Choi Protection

The world was passing you by and you were moving too fast to figure out what it was that you wanted to hold onto. So, throwing caution to the wind, you told your family one day that you were going to go and find your dream. It was expected that you stay in your little town, get married, and spend your life trying to do what your parents had.

It wasn’t the dream that you had for yourself if you were honest about it.

You wanted to travel and see the sights as far as the starlight could glimmer and show you the rest of the world. Even though they weren’t happy about it, they let you leave home as long as you promised them you would write every few months when you got the chance. There was never a second thought that came to mind after that.

You spent your savings on a ticket that would take you deeper into the wiles of the west. That was the land of opportunity. You couldn’t afford to pay your way to the other side of the territory but you were downright determined to get as far west as you could before you’d take up odd jobs to get you the rest of the way.

It was simply what everyone was doing at the time, hunting for a better life and chasing the stars and winding landscapes to see something different. You had no goal in sight for what you wanted to do as you had always envisioned traveling and seeing the places written down in your books or parchment as the country grew around you.

Granted, it was ridiculous for some people to believe that you went more or less empty-handed on your own to start a new life, but hey, if you weren’t willing to take risks, how would you ever follow your old heart and dreams? Well, you would find your dream along the way. It wasn’t like you were chasing the whispers of gold and fortune.

You wanted to see the world, not get caught up in the greed of mankind of all things. Ironically, of course, that was where you found yourself once the train arrived at the final station that your ticket would take you to. The heat of the morning sun was much brighter against the hard dirt than you had expected but the landscape was different than you’d imagined.

As a child, you’d seen sprawling green forests and waterways not far from your house, but here in the middle of the mountains? There was nothing but red and orange as far as the eye could see. The tiny glimmer of water was a surprise to you but there always had to a river or two to sustain the lives of the people that had come to make their profit spin around and around. It was no surprise to you to see the crowds of miners and workers that littered the streets.

They were planning on hitting it big and nothing was going to stop them. If your parents had known that you were going to head straight for a den of hungry lions, they wouldn’t have let you leave. But, hey, you were an adult now and they couldn’t stop you from traveling as you pleased anymore since they had no control over you.

A little white lie never hurt anyone, right?

Your naivety and faith in others were palpable but you weren’t going to let yourself let fears stop you from trying to exist. Now that you were here, you decidedly needed to locate the place that your friend was currently employed. Hyun was from the same town as you and he had left you behind just as he’d escaped from his parents.

You understood why he ran away when they attempted to force him to go into more studies to make him become a lawyer.

It wasn’t what he wanted to do. He was an actor, he wanted to play on the stage and become someone of popular culture. He had big dreams and you admired him for it. He’d often spent many years showcasing that talent in the church choir. Though, he’d always told you that he thought that you sounded far superior to even his talent.

You assumed that he was doing that to make you feel better, that was for sure. He offered to get you a job at the same place that he’d taken residence for the last couple of years. As far as you knew, he was working deep in a bar for a kind man.

Someone that had seen him when he was down on his luck and offered room and board for him to take up while he worked hard to achieve his dreams. He’d often told you that there were a lot of interesting patrons to the bar that either got on his nerves or convinced him that he would never let money go to his head. Something about someone with old money that tested his nerves had always gotten a chuckle out of you.

It seemed exciting to not know what was going to be around the corner. A life of normalcy wasn’t exactly what you had in mind for yourself, and daring to explore the unknown just seemed to be a good idea. You let yourself breathe in the burnt air from life and existence before you nodded, stepping off of the train and following along with the memory of the letter that Hyun had given you in his last letter.

These shantytowns just seemed to be appearing overnight in most places but this place was a hub for many of the surrounding areas. Everyone in this area turned looked to the man that had been here for the longest time thus far, and that was a title gifted to the mayor of this town. You couldn’t quite pull his name to your memory at the moment, but you had heard that he was a family man and that he had spent a long time trying to maintain the area as a haven for anyone that desired to chase the dream of gold.

There were whispers when you were younger of these towns, where outlaws and crooks made their money by stealing from anyone that came to follow their dream. As for an average man that was willing to toil away in the mountains and riverbeds to find the smallest slivers of gold, they were lucky if they had enough money to eat.

It sounded less like aspiration and more like a fever dream that everyone had collectively had.

At least, that’s the way that your town had told you the story. As far as you could tell, it was a town like any other town that you’d seen in your travels. People living their lives without a care in the world to be had. There were plenty of houses and stores located within the center of town and the signs of families, not just men hounding for dreams.

Perhaps, those were just the warnings that they told children the same way that you’d always been warned never to trust strangers. Hah ! Preposterous. The world was never as dangerous as everyone tried to paint it and you knew that that had to be the case. This calmness hadn’t been what you had expected to find but you were happy to know that your friend was somewhere nice.

You’d been worried for him ever since he left.

But, if this was all that there was to discover, he’d been luckier than you thought. Paying no mind to the world around you, it didn’t take long to find that bar that he spoke of. Well, okay, it did take an hour and a half to discern that Zen was horrible at drawing maps and you would have been halfway to another territory if he made you anymore maps like this.

Someone kindly pointed you in the right direction after you bit your tongue and decidedly to ask a local. The worn wood of this building held the charm of something that had been there for years as opposed to being there for less than a couple of years at most.

No eyes immediately shifted in your direction as you sauntered inside, and you took a seat at the bar where a blond boy was working behind the counter. He didn’t appear to be much older than you were, though, maybe a year younger than you if you were going to wager a guess. He did have somewhat of a baby-face that reminded you of a little brother type.

“Hey,” you beamed.

He offered you a smile which you returned. Perhaps he noticed that glimmer of a good mood in your eyes and decided to return it.

“I haven’t seen you around before,” he offered, friendly as anyone could be. You assumed that they often got travelers coming in and out, but you got used to seeing regulars when you stayed in one place like this for a while. “Did you just arrive in town today?”

“Yeah,” you propped your head against your palm as you caught sight of white hair behind the curtain not far away. “Believe it or not, I’m here to meet with Hyun. He said that this would be the best place to find him once I got into town.”

Confusion flickered in his eyes before his answer dawned on him, he put two-and-two together as he nodded. “Oh! You mean Zen,” he said, automatically. “You must be [Y/N[. He’s been talking about you for a while now. We weren’t sure if you existed or not with how he talks about how kind you are.”

You chuckled, “Has he been acting like a raging narcissist again? I told him that while I thought it was charming, it may not attract the attention that he wants. Glad to see he hasn’t lost his charm after he left home.”

“Is that what you call it?”

“Well, it’s a nice way to describe it, haha.”

The two of you shared a laugh. It was nice to see friendly faces and you weren’t upset about that. It was nice to know that you were starting from rock bottom in trying to establish yourself here for the time being. Knowing that you could fall back on old friends and new, settled some of your nerves as they’d dared to fizzle to the surface.

He offered you a drink and shared his name, “Well, it’s nice to meet you, then. I’m Yoosung. V isn’t here right now but it’s nice to know that I’ll have some help back here on the counter because Zen is kind of… well, his talents are used elsewhere to bring in the money and crowd. Oh, right, Zen probably mention it but V is the owner of this place. He’s usually away on business but we keep things running.”

You cocked your head. What did he mean by that? You assumed that Zen was working behind the counter and serving drinks to the customers just the same as anyone else had. The confusion that was written on your face was easily wiped away when you paused to take a drink from your glass and you nearly spat it out right after.

Oh, Zen was the talent .

And by talent, that meant that he was scantly clad in clothes that you hadn’t expected him to be wearing when you met him again. Yet, there he was, shirt unbuttoned and frills trailing down his side from the flowing fabric. It looked like a seamless blend of masculine and feminine styles but it did work for him by all accounts. You weren’t into him like that, but you could see why people would want to come and fawn over him.

It was that dashing smile of his.

“This one’s for you, darling,” he pointed at you with a coy grin.

He was like your brother, so, you couldn’t contain the fit of giggles that threatened to escape your mouth when he winked in your direction. Oh, so by bringing the crowds, he meant that he was there to be the eye candy and bring him anyone willing to get a drink or spend their money on being able to chat with him.

Well, he knew how to use his looks against others.

If they wanted to fawn over him then he’d make sure that they came for what they paid for, at least, that’s what you figured as you noted how easy it was for him to ensnare guests. He had the women giggling and the men hanging on his every word.

What a charmer, though, you could never forget that guy that avoided cats like his life depended on it—

Even going as far as hiding behind you to stay away from the strays.

By the time his little show was over, you couldn’t stop yourself from clapping him on the shoulder and scolding him for not giving you a warning. “Zen, huh ? You got yourself a pretty little stage name and I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were playing the role of a floozy. The last time I saw you, you were trying to climb a tree to avoid that stray.”

“Did you try to climb a tree to avoid a cat, Zen?” Yoosung eyed from the side. “I know you try to avoid when Jumin brings Elizabeth to the lounge but—”

“Don’t even mention that furball,” he scolded both of you. It was obvious that he was holding back his allergy at the mention of cats. “And, if it meant that I was going to avoid dealing with a breakout then I would climb any tree, babe.”

“I had to help him out of the tree, don’t let him convince you otherwise,” you said to Yoosung, offering him a chuckle. Turning your attention back to Zen, you shook away the shock of this new reality as it’d washed over you. “Either way, I’m really happy to see you again. It’s been too long since I’ve been able to talk to you properly.”

“I am sorry about that, babe,” he said with an apologetic smile. “Work is busy and when I’m not here, I’m working with the theater troupe. So, time tends to get away from me when I’m caught up. I figure offerin’ you the spare room at my place more than makes up for some of that. After all, I couldn’t leave you to fend for yourself out here.”

“My hero,” you feigned the role of a damsel. “I hope you can keep your promises better then you can draw a map. I got turned around on the way over here. It took me a good hour to figure out what you had drawn because you confused cacti for a blatant mirage in the desert. I spent ten minutes trying to find something that didn’t exist.”

“Hey, hey, hey, I’ve got my talents. My face is just meant for the stage, not for paper.”

“I’ll say.”

He snorted at your comeback. That was how it had always been with him. It felt like no time had passed with your friend. It was going to be interesting from now on. “Either way, why don’t I go ahead and help you guys out? I’d rather get to work than laze around Zen’s place for the rest of the day like a log.”

“Just try not to get too distracted by me, babe,” Zen warned with a laugh. You nudged him away and sent him back to wait for his next little show. “Alright, alright. I’ll leave you with our Yoosung. Take good care of them for me while I’m on the floor.”

Honestly, you were going to scold him later for being so great at putting up a face of glamour. It was too easy for him to sway others. He’d found a line of work for him that would help him as he chased the stage and after the dreams, he’d had when he was a young boy. You wondered if you would be able to find yours somewhere in this new town.

“I’d appreciate it,” Yoosung said. “Ever since Jaehee started working with Jumin, oh, she was our other performer before you came here, and Jumin’s V’s best friend, they’ll probably be around tomorrow if they finished their work trip. They’re a part of our regular visitors, so you’ll get to know them well too.”

“I’d hope so,” you smiled. “I’d be happy to make some new friends. After all, all I have right now is Zen and I’m severely lacking in that department. Honestly, we should trade a story about how embarrassing he must be to watch. Sound like a deal, Yoosung?”

“Haha, sure thing. I’d like to have the upper hand for once when he teases me.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got plenty of stories, then.”

You stashed your bags behind the counter and helped the boys with the afternoon crowd without too much trouble. You had worked at your family’s bakery so it wasn’t much of a stretch for you to settle into the buzz of human travel and needs.

It was easy for Yoosung to show you the ropes.

You just needed a few tips on the workaround but apart from that, it was easy to deal with anyone and their desires. Zen claimed that your good looks helped, but he said that was what worked the most around here. Morale was pretty low and people came to the saloons to get a reprieve from their heavy days with the charm of the staff.

You were starting to understand why he wanted you for the job. His claim that your shining faith in others and willingness to avoid thinking the worst in others was a good fit for someone that was to bring in the money by delighting patrons. Well, you felt a little used, but it wasn’t so bad. It was better than being back home where you would know your future.

A path that you didn’t want.

You’d gladly accept doing this for the time being.

By the end of your shift, Zen had to part ways with you as he had to meet up with his group, but he gave you explicit directions to his house so you wouldn’t get turned around this time. The sun had already set by that point so he warned you to be careful and not talk to anyone on your way back to his place. You waved away those concerns.

What were you supposed to be scared of?

A couple of cacti?

You’d seen no sign of any outlaws or criminals. Frankly, you were starting to believe it was a tall tale. Everyone that you’d spoken to in the saloon had been nothing but kind to you as you shared their drinks with them and chatted about your travels. It seemed like any other town.

That mayor must have taken the law seriously because these streets were clean.

Zen was just paranoid over nothing. He’d always done that. So, you followed the dusty path that led you deeper down those streets into an area that was a bit more desolate but not too far from the town entirely. Though, you paused just for a moment as you felt a strange sensation wash over you. You glanced over your shoulder but nobody was there.

No one was in that area at all.

Which wasn’t right, you had just seen a few stragglers walking around when you just walked by but now there was no one. Weird, but you weren’t going to be put off by something like that. You were used to being in an area with a lot of people and this town was just a bit smaller than what you were used to, so, of course, the streets cleared quicker!

“Heh,” you chuckled. “I told him he was worried about nothing.”

How silly of you.

You turned back to continue on your way but as soon as you stepped away from the city limit, you were stopped by a shadow appearing from the darkness. You didn’t move from your spot, but you were quick to size up this stranger. It took all of five seconds for them to draw their weapon and for you to stare at them like a deer afraid of being prey.

“Let’s make this quick and easy,” the stranger said, simply. “Hand over whatever goods you have and I won’t have to hurt you. Don’t try screaming, either, honey. It won’t do you any good to make a ruckus for us.”

You were still too stunned to respond clearly. You knew that you had to do something but you hadn’t ever been put in a position where your life was clearly on the line. What were you supposed to do in that situation? It wasn’t like you could say anything, and you were too caught up in the idea that your life could be over before it began—

“...!”

A drag at the lips of the villain, as his fingers hovered over the trigger. “I hate the tourists. It’s like y’all’d have a better sense than to travel alone. I don’t want to deal with the mess so make it easy on me, just hand it over. Whatever money ya’ got. C’mon, I don’t have all night. I’ve got better shit to do than watch ya’ stand there with your mouth open.”

It wasn’t like you had a choice.

So, you went for your pockets and pulled out the change that you did have. It wasn’t like you came here with anything more than pocket change. That didn’t seem to please him. He cursed at the little that you did have.

This time, he lifted his gun toward you without hesitation and he cocked the trigger this time.

Your stomach flopped.

“That’s all ya’ got?! Change?! I should kill ya’ for putting me through the trouble! I can’t believe it, if yer’ hangin’ around that floozy, you should have way more cash on ya’,” the malice in his voice let you know how serious this was. “Or, since ya’ can’t pay me this way, why don’t we figure out another way I can get somethin’ outta’ ya’.”

Suddenly, you found the use of your voice, “Wait, please.”

“That’s not how it works around here, darlin’. If ya’ can’t pay with your cash, then ya’ can pay with your—”

Suddenly, a shot rang out and you sank to the ground, shutting your eyes and waiting for the pain to hit you but… it never did. Breathing heavily, you opened your eyes and realized that the gun that the crook had been holding had been shot from his hands and sent colliding with the dirt. The man let out a cry as the blood poured from his wound.

Someone shot him.

Somebody shot him which mean that there were more people around—

The smart thing to do would be to get up and run but your legs felt like jello. You were frozen in place from either the shock or the fear of everything that was happening far too fast for you to comprehend everything. The crook gripped his injured hand, “The hell’s out there? Show yerself’! Ya’ can’t shoot me and get away with it. We’re all tryin’ to survive out here. Less you’re the sheriff, get off my ass about this. This pretty little thing was going’ pay me what I’m due.”

“You ain’t due nothing,” a voice spoke up from your left as it taunted the crook. You looked up at who would be your savior, noting the dark color of his slacks and the deep brown of his boots that had seen better days. 

A black shirt and a faded mint vest that nearly appeared to be white. His scarf covered too much of his features to reveal his face to you. The black duster he was wearing was long. Protection from dust and dirt.

Yet,  you saw red hair peaking underneath that hat, and that’s what caught your eye the most. If you had recalled correctly, at the train station, there’d been a wall of wanted criminals that you’d paid no mind to except for a passing glance.

But you remembered seeing someone with red hair on the paper and that told you that you may not be safe. He might have picked off this lower thug to take your money himself.

You saw the crook’s eyes widened as he realized who he was staring at, and even if you didn’t know him, he knew the guy.

“Now, are we going to have trouble here or am I going to have to get rid of you for real? I already had to waste a bullet on your hand, but I sure as hell ain’t opposed to wasting one more in your head if that’s what I need to do,” the redhead said, plainly. “You fucking know that this isn’t your territory and I can remember giving you a clear warning the last time that if I saw ya’ again, I’d make you regret it. So, I’ll give you five seconds to get the fuck out of here before I decide to make good on that promise.”

“But—”

“Five… four… three…”

“Shit. I’m outta here! I’m goin’, I’m going!”

“Two…”

The thug was already long out of your sightline by the second that this stranger uttered the word: “One,” but that didn’t stop him by watching the skyline closely and keeping his gun cocked without a word. You remembered that you needed to breathe again, and now you could feel that dread filling in your guts once more.

You weren’t one to think that everyone you met was a bad guy, no, you wanted to give people the benefit of a doubt but how could you trust anyone if they were willing to go in without hesitation with their guns like that? Whatever happened to talking things through? You could haggle with someone all day but not if they wanted blood.

Looking up at this man, you realized that he was now staring at you. You weren’t trying to get on the bad-side of anyone tonight. Not after that. The flimsy knife that you kept stashed on you wasn’t going to do much against a gun. So, you decided to play it straight instead. “Um, thank you,” you managed to say.

He held out his hand and you reluctantly took it.

“You shouldn’t be walkin’ around alone,” he said.

“A little late for that kind of advice, sir,” you replied once you were back on two legs. You winced at your tone and tried to forgive yourself for being panicked. “But, thank you. I thought I was a goner. If you hadn’t come along when you did…”

“Make no mistake, I wasn’t doing it for praise. I told that idiot that if he set foot on this territory and got in my way, I’d have his head,” he stashed the gun back in his holster and for that, you were grateful enough. “Make this your first lesson, don’t walk alone at night unless you’ve got a weapon on you or unless you’re willing to beg for your life with your money or body. Crooks like that won’t hesitate to rob you blind and leave you for the vultures, pretty little cereus.”

Cereus?

You weren’t about to go walking around without Zen around if you had the choice if there were crooks like that around here. But, if there were guys like… well, he seemed willing to help others. Even if it was a selfish order on top. The adrenaline was still running hot in your veins. You could feel yourself talking without thinking.

“So… this is your territory?”

“It will be,” he said, flatly.

“Then, can I ask why you aren’t trying to take my money, too?”

He snorted at your response. It seemed funny to him that you jumped to that. “Y’know, not every criminal wants to rob someone that has dirt to their name. You have a few measly pennies. The fuck am I gonna do with that? It’s a waste of my fuckin’ time to bother with you when you ain’t got shit to pay me with. If I’m gonna waste bullets, I’m gonna hit someone worth my trouble.”

So, he wasn’t entirely bad… it was just a good thing that he didn’t see you as a target. That was bad for anyone rich. You nodded, knowing that you weren’t going to complain to him or make a big fuss about not being robbed. You lifted your bag back from the ground and decided to risk a chance on the guy with the gun.

“I don’t suppose you’d want to walk me home, then?”

“Oh, you already owe me, do you want to add to your life debt?”

You paused, looking back at him, “Life debt?”

“You ain’t from around here, then. If someone saves your skin then you owe them a life debt. That means you either risk your life for their life, you pay them back with money, or with secrets. It’s up to you,” he tipped his back to get a better look at you. “And, considerin’ you’re heading towards the house that belongs to one Hyun Ryu, you’d do nicely for secrets.”

Oh, he planned that.

He did walk you back in the direction of the house as if he already knew where he was going. You had no way of knowing if he knew Hyun or not. But, a criminal like this? He surely knew whatever he wanted.

What could he want from you that he already didn’t know?

That didn’t make sense.

Then again, would anyone think much of a naive stranger who knew nothing about this life? It might be a smart plan if you were avoiding eyes. Great, you thought. You didn’t think things through again and now the only reason you were breathing was that someone wanted to use you. It could be worse, you knew that.

You paused at the door and turned to face the wanted criminal, “So, what kind of secrets are we talking about?”

There was mischief in his eyes. Which, you noted were an odd shade of green that seemed a little too bright, almost blue. It contrasted against the intensity of his red hair and seemed to draw you in like the moon on a starless night.

His scarf had slipped enough that you could now see his smirk as it grew wide, “You owe me, which means I won’t let you get very far from here. So, don’t go and skip town and we won’t have trouble. You seem like a good little listener, a real people pleaser, so let’s see how good that is. I’ll let you know when I need you, little cereus.”

A chill ran down your spine when he said that. Yet, something pulled you and compelled you to listen to him.

“That’s not my name.”

“Names don’t matter ‘round here.”

The stranger started to walk away back in the direction that he came from and you couldn’t stop yourself from asking one more question: “Do I at least get to know your name, sir? If you even have one, then.”

They're going to count down to the new title screen using the previous anniversary title screens. I feel like that's a wonderful way to celebrate because it pays homage to how long we've been here. Every year we've shared together is another milestone, and having been here since year one, I gotta tell you! I can't wait to open my game and remember what it felt like to be greeted by those images. I've grown a lot with this game... and it's grown with me.

It's not perfect, but neither am I. Most of the people I've spoken to over the years have said the same thing. Talking to the RFA felt natural, and it was easy to become a part of their world. That's a testament to how much the characters impact you by the time all is said and done. These characters, while silly at times, draw you in before you know what to do with yourself.

Suddenly, you're laughing, crying, and experiencing ridiculous antics alongside them! You're pulling Yoosung's leg with Saeyoung because he clearly trusts his friend so much that his naivety is kind of sweet, you're on top of making sure Jumin and Zen don't miscommunicate because it's getting exhausting to listen to cats and dogs, you extend your hand to Jaehee when she's gushing about that one musical where Zen is an anthro Jalapeno, you try your best to understand Jihyun's roundabout messaging even if it makes you want to pull your hair out, and you just wonder why Unknown won't answer your message because HOW AM I GONNA BE YOUR EYES IF YOU DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! DO I HAVE TO PLAN YOUR REVENGE FOR YOU? HELLO?

Ahem. Or, you know, you're sitting in a garden with Ray and trying to get the CUTESY PICNIC YOU TALKED ABOUT EVEN THOUGH THE GAME NEVER LET HIM HAVE IT. I digress, there are a lot of moments that stand out, and while what I think about may not be what you think about when you talk about Mystic Messenger, the fact that we have the capacity to have such varied standout moments is because there was a lot of thought put into them in the first place.

Whether it's a good ending, a bad ending, or something in between, they're a part of your life that doesn't quite go away. Even if you close the game and never return, you'll remember them. You'll see something in a store and think, "Oh, that reminds me of..." Like home. That's what these characters are for me. They're my home, and being with them is what brings me peace. Even if I'm the only one left cheering them on in the end, or the sole player left on the server someday, I'll be there.

But that's what you get when it's your special interest. The RFA is very precious to me. Nobody can take that joy away from me. They feel like someone you know, or a stranger you could get to know overnight. It's simple, and for someone who struggles to make friends, having them in my back pocket is a real sigh of relief. They're not everyone's cup of tea, either. A group of misfits who find peace in each other, that's what I like to see!

Frankly, experiencing intro chats again with the twins' birthday was like a breath of fresh air. It felt like the game was alive again. In a way, being given art every year to celebrate your favorite characters is sweet. But... without hearing their voice, seeing their words, or reading what they've got to say, it can feel like they're not really there. You can imagine their lives after the curtains close, but you'll always wish you could hear their voices one more time. That's how I've felt since the RAE ended.

I never get tired of the same routine, mind you. I'm truly grateful and satisfied with what we've been given, but it would be silly to say that I didn't want more! Everyone wants one more slice of cake! Who would turn down another slice of cake? Even if you have a tummy ache, you want that slice! You never know how something so simple can make someone's day.

Hearing SE Saeran speak his mind after ten years of believing he might never find peace made me weep.

I know the introduction chatrooms won't have much to them, but I'm holding out with the hope that they'll use Ray, Suit Saeran, GE Saeran, and Unknown. They oftentimes focus on one of them, but... my selfish desire is to hear from all of them. I figure that it'll be GE Saeran they use in this instance, but I've got my fingers crossed... You can't blame a girl for dreaming.

That's coming from someone who actually threw her phone at a wall because Saeran spoke to her in English. If you guys haven't listened to the ringtones for the RAE, you really should. Some of them are silly, but nothing could prepare you for Saeran saying you're his everything.

Well, I don't think anyone could prepare you for V calling you his sunshine, either... or Rika chanting, "Let's go green, let's be healthy!"

You're not here to listen to me ramble about my gratitude, though! I've done that more times than I can count at this point. How do I put this? I'm grateful for this game and all the joy it's given me, but... if brevity is the soul of wit, then call me Polonius.

I know why you're here, though. You know the song and dance. You're here to let me ramble about what I believe the artwork is going to be! We've got until the 9th to get our guesses in. I'd like to hear what you guys think, but there's only so much to go off of this time!

So, the silhouettes make this an easy guessing game. I knew from the moment I saw it that it was an homage. It's the one image everyone and their brother has seen, whether or not they've played the game. It's the one on their website, it's the one you see when someone talks about the game because they use it for the thumbnail, it's the one that nostalgia accounts use when they post nonsense, it's just that photo! You know, that photo.

The way they staggered the characters sold it for me, too. Like, you're posting an anniversary artwork where Jumin and Zen are posed side by side? Where V and Jumin aren't together? What else am I going to think if not THE original advertisement? Those two are a package deal! Now, the placement isn't the same, but I believe that's because they added V and Saeran to the photo this time. I can't be SURE, but it would be odd to make an anniversary photo and not include them.

They don't have Valentine's DLCs, Cheritz. The least that you can do is commission an artist to depict them in a new take on the iconic image! At least, that's my takeaway here. I don't think we're getting a repeat of the balloon situation. Do you guys remember when the game had that bug where all the background images were this anniversary photo from 2021?

I couldn't stop laughing when that happened. I was in the middle of a playthrough of V Route, and it looked like they were throwing a party during the worst of his life, LOL.

But look me in the eyes and tell me this isn't the backdrop. You can see the oak door, red carpet, and eggshell paint on the wall. If this isn't the location, I'll eat my words. There is nowhere else they could be, as far as I'm concerned. I think I see the light fixture in the top part of the image, but it's hard to say. I know the angle for this drawing is downward, so it might be weird to see the chandelier if that's the case. But I can't make out enough of the background details to know. I just know that's where the characters are.

It's not the first time we've returned to the party, either. The image they did for Children's Day 2021 also takes place at the party! Aren't they so cute?

Though since they're going with their default outfits, we're not going to be treated to their fancy attire. That's a shame, but what can you do? There's a part of me that wishes they would've committed to the bit and drawn our cast of characters ten years older, but that'll have to remain something I pay my fellow artists for, I suppose.

My long-haired 31-year-old Saeray remains deeply entrenched in my heart. It might be better if they don't draw the characters older, LOL! I'd be disappointed to be wrong about that one. You'll get to see him later if you follow me, by the way, because I've planned my own countdown timer this year!

As far as guessing everyone's position goes, it's not too hard if we base our hypothesis on the original artwork. They simply moved Jaehee and Yoosung to the left. Which, I'm so happy that Jaehee is the focal point of the image. My eye was immediately drawn to her and Yoosung, even though I knew that bright magenta coat belonged to my husband.

I'm not sure if Jihyun is in his default outfit, but if he is, it would make a lot of sense because he's blending into the background here. The only part of him that stands out is his hair. To his credit, though, if we apply the blurry effect to photos of his mother, the same thing happens with her.

One second, I need to viciously rotate this man for being as hard to find in Cheritz's images as trying to gauge where Zen and Saeran's positions are in the same photo 99% of the time.

Anyway! Since they aren't using any specific outfit we've seen before for Saeran, that leaves a lot to the imagination. It's a distinct choice to avoid using Unknown or Ray's outfits if we're trying to pay homage to the original photo. You might think it's Ray's jacket, but the saturation isn't the same, and I don't see any light gold colors peeking through the blurring to show off the stripes on his sleeves. I don't think he's wearing a suit, but I'm not sure what else it could be.

A suit with an overcoat makes the most sense (like the anniversary artwork of all time from 2022), but there's no way they're going to use Suit Saeran in the photo. So, I don't think it's HIS suit. Do you see what I mean, though? The outfit is probably similar to the masquerade. I can't complain! Saeran loves to dress up, so if it turns out that he's somehow the flashiest one in this image, I'll giggle. I just know Zen is pouting out there. He spent good money on his jacket, you know!

Can you believe how many outfits he has?

Now, that's the real tenth anniversary! Feeding Saeran fans with more outfits to draw him in. We've got too many. Can we share some of that energy with Jaehee, Zen, and Yoosung fans? They're starving out here, and I want them to have more!

You've never done that to him. Why in the world would he do that to you? The main problem here is that if you haven't communicated this concern to him before, he won't realize that there's a problem to begin with. His love language is both gift giving and acts of service. He loves to take care of his family, you know? Knowing that you've got anything your heart could ever desire makes him feel good.

However, once you tell him what the issue is, he'll work with you to make sure that you don't feel sick to your stomach. So, you don't want him to spoil you with lavish gifts! That's fine, but what isn't fine is you spending a hole in your pocket to the point that it makes you feel even worse. There has to be a middle ground. He should be able to take care of things now and again.

His taking care of bills, gifts, or meals doesn't mean that you're a burden. He likes to do that. You won't owe him. This isn't about owing him anything. This is about wanting to take care of you. Wouldn't you want to do the same for him? You may say, "That's different!" Is it? Is it really that different? You're not going to face hardship with Jumin by your side like you have in the past. He'll help you work through most of these feelings so you can breathe again.

Money is a stressful topic for a lot of people, but with Jumin, you don't need to hold your breath anymore. He may not understand what it feels like to not have anything, but he knows what it feels like to be helpless. There are ways to challenge these waves, but it starts when you take his hand and trust him to dote on you now and again. Not every day, not with bushels of gold, but with a meal!

A heart that shone brighter than any crystal he had come across. Yours was the jewel among mankind, and he couldn’t help but want for more. More… more… more! Never before in his long-lived existence had he seen a human like you, and that was saying something as he’d seen more beautiful hearts than he knew what to do with in the past.

You were… different, and what burned inside of Ray as he watched you go about your daily life was unknown to him. 

He knew love like the back of his hand. 

So, what was it he felt as you ducked behind a store counter to begin working your next shift? What was it that was gleefully eating away at his psyche as his fingertips gripped the wooden shelves no more than fifteen feet away from you? What was it calling out to him that he hadn’t seen before? 

As a Cupid, it was his sacred duty to ensure the livelihood of hearts.

Why else would he be destined to fly if not to safely deliver the declarations of love? 

For a world without lust was a world without love. 

The wings on his back were heavier than most, and while he found it difficult to get around without putting significant thought behind every step, he managed his tasks better than was to be expected. He hadn’t found a human yet that couldn’t be helped. His touch ushered them away to a fairytale where their wildest dreams came true! 

Every human had the capacity for love, and the only thing that stood in their way was the butterflies that made a home for themselves inside their bellies. Hesitancy was the enemy of love, and all the outstretched hands that missed their other half came from the devious, trickster butterflies who thrived on humanity’s fears.

With a wave of a Cupid hand, an arrow from their satchel, or dust from their pouch, the butterflies could be dispelled, and love would prevail. 

Or, so the story goes. 

Ray hadn’t seen anyone fail to complete their tasks, so no butterfly had gotten the better of his kind, but he didn’t want to live to see the day when they did. Even if a butterfly was a beautiful creature, too, its hunger for true love was just as insatiable as Ray’s.

In that way, Cupids and Butterflies were the same, forever contained to a dance that would spin them around and around as they ventured forward to push humanity closer to what brought them together. Without flutters, they wouldn’t notice their heart, and without Cupid’s wings to guide them, they might’ve never taken a leap of faith. 

Ray knew that one’s innermost desires weren't limited to just romantic bliss, as there were undoubtedly many wonderful dreams humanity could aspire towards beyond a mere kiss or a tender embrace, but as a messenger of love, he couldn’t be helped.

The sight of unwavering, endless stars in someone’s eyes as they fell in love with another brought him more bliss than he knew what to do with. He couldn’t get enough of it, and the more time he spent drifting from place to place with one goal in mind, the more he lusted for the spice of life. 

If he could help anyone, if he could do anything right, he prayed that it could be a lover’s heart. 

It was more beautiful than a sunrise, warmer than a summer’s day, cooler than an ocean breeze, and more lively than a spring chicken. Every human he came across who was deeply in love made him dream of the next encounter, and the stories he would discover lying behind their trembling fingers, knocking knees, and nervous smiles.

No story was the same, and no heart was, either. Yet, instinctively, the desire they felt was undoubtedly the same. Although they communicated in different ways, a wildly fluttering heartbeat was indistinguishable from the next. Love was love.

He saw it for what it was: Something precious that should never be taken away. To let love into your life was no different than allowing air in your lungs, Ray thought. It was fundamental and necessary to experience all the world had to offer! 

If the world one day lost its loving luster, then the flowers wouldn’t bloom and the seasons wouldn’t change! 

Without Cupids, without their commitment to love, the world’s warmth would disappear and fade from existence. That was their future, their destiny, and he was determined to take his job seriously. He didn’t want to fail! He didn’t want to be a Heartbreak Cupid! 

He wanted to be a Lovestruck Cupid. To cherish true love, and for that love to surround humanity in a blanket of warmth so that the bitter cold of a heartbreak couldn’t reach them.

One wrong move, and he could damn himself to the same darkness that his older brother knew day in and day out, but so long as there was someone to liberate from their butterflies, he would continue to spread their love so it wouldn’t take him away, too. Saeyoung made him… no, them, promise not to fall the same way he did. 

One broken-hearted Cupid was more than enough, right? So long as one of them remained in the light, then they would never fall to a place where one could reach. 

Sometimes, that fear ate away at him when he watched lovers embrace, but Ray knew if he let it get the better of him, that would be the end of him. He couldn’t live without lust.

He couldn’t live without the hope that the sun would always let its rays of sunshine beam down onto the flowers below after the rain. To fester in misery, to see nothing but the end, it would break him. Perhaps that was why his brother accepted his fate. If he turned the other cheek, then the odds of the same happening to Ray had to be slim to none. 

The same could be said for Saeran… and Saeran, right? So long as one of them was in the light, they couldn’t be lost to the apathy. 

Saeyoung doesn’t want that for us. He doesn’t want us to be forced to watch over the misery that exists underneath humanity’s love. It may not last forever, but the fact that it exists at all makes me feel sick. It’s not fair. He thought, fingers tapping the grooves in the grain. I just don’t want to see the ribbons I’ve tied around happily ever after fade away. Not even death can separate true love! I’ve seen it! I’ve seen it last on Earth, and I’ll stand by that claim until my wings wither and fade away! 

From the moment Ray was first created, he knew nothing but the overwhelming passion humanity shared with one another as their hearts reached their fever pitch, unable to hide what was deep down inside as it poured from their lips in a brazen display of passion.

He was enamored with it.

The sights, the sounds, the very look of jubilation in someone’s eyes when they got what they wanted. 

All of it. 

Ray had never been able to look away out of the fear that the moment might pass him by. It had always been like that, fleeting; A tender ember in the dark, but once captured, a lantern would keep it safe forevermore. The glimmer of hope found in their sparks could keep his lust ignited for centuries! 

He couldn’t ignore the sweetness in their eyes any more than he could ignore the weight of his wings. Who wouldn’t be fascinated by the decision to be vulnerable, knowing what might become of their heart?

It was a noble sacrifice, one that came with the hope that it wouldn’t be vain, and so long as Ray had a say, he knew there was a hope for lustful endeavors. To love was to believe the breeze would carry you to places unknown without so much as a scratch to show for the journey! 

He might not have been as fast or even as lucky as other Cupids, but he cherished every relationship his magic helped foster. It wasn’t just for show. This was more to him than just a simple job! It mattered to the world, and that meant it mattered to him, too! He believed in them and the ripples their lust would create.

Love was magic in that way, carrying whispers that would stretch across the sky to find other lovers in pursuit of their dreams. With one heart saved from breaking, the spark he discovered would illuminate the path to the next person in need! 

Drawn in like a moth to the flame, what Ray adored most was intensity. A heart primed with unshakable lust could turn even the darkest sky into daylight.  

A passion that refused to die out, no matter how much water was poured on the embers. That was what Ray lusted after. It stood in defiance of the heartbreak he feared because he knew that if he could protect that type of desire by helping them cradle what they held dear, those in charge wouldn’t think to send him to the dark where nothing but anguish remained. 

His fellow Cupids seemed to differ when it came to their preferred type of love... There were some who disliked the way he held love so close to his heart. It wasn’t unheard of for Cupids to abstain from pouring a piece of themselves into the love spells they crafted, but it was unheard of for them to lose sight of their whimsical charm.

If anything, Ray feared that those who hummed and hawed about what he believed in were sinking closer and closer to the depths of heartbreak. 

Why weren’t those Cupids frightened of the lives they would lead if they became Heartbreakers, anyway? It sounded miserable; they sounded miserable. That was no way to live! The unsettling feeling in his chest was bad enough, but to live like that every day with no hope for the future?

Even if the Cupids who reigned over broken hearts insisted it was only a matter of time until the love faded to dust and returned to the ether, he refused to budge. He had to believe in something better, not just for himself, but for the humans whose lustful hearts he adored. 

Someone’s true desire couldn’t be destroyed by a roadblock, even if something or someone stood in their way, the heart would continue to lust over what it could or couldn’t have. A broken heart could always mend.

He wouldn’t let himself believe that a heart could be beyond repair. Even if what remained was nothing more than ash, it could always be purified, pressurized, and converted into a diamond. 

A storybook romance, one he could indulge in from afar, again and again, thanks to the dust blown from his fingertips. Rather than love arrows guiding someone’s heart, he found that the easiest way to nudge someone to their destiny was with a gentle breeze.

A soothing scent carried on the wind, smelling of herbs, honey, and sugar. Although the butterflies could eat away at someone’s heart until all they felt was an ache burning deep inside, the sweetest scent could draw them back to their home. 

A home where their heart would never know misery again because it would know nothing but the lust. To want more, to never settle, and to know it wasn’t wrong to indulge. The unadulterated desire burrowed within the hearts of humanity was what he found most beautiful. How could anyone turn a blind eye to that feeling and embrace heartbreak instead? 

 Not even his brother, after being sent to their world, spoke like that when he returned home. If Saeyoung could hang onto his hope, then there had to be something to what Ray believed in. 

Right? 

Watching you spin caramelizing sugar on a hook to beat air back into it made him want to believe even more. It wasn’t inevitable that love would come to an end. If that were the case, then love would never have been created to begin with.

Cupids, such as him, wouldn’t have known their own heartbeats, either. It wasn’t a slough. There had to be a point to love, to lust, and to desire. It existed; therefore, it was a precious thing that couldn’t be ignored. Even if he watched the same story unfold again and again, it would never grow old. 

The taste of honey on his tongue would never turn bitter. 

You would never grow tired of making candy, either. Every day that he visited you to see your latest confectionery marvel, your eyes never turned dull. The sparkle he saw all those days ago remained the same. Your lust for creativity wasn’t just a light in the darkness; it was a beacon. 

It was a wonder why no Cupid had noticed you before. You were in love with your career, and you wanted for nothing!

Sure, you might not have needed guidance for your dream to come true, but with a little push in the right direction, he knew the shimmer that would stretch across the sky would be brighter than any light he had ever seen. To think of all the hearts that would know peace because you lusted for a world as sweet as your candy made Ray quiver in delight. 

Your heart burned with a passion unlike anything he’d ever seen, and with every customer you met, it seemed to burn hotter and hotter. You weren’t satisfied with someone’s smile.

You wanted them to walk away from your counter feeling better than they had when they arrived. Sure, a piece of candy couldn’t solve all of their problems, but it could certainly take away the bitterness long enough to help them see that there was more to life than whatever butterflies were inside of them.

He couldn’t stop thinking about you.

The way sugar crystals clung to every word you said, the way your laughter made him remember the first time he heard chocolate snap and ooze caramel, the way powdered sugar sat untouched on your coat on your walk home, and the way you smiled with the same devious delight as a twirling gummy. 

How could he see you standing there with an expression of rapturous laughter and not follow the trail of bite-sized gumdrops lining the pavement behind you? 

It had been a chance encounter, too. It wasn’t just your light that drew him to you. It was the momentary lapse in judgment as he realized he’d spent too much time on Earth one day, and that it would be impossible to return home with the weather as bad as it was.

It wasn’t as simple as conjuring a portal. He needed the hum of a happy tune and a breeze strong enough to tug a kite high in the sky to give him the boost he needed to make it back home. 

A running start might have helped him get halfway there, but if the weather didn’t cooperate, he was out of luck. 

His brother once told him that his wings were so heavy because he was so full of heart. Ray liked that suggestion. It made him feel better about himself. He wasn’t like Saeyoung, after all. His wings were perfect, not a feather out of place, but if he thought there was beauty in their wings, then Ray did, too. Saeran and Saeran had a difficult time getting their feet off the ground, too. It wasn’t as if he was the only one who didn’t know how to make their body cooperate. 

It wouldn’t have been so bad had he been closer to the clouds when the downpour began, but he wasn’t mad about it. Being caught in the rain wasn’t a bad thing. He liked watching humans scramble under whatever they could find to stay warm.

It was always the sweetest thing when two hearts found peace in one another during a summer shower, too. The way two humans inched closer and closer together as they sat side by side, the way their fingers removed the space between them until a confident hand found someone’s thigh, and the dazzling glimmer shared between glances as heartfelt confessions were exchanged. 

Oh, how Ray’s mind wandered to wonderful places during thunderstorms until he forgot that he was supposed to return home hours ago! 

But it was in that rain that Ray discovered a peculiar scent that nearly knocked him off his feet. It wasn’t the smell of wet grass, nor the breeze carried over from the ocean, but rather, it was sugar in its purest form.

You caught him by surprise, and he hadn’t known what to do with himself because it wasn’t often that anyone addressed him with more than the simple formality of a stranger. It wasn’t as if he were supposed to remain unseen. Cupids could become a part of any crowd, and it didn’t bother him to walk amongst those who filled his heart with lust. 

In fact, he preferred it. 

He liked knowing that he could blend into the crowd and enjoy the view from the ground without anyone being the wiser. It wasn’t a bad thing to indulge in a story, especially not a love story, but to be addressed as something more than a bystander was strange. He wasn’t human; therefore, he would never be seen as one.

That was the conclusion he’d come to long ago, but when you looked at him, it was as if his heart realized there could be something more for Cupids. He tried (and failed) to say something in gratitude, but you disappeared before he knew what to do with himself.

You didn’t need thanks to do something kind. You just did it with a lust for life. You were everything he imagined love to be in human form, and to be in your presence was far sweeter than any piece of candy that he had the pleasure of biting into. 

Of course, candy made by your hands was twice as sweet. He could tell when the batch of fresh candy he picked up from the counter was made by you or someone else. There was a lingering lust from your hands that no other person could hope to recreate.

Ray believed, no, he knew it was because your heart was the epitome of all humanity had to offer. There had never been someone like you, and there was a chance that no one like you would ever exist again. 

A once-in-a-lifetime treat for a Cupid hungry for the most beautiful heart on the planet. 

Ray couldn’t stop thinking about the way you offered him your umbrella in the middle of an afternoon shower without so much as a second thought. He worried about his wings, the ones carefully tucked away under the guise of magic, but you gave your protection away with a smile and danced across the widening puddles to escape the water droplets at your own pace. 

It was over for him after that. 

Ray had to know everything about you! 

That was why he found himself moving closer and closer to the corner store where you worked. He didn’t want to stray too far on the off-chance that someone else in his line of work caught a glimpse of you. He didn’t trust them to cradle your heart the right way.

He knew they would lead you astray, daring your heart to walk away from the caramel delights that made your heart sing! They wouldn’t understand it the way he did. They couldn’t see you the way he did. They wouldn’t know how a heart like yours needed to be treated the same way someone would cradle glass. So fragile, so delicate, and yet a work of art when held in the right light.  

You lived a relatively simple life. You went to work five days a week and returned home around the same time each night. You spent your weekends out and about in the city, taking care of chores and catching up with anything you might’ve missed during the week.

You went to the market every Sunday to refill your home pantry, and while your meal plans changed depending on your mood, you made sure to pick up a few cans of wet food to feed the stray cats that lived around your apartment complex. They couldn’t survive on the leftover candy you took home in droves! 

That went to your neighbors, who gladly scooped up the treats and shared them amongst themselves without a second thought. All in all, you were a kind person who had everything they could ever want, but your heart refused to stop lusting for more.

For more smiles, for more candy, for more relationships, and for more… more. 

More! 

You wanted more, and for some reason, you had no idea just how loud your heart was!

It wasn’t satisfied, even if you were. 

That was why Ray couldn’t turn away, and why he refused to let another Cupid shoot their grubby arrows inside of your heart. Your heart was special, and it was in desperate need of protection. The butterflies, oh, the ravenous butterflies just beyond your starlight.

How they hadn’t found you yet was also strange. It had to have something to do with your satisfied face at the end of every shift, but… unlike the darkness of a broken heart, he knew the butterflies were inevitable for even the sweetest human alive.

They wouldn’t discriminate on taste. They never did. That was why they were created, after all. They were there for a reason. They were hungry for something more, just as hungry as Ray was for a lustful heart, and… just as hungry as you were for something he didn’t yet understand. 

He just needed to learn more about you and the wonderful life you led. Sooner or later, Ray thought, he would find what he was looking for, and then he would be able to ensure you were protected forevermore.

As he watched you pull the sugar up and down on the hook to beat air into it, he sighed. He hadn’t been able to get as close to you as he’d been that day in the rain. The closest he’d come to it had been when you’d been working the checkout and changed hands with your coworker for a break when he wanted to bring some of your candy home with him to share with Saeyoung.

Even if he had been able to be that close to you again, he wasn’t confident he would be able to control himself. It was difficult to keep his hands from leaning in as you stepped further and further away, but the last thing he wanted to do was frighten you. He didn’t want to put a damper on your heart or expose you to butterflies via proximity. 

They couldn’t know about you. 

But, oh, how he wanted to know you! 

How he wanted to know what it felt like to be the person you smiled at as you held out a fresh sample of butterscotch and called it perfection! How he wanted nothing more than to join you behind the counter and learn how to make a treat so sweet that hearts would never need dust from his fingertips to be happy again!

How he wanted to be with you, to know you as you knew yourself, and to relish the sensation of your lust up close and personal. Was it just as sweet when there was nowhere for your light to travel but into the person standing in front of you? 

Why hadn’t he savored the taste more in the rain? 

What a fool he was for being too slow to realize just how wonderful your heart was! 

His lower lip trembled as he unknowingly took a few steps forward, drawn in like a moth to the flame as you removed your candy from the hook to transfer it to the rollers to create something brand new.

What could it be this time? Candy canes? A large lollipop? Bubblegum cores? There was no way to be sure, but Ray knew that it would taste perfect. You didn’t need to do much to make the perfect treat. All it took was the wave of your hand and the light in your heart. 

You had a way of shaping something unexpected every time he watched you, and this time would be no different than the last. 

I wonder what flavor they used this time… maybe they added more than one flavor to the batch again. I loved that sour candy that was split down the middle. The lime extract they added to the cherry hearts stuck to my tongue hours after the fact. It was like a little piece of them stayed with me! 

Before he knew it, he was pressed against the glass counter, peering over the edge to watch you cut out long strands from the chunk of sugar. He hadn’t seen you do that before. It looked like the same method you used for canes, but… he didn’t see you moving with the same veracity he otherwise expected.

Normally, it would be rolled out quickly to maintain a circular shape, but you were allowing it to spread and smooth itself out on the marble instead. 

What type of candy needed to be as thin as a sheet, anyway? 

“Interested?” He heard your voice, but he continued staring at your hands as you snipped another few inches of sugar off the mass. You patted it down and set the scissors aside to begin working on the main product. “It’s been a while since I’ve made this type of candy. It’s normally more popular around the holidays, but… I figured that’s because nobody’s bothered to give it a chance in the summer.” 

That was just like you, wasn’t it? 

“...Amazing,” he whispered, fingers tapping against the cool glass that separated you. You haven’t even done anything yet, and he was still amazed. You made the sugar transform from crystals to dust to paste and then finally, into dough. That alone was impressive, and everything that came after it was icing on the cake. His sweet treat was unlike any other! 

“Oh, you haven’t seen the best part yet,” you continued, adjusting your gloves to ensure maximum efficiency before gliding the candy away from the burner. “You see, I pinch the candy like this… and fold equal parts around each finger until there is no candy left to work with… and wallah! A thin strip of candy becomes a ribbon in ten seconds flat!” 

Ray was more mystified by the growing smile on your face, so much so that he found himself looking away from the candy for the first time, and in doing so, realized that you weren’t talking to another patron of the shop... You had been talking to him.

Your heart fluttered in the same beat as his breath, and the light sparkled brighter as you held up the fruits of your labor for him to try. Ray felt himself stumble, not waver, as he reached out to receive the sweet token of your heart’s lust. 

“Would you like to try the first one? They’re always the best fresh from the tray, but since candy is so fickle, by the time I finish everything, it’s hardened too much to melt on my tongue the way I like!” 

“I would… I would be honored to tell you how it makes me feel from start to finish,” he said, the enraptured look in his eyes growing by the minute. But you didn’t seem to mind; if anything, your smile grew to match his. “That way, you can feel like you’re enjoying it, too.” 

He couldn’t turn down your request. 

He would’ve been a fool to turn you down! 

After all, it wasn’t every day a Cupid had the opportunity to speak to the human he wanted to cherish. Always from afar, never up close, but he couldn’t help it. It was impossible to stay away from you, and he knew if he turned away now, there would be nothing but darkness in his future.

You were the sunlight he wanted to stand beneath, the source of his rays that would spread across the land to help the rest of humanity understand just how precious lust was. 

More, more, more… 

There was no satisfaction in a world where love possessed limits. It needed to keep climbing, chasing after the impossible high, if only to prove that it was possible to feel it! 

You had created a ribbon. It was something delicate, truly precious to his heart, and although its original purpose was to unite whatever it was wrapped around with a velvet knot, the moment you brushed your fingers against his open palm, Ray knew this ribbon was meant to bind you together. Your warmth rippled into his heart all at once, like lightning, and he was left lovestruck. 

If this was what it felt like to be swept away by the magic he created, he wanted to drown in it. 

More, more, more… 

Ray popped the ribbon onto his tongue, and an explosion of sugar danced across his tongue. It was strawberry this time, with a hint of honey that rested on the very back of his tongue as the sugar crystals began to melt. It was cool to the touch, but left him feeling parched in a good way. Like a refreshing glass of water after a long, hot day. He could’ve popped dozens of those ribbons on his tongue and still felt a longing for more.

It was his idea of love, tangled together with sugar webs, and the source of his bliss came straight from your wonderful heart. 

How could he properly convey what tasted like eternity? 

You deserved an answer, one that said everything you needed to know about this candy, and he knew nothing but lust would describe it. You had no way to know it, but in essence, you had created an aphrodisiac that could make even the most apathetic Cupid change their mind.

Tears prickled the corners of Ray's eyes as he braced himself against the counter. He had known the definition of being weak in the knees, but he never thought he would experience it. 

I want more! 

Even if the sugar melted into syrup and disappeared down his throat, you could make it again… and again… and again. That was the magic in your heart, and he wanted nothing more than to become a part of it. Yes, he thought, that’s the real answer to my question that I’ve been seeking all this time. I want to be a part of the lustful heart that wants to nestle under everyone’s tongue! 

Long lashes fluttered over golden eyes as he murmured, “It tastes like someone’s unquenchable desire to be remembered as the ruler of saccharine. It’s sweet, tart, and most of all, leaves you wanting more once you feel the honey hit the back of your throat. You should try one for yourself. A few seconds to indulge in a treat like this shouldn’t take away from the final product.” 

You laughed, cheeks powdered with a haze of warmth. You didn’t seem to believe him, but at his urging, you quickly twined another ribbon and plopped it in your mouth. Your eyes sparkled the way he wanted them to, the way he expected them to, and as you let out a dreamy sigh, you responded, “You’re right. It was worth it. This might be the best combination I’ve used so far. I can’t believe I never thought of it until today.” 

“It’s perfect,” Ray agreed. 

Then again, the next treat you would probably make him eat his words and your sweets. 

“It’s the strangest thing,” you looked back at your mat and began to roll out the next treat with expert ease. “I’ve been smelling honey for the past couple of weeks around the store, and my boss hasn’t made any honeycomb toffee this year. I just couldn’t get the taste out of my head. It seemed like a good idea to try a few things until I landed on something good, but… it looks like first time’s the charm, huh?”

Oh, how wonderful, he thought. You were so close to knowing your own heart, but it was just out of reach because you didn’t know it the way it knew you. You just needed the right nudge, and then you would know it in return. 

What kind of face would you make when you learned how precious you were to this world? 

Would the euphoria drag you under the sea of delight until every breath you made was coated in syrup? 

Would you grace him with the symphony of stars bound to dance across your tongue as you wept joyful tears? 

Would you allow him to bake in the sticky honey that was your heart? 

“I’ll buy the whole batch, whatever you don’t want to keep for yourself,” he said, simply. 

You paused, ceasing your endlessly weaving to look him in the eye. “Are you sure? There’s an awful lot of candy for one person. I know that sounds silly, considering I’m the candy maker, but nobody’s ever ordered that much from me before. Most of my product gets turned into free samples.” 

“What can I say?” His mouth watered, thinking of how wonderful it was that all of his lust could somehow be experienced in a single bite. “First time’s the charm. Your ribbon had a conversation with my heart, and I want to keep having it for as long as it lasts.” 

If fear or doubt had ever existed in his heart, they were impossible to find as he grasped tightly to his desires and to the lust your heart inspired. 

“Would you like that wrapped up with a non-edible ribbon, then?” Your laughter made him want to stay. “I’d hate for it to melt on your way home before you had a chance to enjoy it.”

“So long as you wrap it the same way. Honey might stick like glue, but I’ll only trust it if you tame it for me,” he said. 

For better or worse, knowing he's with you reminds him he isn't in that terrible place. He thinks long and hard about what might help you feel better, too. If the sound bothers you, then you need headphones to get rid of the noise. If the sound of someone chewing bothers you, then he needs to make sure he doesn't eat where you can see it, and that all of your meals are delivered to your suite! There is quite a bit he can do for your sake, after all. But the most important thing, he's sure, is listening to you when you're upset.

He knows you can't control what stresses you out, but you can limit it as much as possible when the environment is your own. "I want you to know that I'll do anything to make sure that you're not uncomfortable... I may not be able to change where we are... but I can make sure you're never sick to your stomach around food. I know you'd do the same for me... just tell me what you need... I'll do what I can."

GE Saeran has his icks, too. He may not be as bothered as Ray and Suit Saeran were by theirs, but he has his moments. There's a reason why he doesn't wear anything that covers his ankles. It bothers him, even when he's come to a place where he can recognize he's safe, because the old injury was never properly treated. The muscle was worn down. It might always hurt. But he can control how much it hurts by wearing the right kind of clothes.

He knows it's the same for you, but it's harder because you can't control when people eat. It can happen any time, anywhere, and there's only so much you can do to stop it. You can wear headphones or look off to the side, but you can't stop the process entirely. The same can be said for how you feel when someone points out your appearance or someone else's appearance. It happens quite a bit around Saeran because he is actively working to feel better about himself, but he makes sure you're okay when that happens.