#Video Games The Ultimate Gaming Magazine

[comfortfoodcontent]

1996 Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for Sega Saturn Magazine Ad

#mortal kombat #mortal kombat 3 #ultimate mortal kombat 3 #sega #sega saturn #midway #video games #fighting games #saturn #video game magazine ads #print ads #1996 #90s #1990s #magazine ads

[testimonyz]

A magazine mock-up for my video game photography!!! Lol. Projects like this show off what you can do with tech in 2022. I LOVE IT. 🥤🧃

#swag #love #magazine editing #editor #digital Media #Naruto #rock Lee and friends #rock lee and his ninja pals #Neji #nejirush #2000s #pop culture #magazine #video games #Nintendo switch #ultimate ninja storm #Nintendo

[retropolitan]

Super, dass es sowas von euch gibt, Blaze.

Aber wer konnte schon damit rechnen, dass es irgendwann keine TVs mehr mit Scart-Anschluss geben wird? Klar, die Profis/Kenner/Poser spielen eh auf einer Röhre. Die ist natürlich mit einem Scart-Anschluss ausgestattet. Alle mit neueren TVs haben aber leider Pech gehabt.

Mein TV hat übrigens einen AV-Anschluss, vor den ich einen AV-Splitter mit den angeschlossenen Konsolen geschaltet habe. Und wie löst ihr das Problem mit den nicht mehr vorhandenen Scart-Anschlüssen?

(Bildquelle: Ultimate 64 - Magazin, Ausgabe: Oktober 1997)

#blaze #scart #ultimate 64 #magazine #magazin #old magazines #zeitschrift #scan #german #deutsch #retro #retropolitan #retrogaming #retro gaming #gaming #video games #1997 #1990's #1990s #1990er #90er #90's #90s

[inspiringimarah]

update** all mods should be good now 🥰

I am keeping an eye on the Scarlet's Realm list so I will continue to update the list and with any new mods I add to my game 💕💕

overrides

Refreshed Main Menu - mine is Glade

Urban Erotica (functional books)

No Tune After Loading

Nap Replacement Mod

Restaurant Default Menu

MyxDoll Fenty Beauty Override 

HighSchool Years Textbook Override

Toothbrush override by dsco

Paintbrush Override

The Ultimate Default Underwear Collection by vixonspixels

Paired Selfie (in game photo overrides)

iPhone 12 Override OR H&B Smartphone Override (ONLY CHOOSE ONE)

UNO Card Replacement

 Photo replacements (in game)

Pink Build Buy UI 

Black Sitcom TV Overrides 

San Sequoia Bridge Override

Realistic TV Mod (Reality TV)

Realistic Phone Icons (multiple available on CoCo Games patreon)

Phone Wallpaper Kit OR Phone Wallpaper Override (only pick one)

Control Any Sim

San Myshuno Billboards

PC Game Overrides 

CocoGames Video Game Bundle

Starbucks on Campus

My Wedding Stories Engagement Ring Recolours 

Stand Still in CAS Poses

Hidden Highlight 

Functional Airpods

Hello Kitty Infant Seat

The Missing Plumbob

No zzz (when sim is sleeping)

Towel After Shower

Functional PS5

Black Art Painting Mod

The Sims 2 Font or Life is Strange Font (only pick one)

Gallery Poses (female)

Gallery Poses (male)

Gallery Poses (couple or duo) 

Take Off Shoes With Animation

Stop Random Accessories on Townies

Parenthood Recolour - link is at the bottom of the thread

lighting

check my updated lighting mod list here

cas & loading screen

CAS background

Loading Screen Plumbob Replacement  OR by pinkishwrld

Minimalist CC Wrench Override

More CAS Columns (I use 5)

Map Replacements Overhaul

I alternate my CAS backgrounds so see below for my fave creators:

- MeekGames

- Ellcrze  

- LadySimmer

- SlimmazSimz

- Essemelle 

- BougieChloe

- SierraTheSimmer

- Xurelia

- DonavinGames

- NeriSims

food

Somik & Severinka (I use the Realistic Cooking Mod & all others they have)

ONI Custom Food

QMBIBI Stirring the Pot

QMBIBI Thee Kitchen Tablet

Functional Breakfast Cereals

Airfryer

Waffle Maker

Pressure Cooker

gameplay

misc

Computer Side Gigs

Kuttoe Mini Mods: Small Additions

Bed Cuddle

Carry & Kiss

Longer Parties & More Guests

Functional Magazines

Better Social Media Sponsorships

Higher Lifestyle Brand Payouts 

QMBIBI Skincare Mod

QMBIBI Express Delivery

QMBIBI BabyCare Overhaul

Online Skills 

It’s Movie Time 

BabyCare Mod

Basemental Drugs

Basemental Gangs

Celebrate Adoption

Sip & Paint Event

Luxury Real Estate Career

Recipe Notebook

Functional Selfcare Set

Sulani Events Calendar and Flyer

Functional Personal Care Products

Go For A Jog... Together

Morning Routine

Everyone Can Sleep Together

Spa Day Face Masks From Mirrors

Pole Dance Mod

Online Apprenticeships 

Turn the TV on

Ask For Money 

UI Cheats

MC Command Center

Self Manicure & Pedicure

Make Functional Perfumes

Shear Brilliance - Active Hairstylist Career

Cute Romance

LOT 51

- Ring Doorbell 

- Dust Buster 

- Plumbros (heating, plumbing & cooling)

- Alarm Clock 

- Simlink (wifi)

High School Years

Fashion Authority   KimbaSprite has a tutorial on this mod here

More Classmates

Adeepinigo

I have many mods by this creator, check out their website here

Lumpinou

There is an index on Lumpinou’s Patreon with all the below mods listed, see here

- LGBTQIA+

- Memory Panel Mod 

- Open Love Life

- RPO Collection “Realistic & Pregancy Overhaul”

- Science Baby Tweak

PandaSama Childbirth 

SimRealist 

- Mortem 

- Real Estate

- Private Practice

- Sim National Bank 

- Sim National Bank Bills

- Sim National Bank Financial Center

SimWithShan

- Cyber Teacher Career

- Homebody Prefences

- Housewife Aspiration

pose player mods (for in game photos)

- Andrew Poseplayer 

- Teleport Any Sim 

Go to creators for poses & animations: 

- KatVerse 

- King Black Cinema 

- Frxsk0sims

- helgatisha

- AfroSimtricSims 

- Gawdly Games

- Hardswae

- Maysbat

- TS4 Poses (tumblr blog)

♡

#the sims 4 #the sims 4 mods #sims 4 mods #ts4 #ts4mods

[edenesth]

In Pursuit of Serendipity

Pairing: best friend!Hyunjin x fem!reader

AU: high school au

Word Count: 14.8k

Summary: Your friendship is tested when Hyunjin starts crushing on his new classmate. What you didn't expect was that your own emotions would come into play. Denying your feelings, you decide to be the ultimate wingwoman, helping him while battling your own heartache in silence. Will the pursuit of love lead to happiness or heartbreak?

A/N: Lowkey inspired by the Mixtape: On Track music video, still one of my favourite MVs from SKZ.

MAIN MASTERLIST

The busy hallways of your high school were alive with the energy of students rushing to their next classes.

Amidst the sea of students, you made your way through the crowded corridors with an excitement that bubbled within you. The reason for your enthusiasm swung in your hand—a gaming magazine had just revealed the release date of the highly anticipated video game you'd been eagerly awaiting.

Hyunjin and Felix, your partners in crime since kindergarten, were waiting for you.

As you neared your usual meeting spot, a sudden obstacle appeared in the form of an unnoticed puddle. Before you could react, your foot lost its grip, sending you careening toward an embarrassing collision with the cold, tiled floor. In a split second, strong arms wrapped around you, breaking your fall.

"Whoa there! Quick reflexes, Hyunjin style." Hyunjin exclaimed, his grin showcasing his pride at the successful save.

Felix laughed heartily, "Nice dive! You should consider joining the school's gymnastics team, though I hear their routine doesn't involve slipping in the hallways."

You shot him a playful glare as he approached to make sure you were unharmed, "Thanks, Jinnie. And you," You said, turning to Felix, "Can save your sarcasm for someone else."

Felix chuckled, brushing off imaginary dirt from your shoulder, "Just making sure you're in one piece. You know, you should work on your gracefulness. It's not very lady-like to trip and fall."

Rolling your eyes, you retorted, "Oh, please. Who needs grace when you've got Hyunjin's superhero reflexes? And besides, I'm not planning to win any 'Miss Graceful' contests."

Hyunjin grinned, leaning against the row of lockers, "True that. But you might want to consider it. You'll never find a boyfriend if you keep stumbling around like a bull in a china shop."

You scoffed, the idea of conforming to societal expectations not even registering on your radar, "Who said I'm looking for a boyfriend anyway? I'm perfectly content with my PS5 and the upcoming release of Assassin's Creed. Relationships can wait."

Felix raised an eyebrow, exchanging a knowing look with Hyunjin, "Famous last words. We'll see how long that sentiment lasts."

You brushed off their teasing with a nonchalant wave, determined to keep your priorities in check. As the three of you continued down the hallway, you couldn't help smiling at the thought of the virtual adventures awaiting you in the upcoming game—an escape from the typical high school drama and the perfect reminder that, for now, you were content marching to the beat of your own, unapologetically clumsy, drum.

After grabbing a light breakfast together from the school cafeteria, you, Hyunjin, and Felix made your way through the bustling hallways, weaving through the student traffic. Despite being part of different classes, your morning ritual of meeting up for breakfast had become a comforting constant.

As you reached the fork in the hallway leading to your respective classrooms, Felix grinned, "See you guys at lunch. Don't trip over your own feet without me around to catch you!"

You playfully nudged him, "I'll try my best, Captain Obvious."

Felix waved, disappearing into his classroom, leaving you and Hyunjin to continue down the corridor. Although your class was situated at the far end of the school, you were used to the daily trek. Hyunjin, however, insisted on walking you there, despite the inconvenience it posed for him.

"Why do you bother walking me all the way to my class, Jinnie?" You asked, your voice tinged with amusement as you walked side by side.

He shot you a teasing grin, "Well, for one, I don't trust your coordination skills without Felix or me around. And secondly, what if there's a stampede, or a meteor falls from the sky? I need to be sure you make it to class in one piece."

You scoffed, "A stampede? Really?"

Hyunjin raised an eyebrow, adopting a mock-serious tone, "You never know. High school can be a dangerous place."

You rolled your eyes, but a smile lingered on your lips. It was moments like these that reminded you of the unique bond you shared with your friends. Despite the exaggeration, there was a genuine concern in his eyes that touched your heart.

Nearing the entrance of your classroom, you stopped, "You really don't have to do this every day, you know. I can handle walking to class without tripping."

Hyunjin leaned against the wall, his expression softening, "I know you can, but I want to. Call it my daily act of heroism."

You chuckled, shaking your head, "Fine, you overprotective hero. Thanks for the escort to class."

He grinned, walking you right up to the door, "Anytime, damsel in distress. I'll see you at lunch, okay?"

You nodded, feeling a warmth in your chest at the genuine care your friends showered upon you, "Okay. Don't save too many people on your way to class."

With a playful salute, Hyunjin turned to make his way to his own classroom. You watched him go, appreciating the small gestures that defined your friendship. As the classroom door closes behind you, you feel a sense of gratitude for the protective duo that made your high school journey more adventurous and, most importantly, full of genuine companionship.

Later that day, the cafeteria buzzed with the usual lunchtime chaos as you approached your designated spot between Hyunjin and Felix, your tray already waiting for you. Your heart warmed at the sight, and you skipped over with an infectious beam.

Felix, always quick with banter, smirked at you, "Look who decided to grace us with her presence. You missed the riveting conversation about Hyunjin's newfound muse."

Your eyes flickered to Hyunjin, whose cheeks sported a subtle shade of pink. Felix couldn't resist the opportunity to tease, "He wouldn't shut up about her just before you arrived."

You slid into your seat, the playful glint in Felix's eyes not escaping you, "Oh, really? What did I miss?"

Felix leaned in, lowering his voice conspiratorially, "Our dear friend Hyunjin here has developed a massive crush on the new girl in his class. Couldn't stop talking about her smile, her laugh, you know, the works."

Hyunjin shot Felix a mock glare, but his eyes twinkled with an undeniable excitement, "Felix is exaggerating, as usual. I just mentioned her once or twice."

The three of you were engrossed in the conversation when, like clockwork, the cafeteria doors swung open. Hyunjin's head snapped up, his gaze fixating on a girl who entered with an effortless grace. She was undeniably beautiful—Lia, the new girl who had captured your friend's attention.

"There she is." Hyunjin whispered, as if afraid the mere mention of her name would make her disappear. Lia glided through the cafeteria, a radiant presence that drew the attention of many. You couldn't deny the allure; she had an undeniable charm that seemed to captivate everyone in her vicinity.

While Felix seemed excited for Hyunjin, you couldn't shake off the inexplicable discomfort settling in the pit of your stomach. You smiled, or at least you tried to, but it felt forced.

As Lia joined a group of students at a nearby table, laughter and animated conversations surrounding her, you couldn't help but wonder why the idea of Hyunjin being enamoured by her left you feeling strangely uneasy.

Oblivious to the atmosphere shift, Felix continued to prod Hyunjin about Lia. But as your eyes met Hyunjin's, you sensed a vulnerability beneath his excitement—a vulnerability you hadn't seen before. The unspoken truth lingered in the air, and you couldn't escape the realisation that your heart seemed to protest against the prospect of him falling for someone else for reasons you couldn't quite comprehend.

In the following days, you found yourself caught in a web of conflicting emotions. You tried to rationalise the unease that had settled within you, convincing yourself that it was merely a consequence of your friends growing up. After all, it was only natural for them to develop romantic interests outside your tight-knit trio.

You repeated the logic like a mantra, assuring yourself that this discomfort was nothing more than an adjustment period.

"It's just new," You told yourself, stirring your food absentmindedly during lunch. Felix continued his good-natured teasing about Hyunjin's infatuation with Lia, blissfully unaware of the internal struggle you were facing, "They're growing up, finding other people. It's normal. You'll get used to it."

Yet, as days turned into weeks, the knot in your stomach refused to loosen. You grappled with the notion that the dynamics of your friendship were shifting, and it wasn't centred solely around the three of you anymore. The idea of someone else occupying Hyunjin's thoughts in a way you hadn't witnessed before tugged at a thread of discomfort deep within you.

"It's just silly jealousy," You scolded yourself in the quiet moments of introspection, "He's my friend, and I should be happy for him."

Deep down, you couldn't ignore the hope that Hyunjin's crush was just a passing phase—a temporary diversion that would fade with time. You yearned for the days when your trio's world revolved around shared laughter and inside jokes, not about some new girl that caught your friend's attention.

One day, as you all gathered for lunch as usual, Felix couldn't resist poking at Hyunjin once again, "Come on, Jinnie, just admit it. You're head over heels for Lia."

Hyunjin sighed, his cheeks tinged with a mixture of embarrassment and genuine affection, "Fine. I like her, okay? Happy now?"

Felix's victorious grin was matched only by the subtle tightening of your chest. You forced a smile, attempting to mask the twinge of disappointment.

As the conversation continued, Hyunjin's genuine excitement about Lia became increasingly evident. Felix's teasing took on a more playful tone, but every word seemed to emphasise the growing reality that your friend was genuinely interested in someone beyond the confines of your trio.

Each day that passed, Hyunjin's interest in Lia became a constant presence in your lives. While he physically joined you and Felix for breakfast and lunch, his mind seemed to linger elsewhere. Conversations that were once filled with silly jokes now revolved around Lia—her interests, her quirks, and every mundane detail that seemed to captivate Hyunjin's attention.

The unintentional distance you felt from Hyunjin left you perplexed and, admittedly, frustrated. Despite your attempts to rationalise these emotions, a growing sense of unease settled within you. It was as if the equilibrium of your friendship had been disrupted, leaving you feeling somewhat adrift.

One day, after Hyunjin had passionately detailed yet another encounter with Lia during lunch, you found yourself unable to contain the frustration any longer.

In the quiet corner of the school courtyard, away from prying eyes and curious ears, you decided to confide in Felix. As you sat on the familiar park bench, the one where countless secrets had been shared among the three of you, you hesitated before finally breaking the silence.

"Lix, I don't know what's going on. I mean, I should be happy for Hyunjin, right? But every time he talks about Lia, it's like... I don't know, something's off. It's like he's here with us physically, but his mind is somewhere else."

Felix regarded you with a knowing gaze, the crinkles in his eyes softened with understanding, "Feelings are complicated. It's okay to feel the way you do. Maybe it's just an adjustment period. Things will settle down."

You sighed, grateful for his calm demeanour, "I've tried telling myself that, but it doesn't seem to be getting any better. It's just frustrating. I miss the way things used to be."

Felix leaned in, his tone gentle, "Change is hard, especially when it comes to friendships. But maybe Hyunjin needs this. Maybe it's his time to explore something beyond our trio. And who knows, it might just be a phase. People get caught up in new crushes, but that doesn't mean they forget their old friends."

You nodded, appreciating his perspective, "I just wish I could understand why I feel this way. It's like... I'm happy for him, but there's this nagging discomfort that won't go away."

Felix placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, "Give it time. Sometimes, feelings need time to catch up with logic. And in the meantime, know that I'm here for you, no matter what."

In the days that followed, you made a conscious effort to follow Felix's advice. You reminded yourself that Hyunjin's sudden obsession with Lia was his first experience with romantic feelings, and it was only natural for him to be caught up in the excitement of it all.

Trying to be understanding, you even forced a smile when he recounted every interaction with Lia, assuring yourself that this phase would pass.

But just as you began to convince yourself that you had your emotions in check, things took an unexpected turn. Hyunjin, who had always insisted on walking you to class, suddenly approached you with an apologetic expression.

"Hey, listen, I'm sorry, but I can't walk you to class anymore." He admitted, avoiding eye contact.

The unexpected blow left you momentarily speechless, "What? Why?"

Hyunjin sighed, looking genuinely conflicted, "It's just... I don't want Lia to misunderstand our relationship. I mean, she might think there's something more between us, you know?"

Your initial shock gave way to a slow-burning frustration. While you wanted to be supportive of his budding romance, the abrupt change felt like a direct hit to the heart. The walks to class, once a cherished routine, now seemed like a relic of a time when your friendship hadn't been overshadowed by romantic entanglements.

Forcing a tight smile, you responded, "Sure, Hyunjin. Do whatever makes you comfortable."

As he walked away, leaving you standing alone in the hallway, you felt a sense of abandonment. The once-predictable rhythms of your friendship were now distorted, and the realisation that you were no longer a priority stung more than you cared to admit.

Felix, perceptive as ever, noticed the change in your demeanour. As he joined you in the hallway, he raised an eyebrow, "What's up with Hyunjin? I thought he was going to walk you to class."

You sighed, the weight of unspoken emotions heavy on your shoulders, "He said he can't anymore. Doesn't want Lia to get the wrong idea about us."

Felix's expression shifted from curiosity to a mixture of understanding and concern, "I know this is tough, but maybe he's just caught up in the excitement of his first crush. It doesn't mean he values your friendship any less."

You nodded, acknowledging his attempt to console you, "I get that, but it still hurts, you know? It's like our friendship is being redefined, and I don't know where I fit in anymore."

Felix offered a sympathetic smile, placing a reassuring hand on your shoulder, "Give it time. I'm sure things will settle down eventually. And in the meantime, you've got me. We'll figure it out together."

As Hyunjin's infatuation with Lia intensified, you found yourself grappling with the remnants of the once-familiar routine that now seemed like a distant memory.

One afternoon, as the final school bell echoed through the hallways, you made your way to the usual meeting spot where you and Hyunjin would walk home together. However, your anticipation gave way to disappointment as you saw him engrossed in conversation with Lia, the two of them making plans to spend time together after school.

Felix, who had been watching your expression closely, slung an arm around your shoulder, "Hey, don't let it get to you. You know, it's okay to feel upset."

"I'm not upset." You retorted, but the hurt in your eyes betrayed your attempt at nonchalance.

Felix raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on his lips, "You can't fool me, idiot. It's written all over your face. You miss your walks home with him, don't you?"

You sighed, giving in to the acknowledgement of your feelings, "Yeah, I guess I do. It's stupid, though. Friends hang out with other people. It's not a big deal."

Felix squeezed your shoulder gently, "It's okay to feel this way, you know. And there's nothing 'stupid' about it. You're allowed to miss your friend."

As you walked home with Felix that day, the silence between you spoke volumes. The absence of Hyunjin, once a comforting presence by your side, left a void that seemed to echo with the uncertainty of changing friendships.

The following days only deepened the ache.

Your attempts to be the supportive friend, cheering Hyunjin on as he pursued Lia, felt increasingly like a façade. The more you tried to suppress your feelings, the more they seemed to claw at the edges of your consciousness.

It was during one of your late-night conversations with Felix, the dim glow of streetlights casting shadows on your faces, that he broached the subject with a keen intuition that caught you off guard.

"You know," Felix said, his gaze fixed on the stars above, "It's possible you're jealous because you have feelings for Hyunjin."

Your immediate reaction was a vehement denial. How could you harbour romantic feelings for your childhood friend, especially when you had always prided yourself on being the voice of reason within the trio?

Oh hell nah, ain't no freaking way.

But as Felix turned to look at you, his eyes filled with understanding, you felt a sudden vulnerability. Despite your initial resistance, you couldn't escape the possibility that he was right. Your feelings for Hyunjin might indeed transcend the boundaries of friendship.

"What? Are you hearing yourself, Lix? That's insane!" You laughed incredulously, dismissing his implication with a wave of your hand. The idea of having romantic feelings for Hyunjin seemed preposterous to you, and you were determined to push aside any inkling of such emotions.

Felix, however, frowned at your attempt to brush off the subject. He could sense the unease beneath your laughter, the subtle deflection in your words, "I know you better than you think. You can't deny what you're feeling."

You scoffed, refusing to let his words penetrate your resolve, "Me? Having feelings for Hwang Hyunjin? Did you hit your head or something?" You chuckled, playing off the notion as absurd.

But as you met Felix's serious expression, you recognised the gravity of the situation. He was about to talk some sense into you, to unravel the emotions you had been desperately trying to suppress. But before he could utter a word, you beat him to it.

"Just watch me, Lix. I'll prove you wrong." Your tone carried a determined edge, a promise to yourself that you could navigate these confusing emotions without succumbing to what seemed like an inconvenient truth.

Felix sighed heavily, realising that there was little he could do if you were determined to turn a blind eye to your own feelings. He knew that sometimes, facing the truth required a vulnerability that not everyone was ready to embrace.

As you gathered for your breakfast routine one morning, Hyunjin began his usual recounting of Lia's latest escapades, and you found yourself unable to bear it any longer.

"Hyunjin," You interrupted, the words escaping before you could reconsider, "I'm sick of seeing you pine after Lia. It's distracting, and I can't focus on anything else. So, I've decided to help you win her heart."

Ecstasy washed over his face, "Really? You'd help me?"

You nodded, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach your eyes, "Yeah, I mean, why not? You deserve to be happy, right?"

Hyunjin's eyes lit up, and he immediately pulled you into a tight hug, "Thank you! You're the best! I'll buy you the next Assassin's Creed game when Lia agrees to be my girlfriend!"

As he cheered, Felix observed the scene with a mixture of disbelief and realisation. It dawned on him that your seemingly selfless act of playing matchmaker wasn't entirely altruistic. A smirk played on his lips as he shook his head, understanding the true motive behind your plan.

"So, this was your way of proving me wrong, huh?" Felix remarked, his voice carrying a note of amusement.

You avoided his gaze, the charade now exposed, "I just want him to be happy. That's all."

Felix chuckled, seeing through the act, "Sure. Just remember, you can't run from your feelings forever."

Later that evening, you walked home with Hyunjin for the first time in what felt like ages. But the reason behind his company left a bitter taste in your mouth. It wasn't because he missed your walks or longed for the friendship you once shared. No, the only reason was to strategise about his mission to win Lia's heart.

As you strolled down the sidewalk, Hyunjin excitedly started talking about his plan, "So, I was thinking maybe I should join some clubs or events that she's interested in. What do you think?"

You pushed all unnecessary thoughts aside and focused on the task at hand, "Sure, that sounds like a good idea. We need to figure out what she likes and find a way for you to connect with her."

The mention of 'we' felt strangely out of place, a reminder of the changed dynamics between you and Hyunjin. Nevertheless, you pushed those feelings aside, determined to help your friend succeed in his pursuit of happiness.

Felix, who had been watching the interaction with an amused smirk, couldn't resist commenting, "Look at you two, planning Hyunjin's love story. Who would've thought?"

You shot him a glare, not appreciating the smugness in his tone, "This is for Hyunjin, Lix, not for your amusement."

Felix raised his hands defensively, "Alright, alright. I'm just enjoying the show."

As you neared your doorstep, you took a deep breath, ready to lay out a rough plan for Hyunjin, "Okay, here's what we're going to do. First, we need to find out more about Lia's hobbies and interests. Once we have that information, we can create opportunities for you to interact with her in a more meaningful way."

Hyunjin nodded eagerly, trusting you with the details of his mission, "Leave it all to you. You're the best."

As you arrived at your doorstep, Hyunjin gave you a thankful hug before skipping off to his home just a few blocks away. Sighing deeply, you feel a twinge of emptiness. The hug felt different, less like a shared moment between friends and more like a transaction—gratitude for a service rendered.

With renewed determination, you wasted no time. The moment you stepped inside your room, you pulled out your phone and began stalking all of Lia's social media accounts. Your mission was clear: decipher her likes, dislikes, and everything in between.

Little did you know that this quest, seemingly straightforward, would lead you down a path of self-discovery and unexpected twists, challenging the boundaries of friendship and forcing you to confront emotions you had long been trying to ignore.

As the days unfolded, you immersed yourself in the role of the ultimate wingman. Your efforts to assist Hyunjin in winning Lia's heart were meticulous, each action carefully calculated to showcase his best qualities. Despite the outward display of support, a quiet turmoil brewed within you, a storm of conflicting emotions that threatened to break through the carefully constructed façade.

In your quest to prove Felix wrong, you inadvertently delved deeper into the complexities of your own heart. The more you tried to suppress the whispers of your own feelings, the more they seemed to echo in the quiet moments of self-reflection.

As Felix watched you navigate this internal struggle, he wished you would just confront the truth instead of burying it beneath the guise of friendship.

With your careful planning and Hyunjin's sincere efforts, you watched as he began to get things right. He made it a point to learn about Lia's favourite snacks and beverages, surprising her with thoughtful treats that garnered appreciative smiles. Conversations shifted from superficial exchanges to discussions about her favourite pastime activities, creating a connection that seemed to grow with every shared moment.

You watched from afar as he transformed himself, aligning with the qualities he knew she admired. He became more attentive, more considerate, and tailored his actions to better appeal to the type of guys she was attracted to.

While the genuine nature of his intentions was evident, each successful move felt like another layer of separation between the Hyunjin you knew and the person he was becoming for Lia.

Then came the pivotal moment.

Fueled by newfound confidence, he approached Lia and managed to ask her out on a date. From the way he pumped his fists in the air in victory, it was clear that she said yes. As he turned around to look for you, a beaming smile on his face, he spotted you observing the scene. With a thumbs up and eyes filled with excitement, he acknowledged your silent support.

Despite the clenching in your heart, you smiled back and clapped, showing him that you were genuinely happy for his success. The internal conflict between your desire to see your friend happy and the undeniable twinge of discomfort lingered in the background.

It was a bittersweet moment, a celebration of his triumph in love, overshadowed by the realisation that the dynamics of your friendship had undergone a significant shift.

During lunch, the three of you gathered as usual, but the atmosphere was tinged with an unspoken tension. As you sat with your tray, Felix shot you a look, his expression a mix of disapproval and concern. You avoided his eyes, focusing on your food and pretending not to notice his silent judgment.

The news of Hyunjin and Lia's upcoming first date buzzed around the table, and despite the apparent excitement, Felix's gaze lingered on you. He wished you knew that he was only trying to protect you, a silent plea echoing in his eyes. Deep down, he feared that all this effort might lead to you getting hurt in the end.

As the conversation flowed, Felix couldn't contain his disapproval any longer, "So, playing matchmaker seems to be working well for you and Hyunjin." He remarked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

You glanced up, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before averting your gaze, "Yeah, I guess it is."

Felix sighed, the concern etched on his face, "I hope you know what you're doing. Playing with emotions is a risky game."

You could sense the genuine worry in his words, but a stubborn determination held you captive. You knew there was a risk involved, but you've already come this far. It was as if a self-imposed obligation drove you to see this through until the end, no matter the consequences.

As the lunch bell rang, signalling the end of the break, Felix shot you one last look—a mix of caution and understanding. The unspoken conversation between you two lingered in the air, a silent acknowledgement of the uncertainties that lay ahead.

With a deep breath, you steeled yourself for what was to come. The journey you embarked upon had no clear destination, but one thing was certain: you're committed to helping Hyunjin until the end.

As the final bell rang, signalling the end of the school day, you gathered your belongings, preparing to head home. Just as you were about to make your way through the crowded hallway, Hyunjin rushed up to you, grabbing your wrist in his haste. Startled, he twisted you around, and for a brief moment, your eyes rounded at the close proximity between your faces.

His eyes widened in realisation, and he immediately stepped back, stammering, "S-sorry, I was just—"

You shook your head, feigning nonchalance despite the racing of your heart, "It's fine, what is it?"

Hyunjin beamed at your question, his initial awkwardness dissipating, "I need your help in picking an outfit for my date this weekend."

You ignored the sharp stab you felt in your heart at the cruel reminder. Suppressing your emotions, you nodded, "Of course, I'll send you some ideas tonight."

But he shook his head, a hopeful glint in his eyes, "No, I was hoping you could come over before the date and help me put together something nice...?"

You blinked, surprised by the unexpected request, "Why not get Felix to help you with that?"

Hyunjin pouted, swinging your arm around playfully, "Oh, come on, you're the one who promised to help me until the end, right?"

Sighing, you realised he was right. It was your commitment, not Felix's. Relenting, you nodded, "Alright, fine. Sheesh. I'll see you then."

Hyunjin cheered, thanking you profusely before running off, presumably heading to spend time with Lia. As he disappeared into the crowd, you couldn't shake off the lingering discomfort that settled in your chest.

Hang in there, you can do this.

Standing in front of the mirror, you scrutinised yourself for the umpteenth time before questioning your actions. Why did it matter how you looked to Hyunjin? After all, you'd literally grown up together, and he'd seen you at your best and worst. The reflection staring back at you seemed to mock the unnecessary anxiety that had settled in.

The sound of your phone's notifications going off snapped you out of your thoughts. Unlocking the device, you found texts from both Hyunjin and Felix. Hyunjin's message was playful, urging you to hurry over, 'Bestie, get your ass over here already!!!😭'

Felix's text, however, carried a different tone, one of understanding and support, 'Hyunjin told me you're going over to help him. I know nothing I say can change your mind, but I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I'll be here for you.'

Reading Felix's words nearly brought tears to your eyes. It was a reminder of the loneliness that came with keeping these feelings to yourself. In that moment, you realise the weight of the emotions you've chosen to carry alone. But there was no one else to blame; you made the choice yourself, and now it was time to finish what you started.

With a deep breath, you locked your phone and shook off the lingering self-doubt. Adjusting your outfit one final time, you muttered a quiet affirmation to yourself and headed towards Hyunjin's house.

Upon arriving, you were greeted by his infectious excitement, "Finally, you're here! I need your expert fashion advice."

Suppressing the internal turmoil, you forced a smile, "Alright, let's get this over with."

As you entered his room, surrounded by the familiar scent of his space, you felt a twinge of nostalgia. The memories of your friendship flooded back, but now, they were tainted with a layer of complexity.

The process of picking an outfit began, with you providing suggestions and Hyunjin trying on various combinations. Looking at him more closely now, you hated that you suddenly found him so attractive.

You watched as he struggled with some of the buttons on his shirt before looking up at you with a pout, "Some help would be nice?"

His request cut through the air, and you couldn't hide the inward sigh. The situation was already complicated enough, and now he was making things even more difficult. Rolling your eyes in a feigned display of annoyance, you walked up to him, determined to maintain a facade of indifference.

As you carefully worked through the buttons, your concentration remained fixed on the task at hand. Hyunjin, however, couldn't help but let his gaze remain on you. His eyes naturally drifted downward, taking in the familiar sight of you deep in focus. At that moment, he found you adorable, with your tongue poking out from the corner of your lips and a small frown between your eyes.

Huh, guess not much has changed.

Standing up close, he began to notice details he hadn't paid attention to before. Your eyelashes were surprisingly long, framing expressive eyes that held a history of shared laughter and secrets. The baby fat in your cheeks had disappeared after the braces, leaving behind a more defined and mature look. He also noticed how pink and soft your lips appeared.

The realisation hit him like a wave—have you always looked this pretty? The question lingered in his mind, surprising even himself with the depth of observation he was suddenly making. It wasn't that he hadn't considered your attractiveness before, but in this moment, with the proximity and the shared history, it became more pronounced.

Finished with the last button, you stepped back, offering a casual comment, "There. All set."

Your best friend, however, remained silent for a moment, his thoughts still lingering on the newfound awareness of your features. The atmosphere in the room had shifted, unspoken sentiments hanging between you two.

Standing at his doorstep, Hyunjin, ready to go on his date with Lia, smiled down at you, "Thank you for your time and effort," You shook your head, "No worries, good luck and have fun." But as you turned to leave, a peculiar sense of unease settled in him; it didn't feel right watching you go by yourself.

Before you could take more than a few steps, you were surprised to find him beside you, matching your pace, "What are you doing? You'll be late if you don't go now."

He shrugged, unable to fully grasp his own actions but feeling the need to do this, "It's fine, Lia can wait a bit. I'll walk you home. You came all this way to help me. It's the least I could do."

Your heart skipped a beat at that gesture. For the first time since Lia entered your lives, he was putting you first, prioritising you over her. But the conflicting emotions only intensified; it wasn't making things any easier for you.

Reaching your home, you shooed him with a teasing smile, "Alright, I'm home safe. Now, hurry and go get your dream girl."

He smiled back but didn't move from his spot. You shook your head and playfully pushed him, "Go, you idiot. What are you—"

Suddenly, he pulled you into his arms for a hug, his lips close to your ear, "She may be my dream girl right now, but you'll always be my number one."

Your breath hitched at those unexpected words. Before you could react, he pulled away and ran off, leaving you standing there, a mix of confusion and warmth swirling within.

Stop doing this to me, Hwang Hyunjin.

The restaurant was adorned with soft lights and a pleasant ambience, the perfect setting for a romantic evening.

But Hyunjin was struggling to enjoy his first date with Lia as much as he had anticipated. Despite having dreamed of dating her for so long, his mind seemed to be preoccupied with thoughts that he couldn't fully understand.

As Lia spoke, sharing stories and laughter, he felt a subtle distraction, his mind involuntarily drifting back to you. It was as if a veil had been lifted, and he found himself unknowingly comparing his date to you. Of course, Lia was undeniably beautiful, a fact that anyone with functioning eyes could see. But she just wasn't... you? He didn't know about anyone else, but to him, you were prettier.

Realising the direction of his thoughts, Hyunjin mentally slapped himself for disrespecting Lia in such a way. Determined to salvage the date, he forced himself to focus on what she was saying, pushing away the distracting comparisons.

However, as the evening unfolded, he couldn't shake off the subtle feeling that the date wasn't going as well as he'd expected. He blamed himself for the disconnect, fully aware that he was the one responsible for the disarray of his own emotions.

Attempting to be present in the moment, he engaged in conversation, trying to enjoy the company of the girl he had dreamt of for so long. But the shadow of conflicting thoughts persisted, casting a pall over what should have been a joyful and momentous occasion.

As the night progressed, Hyunjin found himself immersed in a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. Despite his efforts to be present on his dream date with Lia, a growing sense of unease crept in. The realisation dawned on him like a quiet storm—he wasn't being entirely honest with her, and perhaps, more importantly, he wasn't being true to himself.

The version of himself that Lia had come to like was a meticulously crafted persona, tailored to fit her preferences. They engaged in activities she enjoyed, ate food she liked, and talked about subjects that captivated her. He even dressed in a way that he believed appealed to her tastes. In the process, he wondered if Lia liked him for who he truly was or merely for the version of himself he had presented to win her over.

If he were to be himself, would Lia have liked him at all? The sincerity of their interactions seemed to be overshadowed by the facade he constructed. It made him question the authenticity of their connection.

Aside from that, a more profound doubt surfaced—he questioned whether he genuinely liked Lia for who she was or if he was just infatuated with the idea of her. Was he captivated by the fantasy he created in his mind, rather than the reality of the person sitting across from him?

That night, the weight of the evening's revelations lingered as he collapsed onto his bed after sending Lia home.

Sighing heavily, he thought about the missed opportunity. He hadn't kissed her goodbye like he used to imagine. Instead, all he managed was a simple 'goodnight, see you at school next week' before leaving her doorstep. It wasn't the romantic farewell he envisioned, but the weight of his internal conflicts restrained him.

In the solitude of his room, he decided that it was time for a change. He acknowledged that the version of himself he'd presented to Lia wasn't sustainable, nor was it fair to either of them. With a newfound resolve, he made a decision—he would give her another chance, but this time, he wanted to be genuine, to be himself.

Perhaps, if he allowed Lia to see the real him, and if he took the time to genuinely understand her, there might be a chance for something more authentic to blossom between them.

With this resolve in mind, Hyunjin closed his eyes, attempting to push all thoughts of you out of his mind. You were his best friend, and he had to remind himself of that fact. As sleep claimed him, he envisioned a future where the real him and the real Lia could find common ground, unburdened by the illusions that initially clouded their connection.

The following week at school, you and Felix were surprised by Hyunjin's demeanour. He didn't exhibit the expected excitement that typically followed a successful first date. Instead, he seemed to have reverted to his previous self, the Hyunjin you knew before the Lia obsession took centre stage.

Your surprise was evident when, out of the blue, Hyunjin began walking you to class again. His laughter rang out as he snickered at the puzzled expression on your face, and without warning, he playfully ruffled your hair, "Stop looking at me like that." He teased.

In response, you whined and swatted his hand away, "Not the hair, you jerk!"

His laughter continued, a sound you've missed, and he couldn't hide his happiness at seeing this side of you again. Deep down, he knew he pushed you away with his previous behaviour. Slipping an arm around your shoulder, he spoke, "Look, I'm sorry for the way I behaved previously. I know you must've been hurt. I promise to make it up to you."

Before you could inquire about the details of his date with Lia and the sudden change in his attitude, you arrived at your class. He squeezed your shoulder reassuringly before leaving, "See you at lunch."

You nodded, still slightly confused but undeniably happy. Maybe the date didn't go as well as he'd hoped? The possibility filled you with hope, and you couldn't shake the optimism that bubbled within. You found yourself looking forward to lunchtime, eager to uncover the mysteries behind his change of heart.

The lunchtime rendezvous brought an air of anticipation as the three of you gathered at your usual spot. Despite Hyunjin's seemingly improved attitude, a sense of unease lingered in the air.

As you exchanged casual banter, he finally broached the subject, "Guys, there's something I want to talk to you about." His tone carried a weight that immediately caught your attention.

"I've been thinking," Hyunjin continued, his gaze shifting between you and Felix, "About Lia. I want to take a different approach with her. I've decided to be myself, the real me, around her. I want her to like me for who I truly am."

Your heart sank at his words, a sinking feeling of déjà vu washing over you. The hope that had briefly ignited was swiftly extinguished. It became clear that Hyunjin's newfound determination was geared toward pursuing a more genuine connection with Lia. While on the surface, it seemed like a positive step, the implications were disheartening.

Felix, however, expressed his support, "That's a great decision, Jinnie. Be yourself, and if she likes you for who you are, that's even better."

While Felix's words were encouraging, his eyes betrayed a different sentiment. They shifted to you, a subtle expression of concern. He understood the implications of Hyunjin's decision, knowing how you probably felt at that moment.

Another week passed, and Hyunjin, beaming with pride, announced to you and Felix that he was going on a second date with Lia. While you feigned happiness for him, Felix saw through the facade. The strain of suppressing your true feelings became apparent, and Felix, unable to watch you suffer in silence, decided it was time to intervene.

On the night of Hyunjin's second date, Felix took it upon himself to keep you company and distract you from your thoughts. Together, you baked brownies and indulged in a fun movie night. As the credits rolled on the screen and the room dimmed, he turned to see you staring numbly ahead, clearly lost in your own thoughts.

Sighing, he reached across and placed his hands over yours, "Talk to me, please. I want to be there for you. Why do you keep doing this to yourself? What are you trying so hard to prove, hm?"

The concerned look in your best friend's eyes finally broke through the walls you'd built around your emotions. With a heavy exhale, you crumbled, unable to hold back the feelings that had been festering within.

"It's just... I don't understand why I'm doing this to myself," You admitted, "I keep pretending to be okay, to be happy for him, but every time he talks about Lia, it just hurts. I don't know why I'm trying so hard to prove something. Maybe I'm just scared of losing him, of things changing between us."

Felix listened attentively, his grip on your hands offering both support and reassurance, "You don't have to go through this alone, you know?" He said softly, "It's okay to feel the way you do, and it's okay to talk about it."

With those words, the floodgates opened, and you poured out the conflicting emotions that had been plaguing you, "You were right... I guess I do have feelings for him."

Felix listened with a soft, understanding smile, his eyes reflecting a sense of calm assurance. He wasn't at all surprised by the revelation, having sensed the undercurrents of your emotions for some time.

"I don't even know when it started or why I feel this way," You confessed, your voice tinged with a mixture of confusion and vulnerability, "Hyunjin has been my best friend for as long as I can remember, and suddenly everything feels so complicated."

Felix squeezed your hand, "It's okay, you know. Feelings can be messy, and they don't always follow a logical timeline. What matters is that you're opening up about it now. You don't have to do this alone, and I'm here for you, no matter what."

He smiled softly, a reassuring warmth in his gaze. Felix didn't have all the answers, and he knew that unravelling the complexities of emotions wasn't a straightforward task. But he was determined to be the support you needed, offering a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on, and a friend who understood.

Meanwhile, on his date with Lia, Hyunjin couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was off.

Lia was a nice girl, but as the evening went on, he began to realise that she might not be exactly his type at all. It wasn't something he consciously thought about before, but as he spent time with her, he couldn't help comparing her to you again.

You, with your unladylike antics that he always teased you about but secretly cherished. Lia, in contrast, seemed different, and the more he pondered on it, the more he realised that different wasn't necessarily what he was looking for. He missed the easy banter and shared interests he had with you and Felix.

During their conversation, he noticed how Lia appeared bored or uninterested whenever he brought up stories about you and Felix. It struck him that, unlike your friendship, their discussions seemed one-sided, revolving mostly around Lia and her interests.

As she excused herself to the bathroom, he took the opportunity to check his phone.

Scrolling through Instagram, he stumbled upon Felix's story. The images and captions painted a vivid picture of a cosy evening filled with laughter—something he found himself envious of. At that moment, he realised that he wanted to be there with you.

As Lia returned from the bathroom, he felt that something was missing, and for the first time, he questioned whether pursuing a relationship with her was the right path for him.

Determined to move on from your feelings for Hyunjin, you decided to refocus on the things that once brought you joy – your love for gaming. Despite Hyunjin's announcement of giving up on Lia, a part of you understood that he was and would always be nothing more than your best friend.

Regardless of how things worked out with Lia, your feelings for Hyunjin would remain unrequited.

Returning to the library's gaming section, you immersed yourself in the digital worlds that always provided comfort. It was there that you met Seungmin, a fellow gamer who shared your passion for virtual adventures. The two of you quickly bonded over your favourite games, strategies, and the thrill of defeating virtual foes together.

Felix noticed the positive change in your demeanour and was relieved to see you returning to your usual self again. The laughter and excitement you shared with Seungmin during gaming sessions became a refreshing break from the emotional complexities that had weighed on you.

However, Hyunjin struggled to come to terms with the shift. Every mention of Seungmin stirred an unsettling feeling within him. He found it hard to reconcile the fact that you were forming a connection with someone else, and it left him grappling with emotions he hadn't anticipated.

Despite the internal turmoil, he understood that your happiness was most important. He tried to be supportive, but the subtle twinge of discomfort lingered whenever Seungmin's name came up.

After school, you excitedly ran up to Hyunjin and Felix, who were waiting for you by the school gates, "Hey, losers, sorry I can't walk home with you guys today. Go on without me; I'll see y'all tomorrow!"

Before you could dash off, Hyunjin's brows furrowed, and he reached for your wrist. Twisting you around, the moment felt like déjà vu from the day you helped him with his outfit. Both your eyes widened at the sudden proximity, and Felix cleared his throat awkwardly, looking away.

Hyunjin blinked rapidly before sputtering, "Wh-where do you think you're going, young lady? Your parents will be worried if you don't go home now."

You pulled away from him, rolling your eyes to feign nonchalance, "Jinnie, please. Do you think I'm you? My parents already know I'll be out after school today," Felix chortled to help lighten the atmosphere, "Hate to admit it, but she's right, bro."

Hyunjin scoffed, "Well, I'm just worried. You know how clumsy you can get," Before you could respond, Seungmin called your name from behind, and you beamed, "Don't worry, Seungmin will take care of me." He didn't like the sound of that one bit.

Just as he tried to stop you from going to Seungmin, Felix grabbed his arm and shook his head.

"Let her go."

Hyunjin didn't understand why it felt like those three words held a deeper meaning. He watched as you joined Seungmin, the two of you walking away, laughter floating back towards them. Felix turned to Hyunjin, his expression unreadable.

Oh, how the tables have turned.

Hyunjin couldn't shake the unease that settled within him as he continued to watch your retreating figures. It was a feeling he couldn't quite define, and for the first time, he wondered if his worry for you went beyond the bounds of friendship.

As the two boys walked home, Hyunjin couldn't shake the lingering discomfort. The unease prompted him to turn to Felix, needing some clarity on the matter.

"Hey, what do you think about Seungmin?" Hyunjin asked, his voice carrying a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

Felix smiled knowingly, understanding the source of the inquiry, "Seungmin? He's a good guy. He's not just a gamer; he's dedicated to his studies too. I've noticed he's had a positive influence on our bestie, encouraging her to study harder as well."

Hyunjin nodded, absorbing Felix's words. He tried to accept his friend's reasoning and rationalise the situation for himself. Why was he feeling so unhappy about this anyway? Felix seemed just fine with your new friendship and even supportive of it.

Perhaps he should learn to be the same.

"Yeah, you're right," Hyunjin replied, forcing a smile, "I guess it's good that she's found someone who gets her interest."

Felix clapped him on the back, "Exactly! Seungmin seems like a genuine guy. Let's just be happy for her."

Hyunjin nodded again, attempting to bury the unease and be supportive like Felix. But deep down, a part of him couldn't shake the feeling that he was losing something, something intangible yet significant, and the journey to fully understand those emotions had just begun.

Meanwhile, you made a conscious effort to push aside the thoughts and emotions stirred up by the encounter with Hyunjin.

As you walked alongside Seungmin, chatting about the latest game releases, you couldn't escape the replay of the moment when Hyunjin grabbed your wrist. Your heart still raced as you wondered about the desperation in his eyes.

Could he be... jealous?

Did he feel the same way about you, or was it just a reaction to your attention being diverted from him and Felix? Rationalising, you convinced yourself that it was probably the latter. After all, Hwang Hyunjin, the charismatic and charming friend, couldn't possibly reciprocate your feelings. It was safer to assume that he wasn't used to your attention being on someone other than him and Felix.

You couldn't shake off the feeling that you needed to save yourself from further misery. The idea of Hyunjin shifting his focus to another girl loomed in your mind. Sure, the Lia phase was over, but he could very well set his eyes on someone new at any time.

Perhaps it was time to guard your heart, to protect yourself from potential heartache. Resolute in your decision, you pushed aside the uncertainty and focused on Seungmin, someone who seemed genuinely interested in you for who you were.

Despite your best efforts, you found your mind involuntarily comparing Seungmin to Hyunjin, and you mentally scolded yourself for these incessant thoughts.

Urging yourself to stop these comparisons, you recognised that if your feelings for Hyunjin weren't clouding your judgment, you might have fallen for Seungmin instantly. He was everything you could want in a guy – your dream guy, to be precise.

Seungmin shared the same interests, hobbies, and principles as you did. He was attentive, considerate, and almost perfect for you. Although he might not have been conventionally the ideal type for most, he fits your ideal perfectly. So close to perfection, if only he was... Hwang Hyunjin.

You snapped out of your thoughts when Seungmin called your name, informing you that he would be back in a bit as he went to collect your food order. You softened at his gentlemanly gesture, realising that you were being unfair to him by comparing him to Hyunjin. Seungmin was his own person, and you were determined to appreciate and like him for who he truly was.

The realisation hit you hard, and you resolved to give Seungmin the attention and consideration he deserved. After all, he had done nothing but show kindness and genuine interest in you.

Seungmin walked you home that evening after a day filled with fun and laughter. Arriving at your doorstep, you turned to him in gratitude, "Thank you so much for walking me home. Gosh, you really didn't have to. It'll be late by the time you get home."

He grinned, teasing, "Aww, are you worrying about me?"

You scoffed, "What if I am? It can be dangerous to be out late alone."

Unable to resist, he wrapped you in a hug. You stilled for a moment before lifting your hands to hold onto him, "You have no idea how happy I am that you care this much about me." He admitted, and you couldn't suppress your smile at his words.

"Of course, I care about you, Kim Seungmin. What kind of friend would I be not to?" You replied as he pulled away, a genuine warmth in your words.

He seemed to contemplate something before gathering the courage to ask, "H-hey, I was wondering... are you free this Saturday?"

Just as you were about to answer, a new voice interrupted you both, "No, she's not. She has plans with me, sorry." said Hyunjin, standing nearby and staring coldly at Seungmin. The unexpected interruption caught you off guard.

You glared at Hyunjin, annoyed by his sudden intrusion, "What? No, I don't." You retorted, not appreciating his assumption.

Hyunjin seemed hurt by your swift rejection, but trying to save his pride, he added, "Yes, you do. Felix got us tickets to see the latest Marvel superhero movie."

Furrowing your brows, you couldn't recall Felix mentioning any of these plans, "He did?" You questioned, feeling a bit perplexed.

Seungmin, aware that Hyunjin was your close friend, decided to be the bigger person, "That's alright, perhaps another time. I have to get home anyway. I'll see you at school." He said diplomatically, not wanting to leave a bad impression.

You nodded quickly, feeling bad about Hyunjin's borderline rude behaviour, "Text me when you get home, yeah?"

"I will." He beamed and patted your head affectionately before walking away. Hyunjin fumed from his corner, observing you watching Seungmin leave until he was out of sight. The tension lingered, leaving you with a mix of frustration and confusion as you turned your attention back to Hyunjin.

"Dude, what the hell was that?!"

Hyunjin rolled his eyes in annoyance, "What? Are you so upset that you don't get to go out with your little boyfriend again?" He retorted with a dismissive tone.

You narrowed your eyes at his sudden attitude, "Seungmin's not my—" You paused and took a deep breath, not wanting to entertain his childish behaviour, "What are you even doing here in the first place, Hyunjin? Did Felix really get us movie tickets this weekend?"

He gulped and looked away, unable to meet your eyes. That answered your question; he lied about the tickets. You sighed, growing tired of the drama, "I don't have time for this. If you won't talk, then I'm leaving."

Turning to enter your house, he quickly grabbed your wrist.

No, not again.

You distanced yourself before he could pull you close to him, determined to protect your heart.

But he couldn't hold back any longer. Frowning at the distance you deliberately put between you two, he exploded, "I've had it, alright? What's gotten into you all of a sudden? Seungmin this, Seungmin that! I'm sick of hearing about him! Do you even care about me and Felix anymore?"

You laughed humourlessly at those words, tears welling up in your eyes, "So, now you know how it feels, huh?"

He froze at that, realising the hypocrisy of his actions.

Wiping your tears harshly with your sleeves, you continued, "How selfish can you be, Hwang Hyunjin? I kept quiet and supported you while you obsessed over Lia, even when you pushed me aside. And now that I've found someone I like, you can't accept it?"

He gulped and lowered his head in shame.

"So it's alright if you do it, but when I do it, it's outrageous and unacceptable, huh? I see how it is."

Not wanting to hear another word from him, you stalked into your home and slammed the door shut, leaving him outside, confronted by the consequences of his actions.

The following day at school, you refused to speak to Hyunjin. When he attempted to chase after you and confront you, Felix stopped him with a serious expression that revealed he knew more than he let on. Stepping aside, the two of them finally decided to address the elephant in the room.

Felix began with a sigh, "She told me what happened last night."

Hyunjin avoided his friend's eye contact, feeling a deep sense of shame. This was a repeat of what happened with you before, but now it was Hyunjin's turn to feel the weight of his actions. Felix deduced that Hyunjin must have returned your feelings, seeing his reaction to Seungmin's appearance in your life.

"You know, it hurt her more than anyone for you to say those things to her," Felix explained, his tone serious, "It's extremely unfair to her. How you felt seeing her with Seungmin, was what she went through when you had Lia. But she kept it all in and suffered alone. She didn't even confide in me. I had to beg her to lean on me, seeing how much it affected her."

Hyunjin felt an overwhelming wave of guilt with this revelation. He had guessed that you'd be hurt, but he didn't fully understand the extent of it until he experienced it himself. He neglected you even more than he realised.

Goddamnit, I'm a horrible friend.

Felix, tired of all the charades, wanted his best friend to wake up to his own feelings. Firmly, he began, "Hyunjin, I want you to think carefully about this."

Hyunjin looked up at Felix's determined gaze, anticipating what he was about to say.

"Do you think that perhaps the reason you're this upset is because you have feelings for her?" Felix asked pointedly.

Hyunjin froze. The thought constantly lingered in the back of his mind, but he always refused to acknowledge it, let alone voice it out loud. It felt like it wasn't supposed to happen. After all, he had known you since you were all in diapers; you'd grown up side by side. How could it be possible that all of a sudden, he would be seeing you in a different light?

With Felix asking this question, Hyunjin knew the feelings must have been there for his friend to see through in the first place.

That would explain why he had been so unhappy to see you with Seungmin, especially when Felix seemed less than bothered by it. The realisation hit him like a ton of bricks, and he felt a mixture of confusion, denial, and a hint of something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

Felix placed a hand on Hyunjin's shoulder, "I know it sounds crazy, but deep down, I trust you know the answer better than anyone else. Just... take your time and figure it out before deciding how you want to approach her. Whatever happens, I'm here for you, alright buddy?"

Hyunjin nodded gratefully, "Thank you, Felix." The weight of the realisation hung heavy in the air, and he couldn't deny that he needed to confront his feelings, as confusing and unexpected as they were.

As Felix walked away, Hyunjin took a deep breath, grappling with the newfound awareness that his emotions for you might be more complicated than he ever imagined.

During lunch, you decided to be the bigger person and chose not to ignore Hyunjin any longer. Instead, you opted to act like nothing had happened. You didn't want any confrontation and wished only to move on from the drama. Thankfully, Hyunjin didn't pester you, especially with Felix sending him warning looks.

As you sat down, you engaged in casual conversation with both of them, discussing topics that steered clear of any emotional tension.

Hyunjin found relief in the momentary peace.

He realised that this was for the best, a chance for him to figure out his own feelings for you without the weight of recent events clouding his judgment. The lunch table, which had once been a source of joy and comfort, now felt like a battleground of unspoken emotions. He couldn't shake off the guilt, but he was determined to navigate through the complexities of his feelings.

Little did he know, you were also fighting with your emotions, doing your best to maintain a facade of normalcy for the sake of the friendship you cherished.

That weekend, Felix decided to make a genuine effort to lighten the atmosphere within your friend group. He went and bought movie tickets for real this time, hoping that this outing could serve as a reset button for all of you, despite the underlying emotional tension between you and Hyunjin.

As you approached the two of them, your usual cheerful self, Hyunjin fought to keep his heart still. You weren't necessarily dressed up for the occasion, but in his heightened awareness of his feelings for you, he couldn't deny that you looked beautiful to him no matter what you wore. He tried to pull himself together as you threw your arms over both their necks in a group hug.

He instinctively reached his hand over your back, holding you against him. At that moment, he closed his eyes, savouring the feeling of having you close. The warmth of your embrace and the subtle scent of your familiar perfume made it difficult for him to ignore the growing realisation that his feelings for you were deeper than he had ever acknowledged.

The movie outing, intended to bring back the carefree dynamic of your friendship, unknowingly became a pivotal moment in Hyunjin's self-discovery.

Felix observed you two knowingly, shaking his head at how oblivious you were to each other's feelings. While you attempted to maintain a distance, Hyunjin made every effort to close the gap, taking a step closer every chance he got. Despite your attempts to push him away, Felix could tell that it was becoming increasingly difficult for you to deny your own heart's desires.

Throughout the entire day, Hyunjin took care of you in every possible way. He offered to buy you whatever you wanted, handed you his jacket when the cinema hall got too cold, and even accompanied you to the washroom during the long movie.

You stared at him incredulously when he followed after you, whispering, "Jinnie, what are you doing? I'm fine going alone; I know where the washroom is."

He shushed you and gently pushed you out of the hall, saying, "I won't forgive myself if anything happens to you. Just let me do this."

Despite the flutter in your heart, you rolled your eyes and relented, "Ugh, fine. Don't blame me when you miss what happens in the movie later."

One of the cleaner ladies witnessing your banter chuckled, "Young lady, you have a wonderful boyfriend. You should let him take care of you if he wants to, not all men are like that nowadays."

Choking on your spit, you waved your hands at her, "N-no! You've got it all wrong, he's not my—"

Squishing your cheeks to disrupt your attempt to clarify, Hyunjin smiled politely at her before grinning mischievously down at you, "Listen to the kind lady, my love. She's right."

Once the lady was out of sight, you slapped his hand away with a glare, "You do that again, Hwang Hyunjin, and I'll kick you where the sun doesn't shine."

He burst out laughing at the threat, and you struggled to suppress the smile forming on your face as you entered the washroom.

The outing continued, and Felix marvelled at how Hyunjin's actions were a silent testament to his growing feelings for you. It was as if he had unconsciously shifted into a more protective and caring mode. Felix exchanged glances with Hyunjin when you weren't looking, silently urging him to confront his emotions.

Hyunjin's attempts to get closer to you were evident. He lingered beside you during breaks, shared his snacks, and even stole a glance or two when he thought you weren't looking. Felix hoped that this could be the turning point for both of you.

By the end of the day, as you bid farewell, Hyunjin's eyes held a certain warmth that hadn't been there before. Felix smiled knowingly, hopeful that the walls both of you had built around your hearts might finally start to crumble.

The two boys walked you home that evening. Upon arriving at your doorstep, you turned to bid them goodbye, "Thanks, Lix, for the movie, and thanks, Jinnie, for the snacks. I had a good time with you losers." You said with a playful smile.

Felix laughed, giving you a warm hug, "You're welcome, idiot."

Hyunjin, not one to be outdone, waited for his turn. As his arms enveloped you, your face pressed against his shoulder, you hoped he couldn't hear the frantic beating of your heart. Little did you know, his own heart was racing just as fast. Squeezing you in his arms, he pressed a subtle kiss onto your head and whispered, "Anytime, cutie."

You blinked rapidly, feeling a sudden warmth spread through you. Felix cleared his throat, and Hyunjin reluctantly let you go. You smiled and waved at the two of them, "Alrighty then, I'll see you both at school."

Waving back, they turned to leave. Unbeknownst to Hyunjin, Felix caught him muttering a quiet, "Can't wait."

A week had passed and Hyunjin was just glad you no longer brought up Seungmin again, perhaps you've drifted apart from the boy? Whatever it was, he was just happy to not hear that name again.

Ah yes, things are finally returning to normal.

Or so he thought.

The cafeteria bustled with students, the usual hum of conversation filling the air as the three of you settled into your regular lunch spot. Hyunjin's eyes sparkled with excitement as he leaned forward, suggesting an idea for the upcoming weekend.

"Hey, let's do something fun this Saturday! I heard there's this new arcade opened—"

Before he could finish, your sheepish smile and the gentle rub on your neck halted him, "Sorry, I won't be able to make it. You guys can go ahead without me though."

Hyunjin furrowed his brows, "What? Why not?"

You sighed, conflicted about sharing the information but recognising the necessity, "I'm... going on my first date with Seungmin."

His cheerful expression faltered, his eyes reflecting a mix of surprise and disappointment, "Seungmin? You're still seeing him?"

You nodded hesitantly, your gaze shifting away, "Yeah, we've been hanging out quite a bit lately, and he finally asked me out. I didn't want to bring it up, but since you asked..."

The atmosphere grew tense, and Felix, who was listening to the conversation, threw a concerned look at his friend. Hyunjin tried to put on a brave face, forcing a smile, "Oh, that's... that's great. I hope you have fun."

Felix intervened, sensing the underlying tension, "Well, we can reschedule our plans. No big deal."

You offered an apologetic smile, "Thanks, Lix. I really appreciate it."

Hyunjin forced a smile, trying to mask the discomfort he felt, "Yeah, go have a good time."

His gaze lingered longingly on your retreating figure as you left lunch early that day. The once-clear path of friendship now seemed muddled, and the excitement for the weekend plans felt overshadowed by heartache.

The streetlights cast elongated shadows on the sidewalk as Hyunjin walked home, his steps heavy with self-pity. His gaze was fixed on his phone screen, flipping through your Instagram stories with Seungmin. Felix, catching up to his despondent friend, slung an arm over Hyunjin's shoulder.

"Dude, why didn't you wait for me?" Felix asked, noticing Hyunjin's distraction.

Hyunjin didn't respond, lost in his thoughts. Felix glanced over and sighed when he saw your stories playing on Hyunjin's phone. Swiftly, he snatched the device out of his friend's hands.

"That's enough. Will you keep wasting away while the girl you like is out there with another guy? Aren't you going to do something about your feelings?" Felix's words were firm, a mix of concern and frustration.

Hyunjin, taking his phone back, continued trudging home, "What can I do, Lix? All she sees is Seungmin. It doesn't matter how I feel."

Without warning, Felix smacked him on the back of the head. Hyunjin froze, rubbing the back of his head as Felix continued walking.

"Is that what you think? So you're upset with her seeing Seungmin because you have feelings for her. You do realise she felt the same way seeing you with Lia, right? So, what does that tell you?" With those words hanging in the air, Felix left Hyunjin standing there, the pieces slowly falling into place in his mind.

Wait, does that mean she feels the same?

The soft chime of incoming messages interrupted your preparations for the date with Seungmin. You checked your phone to find a series of texts from Hyunjin, desperation evident in his words. He insisted that he needed to meet you urgently, that there was something important he needed to discuss.

Sighing, you considered ignoring him, determined to focus on your evening with Seungmin. But the messages continued to flood in, Hyunjin's pleas echoing through your phone. You were tired of the emotional rollercoaster, the constant back and forth.

Just as you were about to throw your phone aside, a few more texts flashed across the screen. Hyunjin persisted, wanting to talk to you, to meet with you, 'Please don't go to him.' Frustration welled up in you, but you maintained your resolve.

With a firmness that surprised even yourself, you replied, 'Enough, Hyunjin. I'm going on this date with Seungmin whether or not you like it. You're not stopping me this time.'

As you hit send, a text from Seungmin arrived, informing you that he had arrived.

Fixing your hair one last time, you took a deep breath and made a conscious decision to put thoughts of Hyunjin aside for the night. Tonight was about you and Seungmin, and you were determined to enjoy the evening without the interference of unresolved feelings.

Except it was harder than you think.

The cityscape sparkled with lights as you walked beside Seungmin. Despite the vibrant atmosphere and your date's engaging company, every corner of the city seemed to whisper memories of Hyunjin. You couldn't escape the nostalgia that flooded your mind, remembering the countless times you and your childhood friend had roamed these familiar streets together throughout the years.

It became a bitter realisation that, no matter how much you tried to focus on Seungmin, your mind wandered back to your best friend. The restaurants you passed, the park you strolled through, every place held echoes of shared moments with Hyunjin.

To make matters worse, your phone vibrated incessantly with continuous messages from him. Despite your decision to ignore him, his texts continued to flood in, each one a reminder of his persistence. It tugged at your heartstrings, making it harder to immerse yourself in the date.

As the night progressed, you found yourself in a constant battle between the present and the past, between Seungmin and Hyunjin.

Just why are you doing this to me?

Letting out a tired sigh, you pushed your phone back into your pocket after seeing yet another text from you-know-who. You managed a convincing smile for your date, trying to push away the distraction of Hyunjin's persistent texts. But Seungmin's concern was evident as he placed a reassuring hand on your arm.

"Hey, everything alright?" He asked, his eyes reflecting genuine care. Your heart twinged with guilt for letting your emotions surface so easily. Nodding your head, you quickly regained your composure.

"Yep, all good. Ooh, let's go see that over there!" You pointed towards an intriguing stall, its shelves filled with peculiar items. You hoped the novelty would distract Seungmin—and, in turn, yourself—from the underlying tension of the night.

As you both explored the colourful array of trinkets and curiosities, you did your best to be present, banishing the persistent thoughts of a certain someone. Little did you know, Seungmin observed your efforts with concern, hoping to make the evening memorable for you.

Fingers intertwined with yours, he gently tugged you away from the crowd to a quieter corner by the beautiful Hangang River. The distant city lights reflected on the water's surface, casting a serene glow on both of you.

There, you stumbled upon a talented busker passionately pouring their heart into a soulful melody. Seungmin's eyes sparkled with delight as he guided you to a spot where you could enjoy the performance undisturbed.

In that moment, surrounded by the soothing music and the gentle night breeze, you smiled shyly. His presence felt warm and comforting, and for an instant, all you could see was him. He truly was a great guy, someone who could be the perfect boyfriend.

You could see it, see yourself being happy with him.

Until you couldn't.

The busker's next song struck a chord deep within you, a familiar melody that wrapped around your heart like a haunting echo from the past. It was your song, the one you and Hyunjin had dedicated to each other; it signified how much you meant to one another.

As the singer's voice carried the tune, memories of late-night talks, stolen glances, and the warmth of Hyunjin's presence flooded your mind. It was a bittersweet reminder of a connection that ran far deeper than you'd allowed yourself to acknowledge.

You knew you were hopeless when a voice you knew too well from behind you called out your name.

Hwang Hyunjin stood there, his eyes fixed on you with a mixture of emotions that mirrored your own inner turmoil. The shattered fragments of the future you envisioned with Seungmin lay scattered like a broken mirror, and there was no escaping the truth that had resurfaced with the haunting melody.

Turning to face him, you knew you were a lost cause the moment you laid your eyes on him. You had no control over how your heart instantly reacted to merely seeing him.

Seungmin's smile faltered, his grip on your hand loosening. The sudden shift didn't escape your notice, and when you looked up at him with tearful eyes, you found a bittersweet understanding in his gaze. His hand gently patted your head, a comforting gesture that carried an unspoken message.

"It's okay. Follow your heart, go to him," He said, his voice soft and understanding. His reassuring smile attempted to dispel any guilt you might feel, "Don't apologise, please. From the beginning, it was clear that your heart belonged to someone else. I knew that, and I just wanted to try my luck winning it over. But it's alright; I can tell this whole time, it's still with him."

His words lingered in the air, carrying both acceptance and a touch of melancholy. Hyunjin, who had been silently observing, began to view your date in a different light. Felix's insight had been right; Seungmin was a great guy.

Giving your hand a final, supportive squeeze, Seungmin nodded encouragingly at Hyunjin before walking off into the night.

The atmosphere around you seemed to shift, the distant sounds of the city melting away as Seungmin left you alone with Hyunjin and the weight of his words hanging in the air.

"Great, he's gone now. Are you happy?! What is it that's so freaking urgent that you had to ruin my date—"

Before you could process the mix of emotions, Hyunjin closed the distance between you. Your anger bubbled up at his apparent interruption, but he cut through your words with a revelation that shook you to your core.

"I'm in love with you, okay?!"

The confession hung in the air, and for a moment, the world stopped. You looked at him, your heart pounding, thoughts racing.

The truth that lingered beneath the surface had finally surfaced, leaving you both vulnerable and exposed. As the weight of his words settled in, you found yourself at a loss for how to respond.

Time seemed to come to a standstill.

You stood there, eyes wide, trembling, as the weight of his words sank in, "Wh-what?" You croaked, almost disbelieving. You feared your mind might be playing tricks on you.

Hyunjin softened, reaching gently for your hands, "I said, I'm in love with you. Always have been. It's... it's always been you. I should've known when I couldn't stop thinking about you even when I was with Lia. I'm sorry it took me this long to realise."

Your eyes rounded at the sincerity in his voice as he continued, "And I know that you feel exactly the same way I do."

You scoffed lightly at his confidence, "And how would you know that?"

He smiled, his gaze unwavering, "Tell me I'm wrong then. Tell me I've never once crossed your mind while you were with Seungmin."

You huffed in defeat, and he brought a hand up to cup your face, making you meet his gaze, "It has been painful watching you be with him, but I deserved it after making you watch and help me chase after Lia. I'm an idiot. I don't know how I've been so blind to my own feelings all this while."

You chuckled, placing your hand over his affectionately, "Believe it or not, I'm not much better. I didn't realise I loved you until Lia came around too."

His heart skipped a beat at your words, and he rested his forehead against yours, "Say that again."

You frowned, "Say what? That I'm no better than you?"

He laughed, "Not that. What you said after that."

You blinked slowly, "That I... love you?"

He nodded, biting his lip, "Again."

You blushed, murmuring, "I love you, you idiot."

His heart soared at that, "I love you too." Before you knew it, you were both leaning in, and your breath was taken away when you finally felt his lips pressed against yours. The world seemed to vanish, leaving only the two of you and the shared realisation of a love that had been there all along.

Hyunjin took you home, and the journey was a blur of stolen kisses, laughter, and the promise of a future that was now crystal clear. He kissed you dizzy at your doorstep, a sweet and lingering moment that left you breathless.

As you unlocked your front door, still feeling the warmth of his touch on your lips, you couldn't shake the need to address things with Seungmin. Despite the confusion of your emotions, you felt responsible for any unintentional hurt you might have caused.

Pulling out your phone, you composed a long text to Seungmin, expressing your sincerest apologies for leading him on, even when that wasn't your intention.

His reply came not long after, and you felt relief as you read his understanding words. Seungmin reassured you that he cherished the friendship you both had and was genuinely happy for you. You sighed, grateful that he handled it with such grace, and responded with a heartfelt thank you.

The weight on your shoulders lifted, knowing that at least one aspect of the situation was resolved amicably.

As the night settled in, you found yourself sitting by your window, a gentle breeze carrying the promise of a fresh start. Texts from Hyunjin lit up your screen, each message carrying a piece of the happiness that now coloured your world.

You smiled, realising that sometimes, the best things in life were the ones that took time to unfold.

The following week, you and Hyunjin walked into school hand in hand, a couple at last. The shift in your relationship wasn't much of a surprise to anyone. It has always been clear to most people that there was something slightly more between you; Hyunjin's protective nature and constant presence by your side made it obvious, that the love he had for you was different from Felix's platonic one.

The subtle hints that hung between you two over the years were now out in the open, and the school could finally witness the natural progression from best friends to something more.

Felix, stationed by his locker with an amused smirk, "Finally! I was this close to losing my patience waiting for you fools to realise you belonged together." His words carried a teasing tone, but there was genuine happiness in his eyes as he looked at the two of you.

Hyunjin chuckled, "Thanks, Lix. I won't lie, we probably wouldn't have been together yet if it weren't for you."

You nodded in agreement, "For real, you're the best," Grateful for the support and nudges from Felix, you jumped into his open arms, embracing him with genuine warmth. He grinned teasingly at your boyfriend as he hugged you back tightly, "I sure am."

Hyunjin, feigning jealousy, cleared his throat, "Alright, alright, that's enough! Hands off my girlfriend." He pulled you back into his arms, giving you a playful glare. You giggled, basking in the joy of finally being able to show your affection openly. The three of you shared a moment, knowing that this new chapter in your lives had been a long time coming.

The laughter-filled atmosphere at the lunch table spoke volumes about the comfort and happiness that had settled into your lives. With your boyfriend sitting by your side and your best friend across from you, the three of you enjoyed the moment.

Felix, ever the playful instigator, decided to bring up a memory, "Hey, remember when you said you had no interest in dating? Funny how things turned out, now look at you."

You scoffed, playfully rolling your eyes at his persistent teasing. Just as you were about to feed Hyunjin some of your kimchi fried rice, you paused midway, giving Felix a mock glare, "How many times have we been over this? Give it a rest, will you?"

Hyunjin whined at the interruption, and you turned to feed him with a coo, making him smile. Felix burst into laughter, thoroughly entertained, "Nope, I'll never let you live this down."

Your boyfriend swallowed the food in his mouth before throwing a tangerine at Felix, "Leave her alone and pick on someone your own size, Lee Yongbok."

Felix shook his head amusingly, catching the fruit in his hand, "Okay, okay, sheesh."

Amid the laughter and light banter, Felix suddenly shifted the mood, his expression turning serious, "Hey, on a serious note, you two. I just want you to know how genuinely happy I am for both of you. I wish you nothing but the best, and I hope you'll be together for a really long time. You both mean the world to me and your happiness is what matters most."

Hyunjin wrapped an arm around you and nodded, "I promise, Lix, I'll take care of her for as long as I'm capable of doing so."

Your eyes grew a bit wet at the sincerity of their words. Just as the moment was turning emotional, Felix, in his typical fashion, couldn't resist adding a touch of humour, "Oh, and by the way, if you have a kid, name them after me. Felix has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

You and Hyunjin stared at him, unamused, for a brief moment before bursting into laughter. Without missing a beat, you both reached over to give him a playful smack, "Dream on, Lix."

Deciding to go on a date after school, the two of you waved your best friend goodbye before skipping off in the opposite direction.

Swinging your intertwined hands, Hyunjin couldn't help but pout at the thought of your gaming plans with Seungmin over the weekend, "Can't you hang out with me instead of gaming with Seungmin, hm?" He asked, a playful whine in his voice.

You rolled your eyes, a teasing smile playing on your lips, "Jinnie, please, you're the one who told me the importance of maintaining our own lives outside of our relationship, right?"

He sputtered for a moment, caught off guard, "W-well, I mean, yeah, I did but—"

You shook your head, cutting off his protest with a gentle finger pressed against his lips, "No 'buts.' I'm playing with Seungmin, and you can't stop me."

Turning to continue walking, he tugged on your wrist and pulled you against him. With a gasp, you placed your hands on his chest to steady yourself, "Really? You'd rather play games with some other guy than do this with your own boyfriend?" He murmured, his tone a mix of playfulness and a hint of something more.

Before you could respond, he leaned in, kissing you with an intensity that caught you by surprise. Your knees buckled, and you would have fallen if it hadn't been for his strong hold on you. Your eyes fluttered closed almost instantly as you melted into the kiss, all thoughts of gaming and Seungmin fading away.

When he pulled away, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips, he gazed at your dazed state, "Tell me, is gaming better than this, hm?" He teased, his voice carrying a playful tone.

Lost in the trance of the moment, you shook your head, feeling his lips brush against yours before he kissed you again. The sensation was electrifying, but if Hyunjin thought he had won you over with that, he was severely mistaken.

Because when the weekend came around, and you were immersed in your gaming session with Seungmin, no amount of kisses from Hyunjin could distract you from the digital world you were exploring. As much as you loved the moments with your boyfriend, your passion for gaming was a part of who you were, and it was a promise you intended to keep.

But you did let him come over while you game.

Hyunjin pouted as he watched you talk excitedly into the mic on your headset, your enthusiasm evident in every word you spoke to Seungmin. Despite his initial playful complaints about being abandoned for games, he couldn't fight the smile that grew on his face.

As you laughed and strategised with Seungmin, Hyunjin appreciated how genuinely happy you were in these moments. He understood that your passion for gaming was a significant part of who you were, and he respected that.

Seated beside you, he immersed himself in his own world of sketches and drawings. The atmosphere was filled with the sound of your laughter and the clicking of his pencil against the paper. He was content, knowing that you were both doing things you loved, even if they were very different. Being by your side was all that mattered to him. And as he glanced at you with a soft smile, he thought, maybe, opposites do attract after all.

He couldn't resist leaning over to plant a kiss on your head as you played. You winked at him in response, making him laugh.

When the long match finally ended in your favour, you jumped up, arms thrown around his neck in triumph, "We won, Jinnie!" You exclaimed, and he cheered alongside you, savouring the victory.

As you celebrated, Hyunjin sneakily wrapped his arms around you and whispered, "Should I reward you for doing such a good job?" A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes.

You gasped, slapping a hand over his mouth when you heard a loud groan through your headset. Seungmin's voice echoed, and you realised he could still hear you with the mic unmuted, "Ew, I really didn't need to hear that. My day's completely ruined now, thanks."

"Shut up, Seungmin. You've been hogging my girlfriend all day. Can I have her back already?" Hyunjin scolded, and your face turned a shade of red.

Seungmin laughed good-naturedly, "Fine, she's all yours."

Hyunjin grinned in victory as you ended the call with Seungmin, and he wasted no time pulling you back into his arms as soon as you logged out of the game.

"Damn right, she is. All mine."

I'll be honest, this slightly strayed from the initial direction that I was gonna go for, but I'm happy with how it ended.

Thank you for reading and let me know your thoughts! <3

All Rights Reserved © edenesth // DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE, PLAGIARISE OR REPURPOSE.

#stray kids #stray kids fanfic #stray kids fanfiction #stray kids hyunjin #non idol au #high school au #best friends to lovers #hyunjin x reader #hyunjin x you #hwang hyunjin #stray kids fic #stray kids oneshot

[findingnemosworld]

𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫 - 𝐫𝐮́𝐛𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐬

・𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲: 𝐦𝐞.

𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐢𝐟 𝐡𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫.

𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭, 𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐮𝐩 𝐩*𝐫𝐧.

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞: 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲.

it’s arduous to love someone, even more so when it’s kept in secret – their affair happened rather unexpectedly, he met her at a nations league qualifier match as she’d come to support her brother, his club and national teammate – the sight of her in the stands, proudly cheering the national team as well as her brother had captured his heart, so much so that he was certain it was ' love at first sight '.

a six month period of sporadic encounters in manchester as well as during the international break lead to him finally mustering up the courage to ask her for number leading to a brief period of text messages, voice and video calls which ultimately lead to an affair blossoming in the midst of a hectic time for the two of them, especially her being a recording artist.

while maintaining an affair was arduous due to their careers, maintaining a private affair was far more arduous than what it seemed, sure it was thrilling to sneak away when her brother wasn’t looking yet the pair knew that one way or another, they were bound to tell her brother of their relationship, little did they know that it would be sooner than what they think.

france football, the magazine behind the ballon d’or ceremony had invited her to perform in the ceremony as means to bring more eyes due to her rising popularity, which lead to her to accompanying him, her brother and sister in law – once they’d arrived to france a week before the ceremony, her sister in law had suggested a girls day for them while the boys were spending time together.

after a brief shopping trip, they decided to sit down and have breakfast when her sister in law decided to bring up the topic, by playfully asking her. " so … you and rúben? "

she looks up, her eyes wide in complete surprise. " huh? "

ines raised a brow, her lips curled into an amused smile. " irmã, please … do you think i haven’t noticed the way you two would sneak away everytime bernando and i invite you over? you’re lucky he hadn’t noticed "

obviously ines would notice, she shared a special bond with her sister in law from the moment bernando introduced them, realizing there was no way out, she lets out a soft sigh then says. " i love him ines ! "

ines smiles softly, " i know you do irmã ; i know that he loves you too, but don't you think bernando should know? "

" you know how bernando can get, remember when he threatened rafael three years ago after he thought he was flirting with me? " she shudders softly, recalling the less than stellar moment her old brother threatened his national teammate after spotting him chatting with her after a game.

ines chuckles softly, " but he likes rúben, so do i … so i don’t see why he’d be mad? "

" oh when it comes to my private life, he’s always mad – he threatened so many guys during high school and had even went to my prom ines, my prom just so i wouldn’t go out with a guy " she huffs, then says. " i love him but he had suffocated me with his overprotective nature for so long that rúben is the first glimpse of freedom that i ever experienced, i’m scared of how he will react "

ines nods softly then speaks, " listen, querida … you have my blessings because trust me, i see how he looks at you and he’s in love " she smiles before adding on, " but you have to keep in mind that at one point, one way or another .. bernando has to know "

she nods softly then sighs, " i know "

ines grows silent before she says, " how long has this been going on hm? "

her lower lip is trapped between her teeth for a brief moment before muttering, " a year and a half "

ines’s eyes widen, " a year? you mean that night – the champions league final when i saw you coming out of the tunnel looking flustered and confused "

her cheeks redden as she says, " we were in the locker room, and we -um- … " she looks down.

" don't say it, did you two…? " ines asks with a soft tone before gasping in shock. " you fucked in that locker room!!! "

she covers her face in response for a brief moment then nods before muttering, " yes, and the back of the bus too "

" you dirty girl " ines giggles before adding on, " listen, why don’t i ask bernando to have dinner out so you two can have some alone time to figure things out? "

her eyes soften, " you’d do that for me? "

ines smirks, " what are sisters for hm? i’ll text him later and you can go see rúben "

" i really appreciate you ines, especially for enduring my brother the way you do " she giggles.

ines laughs, " the price of love my dear irmã, now let’s finish eating so we can head up back to the hotel "

later on that night, ines had sent her a message to inform her that the coast was clear; she steps out of her hotel suite then makes her way towards his own suite, she knocks on the door waiting for him to open up, after five minutes, the door opens to reveal rúben standing there, shirtless with his hair disheveled; his cheeks flushed as well. " i … hi " he whispers.

she eyed him, confused by his state before she asks. " are you ok? "

instead of verbally responding, he tugs her into the suite, slamming the door behind him then he proceeded to kiss her passionately before muttering, " i need you " he whispers hoarsely hoisting her up in his arms as he walks towards the bedroom, " i need to feel you wrapped around my cock "

he sits at the edge of the bed, pulling her onto his lap to kiss her once more before muttering, " come on meu amor, i need to feel your pussy wrapped around my cock "

he leans backwards, his back hitting the mattress while her hand wrapped around the length of his cock eliciting a sharp gasp from him, " fuck, please meu amor "

she teased herself, rubbing the tip of his cock against her slick walls causing her to moan, " rúben "

" i know menina doce " he murmured, a strangled moan escaped his lips as his cock seethed through her warm pussy, " jesus, i missed this "

" me too " she whimpers, her palms laying flat against his chest as she leisurely began to move up and down, the delicious friction caused by his cock sent shockwaves across every inch of her skin.

it'd been ages since the pair had seen one another due to her time being taken away from her thanks to the consistent recording sessions, suddenly, his hand reaches up to wrap his hand around her throat drawing out a soft sigh from her, " it's been killing me meu amor, telling your brother that i am in love yet not telling him that it's you " he murmurs.

" i know, but we did promise to be care -oh fuck- " she gasps as he thrusts upwards to meet her pace, " we promised to be careful rúben, and i ... i'm scared of how bernardo will react "

all he could do was release a soft hum as the pair were enveloped by the undeniable passion between them, he understood her reservations as well bernando's reservations, however - he couldn't endure keeping their love a secret anymore, " meu amor, we need to tell him " he grunts in response to her moving at a rapid pace.

" i know, i know ... maybe after the ceremony " she moans as he adds more pressure on her throat. " we can sit him down and tell him everything "

he groans, lifting his body up to trail kisses across her bare chest before murmuring. " i don't wanna hide anymore meu amor "

" i know " she sighs, threading her digits through his hair.

he lifts his head up to capture her lips in a heated kiss, " now, i want to hear you scream, scream for me while you cum on my cock "

she moans in response, her thumb rubbing her clit in a circular motion while she moved rapidly, her chest rising and falling at a rapid pace, labored breaths escaping her parted lips. " rúben " she whimpers.

" i know meu amor, i'm right there with you " he moans, " keep going ... keep going, fuck " he gasps.

his cock twitched inside of her before releasing ropes of cum inside of her, " jesus, come on meu amor, cum for me " he cooed.

she whines, " oh my god, oh my god fuck " her eyes flutter shut, as a cry escaped her mouth. " oh fuck "

in a matter of minutes, she's nestled in between his legs while their arousal seeped through in between her thighs, she gently grabs his glistening cock, wrapping her soft lips around the pink tip drawing out a strangled whine from him " oh bebé ", the combination of her mouth as well as her tongue had instantly broken down his resolve, he leaned his head back, sinking into the pillow. " jesus, i don't think i will ever grow tired of your mouth around my cock, so fucking war- fuck- " he yells, his muscles contracting in response to her tongue swirling around his tip. " oh fuck, don't stop bebé "

her fingers dance across the underside of his cock further spurring him to thrash, releasing the sweetest sounds before he rode through another orgasm, finally collapsing in a fit of labored breaths, he then proceeds to drag her back up to kiss her before murmuring, " you have no idea just how much i love you "

she smiles, " i love you too "

___

the ballon d'or ceremony was in full swings with several notable players receiving their awards; just before the women's and men's ballon d'or was set to be announced, the hosts begin to speak, " and now for our performer for the night, she's been named artist of the year by billboard and has amassed over eight grammies in the past two years, please welcome the lovely sofia fernanda "

a course of cheers ripples through the venue as she steps out with a broad smile, standing in the middle of the stage with a microphone in hand, a soft beat begins as she sings the lyrics to her newest song, 'a un beso' which had been written three months into her relationship with rúben, a song that he knew all too well as the moment she began to sing, a broad smile appeared across his lips, capturing the attention of bernardo who leaned in to whisper, " you know this song? "

his cheeks reddened as he nods, " yeah, my sister ... she -uh- she showed it to me " he lied.

ines withheld a giggle as she decided to chime in by saying, " it's an amazing song "

" it is " bernando smiles then adds, " i had no idea my baby sister is in love, i wonder who it is? " he mutters.

" yeah " Ines nods, glancing at rúben. " we all do, don't we rúben? "

" mhm " he nods swiftly.

the performance was met with cheers as she concluded, smiling in gratitude before retreating back stage, to allow the ceremony to proceed - and after the ceremony had concluded, the guests had moved on to the after party, rúben and bernando were chatting with their teammates while ines, laura, isabella and her sat together chatting animatedly when ines had caught rúben looking at her sister causing her to giggle and lean in to whisper, " looks like romeo can't keep his eyes off of you "

she shot ines a confused look before following the direction of where she was looking causing her to blush, " ines, stop " she whisper shouts.

" please " ines laughs, " i mean it's becoming too obvious that bernando almost caught him earlier while he checked you out "

she groans softly, " oh my goodness "

" yeah, if i were you i'd tell him before he finds out himself " ines said.

she blows out a soft breath then stands up, " i'll figure it out " she excused herself, sending a look to rúben before passing by him, he waited for about nine minutes before excusing himself to follow her to the balcony where she stood in the dark corner, " meu amor? " he walks up to her, " you were fucking incredible " he pressed a soft kiss to her neck.

" thank you amor " she smiles softly before releasing a soft sigh. " i heard bernando almost caught you "

he chuckles in response, " yeah, but thankfully i saved myself " he pressed another kiss on her shoulder.

she grows silent for a brief moment before replying, " i think we should tell him "

he stops then lifts his head up, " are you sure? " he asks her.

she nods softly, " yeah, i don't think i want to hide it anymore "

he smiles softly, " then it's settled, we tell him but in the mean time " the smile grows mischievous as he backed her up against the wall then kneeled down much to her confusion, " come on meu amor, don't keep me waiting "

a soft gasp escaped her lips, " rúben " she whispers, " we can't do it here "

" meu amor " he whines, caressing her thighs which sent shivers across her body, " please, i'm hungry and i need you "

the combination of his position coupled with the 'puppy dog eyes' he was giving her had broken her resolve, " just be gentle " she murmurs.

he grins, " don't worry but you be quiet hm? "

" i'll try " she whispers, watching as he nestled himself between her legs, her gown hunched up allowing the cool air to prick her skin causing her to moan, " oh "

" careful " he tuts, pushing her panties to the side, chuckling darkly at the sight before him, " jesus, you're drenched and i haven't even touched you " he hums, licking soft stripes to tease before his tongue darted inside of her pussy; his nose bumps into her clit every once in a while.

" rúben " she whines, her digits threading through his hair gently, " i .. fuck, oh fuck!! " she whimpered lowly.

his tongue would move in a leisure torturous motion, drawing out shapes while his tongue nuzzled against her clit - suddenly, in a matter of seconds he'd start to move his tongue rapidly while his hands gripped her thighs while she withered above him, he grunts in response each time she thrusted her pussy against his face. " fuck, fuck ... rúben " she cried softly. " i'm cumming, fuck "

he spurs her further with his tongue until the knot in her abdomen explodes allowing him to lap up every drop of her arousal before pulling back, pulling up her panties then proceeding to kiss her passionately, " so fucking delicious "

a few kisses later, they adjusted themselves ready to sneak out when all of a sudden they hear their names uttered with a confused tone, causing them to turn around simultaneously to find bernando standing there with a confused expression, " what -uh- ... what is this? "

the pair stand there dumbfounded, as they are finally coming face to face with the consequence of keeping their affair a secret, now they had no choice but to admit everything.

#ruben dias #ruben dias imagine #ruben dias x reader #ruben dias one shot #ruben dias fanfiction #ruben dias smut #ruben dias fanfic

[silvervioletvalentine]

🦋!STARSTRUCK!🦋

Pairing : Max Verstappen x Cherrie!

Word count: 13k

Summary: in which she’s a supermodel and he’s starstruck.

Lando jolted In shock from where he was sat playing video games on the couch, his head snapping over to the front door that had loudly slammed shut behind his panicked , red faced friend ,who had just sprinted through the door as though he was being chased.

Almost knocking off a vase from the table next to the door as he hurried to catch it before it could shatter into a thousand little pieces, ragged breaths escaping him and filling the shocked silence between the two of them.

Both of the men looked at each-other with wide eyes for a very long moment , lando blinking over at him in disbelief as he slowly placed down his controller , heart racing in his chest from the sudden heart attack that his friend had just given him.

"Are you being chased by the police Max?" The question came out more calm than he intended , the shock still keeping him still on the couch as he gaped over at a sweaty max in disbelief.

Max awkwardly leaned back up to his full height after standing by the front door with his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath back. Letting out a loud exhale as he straightened back up and awkwardly cleared his throat. Realising that perhaps he might have overreacted a little..

He sheepishly scratched the back of his reddening neck , swallowing thickly . "She was down there . Getting mail." He weakly informed him of the reason why he looked so panicked.

At that, Lando relaxed and let out a loud pitiful sigh , shaking his head at him in exasperation . "For gods sake max! And where the hell is your Mail that you went down to get in the first place?" He asked him in amusement as he looked down at his hands holding absolutely nothing but nervous sweat.

The redbull driver merely shrugged weakly , a stark contrast to his usual confident and self assured behaviour. Lando thought it was more than amusing how one woman had managed to turn his arrogant friend into a flustered mess without even doing a single thing. It was just a amazing scene for him to witness and yet another embarrassing moment for max to be relentlessly teased about for the rest of his life.

"I-I forgot. She was just there when I went to get mine and then she-" max blinked rapidly , heart still racing in his chest like he had done several laps around a racetrack with no helmet on.

"-she looked at me." He said in amazement , beyond starstruck.

Lando tried not to laugh , he really did. But this was just too good.

He smirked instead "she looked at you? That's it? And you what- she looked at you and you ran away?" He said it in such a way that max knew he was being made fun of.

He immediately scowled over at his friend "you don't understand Lando! She's just- she's a fucking siren or something! She's like that motley crue song! She's got the looks that kill mate!" He exclaimed frustratedly as he finally pushed away from the door and stomped into the kitchen to get a drink to try and calm his shaking body back down.

It was ridiculous the way that she made him feel, the two of them had barely even spoken before either . Well, he has tried to speak to her on multiple occasions, but it just never turned out right. Which was why his list of humiliating moments in front of who he was certain was the love of his life, was growing rapidly. And the worst thing being the fact that he couldn't even hide away and never see her again. Because she was his neighbour.

The love of his life. His ultimate woman crush. The exact same woman that he had spent years dreaming about each time he passed a billboard with her face on it.. buying each magazine or poster that she was on like he was collecting rare artifscts. Constantly in awe at how beautiful one woman could be.

Because Cherrie was the IT girl . A supermodel that looked as though she had came straight from the 90's when the models were actually talented and naturally beautiful. No Botox or fillers. No big family name to rocket her to the top. She did that all on her own , something that made max like her even more.

She was the queen of the runway. The highest paid , hottest supermodel in the world right now and max was totally gone for her. He had been since he had seen a billboard of her right outside of his apartment window , a ad for Victoria secret featuring Cherrie in tiny underwear . Lace, lace and even more lace.

Max had almost passed out right there on the spot when he first saw it. Enjoying his morning coffee on his balcony as he gazed at the billboard in utter awe of her, it was a beautiful way to wake up each morning if he said so himself.

So you could only imagine his shock and honestly horror, when he had opened up his front door one day during the summer to leave for the day and found the exact same supermodel that he had been dreaming about stood in their shared hallway with boxes upon boxes of her expensive stuff surrounding her.

And to his luck , it turned out that she was his new neighbour. He had only been able to stutter out a shocked 'hello.' To her before bolting it out of there like his ass was on fire. Unable to believe that this was actually happening to him.

It was like all of his confidence was shattered into tiny pieces whenever it came to Cherrie. All she had to do was simply smile at him and max had to constantly tell himself not to pass the fuck out when she did so. He could barely ever get a word out . Only small, shy 'hellos' before making up some muttered excuse about being late so that she didn't try to talk to him.

Max was well aware that this was not normal for him. He never behaved like this. He didn't lose his cool around women. His was unmovable and nothing could faze him. He usually didn’t give a single fuck about anything or anyone at all.

Except for Cherrie apparently. He felt like a nervous teenager with his first ever crush around her. I mean, it also didn't help the fact that she wasn't exactly the ... most sweetest person either. From what he had seen so far at least.

She was well known to be a ruthless woman when it came to men. A long list of scorned ex lovers that she threw away like broken toys when she got bored with them. She hasn't worked her way up to the top by being shy and sweet after all. She was a force to be reckoned with.

And it was sexy. He could admit that he found her bitchiness and her 'I'm better than you all' attitude hot. He could admit to himself that he had gotten ridiculously turned on one time when he had overheard her on the phone bossing somebody about and shouting at someone that had screwed something up in her apartment.

Because apparently max liked woman that could

Make a grown man cry. Who would have thought. But as hot as it was, as she was like that. He did not want to be on the receiving end of her mean little comments and judgy remarks.

There was only so much bitchiness that he could take before he just dropped to one knee and asked her to marry him right there and then.

It was like that shirt he had seen with the slogan 'don't be mean to me, I'll fall in love with you.' That described his predicament perfectly.

And it also didn't help that her five year old daughter , Star, was also as mean as her mother was. Many a time had max encountered the child in the hallway playing with her barbie dolls right outside his door, as though she was waiting for him to fall right into her trap.

She was the sassiest and most judgmental five year old he had ever met in his life. The first time he had seen her she had looked him up and down and her adorable little face had scrunched up in disgust as she bluntly told him that he 'looked so Boring.'

And his favourite one : 'why do you dress like this when you're a rich man? Being White isn't a excuse to dress like trash max.' That had humbled him horrifyingly.

He had been too stunned to even reply. And also his ego too bruised to admit to anyone that he had thrown that outfit that he had been wearing straight into the trash can when he arrived back home later than night. Unable to believe that a five year old had him reconsidering his whole wardrobe so easily.

Was he really so easily influenced? Or was he just a fool in love?

Lando sighed loudly and asked him curiously "well.. how far have you gotten with Cherrie so far? Have you at least managed to get her number yet? A date?" He looked expectantly at him.

Max just shook his head with a frown, looking at him like he was insane . "No. I do say hello to her when we bump into each other though ." He told him proudly as though that was something to celebrate.

Clearly Lando didn't agree with him. Instead the driver looked back at him in shock , eyes blowing wide in disbelief .

"Dude!" He gasped loudly in exasperation "you've been going on and on about her for so fucking long now and all you've managed to do is say hello? Not even a 'how are you?'!" He exclaimed , unimpressed.

Max groaned in embarrassment as he threw himself down onto the loveseat in misery. Throwing his hands up in front of him in annoyance.

"You don't get it! She's scary Lando! I once watched her kick a guy out of her apartment because he said he didn't like her little yappy dog. He was crying lando! Crying!" He empathised loudly , looking at him with wide eyes. Recalling that awful day with a wince .

"She was so mean to him! I felt so sorry for him that I had to go out there into the hallway and pick his crying ass up off the floor and call him a Uber ! She broke him! She's ruthless I'm telling you!" His face serious . Partly impressed but mostly scared of her.

He did not want to be in that poor mans position  , ever. He had a horrible feeling that one insult from her would have him crumbling like a soft mint! She had the most creative and ruthless insults that he had ever heard. He could see exactly where her daughter got it from. The both of them were little bullies! It was insane.

She carried herself with such arrogance and confidence. Always immaculate and dressed in the most beautiful clothes . Hair always shiny and hanging beautifully down her back. Her yappy little Pomeranian dog in one arm with a little bow always in its hair. Freshly manicured nails clutching at a tiny designer bag in the other arm. And she strutted around in these six inch heels all day like a absolute boss bitch. Facial expressions never moving , constantly looking like a walking photoshoot.

She was perfect . It was intimidating.

Max had never met a woman like her before. And it scared the living shit out of him. I mean, how do you even talk to a woman like that? She was richer than he was, so he couldn't impress her with fancy gifts. She already had a new car for each day of the week.

He couldn't woo her off her feet with his own looks either.. he had seen the guys that she usually hung about with. They looked nothing like he did! They were usually always over six feet tall, always packing a ridiculous amount of muscle and what looked to be edited abs. With luscious hair and perfect features...how the hell was he supposed to stand a single chance against the Ken lookalikes she brought home?

Perhaps he could make her laugh with his jokes.. if he could just find a way to be able to actually speak to her without turning into a stammering mess. Maybe they could work.

Didn't they say that women loved a funny guy? The more time she spent laughing was the more time she would spend with her eyes closed!

God. He had never felt more stressed in his entire life. Knowing that he had his chance only a few feet away from his door. His dream girl was so close... yet so far away. What the hell was he going to do? He couldn't let a opportunity  like this pass him by. Cherrie was the kind of woman that only came around once in a lifetime . She was one in infinity.

He needed to somehow get over his sudden flood of shyness and find some confidence in him to actually make a move on her. Or at last try to.

I mean, this whole running away from her and feeling like he was going to have a panic attack each time she smiled at him was getting a little pathetic now. Even to his standards.

Lando looked at him with a wary frown, chewing on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully.  "Surely she can't be that bad max." He stated unsurely. Having also been a fan of Cherrie too. But no where as big of a fan as max was.

Max just scoffed and shot him a look "I swear - the other day I was leaving and we bumped into eachother in the hallway and-" he inhaled deeply with a grimace "she looked at me up and down and sighed! Didn't even say a thing! Just left! I'm telling you-she looked disgusted!" He whined . Practically pouting in his seat.

Lando hummed in confusion "well.. what were you wearing?" He asked him simply .

Max looked at him with a frown "what I always wear! What has that got to do with anything?!"

Lando let out a loud laugh and snorted at him in amusement . "Well it's no wonder she looked so disgusted then! Have you forgotten who she is max? She's a supermodel. Her whole life is practically fashion . And All you wear is redbull polos and shorts!" He reminded him with a grin.

He blinked back at his friend silently for a moment before saying quietly "so.. I need to dress better to get her to like me? Is that what you're suggesting?" He sounded as offended as he looked. He loved his redbull shirts and cap. He was Hardly was ever seen without them. They were a part of him now.

Lando just shrugged at him, laughing a little. "Well.. it wouldn't hurt to try would it? She clearly likes luxury. Even the jewellery she wears cost more than this entire apartment. Maybe try a linen shirt? That seems to work well for pierre and Charles. That quite luxury vibe." He suggested to him.

Max just rolled his eyes in annoyance "you're forgetting that I'm not Charles or Pierre! If I turned up one day in linen trousers and a linen shirt.. people would think I was having some type of midlife crisis!" He exclaimed , crossing his arms over his chest with a huff .

He then continued to Moan on "and it isn't even just Cherrie that I need to impress! Her daughter-" he inhaled sharply at the thought of the little menace "is just as ruthless as she is! The kid probably eats Ken doll heads for breakfast! She always makes this little evil giggle when she sees me! I mean it Lando!" He insisted to his now hysterically laughing friend. "I'm not even kidding! She may look like an Angel but she's not! She so mean!"

Lando giggled loudly , tears leaking from his eyes from his laughter . Unable to believe what he was hearing . His usually tough and arrogant friend reduced to a fearful, stammering mess over a supermodel and her five year old daughter. This was just too good!

"She's a kid! She's just playing around! Just buy her a ice cream or something and she'll love you forever ." He told him in amusement , trying and failing to stop laughing at his grumpy , pouting friend.

Before max could resort back to him they both froze up when they heard a commotion coming from the hallway outside his apartment . Both drivers locking eyes as they widened at the sound of a familiar voice reaching their ears.

"Okay this is what we're going to do.." Lando whispered to him excitedly as he stood up from the couch, ignoring max whisper shouting at him to sit his ass back down.

He just pulled a panicking max up alongside him and continued to whisper confidently "we're going to go out there. Say hello and make friends with her. Just follow my lead. Be as cool and casual as I'm going to be okay? I've got this. Trust me."  He arrogantly told him, smirking smugly to himself as he walked over to the door.

Pulling it open confidently  as he shot a nervous max a sly wink over his shoulder before turning back around and coming face to face with said supermodel in question.

Max offered her a shy smile when she looked over to them in slight surprise , her fluffy dog held in one arm like a baby, while her five year old daughter sat on the hallway floor with her barbies again.

Max waited for Lando to show him how to be 'cool and casual' seeing as he claimed himself as such a expert.

Only after a few seconds of awkward silence from the mclaren driver, he cautiously looked over at his friend only to see Lando stood frozen in his spot, gaping up at Cherrie with wide , starstruck eyes.

Max would only watch in pure disbelief as Lando started to fangirl right in front of him, beaming at Cherrie excitedly. Mr Cool and casual no where to be seen.

Typical! Typical Lando! He scoffed to himself in disbelief .

"Oh my god! It is you! Wow! You're even more stunning up close!" Lando gasped out giddily , his own cheeks going red when she let out a light, confused but pretty laugh.

Eyes looking between both Lando and max in slight amusement, her eyes staying on Max's for a little longer as she lifted a curious eyebrow at him. Meanwhile max tried not to die from pure second embarrassment , right there and then.

Kill him. Just…dig him a whole right now. Fucks sake!

"I thought max was lying when he told me that you were his new neighbour! I mean I thought he was just being delusional after staring at that billboard every morning-" Lando started telling her with a grin, looking up a the supermodel in front of him in awe.

Max quickly let out a loud abrupt laugh and elbowed Lando harshly in his side to get him to stop talking . Awkwardly smiling at a amused Cherrie , feeling his cheeks flush red.

"He's-he's joking! I haven't stared at anything! Not weirdly! I mean-there is a billboard obviously but I don't look at it weirdly -" his voice went higher in pitch as he panicked. Unable to even look her in her eyes, instead he settled on glaring daggers at Lando for getting him into this mess.

Cherrie just giggled, stroking her Pomeranians soft fur gently with her  newly manicured nails as she looked at the two nervous drivers in front of her in amusement.

Cute. She thought to herself with a smile.

"You don't like the billboard? Am I not pretty enough of a view for you?" She teased him, smirking to herself as she watched him panic like a fish out of water.

"No! I mean- yes! Yes!  You're very pretty-" max stammered out at the same time Lando sighed out a amazed "you're the hottest woman in the world." Not at all fazed by the disbelieving look that max was sending him.

He felt like he was living out a nightmare. But not only did he had to worry about embarrassing himself, he had Lando working double shifts on the train of his humiliation too. How lovely. What a supportive friend he was!

Feeling sorry for him and a little concerned by the colour of red that max was turning , Cherrie sent him a small smile , giggling fondly.

"I'm just kidding max! I know I'm beautiful . I don't need assuring. It must be a gift to wake up and see my face when you look out your window every morning ." She sighed out confidently , smiling to herself as her dog, ditsy, snored in her arms . Cooing down at her baby affectionately.

Meanwhile max was just looking at the arrogant supermodel in front of him silently , utterly speechless. Falling even more in love with her by the second. How the hell was he supposed to respond to that self assured statement?

Then he suddenly froze up as he realised that Cherrie had said his name. His name. In her pretty mouth...his throat ran dry .

Shocked eyes looking at her in amazement "you know my name?" He breathed out , more than surprised . Having thought that she had no clue to who he even was.

Cherrie looked back up at him for a moment , laughing a little to herself at the shocked look on his face.

"Yes , I've heard it many times before max. Star loves watching the races. Don't you baby?" She directed their attention down to her daughter who had been quietly watching them so far .

Max could only slowly meet the five year olds eyes nervously, the kid already looking up at him with a mischievous smirk on her cute little face as she looked him up and down judgmentally . Just like her mother had.

He exhaled shakily, bracing himself for whatever she threw his way this time.

"I do." She confirmed smoothly before her smirk widened "I love watching Lewis win." She bluntly told them. Eyes never leaving Max's. Like the little devil that she was.

Lando burst into giggles again at that, while max just

looked as the smug little five year old in disbelief.

Shaking his head silently to himself, feeling his pride getting bruised by a child. Again. Unbelievable. Of course she'd be a Mercedes fan. Of bloody course.!

"Well. That's too bad. I won the championship not him , so.." he couldn't stop himself from muttering smugly back to the child . Crossing his arms over his chest defensively .

Thankful then that Cherrie was too busy taking selfie's with a fangirling Lando to notice him arguing with her five year old daughter pettily .

"Oh my god! We should do a Tiktok together! The fans would love it!" Lando gasped out excitedly as he held his phone up in front of them. Cherrie giggling alongside him as she happily agreed , making him stop recording for a moment so that she could fix his hair and her own from them. Lando just beaming up at her the whole time as she fixed his hair carefully , sighing blissfully to himself . Understanding now why she had max in such a state.

Star huffed and kicked her foot out to hit his ankle to get his attention again , max inhaling sharply as he moved his now throbbing foot away from her little Chanel boots. The five year old glaring up at him .

"Not fairly. Lewis is my champion." She defiantly stuck her little button nose up at him. Max hating the fact that she looked so cute while doing so.

With her big ,bug eyes, freckles and pig tails. Wearing a sparkly dress fit for a princess. How the hell was he supposed to not smile?

For the sake of his own ego and pride, he tugged his lips down and rolled his eyes at her in slight Annoyance. Peeved by the fact that she didn't like him, despite him not even doing anything wrong.

If he wanted Cherrie to like him back, he needed to somehow get her sassy, stubborn daughter to like him too. There was no way that Cherrie would ever go out with him if Star hated his guts.

"I still won. A win is a win. Get over it." He muttered pettily down to the child.

Pouting to himself as he side eyed Lando in disbelief as he watched his friend make tiktoks with Cherrie like they were the best of friends. Wondering how he did it. How he was so confident while staring into the face of a goddess.

Star huffed back up-at him judgmentally "I'll get over it when you get over dressing like a nerd." She shot back at him without missing a beat.

Max gaped down at her in shock. Offended . "I do not dress like a -"

She giggled slyly "yes you do! Boring! Boring! Boring!" She sang at him smugly . Slapping at his dirty canvas shoes to prove her point.

He huffed "well. What do you want me to wear? A suit? Just to go grocery shopping?" He shot back at her. Pride well and truly gone by now.

Star just smirked up at him as she jumped up to her feet suddenly, making him flinch back. Warily eyeing them she-devil child as she stood in front of him. Barely reaching his waist.

"I know your secret." She whispered to him devilishly . Bug eyes twinkling at him.

Max paled dramatically . Eyeing her hesitantly as his heart pounded in his chest. Unable to believe that he was getting so intimidated by a literal child.

"I don't have a secret." He denied nervously .

Glancing anxiously over to Lando and Cherrie again , huffing miserably to himself when he noticed them still taking even more selfies together like they were the best of friends , while he was stuck getting threatened by her five year old daughter .

Just typical. Really nice.

Star giggled "yes you do. All boys do." She told him smugly . Casually handing him one of her barbie dolls to take as she spoke.

He carefully took the doll from her small hand, looking down at it warily. Wondering what the little menace was playing at.

"Well, all girls do too . So..." he shrugged back at her. Awkwardly standing there with the barbie in his hand , not knowing what to do with it.

He then let out a startled , horror filled gasp when she suddenly lurched forward and hugged him. His eyes going wide in shock as he looked down at star who was squeezing him tightly .

About to shrug her off him in fear of her somehow killing him with her barbie doll when he noticed Cherrie looking over at him with a awed smile.

Her whole face softening fondly as she watched her daughter hug max tightly.

"Awww she likes you! That's so sweet!" She cooed at them. Nudging at Lando to take a picture of them. The driver doing so with a amused look on his face, the only one noticing how scared max looked.

Max let out a nervous chuckle as he gently hugged the little devil back. Cautiously patting her back with his hand as she refused to let go. Grinning up at him toothily. One of her front teeth missing. Looking as cute as could possibly be.

"Err-yeah- she's very-" scary, mean, sassy, judgmental.. "-sweet. You have a lovely daughter Cherrie." He settled on saying instead. Smiling over at her in hopes that she didn't see the fear in his eyes when Star giggled mischievously against him.

The five year old beamed over at her mother happily , a plan already forming in her little head.

She had seen the way that max could hardly even speak a word to her mother. She wasn't stupid. She knew that boys loved Cherrie. Something that she proudly liked to brag about at school, that her mother was the most beautiful woman in the world. She knew the signs by now. And max fit them all.

But her mommy always had boyfriends and she had hated them all. They never lasted beyond meeting her. Never past her tests. But max .. Star actually did like max. Despite the mean front she was putting up.

She was a Lewis fan. Yes. But she was also a max fan too. Not that she would ever admit it. She was a cool kid who refused to embarrass herself by fangirling like Lando was. And honestly , she wanted to go to the races . But her mother's busy schedule  would never allow them to.

But if her mommy fell in love with a f1 driver? That would mean permanent access to watch the races from the best seats there was!

She just needed to see how serious max was about liking her mommy. If he could pass her tests. If he was even worth her mommy's attention. Because to star, her mommy deserved the world. She just wanted to make sure that max would give her just that first, then maybe she'd be nice to him.

So with a sweet smile on her face she easily lied "I told max about Lola cancelling and he said he'd babysit me and ditsty tomorrow!" She included her yappy dog in the lie too.

As Cherrie looked at max in surprise , smiling over at him happily. Max was too busy looking at the little liar hugging him in pure disbelief . Mouth dropping open in shock as he rapidly looked between star, Cherrie and the yappy dog. Speechless. Again.

"Really?" Cherrie cooed while walking over to him.

Placing her hand on his arm and softly squeezing "you'd do that for me max?" She smiled at him prettily. Eyelashes fluttering.

One smile and Max was done for. He swallowed silently as he looked down at her Soft and manicured hand on his arm that was now filled with goosebumps , his heart pounding in his chest with nerves.

"E-yeah. Yeah! Of course . I would love to! I -I'd love to help! If that's allowed! If you want me to..." he blurted out. Unable to believe what was happening.

Was star actually helping him get into her mothers good graces? He looked down at her smirking face and second guessed everything. Or was the five year old going to kill him without any witnesses tomorrow?

Cherrie looked at max softly , chest warming at the way he was smiling shyly at her. His face flushed as he still awkwardly hugged her giggling daughter  to him gently , a barbie doll hanging loosely from his hand.

"You'd be doing me such a favour max! It won't be too long of course. It's a photoshoot for vogue again. And Star is a angel, so she won't be a bother." She assured him , grinning down at her baby lovingly.

Missing the look of disbelief that max gave her. He looked over at Lando too, his eyes screaming what he couldn't .

Star? An Angel? He severely doubted it! The five year old was a menace through and through. Even Lando was giggling in the corner , having heard each and every story of how mean Star had been to him over the last few months . He thought it was hilarious that max, a grown man, was so intimated by a five year old girl that looked like an Angel.

"Vogue? Oh, congratulations! That's huge. Are you on the front cover?" Max said to her in amazement. Knowing for a fact that he'd be buying it as soon as it hit the shelves.

Cherrie flipped her silky hair over her shoulder with a proud smirk tugging at her red lips.

"I'm always on the front cover darling. Always." She let him know smugly before eyeing him up and down for a long moment.

"You know..I've got my own clothing line coming out soon. For men and women." She mentioned as she stood back to admire him. Imagining max in some of her pieces . Tilting her head to the side with a hum of consideration.

Max was confused and flustered, shifting nervously on his feet when the supermodel just continued to gaze at him with a sharp fingernail tapping against her pouty lips in thought .

"Er-congratulations? Again?" He nervously chuckled.

Star still hugging him against his side , his arm loosely around her tiny shoulders to keep her steady, only this time she was occupied with Lando who was pulling silly faces at her to make her giggle cutely. The sound making max smile to himself.

Cherrie just laughed and waved her free hand in front of her, the other still cradling her tiny dog.

"Mmm. I think you'd look good in this linen set I have. I have brown . Blue, grey?" She hummed out "I have samples in my room. I'll bring them with star in the morning for you to wear." She said to him with a genuine smile.

Lando was looking at him triumphantly , smugness written all across his face. A 'I told you so' look being sent to him.

Max couldn't believe that he was actually right. Sending him a mildly impressed look. His chest fluttering at the thought of Cherrie wanting him to be the first man to wear her new collection .

"Oh that'd be nice! Thank you!" He smiled at her shyly. "I'm not really into fashion so I don't know what looks good or not." He added, stating the obvious.

Cherrie just giggled , grinning up at him in amusement . "Obviously." She said bluntly. Not intending to be mean. It was just the way she was.

"But don't worry! you have me as your neighbour! You don't need to walk around wearing the same ugly thing everyday. I'll help you!" She promised him. Patting his chest gently as she thought about all the beautiful , luxurious clothes that she could get him in.

She liked her men with style. Sue her. Max may not have been a naturally stylish guy, but Cherrie could help him be. Give her a week and she'd have him dressing like the champion that he was.

Max doesn't know whether to be offended or flattered. Maybe both? But all he heard was more time to spend with Cherrie. She could dress him up all she liked as long as he got to be with her.

"Thank you. Maybe you can make me look as good as Lewis ." He joked to them.

Both Cherrie and star snorted loudly at the same time, giggling together as they shared a look between them. And yes. Max was definitely offended now. Even Lando was giggling at him!

"Oh honey. I'm not a miracle worker! But maybe we set more realistic goals -" she teased him, patting his chest Softly . Surprised by how toned he felt. He didn't look it at first. "We can have you dressing better than at least Charles for sure." She settled on.

Max just sighed and nodded his head slowly in defeat "yeah that shouldn't be too hard. But he's got the face though. He could wear a bin bag and they'd still love him." He complained .

Cherrie just laughed as she thought about the cute driver she had partied with not so long ago. "he has got the cute face. But you've got the stern face. The arrogant one. It can work in your favour. It's always the bad boys that girls want after all!" She winked at him as she finally pulled away .

Motioning with her head for Star to let him go , the five year old doing as she was told reluctantly .

Looking up at him for a moment to mutter a "look after Stella." She sternly told him , pointing to the barbie in his hand. "And make sure that her hair stays pretty! And that she's comfortable to sleep tonight!"

Max just chuckled and patted the top of her head gently, Star quickly ducking and squinting her eyes up at him in response making him grin in amusement at her .

"Alright. I'll even make her a little bed shall I?" He joked.

But Star was serious. Nodding her little head yes. "She likes pure cotton bedding. None of the cheap stuff." She told him firmly.

Max let out a amused chuckle, shaking his head in disbelief . "Okay. Pure cotton only. I got it!" He snorted. Sharing a look with Lando. Both of them grinning.

"See you tomorrow max! Bright and early!" Cherrie smiled at him, giving him a wink before waving at Lando too. "And it was nice meeting you Lando! We have to get brunch sometime!" She said, Lando happily agreeing . Telling her to text him the details before she strutted away.

Both of their heads titling to the side simultaneously as they watched her sway her hips in her little black dress. Long legs that looked like they could go on for miles...they both sighed dreamily as she turned around the corner and out of sight.

There was a moment of silence between them before max finally looked over at Lando and said bluntly "what happened to cool and calm Lando ? Mr 'oh my god it's really you!'" He mocked his girly screech in amusement.

Lando just smugly raised his phone at him "but who got her number? That's right.. not you!" He sang slyly.

Max just laughed and reminded him cockily "Im babysitting her daughter and her dog tomorrow . I think I'm winning this one." He countered back smugly.

Lando just scoffed "yeah! If you don't manage to fuck it up that is. One wrong move and you're outtttt!" He teased him.

Max paled at that and crossed his fingers tightly. Praying to anyone and everything that tomorrow was a success. He couldn't blow this now. Not when he was finally getting his chance.

It turned out that Cherrie wasn't kidding around when she said she'd be there 'bright and early'. The sun hadn't even began to fully rise before max heard loud knocks at his front door, jostling him from his sleep in a confused panic.

His legs getting caught in his covers as he tiredly swiped a hand over his face with a groan, twisting around to glance at the clock on his bedside table.

5:30 am. It read.

He groaned again in misery. Rolling ungracefully out of his bed , wincing as he bashed his shoulder against the doorframe as he stumbled down the hallway to his front door, cursing underneath his breath grumpily.

Still half asleep, eyes barely open as he swung open his front door , in nothing but old checkered boxer shorts. One hand on his head tiredly as he yawned loudly , leaning his weight against the front door.

Nearly nodding off while standing up, only for a amused voice to jolt him wide awake again.

"Not a morning person then?" Cherrie grinned at him , giggling at the way he flinched. Now wide awake and aware of the fact that he was standing half naked in front of them, his hair sticking up in every direction and his face puffy from sleep.

He went bright red and quickly reached behind his door to grab a random jumper from the washing pile that he had forgotten to put away. Quickly pulling it over his head, closing his eyes briefly in misery as he finally popped his head back around the door, embarrassed.

"So sorry about that. I er-" his voice cracked tiredly as he glanced between Cherrie, who looked as stunning as ever, and her grinning daughter that was outright laughing at him. Finger pointed and all.

"Definitely not a morning person. Sorry." He confirmed for her with a sheepish chuckle, stretching out his arms to get rid of the stiffness in his back. Yawning again.

Cherrie gently lowered stars pointing finger, giving her a look to behave . She then gently pushed past max and carried her dog into his home, star trailing behind her lazily .

"It's okay! I'm not usually one either but I've had like four cups of coffee and I can feel my heart beating in my ears and I think I'm tasting colours!" She laughed loudly . Heart pumping from the caffeine , making her slightly loopy .

She carefully put down ditsy, her dog, once max had shut the door behind him. Looking at her in slight concern as she started to pick up random pillows on his couch, puffing them up then re-arranging them over and over again as she hummed a song to herself , looking like a twitchy rabbit.

He shared a look with the five year old next to him, who merely sighed and told him bluntly "coffee makes mommy annoying." Before wandering off into his kitchen to help herself to a snack.

Max chuckled to himself at her bluntness. Carefully walking over to Cherrie and gently placing his hand on her arm to get her to stop messing with his pillows.

He smiled down at her, concern shining through when he heard her stomach grumble.

"Have you not had breakfast?" He questioned her , running his hand up and down her arm soothingly. His palm tingling the whole time.

Cherrie just sighed tiredly and pouted at him, sniffling a little . Relaxing against his soft touch.

"No. I don't usually eat anything before a photoshoot. It's like a silent rule we're expected to follow." She muttered grumpily. Leaning against him for a moment , yawning again.

Max frowned down at her, embracing her into a quick side hug . Squeezing her shoulders gently before carefully pushing her down onto the couch, side eyeing the fluffy dog that was sniffing around his tv. Hoping that it was well trained and wouldn't go peeing around his place.

"That's stupid." Max stated bluntly as he walked into the kitchen , shaking his head to himself .

"Can't be on the front cover if you've passed out from hunger Cherrie. I'll make you a cheese bagel okay? You really shouldn't be drinking coffee on a empty stomach like this ." He scolded her lightly as he started getting out what he needed to make food.

Cherrie just smiled to herself , relaxing into the couch as she watched him do his thing. Chuckling quietly to herself as she noticed the way her daughter was impatiently stood next to him, tapping his hip repeatedly when she had enough of not getting any attention.

"Yes?" Max muttered down to star with a small smirk tugging at his lips as he heard her huff and puff. Looking down to see her glaring up at him unhappily .

"You didn't ask me if I was hungry." She stated. Unimpressed with him. He could practically hear the silent 'strike one' that she was giving him in her head.

He just chuckled , pulling out another plate "star. Are you hungry?" He asked her with a grin, playing along.

She quickly nodded her head, eyeing the cheese bagel that he had made her mum.

"Yes. Very. I want one of them!" She demanded , pointing at it hungrily.

Hearing her daughters tone, Cherrie immediately called over to her sternly "manners star!" Not even looking their way. Instead she was flicking through the channels for something to watch while she ate.

The five year old grumbled but looked up at max with a apologetic pout. "Please max." She mumbled quietly , leaning her head against his side.

Max melted, chest warming at how cute she was being. He gave the top of her head a small pat, chuckling affectionately as he quickly made her one as well. Having already planned to do so anyway .

"Table or couch?" He quietly asked her as he walked over to Cherrie, handing her the plate. Getting a pleased grin and a small 'thank you' before she quickly dug in.

"Floor." Star simply muttered as she abruptly dropped down onto the carpet in front of the tv, patting in front of her expectantly . He put down her plate In front of her, shaking his head fondly at how strange she was. Then he handed her a cartoon of orange juice as well before sitting down beside Cherrie with a content sigh.

"You're being so sweet max. I can't believe that I thought you were the biggest asshole ever." She bluntly said out loud. Vocalising her thoughts as they came. Yet again something that she didn't have. A filter.

Max looked at her with a frown "you thought I was an asshole?" He repeated. Upset that she thought that way about him at all.

She swallowed a bite of the bagel before responding , nodding her head apologetically once she noticed the sad look on his face.

"That's only because everybody said you were! You must admit, you're not exactly known for being a sweetheart." She said matter of factly , nudging his shoulder gently with her own.

He side eyed her "well neither are you." He huffed out, crossing his arms over his chest defensively.

Cherrie just chuckled and put down her plate once she was finished eating . reaching over to untug his crossed arms with a grin, shaking her head at him in amusement .

"Well. We can be assholes together then!" She joked as she ruffled his hair before getting up to her feet, eyeing the watch on her wrist with a frown.

"I've gotta get going." She told him with a disappointed sigh. Then remembering something she quickly pulled out some folded fabrics from her big bag.

Handing them to him with a smile "nearly forgot! Some pieces from my collection. You should go with the light blue linen shirt and the white linen trousers. Would really look beautiful with your eyes.." she told him honestly as she turned around and went to give her dog kisses.

Max looked down at the expensive material on his lap, smiling a little as he held a shirt up to examine it. Pulling a face of approval . Huh. Maybe linen wasn't too bad after all.

He flushed at her compliment about his eyes, watching her as she picked up her tiny dog , then bent down to give Star kisses before walking back over to him again.

"I'll try not to be too long! Ditsy here.." she placed her dog down onto his lap. Max tensing as he awkwardly looked down at the fur ball.

"-Doesn't like to be alone. She needs constant attention. Kisses and cuddles . Likes to be held like a baby.. and oh! She loves peanut butter! But only a little bit so her little tummy doesn't get bad." She made a baby voice down to ditsy , kissing it's tiny head affectionately before straightening back up with a smile.

Max was just looking up at her in disbelief "he's spoilt! Surely I don't need to hold him all the time like you do?" He said judgmentally . Gently running his fingers through its puffy fur. Eyeing the diamond studded bow on top of its head in vague amusement .

Cherrie just frowned back at him, offended . "not all the time. Just when he looks like he needs a cuddle! That's my baby max. Treat her like a princess okay?" She told him sternly . She didn't fuck about when it came to her baby... and her real one too.

Max just sighed and nodded his head, accepting the fact that he was in love with a crazy woman.

"Okay. I will. How do I know when he needs a cuddle though? Is there some sort of noise he makes or..?" He questioned her, utterly confused.

Cherrie just giggled as she made her way to the front door "you'll just look at him and know! He gives these big button eyes and sighs! I'll see you later! Love you Star! Love you ditsy!" She called out over her shoulder. The door slamming shut behind her.

Leaving max looking down at the dog in his lap with pursed lips . Ditsy wasn't even looking at him. Instead the dog jumped down off his lap and wandered off as soon as Cherrie was gone.

"Lovely. The dog hates me too." He muttered to himself as he stood up to take the now empty plates to the kitchen to clean.

He didn't hear the small pit pat of footsteps behind him, too focused on washing the plates. So he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a little finger poke his side, hard.

"Max!" Star shouted loudly.

He jumped nearly six feet in the air, whirling around to look down at her in shock.

Eyes blown wide, startled . "Holy shit!" He exclaimed , heart racing. "Don't do that! How are you so quiet?!" He almost shouted, placing a hand over his chest as he tried to calm his poor heart down.

Star just giggled at him mischievously "why is there a cardboard cut out of mommy in your home?" She bluntly asked him. Nodding over to the cupboard that she had been looking in while his back was turned.

Max went red. Having completely forgotten about the realistic cardboard cut out of Cherrie that Lando had gotten him as a joke for his birthday. He had stuffed it away in his cupboard the very moment he knew who his new neighbour was.

He watched in mortification as Star walked over to said cupboard cut out and pulled it out again. Pursing his lips together as she stood beside the cardboard version of her mother and gave him a judgmental look.

"That-this looks a lot weirder than it actually is." He was quick to let her know.

Hands firmly pressed on his hips as he awkwardly looked between the cardboard Cherrie and her daughter in pure embarrassment . Cursing out Lando again in his head.

How did he manage to cause him bother when he wasn't even there?!

"Is it because you know that you'll never get the real thing? So you got cardboard mummy instead?" She brutally resorted back to him.

And max had to give her props for that one, he really did. That was a good one. Hurtful but good.

"Okay. Ouch. Meanie." He said while frowning down at her "and Lando got me it as a joke okay? Nothing weird about it at all." He tried to convince the both of them as he walked over to her and began to drag cardboard Cherrie back into the cupboard again.

Nope. Not weird at all! He tried to convince himself pitifully as he wrestled the cardboard version of the love of his life back into the dark cupboard. Sighing heavily to himself .

Star wouldn't stop giggling as she watched him with a toothy grin on her little face.

"It's weird that you kept it for so long ." She remarked , always wanting to get the last word in.

Max just groaned miserably "okay shut up! Miss Sassy pants!" He closed the cupboard door with a huff. Side eyeing her mischievous face warily.

She simply followed him over to the couch again, waiting for him to sit down again before Climbing up beside him. Sitting crossed legged as she looked at him square on.

There was a tense moment of silence between them , where they just stared each other down,  before Star finally opened her big mouth again making him sigh quietly in defeat.

"You like my mommy." She stated bluntly . Blinking at him with her big eyes.

Max flushed red, mouth opening and closing several times before he finally managed to speak again.

“everyone likes your mommy." He resorted weakly.

The five year old just rolled her eyes at him "yeah but you like , like her. Like, you want to marry her and have a million babies!" She giggled mischievously at him. Enjoying watching him squirm.

Great. He thought miserably. He was getting shook down by a nosy five year old. How lovely.

"So what if I do?" He mumbled. Arms crossed over his chest defensively again.

Star simply shrugged her little shoulders "that's okay. But usually mommy asks me what I think of her boyfriends. And they disappear if I tell her that I don't like them." She told him matter of factly.

At that, Max side eyed her "is that a threat?" He wondered out loud in disbelief.

She just grinned at him smugly "maybe. What can you give me that I don't already Have?" She quickly got down to the bargaining part of her plan.

Meanwhile max felt like he was dreaming, or having a nightmare. Unable to believe what was happening.

He gaped at her in shock "are you blackmailing me?!" He exclaimed loudly . Eyes going wide as he looked at the little she devil in pure disbelief.

She nodded her small head proudly "yes I am." She agreed without any shame . "I'll tell mommy that I like you and that she should keep you around if you give me what I want." She told him smugly.

Max thought about it for a moment. Pursing his lips to himself in consideration. There was nothing more kn the world that he wanted than a chance with Cherrie. It was something that he had dreamed about for years. And he needed her kid to like him, knowing for a fact that if she didn't, he wouldn't stand a single chance getting past ‘hello’.

So the answer was a no Brainer really "what do you want?" He sighed out. Easily caving in.

What he would do for love...honestly. Allowing himself to be mugged by a five year old. Lando was going to laugh at him forever for this.

Star grinned happily at him, clapping her hands together excitedly. "I want a trophy! And A helmet and I want you to take me to some of your races this year." She set out her conditions firmly.

Max looked at her in disbelief "Star! I can't just take you out of the country!" He exclaimed in shock. Having expected her to ask him for a new doll or something. Not this!

She rolled her eyes at him again "you'll be with mommy by then. Duh. You can take both of us! Mommy said that she's always wanted to go to one!" She told him as though he was dumb.

Max relaxed dramatically, smiling sheepishly . "Really? Oh." He dazed out "that's great. That's really great..." he imagined himself turning up to the paddock with Cherrie on his arm, smirking to himself at the thought of all the jealous looks he would get from the other drivers. It sounded like a dream come true.

"Okay. Deal." He said abruptly. Holding out his hand for her to shake . Grinning at the triumphant look on her cute face as she firmly shook his hand with her tiny one, laughing gleeful as she jumped off the couch in seconds.

Running over to his cabinet filled with trophy's and helmets. He got up to make sure that she didn't knock them all down and hurt herself . Hovering beside her as he watched her excited eyes look through them all.

"Which one do you want?" He asked her in amusement. He had hundreds of them. He wouldn't miss one.

She pointed to a pink and green coloured helmet, then at a trophy cup from last year. "Those ones please!" She beamed happily when he carefully passed them to her. Watching her immediately sit down on the floor to examine them more closely.

Wondering silently to himself if in time he could convert her into chasing redbull as her favourite team. Then he thought about getting her into karting, in her own little race suit and had to shake his head to snap out of it.

Baby steps. He reminded himself.

"Soo.." max breathed out with a small smile on his face as he watched her marvel over the award in her hands. Feeling proud at how impressed she looked at them.

"Does this means I have your approval to date your mommy then?" He asked her hopefully.

The five year old grinned up at happily. "Yes! But not dressed like that." She looked pointedly at the clothes that her mother had gave him. A not so subtle hint for him to change into them.

Max just laughed , shaking his head in amusement as he did just that. Picking up the clothes , he sighed happily. Feeling like a weight had lifted off his chest now that he had Star on his side.

"You want cuddles baby?" He cooed down to ditsy as the dog looked up at him with big Puppy eyes, wagging his tail at him.

He was so happy that he bent down and picked the furball up, cradling ditsy in his arms like he had seen Cherrie do.

"Come on then! Let's go try on mommy's clothes huh? Then I'll get you some peanut butter like your mommy said! You're gonna love me too!" He continued to speak to the dog in a baby voice as he walked down to his room to change. Leaving Star to happily watch tv with her new helmet and trophy by her side.

He’d make that stubborn child a redbull fan in no time. Already excited at the thought of taking Cherrie and star to his races. To have them there , to celebrate with them. It was a nice enough thought to keep him going and rocket his confidence up again.

By the time that Cherrie arrived back home, it was already beginning to get dark. The photoshoot having took way longer than she expected. She cautiously walked Into Max's apartment quietly , stopping in surprise when she saw the kitchen.

The lights were dimmed and the dining table was covered with a dark blue cloth , fancy candles in the middle, and two plates of steaming spaghetti awaiting her , alongside side a bottle of expensive wine.

She felt her face soften as she came face to face with a sheepish looking max who was leaning against the counter nervously , a large bouquet of roses in his arms as he smiled shyly at her.

"Oh my god max.." she breathed out quietly in amazement. Dropping her bag in the corner as she walked closer to him, admiring what he had done.

“Is this for me?"

Max just chuckled softly as he carefully handed her the expensive flowers that he had his assistant run out to get. Him and star having sat down and come up with ideas and ways for him to woo Cherrie. The five year old firmly telling him that if he didn't buy her mommy flowers, then he didn't stand a chance with her.

And looking at the pleased and happy smile on her beautiful face as she cradled the flowers to her chest, smelling them with glossy eyes. He was so glad that he had listened to the little she devil. He reminded himself to get her all the candy in the world for this.

"No. It's for the dog." He joked chuckling "of course it's for you! I though we could.. ya know.." he nervously trailed off, motioning towards the table he had set up.

Having cooked up the spaghetti from scratch with a little help from his new best friend, the five year old strictly advising him through the recipe that she claimed her mother loved so much.

Cherrie smiled at him softly, setting the roses aside so that she could pull him into a hug. Wrapping her arms around his waist as she gave him a tight squeeze, flattered by the effort he had put in while she was gone. No one had ever done anything like this for her before.

The men she seen usually took her out to fancy restaurants, ordered salad for her and then spent the night talking about themselves and how great they were. So this thoughtfulness , was a welcomed change.

Max's breath hitched in his throat as she hugged him, resting her chin on his chest as she looked up at him with a perfect smile. He slid his arm around her back gently and held her close, breathing in the smell of her sweet perfume.

"Ask me." She whispered to him encouragingly once she noticed him struggling for words. Giving his waist a small reassuring squeeze.

He blushed darkly at how obvious his feelings were , letting out a nervous laugh as he bit down on his bottom lip . Unable to take his eyes off hers.

"Will you accept this date with me tonight Cherrie?" He breathed out anxiously , heart pounding in his chest.

She took a moment to take in his nervous face and felt her heart be filled with fondness , smiling up at him affectionately as she tapped his cheek gently with her fingers. Feeling the heat of his blush beneath her fingertips.

"Of course I will. But first.." she pulled away and looked around his apartment curiously "where is star and ditsy?" She worried.

Max nodded over to the spare bedroom "flat out. Both of them. Fell asleep while watching Nemo for the second time." He told her quietly . Having carried both star and the dog to bed as they both snored blissfully away.

Cherrie felt her chest warm at his thoughtful actions "aww. She loves that film so much. It's the only thing that is guaranteed to get her asleep. She didn't give you too much bother tonight did she?" She asked him as she took a seat at the table after he pulled out her chair for her .

Max then quickly sitting down opposite her and poured them both a glass of wine. Glancing over at her in awe, unable to believe how beautiful she really was. The candlelight's only sharpening her beauty and max could only sigh contently to himself .

"No. She er-she actually told me that she wanted to come to some of my races." He muttered as they digged into the food that he had made. Crossing his fingers and hoping that he didn't poison them both.

His face lighting up when he heard Cherrie hum in amazement as she took a bite, looking over to him with wide eyes.

"Wow max! This is so good!" She gushed taking another bite. "Well done!"

He flushed at her praise , letting out a shy chuckle as he gazed down at his plate. Chest filled with happiness and stomach filled with butterflies . He had a really good feeling about this.

"I'm not surprised. She loves watching it! I do too." She said to him honestly. Admiring how truly handsome he was. Falling in love with the softness in his eyes that was just for her , unable to look away.

Max hesitated a little before deciding just to put it out there, the worst thing she could do was say no.

"I er-you guys can come with me if you want? I can get you some passes. Some pics of Star in my car. That'd be cute. Plus I'm sure that the other drivers would love to see you." He told her quietly , knowing that to be the truth.

He wasn't the only one with a huge crush on her.

Cherries eyes lit up in excitement at the thought of getting to see max in his element. "That sounds amazing! I'll work out my schedule and let you know then!" She beamed at him "and I've met some of the drivers already. I partied with Pierre and Charles last year. I don't remember much of it but what I do Remember .." she giggled to herself "was very fun."

Max paused with his fork halfway to his mouth, looking over at her in disbelief. Having not heard about this at all.

"You've met Pierre and Charles? When?" He couldn't believe it. Lucky bastards beat him to it!

He felt his stomach twist at the thought of them both fighting over her. Having heard their dirty thoughts about Cherrie before. It was safe to say that they all wanted a piece of her.

He felt jealousy boil within, taking a deep breath and reminding himself that Cherrie was a free , beautiful woman. Free to do what and who she pleased.

The past didn't matter. He was the only one that she was here with now. Not them. Nobody else. She was in his home. Eating his food. Smiling at him.

He calmed down considerably . Smiling back at her gently .

"New Years. We bumped into eachother at a party and then we lost Pierre somewhere along the way." She told him in amusement , not noticing his jealousy at all.

"We were so drunk and somehow Charles decided that it would be a good idea to travel to Vegas on New Years eve! We landed as the fireworks went off too!" She giggled.

Max couldn't hold his brief panic in "oh my god. Please tell me there wasn't a drunk Vegas wedding!" He pleaded worriedly , crossing his fingers tightly .

Charles lusting after her was one thing, but Charles marrying the woman of Max's dream? That was another. And if he had done so, max didn't trust himself to not drive him off the track deliberately.

He was trying to be a better man. Really he was. But a man only had a limit. And his was incredible short already.

Thankfully Cherrie laughed and waved his horrifying assumptions away. "Nooooo' we were far too drunk for that! No." She shook her head in amusement , swallowing another mouthful of spaghetti. Washing it down with a large gulp of wine.

"We just got room service and ordered more champagne to our room. We ended up staying there for the whole weekend cause all the flights out were booked." She told him.

Max grimaced "surprised he didn't try to make a move on you. He had a crush on you as well." He informed her grumpily.

Cherrie just smirked over at him slyly "I didn't say that he didn't make a move. It was very obvious that he had a crush on me. Most men do." She said confidently , used to men throwing themselves at her. She enjoyed it.

If men could enjoy having a new girl every night , then why couldn't she? She liked sex just as much as the next guy. She was young , beautiful and free to fuck whoever the hell she liked. No strings attached.

That was the way of life that she had enjoyed for years now. Guys came and then went just as quickly . She didn't stay around for very long after she had gotten what she wanted . She just moved onto the next one.

But lately she had been lonely and no amount of casual sex could fix it. She missed the softness, the feeling of having somebody to fall back on. Someone to trust and love. Someone to adore.. and she missed being adored beyond lust. She missed going on dates, holding hands and giggling in bed over stupid jokes. She missed the feeling of being in love.

And as she looked across the table at max, she had a feeling then that this might be what she had been looking for , for so long now.

The answer was looking right back at her and pouting like a child .

"You hooked up with him?" He muttered through a sigh. Reading her like a book. He quickly poured himself another glass of wine as soon as he saw her casually nod her pretty head. Downing it.

Cool. That was fine. Totally okay. Charles and Cherrie had hooked up. No big deal. That was in the past. Charles wasn't the one babysitting her babies and having dinner with her , was he?

Fuck him. Max thought pettily. He never made it past the night anyways! In fact , max couldn’t wait to see his face fall with jealously when he walked down the paddock with Cherrie by his side, alongside her sassy five year old and yappy little dog.

Max was winning on the track and off it too. So take that Charles. He thought pettily to himself.

"Yeah. It was fun! Casual. I left before he woke up on the Monday though." She casually let him know. Completely Unbothered.

Max snorted, smirking a little smugly . "Got bored so quickly?" If he had Cherrie in his bed, she wouldn’t want to ever leave again. He would make sure of it.

Cherrie just giggled "a little. Not that it wasn't good sex! It was. Just ya know..wasn't feeling it long term."

Max hesitated before asking her quietly "and.. me? Are you feeling this long term? Or do I need to fly you to a weekend in Vegas before you ditch me?" He joked. His knee bouncing up and down nervously as they finished their dinner. Pushing the plates to the side carefully.

Cherrie just stood up out of her seat and rounded the table, pressing her hands down onto his shoulders , keeping him in his seat as she lowered her head down to his neck so that her lips were brushing against his ear sensually.

"Mmm depends. Can you last more than four minutes?" She whispered to him with a smirk, tilting his head back with her other hand before brushing her soft lips against his own teasingly.

Max groaned quietly , shifting in his seat as his eyes fluttered closed in bliss.

"How about five minutes?" He tried to joke back .

His breath failing him when she suddenly swung her body around to straddle his lap, her back pressed back against the table , arms around his neck as she smirked down at him like the siren that she was.

Humming teasingly as she rocked her hips Against his own subtly , dragging her fingers through his hair as she watched the colour spread up his flushed neck and to his cheeks. His Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed thickly , his hands clutching at her hips as he gazed up at her through hooded eyes, barely breathing.

Starstruck. Lovestruck. Luststruck.. you name it. He was struck with it.

"How about the whole night , endless kisses and a promise not to leave when we're done?" She whispered back to him mischievously. Rocking her hips even harder against his lap, feeling him harden beneath her as he gasped sharply , his hips bucking up against her own desperately.

He was falling apart beneath her and she hadn't even done anything yet. She smirked smugly to herself . Pleased with how easily he reacted to her. It was a major confidence booster. That was for sure.

"Perfect. How about marriage?" He breathed out a overwhelmed laugh before finally closing the gap between them and kissing her like a man starved for air.

Clutching at her rocking hips tightly as he moaned lowly into her mouth, feeling her pull at his hair to tilt his head back, deepening the kiss and sending his eyes rolling into the back of his head as she took control .

She parted his lips gently with her tongue, his hand rubbing up and down her back as he clutched onto every single piece of her soft skin that he could reach with his hands . Heart hammering in his chest, all of his dreams finally coming true .

Christ. He felt like he was about to have a heart attack! Nobody had told him that falling in love felt like being on the edge of a permanent panic attack all the time! A heads up might have been nice!

"How about you take me out tomorrow , somewhere nice where I can dress pretty ...and you can ask me to be your girlfriend like you've always wanted to..huh?" She teased him . Pulling away so that they could both catch their breaths back .

Max just gazed up at her like a man in love, utterly wrecked from just one kiss . Shaking his head to himself in disbelief .

He then suddenly leaned forward and started kissing all over her pretty face , smacking his lips against her cheeks dramatically, then her chin, her cute little nose and beautiful eyes. Making her giggle girlishly against him, feeling his smile pressed up against her scrunched up nose as he laughed breathlessly along with her .

Holding her rosy cheeks in his hands as he pulled away , just wanting to admire her like this.

He realised then as he gazed at her soft freckles over her nose, her long lashes and buttoned nose. Pouty lips and rosy cheeks that dimpled each time she smiled. That no amount of photographs , no amount of magazine covers would ever amount to this.

She had never looked more beautiful than she did then, straddling his lap , her once perfectly curled hair now messy and hanging loose over both of their flushed faces . Her eyes shining and pouty lips bitten red, swollen from his kiss. He wanted to keep this image in his mind forever .

So he did.

Cherrie could only let out a confused giggle as she watched him pull out his phone, lean back into his chair with her still in his lap, and start taking candid photos of her as she laughed happily. Smiling down at him in amusement , rolling her eyes at him fondly .

"Are you going to become my own personal paparazzi now?" She teased him. Sticking out her tongue and crossing her eyes as he continued to snap away.

Grinning up at her happily as he chuckled, shaking his head in adoration as he looked at the screen. Admiring the photos he had taken of her. Mesmerised by her. He always had been.

"Yes. I'm coming for their jobs. You look so incredibly beautiful right now. You really do." He told her simply in pure awe. There was no denying it.

Cherrie's face softened as she turned around in his lap so that her back was against his chest, kicking up her feet on the table as she leant her head back against his shoulder. Max resting his burning cheek against the side of her head, letting her take his phone from his other hand without any complaint .

He just wrapped his arm around her neck from behind, her head resting snugly in the crook of his elbow as he kissed her brow gently. So in love that he felt it in every part of his body. Giddy with the feeling.

"You're beautiful too max." She whispered to him softly as she held up his phone in front of them, their reflection looking back at them.

And max could only look at the screen with a smile so full of disbelief , of pure love. Seeing how good they looked pressed up against each other like they did. Cherrie smiling at him softly like this was all they were meant to be.

Here. Together. He leant his head down against her own and smiled, eyes filled with tears of happiness and love as she kissed his cheek. Snapping photos of them as she did.

As max knew that he was going to have to make a separate album for the two of them. He had the most beautiful woman in the world , agreeing to be his. He wanted to remember every moment , from now to the future. He wanted it all.

So he turned his face just so and kissed her again, cradling her jaw in the palm of his hand as she snapped the picture on his phone. Before gently setting it down onto the table without ever moving away.

And all max could think was. I could get used to this.

#f1 imagine #formula one imagine #f1 oneshot #formula 1 imagine #max verstappen imagine #max verstappen fic #max verstappen oneshot

[thefloatingstone]

Puff please tell me about Grunt I just saw a Tumblr post you reblogged that vaguely went into detail and I read a small bit of his wiki page but I want to hear it in your own words because it's like 10x more interesting with that filter. Fill my dash with grunt lore

GRUNT IS SHEPARD'S VERY LARGE SON

I don't know whether the designers originally created him with this thought in mind or not but it's really funny because by the time the DLC came out for ME2 you can see the games just fully embracing what was originally just a joke in the Mass Effect fandom.

I used to not be fully into it as a concept but as I'm busy replaying ME3 and having just played ME2 again... nah people were right. He's our son.

He was created in a lab to be an "ultimate krogan warrior" or whatever, but when Shepard cracked how out of his tube, he had did not have that "burning desire of revenge in the name of his species" the scientist who made him was obsessed by. Physically he was perfect, but psychologically, he just didn't understand why he should care about being a krogan. in ME2 when he's introduced, his story arc is helping him connect with what it means to be a krogan, and to help him find purpose as an individual. You essentially help raise this adolescent fully formed person out of apathy and teach him how to care about things, concepts and people, almost completely through actions and not so much through words.

As ME2 goes on, it becomes clear Grunt very much wants Shepard's approval about things, which is funny because at first he comes across as a cold, uncaring fully formed adult, but as you help him learn how to connect with being a member of his species, he'll sometimes want to talk to Shepard JUST to be like "Hey Shepard!! I thought about something to do with being Krogan I thought you'd approve of! listen to this!!"

In the DLC for ME2, you can read up on his internet search history as well as his online purchase history and I just.... think a lot of it explains SO MUCH about him as a character. So I'm just copy and pasting those here

SEARCH: krogan history SEARCH: great wars SEARCH: genofage / ERASED / krogan victories SEARCH: okeer/ ERASED / great generals SEARCH: toochanka/ ERASED / tuchanka SEARCH: urnot wrex SEARCH: battlemaster shepard/ MODIFIED/ commander shepard/MODIFIED/commander shepard normandy SEARCH: animal fights / MODIFIED / large predators SEARCH: tryrannsauros wrex/ ERASED / earth lizard wrex SEARCH: dinosaurs

SEARCH: battlemaster humans/ ERASED / earth humans SEARCH: human history SEARCH: earth wars // DOWNLOAD 6.1T NEWS FOOTAGE - HUMAN GENERAL HISTORICAL - CONFLICT // SEARCH: warrior humans // DOWNLOAD 2.1T DOCUMENTARY FOOTAGE - HUMAN GENERAL HISTORICAL- MAJOR MILITARY FIGURES // SEARCH: great humans/ MODIFIED / honored humans // DOWNLOAD 0.7T NEWSFOOTAGE [sic] - HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT- AWARDS // SEARCH: great storytellers human SEARCH: war stories // DOWNLOAD 0.67T LITERATURE - HUMAN WRITERS CONFLICT// SEARCH: human homer kipling hemmingway // DOWNLOAD 0.13T LITERATURE - HUMAN WRITERS – EARNEST HEMMINGWAY // // DOWNLOAD 0.06T AUDIO BOOKS // // THE SUN ALSO RISES // 14% COMPLETED // FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS // 100% COMPLETED // A FAREWELL TO ARMS // DELETED // THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA // 100% COMPLETED SEARCH: sharks

CATALOG ORDER: Ultra Black Ops Mega Catalog PURCHASE 2823- UG-652: Case Premium 54/ER Engine Oil VIDEO DOWNLOAD: The Madness of Sacrifice: The Unauthorized Biography of Warlord Okeer PURCHASE 2856- UG-122: Economy Box, Fishdog Food Factory "Tastee Bites" VIDEO DOWNLOAD: When Fauna Attacks! Volumes 1-10 PURCHASE 3254-UG-975: Batax's Hot Fish Spice VIDEO DOWNLOAD: Vaenia (this is a movie) VIDEO DOWNLOAD: Asari Confessions 26: True Blue (this is porn) PURCHASE 9683- UG-662: Fornax Special Spotlight: Krogan Edition (this is a human magazine focusing on interspecies sexual relations) PURCHASE 8856- UG-972: Captain Cosmic Action Figures: "Garr the Krogan Battlemaster" with real smash your enemies action!

By the time ME3 comes around, most of the rest of the squad is referring to Grunt in terms poking fun at the fact that Shepard is his mom. I think it's Joker who at one point comments "Our baby boy's all grown up" or something to that effect. I can't remember the exact dialogue. I think at one point Garrus also jokes about how "they grow up so fast" or something along those lines.

He also loves spicy ramen.

Grunt is a good boy.

#Mass Effect #Urdnot Grunt #I'm not saying much about ME3 to avoid spoilers for now

[swisccfinds]

TOP 5 MUST HAVE Sims 4 Career Mods

These are my most personal Career mods for the sims 4, please don't forget to show love and support to the creators.

1- Youtube Career Mod by itsmeTroiYT

There is so many interactions with this mod it is unbelievable! If you head to the download button below it will bring you to the creator's post which will show all the type of things you can do with this mod but for now to keep the Tumblr photo limit here is some of the creator's notes that explain the levels and the branches

Gamer (6-10) PC Noob $100/hr Streamer $200/hr Daily Uploader $300/hr Tagline Genius $600/hr Prestige Gamer $1500/hr

Vlogger (6-10) Viner $100/hr Prank Wars Vlogger $200/hr Unbox Therapy $300/hr Vlogger $600/hr Daily Vlogger $1600/hr

DIY Hot Glue Gun Mess $250/hr Creative Weirdo $350/hr Hacks Master $600/hr DIY Superstar $650/hr [Something] DIY $1500/hr

MUA Fenty Beauty Counter Rep $200/hr Brand Tester $300/hr Makeup Brand Collab $350/hr Personal Makeup Artist $750/hr MUA $1500/hr

Cooking One Pan Cook $150/hr Made from TV/Movies $300/hr Remixed Recipe Cook $345/hr Guest Host Cook $625/hr Master Cook $1500/hr

FX Makeup Artist NYX Face Awards $120/hr Halloween Royalty $200/hr FX on a Budget $350/hr Workshop Personality $645/hr Glam & Gore $1450/hr

download

2- Modeling Career Mod by KPC0528

This is an amazing mod! If you want your sim to become a model this is the mod for you! This does require the City living & Get Famous expansion packs, so be aware. Here are the creator's notes about the levels and branches;

1. Volunteer Model--there is no pay for the beginning of this career. I wanted to make it as realistic as possible, so level 1 is all about building a portfolio and gaining exposure.  Mood: Confident M - W - F S S

2. Local Model -- Your sim will be part of the "mall crowd" participating in local fashion shows. These jobs aren't very selective... $15/hr.  Skills: Charisma 1  Mood: Confident - T - T F S S

3. Hand Model-- Keep those hands soft and supple as your sims model rings, bracelets, and watches for local jewelry designers!  $18/hr.  Skills: Charisma 2 Mood: Confident - T - T F S S

4. Hair Model-- Cutting, coloring, styling. Your Sims's hair will be put through it all in exchange for some simoleons and their pictures to be featured in hair dressers' portfolios.  $20/hr.  Skills: Charisma 3, Fitness 3 Mood: Confident - T - T F S S 

Choose track: Commercial Model or High Fashion Model

Commercial Model track: Commercial models are the models you would see in shopping catalogs and local commercials. The sim-next-door look is desired, so your sim will need attractive looks as well as an attractive personality to do well in this career track. 

5. Commercial Catalog Model--Your sim will be showcasing the newest collections by the most popular stores, like Sim Navy and JC Simmy.  $50/hr.  Skills: Charisma 4, Fitness 4 Mood: Confident M T W - F S -

6. Fitness Model-- Fitness is the name of the game here. Your sim must continue to sculpt his/her body to perfection in order to sell the newest workout gear and sports drinks.  $65/hr.  Skills: Charisma 5, Fitness 7 Mood: Energetic M T W T - S - 

7. Social Media Model-- Your sim's face is getting popular online! He/she will be modeling the hottest makeup, jewelry, and clothing through various social media platforms like Simstagram.  $80/hr.  Skills: Charisma 7 Mood: Confident - - W - F S S 

8. Music Video Model-- Who wouldn't want to be a model in a famous music video? Your sim must hone in their dance skills so they don't embarrass themselves in front of the musical superstars.... $90/hr.  Skills: Charisma 8, Dancing 3 Mood: Confident M T - T F S - 9. Television Model-- Television! Your sim will be featured on all sorts of commercials, from clothing and perfume, to cookware and living room furniture. $130/hr.  Skills: Charisma 10 Mood: Confident M T W - F S -

10. Coversim-- The ultimate goal! Your sim is on every grocery store magazine rack, dishing the newest gossip about his/her love life, as well as modeling the hippest designs. Congrats, superstar!  $300/hr.  Mood: Confident M T W - F S - 

High Fashion Model track: This track is for the serious fashionista. In order to gain celebrity as a high fashion model, your sim must be both gorgeous and interesting, as well as charismatic and athletic. Reaching the end of this track means worldwide fame and luxury! 5. Swimsuit Model-- Swimsuit models are photographed even in the winter months, so this isn't just for fun! Your sim must be in excellent shape to make it as a swimsuit model.  $55/hr.  Skills: Charisma 5, Fitness 6 Mood: Flirty M T W - F S - 

6. Lingerie Model-- No room for shy sims here! Upscale lingerie is a mega-money-making business, so only the most alluring sims will be successful.  $75/hr.  Skills: Charisma 6, Fitness 8 Mood: Flirty M T W - F S - 

7. Fashion Catalog Model-- High-end fashion is extremely expensive, so the stakes are high. Your sim must continue to perfect his/her body and personality in order to sell these interesting-looking clothes in the highest end fashion magazines.  $90/hr.  Skills: Charisma 7, Fitness 9 Mood: Confident M T - T F S -

8. Runway Model--Don't trip! All eyes are on your sim as he/she struts their stuff on the catwalk. Sims watching and cameras flashing can be nerve-wracking for even the most confident sim, but this is a necessary step in order to become a supermodel.  $120/hr. Skills: Charisma 8, Fitness 10 Mood: Confident - T W - F S S 

9. Editorial Model--Sim Vogue. Your sim is on the cover, looking fierce as fierce can be! Your sim is the epitome of a style icon, and everyone is looking at him/her for style inspiration.  $300/hr.  Skills: Charisma 10 Mood: Confident M T W - F S -

10. International Supermodel--Traveling the world for fashion shows? Check. Hosting reality style shows? Check. Getting paid to be famous? Check. Your sim is THE top model, as long as a newer, hotter thing doesn't come around.  $450/hr. Mood: Confident M - W - - S - 

download

3- Social Services Career Mod by missmani09

This is a great mod if your interested in having your sim work in social services for a backstory or maybe its just what you mapped out they would be in your head. Here are some of the creator's notes about this mod;

Social Serivices:

1) Clerical Staff Extra Help  -Responsible for copying and filing documents, sorting documents

2) Administrative Specialist I  -answer phones, answer client's questions, file, sort

3) Administrative Specialist II -Key application, answer telephones, work front desk window correspond emails

4) Administrative Specialist Supervisor  Supervise all clerical staff ensure front desk runs smoothly ensure applications are keyed correctly ensure office machinery is working properly assign staff job duties

------------------------------------------------------------ ---(AA) ---- Division of Sim County Operations ------- ----------------------------------------------------------

5A) Program Eligibilty Specialist I  - SNAP Process Sim food stamp program applications.  Interview & verify resources Assist homeless sims Determine eligibilty for supplemental nutrition program

6A) Program Eligbiliy Specialist II Process sim program applications Determine eligibilty for Sim daycare voucher applications Determine eligibilty for supplemental nutrition program

7A) Family Health Care Case Manager  -Family Medicaid Process Sims' medicaid applications.  Determine medical coverage eligibilty for Sims including  Working Sims' medical coverage, SimKids Care A or SimKids Care B

8A) Aged Sim Health Care Case Manager  Process Aged, Retired, and Disabled elder sims' medicare applications Determine disability 

9A) Sim Social Services County Administrator  oversee especific sim world in which sim currently lives

10A) Sim Social Services National Director  oversee all sim worlds

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

---(BB) Division of Child Protective Services -------------------------------------------------------------- job is to protect and ensure the health, safety, and well being off all sim children.

5B) Child Protective Service Worker  Visit homes. Provide struggling parents with resources and tools to become effective parents. Remove children from home if necessary to the  childs health & safety

6B) Child Abuse&Neglect Investigator  visit homes. on call rotation investigate suspected sim child neglect/abuse that comes into the hotline issue warnings to parent's who a nearing neglectful standards Remove children from home if necessary to the  childs health & safety

7B) Foster Care Case Manager  On call rotation. Manage Sim children's cases who have been removed from their home due to neglect/abuse. write extensive case notes

8B) Adoption Specialist  process adoption applications. match waiting foster children and  place into adoptive home

9B) Sim County CPS Supervisor Oversee foster care and CPS case managers 

10B) Sim CPS National Director 

download

4- Psychologist Career mod by Kittyblue

This is career mod is actually my favorite for storytelling! In this mod there are two branches which are Counseling Psychology and Forensic Psychologist.

download

5- Tattoo Artist Career mod by MesmericSimmer

I love this one so much, mainly because I want one of my sim's backstory to include this career. They have this career option for both adults and teens!

download & more info

#sims 4 cc #sims 4 download #sims 4 #sims 4 gameplay #the sims 4 #sims 4 custom content #sims 4 mods #the sims 4 mods #the sims 4 custom content #ts4 #sims 4 careers #s4 mods #s4 download #s4 custom content #s4 cc #s4 gameplay #s4 cc finds #cc finds #ts4ccfinds #ts4 cc #sims4download #sims4 #thesims4 #sims cc finds #ts4 cc finds

[kwnnys]

— main 4 fasting for the first time!

hcs : g/n reader a/n : for my muslim brothers nd sisters 🙏🙏 reader is muslim and asks the boys to try fasting w them for ramadan :D

— stan marsh

quite intrigued when you first bring it up, also pretty hesitant to try it

"wait so like- no food or water? for a whole day? are you sure I wont die..."

but with a little bit convincing, stan will eventually agree!

he starts off strong and confident 💪 bragging to the group and telling them all about fasting

but that confidence slowly dies as the hours pass... and poor boy gets so tired

he knows you said that while fasting that you should be as productive as possible, but hes just so tired and drowsy he cant help it 😭

he tries to play basketball with his friends, or even doing his homework. but he just can't focus on anything

he ends up sleeping the rest of the day till iftar

he apologizes and feels so bad 😓, but you tell him its fine since its his first time

I dont' think he'd do it again the next day or anytime soon, but maybe give it a few years and he might be able to fast all 30 days :D

— kyle broflovski

like stan also very intrigued and curious

he'll ask you alot of questions and take a few notes, before ultimately agreeing

hes a little nervous at first, but you manage to ease him with some words of affirmation!

tries to just distract himself for the whole day. studying, chores, video games, etc.

he doesn't make a big deal about it, but is definitely suffering on the inside

tbh the hardest part for him isn't the actual fasting, but not being able to swear or be mad (especially considering kyle has a short temper) 💀

cartman definitley takes advantage of this and calls him every name in the book. also purposely eats infront of him.

"hey stupid jew. look what I've got, a chocolate cake. you want some? oh wait, YOU CANT!" "...I swear to god cartman."

almost broke his fast cause of him. 😭

but anyways, he manages to successfully finish his fast!

he would do it again, maybe in a few days if you asked.

— eric cartman

when you first tell him about fasting and ramadan, he'll literally be SO flabberghasted.

"wait wait wait, so you're telling me you can't EAT or even drink WATER for 30 days? you trying to get me killed or something?"

it'll take alot of convincing to get him to fast with you

alooot of convincing.

but when he eventually agrees, he will be SO dramatic about it and overexaggerates everything

"oh my god, I think Im dying. tell kyel.. I hope he gets cancer.."

refuses to go to school or even get out his room

liane gets very concerned about him, and'll constantly ask you if he'll be okay and won't die

you assure her that its completely fine, especially considering he ate almost half the fridge during suhoor.

he talks to his stuffed animals to try and cope.

tried to secretly eat a piece of candy while you weren't looking 💀you'll have to keep a close eye on him if you want him to actually finish his fast.

he'll definitely hold a grudge against you the whole day and refuse to talk to you.

but don't worry, you make it up to him by taking him to kfc for iftar 😋

bro literally ordered half the menu and gobbled everything up in a matter of minutes.

safe to say he won't be fasting again anytime soon. or ever again,

— kenny mccormick

the only one in the group who manages to fast with little to no problem

kenny doesn't usually eat much food anyway, so hes all down

the hardest part for him is not being able to have 'dirty' thoughts or look at porno magazines 💀

the guys probably don't even notice that kennys fasting since they know kenny usually eat till you or he brings it up

cartman also takes advantage of this and tries to get him to break his fast with money. (which fails cause you're there to shut him off)

doesn't really have a change in his routine or life, he just does what he normally does

you're surprised by how easy hes taking it tbh

when its time for iftar, you decide to invite him over your house to eat :D

hes shocked at all the food you had prepared by you and your parents, and extremely grateful too

that day he had the biggest meal for the first time in probably a few years 😭

definitely took home some leftovers after for his family.

overall he'd definitely wouldn't mind doing it again! especially if it means being able to go to your house to eat again.

#— elys works #south park fluff #south park hcs #stan marsh #stan marsh x reader #kyle broflovski #kyle broflovski x reader #kenny mccormick #kenny mccormick x reader #eric cartman #eric cartman x reader #stan marsh hcs #kyle broflovski hcs #kenny mccormick hcs #eric cartman hcs #south park x you #south park x y/n #south park imagines #platonic south park x reader #ramadan #ramadan 2023

[seasurfacefullofclouds1]

what do you think harries main issues with louis are? i’m a newer louie and i can’t wrap my head around why they are so hateful toward him. i understand liking what you like and disliking what you dislike but? louis has never ever spoken ill of harry and he stays in his lane. i don’t understand why they care so much and go out of their way to be mean to him. just yesterday the beatles biopic news came out so people then said they want something like this for 1d and a bunch of harries were tweeting stuff like "louis theater would be empty" , "louis would only make 1 us dollar at the box office" , "two of the movies would flop" and the same person that tweeted that then would reply being like "i never mentioned louis but see how they’re jumping me…" like stop being fucking obtuse we know how you guys operate???? this was kind of a lot but i just don’t understand what their problem is. maybe they’re just being hateful for fun but i can’t let it not irk me. i try to ground myself and be like …'whatever louis is talented and loved!' but it still eats at me and i think its mainly because i just don’t understands where they are coming from. i understand harries have a large ego due to harry’s own success but its still confusing

The reason, I think, boils down to this.

“We all have our own hardcore fan base that almost work as an extension of our personalities. I am lucky in that everywhere I go & every gig I play, the type of fanbase that I have is so intense that it creates for such an amazing atmosphere.” - Louis Tomlinson, TMRW magazine.

Harry’s brand, his approach to entertainment, is to define success by social climbing and wealth. This ethos defines Harry’s every public action. Harry Styles will never appear with a book just because he likes to read. Every celebrity he shows up with is there to promote and be promoted. Harry will wear clothing and jewelry like a billboard. His entire existence is to be a billboard. A new ring? It’s to promote something. New tattoo? Promoting something. Harries and Larries take this cue unconsciously, so they internalize Harry’s values of greed and power, using other people as they use him.

Harry’s interactions with his fans are always warm from the stage in front of cameras, but otherwise he’s distant, untouchable, unreachable. He’s available only to influencers and others who can promote him, to people who pay for access (Lane One, DEMAND), to the famous and wealthy. Harry Styles has truly exemplified (his friends) the Kardashians’ Principle: publicity, publicity, publicity. His fans learn from his behavior. They understand that in Harryverse, money and power are the ultimate values. Those who have less power and wealth are to be abused. Harry makes jokes at his ex-bandmate’s expense (Ringo etc.), and his fans are simply an extension of his personality.

Louis’ ethos is, in many ways, the complete opposite of Harry’s. Louis is in a position to sell VIP and dynamically priced tickets, and to charge for meet & greets, but (to Matt Vines’ frustration) he won’t. Louis has openly criticized “greedy fuckers” in the industry. Louis tends to avoid those in entertainment who play the social climbing game— he stays away from Ben Winston and James Corden, who are great friends with Harry, and to whom Niall sucks up. We might get frustrated that Louis doesn’t backslap and gladhand, but that is Louis’ principle. During the pandemic, Louis made Twitter videos advocating care “for the most vulnerable in Doncaster” and championed food aid for poor children. Meanwhile, Harry biked with Rande Gerber, drove in a convertible with Kendall Jenner, debuted a romance with Olivia Wilde in LA at the height of COVID deaths, and went to Michelin starred restaurants in Italy. Louis featured a grieving widower in his music video, Two Of Us, not an A-list celebrity or TikTok influencer nor wearing designer clothes he’s paid to advertise. Louis’ work ethic is basically to let the work speak for itself, not to sell it on the basis of marketing. This is exactly opposite to what Harry does.

When interviewers ask Louis and Harry questions, they are reflecting this difference in ethics. They interview Harry obsequiously, as if they are themselves subservient and inferior. They interview Louis from a position of power, ready to abuse him. They understand the hierarchy as well as fans do. The interviewers aren’t better or worse people than either men; they just act differently in front of them because of their industry power. Nothing illustrates the difference better than comparing two men from the same band.

Fans understand this dynamic very well. Harries are often the people in society who want to win at any cost, and they feel vicariously victorious if they stan Harry Styles, and even more so if they can piggyback onto Harry’s and his team’s contempt for others who are not as wealthy or powerful. Nothing illustrates this better than abusing the blacklisted ex-bandmate.

#harry styles #louis tomlinson

[comfortfoodcontent]

Ultimate Spider-Man video game comic ad

#spider-man #venom #mark bagley #ultimate spider-man #ultimate comics #video games #video game magazine ads #comic ads

[found-in-retro-game-mags]

"Check out our exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the Demolition Man video-game shoot!" (VideoGames: The Ultimate Gaming Magazine #58, Nov. 1993)

#demolition man #Wesley Snipes #3DO #retro gaming

[propaganda-inc]

Thought I'd post some more propaganda, since people are really getting mad at ONLY /u/Spez for this. For the people in the back that are still using Reddit- this is ultimately the reason why I left Reddit.

TL;DR: Yes, /u/spez is the CEO of Reddit, but now he's beholden to the true owners of Reddit- Literal white supremacists, Chinese businesses looking to subvert American democratic values, and businesses that are desperately looking for new ways to make money after a pandemic has gutted the people dry of all the money it could take.

Let's get a little Pepe Silvia in here, shall we? Setting mood music:

Reddit was originally founded by /u/Spez (real name Steve Huffman), Alexis O'Hanion, and Aaron Swartz (RIP). In 2006, Conde Nast bought Reddit. So, if you read Vogue, Pitchfork, Wired, Vanity Fair, & the New Yorker, you may have gotten some of the same content owned by the same company- just through a magazine rather than Reddit. Also, since June 2020, Conde Nast has claimed that their advertising revenue has gone down 45% have gone down dramatically since the pandemic, alongside the cancellation of major publications by Conde Nast. Buut in 2017, Reddit was made into an independent subsidiary by Advance Publications. Sounds like an innocent enough name, until you look at which companies these lovely people own:

That Charter Communication, is just a fancy name for the lovely ISP known as Spectrum- Better known to some of our older folks as Time Warner Cable. You know, one of the ISPs so hated in the United States that they actively changed their name so that people wouldn't recognize them doing their dirty work again?

Isn't it interesting that one of the main complaints by Huffman is that Reddit isn't getting it's due in advertising revenue? Huh. I wonder where he's getting that from. But that's only one section of the shit sandwich. Let's talk about some of the lovely* investors that Reddit's had on aboard since 2006. The list is.... interesting. 2014: A group of investors, including Marc Andressen (an investor in nearly all of the major social media networks that exist), Peter Thiel (a literal white supremacist), and for some reason, Snoop Dogg and fucking Jared Leto. 2017: Advance Publications buys Conde Nast and subsequently Reddit, raising its valuation to about $1.8 billion. 2019: Tencent (you know, the CHINESE VIDEO GAME COMPANY THAT HAS BANNED PLAYERS FROM THEIR GAMES FOR SUPPORTING HONG KONG DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATIONS) buys a 5% stake in the company. Did I mention that Tencent is also the largest gaming company in the world? 2021: Fidelity Investments(??? an insurance firm and mutual fund????) decides to add another $700 million to the pot, giving them a whole stake as well too. So, let's tie this all together. Yes, /u/spez is the CEO of Reddit, but now he's beholden to the true owners of Reddit- Literal white supremacists, Chinese businesses looking to subvert American democratic values, and businesses that are desperately looking for new ways to make money after a pandemic has gutted them dry. Of course Huffman is going to stay the course on this one- his job literally depends on it in the first place. All of the people that make this site (what other social media network do you know that doesn't pay it's mods and is valued at $10 billion dollars) ? have been tossed to the side in favor of making money. Remember this:

Reddit and its investors do not give a fuck about their community.

They do not give a fuck about their moderators. They do not give a fuck about disability rights. Most of all? They don't give a fuck about you.

#reddit api #reddit refugee #reddit blackout #reddit protest #r/196 #pepe silvia #conspiracy #Youtube

[greetings-from-the-eraser-king]

Hlvrai kids au

Basic premise the crew go on a field trip to Black Mesa they stumble upon a secret experiment b-u557 and end up releasing him and Black Mesa security desperately tries to stop him

Comic 1

Comic 2

Comic 3

Comic 4

Comic 5

Ask thing👇

Eatch kids character description below 👇

Tommy- is the oldest and is in 4th grade and is in a gifted class with darnold he has a huge collection of soda cans and stuffed animals his favorite thing to do is line them up in different patterns. Hes mainly happy and cheerful. him and benrey live together as brothers though there not biologically related he's not quite sure we're ben came from. Gman takes Tommy to black mesa a lot to show him different science experiments going on. Wants a dog so bad his toy dog is doing the job for now.

Gordon- he's in 3erd and is mainly a loner who doesn't fit in a chronic over-thinker he mainly likes to play videogames or read (mainly magazines about video games) he is a smart kid and maybe next year he'll be in the advanced science class. Anxious but loyal and can get easily annoyed. Him and benrey are frenemies both bonding over videogames and other nerdy things but benery is a bit to annoying to be a true friend (benery constantly taunts him by calling him feet man because when he was in kindergarten he stepped in peanut butter and ate it Gordon regrets telling him this) he carries a Gameboy wherever he goes.

Darnold- is one of the smartest kids in the 3erd grade but unfortunately the shortest which leads to constant taunts from forzen though not in the same grade him and Tommy are in the same gifted class and are very good friends. They enjoy making positions out of soda and doing all sorts of strange experiments.more shy and less confident than Tommy he still has a similar joyful attitude. Reads fantasy books and constantly has a new one every week.

Benery- in 3erd lives with Tommy and has no memory of how he got there but meh who cares loves to skate board and do tricks though no one knows how he holds onto it at all times seemingly appears and disappears at will. He wandered a lot and seems to forget things you just told him. You can't tell when he's joking or being serious. His helmet never comes off. Chill jokester who doesn't take a lot of things seriously and likes to hang around Gordon and annoy him. He is not allowed near black mesa.

Forzen- moved from France when he was around 3-4 his dad's in the military and he's a bit spoiled has had to move a lot because of his dad but he's been in the same neighborhood as the gang sense the end of 2ed grade. He's not truly one of the bullies of the school but is annoying to Gordon darnold and Tommy he quickly became friends with benery when he moved and benery taut him how to scare board. He was supposed to graduate to 4th last year but was held back and is still in 3erd.

B-u557- a top secret black mesa experiment to be the ultimate life form he was still brewing when the kids broke him out of his tube so he might have some defects mostly annoyed all the time but he is thrilled to be out of his tube and even more thrilled to finally be able to hear a scientist who has been visiting him.

Dr.coomer- a good friend of Tommy's dad but usually not taken very seriously by his coworkers. He is a little unusual and loud but is a very kind soul other scientists complaine that he talks to much. he works in many departments around black mesa but is most offensive seen in the robotics department is the founder of the black mesa boxing ring and has not lost his wife in the divorce yet. He likes to visit the secret experiment B-u557 to see how he's doing he does his rants to the experiment even though he knows he can't hear him. But b-u557 doesn't ever seem to be annoyed so he keeps visiting. Even if everyone else in black mesa tells him to stop.

Credit: blinkees

#hlvrai #hlvrai kids au #hlvrai forzen #hlvrai bubby #hlvrai benry #hlvrai benrey #hlvrai dr coomer #hlvrai darnold #hlvrai boomer #hlvrai dr bubby #hlvrai gordos feetman #hlvrai gordon #hlvrai tommy #hlvrai art #hlvrai fandom #hlvrai fanart #hlvrai au #eraser king art

[floatingcatacombs]

Compile Hagiography Through Reading the Hyperdimension Neptunia Wiki

12 Days of Aniblogging 2023, Day 4

When I’m really bored on the computer, one of the things I'll occasionally do is explore the Hyperdimension Neptunia wiki. Neptunia is a role-playing series whose main distinction is being centered around moe anthropomorphizations of video game companies and consoles, which fascinates me. These are textbook trashy 6/10 anime RPGs, and release at a pace that suggests both a low budget and a pretty dedicated fanbase. I don’t mean to patronize, though. I’m not above this kind of stuff, I just can’t let a bunch of mid 30-hour JRPGs into my life at this moment in time. Rather, my angle of interest here is the origins of the Neptunia developer, Compile Heart.

listening and learning

You see, back in the late 80s and early 90s, a company called Compile was one of the greats in Japanese home PC gaming. Most of their early output was shmups for the MSX, although they dabbled in a bit of everything, including running a disc magazine to distribute games. Compile’s first hit was Madou Monogatari in 1990, a numberless first-person dungeon crawler with a focus on voice samples. It features a lovable cast, starring young magician Arle Nadja as she attempts to graduate kindergarten, viscerally decapitate an evil sorcerer, and fend off Satan and the girl who’s down bad for Satan. Plenty of remakes and sequels followed, and eventually Compile struck gold with Puyo Puyo, the platonic ideal of competitive falling-block games. To set it apart from the more faceless puzzle games of the era, they reused the Madou Monogatari cast, resulting in a cutesy aesthetic with occasional lingering bits of fucked-up lore.

After porting Puyo Puyo and its sequel to everything imaginable, Compile spent their mid-90s rapidly scaling the company, ultimately biting off more than they could chew. This was an era of serious change as developers moved towards 3D, and consumer preferences moved too fast for Compile to adapt. Some high-profile failures like Madou Monogatari Saturn and Puyo Puyo Dungeon sent the company into a fiscal downward spiral, leading frequent business partner Sega to bail them out by buying the rights to Puyo Puyo. Compile got to finish their in-progress work, including the gorgeous yet frustrating Puyo Puyo 4, but the writing was on the wall. Compile declared bankruptcy in 2003 after throwing all of their hopes and dreams into one last little game, Pochi and Nyaa. It’s a puzzle game with simple yet strategic mechanics that feels like something of a return to infancy for the developers. Also, it was released on the Neo-Geo in 2003! If you know anything about arcade hardware, that’s nuts.

The late 90's pre-rendered backgrounds combined with Sunaho Tobe's character artwork give Puyo Puyo 4 such a special look. Shame it's unplayable unless you're very good at chaining.

So Compile scatters to the winds and a lot of the non-shmup devs regroup at the newly formed Compile Heart, where they eventually hit the jackpot with Hyperdimension Neptunia and crank one of those out per year ad infinitum.

That was a pretty tumultuous history! And Neptunia seems like a way to process this? After all, the protagonist is named after and personifies the Sega Neptune, a cancelled 90’s console. Compile and Sega have intertwined histories and faced a similar trajectory. Rapid success in the early 90s was followed up by bad business decisions later in the decade, leading to a tragic exit from the industry that nobody wanted to see. Hyperdimension Neptunia wants to convey these scars to an audience who weren't necessarily around for it.

The first Neptunia game opens with the anime girl manifestations of Nintendo, Sony, and Xbox deciding that in order to break the sixth-generation console war stalemate, they need to team up against the one who poses the biggest threat. So, they get together and betray Neptunia, casting her out of the heavens. Obviously, this isn’t how it happened in the real world. The Dreamcast may have been awesome, but Sega was operating at a loss trying to support it, and the release of the all-consuming PS2 spelled doom. But this intro is closer to how it felt to Sega fans. It’s a mythical retelling of the fall, one that slots right in with the endless glowing retrospectives of Sega’s glorious but doomed last breath (My favorite is calling the console a “small, square, white plastic JFK”).

I’m no industry expert or historian, but I was around to see the Japanese game industry flounder during the PS3 era, when high definition brought with it new expectations and inflated development cycles. Obviously juggernauts like Capcom and Square Enix got out fine, but a lot of smaller studios went under at some point in the past 15 years. Hudson, T&E Soft, ASCII, Clover Studio, Imageepoch. In another world, beloved FromSoft could have fallen to the wayside just as easily.

That’s why Neptunia is really important, I think. It serves as a way to self-mythologize, to keep fragments of these studios alive no matter what happens to them later. It’s a snapshot of all the B-tier Japanese game companies at any given point, written by one such company. When some of them inevitably fold, the Neptunia series will act as one more eulogy. As a huge fan of Compile-era Puyo Puyo, it’s a strange but relieving afterlife to witness. I may never play these games, but I’m grateful for what they do, and it’s a very entertaining series to rummage through the wiki of, especially as someone with a known appreciation of OS-tans.

The second Hyperdimension Neptunia game appears to introduce the Gamindustri Graveyard, a burial ground for defunct game companies. Resting there alongside all the other fallen studios is 1st-Gen Compa, the spirit of Compile. She’s wearing an outfit adorned with Puyos, with ears resembling those of beloved mascot Carbuncle. What is just a random horny anime girl for one person is a loving tribute for another. It’s a meaningful way to send off the old.

…and so is raising the dead! In October, Compile Heart announced a new Madou Monogatari game, with Sega giving them the rights to use classic Puyo Puyo characters on the project. According to the press release, the development team includes many staff members who were part of the original incarnation of Compile. Hope springs eternal, somehow.

#12 days of anime #hyperdimension neptunia #compile