he was a senior. A real interesting character."

"Maybe you can introduce me and I'll get lucky," Nobara raises her eyebrows at you.

"You will not be having sex on my couch." You say sternly before you both erupt in a fit of giggles. Gathering a few last minute things before heading out, you also grab a reusable shopping tote and fill it with a little bit of your own alcohol, you never know what they may or may not have at these kinds of parties.

-

Walking there was a little chilly but overall a nice night for the time of year. This guy must've gone to your school and hadn't left yet given the proximity of his house to your apartment and to campus.

You walk in and see Yuji Itadori right away with his friendly smile and big personality. He gives you both hugs and you know at least if Nobara doesn't get lucky with anyone else she can rely on Yuji.

Your energetic friend holds your hand as she searches the rest of the party to find her friend Megumi. He stands in the kitchen with a white haired man that you faintly think is this Gojo guy, both getting ready to shotgun a beer together. You and Nobara wait to see who wins before interrupting, grabbing drinks out of the cooler and setting down your bag with liquor and hard seltzers in it. It appears that Gojo finishes just a second before Megumi and you hear Nobara interrupting, "Gumi what was that?! You lost like a little bitch?"

He groans in response but ultimately smiles, "Why am I friends with you again?"

"Because you've been stuck with me since high school."

Watching the altercation, Gojo comes up to you and asks, "You're with them?" Nodding his head at the two immaturely arguing.

"Sadly." you respond taking a swig of your drink.

"I'm Satoru Gojo, this is my place, thanks for coming." He eyes you over top of his black round sunglasses, making you feel like you may be wearing too revealing of clothes.

"I'm y/n, thanks for the invite by proxy," You giggle as Megumi makes his way over to you.

"Y/n, good to see you," the spikey haired boy gives you an awkward side hug, and a little kiss on the top of your head. Satoru raises his eyebrows at the two of you and you roll your eyes. When Megumi and Nobara get distracted and head into another room you fill him in. "Megumi and I may have hooked up once or twice when we were drunk," You blush, revealing your secret that hardly anyone knew to this stranger.

"Mhmm, seems like more than once or twice," Gojo sips his drink and sighs dramatically, leaving the kitchen to you alone.

Just then the back door of the kitchen that leads to the back yard creaks open. You turn to see who it was out of instinct, and recognize the girl with the brown bob from the cafe earlier today. She carries on past you not even really looking at you with her cigarette still lit in her mouth.

You see Nobara in the living room from your spot on the kitchen and mouth to her that you're going outside to smoke. She nods and thumbs up, but it seems that Yuji also read your lips and is interested in joining you.

You head out to the backyard, very dimly lit despite the pretty lights Gojo tried to hang up to make it look more aesthetic. You pull out a dab pen and a cigarette and hold them up for Yuji to take his pick. His eyes light up at the weed pen and he takes a huge inhale.

"God Yuji, careful," you laugh and proceed to take a smaller hit.

Your laugh seems to attract the attention of another group standing outside, and you immediately quiet yourself.

"Do you have a light?" One of them asks although you can't make out names or voices and even if you could you don't know many people here.

"Yeah," you respond, digging out a baby pink lighter that has a "Daddy's Girl" sticker on it, a joke that one of your friends gave you. Hopefully its dark enough that they can't see it.

A blonde guy approaches you to grab it, "Thanks, we have some seats over here if you guys want." Yuji happily follows but you're a little apprehensive. However they do have a firepit going so it is a little brighter over there.

"I'm Kento, this is my boyfriend Yu," the two introduce themselves, lighting their cigs at the same time with your lighter. You take another small hit of your pen as the brunette one comments, "Nice lighter." It makes you cough on your smoke a bit but eventually turns into laughter, "Thank you," You smile grabbing it back from them.

Yuji seems to be a little high from his rather large puff earlier, and you ask, "I'm going to go check on Nobara, you need anything?" He smiles and shakes his head and starts some conversation about an underground fight club with the two guys as you walk back inside. You enter back into the kitchen, grabbing another drink and heading into the living room where you last saw Nobara. She is having a heart to heart with some girl that graduated last year that you know of named Maki. They both have been drinking and just are smiling and agreeing with everything the other says.

She suddenly turns to you when she realizes you're standing there, "Your lover, he's here." She abruptly turns back around ignoring your inquiry of who she is referring to. You see Gojo and Megumi talking in the kitchen and decide to go talk to them instead of standing there looking awkward. You couldn't see from the angle you were at, but the brunette bob cigarette girl was also standing with them chatting.

Gojo waves you over to the conversation, putting a playful arm around your shoulders. "So sweetheart," Satoru starts, slurring his words a little more than he was the last time you talked to him, "Were trying to place bets on who's going to hook up with who tonight."

"Shoko has money on Suguru and Yuki, Megumi bets on Nobara and Yuji, and me, well I have money on you and Megumi." The four of you errupt in laughter and yelling over top of each other of who is correct.

"What are we arguing about?" Another voice asks that just came into the kitchen. You turn to see who it is with Gojo's arm still loosely hanging onto you.

"Suguruuuu" Satoru coos, "Finally joined the party! Shoko here thinks you're going to hook up with Yuki tonight."

"Like hell," he mutters looking to see who his best friends choice of girl is for the evening, before his eyes land on you. You can't help but drop your jaw at the beautiful barista from the cafe standing in front of you. It looks like he just showered, wet hair which is half up half down, and you can smell the fresh body wash radiating off of him.

"Who'd you bet Satoru?" Suguru questions, still having his eyes focused on you.

"I bet little miss y/n here and her boy toy Megumi." He responds and your cheeks flush at the fact this beautiful man may think you're not interested because of Gojo's fat mouth.

"Who'd you bet on?" Shoko asks directed towards Geto.

"I'll have to get back to you on that," he turns to get a drink from the cooler before taking a step outside, you assume to smoke.

You excuse yourself from under Satoru's arm, leaving him Megumi and Shoko to talk about more random gossip. Heading to the backdoor, you try to build up some courage to introduce yourself to this Geto guy. Much to your dismay, as you are walking out of the door in your own thoughts, another person was coming through the door to go inside but was a lot more solid than you. Bouncing back onto your ass you giggle, "I'm so so sorry, I wasn't paying attention," you look up to meet the amber eyes you've been thinking about for the past week. It feels like the wind has gotten knocked out of you seeing how close your faces were with him grabbing your hand to help you up.

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to knock you over like that,” he slightly laughs. “I’m just grabbing a lighter,” letting go of your hand holding the door open.

“Oh I have one here!” You pull it out of your pocket kicking yourself for showing it to someone else again. Well maybe it will at least start a conversation. You hand it to him and he lights his cigarette, not making a comment and hands it back to you. You also decide to light a cigarette, trying your best to look cool doing it but because of the wind you’re having a little trouble. Suguru sticks up his hand to block the wind for you. His damn hands. It’s like as big as your face up close and you say “thanks” with the cigarette hanging out of your mouth now lit.

“Y/n? Is that your name?” He breaks the silence first.

“Yes, are you Suguru?” You ask sweetly back

“Suguru Geto, the one, the only, barista extrodinaire,” he laughs and draws a puff.

“I like your laugh.” You blurt out, now realizing your judgement is a little impaired from your weed alcohol and nicotine pairing. “Sorry that just kind of came out.”

“That’s okay,” he stares at you with kind eyes ashing his cigarette against Gojos house.

“Did you like the matcha today?” He asks after you don’t respond.

“Actually no,” you bust out laughing, “I don’t like matcha I was just distracted when she was ordering.”

“Distracted by what?” He asks.

“You,” you realize how close your faces are and how intimate the moment is with your glowing cigarettes and how intoxicating the mix of his smell is.

He nods and smirks at your response, glancing down at your lips. “I think I want to get to know you more y/n.”

You gather all the courage that you haven’t had with this man for the past few days and put it all in your lips and lean in to kiss him. He kisses back, graciously, putting his hand against the back of your head as you place your hand on his hard pec. He depends the kiss, moving his lips passionately before entering his tongue into your mouth. His free hand wraps around your waist.

Just as things are getting intense you hear Nobara squeal in the kitchen, “GOJO LOOK!” You both break the kiss laughing, but still pressed up against him.

“I think I may know who my bet is on for tonight,” he winks and gives you another kiss, making your knees weak and release a tiny whimper into his mouth. You pray he didn’t hear it, but instead he asks, “needy daddy’s girl?”

You feel your cheeks grow so warm and cover your face with your hands. “Just kidding pretty girl, your lighter was cute though.”

—

reblogs and comment for a part 2 ?? 🤭🤭

[bbanghiitomi]

| friends? friends!

synopsis: hyein is your social butterfly seatmate, you are her token lone wolf friend; you are thankful for having hyein as your seatmate.

— nonidol!lhyein × nonidol!fem!reader

(⁠≧⁠(⁠ｴ⁠)⁠≦⁠ ⁠)(⁠≧⁠(⁠ｴ⁠)⁠≦⁠ ⁠)(⁠≧⁠(⁠ｴ⁠)⁠≦⁠ ⁠)(⁠≧⁠(⁠ｴ⁠)⁠≦⁠ ⁠)(⁠≧⁠(⁠ｴ⁠)⁠≦⁠ ⁠)

"is there anyone in this class who has a hard time with their eyesight? so we can change the arrangements of seats to accommodate them." you at the last row, not even just that, you sat at the corner, the last seat out of the class. you have bad eyesight, and sitting that far from the board is a pain in the ass. you hate having everyone's attention, but it's just that bad, you can't even recognize your teacher's face from your seat.

you raised your hand as you adjusted your glasses with the other hand. everyone looked at you, and you feel a certain acid boiling inside your stomach. god why can't they just mind their own business? you asked yourself.

"oh i see," your homeroom teacher looked around to spot a vacant seat and said. "is there anyone willing to give their seats up?" you winced, oh no — why did she have to ask? you know damn well no one would do that —

but you were wrong, a boy sitting on the third row beside a tall girl eagerly raised his hand. "me! she can sit here." he said, you felt relief wash over you as you took a deep breath. your teacher nodded and looked at you. "alright, thank you dongmin — y/n, please take your bag and come sit here."

you grabbed your books and bag, made your way to the middle of the class and even muttered small "excuse me" as you passed by seats. you reached the third row and the boy left, you placed your bag and sat next to the tall girl. "okay, is there anyone else who needs to change seats?" you looked around and saw no one raising their hands.

the recess came and you stayed at your seat, reading a book. your seatmate left with her friends, you couldn't bother looking for her, not alone even talking to her. it's not like you dislike her or anything, it's just that she seems a bit different from you, and you can't risk pissing off a popular girl.

mathematics, oh goodness, you hate and love this class, well first because you actually enjoy mathematics, and you're decent but at the same time you are not. there's no explanations, it's just the way you are with this subject.

your seatmate, lee hyein stared at the teacher, you don't think she's listening but you couldn't care enough as you are listening. you can sense the girl getting bored, tapping her nails on the wooden table. hyein looked at you. "hey, y/n." she whispered, you were quite surprised she even knows your name.

you raised your brows, but didn't look at her. she looks at the teacher for a second and then back at you. "you understand the lesson?" she asked, you looked at her and replied. "yes, why?" she sighed. "i figured you will." you ignored her and proceeded to take notes, while she took hers, you can't help but look at how she's scrabbling doodles on her paper, dozing off from time to time.

"y/n!" you heard the call of your voice, coming from the one and only, lee hyein.

you turned around and saw a bunch of students with their bags, classes have finished for today and you spotted hyein with some of her friends. "wanna come with us? karaoke night!" she beamed at you, her bag on her hands. you looked around, trying to find some confirmation that she was in fact not talking to you.

then you realized, shit. she is indeed talking to you.

you shook your head, laughed sheepishly at her kind invitation. you honestly didn't think someone like her would even bother inviting you, out of all people that is around her.

"sorry hyein, we have a quiz tomorrow. can't come, i have to study." you told her, while you pushed your specs up, hyein pouted and slumped her shoulders but then said. "well, maybe next time?" you actually didn't expect her to even think of asking you for another time.

but you nod, it's not nice to dismiss her approach when all she ever wanted is to be your friend. "yeah, maybe. have fun though." you told her and waved your hand. hyein grinned and waved hers as she strutted her way to her friends. "bye!"

you start to hear from people around you that she's only befriending you for the benefit of grades, but that's too mean! you honestly think she's nice, she lets you borrow her colorful pens, gives you space on the desk when you need it and even tries to start a conversation from time to time. she's active, and you are trying your best to keep up.

she's just a nice girl stuck inside the body of a queen bee.

"i forgot we have to pass notes today!" hyein looked at you with wide eyes. you shrugged, and looked around whilst wiping your glasses. "well, yeah? have you not finished yours?" you asked, one of the things you enjoy during classes are jotting down notes, when the teacher writes on the board you immediately pick your pen up and follow; it helps you memorize terms.

hyein lives a busy life, like the buzzing of a bee. she forgets things like notes, homework, quizzes, or seat works. you can't blame her, it's not like she's done anything bad towards people, she's never the type to shit on hard working students — in fact she told you once she's amazed by your intelligence. so as long as she manages her busy life and school, there's no problem.

"you can copy my notes." you told her, then passed her your notes, it's complete you made sure it was. there's still at least 4 hours before the teacher collects the notes and you are sure she can get them done in time. "thanks!" she hugged you and gladly took the notes.

you forgot your textbook, that doesn't happen, you swore you are never the type to be forgetful about school items. the worst part is that, it's the terror teacher's subject, she's seriously gonna shit in you for forgetting.

"oh no." you muttered, rummaging your bag for the textbook and to no avail, you sighed.

"what's wrong?" hyein asked you, blinking her eyes for a few seconds. she looked genuinely confused as she pulled out her textbook, you looked at her and winced. "i forgot my textbook, mrs. han would kill me." you sighed and rubbed your face with a hand.

"here." hyein stretched her hand and pushed her textbook to you, you held it and looked at her. "uh no! you should keep it, mrs. han would yell at you." you told hyein, trying to give her back her textbook but she only laughed at you when she saw your glasses tilted.

"yeah, i'll be fine. i promise!" she grinned, fixing your spectacles.

you honestly want to bury yourself in the ground right now. you looked down as you hear mrs. han scold hyein. "lee hyein, why would you forget your textbook hmmm? is your locker the one studying the subject?" you are so ashamed, you want to give hyein her textbook back but you know she'll only get mad if you do.

hyein shrugged, not a single fear written all over her face. "i'm sorry ma'am, i was at the cheerleading practice the whole day and i had to rush here immediately. don't worry, you don't have to shout at me because i guarantee it won't change a thing." everyone started whispering like a bunch of flies, you looked at hyein and saw her maintaining eye contact with the teacher.

mrs. han scoffed and looked away, slamming her hand on the table. "everyone quiet!"

that time, you knew you had to repay her; because if you were in her situation, you would've burst into tears like a toddler. "hyein!" you ran after her, she's with her friends and you would hate to ruin their time together but you really need to get the chance to thank her.

"thanks for earlier, sorry for that." hyein looked at you and laughed. "oh come on, you know that's not your fault right? everyone hates mrs. han, don't worry." you hear friends laugh in agreement. "i was wondering if i can do something to repay you." hyein shook her head and shrugged.

"you don't need to but if you really want to..." hyein looked at her friends and smiled, giggling. "come to karaoke with us! it's karaoke night!" her friends cheered, your eye twitched but you really can't say no to her this time.

"o-okay." you muttered, chuckling sheepishly.

"let's go!" one of hyein's friends yelled, her thick australian accent catching your attention.

you sat on the seat as you watched hyein and her friends have fun, there's a small smile on your face as you saw them dancing around and singing. they looked so fun, it's like nothing mattered outside — it's them inside this small capsule, singing songs and letting the time pass by.

"y/n come on! dance with us!" hyein pulled your hand, as she laughed. you hesitate as she danced, linking her arm with yours. you nodded and tried to keep up with her energy, but she's just so full of it!

hanni sang so loudly, yet her voice sounded amazing, everyone was having fun and you've never felt like this before — it's like your heart is thumping in happiness, you felt like you were on top of the world, free to do everything you want, let loose and have fun.

when you sat inside the train, you thought about all the things that you have missed in your whole 15 years of living, stuck behind a pile of notes, books, lessons that you will probably not be able to use after— you had no friends, no one to lean on, no one to cry to. everything flashed before your eyes, it's like you were never able to enjoy your time.

you can't believe it took you a popular cheerleader for you to realize how much time you've wasted, burying your face in books of all kinds, hoping it will give you the happiness you yearned for, letting the world's expectations get to you and now you're miserable.

you wanted to cry, but at the same time smile — laugh? it's so sudden, you're so happy you met hyein, you don't even realize it.

it's going to be hard to deal with this attachment, you're scared it's only one sided, but nonetheless, you were happy you never doubted her — happy you stuck by her side, you can never be not thankful for her.

"hey, y/n." you were arranging your notes when you heard hyein call for your name. you looked up and smiled at her. "ah, hi hyein, what's up?" hyein took a seat next to you and placed her bag on the desk. "exams are coming up and i have a hard time studying for physics and geometry," hyein started pausing just to yawn. "did you already start studying?"

now that you think about it, no — you haven't, you usually start studying five days before exams, you do it the whole day, non-stop. it's for the knowledge to get stuck inside your head, advance reading and for the lessons to be fresh.

you still have two days before you start studying. "no, i haven't yet. i'll start maybe, after two days." you tilted your head and looked at her. "why?" you asked.

hyein puffed her cheeks and sighed. "can i ask you a favor? can you please help me study?" she asked, looking at you with her signature pout.

honestly, she didn't have to give you the puppy eyes — you are willing to help her no matter what, it's not like hyein is a relatively hard person to teach, she's smart and can pick up topics fast. you shrugged. "i'm alright with that. the question is — are you willing to stay like morning until afternoon studying? that's usually my exam week routine."

hyein was taken back — the whole day? hyein's studying time is for a maximum of 7 hours with breaks a day.

but alas, she didn't mind if it's you.

"deal!" hyein smiled and held your hand.

you write the things both of you needed to review for geometry, there's a lot but most of the topics are pretty basic — you appreciate hyein's enthusiasm as she leaned in and tried to peek at your paper.

"i didn't know there were a lot of topics." you nodded and hummed.

the first few hours of you two studying together have been easy and basic — hyein listened very well and was eager to learn, you were eager to teach her, from time to time she'll get the right answers and you would ask her to explain how she got them.

it was already 4pm, you can tell that hyein is very worn out, like you squeezed all the brain cells left on her, you laughed as you watched her fall back on the floor of your room — groaning.

"gosh, you really tired me out there." hyein muttered.

"but you learned right? i think you're gonna do well in geometry, look you almost got everything right!" you showed her the paper and almost everything was marked correctly, you even pointed out the things she needs to improve and techniques to learn.

hyein smiled as she looked up at you.

"thanks, nerd."

you couldn't help but laugh at the endearing nickname, there is nothing you wouldn't give to be like this forever — to smile, laugh — be happy and create memories you wouldn't forget.

hyein has carved a special place in your heart, forever reminding you of what friendship is all about. showing you that no matter how different you are with someone, it will never stop you or them from being tied together by destiny. it's like finding tranquility in unfamiliarity, finding solace in darkness — in the middle of a quake, disaster inside your mind, you found a safe place you can always run to when you need it, or when you just want to.

just being thankful about hyein isn't enough, you wish to be with her no matter how crazy everything gets — and you can only hope she feels the same.

only the goddesses above know how attached you are with hyein.

that's just how you want things to be,

no matter how bad life gets,

no matter how heavy the world is on your shoulders.

you won't give up what you have right now for any amount of treasure the world offers.

[icedmatchatae]

Glimpse of Us | KTH Chapter VIII: Please Don’t Break It

Pairing: Problematic Idol Taehyung x Grad Student Reader

Genre: Idol AU, Ex-Childhood Best Friends into—, Angst (Hello, welcome to my angst central), Fluff (mainly in the flashbacks), Slow Burn, Eventual Smut

Summary: BTS’s V has been living a lavished and successful lifestyle, but underneath all of that, Kim Taehyung is far from the perfect image the media and fans made him out to be. All he wants is to relive the feelings of happiness and purpose in his life, but how can he when he left behind those memories years ago? The same memories, he hopes to see a glimpse of.

Warning: Angst (but what’s new), mentions of incompetency, scenes of therapy, mentions of past substance use (alcoholism, drugs), brief mentions of withdrawals, alcohol consumption, intoxication, aggressive behavior, violence/fights, mentions of murder (no one gets killed) descriptions of panic attacks, vomiting, crying, [Disclaimer—how panic attacks occur varies by the individual. I for one have experienced panic attacks and used some of the methods described. It may not work for everyone but it worked for me and how to cope]

Word Count: 12.6k

Chapter VIII: Please Don’t Break It || Series Masterlist

After the school bell rang, second-year middle schooler Taehyung exited the classroom with his three other classmates. They were talking in-depth about the new volume of One Piece that came out recently. As they were doing so, a flyer plastered on the school’s bulletin board caught his eye.

Geochang Middle School’s Annual Talent Show.

Taehyung remembered last year’s and it was absolutely remarkable. The singing, dancing, the tricks, students performed. He was impressed yet slightly envious of their confidence. He wished to sign up, but he was actually shy about his abilities. He has been practicing the saxophone, but he didn’t think he was all that skilled yet. He can dance?? It was a trial and error, but he didn’t look weird doing it.

But the thing he loved doing the most was singing. He loved it and learning how to sing songs and melodies. Although he never really performed in front of others before, well, except you and his family.

“Hey, Tae! Your girlfriend is coming.” One of his classmates tapped his shoulder for his attention. The other two snickered in the back, making him roll his eyes at their playful teasing.

“Not my girlfriend.” Taehyung corrected as always before turning his head and smiling to see your bright one.

It was your first year in middle school and was so excited when you got into the same school as your best friend. Though you weren’t in the same classes, you were still able to have lunch with him and walk to and from school with him. With your stuffed backpack carried over your shoulders, your uniform bounced in the air as you eagerly walked towards him.

“Whatever you say!” His classmate scoffed before the three of them went their separate ways. Taehyung waited for you as you headed down the hallway.

Once you reached him, he pulled you into a big hug and shook your body happily in his arms. “You think you did well with the quiz after lunch?”

As you parted away, you nodded proudly with your shoulders high. “It was surprisingly easy. Algebra equations weren’t as bad as I thought.”

“Only you would say that because you love math so much.” Taehyung retorted before his eyes diverted back to the board. “Hey, Blue.” He then pointed at the flyer. “What do you think about the talent show?”

Your eyes followed his pointing and hummed in thought, “I haven’t seen it, but it sounds like fun. Of course, I could never do that.”

Taehyung chuckled softly at your evident shyness from the spotlight. His curled lips progressively sunk as the nerves got to him by the thought. “W-What if I…signed up?”

Your head pivoted at him as your irises gleamed with glee. “If you signed up, you’re gonna be amazing, Hyungie! You have so many talents!”

A tint of pink powdered across his cheeks and nose from your compliment. “Stop, you’re just lying.”

You gasped dramatically before slapping his arm, “I can’t believe you think I’d stoop that low. I would never lie! I’m always honest with you.” You pouted childishly as you crossed your arms over your chest.

Taehyung cooed at your fond expression, wrapping his arms around you once more. “Of course, my Blue. Forgive me!” You shook your head before getting away from him. He quickly followed behind and caught up.

The two of you walked out of the campus and headed down the pathway toward your houses. There was a moment of silence before you spoke up about the talent show. “So…are you gonna sign up?”

He sighed as he stared up into the clear sky. “I’m not sure, like what if I’m not good enough?”

“If I’m not mistaken, it’s a middle school talent show where anyone could sign up for anything.”

“Wow, you say it so rashly.” He laughed, throwing his head back. “I don’t wanna make a fool out of myself. Middle schoolers are mean!”

“You’re not gonna make a fool out of yourself.” You reassured, holding the straps of your backpack. You pulled on it, so it’ll lift higher. “Because you have talents. Singing, dancing, playing an instrument…”

“Rapping?”

“No.”

“How can you be so cruel??” He shouted, his prepubescent ego shattering at your comment.

“I told you I’m always honest with you!” You giggled mischievously but spotted him pouting like a puppy. “Hyungie, I’m serious though. If you sign up, it’s gonna be a decision you won’t regret.”

“Really?” He asked, still having doubt.

“Of course, because if you won’t, you’ll keep thinking about it and wondering what if.” You linked arms with him as you leaned into his body. “If you do, I’ll support you every step of the way, okay?”

You sure knew how to make him feel better. Like how you needed reassurance, he needed some cheering on too. He looked down at you with a sad smile on, “You know how nervous I get, Blue.”

You nodded empathically, then squished your cheek towards his arm. “As I said, I’ll be the one to support you every step of the way.”

-

“So from all of this, how do you feel about her back in your life?” Dr. Im looked at Taehyung sitting across on the couch as practice and routine. In the idol’s opinion, the past sessions have been dreadful. Dr. Im said nothing negative regarding his client, but through his therapist’s non-verbal responses, it was best to say he even agreed.

Taehyung was aware he was at fault. He hasn’t been honest with him, despite certain sessions’ moods consisting of feeling good and better. Though the idol first entered into therapy to “get better,” his goal remained undetermined. Dr. Im tried very hard to cooperate with his stubborn client. He got him talking about happiness in previous sessions, but even that had gotten static. 

Taehyung didn’t know why he was so hesitant into telling Dr. Im about his life. Before their meeting, the company provided a file for the professional so he knew everything about him including his alcohol and drug use, minor fights and under-the-table conflict, and even his…episodes that only his close-knit circle knew about. 

Dr. Im reminded him again that these sessions would lack if nothing was spoken. He was brutally honest when he spoke that though progress wasn’t linear, actions and words had to be made to see progress. He was there to help by all means within the time frame. Because they both knew that Taehyung wanted to feel better, be better. Yet the term was used so often that it felt futile.

Though he was worried, Taehyung eventually opened up about something. He explained how unsatisfying life has been, including the struggles of feeling happy. But one good thing that has happened recently for the last months was reuniting with you. He described your childhood friendship, how close-knit you were with him and even his family, the fights and distance that happened leading up to the falling out, the reunion, the start, and potentially the beginning of the end once again.

It was the way Taehyung rambled about you for such a long time that there were only ten minutes left in the session. Though Dr. Im enjoyed every minute of how willing the idol talked, he needed to get out some answers to all of this.

“So how are you with her now?” His therapist asked.

The idol frowned at the recent memory. It has been two weeks since you’ve last spoken to him or since he last saw you. When it reached the one-week mark, he have had enough and tried to go to the restaurant to see you. But for some reason, Jungkook convinced him that you didn’t want to see him. Why? The answer was through Jungkook’s phone. You texted him saying he was forbidden to see you.

Everything he experienced about that felt so wrong to him that it stabbed him in the chest. The distance between you two seemed to grow as days went on. He missed you and wanted to talk to you. He didn’t like how close you were being to his member, nor did he like how you text Jungkook instead of him. The youngest even texted you right in front of him with a fucking smile too.

You were his best friend. Not fucking Jeon Jungkook.

Nevertheless, Taehyung grinned appreciatively as he reminisced about his time with you those weeks before. “It’s nice, I love it, a lot…” His responses were curt but genuine. “I, uh, she was actually part of my memories when I was happy. She was a big part of my life and helped me through a lot. I guess you can say, I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for her.”

“Which is…”

The idol squinted his eyes as he dived into the question. “Well, being an idol. To tell you the truth, I used to get quite nervous in front of crowds or people in general. In earlier times, performances used to trigger…my episodes.” His face grimaced at the worrisome experiences, especially the ones when you weren’t there. “She was there to help me, and also encouraged me to sign up and audition.”

“What I’m hearing is how appreciative are you of her?” His therapist smiled empathetically, making Taehyung nod. “I’ve noticed from the way you talked, you must really care for her too despite the years away. She is very important to you.”

“I’ll always care for her,” Taehyung confirmed pridefully with no arrogance slipping out. “Even when I accidentally become a dick sometimes.”

“And why do you think that?”

Chewing on his lips, Taehyung looked at the man as if he caught something that wasn’t supposed to show. He could lie to his therapist, but what good does it do for him? He was spending his money on this anyway. Either way, Dr. Im was wise and has been in the game for decades. A problematic idol wasn’t going to outsmart him because he’ll eventually find out about it.

So he gave up his internal battle and sighed. “I guess because I’m selfish.” And before Dr. Im could say what the meaning behind it was, Taehyung continued. “Since my life was in shambles and was in the dark for so long, I wanted a little bit of control in my life.” 

“Care to explain? I remembered you talking about being an idol and the exposure to the world.” 

Today was shockingly growth between him and his therapist. Taehyung was willing to let most of his vulnerability flow out in hopes to find at least one other person who understood his thoughts and feelings without shaming him for what he has been doing. “And to be honest, I feel like I haven’t made progress. It’s been the same bullshit every day for the past year and…I don’t know. I don’t feel good at all.“

“You’ve been going through a lot, especially recently.” Dr. Im responded as he scribbled down more notes on his clipboard. Once he was done, he placed his pen and clipboard on his lap to look over at his client. “I know you may think and say that you haven’t done much, but from seeing you when you first came to now, I’d say you’ve changed.”

Snorting in disbelief, Taehyung rolled his eyes as he leaned back into his seat. “Stop lying, sir.”

“As someone in this field of work, it is unethical to lie. Well, when was the last time you used or took substances? Recklessly drunk? Been into fights? Or even have your panic attacks?” His therapist listed meaningfully as he observed the idol. 

Pursing his eyebrows together, Taehyung pondered on the thoughts. Sure, he has gotten drunk and had minor episodes but it wasn’t to an extent compared to last year. Jesus Christ, last year was a whole mess. Taehyung was going through scandals back to back and HYBE had to cover it up because most of them were true.

Substances…he promised Namjoon and Jimin that he’d stop for the sake of the group, but he took it hard with his withdrawals. Screaming, hitting, throwing things around, and being tackled by a member or his friends. One of the only coping mechanisms was drinking or fighting with the members, and even that still wasn’t good.

Taehyung merely shrugged, “I still drink but less, I guess. I don’t know about the rest…probably a while. I was forced to stop when I came here. The…substances that is.”

“That’s amazing, Taehyung. You’ve pushed through that very well.” Dr. Im praised and nodded. “There have been improvements. You just haven’t been entirely aware of them with everything else that’s going on.”

“You think?” The idol asked softly. He always had this concern. His life never felt any better—apart from you—to fully accept how much he overcame in the past year. There were still more problems, but fewer than before.

“Of course, I’ve kept track and listed down all we discussed and the concerns that were brought up from the first time.” Dr. Im explained. “I commend you with your strength.”

“But what if I fuck up? Won't disappointment come my way?”

“Having those negative emotions will not benefit the situation, whether it’s internal or external. The hars truth would still be that you messed up, but there’s always time to get back up. Relapsing happens, but it's not the end. It may take longer but have patience with yourself.”

Taehyung didn’t realize that a tear ran down his cheek until he hiccuped a sob. But it wasn’t by the comment. It was the realization that Dr. Im was the only person who understood him being like this—a fucked-up unhappy person. Someone who won't blame him or scold him around.

But still, the hard-hitting question lingered in his mind. With or without all the problems he had, why was the feeling still there? “But even with all of that, then why am I still unhappy?”

-

You were wiping down tables while Kenji took a nap behind the cash register. You glanced at him before shaking your head in disappointment as always. He was lucky that it wasn’t busy today, it was practically empty. Then again, rush hour for lunch was over so all that was left was to wait until dinner time.

You heard rummaging through the tarp before looking up to find Jungkook and Jimin smiling and waving at you.  “___! Hi!” Jungkook greeted you before coming towards your frame for an unexpected hug.

You flinched at the touch before carefully hugging him back. “H-hi?” You lightly pushed away from him despite his strong grip. You waved at Jimin with a friendly smile. “W-what are you two doing here?” You were kind of shocked to see them. It wasn’t a bad thing because they’d been here before, but those times, they would be with Taehyung.

You haven’t spoken to or seen Taehyung since the somewhat incident. You weren’t angry at him, but the behavior still bummed you out. You were still undecided about how to think about it, but it didn’t mean you wanted nothing to do with him anymore. Ugh, you regretted those words out of your mouth. It didn’t even help that you even texted Jungkook you didn’t want to see Taehyung at all the day after.

Wow, you were dramatic and exaggerated everything. Can’t really blame yourself because of all the trauma and hardship that you’ve experienced. 

You wanted to see Taehyung again, and knowing how stubborn he was, you expected him to come and disregard your insult at most a week, the earliest being the following day. But now it has been two weeks, and you were rethinking your actions. Though it was to protect yourself, you were still so hard on him. Every frown, sad twist on his face, the deflating in his shoulder, it killed you.

You always hated seeing him like that, even when you were younger. If Taehyung hated seeing you cry, then you despised seeing him sad or scared. He was never good on his own with things like that, so you wondered how he held up all those years.

These months reuniting with him were flourishing. When you were able to push the tension to the side, you’ve seen a new light of this Taehyung. More mature, more charismatic, and more confident in himself, which made you very proud to see knowing his struggle.

But after reflecting and being honest with yourself, you truly saw your Taehyung in him. Still playful, still has a shit ton of friends, still caring, still affectionate, still thoughtful, you’ve seen him all the time.

You just weren’t fully trusting of him to even accept it. You were scared, but you had every reason to be. You knew the effort he made while you gave very little. Maybe he too had his reasons for the mishap. You shouldn’t think of him so lowly, he was trying his best while you weren’t. You felt guilty about what you’ve done and now suffered the consequences. 

You dearly wanted his friendship, whether you liked it or not. 

You did miss him within the weeks that passed. Maybe it was your turn to approach him.

“Jimin Hyung actually just came back from a trip to America.” Jungkook stretched a smile at you. “That means to eat your heart out with homeland food.”

You chuckled at him as you threw the used cloth into the bucket behind the cashier, though you purposefully missed so it hits Kenji hard enough to wake him up. He startled awake and groaned when he smelled the dirtied fabric on his face. He threw it rightfully into the bucket before standing up and glaring at your calm state. It happened before, but it always got to him like it was the first time.

“So I’m assuming you both are here for dinner? It’s pretty early for that, but doesn’t matter.” You quipped as you pulled out two menus for them.

“Actually, no.” Jimin shook his head, which made you confused. “We wanted to invite you out…for dinner.”

“Uhh, what?”

“Please, it’ll mean so much for us if you could come.” Jungkook came forth to you and grabbed your hand with both of his. Gently squeezing it when you tensed up, you seemed to relax right after. “It’ll be fun! We have to go to our company building really quickly, but we’ll eat!”

Though their invitation remained harmless, you couldn’t help but be hesitant of them and their doings. For starters, you were working and it was a weekday. You were sure you explicitly mentioned that you worked every day of the week except weekends. Though Jungkook and Jimin were kind, you don’t know much about them. Yes, you texted Jungkook from time to time but he’d usually initiate it and if you hung out with them, Taehyung would be in the picture.

“Umm, just us?” You asked. When you felt another pair of eyes on you, you glanced to the side to find Kenji staring entertainingly.

“Well, Hobi Hyung and Namjoonie Hyung will come too! That’s why we have to go back to the company.” Jimin responded enthusiastically. “Everyone else has a schedule or other prior engagements—”

“Then I remembered you, and we haven’t hung out in a while!” Jungkook interjected impatiently, squeezing your hand again for encouragement. “Please, please, please, come!”

Now there was too much hand-in-hand contact with this man. You pulled your hand away from him but lightly laughed it off to avoid any awkwardness. You waved him off and shook your head. “Thank you for the offer, but as you can see I’m w—”

“___ can go!” Kenji shouted out of the blue. He sped towards you before wrapping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you into him. You huffed at the unexpected contact with your smiling coworker before scowling up. “We aren’t as busy today actually, so we don’t need two workers here. I’m the boss so…”

“Excuse me, you are definitely not—”

“Give yourself a break from time to time, ___.” Your coworker suggested. “The last time you did so was when you were in the hospital, which shouldn’t really be the only time to take a break.”

“Kenji!”

“Halmeoni will understand and will be happy for you!” Kenji wasn’t taking no for an answer. You thinned your lips into a line before pushing him away.

“Just because you’re their grandson doesn’t give you special privileges!”

“Uhh, it absolutely does.” He scoffed, enjoying your angered state. Well, not only him. The two idols were quite fond of your reaction. “Just go, ___. Plus you need to eat.”

“I’m not a child. I can remember things like that by myself.” You rolled your eyes before crossing your hands over your chest.

“So you’ll come?” Jimin’s eyes lit up with hope. “The Hyungs don’t mind at all! I even texted them.”

Having dinner with four highly-acclaimed and handsome idols all by yourself? The offer was very intriguing, to say the least. “But wor—”

“___, Halmeoni would get mad if she saw you here and not me because she knows how much you work for your gra—”

You smacked your palm over Kenji’s mouth while you glared deadly into his pupils. You didn’t want them to know your business, despite telling your only coworker and perhaps friend—you don’t even really hang out with him outside of work—in confidence. With your eyes piercing holes into his brain, he quickly shut his mouth. “Don’t speak of it if you want those to be your last words.” He nodded, agreeing in a heartbeat before you released him.

Your coworker gasped exaggeratedly, getting a nasty shiver from you. “But ___ can go. I don’t mind working the whole dinner rush and closing up alone.”

“I don’t even have money to spend!”

“We invited you! It’s our treat!!” Jimin announced with a very lovely smile.

You sighed, still contemplating. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure! Go have fun.” Kenji reassured.

“If you text help, I’ll drop everything to come back, okay?” You told him, making sure that he was free to ask you.

Kenji shook his head, knowing how much you liked to help but never wanted it back. “Yeah, I will.”

You turned your head to spot Jungkook and Jimin being all giddy. They couldn’t believe they got you out of work so easily. They were mentally high-fiving and slapping each other’s shoulders. “Yeah, I’ll come but will it be okay? I know you’re idols and privacy and all that stuff.”

“Not to worry about that.” Jimin shooed that idea off. “Let’s go!”

You took your apron off and hung it back on the hooks. You barely grabbed your bag when Jungkook reached for your hand and tugged you to follow him out. Your irises looked back at a waving Kenji as he watched you three leave.

This was going to be an interesting experience. Maybe it’ll be good. Help you put yourself out there again after years of keeping to yourself. That was what you and Taehyung wanted after all.

Though you left, you didn’t realize that you forgot your phone inside your apron pocket.

-

Taehyung mindlessly stared into the lit TV screen with a random drama playing. The cascading sun began settling down for the day through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Yeontan rested on his lap while the idol stroked his coat. Not bothering to pay attention to his surroundings, he was deep into his thoughts which all resorted back to you.

He wondered how you were, probably working right now since it was close to dinner time. But he wanted to know if you were okay, with school, with work, with everyone going on right now. He understood that you practically banished him and tried to respect your wishes, but the selfish devil on his shoulder told him to fuck that and run back to you. But he reminded himself of what his therapist told him a couple of days back.

“Though it’s great for you to have her back in your life, you can’t force her to do things that you want and she doesn’t.” Dr. Im informed carefully. 

“That’s not fair!” The idol whined. “I know she does, she’s just so hesitant with me after all that I did.”

“Well, think about it this way—if someone made you do things you didn’t want but they did, how would you feel? Both sides have to consent, right?”

Taehyung kept silent, knowing the right and moral answer to it. But he knew you were different. Your friendship was different compared to anyone. Simply accepting defeat and parting away from either side was wrong and cruel, making that a bad best friend in the eyes of Hyungie and Blue.

If there was one trait you and Taehyung’s relationship was always strong about was stubbornness and adamance. Your friendship stood long because neither side wouldn’t give up on the other, even if communication lacked at some points. You’d bother and irritate (mainly Taehyung) but also protect and care for one another by all means. Because you knew what was best for each other, whether you liked it or not.

If anything, he knew more about you than you did yourself and vice versa.

“Honey, I’ll be back!” The high-pitched voice sent shivers down his spine. She seemed too giddy for his liking right now. Scowling a bit before relaxing an emotionless expression, he shifted his attention towards his dolled-up girlfriend. He was about to ask where she was going, but remembered she had dinner plans with friends she hasn’t seen in a while.

“Have fun. Hope you black out for me.” He piped, but his demeanor remained.  

Clara rolled her eyes, then laughed. “Will you be home alone? You haven’t been out with anyone.”

Ahh, there it was. Yes, what she said was true. After making up with her, Taehyung stayed home all day or at the company building. He hasn’t seen you, Seojoon, or any of his members despite texting. There were no in-betweens, making the growing feeling inside eat him alive.

Life sucked, but hey, his girlfriend wasn’t biting into his ass. The past two weeks Clara was soooo lovey-dovey, sweet, and happy seeing him always in the house. She would ask him if he was going out or not but knew the default answer which she would get all excited over. She spent so much more time with him in that time frame than this past year.

But Taehyung was going mental. Actually, that was the reason why he remembered where she was going because it was finally away from him.

“I’ll be fine.” He hummed, trying to go back to focusing on the TV before him, or whatever he was doing.

“I’ll miss you.” She cooed as she skipped towards the couch. From behind, she bent down to kiss him on the cheek. He scrunched his nose, keeping his hands on his sleeping dog. “Bye, I love you!”

“Me too.” He muttered. Once Clara left and closed the front door, Taehyung realized he held his breath. He felt suffocated, it wasn’t good. Like a time bomb ticking waiting to be detonated any minute, he seemed a bit more alleviated now that he was in the house alone for the night.

Yet he didn’t want to turn into that woman from the Yellow Wallpaper Namjoon talked about before. Maybe it was time to get out. He needed it, but most importantly, perhaps he needed to go to the restaurant to make up with you. He had to. It didn’t sit well with him knowing that you were away from him. He just needed some good right now and if it doesn’t happen, he’d crack.

He turned his head slightly to spot the peace lily plant he had bought for you sitting on the coffee table. It has been sitting there since that night. He took care of it in the meantime, searching online on how to maintain it.

He hoped you understood and forgave him. He didn’t comprehend why he tried to kiss you, but he’ll do anything to get you back.

-

“Jesus Christ, this place is top-notch.” You muttered under your breath when you observed Jimin scan his face to make the elevator function. Jungkook heard your comment, making him giggle beside you. Jimin pressed a floor button before it began to move.

“Our safety is important, especially when visitors come regularly,” Jungkook explained. “That’s why there’s security everywhere.”

“Yes, but it didn’t help that they accused me of being a sasaeng when you both were on my sides smiling.” You mentioned the unfortunate mishap. You stood there embarrassingly without any knowledge while Jimin had to report to them you were a friend. But you weren’t on their friend list, so you needed to make a pass and fingerprint scan. It took longer than anticipated, so you were slightly uncomfortable.

“Sorry about that.” Jimin blew a chuckle out of his nostrils. “Precautions, that’s all.” You hummed in response, patiently waiting for your floor. 

Once you were on the fifteen floor, your trio walked out of the lift. You followed them down a hallway where you reached a spacious lounging area. It shouted out rich and expensive because the couches were built into the floors. Table tennis in the corner, unlimited stocks of water, juice, and other endorsements HYBE groups had, but what fascinated you was the spread of plants surrounding the room.

It looked like the nursery you and Taehyung went to, but of course, the plants were for aesthetics than grabs. You were in awe, scanning through them while Jimin spoke up.

“I texted the hyungs but they aren’t answering, so I’ll bother them. Be right back.” Jimin announced before separating and going down another hallway, leaving only you and Jungkook here.

While you were preoccupied staring at the greenery, Jungkook stared at you nervously. There was something he wanted to ask you but didn’t know how to or when would be the appropriate time especially since it was difficult to hang out with you. The maknae was confident in himself, but yet he was still shy at heart. But this was probably the only time he had a moment alone with you.

“___?” He called your name. Turning your attention to the youngest member of the group, your eyes grew wide in acknowledgment. “C-Can I ask you something? I promise it won’t take long.”

“Sure.” You agreed while keeping a wondering yet polite look.

“I know we only text and we don’t usually hang out but…” Jungkook began. He paused to bite his lower lip to calm himself before gazing his doe eyes onto yours. “I was wondering if we could like…go out together…alone…like a date?”

The sudden confession made you blush red like a tomato with eyes blinking rapidly to wake yourself up in case it was just a dream. But it wasn’t. Jungkook asked you out with confidence and genuineness.

You knew he had a crush on you, but you assumed it was nothing more. Kind of like his crush on IU, it was there but there was no action. Then again, you weren’t an idol. You didn’t even look like IU or even up to par with her visuals…why did he even like you?

“Why?” You wondered aloud.

Your one-word questioning shocked him yet amused him with your furrowed eyebrows and puffed pout. “What do you mean why?”

Your eyes roamed around you to avoid his staring. “Like…why? I’m nowhere near your type!”

His lips twitched upwards. “How do you know if you’re not my type?”

“Well, even though Taehyung and I parted ways before you all debuted, I still kept up with news and music.” You responded, still not meeting his eyes. When he knew you were trying to avoid his stare, he grabbed your chin. Turning to face him, you finally meet his eye contact and cocked your brow. “I-I know I’m not your type. You said it was IU, or anyone will long hair and nice thighs or something. Sorry if I come a bit rude.”

“You’re not.” He smiled, shaking his head. “And that was my type, so who knows what my type is now?”

“You. You would know.”

Jungkook squinted his eyelids at you. A bit sassy, yet you come off so blunt like it was obvious. It reminded him of someone close. “Type can also be different from attraction. But regardless of type, I’m still asking you if you’d wanna hang out. I wanna get to know you.”

Though Jungkook was a good guy, a good person actually, it would be wrong to lead him on when you were not interested in him. He was handsome, sweet, and a bit silly, but it didn’t feel right with him. You knew it wasn’t a good sign to affiliate with him or any of the other members personally.

“Jungkook, thank you for the offer but—”

“Fuck, I knew this was gonna happen.” Jungkook groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose in despair, already thinking the worst.

“No, no, hear me out.” You tried your best to give the benefit of the doubt. “I-I just want to focus on my studies right now. Graduate school is a pain for a simpleton like me. Adding onto work, it’s a lot.”

“You’re not a simpleton…” He spoke softly.

You grinned sympathetically. “Either way, I don’t really want to lead you on if I’m not putting all my effort into it. I hope you understand.” It made sense, though there was more to your reasoning than what was said. But he didn’t need to know that.

Jungkook sighed, “Fortunately, and unfortunately, I do. I should have known better than to ask you since you are Taehyung Hyung’s best friend like you’re…” He scanned around cautiously to see if anyone was around. “The..B word.”

You were taken aback, so much questioning running through your mind. First of all—“The B word? You’re not thinking bitch, right?”

His pupils dilated, waving his hands in denial. “No, definitely not that! I meant your nickname!”

“Nickname?”

“Blue!” He yelled but then slapped a hand over his mouth. He acted like he said a cursed word that brought a demon around us. Still confused, you tried expressing your concern but the man beat you to it. “Sorry, we’re not supposed to call you that, that’s why.”

“It’s not some forbidden word though…” You weren’t offended, but his high alert left you baffled. Taehyung was the only one who ever called you that. Not once did anyone else tag along with it, or at least followed through. You remembered that his younger siblings tried calling you Blue and he was not happy about it.

The nickname held much meaning to you and was kept deep into your heart, even with the hurtful memories that came with it. You haven’t heard the name in a while, so your heart longed for it, yet didn’t like it, especially when it came out of the mouth of someone else. But again, Jungkook didn’t need to know that.

“Hyung gets angry with it.” Jungkook chuckled nervously, easing the awkward tension he created.

“Relax though. It’s not harmful.” You tried calming him down. He nodded and stood quietly, but you still had more questions you wanted to ask. Your heart slowly grew anxious. “But what do you mean you knew better? What does me being Taehyung’s best friend have to do with that? But also I must remind you that we aren’t be—”

“It doesn’t matter anymore, but it’s okay. I still want to get to know you better. I wanna be your friend at least!” The youngest member shrugged, shifting the topic.

He just blew you off like that, but it was whatever. A weird conversation…but you too wanted it to be over.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” You agreed slowly. Jungkook gave you two thumbs up and a loving bunny smile. You then heard a group of footsteps progressively getting louder, so you turned your head to see Jimin, Namjoon, and Hoseok coming back. You praised the heavens after that.

So much going on, very little knowledge…

-

“What do you mean she’s not here?” Taehyung questioned a sitting Kenji who was finished with his remaining customers leaving. The restaurant was still open, but no one but the idol was there for dinner.

Halmeoni then came out from the kitchen and noticed the handsome idol right away. “Oh, Taehyung! You’re back. How are you?”

He looked at the elderly woman and forced a smile and bow at her. “Hello, Halmeoni. I-I’m fine, but Kenji said ___ isn’t here.”

She hummed in response, “Yeah, she’s not here! Kenji convinced her to take the night off. She needed it.”

“Do you know where she is? Is she at home?”

“She’s actually having dinner…with some guys,” Kenji smirked playfully because he saw Taehyung’s eyes bulged out and jaw unhinged.

“What?” The idol yelled a little too loud, making the younger man giggle.

“Finally, she’s hanging out with people!” Halmeoni cheered.

Knowing how much stress and concern the idol was in, Kenji decided to alleviate it. “Relax, it’s your bandmates.” He informed explicitly to get it into Taehyung’s head. “Jungkook Hyung and Jimin Hyung came to visit and asked her out for dinner. Taehyung nodded, also recalling that Jimin was also back from his trip. “Seems like you weren’t invited if you didn’t know?” That brought a scowl towards the younger man, but he couldn’t care less as he kept a smile on his face.

His expression relaxed as the words sunk in. Though it probably was a simple and casual dinner, Taehyung felt insulted and sad. You’ve been away from him for a while and said that you never wanted to see him again. Yet Jungkook and Jimin had the privilege of hanging out with you.

He was hurt, not at you. The entire situation. He hated where everything was going and what changes are happening. It wasn’t fair for him and his feelings. But this was all his fault, right? His doings led to this, so he had to deal with it, right?

He hated it, he hated himself even more. Nothing really was going his way and he had to suck it up so he couldn’t be selfish? Let others be happy and enjoy one another while he sulked and self-deprecated alone by himself. So much for improvement, right Dr. Im?

With that being said, he bolted out of the restaurant in a scurry, leaving Halmeoni and Kenji baffled and wondering what just happened. Now he needed to get away. He wanted to be alone right now. There were so many things that he couldn’t do and have. Well, enough was enough.

He needed an escape fast.

-

“Cheers!” The sounds of the glass filled clashing together echoed through the private dining room. You smiled and nodded as the boys cheered rowdily at the simple gesture. All of you then took a gulp or sip of the foamed beer that caused you to make a repulsive face with your nose scrunched.

“Don’t like beer?” Sitting next to you, Jimin laughed as he saw your expression.

“Uhh, yeah but it’s fine.” You smiled through the gross bitter aftertaste. “Don’t really like drinking as much.”

“But when you do, what kind do you like? We can order some.” Namjoon, who sat on the other side of you, asked with a friendly dimpled smile.

“I usually just go for wine or any flavored soju. Soda is nice too.” You answered while forcing yourself to drink the beer, making a soured face.

Hoseok, who sat across from you, laughed as he pulled the drink away from you. You grew big-eyed like someone stole your candy. You reminded him of someone and it was so adorable. “You don’t need to force yourself. We’ll get you those.” You muttered a thank you. Before you could even put a vegetable in your mouth, Hoseok wondered, “So how are you? We haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Oh, I’m fine, thank you. Just work and school has been my life right now.” You quickly threw slices of pork belly into your mouth and chewed while thinking of anything else to say. “I’m not doing anything big like you all.”

“___, please. Though our lives are different from yours, we still equate and emphasize the importance of what and why others do.” Namjoon argued as he watched you eat. You stuffed your face and pouted when you did so. It looked so familiar…

“Well, yes. I agree with you.” You shrugged, gulping down the food. “But really, life is…alright.” You hoped they won’t ask because it would be an opening of a dam you didn’t want to let out. 

“Feel free to hit us up though!” Hoseok offered, making you relax. “We loved spending time with you at the party! I especially love meeting and getting to know new people.”

“O-Oh, thank you. Just me?” You chuckled politely. You also couldn’t help but be in an intimate atmosphere with your bias.

“Yeah? And the other members too if they want. We all like you.” Jungkook mentioned as he kept grabbing more food off the plates.

Okay, you weren’t expecting this at all. Usually, especially with friends of Taehyung, would only put up with you because of him. They wanted him, not you but you were a package deal. So it was surprising to know they wanted to be friends with you. Perhaps this was what Taehyung meant when they were different than his past “friends.”

“Thank you.” You thanked them, smiling shyly and looking down at the dishes of food.

“You don’t have to be so formal with us.” Jimin giggled as he poured the bottle of wine given in a new glass for you. “You’re acting like it’s your first time making friends.”

“Technically, yes. I’m practically a loner.” You pursed your lips as you looked up to meet all their perplexed yet concerned stares. Obviously, it was true but you made it into a joke, but they didn’t know so you shook your head. “I mean yes, that’s true. But…it’s fine.” You laughed awkwardly, but they continued their gazes, causing you to stop. “I don’t really have many friends.”

“Like…at all?”

You pondered on the thought, trying your best to think of some people. “I guess, there’s my coworker. But we just talk at work most of the time. Oh, and his grandparents!”

“H-How about in Geochang?” Hoseok inquired with a smile. “Taehyungie said he had a lot of friends there! Since you were his best friend, we assumed that they were yours too!”

“They were still his friends. I only was there for Taehyung when he would spend time with them. For the most part, those friends didn’t want me there.” You responded. “His sister was my age. She was my friend, but I barely contacted her after her family moved out. All of them actually…”

Okay, maybe you made this dinner more depressing than it should have, judging by their empathetic faces. Your eyes bounced off of them as you let out a laugh. “I mean now you’re all my friends, right? It doesn’t matter anymore.” You balled your hands in fists and waved them in the air, getting all excited out of nowhere.

Assuming what you were trying to do, Namjoon joined in your laughter to die down the awkwardness. “Yes, we’re friends. Don’t worry, we want to spend time with you too, whether Taehyung’s here or not.”

“Hyung’s right!” Jungkook agreed. “We should be able to hang out with you, even call or text.”

“I guess so, sure.” You said. “Again, I work and go to school. It’s my priority. I’m here in Seoul for that reason.”

“Of course, we respect it.” Jimin nodded reassuringly. “But don’t exert yourself too much. Wouldn’t want to repeat the hospital thing Taehyung told us about?”

With the mention of his name, you were curious if they knew how he was. But you refrained from doing so. For some reason, you didn’t want to ask them. They probably would have meant well, but your gut feeling begged to differ. After all, this was your first time alone with them so you simply nodded. Maybe one day you’ll ask Taehyung about it. 

“By the way, let’s get your phone number or username, whichever you prefer.” Hoseok pulled his phone out of his pants pocket. 

You accepted and were about to get your phone out of your bag, only to notice it wasn’t there. You checked through the pockets and doubled into the bigger space, but came up empty-handed. You realized you must have left it back at work. “I forgot my phone at work. Can you please bring me back there?”

“Sure, but after dinner, of course,” Jungkook answered before placing meat wraps on your plate. You raised a brow at him, to which he winked cheekily. You scoffed before taking a bite of it.

“___, if you’re not busy on Saturday, I was hoping you could tag along with me to this trendy cafe. I was supposed to go with my sister, but she had a last-minute thing. They have this amazing mango dessert and iced Americano.” Hoseok invited, making you blush. You were experiencing too much with your favorite of the group, but you didn’t want to show how flustered you were. 

“I’d love to actually. Weekends are my day offs.”

“Wait, I wanna come too!” Jungkook pouted, not giving up on getting closer to you. “You talked about the place before and it sounded good.”

You shrugged, not minding at all. “Sure, but I hope iced Americanos aren’t the only drinks they serve. I don’t like coffee.”

“They have a lot more drinks like this coconut refresh—” Hoseok couldn’t even finish his sentence when you grimaced at the words. But he merely laughed at your displease. “Not a big fan of coconut?”

“I get queasy from the smell and taste.” Just by imagining it, you swore you could smell the scent, giving you shivers down your spine.

“You’re so much like Taehyung…” Namjoon mumbled, but the rest of you heard him speak. Jimin asked him to reiterate what he said. “I said, you’re so much like Taehyung.”

You blinked at the leader as you straighten your back. You weren’t expecting that either. “Wh—How?”

“You make faces when you don’t like something, you don’t drink coffee, you shake your fists in the air like him, and you pout when you chew.” Namjoon listed his observations, which not only freaked you out but the others. “S-Sorry, I was just looking and thinking. I’m sorry if I disrespected you.”

You shook your head and waved him off. “No, you didn’t. Uhhh…I didn’t think people would notice enough.” After many years and some months reuniting with Taehyung, you realized how many of each other’s habits you took after even to this day. It wasn’t a bad thing but showed how much you influenced and impacted one another.

“I thought I was the only one…” Jimin chimed in as well. “You’ve been doing these small things, like him. Weird…”

“But it’s kinda cute.” Hoseok hummed. “Maybe a best friend thing?”

A soft grin appeared on your face, reflecting on what he said. You weren’t insulted, you didn’t deny, maybe he was right. Maybe Taehyung was still somehow your best friend. “Maybe.”

-

The clear liquor burned down his throat as he chugged the green bottle in one go. Once it was empty, he threw it to the side of him. The other finished bottles crashed together on the cold concrete ground in the corner of the alleyway. 

Taehyung wiped off the excess leaking on the side of his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes roamed around the dark cold night. Blurred blobs of people passed through his hazed vision. None bothered to take a glimpse of a drunken man sitting on trash and dirt. Not even the police were supposed to patrol the area because they didn’t bother to care enough for a place that was deemed sketchy, and probably illegal. Not their business at all.

At some point, the soju and cognac naturally became water to the idol and made him feel something the past two weeks couldn’t do. He cracked, going with the “alcohol can make it better” route he hasn’t done so for a while. He did contemplate his… other methods, but he couldn’t get it right away so this was probably the most convenient way.

He laughed to himself, in a pitied and disappointed way. If his past self saw him like this, the idol he “wanted to be,” he knew the younger him would want to punch present him in the throat for deciding to throw his life away. Because despite being one of the most renowned idols in the world, what the fuck was going on with him inside? He couldn’t help himself with all that was happening to him and the spotlight of V. In the morning, he read articles about death threats and dating scandals with another Blackpink member. Can reporters at least be creative with their fake news? He didn’t like the implied coverage of him running through the group.

He didn’t want to let it get to him, but as a human, it was hard not to. When things spread, it got frightening for him because he knew some of it wasn’t true. He couldn’t have issues that he could keep to himself. A handful of people always had to know, oftentimes before him too.

All these words made him feel discouraged and pressured but hid all his emotions and feelings away to not make anything worsen. Not let those online who read too much into his behavior speculate and spread rumors. But also not let those around him talk down upon him when he suppressed his happiness for theirs.

He fucking hated this. He was feeling too much and there was nothing he could do. He felt it all inside his chest, waiting for it to explode. He didn’t want to cry anymore, he did that within the first hour of drinking. He has been in the same spot for at least three hours. It was probably close to midnight but couldn’t give a single fuck.

He stared at his last unopened bottle, it was Yakult flavored. He never tried it before, only saw them on the shelves. But he couldn’t resist it because it somehow reminded him of you. You used to love Yakult, drinking it at least once a day. It was also because Taehyung gave you one every day to satisfy you.

The alcoholic taste was gone in his taste buds, so he assumed that it tasted like juice. Shrugging, he uncapped the bottle and lipped, gulping in a hefty amount in his mouth.

“Look at that man. Some worthless piece of shit.” Taehyung’s ears twitched at the voice. Turning his head to the sound, he spotted three men staring down at him in disgust. Examining the trio swaying and trying their best to keep still, they were tipsy. Despite being a famous individual, they don’t seem to realize it as their intoxicated minds overpowered their vision.

But Taehyung wasn’t about to ignore another stranger blatantly insulting him. Though with half of his mind only functioning, he lets more of his guard and restrains down. He became more reckless, and messier, and doesn’t give a fuck about consequences. His pride was the center of the cause and he was not about to let a low life say shit to him.

Using his palms, he pushed himself from the ground to stand tall. Well, unsteady but he supported himself with the building wall. He glared at the trio who seemed about the same size as him. At a glance, they looked much older but couldn’t see clearly with their bangs covering their eyes. “Dude, fuck off. You’re one to talk with your five-millimeter dick.” Taehyung slurred.

“The fuck did you say, you bastard?” The center, we’ll call him the leader, a person garbled back as he stepped forward.

“Say it to his face.” The one on the left acted all tough.

“I did. You’re just so stupid, you can’t understand anything any human being says.” The idol snapped back and then glanced over at the other one.

“Acting all brave when you’re a skinny guy.” The one on the right finally came up and slightly pushed Taehyung but he was able to keep his balance.

“Pft, acting all that when you can’t even reach the cupboards above.” Taehyung spat back before hiccuping. “Now leave me alone. I minded my own business and you three shitheads should too.”

“Fuck that, you’re gonna get down on your knees and apologize for what you fucking did.” The leader butted in, getting more riled up than before.

“I didn’t do shit. I’m not apologizing.” The idol shook his head.

“We’ll get it out of you.” The leader came forth and was about to punch Taehyung in the face. But Taehyung threw a jab on the leader’s cheek. The guy fell back on his butt on the ground, caressing his pained cheek. “Ahh, you fucker! You’re gonna get this!”

Then all of sudden, the other two helped his friend by attacking the lonesome idol. But little did they know, Taehyung has had experience with situations like this.

-

It was the day of the talent show and Taehyung was fearfully worried. He has been practicing day and night and right after school whilst dragging you along with him. You stayed up with him the night before to help him with pronunciation, support, and anything he needed.

This was his first time singing in front of an audience and you were so excited for him. You knew he was going to do well. He always had a beautiful singing voice. It was so worthy enough for him to be an artist, an idol, anything to do with his talent. But you also knew how nervous he was. You had to hold him and run your fingers through his hair last night to calm him down. You cheered him on, praised him, and gave him pep talks, but yet his unconscious thinking dragged him down.

An hour before the talent, his family did quick errands and bought flowers to congratulate Taehyung, leaving you alone with him at his house. You both were dressed up and ready. Him in black dress pants and an ivory buttoned-down shirt while you were in a sage-green dress. Your best friend wanted to do last-minute rehearsals before you left for school.

You clapped proudly as you sat on his bed, watching him finish the song at the end of it. You bounced off and flattened your skirt. “Hyungie, that was amazing. I’m so excited!”

“I felt like I was off-key at the end.” He frowned, criticizing his perfect practice. “Let me do it ag—”

“Taehyung, you did great. There’s no need to practice again. You’ve been practicing so much, you’re gonna hurt your vocal cords.”

“Blue, I know but—”

“No buts.” You squeezed his shoulder as a sign of comfort. “Sit down and rest a little before we leave. I’ll make some tea for you.” He nodded and sat down on his desk chair.

Once you left his room, his thoughts occupied him. He knew how agitated he was. It was because he wanted to do well. He wanted to perform and showcase his talent to not only you but his family, friends, heck, everyone in the school. Sure, there was no winning or losing, but the pride was still there to brag about how well you did.

But this was really for him to prove himself. Though having many other talents, he wanted to think that he was a good enough singer. He enjoyed singing, perhaps even using it to make a career as an idol. But that sounded too far-fetched.

It was the self-confidence he lacked drastically. He couldn’t help but think lowly and envisioned embarrassing himself in front of everyone, giving them and him no hope in his singing. You told him otherwise, and it did help him throughout the weeks before the talent show. But now being on less than an hour before the talent show, every bit of assurance flew out the window and now the negative notions began shining.

Was there even hope for him? How much does he believe to actually go through with this? Maybe he can drop out last minute? He doesn’t think the amount of work and effort he did was enough. Will he disappoint you? His family? The entire school? Himself? He was going to do a shitty job, he just knew.

His hands suddenly became clammy, opening and closing his trembling fists. His breathing felt like it dropped, making him feel choked up and find it difficult to even inhale. The beating of his heart increased rapidly, unable to catch up with it. He winced as the pressure worsened. He got out of his seat hastily, pacing around his room.

He couldn’t process everything clearly, he was getting antsy and afraid by the second. His uncontrollable eyes moved around his surroundings as he felt his tear ducts swell up from the overwhelming state of his body. It was happening again, but this was the worst one yet.

He tried those breathing exercises you taught him to do. “D-Deep breaths. Deep breaths.” He respired quiveringly, but after a few attempts, it didn’t feel like it was working. “Come on, Taehyung. Breathe.” He lets out an alarmed sob. It wasn’t getting better, and he couldn’t come up with anything else.

Unknowing of his episode, you entered calmly into his room with a fresh cup of tea for him. Once you closed the door behind you, you turned around. “Taehyung, I got yo—” You spotted him all frazzled, wheezing, and weeping. He walked all over his room, feeling out of control.

“Bl-Blue!” He wept, going towards you. “I-I’m scared. Pl-Pl-Please.” He grabbed your unoccupied hand into his quaking ones.

You placed the cup down on his table, so your hands were fully occupied with his. “Hyungie, let’s do the deep breaths. You got this. You remember those, right?” Your voice balanced, and relaxed as possible.

He shook his head and cried, “I tried it. It doesn’t work.” He began heaving heavily. You rushed him to sit down on his bed and you followed for support.

You had to think fast about what other things you could do. If deep breathings weren’t enough there has to be something else that can help. Questions? You didn’t have anything cold. Closing your eyes. Maybe distractions?

“Hey, Hyungie. Look at me. Focus on me.” You squeezed his hands. His moving eyes hurriedly gazed at you. “Remember that one song we learned. I love that song and its lyrics.”

 He shook his head again. “Wh-What does that have to do with anything?”

“Do you remember it?” You ignored his questioning. “How ‘bout singing me them, come on? I’ll sing with you too.”

“Blue? I ca—”

“Come on. Just you and me, Hyungie.” You encouraged his panicked state.

-

“Are you sure you want us to leave you from here?” Jimin asked through the rolled-down passenger window. As promised, they took you back to the restaurant. They were willing to wait for you so that they could drop you off at home but you denied. You didn’t want them to know where you lived because it was in a bad area, and they probably had a busy day tomorrow. You didn’t want to bother them for too long.

“Oh, I’m sure!” You promised, shouldering your bag. “I live pretty close to here anyway.” Technically, you needed to ride the bus but that wasn’t anything you didn’t do before.

“Yah, why is this in a scary area?” Hoseok was in the backseat, looking around the area through the tinted window.

“Ahh, it’s not scary. Trust me. I’ve always left here around this time.” You reassured, trying to ease their worries. “I just don’t go down the road we drove through.”

“Yeah, we should take another route,” Namjoon suggested from the backseat, scrolling through his phone. “I think I saw a drug exchange and it’s not sitting right with me. I feel like an accomplice.”

“___, are you really sure?” Jungkook asked once more, ducking down from the driver’s seat to look at you.

“I’m perfectly fine, I promise.” You smiled. “Thank you for dinner and paying. I appreciate it. Jungkook, send my number to everyone.” Jungkook clicked his tongue and threw a finger gun at you.

“Anytime, ___. We’re grateful to have spent time with you.” Jimin chirped happily.

“Call or text us any time!”

“I guess, I’ll get going inside so bye!” You waved your goodbye. They said theirs back and watched you go into the restaurant before they drove off.

Once you flung the tarp open, Kenji was about to yell that they were closed until he saw you again. “Oh, why are you back?”

“I forgot my phone in my apron.” You sighed as you headed towards the hooks. “You know when I was manhandled out of the place.” Your coworker laughed as he started putting up the chairs. You dug into your apron pocket and finally retrieved your phone.

Through your Lock Screen, you noticed many messages and calls. The most recent ones were from Jungkook and unknown numbers, which were probably the other boys. Some messages were from Kenji, but they were irrelevant since most of them were memes. But what intrigued you the most was that there were twelve missed calls and messages from Taehyung. The messages consisted of where you were, how are you, please tell him if you were okay, and other concerns he had.

These were the first contacts from him in a while, telling you that he never bothered giving up. Your lips curled slightly at the thought before you put your device into your pocket. “I guess I’ll get going again. Thanks for covering my shifts.” You announced.

“No need to thank me. It wasn’t bad.” Kenji shrugged. You were about to take your leave before he called for you. “By the way, Taehyung Hyung came to the restaurant and asked about you.”

You stopped your track, diverting your head to your coworker. “H-he came?”

Kenji crooned in response. “Yeah, it was a little while after you left. I just told him you were casually out with his members.” Though it was casual, you spectated that Taehyung could have possibly thought worse of it, especially since you two still weren’t on talking terms yet.

“Do you know where he went?” You gulped, growing concerned.

“No, he didn’t say. Just dipped out.” Your coworker informed. “He was probably pissed that he wasn’t invited.“ Maybe, or maybe even more.

You nodded again before saying your goodbyes. Once he said goodnight, you were out of the restaurant with your phone back in your hands as you wondered where Taehyung was. He may have gone back home, but you weren’t so sure. You could text any of the boys if they knew, but you weren’t so sure if they did since they were with you the entire time. They also mentioned the rest of the members were busy. But now you were questioning how busy Taehyung was if he managed to come here for you.

Calling him should be okay since he texted you back. It should be okay to do so. It would also mean that you were good with him again. As you began your way to the bus stop, you pressed on his contact to call. But after long-awaited rings, it went straight to voicemail. So you called again, but again with the voicemail. Deja vu…

Shaking your head at that thought, you left a voicemail. “Hey, Taehyung. I saw your calls and text. Sorry, I couldn’t answer right away. I left my phone back in the restaurant. I also found out you stopped by. Call me when you received my message…” You were feeling alarmed for an odd reason. “Stay safe, okay?” You ended the voicemail and threw your phone back into your bag.

You couldn’t understand the tingling sensation inside of you. It left you uncomfortable, almost like something was wrong but there was nothing to be concerned about. Your night was restful and enjoyable. The members were indeed affable and kind towards you. Though you were a bit shy with your responses, they knew how to ease you in. They knew how to make people comfortable; you admired that trait of theirs.

While you were walking quietly, you then heard thumps and grunts at a distance. It didn’t stop your feet though, you clutched onto your bag as you pushed yourself to get through. It could be a couple doing public indecency, a burglar, or maybe even a murder. Usually common in areas like this.

But the one thing you had to remember was to protect yourself, so you weren’t about to get into other people’s business and suffer. Unless it was an innocent bystander, you carried pepper spray with you at all times.

The volume of the noises increased as you continued your way. It was until you reached an alleyway that you noticed four figures over each other. It seemed like a fight, but in addition to the emptied bottles you found through your scrutiny, it was a drunken fight.

Because of that, it was not your business, and was about to leave the premises when you heard a shout. “Fuck off!” That voice…was familiar. But senses could deceive you, so you were battling your curiosity with your rationale. You were alone, with nothing but pepper spray and your hands as self-defense, but still, it wasn’t enough if it would be four against one.

Yet if you left, you’d have some sort of guilt if it was someone you knew. But then again, who would it even be? Kenji? He was still at the restaurant. There wouldn’t be anyone you knew, unless—

The sound of glass shattering broke through your mind. You sneakingly stepped forth at the end of the alleyway. You hid behind trashed boxes, observing the people fighting. The streetlights were dimmed and blinking. You were able to see faces and silhouettes, but they were still a bit unclear. 

You squinted your eyes. A man held a broken bottle while two stood in front of him. One was on the ground possibly passed out. But you noticed liquid near his head, and it didn’t look like a good sign.

“You fucking killed him!” One of them shouted at the man holding the glass.

“No, I didn’t!” That very man screamed, and it sounded very distinct.

“Yes, you did. You murdered my friend!” Another yelled back.

“No, I didn’t!” The man repeated, voicing out through a sob. Then the two figures attacked him, coming from his sides. They threw punches, kicks, and blows at his body but the man was still standing strong, being able to take both of them. “I’m not a murderer!” He grunted as his back slammed on the concrete wall, throwing down the broken glass.

Through that angle, you were given a vivid image of him. Once you saw it, you swore your heart dropped.

A teary-eyed Taehyung swung his arms and aimed at their face and kicked their chest. One fell back and groaned while the other held his stomach. “I’m not a murderer! You’re hurting me! You’re hurting me!” The vein on his neck was prominent and straining as he kept shouting. He kicked the man on the ground in the chest while he kneed the other in the stomach again.

The two were on the ground, groaning in pain and moving weakly. Taehyung panted, looking down at them. You watched him lean on the wall for support before he covered his face with his palms. You heard soft crying coming out of his mouth, twisting your heart in ache. How did he even get here? How did this happen?

Your thoughts remained, but they were immediately pushed back when you scrutinized him more. His body was notably shaking, even at the distance you were in. He jerked his hands in the air as if it would alleviate him. You could hear his harsh wheezing densely as he began circling the three men on the ground.

It was as if your body was on high alert because you felt yourself running toward him. You curved and jumped over the men to get to him. He then felt another figure coming towards him and was about to get defensive again until he found your eyes, eyes that knew how to calm him down.

“Bl-Blue.” His voice cracked through his heaves, stepping away from you. His eyes went out of control as he looked over at the unconscious men, making him realize you saw him like this. Saw him in a way you have never seen him before.

He feared the worst.

Then all the fears from within traveled from his stomach to out of his mouth, retching all the liquids he consumed on the concrete. You shifted away from the vomit. His throat burned furiously as he gagged the intoxication and dizziness out. Tears pearled down his face and his nose reddened by the forced action.

As he somehow managed to finish, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve. But his hyperventilation intensified as he whined at the piercing pain within his chest. Holding where his heart was, he folded down. Before he could crash down, you hooked an arm under his form and guided him away from the scene. Your steps were wider and brisk until you stopped at the corner that had boxes stacked enough for him to not look at what happened.

You helped him stand steadily with cautious hands on his shoulders. “___, I-I-can’t breathe.” He squeaked, his body convulsing under your touch. Despite the signs of a panic attack, when he was in this state, he always needed a loved one’s touch.

“I’m sorry. Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay. We’ll get through this. Let’s do deep breaths.” You shushed him. You led some exercises you recalled from your memories. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. Exhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4. But it wasn’t working as he shook his head, the breathing was still weighted and tears slipping out of his puffed eyes.

You focused on him, being as peaceful as possible. It wouldn’t help the situation if you were the opposite. You had to think fast, attempting to recollect past things you’ve done. But it was such a long time ago; it was challenging you. You didn’t think he still had them after he overcame his stage fright, but this was probably for a different reason and his coping stayed constant. 

But the pleading eyes of Taehyung ached you, wanting nothing more but to help him be free from his episode. You didn’t have anything you used to help him.

Then your eyes lit up at a method, one that worked every time.

“Tae—Taehyung, focus on me. Your eyes on me, okay? Can I hold your hands?” His tensed eyes landed on your solaced ones. He nodded before your hands made their way down until you grasped onto his hands tightly. The feeling of your touch soothed his fragile condition. “Do you remember that one song we learned when we were in middle school?”

“A-A song?” His lips trembled in fear.

“Yeah, let’s focus on that because I forgot how much I loved it! Do you remember it?” You smiled joyfully, scrunching your nose.

“D-Do you…mean…” He gasped as the pain pinched his heart, causing him to fall forward. But you kept his support, carrying some of his weight through your arms. You motioned him to sit down on one of the boxes. While he did so, you bent down on your knees to meet his eye level.

“I’ll start it, okay?” You told him and he couldn’t get a word out but he kept his gaze and nodded. “Okay.” You let go of one of his hands so you could snap your fingers to the beat in your mind, doing a little shoulder dance and sounding soft tickings as the introduction. You were trying to ease him away from tension.

“L is for the way you look at me,” You sang merrily as you looked at him. “Your turn.”

“O-O...is for…the only…one…I see,” He sang slower while you silently mouthed the lyrics for him to follow, but his breathing control got better. You nodded as your smile grew wider.

“You’re doing so well,” You praised. “V is very, very extraordinary,” You pointed at him and tried your best with that high note where you found his lips curling.

“E-E is even more than anyone that you adore,” He stayed on tempo, but still shaky. Yet you were so proud. He inhaled deeply and exhaled.

“All together!” You expressed. His trembling hands came back to your calming ones before you decided to lace your fingers together. You swayed your intertwined hands side to side with the unheard beat when the two of you chorused, “Can love is all that I can give to you. Love is more than just a game for two.”

“Two in love can make it,” You vocalized, while you saw his eyes weeping out more tears. You let go of him. Your thumbs reached out to wipe them off his face but kept your palms on his cheeks.

“Take my heart, and please don't break it.” Though he sang perfectly, his voice cracked with his bawling. He wrapped his hands around your wrists, holding you in place.

“Love was made for me and you,” You sang together and you motioned one more time for the ending. “Love was made...for me…and you.” You both held out the last note, but it was slightly off from Taehyung’s cries. But it was all okay because you saw that he felt a lot better and his breathing became stabilized once again.

Only the noises of his sniffing and breathing rang through your ears as your glassy eyes stayed on him, waiting for his green light. But unexpectedly, he slithered his arms around your waist and pulled you into his lap. He kept his grip tight as he buried his face into your chest. 

Your body hardened, but then felt the familiar warmth he gave out like when you were younger. Not wanting to reject him after his episode, you let it be and circled your arms around his torso. When he realized you didn’t push him away, he cried in relief. The wetness of his tears drenched your shirt, but you didn’t bother to care. You rubbed his back and rocked yourselves while humming a random tone.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Blue.” He chanted into your skin, having light hiccups in between.

“You’re fine, Hyungie. You’re good, you did so well. No more fears right now.” You hushed as his weeping remained. 

You took it all in, never having any doubts at this moment. All you wanted right now was to make all his troubles go away. It was hard, but it wasn’t impossible. And you would do them in a heartbeat because now you took the first step of having him back in your life.

Accepting him. All of him. 

Tagged: @manuosorioh @kaal-ee @stfxthv @dahliasbouqet @bertqut1 @fuckthinking @taebangtanbabe @tan-veee

[alt-froggy13]

Huntlow x Human!reader

(i will make a part 2, it depends on how much you guys like this one, also this is my au, where witches and humans live together after Belos was defeated for good, a truce was done between the human and demon realm)

Hunter and Willow liked each other but you also liked them, no you loved them, you loved the two ever since you were introduced to them by Luz after they all came back, you found Willow cute, sweet, caring and surprisingly strong, and for Hunter, you found his voice very attractive, he was also a strong one but you found his scars fascinating and he was a nice looking person too, they both were, you still daydream about them until you feel a tap on your shoulder "Uhhh, y/n?" you turn to see Luz "yeah?" you look confused, wondering why she tapped your shoulder "You were zoning out again...Willow said your name but you didn't respond" Luz says, you blush a bit, clearly embarrassed, you look at Willow "Sorry, I guess I've just been a bit stressed about the upcoming quiz" you chuckle nervously, hoping they would buy it "yeah, so are me an Gus" Willow smiles, your heart beats a bit faster due to her "y-yeah heh, I hope you two get a good score" you stutter, smiling back "thanks! I'm sure you'll do a great job too!" Gus says, continuing to eat the school lunch, you look at Hunter and he seems bothered 'whats wrong with him? should I ask? were people picking on him because of his scars again?' you think, he catches you staring and you look down at his food tray "are you gonna eat?" you ask looking back up at him, Hunter looks at the food "It looks disgusting" he says, slightly scrunching up his face in disgust, you chuckle "yeah but it doesn't taste that bad surprisingly" he looks at you with a 'are you sure?' look, you nod and tell him to try it, he hesitantly does so "so? how is it?" you ask him, he swallows the food then looks at you "this. is. horrible. why do they serve this to kids?" you shrug, the bell then rings, signaling that lunch was over

----------------------------------------------------

It was the end of the day, you were currently waiting for your parent(s) to pick you up from school "Y/N!!!" you turn around and see Willow and Gus running towards you "oh hey you two, what's up?" you tilt your head to the side a bit while raising a brow in question "Luz wants to know if you're able to come over to her house today, are you free?" Willow asks "yeah we got a lot of chaos and studying to do" Gus smirks "I don't know, I'll have to ask my parent(s) but I'll keep you updated!" you smile "alright, see ya' y/n!" Gus says as Willow waves with a smile as they start boarding a bus

---------------------------------------------------- you finally got home and plopped down on your bed, groaning from the tiring day, you already asked your parent(s) if you could go to Luz's house but you have to do chores first before you do, you already texted Gus and told him that you would be there and that you had some things to do but you decided to take a small nap before you did anything 'today was a tiring day' you thought drifting into a small sleep

(HELLOO I really hope you guys like this, I stayed up till 3:40 am trying to get ideas and get this done :'] )

[stickerstan127]

Second Meeting!

______________________________________________________________

Tetsuro Kuroo

______________________________________________________________

It was Friday once again and Y/n was determined to beat the boy sat in front of her in the up-and-coming quiz they had this lesson. Although the boy hadn’t really done anything wrong, Y/n felt mortally offended by him upstaging her with a higher score. Once the teacher came in, he slowly began to walk around the room handing out the papers. As soon as Y/n got hers, she put her head down immediately and got to work, as though she was in some kind of life-or-death situation to beat Kuroo, the boy in front of her. 

When the thirty-minute timer went off, the answers were put up on the board and, once again, as more people finished marking theirs, more and more numbers flew around the room.

“Kuroo what did you get?” a classmate asked, making the boy laugh smugly.

“Nineteen again”, Kuroo continued to smirk “Maths is too easy for me, I need a harder challenge. But hey! At least we know who the smartest in the class is, right?”. Many people looked at him in awe, as though he was the smartest person in the world. This made Y/n grin and cued her to tap the boy on the back. Once he’d fully turned around, the girl smugly held her test up so he could see.

“Twenty”, Y/n grinned even more as she watched the smug look on the boy’s face twist into one of embarrassment “I suppose that I’m the smartest now, eh?”. Y/n said this as though it was some clever come back, when in actuality she’d been practicing what to say to him in the whole of the night before in the mirror. 

______________________________________________________________

[evolvecolving]

How to Build a Social Life Abroad with Malta Digital Nomad Community?

One of the major concerns that people have when they move to a new country, for the long-term or for a shorter period of time, is whether they will be able to build a social life. It can be daunting starting from scratch but there are many ways in which you can tap into the digital nomad community to find new friends and cool activities. 

Most people have a mental image of digital nomads as being a very outgoing group who are always able to make friends easily but in reality many are socially awkward and there is a large correlation with neurodivergence. This doesn’t need to be a hindrance to making friends, as all it takes is the right set of circumstances and we will look at these in today’s article.

Connecting with Malta’s Digital Nomad Community

Malta is an incredible place to spend some time, and you can now spend a year or more there on a Malta Digital Nomad Visa. This is an excellent opportunity to take full advantage of all that Malta has to offer. It is far more than just another beach holiday destination and is packed full of cultural experiences and historical sites ripe for exploring, 

The temperate year-round climate of Malta means that it is suitable for visiting at any time, not just in the Summer. With 300 days of sunshine on average per year, it is understandable that Malta is somewhere people want to spend a lot of their time.  

Malta has a large digital nomad community and a thriving technology sector, largely because of the digital nomad visa that offers a preferential tax rate to remote workers. This has been a great incentive for increasing the number of startups and decreasing the average age of those who are flocking there.

Visit a mSpace

Coworking spaces tend to be great for meeting other digital nomads and remote workers, as they often act as a social hub for activities that are happening in the area, and often organise their own. 

It is often beneficial to join a coworking space so that you are getting all of the information about upcoming events fed to you regularly. As you get to know more people, you will begin to hear of events “through the grapevine” of contacts that you have accumulated, and this is when you know that you have made a success of your social integration. 

The events that coworking spaces run can range from BBQs and pizza nights to board games, cinema visits, bar crawls, night club visits and even all-day catamaran trips. Malta also has a vibrant musical scene with some of the largest artists in the world coming to perform there.

Join a Club or Gym / Attend a Quiz / Take a Class / Do an Activity

One of the easiest ways to form friendships is to “meet people where they are”. This means that just by going about your everyday activities such as going to the gym, you will be meeting others who are doing the same thing. It is easier to bond with people over shared activities and new people tend to receive a warm welcome in most circumstances.

If hitting the gym isn’t for you, there are always other activities to take part in. You can take a class to learn how to scuba dive, or how to improve your marketing skills. There are many opportunities to attend classes in Malta on a wide variety of topics and these can be another great way to meet people. 

If you are on your own, attending a pub quiz night can see you assigned to a random team, so you are thrust into the company of other people you haven’t met before. It can be a good ice-breaker and can lead to a really fun evening, as long as you embrace it. 

Taking part in some sort of organised activity is one of the best ways that you can meet people and get to know them. There are groups that organise hikes all around Malta and this can be a great way to see the island in the company of other people like you.

Stay at a Coliving Property

There are many ways to find and integrate with the Malta digital nomad community, and one of the easiest is to stay at a coliving facility such as Evolve Coliving. This is an easy and low-pressure way to meet and spend quality time getting to know like-minded people from across the world. 

The beauty of staying somewhere like Evolve is that it has a limited number of bedrooms, so the maximum number of people will be around 10-15, which is great for variety while not being overwhelming. The one-month minimum stay also plays a large part in community building and helps to foster deeper connections than might otherwise be achievable. Many people make lifelong friends at Colivings and proceed to travel with them all over the world. 

Meetup.com / Expat Facebook Groups

Social media is a great way to find out about events. There are some expat Facebook groups where people share information about activities, and there is also Meetup.com, which has all manner of different social activities listed, from hikes to wine tastings. Both of these websites provide a great range of ways to interact with the digital nomad community and get to know people. 

Groups on Mobile Apps

There are also specific Slack, Discord, Whatsapp and Telegram groups for digital nomads that you can join. These will typically have more up-to-date information and a wide range of events available than you may otherwise gain an awareness of. 

This is what it means to hook into the community and really begin to feel a part of something bigger than just yourself. You will very quickly find events that you will want to attend and start to make friends when you go to them. It is important to remember that everyone is in the same boat and most people are kind and friendly.

Original Source: https://evolvecoliving.io/blog/how-to-build-social-life-malta-digital-nomad-community/

[shosiblog]

How Can You Use Gamification to Enhance Customer Engagement?

In the highly competitive world of digital marketing, capturing and retaining customer attention is a constant challenge. One innovative strategy that businesses are increasingly adopting to boost customer engagement is gamification. By integrating game-like elements into non-gaming environments, businesses can create more interactive and rewarding experiences for their audience, driving higher levels of engagement and brand loyalty.

But how exactly can gamification be used to enhance customer engagement? Let’s explore the key strategies and benefits of incorporating gamification into your marketing efforts.

1. Incorporate Reward Systems

One of the core principles of gamification is the use of reward systems. People love to be rewarded for their efforts, whether it’s through points, badges, or tangible prizes. By offering rewards for specific actions—such as making a purchase, referring a friend, or completing a survey—you can motivate customers to interact more frequently with your brand.

Example: Many e-commerce platforms use point-based reward systems where customers earn points for each purchase. These points can be redeemed for discounts or free products, encouraging repeat purchases and fostering loyalty.

2. Use Leaderboards and Competitions

Leaderboards tap into the competitive nature of users by showing them how they rank compared to others. This can be a powerful motivator, especially when combined with challenges or competitions. Users are likely to engage more with your brand if they see a chance to outdo others and earn recognition.

Example: Fitness apps often use leaderboards to track user progress, encouraging users to compete with friends or other users in challenges. This not only drives engagement but also creates a community around your brand.

3. Create Interactive Quizzes and Challenges

Quizzes and challenges are fun and engaging ways to interact with customers. By integrating them into your marketing strategy, you can capture user attention and keep them on your site longer. Additionally, these quizzes can provide valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviors.

Example: A beauty brand might create a quiz that helps customers find the perfect skincare routine based on their skin type. Users who complete the quiz could receive a discount code for the recommended products, encouraging them to make a purchase.

4. Enhance User Experience with Progress Bars

Progress bars are a simple yet effective gamification tool that can encourage users to complete specific tasks or forms. By showing users how close they are to finishing a task, progress bars can reduce drop-off rates and improve the overall user experience.

Example: A survey or onboarding process that includes a progress bar can encourage users to complete all steps, knowing that they are almost done. This can be particularly effective in lead generation forms, where completion rates are critical.

5. Implement Tiered Loyalty Programs

Tiered loyalty programs gamify the customer experience by offering different levels of rewards based on the customer’s level of engagement or spending. As customers move up the tiers, they unlock more valuable rewards, which incentivizes them to continue interacting with your brand.

Example: Airlines often use tiered loyalty programs where customers earn miles or points that move them up to higher tiers with benefits like free upgrades, priority boarding, and exclusive deals. This system encourages frequent travel and long-term loyalty.

6. Leverage Virtual Badges and Achievements

Virtual badges and achievements can be powerful motivators, especially in communities where recognition and status are important. By awarding badges for completing tasks, participating in events, or reaching milestones, you can create a sense of accomplishment and encourage ongoing engagement.

Example: An educational platform might award badges for completing courses, which users can display on their profiles. This not only motivates users to complete more courses but also promotes the platform as users share their achievements on social media.

7. Engage Users with Storytelling and Adventure-Based Games

Storytelling is a powerful tool in marketing, and when combined with gamification, it can create immersive experiences that deeply engage users. Adventure-based games or narratives that users can navigate based on their choices can lead to higher engagement rates and deeper connections with your brand.

Example: A fashion brand might create an interactive story where users choose outfits for different occasions, leading them through a narrative that showcases the brand’s products. Users become more invested in the brand as they navigate the story and make decisions.

Conclusion

Gamification is more than just a trend—it’s a proven strategy to enhance customer engagement and build stronger relationships with your audience. By incorporating elements like reward systems, leaderboards, quizzes, and tiered programs, you can create interactive and rewarding experiences that keep customers coming back.

Learn How to Master Gamification in Marketing with the Best Digital Marketing Course in Coimbatore

Ready to take your marketing skills to the next level? Enroll in the Best Digital Marketing Course in Coimbatore and discover how to effectively use gamification to engage customers and drive business growth. Contact us today to start your journey to becoming a digital marketing expert!

[puppys-rhythm-heaven]

okay it took two hours even though i said it'd take ten minutes i'm really bad at estimating how much time things take, anyways here's a list of every time every rhythm heaven game's referenced. enjoy.

karate man: do ds, fever n megamix's karate man games count- blue birds 2, battle of the bands (ofc).

rhythm tweezers: crop stomp, battle of the bands (ofc), cheer readers, cheer readers 2, hi-hat, wake-up caller.

marching orders: shoot-'em-up 2. that's it-

spaceball: shoot-'em-up endless, ds remix 9 (epilogues), wake-up caller, first contact, charging chicken, second contact. the space umpire is a constant of life istg-

clappy trio: glee club, freeze frame, ds remix 6 (space soccer), lockstep 2 (the wiki counts those last two so i'm counting them too-), does it being in fever count, launch party (ok epilogue), toy car, catchy tune, barbershop remix (lumbearjack) (again. the wiki counts it so i'm counting it too).

sneaky spirits: freeze frame, big rock finish, does it being in fever count help i need answers-

samurai slice: the wandering samurai is also a constant of life. but also the only reference that isn't just endless samurai slice, fever samurai slice or super samurai slice is the easter egg in the phone rhythm toy sdflkjfdklfdsfsd-

rat race: freeze frame, wake-up caller.

sick beats: possibly wizard's waltz (the "monster" as the wiki calls it that eats the flower when you mess up looks like the viruses), wake-up caller (could also be a wizard's waltz reference but more likely a sick beats reference tbh), micro-row 2 (reading material).

bon odori: live, remix 7 (epilogues), remix 9 (board meeting).

wizard's waltz: wake-up caller possibly idk wizard's waltz doesn't have any references otherwise so-

showtime: ds remix 3 (freeze frame).

bunny hop: none.

tram & pauline: ds remix 2 (epilogues), figure fighter 2 (epilogues).

space dance: oh no there's so many- freeze frame, does rhythm rally count, fever remix 7 (cheer readers), tap troupe (reading material). okay there's not as many as i thought if you exclude the paddlers. thank god-

quiz show: thank god there's none.

night walk: the dazzles + the dazzles 2, remix 9 (epilogues), fever remix 7 (cheer readers), fever night walk's existence.

power calligraphy: none. unless it showing up in fever counts-

polyrhythm: do ds n fever built to scale count. only the rods appear in polyrhythm so i mean. but also built to scale is a clear reference to polyrhythm so-

rap men: oh god. freeze frame, phone rhythm toy, battle of the bands (the poster), love rap, love rap 2 (reading material). okay there's not actually that many but that's also the most of any game thus far. other than clappy trio-

bouncy road: the first game to actually have none. at least it's in megamix-

ninja bodyguard: ninja reincarnate epilogues, freeze frame.

toss boys: none. 😔 polyphobia.

fireworks: also none. there's no characters anyways so-

tap trial: oh god. ds' title screen, apparently the "thanks for playing screen" from the end of ds' demo, the cover of tengoku's soundtrack, the cover of ds' soundtrack (yes that is her, thanks badge arcade), freeze frame probably, does it being in fever count, remix 9 (cheer readers). hell.

cosmic dance: cosmic rhythm rally. that's it-

turbo tap trial: the monkeys in turbo tap trial literally have their own page and this is hilarious to me. anyways. rap men (reading material), live, fever remix 2 (tambourine), additionally the purple small monkeys in monkey watch look a lot like them so.

built to scale: you'd think the widgets would somehow appear in another game but. nope.

glee club: battle of the bands (not in the audience cuz they're a. band. somehow. idk dj yellow's also a participant so i'm just not gonna question the clearly very loose definition of band that battle of the bands is using-), endless munchy monk. not a lot surprisingly-

fillbots: battle of the bands (literally every ds game other than built to scale and airboarder is somehow represented in battle of the bands and even built to scale is if you count its song), cheer readers.

fan club: battle of the bands (again. pop singer's a participant. seemingly with the monkeys given ds' comics), endless munchy monk (endless munchy monk more like endless references. monk. nevermind-).

rhythm rally: *sigh* welcome to rhythm hell may we take your order. okay there's still not THAT many if you count the paddlers n space dancers separately but. still. anyways. battle of the bands (do i even need to say that anymore), flock step, cheer readers 2.

shoot-'em-up: endless munchy monk apparently??? not even the radio lady it's the blastronaut. why is there a FUCKING ROCKET SHIP- wait shoot-'em-up also isn't referenced in battle of the bands. at all. welp-

blue birds: battle of the bands, phone rhythm toy, air rally, remix 6 (ok epilogue), endless munchy monk, hi-hat.

moai doo-wop: battle of the bands (how did the moai kids get to the rock 'n' roll hall-), tunnel, cheer readers 2.

love lizards: battle of the bands (do you think the güiro lizards are supposed to be there or), endless munchy monk.

crop stomp: battle of the bands, tunnel, blue birds 2, phone rhythm toy, endless munchy monk.

freeze frame: battle of the bands. that's it. with how many references freeze frame has you'd think it'd be referenced more but. nope-

the dazzles: battle of the bands (still not really a band but at least they're a group-), ds karate man 2 (epilogues).

munchy monk: none. somehow. unless endless munchy monk counts.

dj school: battle of the bands (still don't understand why dj yellow is a participant??? the djs aren't even actually djs what is he doing-), catch of the day (try again epilogue), cheer readers, lush remix.

drummer duel: battle of the bands (not as a band for some reason, i love the djs and all but i feel like the taiko rally squad would make waaaaay more sense as participants-).

love lab: battle of the bands, endless munchy monk, i feel like pajama party can count honestly.

splashdown: battle of the bands, endless munchy monk. take a shot those are the only times a game's referenced-

big rock finish: battle of the bands (wow an actual band for once, i'm shocked), endless munchy monk.

dog ninja: battle of the bands, super samurai slice 2 (only mister eagle).

frog hop: flicking test, battle of the bands (they're. at least closer to a band-), fever remix 7 (cheer readers), endless munchy monk.

space soccer: literally only battle of the bands. it and rockers are literally THE least referenced ds games i wish i was exaggerating-

lockstep: battle of the bands, cheer readers, remix 10 shoot-'em-up. irrelevant but the stepswitchers in the audience in battle of the bands are hilarious to me cuz when you fuck up a set they just do the lockstep miss animation. tfw you do so badly you commit murder-

rockers: i don't think battle of the bands can count as a reference for them. unfortunately rockers is literally never referenced. i am deeply upset by this fact.

airboarder: launch party (superb epilogue), fever remix 6 (superb epilogue).

hole in one: none. lots of fever's have none which i'm kind of thankful for after ds' honestly-

screwbot factory: none.

see-saw: working dough (reading material). actually didn't know that before checking the wiki, thanks rhythm heaven wiki-

double date: love rap, cheer readers (epilogues, also kinda debatable).

fork lifter: none.

tambourine: none.

board meeting: remix 9 (hole in one) (remix 2 board meeting reference).

monkey watch: i don't know where to put it but the reading material for fever karate man 2 references monkey watch. and also mr. upbeat. or manzai birds in the japanese version with no monkey watch reference.

working dough: mochi pounding apparently??? are the dough dudes meant to be mochi??? have i been lied to about them being dough-

air rally: none.

figure fighter: none.

ringside: none.

packing pests: none. though also munchy monk's redesign in megamix was possibly to make him look more like the packing pests employee whose name i am too lazy to type the numbers in-

micro-row: none.

catch of the day: love rap, kitties! (both a quicknibble, also in kitties! it's pink for some reason). there's also an unused sprite of a threefish in air rally.

flipper-flop: none.

exhibition match: lush remix (spaceball). the wiki can't agree on if the air batter just looks like pitcher or is actually pitcher in lush remix. i have no idea why lush remix spaceball is reference heaven-

flock step: fever night walk, endless munchy monk.

launch party: charging chicken.

donk-donk: none.

bossa nova: none. though in beat the beat the text in the endless game has a reference to monkey watch. how long have monkey watches existed. clappy trio's also referenced- okay is bossa nova in the present day or something??? i'm confused-

love rap: none.

tap troupe: none.

shrimp shuffle: none.

cheer readers: like freeze frame, despite having a bunch of references, it's never referenced itself. i guess that makes sense fever doesn't have a lot of its games referenced in itself or in megamix flksjdkljsfdfsdk-

[aestheticsworldasmr]

Party Games Collection!

Welcome to our collection of party games! Whether you're planning a big celebration or a cozy get-together, we have the perfect games to bring fun and laughter to your event. From icebreakers to crowd-pleasers, these games will keep everyone entertained and make your party unforgettable. 

Where most trending games are all on one device for 1,2,3,4 players, challenge your friends with two players on one device. Enjoy a collection of famous 2 player mini-games on the same device. If you have no friends you can play against the AI!

Can’t go online? Want to play offline? You can still play fun mini-games with your friends all together on the same device in places even where there is no wifi. Compete with your friend and see who is the best. Challenge your friends with this huge collection of minigames for 1,2,3 or 4 players. Enjoy classic puzzles, brain training games, reaction time test games to test your reflexes, creativity, and precision, as well as famous challenges that people love. We have tons of different relaxing mini-games & a diverse range of challenges inspired by the most popular trends for you. 

Game Description

Party games are fun activities people play at social gatherings to have a good time. These games can range from classic board games to new and exciting challenges. If you want to play with a friend on the same device, this is the right game. And if you don't have a friend available, you can play alone with AI.

Choose between one of the 2 player games ( and remember that you can also play alone against the AI if you cannot play multiplayer):

Emoji Expression Match: Famous expression matching tile & cards game.

Flag Painting Puzzles: Ideal for remembering national flags of countries, Who remembers the flag and can paint the flag early. Perfect your timing to achieve maximum points and unlock a new flag quiz.

Tug Of War: Tap fast To beat your opponent in a tug-of-finger war, don’t let it die.

Connect 4 in a row: A twist to classic tic tac toe where whoever places 4 in a row first will win.

Tic Tac Toe Offline: The famous XOXO tic tac toe which you can play with friends or against AI. No pen or paper is needed.

And much more! (Like pop it dice board, Pattern Match, Test your luck, Magnetic Board...)

How to Play?

- Follow the hint and use interactive controls to play the game.

-Select a board game

- Follow the instructions in the game's rulebook

FEATURES

Multiplayer Interaction: Fosters social skills through communication and teamwork.

Strategic Thinking: Enhances problem-solving and critical thinking abilities.

Variety of Themes: Offers diverse themes to cater to different interests.

Replayability: Provides long-term enjoyment with different scenarios and strategies.

AVAILABLE ON

Playstore:

App store: 

[boxfuleventsau]

Discover the Best Party Games in Melbourne for Every Occasion

Melbourne, known for its vibrant culture and dynamic social scene, is a fantastic city for hosting parties and gatherings. To make any party unforgettable, engaging party games are essential. Here’s a guide to some of the best party games in Melbourne, ensuring your next event is a hit.

What Are Classic Party Games?

Classic party games never go out of style. Games like charades, musical chairs, and Pictionary have stood the test of time and remain favorites at gatherings. These games are easy to set up and can be enjoyed by guests of all ages. Charades involves acting out words or phrases without speaking, relying on body language to convey the message. Musical chairs, on the other hand, brings a lively atmosphere as participants scramble for a seat when the music stops. Pictionary, a drawing-based game, tests your artistic skills and imagination, making it a hilarious experience for all involved.

What Are Some Unique Melbourne-Themed Games?

To add a local flavor to your party, consider incorporating Melbourne-themed games. One idea is a Melbourne trivia quiz, which can include questions about the city’s history, landmarks, and famous personalities. This not only entertains but also educates your guests about the city's rich culture. Another fun game is "Aussie Slang Bingo," where participants have to match common Australian slang terms with their meanings. This can be a great icebreaker and spark interesting conversations among your guests.

What Are the Best Outdoor Party Games?

Melbourne’s pleasant weather makes it ideal for outdoor parties. Popular outdoor games include lawn bowls, giant Jenga, and bocce. Lawn bowls, a traditional Australian game, is perfect for a relaxed afternoon in the garden or at a local park. Giant Jenga adds a larger-than-life twist to the classic block-stacking game, providing both tension and excitement. Bocce, similar to lawn bowls, is a game of skill and precision, where players throw balls to get as close as possible to a smaller target ball.

What Are Some Fun Indoor Party Games?

Indoor parties offer a cozy and controlled environment, perfect for games that require less space. Board games like "Codenames," "Cards Against Humanity," and "Settlers of Catan" are great choices. "Codenames" is a word-association game that requires quick thinking and teamwork. "Cards Against Humanity" is known for its dark humor and is sure to get laughs, though it's best suited for an adult audience. "Settlers of Catan," a strategy game, involves building settlements and trading resources, making it both engaging and competitive.

What Are the Top Drinking Games?

For adult parties, drinking games can add a lively and spirited element. Classic drinking games such as "Beer Pong," "Kings Cup," and "Flip Cup" are popular choices. "Beer Pong" involves throwing ping pong balls into cups of beer, with each successful shot requiring the opposing team to drink. "Kings Cup" combines various mini-games with a standard deck of cards, each card dictating a specific action or rule. "Flip Cup," a team-based game, involves flipping plastic cups from the edge of a table, adding a competitive and fast-paced element to the party.

What Are Kid-Friendly Party Games?

For parties with younger guests, kid-friendly games ensure everyone has a good time. Games like "Duck Duck Goose," "Simon Says," and "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" are perennial favorites. "Duck Duck Goose" involves children sitting in a circle, with one child walking around tapping others and eventually choosing one to chase them. "Simon Says" is a simple yet entertaining game that tests children’s ability to follow instructions. "Pin the Tail on the Donkey" involves blindfolding children and having them try to place a tail on a picture of a donkey, often resulting in hilarious outcomes.

What Are Some Themed Party Games?

Themed parties are a great way to create a cohesive and immersive experience. For a movie-themed party, consider games like "Movie Charades" or a "Film Trivia Quiz." For a tropical or beach-themed party, games like "Limbo" or a "Hula Hoop Contest" can set the mood. "Movie Charades" involves acting out famous scenes or characters from popular films, while a "Film Trivia Quiz" can test guests’ knowledge of cinema history. "Limbo" challenges guests to dance under a progressively lower bar, and a "Hula Hoop Contest" brings out everyone’s playful side.

What Are the Best Icebreaker Games?

Icebreaker games are essential for getting guests acquainted and comfortable with each other. "Two Truths and a Lie," "Human Bingo," and "The Name Game" are excellent choices. In "Two Truths and a Lie," each person states three facts about themselves, one of which is false, and the group has to guess the lie. "Human Bingo" involves a bingo card with various characteristics or experiences, and guests must find others who match these descriptions. "The Name Game" involves writing the names of famous people on sticky notes and placing them on guests' foreheads, who then have to guess the name by asking yes or no questions.

By incorporating a mix of these games, you can ensure that your party in Melbourne is engaging, memorable, and fun for all attendees. Whether you’re hosting an outdoor bash, an intimate indoor gathering, or a themed extravaganza, there’s a game to suit every occasion.

[sociallmediaheritage]

06 Pinterest Advertising Ideas Which Boost Up Your Creativity Strategy

You're losing out if you think of Pinterest as just being used by crafty hobbyists, fervent brides, and involved parents. Some of the best chances for brands to attract new audiences, increase sales, and increase engagement come from Pinterest. After all, the platform is home to the user base of wealthy consumers with high spending intent—every marketer's dream.

Finding success on Pinterest is not as simple as it may seem, even while creating a Pinterest business account and integrating it with your e-commerce platform and the rest of your MarTech stack are simple tasks. You're up against hundreds of firms that have spent years perfecting their targeting techniques, collecting visually stunning content, and fine-tuning their advertising campaigns.

Fortunately, there's no reason to freak out. Consider using other companies' successes as a source of inspiration and fuel for your creative endeavors rather than seeing them as a threat. So have a seat as we explore seven of our best Pinterest advertising, along with lessons learned and advice for developing your concepts.

What Is Pinterest Marketing?

Pinterest marketing is a collection of strategies that integrate Pinterest into your company's overall social media marketing plan to reach out to new audiences and increase brand and product exposure.

Pinterest Business claims that social media marketers use the site to:

Expand your web presence and reach new people.

Drive more customers to the company's online store or website.

Promote conversions, such as newsletter subscriptions, ticket sales, or other purchases.

Pinterest Ads Examples 

Pinterest is the ideal place to launch your campaigns if you want to offer advertisements to users who are interested and engaged.

Interactive Netflix Show Recommendations

Netflix's "interactive show recommendation" Idea Pin ranked first on this list because everyone likes advertisements with a little personality.

The idea is absurdly straightforward: Advertisement ideas have five frames that users can touch through. The exciting part? Idea Pins, which are similar to Instagram Stories, automatically advance to the next frame when tapped, but the advertisement creates the impression of interaction by requiring viewers to tap a predetermined amount of times to receive a personalized show recommendation.

Volvo’s Simple Lifestyle Ads

Thanks to TikTok, short-form videos are currently all the rage, but sometimes keeping things basic and clean can help your material feel fresher. This Volvo advertisement is a great illustration of how lifestyle photos and short content can work together to effectively convey the information that customers need to know (which, in this case, is encouraging them to take a quiz).

IKEA Custom Quiz Experience

Similar to IKEA's reputation for being uncomplicated and effective, this is reflected in its Pinterest marketing. They've gone above and above to make sure Pinterest users can locate the particular content they're looking for, in addition to making multiple boards for their varied audiences (such as "Nurseries & Kids' Rooms" vs. "IKEA for Business").

IKEA created a chatbot quiz experience on its website called Renovations for one Instagram marketing campaign that asked customers to answer questions about their favorite locations and pastimes before bringing them to a unique Pinterest board that reflected their aspirations for home remodeling. Various IKEA products were featured in the motivational lifestyle photos on each board.

The Creator-Driven Campaign for Scotch

Scissors, tape, action! Due to the popularity of Pinterest advertising among enthusiasts, companies like Scotch, known for its extensive selection of crafting products, are in luck.

In one campaign, Scotch ran a series of television commercials to encourage do-it-yourself suggestions for parents (and their children) to make enjoyable back-to-school crafts, like pencil holders and teacher's gifts.

Experiment with Video Size by Samsung

If you're Samsung, size is irrelevant. The internet giant tested Pinterest's several video formats when it unveiled its new washing machine to determine which would be the most useful in growing its audience reach and, consequently, sales.

Celebrity-Sizzling Campaign for Boursin

Everybody likes cheese and Boursin is aware of this. The food company understood it needed to put in some effort to increase recognition among the younger demographic because millennials and members of Generation Z prefer charcuterie boards. (Let's face it, how many young people serve Boursin blocks at their parties?)

You can Also Watch: How to Find Ad Analytics and Refine Search Results - How to Tutorial Series | PowerAdSpy

Conclusion

Lastly, Now that you've seen what Pinterest advertising campaigns may look like, use the ideas from the aforementioned examples to guide your own marketing initiatives.