#shotaro fanfic | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

slytherinshua · 3 months

Text

PIGGYBACK

genre. fluff. warnings. none. pairing. shotaro x fem!reader. wc. 700. request. no. a/n. i'm so tired of there being no taro fics like omg my baby deserves more 💔 but this time the taro bias is taroing 🫡

“But they’re sore!” Shotaro’s whines were almost incessant as you walked back home. You had assumed that your pro-dancer boyfriend would be more than fine to go on a hike with you given how nice the weather was. It would be a waste to just stay at home. The hike was mostly pleasant, but walking home was when he started complaining about how sore his legs felt.

“We’re almost there, you’ll be fine!” You continued to drag him, pulling his hand that clung quite tightly to yours as if it was the only thing keeping him from completely toppling over on himself.

“Just 1 piggyback ride? Please?” He tugged at your hand, digging his feet into the ground, determined to not walk any further.

You stopped and looked back at him skeptically, “You want me to carry you?”

He nodded eagerly, “I seriously can’t do another 20 minutes.”

“And you trust me to be able to carry you?” You asked. He just grinned at you and nodded his head, already making ways to get on your back.

It was hard to say no to him, even though you were unsure about the idea. You did feel a little bad about dragging him on the hike when he had told you his muscles were sore from dance practice. You let him hop on your back without another word of protest, adjusting to the feeling of his entire body weighing on you. It wasn’t quite as bad as you expected, and with him wrapping his arms securely around your shoulders, you continued walking.

“You know, you’re kind of childish sometimes.” You muttered, heaving Shotaro up a little when he started to slip.

“I know.” He giggled.

“You seem extremely happy about this situation, don’t you?” You huffed, feeling your arms start to ache slightly. You were more than halfway to home now, though. You would be able to make it.

“It’s comfortable.” He smiled, his voice coming out a little softer. He rested his head on your shoulder and let his eyes flutter closed. Though it was hard for you to look at him, you felt his body relax further, a sure signal of his tiredness that you knew all too well. Shotaro tended to have a lot of energy and then crash suddenly.

“It’s not even 2 o’clock, Taro. Don’t fall asleep yet.” You nudged him, walking up to the turn onto your street. You were relieved to be almost there. Shotaro looked light, but with the muscle he worked hard to build, he was heavier than he seemed. You were feeling the strain of carrying him for 20 minutes by now, but you didn’t have it in you to complain.

He mumbled sleepily about something that you didn’t quite catch. You wondered how someone who was so exuberant about getting a piggyback just a short time ago could be this drowsy now. You could already predict that he would want to nap with you once you reached home.

Shotaro was the type to get clingier the more he clung, and you had learned to keep your hugs short unless you wanted them to turn into long cuddling sessions. Since a piggyback ride was basically Taro hugging you like a koala from behind, it was almost inevitable that he would complain about being separated from you again.

Once you opened the door to your house, Shotaro slipped off your back easily. As soon as you both had discarded your coats and shoes he was already dragging you up the stairs, flopping on the bed as soon as possible, pulling you so that you landed on top of him a second later.

You laughed at how eager he was to sleep, closing his eyes as soon as his body hit the mattress; but lying on top of Shotaro was one of the most comfortable places in the world, and within a couple of minutes you could feel yourself getting drowsy as well. Shotaro hugged you tightly, ensuring that you stayed as close to him as possible. He was asleep within minutes, leaving you to listen to his steady heartbeat and soft breathing as they lulled you to your dreams as well.

↳ riize taglist: @eternalgyu,, @kangtaehyunzzz,, @weird-bookworm,, @haecien,, @seolboba,, @cyberpunksunwoo,, @cosmicwintr,, @chiiyuuvv,, @evalevaeva

194 notes · View notes

blue-jisungs · 4 months

Note

shotaro would be one of those aesthetic couple goals boyfriends who always has cute matching outfits to film tiktok dance covers in </3 (yeah this is huge brainrot for me, fic req if you want 😍)

shotaro as a bf

author's note. crying i love him sm ☹️☹️ i hope you like it zanzan teehee

ʚїɞ taro is definitely the type of bf to have matching things with his partner!! whether it’s clothes, phone cases, jewellry, bags, key rings… he’d love them to be cute n adorable :( kuromi-my melody, minnie-mickey, mario-daisy… you name it :( have you seen his clothes?? like taste,, i want his closet btw. but what i wanted to say is that he’d be down to buy a pink sweater in a millisecond just to match with you ☹️

ʚїɞ he’s so so thoughtful ohmigosh:( whenever he’s passing by a shop and sees something that he knows you’d like (or he just likes hehe), he’ll buy it right this second. same with food, too!! always brings you leftovers when he’s out with the boys or buys you souvenirs from the places they went to when filming content :(

ʚїɞ a big sucker for filming tiktoks and challenges with you, even if you’re not a dancer. he’ll be willing to teach you and guide step by step even if it takes the whole day. and ahhh this cute tiktok’s like yk,, leaving lipstick stains on his face, jumping at each other n all of that… his (and yours) drafts are filled with that. and taro watches them when he’s away from you <3

ʚїɞ he’s a human battery charger. taro is literally sunshine itself, vitamin c and happy pill?! so it’s only normal that when being his partner, he’s spreading that energy around him and it’s kinda… impossible to be sad or mad about anything when he’s here, next to you… smiling like :] and being so adorable… squishable…… cries. but he’ll go to the ends of the world to make you cheer up, everything in his willpower to make that frown upside down hehe >.<

ʚїɞ not a moment is full with him!! taking a spontaneous trip to japan during the weekend? he’s dragging you to the airport. craving a very specific meal that’s all across the town? already hopping in the car. something caught his eye during a walk? he’s running there like an excited puppy. you have a sudden outburst of energy and want to play basketball at 11pm? he’s already ballin’. taro also kind of gives me that vibe of someone who’d order silly stuff online so yeah… on some days you’d wake up to a package at the front door… it being the cat-shaped phone holders, a set of spoons looking like shovels, ice-cube makers in a shape of a lego man… and… more… ㅠㅠ

ʚїɞ speaking of japan, he’d love to talk to you in japanese (even if you don’t understand it) and flirt with you hehe~ he’d definitely try and teach you if you wanted because,, as someone said – the best way to practise your language skills is having a partner who speaks it lmao but yeah he loves when you speak japanese, even tho it’s not perfect it warms his heart <3 and the other way around too, he’d love to learn your native language too!! pls teach him >:)

masterlist <3

taglist. @slytherinshua ,, @weird-bookworm ,, @eternalgyu ,, @haecien

176 notes · View notes

1-49 · 4 months

Text

𝟬.𝟬𝟭 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗻𝗸 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁.

➺ pairing: ballerina f!reader × street dancer osaki shotaro. warnings: none. just fluff & love119. competing. idiots<3; 2k

Sundays are traditionally celebrated by the dance teams at the academy as a day to have fun and appreciate the variety of dance styles. It’s both hit-and-miss. There are those who love them and those who hate them.

It is also a day on which you’re compelled to see the boy with the freaky movements and baggy clothes, week after week. His street style is in contrast to ur grace. His gentle eyes and angelic smile are in tune though, so ure quite confused sometimes.

Even though his movements re timed perfectly, you find his fluidity to be too harsh and precise. Your dance style will always be superior to his... Or so you believe.

The pair game that all of you’ve been delaying for the longest & playing team against team is one of the worst things that could happen this Sunday. But it is finally happening, it’s final! He is your date for this occasion. And it is just so unfortunate that you will be paired with the boy who has been causing you to have an indecisive impression of him for the longest time.

He smiles shyly at you from across the practice room, and you feel annoyed that you can see yourself smiling back at him thru the reflection of the mirrors. That is just his courteous way of greeting you, following the clatter of applause when your names are announced, and now carrying on with the event is the only choice you have.

Every hand clap causes pressure to build inside your chest. It shouldn’t feel at all like this; however, here he is, a punk wearing clothes that don’t match you & which also create a distinct image from that of ballet.

He makes his way towards the center of the dance floor where you are, step by step. So you close your eyes and allow your mind to filter out all of the noise filling the space. In his presence, you can’t allow yourself to make any mistakes.

As it is a freestyle duet, neither of you knows where it is going, so all you can do is hope it works out well for you both. Being embarrassed in front of everyone is something you wouldn’t want.

The sweet energy that comes from his eyes is easy to be affected by. You understand the importance of meeting someone halfway, particularly when dancing. Despite the stark differences in appearance, your energies must align.

His big-print hoodie contrasts with your sleek-fitting bodice.

Yours is essentially one with your skin to allow you freedom of movement while at the same time enhancing the visual effect of your dance movements. Contrarily, his wide clothes accomplish the same goal in a different way because they permit him to move freely and showcase his unique sense of flair and style.

With your hair up and attention to your posture, you wait for him. Your old shoes are pink in color, worn out, a bit blood-stained, and exhausted. There are heart-shaped band-aids on both of your leg’s injuries.

The boy seems to focus on them before shifting his gaze to you, with a hint of worry visible on his face. It appears that he is aware of the harm that dancing can cause.

Without you realizing it, his cute concern warms the surface of your skin and gradually makes its way to your heart. He might be a little different, but not by much. You are confident that he would relate to you more than your friends, who are overly preoccupied with social media.

Once he is fully in front of you, he bows his head; his large eyes are partially obscured by his beanie. You find it endearing that he is modest enough to cover up one of his greatest features.

While you both anxiously await whatever kind of dancing and music you will have to perform, you bow your head respectfully and advance toward him, the boy whose name you don’t know.

With every movement he makes, his silver earnings sparkle like stars & serve as his only accessory.

You breathe in deeply. You think it would be humiliating if he had to hold your hand and see how nervous you really are because the insides of your hand are so sweaty.

The various dancers around you stop clapping and cheering, and there is a brief pause before the music begins. A moment of silence. A time when it is just the two of you, a moment of absolute connection.

Just your luck, Claude Debussy’s Rêverie, L.68, begins to play.

You are the one in control here, so he can probably tell when you show a little change in confidence. Even so, he beams, his browns dripping with sparks. A little strange considering that he has no knowledge of ballet, you think...

That is, until the two of you strike a graceful starting stance, with pointed feet and flowing arms. You are dressed for the occasion in your ballet shoes, while he is in black Nikes... And until he starts moving his body in time with the melody, you may assume he is being sarcastic rather than sincere.

To your astonishment, with his silhouette concealed by all the loose clothing, he starts to transforms into a true body in motion, just like you. Easily translating sound into action— stepping & bowing—then momentarily, he flies. A perfect, graceful sight.

Your tense muscles are in attempt to match his mental pace. You are devising each step to somewhat resemble his, so the harmony of your individual dances will be the same.

Your ballet teacher has instilled in you the belief that “If it hurts, you are doing it right.”

And indeed, it is painful to match someone whose technique you are not familiar with—you have not even danced with him before. However, he is currently everything that you love—challenges and surprises.

He is the anti-glow, a ball of sunshine, sunk in pools of gray and black polyester. Denying the fine lines on his body that you are certain exist but never see.

Your heart soars straight over cloud nine, as you extend your neck and return to the initial position. By this point, you can be certain that he has some ballet training; if not, he must have had some experience since nothing else could account for his exceptional ballet dancing.

And since all you two have going on is mental chat, you can both telepathically determine that a pair dance would be the show’s biggest highlight. Both of you are progressing in distinct dance styles, but you have one thing in common: you both take things seriously !

When the audience realizes what you were going for, they begin to applaud the choice. The cheering causes the boy’s cheeks to flush. His confidence has never wavered before, but right now.

And now, after all this time of being cold-hearted, you allow his innocent warmth to seep through your exterior barriers of ice. The tips of your eyes gently wrinkle as you make the ‘It’s going to be okay’ motion with your lips. The words of motivation that flow from your mouth are silent, so only he can read them.

It seems that was all he needed to know...

Carried by the bristling atmosphere, he extends his hand.

Before, you wouldn’t have trusted him with your hand because of how sweaty it would be and what he would think of it, but now you just care about giving the best performance possible, regardless of how vulnerable that makes you to him. All you can hope is that he is competent at keeping secrets.

The confession in his eyes & the gentle smile on his face tell you that he’s ur greatest confidante.

It is the final thing you notice,

before two powerful hands firmly grab your waist. Which simultaneously it feels as though somebody had taken hold of your body and is finally releasing the butterflies that had been imprisoned inside your ribs. Sharing so much with someone is vulnerable and frighteningly intimate. But you decide to put your trust in the partnership.

Because of how close you two remain, your mind keeps filtering out all the chants and roars of everyone around. Although you know in the back of your mind that your friends will make insufferable jokes about the situation you find yourself in, you don’t care as nothing seems more important than the boy right now.

You almost get the impression that this boy just keeps you on your toes. Your heart races every time you look at him with that warm gaze.

Sliding into his arms is like having a fuzzy coat hug you. His tired breath is practically on your lips. Yet proud and shining, your figures blend together despite their contrast.

‘It takes two to tango,’ as you two start to move faster while swaying to the orchestral tune.

You feel as if everybody in the room is watching your every skin, but not him... With roused cheeks his only route are your eyes and lips. You might assume from the way he looks at you that you are the only girl he is continuously thinking about and lusting for.

‘Enough! Enough! Enough!’ Your thoughts are racing, telling you that you can’t allow these emotions to distract you.

“Do you trust me?” He asks, so closely you can read it off his lips.

He doesn’t even need to say what... your inner professional dancer knows, so you smile, well aware of what is about to happen.

There’s a specific rhythm to dancing that only a dancer knows. The thrill of a strong jump, a good pointing of the toes, or the success of a hard spin when they thought they’d run out of luck, but to trust him with them all in the absence of any prior practice is a terrifying test.

Yet, you do! You do...

You let yourself entirely depend on this punk whose name you don’t know. A boy you have only ever seen between dance classes and on Sundays, and someone who makes your emotions explode at the moment. For so long, you have thought of him as a loser—or, more accurately, you haven’t thought about him at all... In this sense, your perception of him was never fully formed.

Up until this point, right now, when you body is raised by his hands.

Up, up, and up you go. Looking up, chin up—hands extended like a wings of an angel.

Then down back you go—to your feet, to his chest. To his pretty face, too shiny eyes, and plump lips.

You lend... safety, but your heart is in danger.

In perfect sync. He sees beyond the here and now, beyond your eyes. Making the most of your mutual closeness as though he would never again have the courage to express his feelings for you in such an honest way.

You stare at him intently. Reaching his orbit in the same manner, and exploring the chocolate of his orbs. Savoring his scent, the drops of sweat dripping from his brow.

But despite everything, you understand that this time the contest is about the race—still the first person to cross the finish line is not necessarily the winner... Because,

“How would you feel if you were to win, and what would happen if you lost?” you whisper. You are competitive by nature; all you are doing is making sure.

Naturally, he shrugs his shoulders, and you find yourself desperate to hear his voice just once.

Last but not least, as the big finish approaches—the double individual spin, you cling to him one last time before you part ways, to execute it on their own.

One less time, you get that perfect sense of unity when your hands entwine. As the ballet performance draws to an end, you keep pouting softly more and more.

And as a result, the boy pulls you until your chest merges with his. In your ear, he whispers, “I receive a date if I land badly.”

Apparently, he is competitive in nature as you are; just a punk who ensures that he gets the better of the situation...

Not every loser is an actual loser.

#riize #shotaro #osaki shotaro #riize fluff #riize x reader #shotaro x reader #shotaro imagines #shotaro fluff #shotaro fanfic #riize x you #riize imagines #riize fic #riize fanfic #riize x y/n #riize scenarios

135 notes · View notes

zombyjuice · 4 months

Text

SHY GIRL GONE ROUGE! shotaro,wonbin ( ｀o´)_θ☆( >_<)🦷🎀🐰🍎🐼🐆❄️

I’m thinking shotaro/wonbin would def fall for a very sweet maybe even shy yet in a way very outspoken and feisty I’m thinking poc!reader half black half Korean??

You loved commentary videos very engaged in the problems of today you were very self-aware and understanding of the world around you and liked educating yourself about it.

This became a big interest and you started a blog/Insta acc/ Tumblr acc and would write.

They’d spread around the school like wildfire and ended up having mixed reactions from the public even making news headlines once with your popular writing ‘What are you, gay?’ going into depth about the way boys treated the women around them “You know… I blame the world for all the homophobia if it weren't for that maybe you boys would be more open about your sexuality! wouldn’t have to spread all that bottle-up hatred for women :< it's sad. lol!” other popular writing being ‘You are not a mama's boy, you're a bitch boy… yikes!’ and ‘Stop the stupidness we know you want your best buddies boyfriend( •́દ•̩̥̀ )’

You went into it anonymously and very very young. it's not your fault! Yu didn't think you'd get attention!

So all the hate and people in school finding out who you were, was not good for your mental health, especially being the type to give all the fucks about people's opinions. Over time you became used to it but grew out of your writings and when you were 16 your interest in K-pop peaked and surely grew.

Being SM's first black girl (in a v popular group may I add) was one thing but being in a risky ass scandal is another we ALL know SM doesn't play. And these dumbass haters?? don’t even get me started But surprisingly to SM, it wasn't all that bad I mean “A couple of unoriginal opinions from a 14-year-old is just silly! Nothing that hasn't been thought of already! Nothing to hate lol T-T” Read the apology.

Wow, you could already see the admiration on his face. Bro is so intrigued. (*´∀`*)

You ended up seeing him everywhere you'd be hanging out in the dining area listening to music and suddenly plop an awkward taro/bin ordering your favorite drink a couple of feet in front of you… and of course, taking notice of this.

MAYBEEE this could be like a series?? Pt2?? IDKK you guys would have to lmk lol i hope you enjoyed and not all my stuff is going to be like this, just something i really enjoy!! ☺️☺️🤗

#riize x reader #riize fanfic #wonbin riize #riize shotaro #shotaro riize #riize wonbin #wonbin fanfic #shotaro fanfic #wonbin #shotaro #wonbin x reader #wonbin fluff #shotaro x reader #shotaro fluff #wonbin is my hubby 🎀#riize imagines #wonbin smut #shotaro smut

72 notes · View notes

nqctar · 3 months

Note

going crazy bc i can't stop thinking of cg!shotaro taking care of a sick baby :((( they both want cuddles but !!! sick !!!

AWW

cg!shotaro would be so sad if he couldn't cuddle with his baby because they're sick :( he would do everything to make you feel comfortable, but all you wanted was him to hold you! he'd pout and say "not now baby. if i get sick too, who's gonna make sure you get better?"

he'd bring you all of your stuffies and colouring books to try and keep your mind busy but all you wanted was cuddles! and shotaro did too, he would NEVER refuse to hold his baby.

shotaro would sit with you, like if you were laying down on the sofa, and read you a story from one of your books while you drift off to sleep. & while you were sleeping he'd whisper sweet things!! "i hope you feel better soon, little one." he'd probably get a bit teary eyed too. he hates seeing his baby sick.

if you were feeling well enough to play he'd have a tea party with you and your stuffies!! but this time it's you sassing him about the tea getting too cold, or the "service" being too slow. shotaro thinks it's hilarious by the way.

he'd baby you soooooo much while you're sick and promise to give you EXTRA cuddles when you're better. shotaro would also buy you more stuffies !! he'd come home holding like six of them with the biggest smile ever on his face. "look what i brought you!" & you'd feel so loved and cared for !!

...and when you started feeling better he'd literally never let you out of his arms. like you're stuck there forever. but you don't complain because you missed being held by him so much :(

yet another concept i'm 100% gonna write a full imagine for sometime soon :D

34 notes · View notes

mrkspo · 2 months

Text

II. 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐨

leiam esse capítulo — assim como os seguintes — como uma entrevista no ponto de vista do membro. boa leitura!

Era um início de primavera, ainda tinha um pouco de gelo nas ruas e o clima ainda estava frio, mas nada comparado ao intenso inverno. Tudo estava agradável naquele período, as aulas estavam mais leves e me permitiam descansar mais pela manhã. As aulas de dança começavam por volta das duas da tarde, após a pausa do almoço e da aula de física e posso dizer que era minha aula favorita; lembro que uma aluna nova tinha chegado a pouco tempo, eu ainda não tinha visto ou esbarrado com ela pela escola mas em uma tarde qualquer de primavera eu acabei a encontrando.

Entrei na sala errada e a vi, se movimentando de uma forma delicada, olhar suave e focado mas conseguia ver o esforço que dela para ficar em uma certa posição. Ela era bailarina, tinha se transferido pra minha escola por causa do programa de balé. Eu não consegui tirar ela da cabeça por um bom tempo, mas preferi ignorar todos os cenários imaginários com ela que rodavam minha cabeça. Eu ainda não sabia o nome dela.

– Ei Taro hyung! Você 'tá prestando atenção? – Anton fala comigo pela terceira vez no treino da coreografia, mas eu estava ocupado demais prestando atenção nela, ali do outro do ginásio da escola, segurando na barra de madeira e fazendo o que a professora mandava. – É claro que ele não está. – Eunseok murmurou e recebeu um soquinho no ombro de Sungchan.

Não sabia o que tinha acontecido comigo, tudo que eu conseguia pensar era naquela garota que eu nem sabia o nome. Era um tanto desesperador estar apaixonado por alguém pela primeira vez, e eu realmente entrei em desespero. Comecei a procurar por ela em todos os lugares na escola, seja no refeit��rio ou em salas de aulas que nem era para eu estar, já que éramos de turmas diferentes.

Mas quando finalmente descobri eu hesitei bastante em ir falar com ela, me sentia nervoso toda vez que via ela nos corredores, ela tinha aquela aura de "intocável" então me sentia intimidado pela ideia de me aproximar dela. Acho que o nosso cúpido foi o Sungchan, ele tinha dado a ideia da turma de hip-hop se juntar com as bailarinas para uma apresentação no festival de primavera da cidade. Isso fez com que nós dois trocássemos mais palavras do que apenas 'oi' e 'bom dia'.

Posso dizer que a gente se aproximou bastante durantes os ensaios, mas eu ainda hesitava perto dela, tinha medo de ser rejeitado, de me machucar. Acho que ela também se sentia assim na época também, mesmo que ela estivesse mais confortável do meu lado ela ainda se retraia um pouco. Mas isso mudou quando ela me chamou para sair. É isso mesmo, foi ela que me chamou para sair. Não foi exatamente um encontro, mas eu conto como um.

Foi uma noite antes do festival em que a gente ia se apresentar, ela me levou para um lugar que tinha uma cerejeira enorme e disse que aquele era o lugar de conforto dela e que se precisasse era para procurar por ela ali. Ficamos sentados debaixo daquela árvore por um tempo e de repente ela tira aqueles MP3 com fones do bolso e me entrega. Esses negócios ainda existem? Me sinto um velho falando dessas coisas. Mas enfim, voltando: – Coloca na primeira música, quero te mostrar algo. – Foi o que ela tinha falado, então eu coloquei os fones e dei play na música que ela tinha falado. Ela começou a dançar, era alguma variação de algum solo de balé, não lembro qual mas mesmo sem conseguir ouvir a música e estar sem sapatilhas ela conseguiu dançar perfeitamente, ela estava tão linda... Não consegui tirar os olhos dela, então eu percebi algo; assim que a música acabou e ela fez o finale eu não hesitei. Lembro que eu segurei em seus pulsos e me aproximei mais dela, sentia a respiração quente e ofegante dela e então eu a beijei. Foi tudo tão mágico, as pétalas de cerejeira caindo sobre nós, a lua sendo a única que sabia que estávamos ali. Ela sorriu no final do beijo e me abraçou, e eu estava surpreso, tinha jurado que ela iria me odiar depois daquilo. Bom, estamos juntos até hoje então posso dizer que ela ainda não me odeia.

– Tem algo que quer dizer para a sua esposa?

Querida, por favor, não me odeie nunca. Consegue me prometer isso? Eu prometo nunca mais hesitar.

#when i fell in love #riize #riize x reader #riize imagines #riize fluff #riize fanfic #riize angst #riize shotaro #shotaro #shotaro imagines #shotaro fluff #shotaro fanfic #shotaro angst #shotaro x reader #shotaro scenarios #shotaro riize

20 notes · View notes

8myass · 3 months

Text

.. candles .. pairing. osaki shotaro x female reader genre. fluff, angst pov. second person (you, yours, yourself, etc.) synopsis. when you distance yourself a little too far. wc. 0.9k cw. stalker!shotaro tw. gaslighting, stalking, manipulation, possessiveness, pet name (‘angel’) a/n. first story!! i wanted to get something posted here, so here we are with my sweetie taro :P

You were always the type to distance yourself from people who got too close to you, never allowing anyone to get past the walls you surround your heart with. You were a sweet and sensitive soul, but you’ve been hurt too many times to even think about truly trusting someone else again. You hated when you felt a relationship growing with another person, knowing what came next, and you wound up pushing them away from you before they could get close enough to touch the barriers built around you.

You wanted to find love, you really did. It was just too hard for you. You tried with everything in you to allow people to love you the way you so desperately craved, but it was subconsciously that you found yourself pushing them farther. You were too nervous to say anything about it or apologize to them for being such a bad person, so you never let them know the truth of why you did it.

When Shotaro came into your life, it was the same. You met him simply at a grocery store, he was a worker who had helped you when your short arms couldn’t reach the top shelf. To avoid having you fall and break something while seeing you climb on the shelf, he offered to help you grab what you were after. You thanked him profusely and eventually managed to give your number after a few more times of seeing him in the store. You could’ve sworn he thought you were stalking him or something, always showing up during the hours he was working, but he never said anything that hinted at him minding your presence ever. You liked him, so when you realized that you were developing genuine feelings for him, you distanced yourself, as always. Only, he was way more persistent than you expected; showing up at your house when you were home alone, being in the store on days he’s off so he could see you, sending you flowers and gifts to your workplace.

It would be so hard for you to not give in, you wanted to like all these things, but you felt too embarrassed to tell him about your extensive amount of issues causing you to keep yourself out of his arms. Soon, it became too much for him, he wanted to show you how much he wanted you, how much he loved you. If you needed him to prove that, then he would, he did.

He might’ve come on a little too strong with his “proof”, honestly. Inviting you over to his place, begging you to come over so he could at least have one last talk with you before you completely ghosted him. In the long run, that wasn’t going to be enough for him, but you accepted with a large amount of hesitation, with good reason, too. You went to his house, the driving distance wasn’t that far, but he, of course, knew that, so by the time you were there, he had everything set up and prepared for your arrival. It was a sweet, simple candlelit dinner, more like a date than a “get-together” for “one last talk”. You nearly ran for the hills as soon as you walked through the door and saw the cheesy rose petals on the floor leading to a table for two, roses in the middle, and your favorite meal sitting in front of both chairs on the hard surface. How could he not know your favorite meal? He knew everything about you, silly girl.

Of course, he convinced you to stay. You took a seat at the chair and the conversation instantly started up with your first words to him being, “What is this for?”

“Are you not hungry?” he followed your question up with a question of his own, pushing past your own concerns to express how his were more important.

He took a spoonful of food from your plate and pushed it past your soft lips. It was good, you’d definitely admit that.

“Did you make this?”

“I did, do you like it, angel?” he smiled sweetly. That smile was what always dragged you in. As soon as you nodded, it brightened.

“What did you want to talk about?” you asked, pretending your heart wasn’t beating out of your chest already from such simple interactions.

“I just want to show you how much I love you…” he exhaled deeply, leaning across the table to place his lips against yours gently. His lips moved together with yours so smoothly, it’s like they were made to fit into one another. As you kissed him back, you slowly slipped back into his hands, the hands he thought you never should’ve left. In truth, you should've run as far away as you possibly could’ve, escaped his radar for good, because now that you’re in his life, he won’t let you go. He knew everything about you by this point, all your weak spots, everything that makes you tick, what makes you fall so in love. He wanted to sweep you off your feet and after his years of research, he’s finally found a way to do it. His display that night was all a show, just to make you understand his love for you. You were now his and he wasn’t gonna give that up. Not for the world, not for his friends, not for his family, not for yours, not for himself, and definitely not for your stubbornness.

36 notes · View notes

wonjns · 8 months

Text

shotaro smut recs pls idc about reader pronouns 🤲🤲

i’ll love u forever

#shotaro x reader #shotaro smut #shotaro fic #nct smut #nct x reader #riize x reader #kpop smut #kpop hard hours #kpop fanfic #shotaro fanfic #nct fanfic

27 notes · View notes

saturnznct · 1 year

Text

d-8; visiting family in japan | ost

➸ note; i’m sorry that this is terrible, wasnt feeling much inspiration today,,

➸ word count; 841 words

➸ saori; aged 9, sakura; aged 4, shichiro; aged 2

dadmas masterlist | nct masterlist (lnks will be added later)

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

You hadn’t been back to Japan in quite some time. Shotaro had been offered so many amazing projects in Korea; comebacks, magazine shoots, TV appearances, and so on. You’d half expected him to be hard at work even over the Christmas period, but you were overjoyed when he announced that he had spoken to the company and had gotten the time off in order to spend time with your family.

‘You don’t have to take the time off for us,’ you say, ‘I know how much you love working in all of these projects.’

Shotaro smiles sadly, ‘well, the little ones won’t be little forever. They all still believe in Santa. I don’t want to let it slip away too fast, you know? They’ll be another awards show next year. So believe me when I say that I want to be here, with you.’

‘Okay,’ you close your eyes as he kisses your forehead.

‘I was thinking we could go back to Japan for the week. Visit family, spend Christmas there.’

‘Yeah, absolutely, I know the kids would love that. And I do miss being there.’

‘Great. I’ll arrange everything,’ he yawns, exhaustion from his schedule filled day finally sinking in.

‘You’re the best,’ you rest your own head in his neck, shutting your own eyes, ‘I’m so happy.’

‘I know, and good. That’s all I want.’

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

A few weeks later, the three of you are on the plane to Japan. Naturally, the flight isn’t even that long, but Shotaro has made sure you have the most comfortable seats possible, to make things easier for you both.

‘Chiro, you have to sit down,’ you lift your son by the waist and sit him down, and attempting to buckle his seatbelt.

‘No,’ he squirms, leaving you unable to strap him in.

‘Shichiro, I’m serious, do you want to go and visit Grandma and Grandpa?’ Shotaro chimes in, sending Shichiro a stern look when he nods, ‘ok, well we won’t go anywhere unless you sit down. Once we’re flying you can. take your seatbelt off, but you have to be good, okay?’

Shichiro huffs but reluctantly complies. Thankfully Sakura and Saori are not fazed by the take-off preparations, completely focused on their shows on their seat’s television.

The flight is quick and thankfully quite uneventful, Shichiro’s bad mood makes him tired and he sleeps until you go through immigration. He sleeps in his car seat in the car ride to your second home in Kanegawa, with the driver that Shotaro had organised for you.

‘Feels so nice to be back,’ Shotaro comments as you enter the house, your belongings, photo frames, coats and shoes practically exactly as you left them.

‘I’ll go put this one down,’ you hold Shichiro in your arms, ‘he’s clearly compensating for sleep her missed out on last night.’

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ ⋆✦⋆ ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

‘Hello, hello!’ Shotaro’s mother answers the door, his father and siblings crowding behind her.

The three children rush forwards first, getting wrapped in a big hug by their grandmother.

‘Ah, I missed you babies,’ she cries, ‘it’s not the same when you’re in Korea.’

She looks up, acknowledging you and Shotaro.

‘Mum,’ Shotaro stumbles into his mother’s embrace as the kids move on to their uncles and Grandfather.

‘Ah, Y/N, come here,’ you happily accept her hug, ‘look, we’ve got everything all decorated for the children.’

‘She’s really gone all out this year,’ Shotaro’s father adds, ‘she was so excited to have everyone here.’

‘Ah, you didn’t have to mum,’ you start to protest.

‘No, no, it’s not every year I get to have my grandbabies here for Christmas,’ she gushes, ‘come on, I made lots of food!’

—

‘Pretty lights!’ Sakura gasps at the sight of the multicoloured Christmas Tree, which is completely made up of LED lights.

The five of you had driven out to Lake Migayase, to go and see the massive Christmas Tree that was on display every year.

‘It’s so cool, right?’ Shotaro beams, Shichiro sat on his hip.

‘Yeah!’ Sakura jumps up and down in excitement, while Saori takes photos of the scene on her phone.

‘How are you feeling about the fireworks?’ you ask them, unsure of how the younger ones may react to the loud noises.

‘Are they pretty too?’ Sakura asks.

’Super pretty.’

Shotaro had brought ear defenders for the young Shichiro, while you knew Saori liked fireworks from seeing them at concerts.

’They’re going to start in a couple of minutes, so don’t be surprised, okay?’

‘Okay mummy/mommy.’

A few minutes later, the first firework erupts in the sky. Sakura and Saori both jump, but thankfully settle quickly and enjoy the fireworks.

At one point you look over to Shotaro and Shichiro, to make sure the toddler is relaxed. Shotaro looks up at the sky, equally as amazed as his son. They look so alike.

’Thank you for making the time off,’ you say later in the car, all three children asleep in the backseat behind you, ‘this has been the best Christmas we’ve had in a while.’

78 notes · View notes

sweetiesicheng · 2 years

Text

shotaro - drunk

word count : 374

tears ran down your face as you sat on a lounge chair on your friend's patio. you aimlessly tried to wipe them away, but you kept missing your own face.

you were at a party that one of your friends was hosting, but you had gotten drunk, way too drunk in fact. in order to hopefully sober you up, one of your friends made you sit outside while another friend called your boyfriend to come get you.

"y/n, there you are."

you looked up and saw shotaro. he exited the house through the patio door and crouched in front of you.

"you okay?" he asked as he moved his mask beneath his chin.

tears started pouring even more.

"y/n? what's wrong?" shotaro asked.

you sniffled, "i think...i think my boyfriend doesn't like me," you said and wiped some of your tears away.

shotaro raised an eyebrow, "you really think so?" he asked you.

you nodded, "yea..."

"want me to punch him for you?"

"but he'll hate me even more!" you cried out and crossed your arms.

shotaro sat down next to you, wrapping his arm around you. "y/n, if you just talk to him, i'm sure he'll say that he loves you."

"you think?" you asked, tears finally coming to a standstill.

"i know him pretty well. just talk to him," he said before patting your arm. "y/n? want to go home now?" he asked.

"my boyfriend's 'pposed to get me," you said, your words starting to slur even more.

"yes, i know he is, and he's here with you right now," shotaro said to you.

"he is?"

"idiot, we're dating," he said and poked you in the forehead, “did you seriously forget?” you started crying even more, which made shotaro freak out, "wait, baby, i didn't mean to make you cry."

you hugged him tightly. "don't hate me!"

"i would never hate you," he laughed and hugged you back. "ready to go home?" he asked, you felt him pat your back.

you shook your head, "i want ice cream."

"ice cream? why do you always want ice cream when you're drunk?" he asked with a chuckle. "okay, let's go get you ice cream, but then we're heading home.”

104 notes · View notes

slytherinshua · 12 days

Text

ROMEO AND JULIET

genre. ballet au. fluff and a lil drama. warnings. shotaro has a bit of an annoying ex. reader has hair long enough to put in a bun. ballet terminology that you may or may not understand sry </3. pairing. professional ballet dancer!shotaro x professional ballet dancer!reader. wc. 2k. request. no. a/n. i had a lot of fun writing this since i used to dance as well, tho the drama i added was a bit unnecessary. i kinda didn't want to lean into the toxic ballet environment stereotype cause honestly it's just not true?? but anything the get the wc up 😭😭😭

You could feel Shotaro’s hot breath on your neck as he set you back down from the lift, waiting for you to catch your balance for the arabesque before he let go and you did your final sequence of pirouettes to end the first pas de deux. Romeo and Juliet was one of your favourite ballets to perform, but god was it tiring. You could feel your legs and feet screaming for rest, but you prepared for the turn sequence nonetheless, knowing you had no time to rest.

Your body went into autopilot as usual, and you pushed up onto relevé for the fouettés, ignoring all your body’s signs for rest. You felt Shotaro’s hands come back to your waist after the 5th turn, holding you steady for the last 3. You ended as gracefully as you started, with a practiced smile before the music ended and you were able to relax finally.

You heaved in a few breaths, Shotaro doing the same next to you. He gave your shoulder a quick squeeze, something that would go unnoticed if you weren’t looking for it.

You listened to the director’s few corrections and praises before making your way off stage and into your private dressing room. It was the first stage rehearsal before shows started tomorrow. There was a full week of night time showings and 2 afternoon ones as well. At least you would be getting a good pay check for this season.

You had just finished changing into your regular clothes when you heard the familiar knock on the door and sighed in relief. Shotaro opened the door slowly, smiling at you fondly through the mirror. He had already changed as well, and splashed water on his face and hair to cool off, it seemed. He was always faster than you were. He came up behind you, draping his arms over your chair and around your chest, chin rested on your shoulder.

“Tired?” You asked him, reaching to take out the bobby pins in your hair. He nodded and nestled further into your neck. You scratched his head gently on your way to get another bobby pin, and he sighed.

“So tired. I shouldn’t have signed up for those early morning classes tomorrow. I’ll barely have time to sleep tonight, and then the first show is tomorrow.” He complained. You were about to respond when you heard a knock on the door and straightened. Shotaro quickly jumped back a safe distance from you, crossing his arms in front of him and leaning on the wall. You were both used to the routine of hiding your relationship at all costs.

Your heart sank when you realized it was Haeun, your main understudy for the show. Your life when you joined the ballet company had been fairly easy and drama free, until you somehow got on her bad side. You were always competing for the main roles in shows, and you hated the pressure. You had worked extra hard to earn the role of Juliet in this ballet particularly, since you knew Shotaro would already be cast for Romeo.

It was a romantic ballet, and there were quite a few kisses on stage for the purpose of the story. Of course you knew it was all acting even if he had to kiss someone else, but you really didn’t want it to be Haeun. She seemed less than pleased that she only got understudy for Juliet, and kept bothering you every day after rehearsals were over.

She looked shocked as soon as she saw that Shotaro was in your dressing room as well. You hoped she wouldn’t mention it, but, of course, she did.

“Osaki. I didn’t expect to find you in here as well.” She gave a forced smile that you saw through the mirror.

“I was just talking to Y/n about some details for the pas de deux.” He said smoothly, diverting any suspicion. “She was amazing during rehearsals, don’t you think? So perfect for the role of Juliet.” He smiled adorably, looking at you fondly. Haeun looked less than happy about him praising you.

There was a moment of silence, and you were sure she was about to protest Shotaro’s words, probably making up some criticism about you dancing badly during rehearsals. You knew you hadn’t. Shotaro was right; you had danced near perfectly. Haeun always pulled something out of thin air just to degrade you. You had learned to not listen to anything that came out of her mouth, but you were slightly worried with Shotaro still in the room.

She seemed deterred from saying her usual rude remarks when Shotaro was there to hear them as well. She agreed quietly before leaving the dressing room. You felt some weight lifted off your chest as your boyfriend closed the door again. You rested your forehead against the desk of the vanity, hoping that that was the last time you had to worry about Haeun bothering you before the fight for main roles in Alice in Wonderland.

“What was that about?” Shotaro asked curiously, quirking a brow at you through the mirror.

“She usually comes to bother me after class, rehearsal, shows— really any chance she gets. I guess it’s entertaining for her.” You shook your head, grabbing your hair brush as you pulled the bun net off your hair and let it fall free.

“She’s not very nice.” Shotaro said quietly, taking the brush from your hand and running it gently through your hair for you.

“I know. I don’t mind that much anymore. Don’t worry, okay?” You smiled at him through the mirror, adoring his shiny eyes and button nose as he beamed back at you.

“All done.” He kissed your temple. “Let’s grab food on the way back.”

You packed up quickly and followed Shotaro out of the building, carefully making sure you didn’t hold his hand until you were 2 blocks away from the theatre. At this point, you weren’t even worried about the company finding out about your relationship, but you were sure if Haeun got word of it, she wouldn’t let it go.

You nudged your boyfriend’s shoulder, “Taro.” He hummed, happily accepting one of your earbuds that you were offering. You turned on his favourite playlist and walked hand-in-hand to a good Japanese restaurant.

The show was going absolutely perfect— if you ignored how Haeun glared at you backstage. You weren’t sure why she was making so much effort today of all days. She had her own roles in the ballet to focus on, and you wished for once she would focus on being as professional as possible instead of picking a fight with you.

It was during the first intermission that she finally spoke to you. You had just gotten off stage after your scene with Shotaro; Romeo and Juliet had professed their love for one another. You had a longer break than just the 20 minute intermission, as you wouldn’t be needed on stage until after the first scene of Act 2. Haeun seemed eager to take a hold of this break. She quickly found you in your dressing room after you had slipped into your stage outfit for Act 2.

“I knew you were always brazen, but you’ve certainly outdone yourself this time, haven’t you?” She snapped.

“Haeun, what are you mad about this time? Now is not the time to bring up some petty complaint-” You got cut off by her before you could finish.

“Petty? Don’t you think that’s a bit hypocritical coming from your mouth? There’s nothing pettier than dating just to get back at me. You thought it would affect me, didn’t you? Well, it didn’t. You can stop the act now.” She sneered, and you were half certain she was critically insane at this point.

“What are you talking about? I’ve never done something like that.” You probably shouldn’t have engaged in the conversation in the first place. It was smarter to ignore her and not give her the attention she wanted, but you were genuinely bewildered as to what she was talking about this time.

“You thought I wouldn’t know that you started dating Shotaro? Why else would you purposefully date my ex boyfriend?! You’re determined to steal everything from me, aren’t you?” She raised your voice louder than you would have liked, the ringing getting to your ears before she left the room.

You weren’t even sure you had heard her right. Shotaro? Ex boyfriend? It was probably the most absurd thing to ever come out of her mouth, but what scared you was that she sounded genuine this time. All previous attempts to get under your skin were so obviously ridiculous, that you weren’t willing to spend even an ounce of your mental energy on it. But the honesty in her voice threw you off guard. Was she being truthful about dating Shotaro?

There was only 5 minutes to stage and you still hadn’t done your hair. You decided you would circle back to the topic after the show. For now, you had to focus on getting ready before you had to be on stage.

The rest of the show went smoothly, and even Haeun didn’t seem to bother you on or off stage. All of it was rubbing you the wrong way— her previous words, her sudden disinterest in bothering you, and how genuine she had sounded. It didn’t excuse all the times she had picked a fight with you for no reason, but maybe in her mind you had actually wronged her.

The company had always been competitive for lead roles, and you were confident that you were only cast because you fit well with the production. You did better in classic ballet roles, and were often only part of the company group during more modern ballet showings. You had seen Haeun get cast as the lead for many shows, so her obsession with you getting lead roles always seemed to confuse you.

Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, Giselle, even Cinderella. All of these ballets you had performed alongside Shotaro, even long before you had started dating him. Maybe that was why she was upset over it; because you were the one performing alongside him instead of her.

Shotaro came to your dressing room after the show as usual, his usual bright and bubbly energy so contagious that you couldn’t help but smile at him. You had only one thing to ask of him before you let the topic rest.

“Hey, Taro?” You wiped off some of your makeup as you spoke.

“Hm?”

“Did you date Haeun?”

He laughed a little at your question and you threw him a questioning glance through the mirror, “Yeah, for like 2 weeks. She really liked me, but I didn’t really like her back much. I think she still likes me even though I ended it so long ago. We haven’t spoken at all outside of work for 3 years now. Why do you ask?”

“She just brought it up with me earlier. I was just wondering since you had never mentioned it before— but given that it was so short, I see why. I think that’s why she’s been bothering me as well.” You explained, much more reassured than you had been before.

Shotaro scrunched his nose, “She knew about us dating? I’m surprised she didn’t say anything to the director… I would’ve expected her to make a bigger deal out of it.”

“Me too. I’m guessing she couldn’t say anything because it would harm you and not just me. Either way, I’m not too worried about hiding our relationship anymore.” You grinned at your boyfriend and how his face lit up at your remark.

“Really?”

You nodded, “Now that she knows and still didn’t say anything, there’s no risk. No kissing me during rehearsals, though.” You clarified.

Shotaro frowned, “I wouldn’t be that unprofessional. I’ll only kiss you when there’s no one else around.” He smiled, leaning in to press a quick peck to your lips just to prove his point.

Your lips formed a loving smile, thankful that you were able to stay next to Shotaro, both onstage and off.

↳ riize taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @eternalgyu,, @kangtaehyunzzz,, @weird-bookworm,, @haecien,, @seolboba,,

@blossominghunnie,, @cosmicwintr,, @evalevaeva,, @lecheugo,, @wccycc,,

@seunghancore,, @planetkiimchi

84 notes · View notes

yuta-nakamots · 2 years

Text

Build A Bitch - O.Shotaro

Pairing(s) - AI!Shotaro x Female Reader (platonically), Piercer!Yuta x Female Reader, featuring Sakura from Le Sserafim, Giselle from Aespa, and Mashiho from Treasure

Genre(s) - Fluff, Angst, University!AU

Warning(s) - bullying towards Shotaro, reader and her friends get piercings

Summary - As a robot, Shotaro is at the mercy of his programming. He is only allowed to stay within the limits of his technology, no matter how high or low they may be.

Word Count - 3.8k

Author’s Note - This is my first work for Shotaro! Granted that he is a robot, this is not a total representation of his character (nor is any of my work for any other idol), but I hope to write for him more in the future!

Written for the AI Project #14320 Collab hosted by @pastelsicheng. Check out the masterlist here. Also part of the Fantasia Event hosted by @nct-writers. Check out the masterlist here.

The screeches of shoes on the polished floor of the practice room seemed to never end. “Run it again,” the instructor yelled, displeased with the performance of your university’s dance team, “how many times do I have to tell you to do it like Shotaro? It’s not that hard.”

Shotaro was a robot who was programmed to help the dance team. He was like the perfect performer in every single way. It was indeed hard to do the routine just like him but it seemed like that didn’t matter to your instructor who insisted on running the team again and again and again due to the quickly approaching date of the end-of-semester competition.

Even when you were at the competition though, it was like you could hear their voice saying “look like Shotaro!” and “be like Shotaro!” blasting through your head. You would have hated him if he weren’t a robot simply doing as he was told. Under the bright lights on stage, you could see Shotaro out of the corner of your eye while doing a formation change. He was perfect, as always. You put in even more effort to make your movements sharper and cleaner, in hopes that you would be praised for doing them as he did.

It seems like many people had the same idea and the effort from it was shone through the team’s score. You guys had won the competition with a composite score of 95 while the other schools followed behind in the 80s and 70s. Your team celebrated on stage, running to hug each other when your team’s name was called as the first place winners.

Your teammates all wore a smile on their face and were animatedly congratulating each other though one person stared blankly ahead at the audience. You pulled Shotaro into the cluster, “come on! Isn’t it so exciting? We won!” He gave you the tiniest smile while mimicking your movements of jumping up and down and high-fiving your teammates.

When you were finally released from the long day of practicing and watching other teams perform, you felt drained until you heard the voice of your loving boyfriend calling your name. “You guys were so good!” Yuta exclaimed while running to pick you up in his arms. He always made sure to come to your competitions since he, too, had been part of the dance team during his undergraduate years.

You had met Yuta the year prior while you were a freshman at the university and he was in his second year of graduate school. He often came to help out the dance team which was how you had gotten close to him and developed a crush on him. When things started to pick up more at the tattoo and piercing shop he worked at, he began to come less frequently. But he had asked you to be his girlfriend anyway, allowing you to see him nearly anytime you wanted to.

Yuta was ever so supportive as you fell into his embrace, feeling the stress and worries of the competition melt away. “Baby, you were amazing,” he cooed, “you too, Shotaro.”

He patted the robot on its back, eliciting a kind “thank you” and a bow.

“What do you want for dinner? It’ll be my treat tonight,” Yuta proposed. You shrugged, not craving anything in particular. “Ramen it is,” he decided, likely based on his wants. “Shotaro, would you like to come?”

“Sure!” Although he did not eat, Shotaro accompanied you and Yuta to a nearby ramen shop. He sat almost motionless the entire time aside from when you asked him to hand you some napkins to clean up all the droplets of soup that Yuta was splattering.

“Here comes the airplane,” Yuta joked, maneuvering a mouthful of noodles in front of you. You laughed and opened your mouth to receive them, thankful that there were hardly any other people in the shop to witness that. “You too, Shotaro. Say ‘ah’.” Again you giggled at your boyfriend’s antics though gently pushed his hands away to prevent Shotaro from feeling awkward since he was too polite to refuse even if it would mess up his insides, quite literally.

Yuta paid for the meal as he promised and rode with you and Shotaro on the shinkansen back to your dorm. Shotaro shivered, likely just his systems processing new information, but Yuta took off his windbreaker and put it over his shoulders. Your boyfriend’s kindness to Shotaro was a nice change of pace since you were used to your teammates and even coaches treating him as a computer when you knew for a fact that he was a sentient being and had his feelings and emotions.

There was something in you that had grown attached to Shotaro during your time with him on the dance team and you hoped you would be able to stay with him in whichever department or organization he was handed to next. He was one of the school’s robots that were engineered to help out different student groups every semester whether he was used as an example in the dance team or as a lab cleaner for the chemistry department. He never stayed in the same place for more than a semester, always forced to move on to his next assignment.

The following semester, you found out that Shotaro had been assigned to the soccer club, which you coincidentally had already joined after much nagging from Yuta. He had also been part of the soccer club while he was an undergrad, though that made sense since he was also on the school’s soccer team. You had played the sport when you were little, as most everyone did, which was why you weren’t so opposed to joining.

But it seems like your decision was one of the better ones you made so far in your second year of college. You had met so many people through the team and many of them had different majors, some that you didn’t even know existed until you had met these people. You were glad that Shotaro was assigned to the soccer club though because they treated him much more kindly than the dance team did.

They included him in practice activities as a teammate and not just some demonstration machine. Even when he was used as one, the team would thank him for his efforts and talk to him like he was any other university student. He didn’t have the same assignments that you all had but he did his best to listen to everyone and give feedback as if he were a classmate.

You came to like the long practices after school and found it to be a fun way to relieve stress, especially when you had scrimmages against each other or with a soccer club from another school. Shotaro, though he didn’t joke around much, was a mood maker for the team since he constantly was saying words of encouragement and calculating how to include the more shy members of the team.

He would pass the ball to them during matches and cheer them on during drills, when he wasn’t the opponent, of course. It helped that he could properly match his skill level to theirs, trying to provide the most help possible in developing their skills and overall confidence. Being at practice with Shotaro was one of your favorite things of the day and you hated when you were late since that meant spending less time with him.

After a long day with exams or some form of test in every class you had, you threw your heavy backpack down upon reaching the grass of the turf. You were late to practice. Jogging over to the bench, you picked up the blue-colored penny and dribbled a ball to the line of your teammates. You found a spot next to Sakura, one of the more senior members of the team. “What are we doing right now?” You asked her, eager to know what drill was being run.

“Oh, hey! I’m glad you’re finally here,” she exclaimed, “we’re doing some penalty kicks right now but Shotaro’s in the goal so not much has gotten through.”

You watched as Shotaro blocked another ball from entering the net which was no surprise because he was always so good at finding the best defensive maneuvers to take. He thought quicker than any of your team members so it only made sense to have him in there, though it was the same with any other position on the field.

“Has anyone’s made it past him yet?” Sometimes you could outsmart him or fake him out but it only worked a few times before it got integrated into his system and he knew to expect it.

Sakura looked down the line of your teammates. “I think it was only Giselle and I that scored so far but mine was a mistake if I’m being honest.” You raised an eyebrow at her as if asking for more information. “I kicked it a little too high so it hit the bar but the bounced back down and over the line.”

“Ah, I see.” You could practically imagine the way Shotaro froze as his mind processed the events that just occurred and prepared him for future instances of it. “But that still counts, nonetheless.”

Sakura nodded in agreement. “Right, but it doesn’t feel like an honest goal, you know?”

“Yeah, I get what you mean.” The line had moved up a considerable amount and there was only one person left before Sakura and then you.

She turned back around to watch the teammate before her, wanting to see what kind of strategy he attempted. He took the normal three steps back before running in and launching the ball to the upper left corner of the goal. It grazed the tips of Shotaro’s fingers as he jumped to block the ball, but it wasn’t enough to stop it. There was the satisfying sound of the ball running down the net and your teammates let out sounds of amazement.

Sakura clapped for him as he received his ball from Shotaro. “Good job, Mashiho!” He was one of the few freshmen in the club but he already showed so much promise and you hoped he would continue throughout his time at the school.

The practice continued with Shotaro serving as the opponent in most of the drills while your teammates received praise any time they succeeded against him. If it were any other person being made to do all the things he did, you would think it to be cruel but this was Shotaro’s duty. He had received programming to assist in sports activities this semester and it’s not like he could say no.

Normally, Shotaro would remain cheerful after practice and help in putting away equipment but you noticed he was a little slower today. He told you that his battery charge can last for about a week so you didn’t think it was that. “Hey, what’s up? Is everything okay?” you asked while helping him get all the soccer balls into the mesh bag.

“Yeah, I am fine,” he stated dryly, not leaving much room to converse.

“You know you can talk about your feelings, right? You don’t have to hold them in just because you’re not exactly a human.” You pulled the drawstrings of the bag, closing the opening once Shotaro got the last ball in.

He sighed while taking the bag from your grasp and swinging it over his shoulder. “But that is exactly the problem. I am not human and I never will be.”

“What’s wrong with that?” You didn’t know where this was all coming from but you were here to listen if that’s what Shotaro needed. “You’re still wonderful to be around and I hope you know that you’re loved and appreciated.”

“I can tell that people like me and all but no matter what, I am always treated differently.” He put the ball bag down next to the stack of plastic orange cones and knelt to gather all the pennies. “I am still treated as less than a real person but that is just the way things are. I do not have the same human life form that you all do and that is why I am disposable like this.”

You took off the penny you were wearing and put it into the bag Shotaro was holding out to you with the rest of them. You were practically at a loss of words. He was right, you knew that for sure, but what is one supposed to say to comfort him in this type of situation?

“I am sorry for dumping all of that on you,” he apologized, getting ready to lug the ball bag and penny bag over to the storage shed. “I am practically complaining about not being a human to you, a human, and it is probably hard to grasp these ideas.”

You followed him across the field to the shed with the little plastic cones and the first aid kit. “No, no, I understand and I see why you feel this way. I just wish I could help you somehow.”

“But you cannot, no one can.” Your eyes fell on the black ink on his wrist. His branding. His label. “I cannot magically become a human, even if one day people decide to treat me like that. I have a human name but I know that is not who I am. I am the AI model OST251100 and I was created to serve humans. There is no getting out of that.”

You and Shotaro silently returned all of the equipment to their places and locked up the shed. “How about I take you out for a night?” you proposed while heading back to your belongings a the bench.

“And what would we do? There is not much for me to do when we are not on campus.” He didn’t need to eat or drink, his clothes were supplied by the university, and drugs and other stimulants did not affect him.

“We can just hang out with friends and go with the flow. Maybe walk around a park or look at some clouds. Do things that normal college students do.” You knew Giselle and Mashiho had been wanting to get piercings for a while and you didn’t think there would be any rule to prevent Shotaro from joining in on the fun.

Shotaro looked apprehensive about your offer. “Why do you think I would enjoy that?”

“You would get to go out with us and act like any other young adult. People outside of the school don’t know who you are, they don’t know that you’re not entirely human.” It would be like that show where the boss of some large corporation works in his own company for a day.

He finally gave in. “Alright, just let me know when and where to meet you.”

“Tomorrow in the quad at 6.”

Not long after the four of you met up on campus, you were running through the hallways of the local shopping mall. You would have much rather been walking but on your way to the piercing shop, you remembered that they take appointments up to 7pm since they close at 8pm. You even double-checked with Yuta since he was working today.

“Quick, Shotaro! Do you know what time we’ll get there?” Giselle shouted as he started to take the lead.

“I do not know!” he yelled back. “I am just running!”

“Dang, this guy needs to slow down,” Mashiho gasped between breaths of air. “Can’t you tell Yuta to wait for us?”

“I don’t want to make them close later than they have to, you know? Just out of courtesy.” You knew how tired Yuta could get after a long day working. It wasn’t easy to have constant focus while doing something that could seriously injure a person if done incorrectly by even just a millimeter. “Look! We’re almost there anyway.”

The dark yet clean aesthetic of the shop came into view after nearly two minutes of running. “Thank the lord, I don’t think I would’ve lasted much longer,” Giselle confessed while slowing to a tiring walk.

Shotaro kept up his pace and ran inside the store. Hopefully, Yuta was at the front right now so he could easily help Shotaro in getting everything in order while you and the others caught up.

When you entered the store, you were not at all surprised by the J-rock playing over the speakers. It was an easy way to tell that your boyfriend was present since none of the other artists had J-rock on their playlists.

Yuta was already absorbed in a conversation with Shotaro at the front counter, seemingly amazed that the robot had traveled out here and not for a school function. “Ah, there they are,” Yuta grinned when he recognized you and your friends. “You took so long I thought you might have abandoned Shotaro.”

You let out a gasp of sarcasm. “I would never do such a thing!”

“Yeah alright, alright. So what brings you guys here today? Piercings? Tattoos?…Both?” He pulled out the scheduling book from under the cash register.

“Just piercings, I think,” Giselle spoke up.

Yuta wrote down three appointments for piercings. “Shotaro, you too? Is that even possible?”

Shotaro nodded. “It is. My ears are made out of silicone, as is the rest of the skin of my body.”

“Interesting,” Yuta noted while adding in a fourth appointment and handing out the necessary paperwork. “Do you guys know what you’ll be getting? Giselle, how is the tragus piercing holding up? Any pain or bleeding left?”

“No, it feels fine now. I think it’s been like five months already anyway.” That was pretty accurate since you brought her in right before the school year started and now it was halfway through the second semester. “I think I want a cartilage one today though.”

“Cartilage for me too,” Mashiho jumped in.

Yuta looked to you for your preference. “Just a lobe,” you told him.

“And for you, Shotaro?”

He turned to you as if asking what he should get. “I think a lobe one would be a good start for him,” you volunteered, not wanting to do a more adventurous one and risk damaging something in this machinery. You didn’t know if he could accidentally turn into some evil robot if some wire was broken but you weren’t about to find out.

One by one you and your friends chose an earring out and had a turn on Yuta’s bench. He took equal care of everyone and made sure that you were all comfortable while executing the procedure. He talked through all of the steps with his ever-so-calming “breathe in…and exhale” before pushing the needle through.

Both Giselle and Mashiho had a few piercings already so you weren’t very worried about them but you hoped Shotaro wasn’t too scared, especially since he was comfortable with Yuta. “How are you feeling?” you gently prodded while he was getting settled on the bench.

“Good. I do not have any information in this area of expertise so I cannot say if I am doing bad.” That was fair enough.

“Do you have pain receptors in your ears?“ Yuta inquired while prepping his equipment for Shotaro. “Or any at all?”

“To some degree, yes, but they are more so damage sensors than pain sensors,” he explained. “If there is an area that receives substantial damage, I will likely be sent in to get it repaired.”

“Would this count as substantial damage?” You were curious to know what the mechanics would do if they took Shotaro in for damage on his ear but it just turned out to be a piercing.

“Hm, I am not too sure but I do not think anything bad could come of it.” This might be the first time any mechanic would see a robot from LSM Inc. with an earring.

Yuta took Shotaro’s answer to be acceptable enough and leaned in to focus better on his ear. After marking the area and cleaning the surface, he easily got the needle through Shotaro’s ear with no sign of flinching from the robot whatsoever. “You are by far the easiest client I’ve ever had,” Yuta bantered.

“Thank you, I am glad that I was easy to handle. I will relay the message to my engineers.” You couldn’t tell if Shotaro was playing along with Yuta or not but Yuta took it as a joke and laughed.

You and your friends stayed in the lobby of the shop while Yuta helped his coworkers clean up for the day and closed up the shop. While Giselle and Mashiho were looking around at the other jewelry and samples of tattoos, you made sure to check in with Shotaro once more. “Did you enjoy yourself today?”

“Yes, I very much did,” he admitted. “Thank you for inviting me along.”

“Of course! You’re more than welcome to hang out with us anytime.” You hoped he would consider joining you and your friends more frequently.

His face dropped a bit. “I can only wish that I had a purpose like you all do. A reason to do actions of your own accord, a drive to continue through your lives.”

“But you do have a purpose, don’t you? If anything it’s more clear-cut than ours.” You knew he was manufactured to help the school and he received new assignments and software to fit the tasks he was given.

He shook his head. “Those are my orders, for I have no purpose. I cannot continue doing the things I enjoy, like dancing or playing soccer. I must listen to my programming.”

“Surely you can continue doing those things on the side though.” Again, Shotaro shook his head.

“With every new semester, my skill and software from my previous assignment get reset. If I were to try dancing now, I would be nowhere near the level I was at before.” That was truly something cruel. He retained his memories of dancing and how much he enjoyed it but he was being restrained from continuing it through technological force.

“Isn’t there any way around that?” You were appalled, to say the least. You had been blissfully unaware of your friend’s limitations.

“I would face the penalty of being decommissioned and destroyed,” he solemnly disclosed. “I can only do as I am told.”

If you enjoyed this, you may also like Lightbulb - J.Sungchan

71 notes · View notes