Johnny Suh Romance - Tumblr Posts
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! :)
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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! :)
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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?
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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
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! :)
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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
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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
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! :)
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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
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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
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
Plushie
If I’m being honest with myself, this is one of my favorite Johnny and Essie stories I’ve ever written. I guess you have to read it to know why?
Since this is quite the fluffy piece, here’s a GIF of Johnny during their ‘Touch’ era. I love how calming the green color scheme is too!

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)
–––
Summary: This piece was inspired by this Instagram post, and how we all Johfams know that the man loves his plushies.
POV: 2nd person, ma’am/sir.
Word count: 803 words – wow, I’m exact on this.
–––
You haven’t seen Johnny in days since he went back to his DJ work. He was working till the wee hours of the morning since he had a late-night radio program again with Jaehyun, and he took DJ-ing jobs at random bars in the area.
He would always come home when you have already left the apartment, making you miss his presence. It has been a while since the house smelled like him, and to cope with missing his companionship, you decided to sneak into his room and get one of his stuffed animals lying around on his bed.
You decided to get a white seal plushie, which reminded you of the one you borrowed from a friend. Too bad you had to return it, but it was one of the stuffed animals that you were comfortable hugging. You even remembered the name you gave it: Shiroyuki Fluff Puff.
“He won’t even notice that it’s gone,” you said to no one in particular as you opened the cabinet where he stored more of his stuffed animals. You decided to pluck a white beluga whale plushie to take its place instead.
\\\
The workweek was over for Johnny. He was tired from his schedule since he had to adjust his body clock again. He was grateful for the opportunities given to him, but at the same time, he had less time to hang out with his girlfriend. It was only this Saturday morning that he noticed that one of his favorite stuffed toys was missing. It was the one he fondly called Jay, the white seal plushie.
Since he collected stuffed animals, he rotates the ones he hugs daily. It was Jay’s turn to be hugged, but it was missing on his bed.
There’s only one person he can blame, considering that she has been eyeing it for quite some time already.
He stormed into your room and saw that you were sleeping, your legs half-covered in your blanket. He spotted Jay snuggled comfortably in your arms, and he could see that you were drooling.
Instead of getting mad at you and snatching the plushie away, he decided to join you in your bed. He plopped on your mattress carelessly, stirring you a little.
When you opened your eyes to see who was on your bed, you saw that your boyfriend was grinning at you. “So, you got Jay without asking for my permission,” he said sternly, giving you his best intimidating glare.
You rolled your eyes in response, clutching the plushie closer to you. “So what? You aren’t here most of the time anyway, you’re too busy with your job,” you mumbled before turning to the other side.
Before you could even roll to your right, he stopped you and grabbed the plushie. “Heeey! Jay is mine!” You whined, attempting to grab the stuffed toy from him. He didn’t let you and instead examined what happened to his toy.
“Jesus, baby! You are such a drooler! I can see drool stains on him!” He cried, pointing at the said stains on Jay’s head. You could only cover your face in shame, and you heard him fake sobbing at how one of his toys was ruined.
When he was done, you peeked at the spaces between your fingers and saw that he put the plushie aside. You felt his body come closer to you, and then his arms snaked around your waist.
“Come here,” he said gently as you closed the gap between your bodies. You placed your chin on his shoulder, and he did the same. You stayed in that position for a minute before he spoke.
“I missed you, baby. But we got to get that coin, you know? It’s for our future,” he pulled away a bit so he could see your face.
“I know, but I get lonely when you’re not around for too long,” you said, nuzzling your face on his neck.
“That’s so sweet of you,” he said as he kissed the top of your head. “Well, let’s sleep now. I’m sure you stayed up all night again,” he took a peek at your reddened face, “instead of sleeping early like I always tell you.”
“You and Nini act like my parents!” You grumbled as you dug your chin deeper into his shoulder.
“Well, you are a big baby that’s also mine. So,” he patted your thigh affectionately, “let’s go to sleep. Since you ruined Jay, you’re going to be my plushie for today.”
Both of you readjusted your embrace until you found your comfortable spot. Once you did, you felt him tap your thigh again. It was one of the things he did to make you fall asleep.
“Night night,” he mumbled, still tapping on your thigh. “Morning, my love,” you replied, sleep now taking over you.
–––
FIN
In short, Essie likes to grab other people’s things without permission. Such a bad girl!
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
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! :)
–––
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.
–––
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.
–––
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! :)
–––
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.
–––
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
JN (Part III)
Buckle up for more Johnny and Essie content this week, as this story is quite long that it deserves a part of its own in this series.
As always, I give a clue on what you’re going to read about, so feast on this scrumptious GIF of this devilishly handsome man.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)
–––
Summary: In this installment, which is still based on the prompt list created @neoculturedrabbles, Essie tries her best to avert her eyes from Johnny’s arms and in the process, control her urge to get physical on him. Will she succeed? Read on to find out. If I were her, I might not. Sorry, not sorry! Before I forget, the timeline for this is before they got together.
POV: 2nd person
Word count: 1,200 + words
Warning: Italics are for thoughts and foreign words. Otherwise, you shouldn’t be surprised how much of a flirt Mr. Johnny Suh is.
–––
Prompt #24: “What the frick frack diddily dack is that.”
You always felt a bit uncomfortable whenever Johnny wore a sleeveless or muscle shirt.
His biceps were showing, obviously – why would he not flaunt his hard work? But sometimes though, it made him look like a fuckboy. Especially when he paired it with a baseball cap worn backward? Ugh! It can send off the wrong impression.
However, that was what he wore around the apartment today. He was in a black sleeveless shirt, a pair of baggy joggers, a pair of hypebeast sneakers, and a baseball cap worn backward. You almost recoiled at the sight of him but did your best not to look like you abhorred his look.
“Morning, Essie,” he greeted before drinking from his tumbler. Of course, you noticed the movement of his arm muscles when he did.
“Hey dude,” you said nonchalantly, hoping it would hide how uncomfortable you were seeing his arms so early in the morning.
“Where are you going today? It’s quite early, and it’s a weekend,” he said after putting down his tumbler on the table.
“I don’t know yet if I’ll leave the house or not. I just felt like waking up early today,” you replied, heading for the fridge to look for something to eat.
“Want me to cook omelets? I think there are still some ingredients for me to make a tomato and mushroom one,” he said, approaching the fridge and peeking at its contents beside you.
“Uh, sure. I would love that, please,” you stepped aside after grabbing a carton of coffee-flavored milk. “Okay, it’s settled then. A tomato and mushroom omelet for me and the lady,” he winked at you first before he got the ingredients he needed for your breakfast.
You sipped on your drink quietly, your eyes following his every movement. Despite your effort to learn the process of making omelets while observing him, your eyes landed on his arms again. Damn it, they’re the ultimate distraction, you thought angrily. I just want to bite into them!
Once he was done cooking, you prepared the table. He helped you when you couldn’t reach the cupboard for the placemats and coasters and even berated him for putting up there. “You have no consideration for us short people sometimes, Youngho,” you grumbled.
“Hey, you aren’t that short! I’m sure you could reach it if you just jumped a couple of times,” he said jokingly, flashing you his trademark toothy grin.
You were about to give a rebuttal, but you were distracted with his arms again. The outline of it was too tempting to touch, and you huffed back into the dining table to set the placemats and coasters.
It took about ten minutes of preparation for you two to eat breakfast since you also waited for the coffee to be done. You were having kapeng barako, which you still had left after Johnny bought them at the Filipino market a few weeks ago. He was learning to love it while you have already when you still lived in your home country.
Breakfast conversation was normal – you caught up on your activities for the past week, shared your current favorites, and even had a pun battle. At least your talking distracted you from his arms, even just for a moment.
However, it returned when he joined on the couch for some lazy action. You sat on the sofa while scrolling through your phone, looking for interesting happenings on your social media feed. He sat a few inches beside you, mimicking the same action like yours.
“So, what’s happening today?” He asked, not looking up from his phone.
“Not much. There’s a food festival at the mall downtown though,” you said, clicking on the banner of said festival.
“Food again? That’s why we’re getting rounder, baby! I know it’s a shape, but it’s not a good shape!” He retorted, looking up at you briefly to see how you would react.
You glared at him, and he gave an apologetic grin in return. But before the glare in your eyes vanished, his arms were in full view for your pleasure. The outlines of his muscle enticed you again, and you had to look somewhere else so you wouldn’t be staring at it the whole day.
There was a red spot on the side of his neck, and you squinted your eyes to see if it was what you thought it is – yup, it was an insect bite. If it was a hickey, then you would know who gave it to him, right?
“What the frick frack daddily dack is that?” You asked, pointing at the insect bite on his neck. He raised an eyebrow at you, and you moved your pointer finger closer to his bite. When he looked down to see what you were pointing at, that was when you attacked him in full force.
You bit his right bicep hungrily, and he yelped in pain. That didn’t stop you from digging your teeth deeper into his skin, and this time, he was screaming like a girl.
“Baby, stop it!” He whined, his hands fumbling to pull you away from him. You only growled and dug your teeth deeper into his skin. “Baby, please!” He moaned, and you let go, wiping the saliva from your face.
“And now I return the question to you: what the frick frack,” he grabbed a small towel from his pocket, “daddily dack was that?”
Your teeth left marks on his bicep, and you smiled in satisfaction. You marked him. Not that he’s yours or anything, but it made you feel like he is.
“I couldn’t help it. Your arms were distracting me!” It was your turn to whine, and you weren’t shy to look at his other unbitten arm.
“I know they look good, but baby, they are not food, okay?” He examined the part you bit and sighed when he saw the marks.
“Maybe next time you’ll not wear sleeveless shirts when I’m around?”
“No way am I changing my clothes for you! I’ll wear what I want!” He wrapped his arms around himself, and this made you bite your lip. His arms looked more appetizing to you, and a plan was brewing in your head to mark his other one.
“If that’s the case, then expect your arms to be bitten over and over again!” With that, you charged at him again and bit his other arm.
He couldn’t do anything to stop you because if he was being honest with himself, he liked to tease you by showing off his arms.
He didn’t expect that you’d be biting them though. But for now, he’ll endure the pain of your bites because he considered it as a flirtatious act from you.
As you let go of biting his other arm, he wrapped his arms around you and pulled you into a hug.
“That’s unfair, I’m the only one who gets bitten,” he whispered. You shut your eyes at your proximity and the way his voice sounded. You couldn’t speak when you felt his breath close to your lips.
“You’re such a tease, do you know that?” he breathed. You tried to peek how close he was, but you just couldn’t. He might do something that you’d never thought he would do to you.
And he did – he pecked you on the lips before he left you on the couch dumbfounded.
–––
FIN
JN (Part IV)
We’re back with yet another installment of this series, and I believe it will be the last one for our One and Only.
To unofficially wrap this up, here’s a GIF of him looking all cute and cuddly in this cozy hoodie! Yes, I’m a sucker for alliterations.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)
–––
Summary: As always, that GIF is a clue! Read on more random scenarios based on the prompt list of @neoculturedrabbles, and please take note that these were written with the tensest timeline in mind still. I’m going to call the pre-Johnny and Essie as a couple timeline as that from now.
POV: 2nd for the first, 3rd for the second.
Word count: 1,700+ words
Warning: Italics are for foreign terms this time.
–––
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 get 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 were about to finish writing 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 #9: “What are you doing?”
“…nothing.”
When Essie and Johnny weren’t still roommates, he often texted her or left her a voicemail to hang out with him.
“What are you doing?” Ninety-nine percent of the time, this was the first message that Essie would always playback.
“…nothing,” was her usual reply. Later on, he would text her about some activities he wanted to do with her. There were some that she agreed to, and there were some that she declined out of tiredness or she wasn’t up for it.
Since Johnny vlogged during his free time, he would always tag along with Essie and Kibum in his adventures. They did challenges together, and the three became known as the Le Fabuleux Escouade, thanks to Kibum and Essie’s French vocabulary and the netizens agreeing that it was a nice nickname for the trio.
There was a time that the two had their usual exchange that ended up with them having a mukbang at his apartment. Kibum was out of the country, so it was just the two best friends who filmed while eating Essie’s favorite Filipino dishes – Bicol Express, afritadang manok, ensaladang pako, palabok, and pichi-pichi. There was a newly-opened Filipino restaurant downtown and the girl was too eager to order almost everything from the menu.
“Since I asked you guys on my social media what you would like to know about me and Essie, we’re going to read some of them right now as we eat all this glorious food,” Johnny said to the camera, pointing at the pichi-pichi and palabok near him. Essie gave a small wave and pointed to the Bicol Express and afritadang manok beside her.
As Johnny scrolled through his phone for the questions he received, the girl started eating. She put some rice on her plate first before getting a portion of the Bicol Express. “I’m so hungry right now, guys,” Essie whispered loudly enough to be considered ASMR.
When he looked at her, his eyes widened. “Hey, don’t start without me! Wait!” He was quick to whip out his plate and put some rice and Bicol Express on it as well.
They ate a bit before Johnny went back to his phone to answer questions. He almost choked when he read the most asked question.
“Are you and Essie dating?” He read aloud before showing off the proof that almost everyone wanted to know the real deal between him and his best friend.
The girl looked at him incredulously before staring into the camera with the same expression. “Seriously, guys?” She asked before eating a spoonful of rice and meat.
“Well, Essie and I are best friends. I mean, I have a lot of people I consider that, and she’s one of them. We have been friends for over a year now,” he looked at her briefly before turning his attention back to the camera, “and I’m glad that we still are. What can you say, baby?”
She slapped his shoulder playfully before sharing her answer. “That’s true. He’s one of my best friends as well. Even if our friendship isn’t as long as my other besties, I still feel that we are. Sometimes, it isn’t about the labels that define things. It just happens, you know?”
The two gave each other a high-five before they went into their friendship clap.
“We’re just best friends, guys!” Johnny started, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “But who knows?” He glanced at her, hoping that his look of longing wasn’t that visible on camera.
To be honest, he was starting to fall for her. The more time that he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her. He tried not hanging out with her for a week, and he felt empty. It wasn’t the same anymore.
“Hey!” Essie shouted, pushing him away from her. “Don’t lead them on like that!” If Johnny was paying close attention to what her words meant, then he would’ve realized that her statement reflected what she was feeling and not the viewers.
Essie shared the same feelings too, and their life would be even more complicated if they do get together.
Who would like their relationship to be projected onto screens, right? Not Essie, but she’s not sure if Johnny feels the same.
–––
FIN
P.S. All those Filipino dishes made me hungry! I hope you get to eat your favorites today!
Sugar and Fluff (Volume 4)
Sit right up on your chairs, for this is a special one. Since I mentioned last week that we’re going back to the start of the timeline, here’s one for y’all.
Finally, I get to use one of my favorite Johnny GIFs of all time since it’s related to the story.

I mean, I literally gasped when I watched this for the first time. How dare he do this to us! My poor heart was about to pass out then.
Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)
–––
Summary: This installment is a follow-up to How They Met, and how Johnny was to Essie before they became friends. I wrote these stories based on the teaser videos the group had for ‘Elevator (127F)’ and ‘Pandora’s Box’ hence using that dreamy GIF.
POV: 3rd person
Word count: 1,700 + words
Warning: Italics are for thoughts.
–––
Essie will never forget the time that Johnny pretended to be the pizza delivery boy so he could flirt with her.
It was weeks after they first met when they talked outside her apartment. She was carrying Chinese food takeout as they conversed, delaying her lunch with her best friend Nini.
For this instance, he did the same but in a way that she expected from him. She heard that he was quite a player, and she should try not to fall in love with him. But unfortunately, she did.
It was a cold day – as always in Korea – and despite Nini’s craving for noodles, Essie didn’t cave in to her request. She wanted a giant pizza that had warm and gooey cheese, pepperoni, and bell peppers, so she called Pizza Express to have her custom order.
“I have no complaints with what we’re having for lunch since you’re paying for it, right?” Nini said, flashing a Cheshire cat grin to her best friend.
“Ugh, isn’t that obvious?” Essie rolled her eyes, “I know I’ll be paying for it. So please, be a patient old lady and wait for our food, okay?”
The other girl gave her a thumbs-up before she resumed the video she was watching on YouTube.
///
A few minutes later, their doorbell rang. Essie rushed to the door and checked the peephole if it was indeed the delivery guy. She gulped when she saw someone she didn’t expect to appear at her front door again.
It’s Johnny motherclucking Suh. What the crap is he doing here?
She saw him dancing while holding the Pizza Express box with one hand. He wore a checkered shirt with a funky-patterned cardigan on top and a pair of khaki chinos. The booger also wore eyeglasses and had his light-colored hair curly! He emulated nerd chic, which he is a far cry from in real life.
“Essie, is that the pizza? Why aren’t you opening the door?” Nini asked, who looked at her friend curiously.
The curly-haired girl peered into the peephole again and saw that Johnny was still dancing with the pizza box on one hand. He was doing robotic moves with his other hand and made silly faces as well.
“Yeah, it is the pizza guy…” Essie started, tempted to look into the peephole for the third time, “but at the same time, it isn’t.”
“Huh, what do you mean by that?”
“It looks like Johnny Suh has our pizza, and he’s dancing like an idiot outside our apartment.”
Nini burst into laughter with her statement. “Wow, he must be so into you then. He had to sabotage the real pizza delivery guy so he could flirt his way into your heart,” she said.
“Niniiiii!” her best friend whined, who also stomped the floor at how flustered she was. “Just open the freaking door, and I’m hungry,” the older girl grumbled before going back to her phone.
After three deep breaths, Essie finally opened the door to let Johnny Suh deliver their order. “One custom giant pizza with three different cheese, pepperoni, and bell peppers,” he said in his best professional voice before handing the box to her.
“Yeah, that is correct,” she mumbled, absentmindedly grabbing the pizza with one hand while the other searched into her pockets. “How much was it again?”
“Oh, no need to pay for that, princess, I already took care of it.” Johnny winked at her and gave her a thumbs-up.
“Oh God, Johnny…” Essie wasn’t able to contain her annoyance with his antics and rolled her eyes. “What brings you here then, aside from sabotaging the real pizza delivery guy?”
“I want to see how you’re doing,” he replied suavely, running a hand through his curly mane. “I was just in the area, wanting to hang out with my hyungs, but it turns out they weren’t in their apartment. Then I saw the pizza guy and knew that he was coming here, so I wanted to surprise you.”
“Okay then, thank you,” she said monotonously before heading inside again. “You may leave now if you want.”
“I’ll take no for an answer there, ma’am,” he said, now catching up with her in the apartment. “We might as well hang out.”
“Then I return the same answer to you, sir. No, I don’t want to hang out with you. Today’s my day off, and I want to catch up on sleep,” Essie placed the pizza on the kitchen counter then went to the fridge to retrieve some hot sauce.
“Then I’ll watch you sleep,” Johnny was persistent to make the girl hang out with him. “Or yet, sleep beside you.”
“Johnnyyyyy!” She couldn’t take it anymore and threw a glare at him. “Why are you so stubborn?”
“Because I want what I want to have right now, and that is to hang out with you!”
“Don’t you have any other friends than our neighbors? You can bother them instead!”
“But I don’t want to! I’m already here too, and I know you, so why the heck not?”
“Hold up, hold up! What is happening here?” Nini asked as she entered the kitchen. “It’s past noon, and your voices are too loud! What are you two arguing about?”
Essie rolled her eyes (for the nth time that day) and folded her arms over her chest. “He’s a stubborn piece of ass,” she grumbled. “And she’s an annoying baby princess,” he rebutted.
The older girl looked at them silently before bursting into laughter again. “Oh, you amuse me, Essie. Just give in to his request for now. He made the effort to deliver our pizza. And I bet you didn’t have to pay for it because he already did.”
“Fine, you all win!” The curly-haired girl glared at her best friend and the flirty guy. “But you better behave yourself, mister, because I am not having it.” She took out all the packets of hot sauce from the fridge and grabbed the pizza box again so she could take it to the living room.
“I promise I’ll be a good boy,” he purred in her ear when she has settled the food on the coffee table.
“Ugh, John! Please, stop doing this to me,” Essie groaned, gently pushing him away from her. “I’m thankful for treating us to pizza, but you don’t have to be so damn freaking flirty! We can be friends but not if you’re acting this way.”
Her words hit something in Johnny, who now flashed her a genuine smile. “You do? We can be friends?”
The girl nodded. “Yeah, sure. But just don’t do this again. I feel uncomfortable when someone’s too flirty.”
“But that’s part of my personality, babe. You’ll get used to it. But I’m glad we can be friends,” he said as he sat down beside her on the couch, opening the pizza box he held for approximately five minutes outside.
As the two started eating, Nini was watching them from the kitchen doorway. She never saw someone who acted like Johnny toward her best friend. He was quite direct with his actions, which most guys she saw Essie interact with don’t have the guts to do.
She smiled as Johnny dabbed the sides of Essie’s lips with a napkin. She saw how her best friend was embarrassed at the situation – her ears were glowing red. Nini held back her laughter this time and returned to the living room to get her share of pizza.
\\\
“I remember you were such a flirt when we first met, John,” Essie said one time when they were having breakfast.
Her boyfriend, who was in a white shirt that clung to his body nicely, almost spit out his food from the memory.
“Why do you have to remind me that, baby? I know we didn’t start on a good footing,” he said before eating a spoonful of rice and omelet.
“I know, but that was funny,” she giggled, gently pushing aside her utensils to grab the cup of coffee to her left. “Who knew I’d end up with you?”
He shrugged at her question and continued eating in silence. Essie observed him with a smile on her face as he ate. His hair, which was now light brown with some highlights, was tousled, and some strands almost covered his beautiful honey eyes. He had a ketchup stain near the collar of his shirt. The veins on his arms were more protruding.
“What are you looking at, babe?” He asked, slowly looking up at her.
“You,” she said softly before bringing the cup of coffee to her lips. “I am so lucky to have you, and sometimes I can’t still believe that we’re together, you know?”
“I could say the same too,” he responded with a grin on his face. “You know how the song goes: Everything I do, I do it for you,” he sang aloud the lyrics to the famous Bryan Adams song, making his girlfriend put down her cup of coffee and laugh.
“Damn, you’re cheesy!” She guffawed, slapping the table for effect. She thought of the moments that happened earlier – he was the one who woke her up by opening their sky blue curtains to let some sunlight shine through. “Good morning, baby, wake up,” he whispered before drawing them close when he saw her sit up from the bed.
Even if it took her ages to get up – it was the weekend away – Johnny returned to their shared bedroom and plopped beside her. He laid on the bed with his body face down, showing off his wide but sculpted back. He rested his face on one of their pillows and looked at her lovingly.
“Love, please,” she said breathlessly, captivated with his beauty. “Come on now, let’s have breakfast,” he cooed, pulling her wrist repeatedly from his comfortable position.
“What did you prepare for us?” Essie replied, now standing at the foot of the bed. “The usual, because that’s the best I can cook,” he chuckled before he stood up and carried her bridal-style to their dining room.
“Thank you,” she said once he helped her to her seat. She pecked him on the cheek, which he returned on the lips. “Anything for my darling Essie.”
–––
FIN
P.S. If you’ve noticed, I tend to end my stories with that line. It may or may not be intentional.
With Family (Part II)
This installment will be the last for now, but rest assured that I will write more of this since it’s something I have fun thinking scenarios of.
One of my many inspirations for this part aside from my personal life was Johnny’s outfits when he went to America late last year.
Heck, I even made a collage of it with one of Adam Driver’s looks in Marriage Story because both looked so similar but had different tones! Please see image below:

In short, I really like big and tall guys. Dude has to be since I’m also like that in real life. Well, I’m not that tall, but others think that’s the case.
Anyway, mahal ko kayong lahat! :)
–––
Summary: After meeting Essie’s mother and sisters, it’s time for Johnny to meet her estranged father. Also, read more about the couple’s dynamic at home. Can you relate to them, especially those who have been in a relationship or are in a relationship? Please let me know by commenting on this post!
POV: 2nd person
Word count: 1,600 + words
Warning: Italics are for foreign terms. Since we have songs mentioned here again, please scroll down to the bottom of the post to listen to them while reading or whatnot.
–––
“Baby, wake up,” you stirred at the husky voice of your boyfriend who was gently shaking you.
“I’m awake,” you mumbled, slowly opening your eyes. You saw him in his usual brown hoodie and sweatpants, and he looked worse for wear like you are right now.
“We have to leave the house at eight,” he pulled off the covers from your body, “since we’re going to have Mass with your family.”
You stood up straight immediately and shrieked. “Oh my god, I almost forgot about that!” You covered your face in your hands, ashamed that you were almost running late and at the thought of Johnny meeting your father for the first time.
He had already met your sisters and your mother a couple of weeks ago, but now he was going to meet your estranged father.
You and your father didn’t have any beef. It was just him and your mother who had a complicated relationship. You grew in a dysfunctional family because of that, but that doesn’t mean that you love one parent more than the other.
“It’s okay, baby. I’ve already met your family except…” His voice trailed off, afraid that you might not like what he was going to say next.
“Yes, you’re going to meet my father,” you dropped your hands on your lap and looked at him. He was concerned at how antsy you were feeling and kissed your forehead. “Don’t worry. I can handle him. Maybe he’s not going to handle me,” he chuckled, his hands taking in yours.
“Well, let’s see about that…” you squeezed his hands, “but we better get moving, shall we?”
He nodded and led you to the bathroom, wherein you saw your towels hanging next to each other on the rack.
“So, who’s going to take a bath first?” You let go of his hands and placed them on your hips. “Of course, I’ll be the one who goes first,” he pointed a thumb to himself as he went to the sink and plucked his toothbrush from the holder.
“Okay, why did I have to ask,” you grumbled, tugging on your shorts as you plunked yourself in the toilet. “And don’t look, just focus on brushing your teeth,” you pointed a finger at him as you shimmied yourself out of your panties.
Good thing Johnny was intent on brushing his teeth while you peed. Since he was intent on brushing all corners of his teeth, he didn’t notice that you were done until he heard the flushing of the toilet.
“Call me when you’re done with that, okay?” You said as you went back to the bedroom.
\\\
A few minutes later, Johnny was done and went back to the bedroom to tell you it was your turn to brush your teeth.
But before words came out of his mouth, he was speechless at the sight of you just in his shirt and your panties. Your butt was on full display for him as you lied on the bed scrolling through your social media feed.
He slapped your butt, and you immediately turned to see him smirking at you.
“You just had to do that, huh,” he whispered, pinching your thighs this time. You swatted his hands away from you and got up, pulling down your shirt, so he doesn’t see your panties anymore.
“Take a bath now, please,” you said as you got your toothbrush and squeezed a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. “Yes ma’am,” he purred as he removed his hoodie, revealing his perfectly sculpted body.
You tried your best to look away, but he didn’t let you – instead, he winked at you as he flexed his body in front of the mirror.
“Like what you see, baby?” He said, slowly approaching you.
You rolled your eyes in response, but deep inside you could feel your insides warming up. “Just take a bath now, please,” you said in between brushing your teeth.
He slapped your butt again before he cackled his way to the shower. “If only we weren’t in a hurry, I’d want for us to take a shower together.”
“Younghooooo!”
\\\
You returned to the bedroom again and groaned as you listened to him sing in the shower. At first, he sang ‘A Whole New World’ and you were singing Jasmine’s part silently. Then, he sang ‘Change the World’ (by Eric Clapton) and even did the guitar sounds of the song. The last song he sang was ‘True to Your Heart’ from the Mulan soundtrack, which you couldn’t help but sing along to loudly as well.
Once he was done, he emerged in the bedroom with his towel wrapped around his waist. “It’s your turn now,” he said at the doorway while holding a seductive pose. You flipped the bird on him before removing your shirt inside the bathroom.
“Damn baby, you’re looking finer each day,” he howled, his eyes focused on your chest. “Johnny, please! Get dressed now!” Your cheeks were burning as you stepped inside the shower.
“But really, your boobs are getting bigger and your ass firmer!” You heard him say from the bedroom, and you screamed in annoyance.
\\\
You left the house at exactly 7:45 a.m., and both of you wore burnt orange. You rocked your favorite corduroy skirt in that autumnal color while he wore it in a turtleneck, which fit him snugly.
“We totally look like a couple,” you said while you eyed your skirt and his turtleneck. “Well, aren’t we?” He replied, his hand slipping into yours as he drove with one hand as always.
“I know,” you looked at him in the eye, and he winked, earning giggles from the both of you.
“You’re such a flirt! Do you know that, my love?”
“Yes, I know. But only to you.”
\\\
You arrived at the church right before the Mass started, and you saw your family waving at you at the far right corner of the place. Your mother was beside your father, who looked dashing in his black shirt and jeans. Sitting beside your mother was your elder sister and her girlfriend, while beside your father was your eldest sister and her American husband. You decided to sit beside your elder sister and her partner, with you sandwiched between your boyfriend and your sister’s partner.
After the Mass, you had lunch at the nearest Korean restaurant, and Johnny was gushing how cute your parents were.
“It looks like your mom’s totally in love with your father still,” he whispered as you waited for the meat to be cooked on the grill.
“I know, but he doesn’t really feel that same anymore,” you whispered back, tightening your grip on his arm. You saw that his face fell, and you pecked him on the cheek to cheer him up.
“Don’t be sad, but that’s the truth. It’s rare for me to see my mother this happy though,” your eyes were focused on how your mother was feeding kimchi to your father, who took it hesitantly.
“I want us to have a loving and long-lasting relationship, baby,” he kissed your hand after he whispered those sweet words to your ear.
“Me too, love.” But before you could look at each other with goo-goo eyes, your elder sister cleared your throat and raised an eyebrow at you two.
“Some of us are trying to eat here, lovebirds.”
You and Johnny mouthed your apologies and went back to eating.
\\\
The day went by fast – everyone took a walk in the park and enjoyed what nature had to offer. Johnny was quick to assist your parents when they had difficulty walking or moving, and you followed suit. You endured the teasing you got from your family while your boyfriend tried his best not to join in and defend you.
But the highlight of today’s event was his bonding with your father. You overheard them talking about photography, and you couldn’t help but smile at their interaction.
“Essie, why don’t you set up a photo walk in all of the parks in the city? I know you did that before,” your father said as he noticed you observing them.
“Yeah, I know, but I’m not sure if all of my photographer friends are still in the country,” you replied sheepishly.
“Nonsense! There will always be people who love photography and would love to get to know people through it,” your father eyed Johnny with a smile on his face, “and let’s do it next week?”
You glanced at your boyfriend, who looked ecstatic at attending his first photo walk.
“Sure, Dad. I’ll do that.”
\\\
On the drive home, Johnny was beaming with all the things he learned from your family.
“Your dad’s so cool, baby! You never told me he’s like a master photographer of sorts! I can’t wait to borrow his medium format camera next week!” He was squealing like a teenage girl as he went into the nitty-gritty of photography.
“Well, now you know,” you grumbled, looking at the car window. “I’m glad you enjoyed today.”
“Yes, I did. I hope we’ll get to do this next time with my family,” He looked at your reflection on the car window and saw a panicked expression on your face.
“Baby, don’t worry. Eomma and Appa love you already,” he squeezed your hand gently. “And they can’t wait to see you again.”
You cried silently on the trip home as he held your hand. Although you have already met his parents, you still felt afraid of them. Your heritage was something that you thought they would have issues with, but they said that it was okay.
What mattered most was that Johnny was happy with the woman he loves, and they could see that whenever you were around him.
It was after that second meeting with his parents that he admitted of his plans of settling down, and you fainted because you knew what would come next.
He was going to propose to you eventually. You just had to prepare yourself when and where he was going to do it.
–––
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! :)
–––
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.
–––
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?
Body
You know Johnny’s been showing off his body more since the year started, and are we complaining?

Although the GIF doesn’t show much of his sculpted body, know that it has already left an imprint on my mind.
His toned physique inspired me to write something that is not smut, but more of a wholesome appreciation for it.
Want to know more? Then, read on!
Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)
–––
Summary: Despite those things I said above, this piece was written with the help of this fluff generator. Here’s the prompt it generated:
Every time Johnny undresses, Essie notices something new and adorable about their body.
POV: 3rd person
Word count: 700 + words
––
The little things always get us, right?
Essie sighed at every detail she noticed about Johnny’s body.
It took her a couple of months into their relationship to know that he had a birthmark on his left hip. It was shaped like a bean (almost like a coffee bean, which delighted him) and was quite near his inner thigh.
She noticed it when he sat with his legs apart, and his boxer shorts were riding up a bit on his seat. She didn’t say anything about it and looked at it instead whenever he wasn’t looking at her.
It made her glance at the dot-sized birthmark she had on her right hand, which she didn’t really think about. It was always there, and she thought that he might think of the same thing with his.
\\\
When Johnny took off his shirt in front of Essie, she noticed that he had an insect bite on his left side. It was a small red dot, just like the one on his neck.
She quietly approached him and poked it, making the guy jump in surprise. “Baby, what the heck?” he asked, covering his topless body with the shirt he just removed.
“You have another insect bite here,” she poked at the protruding red dot again. “Don’t you ever clean your bed?”
“Says the girl who has more insect bites than me,” he huffed, pointing at the little red marks on her calves.
“Well, you got me. But yours are prominent because it stands out on your pale ass skin,” she remarked, pointing at the bite on his neck this time.
“Oh well, what do you suppose I do then?” He dropped the shirt on the floor and dragged her into the bed with him.
“I have a cream that can help with that,” Essie fumbled through her bedside table and took out a canister of sebo de macho. “I’ll put it on once you’re done with your shower, okay?”
He looked at the tin can she held and nodded. “If you say so, baby.”
“Aren’t you bothered with that insect bite on your neck?”
“Well, I am. But they can’t get enough of me, so…” he ran a hand through his hair, “yeah, I think I’ll need that.”
She rolled her eyes at his cockiness and gently pushed him out of the bed. “Now off to the shower you go.”
\\\
When Johnny took off his sweatpants after a long day of dancing, Essie noticed that he had stretch marks on his behind. His boxer briefs were too tight, and she saw his tiger stripes up to his upper thigh.
“I never knew you had stretch marks,” she blurted, her eyes focusing on the marks that stood out on his skin.
“Well, I’ve been working out a lot lately, so they’re bound to appear,” he mumbled, looking at the full-length mirror to check on his marks.
“I never knew guys would have them,” she moved from the computer chair towards his bed, her eyes never leaving the image of his body in the mirror.
“They do too, baby,” he grabbed his towel behind the door, “and we’re even. I know you have some too, and I love them.”
She rolled her eyes at his statement and laid down on his bed. “I have lots, from my arms to my stomach to my legs,” she eyed at them with disdain. “And I can’t believe you like them.”
He threw the towel at the foot of his bed and joined her. “Don’t be ashamed of them, baby,” he kissed the ones that were on your arm, “they make us human. And imperfections make us…perfect,” he giggled at the end of his statement, realizing how cliché he sounded.
“That sounds so cheesy, love.” She turned to face him, her cheeks red from embarrassment. “But thank you. And please, go take a shower now. You stink.”
“But you have to come with me,” he pleaded, tugging her arm repeatedly. “Give me a good bath, please!”
Essie grunted while rolling him off the bed. “No, my love. You take a bath by yourself. You’re a big boy already.”
“But babyyyyy!” He whined, giving his best puppy eyes imitation as he faced her.
“No buts, sir! Take a bath now!”
––
FIN