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saiidahyunie · 2 months

Text

fake and true

minatozaki sana x f!reader || pt.2 pt.3

synopsis: you think you struck gold with an offer that's impossible to ignore, and sana thinks she's hit the jackpot in matchmaking.

warnings: fluff ; cursing ; alcohol ; money talks ; reader is terrible at narrating ; sana is a few years older than reader ; tzuyu x shuhua pairing ; college student / tuition struggles ; jihyo mentioned but never appears ; not proofread

a/n: haven't wrote for sana in a HOT minute, also my first fic that actually uses a proper twice song?!?!

you first hear about it first from your best friend chou tzuyu.

“it’s an app,” she says while sitting on your couch, painting gloss on her nails with your little makeup box that you keep under the nightstand in your room. tzuyu then tosses the small bottle back into the box next to her with no care for it; she’s usually careless about most of the things in her life. “it’s just a way to make money.”

make money? you think, and ask, with an eyebrow peaked up. isn’t that technically–like sex work? but minus the onlyfans biz—

“don’t be so reductive,” tzuyu corrects sharply. “it’s being called a sugar baby. and sometimes it’s not even that bad. sometimes the girls on there don’t even want sex. just company. they’ll pay you for dinner and that’s it. it doesn’t have to be so exclusive or that involved.”

“have you ever done it for yourself?” you ask.

“me?” tzuyu snorts. “no, of course not. but it’s all online. a bunch of women have talked about it.” she looks up from her hand and gazes at you meaningfully. “i’m not saying that you should do it, but if you’re that desperate then why not? it’s really not that bad.”

it’s really not that bad, you think, and just days later, you’re reminded with the numbers of your bank statements.

you rent was due in a week.

you just paid for the internet, drawing cash from whatever was left from your recent loan. most of the tip money you scrapped together for the necessary utilities in the house alone. there was also the debate if it was really necessary to cover the light bill when you could just go to bath and body works and use that money for strategically placed candles around the apartment instead. the water bill was necessary, obviously. and cheap, thank god—you never used it more than you needed to— but rent. rent.

unfortunately, you can’t cut corners with that one.

you take another bracing swig of your wine, staring hard into your computer screen. you phone rests right beside your elbow, and you glance at it, considering. mina had told you that you can always ask—

but no. your cousin never had much money to spare, and you can’t expect her to throw hundreds and hundreds of dollars your way every time you find yourself wanting, not when she needs it, herself. not when she’s the one who gave you the warning of going to grad school in the first place, having anticipated this happening. you can’t do that to her and live with yourself.

but then again, you can’t pay your rent and live in general. you were already on your landlord’s ass for the last overdue payment as it is.

so you let out an exasperated sigh, with your face in your hands, borderline breaking a sob, before ruthlessly scratching your hair and inhale through your teeth. you don’t know what to do.

you had a good case for compartmentalization. since you were little, you know that some parts of your life were meant to be separate and not coincide with the other. stress from school should not bleed into your work. a bad grade from an exam doesn’t mean that you can spend your day wallowing in the corner of your room and crying. your one option, the only option really, was to get better, try harder, and don’t cry. find your own solutions. it’s what mina kept preaching for you all throughout college: “find your own solutions.”

find, you think again, distantly, and you look at the black screen of your phone. your own solutions.

“it’s really not that bad.”

you bite your lip hard, mind racing, pulse jumping beneath your throat. your adrenaline spikes as you reach for it, taping the screen and opening the app store. the thought in your brain rattles much like: i don’t want to, i don’t want to, but you have to, because you never have enough money, and you can’t afford to work a second job while being a full-time student, and even then it might not be enough. may never be enough. and you have to. the rent is due at the end of the day.

a fingertip taps on the screen of the light pink app, and it’s downloading. once you open it, you refuse to give the urge to throw your phone across the room and forget that you ever thought of trying this; that you smash it into pieces and toss it into the garbage disposal. but that would be just another expense added onto the list, and you already can’t afford the one you have.

with a deep breath and another sip of the expensive wine, you suck it up and make a profile.

when the matches start coming in, you’re getting nervous.

you drew the line of age range maxing it at just pushing 30 and above, you didn’t want to play with the idea of speaking to anyone older, even if it was just for dinner. most of the women you see are largely unappealing. most of their bios are either cookie cut with the similar story of their life or skevvy, worst comes to worst of the thought being that it wasn’t a viable solution for her money situation.

the reality sinks in, and you’re nearly brought to tears.

you’ve only ever had three semi-serious relationships. two of them were in high school, the last being with your ex-girlfriend when you were in your undergrad courses: elizabeth. she was kind to you, and sweet, and very patient. she had a predilection towards arrogance, having grown up with everything pretty much handed to her, but she was good, down to the marrow. it was because of you that the relationship broke; you had aspirations to go to school and elizabeth wanted to settle down, and you were unwilling to meet her in the middle, knowing that something was off. despite all of her vitreus and being aware, despite the fact that you loved her– truly, honestly— she wasn’t the one: she wasn’t the person that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with.

and, you think wryly, staring down at your phone screen, at the new message notification. neither is park jihyo sadly.

but that doesn’t really matter, does it? you didn’t download the damn app to find a wife.

you click on her name. her profile is as spares as it was an hour ago: a brief descpirtion of her job—district attorney, head prosecutor– and three photos of herself, none of them were too grand, just her in a well fit dress or blazer. the photos all lend an air of importance, however. of severity. this is a woman who clearly knows what she wants and is used to getting it. you’re simply another play-thing she gets to choose. the thought chills you.

opening the message. it’s a matter of fact as you expected it to be:

do you like dinner?

hi! you type back, cringing with a stank face while your thumbs twiddle with the phone screen. of course i love dinner!

great. a few seconds pass before her icon pops up again, and your heart jumps to the hollow of your throat when you read: would you like to join me for dinner this weekend? and before you can ask, yes, you will be compensated for it.

the upper row of your teeth are latched to your bottom lip, thumbs hovering over the keyboard. the edges of your phone slide agaisnt your clammy palms. you can feel the pulse booming in her ears, like a rush of a tsunami. if you wanted to, this could be the last chance to say no, to delete the app and pretend you were never in this madness to begin with. maybe you can ask mina for money. what cost is your pride, anyway, when compared to this?

but you already had your mind set on what you were going to say before you could even type it out.

yes! i would love to. <3

it’s amazing for the bold courage you had to tell when you see her on campus, isolated in a corner of the library. tzuyu takes you completely by surprise when she shrieks in the quiet environment.

“you managed to get a fucking sugar mommy?!”

“shut up!” you hiss, looking around frantically. none of the other students nearby seemed to have noticed her outburst. “nothing is official. i only agreed to go out to dinner with her.”

“still,” tzuyu adds, leaning back in her chair, eyes appearing like she’s caught in a daze. “i didn’t expect you, of all people, to actually do it. you barely just lost your virginity.’

“that’s not true.”

“a vibrator doesn’t count.”

“i was talking about elizabeth!”

“who you broke up with two years ago. my point still stands,” tzuyu says. her bewilderment has melted from her face, leaving a begrudging amusement. “i still can’t believe you did it, though.”

“you’re the one who recommended it to me.”

“i know! but when the hell do you ever listen to me?” she retorts, setting her elbows on the table and cradles her chin with her palms, staring at you expectantly. “so? are you gonna show me pictures of her?”

“i wasn’t really planning on it,” you say wryly, but pull your phone out anyway. “it’s not like she’s a girl that i’m actually talking to.”

“oh, but she is,” tzuyu says, taking it. your attention shifts from her face to jihyo’s profile, flushing slightly when you notice the disappointed frown that tugs at her friends lips. “she’s cute, but i don’t know…”

“what makes you say that?”

“well….you know…”

you bristle, shaking your head, “you said it yourself, some women will pay you for the company. she said that i’d be compensated for dinner but didn’t mention anything after.”

“well, thank god,” tzuyu replies, scrolling through the messages now, pausing over the one selfie you sent to prove that you weren’t a catfish: her request to add by the way. “do you know what you’re gonna wear?”

“probably some cocktail dress. she said we’d be eating at a restaurant in a hotel. so, i’m not picturing anything that fancy.”

“i’ve looked through your closet, though. you don’t have any cocktail dresses.”

“yes, i do. the blue one. with the long sleeves.”

horror is drawn all over tzuyu’s face. “you mean the one you wore to your senior homecoming. when you were eighteen?”

“yeah, it’s nice.”

tzuyu takes your hand from across the table, giving you a look that makes your stomach clench form embarrassment; a look the precedes many of her statements about their different priorities, the vast gap between their socio-economic classes.

“no offense, y/n. you’re drop dead gorgeous. you’d look beautiful in a black plastic trash bag, but that dress? are you kidding? at–tell me about the restaurant again?”

“four seasons.”

tzuyu then slams her palm down flat on the table, earning a glare from the girl sitting behind her. “at the fucking four seasons? hell no. absolutely not. you’re not wearing that, especially if it looks like you got it from fucking windsor.”

to be fair, she was right about that one. although there’s no point in bringing it up now. “i mean, i don’t have anything else to fall back to.”

“i’ll let you borrow something. i have, like, a million cocktail dresses.”

“nothing you have will fit. i’m about your height but your waist is more snatched than mine.”

“that’s very true, but i’m sure it’ll fit!”

“should i ask shuhua for her input?”

“you can! her and i are similar in size so we can ask for her help too and i’m sure she’ll find something for you to borrow.”

you shift in your comfy chair, still uncomfortable. you’re not the kind of person to ask for anything. “are you sure? i think my dress would be fine.”

“trust me, it won’t be. and shuhua loves you and loves playing these kinds of games even more. she’d definitely say yes to helping.”

“if you say so.” you quip while leaning back, watching tzuyu pull up her other best friend’s contact, thumbs flying across the screen. a second passes before she whoops a little and shoves the phone in your face. you can see the clear—and predictable—dry text since she was at work and not with you guys: sure. i can give her the black one.

“do you know which black one she’s talking about?” tzuyu asks, brown eyes sparkling, unfairly dazzling under the muted fluorescent lights. “it’s this one i bought her. it’s a little tight and it has a sweetheart neckline. oh, t/n, you’re gonna look so hot.”

“i don’t need to look hot,” you retort, flustered, “it’s only—”

“dinner, i know.” she waves you off, texting again. “but trust me, you’re gonna want to make a good first impression. when is your date?”

you nick your eyebrow and your mouth winces at the word date, it sets an uneasy feeling in your stomach, a perverse malformation of what romance is supposed to be. “this friday.”

“perfect. i’ll come over with the dress and help you get ready. i’ll bring my makeup bag too, if you want?”

you blink at tzuyu, a flush rising beneath your cheeks. you don’t know how to say no. how to remind your friend that this isn’t a date but a transaction, and that there really shouldn’t be any excitement about this. however, before you can try, tzuyu grabs your hand again, grinning widely.

“this is gonna be so much fun!”

a week passes and friday rolls around frighteningly quick, giving you little to no reprieve or time to prepare, but tzuyu arrives just when she said she was going to. at 6:30 pm, right on the dot, smiling at your front door with a makeup bag in one hand and a garment bag in another. she waltzes in through the open door, gracefully, hair flaunting around, dressed like she was the one going out tonight.

she jostles the makeup bag on her shoulder. “where are we getting ready?”

you lead her to your room, crammed between her only bathroom and the small living room, directing her inside. tzuyu tosses the bag on your bed before walking towards the vanity and plopping down on the seat. she pulls the zipper of her pouch and starts pulling out miscellaneous products, an all-name brand: a small eyeshadow palette, a lipstick, bronzer. tom ford, chanel, MAC.

“so,” tzuyu says cherrily, hair up in a low ponytail swinging as she turns to look at you. “are you excited?”

“no.” the answer comes easier than you expected it to, especially out loud, but it’s true. you’re not excited, rather, you’re— “i’m scared.”

“what? why?”

“i don’t know this woman.” you walk toward your bed, slumping on the corner, shying away from the dress like it can burn you. “i’ve only talked to her a few times. she’s older and she’s important and she’s rich and—”

“and?” tzuyu asks, swiveling towards her. “you’ve met my dad and brother. both of them are equally important and granted, one is an esteemed businessman while the other is a professional formula one driver.”

“that’s different tzu. i’m not trying to be your dad’s sugar baby.”

“i see your point, but—”

“this is serious.” you snap, nerves fried, as they have been since you agreed to go on the fucking date. since you also realized that you were so dead broke that you had no other choice but that. “i’m going out with a stranger for money. i have no idea what’s going to happen and i’m scared.”

“i’m sorry,” tzuyu says, sobered, all wry humor wiped off from her face. “i’m being an ass.”

you look at the lingering wall, muttering your forgiveness, embarrassed at the outburst, but your friend stands up and makes her way over to you. she’s grabbing your shoulders, looking at you seriously.

“do you want to cancel?”

“what?”

“do you want to cancel?” she repeats. “if you’re uncomfortable then you can cancel. there’s no shame in that.”

“i don’t…” you glance at your feet, eyeing the glossy hardwood floor below you. you’ve been needing to sweep up the place for quite some time, but since your mind has been caught up with other priorities that shifted away from simple house care—

“i can’t. i can’t afford to.”

“there’s always other ways to make money. you can ask—”

“i’m not asking mina,” you say firmly. “i’d rather sleep with jihyo than ask mina for anything.”

tzuyu smirks and takes a step back with her palms up, held open in surrender. “it’s a good thing it’s just dinner than, right?”

“yeah. just dinner,” you say. it’s as much as a reminder to yourself, and does little to calm your nerves. but it’s the truth, that’s the good thing about it. if she expected anything more, she would’ve mentioned it by now.

“okay,” tzuyu beams, hands on her hips, grinning again. “let’s help you get ready.”

your uber—graciously paid by tzuyu—drops you off at the four seasons at exactly 8 o’clock; just when jihyo said she’d be there.

you mumble a thank you to your driver as you step out, pulling your coat tighter around you. the dress beneath was black, the hem would just be a few inches above your knees, and tight. tiger than you thought it would be, but should’ve expected given who the owner is. you had always been slim, but your hips and breasts are—full, is a word for it. you’ve blossomed at seventeen and had a history of finding bras your size since then.

tzuyu and shuhua, both tall and rail-thin, built like haute couture models. thus, the lent dress give to you would fit more snugly on you than you initially hoped, pulling tight across your hips, pushing your brasts up farther than you’re comfortable with. you feel like you’ve been put out on display, and the thought follows you as you steps inside the ritzy hotel, bundling up in the pit of her stomach like a coil: a woman who’s owned.

you want to vomit on the gleaming marble.

the nice lady behind the front desk directs you to the restaurant after asking. when you walk away, you wonder if she can sens the anxiety and desperation wafting off of you, the fear. and if she did notice, what does she think? are girls in her situation common? do they all look the way that you do, with their cheap shoes and expensive dresses, hand-me-downs from nicer women? are they older? younger? you can’t fathom it. something being younger and doing this.

when you walk into the restaurant, a sharply-dressed hostess in all black greets you with a smile. “hello, ma’am. are you meeting someone?”

“yes, i have a reservation,” you say. it comes out in a breathless rush. “park jihyo. she said to come at 8. she might be here already?”

“let’s see.” she walks behind the podium and picks up an ipad, tapping it. she scrolls down, brows furrowing, before looking at you. “oh okay. i do see a park jihyo here but she hasn’t checked in yet.”

“oh,” you breathe, trying to ignore the rush of overwhelming relief. “can i…do i wait for her at the table?”

she offers a sympathetic frown. “unfortunately, i can’t sit you until i get proof of ID from the person who made the reservation. it’s to prevent people from stealing other people’s tables.”

“oh. um, do i leave?”

“you can sit at the bar if you want?” she says, gesturing towards it. “i’m sure you’ll be waiting for just a few minutes anyway.”

you nod and send a tight smile in thanks, walking towards the bar, angleed against the other side of the restaurant. like everything else in the hotel, it’s disgustingly opulent. the counters are a dark, shiny marble, as black as onyx. the tall stools have golden legs, the cushions soft and leathery when you move to sit atop it. a beautiful woman smiles at you while you settle in. to your relief, there are very few patrons around you.

“hi. can i get you anything?”

you consider it for a moment. drinking wasn’t the plan. and you were always a lightweight, and you don’t want anything in your system that could impede her decision making. but…

“a lemon drop, please?”

she nods and moves towards the drinks, mixing with a quick, effortless efficiency that fascinates you, as eager for distraction as you were right now. the martini finds it’s place down in front of you, and you smile, fiddling with the straw. “i was a bartender for a little bit, you know?”

“were you?”

“yeah. i switched to waitressing, though.”

“oh, really?” her eyes dart down to her fancy dress, alight with curiosity. you try not to blush. “you came here for a nice date then?”

“um—”

just then, an older woman sitting a few chairs down snaps at her, calling for her attention. she sends you an apologetic smile before stepping away. you sigh and take a bracing sip of your lemon drop, trying to pace yourself.

you don’t.

half an hour later, you’re still sitting at the bar, your second lemon drop in front of you, and more than a litte woozy. the bartender—seulgi, your new friend—stands on the other side of you, drying a crystal cup with a rag, as much of a cliche as she is.

“do you want me to call a taxi?” she asks, concerned.

“i think my friend irene would like you,” you say, sitting forward; her question doesn’t register. “she’s got black hair, and a bit shorter compared to you–” you’re holding your hand out and waving it around, slightly above your own head- “she’s really cute.”

“i’m glad you think so,” she says dryly. “i don’t recall asking for a matchmaker, but—”

“a lot of us don’t ask for a lot of things, but we get them anyway.”

“that’s a bit of striking honesty.”

“well.” you swivel in your chair a little bit, resentful. “my cousin always says that i’m a gloomy brat with a big mouth.”

“and does your cousin live here? can he or she pick you up?”

“no,” you pout. “she lives, like, two hours away. i came here for school.”

“okay, what about your friend irene? can she pick you up?”

“she’s probably sleeping or studying,” you say, wiving her off. a thought strikes you then, and you smile. “you wanna meet her, don’t you? i can give you her instagram.”

she drops her elbows onto the counter and states at you. finally, seulgi shrugs. “yeah, let me see.”

your smile widens and you reach for your coat, now rumpled from when you carelessly tossed it onto the chair next to you after getting overheated. you pull out your phone and quickly scroll through your messages. nothing from jihyo yet, but you expected that, having long since gotten the feeling that you’ve been stood up; not that you really mind. you mourn the money more than anything else. it’s why you haven’t left.

“here,” you say, once you switched to instagram. “this is her username, renebaebae. you should message her.”

“i might,” seulgi says, winking at you, before turning over her head. she straightens up, once again slipping into a professional veneer. “hi, welcome. can i get you anything?”

curious, you turn over, blinking when you notice a woman sitting just a chair away from you. she’s thrown her suit jacket off and has her sleeves rolled up. her eyes follow the length of her toned forearm, lingering on her silver rolex, before moving up again, from the broad stretch of her back to the locks of brown hair. you only stop when you notice that she’s caught you, brown eyes twinkling, the flash of them almost fox-like.

she has a whiskey in front of her. they’re alone. seulgi had journeyed down the other end of the bar.

“do you need something?” she asks.

“no.” you take another sip of your lemon drop, just to keep from looking at her.

she doesn’t offer the same courtesy. “are you drunk?”

“no,” you sputter. “obviously not.”

she hums, disbelievingly and glances at the chair between you, as if in silent permission. you dip your chin and she moves into it, throwing her jacket onto the counter. if you inhale, you can smell her perfume: a rich, dark scent that settles into the pit of your stomach, slow-moving and warm. rich. her watch gleams beneath the golden lights, like her shiny oxford heels and the cuff-links she carelessly tossed into her pocket. she must feel at home here in the grotesque palace of wealth. you wonder if she can smell the fraud wafting off of you, thick as the victoria’s secret perfume you spritzed on just hours before.

“are you on a date?”

“no.” a wave of defensiveness rises up, bolstered by resentment, and the alcohol does little to dampen its sting. “and you? why are you here?”

“i’m drinking,” she says, and takes another swig. your eyes flicker down to the line of her throat as she swallows. when you look back up, her lips quirk. “i had a meeting.”

“a meeting? at the four seasons?” she really is rich.

“no, a meeting at the new york-presbyterian hospital and then dinner at the four season. my co-workers are a bunch of old men who fall asleep at 9:30 so i decided to get drunk instead of joining them.”

“you’re a doctor?”

“trama surgeon. you?”

“waitress,” you say dimly, ignoring the flush that warms your cheeks. you hastily add, “and i go to school here. finishing up my undergrad, actually.”

“nice.”

you lean into your palm, staring at her. “you look very young to be a doctor.”

“so everybody keeps telling me.”

“how old are you?”

brown eyes cut to you, sharp like a knife and mirthful in a way you can only describe as mean. “are you sure you’re not on a date?”

your flush spreads, hot beneath your skin, and you look away from her, taking another swig of the martini. you caught her meaning and you’re not sure if you actually like it, if she’s making fun of you.

after a beat of tense silence, she sighs and shifts closer, pressing her wrist lightly against her own.

“twenty-nine,” she says, “and my name is minatozaki sana.”

roughly about seven or eight years, you think. not that old or too old for that matter. “my name is y/n.”

“y/n.” and you never knew your name could feel like a caress in someone else’s mouth, but it does. “it’s nice to meet you.”

“you too.”

seulgi passes by you again, getting another whiskey for sana and a third lemon drop for you. you can sense that she’s reluctant to give it to you, and you know that you should be mindful of how expensive this tab can be, but you don’t care. after today, with the stress and fear and the adrenaline constantly pumping in your veins, you’ve lost the ability to; you’re numb.

and so you ignore it. “wanna take shots with me?”

“you’re really trying to get drunk, aren’t you?”

“aren’t you?”

“it usually takes a bit more than two whiskeys and a shot to do me in.”

“so no?”

“how much have you racked up on this tab y/n?” sana asks, and you visibly stifle a wince. “three lemon drop martinis. that’s probably over a hundred fucking dollars, knowing this place. why the hell would you go to the four seasons to get drunk anyway?”

the tone is definitely something you don’t like, the patronizing color to it. it makes you reckless. “i was invited.”

“by who?”

“someone that isn’t here.”

“so you are on a date.”

“no.”

“then who invited you here?”

“someone.”

“a man? woman? probably someone your age.”

you huff a bitter laugh and take another sip of the martini. “not my age exactly.”

“so older.” it’s not a question but a statement, and she leans back in her stool, eyes flat. “not a date, but you—some random, pretty-grad student—were invited to the four seasons by someone older than you. i’m assuming or man or woman?”

“mhm, a woman.”

“can i ask you a personal question?”

“you already have been.”

“why did you agree to come?”

why else? you’re pondering. “money.”

she stares at you for a few seconds. you keep waiting for the disgust to bleed in, or the judgment, or—if worse really happens let alone the unthinkable—the excitement for your perceived vulnerable, but she gives you none of that. instead, she curses softly under her breath and sits up, carding a hand through her brown hair. “that sucks,” she says, looking at you. the intensity of her sympathy startles you. “i’m sorry.”

“i-it’s okay.”

“she’s terrible for doing that, what a piece of shit. it’s rare these days how women act like that. even crazier that some can’t find real love on their own so they look for it in people like you. the ones that can’t say no.”

“i don’t think she wants love from me.”

her mouth thins, fist clenching atop the counter. “you mean sex?”

your eyes widen. “no, not sex.”

“then what is it?”

“company,” you say. “dinner. sometimes they’ll pay you for it. it’s all over the internet.”

“yeah, said by fucking liars. what woman is signing up to be a sugar mommy so that she can take a girl that looks like you out for just fucking dinner? how does that make any sense?”

you’re squirming in your seat, nearly cringing at the discomfort. sana’s saying everything that you’ve been trying to ignore for a week straight, and suddenly, you hate yourself for thinking that you could be so naive. that you have the privilege to be, like tzuyu.

“i—”

“did you drive here?”

“what?”

she stands up, reaching for her suit jacket. a pang of mourning shoots through you when you realize that she’s leaving. “did you drive here?”

“no. my friend ordered an uber for me.”

sana nods and looks over to seulgi, gesturing for her to come over. she whispers something to her, a request to her tab, probably, before looking back down on you.

“what time was your date?”

“eight o’clock.”

“i think you’ve been stood up.”

“i know.”

she shrugs the jacket on, fiddling with the cufflinks. she looks disheveled, but in a way that seems purposeful. enticing. seulgi hands her a black booklet, and sana pulls her wallet out. you glance away form her, always awkward around money.

“you probably shouldn’t talk to this girl again.”

“wasn’t planning on it.”

“you should also delete the…app—? she raises an eyebrow at you. you nod—”that you met her on. shit’s already sketchy as it is.”

“i know.”

sana steps back, and you bite your tongue, just in case.

"it's nice to meet you, y/n. maybe i'll see you around?"

unlikely but you’re entertaining with the idea, dipping your chin an acknowledgement because you’re still too afraid to speak. she turns on her heel, and you watch her, eyes following her back until she’s disappeared from sight. you’re hitting the one eighty to face seulgi, only to falter when you notices the black booklet in front of you. “am i cut off?”

“yup,” seulgi says, a smile playing on her lips.

you brace yourself as you slowly open the bill, cringing away from it like it can hurt her. however, it’s not the sight of an exorbitant price that greets you, but a wad of cash; hundreds of dollars. more than that.

and a series of numbers are written on the receipt, with a note on the bottom, penned in a somewhat elegant writing that shows a sliver of sharp intelligence.

“for subjecting you to an interrogation when you were trying to get drunk. good luck with school.— sana.”

“she left me a hefty tip too. for both of you,” she says, smirking at you. “you must’ve made a very lasting impression.”

a close of the hand slams the booklet, and your eyes were unseeing.

five hundred dollars.

you’re counting five hundred dollars.

five hundred. now 480 from the twenty you forked over to your uber driver on the way home. but five hundred dollars, given to you by a veritable stranger, along with—

the receipt is in your handbag, not messing with the thought of throwing it away. if not for her company, then for her generosity. and you really should call her; to thank her, send the money back, ask why the hell would she bother throwing that much money away on a poor, drunk woman wallowing away at a bar. jesus christ almi—

the trill of your phone startles you, ducking your head while you’re scrambling to the couch to yank it from your purse. tzuyu’s smile flashes at you from the screen, and you sigh deeply before bringing the phone to your ear. “hello?”

“hello,” she says, voice pitched in a lilting sing-song. “‘i’m with shuhua and you’re on speaker. say hi.”

“hi, shua.”

“sup, y/n.”

tzuyu chimes again, “so, how was it?”

“uh,” you glance down at your handbag again, at the wad of cash sticking up from the top of it. your pulse jumps. “it went alright.”

“was jihyo as scary as you thought she would be?”

she, well- uh– she never showed up.”

“what!?” you scrunch up your shoulders at the screech. “what do you mean she never showed up?”

“i got stood up.”

“oh, beb. i’m so sorry.”

“it’s fine.”

“so it ended up being all for nothing?” shuhua asks, appalled. “you got all dressed up and went down to one of the most expensive hotels in the city for fucking nothing? you’re still broke?”

tzuyu shrieks again, this time shushing in scolding, but you huff a laugh instead of getting offended, still reeling in disbelief.

“not for nothing.” you mumble out. and the line stays quiet on their end. “what did you say, honey?”

“not for nothing.” you repeat, louder. “i…i met someone, and she…”

“and she what?”

saying it out loud wouldn’t make it make sense, but you force the words out in vain hope. “she gave me five hundred bucks.”

the other end went silent again, clearly digesting this, seeing what they can make from it. that is, until shuhua barks out a mean laugh and asks, “don’t tell me you got on your knees for her or something?”

“shua!”

“it’s an honest question! what kind of old, rich woman gives a girl money for free unless she’s actually interested in?”

“i didn’t—” the lump in your throat rises while the heat flushes your cheeks. “nothing happened between us. we just talked. and she isn’t old.”

“...is she cute?”

you’re thinking of sana’s strong side profile, rolled up sleeves, and the low registered tone along with the bite of her tongue. “yes.”

“so if nothing happened, why did she give you money?” shuhua asks.

“i don’t know,” you reply softly, pulling up your knees to hug them. “i think…she just felt bad for me.”

“felt bad for you? what makes you say that?”

“i told her why i was there, pretty much. she seemed bothered by it.”

“if god was a woman,” tzuyu says, a smile in her voice, and despite her generosity, you don’t even know if you’d consider sana your saving grace; there was an intensity to her, to her kindness that belied normal human decency. you can’t even tell if she’d do it for anyone else.

but if that were the case, why you the? what did you do to earn that kind of attention?

“well, i think there’s something else happening that y/n is telling us,” shuhua says bluntly. “i don’t see why she’d be that nice otherwise.”

tzuyu hums along in agreement, considering. “what do you think, y/n?”

“i don’t know either, if i knew exactly the i would’ve told you.”

“maybe it’d be worth taking into account asking her then? let your curiosity get the best of you.”

you’re reaching for your handbag, pulling the crumpled receipt from it, smoothing your thumb over the fine printed calligraphy of sana’s name.

“maybe i will.” you whisper.

later after the call, you text her while you’re tucking yourself into bed, hoping that it’ll be late enough that she won’t immediately respond. the nervousness and confusion rumbling in your head to even go forward into speaking to sana. you toss your phone on the nightstand and turn over, willing not-so-tired body to sleep.

the hope diminsieses very quickly. phone vibrating for a few seconds to make you jump up, reaching over. you’re tapping at the unsaved contact and click on the text, trembling. your own message flashes at you innocently, and you just want to throw your phone into the toilet or damn fire: hi! this is y/n. the girl you met at the bar tonight. do you remember?

sn:

hey. and yeah i do.

y/n:

cool! your thumbs hover over the touchscreen. unfortunately, i think you might’ve accidentally left something with me.

sn:

it wasn’t an accident.

y/n:

oh, you think, typing away. i’im so sorry, and thank you so much for your kindness, but i can’t accept that.

sn:

why not?

y/n:

it’s too much money and you’re a stranger. i can’t ask that of you.

sn:

you don’t owe me anything.

a second passes before she adds: can i call you?

your heart skyrockets up to the opening in your throat while your adrenaline spikes. for a moment, you want to say no. you don’t know if you can handle it, hearing her voice after she’s done you such unnecessary kindness. but it’s the thought that loops around and convinces you: sana gave you five hundred dollars. the least that you can do is have a damn conversation about it.

yes.

your phone rings just seconds after you’ve pressed send, and you take a deep, steadying breath, willing your heart to slow it’s pace. you pick up. “hello?”

“hey.”

the low timbre of her voice makes your breath hitch. she sounds like she’s been sleeping. like she woke up for you.

“you wanted to talk?”

“well, you did. mostly.” you can hear a slight rustling on the other line. her shuffling in bed. “you said something about owing me.”

“i can’t,” you say firmly. “i’d have to repay you, and as you can guess, i’m not made of money right now—”

“i didn’t give you that because i though you would owe me something. to be honest, i didn’t know if i had a chance in hell of seeing you again. i was trying to be nice.”

“and i appreciate it, but i can’t accept it. five hundred dollars is a lot of money, and—”

“i’m a surgeon.”

“which is how i know you’ve worked hard for it. i’m sorry, sana, but i can’t accept it.”

“does anyone do nice things for you?”

you blink, “what?”

“you just seem to have a hard time accepting kindness.”

“i…i don’t…”

“fine,” she huffs. “i’m not gonna force you to keep anything you can’t accept.”

“can i give it back to you?”

“i was thinking more along the lines of: you could toss the cash in a fire if you want it—”

“no,” you say, horrified. “i want to give it back to you.”

silence lingers on sana’s end. your pulse roars in your eardrums and your fingers are gripping the sheets. you have this distinct feeling that you’re dangling over the precipice, waiting for the ball to be dropped.

“how about you meet me for lunch?”

“huh?”

“lunch. tomorrow afternoon at 2.”

“i…um…”

“or i can give you my mailing address and you can ship it back to me. whatever you want.”

“are you asking me out?”

her voice comes in lower, barely over a rumble over the crack of the speakers. deliberate. “if you’re okay with it.”

you remember sana at the bar, under the dim golden lights. how she leaned into you when you spoke, how she listened, the geunine sympathy in her eyes when you told her why you were there. the way you mourned the loss of her when she left, with an intensity to it that startled you.

answering in a breathless rush. “lunch. i-i’d like to go to lunch. with you.”

“cool.” you can hear her smile. “i’ll text you tomorrow?”

“yes.”

“okay. see you then.”

“see you.” you whisper, and drop your phone once she hung up. about two seconds pass before you pick it up frantically, dialing shuhua’s number.

she sounds annoyed, plus a giggle is heard in the background. she and tzuyu were definitely hooking up. “what?!”

“shua! i need another one of your dresses!”

half an hour before your date, sana texts you: “there’s been an emergency at work. i got called in.”

you, on the other hand, was in the middle of drawing a very sharp wing, not caring for the falling eyeliner when you reach for you phone, frowning.

y/n:

huh!? what happened?

sn:

one of the other surgeons had a heart attack this morning so i had to fill in for him

it’s been a shitty day.

y/n:

i’m sorry :(

a fleeting attempt to stave off the wave of disappointment that threatens to consume you, feeling ridiculous for it. childish.

but it’s not so childish however, to keep you from typing, “will you have to cancel? :(“

sn:

for lunch, yeah. but i was thinking we can reschedule for dinner?

y/n:

will you be able to get out by then?

sn:

my supervisor said i can expect to be out by 6. i can pick you up at 8:30 if you want?

you press a finger to your lips, smothering a smile.

y/n:

i’d love that.

sana’s reply comes a second later.

sn:

i’ll see you then.

#hyunie #sana x reader #twice x reader #kpop x reader #kpop imagines #twice sana #sana #minatozaki sana #minatozaki sana x reader #twice x you #sana imagines #sana minatozaki #twice fluff #sana twice

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avisionadmin · 2 years

Link

#IBPS RRB Preparation Tips 2022 #IBPS RRB exam pattern #IBPS RRB syllabus #IBPS RRB previous year cutoff #How to Prepare for RRB Bank Exam

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agirlwithglam · 17 days

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📑📚 ACE YOUR EXAMS 📚📑

This is a guide for people who have exams coming up. It consists of what to do if you want 100% on your upcoming exams, study tips, and more!

Study tips:

Check this masterlist by @merakinotes and also this post+ masterlist by @areistotle it has everything you’ll ever need.

Bank of questions / past papers study method: you can create your own questions on Quizlet or any online quiz maker or use past papers/ revision resources.

Study everyday. If your exam is even a month away, that’s good because it means you don’t have to study hours everyday, but you can at least keep a goal to study 30 mins a day or to learn/ understand/ memorise a new thing part of that topic every day.

Feynman technique. Basically pretend as if you’re the teacher and teach the topic to someone/ something (ex a stuffed animal)

Record yourself talking. When you’re revising, record yourself talking about some of the stuff so you can listen to it later when you’re unable to study.

Visual learning!! Personally, I love this one. If you’re studying something like science, history, etc, then draw pictures! Draw pictures to better help you understand a word/ concept. (Example: in science I couldn’t remember the whole definition of combustion so I just drew a stickman image of the atom and the oxygen and then those 2 chemically combined)

During the exam:

Never turn the exam in early!! Are you finished? Then re read the exam and re take the exam. Double check, triple check etc your answers. Keep looking through your answers again and again, step by step. Only give the test in at the very end.

Watch the clock! Don’t spend lots of time on one question trying to figure it out. Look at the time and make sure you still have enough to complete all the questions and maybe also recheck them.

If you don’t completely understand a question/ it’s more complicated: skip it and go to the next question. Come back to that harder question later.

Manifesting:

Remember: the 100/100 grade is already yours. You just need to claim it!

Affirmations: you can create your own set of customised affirmations or you can use THIS affirmation list that I made for high grades

Subliminal: I’ve made a playlist on YouTube with all my favourite academic subliminals. You can also search up 100/100 grades or full marks in tests subliminals.

More resources:

(These are just to further help you if these tips do not help. Remember that watching videos or reading about studying/ study tips is not studying. It’s procrastinating. Consume these in moderation.)

Studying tips for a straight A student by @universalitgirlsblog2

How to study like: 👙Elle Woods👙 | 📔Paris Geller📔 | 📖Hermione Granger📖

Study to success on YouTube

Jun Yuh oh YouTube

Fayefilms on YouTube

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anikaluv · 10 months

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I'LL BE THERE —

❤︎︎ pairing: Miles (e!42) × fem!reader

❤︎︎ genre: fluff

❤︎︎ cw: stalking , Miles being a barbie kinnie, reader realizing there’s no escape lmao

❤︎︎ summary: Miles was your ex from a year ago, and you had completely moved on, blooming in your new life. So, why was he just now popping up everywhere?

❤︎︎ w/c: 800

❤︎︎ a/n: Was thinking about how Barbie has a million different jobs and went like, “What if that was Miles?”

E!42 MILES getting so frustrated in an argument you two were having; looked you dead in the eyes and spat, "If you don't like that shit, you can get up and leave."

E!42 MILES being genuinely shocked when that is precisely what you did, thinking this was just gonna be another one of the little squabbles you two were used to having

E!42 MILES realizing in the next following months that you could live perfectly without him and move on, while he, on the other hand, was going through the worst turmoil of his life

E!42 MILES deciding that whether or not you wanted him in your life, he needed you in his. So he was going to get you back no matter what

E!42 MILES turning around to greet you with a cheeky grin on his face at the cafe you’ve been a regular for the past 6 years as the barista going, “Hello precious, ¿Qué será para ti hoy? (What will it be for you today?)”

E!42 MILES ignoring your look of surprise as he jots down your usual order that he already has memorized and then has the audacity to look back into your eyes and ask, “Can I get a name for the order, please?”

E!42 MILES a few days later watching as you pull in your cart full of groceries to checkout and couldn't help but laugh mischievously when your jaw dropped when seeing that he was the cashier. (He made sure to scan your items very slowly)

E!42 MILES becoming the bus driver of the bus you took every day to work. Pulling up to your bus stop, opening the doors, tipping his hat, and greeting you with a playful smile. "Mornin', mi vida (my life), pretty day, ain't it?", ignoring your eye roll as you stepped onto the bus.

E!42 MILES who “coincidently” ditches the home gym he’s been using since he started being the prowler and starts going to the exact same gym as you, sucking in his breath when he sees you squat in those tight seamless shorts

E!42 MILES who’s happy to treat you and your niece to some ice-cream at the park inside of the ice cream truck he now works at, playfully chuckling at you as you arrogantly shoved the money into his chest.

E!42 MILES sitting comfortably in a salon chair at your normal nail salon as a nail tech, ready to paint whatever design you desire on your delicate fingers

E!42 MILES who types into his computer at your local bank as your bank teller, prepared to enter in your weekly / monthly checks when you walk in. Taking your check out of your hand to observe it, acting shocked like it’s not its about the same amount every time. “Woah, cariño (darlin’) , did’nt know my girl worked this hard.” (He was proud of you, he knew his girl could achieve anything she wanted on her own )

E!42 MILES who welcomes you openly to his salon chair at your favorite hair salon when your usual stylist “happens” to be out of town going, “Hey mami, you want the usual?”

E!42 MILES at your library organizing books loudly while you’re studying for a important exam, holding his finger at your lips when you’re about to explode and scream and whispers, “Baby, this is a quiet environment, quiet your lips f’me aight?”

E!42 MILES clocking in as your yoga instructor at your yoga studio only on the one day of the week you go, wearing a purple headband with a tight tank top and yoga pants that showed the ass you didn’t know he had. You groaning as he does doggy style shouts, “Thats it ladies! You want to really arch your back like this!” while smirking. (Kelly Clarkson’s “What doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger” is playing in the back)

E!42 MILES who works at your local mall at Nike on one knee in front of you happily assisting you put on one of the pairs of shoes, locking eyes with you the whole time wearing that smug grin he always got. (When he was finished you kicked him in the face before he got up, but lets be honest, he probably fell in love more)

E!42 MILES being on the plane you were taking to move and get away from him. Wearing his flight attendant uniform and slowly making his way down the aisles. Finally getting to you and turning to you as that cute scowl appears on your face while nonchalantly saying, “Would you like some pretzels, ma? They gluten-free.”

E!42 MILES chuckling loudly when you downright ask him why was he following you everywhere like a stalking creep, amused that you haven’t gotten the message yet

E!42 MILES picking up your chin to make you give him all of your attention, leaning down to where your lips brushed against each other, and spoke in a quiet tone no one else heard,

“Doesn’t matter where you go or what you do conejita (bunny), I’ll be there."

ENDING A/N: Is this really extra and extremely unrealistic, damn right. But its funny.

TAGLIST: @janaeby @bellstwd @nmgstuff @axeoverblade @zaddyskye69 @agstuffsworld @spidrstar @laylasbunbunny @missusmorales @popeheywardssecretgf @lumineliax @fukingsad @wisteriaflowersss @crxss01 @joliety @fiannee @sylisan

TAGS:

#anika❤︎︎writes #miles morales x reader #earth 42 miles morales x black!reader #earth 42 miles x reader #earth 42 miles x you #across the spiderverse #earth 42 miles fluff #prowler miles #atsv miles #earth 42 miles morales x reader

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thedivineart · 1 year

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10 THINGS ABOUT YOUR JUNE

navigation ៸៸⠀ 𓊆 𓋈 𓊇 · · · I'll make u feel ease ⭒ !

𝆩 instagram 𝆩 commissions

𝆩 leave a tip 𝆩 pick a card

ONE

1. If you have been wishing for a new relationship this coming month, you can expect it. For others this could be mean your getting married/ a proposal from someone. For some this could be a new child or announcement of pregnancy. It could also mean a new beginning for most of you.

2. Moving to new residential area or purchasing new home, could also mean a new/ buying land for some.

3. Travel especially through water. If you ever have business or job possibly you will change your location or will have a partnership with someone if ever you got business. This could also mean that you should take care of yourself next month and drink plenty of water. Might also signifies that the most of your June will be a rainy days or you would buy/ build a pool since it will be extremely hot.

4. You will also be experiencing some negative emotion especially the pain and tears this might be a reason of some type of exam, a test, or could be an insult and heartbreak from someone.

5. You will have a new transportation vehicle such as like car for sample. It also symbolize moving on to something such as situation, relationship, an ending/beginning. You will be releasing something that aren't serving you at all.

6. You will be more focusing in socializing in internet. It could also mean that you will be meeting someone new through the internet. This could signifies that you will be more private in life and away from the toxic of social media.

7. You will try to be yourself even though you scared to interact since you are shy and quiet type of person. For others this could mean that luck is coming in you. Might also be mean that you will have a long distance relationship with someone or you will be waiting in such long time for something you dream about.

8. You could be meeting a new people especially male for most of the people who pick this pile.

9. You will be fixing some of property, license, or even bank account. For others this could be mean that you will be receiving financial stability.

10. You will be worrying about something for this month. It could also symbolize that you should be careful about dealing with people even though you know them since someone is eyeing you.

TWO

1. Receiving some financial uplifts, could be mean that a inheritance from someone else. For others, this could signifies that you will be traveling in other places. To few, some of your desires/ dreams or goals will be fulfill to the next month.

2. Water will be significant for you, could be mean that you should drink water to nourish your body. Also symbolizes that you will be traveling through water like in ships or going to beaches. For few, this could be mean that the next month have a lot of rainy days

3. You will be planning to go in ophthalmologist since your vision is becoming somewhat blurry or you should be more cautious about using gadgets since it wasn't good for your eyes. This could also mean that someone (who can be an enemy) is watching you, so be careful to everyone your going to interact with.

4. Announcement of pregnancy or birth of a child, this could also mean the rebirth of your new self. A small celebration will be hold due to some achievement or announcement.

5. If expecting a new love arrival or even a new friendship this person will be come from warm country. For others, you can expect a love life or being in a relationship if ever your single.

6. You will have some small amount of money that will help you at some way, this might be given by someone who have connection with you. If you have been wanting to have part- time jobs in summer you will get one.

7. You will have a opportunity to something that will bring

happiness and satisfaction for you. You will try to social more

and be a social butterfly if ever you doesn't interacting much

with people.

8. You will be busy and putting all your energy into something. You will work hard to achieve it.

9. Wedding ceremony for someone you knew or you will be getting married next month, this could also symbolize that someone will propose to you or someone will try to date you.

10. You will try to focus more in your life and how you can nurture it. However you will find yourself distancing and ignoring the negative aspect that life will throw at you.

THREE

1. Plenty of achievement and victory for most of you, for others this could be marriages and engagement. It could also symbolize proposal for some. This also be mean that you will be traveling to a warm country or someone will come to your life and give warm into your life.

2. You will be receiving rewards and achievement in something your working at the present.

3. You will work hard in studying to aim higher grades or in work/business to achieve something that will help you like having more salary and sales. This could also mean for others that a problem will be resolve soon

4. However you will have a new problem and involved in something you never wanted to be in, so be careful in people you are putting your trust even you already knew them. will get

5. You will move on to something like a situation. This could be also signifies for others that you will be moving a new resident in next month. For few, you will try to make a progress in your personal life.

6. There's something that is coming for you I can't identify what it is but this will make you extremely happy. For others, you will become famous out of nowhere or if you are psychic you will connect your self more into spirituality, learning something about spirituality as well.

7. A friend/ ex lover will be back to your life and will try to reconnect with you again. For others, you will attend/ invite in most of the party or you will try to have some fun since you find out that your life becomes too boring.

8. Someone will be jealous about you, so be careful in everything you do and speak as well. For others, you will meet someone from a foreign country that has no good intentions but wouldn't show it to you.

9. Changing location either a work, residency, business, studies etc. It could also be mean that you will be having vacation in beaches or you will try to make a pool/ tub or could also mean that you should be drinking water since your body is needing it. Water will be significant for you.

10. You will try to live in peace or you will be moving somewhere you can called peaceful. This could also mean that you will try to heal from something that hurt you the most and make a progress from it.

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nenelonomh · 2 months

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study with me study date 08-03-23 human resource management, part 1 | part 2 | part 3 | part 4

study plan exam block study plan - term one '24

study techniques the feynman technique question bank method of study 45:15 pomodoro ~ study technique flashcards español resources active recall for studying

notetaking the mapping method the boxing method the charting method the cornell method

study schedules five hour weekend study schedule

study advice/tips the importance of balance in academia learning languages study guide how to effectively organise flashcards

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sanccharine · 5 months

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the way everyday goes | ty

christmas au

pairing: tzuyu x gn!reader

genre: fluff

word count: 7k

warning: again so sweet it'll rot your teeth ;-;

summary: your bank account may be crying, but that doesn't matter when you spend money on the people you love most

a/n: this year (last years rip) christmas fic, would anyone believe me if i said everything was ready to be posted ?? i just got lazy, i'm sorry HAFGDHSKFH thanks to @eternallyghosting my human spelling and grammar check but ngl tho, i wrote this fic very weirdly, so expect some things to not add up, but yeah !! happy new year !!

When Tzuyu opened the door to her studio, she seemed the furthest thing from happy to see you. Though that was often the expression she wore when dealing with the likes of you.

You, on the other hand, wore a wide grin, shaking a large bag of chips in one hand and a bottle of iced coffee in the other.

She was dressed in her usual garb. The one she wore when she locked herself in her room for an ungodly amount of days. An extra large sweatshirt that fell to her thighs with matching sweatpants in black colour. The only indicator of her tension is the frayed hem of one corner, no doubt picked at the seam while she reads all of her essays and articles and textbooks.

Tzuyu was unamused, but you were used to that. No harm done. Scoffing at her deadpan look, you shoved your way into her small house. When she didn’t step to the side, your back clipped the door frame, while all she did was watch you with her owlish eyes.

“Good morning,” you said, throwing another grin at her over your shoulder as you made your way straight to her study desk. Tzuyu had barely moved, holding the door open and just watching you run around her home as if it were your own. “Come on, why do you look like that? Catch!”

And you threw the chips packet at her.

Your smile only widened as Tzuyu watched the packet fly across the distance between you and let it fall to her feet. She looked at the packet and then at you and then back at the packet. With a sigh, she closed the door behind her.

You expected as much from her and shrugged. “Have fun with your crumbs,” you said, observing her study desk.

“Oh, I will,” she mumbled and bent down to pick up the fallen treat.

Exams are over. Results were coming out soon for the semester. And best of all, your holidays have started. The campus is closed for a whole week until New Year’s, truly there was nothing to frown at. Yet, there you stood scrutinising Tzuyu’s desk.

Her laptop is open on some unit site, codes and words that meant nothing to you. Her notebooks were strewn open with loose sheets, all highlighted and annotated with multicoloured pens. Sticky notes infiltrated every part of your vision. It overwhelmed you. Though, you supposed a student like Tzuyu could only function as such.

“What—What is all…” you gestured loosely at her table, “this?”

Tzuyu, still at her place in front of the door, tilted her head to the left as she opened the chips packet. Her blank stare was just a touch away from a glare as she decided not to grace you with a response.

You were used to her tricks. Same as she was to your taunts.

“You know the semester is over right, like, you can rest now,” you say, but Tzuyu scoffed.

She made her way towards you and headed to the cupboard behind. But not before offering you some of her chips, you tipped the crumbs into your mouth.

“I have to prepare for postgrad,” she said, “you know that.”

“Oh, what postgrad?” you asked, feigning cluelessness but Tzuyu just sent a scathing glare over her shoulder. “Do you mean the postgrad that starts in September of next year?”

“Second week of October,” she said, as she pushed hangers out of the way as if they’d personally offended her.

“Oh, even worse,” you sighed dramatically, throwing your arm over your forehead though she didn’t turn having seen this routine so many times. “That’s what? Only like a year’s worth of time—”

“It’s only ten months.”

“Oh sorry, only ten months, that’s truly so little time,” you said, purposely standing in her way when she turned to lay out her pick on the bed. Tzuyu liked to visualize her clothes.

“That time will pass in a flash—get! Get out of my way!” she shoved you to the side and walked to her bed before continuing. “Before you know it, the semester will start and you’ll be wondering how you’re already behind on assignments.”

That was such a fatalistic belief that only a student like Tzuyu can hold. Even when she, herself, has disproved such thinking.

“Yeah, but you did promise to take a break for a while,” you said, a bit of seriousness slipping in but you caught yourself. Shrugging exaggeratedly for effect and took a moment to consider. After a pause, you clapped your hands together. “Like how we said we’d go out and celebrate today! Remember that?”

“Can’t say I do. Is that why you’re up so early today?” she said as she moved back and forth pulling out pieces to complete her outfit. Tzuyu then returned to her cupboard, shuffling something around in there. You’d say that she was trying to figure out how to complete her look, but knowing her, she’d probably planned her outfit for the day.

You looked at your wrist, there was no watch. “Yeah, getting up before twelve was a real struggle,” you said and you moved right by her as she finally picked out a manuka winter coat. She ignored the way you clung to her side, though you didn’t miss the small smile she wore. Donning a smile of your own, you continued. “But you know those are the sacrifices I make for our relationship.”

“Oh, is that right?” Tzuyu asked, following along with your playacting.

“Oh yeah, I’ve been waiting all week for this day. All month even, you could say. Just for this, this very special, oh-so-jolly day. All only to get some time to spend with you, my—” You had just opened your arms to cage Tzuyu from moving around but she’d stopped you with a hand to chest.

“It’s not that serious,” her words were clipped but she was smiling. “Calm down, now.”

“Now, why would I do that?” you asked, arms still outstretched, you jutted your chin at them, waiting for your hug.

Tzuyu rolled her eyes but still relented.

She giggled when your arms closed around like how a claw machine would around a toy. And similarly—

“Don’t—” her words ended in a squeal as you lifted her up and spun her around, a little wobbly on your feet just to mess with her.

You dragged her down to her bed, crumpling her perfectly set up clothes on the way, and burst into giggles. All the while Tzuyu grumbled her distaste at being lifted up while struggling to get away from your hold.

“Stop laughing!” she shrieked, pushing herself away as giggles escaped her lips as well. “Seriously, seriously! I’ll go get ready, let me go now!”

You just hummed and rolled away as she hurriedly got off the bed. She straightened herself up before tugging at her clothes from beneath you. All you did was watch her, a cold sensation climbed up your arms.

“You’re unbelievable,” she was flushed when she said it, but grinning ear to ear as she made her way to her bathroom.

By the time the pair of you had reached the bus station, you had finished both the packet of chips and your bottle of iced coffee. Swiping her card quickly, Tzuyu made her way to the back of the bus and picked a two-seater. This early in the morning and this far out of the city, there was barely anyone on the bus. She shuffled herself next to the window just as you took a seat next to her.

The bus had already moved from the station when Tzuyu pulled out her phone and earphones from her pockets. Without even looking at you, she handed you the left earphone after putting the right one on. When you accepted, she pressed play and leaned back with her eyes closed.

You watched her for a second, a reprieve from when she wasn’t studying you back. You heard a chime somewhere in your vicinity, but you didn’t turn away, your stop wasn’t up until a while.

Tzuyu often looked perfect.

Of course, that was simple to say because she was beautiful. There was no doubt about it.

But it wasn’t so surface-level. It bled into how she carried herself and practically built her facade.

She’d said it herself.

“Repetition leads to routine, and practice leads to perfection. It’s monotonous but it brings order. They set a standard,” she paused. “And that’s something I can’t afford to give up.”

Granted, when she had uttered those words you’d found her in the same awful set of lockdown-sweats. A manic look in her eyes and her hair was frizzy from having a hand run through it so many times. She’d stayed up all night writing her draft of an essay that was worth nearly fifty percent of her grade. She’d barely eaten, surviving on instant black coffee and cereal bars.

In those types of moments, she reminded herself of those words. She repeated them when her motivation dipped beyond recognition and staring at her screen made her eyes dry up. She had a sticky note of the same words written in a hasty scrawl in her line of sight, just above where her laptop sat, so it was always on her mind. She’d apologise because she was not one to bite her tongue, but she’d tell you the same words. And sometimes it motivated you, seeing her excel, you wanted that for yourself too. But most of the time, the weight of working so hard crushed you straight into the ground.

It was worrying but she never really let herself stay down. And maybe, that’s where you came in.

When she’d tired herself out, you’d bought her dinner to make sure she had a proper meal before she slept for a whole day. You provided the snacks when you both holed yourselves in the library. You dragged her out by planning days such as this. You were her reprieve.

And by that time, you’d figured her out.

You saw her past the perfection she so delicately manufactured. Past the painted nails. Past the crisply ironed dress shirts. Past the curious gaze.

It wasn’t as if she completely removed her imperfections. If you knew where to look, you could find it. The fraying insides of her cuffs from picking at the threads. The flimsy collar barely holding its shape after being pulled at for so long. The flyaway strands that came undone when she played with her hair. They were always there, always humanizing her. You just needed to look at her long enough to know they existed.

When you saw the muscle in her cheek twitch, you were brought back to the sensation of the moving bus, rumbling beneath you. She knew you were watching, but decided against confronting you about it. The thought brought a smile of your own as you picked up your phone to check when you needed to stop the bus.

That was your duty. Your role in this relationship. One you took with pride.

Tzuyu was comfortable enough to let herself take a step back and allow you to drag her wherever you’d planned, no questions asked. The entire day was scheduled on your phone, even allowing for late buses and trains. You’ve travelled enough on public transportation to account for this sort of thing.

So that's how the trip to the central business district went. From bus to subway, from station to station, and one line to another—Tzuyu stuck by you.

Her earphones, still connecting you. Your hand, always holding hers.

You knew this city like the back of your hand. That happens when you spend nearly four years travelling back and forth, finding part-time jobs, going out, and attending events.

Yet you were still noticing new things from time to time.

As soon as your train stopped in the main district, you headed straight for the restaurants to load up on snacks. You still had time to kill before you needed to go where you needed to be. So you let Tzuyu drag you around, gawking at books she wants to read, playing around with fabrics of sweatshirts she already owned, but most importantly, you bought her almost everything she asked for when it came to food.

Though she did threaten to leave when you first proclaimed loudly at the counter. “Don’t worry, anything for my pretty princess.”

That was how you ended up holding two special collectable bubble tea cups, a take-away bag filled with free samples, and an inviting half-eaten honey cake which the pair of you left for later since it was too sweet.

From time to time, you pestered Tzuyu to take photos of you. Although she whined about it, once the camera was up, she was striking a pose. Her, always so prim and proper, and you, always with your arm above her or around her or holding her. Always gazing at her.

“Tell me you didn’t,” though you weren’t facing her, you could imagine her gawking.

“Well, I kinda did,” you shrugged, before throwing the clerk a smile as he went in to grab your shoes.

“How much was this—”

“I told you, money is not a problem! Anything for my sweet little schnookums—oi! That actually really hurt!” you leaned on the counter, a groan escaping you as you held the bicep that was harassed. “Unbelievable, unbelievable!”

Tzuyu just stuck her tongue out before grabbing her own shoes and heading in.

“Real mature,” you grumbled with a smile as you grabbed your pair of shoes and followed after her.

You’d dumped all your belongings except your phone into a locker and took a seat by Tzuyu to put on the ice skating shoes. For some reason, the fit was never perfect. Sometimes it felt like it was biting into your toes, or placing pressure on your ankle, but then it felt too loose when you tried to stand. While you were doing and undoing the laces, you missed the way Tzuyu just watched you with a smile.

With a groan, you tried again, hoping to get it down this time. “Honestly,” you looked up for a second at the rink. “I didn’t expect it to be this packed.”

“Oh, you’re telling me you didn’t expect one of the biggest ice rinks… in the city… to be busy… on Christmas Eve?” Tzuyu asked, her voice dripping with more derision with every statement.

“Okay but is it really Christmas Eve if it is, like, eleven in the morning?” you asked with a sigh as you finally finished tying your shoes.

“The whole day is the Eve,” she sent you a look as she stood, not wobbling at all on her blades. “And it’s almost two.”

“Is it?!” you asked, pulling out your phone. She was right!

Not according to schedule, but you expected as much. You could work with this.

“That’s fine,” you said and pocketed your phone before trying to get up. Tzuyu’s hand was already in your vision, and without hesitation, you took it. “Thanks.”

When you were stable, she let go.

“Okay, you can do it,” and with that, she took two steps and was on the rink already merging with the moving crowd that circled the border.

“Chou Tzuyu, are you serious?” you screamed, even getting some looks, but you weren’t bothered.

Even with the crowd, and the blaring Christmas tunes, you could hear her laugh once you spotted her. Tzuyu had her head thrown back, eyes crinkled close, and her right hand gripping the railing so she didn't double over and eat ice shavings. If she wasn’t having so much fun, you’d have been mad at her for laughing at your expense.

Tzuyu moved along but slowed down a bit so that you could catch up. It’s not as if you’ve never skated before, you have. After all, you were the one to book this outing. You just hoped you would be a little bit more graceful. Of course, after a few rounds, the lack of practice and confidence will disappear, but for the moment, you longingly stared at the children gleefully making circles in the middle of the rink with their penguins.

“Oh, come on, let go of the railing,” Tzuyu taunted, skating smoothly by your side, while you were hunched over the railing, basically walking on ice. “Come on!”

“Yeah, I don’t have a death wish,” a child giggled as she passed around you with a penguin aid. You’re sticking next to the railing too, kid!

“Why did you book this if you’re not even going to skate properly?” Tzuyu had the gall to pout.

“Because it’s in theme! Winter, holidays, snow, Christmas—!” you let out an ugly squeal as the blades slipped from underneath you. For a moment, you flailed. You imagined you looked like those cartoon characters just as they teetered off a cliff, hands winding around like a propeller to stop themselves from plummeting. Thankfully, the railing was your shining knight in armour and your wayward legs had stopped fighting you.

Tzuyu had stopped skating. But once you looked back at her, both elbows over the railing while huffing and puffing, she just broke out laughing. Maybe you’d admire how free she looked when she laughed like that if you weren’t glaring at her. While she did that, you pulled yourself into a standing position.

“I’m fine,” you huffed out as you were standing and facing the rink again. “Thanks for worrying, by the way.”

Still chuckling, Tzuyu came closer to the railing. And then she did something insane.

Pushing herself with one foot, she spun around and came to a stop in front of you.

When did she have the time to learn all of that?

“No need to show off.” Tzuyu rolled her eyes as she extended her arms.

“And no need to be killjoy,” she retaliated before jutting her chin at her hands. “Come on, take it.”

You made quite the show of how much you did not want this, though it was hard to suppress your smile. She shared the expression when you took her help. With a nod, she pushed off and moved backwards, pulling you with her.

When she tugged you close, you let out another yelp, and she had to press her lips thin to not burst out laughing again. She moved slowly, helping you find your footing on the ice while you navigated her away from bumping into people. Maybe if you weren’t so busy with maintaining your balance, you may have taken your chance to press a kiss on her nose, only to watch her scrunch her eyes shut and blush to her ears.

Once you’d done a round like that, Tzuyu decided to be brave and pushed herself back to your side. Although she was still holding one of your hands, leaning down, she picked up pace and so you followed her. Before you knew it, you were skating again. Like you used to, the few times you visit. Right by her side, competitions and bets came up, but at the end of the rounds, you were just finding ways to hold Tzuyu’s hand again.

When you realized that the rink’s Christmas playlist had looped, you decided it was time for a break. For you, at least. Stopping at a corner near the entrance to the rink, you leaned on the railing as you watched Tzuyu make easy rounds around the rink, even daring to skate between people. Like any other person, you picked out your phone and started filming her fly across the rink.

There was one particular move where she skated backwards and manoeuvred into a slow spin that made her laugh when she executed it perfectly. However, she’d almost run over a child who barely reached her knee in the process. Instantly, she was on her knees on the ice, even though the kid kept shaking her head to convey that she was fine. That was how you had another video of Tzuyu, skating hand in hand with a little girl as she taught her how to do a little circle.

You were on the seats with your shoes already in your hands when Tzuyu plopped herself down next to you.

“Happy?” you asked, tilting your head to watch her.

The grand clock chimed to mark the start of a new hour.

She nodded, eyes scrunched close again as she grinned. “Very.”

By the time you’d collected your things and finished up the rest of your leftover snacks, it was already time for dinner. You made your reservation just in time. When you entered the restaurant, the first thing the maitre d’ did was judge you. Well, you couldn’t be sure of what was going through his head, though you're sure he wasn’t supposed to stare at you for so long.

Granted, you and Tzuyu had sprinted the last few steps because it started snowing hard, and were huffing and puffing like some steam engine.

“Welcome,” his voice pitched high before he corrected himself and tried again. Instead of bursting out laughing, you and Tzuyu just shared an amused look before following him.

He guided you through the main lounge of the restaurant and to the private rooms you’d booked. Most places had flashing lights, a horrifying mixture of green and red covering every surface to get in the spirit. However, you loved how this restaurant had decorated the places. The whole place was dimmed, so only the fairy lights by the curling and candles on the tables twinkled. Each table had its own bouquet with flowers you couldn’t name, some adorned with miniature ornaments and some with paper-crafted reindeers and bells. Dinner plates, champagne glasses, and table mats had little accents of red and green, nothing too daring.

You supposed such simple elegance was expected of a high-end restaurant, but that also meant their clientele was of a different calibre too. Most of those at the tables were couples in expensive clothes and greying hair. Some seemed younger, but even they held an air of authority that you doubted you held as you trudged your way through the place.

Not that it mattered though. The waiter introduced the pair of you to your room and informed you how you could ring for help before closing the door behind him. With just you and Tzuyu in the room, you made yourselves comfortable.

Tzuyu pulled up the menu while you shrugged off your coat and hung it over your chair. “Are you sure we’re in the right place?” she asked before turning the menu and showing off the price of the dishes.

“Well, seeing as my name was on their list and they haven’t kicked us out. I think, yes,” you replied and picked up a menu for yourself. “Order anything. Whatever you want.”

You said a bit more genuinely than the last few times you did.

“Are you sure?” Tzuyu asked, still scrutinizing the prices.

“Of course,” you nodded, scanning for a dish that was worth the price. “My treat, remember.”

Tzuyu’s (and your own, really) inhibitions about the price had disappeared once you had your first bite. The food was absolutely divine. The pair of you had ordered two different dishes and then swapped halfway through, and then ordered one more dish and a dessert to end it with.

Tzuyu was scraping the bottom of her bowl when you asked her. “What do you think about marriage?”

The scraping stopped.

You’d have laughed at the little smudge of chocolate by her lip if her eyes weren’t so wide.

“Like, you mean, us?” she asked slowly.

A small chuckle escaped you as you moved the ice cream around in your own bowl. “No, like, in general.”

“Is this about Sana?”

That was the name of the second person in Tzuyu’s ginormous friend group who had gotten married over the summer. You never really knew the woman personally, or any of her friends really, but you’d heard enough about them and visited two weddings to know what they were like. And especially how much they mattered to Tzuyu.

“Sure, I guess,” you shrugged and Tzuyu returned to her dessert, although much slower this time around. “I don’t know, it just feels so daunting, you know?”

Tzuyu waited in silence.

With a sigh, you continued. “They’re so young and they got married,” you admitted.

It wasn’t just Tzuyu’s friends. You’ve heard stories within your own lectures, of people discussing marriage plans and getting engaged and dream weddings. And if not that, they were settling down, in relationships that seemed to promise security more than momentary pleasure. You’re not one to give that sort of thing too much thought, but you’d be a liar if you said you’ve never thought about it.

Tzuyu studied her bowl, apparently, there was still quite a bit of dessert left. “They know what they want…”

That was a simple enough answer.

Did you know what you want?

Your hand stopped spinning your spoon around as you studied Tzuyu.

Bells. That’s what you heard when you looked at her. Not like the deafening sirens you set as your morning alarm or the jingles you’ve been hearing all day. A soft melody filled with dulcet notes, building as your heart rate increased. It must be a sound you’ve heard before if your mind can come up with it… right? But you just couldn’t place the sound, it didn’t sound like any song you’d heard and if it was, you wouldn't recognize it.

You heard it every time you glanced at her, it arose in the strangest of moments. The pair of you had just pulled an all-nighter, the sky was losing darkness and turning into a dreamy blue, and when you turned to Tzuyu, you found her face pressed onto her textbook. She was out cold, the right side of her face completely smashed and her mouth hanging open as she slept. You had to clasp a hand over your mouth from laughing at yourself and waking her up.

And then you heard it when she first made instant noodles her way for you and added a concerning amount of cheeses. Then, it was when she suggested visiting a new cafe in the city and you’d agreed without question. Or when she’d bought you a random trinket from a street vendor solely because it had reminded her of you. So many trivial moments, filled with a soundtrack of your own making for your very own love story.

Because it was one. There were no two ways about it.

People often say falling in love is magical, perhaps that holds some truth to it. The fluttering in your stomach that you couldn’t differentiate from nervousness, the beating of your heart hammering away as if it were to burst, the shiver that runs up your neck, that same sense of suffocation you feel when you’re out of breath. How gooseflesh rises on your skin, but you feel so warm inside. And when you look at her, it's a sensation of relief that you feel. The tinge of positivity when she looks back at you, a twinkle in her eyes to let you know you weren’t the only one feeling this way.

You wanted to ask her and you have asked her.

Were you supposed to do something right now? In the moment? What would happen if we didn’t address it? How could we plan anything? How many times could we tell each other that it’s not fear? That we’re not scared? You’re not scared? But you are, you really are. It was overwhelming.

Are we falling behind?

She’d always denied it.

And she was right, of course.

But it didn’t always feel like it.

There were only a handful of people you considered true friends from your university. Not because they’d done anything to you or whatever, some people just click and stick with you forever and some don’t. It was simple. It was normal. And the former was true of Tzuyu.

It was so true, sometimes it brought tears to your eyes when you thought about it in the middle of the night. It really is so overwhelming just how much you felt for her. Perhaps this was love, or it was something else, you’ve never felt at this intensity before. You really couldn’t name it. And that might sound strange but it was true, nothing could really encompass what you felt, or heard even, when you looked at her.

“What are you looking at?” Tzuyu’s voice broke you from your reverie.

Your mouth made the shape to enunciate the word.

“And don’t say, you,” Tzuyu groaned as she pushed her bowl away, she’d finished her treat.

She knew your tricks all too well. You’ll need to change it up.

“Don’t freak, but there’s a bug on your—”

“What?” Tzuyu freaked out. “Where? Where is it? Tell me!”

Freezing up, all she could do was glare when you just chuckled. “I was wondering if I should just slap you to hit it,” Tzuyu’s eyes widened and you couldn’t help your laughter. “Or just leave you at its mercy and run, I didn’t want its attention on me–”

“Just get it off!”

“–but you know, sudden movements and things. I can’t die, I have too much to live for—” she shrieked your name, pleading as her hands gripped the table. “Okay, okay, come here.”

Gesturing for her to move forward, you leaned over the table to wipe away the smudge of ice cream by the corner of her lips. The smudge was long gone, so she should have guessed so was the 'bug' but you just held her chin. You, watching her. And her, watching you.

Having lingered long enough, you pulled your hand back with a smile.

“Thanks,” she mumbled after clearing her throat.

You just nodded before showing her your bowl of melted ice cream. “Do you want to finish this off too?”

“Yes, please,” she said, “but I also have something for you.”

You tilted your head in confusion, every single plate on her side of the table had been wiped clean. What did she have to give you?

You were just about to voice those words when she pulled out a small package from underneath the table. A gasp had barely left your lips when she spoke.

“It’s not a ring.”

“I’m heartbroken.”

“I’m sure you are,” Tzuyu placed the package next to your bowl and took the ice cream. “Open it.”

Following orders, you opened the package and you started second-guessing her claim of this not being a marriage proposal. Of course, you knew it wouldn’t be, you’d talked about as much. But you guessed somewhere you’d like to hear such news.

You sent her a glance when you felt the velvet inning of the box, though she just shook her head.

What was in there, when you opened the box, was a necklace.

A loud snort escaped you that you had to clasp a hand over your mouth.

When you looked up, Tzuyu was shovelling ice cream into her mouth but still grinning. She was doing anything to avoid looking at you.

The necklace barely matched its packaging. The first thing that caught your attention was an amulet, it was discolored and its design eroded, by wear that you could barely make out what it used to be. But you knew. And you remembered.

Four years ago, during some university-wide event, the amulet had caught your attention on some stall. But at the same time you’d reached for it, so had Tzuyu. The bells. That’s where you could track them back to. Some busking artist that had been performing at the time, providing a melody that you’d come to associate with Tzuyu herself and the love you have for her.

Tzuyu had been very adamant about having the amulet, and you, well you couldn’t care less. So you’d said the opposite and asked her to buy you the very expensive, very sugary, glazed doughnuts from the foodtruck down the line. And she’s just said yes.

And then you talked. You exchanged your numbers. And the rest well, was history.

Tzuyu never came around to wearing the amulet, and one night she admitted that she only bought it for its aesthetics, but could never find a moment to properly wear it. And if she did, she found herself wrapping it around her wrist so she could play with it when class was boring. The same night you admitted you just used the necklace to get yourself free doughnuts. From then on, she made it very obvious to wear it whenever you were around.

And now, it has returned to you. Having lost all of its aesthetic appeal.

“Oh this, this is priceless,” you said, giggling and tugging it from the box, already putting it on. “Thank you.”

“I thought you’d like it,” she said, finishing the last of your ice cream. “Now, where’s my present?”

You know she was asking to be cheeky, but you still entertained her. “Oh, like the whole day I planned and spent with my hard-earned money wasn’t a present?”

The train ride back was longer than you’d expected, but it gave Tzuyu some time to nap. Once again, you were connected by your hands and her earphones, as she lay her head on your shoulder.

Seeing as how late it was, buses would take longer to make their last rounds. Which is why you left Tzuyu at the bus stop, so you could quickly rush to the general store behind it and get some more snacks. Hot chocolate seemed like the right choice at a time like this, the perfect ending to the day. The scene would be magical, being seated together at a bus stop, illuminated by a warm lamppost, surrounded by flecks of snow as you sipped on hot chocolate. But also, you were craving more ice cream. Dealing with a cold will be your future you’s problem.

So you grabbed two cones and a hand warmer and swiped your card.

The streets seemed empty, even though it wasn’t even that late. Well… by a student’s standard, it wasn’t that late, seeing as it was nearing eleven in the evening, perhaps it was late.

“I got our snacks,” you said, holding up a cone in each hand. Tzuyu just chuckled as she took one from your hand. She struggled for a moment to peel off the wrapping with her gloved hands, but when she did, she bit a large chunk of the ice cream, and you just gawked in awe.

The bus had arrived by the time you finished the cones. Just as your stop arrived, Tzuyu’s music stopped. Someone was calling her.

“What time is it?” she asked, pulling out her phone, you missed the caller’s name.

“Like, almost midnight,” you said, getting up and guiding her out as she answered the call.

“They’re an hour early—”

“Tzuyu-ah!” Sana’s voice shrieked into your earphones, you had to pull it out. You thanked the bus driver and wished him a good night, ignoring the way he squinted at you.

“Do you still want to go—” Tzuyu just threw a thumbs up as she matched Sana’s voice in greeting.

Letting her catch up with her friend, you guided her to the park you often visited, usually near midnight like tonight, and always at the children’s playground to the small swing set.

When you helped Tzuyu into her seat, so engrossed in the call, she started taking the seat as soon as the swing hit the back of her legs, she'd have landed flat on her back had you not helped her into the seat.

“It’s nice to see you again,” you looked up to see Sana’s son wave at you.

“Oh, oh, hey, kid,” Tzuyu sent you a look over her shoulder as you made sure she was not going to slip off the seat. “It’s good to see you again! How’re you doing, kid?”

“I’m good, how are you?” he asked, and you parrotted the same answer, a little breathy from slouching over.

“Sit down, will you?” Tzuyu pretended to groan, pushing your face away from her shoulder.

The seat was made for children, so it was very very low to the ground and tiny. You had to balance yourself on your things to not flip over the seat, a moment's distraction and you could be swinging from your knees. Holding on to the chains, you pushed yourself close to Tzuyu so your face was on camera again.

“No, seriously, how are you?” you asked again to get past the surface-level answers. “What have you been up to?”

With a wide grin, he started speaking about a recipe he had just mastered and while he did more of Tzuyu’s friends joined. Most of which you were familiar with now, having met them at two weddings and conversed with some over calls. Though you were most glad to see Sana’s son again. You’d only met him face to face once. It was at Sana's wedding during the summer. Both you and Tzuyu had been taken with him when you first met him last Christmas. Tzuyu had taken you back home with her last year, and you finally got to meet her beloved dogs, and so had Sana’s son. He’d remembered to even ask about Tzuyu’s dogs during the wedding, you spent the better part of the event showing him the videos you had.

Ever since you’d gotten him a gift, he’d grown quite fond of you both. Now usually, it was tradition to get gifts mostly for those to be wed, but you and Tzuyu had instead decided to gift their son. You’d heard how much he loved the Percy Jackson books much like you had, so you decided to buy him the Kane Chronicles. thankfully he hadn’t read or gotten them yet. Besides, seeing as both you and Tzuyu were neck deep in student debt and as broke as they come, you weren’t really in a place to buy the newlyweds a washing machine.

Tzuyu waved to others, while you kept him talking. “Have you read the Kane Chronicles yet?”

The boy had an affinity to reread the same book over and over again, even if he wasn’t completed with a series. At the wedding, he’d been attached at the hip to the Son of Neptune, which was understandable. But also, the next two books are easily the best of the series.

“I did start them!” he said, eagerly leaning away from the camera before bringing the second book in with him. “I really like it,” he said, flipping through some pages and turning the book to show it. You didn’t have the heart to tell him it was too blurry to see anything but a blank white page. “But it’s not as fun as you said it would be, I still like Percy Jackson better than this series.”

Oh.

Now, you’re at a stage in your life where you didn’t go around picking fights with children, though you will say it was a difficult urge to ignore. But something about appreciating children having different opinions from you or whatever.

“Um, yeah, no, I—”

“Please, don’t pick a fight with a child,” Tzuyu said with a groan and the call erupted with a cacophony of laughter. You’d missed when everyone had joined. You had been hogging the call.

“I wasn’t going to! The kid had the right to his own opinions,” you said, looking scandalized but then mumbled under your breath. “Even if it’s wrong.”

Tzuyu shoved you with a smile and you let the swing take its original spot. With a smile of your own, you let Tzuyu catch up with her friends, only waving and greeting people when she turned the phone to face you. After some wishes of Merry Christmas and farewells, the phone call had been cut. With every passing year, it was harder to meet, even during holidays when everyone was supposed to be free. In-person meetings seemed like a faraway dream, and planning a call seemed just as hectic, but somehow Tzuyu’s friends found a way. But you know Tzuyu ached to meet her friends again, some time where it wasn't a life-changing event that brought them together or where disaster didn’t strike. Just to be with them for a moment.

You hadn’t even realized you were pushing yourself towards her, let alone kissing her on the cheek. Only when your swing recoiled back to her place and Tzuyu let out a small noise in question, did you realize what you’d done.

“What was that for?” Tzuyu asked, her hand caressing the place where you’d kissed her.

“I don’t know actually,” you said wistfully. “Just because.”

Tzuyu hummed in acknowledgement as blush coloured her cheeks. You thought maybe she’d chastise you, even as a joke. But then, she did something shocking.

Her hand pulled on your swing chain and pulled you close.

It wasn’t the smoothest kiss. Your noses bumped into each other and the angle was wrong, but none of it really mattered because soon both your hands went to hold her as close as possible. She giggled into the kiss, no doubt, shyness creeping in as she comprehended what she’d just done.

If it were up to you, maybe you would’ve stayed there until sunrise.

Unfortunately, your leg, which was strained to hold you in place, slipped just as Tzuyu gently pushed you away. While you swung sideways, Tzuyu hid her face in her hands.

A giggle from her earned from you. And before you knew it, the pair of you were laughing, hunched over and swinging lightly.

Many things are changing, but your days will be all the same. Especially with Tzuyu by your side. And she wasn’t leaving your side any time soon.

any feedback is much appreciated.

a/n: people really need to read kane chronicles, its literally perfect but yeah, hope you enjoyed this ! again happy new year !!

tagging: @someone-who-likes-broccoli

#mala's collection #sanccharine #tzuyu x reader #twice x reader #tzuyu imagines #twice imagines #tzuyu fluff #christmas au #the way everyday goes

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wndaswife · 2 years

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stepmom! wanda or stepsis! wanda x reader please! i beg 😵‍💫 on my knees for it

wanda maximoff & fem!reader

tags: smut, fluff, fingering, cunnilingus, thigh-riding, tribbing, dubcon, daddy kink, sub!stepsister!wanda maximoff, dom!reader. MINORS DNI.

word count: 2322

a/n: i miss stepsister wanda n i've never written her as a sub before so!!

It was your first Christmas away from home. You were working abroad for a partnership that was scheduled to finish two weeks ago, but because dozens of other coworkers took sudden early breaks off from work, you and a handful of others were left to pick up the pieces. You were promised an increased pay that had already been transferred into your bank account with more to come during the next few weeks you’d be abroad.

But no amount of money soothed the way you felt about being away for Christmas. Your dad and stepmom shipped a few of the gifts they bought for you while also keeping most of them for when you’d be back home.

Hopefully, your internet connection would be strong enough to have a lengthy video call with them from where you were on the day of Christmas.

You were sitting in the living room of your rented place sorting through papers with a pencil in hand. A benefit about your current position was that most things were paid for including your rent, one-hundred dollars biweekly for your groceries, and twenty cents per litre of gas for your car. At least you didn’t have to worry about finances while you were away, which made it a happy time shopping for Christmas gifts for you friends and family until you got a call from your boss that you had to stay until the twenty-eighth of December.

There was a small tree at the corner of your living room with the gifts you were planning on bringing back home sitting around it. It was therapeutic to decorate the tree on your own, and even more comforting when you ate dinner on your couch watching a movie with every light in your place turned off save the Christmas tree emitting light through the living room.

A knock came at your front door and you placed your pencil down before padding through your cold front foyer. You had to remember to shop for a portable heater.

When you opened your front door, your stepsister was standing on your porch, arms overflowing with wrapped gifts. Your face must’ve lit up the moment you saw her, because Wanda smiled back. She attempted to wave but a gift nearly toppled down to the snowy porch.

“Oh, right, right, come in, Wands,” you told her and took a few gifts from her arms. You put them with the other gifts at the bottom of your Christmas tree and went back to get the rest from your stepsister to allow her to take her boots and jacket off.

When you straightened after placing the last gift down by the tree, Wanda was just stepping into your living room, looking around in awe at her stepsister’s new place and its holiday decor.

You walked over to her and wrapped your arms around her tightly. Her attention left your living room and she hugged you back with a laugh. “I didn’t know you were coming!” you exclaim and pull away to look at her.

Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were flushed a light pink from the biting winter cold outside. It made your heart skip a few beats. It’d been so long since you'd last seen her. You pulled away and Wanda wiped her hands on her jeans.

“Y-Yeah, I decided to surprise you,” Wanda said, looking up to you with an excited smile. “Mom and dad thought it would be a good idea because I’ve finished my final exams. And I was really excited to see you. I brought your gifts with me too so they wouldn’t have to ship it.”

“I’m really happy to see you too, Wands,” you told her. “Thank you for being here.”

Wanda shifted uncomfortably for a moment, a tell of hers that indicated some anxiety. “And… I was wondering if I could stay with you.” She looked up from the floor to you. “I just thought it would be nice to give you some company and so we’d get to spend a good portion of the holidays together. I know it’s so last minute, so I would understand if you don’t have any time or space for me.”

“I always have time for you, Wanda,” you said. Her expression lightened, a bright smile tugging at her pink lips. “You can stay here, of course. Anything you need we can go shopping for. Do you want to go out now?”

“Now?”

“Yeah, I need a break from work and I wanna show you around. There’s a really nice Mediterranean place around here.” You placed a hand on Wanda’s lower back and walked with her to the front door, some of your palm meeting with her warm skin that peeked out from the bottom hem of her black long sleeve.

“Oh, yeah. The one you texted me about,” Wanda recalled. She leans down to put her boots on and then slips her black trench coat back on.

The two of you drive down a few streets to go grocery shopping for some of the things Wanda forgot to bring, cereal she wanted and dinners for the upcoming week she’d be with you. You couldn’t help the way you stared at her as the day went on. You watched her green eyes as they darted around the roads her car drove down, the parting of her soft lips as she spoke to you about everything you’d missed since you started working abroad.

Having dinner with her that night was particularly special. Whenever you had time back home, you’d go out with your stepsister, whether that be out to the mall or for meals together. You talked for hours, even ordering a few extra desserts so as to not bother the waiters with the way the two of you just sat and talked. You left a generous tip as a thank you for their patience and headed back home with your stepsister.

You unpacked the groceries after showing Wanda to the guest room and leaving her to unpack her own things.

She came back down in pyjamas, fleece pants with red and white patterns on them and a loose short-sleeved white shirt with a large red deer on it. The domesticity of having your stepsister stay with you as she walked around your living room looking at your tree’s ornaments brought you more joy than you could ever even begin to explain.

You made hot chocolate for the both of you, Wanda’s with lots of whipped cream and cinnamon. She was sitting at your couch looking over your work notebooks when you set down the mugs on the coffee table to cool down first before drinking.

“Yum! Thank you,” she said excitedly and leaned down to lick a bit of whipped cream off the side.

You moved your mess of work off the couch to the armchair on the other side of the living room. Wanda’s eyes followed you as you walked back to the couch and sat beside her. She crawled over to you and plopped down beside you.

“Are we gonna watch a movie?” she asked, smiling up at you as her cheek was pressed against your upper arm.

“Yeah, do you want to?”

“Yes, please,” she answered. Wanda clapped and you laughed when you picked the remote up from the coffee table and turned on the television.

Like you had hundreds of times before, the two of you sipped at your hot chocolate, Wanda cuddled up to your side while a movie played. You recalled memories of past Christmases together as your stepsister giggled against your chest and you hugged her tight.

When your hot chocolates were long finished and the movie came to a finish, you looked down to see Wanda dozing off against your side. You had raised your arm to find the remote and turn the television off, but you found yourself reaching down to cup her cheek instead. Wanda stirred, eyebrows stitching together momentarily before her face relaxed again.

“Wanda…” you whispered. She hummed weakly in response. You whispered again, “Wanda, come upstairs with me, I’ll take you to your room.”

She mumbled out a slurred, “Okay.” Wanda held herself up until she reached your shoulder and laid her head against it, dozing off again. You could feel her warm breath against your neck. You could see the soft fluttering of her eyes as the dim light from the television glowed against her. You could see the soft, almost undetectable twitching of her soft lips.

Before you knew what you were doing, you leaned down to her face and kissed her. She tasted like whipped cream. Wanda hummed, exhaling against your upper lip as her eyes fluttered open. She pulled away from you weakly, though she did not know whether it was from fatigue or a fragility of her own principles. But your hand on her cheek lifted her head and brought her lips to yours again.

“Y/N,” Wanda whispered, her hand finding your thigh and pushing herself up so her face could level with yours. Your thumb ran across her bottom lip then past her lips to her mouth where Wanda sucked on it softly. You delved into the crook of her neck and kissed your way up to her earlobe before nipping at it teasingly. “We can’t.”

“We did before,” you argued and put both of your hands on your stepsister’s hips, pulling her up onto your lap. Despite her previous protests, Wanda didn’t resist at all.

Wanda pushed herself up and looked down at your face with her hands on your chest. “That was before. This is now,” she told you.

“And what?”

“And-”

Her words were cut short when your hands rounded Wanda’s hips and you squeezed her ass, causing her to roll her hips down against your lap. Her head fell forward when a flush of pink came across her cheeks. “I want to finger your pussy,” you confessed bluntly.

Wanda’s breath hitched. “Don’t,” she said, her resolve weak.

“Tell me when you want me to stop. You remember the word, don’t you?”

She nodded. “I remember,” she answered. Recollections from the last time you fucked came to both of you. You had drank together, minimally, really, and the two of you ended up fucking in Wanda’s bedroom on the day she came back for her spring break. That was years ago.

Your hand slipped beneath the waistband of Wanda’s pyjama pants. You ran your fingers across her clothed cunt teasingly, fingers featherweight and devoid of any pressure. Wanda bucked her hips down but you were quick to pull away and click your tongue warningly.

“Y/N, please,” Wanda pleaded.

“Beg.”

“Please, daddy, I want your fingers in my pussy.” You could hear a hint of grit in her voice as she forced the confession out of her. You weren’t entirely pleased, but you’d train her during her time staying with you. Besides, she certainly deserved to be treated after her use of the honorific she knew you liked.

Your fingers slipped past her panties and found her slit already slick with her desire for you.

Carefully, the pads of your fingers ran through her folds, teasingly and torturously. But Wanda knew not to complain any further. She was intrinsically obedient in that way.

When your fingers pushed past the opening of her hole, Wanda’s back arched and she immediately began riding your fingers. You kissed her neck, her cheeks, her nose and her lips. The feeling of her walls squeezing around your fingers was not unfamiliar to you. You could remember where her g-spot was and how she liked for you to tease it, how to move your fingers in and out of her, how she liked her clit to be stimulated.

Curiously, you leaned forward and wrapped your lips around what you remembered to be a sensitive pulse on her neck. When she whimpered out, you felt pride grow within you. You knew stepsister more than anyone ever could, and she knew it too.

Her arms wrapped around your neck and she pulled herself close to you. “More, please, more. Please, I want to come,” she cried.

The speed of your fingers quickened and your thumb darted out to flick at the hood of her clit repeatedly. You curled your fingers inside of her while your other hand tucked itself under her shirt and groped her breast. Wanda leaned back and held her shirt up shakily while your lips wrapped around her other nipple. You whispered praises into her ear while Wanda could only whimper and squeeze you tight. You played her beautifully, like an instrument of which you knew every curve and trick, and when she reached the climax of her orchestra, you leaned back and watched her cry out in pleasure.

Your hands went to her waist and you pushed her off of your lap so her back laid on the couch. You pulled her pants down to her knees with her underwear and pressed kisses up smooth milky thighs.

Wanda’s fingers entangled themselves in your hair as you lowered your head down between her thighs. You pushed Wanda’s knees back into her chest with one hand, a forearm hooked behind her knees. You made her finish twice with your tongue then pulled her onto your lap again where Wanda humped her wet pussy against your bare thigh. You pulled a leg atop of hers as two of you moved your cunts against each other. You fucked your stepsister until your living room was filled with the scent of sex and Wanda had reached her limit three times over and she was a sweaty trembling mess below you.

“I’ve missed you so much, Y/N. I don’t ever want you to leave me again,” she panted against your cheek.

“Never again.”

“Never?”

“Stay with me until I go home on the twenty-eighth.”

Wanda nodded and you kissed her lips.

#wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff smut #wanda maximoff x you #wanda maximoff x reader #wanda maximoff x y/n #wanda x reader #marvel smut #wanda maximoff fanfiction #marvel fanfiction #1k celebration ♪( ´▽｀)

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