#svt-district posts

[lovelyhan]

— hoax ⟢

pairing: joshua x reader

summary: you’re a hostess that’s drowning in debt, and jisoo is a man with too many secrets to keep. making a clean break for it isn’t as easy as you’d hoped.

word count: 18.6k words

tags: mafia!shua, strangers to lovers, angst, smut

warnings: shua smokes cigarettes & has tatts...i think that should be a warning LOL, mentions of shady mafia business but nothing detailed, graphic sexual content (minors dni!!)

notes: psa that this is a fic i originally wrote for another fandom, but decided to repurpose for svt! in case you find the narration familiar, it's posted on ao3 as a genshin fic, i just did some tweaks to the story to make it fit shua better hehe ++ i loved writing this so much, but it didn't get as much love as i expected back so i've decided to share this w caratblr as well :')

smut tags: dub con in one of the earlier scenes, protected & unprotected sex, shua & reader are both whipped as fuck

svt taglist: @wonderfulshinee - @misssugarlips - @yourfavoritefreakyhan - @jeanjacketjesus - @just-here-to-read-01 - @hanihans - @venusrae - @taestrwbrry - @minnie-mouser22 - @dreamhannies - @thvhannie - @kkooongie - @gae-uls - @lenireads - @gaebestie - @ryusha-rose - @spk93

joshua taglist: @renjunphile - @potatofrieswithketchup - @pretty-trustme

“Rei, time’s up!”

Your current patron groans with contempt at the manager’s announcement. He was a salaryman that’s probably in his thirties, and has been visiting the bar for about two weeks now. It didn’t take long for him to become one of your regular guests. 

“Rei, you’ll be here tomorrow, right?” he asks.

“Of course.” You flash him an apologetic smile as you untangle the arm that circles your waist. “I promise we’ll continue where we left off when you get back~”

This is how you normally appeared to your customers – the bubbliest escort in the entire red light district. It’s easy to lull men into a false sense of connection when you act so sweet and lovely; when you smile like the sun is in your eyes even in the middle of the night. In just six months of working in this place, the manager has considerably taken a liking to you, and you intend to keep up that track record just a few weeks more.

Then, you’d be free.

But no matter how much you doll yourself up for the evening; no matter how much money is signed on your paycheck, you can’t help but feel that something’s amiss. 

It’s a lingering thought that tickles the back of your head every now and again. Your fellow hostesses once told you that feeling the way you do was all part of the job. So once you start feeling uncomfortable in your own skin – under the gazes of your own lecherous patrons – you pour yourself a drink and throw your head back with a ditzy smile. Despite that steadily growing void in her heart, their beloved Rei will continue to grin and bear it. 

“They’re here again.”

You flash the manager a puzzled look once you make it back to the counter. “Who are we talking about?”

She presses her lips into a thin line, gesturing vaguely somewhere behind you. You manage to follow her line of sight discreetly, but when you see a pair of men in rugged suits seated near the entrance, your heart plummets to the pit of your stomach.

“I know you said you’ll deal with them, but they’re starting to unnerve the other girls,” the manager explains quietly. “Is it okay if you take care of this ASAP? I don’t want the bar to get mixed up in something bad.”

Dread sinks its claws into your skin as you mull over a response. The manager has been considerably patient with your dealings involving those loan sharks. But part of you knows that she’s only being this lenient because you were good at your job. 

“Yeah, sorry. I’ll go talk to them now,” you mumble.

Each stride you took feels like a step closer to your own grave. It’s always these same, two men keeping tabs on you – both with full sleeves of tattoos and a missing finger or two. It would make sense that the other girls didn’t like them lingering around the property. After all, your first instinct is always to steer clear every time you see them. 

“How can I help you?” you ask sweetly the moment you arrive at their table.

The first one glares at you through his tinted sunglasses, taking a drag of his cigarette none-too-discreetly. “Cut the crap. You know what we’re here for.”

He says your real name in a way that sounds like two sheets of styrofoam gnashing in your ears. You look around warily, hoping no one heard him.

“I go by Rei in my workplace, so I’d appreciate it if you addressed me as such,” you speak sternly, refusing to take a seat in their company. “What do you want this time? Didn’t we agree that I’ll be paying for the last installment this month?”

The second man snorts before bringing out an envelope from the lapel of his coat. “You sure about that? You got some nerve actin’ all feisty with the people kind enough to loan ya some cash.” 

You accept the envelope with trembling hands – brows cinched as you take out the document inside. But the longer you take to scan its contents, the wider your eyes become. 

It’s an approval notice for a loan of five million won, signed under your father’s name.

“W-What is this?” you stammer. “We didn’t submit any more loan requests.”

The first man shrugs – wholly unconcerned with your plight. And as he kills his cigarette on a crystalline ashtray, you feel your entire world crumbling before your eyes.

“Your old man specifically told us,” he began, words sounding more and more like a threat with each syllable. “That you’d take care of it all.”

You don’t know how you end up running barefoot in the streets after that. Your heels have long been ditched in an alley when you realized you can’t exactly get that far in them. And now, you’re mindlessly shouldering your way through the late night crowd – tuning out the people yelling your name in harsh voices. Those men came prepared; they even stationed a couple of their goons around the area. You can only evade them now because the streets were so packed, but you know better than push your luck.

Goddammit, you think to yourself – cringing a little when you step on a wet patch of something underfoot. I was almost free…

“Don’t let that bitch get away!”

Your body seizes up when you hear the loan shark’s voice closer than you anticipated. Fuck. They have you surrounded. 

In the midst of your momentary distraction though, you fail to see another person who’s also on the run. The same as you. While you did excellently in evading all the other passers-by, you ended up crashing into him in the middle of the busy street anyways – the impact making you stumble to the ground.

“Shit, sorry!” 

You look up with misty eyes – staring at the perpetrator with the intent to glare at him, but his doe-like gaze takes you by surprise. He’s adorned with a neatly-pressed suit, dark hair slicked back to perfection as he holds out a hand for you to take; the one not gripping a heavy-looking suitcase.

“I’m okay…” you mumble, getting back to your feet without accepting his help. “If anything, I should be the one who’s –”

“There she is!”

The two of you bristle at the loan shark’s voice, and you’re rooted to the spot – frozen with fear. You don’t notice the way the stranger you just ran into flickers his gaze between your trembling form and the lackeys coming from every direction. And you’re ignorant of how he manages to put two and two together before seizing your wrist.

“Come with me,” he murmurs, tugging you along before you can protest. 

You know you should be skeptical of him. The district you work in is the perfect environment for scheming assholes like the men who are after you to use as a stronghold. For all you know, this person is the same breed. But there’s something in his firm yet gentle grip that tells you he means no harm. Even as he makes you run faster, farther, you feel none of the dread that slowly crept on you the moment those loan sharks cornered you at the bar.

Your lungs are burning by the time you make it out of the busy streets – nothing but the chirp of cicadas ringing in your ears. Mystery man makes you sit on a bench just outside a small temple, and you’re not exactly in the position to refuse. 

“Ow…” You wince, glancing down only to see that your toes have cuts all over; blood and grime mixing with the wounds.

“Hmm. Wonder what a pretty thing like you got herself into,” the man sighs, raking a gloved hand through his messy black hair. “You sure you’re going to be okay?”

You don’t respond. You barely have the energy. The silence only deepens as you train your eyes on the ground. Your throat was parched from all that running, and you belatedly realize that you still haven’t eaten.

What’s worse is that the cuts on your feet sting like a bitch. Mystery man heaves a deep sigh, and you clearly hear the sound of leaves crunching beneath his shoes as he walks away. You try not to feel disappointed.

You didn’t expect him to stay and comfort you or anything like that. He was kind enough to go out of his way and take you somewhere those goons won’t be able to catch up. It would be stupid to ask for more. But still, you feel that hole in your heart rupture itself even wider – leaving you so hollow that you can’t even hope to fill the void anymore. 

Your makeup is running. Your pedicure is a mess. These are some of the things that you always cared to pay attention to before timing in for work. But now, with nowhere else to go, none of them seem to matter anymore. Even if you spent a significant amount of time getting ready for tonight, you can’t be assed to give a damn.

This is so fucking pathetic.

You don’t want to live like this – working at a goddamn cabaret club just to pay off the debts your father always keeps racking up. All he ever does these days is drink himself dead before dragging his ass to the nearest pachinko machine. You hate it. You hate him. What did you ever do to deserve all the shit that’s being thrown your way? 

Why do you have to deal with all of it alone?

“Here.”

You startle at the sound of your savior’s voice – surprised to see him as he tosses something on the ground in front of you. He came back? But what did he…

Are those sandals?

“I picked out a pair that matches your outfit best. Women are always particular about that kind of stuff, right?” he says nonchalantly, kneeling to the ground as he brings out a pack of wipes from a plastic bag. At that moment, you realize that he’s changed out of his stuffy gray suit in exchange for a pair of jeans and a ratty t-shirt.

Even his hair seems different now, like he'd washed out the wax keeping it in place. Now, it looks just a bit damp as the tips curl at the edges. How he managed to do all that so quickly, you have no clue.

“Hold still. I’m going to clean you up.”

You wince a little when the cool, wet tissue comes into contact with your skin. He doesn’t speak as he wipes off the blood and dirt from your feet, and you’re more mortified than grateful for his kind but uncalled for gesture. Is he trying to get you indebted to him? Are you going to have to pay this back, too?

A few moments later, you spot a general store a few blocks away and the pieces start to fit in your head. That must’ve been where he bought all this stuff. You look around as he continues cleaning you up, and notice that his suitcase is nowhere to be found either. Instead, he has a black knapsack hoisted across one shoulder – a red baseball cap hanging from one of the straps.

How did he manage to buy all this and get changed so quickly? Or were you just sulking about your stupid predicament for that long? 

“There we go,” he says, tossing the soiled tissues into a nearby trash can before covering your wounds with…cute band-aids? “I’m not really one to stick my nose into other people’s business, but my mom would never let me hear the end of it if she found out I left a poor woman for dead.”

Mom? “Okay, but you didn’t have to do all of…this.”  

Mystery man glances up at you with a lopsided smile – the light of the street lamps somehow accentuating the color of his eyes. He looks so much younger like this; dressed down like a college student in his first semester. Once he’s put all the bandages in place, he even goes the extra mile and slides the newly bought sandals on your now-clean feet.

“You’re right, pretty girl. I don’t have to.” He beams. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

Your breath catches in your throat. Your heart skips a beat. Everything about him is still rightfully suspicious, but you find yourself oddly happy with the care he’s given. This is the first time someone’s been so nice to you in a long while.

“Now that you’re good to go, I best be on my way.”

All of a sudden, that fleeting bliss dissipates in a puff of smoke. “...Wait, what? W-Where are you going?”

The man rises back to his feet, and it occurs to you just how tall he is. You swallow the lump in your throat, instinctively backing away from him on the bench. He’s still wearing that endearing look he showed you earlier, but when he speaks again, his voice holds none of his initial warmth.

“Somewhere that has nothing to do with you.”

The words lance through your heart the moment they leave his lips, and you ask yourself, why do you feel so…sad about parting ways with a complete stranger? You don’t even know his name. It shouldn’t be a big deal, right?

You don’t say anything as he takes his baseball cap and eases it atop his messy hair. You don’t utter a word when he starts walking away for real. But the moment you recall the fate that awaits you back at the red light district, the ridiculous debt your father had foolishly signed, and the pathetic life you’ve been wanting to escape from for so long…

Your new sandals crunch against the fallen leaves as you run after him. Your heart nearly leaps into your throat from the adrenaline, and before he can go any farther, you catch the mystery man by the hem of his shirt. He doesn’t even flinch. As if he expected you to follow him right from the start. That makes you wonder if he thinks you’re being a nuisance, but at this point, you can’t bring yourself to care.

“Take me with you. Please.”

He stares along with an unreadable look – his doe eyes shining in the dark as he watches you clutch onto the fabric of his shirt. 

“If you come with me, you’ll never be able to go back,” he tells you up front. “You okay with that?”

In hindsight, maybe running away with a complete stranger isn’t far up in the best decisions you’ve made in life – god knows you’ve only made a few of those. Just because he showed you an ounce of kindness, doesn’t mean he’s a good person. 

Still, the answer comes to you quite easily.

“Yeah,” you say, more confident than you’ve ever been. “Anywhere is better than a dump like this…”

He considers your answer for a moment before letting out a soft laugh. “This town must’ve fucked you up pretty badly, huh? Poor thing.” Mystery man holds out his hand again, and you’re a bit too glad that he’s speaking to you nicely again. “The name’s Joshua.”

“Joshua…?”

Well, that was obviously an alias. You consider telling him the one you go by at the bar as well, but when your eyes rivet to the floral sandals he bought for you on a whim, you immediately assume that you should tell him the truth. Even if he was doing the exact opposite.

You give him your real name with little hesitation, face warming at the intensity of his gaze. But at that moment, you don’t really care what happens anymore. All you want is to escape reality without looking back.

If you have to cling to a complete stranger to achieve that, then so be it.

...

“You were just about to ditch me, weren’t you?” 

Joshua jolts like a cat dumped with ice-cold water – hand shying away from the doorknob of your hotel room with a sheepish look. “Me? Ditching you? You’re dreaming, princess!”

You let out an irritated noise, but your shoulders relax once you catch him plopping his bag on the mattress either way. He’s the one who told you that you can’t go back once you tagged along. You wanted to say that you’re going to make it his responsibility to take care of you, but your mother brought you up better than that.

Still…this all feels a bit surreal.

All your life, you’ve lived in the small town of Andong. You could never afford to make the trip to Seoul even if you wanted – given that a majority of your salary is dedicated to paying off those shitty loans. Yet now, you’re checked in one of the most beautiful hotels you’ve ever seen, courtesy of your stranger-than-life companion. 

Now that you’re in a clearer state of mind, you start to consider the possibility of Joshua being a foreigner; if his name wasn't already a dead giveaway in and of itself.

Another thing you’re left thinking about is how well-off he really is. Not everyone can just book a fancy room at a fancy hotel. But when the two of you showed up at the front desk earlier tonight, he was surprisingly received with warm hospitality. Although, you suppose that all guests are treated the same way in high-end hotels. Not that you would know.

“Well, since we’re stuck together anyways, I’ll be showering first,” he grumbles, tossing his cap on the nightstand as he musses his own hair. “Ahh, I can’t wait to crash into bed.”

“Wait a minute. I thought we agreed I was going to shower first –”

Joshua shuts the door to the en-suite, clicking the lock before you can even finish.

That jerk…!

You angrily sprawl yourself across the mattress as a petty means of getting back at him. Let’s see if he can crash into bed comfortably now! But the abrupt movement makes the bag that Joshua left rustle in place. You shift around until you’re seated on the bed, taking a quick peek at the opened zipper. Somehow, it doesn’t surprise you to see thick wads of cash inside. You knew that you were right on the money to think there’s more to him than meets the eye.

The more rational part of you insists that you get out of here while you still can. That man is probably more dangerous than you think, and even if he’s acting all cheeky with you now, there’s no telling when he’ll decide to cut you off. You remember how quickly Joshua's mirthful countenance morphed into something…scarier when you asked where he was going earlier. Long story short, you do not want to mess with that.

“Hey, princess. It’s your turn.”

You scramble on the bed at the sound of his voice as you compose yourself in a way that doesn’t suggest that you’ve been going through his stuff. Joshua emerges from the bathroom with steam billowing from the doorway – a fluffy towel hanging low on his hips. But now that he was liberated from the confines of his clothes, you realize that his body was actually inked.

Twin koi fish curled around both of his pecs – accentuating the contours of his chest better than you’d expect. And when he turns around, there’s a massive caricature of a dragon splayed across his muscular back. You don’t know whether he’s oblivious of your observant stare or he’s just letting you enjoy the show. But either way, Joshua grants you an eyeful of his tattoos for a good amount of time. 

He walks over to the table near the windows – grabbing a pack of cigarettes and a lighter you didn’t know he was carrying around. Joshua takes a stick between his teeth, and you can’t peel your eyes away from the way he takes a drag after he lights it. But when his deep brown gaze finally flickers to yours, you’re not quick enough to disengage.

“So how long are you going to stare at me for?” He asks, amused. 

Eye twitching with annoyance, you grab one of the pillows on the bed before throwing it right at his face. Joshua manages to catch it before that happens though, much to your dismay.

“None of your business!”

It’s only when you get under the spill of a hot shower that the gravity of your situation finally hits you. You absentmindedly scrub away the grime off your body as you think that you might’ve followed someone you shouldn’t have. Now that your prior amazement from seeing his tattoos had come and went, you realize that he didn’t have them inked on a whim. They were a symbol of status and power. 

Working as a hostess means that you get to know a lot more shady guys than you’d otherwise meet under normal circumstances. But apart from those nasty debt collectors, you’ve done a great job at avoiding a lot of them. But now, you willingly waltzed into the den of someone that’s probably ten times worse. 

Great.

You put on a bathrobe before heading out of the en-suite, peaking your head out of the door to make sure Joshua isn’t doing anything weird. But all you see is a tall man dozing softly on the bed – his still-wet hair dampening the pillows slightly. You sigh before padding back inside the room. Didn’t he ever learn that sleeping with damp hair is going to make him catch a cold in the morning?

For some reason, you end up grabbing a small, dry towel he left on the table – intent on patting down some of the moisture. Joshua lays still on his side, undisturbed in his slumber. You make sure you’re careful with how you dab the towel across his head; not really wanting him to wake up in the middle of it. But now that you’re close enough to study his face, you can feel yourself growing embarrassed. Joshua's thick lashes lay softly across the skin beneath his eyes, and when you look closer, you can almost see the tiny spots that dot his cheekbones. 

You don’t like to admit, but he’s actually pretty…handsome.

A while later, you come to terms that you won’t be able to pat down his hair thoroughly if he’s asleep. That’s when you decide to towel dry your own hair for ten or-so minutes before climbing into bed with him.

The sheets feel smooth against your skin, but that does little to keep your mind off the fact that a gangster (at least, you assumed he was a gangster) is sleeping right next to you. You tell yourself not to sneak any glances, but you end up doing just that anyway – admiring each detail of his tattoos without really meaning to. 

Is this really okay? Should I really let my guard down around someone like him?

All these thoughts drift in and out of your head, but in the end, you succumb to the day’s fatigue. Joshua bought dinner for the both of you once you got off the train on the way here, so your hunger was already abated. But you figure that a good night’s sleep is what your body needs to completely recuperate.

…But if he’s kind enough to patch up your wounds and buy you dinner, then gangster or not, maybe he isn’t such a bad person.

Joshua, however, makes you regret even thinking that literally the next second later.

The moment you’ve found a comfortable spot on the bed, the man beside you suddenly pounces – caging you in his strong arms before you can even draw a breath. His lips twitch into a lazy smile that borders on devilish, and you immediately figure out that you’re fucked.

“You’re a sweet little thing, aren’t you?” he laughs, tracing the swell of your lower lip with his finger. “Drying my hair ‘cause you’re worried about me? Princess, I’d be more careful if I were you. After all…”

When Joshua leans closer, you feel his breath fan against your ear – making you hate the way your body shudders from the feel of it. 

“I’m not a good man.”

You should push him away – you know you should. But from the hypnotizing strokes of his tattoos to the endless honey brown of his eyes, you find Joshua whittling down your defenses alarmingly fast. When his mouth descends onto yours, you welcome him despite your voice of reason screaming for you to stop – to get away while you still can.

But that’s the thing, you can’t get away. Not when you willingly followed him in the first place.

His body is impossibly warm against yours, and you can’t help but respond to his touch whenever his dexterous fingers graze your skin. But as you let him deepen his tongue-filled kiss, you suddenly recall why you’re even here. 

Persistent loan sharks. A never-ending debt. 

And you have the gall to be doing all this? 

“Joshua,” you plead, mustering the strength to push against his chest. “Please, stop.” 

He doesn’t listen. Instead, Joshua nudges the folds of your bathrobe apart, exposing your chest to the cold air of your hotel room. A large hand moves to grope your breast, languidly massaging the supple flesh. But the sensation of his heated palm on your cold skin is enough to snap you back to your senses, and finally, you manage to retaliate.

“I told you to stop!” you shout, folding your knee high enough to kick him in the chest. Joshua obviously doesn’t expect this, and grunts in pain as he stumbles backwards on the mattress. He stares at you with a puzzled look, as if he didn’t try to take advantage of you only a few seconds prior.

“I didn’t come with you to be your fuckdoll, asshole,” you growled, tears stinging your eyes despite the anger in your voice. “Just because I’m a hostess, doesn’t mean I’m easy. Who the hell do you think you are?”

You expect him to lose his temper – to ‘remind you of your place’. Because that’s how gangsters usually operate. Going for the things they want without considering the repercussions on the other people involved. When he reaches out to you, you brace yourself for the oncoming impact. But instead of a hard slap to the face, Joshua caresses the side of your cheek almost apologetically. You startle at his touch – flashing him a perturbed look.

“Sorry, my mom’s always told me that I can be a bit too into the things I do,” he chuckles, thumb grazing the high of your cheekbone. “And that I can be a bit selfish and presumptive. When I did all those nice things for you today, I expected you’ll return the favor by whatever means~”

You don’t even have the time to think about how this man just brought up his mother in a serious conversation. Instead, you scowl at Joshua like he’s just lost his mind. “Doesn’t that just make you a scumbag?”

“When did I ever say I wasn’t?” He laughs. “Didn’t you find it the least bit suspicious that I was being kind to you without asking for anything in return? I’ll have you know that everyone has ulterior motives these days, princess.”

“I did,” you snap. “And I’m glad I didn’t trust you right off the bat.”

“Oh? But you trust me enough to share this room with me?”

You open your mouth, close it, open it again, but alas, no wise retort comes out. He’s right. You knew that Joshua was suspicious from the start, but you still threw everything to the wind and ran away with him. It’s not like you can go back now that everything has gone to shit, though. And you can’t say with confidence that you can find a place for yourself here in the city with no connections nor cash either.

All you have is Joshua, as much as it pains you to admit.

“Come here.”

Joshua eases himself back to his side of the bed and holds out his arms – as if inviting you into his space. You respond with a bizarre look that makes him snort. “You think I’ll come anywhere near you after that stunt you pulled?”

“Hey, you don’t want to have sex. That’s cool. I’m not so much of a scumbag that I’ll force you to do it,” he tells you nonchalantly. “But can we at least cuddle? It’s been quite a while since I’ve felt the warmth of a woman.”

“...You’re really, really strange. You know that?” 

“Mhmm. So I've been told.”

Gods, you’re tired. Downright exhausted. You just want to knock yourself out and forget about the misfortune of having landed someone like Joshua as a companion. You appreciate that he isn’t the type to coerce women into sex, but…ugh! This guy’s impossible to figure out.

…Still, you inch closer to his welcoming touch, biting down a sharp retort when you hear him chuckling softly at your surrender. Joshua wraps his strong arms around your frame, and you close your eyes – catching a whiff of a salty breeze in the air. You wonder if the scent is coming from the sheets or his wild, wild hair.

“This isn’t so bad, now is it?” he teases. 

“Shut up and go to sleep.”

“Aww, you’re making an awful lot of demands to the person who saved you! I think I liked you better when you were bashful and on the brink of tears, princess.” 

You scoff. “So not only are you a scumbag, but you’re also a sadist.”

“Mmm, I don’t have any objections about that, really.”

God, just what have you gotten yourself into?

...

If you thought your first night as Joshua’s unwitting travel companion was a big hassle, you’re certainly in for the ride for the next few days.

He’s always out during the daytime – feeding you excuses like he has to meet up with a couple of friends before leaving you alone and bored in the hotel room. It’s a good thing that the cable service here covered your favorite noontime soap operas, so you could kill time for at least a few hours. Joshua always returns before dinner, and orders room service while engaging you in small talk. He doesn’t tell you about his daytime escapades, nor do you ask.

But when the daily cycle repeats itself for the third time, you decide to put your foot down.

“Are you trying to get me to die of boredom or something?” you ask him once the bellboy takes away your food trays for the night. “I know you’re doing some super shady stuff somewhere out there, but would it kill you to show me around? First time I’ve ever been to Seoul and I’m confined in a hotel room.”

Joshua stares at you dubiously. “Princess, you’re not some inmate I’m keeping locked up in a cell. I never said you weren’t allowed to go sightseeing or whatever.”

You pause. Right, he never did say that explicitly… But you can’t really tell him you were too afraid to go out wandering on your own. 

“Have you been behaving like I kidnapped you or something?” Joshua snorts, walking over to the windows to light a cigarette. Your face scrunches up at that. The room’s going to reek of tobacco smoke now. “How about this: let’s walk around the shopping district tomorrow morning. Besides, the spare clothes provided by the hotel are just going to rack up on the checkout bill. Might as well get you some better outfits instead.”

Looking down at your current attire, you can’t help but think he’s right. You couldn’t exactly bring any of your clothes with you on this very impromptu trip, and you refused when Joshua offered to lend you a bunch of his own. For some reason, a whole duffel bag full of men’s clothes arrived a day after you checked in, and when you asked Joshua about it, he simply said that he prides his men for always delivering the necessities for a trip. 

His men. Meaning, this asshole is definitely a big shot kingpin of some sketchy organization and he’s just keeping his mouth shut about it. It’s a good thing that the staff offered to give you some hotel-issued clothes for a certain price, though. Like hell you’re going to prance around in a mafia boss’ clothes.

But…did you hear him right? Did Joshua just offer to take you shopping?

“Don’t you dare think you can buy my trust with material things,” you warn him, bringing your knees closer to your chest on the bed. “I’m still on to you.”

“So scary,” your companion chuckles, tilting his chin up before puffing out a cloud of smoke. He looks like he’s just about to follow that up with another jab to get on your nerves, but something seems to catch his gaze. 

Then, you realize that Joshua is staring at your feet.

Before you can blurt out some offhand remark about a foot fetish, though, he asks, “You won’t be needing band-aids anymore, right? I can always run to the drugstore and get you some.”

“Yeah, you don’t have to do that. My feet are fine,” you insist before following it up with a softer, “But I might need a new pedicure, though…”

“What was that?”

“Nothing. What time are we going out again?”

The next morning, Joshua jostles you out of bed at seven A.M. sharp – much to your utter dismay. Judging by how never stays out too late despite his questionable business ventures in the city, it probably makes sense for him to be a morning person. He tells you that the shopping district doesn’t even open until nine, but the bastard insists that the early morning sun is good for your skin!  

As he shows you around the main avenue, though, your initial unwillingness to go out so early in the goddamn morning slowly ebbs – having been replaced with pure, unadulterated awe because wow. The big city really is a sight to see. It’s so different from your hometown that you kind of regret not visiting sooner.

Thankfully, there are some places just outside the shopping district that open much earlier. Joshua escorts you to a nearby restaurant – insisting that you can order to your heart’s content. You receive the offer with equal parts bewilderment and concern, but cooping yourself up in that damn hotel room gives you little time to think about courtesy. If he’s willing to pay for your expenses, who are you to refuse?

Breakfast goes the same way all the other meals you shared with Joshua have gone so far. You try to probe his reasons for visiting Seoul as subtle as you can, but he always skirts around the topic with a face as smooth as butter. It’s obvious that he isn’t going to start talking about whatever undercover mission he’s on, so instead, you ask about his family.

“My family?” he repeats.

You nod. “Yeah. You brought up your mom like...twice already. Kinda made me wonder if a lunatic like you is actually a family man.”

“Hey! While you’re not wrong about me being a lunatic, I’ve yet to show you that side of me. That’s a pretty mean assumption.” Joshua pouts, scooping a spoonful of rice into his mouth. 

You’re not even going to ask him to elaborate. 

“Hmm… But I guess you could say I’m a family man,” he hums right after swallowing his food. “I’m an only child, but I've always wanted a family of my own, you know? Old suburban home, white picket fence, six kids, and a dog –” 

“Six?” you echo. “Were you that lonely growing up?”

Joshua snorts. “Where I'm from, it's completely normal to have a ton of kids.”

“Where are you from anyway?”

“The U.S. Los Angeles, specifically.”

Los Angeles… Well, at least he's honest about that. His answer also proves your hunch about him being a foreigner.

“What are you doing so far away from home then?” you ask. “Won’t your parents miss you or something? Don’t you miss them?”

An emotion you can’t quite identify passes over Joshua's face – something grim and untouchable. You’re about to insist that he doesn’t need to answer or anything, but the look disappears faster than it surfaced and he’s back to flashing you a shit-eating grin like usual.

“Hmm, why are you talking about family when we’re out on a date?” he sulks. “You’re so unromantic. How about you teach me how to use chopsticks instead?”

You stare at him, puzzled. “You…don’t know how to use chopsticks? But your Korean is so fluent.”

He rolls his eyes. “Hasty generalization. Just because I can speak the language, doesn't mean I'm good at the other cultural customs, you know.”

Just like that, Joshua expertly makes you forget about all that talk about his family. He distracts you well enough until you finally arrive at the shopping district, and the first thing he does is drag you to a beauty salon.

“Uh, I thought we were buying clothes,” you tell him dryly.

He hums, already signing the clipboard that the lady behind the reception counter hands to him. “Didn’t you say you wanted to get a pedicure first?”

“...I was joking.”

“Well, I’m not.” He grins before pressing a kiss to your forehead. “I’ll come get you in half an hour. That sound good?”

You can’t even let yourself feel the heat rushing to your face because Joshua is already sliding a black credit card onto the counter – the limitless variant that you can only dream of getting for yourself. What on earth is he doing with that bag of cash back in the hotel room when he had one of those the whole time?

“That’s a gorgeous boyfriend you have, miss.” Your beautician sighs as she massages your feet with moisturizer. “I wonder when I’ll get lucky to land a guy that hot.”

You’re compelled to tell her, no. That potential criminal mastermind is most certainly not your boyfriend. But the way this woman’s gentle hands press down on your toes reminds you of the night you met Joshua. How he went out of his way to clean the dirt off your feet without uttering a single word in complaint. How his eyes appeared so disarmingly brown that you can’t forget their color even if you wanted to. 

And not to mention that innocent kiss he gave you before making his leave earlier…

Nope. Get it together, you chide yourself. That is the same douchebag that tried to have sex with you the other night. And are you forgetting the fact that he’s hinted at his own criminal activity several times now?!

But in spite of yourself, you respond to your beautician’s words with a gentle smile. 

“I’m sure you’ll meet him soon.”

…

“Joshua, this is way too much.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, thank you for spoiling me rotten, but what the fuck? Who buys a hundred thousand won's worth of clothes for a woman he barely knows?”  

“Does it matter? Not to brag, but I’ve got lots of cash to burn, princess.”

“...That’s – That’s not the point!”

It’s not even lunch time but you’re already arguing with Joshua over his irresponsible expenses. Like, sure, this all totally works in your favor, but you still have a shred of decency at least! He’s already bought you three expensive dresses, a nice pair of designer jeans, and some chic-looking heels. He got you the last one from the store the moment Joshua noticed your stare lingering too long on the display window. 

You used to joke around with your old college friends about getting a sugar daddy in the past but… Is this really the right way to go about it? Why does it feel like you’re doing something illegal?!

“Don’t you like them?” he asks, lower lip swelling into a pout. “We can always pick out something else. Oh, I forgot to make you choose a swimsuit.”

“...What do I need a swimsuit for?”

He spares you another conniving smile, taking something out from inside his jacket before showing it to you.

“Are those…” You gape at him. “Plane tickets?”

Joshua nods like it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “Yep. We’re going on vacation to Jeju Island. Doesn’t that sound exciting?”

No, it doesn’t! Not in the slightest!! Okay, maybe you’re a bit curious to see what Jeju's famous coastlines have to offer, but… That doesn’t explain why Joshua is so willing to spend unspeakable amounts of money at the drop of a hat. You wonder what’s so damn special about you for him to keep spoiling you like this, but then again, maybe he’s never been frugal to begin with. Unlike yourself – who’s always had to work for every penny just to make ends meet.

The realization dawns on you like a sucker punch to the gut. Sure he’s kind enough (more like, crazy enough) to let you tag along with him, but the fact that the two of you live in completely different worlds only starts to sink in at that moment. 

Right now, Joshua is donned with a maroon shirt with the buttons done only up to the middle – giving you a glimpse of those tattoos you’ve never grown tired of looking at. He matched it with a black leather jacket and a nice pair of trousers, looking like a million dollars in every single way. Even if you managed to change into a more stylish fit compared to your hotel clothes, you still feel grossly inferior – not that the two of you were on equal footing in the first place.

This isn’t all that different from that sinking sensation you always felt in the bar – a feeling like you’re somewhere you’re not supposed to be. Somewhere you don’t belong. 

Joshua is a goddamn big shot, and you? You’re just a parasite. You don’t deserve all of this finery. You don’t even deserve his company at all.

If he notices how you’ve gone noticeably silent as he leads you to an athletics store, Joshua doesn’t bring it up. He merely holds up all the bags of unnecessary purchases in one hand, and your own hand in the other. You don’t fault the lady at the salon for thinking this guy was your boyfriend. To an outsider, the two of you must’ve looked like a couple in their mid-twenties.

But even if he practically jumped you last time, you know better than to expect more than what he’s already giving you. Besides, you didn’t run away with Joshua just to get together with him… 

Right?

“Does this look okay?”

You come out of the dressing room to show Joshua the swimsuit he picked out for you. He glances up from his phone, and you try not to let the mesmerized look on his face get to your head. 

“You’re looking real sexy right now, princess,” he admits – pocketing his phone as he walks to the front of your stall. “I knew it. Blue really suits you.”

“Quit saying weird things,” you mumble, shyly draping your arms over your chest. “Do you want me to get it or not?”

“More importantly, do you want to get it?”

“H-Huh?”

All of a sudden, Joshua pushes you back inside the stall – locking the door behind him before you can utter a protest. There’s a serious look on his face that you don’t get to see a lot, but you don’t get to ponder on it much. He’s quick to place both of his large hands on your shoulders, making you face the full-body mirror inside without any delay.

“Do you not like receiving gifts, gorgeous?” he whispers, and you hate how your skin prickles at the new pet name. “You’ve been so against everything I bought for you all day, even though you’re the one who picked them out yourself.”

“Joshua –”

One of his hands starts to descend, brushing across your arm and onto the curve of your waist. His other hand teases the straps of your bikini top, sending involuntary shivers running down your spine. To make things worse, your breath hitches as you meet Joshua’s gaze in the mirror – piercing doe eyes holding you hostage with a single glance. 

“Or maybe you don’t like receiving gifts from me,” he considers. “Well, I am a bad guy. If you want me to cut it out, you can tell me up front. I just hate seeing that look on your face.”

“...What look?” you whisper – trying your best to distract yourself from the heat of his touch.

Joshua sighs as he rubs your exposed skin tenderly. “The look you make when you’re sad. You’ve always been making that look ever since we left for the city. Honestly, I’ve even considered sending you back home a couple of times -”

“No,” you cut him off sharply. “D-Don’t send me back. Please. Anywhere but there.”

You don’t even notice that your own hands moved on their own accord – palms placed on top of his much larger ones from where they now rest on your hips. Joshua stares at your reflection with wide eyes before he sighs, burying his face in the hollow of your neck.

This is a dangerous position to be in. He easily covers your body with his own, and you can only do so much to hold back the noises threatening to spill from your lips as Joshua massages your sensitive skin. 

“Then why do you keep refusing me?” he murmurs, teeth grazing the column of your throat. “From what I recall, you’re the one who came to me, princess. I thought you’d be more thick-skinned than that. Other women would kill to be in your place, you know.”

“That’s because I don’t get you, Joshua,” you argue, biting your lip when he starts to suck on your skin. “Y-You can be an ass at times, but you still do all these nice things for me anyway. You’re even splurging a shit-ton of money for no good reason. I get that you’re loaded but…why? Why are you being so kind to me?”

He lets out a soft laugh that reverberates sweetly across his chest – you feel the vibrations from where he presses himself behind you, and you have to clench your thighs together to stem your pooling desire. “You’re not used to being treated well by the people around you, huh?”

You scoff – the accusation stinging more than it should. “You think?”

Joshua doesn’t respond immediately – letting himself get a feel of your pliant body for as long as you allowed it first. He tries to familiarize himself with how your skin feels against his fingers; where your erogenous zones are, and the other spots that make you blush like a schoolgirl. It’s a bit selfish of him to delay such an important answer, but Joshua is nothing if he’s not selfish.

“When I was assigned to go to Korea, my…employer gave me an ultimatum – one that involves my family back home,” he tells you quietly. “If I don’t go back to L.A. with substantial results, they’ll be the one to suffer the punishment.”

Suddenly, you could see through the sensual haze that hung between the both of you seconds prior. Shock paints itself raw on your face as you blurt out, “You were blackmailed?” God, no wonder he didn’t want to talk about his family.

“Heh. I’m used to being blackmailed, pretty girl. It’s part of my job,” Joshua speaks nonchalantly. “But…that doesn’t mean I didn’t drag my ass here, nearly overwhelmed with anxiety. I’d kill a man if I was ordered to do it, but if my family’s lives are at stake? Anyone would be terrified.”

You feel your heart sink at the way his expression shifts into something more melancholic. Joshua exchanges his suggestive caresses for a proper embrace. He hugs you from behind, breathing in the scent of cheap shampoo still lingering in your hair. 

“What does that have to do with me?” you whisper. “I don’t understand…”

“When you bumped into me at Andong that night, you kind of snapped me out of it,” he chuckles. “I couldn’t think of anything else but my job and my parents, but then you came along. Honestly, I was only supposed to help you get away from the assholes chasing you but…”

“I ran after you…” you continue, feeling more embarrassed than you should. 

Oh. You don’t even have the right to feel like shit for being with Joshua because you chose to be here, dammit! Why do you keep forgetting that?

“Exactly.” Joshua hums as he snakes an arm in front of your stomach, pushing your body against his chest. “I’m not always this territorial, you know, but you practically offered yourself up. Do you know what that does to a guy like me?”

You shouldn’t find it so fucking hot when his other hand trails up from your navel, your chest, all the way to your neck – thick fingers pressing down your throat with ample pressure. Your gazes meet in the mirror, and you don’t miss the near-manic glint in his eyes as Joshua holds onto you possessively.

“Now tell me, princess. Do you want the swimsuit or not?”

You can’t help the shuddering sigh that escapes your lips. At this point, you have no choice but to let him buy you the damn thing. You’re pretty sure Joshua’s aggressive display is enough to make you soak through your bottoms, and it’s not like he’s going to take no for an answer either.

“I’m sorry,” you whisper as he eases his hand away from your neck. “I’m just…not used to wearing all of this. It’s like I’m not meant to. I’ve always just settled with clothes that go on sale, you know.”

“...Well, how do you feel about the stuff I give you?”

“Um. They’re all pretty, I guess?”

“Do you wanna wear them?”

“O-Of course.”

Finally, Joshua peels himself away – only to twirl you around to face him directly. His tousled black hair is sticking out every which way, but all you can focus on are his rich brown irises, nearly drowning you in those endless pools of honey. 

“Then you better wear them unapologetically,” he tells you, tucking a tuft of your hair behind your ear. “A princess needs only the finest garbs. Why do you think I call you that all the time, huh?”

“To get a rise out of me?”

Joshua barks out a laugh. “I guess I can’t say no to that. But anyways, the point still stands: I’ll give you anything and everything in the world. All you have to do is ask.”

After what seems like an eternity inside that damn dressing room, you manage to kick him out of the stall before putting your clothes back on. You end up replaying everything he just told you like a broken record. Anything and everything? This man is a different kind of delusional. 

But you can’t really afford to think about it much. Just as you thought, the evidence of your rather…risqué encounter with Joshua is lathered across the inseam of your bottoms, and you shamefully wipe it off with a napkin you nabbed from the restaurant.

When the two of you head back to the cashier to make your nth purchase of the day, you’re vaguely aware of the other sales persons stealing glances at you and Joshua. Well, if you were in their shoes, you’d certainly find it odd why it took almost thirty minutes for you to try on a damn swimsuit. But fortunately, Joshua's reputation precedes him even at a shopping center all the way in Seoul. None of them dare to speak to him, much more raise any complaints.

“Couldn’t you have waited to sit down and have the talk with me back in our hotel room?” you groan once you make it out of the store. “I’m sure those guys think you fucked me in the stall or something.”

“Would you like that?” Joshua teases, and you’re sure he would’ve pulled you close to him if only his hands weren't full of shopping bags. “Does my princess get off on the idea of being fucked silly in a dressing room?”

“Don’t push it, asshole.”

You meant to punctuate the words with a borderline scowl, but all that makes itself known on your face is a sheepish smile that you can’t quite bite down. Joshua notices this, of course, but instead of making you flustered about it like usual, he offers to flag down a taxi on the way back to the hotel instead of walking. 

The last thing he needs is to ruin your new pedicure, after all.

...

A week later, you and Joshua arrive at Jeju Island.

You didn’t even consider the possibility of this place having an airport. All this time, you assumed that sea travel was the way to go for them. But you were surprisingly greeted by the sight of a modern-looking terminal as you and Joshua waited for your luggage. He’s been quiet for the whole ride, and you’d be lying if you said that doesn’t concern you even a little. Joshua not running his mouth just to piss you off means something was up.

But when the two of you finally make it outside, he’s back to his usual self. 

“So, do you want to sample Jeju's finest mandarin orchards, or do you want to settle down at the hotel first?” he asks with a chipper smile. “Though you do look like you want to take a nap.”

“I do,” you reply, yawning as you lean against his shoulder. “Can’t we just cuddle today?”

“Oh? You’re offering cuddles for free? Who are you and what did you do my princess?”

“...Cringe.”

“Wha – Did you just say I’m cringe?!”

Your banter is interrupted by a man in a suit clearing his throat. You stare at him with thinly veiled confusion, wondering what he needed. 

“Sir Joshua. We’ve been anticipating your arrival.”

…Sir Joshua?  

“Oh, Chan. I didn’t think you’d be the one stationed here,” your companion greets the man with a smile – plucking your duffel bag from your grasp before handing it to the newcomer. “Tell the driver to bring us to the hotel first.”

Chan nods swiftly. “Understood, sir.”

That’s how you find yourself in the backseat of a high-end limousine – speeding through the scenic roads of Jeju as you and Joshua bask in the silence. He’s busy talking to someone on the phone, but you can’t bring yourself to eavesdrop on their conversation. It feels wrong to do so. 

Instead, you let yourself wonder what he has planned. After he fulfills his mission, what then? Is he going to take you back to L.A.? You’re not so deluded to think that he’ll stay here with you when he has a family waiting for him. But the idea of traveling all the way to his homeland makes you a little queasy. You’ve just gotten used to visiting far-away places in Korea. You think you’re going to need a bit more momentum before packing up to the other side of the world.

…Does he work well in the cold? You barely see him sweat even in the humid air of the summer. Maybe Joshua is the type of person who can easily adapt to the current climate. When that train of curiosity starts to pick up, though, you realize that it’s a little hard to stop. 

You want to know more about him. About his habits, his quirks, his family, and his work. He obviously likes you enough to keep showering you with gifts. Of course, you’ve tried asking a few questions about those in the past, and Joshua merely brushed them off with a laugh.

But things are different now. Ever since that…fateful encounter in the dressing room, he’s been more open with you. More up front about the things going on inside his head. If you push the right buttons, then you might be able to understand him a bit better.

Joshua pockets his phone about five minutes later, leaning against you before circling his arms around your waist. “Hmph. Can’t believe I’m still forced to think about work.”

“You can always just switch off your phone,” you suggest jokingly.

He only sighs in response, and you pat his head gingerly as a means of comfort. “By the way, I planned on scheduling a trip for Sunrise Peak, but turns out, it's closed to tourists for the weekend.” Joshua looks up at you, pouting. “Sorry, princess. I can only take you to the beach.”

He was planning a visit to Sunrise Peak? Well, you haven’t seen it with your own eyes yet, but the fact that Joshua is intuitive enough to hazard guesses about what you might and might not like… 

You want to familiarize yourself with him, the same way he so effortlessly does with you. 

Not giving him any leeway to pull back, you grab his face and mesh your lips on top of his. Joshua doesn’t respond for a few seconds – and you can almost imagine him staring at you with wide, brown eyes. But eventually, he laughs into the kiss before pressing his mouth firmly against yours.

“That’s fine by me,” you murmur. 

As long as I’m with you.

...

Your hotel room back at Seoul was one of the best you’ve seen, but the one here on Jeju just set the bar even higher. 

Once the two of you have settled down in your suite, you gaze around in awe at the interior. Everything is mostly made out of wood, which further adds to the appeal of it all. Seashell curtains, exotic carpets, hand-made wind chimes – they have it all. Not to mention, this room in particular comes with a private pool just by the balcony, along with a view that overlooks the sea. Joshua teases you about how excited you are – just like a kid on a school trip – but you decide to let his impudence slide.

“Aren’t you going to swim with me?”

You gaze at him sulkily by the edge of the pool, watching as Joshua smokes a cigarette on top of a folding chair. He’s already changed into his swimming trunks – having removed his shirt and other accessories. Yet he still refuses to get in the pool with you. Still, Joshua gets up from his chair with a soft laugh, padding closer as he crouches over the edge.

“You should know about the delicate art of having a smoke while watching your girl have fun,” he tells you, taking a drag as if to prove a point. 

Your eye twitches. “You’re the one who picked out my swimsuit, so you better have fun with me!”

Despite all his bravado, you don’t miss the look on Joshua's face when you yank on his leg – the forward momentum easily making him topple into the swimming pool. You let out an unflattering laugh as he flounders in the water for a few seconds before Joshua rises back to the surface with an annoyed look on his face.

“Hey, I don’t remember you being this much of a brat, princess,” he grumbles, picking off the doused cigarette floating in the pool before tossing it back on the concrete. 

“That’s my way of telling you to quit,” you say, snickering to yourself. “Seriously, it always smells like cigarettes in our old hotel room. The smoke detector must’ve been busted or something… Joshua?”

While you prattled on about the fact that you disliked a habit that he probably formed years before he even met you, Joshua waded through the water and cornered you by the side of the pool. You gulp, observing how the water glistens across his skin as his tattooed chest stands proud for you to see.

“You know, I noticed a little something over the past few days,” he whispers – mouth twitching into a no-good smile as he reaches a hand to cup your jaw. “You really like staring at my chest, don’t you?”

“Wrong. I like staring at your ink.” 

“But it’s still staring, isn’t it?” Joshua breathes out an airy laugh before planting a kiss on your forehead – the same way he did that time at the beauty salon. The patch of skin that’s grazed by his lips burns when he pulls away, and you hate how the sensation spreads across the rest of your face.

“How about we get you inked someday?” he offers. 

“Me? Getting a tattoo?” You blink. “Uh, I used to think about getting one when I was still in college, but…?!”

All of a sudden, this bastard places his hands on your waist before hoisting you out of the water like you weigh nothing more than a bag of rice. You scowl at him, thrashing around and splashing water everywhere. But Joshua doesn’t seem to be bothered by all your flailing. He even seems to be observing your lower body like he’s trying to figure out how to chop up each part for later. 

“Hmm… I think one on your thigh would suit you,” he says, lowering you onto the edge of the pool. “Navel tattoos are pretty hot, too.”

“But what’s the point if no one can see?” you huff. 

“Hey, my tatts are always covered,” Joshua reminds you. “That’s because only a select few are deserving to see them.”

His words ignite a surge of heat inside your chest. If you weren’t blushing before, you certainly are now. “...You think I’m deserving, then?”

Your companion spreads your legs wider, easing himself into the space between as he holds your thighs firmly in his hands. Joshua stares into your eyes with a gaze that’s meant to devour. You’ve always found it odd how much self-control he can actually exercise. Apart from the first night he tried to pounce on you, and that little escapade in the dressing room, he never once tried to make any moves on you again. For someone who talks big about how possessive and territorial he can be, Joshua is being awfully ascetic.

“Of course you are,” he murmurs. “Once we’re done here, I’ll bring you to the best tattoo artist in L.A. He’s the one who did both of my pieces.” 

Something about the promise in his words makes your heart leap with delight. He’s…going to bring you to Los Angeles? 

“Are you going to let me meet your parents, too?” you half-joke, shying away from his intense gaze.

“Why not?” he asks. “My mom loves independent girls. You’ve only been relying on yourself before you met me, right? That’s pretty awesome.”

You shrink away from the compliment, unused to being praised about that segment of your life. “I’m not sure how she’s going to react about me being a hostess, though.”

Joshua shakes his head. “Believe it or not, you’re one of the few people who can put me in my place, sweet girl. I’m convinced that she automatically takes to someone like that.”

“So you’re a problem child, then?”

“Ehh, can’t say I’m not.”

Just when you thought he’ll finally let his self-restraint snap, you and Joshua end up talking about his life in America by the poolside. He tells you about how his father taught him how to fish in the lake the next county over, how to hunt and survive out in the wilderness. He tells you about his mother, and how he’d do anything just to guarantee her safety; even if it comes at the expense of his own. He willingly divulges all his fond memories of his hometown, but not once does Joshua allude to anything involving his work.

You try not to take it so personally. After all, in spite of the drastic development in your…friendship? Relationship? Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re someone he hasn’t really known all that long.  

But as the two of you marvel at the twilight sun sinking on the faraway horizon, it seems that Joshua managed to read your mind.

“Can you believe it’s only been two weeks since we met?” he chuckles, hand inching closer to rest on top of yours.

“Nope,” you sigh. “I feel like I’ve known you far longer than that.”

“Heh. Time really flies when you’re having fun, does it?”

You couldn’t have said it better yourself. Honestly, you can’t even recall the last time you had fun. During the past few months, each day passed by painfully slowly. Despite being adored as Rei the hostess, you never had fun back at the bar; nor did you have fun coming home to your alcoholic of a father. 

As you glance over at Joshua – whose face is generously lit up by the soft orange light – you wonder if it’s really okay to turn your back on your life and just live the rest of your days by his side. It’s only been two weeks, but there was never a dull moment with him. But can you even afford to be more selfish than you already are?

“You really have a staring problem, you know that?”

“...Do you have a sixth sense or something?”

“I’m a trained fighter, princess. I’m supposed to know when I’m being watched.”

There it is – his first casual mention of his line of work. 

You can’t exactly narrow down the possibilities of what exactly it is that Joshua does for a living. You’re pretty sure that he’s in the same type of business as those loan sharks, but on a much larger scale. What’s more is that he’s trained to fight – as if his purpose lies more on confrontation than diplomatic relations. Him being stationed all the way here in Korea gives you a slight clue that he might be trying to settle the score with someone on behalf of his employer, though you can’t really say for sure.

But…you purposely shove all these thoughts in the back of your head as you lace your fingers around his neck – bringing his forehead against yours. Joshua doesn’t resist your advances. He even gazes at you with the prettiest eyes you’ve ever seen, a hint of fondness shining in his vibrant irises.

Before meeting the man in front of you, you’ve always assumed that love takes time. You can’t call it love if you don’t even know the person that well! This is the very same thing you used to tell patrons who wanted to start a serious relationship with you back at the bar. But Joshua?

You don’t know how, but he managed to fill that void that’s long been tearing your heart to shreds. That seemingly ephemeral emptiness; the hollow space resting deep inside your chest – he filled it all up in the span of two weeks. Whether it be with all those expensive gifts and trinkets, or his worthwhile company alone, you don’t feel empty anymore. You feel so blissfully whole that you’d gladly lose yourself in him if it meant you never had to feel alone ever again.

“Shua, can I ask for something?”

“Heh. This is new. You never ask for anything,” he comments, and you still smell traces of tobacco in his breath. “What is it? Anything my princess wants, I’ll give to her in a heartbeat.”

On any other day, you would’ve chided him for saying something so cheesy – as if you haven’t gotten used to the way he speaks to you. But now, with the early evening breeze blowing all around, and the man who reminded you how it feels to be alive sitting so, so close to you…

“Can you make me yours?” you whisper.

Joshua stares at you, a low laugh rumbling in his bare chest. “You were already mine the moment you asked to come with me. Or are you forgetting that?”

Hot. His hands are hot against your hips – going lower and lower as he teases the ridge of your bottoms. God, you just want him to get it over with. You want him to grab your ass and take you by the poolside right here, right now. But you know, all too well, that Joshua isn’t going to let himself fall into the depths of his own depravity like that. Not until you give him a clearer sign.

“No…” you murmur, hoisting your thigh over his hips until you’re straddling his lap. “I want you –” You press your breasts against his lean chest. “To make me –” Your fingers trail up his neck, tangling them in his wild black hair. 

“Yours.”

You expect him to tease you like he always does – with that irritatingly handsome smile of his. But Joshua's eyes grow half-lidded as you press yourself closer to him, and you could’ve sworn his grip on your hips only became tighter. 

“You’re playing a dangerous game, pretty girl,” he warns you huskily. “I don’t want you to end up being the sore loser after I’m done with you.”

You chuckle, lips grazing his forehead, his eyelids, his nose. When you reach the spot just over his lips, you let your own hover for just a few seconds longer.

“I know,” you tell him. “I know, and I’m ready to lose.” 

If it’s you, I won’t ever mind.

Joshua lets out a strangled noise, like he’s barely holding on to what’s left of his own sanity. You’re slightly elated at the information. That just means he’s about to let himself go. To ravage you like you deserved. 

You’re not sure if it’s because of his own urgency or he’s just showing off. But Joshua makes a quick display of strength by picking you up while you’re still on his lap and getting back on his feet at the same time. He wastes no time mending your lips together – carnal and hungry and all sorts of impatient. Your legs immediately circle around his hips, and you bemoan all the days you wasted not getting kissed stupid by him.

But you console yourself with the idea that right now, you have all the time in the world.

...

The floorboards are damp with pool water, and so are the sheets. But you hardly notice it as Joshua strips you of the swimsuit he so carefully picked out for you. He tosses the spandex somewhere on the floor, and you even hear the wet plop as it hits. 

You feel like you should be cold – fresh out of the swimming pool and all – but the heat of Joshua’s body steadily permeates into yours, and can’t help but lean closer, closer, as close as you can – 

“I love you,” you whisper in-between kisses, feeling the evidence of his own arousal grinding against your own. You think the words don’t have as much weight when you’re doing something so openly intimate, but you don’t care.

He laughs, the sound sending tingles straight to your toes. “You sure you’re not just getting caught up in the moment, princess?”

You still have it in you to flash him a sulky pout, bringing his face right in front of yours as you spare him all the adoration you have in a single look. You desperately want him to know just how much you love him. You want him to carve this moment into memory and think of it even when the two of you are apart.

You want to anchor yourself so deep into Joshua that he can’t forget you even if he tries.

“Do you think I’m lying?” you whisper.

He sighs. “No.”

When he mouths the words I love you back in his own lust-fueled kisses, your heart soars; your body heats up – becoming more and more receptive to his lingering touch. Joshua’s lips never stray too far, even as he lathers the slick that’s collected between your thighs. His long fingers tease your entrance with the intention of seeing you squirm, and you hate how much you love it.

“Been waiting for you to come to me…for so long,” he growls, sliding two fingers inside you with embarrassing ease. “Do you know how hard it is to control myself around you? Especially after that time in the dressing room?”

Huh, so even he still thinks about that day. You giggle at the ferociousness of his words, but the wanton look in his eyes softens when you caress the side of his face. 

“Two weeks isn’t a long time, Shua,” you tell him. 

“It’s long enough if you’re as pent up as I am.”

As he works his fingers between your thighs, you can’t help but sneak a glance at the hard length straining against his abdomen. It’s been a while, so your mouth practically waters at the thought of Joshua sinking his thick cock inside you – fast and hard and everything you’ve ever dreamed. 

But your attention is promptly ripped away when he curls his fingers just right, catching on a patch of spongy flesh that has you writhing underneath him. Joshua smirks at that, uncoiling his thick digits as he continues slowly pumping them inside. Your juices are starting to drip on his hand – a testament to just how badly you want him. 

When he makes you come, all you see are the vibrant brown of his eyes – like honey in the spring. Joshua looks at you with so much love and longing at the same time, you nearly sob in his embrace.

Despite the implication that he’s no longer going to be patient, Joshua lets you reel your own consciousness back from the throes of pleasure – kissing your forehead tenderly as he caresses your sides. 

“Do you want to go all the way?” he asks, but you already see him stroking his own cock from where he lays beside you. “Remember, I won’t force you into anything you don’t like, princess.”

You shake your head, still lightheaded from your orgasm. But still, the clarity of your desire shines through. “I…want you, Shua. Want you inside me.”

He sighs in a way like he just doesn’t know what to do with you. At your request, Joshua reluctantly peels himself away – earning a mewl in protest from you that he appeases with a kiss. 

“Stay put, pretty girl,” he murmurs. “I’ll make you feel good in a minute.”

Joshua climbs out of bed and walks over to the dresser buck naked. But you can’t even bring yourself to tease because he’s got such a shapely ass. Not to mention, you get to see the dragon tattoo on his back again. Even if you’ve developed a fondness for the twin koi fish on his chest, there’s just something about this piece in particular that’s always left an impression on you.

True to his word, Joshua comes back to bed with you as he tears a condom open with his teeth. You have half the mind to tell him that opening it like that isn’t very safe, but when he rolls the rubber on top of his throbbing length, you’re suddenly too bashful to speak up. 

He spreads your thighs apart, making himself at home in the space in between. You just know he’s getting a kick out of the way your body trembles as he rubs the head of his cock along your glistening seam. 

“Shua,” you whine. 

“You want this inside you?” Joshua teases, dipping himself into your entrance only to pull away before you can even feel an ounce of satisfaction. “C’mon, talk to me, princess. You know I like it when you’re being honest about the things you want.”

“Please…” 

“Hm? What was that?”

You hate him. You hate him so much that the feeling gradually bleeds into love. And if you aren’t already whipped for this jerk, you don’t know what this obsessive feeling inside you is anymore.

“Please fuck me,” you whimper. “Make me come on your cock.”

Joshua breathes sharply through his nose as he leans forward, grabbing both of your wrists as he pins them above your head with one hand. He uses the other to guide his length to where you want him most, and the moment before he finally, finally breaches your entrance, he whispers:

“What the princess wants, the princess gets.”

He muffles the broken moan that catches in your throat with his own lips – his lean arm going around your waist as he presses his hips flush against yours. You’re dripping enough arousal onto the sheets that Joshua doesn’t even have to take it as slow as he expected. You instinctively clench around the hard length inside you, memorizing the way he stretches out your walls, and Joshua responds in earnest with an impertinent groan.

There’s no room for words anymore. All you know is the sound of skin against skin and your mouth almost never parting from his. Joshua fills you until the void you feared might swallow you whole becomes nothing but a tiny speck in your soul. You wonder if it’s enough to be two separate people, and not just one. His touches, his kisses – they aren’t enough. And even when he pushes himself so impossibly deep, you still find yourself wanting, craving, yearning for more.

You’re insatiable. You love Joshua so much that your heart overflows with it. Maybe you’re simply deluded because he’s the first person who’s treated you like you were important; and not just some forgettable girl he met at a bar. But that doesn’t change the fact that you want him to hold you, and touch you, and love you until you forget everything else but the syllables of his name.

He practically folds you into the bed a few moments later as he mouths his professions of love along the curve of your neck. You lock your legs around his waist to keep him as close as possible – not wanting to be apart for even a millisecond. And Joshua seems to share the same sentiments as he embraces so you’d never leave his grasp.

I need you, you wish to tell him. He’s already giving you so much and more, but you still need him. It’s the kind of hankering that nearly scares you because how can you ever live without him now? But the flames of your own, all-consuming desire quickly recede once he captures your lips in a soft, almost sensual kiss. 

“I love you,” Joshua tells you aloud. 

You know it should be impossible because your lovers from the past have never even tried to get you to orgasm once they were done with you. But the moment he utters those words, and shifts his hips at such a delicious angle, he promptly pushes you over the edge – making you thrash and shudder underneath his weight as you mutter his name like a string of prayers. 

You just hope that the gods are generous enough to let you have him forever.

…

The beaches in Seoul and Andong pale in comparison to Jeju's – you promptly realize this when Joshua brings you out to the shore a few days later.

“I’ve never really enjoyed going to beaches until now,” you admit, laughing a bit as Joshua reaches for your hand and twines his fingers with yours. “I’m surprised you even have the time to come all the way here despite being on the job.”

He shrugs casually, and at the same time you care to admire how he looks in a tropical-printed button up that’s completely undone at the front. “Well, my deadline isn’t all that strict, pretty girl. I’m sure I can afford a quick getaway with you.”

You smile at him sweetly while the both of you stroll along the beachfront. Sometimes, the waves reach out to the shore far enough for the water to reach your toes, and you squeal in delight every time you do. You’d be lying if you say you didn’t expect Joshua to tease, but when you look at him, he merely looks back like you’re the most precious thing in the world.

Like all lovers spending their morning on the beach, the two of you agreed to collect the prettiest seashells you can find. Though it was a bit hard, since there are a couple of signs indicating which ones you’re allowed to bring home, and which ones you should leave alone. Something about maintaining the ecosystem around the shore. 

But about half an hour before lunch time, Joshua calls out to you at the edge of the property.

The sundress he made you wear today flutters around your thighs as you make your way to his side. He’s crouched down on the sand as he picks up a peculiar brown shard.

“Wait,” you start, taking a closer look. “Is that a seashell? A broken seashell?”

“Seems like it,” he replies, retrieving the other pieces he can still salvage from the sand. “This doesn’t look like all the others we’ve seen though”

Joshua takes your hand and pressing the fragments into your palm. When you take a look at them, you realize the pieces are the same color as his eyes. 

“Do you…” you begin shyly, “want to make matching necklaces out of them? They’re a bit jagged now, but I know a jeweler back in Andong who –”

“Oh? So you do want to go back,” he jokes.

“Fine, never mind then.” 

Joshua’s laughter is slightly muted by the oncoming waves. Once your momentary annoyance fades, the two of you sit on the sand with your legs sprawled – letting the water tickle your toes. 

“I know I made a pretty bad joke just now, but can I ask you something?” he wonders.

“What is it?”

“It’s about the loan your dad supposedly took without your knowledge.” Joshua starts tracing idle shapes in the sand as he speaks. “You seemed in deep shit the night I met you, and I just wanted to know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

With his money and influence, you’re sure that Joshua could pull a few strings to get those debt collectors to lay off you. But it won’t really matter if you never go back to Andong, right? Still, you tell him about the five million won that your father suddenly loaned. How those loan sharks told you that he said that you’re going to pay for it all – on top of your remaining balance for the month. Just recalling it was already enough to piss you off all over again.

At the end of your story, though, Joshua ends up snorting with amusement.

“Sounds to me like you’re being tricked, princess,” he chuckles. “No one can rack up a debt that high unless you’re a trusted confidant. I’m sure the Korean mafia has limits to how much they’re willing to loan other people at a certain given time. Those loan sharks probably tricked you and forged the document because you were paying out the previous debt properly.” 

Your jaw practically drops to the ground. “They tricked me?”

“Seems like it. And now, you have grounds for a lawsuit! Maybe. I’m not sure, but I can help you pay for a lawyer if it all gets down to it.” Joshua shrugs. “Anyway, now that you know that the loan was probably a scam, why don’t you go back and talk to your old man? Isn’t he the only family you have?”

Your dad… Well, now you feel a bit bad for judging him so harshly. It doesn’t change the fact that he’s an alcoholic and a gambler, but you do see him trying to be better from time to time. 

“Yeah. My mom died when I was in high school, and it’s just been us ever since.” You tell him all this without meeting his eyes, unsure of how to react if he gazes at you with pity. But Joshua doesn’t offer his condolences, nor does he try to cheer you up. Instead, he suggests something that you probably should do.

“You should go back to your father,” he whispers. “I’m sure he’s worried sick.”

The waves wash upon the shore again, and this time, you actually turn around to look at him. Is he serious? Is this the same, so-called territorial man you met two weeks ago? If any of the things he’s told you were true, that’s the last thing you expected for Joshua to say to your face.

“If your father isn’t behind that loan fiasco, then you should at least let him know you’re okay, princess,” he tells you sincerely, rubbing your hand with comforting circles. “You’re the last family he has left, and I’m sure you know what loss does to a person.”

You sit there in the silence, letting Joshua’s words simmer inside your mind. You suppose that he’s right about everything. Those assumptions you made about your father are unfair, and you shouldn’t just abandon him now that Joshua helped clear up the misunderstanding. You know all these things, and you recognize them as what’s truthful and right. 

But…why does Joshua sound like he’s saying goodbye?

“Okay, I’ll do that,” you say, forcing your voice not to tremble. “But once you finish your mission, promise that you’ll take me to L.A.?”

He stares at you with equal parts surprise and disbelief – his handsome face twisting with a grin so lovely, you wonder why he never smiled at you like this before. Joshua shakes his head before rising back to his feet, hoisting you up by your waist as he spins you around.

You shriek in bewilderment, telling him to put you back down. He doesn’t relent right away, but once Joshua finally heeds your desperate request he sets you down on the sand – placing a chaste kiss on your forehead.

“Alright, princess. What do you want to do there?”

You puff out your cheeks, not liking how it sounds as if he’s teasing you. Nonetheless, you give him the straightest answer you can manage.

“I want to meet your family. Your parents. Your friends. Everyone,” you tell him. “I want to go fishing because you love it so much, and it helps you meditate.”

Joshua hums. “America is leagues different from Korea, though. You sure about that?”

“Hmph. You’ll make a nice tour guide, won't you?”

“Heh.” He moves closer to wrap his arms around your frame, embracing you so firmly that you can’t help but melt into his touch. “Of course I will, pretty girl. But what do you want to do after we do all that?”

You flash him a puzzled look. “What?”

“Since we’re planning so far ahead, we might as well plan until the end, right?” He chuckles, one hand going to the side of your face as he touches you tenderly. “What else does my demanding princess wish for?”

For a moment, you consider his question seriously. What happens after? Well…

“I want to travel,” you say. “I took up an international relations course when I was in college ‘cause I always wanted to see the world.”

Joshua nods. “And?”

You gulp – unsure if what you’re about to say is a bit selfish or not. “Well, getting to see some places around Korea with you was the best time of my life. And I’m sure it’ll be just as fun if we see the world together.”

It sounds like such a juvenile dream, now that you think about it. But sometimes, even the most childish desires can lead to the most unforgettable experiences. You only decided to tag along with Joshua on a whim, and it turned out to be one of the best choices you’ve ever made.

You just hope he feels the same way, too.

He nods again, a pesky smile rooting itself on his face. When Joshua kisses the hand that isn’t clutching shards of broken brown seashells, you can’t help but blush.

“What the princess wants, the princess gets.”

It’s already high noon by the time the two of you conclude your seashell hunting session, and Joshua is already complaining about breakfast not being heavy enough. You let your gaze linger around the beautiful beachfront just a bit longer, wondering if you can visit this place again with him in the future.

“Joshua?”

He pauses mid-way in his rant, gazing at you with curious, brown eyes. “Yeah?”

You crack him a warm smile. “Can you tell me your real name?”

The ocean’s waves reach your ears again in the silence, as Joshua stands in front of you like you’d just unraveled all the secrets of the universe. You don’t miss the way his emotions seemingly conflict in his eyes, but in the end, he spares you the truth anyway.

“Jisoo.”

“Do you love me, Jisoo?”

He crosses the distance between you before you can even breathe, kissing you so deeply that you’re a little concerned that some of the hotel staff might be watching and judging you on the sidelines. But you know better than to give a damn about what others think when you’re with Joshua – no, Jisoo.  

When he pulls away, you can almost see the ocean glimmering in your lover’s eyes.

“More than anything in the world.”

...

Despite that romantic morning, you can’t help but feel like something bad’s about to happen. Your mother used to tell you that you should always trust your gut. And right now, your gut is telling you that everything that’s making you unbelievably happy right now is going to disappear right before your eyes. 

The anxiousness that comes with all that foreboding does little to help you keep up appearances, too. During dinner, Joshua – because he asked you to keep calling him that in public for your own safety – was telling you about the time he almost got run over as a kid, and you completely spaced out in the middle of it.

Of course, your sharp-eyed lover is keen enough to notice just how distracted you were. You attempted to make excuses for your lack of focus, but one thing led to another, and you ended up spilling wine all over your new sundress.

And now here you are, sulking in your bedroom as Joshua makes the arrangements to have your dress dry-cleaned on the intercom before you have to leave.

“Is something wrong?”

His voice comes out so softly, you nearly miss it. He sits with you at the edge of the bed, reaching out to clasp your hand in his much larger ones. The gesture is comforting, but your unease doesn’t fade away.

Should you tell him about this weird gut feeling? But you don’t want him to worry about you when this is probably just something trivial. Yet, you’ve always been weak to your own emotions. Before you can even cook up another half-baked excuse, the tears have already started streaming down your face.

“Everything’s going so well,” you sniffle, turning to him with misty eyes. “Y-You’re right in front of me but… Why do I feel like you’re already slipping away?”

Joshua's face doesn’t betray any sort of emotion. His honeyed eyes merely flicker down to where your hands are intertwined, and you don’t know if you should take that as a good sign or not.

“I’ll always be with you, you know,” he whispers, letting one of his hands trail up to the new necklace sitting on your throat before the other moves to wipe away your tears. “Always.”

A traveling jeweler offered to fashion a necklace out of the seashell fragments you found once you got back from the beachfront. And while this isn’t the work of your acquaintance from Andong, they managed to carve out the shell to resemble a heart. They even charged you for the labor only, and gave the chain for free. At first, you wanted to refuse, but these pesky feelings were already bothering you at the beach. 

Is it so bad for you to want a tangible representation of Joshua’s promises?

The fact that he wears a similar necklace eases your troubles a bit. It makes you think that maybe it’s really all just in your head. Though you know better than to think you’re out of the woods.

That night, he undresses you with unspoken apologies imbued in each kiss. You wonder if he’s sorry for unintentionally making you feel this way or something else. You don’t know. You don’t care. Because when you’re on the verge of collapsing from all these unpleasant feelings, it’s Joshua who holds you together before you can shatter into a thousand pieces at his feet. 

That’s right… Joshua – rather, Jisoo always fills you to the brim. He fills you with so much love that you can almost forget what it feels to be void; what it feels to be empty. 

But in the midst of it, he pulls away with a regretful sigh. “We already used up the condoms I have, princess. This is as far as we can go.”

“It’s – It’s alright.”

He snaps his head in your direction, beautiful brown eyes rigid with shock. But you don’t give him any leeway to feel guilt nor hesitation. When you pull him down with you to the bed, he doesn’t strain against your touch.

Jisoo is the reason why the life you thought was so dull suddenly has more color to it now. He taught you to have a little more hope for the future. To reevaluate the past for what it actually is. And most of all, he’s the one who taught you how to treasure yourself as you are in the present. 

If this is the last night you’ll ever share with him, then you’re going to make the most out of it.

...

“So we hop on a plane to Incheon, a train to Andong, and talk to my dad.” You list down the day’s itinerary before glancing at Joshua for confirmation. “Sounds like a plan, right?”

“I dunno, princess. Meeting the parents always makes me nervous,” he chuckles.

“...So you have met the parents of other girls.”

“Hey, that was only one time!”

You and Joshua managed to head over to the airport fairly quickly the next day – with a lot of time to kill before your plane actually leaves the island. The two of you decide to hang out in the waiting lounge, but this reminds you to not be too early for your flights next time. Apart from those weird negative feelings you had last night, boredom is your greatest enemy.

About thirty minutes before boarding time, you carelessly let slip that you’re craving some coffee right now. Joshua is quick to get on his feet and get you one from a nearby vending machine, of course. But just when he’s about to take a seat right beside you, he blurts out:

“I’m really glad I met you, princess.” He smiles, handing you your drink. “Even if you’re growing more and more bratty as the days go by.”

“You’re the one who made me like this, so deal with it.” You huff, before following it up with a much nicer: “But…I’m glad I met you, too, Jisoo.”

You half-expect him to clamp a hand around your mouth for calling him by his real name, but Joshua simply lets his head rest against your shoulder, holding your hand as tenderly as he always does.

“Hey, I’m just going to go out for a real quick smoke.”

Joshua informs you of his unnecessary need for a cancer stick just when you’ve settled into your seat on the plane. You scowl at him as he places that knapsack full of cash into your arms. 

“We’re about to take off, you idiot!” you whisper. “Can’t that wait until we land in Seoul?”

“Nope.” He beams at you. “I won’t be long, don’t worry~”

And then he’s off.

“Goddamn chainsmokers,” you mutter, angrily plopping the damn backpack to the vacant seat right next to you. 

As you watch the scenery in the airport unfold from the window to your left, you catch sight of your own reflection despite the bright light outside. Your hands trail up to the modified seashell around your neck, twirling it fondly between your fingers. This is the first solid proof of the time you spent with Joshua. You’re sure that he’s going to spoil you with even more gifts when you get to L.A., but this one is probably going to be your favorite for a long, long time. 

After all, this seashell is the same color as his eyes. 

Suddenly, you hear a clicking sound coming from above, and when you glance around, you see that the seatbelt sign is lit up. A soft voice flits through the speakers, informing all passengers that the aircraft is ready for takeoff. Frowning deeply, you call the attention of a nearby attendant. 

“Excuse me, my boyfriend isn’t here yet.”

She stares at you, puzzled. “I’m sorry, miss. But we confirmed that all paid passengers are already in their seats.”

At that second, your world crumbles. The void begins to rip itself back into your heart. The attendant asks if there’s anything wrong, but you dismiss her with a shake of your head.

Why do I feel like you’re slipping away from my fingers?

As you sit all alone in that plane, you realize that your mother was right all along. 

You should’ve trusted your goddamn gut.

...

Joshua smokes through half his pack of cigarettes when he makes it outside the airport – lingering by the parking lot as he watches each plane soar into the sky. He has no idea which one you’re on, or if you’re even still here on Jeju Island. But with each painful drag he forces into his lungs, he finds himself praying.

Praying that you’ll forgive him for what he just did. Praying that you’ll be able to find happiness even without him. 

His phone rings before his guilt gets the better of his emotions. The name S.Coups flashes on the encrypted caller ID.

“Took you long enough to pick up,” the informant sighs. “For someone who’s in dire need of intelligence, you’re acting awfully lax, Shua. Let’s see… You’re looking for Jeonghan. Is that right?”

He kills his last cigarette under his heel – all those feelings you effortlessly stirred up inside him dying along with the waning flame.

“Bullseye,” he replies, voice tinged with his usual mirth despite feeling like he’s just lost everything good in his life. “You got anything for me?”

Yeah, that’s right.

You don’t need someone like him to be happy.

…

The hotel room you booked for the night is small and quiet.

When you shut the door behind you, the sound rings in your ears – loud enough to emphasize that you’re all alone. You decide not to pay it any mind before dragging the rest of your luggage further inside. 

When you arrived at Incheon Airport a few hours earlier, you couldn’t even muster up the tears. All you felt was that familiar emptiness that never seemed to leave you alone until Joshua came into your life. A dreadful void that was twice as massive now that you got a taste of how it feels like to be whole. 

Once you’ve claimed your baggage, you wasted no time ushering yourself out of the terminal. You’ve long decided to stay in Incheon for a while, given that you couldn’t exactly meet your father in such a state. But before making your way to the nearest hotel you could find, you made it a point to stop by a convenience store to buy a lighter and pack of cigarettes. 

For someone who’s more loaded than you could ever hope to be, Joshua liked smoking cheap brands. He told you it’s because those things could easily be bought anywhere. But his reasons for the odd preference were the last thing on your mind as you light up the first stick – taking a long drag that ends up making you cough out smoke and brings tears in your eyes. 

You fucking hate cigarettes. This is going to be one of the cold hard truths in your life. You hated them when you still worked as a hostess, and you hated them every time Joshua had the gall to smoke one in front of you.

…But this is the only piece of him that you have left to cling to. You like to think that each stick can help fill the void, even if it’s just smoke and ashes and false hopes. You always wondered why Joshua couldn’t bring himself to forego the habit. But maybe – just maybe – there’s also a void inside him. One that can’t easily be filled, the same one you’ve always struggled with.

Before that train of thought can fester any longer, you kill it along with the fifth cancer stick you’ve had for the day. The ashtray is full of cigarettes you could barely smoke past the filter, but you’re not about to give a shit.

In the solitude of your room, you wonder if you can ever forget those sunsets in Jeju. How your toes sank into the sand. How the salty ocean breeze tossed your hair around. If you close your eyes, you can still feel it on your skin.

But most of all, you ask yourself – can you ever forget Jisoo?

His eyes. His hair. His stupid tattoos. You abhorred how he always smelled like cigarettes, yet you’ve locked yourself up in some fancy hotel room to smoke a few just because you’re left with a ridiculous amount of laundered cash. Along with the bags full of those pretentious gifts he gave you, you selfishly kept the money because you deserve the goddamn means to take a real break from it all.

You don’t pay attention to the rest of your luggage – eyes solely focused on the knapsack lying idly on the mattress. Against your better judgment, you force yourself back to your feet, padding towards the bed as you open the zipper. 

Cash, cash, another wad of cash. You scoop every single piece out of the bag for no real reason. Is this solving any of your problems? No. Does it help you vent out your feelings? Yes. 

Stupid Jisoo, and his stupid fucking promises. Well, he never explicitly promised you anything, but still! What kind of evil maniac lets a hapless maiden fall in love with them, only to leave them hanging? Not all unfortunate ladies who’ve been pathetically led on by a handsome man were left with hundreds of thousands of won as some sort of compensation, sure. But that didn’t change the fact that you were fucking grieving.

You wanted to shout. To break something. To curse Jisoo Whatever-his-last-name-is so he can never find another woman like you. But once you reach the bottom of the knapsack, your anger is quick to go up in smoke.

There’s a red baseball cap inside – the same one Jisoo was wearing the night you met him.

You didn’t cry when you realized the love of your life had left you without saying goodbye. You didn’t cry as you carried your luggage alone in the airport. You didn’t cry either when you marched into this lonely, lonely hotel room.

But somehow, seeing that bright red cap made everything crash over you like a tidal wave.

“I thought you loved me more than anything in the world,” you murmur to yourself, holding that silly hat to your chest like a goddamn lifeline. 

“Was that a hoax all along...Jisoo?”

...

The small village near Silverwood Lake is remote yet accessible at the same time. It’s the heart of tourism in the lesser known counties in California, so it comes as no surprise to see a dozen people bustling in and out of the borders.

In that same town, a young boy with big brown eyes wanders around the market – dark tufts peeking from beneath a tattered baseball cap. Though he seems like any other local his age, he doesn't actually know the language. His English is still a bit lacking, but he swears half of the time that his mother teaches him bits and pieces when she has time.

Right now, she’s somewhere by the lakeside, talking with an important political figure in the town as his entourage shows her around the area. The boy wasn’t a fan of all those pleasantries, so he asked her if he could look around in the market instead. Like all mothers, her initial reaction was to tell him no, but eventually, the puppy eyes he’s practiced on her for years made good on their purpose.

Fine. Just don’t wander too far, Shuji. Promise?

As much as he dislikes breaking promises with his mother – he knows how sensitive she is about those, despite her age – the young boy figures that what she doesn’t know won’t kill her. He’s fifteen now. Even if he’s in a foreign country, he’s smart enough not to get lost in unfamiliar places.

So, when he finds nothing interesting in the market, the boy follows a merchant’s route that bypasses a huge forest. This is the road that he and his mother took on the way to the town, so he’s slightly familiar with the terrain. But still, the perspectives are warped when one traverses it on foot.

He follows the route just like he initially planned – admiring the looming pine trees rising everywhere he looked. His mother has taken him to all sorts of places because of her job, but America might make it to the top of his list at this rate. Though, his eyes are quick to spot a fork in the road – one barely visible unless you know what you’re looking for. 

The boy glances around, but no one else is in sight.

Ravens caw overhead as he traverses the stray path. Dead leaves and crunch underfoot as the trees seem to grow thicker around him. Anyone else would feel terrified of being in such a place, but the boy has always had a knack for braving the unknown.

His courage is rewarded once he arrives at the end of the road, revealing a magnificent lake that he could never hope to see if he’d stuck to the main route. This one's different from Silverwood Lake. It's much smaller, and less polluted by civilization.

He stares at the scenery with wide eyes, taking out his phone from the pocket of his jacket before snapping a few pictures to show his mother for later.

“Hey, kid. What are you doing here?”

The boy startles at the sound of another voice, and he realizes that there’s another person sharing this view with him. A man, much older than he is, sits on a foldable chair by the edge of the lake – fishing rod in hand as he tosses the reel into the water.

“Just…looking around.” He only replies with broken English because he doesn’t think the stranger is someone sketchy. The boy even notices the sturdy looking crutch propped against his seat. “What are you doing?”

For a moment, the man simply looks at him before surprising the boy with very fluent Korean.

“Fishing. What else do you think it looks like, kid?” the man says a-matter-of-factly as he rakes his fingers through his dark yet graying hair. 

He gulps before switching to his mother tongue. “There’s fish underneath?”

“Of course there's fish underneath.” The fisherman rolls his eyes. “You’re not from around here, are you? You lost?”

The boy shakes his head. “I told you, I was just looking around.”

“Okay. Tell your parents to come get you then,” the man tells him – growing slightly annoyed at his peaceful fishing session having been interrupted. 

“My mother’s busy. My father’s a scumbag who left her alone.” The young boy shrugs. “I’m pretty much free to do whatever I want, mister.”

A few moments pass by in silence, and he wonders if he said something strange. But either way, the man’s irritation morphs into amusement. “Shitty dad, huh?” he chuckles. “That’s right. Don’t ever forgive the people who’d hurt your mom. What’s your name, kid?”

The stranger jolts his fishing rod before the boy can give an answer, hauling a fish out of the water right before his eyes before dumping his latest catch in a wicker basket. 

“Jisoo,” the boy tells him. “But my mom calls me Shuji”

To his surprise, the man simply nods. “Cool name.”

“Aren’t you going to say it’s weird or something?”

“Now you’re just asking too many questions.”

“My mom said it’s common courtesy to exchange names on the first meeting,” the boy huffs. “So are you going to tell me or not?” 

The man sighs. “You’re really demanding for a kid. Kinda reminds me of someone I used to know.”

“...I’m leaving.”

“Ah! Wait a sec, lemme just pack up and I’ll head back to the harbor with you. If you wander around, you might just get mauled by the wolves,” the man tuts, already putting away his reel before folding his chair back up. That’s when the boy notices a glint of brown attached to a cord around his neck. He squints.

Has he seen that necklace before? 

But there isn’t exactly much room to ponder about that. The man is struggling to tidy up on both feet – clearly unfit to protect anyone from woodland predators. The boy wonders if he’s injured himself so badly before that the aftermath still lingers. But still, he finds it a bit awkward to just stand around, so he walks over to him with a defeated sigh, offering to carry the fish basket and chair in his stead.

“What happened to your leg?” he wonders.

The man brushes the hair out of his face, looking forward as he leans on his crutch. “Got fucked up by a bunch of…gangsters a few years back. Haven’t been the same since.”

“...My mom knows a lot of doctors all over the world,” the boy says. “I’m sure she can find someone who can help you walk normally again.”

“Hm? Aren’t you being too generous to someone you just met, kid?”

He frowns. “I was taught by mom to treat everyone with basic decency.”

“Heh. You really love your mom, don’t you? Does she travel a lot?”

“For work, yeah. She’s a diplomat.” 

The boy wonders if this is really okay. His mother might just be mortified at the thought of her only son talking to a stranger like they’ve known each other for years. But there’s just something about this man that he can’t quite pin down. Something that makes it easy to talk to him, even if they only met literally ten minutes earlier.

Well, his mother was looking for fresh catches to have for dinner anyways. Maybe she’ll let his penchant for making friends in unlikely places slide once he introduces her to this strange fisherman with fucked up legs.

⟢ end notes: if you made it this far, congrats UEYRUEF I KNOWWWW i have a shit ton of wips waiting in line, but i've been contemplating abt repurposing this fic for joshua for SOOOOO LONG. after hearing some advice from a few friends, i decided to just go for it and viola! 18k words shua angst was born out of nowhere. i felt so EMPTY the first time i finished writing it, so i hope you feel the same way too :3c

#svthub #seventeen fanfic #seventeen smut #svt fanfic #svt smut #joshua smut #seventeen joshua #seventeen x reader #joshua x reader #lovelyhan #🐇 500 #full length fic 📚

[eretzyisrael]

Swedish court rules in favor of Jewish doctor, says firing was antisemitic

The neurosurgeon had alleged that the dismissal had been the culmination of years of harassment at Karolinska Hospital.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

A Swedish court ruled Wednesday that a Jewish doctor had been wrongfully fired from his position at a hospital near the capital due to antisemitism, Dagens Nyheter (DN) reported.

The neurosurgeon, who was given the pseudonym “Dr. Svensson” to protect his privacy, was dismissed from his post at Karolinska University Hospital last fall. According to a February report in rival Swedish paper Svenska Dagbladet, a press officer in the hospital said the reason for his firing was “to secure the working environment for managers and employees in his vicinity.”

The doctor promptly took the medical institution to District Court for what he deemed was an unlawful dismissal. The real reason, he maintained, was that it was retaliation for having sued Karolinska in 2018 for the constant antisemitic harassment he and other Jewish colleagues were undergoing at work.

His original lawsuit stated that his department head had long intimidated and verbally attacked the Jewish doctors and promoted less-qualified colleagues over them, while the hospital administration did nothing. According to Swedish station SVT, the doctor said that besides the bullying, they were also prevented from doing research and that he, personally, had not been allowed to work in his specialty for almost two years.

Two of his fellow victims left their positions during this time.

Svensson has been receiving legal assistance since then from the U.S.-based Lawfare Project, which provides pro bono services to protect the civil and human rights of the Jewish people all over the world. According to some of the letters his lawyers wrote to the court since his removal, the doctor had suffered a “years-long campaign of reprisals to intimidate and silence him” since the lawsuit, culminating in the dismissal.

The organization said that Karolinska had fabricated a complaint against their client to the medical authorities, claiming that he was a risk to patients.

Moreover, the lawyers wrote, “In a shocking display of the Karolinska’s institutionalized Jew-hatred, the complaint identified Dr. X’s Jewish identity as ‘relevant information’ with regard to the risk he allegedly posed for patient safety.

“Reporting Jewish identity as ‘relevant information’ for patient safety is not only morally despicable but also appears to be illegal under Swedish law,” the organization pointed out.

The authorities closed the complaint without criticizing the physician.

The Swedish Medical Association filed a separate case in support of the doctor against the hospital in Labor Court, demanding compensation for “wrongful termination.” It is this court that decided that the physician’s dismissal was illegal and antisemitic in nature.

The hospital’s human resources director, Patricia Enocson, told DN, “We accede to the lawsuit is because we know that if we were to dispute it, it would be a lengthy legal process.”

The senior physician who was at the center of the allegations took a leave of absence when Svensson’s complaints went public in 2018. He returned to an administrative position some six months later and by 2020 was allowed to start working again in his field.

The doctor’s lawsuit over the allegedly institutionalized Jew hatred at Karolinska made the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s list of its Top Ten antisemitic incidents in 2018.

#Antisemitism #Jews in Sweden #Lawfare #Project Sweden

[bibinnieposts]

☆ vanilla latte

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ faves ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ [bts ksj] misunderstandings

☆ [svt] under the sun

☆ [svt csc] terrifyingly innocent

☆ [svt yjh] let's love

☆ [svt ksy] i will go to you like the first snow

☆ [svt jww] wanted: new roommate

☆ [svt ljh] now playing...

☆ [bts jjk] press start

☆ [svt xmh] i just see you

☆ [svt chs] two minus one

☆ [txt cyj] loved.

☆ [nct lyy] treacherous

☆ [enha lhs] buy one, take me

☆ [txt kth] vinyl and coffee

☆ [enha pjs] deuce!

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ BTS ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ members

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ GOT7 ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ members

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ ENHYPEN ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ members

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ NCT ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ members

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ SEVENTEEN ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ members

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ TOMORROW X TOGETHER ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ members

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ current readings (hiatus / on-hold) ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ [yjh] miracle bunny

☆ [ljh] love alarm

☆ [yjh] let’s love

☆ [chs] exile

☆ [svt] lucet iaspis, mafia! svt

☆ [yjh] still loving you

☆ [kth] helpline

☆ [cbg] lie to me

☆ [kth] you’re my orbit pairing!

☆ [cyj] starstruck

☆ [yjw] get it together, jungwon!!

☆ [pjs] oh god

☆ [yjw] earfquake

☆ [psh] you maniac!

☆ [psh] vlive confessions

☆ [pjs] book club

☆ [lhs] dear future husband

☆ [cbg] ugly district

☆ [cbg] ghosting

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ current readings ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ [jww] chilli

☆ [yjw] FIESTA!

☆ [cbg] she got no chill

☆ [jww] labels

☆ [ljh] you belong with me

☆ [yjh + lsm] we were destined to fall (but i'll catch you)

☆ [nrk] wishlist

☆ [wjh] in full bloom

☆ [cbg] glimpse of you

☆ [pjs] rock with you

☆ [97liner] growing pains

☆ [cyj] rank one

☆ [cyj] ring my alarm

☆ [yjw] project: stay single

☆ [pjs] wrong owner, babe

☆ [yjw] mystery player

☆ [ljh] stylish

☆ [yjh] impossible to ignore you

☆ [svt] package received!

☆ [sjy] cat & dog

☆ [csb] copyccino

☆ [psh] blinded by love

☆ [lyy] treacherous

☆ [svt] haven cloud

☆ [hrj] best friend

☆ [yjh] we get along infamously

☆ [csc] yours but not yours

☆ [yjh] don't listen in secret

☆ [yjh] in her shadow

☆ [svt] under the sun

☆ [svt] whirlwind of days

☆ [chs] reel love

☆ [txt?] iGIRL

☆ [svt?] checkmate

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ to read ; ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

or in other words, 'when will i stop procrastinating on reading these fics'

☆ [cbg] LO$ERS

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ others  ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ ficscafe’s ficrecs m.list 1 | 2

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ teasers ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ [yjh] seven days 

☆ [yjh] two nights and a wedding

☆ [csb] LO♡ER

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ discontinued ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

☆ [xmh] fallin for u (literally)

☆ [lc] yours truly

☆ [psh] go figure!

ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ disclaimer ִֶָ 𓂃⊹ ִֶָ

> i dont own any of these works posted and reblogged in this blog. as i am in no way a writer, this blog is mainly for fic recs and reblogs. please do not repost, translate or republish any of these creators' work, even if you give credit, unless you got approval from the creator/s themselves. as such, all works are credited to their respective creators.

> ©bibinnieposts ~ 2022  

#masterlist: vanilla latte #vanilla latte: members

[linonyang]

other info!

networks: never-ending dreams (admin), hiraya manawari (co-admin), k-labels, kflixnet, k-radio, district nine writers’ guild, whipped k-pop creators, stray kids land 

*previously a member of: celestial rêves, destinyverse, ficscafe, house of incantations, koffeenet, stay haven, the sunshine shop

before you follow:

i’m of legal age and i might post nsfw posts occasionally, so comply to the community labels for your safety

i post works inconsistently because i am a student who’s barely surviving college lmao

do not follow if:

you are rude and demanding in terms of requests or interacting in general

you fit basic dnfi criteria (homophobic, transphobic, racist, misogynist, etc.)

a guide about my works:

i mainly write sfw fics for skz and svt!

mostly with gender-netural!reader. i write with fem!reader occasionally.

i write whenever i want, so there would be no posting schedules. it’s all unpredictable.

all of my works are fictional and the idols in my works do not represent who they are in real life.

english is not my first language. therefore, i’d appreciate some consideration whenever i’ll have errors.

i do not allow reposting and translating of my fics.

my tag system:

#r.asks - for all answered asks

#r.convos - for all conversations posted

#r.fb - for all feedback from readers + my responses to those feedbacks

#r.inch - for fics/aus that i’ll be looking forward to! (will be used for teasers/previews)

#r.masterlist - for my official masterlist and masterlists for future fics

#r.moots - for any stuff with my beloved mutuals <3

#r.nav - for my navigation-related posts

#r.nsfw - for nsfw-related posts (minors, please block this tag!)

#r.recs - for recommended fics

#r.text - for random posts... non-fics posts basically

#r.writes - for all of my works

blogs list:

former main blog: @starlighthan

side blogs of my former main: @sungloml (for gifs), @lee-noot (for nsfw fic recs)

side blogs of this account: @han-to-ten (for gifs), @myvolcano (for nsfw fic recs), @junyangie (for svt fic recs)

#r.nav

[bucksbisexual]

ep12 has us all like

#2gether #2gether the series #2gether spoilers #THAT LAST SCENE OF TINE ASKING WHY WHILE CRYING HIS HEART OUT??????? #MY HEART FUCKING SHATTERED #MY BABY :-(((((((((( #svt-district posts #500

[00hj]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ happy holidays ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆
 i’m extremely grateful for all my mutuals & friends since joining tumblr 6 years ago. this isn’t my main blog nor is it my first blog but it is my most active haha (^◇^；)

|ω･)و ̑̑༉ hi, i’m karen or k ! you may know me as the residential hyunsung stan or the woozi enthusiast over on my main @/himeaegyo 
i’ve made such supportive, precious, and amazing friends & the fandoms i’ve been apart of have been such a great adventure.

this is gonna be probably my most emotional/sappiest follow forever because this year has just been so emotionally straining that we need more positivity !
 so thank you again for following me/liking my content/popping into my inbox/just accepting me ( ˊᵕˋ )♡


while i wasn’t that active this year on this blog, it’s been very entertaining & motivational seeing people interact & still supporting @/straykidsupdate (the amount of love that blog gets, i’ll forever be in awe/shock and will never be able to express enough thanks for)

to my mutuals & fellow ccs, this is just a big thank you/hug for everything you’ve done !! 🐻💓 
i may not follow you now (or i might have followed during the making of this post) but know that i’m in the process of cleaning out my following list !! i’m not ignoring you 🥺 i’ve just been semi inactive this year :c

these are just a couple special shoutouts/messages ! if i didn’t write you a message, please don’t take it personally 🙇🏻‍♀️ i do love & appreciate every single one of my mutuals but the post would get super long o-o; 

@realstraykids hi em 🐹💕 we exchange these words nearly ever end of the year, but thank you thank you thank you for being one of my first true online friend & mutual 😊 it’s just filled me with so much joy seeing you make it big with the love you have for your groups. i love how engaging you are, how supportive you are of fellow creators & friends, how you’ve been able to do your academics & juggle stan life (mad respect) (i would also like to mention that my phone’s predictive keyboard still recommends ‘hellohwiyoung’ after i type hello out & i refuse to reset it)

@3rxcha hi iri 🌻🧚🏻‍♀️ my canadian love bug. it’s been such a blessing that we were able to meet up & hang out irl ! thank you for being there for the ups & downs in my personal life haha, i really unloaded a lot on you in the past. i’m glad you’re back into stray kids !! it’s been such a joy being able to send you fantakens over on discord when i update/queue >:3 i love how unapologetically honest you are, how articulate you are, and how you’re just a pastry chef 🥧

@chrisbangs hi li 👼🍡 hehe another canadian dream girl. i think you’re my only moot/few friends that i know who listens to tmg & it’s was a great shock when i found that out haha. i absolutely adore the way you’re so creative yet always challenging yourself to push yourself further. being able to see your creative journey has been a blessing & i truly believe you’ll be able to achieve great things with your skills here

@hyunnie hi katarina 🌿🍒 first & foremost, i don’t think i’ve ever confessed that i totally freaked out when i saw that you had applied for the gfx position for sku. it’s been such a privilege working together, though things have been slow because there’s nothing much to do ;;;; i knoooow we’re in the server together but i’ve admired your dedication & work ethic that i’m kind of like intimidated to talk to you (?) haha fears but !!! it’s so admirable how dedicated you are in finishing series & how you’re always trying new things with your creations

@chngbok hi red 💞✨ honestly, you’re the backbone of the sku queue lmao. i vividly remember that one time you went on a spree & filled it to like 200 posts,,,,that’s a literal talent. i’m very excited to get into genshin impact & i’m excited to know you’re into it !! i know like one person irl who’s actively been playing it & another irl who’s interested so this bubble is small OTL,,,though i may suck, i’ll be honoured to be able to play together with you! thank you for partaking in the shenanigans we create in the server sometimes, i really do truly appreciate you 🥺

@straybell hi nina 💒💞 another canadian buttercup! i remember stumbling across your dating sim edit & your district 9 edits back in 2018 & just falling completely in love with how you were able to manifest such ideas perfectly. it’s one thing to be able to visualize & conceptualize it but to pull it off with the proper assets & the amount of details,,,,,completely in awe with your talent. you’re so humble, down-to-earth, loving, and you have such a big heart. you make people feel welcomed, warm, and loved & i just hope you’re able to feel the same way 

@tuanzie hi joanna 💓🐣 i remember one day i checked tumblr again & saw a new url & was just completely confused who you were because i was so used to your old url lol i know i don’t really talk to you but you always seem so cool & well kept together whenever you’re on my tl ^^;; you radiate this confident older sibling energy & sometimes i’ll just stalk your blog to see what new things has happened with some of the groups we mutually stan. i truly admire how you’re able to keep up with all your groups and !!! make content for them, truly inspiring work ethics

@wonstal hi louise 💝🍒 i truly don’t know how to explain this but you just radiate this very pretty vibe & aesthetic. your blog, your content, your colouring, your everything is just so pretty to me. i don’t talk to you but i’m admiring from the far distance,,,,,,you’re just so cool & your stan list is just wonderful. i don’t think we’re online at the same time much but !!! i hope you’re staying safe, getting some rest, drinking your fluids & just staying occupied :)

my moots & recs !! (these are skz. svt, multi blogs & more)

@hanjin @hyunknow @ji-sungs @avocadomin​ @hyunjinz @kimsyohans @3norachaa @l0vepaint @cpalice @bbchae​ @changbinie​ @changbeanie​ @blueprintskz​ @han-jisung​ @felixies​ @binnies​ @ifbin​ @hwanghaes​ @sunnykids​ @yangjeongin​ @dyewithyou​ @seoschangbin​ @luvknow​ @seungminsmile​ @gukooky​ @abcdskz​ @seungminhos​ @yyuwins​ @deobistay​ @hyyunjinn​ @hyunjins​ @eternallys​ @jinlix​ @ljhz​ @hoshees​ @absix​ @berethosh​ @bbaksu​ @leeknown​ @jisungism​ @joshuahong​ @lovehui​ @shuvee​ @cafewoozi​ @pdwoozi​ @bangchanmix​ @honeyboyfelix​ @hoodiehan​ @kkvmi​ @914m​ @miniwaves​ @leeminho-s​ @sparkly-minho​ @myoneandongly​ @holyakaashi​ @2miin​ @jisungsings​ @bangchans​ @02print​ @spearbin​ @gyuwus​ @jonghan​ @xums​ @strgaykids​ @soocculents​ @liinos​ @asterocky​ @hanwooz​ @tswoondere​ @guksuu​ @jypestraykids​ @leeknowism​ @go-saeng​ @agibbng​ @creker​ @saniest​ @strayhags​ @pdracha​ @defgyus​ @seo-changbinnies​ @youngke​ @cotccotc​ @stray-but-okay​ @jjsungie​ @chogiwow​ @hwjins​ @hyunsung​ @1eeknows​ @jeonginx​ @choihans​ @hyunllx​ @minhou​ 

have a nice holiday !!! i hope you’re warm & safe 🎄💓 i’m still working on a rec page but it’ll be over here when it’s done !!
 (。>∀<)_畄q(>∀< ｡)

#follow forever #ff #i'll once again tag this with an old tag of mine: #i am praying to the tumblr gods that this post tags you and sends you a notif #i do apologize if this gets super long.....i totally will understand if you don't want to read the whole msg....it's embarrassing #i'll get around cleaning out my following list later today ~ #i've bolded the parts that i think are ~important~ but again; it's completely understandable if you didn't read it all ;;;; #merry christmas & happy holidays !! i hope your days are filled with warmth & love #q: drafted and scheduled for later

[gimme-a-chocolate]

gif challenge master post (long post)

hi! a lot of ppl have done this gif challenge so i thought i would post everyone’s gif here to show how varied they are.  (if you see your gif and want me to take it down let me know, or if i’ve posted the wrong gif)😎

here is the gif challenge for anyone else who wants to do it:

take this base gif (uploaded here or here as a psd):

and process it any way you want, in any program. The base gif isn’t sharpened or processed in any way.

if you want to use vapoursynth or another program to pre-process here or here is the 4 second mov file (just input 00:00:00 for the time and then 00:00:04 for the length of the clip). You will have to crop and trim it yourself but don’t worry about matching the exact dimensions or number of frames. Frame rate I used is .05 btw but you don’t have to!  

here is the mp4 file if you want it and the scene is around 28:44 (message me if this link doesn’t work)

Here are the gifs, (urls listed under the gif bc i couldn’t figure out how to list them above the gif for all the gifs rip):

@gimme-a-chocolate

@baek1nho

@bananpeze

@brightwin

@cuddlybitch

@deokmis

@dingyuxi

@dramaintherain

@haeyeongs

@kojiseok

@lavenderbyun

@lee-taeri

@liveasbutterflies

@moonlightsdream

@not-lilly

@rabonghee

@sebin

@soulmatelines

@therukurals

@thingskateknows

@tytrack

@yesdramas

@koreandragon

@metawwin​2

@saifahzonn​

@straydogsandsaranghaes​

@smittenskitten​​

@smilecapsules​

@ficklefackle​

@musicdramalove​

​@clintfbarton

@svt-district​

@ransomflanagan​

@torfight​

@dreamingthree​

@kindaanartblog​

@capsgrantrogers​

there you go! i will add more if more ppl want to do it 🥰🥰🥰

edit: i stopped adding gifs to this post bc it got too long :/

#gif challenge #master post #long post #gif warning #my country

[yoongle-boongle]

Rules: answer questions and tag 20 blogs you are contractually obligated to know better!

Tagged by @leviackermanscleaningbuddy

Name/Nickname: My real name is Kamryn, but most of you know me as Rin :))

Pronouns: She/her

Star Sign: Scorpio ♏

Height: 5'4 i think??

Time Currently: 12:03

When is Your Birthday: October 25th

Favourite Band/Groups: BTS, Stray Kids, and Enhypen (I also like a bunch of other groups like The Boyz, NCT, SVT, TXT, KARD, P1H, etc, but I don't consider myself a true fan, if you get what I mean)

Favourite Solo Artists: NIve, Conan Gray, Zico, I'll, and I really like Jackson Wang's solo stuff

Song Stuck in Your Head: I Can't Stop Me by Twice, and District 9 by Stray Kids

Last Movie You Watched: I think it was The Cloverfield Paradox?

When You Created Your Blog: Either August or September of 2020

Last Thing You Googled: Etsy

Other Blogs: Just this one :/

Why I Chose My URL: I really like the word "lovely", and I use it in all my usernames (and I make incorrect BTS quotes lol)

Do You Get Asks: No, usually only when I post about ask games

How Many People Are You Following: Like 7 or 8?? I want to follow more people but I'm very comfy in my small corner of Tumblr

How Many Followers Do You Have: 301 🥰

Average Hours of Sleep: It depends on the day, either 5-6 on a school night, or 8-12 when I have nothing to do (the more you sleep, the less time you have to be sad 😉)

Instruments: I've attempted piano, but I'm not very good lol

What I'm Currently Wearing: A Jungkook meme shirt and black shorts (my pjs)

Dream Job: Psychiatrist and cafe owner

Dream Trip: Uhh Korea, but specifically Jeju Island

Favorite Food: I'm not really a food person, but I like almost every type of noodle dish

Top Three Fictional Universes You'd Like To Live In: Not any universe in specific, but just one where soulmates are a real thing, so that I can always be assured that I have someone waiting for me. And also Harry Potter because ✨magic✨

Tagging: @cotccotc @decalcomain @justellithings @incorrectnct and anyone else who wants to !!

#okay now im going to sleep #☔ tag games

[2getherweek]

2GETHERWEEK MASTERPOST✨

Once again, a very big thank you to all of you who participated in this week and made it amazing with your incredible creations! And of course, a big thank you to those who supported the artists, because you are equally important❤️ In this post you can find links to all things created for this event! If any of your works is missing from this list or you want us to change something, please let us know.

Everyone, I present you, 2getherweek’s masterpost!🌈

Day 1: flowers | festival | song inspired

FANFIC

For love is just in Tine by @eternal-fandom-life

[festival, sarawatine] Tine is confused, Sarawat is pining and everyone else just wants to go home.

Intro: Flowering by @flamevbirdv

[flowers, sarawatine] A bodyguard au. In which Sarawat’s a very famous singer and Tine’s a glorified babysitter. Oh, and they are in love.

i love you by @svt-district

[flowers, sarawatine] Tine has a hard time saying those three little words, so he turns to flowers.

365 flowers by @zeskiyo

[flowers, sarawatine] Tine has never received flowers in his life. Ever. But when he starts getting them daily, for months, will his plan to find out his secret admirer's identity work out?

kiss me to let the whole world see (that there’s nobody else for me) by @cu-tine

[festival, flowers and song inspired, sarawatine] Sarawat knows that Tine’s been working himself down to the bone. Well, good thing that there’s a festival nearby.

He pulls away, looking at Tine in fondness and affection, pressing his forehead against his. “Tine. Please?” His tone was desperate, but it was also laced with concern and anxiety. “Just this once?”

A beat passed and Sarawat was about to ask again before Tine tightens his grip around him, cuddling closer to his chest. “... okay.”

you by @sara-wat

[festival and date, earnpear] Basically, Earn and Pear being cute and going to a festival together.

it’s you by @brghtwn

[song inspired, sarawatine] One look at him and Sarawat knows. This? This is more.

FANART

fanart by @aerialbolditalic

[flowers, sarawatine] Tine, the sunflower child and Sarawat, the boy on fire.

fanart by @nerd-squash

[flowers and lost, sarawatine] Wat & Tine on a meadow picnic date.

fanart by @zattez

[song inspired, sarawatine] What if Tine photo bombed Wat’s pic in the Scrubb concert before he bumped into Wat later with his over excitement?

And the photo had been Wat’s lock screen until one year later before finally meeting Tine for real.

fanart by @hourtohournotetonote118 [flowers, sarawatine]

GIFSET 

gifset by @pining-sarawat

[festival, milphukong] AU in which phukong falls in love with the lead singer of the rhytm. when he brings him food, mil recognizes him and asks him out.

gifset by @teepakorns [song inspired, sarawatine]

gifset by @kuwentista

[song inspired, sarawatine] Sarawat & Tine: Memo by Years & Years.

gifset by @ficklefackle

[song inspired, sarawatine] Sarawatine’s love story + scrubb songs as the soundtrack.

gif by @lovetine [flowers, earnpear]

2gether girls as flowers by @torfight

gifset by @sara-wat

[song inspired, sarawatine] Sarawat and sweet tooth by cavetown.

gifset by @brghtwn

[song inspired, sarawatine] One look at him and Sarawat knows. This? This is more.

gifset by @saifahzonn

[song inspired, sarawatine] …and if you listen to a Scrubb song when you are in love…

EDIT

2Gether in Flowers by @kuraioshiro

Day 2: stars | love letter | lost

FANFIC

here i am lifting up my heart (to the one who holds the stars) by @cu-tine

[stars, love letter and lost, sarawatine]

5 things Tine loves, 5 wishes Sarawat wants to come true, and 1 time they both said what they truly feel out loud.

Tine wants to know, wants to know so bad why Sarawat never hesitates when it comes to him. He wants to know why he’s choosing to be with Tine even when he can do literally anything else with all his talents.

Why? Why?

Sarawat looks back at him, the stars reflecting in his beautiful irises, taking Tine’s breath away at the sight of them. He smiles, a soft and small one, lifting his hand to put it on Tine’s cheek, a wave of electricity erupting throughout his skin from the touch. “Because I love you.”

Lost by @samcedeswannabe [lost, sarawatine]

do better by @blueskycafe

[lost, milphukong] "The day it all comes to a head, it’s closer to night than day and it’s supposed to rain soon."

FANART

Four times Tine lost in Wat’s eyes by @zattez

GIFSET 

gifset by @pining-sarawat [stars, earnpear]

gifset by @lovetine

[lost, fongchat] In this world, it is too common for people to search for someone to lose themselves in. but i am already lost, i will look for someone to find myself in. In which chat and fong have been in love with their respective best friends for so long, but are willing to let them go just so they can see them be happy. in their lost souls, they find each other by chance.

2Gether & Lost by @kuraioshiro

gifset by @kuwentista [love letter, sarawatine]

gifset by @transking [lost, sarawatine]

gifset by @torfight [stars, mantype]

gifset by @saifahzonn [stars, sarawatine]

gifset by @holden-caulfieldlings [stars, sarawatine]

PLAYLIST

🎶 let this playlist guide you home🎶 by @pastel-butnotreally-angel

love letter by @sara-wat

Day 3: soulmates | rain | coffee shop

FANFIC

Trivia: Your name by @flamevbirdv

[soulmates, sarawatine] Sarawat and Tine are soulmates, or at least, Tine is Sarawat’s.

the chaser by @torfight

[soulmates, mantype]

Man loves his soulmate mark. It’s in the neatest handwriting he has ever seen, so tidy and precise that it looks like it’s been typed out. His owner must be a reliable responsible person, which is exactly what Man thinks he needs in his life, because he’s the opposite.

Type doesn’t like his soulmate mark. It’s messy and it looks weird scribbled on his right hip. Worst of all, it’s so generic. No, krub? He has already heard it thousands of times in his life, and he’ll probably have to hear it as many times before he actually finds the one.

my eyes will always return to you by @sara-wat

[coffee shop, sarawatine]

Tine and Sarawat like studying at the same coffee shop. They keep pinning after each other, but then one day there is only one table (ohmygod there was only one table).

The Bond by @samcedeswannabe

[soulmates, sarawatine]

Soul mate AU where soul mates can hear whatever music your soul mate listens to and you’re forced to sing whatever song your soul mate is singing.

in a hundred lifetimes and any version of reality (i’d find you and i’d choose you)  by @cu-tine

[soulmates, sarawatine]

Sarawat and Tine are soulmates. They love each other in every reality they live on. They’re meant to be with one another.

But why is it so hard for them to be together?

mango smoothie by @blueskycafe

[coffee shop, earnpear] Pear doesn’t drink coffee.

FANART

fanart by @zattez

[rain, sarawatine] Ghibli redraw.

coffee shop date by @nerd-squash

fanart by @yansqing

[soulmates, sarawatine]

GIFSET

gifset by @holden-caulfieldlings [rain, sarawatine]

Sarawat & music by @kuwentista

[soulmates] “You don’t need to understand music. You just need to feel it.”

gifset by @brightwin [soulmates, sarawatine]

gifset by @ramcatcher [soulmates, sarawatine]

gifset by @holden-caulfieldlings

[soulmates, sarawatine] Two people connected by the red thread of fate are soulmates.

gifset by @transking

[soulmates, manboss]

“Have you ever felt really close to someone? So close that you can’t understand why you and the other person have two separate bodies, two separate skins?” ― Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind

Americano and Blue Hawaii by @saifahzonn

gifset by @svt-district

[coffee shop, mantype] Aren’t you gonna ask how I know that you’re here?

There’s only one coffee shop near my workplace, it’s not hard to find for someone so nosy.

EDIT

moodboard by @watttine

[rain/coffee shop, sarawatine]

Sarawat is a barista at a coffee shop near his University. On a particularly dull day, a boy rushes through the door of the coffee shop, seeking shelter from the rain. With his sweet smiles and bright eyes, he warms Sarawat’s heart.

Day 4: hands | family | apologies

FANFIC

i finally found where i feel i belong (and i know you’ll be there with wide open arms) by @cu-tine

[hands, sarawatine] Tine never did liked his hands, or understood the concept of family, but thank god he has his friends to help him with that.

“Why are you always so stubborn?!” Sarawat screams back, a threatening scowl on his face. “Listen to me, for once!”

“I always do!” Tine snaps, crossing his arms over his chest. “But you never listen to me! Can you please, for once, just stop being your oblivious self and accept what I’m saying?!”

words unsaid haunt our minds by @sara-wat

[apologies, milphukong] It was about time Mil apologized to Phukong for a couple of things.

speak out or get out by @blueskycafe

[apologies, dimgreen] Dim has never been the greatest at communicating.

gone fishing by @blueskycafe

[family, earnpear] Earn is gay. She’s sure now, more than she has ever been, and the proof comes in the form of a beautiful girl named Pear.

GIFSET

gifset by @torfight [family]

Sarawat & Tine + Guitars by @kuwentista [hands]

gifset by @holden-caulfieldlings [apologies, sarawatine]

Day 5: beach | sleepy cuddles | date

FANFIC

White as Milk by @samcedeswannabe

[beach/date, mantype] Humans start out at birth with milk white blood. The more crimes they commit. The darker their blood becomes.

Trivia: Fantasy by @flamevbirdv

[date, sarawatine] A fake married AU. Sarawat and Tine act as a couple in national television.

routine by @torfight [sleepy cuddles, mantype]

running start by @blueskycafe

[beach, Phukong & Fong] Fong is looking forward to getting out of the city.

FANART

fanart by @sara-wat [sleepy cuddles, sarawatine]

GIFSET

gifset by @kuwentista

[sleepy cuddles, sarawatine] “don’t be afraid you will fall because i’m going to hug you like this all night.”

EDIT

moodboard by @watttine [beach/date, earnpear]

Day 6: tattoo | fairytale | promise

FANFIC

Dressing up by @blueskycafe

[promise, manboss] “You can still come,” Man reminds him. “All it takes is a text to Mom and she’ll set another place.”

true love’s kiss by @salaleo

[fairytale, sarawatine] It’s laughable, really, how Tine’s life had inexplicably evolved into a Disney movie after meeting Sarawat. What next? Maybe he’ll make conversation with that bird perched on the windowsill.

Alternatively: Tine reconciles his (and Sarawat’s) romantic endeavours with reality by making fairy tale references, because at this point, he’s not so sure he’s not the reincarnation of fucking Cinderella anymore.

GIFSET

gifset by @kuwentista [tattoo, bright]

gifset by @saifahzonn

[fairytale, sarawatine] ...as the same way he found his princess, the other one find his love and happiness in a little nuisance.

Day 7: “you don’t really mean that” | “ why didn’t you tell me?” | “ you love me as if I deserve you”

FANFIC

just say that you’ll always be there (and so will i) by @cu-tine

["You don't really mean that" / "Why didn't you tell me?" / "You love me as if I deserve you", sarawatine]

5 times their friends snooped in on Sarawat and Tine, and 1 time they finally left them alone.

“Seriously, Wat?! I am so disappointed in you!” He hears Tine’s voice exclaim. Man stiffens, not used to the harsh edge of Tine’s tone. When the words sunk into his brain, he immediately turned his head to where the voice came from, ready to defend Sarawat for whatever Tine is angry at him for.

The remark dies on his tongue when he sees the scene in front of him; Tine was kneeling on the grass, still in his cheerleader getup, a first aid kit right beside him. Sarawat was sitting on a bench in front of him, otherwise looking exhausted and beat but also... smiling. Not quite evident, but it was still a pretty small upturn of his lips that was directed at Tine.

all-nighters by @blueskycafe

["Why didn't you tell me?", phukong/fong]

Fong is rubbing tiredly at his eyes, his white, over-sized sweater and hair rumpled from sleeping. He looks incredibly fragile, like he should be tucked beneath heavy blankets and have his forehead kissed. (Not that Phukong would do that, because that would be weird and friends don’t usually do that.)

GIFSET

gifset by @kuwentista

[“You don’t really mean that”, sarawatine] “Do you want to try? Try to get to know each other? You don’t have to like me very much. Just keep your heart open for me. I really mean it.”

Day 8: free choice

FANFIC

come on and dance with me baby by @cu-tine   

Sarawat really didn’t want to go to this party, but he’s so glad he did.

Sarawat furrows his brows when something more... pleasant, fills his nose. Vanilla, he thought idly, the scent calming his tense nerves, not that overpowering but just right to make Sarawat’s head go dizzy from it. The guy smells like vanilla.

The guy immediately steps away from him, and oh gosh everything felt like a movie from the way the guy’s head turned to look at him, in slow motion, his hair flying to the side along with his head. Sarawat feels all breath leave his lungs when he was met with the most gorgeous boy ever.

FANART

animated video (with a tik tok audio) by @nerd-squash

fanart by @so-na-gi [sarawatine]

GIFSET

gifset by @kuwentista

My Boy Sarawat Going Through Various Emotions AKA He’s Done With Everyone and Everything.

gifset/playlist by @holden-caulfieldlings [sarawatine]

#2gether #2gether the series #2getherweek #sarawatine #tinewat #earnpear #manboss #mantype #milphukong #phukongfong #fongchat #fanfiction #art #fanart #edit #moodboard #gifset #video #playlist #event #fandom event #thai #thai drama #still2gether

[drwcn]

frostatnight replied to your post “I want to write smut but what if I want to run for world leader in 20...”

Seriously at this point in time, writing smut in your youth is one of the most harmless scandals that can haunt your election bid. I mean... just look at the types of people running countries right now.

svt-district reblogged your post and added:

living in the world we live in, by the time u want...

lurkingscientist replied to your post “I want to write smut but what if I want to run for world leader in 20...”

Hopefully by then smut writing will be considered an acceptable youth activity

WELP. Y’all convinced me. I’m gonna do it. 

Figure I would be doing the the genre and myself a disservice if i didn’t include at least 1 smut in an affair fic. Now how to balance writing utterky inaccurate trash with writing a very accurate but very clinical dictation note.

It’ll be like Clue (miss scarlet, with a candlestick, in the dinning room) except it’s wangxian in the library pavilion without clothes. The murder victim? Public decency. 

#frostatnight #corie replies #svt-district #lurkingscientist

[a-tired-leftie-carnation]

☆tag game☆

i was tagged by @pearloftheorient thank u lots!

Rules: screenshot and post your home/lockscreen, last photo in your camera roll, and last song you listened to.

Tagging: @guaranteedtoblowyourmind-anytime and @pastel-butnotreally-angel and @svt-district

#the wallpapers are photographs taken by me lately !!! #i somehow really love them #and like idk whether i want those piercings or dat hair color more

[ivebeenmade]

Swedish off duty officer arrests wanted criminal while both naked at the SPA. Because he’s awesome.

A free police officer called for a man in the saunaUPDATED MARCH 31, 2019PUBLISHED MARCH 31, 2019

A police officer who enjoyed his day off at a spa saw by chance that another man in the sauna was a man who was wanted for evading his prison sentence. The wanted man could be arrested and now the vacant policeman is being praised for his intervention.

It was on Friday night that the vacant policeman sat in a steam room at a spa when he recognized the man who was wanted. The man had, among other things, been convicted of attempted violent violence against an official and drug crime, but when the day came that he would serve his sentence he did not show up, which led to his being called by the police.

"This police was vacant and by chance, and a little funny enough in this case, so they both knew each other in the sauna," says Christoffer Bohman, Deputy Local Area Manager for the Rinkeby Police.

"As undressed as it can be"

Bohman praises his colleague for his calm behavior and tells that the arrest of the wanted man became dramatic.

- It is easier to act when you have colleagues around you, when you have all the tools and equipment. This was as undressed as it can be, yes in several respects then, and to create an event development all by itself where no one is harmed - I am glad we have such a good staff too, he says.

Praises the police colleague on social media

Now the Deputy Local Area Chief of Rinkeby Police commends his colleague and writes in an observant post on Facebook:

“You best colleague who kept his head cold even when it was called in a potentially dangerous situation and even though you were free and relaxed at a SPA. Who, even though you were in a cramped sauna with a chased criminal, had the presence of mind to create an arrest where you thought of everyone's best. The environment, the staff and the wanted man's ”.

"I thank you for your dedication that is so obvious not only when you are at work!"

Bohman ends the post with the words “We are everywhere. Even if you don't see us, we're there. "

Looked for the wanted man for a long time

To SVT News, the Deputy District Manager expresses their joy that they managed to take care of the man whom the police had been searching for a long time.

- We did it without putting anyone at risk, even though it was a little extraordinary, says Christoffer Bohman.

The arrested man will now serve his sentence.

#sweden #news #weird news

[maknaebias]

get to know me tag 💕

tagged by the lovely @pikachulein

Rules: Answer the below so your followers can get to know you a little better, and tag any blogs you also want to get to know more!

tagging: oof i’m so bad at coming up w people to tag? if u wanna do this i tag u!

Let’s start with something easy! What’s your name?

my name is nina!

Any nicknames?

nina bean is a fav of mine... @scoupsiedaisies and @cheolsgirl call me neenz sometimes and @bijou-youngk calls me sky blue angel! and in school some of my friends used to call me ducky ^^

And how do you identify/what pronouns do you prefer? cis girl, she/her!

How tall are you? 5′7 or about 170cm!

Time for you now? 5:37 pm

Astrological sign? pisces

What is the meaning behind your blog name?

my url maknaebias came from one of my irl friends teasing me that “even in groups you barely know, your bias is always the maknae!” it’s true of a Lot of groups, i won’t list them all.... but basically yeah, for some reason my favs are the youngest members a lot of the time! maybe because i’m the youngest in my family? 

Favourite K-POP artists! As many as you stan:

um. lots. the tops ones i pay most attention to right now are seventeen, stray kids, and day6! but i’ve also loved got7, red velvet, f(x), some bts, loona, blackpink, twice, and a whole host of other ones that i listen to but i guess i’m not a huge fan that follows them closely. 

Five of your favourite K-POP songs, if you can/if you stan, choose more than one group (bonus points for linking them so your followers can listen!):

so many favorites! i’ll try to give a wide range

stray kids: mirror

seventeen: highlight

loona: favorite

red velvet: peekaboo

day6: like that sun (i couldn’t find an official upload for this one!)

What K-POP song did you last listen to?

i think it was i love you by exid? or maybe that’s just the last one that got stuck in my head. 

Favourite K-POP music video?

uhhhhhh my carat heart says highlight bc even tho it’s “”””just”””” a performance mv it’s Gorgeous and it’s so well done? but also i sure love district 9 by stray kids and heart attack by loona’s chuu and never ever by got7 and egoist by loona’s olivia hye and lucky one by exo and spring day by bts and i’ll stop now but just know that I Could Go On

Who are your top five bias WRECKERS?

lee minho comes into my house and wrecks me every day

svt’s china line count as one they’re a package deal (jun and the8)

young k because how could he Not

mark tuan can fight me

sana? is? a princess??? just let me stay loyal 2 momo girl

Last but not least! Post a photo of your top biases:

OOF i’m gonna limit myself to 3 because otherwise this will get Long, but here we go!

lee chan aka seventeen’s dino! 

hwang hyunjin of stray kids!

and howdy, my name’s jae

thanks so much for tagging me kachu this was super fun!!!!!

#mutuals #tag games #maknae talks #me #i stan..... Nerds sdlfkjasdf

[22madz]

@vuuduu350 ‘s GT350🐍 #follow ⬇️✅ @kwt_performance 🔻 @mustang.bodykit 🔻 @yabeelamustang 🔻 #mustang #mustanggt #saleen #cobra #shelby #shelbygt500 #gt500 #svt #fordperformance #tbt #corsa #s550 #slp #nitto #kooks #americanracing #usa #tbt #nasty #exhaust #blacklist #mustang_fans #mustang_freakzz #mustangs #mustangfanclub #stang #stanggang #trend #trending #ford _________________________________________________ Follow Me For Daily Posts @stanglife965 🇰🇼 _______________________________________________________ (at Al-Qurain District)

#follow #mustang #mustanggt #saleen #cobra #shelby #shelbygt500 #gt500 #svt #fordperformance #tbt #corsa #s550 #slp #nitto #kooks #americanracing #usa #nasty #exhaust #blacklist #mustang_fans #mustang_freakzz #mustangs #mustangfanclub #stang #stanggang #trend #trending #ford

[aoisenri410]

Anyways the SKZ × Arknights AU concept goes a bit like this:

It follows the Arknights canon up until chapter 3 (so yeah, spoilers up until that point may be unavoidable), after that everything just becomes a huge mess of canon/non-canon stuff since I haven't found it in me to continue the story after the mess that was 4-4. Most of the world info I picked up from the Wiki, which isn't that complete either, so yeah. Huge canon divergence most likely will happen.

SKZ are all Infected whoops. 3RACHA were originally a gang of sorts but they ended up travelling the world and picking up the rest, changing their name to Stray Kids. Now they mostly do escort and courier requests.

Their main method of transport is a bus they literally overhauled and customized to hold all of their equipment and supplies, and then some. What do they call it? District 9. Is this a shameless MV reference? Yes, yes it is.

SKZ wants to distance themselves from Reunion as much as possible. They know that Reunion sucks a LOT but until they can fight them off, they'd rather play it safe. Which means yes, they're not allied with Rhodes Island. Yet (?).

OT9 is in play because I do want to create a relatively balanced team from the boys. For some reason I imagine 3Racha as melee units, DanceRacha as ranged DPS units, and VocalRacha as support units...

As for the boys' appearances in the AU:

Chan's the leader and he's a Lupo - the race with wolf features like Lappland. I imagine him to be an insanely good Guard focused on DPS, maybe something like Chen?

Woojin is the co-leader and an Ursus - the race with bear features like Zima. I imagine him as a Healing Defender, largely inspired by Saria.

Minho is a Feline - the race with cat features like Skyfire. Coincidentally, I also imagine him as an AoE Caster, with a skillset similar to Skyfire's as well.

Changbin is a Sarkaz - the race with demon-like features like Vigna. Fun fact: Changbin and Hyunjin are the two boys I had the most difficulty in determining races for. As for class, I imagine him to be a supercharged Vigna - a DP-on-Kill Vanguard.

Hyunjin is a Liberi - the race with bird features like Silence. For some reason I see him as a Single-Target Caster?

Jisung is a Zalak - the race with rodent features. For Jisung specifically, squirrel features. This is in large part because of Shaw, the tiny rapping squirrel that pushes enemies to their deaths and savior of my runs in the latter half of Chapter 2. Except I imagine Jisung as a DP-Recovery Vanguard more than a Push Specialist.

Felix is a Sankta - the race with angel-like features like Exusiai. For some reason, Exusiai reminds me of Felix, which is why I base his skills a lot after hers...

Seungmin is a Perro - the race with dog features like Greyy. I imagine him as a Slow Supporter, sorta like Istina I guess?

Jeongin is a Vulpo - the race with fox features like Perfumer. Also like Perfumer, I imagine him as an AoE Medic (because hey, you do need a healer for most late maps and Perfumer is insanely good for a 4*).

And since I am a multistan mess this might devolve into a multifandom crossover. I'll only be writing groups I'm familiar with (so X1, SVT, J01, and some of the Produce X/JP boys are all fair game). I have a plan in mind though (that is highly inspired by the Incident That Shall Not Be Named related to X1 back in January 6 2020) but yeah, still a plan, not yet set in stone except for the things related to SKZ.

But yeah, that's all I can think of right now! I'm also learning how to use Tumblr so I imagine the posting order and everything else is going to be A Mess. Feel free to leave any thoughts!

#arknights #stray kids #skz #this is a mess #like honestly #i dont know what im doing #is this a good idea? #crossover fic #how do i tag

[bucksbisexual]

i did it. i created a buzzfeed quiz. it took me almost 2 hours, but i made a what kind of 2gether gay are you quiz. reblog with ur answers if u do it pls

#also my dumbass self made a TYPO on the title #and i dont know how to fix it im gonna crYYYYYYYY #pls help #2gether #2gether the series #2gether tine #2gether sarawat #2gether man #2gether mil #2gether phukong #2gether pear #2gether earn #2gether green #asianlgbtqdramas #svt-district posts #500