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#which i am pretty familiar with i just didn't expect it to be popular enough to be an actual tag here! hooray
hmmbo · 8 months
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can't stop thinking about this post by @8o8o8o8o8
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idekforfun · 1 year
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Comfort ... JJk
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Summary: After scoring an invite to JHope's album release party, Yazmine isn't expecting anything more than to stick to the sidelines and enjoy the free drinks and music. Little did she know what her ever growing relationship with the rapper would lead her to.
Pairing: Idol!Jungkook x OC
Genre: Fluff, slight angst, strangers to lovers, ongoing series
Word count: 2.7k
...
The only thing I am able to think of as my eyes scatter across the room of popular faces is "the amount of talent in this room is enough to swallow me whole". I’m overwhelmed with anxiety and I can't seem to remember how I was ever able to suppress it. I'm finding it increasingly hard to hide behind my extrovert persona, the one that is a lie, a huge lie in fact.
 I realized I had been lost in my head when the sound of loud clapping brought me back to the real world. I barely catch the very end of Hoseok's speech, something along the lines of "Thank you for supporting me", and "enjoy the food and music" then he gives a bow and walks down the stairs where he is immediately pulled into conversation. Oh, I can't even imagine the anxiety he must be feeling. I could simply stick to a corner and hide in the shadows, whereas he has to socialize with everyone out of obligation.
Socializing. For some reason I forgot that I'd have to do that. I've been able to avoid it thus-far having arrived minutes before the actual album started playing. Now, everywhere I looked someone was talking to someone else. I realized I couldn't just stand here alone forever. I examine the room for someone I know, even better someone I have interviewed because I'll take any familiarity I can at this point. This whole ordeal is making me question my job because how am I able to meet celebrities on the daily, and here I am stressing about having to socialize at a party.
I was too in my head again, so I didn't realize someone had been calling my name until I felt a few taps on my shoulder. When I turn around, I was met with no other than Jessi, thank god. We have met on more than one occasion, and she has a weird ability of making people extremely comfortable, something I am immensely thankful for right now.
"Yaz!" She pulls me into a hug. It actually does well to soothe me. "I didn't know you were coming."
"I didn't know either," I pulled back from the hug with a gentle smile. "Actually, I was kind of surprised."
"Why, are you and J-hope not close?" she questioned.
"I mean, I had him on the show and we got on really well. We've also messaged a lot, too." I know I sound hesitant speaking, as if I'm not sure of the words I am saying. It is kind of hard to believe that Hoseok would want a friendship with me of all people, let alone be close.
"Oh, he definitely adores you, we even talked about you once," she has a sparkle in her eye as she talks and for some reason, I feel obliged to believe her. "Also, he was one of the best episodes on your show by far."
She is right about that. It has been my most viewed interview by a pretty wide margin. Part of me knows it’s due to the fact that he is J-hope of BTS, obviously, but it was also such a good video. All my interviews follow a simple formula. I bring the guest on and we engage in whatever activity they enjoy, in Hoseok’s case dancing. It brings a different level of intimacy that you can’t get from simply sitting across from one another and reading questions from a card. The conversation always flows naturally, and it’s all so genuine. On top of that, even I can admit that Hoseok and I just clicked. Our personalities complimented each other well. So much that we even continued to develop our relationship through messaging, and now I am attending his album release party which is a very important step in his solo career. Maybe we are closer than I allowed myself to believe.
“Yeah, it was pretty great actually.” I could see her eyes light up at my slight self-indulgence. Maybe I should give myself more credit.
We both turn our heads at the call of Jessi’s name from across the room. She gives me another smile and hug and tells me that she’ll find me later. I am left alone again but it’s not as bad as before. The anxiety has decreased significantly, which made my apparent hunger more noticeable. Hoseok did say to enjoy the food so I might as well. The snack table was filled with delicious finger food. As I was reaching my hand to grab a bite of some expensive looking cheese on a toothpick someone called my name. I turned around to find none other than Hoseok’s bright smile.
“So, I see you made it!” He pulled me into a hug. Not the ‘barely touch you because this is a little uncomfortable hug”, but a “I feel like we’ve known each other for years hug’.
“Hoseok, you’re incredible. The album is amazing, the release party is amazing, your outfit is amazing!” We pulled away from the hug and I could see a feint blush on his cheeks hidden well in the dimly lit room. “I’m serious, you may be the coolest person I know.”
“Yahhh, you’re boosting my ego too much.” He said while smiling shyly.
“You also may be the humblest person I know so I actually don’t think that is possible.” He smiled at me again and I swear I saw a glimpse of the actual sun in him.
“Do you know anyone here?”
“A few people, mostly through the grapevine.” He could sense my hesitancy right away, I could tell.          
“Come, I’ll introduce you to my friends.” He said as he gestured to the general direction behind him where his so-called friends were. Knowing him, his friends could be some ultra-famous idols that have better things to do than interacting with me. I could slowly feel the anxiety creep back up my spine, and my heartbeat slowly increased.
“I don’t really want to be a bother,” he looked down at me with squinted eyes and a tilted head. “I promise it’s okay, I like being alone and these appetizers are calling my name.”
He chuckled at me in disbelief, as if that was an insane thing to say in a room full of celebrities. I guess you could say a part of me is forgetting that they are just normal people too, so I shouldn’t be feeling this intimidated by them. At the same time, I’ve seen celebrities get starstruck over other celebrities, so they really aren’t just normal people and I am going to tell myself that my feelings are valid.
“C’mon, you’re never a bother. You’re my friend and I want my friends to meet you” he said reassuringly. I guess that answers my earlier internal debate. After 2 seconds of contemplation, I let myself believe him, and I signaled for him to lead the way. He lit up and tugged on my wrist so I could follow him.
I don’t know who I was expecting him to introduce me to, but for some reason his members stupidly did not come to mind. Three of the seven members of BTS were sitting on the stage together, and their heads all turned to Hoseok and I as we approached them. Despite all my inner turmoil, I take pride in my ability to pretend that I am confident and unfazed by everything. That is how I’ve done so well in my career while dealing with anxiety, but as the three idols studied us as we approached them, I could tell that mainting my persona would be more difficult than usual. I know them of course, because who doesn’t these days, but seeing them in person simply beats videos and pictures. They really were beautiful men.
“Yazmine this is Taehyung, Jimin and Jungkook. Guys this is Yazmine.” Hoseok introduced while gesturing to each of them.
“Hi guys its so great to meet you.” I said with a smile. Jungkook and Taehyung who were sitting raised themselves up to give me a bow as well as Jimin who was already standing as I shook my hands at them. “Oh! there’s no need for that we can be casual.”
“Sorry, it’s a habit,” Jimin said with a smile. “After all these years it feels kind of strange not to be formal.”
“That’s how I feel except opposite. Getting used to being formal was a challenge and I sometimes still forget the strict customs.” I explained.
“Sorry if this comes across as rude but you’re not Korean? You’re Korean is really good!” Taehyung questioned.
“It’s not rude at all! I am half Korean from my mom and my dad is middle eastern,” as I was explaining, someone summoned Hoseok over to them and he gave my arm a firm squeeze in parting as he nodded to his members insinuating his departure. “I was raised in the US till age 12 and I’ve been back and forth since then.” I explained as they nodded in understanding. It was endearing how intently they were listening to me, and for some reason I felt oddly at ease with the three. My eyes wandered over to Jungkook’s as I finished my explanation, and as they met he quicky looked away.
“Your interview with Hobi Hyung was amazing by the way,” Jimin said. In the moment I don’t think I even processed that Park Jimin watches my show, I’d have to do that later. “The idea is so new and exciting. I hope that you’ll invite me once I start my solo schedule.” There was a sly smirk on his face. I wondered if it would be inappropriate to tell him I would probably jump off a bus if he asked me to, but I decided to keep that to myself in the end.
“I’ll see what I could do.” I joked back. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone new approaching us and I turned my head to find Seokjin. I was now surrounded by four members of the group and I am surprised I’ve held my composure for this long.
“Hello,” he says timidly with a subtle bow. “Sorry to interrupt, I just wanted to say bye to these three. I’m Jin.”
Just when I thought these men couldn’t get any better, he introduces himself as if I wouldn’t already know who he is. I gave a bow back and smiled at his humility, “I’m Yazmine, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Hey Jungkook, this must be exciting for you.” At the mention of the youngest members name, I turned to look at him and caught his wide eyes and small headshake towards Jin that I was clearly not meant to see as his eyes shifted to me. “He loves your videos. One time he made me watch three episodes of your trying new things series.”
“Hyung!” Jungkook cried out. Obviously I was not supposed to be filled in on this information, but my heart couldn’t help but beat a little faster at this new discovery.
“Oh, did he now?” I questioned with a smirk. Jungkook’s face twinged a subtle pink that was barely noticeable in the dimly lit room, but noticeable, nonetheless.
“Oh yeah, Jungkookie is always sending us clips from your videos,” Jimin teased. Taehyung started nodding his head enthusiastically and decided he also wanted to join in on teasing the youngest.
“You should have seen his reaction when he found out Hobi Hyung was making an appearance, he was so jeal-”
            “Okay that’s enough.” Jungkook interrupted with an annoyed expression. Despite how much I was enjoying this, I also felt a little bad for him, and I’m sure he’s been at the center of their teasing all these years.
            “Well, I really appreciate the support, and it means a lot coming from you especially.” I reassured him. He gave me a shy small in return.
            “Well it was nice to meet you Yazmine, I am sure we’ll run into each other again,” Jin said with a warm smile. “Before I leave Hobi wants a picture with all of us.” He said while gesturing to the other members. They all nodded in agreement.
            As they all turned to follow Jin, Jimin turned to me and nudged my arm with his. “Don’t go too far, we’ll be back soon.”
“I’ll be here.” I reassured. I definitely wasn’t comfortable enough to talk with anyone else here, and their welcoming energy was definitely more than enough for me. Jimin and Taehyung followed Jin, while I noticed Jungkook lingering a bit. I could tell he had something on his mind that he wanted to say.
            “Isn’t it a bit early for Jin to be leaving?” I questioned. This was my best attempt at making him comfortable enough to tell me what was on his mind.
            “This isn’t really Jin Hyungs scene, he doesn’t really know many people and he gets nervous meeting them too.” Jungkook explained. I almost did not catch the end of what he was saying because I was too distracted by his eyes. They really do sparkle just like everyone says.
            “Wow, if that’s how Jin feels then I really am hopeless.” I said in shock. If a literal bts member was having trouble socializing, I was doomed.
            “Not completely hopeless, you have us now.” He said with the most endearing smile I have ever seen. There was also something about how he said “You have us now”, as if he was insinuating that I would be in their lives longer than just a casual conversation at a party. I know it’s probably my delusion speaking, but it’s a nice thought to comfort me.  “By the way I really do enjoy your videos a lot. I guess it’s kinda embarrassingly obvious now that I am a fan.” He said with a little more confidence while referring to the teasing from his Hyungs.
            “If it makes you feel better, I have 3 older brothers, so I know how it feels. Also, I am slightly embarrassed because of how many stupid things you’ve probably seen me do. It’s actually all coming back now.” I laughed. I started internally second guessing every decision I made for my videos because Jeon fucking Jungkook watches them, and I pray that he has not seen the bird calling video.
            “What, like the bird calling video?” He says with a chuckle. This is not happening right now.
            “I am actually going to ignore what you just said for mental health reasons.” He lets out a boyish laugh at that and I swear I’ve never heard something more adorable in my life. I would honestly embarrass myself 100 times over if it meant that I could make him laugh.
            We both turn our heads at the call of his name and see the members waving him over for the pictures.
            “I’m sorry I don’t want to leave you alone…” He says hesitantly.
            “No, don’t worry about it,” I said. “I’ll just be here trying not to embarrass myself.”
            “I won’t take long so we can be embarrassing together.” He said in a teasing tone. My eyes couldn’t help but widen. I’m either crazy, or he just flirted with me. I could hear his giggle as he turned to walk away while I stood there stunned. The butterflies in my stomach were going crazy as I watched him join the others. Seeing them interact with each other was so special. They looked so happy and comfortable. It was hard not to be slightly envious of their relationship. I can’t remember the last time I had a connection like that with someone, and I could tell it was rare. My eyes naturally wander over to Jungkook as he wrapped his arm around Hoseok. I could see his eyes glistening even from here with joy and contempt. His eyes meet mine and I find myself unable to look away even though I know I’ve been caught staring. His eyes crinkle at the corners as we look at each other, waiting to see who will break eye contact first. My gaze wanders across his nose and cheeks as my face heats up. I force my eyes to meet his one final time and I turn away with a light feeling looming over me.
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centralkvetchmonolith · 11 months
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Further updates on today's occurrences:
I did NOT get my knives sharpened because* I'm a lazy dipshit who can't remember what times of day people function at, yippee!**
*I don't actually feel the following about myself; I'm just venting for funsies
**I'm cool I just have at least one sleep disorder and misremembered "1pm close" as "4pm close" for some reason, which is a normal mistake to make if you're unfamiliar with farmer's markets
Oh well! There is always next week. I DID go to the Jewish event, with @creatureaccess bc I haven't gotten to do much Jewy socializing with them, and we hung out with my friend Khesed and got some nice prints and earrings!!!
In addition to the planned socialization, I ran into 4 sets of people I wasn't expecting:
Kendrick and their roommate Dawn — they Recognized Me from services a couple years ago, but we didn't quite remember each other. I mention these folks mostly so that I remember their names, as I will probably see them in the future and it takes me several meetings to remember faces and names together w/o hints.
MJ! The (lay) cantor who is considering Hebrew College! She was like "oh jeez people keep saying that and I feel like everyone will be so disappointed if I decide not to go" which! oh no! I only mentioned it bc I just broke up w a Hebrew College student who mentioned seeing her at prospy week (which is not what they call it)! I think she feels bad about being put on a pedestal, bc she also remarked that introducing her to Mercury as "the most familiar voice at Shir Tikvah" was nice bc I wasn't doing the usual thing (of intentionally or unintentionally overpraising her, which I'm sure feels like "you're so BRAVE for Singing While Trans" in addition to the regular ol' anxiogenesis of high expectations & benevolent otherization). Anyway she was happy to see me again even though she almost certainly couldn't remember my name, and I was happy to see her cuz she wasn't at the one kabbalat shabbat I've gone to so far and that was one of the several reasons I didn't quite feel Home yet at Shir Tikvah.
Quotes-and-flowers prints lady, Della, complimented me on my constellation umbrella and we commiserated about Hebrew cursive being cool but not a thing people in our circles (myself included) can read. THEN HER MOM POPPED UP, AND IS ONE OF MY TORAH CANTILLATION CLASSMATES??!?!? So Moon is the first person from the 2024 adult b'mitzvah cohort that I got the pleasure of meeting in person :^>. She's a lesbian who bonded w other lesbian parents in 1995 — I asked her if she knew [Jaz's parents], and she didn't which idk is actually cooler cuz that means there were enough partnered lesbians making children in the mid-90s that they DIDN'T all know each other!?! Anyway, Moon is cool, and I'm glad I am soooo so brave to Talk While Trans have a distinctive voice so that she recognized me ^_^.
While talking to Candida, the vendor with the super cool lemon earrings that I got Mercury for their birthday, I DID make direct eye contact with a person who used to call me their wife ("Ohhhhh and I just saw my ex" "Haha isn't that just the experience at queer markets like this"). Mercury and I sidled over, talking abt their mom while waiting for an opening where I could talk to Tova (they are very popular, even as queer Jewish non-profit workers go), and Mercury squeezed my hand and made clear through, like, bestie telekinesis and a couple words that they were there for me. I was a bit awkward on the intro bc I broke up w Tova pretty suddenly in uhhhhh I wanna say Nov 2020? and they ghosted last time I tried to catch up in early 2022, so I was like "hi!!(?) are we on the sort of terms where it's okay if I talk to you?" and they were very like "(why wouldn't it be????) Yeah!! Hello!!" and we chatted for a bit and I DID ask if they had moved which they HAVEN'T so I can STOP forlornly looking at their living room window every time I go grocery shopping and just be chill neighbors who used to try to build a life together. Their Nana said "She's special to you. Hold on to her, even though you're not together anymore." I was there when their sister got married. Their brother-in-law painted me in fake blood while he was shirtless. Their parents welcomed me into the family. I spooned with them under the big flaming tree of their family's cult. We played tabletop roleplaying games together. and figure out how much we want to be in each other's lives.
Anyway yeah so I am reminded yet again that people love me and even people who have a reason to be Rude are probably instead going to be Cordial, which I think is generalizable to people who are not me as well (you, reader). Also Jaz came up in sets 2, 3, AND 4 above, so it's pretty clear that [insert transparently obvious takeaway that nevertheless evades me at the moment].
Being in community is Good, Actually.
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utilitycaster · 2 years
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I saw you mention in your tags that the Mercer effect isn’t real, and I am Intrigued by this take
Sure - I think it's a pretty common take honestly?
Much like the myth of various sub-par multiclasses and like 90% of complaints about things being overpowered, I'm pretty confident the Mercer effect was made up by people who write for nerd publications or have D&D-oriented YouTube channels to give themselves something to talk about.
For those not familiar, the Mercer effect is the idea that people who watch Critical Role will have unrealistically high expectations for their own D&D games as a result; some take it further and argue that this will hurt D&D.
I like to think that most people who watch Critical Role and get into D&D via Critical Role (or for that matter other actual plays) are smart enough to understand that a show featuring professional actors with a crew, a set, and a production budget, and a DM who is not just a skilled professional actor but also has been doing this since his teenage years, is going to be fundamentally different than a home D&D game, because it is not a home D&D game. That is literally all.
This is also neglects the fact that D&D certainly experienced a popularity boom in the second half of the 2010s due to the combination of 5e and prominent actual play shows, notably Critical Role along with TAZ...but people have been playing it since, well, the start. I didn't! I was part of that late 2010s boom! I mean, there are literal writers for Wizards of the Coast now who were part of that late 2010s boom! But there are also a lot of people out there who've been playing since earlier editions, long before Critical Role, and who know what a home game looks like. I mean. Do most people expect your pick-up basketball game in the driveway to look like the NBA? Of course not! They understand the difference! So why is this suddenly a problem?
I also think that even if it were real, it would not be harmful to D&D as a hobby, because there is a very simple way to dispel it, which is, at the top of your session zero, to say "Hi! I'm not Matt Mercer." Basically, I think most people are smart enough to understand the difference between actual play and home games* and have far more realistic expectations for D&D; all evidence for this is anecdotal and seems to be like, a handful of reddit posts.
*I say most. There is, I think, a problem in the other direction, actually, not limited to Critical Role but true for all actual play. It's not D&D players expecting their home games to be Critical Role or TAZ; it's fans expecting Critical Role or TAZ to be home games and then getting mad when they have normal independent media company trappings, like IP policies or spokespeople or operating budgets.
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timbertumbr · 2 years
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If you do angsty requests here you go! Zane x Reader and he finds out that the reader was going behind the ninjas backs like a betrayal. If you can’t do that, Just Zane x Reader fluff, kisses and cuddles :]]
I TRUSTED YOU! (Ninjago Zane X Reader)
Ohohoh! I'm gonna have fun with this.
The Ninja, while a popular and open minded bunch, held their cards close to their chest. One of those cards being deep trust in others.
They had a lot of enemies and their fair share of backstabbing so when they opened their arms for you so willingly and held onto you tightly, you knew that they trusted you deeply.
You sat at the table with the Ninja, eating dinner Zane had made, chatting, laughing and generally a good time. It was a tradition for their tight-knit little family to become closer and help one another in their struggles.
You smile softly as Kai teased Jay for some reason or another. It was nice to be part of this. To be in the warmth of a home cooked meal, in the company of friends and family. 
A vibration on your wrist sourcing from your seemingly normal wrist watch ruined the moment, you couldn't ignore it, no matter how much you wanted.
"Excuse me, I need some air. Thank you for the food!" You flashed a strained but trained smile to seem like it was legit, leaving your seat and walking into the moonlit meadow, cool crisp wind slowly waving your clothes and blades of grass. You bring your wrist up and tap the screen, reading the message from your superior.
"Status report, now," That means you needed to call, face to face. To ensure you were telling the truth. This was a bad place for it. You type a quick response.
"Give me a minute," You sigh as you begin to walk to the nearby woods, far away from any worried or prying eyes. When you were sure you were far enough away, you bring your wrist up again and start the call. In a matter of seconds, your boss appears on the other end. 
"Well? Have you made any progress?" 
"Somewhat, I'm slowly learning their weaknesses and how to take down their ace, the green ninja," You forced a professional voice and expression, your opinions didn't matter, just how you were going to bring the ninja down. It left a sour taste in your mouth but you didn't have much choice. 
"Excellent. I expect you to bring down the ninja within the month. Kill them if necessary," Your mask nearly shattered at the mere mention, you thought you had more time…
"Understood. Over and out," Before they could get another word in, you end the call. You sigh and curse under your breath, a hand worming it's way into your pocket.
"What am I-" Your eyes widened when you heard a familiar voice cut off your whispering.
"Y/N?" It was shaky, uncertain, and it belonged to the ice wielding android Zane. You swiftly turned around and saw the wide eyed Zane half hidden behind a tree. Your heart plummeted, your blood ran cold. No no no no, this wasn't supposed to happen!
"Y/N… you…" He trailed off, his heart twisting into heartbreak, like he didn't want to believe what he saw, what he heard. No matter how calculated he is but it HURT, he was trying to understand. You needed to fix this, otherwise it was your head 
"Well well, you're pretty sneaky aren't you? However, this was something you weren't supposed to hear," You chided, slowly walking to the baffled.
"I… you…Why…? Why are you…?" He stood there, frozen, his systems trying and failing to understand, he wanted to move. To get into a fighting stance and tell you to leave, to run and warn the others, SOMETHING.
"What? The ol' why am I doing this question? Seriously? It's simple, I work, I live, I survive, and if that means stabbing a few backs then so be it," Your throat tightened with each word, but you didn't stutter, or show how you felt. You stopped right in front of Zane who still refused to move, which surprised you.
"Th-This must be a mistake… Y-You're being forced to do this or-" Your bitter laugh cuts off him trying to scrounge for any explanation but the truth.
"Come on, you're smart. You should know what this means. But you don't, you refuse to accept the truth right in front of you. Why on earth would someone try so hard to break down the walls you've all built for so long?" Silence fell, a material covering your hand originating from the wrist watch, you leaned in to whisper in his ear.
"You should've kept your cards closer to your chest," In one swift motion, your hand shoots out and places itself on Zane's chest, a sharp, electric current shooting out and shocking the robot. He screams, his wires and body seizing up as the voltage carries through his body.
Before long, he collapsed, his vision glitching and blurring as you swiftly left the scene. His processing unit was slowing, he forced himself to go onto his back, staring up at the treetops and stars peeking through.
The Ninja had a lot of enemies, they had a lot of experience of people pretending and backstabbing them. This caused them to keep their cards close to their chest. 
And then you arrived. The moment Zane saw you he knew you were a good soul, he happily held his cards out for you to choose. And that caused him to trust, to bond and eventually, love you.
He still did, even if it hurt, he still did. A soft smile appeared on his face, full of heartbreak and all the love he had for you as his vision slowly turned to black, hearing his friends, his family, calling out his and your name.
I… trusted you… Y/N
His final thoughts before he shut down…
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How To Train Your Dragon Saga
In the beginning, I was never really interested in watching the movie and never even bothered to watch the trailer, since we thought it was one of those cliche failure movies (and Dreamworks hasn't really had a very good track record of good animated movies at the time), but after being bombarded with tons of Toothcup fanfics and fanarts and after very high recommendations by my friend Jello13 from dA, I finally got down to watching the movie. Boy, was I glad I took my friend's recommendation to watch this movie, and the subsequent sequels after that, because after 3, 4 friggin' times, I still fucking LOVE this movie!!!
Here's my findings of the saga:
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Apparently this movie was based on a children's novel written by Cressida Cowell which focuses on the 2nd book in a 10-volume book franchise. There are certain deviations between the real Hiccup and Toothless and the storyline as a whole, but after reading the summary of the original story, I think I like the movie version better. In fact even the writer said so in her blog that she likes the deviation as the movie captured the core essence of her story and it was amazing to see her story to be interpreted this way.
The storyline and the pacing is very good, and the sarcastic humour and slight optimism of Hiccup despite people thinking he's anything BUT a Viking is very intriguing. I love his catchphrases like "I'm way too muscular for their tastes. They wouldn't know what to do with all...this" and "Thank you for summing that up" and his famous line "You just gestured to ALL of me!" is just some of the LOL-worthy lines the talented Jay Baruchel who voices Hiccup does.
I was totally shocked to find out that Gerard Butler plays the role of Stoick, Hiccup's old man! I have never expect him, who is known for his brawniness and action-packed persona, made famous in the movie 300, would actually play a voice-over for a cartoon character. After finding out, spotting his voice and hearing the familiarity was much, much easier.
And of course, the creme de la creme of the entire movie: TOOTHLESS!! He is just so, so, so, soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo uber cuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuute~~~~!!!!! When I read about him in fanfics and caught glimpses of him through fanarts, I was thinking, "Hey, this dragon is quite cute." Now amplify that feeling by a gajillion times more. That's how I feel about Toothless. He started off a little vicious with his snake-like slit for eyes, trying to act strong and tough like the dragon he was, but the moment he let his guard down a little, he got these pair of big doe eyes that is just so MOE and SQUEE-worthy. And of course I finally learn how he got his namesake: with retractable teeth that he can materialize at will
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My most favourite scene of the entire movie would be this scene where Toothless finally was at peace with Hiccup and allowed him to touch him. The way Toothless tried to copy his drawing, and then growled whenever Hiccup stepped on his drawing, then Hiccup moved to avoid the lines in tune with the music until finally they were so close they were allowed to touch was just so AWW-worthy. And the music score was perfect too, especially the title of that score: Forbidden Friendship. Isn't that just sweet?
The part where Hiccup and Toothless slowly develop that bond while trying to get Toothless back on his flight feet again was also very interesting as they slowly worked together and forget each other's differences to reach a common goal, while at the same time trying to learn about each other, and Hiccup using that knowledge to good use (the eel and the scratching of the neck part was really epic), making him the life of the team, much to his crush, Astrid's chagrin.
I also love the part where Hiccup tries to convince everyone during the final exam of killing a dragon that dragons are not what they think they are, and tried to pacify the Monstrous Nightmare only to be interrupted by Stoick and having Toothless coming to the rescue (damsel in distress much, Hiccup? XD) and revealed their relationship. It felt really sad and my heart just broke when Hiccup shouted Toothless for him not to kill Stoick and Toothless looked at him with his doe eyes, then Hiccup tries in vain to stop everyone from hurting Toothless, and that argument which led to his disowning, and earning back his role as a son by proving his worth and Toothless' reputation, though a cost of his leg. I was wondering where would be the scene where he looses his leg, since I read that he had a prosthetic in fanfics, but turns out it happened in the near end of the movie, and literally mirrored Toothless' missing left tail fin.
Ending is a bit cliche where he gets the girl, he is lauded as a war hero and gained the respect of everyone including his father, the dragons made peace with humans and all that, but still it was a very heartwarming cliche scene. One that leaves a smile on your face and a sigh of contentment in your heart.
Speaking of Astrid, not really sure it's because of that yaoi in me, but I never really saw Astrid as a suitable pairing for Hiccup. I know, I'm not usually one for bestiality, but seriously, can't you just FEEL the love between Hiccup and Toothless to the point where you can consider them as lovers? Toothcup (Toothless/Hiccup) pairings are in the rage right now since the movie has been uber popularize, and you cannot deny that sort of relationship exist, right?
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This one, personally I feel, is almost as par as the first one. Not better, not worse, but more or less par. Hiccup and Astrid are still together, but the Toothcup shipper in me just don't feel like they match somehow. Moreso, suddenly out of the blue, Snotlout and Fishlegs were heads over heels with Ruffnut, which I ABSOLUTELY have NO CHEMISTRY feel whatsoever! Even after I've watched their TV series that led to the second movie, I STILL don't get the vibe or the chemistry between those three people. It's like "Wait, what?" moment.
Although that moment when Ruffnut was just totally thirsty for Eret was absolutely hilarious though. I couldn't help laughing and cringing at the same time.
When the moment Hiccup's mom Valka showed up, I was not expecting her to be so... skinny. Stoick said that he made helmets out of Hiccup's mom's breast plate, and it seemed pretty big, but looking at her, she didn't look like someone who was close to being a big bosom woman, but what is continuity anyways? LOL Though Hiccup definitely has inherited her knack for dragons. Guess it's in the blood after all.
I teared up a little when Stoick died, and I felt so bad that their bromance was threatened by this, but thankfully Hiccup still loves Toothless and is willing to forgive him and try to bring him back to his side. Goes to show how deep their bond is, and Toothless ended up becoming the Alpha Dragon was one of the most epic moments in the whole movie.
It also kinda interesting that Hiccup has somehow became pretty hot in this movie. Was pretty surprised at how he transformed from the awkward tiny little runt of a boy to a strapping man LOL
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Plot feels similar to the 2nd one, but the ending was so so SO bittersweet. A fitting ending, but sweet yet painful for me to watch.
My heart broke at the scene wen Hiccup was complaining about Toothless being in love n said "Am I not enough?" and I was like internally screaming "YES! U ARE ENOUGH!! U TWO ARE ENOUGH!! FUCK THAT LIGHT FURY!!"
Throughout the courtship scene btwn Toothless and the Light Fury i was like internally screaming "NO, SHE'S A TRAP! SHE'S A FUCKING TRAP! HICCUP, WHY ARE YOU OKAY WITH THIS?! I'M NOT HAPPY WITH THIS! I AM NOT OKAY WITH THIS!!"
I cried like a fucking baby, especially at the end of the movie. It was like I knew it was happening, that they were gonna break up, but I was in denial, then when Toothless hugged Hiccup goodbye, I lost it, waterworks all over. In fact, waterworks all the way to the end at their final reunion ugly-cried like a fucking baby.
It did ended perfectly; perfectly bittersweet and perfectly heartbreaking and I was like "This is it. It's official. It's over. My Toothcup ship has fucking sank!!"
Fuck you, DreamWorks, you have killed my bromance!! Gahh!! I hate and love this movie at the same time!
Overall rating:
HTTYD: 9/10
HTTYD2: 7.5/10
HTTYD: 9/10
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wann-der-lusst · 3 years
Text
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Cliché Drawing Sesh
By: Margareth Angelique Asico
"How do you decide on which reference you're going to draw next?"
"No one has ever asked me that before, well... I guess I just draw what I like. Why ask such a
question?"
"Nothing really. Just curious"
The sound of the pencil lead brushing through the paper, the sheer sunset filling the classroom, the sound of the birds chirping and the boy sitting in front of you was enough for you to get lost in your own world. It made your heart flutter on how much you're enjoying the scenery that your orbs are witnessing as you continue to draw- it was perfect you thought. You asked Joaquin to be your reference for your art project which took you by surprise that he actually agreed on such a sudden request. A chance like this doesn't happen every day so grabbing the opportunity of you not having to give excuses why your sketchbook was filled with his face would be great.
"Oi Santiago, someone's calling"
Instantly snapping off of your peaceful paradise, an immediate rush of adrenaline was released as the thought of him seeing your wallpaper made you quickly grab your phone in Joaquin's hand like your life depended on it.
"Ah yes, Hello?"
You answered the phone while glaring at Joaquin who was absolutely confused on your previous action since it was out of character of your usual self who is calm and composed. Nevertheless, you just saw him shrug it off which made you relax a bit.
"In front of the water fountain? The vending machine there? Why?"
"No, it’s okay, we'll be heading there anyways. I had some work to do so..."
“Right I'll see you"
Closing your sketchbook, you gave him an awkward smile as you began packing your things. He stood up from his seat- getting the idea that your drawing session has ended. You slid the door open exiting the classroom while Joaquin walked beside you.
"You're acting a little strange today" You chuckled with the sudden question.
"Am I?"
"Yeah"
Not being very expressive towards people, observing surroundings is much more preferable- to you at least. You figured that people tend to approach you less since they find you a bit intimidating. But given the circumstances, Joaquin never failed to surprise you on how well he can see through your reserved expressions which made you feel warm- important somehow. It made you feel as if someone's actually interested not only for your physical attributes, but for what's actually going on inside your mind and how you feel despite not being able to express it much.
The walk was quiet but relaxing, you were taken away from your thoughts as you felt a hand tap on your shoulder.
"Oh right, that's my friend... She was the one who called a while ago"
You walked towards your friend who seemed to have a companion whom you are not much familiar with. She leaned into the guy whispering something, giving you a smirk while raising her eyebrows before sneakily leaving. The boy looked incredibly nervous giving you the idea on what his intentions would be.
"Right, I'll get going for practice for the swimming club. Good luck to you two"
An intense, yet awkward atmosphere filled the place as the both of you stood there waiting for something to happen which actually took quite some time.
"Uhm, Santiago. I-I've been wanting to tell you this but I never had the courage to do so. I was... I was wondering if you would like to go out with me-"
Your attention dividing as a familiar scent went past through your direction observing him with your peripheral vision as he slowly disappeared from your sight.
"Hey uhm, as much as I want to... I'm sorry but I'm actually interested in somebody else..."
His expression immediately turns into a frown as soon as he hears you speak...obviously hurting from your response. You tried to comfort him as much as you could just so that it can lift a bit of the weight you've caused him which was not much of a help. He started walking away from you as soon as the conversation ended with sadness radiating his aura. You couldn't help but feel sorry but you were sure you already have someone to lend your heart to.
"Well, you seemed to be pretty popular around the boys." Joaquin exclaimed, coming out of nowhere.
"Aren't you supposed to be practicing for the swimming club?”
"I thought so too, but we were just called for a meeting."
"Is that so? Well, to be clear I am not in any way popular with the boys"
"You are Santiago, you are."
"How are you so sure?"
"Santiago, how many guys have confessed to you? How many of our classmates tried to take you on a date? If anyone's blind here, it would be you. I don't get it why you wouldn't date any of them though."
"Well, it looks like I'm not the only one who's acting strange today. Also, I have to finish the sketches so I wouldn't have to bother you from your next practice."
"Right, we can stay at the gym if you like since it'll be cold here."
You started sketching as soon as you've pulled out your art materials from your bag and once again, lost in your own little world. You were focusing on Joaquin's eyes - those brown eyes that looked as if they were shining, you wondered how he would look at someone he admires. His
proportions are outstanding, his build may be slim but the muscles which are gradually developing from his swimming practices are showing.. It would probably feel great to cuddle with him. His hands are perfect, his fingers are slender and you wondered how it'll feel like if you were to intertwine your hands with his. You thought to yourself how fortunate you are to have this chance to observe how beautiful this man is built, it is more than enough. Every imperfection seemed perfect when it’s him, it's unfair how incredibly handsome this man is and how he swiftly catches your attention. You drew every angle of his face as if you're drawing the final piece, you didn't want to mess up anything. You wanted to capture his amazing features; he surely is one of a kind. How can someone be so salty towards others be so considerate when it comes to you? Someone who doesn't give full attention to something he's not involved with will be so attentive when listening to your stories. How he notices everything that unease you despite your almost-emotionless face… Maybe he cares for me? You thought. Maybe I have a chance? Should I tell him how I feel?
You were once again, brought to reality with your phone ringing. A hand swiftly taking the phone
away from you making your heart jump from nervousness that you didn't even have the chance to see who's calling you.
"GIVE IT BACK"
A smirk forming on his face while holding the phone above his head
"Fine, reach it then"
"That's too high!"
He began to tease you by giving you your phone but immediately pulling it away once you're close.
"I didn't even get to see who was calling!"
"Really? I'll answer it then"
"This is so unlike you.."
Fear takes over your body as you watch his fingers tap on the answer button, knowing that you'll
lose him the moment the call ends. You were trembling as if you've never been this scared all your life. You tried to desperately snatch the phone while he was talking but it was no use.
The call has been going on for a while and you had no interest on what and who he was talking to. You were about to snatch the phone but failed when he wrapped you into a tight hug with his arm.
He is way stronger than you leaving you no choice but to give up on not being caught. You were
contemplating on how you should react when he finally saw what you've been hiding. Every second that passed was like hell for you that you couldn't even enjoy how close you are to him…
"Okay, bye"
You didn't even bother looking at him despite knowing the call had ended. You wouldn't want to remember how he looked when he finally saw your wallpaper of him candidly eating his strawberry shortcake in a café which you secretly took the first and only time you hung out together outside of school.
Eyes looking down, you took a deep breath accepting what he'll eventually do. His grip lessened, releasing you from the hug. It felt like you were drifting kilometers away from each other. He placed his hand over your shoulders, putting your hair at your back as you feel his fingers trace your jawline lifting your chin up. You look at him teary eyed, wondering if this will be the last time you'll see him this close.
His eyes deemed, he never looked this serious before making your heart leap from the sudden change of expression. His other hand finding its way to your back forcing you to come closer to him making you jolt. He was leaning in front of your face, he was so close that you could feel his breath tickle your lips as you felt your heart racing.
"So is this what you meant when you said you draw what you like?" He said as his lips curled for a smirk.
"uh uhm uh”
Cutting you off, he pressed his lips against your forehead enabling you to process the situation. He pulled away so slowly that you felt every part of his lips losing contact with yours. Your body not being able to move, you tried to at least calm yourself just enough to be able to process the
situation.
"Joaquin...."
Your ears are tingling from the permission granted to you. Face now tinted red from everything that has happened, he pulled you into a back hug digging his face onto your neck sending shivers down your spine.
"What the hell came into your mind to do that?"
"Nothing really. I was just curious"
"Si-since when did you know?"
"I didn't, I was the one who called you on your phone. Turned out better than I expected. Couldn't ask for a better outcome."
"You jerk"
"I love you too"
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stardustintheabyss · 4 years
Text
“I’ve seen you before”
Oikawa x fem!reader
Sum: Taking a deep breath, letting down your guard, getting out of your comfort zone. Opening the wall you built around your heart a long time ago.
You let Oikawa Tooru in.
But was it a mistake?
Warnings: swearing because I have no r e s t r a i n t. Insecurity, bullying. Oikawa being a dumbass. Angst and fluff. Small spoiler at the end.
Word count: A lot, it’s....it’s long. My stupid tablet doesn't have word count capabilities
A/n: this is based on a dream I had. How dare the dream gods give me oikawa and not my husbando(s) tendou(kirishima) 😩 and I write to get scenarios out of my head before they drive me insane
Well at least he's pretty
ok I 💫may💫 have fallen a little while writing this
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It had been a long weekend of practice and homework for Oikawa. So what better way to zoneout and relax before bed on Sunday night then scroll through his instagram feed.
He'd been scrolling through random sunset photos when he suddenly saw your face in the 'suggested for you' section. Your picture was of you with what he assumed was your cat perched on your shoulder. It was cute. You were cute.
And you did look familiar. Yes, he has seen you before. He's seen you at school. You're always by yourself, reading a book or on your phone sitting on a bench by the front gates.
He tapped on your photo. He started looking through your posts. Landscapes, food, your cute cat, flowers, sunsets, your family. Is what you mostly posted.
Then he came across the rare selfie.
He was wrong. You weren't just cute.
You were breathtakingly beautiful.
How had he not seen that at school?
You were looking off to the side, a small shy smile on your lips. Sunlight and cherry blossom petals in your wild wind blown hair.
He saw that you were online.
He wanted to talk to you and he didn't have the patience to wait until tomorrow at school.
Hey I've seen you before. You go to Aoba Johsai right?
A message popped up on your phone. One from Aoba Johsai's resident pretty boy and captain of the volleyball club. Oikawa Tooru. What the fuck? You weren't one of his pathetic fan girls that fawned all over him. You never cared for the drama that followed the popular crowd. And in all honestly he kind of repulsed you because of the way he let his ego be stroked. You saw him as a pompous ass. You've never shown any kind of interest in the setter. So why was he messaging you of all people? But curiosity got the better of you and you wrote back. Not like he's gonna talk to you at school anyway. He's popular and you're a loner. Two different worlds.
You know that sounds creepy right? But yes.
I'm just trying to be friendly 😔
I've seen that you sit mostly by yourself and thought you could use a friend 😁
You snorted. Maybe he wasn't as bad as you thought. Still, you didn't want to be too friendly towards him.
I don't care for hs drama but thanks for your chivalry ig 🙄
At this moment your college aged sister begged you to help with one of her cosmetology classes that's due tomorrow. Eyelash extensions. You don't wear makeup but she's your sister and she's giving you puppy dog eyes. You sighed, "Fine." Forgetting to exit out of your messages, you set your phone down, ready to be put through hell.
"Thanks sis! Okay I just need you to lay down and relax." While she got to work the messages on your phone went unnoticed by you.
I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that, promise 😅
Y/l/n?
You there?
I'm REALLY sorry!
It's rude to leave people on read yk
Please ?
Y/l/n-chan?
Oikawa was panicking. He didn't mean to piss you off...and now he might have lost his chance to be your friend...or more maybe?
Trying to face time couldn't hurt right?
It just rang. And rang. And rang.
You didn't pick up.
Please. Y/n I'm truly sorry. Sometimes my mouth gets the better of me and I don't think about what I say. I just meant I'd like to be your friend. If you'd let me?
"All finished, babe." Your sister said. "You're looking gorgeous! If I do say so myself." She took a quick after picture for her class.
You grimaced. You never thought of yourself as pretty let alone gorgeous. "Thanks, I guess. Not one to toot your own horn, huh?"
She just rolled her eyes. " Your phone has been pinging like crazy by the way." Wiggling her eyebrows, "Talking to a boy? My baby sis, all grown up."
"W-what?" You stuttered, picking up your phone. 8 messages and 1 face time call. All from the setter captain. It must be your imagination because in the last message he sounded...flustered? You didn't notice the soft smile that graced your lips. But your annoying sister did.
"Oikawa. Isn't he some volleyball big shot at your school? Y/n, is that a smile I see?" She grinned from over your shoulder, seeing the messages.
"I-. Yes. He is." Furrowing your brows. Denying the truth, "And no, I am not smiling."
"Mmhm. Sooo you going to have a new 'friend' or what."
Your self consciencesness got the better of you. "Why would he want to be my friend? He's him and I'm...me." You bit your lip.
"You idiot. You really don't give yourself enough credit. Your smart, have a kind heart and you are beautiful. You just don't let yourself see it. Let someone in." She whispered in your ear giving you a hug.
You sighed. You believed that your sister believed in what she was saying...but years of middle school bullying ingrained into your heart and mind don't disappear overnight. "I'm tired. I'm gonna go to bed. 'Night sis."
"Good night y/n."
Getting ready for bed you looked in the mirror. You had a tiny smile, your sister was right, the lashes did look great.
It was late but right before you drifted off to sleep you sent Oikawa a message.
Sorry. I'm not mad, I was helping my sister with something...
Taking a deep breath, letting down your guard, getting out of your comfort zone.
Opening the wall you built around your heart a long time ago.
You let Oikawa Tooru in.
...I wouldn't mind having a friend
The next day
He woke up to two new messages from you. He had tried staying up, waiting for a reply back but he must have fallen asleep. His phone still in his hand.
Sorry. I'm not mad, I was helping my sister with something...
...I wouldn't mind having a friend.
A wide sleepy smile came across his face. Just about the time he was going to dm you his phone died. Where's my damn charger? He started rifling through everything, turning his room upside down. The last place he had it was...the locker room.
"Dammit!" He would just have to see you at school. He quickly got ready to go meet Iwa-chan and walk to school.
You weren't necessarily disappointed that Oikawa hadn't replied yet. Even though you had lowered your walls, you set the bar pretty low on expectations. Especially on a friendship with him. But that didn't stop you from being a little excited to see him. You were sitting in your favorite spot at school, reading. Same thing you did every day. It was on a small stone bench in the shade of a cherry tree near the entrance. Abruptly you heard a chorus of squealing. You've learned throughout high school this meant Oikawa had stepped on campus, Iwaizumi reluctantly in tow.
You smiled and waved.
He didn't see. But you didn't know that. 
You thought he was ignoring you. Your smile faded. Last night must have been some prank. It wouldn't have been the first time someone decided it would be funny to play with you like a toy. You never should have listened to your sister and let your guard down.
Tears started to prick your eyes. You shut them tightly, willing them to not fall.
You were not going to cry over Oikawa fucking Tooru.
You grabbed you bag and headed to your classroom.
He had seen you get off the bench and walk towards the building. He tried making his way to you but there was just too many girls blocking him. Letting out a frustrated breath he waved his hand and yelled, "Y/l/n-chan!"
You didn't hear him.
Upset he couldn't get to you he said the only thing he could think of to get all these girls to back off for once. "I have a girlfriend, so could you please respect that." He didn't see the crazy girls make a connection between what he said about having a girlfriend and yelling your name.
He didn't realize he just put a target on your back.
At lunch
You were spinning the dial to your locker getting your lunch when you were shoved against it. You turned around and was met with several angry looking girls. Eyes darting between them. Your fight or flight instincts kicking in.
But nobody ever mentions the third option, which is what happened.
You froze.
"This is her?" Some girl sneered.
What were they talking about? You'd never done anything to these girls. You'd always kept to yourself, ensuring a situation like this wouldn't happen.
"She's not even pretty." Said another taking a sip from her juice carton.
"I bet it's just some joke. He wouldn't be with some fat worthless nobody." The girl who seemed to be the leader said as she pushed you to the ground.
Ignoring the tears starting to run down your cheeks and swallowing the lump forming in your throat, "What are you talking about?"
"Wow, Oikawa has himself a stupid girlfriend." said the leader.
"G-girlfriend?" Ok. Now you really had no clue what the fuck they were talking about.
"Stay the hell away from him. He's mine." With that she dumped the remains of the other girls juice carton on you and they walked away laughing.
Holditin.Holditin.Holditin. You chanted inside your head until you made it to the bathroom where you could cry without being bothered. You had stayed off the radar for years and now you were in the middle of it. You let out a sob, sliding to the floor. You felt like you were right back in middle school. Useless. Fat. Ugly. You brought your knees to your chest. Unloveable. Unwanted. Not worth anybody’s time. That’s why you shut everyone out when you became a first year at Seijoh. You didn’t want a repeat of middle school. 
But it ended up happening anyway. 
So you cried. You cried until you had no more tears. You let it all out until you didn’t care anymore. You had no problem in obeying the threat staying away from the bastard. She could have him. You stood and splashed water on your face trying to ease the puffiness around your eyes. Sighing you realized you'd probably have to stay after school until you looked like you hadn't spent your entire lunch break crying or your sister would ask questions. The now pink stained shirt you could explain away easily. The red and puffy eyes you could not. And you didn't want to deal with that on top of everything else. 
Oikawa had looked for you at lunch but he couldn't find you. He did however hear some girls laughing and chatting about messing with ‘Oikawa’s girlfriend’. How could they mess with someone he made up? He turned to his best friend to ask. “Iwa-chan do you know what those girls were talking about?” he whispered so no one would hear, “How could they have messed with my ‘girlfriend’ when I made her up?”
“Idiot. Remember this morning when you called Y/l/n’s name and then immediately after said you had a girlfriend? And don't call me Iwa-chan, Shittykawa.” He rolled his eyes.
He blanched. He hadn’t realized what he'd done. Or apparently how psycho those girls are. He was so focused on you he didn't even whine about Iwaizumi’s regular insults. He wanted to find you and see if you were okay. To apologize for putting you in that situation. Standing abruptly making his chair screech, “I got to go find her--” The bell signaled lunch was over. Fuck. Maybe she’ll be on that bench after school. I’ve seen her there after practice sometimes.
After school
And by some miracle you were there, reading your book. Oikawa took a minute to look at you before he approached. As in your picture your hair was wild but not unkept, it was hiding your eyes. Your lips were slightly pursed while you were reading and your leg was bouncing contentedly.  
You were beautiful.
You looked okay.
Until he got closer and finally saw your eyes. You had obviously been crying. By the looks of it a lot. He also saw you had a huge pink stain on your shirt. What had happened?
You had heard someone approach but decided it was best to ignore them.
“Are you okay Y/l/n-chan?” Oikawa spoke softly.
You were so not in the mood for this. For him. Your hands tightened around your book, flicking your eyes up at him and then back down, “Don’t.” 
It was only a second but he saw the hurt in your eyes and it was his fault it was there, “I wanted to-” He tried to say but you didn’t let him finish.
Your voice was raw with emotions you didn’t want to feel for him. “WHAT?! You what? Wanted to play with my feelings some more? I bet you had a good laugh last night saying all that shit. And then completely ignoring me this morning when I waved. Making me feel like I could actually have a friend for once?” Your voice got louder and he flinched at your next words. “That someone would even want to be my friend? I fucking knew I shouldn't have but I let you in anyway.” You let out a dark broken laugh and said much quieter, “Even after what happened last time.” Coldly, “Don’t you have a harem to get back to? Just...just leave me alone Oikawa.”
His mouth dropped in shock. He hadn’t seen you wave. What did you mean by last time? He was heartbroken that someone had made you feel this horrible about yourself and he had reminded you of it. He didn’t want to leave you alone, he had to make you understand you were special. He laid his hand on your book trying to make you pay attention. He said the only thing he thought would make you listen. “Tooru.”
You stiffened, nobody calls him by his first name. You've never even heard his best friend call him Tooru. Your voice barely above a whisper, heart stuttering, “What did you say?”
“Tooru. You can call me Tooru. I-I was happy this morning when I woke up when I saw your messages. But my phone died before I could say anything.” He cleared his throat, “ I fell asleep waiting. I was going to talk to you but then that stupid crowd of girls came. Y/l/n I swear I didn’t see you wave! I tried calling for you but you must not have heard me," he frowned, "and I was frustrated so to get them to back off I said I had a girlfriend. I tried looking for you during lunch period but I couldn't find you. Then I heard what those girls did. I’m sorry I put that target on you. I was going to try looking for you again but then the bell rang. This spot after school was my last hope. Well for now anyway, until I got my phone charged.” He rushed out, praying you would forgive him. 
“That’s what they were talking about...” 
“What were they saying? If you don’t mind talking about it.” Gingerly he laid his hand on yours, holding it.
During his speech you had unconsciously torn your walls down yet again. You heard the sincerity in his voice and saw the concern in his eyes. This was real. He did care. Fuck. Somewhere between last night and this morning you had developed feelings, you just hadn't wanted to believe you weren't immune to his charms. Why did it have to be him. You swallowed, “They basically said I was worthless and wasn’t pretty enough for you. They also shoved me against my locker and onto the floor.” Taking a deep breath you revealed the most humiliating part of the whole thing, “Their leader dumped juice on me.” You looked away not wanting him to see the tears starting to run down your cheeks and you didn't want to see the pity you were sure to receive in his eyes. 
“Hey.” He gently turned your face with a palm on each cheek. Wiping your tears away with his thumbs. “You are not worthless. And those girls are just jealous because your the most beautiful girl at Seijoh. I’m sorry they said and did those things to you. It was my fault and I want to make it up to you if you’ll let me.”
You searched his face, surely he was lying to make you feel better? But you only found the truth in his warm brown eyes. Oikawa may be an ass but he does not lie. “Okay...Tooru.” 
His heart fluttered when you spoke his name. Little did he know that yours did too when he asked you to call him that.
“Come on, lets go.” He smiled pulling you up. “I got something you can change into so you don’t have to wear that home.” He pointed to your ruined shirt.
You and him walked over to the gym. He had never let your hand go from pulling you up and you didn’t mind. You halted at the entry way dropping his hand. He was going to lead you in but, “Tooru, I can't. Only players and managers can go in the gym during practice time.”
He snorted, “Iwa-chan made that rule so the uh” he coughed, “students wouldn't bother us.” Taking your hand he pulled you in after him. 
Your face was blushing like mad from the looks you were getting from his teammates. Nobody questioned their captain though. 
“Please wait here while I change and grab you something.” He left you at the bleachers. 
Iwaizumi walked over to where you were sitting. Before he could say anything you spoke. “I’m sorry. I know I’m not allowed in here but he drug me in and said he was going to get me something to change into." You plucked at your still sticky shirt. "I-I'll leave when Tooru comes back.” You found it easy for Tooru's name to roll of your tongue. 
The usually intimidating looking ace smirked and raised an eyebrow, “Tooru, huh? We don't let students in during practice because they follow Oikawa in. He brought you in here. So you can stay if you want.”
You let out a surprised, “Oh.” 
“You know he couldn't stop talking about you on the way to school this morning? About how he saw this and I quote ‘breathtakingly beautiful’ photo of you on instagram. He kept talking about your hair with cherry blossom petals in it and your shy smile.” 
Your face was on fire. You knew the exact photo he was talking about. How far back did he scroll, it was buried under a ton of pictures.
“He was also worried about you the rest of the day after lunch. He was pretty upset, he even threatened to cancel practice if he didn’t find you on your bench.”
“Iwa-channnn!” Oikawa whined. “Friends keep secrets.” He didn’t look mad but his face was a light shade of pink. Was he...embarrassed?
“Ew. I’m not your friend Shittykawa.” Iwaizumi replied walking away. You laughed quietly, his tone said otherwise.
Except it wasn't just any shirt, it was his jersey. “I can’t wear this! Only couples do that!”
“You're right! You're my best friend!” Tooru called back.
He was met with a middle finger and a "Shut it, Tooru."
 “Anyways here. You can change in the girls locker room over there.” He handed you one of his shirts and pointed to the room.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Well I did inadvertently call you my girlfriend. You wouldn't want to make me a liar now would you Y/l/n-chan?” He pouted.
“N-no, but I'm not your girlfriend?” You remembered the things Iwaizumi told you, your face deepening to a scarlet shade.
He took a step closer. You could smell his scent. He smelled like oranges, cloves and...clean sweat? Of course he could make sweat smell intoxicating. It was making your brain hazy. You almost missed what he said. “Do you? Want to be I mean.” The look he was giving you was so genuine and...sweet.
This was too much too fast, but your mouth and heart didn't care apparently what you thought. “I-.” You breathed. “Yes.”
His face lit up, taking one of your hands into his. “We’ll talk more after practice, yeah?” 
All you could do is nod. Squeezing your hand as he left to go start practice you went to go change your shirt. It was long on you. Almost falling to the same spot your uniform skirt stopped. You rolled it up a little and tucked it in. That was better.
After changing you returned to your spot on the bleachers. You'd been to games before. It was practically an unsaid rule that all students were required to go. But you really never paid attention, usually doing anything but watching to kill time.
This time you paid attention. Tooru was remarkable. You could see why he was captain and how he got the nickname 'the great king'. You were so entrapped by the teams flow you didn't notice the hours fly by.
Tooru came back over to you, asking somewhat nervously, "So what did you think?" He didn't know why it felt so important to get praise from you. He just knew he wanted you to be proud of him.
Your smile was open and you had stars in your eyes, "You were amazing!" Dipping your toe at being flirty, you winked, "l'll have to pay better attention at the next game."
His heart leapt. You said he was amazing. "Thank you, that means so much coming from you." The second part finally clicked, "Hey wait! What do you mean you'll have to pay better attention at the next game?" He teased.
Sheepishly, "I never uh...actively watched a game before."
"That hurts Y/l/n-chan. Just you wait until the next game." He smiled, "So can I walk you home? It's late and you shouldn't walk by yourself."
"Sure. I don't live far though." You returned his smile.
After he went and changed out of his practice clothes he outstretched his hand for you to take, interlacing your fingers with his. When you got to the gates he asked which way. You pulled him to the left. You curious about earlier.
"So about what Iwaizumi said..." You left the question hanging in the air.
"He was telling the truth." He said it so simply, like he just didn't turn your world upside-down.
"Oh." Was all you could manage with all the butterflies in your stomach. Before you knew it you were in front of your house. "This is me." You turned to face him.
"Really? Iwa-chan and I live one street over."
"You're joking." He had to be. 
"Nope, cross my heart." More seriously "Do you want to walk to school with us maybe?"
"I'd like that, Tooru." Shyly you peeked up at him through your lashes.
"Hey, I noticed before." He traced a thumb over your cheekbone, brushing against your fluttering eyelashes. "Your eyes look different some how?"
You let out a small chuckle, "Eye lash extensions. That's what I was helping my sister with last night. She's in a cosmetology class."
He leaned down, getting very close. "They suit you Y/l/n-chan."
Clearing your throat. "Um, thanks." A beat later, "Call me Y/n."
His eyes softened. "Can I kiss you, Y/n?"
Your breath caught. "Y-yes."
He closed the distance between the two of you. Your eyes shutting and heart thumping wildly with anticipation.
You did not expect the feather light touch of his lips ghosting over yours. You did not expect such a tender kiss from the popular setter captain.
At first your lips only brushed against each others. Testing. Until you couldn't stand it any longer. He had lit a fire inside. You leaned in closer, needing more. Pressing your lips against his and moving one hand onto the back of his neck and the other onto his shoulder pulling him closer. He took this queue to hold your waist. As you kissed time stood still. You couldn't tell if the fire inside was tearing you apart or if he was holding you together. There was just you and him, the world had long ago faded away.
He was surprised you took control of the kiss but was glad you did. He didn't want to push you after everything you'd been through. And honestly he could barely think straight. Could barely breathe. Your lips were so soft and they tasted like honey. He didn't want it to end, he would have happily drowned surrounded by air if it meant he could kiss you.
But you pulled away breathless and eyes bright. You leaned into the comfort of his arms.
 That was your first kiss.
"I'll be waiting here tomorrow Y/n." He pressed his lips to the crown of your head.
"Alright." You looked up at him. "Message me when you get home 'kay?"
"Will do, my queen." The name sent tingles down your spine. Once again putting his lips to yours. "Good night."
"'Night Tooru." You slipped out of his embrace and before you made your way inside, you gave him one last wave goodbye. Dazed you shut the door behind you with your back and brought your fingers to your smiling lips.
"'Friends' huh? Lot different in my day." Your sister said from the couch, her eyes catching on his jersey.
Still grinning like a fool, "Shut up." You headed upstairs to start on your homework. About ten minutes later you received a text. Smiling you opened it.
Made it home safe and sound. And now I'm going to sleep so I can dream of you 😘
Who knew 'the great king' was such a goofball.
Sweet dreams then, goofball
They will be because you'll be in them ❤
Rude, my queen, rude
Good night Tooru ❤
But that’s why you like me 
Rolling your eyes, you grinned.
The next morning he was right where he said he would be. Waiting for you. Iwaizumi with him of course. “Morning Iwaizumi.”
“Good morning Y/l/n.” Iwaizumi greeted.
 You said taking your boyfriends hand. “Morning Tooru.” You were feeling confident this morning so you tugged him down a little so you could reach his face, pecking him on the lips.
His eyes widened. He definitely didn't expect that, not that he was complaining. “G-good morning Y/n.” A rosy hue dusting his cheeks.
You giggled at his reaction. 
“I guess the right girl turns you into a flustered mess.” Iwaizumi joked.
"I make you a flustered mess huh? I wouldn’t mind taking advantage of that.” You nudged him playfully as you all started to make your way to school.
“No fair. I won’t allow you and Iwa ganging up on me!” He tilted his head towards your ear, whispering for only you to hear. “Besides, my queen, I give as good as I get.”
You choked. And he didn't miss the red on your face. Oh boy. If he kept up with that name you were going to become a puddle. Clearing your throat awkwardly, “Ah look, we’re here!”
Unfortunately you were met with his swarm of ‘fans’. At the head of it all were the bitches that made you feel like shit. Tooru felt you hesitate and gave your hand a reassuring squeeze and looked at you with such adoration in his eyes. That was all you needed. You were going to show these girls you weren’t afraid of them. You hoped he wouldn't mind your sudden boldness.
Turning towards him and standing on your tippy toes you grabbed the back of his neck and crashed your lips against his. This kiss was much deeper than the one you shared last night. You'd even go so far to say passionate. Last night was tentative, figuring each other out. This kiss you poured in all your feelings, all of your heart and soul. Pulling away slightly, resting your forehead against his and playing with the hair near where your hand rested on his neck, “Um, sorry if that was too much.”
You turned to face the mostly shocked crowd. The only angry one was the leader girl. Remembering what she said yesterday, “I’m his.” He wasn’t some possession to own. But you were free to give your heart to him, if he wanted it. Really you didn’t expect him to say anything during this exchange but he did. 
God, you were perfect he thought. With a stupid smile on his face, “N-no don’t be sorry. Not at all.” 
It made your heart catch in your throat.
“And I’m hers.” The girls mouth dropped open. “Come on. Let’s go, my queen.” he said pressing his lips to your knuckles, sending a shiver up your back.
“Tooru!” You squeaked. That damn pet name. You knew no matter how many times he said it, it would still make you weak in the knees and make your heart leap. And he fucking knew it. You walked hand in hand to your spot under the cherry tree. “Don’t call me that when a bunch of people are around...”
“Why not? It’s true. And you like it.” He gave you a cheeky look. “Besides that passionate kiss you gave me was pretty public.”
A blush creeping up your neck, “I-shut up.”
Chuckling he brought you into a hug, “Whatever you wish, my queen.”
Epilogue 
As the months passed you and Tooru grew closer together and his ‘fan club’ realized you weren't going anywhere. Sure some still tried to bring you down but over the months you had gained some confidence in yourself. You weren't as insecure but when you fell Tooru was there to help you pick yourself back up. You had also become good friends with the volleyball guys, especially Iwa. You had a special bond over teasing your boyfriend. Even though you both teased him relentlessly he was happy two of his favorite people got along so well. In fact he had asked if you had wanted to officially become a manager. You practically were now anyway he said so why not make it official. Of course you agreed. 
It was only your third game as a manager when they lost to Karasuno. You knew how bad he wanted to go to nationals. It was his dream and this was his last chance. He was sitting on the floor outside the gym, head hung low in devastation. You knew words were not what he wanted to hear right now. He just needed you to be there for him. You sat down next to him, waiting. He gently pulled you onto his lap, burying his head in the crook of your shoulder. Holding you closely. He was silent but you felt his warm tears fall on your skin. You held him and hummed a slow melody quietly in his ear. After awhile he kissed your temple.
“Thank you.” He whispered. He was ready talk.
“I’m here for you, always. You’re my king, win or lose. And I am so so proud of you.” A small smile lifted one side of his mouth.
 You were going to tell him something important today. No matter what happened. Maybe he needed to hear it especially because of what happened. You took a deep breath and kissed his forehead briefly. One hand on his cheek and looking into his still tear stained eyes. 
“I know the world has greater things than nationals waiting for you. You may not feel like it now but believe me when I say it. You are so much more than what you think you are and....and that’s why I love you, Tooru.”
He searched your face looking for pity or disappointment but all he found was love. For weeks those three words had been just under the surface, waiting to be spoken into existence, always on the tip of his tongue at the end of every conversation with you or even when he would see you do small simple things. Hearing the love in your voice and the feeling of you mend his shattered heart about nationals they finally broke free.
 “I love you too, Y/n.”
He might have been your first kiss but you were his first love and he wanted you to be his last.
He gently ran his thumb against your bottom lip.
And he kissed you with everything he had, like it would be his last.
But.
There was many more to come...
58 notes · View notes
sparklingchan · 4 years
Text
Stray Kids AU
Stray Kids soulmate AU
Prompt : The name of your soulmate appears on your body only after that person falls in love with you.
A/N: this was sooooo fun to write but it turned out rather long but please the whole thing,I swear it'll be worth every minute🥺
Warnings : None.
1. Bang Chan
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You met him for the first time when you went to the movies one evening,alone ,trying to take your mind off the upcoming exams.
He was seated to your left,his mind completely focused on the movie . He wore a black tshirt with a black jacket and a pair of baggy pants but you couldn't help but notice how attractive he looked even in the dark.
You also subtly noticed the bandaids around his fingers and the reddened knuckles and the tired and exhausted look on his face ,which you were very familiar with because it is the same expression you see when you look into the mirror.
"Are you like a boxer or something?" You weren't the kind to go around talking to random strangers at movies but this time your curiosity got the better of you.
He looked at you ,confused ,but answered anyway. "No. I'm a musician "
"Then what's with the bruised hands?"
He looks down at his hands and laughs,shaking his head. "Let's just say I overwork myself a little too much sometimes". Fair enough.
"I'm y/n by the way " you offer your hand and he takes it,smiling from ear to ear. "I'm Chan"
You notice his lack of snacks and a cold drink and you couldn't help but offer your extra large bucket of popcorn ,which previously you were sure you could finish on your own but now, not so anymore.
He thanks you,dipping his hands in and grabbing a fistful of popcorn,a small but very noticeable blush tinting his cheeks.
That night,he offers to walk you home and you couldn't say no. You stood at your doorstep,smiling to yourself as he turns around and walks back home.
The moment he is out of your sight,you feel a sudden pain in your left forearm.
Rolling your sleeves up till your elbow,you are stunned to see "Bang Chan" cleanly written there.
2. Lee Minho
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You hated Lee Minho from the bottom of your heart. He went to the same dance studio as you and ever since you guys had a minor argument about something regarding a particular step,he's felt like nothing but a nuisance.
He knew that you disliked him so he made sure to bother you even more. Sometimes he'd make fun of your frizzy hair and sometimes he'd simply grab your phone out of nowhere and run. He even ate your food without any permission.
But one day ,your dance teacher paired you two up together for a couple contemporary dance competition.
You were so close to strangling Minho everytime he looked at you with that smirk on his face as you guys practiced day and night. But you also couldn't help but acknowledge how perfect his every movement was.
It was the day before your competition when Minho fell in the bathroom and fractured his leg,forcing your duo to back out from the competition.
You honestly weren't a bit angry or sad about it since it was a small internal competition but you knew he was upset with himself so you went to visit him at his dorm.
"I'm sorry, y/n " he had said. That's the saddest you've ever seen him look and to be very honest, you hated it.
"Shut up ,idiot. It's not a big deal " you gave him the donuts you bought earlier as he looks up at you ,smiling brightly.
When you were about to leave, he asked you if you could drop by often. His eyes looked at everywhere but you.
"Why?" You giggled. He looked down shyly. "I realized you're not that bad to hang out with "
You laughed, pressing a small kiss on his cheek. "I'll come by often"
When you reached home,you felt a strong sting at your forearm.
And on observing closely at the burning area,you see "Lee Minho" written in big,bold letters.
3. Seo Changbin
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You hated your job ,you really did but everything changed when your new colleague, Changbin, arrived. He was the funniest,nicest and most talented mam you'd ever met.
A few weeks into the friendship,he had already made you listen to the songs he composed. His smile when you complimented him was something to die for.
And Whenever you felt down ,he would make some silly jokes and he'd instantly brighten up your mood.
And you didn't want to deny it,you had developed a crush on him.
It was a rainy afternoon in your office when you saw Changbin walk inside your executive director's cabin. You knew that it could never mean something good.
When he came out of the office,almost half an hour later,his eyes looking down at the floor and his ears red ,you knew he had gotten a nice scolding from your shitty boss.
You knew because a few months ago you'd been in the the same position too.
But instead of coming back to his seat,you saw him walk out of the office. Mindlessly,you followed him into the terrace .
"He's a stupid asshole,don't fret yourself about it" you wrapped your arm around his. He sighed, ruffling his hair with the other hand.
"I'm going to punch that man one day " he gritted his teeth. You were so used to him being a smily ,funny man ,you were scared when you saw him this angry.
"He's not worth your attention,I'm telling you " . He only replied by shrugging.
You two decided to have dinner together that night.
"I hope there's a next time to this" he had said,shyly, His smile doing wonders to your heart. As his car disappeared around the corner,you felt your heart swell with a warm feeling.
The next morning,you woke up with a stinging pain in your forearm and when you checked it out,your heart skipped a beat on seeing 'Seo Changbin ' written there.
4. Hwang Hyunjin
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You'd never seen a man as beautiful and amazing as Hyunjin. Although he probably never noticed you,you noticed him. All the girls in your college did and you were no exception to that.
You were more than excited when your teacher told you that you two were supposed to do a project together.
Initially, you were expecting him to be a brat ,given his popularity among women ( and men OFC) but he turned out to be a warm person,making you feel guilty for thinking that way about him in the first place.
He helped you all he could ,and you also realised at that time that he was not just a handsome face ,he was pretty smart too.
After working hours on the project at your house,you two would sometimes just spend time talking to each other. It wasn't even forced; you guys just clicked naturally.
On the day the project finished, you decided to bake cookies for him and even packed some for him to take home. "This is a thank you gift"
His whole face lit up as he took the jar of cookies from you. "I should be the one thanking you "
Before he left,he gives you tight hug and then a kiss on your forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow "
While you prepared dinner that evening,you felt a weird sting on your forearm,as if a bug bit you. Putting down the spoon,you checked out your forearm for any signs of a bug bite.
Your cheeks turned red when you saw that it wasn't a bug bite. "Hwang Hyunjin " was printed onto your skin in a clean and neat handwriting.
5. Han Jisung
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You were the new producer intern at JYP entertainment and although unfamiliar to most people,you felt quite comfortable at home. You first met Han Jisung when he popped his head through your studio door,mistaking your studio for some else's.
His cheeks turned red with embarrassment, as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm sorry. I thought this room was Mike's."
You smiled shyly. "Its alright. Don't apologize please." He then slowly stepped into the studio,his hands behind his back.
"Are you new here ? Haven't seen you before " You nodded in response . He thrusted his hand towards you,his lips curving up into a smile.
"I'm Jisung. I am a trainee here" he said. "Nice to meet you ,Jisung. I'm y/n,a new intern producer"
You then proceeded to tell him that you have in fact heard about him and his team ,3racha,from other producers. He giggled,clearly embarrassed. "Yeah. I do compose a little, here and there "
Needless to say,over time you guys had developed an unbreakable bond not only through music but also the similar way that you two click with each other. It's as if you both had found a safe haven in each other.
A few months later,he told you that he wanted to show you a song he was working on. And excited, you quickly agreed to it.
For someone who was only a few months older than you,his music style was way more mature than yours. The way every beat,every chord ,every lyric sticks out beautifully, you couldn't help but clap as the song ended.
"That was amazing,Jisung. You're gonna put all us producers out of work!" You had teased.
He gave you his signature smile and shook his head . "You guys are going to be big one day, I can feel it " you told him.
He stopped for a second and stared at you ,his fingers fumbling with his laptop. "But you'll still be here right? Even if we do get big one day,you'll still be there with me right?"
You smiled ,as he took your hand in his. "Yes. I'll be there "
As soon as Jisung left the studio after a few minutes,you suddenly felt as if your arm was on fire. Alarmed ,you decided to check the area .
"Han Jisung" was written on your forearm.
6. Felix Lee
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You loved swimming more than anything in the world and you were so good at it,people at your school saw you as their swimming champion.
But it all changed when Lee Felix joined your school. He was an amazing swimmer and as much as it hurt your ego to admit it,Felix was better than you .
You couldn't help but feel jealous and even though he was in the same swimming team as you ,you never bothered to acknowledge him. He did try to befriend you but your ego was too big to pay heed to him.
On his birthday, when he invited you to his house for a party,you couldn't say no to those pleading eyes. You told yourself you went out of pity but that's not entirely true.
The party wasn't half as bad as you had thought and by the time the party died down,you also realized you were being too harsh on Felix. His sunshine like smile and cheerful personality worked magic on you.
He offered to walk you home since you insisted on walking back home alone . You agreed because your houses weren't very far apart.
"Do you hate me or something?" He caught you off guard as you find the right words to answer him.
You shook your head ." I don't hate you,Felix. I guess...I was just envious"
He chuckled. " you shouldn't be" and you nodded. He was right, you shouldn't be jealous and right now,in this moment you realise how ridiculous those feelings were.
You stopped at your gate and looked up at him,smiling ,and then gave him a quick hug
But before he could say anything you ran into your house.
The moment you close the door behind you,your forearm starts hurting really bad. And when you check it out to see what's causing it ,you see the name 'Lee Felix ' written on your skin.
7. Kim Seungmin
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Kim Seungmin was that one cute boy from your school who dropped by at the library you work at every day.
He always greeted you with the brightest smile on earth and often chatted with you before he left the library. You had gotten used to his positive energy.
But one evening he came in,his eyes tired and mouth pressed in a small smile. He didn't even greet you ,which broke your heart a little.
He sat on the farthest corner of the library, a book open in front of him but his eyes and mind were elsewhere . You approached him.
"What's wrong?" He looked at you with tear filled eyes. "I didn't do well in my maths paper "
You softly patted his back. " hey,it's okay . Everyone knows you're good at maths and plus it was just an internal assessment. It won't hamper your finals "
"But that's the thing,y/n. I'm not good at maths. I am fairly good at the other subjects but I suck at maths,big time "
You looked at his sorry face and realised how much his grades mattered to him unlike you who didn't give too much thought to it . "I'm good at maths. If you want ,I could tutor you "
His face broke into a smile as he placed his hand on yours.
"You would?" You nodded as his smile turned even bigger.
You walked back to the reception after Seungmin calmed down,having discussed the timings for his math tutions and making him promise you free ice cream for the rest of your life in return for your favour.
You suddenly felt a sting on your forearm and on inspecting your forearm ,you saw the name 'Kim Seungmin' written in big letters as your stomach did a backflip in anticipation of what is to come.
8. Yang Jeongin
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Jeongin and you had been best friends since childhood. Your parents were friends too so naturally you grew up to be closer than anyone.
But as you both entered teenage, you started seeing him as more than just a friend . So you distanced yourself from him. Over time ,he stopped trying to earn you back and you two grew apart.
It was the last year of high school and everyone was busy preparing for the Winter Ball. You weren't going(obviously),not just because you had no date but also because you didn't want to see Jeongin with someone else.
The morning of the ball arrived and your friends had given up on trying to convince you to go with them.
You were sitting on your sofa while eating breakfast when the doorbell rang.
"I heard that you weren't coming to the ball,y/n " Jeongin looked at you with sad eyes.
You looked at your feet,embarrassed . "Yes."
He sighed,walking into your house. "Why, y/n?"
You told him that you didn't have a date but he refused to believe that to be the only reason. He grabbed your shoulders,looking into your eyes. You heart was beating so fast you were sure you might pass out any minute.
"You like me,don't you? Isn't that the reason why you stopped hanging out with me? Please tell me its true" Your forearm started hurting badly at that moment but you ignored it,there were more important things to do than worry about a sore arm .
"Yes " you didn't want to lie to him anymore . You were tired of being afraid and playing safe all the time . For once,maybe bravery might be a better option.
He smiled from ear to ear ,wrapping you in his arms and snuggling his face in the crook of your neck. "I do too ,you dumbo. "
While your heart leaped with happiness ,the pain in your arm increased so you quickly checked the area whilst still in his embrace.
'Yang Jeongin ' was written on your skin and you knew what it meant. You knew that he was the one for you.
109 notes · View notes
estrxlar · 3 years
Text
The Ghost Of You
12 - Coincidence
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This chapters songs:
Beach Bummer; No Vacation
Goodie Bag; Still Woozy
Sports; Beach Bunny
- Y. L. Perspective
I wasn't sure what to think when I had read the message aloud. "I want to talk." What could that possibly mean?
"Y/n, I'm sure you're just being dramatic. Maybe he just wangs to check up on how you've been doing, " Toruku suggests, sipping from his box of apple juice. The two of us sat against the brick wall on the outside of the cafeteria, discussing my issue. Giki and Hikishi couldn't join us for lunch because of school work that they had to finish up, and Suga had to meet his friends.
Ever since the party, the only thing that stuck to my mind was my situation with Koushi. But other than that, I had forgotten about certain things that happened. As an example, bumping into Oikawa. And as crazy as it was, the moment completely left my mind for a good five days. Until I got a message from him, saying, "I want to talk."
Oikawa, Toruku, Iwaizumi, and I have known each other ever since the beginning of junior high. The only reason we had separated was because of Moku's tragic death, and our schools. Toruku and I had decided to stick together and go to Karasuno, while Oikawa and Iwa felt their volleyball was more important than staying friends. But honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal. The older we grew, then we realized that we wouldn't stick with our middle school friends.
But what Oikawa had caused between the four of us is what made things awkward.
Around the summer of my first year of high school, we all subtly kept in touch with each other. But then after he had thrown a party around July a fight had broken out between him and Toruku because of me.
Oikawa was telling others cruel things in a group of people that were discussing school, lying about how I acted around him. That I had messed around with him, or how I was jealous of Moku for being with Toruku and took it out on Oikawa. But truth was that Oikawa was the one who liked me, and I never paid too much attention to him because of how guilty I felt for liking my best friend's boyfriend.
Iwaizumi, Oikawa, Toruku, and I all knew what Toru said were false claims that he only told for attention from other girls that he would talk to. Oikawa let his popularity get ahead of him, causing a ruckus to occur that day. The further he would go with these stories, the angrier Toruku and I had grown. Eventually, his mouth ran far enough to drive Toruku to punch him more than I had expected. Oikawa was all bark and no bite, therefore, he didn't fight back. That night is when Toruku and I had realized that we needed to move in from our past and find lives of our own. Ones that wouldn't have to ever run into the two obnoxious duo Oikawa and Iwaizumi.
So you could imagine my anger when seeing him at a party that didn't involve him.
"Uhm.." Toruku takes a bite out of his egg sandwich, munching while talking. "Just text him back! Say 'about what?' I bet that would get you answers."
I groan at his stupidity. Today wasn't the best day to have lunch with Toruku, but who else could relate to me as much as him? So, I do as I am suggested, texting back a simple reply and hoping it would lead me to the best possible outcome.
Oikawa
I want to talk
About what?
...
"Oh my god, he's typing," I say quickly, dropping any items in my hand to hold the phone in front of Toruku and me. He finishes his egg sandwich and crumbles the wrapper to throw into a bin not too far away from where we sat before crossing his arms in concentration.
It wasn't that I was excited to talk to Oikawa. I was nervous as to what he wanted to discuss with me. Other than school, there wasn't much to talk about with him. All I knew was that he turned into a jackass with an ego.
'What does he even wanna say?'
When my phone vibrated in my hands, I had thought my questions were answered. But only a simple reply was given to me.
Oikawa
I want to talk
About what?
I just want to see how you've been doing. How about lunch on Saturday?
Toruku frowns at the message. "Why would he want to have lunch after what happened?" He asks me. "Say you're busy." A protective tone overtakes him.
"Ok, ok."
Oikawa
I want to talk
About what?
I just want to see how you've been doing. How about lunch on Saturday?
I have a tight schedule, so I don't think I'm free that day.
Hmm
Sunday?
What would we talk about, Toru?
Honestly
I just wanted to see you again
You know, talk?
Mhm
But why? Soon it won't matter
Cause after I saw you on Saturday I realized I had some things to say
Please?
Okay
We'll figure something out
"Do you think he still likes you?" Toruku pops in.
"No, I don't think so. But I also haven't been able to see his development, so I wouldn't know," I reply to him. I could either ruin or glorify my relationship with him. That was a bet I wasn't sure I wanted to take. And not only that, but he also had beef with Toruku. Why didn't he ask him to lunch as well? Was it because he didn't run into him during the party?
Now I had yet again another thing to worry about. Right now, my current concern was my first volleyball practice this afternoon. Kiyoko had informed me that this weekend they were to have a practice game with one of the competitive teams. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it or not, but I mine as well have given it a shot.
To be honest, I was a little bit excited. Not only would I be able to see Suga more than in the afternoon, but I could get to know the underclassman more. That was if they even liked me.
"Whatever. I don't need to be worrying about this right now," I tell Toruku as I get up from the wall to throw my trash away. He nods, tossing his trash in the basket as well, before picking up my bag and bento, handing it to me. "Thanks for having lunch with me."
"It's no issue. Just tell me how things go with texting Oikawa and have fun at practice."
"Sure thing."
-
I waited at the front of her classroom. By her, I mean the beauty herself: Kiyoko. She told me earlier that she would run through the rooms the volleyball club uses so that I could get familiar with where I'd be going every day I attended practice. I was in good hands when it came to Kiyoko, one of my very close friends.
Finally, her classroom door opens, followed by the many students held inside to flood the hallways, including Kiyoko. "Hey there!" She throws a hand over my shoulder as we begin walking to the exit of the hall. "You excited?"
"I guess. I'm more nervous than excited," I reply.
"Don't be. The boys are very sweet. If you'd like, I can try giving you a summary of what to expect!" She exclaims, her excitement practically glowing off of her skin.
Once I nod, Kiyoko begins her full explanation of the players. "Well, we have the three third years. Me, Sugawara, and Daichi! And you already know about us. And there are only four second years. There's Tanaka, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita. Tanaka is a loud person, but he's super hard working and nice to me, so I guess he's okay. As for Ennoshita, he doesn't talk very much, but I wouldn't be rough with him. He seems like the insecure type. And Narita and Kenoshita are like him, except a little more wild! They usually stay in the back of the crowd, though. Then there are the first years— man are they talented. We have this amazing pair of first years, Kageyama and Hinata. Hinata is so good at jumping, probably the best I've ever seen, and a very rowdy boy. Kageyama is usually a prick to everybody, but he's learning to be a team player. Then there is Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. They're pretty simple to predict. Tsuki just bosses around Yamaguchi all the time and they both talk crap about everybody, but they're good friends and good players."
I can't help but widen my eyes at how fast Kiyoko had explained the players. It was as if she had a lite notebook in the back of her mind where she stored every detail about them, knowing every word she wrote like the back of her hand. "...wow, so there's some personality in the team! That's good to hear," I say, taking a deep breath before we both leave the school building and make our way behind it. "I think I know about Kageyama, though. I went to middle school with him and my old friends that were on the team with him weren't very fond of him— but that's all I know. Sugawara just tells me that he's a very talented person, which doesn't say much about his persona."
"Oh yeah! How're things with Sugawara going?" Kiyoko has no hesitation to jump towards the subject. I couldn't blame her, though. It had been a while since we had a girl-on-girl chat.
Embarrassed, I chuckle, staring at the ground as we discuss. "Nothing much. I mean— he did ask me to be his girlfriend, and we made out a couple of times, but that's it!" I act as if the actions weren't such a huge thing.
Kiyoko gasped. "Y/n! You didn't tell me that you were so close to him, I would have teased you way more than I already do! You kissed him?! How many times? When—where?!"
"Shimizu, stop talking so loud!" I exclaimed, raising my brows as the girl pipes down. Kiyoko wasn't ever the type to get so rowdy about things, that is if it didn't have to do with romance. As for that, she was a downer. And if her friend was involved with it then she wouldn't stop with the blabber. "Anyway, after the party, we both spent the night in his car. We didn't do anything but make out. Still, it was so nice," I whine. "He was so gentle and confident at the same time, and I'd never had somebody want to kiss me so badly— y'know? After that, he took me home, and we both slept in my bed for a couple of hours. Once I woke up, he wasn't anywhere to be found. Only my cat and a letter were left on the pillow next to me."
"A letter?" She questions.
"Yeah, explaining his feelings—his feelings,
Shimizu! Isn't that so sweet?! He told me that he was in love with me and never felt so passionate about anybody the way he does with me. But the thing is, I'm not even sure I wanna be in a relationship. And it's hurting both of us. I think I'm just so confused about everything that I can't even make up a decision."
"Hm, that's understandable. It's a big surprise two of my friends are getting together without telling me! Especially since they're so in love with each other. But now you're saying you don't know what to say?" Kiyoko hums. "Well, from the way you talk about him, are you sure that you're not just scared? You seem like you're head over heels, Y/n. What's stopping you?"
Suddenly, a tall shadow stops us in our tracks, interrupting our conversation. "Yeah, what's stopping you?!" A deep voice says as Kiyoko nudges him.
"Daichi, you don't even know what we're talking about!" She says. It was no other than Sawamura, acting silly again.
He wore a black jumpsuit that I assumed was his volleyball uniform and white tennis shoes, topped off with his grin. "Hey, Y/n! You excited for practice?" He asks in enthusiasm, crossing his arms. If I was being honest, Daichi always scared me when confronting me, but I knew he had my back. Therefore, the goosebumps that crawled up my spine had disappeared once I settled into his smile.
"I mean... I'm a bit nervous. But yeah, I'm excited."
Daichi claps his large hands, then points towards a grey building that was only a few meters away from where we stood under the school roof. "Great! Kiyoko can lead you to the locker rooms and the team will meet you in the gym!"
I look to Kiyoko, who's nodding. "Sure thing. Let's go, Y/n." Her hand lightly pushes me towards the direction of the changing rooms.
Once we arrived at a certain locker room, Kiyoko showed me around the place. There were sixteen lockers on each side of the wall and two benches in the middle. Lots of different sports instruments were piled up in a corner, while a few bags were tossed in another. Overall, it seemed like a regular changing room.
"Here, you can use this locker here. No one ever does." Kiyoko points to an empty silver cubby. The others that surrounded it had posters and locker decor on them, telling me they were already claimed by other girls.
I open the locker, placing a few of my things in it like my bag, school vest and tie, and my shoes. After, I turn to Kiyoko, who's standing right behind me with a black bag in her hands. "Here, this is your new uniform. The team will take you more seriously if you have it on."
Taking the baggy, I pull open the zipper, revealing folded clothing inside. It was the same that Daichi had on earlier, except it didn't come with shorts and tennis shoes. Kiyoko told me that I would only need to bring some sport shoes and a white tee to wear under my sweater. "Thanks! Are you gonna be wearing one too?"
"Not today. My uniform is dirty, so I'll be using one from him. Don't worry, once the team is used to you, you'll be able to bend the rules a bit as I do. They don't care very much." She says as she makes her way towards her locker, pulling out a light lavender jumpsuit.
'Crap, does this mean I'm going to have to undress in front of other girls? That's gonna be awkward.' I tell myself, as I hid behind the door of my locker to pull down my skirt and quickly put on the black pants. I exchange my button-up for a comfortable white tee and black sweater, before taking off a few accessories that I had on and slip them into a pocket of my bag. After, I sat on the bench to trade my black long socks for some normal ones and tie on my shoes.
"Ready?" Kiyoko turns to me, fully dressed in her uniform.
"You bet."
-
I hadn't realized how awkward interrupting a practice was until the deed was done. It was sickening, embarrassing, and terrifying.
"Hi everybody," Kiyoko says in a soft tone, setting our bags down near the door while I avoided eye contact with anybody. That didn't help the fact that every one of the players was staring at us, sitting in a circle on the ground.
A loud, raspy voice echoed through the gym, interrupting the bitter silence that ate me up. "Hi, Kiyoko! How was your day today?" I glance up at the person who jogged towards us.  He had a huge smile and short buzz cut, already telling me that he was a rowdy one. "And as for you, welcome! You must be the new manager! I'm Ryonosuke Tanaka, one of the best players on this team!" He holds out a hand for me to shake.
'So this must be the second year Kiyoko told me about. Great, I like him already.' I think, bowing before shaking his hand. "I'm Y/n L/n, nice to meet you."
"Tanaka! Show some respect for your upperclassman, will you!" Daichi comments, coming up from behind him. "I'm sorry about him. He's a wild one."
"Oh, that's alright."
When Daichi realizes I'm comfortable enough to glance at the teammates, he quickly moves out of the way. "Oh—let me introduce you properly. Everybody, this is our new manager that Takeda Sensei told us about: Y/n! She's a third-year and is here to help out Kiyoko. She's friends with us third years too, so no funny business!" He looks towards Tanaka. "That means you, Tanaka!"
He yells out, "I—I was just being friendly!"
Daichi simply playfully rolls his eyes. "Why don't you first years come to introduce yourselves, hm?" He suggests as a few boys shuffle through the small crowd to get a better view of me.
"Hey! It's good to see you again, L/n! I'm Shoyo Hinata." He bows. I recognized him immediately when he approached me. The player was short for somebody on a volleyball team and had bright ginger hair that was rough and fluffy, and he practically radiated energy when I was near him. "I hope you have a great time on the team!"
After giving him a brief smile, I shift my eyes towards a pair of first-years that seemed suspicious of my presence in the club. But one of them stepped up to shake my hand and grin. He had brown yet green-tinted hair that appeared soft, and many freckles on his face. "Hi, I'm Tadashi Yamaguchi. A pleasure to meet you!" He cautiously nudges the tall boy next to him.
He rolls his eyes at the slightest, tossing the volleyball in his hands to the ground. "Hi, I'm Tsukishima." He says in a proud tone, bowing.
Then, I fixate my eyes on the boy who stood behind Hinata, staring intently at me. Once he notices that I had caught him, he began stuttering. "I—Uh...I'm Kageyama! Tobio Kageyama." The ravenette puffs up his chest, bowing towards me.
"Ah, yes! I know about you. Did you happen to go to Kitagawa Daiichi during middle school?" I ask, tilting my head to take a mental picture of him.
"Uh..yes. How did you know?"
"I used to hang around the volleyball club a lot and knew a bit about you. But I never would have thought you would go here!" I quickly realize how rude my response appeared. "Oh, crap! I didn't mean it like that."
He shakes his head violently, shutting down my apology. "It's no issue, Y/n! It's great that you know me— I mean— thank you for recognizing me," he says loudly, bowing once more. It became obvious that Kags was a bit nervous to meet me, but it wasn't anything threatening. His bright pink cheeks were more warming than scary.
"Well, Kageyama, it's great to see you again," I giggle. Then, three boys are seen in the corner of my eye, seeming eager to say their hellos. Taking initiative, I greet them. "Uh, hi guys."
"Hey!" They say, maneuvering towards me. The black-haired one shakes my hand first, squeezing it gently. "I'm Ennoshita. Pleased to meet you." Then comes the other two: one with a buzz cut, and the other with dirty blonde hair. "I—I'm Kenoshita! And this is Narita!" He points to the buzz cut boy. "We're all second years, by the way!"
Surprised by so many greetings, I can't help but hold my hands out in front of my face. "Oh— okay! Nice to meet you, too."
Somebody abruptly suggests, "Why don't you guys give her some space?" Knowing the voice too well to forget it, I grew excited. Sugawara had arrived, finally. I was looking forward to seeing him more than anybody else. "Hey, Y/n. Glad to have you," He says, secretly winking at me.
"Thank you."
-
"Let's talk positions for the practice game," Daichi commands, lifting a dry erase board to face everybody."Here's the plan I came up with."
The club was sat in a big circle on the court facing Daichi and Takeda. I accompanied them as well, pretending I knew what they were talking about.
"I'd like to have you two working as a pair." Daichi points to Kageyama and Hinata, who gave each other low growls. "And since Tsukishima is our tallest player, I think that would give us a benefit against Seijoh."
'Seijoh? Isn't that short for Aoba Johsai?' I think, raising my hand slightly. "Uh, so you guys are playing against Seijoh?"
Daichi nods. "Yes, Aoba Johsai. We have a practice game with them this week. They're a very strong team, so we need to be in our top game. Are you gonna be joining us..or?"
"Yeah, I will. I'm asking because I know a bit about the players on that team. If you'd like, I can give you guys some advice on their style."
"Wait! Why is Hinata in the one position that needs a tall guy?" Tanaka blurts, as he points towards Shoyos name that was written on the board. It stood in front of the net doodle, telling us he'd be playing as a blocker.
Hinata takes notice of this and grows annoyed. "You're saying Tsukishima and I are playing middle blockers?!" It seemed that he wasn't very fond of Tsuki.
"Timeout!" Takeda strikes the air with his hands, before reaching to his side to unfold a small handy book. "I think I need an overview of the positions.. let's start with the setter. That's the basic control tower— the ones who set people up for attacks. Then there are the wing spikers. They're the rounder that sort of.. maintains the balance between offense and defense. And middle blockers block the other teams' attacks and score points using quick attacks. They also act as a decoy to lead away from the opponent blockers! Is that right?" He asks, looking up to the team captain for reassurance.
He nods his head, putting his palms together. "There is a position that specializes in defense, but we don't need to worry about that right now. So far, that's the positions!"
"Well, Hinata should be the 'number one decoy'!" Kageyama quickly rises, looking towards the redhead. I look towards Kiyoko who is just as confused as me about what he blabbered. "Why don't we use you as a distraction to get points? We'll be using quick attacks, that way the other spikers can do some damage! You'll take down guys like Tsukishima and take them right down the garden path like the idiots they are." Kageyama spoke in a determined manner.
Yamaguchi defended the boy, saying, "Hey! Don't imply Tsuki's an idiot!" But is quickly shut down by Tsukishima, being told to shut up. "Oh.. sorry."
'These first years sure are interesting..and rude, if I'm being honest. Why is it that they're so bossy and demanding?' I say to myself, bringing my knees up and resting my head on them. Although we hadn't done anything physical, I was beginning to grow tired.
"Hinata, when we play, you better be on your best level! If you mess up even one bit, all of our attacks are gonna start to fall apart, got it?" Kageyama strikes Hinata, making him feel frightened and cornered.
"Come on, Kageyama. Hinata is already under a lot of pressure, why say things that make him feel bad?" I whisper to him, as he began to feel concerned for Shoyo.
Tanaka pats Hinatas back, attempting to calm him. "Yeah but- blocking is the most important thing here! No matter how high he can jump, he's still a shorty pants."
What he had told everybody started a riot between the players. Each of them argued about whether or not Hinata should be one of the middle blockers. As for the third years, we rubbed our foreheads in frustration. But it wasn't as if I could expect anything different from these boys.
"Don't you worry, Hinata. As long as you do your best, the team will be proud-"
"R-right! I promise I won't mess up!" Hinata perks up while his face turned a crimson color out of stress. "I'll block as much as you want me to and be the best decoy! I'll serve, I'll do attacks, I'll block! I'll do whatever you say, captain!"
Because of how anxious he grew, he dropped onto the gym floor not long after his rant, breathing heavily. Hinata had made it clear to me that volleyball was a very serious thing for him, and other players' opinions on him meant almost everything. But thank goodness, our third years reassured him that he would be just fine for the practice game.
From how much I'd seen, I thought that the club wasn't too much of an issue to attend to. That was if I wasn't helping first years get back up onto their feet after short-circuiting. Kiyoko had even told me that I did a great job on my first day at practice. So I was sure that I'd be a benefit to the team.
Now, my biggest concern was seeing Oikawa.
-
Comments and votes are super appreciated! Pls give me recognition for my chapters, I work so so so hard.
- sugawaras beauty mark☆
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exosmelody-blog · 5 years
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Who is The Monster? Chp I Part 2
Chapter I: Diamond
Part 2
“Wow, well fuck it. Scissors paper stone? Losers have to race!” Baekhyun proposed immediately. Kyungsoo and Jongin unfortunately had no room to argue since this was the customary way to decide things within EXO… Reluctantly, they both held their fist out and started to play. Minseok closed the hood of his blue Subaru as Jongin and D.O came out as the losers. I could've called that… Baek was not happy about this but only patted their necks supportive like. “Good luck Jongin! D.O is a very good driver!” The obnoxious idol smirked.
           Both boys picked a vehicle. Smiling deviously, D.O picked the Subaru leaving Kai with the Toyota. I leaned back against Sehun as his arms rested around my hips, his chin still on my head. Luhan took this opportunity to explain the way street racing worked. Just one lap around the loop. When he was done he took a seat back on the hood of his car.
          “Who do you think will win?” I held Sehun's arms around my hips, watching the two drive to the start line.
         “I am betting on D.O.” Channie nodded sadly. “Kai is not aggressive enough..” The tall rapper took a seat on my F-type beside Sehun and I.
        “Well then I'm betting on Kai! D.O… can't win everything!” Baekhyun huffed, settling on Luhans Maserati, doing a cute side hug with the Chinese idol. Minseok sat with Suho on his charcoal Vanquish across Luhan.
          The crowd was excited for this race. They always were curious about new racers. The vehicles were familiar, especially the Subaru, but they were pretty even in mods and specs… D.O was a little nervous as a girl in a very short pair of shorts and a tube top stood before them, as custom, she threw her panties up into the air. Kyungsoo felt himself turn red at the sight, once they hit the ground, Kai floored the gas and was in the lead from the start. Kyungsoo was only a second behind but that made all the difference. They both took the turn very smoothly, almost drifting. However to everyone's surprise, Jongin was victorious. They didn't bother to stop at the finish line, instead they drove straight back to us. We all were left in shock.
        “Kyungsoo! What happened?!!!?” Chanyeol asked once both vehicles were parked and they stepped out.
       “I...I don't know….” Minseok, shook his head at Jongin and Chanyeol he wasn't buying it, he had an idea of what happened.
        “It was the panties wasn't it?” Jongin asked with a huge gorgeous smile. He gave Kyungsoo a tight hug, laughing all the while. D.O only stayed quiet, his cheeks a little red. How cute…
        Kai was congratulated around the circle for his first win, while Kyungsoo was reassured about next time… I drowned out their voices as I watched the crowd, my eyes wandering back to EXO whenever they laughed or smiled.        
       Eventually Sehun was bored of the conversation between his friends. Giving my head a kiss, and my hips a tight squeeze, he released me and disappeared into the crowd without a word. This was not unusual, he was probably going to say his hellos to anyone he knew in the crowd. Sehun although quiet was very popular among…. Everyone. Every party we went to, every event…he made friends like nothing. He had a lot of connections, the only way to keep those alive was to go talk to them. The rest of the boys were too busy laughing and talking to notice. Sehun was slick like that.
         “Baekhyun, are you gonna race Jongin or D.O?” Chanyeol asked, now sliding over and pulling me onto his leg, like a lazy half snuggle into his lap. I did not protest of course and clutched onto his arm that draped over my shoulder.
        “Hmmm….D.O. If I beat him then maybe I'll race Kai.” He said thoughtfully…
        “You won't win this so easily…. I am prepared this time…” Kyungsoo blinked up at Baek as they headed for the sports vehicles. Baekhyun had always wanted to race in his besties Rocket Bunny so he was very excited. He bounced into it and Chan gave him a supportive smile. Minseok and Suho exchanged uncertain glances while Luhans instructed Baek about the track like he had for D.O and Kai last race.
        When they finally pulled up to the start line, Chan was watching like a hawk… This race was much closer, Baekhyun had no fear and was relentless behind the wheel. I was very surprised to see that from a first timer… the crowd was too. “Ahh~....Woah!~” they went in unison. Baekhyun was equally relentless as he was reckless. At the turn, they both tried to drift… but neither was too successful this time. Both vehicles seemed to shudder and swerve as they rounded the turn. Suddenly Chanyeol's grip on me was tight in anticipation and fear. The sudden lack of control off put D.O. But Baekhyun loved it… This uncertainty in Kyungsoo was the only reason Baekhyun won this race.
When they pulled up to the finish line, the crowd was cheering. Baekhyun jumped out of the car and threw his arms up for the crowd. This felt just like a concert. Both ridols hearts pumping with adrenaline and huge smiles on their faces. Baekhyun pulled D.O into a tight hug. Because they were unfamiliar to the crowd and they had stopped at the finish line, they were suddenly surrounded by females, congratulating Baekhyun or comforting D.O. I could feel Chanyeol smile from behind me and I could see it in Suho, Minseok and Luhan.
“Typical Baek, he loves the crowd. Well maybe he will make some friends with that win….” Chan nodded and pulled me closer.
“I didn't get rushed by the crowd!” Kai protested. Chan and I laughed.
“That's because you didn't pull up to the finish line. If you had you definitely would've been surrronndddeeeddd with girls...” Minseok smirked, knowing full well what Kai wanted. Kai just laughed his cute laugh, which was so much cuter in person than on camera, and looked away.
Baekhyun indulged in the crowd for as long as he could before they were waved away for the next racers. I could've sworn they were going to bring at least one or two girls back but to my surprise they did not….
“Well done Baek!” Kai was the first to say something when they stepped out. “Your driving looked like a madman from here! Not sure I want to race you...” Jongin laughed.
Baekhyun’s eyes were bright and lit up with excitement. “Don’t be scared, Jongin! I was having a fucking blast! That was way more fun than sitting in the passenger's seat! Man...I have been missing out…! No wonder Minseok races so much, that was a fucking rush! Come on, Kai. Lets go!” Immediately Baekhyun was ready to go, but a line was forming and they would have to wait.
“I am a little concerned… Baek you drive sooooo recklessly. You should really be careful…” I smiled weakly, I only didn’t want him to get hurt. He turned to me and raised a brow…
“How can you be careful if you are racing?? It's dangerous in the first place!” He laughed. Kai nodded slowly, halfway convinced. But this was clearly alarming for everyone else. Junmyeon looked like he was about to freak out.
“Baekhyun! You need to make smart decisions on the race track. Don’t do something reckless and stupid, it could cost you a life! This is why we never brought you… are you sure you can handle this?” Suho was chewing him out now and I felt bad. So I had to fix it.
“Well I mean, he can definitely handle himself behind the wheel! He could’ve spun out of control during that turn.. Someone who wasn’t skilled or prepared or smart, would probably have fucked that up.. I was just saying he should avoid developing bad habits and if he wants to race seriously, he will have to practice that drift…” I chuckled in attempt to stop any further ass chewing. Suho parted his lips to say something but mah boi Chanyeol started first.
“Baekhyunnnie, he has got this. He really enjoyed himself and he takes fun very seriously, don’t worry about his driving skills..” Chan smiled.
“You should worry about his safety, Kyungsoo looks like he is about to smack a bitch..” Luhan laughed as he watched D.O rest against Suhos Vanquish once more.
“I’ll win next time…” was all the vocalist said, eyeing Baekhyun closely. Chanyeol just laughed, I could feel his body tensing beneath and behind me with each laugh. He was so extra, I expected him to start clapping but thankfully it wasn’t one of his dramatic laughs.
“I’ll be fine, thank you for the concern..but I think..” Baekhyun started as he got back in the Rocket Bunny, “Its our turn, Kai ya~” He smiled cutely and started the engine once again.
This race was very close! Unfortunately for Kai, Baekhyun was too excited and willing to be reckless. Jongin lost only by half a second, making them almost neck to neck. Losing only by a hair… They both pulled up to the crowd and stepped out their vehicles laughing. I am not going to lie, it was the cutest thing id ever seen. The dancer and vocalist threw their arms around one and other with amazing smiles and crazy laughter. Even all the way where we were, I could feel their happiness and excitement…. No wonder they were so famous.. Chanyeol chuckled behind me and shook his head.
“He complained about not getting rushed by the crowd and when they do, he only focuses on Baekhyun…hehe..” Chan clicked his tongue. Almost as though Jongin heard him, his attention shifted to the now large crowd of females asking them questions and commenting on the race. Baekhyun and Jongin’s smiles only shifted to smirks as they indulged some of the females.
“I'm glad they're having fun…” Junmyeon nodded with a soft smile. Minseok and Luhan nodded in agreement.
“Who won?” Sehun came back with his hands in his pockets. His eyes now fixed on the crowd.
“Baekhyun…. Both times..” Kyungsoo ran a hand through his dark hair… His own eyes watching Kai rather closely. Chanyeol gently passed me over to Sehun once more...like I was a pillow or something. I glared at Chan as I cuddled back into Sehun, who was seemingly grateful to have me back for snuggles.
It was a matter of minutes before Baek and Kai we're back among us. Smiles still dancing on their lips.
“Baekhyunnie, I'm proud of you! I can't believe you won both times… I'm watching you..” Chanyeol glared playfully at his best friend. He could already see the developing mischief in Baekhyun's eyes. Sehun chuckled against me.
“Good job, Baekhyun..” Sehun nodded, standing up and dragging me with him to give Baekhyun a hug. Once again I was caught in a small group hug. Sehun behind me, his long arms wrapped around myself and Baekhyun. Baek was caught off guard for a moment before he returned the embrace with a perfect smile. I met Baekhyuns jawline, making this hug a tad awkward once he looked down to acknowledge me. “You did really well… you're learning fast… maybe I can make money off of you and your wins…” Sehun said very casually and refusing to release me or Baek. Baekhyun looked back up from me immediately to glare and laugh in response.
“The fuck?? You better give me a cut of those wins! That's my hard work!!” He laughed and I could feel all his muscles against me as he laughed. I swear I could feel his abs contract… my cheeks began to burn red, which was unusual for me.. I was used to guys whom were gorgeous or in good shape. These boys should be no different…. Right? I took a deep breath.
“Congratulations, Baekhyun. It's not everyday a new racer wins two races in a row… I wonder how you would fare against Minseok or Chan…” I sneered looking up at the excited idol. He looked back down at me and froze upon realizing how close we were. That moment of surprise did not last. He smirked in return.
“Aren't you the best racer on the track? I wonder how I would do against you…” His breath rolled off my lips, his words very teasing. I rolled my eyes and chuckled.
“I'm not the best but don't get on your high horse just yet. Beat Minseok and then we can talk… Sehunnnnie?” I turned back just enough to look back at the one responsible for the cage Baekhyun and I were stuck in.
“Mm?” He didn't seem to be paying attention to us, only enjoying our warmth… typical Sehun.
“Are we just pillows for you?” I asked holding back giggles. He nonchalantly nodded before his grip tightened on the both of us. Baekhyun smiled and cuddled in closer, now leaning on Chanyeol's Toyota for support.
“Well….I don't share pillows so…” I gently pushed on Baekhyuns arms in attempt to kick him from the hug…. Playfully of course.
“I think we are the ones sharing you right now….” Byun smirked. Nope. I wasn't about to give that any thought. With that said, I ducked under Sehuns arms and squirmed out of their grip. Baekhyun laughed out loud, but Sehun pouted, settling for just Baekhyun and pulling him closer. The shorter responded with a tighter hug.
“I think we are the ones sharing you right now….” Byun smirked. Nope. I wasn't about to give that any thought. With that said, I ducked under Sehuns arms and squirmed out of their grip. Baekhyun laughed out loud, but Sehun pouted, settling for just Baekhyun and pulling him closer. The shorter responded with a tighter hug.
The rest of the night was surprisingly chill. I still had a lot of fun with Chanyeol..He told me a little bit more about the boys and how he figured he would bring them to the more ‘excitable’ fun they have. Especially D.O and Baekhyun.
“They literally spend their free time watching movies or playing video games… It's time they explored a bit..” Chanyeol nodded in thought, agreeing with himself silently. I nodded as well, but in understanding rather than agreement.
“Well Baek did very well… maybe he can win himself a car one of these days.. Is Junmyeon okay?” I finally asked. Suho had pretty much checked out of our conversations and had his eyes locked on the crowd the last couple of hours..
“Probably looking for people in the crowd…” The Songwriter paused and rolled his eyes… “by people I mean Kris..”
“Ah, I know Kris avoids him… Kris is a coward a lot of the time… he doesn't like confrontation… ironic for someone in the mafia…” I rolled my eyes. Chanyeol shrugged rather disinterested.
“I don't really know why he chases after Kris still but whatever…” but Chanyeol knew damn well why..
“Whatever indeed.. I know you are busy with the comeback but we should hang out again…. Your my best friend… at least invite me to practice or something!” I huffed. Now that I had met all the members, no excuse for lack of hanging out…
“You know that's actually a good idea.... I'll invite you to practice sometime! We could use a chill girl around…” His eyes glanced around at his members.
“Good, I'm gonna head off though.. I miss you! Text me, Yoda!”  I teased and pulled him into a hug, to which he held me tight and pinched my side.
“I will! Later Ay-ya!…” That was a nickname I hadn't heard in awhile, but it only made me smile after I returned the pinch  I left him wincing and rubbing his side while laughing softly. I was left with some minor disappointment… I wanted to race Chan, but that would have to be another day. It was getting late…
I went around the circle, hugging Minseok and Luhan very tightly, giving them both a knowing look now that they were talking. Xiumin only smirked said he would race me next time. Luhan disregarded my look but hugged me back and said he would definitely see me again before he went back to China.
“Junmyeon…? I'm leaving… I'll see you later…” I called to him, finally pulling him from his thoughts.
“Oh Ayumi! Of course, I will see you Friday probably..” he smiled and gave me a warm hug. He was a weenie, but a weenie who gave great hugs.
Sehun was still cuddling Baekhyun after all this time, but they had settled on top of Minseok's blue Subaru. Kyungsoo and Kai were also lingering around the cuddling couple.
“Bye Sehun! Bye guys! It was nice to meet you all… you better come back!” I bowed before smirking at my pun. Kyungsoo chuckled and bowed back but the rest were unamused. Sehun sighed with mild embarrassment.
“It was nice to meet you, Ayumi-ssi...be safe!” Jongin nodded and to that I started my way back to my F-type. Stealing a final glance back at Baekhyun. Big mistake. We locked eyes for a second before I turned back to my car. He was so….uhhfjjf! Keeping my composure, I started the Jaguar and gave a final wave before driving home… hopefully the rest did too. This was around the time cops came by….
//Hope you enjoyed! Chpt 2 on its way!!
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choerrypuffs · 2 years
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i want to post work on tumblr but the risk of plagiarism scares me a bit (tho i get if you put a piece of work ANYWHERE on the internet there’s a risk). also tumblr looks a little bit confusing lol but what do you recommend? what’s your experience been like?
hi there! as you can see from the complete shitstorm that has been unfolding on my blog for the past couple of days, dealing with plagiarism as a writer is inevitable. i am lucky in that this is my first real instance with plagiarism (as of now), but my friend cat @/luvdsc has dealt with it on several occasions. it just all varies across platforms.
personally, one of the most appealing things about tumblr is the customization ability. you pretty much have free reign on how you want to format your blog and fics. it's also very easy for others to share your content, since tumblr is really the only writing platform that has a reblog feature.
of course, tumblr is not without its issues. while free reign is a pro, it is also a con as well. you're kind of just thrown in blind and expected to figure out how to do everything on your own. there's no tutorial. i've had many people ask me how to link things, how to add certain fonts in their bios, how to change their desktop theme, etc. those are things that you just have to figure out by yourself or by looking it up/asking someone.
and not to mention the fact that tumblr basically rolls out a red carpet for plagiarizers because it is so easy to plagiarize on here. the only thing writers can do is disable the highlighting/copy and paste + right click but you have to figure that out on your own too.
if you're looking for something a bit more user-friendly and has some defense against plagiarism, i would suggest wattpad. wattpad is only for writing, as opposed to tumblr which is for all content creation. wattpad doesn't allow highlighting/copy and paste + right click on both their website and app, which is really helpful. personally, the wattpad audience is on the younger side, so it's not for me.
there's also ao3, which is arguably the most popular writing platform for fanfiction. however, it is a little bit like tumblr in that you kind of just have to figure it all out on your own. ao3 is also still in its beta phase, so it's constantly rolling out new changes (i'm old enough to remember when they didn't even have a filtering system). from what i know, ao3 doesn't really have any protocols against plagiarism either. however, i haven't really heard about that many issues about it? take this with a grain of salt though because i am rarely on ao3, so i'm not familiar with the communities.
sorry for this long essay lmao but i hope this was helpful! 💗
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sphinx-ke · 4 years
Text
You'd think growing up in the ghetto would be one of the worst experiences but in truth I relish every single day. There's something about jumping over broken sewerage pipes or taking the neighborhood's dogs to the next neighborhood to watch them fight or stopping by your favorite meat den on the way home from school to down some tasty "mutura" , that binds your soul to this rowdy, treacherous place. Don't get me wrong if I were given a chance to grow up in Runda or Kileleshwa I wouldn't think twice on it, but having lived this life, life in Nairobi Eastlands, Huruma estate which is actually more ghetto than it sounds, being part of this experience, having met these people,my friends, has forged me into the being I am today.
No this is not a story to inspire you, this is not a story to give you hope, but it is a story about true ghetto life, friendship, brotherhood, bonds that were never meant to be broken.
I knew Denno since we were toddlers, there was nothing really special about him but then again I was also just an average guy so us being friends was actually expected. We lived a normal life, did what normal kids did, sure we got into trouble a couple of times but even those we faced together.
There comes a time when normal just isn't enough and you can either realize your ambitions or have them forced onto you. Denno had the latter, his mom fell sick and couldn't go to work anymore and him being the man of the house was a role that was already inevitable since his drunkard father eloped to Mlolongo with their maid. Denno decided to dropout of school and became a tout.
Now, I don't know if he just had it easy or what we had heard from our "faithful" teacher was just bogus but in a few weeks Denno had fully adapted and was making good money. He paid the bills, bought his mother's medication and took care of his little brother. For a fifteen year old Denno was on top of his game, in a few more weeks he was dressing up all dapper, had a Nokia C200 and knew almost all the pretty girls in the neighborhood, even I was seriously questioning my career choice.
Fast forward about 3 months and his mom is well again and back to work and they are making a killing out of it. They end up opening a shop so that his mother wouldn't have to go to work and he could finally go back to school.
He had never been so unsettled, we could tell that he'd rather have been out there making money than seated in a congested classroom trying to understand algebra. So we'd convince him to stay then on our way home we'd buy mutura and use his popularity at the matatu pit to get free rides home.
On that day he was more than unsettled, he was angry and broke. He had argued with his mother who had refused to let him continue working, he had sold his phone and all the gibberish from the teachers just ticked him off even more.
On our way home we didn't stop at the meat den or the matatu pit so we decided to walk home. He walked fast and silent, didn't laugh at any of our jokes, not even a smile. As we were crossing the road from Jonsaga into Huruma we heard a very familiar hoot.
"Wewe kijana ya shule wewe!" called out Jay, Denno's former driver and boss. Of course this was a joke and instantly Denno lit up and hurled an insult to him jokingly. He told us to hop in since he was headed to the car wash and its on our way home.Denno was ecstatic, finally he got to show off his skill at this art that he had come to love.
Part of living in the ghetto, as a guy, involved you learning certain matatu "etiquette" , let's call it. In sheng it's called "kudandia na kudondoka" which mainly involve boarding and alighting a matatu while still in motion. Its simple but very dangerous, one wrong step could mean tragedy.
It felt like a very low bump on the road. Nobody expected it, but it just happened. One wrong step, shouts from a few pedestrians, bump, gone.
This was not the first time I had seen a dead body, but the mere fact that it was someone I had known since the age of three... But at least you were happy.
Jay took off and we remained there, shocked until the police came.
Still wouldn't trade it for anything...
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estrxlar · 3 years
Text
The Ghost Of You
11 - Volleyball Practice
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This chapters songs:
Beach Bummer; No Vacation
Goodie Bag; Still Woozy
Sports; Beach Bunny
- Y. L. Perspective
I wasn't sure what to think when I had read the message aloud. "I want to talk." What could that possibly mean?
"Y/n, I'm sure you're just being dramatic. Maybe he just wangs to check up on how you've been doing, " Toruku suggests, sipping from his box of apple juice. The two of us sat against the brick wall on the outside of the cafeteria, discussing my issue. Giki and Hikishi couldn't join us for lunch because of school work that they had to finish up, and Suga had to meet his friends.
Ever since the party, the only thing that stuck to my mind was my situation with Koushi. But other than that, I had forgotten about certain things that happened. As an example, bumping into Oikawa. And as crazy as it was, the moment completely left my mind for a good five days. Until I got a message from him, saying, "I want to talk."
Oikawa, Toruku, Iwaizumi, and I have known each other ever since the beginning of junior high. The only reason we had separated was because of Moku's tragic death, and our schools. Toruku and I had decided to stick together and go to Karasuno, while Oikawa and Iwa felt their volleyball was more important than staying friends. But honestly, it wasn't that big of a deal. The older we grew, then we realized that we wouldn't stick with our middle school friends.
But what Oikawa had caused between the four of us is what made things awkward.
Around the summer of my first year of high school, we all subtly kept in touch with each other. But then after he had thrown a party around July a fight had broken out between him and Toruku because of me.
Oikawa was telling others cruel things in a group of people that were discussing school, lying about how I acted around him. That I had messed around with him, or how I was jealous of Moku for being with Toruku and took it out on Oikawa. But truth was that Oikawa was the one who liked me, and I never paid too much attention to him because of how guilty I felt for liking my best friend's boyfriend.
Iwaizumi, Oikawa, Toruku, and I all knew what Toru said were false claims that he only told for attention from other girls that he would talk to. Oikawa let his popularity get ahead of him, causing a ruckus to occur that day. The further he would go with these stories, the angrier Toruku and I had grown. Eventually, his mouth ran far enough to drive Toruku to punch him more than I had expected. Oikawa was all bark and no bite, therefore, he didn't fight back. That night is when Toruku and I had realized that we needed to move in from our past and find lives of our own. Ones that wouldn't have to ever run into the two obnoxious duo Oikawa and Iwaizumi.
So you could imagine my anger when seeing him at a party that didn't involve him.
"Uhm.." Toruku takes a bite out of his egg sandwich, munching while talking. "Just text him back! Say 'about what?' I bet that would get you answers."
I groan at his stupidity. Today wasn't the best day to have lunch with Toruku, but who else could relate to me as much as him? So, I do as I am suggested, texting back a simple reply and hoping it would lead me to the best possible outcome.
Oikawa
I want to talk
About what?
...
"Oh my god, he's typing," I say quickly, dropping any items in my hand to hold the phone in front of Toruku and me. He finishes his egg sandwich and crumbles the wrapper to throw into a bin not too far away from where we sat before crossing his arms in concentration.
It wasn't that I was excited to talk to Oikawa. I was nervous as to what he wanted to discuss with me. Other than school, there wasn't much to talk about with him. All I knew was that he turned into a jackass with an ego.
'What does he even wanna say?'
When my phone vibrated in my hands, I had thought my questions were answered. But only a simple reply was given to me.
Oikawa
I want to talk
About what?
I just want to see how you've been doing. How about lunch on Saturday?
Toruku frowns at the message. "Why would he want to have lunch after what happened?" He asks me. "Say you're busy." A protective tone overtakes him.
"Ok, ok."
Oikawa
I want to talk
About what?
I just want to see how you've been doing. How about lunch on Saturday?
I have a tight schedule, so I don't think I'm free that day.
Hmm
Sunday?
What would we talk about, Toru?
Honestly
I just wanted to see you again
You know, talk?
Mhm
But why? Soon it won't matter
Cause after I saw you on Saturday I realized I had some things to say
Please?
Okay
We'll figure something out
"Do you think he still likes you?" Toruku pops in.
"No, I don't think so. But I also haven't been able to see his development, so I wouldn't know," I reply to him. I could either ruin or glorify my relationship with him. That was a bet I wasn't sure I wanted to take. And not only that, but he also had beef with Toruku. Why didn't he ask him to lunch as well? Was it because he didn't run into him during the party?
Now I had yet again another thing to worry about. Right now, my current concern was my first volleyball practice this afternoon. Kiyoko had informed me that this weekend they were to have a practice game with one of the competitive teams. I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it or not, but I mine as well have given it a shot.
To be honest, I was a little bit excited. Not only would I be able to see Suga more than in the afternoon, but I could get to know the underclassman more. That was if they even liked me.
"Whatever. I don't need to be worrying about this right now," I tell Toruku as I get up from the wall to throw my trash away. He nods, tossing his trash in the basket as well, before picking up my bag and bento, handing it to me. "Thanks for having lunch with me."
"It's no issue. Just tell me how things go with texting Oikawa and have fun at practice."
"Sure thing."
-
I waited at the front of her classroom. By her, I mean the beauty herself: Kiyoko. She told me earlier that she would run through the rooms the volleyball club uses so that I could get familiar with where I'd be going every day I attended practice. I was in good hands when it came to Kiyoko, one of my very close friends.
Finally, her classroom door opens, followed by the many students held inside to flood the hallways, including Kiyoko. "Hey there!" She throws a hand over my shoulder as we begin walking to the exit of the hall. "You excited?"
"I guess. I'm more nervous than excited," I reply.
"Don't be. The boys are very sweet. If you'd like, I can try giving you a summary of what to expect!" She exclaims, her excitement practically glowing off of her skin.
Once I nod, Kiyoko begins her full explanation of the players. "Well, we have the three third years. Me, Sugawara, and Daichi! And you already know about us. And there are only four second years. There's Tanaka, Ennoshita, Kinoshita, and Narita. Tanaka is a loud person, but he's super hard working and nice to me, so I guess he's okay. As for Ennoshita, he doesn't talk very much, but I wouldn't be rough with him. He seems like the insecure type. And Narita and Kenoshita are like him, except a little more wild! They usually stay in the back of the crowd, though. Then there are the first years— man are they talented. We have this amazing pair of first years, Kageyama and Hinata. Hinata is so good at jumping, probably the best I've ever seen, and a very rowdy boy. Kageyama is usually a prick to everybody, but he's learning to be a team player. Then there is Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. They're pretty simple to predict. Tsuki just bosses around Yamaguchi all the time and they both talk crap about everybody, but they're good friends and good players."
I can't help but widen my eyes at how fast Kiyoko had explained the players. It was as if she had a lite notebook in the back of her mind where she stored every detail about them, knowing every word she wrote like the back of her hand. "...wow, so there's some personality in the team! That's good to hear," I say, taking a deep breath before we both leave the school building and make our way behind it. "I think I know about Kageyama, though. I went to middle school with him and my old friends that were on the team with him weren't very fond of him— but that's all I know. Sugawara just tells me that he's a very talented person, which doesn't say much about his persona."
"Oh yeah! How're things with Sugawara going?" Kiyoko has no hesitation to jump towards the subject. I couldn't blame her, though. It had been a while since we had a girl-on-girl chat.
Embarrassed, I chuckle, staring at the ground as we discuss. "Nothing much. I mean— he did ask me to be his girlfriend, and we made out a couple of times, but that's it!" I act as if the actions weren't such a huge thing.
Kiyoko gasped. "Y/n! You didn't tell me that you were so close to him, I would have teased you way more than I already do! You kissed him?! How many times? When—where?!"
"Shimizu, stop talking so loud!" I exclaimed, raising my brows as the girl pipes down. Kiyoko wasn't ever the type to get so rowdy about things, that is if it didn't have to do with romance. As for that, she was a downer. And if her friend was involved with it then she wouldn't stop with the blabber. "Anyway, after the party, we both spent the night in his car. We didn't do anything but make out. Still, it was so nice," I whine. "He was so gentle and confident at the same time, and I'd never had somebody want to kiss me so badly— y'know? After that, he took me home, and we both slept in my bed for a couple of hours. Once I woke up, he wasn't anywhere to be found. Only my cat and a letter were left on the pillow next to me."
"A letter?" She questions.
"Yeah, explaining his feelings—his feelings,
Shimizu! Isn't that so sweet?! He told me that he was in love with me and never felt so passionate about anybody the way he does with me. But the thing is, I'm not even sure I wanna be in a relationship. And it's hurting both of us. I think I'm just so confused about everything that I can't even make up a decision."
"Hm, that's understandable. It's a big surprise two of my friends are getting together without telling me! Especially since they're so in love with each other. But now you're saying you don't know what to say?" Kiyoko hums. "Well, from the way you talk about him, are you sure that you're not just scared? You seem like you're head over heels, Y/n. What's stopping you?"
Suddenly, a tall shadow stops us in our tracks, interrupting our conversation. "Yeah, what's stopping you?!" A deep voice says as Kiyoko nudges him.
"Daichi, you don't even know what we're talking about!" She says. It was no other than Sawamura, acting silly again.
He wore a black jumpsuit that I assumed was his volleyball uniform and white tennis shoes, topped off with his grin. "Hey, Y/n! You excited for practice?" He asks in enthusiasm, crossing his arms. If I was being honest, Daichi always scared me when confronting me, but I knew he had my back. Therefore, the goosebumps that crawled up my spine had disappeared once I settled into his smile.
"I mean... I'm a bit nervous. But yeah, I'm excited."
Daichi claps his large hands, then points towards a grey building that was only a few meters away from where we stood under the school roof. "Great! Kiyoko can lead you to the locker rooms and the team will meet you in the gym!"
I look to Kiyoko, who's nodding. "Sure thing. Let's go, Y/n." Her hand lightly pushes me towards the direction of the changing rooms.
Once we arrived at a certain locker room, Kiyoko showed me around the place. There were sixteen lockers on each side of the wall and two benches in the middle. Lots of different sports instruments were piled up in a corner, while a few bags were tossed in another. Overall, it seemed like a regular changing room.
"Here, you can use this locker here. No one ever does." Kiyoko points to an empty silver cubby. The others that surrounded it had posters and locker decor on them, telling me they were already claimed by other girls.
I open the locker, placing a few of my things in it like my bag, school vest and tie, and my shoes. After, I turn to Kiyoko, who's standing right behind me with a black bag in her hands. "Here, this is your new uniform. The team will take you more seriously if you have it on."
Taking the baggy, I pull open the zipper, revealing folded clothing inside. It was the same that Daichi had on earlier, except it didn't come with shorts and tennis shoes. Kiyoko told me that I would only need to bring some sport shoes and a white tee to wear under my sweater. "Thanks! Are you gonna be wearing one too?"
"Not today. My uniform is dirty, so I'll be using one from him. Don't worry, once the team is used to you, you'll be able to bend the rules a bit as I do. They don't care very much." She says as she makes her way towards her locker, pulling out a light lavender jumpsuit.
'Crap, does this mean I'm going to have to undress in front of other girls? That's gonna be awkward.' I tell myself, as I hid behind the door of my locker to pull down my skirt and quickly put on the black pants. I exchange my button-up for a comfortable white tee and black sweater, before taking off a few accessories that I had on and slip them into a pocket of my bag. After, I sat on the bench to trade my black long socks for some normal ones and tie on my shoes.
"Ready?" Kiyoko turns to me, fully dressed in her uniform.
"You bet."
-
I hadn't realized how awkward interrupting a practice was until the deed was done. It was sickening, embarrassing, and terrifying.
"Hi everybody," Kiyoko says in a soft tone, setting our bags down near the door while I avoided eye contact with anybody. That didn't help the fact that every one of the players was staring at us, sitting in a circle on the ground.
A loud, raspy voice echoed through the gym, interrupting the bitter silence that ate me up. "Hi, Kiyoko! How was your day today?" I glance up at the person who jogged towards us.  He had a huge smile and short buzz cut, already telling me that he was a rowdy one. "And as for you, welcome! You must be the new manager! I'm Ryonosuke Tanaka, one of the best players on this team!" He holds out a hand for me to shake.
'So this must be the second year Kiyoko told me about. Great, I like him already.' I think, bowing before shaking his hand. "I'm Y/n L/n, nice to meet you."
"Tanaka! Show some respect for your upperclassman, will you!" Daichi comments, coming up from behind him. "I'm sorry about him. He's a wild one."
"Oh, that's alright."
When Daichi realizes I'm comfortable enough to glance at the teammates, he quickly moves out of the way. "Oh—let me introduce you properly. Everybody, this is our new manager that Takeda Sensei told us about: Y/n! She's a third-year and is here to help out Kiyoko. She's friends with us third years too, so no funny business!" He looks towards Tanaka. "That means you, Tanaka!"
He yells out, "I—I was just being friendly!"
Daichi simply playfully rolls his eyes. "Why don't you first years come to introduce yourselves, hm?" He suggests as a few boys shuffle through the small crowd to get a better view of me.
"Hey! It's good to see you again, L/n! I'm Shoyo Hinata." He bows. I recognized him immediately when he approached me. The player was short for somebody on a volleyball team and had bright ginger hair that was rough and fluffy, and he practically radiated energy when I was near him. "I hope you have a great time on the team!"
After giving him a brief smile, I shift my eyes towards a pair of first-years that seemed suspicious of my presence in the club. But one of them stepped up to shake my hand and grin. He had brown yet green-tinted hair that appeared soft, and many freckles on his face. "Hi, I'm Tadashi Yamaguchi. A pleasure to meet you!" He cautiously nudges the tall boy next to him.
He rolls his eyes at the slightest, tossing the volleyball in his hands to the ground. "Hi, I'm Tsukishima." He says in a proud tone, bowing.
Then, I fixate my eyes on the boy who stood behind Hinata, staring intently at me. Once he notices that I had caught him, he began stuttering. "I—Uh...I'm Kageyama! Tobio Kageyama." The ravenette puffs up his chest, bowing towards me.
"Ah, yes! I know about you. Did you happen to go to Kitagawa Daiichi during middle school?" I ask, tilting my head to take a mental picture of him.
"Uh..yes. How did you know?"
"I used to hang around the volleyball club a lot and knew a bit about you. But I never would have thought you would go here!" I quickly realize how rude my response appeared. "Oh, crap! I didn't mean it like that."
He shakes his head violently, shutting down my apology. "It's no issue, Y/n! It's great that you know me— I mean— thank you for recognizing me," he says loudly, bowing once more. It became obvious that Kags was a bit nervous to meet me, but it wasn't anything threatening. His bright pink cheeks were more warming than scary.
"Well, Kageyama, it's great to see you again," I giggle. Then, three boys are seen in the corner of my eye, seeming eager to say their hellos. Taking initiative, I greet them. "Uh, hi guys."
"Hey!" They say, maneuvering towards me. The black-haired one shakes my hand first, squeezing it gently. "I'm Ennoshita. Pleased to meet you." Then comes the other two: one with a buzz cut, and the other with dirty blonde hair. "I—I'm Kenoshita! And this is Narita!" He points to the buzz cut boy. "We're all second years, by the way!"
Surprised by so many greetings, I can't help but hold my hands out in front of my face. "Oh— okay! Nice to meet you, too."
Somebody abruptly suggests, "Why don't you guys give her some space?" Knowing the voice too well to forget it, I grew excited. Sugawara had arrived, finally. I was looking forward to seeing him more than anybody else. "Hey, Y/n. Glad to have you," He says, secretly winking at me.
"Thank you."
-
"Let's talk positions for the practice game," Daichi commands, lifting a dry erase board to face everybody."Here's the plan I came up with."
The club was sat in a big circle on the court facing Daichi and Takeda. I accompanied them as well, pretending I knew what they were talking about.
"I'd like to have you two working as a pair." Daichi points to Kageyama and Hinata, who gave each other low growls. "And since Tsukishima is our tallest player, I think that would give us a benefit against Seijoh."
'Seijoh? Isn't that short for Aoba Johsai?' I think, raising my hand slightly. "Uh, so you guys are playing against Seijoh?"
Daichi nods. "Yes, Aoba Johsai. We have a practice game with them this week. They're a very strong team, so we need to be in our top game. Are you gonna be joining us..or?"
"Yeah, I will. I'm asking because I know a bit about the players on that team. If you'd like, I can give you guys some advice on their style."
"Wait! Why is Hinata in the one position that needs a tall guy?" Tanaka blurts, as he points towards Shoyos name that was written on the board. It stood in front of the net doodle, telling us he'd be playing as a blocker.
Hinata takes notice of this and grows annoyed. "You're saying Tsukishima and I are playing middle blockers?!" It seemed that he wasn't very fond of Tsuki.
"Timeout!" Takeda strikes the air with his hands, before reaching to his side to unfold a small handy book. "I think I need an overview of the positions.. let's start with the setter. That's the basic control tower— the ones who set people up for attacks. Then there are the wing spikers. They're the rounder that sort of.. maintains the balance between offense and defense. And middle blockers block the other teams' attacks and score points using quick attacks. They also act as a decoy to lead away from the opponent blockers! Is that right?" He asks, looking up to the team captain for reassurance.
He nods his head, putting his palms together. "There is a position that specializes in defense, but we don't need to worry about that right now. So far, that's the positions!"
"Well, Hinata should be the 'number one decoy'!" Kageyama quickly rises, looking towards the redhead. I look towards Kiyoko who is just as confused as me about what he blabbered. "Why don't we use you as a distraction to get points? We'll be using quick attacks, that way the other spikers can do some damage! You'll take down guys like Tsukishima and take them right down the garden path like the idiots they are." Kageyama spoke in a determined manner.
Yamaguchi defended the boy, saying, "Hey! Don't imply Tsuki's an idiot!" But is quickly shut down by Tsukishima, being told to shut up. "Oh.. sorry."
'These first years sure are interesting..and rude, if I'm being honest. Why is it that they're so bossy and demanding?' I say to myself, bringing my knees up and resting my head on them. Although we hadn't done anything physical, I was beginning to grow tired.
"Hinata, when we play, you better be on your best level! If you mess up even one bit, all of our attacks are gonna start to fall apart, got it?" Kageyama strikes Hinata, making him feel frightened and cornered.
"Come on, Kageyama. Hinata is already under a lot of pressure, why say things that make him feel bad?" I whisper to him, as he began to feel concerned for Shoyo.
Tanaka pats Hinatas back, attempting to calm him. "Yeah but- blocking is the most important thing here! No matter how high he can jump, he's still a shorty pants."
What he had told everybody started a riot between the players. Each of them argued about whether or not Hinata should be one of the middle blockers. As for the third years, we rubbed our foreheads in frustration. But it wasn't as if I could expect anything different from these boys.
"Don't you worry, Hinata. As long as you do your best, the team will be proud-"
"R-right! I promise I won't mess up!" Hinata perks up while his face turned a crimson color out of stress. "I'll block as much as you want me to and be the best decoy! I'll serve, I'll do attacks, I'll block! I'll do whatever you say, captain!"
Because of how anxious he grew, he dropped onto the gym floor not long after his rant, breathing heavily. Hinata had made it clear to me that volleyball was a very serious thing for him, and other players' opinions on him meant almost everything. But thank goodness, our third years reassured him that he would be just fine for the practice game.
From how much I'd seen, I thought that the club wasn't too much of an issue to attend to. That was if I wasn't helping first years get back up onto their feet after short-circuiting. Kiyoko had even told me that I did a great job on my first day at practice. So I was sure that I'd be a benefit to the team.
Now, my biggest concern was seeing Oikawa.
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- sugawaras beauty mark☆
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