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mrsjjongstby · 2 days ago

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ONLY YOURS TO CATCH - N.RK

~ HIS FAVOURITE DETECTIVE

PART 1: BAITED AND BOUND

Pairing: Obsessed serial killer!riki x Detective!fem!reader

Genre: Dark romance.

Synopsis: You, a detective who has always solved her cases with ease — until he appeared. A string of murders, all more twisted and challenging than the last, draws you deeper into a deadly game crafted just for you. As the lines blur between hunter and hunted, you realizes you're not just chasing a killer — you're the prize he’s been chasing all along. In a city full of noise, he made sure only you heard him.

Warnings: Killing, blood, knives, jealousy, obsession, stalking behaviour, violence, mentions of murder, mentions of pregnancy(not related with the female lead), toxic dynamics, dark themes, cursing, jail/ prisoner setting, mentions of poison (cyanide), etc (let me know if i missed any!)

Word Count: 2,962

Some traps aren't meant to catch you. They're meant to keep you."

You are good at your job, you really are. But recently the job has been feeling way too easy. Something is just not adding up. You are a very well-known pro-found detective- the one the departments brags about infront of press and in articles.

You knew you deserved the praise, the applause but now, as you are sitting before the 35-year-old man while tapping your pen against the metal table, you don't know if you deserve the “The detective who solved it all” title anymore.

“I killed Yuri” the man- Jae states bluntly.

He continued, “Had an affair with her and got her pregnant and I didn't want Hana to know, I did warn Yuri though, told her to get abortion but she was stubborn she said she didn't want to kill a life who hadn't even developed into a baby. But I didn't want that- I didn't want her or the child. I did what I thought was best-”

“And that is to kill her?” You can’t stop yourself, gripping the pen tightly as you yell.

Jae shrugged. “I did what I had to do.”

You don't understand why this is happening, why the past five cases you’ve been handled have been too easy to solve.

But one thing is for sure, you don't like it one bit.

You liked the critical thinking, assessment of the evidence and putting pieces together that come with the job.

But lately, the criminals are being found after you’ve only uncovered a few pieces of evidence.

Not that you aren't happy that the criminals are getting caught early but it's that it almost feels too unreal, too silly and too convenient for a criminal to be found with the first 3 clues.

Too absurd for the criminals to come out and confess- always with an underlying feeling and a strange tension you can’t quite place.

You look at him and ask, “So why are you confessing to me now when you tried to hide her body, hide the murder which you committed?”

Jae chuckles almost nervously “I guess I still have a thing for Yuri.”

You get up from your chair disgusted “Rot in jail bastard.”

With that, you leave the room with your mind full of thoughts and theories. And none of them make sense.

Now, back in your office, you sat pondering about the past five cases. A knock on your door snapped you out of your thoughts.

Detective Jun-ha, your senior, stuck his head in.

“That’s the sixth case you’ve solved in the past two weeks Ms. The detective who solved it all, are you sure you didn't make a deal with the devil?” Jun-ha, though technically your senior, never acts like one.

He has seen you grow. He was there through your thick and thin and he’s one of the few people who truly support you and are genuinely happy for you.

You gave him a tired chuckle. “Maybe I’m the devil. Anyways, what brings you here my dear senior?”

"Nothing, just checking up on my favourite detective” he says as you roll your eyes playfully.

"I'm doing alright, thanks for checking up on me senior”

“Good to know. I'll take my leave then” he says with a grin as he exits, leaving you alone with your thoughts.

Your smile fades as soon as the door shuts click.

This isn’t normal. It was like the justice system is on autopilot- making crime scenes easier and making criminals confess so that you have a perfect record. The nagging feeling in the back of your mind grows louder and louder.

You know it. You feel it. Someone is pulling strings...

A few days pass by. As you enter your office, the first thing you notice is a file placed neatly on your desk- an indicator that you got yourself a new case.

You walk over and flip it open.

There it is.

Nishimura Riki.

The most wanted serial killer in the city.

You aren't even surprised anymore. You’ve said the name often, seen it written across countless headlines, articles, reports, evidence sheets- it might as well be imprinted in your brain by now.

You get his cases often, it's like clockwork. Once in every three cases which took you no time to solve and are practically solved by themselves, his case awaits on your table.

A new one every time, only on your desk like the case only wants to be solved by you and no one else.

His cases are different, they make you work, really work.

They demand your attention, challenge your logic and wake up the parts of your brain which have been rusted due to the regular cases. Riki’s trail is cold.

His victims are killed unusually, are scattered, his patterns are confusing and if you are being honest to yourself, the only common piece in his puzzles is, you.

All of his cases only ever come to you and with each murder of his, it's like the universe is leaving his case for you to actually solve.

And beneath the pressure and fear, you almost feel relief because for once, you aren't being handed the answer. You are chasing it

As you are about to dig through the file, you get a call. The sound cuts through the silence like a blade.

“Ms.Y/n? We found a body. Linked to Nishimura. You are needed on-site. Now.”

You are already grabbing your coat, your mind preparing what to expect from him.

The alleyway is damp, cold and silent, completely as if its untouched by the chaos of the city around it. The streetlights flick, casting that glow on the body surrounded by rainwater.

You duck under the yellow tape. The officers nod at you, their faces pale. You nod back at them and look at her.

Female, early thirties. Clean, untouched except for the severe wound on her head. She has been posed. Elegantly, like someone took their time- as if it wasn't a murder but a performance.

What caught your eye was the folded piece of paper in her hand. You kneel and gently take the paper with gloved hands. You freeze as you open it.

It was a page torn from a novel- not just any novel- your favourite novel. The one that you mentioned briefly in an interview a year or two ago. No one ever bought it up again. The highlighted sentence, which was underlined by read ink reads,

“The hunter always smiles when the prey finally notices the traps.”

Your stomach twists. Because you know- this isn't just a message- it's an acknowledgement.

Acknowledgement that he’s watching you- not just your work but you.

And you don't know how to feel about that.

After inspecting the place, collecting evidence and talking to the nearby people you return to your office.

You walked into your office, but something was wrong. You locked your door- you were sure of it.

Yet there it is. On your chair. A plain black envelope. You quickly closed the door as you tear open the wax seal.

Jae was wasting your time. I handled it, you're welcome. You shouldn't have to clean their messes. You are meant for something greater- for me Tune out the voice, love. I'm the only sound worth hearing. Think smart, Detective This game is ours - Your R

You sit down slowly, the wait of the message heavy on your chest And you feel it- he's taking control of everything around you.

Watching your every move.

Eliminating every distraction.

For what?

For you.

You begin to notice the small things first.

The coffee on your desk, still hot and made the way you like it, even though no one was in the office when you arrived.

Your favourite pen- the one with the broken cap with no ink left- replaced by a new one.

Same colour. Same brand.

A hair tie on your desk whenever you chose to leave your hair loose.

Always made your skin crawl and made you look around you to see if someone was watching you.

Your instincts tell you to file a report, but something stops you.

You're a detective- why would you need another detective to help you?

That's what you told yourself.

This felt like more than surveillance. It felt like intimacy

Riki isn't just watching you work. He somehow made his way into your routine... Inside your life.

And the worst part?

You don't tell anyone- Why?

Because you are scared you'll be mistaken for paranoid rather than being right.

And that’s why you haven't been yourself lately.

You are always thinking. Something or the other runs through your mind 24/7. You haven't been able to sleep properly, fear clinging to you at night- the fear of being watched which caused you to not be energetic and more "alive-looking" in the morning.

And maybe that's the reason why you were seated across from Jun-ha after work hours in a café.

"Ok. C'mon y/n, what's going on with you?" Jun-ha asks unable to comprehend why you have been like this for the past week or so.

You chuckle awkwardly, "What do you mean, I'm doing just fine".

Jun-ha gives you a "Are you really fucking with me right now" look and says, "You know what I'm talking about, you look like a panda with your eye bags, you are always zoning out and you just look paranoid all the time."

There it is.

Exactly what you feared- people thinking you’re paranoid, when in reality, you are right. Someone Riki is watching you.

You don't want other people to perceive you as paranoid or delusional. So, you dismiss his worries and not-so-wrong accusations and say, "I'm just tired of dealing with his cases"

Jun-ha looks at you sympathetically, knowing who him means, "Ah I get it, his cases are so time consuming and hard- I wonder how you do it. Just be careful"

You nod at that as you drink your latte, the bitter taste staying in your throat.

After a few days, an autopsy report lands on your desk.

Victim: Male, age 27 Time of death: Between 2am-4am Cause of death: Cardiac arrest (supposedly).

You stare at the report, unease setting in your gut.

Something was wrong.

You visit the alleyway where the body had been found. The place covered with yellow "crime zone do not enter" tape and surrounded by multiple professionals.

You greet them briskly and make your way towards the scene. But you don't look at the body. No- you look around it.

Your eyes catch a half-opened water bottle lying a few feet away holding a small amount of liquid.

With gloved hands, and after confirming with the forensic team, you carefully pick it up and bring it closer.

You unscrew the cap and take a cautious sniff.

Minerals.

Sharp.

A chemical aftertaste that shouldn't be there.

Poison.

You sent it to the lab for testing- and the results came back quickly.

Confirmed.

Cyanide.

Cyanide- the silent killer. Efficient. Fast. And almost undetectable in standard reports, making it every seasoned criminal’s best friend and making it easier for them to get away with it.

But not on your watch.

Determined, you proceed to your next lead: Lee Haneul, the victim's girlfriend.

She's devasted when you met her- blood red eyes, trembling hands- but she’s cooperative.

"He left around midnight” she sniffles, “said he needed some air to clear his mind. He took his phone, headphones and his wallet"

You nod, scribbling your notes, "Before this... did he mention anything strange? Anything bothering him? Weird behaviour?”

She hesitates, then murmurs, "He... he said he'd been getting these creepy messages. Anonymous ones. He brushed them off — thought it was just one of his crazy stalker fans. He posted singing covers online... had a following."

You thank her gently, offer your condolences, and leave, mind already racing.

Back at your office, you immediately request access to the victim’s phone — the password provided willingly by Haneul.

You get his phone, and you extract the texts- there it is.

The last message received before his death: "Want to hear a song that ends with your last breath?"

You feel your skin crawl.

You run the sender’s IP number.

It's a burner. Obviously.

But you trace its last activity, a ping from a local library. You head to the nearby library and review the footage along with your team.

There. A hooded figure. Tall. Black hoodie. Walked out at 1:47 AM.

You zoom in.

A janitor’s badge clipped to his chest. You track him down with the help of the authorities.

His name: Park Minjae.

Minjae is pale as a ghost under the harsh lights of the interrogation room

"I-I didn't kill him!” he stammers, wide-eyed.

“I swear, I just saw someone dragging something in the alleyway, I got scared- so I hid"

You lean forward, "Why didn't you call the cops?"

He swallows thickly. "Because... because he saw me. He looked me dead in the eyes and then he smiled. Like he knew I'd keep quiet"

You narrow your gaze.

“And this message.” You ask, showing him the threatening text.

He widens his eyes and shakes his head frantically. "No! My phone broke a few days ago. I got it repaired but afterward, it started acting weird — random messages being sent, glitches everywhere. Turns out... it got hacked."

He's telling the truth. You know it in your gut.

"Do you remember his face?" You ask quietly.

"Uh y-yeah I do"

You nod and show him a photo- Nishimura Riki mug shot.

Recognition flashes instantly across Minjae's face. "That's him! That’s the guy!"

Which means...

Riki left a witness.

That's sloppy. Thats not like him- at all.

Was it just a mistake? Or was it something else?

You began thinking- thinking of anything that could help your case move forward.

And then it clicked.

Cyanide.

There are only two registered mineral industries in the city who had legal authority over cyanide.

You immediately dispatch teams to both.

One industry reports a suspicious transaction a week prior — security footage confirms it: a man matching Riki’s build, wearing a mask.

Under pressure, the supplier, Lee Seo-Jun, folds quickly under interrogation.

And when he does, he gives up an address.

Registered under the name Kang Tae-jin- A name connected to exactly nothing.

A perfect ghost.

Until now.

Your team gears up and storms the listed property — a sleek, modern house nestled in the city's quieter outskirts.

Guns raised, shouting orders, you breach the door.

And there he is.

Nishimura Riki.

You visit the jail’s visiting room. It's quiet. Unsettling.

He’s already there.

Handcuffed, relaxed, sitting like he owns the room.

His eyes lift the moment you walk in.

And for the first time, you look him in the eye.

Not through photographs. Not across crime scenes.

Here, In person.

“Y/N,” he murmurs. “Finally.” voice soft—softer than you imagined, almost delicate.

"You're earlier than I expected," he says, tone almost... proud. Proud of you- your skills.

His eyes glint. “Though I didn’t want you to find me yet,” he says softly.

He shakes his head, “You were beautiful out there,” he says even softer.

The silence thickens, pressing up against the walls.

You finally break it. “Why? Why all of this? Why the murders, the notes, the chase?”

He leans in, and for the first time, the smile drops.

“Because you weren’t supposed to waste yourself on simple men and simpler crimes. They don’t deserve your mind. I do.”

You feel your stomach twist. “You killed them to get my attention?”

“No. I killed them to clear your schedule.”

“Riki—”

“No,” he interrupts, voice rising just a little. “You were drifting. Getting tired. Losing yourself in noise. I fixed that.” His gaze pins you on the spot.

“You’re here. With me. And don’t tell me it’s because of the law.” He tilts his head slightly, smile inching back.

“Because we both know—you wanted this too.”

You stare at him, heart hammering. Unsure if the chill running down your spine is fear… or something else.

He leans back, eyes still on you.

"I told you this is our story, baby"

You don't know what makes you stand up- rage or disgust or the terrifying part of you that understands him a little too well.

Your chair scrapes loudly against the floor. Riki’s eyes follow your movement lazily, like a wolf watching its prey.

You want to leave. You should leave. But you don’t.

Instead, you lean closer. Hands flat on the cold table separating you from him.

"You're sick," you whisper.

His smile grows, slow and poisonous.

"I'm devoted," he corrects, voice warm like he’s confessing love — not murder.

You clench your fists, trying to steady your breathing.

"You destroyed lives. Families. You ruined people just to get to me Riki"

Riki tilts his head, handcuffs clinking softly with the movement.

"Ruined?" he echoes.

"I think of it more like... rearranging the world around you.”

You open your mouth —

but he leans in so fast, so close, you freeze.

Only inches between you and him now.

And when he speaks again, his voice is barely a breath:

"You feel it too, don't you?"

His eyes are searching yours, merciless.

"The world makes sense when you're with me."

Your throat tightens.

You can't move.

Can't think.

His next words are quieter than a whisper — a blade against your skin:

"You were always mine to catch, Detective."

The guard bangs on the door, warning that visiting time is over.

You step back, almost stumbling, heart hammering against your ribs.

Riki watches you go, a soft smile curling at his lips —

as if the real game has only just begun.

The door slams between you, but you swear you still feel his gaze.

Watching. Waiting. Smiling...

PART TWO YET TO COME...

©mrsjjongstby all writing belong to me. do not copy, modify or repost my works.

A/n: Hey guys! Writing is not my thing so sorry if it wasnt up to your expectations! And let me know if you guys want to be added in the taglist! Part two is in the making so stay tuned! Hope you guys like it! I literally was literally a second away from ripping my hair off due to exhaustion. Anyways! This is officially one of the longest fic ive ever wrote....... PLease show alot of love! ALSO THE DIVIDERS R FROM THE VERY TALENTED : @uzmacchiato @enchanthings @kodaswrld THANKS GUYS!!!!!!! ENJOY!

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rannie-moon · 2 days ago

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heranchella

synopsis: the time has finally come! It's here and it has it's own chapter in history textbooks...

masterlist | wattpad

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ I don't even know how to start this off...

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ that week she had a slight technical difficulty, which was one of the reasons she was so anxious even during enha's performance. when they came back for week 2 soundcheck she got the news that her set was being moved to another stage

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the sahara tent was perfect for her, she loved it. not small, but not too big. and now? getting out of the van with her manager: "we got confirmation that you're being moved to main stage earlier today."

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ EXCUSE ME?? SHE WAS BEING MOVED WHERE??

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she wasn't happy at all to say the least but we'll get a closer look at that later. right now we're here for her performance :) (she was ready to take the first flight but to seoul I kid you not)

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ so there she was backstage, mumbling to herself as her stylists fixed the mic pack on her shorts. It was just her—the members were already in the crowd with the others

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ let's just take a closer look at who the others are exactly:

the txt members (supportive besties since day 1 of course. they wouldn't miss this for the world) chaerin—jake's girlfriend, yunjin, and chanelle (even more supportive besties) her cousins chanmi and yejun hyunmin and nari obviously her parents (YUP!) oh and hoseok and jungkook... NO NOT "OH"! HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE TRAINIGN BUT HE MADE A REQUEST JUST TO LEAVE FOR A FEW DAYS TO SEE HER! (our favourite accidental brother figure <3)

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she was even MORE nervous knowing that they were there for her because what if she messed up?? ON MAIN STAGE!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ heran literally could not stop pacing up and down the dressing room, she was going insane—fidgeting, biting her lip, trying her best not to touch her hair. she couldn't even look at herself in the mirror

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ It was 30 minutes before she had to go on but she was ready, so her stylists and the staff gave her some privacy in hopes that she'd be able to calm herself down

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she was literally just staring at the wall for what felt like forever, unable to move until she heard the door open. she thought it was a staff member calling her out but it was just jungwon

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ he came to check up on her because he knew how nervous she would be, and he couldn't just stand there with everyone and hope for the best

"how's my superstar feeling?" he asked with a smile, shutting the door behind him—it didn't even take him a second to malfunction because of how good she looked. heran put her head in her hands, "your superstar feels super fucking nauseous." "she also looks super fucking gorgeous." she groaned, not even bothering to look up. “stop trying to make me blush, I’m trying to spiral in peace.” jungwon let out a soft laugh, stepping closer to where she sat perched on the edge of the vanity stool. he crouched down in front of her, hands gently wrapping around her wrists to pull her hands away from her face. “hey,” he said, voice low and steady, “you're going to do amazing heran.” heran blinked down at him, lip wobbling slightly because he always knew exactly what to say. “they moved me to main stage, won. I was already losing it over sahara. now I have fireworks. and my parents. and jungkook?! he's literally supposed to serving the country right now!”

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ a LOT more went down after that before she was called for standby, but let's just say that she felt A LOT better ehehhehe

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ so there she was, under the stage on the platform that was going to raise in a minute. god she felt like katniss everdeen right before the games started

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she was dressed to perfection, her in-ear monitor counting down as she heard the drowned out screams from the crowd. and then the intro started

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the fans in the crowd were obviously screaming the loudest—supernova, song of the year was literally playing! her dancers were already onstage, the lights dim, flickering from white to black until the infamous supernova rung through the speakers, the audio cutting into something smoother, heran's platform lifting

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she had to breathe. she had to calm down down. SHE WAS ON MAIN STAGE!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ but then, just as the audio played "I'm some kind of supernova—watch out" lo and behold—lee heran in the center of the main stage at coachella with over 30 000 people surrounding her

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ this was 3/4 of the tokyo dome crowd!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ but the second the camera focused on her, her mic clutched in her hand—shit was about to go down. this was some alter ego take-over and you could literally see it in her eyes

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the remix for the song was a bit slower than the original for the dance breaks but it just added to the vibe. she was hitting those beats in heels and or what??

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the way that the fans were screaming "sageon-eun dagawa, ah-oh, ayy! geosege keojyeoga, ah-oh, ayy!" needed to be STUDIED! THAT SHIT WAS INSANE EVEN THE LOCALS CAUGHT A VIBE

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the outro dance break was BEAUTIFUL! THE MINUTE PEOPLE HEARD "whip whip whip whip whip whiplash" THEY WERE READY FOR A SHOW! BECAUSE FANS KNEW HOW MUCH HERAN LOVED THE SONG AND PERFORMED IT LIKE WDEWDEBDEW

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ miss girl was strutting, taking off her jacket like a SEXY MF as she got into position, and that's all it took. she looked so fucking good please oh lord give us the strength

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ you thought that the intro for future perfect was crazy? how about

"COACHELLA! ONE LOOK GIVE EM WHAT?!"

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ HELL FUCKING YEAH!!!!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the whole point of her set was confidence and just straight up feeling herself SO NATURALLY SHE HAD TO BE A LITTLE NARCISSTIC!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the dancers? the lighting? the screams? her?? IT WAS ALL TOO MUCH! FIRST CHORUS JUST HIT AND PEOPLE WERE FAINTING

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ NOW COME ON YOU KNOW SHE HIT THAT "fancy igeon cham hwalyeohae It's glowing and it's flashy" WITH HER LITTLE OVER SHOULDER TURN AND THAT SMUG AS SMILE AS INSANE FUCKING FACECARD!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ chaerin actually nearly fainted guys please she was jumping on top of jake like a crazy person

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ jake was holding onto her waist like “babe you’re gonna crush my ribs” but chaerin was screaming, “SHE’S SO HOT! SHE’S SO HOT I CAN’T DO THIS!!” while yunjin was recording the whole thing, literally crying from laughter. chanelle was obviously on the floor, you can always find her there when heran does anything tbh

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ back on stage. was having so much fun, like fully in her element and it was so rewarding to watch because?? that's who she was! a performer!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ her vocals were so crisp! please jungkook was hitting that shit like "I USED TO RUN ON THE TREADMILL WITH HER!" boy bye!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ last verse? high note? dance break? halter top holding on for dear life? dancers coming together? heran fixing her hair and walking behind them? IT WAS TIME FOR THE BEAUTY SHOT!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she literally went viral for it back home so of course it's gonna do numbers here.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ It was the most beautiful sequence ever. the dancers ducked down and she popped up, running a hand through her hair with that last "one look give em whiplash" and a smirk RAHHHHH END MEEEEE

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ SHE HAS FINE ASS BITCH WRITTEN ALL OVER HER AND THE CROWD WAS EATING IT UP! NO ONE WAS SAFE. BOYS, GIRLS, EVERYONE WAS LOSING THEIR MINDS

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ and to end the song off she did the same thing she did for the mama awards the year before. It was runway time! the camera crew practiced it with her for hours, on stage sweating bullets as they were literally in front of her! SHE WAS STRUTTING THROUGH HER DANCERS LIKE THE QUEEN THAT SHE IS

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT PRESENCE?? THE WAY SHE FLIPPED HER HAIR, TURNED TO CAMERA THREE AND GAVE THEM THAT LOOK—SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHERE HER ANGLE WAS. SHE KNEW EXACTLY WHO SHE WAS. LEE HERAN: STAR OF THE FUCKING SHOW

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ and THE WAY THE LIGHTS WERE FOLLOWING HER MOVEMENT??? like they were in love. like the spotlight itself couldn’t bear to be without her. each step was so calculated, so confident, and when she hit the final mark at the end of the runway—

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ POSE. chin up, mic resting against her hip, that one perfect strand of hair falling across her face. crowd behind her going absolutely feral. she looked like a final boss, a fashion magazine cover, the moment and the movement

��. 𐙚 ˚ and right on cue—the camera zoomed out in that SLOW, CINEMATIC PULLBACK with the fireworks going off behind her. the final chorus echoed through the speakers, and she stood there, center stage, bathed in gold. not moving. just owning it

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ I fear she quite literally gave everyone whiplash.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ that right there was her introduction. two songs in and he had the crowd shazaming them both

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the music was off now, just a very smiley heran trying not to blush over the amount of people screaming her name. a completely different person to whoever just cat walked main stage into a dance break

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ so after that little introduction she got her water bottle and finally got to properly introduce herself:

“hi.” that was literally all she managed to get out between breathless giggles, the crowd still screaming like she hadn’t just set the whole stage on fire. her heart was pounding so hard it felt like part of the beat. behind her, her dancers regrouped, just as out of breath and giddy as she was. “uh, I wanted to introduce myself as the blonde girl with the lipstick but—” she tried, only to be cut off by even louder screaming. she paused, cracking up as she fanned herself dramatically. “okay, there you go. glad to know I’m known.” she grinned. “my name’s heran, by the way—but you can call me hailey. I was raised right here in LA actuallly, I’m from glendale.” the crowd exploded, louder than before, and heran’s eyes widened like she couldn’t believe it. she tilted her head, smile tugging wider as she looked around the sea of lights and faces. “ya’ll just scream for anything, huh?” she teased, still laughing. “you know… i’m not even supposed to be here right now—like, on this stage,” she said, pacing a little as the cheers settled into excited hums. “I was originally scheduled for the sahara tent, which was already insane to me, but then on monday—literally monday—my manager comes to me like, ‘they moved you to main stage.’” she paused, wide-eyed. “and I kid you not… I nearly started fucking crying—” her hand immediately shot up to her mouth. “—oh my god, I probably shouldn’t be cussing. bro, my parents are here.” the crowd erupted in laughter, some even pointing and cheering towards the VIP section where fans spotted her parents standing with others, proudly recording every second. heran just gave the most sheepish smile, waving at them with both hands. “yeah… I’ve got a lot of very important people here tonight besides my members,” she said a bit softer, but her voice still playful, her eyes sweeping across the crowd. as soon as she said members, the crowd went feral. unhinged. there were even a few chaotic chants starting in the pit. heran scrunched her nose and tilted her head. “mhm. yeah. you guys like them, huh?” she raised a brow. “freaky.” the crowd lost it again, and heran just giggled into her mic, shaking her head in disbelief. “this is literally so unserious. no but really—I’m super grateful. I worked really hard for this set and… I dunno, I just hope you guys can feel how much I love this.” heran took one last sip from her water bottle and twisted the cap back on, eyes scanning the electric sea of people under the desert sky. “alright,” she said, voice breathy from all the excitement, “so this next one is my icy little favourite.” she turned over her shoulder, already gliding toward center stage in those tall heels like it was nothing. but before the lights could fade into the cool-toned blues, she looked back at the crowd, hand on her mic, eyes gleaming with mischief. “also… I heard that jeon jungkook guy from bts is somewhere out here tonight,” she said in the most casual, off-hand tone imaginable. the crowd absolutely ERUPTED. heran’s laugh cracked through the chaos as she held her hand up, playful and teasing. “so feel free to swarm him. ask for like, a million pictures. tell him I sent you. he’ll love that.”

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ absolutely legendary. and all she did was talk bruh 😭😭 please jungkook's face was the epitome of "It was funny, until it wasn't" bro had to message his bodyguards just in case LMFAOOOOO

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ but so far our girl was doing amazing, she's performed on bigger stages but obviously this held more weight 😭😭

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ but next song? Igloo? ya'll already know that the kpopies were getting ready to shake some ass

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she was having so much fun interacting with her dancers! she was keeping the energy up so well, and you could see that everyone on stage was having fun (which is always her main goal)

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ for the second verse she held up the mic towards the crowd. THERE WERE LITERAL SCREAMS TO: "VITAMIN! THAT D! I'M GOOD, I'M HEALTHY!"

💬 : the way god intended this line to be delivered 🙏🏼

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ her proud smile afterwards?? yuhhhh walking around as she got into formation, taking the pair of prada sunglasses from the dancer next to her, giving it a little wipe and putting it on before EATING the chorus!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ THAT INTO UP?? END MY LIFE! SPICE IT UP! UP! UP!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ count on heran to be doing crazy ass hiphop choreo in heels istg. and the band arrangement? ugh they were doing so damn good, jay was geeking out

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ when the platform started rising and the lights were tweaking around her? NYEAH! this was some show me the money shit bruh idk, by the power of min yoongi I guess she was a rapper now

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she was out here performing mine like it was cypher 3 💀 heavy metal track and bro was serving vocals with that damn mic stand, feeling it up like it was her lifeline

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ THERE WAS A SHOT OF JUST HER HANDS ON THE LED SCREEN AT SOME POINT HELP!! THE TWEETS WERE CRAZY! rings sparkling under the blue lighting—and twitter became a war zone

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ then the stage faded to black, and on the giant led screens, an abstract montage began to play—cool tones melting into fiery reds, flashes of glittering lips, hands gazing fogged-up mirrors, heels hitting pavement

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ while this was all going on, heran was running backstage getting her outfit changed, her stylists throwing clothes at her as she hopped out of her skin tight clothes into even MORE skin tight clothing

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ In the vip section her members were watching with full hearts, trying to ignore the creams of heran's friends that were losing their shit in a way only girl's could

"I wonder what she's wearing," chanelle said, completely dazed. chaerin didn't even blink. "hopefully nothing." "real talk," yunjin muttered from behind her phone, not looking up but clearly agreeing. the boys were horrified! ni-ki literally took a step back, shooting jake a look that screamed "put your girlfriend on a leash", because this only one of the many profound comments that chaerin had made about heran so far. “can you please control her?” sunghoon hissed, leaning closer to jake but cutting a pointed glance at chaerin like she wasn’t right there, still fanning herself like she was going to pass out from the sheer force of her delusions. “I’m in love, sunghoon,” chaerin said plainly, clasping her hands together. “what do you want me to do? fight god?” sunghoon looked at her, then at jake again, who just gave a half-shrug like you heard her. ni-ki was still standing a full foot away from everyone, arms crossed like he was protecting his own soul. “I’m not sitting next to these people during sports car. no way. she’s gonna wink at the camera and one of them’s gonna combust.” “combust is crazy,” sunoo muttered under his breath, but he didn’t disagree. and jungwon? he hadn’t said a word in the past few minutes. his mouth opened once, like he was gonna say something—maybe a compliment, maybe a prayer—but then the screen flashed and the screams returned, the roar of the crowd was unimaginable. then heran's voice run out, "has anyone seen my bra?" the lights flashed purple under the night sky, everyone's screaming not topping the way that chanelle, chaerin, and yunjin were jumping on each other.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ everything was purple, and then the first few synth beats of a song that EVERYONE recognised started playing

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ then in all her glory came heran, walking slowly from behind stage as the instrumental played out

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ It's okay, I'm okay. SAID LITERALLY NO ONE EVER WHEN THIS CHICK WALKED OUT WITH HER DANCERS! BARELY WEARING ANY CLOTHING!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ cue chanelle screaming: "SHE'S WEARING THE BRA!!"

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ her family was absolutely scandalised. her mother literally asked nari why she was barely wearing any clothes HELPPPPP 😭😭😭

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ jungkook just sighed, shaking his head. "I remember when she was 16."

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ yeonjun looked at him with his eyes narrowed. "well I remember she was 13. yeah, get back in line grandpa."

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ considering that she was singing a song about not caring about her boyfriend breaking up with her, with her entire chest, jungwon didn't really mind. but of course, heeseung had to say something

"now you see if that was me personally—"

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ BOY STFU 😭😭

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ ughhhh she was dancing like rent was due, her tongue sticking out with that little stank face 🤧 you already know she was locked in

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ then for the last verse it was more catwalk time!! thankfully everyone was singing along, girlfriends screaming the lyrics beside their boyfriends who were genuinely terrified of leaving that evening as a single man

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the dancers lined up perfectly, the spotlights hitting her at an angle that was inhumanely possible, her hair blowing in the wind like she was in some britney spears music video

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ "I DON'T WANT HIM ANYMORE GIRL TAKE HIM!" WE ALL SCREAM IN UNISON

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ choreography! hairography! floorograpy! SHE WAS DOING IT ALL IN A SHORT ASS PAIR OF LEATHER SHORTS, A WHITE TANK AND A PURPLE LACE BRA!!!!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the last line faded with the lights, heran's figure momentarily disappearing but her voice was still very much present. raspy, at least an octave deeper.

"COACHELLA ARE YOU STILL WITH ME?!"

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ by now the crowd had somehow managed to grow in size—like fans were multiplying by the second—and when the sound of a car revving blasted through the speakers? people lost their minds.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the camera focused on main stage, a single platform raised as her voice run out in a whispery "I think you know what this is" as four dancers made their way uptop

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the camera cut to the main stage. one lone platform rising slowly, smoke swirling at its base. her voice filtered through the speakers in a breathy “I think you know what this is…”

and the four dancers stepping up onto the platform? yeah. everyone KNEW.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she hadn’t even started singing and already the crowd was SCREAMING “you can uh-uh in it—” like it was the damn national anthem

BYEEEEEEE. FREAKYYYYY

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ then the screen behind her lit up: a glowing red “YEAH YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS.”

HELL. YEAH. WE. DO. SPORTS CAR.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pretty sure someone yelled “LET ME HAVE YOUR BABIES”—and against all odds, it wasn’t chaerin this time.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ then she brought out the chair, oh god the chair. like it's part of the choreography but who added the grinding part?? she hadn’t even made it to verse two and already half the crowd needed holy water

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she wasn't even at the second verse yet and jungwon was sweating literal bullets. someone was gonna need to put him on a leash soon 🙏🏼

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the crowd was so loud she could barely hear herself sing—so, naturally, she handed it over to them again.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ “you can do it on your own—WHAT!”

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ and then 30,000 voices shrieked back: “WHILE YOU’RE LOOKIN’ AT ME!” It was a religious experience.

yunjin, arms crossed, turned to look at jungwon—eyes wide, mouth parted, stunned. “be honest. is this biblically accurate?” jungwon blinked like he’d been hit with a brick. “huh?” she narrowed her eyes. “she’s singing about getting railed in a car, jungwon. this is a safe space.” he flushed so red, hands flailing. “no! she likes F1! you know she likes F1—this has nothing to do with me!” chanelle leaned over from behind, raising an eyebrow. “not even, like… corner of the bed?” jungwon froze. and just like that, the girls screamed. chaerin was collapsed in her seat. “he folded. HE FOLDED SO FAST.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ meanwhile, on stage, heran was fighting for her life, trying to block out the mental image of her mom watching that chair routine with wide eyes and a clenched jaw

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ but she powered through—like the professional she was—and ended the song with a bang, hips swinging, hair stuck to her neck, and a final smug smirk that sent the crowd into a tailspin.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ lights dimmed. the music faded. and finally—finally—it was time for a water break

"okay," she panted, flipping her hair over one shoulder, grinning at the sheer chaos in front of her. “who screamed ‘let me have your babies’?” crowd: SILENCE. crowd: SCREAMS AGAIN. "no, because one of you yelled that from the deepest part of your chest, and I need you to know..." she took a long sip of water, "...my dad is in the third row." somewhere, her father was definitely reevaluating everything. "he was sitting there like 🧍‍♂️" she mimicked the stiffest posture imaginable, which only made the audience scream louder. "and my mom?" she continued, tossing the bottle aside, hands on hips, voice still breathless. "I looked down during the bridge and she was praying. like, lips moving, spiritually interceding for me." the crowd was HOWLING. heran took a deep breath, water bottle in one hand, towel in the other, sweat still clinging to her temples. but the moment she brought the mic back to her lips, that teasing glint returned to her eyes. “Is anyone here with a boyfriend tonight?” she asked. instant screams. duh. “a girlfriend?” she tilted her head. even louder screams. of course. “hmm… interesting,” she mused, pacing the stage like she was gathering intel. “okay so, I brought them up earlier but I just remembered something. last week, when my group performed, my socials got flooded with people who weren’t even fans asking about the boys.” she started giggling, shaking her head. “like, oh! ‘who’s the one with the red hair—’” the screams nearly blew the roof off. heran blinked, lips parting in mock horror. “oh damn, you’re really feeding his ego right now. y’all need to calm down!" the crowd laughed, but she wasn’t done. “okay, can we be honest with each other for a sec?” she smiled sweetly. “can you guys tell me which one was your favourite? like, which member did you see and you thought, ‘yeah… I’d sign that NDA.’” chaos. a war zone of names being screamed from every section of the arena. “who?” she asked, walking toward the edge of the stage, hand to her ear. someone yelled, “the one with the blonde hair!” and that was it. heran froze. turned slowly toward the audience, eyes wide like she couldn’t believe her ears. the music began playing, the introduction smooth as she finished off with a meek smile. "sorry, that one's mine."

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ AND THAT EVERYONE, WAS THE INTRODUCTION TO MISS POSSESSIVE AND THE HARDEST LAUNCH IN HISTORY

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ SYDNEY SWEENY'S VOICE SAYING "get your hands off my man" AND THE PANDAMONIUM THAT WAS HAPPENING AROUND JUNGWON AND ENGENES

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ no camera pans. no mercy. the show was still going. heran was in full popstar mode on stage, commanding every inch of the spotlight like she didn’t just drop a lyrical bomb and start dancing unfazed

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ but in the vip section? behind those blinding lights and bass drops? jungwon. was. spiralling.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ he was dead center in the row, fists clenched between his knees, visibly malfunctioning. like... man was buffering. couldn’t process a thing

"yo, is he okay?" heeseung whispered, leaning forward to look at him like he was observing a wildfire documentary. "he's overheating," jay said seriously, waving his hand in front of jungwon's face. "look at his ears. they're glowing." he was surrounded by his members and the inevitable screaming and crashing out of the girls in front of him.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ best comment of the evening was by far from yunjin: "dude can't wait until they're back at the hotel, jesus look at him."

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ jay was like, "I mean if my girlfriend openly claimed me in front of 40 00 people I'd probably try to get her home as soon as possible too."

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ sunoo shot him a look. "why don't you tell her that?"

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ jay was like??? "because she's at home studying??"

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ let's give you a quick run down of the current relationship status amongst the members. you know those comments that are like "no way the members are single" FACTUAL INFORMATION

heran and jungwon—been together since the dawn of time. private for ages because of the hate naturally, but after this that man is claimed. publicly, internationally. and jungwon is ready to fight people because he's been waiting to go public! but the stupid company wouldn't let them! jake and chaerin (lesserafim)—started off as a pr thing, but now? "If she's not yelling at me, does she even care?" jay and haewon (just finished her chemical engineering degree at snu. we love women in stem)—the couple their friends forget are dating because they act like a married ceo and his emotionally elusive poet girlfriend. but if you pay attention? they never stop looking at each other (heran's parents in another life wbk) heeseung and jihye—these two have the emotional tension of an episode of vampire diaries. everyone knows, but it's got to be the craziest situationship known to mankind rn. and neither of them are ready to say anything (she's a streamer and they met through a very heated league game that heeseung lost bwahaha) sunghoon and sua—elegant. timeless. hot people who do hot things in silence. literally no mess, just vibes. no seriously, she's a model... sunoo and ari—aesthetically terrifying, emotionally synced. always facetiming in the dressing room. she calls him "cutie", he calls her "sweetheart". we cry. ni-ki isn't in a relationship BUT there has been something simmering with an old friend of his that he lost contact with when he was younger. her name is hikari and she's just the sweetest little angel ever!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ now for our main event! the moment we've all been waiting for! the solo debut that shook the kpop industry to it's core on some random day in 2023!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ NOTHING in this world could match the feeling of hearing the instrumental for drama for the first time

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ people thought that it was going to flop—that a song as hard as this for a hybe artist would barely hit the charts... of course they were wrong

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the camerawork for this stage?? 100000/10!! the camera crew understood the assignment, studied it, wrote their thesis on it, and EXECUTED!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ heran’s vocals??? listen. this was HER song, and she made sure to show off every damn time.

especially with the live band??? THEY ATE, THEY LEFT NO CRUMBS, THEY CLEARED THE TABLE. HER VOCALS ON THE BRIDGE??? INJECT IT INTO MY VEINSSSSSS!!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ ROCKSTAR GIRLFRIEND HERAN! ROCKSTAR GIRKFRIEND HERAN! AHHHHHHHH! JSHDIEWDEBEJEJ

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ SHREDDING ON THAT GUITAR FOR HER SOLO!!! ON HAT DANM RAISED PLATFORM, LIGHTS TWEAKING OUT, HER SKIN GLOWING AND BORDERLINE DRIPPING IN SWEAT

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ in the vip section?? absolute pandemonium (for the nth time that evening) sunoo was screaming so loud I fear the security was concerned 💀

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the fact that everyone was expecting the guitar solo just to be played for drama, and this girl had the AUDACITY to play it for spicy as well!!!

💬 : who tf is heran and why do I suddenly want to give her my house deed?? 💬 : idk anything about enhypen but whoever got claimed by heran, congratulations! someone filmed jungwon in the vip section watching her like she hung the moon and the stars 😭😭 the quote retweets on that video?? 💬 : never felt more single in my life. 💬 : that's the look of a man who knows he is NOT winning that argument later 💬 : he's literally so cooked omf 😭 engenes were howlingggg, posting videos like: 🎥 : watching her play guitar in real time was like... a religious experience, like I blacked out and he I woke up she was finishing spicy 🎥 : first I see jungwon clenching the rail for dear life. then I see heran shredding that solo. now what? someone else posted a 4K fancam of heran sweating, glowing, absolutely RIPPPING through her guitar solo with the caption: 🎥 : this woman could commit tax fraud I would simply nod and the engenes that have BEEN here?? 💬 : ya'll are late but welcome. pls grab a drink and sign the waiver 💬 : being a heran stan is a full-time job, no pto, emotional damages included

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ OUTFIT CHANGE BECAUSE IT'S A PARTY TIME!!!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she came out accidentally looking like sabrina carpenter and for what??

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ her entire performance, from the aesthetic to her outfits was giving stargirl in the coolest way possible. she was literally wearing body glitter guys!!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ her family was glad to see that she was wearing a bit more clothing too!! 😀

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the last 4 songs of the setlist unfortunately 😭 so she made sure to have EXTRA fun on stage with her dancers and with the crowd, she was so smiley the entire time hehe

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ my satisfaction? heya? straight vocals, from the depth of her soul, shining, shimmering perfection

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ definitely one of the prettiest looks of the evening. she was gorgeous

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ but then it got quiet, and it was just her on the big screen, no instrumental, just her voice, raw and breathless as she sang the first line of hold on tight: "baby, you and me, are a twisted fantasy..."

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ PARTY PARTY YEAH!!!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she performed the remix!! a minute of pure coachella chaos drowned in glitter, strobe lights, blasted bass and a mess of jumping and running on stage! THE CROWD WAS TURNING UP!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ right before the beat dropped, she got together with her dancers huddling around her, holding her mic and straight up just yelled: "COACHELLA, LET ME SEE YOU TURN THE FUCK UP!"

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ people were screaming, throwing hands in the air, climbing on each other's shoulders, full on glitter explosions. lights tweaking out in every direction.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ tiktok edits instantly

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the stage was a literal fever dream after the party party yeah chaos, she just stood there laughing as she was still riding the high with the crowd

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ last song of the evening!

"coachella, you just gave me the best night of my life."

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the crowd SCREAMED, and she laughed, wide and free, as the piano intro of after like started—freakishly similar to I will survive—so the locals were extra confused for a second before realising what was happening

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ then—

the lights bathed her in this golden glow as she dropped into the smooth, gliding dance intro, her smile so infectious it spread across the entire desert

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ It felt like new year's eve.

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ YOU AND I!! IT'S MORE THAN LIKE!! WHAT'S AFTER LIKE???

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ SHININING SHIMMERING PERFECTION! HER NAME IS LEE HERAN!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ for this part she got one of the cameras on stage to follow her, dancing around with her on stage as her back faced the ENORMOUS CROWD!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ last chorus, she hit that after like remix and the FIREWORKS WENT OFF LIKE IN THE MOST CINEMATIC SCENE IN COACHELLA HISORY!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ jumping around with pure joy, grabbing her dancers close, she had the crowd scream for them, clapping and bowing with them as a team, and then they screamed even louder for her 😭

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ she hit her final pose, arms at her sides, smiling and out of breath, her skin glowing like the damn moon itself!

"coachella! you have been a dream! I love you!"

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ and with that, she blew a kiss to the crowd, bowed so deep it made her parents tear up, and skipped off her stage with her dancers trailing behind her like a glittery comet trail

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ please, the crowd was still chanting her name after she left! guys she was literally on the verge of tears!!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ backstage? chaos. screaming. heran barely made it two steps off stage before she was TACKLED by her chanelle, yunjin, and chaerin at the same time

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ her members followed after, pulling her into another group hug before her family got to talk to her, literal tears in their eyes 😭😭

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ you'd think that as her boyfriend jungwon would get a moment to properly hug her but whenever someone was done talking to her, another one came! bruh beomgyu pushed him out of the way so damn hard 😭😭

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ when the txt members were done? jungkook tackled her into the mfing ground 💀💀 he's buff now... please she was struggling to breathe 🙏🏼

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ THEN! when everyone eventually left because someone else was performing, that's when heran and jungwon got s few minutes to ACTUALLY talk

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ trust, if she had any more energy left she would have jumped on him but heran was depleted 😭😭 but she pulled him into the biggest hug! her excitement still slightly buzzing as he peppered her face in kisses! UGH TOO DAMN CUTE!!!

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ and yes, there were photos. blurry, beautiful photos of that simple moment. her arms draped over his shoulders, jungwon's grip tight around her waist as she got her last bit of adrenaline off her chest

💬 : just saw some blurry fancam of heran when she got offtstage. she couldn't even get a second to breathe 😭😭 she's literally the people's princess 💬 : jungwon just hesitantly standing on the side waiting for his turn awww 💬 : every single idol and their mom lining up to hug her is so deserved

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ the hashtags?

#HERANCHELLA #COACHELLASTARGIRL #JUNGWONYOUARESTRONG #ENHAS_GIRL

⋆. 𐙚 ˚ and somewhere, deep in a corner of twitter, a picture of heran smiling in jungwon's arms under the caption:

oh, seoul isn't ready for her when they get back home

was making rounds.

taglist: @angie-x3@deluluscenarios @chaeryyeongz @akitoshi39i@sparklydoll444 @yunjiiin @kaitieskidmore97 @yb763@reibelhearts @enhaverse713586

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weirdgenetic-fuckup · 1 day ago

Note

Dom current slash smut please🙏

A/n: This is kind of short and I had better ideas for this but got tired half way through so I apologize

Warnings: Smut, riding, sweet to rough sex, if you think I missed anything let me know otherwise enjoy!

After a long day of work all you wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep for a week, but Slash had other plans to help you destress.

With his hands planted firmly on your hips he guided you up and down his cock as he leaned back against the bedframe. "That's a good girl, taking me so good... fuck, just like that." He praised.

You were straddling his lap, arms wrapped around his neck while he moved you nice and slow. You'd pictured a relaxed night of cuddles and kisses, this was much better. His cock stretched you out so good, veins dragging against your gummy walls while his tip repeatedly hit that spot that made your vision go white.

Your eyes fluttered shut, lips parting in moans. "That's it, just let me make you feel good." He purred, leaning closer to kiss up your neck. You tilted your head to the side to give him more access, a hand lacing through his hair and holding him there.

He began rolling his hips up into yours, only making your moans louder but it didn't matter since it was just the two of you at home. "Fuck, Slash... just like that." You mumbled, he liked when you thought you had some control. He was moving you, he was fucking you on his cock, you were just there to be his fleshlight.

"I know, sweetheart, I know exactly what you want, just take it." He answered, hot breath fanning over your neck as he started moving faster. Your breathing picked up with his pace, grip on him tightening.

Your moans fell right onto his ears, his favourite sound. His hold on your hips grew tighter as well, forcing you down on his cock harder to make you whine. He sucked on your neck, nipping at the sensitive spots that made your nails dig into his shoulder.

Your hips bucked helplessly, aching for more but you were already pulsing around him. "You can touch yourself, sweetheart." He assured, lips travelling up, caressing the shell of your ear. "Had a bad day, deserve everything you want." You didn't have to be told twice, hand already slipping between you two, fingers finding your clit and rubbing yourself nice and slow, mismatching with his pace completely.

"Ah! Oh fuck, Slash, I-I can't- can I- can I cum? Please, I've been such a good girl." You pleaded, to which he chuckled at.

"Been a very good girl, haven't you?" He said, pulling away to look at you. His own face was flushed, chest rising and falling rapidly, the slight jiggle of his tits every time he moved you. You gawked but you knew it was taking a lot for him to not focus only on your chest, to throw you on your knees and fuck your own tits. "Think you deserve to cum on me? What about my day?"

You raised a brow at him. "Your day?" You asked softly, hand sputtering in its movements on your clit.

"My day, sweetheart." He said, lifting you up and laying you down on your back. "My day was great until you came home sulking." He said through gritted teeth, his thrusts getting rougher. He held your hips in place now, pinning them to the bed. "Could've used a good girl to make me feel good, gotta break you down a little." Your breathing got heavier, you loved when he was sweet with you, but getting to end your day like this wasn't so bad.

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sylvieserene · 2 days ago

Note

currently thinking about how dark enchantress is technically WLC and how maybe her weakness is still PVC deep down

It definitely could be true.

While I was writing the chapters for my PureLily fic, Love is like a Poison , I found myself pondering about it in my free time lol mainly to get a better understanding of WL's character

Idk if I have said this here before but I see White Lily Cookie and Dark Enchantress cookie as Kagome and Kikyo from Inuyasha as their characters resemble eachother perfectly.

Just like Kagome and Kikyo, both are the same as they share the same soul but with two different halves and beings.

When their souls split and DE was born, they got divided in two halves.

Just like Dark Enchantress Cookie's birth was through a tragic event and basically the "death" of White Lily Cookie

As shown in her gacha animation too

Kikyo's tragic "death" is what caused the birth of her reincarnation

But also a hollow version of her when she was brought to life again unfairly.

Just like the Shikon Jewel which shall never again choose her or shine for her in her rebirth, the light of freedom shall NEVER shine for DE because just like Kikyo, upon death both of them were reincarnated as former shells of themselves, born with only resentment, revenge and hatred towards the world, the last feeling they felt before they died.

WL got to keep the love and kindness part of her soul whole DE got born with her dark hatred, jealousy resentment, angry and regretful side. Just like Kagome got born with love and empathy while Kikyo got born with anger and resentment because of how unfair life had been to her previous to her "reincarnation" (Inuyasha fans will know)

Just like her, DE is also more than happy to get rid of her "other half" as it is the part she is missing and she.... doesn't want to acknowledge that

She doesn't want the reminder of the pain when she went through at all.

Just like DE, she (Kikyo) lived a miserable existence as she couldn't accept the fact that Kagome (who is basically her reincarnated in modern time, sharing her soul and heart) exists and Inuyasha (whom she loved) still loved her (just like she loved him) and wanted to reach a conclusion. She continued to hate him, but still kept reaching out to him. She didn't get liberated until she found closure from him.

I see White Lily Cookie and Dark Enchantress Cookie's character in the same light because underneath all that hatred and anger, DE, as much as she likes to pretend she doesn't care, she cares a lot.

Which is evitable with her question here.

Just like WL, who asks the same question.

Despite everything, DE is still what WL is, but just a former shell of it for she only got her hatred while WL got to keep the love and kindness she possessed at heart.

At the end, DE is merely a shadow of what WL is and would forever be incomplete without her. Deep at heart, despite the anger and resentment, DE is still is doing what she feels like is in the best interest for Cookie Kind. Not to attain world dominance, not to get all that power for herself but trying to "fix" the world in a way she feels is right

All of these wars and atrocities? All of this is still for the "help" of others.

Mainly because Dark Enchantress Cookie still cares.

She is still that scared White Lily Cookie with anger and fear clinging her heart as she fell to her ultimate doom.

That girl who thought she can change the world single handedly.

The girl who failed.

The girl who lost her life in the process and is angry about it.

The dead girl still saying "Only I can offer a path to unity."

Just like Kikyo, who also seeked to "fix" the world after she got reincarnated with just hatred

DE is still trying to do what's best for everyone even if it means casualties and hurting everyone in the process.

Something WL, being morally grey, also has done to reach the "truth" (not this severely ofc cuz she still held love and kindness, smth de lacks) but did all the same and perhaps even continues to do so without realising. But she recognises this flaw and is trying her best to fix it.

This is why, I can confidently say Dark Enchantress Cookie has deeply suppressed feelings still for Pure Vanilla cookie and vise versa.

Because again underneath that soul less shell, she still is an extension or perhaps a part of WL, who still carries similar feelings and sentiment over things she cares about.

And no matter what she tries, it keeps showing.

White Lily Cookie is consciously aware that Pure Vanilla Cookie is her major weak spot. Something which even Shadow Milk Cookie catches on very quickly.

Even Dark Enchantress cookie is aware that perhaps only Pure Vanilla cookie who, as much as she'd like to discard her past, continues to be someone she sees as a threat because he can stop her, not just via power but via being himself

And it shows, over and over again.

"Especially you"

Even back when she met him all over again, she's like "So you finally admit you were an idiot aye?"

When PV tries to talk about it, she goes

She is amused and curious. Because she does know this guy was close to her. She knows his deal, she is interested in hearing his side even though frankly she got no reason. She still has an interest over him.

But she recognises this instantly so she doesn't even let him speak lol

Because while she is interested, she is still angry. As evidenced here:

The interesting thing here is, she glares. Because she still recognises that something about him still makes her feel ...weak

Which is why her next question was this

She questions her weakness despite Pomegranate never even mentioning anything about it and just saying "as long as pv is here, the echoes of the past will continue in this castle"

Which is why, DE inorder to get rid of this, tries to kill him lol because she knows Pomegranate is right and that she won't be able to do anything if PV just keeps being himself because no matter how hard she wants to throw away her past, that strange pull for him would never go because he is a major part of it.

What better way to stop making yourself feel bad but by simply getting rid of the thing causing that hurt especially when you're in an eternal cycle of anger and resentment and are incapable of thinking rationally emotion-wise?

She is still angry at him for sealing her and if we go deeper, not getting/understanding her. Which ultimately lead to her doom and cause DE because like I said, underneath all those layers, WL still is alive in DE, in a form who is angry at PV for not understanding her even before anything happened. Something which ultimately led them to splitting paths as even PV admits, he didn't get her and which is what led to both of realising that they gotta part ways, leading to WL's expedition to beast yeast for searching the truth and for PV to stay back and help crispia and his kingdom.

Both did things for helping others.

Their goals aligned but at the same time, they didn't.

Because neither of them got eachother.

Because unfortunate timing.

PV valued his Kingdom more than searching the world with her for a truth they may never find.

This is why when she "meets" him again in Creme Republic, she is almost disappointed at him lol

To the point you can interpret it as "You are still an idiot and you are talking to me?! Stfu"

Just like she was disappointed back at banquet because despite all this time, he has still not seen the "error" in his ways according to her.

He still didn't understand her vision.

This is why, this is exactly why DE is the way she is to him.

She is still deeply affected by him. Even if she doesn't admit it, she still cares a lot. She still has deeply suppressed feelings for him which make her question herself even when literally no one on earthbread is capable of doing so.

She doesn't understand these complex feelings because she never processed her anger. She is permanently incapable of processing these feelings because her other half got that part and now she is merely a husk of what she was.

Just like Pure Vanilla Cookie still questioned his feelings for White Lily Cookie (whom he knew had become Dark Enchantress Cookie), Dark Enchantress cookie definitely questions hers but in a way she is capable of mentally and in her own way.

Pure Vanilla Cookie is what Inuyasha is to Kagome/Kikyo. He recognises the soul of White Lily Cookie even when she can't find it out because he truly loves her. He didn't just love her, he fell in love with her soul. He recognised it was WL in his final moments of the Dark flour war as his eyes went wide which is why he sealed her instead of killing her and along with that sealed his own memories because he couldn't bear this anymore.

This is why when told again that de is wl, he accepts it relatively fast because he knows, he knew and was in intentional denial because he didn't want her to be that.

This is also why he is the one approached by the light of freedom because it also knows that only he has the ability to know the true WL and recognise her being.

This is also why he is more than happy to get WL despite her being half alive to the point of him being willing to die just to get her back because he loves her soul and he wants that part, the one whom he fell for, come back to life and wake up.

This is also why again and again back when he didn't know the entire debacle of WL and thought she is gone for good in exchange of DE, he tried to explain her over and over again that there still was time and she can come back if she wants because he didn't want to seal her, not when he clearly recognises that it's her, it's still the same soul he fell for but now against him.

This is why he happily embraces WL back when she is alive again because he realises that she and DE are not the same despite being the same soul.

Because he fell for WL and not her but he can still/might have residual feelings because at the end, they're still part of each other but he'll always love WL more because DE and WL are no longer the same. But he will definitely always have a spot for DE too cuz that's a fragment of WL too. A part of her too.

So does that mean DE has feelings for PV? Highly possible because it's clear that she's still drawn to him and what he has to say. She still holds him in high regards despite what she likes to admit to herself.

So yes, it is very possible that DE still has deeply suppressed feelings for PV just like he did for her once (before WL woke up) but she would NEVER voice them because caught in a cycle of eternal anger, pain and resentment, she has lost the ability long ago to process these emotions.

Just like Kikyo continued to love Inuyasha but couldn't say it out loud despite her evil birth, despite everything, still continued to subtly show so as she became incapable of love in her new unfair "birth", DE shall always remain this tragic character with an unfair fate and life incapable of emotions and feelings other than hatred.

This is also why, these 3 shall always remain my favourite characters as WL is not a Mary Sue, she is a deeply complicated, complex character who deserves all the love she gets along with PV.

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ryzheling · 14 hours ago

Text

⟡ ݁₊ . of hardened steel and devotion.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ character: knight!endo yamato (wbk) x princess!reader ⊹ ࣪ ˖ contents: sfw, slight blood mention, banters? nothing much is happening rly they're just chatting :l ⊹ ࣪ ˖ a/n: didn't mean for it to get this long but royal au is fun :o ⊹ ࣪ ˖ wc ~ 1k (not proofread)

The final fleeting light of the hour shines through the thick velvet curtains when the last of the kingdom begins to retire for the night, the east hall now devoid of life as the doors shut behind tattling tales of the noblemen. The looming backrest sits plush along your spine, muscles tense and taut as the woes of the day lie heavy on your shoulders.

You would’ve thought to return to your chambers and hit the hay instead of dallying your rest, but the comfort of such silence in the hall is too precious for you to pass up. You stare at the rolled parchment on the side table just to your right, the frayed edges and blotted ink reminding– more like taunting you with the unfinished record of the event prior.

You have half the mind to tear it in two, the notion so appealing it almost had you reaching out for the scroll when the huge oak doors swing open, heavy and creaking loud. Your breath almost stops at the figure entering the hall.

Metal clunk against metal, and the particular sound sends a shiver down your spine when the man in steel and iron steps further into the hall, eventually reaching the dais where your seat, along with your parents’ – the kingdom’s rulers – line side by side.

The knight then descends to one knee, deliberate and methodical, the act a reverence in and of itself. His head is bowed low, one arm on his raised thigh while the other perches on the hilt of his sword.

Your sweeping eyes do not miss the crimson streaks splattered across one too many surfaces of his armor, though you pay them no mind as you drag your gaze to where his eyes are supposed to be through the helmet.

“I prayed for your safe return,” you mutter. “Glad to know the gods haven’t abandoned me yet from how often I have been cursing those petty old folks.”

“No god could ever wish upon my death if milady herself had graced me with her well wishes,” comes a muffled voice, and you know he’s holding back from shrugging a nonchalant shoulder.

You scoff bitterly, planting an elbow on the armrest before resting a fist underneath your jaw, “There is no such thing as that. You lot die so easily I almost think you were genuinely seeking it in the first place.”

His head rises just a tad bit, as if he’s peering up at you through the little slits on his visor, “Is that worry I sense?” You halt at his response.

Worry? For him? This man has got a knack for being so full of himself it seems.

You turn your head to the side to hide your eye roll. “What nonsense. The only time I’d ever worry about you is when this kingdom falls.” Which is never.

Hopefully… you think.

A quiet, breathless laughter fills your ears, sparing him a glance from you. “You wound me, princess.” He quips. You can see him shifting on his shin, though you make no move to gesture for him to stand.

You could, but there’s really no need, because he would’ve done it himself if he wanted to, that pompous man. And knowing him, he would stay down by your feet until he breathes his last, if only that was possible.

Another blanket of silence settles, profound yet pleasant in a way–

“You haven’t been sleeping, milady.” Nevermind.

You mentally include him among the denizens residing in your cursed list.

“Are you insinuating that I look unkempt and–” your face contorts then, clicking your tongue in irritation. “Actually, do not answer that. I rest just as soundly as anybody living in this castle, thank you very much…” You falter.

You falter, the words hanging in the still air and trailing themselves off. You stare quietly as he reaches out a gloved hand to tug his helmet off, slow and practiced with an ease that only he could muster. Gently, he places the headpiece onto the ground beside him with a faint tink.

The sight before you draws in all your remaining focus. Like it always has. Like it always will. Thick and messy lock of obsidian spills out, a pair of bright cerulean eyes catching yours in a swift trance as he runs a tantalizing hand through his hair.

“With all due respect, princess, even with my vision partly shielded, I could clearly see your unease from across the hall.” Endo’s voice is clearer now, so smooth and lilted with slight jest that your toes nearly curl at the baritone.

You finally grace him with a look, a proper one this time which he responds in kind. Too kind, in fact. A soft exhale, a heartbeat passing in sync with another, and he watches as you rise from your seat – your throne – to stand right before his kneeling form.

Delicate hands come to brush over the infinity mark displayed on his throat, his breath catching before you move to cradle his face. There’s a squint in your eyes when you lowly chide, “One more word from you saying I appear to be hideous, Yamato, I will have you scrubbing the bathhouse like some common peasant.”

He grins up at you, all teeth and canines, dirt and grime and everything you’ve grown to be fond of.

One thing about him, Endo’s ever so shameless in putting down his task in regards to providing you his undivided attention. He should be reporting to you about his recent expedition in lieu of… whatever line it is that you two are crossing right now.

But alas, you decide perhaps a forbidden apple is much sweeter than the ones served to you on a silver platter.

The shades of his blues swirl, you realize. Wild as the tattoos running down his arms, clear as the skies and burning like the sun as if they could scorch you alive in a flame of his devotion should you ever peer into them.

For the eyes that are signs of the soul within, his is one bound to duty and honor, and a prey to sin and temptation.

His armor chinks as he moves to splay his hands on the side of your waist, the fabric of your clothes heating up underneath his touch. Endo rests his head against your stomach, down facing the earth as if surrendering himself to the ground you stand on.

Such a strong, capable warrior, and yet just a man in the presence of his beloved.

He takes in a deep breath, inhaling your scent until all his senses are drowning in it before he chuckles deep. “Put me in the worst of hell, and it is still you I seek both retribution and redemption from, milady.”

so locked in i have dents on my nose now from my glasses lol (will be resting my eyes now ..)

#writings ˙⊹ 「 🖋️ 」#endo yamato x reader #endo yamato x you #endo x reader #yamato endo x reader #wind breaker x reader #wind breaker x you #windbreaker x reader #windbreaker x you #wbk x reader #wbk x you

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suddencolds · 1 day ago

Text

excavation of habit

hello! i honestly didn't think i still had it in me to thirst-write a fic, but on friday i watched the only 3 aired episodes of To Be He//ro X and had to whump the main character immediately 🫡

if you haven't watched the show yet, i highly recommend it! with that said, this fic can be read w/o any context if you do not mind ep1/ep2 spoilers.

(3.5k words, ft. a secret identity, a cold, a popularity-driven hero society, and a two-way character study)

—

It’s only a sore throat, at first. Barely registers, between the carefully choreographed morning appearances Miss J shepherds him through.

Something Lin Ling is learning is that she always has something new ready for him. We live in a digital age, she said to him the other day. There is no such thing as privacy. If you want to stay relevant, you need to make yourself seen. He had been puzzled about that, at first. He’d asked her: “Haven’t I already been to enough interviews this week?”

“I’m not talking about interviews,” Miss J had said, and then refused to elaborate.

That’s another thing Lin Ling is learning about her. Despite her curt attitude, she is only non-communicative when she thinks an answer is self-evident. He found out what she meant soon enough. People’s trust, as it turns out, relies just as heavily on Nice’s actions out in the open. He can nail every interview and every game show and every celebrity appearance, and it won’t be enough. This is part of staying relevant, too—that he masquerades himself as just an ordinary citizen from time to time, that he shows himself to be remarkable even in ordinary circumstances.

Last week, he waited in line at a coffee shop downtown for thirty minutes, even though Treeman has more than enough money and resources to get an assistant to get coffee on his behalf, just so he could—with Nice’s strength and superhuman reflexes—1) rescue a cup of scalding hot coffee from being nearly-dropped onto someone’s open laptop, and 2) offer to help the workers haul in a heavy shipment of new machinery.

Compared to normal hero work, these sorts of appearances aren’t really that hard. There was even minor press coverage of it—some girl caught it all on video and posted it to Weibo—and everyone in the coffee shop left charmed.

Well done, Miss J had said, clapping him on the back. The people need to know what Nice is like on a day-to-day basis, you see? If you wait in line for coffee like everyone else, it makes you just that much more relatable. And that had been that.

It does not occur to Lin Ling to ask the question until lunch time, when he swallows again and feels it again: that flash of pain. He reaches for the energy drink on the table—Double VVoltcharge, a brand Nice has recently been sponsored by, which they have excess stock of lying around—and finds that his throat is still hurting when he gulps it down.

“Miss J,” he says, setting the bottle back on the desk, in the exact corner he got it from. Makes sure his tone comes out sufficiently unassuming. “What was Nice like when he was sick?”

She regards him, scrutinizing. “Why are you asking?”

It’s a trap. She’s trying to gauge if anything is off, so he pretends not to notice. “Oh, you know, just—all this conversation about what he’s like as a normal person, like, what his coffee order is and everything, and I was like, huh, it’s strange that Nice drinks coffee. Like, since he’s so perfect and everything, I wouldn’t have been that surprised if I found out he never got tired.”

“Everyone gets tired,” Miss J says, rolling her eyes. “Even heroes.”

“Yeah, I guess so, or maybe he just liked the taste?” Lin-Ling-as-Nice shrugs. “Just wondering if he ever got sick, too, or if the public’s trust in him willed that away.”

“Of course he got sick,” Miss J says. “He’s not some kind of robot.”

“So what was he like? If I’m supposed to be him, shouldn’t I know these kinds of things?”

“Hmm.” Miss J seems to consider this for a moment, worrying at her lower lip. Lin Ling wonders if he’s happened upon a touchy subject.

He’s about to provide more justification—shouldn’t she be happy that he’s taking interest in Nice’s habits?—when she responds.

“...Excessively polite,” she says. “You know, always wearing a mask, coughing into his elbow, apologizing about it, that kind of thing. Sometimes he would even wear gloves or bring disinfectant spray around with him, if he really had to be somewhere. Though mostly he would stay in.”

“Ah,” Lin Ling says. “Okay. I guessed as much.” That doesn’t sound too difficult to emulate, on the off-chance that he is getting sick. The disinfectant makes sense, considering Nice’s borderline-obsession with neatness and cleanliness—the same tendencies Lin Ling feels as a static buzz at the edge of his consciousness more often than not, these days, whenever there’s clutter on the table or a cup is in the wrong place.

“You aren’t asking for any particular reason, are you?” Miss J says.

“Of course not!” Lin Ling says. “Just making conversation, is all.” He downs the rest of the energy drink, makes sure he doesn’t let the wince show on his face as it goes down.

—

The sore throat doesn’t get any better.

If anything, it gets worse. By the time dinner rolls around, Lin Ling finds that his nose is running, too, and even though he’s cleared his throat about a hundred times, it’s starting to take on a slight rasp. It’s strange and disconcerting to hear Nice’s smooth, low baritone marred by anything at all.

At the very least, he has confirmation now that Nice did get sick, even as a hero. The fact that Lin Ling is coming down with something now is not going to be the thing that exposes him as a fraud. That alone is a small comfort.

But the comfort ends there. Despite Miss J’s earlier descriptions, Lin Ling has no idea what kind of person Nice was when he was sick, aside from the usual obsession with cleanliness, and he has no idea how much the public knows about it either.

He isn’t sure how he’s going to break the news to Miss J. He’s never been—well, blatantly unfit for work before, ever since he took up Nice’s identity. Up until now, he’d like to think he’s been pretty good at taking up whatever she’s thrown at him. He still isn’t quite sure what her response to this might be.

There was one time, a couple years back in December, when he’d come down with something when he was still working the advertising job. The heat had gone out in his apartment, and he had picked up this bug he couldn’t quite shake, had just about lost his voice with all the coughing. He’d finally worked up the courage to ask, meekly, for time off work.

His old boss had said, Do you think that just because you’re sick, Nice doesn’t need any more advertisements? And then, The proposal for next weeks’ advert needs to be emailed to me by 7am tomorrow morning. If it’s even a minute late, consider yourself fired.

In the end, Lin Ling—well, Lin Ling had apologized, put his head down, and gotten back to work. The week passed, and the week after that. That was just the life he led, then.

Things are different, now that he’s Nice. Now that he’s someone the public cares about, someone the public might miss. Nice’s public persona is damn near spotless, which makes sense at the surface, seeing how Miss J keeps virtually everything about Nice’s life squared away under lock and key. She probably has a collection of all of Nice’s favorite things, listed alphabetically, for God’s sake; she probably picks out his damn cologne for him based on market trends. But Lin Ling knows, deep down, that part of it has nothing to do with Miss J at all.

Part of it is this: Nice was Nice before he was a hero, too. Before he earned the trust of the people, before he was taken under Treeman’s wing, he was probably good at all of this: at appearing effortlessly charming and likable, which are things that Lin Ling has never been in his entire life. These days, he thinks he’s just one misstep away from having the entire foundation to his fake identity crumble under his feet.

“Not to your liking?” one of the agents says, casting a pointed glance towards the braised pork and steamed eggplant in front of him. Like all of the other agents, he’s dressed in all black and wearing sunglasses.

“Ah… sorry,” Lin Ling says, tightening his grip around his chopsticks. “I was just lost in thought. It’s delicious.”

The agent nods, gruffly but not unkindly. “Then eat up.”

This, too, is foreign—having the agency be responsible for all of his meals, or even beyond that, having someone who cares whether something is to his taste. Lin Ling isn’t sure if it’s something he’ll ever get used to. He doesn’t have much of an appetite, but he makes himself eat, nonetheless.

The steam makes something shift in his sinuses, prickling, like the static edge of noise on the radio. He sniffles, leans forward to take a bite. Then the static edge sharpens into something he can no longer ignore.

“hh-hEh—!”

Remembering suddenly Miss j’s description of Nice, he ducks into an elbow. “—’IKkTSH’iIEw!—iihhh!”

The sneeze, when it finally comes, is surprisingly vocal. It’s the kind of sneeze you can hear the ending in, all high-pitched at the end, and it scrapes at his throat in a way that makes him want to cough afterwards. It sounds… well, markedly different from how Lin Ling is used to sounding when he sneezes. Then again, his voice has sounded different—less like his, and more like Nice’s, low and honeyed—ever since he made his first public appearance under the new identity. If he thinks about it, it isn’t all that strange that his sneeze sounds different, too.

He looks up, a little anxiously, to see if anyone’s noticed. Thankfully, the agent who stopped by earlier is on the other side of the room now, and none of them have so much as looked up at him.

He resumes eating. The rice is steaming hot, and he’s been cold all day, though he’s only known the agency to set the thermostat at reasonable temperatures. He wonders distantly if Nice was ever susceptible to the cold.

Aside from Miss J, there’s only one person who might know.

—

Lin Ling texts Xiao Yueqing after dinner, from the privacy of his room on the tenth floor. After the incident at the wedding, he’d resigned himself to never speaking to Xiao Yueqing again—he didn’t know where she was anymore, and she’d changed her number—Miss J was very clear about not leaving behind any digital evidence. There was no reason for him to contact him again.

But it turns out that she had Nice’s phone number memorized. She texted him from a new number a week later, with a photograph of a tropical white sand beach, the line of water blue and sparkling from a distance, and followed it up a cheery: weather’s rly nice here ✌️u should come visit sometime, when you’re not so busy :p

He knew it was her immediately. The relief he’d felt, receiving that text, was nearly crushing.

They’ve been talking on-and-off ever since: Xiao Yueqing sending him pictures she’s snapped of the different cities she’s been to, accompanied by offhanded comments on what she’s seen, what she’s found surprising, and what she’d like to see; Lin Ling texting her whenever anything particularly amusing happens on the job.

Now, he sends off the text with no small amount of self-consciousness.

LL: Quick question, if you aren’t busy

These days, he never quite knows which country she’s in, so he doesn’t know what time it is for her, though she’s usually pretty good at responding if she’s awake and if he’s asked her a question. This time, Xiao Yueqing responds almost immediately.

MOON 🌺: ?

Lin Ling pulls the tissue box a little closer to him and extricates one carefully—he’d nabbed one from the agency storage room right before Miss J had driven him back to the Hero Tower. That is proving to be a wise decision now, considering that he’s gone through nearly a quarter of the box already.

LL: What was Nice like when he was sick?

MOON 🌺: wdym?

LL: Like

LL: When he had a cold? assuming he did at least once when you were living together

LL: Idk did he act any differently or

MOON 🌺: ohh

MOON 🌺: haha. yea i think he did get sick a couple times

A beat. Xiao Yueqing’s typing indicator vanishes on the screen—probably she’s been pulled away to talk to someone in real life. Then, after a moment, it pops up again.

MOON 🌺: he was toooootally

Lin Ling waits with bated breath.

MOON 🌺: insufferable :/

He very nearly falls out of his chair.

Nice, insufferable? The very Nice who Miss J described as excessively polite, the very Nice who couldn’t seem to make anyone hate him, even if he tried? That Nice? Insufferable?

LL: Come again???

LL: You’re going to have to elaborate, I’m not following

MOON 🌺: well u alrdy know nice was like a bit of a neat freak

MOON 🌺: when he got sick it was like cranked up to 200%. he was soo fussy abt everything

MOON 🌺: brought him tea once out of pity and he nearly bit my head off bc i made the water 15 degrees too hot for the type of tea or smth??? like there’s no way u can even taste the difference when ur congested???

LL: Oh

Lin Ling doesn’t quite know what to make of this information. He’d never thought that Nice might be anything other than pleasant, especially to Xiao Yueqing. Even learning that his entire relationship with her had been scripted hadn’t changed that.

LL: Maybe it was too bitter for him?

MOON 🌺: extremely rude

MOON 🌺: dont start taking his side now

LL: Sorry, sorry, it was nice of you to make him tea

MOON 🌺: ur on thin ice 🫵

LL: I’m sure it was delicious

LL: Please go on

MOON 🌺: this other time i caught him rearranging all the medicine in the agency cabinet

MOON 🌺: like some crazy organization system based on strength and symptoms targeted and duration and wtvr

MOON 🌺: he was at it for like an hour. and when i asked him why he was there it turned out he was looking for

MOON 🌺: cough syrup and he just got distracted. but he got annoyed at me and insisted they had to be sorted for some reason and so i left him alone

LL: That’s heroic

LL:Do you think he was delirious?

MOON 🌺: honestly that would be giving him too much credit

MOON 🌺: hey

MOON 🌺: why r u asking abt this anyways =.=;;

He freezes. He isn’t quite sure how to justify himself, other than the fact that it’s natural that he’s curious about the very person he’s supposed to be replacing. But she’s right—usually, he would go to Miss J with questions like this. Not Xiao Yueqing, who he’s learning seems to be happiest when she’s avoiding thinking about the old Nice altogether.

LL: No particular reason

MOON 🌺: hmmm~

MOON 🌺: you just happened to be curious abt nice for no particular reason?

LL: He seemed so put together all the time

LL: I just wondered

LL: Wasn’t sure if he could even get sick in the first place

For a long moment, she doesn’t respond again. He lets himself think that maybe she’s gone for real, now, offline to haggle with some vendor or book some kind of ticket, or maybe she’s found someone to have lunch-or-dinner-or-whatever-meal-lines-up-with-her-timezone with. His head feels heavy. He’s more tired than he usually is at this time of night. Maybe he should call it a night early.

Then his phone vibrates in his hands. Onscreen, in bright white characters: INCOMING CALL.

He scrambles to pick up the call, nearly drops his phone in the process.

“You are not a very good liar,” is the first thing Xiao Yueqing says.

It’s his first time hearing her voice in weeks. It sounds a little tinny through the speakers, the higher frequencies a little harsher than the crystal-clear recording quality he’s used to from her advertising livestreams. He holds onto it like it’s a lifeline.

“Sorry?”

“I said what I said. Are you going to tell me how long you’ve been sick?”

For a second, Lin Ling feels a flash of anxiousness in his chest—could she tell, just from that one word of his? Did she know, even before he picked up this call? “...I don’t recall ever saying that I was.”

“Uh huh. So you’re just studying what Nice was like when he was sick for fun,” Xiao Yueqing says. “Just as a trivia question, nothing more.”

Lin Ling bristles. “I’m supposed to be him,” he says. Winces when he can hear the congestion in his—Nice’s—voice. “Learning about him is part of the job.”

“Yeah, so that’s why you texted me to ask about it. That’s the only reason.”

“I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t— s-seriously missing the mark…” Lin Ling really doesn’t want to be interrupted. His nose has other plans. This time, the action of turning to shield the sneeze with his elbow comes reflexively, even though there’s no one else here. “hH… Hhii-HH-GZSCHh-Hiiew! -hhIh… Snf-! IIh—!!!’KKTSHh-EwW!—-iiih…”

His face feels like it’s aflame. The phone speaker is right there, he berates himself. He really should have moved it away, who knows how loud those were on her end, who knows how close she was holding her phone to her ear, who knows what she might be thinking now—

“Bless you!” Xiao Yueqing says breezily, sounding utterly unfazed. Her voice has taken on a different turn, now—something closer to concern. “Man, you sound pretty rough. How are you holding up?”

“I’m not—” Lin Ling starts, and then breaks off into an undignified cough. “It’s just—”

His voice cracks on the syllable. As if there could be anything more embarrassing.

“You can say, you know,” Xiao Yueqing says, a little softer now. “However you’re feeling, you can say. It’s like I said. I’ve seen Nice sick a handful of times already. It’s not anything new to me.”

Lin Ling considers this for a long moment.

“...In that case,” he says, with another sniffle. “I’m–I’m probably getting a cold. I didn’t mean to bother you at—ahh, I don’t know what time it is there. I don’t even feel that siIIhh… iIhh’ii’DSHhH-EEew!—hh… snf… hhEh…!”

“Bless you again! Times two?”

“—-G’KTTSSHh—IiEEw! ugh… thanks.” He takes a tissue out from the tissue box, folds it in half, buries his face into it. “I’m sorry I’ve been doing that so much. It’s probably right next to your ear.”

“You sneeze differently from him,” Xiao Yueqing says, with a breathless little laugh that makes something tighten in Lin Ling’s chest. He can’t help but feel like he’s making a fool out of himself in front of his longtime—well, crush is probably the right word for it, just going off of definitions, but it seems laughably inadequate in the face of everything.

“Oh,” Lin Ling says, rubbing a hand over his eyes. “I can fix that. How did he sneeze?”

“Don’t fix it,” Xiao Yueqing says, sounding gleeful. “I think it sounds cute.”

He definitely heard her wrong there. “Cute?”

“The more ways in which you differ from Nice, the better.”

He shakes his head, despairing. “I can’t accept that. If I happen to sneeze in public—”

“No one will notice any difference,” she says. “It’s just a sneeze. You’re so concerned about acting in character, but have you stopped at all to think about how you’re feeling? Like even once? Did your own health ever once factor into your concerns?”

The defensiveness he feels—the defensiveness he’s felt, this entire conversation—gives way for something else, something like resignation.

“...I don’t know why it would,” Lin Ling says, honestly. It’s more than he means to admit.

Xiao Yueqing makes a noise that’s somewhere between exasperation and understanding. There’s another moment of silence. Lin Ling wonders how it’s possible to feel so strangely exposed over a phone call, even though she can’t see him, even though this is their first time talking in weeks.

“I called to tell you there’s this herbal tea in the kitchen of your flat, in the third drawer from the right side,” she says. “It’ll work wonders on your throat, if it’s hurting. You’re still early into this cold, so it probably is, right?” Lin Ling doesn’t have the time to process how she knows this. “Oh, and there are extra blankets in the storage closet, to the opposite side of the elevators. Three, I think, but the yellow one with white stripes is the warmest. Text me if you can’t find them.”

He blinks, a little overwhelmed. “How do you know all this?”

“I did live there for years, whether I liked it or not. Oh, and Lin Ling?”

“Yes?”

“I hope you feel better soon,” Xiao Yueqing says, sounding sincere. The call goes dead.

Lin Ling sits there for awhile, his phone dark in his hands, contemplating the feeling in his chest, the strange weight to it.

Then he gets up to head to the kitchen in search of tea.

#sneeze fic #sneeze kink #snz kink #snz fic #(reposting bc i screwed up the formatting 🙇‍♀️)#if anyone is reading this and checks the show out i highly rec the orig cn audio! it's very nicely voice acted and i think #the eng subtitles are translated well :') tb//hx is by the same animation studio and same director as l//ink cli//ck #(though the genre and execution are very different) and i think the pilot ep is a lot of fun!!#((will blow up your inbox w weekly reacts if you'll let me))#now to the a/n ------> i feel a little shy posting fanfic on here again 😭 i don't expect anyone to be familiar with this show #i think it's been awhile since i wrote something totally for myself 🧎‍♀️ and awhile since any fandom sparked this feeling in me #it was nice to feel like thirst could take the wheel again #i wrote this bc ni//ce can get it. and by it. haha well. let's justr say. the worst cold ever #also i love xyq (🌙) very much... cannot decide if she has the kink here or if this is just her being her. up to viewer interpretation 🙂‍↕️#(full transparency: ep 4 came out while i was in the middle of writing this and i made the mistake of watching it 🙂#i am not acknowledging it)#i def intended to be meaner to LL going in but i guess i just like him 😭#ok posting this before i lose my nerve ‼️

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