The Look

The Look

Like Tripping, I tried to post this through the app, but the content didn’t appear. What a bummer, so we’re starting all over again. 

My subconscious is telling me that this week’s all about the past, so here’s the actual continuation on one of my first posts here. 

You’re a true Johfam if you’ve heard of the title before. If not, maybe this GIF can help you refresh your memory?

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

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Summary: To continue what I was saying in the beginning, this piece is the continuation of this one, plus a necessary flashback. I hope that the main timeline is making more sense as I post more of my old writing though. Are you following along or not really? Please let me know.

POV: 2nd person 

Word count: 1,200 + words 

Warning: Italics are for thoughts. As per usual, the video of the song mentioned will be embedded below for your listening pleasure. 

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Once upon a time, Mark Lee has told you about The Look.

It was the look that Johnny gave when he was flirting.

His eyes narrowed, and his already full lips seemed like they wanted to kiss the person they were talking to.

And right now, you saw that he was giving you The Look. At your family home. With your mother and sister moving around the dining table both of you were seated at. They were busy preparing for your dinner, and he was your guest of honor.

“So Essie,” he started, one of his long arms reaching over you, “have you ever thought of spending Christmas with somebody other than family?”

Your eyes widened at his question. October was about to end, and he had already been thinking of Christmas.

“Well, I can, but I don’t think most of my friends are free during that day? Why do you ask?”

“I was thinking if you can come home with me in Chicago? You know, my parents know you’re one of my best friends, and I think you’re the only one who hasn’t been there in our house,” he said while running a hand through his glossy locks.

There was it again – The Look. It was as if he wanted to pull you into his lap and kiss you, but at the same time, he had to behave since it was his first time at your house with your family.

“Is that so? Well…maybe?” You mumbled, looking away from his come hither stare.

But before he could even reply, he was cut off by your sister. “Essie, can you help us set the table, please?” With her request, you were immediately up and running. Johnny stood up too and helped you. He held the plates and utensils in his arms as you put placemats on all the seats. You placed the utensils while he set the plates. You had teamwork down pat to the point that you gave each other fist bumps after doing so.

“Nice work, dude!” You laughed, which he returned with a shy smile. You raised an eyebrow at him since this wasn’t the usual response he gave you after a fist bump. In return, he held your wrist and dragged you away from the dining area.

He stopped when both of you were on the porch, where you saw the sun about to set. It was a beautiful sight – hues of blue, orange, and pink painted the sky. You sighed at the wonder that is nature, and you heard him do so as well.

“What’s up?” You asked, swiveling your body towards him. “Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you privately,” he replied, moving closer to you.

“What is private about this?” You gestured to the open space in front of you – there were houses beside you, and there were still some children playing across your home.

“Well, they wouldn’t listen to what we’re going to talk about, eh?” He cocked his head to the side, The Look forming on his face again.

“And what do you mean by that?” You had your hands on your hips, about to get sassy on him. To be honest, The Look was making you feel nervous.

He’s my best friend, yet he’s acting so flirty with me. I don’t want to get the wrong idea, unless…

He wrapped his arms around you and pulled him to his chest. You were about to protest, but you felt one of his big hands caress your hair. You know that made you weak.

“I can’t take this anymore, Essie,” he purred, his voice making your legs feel like jelly. You could only look at up him in surprise.

“I want us to be more than what we are now,” he said, eyes twinkling with conviction. He even had to pull you away a bit and make you steady.

Your eyes widened once more at what you’re hearing. He was full of surprises today, and at least your poor heart can still handle it.

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

It was as if the world stopped that moment – your eyes stared into Johnny’s, his hands now clasped on yours. All he needed to do was bend, like the prince that you secretly thought he was. And when he did, everything went black.

///

You woke up to the sound of ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ by Muse. “Why would someone play that song so early in the morning?” You grumbled, rubbing your eyes agitatedly at the loud sound booming from your speakers.

Once your vision has adjusted, you saw your boyfriend in his boxer briefs dancing and lip-syncing to the song.

Oh shit, you thought, your mind racing with a million thoughts. Did he sleep over at my house or what?

Once he reached the falsetto part, you noticed how tight his underwear was. And of course, he was sculpted to the gods. But since you are a grumpy person before having coffee, you smacked him with a pillow.

“Put some clothes on, Johnny motherclucking Suh!” You said, your voice still hoarse.

He didn’t get mad that you threw a pillow to cover his nearly naked figure. He laughed instead and decided to torture you more. He got back into the bed with you and tickled you until you were in tears both from laughter and pain.

“Stop it, please,” you said in between panting, getting tired from his unique torture exercise. He did what was told and flipped you to face him. You saw stubble on his face, and you couldn’t help but peck at it. You found it sexy since he always shaves it. “You really like it when I have facial hair, no?” He whispered, his breath almost tickling your ear.

“Yeah, I like it when you look a bit dirty,” you said, your hands now cupping his face. He gave you The Look, and your hands found its way around his neck.

“You know, I was dreaming about your confession.”

This startled him a bit, and he tightened his grip around your waist. “What about it?”

“I can’t believe that I fainted when you did,” you said, burying your face on his shoulder.

“I bet you fell for my Disney prince imitation,” he snickered, moving a bit so he could see your flustered face.

“You know I have a weakness for that!” Your whine was met with a peck after, which led to some kisses here and there.

Today was Day 2 of you and Johnny becoming official. He stayed over at your house after Key left, helping you clean the house. Although you know you can be quite a horny bitch, Johnny didn’t do anything funny or anything that you did not approve of. You slept hugging each other since both of you were tired from the chores you had to do.

“You sure are a messy girl,” You remembered him telling you, rolling his eyes to annoy you even more. You replied with a thwack on his butt. “Shut it,” you grumbled before you hugged him tighter.

“Night night, baby princess,” he said, kissing you on the forehead. You smiled in your sleep, wholeheartedly contented and satisfied with life.

–––

FIN

JN (Part IV)

We’re back with yet another installment of this series, and I believe it will be the last one for our One and Only. 

To unofficially wrap this up, here’s a GIF of him looking all cute and cuddly in this cozy hoodie! Yes, I’m a sucker for alliterations. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

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Summary: As always, that GIF is a clue! Read on more random scenarios based on the prompt list of @neoculturedrabbles​, and please take note that these were written with the tensest timeline in mind still. I’m going to call the pre-Johnny and Essie as a couple timeline as that from now. 

POV: 2nd for the first, 3rd for the second. 

Word count: 1,700+ words

Warning: Italics are for foreign terms this time. 

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Prompt #3: “Is that my hoodie?”

Living with Johnny and Mark means you get to swipe items from each other. If not that, either one of you uses the item of the other.

For example, every time you bring out your sandalwood soap, Johnny and Mark use it. You noticed that it was used when there were remaining bubbles on the soap when it was your turn to take a bath. You wrinkled your nose in annoyance, remembering that Johnny criticized your soap preference.

“Baby, this smells like a man’s soap. Unless you like that, of course,” he told you one time you stepped out of the shower after using a newly-opened bar of sandalwood soap.

“The hell you care, dude. I’ve become used to it, and it helps with my skin conditions,” you grumbled in response before storming back to your room.

To get back for his bashing and using your soap with no permission, you decided to get one of his million hoodies inside his closet. You were lucky that he didn’t lock his room at all – it was easy to get one of them whenever he was out. Mark was abroad again, and that means you have the apartment all to yourself lately.

You got a light brown hoodie from his closet, which was one of your favorites on him. You tried it on, and you wiggled in delight at how soft and comfortable it was. “This is mine for now, Johnny Suh,” you whispered to no one in particular before leaving his room.

\\\

When he arrived at home late that night, you were lounging in your room in his hoodie and your jogging pants. You were working on your novel again, writing about the back story on one of your characters. As you typed furiously in front of your laptop while listening to a curated playlist to get into the mood, you didn’t notice him enter your room.

As you were about to finish writing one sentence, you heard someone clear their throat. You looked up and saw the towering form of your housemate, who raised his eyebrow at you.

“Hey,” you greeted briefly before going back to your manuscript.

“Hey yourself,” you heard him through your headphones, “and is that my hoodie?”

You didn’t respond, intent on finishing the sentence you were working on.

“Is that my hoodie you’re wearing?” He asked again, his voice louder (and a bit annoyed) this time.

You took off your headphones and looked at up him again with a smile on your face. “Yeah, it is. It’s mine now,” you said confidently, flashing him your pearly whites.

“Hey, is this your payback for using your soap? Come on! I like that hoodie!” He whined, now sitting beside you and tugging the sleeve of the hoodie you were wearing.

“You have a lot of hoodies, Youngho. You bought what, like 4 or 5 of them in one go? It wouldn’t hurt for you to let go of one,” you muttered, prying his fingers off your arm.

“But that’s one of my favorites! It’s part of my Top 5!”

“Nope, it’s mine now.”

“Essieeeeee!” Johnny tackled you on the bed, and you thwacked him on the head. “Duuuude!” You grumbled, sitting up to put away your laptop on your vanity. “Don’t do that when my laptop is here.”

“And you’re more concerned about your laptop than me?” He fake-sobbed first before tackling you again back to the bed.

What ensued was a hilarious (and a bit awkward) bed wrestling fight – you two were a tangle of limbs on your messy bed.

“Ow!” He cried when he got poked by your plastic hand bookmark that has now escaped the book you were hiding under your bed. “Serves you right for messing with me!” You stuck your tongue out and pushed him off you.

He didn’t let you do that easily – he pinned both your arms and was now on top of you.

“Give back my jacket please, baby,” he purred, giving you his best aegyo even if his face was as flushed as a tomato.

“No, it’s mine. For now, that is. Can’t I borrow it for a week?”

Johnny let go of his hold on you and laid beside you on the bed. “Fine, just for a week. After that, it goes back into my closet.”

“Then I’ll pilfer another one next time,” you snickered, which earned you a pinch on your sides. You glared at him, which he ignored as he continued to pinch you more.

“No, I get to choose which one you’ll get next time,” he said, now tilting his body to face you. “There’s nothing wrong with you wearing my stuff, but you’ve got to ask permission first, okay?”

“But you didn’t ask for my permission when you used my soap!” It was your turn to whine, and he just laughed at your statement.

“Essie, it’s just soap. And I bet you have a truckload of that since you always ask your sister to get you that every time she goes to the States. So please, don’t mind us when you use your soap.”

His words took a moment for you to absorb. “Mark uses it too?!” You were close to hysterics already, making the tall guy laugh harder. “Yeah. As you said, it smells good, and it helps with skin conditions.”

You looked at him for a hot minute and focused your attention on his neck. “I doubt it’s helping you,” you said, pointing at the red mark on his neck. “Your insect bite is still there.”

“Heeeeey!” He swatted your finger away from his neck and held it. “That doesn’t count. But maybe if I use it more…”

“Fine. Let’s call it quits. You can use my soap, and I get to keep this hoodie.”

“No way, Jose! It’s still mine. You can use it for a week, that’s it.”

“But Johnnyyyyy!”

\\\

Prompt #9: “What are you doing?”

“…nothing.”

When Essie and Johnny weren’t still roommates, he often texted her or left her a voicemail to hang out with him.

“What are you doing?” Ninety-nine percent of the time, this was the first message that Essie would always playback.

“…nothing,” was her usual reply. Later on, he would text her about some activities he wanted to do with her. There were some that she agreed to, and there were some that she declined out of tiredness or she wasn’t up for it.

Since Johnny vlogged during his free time, he would always tag along with Essie and Kibum in his adventures. They did challenges together, and the three became known as the Le Fabuleux Escouade, thanks to Kibum and Essie’s French vocabulary and the netizens agreeing that it was a nice nickname for the trio.

There was a time that the two had their usual exchange that ended up with them having a mukbang at his apartment. Kibum was out of the country, so it was just the two best friends who filmed while eating Essie’s favorite Filipino dishes – Bicol Express, afritadang manok, ensaladang pako, palabok, and pichi-pichi. There was a newly-opened Filipino restaurant downtown and the girl was too eager to order almost everything from the menu.

“Since I asked you guys on my social media what you would like to know about me and Essie, we’re going to read some of them right now as we eat all this glorious food,” Johnny said to the camera, pointing at the pichi-pichi and palabok near him. Essie gave a small wave and pointed to the Bicol Express and afritadang manok beside her.

As Johnny scrolled through his phone for the questions he received, the girl started eating. She put some rice on her plate first before getting a portion of the Bicol Express. “I’m so hungry right now, guys,” Essie whispered loudly enough to be considered ASMR.

When he looked at her, his eyes widened. “Hey, don’t start without me! Wait!” He was quick to whip out his plate and put some rice and Bicol Express on it as well.

They ate a bit before Johnny went back to his phone to answer questions. He almost choked when he read the most asked question.

“Are you and Essie dating?” He read aloud before showing off the proof that almost everyone wanted to know the real deal between him and his best friend.

The girl looked at him incredulously before staring into the camera with the same expression. “Seriously, guys?” She asked before eating a spoonful of rice and meat.

“Well, Essie and I are best friends. I mean, I have a lot of people I consider that, and she’s one of them. We have been friends for over a year now,” he looked at her briefly before turning his attention back to the camera, “and I’m glad that we still are. What can you say, baby?”

She slapped his shoulder playfully before sharing her answer. “That’s true. He’s one of my best friends as well. Even if our friendship isn’t as long as my other besties, I still feel that we are. Sometimes, it isn’t about the labels that define things. It just happens, you know?”

The two gave each other a high-five before they went into their friendship clap.

“We’re just best friends, guys!” Johnny started, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “But who knows?” He glanced at her, hoping that his look of longing wasn’t that visible on camera.

To be honest, he was starting to fall for her. The more time that he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her. He tried not hanging out with her for a week, and he felt empty. It wasn’t the same anymore.

“Hey!” Essie shouted, pushing him away from her. “Don’t lead them on like that!” If Johnny was paying close attention to what her words meant, then he would’ve realized that her statement reflected what she was feeling and not the viewers.

Essie shared the same feelings too, and their life would be even more complicated if they do get together.

Who would like their relationship to be projected onto screens, right? Not Essie, but she’s not sure if Johnny feels the same.

–––

FIN

P.S. All those Filipino dishes made me hungry! I hope you get to eat your favorites today!

JH (Part II)

Let’s mix it up a bit with some Jeong Jaehyun goodness here at MKJS! Yes, I’m making that abbreviation a thing. 

Since I like to tease what you’re going to be reading, here’s an adorable GIF of a younger Yoon Oh as a clue! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

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Summary: A continuation of this post, but this is also connected to this one. I manage to write stories that follow a timeline, but could never write them chronologically. It’s just the way it is, I guess? 

POV: Both are 2nd person pieces. 

Word count: 1,440 words 

Warning: More so a reminder – italics are also for song lyrics. 

Recommended listening: The first piece has a song mention; hence it will be embedded below. 

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Prompt #2: “Can I sleep here tonight? With you?”

You were having nightmares recently.

There was a tall, pale woman with long hair that has been chasing you in your dreams. Sometimes, you dreamt about your dead mother berating you, and then all the holes in her face will be replaced by crawling bugs.

When you had episodes like this, Johnny was the only one who could help you. He had a routine to calm you down – he prepared a glass of warm milk mixed with cinnamon and honey, then tucked you to bed, combed your hair with his hands, and most importantly, he slept beside you while tapping your thigh.

However, you weren’t in his apartment right now, and he wasn’t in the country too. He was back in his hometown for a much-needed vacation, and you didn’t want to bother him too much since you wanted him to reconnect with his family.

You were in Jaehyun and Taeil’s apartment for now as yours was being renovated. You didn’t know who to approach regarding your problem since you weren’t that close with them like the way you are with Johnny.

As you stepped out of your room to look for milk in the fridge, you saw that Jaehyun’s door was ajar. You tiptoed towards it, peeking to see what he was doing.

He was just on his bed, checking his phone with Jamie Foxx playing in the background. You noticed that his turntable was on, and the music was playing softly.

His room looked inviting for you to sleep in – at least good music is playing, and maybe you can fall asleep listening to Jaehyun talk about anything.

Other people might find your idea to be daring, considering male and female friends don’t just sleep in each other’s rooms. But since you got used to skinship because of Johnny, you noticed how different your friends (of both genders) treated you when you became a bit touchier with them.

They were more affectionate, and they understood you better even if you didn’t say anything.

You returned to the kitchen to prepare your drink, which you were glad that you have. There was also honey and cinnamon available, and you squealed at how things were looking great for you.

As soon as you were done preparing and drinking your milk drink, you gathered your courage to ask Jaehyun for a favor that you hoped he would agree to.

\\

“Jay?”

“Yes, Essie?”

“Can I ask for a favor?”

“Sure, what is it?”

“Can I sleep here tonight? With you?”

Your conversation happened while you were standing at his doorway, your voice as soft as possible so as not to wake up Taeil.

Jaehyun’s eyes widened at your question, and he had to stand in front of you to check if he wasn’t hearing things.

“Come again? Did you just say sleep here?”

You nodded vigorously as you felt your tears were about to fall at any time. You clutched the pillow that you held tightly and looked away from his face for a bit.

“Why, what’s wrong?” You felt his clammy hand pull you into his room, and you let yourself be led inside.

Both of you sat on his bed, and you covered your face with your pillow as soon as he tilted you to look at him.

“I’m having nightmares,” you mumbled into your pillow.

“About what, dear? Is it alright if you tell me?” Jaehyun gently removed the pillow on your face and led you to lie down with him on the bed.

You sniffed first before you shared your story, tears falling from your face as you recalled in detail the nightmares you were having.

Since you were so intent on telling your tale, you didn’t notice how intent Jaehyun was on listening to your story.

When you were done, that was the time you realized that you cried. You wiped the tears that wet his sheet, and he swatted your hand away from the marks you left. “It’s fine, Essie. I understand. Is there anything else I could do to make you forget about your nightmares?” He asked, taking one of your hands and squeezing it gently.

“My housemate has a routine for me,” you started, “and I’ve already done some of them though…” You looked at him shyly and saw an aloof expression on his face.

Was there something wrong with Johnny doing things for you if you were having nightmares?

“So, what else does your housemate do for you, then?” Jaehyun’s voice sounded stern, and you were slightly taken aback. That didn’t stop you from voicing out your request, though.

“Uh, he pats my thigh,” you tapped your upper outer thigh, “until I fall asleep. So basically, he sleeps beside me.” Your cheeks felt on fire as you said all of this, embarrassed at the things some people will do for you.

“Okay, got it,” His voice became soft again, and he shifted his body toward you. “Should I sing you a lullaby?”

You nodded, and he closed the small gap between you by pulling you to his chest. He surprised you when he sang an obscure Beatles song which he tweaked a bit.

Half of what I say is meaningless

But I say it just to reach you, Essie

Although the original song was played with the guitar, he decided to sing it a capella while patting your thigh.

You felt sleep creep into your system as he hummed some parts to make the song longer.

“Thank you, Jay,” you mumbled as coherently as you could.

You weren’t able to hear his reply as slumber completely enveloped you.

If only you fought it for a few more seconds, you could’ve heard him say, “Anything for my dear.”

///

Prompt #26: “Do you have more pillows?”

There should be at least four pillows on your bed, but right now, you only had three. One of them was missing, and you didn’t know where it went.

You were about to sleep, but the absence of your fourth pillow bothered you. “Where could that be?” You grumbled to yourself, slipping on your bedroom slippers to search for it all over the apartment.

You were currently staying in Jaehyun and Taeil’s apartment as yours was under renovation. Taeil was already knocked out from his schedule and spared his room for your search. You checked the sofa if it was there and frowned when it wasn’t.

You thought of bothering Jaehyun but felt a bit shy since it was already late in the evening. You know that he’s a night owl, but you didn’t like bothering other people at this time. However, you also know that you couldn’t sleep without that extra pillow, so you gathered all your courage to knock on his door.

When he opened it slightly, you saw that he wore his silly headband again. “Yes, Essie? What can I do for you?”

“Do you have more pillows?” You asked, peeking at the small space behind him. Too bad his bed wasn’t in plain sight – you could’ve checked easily if he has a spare that you can borrow.

“Uh, yeah,” he responded, now opening the door fully. You stepped in and looked to your right immediately. Jackpot – his bed was on that side. Your eyes widened at what you saw.

It was the fourth pillow you were looking for.

“What…is this doing here?” You grabbed your pillow from his bed and squeezed it.

“Essie, you slept in here last night. Don’t you remember?”

You closed your eyes to jog the memory in your mind, and he was correct – you did sleep in his room last night since you were having nightmares for the past few days. Now you weren’t sure if you were cured of that though.

“Oh, right. Sorry, my bad. Thank you for that,” you turned on your heel and faced the door, “I guess I’ll get going then.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You can sleep here again if you want,” Jaehyun’s response made you bury your face in your pillow.

“No, it’s fine. I appreciate your gesture, but I think I can manage now.” You faced him again and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Okay, if you say so. Night Essie,” he said, kissing your cheek before you exited his room.

As he closed the door gently, you stood dumbfounded outside.

“Night night Jay,” you whispered, hoping that it was loud for him to hear.

When you didn’t receive any response, you took it as your cue to return to your bedroom with your pillow.

–––

FIN

Cruel Game

Shaking things up with this brain fart because too much lovey-dovey can get on your nerves. Well, sometimes. Or is it just me? 

Anyway, I just want to share that I love any Jaehyun and Mark interactions. I like how chill both are, and let’s be honest – they give off frat boy vibes. 

I love this GIF of them – I feel the love, man! GIF is from this link.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Sharing that I love Jaehyun and Mark’s friendship is a clue to what you’ll be reading today, as the guys are fueled by their jealousy to get Essie’s heart. Say what?! Yes, I wrote this with the tensest timeline in mind, meaning it’s before Johnny and Essie got together and are getting real touchy with each other. 

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 1,200 + words 

Warning: Italics are for thoughts and foreign terms. 

–––

Jaehyun knew he lost when he saw the look Essie and Johnny shared during one of their hangouts.

The grey-haired heartthrob, along with Taeyong and Ten, decided to visit their friends Mark, Johnny, and Essie (who also happen to be housemates). It has been a while since Mark and Taeyong were in their respective apartments due to their hectic schedules, and it has been ages since all of them hung out with Ten.

He, Taeyong, and Johnny cooked while Ten, Mark, and Essie provided entertainment through singing with their respective instruments or dancing. The three men prepared a mix of both Korean and Japanese food, which delighted the only girl in the house. “It’s as if you know what I’m craving for!” She gushed, clapping her hands together in glee.

“Of course, I know what you like,” Jaehyun commented confidently with a wink, making her blush. His action was not lost on Johnny, who looked as if he could burn a hole on the back of his friend’s head. “Thank you, Jay!” Essie chirped before she nudged Ten to help her in setting the table.

Once that was set, everyone sat down and enjoyed their dinner. It was during this part of the evening that Jaehyun knew that Essie has made up her mind on whom she likes the most. It was not lost on him that he was one of the people who first knew of her crush on Johnny and other guys in their huge social circle. If he remembered correctly, the only ones from the group she told of were him and Ten.

He caught Johnny tapping her shoulder lightly to whisper something in her ear. He noticed the way she leaned immediately to his touch and giggled at the few words he said. They shared a look before they went back to eating.

If he was asked to describe the look they gave each other, it was one of sweet longing and understanding. In short, he was jealous that he wasn’t the one who received it.

Jaehyun tightened the grip on his utensils as he continued eating dinner, feeling his face heat up in anger. “Hey, hyung. You okay?” Mark asked, who was seated to his left. He nodded in response and gave a goofy smile to reassure him.

“But your ear is, like, all red,” Ten commented before eating a whole sushi. He touched his ear and felt that he was going to get burned with how hot it was. “Oh, maybe it must be the weather? Or the room’s a bit too warm,” he mumbled before focusing on his plate again.

“Did you say it’s too hot, Jay? I can adjust the temperature of the AC,” Essie offered, now standing up to go to where she placed the remote of the air conditioner. “Yeah, thanks dear,” he said softly, looking at her figure disappear into the living room.

“Hey, that’s not where the remote for the AC is, you dummy! It’s over here,” Johnny said, following the girl into the room she went to. The sight of his friend going to where his crush was made him massage his temples in silence, which then led him to lose his appetite.

“I don’t think you’re okay, hyung,” Mark whispered, moving his chair closer to the table. The sound it made turned heads, and all of them looked at the two guys. “What?” Jaehyun was irritated at the looks he got from Taeyong and Ten.

“Yeah, you don’t seem well, Yoon Oh. Do you need a break?” Taeyong said carefully since he didn’t want to irk his housemate. After all, they were going home the same way in the same car.

“I think so. I’ll just be outside,” Jaehyun muttered before going outside to the porch. Mark excused himself shortly afterward and went to where he was as well.

The two men observed the night scenery in silence – well, they could still hear the sound of cicadas chirping and clicking and their heavy breathing.

“What brings you here, Mark?” He started, folding his arms over his chest.

“I think I know what set you off,” the younger guy replied, moving closer to him.

“Oh, you think? Then humor me. Tell me what that is,” his tone was sarcastic, which Mark picked up and returned in his response.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who’s annoyed with Johnny and Essie making goo-goo eyes at each other.”

They looked at each other for a moment and burst into laughter afterward. “Hey, why are you annoyed with them? What did they do to you? Sucks that you have to endure that, eh?” Jaehyun took a seat on the bench, and Mark followed suit. “It’s not that they did anything to me, but I think…I like Essie noona more than, you know, as a sister figure.” The way his voice softened at the end made the older guy’s heart ache.

“Damn, Mark. I didn’t know you felt that way. I guess…you can say the same thing about me too,” he brushed his hair away from his face and looked out into the dark horizon again. “It’s not usual for me to be jealous, especially towards one of my best friends. But I can’t help it. I like Essie too, but I think she has made her decision on who she likes the most.”

“Huh? What does that mean?” Mark moved closer to his hyung, his eyes shining in anticipation with his next words.

Oh crap, this is bad. I shouldn’t have phrased it that way…he thought, running another hand through his hair.

“Let’s just say that Essie likes a lot of guys, and among them all, Johnny is the one she likes the best. And unfortunately, none of us made that list. Isn’t that sad?”

It took a moment for Mark to reply. “Maybe she wouldn’t tell us that if she liked us that way, you know? But maybe she likes one of us too, or heck, even just one of us aside from Johnny hyung. But who are we to compete with him?” He peeked inside and saw that he and Essie were arguing on the dinner table.

“Hey, be confident with yourself, Mark Lee. Suh Youngho isn’t the only handsome and talented guy in the room,” Jaehyun patted his friend’s back before sneaking a look on the commotion inside. He saw that Essie looked pissed, and Johnny was rolling his eyes at her.

“But they look like a fucking married couple already,” Mark mumbled, his eyes also focused on the two. “I think they’re meant for each other.”

“Don’t lose hope. Why don’t you try?” Both men returned to looking at the night sky. “You know, talking with you made me not give up on pursuing Essie. I felt that I have already lost. That sickeningly sweet look she and Youngho had earlier broke me, man. I swear to you,” the older guy admitted, his eyes now focused on his shoes.

“But that means we’ll be competing for her then,” the black-haired guy glanced at Jaehyun, who was now looking at him. “I still want to try, you know. Even if I know deep inside she might not accept my love.”

“That’s the spirit, I guess?” Jaehyun chuckled, slinging an arm around Mark’s shoulder. “May the best man win then.”

“Good luck to us, hyung. I mean it.”

–––

FIN

P.S. The title came from ‘Sit Down’ as it suddenly played in my head the moment I saved the initial draft. Of course, how can I forget Jaehyun’s lines and his competitive spirit? 

With Family (Part II)

This installment will be the last for now, but rest assured that I will write more of this since it’s something I have fun thinking scenarios of. 

One of my many inspirations for this part aside from my personal life was Johnny’s outfits when he went to America late last year. 

Heck, I even made a collage of it with one of Adam Driver’s looks in Marriage Story because both looked so similar but had different tones! Please see image below: 

In short, I really like big and tall guys. Dude has to be since I’m also like that in real life. Well, I’m not that tall, but others think that’s the case. 

Anyway, mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: After meeting Essie’s mother and sisters, it’s time for Johnny to meet her estranged father. Also, read more about the couple’s dynamic at home. Can you relate to them, especially those who have been in a relationship or are in a relationship? Please let me know by commenting on this post!

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 1,600 + words

Warning: Italics are for foreign terms. Since we have songs mentioned here again, please scroll down to the bottom of the post to listen to them while reading or whatnot. 

–––

“Baby, wake up,” you stirred at the husky voice of your boyfriend who was gently shaking you. 

“I’m awake,” you mumbled, slowly opening your eyes. You saw him in his usual brown hoodie and sweatpants, and he looked worse for wear like you are right now. 

“We have to leave the house at eight,” he pulled off the covers from your body, “since we’re going to have Mass with your family.” 

You stood up straight immediately and shrieked. “Oh my god, I almost forgot about that!” You covered your face in your hands, ashamed that you were almost running late and at the thought of Johnny meeting your father for the first time. 

He had already met your sisters and your mother a couple of weeks ago, but now he was going to meet your estranged father. 

You and your father didn’t have any beef. It was just him and your mother who had a complicated relationship. You grew in a dysfunctional family because of that, but that doesn’t mean that you love one parent more than the other.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ve already met your family except…” His voice trailed off, afraid that you might not like what he was going to say next. 

“Yes, you’re going to meet my father,” you dropped your hands on your lap and looked at him. He was concerned at how antsy you were feeling and kissed your forehead. “Don’t worry. I can handle him. Maybe he’s not going to handle me,” he chuckled, his hands taking in yours. 

“Well, let’s see about that…” you squeezed his hands, “but we better get moving, shall we?” 

He nodded and led you to the bathroom, wherein you saw your towels hanging next to each other on the rack. 

“So, who’s going to take a bath first?” You let go of his hands and placed them on your hips. “Of course, I’ll be the one who goes first,” he pointed a thumb to himself as he went to the sink and plucked his toothbrush from the holder. 

“Okay, why did I have to ask,” you grumbled, tugging on your shorts as you plunked yourself in the toilet. “And don’t look, just focus on brushing your teeth,” you pointed a finger at him as you shimmied yourself out of your panties. 

Good thing Johnny was intent on brushing his teeth while you peed. Since he was intent on brushing all corners of his teeth, he didn’t notice that you were done until he heard the flushing of the toilet. 

“Call me when you’re done with that, okay?” You said as you went back to the bedroom. 

\\\

A few minutes later, Johnny was done and went back to the bedroom to tell you it was your turn to brush your teeth. 

But before words came out of his mouth, he was speechless at the sight of you just in his shirt and your panties. Your butt was on full display for him as you lied on the bed scrolling through your social media feed. 

He slapped your butt, and you immediately turned to see him smirking at you. 

“You just had to do that, huh,” he whispered, pinching your thighs this time. You swatted his hands away from you and got up, pulling down your shirt, so he doesn’t see your panties anymore. 

“Take a bath now, please,” you said as you got your toothbrush and squeezed a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. “Yes ma’am,” he purred as he removed his hoodie, revealing his perfectly sculpted body. 

You tried your best to look away, but he didn’t let you – instead, he winked at you as he flexed his body in front of the mirror. 

“Like what you see, baby?” He said, slowly approaching you.  

You rolled your eyes in response, but deep inside you could feel your insides warming up. “Just take a bath now, please,” you said in between brushing your teeth. 

He slapped your butt again before he cackled his way to the shower. “If only we weren’t in a hurry, I’d want for us to take a shower together.”

“Younghooooo!” 

\\\

You returned to the bedroom again and groaned as you listened to him sing in the shower. At first, he sang ‘A Whole New World’ and you were singing Jasmine’s part silently. Then, he sang ‘Change the World’ (by Eric Clapton) and even did the guitar sounds of the song. The last song he sang was ‘True to Your Heart’ from the Mulan soundtrack, which you couldn’t help but sing along to loudly as well. 

Once he was done, he emerged in the bedroom with his towel wrapped around his waist. “It’s your turn now,” he said at the doorway while holding a seductive pose. You flipped the bird on him before removing your shirt inside the bathroom. 

“Damn baby, you’re looking finer each day,” he howled, his eyes focused on your chest. “Johnny, please! Get dressed now!” Your cheeks were burning as you stepped inside the shower. 

“But really, your boobs are getting bigger and your ass firmer!” You heard him say from the bedroom, and you screamed in annoyance.

\\\

You left the house at exactly 7:45 a.m., and both of you wore burnt orange. You rocked your favorite corduroy skirt in that autumnal color while he wore it in a turtleneck, which fit him snugly. 

“We totally look like a couple,” you said while you eyed your skirt and his turtleneck. “Well, aren’t we?” He replied, his hand slipping into yours as he drove with one hand as always. 

“I know,” you looked at him in the eye, and he winked, earning giggles from the both of you. 

“You’re such a flirt! Do you know that, my love?” 

“Yes, I know. But only to you.”

\\\

You arrived at the church right before the Mass started, and you saw your family waving at you at the far right corner of the place. Your mother was beside your father, who looked dashing in his black shirt and jeans. Sitting beside your mother was your elder sister and her girlfriend, while beside your father was your eldest sister and her American husband. You decided to sit beside your elder sister and her partner, with you sandwiched between your boyfriend and your sister’s partner. 

After the Mass, you had lunch at the nearest Korean restaurant, and Johnny was gushing how cute your parents were. 

“It looks like your mom’s totally in love with your father still,” he whispered as you waited for the meat to be cooked on the grill.

“I know, but he doesn’t really feel that same anymore,” you whispered back, tightening your grip on his arm. You saw that his face fell, and you pecked him on the cheek to cheer him up. 

“Don’t be sad, but that’s the truth. It’s rare for me to see my mother this happy though,” your eyes were focused on how your mother was feeding kimchi to your father, who took it hesitantly. 

“I want us to have a loving and long-lasting relationship, baby,” he kissed your hand after he whispered those sweet words to your ear. 

“Me too, love.” But before you could look at each other with goo-goo eyes, your elder sister cleared your throat and raised an eyebrow at you two. 

“Some of us are trying to eat here, lovebirds.”

You and Johnny mouthed your apologies and went back to eating. 

\\\

The day went by fast – everyone took a walk in the park and enjoyed what nature had to offer. Johnny was quick to assist your parents when they had difficulty walking or moving, and you followed suit. You endured the teasing you got from your family while your boyfriend tried his best not to join in and defend you. 

But the highlight of today’s event was his bonding with your father. You overheard them talking about photography, and you couldn’t help but smile at their interaction. 

“Essie, why don’t you set up a photo walk in all of the parks in the city? I know you did that before,” your father said as he noticed you observing them. 

“Yeah, I know, but I’m not sure if all of my photographer friends are still in the country,” you replied sheepishly. 

“Nonsense! There will always be people who love photography and would love to get to know people through it,” your father eyed Johnny with a smile on his face, “and let’s do it next week?”

You glanced at your boyfriend, who looked ecstatic at attending his first photo walk. 

“Sure, Dad. I’ll do that.”

\\\

On the drive home, Johnny was beaming with all the things he learned from your family. 

“Your dad’s so cool, baby! You never told me he’s like a master photographer of sorts! I can’t wait to borrow his medium format camera next week!” He was squealing like a teenage girl as he went into the nitty-gritty of photography. 

“Well, now you know,” you grumbled, looking at the car window. “I’m glad you enjoyed today.” 

“Yes, I did. I hope we’ll get to do this next time with my family,” He looked at your reflection on the car window and saw a panicked expression on your face. 

“Baby, don’t worry. Eomma and Appa love you already,” he squeezed your hand gently. “And they can’t wait to see you again.”

You cried silently on the trip home as he held your hand. Although you have already met his parents, you still felt afraid of them. Your heritage was something that you thought they would have issues with, but they said that it was okay. 

What mattered most was that Johnny was happy with the woman he loves, and they could see that whenever you were around him. 

It was after that second meeting with his parents that he admitted of his plans of settling down, and you fainted because you knew what would come next.

He was going to propose to you eventually. You just had to prepare yourself when and where he was going to do it.

–––

FIN

Quarantine Series (Part III)

Remember their Relay V Lives last April? Yes, those have inspired me to write the next two installments of this series. 

For this one, the GIF below says it all. Isn’t it exciting? I got it from Tumblr too but I can’t seem to find its source, so please let me know who this belongs to. Thank you!

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: I already said what you needed to know about this piece above, so I would just like to add that Johnny’s outfit here is inspired by this photo of my first love Adam Driver. Dang, I really have a thing for big, tall men! 

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 1,200+ words

–––

“Get up, loser! We’re going to exercise!”

Johnny Suh screeched, banging open your door to report of this so-called mandatory activity. “Why are we going to exercise?” You whined, burying yourself deeper into the comforter. “No buts, ma’am! We’ve got to shake that ass to get that toned bod!” Your housemate said, removing the blanket that covered your body and twirling you to look at him. But before you could even complain that you didn’t want to, your eyes widened at his outfit.

“What the hell are you wearing?” You shrieked, absorbing Johnny’s chosen workout attire of a bandanna, skimpy tank top (with ‘Let’s Get Physical’ printed on it in silver glitter), and a pair of neon booty shorts. “The weather’s hot, baby. And maybe I want to show off the fruits of my labor so you and Mark will be motivated to work out even more,” he said, now showing off his rainbow-striped tube socks and retro sneakers.

“You look as if you stepped out of a cheesy 80s aerobic video, but whatever,” you grumbled, finally getting up from the bed. “Can you give me five minutes to change?” He responded with a thumbs-up before he screamed again in the hallway. “I’ll let you do ten push-ups if you don’t comply with that time!” You could only roll your eyes at his words before you search your closet for a pair of jogging pants.

\\\

Four minutes later – for fear of doing something you didn’t even know how to do properly – you emerged from your room and saw that Johnny had already set up the living room with mats, kettlebells, and weights.

“Wow, you’re early,” your instructor said, eyeing you from head to toe. “For a beginner, you sure dress well,” he gave you another thumbs-up, which you replied by flipping the bird on him. “Mark Lee! Where the heck are you?” His booming voice made the younger guy come out, who wore all black for his workout attire. “I see you’re in black, Mr. Lee. Maybe we’re going to mourn the loss of your excess fat after this,” Johnny snickered, earning giggles from you and your fellow attendee. “Now, let's get it!”

\\\

Although Mark was fitter than you, he was showing signs of fatigue from the routine that your instructor demonstrated. You can say the same for yourself, but you didn’t want anyone of them to see how exhausted you are. However, Johnny was still in high spirits by teaching you guys how to do exercises with the kettlebell and even pumped up the music. To be honest, you didn’t want to take his workout seriously because his playlist was all over the place – aside from the aforementioned cheesy 80s aerobics music, he also had promiscuous rap songs and even techno headbangers from the late 90s. As much as you wanted to laugh at how the playlist shifted from Vibez to Crazy Frog, Johnny berated you when he caught you not following instructions.

“Miss Park, please! If I catch you not following again, I’ll make you do 10 more,” he hissed while moving the kettlebell up and down.

“Can we get a break, please,” Mark groaned, looking paler than usual. “We’ve been at it for 20 minutes, hyung. Please?”

When the brown-haired guy dropped the kettlebell on the mat, you and Mark rushed to the kitchen to get some drinks.

“Don’t drink anything that isn’t water or any sports drink! We’re not yet done!”

\\\

Johnny’s exercise routine took 45 minutes, and it ended with you and Mark lying on your respective mats in pain. “Am I that out of shape?” He huffed, looking up at the ceiling. “Nonsense, you’re fitter than I,” you replied, your breath still catching up with your exercise. “Look at me, I might die anytime soon.”

“That’s even more nonsense!” Your instructor sat beside you with a huge smile on his face. “You did great, baby! I never thought you were that flexible,” he handed you a bottle of Pocari Sweat, which you accepted wordlessly.

“How about me, hyung?” Mark’s question was answered when Johnny threw another bottle of the sports drink at him.

“This was really fun! Maybe we should do it twice a week. We don’t have much to do during this quarantine anyway.” He was ecstatic at how he made you and Mark tired from exercise that his eyes were practically glowing.

“Who says we don’t have much to do? I can list a lot of things I can do during this quarantine that doesn’t involve exercise,” you grumbled, sitting up so you can now drink your Pocari Sweat.

“You and your sedentary activities,” Johnny scoffed. “Why don’t you and Doyoung make a club? You two are practically holed up in your bedrooms anyway.”

“There’s a certain joy of staying inside, Mr. Suh. For someone who isn’t an extrovert like you, you wouldn’t understand.” You placed the bottle on the floor with a thud, shaking Mark a bit.

“Hey, noona. Calm down,” he whispered, scooting closer to you. “And please, don’t fight. If there’s one thing I don’t want all of us to do, it’s that.”

You stared at Johnny, who returned the gesture. You had a stare-off that lasted for fifteen seconds before you heard Mark stand up and go back to his bedroom, mumbling something along the lines of ‘never-ending sexual tension’ and ‘dense as fuck’.

“But seriously, Essie. Exercise is good for everyone. I don’t need to remind you that, right?” You couldn’t look at the guy beside you, who talked with such a soft and loving voice. You could only nod in response and looked at your lap. “I’m going to make this a regular thing, and of course, you and Mark could also hold activities of your own that all of us can do.”

“I’m guessing Mark will make us perform a song together, considering all of us play instruments,” you chuckled, remembering the times that he gathered everyone in the living room so each one can perform a song of their liking.

“I think so too,” you heard Johnny move closer to you, “and I wonder what’ll be yours?” When you looked up, he linked an arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him. “Maybe eat,” you said matter-of-factly, making him laugh. You felt his abs as he did so, and you tried to move away, so you don’t completely become a flustered mess. He didn’t let you and tightened his hold.

“It’s all balanced then,” he kissed the top of your head before letting you go. “Our next session will be two days from now, so talk to Mark which one of you is in charge of tomorrow’s activity.” He helped you stand up, and in return, you helped him clean up today’s set-up. “I think I want to go first, I want us to eat something I haven’t eaten in ages…” you mumbled after packing away the last of gym equipment into its respective cabinet.

“Oh, is that so? But still, talk to Marky.” Johnny jerked his thumb toward the younger guy’s bedroom. “Yeah, I know. But thanks though for today.” You grinned, giving him two thumbs-up. “And thank you as well, my grumpy baby,” he messed your hair with his hands, “I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s feast.”

“Same here,” you laughed, now dashing toward Mark’s room. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to talk to Mr. Lee here.”

–––

FIN