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ticklygiggles · 3 years

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Violet grass predicament | Aether, Diluc, Childe & Zhongli

Collab with @otomiya-tickles

A/N: *maniac laughter in the distance* beautiful Ginny and I are still on hiatus, lololol, but I showed her this wonderful art I saw on Twitter and we just exchanged ideas and we found ourselves writing this out, huhu~ we hope you enjoy it! Also this is my first time writing for Genshin and it was a pleasure to share this moment with my beautiful girl 💕

Summary: Diluc is pleased to welcome Aether with his Liyue friends Childe and Zhongli at the Angel's Share, and even offers his help in the thing they are investigating. Hunting violet grass is serious business after all. Or is it?

Words: 2,751 (under the cut)

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"Heeeh? Violet grass? Again?"

Diluc had to fight back a smirk when he heard Aether gasping, even over the loud sounds of the tavern.

"What do you mean again?" The traveler asked, disbelief dripping from his voice. "Do you know how hard it is to get?!"

Aether sounded extremely offended by the words of his Liyue friend, and this time he really cracked a little smile that was easily mistaken as a polite one as he grabbed a pair of dirty plates from the table where a young couple were dining.

It was not the first time he's brought them around. A few months ago, Aether came into Angel's Share, telling Diluc that he had brought someone from Liyue that really wanted to try Mondstadt's best wine.

Of course Diluc had felt proud and he eagerly introduced himself to the visitors. He liked them, one more than the other, though. Zhongli was a nice visitor, he always knew what to say and was enchanted by the delicious wine, claiming that it was, in fact, one of the best of Teyvat.

Childe, on the other hand, was loud and a tease and Diluc couldn't help but have his defenses up when he was around him, but as much as Childe was a little childish, he was also fun and Diluc had teeth marks on the inside of his cheeks from holding back his laughter every time he heard Childe talk.

Now it was a common thing to have this trio over at the tavern talking about food, commissions and some other matters around Teyvat. Diluc frequently found himself sitting with them, enjoying a nice talk and drink as he took orders from the other clients and cleaned up tables as the good owner he was.

Tonight was no different and, as he walked around with a tray with some empty glasses, he couldn't help himself and quickly stopped by the table where Childe, Aether and Zhongli were dining.

"There are quite a few around here," Diluc said, his fingertip touching a spot in the map between Aether's hands. "Around the Archon's statue in Mingyun Village."

"Ah, certainly," Zhongli declared with that deep voice of his as he looked over the area in the map. "Diluc is right. I remember seeing a path of violet grass during a walk on my own. Unfortunately it does grow in cliffs and is hard to get if you don't have a good condition," he said and both Aether and Diluc nodded, but the traveler also let out a soft whine that made Childe giggle.

"Oh, but how is it that Diluc knows this? Isn't he always in Mondstadt?" Childe asked with a playful smile as he rested his chin upon the palm of his hand, looking at Diluc with curious eyes.

Diluc shrugged. "I've been trying to make a drink with violet grass, so I often come and get fresh flowers there. There's a whole path as Zhongli says, you see," he said, glading his finger over the map. "Here, here and here. Can you mark it?"

"Ah, yes! Diluc is the best!" Aether said excitedly, quickly marking all the spots on his map as both Diluc and Zhongli mentioned them.

“Don’t exaggerate. I was just -- AHh!” Diluc spazzed suddenly, almost dropping the glasses as he felt a finger poke his side. He looked where the random tickle came from and saw Childe smirking at him.

“Don’t be modest when our Traveler compliments you,” he teased. The young Harbinger then casually held up a finger, “Ah by the way Diluc. Please pour one more glass of your finest wine to Mr. Zhongli here. And some Wolfhook juice for our traveler here,” Childe ordered, and he held up his own glass which was still full and winked. “I’m still good.”

“I could order myself,” Zhongli said calmly, and Aether stuttered, “J-Juice?” but did not seem to object, so Diluc rolled his eyes fondly at the trio and went to fetch them their drinks. Behind him he heard the three express their admiration of Diluc’s knowledge and Aether was eagerly noting the route for his violet grass hunt.

Heading back to them with the drinks, Diluc first handed Zhongli his drink and then stood by Aether to put down the juice. Right at that moment, there was that sudden ticklish touch again. This time on his back. A single finger traced a quick path down his back, and he arched up so suddenly he dropped the Wolfhook Juice all over Aether’s lap.

“AH!” Aether twitched in surprise, and Zhongli looked up with mild concern, letting out a simple “oh” in realization that Aether was covered in juice. Meanwhile Childe… did not stop tickling Diluc.

“Look at what you did Diluc~” Childe mocked, his hand lowering to Diluc’s side and squeezing him there a couple of times, making him bark out some involuntary strange ugly laughs, in his opinion.

“GAahaha! H-hey q-quit that!” He made odd dancing moves to squirm his way out of there, but the grip and strength in the innocent touch of Childe’s hand was quite strong.

“Please go get us something to help him clean,” Childe said, his hand continuing to assault Diluc’s side.

Diluc tried to bite his tongue to prevent making a fool of himself in front of everyone inside the Angel's Share but, thankfully, the tavern was rather empty and most of the people around were beyond past their drinking limit, so he was not too worried when he felt Childe's fingers giving his lower ribs a firm squeeze that had him letting out a bright cackle before he pushed Childe's hand away from his body.

"Ouch!" Childe whined, rubbing the spot where Diluc had slapped him.

"I said stop," Diluc said, narrowing his eyes just as Zhongli said: "You deserve it. Now look at what happened to Aether."

He gently pointed at the poor traveler that was trying to save his precious map from the juice that had splashed on the table, not caring about the liquid covering his lap and even some parts of his bare middle.

Diluc winced a little. "I apologize, Aether. Give me one second, I'll bring a towel."

Aether hurriedly shook his head, holding his map up, "please don't worry! I know this was not your fault," he said, sending a glare to a certain Harbinger who only giggled, lifting his hands and showing his palms.

"What~? I was just wondering if Diluc was ticklish!" He said, smirking playfully as Diluc rolled his eyes and made his way to bring a towel for the traveler. "He was looking so serious, the idea suddenly popped into my head and I just couldn't help but do it!"

"You're going to pay extra for it," Zhongli said, drinking some wine as he took the map from Aether's hands and carefully settled it on the other side of the table where it could be safe from the purple-ish liquid.

"Heh? But I always pay, Mr. Zhongli!"

"Here's the towel. If you feel too sticky you can take another one and go wash a little in the bathroom," Diluc said gently, placing a refill of juice on the table. "This one's on me."

“Thank you Diluc! I’m sorry tha-- EEhp!” Diluc looked down in surprise when Aether yelped; Childe had taken the towel and started rubbing it against Aether’s middle.

“Hm? So noisy, right Diluc?” Childe said, but Diluc could see he was resuming his tickle antics on purpose as he moved it all over Aether’s bare midriff to rub off the sticky juice.

“Seriously?” Diluc muttered, but what followed after was Aether’s loud bubbly laughter. He squirmed, trying to fight off Childe with cute flailing movements.

“C-Chihihilde! N-not like thahahat! G-give me t-the tohohowel! S-stop!” Aether jumped and squirmed. Diluc could even see Childe use his other hand sneakily to ‘keep Aether in place’ but it just pinched and squeezed a little to add to the traveler’s predicament.

“This won’t do. Diluc, Mr. Zhongli, help a hand?” Childe whined, but Zhongli ignored the request and Diluc, blushing a little, turned around quickly to tend to some other guests with Aether’s sweet laughter in the background.

“Stahaahap~!” Aether giggled and Diluc saw from the corner of his eye that he tried to get up, but Childe's hand squeezing and pinching his side, really held him in place.

He felt his cheeks getting warmer and warmer then more he heard Aether's laughter growing louder and hysterical.

"Ahahaha! Not thehehere!" Aether cackled, kicking his legs when Childe helped him 'clean' his thighs by squeezing them with the towel.

"Stop moving so much," Childe said and Diluc could hear the smirk in his voice. "I can't help you if you're squirming like this!"

"I dihihihidn't ahahask for your hehehelp!" Aether said and Diluc nodded as he walked to get the freshly poured jugs of liquor.

"Mr. Diluc, what is all this ruckus about?" Charles asked, lending him a couple of drinks. "Is that the traveler laughing?"

Diluc blushed even more and he swore under his breath. "Don't mind it. I'll go take care of it."

"Oh, okay. It's not a big deal, though. I was just curious. Sounds like they're having fun."

Thankfully, they hadn't noticed that the reason for that laugh was because Aether was being tickled to death.

Diluc placed the orders with a gentle smile on one of the tables before rushing to where the trio was causing a scene.

"You, rascal," Diluc said, shivering when he saw Childe full on tickling Aether. "Could you quit your stupid game? You're disturbing everyone."

Childe clicked his tongue before looking up at Diluc as his fingers purposely moved to squeeze at Aether's ribs. Diluc felt the faint tingles wrapping around his own ribcage, but he stood there, trying to seem intimidating.

"Now, Diluc. I don't think that's true. I bet everyone is enjoying hearing the traveler's laughter, don't you think?"

"I certainly don't," Diluc said and he waited a few seconds for Childe to stop, but when he didn't, he sent a pleading look to Zhongli. "Zhongli, please? Could you do something?"

Zhongli let out a long sigh, raising a hand toward Diluc. "Rest assured. I've got this."

Diluc thanked him silently before leaving again, keeping an ear perked up to hear the man put some order.

"Childe."

To Diluc's surprise, Aether's laughter slowed down to soft giggling right away, and sending a quick glance to their table, he saw Childe pouting as Zhongli held the towel in his own hands.

"You're disturbing the diners," he said, carefully patting Aether's arms and stomach to properly dry him up. "You're going to make Diluc kick us out of here and we haven't had the chance to chat yet."

Hmh. Good. Diluc nodded in satisfaction, impressed how Zhongli put an end to the tickly chaos right away, and he turned back and continued to work.

“All good,” he told Charles. Then… They both looked up when suddenly a remarkable sound was heard, and Diluc turned around. His eyes widened when they confirmed what he was hearing. Zhongli was laughing.

“Q-quihihit that, C-Childe!” Diluc watched the scene with raised eyebrows. Childe had found his next victim, and oh how he was going at him with full strength. Diluc was shocked to see Childe had his hands on both sides of Zhongli’s waist, fingers digging in playfully as he made the radiant man stumble and let out some huffy laughs.

“Childe stop!” Aether hissed, still blushing as he tried to pry his hands off Zhongli, but the Harbinger had a mission and knowing how this went with Aether and himself, Diluc was afraid this was going to take a while.

“Aw what’s wrong, Mr. Zhongli~? So serious,” Childe whined with pouty lips, his fingers digging into Zhongli’s slender waist before pinching and squeezing their way upwards.

Diluc could see that Zhongli was doing his best to keep himself from laughing, he even covered his mouth with one of his hands as the other desperately tried to push Childe away from him, but goodness, that kid was strong and persistent and Diluc knew, deep inside him, that Zhongli would eventually lose his fight.

Surprisingly, it took less than he thought. Zhongli was suddenly throwing his head back as deep, rumbly cackles poured out of his mouth as soon as Childe's fingers found their way right under the man's arms.

"I s-sahahahaid quihihihit it!" Zhongli laughed, now using both hands to try and push Childe.

"Childe!" Aether squeaked. "Diluc is going to get mad! Quit it!"

"Diluc should lighten up a bit," Childe said, chuckling to himself as he slowly tickled Zhongli apart. "Mr. Zhongli was being too serious, I just wanted him to lighten up too."

Diluc sighed, massaging his temple as he heard Childe's words. Charles cleared his throat and Diluc tensed up.

"Ah, so it's that," he said, chuckling softly and Diluc couldn't feel more mortified. "It's no big deal, Mr. Diluc. I'm sure a few customers seem happy to hear Mr. Zhongli laughing," he chuckled, pointing at a table with a movement of his chin and Diluc saw how a few ladies were blushing as they looked over at Zhongli.

He sighed. Walking to the trio one more time. "Last chance before I throw the three of you out."

"Eh?! But why me?!" Aether whined, pulling at Childe's arms, trying to save Zhongli from the armpit tickles that had him all uncoordinated. "Childe!"

“Hm~?” Childe hummed, even increasing his tickle attack.

“AHaha- s-stop! N-not there, Childe!”

“Last chance!” Diluc huffed, very aware and embarrassed that everyone was watching them now. Oh… Everyone was watching? Diluc clenched his fist. So be it then. He stood behind Childe who continued to playfully cackle along with Zhongli, and he grazed both sides of his ribcage slightly in hesitation before digging in fully, tickling him hard.

“HEYAh!” Childe didn’t let go of Zhongli yet but even clenched onto him, his fingers continuing to dig into Zhongli’s sensitive torso. Childe’s laughter was instantly louder than Zhongli’s, though.

“Are you going to quit now, huh?” Diluc asked, his fingers digging furiously into Childe’s sides by now. Childe flailed and threw his head back.

“Ahahalright! H-hahang on- hehehey!” No one, not even Childe had obviously expected Diluc to resort to the ways he did. Not even Diluc himself, actually. But it seemed to work. With Childe’s grip weakened, Zhongli could finally pull himself free, and he stood on Aether’s other side to catch his breath while Diluc continued to punish Childe.

Agh, honestly. Doing something like this in front of everyone! Mondstadt was a tiny town, he knew the rumors about him tickling someone from Liyue would quickly reach everyone's ears and what would he say when people ask him about it?

"S-Stahahahap!" Childe laughed, shrieking when Diluc's fingers grazed that path of uncovered skin on his side. "I'll behahahahave, I'm sohohohorry!"

Well, of course he'd say he did it because Childe deserved a taste of his own medicine, and he should be thankful Diluc didn't actually kick him out and exile him from the Angel's Share!

Besides… this was kind of fun, but he still had work to do. "You'll behave? Is that a promise?" Childe nodded, his face going a bit pink with all that laughter blooming past his lips. "Very well," Diluc said and he stopped, leaning back up as he fixed his clothes. "Now excuse me."

He left without a word and heard Childe getting the giggles as he sat back on his chair, Zhongli also taking his seat back after catching his breath and relaxing with a sip of his wine.

"Childe, you're insane," Aether sighed, throwing the towel at Childe.

Childe laughed, "maybe a little but hey, you guys had fun!"

Diluc turned a little to look over at the trio and found that they were smiling softly, cheeks flushed as they started to talk again about the violet grass locations.

Only after a few minutes, Diluc noticed that he had also been smiling softly the whole time and even though that made him feel a little flustered, he couldn't help but think that he, in fact, had lots of fun when these three came to visit the tavern.

"There are a few in Stone Forest too," Diluc said, placing a plate of snacks on their table.

"Aaah, Diluc really is the best!"

Diluc wondered if he should visit Liyue from time to time as well.

#Genshin Impact #Aether #Diluc #Diluc Ragnivindr #Childe #Zhongli #tickle fic #ticklish!Diluc #ticklish!Zhongli #ticklish!Aether #ticklish!Childe

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afishcalledfatin · 5 years

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Dr LEE

summary: in which the sweet, single dad, pediatric surgeon, Taeyong start getting feelings for his son’s babysitter, you.

ALL MY COVERS HAVE THE NAME INSOMNIAC BECAUSE THIS WAS FROM MY OTHER ACCOUNT!!

HELLO LOVES~ oh my it’s been a while and I really apologise. The story is slightly heavier than usual but still sweet. Another long one. I hope you all enjoy it!

pairings: doctors! single dad! Taeyong x female reader!

genre: FLUFF

·Leads the ‘handsome doctors' group

·A PEDIATRIC SURGEON UWU

·Has unreal features. Seriously, you see him and you might think you had just bumped into a fairy or elf.

·One of his patients call him the Fairy Prince

·I mean, he looks hella ethereal sooo...

·“Dr Lee, do you secretly have wings?” “Uhm... yeah but I hide them because they are really big.” “BUT HOW WILL YOUR FAIRY PRINCESS KNOW IT’S YOU?” “Min Seo...”

·The kids adore and love him very much.

·“Dr Lee~ I think you are my favourite doctor in the entire world!” “My uwus spilled omg. MA’AM DO YOU MIND IF I HUG HIM?”

·Gives the best advice. That one friend you can tell everything and he’ll help you as much as he can.

·“I’m really sorry you had to go through that. You don’t have to hang around people like that okay? If you’re worried about having nobody just remember I’m here. Always.” followed by a really warm hug.

·Will normally comfort you until you feel better.

·Nobody admits this, but he looks hot during a surgery.

·“DID YOU SEE THE WAY HE HELD THAT SCALPEL? MY OVARIES.”

·Brings food for the guys all the time.

·If he wasn’t a doctor, he’d be a chef.

·He could make you a 3-hour braised beef stew and the next day he would bring cream puffs.

·Loves making food for people

· Besides that, he also loves to dance. Like not those awkward wiggling, he's an amazing dancer.

·Sometimes he would dance in the corridors while listening to his favourite music, not realizing the crowd he attracted.

·Gets super smiley when people clap.

·Takes care of the younger doctors.

·“Jungwoo, did you get some rest?” “Not yet.” “what the hell are you doing here then? You're pretty free at the moment. Go take a nap.”

·Has a bad habit of always taking the blame.

·“guys, it wasn't your fault. It was mine. I should've been more responsible and taken it seriously. I'm really sorry for disappointing all of you.”

·The guys know it isn't anyone's fault but because he always insists it’s his, they can't say anything about it.

·They get really worried for him but he always assures them that he's alright.

·Knows everyone’s secrets.

·He knows who has a crush on who, who ate the chief's food, who has been having make-out sessions in the break room.

·HE. KNOWS. EVERYTHING

·It's not because he's sneaky and likes to stick his nose into people's business, it's because everyone tells him everything or he's always getting himself into awkward situations.

·He's so good at keeping things. He's trustworthy.

·“wait so you knew that she's been making out with the chief?” “look, I didn't mean to walk in on them. I JUST WANTED A NAP.”

·The guys always tease him for his bad timing

·Besides that, everyone is happy when they meet Taeyong.

·He's literally an angel omg

·Back to an earlier point, the type of guy who will do EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING to cheer anyone up.

·He helps everyone but doesn't expect anything in return.

·He believes that kindness is the one thing that can help our world to become a better place.

·Not strict with the residents and interns but they know not to mess with him.

·He's never actually yelled at anyone.

·“I understand you're new to this, but how do you expect me to not be annoyed when you can't take a dirty diaper seriously? You work in a pediatric ward. It's either you grow up or find something else to do and stop wasting our time.”

·It's those type of warnings that are super casual and “OH SHIT YOU SCREWED MAH BOI” kind of thing y'know?

·But normally the residents under him are pretty good and mature.

·Same age as Dr Seo and Dr Nakamoto. Loves hanging out with them.

·“JOHNNY, YUTA LETS GO HAVE FUN!” “UNO AND COFFEE?” “HELL YEAH.”

·Kids flipping love him.

·They can literally stop crying the minute he walks into the room.

·“SOMEONE GET DR LEE, THERE'S A CRYING CHILD IN THE CORRIDOR AND I DON’T KNOW WHERE HER PARENTS ARE.”

·Has a very comforting and calming aura

·Gets really worried for the kids and prays he does a good job before a surgery.

·Also, because the kids he's about to operate on reminds him of his own kid.

·Yeap, this year has been especially tough for Taeyong. He had gotten out of a 6-year relationship and she left their child with him because she was tired and wanted to start a new life. He wasn't mad at her cause they had a child together when they were young, he was just really… badly hurt.

·*heart clenches* boo boo is actually really heartbroken but he hides it really well. He truly loved her with all his heart. Also blames himself for her leaving him.

·The guys know it, their girlfriends know it heck even Min Jae notices it but he would always hug his dad.

·“Papa, please don’t be sad. You must be happy!” Min Jae hugged Taeyong. Taeyong hugged Min Jae tightly. Min Jae was Taeyong's source of motivation.

·He honestly felt bad because Min Jae only grew up with his mom for the first 2 years of his life and even then, she was barely there for him. She was either flying somewhere or on her phone. Min Jae hardly remembers anything but her appearance. Taeyong basically raised Min Jae by himself.

·Min Jae's mom was a model. They met each other at a party back when Taeyong was a student. And well, the rest was history.

·Taeyong has been trying to balance time with his son and his work. After the first 2 months, he managed to fix it all with the exception of late surgeries. Then only, Min Jae would stay the night at his aunt's house.

·For a 5-year-old, Min Jae was very smart. He understood that his father was a doctor and how doctors are always busy.

·“Min Jae, c'mon the bus is waiting for you buddy.” As Taeyong drop Min Jae off at the bus area, Min Jae hugs him “Papa, be a good doctor okay? Help a lot of people!” Min Jae cheered on.

·The sight was so cute and sweet as Taeyong lifted him up and pecked Min Jae's little face.

·Huhu the moms at the bus stop always stare at this beautiful man, dropping his kid off.

·Anyways, sometimes if Taeyong had to work a few more hours, he'd pick him up and Min Jae would play quietly in Taeyong's office.

·AND THIS IS WHEN ALL HIS AMAZING UNCLES WOULD COME IN. *cries a lil*

·“UNCLES!” Min Jae cheered as he saw the whole lot of them walk in.

·“Hey Buddy! We heard you were here, so we came to visit.” “I swear to god, you guys only visit my office when I spill tea or when Min Jae is around.” The guys shrugged BECAUSE THEY KNOW ITS TRUE.

·They would take care of Min Jae as Taeyong finished the paperwork he had.

·The guys noticed how tired he looked in the past few weeks.

·“Hyung, why don't you hire a babysitter? At least, he or she could pick him up from kindergarten, make his lunch and take care of him.” Jungwoo offered. The rest of them agreed. They knew Taeyong wants to take care of Min Jae but some days, he just can't.

·“look, I know an agency that has like the best babysitters. I'll give you their number.” Doyoung said.

·Taeyong was always thankful for his friends’ support

·Taeyong did contact the agency and the next week, a middle-aged woman came. It was in the morning before Min Jae went to kindergarten.

·She was lovely and Taeyong thought Min Jae was going to be okay. But the minute Taeyong walked out the door, he could hear Min Jae crying. He turned around and saw that Min Jae opened the door and he was running towards Taeyong.

·“papa… don't leave me. Please.” He cried on Taeyong's shoulder. Taeyong hugged him tightly before picking him up. He tried to comfort Min Jae.

·Taeyong looked at his small figure. “buddy, will you listen to your babysitter for me? She-” “I don’t want her.” Taeyong sighed.

·“Why? You haven't met her yet.” “she... she reminds me of mommy. I don’t like it.” Taeyong's heart broke at that very moment. Throughout this whole time, he was worried Min Jae would feel left out because he didn't have a mom.

·He walked back into the house and looked at the babysitter guiltily.

·He explained to the babysitter and he promised to pay her extra. The babysitter understood completely and told him there was no need. Taeyong was back to square one.

·On the way to the bus stop, he asked Min Jae “Min Jae, how did she remind you of mommy?”

·“her clothes and face. She wore red on her lips like mommy too. Mommy wore a lot of dresses like hers too.” Taeyong nodded. Taeyong hugged Min Jae before letting him go onto the bus.

·Weeks pass by, and Taeyong was really stressed. Every babysitter he hired were too strict or they were too demanding.

·Min Jae wasn’t feeling any better either. He was quieter than usual.

·One day, Taeyong had a surgery that ended later than anticipated. After the surgery, he checked his watch and nobody has seen Taeyong panic that badly.

·“CRAP, CRAP, SHIT I NEED TO GO GET MIN JAE SHIT IM LATE.” He ran while putting on his coat.

·He got into his car and drove off. He was worried about Min Jae. Quietly praying that he wasn’t alone

·As he pulled up at the kindergarten, he ran out and to his surprise, he heard Min Jae giggling.

·“PAPA!” He saw Min Jae run towards him, he crouched down with open arms. Min Jae hugged his father straight away.

·“Min Jae, buddy I'm so sorry I was late. I’I-” “It's okay, Papa. Miss Y/N told me you were helping a superhero.” Taeyong lifted an eyebrow. “Miss Y/N?” Min Jae pointed behind him and saw you. You were wearing an army green pinafore over a grey t-shirt. Your smile caught him off guard.

· “You must be Min Jae's dad. Hi, I'm Y/N.” you greeted. Taeyong coughed before greeting you back.

·“I… I’m Taeyong.” He said. He felt Min Jae tug his shirt, he finally snapped out of it. “Thank you for waiting with him. I had a last-minute surgery and I'm still finding a babysitter for Min Jae.”

·“Ahh, it's alright Mr Lee, I live nearby anyway and Min Jae is a lovely boy.” You looked down to see Min Jae smiling.

·“Well, thank you anyways. C'mon buddy, let's go.” He was about to walk before he noticed that Min Jae wasn't moving.

·“Can Miss Y/N be my babysitter?” Taeyong’s eyes widen and looked back at you. “I'm sorry bud, Miss Y/N is probably really busy.” You looked at the man, clearly struggling to take care of Min Jae by himself.

·“Um Mr Lee, I actually don't mind taking care of him. I'm only working at the kindergarten part-time and I've been looking for a second job for a while now. If you don’t mind, I would love to babysit Min Jae.”

·“I would normally decline but I'm really desperate now, will you do it?” you nod and you could clearly see his face ease.

·You discussed the details and you started the following day.

·You followed his exact instructions. Send Min Jae to the bus stop if needed, pick him up, either bring him out then home or hospital if told.

·Weeks later,

·Taeyong had some time to send him to the bus stop.

·As Taeyong was fixing Min Jae's coat, he told Min Jae, “Buddy, today Miss Y/N will bring you to the hospital okay? Papa wants to bring you for ice cream later.” Min Jae nodded happily and kissed Taeyong. “Bye Papa, I love you!” he waved as he got onto the bus.

·Taeyong went to the hospital and went on with his work. He went by his day with ease. Few hours later, the guys asked if he would like to join them for coffee, he agreed.

·For the first time in weeks, he could join the guys for coffee. The guys were happy to see their best friend slightly less stressed.

·“Taeyong~” he heard from behind him. It was one of the nurses who has liked him for months.

·The younger guys were all trying to hold their laugh while the older guys were smirking.

·“Oh, um hello Nurse Song.” “Oh, Taeyong! Call me Yu Jin please. Anyways, I was wondering if maybe this Friday you were-” suddenly his phone rang. “Ah, sorry Nurse Song. My son just arrived, I got to get him. Maybe some other time.” He quickly left. The rest of the guys just watched as the young lady huffed and walked away.

·He walked to the lobby and saw Min Jae and you sitting and you were reading a story to him.

·You saw Taeyong from behind Min Jae and he made a shushing gesture. You smiled and saw as Taeyong covered Min Jae’s eyes. Min Jae was squealing and giggling. “Papa!” he turned and wrapped his hands on Taeyong’s neck. Taeyong groaned a little before carrying Min Jae.

·“Thank you, Y/N. I really appreciate it.” “No problem Mr L-” “Just call me Taeyong. I don’t think you’re much younger than me.” “Well Taeyong, do you have a bit of time? I actually need to discuss something with you regarding Min Jae.”

·You both sat down at the lobby while Min Jae played at the little play area they had set up.

·“The teachers and I have noticed that he has been quieter than usual recently. Every teacher asked him why and he would just shrug it off. Today, I tried and he told me that…” Taeyong stared at you intently, waiting for an answer. “He’s worried about you.”

·“Me? Why is he worried about me?” “He says it’s because you’ve been lonely ever since… ever since his mom left.” Taeyong slumped against the chair.

·“A 5-year-old was worried about my dating life? Holy shit.” He thought.

·“I did tell him that you had him but he said you didn’t have someone like your ex-wife.”

·“Ex. We were never married.” Your eyes widen and you were going to apologize before he stopped you “It’s alright. We did want Min Jae but after a while she felt the pressure of being a mom.”

·You both sat in silence. “I didn’t know if I should’ve told you.” He looked at you “Hey, it’s okay. Min Jae’s probably just dropping hints that he wants me to go get a girlfriend.” You chuckle a little before covering your mouth. You decided it was time to leave and you said bye to both Min Jae and Taeyong.

· On the way home, Min Jae couldn’t stop talking about you and Taeyong knew Min Jae adored you very much.

·“Papa, are you free tomorrow?” he asked Taeyong. Taeyong nodded happily.

·“Can we go to the aquarium? Miss Y/N was talking about the sea animals earlier.” “Sure buddy.”

· The next day, Min Jae woke Taeyong by jumping onto him.

·*Insomniac is screaming as she writes this*

·He got up… eventually and got ready.

·They arrived at the aquarium and it was fairly empty because it was still quite early.

·Min Jae was so fascinated to see all the marine life.

·“Min Jae, what’s your favourite sea animal?” “I think mine is a sea turtle. They look like seabirds.” Taeyong laughed at Min Jae’s description of turtles. They were walking when Min Jae started giggling.

·“MISS Y/N!!!” he ran towards to you with open arms. You were squatting, trying to pick something up. The impact of his hug was so strong you nearly fell.

·You saw Taeyong run towards the both of you and he gave you his hand. You grabbed onto it as he pulled you up.

·“Fancy seeing you here.” “It was a last-minute plan.” You giggled. You squeezed Min Jae’s chubby cheeks.

·“Are you alone?” he asked you. You nodded. “I was going to take pictures of the animals to show his class.” Out of nowhere, Taeyong mustered up the courage to ask if you would like to follow them around. You happily agreed and followed them around.

·“Miss Y/N, I know how to spell manatee now! M-A-N-A-T-E-E!” “Very good Min Jae!” you clapped.

·Taeyong watched at how happy Min Jae was with you.

·You and Taeyong sat on a bench as you watched Min Jae play at the playground with other kids.

·“I’m really sorry that you have to take care of him.” “Please don’t be sorry. I asked for the job and I really love it.” “I just wish I could be there for him more often, I’m a horrible parent.” You turned to him and saw his hands covering his face. You placed a hand onto his shoulder.

·“What was his mom like?” he turned to you and smiled.

·“She… she was this burst of energy. She was so lively and wild. I thought I found the love of my life and when she agreed to have a child together, I thought she was just as excited but she wasn’t. The only times I could see her care about Min Jae was when she was posting a picture of him or when we went out. I had so many arguments with my parents about her and I was an asshole to them.” You watched as this man, you barely knew started to break down in front of you.

·“They told me to be careful. To make the right choices and to actually think if she was the woman, I wanted to spend my life with. I was so blind to see that she only agreed to have Min Jae so it could boost her fame.” Your eyes widen slightly. He gave a half smile

·“Yeah, she told me that on the night she left. She always depended on me to take care of him. Every single damn time I came home later than usual, she’ll threaten to leave me. I don’t blame her for leaving me though, I’m not the greatest lover. I would leave me too.”

·“hey, don’t say that. Being a parent isn’t an easy job. The fact that you raised and took care of that little boy by yourself while being a doctor is amazing. He has grown to be this sweet, intelligent and thoughtful boy. You did that. Don’t blame yourself for something that you couldn’t control. His mom wasn’t ready to be a mom and she was probably scared. Or she just had a tough time in showing affection. Things happen. We can’t plan a perfect life, that’s not how life works but you can make an enjoyable one. Please don’t blame yourself, Min Jae wouldn’t want you to feel that way.” You comfort and for the first time, the tables were turned.

·For the first time, someone was giving him comforting words, warmth and help.

·For the first time in a long time, he felt himself break this wall he had.

·He began tearing up, you quickly scooted close to him. You placed a hand on his back and rubbed soothing circles.

·“Thank you.” He said softly. You gave a smile and continued to comfort him.

·For as long as you’ve known Taeyong, he wasn’t a man of many words. Yes, he did hold short conversations but that was it. You’ve obviously seen this mysterious man at school, picking Min Jae up or at parent meets. Never in your entire life, did you think you’d be on that bench, comforting Taeyong.

·“Oh god, I’m sorry about that.” He sniffed. “It’s alright.” You say. He gained his composure and sat up straight. “What about you? What are the problems you’re facing?” he asked.

·It was funny, that whole situation. You only knew Taeyong as the parent of the child you’re taking care of and now you might be able to consider him as a friend.

·“Well, I live alone. My financial status isn’t bad but I still need to work a lot for bills and stuff. And I’ve been single for like my whole life??? Yeah, that’s the one.”

·Taeyong raised an eyebrow. “Is it because you’re busy or you’re picky?” you hit his shoulder lightly. “I think you can call me those few people who are afraid of love. Tell me doctor, what does romantic love feel like?” he thought about it quietly.

·“Love is… walking into the bathroom even though the other is taking a shower or on the toilet and they aren’t mad. Love is cooking together, messing the kitchen up and settling for takeout. Love is farting really loudly and not caring. Love is… knowing you can spend your life, happily with them. Having extravagant dinners for anniversaries or cup ramen with a movie. Love is simple concept but it’s the hardest to achieve. Once you do have a taste of it, you never want to let go of this precious thing.”

·“Did you steal this from the internet?” you jokingly asked. He looked at you dead in the eye. “Twitter.” Both of you burst out laughing.

·(huhu I actually thought of that, I didn’t take it from anywhere. Just needed to add some light-heartedness into the story)

·Min Jae came to the both of you and told you that he was hungry. Taeyong offered to go to their house where he can whip something up and at first you were gonna decline but you’ve seen Min Jae’s lunchbox so you said yes.

·He asked if you drove here but you told him you took a taxi. He then told you he’ll drive you to their house.

·You’ve obviously been to their apartment and clean was a freaking understatement. THE MAN IS OBSESSED WITH FEBREEZE. He has a whole stock of the cleaning product.

·you were helping Min Jae with his homework in the living room when he said he wanted to do it himself. You walked to the kitchen and saw Taeyong cutting up vegetables.

·“What are you making, chef?” you hopped onto one of their stools.

· He turned and smiled. “You’ll see~” you pout and watch as the man worked.

·“You need help?” “That would be great.” You walked over to his side.

·“Pass me the scalp- I mean knife!” you laughed. “Ahh, it’s alright. Will you need the forceps too?” you showed the thongs. He grinned and shook his head. “Not yet, I believe.”

· In the end, funny stories were told and jokes were exchanged. You helped pass him the cooking appliances. You eventually found out he was making dumplings.

·Having lunch at the Lee household was so fun. Min Jae and Taeyong were telling you of each other’s most embarrassing moments.

·“Then, Papa slipped and fell on his butt!” “Ha-ha, very funny son but remember that time your pants were on backwards and when I told you, you just told me it was ‘cool’?” You couldn’t stop laughing, the two of them were bickering as if they were the same age. Min Jae’s best friend was his dad. His role model was his dad. His everything was his dad.

·You finally left with a full stomach and some leftover dumplings Taeyong decided to give you.

·“You like her, don’t you Papa?” Min Jae asked Taeyong. Taeyong nearly spat his water. “What?” “You like Miss Y/N.” “Buddy, I like her as a friend.” “I’m giving it 3 months. If I win, you’ll get me two scoops of ice cream.” “EXCUSE ME VERY YOUNG MAN, WHEN DID YOU LEARN TO MAKE BETS LIKE THESE?” “Oh, Uncle Hyuck taught me.” Taeyong rubbed his temples. “Okay, fine deal. But if I win, I’m making your bedtime half an hour early.” Taeyong had a bad feeling about this.

·GUESS WHO WAS RIGHT LADIES AND GENTS?? OUR LIL BOY MIN JAE.

·Throughout the 3 months, Taeyong would always invite you for lunch or dinner. Normally for dinner since it’s after work and school. It was sort of a little routine you guys created without realizing.

·“Hey, you coming over?” “Duh, Min Jae said you were making Bibimbap.”

·You guys even started texting regularly. Your colleagues and the other doctors noticed the constant checking of phones.

·“Taeyong, are you seeing someone?” Johnny asked. He fumbled with his phone. “Uhm, NO. IM TALKING TO MIN JAE’S BABYSITTER.” He said. “Uhuh, you were talking to her about an hour ago too huh?” Yuta sat down with a muffin in hand. Johnny pinched a bit of Yuta’s muffin and ate the little piece. Yuta smacked Johnny’s hand when he was going for seconds.

·“I’m very protective over my little bundle of joy, okay.” The guys rolled his eyes. “When is he arriving?” “In a few minutes, you guys want to follow?” they nodded and went down.

·They waited when he saw you walking in with Min Jae. Min Jae bolted to his dad and uncles.

·“I’m going to ask Y/N something. Stay here with your uncles.” He strode over to you and you asked the usual ‘how was your day?’ question.

·“Psst, do you want to know a secret?” Min Jae whispered. The two men had to squat really low to be at the same level as Min Jae. ( i crai, two tall ass men squatting to be the same height as a 5-year-old.)

·“I think Papa likes Y/N and Y/N likes Papa.” The two of them were giggling and shoving each other.

·“BUT DON’T TELL HIM I TOLD YOU OKAY?” the two of them did the ‘zip my mouth’ gesture.

·“Are you coming over tonight?” he asked you. “As much as I’d love to, my mom is coming here to get a check-up and well, I might be going home.” “Oh well, can’t control some things, right?” he winked as he was referring to your conversation at the aquarium. You giggled and waved “Bye, you goof!” he waved at you “See you soon, dork!”

·Taeyong smiled really widely. He had begun to develop feelings for you for a while now, he just didn’t tell Min Jae because he didn’t need his already hyper son to get more hyper.

·As soon as Taeyong reached his friends and son, he knew they were hiding something.

·“What are you guys planning, hm?” “Nothing, Papa.” He looked at Johnny and Yuta and they smirked and nodded.

·When they entered his office, the rest of the guys were in there. “YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAID YOU GUYS ONLY COME HERE WHEN MIN JAE IS HERE?”

·“Dude, it’s not that. We have something to tell you.” Doyoung sai seriously. Taeyong sat at his chair and looked at all of them

·“What is it?” “Ji Won is here. She wants to see you at the café.” Taeyong stared at them then to Min Jae who was beside him.

·“Can someone stay with him here? If you do go out and bump into her, go the other way.” Johnny volunteered because Min Jae was the closest to him and he was free at the moment. After the babysitter incident, Taeyong wasn’t really comfortable with Min Jae seeing his mom just yet.

·“Min Jae, buddy, Uncle Johnny is going to stay here with you, okay? Papa has someone to see.” He kissed the forehead of his son and walked out. He expected to be nervous but for some reason, he wasn’t. he was completely calm.

·you were sitting at a table, waiting for your mom to finish her appointment. You were thinking at how much Taeyong and Min Jae had changed your dull life. Especially Taeyong. He had brought cared so much for you and he treats you greatly. You couldn’t help but fall in love with this man.

·you suddenly saw Taeyong walk pass you. You were going to say hi but you saw him go up to a beautiful woman.

·You didn’t want to look but they were close enough for you to know what’s happening.

·“Taeyong.” The woman said with a charming smile. “Hello.” Taeyong said coolly. “How are you?”

·“I’m fine.” Taeyong was really not in the mood. “Where is he?” She asked. “Min Jae is with his uncles.” That’s when it hits you, that’s his ex.

·“Can I see him?” “I’m not really comfortable with you seeing him at the moment.” “What the hell?! I’m his mother! I have every right to do so!” she raised her voice, everyone at the café was watching now. You’ve never seen Taeyong so serious. You knew he was angry, livid almost. His intention was to have a civilized conversation but once she pulled that card, he was furious.

·“You’re his mother?” he laughed hysterically before looking at her, nose slightly flaring. “What type of mother leaves her child at 2? What mother tells her partner the only reason she had her child was merely for publicity purposes? You were never there for him, for God’s sake! The only time you were was to brag at how much of a ‘good mother’ you were. He saw someone who reminded him of you and he cried. He cried because the only clear memory he has of you was your appearance and how you left him. So, don’t come strutting here and tell me you have the right to see him because you’re his mother. You don’t deserve to be called Min Jae’s mother. You have never once called to ask about him or to wish him on his birthday. Heck, I don’t even think you remember his birthday.”

·“It’s July 20th.” “It’s November 1st. Look, I don’t care if you want to see him but it’s on his own accord. I’ll only allow you to see him if he wants to see you and at this moment, I don’t think he’s ready.”

·“It’s that babysitter isn’t it?” Your head shot up. ‘UHM LADY PLEASE DON’T DRAG ME INTO THIS.’ You thought.

·“What are you talking about? Don’t bring her into this.” you were mentally thanking him. “I saw your posts. You seem to be really comfy with that babysitter. What is she? A rebound?”

·You were waiting for those words. “She’s just a friend. She’s not important.”

·But instead, you were shocked to hear “You wanna know who she is to me? A woman who actually cares for MIn Jae and me. I love her and she’s someone that makes me ten times happier then you could ever have. She’s an amazing woman and I could see my future with her. She’s the real mother Min Jae deserves.”

·You nearly dropped your coffee when you heard him say that. “HE FELT THE SAME WAY? HOLY SHJHEDUQEBQEBY” you thought.

·“I suggest you leave or I’ll call security. The next time I’ll call you is when Min Jae wants to see you, which might not be anytime soon.” He waited and soon, she left.

·he turned around and saw you looking at him wide-eyed.

·He was stuck between “HOLY CRAP DID SHE HEAR EVERYTHING?” and “I HOPE SHE HEARD HOW MUCH I WANT TO BE WITH HER.”

·You stood up and opened your arms really wide. He ran towards you and hugged you tightly.

·“Was that…” “Yeah, that was her.” “Well, you took it well.” “Y/N…” “I mean if it was me, I’d be crying.” “Y/N.” “But you were really professional y’know. Very proud of-” “Y/N!” he said.

·“I know you heard what I said.” “Did I?” you said nervously. He gave you a look. “Okay, yeah I did. Is it true?”

·“Did you really think I’d lie about how amazing you are? WHY IS IT THAT BOTH YOU AND MIN JAE HAVE NO FAITH IN ME?” you laugh at his little pouty face.

·“Yes, it’s very true. I want to be with you. I want to hear Min Jae call you Mumma or whatever you want him to call you. I want to spend my life with both of you. I-” before he could continue, you kissed him. He was shocked at first,

·It’s been a while, folks

·He wrapped his hands around your waist and kissed you back.

·Suddenly, you heard a loud scream. Both of you turned around, seeing Johnny covering Min Jae’s eyes while Taeil and Jaehyun covered Mark and Haechan’s eyes.

·“GET A ROOM YOU TWO! THERE'S CHILDREN IN THE AREA.” Taeil said. Mark and Donghyuck tried to swat their hands away but the two kept a firm grip on their faces.

·“WE’RE ADULTS, YOU OLD MAN!” Hyuck said to Taeil. Taeil merely rolled his eyes

·You watched in amusement but Taeyong was a blushing mess. “JOHNNY, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO STAY IN THE OFFICE.” “I’m sorry but HAVE YOU SEEN MIN JAE’S POUTY FACE WENT HE WANTS ICE CREAM? I COULDN’T RESIST MY FAVOURITE AND ONLY NEPHEW.” You laughed really loudly before all the guys came to you and started introducing themselves to you.

·Johnny passed Min Jae to Taeyong and Min Jae smiles at him. “Papa, you know what this means right?” “What?” “You owe me 2 scoops of ice cream.” Taeyong facepalmed but smiled because he was too happy.

· that was also the first time your mom met Taeyong. “Ahh, so this is the man you won’t stop talking about? I like him.” “MOM SKSKKKSKSSKSKSS.”

·Years had passed by and you were married to Lee Taeyong.

·you were also the proud Mumma of Min Jae.

·He proposed to you after 2 years of dating. THE PROPOSAL WAS SO CUTE HFIYRHBFIERYV

·Min Jae also started calling you Mumma after the first year of dating. Taeyong told him prior that he wanted to marry you. Min Jae’s reaction was “Wait, so Mumma is going to be my ACTUAL Mumma?” Taeyong couldn’t help but smile, “Yes buddy. She is.”

· he was really scared of loving after his ex left but after you walked in, he wasn’t anymore.

·He brought you to the same aquarium. He brought you to the penguin area, where you could pet the penguins. You were super excited. Suddenly you turned around saw Taeyong bent on one knee.

·“Taeyong…” “Y/N, I’ve been wanting to ask you something for a while now.” “Dr. Lee Taeyong, please don’t joke about stuff like this.” He laughed “I’m really serious, my dear.”

·SUDDENLY TWO PENGUINS, ONE WITH A BOW TIE AND THE OTHER WITH A VEIL WADDLED UP TO HIM WITH THE HELP OF THE KEEPERS. ONE HANDED HIM A RED VELVET BOX.

·He opened the box and revealed a beautiful diamond ring with tiny sapphires.

·“Will you marry me and be Min Jae’s official Mumma?” YOU SQUEALED AND JUMPED ONTO HIM. HE HUGGED YOU TIGHTLY AND HE SPUN YOU AROUND.

·“A THOUSAND TIMES YES!”

·The wedding was a beautiful outdoor ceremony. You had the dream garden wedding.

·Taeyong was exceptionally nervous.

·Quick reminder, Taeyong was never married! Just in case, you guys forget.

·the moment you walked down the aisle, he was already tearing up. Min Jae was standing next to his dad proudly. He whispered to himself “That’s my Mumma.”

·The wedding was amazing and you were about to leave for your honeymoon. Both of you offered Min Jae to follow but he pulled the ‘big boy’ card and the guys argued on who was going to take care of him. They all wanted to. Jaehyun won and he took care of Min Jae with his girlfriend.

·The honeymoon was amazing, he took you to the Maldives and you spent an amazing week together.

·After you came back, Min Jae was so happy to finally have a proper mother.

·You were a proud mom okay. Yelling out ‘THAT’S MY SON! GO BOO BOO!” when he scored a goal or when he was performing during a concert. Don’t worry, Taeyong didn’t stop you, he was equally as loud as you were. Heck, all of Min Jae’s uncles and aunties were his biggest supporters.

·It was a quiet afternoon and you were waiting for Taeyong to come home.

·You felt something change about you and you checked it out. The results made you shed tears of joy.

· You heard the door open and jumped up. You saw Taeyong help carry Min Jae’s baseball bat.

· “And I scored again, Papa!” “I’m really proud of you, bud!” “MUMMA!” Min Jae ran to you. You kissed his entire face. He was giggling, then he told both you and Taeyong he was going to shower.

·“Hello, love.” He walked to you and wrapped his hands around your waist.

·He kissed your forehead. You stayed like that for a few minutes before you looked up.

·“Are you tired?” “Not really.” “Honey, I have something to tell you.” “Hm?” “You can tell Johnny and the guys that Min Jae won’t be the only nephew anymore.”

·His eyes widen as he looked at you. “Love, are you…” he looked down at your belly and you nod.

·“I’m pregnant.”

Hello~ did you guys like it? I don’t actually know how the medical world works, I only know the basics. I deeply apologize if there are mistakes. I also apologise if I've offended anyone in any way.

Credits to the owner of the photo.

#nct drabbles #nct blurbs #nct scenarios #nct soft hours #nct fluff #nct imagines #taeyong #taeyong drabbles #taeyong blurbs #taeyong soft hours #taeyong scenarios #taeyong fluff #taeyong imagines

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t0ngue-tech · 4 years

Text

Sideline

“There were sparks in your eyes whenever you talked about flowers and how certain ones grow in different seasons. You were a force of nature; fearless, strong, and capable. There were so many things to love about you and Hoseok didn’t know where to start.”

↠ pure a n g s t ↞

word count: 2.9k

↠ oneshot ↞

A/N: happy early birthday to our sunshine, jung hoseok! i know angst may not be the best way to go, but i decided to write something different for him huhu. enjoy my loves!

Yellow. Pink. Hues of orange.

Warmth. The rich taste of hot chocolate on a cold night. Thick blankets. Freshly washed sheets.

There was no color in the world—no feeling that could ever describe the way Hoseok felt being around you. Fireworks were always present and the stars seemed to shine brighter every time you walked outside.

Hoseok was blessed to have known you since middle school. He had been by your side through many horrible haircuts and long nights of complaining about school work.

You weren’t a valedictorian type of student, more like a cum laude student however, you didn’t take the effort to do the work for the honors acknowledgement.

Hoseok was the opposite, so he knew he drove you crazy with the constant nagging of reminding you about certain pieces of homework or constantly going over your book reports. It was probably exhausting for you, but the way you beamed at Hoseok every time you had a high grade meant you still appreciated his efforts.

It was always an adventure being by your side. You loved to drink milkshakes at eleven in the evening; according to you, it tasted better late at night. Hoseok hated the rain, but on the contrary, you were extremely fond of it. You took every chance you had to go running out in the rain and Hoseok never hesitated to follow in suit. He also hated horror movies, pickles, and pizza crust, but because of you, he slowly learned how to tolerate all of those because they were all of your favorites.

You had an alluring luminescence about you that easily reeled people into your circle. You had a big heart; a large soft spot for everyone because you believed that everyone was a good person deep down. Hoseok loved how you smiled at everyone, how you break out into song mid-sentence, and he loved how you smelt like lavender every time you walked by.

There were sparks in your eyes whenever you talked about flowers and how certain ones grow in different seasons. You were a force of nature; fearless, strong, and capable. There were so many things to love about you and Hoseok didn’t know where to start.

Even with all of your beautiful qualities, Hoseok had to admit that there were things about you that he didn’t like.

Throughout the early years of knowing you, Hoseok watched you get your heartbroken over boys who never appreciated you. You’d question every single aspect about you when you were heartbroken and as much as he cared for you, it pissed him off.

You cared deeply for others and this meant you get hurt easily; Hoseok hated that. He hated the way your face looked when you were disappointed. When your eyes would glisten with tears, he could feel his chest cave in. He hated the way you doubt yourself, the sound of your squeaky laugh, and the way you’d hook your arm with his or how you would lean on his shoulders when you were tired. Most of all, he hated the way you say his name.

“Hoseokie!”

“Seokie.”

“Hobi, Hobi!”

“Hoseok..”

The sound of his name coming from your lips was like honey, sweet and rich. His parents, his sister, his friends, they all called on his name on a regular basis but nothing compared to the beautiful tone of your name.

But how can something so beautiful hurt so much?

↠↞

Summer break.

How could Hoseok forget the time you visited during summer break? It was impossible to forget.

Hoseok picked you up at the airport at one in the morning and the first thing you wanted was his mother’s steamed eggs and rice cake soup. By the time you both arrived, she was asleep (obviously), so you took his bed while he slept on the floor. It was a random cold summer night, but you were bundled up in warm blankets and that’s all that mattered to him.

Since summer school was in the works, Hoseok took the liberty to give you a campus tour of his university. He saved the literature wing for last because it was your major and the library on the upper floor would be your sanctuary.

What he didn’t account for was seeing a certain “shorter” friend with raven hair skimming along the tall shelves.

He didn’t want to regret walking up to his friend with you.

“Hey, Yoongi. It’s a rare sight seeing you with your head in the books.”

He didn’t want to regret introducing you to Yoongi.

“This is my friend, y/n. She’s visiting for the summer.”

He didn’t want to hear it.

“Hi Yoongi. It’s nice to meet you.”

And there it was. Honey dripping from your lips at the way Yoongi’s name rolled off your tongue.

Running into Yoongi didn’t happen that one time. Yoongi ran into both you and Hoseok at a cafe near Hoseok’s university, Hoseok introduced you to more of his friends and Yoongi was also there, and you also mentioned to Hoseok that you ran into him at the supermarket.

It’s not like Hoseok had the power to stop you from meeting Yoongi over and over again. He also couldn’t politely ask you to do such a thing because he had no authority over your social circle.

Hoseok had to stand by and watch your friendship with Yoongi slowly bloom into something new. It was torture to watch you laugh and lean against Yoongi’s shoulders when there were get togethers. You would bat your eyelashes, play with the ends of your hair, and you even invested in a new bottle of perfume that smells like toasted marshmallows; now his clothes and blanket smelt a little sweeter. All of these little things you did were a bit reminiscent of your behavior back in high school and he wished he could have forgotten about all of those things.

But how could he forget the late night conversation he had with you on his porch? It sealed the deal.

“Hoseok. I think I really like Yoongi.”

The dimness of the nearby street light shone on your face, revealing a noticeable blush.

“Really? Well, he’s a decent guy.”

The truth.

“He is, isn’t he? I’ve been hanging out with him a lot since I’ve been back. Thank you so much for introducing us by the way.”

“Of course. You two look great together.”

Lies.

Not to be selfish but, Hoseok had hoped he could spend the majority of summer break with you and that maybe within the time you spend with him you could feel something a little more than friendship.

It was a hopeless dream. It always has been.

A week before you left for the new spring semester, Yoongi had officially asked you to be his girlfriend.

It’s not that Hoseok wasn’t happy for you—of course he was happy. Maybe it was just his childish side getting to him; being a bit jealous and shit. He was in love with you for years, how else was he supposed to feel?

He was used to being in this position anyway.

All that was left was for you to send him a text or call him one day with an empty tone of voice explaining that long distance wasn’t working out anymore.

Hoseok got no such notification.

Instead, he received texts and calls from you gushing about how things were sailing smoothly with Yoongi and how he made the trip to visit you during spring break and on a random weekend. Yoongi was putting in a lot of effort for you and Hoseok was genuinely happy that there was a guy out there who was treating you like a queen.

It wasn’t long before he heard the painful words he didn’t want to hear.

“I’m so in love with him, Hoseok.”

Love.

In love with Yoongi.

You loved your exes in the past and broke up, so there had to be some “hope” for him, right?

Slowly, texts and calls from you became rare. Sometimes you’d take a few days to reply to a text and a simple how have you been conversation could take an entire week just to say I’ve been doing well, how about you.

Eventually the only way Hoseok could get updates on you was through your social media posts and according to those, you were still in a happy relationship with Yoongi.

This was for the best. It had to be. Hoseok had to let go of his first love at some point, so why was he feeling disappointed?

There was probably no hope left anymore.

↠↞

Years down the road, Hoseok found himself in love. It was a breathtaking, pinch-me-am-I-dreaming kind of love. He never thought he would ever feel this way about someone else, but Chaerin was that someone. She entered his life like a hurricane and Hoseok allowed himself to get swept away.

The sky was always a vibrant shade of blue, flowers were always in bloom, and birds only sang love songs. Oh how he wished he could have felt this a lot sooner in his life, but Chaerin was worth the wait.

Everything was going perfect for Hoseok, until one day he came home after a long day at the office. He opened the door of the apartment he shared with his lovely girlfriend and found her going through that day’s clutter of mail.

“Junkmail, junkmail, home catalog… oh, baby you have something addressed to you. It looks like an invitation? Or maybe a thank you card?”

There was a slight drop in Hoseok’s stomach and he hesitated to move closer to Chaerin because he had a good feeling as to what the contents of the envelope was. He swallowed the lump in his throat and proceeded to open the white fold of the envelope.

There it was.

“Kindly join us for the wedding of y/n and Min Yoongi--y/n? Oh my God, babe isn’t that your friend from high school?”

Chaerin knew who you were, but he didn’t have the heart to tell her anything beyond the basic information. All Hoseok could do was nod slowly and continued to read the invitation to himself. The card was printed with baby pink and gold details and he couldn’t tear his eyes away from your name. He knew you were engaged because of your social media and he paid no mind to it, but because the two of you don’t talk anymore, he didn’t expect to receive an invitation.

This was completely unexpected and it stirred everything inside of him, enticing chaos. He hasn’t seen you in years and his biggest fear was that every single thing he felt for you would come rushing back, ruining the happiness he finally had.

There was a plus one option on the reservation card and because Chaerin had no idea about Hoseok’s past feelings, she continued to encourage him to go to support you on your special day.

“Come on, honey. I’m sure y/n would be delighted to see you. Plus, it’s been a while since we’ve gotten all dressed up.”

Hoseok always imagined shaking hands with his old high school friends on his wedding day, but instead, he was doing it on your wedding day. It wasn’t just your wedding day, you were getting married to someone who wasn’t Hoseok.

Tears brimmed the eyes of guests as both you and Yoongi said your wedding vows; Hoseok’s eyes welled for a different reason.

“They’re beautiful together.” Chaerin whispered.

Hoseok held tightly onto his girlfriend’s hand and prepared for the next two words that were going to slip past your lips.

“I do.”

And that was that.

Now here he was, standing on the outside of the dance floor with his hands in his pockets. Hoseok smiled fondly at Chaerin who had a surprising reunion with a friend from college who was Yoongi’s cousin.

Just like everyday, Chaerin was as gorgeous as ever. No one in the entire room could compare to his girlfriend, but…

“Hoseokie!”

There it was.

Just like that, his entire world crumbled at his feet. After not hearing your voice call for him for what felt like an eternity, Hoseok melted into a puddle but just like how he used to, he sucked in a breath and smiled.

“Hey, congratulations.” Hoseok tried to go for a hand shake, but you hastily ran up to him and pulled him into a tight hug.

“Thank you and thank you so much for coming.” You smiled up at him with your eyes still sparkling even under the dim lights.

Please stop. Please don’t smile at me.

“Hobi, dance with me?”

The agonizing pain in his chest grew worse at the touch of your hand on his forearm. He turned to search for Chaerin who was still speaking with her friend. She met his eyes and gestured her hands in encouragement as if she knew what you asked him.

“Of course.” Hoseok breathed. “I’d love to.”

The next slow dance song played right on cue and all Hoseok could focus on was the way his shaky hands gently held onto your waist and the warmth of your hands sat at the nape of his neck. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from yours, feeling the intensity within his soul.

Time had done you well, you were still so beautiful. Your eyes still glistened the way it used to and it still had the same effect on him. Truly, Yoongi was a lucky guy. Incredibly lucky.

“So, tell me, who’s the lucky girl?”

Hoseok’s breath was caught in his throat for a moment.

“Her name is Chaerin.”

You tiptoed to take a peek over his shoulder. “She’s really beautiful, Hoseok. I’m happy for you.” You then leaned your head against his chest and swayed silently to the music.

Hoseok was sure he wasn’t in love with you anymore, but why was he feeling this way? It wasn’t fair.

“Hey,” you spoke over the music. “I really can’t thank you enough. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you introducing me to Yoongi and these days we don’t even see each other anymore. I’m so sorry.”

Please don’t thank me.

“No need to thank me, y/n and don’t apologize at all. Life got in the way too. I’m happy to see you now.” It hurt to say those words, but this was the closest Hoseok could ever be to you and he had to bear with it.

“Why don’t the four of us get together sometime for a double date?” You had the brightest smile on your face and it made Hoseok’s heartache. Did he have the heart to sit across from you with a ring on your finger and watch the love you have for Yoongi bleed out into his breathing space?

“I would love that.” He was sure his smile didn’t reach his eyes.

Why did it feel like this was the last time he would ever see you?

The song was beginning to fade out and you crept your arms around Hoseok’s neck to pull him into a warm embrace. He shut his eyes breathing in your faint lavender perfume. You were held so close to him that he could feel the slow rhythm of your heartbeat against him. Time had to stop. He wanted it to stop. Why hasn’t it stopped?

“You’ve been a great friend to me all these years, Hoseokie.” You breathed into his ear before releasing him. “I hope you know how much I love you.”

Love? No.

It wasn’t the love he wanted, but he had to accept.

“I love you too, y/n. “

You began to step away from him and Hoseok could feel the grip on your waist loosening. He wanted to hold you longer. He wanted to feel your heartbeat once more, afraid he’d forget what it sounded like when you were near him. He wanted your breath to tickle his skin and to feel the tips of your nails graze steadily against the back of his neck. The desire to be your center of attention even for a few more minutes was strong, but you were slipping at his fingertips.

With just a few more steps, you were at a foot’s distance from Hoseok and you smiled at him, fleeting away to your husband who was standing at the front of the dance floor.

Hoseok backed up, watching you throw your arms around Yoongi and rock side to side. You looked at Yoongi as if he held the entire universe in his eyes and he looked at you with just as much admiration if not more.

Now completely out of the dance floor, Hoseok still couldn’t tear his eyes away from you as you guided Yoongi towards the middle. Even with the music playing, Hoseok could hear the squeak you make every time you let out a hearty laugh. He soaked in the shape of your slim shoulders and the curve of your waist. He caught a glimpse of your perfect side profile as you turned and the twinkle in your eyes wasn’t hard to miss.

The dance floor started to fill up and just like that, Hoseok lost you in the crowd.

Standing on your sideline was where he belonged.

Hoseok was a secondary character in your life, the second lead, and the second lead never gets the main girl in the movies.

There was never room for him in your heart that way.

It was probably written in the stars from the beginning; friends from the start. His friendship with you was written with a pen and the story ended just as it started.

♡ rae jagi

#bangtan boys #bts #j hope #hoseok #j hope fic #j hope scenarios #bts scenarios #bts fic #j hope angst #bts angst #happy birthday hoseok #i love him sm #20200211 #sideline #sunshine #rae writes

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cloudyjoongie · 5 years

Text

Keeper of My Heart ( Boyfriend Jeong Yunho Imagine) FLUFF+ANGST+MOSTLY FLUFF

Hello, I am back and unfortunately, burnt out. It is only the beginning of the semester and I completely found myself having to juggle through five classes of school work (If you are a college student, I don’t recommend this) and my job. I haven’t had a great night’s sleep considering the circumstances nor days off. I’ve deleted most of social media accs and this was the only time I have had access and given myself time to let my mind just relax through this next imagine. I know I promised a Yunho imagine and I apologize for the delay. But here it is now.

If you are a struggling college student as I am, or even someone who is an unhealthy ‘booked and busy’ workaholic, you need this Yunho in your life. And please, give yourself enough time to rest through it all, but don’t quit. You can do this, whoever you are. You will see your light at the end of the tunnel (I wish that light was Ateez huhu).

---------------------------------------------------

Song Recommendation: CHILDDIAHN(차일디안) — Will You Be My Weekend (Feat. G. Nine) (Prod. KOLLOFF)

The days accompany you like oxygen. The day is for work and nights are also, well, for work. Caffeine has been a close friend at this point as you constantly glue yourself to your desk, consisting of nothing else but book over books and the continuously sickening blue light emitting from your laptop. You were tired, but there was no way sleep could get in between this; not even a nap. If you were in a 5k run, you were almost way ahead of the game than the people who were normally at the average pace. Yes, a workaholic you are, and you knew of the consequences that your body will face, but one or two sleepless nights will not matter in the long run of establishing your career. All these hard work is of great importance than you are, says your ego.

But along with your ignorance, Yunho saw that you were at the brink. He has kept a close eye on you even in days when you rejected a date or even a video call with him.

“Baby, I need to study for this exam before I go in for work.” That was all Yunho heard at the other end of the line.

At this point, even if Yunho craved for your joyous attention after all the stress that he, too, has been going through, he does not matter when he should be looking out for your health more. What kind of boyfriend would he be for not looking out for the woman he loved? The woman who is more accompanied with excessive workload than of comfort?

It was something he most loved and most hated about you: Independence. He loved that you carried yourself like the strong woman you are. It was the reason he fell for you other than the first time he saw your beauty. But if that same independence that you carried will be your downfall, then it was time for him to come into the scene.

So that night, your train of thought was ultimately disturbed when you opened the door to find a hooded man at your doorstep with grocery bags and a smile on his face. This left you confused.

“Yunho, what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be asleep for promotions right now?”

“Noona, promotions was done a long time ago. And besides, may I remind you that you have a boyfriend too?”, You smiled.

“I know, but I have to-”

“Study. I know. But study can wait. Jeong Yunho can’t.” And with that, he comes in to your room and there, he saw so much coffee cups and empty bags of chips laying on the ground. This was enough for Yunho to know that not only did you have not time for him, but you were rejecting yourself as well. Once again, you sat on your desk which defeated the purpose of Yunho coming there to bond with you.

So while you were busy on your own planet, Yunho cleaned up your place. Unbeknownst to you, Yunho was controlling himself not to burst, knowing full well in the back of his mind how important your college work was to you.

To clear the atmosphere, Yunho heated up two ramen bowls for you had the little table set for the two of you to eat. The aroma from the noodles called out to you so bad, but couldn’t bring yourself to budge.

“Noona, food is ready.”

“Go ahead, love. I’m still on this thing.”

“C’mon Noona. We have not had a date in so long. I’d love that we could do it tonight over ramen.”, you turned around with obvious irritation across your face.

“Yunho, I appreciate this a lot but my school work can’t do itself. So if you could, please go ahead without me. I will be fine.” Yunho’s eyes went slightly dark.

“I have been doing that the whole time.”, Yunho scoffed.

“Then you shouldn’t have come in the first place.” Your words came out without thought and with that, Yunho threw his chopsticks across the room. Still trying to find enough patience through controlling his breathing as he was about to get his point across the woman whose shoulder hung at her desk.

“You know what, Y/N, I have had it with staying silent and tolerating this. You have been so stubborn this past few weeks and not even to me, but yourself to. You can’t admit to yourself that you are at the brink of all this work. You can’t even admit it to me because of your godforsaken ego.” His words echoed in the room as you try as much as you can to ignore his words.

“But you know what, I don’t care anymore.", He says a little softer this time. "I don’t care about your college work, your due dates, and exams, and whatever else is occupying your time. It’s my turn to have a say in this and I am so tired. I am tired of you not looking out for yourself when that was the best thing I loved about you. You can’t even give yourself atleast a good night’s sleep. I am tired of not being able to reach out to you because you won’t let me. That is why I am here.”

You fought back the tears.

“Baby, I am tired too. I know what it is like to stress out, not having the time for yourself. Physically and mentally weak but you have to put up by having the best smile. I know what it is like. That’s why I have days and nights when I craved for your attention but you, you can’t even leave your desk and no one will stop you. I need you so much and I know you do too. But right now, I know you can do good without me, heck, you’re already great at pretending I don’t exist in your life. I miss the girl who would encourage me not to quit for anything, but if that same girl is also in need of the same help, I would gladly give my whole dedication and self to her. Because I love her so much. But she just won’t accept me because she thinks she is better off on her own.” Tears began falling from your cheeks. They also began falling from his.

“So, you choose. If you still want me in your life, if you think you are good on your own and if you no longer need me. Just say the word, I would walk out that door right now even if it will be hard for me to do so. Anyone would walk out on you right now but me, I want it to be your choice because if it were up to me, there is still hope but I’m leaving it up to you now.”

Silence filled the room. dreadfully silent and from there, Yunho knew your silence was a yes. You were always good at keeping the noise at bay if it meant that you needed to get your stuff across. It hurts for him to walk away but he was no longer needed in your space. But as Yunho was about to stand up, you started to sniffle and cry silent but loud enough for him to hear. You shook so hard and had your hands entangle in your hair. You turned from your desk with hands on your face, wet and glossy from the unending tears that came falling down. Yunho’s heart softens from the sight, that the woman he knew who was strong was now vulnerable. And there, you got up from your desk for the first time and sat on his lap as he enveloped you in the tightest and gentle way when his arms wrap around you. You kept crying as your tears fell to his hoodie, savoring the smell you missed so much and the comfort you found in his warmth.

“Baby, please don’t leave me.” You told him. and He reassures you. “I am so sorry for not being there. I am sorry for not giving you time when you needed it. You could have left me and yet you’re still here.”

“Ssh, I won’t ever leave you. not now, not ever. You are the most important person in my life right now and I love you so much. I love you too much to walk away from you. I understand you have a lot on your plate right now but I just hate that you are not taking care of yourself. You are the smartest and most hardworking person I know, but you have to learn how to rest without quitting, love. I would hate myself if something bad ever happened to you.”

"I'm so so tired. I'm stressed out and I know that you see it too. I just feel like I don't have time for anything else. That's all I know now. I'm exhausted, Yunho."

"I know, love. I know you are." He says as draws circles on your back to calm down. He kept you there till your demons are hushed and calmed down. This was the first time in a long time you both held each other so close. And once you have calmes down, you rose your head to face him with a smile on your face. And there it was, the smile that Yunho needed to ease his stress away. The girl he fell in love with and will always fall for.

“I am so goddamn lucky to have you in my life, Jeong Yunho. I don’t deserve you.I love you so much, please don’t forget that.” Yunho smiles at you and leans his forehead over yours.

“Of course you deserve me. I love you more, Y/N, always.” And with that, he angles his head as his lips closes in with yours, inhaling his exhale and vise versa. Your hands tangled with his hair and his hands tightened around your waist. your bodies became one at last after so long. Yunho lets go, leaving you breathless and slightly frustrated.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry too for yelling. I don't know what came at me."

“I missed you.”

“I missed you so much more.” You both smiled. Yunho breaks the silence.

“Now, why don’t we have a nice meal before the soup gets cold and before I square up with your desk for taking my girlfriend away from me.” You laughed and there, the two of you sat in content with the just the company of each other, not letting anything else come between the both of you even just tonight.

----

now, I want a Yunho boyfriend wth. i cry.

#ateez imagines #ateez fluff #jeong yunho #yunho imagines #yunho x reader #ateez atiny #yunho #ateez scenarios #ateez yunho

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dennou-translations · 5 years

Photo

Violet Evergarden Gaiden: Chapter 2

Please feel free to message me about possible corrections. If you can, consider supporting the creators by purchasing the official releases here.

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The girl stared up at a red brick building that had a weathercock on its top.

While the girl stood by the roadside, people incessantly entered and exited that postal company of slightly old-fashioned exterior. A young man carrying a package. A young woman holding a letter to a beloved someone under her arm.

The windows seemed already open.

Within the site, a postman mounted his motorcycle while yawning. A bewitchingly beautiful woman came after him in trots. Clicking his tongue at her as she forcefully took over the passenger seat, the youth made a face that did not seem at all dissatisfied from an angle she could not see.

Lively laughter could be heard from the balcony of the third floor. So could the voice of a young woman that was angry for whatever reason. Eventually, a man made his way to the balcony with a teacup in hand. He spotted the girl, who was nothing but a part of the cityscape, and candidly wave at her despite it being their first meeting.

After that, a young woman of lustrous blond hair revealed herself.

It was a place noisier and more valuable than what she had imagined. For the girl, that place was a dreamy one.

Firmly grasping the white dress she was clad in, she stepped forward. And, at the same time, she recited a magic spell.

As I woke up, the first thing that entered my vision were slowly descending golden curtains.

“It is morning, Milady.”

Illuminated by the early sunlight from beyond the balloon-shade lace curtains, her hair looked like it was glowing, even in my dim line of sight. Its color was comparable to the Moon, the stars and rice ears. It changed depending on the moment one gazed at it. That person herself was an elusive beauty.

The morning started out like that.

Pulling my blanket away, I sat up and reached for the chest next to my bed. The object inside it, made of nothing more than two thin glass plaques, greatly increased my field of vision. Amongst the many goods sent to me by someone who I was not yet certain if I should call “father”, my glasses were my allies. And I had one more ally as well.

“Today, you are to have dance practice after the end of lectures. Time has come for you to step into the next stage. There is nearly nothing to correct in your way of walking. Please have confidence. Afterwards, let us practice transcribing spoken material.”

A handmaiden of blue orbs that were attractive to an odd extent. No – in reality, she was not one at all. The truth was that she was an Auto-Memories Doll dispatched for my sake. But I was not supposed to let others know about it. We had to deceive everyone in the academy.

I am Isabella York. Half a month had passed ever since we started having a routine together, but I had never seen the sleeping face of the Auto-Memories Doll that went to sleep later and woke up earlier than I did.

I had heard that the property of the academy I attended had once been a rose plantation belonging to an extinguished country, which had existed in the distant past. The school where four hundred types of roses were planted was enveloped in fragrances to the point of making one cough during the warm periods of blossoming.

The ground could be seen from the schoolhouse, hidden as it was in a mountain range, but people would never be able to catch a glimpse of the building from outside. The only ones allowed to live there inside of secluded rooms were young women and handmaidens that had permission to stay for a fixed period alone. What protected the ladies like a knight was a tall fence that blocked the air from the outer world. It surrounded and enclosed the school building. Those allowed to enter were solely relatives, future fiancés and teachers.

Amongst the teachers, there were no males. It was essentially a girls’ garden. A life completely packed within a box, in which we were not permitted to return home once we enrolled, except during long-term vacations.

The circumstances of the students varied, but they consisted of those meant to take a social position of high status or settled to marry someone with said position eventually. If I were to say it, I was probably the latter. I had a negotiation and made an agreement with my father to sell over the whole rest of my life. Being thrown into such a school had unmistakably been the result of him wanting me to be polished into a fine product.

“What color of ribbon will it be?”

Right now, she intended to turn my wine-red hair into tight and firm braids. Reflected in the dresser mirror, she and I wore the same uniform. It was a pure white cape over dark blue one-piece, white socks and red shoes. The ornaments specified by the academy were all items that made perceivable the excellence of their quality.

“Red...”

Her fingers, all the while covered by long white gloves, tied the ribbon for me.

Every now and then, a creaking mechanical noise would ensue. Since she and I were sleeping in the same room with our beds next to each other, I knew that the cause of said noise were her prosthetics. I quite liked the sound. I believed it to be a part of her robot-like self that had a hint of humanity. The meaning of those words was contradictory, but that was it.

Once both of the three-strand braids were done, I turned around and said, “You... always wear your hair like that, huh?”

Looking at my reflection in the mirror, she nodded pointedly.

That type of braiding did not seem like something I could possibly do. It did not dishevel no matter how much she moved around the whole day, so it was probably a well-thought hairdo. But the way it looked when loose was more charming. If I were to talk about her slovenliness before going to sleep...

I fleetingly glanced outside the room’s window. There were still only a few students heading from the dormitory to the school building. I then stood up from the chair that I had been sitting on and went around to behind her. While laughing at how wary she became of her back, I eased her with a, “there, there” and made her sit down. And so, I undid her perfect braiding.

“Hum, Milady. That would be troubling. You will not make it in time to the morning lessons.”

“It’s okay. You know, I used to be... a pro at braiding my little sister’s hair. I can do it quick. Your hair feels like velvet to the touch... Seems like it would sell for an expensive price,” vile thoughts made their way out of my mouth accidentally.

Letting me do as I pleased, she furrowed her brows. “You will sell it?”

“Huhu... I won’t.”

I earned a slightly pleasant feeling from her face, expressionless by default, clouding over.

“Everyone at my workplace tells me to ‘keep it long’.”

“That’s right. I also think so. See, while we were talking about that, I finished it.”

It was a very simple pair of braids. Wavy streaks dangled as traces of the hair that had been braided on the spots a little above her ears. Her adult-like impression had faded off quite a bit.

“How is it?”

“I have the feeling that it appears childish.”

“Is that so? I think it’s cute, though... Then, I’ll make these into buns... Look, it’s a sheep-horn hairstyle.”

“It does not go well with the uniform.”

“Indeed, this chaste-looking dress is too much for a cheerful head. What should I do?”

“Milady, you are playing with me, are you not?”

“So I got caught?”

“Please stop fooling around. Also, I have told you this numerous times, but please use proper obligatory language. All right?”

She was inexpressive and hard to read, but it seemed I had angered her. I would meekly say “yes” only at times like those, but other than when we were alone together, I did not intend to fix that. Because it would be suffocating.

In the end, we ran out of time, so she wound up accompanying me with her hair untied.

From what I heard later on, she apparently did not quite like to have her hair down. According to her, that was because it could hinder her field of vision if the wind blew and cause grave accidents when she was doing something.

Going by that logic, I felt that having a hair so lengthy was not a good thing in itself, but it matched her, so there was no helping it. The opinions of the people from her workplace added up to it as well. Even I wanted to tell her to keep it long.

Strangely enough, even though she was the kind of person that did not seem to need others, she made others feel like they should not leave her on her own. I was a little jealous of that.

“Milady, a daughter of the York household cannot be tardy by any means. Please hurry.”

Mixing with the students that rushed to the school building, we walked through a red brick path.

The school building was far from the dormitory. But that path was surrounded by trees and flowers and extremely lovely. Since I had been raised in a land of greenery, it made me want to stop and stare.

“We’ll get scolded by the nuns if we run.”

“Then, let us go at a fast pace.”

“Ahahah, what’s up with that?”

She pulled my hand and trotted. While looking at her, I was thinking.

——Just how many people in this world wouldn’t think of me as someone of no importance?

I pondered on that while racing up. Nobody but my little sister came to mind. However, she was only a three-year-old toddler.

She would call for me with a, “hey, hey” without ever having pronounced my name properly.

As I did not want to supply my musings with her, I said to the one in front of me, “Hey! How about we don’t go to class but to some other place?”

I wondered what she was doing now. Wondered if she was not hungry.

“To where?”

My adorable little sister. Her sweet voice was sometimes irritating, sometimes endearing.

“Doesn’t matter! Let’s go together... The weather is so good.”

She had marigold-colored, fluffy and curly angel-like hair. There was a softness to her puffy cheeks.

“I wanna go somewhere. It would be reassuring if I were with you.”

All of it was nostalgic.

“We cannot leave this academy, Milady.”

All of it was nostalgic.

“We cannot go anywhere.”

Those words froze my heart, and I ended up halting in my tracks.

She was merely stating the truth, so she was not at fault for anything. She was not at fault.

“You have to lie at times like these. Be nice.”

Yet I wound up accidentally speaking in a thorny way.

She soon uttered an, “I am terribly sorry” and deeply lowered her head. I felt displeased. That was wrong; it was not what I had been after.

It was not as if I wanted to make use of my position to stand above like that.

“Hm-hm, I was the one in the wrong just now. Sorry.”

I had just wanted her to treat me as a friend.

Once I drew her hand closer, I rested my head on her shoulder. Mutely, I was requesting her to pat my head. No, it might be that I was wishing for us to be something like lovers.

Perhaps she had already grown used to that, as she caressed me with her artificial arm even without me saying anything. The students passing by were looking at us. There would probably be rumors about us again. That the daughter of the York house and her handmaiden had an unusual relationship.

Whatever. As of now, I did not need any allies other than her.

“Miss York. Wouldn’t you have a meal with us sometime?”

In the academy, where one’s surname was their own name, I was well-known as “Miss York”.

It seemed that, when traced back, the York family came across the lineage of some royal household. If I was certain, it was Drossel or something.

In my first encounter with the person who had been assigned as my handmaiden role, she had explained to me that she had been introduced to Drossel as well. I had thought she was an uncanny beauty during the first time we had met. Since she was so dear to me now, the so-called human emotions were unbelievable to me.

To bring back the subject, it appeared that the fact the York house had relations to a royal family was superb, but was getting involved with me something so highly honorable? Maybe because of that, fellow classmates I was not very well-acquainted with would often come talk to me. Like, “Won’t you affiliate with the Salon?”. Or, “I want to be your friend”. Or, “My father is in your father’s debt”. They would one-sidedly grant me information. Even though I would never ask them anything along the lines of, “please tell me about it”.

Meaning that forming a connection with me equaled increasing the prestige of my classmates’ statuses.

——My, my, even if the social positions change, the true nature of people stays the same.

I looked at her and nodded. Just smiling would not earn me anything. To be honest, I was not allowed to talk much.

“My apologies. It seems that Milady would rather refrain from it this time.”

That was because, if I were to speak carelessly, the crude part of me would end up exposed. Until I was done with my “education”, she would act as my representative for all sorts of matters. As a rule, we were only allowed to bring in handmaidens for three months after enrolling into the academy, so from that point onward, I would have to do everything by myself.

“You declined it last time saying the same thing.”

Which was why I would steal and copy the ways of dealing with those kinds of situations from her, my mentor.

“Milady’s body is not stout, and she has been living her girlhood being able to spend a large amount of time by herself. She is not accustomed to life in an organization. She soon becomes feverish from talking with strangers. If you could wait for now until Milady becomes familiar with the academy routine... We know the names and pedigree of people who have come talk to her. She will most likely be the one making invitations eventually.”

“I-Is that so? Then it’s all right. Well, Miss York, good day to you.”

That was a perfectly lady-like manner of refusal, which did not cause either us or the other party to lose face. The refused classmate also did not seem to have taken it with ill intent. She quickly left together with other friends.

“What should we do now?”

It was a rule that the entire school body had to eat at the cafeteria. The atrium-like structure of said cafeteria, which also had terrace seats, bore an air of spaciousness. Even if all three hundred students and the whole academy’s staff had a meal together at the same time, it possessed more than enough seats to accommodate them.

Depending on the time of the year, seasonal events were held there as well. From that point on, the place would be prepared for a ball. I had to get ready for it too. I did not want to, though.

“Milady, what will you be eating?”

“I’m troubled. I feel like having noodles today.”

Each of us had to order our meals out of a predetermined menu to the personnel. I would have fun ordering different things each time, but in the end, I settled for eating a rich noodle soup with plenty of seafood that she recommended me. Since Auto-Memories Dolls journeyed around the world, they were knowledgeable of the noted products and delicacies of given regions. Noodles had a flavor worthy of praise. She said so upon making the decision, putting tealeaves mixed with rose petals into a pot, and I wondered if she was not going to eat anything solid, or even a single bread.

“Don’t you get hungry like that?”

“I have a meal box with me.”

She finished eating in a matter of few seconds, commenting on my aspect and my attitude regarding my surroundings while drinking the black tea afterward. I had not asked about her personal history, but her actions were just like that of the bodyguards who would be around my father. They ate extremely fast as well. They would do so because they could not grab their weapons fast enough while eating. I also ate fast. In my case, it was because I used to live in an environment where I had no idea when I would be able to get food again if I did not eat on the spot.

I suppressed my wish to take the dish in my hands and drink the remainder of the soup with big gulps, scooping it with the spoon. As I ate, I noticed that she had been observing one point all the time. There was a girl coming towards the direction past us in a hesitant pace after having placed post-meal cakes and tea on a tray.

——Uwah, seems like she’ll drop it.

In the instant I thought that, the girl stumbled over nothing. The fact there existed a girl who could trip so prettily in a way that could be called exhilarating was startling even. I could easily imagine the disaster that would be brought about. I readied myself for the three types of cake flying towards me as I squeezed my eyes shut.

However, no matter for how many seconds I braced myself for that reality, the future I had predicted did not come.

As I fearfully opened my eyes, which had been firmly closed, there she was, embracing the girl’s waist with one hand and holding the tray with the other. Although some of them collapsed, the items that had flung midair were secured.

“Are you all right?” She, whose background was unknown and who frequented the academy by playing the role of my handmaiden, displayed wonderful gentlemanly manners.

“Y-Yes...” The cheeks of the girl who had been safely secured along with the cakes were tinted pink.

I was jealous that she was able to look into those blue orbs and be talked to with that skylark-like voice from a very near distance. It seemed many people thought the same, for shrill voices rose from somewhere.

“Let us be careful and go to your table together. Milady, I will leave you for a moment.”

I nodded elegantly, gesturing lightly for her to take care of it. Although it was rude of me, if I were to describe the nervousness of the girl being escorted by her, who walked so gracefully, it was laughable. There was no helping it.

Within one month of attendance, she would occasionally be assisting people, just like me. There was no end to the students who idolized that courteous style in addition to her appearance, voice and way of carrying herself. How could I put it? Perhaps she was a person who could easily... become someone admired in a girls-only garden. Her looks were of an incredible beauty, but the inside was manly, so to speak. No, it was a bit different from that. She had a firm core and was worth being relied upon. Seemed cold but was kind. Gave off a feeling of absolute reassurance. Her figure as she always stood reserved by my side at a reasonable distance was almost like that of a knight.

Yes. Everyone wanted to be protected. Not from a specific foreign enemy, but from the many sorts of uncertainties that we shouldered.

Due to that, I had known for a long time now that she was secretly referred to as “Lady Knight Princess”.

“That is it for the review of today’s class... Now, then, I would like to start dance practice.”

The lessons of the day generally ended at dusk. Afterward, as a rule, we would go back to our room and redo the contents of the classes. After all, I had never received tuition that could actually be called an education. There were many things I did not know. She had been the one dispatched to me also so that I could take lessons in secrecy with the best teacher and cover up the gap between myself and the other students.

Our contract period was of three months. We had twenty days left. I would have to go through self-studies from thereafter. I could manage my lessons even through self-study, but I could not do that about conversational skills, manner of carrying myself or dancing. The fact that she had a relation to Drossel had been the main cause behind her selection, but there were other reasons.

The person who had invited her had been a caretaker of the royal family that did the so-called role of wet nurse, and she seemed to have detected a talent for lecturing in the latter back when she had previously hired her as Auto-Memories Doll. Had she served as mediator by saying that there was a fine and capable person around just when my father had been contemplating about whom to have for teaching such a toilsome girl in secret? I had no idea if that woman knew of my true circumstances, but I believed she had made a superb decision.

Amongst Auto-Memories Dolls, there were many who had received lady-like education and who were young girls, on top of that. It was also easy for them to infiltrate as handmaiden. Had it been a private tutor that just graduated from college, there was a possibility that she would be too old, and more than anything, it was not as if she would be extensively refined. Thinking that way, it maybe could be said that the so-called Auto-Memories Dolls were lady role models who would not cause embarrassment no matter where they turned in. It probably depended on each person, though. At the very least, she was qualified. I was not one to talk, but I had a feeling that she was used to dealing with troublesome people.

I let out a heavy sigh. “Are we seriously gonna do this? I’ll... definitely end up stepping on your feet.”

“It is not a matter of being able to do it or not; it is an indispensable element that you must see to,” she told me flatly as I expressed objection with my sharp tongue.

“Lady Knight Princess, you’re scary.”

“Did you say something just now?”

With an icy gaze directed at me, I rapidly shook my head left and right. “No... I didn’t, I didn’t. Is it okay if we do it wearing the uniform?”

“You should actually wear a dress... but Milady’s dress is not ready yet, so we shall do it like this until it arrives. I will do the male role. Your right hand...”

I was delighted only about holding her hand. I fixed my posture according to what she said.

“The next event is called a ball, but it is a dance party. There will be no problems if you so much as learn the most basic steps of waltz. I believe it is all right not to adhere too much to formalities. The goal is to enjoy it while chatting with your schoolmates. Milady, in order for you not to be troubled when you receive invitations, I shall have you perform both the male and female roles.”

Her hands rounded my back and our bodies came closer at once. My chest that particularly did not form a cleavage and her chest that looked slender under clothing touched, and my cheeks unwittingly grew red. Then I closed my eyes.

“What is the matter?”

“I thought you were gonna kiss me.”

“May I ask why you thought so?”

“Somehow... When bodies are so close together, don’t you feel like doing it?”

“I do not. I will not.”

Being taught by someone with not seem to have a single ounce of sexual desire withered my will as well. Reluctantly, I decided to take the dance lesson seriously.

“The natural position is not to stand straight forward but to turn half of your body to the side a little... Yes, and with my hand touching the area of Milady’s shoulder blade. The elbows must not shake. They tend to shake as we move, but have a horizontal line in mind.”

It was quite difficult to bear straightness in mind. It made me aware of how loose a posture I normally had. My body trembled just from maintaining my pose.

“This is difficult.”

It was difficult enough for me to become coquettish from all the long sighs and agony.

“Accustom yourself to it. Let us repeat the same movement... Milady, please entrust yourself with the male role as we progress. Protecting your aide in a venue where other people are dancing as well is the male role. Leave your body to me... If you do not do so, I cannot protect you whenever it might seem that someone will bump onto us.”

“I kinda... wanna move with more vigor.”

“No can do; please feel my movements... match my breathing.”

“I feel like... my breathing will stop. It really is excruciating, like my body is strained.”

“It will soften with time. Do it slowly in no hurry.”

If I were to describe her teaching, it was as though only the “stick” part had been extracted from “carrot and stick”.

I was exhausted from fatigue just by doing that for ten minutes. Perhaps because I had continued to do it with my neck bent backwards, the muscular pain soon started acting up. I had completely grown sick of dance by break time.

Rolling onto my room’s bed, I hugged my pillow and shouted, “I wanna do something more fun!”

As I flailed my legs to express displeasure, she repressed me without a moment’s delay, “Your underwear is visible.”

Try as I might, it appeared that dancing did not suit me.

As I briefly raised my face, she was staring down at me with a look that obviously seemed to say, “You are such a troublesome person”.

I yelled angrily in defiance, “I can’t do everything as smoothly as you! You and I are different!”

“‘Different’?”

“That’s right! Different in any and everything... You’re unfair...”

The difference was enough to go beyond making one feel jealousy and led them to the point of desistance.

“Aren’t you so blessed?”

She was a pretty, intelligent and proud professional lady who could go anywhere. That was the opposite of me, who was henceforth merely going to be polished and sold off as the commodity so-called “woman”. I was living in order to be eventually delivered to some old man who I had no idea how many years would be apart from me in age with a ribbon wrapped around me. As for her... I did not know what she was living for but she was able to make all sorts of decisions by herself.

I could not choose anything on my own anymore. Because I had made a big choice once.

“Milady.” She sat on the bed and nestled close to me. Then slowly pulled away a tuft of hair that had stuck to my mouth with her artificial fingers.

Was the fact that she had started giving me a mellow look only at times like those despite being expressionless all the time a proof of intimacy from spending the past couple of months with me? Or could it be...

“I have tired you out a bit...”

...a technique of hers? She was truly, truly... extremely kindhearted every now and then. She was being that gentle to me because she was paid to, but even so, such gentleness could become a habit. I decided to view her in a way that left me pondering over how that was surely the reason why she was famous in the Auto-Memories Doll business.

“My deepest apologies for making you force yourself too much.”

She made people mistakenly feel almost as if they were more special than anyone else. Even someone like me.

“I will bring hot water. Please go heal your exhaustion with a bath.”

Even though she was being unreasonably told off by a selfish mistress, she did not give the slightest sign of irritation. I could not imagine her being angry, but there was a limit to how much one could bear up with in that situation. I felt like she had grown weary of me, like she had given up on me, and became anxious.

“H-Hey.” As if working on automatic, my hand moved. “I’ll go too.” I grabbed the hem of her skirt and sat up.

“Milady. The buckets are heavy for you to carry.”

“I don’t wanna make you carry it alone.”

“Milady, all you have to do is to act lady-like.”

“I will, I will. I’ll become the Milady that you want in front of everyone. But, when we’re just by ourselves...”

Maybe because I was making such a desperate face, her eyes softened a little. “Understood.”

We did about three round trips to fill my gold cat-leg porcelain tub with seethed boiling water for a hot bath and finally finished collecting the heated water. There was a large bathtub in the dormitory that everyone used collectively, but we did not fancy it. Her arms were prosthetics, and I did not want her to reveal her naked body to other people either.

As she was about to exit the bathroom with a, “Well, then, take your time”, I detained her. “Let’s go in together.”

“No, thank you.”

“If you only go in after I leave, the water will have cooled down.”

“I do not mind.”

“I’ll be happy if you go in with me.”

“Milady, I am not here to make you happy.”

“We always repeat this dialogue, but in the end, you lose your wit, so just agree upright.”

Silence.

I had complete grasp of how weak she was to pressure.

While it seemed like she wanted to say something, she uttered, “No helping it. However, please stop staring fixatedly at me when I am undressing. Please do not try to touch me without permission, either. I will quit this job the moment that any inappropriate actions take place.”

I regretted not being able to hide my ulterior motives.

We immersed ourselves in the bathtub side by side. Although the tub was wide, it was narrow for two people to go in. She sat on the edge so as not to let her prosthetics touch the heated water to the best of her abilities, while I had my knees folded inside the tub.

It was quite difficult not to stare up and down at her as she wiped her body with a cloth soaked in warm water. Unlike me, who had never done physical exercise, she had a toned body. The glossiness of her skin had a pearly gleam. She herself was the copy of a heavenly nymph from some painting. I believed that no one would manage not to pay attention to a woman with such a beautiful naked figure, regardless of gender.

I brought up a subject as naturally as I could, “By the way, that girl... called you over at the end of class by the school building’s entrance, right? See, the one who stumbled magnificently during lunch break.”

“Aah... My apologies for leaving your side that time.”

“That’s fine. But didn’t she do anything weird to you?”

“She was not the kind of person who coaxes others into kissing like Milady does.”

I wondered if I was the most dangerous person in her perception.

“Right, right... She gave me something in a wrap back then as gratitude. Those things that serve for applying color to nails... were they called ‘nail polish’? There were countless types of them in it. But I am reflecting on how to use them since my hands are prosthetics.”

Her prosthetics impressively started from around the area of both her shoulders. They gave off the impression of being fake. Perhaps because of that, her humanness was indistinct. She really did seem like a mechanical doll. Of course, the flesh part of her was extraordinarily sensual and overflowed with charm, though.

Under what sort of circumstances had she become like that? Had her arms been severed, had they rotted and fallen off? Her visible scars were not only those. From neck to toes, big and small scratches could be faintly spotted.

“Is that so...?”

The war had ended just a few years before in our continent. Even without asking about her past, I somehow could guess it. In reality, arms of white and smooth skin had used to exist there just like her other parts. Even she, who could not be said to have the body of an adult, was supposed not to like the fact that her arms had been turned into artificial ones.

That was why I said especially lightly, “I’ll paint your toe nails. When we get out of the bath. You already received it... so it’s better to wear it for that girl’s sake. She might have been happy just from you accepting it, though.”

“Milady...” She firmly squeezed her lengthy blond hair, water drops spilling from it. “Milady, you have not asked me about my arms even once.”

The droplets that fell down with dripping noises looked like hourglass sand. They made me conscious of my remaining time with her.

I approached her side and smiled. To express that molesting her was not what I intended to do, I raised both of my hands once. On top of that, I placed my cheek over her knee. It gave off the lukewarm feeling of a human being. I had imagined she would have the tender skin of a girl, but that was not the case.

“You also haven’t asked me where or how I was living before becoming the daughter of a big-name millionaire.”

Since I was in love with her, I did feel like monopolizing her future, past and present. But people had things that they did and that they did not want to talk about. I was not very smart, yet I was aware of that much. Because it was valid for me as well.

No matter what happened, I did not want to tell her about my past.

That night, we went to sleep after having painted our toenails with matching colors of nail polish.

I had a dream. A dream about my little sister. I was eating pancakes with her. It was in some place that I did not recognize. A simple wooden house... the kind of home that people would use to describe a happy household.

We had never eaten pancakes during the time we used to live together, so that might have been a manifestation of my desire. The desire of just eating something tasty with my little sister.

She could not properly hold onto the spoon yet, so I was feeding her. In the dream, we had poured plenty of honey and cream onto the pancakes and decorated them with cherry crowns. When I asked her if it was yummy, she beamed and nodded. I was so, so happy with that smile...

And then I woke up.

Overcome as I was with a feeling of great joy that exceeded any pleasure and drug, I could not suppress my tears and coughs. I wiped my snot and tears with the sleeve of my negligee. It was not as if I wanted to cry.

Still, though, what a useless body function. Tears did not serve any purpose. I knew with all of my being that no one would help me out even if I wailed.

Unable to bear lying on my side, I sat up. The disease was more agonizing if I stayed laid down. Rubbing my wheezing chest, I desperately attempted to hold back the coughs.

That disease had afflicted me ever since meeting my father, but it was no thread to my life. It was just that the coughs were painful.

I wondered why that was happening. I was supposed to be happy right now. Yet my body complained about how unlucky and tormented it was.

I had made a choice. For that child’s sake, I could do my best at anything. I had honestly thought that I would be able to endure anything. I had been confident that such feeling would not fade no matter how many cold nights I had to live through. That did not change even as of late, where my situation was different.

——Still, why am I feeling so pained?

“Milady,” a clear voice echoed throughout the bedroom that was enshrouded in night.

My shoulders flinched as I turned my face towards the bed next to mine. I wondered for how long she had been awake, for she was looking at me. Her blue eyes were like candlelight in the slightly dark room.

“My cough won’t...”

“I will bring you water.”

“It’s fine, no need. It’s useless...”

“Then I am going over there.”

She came to my side before I asked. Gathering her own pillows and cushions from the sofa, she piled many of them up. As she placed them at my back, I was able to find a comfortable position even while seated. She also sat close to me, the two of us sharing a blanket. When I stretched out my hand, she held onto it.

“Isn’t it hard for you to sleep if you can’t lie down?”

“I can sleep anywhere.”

“You have an awful job, huh? Even though you’re just an Auto-Memories Doll... you gotta spend three months with someone like me.”

But it was just for a bit more.

“There is no good or bad when it comes to work. Besides, my holding of Milady’s hand right now is not my duty.”

My time with the only person who acted as ally in my academy life full of lies was scarce.

“Yup.” I rested my head on her shoulder. “Hey, you’re nice... but why?”

“What might you mean?”

“Y’know, you’re normally strict... but you’re super nice at times like these, right? Why? Even though I was pretty disgusting. From the very start, you always...”

“‘Disgusting’...?” As if not understanding what I was talking about, she had a question mark overhead.

“Didn’t I tell you when we first met? ‘I have no intention to get familiar with you. So don’t talk to me about anything other than the bare minimum needed for my tuition’.”

Back then, I had been tossed into in a world I did not know, so every person that I saw used to look like an enemy to me. I had convinced myself that such a brazen beauty who had come over at an expensive price was also unmistakably scorning at me on the inside.

“You indeed told me so. I was doing just as you ordered until half the way.”

“Haha, because I took that order back... I am... horrible. You’re... nice...”

It had happened a week after enrollment, in the middle of the night. I had had a coughing fit due to emotional vertigo just like now. I remembered that she had reacted fast and raised her body. For a while, she had watched over me from the neighboring bed as I coughed. As she had merely stood observing, I had resented her, thinking about what a terrible person she was.

——I don’t have a single ally.

It was not as if I had been drunk on tragedy. But I had been unable to think anything other than that. Firmly suppressing tears, I had coiled up.

——I won’t lose; I can’t stay weak like this. I got this cough because my feelings are feeble.

Despite my self-scolding, the cough had only worsened and did not get better. Although it was apparently an illness called asthma, there was no specific medicine for it. I could only wait for it to subside.

——It’s hard to breathe and there’s nothing I can do.

I had been on the verge of going crazy.

——I wanna sleep but I can’t.

Even as I closed my eyelids and nodded off, the coughing had prevented my sleep. Just as I had been about to scream from that vicious cycle, I felt someone’s touch against my back. My body had then convulsed with a start. I had never experienced someone doing something like that for me.

When I bent my neck to look behind, I had found her mutely stroking my back. Albeit not saying anything, her gaze had seemed worried. She had carried on caressing my back. Our eyes had met in the darkness, and she had opened her mouth once but then closed it. I had wondered why. Finally, I had realized it.

——Aah, it’s ‘cause I...

It was because I had told her not to talk. Like a machine, she had been faithfully following what I had said. That had probably been the reason why she had not asked if I was all right... Because I had ordered so myself.

I had thought she was a terrible person.

——I’m the one who’s terrible.

I had lay face-down, hiding my tears and letting her do as she pleased.

——I’m all about myself, but this person is...

Her hand had never stopped.

Was I not actually the one being terrible to the world? Suddenly, that thought had crossed my mind. Because, see, I was supposed to be an unpleasant mistress from her point of view, yet she worried about me. She had been supposedly sleepy too. Saying that having to spend three months beside a cocky and unrefined little girl was some sort of punishment could not be considered a joke. Even so, she was kind.

——She’s nice.

Only when I was by her side could I think slightly gently of the world. I could feel that I was being taken care of. Just a little bit, my existence shone. In the world I so rejected, for the first time, I had been able to breathe in properly.

After that night had passed, I had remade my request to her. I had told her that, if she could, I wanted her to talk to me normally as a fellow girl who was close to her in age.

“I am nice...?” As expected, she remained with a questioning expression. It seemed she had no intention to do that.

I looked at our matching toenails as our feet peeked out of the blanket and laughed, “You are.”

“Is that so? I am merely copying it. One time, when I was injured, the person who was with me left cushions for me like this so that the wounded part would not hurt. Thanks to him, I was able to sleep well that day. There was also a time when I got a fever from overwork, and he woke up many times at night to give me water.”

Since she had been treated kindly, she would mimic it in a similar situation, was what she was saying.

“I see.”

I wondered how many people on this earth could manage to do that. How many of them understood the real meaning behind the merit of doing it.

“Milady, if you cannot sleep, shall we talk about constellations? I am always studying them.”

People cared mostly about themselves.

“‘Kay.”

Even being affectionate with others involved calculations and profits.

“Then, let me tell you about the anecdote of the twin stars that twinkle in the night sky at this time of the year.”

They were properly able to comprehend the wonderfulness of natural kindness only after getting hurt a lot.

“‘Kay.”

I wanted to become strong, I thought.

I wanted to have a soul that would stand tall no matter what winds and waves came at me. I wanted a heart of steel that would not budge, regardless of how much my sadness and loneliness attempted to kill me. Also, I wanted to accept several matters and be kind to people.

I believed that surely her gentleness seeped so deeply into my flesh and bones was because she had been hurt in an equal amount. There were numerous scratches carved into her body. Were they not the same as the wounds in her heart? It was precisely because she was someone who had been hurt that her kindness was different from other people’s.

I did not want to forget the emotion I was having at the time. That was what she made me feel.

Quick, quick, turn.

We repeated dance practice over and over, and when the day of the ball arrived, a package was delivered to me. It had a mail in the name of my father.

Countless large boxes were stacked in a corner of my room. Jewels, dresses and high-heel shoes revealed themselves as we unwrapped their cute casings. A part of them was for her as well.

Upon looking at the postal agency covering letter attached to the baggage, she made a face as though she were suppressing a sneeze.

“What’s wrong?”

“My dress was sent from my company’s president... so the one who delivered it to the academy’s gates was most likely a postman that I know. There is a scribble here.”

On the covering letter was the name of the postman, and next to it was a smile mark that seemed to have been drawn by a child. There was a speech bubble coming from the scribble, and on it were written the words “You playin’ around?”.

“What does this mean?”

“I imagine he wants to say, ‘hurry back home’.”

“That so?”

“My original occupation is ghostwriting, after all. The reason why I took on this job was that I received an invitation from the Drossel Kingdom, which has deep-rooted connections with the York household. Milady, this is a topic unrelated to you, but ever since being hired by them previously, I have received several job proposals... Even for a postal company, turning them down was a tough demand. As a request from the president, I am now here like this, but I myself have never been away from the agency for this long. It is also difficult to keep in touch with the outside world in this place, so I cannot report to them on a fixed term. This letter is probably his own way of showing concern.”

Her voice resounded more gently than usual as she spoke. The facial expression of just now might have been her biting back a smile.

——I see, so there are other people like this?

If it were I of until a while before, my head would have surely filled up with jealousy. But after three months had passed, I had come to know what sort of person she was, and had come to know myself through her. The values of the human being that I was had reformed but a little.

There had not been much change in her expression, but she seemed happy, so I was happy too. Of course, I felt loneliness as well.

“Hey, you leave today, right?”

“Yes. Our contract will terminate as soon as the ball ends. I will depart tonight.”

“Then, let’s have lots of fun together... in the ball,” I forced a laugh.

——Just a bit more left. I want the figure of myself that will stay within you to be something joyful.

“Well, then.”

——Because I’m fond of you. So I want you to place me in your good memories. Even if I don’t become a part of your life, even if you forget me, even if I’m the only one who will remember, I want to make a little effort. For both the girl I like and the little sister I love, I want to be something good. I want to remain as something good.

“Could you escort me?” I stretched out my hand and said so as a joke, yet she all too seriously nodded, raised one leg and kneeled down on the spot.

“With pleasure, Milady.”

Even though she was called “Lady Knight Princess”, there was no helping her coolness.

My fingerless gloves were made of black lace embroidery. Bijou straps held my slender heeled shoes.

I did not need my glasses. I had an escort, after all.

I placed a wreath woven with fresh flowers on my hair. My pastel pink square-neck satin dress, which seemed to make a laughable appeal to cuteness, was as light as a feather. A red panier that looked like piled-up roses was visible from underneath the ankle-length hem.

Since I had only ever dressed modestly in the academy, the schoolmates I passed by whispered something at the discrepancy of impression that I brought about. No, perhaps it was not me. The person that they were supposedly spreading rumors about was someone else.

“Everyone’s looking at you.”

Her high-neck dress tightly buttoned up to her collar did not allow any distracting exposure. It was a full-fledged protection so-called a long-sleeve robe. I wanted to commend the sense of the person that had chosen it. It concealed her arms of artificial mechanism in a splendidly elegant way.

“Is there anything strange about it?”

“No. It means you’re pretty.”

“But everyone is dressed-up.”

“You’re the prettiest of all.”

Decorated with a braid, her long, long golden hair cascaded down from one side of her face. Seen from behind, her figure was most charming. Like stars, there were rose adornments here and there on her hair and dress. She herself was looking slightly doubtful, but her beauty was one that could be observed forever.

The cafeteria had its appearance transformed and turned into a ball venue. Said venue, covered with white and blue glitter markings, was like a world made of night skies. Silver balloons flew and spread around over the atrium ceiling. Arranged on countless interconnected long tables were various delicacies that displayed the prowess of the academy’s cooks.

From meat dishes to fish dishes, one could eat gems of rich hues at the buffet. An overwhelming sense of presence wafted from cupcakes and cookies lined up in rows, which had icing applied even to their insides.

It seemed that the table coordination plan was committed as well. Flowers decorated the teacups, candlelight wavered from within glass blows and all glasses had chiffon ribbons tied around them.

“Sublimely expensive, huh. Almost like a wedding ceremony. I’ve never attended one, though.”

Should a land of dreams exist, I wondered if it would feel like that.

Unlike me, who was nervous from being at my first time in such a situation, she was something majestic. Actually, she no different from normal.

“Shall we get ourselves something...? Is there anything you wish for?”

I rested a hand on my stomach and groaned, “My corset is tight so it doesn’t seem like I’ll be able to eat much... Hey, don’t leave my side. My vision is pretty blurry. It’s not like I can’t see, though.”

“I promise. I will not leave your side.”

Just as declared, although many people called to her, she did not leave my side. At the height of the banquet, volunteering students gathered up bringing instruments and started playing music. Everyone began swaying and, while blindly following an inspection on the melody, they went out into the dance hall with their partners. My stomach started hurting as that time at last arrived.

——If I fail, they’ll find out that I’m not a girl of nobility.

Such act that would stain the dignity of the York family. They might then become unable to go along with the conditions established in exchange of me carrying out the duty of successor.

In spite of saying, “I don’t wanna, I don’t wanna”, I had been doing my best for that sake.

“Milady,” someone whispered into my ear, causing me to have goosebumps.

I turned my whole body, which had become stiff from anxiety, toward her direction. The one standing beside me was...

“Please be at ease. Milady, your grasp of dance is perfect. I guarantee it.”

...my sole ally.

“It might be easy to trip with shoes that you are not used to. However, if you are concerned about stumbling down, it absolutely will not happen.”

She was the only girl who knew of my circumstances.

“After all, I will protect you.”

My girl, who was like a knight.

——If you say so, there will be no failures. Because I know it. You don’t tell lies, and you definitely fulfill your promises.

It could be idiotic of me to believe so much in her even though we had only spent a few months together. If it were my former self, I would never let my guard down like that. Still...

——Still, it’s because it’s you.

“Yup, I trust you.”

——Because it’s you.

“And thank you for until now; this is your last job.”

——Because it’s you.

“I’ll leave the man role to you, but do let me say it.”

——Because it’s you, I fell in love and followed after you.

“Violet, please take my hand.”

The golden-haired, blue-eyed Auto-Memories Doll – the most beautiful and distinguished person out of the people I had encountered – Violet Evergarden – smiled the slightest bits as she spoke, “Gladly, Milady.”

After the ball, we bathed together like always, dried each other’s hair and combed them. Violet went back into the same look as when we first met, with her jacket, ribbon-tie one-piece, emerald brooch and cocoa-brown boots, departing from the academy after midnight.

The next day, I would surely be faced with a bombarding of questions. About where the Lady Knight Princess had gone to.

As we bid farewells, I made her just one request, “I’ll pay for this someday; now I’m empty-handed so I can’t give you anything, but I’ll definitely return the favor. That’s why, can I ask you something as a friend...?”

Violet Evergarden replied with her sweetly ringing voice, “Lady Amy Bartlett. I do not accept money from friends.”

Hearing that response, I became pained enough for my breathing to stop.

I never saw her again after that. Only our letter exchange continued on forever.

When the name of Isabella York was still Amy Bartlett, she had picked a little girl from a nearby prostitute district at almost the break of dawn.

“Go steal something better next time.”

A boy wearing a hunting hat and bolero that hid his body up to his neck came out of a conversion store that also dealt with stolen goods. Upon a better look, it was obvious that he was actually a girl but her not fully developed body concealed her gender. For a woman to be dressing as a man if not as a hobby, the reason mostly had to do with protecting her own chastity.

Such was that town.

While clicking her tongue and spitting curses at the shopkeeper’s greedy negotiations, Amy found a girl sitting on the ground as she exited the store.

——Aah, this kid...

Rather than a girl, she was closer to being a baby. She was the daughter of a commercial comrade that Amy was close to. Nevertheless, both the child’s parent and Amy were teenagers of the same age group.

The whole town where Amy lived was a prostitution district located in a halfway point that interconnected big cities. The economic structure of the town based itself on entertaining travelers that would run out of supplies and migrating soldiers. The most common business in town after prostitution was burglary. There were also cases where prostitutes served as thieves.

The stolen belongings were brought over to the conversion store, their owners would show up searching for them, and the shopkeeper would make a deal with them for double the original price. It was a vicious cycle of commerce where complicity happened between robbers and sellers.

Amy would often see that child whenever she exited the conversion store. She had also gossiped with the latter’s mother many times.

“Where’s your mom?”

When Amy asked so, the child pointed towards a spot not too far away. Someone had collapsed there. The way that the person’s neck twisted was strange, and so Amy immediately knew that she had died.

“Won’t move.”

“Right, she’s dead.”

Had it been trouble because of jealousy, or had it been a random attacker?

It was probably useless to tell anyone that a person had passed away. She would predictably be told that than living in such a town, where 90% of the crimes that occurred were let be, was worse.

——But since we don’t know any other place or other way of living, this is the only town where we can live.

Amy gazed down at the child who was not yet able to understand her own mother’s death. She had fluffy and curly marigold-colored hair. Although she was wearing drapes, but her facial traits had a loveliness taken after her mother.

If left alone, she would likely be taken away and sold off by some pimp. Either that or she would get caught in the gears of theft business and become unable to break free from it. If one were to presume an even more horrid outcome, her entire body would be cut apart and end up in the hands of a dilettante.

“Your mom bought bread for me once.”

In the past, Amy had been forced to make the same choice. To her, that child almost looked like herself.

“I hadn’t managed to steal any wallets at all and hadn’t eaten anything for who knows how many days, so she was a big help.”

The truth was that she had never received any bread from her, and was merely telling a lie in order to use it as reason.

“That’s why I’ll help bury her.”

Amy waltzed back into the conversion store, told its owner about the situation and borrowed the help of a man. Acquaintances of the child’s mother were present as well, but no one proposed to report to the military police.

After an examination, she was buried safely in a nearby military cemetery. Upon finishing the burial, everyone seemed heavy-eyed.

“What do we do about that thing?” The conversion store’s shopkeeper treated the child who did not attempt to move away from her mother’s grave as an object. “Cut her in pieces or sell her? If you leave it to me, I’ll give you a portion.”

In that moment, Amy’s hands grabbed ahold of the fate of that child who to her was no different from a baby.

——When it was me, this man decided to make me into a thief.

To Amy, an everyday where she had to live as a robber was the worst, but perhaps she had to be thankful that she was not pickled in formalin. No, was she actually supposed to resent him? He had forced her into a path to live in such a world.

“I’ll make her my little sister.”

“Haah?”

That was why Amy thought about bestowing the child with another choice.

“I’ll make her my sister. No cutting her in pieces or selling her.”

No one would use her, nor would she use anyone. She would be granted a choice to be loved as just a child, who might have existed even if she had not been born in that place.

“Amy. She ain’t your kid, right? What kinda sense of duty are you doing that for?”

Amy answered the conversion store’s owner while laughing, “For revenge.”

For herself, the child and the mother, Amy believed she wanted to take revenge upon the world and destiny that were subjecting them to such circumstances.

Amy had been angry ever since being born. And when her mother was murdered by a hoodlum. And when she was coerced by a man into stealing. Even now as she stood in the middle of a cemetery covered in morning fog, Amy was all the while angry. What was that world even, she wondered.

——What did I or they do? Why is the world so unfair?

It was absurd, violent and cruel enough to make her nauseated. Every day, either her body or her heart would ache. There was not a single day without pain.

——Whoever created the world, whoever gave minds to humans and dropped them down to earth is insane.

Amy cursed the perverted bastards that so liked to see people suffering.

“I’ll make this kid happy. She was actually supposed to have been unlucky. I’ll change that. It’ll serve right the horrible people who were supposed to earn money out of her and the God that had been dictating her fate. Just you watch... I’ll definitely, definitely show her a proper lifestyle.”

Amy Bartlett had become Isabella York one year after that.

Just when Amy had come to learn about loving someone, a messenger of someone who claimed to be her father paid her a visit. According to the messenger, he even now wanted the child of a lover that he had settled with over money in the distant past.

His heirs had perished one after another from an epidemic. He would get her out of that poverty. Therefore, she should present herself to him. Although the messenger spoke in a delicate manner, in the end, he had come to say such a thing.

Destiny made effective use of irrationality. The world only ever used Amy.

Amy asked about her little sister. What would happen to the latter if she went over to the York house?

The messenger looked at Amy’s sister, who she had held in her arms and not let go of ever since he had appeared, and smiled.

They could never see each other again. A person from that household was not allowed to be involved with the daughter of a prostitute. If she did everything as told, they could send her sister to an orphanage or to a family that wanted children as an adopted one.

“That would also be better for her. Will you let her live like this?” he asked while laughing.

——“Let her live like this”?

Upon being questioned, Amy looked around her apartment. Even for someone living on their own, the rooms were of a narrow plan. She had no idea how many years of construction the place had. Both the floor and roof were inclined, and if a storm came, the people who lived there would be blown away. There was a pan with leftovers of a soup that she had made two days before in the kitchen. It was the only thing they would have as meal for that day, too. One of the sides of the room’s curtains was missing. On the floor lay a doll that she had bought for her sister. There were two picture books. Both had been handouts from someone else. Those were the only child toys they owned. Due to a routine without daytime or nighttime, their laundry seemed about to overflow from its basket.

It was a messy apartment. There was nothing clean. Yet it was the most that Amy could currently manage. There was nothing else she could do. No matter how much she triturated her body and worked, God would not give her anything. They did not exist. At the very least, They had never appeared to her.

There was no hope in her life. No passion. No kindness, either. There was not a single thing that shone in such a world of thin pitch-darkness. If there was but one wonderful thing in it...

“Big Sis,” from within Amy’s arms, the most precious of the elements that composed her – her little sister – mustered out a tearful voice, “Bi-g Sis.” Perhaps having felt her guardian’s distress with her entire body, she had started making a crying face. “Big Sis.”

She was not yet able to say Amy’s name correctly, so she had been taught an abbreviation for “big sister” as a provisional pet name.

“Big Sis.”

Amy had wanted to do many things for the child once she grew up.

“Big Sis.”

She wanted her to attend school, make friends and experience many enjoyable moments.

Their relationship had started out of revenge, but that was not the case now. She had managed to find hope for living in her dissatisfaction-ridden, awful life. Saving a small living being who would not be protected by anyone but herself, that is.

Such was Amy’s sole wonderful something. It had become the reason why she was currently fighting to live.

“Come now, there is only one answer you can give, right?”

The man extending a hand to her in the thin pitch-darkness was turning out as not an angel but a demon. Alarm bells resounded in her head, telling her that those who moved forward beyond that point had to throw hope away entirely.

She could not afford to separate from the value of her life, which she had finally found. She did not want to do it. She wanted to flee.

——But...

As the man had said, there was only one answer that she could give.

Along a highway of thriving greenery, there was an orphanage established through the reformation of a building that used to be a church. In the vicinities of the national institution, which Drossel was contributing to, there were fields and pastures that served as sustenance for the inquilines.

The children that had been taken in were doing farm work while occasionally messing around with each other. As the staff watching over them admonished with, “Do it seriously”, they could hear the vehicle noises of a motorcycle, which could not be well discerned due to being far away from where they were. It was running nimbly through the road of unpaved soil.

Said motorcycle that cut through a scene of cheerful routine stopped in front of the orphanage. Just as the staff fearfully went to inquire about the guest, a man was dismounting the motorcycle.

“It’s the mail.”

He was an odd postman who wore high-heel boots that seemed to make it difficult to walk in such a rural area. His way of speaking was rough, but he had given a proper greeting.

The postal items were letters, and the recipient was a girl that had just recently come to the orphanage. She was an infant who could not yet do farm labor.

Albeit put off by the man, who asserted that he would deliver the mail in person and did not listen to anyone, the staff led him to the room where the girl was. As he entered said room, the girl was absent-mindedly observing colorful lights pouring from a stained glass that had remained intact from the times when the place was a church.

The vivid lights that had transparently melted into the room illuminated it. Perhaps the room was a place for keeping play equipment owned by the children, for there were many bookshelves and toys arranged in it. A young woman dressed as a nun, who indeed seemed to like children, was watching over the other infants.

“Yo, you’ve got two letters addressed to you.” The postman crouched down to meet the child’s gaze and offered the letters.

The child did not try to take them. It might be her first time receiving letters.

She took out of her mouth the finger that she had been sucking and pointed to herself. “Taylor.”

A gleam that seemed like it would pull people in floated on her big eyes. She was apparently welcoming the strange element that had abruptly entered her life, the postman.

The man’s voice resounded with a naturally softened pitch, “Yep, they’re for you.” His eyes narrowed and he smiled just a little.

“For Taylor?”

“That’s right. Two letters for Miss Taylor Bartlett. Can you read? I guess it’s a stupid question to ask a brat that looks like a baby. Hey, you over there; can she read?”

Suddenly talked to by the handsome postman as she stayed silent, the young nun had her face red. She then shook her head mutely.

“No helping it. Hey, Taylor, I’ll read them for you. Is that okay?”

“Taylor.”

“Cool, so it’s okay.”

“Big Bro.”

“Who’s ‘Big Bro’? I have ‘Benedict Blue’ as my awesome name... No, listen. These two envelopes have each come from a different sender. One is from Violet Evergarden. She’s my colleague. It says there that you can visit her if you have any troubles or any favors to ask in the future. She even courteously included a map to CH Postal Service... It means that you can come over if you have problems in getting a job.” The postman, Benedict, pushed the letter onto Taylor after having finished reading it. “Next: sender unknown. Written in it is... What? So short...” There was no other text even as he tried turning over the stationary, so Benedict read it as it was, “‘This is a magic word that will protect you – “Amy”. You just have to recite it’... is what it says.”

Taylor reacted with a start to that word. Her eyes opened wide, blinking several times.

Just for the sake of putting it out there, Benedict bent his neck towards the nun and threw a complaint, “You should teach this kid how to read.”

“Maybe it’s because of the environment she was raised in, but her absorption of knowledge falls behind in comparison to the other children. We have to take care of the other children as well, so we don’t have time to teach her with constant supervision...”

“I get it, but,” Benedict began, “it’s gonna be necessary for when she grows up, ain’t it? More importantly, she can’t read letters... even though I went through the trouble of delivering them. People write letters because they want them to be read, right? And there’re two. Two fellows who sent her letters. It’s okay if it takes time; just teach her.”

Unlike Auto-Memories Dolls, the postmen’s job was delivery. Regardless, even for them, the desire of properly sending the feelings that someone had entrusted them with was the same.

Auto-Memories Dolls got to see the faces of their clients, but they mostly did not see the faces of the people to whom said clients sent letters. The ones who witnessed the moment that someone’s delivery arrived were they.

Indifferent to the exchange between Benedict and the nun, Taylor was attempting to pronounce the word that she had been told, “Eh... Big Sis.”

She did try to do so, but what came out were different words. That was the nickname of the grown-up who had been together with her for a single year in her life, which had only just started.

A new bed, many strangers that she had never seen before. Within that fresh everyday, her memories of that person were fading away. Taylor no longer recalled even her own mother’s face. Surely her recollections of the person called “Big Sis” would be thrown into a furnace of oblivion eventually.

“Big Sis.”

However, now was different. She could remember the doll that that person had given her and the flavor of her soup.

“Big Sis, Big Sis.”

She could remember the warmth from the times of being embraced by her, as well as her hair that used to smell sugary.

“Big Sis.”

She could remember fact that that person used to be a significant existence to her.

As tears surfaced in her eyes, she was able to recall vestiges.

“Amy.”

To Taylor Bartlett, before she had realized, that word had become a magic spell for mustering courage.

The girl stared up at a red brick building that had a weathercock on its top.

The windows seemed already open.

After that, a young woman of lustrous blond hair revealed herself.

It was a place noisier and more valuable than what she had imagined. For the girl, that place was a dreamy one.

Firmly grasping the white dress she was clad in, she stepped forward. And, at the same time, she recited the magic spell.

“Amy.”

My most beloved Taylor, this is a letter I cannot send.

From now on, I don’t have any sort of relationship with you. This is the agreement I have made.

Taylor, you see, the truth is that maybe I didn’t want to become a big sister, but a mother.

I love you, so I made this decision on my own accord. I wonder how that will affect your life. I won’t stop wishing for it to go in a good direction.

You’ll forget about me for sure. I wonder if you’ll grow up thinking you don’t have a family. But y’know, Taylor, even if I’m not around anymore, and even if I get buried away within your memories, you’ll call for me. Just that is enough.

Our bond is eternal.

The fact that I used to like your hair, the color of your eyes and your smile, and the fact that I believed I wanted to make you happy – all of it will become eternal. Since “Amy” is a name I can’t be addressed as anymore, since I loved you and since that time was an eternity to me, there will be continuation to it whenever you recite something as if it were magic. There will be continuation to the me that you’re fond of.

That’s why, my Taylor, call my name if you get lonely.

#violet evergarden #violet evergarden gaiden #kyoani #kyoto animation #fyeahvioletevergarden #gilbert bougainvillea #benedict blue #akatsuki kana #takase akiko #novel #my translation #amy bartlet

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kdg-savedbygrace-blog · 5 years

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New habits

This is related to my first post here on Tumblr. You got it right, I'm a newbie in blogging. I've been thinking lately what am I gonna do for this year. New self. New discoveries. Get out of comfort zone. Be good. Be better.

So what do I expect/ have to do's this year:

Daily devotion - I wanted to be CONSISTENT in this one. Either reading verses in Bible before I start my day or reading a daily inspiration quotes that will keep me motivated throughout the day. Writing my thoughts for it and be mindful as the day goes by. Honestly, this mid month I started it. Better late than never!

Daily blogging - Though I'm not experience in doing this. In the past I let my thoughts consume me. Always to myself. Problem is, I tend to forget. Blogging will be ONE of constant reminder of my tracks for the whole year.

Plan everyday - In my high school days, my classmates were really amazed how organized am I in everything. Lol. But it change 5 years ago. Why? Secret. (Gonna have a blog later on to that.) One step at a time. Thats what I want to do. Planning gonna make life easy I think. Its so important truly to plan ahead. But hey, still, surrender those plans to God. His will be done. (Take note of that.)

Get a job - I was few months without a job. And now looking for opportunity to have again. Either here in the Philipines or abroad. Well I really need to have work, (cross fingers) for my kids.

Try new activities - Really amazed how others can write using calligraphy. (Hands up to them. You're my inspiration!) Painting, another one to try out! I learned basic painting in my secondary school. But its only for extra curricular, not really in our curriculum. (I actually focused purely on acads, thats why. Huhu) Designing, what? Hmmm. My room. Well my kids sleeps with me so I wanted to have a room where my daughters will feel like it is also theirs. Kids room is my choice. Looking for designs online. Cross stitch, this one I do think will be difficult for me. Practice makes perfect though.

Learn to cook - My mom would always say that its SO IMPORTANT for a woman to know how to cook. I dont actually eat much. (I'm petite, realtalk) that's why I dont know how to cook as well. But I'm planning now because my toddler will be going to school this June. I wanted to make plans for her daily food.

Be healthy - Eat 8 glasses of water everyday. Right now, I have done 3 glasses. (5 more to go!) Exercise. I'm lazy doing this before. Health is WEALTH. Started 15-20 minutes of a week ago. Hoping to keep it up ( Well as long as I dont have job yet.)

Practice photography - Always my new year resolution but never tried. Hahaha. A saying goes like this, 'Passion will drive a person to do what he wants to do'. I can do it!

Be MYSELF - Talking straightly, have time to self. Its not being selfish vur sometimes, its good to find time to be alone. Go out. Meet with friends. Be beautiful. Buy book too read upon.

Be INDEPENDENT - In anything. In everything. Life goes on. Life is a season. Right now, I am in the season where I need make a living for my kids. (Salute to all moms! Single handedly raising kids or not!) Mind over matter. For the future.

FOCUS.

#life #adulting #family

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med-blahg · 6 years

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2017: Year in Review pt. 1/??

After compiling most of the notable pictures of the year and hoping to make a nice twitter thread as is the bandwagon, I’ve decided to do this year-end reflection survey instead, since a) I was a bit too lazy to organize my thoughts, and b) surveys!!! This was the shit back in the multiply days.

What one event, big or small, are you going to tell your grandchildren about?

I’m going to cheat on this a bit because two events came to mind.

TRP - Two-peat Championship! Once again, batch 2020 proved itself legendary. TRP chorale season was extra memorable this year because I ran for the position of Music Head. Fed, my predecessor, warned me that scheduling rehearsals was especially a logistical nightmare, with last year’s different schedules for Blocks A and B. What more for LU5′s eight blocks, right?

I think there were three main challenges we had to go through for this to happen. The first was the very beginning -- the creation of the song itself. There was an added pressure since our piece last year was deemed the best, and even the same composer and arranger had a difficult time creating one for our last chance to grace the stage. We had two nights of brainstorming at Fed’s place (with free Angel’s pizza... and an out-of-post PER ICC huhu).

As far as I remember, he was already on his fifth or so attempt to make a song as the first ones garnered negative reviews. It was hard to get inspiration unlike last year where he was just especially moved after a lecture in Ther. In his words, pigang piga na siya. We were also having creative differences which really hindered us from making any real progress. Fortunately, on the second night, we finally overcame this with a switch to major chords and a great concept from James, giving birth to our wonderful chorus with the lines,

Bawat segundong nilaan, bawat hirap nalampasan,

Katumbas ng buhay na maliligtas.

...which tied very well with the theme, Orasa: Ang Dakilang Maestro.

The second challenge was actually a personal one. I got a taste of this logistical nightmare that Fed spoke of. It was particularly nerve-wracking especially for an irresponsible person like me, who has always clung to the clutch life. Getting venues for rehearsals was the main problem for this. Our choices were limited (MSU, Paz Men, Student Lounge, Tipunan) and in high demand, because many groups had to rehearse for TRP. It was my first time to attempt reserving a Paz Men room, which was surprisingly a lot of work -- needing to go to the Dean’s Office to check the availability of the rooms, go all the way up to the eighth floor of PGH to get it approved, go to the Cashier’s Office in OUR, and then go back to the Dean’s Office for them to confirm the payment, and then finally to Paz Men to submit the permit. But wait, there’s more! It actually cost a lot of money, which was the worst part, for me. #WeNeedSpace !!! I used my own money, which I was going to reimburse, but then we won, so... yeah, my treat then. (No one knew anyway heheh.) After all that, Paz Men obviously got scrapped from possible venues. I then had to coordinate with the MSC and MedChoir to get the free ones, being careful not to affect the batch dance schedule as much as possible.

You can then imagine getting all that work done, albeit very crammed which was entirely my fault, and then getting a poor turnout for rehearsals with just mere weeks before the competition (oh and that stupid ASEAN week which took more precious time away), to be quite disappointing, to say the least. The schedules of the different blocks and other TRP practices just couldn’t fit. This leads us to the third problem, which was to get the class motivated. This was my first reason for running to head the whole thing anyway -- I really just wanted to get the class together and to sing their hearts out once again! Thankfully, with a few motivational messages from me and our conductor, Joker, that I’m sure every one in the batch admired and respected, the attendance started going up, with one week to go.

My babies. (Sorry for the distorted faces.)

One of the final practices in particular really just transformed the song. I asked the class to do a simple exercise of singing to each other. They had to stand in a circle so they could look at each other’s faces. It was funny and awkward at first, but it was the first time I heard the piece sung with heart, and I knew they felt it too!

There were some issues with the final scoring during the competition itself, and I honestly wasn’t quite sure how to take it. But seeing how my batchmates rejoiced and hearing the audience do the winner clap (THIS IS LEGIT THOUGH HEHE) made me feel like we really deserved the win. Very grateful for the talented and hardworking music team and my bibo batchmates!

Abendlied: An Evening of Songs for the Benefit of Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus -- our year-end concert for A.Y. 2016-2018. It was my first time to sing for a benefit concert. We took this opportunity not only to share our love for choral music, but also to spread awareness of SLE, a rather common condition found in PGH. I was very proud of how big this event has gotten -- thanks to sponsored boosts and our first time to get media partners (and, admittedly, our high ticket prices), we were able to procure a few hundred thousands, a part of which was donated to the PGH Lupus Club.

UP MedChoir always has a lot of major and minor events like these, but I’d choose this to share to my grandkids because in this concert, I really felt that I was blessed with talent that could help others. (Oh, which just reminded me of something, haha. Maybe it’ll get featured later, or in some other post.)

If you had to describe your 2017 in 3 words, what would they be?

Mistakes, lessons, cycle. I repeatedly did a shit ton of mistakes this year, with repercussions not only for me, but regrettably to the people around me. This came with the responsibilities I chose to accept this year. But heck, I’m proud of myself for accepting and embracing these new roles. I was brave enough to challenge myself. #characterdevelopment

What new things did you discover about yourself?

Oh, man. Haha. One of the things I discovered was that I am quite quick to forgive and forget. And then one day, some stimulus will come that will take me all the way back to when it hurt. A lot. Many of the tears shed this year were still in relation to the past aches of 2016.

What single achievement are you most proud of?

I am proud of always finding reasons to stay.

For one, there was a time when I really, really wanted to quit MedChoir. I felt that it was taking too much of my time and energy, and was also taking a toll on my mental health. There were many days with triggers, days where I just couldn’t manage to perform well, days where I was always on the brink of crying during rehearsals. It’s not supposed to be that way, I thought. There has to be another reason of staying besides the fact that I was needed. But then I saw some post saying that continuous pressure can make you hate doing the things you love. I have forgotten what turned me around during this time -- probably my friends, or taking a step back to appreciate the music like I once did. Or just the energy that we get from each other. Whatever it was, I’m glad I stayed.

I’m also proud of myself for staying in med school. Not that I actually have the choice to leave anyway, what with the millions my family would have to pay. But the thing is, I actually want to stay now. (Well, most of the time.) I’ve always feared that maybe the doctor life isn’t for me, but this ICC year has proven otherwise. Although a big factor of this is that we’re still babies in the hospital, the mere baby steps of actually enjoying interviewing, examining, and just getting to know patients was life-changing for me.

What was the best news you received?

I can think of two off the top of my head. The first, that one of our Christmas gigs got us an unexpected @@ thousand pesos (so that was around @@ thousand per song... what???), and the second was the news that one of my aunts was going to adopt a baby. This has some MMK style plot behind it, by the way -- politics, cheating, and whatnot. It didn’t push through, though. I hope that baby lives well.

What was your favourite place that you visited in 2017?

South Korea, no question!!!

1) Day 4 - The Garden of the Morning Calm. This day was my favorite. Our morning was spent in the astoundingly beautiful Nami Island. Picturesque. Trees, nature, ...and a very ideal place for dating, haha! For all ages pa. We saw couples young and old, holding hands while walking. This was where we made a pact that we’ll go back to Korea when we all got our own SO’s. That night we went to The Garden of the Morning Calm, where I thought the expanse of land decorated with lights just wouldn’t end! It really seemed like a different world back there.

2) Day 2 - Palace hopping! We went to the Gyeongbokgung and Changdeokgung Palaces. We joined the free English guided tour of the places and learned a lot. We even joked about making it like an SGD, like the bibo kids we are, hungry for learning. Haha! Photo (c) Bana

3) Day 1 - My travel buddies, Bana and Reg. For our first day, we walked around the makeup and skincare heaven that is Myeongdong and ate a lot of oh so glorious streetfood.

4) Day 3 - We went to the Namsan Tower to cap off the day... Featuring the toilet that got away.

I’m so so so glad this trip pushed through, na nakaldkad ako nina Bana and Reg to this land! I wasn’t even a hardcore Kdrama fan and I think I was initially invited just because Gio was supposed to go as well, haha. But these two welcomed me to their group, and it was such a beautiful experience! Lots of walking, sites, damn Korean couples, and food!!!!!!!!!!! These pictures are just a preview of the places we’ve been to, and the photoshoots we have so shamelessly done. Here’s our itinerary from Bana’s blog, and photos from Bana’s album, and my album!

Which of your personal qualities turned out to be the most helpful this year?

I honestly don’t know, haha. Whenever I’m asked about my strengths, I tend to think of my weaknesses instead. For this, maybe the best answer is my openness to try new things. Or just that I really tend to appreciate some people and experiences in my life. I’m in no way consistent in any of these qualities, but during the occasions that I am such, I could really feel the difference.

Who was your number one go-to person that you could always rely on?

This constant used to be Gio. After he left, I can’t say that I really have that single go-to person. Nevertheless, I could often rely on #clingy2020 and our thorough SGD’s whenever we’re going through a rough patch. I will specially mention my beshie Ian, who could always make me have a good laugh and at the same time discuss the not-so-lighter things in life.

Okay, I didn’t expect this post to be this long haha. I haven’t even gone through half of the questions yet! I guess I’ll do this in parts instead. Next year na yung iba. (He he he.)

#2017 #medschool #medchoir #life #i need better tags lol

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lorenzoandmaria-blog · 5 years

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from lorenzo // 042619

Apologies for the rather late reply. I don’t want to use tight schedules, tiring commutes, late-night meetings as alibis because for a correspondence like this, one has to make time when there is always no time to be found. I will also admit that I am so eager to hear from you as well and this is one of the good things amidst the bleakness of it all. And while, all the more I can’t do real-time responses, I hope you find in me a better listener and talker than the void :))

To be completely honest, I haven’t also been able to respond because the work here has soured my thoughts and I felt as though I would end up ranting here on messenger. I have been resorting to something I do when I’m sad, that is, humoring myself with irony and dark comedy. What I mean to say, is that if I wrote earlier, it would have been from abandon rather than necessity (this being the only reason why one should write, I believe) which wouldn’t reciprocate the justice you gave to my questions. Glad to hear about your stay in Isla Gigantes! Hearing how great the place and people were, I do hope that that will be the first of many trips for you to that island (I’m sure that with your talk, the locals won’t hesitate to drive you around to see the sunrises and sunsets again!). Thank you for believing in me and please know that it means a lot :’) I guess it takes one to know one, so allow me to also say that I believe that you are a catalyst of change as well —and that is at a 110% certainty :)) However, I have to ask (and this is the real cliché), what keeps you going? True, we don’t have to accommodate all the bad news, but sometimes, that which we do accommodate is heavy enough, where do take the heart to bear it? And when the breather is taken, where do you get the will to let it go and dive into the thick of things again? what does one do when advocacy and organizing has become a daily grind— so much so that even life-or-death decisions are sterilized with repetition? As to your questions, I won’t evade any! (unlike some people I know hehe) I get by the unstable internet by doing as much as I can offline then use the 5 mins of stable connection to send emails, messages, etc. Yes, I do need it for the work but my boss seems to think that I can get by just fine. I have no clue as to why I was suddenly placed here in Iligan and all the more stupefied as to why I agreed. I have yet to angrily confront my boss on this—what my colleagues used to call as—“mushroom management”. It’s part of my day job--- with all that political shit on the side. Very little, as I don’t know anyone here. To find possible peers, I need to first find out where is the inuman place where young minds plot revolutions and contemplate if they should call their exes di ko pa ito nahahanap though. The office has good enough cellphone signal but it’s the long commutes really that cut me off. When I’m sad (as in really sad, not ironically happy) Mostly, I drink and scroll through Facebook or I might listen to a piece classical music packed with feels. Sometimes I read and reread poems that are also full of feels. That or drink with/talk to a friend. How about you, what do you do when you’re sad? Yes, I will be able to fly out or ride out but only when the need arises or merong conferences, meetings, etc. outside Iligan. Haha actually, last time I checked with my boss it wasn’t six months-1 year; it was “indefinitely,” which means that it depends on outcomes and external developments--- where and whenever shit needs to get done. The books I brought? I have a ton of e-books but those aren’t real books because they don’t have that smell when you flip the pages :)) The real ones I brought are two by Bienvenido N. Santos--- “Brother, My Brother” and “You Lovely People” (collections of short stories, all of them sad haha) and “The Eternal Lightness of Being” by Kundera (for a lighter, self-indulgent read). The recent events have somewhat compelled me to bring a Bible, “Biblia ng Sambayanang Pilipino” version— the choice version of every leftist who still believes in God (idk if I’m religious or what, that is a topic for a loooooong discussion) How are the days looking so far? Long and exhausting. Few hours of sleep, only a few bites of food, meetings meetings meetings papers papers papers— it’s like college all over again! So I guess I’ll be fine. The stakes are so much higher though, so mind-bogglingly high that I don’t really think about it much (if only to keep what’s left of my sanity intact) Aside from our exchange, there are a few other good things here. One in particular that I want to share with you, is about my only partner-in-crime here. He is a simple man, a good man but I just can’t describe him curtly here, it wouldn’t do justice—both to you and to this 67-year old veteran of at least two wars and a million other endeavors and episodes! I tell you, it’s a miracle this guy is still alive and still so jolly. I want to give you a portrait or a sketch of him, I just need a week or two please! (And as you might have guessed, I paint with words not brushstrokes, although how I wish!) Lastly, I wanted to ask about you, how you haven’t felt like yourself in a long while and how you haven’t felt so peaceful in such a long while. How do these two fit together? And why do you actively not think about things somewhat left behind after the deluge of advocacy work? And what about the jumble of things set aside? Although I must say, I can relate but I must also ask, just how much of ourselves must we set aside for a “greater purpose”? What does it mean for life to be good yet fleeting? Forgive me, but I don’t believe you have nothing more to say. :)) I hold as a maxim for life, the saying, “wherefore one cannot speak clearly, one must remain silent,” but if anything, you have been as clear as the sun and star light you have so poignantly described. Take your time as well (if only so that I may read your response when my schedule and internet connection becomes better! huhu) You will be happy to know, that yes, I am doing alright and if it’s alright, the heaviness of my sleepless days here would be lightened if I were to know that the same is true for you. I hope your day starts and ends as sweet and as wonderful as it can ever be. The warmest greetings and solidarity to you from the fields of Maigo, the uplands of Ozamiz and again, the bustling and beautiful city of Iligan and all the places I’ve been to the past days which in one way or another, have made their presence felt through the words of this message.

042619 // 1:57 AM

#lorenzoandmariaarchive #letterstomaria

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aja154ever · 7 years

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High☆Speed Free! Starting Days Event – 03/19/2017 Evening

Again, as in my previous event reports, I am posting this for the record, and for my feelings. ^_^ I’ve been busy these past few days so this came in late. Again this is based on my limited Japanese skills and memories. (Also thanks to other reports I used as reference @aitaikimochi @what-isti )

FREE! is a very precious anime to me. I have soooooo much love for this anime. The story is really beautiful, so I hate it when people judge the anime by its appearance (it’s not all fan service; you know it’s a swimming anime so being half-naked is common sense). I just want people to see that it offers something more than the characters’ bodies. You also do not have to be a fujoshi to appreciate it (I don’t mind the ships; as for me I can still watch Free! objectively and see that the characters’ relationships are platonically normal for guys)

I actually had no plans of going to this event because I am way too attached on the Free! anime series. High Speed is a bit different; sure Haru and Makoto are still there but it just pains me that the others (both characters and seiyuu) aren’t. I did not even buy the High Speed DVD where the lottery ticket for the event was enclosed. But it was Haru and Shimazaki Nobunaga’s fault! Lol To keep the explanation short, Haru is who you would call my ultimate husbando in the anime world lolol. I just thought that this could be the last chance for me to hear his voice live because I no longer expect Free! to have more events like this in the future. I mean I can still meet Zakki in his other events because I really do want to meet this seiyuu too, but as Haru, there might be no next time. In the end, I couldn’t resist not going to this precious event so when I found out that the general ticket sale was still ongoing, I bought one immediately. It was pretty much late (it was March 6 already OMG) so the seat I got was not really good. It was in the far, far end of Ryogoku stadium and worse, I had their backs facing me. But because the stage/pool is at the center of the stadium, the seiyuus do not necessarily always face just one side of the audience.

Okay, that’s too long for an introduction! Sorry, I got carried away lol. Report under the cut!

ハイ☆スピード！－Free! Starting Days－』岩鳶中学水泳部記録会お疲れ様パーティー

The format was basically the same as the 2015 event. The event began with the seiyuus going up the stage one by one in the ff. order, greeting the audience with their respective characters’ middle school voices.

Shimazaki Nobunaga (Zakki) – Nanase Haruka

Suzuki Tatsuhisa (Tatsun) – Tachibana Makoto

Toyonaga Toshiyuki (Toshi) – Shiina Asahi

Uchiyama Kouki – Kirishima Ikuya

Nojima Kenji – Kirishima Natsuya

Hino Satoshi – Serizawa Nao

Zakki opens the event as Haru declares, “Take your mark. Ready, go!” They then proceeded to their seats around the pool. There are only six of them so they took their own benches. They first talked about how the fans who came to the day event were all posting “Yabai!” on social media after the event. It was a hint about new projects for Free! but the fans cannot spill the news yet because it still needs to be a surprise for the evening event.

Furikaeri

Scenes, personally chosen by each character/seiyuu, were then played on the screen/pool followed by comments from the cast.

*Final relay scene - Toshi’s chosen scene (which turns out to be Tatsun’s choice, too)

We’re just getting started but this is the first scene that plays (omg my feelings) Toshi highlights Asahi’s part where he thanked Haru and Makoto. Tatsun comments that there is no other scene to be chosen but this. You know, it’s the relay that the four finally makes – the pinnacle of everything, the climax. Zakki counters that there are other good scenes, too. Tatsun laughs, “Oy, you’re setting the bar high for yourself!” as everyone would have expectations for Zakki’s chosen scene.

*Haru and Natsuya scene, where Natsuya helps Haru carry stuff and chats a little bit esp about Ikuya – Nojima-san’s chosen scene

They joked about how Natsuya is concerned about Ikuya but does not talk to Ikuya directly. They compared it to a typical father who shyly, reluctantly, asks stuff about his son through his mother rather than talking to his son properly. Meanwhile, the scene also shows how Natsuya and Haru’s relationship is basically in good terms.

*Natsuya and Nao scene, where they talk about the four – Hino-san’s chosen scene

They likened it to two drunk men talking about other people while drinking. lol. They also liked how Natsuya thinks highly of his brother as when he said, “Sugoi darou, ore no otouto (Isn’t he amazing, my little brother).”

*Makoto and Haru swimming and talk scene – Tatsun’s chosen scene (apparently he has chosen another one too)

“Ore, kawaii! (I’m cute!)” – that’s the first thing Tatsun blurts out as soon as the video ended. Lol. They then corrected that it was Makoto who was cute.

Tatsun shares that there is a moment when he himself is surprised that such a kind of voice comes out of him. It was like the Makoto in him that spoke for a moment and not Suzuki Tatsuhisa the seiyuu. (Awww Tatsun you really love Makoto huhu)

Zakki and Tatsun lay down on the pool/floor and imitated the scene where Haru and Makoto lay down next to each other. The seiyuus also envied how good it feels to just dive into the water and swim freely with all your clothes on as is.

*Sleepover at Haru’s house scene, where Ikuya’s ears redden as he shyly admits how he feels for the team – Kouki’s chosen scene

Kouki also comments how cute he, Ikuya rather, is on that scene. They also comment on Asahi’s straightforwardness.

*Ikuya scene where everyone runs after him – Zakki’s chosen scene

I was really anticipating Zakki’s chosen scene because of Tatsun’s taunt earlier. And so I really liked it that he chose this scene. It was really more of an Ikuya scene, but Zakki shares that this was also a turning point for Haru as he reflects on his own feelings and comes to a realization. Toshi comments how amazed he was with the words that Haru said at that moment. “Ore ya Natsuya-senpai no ushiro janakute, minna no yoko ni narabe (Don’t stand behind me or Natsuya-senpai. Stand in line beside everyone).” Was this something a middle school kid says? That is why Ikuya cries loudly soon after with Toshi acting the “Uwaaaaaa” part. (Awww that was really touching huhuhu) It was all in all an important scene for the team.

Iwatobi Chuugakkou Suieibu Training

The cast plays a board game. The pool flashes the letters I-W-A-T-O-B-I. They roll a huge dice as they step on the letters and stop in accordance with the number on the dice. Each letter corresponds to an action. Zakki pairs up with Tatsun, Kouki with Toshi, and Nojima-san and Hino-san. Kouki and Toshi got to play first as they landed at “O” which stands for “Oyasumi (Break time).” They comment that the game was just getting started but then they’re having a break already lol. The pool shows a video comment from Suzuki Chihiro, Kisumi’s seiyuu. He also gets to make the audience chant “Ki-su-mi” then he sends a flying kiss. (You know the inside joke that Kisumi’s name can be translated as “Kiss me” :* )

Meanwhile Zakki and Tatsun end up in a game where they had to have matching answers. The first question was what is something that they would have in their bento boxes. Zakki comments that this is the only possible answer. They then show up their whiteboards which as expected have “Saba” as their answer. The next question asks what’s the first thing they do after getting out of the pool. Unfortunately, they had different answers. Zakki answers the gesture that Haru does with his hair after rising from the water. Tatsun clears it out that it has to be the thing that they do after getting out of the pool. So his answer was removing water from his ear. Oh well. The last question was, “Who from the characters would they want to have as their little brother?” Kouki reacts violently that this question isn’t good. In the end, Zakki and Tatsun both answers “Ikuya.” So they had 2/3 matching answers which was good enough. The prize was a customized Iwatobi milk pack which they made Kouki drink (because Ikuya isn’t fond of milk).

It turned out to be a really fun game as the cast kept on landing on the letter “B” that made them go back three steps, which is “A.” They joked that they were there just to do a “sanpo (walk).” Meanwhile Kouki and Toshi advanced more than anyone else and even landed on the letter that gave them the power to make a team go back a few steps. They chose Zakki and Tatsun’s team. Eventually, Kouki and Toshi won the game.

A drama CD played as an introduction to the live drama acting which came in next. It was about the岩鳶中学水泳部記録会お疲れ様パーティー (rough translation: Iwatobi Middle School Swimming Club Track Meet Thank you Party) Everyone goes to Ikuya and Natsuya-senpai’s house for the celebration. Ikuya was complaining how his brother did not do anything to help in the preparation. It was their mom who did the cooking, which everyone liked.

They played games after eating as they teamed up in unexpected pairs: Asahi and Makoto, Ikuya and Nao-senpai, and Haru and Natsuya-senpai. Makoto and Asahi were tasked to speak in Kansai accent. Asahi did a ridiculous tongue twister to which Toshi really did a great job eliciting applause and cheers from the audience. He was then teased into singing a random chant he made up on the spot. (It was really cute because he was singing in his middle school voice!!) Toshi takes a chance to get revenge as he was able to tease Tatsun into singing on the spot. Tatsun was complaining how this was not supposed to happen and that no one took notice of how Makoto did his best to speak in Kansai. Tatsun didn’t really want to sing but everyone, the audience and the cast, kept on bugging him. He tried to change the topic saying that Makoto can do other things as well, like reading Haru’s mind. They then stared at each other and Tatsun finally gives in as Haru’s mind says that he wants Makoto to sing. And OMG OMG TATSUN DID IT. He sang High Speed’s theme song, Aching Horns, in his middle school Makoto voice. It was sooooooo damn cuuuuuuute T.T Such an angelic moment Tatsun, thank you!

Meanwhile, for Haru and Natsuya-senpai’s turn, they made Haru dip underwater. Zakki just sat there covering his face with his knees. Haru was taking a loooong time under which made everyone worried that something bad may have happened to him. When Haru rose, he said he was completely fine and apparently was just savoring the moment. (Ofc you guys should’ve known this because he’s Haru and the safest place he can be is in the water right ^_^)

A video comment from Miyano Mamoru, Matsuoka Rin’s seiyuu came in next. (I almost jumped from my seat out of delight as I was not expecting any more video comments at this time and if ever, not from Rin because he barely appeared in the movie lol) And being Mamo, it ended up being a long message. He said himself that he only participated little in the movie as Rin’s letter. But he pointed out how Rin is a really special character to him and wants to keep acting as Rin and grow with Rin. He was happy to be able to experience “seishun (youth)” again because of Free. Whoa, I can really, really feel Mamo’s passion for Free! and his love for Rin. *sniffs* Mamo then led everyone to the next video which contains the special announcements.

The special announcements – This is what I’ve been looking forward to, since the day the event was announced. Based on the anime’s ending, season 3 isn’t expected anymore. So at least OVAs or novel and manga adaptations were to suffice. I was really surprised and delighted with High Speed even if it featured their middle school days. But after that, what’s to come for Free!? Their grade school days? Well that’s when everything began as that’s when they met Rin, but if they were to adapt this, it might be hard to keep the seiyuus.

Anyway, as soon as the VTR played showing the first frame, my tears uncontrollably began to fall. Huhuhu

My goodness, my feelings, I can no longer take this. Especially when the new Style Five song began to play, then they showed the high school Asahi and Ikuya, and then the date 4.22 ROADSHOW. 7.1 ROADSHOW. OMG There’ll be two??!! OMG What did I do to deserve this? Plus I only need to wait for a month for the first one. Then the advance ticket selling begins immediately on the Saturday of that week, 3.25. Free! What are you doing to me??!!

Then finally, the new movie, Take Your Marks! NEW STORY and it will be shown this year also. Okay. This has been the happiest moment of my 2017. Words can no longer express how much I was feeling. I did no longer control or bother to hide it as I heard everyone beside me was also sniffing and sniffing.

The seiyuus were amazed by the audience’s reaction. They thanked the audience because it was all thanks to us that the Free! series continues. But no, I am badly thanking you also, everyone, not only the cast, but the staff. T.T I truly believe in Haru’s words “Owari nante nai! (There’s no such thing as ending!)” Toshi and Kouki were also happy that they get to act as Asahi and Ikuya once again, this time as high school students.

It was finally time to say goodbye so the seiyuus all gave their farewell and thank you messages. The cast was actually thankful to Zakki and Tatsun as everyone besides these two was relatively new to Free!. Hino-san says that they were actually saved by these two. From the start of High Speed’s recording, they felt how the atmosphere of these two was different as they already have deep connections to the series and the characters. This aided them (the supposed newcomers) to realize how precious this series is and so encouraged them do their best. Toshi bows down to the two in gratitude.

Tatsun gave the most touching message as usual, and I can really feel how deeply he loves Free! He remembers what he said in the last event in 2015, that he will play any Tachibana Makoto no matter what. He is really happy that the Free! series continues. He also shared how he even argued with the higher-ups about the casting of Nagisa and Rei in High Speed because he really wanted Wingu (Yonaga Tsubasa) and HiraDai (Hirakawa Daisuke) to be there.

The seiyuus finally made rounds to thank everyone, bowing and waving their goodbyes to all sides of the stadium. When the cast left, “See you next movie!” flashed on the screens, and I think a tear dropped again from my eye. T.T

Photos and screenshots from Official Twitter accounts:

Anyway, the DVD/Blu-ray for this event has been decided! It’ll be on sale on August 18. Yey! And ofc I’ll buy this as my souvenir/memento.

I only have one regret in this event – it’s that I did not buy the DVD so I could have joined the lottery before and so could have gotten a closer seat. Anyway, it was a fun event, though the previous one was more fun (though I haven’t gone there live) because everyone was there. I just hope that we can have an event in the future featuring the Iwatobi and Samezuka team, plus Ikuya and Asahi. Just wow. Though this is just the second seiyuu event that I’ve attended live (the first one being Bungou Stray Dogs), I just realized that you can enjoy seiyuu events best when you love the seiyuus in it and the series itself. I look forward to more events in the near future!!

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