Video Call

Video Call

Imagine if this was the view on your phone screen. 

I might pass out in real life, but we have Essie to fulfill our fangirl fantasies. 

Before you think anything else about this piece, let me say that it’s fluffy and funny. Well, a bit funny. You guys know how I write already. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

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Summary: To change things up, this piece was not written with a fluff generator in mind. I was just missing Johnny and thought of writing video call snippets and more between him and Essie. 

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 700 + words

Warning: One of the scenarios here was inspired by real-life, and as usual with me, it has sexual innuendoes. Nothing extreme, just a bit perverted. There’s also a song at the end of the post since I mentioned one here too. Lastly, text messages are with single quotations and italics. 

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“I miss you so much already,” Essie whined to the screen, pouting when she saw her boyfriend smirk at her. 

Johnny was in Chicago right now, visiting his parents. Although she had already met them here a couple of months ago, they returned to the place they called home a week after that. 

The first week of December passed by with them apart from each other. She was sad that he wasn’t going to spend the holidays with her, and that included her birthday. She understood that he has family on the other side of the globe, and it has been a while since he was there.

“Don’t you think that I feel the same way?” Johnny huffed, looking briefly at both of his sides, “I miss you so much too, baby. I’ll find a way to be there on your birthday,” He looked sadly at the camera and frowned when he saw that his girlfriend was tearing up. 

“It’s fine, love. I understand your obligations,” she sniffed, “the most we can do is to keep in touch with each other. But I hope you’ll be here for my 27th…”

“I’ll try my best, okay? Don’t cry now,” he comforted her through the screen, pressing his thumb lightly over the image of her crying face. 

Their call lasted for a few more minutes since Essie had visitors coming. She decided to host a fancy dinner for her closest friends – Nini was out of the country with Jongin, if people were curious to know – before their social calendar becomes full with other holiday parties. 

Later on, she received a text from Johnny: ‘Hope you had fun with your dinner party! And I hope you didn’t drink a lot. I’m not there to baby you and your hangover. Be a good girl tonight, and I promise to make it up to you when I get back. I love you so much, my baby princess!’

She couldn’t help but get teary-eyed again with his message, but at the same time, her smile grew bigger. 

Essie felt so loved this evening despite the distance she has now with her boyfriend. 

\\\

Johnny laughed when he opened the photo that his girlfriend of more than six months sent him.  

Essie sent him a photo of her eating a Hungarian sausage with gusto. She bit into the meat stick with her eyes closed, with cheese oozing out at the sides.

He knew that his girl loved meat, but this was telling him something else as well. The message that accompanied her photo was: ‘I got myself a Hungarian sausage with cheese at the food bazaar today. It reminded me of you; I don’t know why. Or maybe I do know why! Hahahaha love you John hope you eat something that reminds you of me~’

“Baby, you’re hilarious,” he said to no one in particular before he burst into laughter again.  

A few hours later, he sent her a photo of him eating a carton of her favorite ice cream.  He added a message too: ‘Of course, I just have to eat your favorite baby! As one of your favorite songs said: you’re cold as ice cream but still as sweet. So dry your eyes, Sunday girl~’ 

After reading it, the girl sang the lyrics he referenced, earning her looks from fellow pedestrians. She shrugged them off and hummed the song as she continued her walk home. 

\\\

There was nothing new with Essie swiping Johnny’s clothing, especially his outerwear. 

The guy chuckled when he received a photo of his love wearing his brown fuzzy jacket. The caption of her photo read: ‘Mama Bear misses you so much, Papa Bear. Since you’re not here, I’ll wear this for now. Thank you and love you forever John!’ 

He replied to her post with a selfie of him pouting. ‘Who said you could wear that, Mama Bear? Loljk of course we have shared custody over that fluffy jacket haha I love you more Essie!’ was the message he typed after sending his photo.  

On the other side of the screen, Essie giggled when she saw her boyfriend’s response to her photo. “Shared custody, eh?” She eyed at the teddy jacket she now wore, “As if this thing’s our baby! John is silly, as always!” She wiggled her fingers first before she composed her reply to his latest message. 

––

FIN

The Look

Like Tripping, I tried to post this through the app, but the content didn’t appear. What a bummer, so we’re starting all over again. 

My subconscious is telling me that this week’s all about the past, so here’s the actual continuation on one of my first posts here. 

You’re a true Johfam if you’ve heard of the title before. If not, maybe this GIF can help you refresh your memory?

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

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Summary: To continue what I was saying in the beginning, this piece is the continuation of this one, plus a necessary flashback. I hope that the main timeline is making more sense as I post more of my old writing though. Are you following along or not really? Please let me know.

POV: 2nd person 

Word count: 1,200 + words 

Warning: Italics are for thoughts. As per usual, the video of the song mentioned will be embedded below for your listening pleasure. 

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Once upon a time, Mark Lee has told you about The Look.

It was the look that Johnny gave when he was flirting.

His eyes narrowed, and his already full lips seemed like they wanted to kiss the person they were talking to.

And right now, you saw that he was giving you The Look. At your family home. With your mother and sister moving around the dining table both of you were seated at. They were busy preparing for your dinner, and he was your guest of honor.

“So Essie,” he started, one of his long arms reaching over you, “have you ever thought of spending Christmas with somebody other than family?”

Your eyes widened at his question. October was about to end, and he had already been thinking of Christmas.

“Well, I can, but I don’t think most of my friends are free during that day? Why do you ask?”

“I was thinking if you can come home with me in Chicago? You know, my parents know you’re one of my best friends, and I think you’re the only one who hasn’t been there in our house,” he said while running a hand through his glossy locks.

There was it again – The Look. It was as if he wanted to pull you into his lap and kiss you, but at the same time, he had to behave since it was his first time at your house with your family.

“Is that so? Well…maybe?” You mumbled, looking away from his come hither stare.

But before he could even reply, he was cut off by your sister. “Essie, can you help us set the table, please?” With her request, you were immediately up and running. Johnny stood up too and helped you. He held the plates and utensils in his arms as you put placemats on all the seats. You placed the utensils while he set the plates. You had teamwork down pat to the point that you gave each other fist bumps after doing so.

“Nice work, dude!” You laughed, which he returned with a shy smile. You raised an eyebrow at him since this wasn’t the usual response he gave you after a fist bump. In return, he held your wrist and dragged you away from the dining area.

He stopped when both of you were on the porch, where you saw the sun about to set. It was a beautiful sight – hues of blue, orange, and pink painted the sky. You sighed at the wonder that is nature, and you heard him do so as well.

“What’s up?” You asked, swiveling your body towards him. “Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you privately,” he replied, moving closer to you.

“What is private about this?” You gestured to the open space in front of you – there were houses beside you, and there were still some children playing across your home.

“Well, they wouldn’t listen to what we’re going to talk about, eh?” He cocked his head to the side, The Look forming on his face again.

“And what do you mean by that?” You had your hands on your hips, about to get sassy on him. To be honest, The Look was making you feel nervous.

He’s my best friend, yet he’s acting so flirty with me. I don’t want to get the wrong idea, unless…

He wrapped his arms around you and pulled him to his chest. You were about to protest, but you felt one of his big hands caress your hair. You know that made you weak.

“I can’t take this anymore, Essie,” he purred, his voice making your legs feel like jelly. You could only look at up him in surprise.

“I want us to be more than what we are now,” he said, eyes twinkling with conviction. He even had to pull you away a bit and make you steady.

Your eyes widened once more at what you’re hearing. He was full of surprises today, and at least your poor heart can still handle it.

“Will you be my girlfriend?”

It was as if the world stopped that moment – your eyes stared into Johnny’s, his hands now clasped on yours. All he needed to do was bend, like the prince that you secretly thought he was. And when he did, everything went black.

///

You woke up to the sound of ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ by Muse. “Why would someone play that song so early in the morning?” You grumbled, rubbing your eyes agitatedly at the loud sound booming from your speakers.

Once your vision has adjusted, you saw your boyfriend in his boxer briefs dancing and lip-syncing to the song.

Oh shit, you thought, your mind racing with a million thoughts. Did he sleep over at my house or what?

Once he reached the falsetto part, you noticed how tight his underwear was. And of course, he was sculpted to the gods. But since you are a grumpy person before having coffee, you smacked him with a pillow.

“Put some clothes on, Johnny motherclucking Suh!” You said, your voice still hoarse.

He didn’t get mad that you threw a pillow to cover his nearly naked figure. He laughed instead and decided to torture you more. He got back into the bed with you and tickled you until you were in tears both from laughter and pain.

“Stop it, please,” you said in between panting, getting tired from his unique torture exercise. He did what was told and flipped you to face him. You saw stubble on his face, and you couldn’t help but peck at it. You found it sexy since he always shaves it. “You really like it when I have facial hair, no?” He whispered, his breath almost tickling your ear.

“Yeah, I like it when you look a bit dirty,” you said, your hands now cupping his face. He gave you The Look, and your hands found its way around his neck.

“You know, I was dreaming about your confession.”

This startled him a bit, and he tightened his grip around your waist. “What about it?”

“I can’t believe that I fainted when you did,” you said, burying your face on his shoulder.

“I bet you fell for my Disney prince imitation,” he snickered, moving a bit so he could see your flustered face.

“You know I have a weakness for that!” Your whine was met with a peck after, which led to some kisses here and there.

Today was Day 2 of you and Johnny becoming official. He stayed over at your house after Key left, helping you clean the house. Although you know you can be quite a horny bitch, Johnny didn’t do anything funny or anything that you did not approve of. You slept hugging each other since both of you were tired from the chores you had to do.

“You sure are a messy girl,” You remembered him telling you, rolling his eyes to annoy you even more. You replied with a thwack on his butt. “Shut it,” you grumbled before you hugged him tighter.

“Night night, baby princess,” he said, kissing you on the forehead. You smiled in your sleep, wholeheartedly contented and satisfied with life.

–––

FIN

Quarantine Series (Part II)

For this week, it’s going to be all about this series. Let’s be consistent for a change! 

This picture of Johnny inspired me to write this second part, and I mean, who wouldn’t want a man who can carry a bag of groceries like that and more? I also love this look on him: his hair color and eye makeup look gorgeous! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

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Summary: Aside from what I have mentioned, expect something hilariously awkward here. You know, it’s my thing. If you don’t like it, you can pretend that you didn’t read it. But it’s the truth anyway when you’re in or have been in a relationship with someone.

POV: 3rd person

Word count: 700+ words

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Johnny is someone who can’t stay still at home and he’s slowly losing his mind the longer he is in the apartment. He feels that his body becomes heavier, making him lethargic.

Given the situation now – have you not heard of the Coronavirus pandemic? – he has to limit his exposure outside for fear of risking the health of his housemates Mark and Essie.

He kept on pacing the whole place as a simple way of exercising, then eventually got his workout gear and did an hour-long routine in the living room. When he wasn’t satisfied, he decided to walk around some more before deciding to check on his friends since their doors weren’t closed.

Mark was asleep and he didn’t bother to wake up the younger guy. God knows that he needed it – the Korean-Canadian was overworked and this was the perfect opportunity for him to catch up on sleep.

Essie, on the other hand, looked cozy in her bed while typing away on her laptop. He noticed there was a mug of coffee on her bedside table and a plate of biscuits. She looked happy as she typed swiftly on the keyboard, but he ruined her moment when he completely opened the door to reveal himself.

“Jesus Christ, John! You scared me!” She gasped, clutching a hand to her chest. “Sorry about that, baby,” he apologized, rubbing the back of his neck, “I was just checking up on you guys. Mark’s sleeping like a baby.” He sat at the edge of her bed, which prompted Essie to put away her laptop to fully accommodate him.

“He needs it badly, man,” she whispered, patting the free space beside her. Johnny crawled to her right side and got under the covers. “So, what brings you here, sir?”

“Is there anything you need to buy outside? I can do some grocery shopping if we’re running low of some supplies,” he offered, hoping that she doesn’t berate him for his desire to go outside in a time like this.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she flicked the space between his eyebrows with her fingers, “you want to go outside. You know, if there wasn’t any pandemic right now, I’d let you do whatever it is you want. But we’re dealing with something we can’t even see, for Christ’s sake,” Essie sat up on her bed and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m concerned about our health, Youngho.”

“But I’m perfectly healthy! I observe proper hygiene and wash my hands, like, over a hundred times,” he whined, mirroring her actions and ending his statement with a pout.

“That’s not the point, love,” she grumbled, dropping her arms on her sides. “But if you insist, fine. I’m about to run out on some essentials, like…” It took her a while to complete her sentence, which made the guy beside her cock his head to the side. “Yes, what is it that you need, princess?”

“I need sanitary napkins,” she whispered while looking him straight in the eyes.

There was a moment of silence as the two stared at each other. “Would that be regular, with wings, overnighter, or a combination of two?” He whispered back, which earned him a slap on his forearm.  

“Johnny! You already know my napkin preference!” Essie’s face was red as she threw playful punches on his arm. He laughed at her cute flustered face before wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her into a hug. “Of course I do, it’s been six months since I’ve been buying your napkins,” he kissed the top of her head. “Anything else to add to that?”

“Well, let’s list everything that we need so you don’t have to go out that much,” she said, standing up to get a pad of paper and pen to write down what they needed to replenish in their household.

“Hey! I can only carry so much, baby! Unless you come with me?”

“No, I’m going to stay put here. Sorry, but I don’t want to risk our health,” she returned to the bed with her tools, “and fine, you buy whatever it is you can fit and carry in two shopping bags.”

“And then I get to go back to the grocery soon?”

“Johnny, I swear to God,” she groaned, “maybe give it a week or two before you go back there again, okay?” She pinched his cheek before uncapping the pen. “Now, where were we?” 

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FIN

How They Met

How original of me to use that title for this post, but getting straight to the point is always a good thing. 

Now we’re getting into the beginnings of Johnny and Essie’s relationship, so that might be something you’ll be reading more of soon. 

I’m imagining that this GIF could be something that he’ll do when you get to know him for the first time. Do you agree?

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

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Summary: To copy what I wrote on my draft: Inspired by an IG post of Johnny caught staring at the camera every time he’s at the airport. Yeah, he will make me nervous too. But I won’t back down – I’ll give him a wink in return! I find my thoughts amusing sometimes. 

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 1,440 words 

Warning: Italics are for thoughts, people. 

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Legend has it that Johnny Suh likes to look at people straight in the eye to make them feel nervous.

That was what Essie Park felt when she made eye contact with the tall guy, who was waiting next to her in Starbucks.

They were waiting for their orders at the counter, and she felt that someone was looking at her. She was correct – she saw the guy was staring at her. She didn’t back down from his intense stare and returned it briefly before she realized how handsome he was.

When she focused her attention on the barista who was preparing her order, she felt her cheeks grow warm. A few seconds later, her name was called, and she grabbed her order hastily.

Nope, she wasn’t going to look back at the handsome guy who might be staring at her still.

Essie was, once again, correct – Johnny Suh was observing her. She stood out among the crowd with her curly hair, flashy denim jacket, and leopard-print pants. She looked ready to prowl in this concrete jungle, and there was a part of him that wanted to join her.

The girl was eating with her best friend Nini, who sipped at her hot chocolate quietly and went back to work. Meanwhile, she ate her penne pasta with gusto and slurped her mocha frap with no care in the world. She was hungry, and she was not afraid to show it to everyone.

This made Johnny smile, who drank his iced Americano from afar and almost zoned out on what his friend was saying.

“Were you even listening, John?” Jeong Jaehyun waved a hand on his face, raising an eyebrow at him as well.

He apologized, but his eyes were still on the girl devouring her meal. Jaehyun followed his stare and noticed Essie who had sauce on the sides of her mouth.

“That girl sure is hungry,” he chuckled, looking at Johnny whose eyes never left her. “Yeah, I know. She intrigues me,” his voice softened at the end as well as his stare. “I think she’s cute.”

Jaehyun looked at the girl again, then at Johnny. He repeated the motion a couple of times until he giggled. “Go ahead, John. Make a move on her. I dare you,” he poked a finger on his friend’s chest, who swatted it away from him.

“I don’t know; I’m shy?” Johnny confessed, his face and ears turning crimson. “You? Shy? What happened to that overconfident guy that I know of?” Jaehyun poked him again in the chest.

“Let it rest, Jay,” the taller guy rolled his eyes, “It’ll happen. I’ll talk to her.”

\\\

Essie and Nini returned to their apartment after their breakfast at Starbucks, wherein they resumed their daily activities. Nini was working on a project while Essie was editing another textbook. When she got bored with reading too many words, she shifted her attention to editing a video for fun.

Since both were too busy to cook – and to be honest, the girls weren’t great at it – they decided to get takeout. Essie craved Chinese food, which her best friend didn’t have a problem with. “Chinese food is universal,” she said before focusing back on her project again.

Forty-five minutes after their call, the doorbell to their apartment rang, and Essie stood up to get it. The delivery guy was beaming at her with their food, and she returned his enthusiasm. But before she could even enter her apartment again, she saw the guy at Starbucks right next door.

Their eyes landed on each other, and it made her feel nervous again. She was about to step inside her home when the guy jogged towards her, his eyes never leaving her.

What is it with this guy, and he keeps staring me at like I’m some kind of freak? She thought, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. She couldn’t move from her spot, as if in a spell from his stare.

“Hi there,” he greeted once he was in front of her. “I know I was beside you at Starbucks a while ago,” he smiled, making her blush.

Essie could only nod, slowly covering her face with the paper bag containing their takeout.

“I just wanted to say that you looked awesome. I like the jacket that you wore.”

The girl was dumbfounded at his statement. Seriously? Just because of my jacket? She felt a bit disappointed but at the same time, relieved that it wasn’t anything major.

“Uh, thanks?” He nodded at her simple response, but he didn’t move from his spot. “So, what’s your name?” Essie couldn’t stand awkward moments and had to ask him anything.

“Oh, sorry! That was not smooth of me,” he chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “I’m Johnny, by the way. You can also call me John if you like.” He held out a hand for her to shake, which she did with her free hand.

“I’m Essie,” she said, shaking his hand while maintaining eye contact. That was the way you were supposed to do it anyway.

“So, you live here, eh?” He asked, looking around the area after they were done with their handshake. “Actually, I was visiting some friends here. I’m sure you know Taemin and Kai, right?”

Johnny was ahead of you and told you why he was here. But when you heard him mention your neighbors, your eyes widened. “Yeah, they live right next door?” She jerked her thumb towards their apartment, which was to your left. “How do you know them?”

“Oh, I used to go to school with them. I decided to pay them a visit along with another friend.” He peered at the house next door and saw a figure through the window. “He was with me in Starbucks too,” he pointed at the guy wearing a brown sweater. “His name is Jaehyun.”

Essie nodded, slowly absorbing all the information she was learning. “Uh-huh,” she mumbled. “Well, nice to meet you, John. See you around!”

She turned back to her apartment, but the guy didn’t let her just yet. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her a bit closer to him. “Hey, wait a minute! I’m not done yet!” He planted the girl back to her spot and smirked. “Since we’re acquaintances now, it is just proper for them to exchange numbers. You never know what we may give each other, right?”

Oh, brother, she groaned to herself before whipping out her phone from her pocket. “Please put in your contact details here,” she deadpanned.

He laughed at her reaction and handed his phone to her. “You do the same as well,” he said, closing the small distance between them.

She could smell his cologne, and she will not deny that he smells so fucking good. She shut her eyes for a moment before she pressed her number rapidly on his phone. “There,” she shoved the device back to his hand, “please save that, and I’m going now.”

“Why are you in a hurry, baby?” He teased, pocketing her phone in his jacket. “I won’t return your phone if you keep on rushing.”

“Dude, I’m hungry. Can’t you see this?” She gestured to the takeout she carried with one hand. “My roommate must be dying of hunger now.”

Johnny burst into laughter and returned her phone in between fits. “You are precious, Essie! I think we’re going to get along well just fine.”

She rolled her eyes at him, getting irritated at how he continuously laughed at her. “I’m sure we are,” she muttered sarcastically.

“Anyway, it was nice to meet you! I’ll keep in touch,” he waved his phone at her, “This won’t be the last time we meet. Have a nice day, baby!”

Essie waved silently but huffed back inside their apartment, where Nini looked at her expectantly. “What happened? I heard someone laughing, and I think it was a guy,” she remarked.

“Yeah, it is. Turns out a friend of Taemin and Kai’s visited them. And he was at Starbucks too.”

“And you flirted with him? Essie, please control yourself!”

“Niniiiii!” The girl whined, stomping her way to the kitchen. “He was the one who flirted with me!”

“I’m sure he did,” Nini teased, now standing up to help her friend. “Anyway, let’s eat! The food must be hot still because someone heated it by flirting with a stranger!”

Essie was close to crying at how her best friend teased her but pouted instead. “I’ll get you for this, you old hag!”

The older girl just laughed and prepared the table for their late lunch.

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FIN

Puppy

And we’re back with some good old fluff, inspired by this photo that I got from Pinterest: 

I’ll leave it up to you to deduce what the story will be, but know it’s going to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

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Summary: This piece, like many others to come, was written using this fluff generator. Here’s the prompt it generated: 

 A puppy follows Johnny home, and Johnny can't bear to part with it. Johnny brings the puppy inside and tries to hide it from Essie.

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 1,200 + words

Warning: There’s a song embedded at the end of this post since I mentioned one. However, it’s not for very young children since the album it appeared in has an Explicit Content sticker on it. But if you’re not a minor, then it’s all good. Just in case any kiddies are reading, you know? 

–––

On his way home, Johnny noticed a black Labrador puppy following him.

He did a photo walk by himself since his best friend, Essie, was busy at work.

They were living together for now since her apartment was under renovation.

Her other best friend, Nini, was the one overseeing the project and had to stay behind. As much as it pained Essie to be away from Nini, she was able to transition well in his home.

After all, he replicated the vibe of her old bedroom in his spare space. He was all about the little details, which she appreciated.

Johnny remembered her as the puppy moved faster so it could walk beside him. He knew that Essie was afraid of dogs, but who could be afraid of a cute little ball of fur?

He picked up the dog whose tiny tail was now wagging. It looked at him expectantly, as if wanting to be taken home. It had silky black fur and huge brown eyes. It didn’t have a collar, which meant that it didn’t belong to anyone.

It was as if the puppy was meant for him, meant to be brought home.

That’s what he did as he carried it like a baby. Passersby cooed at how adorable his little buddy was, some stopping him on the road to pet its glossy fur. Others waved at it, and the puppy barked in response. It was probably delighted that many people found it cute, which is actually the case.

As Johnny was approaching his apartment, he remembered Essie once more. He wasn’t sure how she would react if he brought home the puppy: either she will be terrified, or she will be fine with it. Maybe she would get over her fear of dogs if they have a puppy around!

Despite the brief optimism he thought of his new buddy, he was afraid that it would make Essie uncomfortable. Once he was at the door of his apartment, he decided that he would hide the puppy first.

\\\

Essie arrived around 8 p.m. and looked like a hot mess. Her curly hair was all over the place, and there were food stains on her cardigan.

“Hey, how are you?” Johnny asked, cautiously approaching the girl whose blaring headphones he could hear. He heard Limp Bizkit’s ‘Rollin’, and that could only mean one thing – she was royally pissed.

She took off her headphones and gave a deep sigh. “As always, I’m tired. I had a lot to do for the day, and my brain is ready to be replaced,” she said.

But before she could even change into her pair of room slippers, a small black figure dashed to her side.

Johnny’s eyes widened as he saw the puppy, whom he named Jordan, looking at Essie excitedly.

He hid the puppy in a box where he could easily see it while he cooked dinner. However, he became engrossed in his cooking that he forgot about it.

Essie was frozen in her spot, unable to move since she didn’t know what the puppy will do next. If she moves quickly, the dog may move in the same manner as well. It is also possible that it might get her slippers and gnaw it. If she moves slowly, the dog will continue to look at her curiously and even bark, as if asking what she is doing.

“John…” She started, staring at the puppy who was returning her gesture.

“Yes, babe?” He asked, looking at their interaction.

“Why do we suddenly have a puppy here?”

This time, she looked at him, and he could tell that she was both annoyed and scared.

“Well, it was following me on the way home, and I decided to take it with me because it was too cute to resist…” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

There was a brief silence before Essie replied. “Can you please get the puppy first? I want to change into comfortable clothes.”

Johnny was quick to pick up the puppy and cradled it to his chest. Essie was able to change into her room slippers with ease and went to her bedroom to change clothes.

“You scared Mommy, baby,” he whispered to the puppy, who barked in response. “What? You’re mad at me? Why? After all that I’ve done for you!” He rocked the puppy in his arms, who went silent and decided to snuggle on his arms.

A few moments later, Essie reemerged in her shirt and track bottoms. She watched Johnny taking care of the puppy like it was his baby.

“If this isn’t the cutest thing ever,” she said, leaning against the wall with her arms folded. There was a smile on her face, which made Johnny blush.

He could only count the times Essie smiled genuinely. She laughed most of the time, and seeing her smile at what he was doing gave him weird feelings.

It shouldn’t be weird when he knew that he loves her, right?

Johnny continued to stroke the puppy’s head until it fell asleep on him. This was Essie’s cue to come near and observe the animal. It was definitely cute, just like the guy who was holding him.  

“Would you like to hold Jordan?” he asked, offering the puppy to her. She nodded silently, and he handed her the small dog carefully so it wouldn’t wake up.

Once she did, she cooed at how soft and silky its fur was. She cradled it like a baby as well and even hummed a lullaby. It was Johnny’s turn to gush at this scene and clasped his hands together in glee. “This is the cutest thing ever!” He cried before going to his room to get his camera.

He took a picture of his two favorites – one was with Essie looking at the camera and tilting Jordan towards the camera, and the other was a candid one with her looking at the dog fondly.

Eventually, they put Jordan back in his box and had dinner. While they were eating steak and mashed potatoes, Essie broke their silence with her suggestion.

“Why don’t we get a dog bed for him and some toys?”

Johnny almost choked on his food and looked at her in shock. “You aren’t mad that we have a puppy now?”

She shook her head and gave him another smile that melted his heart. “Yeah, I don’t mind. I mean, it’s really cute. And maybe I can get over my cynophobia with Jordan. And by the way, why did you name him that?”

“He looked like a Jordan to me, babe! And of course, I need another representation of my hometown!”

Both of them laughed at this, as Johnny is known for adding his ‘Chicago’ touch on just about anything.

The evening ended with them watching Netflix on the couch with a newly-awakened Jordan on Essie’s lap. Johnny couldn’t help but smile at both of them as they focused their attention on the screen. He felt warm and complete – he wanted this to be his future. Maybe the only thing missing is a kid, but for now, he’s content that they have this stray puppy that became theirs.

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FIN

P.S. Don’t be like Johnny and pick up a stray puppy out of nowhere, even if it’s the cutest thing ever. Safety first?

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! :) 

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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 

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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.

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FIN