#translation for the curious people: i’m asking if there’s anyone who wants to proofread my book

[hel7l7]

Zijn er Nederlandse mensen die voor mij een proof-read zouden willen doen van m’n boek?

#eventueel met een kleine vergoeding #translation for the curious people: i’m asking if there’s anyone who wants to proofread my book #sorry I’m still on a break but I had to get this question out there #schrijven #boek #dutch #nederlands

[whatifyoulivelikethat]

love letter, m | jjk

pairing(s): jungkook x reader

summary: Jeon Jungkook gets love letters shoved in his mailbox and under his apartment door all the damn time. You, too, get love letters shoved in your mailbox and under your door. All the time. It could be a sweet gesture, but this is the twenty-first century. Love letters aren't all they're cracked up to be. 

warnings: rated M (18+) for language; short graphic descriptions of sex acts; smut (fem reader, a very intense make-out session including some wild tongue and too much saliva, nipple play, a bit of m-receiving oral, cowgirl, handjob); non-idol!BTS – technically university, blond, softsub!Jungkook x working, softdom!reader; slightly desperate and needy JK

yes, yes, it’s MTV Unplugged ‘Telepathy’JK

--

"I'm so tired of people thinking they have a chance with me."

Was the exasperated declaration as you backed up into your apartment, only to turn around and witness Jeon Jungkook dumping a waterfall of colorful envelopes from his giant black backpack onto your hardwood floor. 

"At least remove your shoes before you start flaunting how hot you are," you replied dryly.

Jungkook rolled his eyes as he kicked off his large white sneakers. "Look at this shit! It's relentless! It's annoying! I just want to live my life!"

You vaguely recalled Jungkook being excited about his first love letter upon reaching university, and then the second, the third... and now you were staring at pile number five hundred on your doormat. "I don't know, put a sign on your door? 'Please stop, the answer is no?'"

Jungkook winced. "I can't do that. How many hearts am I going to break?"

"Uh, I dunno, you already broke half the campus by existing in general."

He bonked you on the head lightly with his denim jacket sleeve. "I have not. I've only slept with a couple people and that was supposed to be no strings attached."

You shrugged. "People can't understand that. Especially women."

He puffed his cheeks and stepped over the pile. You noticed the small stickers and nice handwriting on the colorful pastel paper. You almost felt bad, seeing all the effort put into them.

"At least they're cute. I only get torn notebook pages with scribbles."

"Stop lying. You get girls' letters too," Jungkook grumbled. "Can I borrow your computer? One of my professors assigned an online quiz and the internet at my place is down, again."

"You gotta move," you commented, kneeling down to collect the mess Jungkook made. You noticed Jungkook flit his eyes about before throwing up his hands and bending down to help you. 

"I'm trying to get out of the lease, but I have a couple more months left," he complained childishly.

"What about your other friends? Can't you go bother them?"

Jungkook frowned, sticking out his lower lip. The tiny mole underneath winked at you. "You hate me now or something?"

You laughed, standing up with a stacked pile of confessions to Jeon Jungkook. "No, I'm just curious as to why you always come here."

He shoved the rest in your arms, his pile slightly messier than yours. "You live the closest and you're usually home. Plus, you have two computers."

"A laptop and a desktop," you corrected. "Don't you have a laptop?"

"It's easier to borrow yours."

"Lazy."

Jungkook ignored your remark and ticked his silvery-blond head further into the apartment. "Can I borrow it or not?"

You laughed. "Of course. Laptop's on the bed."

He turned and followed the hallway to your bedroom. "Same password?" he yelled, not looking back.

"Obviously."

"Why is it my birth date?" he shouted.

"Because, one, no one will guess it, and, two, you're a dumbass and always forget it."

"I do not!"

"How many times did you ask when the password was Klingon?"

"I don't know your nerdy shit!"

"Do your fucking assignment," you belted down the hall. 

Jungkook stuck his head out of your bedroom door and scrunched his nose to make a hideous face at you, holding your gunmetal-colored laptop. You rolled your eyes as he disappeared again. This crackhead. You let out a sigh, walking past the acrylic painting of a blue sky with pink-purple clouds hanging in your living room, flicking through at all the letters addressed to Jungkook.

Surprisingly, you knew what he felt like. With you, it started with inviting one guy over to your place, sucking his dick, and then suddenly a letter appeared. Well, letter was putting it nicely. Dirty napkin with words scrawled with smeared ballpoint pen shoved under your door, explicitly asking for more. Then another, wanting it. Then another, begging for it. You ignored them. At some point, you invited a girl over, ate her out, and then the colorful envelopes started appearing, with cute stickers and neat handwriting.

Mmmhmm.

Why did Jungkook bring them here anyway? To brag? For you to peruse? You spread them out them on your coffee table and tore one open. Read it. Simple confession of love, no name. You were kind of jealous. Jungkook always got nicer ones than you did. Something about being a sexually uninhibited woman seemed to translate to others that you were down to fuck anyone, anytime, anything. You tossed the letter aside, ripped open a folded card closed with lilac tape. Another, 'I love you, please go out with me', no name. Toss. And you opened another one, reading out loud. 

"I want to cram all one hundred and seventy-nine centimeters of you into me?”

Uh.

Huh.

Still no name.

Cute peach stationery though. 

Was it a euphemism? Symbolic? Thinly veiled code? Hm. In any case, this was more along the lines of shamelessness you encountered yourself. 

By all conventions, Jeon Jungkook was attractive as fuck. Pretty pink lips, big brown eyes, manly sharp jawline. He kept his hair on the longer side, around ear length, now silvery-blond compared to the usual black. You heard he dyed it a couple times, but now it had since faded to the original blond.

Oh, yeah, also he had nice hands and a body to die for. 

You could see why Jungkook got all these love letters. You? Well, similar reasons, except less muscles. Also, yours weren't really love letters. More like vulgar remarks on the backs of grubby receipts. 

Probably just as heartfelt.

The only reason you knew of Jungkook was because you were friends with one of his close friends. Alright, maybe you sucked his friend's dick. More than once. But anyway, not the point. The point was that the topic of love letters came up one night when everyone was hanging out and you voiced your predicament. It was the summer before Jungkook entered university. He had burst out laughing, thinking it was a hilarious situation.

"Haha, that would never happen to me!"

Jokes on you, Jungkook, karma's a bitch. 

You thought about moving, but the location was close to your work and the internet service was great here. At least you always recycled the paper. What were you supposed to do? Keep an album of Starbucks napkins of people asking if your tongue was good or not?

You opened another envelope addressed to 'sweet, adorable Jungkookie'.

Their words, not yours. 

"Shove your dick down my throat and make me gag? Smiley face?"

Well, that's a contrast. 

Jungkook didn't start contacting you on his own until the letters started coming and then they didn’t stop coming, flooding his mailbox and underneath his door, overwhelming and confusing him. He didn't think he would get much attention, although perhaps it might be your fault, since you seemed to have set the precedence for this type of thing at this particular university. There was at least one person in every year that got this treatment, and it all started with one dirty napkin with smeared ink. Rumor caught on and then bam! It became a thing. 

So, yeah. 

Maybe kind of your fault.

You shouldn't have told so many people about that napkin. 

You fished out a pizza receipt from the pile, inspecting it. You couldn't find anything out of the ordinary. Then you noticed it had Jungkook's phone number and an order of three pizzas. Not a confession, just trash from Jungkook's backpack. Did he really eat three pizzas? Hopefully not by himself and in one sitting. You noticed the timestamp. Mmm, three in the morning. Okay. Maybe he did eat three pizzas by himself in one sitting. 

You filed through the rest, removing trash from the recyclable paper. Paused when you found a scrap of paper that said, "Put your dick in my ass." You recognized this curvy, narrow handwriting, slightly heavy-handed. Same person wrote you the same note this week. 

This was why you didn't take the messages too seriously.

You saw a particularly thick purple envelope and picked it up, tearing it open. It was several pages, with tiny, crammed handwriting on paper with cute bunnies on it. Several pages detailing straight up porn with Jungkook as the leading role. 

You almost burst out laughing. 

Who the fuck would write this?

And send it to him?

Not you, that's for fucking sure. 

Still, it wasn't the worst thing you've ever read. Had some spelling mistakes and poor grammar. Instant turn-off. Needed a good proofread. You settled onto your brown leather couch, highly entertained as you read it. Then you actually burst out laughing, because said person wanted Jungkook to lift them and fuck them at the same time and that kinda shit just wasn't possible. You would know, because you’ve tried. It sounded good, but in practice, the dick ended up falling out pretty quickly if the pussy was any sort of wet.

If you weren’t wet, then, eh, not sure why you're fucking. 

"What is so fucking funny?" Jungkook grumbled, poking his head around the corner, still holding your laptop. 

You held up the sheets of bunny-printed paper, still laughing. "Someone sent you their written erotica and you're the star!"

Jungkook grimaced. "Oh yeah, that person. They write something new every week. It's weird." He frowned. "I try to take it out so you don't have to read that shit. I must have missed it."

"It's hilarious," you chuckled. "You should publish them into a book."

"You know I can't do that," Jungkook sighed, putting your laptop on the coffee table and snatching the pages from you. "I throw them away like everything else."

"Did you finish your assignment?" you chortled, leaning over to look at the laptop screen. Submission successful. "80%?! When you could easily cheat?"

"I read a question wrong," Jungkook whined, balling up the paper and throwing it down. "Ack."

You looked up at him and he was looking upset at the pile on the table. 

"What's wrong?"

"What if one of them is real?" 

"Huh?"

"I mean... I just throw them away now. But what if one of them is real?" Jungkook wondered out loud. 

You shrugged. "Does it matter? They'll tell you in person if it's that important."

Jungkook tilted his head at you doubtfully. "Will they?"

You sat back into your couch, with your legs wide open. You were wearing sleek black leggings and a cropped pink sweatshirt. Not the most ladylike pose, but you didn't really care. You gestured to the stack of letters on your wooden coffee table. 

"They should. If they actually like you and it's not a joke, then they should tell you in person and accept that they might be rejected."

Jungkook frowned and slumped down next to you. His light-wash denim jacket made a loud floof as his ass hit the brown leather cushions. The wash of his jeans matched his jacket. He wore a white graphic t-shirt under. It looked vintage, but it probably wasn’t. 

"What if they're nervous?" he questioned, twisting his pink lips around.

"So what? Everyone's nervous. We all live in a perpetual state of terror."

Jungkook rolled his eyes. 

You leaned forward and plucked a sky-blue memo note from the table, reading it out loud. "I love you. Marry me." You held it out to him. "See? You get nice ones. I get, ‘choke me like you hate me’ and 'shove your tongue into my asshole, please'. Rarely do I get is that please at the end," you finished with a dry laugh. You looked up to see Jungkook staring back at you. Your laugh died a little seeing his serious expression. 

"Yes."

You blinked at him. "What?"

Jungkook ticked his chin to the note, then shifted his eyes to you.

You pointed to the memo sheet and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't write this."

"I did."

He was so serious that you couldn't laugh. You just blinked at him rapidly and turned your head to look at the sky-blue memo sheet, finally recognizing the clean, block-like handwriting and spotting the bottom right corner. English letters. A J and a K fused together, the way Jungkook usually signed his paintings.

You dropped the note like it was on fire.

Jerked your head up, not to him, but to the painting across from you in the living room, the one with the blue sky and pink-purple clouds, with a tiny JK signature in black at the bottom right corner. The painting you asked Jungkook to make you a while back. 

"You paint, right? I want something calm for my living room. I bought a canvas, so about this size. It's that cool?"

Jungkook had squinted his eyes, nodding. "Yeah, I could draw a pretty big dick on it."

"This is for my living room, dumbass. And I said I wanted something calm."

"A flaccid dick then."

You turned your head back to Jungkook of now, who was wringing his hands on his thighs, wiping off his palms. He noticed you watching him and puffed one cheek before letting out a big sigh. 

"I was... gonna leave it on your laptop," Jungkook mumbled, flapping a hand to the sky-blue note. "But I couldn't find it in my backpack, and then I realized one of the pockets was open, the one where I keep receipts... anyway I had put the note there, so I came out to see if it was in the pile... yup, there it is."

He sucked in his cheek and fell back against the leather sofa.

"Was a joke."

Jungkook's voice sounded hollow. Empty. 

"... Ah." You tucked the tip of your tongue in your cheek.

"Not the greatest joke," he added flatly.

“No, it’s not,” you agreed. "Jokes that are insincere are bad jokes."

The black words glared back up at you, contrasting the pale azure paper. You picked up the memo sheet again. Turned to face him, holding it up next to Jungkook's head of silvery-blond hair. He pursed his lips and looked away from you, jaw clenched in nervousness. 

"Just say it."

He puffed one cheek again. "It was a joke."

"Then why are you saying it in past tense?"

His brown orbs shifted from side to side before Jungkook tried to bolt out of his seat, only for you to slam a hand down on his shoulder and throw a leg over him, straddling his lap before pinning the note to his chest. He yelped sharply and looked up at you with huge, shaking irises. 

In all your time knowing him, you never tried to sleep with Jungkook.

Never. 

You jabbed the note into his white shirt and he gave you a terrified squeak in response. 

You scrutinized his face, jaw slack, eyes wide, blond curls framing his chiseled cheekbones. One of your eyebrows raised, your voice calm and unfazed.

"Say it."

"You say it," Jungkook finally shot back, furrowing his brows, biting on his lip and mustering up the most indignant look he could produce at this very second. You didn’t react. He seemed to have forgotten you did, in fact, say it, although perhaps that wasn’t exactly what he meant.

You never tried to fuck Jungkook because he didn’t treat you as anything more than his primary source of internet when his own was down. Ah, and also his outlet for complaining about his love letter problem. And then there was that other little wrinkle, the unwritten societal rule one of sucking a guy's dick you're still friends with - don't suck his friends' dicks. Surefire way to fuck up a friendship, especially if the dude’s ego was fragile.

Jungkook’s friend was dating someone else now though. His ego couldn’t be that fragile.

You leaned forward and Jungkook's annoyed gaze faltered. He gulped and tried to shrink into your brown leather couch, as if he could somehow disappear under you.

"I love you," you stated clearly and firmly. You glanced at the slightly crumpled piece of blue paper before your eyes flickered back to his face. "Marry me."

Hah, the thing about rules with you was...

Fuck 'em.

Not actually. 

Eh, not the point.

"Really?" Jungkook squeaked, voice cracking slightly.

Ah, right, the other reason you never tried to sex up Jungkook because he was a little bit of an idiot around you. But maybe this sky-blue note detailed the reason for it. 

"Say it," you repeated crossly, poking him in the pecs. "Stop avoiding it."

You observed Jungkook swallow hard again, Adam’s apple bobbing. You furrowed your brows, tipping your head down so that your forehead was hovering over his, eyebrow cocked, gazing into trembling brown orbs. Why was he taking so long? He wrote the damn words. Were they really just a joke? Hmph, why were you even trying then?

That’s how everyone was.

Not putting any stock or thought into their fucking words.

You lifted your finger but Jungkook’s right hand, the one with tiny tattoos, suddenly darted in your view, grabbing your hand back and jamming your finger onto his chest again. His heartbeat raced under your fingertip, thud-thud-thud, rapid bass accenting the moment. Electrifying it.

“Don’t.”

Whisper so faint you frowned and closed even more distance between you two, picking up the scent of vanilla fabric softener and lush cotton. A little different than you, who used a blackberry and spiced vanilla perfume.

“I like this,” Jungkook breathed under you, chewing his lip anxiously. You could feel his warm breath tickling your lips and chin with how close you were. You could count his individual eyebrow hairs, even though the eyebrow product he used.

“I… really like this.”

He let go of your hand.

Now you raised both eyebrows.

You slowly uncurled your middle finger, landing it on his chest next to the index. You felt him shiver a little, lips parting. Straightened your ring finger, planting it down. His lashes lowered a little, brown orbs on your face, watching your reaction to him. You could count the moles on his face. The one on his nose. The one on his cheek. The one under his lower lip. The one on his neck. Your pinky slid onto his chest. A wispy moan left his lips, eyelids fluttering, blond strands floating around his head with the little rise and fall of his heavy, tense exhale.

Why is it your birth date?

Take a wild guess, dumbass.

Your fingers abruptly dug into his white t-shirt, crumpling the note and scrunching the graphic up in your fist. He inhaled sharply, head tipping back and lips nearing yours, a whine escaping his throat. You quirked an eyebrow, drawing back slightly, taking in the rich depth of his tan skin, the sensual line of his neck, up to his angular chin and his dangling silver earrings. All of it. His hands immediately came up to grab your wrist and forearm, ensuring you and himself that you wouldn’t let go, the tendons in your flexed wrist right against his large palm.

“Say it, Jungkook,” you demanded. “Say those words with your pretty pink tongue hanging out your mouth for me.”

You watched him obey immediately, tongue sliding out and touching his lower lip, brown eyes framed by his long lashes and hazy with lust.

“I love you,” Jungkook breathed, a little gargled with his tongue out. “Fucking marry me, please.”

Ah, you couldn't help it. 

You smirked.

"What about all your admirers?" you murmured, twisting your fingers in his shirt, digging your nails into his chest. "You'll break all those poor hearts you’re worried about."

Those dark brown eyes told you they didn't give a single fuck. 

"What about you?" he countered, closing his mouth a little to speak more clearly.

"Me?"

The definition of trouble?

Well, if you looked that up in a dictionary, there would definitely be a picture of you. 

Jungkook’s lips parted once more, keen to submit to your wickedness, pink tongue slipping out again, shiny and glistening with saliva. Breathing shallowly, rubbing your wrist with his thumb, encouraging you to keep going. 

Your lips curved into a treacherous smile.

"I'll break all the hearts to get to yours, Jungkook."

And then you licked his tongue. 

A low moan bubbled from Jungkook's chest, his eyes rolling back and his hips bucking up, desperate for friction as the tip of your wet muscle glided over his warm softness, your spit dripping down his throat, listening to his moans turn into messy garbles of your name, begging you, pleading you, more, more, kiss me, please, and you hooked your tongue around his, gently nudging his jaw with your other hand. Knuckle to chin, tilting your head as your lips closed onto Jungkook's. 

It was not a neat kiss.

There was spit running down his chin, dripping onto his neck and your skin, your lips roughly working his, tongues intertwined and making even more of a mess, you sucking forcefully to earn pained, delicious whines. Jungkook was far too turned on to attempt to glamorize it, cries a jumbled mess under your greedy mouth, but none of that mattered. The moment was sensual and dark, bodies speaking to each other through dopamine and adrenaline. Your hand released his shirt, breaking his grip, switching to burrowing your fingers into his soft blond hair and running your nails over his scalp, leaving lines of prickling pain to enhance your kiss. 

"F-Fuck, oh fuck, yes..."

Your teeth caught his tongue, pulling back and forcing his head to follow. Jungkook made a pained noise, trapped in your embrace, whining as you took him to the brink. You released him swiftly and he snapped backward, blinking hard, trying to reorient himself, but it was impossible, your lips crashing down again, thrusting your tongue into his mouth aggressively, one eye open to witness his fucked-out state, pupils unfocused, long lashes quivering, moaning into your mouth and you inhaling it all, literally taking his breath away. 

It started out with a kiss. 

How did it end up like this?

It was only a kiss. 

It was only a kiss. 

You dropped your lower half onto his crotch and Jungkook gasped, breaking the kiss, strings of spit breaking between you two. You smirked wickedly as you felt his hardness trying to escape its clothing jail, his large hands already on your thighs and hips, sinking his fingers into the soft fabric of your leggings, rocking you into him, desperately trying to get some stimulation.

"Please," he croaked, panting for breath, pulling himself up to sitting position, so easy and smooth, fuck, so sexy, and now Jungkook was in your face, pleas on the tip of his tongue pouring out, tempting you, wanting it. 

"Please, wanna be yours so fucking bad, seeing all those fucking letters and notes you get, and it pisses me off, it's me, I want it to be me, I want to be yours and I'm telling you to your face." 

Whisper achingly hot, deep voice soaked with longing, staring into your eyes with those shaking brown orbs, spinning with emotion like an unstable top, barely enough torque holding it in place and all it took was another spin to encourage it or a gust of rejection to topple it over. 

"And you don't even care about mine, you think they're fucking funny, fuck, I can't stand it, let it be me, please..."

His hands running up your sides, grazing against your breasts, and now his hands were in your hair and yours were in his, bringing your face close, the crumpled sky-blue note right between your joined crotches, forgotten, witnessing the agonizing lust wound tightly in this embrace. 

"Let it be me," Jungkook begged.

You licked your lips slowly, scarcely swiping against his. He shuddered, leaning into it, taking whatever crumbs you gave. His long fingers tensed in your hair, yours buried in the dark roots of his. 

"You'll have to skip the marriage bit for now," you teased lightly. "I don't think my parents will appreciate you slapping down papers before you finish school."

Jungkook snickered, tucking his tongue in his cheek roguishly. "Can't they understand I have to snatch this ass as soon as possible to make people back off?"

Your hands slipped down to his jaw, fitting it in your palms, his silvery-blond stands wrapped around your fingertips. "They'll back off my door once they hear you screaming my name." 

You leaned in, but Jungkook stopped you, brown orbs glittering with mischief to get in one more quip. 

"I doubt it," he purred. 

Yeah. 

Jungkook was right. 

Ah, well. 

You seized his face and kissed him again, fuck, such malleable lips just pleading to be bitten by you, gazing up his nose and to his beautiful eyes, his soft skin in your hands, clenching his jaw under your power, letting you have it, letting you control it and him. You felt him scramble and throw his denim jacket off, dumping it onto your couch to cup your cheeks with his hands, sighing in satisfaction as you inhaled him. Your tongue lazily traced the outskirts of his lips, hearing the rattle of his beaded bracelets by your ears, amused, knowing they were his good luck charms. 

"They bring good luck," he had answered when you saw them for the first time.

You remembered tilting your head at the wooden beads on his slim wrists. "You trying to get your dick sucked or something?"

He had broken out in a loud guffaw. Nudged you with his elbow, cheeky smile on his lips. 

"Never gonna say no to getting my dick sucked."

"Mhm, cool, where's my painting of the flaccid dick?"

From then on, you noticed he wore the same wooden, beaded bracelets every time he came to your apartment.

Hmm. 

Now, your hands falling from his face, yanking his shirt from his pants, annoyed it was getting caught, and then Jungkook fitted his hands around your ass and lifted you easily, breaking the kiss, a moment for you to bear witness to his arms flexing – holy fuck, that’s sexy – right one covered in tattoos. Images and script, with one catching your eye, a string of words running up the inside of his upper arm. One you recognized because you had those words written on your bedroom wall, on a canvas hanging above your bed. A canvas you made, background a chaotic mess of varying dark red brushstrokes, the black script in the center, written by your hand. 

The exact black script with your flourishes and ticks, now tattooed on the inside of his right arm. 

Your eyes drifted to Jungkook's face and his naughty smirk, pleased to be found out. Your lips formed the sentence slowly, in awe of his audacity.

"The devil knows my name."

the devil knows my name. 

Hung above your bed, where all manner of marvelous sinful acts were performed. 

Jungkook grinned deviously. "I saw it. I wanted it on me."

Wanted it on him. 

Oh, fuck. 

Did he know? Could he guess?

"Who's the devil?" you whispered, smile widening, matching his. 

Jungkook reached down, yanking his t-shirt out of his jeans and pulling it up and over his head, revealing the body he sculpted himself, tan skin taut over hard muscle, toned and...

"You're the devil, of course," he snickered. 

Yours. 

"Ding dong daeng," you sing-songed.

How many people have been on your bed, head pulled back by your hand, blinking hard, trying to read the words on your wall through waves of forced ecstasy? Gasping them out, ending with a question, inquiring for an answer.

The devil knows my name?

And you, leaning forward, haunting whisper in their ears, yes, she does, before pushing their face down into the sheets.

"All those love letters not good enough for you, Jungkook?" you breathed, running your hands over his bare chest, spreading your fingers, letting your exhale out through your teeth. His eyes on you, torso trembling, hairs raising, feeling your nails dance up, up, raking over his collarbones and neck, leaving little pink lines of intensity.

"They're not you," he whispered. His hands brushing over yours, outlining your fingers, eyes darkening as you pushed him back into your sofa, lowering your head. "You, the one they talk about..." Your lips on his hot skin, kissing softly, tongue so slight that it made him whimper. "You, the one they look for..." His voice, deep and rumbling, vibrating your lips, pitching as you bit and sucked, leaving small hickeys. "You, the one whose bed I sit on, wondering who else has been there, wondering why it's not me, when I make myself available to you, so easy to prey on, but you let me be..." Your lips closing around his dark brown nipple, scraping your teeth against it, making him squirm and look down at you, you and your self-satisfied, ravenous smirk. 

"I let you read them," Jungkook whimpered, blond strands curled around his cheeks, chest shuddering at your nail flicking his other nipple while your mouth worked the other. "Let you see everything they want to do to me and you still didn't know."

You chuckled darkly. "What's there to know?" you mused, sticking your tongue out and pressing it against the now hard pink-tinged nub, receiving small whines of pleasure as your reward. "It's obvious what you wanted. I was right in front of you. All you had to do was say something."

Jungkook frowned as you sat up, tongue in cheek, half-grinning.

"Look at you."

You crossed your arms and pulled your pink cropped sweatshirt up and over your head, dropping it to the floor. Casually running a hand through the top of your hair to pull it away from your face, gazing down at shirtless Jungkook covered in your red bites, cocking your head with a smirk. He raised an eyebrow, eyes roaming over your figure and the curve of your breasts molded to smooth black satin. 

"You look like you eat hearts for breakfast," he murmured, admiration in his tone.

The side of your lips quirked further upwards.

"And yet you wanna love me."

Jungkook grinned. "I don't want to. I already do."

And then he was the one to pull you to him, kissing you hungrily, you immediately turning it into your favor, your pace, his tongue commanded by yours as he unhooked your bra, moaning into your mouth, rubbing your exposed nipples with his palms, unable to do much as you pushed him into the couch again, guiding his tongue down with your teeth and running the tip of yours over his wet muscle once more, trickling saliva into his throat and onto his chin and neck, messy and lewd. 

"The devil knows your name," you sighed into his mouth, feeling him knead your breasts, thumbs brushing over your hard nipples, tendrils of pleasure making your skin tingle. "And now the devil takes what she wants."

You saw the sides of his lips curve upwards as you backed up to strip the rest of your clothes, amused at Jungkook eagerly following suit and unbuttoning his jeans.

"Can't wait to flaunt how hot you are?" you laughed, reaching down to the shelf under the side table where a ceramic R2-D2 cookie jar sat.

"Do you think I'm hot?" Jungkook haughtily accused before gawking at your waist to ass ratio, his hands slowing, pants stopped to his knees in his distraction.

You gently took off the head of R2-D2 and plucked a condom from it. Some guy told you once that you couldn't like Star Trek and Star Wars at the same time and you told him to shut the fuck up as you slapped his nuts. He begged you to do it again. You fondly patted R2-D2's head after you fitted it back.

You straightened to see Jungkook on your couch with his hard dick on display.

You looked him dead in the eye. "You think I'd let you borrow my laptop if I thought you were ugly?"

Jungkook broke out of his trance and shrugged, finally yanking his calves – holy shit, his calves and thighs were muscular as fuck – out of his jeans, underwear and socks gone with them.

"Maybe you pitied my grades."

"I'd just pay for you to go to the library and fuck off, dumbass," you muttered, pushing his hands aside and ripping the condom open, drinking in the delicious sight of his throbbing red cock dripping pre-cum, his balls just waiting for – fuck it, you got down on your knees and wrapped your tongue around his length, Jungkook sputtering and gasping at your suddenness. Fuck, he smelled and tasted fucking good, clean and velvety to your lips enclosing around the head and sliding down, using one hand to scoop up his balls. Made eye contact with him again.

Jungkook breathed your name hesitantly.

Your tongue slid out of your lips and you jammed his cock all the way down your throat, slathering his balls wetly with your whisking tongue, circling around one and then the other, long expansive strokes that went past the girth of his cock, your pink tongue visible to him. Jungkook's pupils blew wide with shock, moans catching in his throat, whole body shivering, trying desperately not to look away even through you could tell he wanted to throw himself into your sofa and fucking lose it.

"Oooooooh, fuck, that's amazing.... Holy shit, your tongue is everything...."

You chuckled and pulled your head back, satisfied with his reaction. He seemed slightly disappointed until you rolled down the condom, cracking your neck.

"I think I've given enough." You stood up, getting back on top of him and his glorious thighs. "Time for you to be taken."

Jungkook smirked.

You smirked wider and more wickedly.

The sky-blue memo was crumpled into a ball, fallen to your hardwood floor.

Held him with two fingers, ugh, the weight of his cock, fuck yes, and those beautiful dark chocolate eyes, Jungkook, you dumbass, cursing that he didn't tell you sooner so that you could watch him groan and throw his head back like he was right now, gasping at your tightness, your name torn from his throat as you took in every centimeter of him, every pulsing vein and contour of his wonderful cock, stupid Jungkook and his attractive self not using his damn words so you could ride him like you were right now, setting up a fast, bruising pace. Your fingers dug into the back of the couch as you bucked your hips into his violently, keeping yourself tight because you were so fucking wet, fuck, so wet for Jeon Jungkook and his idiotic self, asking for internet to do his school assignments and not asking for his dick to be used as your fucking joystick. 

Dumbass.

"Oh fuck," Jungkook gasped. "Oh, fuck, you're so wet and tight, shit, shit, shit..."

"Tell me something I haven't heard before," you chuckled, only half-meaning it, waving your entire body to deliver a particularly hard smack to his crotch, Jungkook whimpering under you, his hands flying to your upper arms and clutching them, trying to hold on to your wildness.

"Holy fuck, you have some hard biceps," he blurted out, startled at the prominent muscle.

Well, you haven't heard that one before.

"Guess that's what happens when you jack off a lot of dick," you mused nonchalantly.

You ticked your head to Jungkook's arms – delicious – and he frowned at you, opening his mouth to protest and you cut him off by shoving two fingers into his lips, pressing them down into the wet warmth, grinning maniacally as you watched him struggle with your fingers rubbing his tongue and his cock getting assaulted by you aggressively slamming your hips down and clamping around his stiffness, tighter, faster, whines of your name in his throat, head falling back onto the couch with a flump. You were careful not to push your fingers too far. 

Getting vomited on wasn't really on your sexual activities bingo card.

Jungkook was, however, drooling down his chin and neck, and you pulled back to grab his shoulder with your wet hand – oh, fuck, his shoulder, what a lovely shape – and Jungkook wheezed for breath, you ignoring it as you focused all your energy on fucking the life out of him, dirty squelches and smacks of hips on hips, staring down at his abs and v-line, all his hard work at the gym on display, his hands still on your upper arms as he raised his hips to meet yours, needily moaning for you to destroy him with your pace.

Damn, maybe you would have sent him a love letter if you had seen him naked at least once.

"A-Ask me to cum for you," Jungkook finally got out, voice hoarse from breathing so hard for so long.

"You're going to anyway," you taunted.

"Want you to ask," he whined, almost pouting. "Tell me to do it."

You gazed into his eyes, into those brown irises overtaken by black pupils, him a top spinning by your hand, your plaything commanded by your body, pussy clenching around his twitching cock, spurred on from his pleading tone, giving him a devious and wicked grin, speaking to his swollen lips, the devil knows your name, Jungkook, and him moaning back, fuck yes she does, so close, so fucking close, unashamedly barreling towards your release, power in your veins and under you, his muscles rippling as he fucked you back, amplifying every thrust.

"Jungkook."

"Y-Yes?"

"Say it."

Brown eyes locked with yours.

"I love you. Marry me."

You smirked.

"Cum for me."

A half-second and then you let go, letting the feeling rush in and envelop you, the moment held back to torture him, and now you felt it all, already at the tipping point, strained moan as your orgasm crashed into you, shudders all over and falling, sitting all the way down in his lap to experience the throbbing ache of your core giving out and spilling onto his cock and balls in rapid bursts, viscous and sweet. The scent of sex mixing with blackberry and spiced vanilla, his length jerking inside you, and only then did you hear Jungkook crying out your name over and over, the roar in your ears fading out to his shivering moans, hands sliding up and down your arms, eyes closing and lost in the pleasure of your pussy squeezing out his cum. His touch travelling down to your waist, pulling you to him.

Messy, soft kisses, your name and curses mixed together.

"It's me, right?"

You smiled into his mouth that was still asking questions.

"Please let it be me. You'll let me love you for real, right?"

Pushing your hair back, his sweaty blond locks sticking to your face.

"Because I already do, can't stop, won't stop–"

"Yeah, Jungkook, funnily enough I figured that from the first kiss already," you chuckled, running your fingers through his ash blond hair and pulling his head back lightly, seeing him pout, the mole underneath his lower lip peeking out.

"But..."

"Hm?"

His voice suddenly small, vulnerable, his semi-hard dick still inside you.

"Do you love me?"

You lifted a brow. "What kind of dumbass question is that?" You grabbed his arm and pressed your nail into his tattoo of your words, drawing a pink scratch under them, making him gasp. "How can I not love you? Fuck, that's the sexiest thing I've ever seen, my handwriting tattooed onto you. Yes, I love you, Jungkook."

Jungkook's jaw dropped.

This fool is still shocked after all this?

You reached down and held the condom down as you lifted yourself off, yanking him to his feet, pushing Jungkook to your coffee table, right in front of the pile of letters with his name all over them. You picked up your laptop and pushed it onto his chest, forcing him to hold it, him still confused, mildly stunned, not knowing what the fuck was happening.

Then you made him half-straddle your coffee table and yanked off the condom.

"Um–"

Grabbed his cock and started furiously jacking him off.

"Oh, f-fuck!"'

And then he realized what you were doing, the sheer wrongness of it, getting harder and harder with every second, throbbing in your hand.

"You're just like them," you chuckled through exerted breath.

Faster, rougher, tighter, Jungkook clutching your laptop, his larger frame leaning against yours, head thrown back so far that his blond hair was brushing your shoulder, moaning lustfully as he thrusted his hips into your grip. White pooled onto the purple-red tip of his abused cock, far too sensitive to be jacked off this hard right after orgasm, but Jungkook begged you not to stop, streams of residual cum running down your slicked fingers.

"Always looking for your fix from the addiction that's me," you whispered into his ear, laced with an authoritative growl. 

You saw Jungkook's head lower out of your periphery, eyes opening, staring at the colorful envelopes with his name printed on them, the cute stickers and neat handwriting, panting your name, tendons and veins standing out on his neck, sweat beading on his tan skin. 

A low, dangerous chuckle rising in his throat. 

"There's a difference between them and me."

You felt his cock twitch in your hand, ridiculously hard at what you two were about to do. 

"They're not going to get their fix."

Jungkook shuddered against you, jerking his hips forward, thick white strings splattering all over the pastel paper as you watched, fascinated, the scent of his cum saturating the air and the envelopes, drops soaking and smearing the carefully written ink, time wasted and defiled. 

"I am," he moaned, twisting his body on your arms, leaning down to kiss you hungrily as you squeezed his cock, draining it all out, all over your coffee table and coating your hand, stained with Jeon Jungkook's love letter to you. 

--

masterpost

#jungkook x reader #jungkook x you #bts smut #jungkook smut #jungkook fanfic #jeon jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook x you #jeon jungkook smut

[xunolic]

oh okay okay. Can I request a woodz smut where he’s on a world tour or something and bc of the stress of the tour he had no time to jerk off hence hes sexually frustrated so his staff suggested for an escort service and they call your company or whatever and they chose you to go to him and then smut? thank you :)

paring: idol!seungyoun x blackgirl!reader

warnings: switch!youn, switch!reader, slight food play, oral (m. recieving), fingering

wc: 3.4k

✎ genre: smut, fluff

a/n: not proofread buuut happy new years eve guys!! stay safe :))

“have you seen seungyoun?”

“woodz you're on in five.”

“where did he go?”

seungyoun had locked himself in his dressing room bathroom, making sure to keep the light off so no one knew he was in there. he panted softly, palming the bulge in his bottoms, trying to find any sort of satisfaction. he groaned out of frustration, knowing he wasn't content. he was stuck on a tour bus and plane so often to where he had been left with blue balls for months. he was pulled from his thoughts from the sound of banging on the door. 

“yeah?” he answered, pushing himself from the wall he was up against. he opened the door, looking at his manager square in the eye. his manager let out a held sigh, rubbing his temples in slight annoyance. “what's wrong?”

“oh, nothing. you were just supposed to be on in like…” he looked down at his wrist although no watch was there. “3 minutes ago.” seungyoun showed no interest, walking past his hyung. he grabbed water, walking towards the stagehand. his manager followed closely behind, knowing something was wrong. he tapped his shoulder, seungyoun ignoring him.

“seungyoun. what's up with you?” he asked, staring at the back of the man's head. seungyoun shook his head, walking up to the side of the stage, the music starting slowly. the concert felt like a drag for seungyoun, just the last few. he made sure to give his best, but his manager, for the past concerts, had been concerned. the ride to the hotel was awkward, his manager stealing glances at him every few seconds.

“hyung, if you have anything to say, say it,” youn kept his eyes on the buildings and people that passed by, his chin resting in his hand.

“you know you can tell me anything right?” he said, continuing to steal glances at the 24-year-old. seungyoun nodded as they reached a stoplight. he looked over to his hyung, who was already looking over at him.

“what’s up?” he asked, turning the music down in the car.

“you saw my phone, why don't you tell me.”

it was true. he had looked through the phone of the younger male’s and found what he was watching. he stiffened, looking back at the road, driving yet again. he had to find a way to get him out of the funk he was in.

it was 11 pm, and the older man was on the phone with a company that he believed could help seungyoun whilst on tour. “yeah. do you think she’ll want to travel? okay… that’s good… okay i'll be there in two days. see you then.”

the next day rolled around and seungyoun had to make his way to the next city. you on the other hand were struggling with the courses you decided to take in college. you sat in your bed, frowning at the screen, your friend on the phone.

“i'm just saying, university is such a damn hassle. i can't believe you dropped out and left this struggle for me.”

“sorry, i couldn't do it, babe. it was stressful, but how is that job you've been doing.”

“the amount of rich, divorced men that pay big bucks for having a nice pretty girl on their side, surprises me.”

“so, any good sex stories?” she asked, a curious tone hinted in her voice.

“i don’t fuck them. i’m not a prostitute, i just accompany them to like big dinners and stuff, but i did one time. it was the worst ever, it’s like he hadn’t had sex in years, and after he cummed, i left. i had to do the heavy lifting myself when i got home.”

“damn… oh shit. i got caught, gotta go back to work. bye, baby.”

“bye,” you hung up the phone, heaving a sigh, closing your laptop. you took a break from the work, your phone ringing again. you answer putting the phone up to your ear, walking into the kitchen. “pack right now! oh my goodness y/n, this is big.”

“um… cora, please slow down. why am i packing?”

“oh, i forgot i didn’t tell you. okay, so i just got a call from some korean man about how he is a manager to some company and he needs you for a tour. people get very lonely on things like that.” 

you sat in the bed, eyes training on the sheets. “this better not be another fucking underground rapper. the last time i did that, he wouldn’t let me leave.” a shudder leaves your body as you recall the memory engraved in your head. that night sent you home with tears. he was a good looking guy, but his intentions were the worst, making you fear going anywhere near people like that man again. 

“y/n, i am not letting anyone like that near you again. plus, this must be a big artist for offering 1,000 a city.”

you choked on your spit at the amount that left your boss’s lips, thinking how to respond. “they leave from here today. i know this isn’t enough, but you have this time to decide okay. text me if you have your answer anytime soon.”

you nod knowing she couldn’t see you, mumbling an okay before hanging up your phone.  your body reacted before your mind did as you stood up walking to your closet. you took down suitcases, not knowing how much you’d need. you took two, hoping it would be enough. picking out several outfits, your mind suddenly came to. you stared at the belts and jeans in your hands, thinking if you were gonna do this.

you pack up the bags, sitting them at the door, picking your phone up. you texted cora telling her you’d do it and she responded quickly telling you to meet up with them tomorrow. you tried clearing your mind, sitting your phone and laptop on your desk. your head started hurting before you laid down to sleep, mind fogged over with thoughts. 

seungyoun’s manager woke him up early, like 2 am early, making him rush to the car; they were fifteen minutes late. seungyoun wasn’t sure of what was happening but got into the car nonetheless. he stared out the window as they finally pulled up to the relatively small building. getting out, they were greeted by the translator who worked at the building, with a smile on her face. as they were walking into the building, seungyoun looked around trying to get a grasp on the situation. they walked into a room that looked like the normal company meeting room. you looked up catching the view of a young-looking guy. your eyes lingered on each other before both he and the manager sat down.

you couldn’t stop looking for the whole meeting. he was really good looking, and it seemed he was in the same situation as you. his eyes never left yours for the fifteen minutes you were in there. cora, looked over at you to confirm your decision but traveled where your eyes led. she let out a chuckle, shoving you softly with her shoulder. 

“i said, do you want to leave with them today or do you want them to fly you out in like two days?”

“i-i can go today…” you mumbled, seungyoun smiling but then looking at his manager with wide eyes.

“oh.. yeah. she’s coming with us,” he said, placing his hand on his shoulder. he looked over to you but you were already standing to get the things that you had already stuffed in your car.

the two men went to the car leaving one side open for you. you let out a small gulp, saying bye to cora before leaving for what you thought would be a simple trip. 

boy was you wrong about the simple travels. you had been gone for three months, gone to almost ten+ cities, and there was finally one city left on the tour. you realized from the first show it wasn't just some underground rapper you were working with. you were shocked (maybe turned on, you didn't know) by how charismatic seungyoun was on stage. you had grown closer and attracted to seungyoun over these months and to your dismay, he hasn't tried anything with you. both of you had noticed the tension from day one, but he kept his distance when it came to anything sexual. you could tell he was frustrated, but you never brought it up. since it was the last day, you felt you should congratulate him for the hard work he did in the past months.

it was time for the encore stage, so you tried sneaking out before seungyoun saw you. 

“y/n?” 

“oh no,” you mumbled, turning towards the voice. seungyoun was there, sweat wetting his neck and the white tank top he was wearing. your eyes trained on his sweat glistened skin, eyes trailing on his tattoo-covered arms and the shirt almost glued to his torso. “i-i was just um.. g-going back to the uh.. hotel to surprise you with something f-for the end of the tour.”

he had his lips tugged in a smirk before nodding, “ahh. okay. well.. i'll see you back at the hotel.” you smile softly, walking to leave in the back. “the surprise better be good.” you heard him say before you felt the warm air of the night hit your skin. you walked to the van, making sure to get the extra key to seungyoun’s room before leaving. immediately after the car stopped, you ran into the hotel, getting everything ready for him.

it took about an hour for him to get back and you were laid upon his bed, a cake right beside you. you received a text from his manager telling you they made it and you rushed to turn off the lights and light the candle on the cake. you sat at the foot of the bed, biting your lip from nervousness just as you heard the door click and seungyoun turning on his light. 

“fuck..” he murmured. there you sat, the lingerie fitting you in the best possible of ways. 

“surprise,” you said, voice shaken from any nervousness you had before. he closed the door, focusing on you. you stared up at him, standing and walking up to him with the cake in hand. “blow out the candle.”

he tried prying his eyes from yours, but it felt like he couldn't. he blew out the candle but kept his eyes on you. you bit your lip, nodding to the bed, “go sit.”

he took his shoes off and moved to the bed, sitting on the edge of it. you sat the cake down on the bedside table, straddling his lap. he promptly placed his hands on your waist, looking down at your lips. “you were struggling this whole time and didn't tell me. why?”

“i didn't want to bother you or you know… push myself on you like a horny dog.”

you let out a small giggle, rutting against his growing bulge. his grip tightened on your waist, pushing your already soaked core on his jeans. your face fell in the crook of his neck, sighing softly. “you aren't supposed to be pleasuring me.”

he laughed, not loosening his grip on your waist. “what? i finally get to fuck you aren’t gonna let me?”

“i had plans. now let me do them.”

he let go of your waist and sat back on his hands, “go ahead.”

you grinned, shimmying your way off of his lap, grabbing at his thighs. you placed a soft kiss on the tent that was still growing within his tight jeans. he let out a soft whimper by the apparent tension against the fabric. 

“you want these off, i bet,” you said, kissing again at his strained cock.

he sunk his teeth into his bottom lip, looking at you nodding swiftly. you began handling his button and zipper, tugging it midway before trapping the metal between your teeth. you kept eye contact with him, dragging it down the rest of the way. you pulled his pants down his waist, massaging his thighs, laughing lightly as he tried to find any sort of friction, thrusting into the air. your hand reached up to stroke him through the thin fabric of his boxers, a groan leaving his lips.

“you’re so fucking sensitive,” you giggled. your hand worked on his clothed member, watching as he sucked his lips in, trying to contain the bawdy sounds that were longing to come out. your fingers latching onto his waistband, pulling the material down, his dick finally being freed from its barrier. 

you stared at his dick, the precum leaking from his tip. you felt yourself grow wetter and wetter, rubbing the wet substance from his slit on your thumb. you brought your thumb to your tongue, licking it, feeling the saltiness spread on your taste buds. he wanted nothing but for you to wrap your lips around him, but you kept teasing. your hands worked on his shaft, watching more cum leak out, making your mouth water. you couldn't stop yourself as you dragged your tongue from the bottom to the top of his cock, he shuddered under you, a soft groan leaving his lips. 

you wrapped your lips around his bell-rounded tip, swirling your tongue. his hand went to grab at your hair, tugging at the roots. you let out a soft whine, deepthroating before pulling back, seeing the trail of saliva coming from your lips. you guided him back into your mouth, slowly bobbing your head. your hand twisted around him, your mouth working magic. he grabbed at his shirt, stripping it away from his body. your hands gripped his thighs, moving the head of his cock to the back of your throat. you hollowed out your cheeks as much as you could, sending the utmost pleasure into seungyoun. 

“you’re so f-fucking good,” his breathing began to pick up, his hips meeting your mouth. he twitched in your mouth and you pulled away just for your mouth to be laced on his tip. you pulled away with a pop, staring up at him.

“look at me younie,” he looked down at you with hooded eyes, one of your hands traveled to his abs, tracing them with a finger. your other hand continued to fondle along his shaft, his cum coating your tongue, your cheeks, and chin. your hand didn't stop until you knew he was finished, smiling at his fucked-out look. you wiped the remaining cum, putting it in your mouth, swallowing. you crawl on his lap as he brought his hand to your face, bringing it to his. he finally brought his lips to yours for the first time. you let out a satisfied sigh as he laid you down on the bed, your head resting on the plush pillow. he moved his hand to your back, unclasping your bra, groping your breasts gently. his lips connected to the soft mound, one of your nipples between his teeth. he sucked on the bud, moving to the other to give it the same attention. his hands caressed your sides, marking your breasts with hickies.

he pulled your panties down, rubbing your clit with two of his fingers. you let out a soft moan, an airy chuckle coming from his lips. “who’s the sensitive one?” you laughed softly, getting cut off by his fingers slipping into your sex with ease. he pumped his digits slowly, the wet sounds coming from your slick, his eyes glued to your body and the way it reacted to just his fingers. his other hand grabbed your face, kissing your lips again, lying beside you to watch his fingers disappear in you. you pulled away, looking down your body, his wet fingers spreading your labia. your moans poured out as his finger thumbed at your clit, rubbing small circles. he pushed two fingers back in your clenching hole. 

you grabbed his arm, your head lazing to the side, to bury in seungyuon’s neck. your hips started to match the movements of his fingers, imprinting crescents into his arm. your whimpers were of desperation, his fingers speeding their pace. “shit. please d-don’t stop.”

he smiled softly, curving his fingers. you let out a shaky moan, biting your lip, continuing to stare down at his fingers. his palm connected to your clit, fingers curving and driving into you. 

“fuck, right there.”

“mm. you're taking my fingers so well baby.”

you nod, squeezing your eyes shut. you spread your legs wider, grabbing his bicep. he continued his movements, until your hips bucked up into his hand, cumming around the two fingers that were knuckle deep inside you. seungyoun moved his hand under your chin to tilt your head up. you fluttered your eyelids, eyes glossed over, parting your lips. he leaned down, lips once again connecting with yours. he slipped his tongue in, moving his body to hover over yours. 

pulling away, you stared into his eyes. “t-there’s condoms in the drawer.” you pointed at the bedside table, resting on your elbows. 

“since when?” he chuckled, sliding open the drawer, taking the foil packet out of it. 

“since i put them there.”

he stroked himself before he tore the package open, slipping it on, shifting in front of you. “ready?”

“more than.” 

it took no time for his cock to stretch your walls. you gripped your thighs, letting out a slight groan, closing your eyes. he gave you time to get used to him before thrusting his hips. he started slow, leaning down peck your lips softly. he looked over at the cake, an idea popping into his mind instantly as he eyed the frosting. he leaned over, gathering some of the frosting on his fingers, tapping your lips slightly. your eyes opened, licking your lips of the sweet cream, opening your mouth, accepting his fingers in. he groaned at the sight of his fingers in your mouth as you sucked and licked them. you looked up at him with half-lidded eyes, grabbing your breasts, his thrusts becoming deeper.

“you're so gorgeous,” he grunted out. he gripped your waist, hitting various angles in you, leaving you a moaning mess. his fingers were still in your mouth as he tried to pull them out. you let go, your dribble trailing from his fingers. he leaned over collecting more of the cream, licking his fingers, but not swallowing it. he leaned down connecting your lips, the frosting spreading in your mouth as well. his tongue played in your mouth, the substance becoming mixed with the saliva in your mouths. his thumb met with your clit, letting out a growl in your mouth as you clenched one time around his groin. you let out a moan, grabbing the sheets, his pace picking up.

“oh my gosh, seungyoun. harder, p-please.”

he took notice of your plea, proceeding to bruise your core. seungyoun sopped up the view of your body under him, crying out his name in an attempt to take in the pleasure he was giving. your back arched off the bed, grabbing the pillow. his dick curved perfectly, hitting the spot you needed to feel that coil start to twist in your abdomen. 

“i-i’m close.”

“so am i. just hold on for me,” he said, holding the side of your face. his hand moved from your face to your breasts, gripping the flesh as his thrust became sloppier. “we’re gonna cum together okay?” you nodded, trying to keep your eyes focused on him. he connected to your clit again, and that's all it took. you were sent off the edge, breath rigid and sweat moistening your body. seungyoun threw his head back, groaning loudly, twitching inside of you before releasing his cum in the condom. sweat fell from his brow, as he calmed down his body. he slowly pulled out, you whining from the lack of him in you. he pulled his condom off, tying it and tossing it. he laid beside you rubbing your hip softly, kissing your forehead. 

“thank you,” he said softly. you looked up at him, a smile on your face.

“so was the surprise good or what?”

he laughed, “it was great, but now make me a promise.”

you looked at him, waiting for his proclamation. 

“keep in contact with me, even after i leave for korea.”

you grinned, leaning up to his lips. “of course i will. maybe i could visit and we could go on a proper date.”

he nodded, sporting the same smile as you. he kissed you softly yet passionately, pulling away before wiping the sweat from your forehead. “round two in the shower?”

“i'll race you,” you got up, taking off to the shower, seungyoun racing behind you.

#woodz #woodz scenario #woodz smut #cho seungyoun #cho seungyoun smut #cho seungyoun scenario #woodz ambw #cho seungyoun ambw #kpop smut #kpop scenarios #kpop ambw #ambw smut #ambw

[royallyprincesslilly]

Title: I Have Questions {2}***

Non-Bearded Steve Rogers x Reader

Warning: Cursing, NSFW, SMUTTTTTT, DO NOT READ AT WORK

Words: 4.3

Summary: Steve is still acclimating to the twenty-first-century. It’s a simple fact that things in twenty-twenty are drastically different than things in the thirties. He’s been doing what he can to learn and thanks to you his go to source for answers his understanding of this time is setting in. Two and a half months have passed and it is Steve’s birthday. Again, he as a burning question for you.

Note: This was supposed to be for July 4th, Steve’s birthday, but because I don’t plan things and just fly by seat of my pants I started this super late and didn’t finish. With encouragement from @sonjashuterbugjohnson who says it didn’t matter if it was still is bday or not, here is a little Steve bday action.

Thank you guys for reading! 

***Loosely Edited/Proofread**

Previous Part: 1 |

????????????????????

   “You know he wouldn’t want a party to have all those eyes on him,” Wanda said.

 “Sometimes, it doesn’t matter what he wants. He needs this,” Tony added.

 “Him or you?”

 All eyes landed on Tony because everyone knew how Tony was. He scoffed and crossed his legs again. “Ha, you’d think everyone would appreciate the fact that I have enough money to make anyone’s dreams come true, including the great Captain America,” Tony huffed.

 “If you knew him you’d know he doesn’t give a damn about your money,” Sam slid in.

 “Fair enough. Still, none of this has amounted to anything. What exactly is the plan? What does he want?”

All eyes landed on you. Mid chew, you stopped and took all of them in. They thought you knew what Steve wanted. After you swallowed and took a sip of your ginger ale, you straightened.

 “Uh—how exactly am I supposed to know?”

 Nat, Bucky, and Sam smirked to themselves before they looked down. You wondered if they knew. You hadn’t uttered a word to anyone, and you and Steve had been very, very careful. You made sure not to act like you’d seen each other naked. You pretended like you didn’t know how to make his toes curl and he pretended like he didn’t know how you tasted. He did a shit job of it to you, but to others, it was believable. You snuck into each other’s rooms late and usually through the balconies because there were cameras everywhere. You made sure to keep as quiet as possible even though it was the hardest thing you’d ever done. Though Steve was a novice, he had an incredible ability to make your back arch.

 “Okay, you don't know, so how are we going to figure it out?”

 Tony’s impatience was shining through. It was evident once again he was used to getting what he wanted and getting it quickly. You knew what he would want, and a party wasn’t it. Steve liked his solitude, but as of late, he liked something even more than that.

 “A party is definitely not what he wants, though,” you said as you rose and walked out of the conference room, leaving them to deliberate while you found somewhere quiet to finish your food.

 After a quick walk, you found yourself on the room sitting at the ledge with your legs dangling over, just staring out at the most beautiful sunset. It was easy to get lost in it and get lost you did. You didn’t know how long you stared at it, but it was long enough for you to finish your crab salad and move on to your croutons.

 “I knew I’d find you here.” Looking back, you saw Steve walking to you.

 “If it isn’t the birthday boy—or man—or grandpa?”

 Steve rolled his eyes but smirked before he sat beside you. “You’re not funny.”

 Laughing, you popped another crouton into your mouth to loudly crunch on it. “I kinda am.”

 The two of you sat in silence for a few moments before you offered him a crouton. Steve took one and thanked you in his polite century-old way. You smiled and rested your head on his shoulder to finish watching the sun disappear.

 “Happy Birthday Steve.”

 You felt his lips brush your forehead for a tender kiss. “Thank you, sweetheart.” Your belly did backflips.

 “Everyone is looking for you wondering what you want to do for your birthday.”

 Steve sighed before he spoke, “They shouldn’t bother.”

 “A party was brought up,” you informed.

 “Not my style. I’d rather spend it with you quiet, relaxed, and cozy.”

 You smiled and looked at him. “Quiet, relaxed, and cozy, huh?”

 Steve smiled, and again, your belly did flips. “Yes, ma’am.” His lips met yours for a sweet kiss that remained that way. He didn’t try to intensify it at all. It was him saying he was content even if you didn’t have sex.

 The two of you hadn’t defined what it was that you were doing. You hadn’t sat down and talked about it or even come up with a title. You just went with the flow and enjoyed the time you had together. Two and a half months in, and you were still enjoying each other’s company and bodies.

 “I actually have a question,” Steve began.

 You slowly lifted your head. In the last two and a half months, he’d say this every time he was confused about something. Some times it was something easy and like why women showed so much skin now or why men seemed okay to disrespect women. Other times, they were about technology that seemed useless to him, like an electric bottle opener. It took him point two seconds to twist off any top. Then there were times when his questions were reminiscent to the ones that led the two of you down this path. His deep blue eyes met yours, and it only took seconds for you to know just what kind of question it was that he had.

 “I’m all ears, Mr. Rogers.”

 “So I was in Brooklyn passing by a gypsy shop,” Steve began.

 “Gypsy? You mean fortune teller?”

 “Right, that’s what they’re called now. Yes, a fortune teller. I went in and looked around.”

 “Why’d you go in? Did you want to get your future read?” Steve stared at you with a look you couldn’t read.

 “Curious,” he said as he looked away from you. “Anyway, I saw this book that I didn’t know what it meant.”

 “Do you have it?”

 “No, I was going to take it down, but the gyp—fortune-teller came out and recognized me. I had to make a hasty exit,” Steve explained.

 “Okay, what was the book called?”

 “Kama Sutra.”

 Again, your belly flipped, but it didn’t stop after a few seconds it persisted. You actually were having trouble catching your breath.

 “The—Kama Sutra. Wow,” you struggled out.

 “You’ve heard of it?”

 The only thing you could muster was a head nod.

 “What is it?” You just stared at him as everything you knew about the Kama Sutra rushed through your head. There was no way of knowing where to start. You must have been minutes because when you focused again, his mouth was moving.

 “Are you okay?”

 “Oh yeah, totally. Eh-em, the Kama Sutra is um, it’s uh—a oh boy.” You took a deep breath and slowly released it.

 “It’s an ancient Sanskrit text on sexuality, eroticism, and emotional fulfillment. It was translated and made into a book, several actually, and a lot of people use it as a way to enhance their intimate relationships.” You were shocked how professional you made it sound when everything in your head kept echoing “sex, sex, sex, sex.”

 “Sooo, it’s a dirty book,” Steve surmised.

 “No, not dirty. Okay, back in the early nineteenth century, and maybe in your time, it would have been considered scandalous it is not so frowned upon now. Now many people around the world use it as a reference. A lot of people even use it’s—teachings to enhance sex.”

 Steve’s eyebrow shot up, showing his burning curiosity. You smiled and made the decision.

 “Text everyone and tell them you’ve made other plans for your birthday,” you instructed.

 “Just what plans are these?” His smirk was utterly sexy, and you didn’t bother hiding his effect. When Steve saw you bite your bottom lip, he took out his phone and did as you asked. You held your hand out for it, then took yours out and dropped them onto the graveled ground.

 “I think this is also something that is best understood by doing.” You swung your legs over the ledge, planting them on the gravel then stood holding your hand out to him. Steve didn’t hesitate taking your hand and smoothly swooping his legs to plant them on the ground.

 “How will you--,” Steve began before you placed your finger on his lips.

 “Shh. Take off your clothes. I’ll show you.”

 Steve hesitated a moment as he looked around you.

 “Here?”

 “Right here,” you confirmed. Steve scoffed but reached for the buttons of yet another button-down shirt, but once there, he hesitated again.

 “Are you shy, Steve?”

 Your teasing had him unbuttoning his shirt. You watched as he undid button after button until he was peeling it off, showing you that beautifully toned flesh. Sucking your bottom lip into your mouth, you admired every inch of skin then dropped your eyes to his pants. You continued to watch as he removed those as well and kick off his boots. Soon he stood before you in all his glory. Your eyes slowly drank him in and appreciated every inch of him in the new darkness of dusk.

 You bent and used his discarded clothes to make a blanket to cover the gravel. When you stood again, you walked to him then around him. Slowly you trailed your finger along his skin, and slowly, you took in every muscle indentation and every smooth line. He was perfect. You wondered if anyone else would have had these results with the serum. You’d spent countless hours lying awake while he slept just touching him.

 “Are you trying to intimidate me?”

 “Not at all. The Kama Sutra is a lesson in sensuality and erotica. It is not all about racing to the finish line for instant gratification. It teaches patience and trust.” You stopped behind him and placed a kiss right under his shoulder blade and brought your hand down to squeeze his taut ass.

 “Y/N,” Steve warned. You smiled and hugged yourself to him when feeling his abs.

 “What, don’t trust me?”

 “I trust you with everything, including my life,” Steve corrected. Your eyes met, and again, the butterflies fluttered in your belly.

 Stepping in front of him, you kissed him softly once, then twice. Steve immediately intensified the kiss wrapping his arms around you to rest on your ass. You stood there giving him a taste of the sensuality the teachings stressed. Slowly you swirled your tongue around his and sucked it. Steve’s moans awoke the need in you that you’d kept in check for the last two days. When he firmly squeezed your ass, pulling you closer to him, you could feel his need pressing against your belly.

 Steve pulled his lips from yours and unzipped the jacket of your tracksuit then pulled it off of your body. As soon as he let it go, his hands were raising your tank top over your head. In seconds he had your bra off and was peeling off your pants. You could tell you were going to have difficulty with the patience part. Once you were standing before him in nothing but your underwear, he made a move to take that off of you, but your hands on his stopped him.

 “Slow, Steve.”

 “How can I when you look like that?” His lips connected to your shoulder to suck the skin there. You quickly got lost in how good it felt.

 In the last two months, he’d found each and every one of your spots, and he ruthlessly used the knowledge against you. The day you felt his lips here on your neck in the middle of a mission, you knew you were in trouble. Stepping away from him, you took a few calming breaths.

 “Close your eyes,” you ordered. Steve obeyed without protest. You liked that. He was still eager to please.

 Standing there, you got lost in his beauty for a few moments before you stepped close to him and peppered kisses across his chest and down his sternum. When you reached his abs, you gave them the salute they deserved. As you licked and kissed your way down each eight well-defined muscle, Steve’s breathing quickened. His anticipation was increasing. He was anxious to feel your mouth.

 Knowing that you decided to tease him more. When you were close to where he wanted you, you pulled away and kissed your trail back up his body. Steve groaned, and you knew it wasn’t one of pleasure, but displeasure.

 “In the Kama Sutra, it taught on the proper art of seduction. It’s usually a multi-night process of touching, kissing, rubbing, licking, and holding each other with no finish. Each night the couple would do this until they’d reached the pinnacle of need for one another. Once there on that night, there would be a special space for the act of lovemaking to happen. It was supposed to be somewhere that exuded sensuality. We’re improvising just a bit.”

 As you spoke, you kissed each part of his torso leading down to his pulsating member, but you never settled before him; instead, you focused your attention elsewhere.

 “Once at this special place, there was no mad dash for the finish line.”

 You stood, took his hand, and placed it on your breast. He didn’t move, though, he waited. Pleased, you moved his hand for him directing him how to touch you—not that he needed it. Steve had become an expert in your body in such a short time. It was incredible. He gently kneaded your flesh in circular motions before he changed direction only to forcefully pinch your nipple. A moan escaped you.

 In this place, both parties would do everything to increase intimacy, connection.”

 As you spoke, you moved his hand lower across your body, until his fingers teased the waistband of your underwear. He dipped his hand inside and quickly found your soaking core. Fighting the urge to moan again, you bit your bottom lip and allowed him time to explore. Steve pointer and middle fingers spread you while his thumb strummed your aching bud.

 A moan was strangled in your throat, begging to be set free. You fought it to speak. “There are even mentions that if done properly in the sensual act at the highest point of pleasure, a couple can transcend to another plane of consciousness where they could see the stars together.”

 His fingers felt so good, you were close, and he knew it from the subtle way your body trembled. When he moaned, you gripped his biceps to steady yourself. Though you spoke of going slowly, everything in you wanted to go against that and take your pleasure. Steve’s thumb stopped only to have his two fingers delve into your well-coated heat. You gasped out and threw your head back while holding onto him for dear life.

 “Shit,” you whispered. As soon as you said the words, Steve slipped his fingers out and removed his hand. Your eyes and head flew back to him. His eyes were watching you, intently.

 “Teach me more.” He lifted his fingers to his lips and sucked them clean of your juices. He wasn’t playing fair.

 Pulling yourself together, you stepped from him doing your best to steady yourself. “In the Kama Sutra, there were drawn and described positions that were meant to help with a particular function. For instance, there were a few to help with intimacy, some to help with pleasure, and so forth. The best way to learn the Kama Sutra’s teachings on eroticism is to experience them. Come to me, Steve.”

 Slowly Steve walked to you but didn’t touch. “Your first objective is intimacy.”

 “What should I do?”

 “Whatever you like, but keep the objective in mind,” you cautioned.

 Steve’s fingers began a trail at your wrists and brought them up your arms to your shoulders and then down across your shoulder blades to your tailbone. He didn’t stop there. Steve brought his hand around, tracing your hip to your stomach and up to your breasts. Once there, he rolled them between his fingers, making your eyes droop lazily. That was when Steve came in for the surprise kiss that took your breath away. If he was a man that had no experience whatsoever, he was now a man who had all the experience in the world. He swirled his tongue around yours and sucked on it before he nibbled your bottom lip and sucked onto it.

 Fuck, you thought. The man was not fucking around. Steve wrapped his arm behind you and held you flush against him sharing the searing heat of his body and the steady thumping of his heart that matched your own. Steve then dipped you down to your shared clothes blanket and gazed at you as if you were the most precious thing to him.

 “You’re so beautiful, sweetheart.”

 That damn nickname was going to be the death of you. He kissed you once, then twice, and trailed kisses down your body. His lips wrapped around your nipple, and it felt like an out-of-body experience. He languidly pleased you, teasing your flesh, making you pant as if you’d run a marathon. Steve kissed lower across your belly to nip the skin at your hip. The action had your thighs spreading and dropping back, giving him full access.

 Steve groaned. “You’re going to be the death of me,” Steve huskily groaned out before he dropped his head between your legs and showcased everything he’d learned in the last two months. His movements didn’t speak of urgency; they were the opposite. He moved as if he had all night, and there was nothing more important than your pleasure. When he sucked your throbbing bud into his mouth, your back arched and your eyes rolled to the back of your head. As you felt your release, Steve pulled back.

 “Objective reached?”

 A slow smile spread across your lips as you nodded. “Although I’d say you skipped ahead to your second objective.”

 “Which is?”

 “Pleasure,” you filled in.

 “Question, do you have objectives?”

 “Besides your full comprehension of the topic? Yes. Lie down.”

 Steve changed positions with you giving you access to straddle his abdomen. You could feel his cock pressing against your ass. His hands cupped your breasts and squeezed. His smile was still so innocent and pure. It must have been part of his charm. You kissed him and bit onto his lip. his guttural groan was the response you wanted, as was the nudge against your ass.

 “Be careful how far you tease me, sweetheart.”

 “Can’t take it?”

“I just worry for you when I am finally able to bend you over that ledge,” Steve sexily cautioned. You’d never wanted anything as badly as you wanted him to fuck you into unconsciousness.

 “Long gone is Captain Steve “Language” Rogers of old who didn’t know how to use the power he possessed to make a woman quiver,” you teased.

 “Thank fucking Christ for that, Steve sat. Your gasp had him laughing under the night sky. It was a sound you loved.

 “Captain Rogers,” you feigned shock. You knew damn well how filthy his mouth was behind closed doors. He was not the language police anymore. Steve sat up, wrapped you in his arms, and kissed you like a man confident in his ability to steal the breath from a woman—his woman.

 Your moans were in competition, his wanted full dominance while yours contested for that power. In the end, the battle continued even as his mouth sucked your breast into his mouth yet again. You hugged his head to you and stared at the sky. Thanks to the bright lights of Manhattan, the stars were invisible, but the beauty of the night sky was still easy to see. Pushing Steve back down, you slinked down his body until you came face to face with every eye-bulging inch he possessed.

 The man grew over a foot in height once injected with the serum and packed on over ninety pounds of muscle. The serum hadn’t stopped there, though. Your mouth watered in anticipation, and you could tell he was holding his breath. Deciding not to torture him any longer, you lowered your mouth over his engorged head and moaned when you felt it pulsate inside your mouth. Steve grunted loudly as he nudged up, sending several more inches into your mouth. Nearly gagging, you surprised the reflex and began bobbing on his need.

 Steve didn’t hide how good you were making him feel. He released moan after moan and curse after curse. It was thrilling to hear thee captain America overcome by pleasure and letting it show. You’d never thought about if he were a moaner or not, but you were pleased he was. After a few minutes, Steve’s hands were on your head, directing you, showing you just how far gone he was. When the velvety smooth tip of his cock touched the back of your throat again, you suppressed your gag and took all he offered.

 “Aaaah, fuck—yes!”

 In seconds he’d pulled your head from his length and was sitting up to turn you to the ledge he’d probably been making plans for. He kissed you along your spine before he sucked your earlobe into his mouth.

 “What’s next?” Steve’s voice was rough, but you knew it was just him being less in control of his desires. You could feel his need bobbing at your opening as he smeared your wetness across himself.

 “Connection and pleasure,” you moaned out just as Steve thrust forward, connecting you just as the first crack of fireworks erupted in the sky before you. The thunderous clap engulfed your shout.

 Steve didn’t go slow, and you were glad for it. He hammered into you, clearly needing every inch of your heat. As he fucked you, the fireworks lit up the sky. It was like it was planned just for you. After a few minutes, Steve’s thrusts slowed and became more passionate and sensual.

 “Sit back,” you moaned out. Steve did as you asked and sank back onto his knees in a sitting position. Looking over your shoulder back at him, you couldn’t help but lick your lips seeing his thick need standing right up like a gift waiting for you to receive it.

 “In the Kama Sutra, they call this the cave. It is to enhance intimacy, connection, and ranks high on the pleasure meter,” you explained before you lowered onto his cock. Every inch you sank, Steve groaned deeply. Before he filled you completely, you rotated your hips. When you did, you felt him nudge into you, filling you to the hilt.

 “Oh, sweetheart,” Steve whispered, pressing his forehead to your back. You moved on him first slowly then gradually picking up the speed. You rocked back and forth on him to the rhythm of how the fireworks erupted.

 Steve held you firmly against him and whispered the sweetest things to you, things that had your heart racing for a different reason entirely. When the fireworks picked up, you leaned forward and held onto the ledge then rode him with every intention to have him get as loud as the fireworks. Like clockwork every time you dropped onto his need, he gripped you tightly and let out a loud “ghha.”

 After a few minutes of you in control, he whispered in your ear. “Teach me more.”

 Rising off of him, you laid down. He wasted no time assuming the position and connecting your bodies again. You showcased your acrobatic and raised your legs until they were bent beside your ears.

 “My God,” Steve whispered.

 “A beautiful view,” you said.

 “Damn right it is.” Steve thrust into you, giving you all of him, and it was way too much.

 “Fuck, Steve!”

 The way he plowed into you had you feeling every sensation in the book. Every time he connected your bodies, the thunderclap of the fireworks was the rhythm he moved to. It was seconds before your orgasm overtook everything in you. You gripped him with every muscle you had, forcing a loud shout from him.

 “I’m coming, Steve!”

 As if that was what he needed to hear, he sped his thrusts and never slowed again even when you clenched around him again from yet another orgasm. He changed his angle as he arched onto his knees and dipped down into you.

 You could see his control was completely gone, and you knew he was close. Each encounter he was lasting longer and longer, but no matter the length of the session, he’d leave you exhausted. He thrust once, twice, and third time and you felt his release. As he did, you screamed out together.

 It took a few minutes for both of you to come down from your shared release. Once you did, you laid cuddled together, just watching the rest of the fireworks. It was the perfect night.

 “Happy birthday, Steve.”

 You looked at him as he looked at you. He kissed your nose and then your lips.

 “Thank you, sweetheart.”

 Again you settled in, watching the conclusion of the fireworks and enjoying the intimacy and connection you between you. There was no need for words. You were sure he knew what he meant to you.

 “Did you transcend and see the stars?”

 Steve groaned as he stretched a little. “I always see stars with you.” Your belly fluttered again. He wasn’t the only one who saw stars.

 “How’d you learn all of this?”

 You smiled and looked up at him. “I read a lot.”

 “I bet you do,” Steve responded.

 “You should be happy I have book smarts; otherwise, these lessons wouldn’t be nearly as informational,” you teased.

 “I am happy, incredibly happy. You make me happy.”

 You looked at him again and smiled. The man was on a mission.

 “Same here, old man. What’re you a hundred and two?” You snickered, knowing he hated the poked at his age. Steve rolled onto you.

 “I may be a hundred and two, but I sure can keep up with you young thing.”

 You laughed as he connected your bodies again, but as soon as the pleasure hit you, your laughing ceased immediately.

 “Not laughing anymore, I see,” Steve teased as he rekindled the fire deep within you. It was going to be a long night.

*******************************

#i have questions fic #Steve Rogers #steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x black reader #black fanfiction #steve rogers smut

[saviorsbookcafe]

The Savior’s Book Café in Another World: Chapter 3

INDEX || PREVIOUS || NEXT

Chapter 3: An Encounter in a Different World

Translated by: sydney Proofread by: Necro

“Welcome.”

Relieved that my voice still works, I look at my first customer, book clutched to my chest.

A man, possibly a few years older than me, around the same decade.

With crisp features, he is good-looking in a way that could be called handsome.

He gives off a somewhat intimidating, but honest impression.

He is wearing the same Knights uniform that I saw in a book before, with a beautifully designed sword at his hip.

At the sound of my voice, he looks at me and his body stiffens for a moment.

His eyes seem wary.

After a moment, he speaks to me.

“I left my horse in the paddock outside but, is that alright?”

“Yes, there’s a barrier to prevent any theft, so please let it run around freely. Or if you don’t want to release it, you can tie it up in the stable at the edge of the paddock.”

“I’ll leave her as is then. The sign outside said this is a ‘book café’...?”

“Yes, you are free to read any of the books here. The books in this café are enchanted so that they won’t get dirty, so while it may not be very good manners, you can read while eating here,” I say, throwing a little joke in, and his stiff demeanor relaxes a little, a small smile breaking out onto his face.

His gaze moves to the bookshelves in the café, then to the book in my arms, his eyes widening.

As he opens his mouth again, his voice wavers a little.

“That book, wasn’t it already out of print...?”

“Yes, I desperately wanted to read it and I finally got it, so today’s the first day it’s in the café. Would you like to read it?”

“Yes, of course!”

As if that tense air had never existed, he smiles happily.

I react the same way upon finding a book I want to read, so I can understand how he feels.

“You can sit wherever you’d like, and because customers rarely come, feel free to read as much as you’d like,” I tell him, handing him the book in my hands.

Taking the book happily, he looked around the café, before moving to a seat in the corner.

The chair he chose was in front of the fire, so it was in one of the most relaxing areas.

There are seats divided by partitions as well, but those seats are a little farther from the bookshelves, so anyone who wants to devote their time to reading probably won’t choose those.

And I just realized, I forgot to put out a sign for the private room.

After I close up tonight, I’ll have to write up something so customers even know there’s a private room.

Making a mental note, I hand him a menu.

Since this is a café, I made certain to offer a variety of teas and coffees, and mainly added light meals to the menu.

There are also plenty of meals that are easy to eat while reading on there.

That said, since this café is open late into the night, I prepared a few types of heavier meals as well.

It’s evening already, so if he orders anything I wonder if he’ll just order something to drink before dinner, or if he’ll order a heavier meal as an early dinner.

Contrary to my thoughts, he hesitated over the menu before pointing to the page with lighter meals.

“I’ll have a sandwich with tea.”

“Of course, I’ll have it out shortly.”

Is this just a light dinner, or is he going to eat late but wants to eat something in the meantime?

Wait, this isn’t something I should be concerned with.

I’m curious about my first customer, but I quickly leave those thoughts behind and return to the kitchen space.

It’s rude to be nosy.

I readjust my ponytail from over my shoulder to behind my head and wash my hands.

I headed towards a pantry I made in a blind spot from the café interior, and summoned ingredients with my pendant.

This world has some foods that are the same as in the world I grew up in, along with some foods I’ve never heard of before, but I went through plenty of trial and error combining those ingredients to come up with a menu full of items I’m confident in.

It’d be perfectly fine for me to summon things directly from my pendant, but as someone who loves cooking, I want to make it myself.

I chose some ingredients from what the pendant had to offer, and summoned them with a smile.

What he had ordered was the lighter of two kinds of sandwiches. 

If he had chosen the other one, it would have had meat and cooked vegetables and would definitely be more filling, but this one was significantly quicker to make.

Even so, I took my time making it.

Fresh tomatoes, a vegetable from this world similar to lettuce, and crunchy charred bacon.

It’s a sandwich made with vegetables I summoned the same way as the first ingredients.

Since it’s for a main course though, I added ham and cheese and grilled it.

It makes a light crunch as I cut it with my knife, and the cheese drips out of the edges of the sandwich.

Maybe I’ll have a sandwich for lunch tomorrow too, I think as I plate the completed sandwich.

I can even summon as many rare ingredients as I want, and I have plenty of time and love cooking.

Since I’m the only one who’s ever tasted any of them, everything here is made to my taste, but I think they’re all good dishes.

I hope my first customer likes the café and the food here.

Carrying the sandwich and a pot of tea, I made my way to him, where he seemed to be focusing intently on the book in front of him.

Remembering the times when I’m in the middle of reading, I hesitate to call out to him, but I have no choice.

“I’m sorry for the wait. You can have as much tea as you’d like, the teapot won’t run out of water.”

“O-oh, thanks.”

The pot is enchanted not to run out and is also enchanted to not cool off, no matter how long it sits.

I place the teapot and a small jar of tea leaves on the table along with a cup and the plated sandwich, and offer him a pocketwatch.

“This watch has an alarm on it. There’s no time limit so you can stay until closing if you’d like, but if you need to leave by a certain time, then please use this. That way it will only ring in your head.”

“I appreciate it. Thanks.”

“I’m running this café casually, so I’ll just be reading or working, but don’t mind me. You can read as many of the books in the café as you’d like.”

At first, I felt that it might not be good to be reading a book while other customers are here, but then I thought that if I were in their position, I’d be more uncomfortable if the staff were just standing around.

And since I don’t really have to profit off of this café, it wouldn’t really hurt if people stopped coming.

“I see, in that case I’ll read as much as I’d like.”

“Yes, if you need anything please ring the bell on your table. Oh, and for the series you’re reading, I just got the rest of them in today, so I have the next one as well.”

“Really?! I spent so long looking for them, but I’d given up. Thank you,” he says, looking truly happy, and I smile at him, telling him to take his time before stepping away.

I told him what I needed to, so I just didn’t want to disturb his reading time any longer than necessary.

I turn away as he picks up the sandwich and returns to the world of his book, and return to the counter myself.

Just as he took a bite of the sandwich, he made a surprised face, before smiling a bit and continuing to eat, so I hope he liked it.

I don’t really like working very hard, but having a customer come like this still makes me happy.

Listening to the sound of the pages of a book being turned, I returned my gaze to the book in my hand.

He ended up staying focused on his book until his alarm rang, but it looks like his alarm went off about halfway through the book.

He looks extraordinarily disappointed as he stands from his chair, not even trying to hide his reluctance to part with the book as he looks at it.

When he paid for his meal, he was very surprised at how cheap everything was, but because I can summon as many ingredients as I want for free, I only set the prices high enough to not be suspicious.

Of course, it would be strange if everything was free, so I just set the prices as low as I could.

Having paid, he looked at the book in his hands, before eventually noticing the stack of books next to the register, a look of astonishment appearing on his face.

He picks up the topmost book, his voice strained as he asks, “This one too, it was only supposed to have a limited number of copies.”

“Yeah, I happened to end up with it, so I thought I’d put it in the café.”

After staring at the book, he looks around the café, his gaze running over each of the bookcases, and his eyes brighten.

“I’m going to come back tomorrow. If I didn’t have to work tomorrow, I’d want to stay longer.”

He continues looking around the café eagerly, yet disappointedly.

There are several more books after the one he read today, and I’m sure if he had the time he would stay until closing.

Holding the partially-read book in hand, he opens his mouth apologetically.

“I’m in the middle of this one, but would it be possible for you to put it aside, so that no one else borrows it?”

“Yes, I can do that. This café is entirely a hobby for me, and I haven’t put any advertisements out, so even though it’s been some time since it opened, you’re my first and only customer. I think it’s unlikely that anyone else will come.”

“Is that so...? Well, it certainly is deep in the forest. Since I can leave my horse untethered, I’ll come again. And the book....”

“I’ll give you a bookmark for that. Please write your name on it and leave it in the book, and I’ll hold it at the counter until you come back.”

“Thank you. If that’s all, then I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Yes, I’ll be waiting. Thank you very much.”

He leaves with a relaxed smile, and I don’t feel any of the tension from when he first arrived.

I wonder if it was stress, or if he was just tired.

Whenever I’m getting stressed, I want to read, so maybe he’s like me in that way.

The bookmark in his book has the name ‘Ill’ written on it.

“Ill-san, huh? I’m glad my first customer seems to be a good person.”

At first he seemed intimidating, but he turned out to be calm and charming.

He was polite too, so maybe he’s just the type of person who has an intimidating atmosphere.

Personally, he looked to be just my type.

I don’t know if he’ll actually come tomorrow, but for now I’ll start cleaning up and getting ready to close.

Maybe I’ll make a slightly nicer dinner as a celebration of my first customer.

Oh, before I forget, I need to put out a sign for that room.

Riding my beloved horse on the path back to the castle, my mind races with everything that’s happened today.

A smile broke out onto my face as I thought, I really found a nice place today.

As someone who’s been teased for being a bookworm, that book café was a gold mine.

The atmosphere was nice, and the food was delicious and just as I liked.

The owner of the café was calm and friendly, so I’m looking forward to returning after work tomorrow.

She said it’s been some time since that café opened, but I wish I’d found it sooner.

But as soon as I see the castle from a distance, that happy feeling withers away.

The castle where the king who rules this country lives, and the place I live as a member of the Knights.

The place where a young Savior girl who it is said will save the world arrived.

I let out a sigh, and am reminded of the sour morning I had because of her.

Early in the morning, just after sunup, I looked out the window from high in the tower of Osela Castle.

Below were the horse grounds.

Normally the Knights’ horses would be lazily running around there, but now there wasn’t a single horse in sight.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me. Just ‘cause the Savior got scared by a horse and fell, now we can’t even let them run around,” the man standing next to me spats.

The light reflected almost too brightly off of his short blond hair, which was the opposite color of mine.

“And after she was the one who came into the horse grounds unannounced. Is she trying to stress out the horses until the next monster subjugation?” I added.

I’m grateful that even if I would normally be reprimanded for complaining in my position, I don’t have to hold back in front of my trusted childhood friend.

Ever since the Savior came to this country several months ago, the castle has been uncomfortably tense.

Everyone watched how the Savior acted, and tried to go unnoticed so as to not get hurt.

But the incident with the horses was completely unprecedented.

“I’m working with the Princess to figure out the Savior’s whereabouts and find a time and place to let our horses out, so we’re managing for now, but are you okay? Are you sure it wouldn’t be better to leave your horse with me?”

“You wouldn’t be able to hide taking two horses out at once. Don’t worry, after I finish the work for the Knights, I’ll be going on a long ride.”

“But you’re always looking forward to spending some time reading once work’s over. It must be stressful for a bookworm like you.”

“I’m more concerned about my horse’s stress than mine. It’s not that bad.”

“You don’t have as much time to eat either, right? You’ll collapse before long.”

“I can manage that much. You too, don’t get so irritated that the Princess hates you. You finally got engaged, after all.”

“Yeah, I got it. It’d be nice if the Prince would pay attention to his surroundings like before. To think that despite being lectured by the King, Queen, and his older brother and younger sister, he’s still in a trance with the Savior. What a pain.”

The Savior who arrived at this castle was a beautiful young girl.

She is one of the Saviors said to sometimes descend upon this world from a different world.

It is said that any country who obtains a Savior who has learned the powerful magic called Great Magic would even be able to unite the world with that power.

I heard the several Saviors who descended upon this world are working to learn Great Magic.

Osela is a country with no interest in uniting the world, but everyone is still happy that there is a Savior in their country.

Not only will her existence alone suppress invasions by other countries, but the second Prince of this country has fallen in love for the first time, with the young Savior girl.

But it was only at first that everyone welcomed their relationship.

If she were to learn Great Magic, marry the Prince and rule the country with him, the peace in this country would be guaranteed.

However....

“The Savior, huh. If she would just learn one spell, even a basic one, it’d be different,” I noted.

“Apparently she hates studying. We may not have enough magic to use Great Magic, but now I know there really is no point in just having magic.”

No matter how much time passed, she never learned a single spell.

She’s refusing to learn even basic spells that young kids can manage so long as they have some knowledge of magic.

There’s no doubt that she has magic, an amount ours can’t even compare to.

Just as we sigh simultaneously, we hear bright laughter echoing from far away.

Looking towards the source of the sound, it’s the Savior clinging cheerfully onto the Prince.

Upon seeing her, my brows furrowed and I let out another heavy sigh.

My sigh comes at the same time as one next to me, and my friend’s gaze is locked on the Prince and the Savior as he opens his mouth irritatedly, “She’s so conceited, so what if she’s a Savior?”

“Don’t let anyone hear you saying that.”

“Everyone’s thinking it, they just won’t admit it. Since the Prince is head over heels for her, no one’s bringing it up, but even though it’s been near half a year since she got here, she’s just spending all her time hanging around the Prince and hasn’t learned a single spell. But on the other hand, it’d be bad if another country took her, so we can’t just throw her out either. And we can’t have her convincing the Prince to run away with her to another country either. Just thinking about it irritates me. I don’t know what I’d do without you, Ill. If I didn’t have anyone to complain to, I’d go insane.”

“I feel the same, Beork. I hope we can find a way to solve this all.... Ah, it’s about time to get back to work.”

“Today we start the real work. Not only are we unable to rely on the Savior, but we have to reinforce our patrols, too. I’ll leave that to you, right, Knight Captain Soeil?”

“Stop with that ridiculous formality, Beork. You’re the Vice Knight Captain after all.”

I pat Beork, who called me not by the usual nickname “Ill” but by my full name “Soeil,” on the back before heading towards the Knights’ main office.

Both in battle and in life, I’m always being saved by my friend.

“Yeah, yeah, the two brats from the countryside are now the Knight Captain and Vice Knight Captain. After everyone in the village was so happy, we’d be ostracized if we came back saying we quit the Knights because of a little girl. We can’t do anything about it, so we’ll just focus on what we can do.”

“Yeah. It’d be nice if this tense atmosphere would clear up soon.”

After another day of work ends, I get on my horse, suppressing my desire to read a book.

My horse cuts through the cold air, and I let out a sigh once we’re some distance away from the castle.

If happiness escaped with a sigh, I would have run out long ago.

“How did it come to this?”

The words I whispered from atop my horse are drowned out by the wind, not reaching a single person.

It used to be a peaceful country.

The royal family was overflowing with consideration for their people, and due to the efforts of the skilled Knights, there was very little harm done by monsters.

Just the other day, my childhood friend Beork was won over by the Princess, and they got engaged.

Beork, who had gone through girlfriend after girlfriend without interruption, is now completely captivated by the Princess.

I had told him with a laugh that I would have never expected that from the old him, and he told me now it’s my turn to find someone, and we’d joked around for a while.

It’s almost like those peaceful times never happened.

Even the Savior refusing to learn magic was tolerable at first.

Saviors are said to come from another world, so that means this young girl was suddenly taken away from her parents to live in a world completely unlike what she’s used to.

She must be missing her home, everyone thought, deciding at first to just watch over her.

More so, it was for the sake of the second Prince, who hasn’t had any romantic relationships despite his age.

But no matter how much time passed, she never learned any spells.

She would avoid it by saying she doesn’t like studying, crying like a child as she refused.

And then she started to use the fact that she’s a Savior to work towards her own selfishness, sneering at those of us who couldn’t leave.

She rejected the maids, and whined to the Prince that one of the maids had been mean to her.

The maid, who had worked here for many years and was overflowing with loyalty, had only given her a brief word of advice about her table manners.

We lied to her that the maid was fired, and instead switched the maid to exclusive work deep in the castle where the girl couldn’t enter.

She complained to the Prince that his retainer had bullied her.

All she had done was refuse to hand over her precious necklace that the girl said she wanted.

We gave the girl an identical copy, and had the Prince’s retainer switch to a different job.

She came into the horse grounds unannounced, scared the horses, and got hurt.

She had the horse grounds closed because she was scared, and ordered that no horse ever be brought in front of her.

The Prince stayed head over heels for her.

Something seems strange, the Prince wasn’t like this before, and the King used to be stricter in dealing with these sorts of things too.

At the very least, they weren’t the type of people to spoil her this much.

The King and the Queen are both objecting to the Prince, but there hasn’t been any apparent effect.

I want to complain to her, or better yet have her removed from the castle, but I won’t be forgiven if I say something like that.

I can’t relax in the castle with the tense atmosphere around me and all of this to think about.

If the Savior just learned Great Magic, it’d be peaceful again.

But is there any worth in a Savior who doesn’t have any intention of learning magic?

I’ve been wondering that to myself recently.

Ahh, I want to read.

The time I used to have set aside for reading has now been dedicated to taking my horse out for a long ride since the horse grounds have been closed.

She’s my beloved horse, my hobbies can’t compare to her wellbeing.

But even so, being surrounded by this tension and unable to even pick up a book is undeniably wearing on me.

My horse can probably tell, the way she looks up at me somewhat apologetically, making me feel even more cornered.

I gently pet her neck.

“Sorry, let’s take a bit of a different route today.”

I decided to go in a slightly different direction to get my mind off of things, and directed her into the forest where the snow was piling up.

And in the middle of the forest, I saw that café.

“...a café? This deep in the forest?”

I dismount from my horse and look up at the two-story building.

This place was deep in the forest, still within Osela’s territory but a distance from the town.

Not only was this place unsuitable for opening a café, it was unlikely that there would be any customers at all out here.

Even as someone who should be familiar with what’s in the country I work in, I’ve never heard of this place before.

A sign that said ‘Open’ hung on the front door, and the building had a subdued appearance.

A small sign in front of the building said ‘Book Café.’

“Book café? Is that a café that has books?”

I’ve never heard of this café, I wonder if the owner likes books.

If there are books inside, then maybe I can read for the first time in awhile.

As the thought crossed my mind, my horse tugged at her reins, pulling me towards something.

“What is it?”

Following her gaze, I see a space surrounded by a fence.

She seemed to be pulling me towards it, so I let her lead me and take a look, seeing a paddock big enough to leave her untethered, along with a small stable.

At the edge of the paddock grew plenty of grass that horses like, and there seemed to be a magic barrier to prevent the cold from getting in.

Next to the gate, there was a sign written in the same handwriting as the ‘Book Café’ sign out front, saying, ‘Please let the horses run around, and you can use the stable as well.’

My horse looked at the grass, her eyes sparkling, and I realize it’s about time for dinner for myself as well. I don’t have much of an appetite, but it’d still be best to eat something.

Deciding I’ll go into the café, I open the gate to the paddock.

The warm air soaks into my body, cold from the snowy road.

“This place has heating too? The café owner must have a lot of magic and magic control.”

It seems like there aren’t any other customers, and worst comes to worst I can come back and tether her later.

As soon as I let go of the reins, she immediately runs over to the grass and begins to eat it happily.

Once she eats, she’ll probably run around as much as she wants.

This would be quite a big paddock for personal use.

Because of the Savior, we haven’t been able to let the horses run around as they’d like recently, so I’m very grateful for this.

Leaving the paddock, I’m exposed to the cold air again as I walk to the entrance to the café.

As I gently push the door to the café open, warm air surrounds my body, and I hear the sound of a crackling fire and quiet music.

What surprises me is the number of bookcases.

I’d hoped there would be as many books as anyone with a hobby of reading would have, but this café is filled with impressive wooden bookcases lined up, packed with books.

“Welcome.”

I look in the direction of the composed voice to see a woman, probably a little younger than me, with a calm air about her, a book in her arms as she looks back at me.

Because I’ve had so many unpleasant encounters with the young Savior girl, just seeing a woman younger than me reminds me of her, putting me off a little.

But this woman’s calm demeanor makes that vanish in an instant.

To be honest, I had actually imagined the owner of this café would be a man, so that feeling was unexpected.

There’s no sign that anyone else is in the café, so this woman must be the owner.

I tell her that I’d left my horse in the paddock outside, and she says there’s a magic barrier on it to prevent any theft.

I’m very grateful, but that’s supposed to be considerably advanced magic.

The castle’s stable has a similar barrier, but when it was put up, everyone who had helped had drained their magic and was completely exhausted.

If that’s what happens when multiple people are involved, did this woman really do it all by herself?

Such a trivial problem is immediately forgotten when she tells me I can read any of the books in the café.

On the bookshelves are numerous books I’ve wanted to read but have never been able to get, and my depressed feelings instantly brighten up.

That one too, I’ve never read it before.

Next to that one is another book I’ve seen before and been curious about.

What’s more, the book she’s holding is the one I want to read most right now, a book I’d done everything I could to find.

The book I’d given up on, after it went out of print and there was no sign I’d be able to get it, is right in front of my eyes.

She hands me the book with a bright smile, and I thank her, looking around the café to see that there seems to be no one here except me.

She had told me I could sit anywhere, so I choose the most comfortable-looking chair.

The chair is comfortable, and good for reading.

I have to eat dinner, but I also want to read.

Honestly there’s been so much going on lately that I haven’t been feeling like eating much at all, so I decide eating something light will be enough.

I asked for a sandwich that I’ll be able to eat with one hand while reading, and a cup of tea, and immediately opened my book.

After reading for a short while, I hear her telling me my food is ready in an apologetic voice.

It’s obvious that she’d need to interrupt me since she’s bringing me what I ordered, but she seems apologetic about disturbing me.

It felt...very kind, and made me feel a bit better.

She hands me an enchanted pocketwatch, and I quickly calculate what time I need to return to the castle by.

Realizing there’s no doubt that I won’t finish this book tonight gives me a bit of a shock, but I decide to focus on reading as much as I can while I’m here.

She tells me to take my time, and I thank her, watching for a moment as she turns away.

She picks up a book on the counter and sits down to read.

I notice that the book she’s reading is another one that I like, and my mood rises again.

Having the clerk here reading as well makes me feel better about not paying much attention to what’s around me, and I’m grateful.

Not worrying about my surroundings, I’d be able to stay here for quite a long time.

Dropping my gaze back to my book, I take a bite of my sandwich, and it tastes so good that I can’t believe there isn’t anyone else here.

Unconsciously, the hand on my book stops moving as I taste the sandwich.

The vegetables and bread are delicious, I’ve never had a sandwich this good before.

Maybe it tastes even better because I haven’t had much appetite recently and have therefore just been making do in regards to meals.

The sandwich has a gentle flavor, one that seems to make all of my worries disappear.

I forgot how good food could taste, I think with a wry smile.

As soon as I take the first bite, my hand doesn’t stop moving, and despite thinking I didn’t have any appetite, the next thing I knew my plate was empty.

I’m left feeling somewhat unsatisfied, but now is my chance to do some reading for the first time in awhile.

Not only that, but I have a book I’ve always wanted in front of me, and now all I want to do is read.

Next time I come, I’ll try ordering something different, I decide, looking back down at the book in my hands.

She said that I could have as much tea as I wanted too, so the service here is very good.

Sitting in a comfortable chair near a warm fire and listening to quiet music while reading a book I like.

It’s an incredibly calm and luxurious time.

And as I read, the time passed in the blink of an eye.

It took me a moment to realize the gentle music echoing in my head was the alarm, and I became incredibly disappointed upon realizing time was already up.

But I ask for her to put my book aside at the counter, and leave the café in high spirits.

Outside, I see my beloved horse looking very refreshed.

I’m glad I changed routes today.

Mounting my horse, I turn away from the café.

Apparently I’m the first and, as of right now, only customer.

Sorry to the café, but it’s nice being the only one there, I think.

The food was delicious, and the prices were extremely cheap.

It seems she really is running this café as a side hobby like she said, since she probably won’t make any profit like that.

The atmosphere was just as I prefer, and there are still many more books I want to read there.

My horse glances over at the grass in the paddock longingly, and I stroke her back with a smile.

It seems she also really likes this café, and I’ve finally got an appetite for the first time in awhile.

“Let’s come back tomorrow. With those prices, it’s cheaper than cooking for myself. If I could, I’d come every day.”

She neighs happily, and I lead her back towards the castle.

I hope nothing’s happened with the Savior, I think, feeling my heart drop.

I let out a sigh, suddenly missing the café I’ve only just left.

If only the Savior was like that gently smiling café owner.

Deciding that I’m absolutely coming back tomorrow, I headed back towards the castle with a heavy heart.

Translation Notes:

Ill’s horse: in the Japanese (throughout both the manga and light novel) the gender of Ill’s horse isn’t specified, but because I didn’t want to use “it,” I decided to pick a gender and use “she.” If there comes a day where the gender is specified, I’ll make a note of that, but for now that is very much not the case (and I honestly don’t think that day will ever come)

#savior's book cafe #savior's book cafe translation #bookcafenovel #chapter 3 #an encounter in a different world #translation notes

[bsd-bibliophile]

Thank you to all who participated! There were 404 participants in this survey.

Of the 404 participants, 87.9% have read Japanese literary works by BSD authors and only 12.1% had not. Please remember that this survey was only advertised on a Bungou Stray Dogs literary blog, so these results do not reflect the BSD Fandom as a whole.

Readers read these literary works in 20 different languages. 69% of readers read the works in English, 13% in Japanese, 5% in Spanish, 2% in German and French, and the remaining 9% were reading Japanese literature in the following languages: Chinese, Czech, Finnish, Georgian, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Serbian, Thai, Turkish, and Vietnamese.

Most people have read a novel, short story, and/or poem by the Japanese BSD authors, but not many have read the essays and plays.

Dazai Osamu is the author with the most readers. In 2nd place is Nakahara Chūya, 3rd place is Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, and 4th place is Edogawa Ranpo. 

No Longer Human by Dazai Osamu is the top favorite literary work, followed by The Setting Sun by Dazai Osamu, “Hell Screen” by Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, and Kokoro by Natsume Sōseki.

The top three authors people want to read next are: Edogawa Ranpo, Nakajima Atsushi, and Dazai Osamu. Right behind them are Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, Yumeno Kyūsaku, Oda Sakunosuke, and Natsume Sōseki.

Take a look at the images above for more details.

If you want to read more Japanese literature or are interested in a specific author, you can check out my Online Library and the BSD Recommended Reading List. There you can find over 200 literary works by Japanese authors as well as articles and videos, all free and ready to download.

There was a comment section, so if you are interested in reading the responses I have included them under the cut:

Survey Comments:

(i know no one asked but i have no friends so-) currently reading crime and punishment and it actually feels like a punishment. but it’s so good—

<3

Although i have not read any japanese authors books, I have read the books for Edgar Allan Poe and Louisa May Alcott

As character Chuuya is my favourite, but I still haven't managed to read anything by the author! In Brazil there's a collection of Japanese short stories and most of the authors I've read are from there, though the book is a bit old. The others I looked up on the internet or bought ebooks, mostly in English. I've got to know Miyazawa Kenji before I started reading BSD due to a Japanese TV program that introduced Yoshinori-sensei and his reading of the poem! So he has a special place in my heart :)

Bless this survey

Bsd (but quite honestly, your blog in particular) really awakened my love for literature and critical analysis which has been laying dormant for a while. I used to be quite good at literary analysis when I was studying romanian literature in school back in my home country, and although the subject was, unsurprisingly, abhorred by most of my classmates, I quite liked it. I hope I can go back to that someday. Thank you for the effort you put in this literature blog.

cant wait to see the results to the survey!!! ive been curious about this too, so this is very exciting for me, especially since this anime got me back into reading

Choosing the favorite author and favorite work was too harsh (I love all of them, impossible), but I tried. Can you please tell any sources, where its possible to read any works in English? Reading in Japanese is nice, but takes too much time :( And, as always, thank you for your hard work!

Chuuya's poems ? I would die for them. I'm a big sucker for poetry and there's something, somehow, inside them, that just... leaves me spechless.

Creating a discord channel to disscus about literary heroes and their works.

For the question "What Japanese BSD author are you most interested in reading whose works you HAVE NOT read?" I also want to say that I'd love to read Ogurri Mushitarou's works. <3

Gambatte💕

Happy to participate in the survey! <3!

have a nice day! ^^

Hello! Your work is amazing. Thanks for bringing all those facts and interesting quotes on these authors. Your work is really appreciated :) Have a great day!

Hi!

Hope this helps! :)

I am a huge live for reading and am planning to one by one read all of the books from the bsd authors!!

Also, I have read most of the works from the western authors featuring in bsd (since they are more available) like Fyodor's Crime and Punishment, Agatha's And Then There Were None and many of Poe's short stories!! And I felt overwhelming happiness when I saw them in the series!! Thank you ^-^

I am planning to read more of their works.

I do feel quite bad and embarassed about not reading any of the author's works, but i will read their works some day

I don't know if it is a coincidence but after I started watching the anime the libraries of my city suddenly had books of Dazai, Chuuya and Tanizaki. What they were too expensive for me to purchase.

I don't suppose you have any recommendations on where to start reading these novels in English?

I don’t really know much about BSD but I’ve been a long-time reader of Japanese literature. It’s nice that there is more exposure & interest in these books. Thank you for your blog. I hope it would lead to an introduction to other Japanese works like the classics, poetry, performance arts like kabuki, modern literature, etc.

I have marked Dazai as my favorite, though I’m not really sure if that is true, it’s just I have only read The Setting Sun and No Longer Human, so I can’t say much of my thoughts on the other authors, though I do want to read works from more of the authors the BSD characters are based on.

I have read only one short story by Akutagawa, and so I understood why the writers of BSD weren’t favored by the people in their era, considering his short story talked about the time imperial Japan taken over Joseon (Korea) and yet he made the evil ones are the Japanese, he wasn’t afraid to address his country’s bad regime, and that’s an impressive thing to be very honest, hopefully I will increase my knowledge about the authors of BSD

I haven’t read any literature yet, but I do mean to someday (ideally in japanese, although I’m still learning the basics so it might be awhile yet)

I honestly wish I read a lot more by the japanese authors. Just from the quotes you guys post, I get a desire to go out and buy a book from one of them. I'll definitely get one by Yosano this month, and then probably other BSD authors. I wish they included Japanese authors as well in school literature, like, for an example : Fyodor and pretty much whole Guild are authors you HAVE to read in my country's schools.

I like how you asked about the language of the books! I'm looking forward to the results :)

I like that i have learned about japanese culture through this works and i would have not learned about many of them without BSD. BSD have also inspired me to read other autors, or finish books from them. I love "La Nariz" from Gogol and i think i would have not learned about that story if i hadn't known BSD.

I love Ranpo-kun!

I love reading all Japanese literature, because of the unique style and approach they have toward writing. The poetry especially is very different than traditional western style, and the short stories are often written about subjects that most westerners do not touch on. I love both, but find them enjoyable for different reasons. I just wish I could read more of their works, but it is difficult to attain them sometimes, especially the more rare authors!

Keep up the good work, you got me inspired to explore more authors that I might have never even heard of otherwise!

I LOVE RL RANPO SO MUCH. HE'S THE LIGHT OF MY LIFE. I THANK BSD EVERY DAY FOR INTRODUCING US.

I love your blog, and this is cool.

I love your post about facts of the authors because it's so satisfying know why in the anime characters have some attitudes, relationship or actions

I love your tumblr 😉

I managed to buy a book with a lot of Japanese short stories and most of them are in BSD, I haven't really read it yet. My brother actively studies Japanese and one of his materials is a collection of short stories from Akutagawa and Natsume in both English and Japanese. I hope to read it in Japanese one day. Your blog is great, thank you.

I truly enjoy your tumblr, thank you

I want to read Dazai Osamu's work but I don't where to read it, don't have money to buy the real book...

I want to read their works but finding time to read is a bit hard with my life. If you know any good free pdfs then pls tell me. Have a good day! 😊

I wish I knew Japanese because there will always be something lost within translation.

I would like to read all works, but I'm too lazy

I'd like to translate Dogra Magra into English but I'd need a proofreader as my English isn't that good...do you know anyone who'd be willing to help?

I'm currently a graduate student so most of my reading is dictated by my classes, but BSD has definitely created in me a curiosity to read Japanese literature!

I'm not a fervent bibliophile like yourself but I do really like your quote choices, it's what got me really interested in those authors I have not read.  I don't follow many tumblers but yours I particularly enjoy a lot,  and it's also great we both like the bsd anime /manga! Keep up the good work I always look forward to your posts.

I’ll just take this opportunity to thank you for all your hard work in the fandom. One of the things I love the most about bsd is seeing how the authors and their works influence their manga counterparts. I would’ve never known so much about them if it wasn’t for your blog. Thank you so much!!

I’m in the middle of reading No Longer Human

I’m most familiar with British and American authors, but I love that BSD showed me so many more Japanese and Russian authors that I didn’t know existed (that’s more because of my high school but we don’t need to talk about that)

Is it weird that I actually find Kajii's stories... delightful? So much so that I want more from his character! Anyways, thanks for sharing your love for literature!!

keep up the good work, your blog is awesome!

Keep up the good work! <3

Looking forward to the results. Thank you for your hard work!

Mishima Yukio

miyazawa kenji is my favourite jp author but in terms of BSD charas, chuuya has my favourite design.

Mori-san writes really well

Most of the BSD authors I read were the American  authors and it was interesting to compare and contrast eastern to western writing

My favorite author is Dazai, but Akutagawa also have some literary works that deserves to be readed.

Nakajima atsushi works bring me a lot of happiness somehow

Reading their literary works make me understand BSD's characters better. So try reading ones if you haven't read them yet. :)

Since starting to become a fan of BSD, I've also started up a collection of books by the IRL authors on my bookshelf; I've just not got around to reading some of them yet, and others on the list are hard to find or expensive when they are available (Atsushi's Light, Wind, and Rain and Ayatsuji's Another especially). I also like reading about the IRL authors and seeing quotes, so I've seen bits and pieces about more authors than I felt was right to say I've read an entire work from.

Stan best boy Chuuya 🥺

Thank you

Thank you for all the traductions and your hard work. It is hard to know or obtain information about japanese writers in my country, so I really appreciate all of your work and traductions.

Greetings from Mexico ୧(＾ 〰 ＾)୨

Thank you for all your hard work, thanks to you I've developed an interest to Japanese literature, and seeing your posts each day put a smile on my face, so thank you sempai, lots of love from a French fan ! ^-^

thank you for conducting this survey and for all of your work providing quotes, facts etc. about the authors on your tumblr as well!

Thank you for making this survey, I was actually interested ti see how many people actually read.

Thank you for making this survey!

thank you for providing us with easy to access works from these authors 💕

Thank you for your hard work !

Thank you for your work on bsd bibliophile. I wouldn't have discovered all of those books without your blog

Thank you very much for the work you do. I study japanese literature at my university, but I couldn't find many works you post about, because they aren't translated in italian, unfortunately.

Thanks for all the effort and time you put into your blog! I always enjoy seeing your posts on my dashboard.

Thanks for all your quotes and facts!! I love your tumblr page !!

Thanks for the survey! Have a pleasant day :)

The works of BSD authors I have read so far are varied. But rather than critique them, I actually enjoy reading them especially No Longer Human because I felt like I can related to Osamu Dazai to some degree.

This survey is really interesting! I wonder if the writers are as popular as the characters!

I want to have some free time quickly so I can read some more BSD authors! My favorite japanese authors though are Banana Yoshimoto and Haruki Murakami. I've read works of Kensaburo Oé, Yukio Mishima and a little bit of Yasunari Kawata too and I wish they could appear on BSD haha it would be really cool!

PD: I love OP blog, they are one of the most original and cool fandom blogs I've seen. I think Asagiri would love it :D

This survey was nice to do ^.^

Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find books from Asia in my country (translated or not). I would really like to be able to read more of them.

You may have missed Yokomizo Seishi? Not exactly a character that appears, but at least he’s part of the perfect murder arc. I’ve only read the Inugami Clan but loved it a lot!

I started exploring Japanese lit because of a metal band I like called 人間椅子, whose entire discography is an homage to Japanese horror/mystery lit, but especially Edogawa Ranpo’s works. To be honest, I’ve been avoiding reading in English because I wanted to read in the original and (until recently) hadn’t had the proficiency to do that comfortably. Finally catching up though! Plus, I’ve been more appreciative of quality translation work, so more willing to read these things in English too.

You're one of my most favourite blogs online ever and I'm so happy you're doing this! Please share the data with us once you're finished. Thank you for your efforts!

your blog is a blessing ✨ thank you so much for bringing fans closer to the bsd authors themselves through presenting their works.

your blog is hella rad thank you for running it :’)

#survey #results #japanese literature #bungo stray dogs #bungou stray dogs #bsd

[dogcircle-scans]

Natsume Yuujinchou: “Village of the Sleeping Vessel (Part 2)” Summary (Chapter 101)

The person who appears in front of Natsume during a crisis… Is he an enemy, or an ally—…?

The long-awaited continuation to the latest arc! This chapter was so intense I felt like I was doing more translating than summarizing lol. Regardless, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

This issue comes with a Nyanko-sensei cable tie, so if anyone likes that, feel free to get a copy.

The next chapter will come out on September 24th.

Special thanks to Jessica for proofreading, as always!

- Niji

[Everything under the cut]

Chapter 101: “Village of the Sleeping Vessel”(Part 2)

Natsume: Ma… Matoba-san!? Why are you here…? Matoba: I came to help. Natsume: Huh———— Nyanko: They are coming.

Just as Nyanko-sensei says, a swirl of wooden dolls head towards them. Matoba, unfazed, looks at them with a smile.

Paper dolls attack their wooden attackers, just as Natori appears.

Natori: Thank goodness you’re alright. Take this chance and come with me!

Natsume: Natori-san! Natori: Hey, Natsume.

The five of them take shelter behind some trees.

Natori: ——Hiiragi, good work protecting them until we came. Hiiragi: Master. Natori: For now, let’s look for a place to hide. Seriously, Natsume… Why did you turn up at a place like this? Natsume: Well… Nyanko-sensei mysteriously ran away from home, so I was looking for him…

Natori: He ran away from home? Nyanko: AS IF I’D DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! It’s just Natsume with his super-ultra-level misunderstanding! Natsume: …Um, the whole story is pretty complicated… Meanwhile, why are you here at this village as well? Even Matoba-san has come along… Matoba: …I was in the middle of an important lunch meeting as the head of my clan.

Matoba: All of a sudden that Natori dashed in and dragged me away by the scruff of my neck. Natori: …… Natsume: What? Matoba: When I asked for the details, he said that you were in danger. With the other party being who he is, it seemed he needed my help. Honestly, this is extremely bothersome, but well… I think it’ll be interesting to have you be indebted to me, Natsume-kun. Besides, I was curious as to why Natori’s shiki were in this village. Why were you monitoring that man? Natsume: Monitoring… Do you mean that man with long hair? Natori: …Well, we have our circumstances… ——Hiiragi, what was that man doing here? Hiiragi: ——… That man…

Hiiragi: ———He was walking around the village as if he was looking for something. He would check abandoned houses or sheds, and eventually he even entered the workshop and warehouse of the only family that remained in this Homura District——

Hiiragi: There, I saw Natsume and the cat, who had ran away from home. Natsume: No, I came here because——

Sasago and Urihime appear in a puff of smoke, interrupting their conversation. It seems that they've been looking around, and found that a barrier has been erected around the village.

Natori: It’s as I thought… This will be troublesome. Matoba: Well, this does sound like something he would do. Natsume: ——A barrier…?

Natori sends Sasago and Urihime to investigate the nature of the barrier, and they leave.

Natsume: ——Natori-san. Natori: Natsume… I would like to send you back home immediately, but…

Natori: Ayakashi——— Your Sensei, is currently unable to get out of here. This village has already become his hunting ground. Natsume: Hunting ground…………

Just as they say this, they catch a glimpse of a wooden doll in the sky. They will need to find a new hiding place soon.

Nyanko: Hey, Natsume. Do you smell something? From beyond those bushes. Natsume: Huh…? I hope it’s not a delicious-smelling udon shop or something, Sensei. Nyanko: NO!! Still, it’s still a strange… scent… Natori: … *sniff* I can’t smell it. Hiiragi: ——No, now that he mentions it… It doesn’t smell bad, but it makes me feel like I shouldn’t get close… Matoba: In that case, we should head towards it. Natsume: Huh? But… Matoba: If that place makes ayakashi feel as though they shouldn’t get close, then those wooden dolls are unlikely to come near it too.

Natsume & Natori: WOW… (……I would have preferred an udon shop……) Matoba: Isn’t it great that it isn’t an udon shop? Seems like it isn’t really a significant building. Let’s enter. Natori: Wha-! Oi!

They enter the building and look around, but see that nothing is inside. Natsume finds the building rather strange, and asks if Nyanko-sensei and Hiiragi are feeling okay. They both confirm that they felt alright the moment they entered the building.

Natsume: ——Why is there something like this here…? Natori: It’s probably because… this place is connected to an exorcists’ neighborhood. In the past, under the guise of a pottery village, Homura specialized in creating porcelain that could be used as effective exorcism tools*. Natsume: Exorcism tools——? Natori: Somehow, Hakka Pottery harbored mysterious powers. All the exorcism tools that were created here, be they masks or pots, were all top class items. Matoba: Many of them were artisans who took their work seriously, so they weren’t keen on dealing with anyone who weren’t interested in their art. Because of that, their work don’t often appear on the market. They truly are phantom tools. However, time passed and the artisans with the power to create such works began dying out.

[A more literal translation of this term is “tools to aid their technique/magic”. I’m exercising some creative liberties here in order to make it digestible in English.]

Matoba: Now, it’s but a miserable village with only one pottery kiln left. Natsume: ——… (That person’s——) Natori: In any case, this is a place with such a history. Something might have been left behind here. There are also violent people who come to this place. Be they exorcists with strong ambitions, or Collectors with no integrity.

Natsume tells them that the long-haired man was called a collector, and Matoba explains that a “Collector” is a term used in their business to refer to people who collect items related to ayakashi, or exorcism tools that harbor strong powers. Natori says that the man Natsume met was called “Ban”, an infamous practitioner who serves a female Collector.

[Imma just put all subsequent mentions of ‘Collector’ with a capital letter, since it’s now established that they aren’t just normal collectors. Also, “Ban” literally means ‘companion’, ‘attendant’, or ‘follower’, which makes me laugh a little because his whole identity is apparently just acting as someone’s servant. It’s a bit ironic considering the threat he’s supposed to pose in this arc.]

In the forest, Ban discovers his broken wooden dolls among shreds of paper.

Ban: Where... did these rats come from?

Back in the building, Natori explains that Ban comes from an old line of exorcists and can control dolls made from wooden planks. He is known for surrounding his prey as though he is on a hunt.

Natori: You could joke that he’s like a hunter now that he’s working to collect exorcism tools, but it is nothing to laugh at. Anyway, as long as it’s for his master’s collection, he will show no mercy. Once he has his eye on something, he must attain it. He would even visit various places for unknown items.

Matoba: ——And then, when he came to this village, Ban happened to encounter an extraordinary exorcism tool. It’s what you are holding. The vessel that your cat is in.

Ban: (I also want that.) Natsume: ——… …… Thank you, very much……

Matoba: ——… Huh? Natsume: …You came all this way… Natori-san, Matoba-san, and even Hiiragi and the other shiki… You came to help Sensei and me… Thank you very much……!

Nyanko: *Chomp!* Natsume: OUCH! Nyanko: You fool! What are you getting all afraid for!? I could easily beat this group of weaklings at their own game— Matoba: *grab!* Shush!

Natsume: (——He’s walking around the building——…)

Eventually, Ban leaves the area, and disappears into the forest. Matoba, seeing this as a chance, suggests that they head towards the pottery workshop.

Natori: What!? Moving around is a bad idea— Matoba: Though I was unwillingly brought here, it’s still a rare chance for me to come to Homura. We can make this our hideout, so until I return, you can just hide at that corner over there, Natori. Natori: …… Natsume: If you’re going, can I come along too? The potter stayed behind when I ran away, and I’m concerned about his well-being. Matoba: Hm… I would love to have a talk with the potter as well. Why don’t we invite him over to this hideout of ours? Natsume: …… …Sensei, could you hide here as well? If that person finds you— Nyanko: Are you an idiot? Just what do you see me as?

Nyanko: The one you should be afraid of isn’t that vulgar huntsman. It is me. You should be doing your best to worry for that man, so that I don’t run out of here and gobble him up.

Natsume: ——Is that so? Nyanko: It is so.

Sasago and Urihime investigate the barrier, confirming that they cannot escape through the sky. The barrier is shaped like an overturned bowl, a type unique to Ban’s family.

Urihime: If we want to break it—— I hate to say it, but perhaps we can ask that clan head— Sasago: *shudder!* Urihime: What’s wrong, Sasago? Sasago: —Nothing, it’s just, I saw something pass under us.

Sasago: ——It’s an eerie village. Urihime: You think so? Do you feel something from this empty land? Sasago: I do, however… When I try to find their presence, somehow… There’s something that makes me feel uneasy———

Back to Natsume’s group, they are all making their way towards the workshop when Matoba decides to split from the group.

Matoba: ——There’s a warehouse in this direction, isn’t there? I’ll part here. Natori: Matoba-san! You can’t just enter them however you want———

Matoba leaves anyway, leaving the rest to continue towards the workshop. Things are strangely quiet around them, as Natsume slowly evaluates the dilapidated state of the village, and how only one person — the potter, “Tomuro” — is living in it now.

Natsume: …Isn’t he afraid? (Isn’t he lonely——?) Nyanko: ——…

Nyanko: Hop! Natsume: WHA-...!? Nyanko: Natsume, you head on with the other brats. *dash* Natsume: Oi, Sensei-...

Seeing how the figure of Sensei running away matches with that in his dream, Natsume chases after him. He comes to a house, and sees Tomuro lying unconscious.

Natsume: (The potter is in a place like this!) Are you alright!?

Natsume: Ah! Hey, Sensei. What are you doing? We even told you that you’re being targeted… Thank goodness you’re alright… *hug…* Nyanko?: ——…

Natori and Hiiragi catch up to him, and they determine that Tomuro was caught under a sleeping spell. They agree that it might be safest to bring him to their hideout, since it dispels ayakashi.

Natori: ——By the way, Natsume. Right now, is the Book of Friends… Natsume: ——I brought it with me… Natori: …I see. I’m sorry. Even though it was for an emergency, I ended up bringing a dangerous person along. Since we are going against Ban, I needed Matoba’s advice no matter what…………… ——Natsume, since Matoba and… Ban, are both focused on Sensei, you must make sure that they don’t take notice of that. Natsume: ———… Yes.

Natsume: Haaaah… Natori: ———What’s wrong? Natsume: Nothing. I just thought it was a good thing I told you about the Book of Friends—— I can’t tell people about it carelessly… And I intend to continue keeping it a secret from here on. But whatever happens…… I thought I should let you know about it, Natori-san—— Natori: ——…

Natori: Is the Book of Friends… heavy? Natsume: Yes. It’s my treasure.

They begin heading back to their hideout, with Tomuro in tow. Matoba returns right at that moment, with books and scrolls under his arms.

Natori: Matoba-san! What’s with those items!? Matoba: There were so many interesting books, I couldn’t help myself. Don’t worry, I’ll return them soon. ——Oh my. Natsume-kun, what happened with him? Natsume: Huh?

Matoba: Who is that cat you have with you?

Natsume: Huh? What do you mean? It’s Nyanko-sensei… Nyanko: *rustle* I’ve kept you waiting! There were some rare mountain grapes in the back…

Everyone: WAAAH—————!!? Nyanko: Who in the world is that!? Natsume: !? Why are there two Nyanko-senseis!? Ah!

The fake Nyanko-sensei leaps out of Natsume’s arm, when Natsume spots a missing piece from its back. Nyanko-sensei tells Natsume to chase after his impostor, and they find themselves in a house, where the fake Sensei slips into a room. Natsume and Nyanko-sensei dash in.

Nyanko: Natsume, above!

[OMG LOLOL]

Natsume and Nyanko-sensei scream, scaring all the cats away. When Natori and Hiiragi finally reach them, both of them are in so much shock that they can’t even form coherent words.

Back at their hideout, Tomuro wakes up and sees them sitting around him.

Tomuro: …Are you exorcists? Natori: ———……… Matoba: Yes, it’s amazing you could tell.

Tomuro, in a delirium, explains that only exorcists would visit this village. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the power to create exorcism tools, and that, as they can see, there’s no longer anything left.

Matoba: ——But it seems like you have quite a few cats. Tomuro: ...Cats? Ah… That brings back memories… Indeed, there was a period of time in the past where vessels, used as cursed tools, were made in the shape of fortune cats. However, it turned out to be much too powerful of a tool, so they stopped selling them. I heard that they were sealed in a warehouse on this land. However, a long time ago, a huge fire consumed the contents of that warehouse, and not a single one remained. I have never seen it outside of the catalog, so I’m afraid I can’t sell it to you either.

Natsume realizes that the black Nyanko vessel that Riou was sealed in was probably made here. And, likewise, Nyanko-sensei’s fortune cat form was also made here…

Tomuro continues by saying that the village has nothing but a potter who is only able to make commonplace pottery, and implores them to leave. He immediately falls asleep after finishing his words.

Natori notices Natsume looking thoughtful, and asks if he is alright. Natsume explains that he recalled what Ban had told him back at the workshop… “I also want that, which you have.”

Matoba: ——I see. It seems like Ban wants every single one of them. All the cats that are hiding in this village———

Urihime and Sasago continue their investigation in the forest.

Urihime: So this is where you sense that presence to be? It’s no good. We can’t find anything.

Urihime: Perhaps we should head back to where our master is. Sasago: Indeed. Meanwhile, it’s likely that there’s another… Urihime: ——… Sasago…?

Back at the hideout…

Natori: ——So that means, Ban also noticed the group of cats that Natsume saw… Natsume: Just who…… could those cats be? Are they like Sensei, with something sealed inside each of them…? (If that’s the case, why would they all be at the village…?)

Matoba: Well, whoever they might be, it wouldn’t matter to Ban. Natsume: Huh? Matoba: We told you, didn’t we? The Collector of exorcism tools that he is working for, couldn’t care less what is inside.

Something moves behind them, causing Natsume and Natori to flinch. They turn around, only to see that Tomuro has disappeared. Searching for where the sound might’ve come from, they run downstairs, and there—

[Every single part of this arc is just gonna end on a cliffhanger, isn’t it? God dammit Midorikawa-sensei!]

“Village of the Sleeping Vessel” TO BE CONTINUED

#natsume yuujinchou #natsume's book of friends #Natsume Takashi #Nyanko-Sensei #manga #summary #apta scans #spoilers #natsume manga spoilers #translation #Midorikawa Yuki #Yuki Midorikawa

[katieusualthings]

The reason why Kimetsu no Yaiba (KnY) is so well received by the Japanese (as such a remarkable phenomenon)

Written by Vũ trụ 一１９九

Translated by Meownie

Proofread by Alice

Everyone knows that just in a short time, KnY has almost occupied the spotlight in all fields, everyone talks about it, the number of sale in goods and comics is enormous, both of them are sold out, etc.

Following my own curiosity with this phenomenon, as well as my existent love for the original work of Kimetsu no Yaiba (the manga), I dug into this issue because, in Japan, every trend has its own root.

Taking aside all the numbers of sale or whatever, which have been analyzed by a lot of people, as I’m not a data person, I will look into the content, the storyline and the core of this phenomenon in reference to many sources and comments about KnY coming from people in this country.

Many of you say that KnY is only at an average level compared to the manga/anime general standard. Then let me tell you what the extraordinariness that an ordinary series can do.

Apparently, there are always conflicting opinions, the Japanese community is no exception. However, the pro-KnY still grows bigger and there is no sign of softening. And here are some positive comments for the success of this series.

1. The anime is excellent in graphics, sound effects, the plot details are neatly arranged, easy to understand and heart touching

Cannot ignore the fact that the anime has built up the KnY’s success. Ufotable made the anime so excellent, especially in terms of visual and sound. It makes the story more approachable and the audience more empathetic to it.

The anime is a contribution to KnY’s greatest success. But many seem to be mistaken that only thanks to the anime did KnY succeed like that?

If the anime succeeds, viewers will be more interested and curious about the main storyline, so they will try to read the original manga. But if the manga was a trashy series, they could stop buying/reading it and just wait for the anime, right? So what is the reason behind the boom in the KnY manga sales until the beginning of this year, and its rankings which are always in the top 3 of WSJ magazine?

Sometimes ago, I did a research and presentation about the anime/manga industry along with the cultural reforms that contributed to the revival of the Japanese economy after the war. In that research, there was a detailed analysis of the connection between the original manga and the anime adaptation as a yin-yang relationship. They are all for the sake of the original publisher and the animation studio, so one will complement the other.

Manga is a product which only attracts a certain group of people, it is not so popular since there are homemakers, young children, the elderly, and people who are not fond of reading, those who do not find manga interesting. But anime is more universal and extensive, as you know, Japanese families often buy a TV to watch the news or to entertain on weekends. The anime is only about hearing and watching, so anyone can access it. When a manga is adapted to an anime, it brings the original closer to the people, and furthermore, hopefully, make it to the big screen.

On the other hand, the original manga is the base, the soul of the work, so readers feel more excited when waiting for each chapter be published in the magazine, waiting for the changes to be re-compiled each time for a new volume. So the manga contributes to increasing a large number of consumers. Of course, buying DVD-BD is definitely more expensive than buying the volume.

As a result, success is mutual support between manga and anime. And making an anime warmly-received is not that easy, the good base of the manga should be credited and vice versa.

I will talk more about the content of the original in the second reason. But initially, it is necessary to distinguish: not all good originals are well-received and vice versa. Everything’s got its relative value, in which context and timing play a role.

2. The charisma of the protagonist, Tanjirou, a young boy trying to save his sister; With a warm-hearted characteristic, his story is not about “revenge” but “restoration”

11 over 10 people being asked, answered that KnY’s success comes from the main character. This is yet another compliment to the editor who directed the way for KnY, Katayama-san, for orienting to make a more gentle, kind Tanjirou, eliminating the brute in the original portray.

Firstly, it is appropriate in this day and age to have a main character who is kind and gentle, which replaces for the old MC portray, who was noisy, hot-tempered and “brainless”. Secondly, it suits the plot that Croc-sensei wants to shape, a story about a boy finding a way to help his sister to be human back, about family love and values. A character who is kind-hearted, with a loving and protective care towards his sister, is more suitable for the readers. On the other hand, the story which does not turn to revenge, but to the path of helping the younger sister to be back to normal and the main character with his sympathy for the tragic fate of the demons makes the readers/audience impressed and pleased and feel like they’re saved and soothed as well.

Tanjirou takes the crown not only because of his kindness but also the determination and strong will, as he does not forgive the crimes committed by the demons. Yes, he is surely sympathetic to them but they all have to pay for their guilt. Therefore, our main character is always consistent from the beginning to the latest chapter and that personality has never wavered.

Not to mention, there is an indispensable point in the MC of WSJ, that they all constantly try their best and do not deny what they are given.

Tanjirou carries all of those points of a MC of WSJ but still reaches many different types of audiences. Lots of mothers want their children to watch KnY so they can show more love towards their families and younger sisters like Tanjirou does.

That is the greatest success of the series. And that’s the reason why the media team take the slogan “Japan’s softest slaying demon story” to PR KnY successfully everywhere.

3. The next detail making the manga a big hit is the consistency in story theme, which is “family”

As everyone knows, the shounen mangas in general and ones in the WSJ, in particular, all discuss the solidarity. But there is a theme in KnY which reaches the audience more easily and widely: “family”. This is the affection that almost everyone can receive and understand.

The modern social situation of Japan, an Asian country, where even though family love is appreciated, the family warmth have gradually disappeared. Children who reach the age of independence and are out of a parent’s guardianship are able to easily leave the country, live independently and rarely return to visit their family. Here in Japan, the proportion of the elderly, late marriage and single people is increasing sharply. The rate of living alone now in Japan is very high and alarming. So a series about love for parents and siblings in the family is like warmth for this cold society.

From an old man’s POV who are living here: “I feel wholesome and nostalgic of the days I spent with my family, feel warm when watching KnY, and how Kamado siblings protect each other.”

The elderly do not pay attention to whatever trend is, they just watch TV basically to enjoy good work and support it.

The family theme is easy to empathize and to be delivered, so even the kids can watch and enjoy it with their mom. There are some POVs from some mothers, telling that their little kids love KnY and hoping they love their family just like the characters in the story do.

Although the context in the story is dark, the path of the story, the way expressing the theme of Croc-sensei is easy to understand, which brings in the light in the darkness and makes the number of readers become more diverse, makes the work more popular and universal.

Tbh, KnY is still very “bright” compared to many series in Japan, so a lot of children can approach this manga. Moreover, there are many cute characters and details in the story.

4. The gap between characters makes a unique way in Gotouge-sensei’s character creation

The Japanese love the interesting dynamic, and they define it as “the gap”. The more surprising gap a character has, the more popular that character is. Briefly, it is, “not judging the book by its cover”.

The first example is the character has the same or sometimes, more popularity over the MC in Japan, Zenitsu. They don’t usually like noisy guys, but because Zenitsu is a cool character and has an interesting gap, which attracts readers. Apart from his noisy, cheerful behaviour,  he is a serious, thoughtful and experienced person who accepts pain and loss just like an adult.

Then there are countless characters with interesting gaps like Inosuke, Giyuu, and the Pillars. Crocs-sensei’s characters are not many, compared to a shounen series. But this is the mangaka’s intelligence to choose the strengths outshining the weakness. Although sensei does not create many characters, sensei has built the base for the character very well, for the impressive appearance of each one and makes the readers/audiences remember them deeply.

The proof of this success is that KnY goods are sold out with every character, from the most to least favourite.

5. The story is clearly set in the Taisho era, coming with its proportional design and architecture that makes the reader accessible

Taisho era is neither old nor new. The people witnessing the change in that era are still alive. But Taisho was the period of transition with the insecurities in the society. So the creation of a fantasy battle with the chaos between demons and people is extremely suitable for the Taisho era.

There are billions of reasons, like the previous parts, here would mention only main points. KnY is simply a normal series, but it is the ORDINARINESS that pulls out the EXTRAORDINARINESS and delivers those CLOSER to the readers. And this “extraordinariness” is not something that a so-normal series can do.

I love the welcoming spirit of the Japanese, they always appreciate new things, yet never forget to maintain and preserve the old ones.

Because it is a constant rule in development.

The same thing applies for the WSJ: increasing sales for the currently published series, at the same time discovering and boosting new titles. And the latter is more important than the former. But they still welcome new series that inherit such values in shounen genre, the magazine would develop the series open-heartedly if it is deserved.

I am also a fan of shounen and WSJ, I think KnY totally deserves the success it has achieved now.

I also hope it is kindly well-received because Kimetsu no Yaiba was made not to be a replacement, not to take any seats from any series. It is simply a shounen legacy in WSJ magazine. You would know that the spirit in shounen manga highly values this “inheritance” characteristic.

#Kimetsu no Yaiba #manga #anime #tanjirou kamado #kamado tanjirou #nezuko kamado #kamado nezuko #giyuu tomioka #tomioka giyuu #zenitsu agatsuma #agatsuma zenitsu #inosuke hashibira #hashibira inosuke

[shijiujun]

[ENG] History3: Trapped Novel - Chapter Two

~6,500 words (proofread by @weilongfu​)

Translation Masterpost can be found here

Disclaimer: Translations are entirely mine - these are not official translations and some phrases have been changed for better English interpretation so you’ll definitely see better/different translations elsewhere. Also keeping in mind when we translated this we aren’t exactly thinking about the style of writing and this translation is as close to the novel as we can make it XD So yes, some parts may be a little awkward to read. And yes some teeny weeny details and words may not turn up in the translation because the Chi to Eng mind acrobatics didn’t work out. If you see asterisks, scroll all the way to the bottom for notes!

Full chapter below the cut

Chapter Two

The sound of a gun’s silencer echoes from inside a black sedan, and both Wang Kun Cheng and his driver are found dead inside with bullet wounds through their right temple, just hours after their meeting with Xing Tian Meng.

Time of death, 9pm.

Meng Shao Fei lies on his bed, thinking back to the meeting with Interpol during the day, where Team 3 and Interpol exchanged information on this case. Although Wang Kun Cheng’s men insist that the person who murdered their leader was Tang Yi, but as seen from Team 3 and Interpol’s investigation, there were no signs of struggle and fights inside the club where both parties met, and   moreover, Tang Yi has a perfect alibi.

As Wang Kun Cheng was shot at close range after he left the club, it is impossible that Tang Yi, who was at another location attending an evening gala dinner — they have CCTV footage to prove that he entered the hotel at 8.30pm and left only at 1am in the morning —  was the culprit for the murder. They aren’t ruling out the possibility of a third party committing the murder at Tang Yi’s orders, but the surveillance cameras in the area were tampered with and damaged before the murder happened, so before they can find further evidence and witnesses, Tang Yi is definitely not the culprit. However, he is curious about one thing… in the 48 hours after news of Wang Kun Cheng’s death was made known, Cambodia’s drug syndicate’s leader Chen Wen Hao immediately returned to Taiwan. Both Chen Wen Hao and Wang Kun Cheng used to be members of Xing Tian Meng, especially Chen Wen Hao. Xing Tian Meng is able to grow to its scale today because it was he and Tang Guo Dong who built the organisation up from scratch.

Even after Chen Wen Hao was sentenced to prison for 24 years due to the skirmish with Si He Hui, but during this time, the person who visited him most frequently was Tang Guo Dong. From this, it is obvious that they were very close to each other and had a deep relationship. If this was so, what reason would Tang Yi, who took over Xing Tian Meng in Tang Guo Dong’s place, have to go create trouble with Chen Wen Hao’s men, and even going so far as to kill the man?

Unable to sleep no matter what he does, Shao Fei finds himself leaving the bed and walking over to his bulletin board, filled entirely with profiles of people and information related to Xing Tian Meng. Staring at the drawing he made, he mumbles, “Four years ago…”

Four years ago, Chen Wen Hao immediately fled for Southeast Asia the moment he was released from prison, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since until now with his return to Taiwan. Four years ago, Tang Guo Dong and Li Zhen both died on that hill, and no one knew why they met in secret, and there were so many rumors about Li Zhen illegally colluding with the mob. Four years ago, Tang Yi was shot at the scene and managed to live after many attempts at trying to resuscitate him. He became the only survivor of the incident, the only witness who possibly knows what happened on that day.

Meng Shao Fei looks at Tang Yi’s portrait sketch again, and asks it, as if he’s speaking directly to Tang Yi himself, “Aren’t you going clean with the mob? Aren’t you staying away from drugs? And didn’t you say you would never kill a person? Why are you giving up on your principles NOW? Why did you go touch Chen Wen Hao’s people?”

Shao Fei cannot think of any possible answer, and scratches at his head in frustration, pacing back and forth in his apartment.

The Tang Household

Standing at the balcony and looking into the night view in the distance, in Tang Yi’s hand lies a black, metallic lighter. He recalls what Boss Tang said to him eight years ago…

“Drizzle olive oil in the wok and circle it for two rounds? Can we do three rounds?”

At that time, Tang Yi had just turned 20 years old, and the thing he liked to do most was to bother Boss Tang in his space when he could, asking him to pass his cooking skills on to him.

“That’s fine too. The point is you have to make sure the entire wok gets the same amount of heat, that’s why we circle it,” Tang Guo Dong stands next to the stove, an apron tied around his own waist and guides Tang Yi to pay more attention to cooking as he smokes.

People always say that the lines on one’s foreheads represent the passing of time and age, as it catches up with you, and with every horizontal line therein lies a story that belongs to it, but in Tang Yi’s eyes, every mark on Boss Tang’s face is the culmination of both wisdom and duty. No matter how severe the problem is, once it lands in Boss Tang’s hands, the problem can be solved easily, just like no matter how complicated the cooking and recipes are, he is always able to handle it, all the while smoking at the same time.

In comparison Tang Yi is impatient in both his personality and cooking and thus, he deeply respects this man who is both like a father and teacher to him. He wonders if there ever will be a day, where he’s able to catch up to Boss Tang and this 30 year age gap, and from Boss Tang’s mouth hear-

I feel at ease leaving everything to you.

“Don’t smoke when you’re cooking,” Tang Yi says, immediately dropping the garlic and bell peppers he’s holding and snatches the cigarette pressed between Boss Tang’s lips.

The man whose cigarette was snatched away smiles a little helplessly, then crosses his arms and continues guiding Tang Yi, “After you put in the noodles, you need to stir it in the wok, otherwise it’ll stick to the base.”

Tang Yi looks at the food cooking in his wok and says, delighted, “It looks just like yours!”

“We’ll have to try the dish to know.”

Tang Yi tastes a spoonful of the food from the wok, frowns, then picks up the spicy sauce next to him and adds another half a spoon in, “Not spicy enough.”

Tang Guo Dong, who tried the dish at the same time, is frowning on the other hand, because of the spiciness he is tasting in his mouth. “Xiao Tang, you’re eating this so spicy?”

“Strange, why is it that no matter how I cook I just cook it the same way you do?”

“To govern a country is like cooking, have you ever heard of this?”

“No.

Tang Guo Dong smiles, then opens his mouth to explain, “All these years from handling and dealing with the gang’s every single matter no matter how big or small, I felt that, when we do things, we cannot be overly impulsive and rush into things, nor can we be complacent and passive. we have to think through each detail carefully in order to do things well. Take cooking for example, every brother is like an ingredient, you need to understand each ingredient’s taste to be able to put it in a dish, and then the taste of the finished dish will be the best.”

Tang Yi is intrigued by this analogy, and also curious about how Boss Tang sees him, he asks, “So which ingredient am I?”

“Lotus root.”

“Lotus root? Why a lotus root?”

“Did you forget the first time we met, how much dirt you had all over your body? Isn’t it just like the lotus root that’s just been harvested and pulled out from the soil?”

“Oh, so you detested me this much actually,” Tang Yi says, sulking as he brings the wok over to the person who’s plating dishes at his side.

The person most important to him just called him a dirty little runt, how could anyone be happy?

Tang Guo Dong laughs and takes out his cigarette box again. “Hey, Xiao Tang, you were born into unfortunate circumstances and grew up in a terrible environment, you managed to keep your spirit and character pure. I hope you never forget this, and that you don’t ever change.”

At this, Tang Yi returns Tang Guo Dong’s smile and replies, “I got it, Lao Tang. I will keep being like this.”

As long as Tang Guo Dong likes him like this, then Tang Yi will become the person that he likes, because to him, there’s no one else in the world who’s more important to him, more important than Tang Guo Dong.

“Actually, there’s another reason in persevering in cooking,” Tang Guo Dong adds somberly, taking off his apron and walking over to Tang Yi’s side, opening a wine bottle and pouring a glass for himself.

“What is it?”

“People like us who face death every day and are used to it, we don’t even know when we’ll die and go to meet our makers. If we can’t even deal with the basic necessity and function of eating in our lives, then what more fun in our lives can we have? So we have to be serious towards every meal, and that means also that we have to live our lives seriously.

“I understand. So when I’m done learning cooking from you, I’ll let you taste my cooking.”

“Done learning? You little shit, you only just learnt this little bit and you want to represent the Tang family and con people outside already?”

“I have confidence that I don’t need too much time to learn your ways.”

Tang Guo Dong puts up his thumb and praises, “Okay, you’ve got ambition. But if you want to take the wok and metals away from me, it’s not that easy!”

“I won’t disappoint you… although-“ Tang Yi looks at the failed finished product in the wok today, and laughs, “It looks like we still have to eat this not so delicious dish, let’s hope when we are done we won’t need a trip to emergency.”

Watching Tang Yi’s back as he picks up the plate and walk towards the dining room, Tang Guo Dong, who’s lived more than half a century, stops smiling, and in his heart, he makes a decision.

At a Japanese restaurant

The various members of Team 3 are gathered at a restaurant undercover as guests and wait staff for the ongoing investigation on Wang Kun Cheng’s death. They are currently surveilling a particular guest, who’s discussing business with another person.

Suddenly, a tall figure walks into the store, and once Shao Fei, who’s seated right at the entrance of the restaurant sees him, he stands up and brings the other person to a corner in the restaurant.

“Why are you here?”

Walking into the restaurant and stunned at seeing Shao Fei, Tang Yi abandons his original intentions for coming here and turns to leave.

“Since the police are investigating a case, I will not disturb.”

On the other side of the restaurant, Zhao Li An, who’s dressed as a waiter, is just about to run over to stop Shao Fei, but Zhou Guan Zhi stops him by holding onto his arm. He eyes Zhao Zi, indicating that they should continue as planned, or they will risk ruining the mission this time.

Shao Fei grabs onto Tang Yi’s elbow, staring right into his eyes and asks, “Since you’re already here, you might as well assist us on our investigation. Do you know a person called ‘Chen Wen Hao’?”

Tang Yi’s expression suddenly becomes stiff, and this does not go unnoticed by the cop who’s been hounding him for the past four years.

“Looks like we have the same goal, we’re here for the same person,” Shao Fei continues, his eyebrows raised.

“So you killed Wang Kun Cheng just to lure Chen Wen Hao back here. And for you, Xing Tian Meng’s leader who’s also trying to wash everything clean at the moment, to care so much about a Cambodian drug syndicate leader, there can only be two reasons. Firstly, you’ve made him come back because this was Tang Guo Dong’s mission for you.Or two, Chen Wen Hao has something to do with the double homicide from four years ago.”

Shao Fei’s guesses are so close to the truth, that in that moment, Tang Yi’s repressed rage emerges again — these four years, he has wanted to kill this person who’s only ever ruined all his plans countless of times, but countless of times, Tang Yi has also had to end his murderous thoughts towards this police officer.

Such action is out of character for Tang Yi — if Hong Ye and Ah De are unable to comprehend why he’s doing this, Tang Yi himself has no idea either.

“Have I hit the nail on the head, is that why you want to run?”

“I have nothing to say to Officer Meng,” Tang Yi snaps, gritting his teeth and turning away to leave the store.

He follows the stairs outside the restaurant to where he parked his car. His tone filled with anger, Shao Fei who’s only ever seen Tang Yi’s two sarcastic and cold expressions, is momentarily stunned. He breaks out of his trance, then rushes out of the restaurant to chase Tang Yi, his hand pressing against Tang Yi’s chest and stopping him from moving forward, his eyes incredibly sharp.

“I’m getting closer to the truth, correct?”

If he isn’t getting closer to the truth, why would Xing Tian Meng’s poker-faced leader make the effort of snapping at him?

“Officer Meng has his own mission that he’s not carrying out, and instead he’s here to obstruct my freedom again?”

“If my hypothesis is correct, then following you is the only way I can find out the truth.”

Tang Yi pushes Shao Fei’s hand away and walks over to the driver’s side to open the door, but Shao Fei grabs onto his wrist instead, slamming shut the door that’s just been opened.

“I’m asking you to leave, did you not hear me? These four years my tolerance towards you has reached a tipping point. Meng. Shao. Fei! Don’t test my patience!”

He pushes Shao Fei away, hard, and settles in the driver’s seat, shutting the door behind him securely. Unexpectedly, Shao Fei circles the car to the passenger side and unceremoniously sits inside the car, holding onto the brake.

“Tang Yi, if I don’t get my answers today I’m not letting you leave!”

Tang Yi points outside and shouts, “I’m warning you for the last time, get out of my car.”

“Hmph!”

Shao Fei turns to grab for the seatbelt, obviously having no intention to leave.

“You!”

Angrily, Tang Yi swings his right fist out to restrain both of Shao Fei’s hands, reaching to his back and grabbing the young police officer’s gun, that Tang Yi knows he has usually stuffed into the back of his waist, then pressing the muzzle of the gun to Shao Fei’s temple.

Just as Tang Yi is about to throw Shao Fei out of the car, the driver’s seat door is flung open from the outside, and reflex has Tang Yi moving the hand holding onto the gun towards the person outside, but his opponent quickly strikes at his hand, the gun falling to the ground.

Losing his most useful weapon hardly means that he has no other way to defend himself. He rushes out of the car with tight fists and immediately starts to land repeated blows on his attacker, who’s clad in a black suit. Shao Fei on the other hand is also facing a similar attack by a person wearing a black baseball cap and fighting him intensely.

Eventually, both Tang Yi and Shao Fei are forced into a corner by their attackers, pressed back to back. Unconsciously, they leave their vulnerable backs to one another, exchange a glance and then simultaneously attack. Punches and kicks going against the two men with retractable batons and knives, they are soon overpowered by the weapons.

“Boss wants you to meet him,” says the man attacking Tang Yi, pushing him to the floor and pressing a knife at his jugular.

===

As the black van follows along the left and right curves of the mountainous road, the occupants of the vehicle find themselves swaying from left to right as well.

“I can’t believe I’m handcuffed by my own handcuffs.”

Tang Yi side-eyes the man next to him, and scoffs, “It’s not like this is the first time.”

“Hey do you have to speak like this? If you didn’t take away my gun, would we be in this situation?” Shao Fei retorts, holding up his right hand that is currently attached to Tang Yi’s.

“Shut up!” warns the man seated in the third row of the car, one hand holding up a knife.

Tang Yi turns around to look at the man in black seated right behind them, and says, “Kidnapping a police officer is going to get troublesome for you guys.”

The man ignores Tang Yi; instead, it is the man seated in front driving the van that shoots both hostages a look through the rearview mirror, and smiles icily, “You should worry about yourself first!”

Their hands handcuffed together, Tang Yi taps Shao Fei’s pinky finger with his own, and once their gazes meet, Tang Yi gestures at Shao Fei. Shao Fei nods in understanding, then in an irritated tone, laments, “Why is it that when you guys do bad things you always run towards the mountains? It’s not that I want to comment, but this method lacks so much creativity that it really isn’t OK-“

Shao Fei yells immediately, after ensuring that Tang Yi’s right hand is creeping towards the handbrake of the van, “NOW!”

Bam!

Tang Yi kicks at the driver’s right arm, sending the man forward against the steering wheel, and at the same time Shao Fei leans forward to pull the handbrake up. The van strikes against the walls of the mountain and the impact stops the van immediately. Before the driver can react, Shao Fei has already moved into the passenger seat and with a kick, knocks the driver out.

He sees Tang Yi getting punched in the face by the other guy in the back, and Tang Yi, with his hand movement restricted, can barely defend himself against the attack. Seeing that the other guy is rushing towards Tang Yi with a knife in his hands, Shao Fei moves back to his seat and stands between Tang Yi and his attacker, getting a slash across his arm for his trouble. Then, they use the handcuff chains between them to trap their attacker’s wrists, and Tang Yi strikes the knife in his hands to the ground.

In the chaos, Tang Yi sees Shao Fei’s wound on his right arm, bleeding profusely.

And right in that moment, Tang Yi loses all composure and logic that he is so proud of. He swings his fist repeatedly at his attacker, and doesn’t stop even when his face is all bloodied from the impact of his punches.

“We have to go!”

Shao Fei is afraid that Tang Yi will just kill the man, so he opens the door and pulls Tang Yi, who has lost all control, out of the car. They give up on moving along the visible and easily trackable roads and instead choose to head inside the dense forest to escape.

In between the trees, four other men — their attackers’ accomplices who were travelling behind them in another van — split up to look through every nook and cranny of the forest.

“Damn it, they can really hide huh?”

“Did you find them on your side?”

“No.”

“You, and you, go that side and look.”

“Yes.”

They continue their search for an hour to no avail, and they do not realise that the Xing Tian Meng leader they’re trying to find is actually hiding behind a big rock, covered in green moss.

Tang Yi is using his entire body to protect and shield Shao Fei, until the noise grows faint and more distant from their hiding spot, only then does Tang Yi heave a sigh of relief. He turns around and crouches low to the ground, using the rock as a backrest.

Maybe it’s because fleeing for their lives is an intense sport, or maybe it’s because the both of them were suddenly so close to each other earlier, so close that Shao Fei can even catch a hint of Tang Yi’s cologne, Shao Fei feels his face heating up strangely. All he can do is raise their hands up, still cuffed to each other, to distract himself.

“If only we didn’t have this.”

“Who brought it here?”

Having just experienced a life or death situation, Tang Yi’s tone as he speaks to Shao Fei has changed somewhat from before. From being ice cold and distant, Tang Yi is now talking as if he would make fun of a friend.

Unable to retort, Shao Fei rolls his eyes instead, but in the next second see Tang Yi using his right hand to pinch at this left thumb, and just as he’s about to ask, he hears the sound of a bone being dislocated.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

With his left thumb dislocated successfully, Tang Yi’s hand leaves the restraints of the handcuffs, and then easily snaps his dislocated thumb back into its original place. Shao Fei can feel how painful that action just was just by looking, but Tang Yi just did it with barely a sound and a frown.

“This can also work?”

Shao Fei, with wide eyes, watches as Tang Yi just walks off with a shake of his hands, then follows the man to hopefully somewhere more suitable to hide at, a hand covering his own wound.

===

Ding dong ding dong!

“Ah Fei!!! Ah Fei are you inside?” Zhao Zi stands outside Shao Fei’s apartment door, one hand pressing at the doorbell and the other dialling Shao Fei’s number, but all he gets is Shao Fei’s voice message.

“This is Meng Shao Fei, if there’s anything urgent, please leave a message.”

“Ah Fei if you don’t pick up the phone, Boss is really going to throw me out!”

Zhao Zi’s pitiful complaint echoes down the empty stairway. After half an hour of no reply, all he can do is give up. He walks down the stairs, worried.

“I’m at the alley near Ah Fei’s house. He’s not at home and I can’t get through to him on his phone. Oh, okay. We’ll keep in touch. I’ll contact you guys after I find him. Okay, bye.”

Hanging up on the call with his team’s colleagues, Zhao Zi recalls how Boss always scolds him for not using his brains, and at the spur of the moment, he leaves his phone in his jacket’s pocket and pulls up the zip, then does a handstand and begins walking on the ground on his hands.

He giggles. He’s actually still pretty smart, as long as he make all the blood rush into the top of his head, and when that happens, his brain will begin to work at a higher capacity. Maybe he’ll be able to find a way to find Shao Fei like this even! Just as Zhao Zi smiles gleefully to himself, a pair of cool blue leather shoes step into his line of vision, and as his eyes follow along those long legs all the way up to see who this person is, he sees the man who he brought to the station previously. Tang Yi’s bodyguard, the man called Jack.

“Are you looking for me?”

Zhao Zi puts both his legs down and dusts his hands off, but Jack grabs him by the back of his shirt collar around his neck, and picks him up. “Let’s go!”

“Huh? What are you doing? Where are you bringing me to?”

Like a rabbit whose neck was just bitten by a wolf in the wild, Zhao Zi follows the man called Jack helpless, leaving the alley at Shao Fei’s house.

“What are you catching me for?” asks Zhao Zi later.

He doesn’t know when he was struck unconscious. All he knows is that when he woke up earlier, he found himself incarcerated in a dark room. In the room sits only a single lamp and the big bad wolf who caught him, and brought him here.

“Where did Meng Shao Fei bring my boss?”

Zhao Zi opens his mouth wide, surprised, and asks, “Ah Fei is really with Tang Yi then?”

“Are you pretending to be stupid?”

Jack, with a whole head of red hair, glares at the rookie police officer, his eyes tinged with a glint of danger and sharpness. Jack doesn’t know what tricks Zhao Zi is playing here, but he takes out his phone, and plays the surveillance footage from the camera at the Japanese restaurant’s entrance for Zhao Zi to see.

“They’re really together! I’m looking for Ah Fei urgently, do you know where they went?” He sighs. “Forget it. You definitely don’t know either, otherwise you wouldn’t have brought me here… Damn it, if we don’t find Ah Fei soon, it’ll be my turn to write 3000 words in my apology letter,” Zhao mumbles, standing up from the chair.

“Call him!” Jack commands, taking out his phone and presenting it to his ‘hostage’.

“I tried, but his phone is switched off.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I said, if I can’t get through to him, I really can’t get through to him.”

Jack holds onto his own phone, and coldly says, “Then give me his number, I’ll call.”

“I’m not going to give it to you! I’m a police officer and at the very least I need to ensure that my colleague is protected and safe, so I won’t give you Ah Fei’s number. I absolutely will not!”

Intrigued suddenly by this fearless boy, Jack circles around Zhao Zi, then stares at him head on, unnervingly.

“Even if you glare at me I won’t.”

Jack takes a step forward, approaching the boy who’s hugging his knees and curling into a ball on the couch.

“Even if you beat me to death I won’t.”

Bam!

Wrapped in fingerless leather gloves, that fist suddenly slams against the back of the couch, and the sound of something being hit echoes in the room.

“No matter what you do, I won’t!”

Zhao Zi is so afraid that he’s already covering his own ears, his entire body shaking in fear, and yet he still refuses Jack in a clear, loud voice.

Jack’s lips curve in a smile. He turns around and walks out of the dark room, and locks the door from the outside.

“Hey! Open the door! Open the door!! Don’t leave me here alone! Hey!” shouts the rookie cop at the top of his lungs as he strikes at the door, the rookie cop who’s not afraid of threats but is apparently, afraid of the dark.

On the mountains, in an abandoned structure

In order to hide from either Wang Kun Cheng or Chen Wen Hao’s men, both Tang Yi and Shao Fei chose to take temporary refuge at this abandoned house first. They started a fire earlier with the wood that Tang Yi found to keep warm, and it is the only source of light in the dark place.

“Can you really not help me open this?” Shao Fei asks, shaking the handcuff still attached to his right wrist.

Tang Yi sends Shao Fei a look, then stresses, “It will hurt!”

“Please, I, Meng Shao Fei, have survived even bullet wounds, will I be scared of this pain?”

Carelessly, Shao Fei reaches his hand over, but the moment Tang Yi grabs onto his thumb and starts to twist it, Shao Fei begins to yell out in pain, “It hurts! It seriously hurts!!”

“I thought you aren’t afraid of pain?”

“Stop twisting it!! Okay okay, I’ll just keep on wearing it then!” Shao Fei implores, his face entirely pale as he hits at Tang Yi’s arm to let him go.

Tang Yi smiles knowingly, as if expecting this outcome all along, and returns to his position by the fire. At this, Shao Fei steals glances at Tang Yi with astonishment, and mumbles, “Fuck. How can this not hurt? Does that guy have any pain nerves in the first place?”

Leaning against the wall, Tang Yi watches as Shao Fei picks up the unused wood and head towards the inside of the house, and he asks, “What are you doing?”

“The weather is so cold, I’m going to start a fire inside and at night we’ll sleep in there.”

“I’m going to take the first watch,” refuses Tang Yi.

It’s as if his rejection just erected a tall and cold wall between them both, but Shao Fei is already used to the way Tang Yi is, so he merely shrugs. He picks up the lighter sitting next to the wood, and says, “Up to you. If you’re not afraid of the cold you can sleep here by yourself, I’m going inside, and lend me this-“

“Don’t touch that!”

Suddenly, Tang Yi who was just a few seconds ago sitting next to the fire, snatches the lighter back from Shao Fei’s hands.

“Why are you so fierce? If you don’t give me the lighter how am I going to start a fire?”

Tang Yi does not reply, only picking up glowing branch from the fire and passing it to Shao Fei. He listens as Shao Fei’s mumbles return to where he was earlier, and as he looks at the lighter sitting in his palm, Tang Yi recalls…

Four years ago

“Here.”

After lighting a cigarette, Tang Guo Dong passes the lighter in his hand to the young man standing next to him.

“Why?”

“I thought you liked it?”

“No work, no reward,” Tang Yi places the lighter back in Tang Guo Dong’s hand, and seriously looks at the man. “What do you want me to help you with?”

Tang Guo Dong is stunned for a moment, and then he laughs, “”Xiao Tang, it’s really so hard to lie to you! I think you, too, know the answer to this question. Help to dismantle Xing Tian Meng, and start to move everything into legal businesses.”

“Aren’t you already doing that?”

“I need someone to continue doing it for me.”

Tang Yi frowns, and once again snatches the cigarette away from Tang Guo Dong’s mouth. “Don’t say that as if you’re going to die soon.”

“When you’re in this line of business, you must always be prepared for death.”

Tang Guo Dong exhales, then opens his left hand where the lighter rests in his palm. He asks, “So what is it? Do you dare take it?”

“Hmph. You failed at your request, so you’ve switched to challenging me instead?”

Tang Guo Dong laughs, taking the cigarette back from Tang Yi, and replies, “You’ll accept it, because you hate drugs more than anyone else. But to make sure you take care of everyone, you need to have money, that’s why no gang in the world will stay away from drugs. Since we’ve decided to call a halt to it, we must be prepared.”

“The person you’re meeting tomorrow… is there a problem?”

“No.. it’s just,” Tang Guo Dong shakes his head, then reaches out with his left arm and hooks it around Tang Yi, “Just treat it as a back up plan. Please. If one day I’m not here anymore, you have to continue with the work of washing Xing Tian Meng clean.”

Hesitantly, Tang Yi looks at Tang Guo Dong who’s speaking with so much emotion. Tang Guo Dong, who is both his father and teacher.

“Xiao Tang! Humans are really too weak, we’re always looking for excuses so we can escape, finding excuses so we can make mistakes, and even blaming our failures on fate, but we forget that for every decision and action we make, we have to pay its price. After all, the money we made from drugs is dirty money, and even if we survived long enough to earn the money, we wouldn’t get to spend it. I don’t want our brothers to live a life standing at the edge of death. I’m not afraid to be laughed at, but it took me a few decades to realise that the best life is one where we live normally.”

“What’s good about a normal life? We’ll only get bullied.”

Just like that year’s 12-year old Tang Yi and 10-year old Hong Ye, two children stranded on the streets, homeless — that was normal enough a life, was it not? But ‘normal’ didn’t feed them, and it would only ensure that they get bullied by children older than they, and if they didn’t meet Tang Guo Dong then, they probably wouldn’t have made it to adulthood. They definitely would not be like this now, having experienced the happiness of being doted on by someone.

Tang Guo Dong turns around, leaning against the railings behind him and thinks about the past. “Maybe the you right now won’t be able to understand, but some people, because of me, were robbed of the ‘normal life’ he should have had. I owe him too much, and in this life, I am unable to make amends.”

“Who? A woman?” Tang Yi asks curiously, looking at the man who, with every sentence, is becoming even more serious.

However, Tang Guo Dong has no intentions of answering that question, and instead just smiles. “One day there’ll be a certain someone who will make you understand what it means to lead a normal life, and what a beautiful feeling it is, to be able to lead this life. So, do you accept?”

The lighter is once against thrust under his nose, and this time, as Tang Yi looks at the wisps of white smoke in the air, he promises, “I promise you. If you’re not around anymore, I will still make sure Xing Tian Meng is washed clean, even if I die-“

“Hey hey hey! You’ve only got one life, don’t waste it.”

Tang Guo Dong tries to stop Tang Yi from saying such inauspicious words, but the 24-year old merely looks into the sky and repeats what the man just told him, “When you’re in this line of business, you must always be prepared for death.”

“You!”

Lines pulling at the edges of his mouth as he smiles, Tang Guo Dong looks at Tang Yi, doting.

“Lao Tang.”

“Hmm?”

Tang Guo Dong throws the butt of his cigarette on the ground and steps on it, then proceeds to light up a second stick.

“I want to ask you a question.”

“Nnn!”

“Why did you pick me? Xing Tian Meng has so many other uncles, and brothers, no? Even if you wanted to find someone younger, there’s still-“

“It can only be you.”

“Why?”

“Because only if I hand it over to you will I be at ease.”

Tears quickly fill his eyes and his vision blurs. Tang Yi looks away, because finally, he’s hearing the words he wanted to hear most.

I’ll be at ease, handing everything over to you.

On the mountains, in an abandoned structure

Tang Yi returns back to the present from his thoughts, only to see that Shao Fei is already lying on the wooden boards, prepared to sleep.

“I really envy you, you can sleep anywhere.”

Lying on the boards, Shao Fei covers his own body with his olive green jacket, as he removed the jacket earlier to treat his own wound, and says, “As human beings we need to be adaptable and take whatever comes, a young, rich master like you who can’t sleep without a bed will never understand.”

“Do you know how to train, to escape?”

Shao Fei looks at Tang Yi at his sudden, seemingly irrelevant question, not understanding why he’s bringing this up at all.

“You have to train when you’re young. First, you twist the thumb inwards. Wait for the bone to grow again and then twist it broken again. Grow, then break. You practice it repeatedly until you’re able to do it. I ask you, which rich master from any family grows up like that?”

Shao Fei looks at this man, who now seems so different from the man he imagined in his head, and asks, “Who forced you to?”

“No one forced me to, I wanted to do it myself. Being part of any gang… we are closer to death, and when you want to survive, you’ll force yourself to do a lot of things.”

“So it’s not that you can’t sleep… but you don’t dare to sleep?”

So when Tang Yi said that he would keep watch earlier, it wasn’t because he was distancing himself, or putting a wall back up in between the both of them, but because the man before his eyes doesn’t feel that he has a person he can truly rely on and trust.

At this sudden display of sensitivity from the usually impulsive and fiery character that is Shao Fei, Tang Yi is speechless. He then laughs wistfully, walking to where there should have been windows installed in this entire building. Leaning against the rusty surface and looking at the clear sky and moon, he says, “I’m only pretending to go legal with Xing Tian Meng, actually I am-“

Shao Fei gets up from where he’s seated and interrupts Tang Yi’s sarcastic monologue. Bowing, he apologises, “It’s my fault! I was wrong. I was too full of myself, to be so sure that it was you… Tang Yi, I’m sorry!”

Tang Yi looks at the man before him, and somewhere deep inside his heart, he is moved by Shao Fei’s words.

“Hey, I’ve already said so much, you should at least give me a response!”

“This is my first time seeing a monkey who knows how to reflect on himself.”

“Hey! Who are you calling a monkey? Let me tell you, even if you’re sincere in trying to wash Xing Tian Meng clean, I will be keeping my eyes on you. The moment you do anything illegal, I’ll still arrest you!”

“Keep your eyes on me?”

“Yes! Keep my eyes on you. Both eyes!” Shao Fei points his fingers at Tang Yi.

In that moment, Tang Yi’s mouth curves into a smile that Shao Fei has never seen before, and says, “Okay. Then I’ll keep on letting you keep your eyes on me.”

“Then I- I’m going to sleep. Good- good night…”

Suddenly, Shao Fei can feel his cheeks heating up again. He flees back to the corner he was lying at earlier, pulls his jacket over himself and pretends to sleep.

#history 3: 圈套 #history3圈套 #history 3: trapped #history3: trap #history3: trapped #history3 novel #translations #history3 merchandise

[hatari-translations]

Hatari Translations translation policy

I guess it’s worth doing a formal post for my policy on what I will and won’t translate here. (Not triggered by anything now in particular; I’ve just been thinking about this since declining to translate the Instagram story the other day, and I think it’s worth laying it out officially for myself as well.)

Anything public that’s directly about or featuring Hatari the band is fair game - news articles, interviews, videos, etc. No, like, personal Facebook posts from random people who just happen to be talking about Hatari, but posts from the social media accounts of people involved with the band’s gigs etc. that are about Hatari the band are okay.

Creative work by or featuring members of Hatari that has been released to a wide audience is fair game, if they were 18+ at the time. I’m not comfortable sharing stuff by or featuring them as children. Likewise, interviews and other appearances in the media with members of the band are fine, even if they’re not about Hatari, so long as they’re adults.

Stuff that the members of the band themselves post on public, easily accessible social media accounts under their own name, posted recently, is fair, I think. They know they’re posting to a large international audience of fans now and I think there’s a reasonable expectation that they wouldn’t be uncomfortable with that audience being able to read the photo captions they write. However, I won’t be reposting any photos, unless potentially if they’re specifically Hatari-related, or indexing such posts. For older stuff from these accounts, posted before they were famous but still up on the account (assuming they were 18+), you can message me if you’re curious and I may translate if it’s clearly nonpersonal and innocuous, but I’m not going to post it on the blog.

I won’t do translations of anything non-Hatari-related posted by their friends or family members, or other private individuals. Non-Hatari-related includes stuff like photos of members of Hatari where they are not in character as Hatari.

I will also translate the lyrics of other Icelandic artists or interviews and such with them, though for the latter I might apply some individual judgement to whether it feels sufficiently relevant to the blog.

Asking me to translate random Icelandic things that aren’t Hatari-related but also aren’t from people’s personal social media accounts etc. is fine, although it probably won’t be posted on the blog.

I will translate things into Icelandic for you, or proofread/grammar-correct your memes/usernames/etc. involving Icelandic words. (Yes, really!) I won’t translate anything into Icelandic for you if it sounds like you’re planning on messaging it to members of the band. Please don’t be creepy; for the few legitimate purposes for which you might potentially want to directly message members of the band (memes/thirst/weird comments or images that you think are funny are not legitimate purposes), you can write it in English. I will die of embarrassment if I learn anyone has been using anything I translated to harass the band members with.

#hatari #housekeeping

[guacameowle]

Jihyun Route: Another Story - Notes

Below the cut are the notes of opinions & thoughts I wrote down as I was playing Another Story. It’s below a cut because it’s very lengthy; I think it came out to over 8400 words. I certainly don’t expect anyone to read all of it, but I had a few people ask for me to do this, so here it is. Some of it is more in-depth analysis, most of it is probably nonsense, a lot of it is me thirsting. 

Everything written is what I was thinking at the time something happened in the moment of playing the game so you can see how my theories/emotions of the game progress day by day. I did not go back & change anything I wrote after finishing the route. I haven’t even gone back to proofread it yet, so my apologies for ridiculous errors or confusion. 

The notes are broken up by days & then by endings (I’ve only completed good & normal endings so far). Obviously, this text will be loaded with spoilers. I apologize if you’re on mobile & the cut doesn’t work & you have to scroll past this horrendously long post.

I’m sure some of what I’ve said here will be controversial, but I’m not here to argue with anyone or create discourse; this is just a means to express my opinions & lingering curiosities about some aspects of the route.

I by no means disliked this route. I very much enjoyed it for all it’s drama, twists, emotional upheaval, discoveries, & Jihyun’s sexy sexy voice. 

Prologue

Like hell am I answering any of these calls.

Whyyy are you so obsessed with me?!

Omg they give you a 'call the police option'?! Iconic. I’m doing it.

I AM CRYING LAUGHING. I BAD ENDED & MC GAVE NO FUCKS. Just went home to order some chicken wings. A legend. SHE COULD NOT BE BOTHERED TO GIVE A FUCK. Honestly, that is my true ending. Ultimate true end. This is how my story would have ended if this happened to me in real life. Except I would have gone home to a tub of ice cream. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Excellent start to this update. She honestly just disbanded a cult & got dinner afterwards like it was no big thing. Boss MC.

Ok I'll do the prologue & play naive now.

Oh. A blindfold. KINKY~.

MC better be prepared to die because she just willingly let herself be kidnapped. 🙄

DAY ONE

The new music is so so nice. That violin concerto - so beautiful. I need sheet music.

That bedroom at Mint Eye is essentially my DREAM room. Wowza. So much pink! Yeah yeah, Ray, I’ll play your game as long as I don’t have to leave that bed. Ever.

Fuck. Ray is wearing gloves. FUUUUUCK me right up. GLOVES!!!

CATCH MY ASS FLIRTING WITH JUMIN ALL DAY ER’DAY. I told Juju I wanted to hear his voice. I’m so thirsty.

Jumin released a quote book. It probably has great lines like, “Yaaaaaa” or “What is fried chicken?” … I’d buy it. Will probably turn out to be the best trilogy I ever spent money on.

“Mankind is born lonely.” (Call Ray after 00:00 chat). This game just got deep as fuck. I’m not ready for that kind of existential commentary at midnight on day one, ok? Let’s chill. I came here to talk to cute boys/girl, not mull over how mankind was doomed from the start.

Zen is already basically horny & ready to rumble if you tell him you called him in the middle of the night because you were thinking about him & honestly that already makes this a fantastic update.

I’m glad we got a little more context on how Yoosung had a random friend who joined a cult & tried to recruit him. Solid tie-in, Chertiz. Bravo.

JUMIN PREFERS FULL-BODIED WINE. FUCK ME RIGHT UP. THIS MADE ME SO HAPPY.

Yoosung, you’re breaking my heart. I want to comfort him so bad. Everything is still so fresh & he’s so frustrated. He’s going to be an emotional rollercoaster this entire route. I can feel it. Deep in my bones.

“You should be asleep." BINCH. Then why did you call me?!

Ok, day one is almost fucking over, where in the mint wig hell is V?! This is supposed to be his route, right? I’m fixing to start answering for Ray in a hot minute if Pastel Princey doesn’t show up pronto.

ZEN IS SUCH A NARCISSIST & I LOVE HIM FOR IT. “I wonder what I’d look like wet.” Me too, send a selfie quick. Please. I’ll beg.

I can’t stop flirting with everyone holy crap I’m probably going to bad end. I don’t even know who I have the most hearts for currently…

DAY TWO

Why are the longest chats in this game at 2 in the damn morning?! Cheritz, please…

Have I mentioned I really like V’s new sprite outfit? CAUSE I DO. It’s an excellent style. That coat with the pin on the lapel is perfect! Mmmhmm.

Also, V’s sprite’s body language seems pretty important to me. That arm wrapped over himself & holding his other arm feels very closed off. He’s the leader but he’s curling in on himself. Yes, by now we know he has secrets, but this almost feels like he’s unsure of himself for other reasons. Maybe I’m reading too much into it.

In a call V says the dark sky was taking over the moon but then in the next chat he says he couldn’t sleep because the moon was too bright. WELL, WHICH IS IT? I am betting that "bright moon" was probably just a lamp. Flip the switch, V. Turn it off & go to bed.

Aye, Jumin went to a foreign university. I want to know where. Have it ever been said how many other languages Jumin knows? I know he goes to New York & China for business a lot, so do we assume he takes translators with him or that he knows enough of the languages to get by? I’m so curious.

HOW V & JUMIN MET IS THE CUTEST SHIT I HAVE EVER READ IN MY LIFE OMGGGG. Jumin calling the insurance company about a toy car. Stop I can’t. I love him so much.

LITTLE JUMIN IN SUSPENDERS OMG I AM SCREAMING. That mini suit is probably bespoke Armani. Damnit.

V & Drunk!Jumin talking about their friendship is going to make me cry.

Jumin talks about almost being kidnapped on multiple occasions as if it were just a minor inconvenience of his day. “Ran out of pancakes, almost got kidnapped, crashed my toy car…”

Yeah yeah Ray. They're AIs. Sure. Uh huh. Totally believe you.

HOLY SHIT. Seven got a major equipment & set up upgrade. Someone tell me he posted to r/battlestations ?!?!?

Ray said he's going to try to tame me with food & honestly I am not opposed to this. He found my weakness so quickly. BRING ME ICE CREAM! STRAWBERRIES! CHAMPAGNE! Ask Jumin to make me some pancakes, I liked those.

Whoa dang. Zen's "sleepy but maybe gonna lose my voice" voice is 💦💦💦💦

V in that robe. 👀👀👀 ((Lynn, why are you like this?))

The first recommended party guest is a vampire (who could pass for Eros Katsuki Yuuri in a cape). I love this silly game. You think if I told Jumin that the 'Twilight' series was really a documentary he would believe me?

So Jumin confirmed he doesn't have siblings. That's actually one of the lingering questions I had about him. I’m glad he & V found one another at such young ages then. One could argue that they’re like brothers.

I am going to say it - I think Yoosung needs to meet with a licensed professional on a set schedule. He has no outlet for these emotions he's feeling & fears being badgered by RFA members when he does express himself. I feel so bad for him, especially knowing, as the player, that he was right all along to question V & the lack of evidence on Rika's supposed suicide. The RFA chatroom is not a safe space for him. Yet on the other hand, he’s being very selfish in wanting the others to grieve the same way he is. This is a very complex character bit about him.

Jaehee continues to be wary of me nonstop… but is 100% convinced that Seven is inviting the actual planet of Pluto to this party. ::looks directly into the camera::

Now Jumin wants to invite an actual bowl of udon. ::looks harder into the camera:: (If these were the guest recommendations Rika got, no wonder she left.)

JAEHEE CG. CRITICAL HIT. WOMAN DOWN. “You look tired.” JuMIN! No! “You look tired…” LyNN! NO!

I think I’m going to bad end if I don’t stop getting Jumin’s hearts… but I can’t help myself. I am a weak weak woman.

Why in the hell is this chat called “Party at Saturn” but then in the chat we talk about Jupiter instead. False advertising!

I could listen to V’s voice all day. That is S I L K Y ~

Ray is reaching obsessive level status. This boy just attaches to anyone that’s remotely nice to him, doesn’t he? I’ll admit, I went into this route but really liking Unknown. He irritated me. I knew he was tormented & abused, but he was not a good man. Ray though, seems really sweet. So are we to believe sometime between now & the two years into the future something happens to him that just causes him to snap & no longer want to be nice?

DAY THREE

Zen is saying “lmao” a lot.

“There’s a perfect medication for that. It’s called… BEER. LMAOOOO.” Zen is just me in college. Confirmed.

Ok so this route has some of the prettiest CGs I have seen in this game. I am loving them.

IT IS 4AM CHERITZ. I DON’T NEED THESE EMOTIONS FROM SAERAN TALKING ABOUT A POTTED PLANT WITH TWO STALKS & ONE OF THEM GROWING WEAKER. GODDAMNIT. I’M GOING TO CRY. OH SHIT HE BUSTED OUT THE CRYING EMOJI. BE STRONG, LYNN.

If this boy doesn’t get some sort of emotional help & redemption in this story I am going to be so so upset.

(Call 707 after “Paradox of the Survival of the ____ Chat) Did Seven just pull a “BITCH WHERE?” joke on me when I called him sexy?!

V's dad is a vampire. Look at that guy. Jumin, don’t look him in the eyes.

TEENAGE ANDROID ZEN!

Jaehee’s "jet pilot" convo had me dying. What kinda Space balls + Monty Python convo was that?!?!

This slow mellow piano melody (I guess V's theme) is very lovely. It makes me sleepy in a good way. That gentle crescendo in the middle with the chimes gives me chills.

CHOIR BOYS JUMIN & V!!!! HOW PRECIOUS!!!

I actually like that we get to see more of V's hesitation & examples of him still struggling with the grieving process.

Yoosung is really lashing out here. I understand his frustrations but he is very blind to his own selfishness.  

OMG THE START OF YOOSUNG'S LOLOL ADDICTION! 😨

New order of favorite voices: V, Jumin, Yoosung, Ray, Zen, Jaehee, Luciel. ((This is shocking to me because I tend to prefer high-pitched male voices. Why? I don’t even know. The first time I heard Yoosung’s voice I was like “THIS IS THE ONE. THIS IS IT! QUALITY! GOOD SHIT!” Then I heard Jumin talk & my panties were WRECKED. I couldn’t fight it. I didn’t want to fight it.))

Aye, not to RUSH anything but uhh… when do I get to start giving answers like “V come save me” cause homeboy is at Mint Eye. I’m at Mint Eye. We can fucking leave Mint Eye together. Just saying.

Me In-Game: “Yoosung, I think you need to seek professional help.” Yoosung: “I don’t think I need counseling. I’ll just vent my feelings into my new game!” Me Out-Of-Game: “BOY I HAVE SEEN YOUR FUTURE & WE NEED TO HAVE A TALK!”

DAY FOUR

“Say Yoosung for example … [he’s] set to mourn the death of his precious but is he really sad because of somebody’s death or is he sad because death still remains a mystery to him?” I swear I just looked off into the distance & said, “Holy fuck…” Ray is getting DEEP. He just made a damn good point honestly. My mind is blown. I need a minute. This explains so much about Yoosung, honestly.

Ray just broke all the characters down in like 5 words or less. I am seriously impressed. Chertiz. CHERTIZ, MY DUDES. Your game is fantastic. Your characters are so in depth. None of them are perfect & I love it.

“… plant a seed of happiness inside you.” You’re not planting any seeds inside of me. Nope. Thanks for playing. I don’t want your seed. I can buy seeds at Home Depot if I need them. Thanks.

I’m guessing day 4 bad ending is you basically just joining Mint Eye with Ray at this point… & getting all of his seed.

JUMIN CALLED ME WHILE HE’S LYING IN BED. I AM BLESSED & I AM ALSO LYING IN MY BED.

Ok… I was hoping this call would get sexy but now he’s just talking about mattresses. Look Juju, you’re welcome to come & help me test the firmness of my mattress & I’ll test the firmness of your-

Real talk, Jumin’s exaggerated sigh directly into my ear via headphones gave me chills. Bye. I’m ascending to another plane of existence.

…. I’m waiting for that moment V changes his profile picture. WHEN. WILL. IT. HAPPEN?

The Game of Kings CG. I’m fucking crying.

VANDERWOOOOD.

Zen looking like he did an autumn “back to school” photoshoot for Sears & I am LOVING IT. He’s so cute. Looks like a Sketchers advert.

Yoosung is too innocent for his own good. Just met someone one day prior & already accepting packages from them. STRANGER DANGER, MY DUDE.

WET ZEN SELFIE! MY PRAYERS WERE ANSWERED! BLESSED.

Yoosung, I want to be your ‘master’. Please & thank you.

Elixir of salvation. Ah, that wonderful combination of harsh chemicals & neurotoxins/hallucinogens. I wouldn’t put it past them to have added piss. Ray says he’s going to make it special for me though by adding flavor to it. This boy is probably going to add a dollop of ice cream in it & say “IT’S AN ELIXIR OF SALVATION FLOAT!” Hard pass.

V COME & SAVE ME ALREADY! But let’s keep the robe…. for reasons… (Hello, you have all been introduced to Meowle’s extensive clothing kink.)

“The secret has got out of my hands…” ::looks directly into the camera with both eyes unblinking:: Boy, I’ve been saying this since uh… 2 years… into your future….

If I’m forced to drink this shit despite choosing the answers of resisting I’m going scream. I DO NOT CONSENT.

SAVE YOURSELF V! RUN!

Ok really, I just want to pick Ray up, toss him over my shoulder, tell him to hush & trust me, & walk out of there while karate kicking everyone in the face. Come at me. (Congratulations Cheritz, you made me like a character I didn’t originally like. You sneaky skillful writers.)

Holy shit, excellent EXCELLENT voice acting by Saeran’s VA. That was absolutely phenomenal. Sujin Kang. Bravo!

DAY FIVE

THIS ROUTE HAS GOT ME EMOTIONALLY FUCKED UP & I AM ONLY ON THE START OF DAY 5?! How am I supposed to do this for 6 more days?

V panting in a phone call = my mind directly into the gutter. Whew.

Yes, because keeping MORE secrets has helped us in the past 4 days. Does nobody learn from their mistakes in this game?

((Explained the current plot of this route to my sister)) Sister: “Ok, if this took place here in Texas, you’d just bust in there with guns blazing to save those pink & mint boys.” Me: “I wouldn’t kill anyone!” Sister: “You could just like… aim for their legs so they can’t chase you out of there.”

“It doesn’t matter what happens to me” This almost feels like V’s emotions go beyond just self-sacrifice for those he cares about. This blatant disregard for his own safety feels very self-damaging. I’m wondering if they’ll tap into this idea further in the story. Does he not feel worthy of existing? Of love?

Whoa… whose voice is THIS? Whomever this lady voice is, she’s got protractors in her eyeballs too, like Juju.

“I’ve lost my violin, something I’ve played for my whole life.” GIRL, I FEEL YOU. My heart is shattering for her & I don’t even know who she is.

Ohhhh it’s V’s mom isn’t it?! Calling it now.

I'm laughing so hard. "IT IS TIME TO ACTIVATE THE INTELLIGENCE UNIT!" & it's not even established yet! Jumin please. Omg.

How adorable!! Teenage Jumin & V!!

Wow, V's philosophy on life sure did a massive 180 in 10 years. Hmm, methinks his mom is going to come in to play for that.

I swear, if anyone else pops in & tries to “cleanse me” I’d start throwing fists. Touch me, I dare you.

V is resisting every romantic approach. I feel bad for trying to flirt with him. I guess I’ll just flirt with Jumin then.

Zen giving Yoosung some major tough love. He didn't have to step up to care for Yoosung, but he did. Zen is a good man.

Yoosung's crying phone call is ripping me apart. Also this voice acting is phenomenal. So so good but so painful.

This is disgusting. Rika has some serious psychosis & V decided to suffer in it as some way to "prove his love". That's not love. This is blatant abuse. I'm appalled. V was blinded by 'love', literally & figuratively.

In the end, V was abused. He had his love for Rika twisted/manipulated & used against him. He was physically hurt by his lover. This makes me angry not just because it happened but because he gave consent. I’m just… so fucking baffled. You do not encourage someone who is mentally unstable (or even stable) to inflict pain on yourself or others as a means for them to try to maintain a grasp on their sanity or ‘happiness’ or because they want proof you ‘love them.’ V encouraged this, he allowed it, he consented & it fucking spiraled out of control. He took on so much pain. He thought by doing this he was somehow helping Rika, but it didn’t! It just made everything worse & Rika went on to hurt more people after this. Yes, I see that V is trying to redeem himself somehow, trying to keep everyone else out of the situation so they don’t suffer like he did & so they don’t get hurt but I can’t ignore the fact that V made mistakes in their relationship as well. Rika’s growing mental instability should have been handled with a lot more care (therapy ((if one doesn’t work try another)), hospitalization, medication). He knew from the beginning she was like this, no? He enabled these tendencies she had & it wasn’t good for either of them. I want to know his end goal. Was he just being selfish? Did he think only he could be a cure for her? What was he getting out of this since it didn’t read as if he was really being loved back. Did he do any of this out of malicious intent? No, I don’t think so - it reads as if he was doing what he thought was right but V made mistakes & I feel sorry for them both. V is a very tragic character indeed. He thought his love was some sort of cure-all for his lover but it wasn’t. This is actually very sad. In a way, I guess he did stop her from hurting others (for a time) or hurting herself, but that still doesn’t make this right.

I was heavily suspicious of V in the original routes (even though his voice was so goddamn sexy), particularly in Yoosung & Seven’s routes. I still think V is not entirely free from blame. I don’t think he’s by any means evil or manipulative, just misguided in what he thought was love but really was just self-sacrifice & pretty damn obsessive if you ask me. It also rings heavily of codependency. You don’t give up every part of yourself so your partner can find ‘happiness’, that’s not a healthy love. Love yourself a little more than that, Jihyun, please.

I don't like Rika. Yes, she did good things while ‘alive’ & at one point she might have been healthy & mentally stable but it spiraled out of her & anyone else's control into a very very dark place where she became toxic, manipulative, & delusional. She's done horrible acts that I refuse to look past regardless of her previous ‘good deeds’. Bad people can do good things for all the wrong reasons. She needs medical help, I can see that, but that doesn't mean I have to like her. Her words & actions against V are very selfish as well, demanding he prove his love by letting her physically hurt him? She targeted his need to please & exploited the hell out of that - backed him into a corner & kept badgering him about him proving his love (even though he seemed all too willing to do just that). This is wrong in every way. Mental illness isn’t a ‘free pass.’

This conversation between MC, Yoosung, & Jaehee felt very productive! Yoosung seemed to actually listen & take in another POV.

DAY SIX

Ok, I officially feel like I have no fucking idea what the actual shit Rika or V are talking about in any of their damn video novel conversations. Too many damn metaphors & nonsense. Yes yes, sunshine, flowers & dark skies. Let’s move along. I’d rather hear Yoosung crying.

Update: V officially changed his profile background picture again but still not his avatar picture.

I hope Elizabeth 3rd isn’t suffering at all through this dramatic period. Is she ok? Is she eating well? How are her jumps coming along? Has she been grooming properly? When was her last bowel movement? I hope my precious baby angel is doing well.

V’s mom is kicking me right in the emotions. Every word she’s saying is just devastating. To lose everything & be outcast, having your child ripped away, not being able to find solace in something you’d taken comfort in for decades… I can’t even begin to imagine.

What a sad sad parallel. V’s mom lost her hearing & therefore her art of music. V is losing his sight & therefore his art of photography. Wow.

Secrets secrets are no fun… BECAUSE IT’S FUCKING RUINING EVERYONE’S LIVES.

I don't want Ray to be abandoned again!

You make one comment about recognizing a 90s computer & Seven suddenly calls you "ma'am." Boy, I oughta...

Jaehee says that V drives a British make car that is silver in appearance. I am hoping it's a silver Aston Martin Vanquish (aka Meowle's absolute dream car - only I want it in black in black on black).

I am laughing so hard at the idea of Jaehee just turning toward Seven & asking, "Do you work out?” ((Another Story - Brought to you by Seven’s Hot Hot Body. He Works Out!))

Yeah girl, I hate to break it to you, but that mask is doing nothing to conceal your identity so…

Hahaaaaa Seven imitating Jaehee in this phone call is pretty damn hilarious.

Someone please tell me there some options to throw a punch or two cause I fucking will. I need a Mortal Kombat option.

Jumin's analogy about V, Yoosung, & the apple tree was really really good! That pep talk was amazing. Jumin hit a home run with that motivation speech.

What kinda photos did Seven find? Naughty photos? Photos of Rika hurting V? Are we going to get to see these later?

Ok ok this might be a stretch but it's almost like V's mom's love & desperation for her child, that concern to only want to shield from pain & no longer finding purpose in anything else in life, is heavily paralleled in V's need to protect his "art" (Rika). Is this why he was so determined to try to be the outlet for her pain? He really thought this was his way of protecting her? A set of photos in his series was called Obsession, right? Was this all about an obsession with Rika? Makes sense to me at least. V is in deep, I'm questioning his mental stabilities as well in these flashbacks, honestly.

This CG with Rika & MC makes me uncomfortable. Hands off, please & thank you.

God bless Jumin keeping me updated on Elizabeth 3rd because right now she's the only bright spot in this horrifically emotional route.

"Once they get used to love... I show them fear again. Just enough to get them scared. And when I save them again, they become happy." What kinda toxic manipulative evil callus twisted deceitful bullshit. Girl, if I get my hands on you I’ll show you something to be afraid of.

Shit is going down & Ray is texting me about sunflowers. "If you leave then I'll be the sunflower. I'm going to stand watching the direction you've gone to." 😢😢😢 Please, don’t hurt him anymore.

I am at the end of day 6 & honestly I don't know if I am about to bad end. Did I fuck up somewhere? Oh geez...

JUMIIIIN stepping in & delegating like a champ. I love you.

Rika just sort of confirmed my little theory about V & ‘noble self sacrifice’, thinking he was some sort of cure-all for her demons but didn't see that he was doing more harm than good. I don't want to agree with her here but I almost kinda have to. I mean, she did ask him to basically keep giving her unconditional love, so she’s also a hypocrite in saying it was entirely V’s fault. He wasn’t the cause of her “devil” but I think he certainly had an inadvertent hand in helping it flourish.

Cheritz, please let me fight someone in this game. PLEASE! I want a full on Mortal Kombat side mode. I will go full on Liu Kang up in here, complete with all the noises he made in Sega Genesis - HUUWAH!

Hell. No. I will not do anything for you ((at least not until I loop back around to intentionally bad end)). You can fuck right the fuck off. I ain't telling the RFA shit for you.

DAY SEVEN

Oh ho ho, defensive & in-denial Yoosung is out to play.

“We’re teenagers. This is the period where we express rebellion.” Cue Jumin tilting his tie clip 30* upward so it’s not perfectly perpendicular to his tie. REBELLION! Drink tap water instead of chilled glass-bottle mineral water. REBELLION! Pay with cash instead of card. REBELLLLLIIIOOOONNNN!

Real talk - Jumin, that was some outstanding advice. He’s telling this to his friend & they’re just children at this stage? That is some serious insight. I will never get over how Jumin, who is so emotionally closed off, is such a damn good friend to V. His delivery was impeccable as well, it wasn’t condescending or judgmental; it was sincere. It was very matter of fact but did have a hint of genuine concern for his friend. Their friendship makes me very happy & I am glad they have one another. This isn’t just a “little” chat. This conversation goes on to very likely change V’s entire life… & Jumin had a massive hand in that. I’m so amazed, y’all.

Ohhhh, I offered Jumin a hug & got shot down. I’m hurt. I’ll never recover. I need to redo his route so I can feel his love again.

“Super-ego” Oooook…. BOTH of y’all need to reevaluate some shit.  

Rika had a bullied fucked up childhood & she needs some serious professional help. I feel like a broken record. She’s gone by the wayside, hell she’s lost the map entirely.

All these metaphors & analogies they keep using for their pain & torment, is exhausting. Hide it in prose all you want, what we have here is toxic.

This sort of solidifies my theory that Saeran has a split personality, this isn’t just anger. There’s just no way this is “the same” person. He’s been hurt by so many people. Now it’s sad to watch him hurt others. If they ever make a route of him, I will be very interested in seeing what the event was that causes him to finally shift personalities between Ray & Unknown (at least I’m assuming it’s Ray vs. Unknown & not Ray vs. Saeran).

“I will hack everything” Lmfaoooo. This made me snort laugh so hard my chest hurt. EVERYTHING! HIDE THE TOASTER. HIDE YOUR WATCH.

I can’t fault Yoosung so not believing what any of the RFA members tell him. He has no proof. He’s been lied to, just found out he’d been lied to, & now told to believe something else? Yeah, I wouldn’t believe anyone either. If you try to tell me that the person I loved & looked up to the most went evil, was hurting people, & started a cult I would tell you to fuck right off & laugh in your face. We also forget Yoosung is a scientist (though he’s not acting like one at the moment), he needs to see actual proof otherwise he’s not going to believe it. HOWEVER, he’s so loyal to Rika that if he were to show up at Mint Eye he’d very likely join them just to be with Rika again. I hope the RFA fights tooth & nail to keep him from going to Mint Eye.

Ok ok, in this VN, V expresses that he feels grateful to have been told by Jumin to not live his father’s life & to live for himself & make his own opinion about his mom. So… when is someone going to step in & tell V to not live his life for Rika, because ever since he claimed to be “her sun” that’s what he’s been doing… living for someone else again. V needs to live for himself, find what really makes him happy. A lot of this route so far hints that V is struggling with self-love & being ‘selfish’ enough to find what makes him genuinely happy. Also, Jihyun seems very sensitive to the opinion of others. That’s an interesting character trait - nothing wrong with it. I quite like that he’s played up as sensitive but tries to take on burdens himself to spare others - makes him a very tragic & compelling character.

ZEN MOANING IN A PHONE CALL LORD JESUS I NEED TO DRINK SOME HOLY WATER. THANK YOU, CHERITZ.

Is it just me or does anyone else think that Seven coming to Mint Eye on his own is actually a bad idea? You don’t mean to tell me this boy is not going be distracted by seeing his brother like this? Hmm saving brother vs. saving random new girl. … no contest.

“If you can’t relax yourself, I’ll make you relax.” Please please make me relax Zen. Please, omg.

THERE’S A “ZEN, MIND IF I REPLACE YOOSUNG?” OPTION. BLESS YOU CHERITZ YOU ARE TOO GOOD TO ME.

Angry mother-hen Zen is ridiculously amazing.

Oh please oh pleeeeease let there be a phone call to Yoosung where he’s moaning because of his massage.

WHAT IS WITH JIHYUN’S FAMILY "SACRIFICING THEIR EVERYTHING" STOP. NO. STOP THIS TRAIN OF MADNESS.

BLESS THE PHONE CALL WITH YOOSUNG GASPING & LAUGHING AS ZEN TICKLES HIM. Yoosung is ticklish along his sides. It's canon.

“I didn’t love Rika.” WHOMP THERE IT IS!

JIHYUN JUST ADMITTED HE WAS OBSESSED WITH RIKA. THAT IS A BIG STEP, PASTEL BOY! I actually put my phone down, yelled “I WAS RIGHT!” to absolutely nobody because I was alone, walked out of the room then marched right back in to keep playing the chat…

::shuffles notecards:: ::clears threat:: ::lips on the mic:: The sun is a burning ball of gas in space. It is not capable of emotions such as 'unconditional love'. It will instantly kill you on contact. Quit placing so many expectations on the sun in your fucking metaphors. Good day.

That Rika screaming CG makes me uncomfortable. I would now like to be excluded from this narrative.

I just laughed so fucking hard. Rika is having a fucking breakdown & Seven's voice just pops in ‘PSSST, ARE YOU LYNN?!’ I can't.

DAY EIGHT

Ohhh. Ohhhhhhhh. These answer choices are getting trickier. Just completely bash Rika or kinda calmly defend V? Hmm, decisions decisions.

So Seven didn’t see Saeran at all… & still somehow doesn’t know it’s actually Saeran that’s the hacker. Interestiiiiing.

Called Zen after 00:44 chat Day 8. Told him he was doing a good job by watching Yoosung because it was a hard task. “Did you just… diss Yoosung… in a subtle way?” I died when he laughed!

These answer choices all feel too similar to one another. I’m gonna fuck this up. I’m going to bad end on day 10… just watch. ((I have like 5 save files going though so…))

Yep, I expected this from Yoosung. He’s honestly not as bad as I thought he’d be. He even voices that he understands he’s being unreasonable & whiney - he just can’t help the way he’s feeling. This is a very visceral & real reaction. I think I don’t find it annoying because I was fully expecting this. I braced myself for it & I am enjoying seeing it play out. He was the most loyal to Zika, he’s going to take a lot to make him believe. Oh, what if there’s a bad end where he & MC both end up as part of Mint Eye?!

::battered & bruised:: ::speaks into walkie-talkie:: Day 8 on mission of V route. So far no casualties. On the path to Good End still. But V still hasn’t changed his fucking profile picture. Over.

[[Here is where I caved & actually started to spend the thousands of hourglasses I have on buying days in bulk instead of just calls for V & Ray.]]

180 HG for a days worth of chats?! Gooooood Lord. ::clicks accept::

Ray’s clapping happy emoji is the cutest shit I’ve ever seen.

I CAN’T LIE TO HIM & SAY I DON’T LIKE ICE CREAM. I FUCKING LOVE ICE CREAM. I HAVE MORE ICE CREAM IN MY FREEZER THAN ANY OTHER FOODS…

Whoa cool! Ray & Rika (my phone keeps correcting her name to be ‘Zika virus’) have profiles in the hacked messenger!

I told V “art” is part of my job because medicine is an art, right? Isn’t that a saying? “The art of medicine.”

Call V after 7:13 chat. This is a good call from him - not romantic I mean - but definitely good for more insight on how he now views his role in Rika’s progression.

Whoa whoa new chat room theme song when Rika joined in.

VANDERWOOOOOOOOOD!!! Bless. Their haggling is pretty adorable.

Update: V finally changed his profile picture & is emo as fuck.

About time these idiots realize the sun is fucking dangerous. Stop using it for your nonsense. This is driving me more insane than any other aspect of the game. Mention the sun again & I’m going to go stare directly into it until my corneas melt.

Was that finally a confession of feelings for you but kinda backhanded about it? With how torn up Jihyun is about this entire Rika situation, I’m very surprised that this route would even be considered a love endeavor between he & MC. I don’t think he’s anywhere near emotionally ready to pursue a new relationship with someone so soon after this chaos. I don’t know how I’ll feel if either of the ‘good’ endings is them together right away - it’ll just feel so wrong for the progression of his character. I think Jihyun needs to learn to love & accept himself before he can open up again to trying to love someone - at least loving something the right way.

Hahaaaa like hell am I going to say THE SUN is my muse. I’m going to stop going out in daylight at this point. My bones are going to get brittle. Thanks, Cheritz.

Omg V’s mom is such a boss lady. Be strong, Lynn. Don’t cry.

Aw shit, that fucked me up emotionally.

Is this why V doesn’t like people looking at his body? Does he have scars from this fire? I hope we get more on this. Or was that body comment just another glimpse into how unsure V is about himself? Another tidbit of not loving himself? Hmm.

I am honestly at a loss, I don’t know if I’m answering correctly to get to the party.

Noooo! V, why did you lie again?! He asked you point blank. You were progressing so well. THIS CAN ONLY END IN TEARS. TELL SEVEN THE TRUTH! Seven is going to be beyond hurt when he finds out that you just kept lying! He needs to know about Saeran! He needs to save him!

The music in this 22:00 chat is absolutely fantastic. Who is the music developer for this game. Give them a raise & a three week vacation to Hawaii. This soundtrack is so great.

OMGGGG did I fuck up? If V goes back to Rika, I swear. I’m so done. Ohh, that’s going to be a bad end, isn’t it? He’s going to give in again & go back to her!

This relationship is so twisted. We’re talking in fucking circles. This is the most unproductive conversation I’ve ever been a part of & I’ve spoken with anti-vaxxers in person.

I’m absolutely crushed. This was it. This was the moment? That full break between Ray & Unknown… I have no words. This is so so sad. The VA even does a different voice each of them.

I’m crying. Full on tears. Ray…

If this was the moment of the full separation between Ray & Unknown in this timeline, I am still curious what was the trigger to cause the full break between personalities in the original timelines. I really hope we get a Saeran route now. I wasn’t hoping for one before, but Cheritz has me hooked now. I need redemption for Saeran.

DAY NINE

So, I’m guessing I’m on the right track? Because I just realized a lot of the answers in this portion have a lot of self-centered MC options? So I’m trying to avoid the “me me me, V is better off with me” choices & focusing more on the “V is changing & growing for himself” options. I’m sticking with that since I’m fully on board with my theory that V needs to learn to love & live for himself.

DON’T BRING THE MOON INTO THIS. LEAVE HER ALONE. SHE DOESN’T DESERVE THIS.

Juuuumiiiin. I’ve missed you!

How many times do you think Rika had to set up her phone to auto take that photo of her standing in front of the Moon before she got it right?

VANDERWOOD!

VANDERWOOD SELFIE!

GIVE VANDERWOOD AN RFA PROFILE

VAN.DER.WOOOOOOD.

Vanderwood is laying down some fucking truth in this VN with V. Vanderwood - the voice of the people.

At this point, I'm just over arguing & talking in circles.

My heart was in my throat thinking Ray was going to drop the news that Seven was his brother in that chat room they were in together. I was waiting for it; I don’t even think I was breathing.

Oh RFA members + Mint Eye in the same chat rooms?! LET’S DO THIS.

Petition to rename the RFA to something else, anything else.

WHO DID THIS WOMAN JUST STAB. OMG. OMGGGGG. WTF WAS THAT PHONE CALL?!

Nobody has ever given V a hug before? How cold. I’ll hug you. I’ll hug the crap out of you.

I’m going to go hug my mom…

Update: Hugged my dad along the way to finding my mom to hug her. Hugged my cat too. My sister opened her arms for a hug when she saw I was making rounds, but I just high-fived both hands & walked past. I’m such an asshole.

Rika is flip flopping all over the damn place. Did you want his love or not? Is he your sun or not? Are you angry or not? Do you want him dead or not? I’m over it. Go away.

Ok why the fuck was the phone call from Rika about her stabbing someone BEFORE the actual VN where she stabbed someone?! I was so confused. That has to be some glitch.

$10 says now Rika is going to be torn between wanting V to die or not. She’s just going to keep flip-flopping. In the end, she’s just as obsessed.

Wow. Wow. The phone call where Seven is freaking out. Like genuine emotion scared shitless. Excellent acting.

DAY TEN

Rika was off looking for love her entire life when Yoosung was literally there right beside her loving her unconditionally when he finally met her.

Lmao "Don't go to the apartment, Yoosung. There's a bomb there." Yeah that's right, bitches. I can see in the future.

Damn Jaehee. Savage. I liiiiike it.  

"I didn't stab him that deep." Confession! WHOOP, THERE IT IIIIIS.

Son of a bitch. Ray is going to sacrifice himself isn't he?! While Rika's off playing house in her apartment again. I'm so pissed. Please please please let Seven save him.

I've been waiting for this Rika/Yoosung messenger chat! Now I fully expect Yoosung to resist harder & plead/beg. If I'm wrong, I'll eat my hat.

Damn they just give MC a straight up "hang up" option on Rika. Take no shit,  MC.

Everyone is hella vaguing in their profiles lolololol. You know you’re desperate when you’re vaguing in a closed off messenger accessible to only 7 people. We all know who you’re talking about. You’re not slick. 

Oh shit. V's mom making a comeback to slap me right in my feelings.

Ray's call after the 18:00 chat...

I have never been more attracted to Jumin in my fucking LIFE.

Ray’s best call is the one you make to him after 19:49. He cares so so much. He has so much to give despite being hurt & used & broken over & over again.  This was a great phone call. Devastatingly sad, but excellent for his character.

Where in the fresh hell did Vanderwood just pop off to? Last I saw him Seven asked him to look after MC. Then never again…

You bet your ass I chose the answer to tie Yoosung up. Like my thirsty domme ass was going to let that opportunity sliiiiiide on by. I’m not even surprised that Yoosung giggled at the idea. Bless his subby heart. Boy wants it bad. I am willing to give & give & give...

Whooooa 21:53 chat: “Ray has entered the chatroom” but ended with “Unknown has left the chatroom” I know this happened before but this is right before the final fight, right? Is Seven going to show up & find Unknown instead of Ray? Are they even going to do the brother reveal? Ray’s going to die, isn’t he? I can’t help but think that if V had told him, Seven would have tried harder, would have gone there personally. But then maybe Seven would get hurt too? Is Seven going to die?!

Yes, Jihyun! Find & love yourself! Live for yourself! This is an excellent idea! I approve of this. You need this. Forget about Rika! I wish you luck! 

Sonofabitchfuckfuckfuck. Ray deserved better. RAY DESERVED BETTER. That poor boy. He was so used, so confused, & so so tormented. I’m so angry. This wasn’t fair. I’m going to pout & be pissy about this for a long time. I’m hoping he really isn’t dead. Please please. I’m going to be in denial about this, I know it. I mean, they did show him in the control room in Mint Eye. He gave his final words & then there was the explosion. Is it too silly to hope that he somehow got out? Maybe...

Wowowow. That final chat with Rika, begging like that. That was brutal. Even in the middle there she switched between pleading & saying she’d get revenge. I really do pity her & I hope she gets help in this route but at this point I don’t even know. I’m on this emotional see-saw where I really dislike her but on the other side pity her. I’ll admit, I’m spending a lot more time on the side of not liking her. 

DAY ELEVEN

She’s not dead. There’s no way. I won’t believe it until I see a body (same with Saeran). YOU CAN’T TRICK ME. I’M A VETERAN OF THESE PLOYS!

Jumin. Fucking. Han. This man is so good. He’s so strong even though he’s struggling himself. That “lean on me” line nearly had me tearing up. Jumin Han is a GOOD MAN.

Also, Jumin said it isn’t confirmed if the hacker was in the building or not. I mean, being in a direct explosion could very well decimate a body, but what if he got out? Ray did sound pretty desolate about not having anywhere else to go & did seem pretty resigned to this suicide mission though. This isn’t fair.

PARTY ATTEMPT #1 (Invited 24 guests) - Good Ending?

WHAT?! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? Is this like a “bad end” party? Why is she here? I fucked up, didn’t I? (I feel like the Minister of Magic in Harry Potter shouting “He’s back!”) ((If she gets to live & Ray actually died... I can’t. I’m still so angry.))

Yoosung, noooo!

OMG YOOSUNG, YES!

V’s mom has managed to make me tear up nearly every time she pops up on the screen. She had such impact on this route despite not be present in the here & now of it. She’s an angel. A fucking angel. Every CG of her’s has blessed me. This background story on her was so amazing. Her struggle & sacrifice for her son & finding purpose in herself after losing so much was... so beautiful. I’m going to cry again. 

BABY JIHYUN WITH HIS MOM CG. I’m crying for real. This is beautiful. The emotions for this were so so good.

What is with this game & Alaska?! Everyone is going there. Maybe Ray went to Alaska! 

That’s rich, Zen. Calling Jumin an alcoholic. Pot meet kettle.

Shit goddamn Jumin, was it necessary to be THAT savage about Zen’s selfies?

Jihyun turned into a beautiful happy hippie.

Hippie Jihyun is hot as hell. That smile. Wow.

Holy shit. “I want to love you. I will love you. I love you, just as I love myself.” That’s a damn good line! Damn good. 

Honestly, I am beyond glad, thrilled, immensely happy that there was a two year gap between Jihyun & MC actually getting together. If he had just jumped right into a relationship with MC after all of this, I would have questioned the foundation of the relationship. He was not emotionally ready for that so I’m glad the story allowed the time break so he could grow, heal, discover on his own.

I like that Jihyun wanted to be called his birth name again, not the ‘persona’ V that he’d created for his art, like a cloak or shield. He found & accepted himself & wanted to be that person. That’s beautiful. Self-love is very hard to achieve. I know a lot of people struggle with it, so it’s nice to see that represented in a character.

I want answers for what happened with Rika. We are just to assume she was sent off somewhere to get help with no updates?

I do not like that Seven was never told about Ray. I know it would cause more hurt for him, but he deserved to know. That just felt dirty. I feel dirty.

I am genuinely impressed that Yoosung was the one to stand up at the end to apprehend Rika. He was a little tornado this entire route & I was glad to see him finally understand at the end that this Rika was not the same one he cared so deeply for. Being the one to grab her & hand her in, had to have hurt him - but he stepped up & did it. That was good progression for him. Took him a long damn while to get to that acceptance, but that action of his took a lot.

I’m glad Jihyun’s route focused more on his development to turn away from obsession & look toward himself. It’s a similar kind of character growth in the other routes (learning to accept yourself & grow beyond something holding you back). These stories were never just about falling in love with someone, they grew to be better versions of themselves in the end. Jihyun’s development was definitely more artistic (cushioned in prose & woven in metaphors & abstracts) than others, but it was interesting just the same.

I like that they made such a big deal about Jihyun getting his eyes repaired. He refused to get them healed other times, but showing he was willing now & grateful to Jumin for setting it up was a nice touch to see how developed he’s become & showing he’s willing to let go of Rika (despite him talking about her every other sentence still…). Baby steps. He’s letting go of the hurt, recognizing he’s worthy of love & happiness too.

Maybe it’s just me, but was anyone else sort of wanting to see a CG of one of Jihyun’s paintings? I would have liked to have seen what they considered his painting style. He looks much more relaxed & carefree in his good ending CG, I wondered if his paintings would have reflected that.

PARTY ATTEMPT #2 (Invited 5 guests) - Normal Ending?

I really like this idea of Jihyun just venturing out on his own to find what he likes, what makes him happy. The self-discovery journey. But boy, you were just stabbed. I don’t think you can be discharged within a day after a celiotomy.

Jihyun talking about his dream house is ridiculously cute. This man essentially wants a little messy cottage in the city. How adorable. He went from being a materialistic & pragmatic teenager to being content with a sort of abstract pleasures in his adulthood.

Oh, so in this ending Jihyun asks MC right off the bat to be with him. Seems a little rushed, no? I don’t think he’s ready. He’s feeling a lot right now. Who is to say his obsession won’t transfer over to MC? He claims to have learned his lesson & to recognize the difference between obsession & love but I still think it’s very soon. I really wouldn’t want this to turn into Jihyun becoming dependent on MC after this emotional trauma & that being the basis for their relationship.

MC’S ONLY RESPONSE IS “ALRIGHT” Omg. So bland.

Are we to assume that Rika is actually dead in this ending? Because she never showed back up? Hmm.

So there’s a 2 year jump in this ending too, only we’re to assume that MC & Jihyun have been together as a couple during that time?

Ohhhhhh you can call Jihyun “darling”! <3

Wait, didn’t Jihyun say he wanted a little house in the city with curtains to block out the sun? This looks like a high rise apartment with massive fucking windows & sheer curtains that let in a lot of sun... but ok.

WHOA WHOA, Jihyun became a musician in this ending?! I want to know what he plays! Does he play piano like his theme song?! Does he play violin like his mom?!?! I will cry.

Jihyun’s pouty voice is ADORABLE! Holy crap where has this been all my life?!

Oh, interesting! He’s still very sensitive to the opinions of others (I mean, I certainly didn’t expect that to go away, you’re always going to fear criticisms). At least, he seems a little more open to hearing them, even if he’s hesitant to play for MC again since he wants her to like what he plays. He’s still a little shy, private, & sensitive. Cute.

These rich boys & their pancakes…

Jumin obsessed with pancake recipes confirmed. I love him so much.

His answer about their relationship was very sweet & shows how he’s come to understand a give & take balance, as well as loving himself & genuinely loving together. That was cute.

Still pissed that Seven never found out about Ray.

I want to know what instrument Jihyun plays!

OTHER

I went from being very skeptical of Jihyun’s character (he just felt downright shady) in other routes to liking him (now that we see the depths of his self-damaging & self-sacrificing behavior & the full reason behind all the secrets). He’s certainly not perfect. He’s made many mistakes. He was misguided in a lot of aspects. He’s still learning & now trying to do better. He’s talented, pretty, sensitive, kind, & generous. He was a victim as well & even had a hand in his own progressing downfall before he realized his mistakes & reevaluated himself & the situation. I definitely like him a lot more now that I know the reasoning behind his actions & seeing the changes in him for the better - especially seeing him accept & appreciate himself more. 

Yeah yeah, I’m going to be that person - I’m sad we didn’t get a kiss CG! I wanted one, not going to lie. Maybe we’ll get one for his After Ending if he gets an after ending?! Who knows. I wanna smooch him, that’s for sure. 

I expected to like the normal ending more since I liked all the other normal endings for the other characters more than their good endings, however I find myself liking Jihyun’s good ending over his normal ending. I just can’t get past the fact that I think he needed that self-evaluation time away from MC. That two years apart (though probably a lot longer than I would have expected the game to do) felt necessary. In his good ending, Jihyun sounded much more certain that MC was who he wanted to be with & to love instead of asking MC straight away to just stick by him in his normal ending. In his normal ending, MC questioned him, & he sort of recited a dialogue about their love. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but it sounded like he was trying to reassure himself? Or maybe MC was just trying to gently remind him that yes, what we have is real, & healthy, & good for both of us & just needed him to say it aloud? Regardless, good ending sat better with me overall.

I still want to know what the other photos were in that series of photographs he took. I mean Seven, sounded pretty damn shocked by them. We didn’t even get a line about if it was actual imagines of inflicted harm or salacious material (I’m not trying to be a pervert for once, I’m genuinely curious).

Ray deserved better. I don’t think I can put it into any other words than that. I was very upset with his end in all of this. He didn’t deserve that. Only Rika & V knew his identity. Rika is either dead or being treated somewhere (depending on whichever ending you cater to) & in neither of the endings did Jihyun make known that the hacker was Saeran. I’m legitimately angry about this. How can Saeran even rest in peace that way? Is only the audience (& MC) to mourn for him? Everyone (RFA) is mourning for Rika in a sense but Ray deserves SOMEONE who knows who he was. Sure, Rika has that moment where she screamed & felt remorse, but she still didn’t speak up. Would anyone have believed her if she had? Maybe not. But he deserved someone trying on his behalf. Maybe I’m sitting too long on this, but it felt dirty. I know I said that earlier somewhere, but I still think it. This was wrong. He died in an explosion, alone, with only two people knowing who he really was & they didn’t fucking say anything. Seven is never going to really know what happened to his brother, so what happens if he goes looking for him in the future? Fuck, I’m crying again. I’m so sorry, Ray. You didn’t deserve this, you just trusted the wrong people. 

#v's route #another story #mm #mysme #mystic messenger #text post #long post #meowle mumbles #meowle notes #jihyun kim #V #jumin han #yoosung kim #zen #hyun ryu #saeyoung choi #luciel choi #saeran choi #ray choi #jaehee kang #rika #vanderwood #spoilers #jihyun kim route notes #route notes

[acarnivalofstars]

Ensemble Stars Scout Translation: 1001 Arabian Nights “Surfer of the Desert Hills” Part 8

Chapter 1 of an Enstars story: Happy wacky fun time! Chapter 8 of an Enstars story: My homeland is ravaged by war and that’s why I’m an idol

Special thanks to Linne for proofreading! 

Adonis finally gives us some backstory on his family and his connection to Rei. 

[Broadcasting Room]

Kaoru: “But you know~ It really has been bugging me. Adonis-kun, if you’re that bad at speaking then why’d you think of becoming an idol?”

“It goes without saying for any job, but for an idol if you really don’t have the ability to communicate with others then you can’t really go about being one, right?”

“Well, being cut out for certain things and not for others isn’t something you can choose in your life.”

“But Adonis-kun, you knocked on Yumenosaki Academy’s door because that’s what you wished for.”

“It’s because you thought ‘I want to become an idol.’ It’s not like anyone forced you to become one, right? So why?”

Adonis: “...........”

Kaoru: “Aah, yeah. If it’s too difficult to answer you don’t have to force yourself or anything, okay?”

Koga: “But I’m also curious about that. It’s true that when it comes to that area he’s been pretty vague about it.”

“If I remember correctly, Adonis was invited by the vampire bastard and so he joined “UNDEAD” as a result.”

“One day out of the blue he brought him into the Light Music Club room saying ‘I’ve picked up a bear~’ as if he’d picked up a puppy or somethin’......”

“I was wonderin’ what was goin’ on. You’re always too sudden like that.”

Rei: “Yes. There happened to be a twist of fate, you see. In the past, I had been to Adonis-kun’s homeland to study abroad……”

“I was asked by my former teacher whom I met there to take care of him.”

“Of course, it is because I felt something shining from within Adonis-kun himself that I brought him into our group. That is why I called out to him.”

Adonis: “Yes. I am grateful to Sakuma-senpai. He gave me a place to belong.”

“I…...can’t say it very well but I am vexed by that part of myself. I’m glad I came to Yumenosaki Academy.”

“Coming to this country and becoming an idol…...Becoming a member of “UNDEAD,” all make me happy.”

“It’s all so warm.”

“............”

Kaoru: “...........”

“........Wait, don’t stop talking there! You seem pleased with your answer, but…..!That didn’t clear up anything at all, you know?”

“Let’s dig a little deeper. Where exactly is Adonis-kun’s home country?”

Adonis: “Yes. It is a country that Japan is not very familiar with, so even if I say the name I doubt you will know it.”

“It is a small country in the Arabian peninsula. My father is……..a bit of an influential man in that country.”

Kaoru: “Eh, is he an oil tycoon or something? Adonis-kun, let’s stay friends forever, okay? 🎵”

Koga: “You bastard~ That’s so fishy! Friendship isn’t something like self-interest, you know!”

“It seemed like you were sayin’ something good so I had a better impression of you for a bit!”

Kaoru: “Ahaha, I’m joking, I’m joking…...So then, why exactly is the son of an oil tycoon all the way out here in Japan being an idol?”

“I’m sure you could live out your life without any inconveniences, no?”

Adonis: “Yes. It may be true that it is a bit difficult to live in this country, but…...Within my homeland, conflict is constant and so it is dangerous there.”

“Even in this moment, somewhere in this world someone is spilling blood.”

“That is why we chose to evacuate. Me, my mother, and my older sisters emigrated to this country.”

“My father remains over there due to his position, however. He wanted his children and beloved wife to at least live in peace…...that is my father’s love for us.”

“I am thankful towards him, and I respect my father’s decision.”

“My mother was originally a member of a wandering orchestra that went around such bloody battle sites, you see. It seems my father grew smitten with her and acting unreasonably before the two of them got together.”

“My mother still occasionally goes on tours, flying all around the world.”

“My mother sang, danced, and played instruments……”

“All for people of the world, even if they happened to be children who had lost their homes to fire and had nowhere to live that day, to be able to smile even if just for a moment.”

“I thought to myself, ‘I want to be like that too.’ But I am awkward and poor at speaking……”

“I may not be able to speak well, but music--songs are the common language of the world. They can cross the border of every country. That is why I……”

“I can’t describe it well but, I want everyone to smile.”

“In particular, I want to help children whose smiles have been robbed from them, oppressed by an unreasonable reality…...I wanted to send them songs, happiness.”

“That is why I am here.”

“Sakuma-senpai came to study abroad at the school my father contributed to……”

“I wanted to listen to stories about Japan, so I accompanied my father there. That is how I learned about idols. I thought to myself, ‘I want to become one.’”

“Of course, I am a person who comes from a blessed background.”

“I may just be a hypocrite trying to extend my hand to pitiful children while looking at them with sympathy from above.”

“But even if it is hypocritical, I want to believe there are people out there who will be saved.”

“Even now, my father loves my mother the most in the entire galaxy. Wherever my mother visits, no matter what country it is, everyone gathers together with a smile and exchange warm embraces with each other.”

“Aah…...I think to myself, how nice would it be to have that kind of warmth in my life.”

“My father managed to let us escape to this safe country, so if I said I wanted to be like my mother and go around the world to bloody battlefields all over……”

“I’m sure he would oppose my decision, and if I told my older sisters this they would get furious.”

“Of course, I have no intention of dragging everyone from “UNDEAD” along with me. This is my dream.”

“It is still a dream that has yet to be nurtured. It is changing shape little by little.”

“That is why I cannot say anything for certainty, but that is my starting point.”

“I used to only be praised for my skill at hunting.”

“But rather than harming a living creature and shedding its blood…...I wanted to heal people in this world who have been hurt, even if only a little bit.”

“Even if I am bad at it, even if I am awkward…...I will speak with everything I have, rack my brain, and make everyone smile.”

“I wanted to become that sort of idol.”

“........I’m sorry. I talked on and on all by myself. As I thought, I really am bad at talking.”

“Still. It’s much better than just staying silent, right?”

“That is what you all told me. I also think the same way.”

#ensemble stars #enstars #あんさんぶるスターズ！ #あんスタ #karen tries to translate

[llvm]

ACCA P.S 1: The Cards Dealt are Spades [Summary]

So, I found Chinese scanlations of the extra postscript chapters published in Monthly Big Gangan, translated and scanlated by 毒奶小分腿 on weibo. Not sure if I’ll do a line by line translation of them from Mandarin, but here’s a brief summary (with some snippets of translations)! The first postscript is focused on Spade and the events leading to his promotion to one of the Five Chief Officers.

These are very loose translations that are not proofread, so please take them with a pinch of salt! It’s a very nice insight into Spade’s character that we didn’t get from the main series.

Pastis asks Spade why did he get picked to become one of the Five Chief Officers, Spade says he lost a bet/gamble.

It’s also noted that the Five Chief Officers have usually been the ACCA branch manager in their respective home districts, but Spade seems to be an exception to this trend.

Spade was once an ACCA branch staff - he says something along the lines of hating wearing stuffy, orderly uniforms - but is now higher up as an inspector/criminal police, if I’m reading right.

His ex-partner is a guy named Baccarat - he’s the Yakkara District Chief in the present timeline!

Spade’s got some serious gambling issues. Guy runs off to play poker whenever he likes, it seems.

Spade and Baccarat end up in Pranetta District after the latter finds a lead on the whereabouts of a wanted criminal he’s been pursuing for the past few years.

They get caught in a sandstorm in Pranetta. While waiting it out, they play Joker/Old Maid while talking about the criminal.

Spade: How’d you find the guy?

Baccarat: By chance.

Baccarat: I noticed him in one of the photos my in-laws took in their recent trip to Pranetta.

Spade: How’d you recognise him? Only a few people in Criminal Affairs even remember how he looks.

Baccarat: I noticed you were chasing “a man that no one remembers”. I was very curious why that was so.

Spade: He’s a scumbag selling illegal goods. He was the first man I caught when I joined Criminal Affairs. Then he escaped prison and disappeared without a trace. 

Spade: Even though it wasn’t my fault, but the thought of him happily escaping the law before his sentence was due pisses me off.

Baccarat wins their game.

The district chief hands the guy over without much difficulty. He says something along the lines of “Even though he’s a citizen of Pranetta, it can’t be helped, he’ll be in your care.”, something like that. He tells the criminal “Finish what you have to, then come back. Pranetta will be waiting for you.”

The criminal requests to go to work before they depart (it’s storming badly outside so they can only leave the next day). Spade requests that they tag along.

Spade: Is there... any resources hidden here?

Baccarat: According to Badon scholars, there’s an 80 to 90 percent chance there isn’t.

Spade: Then how can they keep persisting with this kind of work?

Spade: I’ve always thought of Pranetta as a dull place. Today, I’ve seen with my own eyes that this is indeed a place of darkness. 

Spade: But they’re dazzling. They’re qualified gamblers.

Spade says that Yakkara District’s life immersed in gambling and money still suits him better though. He’d rather preserve that status quo. He and Baccarat talk about their dreams. Baccarat says that he wants to be someone who can use others like pawns.

Spade calls Baccarat’s bluff that the photo was coincidental, that Baccarat actually made an investigation so that Spade would owe him a favour of sorts, a favour for the future.

Spade: You’re cunning. Making preparations so that you can use people for yourself.

Spade: Making others owe you “favours” - You coincidentally finding this photograph is probably a fake, huh. You specially investigated into the matter so that I’d owe you a favour, right?

Spade: For the future... isn’t that right?

Baccarat: Then, will the future where I can use you like a pawn come?

Spade: May it never come.

Spade makes another gamble with Baccarat in ACCA’s 92nd year of independence to determine his road ahead. If Baccarat wins, Spade will go to Badon, if Spade wins, he can do as he pleases and remain a regular inspector.

Spade asks him why he’s not using the favour he owes Baccarat, but Baccarat says the “favour” isn’t that big. He asks to use the favour to compel Spade to play this round of poker with him.

The spades that Spade is waiting for won’t come. Baccarat wins.

Spade: ...Badon, huh. What do you want me to do at HQ, Branch Chief Baccarat?

Baccarat: The Five Chief Officers.

Spade: Stop fooling around.

Baccarat: I’m not joking. The coming yeaar, Yakkara has to send someone to be a Chief Officer. If this goes on, I’ll have to take on that job. I’m not interested in HQ. I just want to stand at the top of Yakkara. I’m aiming for District Chief.

Baccarat: If you agree to bet, you must accept a loss, Spade.

The Five Chief Officers are the faces of the nation, so it has to be a man who represents Yakkara. 

Spade doesn’t know what to tell him.

Baccarat says something along the lines of ‘I’m not too shabby a gambler myself, huh? Although, I think this “card” is not too bad.”

Spade declares that once his term is over, he’s going back to being a free spirit. Baccarat tells him that’s fine.

And that’s it! I haven’t had time to look through PS. 2 and 3, but I’ll see if I can get to doing translations or summaries at the very least for anyone who’s interested... Thanks for reading through this if you’ve made it this far... aha.

#acca 13-ku kansatsu-ka #acca13 #acca translations #spade #acca 13 territory inspection dept #yikes there are so many tags i'm not going to bother with this eh #thanks for reading this spiel lordy lord #acca13区監察課