#that its the gold standard of fast food work

[jellogram]

You know, I have been in a lot of In n Outs and I have never seen one that was understaffed. Every In n Out has 15-20 teenagers working at all times. Every other restaurant is like "Waaaaaahhh, we simply cannot find any workers! No one wants to work anymore! We HAVE to force every employee to do the work of four people!"

I wonder if maybe the above minimum wage pay and upward mobility and general better employee treatment has anything to do with that?

[jo-harrington]

Corroded Coffin Fest - Day 20 - Under the Covers

Summary: Eddie enlists the guys for help to surprise you and quickly learns that there might be something a little more sinister in all of their pasts.

Word Count: 937

Pairing: Eddie Munson x OC (The Knight from As Above, So Below, written in 2nd person POV you/your for immersion) You do not need to read AASB to read this but if you're interested in more of Eddie's fluffy adventures into the world of monsters and cryptids, Heaven and the Hymns of Heaven miniseries are for you.

Rating: T

Warnings/Themes: Unofficial official Hymn of Heaven, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Eddie is simping hard, Fluff, allusion to monsters and nightmares, DnD references

Check Out the Main Post for @corrodedcoffinfest here! Even if you didn’t start on Day 1, you can still join!

Tagging: @the-unforgivenn at her request.

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

October 1984

You had a great relationship with Eddie's friends.

Enough that sometimes Eddie questioned whether they preferred your company over his. You brought them snacks, showed Gareth how to parallel park, and even helped Dave with his research paper for English. He couldn't fault them. Despite your flaws, you were pretty much the gold standard of Dungeon Master's Girlfriend if there ever was one.

What was it they said? When god made you they broke the mold?

So when he went to his friends to ask for their help to surprise you, he was confident that they would say yes.

And they did.

You'd been busy picking up shift after shift at Bradleys. Almost too busy for dates and outings, but you always carved out free time for Eddie and the guys.

But you deserved the world, so Eddie had a plan.

He, of course, had a key to your little apartment, and decided to smuggle the guys over one afternoon to set up a night in for the two of you. Snacks and subs from the deli and the most epic blanket fort anyone had ever seen. He'd pretty much brought every single sheet, blanket, pillow, and couch cushion from the trailer over to your place and asked the guys to do the same.

"Star Wars bedsheets Gare?" he scoffed when the younger boy revealed his contribution.

"You're one to talk, what the hell is this? Butterflies?" Gareth slapped Eddie's otherwise-neat pile, sending everything tumbling to the ground.

"Alright! Focus!" Jeff intervened before the fight would inevitably break out. "What time is her shift over? We've gotta work fast."

Soon enough there were load-bearing pillow columns and vaulted ceilings made of a set of old starry bedsheets from someone’s childhood bedroom. The coffee table was shoved to the side and was stocked with all the food the two of you could ever want for your date, and in its place in the middle of the floor was a soft little nest of cushions and blankets. It was situated in front of your shitty, secondhand television set so you and Eddie could watch reruns of Love Boat together.

Of course the boys all had to make smoochie noises to mock their fearless leader.

At some point, while Eddie was inspecting everyone's handiwork to make sure it was perfect, the guys got restless, so they started to snoop.

"Hey what's this?"

Eddie looked up from his scrutinizing to find all three of them huddled together, flipping through the copy of A Modern Bestiary for the 20th Century.

"Put that down, it's nothing!”

"Uh," Jeff snorted. "It only looks like the coolest book ever. Look at this...harpies and selkies and...what is this? Anatomical nervous system of a dryad? Where did she get a book like this?"

Eddie quickly crossed the distance and snatched the prized tome out of Jeff's hands.

"Technically it's my book," he explained dismissively. "And it's not for adventuring parties. Only Dungeon Masters. Which, if I wasn’t mistaken, only includes me. Now help me fix this one blanket, you guys almost ruined this whole thing."

As they made their way back to fix the fort, Eddie dropped the book onto the cushy blanket nest and it fell open to a random page. A page featuring a creature that looked very similar to a fitted sheet, with claws at the elastic corners, and a face made up of the creases in the fabric.

Dave was the one to take note of it, rather nervously in fact.

"Hey, uh, I don't know about you guys," he tried to laugh it off. "But I think I've heard about something like that before. When I was a kid."

"Oh yeah?" Eddie hummed in disinterest.

"When I was younger my mom always told me not to sleep with the sheets over my head. Said they would suffocate me. Or the bed might swallow me whole."

"Funny," Gareth snorted. "I used to hide under the covers after bedtime and read comics with a flashlight. My mom said a creature would come and steal me away if I did that...that it would be drawn in by the light."

Then it was a domino effect. Jeff jumped in with his own story, and finally Eddie, who suddenly took the situation a little more seriously as he realized they all had warnings about a monster that lived at the foot of the bed.

They tip-toed closer to the book and cautiously read about the creature; it had some latin name they couldn't pronounce, but the pages about it were laden with warnings of portals and mimicry and devourer of sleeping people, and then they realized...that they might very well be surrounded by the creatures right now.

They suddenly closed ranks, huddled together, back to back, and stared at the fort they created in fear.

"What if the whole thing collapses and eats us?" Jeff asked.

"It can't eat all of us Jeff," Eddie scoffed. "We're gonna have to choose who to sacrifice so that the rest of us can make it."

The four of them glanced at each other, and then their hands jumped to their faces to stick a finger on their nose. Dave was the unfortunate loser of the Nose Goes.

"God damn it, why me?" he shouted, and then they all started to bicker.

Before long, pillows were wielded against one another and it was a flurry of arms and limbs and feathers and fluff. A pillow fight of epic proportions that practically destroyed the fort that they had just put together.

That was how you found them when you got home, wrestling under a pile of blankets from the collapsed pillow fort.

The movement stopped as you slammed the door shut, and Eddie's head popped out from some opening in the pile

"Hey sweetheart," he smiled sheepishly. "Uh...surprise!"

[powdermelonkeg]

You reblogged a post about the practical female armors mod for skyrim and now i am being sucked back into the pit of skyrim modding. any mod suggestions? its been a solid couple years since i played and there's a LOT to choose from

Oh man I haven't had a chance to play since my computer broke lemme see what my last modlist was.

(One moment while I force my broken computer to work)

So fair warning, I like survival aspects. I like it when games require me to eat/sleep/do things to live, because then the 15 cheese wheels in my inventory actually mean something besides instant health. I also really like companionship and roleplaying elements, so most of my playthroughs are built around that.

Dependencies not included:

Campfire: Camping mechanics. Supports a party of 4, if I remember correctly. Also lets you craft a few things, but I'm more interested in stargazing with my buddies.

Vitality Mode: Current iteration of "better than Survival Mode" mechanics. Eat/drink/sleep/etc. Does it very nicely with a corner icon that gets more red the worse off you are, rather than whatever SM had going on. Also lets you configure modded food items for it just by eating them!

Pronouns: Pick what pronouns you go by regardless of default body. Will attempt to exclude gendered language if possible (like, it's unavoidable with Brynjolf calling you lad/lass, but you can pick which one it falls back to) if you pick they/them. You can set percentages of different pronoun sets or even have it change randomly on a timer.

Quality World Map: PUTS. THE ROADS. ON. THE MAP. If you're doing no fast travel, this is VITAL. Base map is terrible, next question.

Delphine's Map Reveals Dragon Mounds: Because it should.

Delay the Foresworn Conspiracy Quest: Ever get sick of being roped into that quest immediately? (Makes it so that guy doesn't hand you the note unless you talk to him directly. Main Street Stabbing™ is still there)

Dragonborn Delayed: Ever get sick of being roped into THAT quest immediately? (Especially given the suggested level of Solstheim...you can pick when it happens: after returning the horn, Delphine, Alduin's Wall, meeting Paarthurnax, getting the Elder Scroll, kicking Alduin's tail at the top of the mountain, or killing Alduin)

Extended Encounters: More encounters in the wild! Mercs, adventurers, vampire attacks, etc.

Vittoria's Alternate Wedding: She can get married without you killing her! She's not in engagement hell!!! Only triggers if you destroy the Dark Brotherhood.

Immersive Realistic Party Clothing Overhaul: Wear any "rich" clothes to the party instead of what Delphine gives you. I usually use this with mods that add more fancy clothes.

More To Say: Everyone talks more about a wider variety of things. Lets you tell Meeko he's a good boy and give him a treat. Makes a few new lines with splicing, but I haven't noticed any hard cuts.

Wonders of Weather: Splashy rain and rainbows, occasional shooting stars, scheduled meteor showers

Darker Nights: What it says on the tin. I like using torches and fires, and regular nighttime is unrealistically bright for me.

Whiterun Watchtower Doesn't Start Broken: Because why should it?

Cooking Inns and Taverns: Because I need more cooking pots and ESPECIALLY Hearthfire ovens to find.

C.O.I.N.: Adds immersion by changing coins based on where you are. Ancient Nordic coins are going to be worth less than the standard Septim, while Thalmor gold is worth more. There are Dwemer coins.

More Thalmor Dossiers: Makes more lore books on characters to pick up when you're in the embassy. Also has patches for some followers. Very fun.

Bandolier: More carry weight and it looks cool.

Guard Dialogue Overhaul: Gives guards more to say, and changes their opinions of you as you complete quests.

Bandit Lines Expansion: Bandits talk more, 500+ new lines. Spliced, but it sounded smooth to me.

Alternate Start: If you're sick of the standard Helgen entry, THIS. Also the New Beginnings add-on gives even more options.

No Fast Travel: Honestly this is just a me thing, because I use Vitality Mode and want realism. Only go for this if you're like me and it won't frustrate you.

Followers (aka, my party pre-BG3)

Gore by @goredev: A young Imperial mercenary from Cyrodiil, was ambushed by Thalmor because of some traitorous members of his band. Absolute sweetheart, riveting story, fantastic found family vibes all around. 10/10 would kill for him. Updates often, so check the mod page every now and then after install.

Inigo: An indigo Khajiit who put himself in prison because he thinks he killed you. Amazing banter, very cheeky, comes with his own whistle-signal mechanics. You can buy him a horse if you have the right patch! (He interacts with Lucien right out the gate and has a banter patch with Auri)

Lucien Flavius: An Imperial scholar from Cyrodiil with a myriad of unique mechanics, letting you teach him your own skills in order to customize his battle style. He's in Skyrim looking for a (custom made, well-implemented) Dwemer dungeon. The lad has a MILLION compatibility patches that let him comment on all sorts of mods. (Interacts with Auri right out the gate)

Auri by @sotgofficial: A Bosmer from Valenwood who's having a lot of culture shock in Skyrim (where she's from, canonically, her people are cannibals and don't harm plants—she HATES Faendal with a seething passion). A fantastic character (and archer), a heartwrenching story, openly poly and likes to tease. Will be a little annoyed/depressed until you do her personal quest, so I recommend chipping away at that as you travel. I usually use her with the Refined Auri replacer.

Taliesin by @dynamite124, voiced by @nevermorepjm: My personal favorite, an Altmer and former Thalmor agent you help after he's been mortally wounded. Lots of sassy and witty dialogue, bursting with personality, changes his opinion of you over the course of the main quest. Please I'm begging you watch his trailer.

Khash by @rabbittwinrithings: Darling little Argonian teenager you can take along with you. Doesn't get sarcasm, speaks her mind often, can be coaxed into talking about her past—that's not a typical Argonian name, is it? Resident gremlin alongside Auri.

Back to normal stuff, visuals

Tempered Skins for Males/Females: Gives a decent look without airbrushing everyone because I am SO sick of airbrushing everyone... There are dicks in the setup screen (when you set whether you want them or not), beware.

Improved Eyes: Just a little tweak.

Brows: Another little tweak.

Subliminal Traps: Makes traps less obvious. It's masochistic, yes, but I like my immersion.

Awesome Potions Simplified: You look at these and tell me they aren't the coolest looking potion bottles you've ever seen.

[ricardian-werewolf]

Chapter 6: Crawl Out through the fallout!

Summary:

Alina, Nikolai and Genya are on the run from the Darkling, and in order to flee his malevolent grasp, they must make a decision - go West to the safety of Novyi Zem, or return East to find Morozova's herd before the Darkling can. It is this choice that will rend them apart or bring them closer together.

Notes:

Title taken from the song: Crawl out through the fallout - References to other universes are pretty explicit in this fic, and feel free to comment if you catch any references! Swearing otters is of course owed to @rthstewart. - Serious apologies in the length between chapters of this fic - my writing muse abandoned me for two months straight and i'm only now just getting her back. Hoping this continues!

Taglist: @lordbettany, @fauxraven, @portiaadams @jammerific

Reblogs/replies appreciated, and for every kind comment, another chapter!

Chapter below the cut

3 weeks later, close to the Fold.Kiribirsk.

Alina rolled straight from her bed-roll to the hard, packed earth of the First Army tent.

At her side, Nikolai crouched, his fingers taut on the canvas flaps of their tent. They’d pitched camp here easily enough - three Grisha refugees hidden amongst the First Army. Nikolai had slipped back into his major’s uniform, with Alina clad in his hussar’s pelisse and dolman. The usual olive linen uniform’s summer skirt covered her legs, with standard issue puttees and boots. Around her neck was a scarf of Shu silk edged in gold, the colour of the scarf a blazing teal. 

With them, Genya had pinned her hair back and sat clad in the First Army medical corps’s nurses uniform. Behind the lines against the Fjerdan forces, she’d found work in a medical tent and put her work in healing the wounded with scalpels and forceps. Her tailoring had been a secondary concern, and she did so sparingly. Alina sat beside Nikolai as the three of them broke their fasts with cups of hot tea, slices of fried potatoes, smoked herring and wafer-thin slices of black rye bread with small dollops of plum jam. Typical First Army fare.

“I’d forgotten what army food tasted like.” Nikolai muttered as he swigged back his tin cup of tea. Reaching across Genya’s plate, he exchanged her smoked herring for a pile of fried potato cakes and picked up Alina’s compass. 

“We’re facing directly east.” He twigged the compass for a few moments to ensure the mercury was level, and then leaned over to watch Alina tap her pencil against the map-paper. Three weeks of hiding amongst the very people sworn to find them had made each of them jumpy in their own ways. Nikolai badly wished to run straight for the Volkvolny at the first chance he had, but doing the cowardly thing didn’t save Ravka from its own evils. Alina needed him, and Genya needed someone on the inside of the Great Palace to clear her name. No doubt the Tsarina and Tsar were hungering to plaster Genya’s face across the countryside for a fat reward. Palace servants carried more secrets of the realm than even the cabinet-ministers.

What none of them had been prepared for was the Darkling’s revolt against the Tsar, backed by the Apparat. Nikolai had learned the news from a harried runner he’d intercepted on the camp’s outskirts and taken the message directly to the commander of the fort. He’d been a mere corporal. Long-term fighting against the Fjerdans had picked off their commanding officers and the new weapons of warfare Fjerda was importing from the Soviets and rapidly re-arming (illegally) Weimar Germany made Fjerda the undisputed master against the pitiful Ravkan army. 

Nikolai swished the tea in his cup as he took another sip and examined the paper map more closely. “Baba said that the herd was here…” His finger traced a path up from Kiribirsk to Chernast, a long, difficult trek to the north. It would’ve been better to go directly, but the lack of First Army outposts from the two bases put them in direct fire of Drüskelle attack or roaming brigands. Only an army caravan would keep the threat mediated.

“Any suggestions?” Alina asked as she sniffed her potato cake and stuck it between her teeth. “We could take the Vy back to…” She studied her map more closely. “Ryevost and then head into the Petrazoi…”

“Too many people.” Genya tapped the grey expanse of space between the Sokol, breaking the capital zone with the Midlands of the plains. “But do we know if there are any places to hide on the western river's edge?” 

“We could…” Nikolai traced the Sokol’s expanse up into the Petrazoi with the pad of his finger. “Take the canal boats or barges up. Hide there amongst the traders. It’ll be easy. Obviously…” He broke off as he looked at Alina, and furrowed his brows. Alina flinched.

“I’m not being tailored to make me look less Shu.” She murmured. 

“Of course not, Sunshine.” He rushed to explain. “I was more worried because I saw things on our trip out here - they’re making icons and relics of you.”

“Relics?” Alina breathed. “O-of what?”

“Bones.” Genya scraped up the remnants of the drippings from the bacon she’d pilfered from the cook-wagon with the last of her rye bread, and popped it into her mouth. 

“My bones?” 

“Your bones.” Nikolai squeezed her hand. “Seeing your face could cause a panic. And what with their iconography of you making you more Ravkan…” He shuddered. “I don’t want you to be plucked off the street and mobbed by your followers.”

“My followers?”

“The Apparat.” Nikolai handed her a rolled-up newspaper, which Alina flipped open. The headlines were filled in a bolded typeface of the ongoing search to locate her. SUN SUMMONER MISSING, ROYAL GUARDS BROUGHT OUT TO HELP SEARCH.

She shuddered and pushed the paper away. “No more, please.” She begged. “I just want to get out of here. We’ve lost weeks already. If we don’t do it, he’ll find the herd.”

“Alright.” Nikolai reached for the paper once more. “We’ll go. Tonight.” He squeezed her hand and then Genya’s. “Does Dominik know where we are?”

She nodded. 

“Make sure he forgets. As far as he knows, we’ve disappeared off the map. I’ve gone back to my apprenticeship in Novyi Zem and taken Genya with me. Alina has gone…” Nikolai paused to consider what to say, and she provided. “I’ve fled, driven mad by the Darkling’s powers and his lust.” She paused. “And I’ve become with child.”

She could not ignore the way Nikolai’s hand tightened on hers, the crush of his fingers. She swore that in the moment, Nikolai would have bludgeoned the head of Second Army to atoms. 

Alina did not stiffen, did not draw back. She couldn’t bring herself to. Why should she? She finally had a protector. Mal had done nothing to keep her safe, nothing to keep her from being taken by the Darkling. But Nikolai had. He’d taken her into his household, subtly moulded her to be her own person. Now, she would be that person. She straightened.

“I agree with Nikolai’s plan.” She examined the scar on her palm, the one she’d made to keep the testers off her back. The mark that without fail reminded her of Mal. Distantly, she remembered an instance of seeing the peasant wives who had not received their ducal lord’s favours as children. She wouldn’t be that girl. She wouldn’t let herself take the life of a wife. If she did, it would be of her choosing, and when she wished it. Lifting her head again, she held out her palm to Nikolai and Genya.

“Can one of you remove this?”

“Are you sure?” Genya murmured, her fingers paused over her skin. 

Alina gave a firm nod. “I want it gone.”

Nikolai silently watched as Genya’s fingers twitched, moving the flesh’s cells to heal over the scarred tissue. He leaned forward as he stuffed a map into the tube case and let out a low whistle. “She’s getting better.”

“Not good enough.” Genya growled as she concentrated. “It’s as permanent as I can make it.” She swatted Nikolai’s hand away and got to her feet. Looking around the tent, the three misfits paused for a moment.

“Tell me how we’re giving this place the slip.” Alina implored as she tugged on her old cartographer’s tunic. Genya shrugged. Nikolai smirked. “We just walk out. First Army’s experiencing a notoriously high level of desertion. As far as the Crown is concerned, we’ve already been gone for weeks. Now, come along.”

He tugged on an enlistment’s worn greatcoat and hid his officer’s sword in the map tube. Genya twisted her hair up under a peasant’s headscarf. Alina stuffed the scarf and dolman out of sight over a similar worn greatcoat.

From their tent they crossed the expanse of flat, barren land given over to the cookwagons and hospital tents. Kiribirsk had spread out from its command tents to encompass an entire division of regiments. Amongst all the yelling of the sergeants and whinnying of horses in the Hussars and artillery, the three of them slipped into obscurity easily enough.

Alina paused however, for she spotted several of her old friends from the cartography tent sitting around a fire, drinking tea and eating pierogi. Their lives of drawing surveyance maps and doing scouting missions sounded so strangely safe to her own. Alina stopped dead.

“We need to go.” Genya hissed, clutching her bag of provisions close to her as a hand-drawn cart rumbled past with that day’s dead piled high. The stench of rotting flesh rolled over the air, causing officers and soldiers alike to curse out the poor souls doing the duty. Alina pressed a hand over her face and dropped her head. Squeezing her eyes shut, she turned her back on the cartographers. With them went prayers of safety and hope. 

Nikolai winced, his normally warm face turning the colour of curdled milk. Alina watched his hand pull the signet ring he wore with the king’s sea from his hand. Into his pocket it went. In its place was a simple silver band with a fox in mid-leap. Looking into his face, Alina realised that her own powers had saved her from the horrors of war. Being the Sun Summoner had been her ticket away from the war against Fjerda and now… she owed it back a thousand times over.

“Let’s go.” She hefted her pack of food, books and compass further up her back, then took Nikolai’s hand. He pressed her knuckles to his lips and she blushed, but welcomed the touch. No one gave them a second look as they passed over forged passes to the guard at the gate. Another division was arriving, armed with stolen Fjerdan repeater rifles. Two soldiers heading eastwards under the care of a nurse was routine - war fatigue. Shell shock.

The war had gotten to be too much, so they were breaking. Instead of shooting them, sending them east to the care of one of the royal hospitals was much preferred. Nevermind if they were ever seen again…

Alina shook her head, and let Nikolai take the lead. As they made work along the Vy, he broke into a whistling tune that Alina recognized snippets of. She remembered hearing it once when Mal and she had disappeared into the nearby town to see the penny operas play in the dingy theatre hall. 

Mack the Knife.

“Oh, the shark, babe, has such teeth, dear

And it shows them pearly white

Just a jackknife has old MacHeath, babe

And he keeps it, ah, out of sight

You know when that shark bites with his teeth, babe

Scarlet billows start to spread.”

Alina turned the lyrics over and over in her mind as they moved eastwards. Their back-tracking of weeks of travel forced them to realise that winter was fast drawing to a close, if one followed the Gregorian calendar. However, this was Ravka and winter lasted from October to May. There was still snow on the ground. A blizzard that swept down from the Petrazoi and through the riverlocks of the Sokol set them back another week.

“Fancy gloves, oh, wears old MacHeath, babe

So there's never, never a trace of red

Now on the sidewalk, huh, huh, whoo sunny morning, un huh

Lies a body just oozin' life, eek

And someone's sneakin' 'round the corner

Could that someone be Mack the Knife?”

Ryevost came into view on a balmy Sunday morning, and Alina realized with a jolt that it was Butter Week already. The city shimmered in the light of the morning sun, with even its poorest districts bearing clean stoops and washed windows. Such a craze of cleaning frenzy had swept the entire city that the three travellers stuck out like dirty sore thumbs as they made their way through the streets. Nikolai led in front with Alina sandwiched between him and Genya for her own protection. If anyone tried anything it would be good for Nikolai to cleave them in half or charm them back into their darkened alleyway.

Alina, who had little experience with cities, found herself soon overwhelmed by the rats-warren of streets and alleyways that double-backed or became dead ends. Genya was incredibly composed, and waved her hand at the various smells and noises emanating from alleys. 

“We leave them alone and they won’t bother us. Now, if you were alone, I’d have advised you to come into the city through the main gate. It would’ve put you into the central district near the river and out of this section. But Nikolai knows his way around.” 

“How?” Alina asked. She knew Nikolai was barely at court but the idea of him coming to a port city like Ryevost made her feel uneasy. Nikolai, who had stopped at a stand to haggle with the owner, looked at Genya. She nodded, and Alina barely had time to say anything as Genya stuffed a kepi onto her coiffure and shoved Alina behind her larger form. 

“Two bedrolls, please. And who can I ask for maps of the Petrazoi?” Nikolai asked as he felt the bag of coins in his palm. All of them were gold 10 cent pieces. His fingers reached to his wallet tucked into one of his breeches pocket as the owner handed over two bedrolls and tent-bags. 

“Thank you.” He had already calculated the amount in his head he owned along with the tax, and slid three 20 bills over the wooden tabletop. The owner counted them, looking furtively from Nikolai to the money, then back again. He shrugged, and finally pocketed the money.

“Map seller off the Sankt Grigori square should be able to offer something, Major.” His gaze skirted to Alina who had been looking over Genya’s shoulder and his face whitened. “Sankt-” He shook his head suddenly and squinted. 

Nikolai froze, the bedrolls still in his hand. Too late, he realised he’d unbuttoned his coat to reach for his wallet and the golden braid of his uniform had become apparent. Steadying his breath, the second-prince of Ravka slid a golden coin across the table.

“You didn’t see us.”

“Never did. Travel safe, Major.” The man saluted Nikolai discreetly and then went back to assessing his wares. As Alina and Genya passed, an uproar broke out. Not from the seller, but a group of First Army scouts had been taking tea from a shop on the pavement. They rose to their feet as one, voices raised in cries of shock and anger.

“She’s with me, gentlemen!” Nikolai announced, weaving his way through the serfs and peddlers who crowded the street. His tall form and broad shoulders made his appearance even more imposing. 

“Major Lantsov..” One of the scouts stammered. “Begging your pardon, sir, but we’ve got orders to take both ladies back to the Great Palace. Tsar’s orders, you must understand.”

“Tsar’s orders?” Nikolai replied blankly. Since when was his father making orders about servants and missing Grisha? Normally that would be for his ministers. Or… Nikolai hated to think that the Darkling was finally acting on his plans, that he’d delay this long until they were so close to safety. All they had to do was get to the port a few streets below this one and hop on a Gyptian barge. Then, assuming they were on the Costa’s, they could float merrily upstream till they reached the town at the bottom of the Petrazoi-

“I’m not going!” Alina hissed, coiled close to Nikolai. He shook his head, and refocused on the situation. “Soldiers, I believe there’s been a mistake. The woman here with us is a nurse from the Sisters of Mercy. She is escorting this patient to Os Alta for medical treatment.”

“Why go through Ryevost, then?” The tallest scout of the trio challenged. His friends cast one another wary glances. Challenging a Major on such a statement was a death sentence. Nikolai’s face hardened and he stepped forward, grabbing the scout by the ear. In low tones, only for the other scout’s hearing, he hissed:

“When I find out who you three are, I’ll have you court martialled so fast that you won’t even be able to find clemency with a lawyer.” He pushed the scout back, and stepped back himself. 

“Let’s go.” He hissed to Genya and Alina. The bedrolls he slung up onto his back. With a wave of his hand, the glasses of tea in the scout’s hands shattered and they began to scream. Nikolai barely spared them a second glance. Passing by little shops selling tea, clothes, knick knacks and stalls of religious wares. Alina breathed in scents of unwashed bodies, cloves, spices from Novyi Zem, saw Jade pieces from mines in Shu Han, the exquisite embroidery and odd, brutal weapons of Fjerda all laid out on tabletops much like the one Nikolai had traded over.

Looking up, she saw the rickety buildings of stone and brick of Ravka with their arched windows which merchant’s wives leaned out of to talk, hang washing and simply people-watch. She knew, with an uncanny instinct, that if anything went awry, a simple cry from one of these birds on high could send the local militia and police sweeping down to apprehend any pickpocket. She buttoned up all her pockets just to be safe, and hoped she hadn’t already been pilfered. First Army soldiers of all the regiments mingled, some on leave from the nearby fort stationed here, others en-route to be shipped West to the Fold. Some were retirees, who wore the old, faded blue uniforms of the Pre Halmhend First Army. Nikolai watched those men with hawk’s eyes and grumbled under his breath.

The slowness of their trek up a single street made Alina realise just why people loved Nikolai so. Anything they needed, from salt to cooking oil was made with an added inquiry to bless and keep the royal family in their thoughts. Even with the fact that so many of them were serfs indented to some lord or another who held their lives and family’s welfare in their hands, these people loved Nikolai like a son. Some of the older babushka pinched his cheeks and fretted over his lean frame. Other women, the wives of merchants, asked for his advice on how to make something just right. His embroidery on the cuffs of his hussar’s Pelisse were fawned over, with the seamstress (or seamster) asking how he got something so complicated to lie flat. Offers of paying for their items were waved off, and Alina and Genya found themselves being handed entire wheels of cheese or links of smoked sausage, all from Nikolai’s charm. Simply due to the fact that he was kind enough to listen to these traders' woes with landlords and offer suggestions had them on the edge of their seats.

“How do you do it?” Alina asked as she shoved the massive wheel of cheese into her pack. She’d stopped at a stall to admire a pair of fur gloves and hat. Now they adorned her person simply due to the fact Nikolai had once helped the stall owner appeal his taxes to a proper magistrate. Nikolai, who had been chewing on a stick of bingtang hulu from a sweet seller, spoke around a mouthful of sugary sweetness:

“What, sunshine?” He murmured, taking her pack. He placed another stick of the sugar-hardened fruit into her gloved hands. Alina sniffed it, her eyes widening in pleasant surprise. She’d not gotten much of a chance to try Shu delicacies, and munched on her stick as Nikolai turned them left and then right down a series of winding alleyways. Making up for a good period of lost time, he led the three of them into the port district. The smell of river-traffic only heightened the sticky-sweetness of spices and aromas permeating the city’s air, and the stench of fish from the fish-wives crowded the docks.

“Who’re we getting a boat from?” Genya asked as she bit into a powdery bun dusted in sugar, filled with jam preserves. The size of it made Alina’s massive wheel of cheese feel juvenile in comparison. Nikolai whistled a cheery tune as he led them down a set of winding sandstone stairs, across a long wooden dock made extremely cramped by long stands of tables headed by fish-wives disembowelling that day’s river catch. The river otters waiting in droves at the bottom of the docks swore at one another.

Audibly.

“Look here, you fucker! Give me that fish head or I’ll drown you with my own paws!”

“Shut up you wheezing old windbag! It’s mine!” Thus displeased, the otter armed with the fishhead dove under the water and the others gave a rapid and angered chase. Amongst this the fish-wives’s curses at the otters rang out, threatening turning several of them into gloves and stoles. Returned threats to the fish-wives consisted of telling affairs and destroying their stock, or enlisting the local beavers to eat through the wooden frames of their homes.

Alina scurried to follow after Genya and Nikolai and passed by fewer and fewer stalls until the bustle of the town had retreated into the distance. Yet the docks and jetties wove further onwards as the river slimmed down at its banks. As the ground beneath them turned to fresh planks, then worn and finally, rotting, they stopped.

“They’re here.” Nikolai slung the two bedrolls off his back and marched down the dock to a long houseboat carved and painted in a multitude of colours. Sitting on top of the boat was a boy with dark hair and eyes, a hawk at his shoulder, which in an odd way, seemed to mirror the boy himself.

“Tony.” Nikolai greeted, swinging himself up onto the rooftop of the boat. Tony stirred, and jumped to his feet. “Nikolai! We got your letter and came as soon as we could. Good too, since it’s nearly spring and we want to be back in Oxford for the Trinity term. Lots of College boys and their families wanting to sample our-” His voice broke and took on a vaguely debonair air. “Such rustic and mysterious wares.”

“That’s ‘nough out of you, Tony. Get back below deck. I’ll ‘andle ‘im.” A woman with another hawk at her shoulder had appeared out of the stern end of the rowboat. Bearing the same dark hair and eyes as her son, this woman merely had to give Nikolai a glare and he was scampering across the boat-top to kiss her hand. She pinched his cheeks more aggressively than any babushka and cast her gaze to Alina and Genya waiting on the dockside.

“Who’re they?” Tony asked, as his mother whacked the top of his head with the back of her hand. He stuck his tongue out and scurried below deck, cackling as his hawk screeched gleefully. Nikolai turned back to the woman.

“Ma Costa, this is Genya, who I’ve told you much about and you met her at the horse festival last autumn.” Nikolai explained, to which Mrs Costa nodded in recognition. “The other? Small, spry girl. One of us?”

“No, not that I think. This is Alina Starkov, the Sun summoner.”

Mrs Costa’s eyes widened and she looked at Alina more closely. “Heavens and all the stars, this is something.” She murmured. “Come below, all of you. We can talk more easily. Your blasted First Army has been having us rope up out here. Fearing ‘ell do somethin’ unpalatable.” She scoffed. 

Nikolai sighed, and sat down on a long bench-seat set into one of the porthole windows. Alina collapsed next to him and Genya next to Alina. Out of sight of anyone, Genya undid her scarf over her hair and shook out her curls. Alina yanked off the kepi and tucked it inside her bulging pack.

“Here, these are for you.” Nikolai reached into his pack and began to withdraw a whole multitude of items he’d gotten from talking to people. Alina had thought it strange when the items he was buying had begun to veer into things no one needed for an expedition to hunt a stag, and now realised this was their way north. She went to her own pack but stopped herself.

Nikolai waved his hand over all the cloths and bolts of linen, medicinal herbs, maps of the “North,” and other bits and bobs, from sewing kits to hunters knives. “Is this enough?”

“Yes.” Ma Costa examined a long bolt of Zemeni purple cloth and held it to her knee. “‘Hat’ll look lovely with your complexion, Nikolai. You should keep it.”

“It’s more important for your upcoming Roping, Ma Costa.” Nikolai pressed a hand over hers. He reached into his pack and held out something else, for her eyes only. “I got this from an informant. It’s about Billy. Use it as you wish or bring it to John Faa.”

Ma Costa seemed to pause in her work for the moment as she looked at the package. Finally, with trembling fingers, she took the package and unwrapped the paper. Out fell a small, metal disk inscribed with a person’s name and an image of the animal on the other side.

“This is what the Gobblers have been doing. They don’t know you have this.” He closed her fist around his own and squeezed tight. “Take it to John Faa, and he’ll do somethin’ I’m certain.” Alina watched this all play out with her eyes locked on Nikolai’s. 

“What do you folks need in return for all this, eh?”

“Safe passage to the mouth of the Sokol. I believe there’s a tear up there.” Nikolai raised a brow. “One that leaves you somewhere within the bounds of the Fens.”

“This boy!” Ma Costa murmured to herself. “Always one step ahead of everyone else.” She shook her head, then settled her gaze on Nikolai once again. 

“‘Eard that, Tony?” She called to her son. Tony put his head into the cabin and gave a nod. “I’ll go unrope her and we can get set off at ‘nce.”

Ma Costa got to her feet and lit the spirit flame under the little stove set into the opposite wall. Wordlessly, Genya got to her feet and came over to stand beside Ma Costa, who wrapped her arm around Genya’s shoulder. Genya leaned her head against the older woman’s, and sighed. Alina examined her pack wordlessly as Nikolai slid into Genya’s old spot.

“Who are these people?”

“Gyptians. Romani. They’re a nomadic group from England, which they call Brytian in their world.” He paused. “Genya and Ma Costa are very close since I took her to England last autumn for the Horse Fair.” He paused and looked at Alina. “You hadn’t been found yet. It…” He shook his head. “I’ll tell you later. There’s something I need to look at.” 

He got to his feet and rummaged about in the cabinets for a moment, then pulled out a long canvas tube. Alina watched him roll it open on the table and got a good look at the paper for a few moments, then looked away. For some reason, she was seized by the urge that this map, whatever it read, was for Nikolai’s eyes alone.

She had never seen anything like it, however, and she found herself taking short glances whenever she could. The map was dark blue, and instead of countries displayed multicoloured dots arranged in a circle connected with grey, almost white lines. An outer circle of more connected dots of varying colours made up the rest of the map, and vaguely shaped constellations brought it all together.

He took a pen in one hand and an abacus in the other, and set to work. While the tea brewed, the long-boat slipped its moorings and began to glide up the expanse of the Sokol, leaving Ryevost behind. Alina leaned her head back against the wall of the cabin and closed her eyes. It had been several long weeks of walking, and as she let herself fall asleep, she realised that this was the first time she’d felt safe since fleeing the Little Palace with her friends. 

As the coal-powered long-boat steamed further north, far to the east, the Darkling began to mount a rescue attempt to find the Little Saint, and capture the Stag. Too much dalliance during the long winter months had robbed him of a chance to set out a proper rescue mission. With the weather turning warmer, he knew it was needed for him to find Alina.

He had to find her, and no matter the cost, he would. Not only that, he would put the antlers of Morova’s stag onto her thin shoulders and let fate decide what came next.

 For the Darkling, fate was his servant and his lever. It was up to Alina whether she would let fate control her. 

End of chapter 6.

[deathofakuna]

Vinland Saga S2 Review *NO SPOILERS*

Vinland Saga S1 was really, really good for a number of reasons. It annoyed me when I heard some morons say it was the best thing ever but that kind of talk most assuredly sends me into a gatsu rage post-haste. The reverence I hold for titular animes that are the gold standard of anime -- seldom reached into todays microwave age -- it is something I do not think a lot of otaku have.

I have not read the manga but I knew s2 would be different from s1 from the interweb, some fans on forums/reddit/twitter really did not seem to enjoy the pivot whilst others loved it. I think the animated version of these chapters will cause similar divisions. Personally I am not sure if I prefer s2, it is different. It offers up a different array of flavors that almost certainly cater to a different palate.

After watching s2 in its entirety I am here to say that while it might not be EXACTLY what people want it is exactly what I needed. The character development in this arc is absolutely remarkable and a true testament to the level of writing that Makoto Yukimaru has achieved. The range of emotions on display, the weight of themes that are front and centre such as slavery, redemption, war, love, are so palpable, it is awe inspiring. There are moments in this anime where I felt, true feels are conjured up and that may be the best compliment I can give this arc. This is a sienen in the truest sense of the word, there is no fan service, there are no chibis, this is an adult anime and as an adult I appreciate that so so much.

The sound design is on point with Yuuto Uemura reprising his role as Throfinn. He continues to flesh out his resume (side note he is great in Bongou) with a great tonal rage. I cant speak to the dub. Not the biggest fan of the openings songs being in English for pt1 and pt2, that might be my one small knock but I guess MAPPA knows best in terms of westernization, localization and marketing, probably made sense. Outside of that the effects and score in the show are well done, well placed, well mixed. The use of animals, wind, ambient noise, keys, all hit their mark and are interspersed with care.

The animation is crisp as a newly minted bill and while it is not pushing the art in ways that its contemporaries are, Demon Slayer / Chainsaw Man, it is more than serviceable. The movements are fluid and the colours pop. Stylistically, the understated character designs that seem more based in naturalism than fantasy are welcome for this setting. Some of the action sequences that take place in the later eps are stunning and the entire team really did excellent work.

There are no areas of this anime that fall flat or miss their mark. I think the only complaints that can be mustered up are minor. At times the interjection of comedy seemed a tad forced and perhaps jolted me from what otherwise is a completely immersive experience. Some of the

Rarely do i watch anime and feel like I have grown or become better for it. I can not say I would recommend this to everyone. This is not fast food this is fine dining. This is art. As hard as it is for me to say, Vinland Saga deserves to be in the rarefied air of the greats of anime. With such a brave and stark departure from s1 in terms of pacing, content and narrative structure, one can see how it could be off putting for some fans but for those that can appreciate story telling, plot, themes, dialogue, character growth, you would be hard pressed to do better.

[dabblingreturns]

I replied to a post from @dulcieseptimus who was feeling ingredients like they needed more ducli content.

Fair enough, ducli is an icon....

But my mind whent to locked tomb Christmas because I very much have locked tomb brain rot and it's only a few days before Christmas so its on my mind.

And I have decided that john has probably kept some sort of zombie Christmas for a few reasons

He seams like a dude who likes a excuse for a party

I dont know enough about the use that standardize holidays play in empires but I am convinced that if the powers that be don't make them them society will provide its own.

People like a good solstice festival.....I have this whole theory about how the further to the poles, a society is, the more important the winter solstice/light festival/gift giving party is. But it makes sense that if your extreme between summer and winter temperatures are big, you want to make sure everyone has a coat for the winter. The empire doesn't have seasons and john is from New Zealand so Christmas is really a sumer holiday for them. But Catholisism clearly made a huge impression on him. And he is a bitch for nostalgia just like the rest of us millennials

So now that I have incoherently argued for the existence of an unnamed gift giving holiday in a made up universe. A holiday that the author has never mentioned or even alluded to. I will provide details.

I call it risemass!

Up until the Meriadic year 99981 of the emperor undying, Risemass was celebrated by all 9 houses in thier own ways.

First house got drunk on wine and shit talked each other. Augustine cooked and fought with Mercy. Cytherea talked about dead people, John watched in amusement. G1deon, thought the magic of "im working" kept skipping out.

Second house. Involves drinking and special extra good. And when everyone is supper tosted, they sing off brand carols and drinking songs and talk about how great they all are.

Third house i imagine a special ceremony were the importortant people at court tithe more gold to the empire. Then the prince gives the people gifts. Then everyone grabbs martinis and shit and brakes off into groups to shit talk everyone elses gifts.

Everyone puts thier boots at the foot of there beds the night before, and in the morning the right shoe is full of candy and the left has a new pair of socks. Everyone comes out of thier homes in there pajamas in the moring and they watch a traditional movie about risemass. But it's like a town center picnic with hot chocolate and propaganda. And they picnic all day with good food and kids running around and everyone in new socks.

In the morning everyone spends time with thier families with a special breakfast and special foods. And in the afternoon they all meet at the court or local government. And every household is given a small gift from the "emporeror" and its something they want or need. These gifts are actually from agustine, who has been running this program for 10000 years and has a loyal order of workers who are swarm to secrecy but they figure out what everyone needs and supplies it.

It's a big meal with drinking and they run debate club, we're everyone summits a topic and two randomly selected people have to go up and debate it for 5 minutes. And the watchers vote on the winner. There is a bracket. And a funny hat if you win...and your name gets written down in a book. It's seriously buisness!

Seventh house has its biggest garden show of the year. And people string trees with light. And get drunk of cider and write increasingly incoherent poetry.

Everyone fasts for 9 days before. They have religious services about thier righteous mission then everyone gets a holy religious metal or text. Its not fun per say....but it is very proper.

Every year, everyone gets together...and they orginize themselves in terms of size. And the reverend mother and father put out the new robes and shoes from the emperor. And the ninth forms a hermit crab shell line, trading clothes until everyone has robes and boots that are whole and warm and fit them. They also get to track how all the children have grown.

[best-testing-lab-uae]

How to Choose the Right Pork Testing Lab in the UAE for Your Business | +971 554747210

In the UAE, ensuring that food products are halal and free from pork contamination is a priority for businesses in the food industry. Pork, being haram (forbidden) in Islam, must not be present in any form in halal-certified food products. This makes it imperative for businesses—whether they are food manufacturers, importers, or retailers—to engage with a reliable pork testing lab that can guarantee the accuracy and integrity of their products. Choosing the right pork testing lab in the UAE is not just about compliance but also about maintaining consumer trust and safeguarding your brand reputation.

With numerous labs offering pork testing services in the UAE, selecting the best one for your business can be challenging. This blog will guide you through the essential factors to consider when choosing a pork testing lab in the UAE, ensuring that you make an informed decision that aligns with your business needs and regulatory requirements.

1. Accreditation and Certification

One of the most critical factors to consider when choosing a pork testing lab is its accreditation and certification. In the UAE, pork testing labs must be accredited by recognized bodies like the Emirates International Accreditation Centre (EIAC), which ensures that the lab operates according to international standards, such as ISO/IEC 17025. This standard specifies the general requirements for the competence, impartiality, and consistent operation of testing and calibration laboratories.

Accreditation ensures that the lab is regularly audited and assessed for its testing methods, equipment calibration, and overall quality management system. Choosing a lab with proper accreditation gives you confidence in the accuracy and reliability of their test results, ensuring that your products are genuinely free from pork contamination.

2. Advanced Testing Methods

The reliability of pork testing largely depends on the methods and technologies used by the lab. Look for a lab that employs advanced and internationally recognized testing techniques such as:

Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR): A highly sensitive method that detects pork DNA even in trace amounts. PCR is considered the gold standard for pork detection.

Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA): A technique that detects pork proteins, suitable for complex food matrices like sauces and spices.

Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS): An advanced technique that identifies and quantifies pork-derived substances at a molecular level.

These methods provide high sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy in detecting pork, ensuring that your products meet halal standards without any doubt.

3. Experience and Expertise

Experience is another key factor when selecting a pork testing lab. Labs that have been in the industry for a significant period usually have more expertise in handling different types of samples and are familiar with the complexities involved in detecting pork contamination. Look for labs that have a proven track record of working with reputable food manufacturers, importers, and retailers in the UAE.

Moreover, inquire about the lab's team of experts. A lab with qualified and experienced scientists and technicians is more likely to deliver accurate results and provide valuable insights into your product testing needs. Continuous training and professional development are signs that the lab invests in its team to keep up with the latest advancements in testing methodologies.

4. Turnaround Time

In the food industry, time is often of the essence. A slow testing process can lead to delays in product releases, potential losses, and disruptions in the supply chain. Therefore, it is crucial to choose a pork testing lab that offers a fast and efficient turnaround time without compromising on the quality and accuracy of the results.

Before engaging with a lab, discuss your timeline requirements and ensure they can meet your deadlines. Many reputable labs offer expedited services for urgent testing needs, allowing you to maintain a smooth and efficient operation.

5. Transparency and Communication

Effective communication and transparency are vital when working with a pork testing lab. A reliable lab should provide clear and comprehensive reports that detail the testing methods used, the results obtained, and any potential issues or discrepancies. The lab should also be open to discussing the results with you and explaining any technical aspects that may impact your understanding or decision-making process.

Look for labs that maintain open communication channels, provide regular updates on the status of your samples, and are willing to answer any questions or concerns you may have. This level of transparency helps build trust and ensures that you have all the information you need to make informed decisions.

6. Quality Control and Assurance

Quality control and assurance are non-negotiable when it comes to pork testing. Ensure that the lab follows strict quality control protocols, including regular equipment calibration, participation in proficiency testing programs, and adherence to internal and external audits. These practices ensure that the lab maintains the highest standards of accuracy, reliability, and consistency in its testing results.

A lab with a robust quality assurance program will be more reliable and will likely provide results that you can trust. It’s also worth checking if the lab has any certifications or recognitions from international bodies that attest to its quality control standards.

7. Cost-Effectiveness

While cost should not be the sole factor in choosing a pork testing lab, it is still an important consideration for any business. Labs may vary significantly in their pricing structures based on their services, expertise, and the complexity of testing methods. It is essential to find a lab that offers competitive pricing without compromising on the quality of testing.

Consider obtaining quotes from multiple labs and comparing their services, turnaround times, and reputation before making a decision. However, remember that the cheapest option is not always the best—prioritize value for money by focusing on quality, reliability, and service.

8. Reputation and Client Testimonials

A lab’s reputation in the industry can provide valuable insights into its reliability and quality of service. Look for pork testing labs with positive client testimonials, case studies, and a good reputation within the food industry. You can also ask for references from other businesses in the UAE that have used their services to gauge their satisfaction levels.

Online reviews, industry awards, and recognitions are also good indicators of a lab’s reputation. A lab with a strong reputation is more likely to deliver high-quality services and foster a long-term partnership.

9. Comprehensive Services

While your primary focus may be pork testing, it can be beneficial to partner with a lab that offers a comprehensive range of food testing services. A full-service lab can handle multiple testing needs, such as allergen testing, nutritional analysis, microbiological testing, and more, providing a one-stop solution for all your food safety and compliance requirements.

Choosing a lab that offers comprehensive services can save you time and resources by eliminating the need to engage multiple labs for different testing requirements.

10. The Role of METS Laboratories in the UAE

METS Laboratories is one of the leading pork testing labs in the UAE, offering advanced testing methods and comprehensive services to ensure halal compliance and food safety. With EIAC accreditation and ISO/IEC 17025 certification, METS Laboratories adheres to the highest standards of quality and reliability.

METS Laboratories utilizes advanced techniques like PCR, ELISA, and LC-MS to detect pork contamination accurately and efficiently. Their team of experienced professionals, commitment to continuous improvement, and focus on customer satisfaction make them a trusted partner for food businesses in the UAE.

Conclusion

Choosing the right pork testing lab in the UAE is a crucial decision for any business in the food industry. It involves considering several factors, including accreditation, advanced testing methods, experience, turnaround time, transparency, quality control, cost-effectiveness, reputation, and comprehensive services.

By carefully evaluating these factors and partnering with a reputable lab like METS Laboratories, you can ensure that your food products meet halal standards, maintain consumer trust, and comply with regulatory requirements. Taking the time to choose the right lab will ultimately contribute to your business's success and reputation in the competitive UAE market.

[vhicpauline]

Top Five Dining Destinations: Restaurants and Coffee Shops You Can’t Miss

Technopreneurship Blog: Week 1-2

Koufuku Restaurant

Koufuku, a new Japanese restaurant located in Uptown Cagayan de Oro City, brings the flavors of Japan to the Philippines. Experience authentic Japanese cuisine without the need to travel to Japan.

Questions:

When did you start your business and what was your mission at the start of your company?

Koufuku launched their business on July 20, 2023. Their mission is to bring Japanese dishes to the Philippines for those who can't travel to Japan.

How did you come-up with the name of the company?

The word Koufuku means 'happiness' in Japanese, reflecting how the restaurant brings the joy of Japanese food to Filipinos.

How many employees does your company have and what services or products do you offer?

The company currently has over 15 employees and they offer Japanese cuisine.

How do you advertise your business like do you use any professional services for your business?

Koufuku has a dedicated marketing team responsible for promoting the restaurant through various online platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.

What made you choose your company's location?

The company chose its location in CDO Uptown because the owner's house is nearby.

How long have you worked in business management?

The supervisor has five years of experience in business management, working at Koufuku and other establishments

What changes have you made to your business strategy over the past few years?

"Gathering customer reviews and feedback on food and drinks to improve their business.

What kind of corporation is your business and are you looking for qualities for a new employees?

They are looking for employees with experience in food corporations and web solutions for managing their website.

How much time did it take for your company to earn a profit and what problem does your business solve so far?

They are still waiting to earn a profit and rely on customer feedback to address issues such as food taste.

Is your cash flow positive each month and what is your pricing strategy and why?

Yes, their cash flow is positive each month. Despite being launched last year, the business has maintained a good cash flow.

Is your social media strategy effective?

Yes, their social media strategy is effective.

What qualities make your company attractive to work for and how do you protect your brand?

The company is attractive to work for due to the high quality of its food, which surprises Filipinos with its unique flavors. They protect their brand by maintaining this distinct and appealing flavor profile.

Are there any licenses or permits that you had to obtain before starting your operations?

Yes, they acquired a business permit and other necessary requirements before starting operations.

What challenges did you face while navigating the legal requirements for your business?

They haven’t faced significant challenges navigating the legal requirements, aside from the time and duration needed to acquire them. Overall, the process went smoothly.

Documentary:

Insights:

Koufuku Restaurant stands out with its friendly and approachable manager, creating a welcoming and engaging atmosphere. The clean and beautifully designed space adds to the restaurant’s appeal, making it a calming place to enjoy a japanese meal. The respectful crew and friendly security guard further enhance the positive dining experience, reflecting the restaurant’s dedication to exceptional service and a pleasant environment for all guests

Chowking

Chowking is a popular fast-food chain in the Philippines, located at Uptown Cagayan de Oro City. It specializes in Chinese cuisine, offering a unique blend of traditional dishes and modern fast-food service.

Questions:

When did you start your business and what was your mission at the start of your company?

The Chowking Uptown branch opened on March 2, 2022, with a mission to serve customers and uphold the gold standard of their products

How many employees does your company have and what services or products do you offer?

Their company has 25 to 30 employees, offering a range of Chowking products, with their best-selling items being Chao Fan and Chicken Lauriat.

How do you advertise your business like do you use any professional services for your business?

They advertise their business online through Facebook and Instagram, and also use merchandise, billboards, and tarpaulins for promotion.

What made you choose your company's location?

They chose the location because it is near other branches like Jollibee, allowing people to have more options for fast food.

How long have you worked in business management?

The manager has worked in business management for 1 year and 7 months.

How do you allocate resources at your business and does your company utilize any performance rewards?

They allocate resources strategically and utilize performance rewards at their main branch

How does your business compare to competitors in the market?

They differentiate themselves from competitors by offering unique products like Wanton Mami and Beef Mami. They specifically target local residents, especially students from Xavier Heights

How did you come-up with the name of the company?

They came up with the name 'Chowking' by combining 'Chow,' a colloquial term for food, with 'king,' implying they are a top choice in the food industry.

How much time do you spent working in your business each day?

The crew works 8 hours a day, while the manager works 9 hours, with occasional days extending to 12 hours.

How much time did it take for your company to earn a profit and what problem does your business solve so far?

Their target customers are 4.5 mil every month and their everyday target are 160k customers. Their problem is miscommunication of orders.

Which part of the business is not profitable?

The not profitable product is "Bucchi"

Is your cash flow positive each month and what is your pricing strategy and why?

Their cash flow is positive each month.

Who are your most valuable and most costly customer so far?

Their most valuable customers are the local residents who slowly they become friends with.

Is your social media strategy effective?

Yes, there soc med strategy is very effective.

How do you protect your brand?

Execution of their service and customer focus

Can you share how your revenue has changed since the beginning of your business?

Since the beginning of the business, they have experienced significant growth in revenue.

Documentary:

Insights:

Chowking impresses with its approachable and humorous manager, who adds a personal touch to the dining experience. The clean and well-maintained environment further enhances the appeal, making it a pleasant spot for customers. The manager's engaging personality, combined with the restaurant’s cleanliness, reflects Chowking’s commitment to excellent service and a positive dining atmosphere.

The Coffee Lab

The Coffee Lab is a popular café located at North wing SM Uptown, Cagayan de Oro City. Its aesthetically beautiful décor truly catches the eye, and its ambiance is sure to impress

Questions:

When did you start your business and what was your mission at the start of your company?

The owner initially started with a furniture business but shifted to Coffee Lab after realizing that coffee offered more consistent income and daily value compared to furniture, and she now uses her furniture as decorations in her coffee shop.

How many employees does your company have and what services or products do you offer?

They have 10 employees and offer a range of products including coffee, flavored coffee, pasta, snacks, and breakfast and dinner meals

How do you advertise your business like do you use any professional services for your business?

The supervisor advertises their business primarily through Facebook, using social media to showcase their old and present menu. The owner is actively involved in promoting the business across various social media platforms.

What made you choose your company's location?

They chose the mall location because of lots of people, believing that a coffee shop would attract and appeal to passersby. Despite the high rent, their sales are strong

How long have you worked in business management?

The owner has worked in business management for 7 years, starting with selling furniture. The manager, however, is new to the business and has been in the role for just a few months.

How do you allocate resources at your business and does your company utilize any performance rewards?

The company hasn't implemented performance rewards yet since their business is new. However, they are already well-known, especially among high-class customers.

What changes have you made to your business strategy over the past few years?

They've made numerous changes to their menu over the past few years. Whenever the owner identifies a mistake or an issue with a product, they immediately make adjustments.

How did you come-up with the name of the company?

They came up with the name 'Coffee Lab' to reflect the experimental nature of the shop, offering unique and unfamiliar products like 'Baby Chino,' which is essentially a hot chocolate.

What kind of corporation is your business and are you looking for qualities for a new employee?

"They are actively seeking more employees and prioritize consistency as a key quality in their new hires.

How much time do you spent working in your business each day?

They operate their business for 10 to 11 hours each day, opening from 9:30 AM to 9:00 PM, and close when the SM mall closes, as their shop is connected to it.

Who are your primary competitors in your market and how would you describe your company's success so far?

Their first competitor is Tiger Sugar, which offers milk tea and is priced lower than Coffee Lab's products. Their main competitor is J.CO, as their coffee is often compared to Coffee Lab's, and J.CO also have donuts. Coffee Lab, on the other hand offers cheesecake, muffins, and cookies.

How much time did it take for your company to earn a profit and what problem does your business solve so far?

It took time to earn a profit due to the initial capital investment. The ambiance and high-quality furniture reflect the premium nature of their products. However, the owner used their previous furniture business to help renovate and establish The Coffee Lab.

Which part of the business is not profitable?

The not profitable is the high cost of their products, which can drive away families looking to gather due to the expense.

Is your cash flow positive each month and what is your pricing strategy and why?

Their cash flow is moderate, but the downtown branch is more profitable. A famous person was filmed dining there, loved the coffee, and the video went viral, significantly boosting the branch’s success.

How effectively do employees generate revenue and what is your customer retention rate?

Employees effectively generate revenue, and the additional pay for those who truly deserve it.

Who are your most valuable and most costly customer so far?

Their most valuable and loyal customers are high-standard individuals, such as businesspeople who primarily use the café for meetings.

Is your social media strategy effective?

Their social media strategy is not effective because it is not updated regularly, and they are not very engaged with social media.

How do you protect your brand?

When some customers tell their opinion of how expensive their product is, the cook will stand for their product that of its high price, it's also high quality that it is worth it buying for.

Documentary:

Insights:

The Coffee Lab excels with its exceptionally friendly and approachable crew, including the manager, creating a welcoming atmosphere. The café’s breathtakingly clean and serene environment makes it an ideal spot for business meetings and a retreat for professionals. The combination of a pristine, silent setting with excellent service enhances its reputation as a top choice for both relaxation and productive gatherings.

Seafood Paradise

Seafood Paradise, located at North wing SM Uptown, Cagayan de Oro City, is a restaurant that specializes in seafood, offering an all-you-can-eat seafood experience.

Questions:

When did you start your business and what was your mission at the start of your company?

They started on January 28, 2023, with the mission of offering customers an all-you-can-eat experience focused on seafood.

How many employees does your company have and what services or products do you offer?

They currently have 16 employees

How do you advertise your business like do you use any professional services for your business?

They promote their business primarily through Facebook.

What made you choose your company's location?

They chose SM Uptown's north wing as their location because it attracts many customers especially rich ones.

How long have you worked in business management?

She has been working in business management for 1 year and 6 months.

How do you allocate resources and do you offer performance rewards?

In the SM Uptown branch, they haven't implemented performance rewards yet.

What problems that you have encountered when running a business?

Their main problems are the high rent, which is 180,000 pesos, and dealing with some rude customers.

Documentary:

Insights:

Seafood Paradise impresses with its cleanliness and the friendly, approachable crew. The restaurant is ideal for family gatherings or dining with friends, offering a tasty all-you-can-eat seafood experience that makes it a perfect choice for a satisfying and enjoyable meal.

Out of Nowhere

Out of Nowhere Kitchen, located in SM City Uptown North Wing, Cagayan de Oro City, offers a diverse menu that includes Asian dishes, barbecue, and snacks.

Questions:

When did you start your business and what was your mission at the start of your company?

They started on October 20, 2020, with the mission to provide good service and quality food.

How many employees does your company have and what services or products do you offer?

They currently have 10 employees.

How do you advertise your business like do you use any professional services for your business?

The first branch in Davao has been around for 10 years, while the SM Uptown branch has been operating for 1 year and 6 months.

How did you come up with your company name?

They named the company 'Out of Nowhere' because their first business in Davao City was difficult to find, and they chose the name to reflect the improvement and visibility of their new branch.

How does your business compare to competitors, and what changes have you made to your strategy over the past few years?

Their competitors are Tadakuma and Fatchef.

What services or products do you offer?

They offer fried chicken, barbecue, Asian dishes, and snacks

How much time do you spend working in your business each day?

They work 8 hours a day

What is your everyday goal to your business?

Their target to achieve in their goal is 34,000 per day.

Documentary:

Insights:

Out of Nowhere excels with its immaculate cleanliness and the friendly, approachable staff. The restaurant offers a warm and inviting atmosphere, making it ideal for dining in. With its affordable menu options, it provides great value, ensuring a pleasant and budget-friendly dining experience for all guests.

[fihminstitute]

Launching Your Hospitality Career: Exploring Options at FIHM Noida.

Noida, a bustling hub in North India, offers a plethora of opportunities for those seeking a career in the dynamic world of hospitality. If you're passionate about service, enjoy creating memorable experiences, and envision yourself working in a fast-paced environment, then a hotel management course in Noida could be the perfect stepping stone for you.

This blog delves into the esteemed offerings of the Federal Institute of Hotel Management (FIHM) Noida, a premier institute renowned for its hotel management programs. We'll explore the various courses available, including the coveted Bachelor in Hotel Management (BHM), International Diploma in Hotel Management, and even delve into a hidden gem – their bakery and confectionery course!

Why Choose FIHM Noida for Your Hotel Management Education?

FIHM Noida stands out for several reasons:

Industry Recognition: Affiliated to the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, FIHM boasts a strong reputation within the hospitality sector. This translates to well-designed curriculum, experienced faculty, and industry connections that benefit students.

Diverse Programs: FIHM caters to various academic aspirations. Whether you seek a comprehensive bachelor's degree (BHM) or a focused diploma program, they have an option for you.

Practical Learning: FIHM emphasizes practical learning through well-equipped kitchens, training restaurants, and mock-up hotel rooms. This hands-on approach prepares students for the realities of the hospitality industry.

Placement Assistance: FIHM boasts a robust placement cell that connects graduates with leading hotels and hospitality chains. Their alumni network is another valuable resource for career guidance and opportunities.

Unpacking the Course Options at FIHM Noida

Now, let's explore the specific programs offered by FIHM Noida that cater to your unique educational goals:

Bachelor of Hotel Management (BHM): This three-year undergraduate program is the gold standard for launching a career in hotel management. It provides a comprehensive understanding of all facets of hospitality operations, from food and beverage service to housekeeping, front office management, and event planning. FIHM's BHM program equips students with the theoretical knowledge, practical skills, and professional demeanor required to excel in the industry.

International Diploma in Hotel Management: This intensive two-year diploma program is ideal for those seeking a faster track into the hospitality industry. It offers a focused curriculum on core hotel management skills, preparing students for supervisory and operational roles. The international focus of this program can be a valuable asset for those aspiring to work in global hospitality chains.

Bakery and Confectionery Course: This might surprise you, but FIHM also offers a specialized program in bakery and confectionery! This niche course caters to individuals passionate about baking and pastry arts. It equips students with the skills to create delectable breads, cakes, pastries, and desserts, preparing them for careers in bakeries, restaurants, or even starting their own venture.

Choosing the Right Program for You

With diverse program options, choosing the right fit can be overwhelming. Here are some factors to consider:

Academic Background: If you have a strong academic foundation and want a comprehensive education, the BHM is a good choice.

Time Commitment: Opt for the BHM if you're ready for a longer-term academic commitment. If time is a constraint, the International Diploma might be a better fit.

Career Goals: If you have a specific interest in baking, the Bakery and Confectionery course is a unique and exciting option.

Beyond the Curriculum: Life at FIHM Noida

FIHM Noida offers a vibrant campus life that fosters personal and professional growth. Here's what you can expect:

Extracurricular Activities: FIHM encourages participation in clubs, cultural events, and workshops, allowing students to develop teamwork, communication, and leadership skills.

Guest Lectures: The institute regularly invites industry professionals for guest lectures, providing students with insights into the current trends and realities of the hospitality sector.

Industrial Visits: Students gain valuable exposure through visits to leading hotels, restaurants, and bakery operations, allowing them to observe industry best practices firsthand.

Conclusion

FIHM Noida offers a comprehensive and well-rounded education, preparing students for a rewarding career in the dynamic world of hospitality. With its diverse programs, industry-focused curriculum, and strong industry connections, FIHM empowers students to become future leaders in the hospitality sector. So, if you're in Noida and have a passion for service and creating exceptional experiences, FIHM Noida could be the perfect launchpad for your journey in hotel management.

Ready to take the first step? Explore FIHM Noida's website for detailed information on admission procedures, program curriculum, and faculty profiles. Remember, FIHM offers programs like hotel management course in Noida, bachelor.

[trendingproducts555]

The most effective Weight Loss Tips

Introduction

The Significance of Powerful Weight Reduction Tips

Setting out on a weight reduction excursion can be both invigorating and testing. With an overflow of data accessible, it's fundamental to comprehend which procedures are best for accomplishing maintainable outcomes. In this article, we'll investigate the most effective weight reduction tips that envelop sustenance, active work, way-of-life variables, and outlook to assist you with arriving at your objectives and keeping a sound way of life.

Actual work

Integrating Normal Activity

Standard active work is fundamental for supporting weight reduction, working on general well-being, and helping digestion. Go for the gold of cardiovascular activity, strength preparation, and adaptability activities to amplify calorie consumption and advance muscle development.

Investigating Various Types of Activity

Finding exercises that you appreciate is critical to remaining spurred and reliable with your work-out daily schedule. Whether it's energetic strolling, cycling, yoga, or dance classes, integrating various exercises keeps exercises connecting with and forestalls fatigue.

The Advantages of Solidarity Preparing

Integrating strength preparation into your activity routine assists work with inclining bulk as well as increments digestion and further develops body organization. Incorporate opposition activities like weightlifting or bodyweight activities to upgrade strength and tone.

Quality Rest

Grasping the Connection Between Rest and Weight Reduction

Getting a satisfactory measure of value rest is fundamental for by and large well-being and prosperity, including the weight of the executives. Unfortunately, rest quality has been connected to weight gain, expanded hunger, and upset chemical levels, making it harder to shed pounds.

Ways to further develop Rest Quality

To further develop rest quality, lay out a reliable rest plan, make a loosening up sleep time schedule, and enhance your rest climate. Stay away from caffeine and electronic gadgets before sleep time, and practice unwinding procedures, for example, profound breathing or reflection to advance serene rest.

Stress The executives

Perceiving the Effect of Weight on Weight

Stress can undermine weight reduction endeavors by setting off close-to-home eating, expanding cortisol levels, and upsetting hormonal equilibrium. By recognizing wellsprings of stress and executing powerful methods for dealing with especially difficult times, you can limit its effect on your weight reduction venture.

Systems for Overseeing Pressure

Consolidating pressure-lessening exercises like contemplation, yoga, or journaling into your everyday schedule can assist with overseeing feelings of anxiety and advance close-to-home prosperity. Focus on taking care of yourself through practices that feed your brain and body, and look for help from companions, family, or an expert if necessary.

The most effective tips for weight reduction

Eat shifted brilliant, healthfully thick food kinds.

Keep a food and weight journal.

share in customary factual work and exercise.

Dispose of fluid calories.

Measure servings and control parts.

Eat precisely.

enhancement and subscribe control.

Plan ahead

Look for social help

Remain positive

Focus on Protein

Attempt spastic Fasting

Hydrate Astutely

Practice Piece Control

Embrace Solid Fats

Get Quality Rest

Read more for details

[phoenixmixture26]

Revolutionizing Mixing Technology: The Gyroscopic Mixer by Phoenix Mixture

 In the realm of industrial mixing, innovation drives efficiency and quality. Phoenix Mixture, a pioneering name in the field, has once again raised the bar with its latest creation: the Gyroscopic Mixer. This groundbreaking technology promises to revolutionize the way materials are mixed, offering unparalleled precision, speed, and reliability. In this article, we delve into the intricate workings and myriad benefits of the Gyroscopic Mixer, showcasing how it is poised to transform industries worldwide.

The Gyroscopic Principle:

At the heart of the Gyroscopic Mixer lies a fundamental principle of physics: gyroscopic motion. Inspired by the stability and balance exhibited by gyroscopes, this mixer harnesses rotational forces to achieve unparalleled mixing efficiency. Unlike conventional mixers that rely solely on linear motion, the gyroscopic mixer introduces a dynamic element, resulting in more thorough and consistent mixing.

Precision Engineering:

Every component of the Gyroscopic Mixer is meticulously crafted to exacting standards, ensuring precision and durability. From the robust frame to the high-performance motors, each element is designed to withstand the rigors of industrial use while maintaining optimal performance. Moreover, advanced sensors and control systems enable real-time monitoring and adjustment, guaranteeing precise mixing ratios and homogeneity.

Versatility in Application:

One of the key advantages of the Gyroscopic Mixer is its versatility in application. Whether it's blending powders, dispersing liquids, or emulsifying semi-solids, this mixer excels across a wide range of materials and viscosities. This versatility makes it an indispensable tool across diverse industries, including pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, chemicals, and cosmetics.

Efficiency Redefined:

In today's fast-paced world, efficiency is paramount, and the gyroscopic mixer delivers on this front with flying colors. Its innovative design minimizes mixing times while maximizing throughput, allowing manufacturers to streamline their operations and meet production deadlines with ease. Additionally, the mixer's energy-efficient motors and optimized workflow contribute to cost savings and environmental sustainability.

Consistency and Quality Assurance:

Consistency is the hallmark of quality, and the Gyroscopic Mixer ensures uniformity in every batch. By precisely controlling mixing parameters such as speed, rotation, and duration, it eliminates variability and reduces the risk of batch-to-batch variations. This level of consistency not only enhances product quality but also minimizes waste, leading to greater overall efficiency and profitability.

Ease of Use and Maintenance:

Despite its advanced capabilities, the gyroscopic mixer is remarkably user-friendly, thanks to its intuitive interface and automated features. Operators can easily program mixing protocols and monitor progress in real time, allowing for seamless integration into existing workflows. Furthermore, the mixer's modular design simplifies maintenance and servicing, minimizing downtime and ensuring maximum uptime.

Innovation Driving Progress:

Phoenix Mixture's Gyroscopic Mixer exemplifies the company's commitment to innovation and excellence. By pushing the boundaries of mixing technology, they are not only meeting the needs of today's industries but also paving the way for future advancements. With its unparalleled precision, efficiency, and versatility, the Gyroscopic Mixer is set to become the gold standard in industrial mixing, propelling businesses towards greater success and competitiveness on the global stage.

the gyroscopic mixer represents a paradigm shift in the world of industrial mixing. Its revolutionary design, coupled with advanced engineering and precise control, offers unparalleled efficiency, consistency, and versatility. As industries strive for greater productivity and quality, this groundbreaking technology stands ready to meet and exceed their expectations, driving progress and innovation for years to come.

Visit: https://www.phoenixmixer.com/products/mixer-machine/gyroscopic-mixer/

Contact: +(91) 91452 40124

[almamedspa]

Skin Rejuvenation Treatment: What Is It and How Does It Work?

Laser skin treatments, which include skin rejuvenation procedures, are a great way to maintain a youthful appearance and a healthy glow on your face. Unfortunately, because of our busy schedules and lack of attention to our health, many of us neglect to give our skin the attention it needs. You may get your youthful glow back, stop the visible signs of aging, and shield your skin from harm with the help of this laser skin rejuvenation therapy.

In this article, we will discuss the numerous skin rejuvenation therapies that are now available, as well as their advantages.

In-depth information regarding the skin-rejuvenation process:

Your skin will age prematurely as a result of your lack of care. Sunspots, acne, dark circles, freckles, wrinkles, and fine lines are some of the skin problems resulting from spending time in the sun, consuming fast food, and staying late at night.

Rejuvenating your skin with laser skin treatments can make it look years younger.

Laser skin therapy and chemical peels are only two examples of the many methods available for skin rejuvenation. Skin resurfacing is widely regarded as the standard gold treatment for aging skin. The therapy with light can also make the skin feel and look younger.

When can this type of skin rejuvenation treatment be securely and safely used?

Since our faces are the first thing, people see when they meet us, many of us opt for facial laser skin treatments in addition to those for other parts of our bodies. We're trying to improve our complexion by eliminating blemishes and wrinkles. However, this treatment can be administered to other areas—like the neck and the hands—without risk.

Information about available facial rejuvenation treatments:

Dermabrasion:

Skin abrasion, or dermabrasion, is a well-known exfoliation method that effectively uses a rotating instrument to remove the outermost layer of skin, most commonly from the face. It'll help the skin's new layers look radiant and healthy. Sun spots, fine wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and acne scars are some skin issues that can address with a dermabrasion treatment.

Due to the delicate nature of the surgery, only a dermatologist should do it. The expert dermatologist will numb your skin with an anesthetic before beginning therapy.

Chemical Peels:

Chemical peels, the most well-known form of chemexfoliation, are used to treat damaged skin on the surface. These peels are typically performed using chemicals like trichloroacetic acid, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid. It's excellent for removing wrinkles and spots and can help simplify the skin.

You may experience epidermal exfoliation due to friction caused by the chemical peel while you apply it. In addition to making your skin look and feel better, it can eliminate any bacteria or dirt lurking deep within your pores. Unfortunately, the outcome of this procedure may not be seen for several weeks.

Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment:

Laser skin resurfacing treatment uses heat and light to remove the top layer of skin and heal the deeper layers from the inside out. This therapy can help balance out skin tone and improve skin texture by stimulating the production of collagen fibers.

Using Glycolic Acid as a Peel:

It removes all the dead skin cells on your skin's surface and deeper layers with a glycolic acid peel. The tiny size of its molecules allows it to penetrate the skin's layers and remove the protective fats that dead skin cells rely on for survival.

Therapy for Skin Tightening:

In this treatment, your skin will receive a profound upgrade thanks to the utilization of sound waves. Because your muscles work together, your skin will be more toned and less prone to wrinkles. Lifting and firming the skin and achieving a taut appearance are additional benefits. In addition, setting the skin around the chin, neck, and eyebrows does not require surgery. 

Facelift procedure:

The first visible signs of aging appear on our faces and necks as we age. Therefore, you should expect a more satisfying outcome from this type of surgery if you suffer from facial sagging, jowls, or fold lines.

Who is the ideal candidate for this therapy?

One should start anti-aging or skin rejuvenation treatments in one's early twenties. The simplest explanation is stopping the clock on aging and shielding your skin from signs of wear and tear, including dullness, discoloration, and other skin disorders.

Comparing Laser Skin Resurfacing Treatment and Laser Skin Rejuvenation Treatment

All the steps you need to take to improve your skin's appearance and health are incorporated into the laser skin rejuvenation plan. When the outermost layer of skin is removed surgically or through other clinical means like laser therapy, etc., it is referred to as laser skin resurfacing treatment.

The advantages of laser skin rejuvenation treatment:

It has the potential to correct hyperpigmentation and blotchy skin.

It can fade acne scars and patches with its treatment.

Purifying your skin's pores can make it look healthier and more radiant.

Method of Laser Skin Rejuvenation Treatment:

Sedation, either intravenously or locally.

Targeting your skin with a laser.

The skin is evaporated by the laser beam (epidermis).

Lasers weaken collagen fibers by warming the dermis.

Time ranges from half an hour to two hours, depending on the method used and the size of the affected area.

It has a long-lasting impact.

LASER SKIN REJUVENATION Uses:

Acne scars

Fine lines and wrinkles

Uneven skin texture

Hyperpigmentation or unusual skin pigmentations

Sun damage

Age spots

Skin laxity

Enlarged pores

If you're looking for an effective method to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, age spots, and fine lines, come to Alma MedSpa in St. Louis. Learn what works best for you to achieve healthier, more vibrant skin.

[truthblockchain]

Blockchain In The $500B Freight Receivables Market

TruckCoinSwap (TCS) is a fintech and freight-tech company utilizing a blockchain-integrated mobile app to provide fast and free freight receivables settlement to transportation companies. Moreover, TCS is listed on CrossTower in the U.S. and abroad in 80 countries, and is now also listed on Uniswap.

Chief technology officer Jake Centner explained:

“Centralized exchanges can work very well, and the team couldn’t be more proud of the relationships TCS has made. However, the TCS token must also have a decentralized exchange and non-custodial option in the ecosystem for transportation companies and holders. Uniswap has been the gold standard in this space.”

To that end, TCS has created a process and platform identical to how carriers are settling now, with one added step. A few days after uploading freight documents into the TCS mobile app, a push notification is sent and settlement is made available in the real-time U.S. dollar (USD) value of TCS tokens.

The carrier can then accept settlement via direct deposit from TCS. After receiving the balance in its crypto wallet, the carrier can immediately sell through its exchange market to regain USD liquidity. By taking settlement via TCS, and being able to sell in a matter of minutes, carriers avoid both factoring costs and crypto volatility.

By industry averages, TCS estimates every factoring freightliner can recapture a significant portion of its net revenue. In the supply chain, reducing operating costs makes transportation companies more solvent and applies downward pressure on freight rates. In time, the costs of goods and, more specifically, food prices, can decrease.

Regarding the company’s adoption, CEO Todd Ziegler shared:

“TCS already has truckers involved in the beta, and we were just approached by two more large strategics. One has 223 trucks. The second is one of the largest companies in the U.S. managing freight documents, with over 500,000 transportation users. It speaks volumes that these companies are already interested in integrating with TCS.”

[goldcoast589]

Gold Coast Keto Gummies Australia SHOCKING EXPOSED REVIEWS 2022?

What is the new item to lessen weight Gold Coast Keto gummies?

Another explanation that individuals keep getting more fit is that their desires don't stop. Various nutritionists currently believe this to be the best result giving ketogenic items that don't have requesting requests like starving or removing the food that you love. Something significant that everybody needs in a keto supplement is its speed and that is what our item capitalizes on. Subsequently, you have the best reasons you ought to pick this over different choices.

The keto chewy candies are accessible in various shapes, sizes, and varieties that can be eaten to assist you with becoming better. It is a simple way that it is not difficult to bite them to accomplish viable weight reduction. They are liberated from any antagonistic impacts and hold no unsafe synthetic compounds or additives inside their details.

 

What is the way that the weight decrease item work to take out fat?

After the pill was presented, becoming thin in just 30 days was conceivable. before it was accepted that something like a half year were required. Here are a portion of the components that are the principal justification for the viability of the pill. Gold Coast's Keto Chewy candies safeguard your wellbeing and assist you with working on your general wellbeing. All around, this supplement has demonstrated to give the ideal results.

Each corpulent individual should know about any of these fixings and the rundown of fixings will help with persuading you that it is in support of yourself. This is uncommonly intended for the requirements of individuals who look for fast outcomes yet in a characteristic strategy. This is definitely not a standard item that is accessible and is the best of all. Each fixing remembered for this equation has been tried and supported by the tests.

What are the benefits and advantages of this enhancement?

Dispose of the multitude of fats in your body

The course of ketosis is quick and secure as well.

The interaction happens when it is working on the insusceptible framework.

Weight reduction is a positive result are clear soon.

It can have an effect on your general wellbeing and prosperity too

All out change of the client's body

Disposes of the fats and calories which are the reason for stoutness.

 

Magnificent for assimilation and metabolic action.

What are the different Symptoms of the prescription?

Gold Coast Keto Gummies are made securely by sticking to all conventions and the wellbeing guidelines were noticed, making it regular and quick with fat demeanor. This item is exceptionally quick in working and has the justification behind its name being accordingly. An item can perform ketosis without counterfeit fixings, and simultaneously, it works on your wellbeing by sustaining you from within. The FDA has without question affirmed that it is totally protected to consume. This implies it is completely legitimately lawful inside the US as well concerning use across the world to give you the best weight decrease results.

How might you utilize this pill to appropriately lessen weight? :

This is in fact a 30-day program, however the impacts might be short before this. One pill before feasts and another following will be the initial step to follow to accomplish ketosis. Gold Coast Keto Chewy candies has laid out a steadfast client base, and they're getting it at a galactic expense. It is likewise essential to ensure that you are taking them before sleep time is great for this reason. A new, fixed bundle of Chewy candies from 8 Subsequently, you ought to think about utilizing this enhancement and permit ketosis to happen quickly to convey the quickest results.

Where could you at any point purchase Gold Coast Keto?

Buys from Gold Coast Keto Chewy candies are finished internet based on the authority site. Finish up the structure with your own data. For speedier handling, you can pay by making a computerized installment.

 

Buy more than one Sticky jug at a sensible cost, as well as different advantages like colossal limits and exceptional offers, and a magnificent transportation strategy.

End:

It is fundamental to keep up with your actual prosperity by expanding your physical and general wellness, while likewise expanding your digestion. With the guide of Ketogenic Chewy candies by Keto Chewy candies doesn't aggregate anyplace inside your body. Your endurance, cholesterol, and retention levels can be in every way raised and you had some control over hypertension by observing the blood flow in your body. An astounding substance has a superb endlessly flavor, which can assist you with accomplishing serene rest and loosen up your body, endlessly mind.

 

The specific item turned out to be incredibly famous which abandoned any remaining enhancements, for example, that ketogenic food. It is smart for your body and kills fats in a totally normal way. On the off chance that you're weight, the probability of your being solid and working appropriately diminishes. Furthermore, this is definitively the very thing you should survive. The enhancements Gold Coast Keto Chewy candies are the most obvious opportunity to get liberated from the weight toward the end!

[biolife458]

Gold Coast Keto Gummies Australia SHOCKING EXPOSED REVIEWS 2022?

What is the new product to reduce weight Gold Coast Keto Gummies? 

Another reason that people continue losing weight is that their cravings don't stop. Numerous nutritionists now consider this to be the best outcome-giving ketogenic products that do not have demanding demands like starving or cutting out the food that you love. One important thing that everyone wants in a keto supplement is its speed and that's the thing our product makes the most of. Therefore, you have the best reasons you should pick this over other options.

 

The keto gummies are available in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colours that can be eaten to help you become healthier. It is an easy manner that it is easy to chew them to achieve effective weight loss. They are free of any adverse effects and contain no harmful chemicals or preservatives within their formulations.

 

What is the way that the weight reduction product work to eliminate fat? 

After the pill was introduced, it was possible to become slim in only 30 days. before it was believed that at least six months were required. Here are some of the elements that are the main reason for the effectiveness of the pill. Gold Coast's Keto Gummies protect your health and help you improve your overall health. In every way, this supplement has proven to give the desired outcomes.

Every obese person must be aware of any of these ingredients and the list of ingredients will assist in convincing you that it is in your favor. This is specially designed for the needs of people who seek rapid results but in a natural method. This is not a standard product that is available and is the most effective of all. Every ingredient included in this formula has been tested and approved by the tests.

What are the advantages and benefits of this supplement? 

Get rid of all the fats in your body

The process of ketosis is fast and secure too.

The process occurs when it is improving the immune system.

Weight loss is a positive outcome are evident soon.

It can make a difference to your overall health and well-being as well

Total transformation of the user's body

Eliminates the fats and calories which are the cause of obesity.

 

Excellent for digestion and metabolic activity.

What are the different Side effects of the medication? 

 

Gold Coast Keto Gummies are created safely by adhering to all protocols and the safety standards were observed, making it natural and fast with fat disposition. This product is very fast in working and has the reason for its name being as such. It's a product that can perform ketosis without artificial ingredients, and in the process, it improves your health by nourishing you from the inside. The FDA has without question confirmed that it is completely safe to consume. This means it is fully legally legal within the US as well as for use across the world to provide you with the best weight reduction results.

How can you use this pill to reduce weight properly? :

This is technically a 30- day program, but the effects may be short before this. One pill before meals and another following will be the first step to follow to achieve ketosis. Gold Coast Keto Gummies has established a loyal user base, and they're buying it at an astronomical cost. It is also important to make sure that you are taking them before bedtime is ideal for this purpose. A fresh, sealed package of Gummies from Gold Coast includes 60 simple-to-take capsules. Therefore, you should consider using this supplement and allow ketosis to happen rapidly to deliver the fastest results.

Where can you buy Gold Coast Keto?

Purchases from Gold Coast Keto Gummies are completed online on the official website. Fill out the form with your personal information. For speedier processing, you can pay by making a digital payment.

 

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[candlewaxandp0lar0ids]

I Don’t Like A Gold Rush || Jungkook

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Summary: Jungkook is the golden boy, an excellent student, the star of you college's football team. Rumor has it, there's simply nothing he can't do. The same cannot be said about you, but you've never had an issue with that. You're happy with your small group of friends and your lack of talent in sports. And then, Jin befriends Jungkook, and you find yourself spending a lot of time with him. Before you know it, you've taken an interest in him — and you're sure you shouldn't. There's no way this can end well for you... right?

Also available on Ao3.

Word count: 17.3k

Genre: College AU, strangers to lovers, slice of life, mostly fluff

Warnings & Tags: discussed insecurities, alcohol consumption, reader almost has a panic attack at some point, shy jungkook, jungkook is bad at Feelings, Reader is bad at feelings too, mutual pining kinda, Jungkook has long hair, sfw, New Year’s Day themed.

A/N: I don’t know how I would name my stories without Taylor Swift. Anyway, this is more or less centered around the New Year (it was supposed to be more and then... it didn’t happen), and I hope you’ll enjoy it! Happy New Year everyone!

The first time you hear Jungkook’s name, it’s in the sentence “Man, is there anything Jungkook can’t do?”. You look up at your friend Jin from the book you’re studying. You have no idea who Jungkook is, but that doesn’t mean anything. Jin is always complaining about how you don’t know anyone on the campus, which you think is quite unfair.

…but then you really don’t know that many people on the campus.

“What’s going on?” you ask him, because he sounds extremely annoyed, and he shows you his phone. On it, there is a score for a basketball game. You think.

Your college is famous for its basketball team… Right?

“Uh-uh,” you still say with a nod, trying to make it look like you have any idea what you’re talking about.

“This kid is crushing it at school, the girls love him, and now this!” Jin complains, a little too loud, and shushing noises come from a spot behind you. You turn around to give the group an apologetic look. “I really shouldn’t have bet against him.”

Ah, there you know what to say.

“You really need to stop making bets. You never win them.”

Jin glares at you.

“And you are a terrible friend. You’re supposed to comfort me!”

“I’ll comfort you when you stop making the worst choices imaginable,” you mutter, going back to your work. Jungkook’s name, his supposed excellence, and that basketball match — if it even is basketball — leave your mind as fast as they entered it, without leaving a trace behind.

“So the school’s won another basketball game, huh?”

You look up at Namjoon who’s just arriving to the table, holding his tray in his hands. You know he can’t possibly be talking to you about that, so you’re not surprised when Jin appears behind him. That doesn’t stop you from throwing Namjoon a disgusted look.

“Really, Joon? Sports?”

Namjoon shoots you an amused glance from behind his glasses. It’s notorious in your friends’ group that you despise conversations around that subject. You hate anything that involves objects flying around and anything that’s played in a team, and, apparently, those are the only sports that people care about. They could discuss athletics, or swimming, which you wouldn’t enjoy but you wouldn’t hate, but that never happens.

“You were right, Jin. That Jungkook guy really is impressive.”

You tune them out. You don’t care about basketball.

“You’re talking about yesterday’s game?” Yoongi asks, coming out of thin air, and you sigh. You had been hoping you would have at least one person to talk to during lunch.

“Jungkook’s friends with Hoseok,” Jin says, leaning forward conspiratorially, which does get your attention. If that’s true, then that Jungkook guy can’t be a completely terrible person. Hoseok is probably the nicest person you’ve ever met.

That being said, he might have very low standards for his friends. You know him enough to appreciate him, not to judge his tastes.

“So I’m going to become friends with him,” Jin announces triumphantly, only to be rewarded by a chorus of groans and protests.

“But why, Jin?” you ask. “Please don’t talk about popularity. This isn’t high school anymore.”

“And that stuff was already stupid back then,” Namjoon adds, and you nod. You can always count on Namjoon to support you.

“And I hate people,” Yoongi says.

“And Yoongi hates people!” Namjoon immediately picks up. “Do you really want to make him go through that?”

You grin at the question. Yoongi’s misanthropy always comes in handy. Jin, however, is not amused, but he just shakes his head disapprovingly. He’s used to the three of you teaming up against him by now. Usually, it’s on academical subjects, but he isn’t phased by it anymore regardless of that. Not that there’s much that can phase Jin anyway.

“First of all, I said I was going to be his friend, not you lowly peasants, and second, he seems like a nice guy! Do I need another reason to want to make friends?”

You tilt your head.

“He’s protesting too much,” you say.

“I agree,” Namjoon nods. “That’s suspicious.”

“Very suspicious.”

“Come on,” Jin rolls his eyes, “do you really think that little of me?”

“And now he’s trying to guilt-trip us. Joon, can’t you analyze that conversation and figure out what it all means?”

“You know that’s not how literary analysis works, right?” Jin asks you, but you ignore him.

“Actually, it is,” Namjoon says, pushing his glasses back on his nose. “I’d say you were right with your comment,” he adds, looking at you. “I’d say… this is about parties.”

“You’re not going to actually believe—”

“Thanks, Joon,” you say, and the two of you high-five without looking at each other. Yoongi lets out an appreciate whistle.

Even if Namjoon and you aren’t being serious about this, parties actually make sense. Jin… isn’t quite a social butterfly but, unlike the three of you, he does enjoy people’s company to some degree. You know first hand that he’s been to a few this year — you had accompanied him for moral support — but they were pretty tame, and you’re aware that he at least wants to try some more intense stuff. The problem was that those were harder to be invited to. Hoseok could probably do something about it, but he tends to avoid parties on campus.

“Okay, then you should go for it,” you nod.

Yoongi and Namjoon, sitting on either side of you, approve. Jin looks a little surprised at your reaction.

“That changed your mind?”

“You said you wanted ‘the full college experience’,” Namjoon explains with a shrug. “If you think that’s part of it, we wouldn’t want to hold you back.”

“We will judge you for it, though,” Yoongi warns without batting an eyelid, pokerface perfect, and you laugh. You won’t be mean about it, of course. You just might tease him a little.

“Thank you,” Jin says. “I’ll do it, then.”

Good. If you’re lucky, it will be out of his system next time you all have lunch together.

Lady luck had never been on your side, for as long as you could remember. It wasn’t like you got the worst of things either, but usually, things that could go wrong, did go wrong. Because of that, you tried your best to remove those things from your path. Sometimes, though, you just didn’t manage to identify them.

And that’s why, when you hear Jin’s voice and look up from your food, being the first at the table as always, you see he’s accompanied by two people.

One of them has fluffy, dark brown hair, falling on either side of his face and in his eyes. He’s talking and laughing, and there’s something that you can’t help but identify as mischievous in his smile. The other is slightly taller, with jet black hair held up in a bun. He’s quiet, mouth opening for silent laughs when his friend jokes. Between them, there’s Jin, and you think that they look good together. All handsome, all holding themselves with confidence.

You had realized before that Jin felt out of place in your group, from an outside point of view at least, but it’s never been as striking as it is now, as he’s walking with people he clearly belongs with.

It makes you really thankful that he’s your friend.

“Hey,” Jin says, smiling widely, “these are—”

“You’re untying your hair before eating?” you say, looking at the guy with the bun who just sat opposite from you and took off his hair tie with a sigh. He looks up at you with wide round eyes, like you just caught him red-handed — doing what, you’re not quite sure.

That is the first thing you ever say to Jeon Jungkook.

“Um. Yes?”

“Aren’t you afraid you’ll get hair in your food?”

You know people find you too blunt sometimes, think you come off as aggressive, but you almost never intend for that to happen. In that case, you just think the logic here is a bit surprising.

“That’s… a good point, actually.”

“(Y/N),” Jin sighs, “let me introduce you to Jungkook” (he points to the man who’s now tying his hair back up) “and Taehyung.” (he points to the other guy, who’s flashing you a smile.)

“Oh,” you say, looking back at Jungkook. “You play basketball.”

He lets out an awkward laugh and avoids your eyes. Instead, he grabs his fork and focuses on it, twirling it in his hand.

“Yeah, I do— I do that.”

Huh. It takes you a second to piece things together, and you think Namjoon will be of great help once he’ll be there, but for now, one conclusion comes to you.

Jungkook is shy.

“I play basketball too,” Taehyung says, leaning over the table, grinning at you, and you can tell that it’s his way of swooping in to save Jungkook. You can appreciate that.

“She hates basketball,” Jin warns.

“That’s a strong word,” you say, but only half-heartedly, because, well, you definitely don’t like it.

“I think it works.”

“You think what works?”

Jin’s face falls while you grin. If Taehyung is Jungkook’s savior, Namjoon is yours. Your friend sends you a questioning look as he sits next to you, facing Taehyung. He gives polite nods to the two basketball players, like they sit with you at lunch every week, but you notice that he doesn’t quite meet their eyes. Namjoon is not particularly shy, nor a misanthrope like Yoongi, he just isn’t too comfortable around people he’s just met.

You and Jin, well, you’re perhaps a little too comfortable. Not everyone likes it.

“He says I hate basketball.”

“But that would imply you care about basketball.”

“Exactly.”

“And you don’t.”

“I know.”

“Which means you don’t hate basketball. As always, you’re wrong, Jin.”

Jin looks extremely, extremely done with you, but when you and Namjoon high-five, Jungkook laughs quietly and Taehyung nods in appreciation — for the gesture, not the debate.

That is the moment when Yoongi drops his tray on the table and sends a weird glance towards Taehyung and Jungkook.

“What did I miss?” he asks. His tone is a bit dry, and you see Jin’s shoulders straightening. He knows Yoongi is going to be the most difficult one to win over. Not that you’ve been won over yet, but you’re not that difficult. Usually, people don’t like you, not the other way around. You don’t blame them. You’re not sure you’d like yourself very much if you were in their place.

“Oh,” Jungkook says spontaneously, “we had a class together last year! You’re majoring in engineering, right?”

Yoongi looks at him. His eyes are shining with suspicion, and you can practically see the gears turning in his head. Knowing him, he’s definitely wondering why Jungkook would even remember him.

“Right,” he finally confirms, slowly.

There’s a moment of silence, which Namjoon breaks.

“I’m a literature major, by the way.”

“That’s really cool,” Jungkook comments honestly, with the same spontaneity he displayed earlier.

“And I’m in mathematics,” you say.

“Wow. I thought you people existed only in legends,” Taehyung says while Jungkook avoids your eyes. You decide that, yeah, you like Kim Taehyung.

“Don’t say that, I like maths,” Jungkook protests, voice soft, much to your surprise — and, judging by his reaction, Taehyung’s.

You were right, you decide. Jungkook is not a completely terrible person.

You didn’t expect it to become a routine, for Jungkook and Taehyung to eat with you guys, but it does, and as time goes on, other people join your little table. You’re not sure you like that. It’s clear that those people are orbiting around Jungkook, which, good for them, but you don’t see why you need to be there for that.

You do see that Jungkook is not completely comfortable with all of it. He’s good at handling people, good at making jokes and at laughing at the right times, you notice, but there is a stiffness in his shoulders more often than not, and it looks like he’s well-trained at it rather than enjoying it. It kind of reminds you of Jin, except Jin is not as quiet the rest of the time. Taehyung obviously does his best not to let his friend deal with things alone, which is sweet, but he can’t do everything for him.

You barely exchange a word with Jungkook during that time period. You’re usually trying to be forgotten when the table is buzzing with noise, finding refuge in Namjoon and Yoongi’s company. You thought Yoongi would be an ally in reclaiming what’s always been your spot, but it quickly becomes obvious that he has a crush on Taehyung’s friend Jimin, so he never complains about the recent invasion of the table by strangers.

You hear a lot of basketball vocabulary. More than you care for, to be honest. That’s one of the few moments when Jungkook’s face lights up and he gets truly excited, with an almost childish happiness. His demeanor changes, from shy to confident, and the transformation never ceases to amaze you. As soon as the conversation ends, his shoulders fall, he smiles awkwardly, and focuses back on his food or his phone.

You’ve met his eyes a few times in those moments, because he often looks around him like he’s afraid someone’s noticed. He averts his very quickly, though, so you’ve never said anything about it.

So, really, there’s not much that changes. You still only speak to your three friends — you think Taehyung is a good person, and you don’t think he hates you, but you don’t have anything to say to each other —, and sure, you have a little less space when you eat and more noise around you, but aside from that, it’s pretty much the same. You think that’s a relief. You’re not too fond of change.

Usually, you’re pretty decent at spotting it coming. You did miss it when Jin said he was going to become Jungkook’s friend, but other than that you’re able to do your best to avoid it. You don’t see anything coming the day Taehyung calls out your name, though. You look up at him from the book Namjoon is showing you, surprised. He has an arm slung over Jungkook’s shoulders, and Jungkook isn’t looking at you, of course.

“Do you think you could explain a maths-thing to Jungkook?”

You blink at him.

“What’s the ‘maths-thing’?”

“Does it matter?”

You raise an eyebrow, and Jungkook groans. You get the feeling that he didn’t really want Taehyung to ask you about it. He sends an annoyed glance to his friend, who is still smiling brightly at you, while pushing a lock of hair out of his face. His hair is tied, but this one traitorous lock always escapes.

“I’m struggling a little with probabilities,” he admits, glancing at you for half a second. “But I’m sure I’ll be fine once I can get my head back into it, I’ve just been training a lot recently and—”

“I can help you, if you want,” you say. “I’m not the most fond of probabilities, but it should be okay.”

“Great!” Taehyung says, patting his friend’s shoulder before Jungkook can answer. “You should do that then.”

“You’re sure you don’t mind?” Jungkook asks, actually looking at you this time. You meet his eyes, notice that he looks worried about it. You can’t figure out why.

“I really don’t,” you shrug.

He smiles at you, a small, hesitant smile, but a smile nonetheless. Probably the first one he directs at you. It’s a nice sight, you decide, and you smile back.

Jin’s sentence “is there anything Jungkook can’t do” takes all its sense on the day you meet Jungkook at the library to study. You don’t know what you expected. You never thought Jungkook was dumb or anything, but since Taehyung asked you to help, you thought he would have some difficulties, at least. However, as it turns out, he either understands immediately when you explain something to him, or he’s already understood it. He asks for some clarifications here and there, but all in all, you feel kind of useless.

“You don’t need me at all,” you say after a little while, and Jungkook looks up from the book with the worried wide-eyed look you’ve gotten used to.

“No, no, you’re doing a great job,” he protests. “You’re really helping me out here.”

“No I’m not. It’s obvious that you could do that all on your own.”

He deflates a little at that, looks away from you.

“You help,” he mumbles. “I have a hard time focusing when I’m alone.”

Oh.

That makes a lot of sense to you, actually. You’re good at focusing all of your energy on one thing, perhaps even too good, to the point where you easily get obsessed and become unable to take care of anything else, but even you need the right conditions for that.

“Okay,” you say with a nod.

Jungkook gives you an anxious look.

“So you don’t mind helping me out?” he asks, and there’s something in his voice that catches you, but you can’t tell what it is exactly. Maybe it’s the hope, or maybe it’s the fear. You don’t understand what he’d be afraid of. Worst case scenario, you would say no. That wouldn’t be the end of the world.

“We can work together,” you offer. “You can ask me if you need help for anything and I’ll just work on some other stuff.”

He seems relieved, and again, you just don’t understand it. It’s not like you’re his only option. There are plenty of people out there who could help him. Plenty of people who would jump at the opportunity of helping him. You know that, because he’s always surrounded by those people, and everybody in school seems to know him. Even when you walked into the library with him earlier, before you got to the table you’re sitting at now, a few students greeted him. You don’t see why he would attach any importance to you, specifically, helping him. You barely know each other.

“Thanks,” he says, and he gives you a small smile. For some reason, that makes you drop the subject. Instead of asking about it — which, knowing yourself, you probably would have — you shrug it off and reply with a nod.

The silence that follows feels comfortable, to you at least. You’ve never minded silence. Jin hates it, though. You get to work, watching absent-mindedly as Jungkook goes through the lesson he was working on. He does ask you a couple of questions, but it’s probably to make you feel like you’re doing something rather than because he actually needs it. You still answer them, and watch him grin, satisfied with himself, when he turns out to be right every single time.

“Are you coming to Taehyung’s party this week-end?” he asks out of the blue after about an hour.

You look up, surprised. The two of you haven’t exchanged much, and certainly have not talked about anything other than— well, other than maths. His eyes are on his notebook, as usual, and you don’t get any insight as to why he asked the question.

“I don’t know. Is Jin coming?”

“Uh, I guess? Taehyung’s probably talked to him about it.”

“Then I’m probably going.”

Jungkook mulls over your answer for a few seconds, twirling his pencil between his fingers, and you feel like you have to clarify, which is not an urge you have often. Usually, you let people decipher for themselves what you meant. That works very well with Namjoon, sometimes with Yoongi, not so great with the rest of the world. Including Jin, though Jin compensates with his impressive ability to interpret everything you say in his favor.

“We always go to parties with Jin. For moral support.”

For all that you tease him, you genuinely care for him. You know he wants you to go with him, so you do. It’s as simple as that.

Jungkook doesn’t look at you, but he still smiles at what you say, and it’s— it’s interesting. There’s something about his behavior that makes you curious, like you are when you’re trying to solve a complicated equation.

“That’s nice,” he comments.

“So… you’ll be there?” you ask. It’s taken you a long time to come up with that simple question. It often takes you a long time to find things to say to keep a conversation going. You’re pretty bad at it.

“It’s at my fraternity,” Jungkook informs you, glancing at you briefly, and you smile. This is exactly the type of party Jin wanted to go to. He’s probably happy about it. “The entire basketball team should be there.”

Great. People.

“That’s nice,” you say, because you have no idea what to add at this point. Jungkook simply nods, and the conversation dies an awkward death.

It’s another half an hour until Jungkook looks at his watch and starts putting his stuff back in his bag.

“I have to go to practice,” he tells you, clearly in a hurry. “Can we— Would you mind if—”

“We can do this again. If that’s what you meant.”

He gives you a bright smile, and that actually surprises you. He looks relieved that you finished his sentence for him.

“Thank you,” he says sincerely.

And just like that, he’s gone, practically running out of the library. For someone who talks as little as he does, he sure leaves a void when he goes away, you think, looking at the empty chair.

But you quickly shrug it off. You’re used to being alone. You like being alone.

Jungkook isn’t going to change that.

You realize very quickly that, while accompanying Jin to parties was never something you particularly enjoyed, going to this one was downright a mistake.

You have this unspoken rule, with your friends, that you shouldn’t stick together the entire time. You’re supposed to wander off, find something to do for yourself, maybe talk to some people. Get that college experience. You’ve never had a problem to do that, even if you ended up quietly sipping soda in a corner more often than not.

Here, though, you simply cannot shake off the fact that you don’t belong here, that this is not your scene. The people here are loud, energetic, garish. They make you feel like a black and white picture, like a silent movie. You want to run away, but you can’t. You don’t want to leave Jin, Namjoon or Yoongi behind, even if you doubt they’re having the same kind of problems you do. You’re pretty sure you saw Yoongi talking with Jimin, and last time you saw Namjoon, you think a cheerleader was holding him by the hand and leading him out of the room. You don’t know what Jin’s doing, but you’re trusting that he’s okay.

You walk around aimlessly, find Jungkook and Taehyung playing beer-pong with some people. Maybe you should be happy to see people you know, but you’re not. If anything, it only drives the point home even more to see them so comfortable: you don’t belong here. Your chest tightens, and you turn around. You need a little peace and quiet. You need to get away.

“(Y/N)!”

You jump at the sound of your name. No one’s said it since you’ve entered the house. No one knows you here.

Except Jungkook, who’s right behind you.

He’s more confident than usual, and you guess, based on his slightly hazy eyes, that it has a lot to do with alcohol.

“Are you having fun? How long have you been here? It’s nice to see you!”

He’s speaking fast, excitedly, and as he does, he runs his fingers through his hair, which he’s let down. It looks good on him, you decide, even as you reply to him with a tense smile.

“Hey, you should join us, we’re—”

“Do you have a closet somewhere?”

Jungkook blinks.

“A closet?”

“Yeah.”

There are probably very few things that are less weird than asking a guy if he has a closet you can get into because you’re on the verge of having a panic attack and you can’t stay outside surrounded by people a second longer.

Jungkook doesn’t say anything about it, though. He just leads you through the house and opens the door to a closet for you. You get inside without giving it much more thought, and he looks at you, puzzled. He’s actually looking at you, which you decide confirms that he is drunk.

“Do you— Are you waiting for someone?”

“No,” you say. “I just need a little break.”

He thinks about your answer for a while, probably longer than needed, and nods.

And then, he gets into the closet with you and closes the door.

Inside, it’s dark, with only a ray of light coming in. You can’t see his face, which doesn’t help you understand why he just did that. The space is cramped, and you can smell alcohol coming from his breath, can feel the heat radiating from his body, but it doesn’t bother you that much. It’s still better in here than outside.

“Why did you do that?”

“I thought I would keep you company. Like you’re here to keep company to Jin, you know?”

He’s drunk, definitely, and yet you feel genuinely touched by his words. You shouldn’t, because you doubt they hold that much meaning, but you can’t help it. You don’t need company, but that’s besides the point. His intentions are what matters.

“Thank you,” you say.

“It’s not a problem. You’re helping me with my maths.”

Your first reaction is to laugh at that, because it feels completely unprompted, but then the logic of the reasoning kind of appears to you.

“I mean it!” Jungkook protests. “You haven’t talked about how I’m good at everything or how I’m the one who should help you.”

You frown.

“You shouldn’t help me. You’re good at maths, but I’m better than you.”

It’s Jungkook’s turn to laugh, and just like his earlier smile, it takes you completely by surprise. It’s not one of those quiet laughs that he usually has. It’s light and pleasant, and you briefly wonder what his face looks like when he laughs like that. You kind of want to see it.

“You’re a scary person,” he tells you when he’s stopped laughing. “You always say those things directly. It’s like you don’t even care.”

You’ve heard that before. Well, you haven’t been called scary until now, but people have said that you were intimidating. You, personally, believe you’re the least threatening person to have ever walked this Earth. You couldn’t hurt a fly if you wanted to.

Jungkook makes some sense here, though. Your filter is very limited, and there are a lot of things you say that feel acceptable to you, and that other people… don’t think are acceptable. You don’t mean to do it. It just happens.

“I think you’re good at a lot of things, though,” you say slowly.

Jungkook lets out a long sigh and then you hear him sliding down to the ground. You hesitate for about half a second before joining him down there. You fold your legs, holding your knees against your chest while you wait for him to say something.

“People are always saying that,” he finally mumbles. “But what if I’m not that good? What if I fail one day?”

It’s strange. You understand what he’s saying, understand the feeling of pressure, but you don’t understand the emotions that should come with it. In your case, you know that no one holds you to a higher standard than you do. It can be unhealthy, the way you can torture yourself if you don’t meet the standards you’ve set for yourself, but at least you’re the only one you have to answer to. Obviously, it’s not Jungkook’s case.

“Then you’ll try again,” you say, because that’s what you do when you fail. “Or, if you think it’s not that important, you won’t.”

“But what will they say?” he insists. “What if we lose the next game? Or the one after that? What if I fail a class? I can’t get anything done these days.”

“You’ll be fine,” you say soothingly, half-wondering how you ended up here, comforting the college’s golden boy in a closet after fighting off a panic attack. “It’s not like you’re the only one in your team. People will understand.”

You think they will. You hope they will. They should.

“You would understand.”

It’s true, but then, you really do not care for basketball, and it’s not like you have that sort of expectations for Jungkook. You wouldn’t think much of it, if he failed at something tomorrow. If it was the maths test you’ve helped him with, you would be surprised, but that’s because you saw him studying and it was obvious he had understood everything, not because you think he can inherently succeed at everything he does.

Which you guess might be the heart of the problem here.

You reach out to put your hand on his shoulder. It’s not that easy in the dark, and you wonder for a second if you’ve grabbed something else, until you feel hair tickling your skin. Yup, you were right.

“You have the right not to be good at something every once in a while,” you say softly. “No one can be on top of their game all of the time.”

You hear what sounds like a choked sob.

“I like that they’re counting on me, you know? I like that I’m helping them out by playing. I just— I don’t know what’s going to happen when I stop being as good.”

He said when, not if, and that breaks your heart.

Without thinking about it, you slide your hand down his arm and grab his hand. You squeeze it in yours, gently, and then you inch closer to put your head on his shoulder. You remember reading that physical touch was good for people who were in emotional pain. You hope it helps him.

“You locked yourself in here with me because you thought I needed company,” you whisper. “There’s so much more to you than just being good at sports or having good grades. And if people don’t see that, it’s their loss. Because you’re a great person.”

He hums, but the sound is quiet, and it’s then that you realize how tense he is.

Shit. You must have crossed a boundary. You start to remove your hand, but he closes his fingers around yours, keeping you in place. He’s still tense, you can feel it everywhere his body touches yours. But he doesn’t let go.

“You mean that,” he says. There are so many emotions in his voice that you can’t identify them all. Relief, happiness, amusement… You don’t know where to start.

“I usually mean what I say.”

“I’ve noticed,” he says, and you can hear the smile that’s dancing on his lips.

He’s still not letting go of your hand, but you don’t mind. Staying here, with Jungkook, in this small closet is as good a way of spending your evening as anything else you could do out there.

So you stay.

“Where did you all vanish Saturday?” Jin asks, and Namjoon, Yoongi and yourself immediately find your food a lot more interesting. You exchange panicked glances that mean ‘did none of you stay around? This was poorly coordinated’ before finally daring to look up.

“I talked to Jimin,” Yoongi says, face as inexpressive as always.

“I played some beer-pong with Taehyung,” Namjoon says.

That leaves only you.

“I talked to Jungkook,” you tell Jin. That is technically true. It omits the part where the two of you were together in a closet, but if you said that, there would be a lot of questions you don’t really want to answer to. Somehow, you think you would be more embarrassed to tell them that there was nothing going on there than if you told them you hooked up with him. You’re not sure why.

“Jungkook disappeared for a long time,” Jin says, narrowing his eyes at you.

You do your best to keep a straight face while you poke at your salad. You don’t want anyone here to have the wrong idea, and you finally manage to put your finger on what you’re afraid of. Humiliation. You’d feel humiliated at having to tell them that nothing happened and that there is nothing Jungkook could possibly see in you. They would be nice to you, of course they would, but you don’t want to see the look in their eyes.

“Did he? Maybe that was after I left. I didn’t stay that long.”

That’s a lie.

“Really?” Jin asks, clearly skeptical. “I think I saw you there pretty late.”

Maybe when you went down to get some snacks and drinks to bring back to the closet. Damn Jungkook and his stomach.

“Well, that depends what you mean by ‘late’ and ‘long’,” you say.

That’s you calling Namjoon for help, and he recognizes your SOS for what it is. From the way Jin’s face falls, so does he.

“She’s right,” Namjoon comments, so nonchalant you would almost believe he’s doing it naturally. “What is ‘late’, really? Isn’t it always—”

“Please stop,” Jin groans, burying his face in his hands. “Just because you’re a literature major doesn’t mean you’re the only one who understands words.”

“Actually it does,” you say with a nod. “That’s exactly what it means.”

You start lifting your hand for a high-five, relieved Jin’s attention is off you, but he sends the two of you a dark glare.

“You two are unbearable. Don’t do that.”

“We have to,” you protest. You would hate to miss a chance to high-five Namjoon.

“No you don’t, you—”

“Actually they do,” Yoongi says, and your jaw drops. Yoongi never intervenes, and you had always thought that if he did, it wouldn’t be in your favor. “That’s exactly how gravity works.”

Jin looks like his soul has left his body. He only comes back to himself after you, Yoongi and Namjoon have all exchanged high-fives.

“I hate you,” he says, sounding terribly tired. “I hate every single one of you.”

“Sorry Jin,” you smile warmly.

“No you’re not. You’re the worst.”

Except he sounds fond, affectionate, and you laugh before going back to your salad. You miss the quick glances your three friends exchange after that. They’ve all noticed you eluding and changing the subject. They don’t want to rush you, know you would hate it and that it’s better to drop it.

But they’ve noticed.

Working with Jungkook on Wednesday afternoons easily becomes a habit, so easily you don’t even notice it until it’s something you look forward to during the week. It adds to the time you already spend eating with him and Taehyung. Jungkook is, slowly, starting to become a part of your life. It’s a thought you refuse to dwell on, because it sounds so strange.

The Wednesdays afternoons are something special, though. You and Jungkook don’t really talk at lunch, even if he’s clearly more relaxed around you now, which you suspect is the reason why you’re ‘Taehyung-approved’. On Wednesdays, you— Well, you don’t talk much, either, but it’s different. It’s a time that only belongs to the two of you. You like that.

You slowly find out things about him, his family, his life. It’s never the main subject of conversation, but it makes you feel like you’re solving a puzzle.

“My father wanted me to focus on my classes and forget about basketball,” he comments once. “But I could do both.”

It makes you laugh, because he says it with obvious satisfaction, but it also makes you wonder if there’s more to it. Jungkook doesn’t add anything, though, and you don’t want to probe into his life, so you don’t ask. After that, small pieces of the puzzle keep falling into place.

“My high school coach told me I could train more if I didn’t work so hard for school.” But he could do both.

“My friends said I never hung out with them anymore and that I shouldn’t work so hard.” So he did both.

It’s always the same story. People telling him things, giving him opinions on what the should and shouldn’t do, and him stretching himself thinner and thinner. It’s almost a miracle he’s still doing as well as he is, honestly.

But his tone changes when he talks about his former relationships. He’s usually light and genuine, sharing with you just because. It’s clear that, as much as the stories make you frown, he doesn’t have an issue with them, and you guess that’s all that matters. The first time he says something about an ex-girlfriend of his, though, he’s guarded, almost careful. He sounds like he doesn’t want to tell you.

“My ex said I worked too much.”

He doesn’t add anything. Whatever it was she wanted, he couldn’t do it and work. Didn’t manage to do both. After that, he doesn’t look at you for the rest of the day, like he did when you first met.

You never get a name for the girlfriend. He talks about relationships again, but you don’t even know if he’s always talking about the same one. You doubt it, though, and it only makes things worse.

“My ex wanted me to attend fewer practices.”

“My ex said I didn’t care enough to make time for her.”

“My ex dumped me after I lost a game.”

That last one hurts you, because you remember him crying in the closet because of that exact fear. You want to take his hand again, but you can’t dare to.

“She’s stupid for that,” you say instead.

Jungkook looks surprised first, because you never comment on what he’s telling you, then a smile slowly forms on his lips.

“If the only reason she was with you was because you won a lot of games, you’re better off without her,” you add.

“That’s what Taehyung said.”

“Taehyung’s right.”

Jungkook goes quiet for a little while after that, to the point that you look up, worried that you might have offended him. When you do, he’s looking at you, something you can’t identify shining in his eyes.

“Everything okay?”

He blinks like he’d just woken up for a dream, then nods. He doesn’t tell you that he hadn’t believed what Taehyung said — until you said it and he looked at you and thought that yeah, maybe he was better off without her indeed.

You’re surprised to run into Jungkook late one night, as you’re walking back to your dorm. It shouldn’t shock you — you do go to the same college — but you’re so used to only ever seeing him in the library or the cafeteria that meeting him outside is almost confusing. At least he seems taken aback as well, if the way his already round eyes widen is anything to go by.

Then, his surprised face morphs into a smile, and a wave of warmth hits you without a warning. You don’t get any time to think about it before he waves at you. His shyness is not completely gone, and you see him waver, hesitate, even as he’s walking up to you. You’re quick to close the gap between you, meeting him in the middle. Just in case.

“Hey,” he says, voice a little raspy. He has what you identify as a sports bag, slung over his shoulder, and you wonder what he was doing out so late. You were working at the library until it closed, which is far from being rare for you, but that obviously wasn’t his case.

“Hey,” you reply, smiling back. “Were you— training?”

Amusement flashes in his eyes at the careful way you chose your words, afraid to get it wrong. As he grew more comfortable around you, he also started making fun of you for not knowing the first thing about basketball. Strangely, you don’t mind that much.

“I was at the gym,” he says. “Practice was earlier today.”

“Oh,” is all you can muster. You don’t know what you’re supposed to do. Should you ask what he was doing at the gym? The answer would only leave you with more questions, you’re sure.

You’re still debating it when Jungkook clears his throat. He reaches for his ponytail and undoes it, shaking his head so the hair fall back into place. The sight is— interesting. Pretty. You’re not sure why you’re so fascinated by it.

“Do you want me to walk you back to your dorm?” he asks, slight concern in his voice. “It’s late.”

“Is it on your way back?” you question, frowning. You would hate to be a bother.

“No, but—”

“I’m fine, then. I do that several times a week, I’ve never had a problem.”

That was, apparently, not the thing to say. Jungkook only looks more worried now.

“Several times a week? That’s really not careful.”

“I don’t see a problem, there’s no one around.”

“That’s exactly my p—” He stops and shakes his head, but gives a look you’ve seen before. A lot. It’s a look that says ‘I can’t believe someone as smart as you can also be so stupid’, in those exact terms. “Expected value,” he then says, and your eyes widen a little. Maths! Great. You can do maths. “Let’s say there’s a 99% chance nothing happens. Your gain is still minimal.”

Well, you get to study late and enjoy a walk home alone at night, but you’re willing to humor him.

“But in the one per-cent where something bad happens…”

He doesn’t have to finish his sentence. You know exactly where this is going, and you let out a sigh. He’s not wrong. On that aspect, at least.

“Fine.”

He grins widely.

“I just beat you at maths.”

“You didn’t beat me, I—”

“I just beat you at maths!”

You roll your eyes, choose to let him have that. It’s not going to change anything to your behavior after tonight, because the day has not come where you’ll let probabilities rule your life, but, after all, you don’t mind sharing your night walk with him.

Jungkook starts showing up to walk you home whenever he can. It’s not every time, which you’re kind of thankful for — you like his company, but you like being alone just as much, and you need a healthy dose of that every week —, but it does happen regularly. You find him sitting in front of the library, freezing cold, and you take pity on him, buying him a coffee from the vending machine inside, seconds before they lock the building.

That’s how you find out he likes his coffee tasting as little like coffee as possible.

Sometimes, he joins you later, and you hear him jogging to catch up with you. You don’t have the heart to tell him that that defeats the purpose of everything he’s doing, because it’s absolutely terrifying.

As the days turn into weeks, the air becomes colder, and you start seeing Christmas decorations appearing over the campus. You don’t know who is in charge of doing that, but they must be excited about it, because tinsel and few strings of fairy lights start appearing around the campus at the end of November. Jungkook is delighted by it, and you enjoy watching his reactions. You’re not big on Christmas, personally. You enjoy the tradition, the gift-giving, spending time with your family — you’re visiting them briefly this year — but you mostly see Christmas as an excuse for all of that. Jungkook loves it, though, and you decide that his excitement makes you like the season a little more.

“Hey, we should make a stop,” he tells you one night.

You look at him like he’s crazy. It’s the middle of December and it’s already half past nine. You’re cold, it’s dark outside, and you want to go home.

“A stop?” you repeat.

“Oh, c’mon,” he says, and he has that wide, childish grin that you’ve seen only a handful of times. You haven’t learned how to resist it yet. “C’mon!”

You sigh. But you follow.

As it turns out, he takes you just a little way off your usual trajectory. Behind a building you’ve never really paid attention to, Jungkook leads you to a small basketball court. You eye the place suspiciously. It’s empty, well lit, but you never know. A ball might come out of nowhere to hit you in the face, as they had a tendency to do when you were in high school and playing for a team that had picked you last.

By the time you turn around to tell Jungkook that, okay, you’ve seen it, let’s go home now, he’s taken off his coat and pulled a basketball out of his bag. You don’t even want to ask. His grin is even wider than earlier.

“C’mon,” he says.

“Absolutely not.”

“Let me show you, okay?”

You want to say no but— It can’t hurt, right? And Jungkook loves basketball, and you’re his— friend or something, so you should try to take some interest in it.

You take off your coat and let him lead you onto the court. There, you watch him as he dribbles in what you guess is an effective way (you can’t know for sure, you’re barely able to catch the ball after it’s bounced once so your standards are incredibly low), and then demonstrates his ability to score a handful of times. It’s not that you’re not impressed — again, you can’t do anything with this unpredictable, devilish round thing — but you also can’t say this is a quality you think much of.

You liked it a lot better when he convinced you to let him walk you home by talking about the expected value.

“You want to try?” he offers, holding the ball out for you.

You would rather die.

But you take the ball from his hand and eye the basket like it’s personally offended you. That makes Jungkook laugh.

“You can get closer than that,” he says.

You hold back a groan, aim and, of course, fail. It’s almost a relief. You can cross that off your list, again, just like you did as a kid first, then as a teenager. You’re bad at sports, always have been and, considering the effort you’re putting into it those days, always will be. That’s something you can count on.

Before you can say anything, Jungkook’s caught the ball and is running back towards you.

“Okay, let me show you.”

Is he going to— No, he’s just demonstrating it. You’re kind of disappointed not to get your typical ‘guy teaching girl anything sports related’ moment, disappointed that he doesn’t come to stand behind you to show you like they do in movies, but you can’t unpack that right now. You do watch with some degree of interest as he shows you how to position yourself.

“So you really aim for the line above the basket, not the basket, okay?”

“If you think that just because I aim for something I hit it…”

He chuckles, then gives the ball back to you, and you sigh. This. This is why you hate sports. It’s not the one-off failure, that would be fine on its own. It’s the constant humiliation whenever you even try it. You’re going to fail this attempt, and the next one, and the one after that. You’re a lost cause. You’re fine with it, too, but you don’t particularly want to go through that again.

You do your best, though. Not because you think it will change something, but because you kind of want to prove that this isn’t all you. That, even if you’re trying your hardest, there’s just something that refuses to let you score or do it right.

“Wait!” Jungkook walks over to you, puts his hand on your back, and you freeze. “You need to straighten yourself a little,” he says, placing his hand between your shoulder blades, and you nod. His hand is warm and large, you can feel it even over your sweatshirt. “There.”

He removes the hand, and you’re left a little off balance without him by your side. You shake your head quickly, shoot, and, without any surprise, miss.

Jungkook is on the ball just as fast as before, but you’re as quick as him to grab your coat and put it back on. You’re already feeling warm all over, though.

“You don’t want to try again?” he asks, sounding genuinely disappointed.

Of course, you take pity on him.

“Maybe next time,” you say.

He gives you a bright smile, so genuinely happy, and you know that you won’t be able to deny him next time either.

Jin is the reason you’re here, and that is the version you will stick with. No, you didn’t want to go see a basketball game, even if Jungkook is playing. No, you didn’t feel the slightest bit curious about it. No, you would not be there if Jin hadn’t asked. It’s Jin’s fault if you’re here on a Friday night instead of being, well, at your place, likely doing something equally as unproductive.

You don’t even understand what is going on in the field. There’s a lot of running and throwing the ball, that’s for sure, but then, you’ve just learned that scoring from different places in the field and at different moments will not earn the players the same amount of points.

You don’t think you’ve ever seen your friends look at you with such consternation as when they had to explain it to you.

In that situation, you can’t say that you get much from looking at the field. You definitely follow Jungkook with your eyes, cheer and clap when he scores, and let out cries of disappointment with the rest of the crowd when he doesn’t, but truly, the only way you have any idea what’s going on is by looking at the score board. And the truth is, that score is a little too close for comfort.

You hate that it has that much of an impact on you, but it stresses you out. Your leg bounces on the floor, an habit of yours Jin hates, but he’s too focused to notice, which is only more stressful. Jin always notices, and if it doesn’t, it must mean that the situation is dire.

The remaining seconds are slowly ticking down. Jungkook’s team is ahead by only one point, which means that if the other team scores, they will win. You think. You’re not entirely sure, but for your defense, you’ve just heard about it. Jungkook seems to be everywhere on the field. Taehyung is his shadow, perhaps not as noticeable or as spectacular in his actions, but certainly effective.

Again, you have no knowledge of basketball whatsoever.

Jin grabs your thigh, and only then do you realize that something’s happened. The action was so quick, so smooth, that you missed it entirely — but maybe you were also kind of thinking of something else.

Someone from the other team — you don’t even know your school’s team’s players, you’re not going to learn the other ones — just made a break for it. Based on what you can tell, Taehyung blocked his path, pushing him straight into Jungkook’s arms. In a movement you cannot begin to comprehend, Jungkook takes the ball from him, without ever stopping his run.

After that, he’s unstoppable.

He crosses the field, looking almost like he’s dancing in the way he avoids his opponents, and, of course, scores.

The time falls to zero. The crowd stands up like one man, screaming and shouting, and you yourself find yourself jumping up to hug Jin. He hugs you back, but the two of you quickly separate, patting each other’s backs awkwardly.

Jin starts talking with Namjoon and Yoongi, but you tune them out — it’s not like you understand what they’re saying anyway — to look at the field. The players have lifted Jungkook on their shoulders and he’s laughing, holding on to them so he doesn’t fall, and you grin.

“Come on,” Jin says, “let’s go congratulate him!”

That sounds like a terrible idea, you think. You won’t be the only ones, as the crowd has already invaded the field, and you doubt you’ll be able to get very close.

You still follow him. You alternate between clinging to his arm and to his shoulders so you don’t lose him, and trust him to elbow his way through the crowd. You hear him apologizing profusely in front of you, but he does not stop. Slowly, you make it down. Once you’re off the stairs, people are not as compactly gathered, and you can just walk between them. Jin grins at you, and you give him a thumbs up. Yeah, he did good here. You can give him that.

“Hey, Jungkook!” he calls out.

Jungkook was talking with some girls, but he looks up at the sound of his name, excuses himself, and jogs towards the two of you.

And it is then, in the few seconds it takes him to get to you, that it hits you. Like a ton of bricks.

You had known that Jungkook was objectively attractive, of course. There was no ignoring that. But Jin was objectively attractive, too, and that had never changed anything between the two of you. With Jungkook, right now, it does. His skin is glistening with sweat, and he wipes his chin with his shirt, and oh no, you can see his well-defined biceps and the line of his abs, and some hair is escaping from his ponytail, and he’s grinning with a happy, proud smile, and his eyes are shining and—

Jungkook is hot. That’s your realization. You had been aware of it, technically, but it’s like it only clicks for you at that exact moment.

“You came,” he tells you with a bright smile, and you can feel your entire face heating up. You pray that it’s not visible.

“Yeah,” you squeak out. “Great, um, great game?”

It sounds like an interrogation because you have no idea if it was one. It looked difficult, but maybe that was because they played terribly today. You don’t know that.

Jungkook’s smile widens a little, and you know that he has you all figured out. He knows you don’t understand the first thing about this whole thing.

“Thanks,” he still says.

His chest is still heaving quickly, and it draws your attention to his— his everything. The way he’s leaning towards you as he’s trying to catch his breath doesn’t help either. You wait for Jin to say something, to save you, but when you look around, you realize the traitor has abandoned you completely.

Okay, he hasn’t technically abandoned you, he’s just gone to congratulate Taehyung, but it’s the same difference.

You hear someone else calling Jungkook’s name before you’ve figured out what to say. He looks around, then gives you an apologetic look.

“Sorry, I—”

“No problem, you should— I have to go anyway.”

This is not like you. You’re an awkward person, and you struggle in social situations, but you don’t usually trip over your words like that. You kind of hate it.

“Okay, so, um, I’ll see you…?”

“Wednesday, yeah. Or— before. At lunch. If you’re there.”

This is terrible.

“Okay.” Jungkook gives you one last smile, and then he’s off, and you’re standing alone in the middle of a crowd. Your chest is heavy and it feels painful.

You hate this.

It’s only after that that you start realizing how big of a part Jungkook now plays in your life. He walks you home at night sometimes. You eat with him once or twice a week. You study together for an entire afternoon on Wednesdays. He’s just— everywhere. And it’s not that it’s a bad thing, because the feeling you get when you see him is a pleasant one, but it is disconcerting. It’s something that you have no control over whatsoever and that’s not— that’s not good for you.

You realize how much attention you were already paying to him, too, which is even more annoying. The signs were there. You should have understood this sooner. If you had, maybe you could have prevented it.

Because that’s the thing. You know the situation is ridiculous. You believe Jungkook sees you as a friend, and you’re happy with that, but there is no way he thinks of you as anything else. That is not an idea you should even begin to entertain. You can handle rejection, you’re used to it in so many aspects, though it’s rarely romantic, but you cannot take getting your hopes up only for them to be crushed.

The thing is, you can’t help it at this point, can’t force your feelings back in. There is so much to like about him. The way he plays with his hair, the quiet laughs when he’s in public, the loud ones when he’s walking you home, the sparkle in his eyes when he asks you a question in maths and it turns out he already had it right, the look on his face when he talks about basketball,… There’s so much.

You briefly consider avoiding him, but that’s not really an option. You like being his friend. You see your feelings as annoying, pesky little things that have no business being there in the first place. You don’t even hate the rush that goes through you when you see him, the way just looking at him brings a smile to your lips that you simply can’t hold back.

But you really, really hate the wishful thinking. The hope.

The feelings are fine, as long as you don’t think too hard about it. As long as he doesn’t have a girlfriend. Because that would break your heart.

And it’s only a matter of time before that happens.

You really considered declining when Jin asked you to come to this New Year’s party. Your last experience had effectively convinced you that those new parties he was getting invited to were not for you. That was fine, to each their own, but that did mean you didn’t really want to go. He clearly didn’t need you there anyway. You didn’t even know why he asked.

But he did, and he insisted, and he gave you his best puppy eyes, and that’s the thing about Jin: he’s very, very good at giving puppy eyes.

So that’s why you’re there, wearing a red dress that’s way too flashy for you, leaning against a wall and staring into the void. You feel empty and, though you’re not alone, lonely. You’re surrounded by strangers, and there are people everywhere in the house, but you don’t know them, and you can’t just start a conversation with them. It’s not something you do, it’s not even something you want.

You haven’t felt the urge to lock yourself inside a closet yet, though, so you guess that’s an improvement compared to last time.

Looking around, you can see Jimin, perched on the counter, listening to Yoongi talk with a smile on his face. Jin is somewhere else in the room and, though you can’t see him, you sometimes hear him, so you know he has his flirting voice on. Namjoon is nowhere to be seen, but that’s probably a good sign. He always get lucky at those parties. You don’t know how he does it. It’s impressive, honestly. Hoseok showed up earlier, and everyone greeted him like he was a star — which is kind of accurate, actually, at the campus’ scale.

You know, of course, that Jungkook and Taehyung, as inseparable as ever, are by the pool table. You also hate that you know it, because now your mind is constantly wondering if it’s weird that you haven’t been there yet, or if it would be weird to show up. Neither, probably, because exactly no one cares except for you, but you’re the master of torturing yourself with useless considerations.

God, you hate having a crush. It’s just so— unpractical. You also hate that you didn’t see that one coming, and that you didn’t do anything about it until it was too late. Usually, you’re pretty good at nipping those kinds of feelings in the bud. Now, you can only wait it out.

With a sigh, you push yourself away from the wall to wander aimlessly around the house. You promised Jin you’d stay until midnight, and you intend to keep that promise. It’s not like there’s anything for you to do, but still, that way you can look like you’re doing something and look a little less weird. Or maybe you don’t. It doesn’t really matter anyway.

Passing in front of the room with the pool table, you realize that Jungkook is gone. Taehyung is still there, playing with Hoseok, both looking pretty wasted, but Jungkook has vanished. That’s not good. You don’t want him to spring up on you out of nowhere like he did last time. You won’t know how to react if that happens, probably fumble for words, and it will be very unpleasant and very embarrassing for everyone.

You consider finding another closet, then decides against it. There’s just fifteen minutes left until midnight, anyway. That’s not too long. You can just wait it out.

You slowly make your way through the house. No sign of Jungkook anywhere. Maybe he left. Maybe he’s already back to the pool table and you missed him completely. Maybe he’s locked himself in a room with a girl and—

Oh you hate this. You hate feeling jealous. You hate that you have no control over it, you hate that it makes you sad, you hate that you have no right to feel like that. Jungkook isn’t yours. He’s probably even considered you for anything. You should consider yourself lucky you’re even friends with him in the first place.

You do your best to push everything out of your mind. Alcohol has never looked more tempting, but you don’t want the hangover with the morning, so you ignore the inviting bottles of beer and walk out.

It’s freezing — of course it’s freezing, it’s December you idiot, is there anything you can do right tonight — and you shiver, but you stay there. The cold is both numbing and soothing, and while you’re mentally complaining about it, you’re not thinking about anything else, so that’s good.

The door opens and closes behind you, and you guess someone is coming out to smoke. You move over to give them some space, but just as you do that, a jacket falls over your shoulders. You jump at first, and then the warmth makes you sigh in relief.

“You shouldn’t go out without a coat,” Jungkook says, because of course it’s him.

“I feel that you’ve been scolding me a lot recently,” you chuckle, glancing up at him.

He pouts, buries his hands in his pockets. He’s obviously cold as well, but at least his shirt covers his arms.

It also hugs his muscles real nice, but that’s besides the point.

“That’s because you make very poor decisions,” he mutters, looking at his feet. “You have to realize that.”

“You’re right. I could have taken my coat outside.”

“You know that walking back all alone in the middle of the night is way worse,” he protests, and then you laugh, because that’s exactly what you wanted, and he goes quiet for a second. “Don’t make fun of me,” he mumbles, looking away from you again.

“I’m not,” you say, and you take a step in his direction so you can bump your shoulder against his. “You shouldn’t worry that much, but I think it’s nice that you do. I was just trying to get a rise out of you.”

“That worked really well,” he says, and he sounds surprised about it. You wonder if it’s because he usually doesn’t get angry for stuff, but you can’t tell for sure. “Hey, you—”

People start shouting numbers inside, and you turn around to look at them.

“It’s midnight,” you say.

“Five!”

You look up at Jungkook. He’s significantly taller than you. Not as much as Namjoon, but still.

“Four!”

Jungkook looks back at you, smiles, and it takes your breath away. His hair looks very good like that, you think absent-mindedly, with the way it falls on either side of his face.

“Three!”

It’s too late to go back inside now. It would definitely be a weird thing to do. Which means you’re here, alone, with Jungkook.

“Two!”

Your eyes flicker to his lips. You wonder what it would be like to kiss them. You haven’t let yourself even consider it before, but right now your brain isn’t functioning all that well. Probably because of how loud your heart is beating in your chest.

“One!”

You look back up and his eyes are wide and focused on you. There’s that same tension in his shoulders as when you first met him, except, back then, he couldn’t look at you, and now it seems that he can’t look away.

“Happy new year!”

You decide you shouldn’t think about your next move. You get on your tiptoes to plant a kiss at the corner of his lips, right at the border between friends and something else, but he leans forward right at that moment, and his hands cup your face, and then he’s kissing you.

It’s like an explosion. You don’t know what you should focus on. How warm he is, how soft and large his hands are, how his lips move against yours, how he tastes, or simply the fact that he’s kissing you, Jungkook is kissing you!

The door slams open, and the two of you move away in a jump.

“Happy new year Jungkook!” Taehyung shouts, obviously drunk, soon joined by several other members of the basketball team. If he’s seen what happened, he doesn’t say anything, and you doubt Taehyung would have that kind of control over himself.

Soon, Jungkook is surrounded and they start to drag him back inside. He gives you a brief, apologetic look, then follows them, laughing. You remain there, frozen, unsure of what to do. You take a hesitant step towards the door, only to see a girl planting kisses on his cheeks while he blushes. What gets to you, though, is the arm he’s wrapped around her, the way he’s tracing circles on the naked skin of her shoulder. It makes the gesture look… intimate. Personal.

You let out a brief, bitter laugh, that there is fortunately no one to hear. You feel confused, but mostly, you feel stupid.

Fuck that.

It doesn’t take long for you to drop the jacket onto a chair and find your coat. You wish a happy new year to Namjoon, when you pass by him on your way out, and he looks a little surprised, like he hasn’t heard the shouting. You don’t want to know what he could have been up to.

You’ve kept your end of the bargain, you think as you leave. Jin won’t be able to complain to you. You feel some petty sort of satisfaction when you step outside and find yourself alone alone, finally. You like this. You like being alone. You’ve never asked for anything else.

You give one last look to the party, then vanish into the night. You’re better off on your own anyway.

“I don’t think I’ll be coming,” you say, nonchalantly, as everyone around the table is talking animatedly about a party for the next week-end.

You had hoped it would go unnoticed in the middle of the conversation, but, unfortunately, that doesn’t go as planned. Taehyung turns horrified eyes towards you, Jin, Namjoon and Yoongi all look surprised, and Jungkook… You don’t know how to read him. There’s that surprise, as well, but then he looks down before you can tell anything else. Not that that changes much. He’s barely looked at you today.

You haven’t talked to him since New Year’s Eve. You had other things on your mind, and then he didn’t show up at the library last Wednesday.

“What do you mean, you won’t be coming?” Jin asks. “You always come to parties.”

You shrug. You don’t miss the alarmed looks your friends are exchanging, and you’re sure Namjoon can see through you. Because it’s not like you to do something like that, whatever reason you may give.

“I don’t like them. They’re too loud, and I can’t say that I really enjoy standing alone for half the night.”

“You could stay with us,” Namjoon offers.

“And watch you pick up a girl every time? No thank you,” you reply with a disgusted shiver.

“You could stay with me,” Yoongi says.

You give him a look, and he grimaces, backing down immediately. Okay. He can see why you wouldn’t want that either. Plus he’s pretty sure that Jimin and him are about to get it on after weeks of flirting, so it’s probably not a great idea.

“What about me?” Jin asks. He doesn’t sound as energetic as usual, his voice almost quiet, and you realize that he probably feels bad because of what you said. He knows you come to those parties because of him, so knowing you don’t have fun at all when you’re attending — you understand that he might feel responsible.

“I think I would bore you very quickly,” you chuckle. “You’re not going to get the fun you want with me. But it’s fine, really. I tried it, and now I know it’s not for me. I can just—”

“No,” Taehyung says.

You blink.

“No?”

“I’m taking this personally,” he tells you, looking you dead in the eye. “You’re coming to this party and I’m going to make you enjoy yourself.”

You’ve never seen him so serious, and you can’t help it. You burst out laughing.

“Taehyung,” you say softly when you’re done. “I appreciate that, I do, but I don’t want to do that anymore.”

Taehyung opens his mouth, then winces and closes it. You’re not sure what happened there, but he gives Jungkook an offended look.

“I’m sorry,” you add. “I’m sure your parties can be great, but—”

“I get it,” he sighs. “But you owe me.”

You’re not sure why, but fine.

“And you can’t say anything bad about those parties, to anyone. Ever.” In that moment, he looks almost threatening, and you blink, confused. He can’t possibly take it that seriously, can he?

Then he yelps and rubs his leg. He gives Jungkook another annoyed look, but Jungkook doesn’t even look up from his food.

“Leave her alone,” he just mumbles.

Taehyung rolls his eyes, but doesn’t add anything. He does give you a long, pointed glance, though, before muttering under his breath something that sounds a lot like “I won’t let that slander stand,” and you think that’s hilarious too.

When you risk a glance at Jungkook, his arms are folded over his chest, and he looks deep in thought. He’s chewing on his bottom lip, eyes focused on his meal, though he’s not touching it. It’s stupid, but the image of a child that has just been scolded flashes in your mind.

“Jungkook? Is everything alright?”

He jumps at your question, looks at you like a deer caught in headlights. Your eyes meet, but it’s extremely brief, and your chest tightens. This sucks. You thought the two of you had gotten past that now, and you hate that you lost what you had. It’s not like it’s your fault. He kissed you, and then he bailed on you first chance he got. Why would he do that, why would he risk it, if he was going to react like that afterwards?

“I’m fine,” he says with a tense smile, and you doubt it’s true, but you don’t know what you should ask him to confront him about it. You don’t want to talk about the kiss ever again. You certainly don’t want to do it in front of your friends.

So you jump on the first chance you get to leave the table. You don’t ask yourself if it’s a weird thing to do. It probably is, but fuck it, you’re weird, and everyone else can deal with it. You refuse to subject yourself to something unpleasant longer than absolutely necessary.

Except the looks you get are mostly concerned ones, from Namjoon and Jin. Jungkook does look up as you walk away, eyes following you almost longingly, and then he lets out a long sigh that catches Taehyung’s attention. He doesn’t say anything, but he narrows his eyes at him.

God. He really has to get everything done here, doesn’t he?

At first, you think that this is it. Your— your whatever it was that you had with Jungkook is over. You’ll see him around every now and then, and maybe he’ll give you a polite nod, though it doesn’t look like he would even do that right now, but there won’t be anything else. You’ll go back to being basically strangers, and it will be fine, because really, nothing happened there, right? You had a crush on him, he kissed you once, and then nothing. It’s fine. You’ll be fine.

Sure, it makes you a little sad. Sure, you catch yourself looking at him while he’s surrounded by girls who are all so much better for him than you ever were, and it hurts a little. Sure, walking back home alone at night is a little more unpleasant than it used to be, but that’s the thing. It’s only a little. You would almost pat yourself on the back for it. Congrats, (Y/N). You made it out before you got too attached. You probably avoided a world of hurt.

Because you know. You know that if you had gotten in too deep, it would have hurt like hell to not have Jeon Jungkook. And sure, it hurts right now.

But only a little.

You’re good. You’re safe. You know that Namjoon and Yoongi would nod if you told them about it. They understand, in a way a lot of other people don’t. You don’t think that Jin would, for example. He would tell you to take the risk, not understanding that people like Jungkook used to pick you last for their teams when you were in high school, not understanding that as far as you’re concerned, you’ve handled more than enough rejection throughout your life. But Namjoon and Yoongi… They’re definitely more successful than you in matters of the heart, but they would still understand. Not that you’re going to tell them about it, because it’s a stupid story, because there never was anything there, and because you’d feel really dumb talking about how you thought, how you hoped that— You’re not going to tell them anything. At least everything’s okay now.

And then, Jungkook appears at your usual table at the library on a Wednesday afternoon. He drops his bag on the floor and takes a seat next to you. You’re surprised to see him when you look up, too focused on your studies to notice him approaching. He has big, wide doe eyes, and he watches your reaction carefully.

“You’re— This seat isn’t taken?”

You shake your head. No. People rarely come here, and you don’t really study with people. Well, didn’t, you suppose.

“Do you mind if I sit here?“

“The seat’s free. You can take it if you want.”

You don’t know what to do. You don’t know how to react. This wasn’t supposed to happen. You never considered that Jungkook would— That he would—

“I, um, I like studying with you. It helps me focus,” he says, eyes flickering away from you. “So, if you don’t mind I’ll— Can I come back here on Wednesdays?”

You want to tell him that you can’t stop him, that he can do whatever the hell he want, but even though it’s on the tip of your tongue, you don’t.

“Of course you can,” you say instead.

Jungkook looks up long enough to flash you a smile, and you know. This isn’t over, and you’re not going to be fine. You’re probably going to feel crushed, sooner than later, and you could have stopped it all right now.

You think about Yoongi and how not like him it is to be doing what he is with Jimin. How he’s taking a risk. How it could oh so easily not have paid off.

It’s going to, of course. You just need to look at Jimin’s eyes when he’s talking to Yoongi to know that. But Jungkook doesn’t look at you like that. Jungkook doesn’t look at you at all.

And yet here you are. Taking that exact same risk.

God. You can be so stupid some times.

Jungkook glances at you quickly while you’re deep in thought, tapping your pencil against your cheek, and a small smile forms on his lips. He’s quick to glance away, because he would hate it if you caught him, of course, but the smile doesn’t fade.

He couldn’t have forced it to do so if he tried.

“You have to come to the next game.”

“Taehyung, hey, nice to see you to, I’m doing fine, I—”

“I’m serious, (Y/N). I know you hate basketball and everything that breathes, but—”

“I don’t hate you.”

“—this is really important and— Wait, really? Thank you. I feel that means a lot coming from you.”

“Is that how you see me? I don’t hate everyone, Taehyung.”

“Can you give me a list of people you don’t hate?”

“Well, you, Jin, Yoongi, Namjoon…”

“Jungkook?”

“…Sure. Jungkook. Why do you want me to come to the next game?”

“Because we might lose.”

“And I’m supposed to change that how?”

“You owe me, remember?”

“I— Because of the parties? Seriously? I need to sit through hours of you guys running after a ball because I don’t like parties?”

“I would really appreciate it if you could avoid describing basketball as ‘guys running after a ball’.”

“I would really appreciate not having to go watch the game.”

“Don’t you want to support your friends on the team?”

“Ugh. Fine. I’ll be there. Just— stop that thing you’re doing with your eyebrows. Why are you even doing that?”

“You’re so slow. How are you so slow? I thought you were supposed to be smart!”

“Taehyung…”

“Just be there!”

“I will.”

“You better!”

“Or what, what will you— Taehyung! You can’t just run off like— Well. I guess he could.”

You hadn’t thought sitting through a basketball game could become a more painful experience to you than it already was. As it turns out, you were wrong. It was so much worse when the people you wanted to win were losing. Despite yourself, you found yourself getting invested, standing up and shouting encouragements along with Jin and Namjoon, and protesting loudly when things didn’t go your way.

You were not cut out for this. Not because you still didn’t understand half the rules — you could have by now if you had made the effort of memorizing them — but because of the stress. God, how did your friends handle that regularly? How did the players handle it? You kept looking at Jungkook. You could tell how unhappy he was with the situation, could see the disappointment settling in. He also seemed to get more nervous as time went by, which didn’t help his performance, and his words kept echoing in your mind.

”I don’t know what’s going to happen when I stop being as good.”

You’re half way through the game and things are not looking good when Taehyung waves you over. You run to the railway, straining to hear him, and when you finally understand what he’s saying, you regret making any effort at all.

“You can’t possibly be serious!”

But he is.

“You owe me, (Y/N)!”

“I’m already— What’s it even going to do?”

“Trust me on that one, okay?”

You glare at him, but he’s looking at you with his beautiful brown eyes, and there’s nothing you can do against that. You sigh deeply. Your heart is beating wildly in your chest just thinking about what he’s asking you to do. Maybe it’s not such a big deal for him, that sort of stuff, but for you— For you it’s downright insane to even consider.

“Kim Taehyung,” you hiss through gritted teeth, “if this goes bad, I’ll kill you and plant your head on a stick outside of my door to warn my enemies not to underestimate me.”

He has the audacity to shrug at that.

“It won’t go bad.”

You look up. Take a deep breath. And call Jungkook’s name.

The gym is insanely loud, and it takes both you and Taehyung’s efforts, as well as a lot of waving, for Jungkook to notice you. When he does, though, he runs towards you, worry obvious on his face. He’s looking directly at you for once, and the intensity of his stare almost makes you shiver.

“Is everything alright?” he asks when he gets there, eyes scanning you quickly to make sure that you’re okay.

“It’s fine, I just—”

“What are you doing here? You hate basketball. Did something happen?”

You shake your head. You don’t know how you’re supposed to do this, especially when he’s looking so puzzled and when he’s questioning your sanity for showing up at one of his games. You glance over at Taehyung who gives you a decided nod.

Ah. Fuck it.

Leaning over about as far as you can go, you cup Jungkook’s face, and as his expression turns to one of surprise, you kiss him. If people around notice or have a reaction, you can’t tell, because Jungkook pushes himself against you and buries his hand in your hair as he holds you. There’s not much space left for thinking in your mind, instead entirely consumed by thoughts of him. He’s completely sober this time, and you don’t taste alcohol on his tongue. He’s also not going as slow, almost desperately kissing you back, one strong hand supporting you so you don’t fall over, and you just melt.

It takes everything in you to push yourself away. When you do, you’re breathless, and he’s staring at you with eyes even wider than usual. You’re pretty sure Taehyung would want you to give an encouraging speech right now, but you don’t want to do that right now.

“I really don’t care if you’re winning or losing games,” you say instead. “If you’re sad, I’ll be sad with you, but it’s never going to change anything in how I see you. But I’ll be here encouraging you.”

He grabs your hand, squeezing it tight.

“Promise?” he asks, almost childishly.

You’re not sure which part he’s referring to, but they’re all true, so you nod.

“I promise.”

He smiles, and then both him and Taehyung are running back across the field and getting yelled at by their coach, but even from where you’re standing, you can see their smiles.

You guess that means you’re not going to murder Taehyung.

“This is actually insane. How is Jungkook even doing that?” Yoongi asks in disbelief after Jungkook scored extremely impressively yet again, and you fidget in your seat. You’re very happy to see that, though you don’t how you feel about the smug looks Taehyung is sending you, but you don’t want—

“It’s the power of love,” Jin says, nodding like he just gave an essential truth to the meaning of life.

—this. You, very specifically, don’t want this.

“Jin,” you sigh, “there’s no such thing as—”

“Actually,” Namjoon interrupts you, “I think he’s right. The power of love is a thing, and I think this is a perfect demonstration of it.”

You gape at him, in shock. He betrayed you?

“Did you just—”

“Namjoon’s right,” Yoongi nods. “This is how the power of love works. You take love, and you turn it into strength.”

And then, him, Jin and Namjoon high five, and you gasp. Traitors. All of them.

But after that, Jimin says off-handedly “Maybe you should come and kiss me before my next competition” and Yoongi’s brain visibly stops functioning, so you consider yourself avenged.

After the match, you wait for Jungkook outside of the locker room. Jin insisted you should go celebrate on the field, but you had declined. It felt like the situation required something a little more private, so now you’re here, leaning against the wall, looking at your phone so you’ll seem busy, even if there’s nothing on there to occupy yourself.

You’re not the only one there, and that doesn’t help soothing your nerves. There are a lot of girls, all pretty and smiling. It makes you feel like a groupie, and you don’t like it. You’re relieved for a second when the door opens and the team comes out, but it doesn’t last long, because the girls are soon surrounding them. You remain where you were standing, watching the whole thing happen. It takes a few moments before you notice Jungkook’s bun standing out of the group, and it makes you smile.

You catch Taehyung’s eye first, and, after you’ve sent him a glare that you hope was threatening, he pushes Jungkook out of the group. At first, he seems confused, before he finally finds you. You wave at him hesitantly. He blinks a few times, his eyes wide, then walks towards you.

“Hey,” he says when he joins you. He’s towering over you. Usually, you don’t like that, and you’ve complained about having to look up at Namjoon more than once, but you don’t necessarily mind right now.

“Hey,” you reply.

Silence stretches between the two of you as you try to think of something to say. You should have prepared a speech, you know that, but you’re pretty sure you wouldn’t have been able to say it either.

“Taehyung told me he told you to kiss me,” Jungkook blurts out after a while, looking away from you, and you give him a surprised glance. “So, you don’t have to—”

“No, I wanted to kiss you,” you interrupt him, a puzzled frown forming on your face.

Jungkook’s head whips back towards you, and you just stare at him in confusion.

“Do you really think I would have kissed you just because Taehyung asked me to?”

“Well you— you came to the game because he asked you to, right?”

“That’s not the same—”

“Jungkook!” someone from the team calls. “We’re going to grab a bite to celebrate, do you wanna come?”

Jungkook sighs, then gives you a sharp look.

“You wanted to kiss me,” he repeats.

You nod.

“Why?”

You bite your lower lip, and you’re not oblivious to the way his eyes fall to your mouth when you do.

“And I’m the blunt one,” you mumble.

“Sorry, I–”

“No, no, it’s fine, it’s just— I wanted to kiss you because I like you. Obviously.”

Jungkook swallows, and you can see his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. He looks over his shoulder at his friends.

“You can go without me!”

There are some protests, but he ignores them to give you his entire attention. It’s… not an unpleasant feeling.

“You disappeared after I kissed you the last time,” he says.

“You left,” you protest immediately. “You kissed me, and then the second your friends arrived, you acted like nothing happened and you left.”

“I didn’t want to— I just— They’re really annoying about that stuff, you know? I thought it would probably be better if I talked to you after— ‘m sorry. I didn’t— didn’t realize it—”

You look at Jungkook, watch him fumbling for words, and it hits you like a ton of bricks, how much you do like him. Those words really don’t do it justice, and maybe you’re not quite ready to talk about love just yet, but you like him so much, so much it makes your heart swell, so much you don’t think what what he’s trying to tell you would change anything to it, and yet what he’s trying to say is exactly what prompts your realization. He didn’t want to hurt you. Wanted this to be private, for just the two of you, wanted to see how you felt about it. And maybe he went the wrong way about it, but it means everything that he was trying.

“Walk me home?” you ask.

Jungkook finally stops his rambling.

“Are you sure?”

Of course, he has to ask that now, after weeks of trying to convince him to let you walk on your own. Still, you smile and nod, and when you start walking side by side, you grab his hand. He freezes temporarily before grinning and squeezing your hand, pulling it into his pocket so you won’t be too cold, because the air of January is chilling.

“Congratulations for the game,” you say after a long, comfortable silence. You had almost forgotten about it.

“Thanks,” he chuckles. “I had some help.”

And then, he winks at you, and your heart misses a beat. That’s when you understand something you hadn’t even considered before: if Jungkook stops being shy around you, you’re done for. You’ll be the one constantly flustered.

“So,” you say, slowly, trying to keep yourself composed, “why did you kiss me?”

“Um. Same as you?” Jungkook’s confidence disappears, and he returns to his awkward self, and you see that, as much as you like it, you want him to be comfortable around you. But that doesn’t mean you can’t tease him a little.

“What do you mean by that?” you ask innocently.

He gives you a horrified look that soon turns to an offended one when he notices you grinning widely.

“You’re so mean,” he says, but he’s smiling too, “you’re the meanest person I know.”

You’re laughing at that point, as you stop in front of your dorm.

“That’s not an answer.”

“Fine,” he sighs dramatically. “I kissed you because I like you.”

It’s funny. You knew that was what he was going to say, knew it was coming, and yet it gets to you all the same.

“With you, I don’t feel like I have to be the school’s star, you know? I can just be— Jungkook. You don’t expect me to be anything else.”

He’s right. You like Jungkook. With his insecurities and his flaws. You don’t want him to perform for you, and you don’t care what he’s doing right and wrong. Just studying maths in the library with him makes you happy.

He eyes your dorm and takes a deep breath.

“I should go,” he says.

You hum.

“Yes, it would be a really bad idea if you came up tonight.”

But you’re not letting go of his hand, and he’s close to you now, close enough that you can feel his breath catching in his throat. It makes you smile.

“You’re so mean,” he repeats.

This time, instead of laughing, you kiss him, and it’s completely different from the two previous times. There is no uncertainty in this kiss, no surprise, no pressure, no fear. It’s perfect. Jungkook’s hand comes to cup your cheek, his lips soft against your own. His long fingers gently stroke your jaw as he keeps the kiss chaste and sweet. It only makes you yearn for more and when he moves away, you can see in his eyes that he wants more as well.

You just don’t think he wants it now.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, then?” you ask.

“I’ll meet you for lunch,” he says solemnly, and it rings like a promise, which makes you smile.

When you move away, though, he doesn’t let go of you, and a pouty expression appears on his face before he releases you.

“I— Yeah. You should go.”

“You can come up if you want to, you know?”

He hesitates, rolls his lips together.

“I want to savor this,” he admits to you in a near whisper.

“Then I’ll go.”

“Yes. Good night.”

“Good night.”

You feel light and giddy as you walk through the door. It’s a nice and strange feeling, like you could just start floating any second.

You already can’t wait for the next day.

People are definitely weirded out by your relationship with Jungkook. Or, rather, by Jungkook’s relationship with you. You’re pretty sure most of the people who give you weird looks when you sit next to him and he wraps his arm around you, or when you walk hand in hand, wouldn’t pay attention to you if you went to class naked. But they all know who Jungkook is, and you guess it is weird to see you in conjunction with him.

They could ignore it and consider you mere part of the scenery when he ate with you, you suppose, but it is harder to do now. You’re not too fond of being the center of attention, to be honest. You don’t know how Jungkook does it.

What takes you by surprise the most is people being nice to you. That confuses you to no end, because you know for a fact they don’t care about you, not really, and you cannot fathom what they think they’re going to get out of this. You’re pretty sure there are a girl or two who are doing that to get closer to Jungkook, and some, you think, have decided to be nice to you because they think that if Jungkook likes you, you can’t be a total lost cause.

You don’t like that feeling. Not at all. You don’t like it when you’re going to class, you don’t like it during lunch, and you definitely, definitely do not like it when people rush towards you the second you get to a party.

Yeah, you’re giving Taehyung what he wanted, in the end. He said that both you and Jungkook owed him, because without him you wouldn’t be together, and you eventually gave in.

You thought it would be fine, now that you have someone to spend time with, but you understand with horror that your status has changed now. You’re not invisible anymore. You’re Jungkook’s girlfriendTM. Because of that, you spend much longer in the entrance making small talk than you would have wished to, and you’re stopped a couple of times while you’re desperately looking for your boyfriend to save you from this hell on earth.

You’re not surprised at all to find him playing beer pong with Taehyung and other guys from the team. He hasn’t gotten time to get drunk yet, so he’s quite impressive, but then again, they all are. That’s why they usually end up wasted.

The second he sees you, though, he abandons the game completely, and the smile on his face threatens to make your heart explode in your chest. Some of the guys turn around to look at you, give you a wave or a smile. Taehyung shouts a greeting.

“Hey,” Jungkook says, leaning in to press a quick kiss on your lips. He doesn’t like PDA all that much, but he never misses a chance to kiss you, and the thought makes you all giddy.

“Hey. Are you, um, having fun there?”

He shrugs.

“It’s not that bad. Wanna play?” He waits for your expression to turn to one of horror as you try to refuse politely before laughing. “Just kidding. Don’t worry about it.”

You let out a relieved breath. You know you and Jungkook are very different people, and you’re doing your best to take an interest in the things he likes. You’ve been learning the rules of basketball, for example, and though you still don’t believe you get the point, you like the way his eyes shine when you say something right about a game.

But you don’t take part in any of that stuff. Okay, you stop at that field that’s on your way home from the library every now and again, but that doesn’t count. It’s just you and him then, and you feel good and relaxed. You’ve even scored a couple of times now.

“Come on, I want to grab a drink,” Jungkook said, taking your hand in his, and you follow without protesting.

It’s probably your second mistake of the night: not realizing that getting a drink with and without Jungkook are two very different ordeals. On your way there, you get roped into several conversations. Those are fine. You can’t say you enjoy them, but they’re fine, and it’s not like those people are actually talking to you anyway.

What you genuinely dislike is that, when you’re by the table with the drinks, a girl starts openly flirting with your boyfriend. It’s not subtle, either, with the way she keeps touching his arm and how she laughs at his every word.

For a while, you just stare in disbelief. You know Jungkook is oblivious to that sort of things — probably one more reason why he likes how blunt you are — but you can’t believe her. You wouldn’t necessarily blame the girl for trying, either, if she didn’t know about you. Jungkook’s quite the catch after all, and you understand liking him better than anyone else.

No, it’s the fact that she’s doing it right in front of you, while Jungkook is holding your hand. It feels so— dismissive. So insulting. She’s not exactly saying to your face that she doesn’t take you seriously, but she might as well.

You watch incredulously when she puts her hand on his arm one more time. You don’t know how you’re supposed to handle that, so you just tug on Jungkook’s hand a little awkwardly. You’re pleased by how quickly his attention snaps to you, even while the girl is in the middle of her sentence. It’s a petty sentiment, for sure, but you can’t help it.

“Everything okay?” he asks. “Is it too loud in here?”

“Kind of, but—”

“Let’s find you a quieter place.”

He forgets about the drink he wanted to get, forgets about the girl, who he abandons there unceremoniously, gently pulling you through the room. Next thing you know, he’s carefully closing the doors of the closet he’s found for the two of you behind you.

“There,” he says, sounding satisfied with himself. “Better?”

You chuckle at that and, guessing for him in the half-light, you pull him towards you for a kiss. You press your body against his, pushing him against the back of the closet, and a groan forms in his throat. His hands tighten around you, sending shivers through your entire being, and you only lean into him more. You run your fingers over his chest, just to feel him tremble under your touch and he does, hissing with pleasure at the contact.

“Fuck,” he mumbles into your mouth. “Was that— was that what you had in mind?”

You shake your head, and he’s close enough to feel it.

“That girl was flirting with you,” you tell him.

“Oh. Are you sure?”

You are.

“So… are you jealous? Because that’s kind of hot.”

You laugh softly. Truth is, you really, really don’t want to be the jealous girlfriend, but Jungkook actually sounds happy about the idea.

“You really didn’t notice?”

There’s a moment of silence.

“I didn’t. Does that— Did it bother you, that she was doing that?”

“Kind of,” you shrug. “What about you? You’re— cool with that?”

“If it bothers you I don’t like it,” he replies simply, one of his hand leaving your waist to grab yours and squeeze it gently. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice.”

That makes you chuckle.

“How didn’t you? She would have made it barely more obvious if she had started undressing herself.”

Jungkook has an awkward laugh, and you can feel his breath on your face. He starts fidgeting, but then you press a kiss right at the corner of his lips, and he calms down, if just a little.

“It’s— You have to promise you won’t make fun of me.”

“I won’t.”

He hesitates a second longer, as though he’s trying to judge your sincerity by looking at you — except, of course, he can barely see a thing in here. You kiss him again, following his jaw, and he finally gives in when you start making your way down his neck.

“When I’m with you, it’s like my vision narrows on you,” he says, voice low. “I know everything and everyone else is still there, but I just think about you. Sorry, it’s really stupid.”

“It’s not,” you say, shaking your head, wondering if he can feel your heart beating stupidly fast in your chest, all because his words make you feel like nothing else ever has before. “But I’m— I’m kind of boring. That can’t be fun.”

“You’re not boring,” he protests. “You listen to people, even when you don’t look like it. You always look like you have a thousand things on your mind but you always make time for your friends, and when you’re studying here, you play with your hair.” He twirls a lock of your hair around one of his fingers before releasing it, as if to demonstrate. “You’re a very, very interesting person to look at.”

The only thing you can do is stay there, frozen in his arms, after he’s said that. You may be blunt, but Jungkook is honest. Devastatingly so. His vulnerability always shatters the walls that you’ve built around yourself, and you still don’t know how to react when that happens.

So you push yourself on your tiptoes to kiss him again, except this time it’s slow and gentle and you’re trying to put everything he means to you into it. The tip of your fingers are on his cheeks, your mouth barely moving against his, soft noises filling the closet. Jungkook remains still, letting you in complete control, like he’s afraid he could break you if he moved.

“Thank you,” you whisper when you pull away from him.

“For what?” he asks, breathless.

“For being here with me tonight, and for coming with me at that first party.”

“Of course. Any time.”

He lets himself fall to the floor, taking you down with him and keeping you into his lap once he’s done that. You rest your head against his chest. You hear the noises of the party still going on outside, but Jungkook is your island of peace in the middle of the chaos.

“I think I’m going to stop basketball,” Jungkook blurts out without a warning, and you look at him, surprised.

“Really?” you ask.

“Yeah. Really. I just— I don’t want to be doing that anymore.”

You think about it for a few seconds, then nod.

“You probably should stop, in that case.”

“People are… not going to be happy about it.”

“I’m sure Taehyung won’t be mad at you. Well, not for too long.”

He laughs softly, but his hold on you doesn’t relax, and you know that this was hard for him to even consider. You know it’s a terrifying decision to take, too.

“Thank you,” he says. “For being here with me tonight, too.”

“Any time.”

The truth is, you wouldn’t give that moment away for anything in the world, and something tells you Jungkook wouldn’t either. It’s not ideal, it’s not perfect, but you don’t believe there is such a thing, and you’re happy to satisfy yourself with the imperfect.

But any moment you can spend in Jungkook is as close to perfect as can be.

“I love you,” he whispers in your ear, and you think that he might feels the same way, which almost makes you burst with happiness.

“And I love you,” you whisper back.

Not perfect, perhaps. But close enough.