did i tell yall i luv lngshot

ALAN MIDO — "You are safest beyond my reach and yet my heart betrays me, aching to pull you closer in my arms."

Occasionally, he wonders if wanting you is a crime he has yet to be punished for. A captain, they call him. A weapon. A murderer even. Names that sit heavily on his shoulders, forged by countless rumors and others that are perhaps best to remain unheard. To others, he is an ex convict and a suspect. Yet to you, he hopes to be nothing at all. He tells himself that this is enough. That protecting you is the closest thing to love he deserves.

LEO KUROSAGI — "Relax, Honor Roll. I’m just playing, though perhaps I’d stop if you admit you like me."

Yearning… it’s a nuisance, really. Something people dramatize when they have nothing better to do. He scoffs at the idea, yet at the sight of you, perhaps he secretly believes in those ridiculous rumors. And in his own twisted way, to get back at the world that made him feel this way, he takes it out on… you. Always keeping you in the background of his posts, never denying that you’re his. He tags your socials while your friends bombard you with questions when they spot you in the background of his TikToks. He’ll even drop a few teasing comments, reminding you that a nobody like you should feel lucky to be his “fake girlfriend.” And while you’re too busy getting mad, he’s already studying your reactions, seeing if you truly feel the same way he does.

SHOHEI HAIZONO — "Can’t you tell I care? Even in my own stupid little way."

Seriously… Do you know the things you do to him? Do you notice how easily his heart beats a little faster when you laugh a little too close to him or the way he always lets you be the first one to try his new dishes even letting you cut the line to his food truck sometimes. He teases you, of course. Calls you names that aren’t quite insults, teases you when you’re too serious or just throws playful jabs to hide how often he thinks of you when no one else is watching. Perhaps the only way he knows how to show you how he feels is through his cooking… so maybe, visit him a little more often... Okay?

⌣ 🪽 ❝ The Cashier was just your type, a fusion of elegance and secrecy, a stranger that felt like “he” has sculpted out of my most loved guitar riffs. Robin as the name tag suggested, had a great sense of style which always caused your cheeks to have a red hue. You would often spot lovely hands that were sorting through stacks of records or brushing silver-blue bangs away from sharp narrowed eyes.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ You were supposed to be looking through the CDs, probably on the hunt for the latest from an Independent band but instead, your gaze remained fixed at “him,” similar to how a needle would get glued to the record. “He” was intriguing, the humming sound caused you to be fascinated with “him.” Watching him move on the floor like music with an underlying pattern. Each step of his was measured to the strum quiver of a guitar string.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ There is something nearly criminal about this admiration full of silence. Your heart makes a tune of its own which is quite different from the soft music currently playing in the store. In your head you repeated that you had come here for the music and not for… this, whatever it is. But then, the sheer magnetism of Robin’s presence made such concentration impossible.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ Not today, though! You resolved that today would be different. You will talk. It will not be those brief and shy talks which had developed into your daily routine, but it will be a conversation. A real conversation.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ While you daydreamed, someone walked into the store and the soft bell twinkled on the door making you snap out of it. You shook your head realizing that you were staring in what looked like a lovelorn daze. Clearing your throat you focused on the CDs and absentmindedly touched the shiny cases to appear engaged.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ “Do you have something specific you’re looking for?”

⌣ 🪽 ❝ It was a voice that was deep and smooth and held the edge of laughter as Robin approached you which caught you slightly off guard. Robin was just a few feet away from you and was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and the corners of “his” lips curved into a small smile.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ Your heart almost jumped out of my mouth, “Umm..” I quickly looked around for something to say in order to avoid embarrassment “I am just browsing the store, particularly the indie section. ” The way “he” spoke was intoxicating... smooth, like the warm crackle of vinyl, each word measured yet unassuming. You nodded quickly, hoping the warmth crawling up your neck wasn’t as visible as it felt.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ As Robin slid back to the counter, you let out a sigh you did not know you were holding on to. Your fingers mindlessly rummaged through the CDs, but your thoughts were elsewhere. Why did “he” feel so magnetic? Like some inscribed string had been struck deep within making it vibrate at a frequency you couldn’t quite make sense of. It wasn’t only “his” appearance although the silver blue hair along with sharp defined features certainly did not do you any favors in maintaining composure. No, it was more than that. The very fact of how “he” held himself as if every movement and every word was a song perfectly delineated. There was a distinct quality in “him” a symphonic and harmonic one that you desperately wanted to comprehend.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ After all, there was one album you had finally managed to pick up, quite random if I must say, and headed towards the desk. As you got closer, Robin glanced up with the slightest recognition in her eyes softening “his” stare after which went on to say that, “Good choice” “he” said while scanning the CD with an ease that that was like it was rehearsed. “They have quite a unique sound. A bit more heavy but meaningful at the same time. You should enjoy it.”

⌣ 🪽 ❝Before you could ask, Robin handed you the CD, “his” fingers brushing yours ever so slightly. The contact was brief, fleeting, but it sent a jolt through you nonetheless.You blinked. How did “he” know that was exactly the type of music you were drawn to? Before you could ask, Robin handed you the CD, “his” fingers brushing yours ever so slightly. The contact was brief, fleeting, but it sent a jolt through you nonetheless. “Thanks,” you mumbled, gripping the CD tighter than necessary as you turned to leave. “Wait,” Robin’s voice stopped you just as you reached the door. You turned, heart pounding, to find “him” leaning casually against the counter, an air of hesitance about “him.”

⌣ 🪽 ❝ “If you’re into this band,” “he” said, nodding toward the CD in your hands, “you might like the open mic night we’re hosting here next week. Local artists, mostly indie stuff. It’s... worth checking out and I'll be performing too...” Your eyes widened. Was Robin inviting you? Or was it just a casual suggestion? Either way, your heart felt like it was on fire. “I’ll... think about it,” you managed, offering a small smile before ducking out of the store rather quickly.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ Robin exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she'd been holding, leaning against the counter for support. Her fingers curled around its edge, knuckles white. That brief exchange… your shy smile, the way your fingers had brushed against hers when she handed you the CD was enough to make her carefully built façade tremble ever so slightly. After all you always looked at her like she was someone else, this enigmatic “guy” who effortlessly exuded cool. She didn’t mean for it to happen.. Though it was the way you gazed at her, like she was someone worth noticing. Someone worth admiring.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ She gently pulled off the beanie, letting her hair cascaded down past her shoulders in loose waves. The weight of her silver strands felt grounding, a reminder of who she really was beneath the guise… The quiet girl who doodled in her notebook during class, invisible to almost everyone except, somehow, to you.

⌣ 🪽 ❝ Eventually she'll tell you the truth… Right?