Johnny Suh Scenarios - Tumblr Posts

home is where you are.

winter cold hit you on your face the second you stepped out from the building.

your eyes immediately admired the snow that was falling down on the ground with full speed. the coldness mixed with the warmth of your scarf eagerly made you want to speed home. “i have been waiting for you for one hour already. do you really not want to go home?” you gasped as you whipped your face, directly facing your boyfriend, johnny who was casually standing near the pillar of the building with an umbrella and an americano on his hand. 

“should have come in. you are no stranger, johnny suh.” you let out a laugh, falling into an embrace of a familiar warmth, the feeling of home. johnny has you gone not because he makes you laugh till you are in tears or not because he takes good care of your family members and not also because he has held you, with nothing but comfort while you were vulnerable. 

you are gone for johnny because of the way he loves to love. the love he gives is to fill the other person with homely feeling where the person can naturally snug into his arms, feel safe within his arms. johnny is that person to you, a home so comforting and so loving. “because i am here.” a soft yet small voice was heard from his back. you cooed as you kneeled down to hold the small little guy who had a grin on his face and lollipops on his grasp. 

“did your father bring you here in this cold weather, bub?” you glared at johnny, jokingly as he shrugged his shoulders, sipping his americano on the side. “no, aunty, i wanted to see you. i missed you.” you felt the grip of his embrace tighten around you, so you did the same. “aunty missed you a lot today as well. do you want to eat anything?” he faced you, eyes filled with excitement, as he aggressively clapped his hands. “come. i will bring you there.” you let him go as he instantly held your finger, tightly. 

“what about me?” you could hear pout in johnny’s voice. “do not sound like your child. i am your girlfriend, hold my hand or else. we are leaving.”

This is home.

The Model and The Stylist

Hello there! Finally, my first story post! Sorry for the delay, but I was busy with work as always, and I was feeling down for the past couple of days. Anyway, I decided to share this first because your boy’s been getting a lot of exposure lately – modeling, that is. That W Korea May 2020 editorial with Jaehyun is so divine that your girl pre-ordered her copy even if it will take her maybe until the end of the year to get it. See that GIF? Damn! 

This story was based on the story of one of my characters in my original story written ages ago for a friend, and I’m glad that something came out of it now. 

You’ll also get to meet Essie Park now, my Y/N that got a name. I might still post my first stories with Y/N in it, so look out for that. I hope you’ll enjoy and let me know what scenarios you’d like me to write about. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)  

–––

Summary: Let’s keep it simple: this is an AU where OC is a fashion editor/stylist, and Johnny is a model. 

Word count: 1,600 + words 

Genre: Romance, Comedy 

Warning: It’s so fluffy and cheesy, you might as well think you’re munching on cheese popcorn. But I think this is my specialty so...yeah. 

–––

Essie decided that from this day onward, she would make Johnny’s life a living hell. 

He was one of the most uncooperative models she has ever met – he didn’t bring what was needed, didn’t arrive on time, and didn’t listen to her instructions. 

Even though she was a fashion assistant at the magazine she was working for, he didn’t give her the respect she needed for her job. 

Instead, he bossed her around – asking her to buy him Starbucks, charge his gadgets, and even get him a top that he could use to his next event. 

“Cheska, I need more coffee. Can you buy me another iced Americano, please? With more hazelnut syrup too,” he ordered with that sickeningly sweet tone of his. 

“My name is not Cheska!” she roared before storming out of the set. She wasn’t even halfway through the shoot and he had already worked her like his slave. 

When she got inside the coffee shop, she went on autopilot and ordered his drink of choice. As she stepped out with the drink on hand, she slapped her forehead in annoyance. “I should’ve tampered with his drink to get even with him!” She grumbled, staring at the iced drink in disdain. “Unless…” Her thoughts led her to some of the cruelest pranks she has seen until she figured out what she can do with his coffee. 

Once back on set, she decided to do the classic prank: accidentally throw the drink all over him. It was a good thing that he was still wearing his regular clothes or else she’ll pay the price for damaging designer goods. She couldn’t help but smile evilly at his drenched figure. He was wearing an all-white outfit and she felt satisfied knowing it has turned into a brown mess. 

She might be celebrating a small victory now, but Johnny won’t let her get away with it. 

He swore as well that he would make Essie’s life a living hell. 

\\\

Unfortunately, they worked with each other again. And again. Even Essie’s side projects with her friends in the creative industry. 

Johnny was always the available model who was game to do experimental shoots. 

The two tried their best to downplay their pranks – Essie once poked him a couple of times with safety pins as she adjusted the excess fabric of his clothes. He wouldn’t stay put, which made her more intent to push the pins deeper into his skin. 

“Don’t you even dare try, you cocky bastard,” she grumbled, purposely poking his sides with the pin. 

“I could file a complaint against you,” he whispered in her ear, making the hairs behind her neck stand. He was dangerously close to her, and she noticed that he was about to wrap an arm around her waist. 

“You think I’m scared? I’m not,” She gently pushed him away from her as she locked the pin in place. 

“I’ll make you,” he responded, gripping her arm. “But now, I won’t because I look good in this outfit you picked.” He admired the work she did in front of the full-length mirror and she rolled her eyes in response. 

There was a time that Johnny always set the cable of one of the camera lights for Essie to trip on. He would deliberately stretch his legs to do so or even use his hand to place it to where she’ll be coming from. 

The girl tripped a couple of times and didn’t mind it at first. But when she noticed him sniggering after her fifth trip, that’s when she realized he was behind this. Essie stormed towards him and glared daggers at him.

“You think this is funny, Suh?” she muttered, folding her arms over her chest. He nodded, trying his best not to laugh. “You’re such an immature brat,” were the last words she said before she walked over the cable and glared at him once again. 

\\\

Over time, Essie and Johnny decided to call their feud a truce. It took some mental toll on the girl to prank him. She was already tired from the demands of her job and she had to think of ways on how to make his life as miserable as she could.

The same could be said for him – he was getting more projects now that he has become popular. In fact, he is slowly dabbling into the entertainment industry as a budding actor. 

Since both of them were close to her friends in the industry, they met each other again for dinner. 

It was during this moment that they got to know each other better – they were so similar that their friends thought they were perfect for each other. 

“I think you two should date,” Kibum, a fashion stylist, suggested. “As much as it pains me to admit this, but yes, you two should definitely go out,” Ten, a jewelry designer, agreed. 

Ten and Johnny were the closest in the group and sometimes Essie teased them about their skinship. 

The two subjects looked at each other disbelievingly before bursting into laughter. 

“Seriously guys?” Johnny and Essie asked the people on their table, who nodded in unison. 

Eventually, they would eat their words after a heated argument on another shoot. 

“You are so annoying, Suh! Why can’t you just give me the respect I deserve?” Essie was on the verge of tears, frustrated at how uncooperative Johnny was on set. 

It felt like they were back to square one. The 6-footer would boss her around and give mean comments about the outfits that she chose. “I look like a firefighter in that, and I mean that in a bad way,” he wrinkled his nose in disgust at the red and yellow outfit she chose. 

“That was the instruction from the style sheet, dude. Get over it. You’ve worn much weirder things than this,” Essie was losing her patience as she shoved the outfit in his hands. 

“But you could’ve done better,” he said matter-of-factly, gazing into her brown eyes. “You’re already known for your work but you settled for this mediocrity,” Johnny eyed the outfit in disgust. 

“Ugh! I’ve had it with you!” The girl screamed, earning the looks of the crew as she exited the studio. 

She thought they were already on good terms. They’ve been hanging out a lot more after work – opting to watch the last showing of movies, drinking coffee at 3 in the morning, and even driving around until the wee hours of the morning while listening to the latest album releases. 

Essie felt her heart ache when he treated her like a slave again. The tears rolled down her cheeks and she wiped them away with the back of her hand. She had the urge to smoke but remembered that her kit was inside her bag. 

She was about to return to the studio but he was already there, looking apologetic. 

“What do you want, Suh?” She asked harshly, not looking at his face.

“Hey, I’m sorry for what I said earlier,” he started, walking closer to her. She saw his feet approach her and before she could back away, he already held her wrists. 

“I didn’t mean to upset you, but I mean it when I said that you could’ve done better.” 

She looked at him with all the rage she could muster, even if tears were threatening to spill on her face again.

“Why can’t you just say it like a normal person?” Essie was already sniffing. 

“Because it is never simple with us,” he said softly, now leaning closer to her face. “We always complicate things even if we shouldn’t.”

“Then why don’t we just–––” She was cut off when he kissed her. 

Time slowed as they kissed under the starry sky. It wasn’t as romantic as Essie wanted it to be – they were outside the studio where the air was polluted with smoke and rubbish was almost everywhere. 

When they broke apart, Johnny pulled her closer to him. “Let’s just simplify things. I’ve been attracted to you from the start, Ms. Park,” he said, tilting her chin so she could look at him. 

“You stole the words right out of my mouth, Mr. Suh,” she replied, a grin spreading across her face. “But not the attraction part. I thought you were a big piece of poo,” she stuck out her tongue at him and he pinched her side in response. 

“I admit that seeing you mad was cute but not all the time. You can be scary too, you know,” he said, looping both arms around her waist. 

“Well duh! Is there anyone who isn’t scary when they’re mad?”

Johnny just laughed and squeezed her. “I just want us to be together. Our friends were right – we are perfect for each other,” he looked down on her with the gentlest smile on his face.

Essie felt her cheeks flush and looked away from him. “So what are you going to do about this?” 

“I’m going to tell everyone that we’re dating now.” With those words, he led her back into the studio and announced to everyone that they were dating. 

The crew was overjoyed when they heard this – one of them screamed ‘Finally!’ with all his might. Essie’s boss ordered a giant pizza enough to feed them for days and the photographer got three cases of beer. 

It may seem like another day in the life of a fashion editor and a model wrapping up another all-nighter shoot, but for Johnny and Essie, today was the day they finally came to their senses and became the most adorable (if not sometimes obnoxious) couple the world has ever seen.

–––

FIN

Photography

Since I ruined the flow of my scheduled posts, I’m going to be more careful about it moving forward. 

Anyway, let’s get back to our regular programming with some Johnny and Essie goodness. Of course, a photo of Johnny with his camera is the perfect cover image for this story! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Most NCTzens know, especially if they are Johfams, that The One and Only Johnny Suh is into photography. This piece is an ode to that, aside from being quite autobiographical. Don’t worry though, it isn’t anything dramatic or tear-jerking.

POV: 2nd person. 

Word count: 1.300 + words

Warning: Essie’s a bit angsty on this one because photography’s a sore subject to her. 

–––

Aside from his phone, Johnny never leaves the house without his camera.

It was one of the top-of-the-line point-and-shoot cameras, and whenever he went out with you, he always whipped it out to take photographs of just about anything that fancied him.

Most of the time, you would roll your eyes at him as he got down to business. He would crouch on bushes or squeeze himself in small spaces to get a perfect shot.

“Photography is art, darling,” he said with an obnoxious French accent, ignoring your sarcastic remarks. You would wait for him to finish taking photos before the two of you resumed walking to your destination.

Over time, you got used to it. You would wait for him by amusing yourself with your phone. You would either scroll through your social media or message your friends. If you weren’t doing either, you were writing on your Notes app.

Photography reminds me of my father was the latest thing you wrote, which Johnny was able to read over your shoulder.

“Really? How come?” His voice startled you, and you elbowed him on the gut. He winced in pain, and you apologized, absentmindedly rubbing the part you hurt him.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to. And you surprised me,” you said. He gave you a thumbs-up first before he was able to compose himself. “So, will you answer my question again?”

Images of you and your father making your way through a busy crowd and taking photos resurfaced in your mind, along with memories of you two eating at a dingy Chinese restaurant after.

To be honest, you weren’t comfortable talking about it just yet.

You shook your head and gave him an apologetic smile. “I don’t feel sharing it now,” you said softly, turning on your heel and walking away from him.

Photography was definitely your father’s biggest influence on who you are now. Back in college, you were the girl always lugging around a DSLR. There were times that you brought two lenses and kept your other paraphernalia in a lunchbox.

You enjoyed fashion photography the best, often asking your classmates to pose for you and coming up with ideas for fashion editorials. You claimed to be a very visual person, considering you pored through every magazine lying on your couch when you were bored at home. Yes, that included men’s magazines that you weren’t supposed to be looking at when you were nine years old.

That was all in the past now, considering you sold your camera four years ago. Now you didn’t have one, and you didn’t feel as inspired taking photos with your phone.

It felt like there was a part of you that withered, eventually being replaced with other interests.

\\\

You were both amused and sad when friends have been posting the photographs you took during your hobby heyday.

One of them used it as her profile picture, while the other reposted an album of your photographs to prove something to her haters. You were tagged on their posts, and you had no choice but to like and comment on them.

If only I have my camera back, why not? I’ll get back to having more shoots with you guys was your comment, which once again Johnny saw as he walked behind you.

The two of you were at his apartment, just lounging around. You were waiting for Kibum and Ten to arrive so you could decide what to do after. Johnny was pacing in his apartment until he saw you typing away furiously on your phone.

“Oh, so you did photography work before!” You whipped your head to his direction and glared at him. “What about it?” You grumbled, going back to your response. You hit ‘Send’ and focused your attention on him.

“Show me your work, silly!” He plopped down beside you and leaned towards your phone. You moved a bit farther from him and clutched your phone towards your chest.

“No, I don’t want to. And it’s not that good,” you grumbled, getting a pillow with your free hand. Your other hand tightly gripped on your phone since you know how Johnny can be sneaky and grab things from you.

“Hey, don’t be like that. I’m sure you had beautiful photos if your friends want you to get back to it again,” he said softly, moving closer to you. “Please, may I look at your photographs?”

How could you say no when he practically looked like a pleading Puss in Boots in Shrek? He was even wearing an orange sweater to add to the effect.

“Fine,” you muttered, opening your Facebook app and scrolling through your albums. When you found the album where you showcased your photographs, he squealed in delight. Most of them were edited to have a vintage effect, but you knew what mattered to him the most was the feel of the photo.

You handed him your phone, and like an excited toddler, he scrolled through the images on the album. “Wow, these are great!” You heard him say a few seconds later. “Oh, this is beautiful! She looks like a fairy!” He showed you a photo of your friend, dressed in a brown chiffon dress, dramatically posing with an antique tree behind her.

“We almost got reported by the campus police for taking photographs without a permit,” you admitted, making him chuckle. “Sometimes, you’ve got to break the rules to get that perfect shot,” he said as he patted your shoulder.

Both of you browsed at your photo gallery, and he shared his feelings on most of them. He found them beautiful and even loved the editing you did on some of them. “Thanks, Youngho,” you said, slowly getting the phone from him. He noticed what you were doing and moved the phone toward him. “We aren’t done yet! You have more, right?” He was charming you to share more, but you knew that was enough.

You yanked the phone away and told him firmly: “That’s enough for today.”

An awkward silence filled the room, and you sulked in a corner. You wondered why photography was still a touchy subject with you, especially when you’re with your best friend.

\\\

One day, Johnny decided to give you a camera. Not just any camera, but his camera.

Your eyes widened in shock as he placed it on your hands. You were in his apartment again, hanging out like the clingy best friends that you are.  

“Take it, baby,” he said, moving your fingers so the camera doesn’t slip off your hands.

“But why though?” You looked at the device on your hands, which felt surreal.

“You need it. And I want you to take photos with me,” he tilted your chin so you could see the smile on his face. You could tell it was genuine, and it made you smile in return.

“But if you’re giving me this, then you don’t have one?” You peered into his bag and saw that he has another one.

“I’m giving you a brand new one. I still have mine,” he pointed to the model that was still in his bag.

“But this is too much! And this model’s expensive,” you started babbling, ignoring the thoughtful look he was giving you. “How on earth am I going to repay you?”

“There’s no need, consider it an early present from me. Happy birthday, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!” He greeted, laughing at how absurd it was to say those things at the end of October.

You placed the camera on the coffee table first before you hugged him. “Thank you Youngho, you’re the best,” you mumbled against his sweater.

“Anything for my sweet darling Essie,” he said, stroking your curly mane.

You remained in your intimate position for a moment until someone knocked on the door. “That must be Yuta,” he said, breaking away from the hug.

You watched him get the door, looking now and then at the camera that he gave you.

My dad would be proud, you thought. That could mean anything – your father would be proud that you’re getting back into the hobby, or he could be proud that you found a partner who loves it as much as he did.

–––

FIN

Sugar and Fluff (Volume 2)

Here’s a follow-up to the first installment of this mini series, which features Johnny and Essie struggling with their feelings for each other. 

There’s also the special participation of NCT 127′s resident bunny, Kim Doyoung! What is he up to there?

He ain’t dancing to Elevator (127F) with Johnny, that’s for sure! Read on, and let me know what you think! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

POV: 3rd person since two of these are some of my recent writing during this quarantine period. The last one, however, was written last year.

Word count: 2,300 + words 

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I. Inspired by an Instagram post that speculated Doyoung is dating someone, and I'm sorry I couldn't remember the exact post

It didn’t take long for Essie to figure out that Doyoung was dating someone.

Not that she liked him to that extent, but she felt that he had a lighter aura around him. He was usually sulky with his arms crossed over his chest, looking at everything with disdain. Although once you get to know him, he is far from what he shows in public.

This time though, he smiled and laughed more. He wasn’t shy to show off his gummy smile, which was one of the things his fans love about him.

“Yeah, Essie. I am seeing someone,” he told her while they waited for Johnny to pick up their orders at Starbucks. It has become a ritual for the three friends to hang out at the famous coffee shop after their schedules. Essie feigned shock by mouthing an ‘O’ and placing a hand over the edge of her lips. “Really now,” she replied, her eyes scanning for their friend still waiting on the counter.  

“Yeah, believe it or not. I never thought I’d end up dating,” Doyoung chuckled, playing with the hem of his sleeves. He wore an oversized sweatshirt and a pair of slim-fitting jeans, looking like every girl’s boyfriend. “Congratulations, dude,” she shook his hand, which he took gratuitously. “Thank you, Ms. Park, I hope you do end up dating someone soon,” he replied, tightening his hold on her hand.

“What’s that supposed to mean, Kim Dongyoung?” She raised an eyebrow at him before retracting her hand from his grip.

It was good timing for Johnny to enter the scene with their drinks. “One hot green tea for you,” he handed Doyoung his beverage, “and a sickeningly sweet White Chocolate Mocha for this girl,” he rolled his eyes at Essie who stuck her tongue out in response before grabbing the drink from him. “Okay then, we’ve got all our drinks. How’s everyone doing?” The Korean-American glanced at them both before slurping on his iced Americano noisily.

“He told me he’s seeing someone,” the only girl in the table said, pointing her finger at Doyoung. “Oh, you only told her now, dude?” Johnny’s eyes widened at her statement. “Yeah, it’s not as if I’ve told everyone of this already,” the younger guy mumbled, blowing off the steam that came from his cup.

“Who else knows of this status change, Doyoung?” Essie asked, wrapping a tissue around her drink before sipping on it. “Well, all the band members and you.” He sighed in relief when there was no more steam coming from his drink.

“Okay then…but why do you think I should date someone soon?” She brought back the question that he hoped she would forget.

“You told her that?” Johnny acted as the audience to their conversation, his over-the-top reactions eliciting some looks from other tables.

“I mean, you’re a great girl, you get along well with guys, and I’m sure one of us probably has a crush on you,” Doyoung’s response caught the two off guard. Essie’s face flushed to the point that she had to sip on her drink to cool her down. Johnny, on the other hand, coughed into his drink and looked away from his tablemates.

“Dude, is that for real? One of you likes me that way?” The girl almost choked on her question after she recovered from her momentary shame.

“Yeah, that’s what I think. One of us likes you a lot. As in. I can feel it…” Doyoung glanced at his hyung carefully, who buried his face in his hands in embarrassment. “Oh, stop it Kim Dongyoung!” Johnny whined, making his friends laugh.

Of course, Doyoung knows that Johnny likes Essie. He was the first to know of his feelings toward the girl, and the more the three of them hung out, he noticed how sweeter and kinder he is to her (than to him).

That does not mean that he dated someone so he could get ahead of the two, who he thought were moments away from admitting to each other. Unfortunately, it took them weeks before they got together. He dated because he felt that this girl that he met was perfect for him, and the girl felt the same. He happened to be in a good place at a good time. He wished that his friends would get together soon because he might not take the tension they sometimes had.

Essie, during this time, was still unsure of her feelings for Johnny. They became close over a short period and sometimes, she feared that they could end their friendship in the same way. She didn’t want to ruin their dynamic since she thought that they were doing fine as it is. Although she felt tempted to touch or kiss him in return, she had to fight it because she didn’t want history to repeat itself. Some of the guys that she liked disappeared because she would reciprocate their sweet gestures, when in fact, they didn’t like it. That was a confusing period in her life, which she didn’t want to bring back.

Johnny is both similar and dissimilar to Essie. They are similar in the sense that they didn’t want to ruin their friendship. They are dissimilar because he is sure of his feelings for her while she is still contemplating on it. He wasn’t shy to show how affectionate he can be – he held her hand, wiped away excess food or smudged lipstick from her face, hugged her often, and even kissed her on the forehead or cheek. He wanted her to pick up on his actions, hoping that she would feel the same as him. There were instances that he saw (or felt) it, but most of the time he saw her struggling. He feared that struggle might lead to the termination of their friendship, which was one of the things he feared in life. He’s that whipped for her, man.

As the three regained their momentum and talked about their day, their eyes told of different stories. Doyoung was observant as always, still betting on the possibility they’ll confess to each other before the month ends (and hoping to win against Haechan and Taeil). Essie looked at each guy dreamily, wondering how the former was with his girlfriend and how Johnny will be with his future partner. Johnny’s honey eyes were focused on Essie, who he caught looking at him longingly. When he winked at her, she slapped his arm and flipped him the bird. Their tablemate laughed at their interaction, his mind thinking of ways on how he can get the two to admit their feelings sooner.

\\\

II. Inspired by Johnny's claim on NNN that he’s good at giving massages

“I’m so tired,” Essie grumbled one night after having dinner with Johnny. The two housemates hung out at the couch, still thinking on how to cap off the week. Tomorrow was a Saturday, which meant they could sleep in as long as they wanted. “Do you want to rest now?” Johnny asked, looking up briefly from his phone. The girl shook her head and buried herself deeper into the couch. “My back hurts since Wednesday. I have one of those things you sit on to help with your back, but I don’t think it’s helping at all,” she said, massaging the part of her back that she could reach with one hand.

“Oh, would you like a massage?” His eyes lightened up at his suggestion as he almost jumped on her part of the couch. “I’m great at giving massages,” he bragged, “and if you’re not convinced, you can ask Eomma about it.”

Essie raised an eyebrow at him. “You want me to text your mom about your massage skills? Hey, I trust you enough to give me a good one. So, get into it,” she grabbed his phone to place it on the coffee table and stuck her tongue at him.

“But I suggest you take a shower first, so after I give you a massage, you’ll have a good night’s sleep.” His advice was taken well by his subject, who now stood up to retrieve her towel from her bedroom. “And before I forget, do you have any essential oil you prefer?”

“Lavender, please. I want to sleep well after this hellish week. Thank you,” With that, Essie disappeared into the bathroom to wash away some of her stresses.

\\\

She returned to the sofa in her pajamas while Johnny changed into a muscle shirt and boxer shorts. “Ready for your massage, madame?” He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“Oh, John! Please don’t give me any ideas!” She retorted, her face flushing with the wink he just gave her. “But yes, I am ready for my massage, monsieur.” She positioned herself on the sofa with her back facing him.

“Do you mind if I…” His hands slid over the edge of her pajama top, and she gave him a thumbs-up. “Okay, baby, if that’s what you say,” he mumbled as he raised her shirt just below her bust line.

“Thank you for offering to do this, Johnny,” she said, her voice muffled by the pillow beneath her.

“Anything for my cute but grumpy housemate,” he said cheerily before coating his hands with essential oil. “Get ready to experience my magic.”

\\\

After massaging her back for thirty minutes, Essie fell asleep. Johnny sensed it when he heard her softly snoring and caught her with her mouth a bit open. “A few minutes from now, she’s going to drool on that pillow,” he said softly before snickering.

“My princess, I’ll just be here on the other couch and watch over you,” he continued in the same tone before plopping carelessly on the seat across hers.

“Okay, thanks. Love you,” she mumbled, burying her face deeper into the pillow.

He tried his best to contain his laughter (and giddiness with what he heard) by biting his lip. “Love you too,” he replied loud enough for her to hear. When he didn’t hear anything else other than her soft snoring, he took out his phone and opened his Notes app to type out his thoughts.

I can’t help but fall in love with her more. I never know what to expect from her, and it makes life interesting. I hope she feels the same way, or else I don’t know what to do with myself.

\\\

III. Inspired by his stint in Lipstick Prince

“Can I do your makeup, Essie?” Johnny’s question startled the girl, who just finished putting on her primer.

The six-footer barged into her room as she was getting dressed. Good thing she wore a bathrobe – she was usually naked or in her underwear when she did her makeup.

“Come again?” She raised an unmade eyebrow at him, hoping she wasn’t hearing things. “I want to do your makeup!” His voice sounded girlish, and he also did a cute pose to convince her further.

“What for? Do you want to film a challenge with my face?” Essie sounded annoyed at the thought of being used for his videos.

“No, it’s not that! But maybe someday,” he coughed over that last part, “but now, I just want to. I feel like doing someone’s face.”

“Why not do it on your face then?” The girl was feeling snappy now as she searched for her brow pen in a pink cup.

“But I don’t have that much makeup, baby. Please, let me do your face!” He whined. She shot him a glare, which he replied by kneeling in front of her. “I am confident that you’ll like what I’ll do.”

“Is that so? Fine, let’s get it.” She twirled her chair in front of him and even spread her arms to show her compliance.

He rubbed his hands excitedly as he approached her. “But first, where are we going?”

“I’m going to have some tea time with my friends,” she deadpanned. “I’m wearing that dress,” she pointed at a forest green dress with a delicate flower print, “and those shoes.”

Johnny gasped when she pointed at the pair of black velvet ankle boots beside her hamper. “Very Stevie Nicks in the fall, baby. I love it!” He clapped his hands together in excitement and looked at the items on her dresser. “So, should I start now?”

“Yeah, you should. I only have,” Essie glanced at her watch, “45 minutes left before I need to get going. So please, do my face now.” She patted her cheeks for emphasis, and he gave her a salute before he got busy pulling out her drawers for makeup to use.

\\\

Essie was impressed with his work. Sure, he was no pro, and she helped him out a bit, but he did a great job with her eyeliner.

“You know I suck doing my eyes,” she said, admiring the thick cat eyeliner he created. “But you made me look like I’ve got my shit together. Merci beaucoup!”

He laughed at her comment as he observed his work again. They decided to do dramatic eyes with a minimal lip, as well as a dewy but flawless base.

“Thank you too that you trusted me to do your face today, baby,” he said, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “I did 75% of the job anyway,” she muttered, making the guy huff in front of the mirror.

“But it’s the thought that counts! At least I can do makeup for you…”

“Or for any girl, really. I’m not the only one you can do this too, you know.”

“But I want it to be only you.”

The two stared at each other in the mirror, Johnny’s arms still wrapped around her.

“I’m not your doll, John. And don’t even say that I look like one.”

He sighed in defeat and let go of her. “Fine. But my sentiments remain the same.”

She was unsure of how to continue this conversation further, so she checked her phone on the table. “Okay, I have 10 minutes left to get dressed, so Johnny, please step out of the room now.” She shooed him with her hand, which he rolled his eyes at.

“How are you getting there?”

“I’m taking Uber or Lyft, whichever’s cheaper.”

“Let me drive you there. Please?” This time, he didn’t have to use a cutesy voice to persuade her.

“Okay, that’s one offer I won’t resist,” she smiled briefly before it was replaced with a scowl a second later. “Now, please let me get dressed.”

–––

FIN

Couple Things (Part I)

I know this can be a part of the Sugar and Fluff series, but it’s quite long to be a part of the compilation. Hence, another mini-series is born that focuses on Johnny and Essie’s life as a couple. 

How can she, or anyone else, not resist the charms of this giant cutie? Right? As always...

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: This piece is inspired by another prompt, which I’m not sure if it came from the fluff generator or a friend of mine. It goes like this:

Essie is sick with a cold and can't sleep. Johnny wakes up from Essie’s twisting and turning and has to entertain Essie somehow until they fall asleep.

POV: 3rd person because I believe I wrote it earlier this year. 

Word count: 1,200 + words

Warning: Although this piece was written before the coronavirus outbreak, I do not recommend sleeping with your partner or loved one when you are sick. Please do not follow Essie even if she has a drop-dead gorgeous boyfriend. 

Recommended listening: I will list down the songs mentioned in the story, which I hope you’ll like. 

–––

Essie insisted to sleep beside Johnny even though she was sick.

“It’s just the colds, nothing serious,” she grumbled, lying down on the right side of his bed. “But baby, it can be if you don’t recover from it soon,” was the reply of her boyfriend who looked down at her from the foot of the bed.

The girl snorted before burying herself in the blanket. “Whatever, I’ll sleep here,” she said, shimming herself further into the soft fabric on top of her.

Johnny groaned at his girlfriend’s reaction before he went to his side of the bed. He made sure there was a reasonable distance between them because he didn’t want to get sick as well.

As much as he wanted Essie to sleep in her bed and check on her from time to time, she insisted that she’ll sleep beside him so he wouldn’t be standing up now and then just to see how her condition is.

“I don’t want to be a burden, so I’ll just sleep beside you. I’ll keep a respectable distance, so you don’t get sick too,” she chuckled, flashing him a small smile.

He wasn’t able to respond as she grabbed her medicine, water tumbler, and blanket from her room and placed it on his right bedside table.

\\\

It was two in the morning that Johnny realized he couldn’t sleep properly. Essie kept on twisting and turning on her side of the bed to the point that she was about to fall.

Once he heard a loud thud on the floor, he got up immediately and saw his girlfriend tangled in her blanket.

At first, Essie didn’t react, but when she rolled towards the cabinet, she hit her head against a stray shoe, and she cried in pain.

Johnny stifled his laughter at the scene but shook his head afterward to get back to what he was supposed to do. He picked up Essie from the floor, dusted off her blanket and body from germs, and placed her back on her side of the bed.

As he did so, he heard her mumbling something. “What is it, baby?” he whispered, looking at her face that was mostly obscured by her curls.

“Thank you, daddy,” she mumbled, raising her arms in the air before curling them around his neck.

“So, I’m daddy now?” he chuckled, brushing her hair away from her face. He frowned when he saw how red it was and how sweat pooled on the corners of her forehead and temple.

“Baby, do you feel sticky?” He slipped his hand underneath the blanket and felt for her back. It was damp with sweat. “Oh no, you need to change your shirt.”

The girl groaned before she sat up on the bed. “Can I borrow a shirt, please?”

Johnny was quick to answer her question by plucking a clean shirt from his closet. He handed it to her, and she gestured him to turn around as she changed her shirt. A few seconds later, the sweaty shirt was discarded on the floor, and Essie buried herself deep into the comforter again.

He sighed at the sight of his girlfriend still wiggling under her blanket, thinking that it was better to take care of her when she slept on her bed.

\\\

At 3:30 in the morning, Essie was staring at the ceiling and humming to herself.

She found it hard to sleep again after Johnny picked her up from the floor. She glanced at her boyfriend, who was able to sleep after that incident. But after checking up on him for the fifth time, she was surprised when she saw him looking back at him.

“Youngho!” She cried, slapping his forearm, “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Why are you not asleep?” He asked, his eyes never leaving her face.

“I find it hard to sleep again after I fell. Thanks for picking me up again, by the way,” he acknowledged her words with a nod, “But now I can’t sleep. Sorry if I woke you up. Was I humming too loud?”

“It’s fine. So, how do I make you fall asleep again?”

“Why do you want me to sleep, John?”

“Essie, you need it so you can get better quickly. Don’t be such a brat.”

The girl whined and kicked her legs on the bed as her response. The guy rolled his eyes first before facing his girlfriend seriously. “Baby…” he said lowly, one of his hands gripping her forearm.

“Please make me fall asleep then,” was her calm and collected demand.

Oh, brother. This is going to be hard, he thought, removing his hand from her arm.

“What do you want me to do then?” He started to peel off the blanket from her upper body so he could see more of her.

“The usual, with some singing,” she chirped, clapping her hands together in glee. He moved closer to her – damn it if he gets sick later or on some other day – and ran his hand through her hair.

Essie closed her eyes as Johnny detangled the knots from her hair with his hand. He saw her smiling as he massaged her scalp, leaning her face closer to his hand. She closed her eyes as her cheek pressed against his palm, contented with his action.

He couldn’t help but smile at her reaction and used his free hand to caress the sides of her face. It was warmer than usual (since she was sick), and he pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Please sing for me, my love,” she mumbled after his cool lips left her.

He thought for a moment, stroking his chin and looking up at the window across him. The girl peeked at him, and he caught her looking. “Essie!” He whined, squeezing her sides gently before he laid down on the bed again.

Johnny sang his version of The Beatles’ ‘Martha My Dear’ by replacing the name with hers.

Hold your head up, you silly girl

Look what you’ve done

When you find yourself in the thick of it

Help yourself to a bit of what’s around you

Silly girl

He heard her giggle, making him peck her on the nose. “That song fits you well,” he commented after he was done.

“Hmph, that song was about Paul McCartney’s dog,” she said, opening her eyes to look at him. “More, please?”

Johnny was in deep thought again as he tapped her outer thigh. Essie closed her eyes again, and this time, she felt sleep was finally beckoning to her.

For his second song, he didn’t sing – he did his version of Yo La Tengo’s ‘Our Way to Fall’. It was technically a song but the lyrics were done in a spoken word manner instead of being sung.

So try and try even if it lasts an hour

With all our might, try and make it ours

Cause we’re on our way

We’re on our way to fall in love

He felt sleepy when he was about to recite the last verse. But he persevered until he reached the last word. When he did, he heard Essie softly snoring with her mouth slightly ajar.

The baby princess brat has finally succumbed to slumber.

He sighed in relief and gently removed his hand from her face. When she didn’t wake, he shut his eyes and drifted off immediately.

–––

FIN

A Tale of Two Valentines (Part I)

Although we’re four months past this occasion, I still want to share this post with you at this time that we’re searching for more love, care, and support. 

Here’s Johnny looking like the ultimate boyfriend material (well, isn’t he always?)  in this edited screenshot. This should give you a clue of what this piece is going to be about!

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: If you saw the photo, then it should be obvious that this story was inspired by this clip that came from this video. How could I not write anything about it when it’s begging for it? 

POV: 2nd person since this is one of the first Johnny-centric fics I’ve written last year. 

Word count: 1,300 + words 

Warning: Every day is a fluffy and cheesy occasion for me, so I’m not sparing Valentine’s Day from this combo. 

–––

You could care less for Valentine’s Day. Not because you were single but because it’s overrated. People always make it seem like a day for couples when it could be a day for everyone you love – family and pets included.

As you buried yourself deeper into the comforter, you scrolled through your social media feeds and grumbled at how everyone seemed in love with one another.

You had the itch to leave a sarcastic remark on one of your friend’s posts until your phone rang. According to your screen, John was FaceTime-ing you. Do I know of a John? was the first thing in your mind until you remembered that one of your best friends, Johnny Suh, tampered with your phone the other day. Of course, he’s John, duh, you rolled your eyes at your stupidity and clicked the green call button.

“Hey,” you started, your voice still rough from the night before. You were up late drinking with your girlfriends as your celebration of Galentine’s Day (thank you, Leslie Knope).

“Hey, what are you doing?” Johnny asked, who was wearing a white shirt with a plaid coat on top. The background he was in seemed familiar, and your eyes widened when you finally recognized it.

“I’m right in front of your house, come on,” he said, taking a quick look at the background behind him. “It’s Valentine’s Day,” he then showed you the cup of coffee he was drinking, “I’ve got some coffee.”

It was his favorite – iced Americano. That drink suited him well: he’s chill as ice, and he’s more American than Korean.

“Uh, but I’m still in my pajamas, dude,” you muttered, glancing at your cupid cow-printed set.

“It’s fine, whatever,” he said with a smile, “the weather’s really great too. Come on, come out. ”

You groaned in response, slowly taking off the comforter. “Okay, I’ll be right here,” were the last words he said until he hung up.

It took you half an hour to prepare, and you felt rushed. Usually, you took an hour to an hour and a half to make yourself presentable. Since you didn’t want Johnny to wait outside that long, you decided to wear a simple dress and your favorite pair of sneakers. You had light makeup on, and you decided to let your curls loose. If you put in more effort, it might feel like you two are on a date when it’s just a simple invitation to hang out.

As you descended the stairs, you saw that he was comfortably sitting on your couch. “Who let you in?” You asked, forgetting your proper greetings.

“Uh, I let myself in. I have a copy of your house keys, remember?” he said, shaking a keychain filled with a dozen other keys. “And it was starting to warm up outside. I don’t want my outfit to go to waste.”

You rolled your eyes at his comment, and he ran a hand through his hair with a sheepish grin on his face. “Well, Mr. Suh, thank you for getting me out of my house on this fine Valentine’s day,” you curtsied.

“You’re welcome, Ms. Park, and oh,” he reached over the side table and held another cup of coffee. “This is yours.” He stood up now and handed you the warm beverage.

You took a sip and made a face. “Hey, this isn’t my usual order,” you said as you took another sip again. “I ordered Café Mocha for a change, dear. White Chocolate Mocha is too sweet.” It was his turn to roll his eyes, and you scoffed in response.

“And your choice of coffee is like drinking tar,” You eyed at his iced Americano, which was about to be empty.

“Can’t we just agree to disagree? Or else I’m going to ask you to pay for your drink.”  

You flipped the bird on him, and he just laughed. “Okay, but seriously. Let’s go. Have a walk outside with our coffee.” He offered his hand, which you took without any hesitation.

As both of you walked towards the park, you noticed other people celebrating Valentine’s Day in their special way. Some couples were outdoing each other on how they will make their partners happy, while some looked like they were having fun just in each other’s presence.

You couldn’t help but smile at these people in love. You felt your ice heart melt at the joy they were radiating. But when your mind had to remind you that you did not have a special someone, you frowned. Yeah, I’m a single lady walking at the park while drinking coffee. I’m with my best friend, who is one of the most handsome people I’ve ever met…You looked at the man walking beside you, whose facial expression you couldn’t decipher.

“Everything okay, John?” Dang, you weren’t used to calling him that.

“Yeah. It’s just that…I feel happy that everyone’s in love and all, but it had to remind me that I’m a single male.”

Both of you were thinking of the same thing, and you could only widen your eyes in response. “You know, I’ve been thinking of the same thing.”

“Seriously?” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Maybe you two are destined to be best friends…or even something more.

“I mean, I am happy that the people here are all lovey-dovey, but I want some action too, you know?” You started rambling, eyes focused in front of you while your hands moved animatedly all over the place.

You didn’t see the smile forming on Johnny’s face, which could be interpreted as sheer joy or total mischief.

He cut off your babbling by grabbing your wrist that wasn’t holding your near-empty coffee. He pulled you towards him and wrapped an arm around your waist. You were about to protest, but his breathy voice got to you.

“Why don’t we pretend we’re a couple today? If you’re up to that, of course.”

You looked up at him and saw that both his cheeks and ears were red. His eyes bore into you, expecting your answer.

“Very funny, Johnny. But if you insist…well, people always thought we were a couple anyway!” You were laughing at how people assumed you two were an item since you were quite touchy with each other. Your hands slipped into his, and he squeezed it gently.

“Well, we could make it happen if we wanted to. But it looks like I’m not your type,” he pouted.

You felt your cheeks flame with his admission. If you only knew…

“Did I say who my type was? I can’t recall,” you said, eyes wandering to the clear blue sky.

“I’m just messing with you, dear,” Johnny squeezed your hand again. “How about we grab something to eat? Are you craving for something?”

You put a hand on your belly and rubbed it, hoping it will give you an answer. “How about quesadillas? Or burritos? Mexican food sounds good to me!”

“Por supuesto, mi señorita!” He replied in Spanish, making you thwack him on the shoulder. Deep inside, you swooned at how sexy he sounded whenever he spoke in another language other than English and Korean.

“Gracias! Vamos a comer, porque tengo mucha hambre,” you said, trying to stifle your laughter. It was one phrase that your aunt taught you that you will never forget, as it perfectly sums up your personality.

He wasn’t able to hold it in – he guffawed in public while still holding your hand. It took some time for you to settle down, and when you did, your hands were still intertwined.

“Taco Bell?” He asked, his tone playful.

“Yeah, I’m fine with Taco Bell.” He snickered at your answer and broke away from his hold on you. For a moment, you missed the warmth of his hand, but then it found its way around your waist.

Both of you walked towards the nearest Taco Bell, his hand on your waist and your head on his shoulder.

Now you could care more about Valentine’s Day, even if it’s just for today.

–––

FIN

A Tale of Two Valentines (Part II)

There’s not much to say, really. I just love Johnny Suh, and the scenarios my mind comes up with in imagining him as my partner. 

If only we could end up together, like most of us dream of with our biases. 

This is one of my favorite photos that he shared on his Bubble lately, which I tweaked a bit.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: This is the sequel to the first post, wherein Johnny and Essie struggle on what to do for Valentine’s Day now that they are a couple. 

POV: 3rd person as this is part of my pre-quarantine writing from this year. 

Word count: 780 words flat.

Warning: If you squint, there’s some suggestive behavior here. Well, they are a couple anyway. They can do what they please, right? 

–––

It has been a year since Johnny dragged Essie out of her previous apartment to hang out with him on Valentine’s Day. They weren’t together yet, but people thought that they were.

They decided to be a pretend couple on that day, but who were they fooling? They were in love with each other, and it was a matter of time before they got together for real.

Now that they are officially a couple, the two were lost on what to do for their partner the next day. “I feel like Valentine’s Day is every day when I’m with you,” Essie said while holding a half-empty glass of wine.

Even if she came back from a night out with her girlfriends – her usual Galentine’s Day celebration – she was still up for more drinks.

“That’s sweet of you, baby,” Johnny cooed, wrapping an arm around her and kissing her cheek. Both were at the kitchen as they shared a bottle of wine to end the night. “I think the same too.”

“So, what are we going to do then? Tomorrow’s the day,” the girl handed her glass to her partner, who accepted it and drank the rest. “What do you want to do?” He answered after licking his lips clean.

“I don’t even know what to do, to be honest. I just want to be with you,” Essie replied, her turn to wrap her arms around her boyfriend. “It doesn’t matter if we go out or not, I’m content just being with you tomorrow.”

Johnny placed the empty glass of wine on the counter and carried his girlfriend bridal-style toward the sofa. “You read my mind, but still baby! I want this to be special. After all, this is our first Valentine’s Day as a couple,” he said when they settled comfortably on the couch. Essie was sitting on his lap with her arms hooked around his neck while his arms were linked on her waist.

“Let’s do the usual, and maybe we can spice it up with something?” she suggested, slowly removing herself from his lap. “What do you mean spice it up?” He raised an eyebrow at her as if doubting her statement. She got his sentiment and rolled her eyes. “My God, John! You’re already thinking of that?”

“And I’m sure you are as well,” he wiggled his eyebrows this time, eliciting laughter from his girlfriend.

“We’re both horny bastards anyway,” she said, thwacking him on the shoulder. “But no, I don’t mean it that way. Maybe we can spice it up in terms of doing something we don’t usually do?”

“That’s nice, but if we decide to do something unusual, those places might be booked already. Let’s just do the usual and end it with a workout.”

Essie groaned at his suggestion and thwacked him again. “I’d rather have sex than go to the gym, love.”

Johnny laughed at her response, which made him put her back on his lap again. “Hey, what do you have against the gym? It’s a great place to work out!” He pecked her cheek and squeezed her sides delightfully.

“But I don’t like it there! I hate all those equipment,” she grumbled, looking away from his taunting face. “I’d rather work out with little to no stuff at all.”

“If that’s what you say, baby,” he pinched her cheeks and peppered her with kisses afterward. Essie was defeated, but at the same time she loved it – it has been a while since Johnny tackled her with his love.

“I missed this baby,” he whined, kissing her forehead. He was on top of her, but he made sure that she wasn’t squished underneath his weight. “Me too,” she said, pecking him on the lips. “I know I haven’t been a great girlfriend as of late, and I’m sorry about that.”

“Hey, we have our down moments. I understand that,” Johnny removed himself on top of Essie, “and I’m glad that I have these moments with you again. I hope we’ll have them more often,” he helped her get up on the couch and squeezed her hand afterward.

“That I can promise you, love. I hope there’ll be less down moments too,” she kissed him on the cheeks this time, which he reciprocated. “I love you so much, John Suh.”

“And I love you more than that, Jessica Park.”

“No, I love you to infinity and beyond! Beat that, lover boy!”

It was his turn to roll his eyes, but his sarcasm didn’t last long. He laughed at her competitiveness and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Fine, you beat me, Buzz Lightyear. Let’s go to sleep now, shall we?"

–––

FIN

The Dream Synopsis

Sometimes, you write with a goal in mind, and then it ends up in a way you didn’t expect it to. Does anyone have a similar, if not the same, experience? 

Let me know through the comments! 

Anyway, here’s Johnny looking like he stepped out of my dream in this GIF. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: This was supposed to be a sweet and fluffy Johnny and Essie piece, but then I don’t know why I had to include hurt and angsty Mark into the mix.

POV: 3rd person here. 

Word count: 1,300 + words 

Warning: I never go all the way yet with Johnny and Essie, but this is the closest thing we’ll get to them getting it on for now. 

Recommended listening: I’m going to include the song that shares the same title below. If you must know, and if it isn’t obvious enough with the previous song recommendations, I’m a big Alex Turner fan.

–––

It was during their off-days that Johnny cherished his time with Essie the most.

He loved lazy weekend afternoons, with the curtains gently moving because of the cool breeze. He and Essie would be on the couch, listening to a curated playlist either one of them made or a record of their choosing. Jaehyun gifted them a record player like his, which delighted the girl.

They usually talked about anything and everything while they were on the sofa. Most of the time, Essie would be lying on top of Johnny’s lap, raising her arms in the air to illustrate her point. Sometimes, he would lean his head against her shoulder and then bury his face in her chest when he wanted to cuddle further.

Their hands were always over and around each other, making them a giggly, tangled mess. They would be more so when they had drinks on the coffee table – coffee for Johnny and beer for Essie. They loved how each other tasted when they kissed. Essie became more tolerant of bitter tastes while Johnny became desensitized to the stench of alcohol.

In one of those ideal moments, he talked to her about his recent dream. “I was playing the piano at an empty theater, wearing the usual velvet suits they make us wear. And I was told that it was a full house,” his eyes never left her face as he shared his story.

“Maybe the organizer was a ghost, and a bunch of dead people were there watching your performance,” she replied after a moment, a smile forming on her face.

“Isn’t that creepy, baby? I mean, what the heck? Why would I dream of dead people?” He sat up, shaking his head a little. He ran his hands through his hair, which seemed to help him compose himself.

Essie watched him fuss about his hair still with the same dopey smile on her face. The little things he did always made her heart feel warm and fuzzy, as cheesy as it sounds. She was extremely lucky to call him hers, which she hoped he felt the same way.

The guy didn’t notice the look of adoration on his girlfriend’s face as he cleared his throat, staring into the space ahead. “Sorry, baby, am I boring you with my story? It must be torture when I talk about my dreams…” he mumbled, tucking his head into his chin with shame.

“No, not at all! I find it fascinating, really.” The girl shifted from her position and moved closer to him. “Talking about dreams is interesting. You can interpret them in a million ways.”

When he noticed that her eyes twinkled even in the dim light of the living room, he couldn’t help but pull her closer to him and kiss her.

She responded to his action with no hesitation, hooking her arms around his neck immediately. They forgot about their world around them as they kissed.

However, they forgot that they still had a housemate who can come in whatever time he pleases.

As the couple made out with gusto, Mark Lee entered their apartment and dropped his bag on the floor. The thud it made didn’t bother Johnny and Essie, as the couple was intent on sucking each other’s faces until they were tired.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t time yet for them to stop. Essie started moaning as Johnny’s hands went down her bottom, cupping it with all his might. It made the guy grunt at how sexy that sounded, and both exchanged small (and dirty) nothings to each other.

Mark couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He wanted to sneak into his room as quietly as possible but he couldn’t keep his eyes away from the couple.

Deep inside, he felt a bit of hurt resurface. He liked Essie more than a noona. He admitted his feelings to her before, yet she politely declined him.

“Maybe it’s not the time yet, Marky. Maybe in another lifetime. But just so you know, I love you as a friend and as the little brother I never had,” those were her famous words that took him some time to recuperate from, and now the pain was back momentarily.

As he was rooted in spot watching his hyung and noona about to get it on, something inside him snapped. He walked away as silently as he could, his eyes downcast. He would watch some funny videos on YouTube to help him erase this image.

But Mark being Mark, he stubbed his toe on the dining table. “Shit,” he hissed in pain, slowly reaching his hand to soothe his toe.

The sound he made got the attention of the couple who were now looking at him.

“Oh, Mark,” Johnny started, gently prying Essie off him. “I thought you’d be back tomorrow morning.”

“Uh, flight was early. Decided to come home immediately. I missed my bed.” The young guy’s answers were clipped despite sounding like his usual self. Essie picked up on this and frowned.

“Sorry you had to see that, Marky…” she said softly, now standing up.

“No, it’s fine. You’re a couple now anyways. Making out is something couples do all the time,” he chuckled before he stepped out of the dining room completely.

Silence hung in the air for a moment until Johnny coughed. “Wow, that was a bit awkward,” he started, looking at his girlfriend.

Essie sighed, plopping back on the couch. “I know. I think he’s not yet over, you know…”

It was the guy’s turn to sigh. “I think so too, baby. But give it time. He’ll be over it.”

“You think so?” She looked up at him in worry, her eyes turning glassy with tears.

“Yeah, I do,” he sat closer to her, “and I don’t want to lose him too. He’s both the little brother we never had.”

“I find it a bit unfair that many people are affected with our relationship, and in a not-so-good way,” Essie huffed, wiping the tears that formed in the corner of her eyes.

“I know, baby. But that’s just the way it is, I guess?” Johnny leaned back on the couch, “You can’t win them all. We’re both good-looking people who click so well. And we’re friendly to everyone. We can’t help but make people fall for us.” This got the girl chuckling, who was now leaning back on the sofa as well.

“I never expected that I’ll be liked this much,” she said softly, her eyes looking at the space in front of her. It was a realization that never seemed to sink into her mind, considering how plain and normal she looked.

“Well, baby, you are wrong about that. Turns out that you’re almost everyone’s type,” he eyed her from head to toe, earning a thwack on his shoulder.

“Don’t say that!” She looked away to cover her reddening face. “I don’t know. I am flattered, but at the same time, I don’t deserve this.”

“Aw, come on!” Johnny tilted her face to look at him, and his heart ached when he saw tears coming out of her warm face. “You deserve all the love, my darling. But you can’t give it to everyone, especially if you’re looking for a partner. And I’m the happiest person to be the recipient of that special kind of love.”

Essie broke down into tears, which Johnny kissed away from her face.

“I love you, Essie Park. Please know that. Nothing can change that.”

Although his words came to her, she was at a loss on what to say. She was overwhelmed with her realization and his confession.

“Oh, John…” she mumbled, burying her face on his chest.

He held her in his arms as she wept, but his mind was thinking if she loved him as much as he did.

–––

FIN

Cool Off (Part I)

I’m back with a depressing piece that has two parts. Why am I doing this to you, guys? 

I have already saved this in my drafts before I went off Tumblr, hence the decision to push through with it first. 

Don’t worry; I’ll balance it out with more uplifting stories. I’ve done it before, right?

I hope you enjoy despite the possible heavy feeling you might get from this. Poor Johnny, that’s all I can say. But he looks hot in this GIF, so consider this as the calm before the storm. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: We already know the major challenge that Johnny and Essie had in their relationship, but what if one of them decided that maybe they need a cool off? This is my take on that, with one of them becoming miserable with the other’s decision and disappearance. 

POV: This was written before the lockdown last March and edited just recently, so it’s a 3rd person piece. 

Word count: 1,300 words 

–––

It was not easy for Johnny to come to the conclusion that Essie wanted. 

“I think it’s for the best,” she whispered, letting go of her hand that was in Johnny’s grip. “We need a break. We have hurt each other in the same way, and we need to think about everything.”

“Isn’t talking about it enough?” he asked with tears in his eyes. “I mean, we have a psychiatrist that we can talk to as well. Or we can get a couple counselor or whatever.” 

“That will be part of the process, but John, I think we should go our separate ways for a while.” Her tone was firm yet gentle, but it registered more like the former for him. 

“But you might leave me for good.” It took him a lot to say that statement, which was evident with his shaky voice. 

“But you did leave me. You entertained an ex-girlfriend and got flirty with her,” Essie’s tone was becoming more serious, and it was scaring him.

“But baby, you cheated on me with my best friend. And I bet you fucked,” he retaliated as he wiped the tears that continued to fall from his eyes. 

“I’m sure you did the same,” she sounded completely cold now. “Why don’t you understand where I’m coming from?” 

“I’m trying, but we can do this together, you know?” Johnny ran his hands through his hair to calm himself, but it did nothing to what he was feeling. 

There was a moment of silence between the (soon-to-be ex-) couple before Essie stood up. “I’m going to pack some of my belongings and return here in a month or two. Please don’t do anything to my stuff. I will let you know when I’ll be back. If you don’t hear anything from me, then that should tell you something.” 

She stormed to her bedroom and slammed the door with such force that made Johnny clutch on his chest. 

This hurt him too much. He really did not want to get back on what Essie did, but there was an opportunity for her to feel what he felt when she cheated on him with Jaehyun. 

However, he wasn’t expecting her reaction to it. She was indifferent and started to distance herself from him again. When he confronted her, she thought that having an indefinite break would help them to think about their actions. 

“Why is it that you’re the one who’s angry at the situation?” He said while facing Essie’s door, tears still streaming down his face. “Even if I wanted to get mad for what you did, I can’t force myself to do so. I don’t know what would happen if I let my rage control me. All I can process is hurt, baby.” 

He didn’t mind if he heard her. The door was still closed but opened when he retreated to his room to cry himself to sleep. 

///

It has been a month, two weeks, and three days that Essie left their apartment. Johnny was trying his best to act his usual cheery self, but all his friends can see his struggle. 

“You don’t have to force yourself to be happy if you aren’t, hyung,” Doyoung said, patting his shoulder. The younger guy, along with Mark and Ten, comforted him after their dinner. They noticed that he was on the verge of tears when he heard one of her favorite songs at the restaurant. 

“But this is too much, man,” the tears spilled again, which Johnny wiped immediately, “I still haven’t heard anything from her. And I don’t know if I’m ready to talk to Jay now.” 

“I can’t believe she would do this,” Ten muttered, rubbing circles on Johnny’s back. “But just let it all out, hyung. I think she had a point that you both needed space.” 

“Maybe it’s time for you to think how you’ve been treating her too,” Mark piped in, who focused his gaze on his shoes.

“I have been nothing but the best boyfriend, Mark Lee,” Johnny snapped, glaring at the younger guy. “I don’t know why she would do this to me when really, we could just talk it out.” 

“Maybe both of you need to reflect on your thoughts and actions first before you talk it out?” Doyoung suggested, one hand rubbing his chin thoughtfully. 

“Yeah, maybe that’s that,” Mark said again, “Maybe that’s where she’s coming from. Collect all your thoughts first before you talk it out. Maybe one of you can say things that you’d regret if you don’t calm yourselves.”

“Think about that, hyung,” Ten whispered, whose hand now squeezed Johnny’s forearm. 

“All I can think about is her. Every time I close my eyes, I see her beautiful face. I wonder where she is right now. Is she staying with Nini or with another friend? I wonder if she’s doing okay. I hope whoever she’s staying with treats her well. I wonder if she’s eating well too. I wonder if she’s not hurting herself. Oh God, I hope she doesn’t. I can’t imagine her bleeding on the floor again,” Johnny was babbling, which his friends let him. 

They stayed the whole night until they were able to calm him down. When they tucked him into bed, the three guys hung out at the couch to share their thoughts on the situation. 

“It’s depressing to see him like that,” Doyoung said quietly, who was now fiddling with his thumbs. “I agree,” Ten said, looking at Johnny’s bedroom door forlornly. 

“I know, but both parties have their faults,” Mark started, “Essie noona confided in me about her affair, and to be honest, I was at a loss on what to do. I never expected her to do that.” 

The other two gasped, looking at each other in shock. “The nerve of that girl!” Ten held onto his chest as he tried his best to calm down. “Wow, I never thought that she would get into an affair, and with Jaehyun too,” Doyoung grumbled, focusing his gaze on the floor. 

“It was a lot to take in, guys,” the youngest of them all continued, “and it was heartbreaking to see them cry a lot. Oh God, I hope I’ll never have another encounter like that.” He looked at the ceiling to help clear his mind from the vivid images he recalled – the blood on her blanket, Johnny’s eyes all red and puffy from crying, and the smoke ring he blew right into his face as he questioned his motives.

“I hope so too, Mark,” Doyoung whispered, patting his friend’s thigh. “But not all relationships are perfect indeed. Let’s take their story as a lesson and hope that we’ll not do this to our partners.”

Ten gave him a thumbs-up before standing up. “Let’s call it a night, shall we?” The other guys nodded and went to their designated rooms – Mark was going to share his with the Thai hyphenate while Doyoung will sleep in Essie’s former bedroom. 

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to sleep here?” The black-haired guy pointed his thumb to the pink door. “Yeah, it’s okay. Any of our rooms become a guest room when one of us is out for a while,” Mark said matter-of-factly. 

“And if Johnny says you sleep there, then you do. Unless…” Ten flashed Doyoung a cheeky smile, which made the older guy flip the bird on him. “Real mature there, Chittaphon!” He hissed, sticking his tongue out in annoyance. 

“Guys, stop. It’s late, and we want Johnny hyung to have a good night’s sleep.” Mark’s statement made his two companions shut up and went straight to their rooms. 

If only they knew that despite being surrounded by his favorite stuffed toys, Johnny couldn’t sleep with Essie still on his mind.

–––

FIN

Awkward

I live for moments like these, so keep on reading to know what kind of awkward I’m talking about. 

Here’s a flirty, puppy-eared Johnny to hype you up! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: It’s all about sexual awkwardness or any semblance to it with today’s offering. It’s a bit ecchi-ish if you know your anime lingo. Essie becomes a blubbering and forgetful mess, and Johnny couldn’t help but get turned on with that. 

POV: Both of these short pieces are in 3rd person, y’all. 

Word count: 1,615 words 

Warning: There are times that we should be candid about sex talk, and this is one of those times that I get graphic with it of some sort. And oh, italics are for thoughts. 

–––

Essie and Johnny were a hot mess after filming a vlog on the different kinds of red wine.

They were both laughing on the couch, sweaty with their clothes almost in disarray. The guy has three buttons undone on his white shirt while the girl’s skirt was hiked dangerously close to her underwear.

“And to think you wanted to do this alone?” Essie panted, placing her hand on her chest. “Yeah, I know. I’ll die from embarrassment that I’ll get drunk on camera alone. I’ll be more meme-worthy,” Johnny replied, patting his girlfriend’s exposed thigh.

“We shouldn’t do this again,” the girl straightened up, letting the skirt of her silk dress cover her legs again. “This is bad for our health. I think we finished two bottles per person.” She eyed the half-empty bottles of cabernet sauvignon and merlot before turning her attention again on her boyfriend.

“I know I’m going to need more coffee than usual,” he groaned. “Please, Youngho. Lay off on the coffee. Your cum will taste even bitter if you drink more than a liter, I swear.”

Essie was caught off-guard with the last words she said and clamped a hand over her mouth immediately. Her eyes widened in shock, jolting her a bit out of her drunkenness. Shit, did I just say that out loud?

Unfortunately, Johnny heard her loud and clear. “So, my baby doesn’t like how my cum tastes?” He moved closer to her, his hands wiggling in anticipation to touch her thighs again.

“John, please,” she grumbled, moving farther on the couch. “What do you suppose I drink then? You know what Mark said, right?” Her boyfriend’s voice sounded lower than usual – he was in the mood to torture, er, taunt her until she accepts defeat.

“Coffee without Johnny isn’t coffee, and Johnny without coffee isn’t Johnny,” both of them said, with Essie rolling her eyes at the end, and Johnny staring intently at her face.

“See? You know how I’m inseparable from coffee,” the guy didn’t stop moving forward, “so what do you suggest I eat or drink then?”

“John, I swear to God!” Essie hit the end of the sofa, “If only you listened to me and drank pineapple juice whenever we did it, then I wouldn’t be complaining like this!”

She was surprised at the words that tumbled out of her mouth again and buried her face in her hands. I am a worse drunk when I have wine instead of beer, damn it.

“Pineapple juice? Maybe you’d like watermelon juice too! So, fruit juice then?” Johnny stopped perusing her and leaned on the couch.

“If possible, yes. I want to taste something else, love. Your cum’s like battery acid,” Essie groaned, mimicking his action of leaning on the sofa.

He laughed at her response. “Seriously, baby? Where is this all coming from? You’re funny,” he patted her knee, which was within his arm’s reach, “And do you really want to know how yours taste like?”

“Please, spare me the details. I don’t want to know.”

“Yours taste like bitter fish paste.”

His answer earned a pillow thrown on his face. “I said I didn’t want to know!” The girl whined, pouting and crossing her arms over her chest.

“Hey, it’s fair! You commented on how mine tastes like, why can’t I comment on what yours tastes like?”

Essie just huffed and glared at him. “Come on, be a good sport!” Johnny resumed moving closer to her. “Or else I’ll fill you up with my battery acid.”

The girl wasn’t able to do anything once her boyfriend tackled her. “Let’s rev you up, okay?”

“Yes, sir. Please start me up.”

///

If there was another member from the group that Essie had a special connection with, it was Taeil.

After all, they lived close to a month with Jaehyun before the affair and bonded over their love for Frank Ocean and cats among many other things. Whenever he was out, she took care of Ying and Yang, his adorable black and white kittens.

Since it has been some time since the two met up along with their other friends, the girl couldn’t help but tackle him. “Moon Taeilllll!” She cried, almost jumping on him as she hugged him tightly. The tomato-haired guy laughed at her enthusiasm and hugged her back. “Hey, Essie noona! It’s been a while!” He said, drawing circles on her back to calm her down.

“Yes, I know! How are you, Moony? How are our fur babies?” She clasped her hands together in glee as she continued talking to Taeil, which was getting on Johnny’s nerves.

Lest we forget, Essie has been dating Johnny for a couple of months now. They’ve been through a lot – yes, do we need to be reminded of their affairs? – and for him to see her gushing at his hyung irritated him.

What made him almost lose his temper was that her short skirt went a bit up, and he saw a sliver of lace trimming when she hugged Taeil excitedly. At first, he didn’t want to think much of it. But yes, she forgot to put on a pair of cycling shorts and flashed almost everyone with her underwear.

He looked at his friends if they saw the same thing, but alas, they were all in their worlds. Yuta and Jungwoo were teasing each other, while Doyoung and his girlfriend were talking to Haechan in hushed tones. It was just Johnny who observed everything, and he wished that Mark was already there so he’ll have someone to talk to.

\\\

Essie didn’t mean to make Johnny jealous, but she felt that he was fuming because of how touchy she was with Taeil.

Who couldn’t be when he’s such a lovable and huggable friend? If she remembered correctly, her boyfriend mentioned wished that he had his hyung’s body because it was huggable.

Not that Johnny’s body was built in the same way, but the downside of having rock-solid abs is that the body lacks softness and warmth sometimes. There were times his hugs didn’t feel warm enough for her, and she had to stay in his arms for hours just to reach that level of warmth she wanted. No wonder she loved cuddling with Jaehyun more when they sneaked out before since he had more body heat despite having more defined abs.

As she continued to gush to Taeil about the latest cat Instagram accounts she found, she noticed that her boyfriend looked sullen as he listened to Mark. The younger guy arrived late with Taeyong, as both came from another project they were involved in.

“Not that I don’t appreciate you showing these adorable accounts, but I think you should talk to your boyfriend,” Taeil whispered, noticing how Johnny grunted in response to Taeyong’s question.

“I can talk to him later,” she huffed, scrolling through her phone quicker. “He’s a big boy. I’m focused on all these cute cat IG accounts that I think you should see and follow.”

“Noona, don’t be stubborn. Look at him,” he tilted her head towards Johnny’s direction, “he’s jealous of the attention you’re giving me. And like everyone else in the room, I don’t want to incite his wrath.”

The six-footer was now brooding in a corner, with Mark and Taeyong conversing with the other members. Oh God, how can I blame him for not being jealous after all we’ve been through? She thought before finally standing up and going to his location.

“Hey, my love,” Essie started, sitting down beside him. He didn’t move from his spot, but he put up the hood in his jacket to cover his profile. “Hey yourself,” he grumbled, tucking his knees to his chest.

“Are you jealous of how I’m interacting with Taeil?” She went straight to the point, which stunned Johnny a little. He was used to her mincing words every time she tried to apologize for her behavior. He tried to hide his shock by burying his chin into his knees.

“Yeah, baby. I am. I know you have a special friendship, but I can’t help but be jealous of other guys you act very chummy with. Considering, you know…” He was fiddling with his thumbs this time, a sign that he was unsure of the next things he wanted to say.

“I’m sorry, but I didn’t mean to. It’s been a while since I last saw him too, and you know how much I love his kitties. So please, don’t think bad of it, okay?” Essie tugged the hood away from his face and cupped his cheeks in both of her hands.

He looked like he was about to cry, and she couldn’t help but kiss both of his puffed-up cheeks. “I love you, dummy. And I’m sorry that I made you jealous. It wasn’t my intention, I promise.”

“I’ll try my best not to be overly jealous, but baby…” He pulled her into his arms until she was sitting on his lap, “please don’t forget to wear your cycling shorts. You almost flashed everyone with your panties.”

Her eyes widened in fear, and she held onto the hem of her skirt. “Oh my God, I did forget to wear my shorts. No wonder it felt so breezy down there,” she murmured, giving Johnny an apologetic look. “Sorry, my love! It won’t happen again.”

He responded by smacking her bottom before carrying her over his shoulder. “You know what to do to make it up to me, right?” He asked sternly as he readjusted his hold on her.

“Yes, sir,” she whispered, ignoring the eyes that looked at her as Johnny brought her to a spare room.

–––

FIN

P.S. Weren’t those weak-ass endings? Or is it okay for you guys? 

Cool Off (Part II)

After the giggles come the tears again, and here is the second and final installment of this brief series. 

Expect a lot of depressing music here too, so if you’re up for those, I hope you’ll like my recommendations. 

Here's a photo of a young Johnny playing in front of the piano as a fitting teaser.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Read Johnny cope with Essie’s short-lived disappearance as he sings the most heartbreaking songs that she loves. 

POV: Keeping it up with 3rd person. 

Word count: 943 words 

Warning: There’s nothing that you haven’t read yet in other stories, but Italics are for thoughts and lyrics. Mostly the latter though, because I went ham with that one. 

Recommended listening: The titles of the songs are mentioned in the story, so I’ll add them at the end of the story for your listening. Feel free to suggest songs of the same caliber – I would appreciate it so much! 

–––

Since Essie hasn’t returned from her self-imposed exile, Johnny has been on his piano a lot. He usually played depressing hits late at night, probably during times when he couldn’t fall asleep due to the situation. Although Mark hears him play from the comfort of his room, this time he was able to catch his hyung hunched over the keyboard in the living room as he sang his heart out to ‘The Songwriter’ by Father John Misty.

What would it sound like if you were the songwriter

And you made your living off of me?

It was heartbreaking to see Johnny struggle with his performance, whether he was aware that someone was watching him or not. Mark bit his lip as he watched his housemate from a dark corner, crossing his arms repeatedly until he felt comfortable with his position.

Goodbye little songbird, now you’re free

Don’t forget I’m the only fan of yours who has the sense to ever leave you be

How could do this to me?

That last line broke the older guy as he stopped playing and cried for what seemed like an eternity. Mark was glued to his spot, trying not to cry with his hyung.

Never has he seen Johnny so broken over someone, and he wished that Essie would come back soon. However, even if she does come back, it would either be to resume the relationship or cut it off completely. He hoped that it was the former because Johnny will never be the same again.

What would it sound like if you were the songwriter

And loving me was your unsung masterpiece?

The six-footer stood up after finishing the song and returned to his room. It was Mark’s cue to return as well, and he found it hard to sleep after hearing that soul-crushing song.

It got more depressing after that – Johnny sang ‘Without You’ by Tobias Jesso Jr. at three in the morning, which the younger guy remembered was the most straightforward depressing song Essie ever heard. Maybe that’s why he’s playing it, he thought while he lay on his bed.

Why can’t you just love me?

Should I move on or should I wait?

And how’d you get so high above me?

I reach higher every day

But nothing changes

No, it all just stays the same

Mark heard his hyung’s voice break when the chorus came, and he couldn’t help but cover his ears a bit out of secondhand embarrassment and hurt.

I can hardly breathe without you

There is no future I want to see without you

I just don’t know who I would be without you

There is nothing out there for me without you

Without you

Once Johnny was done playing, his crying was the next sound that permeated the whole apartment.

The last song that Mark heard from his hyung before Essie returned was ‘The Ultracheese’ by the Arctic Monkeys, which he knew the couple adored. The band was one of the things that brought them closer, and it was during their concert that Johnny realized he was in love with Essie.

The song was not as depressing as the previous ones, but it still sounded painful as the older guy sang with all his hurt.  

Still got pictures of friends on the wall

I suppose we aren’t really friends anymore

Maybe I shouldn’t ever have called that thing friendly at all

This time, Johnny was able to compose himself and not let his emotions get to the best of his singing. Mark closed his eyes to savor his hyung’s rendition since it was not always he heard him cover a song like this.

Oh, the dawn won’t stop weighing a tonne

I’ve done some things that I shouldn’t have done

But I haven’t stopped loving you once

The croon at the end made the song more melancholic than it is, and the sole audience made his presence known by clapping loudly.

Johnny whipped his head to look at Mark, who was silently crying as he continued to clap. “That was amazing, hyung,” he said, slowly approaching the performer.

“Thanks, dude,” Johnny whispered, looking away from the younger guy. “I miss her so much. I wish she’ll come back now.”

“She will. You’ve just got to be patient.”

“It’s been almost two months, Mark Lee. I’m worried that she has moved on with another person. She should let me know if we’re going to continue this or not, you know?”

Johnny’s voice was starting to break again, and Mark went to his side to comfort him.

“I’m sure she will. Maybe she’ll be back tonight. I can feel it.”

His words proved to be true as the girl returned a bit past after midnight, reeking of cigarette smoke.

Mark was speechless as she popped into his room first and asked him what had happened since then.

“Noona, I’m happy you’re back and all, but please don’t cause any more trouble to your relationship with Johnny hyung by talking to me first,” he said, hoping that his honesty will not be taken against him.

“I’m sorry, Marky. But I wanted to return with a surprise. Is he asleep now?”

He took a deep breath first before responding. “Please, noona. You can surprise him now if you want. I’m sure he would be happier if he was the person you talked to.”

“Sheesh, no need to be grumpy with me, Mark,” she chuckled. “And I’m sorry again for this. Okay then, I might as well surprise him now. Thank you.” With that, she went to Johnny’s room, and they made up for lost time with tears and snuggles.

–––

FIN

Couple Things (Part II)

Here’s another installment of this mini-series, in which Johnny and Essie have intimate yet hilarious moments together. 

If it hasn’t been said yet, Mr. Johnny Suh is the perfect combination of cute and sexy, which makes him hot overall. Don’t you agree? 

Here’s further proof of that with this GIF. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

Summary: Here are some snippets of Johnny and Essie’s life at home, which often involves comfortable areas and cuddles. 

POV: Both of these were written late last year, so they’re in 2nd person. 

Word count: 1,270 + words

Warning: In my opinion, the first piece is a bit steamy. The second one’s plain silly – nothing to be scared there. 

Recommended listening: I found out about FKJ because of Johnny, and as always, he has good taste! It’s also part of my Makin’ Babies playlist. The video of the song will be at the bottom of the post for you to listen to. 

–––

It was another normal day in the Johnny and Essie household – you were working on your laptop while Johnny was busy cooking.

You woke up from the sound of a sizzling pan, your feet immediately bringing you to the kitchen to greet him. He was wearing a black muscle tee and a pair of gym shorts with a cheesy apron on top of it. ‘Kiss Me I’m the Chef’ was printed in front with a kiss mark beside it, making you roll your eyes as he pointed at it for you to do what it said.

“What are you cooking, handsome,” You asked after pecking his cheek. “Your favorite – sausages and eggs.” He winked at you, implying something else with his words.

“Yes, I do my love sausages and eggs, darling,” you groaned as you stared at the schlubigs on the pan. “I bet you do,” he chuckled, pulling you closer to him.

“Do you have any work to do today? You’re up early,” he continued, peering at the perplexed expression you now wore.

“Yeah, I have another sideline to do. But as you said, we’ve got to get that coin,” you looked up at him, and he flashed you a smile.

“I’m going to cook more, so you have the energy to finish it soon.” He kissed your temple and let you go, making you motivated to get your work done, so you have the time to bond with him this weekend.

As soon as you set up your work station on the couch, Johnny decided to play some music for you to listen to. You loved his playlists since you always discovered new and current artists, which made you feel up-to-date with the times. You were quite a grandma when it comes to music – it’s either you listen to bands from the past, or you are stuck with your favorites until you get tired of them.

When the chill-house track of FKJ and Masego played, you heard Johnny moan. “Yeah, that’s the shit,” he said.

You were intent on editing a different chapter until you saw him from the corner of your eyes dancing to the song. He moved his body sensually to the beat, especially when the horns came in.

“Baby, what are you doing,” you asked, trying to keep your attention on the screen. His butt was even more alluring as he moved erotically a few meters away from you.

“I’m dancing for you,” he twirled around to face you, continuing his lewd dance, “because I want to get some later.” He walked like a runway model toward you and plopped on the couch after.

“When was the last time we did it?” You asked, placing the laptop on the table. “I don’t know, maybe a week ago?” His hands snaked around your waist, and he put his head on your shoulder.

“You missed doing it that much?” Your eyes widened in fake shock, knowing deep inside that you want to do it as well. “It’s exercise for the both of us,” he chuckled, tightening his hold on you.

“Later, baby,” you whispered too close to his ears, making him flinch. “Feed me first, and I’ll be yours as soon as I’m done with this.” Your voice returned to its normal volume as you pointed at the laptop perched on the table.

You heard him grumble at how you were such a workaholic before he buried his face in your neck. “Okay, fine. But please make it quick,” he whined before he loosened his hold on you. “Breakfast will be ready in a bit.”

“Thanks, love,” you pecked him on the lips. He returned it affectionately, but you had to pull away when you felt that he wanted to go further. “Not now, you have to wait,” you mumbled, squeezing his biceps. He huffed at your response and went back to the kitchen defeated. You giggled his reaction before picking up your laptop again, ready to finish the extra work you have.

You can’t wait to finish this sideline so you can have an amazing breakfast cooked by an equally amazing man you’re lucky to call yours. And of course, what comes after that is what you considered the best part. He’d agree with you too, if only you weren’t being a tease right now.

///

It was that time of the month, and you dreaded it.

Lady pains were no joke – you are rendered immobile and stuck on your bed for almost the whole day.

Johnny knew that it was your period when you refused to get up from your bed.

You didn’t even sleep beside him because you knew you might hurt him. After all, you thrashed a lot when you have your period. There was an instance that you left a bruise on his stomach when you kicked him too hard out of sheer pain.

As he carefully opened the door to your room, he saw you clutching his hotdog pillow and groaning in pain. “Fuck this shit, I want to die…” you grumbled as you rolled to the other side.

“Hey, baby. How are you holding up?” He asked, closing the door behind him.

“This sucks. I hate being a girl sometimes,” you mumbled in response, burying your face deeper in the pillow.

“Well, give it a few days, and it’ll be over.” You felt him approach you and moved a little when the bed creaked with his weight. He wrapped his arms around you and turned you to face him.

“What can I do to make you feel better, my baby princess?” He flashed you a goofy grin, trying his best to lighten your dour mood.

You threw the pillow away from you and clung to him like a koala. “I’d rather have this than your humongous Winne the Pooh pillow,” you said, burying your chin on his shoulder.

He chuckled at your response and adjusted his body so both of you felt comfortable in your positions. After a few seconds, you felt something poking below your crotch. “Not now, love,” you flicked his forehead in annoyance. But how could he not feel turned on when your bodies were basically intertwined with each other?

“I know, but how can I not? You’re like an erotic koala clinging to me,” he hissed, rubbing the part you flicked.

“But you like it, you pervert!” Your comment got you two laughing because you know it’s true – he admitted it the first time you did this.

“Because you’re so warm and smell so good, that’s why I love it when you cling to me like this.” His hands were drawing circles on your back, and you felt relaxed, lessening the pain you felt.

“Thanks, love. You’re sweet as always,” you started, giving him a shy look, “but what I miss about this position is this.”

Both of your hands grabbed his butt cheeks and gave it a good squeeze. “You have the nicest ass I’ve seen in a man.” You didn’t hide the fact that you were turned on by his backside.

“Thank you, baby. You know I work hard to make them look good.” His words earned a spank from you, and he raised an eyebrow at you. “Hey, calm down. Don’t slap them too hard.”

“I don’t care. Just be a good tree and let the koala do her thing,” you mumbled against his chest as you continued playing with his backside.

“And who’s the pervert here, eh?” He snickered, which made you pinch his butt in response.

“Both of us are, and don’t you even dare deny it.”

–––

FIN

Lost and Found

It’s all about balancing different genres in this blog, so here’s another melancholic piece. 

But before I make you sad, here’s a cute Johnny GIF that’s sure to put a smile on your face.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Essie is not her usual self again for quite some time, and Johnny’s starting to get bothered by it. They talk it out, and in the process, learn more about how to make their relationship work. 

POV: I think I wrote this during the start of the year, so this is in 3rd person. 

Word count: 1,600 + words

–––

Essie was slowly losing herself again – the present part of her, that is. 

She found herself holed up in her room most of the time, reading and writing. She watched series by herself sometimes when she felt like it. She needed all the inspiration she could get so she could compose songs. 

Her trip to her home country triggered something in her to be more immersed in the things that she has almost forgotten. 

In college and during her first years at work, she would always have a book in her bag. She would read whenever she was bored or when she waited for her transportation on her way home. Sometimes, she took the time to go to a café, notebook and pen in hand, to write all the quotes from the book she was reading that have inspired her. 

She lost this habit when she moved on to a much hectic job in publishing, which she is still in but in a different country. 

It was as if her trip to her homeland had rekindled her previous passion to the point that she barely talked at home. 

Her boyfriend, Johnny, was concerned. This was not the first time that she distanced herself from her loved ones. 

When she was guilty of her week-long affair with his best friend Jaehyun, she almost killed herself. But now she was living in her bubble and avoided long conversations with anyone as much as possible. 

That applied to him as well, which hurts. He could barely get ten words out of her before she went back to her room after they ate breakfast or dinner together. Most of the time, she ate by herself. When he wasn’t able to cook anything, she would do so herself or get takeout. He was concerned that she had food delivered more often than having a home-cooked meal. 

Despite her aversion to people these days, he noticed that she was more at peace with herself. There was a look of content in her face as he saw her in her room reading a book. Sometimes, he felt her passion for writing when he would look at her write swiftly in her notebook. 

He never fully closed the door to his room so he could always have a look at what she was doing. And of course, the possibility that she would come to him and tell what was up with her. 

But it has been three weeks already, and she continued to float in and out of her world. He felt as if he was gently kicked out, leaving him no explanation and just standing outside of it. 

This time though, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He would break into her world again and demand that he deserved a space inside. He loved her so much that he couldn’t risk losing her to anyone else, not even to herself. 

\\\

Essie, who continued to believe that she was losing her present self, sat on the couch reading another book. 

She knew she was all alone since Mark was abroad, and Johnny left early to work out. She had at least three hours to herself to do what she pleased inside the house. 

She put on an old record and played it softly, opened the windows to let the breeze sway the curtains, and put in a new bunch of flowers from their backyard. She even prepared a pot of her favorite tea and a plate of biscuits on the coffee table to serve as her snacks when she gets hungry from her reading.

The setting was ideal – oh, how she wished she got that beautiful white Gunne Sax dress at the thrift shop to make it even more perfect! She looked down on her peach lace dress she was wearing and smoothed its skirt. She was fine with what she was wearing. 

As she continued to read and flip through the book she was reading (another bizarre Japanese literature book she picked up from the discount bookstore), she didn’t notice that the door opened, and Johnny entered in his gym clothes. He wore a muscle shirt, jogging pants, his trademark black sneakers, and a baseball cap in the same color. As he gently dropped the bag on the floor, he saw his girlfriend humming as she turned to a new page. 

She looked so peaceful with her curly hair down and saw that she wore a smile on her face as she continued to read. 

He didn’t want to ruin her moment, but he wanted to have a moment with her for so long. 

Sneakily, he went behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. “Hey baby,” he whispered, kissing the side of her head, “I haven’t seen or heard from you in ages.” 

His action made the girl stop and place her book on the table. She squeezed his forearms gently and looked up at him. “Hi Johnny,” she whispered back, flashing him a smile. “How are you?”

Her response was a bit heartbreaking. It was as if she had lost in touch with him even if they see each other every day in the apartment. He didn’t let his emotions get the best of him as he kissed her forehead. “Baby, you’ve been distancing yourself again. Why is that?” 

She gestured him to sit beside her on the couch, which he did by jumping over and immediately wrapped his arms around her waist. “Oh, have I? I’m sorry if that’s the case…” He noticed that her hands were still on her sides. 

“Baby, you’ve got to let me know if you need space. I can’t just always guess it by the way you’re acting. You have to let me know if you want to have some time for yourself. And I’ve missed you so much. You’ve been away for two weeks, and yet your mind’s still away now you’re here for almost a month,” Johnny was on the verge of crying as he expressed his sentiments to Essie.

The girl watched him closely – the way his eyes crinkled in distress, the way his eyebrows knitted together in the middle, and the way his lips pouted at the end of his short speech. She was re-familiarizing all these things, as she has forgotten about it momentarily. 

“I’m sorry, John. I didn’t mean to, but I guess you could say that. I do need my own time. I wanted to process everything that happened recently.” 

“Did something happen during your trip?” 

It was Essie’s turn to become emotional. “Yes, dear. It was as if I have reconnected with the person I used to be, the person I wanted to be.”

They stared at each other for a minute, observing each other’s features. Johnny missed looking at her cute button nose and her plump lips while she missed staring into the fading acne marks on the side of his chin. Every small detail counts with them, and these were the things that they kept in mind about each other whenever one would be gone for quite some time. 

“What do you want to be, my love?” 

“I’ve always wanted to be an artist of my own.”

Johnny closed the small gap between them, making his girlfriend sit on his lap. “What do you mean by that? Do you want to act, sing, draw, paint, or whatever?” 

“Well, you’ll see when you watch the vlogs I’ve made. They’ll be up…” Essie glanced at the wall clock across them, “maybe later in the evening. I collaborated with a close friend of mine with the editing.”

The guy’s eyes widened in shock, and he squeezed her tightly. “Wow, my baby has a vlog now! I can’t wait to watch it,” he pecked her on her temple. 

“I think it’ll have installments. So you’ll know more about me then,” she said softly before pecking his cheek. 

He let out a soft ‘oh’ before raising an eyebrow at her. “Is there anything else I have yet to know about you? Don’t I know everything yet?”

His question made her go back to her original spot on the sofa and pick up her book again. “Yes, John. There’s a whole lot of things you don’t know about me still. And maybe you’re the same too. After all, we’ve just started going out. You don’t expect to know everything yet about your partner, right?” 

Johnny stroked his chin while in deep thought, slowly digesting the words she said in his mind. 

“Fair enough. But still, baby…communication is key. You’ll let me know what’s up with you, okay? Don’t keep me guessing or push me away suddenly. Because if you continue to do that, then it might affect our trust with each other.” 

Essie sat still, her eyes boring into him. Her hands were neatly on top of her lap, her book delicately perched in between her thighs. 

“I know, and I’m sorry. But I’m not so sure yet when I’ll be back to my usual self. Or if I’ll be back at it at all,” she chuckled, thumbing through the book and looking for the last page she read. 

“Essie…” He pulled her back again into his chest, and she buried her face in it once their bodies intertwined with each other. 

“Johnny…” She mimicked, her soft voice sounding strange to her ears. 

“Please, baby. I can’t afford to lose you anymore. I want you so bad in my life. Please don’t leave me.” His words were muffled against her hair, but she heard them. 

“Please give me a bit more time and space. I’ll just be here. I won’t leave,” she responded, looking up at him with glassy eyes. 

He kissed her, and she returned it, and once again they were reconnected with the love they have for each other.

–––

FIN

Studies on Tension (Part I)

I keep on starting new mini-series, but it’s a way for me to categorize my writing. This will focus on stories I’ve written wherein the tension is quite intense that you could cut it with a knife. Does that mean tension is cake? 

Let’s get the show running with this GIF of Johnny in one of his iconic ‘Kick It’ outfits! His biceps are deliciously distracting, so help me God. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: Johnny shows off his new outfit to his best friend and housemate and eventual lover Essie, who tries her best not to give in to her carnal desire because it amplifies his hotness. As always, she fails, and tension ensues. 

POV: This was written when ‘Kick It’ first came out, so it’s a 3rd person piece. 

Word count: 685 words (This one feels like a filler to me, but we’re posting it anyway by itself.) 

Warning: Sexual tension is my favorite kind of tension. How about you? 

–––

“What the actual crap,” Essie whispered, eyeing her housemate from head to toe.

“You don’t like it?” Johnny asked, showing off his new costume for his upcoming comeback with his bandmates. “I worked hard for this, you know,” he said, flexing his pecs.

“It’s not that, dude. It’s just…” The girl tried to look at anything but his abs. It was (almost!) on full display as he wore an open vest (with nothing underneath, may we remind everyone of that) and jogger pants that sat a bit below his hipbone, flashing some of his boxer’s band. He finished the outfit with a pair of combat boots and bandages artfully wrapped around his arms and fingers.

“What? Do I look trashy?” The guy eyed his outfit at the full-length mirror beside him, scanning every detail if there was something off.

“Damn it, do I really have to say it out loud?” Essie groaned, slapping her palm on her forehead. “You look hot, Mr. Suh. I’m sure the girls will fawn over you and take video clips of your exposed abs and share it on social media,” she deadpanned.  

Her answer was initially met with silence, but when he processed her words, he burst into laughter. “Oh my God, baby! Did you just say I’m hot? It’s been a while since you called me that!”

Johnny approached her, and he noticed that she took a step backward, a look of panic painted on her face. “Hey, what’s wrong?” He asked as he continued to walk toward her.

With each step he took forward, she took a step backward. He stopped when Essie hit her back against the wall, making her hiss in pain.

“Hey, what gives? Why are you doing this?” He asked again, this time pinning both her arms on the wall. She gulped when he saw his hairy armpits and looked immediately away from it. “What do you mean, sir?”

“You’re not answering me,” he was practically breathing in front of her face. “Baby,” he tilted her chin up to look at him, “all I asked was a simple question.”

“Well, you’ve asked me a lot of them, so I don’t know which to answer,” she replied almost breathlessly, her eyes glued to his honey orbs.

“Why are you doing this? You’re, like, avoiding me,” he scoffed, removing his hand from her chin. “Am I too hot for you?”

It was Essie’s turn to give him silence. But when she broke it, he wasn’t expecting her answer. “What if I told you that I do?”

Everything became a blur – he closed the small gap between them and brushed his lips over hers.

“Thank you, baby,” he purred, moving his lips toward her left ear. “I’m happy to know that you find me hot.”

“John, please,” she pleaded, her hands moving toward the edge of his vest. “Why must you always do this to me?”

“Whatever do you mean?” Johnny asked her in a taunting tone.

“You’re being such a flirt!” Essie huffed, crossing her arms in front other again. “Please don’t play with my feelings,” she said softly, her eyes now fixated on their feet.

“Hey, I’m not playing with your feelings,” he turned serious, “because what you see is what you get. What if I do indeed like you, and this is just my way of showing I’m interested?”

Oh boy, this is getting too much, she thought, focusing her gaze on him again.

He looked like a sex god in his biker kung-fu outfit, and there was that urge again to kiss his plump, rosy lips.

“Oh, Johnny. Now that you’ve shown your outfit, why don’t you change back into your normal clothes? You might need to take that to the laundry if you get too sweaty in it,” she said as she passed through him, eager to escape his presence.

“Whatever you say,” he replied in a singsong voice, his eyes trailing her as she went back to her room. When he heard her slam the door, he let out a hurt expression. “Dang, is she that bothered by my hotness?”

–––

FIN

Wondering

Instead of offering a sad read this time, I have a mushy one that got me thinking about relationships in general. Maybe it will do the same thing to you as well, or maybe it won’t. 

Anyway, here’s a bashful-looking Johnny who looks like a million thoughts ran through his mind at that moment. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Johnny reflects on the state of his renewed relationship with Essie, and then shares a sweet moment with her. 

POV: 3rd person here. 

Word count: 865 words 

–––

Johnny wondered why he loves Essie so much despite the things that happened between them. 

She cheated on him, which he also did with his ex-girlfriend. Both didn’t last a week since they were both guilty of their actions. 

His girl was also courted by some of his friends, particularly Mark and Sehun. She declined Mark’s proposal since she has always seen him as her little brother like he does. However, she did not entertain any of Sehun’s advances because she has already learned her lesson with Jaehyun and that he was too cocky for her liking. 

Speaking of which, he has now rekindled with his friendship with Jeong Jaehyun, who he considered as his brother from another mother. It might not return to what it was, but he couldn’t imagine what life would be without one of his dearest and closest friends. 

As Johnny watched Essie sleep on her side of the bed, he noticed that most of her curly hair covered her face. Usually, she would be annoyed whenever a strand (yes, that specific) of her hair crosses her face and would swat it away. Since she’s sleeping, she didn’t feel anything. Her mouth was slightly ajar, and he could see the formation of her drool. 

He smiled at this sight of his lady, who always tried to look like her best (and flawless) self. It took time for her to be more open about her natural side – no make-up and everything – since she felt self-conscious around him. 

“You’re so perfect, I feel like such a blob when I’m beside you,” she told him one time while covering her face in shame. 

“No, I’m not,” he responded to her then, gently taking off her hands on her face. “We’re both humans. I accept all your quirks and imperfections, and I know you do with mine.”

She cried afterward, and he hugged her with all his might. 

Johnny ran his hands through her hair, untangling the knots that have formed at the end. It relaxed him, and he knew that it made her feel the same when she was awake. 

He couldn’t fathom where his love for her came from since he never stopped loving her despite the things they did. 

Was this fate or destiny then? If that was the case, he accepted it wholeheartedly. Essie was his soul mate, the love of his life, the mother of his children, and the one he would die for. 

She woke up when his hand got stuck on one of her curls, grunting at how it pained her. “That hurts,” she mumbled, swatting his arm away from her head. 

“Sorry, baby…” Johnny removed his hand on her hair and placed it on her waist. “Combing through your hair relaxes me,” he whispered, kissing the top of her head. 

“Same here,” she opened her eyes fully and looked at him. He had bags under his eyes, and his cheeks looked puffy. “Hey, did you eat last night? I wasn’t able to check on you. I fell asleep early,” she sat up on the bed and rubbed her eyes a bit. 

“Yeah, I did. I ate some leftover tonkatsu,” he sat up as well and wrapped an arm around her waist. 

“Your cheeks are puffy,” she squeezed them lovingly before giving them a peck each, “which I know you don’t like. But I love them.”

He rubbed his sore cheeks and groaned. “I couldn’t help but eat at night these days. Too tired, you know?”

She nodded at his statement and nuzzled her neck on his chest. “Both of us are. Were you able to sleep well?” 

“Not really. I couldn’t sleep. I envy you, to be honest.” He tilted her head to look at him.

They stared at each other for a minute before he pecked her on the lips. 

“Don’t be, you know my body clock’s messed up,” she pulled him to her level to peck him again, “and I’m just catching up on sleep now.” 

“Because like what Nini and I have been telling you, go to sleep early. But no, you just have to be a stubborn baby,” he pinched her nose, which made her yelp in pain. 

Essie rubbed her nose after he let go and pinched his arm. “Yes, Dad. I know. But is there anything I can do to help you fall asleep now?” Her tone of voice became soft, and she gave him a sweet look that made his heart skip a beat.

“Maybe the things I do for you can help me fall asleep?” 

“Okay, anything for my love,” the girl responded, guiding her boyfriend back on the bed and combing through his hair. 

She did what he usually did for her: comb through his hair, sing (in her case, hum) a lullaby, and even tap on the thigh. 

He fell asleep a few minutes after with a smile on his face. 

“I love you so much, Seo Youngho,” Essie whispered, kissing his forehead before she got up from the bed. “I choose you over everyone else in the world, and I will make sure of that in this lifetime.”

–––

FIN

Two Birthdays

I wrote this piece today in honor of today’s birthday celebrators, one of which NCTzens should know by heart. 

Mark Lee has been my gateway to the world of NCT, and now I am fully immersed in it. Well, not so much with the Dreamies but I appreciate them.

Then, who’s the other one celebrating their birthday? I guess you have to find out who! Johfam knows – don’t embarrass me, guys.

As always, I put a GIF to hype you up – here’s Marky with black hair, which is the best color on him. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: This piece is dedicated to Mark Lee and Mama Suh, who share the same birth date of August 2. Johnny and Essie prepare something for them, and then get emotional at the end. Aren’t they such attention-hogging drama queens? 

POV: 3rd person as usual. 

Word count: 1,160 words 

–––

August 2 is an important day for Johnny Suh – not only is it the birthday of his dearest eomma, but it was also the special day of his bro Mark Lee.

Since Essie Park has been living with the two boys for quite some time now, those days have also become important to her. She loves both of them – Johnny is her boyfriend, while Mark is the little brother she never had.

She woke up early to prepare a feast for the birthday celebrators, which in turn, made her partner do so as well. Both of them were puttering away at the kitchen at five in the morning, preparing a mixture of both Korean and Western dishes.

“Baby, why don’t you check on the birthday boy?” Johnny suggested after placing a newly cooked omelet on a plate with mashed potatoes and vegetables on it. Essie gave him a thumbs-up and silently ran to Mark’s room, whose door was slightly ajar. She could see that he was cocooned in his comforter, and she couldn’t tell if he was still asleep or pretending to be.

“I can’t tell if he’s still sleeping or not,” she whispered once she was back at the kitchen. The couple glanced at the clock – it read 7:40 a.m. – and giggled. “Probably not yet,” her boyfriend said, who picked up the French press nearby to make their coffee. “Let’s give him a few minutes, and then we’ll surprise him.”

\\\

At around 8:30 a.m., Essie led Johnny to Mark’s room as he carried a small tray of breakfast food. She opened the door carefully and saw that the young man was still asleep. This time, they can see his bare face – he always had a mustache forming – and they could hear him snoring lightly.

She went to the left side of the bed while Johnny went to the opposite side, placing the tray at the foot of the bed. The couple looked at each other first before they decided to surprise Mark by screaming their birthday greeting.

“Happy birthday, Mark Lee!”

The birthday boy, who is now 21 as of writing, was startled and kicked the comforter off the bed. “What the hell,” he grumbled, looking at his hyung and noona in disbelief first, “but thank you, guys. You didn’t have to scream into my ear like that.”

“But that wouldn’t be fun, right?” Johnny snickered, which earned him a glare from the younger guy. “Happy birthday, Marky!” Essie squealed, messing with his hair. He bit his lip as his hyung joined in on playing with his hair, trying his best not to be annoyed at the situation.

When they were done, Johnny reached over to the small tray and placed it closer to Mark. “Of course, you know how it is in this household when someone has a birthday. We made you breakfast fit for a king like yourself.” Essie made dramatic hand gestures to emphasize that, as there were three plates crammed into the tray that contained a full-course meal.

“Thank you again, Johnny hyung and Essie noona! I truly appreciate it,” the birthday boy said, now less grumpy than a few minutes ago. Once he got his utensils, he dug into his majestic breakfast. The couple patted his back affectionately as he bit and gulped his food.

After he finished eating, Johnny left the room briefly to grab his Polaroid camera. Then, they took pictures – the couple’s favorite was of them kissing Mark on the cheeks with the guy completely flustered in the middle.

“This is so cute!” Essie gushed, staring at the newly-developed photo lovingly. “I’m going to hang it up in my gallery. May I, love?” Johnny winked at her, which meant she could. She replied by tackling him in a hug, in which she also included Mark after.

“I love you boys so much,” she murmured while still in proximity with them. “We love you too,” they said in unison, and everyone giggled at their harmonization.

They spent a few more minutes in bed talking and teasing each other until Mark had to go home to his parents’ house to spend the rest of the day with them.

“Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow, guys. I might spend the night there,” he said as he tugged at the straps of his backpack.

“It’s okay, Mark. You deserve the time off with them. And I’m sure it has been a while you went to Mass with your family too,” Essie said softly, remembering the time that she and Mark went to church recently to pray for their intentions.

“Yeah, that’s true. Well, I’m off then. Have a nice day ahead!” Mark waved at them until he was out of their eyesight.

\\\

“Then, that leaves us with the next thing on our agenda – call Mama,” Johnny said once they retreated to the couch.

“Check what time is it there first, dummy,” Essie teased, flicking the space in between his eyebrows. “I’m sure she’s awake at this time,” he replied, rubbing the part she hit. “Come here, my big baby,” he patted the space beside him, “and let’s call her up to say our birthday greetings.”

It was already late in the evening in Chicago when the couple called Mama Suh, who was already in her pajamas. “Happy birthday Eomma! I hope you had a fun and fabulous day there,” Essie said while she waved enthusiastically at her boyfriend’s mother.

“But of course, my darling! We went to this hotel and had a nice steak and wine dinner,” the older woman shared, which got her son ‘ooh’-ing and ‘aah’-ing at the details of her day.

Johnny and Essie snuggled closer to each other as they listened to Mama Suh talk about her day and more. “I wish you two could go here again, I’d love you to experience what I had too,” she said wistfully, making the couple hug each other tighter.

“We’ll fly there again once things are better, Mama. We promise that,” her son replied.

“Yes, Ma. You can count on that. We miss you so much,” his girlfriend added.

As much as they didn’t want to end the call on a sad note, Mama Suh got teary-eyed, and soon, they were crying and sniffing.

Although it has been years since Johnny decided to work in Korea, he always made it a point to fly back to his hometown in Chicago yearly. However, given the current pandemic, he couldn’t.

The couple held each other for a while after their call, saddened by the effects of the global situation and a million other thoughts.

“Baby?”

“Yes, love?”

“Promise me we’ll be together forever?”

Essie looked at her boyfriend’s distraught face, and she kissed him squarely on the lips. “Yes, I promise you that.”

He returned the gesture and carried her to their shared bedroom, presumably to make sure that she will stay true to her words.

–––

FIN

P.S. I know, it doesn’t feature enough Mark! Don’t worry; I have another post to make up for that.

JN (Part I)

And we’re back with more Johnny content here! Of course, he’s the apple of my eye, my ultimate current bias, the love of my life, and the list go on. But I do get tempted by other good-looking K-pop men sometimes...

Here’s a GIF of him looking adorable with some noticeable blush. The color reminds me of Glossier Cloud Paint in Storm, but of course, I could be wrong. Drop that blush shade, dude! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: These pieces were inspired by a prompt list by @neoculturedrabbles​. Since you guys know how I feel about Johnny, please expect that the next installments will feature two prompts in it too. 

POV: 2nd person since I wrote this late last year. I know; you’re getting tired of reading that over and over. 

Word count: 1,800 words 

–––

Prompt #1: “Shut up!”

“Make me!”

Now that you and Johnny were a couple, that didn’t stop him from annoying you to tears.

You were working on an article at the dining table when you heard him sing Whitney Houston’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ off-key. He was at the kitchen, cooking his trademark omelets for breakfast.

“John, please!” You shrieked, turning your head towards the kitchen. “Can you pipe it down? I’m trying to work here!”

He responded by continuing the song, his voice more off-key than before.

You rolled your eyes and went back to your laptop, huffing in annoyance.

A few minutes later, Johnny emerged from the kitchen with your breakfast, and he was now singing Heart’s ‘Alone’ in the same irritating manner.

“Love, what’s up with you? Why are you annoying me? Do you know I’m about to have my period soon?” You said when he placed a plate of omelet and rice in front of you.

“I’m not doing anything unusual,” he said, this time placing a cup of coffee beside your breakfast, “I’m just being myself, you know?” He winked at you and patted your shoulder.

“But baby, you know when I’m in front of my laptop, I’m most likely working,” you grumbled, now taking the cup of coffee to sip on it.

“I can never tell,” he sat on the seat across from you, “Maybe you’re just reading hentai or playing your porn games,” he wiggled his eyebrows for effect, and you almost spit your coffee.

You just flipped him the bird and took another sip of the coffee he made. As always, he got your preferred taste perfectly – strong and sweet, just like he is.

“How dare you, Suh Youngho! I don’t do that anymore!”

“Yes, you do! You fell asleep with your Incognito window on a hentai comic the other day!”

That was the last straw, and you went to his side and pinched his cheeks. “You silly boy! Stop taunting me!” You squeaked, pinching his cheeks harder while he laughed at your flushed and annoyed face.

“No, I’m not going to stop teasing you! It’s also my job to annoy you since your sisters are out!” He said in between your pinching.

“Johnnyyyyy!” Your hands snaked their way around his neck, and you felt tears brimming at the corners of your eyes. “Shut up!”

“Make me!” He challenged, his face serious.

Now that was something you didn’t expect – he had his poker face on, and he seemed calm. You let go of your hands around his neck and settled them on his shoulders.

But when he gave you his trademark wink, you felt miffed again. You decided to play his game and pecked him on the lips instead.

You weren’t able to get away from him since he locked you in his embrace and deepened the kiss.

As your tongues clashed against each other, you gasped when you felt something poking beneath you. Ugh, not again! He was turned on with what you did, and you tasted like coffee, of course.

You let go when you felt very bothered by his boner and pinched his nose this time.

“You big freak,” you huffed, raising your middle finger at him again, “You’re such a tease, you know?”

“I know, baby,” Johnny had the guts to lick his lips in front of you, “and I’m going to taunt you every day with all my loving.”

“Can we have breakfast now?” You got your spoon and fork and started digging into your meal.

“Sure thing, baby,” He said while he moved his plate and drink beside you. When he was done, he sat on the chair to your left and fed you a spoonful of rice and omelet. “Say ‘ah,’” he instructed in a flirty tone, which you obeyed.

“Don’t be so grumpy, my baby princess,” he cooed, wiping the excess rice on the top of your lip.

“But I’m about to have my period! My chest feels heavier, and I feel more bloated,” you whined.

“Even if your boobs don’t get bigger and you don’t look plumper, you are always a grumpy girl,” it was now his turn to pinch your cheek.

You crossed your arms over your chest and looked away from him. Since his hand was still on your chin, he tilted it again toward his direction.

“If you promise me that you won’t be grumpy anymore, I’ll stop teasing you.”

You sighed in defeat and nodded. “Okay, I’ll try my best.”

“No buts! You should do it. You look the most beautiful when you smile.”

You pinched his arm in embarrassment and went back to eating with your head down. “You are such a flirt, love. But thank you.”

“You’re welcome, baby.” He kissed the side of your head, and both of you ate in silence after.

///

Prompt #12: “You’re a pain in the ass, you know?”

“Yeah, but I’m your pain the ass.”

Your head was throbbing in pain because a) you lack sleep, and b) Johnny was being such a pain in the ass to deal with.

As you searched the cabinet for some Advil, you saw a pair of long arms reach over you and grabbed a large pink pillbox.

You turned around to see it was the source of your headache, grinning sheepishly at you. “I assume you need Advil?”

You nodded in response, silently grabbing the pillbox from him. You went to the dining table where a glass of water was waiting for you and opened the box to get your much-needed medicine.

You felt Johnny’s eyes on you as you swallowed the pill and drank water. You closed your eyes for a bit, savoring its bitter taste in your mouth.

But then, you remembered all the things he did during the previous week that got on your nerves.

He hid your strawberry-flavored Greek yogurt from the fridge just when you were craving for it.

He placed your usual mug in the highest cupboard the day after he was in charge of doing the dishes. You had to climb up the sink just so you can reach it, and he laughed at your attempt to grab it the first time you discovered it was up there.

He woke you up by replacing your alarm with his voice recording remixed with EDM beats. He laughed again when he saw your grumpy reaction, your hair sticking all over the place as you chased him around the house with your pillow.

He used your favorite tote bag (which you waited for ages to be restocked!) when he went grocery shopping all by himself, ruining it in the process. Now it was under his care, and you didn’t know if he has finished mending it yet.

But the most annoying thing that he did was when he tickled you to tears when you didn’t wake him up when he needed to be up early for a schedule. Although he seemed annoyed at first, he was also in tears from laughter as he saw you writhe in his touch.

You let out a huge groan before lying on the couch. “This headache sucks,” you said, curling up on the sofa.

“You need some rest, baby,” you heard Johnny say, who was now standing in front of you. He wore a basketball jersey and jogging pants, which was his usual home attire.

But as always, you were distracted with his big and meaty guns. You grabbed the pillow at your foot and covered your face in it so you couldn’t see his towering figure over you.

“I’m resting right now. Please,” you looked at him briefly, “stop annoying me. You’re one of the reasons why my head is throbbing right now,” you covered your face with the pillow again.

“Oh, but why me? I have been nothing but good to you!” You felt an additional weight at the end of the sofa, which meant that he sat down beside you.

“But you kept on annoying me by hiding my food, ruining my stuff, and most of all, you almost tickled me to death!” You threw the pillow at him, which he caught. He held it in front of him and looked at you with puppy eyes.

“But Essie! You know that’s one of the ways to show that I love you!” He whined while making cute faces at you.

“Johnny, there are times that I appreciate it, and there are times that I do not,” you grumbled, now sitting up on the couch. “You’re a pain in the ass, you know?”

“Yeah, but I’m your pain in the ass,” he responded smoothly, running one of his hands through his hair.

“Ugh, Suh Youngho!” You groaned, lying back on the couch again. As soon as your back hit the sofa, you were flustered to see him on top of you with a Cheshire cat grin on his face.

“But you’re so cute when you’re grumpy!” He said playfully before his hands went to your sides and tickled you until you were in tears again.

“I’ll get you for this, John!” You said in between wheezing and kicking.

The tall guy snickered, but then he looked at you with concern when he noticed that your tears didn’t stop falling. He stopped tickling you and wiped your tears away. “Sorry, baby,” he whispered, now kissing your forehead.

You shut your eyes for the nth time today, processing this intimate moment you got yourself into. He was too close, and you could feel his breath against your forehead. Your body felt warm from head to toe, and his body felt that way as well.

But come to think of it, your head stopped pounding. You opened your eyes and saw that he gave you the sweetest smile before kissing your temple.

“Do you feel better now?”

“Surprisingly, yes. I feel much better now,” you gently pushed him away from you as you sat up once more. “But I think I should still get some rest.”

“That you do need, baby. Come,” he held your hand and led you to your room. “I’ll tuck you in.”

“No, John! I’m fine. You don’t have to do that for me,” you mumbled, looking away from him as he squeezed the hand he held.

“I insist. I want to make it up to you for being a pain in the ass.”

“But you’ll always be even if you do sweet shit like this, you know?”

“Yeah, I do. But still, please? Can I tuck my surly baby in bed?” He pleaded, blinking his eyelashes cutely at you.

“Ugh, fine. I request for hair brushing and thigh tapping too, please.”

“Anything for my dear Essie,” he said before carrying you into your bedroom bridal-style.

–––

FIN

JN (Part II)

I’d like to thank everyone who loved the first part of this mini-series, so now I offer you the second part. I’m not sure how many parts this will have; I’ll have to see my archive first. 

As a clue to what you’ll be reading, here’s a GIF of him in his trademark off-duty outfit. Doesn’t he look cozy? And if you’ve noticed, he tends to use that word a lot too.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Yup, our content for this whole week and possibly into the next ones will still come from my writing based on the prompt list created by @neoculturedrabbles​.

POV: 2nd person for both. 

Word count: 1,600+ words

–––

Prompt #3: “Is that my hoodie?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

\\\

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Nope, it’s mine now.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“But Johnnyyyyy!”

///

Prompt #19: “Hey, babe?”

“Yeah?”

“How much do you love me.” 

Sometimes, you wondered how much Johnny loved you.

Even if you always get into spats now that you’re already in the fourth month of your relationship, he never seemed to hold his anger for long. It was usually him who apologized first, and you forgot what you fought about when he made up with you.

Tonight was a normal night for you – cuddling on the bed watching Netflix, your bedside tables with a bottle of beer each. You wore one of his shirts and a pair of boxer shorts, while he wore a sleeveless shirt and sweatpants. You were watching ‘Money Heist’ on his iPad Pro, and both of your arms were linked around each other’s bodies – yours were on his neck and his were on your waist. You nuzzled your face on his chest, and he responded by kissing the top of your head.

“Did you miss me that much, baby?” He asked, tilting your head to look at him. You were not sure if he was tipsy – his face and ears were flushed.

“Yeah,” you murmured, stealing a peck from his lips, “we’re always so busy during the weekdays that we can only catch up every weekend.”

“I’ll fix my schedule so we can have dinner at least every other day. Sounds good?” It was his turn to peck you on the lips, which you returned with much force.

You paused the episode you were watching and caught up with you intimately with cuddles and kisses. When you pulled away to catch your breath, he pressed your forehead against yours.

“Hey, babe?” You started, looking up at his deep chocolate eyes.

“Yeah?” He tightened his hold around your waist and pecked your forehead.

“How much do you love me?” You cringed inwardly at how saccharine you sounded, but you were curious to know his answer.

“Baby, do I really need to answer that?” He broke his hold on you as he massaged his temple with one of his hands. “Of course, my love for you is limitless! It knows no bounds! It can’t be measured at all.”

“Why do you love me so much?” This time, you sounded as if you were about to cry. You were quite moved with his answer, but you just had to hear more from him.

“Because I just do?” You cocked your head to the side, signaling for him to continue. “There are some questions that don’t need answers because really baby, actions speak louder than words.”

With that, he kissed you again, and you reciprocated with all the love you have.

You were lucky to have a man like him in your life, and you wanted everyone to know of that. Maybe soon, because now he’s all yours for the taking.

“You’re so clingy right now, are you ovulating?” He asked, squeezing your butt. You thwacked him on the shoulder and bit his upper forearm.

He yelped in pain, which motivated you to dig your teeth deeper into his arm. When his scream sounded more girly than yours, you let go.

“You idiot, of course not! I just missed you, that’s all,” you said after wiping the saliva from your mouth. He glared at you for a moment before peppering your faces with kisses.

“And I missed you too. I hope we can have more moments like this every day, baby.”

“Same, love, same,” you whispered, caressing his cheek.

You exchanged more mellifluous words before Johnny decided to continue watching the series you put on hold.

You were back again in your original position, arms wrapped around each other as you watched ‘Money Heist’ in his device.

–––

FIN

How He Loves

Let’s throw it back to one of the first Johnny-centric stories I’ve written, which was during the time I was just getting into NCT 127 and not that into Johnny yet. 

Look at me now – I’m head over heels, and I try my best to obtain his merchandise if I can afford it. And of course, I live for his Bubble messages at Lysn!  

This GIF gets me every time – the nerve of this flirt to do this to me, but I know I like it! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: This piece was written after this post. Hence, they are connected. I’ll do a master list soon of all my posts and which ones are connected. Maybe you can remind me too? 

POV: 2nd here, baby. 

Word count: 1,000 + words 

Recommended listening: I’m an Arctic Monkeys stan, so feel free to listen to the songs I will embed here. And yes, I’m sharing my playlist of depressing songs too that shares the same title as the one Essie has.

–––

As one of the most famous poems starts, “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”

You love that Johnny is open to any of your interests, eventually loving them as his own.

Both of you have diverse music tastes, but you listen to more indie than pop. He has learned to love the Arctic Monkeys, your favorite band of all time. Whenever the two of you are headed to the pub, he always played their ‘AM’ album. He sings along with you to Matt’s high-pitched voice in ‘Knee Socks’ and slightly raps with you to ‘Why’d You Only Call Me When You’re High.’ On sunny morning road trips, he would play their ‘Suck It and See’ album, and the two of you will poke fun of ‘Brick by Brick.’ Then, the two of you will get sentimental when ‘Love is a Laserquest’ comes on, and he would always hold your hand at the end of the song.

You have also learned to love more Korean pop because of him, and now you have a newfound appreciation for girl groups and even hip-hop artists. Both of you loved creating playlists for each other to the point that you have a lot of playlists already. You always play one of his creations whenever you’re on your commute or when you’re just chilling at home. He admitted that he listens to your ‘Of Heartbreak and Despair’ playlist when he wants to get in touch with his emotional side, and you couldn’t help but be flattered by this information.

You love that Johnny allows you to smoke when it’s just the two of you after Kibum goes off on his way. The older guy doesn’t tolerate smoking and gets into a fit when he smells cigarette smoke on you.

Once it’s just you and Johnny, he finds the nearest Starbucks he could drive to. You sit outside with him sipping an iced Americano and you a piping hot Café Mocha. You light a stick and blow the smoke away from him, but sometimes he makes fun of you by leaning closer and inhaling loudly the smoke that came from your mouth. You nudge him aside, and he just laughs at you, amused at your reaction. “Don’t do that Youngho, sitting beside me is already secondhand smoke for your pretty lungs,” you muttered, tugging the hood of your jacket to cover your face.

He lets you finish three sticks at most and slaps your hand away from the carton when you’re about to get your fourth stick. “No more,” he grunted, before squeezing your hand into his. You break away from his grip easily and immediately search for the hand sanitizer in your bag. You don’t want his hand to smell like smoke or any part of him actually. Sometimes, you would spray with him with your Victoria’s Secret perfume, so he still smells good. He loved the smell of Bombshell that he now keeps a bottle or two in his car.

You love how patient he is with you in many ways, but let’s start first when you two work out.

You admit that you are a lazy ass bitch who just wants to sleep all day, but he won’t allow that. He would invite you to exercise with him, whether that’s doing muay thai or aerial yoga. There were times you felt like covering your face in embarrassment when you couldn’t do some moves or positions, but he never made fun of you. Instead, he would assist the trainer to help you perfect the routine. He did not mind how sticky your arm was with sweat as he held it in his warm hand.

After you struggle with his exercise of choice, he would treat you to your favorite food. The two of you would eat at your favorite Italian restaurant, where you unabashedly stuff your face with focaccia bread. He will just laugh at your puffy cheeks as he mixes the balsamic vinegar and olive oil for you to dip your bread on. If you didn’t go there, you two would head out for some Persian food. You love how joyful he looks whenever he douses the basmati rice and beef chelo kebab with loads of garlic sauce, and laugh when he makes faces after eating ox brain.

Another way that you love him being patient with you is when he has no complaints waiting for you to get ready when going out.

As much as it pains you to admit it, you are a high-maintenance girl. You always want to look glamorous and make a statement whenever you went out, even if you would just grab groceries beside your apartment. You couldn’t leave the house with some makeup on and huge hoop earrings.

He would tuck the stray hairs away from your face when your curls couldn’t be pushed back by your headband. Or he would tie your hair away from your face when you were too focused on blending your eyeshadow, mumbling that he’s bored, and he likes playing with your fluffy mane. In return, you would do his eyes when he felt like adding another accessory to his look. Most of the time, he requested for a brown smoky eye, and you always delivered. “I wish you’re a part of our tour, I’ll have you as my makeup artist,” he chuckled, admiring the work you did.

“Shut up,” you muttered, packing away the makeup you used on him. He grabbed your wrist and pulled you closer to him, his eyes making contact with yours.

You felt your cheeks heat up as he looked at you rather intensely. It felt as if he was peering at your soul.

You know he’s handsome. If you were being honest with yourself, he looks like a prince right out of a fairy tale. All you needed him to do was wear a pristine military uniform. When he winked, you burst into laughter.

“The fuck was that,” you whispered, removing his hand on your wrist. “We both look good in smoky eyes, baby,” he replied seductively before winking again. The both of you just laughed at how silly this situation was turning, and maybe this masked how you two felt for each other.

You still couldn’t believe that he loves you more than just a friend. It has been two weeks since his confession, and your mind hasn’t grasped the idea of you two going out on dates, even if people thought your hangouts were more-than-friendly dates.

––

FIN

Studies on Tension (Part II)

The follow-up to this piece is now here, and of course, I can’t resist a fierce-looking (or in other words, intimidating) Johnny GIF to start it off. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Aside from what has been mentioned, this is also a piece that I wrote inspired by the prompt list created by @neoculturedrabbles​.

POV: 3rd person here. 

Word count: 950 words 

–––

Prompt #4: I had a dream we were dating.

Johnny spotted Essie lying on the couch still in her work clothes. She was scrolling through her phone while hugging a throw pillow, oblivious to anyone who might see her. 

He had just finished cooking, and he didn’t notice the arrival of his housemate. Sometimes, Essie liked to be sneaky to both him and Mark and surprise them with her presence without saying a word.

“Hey, Essie,” he started, slowly approaching her. He wasn’t sure if she was in a good mood or no,t but it pays to be cautious when she had just arrived from work. She can get quite snappy when asked the wrong questions. 

“Hey, John,” she said, not looking up from her phone. She was intent on reading whatever was on the screen and barely moved from her position at all.

“I just cooked dinner. Would you like to eat now?” He crouched down to her level, tilting her phone a bit so she could see his face. She blinked in return, and she sat up a moment later. 

“What did you cook?” She straightened her skirt and wiggled her legs a bit before standing up. “Our favorite: Mexican food. Come see it for yourself,” This time, he led her to the dining table by holding her wrist.

She had no violent reaction to this – in fact, she looked at the back of his head with an inscrutable expression. 

Essie remembered the dream she had recently, and what he did was giving her déjà vu. It was as if a part of that dream replayed tonight as he held her wrist to lead her somewhere.

When she saw he cooked burritos and quesadillas, she sighed contentedly. “Aw, Johnny! You have just satisfied my Mexican food craving with this!” 

“That’s great to hear! Shall we dig in?” He gestured for her to sit in her usual seat, which she did and dug in with gusto to the dishes he prepared. 

While they ate, he found her silence a bit disturbing. Usually, they conversed about everything while eating dinner. It was one of his favorite parts of the day since they get to air out their concerns, discuss current events, and just get to know each other better. 

They have been best friends for over a year now, and they have been housemates for more than six months. It wouldn’t hurt if their relationship becomes closer than that, right? 

“You know, Youngho…I had a dream we were dating,” Essie said after an awkward moment of silence.

“Oh? What did we do there?” This got Johnny’s interest as he almost bumped his body into the table to be closer to her. 

“Nothing much, it’s almost the same as the things we do regularly. However, there was one instance that you held my wrist and led me to places you wanted us to see. It reminded me of what you did earlier, to be honest…” Her voice faltered at the end, and he saw that she attempted to hide her flushed face from him with her shoulder. 

“Okay... I mean, I do that to you regularly? Sometimes, I even hold your hand when I want you to see some things, and you move like the slowpoke that you are,” that got him a glare, “but what else did you dream about us…dating?”

It took Essie a while to answer, as she chewed her lip on how best to continue her story. 

“Well, that’s it. Just the way you held my wrist reminded me of that.”

“Didn’t we kiss there? Or even hug? I do hug you almost every day, but how about kissing? Wait, I do kiss you, but not in that sense, though!” Johnny became a blubbering mess, and the girl sitting across him covered her red face with her hands. 

“Oh dear, he made a big deal out of it. I should’ve kept my mouth shut,” she grumbled, peeking at him through the spaces in between her fingers. He was still babbling about what he does as her best friend.

“Come to think of it, the things I do for you border on what a boyfriend can do for his partner.” His realization made Essie groan. 

“So, what does that mean then?” She asked eventually, her face once again covered by her clammy hands.

“I don’t know, should we try dating? I mean, if you’re up to it?” 

It was incredible at how Johnny stayed calm and collected while asking questions that can make or break a moment. 

“Are you serious?” The girl’s voice bordered on hysterics, which she downplayed by coughing afterward.

“If you are, then sure. After all, isn’t that the next course of action when a girl and a boy became best friends with each other?” 

Essie looked at his face and saw that he was indeed serious with his words. “Please forget I talked about this,” she mumbled, eating the rest of her burrito with her head bowed. 

Although their conversation about her dream ended awkwardly, Johnny felt a mixture of hurt and disappointment that his best friend didn’t think of leveling up their relationship. 

He wouldn’t mind dating her since they know so much about each other already, but if she doesn’t feel the same, he felt like a fool for suggesting that they get together. 

Why do girl-boy friendships can be so complicated? Why is there a likely possibility that they fall for each other? There are three outcomes from that scenario – first, they can remain friends; second, they can become a couple; and third, their friendship is no more.

He hoped that they don’t end up as the last option.

––

FIN