#(in my defense having the groupchat is much better than not having it given I am the exact same in both situations.) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jenoptimist · 4 years

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pocket-sized!sicheng

There was something to be said about Yongqin’s tardiness when neither you or Kun are surprised when he didn’t show up at the time that the two of you secretly agreed between each other to tell him. In true Yongqin fashion, he was late at the later time that he was given. As you and Kun flipped through the menu for the nth time, you traded plausible reasons as to why your friend was late. The last time he was late it was because he got distracted by Yukhei’s challenge to see who could stuff more jelly beans in their mouths, and the time before that, he claimed that he was helping Kunhang and Yangyang figure out whether or not the pavement was hot enough to fry an egg–their hypothesis was a bust and they ran away from the scene of the crime, leaving the raw egg behind until Kun berated them and made the three of them clean it up under his supervision.

Just as the waitress was about to approach your table for the fourth time, Yongqin finally made an appearance. As he beelined towards your table in a hurry, you shot an apologetic smile at your waitress as she suppressed a laugh, already accustomed to you and your group of friends, and nodded at you cordially. You would definitely be tipping her more than you usually did, she was always one of your favorite member of staff.

“Sorry! Sorry!” Yongqin said breathlessly as he plopped down onto his seat, placing his tote bag on the ear of the chair rather than on the floor. “I was actually going to be early this time!” He declared. At the deadpan expression that you shared with Kun, he added, “but I helped an old lady cross the street and then she started having a conversation with me.”

It was certainly unsurprising that that was the reason why he was late. Dejun must have instilled even more compassion towards the elderly in him as he did with the rest of you by volunteering your group at nursing homes and the like. Once you gave your orders and have settled in, the three of you talked about university and the upcoming movies that you wanted to watch the next time all seven of you went out together.

“Oh! Actually,” Yongqin spoke after a small pause, mouth full of pad thai, “that old lady from this morning gave me something.”

“Don’t speak when your mouth is full, you could choke or something.” Kun chided as the other man roughly patted at his pockets, grumbling to himself as he searched for whatever it was that she had given him.

“Sorry dad,” he replied sarcastically, coaxing a chuckle from you and a playful shove from Kun that was successfully dodged. “Ah ha!” He exclaimed, thrusting his left hand in front of you to show off a large white bean. “Tadah!”

You shared a look with Kun before returning your incredulous stare at Yongqin, who was still smiling excitedly. “She,” you paused for extra emphasis at your disbelief, “gave you a bean?”

“It’s not just ‘a bean’!” He huffed defensively, throwing you a mock glare.

“Uh huh,” Kun hummed, “what it then?” He challenged before taking a large sip of his water. You leaned back so that your shoulder blades were touching the back of your seat as you folded your arms across your chest, staring at Yongqin expectantly. He mumbled something incoherent that made both you and Kun lean towards him in hopes of hearing him better, but to no avail. “What did you say?” Kun asked, face pinched in confusion.

“It’s a”–Yongqin’s eyes swung back and forth between the two of you as he licked his lips–“magic bean.” Fortunately you weren’t drinking your soda because you surely would have choked on it, or did spit-take like in that one episode of iCarly, because the minute the words left his mouth, you keeled into yourself as you exploded into fits of laughter. Kun was quick to join you, unsuccessfully stifling his laugh behind his hand. “Guys,” the blond man whined, “it’s not funny!”

When your howls of laughter died down into small giggles you said, “so wait, is this going to be like Jack and the Beanstalk? Are you going to, like, steal golden eggs and sell them for tons of money?” Your statement had Kun slapping a hand on his thigh, practically crying as he continued laughing.

“Uh, no?” The fact that his reply sounded like a question made you want to laugh all over again. “Okay you know what?” Yongqin asked, clearly sounding like he had enough of the two of you, “if you think it isn’t magic then why don’t you grow it?” Never one to back down from a challenge, you agreed. “Awesome! The lady said it’ll bring luck which is good ‘cause you’ll need it to get your degree.”

You squawked in return, knowing that you were unable to come up with a witty comeback since you knew that the road to becoming an engineer was a tough one.

From there, the three of you obliterated your meals, paid and left in search of a thing of compost and a plain pot, which you made Yongqin promise he would decorate before you planted the bean, from a nearby garden centre.

You planted it that same evening, rearranging the items on your desk that stood against the window so that you could position the small pot in an area with optimum sunlight–a difficult feat since it was nearing November.

Unlike in Jack and the Beanstalk, you didn’t wake up to a thick, massive beanstalk that punched it’s way through your ceiling and into the sky. What you did wake up to was a cute little sprout that had you snapping a picture to send into your groupchat so that you could coo over it to your friends.

The whole situation had to be a dream. In fact, you were ninety-nine percent sure that you were still asleep. It was entirely impossible that your plant, which at that point had grown tall with a bud the size of a pistachio on top, had disappeared and left a tiny person in its wake. The little guy was still asleep, curled in on himself and blissfully unaware of the thoughts racing in your mind. There were numerous questions that you wanted to ask, the main ones being: if you weren’t dreaming, how was any of this real? Was the bean that Yongqin was given magical after all? And, also, how was he fully clothed? However the big block that prevented you from believing that the situation was a reality, was that it just wasn’t possible scientifically.

Your internal freak-out came to a screeching halt when he began to move slowly, eyes blinking away sleep as he stood up and stretched. Unsure of what to do, you continued to stare at him in disbelief as he scanned the room. When his gaze landed on you, a staring contest ensued. Neither of you looked away and you refused to melt at how cute he was with his tousled black hair and doe-like dark brown eyes.

“Uh,” what were you supposed to say when a tiny person took over your plant? “Hi,” you welcomed, hoping that your smile wasn’t as awkward as your voice. “My name’s y/n, it’s nice to meet you.”

The boy’s (or was a he man? how did tiny people age?) expression went from blank to wary. It was clear that he was fully awake at that point, hunching in on himself as he remained mute. Evidently, he lacked trust in you–if the way he frantically scrambled backward at the step that you took toward him was any indication.

Frowning, you decided to leave the room. You made your way to the kitchen and headed directly towards the fridge. Some sort of peace offering needed to be made. You needed to show that you meant no harm and what better way to do that then to feed him? The state of your fridge was sad but you grabbed the box of strawberries and diced them into tiny pieces.

“I brought you some food.” You announced gently when you stepped back inside your room. You waited patiently as he eyed you for a few moments before slowly making his way down the pot, jumping down your stack of textbooks before sitting by your laptop. “Um, I just cut up some strawberries since it’s the only thing I could find.” You explained as you placed the chopping board of fruit onto your desk.

He stared at it momentarily in curiosity at first before he hesitantly reached out and grabbed a piece. With a quick glance at you, he shoved as much of it as he could inside his mouth. His eyes widened comically, cheeks resembling a chipmunk, as he chewed. After swallowing, he was quick to shovel down the remaining fruit.

“So,” you began as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, “do you have a name that I can call you by?” When he shook his head at you in response, you frowned. “Okay, well, how ‘bout we give you one then?”

The names you stated from the top of your head had him shooting you various expressions of disapproval–the name Yixing had him blowing a raspberry, Yifan had him giving you a thumbs down, at the suggestion of Zitao you received a huff as he folded his arms, and Luhan ended up with him shaking his head violently. There were only so many EXO members you could name him after before you gave up.

“Alright, what about,” you paused. Unfortunately, creativity wasn’t something you possessed. “Sicheng?” It was the name of a kid you went to middle school with. From what you could remember, he sat beside you in a few of your classes and kept to himself. The silent nature of the tiny person reminded you of him. At first you thought it was going to be another fail of a suggestion with the way his face shrewd but then, to your surprise, he nodded in agreement. You couldn’t suppress a giggle when he bashfully pointed at where the strawberries were before making grabby hands. “Okay Sicheng, we can get you more strawberries.”

That had him smiling brilliantly, easily jumping onto the palm of your outstretched hand. You set him on your shoulder and then grabbed the chopping board before heading back down to the kitchen again.

Once Sicheng had gotten his fill of strawberries he sat down against your glass of water, planted his hands on his stomach and closed his eyes as he smiled serenely. Since he loved the fruit so much, you would have to get more of it in the future which would be difficult since they weren’t in season.

“We should go grocery shopping,” Sicheng opened an eye but closed it soon after. “So, what, you wanna just lay there?” His answer was clear by the way he didn’t move from his position. Mouth twisting you said, “we can get more strawberries.” That had him standing up in a flash, raising his arms in the air as he waited for you to carry him up.

Bundled up in a puffer jacket that layered over your hoodie, you stood opposite from your door as you thought about where you could place Sicheng. The pockets of your coat would probably suffocate him and you had the tendency to jam your hands in them at random times. If you placed him on your shoulder like you have been doing so far, other people would spot him in an instant. Unable to find a suitable spot to hide him, you suggested that he stayed at home to which you received a pout. Before you would swear that Yukhei and Yangyang had the cutest pouts but Sicheng definitely took the cake–especially with those puppy eyes of his.

Sicheng’s tiny head poked out of the pocket of your joggers. The only reason why you witnessed his movement was because you kept checking on him, just in case something went awry. He was peering curiously at the mini supermarket you were in, his head wildly swinging back and forth. You knew that he was probably curious and so, after a quick glance around the store, you lightly tapped the crown of his head with the tip of you finger. At your touch he immediately disappeared inside your pocket. You decided to stick two fingers inside his hideout, hoping that he would get the idea and climb onto them. When he did, you gently raised your arm and placed him on your shoulder.

The small sounds of amazement that he created surprised you because you thought that he didn’t, or rather couldn’t, speak at all considering that he only communicated with you using various facial expressions and body movement. Briefly, you wondered how his voice sounded; would it be high or low pitched? Would he speak fast like Dejun and Yangyang did when they were excited about something? Or would he speak similar to Kun, calm and slow? You hoped to find out soon–but only when he was comfortable, of course.

The trek home took longer than usual because you fed into Sicheng’s curiosity and allowed him to walk on his own rather than stuffing him back into your pocket. It was definitely because you loved the way he looked at everything in awe, head whipping back and forth as he took in the scenery. At first you were nervous about setting him down to let him roam freely, afraid that he would run away or somehow alert his presence to the rest of society. But you soon figured out that there was nothing to worry about because he was stealthy and would look back every so often as if he was afraid that you would run away from him.

As you neared your apartment complex, Sicheng climbed onto one of your sneakers and clutched the laces so that he wouldn’t fall off. The sight of him made you titter quietly to yourself as you adjusted your pace so that he wouldn’t swing side to side wildly. When the distance you walked towards the building shortened even further, you could see six familiar figures loitering around the entrance. Before you could usher Sicheng back into his hiding place, Kunhang spotted you and started waving madly as he began running towards you. Yukhei and Yangyang followed in suit and you were thankful when they took the shopping bags away from you, your arms aching at the weight your massive food haul.

“Why are you guys here so early?” You asked as Kunhang placed his arm around your shoulder while you subtly attempted to eye Sicheng. If you were hosting game night, they always came a little after four o’clock in the afternoon.

“We missed you.” Dejun replied as he smiled charmingly, his arm hooked around a box of Clue and Monopoly. Yonqin mocked him, swiping non-existent long hair behind his ear as he batted his eyelashes at him.

Arching a brow you said, “but we faced-timed last night.” When you tapped the electronic key onto the machine on the wall which opened the door, you added, “and we spent our break together yesterday.” Out of all your friends, Dejun’s lunch schedule mirrored yours the most which made university all the more bearable. As Dejun defended his statement, the others teased him like they always did. You didn’t know how he didn’t snap at them, just absorbed their words with a small huff of laughter or faux hits at their general direction.

It was a surprise that you made it to your apartment without the boys noticing Sicheng–he was still gripping onto your laces, peering cautiously at your friends. At some point you needed to introduce Sicheng to them since they were a solid presence in your life. You could already hear Yongqin saying, ‘I told you so!’ since he did tell you that the bean was magic. You already knew that he would reference it in the future when he needed to prove something.

Later on that night, when you all decided to take a short break, you took the opportunity to show them Sicheng. The minute you opened the door and went to remove your sneakers, he immediately slid off of it and zoomed in the direction of your bedroom. You followed him, muttering a weak excuse to your friends and found him shoving your door with all his might. The laugh that escaped you made him cast a playful glare at your direction, huffing as he crossed his arms. After you opened the door he ran to your bed, climbed up the leg and eventually made it up onto your mattress and then walked up to your pillows to flop on them as he closed his eyes. You left the room when you noticed his breathing evening out.

As you relayed your morning to your friends they all looked at you disbelievingly, like you had finally lost your marbles, which you expected. If you were in their position you definitely wouldn’t have believed yourself either. You led them to your room, silencing their words of incredulity by pressing your index finger onto your lips. They played into your request, mumbling something to one another giddily.

“Don’t freak out.” You said as you stood in front of your bed, blocking their view of Sicheng. When they gave you a chorus of affirmatives, you stepped aside to reveal your tiny sized acquaintance. The longer they stared, jaws practically touching the floor, you rambled and showed them the pot as evidence. Luckily you had been a proud parent of your plant, documenting it’s growth to them in your groupchat, as it helped strengthen your story. They knew you would never do anything to harm your beloved plant.

“I- So-” Yongqin struggled to find the right words before settling on exclaiming, “oh my God!” The others murmured something similar to express their wonder. “That means the bean was magic! Oh my God, y/n!” You prepared yourself as he whipped his head towards you, “I told you so!” Then, because he was Yongqin, he launched into a dramatic speech about how none of you should ever doubt him because he was always right and, nice old ladies never lie, y/n.

Yongqin’s lengthy rant was cut short when Kun and Yukhei cooed, followed by the others apart from you and Yongqin. You spun around to find that Sicheng had woken up, looking extremely disgruntled until he caught sight of your friends and scrambled to hide underneath your duvet. You eyed the blond accusingly before you lifted your duvet and found Sicheng huddled into himself, his arms around his bent legs.

“It’s alright Sicheng,” you whispered gently, trying to coax him out of his position. All you got were two dark eyes peeking at you in return. “They’re very nice,” you added to which he moved his gaze to your friends quickly before returning it back to you, “trust me?”

It felt like a gamble to ask that of him because the two of you hardly knew each other but you had hoped that you showed him enough kindness to earn his trust or make him feel safe in your presence at the very least. Knowing he wasn’t quick to make decisions, you waited it out. Sicheng slowly stood up, arms out to try and balance himself on the mattress. He was quick to jump onto the palm of your hand when you reached out to him. Once you he was settled, you turned to meet the excited faces of your friends.

“Sicheng these are my friends,” you announced as you used your other hand to gesture at them, “friends, this is Sicheng.” They spoke all at once, voices piling on top of one another, which made Sicheng’s eyes widen in surprise, probably unused to such a loud volume, as they introduced themselves to him.

Game night was over, it seemed, judging from the way they enthusiastically tried to befriend Sicheng and show him the wonders of the world.

“Oh my God!” Yongqin exclaimed as you all ate some hotpot, which Sicheng adored if the way he was scarfing down his food was a sign. The rest of you looked at him expectantly as you munched your food. “This isn’t Jack in the Beanstalk, this is Thumbelina!”

Life with Sicheng was a simple one once he became accustomed to your daily routine that mainly consisted of attending university and hanging out with your friends. You were one of the few lucky university students that didn’t have to work a part-time job because your parents made enough income to support you financially even though you no longer lived with them. It wasn’t that you didn’t want to get one, in fact you did apply for several vacancies, but your parents refused and told you that they would keep giving you financial aid as long as you continued to study hard. They always gave you more money than you needed which you tucked away in your savings account.

The large amount of free time allowed you and the boys to take Sicheng to different sights; you took him to the zoo and the aquarium with Yukhei and Yongqin, cooing over how scared he was of the tigers, hippos and sharks. Yangyang and Kunhang took him to the local outdoor basketball court where they played a few one on one games while waiting for their allocated physics lab time. By the time you found them they relocated to the arcade, Sicheng focused intensely on one of their games as he remained slightly hidden in Kynhang’s backpack. Dejun decided to treat you to some ice-cream, ecstatic to include Sicheng who ended up having so much of it that it caused a sugar rush which resulted in the rest of the day being spent catching up to him and his hyperactive behavior. Kun spent his time with him in the music room that was available for students on campus, playing him several songs on the piano and even composed on specifically for the tiny boy.

Unfortunately, Sicheng’s sight-seeing trips were put on hold due to upcoming exams. Exam season was hell for everyone and you spent it cooped up in your room, frying your brain as you tried to learn off useful information and tricks that would help you solve sample problems that included math–which was everywhere considering the degree you were trying to obtain.

There were tears welling in your eyes as you tried to work out some sample problems that your lecturer heavily hinted would make an appearance on the exam paper. Eraser bits were scattered all over your desk, the paper rough and void of its grids due to the amount of times you had to rub out your frequent mistakes. An ugly voice in your head was telling you to give up, that it was your worse subject anyway and that the repeat paper would probably be easier to do. You were ashamed to give in but it was extremely late and you spent the whole day studying, so you thought that it was fair that you could go to sleep.

When you woke up the next day, after your big breakfast with Sicheng, you reluctantly returned to your desk to continue the problem but stopped when you saw that it was already completed. Eyebrows furrowed, you turned to your small friend who was happily listening to an audiobook–he recently discovered poetry and came across a certain old poet that he came to really like.

You hated to disrupt his peace but couldn’t contain the need to voice your question. “Sicheng,” you called, he paused the audiobook and gave you his full attention, “did you do this?” There wasn’t anybody else in the house except for the two of you and if it wasn’t you who completed it then it was clearly him but you had to make sure, seeing as having a secret fairy godmother or something wouldn’t be so far fetched considering, well, Sicheng. “Sorry for bothering you but I just have to ask. You did this for me, didn’t you?” A shy smile made its way onto his face as he lowered his gaze, nodding his head in reply. You took him in for a moment, eyed your copy and then returned your eyes onto him. “Wow,” you breathed, “you’re so smart!” He became even more shy as you showered him in praises. “How did you solve it?” You asked eventually, you were stuck on that particular problem for days.

Sicheng looked extremely adorable as he wielded your mechanical pencil in his arms, using his whole body whenever he wrote something. He hadn’t spoken yet in the two months that he’s lived with you but he was still great at explaining how solve the problem, smiling at you encouragingly after he gestured for you to work one on your own. It took you longer than he did to solve the new sample question but after he reviewed it and made some corrections, he smiled proudly at you and urged you to keep practicing by gesturing to several other questions.

From there, Sicheng listened to his audiobook on your tablet on the desk so that he could keep an eye on you as he munched on some corn chips. Once you finished the remainder of the problem questions, seeming easier and easier to solve the more you did them, he did his best to hand you a full sized chip but due to his stature he could only offer you a crumb from the end of the bag. You thanked him as he placed it on top of your open hand, melting at his cuteness.

In the following weeks that lead up to your exams, Sicheng became your study buddy. It seemed that he had an affinity for math, gladly helping you whenever it was involved (which was a lot) and although you questioned how he possessed such knowledge, you were entirely grateful that you had someone to help you double check your answers and help you whenever you were facing some difficulty. You deeply wished that you could take him with you in the exam hall but you knew that it wasn’t a good idea.

When exam season was over, you and the boys decided to sleepover at Kunhang’s house for the weekend. The sole purpose of it being at his house was due to his projector, which was great for streaming movies on Netflix to create an indoor cinema type of atmosphere. As always, you and Kun provided food while the others brought over their portable heaters because of the poor insulation of the building. Sicheng was particularly excited about the sleepover since he hadn’t seen the others since the small New Year celebration that you guys had.

It was plain as day that Sicheng loved the boys just as much as you did. Whenever they were around, he was extra content, willingly participating in whatever mischief they planned. Though he thoroughly enjoyed their company, you observed that he evaded their frequent attempts to touch him. Touching him only seemed to be reserved especially for you and you only. You tried not to think about what that meant although it did nothing to suppress the fondness that it made you feel whenever he stuck closely to you.

Feeling a tiny poke on your thigh, you looked down to find Sicheng offering you a small piece of popcorn. Ever since he offered you some of his corn chips he took it as his job to present you with food whenever it was possible; bits of strawberries whenever you chopped some up for him, using all his strength to push gummy bears towards you whenever Yangyang had a bag or blocks of chocolate whenever Yongqin was eating some. It was endearing, especially the way his whole face lit up whenever you took it and ate it in one go.

After you took the piece of popcorn and ate it, Sicheng turned back to the wall where The Pursuit of Happyness was playing. From your peripheral vision you noticed Yongqin staring at you from where he sat on the opposite side of the room, a shit-eating grin forming when Sicheng laid on your thigh with his back against your stomach. It felt as though the private moment the two of you shared was invaded so you made a quick face at him before returning you attention back to the film. You didn’t want to know what he was thinking.

The end of your second year gave you a stress-free summer since you didn’t have to repeat any exams from either semester. The grades you obtained were phenomenal, closer to 4.0 this time around and there were some tears in your eyes when you saw it on your phone screen. It was definitely Sicheng’s doing, you couldn’t have done it without him. Yongqin was right when the old lady said that he would bring you luck. As per tradition, you and the boys packed up and went to the lakehouse that your parents owned–as a kid you would often go during summer when your parents wanted to have a getaway in favor for some family time. The yearly tradition was something that started when Kun obtained his full license and would drive all of you around until he decided that he wanted to go on a trip with you guys.

You and Yongqin laid on beach chairs as you watched the others swim. Sicheng was with them and although at first you felt your heart grip with anxiety at the thought of him going swimming, it chipped away when you saw the others taking care to show him how to swim despite his size. Now there he was, swimming in all sorts of directions as he paid no mind at the antics that the others played.

Your eyes on him were torn away when Yongqin spoke. “Do you ever think about what it would be like if he was a full sized person?”

Of course you did. You thought about it so much you started to dream about it–about what it would be like if he were human sized instead of the six inches he stood at. You liked to imagine that he would be tall, maybe taller than you, and move as gracefully as Yongqin. In your imagination he would speak charmingly and be quick witted, perhaps he would even have a loud laugh. One that was so contagious that you wouldn’t be able to do anything but laugh along with him. Sicheng was incredible in his pocket-sized form but sometimes you couldn’t help but think that he would be even better in full size. You wanted to hang out with him regularly but there were only so many things you could do with him at the size he was. It was getting increasingly difficult to shield him from society, especially since more people were out and about due to the beautiful weather.

“Yeah,” your eyes moved down to your lap, “I guess I have.” Is what you say in return, suppressing your thoughts.

“What if I told you that we could find a way?” You couldn’t look at Yongqin fast enough which made him laugh a little. “I’ve been seeing the old lady around more and more recently, and she keeps looking at me like she knows which is probably because she does.” He admitted and allowed you to soak in his words before adding, “I think we should talk to her.”

You kept silent as you thought about his suggestion. You would love it if Sicheng could somehow grow and live like the rest of you. Maybe he could attend your university or something, he could definitely major in math if he wanted to. But that was what you wanted. Sicheng had to have a say in the matter because for all either of you knew, he actually liked being his size. You passed on your thoughts to Yongqin who nodded empathically, agreeing that you should ask before even thinking about approaching the woman who gave him the bean.

Sicheng cocked his head to the side when you asked him later that night as the rest of the boys stargazed at a slightly further distance, although you were pretty sure that Dejun fell asleep which wouldn’t be surprising at all considering that he could sleep anywhere. What you got in return was an eager nod that made you release a breath that you didn’t even know you were holding.

The remaining few days at the lakehouse were spent lazying about in the sun, watching as some of the boys tried their best at fishing although Dejun chose not to participate and reasoned that he couldn’t eat the fish he had caught knowing that he had to look it in the eye as its life was ending. Night was spent either stargazing or huddled around a fire as Kun played his guitar, the other boys singing in unison as he played their song requests. It had Sicheng swaying back and forth as he listened, completely enthralled.

While you loved the time that you spent there, you were more excited when you returned to your apartment. The thought of Sicheng finally being able to enjoy hanging out with you to his fullest ability was building up so much anticipation within you. Yongqin teased you about the transparency of your feelings and was quickly joined by the others but you couldn’t find it in you to care that much, instead focusing your gaze on Sicheng who looked at you with eyes bursting of hope.

Yongqin wasn’t kidding when he informed you that she was everywhere he went, he sent you a flood of text messages every single time he caught a glimpse of her. They usually ended up with him asking you whether or not you wanted him to go over to her but before you even had a chance to reply, you would receive another text from him telling you that she got away. Catching her was more difficult than you originally thought but eventually when you, Sicheng, Yongqin and Dejun were having some coffee at your local café, she walked in. She caught your eye, smiling mysteriously as she made her way over.

“I see he’s sprouted,” she said as soon as she arrived at your table, glancing at Sicheng. “Hi there little one.” That earned her a small smile as he shrunk in on himself. “So, you want him to be regular sized. Am I correct?” Without even questioning how she knew that to begin with, you nodded fervently. She produced a small, purple pouch from the inside of her jacket. “Make sure he sleeps on this tonight and everything will work accordingly.”

“Really?” You didn’t believe that it was that easy. Not that you knew magic or anything, didn’t even know it existed pre-Sicheng days, but there had to be a catch or something. She inclined her head regally toward you in reply. “Is there something I can give you in return, or something? Like, I dunno, money?”

She shook her head as she said, smiling kindly, “you have given him love and that is all that I wanted for him.” And with that she sauntered away, turning her head back only once to wink at you.

That night you slept early, too excited about the events that were going to transpire the next day.

When you woke up the next day, you found yourself face to face with a man who was still asleep. Sicheng as a regular sized man. You couldn’t believe it. When he opened his eyes, slowly widening when he realized the situation, he shot up and immediately jumped off of the bed. A tiny gasp escaped you at his height–he wasn’t as tall as Yukhei, who was in a lanky league of his own, but he was easily taller than the other boys. You watched as he examined his eyes in wonder, moved his legs repeatedly before inspecting himself in the mirror on your vanity table. After he had gotten his fill of surveying himself, he turned to stare at you and slowly walked toward you.

Once he was within touching distance, he held up his hand in front of you and waited for you to connect it with your own. When you did as he wanted, both of you marveled at the difference in size. Experimentally, he dropped his fingers in between yours and you followed in suit so that your hands were interlocking.

“Hi y/n,” Sicheng greeted, his voice scratchy from lack of use. “It’s nice to finally look at you eye to eye.” If you were immensely astonished by his sudden growth spurt, you were even more so by the pleasant sound of his voice–even though he sounded groggy, you could already tell that you were going to be enthralled whenever he spoke in the future.

“Wait,” you said, snapping out of your thoughts, “you can talk?! How come you never said a word before?”

Sicheng smiled shyly, his eyes wandering back to your interlocked hands as he said, “I liked listening to you talk.” A string of noises left your throat that made the tips of his ears a cherry red which made you noticed how one of them was adorably shaped like an elf’s.

“You liked listening to me talk? Sicheng,” you called, tugging at your hands until you gained his attention, “I love your voice. I should be listening to you talk.” In response to your declaration he let go of your hand in order to cup his face, his smile was so beautiful, so pretty, and wide that you were sure you melted into a puddle of goo.

Later that day, when the other boys barged into your apartment as quick as they could after you told them the news, it dawned on you that the man in front of you was fatal because he had everything, not just a cute face but also the brains and personality.

When Sicheng laughed at something that Yangyang said, you recalled the shit-eating grin that Yongqin sent your way that night at Kunhang’s house because you finally understood. Your eyes widened although they stayed glued to Sicheng as he continued to laugh because oh boy were you in trouble.

#TO THE ANON WHO ASKED FOR SOME SICHENG FLUFF THIS ONES FOR U #i hope its fluffy enough !! if not lmk and i’ll work on smth else for him #this au was actually supposed to be for jeno #but my jeno au morphed into something else???????#so yeah i hoped u thoroughly enjoy this one !!#i know shes a bit long considering the plot and idk if i included enough cute scenes of pocketsized sicheng #but like okay imagine this:#pocketsized!sicheng rolling strawberries in your direction when he wants to eat some #or feed u considering thats his love language in this #or omg pocketsized!sicheng falling asleep on your forehead cause u were holding up ur phone in bed #so that the two of u could watch some anime or netflix or vine compilations #the possibilities are endless !!!!#anyway here come the tags:#wayv #wayv au #wayv imagines #wayv scenarios #wayv sicheng #wayv winwin #wayv x reader #dong sicheng #nct #nct 127 #nct au #nct scenarios #nct imagines #nct sicheng #nct winwin

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zepdeans · 5 years

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this is highkey like a month late (i mean wbk im a chronic scatterbrain procrastinator) and she’s thicccc but without further ado. my skam s4 thoughts.

I first just want to say a couple things: im not a muslim woc so my thoughts on s4 don’t hold as much value as those of a muslim, woc, or a muslim woc. I also don’t know to what degree sana’s representation was true to real life. I made an effort to look for posts from muslim woc on sana’s season but to no real avail, especially given it’s been two years since skam ended and a lot of blogs have deactivated, changed urls, or posts have become buried :( [if you know of any good posts regarding sana’s season please lmk!]. from what I can recall in 2017, there were mixed opinions on s4 with most being upset (or at least disappointed) with the ultimate execution of sana’s storyline and I agree w that. while s4 means so much to me and has a really special place in my heart, I do 100% acknowledge its flaws. ok!!!!!! lets get into it😤

ep1 -as much as I wished isak stayed in kollektivet I’m glad he and even had a rlly sweet happy time this entire season. also evak making their friends move all their furniture while they whisper romantic shit to each other and makeout? peak comedy -you fuckin wish!!! -sana is the one to say “of course you should tell noora about william”.. she Knew and still takes the fall for it :( -this opening clip is such a jarring shift into sana’s pov!! e.g. while easy to overlook in previous seasons, sana’s exclusion from the girls is glaringly obvious once we’re looking through her eyes -adding onto that! sana is the friend who notices everyone else- she’s so observant, which hurts even more when you notice her friends don’t do the same (except mayhaps chris- in my heart of hearts I know chris is also the friend who notices and goes unnoticed, but unfortunately we don’t get enough of her and sana’s relationship this season to fully see that) -yousef and the balloon squad’s entrance.... ICONIC! also I cant believe for 2 seasons they presented those dickbag nissen 97s as the be all end all of hot amazing boys when the bakka third years were RIGHT THERE like,, the penetrators vs. balloon squad + even? no contest ma’am -also! it’s so interesting that we literally had no idea sana had a brother, or that yousef etc existed until now? it’s as if she has a whole private world at home, separate from her friends and nissen (and I think a theme of this season is those two worlds merging) -im obsessed w the yousana train scene but yousef being the only one who notices sana standing off to the side? ;-; -fy faen is such a stunning clip oh my god. when sana leaves to pray? possibly my favourite skam scene ever. it’s exquisite. -sana is so cute and awkward squeezing thru the crowd shsdhgfhshdf I LOVE her love her -the last shot on yousef and noora... oh my GOD oh my god bc like. being that friend who never ever tells your real feelings or your crushes or is vulnerable with your friends?? and then having to listen to them talk about how good your crush would be with someone else (especially one of ur friends) while ur sitting there silently dying inside? and you don’t say anything since you can’t be vulnerable with your friends and u don’t think u stand a chance anyways so. (in the words of s3 noora. I think sana struck a nerve with the emotional unavailability! abbey r u ok) -this episode is a masterpiece and did such a phenomenal job of both introducing us to sana’s perspective while also touching on a multitude of her struggles AND establishing the themes of the season. plus the cinematography, editing, soundtrack and aesthetic...... o baby. (case in point I deadass just rewatched it after writing this)

ep2 -every shot of sana praying is beautiful (and beautifully edited!!) -sana’s room is usually messy... not smart enough to fully analyze this but I’m sure it means something -an interesting contrast of what’s expected of her vs. of elias- I can’t speak for muslim families, but I know even in non-muslim families girls are always held to suchhh a higher standard (source: I have 2 brothers rip) -”if you find immaturity charming” hilarious bc sana actually does in fact find immaturity charming -what’s interesting is how noora comes across in sana’s POV- kinda obnoxious, kinda ignorant, seemingly perfect (compared to how noora is portrayed in eva’s season, for example) -even is one of those ppl who uses the bill gates argument on why dropping out of school makes u richer sdfhfsjskfjfsd -sana staring down the pepsi max squad. fuck em up. -vilde adding magnus to the groupchat jfkjsjfdjfsfsdkj -isak missing eskild :’) sidenote I fucking live for isak and sana’s chats this season. they’re literally my lifeblood like....

ep3 -the kiss me scene god I go FERAL -“you need to pull it towards you, not push it away. okay?” yall mind if i SCREAM!! YOUSEF!!!!!!!!!! -there rlly is something about seeing sana, who in everyone else’s POV comes off as cold and harsh and stoic, just absolutely meltinggg when she talks w yousef like she doesn’t stop smiling she’s so sweet!!!! ah🥰 and yousef is 100% that guy who ppl tell “your gf is so intimidating and ruthless bro” and he’s like are y’all talking about sana??????? my baby?? my fuckin cinnamon apple????? -yousef’s lil smile watching sana peel carrots. 911 it’s me again -vilde and sana’s relationship has a really interesting dynamic bc like.. vilde says ignorant shit to sana while also genuinely looking up to her. and sana is probably the harshest to vilde within the group but it’s because she actually values their friendship a lot -IM HURT BECAUSE YOU NEVER REPLIED TO MY MEME -sana pulling 2yr old receipts off the top of her head to defend vilde. god I stan -sana doin research taking notes..... shameful she isn’t canonically a virgo (honestly her and isak both but like-) -she’s so soft and smiley w her mamma awh... “of course he likes you, who doesn’t like you?” her mamma only knows the real, gentle, beautiful loving sana oh im CRY -even is so kind and loving and thoughtful yall mind if i....... -”you can’t escape the internet girl” foreshadowing mayhaps?

ep4 -david and ulrikke together are fucking hilarious -noora’s “you’re lucky you don’t have to think about this stuff, heartbreak and that” :/ it’s not just vilde who says ignorant things to sana! -that being said sana and noora are cute asf in the exper5 scene.. dorky noora rise (omg josefine and her yogurt in the bloopers too sjhfkjdf) -I HANDLE BALLS BETTER THAN YOU -the yousana scene is sooo gorgeous whew...... -I always cry a lil bit (ok a lot) when yousef brings up even. and sana knew too. even sweetie ily :( -sana talking about her religion is beautiful. it’s so lovely to learn about how she thinks and sees the world. -yousef’s smile watching sana leave like ur kidding right....... -“flawless since 99″ is so cringey. it’s so cringeyyy -sana uses “smh” I knew we were soulmates

ep5 -eavesdropping on ur parent/brother’s argument is peak sibling culture -when ur always paranoid but ur always right..... -sana’s green jumpsuit sign me up babey -I really really really love elias and sana’s conversation -u dont even realize how tiny sana is until she’s standing next to isak and even -not finding out why yousef avoided the fight and why he kissed noora will haunt me forever (could we not have expanded more on that instead of noorhelm.......) -the parallel of sana washing isak’s blood off her hands vs. her washing her hands during maghrib in episode 1. gotta sit down. -vilde gossiping to the pepsimax girls stings SO bad it’s just such a betrayal?:( -“the other girls seem cool, especially noora! she’s so pretty!” ok much to unpack here but: sana again comparing herself to noora (who she sees as /perfect/)... sana being written off despite putting so much effort and passion into the russ bus while noora, who has done literally nothing and at best is indifferent to russ, is the one they like the most. disgusteng -love will tear us apart.. bitch..... -sana abt to cry god I can’t -if sana is anything like me (I mean I think she is but jkjjkhsdfhfsd). looking stupid is the absolute worst so like, her sending out emails abt being bus boss when she was actually being lied to? being played? and her being “paranoid” about sara being shady, but deciding hey maybe im just being crazy? except she wasn’t she was right and she Knew!! and she’s probably thinking how dumb it was for her to get her hopes up, everything always ends badly anyways and no one actually likes her :((((((( -dont rlly know what my feelings are on the fight. im not against it bc isak does have a temper but his apparent motive always seemed weak to me?? and god I feel so bad for even

ep6 -forgot about sana getting bullied in middle school yall mind if I sob?? -sana lying and getting defensive bc it’s hard to be vulnerable, or because she hates looking stupid? or both?:( -isak looking up dandelions in his textbook just bc even put one behind his ear. I HATE this man -sana’s dad asking if she had a bad day aw :( -all the boys (and sana) wearing black but yousef wearing white.... what does it mean.............. -the carrots are back goddammit -radio station playing during this scene: “if I have to choose between the just non-muslim and the unjust muslim, without any doubt I would choose the non-muslim who is just” -ISAK’S NOSE SFFJDFJFSDKJSDF -sana’s text about chris I’m going to bawl my eyes out. “yeah! looking forward (to going to nissen) but a bit worried. don’t know anyone else starting there.” (J: new friends?) “yes, at least one of them. I have german with her (chris) and she’s very cool!” -the contrast of how blunt sana came off when we’re first introduced to her vs. how she was really just excited to make a new friend bc she was scared no one would like her :( especially knowing her past with bullying and how nervous she was to start at nissen? chris baby I LOVE YOU thank u ;-; -also sana keeping 2yr old conversations on her phone... same -sana is honestly too smart and scheming and overthinking for her own good. she has these elaborate plans that more-or-less always get ruined by her being more kind than she gives herself credit for (e.g. wanting to protect vilde in s1, clearing isak’s name in s4) -everyone in skam texts back so fast smh -chris calling sana “sonic”...... a moment please -I cannot watch the sana/evak apartment scene without thinking of the bloopers and losing it lmfaoooo.. “this is where we live. just come in” -ik it’s based off fanart but there is little I hate more than their matching outfits -“remember you’re both geniuses!” 🥺even -once again isak studying is uhhhh me - “you’re a good person” yall i love isak i really do. he puts his foot in his mouth pretty often and doesn’t have a great brain-to-mouth filter and he can be awkward and rambly and blunt and unsure of what to say in emotional situations but also? he’s so genuine. it’s just his honest thoughts and he says it bc he cares about sana and knows she needs to hear it!! -ᶠᵃᵉⁿ ᵉᵛᵉⁿ -sana’s inner turmoil.. thank u iman for inventing acting (ik I haven’t mentioned it much yet but god iman is SUCH a phenomenal actor I owe her my life) -LETS GO BITCHES

ep7 -sana crying silently in her room breaks my fucking heart (IMAN!!!!) -idk how I feel about the instagram plot but sana watching as her plan falls into place and then storming up to sara... pretty bada$$ -“it’s creepy it was published but it’s more creepy we have a bus boss who talks shit about everyone” THANK YOU vilde -i love s4 isak thanks -sana and jamilla’s chat aw :~) -how awkward do yall think the walk to the bench was lmfao -what sana tells isak is SO powerful and I love it a lot -isak does actually make a good point- the other girls are like that too. -unfortunately I have been in situations isak describes, where you want to learn more about your friend’s culture or religion because you care about them and you’re genuinely interested, but you don’t know what questions are okay to ask and you don’t want to sound rude or ignorant, so you ultimately end up asking no questions at all. but I hate that the responsibility is put on sana to constantly educate people bc I cannot imagine how exhausting that must be [[[ok so. I know there are VERY mixed opinions on the bench scene but here’s my dumbass two cents. 1- I genuinely think isak was trying to make sana feel better by attempting to relate to her and pass on advice that really helped him. however, I don’t think isak realized what sana eventually told him- that her experience wearing the hijab is a lot different than isak’s experience as a gay man. do I agree with everything isak said? nooo. do I understand why he said it? yeah. 2- it was not isak’s place to tell sana norwegians aren’t racist, or not to look for racism in questions. I think there’s some truth to ppl often just being ignorant, and he does add that there are probably a lot of racist people in Norway, but yeah. not great. 3- in conclusion I think while isak shared some meaningful advice w sana, he put his foot in his mouth too and said some stupid shit. im not trying to defend that. I will add, though: a. we actually do see some growth on isak’s part. when he and even are yelled at on the street, that’s the moment it clicks for him that oh shit, this is what sana was talking about. this is what she has to experience? and that’s why he texts noora, “in the speech for sana, you have to include how insanely strong she is. I don’t think many people understand how much bullshit she has to take” and b. isak’s (bad) advice of “not looking for the racism in things” is ultimately contrasted by yousef (a moc who lived most of his life as a muslim) suggesting instead to show people what islam really is. and that’s so much more meaningful. I think the root of a lot of the issues isak brought up- i.e. ignorance- is a general lack of education, representation, or effort by non-muslim people to seek out information themselves. so sana leading by example and showing what it means to her to be muslim is so much more powerful.]]] -𝒃𝒂𝒎! -BEST BUDS 🥺

ep8 -haper du har plass weaving in and out of this episode until the chorus finally breaks when the los losers van shows up...... miss julie 😭 -oh my god the pictures. im a fucking MESS bc they’re not only significant to the scene and to sana but also like,, as part of our goodbye to the girls?? -the balloon squad and even :( while the timeline of them reconciling within just this week is kinda wack, seeing even back with his friends looking so happy makes my heart uwu so i’ll allow it just this once -eva’s message to vilde about her and magnus being able to trust each other w/o reading their texts... growth or irony -chris is such a phenomenal friend (and this is why I wanted more of her in s4!!) -sana’s phonecall to the girls breaks my fucking heart bc like. right off the bat she’s finally being vulnerable with them?? telling them about her fears and insecurities and struggles? typing this im gonna start crying lol but god I love her so much. she’s so brave and she put all that on the line bc all she really cares about are her friends, she loves them SO much even if (she thinks) they don’t love her back -lowkey sobbed so hard during the haper du har plass clip I almost threw up and it gave me a headache :) -anyways this is one of my favourite skam clips and god just. the moment you hear the girls calling for sana??? I LOSE it. when sana just starts BEAMING omg🤧 the girls love sana and support her and if you fuck with sana you fuck with us!!!!!! god. cannot articulate how dear to my heart this scene is. -haper du har plass feels like the end of the episode and the party clip is kinda just tacked on but I love how happy everyone is!! they’re all drinking champagne (who taught isak how to hold things) and dancing and smilingggg 💛 -yousana rise!!!!!!!! -ok don’t get me wrong I hate william for crashing the party but their entrance slow-mo kinda slaps.... also sana popping up in between noorhelm SENDS me

ep9 -this is the point in the season where the amount of time dedicated to noorhelm is beyond beyond beyond significantly damaging to the story. this is sana’s last episode!! instead of having them makeout in front of william’s car for 20 minutes mayhaps we could’ve had a conversation between the girls and sana, or with her brother (if they had continued the elias alcoholism plotline rip), or maybe even with jamilla or her mamma? like I don’t care at ALL about noora or william. give me anything else. ple a s e -what makes skam scenes so brilliant is their quiet moments!! julie let the scene breathe. not everything needs a tacky song playing over top. -I’ve said this abt like twenty clips now but MAGHRIB. oh my GOD. an absolute masterpiece and definitely tied for my all time favourite skam clip. can’t rlly put into words how stunning it is. & I love sana and yousef’s conversation so much. -“of course I brought food! my name is yousef!” mr. acar you’re the only man I trust

ep10 -as much as my heart yearns for 10 sana episodes I think splitting up the last episode of skam into individual POV clips for different characters was brilliant and such a poignant way to say goodbye :( -okay don’t think about what sana could’ve written in her texts to everyone or ur heart will go sicko mode -I won’t write anything abt this ep since I’ve already written too much but like.. (elias should’ve gotten a clip instead of william. pchris can stay because his clip was funny but he’s on thin fuckin ice) -kjaere sana was such a beautiful way to say goodbye to skam. so yeah. bye skam. i miss you.

overall ➔I’m not really sure why (possibly a lethal combination of my undying love for sana bakkoush, how much I relate to her, this but my ass was crying EVERY single episode of season 4...... F ➔I’m obsessed with s4′s aesthetic. imo the best editing, soundtrack and cinematography of any season!!!! julie is so talented at making each season feel distinct- to me, sana’s season is cool, vibrant colours (aka the late-night sunset aesthetic- gabie i hear u laughing shut up), crisp electronic/pop music and rap, ethereal city nights..... also sana has the best style of any skam character it had to be said ➔sana’s growth! seeing her open up and be honest and vulnerable with the girls during that phone call. sana sending all of her friends literally the sweetest messages of how much they mean to her and how much she values their relationship. sana being the (MUCH) bigger person and making amends with sara, ingrid etc. I love her so much :’((( ➔I’ve thought a lot about what I would change in season 4 and honestly? im a mf scatterbrain and have no real, structured ideas. my biggest issue is too much noora. dream s4 would be william staying in london and noora being happy on her own (but not rly on her own bc she has the girls and kollektivet!). as :/ as I am about the noora/yousef plotline, I’m not really sure what I’d do to replace the yousana conflict in ep5. maybe involving elias, or the balloon squad and even? related to that- in lieu of all the noora/noorhelm screentime, I would so much rather have a follow-up plot to elias’s drinking problem bc it was kinda just dropped? at the very least, the william clip should’ve been elias’s. I also would've killed for more one-on-one scenes with chris (even vilde or eva!), jamilla, even, members of the balloon squad... there are so many interesting stories that could’ve been explored instead of going down the noorhelm rabbithole again. furthermore, I feel like the social media plot was a bit... weak? again I’ve tried thinking of what I would’ve done instead (while also keeping the haper du har plass clip, y’all can pry that one from my cold dead hands) to little avail. what especially threw me about this plotline is that sana did this in s2 to jamilla, fucked up, and it bit her in the ass. I know that she gets irrational when angry but from a storytelling perspective, it seems repetitive. just.. I feel like there could’ve been a more powerful plot in which sana follows the same character arc. another thing I would’ve loved to see is beyond the los losers van, an apology from the girls to sana. or even just a conversation where they tell her “hey sana, we’re sorry for not paying attention and we’re sorry for being thoughtless/ignorant.” an apology from vilde about things she’s said in the past would’ve been <3. even a gesture! the girls order pizza again but this time it’s halal, or they make an effort to learn about sana’s religion and culture. I know it’s implied through the letter they write for sana, but a final standalone scene would’ve been so nice. ➔i’ve noticed soo many remakes do this thing where they like.. water down shitty behaviour of their characters. which like- sure. I would love for everyone to be kind and thoughtful and not as horrible as they could be but also... I think that’s the point of skam? to show that people fuck up, but that doesn’t define them as a person. no one is perfect and no one can be thoughtful and considerate and kind all the time. and often these ‘problematic’ actions are integral to the story- e.g. elias saying stupid comments to isak (related to isak’s internalized homophobia and fear of coming out to his friends), the girl squad being ignorant about what sana can eat, etc. so..... your remake is not better because it erased every horrible action every character has done. (nuance.. where r u.........) ➔despite its flaws, I will say- the good moments of season 4? ineffable. I think we sometimes forget that julie literally wrote, directed, and I believe (?) assisted w editing and soundtrack too. i cant imagine doing all that under so much pressure, trying to bring so many storylines to a conclusion whilst simultaneously creating a goodbye-season to a show she put her life into the past two years. I’m so fucking appreciative of her. and you know what? all in all julie wrote some pretty damn beautiful episodes and scenes, and you can tell she loves this show just as much as we do. ➔and honestly this is maybe one reason I’m more wary of watching remake s4′s, bc like.. this season meant SO much bc it was the last season of skam. we knew it was the last season. the final episode is more or less a love letter, a goodbye to the show. whereas w some remakes (do i have to say whomst) its like.. that love isnt there. it’s just another season. yknow? in conclusion I miss skam so much :(

ok whew if ur reading this ur a champion but also why did you just read 5k of me rambling about how much I love sana bakkoush??

#not one coherent or intelligent thing is said in the entirety of this post but enjoy #skam #blabbey #clownfest 2019

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taexual · 6 years

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HOLIC - 2 | jb x reader

Strangers, united by their big dreams, try to learn to live together and lift each other up to reach their goals without losing themselves or their relationship on the way to the top.

pairing: Im Jaebum x Reader

genre: enemies to lovers au | roommate au

warnings: strong language, mentions of sexual themes

words: 2.9k

disclaimer: i do not own the gif, please let me know if it belongs to you, so i can give proper credit

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You and Jaebum watched each other for a good minute, both unable to find the words to say in this situation. The classic “so, we meet again” crossed your mind but it sounded oddly childish so you chose not to voice this thought and stayed quiet while Jaebum’s unreadable eyes burned into yours.

“I don’t understand,” he was the one who started to speak. You felt like you’ve won the game of who could stay quiet longer, even if neither of you had officially agreed to play it. “You’re… you.”

He wasn’t very specific with his description but you understood exactly what he meant.

“Yeah,” you said, crossing your arms over your chest defensively. “And you’re… a-a guy.”

“Obviously,” Jaebum retorted. “But how you are a girl is beyond me. We’ve been talking for, what, two months now? And you never once mentioned you were a girl.”

“You never mentioned you’re a guy, either.”

“That’s because I thought you were, too!”

“Well, I thought you were a girl,” you said. “You had a cat as your profile picture, what kind of guys use cats for their—”

“What, so now only girls are allowed to use cats as their profile picture?” he countered before you finished. “How is the usage of cats for profile pictures even restricted to a specific gender?”

He did have a very good point that completely shattered all arguments you might have had and that frustrated you. What pissed you off even more was the small part of your mind – the same part which hated all men today, even if you knew it was stupid and, probably, temporary – kept whispering to you, he’s a guy! It’s his fault! All of this!

“So am I to blame for this?” you decided to say. “If I remember correctly, you never clarified what your gender was, either. Def sounds exactly like something a girl who’s trying to go for a mysterious look would use as her username.”

“How is Def mysterious?”

You looked away from him. “I thought those were your initials.”

“Oh, so did my initials sound feminine to you?” Jaebum’s voice had risen. “Is that why you assumed I was a girl so easily?”

Not liking the way he continued to act as if all of this was your fault, you groaned. “Well, did I sound masculine to you? What was it that made you think I’m not a girl? My excessive usage of emojis when we first met? My undoubtedly very masculine profile description which has an all-girls school listed as my education?”

“I…” Jaebum was quick to open his mouth and just as quick to close it again. But then he scoffed, his cocky attitude returning. “Did you really think I checked what school you went to? How was I supposed to know it’s an all-girls one?”

“So, you did exactly zero research about the person you were moving in with?”

“Of course! I’m not a stalker.”

“Yeah, you’re a dude alright,” you snarled.

Jaebum frowned, finally giving you an emotion that wasn’t as self-assured as the ones he’s shown you before. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” you responded and the two of you went back to the angry, confused silence you’ve shared before.

This time, neither one of you broke it for another few minutes. Then, you both got tired of standing there, staring at each other as if the two of you were having a face-off in a western movie. Next line would have surely been, “this apartment ain’t big enough for the both of us.”

But no next line came because Jaebum huffed – breaking the silence for a brief moment – and turned around to face the door of the apartment. He was here for less than ten minutes and now he was off again.

“What are we going to do?” you ended up calling after him, knowing that you were absolutely not going to sit still and think about this while he was out, cruising for a new one-night-stand, most likely.

“What is there to do?” he replied, not turning back. “This whole thing is too weird. We’re not doing this.”

“Alright,” you played along even though the easy way he said it offended you. You two may have only known each other in real life for one day – or one night – but he could’ve still shown a little bit of regret, given the fact that you’d spent two whole months getting to know each other before you found this large gap in your knowledge that seemed to change everything. “Which one of us is moving out, then?”

“I meant, we’re not talking about this like—” Jaebum started to explain and, for the lack of a better comparison, ended up saying, “—like we’re a couple on the verge of a break-up, alright? We’ll just deal with this later. I don’t know.”

You didn’t like later. Later meant you had to spend the whole night tossing and turning in bed as your mind was busy trying to come up with a solution to a problem that clearly didn’t seem all that important to your roommate.

“Deal how?” you pushed, fighting for a peaceful night of slumber. “In my opinion, there are only two ways to solve this. Either you move out or I do.”

“Why would I move out?” he questioned. “I found the apartment.”

“I-I—“ you began but the sudden surge of anger at his particularly egotistic response overwhelmed your mind so much that for a moment, you weren’t able to formulate a single coherent thought. “Wow, okay. So, you want me out of here, then?”

“You said there are only two ways to solve this,” Jaebum replied, shrugging his shoulders.

He wasn’t looking at you so you couldn’t tell if his face looked as remorseless as his words were but you had a feeling it did. What exactly had attracted you to him that night at the bar? He was starting to seem more repulsive by the second.

“Right,” you said. “And, naturally, you’re going with the solution that benefits you the most.”

“Wouldn’t everyone?”

“I don’t know,” you shot back. “Normal people would try to find a compromise.”

Jaebum rolled his eyes at this, rolling his head back as well, before looking at you with pursed lips that strengthened the annoyed look he was going for.

“You’re doing this again,” he informed you, his voice irritated.

“Doing what? Trying to decide what’s going to happen on my own because you’re being no help?” you tried.

You could tell you were pissing him off more by purposefully pretending to misunderstand everything he was telling you and countering everything he said with something that actually made sense, but you couldn’t stop now. Perhaps the rational thing to do would have been to try to calm down and then talk about this like adults – which, clearly, neither of you were – but Jaebum was getting on your very last nerve and you’d have rather died than not done the same thing to him in retaliation.

“I’m going to go,” he said and you knew this statement was a final decision. You weren’t sure what he was going to do if you disagreed with this and yet, for some reason, you didn’t want to find out. “You can do whatever you want here.”

Whatever you wanted was exactly what you did as soon as he left. You went back to your room – although it wasn’t really your room since, apparently, you’d be moving out of here soon – and returned everything you’ve unpacked into the boxes again. You only left the sheets on the mattress because, whether Jaebum liked it or not, you were spending this night here. It was almost eight-thirty already, there was no way you were getting another van to transfer your stuff someplace else.

Sitting down on the mattress, you almost laughed at the thought of having to call the same driver who had explicitly warned you to make sure he won’t have to take your belongings out of here after you met your roommate. God, you really should have seen this coming. Everyone else did and they warned you about it, too.

You hated yourself for jumping head-first into this adventure-gone-wrong and you needed to talk to someone about it. Getting your phone out, you texted your friends’ groupchat. You tried to reply to some of their messages but they quickly noticed that you seemed distracted and asked what was wrong. Right as you finished typing the message about what went down when you moved in, you hesitated, your finger hovering above the “send” button.

They warned you it could come to this since you didn’t know enough important information about your roommate and here you were, about to prove them that they were right. That you were wrong. The patronizing “I-told-you-so” wasn’t going to make you feel better about yourself and your very poor decision-making skills.

Deleting the text message, you chose to give them the abridged version of what happened.

“My roommate is out,” you said under your breath, typing the words as you spoke them. “I haven’t gotten a chance—no, wait, but I did get a chance. He was back here and he was a complete dick about everything.”

You groaned, deleting the message again. There really wasn’t much you could have told your friends without revealing the entire truth and without having to lie.

Finally, you ended up just letting them know that you were tired, so you’d be going to sleep. They didn’t pry – they could tell you didn’t want to talk about it right now – and instead changed the topic. You were surprised that reading their text messages about the most mundane things actually calmed you down. There was Kiera still freaking out about her crush from work. There was Hyojin who had just broken her oven after she didn’t read the instructions on the microwave pizza box very carefully. And there was May who was sick and tired of studying – it was her last year of college, that poor girl – so she was just looking for someone to drink with.

They didn’t have to worry about suddenly moving in with their one-night-stand – and thank God for that – and they surely didn’t have to worry about finding a proper excuse to explain the reasons why they had to move out twelve hours after moving in.

Another thirty minutes later, you sighed, pulling away from the calming groupchat and putting your phone down. You had secretly hoped Jaebum would return before you fell asleep so maybe the two of you could finally talk about this and find a sensible solution – you didn’t want to live with him, either, but moving was a difficult process and you’ve already unpacked almost everything – but, clearly, Jaebum wasn’t going to be back unless you were sleeping.

No surprise there. He’s already bailed on you while you were sleeping once.

You thought you heard the first bump in your dream so you didn’t react in any way. The second bump, however, happened much closer and you flinched, startling yourself awake as you realized you weren’t dreaming at all. Someone really was approaching your room.

You debated screaming but as soon as you opened your eyes, you were really more terrified of the unknown surroundings – because you weren’t in your bedroom – than the mysterious noises. This wasn’t the room you were used to and you spent at least twenty seconds trying to understand how you got here before your sleepy mind finally allowed you to remember that you’d moved out.

Grabbing your phone to call 911 because the steps outside of your door were getting louder, you also glanced at the time. 3:58am. The perfect time to get killed while half asleep.

You clutched the blanket tighter to yourself, not really planning to use it as a weapon in case this was an actual intruder, but rather hoping to use it for safety purposes and, for example, throw it on the attacker while you fled. It seemed like an innovative and, hopefully, successful idea and you felt a little more confident as you awaited the door of your bedroom to open.

The thought that this could have just been Jaebum finally returning home didn’t even cross your mind, so when you saw his face behind your open door, you gasped as if you’d seen a complete stranger, just wandering in your apartment at the witching hour. To some extent, he really was just a stranger. But you were living with him. For tonight, at least.

Just like that, the memory of the argument you’ve had before he left returned.

“What the fuck are you doing?!” you yelled, your voice groggy from sleep and irritation. “Do you know what time it is?”

“No,” Jaebum replied, talking quietly because he didn’t think it was right to speak louder in your pitch-black room. He could only see a meter in front of him because that’s how much the light from the hallway illuminated, so he took a small step forwards. “What time is it?”

“Definitely not early enough for you to be in my room,” you shot back, watching him take another tentative step towards your mattress. His legs seemed to wobble a little as he walked and you squinted at his silhouette. “Fuck, are you drunk?”

“I’m not, shit, there are just so many boxes in your room and it’s dark, and—”

“Why are you in my room?” you cut him off, hoping he’d stop walking before he tripped over a box and then proceeded to sue you because of it. He seemed exactly the type of person to do this. But, then again, you could have attributed all the worst traits to Jaebum simply because he woke you up after leaving you hanging in the middle of an argument.

“I wanted to apologize,” Jaebum said and silence was the response to his statement because an apology was not what you had expected from him. Realizing this, he continued, “I was rude. I didn’t mean to act like I’m kicking you out of this apartment. It’s not fair for me to do that.”

It only took him seven hours to realize this. You couldn’t help but still feel vexed with him.

“Well, then,” you said. “I’m glad you finally see it.”

Jaebum remained unphased by your harsh tone, though. “I just wanted to say that we signed the lease on the apartment on the same day, so it’s equally yours as it is mine. It really wouldn’t be fair for either of us to move out.”

You had a hunch where he was going with this and yet your heart still started to beat faster in anticipation of his next words.

“Maybe we should both stay,” he said, having a hard time speaking because he still hadn’t adjusted to the darkness of your room so he couldn’t see your eyes. “We both have jobs, I’m sure we won’t see each other that often anyway. Maybe it’ll work.”

You had been angry at him for attempting to kick you out but you weren’t sure if you wanted him to take his words back and offer to try living together instead. Naturally, this should have been the solution you’ve been looking for since you were so opposed to moving out, but it still felt weird.

Jaebum was the person you had slept with. He had left before you woke up so he wouldn’t have to participate in any type of pillow talk the next morning. He had thanked you for a “good night” in a note, which, you were obviously still bitter about.

But… at the same time, he was also the person that you’ve gotten to know from an ad. He was the same person who understood your complaints about commercial holidays, such as Valentine’s Day, because both of you had spent the majority of these holidays single and frustrated. He was also the same person who had stayed awake with you a couple of nights in a row, because the two of you were so deeply involved in a discussion about your favorite artists that you simply couldn’t go to sleep.

You could see very clearly now that Jaebum had multiple sides to him. There was the side he’d shown you as a temporary lover – you cringed at the word – and then there was the side he’d shown you as a friend and a potential roommate.

You couldn’t control your curiosity as you wondered how many more sides of him were there and how many of them were fake. You weren’t sure if he’d ever satisfy your curiosity by actually revealing himself to you but, at the end of the day, you didn’t care about that as much as you cared about having an actual roof to sleep under.

“Yeah, alright,” you decided, hoping that the late hour didn’t influence your decision and, contrary to the morning after you had slept with him, you weren’t going to regret this tomorrow. “Let’s see what happens.”

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