#this movie is so pretty i had such a hard time choosing which shots to use

[itendtothinkalot]

mr oh so popular (grumpy x sunshine ish)

summary: your life has always been pretty normal—nothing too exciting, just the usual. but then, bam! you walk past the campus heartthrob, yeonjun, only to find him face down on the ground, knocked out cold. and of course, your best friend insists on dragging him home to nurse him back to health. but here's the twist—why is he not as awful as you thought he'd be???

genre: flluff

characters: yeonjun x f!reader, best friend!beomgyu

words: 14k

warnings: period talk i guess, cuss words

There’s something magical about walking across campus at night. It’s quiet, the stars are out, and the looming stress of exams feels a little less crushing. Well, until your best friend opens his mouth.

“You know, if I had superpowers, I’d probably choose invisibility,” Beomgyu declared, waving a half-eaten popsicle like a scepter.

“That’s unoriginal,” you said, kicking a stray pebble across the pavement. “What’s the point of invisibility anyway?”

“Uh, everything? Sneaking into movie theaters. Skipping boring lectures. Spying on people to see what they say about me—”

You stopped walking and shot him a look. “Beomgyu, no one is talking about you. Or me. We're invisible enough.”

Beomgyu groaned, clutching his chest dramatically. “Ouch. Speak for yourself. I am not invisible.”

You raised an eyebrow, silently daring him to prove it. Right on cue, the sounds of cheering and laughter erupted from the quad, where a small crowd had gathered.

“Case in point.” Beomgyu pointed toward the commotion. At the center of it all, like a deity holding court, was none other than Choi Yeonjun.

There he was, perched on a bench, his grin brighter than the lampposts around him. Someone had thrown a varsity jacket over his shoulders, and it only made him look more cool (which you would never admit to anyone). People hung on his every word, laughing at jokes that probably weren’t even funny. Typical.

Beomgyu sighed, pointing at the popular male. “Y’know what, I changed my answer! That’s the kind of power I’d want. Not invisibility—charisma.”

You scoffed. “Charisma isn’t a superpower.”

“Tell that to him.” Beomgyu jabbed his popsicle stick in Yeonjun’s direction, where he’d just effortlessly flipped a water bottle, earning cheers like he’d just solved world hunger.

“Ugh.” You groaned, grabbing Beomgyu’s sleeve to pull him away before he started gawking in public. “I don’t get the hype. He’s not even that hot.”

“Not even that hot?” Beomgyu scoffed, raising an eyebrow. “Come on, you have to admit he’s objectively good-looking. Like, the guy could model for a skincare commercial. Dude’s poreless.”

“Sure, if you’re into guys who have a cardboard personality” you muttered.

Beomgyu snorted. “I’m just saying, there’s a reason half the campus follows him around like lost puppies. He’s got charisma or… something.”

“Well, good for him,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Meanwhile, the rest of us are just trying to survive finals week without a parade every time we turn in a paper.”

Here’s the thing about you two: You’d like to think you’re invisible to the student body, but that’s only half true. You’re invisible. Beomgyu, on the other hand, is doing just fine socially. Not popular, but just cool enough to get invited to parties and group chats. And yet, here he was, sticking to you like glue.

He calls it loyalty. You call it his inability to let go. Not that you minded. You loved him as much as he loved you.

Listen, you weren’t considered lame. You weren’t “unpopular”. You just… never stood out. Regular clothes. Regular reputation. Just… regular. It didn’t bother you most of the time. But when you stood next to Beomgyu—who, on his worst day, could still charm an entire room—it was hard not to feel like his boring sidekick.

“You know what your problem is?” Beomgyu asked suddenly, breaking you out of your thoughts.

“Hmm, let me guess,” you said dryly. “I don’t appreciate Yeonjun enough?”

“Well, yeah, but also, you don’t try to stand out. Like, at all. Maybe if you wore something other than jeans and that same hoodie every day—”

“It’s comfortable,” you snapped, defensively tugging at your hoodie.

“Comfortable doesn’t get you noticed,” Beomgyu countered, skipping ahead of you and turning to walk backward so he could wag his finger at you. “Look, you’re pretty but you’re always–”

“Gyu. I don’t want to be noticed,” you muttered, but your protest was drowned out by a sudden loud cheer coming from the quad.

Both of you turned instinctively. Of course, it was Yeonjun again, grinning like a celebrity as someone snapped a picture of him doing… I don’t know, something amazing. He could probably sneeze and get a standing ovation.

Beomgyu sighed dramatically. “Dude, just look at him”

You groaned and kept walking. “Let’s just get back to the apartment before you write him a fan letter.”

Beomgyu chuckled but didn’t argue.

—

“Crap.”

The word slipped out of your mouth before you could stop it. Beomgyu, who had been sprawled across the couch scrolling on his phone, glanced over at you with a raised brow.

“What’s your problem?” he asked, not even bothering to sit up.

“I think…” you trailed off, your face already flushing with embarrassment. “Ugh. I think I just got my period.”

Beomgyu blinked at you for a solid three seconds before casually returning his gaze to his phone. “So? Deal with it like you always do.”

“I can’t!” you snapped, flailing your arms. “I’m out of everything. Pads. Tampons. Literally everything.”

“Okay…?” He looked at you blankly, clearly not understanding the gravity of the situation.

“Okay? Beomgyu, this is an emergency. We need to go to the convenience store. Now.”

“We?” he repeated, his voice laced with protest. “Why do I have to come? You can go by yourself. You’re a fully functioning human with feet and hands.”

You shot him a glare, “Because I don’t want to walk there alone in the middle of the night, and you’re supposed to be my best friend. Remember? Loyalty and all that BS.”

He groaned dramatically, dragging his hands down his face. “This is not what I signed up for..”

“Oh, please. Like you’re doing anything important.” You gestured to his phone. “Come on, Beomgyu. You’re being useless, as always.”

“That’s Mr. Useless to you,” he grumbled, but he finally sat up, grabbing his jacket off the armrest. “Fine. Let’s go. But I’m not carrying anything embarrassing.”

“You’re carrying the basket,” you said, already grabbing your own jacket.

“What—? Hey! No way! You’re just gonna fill it up with feminine products and egh…”

The walk to the convenience store wasn’t too long, but Beomgyu made sure to complain the entire way.

“Why can’t you just stockpile this stuff like a normal person?” he whined, dragging his feet as you power-walked ahead of him.

“Why can’t you just shut up and help me?” you shot back.

The fluorescent lights of the convenience store were a welcome relief. You beelined for the feminine products aisle while Beomgyu lingered by the snacks, pretending he wasn’t with you.

“CHOI BEOMGYU!” You called him over. 

He looked up as if embarrassed to be around you, “Don’t use my maiden name in public like this!”

“Hurry up!” you called over your shoulder.

He reluctantly shuffled over, standing awkwardly next to you as you scanned the shelves. “Do you really need me for this?”

“Yes, because if I faint from blood loss, someone needs to carry me out,” you said dramatically, grabbing a pack of pads and throwing it into his arms.

He caught it, holding it like it was a live grenade. “Why am I holding this?”

“Because you’re the basket now,” you said, grabbing another pack just in case.

“Oh my god, wait—why is this, like, 16 inches?” Beomgyu asked, holding up a pack of pads like it was radioactive. His eyes were wide with genuine horror. “How big is your vagina?”

You shot him a deadpan look. “I don’t see you complaining when you’re telling me stories about you and your girlfriend.”

“Ex-girlfriend!” he corrected, practically shouting. “And I told you not to bring her up.”

“Oh, please. You’ll be calling her tomorrow, begging her to take you back. Like you always do.”

“I’ve matured since our breakup,” he insisted, puffing out his chest in mock dignity.

“You broke up yesterday.”

Beomgyu sighed dramatically, letting his arms go limp, the packs of feminine products dangling helplessly. “I don’t get paid enough for this friendship.”

“You don’t get paid at all,” you reminded him, already walking toward the register.

“And that is the problem,” he muttered under his breath, trailing after you with the enthusiasm of a kid being dragged to the dentist.

At the register, the cashier barely blinked at the assortment of items Beomgyu dumped onto the counter, but he was already bracing himself for humiliation.

“Don’t say anything,” he whispered to you through gritted teeth as the cashier scanned the pads.

“I wasn’t going to,” you replied innocently, though you couldn’t hide the smirk tugging at your lips.

Beomgyu glared at you, clearly regretting every decision that had led him to this moment.

As the cashier handed over the bag, Beomgyu grabbed it like he couldn’t get out of there fast enough. “Let’s go. Now.”

The walk back was surprisingly quiet—at least until Beomgyu couldn’t keep his mouth shut anymore.

“You know,” he said, breaking the silence, “I feel like I’ve just leveled up as a person. Like, this is a huge character development for me. I should probably put ‘Women’s Rights Activist’ on my Tinder profile.”

You snorted, shifting the bag in your arms. “Right…because you didn’t just complain the whole time we were in there.”

“I’ve changed…I am in fact the world’s best Female Supporter. Write that down.” he declared, nudging your shoulder.

“You’re not right but not wrong either,” you said dryly, rolling your eyes. “But don’t flatter yourself too much. You’re just barely tolerable to the female specimen.”

“Admit that I’m an amazing best friend though,” he said, flashing you a grin. “You’d be lost without me.”

“You’re right,” you conceded, smirking as you turned the corner toward your apartment complex. “Who else would I drag into my nonsense?”

He threw his arms out dramatically, like some tragic hero in a play. “Exactly. I’m basically a saint. Carrying the weight of this friendship on my—”

He froze mid-sentence, and you almost bumped into him.

“Can’t you see where you’re going, you noob?” you groaned, peeking around him—and stopped dead in your tracks.

Right there, sprawled across the pavement in front of the building like a very poorly placed mannequin, was none other than Yeonjun, the school’s King himself.

“Is… is he dead?” Beomgyu whispered, clutching your arm in a panic.

“Why would you say that?!” you hissed, smacking his hand away.

“He’s not moving! Look at him!”

And he wasn’t. Yeonjun, campus royalty and the undisputed king of cool, was lying face down in the middle of the pathway. His designer sneakers were scuffed, his shirt was wrinkled, and his golden hair was sticking up in about twenty different directions.

“We should call someone,” you muttered, reaching for your phone.

Before you could dial, Yeonjun stirred, groaning like something out of a zombie movie. Beomgyu yelped and practically jumped behind you.

“He’s alive!” Beomgyu whisper-shouted, like that made things any less terrifying.

“Barely, he’s drunk like hell.” you muttered.

And then it happened. Yeonjun pushed himself up on shaky arms, blinked at you both with bleary, unfocused eyes… and promptly threw up all over the pavement.

Both of you screamed.

—

You knew Choi Beomgyu was going to be the death of you one day. He was too kind for his own good, and you were convinced that if an armed robber ever needed help, Beomgyu would probably assist them without realizing the situation. He was nice. Too nice.

“I still don’t see why we had to help him,” you muttered, crossing your arms as you leaned against the kitchen doorway.

“He was lying on the ground in the middle of the night,” Beomgyu said, grabbing a glass from the cupboard.

“And?” you countered. “Maybe his friends ditched him for a reason. Ever think about that? What if it’s some kind of prank?”

“It’s 12 AM, not exactly prank o’clock,” Beomgyu replied, filling the glass with water. “I’ll grab him some painkillers. Just keep an eye on him, okay?”

“Why do I have to stay with him? What if he wakes up and murders me?” you protested.

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Beomgyu said with a roll of his eyes. “He’s barely conscious. Relax.”

And with that, Beomgyu disappeared into the bathroom, leaving you alone with the stranger.

You turned your gaze to Yeonjun, sprawled out on the couch like some tragic hero from a drama. His disheveled hair framed a face that was undeniably handsome, even with the faint scent of alcohol still lingering in the air. At least Beomgyu had cleaned him up and changed him out of his puke-soaked clothes into something fresh.

With hesitant steps, you approached him, unable to resist examining his face more closely. He looked peaceful like this, his breathing steady.

Then his eyes fluttered open.

You screamed, stumbling back.

“Whoa, whoa!” Yeonjun groaned, holding up a hand as if to shield himself from your outburst. His voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper. “What’s your problem?”

“My problem?” you snapped, heart racing. “You’re the one who just woke up like a zombie in the middle of the night!”

Yeonjun winced, pressing a hand to his temple. “Can you not yell? Feels like my head’s splitting in two.”

You froze, unsure of what to do. Beomgyu had left you alone with this stranger, and now he was awake and talking. Great. 

“Where… am I?” Yeonjun croaked, his voice hoarse.

“Our apartment,” you replied curtly, motioning to the space around him. “You passed out on the street like an idiot. Beomgyu thought it’d be fun to drag you here instead of letting you rot out there like a normal person would.”

Yeonjun blinked, the name striking a faint chord in his alcohol-muddled mind. “Beomgyu?” he repeated, the syllables sluggish on his tongue.

“That’s me!” Beomgyu chimed as he entered the room, balancing a glass of water in one hand and a bottle of painkillers in the other. He grinned at Yeonjun, his usual sunny demeanor unbothered by the tension. “Hey, glad you’re awake! Here, drink this.”

Yeonjun looked between the two of you, his confusion deepening. “Wait… you both found me on the floor of…where?”

“Yeah,” Beomgyu replied cheerfully, handing over the water and pills. “You were passed out outside the convenience store. We couldn’t just leave you there.”

“We could’ve,” you muttered, narrowing your eyes at Beomgyu.

Beomgyu ignored you and focused on Yeonjun. “You didn’t look like you were in any shape to get home on your own, so we brought you here.”

Yeonjun hesitated, taking the glass of water with an awkward nod. “Thanks, I guess… but, uh, do I know you guys?”

“I’m Beomgyu,” Beomgyu answered, flashing a smile. He gestured toward you, introducing you. “Pretty sure we share a few classes.”

You gave a nonchalant shrug, clearly unimpressed.

Yeonjun squinted, his mind struggling to place you both. “Yeah, you do look kind of familiar…”

“Kind of?” you scoffed. “Unbelievable. You pass out drunk, and now you can’t even remember who dragged you off the sidewalk. Typical.”

“Don’t mind her,” Beomgyu said, brushing off your snarky tone. “She’s just cranky because it’s past her bedtime.”

You shot him a glare. “Cranky because you invited a total stranger into our apartment without asking. Much less one that reeks of alcohol.”

Yeonjun, still processing everything, shifted uncomfortably on the couch. “So… this is your apartment? Like, you two live together?”

“Obviously,” you replied. “Welcome to our apartment. We’re kind of like Good Samaritans. Except I’m not.”

Yeonjun let out a weak laugh, unsure if he should be offended or amused. “Well, uh… thanks, I guess. I owe you one?”

“You owe me nothing,” you said with a smirk. “But you owe Beomgyu. Big time.”

Beomgyu chuckled, waving off the comment. “Just rest for now. Drink the water and take the painkillers. We’ll figure out the rest later.”

Yeonjun nodded, sipping the water slowly. He couldn’t help but notice the way Beomgyu’s easy-going warmth contrasted sharply with your sharp tongue. Despite the headache and the awkward situation, a strange comfort crept into his chest.

“I’ll try to remember this,” Yeonjun muttered with a faint smile.

“You better,” you said, rolling your eyes. “Because if this happens again, I’m leaving you on the sidewalk next time.”

Beomgyu just laughed, shaking his head. “Don’t listen to her. She acts tough, but she’s nice deep down.”

“Deep, deep down,” you corrected.

Yeonjun chuckled despite himself. He had no idea how he ended up here, but something told him this wasn’t going to be the last time he saw the two of you.

You had gone to bed, hoping the night would pass quickly so you could finally deal with the unexpected guest in your living room. Helping people wasn’t the issue—you just hated helping those who didn’t seem to need it. Besides the fact he was piss drunk in the middle of the night after what seems like a frat party…seems like a life choice. 

But sleep wouldn’t come. You’d been tossing and turning for over an hour, and Beomgyu’s loud snores echoed through the paper-thin walls of your apartment. With a groan of frustration, you gave up and decided to warm some milk, an old remedy that usually worked.

As you shuffled toward the kitchen, you noticed Yeonjun sitting on the couch, hunched over his phone, scrolling aimlessly. You hesitated, torn between retreating to avoid interaction or saying something. Socializing wasn’t exactly your strong suit, and starting a conversation felt like scaling a mountain.

Before you could decide, Yeonjun broke the silence.

“What do girls mean when they say they want a break?” he asked, turning to look at you.

Caught off guard, you paused mid-step, clutching the mug in your hand. For a moment, you considered ignoring the question entirely. But the earnest look in his eyes made it hard to brush him off.

You sighed, setting your mug on the counter as you leaned against the kitchen doorway. "That’s... a loaded question," you replied cautiously, eyeing him. "Depends on the girl, I guess. What’s the context?"

Yeonjun let out a soft, bitter laugh and ran a hand through his hair, making it stick up in messy tufts. "My girlfriend said she needed a break. No explanation, no real reason. Just… ‘I think we should take a break.’ What’s that even supposed to mean?"

You tilted your head, considering his words. "Could mean a lot of things," you said, grabbing the carton of milk from the fridge. "Maybe she’s overwhelmed. Maybe she’s bored. Or maybe she wants to break up but doesn’t want to say it outright."

His face fell, and you immediately regretted the bluntness.

"Sorry," you added quickly, pouring the milk into your mug. "I didn’t mean to sound harsh. It’s just… it’s better to be honest about what it could mean, right?"

Yeonjun leaned back against the couch, his phone forgotten in his lap. "Yeah, I guess. But I don’t get it. I thought everything was fine between us. We didn’t even fight. It came out of nowhere."

You turned on the stove, the faint hum of the burner filling the silence as you stirred the milk absently. "Sometimes it’s not about fighting," you said after a pause. "Sometimes people just… drift. Or they need time to figure things out. Doesn’t mean it’s your fault."

He stared at the ceiling, his jaw tightening. "It feels like it is, though. Like maybe I wasn’t enough."

You frowned, feeling an unfamiliar pang of sympathy. This wasn’t your usual realm of expertise, but seeing him so dejected tugged at something in you.

"You know," you started, glancing at him, "if she really cares about you, she’ll come back. And if she doesn’t, well… maybe she wasn’t the right person anyway."

Yeonjun turned his head to look at you, a faint, almost sad smile playing on his lips. "You sound like you’ve been through this before."

You snorted, turning back to your milk. "Not at all. I’m just good at reading people. Comes with the territory of being socially inept."

That earned you a soft chuckle, and the sound surprised you. It was the first time he’d laughed all night.

"Thanks," he said after a moment, his voice quieter. "For not sugarcoating it."

You shrugged, pulling the mug off the burner and pouring the warm milk into your cup. "Anytime. But don’t expect me to turn into a therapist or anything."

He nodded, his smile growing a little stronger. "Got it. No therapy sessions… just unsolicited midnight wisdom."

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the small smirk that tugged at your lips.

“You want some?” you asked, pouring another glass of warm milk.

Yeonjun nodded, leaning back against the couch. “If you’d let me.”

“I asked, didn’t I?” You slid the glass toward him, the faint clink breaking the quiet.

He smiled as he took it. “Thanks. You know, now that I’m more sober, you’re actually a lot less scary than I thought.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Scary? You thought I was scary?”

“Well,” he began, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips, “I was drunk, passed out, and your initial idea was to leave me on the street.”

You shrugged, unfazed. “The drunk thing seems to be on your own accord, so… not really my problem if you ended up like that, now is it?”

Yeonjun chuckled softly, shaking his head. “You’re brutally honest, aren’t you?”

“Only to people who can take it.”

“And you think I can?”

“People are probably telling you every day how much they love you or want to be with you,” you said, your tone matter-of-fact. “I figure you can handle a couple of reality checks once in a while.”

Yeonjun blinked, then smirked. “Oh, so you pay attention to me?”

“It’s literally hard not to,” you retorted, crossing your arms. “You’ve got a whole posse everyone looks up to on campus. You’re kind of hard to miss.”

He leaned forward slightly, resting his elbow on his knee. “Huh. And here I thought I was invisible to you.”

You rolled your eyes. “Not invisible, just… irrelevant. Until now.”

He laughed at that, his eyes crinkling at the edges. “Wow. You really don’t hold back, do you?”

“Why would I? You asked.” You sipped your milk nonchalantly, but you couldn’t help noticing the glimmer of genuine amusement in his gaze.

“Well,” he said, raising his glass in a mock toast, “here’s to being ‘less irrelevant.’”

You huffed out a quiet laugh despite yourself. “Don’t push your luck.”

“And if it counts for something,” Yeonjun added, his tone softening, “I really liked your speech last term. The one at the student rally—about climate change?”

You froze mid-sip, staring at him. “What?”

“It was you, right?” he pressed, tilting his head slightly. “You organized the whole thing?”

Your mind raced. No one had ever given you credit for the rally before. Most people either didn’t notice or assumed someone else was behind it. It wasn’t that you did it for recognition, but hearing Yeonjun bring it up left you momentarily speechless.

“Yeah,” you said finally, setting your mug down. “That was me.”

Yeonjun nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “I thought so. It was really good. You had everyone paying attention, and I don’t just mean your speech. The whole event—it felt… important. You made it feel important.”

You blinked, unsure how to respond. Compliments, especially about something you’d poured so much effort into, weren’t exactly something you were used to.

“Well,” you mumbled, trying to sound nonchalant, “it’s not like I did it alone. There was a team.”

“Sure,” he said, his smile widening slightly, “but teams still need someone to lead them. And that was you, wasn’t it?”

The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard, and for a moment, the usual sarcasm you armed yourself with felt unnecessary.

“Thanks,” you said quietly, your voice softer than usual. “That means… something.”

Yeonjun studied you for a moment before his smirk returned. “See? You’re not as scary as you think.”

You rolled your eyes, but this time, the gesture felt lighter. “Don’t get used to it.”

“Too late,” he teased, raising his glass to take another sip of the milk. “I think I might be warming up to you.”

You huffed, shaking your head as you turned back toward the kitchen. “Good luck with that.”

—

The next morning, when you woke up, Yeonjun was already gone. On the coffee table, he’d left a note and, for some reason, a $10 bill. You rolled your eyes, though you couldn’t stop the small smile that crept onto your face. You weren’t running a hostel, that was for sure.

Beomgyu wandered into the living room, rubbing his eyes, and picked up the note. “Ten bucks?” he said, raising an eyebrow. “Does he think we’re a bed and breakfast for broke drunk kids? Also, why couldn’t it be a twenty?”

“What a switch-up from the ass-kisser last night,” you teased, grabbing the note from his hand.

“I couldn’t taint my image in front of campus royalty himself,” Beomgyu shot back, clutching his chest dramatically.

“Oh, shut up,” you said, already heading toward the bathroom. “We’re gonna be late if you don’t get your ass ready.”

As Beomgyu disappeared to get dressed, you glanced at the note again.

Thanks for the milk and the reality check. Maybe see you both on campus sometime?

It was signed with a small doodle of a smiley face, and you couldn’t help but shake your head. 

Later that day, as you rushed through the crowded hallways of campus, you spotted Yeonjun. He was surrounded by his usual group, his laugh ringing out above the chatter. For a moment, his eyes met yours across the sea of students. He nodded before turning away.

Typical. 

You knew nothing would be different. One night and a single conversation didn’t change anything, especially with someone like Yeonjun. It wasn’t as if his whole life hinged on that brief interaction. You and Beomgyu took your usual seats in the corner of the campus café, bantering like you always did.

You were mid-laugh at one of Beomgyu’s dramatic impressions when you felt a tap on your shoulder. Turning around, you found yourself face-to-face with Yeonjun.

“Hey!” he said, his smile easy and confident, like he’d done this a hundred times before.

You blinked, momentarily caught off guard. “Uh, hey?”

Beomgyu arched an eyebrow, looking between the two of you. “Royalty graces us with his presence,” he quipped under his breath, loud enough for only you to hear.

Yeonjun chuckled, clearly unbothered. “Mind if I join you guys for a bit?”

“Sure,” you said before Beomgyu could say something snarky. You gestured to the empty chair across from you.

Yeonjun slid into the seat, setting down his bag. “So, I’ve been thinking about last night.”

“Oh no,” Beomgyu muttered dramatically, earning a light kick under the table from you.

Yeonjun grinned but stayed focused on you. “You were right.”

“About what?” you asked, genuinely puzzled.

“About the reality check,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “You said people tell me what I want to hear all the time, and... yeah, you weren’t wrong. It’s refreshing to hear someone call me out instead of sugarcoating everything.”

You shrugged, unsure how to respond. “I wasn’t trying to give you some big epiphany. Just speaking the truth.”

“And I appreciated it,” Yeonjun said. “I’m not here to make it weird or anything. I just... wanted to say thanks. Also, you guys were a lot cooler about the whole drunk mess thing than most people would’ve been.”

“See?” Beomgyu piped up, smirking. “I am cool.”

Yeonjun laughed, and for a moment, the usual air of aloofness that seemed to follow him was gone.

“Well, if you want to thank us,” you said, crossing your arms, “you could’ve at least left twenty bucks instead of ten.”

Yeonjun raised his hands in mock surrender. “Noted for next time.”

“Next time?” Beomgyu echoed, feigning horror.

Yeonjun shrugged, his grin widening. “What can I say? You guys might be growing on me.” Although his eyes were lingering on yours when he said the latter.

You rolled your eyes, but even you couldn’t hide the small smile tugging at your lips. Maybe, just maybe, one night could change more than you thought.

“Well, I’ll catch up with you later!” Yeonjun said with a wave before getting up and walking off.

You watched him go, and as soon as he was out of earshot, Beomgyu leaned over and poked your cheek with a mischievous grin.

“Ooooh, someone’s got a crush,” he teased.

“No, I don’t,” you shot back, swatting his hand away.

“Your ears are all red just from looking at him,” Beomgyu continued, undeterred.

“Oh, shut up. I just think he’s an okay person, that’s all,” you muttered, feeling the heat on your cheeks.

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Sure, okay. Whatever you say.”

He leaned back in his chair, studying you with a playful smirk. “So what the hell happened last night while I was asleep anyway?”

You sighed, rolling your eyes. “We just talked. That’s it. Besides, he has a girlfriend or whatever.”

Beomgyu’s grin widened. “So you’re one of those kiss-and-don’t-tell types of people?”

“For the love of god, shut up,” you groaned, shoving a donut into his mouth to stop him from saying more.

He chewed, still grinning, but thankfully kept his comments to himself. You couldn’t help but feel a little bit of relief. The whole situation felt like a weird blur, but it wasn’t like you owed anyone explanations—least of all Beomgyu, who always had something to say.

“I’m just saying,” Beomgyu mumbled around the donut, “You’re not fooling anyone.”

You crossed your arms, giving him a pointed look. “If I say it’s nothing, then it’s nothing.”

Beomgyu grinned, clearly not convinced, but dropped the subject for now. "Whatever, you're still blushing."

“Shut up, Beomgyu,” you muttered again, but this time, you couldn’t quite stop the smile that tugged at your lips.

Beomgyu stood up, giving you a playful nudge. “You know, if you wanted to talk more about Yeonjun, I’m all ears. I won’t tell anyone. Promise.”

You shot him a look, then grabbed your bag, shoving it over your shoulder. “I’m not talking about him. Ever. End of story.”

Beomgyu chuckled, following you out of the café. “Sure, sure. We’ll see about that.”

—

It was one of those rare times when Beomgyu wasn’t glued to your side. Usually, he was either at band practice, you were holed up in the library, or both. So, here you were, typing away at your thesis, getting lost in your thoughts, when you felt the chair next to you squeak as someone sat down. Not that you cared; the library was always packed on a Friday evening.

“Hey!”

You looked up to find Yeonjun grinning at you, his smile nearly infectious.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you. I saw Beomgyu, and he told me you’d be here. Looks like he knows you super well!”

You blinked in surprise, not quite sure how to react. The last time you saw him, things were casual, but this felt a bit more… personal? You adjusted in your seat, offering a small, polite smile.

“Oh, uh, yeah. He knows me better than I’d like to admit,” you said, feeling a bit awkward.

Yeonjun chuckled, his eyes still sparkling. “He said you’d be buried in work. You really take your studies seriously, huh?”

You shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious. “I mean, I have to. It’s due soon.”

“I get that,” Yeonjun said, leaning back in his chair with a relaxed smile. “I’m actually impressed you’re still here. I would’ve bailed a while ago.”

“I’m just used to it,” you replied, glancing back at your screen. “I’ve got to finish this.”

The conversation lapsed into a quiet hum until you looked up at him, confused. “W... why were you looking for me? Do you need something?”

“Oh, I just… had fun talking to you the other night,” Yeonjun said casually, as if asking you out wasn’t the most difficult thing in the world. “I was wondering if you wanted to grab dinner after this.”

He smiled, that damn perfect smile that made your heart skip a beat. You were caught off guard. You’d thought what happened the other night was just a one-time thing. You didn’t expect an actual friendship—or more—to come out of it.

“You want to have dinner with me?” you asked, raising an eyebrow. “Alone?”

Yeonjun leaned back in his chair, looking at you with a playful glint in his eyes. “Are you gonna murder me?”

You shook your head, laughing despite yourself. “No, I’m not gonna murder you.”

He cracked a smile. “Then yeah. I do. I think dinner with you sounds pretty good.”

You stared at him for a moment, trying to read the situation. It wasn’t like you didn’t enjoy his company; it was more the suddenness of it all. But something about the way he asked—like it was a simple, natural thing—made you pause. Maybe you were overthinking it.

“Alright,” you said with a shrug, trying to sound casual. “I just have a couple of pages left. You can just…do something else first while you wait. I don’t want to bore you.”

“No, I’ll wait.” He smiled, resting his head in his arms on the table, turning to face you with a bright grin on his face.

You raised an eyebrow, glancing up at him. “You’re just gonna stare at me for the next hour or so?”

“Yeonjun smirked, his gaze never leaving you. “I don’t mind. You’re much more interesting than any textbook.”

You couldn’t help but feel your cheeks warm slightly, but you kept your cool. “Is that so?”

He nodded.

You ignored him, focusing on your work, trying to push back the heat creeping up on your cheeks. You hoped he couldn't tell just how nervous you were with him sitting right next to you.

How were you even supposed to react? The only guy you ever hung out with was Beomgyu, and the two of you couldn’t be more platonic if you tried.

“Hey, so like, are the two of you dating?” Yeonjun asked, breaking the silence.

You looked up from your paper, staring at Yeonjun for a moment before bursting out laughing. “Me and Beomgyu? No? No. That’s gross. No. No. Never.”

“That’s a mildly offensive reaction that I will not tell Beomgyu about.”

“Oh, trust me, he’d give you the same response if you asked him.”

Yeonjun chuckled. “You two just seem attached at the hip.”

“Well, he’s my only friend, and somehow he’s clingier to me than I am to him. I don’t know why.”

“It could be because you’re really great company.”

“Oh, who else would think that?”

“Me?”

“We’ve had one conversation—”

“Two,” he corrected, grinning.

“Two conversations,” you repeated, rolling your eyes.

Yeonjun raised an eyebrow, leaning in slightly closer. “I don’t know… I think we’re off to a solid start. Besides, it’s rare I actually enjoy talking to someone this much.”

You glanced at him, then smirked. “You seem to have the whole school at your feet. I’m pretty sure you could find someone if you just threw a fish hook out there.”

“Well… they’re not as blunt as you.”

“Do you not have anyone telling you the truth to your face?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I do. My best friends. Soobin, I don’t know if you know him.”

“The tall one who does girl group dances on TikTok?” You chuckled, remembering the viral clips.

Yeonjun laughed, nodding. “Yeah. He’s great, but sometimes, you know, I don’t want him to worry too much. He treats me like his own child sometimes. It’s weird, especially since I’m older.”

You laughed softly at that. “I mean, I get it. Sometimes, friends can be overprotective, even when they don’t need to be.”

“Exactly,” he said, his tone a little more serious now. “But I guess it’s nice to have someone looking out for you.” He paused, giving you a sidelong glance. “Even if it gets a little annoying.”

You couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I get that. Sometimes people just want the best for you, even if it’s a little over the top.”

“Like you and Beomgyu,” Yeonjun said with a teasing grin.

“Are you sure the two of you aren’t a thing?” he asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Positive.”

“Really?” Yeonjun sounded surprised.

“Yeah,” you nodded. “He’s just the only person who gets me.”

The conversation lingered in the air for a moment, and you returned to your work, but this time it felt a little less overwhelming, the atmosphere more relaxed. Maybe this wasn’t so weird after all.

—

At dinner, the atmosphere was calm at first, with you both eating in relative silence. Then, suddenly, Yeonjun slammed his chopsticks down on the napkin, causing you to jump, wide-eyed, and look up at him.

“I want what you and Beomgyu have!” he declared, his voice loud enough to catch the attention of a few nearby tables.

You blinked in confusion. “We have nothing.”

“Precisely,” he said with a sigh, leaning back in his seat. He looked both frustrated and thoughtful. “You remember the girl I told you about? My girlfriend—well, ex, I guess.”

You nodded slowly, unsure of where this conversation was going.

“We’ve been together for two years,” Yeonjun continued, running a hand through his hair. “And lately, I’ve started to realize... maybe I’ve just been keeping her around for comfort.”

You paused, taking in his words. The sincerity in his voice was clear, and it made you reflect on what he was saying. "What do you mean?" you asked carefully.

Yeonjun sighed again, the weight of his thoughts showing. “I don’t think I’m in love with her anymore. At least, not the way I should be. It’s like I’ve been holding on because it’s easy, because it’s familiar. And now... I don’t even know if that’s enough anymore.”

You stared at him for a moment, trying to process what he was admitting. “That sounds tough. But... maybe it’s better to face that now, rather than later.”

“Yeah, I know. I just don’t know what to do about it,” he said, his tone mixed with frustration and uncertainty.

“Sometimes you don’t have to have everything figured out right away. It’s okay to take a step back and think about what you really want. You can’t just keep holding on to something for the sake of comfort.” You spoke slowly, feeling the weight of your own words as they fell between you two.

Yeonjun nodded, though his expression remained conflicted. "I don’t want to hurt her, but I also don’t want to keep pretending. I don't want to be stuck in something out of habit."

You nodded, understanding where he was coming from. "But didn’t she ask for a break?”

“She usually does that to get my attention.” 

“That sounds not at all toxic.” you laughed.

Yeonjun let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know, it’s not healthy. But every time she does that, I feel like I’m losing her. It’s like I’m always on the edge of something—whether it’s fixing things or making them worse.”

You raised an eyebrow, leaning in a bit. “So, it’s the constant cycle of drama keeping you in the relationship? Feels like a never-ending loop.”

He grimaced. “Yeah, pretty much. It's exhausting. But when it’s good, it’s really good, and I guess I keep thinking maybe we’ll get back to that.”

“But that’s the problem, right?” you said softly, your voice gentle but firm. “You’re holding onto the highs because you're afraid of letting go of the lows. But in the end, it’s the pattern that’s unhealthy, not just the relationship itself.”

Yeonjun nodded, the weight of your words sinking in. “I’ve been trying to avoid facing that. It's easier to stay in something familiar than to face the unknown, even if it means staying in a cycle that doesn’t make me happy anymore.”

“Exactly,” you agreed, giving him a knowing look. “It’s scary to let go, especially when you’ve been holding onto something for so long. But sometimes, letting go is the only way forward.”

The conversation lulled once again. You kept your eyes firmly on your plate, despite feeling his gaze on you. His persistence was relentless, especially with that sweet, almost oblivious smile he kept throwing your way.

Geez, it’s like he doesn’t know how cutehe is, you thought, rolling your eyes at yourself.

“Hey,” Yeonjun’s voice broke through your thoughts, soft yet curious. “Did you mean it when you said you’ve never had a boyfriend?”

You nodded nonchalantly, shoving some rice into your mouth. “Yeah.”

“That’s surprising.”

You raised an eyebrow. “How so? I thought it was pretty obvious.” You chuckled, brushing it off with another bite.

“Well, it’s just...you’re so pretty.”

His words hit like a rogue wave. You inhaled sharply, immediately regretting it as the rice caught in your throat. You choked and coughed violently, tears springing to your eyes. Yeonjun froze, wide-eyed.

“Oh my God! Are you okay?!” He reached out, panicking as you thumped your chest, struggling to breathe.

“Water—” you croaked, pointing desperately.

He fumbled for the glass in front of you, but in his haste, managed to knock it over, sending the liquid cascading across the table. Both of you stared at the spreading mess before he scrambled for napkins.

“Seriously?!” you managed to rasp, still half-choking.

“I panicked!” he shot back, dabbing at the table like his life depended on it.

Finally catching your breath, you glared at him, tears streaming down your cheeks from the ordeal. “This—this is your fault!”

He raised his hands defensively, his expression guilt-ridden, before breaking into a sheepish grin. “How is this my fault?!”

You shook your head, not wanting to admit that his words had thrown you completely off guard.

“What? Has no one called you pretty before?” he joked, his tone light and teasing.

You froze, the teasing suddenly landing in a spot you weren’t ready to acknowledge. You looked at him quietly, lips pressing together in a thin line, before turning your gaze away.

His grin faltered, replaced by a soft curiosity. “You’ve…never been called that before?”

“And why would anyone ever call me that?” you said, rolling your eyes in an attempt to deflect, but the slight edge in your voice betrayed you.

“Because you are,” he said simply, his tone devoid of the usual playfulness. “I’ve always thought so.”

You blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his voice. “You’ve always thought so?” you echoed, skeptical.

“Well, yeah.” He shrugged as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “Since the first time I saw you. You just don’t seem to realize it, which is kind of insane.”

Your face warmed, and you tried to mask it with a sarcastic laugh. “Right, and I suppose this is the part where I swoon over you and your grand compliments? Oh great Yeonjun, do sprinkle me with some more compliments!”

Yeonjun chuckled, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. “You can swoon later. For now, I’ll just take the victory of seeing you blush.”

“I’m not blushing,” you retorted, pushing your plate away dramatically.

“Sure, sure,” he said, smirking as he sat back. “Let’s just say you win this argument because I’ve won something else tonight.”

You stared at him, incredulous, before bursting into laughter. “And what is that?”

“An image of you choking on rice.,” he quipped, his grin widening.

“You’re an idiot.” You shook your head, unable to fight the smile tugging at your lips. 

—

Days passed, and before you knew it, Yeonjun started showing up during lunch, casually plopping himself down next to you and Beomgyu like it was the most natural thing in the world. At first, Beomgyu gave him suspicious side-eyes, but Yeonjun’s easy charm wore him down.

Soon enough, Yeonjun began bringing his friend Soobin along. Quiet at first, Soobin would sit awkwardly beside Yeonjun, nibbling on his food while the rest of you chatted. But it didn’t take long for Beomgyu to drag Soobin into his whirlwind of jokes and antics, and suddenly the four of you were a group.

Once or twice a week, the four of you would find yourselves huddled together during lunch or after school, trading stories, cracking jokes, or, in Beomgyu’s case, plotting unnecessarily dramatic ways to prank unsuspecting classmates.

You weren’t sure when it happened, but the dynamic had shifted. What was once just you and Beomgyu had expanded into something bigger—and, maybe, better.

“I can’t believe it’s not just the two of us anymore,” you muttered to Beomgyu one afternoon as you watched Yeonjun and Soobin argue over who was better at Mario Kart.

Beomgyu smirked, leaning back against the cafeteria bench. “Oh, come on, you’re having fun. Just admit it.”

“I was perfectly content with it being just us,” you said, though the small smile tugging at your lips betrayed you. “But… it doesn’t suck having them around too.”

“Yeah, it’s the first time I’ve seen a duo as chaotic as us,” Beomgyu said, motioning toward Yeonjun, who was dramatically accusing Soobin of cheating.

Soobin, clearly exasperated, shoved Yeonjun lightly. “How do you even cheat at Mario Kart? It’s literally luck!”

“You took all the item boxes!” Yeonjun shot back, crossing his arms in mock betrayal.

“Wow,” Beomgyu said, shaking his head with feigned seriousness. “And I thought we were immature.”

“Y’know we can hear you two, right?” Soobin rolled his eyes.

“Kinda counting on it,” you replied with a shrug, sliding onto the bench between Soobin and Yeonjun. “Now, enough. I don’t need the two of you to end up throwing popcorn around like last night.”

“We picked it up straight after,” Soobin defended himself.

“I found two stray kernels behind the couch yesterday,” you shot back, rolling your eyes as you, giving Soobin a playful shove on the arm. "Two. Stray. Popcorn pieces. I rest my case."

Soobin groaned dramatically, holding his hands up in surrender. “Fine, I’m guilty. But next time, I’ll make sure Yeonjun eats all the evidence.”

“Me?” Yeonjun exclaimed, looking offended. “Why me?”

“Because you’re the one who knocked the bowl over in the first place!”

As the three of you bickered, Yeonjun’s gaze shifted for a moment. He noticed the way you laughed at Soobin’s retort, your head tilted slightly as you leaned closer to him. And when Soobin smirked and flicked your shoulder in retaliation, Yeonjun caught the glimmer of fondness in your eyes.

A thought crept into his mind, unbidden and unwelcome: Do they like each other?

He shook his head slightly, trying to push it away. But the more he observed, the harder it was to ignore. Your casual ease around Soobin, the way you teased him without hesitation, and the soft way Soobin seemed to glance at you when he thought no one else was looking—it all painted a picture Yeonjun couldn’t ignore.

“Earth to Yeonjun,” Beomgyu’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Huh?” Yeonjun blinked, realizing everyone was now staring at him.

“You’ve been spacing out for a solid minute,” Beomgyu teased, waving a hand in front of his face.

“Yeah, what’s up with that?” you asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Nothing,” Yeonjun said quickly, plastering on a smile. “I was just thinking about… Mario Kart strategies.”

Soobin snorted. “Sure you were.”

Yeonjun’s smile faltered slightly, but he forced himself to focus on the moment instead of the nagging thoughts in his head. If there was something between you and Soobin, he’d figure it out eventually—or, at the very least, stop thinking about it so much. Or so he hoped. In fact, he didn’t even know why that thought bothered him.

—

You glanced at your watch, then scanned the area for your friends, who were now ten minutes late. Weird, you thought. Sure, they were always late, but for lunch? Never. You were just about to call Beomgyu when his text came through: Gonna be a bit late, sorry! Not long after, Soobin messaged the same thing.

You sighed, already bracing for a solo lunch when a pair of hands suddenly grabbed your shoulders from behind.

“Boo!”

You screamed out of reflex, jerking forward and nearly tripping, only for Yeonjun to catch you by the arms. For a moment, you were staring directly into his eyes, close enough to see the tiny flecks of brown in them. Your face heated up as you pushed him away.

“You—you little shit!” you shouted, your voice louder than you intended. “You scared me!”

Yeonjun burst into laughter, throwing his head back. “Oh, come on, that was barely a scare!”

“Don’t do that!” You smacked his chest lightly, half-annoyed, half-flustered.

Still grinning, Yeonjun checked his phone. “Looks like it’s just the two of us for lunch today.”

“Oh dear god, save me,” you groaned dramatically.

He laughed again, grabbing your arm and pulling you toward the canteen. “Oh, don’t be so dramatic. It'll be fun. Let’s go!”

To be honest, you still felt a little awkward hanging out with Yeonjun alone. You couldn’t stand the attention the two of you seemed to attract. With Soobin and Beomgyu around, there was always someone to deflect the focus, but being alone with someone as popular as Yeonjun was... exhausting.

Every few minutes, a girl would walk up to make a casual pass at him, twirling her hair or giggling at whatever he said, while Yeonjun just smiled politely. If it wasn’t a girl, it was some frat bro bounding over with a fist bump and a loud, “Dude, it’s been forever!”

It was tiring.

You sat across from Yeonjun, trying to focus on your lunch while he chatted casually, seemingly unbothered by the interruptions. When yet another girl sidled up to your table with a too-sweet smile and a “Hi, Yeonjun~,” you couldn’t help but roll your eyes.

When she finally left, you leaned forward and deadpanned, “Is this what your life is like every day? Because I think I’d rather die.”

Yeonjun chuckled, resting his chin in his hand. “Pretty much. Jealous?”

“Not in the slightest,” you shot back, stabbing a piece of chicken with your fork. “I don’t know how you deal with it.”

“Well,” he said, smirking, “having lunch with you is definitely the highlight. You don’t try to flirt with me.”

You choked on your water at his words, coughing violently.

“Are you okay?!” Yeonjun asked, wide-eyed as he handed you a napkin.

“I’m fine,” you wheezed, glaring at him through teary eyes. “Stop saying things like that. You’re gonna kill me.”

Yeonjun just laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he leaned back in his chair. “See? Lunch with me is fun.”

“Sure. If it means being interrupted like a million times,” you sighed softly, taking another bite of your food.

“Though…” He paused, his gaze shifting toward you.

You looked up, raising an eyebrow. “Though what?”

“I did wish you would,” he said, his voice quieter now.

You tilted your head, confused. “Would what?”

“Never mind.” He waved it off quickly, shaking his head. “It’s stupid.”

“Dude…” You narrowed your eyes, now fully intrigued.

He hesitated for a moment, then let out a nervous chuckle. “I wish you would…flirt with me.”

Your fork clattered against your plate as you stared at him, stunned.

“Y’know,” he continued, rubbing the back of his neck, “I get it all the time from other people, but I don’t get it from the one girl who I think would actually be good at it.” He chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head. “It’s stupid, forget I said anything.”

“Why on earth would you think I’d be good at flirting?” you asked, baffled. “I’ve never done that in my entire life.”

Yeonjun smiled, soft and genuine. “Honestly? I think I’d like anything you said to me.”

Your breath caught, and for a moment, you couldn’t form a reply.

“Oh crap, I forgot ketchup,” he said suddenly, standing up. “I’ll be back.”

And just like that, he walked away, leaving you sitting there in stunned silence. His words replayed in your mind—“I think I’d like anything you said to me.”

What was that supposed to mean? Was he just joking, or was there something more to it?

You picked at your food absentmindedly, your thoughts spinning. When Yeonjun returned with his ketchup, he was back to his usual cheerful self, as if he hadn’t just casually dropped that bombshell.

“So, what did I miss?” he asked, settling back into his seat.

“Absolutely nothing,” you replied quickly, avoiding his gaze. But deep down, you knew this lunch had changed something between you—and you weren’t sure how to feel about it.

–

Yeonjun paced his room, running a hand through his hair for what felt like the hundredth time. He couldn’t stop. His thoughts had been circling like a storm, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t find a way to calm the chaos.

What was this feeling?

He’d never felt like this before—this unrelenting, all-encompassing focus on someone. On you.

When he slept, he dreamed of you. When he woke up, you were the first thing on his mind. In class, during every lecture, every fleeting second, he found ways to connect everything back to you. A joke you’d made, the way you furrowed your brow when you were deep in thought, the way you smiled.

What the fuck is wrong with me?

He collapsed onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. Was it your smile? Or maybe it was your silliness—the way you could laugh at yourself and make him laugh, too. Or perhaps it was your honesty. The way you didn’t sugarcoat things. You were real with him in a way no one else ever dared to be.

But then his chest tightened as another thought crept in. The idea of Soobin liking you—of you liking Soobin—it hurt.

It hurt more than it should.

And Beomgyu—Beomgyu knew you better than anyone else. That bond, that closeness. It twisted something in Yeonjun’s chest, a feeling he hated acknowledging.

The idea of anyone liking you, of anyone else being the person you chose, was unbearable.

He groaned, grabbing a pillow and pressing it over his face. What the hell was he supposed to do with these feelings?

He had to get rid of these feelings fast especially since he knew you didn’t feel a single thing for him. 

—

The bass of the music pulsed through Yeonjun’s body as he walked into the crowded house, a drink already being shoved into his hand by a friend he barely recognized. The room was alive with laughter, chatter, and the occasional shrill cheer as someone won at beer pong.

He should feel at home here. Normally, he thrived in this chaos, weaving his way through groups with a charming grin and a quick joke. Tonight, though, the party felt... off. But this was what he needed, right? To get over you.

Yeonjun scanned the room and spotted a girl standing by the bar, her hair falling in soft waves around her shoulders. She caught his eye and smiled, and for a moment, he let himself fall into autopilot.

“Hey,” he greeted smoothly, leaning casually against the counter. “Can I get you a drink?”

She giggled, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Sure. What are you having?”

They exchanged playful banter as he poured her a drink, his usual charm kicking in effortlessly. She laughed at his jokes, leaning closer, and for a second, Yeonjun thought he was doing it—distracting himself, drowning out his thoughts of you.

But then she said something—he didn’t even register what—and her laugh didn’t sound like yours. Her smile didn’t light up her face the way yours did. Her words didn’t carry that teasing edge you always had when you talked to him.

And suddenly, it hit him.

He didn’t want her.

He wanted you.

His hand froze mid-air, the glass he was holding tipping slightly. The girl furrowed her brow, confused. “Are you okay?”

Yeonjun blinked, snapping back to the moment. “Yeah, uh, sorry,” he said quickly, setting the glass down and stepping back. “I just—I need to go.”

Without waiting for her response, he turned and pushed through the crowd, his chest tightening with every step. What the hell was he doing here?

He didn’t want some random girl at a party. He didn’t want to distract himself or pretend his feelings didn’t exist.

He wanted you.

And for the first time, he realized just how badly.

—

The four of you were gathered around your usual table at lunch, the cafeteria alive with chatter and clinking cutlery. You were in the middle of an impassioned rant about how your student rally had antis, your hands animatedly emphasizing every point.

“I mean, can you believe some people still think it’s not real? Like, the science is right there!” you exclaimed, your eyes wide with disbelief.

Yeonjun leaned forward slightly, his chin propped on his hand as he watched you with an almost dreamy expression. He wasn’t really hearing the details of what you were saying—he was too busy soaking in the way your eyes lit up, the determination in your voice, the little wrinkle between your brows when you were especially frustrated.

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow as he noticed Yeonjun’s expression but stayed silent for the moment.

“And don’t even get me started on corporations acting like individual recycling efforts are enough to fix the problem,” you continued, your voice filled with passion. “We need systemic change, not just—ugh, whatever.” You sighed, leaning back and crossing your arms, visibly exasperated.

“You’re so right,” Yeonjun said suddenly, his voice softer than usual, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

You blinked at him, surprised. “Thank you?”

“I need to go to the bathroom,” you said a moment later, standing and grabbing your bag. “I’ll be right back.”

As soon as you were out of earshot, Beomgyu leaned across the table, pointing a fry at Yeonjun. “Okay, what’s your deal?”

“What?” Yeonjun asked, startled, though the tips of his ears turned pink.

“You’ve been staring at her like she hung the moon,” Soobin chimed in, smirking as he sipped his drink. “It’s painfully obvious.”

Yeonjun tried to laugh it off, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, you know,” Beomgyu said, leaning closer, his grin mischievous. “You’re whipped. Admit it.”

Yeonjun groaned, covering his face with his hands. “Can you two not?”

“Dude, it’s fine,” Soobin said, laughing. “Just tell her already. This whole lovesick puppy thing is kind of embarrassing.”

Yeonjun peeked through his fingers, glaring at him. “She doesn’t feel that way about me, okay? So just drop it.”

Beomgyu and Soobin exchanged a look, their teasing smiles softening slightly.

“Well, she’s not going to know if you don’t tell her,” Beomgyu said after a moment, his voice unusually serious.

“Yeah,” Soobin added. “And honestly, she’d be lucky to have you.”

Yeonjun looked down at the table, his heart racing as he replayed the way you’d smiled while talking about something you cared so much about.

Maybe they were right. But the thought of risking your friendship still terrified him. Especially a friendship like yours.

—

The library was unusually quiet for a Wednesday afternoon, save for the occasional rustle of papers or the soft murmur of students whispering to one another. You and Yeonjun had claimed a table in the far corner, textbooks sprawled out in front of you as you both attempted to study. Well, you were attempting; Yeonjun was too busy doodling cartoonish faces on the corner of his notebook and cracking terrible jokes that somehow still managed to make you smile.

“Okay, but seriously, why do you write your notes like this?” he asked, pointing at your color-coded bullet points. “It’s like an art exhibit for highlighters.”

“Because it works,” you replied, swatting his hand away before he could smudge your meticulously written notes. “Maybe if you stopped doodling and actually read the material, you wouldn’t need to borrow my notes every time.”

“I’m a visual learner,” he said with a smirk. “I need diagrams, not words.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. Just as you were about to nudge him for his lack of effort, a shadow fell over your table.

“Hey, Yeonjun,” a girl said, her voice dripping with a mixture of shyness and flirtation. She held a notebook to her chest, her gaze flicking briefly to you before focusing solely on him. “I was wondering if you could help me with something from class.”

Yeonjun blinked, caught off guard. “Me? I’m the last person you should be asking.”

The girl leaned in a little too close, her eyes sparkling. “Oh, c’mon, it’d be fun~”

Your hand froze mid-note. You tried not to react, keeping your gaze fixed on your textbook, but the awkward tension was palpable. Yeonjun, to his credit, just laughed nervously and said, “You could always e-mail your professor,” before the girl finally left, albeit reluctantly.

You barely had time to process the encounter before another girl appeared five minutes later, giggling as she asked him to sign her notebook because it was “a good-luck charm.” Then came another, offering him a snack and batting her eyelashes so furiously you were surprised she could still see.

By the third interruption, you’d had enough. Not because you were angry, but because it was clear you couldn’t get any studying done with 100 girls coming up to get their way to him. You quietly stood, gathering your things. “I’ll give you some space,” you said lightly, trying to sound nonchalant. “Looks like you’ve got a fan club.”

Yeonjun’s head snapped up. “What? No, wait—” He grabbed your wrist before you could step away, his grip firm but gentle. His voice was louder this time, drawing the attention of the girls hovering nearby. “Actually, girls y’know what, I’d really appreciate it if everyone understood that I already have a girlfriend.”

Your eyes widened in shock as he turned to look at the group, a confident grin spreading across his face. 

One of the girls frowned. “Who?”

He pointed directly at you. “Her.”

You stared at him, absolutely floored. “Excuse me?” you whispered harshly.

Yeonjun only shrugged, leaning back in his chair like it was the most natural thing in the world. “What? It’s true. Well, kinda,” he muttered under his breath, low enough that only you could hear.

The girls exchanged looks, clearly skeptical but unwilling to press further. One by one, they walked away, their disappointed expressions oddly satisfying. Once they were gone, you yanked your arm free, glaring at him.

“What the hell was that?” you hissed, your cheeks burning.

Yeonjun grinned, completely unapologetic. “What? You were gonna leave me to fend for myself. I had to do something.”

“You couldn’t just say you weren’t interested like a normal person?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” he said, resting his chin on his hand as he looked at you with a teasing glint in his eyes. “Besides, it worked, didn’t it?”

You groaned, sinking back into your chair. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re still here,” he pointed out, smirking.

“Unfortunately,” you muttered, but you couldn’t help the small smile tugging at your lips.

—

The cafeteria was buzzing with its usual chaos—trays clattering, voices rising, and the occasional shriek of someone almost spilling their drink. You were balancing your lunch tray, trying to make your way to the table where Beomgyu and Soobin were already seated, but as soon as they spotted you and Yeonjun walking in together, their heads whipped toward you like they’d just uncovered the scandal of the century.

The grins on their faces were impossible to ignore.

“So,” Beomgyu began as soon as you sat down, his tone dripping with faux disappointment. “You confessed to my best friend without even telling me?” He sighed dramatically, clutching his chest like you’d personally betrayed him. “I thought we were closer than this.”

You froze mid-bite of your sandwich. “What?”

“Don’t act innocent,” Soobin added, his usually calm demeanor betrayed by the mischievous glint in his eyes. He tilted his head toward Yeonjun, who had taken the seat next to you with the utmost confidence. “We heard about the library incident.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you muttered, glaring at Yeonjun. “This is your fault.”

“My fault?” Yeonjun raised his hands in mock surrender, his grin only widening. “All I did was save you from leaving me alone with those girls.”

“Save me?” you repeated, incredulous. “You told everyone we’re dating!”

“Well,” Beomgyu chimed in, leaning forward with an eyebrow raised, “if you’re not dating, you two sure are doing a great job pretending otherwise. You literally walked in here together.”

You rolled your eyes. “Because we were coming from the same place. That doesn’t mean anything.”

“Uh-huh,” Soobin said, his tone suspiciously neutral. “And sitting next to each other? Laughing like you’re in your own little world? Totally platonic, right?”

“I’m surrounded by idiots,” you muttered, pinching the bridge of your nose. “Nothing is going on. Yeonjun made up the girlfriend thing to get those girls off his back, and somehow, everyone else decided to turn it into a school-wide announcement.”

Beomgyu gasped theatrically. “So you’re fake-dating? This is even better.” He clapped his hands together like he’d just won the lottery. “This is straight out of a drama. What’s next? A contract?”

“Don’t give him any ideas,” you groaned, glancing at Yeonjun, who was clearly enjoying this far too much.

“I mean, it’s not the worst idea,” Yeonjun said, casually leaning back in his chair. “You get fewer annoying questions, I get fewer confessions to deal with—”

“Absolutely not,” you cut him off. “This is not happening.”

“Why not?” Beomgyu said, clearly loving every second of this. “Think about it. You’d make the perfect fake couple. The ‘grumpy and sunshine’ dynamic is a classic.”

“I am not grumpy!” you snapped, and Beomgyu cackled like he’d just proven his point.

Soobin, who had been quietly observing, finally spoke up. “You know, for something fake, you both seem awfully comfortable around each other.”

You stared at him, your brain struggling to form a coherent response. Yeonjun, on the other hand, just smirked.

“See? Even Soobin agrees,” Yeonjun said, shooting you a smug look. “Maybe there’s a reason everyone’s buying it.”

You huffed, crossing your arms. “The only reason everyone’s buying it is because you’re too convincing for your own good.”

“Or,” Beomgyu teased, resting his chin on his hands, “because you’re secretly in love with him.”

You choked on your drink. “I—absolutely not!”

Yeonjun just grinned, leaning closer. “You sure about that?”

—

The café was buzzing with lunchtime chatter as you and Yeonjun settled into your seats. It was supposed to be a group lunch, but Beomgyu and Soobin had bailed last minute, claiming an urgent League of Legends match that couldn’t wait. Typical.

“Well, their loss,” Yeonjun said, popping a fry into his mouth. “More food for us.”

You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help a small smile. “Do you ever get tired of eating fries?”

“Never,” he replied with a grin. “Fries are the love of my life. No offense.”

“And why would that be offensive?” you said dryly, sipping your drink.

Midway through your conversation, Yeonjun stood up. “Gotta use the restroom. Don’t eat all the fries while I’m gone.” He shot you a playful wink before walking off, leaving you to roll your eyes again.

As you sat there scrolling through your phone, a girl approached your table, her perfectly styled hair and designer bag making her stand out. She stopped right in front of you, arms crossed, her gaze sharp.

“Hey,” she started, her tone clipped. “I’ve heard the rumors, and I just have to ask—are you really dating Yeonjun?”

You looked up, mildly surprised by the confrontation. “Uh, I guess. Why?”

Her lips twisted into a skeptical smile. “It’s just... you don’t really seem like his type, you know? No offense.”

You raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “None taken,” you said with a shrug, matching her energy. “But what’s his type, exactly?”

She blinked, clearly not expecting you to stand your ground. “Well... someone more... polished, I guess. Someone who matches his vibe. I’m just saying, you don’t seem like the kind of girl he’d go for.”

You set your drink down and met her gaze directly. “Cool. Thanks for your opinion. Anything else?”

Before she could respond, Yeonjun reappeared, his steps light but his expression sharp as he overheard the conversation. “What’s not to like about her?” he asked casually, sliding back into his seat beside you. His sudden presence made the girl stiffen.

“She’s smart, funny, and gorgeous,” Yeonjun continued, his tone unwavering as he gestured toward you. “And for the record, she’s perfect for me.”

The girl’s mouth opened and closed like she was searching for a response. Finally, she managed to say, “It’s just…You could do so much better.”

Yeonjun tilted his head, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “There’s no such thing as better,” he said, his voice firm. “She’s already the best.”

Without breaking eye contact with the girl, he leaned toward you, his hand resting lightly on your cheek as he pressed a kiss to your lips. Which…well, caught you off guard.

When he pulled back, the girl looked utterly flustered, “I-I...hope the two of you are happy together then. I’m sorry.” she muttered before spinning on her heel and walking away.

Yeonjun turned to you, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “That wasn’t too much, was it?”

You blinked, still processing what had just happened. “Uh... no?” Your cheeks heated up from the sudden intimacy.

“Good,” he said, grabbing another fry like nothing had happened. “Now, where were we?”

—

The cool night breeze swept over the two of you as you walked side by side down the dimly lit street. The sound of your footsteps filled the comfortable silence between you, the faint glow of streetlights illuminating Yeonjun’s sharp features. You stole a glance at him, your heart oddly heavy as you mulled over your thoughts.

“Uh, y’know…” you said softly, your voice barely cutting through the quiet.

“Hm?” he replied, turning his head slightly to look at you, his hands stuffed casually in his jacket pockets.

You hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. “You… you kinda stole my first kiss, you know.”

He stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening in alarm. “Wait, that was your first kiss?” he asked, voice rising with panic. “Oh my God, I didn’t—I didn’t know! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

“Yeonjun,” you interrupted, laughing softly at his frantic apologies. “It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I just kissed you to get that girl to leave, and I didn’t even think—”

“Yeonjun,” you said more firmly, cutting him off again. “I’d rather it be you than anyone else.”

That seemed to stop him in his tracks. He blinked, staring at you withcuriosity. “Really?” he asked, his voice softer now.

You looked away, your cheeks warming despite the cool breeze. “Honestly, I felt like I’d never lose my first kiss anyway,” you admitted, your voice quiet. “I’ve always thought it’d never happen.”

Yeonjun frowned, stepping closer. “What? Why would you think that?”

You shook your head, forcing a smile and attempting to wave it off. “It’s nothing. Let’s not—”

“No,” he interrupted, his tone firm. “Why are you so afraid of liking someone? Or being with someone?”

You bit your lip, looking away. “I just…” You hesitated, unsure if you could even put it into words. Finally, you sighed, the words tumbling out before you could stop them. “I just feel like I wouldn’t be good enough for anyone.”

The silence that followed was heavy, and when you finally looked up, Yeonjun’s expression frustrated.

“Are you kidding me?” he said, his voice tight. “You’re the best person I know. Anyone would be lucky—so lucky—to even have you like them.”

You blinked, startled by the intensity of his words. “Yeonjun—”

“No,” he said, his tone firm. “You don’t get to say things like that about yourself. It’s not true, and it’s… it’s so frustrating that you don’t see what I see.”

Before you could respond, he stepped closer, cupping your face in his hands and pressing his lips to yours. It wasn’t hurried or fleeting like before—it was soft.

When he pulled away, his forehead rested lightly against yours, his breathing uneven. “It’s just crazy how you don’t see how fucking amazing you are. You’re smart, you’re literally the prettiest person I’ve ever seen and honestly I don’t understand why you’re so cute. You’re the only person I’ve ever liked this much and it’s killing me.” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. 

You nodded slowly, your eyes still wide, your heart thudding against your chest.

“I’m stupid,” Yeonjun muttered, stepping back slightly, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, I didn’t mean to scare you—I shouldn’t have just blurted that out like that—”

“No!” you interrupted quickly, your voice firmer than you expected. “I’m not scared at all. I just…” You trailed off, suddenly feeling shy under his intense gaze.

“You just what?” he asked, his tone softening as he leaned forward slightly, his eyes searching yours.

You swallowed hard, your cheeks warming. “I don’t really know how to deal with this,” you admitted quietly. “I’ve never... I’ve never had anyone say something like that to me before.”

Yeonjun’s brows furrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin line. “You deserve it,” he said firmly, stepping closer again. “You deserve to hear it a hundred times. Every single day. You deserve to feel loved and appreciated and—and wanted.” His voice softened as he added, “Because that’s exactly how I feel about you.”

Your breath hitched, his words sinking in. “Yeonjun…” you started, but you couldn’t find the right words to respond. Your mind was a blur of emotions, too overwhelmed to sort through them.

He reached for your hand, his fingers brushing against yours before curling gently around them. “You don’t have to say anything right now,” he said quietly. “I just… I need you to know how I feel. And I need you to stop doubting yourself because you’re everything to me.” He paused, then added with a small, almost shy smile, “Even if I totally botched this confession and stole your first kiss”

A laugh escaped your lips despite yourself, breaking the tension. “You didn’t botch it,” you said, shaking your head. “It was... really sweet.”

He grinned, his confidence returning just a little. “Yeah? Sweet enough to get you to go on an actual date with me?”

Your heart fluttered, and this time, you didn’t hesitate. “Yeah,” you said softly, a smile spreading across your face. “Maybe.”

“Maybe? Ouch,” he said dramatically, swinging your joined hands slightly, his teasing smile lighting up his face.

You chuckled, looking at him through your lashes. “I don’t know. You did kinda steal my first kiss.”

Yeonjun stopped walking for a moment, tilting his head as if deep in thought. Then, with a playful glint in his eyes, he said, “You can have it back.” Before you could respond, he leaned in and pressed his lips to yours again, softer this time, as if savoring the moment.

When he pulled back, you were laughing, your cheeks warm and heart racing. “Actually, I think I’d rather you keep it,” you said, your laughter spilling over as you leaned forward to kiss him again, this time initiating it yourself. “Here,” you murmured against his lips.

Yeonjun smirked as you pulled back, his eyes sparkling mischievously. “Two can play at this game, y’know.”

“Oh, can they?” you teased, arching a brow as you started to walk again, pulling him along by the hand.

He followed easily, still grinning like he’d just won the lottery. “Oh, they can,” he said confidently. “But fair warning, I’m really good at this game.”

“Guess I’ll just have to keep up,” you replied, smiling. “Though, I’d appreciate it if we kept this a little secret for now. I don’t really need Beomgyu asking me for every detail.”

“Right…” Yeonjun nodded thoughtfully, though his grin didn’t falter. “I’m sure it’s not that bad. We’re friends! In fact, haven’t we gotten closer?”

You gave him a look, raising an eyebrow. “He’ll probably want to interrogate you. Or worse…”

“But we’re friends…?” he repeated, as if that would shield him from the chaos to come.

“You don’t understand,” you said with a sigh, shaking your head. “He might be Beomgyu, but he’s insanely—and I mean insanely—protective.”

Yeonjun blinked at you for a moment before laughing. “Protective? Beomgyu? Are we talking about the same Beomgyu who steals fries off everyone’s plates and pretends to faint when he’s asked to help with anything?”

“Yes, that Beomgyu,” you replied with a deadpan expression. “The same one who ‘accidentally’ tripped a guy in middle school because he thought he was flirting with me. Protective doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

Yeonjun let out a low whistle, his laughter fading as a hint of nervousness crept into his smile. “Okay, maybe I underestimated him. So what’s the plan? Do I avoid eye contact? Pretend I don’t exist?”

You laughed, the sound light and genuine. “No, just… don’t give him a reason to go full interrogator mode, and we’ll be fine.”

“That’s easier said than done,” Yeonjun muttered. He glanced at you, his playful smirk returning. “But you’re worth it. If I have to face Beomgyu’s wrath, I’ll do it.”

“Don’t get cocky,” you teased, nudging him lightly with your elbow. “He hasn’t even started yet.”

Yeonjun chuckled, but there was an undertone of determination in his voice as he said, “Let him. I’ll handle it. I like you too much to let Beomgyu scare me off.”

His words caught you off guard, your steps faltering for a moment. “Yeah, youre saying this now.”

He stopped walking and turned to face you, his expression sincere. “Of course I do. Beomgyu might be protective, but he’s also your friend. If he sees how serious I am about you, he’ll come around.”

A warmth spread through your chest at his words, and you smiled softly. “You’re being too cute right now. It’s really bothering me.”

Yeonjun grinned, leaning in just slightly. “The one time I don’t mind bothering you.”

–

The two of you were great at hiding your relationship—for a solid four days.

Beomgyu stood in front of you and Yeonjun, arms crossed, an exaggeratedly serious look on his face. “So,” he started, narrowing his eyes at Yeonjun, “you’re really dating my best friend?”

Yeonjun nodded, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably as a grin tugged at his lips. “Yeah, I am.”

Beomgyu’s eyes widened dramatically. “And when exactly were you planning on telling me? Huh? Was I supposed to find out at your wedding? Were you even going to send me a save-the-date card?!”

You groaned, rubbing your temples. “Beomgyu, it hasn’t even been a week—”

“Don’t interrupt me!” he snapped, pointing at you with mock seriousness before turning his attention back to Yeonjun. “You. You toad looking son of a bitch. Answer the question.”

Yeonjun shrugged, clearly amused. “Toad looking– Honestly, Gyu? I was hoping you’d just figure it out and not make a big deal.”

Beomgyu gasped, clutching his chest like he’d been personally betrayed. “Gyu? You lost your Gyu privileges when you didn’t tell me about the two of you dating! And…not make a big deal?! I’m her best friend! It’s my job to make this a big deal! What kind of boyfriend are you if you don’t respect that?”

“Okay, okay, I respect it,” Yeonjun said, holding up his hands in surrender. “But you’re being a little dramatic—”

“Dramatic?” Beomgyu cut him off, pacing in front of you both like a detective in a crime drama. “Dramatic is when I trip a guy for flirting with her. This? This is serious. I need answers. What are your intentions with my little girl?”

“Little girl?” You scoffed.

“My intentions?” Yeonjun repeated, clearly holding back laughter. “I like her. A lot. I want to make her happy.”

Beomgyu squinted at him like he was trying to read Yeonjun’s soul. “Hmm…lame answer but okay. But what about—”

“Beomgyu, stop,” you interrupted, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not my dad and Yeonjun’s not on trial.”

Beomgyu ignored you, snapping his fingers at Yeonjun. “What’s her favorite color?”

“Uh… blue?” Yeonjun said, glancing at you for confirmation.

“Wrong. It’s green,” Beomgyu said confidently, even though he was completely wrong.

“It’s actually yellow,” you corrected, rolling your eyes. “Even I don’t know where you got green from.”

Beomgyu gasped again, this time looking personally offended. “How dare you keep secrets from me?”

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow, arms crossed over his chest. “What’s her favorite food?”

“Spaghetti!” Yeonjun answered quickly, as if it was obvious.

Beomgyu sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes. “Lucky guess, nimrod.”

“Nimrod? Really?” Yeonjun shot him an exasperated side-eye. “You’re pulling these nicknames out of nowhere now, huh?”

“Talking back to your father-in-law?” Beomgyu glared, clearly annoyed. “Strike one, Choi Yeonjun.”

Yeonjun blinked, flustered. “My father-in-law is younger than me by two years. This is ridiculous.”

“More back talk, huh? Strike two, fuckface,” Beomgyu snapped, his tone dripping with annoyance.

Yeonjun threw his hands up in frustration, leaning back in his seat. “What the hell, man? Why are you so worked up? I’m literally just trying to answer your questions.”

Beomgyu’s glare intensified. “It’s not about the answer, Yeonjun. It’s the respect you should have for me, as her best friend, I am literally obligated–”

“No, you’re not.”

Beomgyu ignored you, “OBLIGATED to earn my respect and you’re just making it harder for me to give you my approval.”

You watched the exchange with an amused expression but also a growing sense of secondhand frustration on Yeonjun’s behalf. Beomgyu’s intensity wasn’t helping the situation.

Yeonjun finally sighed, slumping in his seat. “I’m not even trying to be difficult, Beomgyu. What do you want from me?”

“I want you to respect the fact that you’re dating my best friend,” Beomgyu muttered, arms still crossed. “I’m watching you, Yeonjun. You mess this up, I swear—”

“Alright, alright,” Yeonjun groaned, raising his hands in mock surrender. “I get it. Strike three is coming, right?”

Beomgyu shot him a look, his eyes narrow with annoyance. “You better believe it, dumbass.”

“Oh my god,” you groaned, covering your face. “Are we finally done?”

But Beomgyu wasn’t finished. He turned to Yeonjun with a dramatic flourish, holding his shoulders. “Listen up. When you’re holding her, you need to know you’re holding my whole world.”

“You got that off Pinterest, didn’t you?” you deadpanned.

Beomgyu waved you off, completely ignoring the comment.

But before Beomgyu could continue his interrogation, he suddenly stopped, his expression shifting into something softer. “Wait, I just realised…” he said, his voice trembling slightly. “You’re really dating now. Like, for real. You’re all grown up…”

And then, out of nowhere, Beomgyu lunged forward and wrapped you in a tight hug, burying his face in your shoulder. “I’m so proud of you,” he said, his voice muffled and suspiciously emotional. “I’ve watched you grow up, and now you’re dating this idiot! I can’t believe it!”

You froze for a moment, torn between laughing and tearing up yourself. “Beomgyu, are you… crying?”

“No!” he said, his voice cracking. “Shut up. It’s allergies.”

Yeonjun snorted, leaning against the wall. “Wow. Didn’t realize I was dating into such an emotional family.”

Beomgyu shot him a glare, though he didn’t let go of you. “And I cannot stress this enough, you better take good care of her, Yeonjun, or so help me I will cut your balls off when you’re sleep—”

“I will,” Yeonjun said sincerely, cutting him off. “I promise.”

Beomgyu sniffed dramatically before pulling back, giving you one last look. “Fine,” he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand. “I approve. But only because I like you, Yeonjun. Don’t ruin it.”

Yeonjun saluted him. “Yes, sir.”

You sighed, shaking your head. “I can’t believe you turned this into a whole event.”

Beomgyu grinned, his usual mischievousness returning. “What can I say? I live for the drama.”

[tossawary]

The last time that I rewatched "The Fellowship of the Ring" (extended edition, of course), my favorite new detail that I noticed is that the characters, once they set out on their journey, are pretty much always traveling from screen-left to screen-right.

It had been a few years since I'd seen the films and I'd learned more about filmmaking in that time. I'm completely biased regarding the LOTR films; they're not perfect, but I grew up on them, I love them. I was trying to take notes on all of the little details that made the world of the films seem so rich and so enchanting to me. The camerawork, character staging, and editing is one of the many things that just happened to jump out at me at this time.

When Frodo and Sam are leaving the Shire, the camera is set up in such a way that they start on the left side of the screen (<- that side) and travel across it to the right side of the screen (-> that side).

This way to go the farthest you've ever been from home. ->

As the hobbits travel from Bree to Rivendell, as the Fellowship travels from Rivendell to the Misty Mountains, all of those gorgeous scenic shots of the Nine Walkers show them moving from screen-left to screen-right. I haven't rewatched the entire trilogy lately, but in "The Fellowship of the Ring", it is so beautifully consistent.

There are a handful of reasons why this is done. In staging and editing, consistency regarding where the characters are placed on the screen is a storytelling tool. For example: the "180 degrees rule" says to generally keep the camera on one side of the characters within a scene, so that the audience can mentally keep track of the characters within the environment and focus on the action/dialogue. If we're watching two characters talking in a diner, even in the close-ups, one character will usually be kept on screen-left and be shown facing screen-right, and the other will be kept on screen-right and be shown facing screen-left. It feels stable. (People will sometimes choose to break the "180 degrees rule". It can be a tool to create a sense of disorientation and/or instability in the audience.)

In "The Fellowship of the Ring", the maps that the audience is shown of Middle Earth tell us that the Shire is located in the West (left side of the map) and everything else of relevance (Rivendell, Moria, Rohan, Gondor, Mordor) is East (right side of the map). As the characters consistently travel screen-right, the audience builds up a firmer mental map of Middle Earth and can better keep track of the characters' progress on their long journey. With every step that Frodo takes towards screen-right (->), we know that he is traveling East, taking another step towards Mordor.

Left to right may also instinctively feel like the way forward in a culture that writes and reads from left to right. Regardless of which way you write: if your film establishes extremely consistently that one direction is forward, then this visual language can be used to tell the audience that something is wrong if the characters start traveling from right to left. They might be lost! It builds suspense in the visual depiction of the characters going backwards and undoing progress! This all suits the lengthy hero's journey of LOTR very well, in my opinion.

There's an old joke that knowing how anything is made ruins the magic, and another old joke that knowing anything about filmmaking makes you insufferable to watch movies with, but I've never felt that way, especially not here. How does that quote go? It's still magic even if you know how it's done. (GNU Terry Pratchett.)

I find it enchanting, honestly, that so many people can work so hard for an effect that can seem so simple. Actors, directors, camera operators, editors, storyboarders, and so many others on the crew of the films consistently placed characters, sets, and props just so! So that the audience could more easily keep track of where everyone was and lose themselves a little more deeply in the story.

It's such a simple rule! And it works so well! Left -> Right. West -> East. Shire -> Mordor. Home -> Adventure. Known -> Unknown.

I personally recommend trying to keep track of character movement across the screen in films, especially if you have any interest in visual storytelling (films or illustration or something else). It's fun! It's impossible for me to unsee, watching "The Fellowship of the Ring" now, and I think it's a wonderful piece of movie magic.

[dentos-wife]

Just saw Sonic 3 a second time which allowed me to put this into writing.

After sitting on what it is I like so much more about movie Shadow than the game one (who I also enjoy don’t get me wrong) and I think I hit on two things

Maria feels much less than a plot device and Shadow’s grief is much rawer.

I go over them below the cut and warning this is really long

1) Maria feels much less than a plot device.

Yes she’s no longer ill-*as far as we know* but her illness isn’t a defining trait anymore. In the game project shadow is tied to curing her illness he was created for her and thus you could argue they’ve been tied together since the day he was born which is wholesome and has platonic soulmate vibes and it’s great BUT I like choice. And this whole movies theme is choice. They hammer pretty hard it's all about making the right choices in the end. Well Maria fits that theme too.

In Sonic 3 she of her own volition choose him. We don’t know why she’s with her granddad, she could still be sick and that’s why he takes her everywhere with him we just do not know. But that is no longer important what important is she sees Shadow floating in that little tube and goes over to him, draws a little bunny face. She places her hand on the tube and decides he’ll be her friend and that is so powerful for him when everyone looks at him as some kind of alien freak. She kidnaps him from all the tests they do on him, is the only one who sees him as he is. She even mentions choices when they're looking at the stars after she sneaks them both to the top of the base to look at them. (I don’t like him no longer being a lab creation but I’ll live lol. I still think Black Doom created him, that comet he came down on is very much a Black Doom reference)

But back to Maria. She is also given a character now, she likes music, likes to roller skate, enjoys movies, gets into trouble, makes a little fort it’s very base character to go off of yes but it gives us so much more of a look at the girl she was and the influence in Shadow’s life she was. She’s no longer a protect the planet martyr we know nothing about she’s just…a girl. A young girl with a big heart who meant the world to Shadow and she’s gone. I did enjoy the interactions in Shadow Generations as well and it was about time but Maria in that still feels like she exists to die, to further Shadow's story and in the movie, I don't know how to explain it but she feels more like a real girl than a character trope.

2) Shadow’s grief is rawer and he doesn’t know how to handle it.

In the game Sonic Adventure 2 Shadow is living out a lie, we find out his memories are manipulated by Gerald and once he finally remembers he sacrifices himself to protect Maria’s true wish to live a life filled with purpose and protect the world even if she has to die (and then he was so popular they brought him back yada yada you know the drill)

Again, there’s nothing wrong with it. But so much of it hinders on Maria being this purer than life heavenly lamb that gets sacrificed who we know next to nothing about which eh isn’t a trope I’m fond of. In the movies this is changed to you are who you chose and you're my friend Shadow which I prefer, makes the relationship feel more grounded and real.

Sonic 3 Shadow has no memory manipulation at all. He sees the one person he cared about, the one friend he had die from a tube of his own chaos energy. Yes I do agree they are cowards for not letting her get shot and making GUN not as much of an antagonist, we’ll get to that; but how they had her die instead? From Shadow’s own power? That’s a great compromise. He doesn’t even have time to think about it and is automatically thrown into a liquid prison for 50 years. Who knows how many times that memory played over and over on his head? He says it's all I known for 50 years. Imagine seeing the one person you care about die over and over again it's almost like Shadow was in his own personal time loop but he had no control over anything.

So edgy mcedgestr wakes up in what’s basically a brand new world after suffering for 50 years and everyone is after him, he’s in pain doesn’t know why, is pissed off can’t trust anyone including the blue thing that looks like him; Sonic stepped out of a GUN helicopter he knows he will NEVER trust GUN but he recognizes Gerald who says they’ll get revenge so he follows him because it's familiar to him, and Gerald knew and was close to Maria too.

When Tom is on the brink on death (Which would NOT have been as powerful if we didn't see Tom and Sonic bond for two movies before this so well done) Sonic is PISSED, Shadow feels validated and he sees himself in the other hedgehog; he knows Sonic will kill him because he knows exactly how Sonic feels. He loses to Sonic who kicks the emeralds out of him and accepts defeat- allowing Sonic to take the revenge he wants. And Sonic stops. Sonic who has the exact same rage refuses to give into it. He makes the choice to not kill Shadow out of revenge. Shadow is confused he thought he figured everything out. Sonic's one choice changed his world view.

He remembers Maria’s words about the stars as he sits on the moon with Sonic learning about grief how it never leaves but you live with it and the memories he has aren't a bad thing if he chooses to keep the love in them, a light shines even though the star is gone, the new main quote, VERY different from the game but it works here very well. This time it’s about how those gone are still with you and you can always cherish those memories instead of dwelling on them and yes we all know this it’s the most basic of basic messages but Shadow needs to learn it! Maria, his star is gone but her light still shines on everyone she touched. That’s the beauty of this quote and it works so well with what they did with Shadow.

I would argue that’s why Shadow didn’t have his, “is this what you wanted Maria…” line it’s no longer about what she wants, though there is a great line where he questions what Maria would have wanted, but in the end it’s about the choice Shadow makes what Shadow himself wants, and Shadow decides to accept his feelings. Live with his guilt, live with his grief, live with his happy memories of Maria and use everything in his power to save the world from himself and Gerald’s revenge. Yes in the end he does think he’s going to die, but he’s sacrificing himself with a purpose and understanding for himself, not Maria though she’s still the catalyst. He spent the whole time alive figuring out what he wanted and, he would have died at peace instead of dying vengeful.

But he survives unlike in SA2, (remember to stay for the second scene in the end credits everyone) so we don’t have to give him some silly reason to come back to life. He’s alive and now he can live not for Maria’s wish but for himself. He’s alive and will always feel Maria’s absence, some days will be better than others and he probably needs a good cry but he made his choice for himself and he’ll continue to make more and live in the world. And I think that’s a damn good arc.

As for the rest I do think the movie would have been more powerful as a whole if Gerald wasn’t a loon and they went more into Shadow’s military purpose, showing a change in Gerald over time was he always batshit insane? I like to think he went mad with his grief of losing his granddaughter and feeling used by GUN. Or maybe at 104 he just lost what's left of his brain. But all he wanted was vengeance and he'd use anyone to get it. As he said it's not about what Maria wanted but it's about punishment. Gerald could have even had Ivo who thought the world of him but that wasn't enough he made the choice to value punishment over everything else. This parallel's Shadow in a way Shadow accepting grief and all the feelings that come with it. Gerald refuses and will kill everyone and himself first

GUN was...lol. I do like they don't confuse Shadow and Sonic anymore that was always hard to take in in SA2 but Walters had the lamest death ever if he's really dead. Rockwell they had to set up to dislike Team Sonic and I got the vibe she didn't jive with them since the beginning. So yeah this stuff was meh, Shadow was practically perfect though so I can forgive it

Anyway as a Shadow fan who always wanted more on Maria the person I love this change and I love how much it focuses on not just the choices Sonic makes (and hits you over the head with) but the choices Shadow makes which all comes down to the ultimate choice that started it all. Maria choosing Shadow.

[dat-town]

stay in my good graces

Characters: superhero!Intak & superhero!female reader

Setting & genre: superhero au, hurt/comfort, a bit of comedy, kind of rivals to lovers

Summary: You finally have enough of Intak’s annoying ass after a failed mission and his reaction takes you aback.

Warnings: mentions of violence and dying but nobody actually dies, bleeding, wounds from glass shards, MC calls Intak stupid and dumb internally

Words: 2.4k

Author’s note: title from the Sabrina Carpenter song; it’s technically a Renegades au, aka Marissa Meyer’s trilogy, but you don’t need to know it to understand the story, Intak’s power is from their scifi movie. uhm @restlessmaknae surprise?

You would have sworn that Hwang Intak’s life mission was to annoy you to hell and back. You wouldn’t have been surprised if it was on his daily to-do list to get your attention and do something stupid. Because there was no way it was all a coincidence that he always managed to show up in front of you despite being assigned to different teams and more often than not, he did something that made you roll your eyes or question what the heck he wanted to achieve.

It all started at the Renegades Trials.

People with superpowers from all over town came forward in hopes of joining the superhero organization, the Renegades that helped keep Seoul safe and worked on rebuilding it after the civil war between villains and heroes. Even though most rebels, villains, Anarchists, however you wanted to call them, went into hiding after the defeat, people still had to be on watch and be prepared. That’s what the Renegades was for: an organization to gather, train and employ people with superpowers called prodigies.

You had wanted to join them ever since Firefly had saved you from falling out of a malfunctioning ferris wheel when you had been just a kid. Back then you didn’t even have a power, it manifested later when you were in your teens with a traumatic event like in most cases and it took a while for you to understand what exactly you could do and how it worked. You could bend reality using mirrors; anybody who looked into a mirror you touched saw exactly what you wanted them to see.

You were a great distraction on the field ever since you joined the Renegades at sixteen and became Reflection. Your life had been as normal and peaceful as it could be as a superhero but then two years later, Hwang Intak showed up at the Trials. He wore his senior school uniform and a lazy smile. He had no weapon on him yet he claimed he could survive any attack sent his way. He sounded awfully confident for somebody who chose a lame alias like Undead which made you exchange an unimpressed glance with your teammate, Seoyeon.

Trials usually went like this: the applicant prodigy demonstrated their power which could be anything from turning rocks into paper cranes to reading minds or controlling fire and then the active Renegades teams could decide whether they wanted them to join their team or maybe even challenge them to show more of their skills. If nobody came forward, it was the end of the show. If multiple teams liked the applicant, then the new prodigy could choose which Renegades team they wished to join. Despite their team, every Renegade trained in the same building and was under the same system but it was an important decision because their teammates would have been their closest friends and allies from then on because they would patrol and go on missions together.

“So you say that you can’t die?” Theo (whose alias was Sharpshooter because he never missed a shot) from another team asked just as dubiously as you felt after the guy’s claim.

“Yepp.”

“But you can’t prove that without somebody here trying to pretty much kill you,” you interjected, unimpressed, and Intak turned towards you, his twinkling brown eyes finding yours for the first time as he pulled his mouth into a smirk.

“I guess. But no hard feelings, I promise,” he shrugged, looking at you so challengingly that you wished you could have wiped that look off his face.

“We will take him,” Keeho (aka Timeturner because he could go back in time by 5 minutes but couldn’t change anything, just observe) stood up from his booth after a brief pause, which took everybody by surprise.

“But you don’t even know if what he says is true,” you argued because it just didn’t make sense to you to take in somebody with no evidence while people who had less ‘useful’ powers like excellent smell that they could prove had been rejected before.

“Well no, but who would be stupid enough to claim that knowing that they would be most likely sent for deadly missions if it wasn’t true? Plus, his application also says he had taken taekwondo classes for four years which could come useful as well,” Keeho explained way too optimistic and you shrugged because you really couldn’t care less. If they wanted to take this kid who acted like the organization should be lucky to have him, who were you to stop them? Since he would be on a different team, you wouldn’t have to interact much anyways.

Or so you thought.

Ever since Intak joined Keeho’s team, they had been on fire. It seemed like their group just needed this new guy to really amplify their teamwork because suddenly they gained a reputation for being one of the most well-balanced teams with a great mission success rate. As you heard, Intak’s superpower really came pretty handy because it really did seem like so far that he was unable to die. Be it falling from the 37th floor, getting hit by a truck or being shot, he always got up just fine. This way he could be safely sent even to clear hazards but somehow he was stupid enough to almost die in the most ridiculous ways even when it wasn’t supposed to be a dangerous situation. One time he blew up a warehouse by lighting a candle to ‘see in the dark’ while the Anarchist they were looking for were known for emitting flammable gases. Another time you heard he choked on a chicken drumstick in the canteen.

You knew he wasn’t a bad guy. Hell, one time he went into a burning building to save a cat. He had burns and scratches for weeks after that because not being able to die didn’t mean he couldn’t get injured. But still, he was stupid and you didn’t waste your time on stupid people. You shouldn’t have been envious of their team either but it annoyed you greatly when they received a mission that you wanted for yourselves and that’s how the rivalry between your teams began… and how Intak became progressively more annoying.

You were pretty sure that it was because you openly doubted him and his powers during the Trials and that must have hurt his ego but he just had to rub their achievements under your nose every single time. Then while chatting your ears off about how cool it was actually to fall from the top of a hotel and trying to keep up with you, he managed to walk into a glass door which made you give him a side eye. That didn’t seem to defer him though, next time he sat at your table in the canteen and asked how did you know about your powers since it wasn’t a very obvious skill like pyrokinesis either. In the meantime he put so much gochujang onto his bibimbap that his mouth was on fire for the rest of the lunch that he tried very hard (yet failed) not to show. Then his recent favourite was to pester you in the training room whenever he found you alone.

“Need help, Mirrorgirl?”

“Leave before I punch you in the face,” you grunted because you just wanted to practice your short combat skills and his presence was not helping.

“Ouch,” Intak put a hand over his heart before plastering himself against the other side of the hung punching bag, keeping it steady for you.

In the end, you gave in and let him tag along, practicing your right hooks and uppercuts, rolling your eyes when the guy just chuckled whenever you almost accidentally (or maybe not so) hit him instead of the gear. But overall, he wasn’t a bad training partner, not that you would have ever admitted it to him because he would have never let you live it down. He was insufferable enough after that day already acting like you were besties.

Seoyeon had the audacity to tell you that she thought Intak was actually flirting with you which was ridiculous because at the very most he was like an overexcited dumb labrador.

“No, but like, think about it! He keeps showing off in front of you whenever they finish a mission. Sure it sounds like he’s bragging that his team is better than ours but he keeps going to you to say that shit as if he wanted you to be impressed or something. And he keeps looking for excuses to talk to you about the most random stuff like the new sweet potato fries on the canteen’s menu. And Jaehyun says he saw him nearly break his neck to turn and look at you one time when you showed up at the headquarters after a mission.”

“That’s crazy. He just has a grudge against me since I assumed he was lying about his power last year at the Trials,” you shook your head and dragged the girl to the surveillance room to do some boring investigation with you for this new mission you got.

It was actually one of the biggest tasks you had received recently and you not only wanted to prove yourself to the HQ (and that annoying Hwang Intak) but you really hated when villains preyed on people’s weaknesses, so this paranoia-inducing prodigy called Fearbearer really deserved a place in the prison. Tracking him down was the easier part of the mission, capturing him turned out to be much harder than expected. Your part was crucial in success because your power was similar to his, so only you could get close enough without being reduced into a trembling mess due to your fears. That is if you managed to make him look into a mirror that allowed you to make him think that he was alone, so he wouldn’t use his powers on you.

Chasing him into the mirror maze of the amusement park where he looked for his victims sounded like a good idea due to the excessive amount of mirrors but you forgot that your own fear could easily manifest in a setting like that since you had gained your powers after being buried under a collapsing building’s mirror-like glass windows. A graze of the villain’s cape against your uniform was enough for Fearbearer to push you back into your memories and while you struggled to come back to reality, he blew the mirror maze up around you which sent shards in all directions.

Your whole team came back into the headquarters with cut wounds and Seoyeon even had to be taken into the infirmary because she wouldn’t stop bleeding. The others patted your shoulder and said not to blame yourself but it was easier said than done. You couldn’t stop thinking about how it was all your fault: the Anarchist’s escape and Seoyeon’s condition. Needless to say you weren’t in the mood for chit-chats, much less for Intak’s loud ass. You didn’t want to hear how you failed miserably and that his team would have done better, nor did you want his pity.

“Hey, what happened to you? Are you okay?” He jogged up to you when he saw you trying to escape towards the rooftop to be alone.

“I’m fine. Leave me alone,” you muttered, trying to keep your voice stable and cold but the guy didn’t realize that his presence was very much not wanted. As always.

“You don’t look fine. You should at least disinfect those cuts or else they will heal weirdly,” he added before gently taking your wrist and stopping you. “Wait here, I will get a first aid kit.”

You really didn’t understand why he was so intent on doing that but you let him do his thing as long as he left. You didn’t expect him to find you at your favourite place on the rooftop though, this time with the promised first aid kit.

“You didn’t wait for me,” Intak said with a pout and you laughed at him dryly.

“As if you ever do what I tell you,” you rolled your eyes, keeping your gaze ahead, not looking at him. Not even when he sat next to you and opened the metal box, letting the disinfectant smell into the air.

“I heard about the mission in the infirmary. It wasn’t your fault,” he said, which made you grit your teeth. You didn’t want to talk about it but Hwang Intak really didn’t know when to shut up. “Nobody could have known that it would happen. You shouldn’t blame yourself over something like thi–”

“Why do you even care?” You snapped at him, turning towards him with fiery eyes and harshly bitten lips.

“Because I like you,” the boy blurted out right away, without thinking and you could literally see on his face when he realized what he just said. His eyes widened and he withdrew himself as if your closeness burnt him. “Shit.”

“Are you being serious?” You furrowed your brows because if he thought this was the right time for joking around, you swore you would find a way to kill somebody who couldn’t die.

For the first time since you have known him, Intak seemed nervous.

“I… Yeah. I think you’re very cool and pretty too,” he muttered, fixing his messy fringe while avoiding your gaze.

You didn’t say anything. You just narrowed your eyes and watched as he fidgeted in front of you. Then you took the cotton pads and disinfectant from his hands and got to work on the deepest cut on the back of your right hand.

“Wait. Aren’t you going to say anything?” Intak asked in surprise after brief silence and finally looked at you for the first time since his accidental confession.

“Not until you properly ask me out,” you gave him an ultimatum because he seemed genuine but you would have preferred if his actions were intentional too.

“Ah okay. You won’t reject me then, right?” The boy chuckled but when you didn’t answer, he asked a bit less sure of himself. “Right?”

“You will see,” you shrugged, fighting the small smile creeping onto your face. It was so stupid, really, you couldn’t believe that he managed to make you smile when five minutes ago you were on the verge of tears. But maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe you could give him a chance. And give yourself a chance too, for happiness.

[chatterbox-73]

not sure if U take requests but could u do present mic or an aizawa fic?

.Sugar Daddy.

.Radio Sugar.

Hizashi Yamada x fem!Reader

This story is a smut story, I’ll more characters x reader one shots in the future and if you want to see a character please let me know.

You must be 18 years or older to read this...

🔞⚠️NO MINORS ALLOWED⚠️🔞

Part two: Price of consoling (Shota Aizawa)

A/N: I was requested to write about Mic or Aizawa, honestly had the hardest time choosing so will most likely post an Aizawa one-shot in the foreseeable future… though I also don’t want to jinx myself😁.

Summary/inspiration/prompt: you find yourself at a bar using your last few yen before meeting a stranger who teaches you a few very important lessons.

Word count: 1.4k

CW: NSFW and adult content, semi-public sex, oral (m!receiving and implied f!receiving), inexperienced reader, drinking.

You were at university getting your major in music and performing arts, your parents hadn’t approved of your decision to study music and so they completely cut you off. You hadn’t spoken to or seen them in years and it was hard getting by at first that was until you met and got extremely close to a very popular pro hero, who also happened to be a teacher at a top hero academy and a host of a late night radio talk show.

You had been having no luck with any jobs, as all the places hiring wanted some oddly specific quirks for the jobs, some wanted strength based quirks while others wanted speed based quirks, both of which weren’t so fortunate to have. Instead you had a mutation quirk, you didn’t think it was ‘unsightly’, you actually believe yourself to be quite beautiful however you had been called ‘unsightly’ more times in this week alone then you had in your entire life; your quirk wasn’t even that bad.

Your quirk, ‘Four Eyes’ your childhood friend so cruelly named it gave you an extra set of eyes, your extra set of eyes were usually a cool gray but would change colours depending on your emotions. So all in all it wasn’t a weird or out of the ordinary type of quirk, but people still didn’t want to work with someone who had a mutation.

You found yourself at a bar drinking your last few hundred yen, your head laid against the bar counter and you watched the amber coloured liquid swirl around the cup, “now why’s a pretty lady, alone in a place like this?” Your eyes followed where the voice came from, to fine a blonde man with red eyes and a moustache. “Cheap beer and quiet… oh and of course mutant friendly… and you are?” you sat up and took a large swig of the beer almost finishing it all in one shot, he smiled at you and rested his elbows on the bar table, “Yamada… tough time, huh?” He throw his name in as it held no importance and made no attempt to hide that he looked at your breasts, you rolled your eyes and crossed your arms under your breasts to pushed them up. If some guy was going to hit on you, you were going to take full advantage of it… “yeah… so it should be easy for you to understand I don’t do this for free” you hummed, as if you knew what you were doing, but in actuality you had no clue. You’d seen plenty of movies and read copious amounts of books with scenarios like this but you had never sold yourself for money, you weren’t even very versed in the ‘act’ itself, but maybe you’d get lucky and he’ll take charge. Yamada lent in and whispered to you, his eyes still focused on your plump breasts “go to the bathroom and I’ll meet you there” he lightly kissed your neck and sat up straight, you got up and walked to the bathroom waiting for the man.

You sat on your feet looking directly at his hard member, it wasn’t massive but still large, it was covered in thick pulsing veins and curved to the side, his balls hung low and were mostly hairless despite the nicely trimmed dense dark blond carpet of pubes that surrounded his cock, in all honesty the sight was delicious, you felt a ache in your abdomen and throat, a dampness settled in your panties as a dryness sat in your mouth. Yamada grabbed the base of his cock and tapped it against your cheek before wiping his tip along your lips before using his other hand to tilt your head back and open your mouth, “suck it baby” he demanded and slide is tip over your tongue, you rested your hands flat on your thighs and began suckling on his tip, you continued this until he clicked his tongue and crossed his arms over his chest, “get up” he said and barely looked down at you, you stood and before you could anything he bet you to it. “You don’t do this often” Yamada said as he looked at you, his eyes cold and dark, you shook your head and went to apologise but was interrupted again, “tell me when I’ve got the number right” he held up a hand all five fingers up, before he put down his thumb, only leaving up four fingers, you watched his hand and he watched you. Yamada dropped another finger and then another, to this you blinked and looked to the ground, the man looked at his hand… two, how measly and pathetic, he thought. “And out of these two times, did you give a blowjob” he asked and your eyes stayed on the ground, he hummed and wrapped an arms around your waist pulling you into his chest, his other hand tangled onto your hair “don’t worry, I’ll teach you, sweetness” he chuckled as forced a kiss on your mouth, you gasped as he pressed his hips into yours and pushed his tongue into your mouth, you grabbed his shirt and whined before he pulled away from you and pushed you back onto your knees.

You panted and gasped as your heart raced, you looked up at him waiting for instructions, “grab the base with one hand” you followed the instruction, your hand wrapped around his tip and slowly slid down to the base making contact with Yamada’s rough carpet, he smirked and nodded “good girl, now gently cup my balls with your other hand” he said, your hand lightly cupped his sack, it was strange they were warm, heavy and strangely smooth, the man hissed slightly at the warmth of your hand, “now hurry up and start sucking… but don’t only suck, kiss and lick too” he eyed you as you took his tip into your mouth and sucked it, before you swirled your tongue around it and slowly slipped it out of your mouth, you continued to repeat this same action until you gained more confidence and with your new found confidence you took him deeper, you bobbed your head and light rubbed his ball, Yamada leaned his head back groaning and tangling a hand into your hair.

It was euphoric, his taste, his scent and his sound, he was enjoying your mouth wholly, Yamada wasn’t far from finished and somehow you could tell, you gently squeezed his sack and took him all the way in, it was uncomfortable and made you feel as though you’d vomited at any moment but the feeling of his body tense and the taste of his hot seed… your eyes rolled back and you hand disappeared under the waistband of your pants, you moaned allowing your fingers to explore your wetness, the man stiffened and pulled you off his member, pulling you to your feet.

Your body pressed to his, your fingers still occupied with your cunt, “that was sloppy…” Yamada hummed pulling your hand from your pants, “you came… didn’t you” you whined and glared at the man before your resentment quickly turned to shock as he took your dirty fingers into his mouth sucking them clean, Yamada chuckled lifting you onto the bathroom counter before yanking your pants off and disappearing between your thighs.

You looked at your very full bank account it had only been two hours since you allowed that strange to fuck you on the bathroom counter and now you stood at the ATM looking down at all the extra digits that weren’t there before, one single transaction from a Hizashi Yamada and you’re richer than you’d been in your entire life, all you had to do was have some sloppy mediocre sex with him, suddenly a thought crossed your mind; ‘if I get better at that and do everything he wants… I’d be living comfortably for the rest of my life’ you smile and draw out some money, just enough to get dinner and rent a couple of adult films… for studying of course…

__

That was three years ago, now you live in a high class apartment and wear the finest clothes and jewellery, everything and anything you want, only for the price of your body. However there’s one thing you weren’t prepared for was Yamada introducing you to his friend, A friend he explained has recently broken up with his girlfriend and needs some consoling… at the right price of course… to which you couldn’t refuse.

Masterlist

More from the ‘Sugar Daddy’ series:

Sugar Daddy Masterlist

Previous - Satoru Gojo: ‘Not’ only you.

Next - Shota Aizawa: Price of consoling.

[alicepao13]

Hudson and Rex S04E06 - Dead Man's Bridge

I like this episode. Road heist.

Black letters in quotes: Actual show quotes.

Green letters in quotes: What I come up with my twisted brain.

So, today's mission, should you choose to accept it, is to escort a truck full of highly explosive content. At no point did I focus on what exactly it was and I'm sure it's for the best.

Eek. Back off.

"You know what they say about the size of a man's truck?" "The bigger it is, the more he's compensating for something?" Damn, Sarah. Go off.

Charlie is like, I will not get in the middle of this and come off as a caveman. Good choice.

"It's been five minutes since you last petted me."

"When it comes to food, Rex will do pretty much anything." Good for him, really. I wish humans were motivated only by food.

"I was just hoping to write down some of this guy's pickup lines." lol Charlie. I mean, it's hard to decide if it's worse to have this kind of pickup lines or no pickup lines at all.

Okay, why were we expecting from Sarah to think that Charlie even liked her romantically? Look at how that doofus responds when he realizes that Sarah may actually not be single! And then he moans like a cow. Sorry, I'm sure that this sounds like a bad thing to write but... What the fuck is wrong with him?!?! He's like "Girlfriend, spill! I want to hear everything about your new beau".

You can see from a few of his expressions afterwards that he's not loving it but... Seriously, I'm having secondhand embarrassment.

On a deeper analysis, he probably reacted like that because he was blindsided with the news. Although I'm not far from headcanoning that any sex he's had with a woman post-divorce must have been after the woman made the first move and he literally has no idea how to make the first move. And it wouldn't be my fault if I did.

"I learned to trust Rex's instincts." And it was a painful process lol. To be fair, every good crime show must have partners who at some point will doubt each other. Only ours is a bit one-sided because... dog.

Hey! Only we can call him that.

Joe: "Tell me you've heard of the movie Sorcerer?" Jesse: "What year did that come out?" Joe: "Not that long ago. Late 70s maybe." Jesse: "Oh, so before I was born then." Dude!

Splitting up is a bad idea, but thank you for doing it anyway. I like that Charlie is worrying about leaving Sarah with a dude who's been flirting with her from the moment he saw her, and that she worries about whatever and whomever he might find.

"Rex won't let anything happen to me." You've been banged up how many times?

Sorcerer: "Alone at last." Boy, you're really angling for a second concussion, aren't you?

Sarah's quick thinking as soon as she sees the other woman approaching, to hide her phone, might have saved everyone's lives.

"Everything was going perfectly until you and your team showed out of the blue." Sorry for doing our jobs.

He definitely lingers a bit as he searches her. Although it's barely there because we're that kind of show. Like, in any other show, we'd get a shot of Sarah's reaction to this, in this one we don't. Anyway, fuck off, dude, and I did have a vague "I hope you die in a ditch" feeling about him which I didn't remember why that was (aside from the lame comments and the whole setup thing, that is), but I couldn't remember why. I took a screenshot, but when paused it seems like more is happening and I didn't want to have that on here.

They didn't even tie her up. Amateur hour.

One day someone can explain to me how Charlie seems to hear a car only when it's right in his face. In this case, two SUVs which had to travel on a bumpy road too, so they'd be extra loud.

"Tell your men to stand down." "Why would I do that?" Why, indeed. They've got the numbers. And they've surrounded you.

"Where it stands?" Fuck off.

Kai's not much of a dog lover unlike Mankiewicz. Although, saying that Rex is Charlie's weakness in this case, when they're surrounded by bad guys... I mean, what else would Charlie do, try to shoot his way through them? They'd fill him with holes. In this case, Charlie is Rex's witness, because Rex could have run away from there but he stayed because of Charlie.

"It's okay." "It is not okay, Charlie, you're tripping!"

Six months for taking over a police station. Yeah, that deal would happen.

One more time that Charlie managed to get cuffed. I don't hate it.

Charlie, you dummy, you should have commanded Rex to run ages ago.

"I don't like this plan."

I haven't commented much on Jesse and Joe because they just seem to be getting pissy with each other. And it's so not the time for that.

If you're going to blow them up, then why would you not shoot them? Bad guy logic.

Sarah is asking endless questions. Act like a hostage, keep your head down.

Sorcerer definitely overshares.

"They hit me really hard." He literally whined lmao

I don't think sass will get you far in this case, Sarah.

"Love does funny things to a man." That seems to be the tagline of the season.

Charlie to Rex: "If you have any ideas, now is the time to share." And Rex actually has one. I will never apologize for calling Charlie a himbo.

So, like, how fast can dogs dig? I really have no idea about this. But this isn't soft terrain.

Those two have two braincells between them but the lady's got both of them.

Work them, Sarah, they're both idiots.

"Work with me in Major Crimes, he said. It will be fun, he said. He didn't mention how many time's I'll have to save his ass. I need a raise."

They're cute.

Hands. Also, looks like some abrasions from the cuffs. I hope it's makeup?

Trucker!Charlie. Fun fact, Moser (original Rex's first partner) was a trucker before becoming a policeman. Not sure they ever gave a full explanation for the change in careers, but he was a bit of a troublemaker and had some kind of mentor figure who guided him to join the police, who also often helped with cases.

Another fun fact, you need a special license to drive this beast, so it's definitely not John Reardon driving it.

No, we're stuck! Dump the truck and run!

I wonder if that dimwit Kai remembers Sarah as Charlie's "girlfriend".

Good of Joe to notice that Sarah sent the message to everyone, so she must be separated from Charlie.

Yep, that explosion is who you think it is, guys.

Yeah, too close for you two to have gotten away with it, but I'll let it slide, for the sake of the drama. And the whump. Nice scratches.

Joe: "You guys really do know how to make an entrance." Charlie: "I'm just glad it wasn't en exit." lol

"High risk, high reward" is something that could maybe go right for you if you're risking your savings, not your life.

Charlie: "Are Sarah and Sorcerer still with this other car?" Joe and Jesse: "Uh-oh, who's gonna tell him?"

Yes! Cue the angst and self-blame. Also, where the hell did the rest of the scratches go already?

Angel: "He's a businessman." Sarah: "No. He's a criminal." A businessman! Can you believe it?

I like Sarah's subtle reaction to Kai telling her that Charlie and Rex got blown up because she knows that a) Kai could very well be bullshitting her and b) Charlie and Rex have more lives than a cat which is funny, considering.

Oh, man, I completely forgot that Kai actually talked about Charlie having nine lives. Anyway, I'll just focus on the fact that Charlie and Joe are finally using the car as cover in a proper way.

I think that backup made unrealistically good time to arrive literally a minute after them.

"Letting me get that text out probably saved all our lives. I'll pass that information on to your defense attorney." What are you talking about, you literally had to con them into believing they wouldn't get their money to send that text.

Jesse, down. This one will eat you for breakfast.

He wants to shove you somewhere deep enough that you won't be able to crawl out of, actually.

Go ahead, buddy, gloat. You've earned it.

Charlie: "I call first shower when we get home." Now that would be a bad idea, unless this dog also showers himself.

I consider this a good episode. I'd have liked a bit of an ending scene with the team. I'd have liked to have seen Sarah's reaction to seeing Charlie and Rex alive. Charlie's reaction to the information that Sarah is dating is odd as I pointed out but not completely unreasonable. Tactically, I'm sure the team made a few mistakes but I'm not sure they'd have gotten Kai if they hadn't made them. Joe and Jesse's pissy moments aren't my favorite, but I guess I understand that being stuck in the same car when you're chasing a truck moving explosives may do that to you. Rex is probably learning a new trick every episode at this rate. I haven't counted.

[iluvxiaaa]

— dimension // 1610!miles x spiderwoman!reader

“ here in this dimension , you and I are meant to be.. ”

— in which the reader visits miles with their newfound power.

— the story takes place after the first movie.

— fluff

it’s been three months since you were fighting doc ock to close the collider with some spider people from other dimensions.

to be honest, the spider people you met was really cool. you all got really close in less then a week.

but there was one person you were specially close with. miles morales. you both had such a good chemistry. there was no time to rest when your trying to get back to your dimension, but both of you somehow found a way to have fun together. he was the best friend you could ever ask for.

but to everyone else it wasn’t like that. it was obvious you both liked each other. the way he looked at you and blushed every time you ‘jokingly’ flirted with him wasn’t just platonic.

gwen would always tell you this.

she was just looking to deep into it, right?? like of course you don’t like him. he’s only your best—

you were snapped out of your thoughts as you heard your teacher calling your name.

“you weren’t listening again, weren’t you?” the teacher said, annoyed. “you need stop getting lost in thought and pay attention sometimes. i know you’re smart, your test results show that. but class participation is 40% of your grade. please, try to pay attention and answer more.” “sorry. It won’t happen again.” you mumbled, looking down at your desk.

the teacher sighed and started closing the subject.

as soon as the bell rang, you were out. your backpack been packed ever since you walked in.

you had a group of friends but you didn’t stop to see them. all you wanted to do is just go home. which is quite weird, you love hanging out with your friends.

TIMESKIP !!

you sat on the roof of your apartment building in your suit, thinking about the friends you met just because of an incident.

miles, gwen, peter b. parker , peter porker, spidernoir, and peni. they all held a special place in your heart. but if you had to choose, miles would’ve had the most impact.

in your defense, not just anyone could make you feel how he made you feel. he had a special type of charm and personality that you like and—

maybe you didddd like him a bit.

but there was no way to see him again, so you might as well get over this little crush you have, right?

you boredly shot a web out and suddenly a portal summoned where your web was supposed to land.

“the hell..?” you mumbled. This never happened to you before. It was extremely unnatural and weird .. so….

you hopped in.

whats the harm in a little fun? it’s not like you couldn’t protect yourself just in case. it could’ve been different if you couldn’t.

you checked out your surroundings and it looks pretty similar, but you can’t remember where from.

suddenly, you heard footsteps coming from outside of the room. you quickly hid inside of the closet. you didn’t have invisibility like miles did.

but you accidentally had knocked a figure down while scrambling to quickly hide in the closet.

“how did this even fall..?” the boy mumbled as he picked back up the figure in the box and placed it back on the shelf.

yeah, you could hide ‘n stuff, but you couldn’t hide your big ass feet hitting everything in their path.

the boy had heard you kick something down and he went to go check.

he opened the door and you saw his face.. Miles?!

“..! I know you’re there. your clumsiness and scent isn’t hard to spot.”

getting out of your hiding spot, you tackled him into the bed and hugged him, happily.

“hey, how did you get here?” he brightly smiled back and hugging you back.

“ I MIGHT have a new powerrrr~! ” she happily said, looking up at him.

“I missed you a lot.” he said, his smile and voice turning softer.

“I missed you too miles.”

— nun too speciallll

[littlelesbianwriter11]

❤️💕📚🤩

❤️ What is your favorite line that you’ve written in a fic?

I feel like I have a different answer to this question every time it's asked. It's always so hard, because I tend to like full scenes more than individual lines, just because I'm more of a TV watcher than a reader, so my writing is a lot more literal, I think. However, there are a couple that stand out in my mind, at the moment:

From Damian in The Sex Lives of Mean Girls: You can’t just try to unsend a sentence, woman! You just said you’re in love with her!

From Regina in Mean-ish Girls: Why do I have so many queer friends? First Janis, then Karen came out as pan, Gretchen said she was somewhere on the queer spectrum, and now Cady? Am I just the designated straight friend?

And from Damian in a story I'm currently working on: Why can’t you two be normal about anything?

💕 What is your favorite fic that you’ve written?

This is like asking me to name my favorite pet lol. I like them all for different reasons. If I had to choose 1 fic to save or something...probably The Sex Lives of Mean Girls. I just like that a dumb idea that I had for a quick one-shot turned into a 12-chapter story that was able to be funny but also have emotional moments here and there.

📚 Is there a fanfic or fanfic writer you recommend?

I've been in a few fandoms before, but I truly feel like the Cadina fandom is one of the most consistently talented fandoms overall. Really unique ideas, good characterization, great plots. I don't think I've really read anything that I just 100% didn't enjoy. Doing fic/writer recs is always hard, because I feel like I'm going to leave someone out! But I will name a few that are top of mind at the moment (I'm limiting myself to 10, but really, you can just look at the Cadina tag on AO3 and read anything):

The Complete ones:

All The Walls Come Crumbling Down by HazelEHay - I've read and re-read this story so many times. Love this story.

So Obsessed by RobinBuckleySidekick - Cute and sweet and sexy. Plus, it's a one-shot, so it's an easier read.

you would find her in a polaroid picture by revengeparty - I love gymnast Regina. 'Nuff said.

don't look for me; i'm just a story you've been told by ForeverWillLast - Made me cry and has two sequels (one still in progress), so there's a lot to read.

Pretty Girls by UhhhYaEnbyJade - One of the first fics I read in this fandom. Super cute.

The In Progress ones:

The Things That Bind Us by GryffinSorya - I love soulmate AUs, and this is a really good one so far.

To Fool You, Is To Lose You by Rewiringtoheal - This one is newer, but I love fake dating stories, and this one has a different angle to it. Excited to see where it goes.

Get in, Loser! We're going... to fall in love? by 16Sydd16 - Very cute and very sad. Total emotional rollercoaster.

apex predator by greyfire - I'm firmly on "team vampires are hot" so I like this one. Lol

I'd Rather Keep on Lyin' (than to tell you the truth) by SinandVice - Another fake dating one, but one where the fake-dating is basically them just dating and lying to themselves about it 😆

🤩 What led to your interest in the fandom?

I heard about the new Mean Girls movie, and I had no intention of seeing it. I liked the original, but it's not up there as a favorite for me like it is for a lot of people I know, and I'd never seen the stage musical. Then I saw a video of Renee Rapp singing, and she impressed me so much that I decided to see the movie. Then I saw Cady, and I immediately loved her (which I've done twice before with Angourie Rice, but I didn't ever put together that it was the same person I kept thinking was charming until I looked her up after watching Mean Girls). Then Cady laid eyes on Regina, and I was like, "Wait...WAIT THIS IS SO GAY." And then I saw the movie 9 more times in the theater and bought it on Amazon the second it was available (even though I have Paramount+), and I've been obsessed with Cadina ever since.

Thank you so much for messaging!

From this ask game

[youssefguedira]

Hi! Bothering you again with unwanted opinions and questions.

#1- I know it's not cool to say after the whole Armie Hammer affair, but I really like "Call me by your name", I don't find it creepy, and I think Hammer did a great job in it. Sure, he looks older than 24 as the character is supposed to be, but he acted the part well.

#2- Did you watch "The Return"? I did, and boy oh boy the things I do for the actors I love. Loving Fiennes and Kenzari, I watched it yesterday; imho it was boring, overtly descriptive, and I'm really sorry to say this but Kenzari only had ONE expression during the whole movie. Considering his microacting in TOG, I almost couldn't believe he was the same actor.

The only thing I appreciated, as a small act of patriotism, was the screentime Santamaria got in the movie.

not bothering at all i love questions and opinions!!!! i dont always have the spoons to answer but i love gettin em and i love to talk about stuff!!! @ everyone here please feel free to send questions and opinions

havent seen the return yet!!! answering this bit first bc i have a lot to say about call me by your name but anyway im waiting for it to come out here (april :() for the Cinema Experience and also i can drag my classics student ralph fiennes fan beloved roommate to go see it as a mixture of enrichment and psychological torment (she doesn't enjoy adaptations that take out the gods). everything ive heard about it has been aggressively mediocre. i'm sure i'm overhyping it to myself but i'm excited nonetheless (i love art that is kinda mid)

disappointing abt mr kenzari's performance tho im not nearly as familiar with his work as i Should be (working on it) but i was so excited for marwan kenzari antinous :( oh well. the world goes on hollywood keeps making movies. maybe we still have any other night or maybe we don't i haven't checked on how that's doing in a while

On Call Me By Your Name: i know in the abstract abt the armie hammer thing i just choose not to think about it. he's pretty good in the movie. i didn't realise he was only supposed to be 24 though i thought he was like. 30.

the creepiness aspect is an interesting one to think abt!!! the reason i watched it was a) class and b) like, all of the annoying film people i know have been watching/rewatching recently, so you know, wanted to join in. almost none of them ever talk about that aspect of it, but it was also the first thing i learned about the movie as an impressionable teenager on tumblr. interesting case study.

BUT, i think it's one of those things where different people are always gonna have varying degrees of comfort with stuff, and this is probably one of them. can't speak for the book because i haven't read it, but the movie is less about their relationship than it is about elio figuring himself and his sexuality out, in a few different ways (marzia plays a major part in this too!). and some of that happens to be through his relationship with oliver. which you can side eye if you want. but in the context of the movie it's more of a narrative device to explore the idea of discovering your sexuality, growing up, changing, and also the impermanence of relationships, romantic or otherwise, that felt like they changed your life at 17. which is compelling as all hell!!!! besides elio is such a good character. he COULD have been really annoying, but chalamet is a hell of a performer, and i was warned abt one specific shot at the very end by someone else's review but if i hadn't been it probably wouldve given me a Fucjing Heart Attack.

did i find it particularly romantic? no not really i spent a lot of time side-eyeing oliver particularly hard. but did i find it interesting? absolutely. i have to hand this one to guadagnino it's a good movie . which very much snuck up on me with the emotional intensity. i did not relate personally to like, 90% of it for asexual reasons, but like i said the idea of changing etc was resonant. the MOST relatable part for me, however, was olivers reaction to love my way by the psychedelic furs. i also feel that way about love my way by the psychedelic furs

[ladylucksrogue]

20 Fic Writer Questions

Thank you for tagging me @lonewolflupe!

This was fun!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

91

2. What's your A03 word count?

534, 651 (!!)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Star Wars currently. I've written for others like DBZ, One Piece and Lucifer in the past.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

The Stars We Can’t See (Riyo/Fox)

Unexpected (Wolffe/Liri (my OC)

Whumptober 2022

All is Fair (Fox/Riyo)

Spontaneous (set in the Unexpected Universe, my fix-it universe Rex/Ahsoka)

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I wrote a Bly centric, post order 66 story called The Ghost of You.  It’s probably the darkest most tragic thing I’ve ever written.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably the drabble A kiss when both parties are crying, done for the kiss roulette prompts, where Wolffe meets his daughter Mira for the first time.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I haven’t.  I have gotten a couple passive aggressive comments, but thankfully no outright hate.

9. Do you write smut? If so what kind?

Yup.  I like to write smut.  Usually smut with feelings, though I’ve done a couple of casual fling type one shots and a dark raunchy one time thing between Wolffe and Ventress.

10. Do you write cross overs? What's the craziest one you've written?

I haven’t.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not sure if it counts, but I did contribute to @aknightreaderr's amazing ask Fives universe with a letter from Sinker and Boost.

And, there may be plans for the future in the Unexpected-verse.   I am not opposed to this sort of thing, I think it’s so fun to dabble in each other’s universes.

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

I can’t just choose one. I love foxiyo, codywan, blyla and of course, I adore the little world I’ve built with my OC Liri and Wolffe.  I’ve just fallen for her as much as Wolffe has, I find her amazing.

And of course, as much as that occasionally bothers people and gets me blacklisted, I love rexsoka.  

15. What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever wilI?

I do intend to finish all stories that I write, or I have the best of intentions…

I did start an obitine fic a while back, and while I had fun writing it at the time, the fandom toxicity just really got to me and I think I just burned myself out on it and needed a change. I suppose I lost the will to write there.  I’m not sure if I ever will get back to writing it.

I also have a Wolffe-centric post order 66 story I will eventually be continuing.  It is on temporary hiatus.  It’s very personal and near and dear to my heart and I guess I just got into a bit of a funk writing it.  It got very little attention, which I figured, as it is so niche, but…sometimes it’s hard to pour your heart and soul out.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Probably emotion.  I’m pretty good at getting into character’s heads.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Ha.  I’d say everything but the truth is I have no clue.  I just know I edit and edit and edit until I’m happy with something and hope for the best.  Sometimes I can get too wordy with stuff, sometimes I feel like my tone is really boring. 

Oh and summaries. I am the absolute worst at summaries. I can write a 5000 word super intense, emotional one-shot but then I go to post and I'm like...I got nothing...

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

I like to throw a mando’a word in here and there.  Or I’ll worldbuild with Pantoran and Wroonian.  I don’t like to write whole lines of dialogue in other languages, because unless it is fandom-known, I think it distracts?  Like having to flip flop between the notes and the dialogue to understand the scene?  It’s like when you are watching a movie, and it switches to Chinese or something.  Sure it is accurate that they’d be speaking in their native language, but I’m scrambling to keep up with the subtitles.

My other language is German…and well…I don’t really write in it, at all.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Dragonball Z.  I wrote a lot of Bulma/Vegeta fics, as well as a lot of Vegeta centric stuff that will never see the light of day.  I was an angsty youth.

20. Favorite fic you've ever written?

Probably a toss-up between Unexpected and The Stars We Can’t See.  I just love writing the progression of the relationships there.  Home Sweet Home holds a special place in my heart because it was the first rexsoka fic I ever wrote and it’s just a hot mess in the best of ways.

On a personal, need to get these headcanons out before I explode level?  I love the twin week stuff I wrote, Fight or Flight and Balance, specifically.

Tagging: @whyamismall @tealmisthams @snips2112 @sendpseuds @palfriendpatine66 @impossibleprincess35 and anyone else who would like to do this.

[ramblingroommate]

My Dracula Daily Fan Cast

Am I extremely late to this whole thing? Yes. Do I care? Nope! Let’s go :)

Dracula

Shaun Toub: for the longest time I actually had Claes Bang (who has played Dracula before!) in this role, but after re-reading Dracula’s description for the twentieth time I couldn’t get Shaun’s face out of my head. Neither actor is English (not a coincidence) but while Claes is danish, Shaun is an iranian-born american actor. We don’t really know Dracula’s origins so I thinks it’s fine. Shaun is also almost ten years older than Claes which is great for the first part of the story and less so for the second half, but I think he could still play it off really well with the right make up (or CGI).

Jonathan Harker

George Mackay: he’s a British actor most people know for his role in the war movie 1917. I chose him because he has the general look I want for Jonathan (generic white boy my beloved) and I think he could bring justice to our dear friend, showing the hardships of the character really well instead of making him dull just to push a dracmina romance.

Mina Murray

Olivia Cooke: she’s an English actress mostly known for her roles in ready player one and house of the dragon. I mostly chose her because of her looks (tho I imagine Mina with black hair) but I know she was in her fair share of horror movies and even in a historical drama - both genres that mesh really well with Dracula.

Lucy Westenra

Sydney Sweeney: it was really hard choosing an actress for Lucy! Mina is always going on about how pretty she is so I wanted that but I also wanted PAIN. Sydney acted in Euphoria where she interpreted the character of Cassie who, and I quote, “fell in love with every guy she ever dated. Whether they were smart or stupid or sweet or cruel, it didn't matter. She didn't like to be alone”. I think that’s suuuuch an interesting acting experience for someone who has to play Lucy. The actress is four or five years younger than the other actors but Lucy is canonically 19 years old so I think that’s fine.

Arthur Holmwood

Simon Castle: Arthur was THE HARDEST to cast for me, I don't know why. I wanted a young noodle-ly boy with a sweet face but also a bit of a trust fund kid kind of vibe and I guess it was a hard balance to strike.

Quincey Morris

Dacre Montgomery: do I even have to say anything? Just look at the pictures… perfect actor for a perfect himbo.

Jack Seward

Charlie Rowe: I decided on this actor after seeing him in Rocketman; at first he seems like a big shot producer but then the real guy shows up and makes fun of him (that whole thing was too Jack and Van Helsing for me to ignore). I couldn’t decide between clean shaven and slight stubble so I put both.

Abraham Van Helsing

Mads Mikkelsen: I don't know yall. I just really like Mads okay?

[fan-ficwife]

˗ˏˋNew FanFic Creator ´ˎ˗

₊˚ପ⊹ Hello to everyone reading! My name is “fan-fic wife” and I decided to make an account to publish fan fictions of fandoms I’m in. This post will be an introduction of me, my top 3 fandoms, and extras you’ll have to read more to see ♡

★・・・・・・・・・・★

⋆ ★ About me

⋆ I’ll go into personal things about me that I think you all should know!

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

✧˚ · . My online name is Cali

˚ · . I will not be disclosing my age to anyone!!

✧˚ · . My pronouns are She/They

˚ · . I also enjoy role playing as much as fan fics

✧˚ · . I watch and read lots of stuff

˚ · . Currently on mobile but plan on getting a laptop soon

✧˚ · . I also only have tumblr for this stuff but I plan on making a tiktok, twitter, and maybe instagram for this content!!

˚ · . Will not tolerate racism, homophobia, ableism, disregarding triggers, etc.

★・・・・・・・・・・★

⋆ ★ Fandoms

⋆ I’ll talk about my top 3 fandoms I’m in, there is much more I’ll make a post on later!

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

✧˚ · . The first fandom I’m in is BTS! I’ve been an army since 2017 but I’ve been into K-Pop since 2016.

˚ · . My bias is Min Yoongi/Suga/Agust D. He’s been my favorite since I’ve gotten into BTS.

✧˚ · . I don’t have a favorite song from them since it’s so hard to choose, but my top 3 right now are Boy In Luv, Anpanman, and 21st Century Girl!

˚ · . My favorite song from Yoongi currently is Haeguem and my favorite collaboration is That That ft. Psy

✧˚ · . Last thing I wanted to put is I’ll miss them while they are in the military but they will be back in 2025! Let’s keep fighting army!

──────────────────────

✧˚ · . The next fandom I love is Alice In Borderland! I’m very into psychological horror and I like how they incorporated it into the manga and the show.

˚ · . My favorite character is Niragi, especially in the manga. It upset me how in the show he did some bad things though

✧˚ · . It’s my favorite non-drawn show, there’s a possibility for a season 3! I personally like the ending and think it’s fine but I also have unanswered questions so I wouldn’t mind a season 3.

˚ · . I got into Alice In Borderland in 2018 and read the entire manga. When the show came out in 2020 I watched season 1 but never finished season 2 when it came out until this year, 2023

✧˚ · . Lastly this show for some reason is emotionally connected to me, it’s just a hyper fixation of mine and I love it a lot

──────────────────────

✧˚ · . The last fandom I’m in is pretty broad but I a favorite it’s just not popular, it’s anime!

˚ · . I’ve been into anime since I was a kid, my first anime was Glitter Force but the first official anime I really started to watch was Fairy Tale! (Never finished it.)

✧˚ · . Currently I’m watching Neon Genesis Evangelion but I’m not too much of a fan of it, but I’ll still finish it

˚ · . I have an anime list of all the anime’s I’ve finished completely and I will post it!

✧˚ · . My favorite anime is “The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.” It’s by far amazing though it is only a movie!

˚ · . I don’t have a favorite series but I guess if I had to choose my top 5 are Hunter X Hunter, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Ouran Host Club, The Day I Became a God, and Junji Ito!!

★・・・・・・・・・・★

⋆ ★ Extras

⋆ I’ll talk about this account a bit, what I plan on posting, etc.

──── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ────

✧˚ · . First, which I’ve said before, I’m only on mobile but I plan on getting a laptop soon!

˚ · . I also, again, will most likely make a TikTok and Twitter/X!! Maybe an instagram but not sure

✧˚ · . I have many fan fiction ideas in mind! I plan one writing at least one for each BTS member, but most likely there will be lots of Yoongi/Suga

˚ · . I also plan on writing at least one for each main character in Alice In Borderland, maybe some side characters I enjoy

✧˚ · . Lastly I’ll definitely be doing lots anime fan fictions, maybe one shots, etc.

˚ · . This blog will mainly be about me, memes, and updates!! I also have one of those “Question” response things where you can request things but I might make a google form for requests on TikTok and Twitter and put it in my bio, same for here on Tumblr!!

✧˚ · . Also I have CharacterAi so if y’all like the fan fiction so much I might start making bots for you all to use with my fan fiction stories !!

★・・・・・・・・・・★

˗ˏˋYou Read It! ´ˎ˗

₊˚ପ⊹ If you read all of this and are interested in anyway thank you so much! You probably saw it on here or from my TikTok that will be posted in the future lolz. I hope you all have nice days/nights and again thank you!

[fuckmeyer]

hoo boyo so i'm the small writing human o/ *waves*

thank you for your response and i just took the time to read through your Jacob black's life matters and how smeyer killed him and i found it super interesting. (also it literally excites me seeing the quotes with the page numbers🤤). -----anyway back on track now. so i've always hd a liking for twilight since i watched the movies when they released (i would have been like 10..?) because i generally like the genre it falls in to. back in feb i watched all the movies again with my mum and she owns all the books so i started to read Twilight and pretty much loved it (i'm easily pleased). it took me like three weeks to get through it which is pretty average for me (attention span..) but then when i picked up New Moon i could barely put it down. i read it in 4 days which is the fastest ive ever read a book by a looong shot. i kind of fell off with reading eclipse... it took me almost 2 whole months to get through which just shows.

i think in hindsight one of the reasons i actually love New Moon (book) more than the rest is that there isnt really a 'set in stone villain' (twilight has james, eclipse has the newborns//victoria, then BD has the volturi. i suppose edward is the only thing that could class as a villan that book but thats not my point i think i enjoyed it more because of the time we get to spend with bella and jacobs characters . . . (quick side note that i watched the movies after finishing the books and new moon has no justice i feel like it washes over the effect jacob had on bringing bella "back to life" so much. so upsetting)

anyhoodles. i think i enjoy Twilight to set up B&E, then New Moon to set up B&J, then as you say in the crit Eclipse just kind of forces you to choose. and it makes sense. after just watching the movies i cant see a way in hell anyone would be team jacob---but having read the books its a whole different story. but then again... smeyer.... yeah.

sorry this has been such a long ask and doesnt really have a question involved, feel free to not post a response as i understand it's long:')

as a last note while i think of it i think that Eclipse for me fell off in that i didnt particularly care about what it was doing. i liked reading about bella and edward in twilight and then bella and jacob in new moon and i just didnt really care for most of eclipse. but maybe thats because i fell in love with bella and jacob from new moon and then had the character sabotaged.. heavy sigh. i think it says a lot that ive had a fan art of bella and jacob walking along the beach as my phone wallpaper since i read new moon so that says it all really.

i apologise once again for the length of this. ---if you wanna see the fan art wallpaper ill find it and reblog it so its at the top of my page.

p(p?)s. i'm glad it's sunny there! it's rained here the last couple days :c

hello tiny writing human! glad to have you back :)

glad you liked the analysis! & the books. New Moon is my favorite too, & i definitely agree with you that part of the appeal is the internal struggle Bella faces. we do get Victoria in the background & the werewolves, but really the whole book is about Bella learning to cope with 1) being a human in a supernatural world 2) her grief of being alone [i.e. without Edward] in this new world. watching her pick up the pieces of her life & build something new & beautiful & imperfect with Jacob was cathartic & relatable - v much a triumph in a series so rooted in the fantastical.

& it's hard to watch Eclipse become this struggle between two boys. because really, it's not about Edward or Jacob. Bella's choice is about whether she wants to give up everything for this cold, "perfect," monstrous, immortal life; or, whether she wants to stick around & build something warm & human & imperfect & finite with Jacob.

by twisting Jacob's character from the symbols of sunshine & values of humanity he represents into a bad-boy supernatural love interest competing with Edward for Bella's affection, it erases some of the characterization that we have come to expect & love in Jacob. because when Meyer positions him as a love interest, he's not embodying the traits as a friend; he's embodying the traits of what Meyer thinks is formidable love interest and rival to Edward: confident, cocky, aggressive, persistent... Jacob becomes nothing more than a 2000s-era (& before) trope of how men in our society "should" act towards women. so, everything we came to knew about Jacob was morphed into this friend/lover hybrid that just didn't work for who he was. he is Jacob...but he is not our Jacob.

(& the movies did him even worse because the "slice of life" B/J scenes we get were mostly cut.)

anyway, thanks for coming back & letting me rant about one of my favorite characters & my fave book :)

[psalm22-6]

This review of the 1935 Les Miserables staring Fredric March and Charles Laughton comes to you hot of the presses of the La Habra Star. La Habra had a population of 2,000 and a couple hundred around this time. Anyways the column in question is Jazzers which seems to have printed jokes and fun facts mostly and really whatever the author wanted. So one week he printed a review of Les Miserables and apparently no one cared so he considered quitting.  12 July 1935:

NEW JOKE: (I get this from an eastern paper so don't blame me.) Two worms were at work in dead earnest. Poor Ernest. *** BRAIN TEASER: (Still following the trail of the little animals). On a post six feet high is a worm which crawls up two feet every day and slips back one foot every night. How many days will it take it to reach the top? *** I SELDOM WRITE a movie review, for reasons too numerous to mention, but I am taking a shot (that's good film language and not slang) at Twentieth Century's production of Les Miserables  — a picture unique in several ways. It is no small job to condense so lengthy a story and carry the main thread through even a long film, but it was done in pretty good fashion, on the whole.   Les Miserables in the film lives up to its name, for most of the folks in it are miserable most of the time. And that's one of the ways in which it is unique as a movie. It is six or seven thousand feet of sorrow, sadness and trouble, without a single foot of what the writers call “comedy relief." There isn't a belly laugh in it — or any other kind. It is practically impossible even to squeeze out a smile. In this the producers have acted with unusual restraint. As a rule they force in some funny stuff because they think the audience will insist on it, no matter how out of place it may be. 

No brains are necessary to understand what the story is about. This of course is not out of the ordinary. The action is simple and direct, as were the actions of people in the days when Vic Hugo's characters were living. The misery of the poor and criminal classes was taken for granted, and instead of reaching for graft and blackmail the police inspectors committed suicide when they failed in their duty. Nowadays we coddle the former and condone the latter, all on the ground that it is up to everybody to get what he can while the getting is good. This of course takes more brains. 

But the scenarists made a long story short, and so must I. Les Miserables is a film among films in that it has two leading men and no heroine. At least it is entirely outside the rule to make a heroine of a character which appears in only part of the story. Hence the females in this story must be ruled out, except to note that so far as they have parts they are well done. But the two leading men are there all the time — and how! It is hard to choose between Frederic March as Jean Valjean and Charles Laughton as the cop who exemplifies the inexorable majesty of the law — as it then was. Both really are actors, and not just movie stars That two could be teamed up in one film without getting in each other’s way is a real achievement. 

In the matter of general setting not many stories have been better filmed than Les Miserables. I never saw a convict galley nor a French home, but in this picture they appear as they do in my imagination. The scenes in the sewers of Paris are so realistic you can smell them

It is not likely that many people care for the type of movie which Les Miserables makes but those who have read  — and reread —  this immortal story by Victor Hugo will not want to miss it. It certainly is not entertainment in the usual sense. There isn't a fan dance nor a Mammy song in it but for high class acting and stark realism It is hard to beat.

Yet it would be a great thing if everybody could see this picture and carry home from it the one important truth — Life is to give, not to take. There is just one serious criticism I have of this film — and it goes for a good many others. I can’t see the sense in the “incidental music,” the off-stage strains which are supposed to heighten the dramatic intensity and hop up the feelings of the audience. If little Nell is sobbing her way down a country road through a snow storm it doesn't seem fitting to me that the Biltmore orchestra should be heard playing in the near distance, and when Jean Valjean sloshed his way through the muck of the sewers I am practically certain the strains of the cathedral organ were not within hearing. It's about as sensible as salting a pretzel.

Amazing. Most people love salted pretzels. I have never heard that complaint of a movie before but it’s fascinating.  19 July 1935

NEVER HEARD A YIP about my movie review of Les Miserables last week. It was a new stunt for this col'm and I listened carefuly for any reverberating echoes from it. Must be everybody would rather have the dope from Liberty. RESPONSES to anything appearing here are not frequent unless I pan something or make a crack that sounds a little profane. Then I get jumped on. Whenever I say something nice, no comeback. Maybe that's the reason I distribute more kicks than kisses.

I understand the frustration of creating content and getting zero response 26 July 1935

LA HABRA STAR WILL SUSPEND PUBLICATION

This Week’s Issue Will Be Last for Local Paper Suppose the above headline was at the top of a news column instead of where it is? Suppose it were actually true, instead of being a "Jazzer?" Would it make any difference to you or to the community? I confess that to me the question is sometimes an interesting subject for thought. Have you ever given it any consideration? Probably not. The tendency is to take a newspaper for granted. The same as a great many other things. We accept the fact that they are here as being proof that they will always be here. 

I am not going into the subject any further. I am not going to argue the case. I just wonder sometimes how many really care, but I mention the matter in this way at this time in the hope that it may stir up a little thought and consideration. That's all. 

ALONG THIS LINE I would like to report the interest with which I received a few reactions to remarks made last week about that “movie review” of Les Miserables, I heard nothing about it until I said I had heard nothing. Then I heard from several. Sure, I know — we often think about handing out a bouquet but just forget to do it. l NO REACTIONS either from the brain teaser offered the same week about the worm which started crawling up a post six feet high, going up two feet every day and slipping hack one foot every night. The answer is it will take him five days to reach the top.

[autisticempathydaemon]

hi!!! here’s my responses to the ask thing lol

have fun!! tyt <3

* ceilings- lizzie mcalpine: verse 2, the chorus and outro! because first of all, the second verse is so pretty and it reminds me of the listener of the verge accident; the chorus because it’s so relatable to me for personal reasons; the outro because it’s so beautiful and i love how it feels like a coming of age moment out of a movie

* type six- the loyal guardian

* kind of, i don’t know if these count but i love watching long documentaries on true crime or the life of artists who passed away

* i’m not sure if i had one tbh; i did. have a great imagination and played outside a lot as a kid, but i don’t remember having an imaginary friend

* i need some sort of sound and a little bit of light to fall asleep; i hate total silence and i don’t like being in complete darkness; as of over a year now i usually fall asleep to redacted sleep aids if i’m not tired enough

* interesting question; idk if i’d change my name now, but if i did it would probably be something unique like Aline (which is my lovely’s name actually!) fun fact when i was younger i did wanna change my name to Skylar for some reason

* THIS IS TOO HARD I HAVE SO MANY FAVORITES- ughhhh my top favorite is a tie between probably huxley’s confession audio, and the recent avior audio; huxley because the bridging and relationship is beautiful, and avior because i love the storyline and relationship too

* blake. like i see so many blake apologists and i’m like w h y ? i ofc listen to his audios because of the plot, and the sleep aid is actually good, but i just don’t understand the hype about a dude who kidnapped people, whether it was to save his friend or not.

* it’s a mix of the maze runner and the hunger games, i grew up with it so of course i know it. also all of the hsm movies and most og disney channel movies- i love them to this day.

* i would LOVE to be friends with asher, he just seems like the kind of guy you’d go to for ANYTHING, whether it’s to hang out or to rant about the bad stuff going on in you’re life; i’d love to have him as a friend!

* this is something i haven’t thought about- i think i rant about the kind of day i’m going to have tomorrow?

* coca-cola slurpee, a water and a sweet and salty combo, like a kit kat and these guac chips i love

* my fav playlist is one i made with all 5sos and 1D songs…

* tiktok, i gave into it in quarantine and now i’m addicted.

* well, i’m an aries, i’m 5’7, i love video games and musicals, and my love language is a mix of physical touch and quality time :)

Everything here- the enneagram type, the movie choices, the music taste, even the boys you don’t like- wants me to point you in the direction of our favorite best friend turned boyfriend, dreamwalker, Elliott.

I don’t know about you, but, for me, DCOMs and One Direction are so wonderfully nostalgic; they remind me of, like, youth and high school and all that comes with it. Elliott also gives me that vibe, of something slash someone that’s comfortable and joyful and timeless, that continues to brighten up your life. Your relationship would be so full of love and long car rides screaming What Makes You Beautiful and sending silly Tiktoks instead of good morning texts and outdated Cadet Kelly references only the two of you understand.

That’s also why I like him for you as a Type Six, as Sixes tend to desire support and security in life and a partner, someone they can rely on. Elliott, both as a friend and a partner, is immensely dependable and caring. He would always be looking out for you, and honestly? Man’s was- what, the top of his class at Dream Manipulation something or other? He’s a big shot. He could support you emotionally and financially, and that’s attractive.

Song:

Soft shock, put a spring in my step/ We touch and it's static/ This love's cinematic/ Where does dreaming end and waking begin?

I thought really hard about choosing a 1D song for this, but I wanted to pick something new. Also, I’ve been holding onto this song, just waiting for someone to get Elliott, and I will not let this opportunity pass me by. It’s a little lofi, a little pining and sweet… it even mentions dreaming. It was made for y’all!

Runner-Ups:

Huxley works really well with both your Ennegram type and love languages; I stick by him being a fantastic match for a Six, and I can’t imagine anyone better to receive Physical Touch from than him. Guy, I like for you because I one hundred percent believe that man genuinely, unironically loves a good boy band and isn’t ashamed to admit it.

Note: tiktok got us all during quarantine I feel that

Read this post and send me an ask if you’d like a match-up of your own! 💌

[alittlefrenchtree]

For rwrb book/film ask - 4, 7, 10 and 15 please!!

So sorry it took me forever to answer but here I am 😁

4- If you could keep only the book or only the movie, which one would you choose?

The movie, hands down. It was my introduction to the story and I like it better so no dilemma for me here.

7- Tell us something you like better in the movie than in the book. And tell us something you like better in the book than in the movie. 

It's hard to pick something specific knowing I don't know the book that well (I read it once and pretty quickly). It's also hard not to talk about the perks of the medium itself. The movie being more efficient in terms of storytelling and the book leaving more room for the development of their relationship. I like the way Alex's bisexuality is handle in the movie. I also like that he's actually taller than Henry, not sure why.

I'm going stick with the development and nuances of their relationship for the book, even if I can't highlight a specific scene. The movie being a romcom, the need for a strong-kind-of-cliché-roadmap-with-milestones for the relationship was understandable but a bit too strong for my taste? (I have so many unpopular opinions about Paris night scene). Wait, I can highlight a specific scene. The way penetrative sex is introduce in the story? Book all the way.

(all the puns are intended)

10- You’re in a difficult situation where you have only one call to get help (or to save your life), who are you calling? Amy, Zahra or Ellen?

I would call Zahra, because after being sure of my survival I could try to persuade her to marry me (sorry Shaan).

15- Gapfiller — briefly describe a scene you would have love to read/watch. It can be a whole new scene or a scene you would have like to be a bit longer, include more things.

My idea when writing this question was asking for a bit more of the lake house but I guess we have that already now. I'd say the coffee-shop-whatever in Paris. I feel that they could have also shot the conversation of the next scene (where they're walking around in a scenery that looks nothing like Paris) sitting at that table. I love the vibe in this scene, and I think having longer takes, less cuts and a longer scene in general would have made a beautiful thing.

Allow me to answer to an additional question from a previous ask I dodged at the time BUT had time to think about since then?

Asked by @sugdenlovesdingle (forever time ago)

19- Karaoke time ! For each, pick a song :

-To tell the love of your life how you feel about them:

-To tell your crush that you want them:

-To present yourself to the world and show what kind of wonderful you are as a person:

it would be a weird ass song to pick for a karaoke but i can't think of a better song for this purpose. I've been feeling ways about this song for half of my life.

AN INCOMPLETE LIST: 20(ish) THINGS YOU LOVE (or don’t) ABOUT RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE