A Tale Of Two Valentines (Part II)

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! :)

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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

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! :) 

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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 

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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

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! :) 

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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 

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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.

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! :)

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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? 

Soul-searching (Part II)

Sometimes, we need to commit mistakes to learn from them. It may sound horrible, but deep inside, you know it’s not far from the truth. 

Anyway, this wraps up Essie’s so-called journey before she reconciled with Johnny. If you’ve been a loyal reader since day one and know which story it’s connected to, please give me a holler?  

Since Oh Sehun from EXO co-stars in this piece, here’s a dreamy GIF of him. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: This picks up from the last installment, but with a few days’ interval. Essie, who felt hurt, depressed, and lost after her encounter with Kun, ends up drinking with Oh Sehun in a bar. Before you know it, the story has become one of those cliches. In short, another brain fart from yours truly. 

POV: Shockingly, I wrote a 1st person POV! Do you think I should keep it up?

Word count: 1,200 + words

–––

“You know, if things were different, we could’ve dated.”

I almost spat the beer I was drinking when Sehun that. “Dude, please. Be serious.”

“But I am,” I heard him shuffling closer to me, “and I know what I’m saying doesn’t help your situation either.”

“Well, maybe you’re drunk than you’ve let on,” I whispered, examining the bottle I was holding. Its amber color was intoxicating, even if I have already held it a hundred of times.

“Babe, I’m far from drunk,” he scoffed, “haven’t you heard that when you’re drunk, you’re more likely to tell what’s on your mind than when you’re sober?”

I looked at him briefly, and he grinned like the cheeky bastard that he is. “It’s true. Youngho knows that I like you, but he told me not to pursue you. As a friend, I respected that.”

I was shocked with the information I heard – Johnny told Oh Sehun not to take his chance with me, which makes me cringe at the mere thought of it.

I have to admit that I found him handsome when I first met him. He had that mysterious charm around him, but the more he stayed with us, the more I found him cocky and annoying. That put me off with him completely, and I forgot that I even liked him in the first place.

Now that I ended up at this bar with him, I don’t know what to feel or say for now. I got another bottle of beer from the bucket we ordered and drank silently as I looked out into the night sky.

“What’s on your mind, princess?” Sehun broke the silence, and I felt him close the small space between us. I could feel his body heat as well as his sweat.

“I wonder why I end up in these kinds of situations,” I glanced at him and saw that he was also looking at the dark cityscape.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I ruin relationships, I guess? I broke Youngho’s heart because I had an affair with Yoon Oh, and I lead on Kun,” I took another swig of beer before searching my bag for another pack of cigarettes.

“Here,” Sehun gave me his stick that had already burned halfway. I did not hesitate to put it in my lips and took a long drag. I felt so awful right now, and I know that having drinks with him wasn’t helping at all.

But he was drinking alone at this bar that I’ve always wanted to go to, and now I ended up in a private area at the rooftop with him. Fortunately, we could smoke here as much as we could, and he wouldn’t make me feel guilty if I finish a pack or two.

“Wow, that’s quite a record,” he said after he was halfway through a new stick, “but things happen for a reason. Maybe they ought to teach you a lesson or two for breaking other people’s hearts. Or maybe it’s karma? Did you do something horrible before?” He snickered before putting out the cigarette on the ashtray.

“I don’t know anymore, seriously. But you know,” I leaned back on the couch, holding the beer bottle closer to my chest, “based on what you told me earlier, we could’ve dated in a situation like this.”

The alcohol is doing its job on ruining myself more; the sober side of me thought after this was all over.

“Hm? Tell me more,” Sehun mimicked my actions, and he gave me a dopey smile this time.

“I could be drinking with a couple of friends, and you’ll be on the other table. We’d catch each other looking, and we’ll be giggling messes because we’ve drunk quite a bit. Later on, we’d make excuses to get to know each other by going to the bathroom, and before we know it–––”

He never let me finish the story because he had already kissed me.

He tasted like memories of a careless past – a bittersweet mixture of alcohol, cigarettes, and his personal taste. I am reminded of the times I used to kiss boys back in college during parties and then kick their nuts when they wanted to have sex with me when I didn’t want to.

I had the urge to pull him away, but I couldn’t. He had already pinned my arms on the sofa, and his kisses became more ravenous.

When we almost lost our breaths to that intense kiss, he broke away but still held my wrists.

“That story of yours could’ve been us, really,” he said, still panting, “but now we got to the part that can happen but won’t ever get repeated.”

“Sehun, please,” I cried, “Don’t make things worse. I’m begging you.” My whole face felt warm, probably because of the alcohol and shame I was feeling. Even the tears that I cried felt like it was going to burn my face.

He let go of my wrists and resumed drinking. He didn’t say anything when he finished another bottle and took out another cigarette. All of that, I observed while I cried silently.

“I’m sorry, Essie. I admit I know what I’m doing, but rest assured, it would be the last time I’ll do that. So please,” he looked at me with teary eyes, “do the right thing and fix everything with Youngho before it’s too late.”

A few minutes later, we were at the sidewalk waiting for a cab.

“I would suggest that you return in a prettier state, not like the hot mess that you are now,” he chuckled, eyeing me from head to toe. I rolled my eyes at him and shoved my hands deeper into my coat’s pockets. “I can freshen up inside the car, dude. No need to worry about me.”

When Sehun finally hailed an empty cab, he pulled me into a half-hug and patted my shoulder. “Remember, do the right thing,” he whispered.

I nodded as I stepped inside the cab. We waved at each other once I was inside, and I burst into tears again when he was out of sight.

///

I did my best to compose myself before returning to the apartment I shared with my boyfriend and our common friend. I wiped away the damage my tears have done to my makeup and retouched. I took a couple of mint candies and spritzed some perfume on my pulse points.

What took most of my time inside the cab was that I prayed for things to better, for me to be more responsible for my actions and to be more understanding of how other people feel.

I prayed for a lot of things that would help me become a better partner because I know that Johnny Suh is the one for me.

I’ve done a lot of questionable things over the past few months, but my heart knows that it is with Johnny that I find true peace and contentment.

To those I have hurt, I deeply apologize for what I’ve done. I can’t claim that I never meant to break your hearts, but as sad as it sounds, what happened was part of a learning process for us.

Maybe we’re meant to burn our bridges, or maybe we can still be friends without falling for each other.

I took a deep breath when I was in front of our apartment. I noticed that the lights were off – it was already three in the morning – but that didn’t stop me from going back to where my heart has always belonged.

I’m back, my love.

–––

FIN

Where was I?

Yeah, where did I go for almost a month? Nowhere – I’m still stuck at home given the situation where I’m at is getting worse each day. 

I know I haven’t posted for a while, but I had to take care of some things in my personal life. I was not in a good place during the time of my last post, and things got worse too on my end. I had to step back, take a breather, and reflect on why I’m feeling this and doing that. 

Now that I’m in a better place – well, sort of – I will resume this blog’s regular programming. There might be times that I might not post for a week, but it won’t take as long unless I say so. 

You never know what might happen in life, right? That’s why please take care of yourself always and ask for help when you need it. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)