tiny ideas, big dreams

you let out a sigh as you look over your painfully bare apartment. you didn't have much that you owned anymore. only your clothes and a few heirlooms. everything else your ex husband took in the divorce. you know you could've fought for the things you bought, but you honestly didn't care anymore. he wasn't worth the fight, and you didn't have the energy to deal with him anymore.

the apartment you got was small- only a one bedroom. but to you it was perfect. it was far away from him, and for the first time since you were 18, you were free. it almost didn't feel real, and you didn't have any idea what you were supposed to do anymore. but at least you weren't fully alone.

"oh, yn." you turn, watching as your cousin looks around the bare apartment. she lived in the same complex as you, having begged you to move close to her ever since your divorce almost a year ago when you moved back in with your parents. "we've got some work to do with this place. what kind of style are we going for?"

you shrug your shoulders, not sure of what you wanted. "i don't know. i have no clue how to decorate."

"what are you talking about?" she questions. "you're literally the one who i facetimed the entire time i was picking out furniture for my place."

you chew your lip as you shrug again. "that was you. i know you and what you like. i- i don't know what i like anymore."

"come here." you barely have time to more closer to her before she pulls you into a hug. "it's okay. we have all the time in the world to decorate. you have a bed. you have a desk for your job. we can figure out everything else later."

"you always know what to say."

"i know. it's a talent." you laugh as you pull away from her. "now, lets you unpacked, so we can get something to eat. i know jo is just dying to meet you."

the new few days were mostly uneventful. you didn't leave your apartment much, perks of working from home. you did try to spend some time online shopping for your place, but every time you stopped before you could even get started.

your cousin was right. you were good at decorating. your whole family used to ask you for your opinions when they were remodeling. you loved it, and you were responsible for decorating your house that you and your ex moved into. you thought it was perfect, straight out of your dream. but he hated it, and he made sure to let you know every day how much he couldn't stand having to live there with it being decorated like a 'circus.'

eventually, he had said enough that you had also grown to hate it. and now, you were scared of decorating your place because what if you hated it just like you hated your last place? what if you decorate, and somehow that reminds you of your past with him? at least now being bare and plain, it reminded you nothing of the place you lived in.

you didn't tell your cousin this, but she could tell that something was up. so she told you that the two of you were going to go shopping this afternoon after you got off work. you checked you reflection, smoothing over your dress before putting on your sweater. you met her down stairs, and she was excited, hopeful that the two of you would find something.

and three hours later, the two of you were sitting on your new couch while eating take out your cousin had delivered. "honestly, i think this went better than expected."

you nod your head in agreement. along with the couch, you bought a coffee table along with an actual dinner table and chairs. they were all neutral, which is something you strayed from in the past. but right now, it was exactly what you wanted. "it still feels a little bland. maybe i can find something to brighten it up."

"maybe some plants." your cousin mentioned before correcting herself. "fake plants that is. we don't need you killing anything."

"rude."

"it's not rude if it's the truth."

you roll your eyes as you pack up your containers. "i've been meaning to ask you. you said you had some friends who were tattoo artists, right?"

"i do." she answered. "looking for some new ink?"

"i want to get the one's i have covered up." you tell her.

"why?"

"because all 4 of them are about moments with him." you answer. your hand finds the one on your wrist, one of your most visible ones. it was a ice cream cone. "our first date was to get ice cream. the one on my thigh was a photo of the roses he gave me when he proposed. and lets not forget the date of our wedding tattooed on my ribs. all stupid mistakes i would like to forget."

"then we'll get them covered." she says softly. you were grateful that she was so understanding with you. never judging and always patient. "fuma is the one who specializes in cover ups. i'll see if he's down for a new client."

you nod before glancing down at your lap. "he won't ask questions, will he?"

"no." her response was instant. "if there's anyone you don't have to worry about trying to get in your business, it's fuma. you're safe with him."

"then let's hope he's willing to take me."

you could barely contain your nerves as you walked into the tattoo shop. even though you have plenty of tattoos, for some reason the thought of covering them up scared you. maybe it's the fact that it means you're moving on from the part of your life even if you felt far from that.

you had spoken to fuma a couple of times- each somehow going better than the last. you could tell that he knew what he was doing, even going as far as triple checking that you were okay with the design he had come up with to cover up the tattoo on your wrist.

the bell above the door chimes as you step into the shop, only taking a few steps before being greeted by a guy behind the counter. he was tall, slim with a bright smile as he greeted you. "hi, i'm euijoo- the owner. do you have an appointment?"

you nod your head, going to speak, but someone else did instead. "she's with me."

you turn to see someone stand up before making their way towards you. he was tall, dark hair falling into his eyes. he would've looked intimidating if you're cousin wouldn't have warned you. he also had a small smile as he greeted you. "yn, right?"

"yes." you answer, shaking his outstretched hand. "and you're fuma?"

he nods before leading the way to his station. "you know. you're cousin threatened me when she told me you were looking for an artist. told me if i didn't take care of you, she was going to run me over with her car."

"she's always been protective." you mention as you sit down. fuma sits down in front of you as he finishes setting up his things.

"i know you have a couple of tattoos, so you're familiar with the whole process." you nod your head at his words. "cover ups sometimes hurt more than the first tattoo. i'm not too worried about this one because of the spot and size, but if you need me to stop at any point, just tell me."

"got it."

he moves his chair closer to you, gently taking your wrist before looking at the tattoo. his thumb brushes over the ink, no doubt feeling your racing pulse since your tattoo sits right on top of it. "you know, i didn't know what to expect when you said it was an ice cream cone, but this is kind of cute."

"you think so?" you ask with a small laugh. you didn't think he would find a small tattoo like this cute. it reminds you of how you felt when you got the tattoo. now all you felt when you looked at it was dread. you couldn't even eat ice cream anymore without thinking of that day you wished never happened.

"the lines are clean, so this is going to be easy to cover." he said more to himself as he started to clean your wrist before placing the new stencil. it was something simple- some butterflies that will wrap around your wrist. once you were happy with the placement, he got started, making sure you were okay once again before you felt the needle touch your skin. "what made you decide to cover this?"

you hesitate for just a second too long for him not to notice before shrugging it off like it didn't matter, ignoring the feeling of his dark eyes on you. "i just don't like it anymore. things change."

when he pauses for a moment, you took the chance to glance at your wrist. you could already see your tattoo being covered by the new one, forcing you to fight a chill as it ran down your spine. you knew that you ex would throw a fit if he knew you were covering them- even though he wasn't a big fan of them in the first place.

"are you cold?" you blink, looking up at fuma's face as he turns back towards you. his eyes glance down at your legs where you were pulling down your dress. you shake your head.

"no, i'm okay." he didn't listen to your answer, moving behind you to where his jacket was hanging up before draping the denim over your legs. you could still feel the warmth from when he was wearing it- the feeling of it grounding you. "thank you."

"of course." he smiles before going back to your tattoo. "i keep telling them they're going to have to stock this place with blankets if they keep it any colder in here."

the rest of the appointment passed by in a blur. he kept quiet, quietly sensing that was what you wanted. you rest your head back against the chair, closing your eyes to distract yourself from not just your cover up but the man that was doing it.

you felt stupid. you were in no place to be attracted to someone. you were still learning how to be by yourself and free. you couldn't be tied down again, even if you had a feeling that fuma was the furthest thing from your ex.

"all done."

you open your eyes right as he finished cleaning your skin. you pull your wrist closer to you, looking at how the tattoo perfectly covers your last one. if you didn't know better you would've never guessed you had a tattoo underneath it.

"i... i like it."

he smiled as he watched you look at your tattoo. "i'm glad. it suits you."

he wraps your wrist carefully before explaining how to take care of the tattoo. even though you were familiar with how, you still found yourself listening along to every word he was saying. he even helps you stand up before leading you over to the front desk, giving you a small card with his number on it.

"this is my number. let me know when you're ready for another session."

you nod, slipping the card into your bag. "i will. thank you."

"of course. take care of yourself."

"i will." you say your goodbye before you leave the shop. as you walk out of the shop, you feel like a weight has been lifted off your chest. you knew you still had a lot to go with yourself along with these tattoos you wanted gone, but this felt like a good start.

"i'm so happy you agreed to come tonight."

you smile at your cousin as she wraps her arm around yours. it didn't take much convincing from her to drag you out here. you used to come to her races a lot when she was just getting started. of course that changed when you got into your trainwreck of a relationship, but you were ready for things to go back to the way they were before.

you tug the leather jacket she let you borrow closer to you. "of course. you know how much i love watching you race."

"hell yeah." she exclaims. "you're going to be my charm tonight."

you raise your brows. "i thought that was jo's job?"

"not tonight. tonight is about my girl finally coming back to me." you roll your eyes but don't argue with her. "speaking of, it's time for you to meet the rest of the group."

she drug you over to where her friends were all conversing. the first person you noticed was fuma as he was talking to your cousin's boyfriend. he somehow looked even better than in the shop, wearing a cut up tank that left his tattooed arms fully on display along with small glimpses of his chest.

it had been 2 weeks since your tattoo session, and you have been itching to text him about another session. you didn't want to seem too desperate to cover your work, even though you were, so you were trying to space it out. you also just wanted to talk to him and maybe have an actual conversation, but you thought that that would be too inappropriate. he only gave you his number for professional reasons, not personal.

your cousin introduced you to everyone, or at least she tried to because you forgot their names right after. you knew though with how your cousin planned to drag you to everything you would learn everyone soon enough. after introductions, people spread out for the racing. your cousin left you and her boyfriend on the edge of the track for her races. you were in a conversation with him and harua when you felt someone brush against your arm.

"i see she finally convinced you to come." you look up as fuma leans against the railing to you. "she had been talking about you coming all week."

"i used to love coming to her races. i was there when she first started out." you tell him.

"why did you stop?" you shrug at fuma's question.

"i moved away too far to see her very often."

fuma let out a hum. "why did you move back?"

you were almost caught off guard at his question. you knew that neither your cousin or jo had told them anything about your divorce, and you would like that to be kept a secret for as long as you could. it was something you were ashamed of, marrying someone too fast and not being able to make it work out. all of your family aside from your cousin never let you forget your mistake of divorcing him because they were all in love with him. it was always your fault.

"change." you answered. "i needed something different i guess."

"well, so far it looks really good on you." you snap your head up to see him looking at your wrist where your tattoo was healing. "she's looking good."

you blink, looking down at your tattoo. "thanks. i've been meaning to get with you to set up another appointment."

"well, i'm ready whenever you are."

you nod your head before turning back to the race, keeping your eyes on your cousin as she was in the lead by a long shot. you celebrated with jo for her win though it didn't surprise either one of you that she had won. she ran over, throwing herself into jo's arms before pulling you into a hug.

"celebration time." she said as she pulled away. "we're going to get some food, and you're coming."

you instantly shake your head. "i'm not third wheeling again."

"you're not. fuma agreed to come with us." jo said making your cousin look over at him.

"he actually agreed?"

he nodded. "if he didn't, i was going to ask one of the other guys. she literally threatened you last time that she wasn't third wheeling again."

"but jo, she didn't mean that."

"yes she did." you speak up for yourself. "there's no need for you two to rub your perfect relationship in my miserably single face."

you see a wave of guilt flash past her features before she recovers, knowing how you didn't want your ex brought up anymore. "i guess fuma can come along."

"i feel so special." fuma mumbled from your side, making you chuckle.

"you sound just as excited as i am."

he shrugged. "similar to you, i keep getting thrown into these third wheeling situations."

"that's because you're one of the only one's who doesn't have a girlfriend." your cousin told him, laughing when he glared at her. "now if you two are done sulking, let's go eat."

she drove you to her favorite place to eat after races- pizza. it was quiet considering it was a saturday night. a few teenagers were in the booths opposite of the side that your cousin chose. her and jo sit together right as you slide into the other booth. fuma waits for you before sitting next to you.

after your orders get taken, your cousin instantly draws you into a conversation which quickly turns into an argument about the best pizza toppings. you barely even notice how close fuma was to you. he had thrown his arm over the back of the booth- something that you had to try not to let affect you though he wasn't even touching you. you could also feel his gaze on you, but every time you would look his way, he had already looked away.

you all quieted down once your food came. that was until your cousin looked between you and fuma. "have you set up another appointment yet?"

"not yet." you answer first.

"have you decided what you wanted?" jo asked making your cousin groan.

"it's weird."

you roll your eyes with a scoff. "how the hell is a moth weird?"

"bugs are nasty." she shivered just thinking about them.

"for the last time, moths aren't bugs." you argue.

"why a moth?" jo asked. you think about it for a moment before shrugging- an action that you've grown way too used to.

you didn't want to go into depth about why you wanted a moth. much like your cousin, a lot of people found them ugly which was the complete opposite of what you thought. you found them pretty, even more so than butterflies. you also had found some articles about why people get moths tattooed, saying they symbolize change and hope- both of those things you felt like you needed to accomplish.

you finally settled on an easy answer. "i just like them."

"they age well." fuma spoke up for the first time since you've sat down. when you look at him, he points down to your leg where your other tattoo sits. "it'll cover that up nicely."

your cousin scoffs. "of course you would say that."

"well she is my client, not you." fuma smirks. "besides, wasn't it you who threatened me to take good care of her."

"jo, have i ever told you how much i don't like him." she muttered making you laugh. fuma looks over at you while your cousin complains to him.

"i have a couple of sketches i think you would like. i can send them to you."

you nod your head. "i'd like that."

the conversation moves on after that until you all left the pizza shop. your cousin dropped fuma off first before bringing the three of you back to your shared apartment building.

as soon as you stepped into your apartment, your phone dinged. when you looked, it was multiple sketches of moths- each one somehow better than the last. you pick out the one you like along with setting up an appointment with him. you went to bed excited about covering another tattoo, but also nervous because you didn't know how you were going to survive yet another session with him.

you could feel someone's eyes on you as you relaxed back onto the couch you were sitting on. you felt it multiple times but could never find anyone when you looked around, so you tried to ignore it. music blared loudly through the speakers to where you could hardly hear euijoo as he talked to you.

you weren't a big fan of parties. you used to, but they got tiring after your ex would drag you to one every weekend right after you started dating. but today was maki's birthday, and you couldn't say no when his girlfriend invited you. it seemed like half the racing scene was here as well. you were nursing a half empty drink that you had no intentions of finishing when you once again felt someone staring at you.

you let euijoo finish his story before you excused yourself, claiming you wanted another drink. you had just walked into the empty kitchen and threw away your drink when you heard footsteps behind you. you know who you wanted it to be when you turned around, but you were disappointed when it was some guy you've never seen before.

"was he really that boring that you had to run away from him?" he questioned with a laugh, no doubt referring to euijoo. you shrug, stepping back as he walks up to you.

"not as boring as watching someone who clearly isn't interested."

"ouch. that's a little cold, don't you think?" he questions jokingly, but the words hit harder than they should've.

"you're so fucking cold, yn."

"you're always making things difficult. it's like you want to make me hate you more than i already do."

your ex's words echo in your mind, almost trapping you back to that place that you fought so hard to leave. you were doing so well not thinking about him, and this random guy says one thing to you that's got you wanting to scream.

"what's going on?" you blink, recognizing the voice. you glance over at fuma who was looking at you with concern before glaring at the guy who was standing on the other side of the kitchen.

you didn't even wait for his response before leaving the room, needing a minute to recompose yourself. you escape up the stairs before opening one of the bedroom doors, slamming it shut before pacing the room.

you felt stupid knowing that the past still bothers you. you've been free of your ex for the past year, and it sucks knowing something so simple as a few words can send you right back to him. you wish there was something to make you forget the past 4 years- some way to leave every argument and self doubt in the past.

you hear a soft knock on the door, making you feel dread because you just wanted to be alone. "come in."

the door opens as fuma enters the room. it had been two weeks since you'd seen fuma at the tattoo shop where you now had another mistake covered up with something of your own. that session was a lot different than the first one, and you couldn't tell why. maybe because it was in one of the private rooms where it was just you and him. or maybe it was him not even asking, just covering your body with his jacket again, claiming it was colder back there than it was out front.

since you two were more familiar with each other, there was actual conversation between you two, or at least as much as you could manage. it wasn't that you were in any pain. in fact, you could barely feel the tattoo. the only thing you felt were fuma's hands, gently digging into your thigh. you almost called it quits a couple of times because you couldn't get your mind to stop running, wanting desperately to feel more of his hands touching you.

you know you shouldn't. not only is he your tattoo artist, but you're still healing from your divorce. you didn't feel like you were capable of feelings for anyone other than you- though the longer he touched you, the more you wanted to change your mind. and to make things worse, you had already scheduled your next appointment for two days from now.

"you okay?" he asked, keeping his distance by the door in case you didn't want him in there.

"yeah." you lie, before shaking your head and deciding to be honest. "no. it's- i'm just being stupid."

he lets out a small hum that sounds like he's scolding you. "yn, the last thing you are is stupid."

"you're giving me too much credit." you scoff, quicly motioning to the two tattoos he's already fixed. "who else gets tattoos because of their ex?"

"a lot of people." he answers.

"great, so i'm not the only stupid one." you let out a sad laugh as you throw yourself back onto the bed. your dress shifts, riding up your thighs, but it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before when he tattooed you.

"you're not stupid." he argues, finally moving to sit on the bed next to you. "you just trusted someone you thought you could. there's nothing wrong with that."

"great life strategy." you cough out a laugh. "where were you 4 years ago?"

"probably in my own horrible relationship." he answers making you look over at him. "so what's the strategy now?"

you shrug. "i don't know. nothing complicated at least."

"i can work with that." he says making you tilt your head, trying to figure out if his words meant what you think it did. you didn't know if you were reading too much into his words. did he mean it like a friend, or the that the tension you were feeling maybe wasn't one sided?

"you can work with that?" you question carefully.

"yes." he says with a small smirk before glancing down at your lips for a second. "don't think i haven't noticed how you act around me."

your jaw drops at the bluntness of his words. "excuse me?"

"the way you kept looking for me down stairs." he says, confirming it was him looking at you. "the way you tense up as soon as i touch you during sessions."

you felt you face flush as you became desperate to change the subject. "wait... that's-"

"not a bad thing." fuma says quickly, making you go quiet again. "just an observation."

"you're making a lot of assumptions." you tell him making him shrug.

"probably, but i'm not wrong."

he got you there because he wasn't. you just didn't like how obvious you have apparently been. you knew he was quiet and observant, but for some reason, you didn't think that would involve him calling you out. you cross your arms as you finally pull your gaze away from him. "so what are you saying?"

"what i'm saying is if you want something simple with no strings attached, i wouldn't be opposed to that." your head snapped towards his, eyes wide. he just looked at you with the same look he always did- the one you could never decipher.

"like just for tonight?"

he shrugged. "if you want, or we can go as long as you want. you make the rules."

that last sentence caught your attention. "i make the rules? what about you?"

"what about me? the only thing i'm going to be doing is getting you out of your head. however that may be." he answered honestly.

"i never thought when i met you would you offer something like this." you said making him chuckle. "it won't get messy, will it?"

fuma shook his head. "no. we'll stop if it does. this is supposed to be simple. no strings. no feelings."

"then my answer is yes." you tell him.

you don't know what was going to happen between the two of you, but you couldn't help but say yes. you have spent weeks wanting to know what he felt like, pinning you down with his large hands. you just weren't sure if you could handle the feeling side yet, so fuma saying that there would be none helped you.

he shifted closer to you, bringing his hand up to run along your lips. "are you sure?"

"i am."

after he knew that you were sure, he dipped his head down, capturing your lips with his. you gasp at the bold move, but you don't hesitate to kiss him back, hands moving up to grip his jacket. this kiss wasn't gentle by any means. it's firm, almost claiming as his arm snaked around your waist, tugging you onto his lap. he gripped your thighs, fingers digging into your skin as you straddled him.

you still couldn't believe that you were here, straddling fuma while he kisses you like you've never been kissed before. he seemed to know exactly what you needed to get yourself out of your head and relaxing into his arms. you could already tell by this one kiss that this whole supposedly not complicated situation was going to be a mess, but with the way he was kissing you, you really didn't care.

his hand pressed into your lower back before pulling your chest flush against his. the action had you brushing against his jeans- an action that had you gasping into his mouth. he caught it, smirking as he pulled away from you.

"oh? did you like that?" he questioned, lips grazing along your jaw. you nod before tilting your head, exposing more of your neck to him. his teeth graze the lobe of your ear, making you jump as he lightly bites it. "then do it again."

his hands grip your waist as your hips move, slowly dragging your aching core over his jeans once again. he hums in your ear when you let out a soft sound that was almost covered by the music blaring downstairs as he could slowly feel the tension leaving your body with every drag of your hips.

"that's it. keep going." he helps guide you when your rhythm falters, tightening occasionally when you call out his name. "you're doing so good for me."

"fuck fuma." your face flushes at his words, but the both of you could tell how much you liked it based on your hips speeding up, desperate for some relief. you were so wound up, going for so long without any proper relief, so it didn't take you long for your orgasm to build.

he could tell you were getting close. your sounds becoming more frequent along with your hands fisting his shirt. you could feel it building in your stomach, so close when you heard someone bang on the door followed by maki calling fuma's name.

you nearly freeze when fuma's hands keep you moving. "fuma-"

"don't stop." he commands. "the door's locked. they can't get in here."

"but they're right outside." your voice comes out in a whine making him chuckle.

"then you better be quiet." he smirks before glancing back at the door. "what do you want, maki?"

"dude, talk to the birthday boy with some respect." you hear maki's muffled answer through the door. "beer pong. you promised."

"give me 5 minutes." he says, ignoring the groan from maki as he looks back at you. "you can give me what i want in 5 minutes, can't you?"

you nod, gasping when you feel fuma's hand disappear under your dress. his fingers finds your clit, pushing down until you moan his name as he rubs the aching bud. you squirm in his arms causing his other arm to leave your waist before wrapping around your back, pulling you flush against him.

he shushes you with his lips. "quiet. you don't want maki to hear you, do you?"

"fuma... please." you whine against his lips. he could feel your body going tense with your soon release causing him to speed up his fingers. his arm wraps around your body, keeping you still while you squirm in his arms.

"let go." his words were all you needed to your release to hit you. your arms wrapped around him as you bury your head in his shoulder, trying to keep quiet. "such a good girl, aren't you?"

you weakly shove his shoulder as you pull away from him. "stop."

"why? you seemed to like it earlier." his words made you blush again. "are you okay?"

"i'm more than okay." you answer which was the truth.

you felt lighter- like a weight had been lifted off your chest. maybe it was the fact that you finally had a decent release, or maybe it was the fact that you were finally with someone else. you hadn't been with anyone since the divorce. it wasn't that you were reminiscing about him or wanting him back, you just didn't want to go through the hassle of having to explain everything to someone new.

you jump when you hear maki slam on the door again. "you're 5 minutes are up!"

"i hate him." fuma says making you chuckle. you climb out of his lap, fixing your dress as you sit back on the bed. "do you want me to walk you back down?"

"i'm just going to stay up here for a little while longer." you answer him.

he nods, leaning down to kiss your forehead. "i'll see you monday."

he leaves you alone in the bedroom, making sure to lock the door, so no one else could come in. you let out a low groan as you throw yourself back onto the bed.

"simple my ass."

the next two days were a lot more difficult to get through than you thought they would be. you found yourself thinking back to that bedroom, itching to text fuma again. each time you would stop yourself because you didn't want to seem desperate- even though you knew you were.

the shop was nearly empty when you stepped in, something you knew wasn't uncommon on a monday. you would almost think it was closed until someone stuck their head out from the piercing room.

"oh, hey yn." she greeted. she was one of your cousin's friends and was dating one of the racers she worked with. "you here for another coverup?"

you nod your head. "yeah, is fuma here?"

"he's setting up the private room." she answered before moving closer to you. "so what happened at the party last week?"

your eyes widen slightly before you could stop them. she couldn't know what happened at the party, could she? you knew that fuma wouldn't tell anyone because he was just as secretive, if not more than you were. "what do you mean?"

"k and i left early, and i heard it got crazy afterwards. apparently maki and yuma got in some sort of beer pong war, and they dragged fuma and nicho into it." she explained as she leaned back against the counter. you nodded, somewhat relieved at her answer.

"oh, i left early. i know maki was looking for fuma when i left."

you watch as her brows twitch slightly. "you didn't stay for fuma's game?"

"why would i?" you throw back before you could even think about it, making her chuckle like she knew something you didn't.

"because i heard he kicked their asses. nicho said he looked mad."

"i wasn't mad." you nearly jump at the voice, turning to see fuma walking towards you two. you nearly miss it when fuma's gaze slowly rakes down your body, making you shuffle on your feet.

"you sure about that?" she questioned with a smirk. "the video euijoo took says something different. you want to see it yn?"

you open your mouth to agree, but fuma stops her. "you do know she's here to get a tattoo, right? stop distracting her."

"you're no fun." she pouts, sliding her phone back into her pocket, but not before you felt your phone vibrate. you felt yourself smile when she winks at you. "i'll leave you to mr. grouch. maybe you'll lighten him up some."

fuma rolls his eyes as she disappears back into her piercing studio before turning to you. "come on."

you follow after him as he leads you to one of the private rooms. you weren't too sure why you had a private room considering this tattoo was on your shoulder, but you weren't going to question him. he knew what he was doing after all. you take a seat on the chair as he closes the door behind you, moving closer after he does so.

"you feeling okay, yn?" you meet his eyes at his question, hating that you could tell he already knew the answer to that. he shouldn't be able to read you that well considering how little you knew each other.

"i feel like i should be asking you that. you seemed a little tense out there." you tell him, avoiding the question.

"i'm fine." he answers, turning to finish setting up his station. "now, answer my question."

"why didn't you want me to watch that video? is it bad?" you question, curiosity getting the best of you. you look down to pull your phone out of your pocket, so you couldn't see him glance back at you.

"it's not bad."

you pulled up the video before turning your phone towards him, showing him that she had sent it to you. "so i can watch it then?"

"yn..."

"fuma." you mock him when he trails off. you don't know where this whole teasing thing came from. maybe it was because you had seen him look annoyed many times before at other people, and you wanted to see what it was like. or maybe it was just that he looked hot when he was annoyed. "just tell me no, and i'll delete it."

he lets out a sigh, leaning against the counter as he watches you with a growing familiar dark gaze. you didn't think he was going to answer you at first.

"no."

"that wasn't too hard, was it?" you tell him before looking back down at your phone to delete the video. you can still feel his gaze on you making you smile. "oh, and i'm doing good. thanks for asking."

"phone." he says making you look over at him.

"what?" you glance down at his outstretched palm before meeting his gaze again. "seriously?"

he doesn't answer, just keeping his hand open until you hand it over with a sigh. he sets it down on the counter before turning back to you with the stencil in his hand. "stand up."

you immediately do as he says, doing your best to stay still as his hands brush your skin, moving your hair out of the way. he pulls the strap of your dress down before trailing his hand along your existing tattoo- a set of coordinates. it was the location of your house. the one you dreamed of having and decorating. the house your ex made you despise.

you fought a shiver, something that fuma noticed. "you okay?"

"i'm fine." you answer, voice sounded more quiet than before. he noticed you playing with the edge of your dress- a nervous habit he's picked up on.

"you're thinking too much." you blink, looking over your shoulder and meeting his gaze. he taps at your skin where the tattoo is. "this doesn't have to mean anything anymore. you can let it go."

you nod before looking away from him, letting him do his job. he places the stencil over the coordinates, letting you check the placement before you he gets started. just like the other two times, he positions you the way he needs before he gets started. you feel the familiar sting of the needle as he starts, nodding when he asks you if you're doing okay.

you're not though. not when you could feel every time his eyes flicker up to your face. not when his hands are on you, constantly moving and touching you. even though it's completely professional, it doesn't feel like that. all you could think about was the other night. the way his hands gripped you hard enough to almost leave bruises. the way his eyes never left you.

you were so distracted, it took you a moment to realize that fuma had stopped tattooing you. you tilt your head towards him, sitting up slightly to see him staring at you. "you're not done already, are you?"

"you're stuck again." his words made you confused.

"i'm stuck where?" you ask, eyes widening when he sits his tattoo gun down before leaning towards you. his hand brushed your jaw as his index finger taps your temple.

"in here." he answers, making your mind go back to the other night- him promising that he just wanted to keep you out of your head. "do you need me to help you now, or can you be patient and wait until i'm done?"

your mouth dries as you look at him. you wanted nothing more than for him to help you now, but you knew what he wanted your answer to be. "i can wait."

"good." he hums, moving away from your face, picking up his tattoo gun and finishing the tattoo like nothing was wrong. it was almost like he didn't realize what his words did to you, but with the way his grip tightens, jaw tight with tension, he did.

you thought that time was passing by slow before. now it was just torturous. you were now hyper focused on every movement he made, and at some points it just seemed like he was teasing you, touching you far away from where you knew that tattoo was. there was even a point that he moved your hair out of the way, and you knew it wasn't because you had it tucked where it wouldn't disturb him.

you opened your eyes as soon as you heard him turn off the tattoo gun, wiping clean your back before leaning too close for the words he was about to say. "go tell me what you think."

you get up, ignoring the way your legs shook as he stared at you. you walk over to the floor length mirror before glancing over your shoulder, seeing a compass where the coordinates was once visible. you felt another weight disappear as there remain only one last reminder of your past- arguable the one that remains is the hardest to forget.

fuma returns to your side, motioning for you to turn towards the mirror. he covers your tattoo before meeting your gaze in the mirror. "you did good baby."

you feel your face flush at the nickname. you almost thought it was a slip, but you watched him smirk as he leans down, pressing a kiss to your shoulder. "you say that to all your clients?"

"no."

you try to turn in his hold, but his grip tightens preventing you from doing so. he kept his lips against your neck as his hand moved flat against your stomach, pulling you flush against him. your jaw dropped when you could feel him straining through his jeans showing he was clearly just as affected as you were.

"fuma-" you gasp as you feel his teeth nip at your skin, leaving red marks while traveling close to your ear- your breath catching when he bites your ear gently.

"do you want me to stop?" when he feels you shake your head, you're quckly turned around to face him, feeling the cold mirror when he pins you to it. you look up to meet his gaze. "think you can keep these pretty sounds to yourself?"

"yes. i'll be quiet." you say almost begging for him to keep going. he notices, smirking before leaning down. you thought he was going to kiss you, confusing you when he doesn't. instead his hands find your thighs, making you gasp when he suddenly lifts you into his arms like you weigh nothing. "fuma-"

just like before, he cut you off by kissing you. you've come to realize everything about him is intense, including his kissing. your hands find his shirt, gripping it as his tongue slips past your lips. you shiver as his hands explore you, drifting up your thighs before disappearing under your dress. his hands dig into your ass, making you moan quietly against his lips. as soon as he felt the vibration, his lips slowed down before he pulled away from you.

"is this what you needed?" his voice held a hint of teasing, watching your expression when his hips rolled into you. you tried to be quiet, biting your lip when he does it again. "answer me."

"yes." you whimper. "fuck fuma. i need you- please."

his eyes bore into yours as he leans closer to you. "grab your things."

"what?" your brows furrow as he sets you back down, making sure you were steady before moving to clean up his studio. he glances back at you, watching as you walk closer to him.

"i changed my mind. i don't want you to be quiet." his thumb brushed over your lips. "so if you need me to take care of you, grab your things and lets go."

the brief moment of thinking that he was rejecting you disappeared as you finally understand his words, biting back a smile as you grab your things. as soon as you put your phone in your pocket, fuma had grabbed your hand before dragging you out of the room. he led you through the back door and onto the sidewalk. you let him guide you blindly, only realizing when he led you into an apartment building that his place was very close to the tattoo shop.

before you could fully step into his apartment, he had you pinned against the wall, crashing his lips onto yours as he slams the door shut with his foot. you melt into him, wrapping your arms around his neck when his once again lifts you into his arms. he slowed his pace from before but still kept intense enough to have you trying to hold back sounds.

you weren't doing a good job at that though because fuma's hands tightened, drawing a low moan from you. "you can be as loud as you want now. it's just you and me."

his lips found your neck as he moved through his apartment skillfully, teeth grazing the spot he knew made you squirm. you call out his name as he walks into the bedroom, keeping you on his lap as he sits down. you couldn't help but notice he liked this position, or whatever position that had your thighs wrapped around him.

he let his hand start to wonder as his lips continue to trail down your neck. you jerk in his hold when his hands slip under your dress, fingers grazing along your soaked underwear. "look at you. such a needy little thing, aren't you?"

his thumb pressed down on your clit, smirking when you moan his name as you rock your hips against his hand. he could feel you tense against him- desperate with need causing him to pull his hand away.

"lay down for me."

his hands lifted you up, helping guide you off hip lap. your back hit the mattress as you watch his eyes scan your body. your dress had ridden up, showing him the soft lace of your underwear along with a very clear damp spot.

once it seemed like he had memorized what you had looked like all desperate and needy for him, he moved closer to you, spreading your thighs as he towers over you. your hand wrapped around his neck when his lips crashed into yours, tongue immediately pushing past your lips.

his hands tugged at your dress, slowly sliding it up your hips and stomach before pulling away from you. "sit up."

he slipped the dress over your head, watching as your breast spring free as he notices that you weren't wearing a bra. you notice that he gaze drops, eyeing you in a way you haven't seen before. "fuma..."

"you okay?" he asks, eyes meeting yours as he leans close to you again. you nod your head, but that wasn't what he wanted. "words. use them."

"i'm okay. please keep going."

"good girl." he teases, kissing you before pulling away. "now just lay here and look pretty and let me take care of you."

your eyes widen slightly as you tried to relax against the pillow though it was hard to with the way he was staring at you. he dipped his head down pressing his lips to your racing pulse before trailing down your chest. his lips wrapped around your nipple, letting his tongue slowly circle over your nipple- hand squeezing your other breast.

"fuma." you moan, arching into his touch when his teeth graze over the sensitive bud. he does it again, letting his hands run down your stomach, slipping his hand into your underwear. "fuck."

you feel his chuckle vibrate against your skin as his lips leave your chest, admiring your now bruised skin before kissing down your stomach. "you're so sensitive and tense. when was the last time you let loose and let someone take care of you, baby?"

"i- i don't think you want the answer to that." you mumble, lifting your hips as he tugs your underwear down your legs. you didn't even want to think about it because the last time was never. your ex has never treated you like this. sex was always mediocre. but with fuma, he hasn't even started, and you were close to losing your mind.

he hummed as he kissed your thigh, feeling you jerk when he bites down. "are you going to let me fix that?"

"god- yes."

"good girl." he mumbled against your skin, heading towards the place you needed him the most. "all pretty and laid out for me."

you let out an almost pathetic whimper when you felt his tongue dart out, licking along your slit. you heard him let out a low sound- something you haven't heard before before he muttered something along the lines of 'so sweet.' his tongue mercilessly flicked your clit, putting just enough pressure to have you moaning out his name. he went at his own speed, ignoring your begs as he kept the same slow, lazy pace.

"you still doing okay?" he asks, barely taking enough time to take his mouth of you to ask the question. you open your mouth to answer when you felt his finger ease inside of you, moaning when you felt your walls stretch around him.

"god- fuma." you whine as he starts to move his finger, letting you adjust before sliding in another finger. "fuck."

"feel good, baby?"

"mhmm." you nod, face flushing when you glance down at him. his eyes were locked onto your face, watching your every reaction. you could see the slick on his face making fuma chuckle against you when you quickly looked away.

he wanted more from you. he wanted to see every little reaction- hear every little sound. his other hand wrapped around your waist, pushing down on your hips to keep you still as he sped his fingers up. he hears you choke out a moan when his fingers curl, doing it again until he found the spot that had your legs threatening to close around his head.

"fuma- please... please don't stop." he glanced up at your begging, seeing your eyes closed- head thrown back on the pillow. your fingers gripping the sheets tightly beneath you.

he could tell that you were close. his name was falling from your lips with every thrust of his fingers. your walls clenching around him. "are you going to come for me?"

"y-yes." you cry out, hand reaching and grabbing his wrist. "fuma- fuck. please."

"come for me, baby."

you don't think you've ever had a more intense orgasm. your eyes nearly roll back, every muscle clenching as it crashes into you. his name falls from your lips causing his hand to tighten around you. he lets you ride your orgasm before pulling his fingers out, cleaning you up with his tongue before moving back up your body.

you open your eyes when you feel him shift, seeing him looking down at you. you barely had a chance to breath before his lips were on yours. drawing a gasp from your lips. your arms wrapped around him, pulling him close to you.

"you still here?" fuma asks, lips brushing yours as he pulls away.

you nod, not being able to recall the last time you felt like this. your ex didn't even make you feel a fraction of what fuma did, and that scared you more than anything because things were supposed to be simple- not complicated. you didn't know if you wanted to take things further than this. you could hide behind this- whatever this was. but to take things further, it wouldn't be just sex for you, and that wouldn't be fair to him because you know how he feels.

you thought you felt the same, but you're starting to realize you never did. you are so attracted to the man above you, you've begun to question everything about yourself.

"we don't have to go any further." fuma says, making your jaw drop slightly. you really needed to get better at hiding what you were thinking. either that or he was just way too good at reading you. he moved, attempting to get off of you when you tightened your grip on him making him look at you.

"i want to help you too." you say, motioning to his erection that you could clearly see straining through his jeans.

"yn, you don't have to-"

"i want to." you say, interrupting him. he goes to open his mouth again, but you stop him again. "i wouldn't offer if i didn't want to, fuma. i want to make you feel good too."

he nods, moving away and sitting back on his heels. you watch as his hand goes to the bottom of his shirt, removing it in one swift motion. you jaw drops once again as your eyes run down his tattooed muscular chest, leaving you wondering what you did to have him above your right now.

"you're so unfair." you mutter, not realizing he can hear you until you hear him laugh. he leans back down, lips brushing your ear before kissing your cheek.

"you complaining?"

you don't even hesitate with your answer. "absolutely not."

you feel him smile against your skin before moving to capture your lips with his. you kiss him back, almost immediately getting lost him him to where you failed to realize his arms were wrapping around you. you let out a gasp when he lifts you into his arms before flipping the two of you over, so he was resting back against his headboard while you were straddling his hips.

"now i feel like you're bragging." you say, jumping when you feel him pinch your ass.

"i haven't even said anything." you roll your eyes at him when you see the smirk on his lips.

"you don't need to. i can see it on your face." you tell him before lifting up your arms, letting your fingers trail down his stomach. "and your body."

his hands wrap around your wrists, giving you a tug that had you falling into his chest before trapping you against him. "you talk a lot for someone who hasn't done anything. didn't you say you wanted to help?"

"you're real bossy today, aren't you?" you ignore his scoff as you sit back up, sliding off of his lap before settling in between his spread legs. he lifts up his hips when you unbutton his pants, sliding them down just enough to pull him out. you had a feeling he was on the larger size, but his actual size shocked you. "oh my god, fuma! how the hell is anyone supposed to compete with you?"

you look up at him to see his arms resting behind his head, looking at you with a smirk. "who said you had competition?"

you let out a scoff, trying desperately to ignore the way he said that. "someone's feeling cocky."

"am i wrong?"

you completely ignore his question, moving to wrap your hand around his shaft. you slowly pump your hand a few times before bending down, licking the precum that had leaked out before pulling him into your mouth. you feel his hand slide through your hair before resting on the base of your neck. he didn't guide you, letting you pick the pace just like he did.

you felt the stretch in your jaw as you slowly put as much of him as you could into your mouth, hollowing your cheeks as you did so. your hand wrapped around what didn't fit as you start to move your head. you felt his thighs tense beside you, a low groan sliding past his lips.

you felt a flutter at his reaction. he didn't seem like the person who was very vocal in bed, or just in general, so having him do so for you made you way too happy.

you don't go as slow as he did with you, but you did go slow enough to where you wouldn't gag which was easier said than done. every time you would, you could feel the slight jerk of his lips, like he was trying not to thrust up into your mouth.

"fuck." you look up when you hear him mumble under his breath. his head was tilted back, resting against his headboard. his eyes shut for just a moment, opening when he felt your eyes on him. "such a good girl, aren't you."

you feel yourself becoming turned on again at his words, clenching around nothing. you quickly look away, becoming focused on making him come- something you had a feeling was close. his body was way too tense, silently begging for release. you felt his hips jerk one last time before you feel him tug at your hair, pulling you off of him.

"fuma?" you look at him confused. you notice how fast his breathing is making you smirk now that you knew what he wanted. "where?"

he didn't answer, instead looking back down at your mouth. you nod before moving back, wrapping your lips back around him. you speed up your hand, letting it do most of the work while you suck on his sensitive head. you felt him jerk, hand tightening in your hair when your other hand wrapped around his balls- nails digging into the sensitive skin as you squeeze them.

you heard a moan so low, you almost didn't hear it before you felt his stomach tense. you felt his release hit the back of your throat making you gag, but you were determined to swallow every drop. you didn't move until you felt his hand pull you away from him before bringing you onto his lap.

his lips crash onto your, hand cupping your cheek as he pulls you flush against him. he lets the kiss be soft, softer than any of the previous ones. you feel your breath get trapped in your lungs when he has the same soft look in his eyes when he pulls away from you. "you good?"

"i am. you?" you nod, closing your eyes for a second when he leans up and pressing a kiss to your forehead. you don't even think before you rest your head on his shoulder, leaning into his warmth. once you realized what you did, you shifted to pull away only to be pulled back to where you were- his arms tightening around you.

his answer was the complete opposite of the situation you two had gotten yourselves into- simple.

"yeah."

the rest of the week drags on, seeming like it would never end. you knew why you wanted it to come sooner even though you didn't want to admit it. your cousin was racing tonight, and where she was, fuma was.

the two of you have messaged each other a couple of times over the last few days, but you haven't seen him since he gave you the best orgasm you've ever had. after he let you lay on his chest for way too long to be considered normal, he helped you get get dressed before walking you back to your car.

after you had left and just about every second you weren't distracting yourself, you were thinking about that afternoon. how good his hands and lips felt on you. how he made you feel like no one else ever has. you wanted to be with him again so bad, but you stopped yourself every time for one reason.

feelings.

you were pretty sure you were falling for your tattoo artist- the person who was just supposed to erase your mistakes. instead, he was helping you in ways you didn't think was possible. you didn't even know much about him. maybe that was part of his charm, or maybe he saw you in a way no one else has. since being with him, you haven't had a moment where your ex's negative words have entered your thoughts.

until tonight that is.

you didn't know what was wrong with you, but you just didn't feel comfortable in your body which was never an issue before your ex. you used to love your body, especially when you wore dresses. they just made you feel pretty until your ex ruined it. he always had to complain about something, and your body showed up more times than one.

you stopped wearing dresses for a while, but just recently got back into them. they were making you feel good about yourself- the tight waist before flowing to your thighs. but tonight when you put it on, all you could see was everything your ex used to point out.

that lead you to putting on something you hated which was jeans. you despised the tight itchy material, but that and the sweater you were wearing was the only things you had to cover your body. at least it was cold enough for no one to question you.

"how many times are you going to check your phone tonight?" you nearly startle, looking up at your cousin who was leaning on the car next to you. "who are you waiting to text you?"

"no one." you answer as you put your phone back in your pocket.

"you never were a good liar." you rolled your eyes, ignoring her smile.

"and you never were good at minding your business." you mutter. "i was just checking the time."

"for the 5th time in ten minutes?" she questioned. you glared at her, but both of you knew that she had a point. "who is he?"

you shook your head, standing your ground. "no one."

"you don't have to tell me. i won't force it out of you." you let out a sigh of relief. "as long as you answer one question."

"what?"

"it's not him, is it?" you look over at her, expecting to see her pointing at someone. instead, she was just looking at you. it took you a moment to realize who she was referring to.

"have you lost your fucking mind?" you ask, almost mad that she would as such a thing.

she held her hands up. "i was just checking."

"just for that good luck."

she lets out a dramatic gasp before trying to charge at you, but someone pulled her back at the last minute. you smile when you see jo holding her back before looking back at you with an unamused look. "did you really have to rile her up?"

"she started it." you shrug.

"she told me good luck!" your cousin exclaimed. "last time she did that i lost 3 races in a row. let me go, so i can be down a family member."

"maybe next time don't ask stupid questions." you retort, watching as jo drags her away, so she wouldn't actually go through with her threat. you lean back on her car, finally happy to have a second alone, but that was quickly ruined when you felt someone staring at you.

"why are you wearing jeans?" you snap your head behind you to see fuma standing there. he had a frown on his face as he looked at your outfit.

"because it's cold?" you say though it sounds more like a question.

he stares at you for longer than you were comfortable with because you knew what he was doing. he was reading you like he always did. "you always wear dresses."

"and now i'm not." you brush it off, trying to mask how uncomfortable these clothes really made you.

"you don't like them." his statement made you look away, scanning the crowd as a distraction. "you've been pulling at them all night. the fabric is bothering you, isn't it?"

you still don't look at him, refusing to acknowledge he's right. how does he knew how sensitive you are to fabrics? you've never said anything about it. "you're reading too much into this. it's just jeans."

"i'm not." you glance over when you hear him move to where he was leaning on the car next to you, his full attention on you. "so what's bothering you?"

"nothing." you speak way too fast for you not to be lying. "i realized how cold it was outside and decided to wear something warm."

"it was colder than this on monday, and you still wore a dress." you nearly flinch as he calls you out. you look up at him to see him already looking down at you. "what happened?"

"has anyone ever told you that you would make a great therapist?" you question, smiling for the first time tonight when you see him frown even more. "i just had a moment, okay?"

"a moment?"

you nod at his question. "yeah. i just didn't liked the way i looked in any of the dresses i have tonight. it's no big deal."

"it is if it made you change into something you never wear." he argues, refusing to let you brush it off. "what didn't you like?"

"oh, you know... my thighs." you answer, looking down at your jean covered legs. "i just didn't like the way they looked tonight."

he doesn't respond, choosing to go silent instead. you almost don't want to look at him, but you do. you see he wasn't looking at you, but at your thighs, glancing up at you with a dark look when he felt your eyes on him.

"the only thing wrong with them is that you're covering them." your eyes widen, face flushing at his words. you can't do anything but watch him as he steps closer to you, almost trapping you against the car. his hand moves, disappearing under your sweater. his fingers brushing against your skin before they travel down, ghosting over your hip before tugging at the jeans. "these aren't you."

you mouth goes dry as he stares down at you. "fuma-"

"there you two are!" you jump at the sound of maki's voice, looking over to see him and his girlfriend walking towards you. well, maki was more like dragging her. you glance over when you feel the warmth of fuma disappear as he steps away- the action stinging more than it should. "you two are about to miss history being made."

that caught your attention. "what do you mean?"

maki goes to answer when you hear the sound of someone else running towards you. you turn to see your cousin, annoyed and slightly out of breath staring right at you. "get in the car."

"huh?"

"aren't you racing tonight?" fuma asked making her nod.

"taki just bet against k and i that he could win a race between the three of us. but k's girlfriend wanted to ride with him, and you know taki's girlfriend doesn't like racing."

"which means taki took jo." maki's girlfriend adds making everything make sense.

"so i need you."

you had ridden along with her a couple of times before you moved, so it wasn't anything new. you see fuma look towards you out of the corner of your eye, but you don't look over at him, still upset over him pulling away even though you knew you shouldn't. it's not like you two were a thing.

you nod your head, making your cousin smile. "let go win us a race."

you leave the three of them, getting in her car before she drives over to where the other two were waiting. you watch with a smile as your cousin and taki yell at each other while k just laughed at them.

you held onto the handle as she took off, taking second place ahead of taki. "that asshole should've known better."

you laugh at her words. "you're insane."

"i'm also observant." she says, glancing at you while making sure taki doesn't get around her. you realized she didn't care about beating k. she just wanted to beat taki since he made jo ride with him. "with that being said, what the hell is going on with you and fuma?"

your head snaps towards her. "nothing."

"yeah. that's why he had you almost pinned to my baby, right?" she questions with a smirk. "he looked like he wanted to eat you right there."

you scoff out a laugh as you rub your face. "it's really nothing. just some fun i guess."

"you guess?"

"it started at the party. this whole no strings attached thing." you shrug, ignoring her gasping at you.

"you mean you've been sleeping with him the past week, and you didn't tell me?"

"i haven't slept with him." you mumble.

"you're telling me you have a man like that pinning after you, and you haven't slept with him?" she glances over at you, noticing how quiet you got. "what's got you scared to? he's not like ren."

"i know." you sigh, hating the name that just came out of her mouth. "it's just... he set the rules. simple. not complicated, and i instantly agreed because i thought that was what i wanted. i didn't realize the attraction i was feeling towards him was anything but simple. i thought it would end, but it's only gotten worse."

"you fell for him, didn't you?"

"way to fucking hard."

she let out a sigh. "that's not a bad thing. i know i talk a lot of shit, but fuma's a good guy."

"i know he is, but if i tell him this, he's going to shut this down. he told me that he didn't want anything either." you tell her.

"how are you going to know if he's changed his mind like you did if you don't ask? what's the worst that could happen?"

you look over at her. "he doesn't feel the same, and i lose him."

"but you won't be hurting." she points out. "haven't you hurt enough?"

you blink at her before turning to look out of the windshield just in time to see her pass the finish line right behind k. she did what she wanted, but neither one of you seemed happy as you stepped out of the car. you couldn't even bring yourself to smile as you watched taki be overdramatic to his girlfriend about losing.

your cousin quickly walked over to you. "i didn't upset you, did i?"

"no." you answer. if anything, you felt better about getting it off your chest even though you had no clue what you were going to do. "but i'm not in the mood to be here anymore."

"do you want me to drive you back?" she asked.

you shook your head. "no. i've got it."

she gives you a hug before you leave, quickly pushing through the crowd as you try to leave. you just barely push through everyone when you run into someone, jumping when their arms wrap around you steady you.

"running off already?" you go still, looking up and meeting fuma's eyes. "doesn't your cousin have a few more races left?"

you shrug, backing away from him. "i don't want to be here anymore."

"then let's go." you watch as he grabs your hand before walking you away from the crowd. you spot his car parked away from the others.

"you don't have to drive me. i can get a ride."

"i know." he responds, opening the door for you. "get in."

you stare at him for a moment before listening to him. you watch him as he closes the door before getting into the drivers seat. as you lean back in your seat, you realize something as he pulls out of the lot. "don't you need my address?"

"i'm not taking you back to yours." he answers confusing you.

"then where the hell are you taking me?"

he shrugs. "you said you didn't want to be there, so we're going to my place."

"that's not what i meant." you mumble, making no move to tell him you didn't want to go because you both knew you did.

the rest of the car ride went by in the blink of an eye. maybe it was because you were stuck in your thoughts. you see him glance at you a couple of times, but he doesn't make any try to talk, giving you some time to yourself. once you get back to his place, he turns off the car.

"come on."

you get out of the car and follow him to his apartment. he walked in first, letting you in and watching as you slip off your shoes before talking. "are you going to tell the truth now?"

"about what?"

"about what's bothering you." you glance up when he steps closer to you.

"i did."

he tilted his head like he was examining you. "no you didn't."

"yes i did. i'm sorry if it's not what you wanted to hear, but i don't know what do you want me to say. that i don't hate my body? because i do." you tell him, finally letting your feelings loose. "i hate my nose and the way it's shaped. i hate the way my voice sounds on videos. and i hate my thighs. i hate the stretch marks and the way they move when i walk. most of the time the dresses help, but not tonight. tonight i hate everything about me. happy now?"

he's quiet for a moment, almost making you regret what you said. you go to ask if he could forget that when he stops you. "don't talk about yourself like that again."

"why? it's true." you try to step away from him when he steps towards you, but his arm catches your waist and keeping you close.

"no, it's not. it's something you were told enough times that you started to believe it." you freeze in his arms before trying to pull away from him. "who told you that?"

"it doesn't matter."

"it does." he argues. "because you didn't come up with this on your own. there's no way you would look at your body and see what i see and still say the things you are without someone saying something first. i'm not going to let you stand here and say that those things are true because they're not."

you stay quiet, not knowing how to respond to that. he almost seemed mad that not only you thought so negatively of yourself, but also that someone had the nerve to make you think those things.

he stepped closer to you, and this time you don't try to move away, allowing him to back you into the wall. his hands landed on your hips, moving your sweater to show more of your body to him. his touch drifted down, settling on your thighs.

"you couldn't be more wrong." his voice was low, silently warning you to stop talking about yourself the way you were. "i don't want to hear you talk about yourself like that again, okay?"

you want to agree, but you didn't feel like you could. "fuma, it's not that easy."

"then you come to me, and i'll make all those thoughts disappear until the only thing you can think of is how dangerous this body is." you forget how to breath for a moment at his words. "do you even realize what you do to me?"

he leans in closer to you, moving one of his hands to brush along your jaw. he tilts your head to where you don't have a choice than to meet his intense gaze. you try to say something, but as soon as your lips move, he closes the distance, silencing you with a kiss.

you feel something in yourself snap when he kisses you. you knew you were never going to get enough of him, and you hoped he felt the same way. because the way he was kissing you, the way he was touching you was something you didn't want to live without anymore.

you're out of breath when he pulls away, pressing his forehead to yours. "are you going to let me show you?"

you don't even think about it, too far gone to think about your earlier conversation with your cousin. you're in his arms, thighs wrapped around his waist as soon as he sees you nod before bringing you to his room. he lays you down before trapping you against the bed, lips finding yours.

"you drive me mad." he mumbles as he pulls away, quickly finding your neck. his teeth find the sensitive spot that had your legs tightening around him, whimpering when he abused the spot until you knew there would be a dark bruise later. "hearing you talk about yourself like that..."

you close your eyes when you feel his hands slip under your sweater, pulling it up just a little until he stopped. "keep your eyes open. you're going to watch me."

he waited until your eyes were open before continuing, pulling your sweater over your head. his head dipped down, kissing up your stomach as his hands unclasped your bra. you sighed out when his lips wrapped around your nipple, hand squeezing the other one.

"these are the perfect size." he mumbles against your skin, feeling you jerk when his tongue flicks your nipple. "so pretty and soft."

he continued his trail, making sure you were watching him as he kissed down your stomach. you lifted your hips when he unbuttoned your jeans, getting off of you just long enough to slip them off, leaving you bare beneath him.

"and these fucking thighs." you feel his teeth graze them before biting down just hard enough to leave a mark. "they drive me crazy."

you can't even say how long he spent on your thighs, kissing and biting them until you didn't think there were any clear spots. by the time he was done, you could feel your thighs sticking together with your arousal.

he settled back in between your legs, looking at you with a smirk before capturing your lips with his. you kiss him back, wrapping your arms around his neck before pulling away with a gasp when he flipped your position. his hands found your hips as you now straddled his as he looked up at you.

"sit on my face."

your eyes widen at his request as you try to get off of him. "fuma... wait. i've never-"

"that doesn't matter." he argues, holding you in place.

"but what if i hurt you?"

"i want you to." he shrugs like what he's requesting is nothing. "i want you to suffocate me with these thighs. now come here, baby."

he helped you as you shifted closer to his face. you were still unsure about this, not sitting down fully as you straddled his face. that was until his hands dug into your thighs and pulled you down fully.

"i said sit on my face."

you tried to shift again, but faltered when his tongue licked a strip up your folds. your concern disappeared as he lapped at your clit, dragging a moan from you. you gripped his head board with one hand, the other tangling in his hair. "fuma-"

his hands held you tightly as he shifted, nose pressing against your clit as his tongue eased inside of you. you gasp, instinctively shifting your hips along his face making him smile. "there you go baby. i knew you would like this."

and you did. the way his hands dug into your thighs, holding you to him. the way his tongue nearly made you see stars. with his words, you gained some confidence, rocking your hips in rhythm to his tongue. you didn't know how he could still breath with the way your thighs were tightening around his head. it didn't stop him as he lapped and sucked at your clit.

"fuma- fuck." you gasp, barely able to catch your breath. "please."

he was very familiar with your body at this point. the way you tense, calling his name. "keep going, baby. ride my face until you come."

you whimper, shifting your trembling thighs as you chase your high. it didn't take long for your stomach to twist. "fuma."

"come." you didn't think an orgasm from fuma could get any more intense than last time, but you were wrong. it was almost painful how strong it was, nearly making you lose your balance as it washes over you. fuma lets out a low groan as he feels your release. "good girl."

you barely had time to recover before fuma's hands were on your waist, easily flipping you back over onto the bed before towering over you again. you could see his lips and chin shining with your release, but that didn't stop you from pulling him to you.

he kissed you back instantly, hands cupping your cheeks as your hands trail down his chest. you didn't want to stop. you just wanted him, not caring if this could hurt you.

"fuma." you mumbled as you pulled away. "i don't want to stop. i want to keep going."

his hands hold your face still as he stares down at you, making sure you really meant what you said. "are you sure?"

you nod quickly. "i am. i want more. please."

he quiets your begging, kissing you gently. his lips and touch became softer after your words as he shifts you, making sure you were resting comfortably before pulling away from you. he leaned back just enough to make sure that you really wanted this, and when he saw no signs of hesitation, he pulled his shirt over his head.

you felt his hand on your hip as he trailed down to where you needed him. he could feel how we you still were, gathering it onto his fingers before slowly sliding one into you. you gasp as you feel the stretch as he slides in a second one right after it. he takes his time, making sure he wouldn't hurt you.

"such a good girl." he mumbled along your skin as he kisses your neck. "you think you're ready for me?"

he felt you clench around his fingers- a sign that you really needed him. "yes, fuma. please."

"i've got you." he pressed a short kiss to your lips before pulling away to pull the rest of his clothes off before grabbing a condom from his drawer. your eyes immediately go to his straining erection that somehow looked bigger than last time as he stretched the condom over it. he caught your attention when he got back on top of you, holding your gaze. "you still sure?"

you nod your head. "yes."

he was as gentle as he could as he pushed inside of you, stopping when he felt you clench around him. "you good baby?"

"yeah." you pant, adjusting to his size. "you're just fucking huge."

he chuckled, inching inside a little more before kissing your cheek. "but you're doing so good for me."

the praise was something you weren't used to, but it felt nice to have someone say it. you knew you wanted to hear him praise you more. he patiently waited until you were okay before pushing in the rest of the way. you could feel your breath leave you with how full you felt. you could pratically feel him in your stomach.

"fuck."

"look at you." he let his gaze drift down to where he was deep inside of you, your thighs locked tightly around his waist. "and you called me unfair."

the unexpected sentence made you chuckle as he brought up the last time you were together. "i still stand by that statement."

"i know you do." he waited until you gave him permission to move, slowly pulling out before pushing back into you. your hands dig into his arms as you moan out his name. "feel good baby?"

you nod, clenching around him when he speeds up. "y-yes. you feel s- so good, fuma."

that got a small groan out of him along with a sharp thrust of his hips that had you gripping him tightly. "i love it when you say my name like that."

every time you moaned his name, he sped up, thrusting into you hard and fast. you had never felt anything like this, eyes rolling into the back of your head as your nails dug into his back. "fuck, fuma. please don't stop."

his hand caught your jaw, tilting your head before crashing his lips to yours. he felt you instantly pull him closer, groaning into his mouth when he pinched your nipple in between his fingers.

he knew you were close- they way you were clinging to him. your sounds increasing when his lips weren't on yours. just the sight of you bouncing with every thrust had him holding back his high. you almost cry out when his hand finds your clit, thumb moving harshly to bring you to your high.

"you close, baby?"

"so close." you whimper, body trembling with need. "please fuma."

"i've got you. come for me."

you throw your head back, every muscle tight as you came around him. fuma held you close to him while continuing to thrust into you as he chase his own high. it didn't take him but a few moments to let out a groan into your ear as he buries his head into your neck before releasing into the condom.

you didn't know what to do as you recovered from your high. you didn't know if this was like some sort of one night stand. like do you leave? you didn't want to with the way he was holding you.

he moved his head from your neck, pulling you into a kiss that had you melting into him. as if he could feel that, he pulled away with a smile. "stay here."

he rolled off of you, disposing of the condom as he disappeared into the bathroom. he came bag with a warm rag, cleaning you as well as he could because he knew you were too tired to do anything. he walked over to his closet, grabbing you one of his shirts to put on before disappearing back into the bathroom.

the shirt was huge, falling down to your knees almost. and it smelled just like him making your head spin. what was this situation you had gotten yourself in.

you had spun onto your side as he came out of the bathroom. you heard as he turned all of the lights off before sliding into bed behind you. he wasn't touching you, but you could still feel the warmth of his body. you body wanted you to sleep, but your mind wouldn't let you, speeding through everything that happened tonight, and how much trouble you were in.

apparently you had shifted one too many times because you felt his arm wrap around your waist before pulling you into his arms. his chest pressed against your back as he nuzzled his head into your neck. "better?"

you wanted to answer no because how could him cuddling you make anything better. your mind was racing while your body quickly relaxed into his arms. it felt like you belonged here in his arms. why did you have to fall for someone who didn't feel the same?

instead of saying any of that, you just nodded your head. "better."

you knew things were bound to go wrong at some point. they always do when it came to your life, and it wasn't a secret. your family knew which led to the nickname jinx which your father came up with. you hated the nickname so much, especially when your ex started calling you it. it ended up being used as an insult instead of a tease like how you family called you it.

"classic jinx. always ruining everything."

"do you ever notice how things only go wrong with you're involved, jinx?"

you never wanted to believe him. you always thought that maybe he was the reason why things always went wrong. being away from him and your family, you were finally starting to believe that. things were finally going your way.

or so you thought.

you don't know what happened that caused him to go radio silent. at first you just thought he was busy at the shop. maybe he was too tired to answer your texts or calls. but then you showed up at the shop to euijoo telling you that he hasn't been in all week, and none of them could tell you why.

you couldn't help but let your mind run wild with theories. maybe he somehow figured out your feelings for him. maybe he just wasn't interested in the whole friends with benefits things anymore. your worst thought was that maybe he'd seen your body and decided that he didn't want you. you know you shouldn't have thought like the way he practically worshipped you that night, but you couldn't think of any other reason why he would ghost you.

you thought you would find out for yourself, driving to his apartment before knocking on his door. you didn't get an answer, but you also couldn't hear anything from inside making you think he wasn't home. you pulled out your phone to call him again when the neighboring door opened, revealing fuma's sister. you had met her a few times, and she seemed nice. but instead of her usual smile, she was wearing a glare that was directed straight at you.

"you have some nerve coming here."

"excuse me?"

she let out a scoff at your question. "don't be stupid. you know exactly what i mean."

you stay quiet because one, you didn't know how to respond to that, and two, you had no idea what she meant. she let out an annoyed sigh before turning and disappearing back into her apartment. you take one last glance at fuma's door before following after her. by the time you stepped into her place, she had her phone in her hand, pulling up something before handing you her phone.

"explain this."

you look down at her phone, eyes widening at the photos. "how did you get these?"

it was something you never thought you would see again- your wedding photos. the last time you did was right after your divorce when you drank a little too much and set them on fire. looking at them now felt strange. you didn't recognize the younger version of you. she was so happy, not knowing of anything of the man she was marrying.

"your husband was kind enough to send them to fuma." she answered, not noticing your flinch at the word husband. "how could you do this to him? his last relationship was so bad, i never thought he would try again. and them you come along and make him forget just to be married this entire time!"

you blink at her outburst, trying to understand her words. "wait, ren sent you these?"

"yes!" she snaps. "and i want to know why my brother is sleeping with someone else's wife?"

"he isn't because i'm not married." you tell her, all of the pieces finally clicking into place. why fuma was ignoring you. why his sister was so mad. ren made it seemed like you were still married, and since you were stupid enough to not tell fuma, he believed ren. "i divorced him last year."

you watch as her anger turns to confusion. "then why the hell would he send these and make it seem like you're still married?"

"because he loved to make my life a living hell." you answered, hating that your past had finally been brought up. you had tried so hard to make it disappear. "i spent three years married to him, and everyday his only goal was to make me hate myself. he eventually he got what he wanted. i couldn't take it anymore and filed for a divorce."

"that son of a bitch." she mumbled, understanding that ren set you up. "he knew exactly what he was doing."

you knew as much as you never wanted to see him again, you needed to go talk to ren. "i need to go and have a chat with my ex."

"wait." you turn to glance back at her. "i don't thinks it's a good idea to be going alone."

you shrug you shoulders once more before leaving. "what's the worst he could do? he already took the one thing that mattered the most."

you leave her place before she could try to stop you again. you didn't know what you were going to do or say when you got there, but you knew you had to do something. he had spent the last few years controlling you in every way possible. he needed to learn he wasn't able to anymore.

the drive there was familiar considering he took the house. you didn't want it or anything else related to the marriage. he threatened to leave you with nothing if you divorced him, and he did exactly that. it didn't bother you, it never did, because you were free. you could do whatever you wanted without him complaining- something you had spent the last year learning.

you park the car and get out before you psych yourself out, knocking on the door which almost instantly opens like he was expecting you. "long time no see, jinx."

for the first time since he started calling you that, you don't flinch in embarrassment. "what the hell is wrong with you?"

"whatever do you mean, wife?"

"ex-wife." you correct. "i left your pathetic ass last year. don't forget that. now why did you send those photos?"

"because i know you, jinx. i know you didn't tell him. i mean, why would you want anyone to know how much of a failure you are."

your jaw tightened, refusing to get mad like you always did. "the only failure i have is agreeing to marry you."

"wow. did it take you three years to come up with that one too?" ren responded with a laugh.

"why bother me now?" you ask. "you had a whole year to, and you wait until i'm happy. how sad has your life become for you to wait that long?"

ren lets out a scoff at your words, but if he says something, you don't hear him. you ignore him when you have a familiar feeling brush over you, having felt it many times before. you turn around, eyes instantly locking with fuma's who was standing at the edge of the driveway.

it took everything in you to stay still and not run over to him. you knew he was mad at you- you could see it on his face. you knew you deserved every bit of it, but you just wanted him to know the truth. he would probably still not want anything to do with you because who would want someone who keeps something like that?

"who the hell are you?" ren asks, finally noticing fuma. fuma doesn't answer him right away which you could tell put ren on edge. you could see him falter when fuma starts to walk closer to you too. you had to hold back a laugh when ren had to actually look up at fuma as he stopped next to you. "i asked you a question."

"does it matter?"

"yes." he answered, not expecting that response. "it kind of does when some random guy shows up at my house."

"i'm not here for you." he told him, dismissing him before looking down at you. "i'm here for her."

you don't know how you managed to keep a straight face at his words. you could see the anger disappear slightly when his eyes meet yours. you refuse to get your hopes of though thinking he deserved better than you.

"there is a reason i left you, ren." you tell him. "now stay out of my life."

you turn around and leave before he has a chance to say anything else. you see fuma staring at ren, making you think he was going to say something, but he doesn't, deciding that ren isn't worth his time. he just turns, falling into step beside you.

you barely hear the front door slam shut as you reach your car, fuma standing right next to you as you pull out your keys. his eyes finally leave you, going down to your hands where he notices they're shaking.

"give me the keys." you look down at his outstretched hand for a moment before placing your keys in his hand. "come on."

he walks you around to the passenger's side, opening the door for you and waiting until you were sat down before shrugging off his jacket. just like countless other times, he drapes it across your lap before shutting your door and getting into the drivers side.

he pulls out of the driveway, driving you away from the place you hope to never to return to. he didn't say anything, and neither did you until you couldn't hold in your questions anymore. "how did you know where i was?"

"my sister called me freaking out, saying you were going to confront your ex. i then called your cousin, and she gave me the address along with some very interesting information." he answered. "why did you come here alone?"

"i was married to the asshole for 3 years. i know what he's like." you tell him. he was a narcissist. all of the pain he has caused you was by his mouth. and as much as you hate him, you knew he would never lift a hand towards you.

"that doesn't matter. you shouldn't have come her alone." you couldn't help but let out a scoff at his words.

"what would have wanted me to do?" you ask. "call you? oh wait... that would involve you actually answering me."

"do you think i ignored you for no reason? i thought you were still married." you nearly flinch as he argues back. the anger you were feeling about him ignoring you felt displaced now. he had every reason to ignore you because this was all your fault. if you had just told him, the two of you wouldn't be in this situation.

"i'm not, and i should've told you." you admit quietly. "i just... i didn't want to talk about it. i just wanted to forget it ever happened."

he stayed quiet for a moment before speaking. "you should've told me."

"i know." he glances over at you for the first time since you two got into the car. you're staring at your lap, playing with a loose string on his jacket.

"why?"

"because it's embarrassing." you answer, seeing him shake his head out of the corner of you eye.

"no it's not." he tells you. "sometimes things don't work out. you didn't do anything wrong."

you let out a sad laugh. "i wish i could see it like that."

"how do you see it?" he asks.

"like i failed. like i wasn't good enough for things not to go wrong." you answer, blinking back tears as you hesitate to keep talking. "i know you heard him call me jinx. it's a family nickname that my father gave me because i always screw things up."

"you didn't screw anything up. things just went wrong. that's not the same thing." you shake your head, refusing to believe him.

"i don't see it like that, and neither does my family. everyone except my cousin hates the fact that i divorced him. why would i throw away such a perfect man? they still talk to him too- that's why i stopped talking to them."

"if he was perfect, you wouldn't have left."

you went quiet at his words, glancing back out the window and avoiding his gaze. "why didn't you ask? why ignore me?"

"you never told me, so i assumed the worst." he answered. "i thought that you'd confirm it was true and end things."

"so you decided to end things first?" you ask, glancing over at him when he nods.

"yeah. i should've talked to you." he admits.

"i understand." you let out a sigh, pulling his jacket tighter around you. "i was really starting to believe the whole jinx thing."

"don't call yourself that." he stops your thoughts, reaching over and grabbing your hand. you watch as his fingers intertwine with yours before his lips brush against your skin. "you're not a jinx. if anything, you're a muse."

you stop breathing for a moment at his words. no one has ever called you anything other than your name or jinx. "a muse?"

"yeah." his hand tightens around yours. "you make me pay attention to things i normally don't. you make things feel like that matter when they didn't before. that's quite the opposite of bad luck."

his words are enough to make you want to cry all over again. no one's ever said anything like that to you. you always felt like the burden of the family, even to your cousin. but then fuma walks into your life and is making you feel like the exact opposite. you feel like you matter with him.

you don't respond to him- the words stuck in your throat. you rest your head back on the seat, watching the scenery as he drives you back to your place. he stays quiet as well, but you feel his gaze flicker to you every few minutes, like he's making sure you're still okay.

he pulls into the parking lot before turning off the car. you reluctantly pull your hand out of his and quickly stop out of the car, needing some air. you bend down to see him still sitting in the car watching you. you knew he was waiting on you to tell him what you wanted.

"so..." you start, trailing off quietly. "do you call all your client's muse, or am i just really special?"

you see a hint of a smirk on his lips, but he doesn't answer, choosing to get out of the car instead. you had barely closed your door before he was behind you, spinning you around in his arms. he closes in on you, pinning you against the car.

"what do you think?" he asks, but he doesn't give you a chance to answer. his hand finds your jaw, tilting your head up just enough for his lips to find yours. and just like every other kiss with him, it's intense enough to have you thankful he was pinning you to the car, so he couldn't feel the way your knees shake. he waits until he feels you relax into him before pulling away, thumb brushing your cheek softly as he looks down at you. "do you really think i would call anyone else that other than the one person who drives me crazy?"

you couldn't help but smirk at his question, moving your hands to grip his jacket before pulling him flush against you. "good."

"good?" he chuckles, hand sliding underneath your shirt. "because of the 'muse' thing, or because i said you drive me crazy?"

"both."

he pushes you farther into the car as his lips crash back into yours. you felt his hand run down your hip before tugging at your jeans. "what did i say about jeans?"

"oh trust me i hate them to, but i have to wear them because somebody left my thighs looking like i got mauled by a bear." you point out which wasn't a lie. your legs are still covered in bruises from him. you loved it, but it wasn't very appropriate to show them off.

"so what you're saying is we need to get longer dresses?" you roll your eyes at his question.

"or you can not attack me again."

"why would i do that when i know how much you liked it?" he questioned, tightening his grip before lifting your thigh up, resting it on his hip. you were thankful you were covered by your car, so no one could see you.

he opened his mouth to speak again but stopped when he heard the roll of thunder. and as if the universe hated you, rain started pouring just seconds after. you let out a groan before grabbing his wrist, pulling him behind you as you bring him to your apartment. and sadly since your apartment is across the rode from the parking, the two of you were dripping wet and freezing by the time you stepped into your place.

you let him take off his shoes before pulling him towards your bathroom while rambling how it's too cold for it to be raining. "you can take a shower to warm up. i can see if i have any clothes that would fit you, but if not i can throw yours into the dryer while you shower."

"what about you?" you shrug off his question, moving to turn the water on.

"i'll wait until you get out. it's no big deal." you try to back of the way for him, but stops when his hands hold you still. "fuma-"

"the only way i'm getting in that shower is if you get in with me."

you hesitate for a moment before you allow him to pull your wet clothes off before making you step under the warm water before he follows. as soon as he does, he has you pinned to the wall, lips on yours as he pins your hands above your head.

"fuma." you mumble against his lips as you feel his hand trail down your stomach, hiking your leg onto his waist before his thumb presses into one of the marks he left and watching as you jerk in pleasure. "fuck-"

"did you miss this?" he asked, kissing along your jaw.

you almost hesitate with your answer before deciding against it. "yes, i missed you."

he noticed that you said him and not how whatever was going on between you two, moving away from your neck. he slowed down after your answer, wrapping your arms around his neck as he kissed you.

"i know." he muttered as he pulled away, eyes softer than you've ever seen as he looked at you. "i feel it too."

your breath catches as he admits that- that he feels the same. it made you feel like he was pinning for you just as much as you were him. "you- you do?"

"yeah." he answers as he rests his forehead against yours. "i tried not to because that's what we agreed on, but it didn't really work."

"i really do mess things up, don't i?" you lightly joke.

"no, you don't. you make things better, my muse." you don't get a chance to respond, not that you would be able to as he kissed you. it quickly got heated, his tongue brushing yours as his hand slid in between your folds. you moan into his mouth when his thumb finds your clit, index finger teasing your entrance. "i should've known things were never going to be simple with you. that stopped the moment you let me touch this perfect body."

you let out a groan as he eased two fingers into you, stretching you before he started moving them slowly enough to make you whine. "fuma-"

"i don't want to hear you say you're a jinx, that you mess things up, or anything about yourself, okay? because i don't like hearing someone talk about what's mine like that."

the words are stuck in your throat, a whimper falling past your lips when he slides his fingers out of you before pulling your other thigh up to wrap around his waist. you hold onto his neck as he keeps you close to him, nudging your entrance with his erection.

"you're so unfair." you mumble, pushing his wet hair out of his face. "i've spent years trying to not believe those things, and then you fucking walk in."

he chuckles. "good."

he waits for your nod before he eases into you. being in the shower makes it easier for him to slide in, but you still groan at the stretch of him. you didn't think you'd ever get used to his size. you could almost feel him in your stomach when he bottoms out, waiting patiently for you to adjust to him.

"see, my muse?" he has a smirk as he pulls out of you, hearing you moan when he pushes back in. "this is no mistake, is it?"

"no." you whimper as he sets his speed, fingers tangling into his hair as he thrusts deeply inside of you. "no mistake."

"good girl." he says, angling himself so his tip hit the spot that had you clenching around him. your thighs shook in his hold as you cry out his name.

he keeps his pace steady until he hears for you begging for him to speed up, so he does, rolling his hips in a way that made you dizzy. "fuck, fuma. you feel so good."

his lips found your neck, marking your skin while his free hand began to wonder. you felt him ghost over your chest, teasing until he heard a whine before his fingers twisted around your nipple, drawing a moan from your lips. each pinch of his hand, each thrust of his hips brought you closer to your high until you felt like you were about to explode.

"fuma- please... i need more."

he got the message, moving his hand from your breast to your clit before rubbing the sensitive bud. you go tense in his hold, on the verge of your climax. "come on, my muse. come for me."

you buried your head into his neck as your high hit you hard just like it always does when it came to him. he held onto tightly, helping you ride out your high before he pulled out of you, jerking off into his hands a few times before he released onto your stomach.

you glance down to see the mess he made. "maybe it's good thing we chose the shower."

the two of you finish your shower before getting out. after some digging, you find a pair of boxers you used to sleep in and a hoodie for him while his clothes dry. you make the two of you some warm drinks while he sits on one of the stools in your kitchen. you debated whether you should bring things up, but you knew you need to clear the air.

"i met ren when i was 18." you start, keeping your back to him. "he was 20. he was the first guy to show me any attention, so i immediately thought that he was the one. he was my first everything." you hand him his drink but refuse to look at him as you told your story. "he proposed about 6 months after we started dating, and we married a few months later. my family was ecstatic. said i finally did something right. little did i know it was the worst decision i've ever made."

"he is a narcissist. everything revolved around him. i realized that after we moved in together. that's when the arguments started- the insults after that. the person you met today was the person who made me hate myself. you can only hear so many insults before you believe them. my personal favorite was that he did the world a favor by marrying me, so no one else would have to suffer with me like he did."

you mess with your damp hair as you continue. "the best thing i ever did was divorce him. he may have taken everything, and my family may hate me for it. but i've never been happier. i know i shouldn't have kept it from you, and i'm sorry. i didn't mean to hurt you."

he's quiet for a moment, processing what you said before you hear him move. he's beside you before you can blink, hand resting on your waist. "look at me." he waits until you do before he continues. "i get why you didn't say anything, but you don't have to hide things from me, okay? i'm not him. the last thing i would ever do is judge you."

"i know that now." you say. "i just thought it would scare you off."

he shakes his head. "it would take a lot more than that. like i said earlier, you became mine that night at the party. i was just too stupid to do something sooner."

"no more simple?" you ask, feeling hopeful when he smiles.

"no more simple." he agrees, wrapping his arms around you when you lean up to kiss him, like he was never going to let you go.

3 months later

the past 3 months have went better than you ever thought possible. you never thought when you stepped into the tattoo shop your cousin recommended a few months ago, you would meet the person who made you forget every bad thing that happened to you. you never thought they would become your boyfriend and wake up next to them every morning because they refuse to leave you alone. you never thought you would fall in love with them.

"you still doing okay, my muse?" you glance down at him as he pauses.

it was finally time for you to cover the last tattoo that reminded you of your past- the wedding date. it took you a while to figure out what you wanted to cover it up with, but your boyfriend was very patient with you, drawing many designs until you finally picked one. it was simple, just some wildflowers that wrapped around the underside of your breast, but it perfectly covered your old tattoo.

you couldn't help but smile at the nickname. "i'm okay. just ready for this to be over."

"my brave girl." he smiles at you before continuing, knowing that this tattoo was the most painful of the coverups he's done. "i'm almost done."

you nodded, waiting as patiently as you could for him to finish. it didn't take him much longer before you heard his machine to turn off. he cleaned it before looking back up at you. "it's done?"

"go look." he says, grabbing your hand and helping you up. he gives you a moment, cleaning up while you look at the piece. finally after looking at all of these tattoos and thinking of your ex for so long, you now had something else to look at- something that was a reminder of you, not him. you felt fuma brush against your back, looking up to meet his eyes through the mirror. "do you like it?"

"i love it." you answer turning towards him, smiling when he instantly wraps you in his arms. "just like i love you."

his hand cups your jaw, thumb brushing over your cheek before leaning down and kissing you. you melt into him, finger curling into his shirt when he pulls you closer to him. when he pulls away, he makes sure to keep you close, resting his forehead against yours.

"i love you too, my muse."

you smile, pulling him down into another kiss. when he back you into the mirror, a sense of deja vu washes over you, except this time you don't feel like you were going to ruin this.

She dipped into a small bow. "My n-name is Han Yuna," she started, stumbling over her words when she instinctively flowed into the korean –imnida rather than the japanese –to mōshimasu. She grimmaced at the smothered chuckles─and the blatant laughs, "please t-take care of me." The words caught slightly on her tongue and her braces sure didn't help. No amount of practice would help the lisp they caused. "I'm from Busan in South Korea and I─"

Her words left her─the japanese ones anyway. Her mind flew in korean, eloquently finishing her introduction and making a good first impression, but her mouth hung slightly open and silent for too many seconds too long.

Her cheeks flamed, eyes darting to the girl in the third row who started snickering blatantly, gossiping with her deskmate as her eyes sneered at Yuna for daring to exist, aparently.

A quiet murmur rippled through the classroom after that. Yuna felt it crawling up her spine─her hands unlocking from behind her to start fiddling with the hem of her cardigan─static pricklng under her skin as heat bundled under her eyes.

"I like. . . um. . ." she tried again, her voice smaller now, her words coming out slow, like she was reading them from a cue. "I like─stars. And music. Rainbows─" Her pronunciation slipped again, just a little, shifting her rythm off that had her freezing again.

The girl laughed again.

Yuna's ears burned─as hot as her cheeks, curling down her neck as she forged on. "My japanese isn't v-very good yet but I will try hard, so please take care of me." She felt a little pathetic as she finished─realising she had already said that particular phrase─dipping again into a deeper bow.

Silence.

"Your japanese is fine."

Yuna blinked, straightening slowly. The voice hadn't come from Mr Nakamura but rather from a student. A girl near the window─dark brown hair, curtain bangs tucked behind her ears, her face softly rounded, gentle in its proportions. Her cheeks were a little fuller than most, giving her an almost younger look, and her eyes─

They were warm.

Large and brown, catching the light from the window beside her, the outer corners lifting just slightly when she smiled. It made her expression feel open, easy to approach, like she was already on Yuna’s side.

Her brows curved naturally, not sharp or severe, and her lips held that same quiet upward tilt, like she was always on the verge of saying something kind.

She didn’t look away, either.

Not in the way the others did─quick glances, stifled laughs, eyes sliding off Yuna like she was something awkward to acknowledge. This girl just. . . looked at her. Unbothered.

“Really,” she said, tilting her head just a little, her voice gentle but clear enough to carry. "It was easy to understand. You just sound stiff," she added, shrugging. "Like a textbook."

A few people snickered again but it didn't feel as sharp as before.

"Oi, Momo," another voice cut in from beside her, a little deeper─though that could be because Momo's voice was bright─soft but firm. "Don't be rude."

"I'm not!" Momo protested, turning slightly to face her desk mate with a slight pout. Her face─much like Momo's─was rounder, softened by the curve of her cheekbones. Even from this angle, there was something unmistakably familiar about the way they both held themselves. "I'm helping."

"You're not helping," the second girl sighed, though there was no real bite to it. She absent-mindedly flicked her full fringe from her eyes before she turned back to Yuna, offering a small apologetic smile. "Sorry for her mouth."

Yuna almost felt the need to hold back a giggle.

"Yuzumiii!" Momo dragged out with a little whine.

Mr Nakamura clapped his hands lightly, cutting them off before it could spiral further. "Thank you, Inaba-san," he started, seemingly refering to both girls. Yuna reckoned hey were sisters, at least. "Han-san," Nakamura turned to face Yuna again, "you can take the empty seat by the window, behind Momo."

Yuna nodded quickly.

Her legs felt strange as she walked. Don’t trip, don’t trip, please don’t trip, she thought to herself, eyes locked on to her feet as if that would be the thing that kept her upright.

She reached the desk.

Small victories.

Yuna had finished getting her things ready─her new notebook and set of pens placed gingerly on her desk─when she did a double take, locking eyes with Momo who had silently turned back to look at her.

She let out a faint giggle at the way Yuna startled, which in turn made Yuzumi turn around too, giving Yuna a tight-lipped smile over her shoulder.

Momo tilted her head, studying Yuna for a second before grinning. "You’re a little formal," she said, not unkindly. "But we can help with that."

Yuna froze for half a beat. "OK," she said, a little shy, a little uncertain, an almost uncomfortable smile revealing her braces.

"You did kinda sound like a textbook." Yuzumi hummed thoughtfully. "Momo sounds like a disaster, most days so at least you're legible." she added.

"Hey!" Momo shot back immediately. "I'm better than Yuki-nee."

Yuzumi snorted. "Yuki-nee isn’t even born japanese."

Momo was cut off as Mr Nakamura cleared his throat again, giving the twins a look as they fell silent, before starting the lesson.

𓂃↟ 𖠰 𓃦𓂃 ོ ↟↟

The bell rang.

The classroom burst into motion all at once─chairs scraping, voices rising, the careful stillness from before dissolving into something louder, messier. Yuna flinched slightly at the sudden shift, her shoulders tensing before she could stop herself.

She stayed seated, for a moment.

Long enough that most people had already grouped off─desks pushed together, laughter blooming in small circles. She glanced down at her bag, fingers hovering over the zipper.

Maybe I should just eat quickly. . .

"Hey."

Yuna startled, looking up.

Momo was already half-standing on her chair, leaning over the back of her desk with zero regard for personal space. Up close, her smile was even brighter─wide, a little mischievous.

"Come eat with us," she said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Yuna blinked. "Ah─um─"

"You were going to eat alone, weren’t you?" Momo narrowed her eyes slightly, as if accusing her.

"I─아니, I just─"

"Ignore her tone," Yuzumi cut in, already standing and gathering her things with practiced ease. "It’s an invitation."

Momo gasped. "I’m very inviting."

"You sound like you’re interrogating her."

"I am interrogating her," Momo said brightly, then turned back to Yuna. "So? Lunch. Yes or yes?"

Yuna hesitated, just for a moment. "Yes."

Momo beamed like she’d just won something. "Good! Come on."

They didn’t go far─just out to the courtyard, where clusters of students had already claimed benches and shaded spots beneath the trees. The air was warmer than the classroom, sunlight filtering through the leaves in soft, shifting patterns. Yuna followed a step behind, clutching her lunch bag a little tighter than necessary.

The noise was. . . better out here.

Still loud─but looser. Less focused. It didn’t press in the same way.

"Here," Yuzumi said, setting her bag down at the edge of a bench. "We usually sit here."

Momo dropped down beside her with a dramatic sigh. "Prime real estate."

"It’s a bench," Yuzumi said flatly.

"It’s our bench."

Yuna hovered for half a second before sitting down carefully across from them.

"Okay," Momo said immediately, popping open her lunch. "Introduction round two. You panicked earlier, so we’ll do it properly now."

"Momo," Yuzumi warned.

"What? She did."

Yuna let out a small, embarrassed laugh. "I did. . ."

"See?" Momo pointed at her like that proved everything. "So. Han Yuna." She tapped her chopsticks against her lips thoughtfully. "Busan. Likes stars, music, and rainbows."

Yuna ducked her head slightly. "It sounds childish when you say it like that. . ."

"It sounded childish when you said it," Momo replied cheerfully.

"Momo."

"It's not a bad thing!" she added quickly, grinning. "It’s cute."

Yuna didn’t know how to respond to that.

Yuzumi sighed softly, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips as she turned to Yuna. "I’m Inaba Yuzumi. That’s Momo. We’re twins."

"I thought so," Yuna said quickly, then hesitated. "You look. . . very similar."

Momo leaned forward immediately. "But you can tell us apart, right?"

". . .Yes?"

"Good answer."

Yuzumi rolled her eyes. "You don’t have to quiz her."

"It’s important."

"It’s not."

"It so is."

"We have different hair styles─we're not even identical, why wouldn't she be able to tell the difference?"

Yuna smiled, a little more easily this time. She opened her lunch─simple, neatly packed. Her mother had insisted on making it that morning despite everything.

"You moved recently?" Yuzumi asked, picking up her chopsticks.

"Last week," Yuna nodded. "My father got transferred."

"To Tokyo?" Momo asked.

"Mhm."

"Big change," Yuzumi said.

Yuna nodded again. "Everything feels. . . fast."

"That’s normal," Yuzumi replied. "It settles."

Momo hummed, chewing thoughtfully before suddenly pointing her chopsticks at Yuna. "You’re sensitive, aren’t you?"

Yuna blinked. "Eh?"

"Like─" Momo waved vaguely around them. "To stuff. Noise. People."

Yuna froze. It took her a while to understand the word sensitive. "I—maybe?" she said carefully.

Yuzumi frowned. "Momo, don’t be weird."

"I’m not being weird," Momo insisted. "She looked like she was going to explode earlier."

"I was nervous," Yuna said quickly.

"Mhm," Momo hummed, clearly unconvinced─but she let it drop, at least outwardly.

Yuzumi nudged her lightly with her elbow. "Eat."

"I am eating."

Yuna watched them for a moment. The easy way they slipped into conversation. The way they nudged each other, interrupted, corrected─without it ever feeling sharp.

It felt warm.

"Your Japanese really is good," Yuzumi said after a moment, more gently this time. "You just need to get used to speaking it."

Yuna looked up. "Really?"

"Mhm."

Momo nodded too, mouth full. "You just think too much before you talk."

Yuna huffed a small laugh. "That’s true."

"Stop thinking," Momo said. "Just talk."

"That’s not helpful advice," Yuzumi muttered.

"It is helpful."

"It’s not."

Yuna smiled again─this time without having to think about it. For the first time since she’d walked into the classroom that morning, the tight feeling in her chest loosened.Just a little.

Momo’s eyes lit up as she noticed something small but bright when Yuna smiled nervously. "Ooh! Your braces! I love the colors you picked. They’re so cute."

Yuna’s cheeks flushed. "Oh! T-thanks." Her fingers twitched over the strap of her bag, and she gave a little awkward smile.

Yuzumi leaned over with a teasing grin. "Usually Momo’s covered in paint, not accessories. . . but I guess braces can be an accessory too, huh?"

Momo laughed softly. "Exactly! You get to choose the colors yourself. That’s the fun part. Yours are awesome."

Yuna blinked at them, a little stunned. "You. . . really think so?"

The twins nodded in unison, Momo giving a bright hum as Yuzumi lifted the camera Yuna hadn't seen her take out.

"Shall we commemorate the occasion?" She asked with an almost shy smile.

Momo squealed before Yuna could reply, pulling all three of them together so they could squeeze into the frame. It baffled Yuna slightly, but she let herself be moved, tucked under Momo's arm as Yuzumi lifted her arm.

They parted after a second, the twins falling back into the banter-like bickering that was quickly becoming familiar.

Somewhere beyond the courtyard, a breeze stirred. Yuna’s fingers paused mid-motion a small shiver going down her spine. For a second─just a second─she felt it again, that strange, prickling awareness from earlier. She glanced up, eyes flicking toward the school gates in the distance.

"Yuna?"

She blinked, snapping back. "Sorry," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I just─thought I heard─the wind. . ."

Momo tilted her head.Yuzumi frowned slightly. "You’ll get used to the noise," she said after a moment.

Yuna nodded, looking back down at her lunch, her fingers tightening just slightly around her chopsticks.

It was nothing. Just the wind, right?

Monday 2nd September 2024, 13:02

The lecture hall was bright. Buzzing with chatter as students─mostly consisting of third years and mature students, though a cluster of 18-year-olds had claimed a section at the front─pulled out notebooks, laptops and snacks.

The projector had flickered on as Professor Kageyama let out a soft 'aha!', pushing her glasses higher up her nose. The title slide of Environmental Data Analysis: First Project!! displayed dimly as the hall's overhead lights were still on 'full beam mode'.

Sunlight spilled through the tall windows, being eclipsed by the descending shades being pulled by the TA, Ishida.

Voices carried a little louder, as they usually did when a big room was no longer empty─low conversations interrupted by out-of-control laughter or the accidental bang of a person clumsily falling into a pull-up desk, the rustle of plastic being pulled open because Kageyama-sensei allowed snacks during her lectures as long as you didn't rustle while she was speaking.

Kano Koyuki loved it.

Her fingers tapped lightly on her notebook as she chuckled at something the girls next to her were gossiping about something she hadn't got the context for. She tucked a fly-away strand of candy-floss pink hair behind her ear and propped her head on her palm as she noticed the teachers standing ready.

"Okay everyone!" Professor Kageyama clapped twice, her voice booming over the noise to command attention. She waited a few seconds for everyone to quiet down, nodding a thank you at Ishida once he closed the door. "Welcome to Environmental Data Analysis!"

"This semester's class, as you may know already, is a shared module between five different subjects. I'm Kageyama Ayumi, I usually teach Environment Science so I do know a fair few of you already. This is Ishida Kei, my teaching assistant for this semester─feel free to ask either of us questions if you need help!

"Since this is a bigger class than normal we've decided to pair you all up right from the get go and that group work will be between sets of duos." She paused when the hall grew louder as people started murmuring plans. "Your fieldwork pairs are already assigned," Kageyama laughed as a round of groans dominoed across the hall, lifting a sheet of paper in the air for emphasis.

"Don't be like that," she added, barely holding back a smile as she adjusted her glasses again. "You'll survive. Probably."

A few people laughed. Others immediately twisted in their seats, trying to spot friends or potential allies─mouthing things like please be us or switch if we're not together.

Koyuki leaned forward slightly in her seat, chin tipping into her palm as she watched the reactions unfold around her, the billowy sleeves of her cream bamboo-knit linen wrap shirt falling down her arm.

How fun!

"I'll read them out," Kageyama continued, focus down on her paper. "When you hear your name, make yourself known and find your partner. Try not to yell across the hall, Ishida-san has sensitive ears," she joked.

Ishida nodded solemnly, though the smirk he couldn't keep down tipped off their playfulness.

"Tanaka Ejiro and Sato Ei─front row, please don’t make me regret this─"

A few pairs shifted, some quick, some reluctant. Chairs scraped, bags shuffled, voices overlapped in low bursts of oh thank god and you’ve got to be kidding me.

Koyuki tapped her pen lightly against her notebook, listening.

"Kano Koyuki─"

She straightened a little without thinking.

"─and Byun Euijoo."

Koyuki glanced around, not hurried─just curious─letting her eyes move through the rows, slowly raising her hand as she scanned the room. She didn't know that name at all, a smile pulling over her lips at the chance of making a new friend. A few seats over and slightly behind her, someone else had paused too.

He didn’t look confused─just momentarily still, like he was double-checking he’d heard correctly. Dark hair, soft around the edges, glasses slipping just slightly down his nose as he glanced toward the front, then sideways before their eyes met.

Koyuki's smile warmed immediately, there you are, she thought.

He blinked, caught a little off guard, before returning it with something smaller, quieter.

Koyuki shifted her canvas bag off the empty seat beside her without hesitation, nudging it down to the floor with her foot, waving him over with one beckoning motion.

Around them, the room kept moving─more names being called, more people shuffling into place─but Koyuki’s attention stayed fixed for a second longer as he stood, adjusting the strap of his bag over his shoulder. He moved through the row carefully, offering a quick sorry as someone pulled their legs in to let him pass.

By the time he reached her, she had already turned slightly in her seat, like she’d been expecting him.

"Kano-san?" he asked, just to confirm.

"Koyuki’s fine," she said, her round eyes coasting over his frame for a second, cataloguing his worn light-wash jeans, slightly stretched off-white tee and his brown zip-up hoodie with it's sleeves pushed and folded up to two different heights on his arms. "Hi."

Euijoo paused for half a second─probably looking her over too, what he could see of her anyway─before sitting. "Hi. . . nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too,” she said easily, then, after a moment, "I like your name."

That made him blink. "Oh." A small, surprised laugh slipped out. "Thanks."

"It sounds nice," she added with a small shrug, like it didn’t need explaining.

He huffed a soft laugh, something in his expression loosening. "I don’t think I’ve heard that before."

"Well," she smiled, tapping her pen once against her notebook, "now you have!"

Koyuki tilted her head slightly, studying him─not intensely, just curious.

"Byun Euijoo. . . that’s korean, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"But your japanese is really natural," she added. "I wouldn’t have guessed."

"Been here a while," he said. "Since I was eight."

"Ah," Koyuki let out a small breath through her nose. "I moved when I was four and I still mess up kanji sometimes.”

Euijoo smiled, a little sheepish. "I do too. I just don’t admit it."

She snorted quietly at that. "That’s fair. My friends always call me out so I don't have that luxury."

"My brothers never let me live it down either," He paused, throwing her a playful wink, "Secret strategy─I just ignore them."

Koyuki joined in his laughter.

"Where were you before. . .?" Euijoo asked slowly, like he wasn't sure if he should.

"London. Uh, England." Koyuki answered easily, still smiling. "My mother is English─well, Polish-English."

"Ah!" Euijoo's eyes widened.

"She still lives over there," Koyuki continued, as if she wasn't oversharing with a relative stranger. "My parents weren't technically ever together. I see her every couple years though, so it's not like we're estranged or anything. . ."

Euijoo just blinked at her, mouth agape─before he could find the words to reply, professor Kageyama had clapped to gather their attention again.

After a little while Koyuki leaned a little closer, lowering her voice. "So, what course are you from?"

"Psychology," he said. "You?"

"Environmental Science."

He nodded once. "That tracks."

She blinked, tilting her head slightly. "What does that mean?"

Euijoo blinked too. He hadn't known where he got that assessment from─just that it felt right. He hesitated, just slightly, before answering. "You seem like you’d. . . care about that kind of thing."

Koyuki stared at him for a second, a grin widening to show off her shallow dimples. "I do!" She nodded, twisting slightly to point out an eco pin on her bag. "A lot."

Professor Kageyama’s voice cut back through the low murmur of the room, launching into something about statistical models and 'how exciting they could be if approached correctly.'

"I wouldn't call stats exciting, though I do like them. . ." He mumbled, looking over at Koyuki's notes as she started circling certain words with green glitter pen. "Do you think they're exciting?" he asked after a moment.

She tilted her head, her lips turning down as she contemplated for a moment. "It can be."

"That sounds like a lie."

"It’s not!" she said, a little defensive─but amused. "You just have to make it interesting."

"How?"

Koyuki paused, thinking. "I don’t know yet," she admitted. "Glitter?"

Euijoo had to press his fist over his mouth to stop the laugh that wanted to slip by─Koyuki grinned, a giggle leaving her lips unabashedly.

The lecture moved on.

Notes filled pages. Slides changed. Time passed in that strange, compressed way it always did in educational settings─too fast and too slow all at once. By the time Professor Kageyama wrapped up with a cheerful, "That’s all for today─don’t forget to check your project brief online!" the room had already started shifting again.

Chairs scraped. Bags zipped. Conversations sparked back to life.

Koyuki snapped her notebook shut, turning to Euijoo. "We should figure out logistics," she said, like they were already mid-plan.

Euijoo blinked. "Already?"

She tilted her head slightly. "Better than leaving it last minute."

". . . Fair."

She slung her bag over her shoulder in one smooth motion, already half-standing, smoothing out her maxi skirt. "Are you free now?"

He paused, already placing his glasses in their case and snapping it closed. "Yeah," he said once he stood ready to go next to her.

"Perfect." Her smile came easily. "I know somewhere."

𓂃↟ 𖠰 𓃦𓂃 ོ ↟↟

Campus hadn’t quite settled after the lecture rush. Students spilled out across the walkways in loose clusters─some lingering on steps, others already halfway down the street, voices overlapping in that familiar, easy noise that came with the start of a semester.

Koyuki moved through it without hesitation, smiling at people she passed, waving with a small hey you! at people who called out to her.

Euijoo fell into step beside her, adjusting the strap of his bag slightly as he glanced around. "Is it far?" he asked.

“Not really,” she said. “Five minutes. Maybe less if you don’t get distracted.”

He glanced at her. "Do you get distracted?"

Koyuki waved at yet another person, motioning with her fingers for that person to text her later. Euijoo let out a quiet huff of amusement as she turned back to him with raised eyebrows, as if to say: do you see what I mean?

They turned off the main path not long after, slipping into a quieter street that ran parallel to campus. The noise softened almost immediately─less shouting, fewer footsteps─replaced by the low hum of passing traffic and the occasional chime of a shop door opening somewhere nearby. She hadn't noticed how tall he was back on campus, he had a good few inches on her and she was already considered tall for a japanese girl. She didn't feel intimidated, not with the way Euijoo's frame seemed to curl into himself rather than take up space.

Koyuki slowed slightly, the sakura-blossom pattern on her skirt swaying around her ankles, the small slits on either side showing her off-white soft-soled sneakers.

"There," she said, nodding ahead. "The best hidden gem in all of Hachioji!"

Tucked between a minimalist stationery store and a narrow florist was a shopfront framed in dark wood, the windows fogged slightly from warmth inside. Soft gold lettering curved across the glass: PearlSip. A small hanging sign swayed gently above the door, catching the light as it moved.

Euijoo’s gaze lingered on it for a second, ". . . this is your 'somewhere'?"

Koyuki tilted her head, a smile tugging at her lips, humming in confirmation.

She stepped forward first, pushing the door open, her smile growing as a soft chime rang out.

Warmth wrapped around them almost immediately.

The air smelled layered. Tea first─real tea, rich and slightly earthy─then something sweeter underneath. Caramel, maybe, or honey. A faint floral note that lingered at the back of it all. Euijoo paused just inside the doorway, taking it in as the door closed behind him to keep the warm inside.

It didn’t feel like most boba places he’d been to.

The space was small, but not cramped─carefully arranged rather than packed. Polished wood surfaces, low shelves lined with glass jars of loose-leaf tea, soft lighting that leaned warmer than bright. The counter itself was modern─clean lines, neat equipment─but it didn’t overpower the rest of the space. It felt comfortable, cozy in that sort of traditional nostalgic way but also complimented with an elegant modernity─like two different ideas had been woven together instead of competing.

Koyuki turned back just slightly when she realised he’d stopped, walking backwards a step or two with an easy familiarity.

"Good, right?" she said like she already knew the answer, an eyebrow raised in curiosity rather than expectation.

Euijoo glanced at her, then back around the shop once more before nodding. ". . . Yeah,” he admitted. "It is."

Koyuki’s smile widened—satisfied, before she turned fully toward the counter, lifting her voice just enough to call out sweetly. "Ling-Ling?"

There was a soft clink from around the corner. "I was wondering when you’d show up." The voice came before the person─light, even, carrying easily through the space without needing to be raised.

Ouyang Ling moved with an easy kind of efficiency, like every motion had already been thought through before she made it. She brushed her hands lightly against her black apron as she approached the register, gaze settling first on Koyuki.

"You’re late today," she added, though there was no real weight behind it.

Koyuki gasped softly. "I'm not late! I’m right on time."

Ling’s brows lifted just slightly. "You’re never on time," she said.

"I am today."

"You’re five minutes past your usual," Ling replied calmly.

Koyuki paused, a faux-offence taking over her expression. "That’s still on time!"

Ling hummed─noncommittal─but the faint curve at the corner of her lips gave her away. Her gaze fluttered over Koyuki for a second more before she switched over to Euijoo. Her gaze didn’t linger long enough to be uncomfortable─but it was thorough. A quiet sweep, taking in the details: posture, expression, the way he held himself just slightly back despite following Koyuki in.

"You brought someone new," Ling said, tone flat─making a statement rather than asking a question.

Koyuki brightened immediately. "Mhm! This is Euijoo─we just got paired for a project. For that new class I told you about."

Euijoo straightened a little without thinking, offering a small bow out of habit. “Byun Euijoo. Nice to meet you.”

Ling’s expression softened—just a fraction. "Ouyang Ling,” she replied. “Nice to meet you too.”

There was a brief pause, her eyes scanning his face like she was wondering if she'd seen him before. . . or thoroughly cataloguing him so she'd remember his face from then on out.

"You’re not from Tokyo originally," she added.

Euijoo blinked. "No," he said slowly. "I moved here when I was younger."

Koyuki’s head snapped toward Ling. "How do you always know that?" Ling reached for a cup behind the counter, as if the question didn’t require much thought. "She said that to me too, when we first met. It's like a superpower."

"Accent," Ling said simply.

Euijoo opened his mouth─then closed it again, a quiet huff of disbelief slipping out instead.

Koyuki looked delighted. "Superpower!" she sang.

"It's not a superpower."

"It is, who can even tell accents that thin apart? it's not like me or Euijoo have particularly thick ones!" Koyuki looked a step away from flinging her arms in the air.

"I studied language and linguistics remember."

"That's completely different! This is hearing an invisible accent!"

Ling ignored her.

"What would you like?" she asked instead, already turning slightly toward the menu board behind her, pulling another cup.

Koyuki didn’t reply, and it took Euijoo a few seconds to notice that the question was directed at him. He hesitated for half a second, eyes drifting up to the menu before back to her. "What do you recommend?"

Koyuki lit up immediately. "Ooo! How fun─"

"Oolong," Ling said at the same time, cutting her off. "Lightly sweet. With pearls, if you want something closer to what you’re used to."

Euijoo nodded slowly. How did she know he was used to sweet boba? "That sounds good."

"Good," Ling echoed, already moving, two cups in hand.

Koyuki watched her for a second, then leaned slightly closer to Euijoo, lowering her voice just enough, "she’s always right, by the way."

"She can hear you," Ling said, not looking up.

Koyuki grinned at Euijoo. "Superpowers~"

Euijoo stifled a chuckle.

The quiet rhythm of preparation filled the space─measured, steady. The soft clink of glass, the low hum of equipment, the gentle rustle of tea leaves being handled with care.

Koyuki leaned her elbows lightly against the counter, completely at ease, and Euijoo found himself relaxing without really noticing when it happened.

The door chimed, still a soft ring, but it was punctured with the rather rough cluttering of a decorated bag pressed against it with force.

It swung open with just enough force to let in a slice of outside noise—street sounds, passing voices—and someone who carried that same energy in with them.

"Ling, I swear if you didn’t have a good working relationship with that man I'd knock him the fuck. . . out." Kurose Maya stepped fully inside, letting the door swing shut behind her, her words slowing down and petering out as she noticed the shop wasn't empty. Her eyes bounced between Ling's turned back, Euijoo's wide eyes and Koyuki's amused grin as she moved closer to the counter. She pulled off her helmet and shook out her hair with an easy flick of her wrist─the black wolf cut framing her face. Silver flashed briefly at her throat, her wrists, her fingers.

"You’re here," she said to Euijoo, like it made sense.

"Yeah," he replied just as easily. "So this is where you work, huh?"

Koyuki blinked between them. "You know each other?"

Maya glanced at her, one brow lifting slightly. "Yeah."

Euijoo nodded once, neither moving to explain more than that.

Koyuki lit up nevertheless, not needing the extra information, nor wanting to fish for it. "Oh, that’s so convenient! Small world."

Ling didn’t look up from what she was doing, but the faintest shift in her expression suggested she’d filed that away. Maya leaned her elbows lightly against the counter, angling herself just slightly toward Euijoo after she had set her bag down.

"You disappeared," she said, tone casual─but not flippant.

"Class," he replied with a small eye roll.

She hummed, like she didn't want to admit she forgot classes started up again today.

Her attention flicked back to Koyuki then, softer this time. "I'm Maya," she said, tapping the counter lightly. "I work here sometimes."

"Sometimes," Ling echoed flatly.

Maya grinned. "I’m here, aren’t I?"

Ling slid a finished drink across the counter toward Koyuki without looking up─the smell of caramel and peach meeting Euijoo's nose at the open lid. "If only your observational skills were so punctual."

Koyuki laughed under her breath, already reaching for it.

Maya’s gaze drifted between them again─Koyuki bright and open, Euijoo quieter, but settled in a way she hadn’t seen earlier that week. "You two just met?" she asked.

"Today," Koyuki said. "We’re fieldwork partners."

Maya glanced at Euijoo again, something quick and knowing flickering in her eyes, before they were back on Koyuki. "Good luck," she said with a grin.

He huffed softly, a playful frown pulling at his brow. "Hey─"

"In a good way!" Maya defended herself, smirking just enough to take the edge off. "You're a math nerd, I'm just warning her." She sent a wink at Koyuki, "neurotic about it."

"I'm not neurotic," he corrected immediately.

"Mm," Maya hummed, reaching up to mess up his hair as Koyuki laughed again. "Debatable."

Ling placed a second drink down in front of Euijoo. "Oolong," she said simply, tapping Maya on the shoulder and pointing to the backroom.

He nodded, "thanks." He lifted his drink to cover his smile as Maya threw her head back with a little groan, picking up the bag and making her way around the corner.

A small tug on his jacket pulled his attention. Koyuki was already making her way over to a table by the window, sunlight pooling softly across the wood as she dropped into her seat like she’d done it a hundred times before.

Euijoo followed, slower, setting his drink down carefully across from her. They spent the next few minutes comparing class schedules to narrow the window of free time for shared study hours, or hang-out time as Koyuki stubbornly labelled it.

The bell chimed again.

Koyuki perked up immediately, half-turning in her seat before the door had even fully opened. "Aoi!" She beckoned warmly, with a wave of her hand that Euijoo recognised from earlier.

The girl who stepped in paused just inside the doorway, like she hadn’t expected to be spotted so quickly. Long black hair, neat even after the walk over, a light fringe framing her face. She adjusted the strap of her bag slightly, eyes flicking across the shop and zeroing straight on Koyuki's head of pink hair.

Her shoulders dropped a fraction.

"Yuki," she said, softer─with a warm undertone there that matched Koyuki’s completely even.

Koyuki was already on her feet, crossing the space in a few quick steps and slipping easily into her side, looping an arm through hers like it was second nature.

"You’re pale," she said, though she was smiling too much for it to mean anything.

"I had rehearsal," Aoi replied, a little breathless. "Decisions. It ran over."

Koyuki gasped lightly. "Did you get that part you wanted?"

Aoi hesitated, just for a second, before a giddy smile split her lips.

"That means yes," Koyuki decided immediately. "That’s a yes face."

Aoi let out a small laugh, ducking her head slightly, her gaze shifting back toward the table, catching sight of Euijoo.

She stilled─just a fraction, eyes widening.

Koyuki followed her line of sight and brightened again. "Oh! This is Euijoo—we got paired for fieldwork today."

Aoi straightened slightly, slipping her arm out of Koyuki's hold and back into something a little more formal. "Tsubasa Aoi," she said, offering a small bow.

Euijoo mirrored it instinctively, though he remained seated. “Byun Euijoo. Nice to meet you.”

Aoi sat down beside Koyuki, smoothing her skirt slightly—composed, but just a little more aware now.

"So," Koyuki said, immediately picking back up where her thoughts had been, "this means we’re definitely going out on Saturday."

Aoi blinked. "Why definitely?"

"You're about to be a whole lot more stubborn about your free time! Saya and I won't be able to pull you away anymore!" Koyuki practically whined.

Aoi rolled her eyes, before the shot back over to Euijoo─like she wanted to know if he saw the motion. "You two'd drag me out anyway."

"Not to races as often though."

"S'not like you need me to be there. . ." Aoi almost huffed, "Saya ditches before the races and you ditch during them, I'm bounced between you like a hot potato."

"Races?" Euijoo didn't mean to interject, his question voiced before his thoughts caught up.

Aoi pulled back to stare at him, like she could deduce his thoughts with just her eyes, while Koyuki leaned toward him slightly, her voice dropping just above a whisper, "street races." She said like sharing a secret, a wiggle of her eyebrows pulling a short laugh from him again.

"They're not technically illegal." Aoi said after Koyuki sat up again. "But it's not like the agreement isn't anything but verbal, you know?"

"That's part of the fun!"

"Your sense of fun is skewed."

Koyuki leaned forward slightly, resting her chin in her palm as she looked at Euijoo. "You should come."

Euijoo blinked and choked a little, caught a little off guard. "Me?"

"Yeah," she said easily. "You’re my partner. We should bond."

"Bond." Euijoo laughed at the same time Aoi scoffed.

"Don't listen to her, she's going to ditch during the race─she always does."

Euijoo raised a questioning eyebrow at the pink-haired girl. She didn't shy away, almost preening under the attention. "You drive?"

"Worse─" Aoi cut in, having relaxed a little in Euijoo's easygoing presence. "She passengers. Because she's crazy. Egui."

Koyuki gasped, sitting up straighter. "I am not crazy! I just have good instincts."

"You have no survival instincts," Aoi corrected calmly.

"I have excellent survival instincts," Koyuki shot back. "I'm still alive and healthy."

Euijoo huffed a laugh into his drink.

Koyuki turned back to him, eyes bright again, like she’d already moved on. "It’s not even that bad," she added. "It’s organised. Controlled chaos."

"That’s not reassuring," he said.

"It’s fun," she insisted, leaning forward slightly. "And this weekend’s a big one—they’re running near the docks."

Aoi sighed, like she’d heard this pitch too many times. "She means Yokohama."

Koyuki nodded immediately. "Mhm. Night race, good turnout, less police presence—usually." She paused, then added, "Saya’s coming too. So you won’t be stuck with just me."

"That’s supposed to help?" Aoi muttered.

Koyuki ignored her completely, still looking at Euijoo. "So? You should come. Saya's a mechanic─some of her regulars race so we always know where the better ones are gonna be."

"Yokohama?" Euijoo hesitated. "I was actually planning on going anyway."

That caught both of them.

Koyuki leaned forward slightly. “Really?”

He nodded once, lifting his drink. “My brother’s racing.”

Koyuki’s eyes lit up, sliding back into her chair, a smirk playing on her lips─making her look more mischievous than he'd seen of her yet. "Well! I guess we'll see you there!"

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