#for a hot second i forgot Alyssa's last name omg

[trashlie]

Alyssa & Kousuke Anon 🖐Thank you for your thoughtful responses. It gave me a lot to think about. I agree with your takes on Alyssa. Right now, I don't have much hope for her. I can't help but see her as a pale imitation of Yui. I only have a few thoughts to add. Why does she even like him? Was there a special moment where he peaked her interest like he did with Meg in college. Did Alyssa learn about him through Meg first then later found out Nol is related to him and the Hiraharas? 1/?

But I think we can make a base assumption it's his status of power that attracted him to her, given how allured she is by the elite lifestyle. In that case, does it mean she will loose interest in him once he starts to break free from his prestigious image or will she have a change of tune towards Nol as his social climbing starts to overshadow his criminal past and illegitimacy, realizing their potential as a power couple? It reminds me of ep 30, when Nol sat in Kousuke's desk (cont.) 2/?

Meg pointed out, "Alyssa has never seen you like this before, has she?" Maybe we'll see Shin Ae foiling her regarding how they view and treat Kousuke. As for Yui's role in all this, that's another topic I want to discuss. I've also mused Alyssa spilling her secret as an attempt at damage control. To spice it up, I want Min Hyuk and Maya to add on to her paranoia. I want them to make her feel conflicted. Have you noticed how both Alyssa and Kousuke no longer have any genuine friendships? 3/?

They both faded them out of their lives. I think if Shin Ae is able to connect to Kousuke on a personal level, she could shine a light on his loneliness and distrust. Not as in her fixing him but rather him relating to her experiences and it prompting him to self-reflect on his own actions. And regret going cold towards his friends. Do you think Shin Ae will repeat the words of wisdom that Yeong Gi gave her to Kousuke? And that will help him reconcile with Nol? A cycle of giving and taking. 4/4

I really love that you pointed out that another similarity between Kousuke and Alyssa is that they don't really maintain friends - though in a different way. I'm so desperate at this point to see Kousuke in college because I need to know: did friendship ever mean anything to him? Though I know others might disagree I'm inclined to think yes, that he embraced university as a moment where, for just a brief period of time, maybe he was out from under the scrutiny of his family (hence the earring, his sole act of rebellion). We know he went out with friends to clubs, was part of a group of people, that at one point in time he cut loose and had fun. So much of Kousuke's life was him filling a role, playing a role, trying to be something that I think university may have been the one time he allowed himself to enjoy something other - but that he was able to let it all go because of higher responsibilities shows that he was never as free as he thought. He speaks so flippantly about it all that I think, like every other aspect of his life, Kousuke has convinced himself that things must be this way so what good is it for him to try to cling to them and managed to fool himself into believing that he is better off without it all.

Alyssa's case seems a little different, doesn't it? Again, I want to give the benefit of the doubt re: her friendship with Nol and co (though maybe I'll be proven wrong!) and think that she was very grateful to, at that point, have friends who wanted to hang out with her. I think in general Alyssa is a profoundly lonely person but her lifestyle has never permitted her to have a lot of social life. No doubt once she left school after Shinae's accident, she likely lost touch with her school friends (supposing her family didn't cut her off from them) and she had to carry on the way she was. Back then and even now she didn't really demonstrate good social skills, either - the way she was talking to herself and getting embarrassed around Shinae lol but even the way she interacts with her group mates now suggests that Alyssa just ISN'T good at being friends with people because she lacks the experience and has no idea how to create and maintain lasting friendships.

But hey, maybe it's a case similar to Kousuke where she's convinced herself it's okay because the path she's on doesn't reward her friendship. This, coupled with her people pleasing nature really resonate in moments like Alyssa throwing Nol under the bus to please those fans - such a lonely person would of course substitute her lack of meaningful relationships with the love and devotion of her fans. I think Alyssa badly wants to be loved and admired but because she lacks the experience and skills, she just not good at it.

But at the end of the day, just like Kousuke, she still threw away her friendships in order to achieve her end goal/dream.

I think in that case, it's no wonder Alyssa is so drawn to Kousuke. Like you, I believe it's less that she likes him so much as she finds a great appeal in what Kousuke represents, his status, his influence and power. Frankly, I don't think Alyssa KNOWS Kousuke but then again, I do think there's some.... oddities between the two, so what do I know! There might be some secret moment we've not yet been privy to! Don't think I've forgotten how ODD it was Kousuke hesitated soooo long to contact Alyssa while trying to track down Nol on the day of the exams. But let's assume they don't really have any kind of relationship other than "my brother's girlfriend who my mom skyrocketed to fame" - in that case I think Alyssa really is just drawn in by everything Kousuke is. She admires people who have powerful influence and and wants to be a part of that herself.

I DO think we might get to see an interesting flip-flop should Nol do as we expect and start climbing that ladder. He already knows what kind of person she is, but god the thought of watching her suddenly pay attention to him and lavish him with praise should he go that route.... blegh lol. The foiling of Shinae and Alyssa there will be very important - I think even as Nol goes on a quest for potential revenge, there will be a difference in who he treats as friend vs not, and I think we will see an emphasis on Nol eventually creating lasting bonds with people who've been with him through the worst, probably? I can't see him enjoying the fakery of the life he might have to enter, you know? Bumping elbows and brown-nosing are things we know he already hates and I think it means he will hold closer the people who are genuine, and if he starts to become more powerful and overshadow his past and Alyssa starts treating him better, it's not going to warm him up to her lol. I don't think Nol and Alyssa will quite become what Rand and Yui did, but I don't think there will be a lot to salvage out of their relationship in the future. And god, once her role in Shinae's injury comes to light........ hew boy!

I AM very strongly of the mind that Shinae's role in Kousuke's life will be to help him figure out what's wrong with him lol. I agree that it's not so much "fixing" him as much as exposing him to something that he's never really had. I like to hope that he mind, even if deep deep deep deep deep down lol feel a hint of jealousy that Shinae has such a strong friendship with Nol she's willing to chase him down despite the things she's learning (I say this in light of 155 being free now!). Besides Hansuke, who has ever chased down Kousuke? Who's ever made a point to cling to his friendship? I really hope we'll get to see him come to want to experience those things for himself and maybe... I don't think if he'd reach out to his old friendship but perhaps someone like Yujing could be someone with whom he could resolve their past and make some kind of peace, you know? I don't think either Kousuke or Alyssa are beyond redemption but I think we're more likely to see Kousuke make those changes than Alyssa, just with what we've been shown so far. I don't think it will be any time soon but the potential certainly is there.

GOD i am so excited for the time skip lmao

#I Love Yoo #ILY Brainrot #Alyssa Cho #for a hot second i forgot Alyssa's last name omg #god i'm obsessed with all the parallels plssssssss #they're so fun to examine #i hope i find the energy one day to write more about Alyssa and Shinae as foils even tho i sprinkle that in everything i write #genuinely looking forward to the timeskip tho it's going to be so good i think #plus i just can't wait to see where everyone is in a few years! #Kousuke Hirahara

[wann-der-lusst]

Waterfalls

By: Cassy

Just like every other day, I have to go to work. My life is such a mess. I mean, I haven't even picked a career, and I don't even have a car. Well, today I'm taking the bus. I don't know why but it's very crowded than usual.

"Hey, excuse me, can I take that seat?" I asked politely.

"No can do. I am too tired," the hard-headed man said.

"Well, I don't care. I'm tired too!" I yelled.

"Sorry. Here take my seat," the man said, frightened.

I squeezed my way through the crowd of people and slumped down into the rough leather seat.

Living in a little apartment wasn't really helping me either. Going to sleep at 3 am just because I can't fall asleep was killing me. With only 4 hours of sleep, I fell asleep on the bus. I shockingly felt the bus stop, and suddenly I woke up.

"Why did we stop?" I asked.

"Sorry, ma'am, but the bus has broken down. It's going to take ages to get it moving again," the bus driver said sadly.

So angry I stomped off the bus. I walked and walked and walked and walked. It was like the world was never-ending. The agony and the anger that I am feeling weren't going away.

Knowing I was never going to work today, I kept on walking and walking and walking. Suddenly, I reached a waterfalls.

"Wow, there's so many people. Since I'm not going to work, I might as well do something," I said to myself.

I walked up to the lady who was giving out the pamphlets.

"Hello, um, excuse me, is there an entrance fee?" I asked.

"Is there anyone else with you?" the lady asked.

"Nope, just me," I replied.

"Oh, ok, then that would be 300 pesos," the lady said.

"Ok," I replied.

I rummaged through my purse and found 300 pesos.

"Here," I said as I gave the lady 300 pesos.

"Umm, can I have one of those pamphlets?" I asked kindly.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot. Here," the kind lady said.

"Thank you," I said as I took the pamphlet.

"Have fun," the lady said.

I opened the pamphlet, started reading, and walked to the waterfalls.

"Ouch," I said.

I tripped over the branches of one of the trees when I was looking at the pamphlet. Someone held out their hand to me. I looked up, and I saw a lady looking down at me.

"Hey do you need a hand?" she asked.

"Yes, thanks," I replied.

I took her hand, and she pulled me up.

"Hey, what's your name," she asked.

"My name is Cassandra," I said.

"My name is Alyssa," she said.

"Well, nice to meet you," I said.

"Are you here by yourself?" Alyssa asked.

"Yeah," I replied.

"Me too. Do you want to go together?" Alyssa asked,

"Sure, I don't know how to read this map," I said.

"I'm good with maps. Give it to me." Alyssa said.

I gave Alyssa the map, and she looked at it slowly.

"I thought that you're good with maps, Alyssa," I laughed.

"Ok, first of all, maps take a lot of time to inspect, and also please call me Aly. I never really liked the name Alyssa," she said.

"Well… Aly, hurry up if you keep on reading this slow, We're gonna be here all night," I said.

"Ok, first, let's get food," Aly said.

"OMG, they have food here?" I asked excitedly.

"Yeah, you didn't know?" Aly asked surprisingly.

"No! Let's go," I said excitedly.

Aly led the way, and we ran to the food vendors. We stood in line for the hot dogs and hamburgers.

"So, what do you want?" Aly asked me.

"Hmm… I think I want a hamburger with cheese and tomatoes, chili and cheese fries, and a Sprite," I said.

"That's delicious. You have good taste." Aly said.

"Thanks. What are you getting?" I asked Alyssa.

"I think I'm going to get a hot dog with ketchup, curly fries, and a Coke," Aly replied.

"Excuse ladies can I have your order?" the chef asked.

"What if you say my order and I say yours," Aly said.

"Ok," I replied.

"I want a hamburger without the tomatoes, chili and cheese fries, and a Sprite," Aly said to the chef.

"And you ma'am?" the chef asked politely.

"I want a hotdog with ketchup, curly fries, and a Coke," I said.

"Before you two go, what are your names?" the chef asked.

"It's Cassandra and Alyssa," Aly said and smiled.

"Ok, can you both please wait for your order?" the chef asked.

"Ok," we both said.

We both found a table to sit down on to wait for our food. I pulled my phone out of my purse and put in my passcode.

"Do you want to exchange numbers?" I asked.

"Of course," Aly replied as she smiled.

She brought out her phone and gave it to me. I did the same and gave mine to her.

"Here I put my phone number," Aly said.

"Me too," I replied.

"Ok, try to call me," Aly said.

I tapped the phone button, and Aly's phone was ringing instantly.

"Ok, now call me," I said.

Aly called me from her phone, and mine started to instantly ring.

"Cassandra and Alyssa, your food is ready!" we heard the chef yelled.

"Come on, let's get out food," I said.

Aly and I got up from the table and went to get our food.

"Here is your hamburger without tomatoes, chili and cheese fries, and your Sprite," the chef said to Aly.

"Also, here is your hotdog with ketchup, curly fries, and your Coke," the chef said to me.

"Thank you," we said.

"Now, which one of you is paying?" the chef asked.

Aly and I looked at each other.

"I can pay," Aly said.

"No, I can pay," I insisted.

"Actually... excuse me, what's the price of our order?" Aly asked the chef.

"Weirdly, it's precisely 250 pesos," the chef replied.

"We can split the price," I said.

I gave the chef 125 pesos from my purse while Aly did the same. We went back to the same table. Then, we switched our meals.

"Here is your food, madam," I said jokingly.

"Here is your food, ma'am," Aly said jokingly.

Together we ate our food.

"I'm so full," I said.

"You said it. I think we grabbed too much food," Aly said.

"Well, I'm gonna throw the rest of my food in the trash," I said.

"I'm right behind you," Aly said.

We threw our food in the trash and picked up our purses from the table.

Let's go to the waterfall," I said.

We walked and walked and walked until we reached the beautiful waterfall. By then, the sun was setting.

"Let's take a selfie in front of the waterfall," I said

"Ok, let's use my phone," Aly said.

We took the selfie together.

"Send the picture to me," I said.

"I already did," Aly said.

Seconds later, my phone dinged. I took my phone out of my purse and checked it.

"This selfie looks spectacular," I said.

"Let's go up there so we can watch the sunset," Aly said.

"Ok," I said.

We both climbed up the hill to see the sunset. The sun dipped below the horizon, the last gasp of beauty before the death of the day.

"Look at how beautiful it is," Aly said.

"I never really looked so intently at the sun setting before. I never really cared," I said.

"Thanks for this day. It's been so fun. What I know is that we're going to be best friends forever and ever," Aly said.

"Off course we are," I replied.

After a while, Aly started visiting me in my not so big apartment and she never forget to bring food. When she's in my apartment we do, off course eating and we really do love watching movies together.

Aly and I has a lot of something in common, like we love to a travel a lot, collecting memories and we both have a broken family. Aly was raised by her father and I was raised by my mother, but both of us did not use it as a discouragement to continue in our lives, we took as an inspiration so that both of us succeed. Having a broken family is not good for my mental health when I was younger, it gives me jealousy, curiosity and it makes me longing, but it did not affect on who I am right now. I am blessed on what I have right now especially I met a new friend that can change my everyday mood.

We can be friends with other people, we can bond, we can stay closer to them, but not everyone can stay forever, not everyone can lend their shoulders for you to cry on, not everyone can listen to your problems, yet there is always one person who is willing to give his or her time and will never ever leave you.

I never really knew it, but meeting Aly changed my life forever.

#short stories