Seo Youngho - Tumblr Posts

happy john suh day!!! look at my ult being cute or whatever

fr his skin is better than mine f u c k

ily doesn’t mean I love you, it means I love Youngho 

ASS!

Couple Things (Part I)

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

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

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

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

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

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

Word count: 1,200 + words

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

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

–––

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

\\\

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

\\\

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Why do you want me to sleep, John?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hold your head up, you silly girl

Look what you’ve done

When you find yourself in the thick of it

Help yourself to a bit of what’s around you

Silly girl

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

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

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

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

So try and try even if it lasts an hour

With all our might, try and make it ours

Cause we’re on our way

We’re on our way to fall in love

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

The baby princess brat has finally succumbed to slumber.

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

–––

FIN

Intoxicated (Part I)

Since I wrote a lot from @neoculturedrabbles​‘ prompt list, I didn’t expect that I’ll come up with pieces that are connected. 

Hence this mini-series – the title should give you an idea of what you’ll be reading. 

Here’s one of Johnny’s iconic music video moments – who wouldn’t like to drink with this man?!

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: Aside from what has been mentioned in the introduction, this piece is before Johnny and Essie got together but are already living together as housemates. You know, they’re trying to keep their boundaries as best friends even if they have crushes on each other. 

POV: 3rd person here, peeps. 

Word count: 1,200+ words

–––

Prompt #8: “Are you stuck?”

“Yes. Help, please.”

Essie arrived at their apartment at quarter to 1 in the morning. She was inebriated after drinking four glasses of craft beer, which had alcohol content above 5% per glass.

As she stumbled into her bedroom after 10 minutes of trying to open their door, she cried in pain when she hit her knee on her bed.

This got Johnny’s attention, who was just browsing the Internet in his room. He took off his earphones (which weren’t noise-canceling) and peeked at Essie’s bedroom to see what happened.

It was convenient that their rooms were across each other, so he could be discreet on checking up on his beloved housemate from time to time.

He saw her sitting on the floor and rubbing her knee absentmindedly. Okay, it looks she has managed herself, he thought before going back to his computer.

A few minutes later, he heard her crying in pain again.

The girl had taken off her boots and jewelry and was about to unravel her hair from the French braid her work seatmate did. However, her hair tie got tangled, and she tugged her hair too hard, making the knot more difficult to take off.

“Ah, the perils of having curly hair!” she bemoaned, one hand still stuck in her hair.

Johnny knocked softly at her door before entering and saw that Essie was whimpering in pain how her hair can be such a pain in the butt.

“Hey, Essie. What’s wrong?” He rushed to her side, one hand rubbing circles on her lower back. “I can’t get this off,” she gestured to her hair tie, “because of my stupid freaking hair.”

“Are you stuck? I mean, your hair tie’s stuck in your hair?” He had to clarify, so he’ll know what to do.

She nodded. “Yes. Help, please,” she whispered, her red and puffy eyes making him soft.

It didn’t take long for Johnny to unravel her braids but then got stuck at the part where her hair got tangled in the hair tie.

“Baby, your hair’s seriously tangled up in it,” he said after careful inspection, “is it okay if I hack it off?”

She nodded again as if she was already used to this outcome. “Sure, I always do that when I get frustrated with things getting stuck in my hair.”

He got a pair of scissors from her desk and painstakingly cut the part that was knotted into her hair tie. As he took off the excess hair from the hair tie, he noticed that she reeked of alcohol.

“Baby, how many did you drink tonight?” She raised four fingers silently. “Well, that’s quite a lot. Were you able to compute the total alcohol by volume of what you drank?”

“Twenty percent,” she mumbled, one hand running through her hair.

“Jesus, Essie! That’s a lot!” He pinched her cheek, which made her yelp in pain for the third time tonight. “I’m sorry! But I needed it! I was thirsty!” She whined, prying off Johnny’s hand on her face.

“Promise me you’re going to drink lots of water and eat healthy for the coming week, okay?” She shook her head and laid down on the bed.

“Aw, come on! You have to,” he pleaded, lying down beside her. “Whatever, dude. Can you get me my makeup remover and some cotton pads?” She croaked, raising her hands in the air as if she can get her items from the ceiling.

He chuckled at her action and did what was told of him. When Essie saw that he got her what she needed, she sat up with her palms open. “Please hand them to me,” she slurred, feeling the aftereffect of the alcohol she consumed once more.

“Nuh-uh,” he whispered, shaking the bottle of her makeup remover and putting some on the cotton pad, “you’re too drunk to even remove your makeup.”

He was the one who dabbed the soaked cotton on her eyelids, and she groaned whenever he applied too much pressure.

“You’re being too harsh, Youngho,” she moaned, trying to get the cotton from his hands. After her fifth attempt to grab it from him, he let her, and she gently patted it on her eye area. “This is how you should do it,” she mumbled.

“I was just trying to help, princess,” he grumbled, rolling his eyes at the supposedly correct way on how to remove eye makeup.

“Thanks anyway, but don’t press it too hard next time.” After a few seconds, she was done and threw the dirty cotton pad on the trash can beside her.

There was a moment of silence – if you count the sound of the air conditioner as noise – between the two before Essie laid down on the bed again.

Johnny did the same and tilted his body to look at her. She was wrecked – her makeup had already faded in patches, her eyes were red and puffy still, and her hair was in careful disarray.

It was a side of her that he didn’t usually see, and deep inside, he appreciated that she was becoming more comfortable showing her vulnerability to him.

It made him fall in love with her more. Not that he will confess to her any time soon, though.

“Stop looking at me,” she broke the silence with her whining, gently pushing him away with her hand. “But you’re so cute,” he cooed, pinching both of her cheeks.

A tickle fight ensued after, with Essie crying in tears at how Johnny knew all her ticklish spots. She was able to make him laugh though by tickling his sides, but he didn’t let her get to another ticklish spot by pinching her cheeks again.

“Stop it!” She cried, gripping his wrist. “Please stop pinching my cheeks. They hurt now.”

He took off his hands on her cheeks and placed them at her back. “Sorry about that, baby. You’re just too cute not to annoy,” he briefly pinched her nose before standing up. “I meant what I said. Remember to hydrate yourself and eat healthy, okay?”

She grunted in response and closed her eyes, processing everything that just happened.

She and Johnny are getting touchier these days, and sometimes, it made her feel things. There was a part of her that wished they were together but knew that it would be impossible.

Eventually, she slept in her work clothes and makeup still on her face. She awoke at eight in the morning, and frantically went to the bathroom to cleanse her face properly.

When she stepped out of her room, he saw Johnny was at the dining table. He looked like a dad scrolling through his phone with one hand while the other held a mug of coffee.

“Hey, Essie baby. Good morning,” he greeted when he saw her approach the table. She gave him a small wave and sat down at the seat beside him where a grande espresso and a chicken fajita roll was waiting for her.

“Got you these,” he said, pushing the food closer to her, “I know you’ve missed it.”

“Yes, I do. Thanks, John,” she said softly, digging into her favorite food from Starbucks with a smile on her face.

She felt so lucky to have a housemate like him and wondered how it would be like if she was his girlfriend.

–––

FIN

JN (Part II)

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

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

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

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

POV: 2nd person for both. 

Word count: 1,600+ words

–––

Prompt #3: “Is that my hoodie?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

\\\

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Nope, it’s mine now.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“But Johnnyyyyy!”

///

Prompt #19: “Hey, babe?”

“Yeah?”

“How much do you love me.” 

Sometimes, you wondered how much Johnny loved you.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–––

FIN

Intoxicated (Part II)

Since delayed gratification is my middle name whenever I have these mini-series, here you go, folks!

I’m so into Johnny being a DJ – I hope he’ll share his remixes on Soundcloud or any similar platform. And in this universe I’ve written, he is one than being the idol that he is now.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: I’m picking up where I left on the first part, with Johnny now as the intoxicated person from a night out. Essie’s quite awkward in this, and it’s amusing to see her as such.

POV: 3rd person here, baby.

Word count: 1,000+ words

–––

Prompt #7: “I love you.”

“…go back to sleep.”

It was Johnny’s turn to come back home intoxicated. 

Shockingly, Essie was still awake in the wee hours of the morning. After all, the weekend was approaching so she could stay up late doing whatever her heart desired.

Tonight – or should it be today? – she decided to continue writing her greatest novel. It was about a historical time-travel piece, and she was stuck on how to explain the intricacies of time travel, hence staying up late to research about the topic. 

So when she heard Johnny’s heavy footsteps approaching his room, she tiptoed toward her door and opened it slightly. She saw him fumbling for the doorknob, and she was about to help him out. But when he finally opened the door, she stepped away and went back to her bed. 

However, she felt uneasy that he had to stumble to his bedroom. Maybe he drank more than his usual. When they drank, he could finish two bottles of wine and almost two buckets of beer. In short, he has quite the stamina when it comes to drinking. 

A few minutes later, Essie decided to check up on him. She knocked softly on his door before opening it, revealing him still in the outfit he wore earlier. He was in a blazer, shirt, fitted jeans, and black leather shoes. He looked like a young professional who went out drinking after his work hours. He was scrolling through his phone and looked serious while doing so.

“H-hi,” she stammered at his doorway. “Hi Johnny, you okay?”

He slowly turned to look at her and flashed her a small smile. “Hey, Essie. Why are you still up?” He sounded a bit hoarse, probably from his alcohol consumption.

“I-I couldn’t sleep. Anyway, are you okay?” she asked again, more confident this time.

“Well, yeah. I’m fine. My head kind of hurts though,” he grumbled, massaging his temples.

“You had too much to drink?” She gave him a sheepish grin, afraid that he might get angry with her response.

“Yeah, I went more than my usual limit. By just one bottle, though. You were right,” he sat up this time, “Pink Moscato tastes good. We’ll get a bottle of that the next time we grocery shopping.”

Essie noticed how bloated his face looked from drinking, which emphasized the bags under his eyes. 

“Do you want an Advil? Berocca? Or plain water?” She offered, one of her hands planted on his doorknob.

 “A pitcher of water and both of those, please. Thanks, baby,” he whispered before lying down on his bed again.

The girl returned to his room a moment later with a lukewarm pitcher of water and packets of the medicine. She placed them on his bedside table before sitting down beside him on the bed.

“I got your water and medicines as promised, sir,” she said softly, tapping him on his forearm. “Thanks again, baby,” he mouthed. “Come lie down here with me.”

She did what was told, and he moved toward his right so she could lie down comfortably beside him.

“So what and where did you drink, Mr. Suh?”

“You know it’s part of my job, Essie. After playing, the crew gets drinks after. And I had too much wine. I even took some tequila shots. Maybe some vodka too.”

“That’s a lot, man. I’m going to return what you said to me last time I was wasted: rehydrate and eat healthy.”

“But I can do that, not like some people,” he scoffed, glancing at the irritated look Essie now wore. “You didn’t have to call me out, you know,” she grumbled. 

Johnny laughed slightly at her response before rolling over to look at her face-to-face. “I can feel my headache getting worse, baby. Can you get me the water and the Advil?”

The girl poured some water in a glass and handed him the medicine. “I hope you’ll invite me next time you go on a crazy drinking spree,” she suggested playfully.

“That wasn’t even crazy. It was just our usual after-work drinking. But yeah, I’ll drag you along to one of my events if you’re still awake by then.” She nudged him on the ribs, and he sat up to drink water and the Advil capsule.

Afterward, he handed the glass back to her so she could put it on the bedside table. He plopped onto his bed again, his hand trembling against his forehead. He groaned at the sensation he was feeling, making Essie worry about him more.

“Is there anything else I can do to help you?” She asked, concern etched on her face. Before he said anything, he grabbed her hand with his free one and held it tight.

“I want a kiss here,” the hand on his forehead pointed on the space between his eyebrows. “Please?”

She rolled her eyes at his request to cover how flustered she was.

They weren’t together, but they had some questionable moments where people thought that they were a couple.

He liked to kiss the back of her hand, her cheeks, and her forehead when they were in public sometimes. In return, she cuddled with him whenever she felt cold, or when she felt warm and fuzzy inside.

Today was one of those days, but she didn’t let her desire consume her. She pecked the space between his eyebrows and stroked his hair a bit. He closed his eyes as she continued to stroke his hair, sleep slowly creeping into his system.

“I love you,” he mumbled, trying to keep his eyes open so he could see how she would react to his words.

He wasn’t able to make out her face since his eyes felt heavy already. If he only had more energy, then he would’ve seen her flush at his sweet statement.

“…go back to sleep. You’re just sleep talking by now,” she whispered, removing her hand from his hair. “Good morning, my dear Johnny.”

He fell asleep with a smile on his face, his heart full hearing her call him dear.

–––

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

Quarantine Series (Part I)

Or as I titled it in my original file: Love in the Time of Coronavirus. How original, of course. But this new series is going to be more than that, so I hope you enjoy this. 

Here’s Johnny serving boyfriend looks (as always!) with this GIF. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: Consider this as a prelude to the series since I wrote this when the virus had just been declared a pandemic in early March. This piece also hinted of the boys’ trip to Houston and their now-cancelled tour, and how the virus hadn’t spread throughout the US yet. It’s a bit outdated on those details, but I guess you could shrug it off for now. 

POV: 3rd person, given the reason above and what I always say in this part. Maybe I should just stop explaining myself here and keep it simple, no?

Word count: 900+ words 

–––

Essie felt hysterical over the situation happening worldwide right now. The coronavirus has been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and there are travel bans and lockdowns imposed in various countries affected by the virus. Her roommates went to the US, where there haven’t been many cases of the virus yet, and were bound to return later that afternoon.

Since she has been reading a lot of forums and news about the situation, she felt more panicked about them. My love, please take care on your way home. Are you feeling well? She texted Johnny, one of her roommates and her boyfriend of over six months, as she lay on the couch while hugging a throw pillow.

A few seconds later, he replied. Yes, baby. I know. I’m feeling fine, no need to worry. I’m aware of the situation. Even the rest of the guys are okay. We have to take good care of ourselves especially we’re going on tour a few months from now.

That’s good to hear, love. But still, I am worried. Please stay safe and healthy. I love you so much, she replied back, tears pooling in the corner of her eyes.

Johnny replied: I love you too, baby. Yes, I’ll stay safe and be healthy for you and everyone else. See you later!

Essie sighed in relief and went back to reading updates about the situation, more so in her home country since there are more people diagnosed with the virus as each hour passed.

\\\

As much as she wanted to pick up her boyfriend and her other roommate Mark from the airport, the two guys told her to just stay at home for her own safety.

Please stay at home instead, Essie noona, Mark said in their group chat, we don’t want you to get sick. We’ll be there in a few hours, so please don’t worry too much.

But Marky! I am concerned as hell, Essie pouted as she typed her response, this situation’s making me go crazy. I really hope that you guys are really okay.

We are okay, baby, Johnny piped in, so please, be a good girl and wait for us. We have some stuff for you too. We’ll be there before you know it.

The girl cried at his answer, hysteria overpowering her.

\\\

Despite warnings to avoid close contact with anyone for fear of the virus from spreading, Essie couldn’t help but tackle her lover once he was on their doorway.

“Baby,” Johnny’s voice was muffled through her curly locks, “it’s okay…” One of his hands rubbed circles at her back to calm her down.

“But I’m so worried!” She cried, her tears soaking the collar of his shirt. She hugged him some more until Mark, who was behind his hyung, cleared his throat.

“Not to ruin your moment but uh, can I come inside too?” The younger guy said, smiling sheepishly at his noona. Essie nodded and moved her and her boyfriend aside so he could enter with his luggage.

“Baby, you can let go now,” Johnny whispered, pecking her on the forehead. “No, I don’t want to,” she whined, nuzzling her face on his chest.

It took a couple of minutes for her to let go and return to the couch. The guys took their belongings in their respective rooms before convening at the living room and talk to their agitated roommate.

When they did, it was Mark’s turn to be hugged. Essie cradled him for a bit, which he was hesitant at first. But when he felt a surge of warmth coming from both of their bodies, he realized that this hug was one of genuine concern than anything else. He buried his head on the crook of her neck and pecked it quickly (hoping that Johnny didn’t see it).

Once they let go of each other, he sat on the bean bag across the couch while Johnny settled on to his girlfriend’s right side. “Sorry guys, the news of this virus is making me go crazy,” she sniffed, taking out her handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her tears. “I’m just concerned, that’s all. I hope you guys won’t get sick or anything.”

“We could say the same to you, baby,” her boyfriend replied, moving closer to her. “None of us want to get sick at a time like this. We won’t be able to work if we do,” he now held her hand and squeezed it gently.

“I agree,” Mark said, giving them a thumbs-up. “We have to be strong and overcome this.”

“So have you guys eaten anything? Are you even hungry? Do you want anything in particular?” Essie asked, her eyes flitting from one guy to another.

“I’m craving for soup,” the younger guy said while he rubbed his palms. “Same here,” Johnny said.

“Okay, I’ll make you guys some.” She stood up and went to the kitchen to make a cream of mushroom soup from scratch. “Please take a rest while I cook. I’ll call you guys when it’s ready,” she added before both of them briefly hugged her while she chopping vegetables.

“Thank you, baby,” Johnny said softly, kissing her forehead. “I appreciate what you’re doing for us. You know what to do if you hear me snoring, okay?” The couple shared a quick moment of laughter before pecking each other on the lips. “Yes love, I know what to do. But please, have some rest first. You must be tired still.”

He nodded before silently retreating to their room to take a nap. She watched his figure disappear into their shared bedroom and smiled when he didn’t completely close the door. Since she was satisfied that he didn’t forget their protocol, she went back to her cooking.

Essie felt better that her boys weren’t sick but hoped that they would love the soup she’s cooking for the first time in her life. There’s such a thing as beginner’s luck, right?

–––

FIN

Quarantine Series (Part II)

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

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

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

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

POV: 3rd person

Word count: 700+ words

–––

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

–––

FIN

Quarantine Series (Part III)

Remember their Relay V Lives last April? Yes, those have inspired me to write the next two installments of this series. 

For this one, the GIF below says it all. Isn’t it exciting? I got it from Tumblr too but I can’t seem to find its source, so please let me know who this belongs to. Thank you!

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: I already said what you needed to know about this piece above, so I would just like to add that Johnny’s outfit here is inspired by this photo of my first love Adam Driver. Dang, I really have a thing for big, tall men! 

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 1,200+ words

–––

“Get up, loser! We’re going to exercise!”

Johnny Suh screeched, banging open your door to report of this so-called mandatory activity. “Why are we going to exercise?” You whined, burying yourself deeper into the comforter. “No buts, ma’am! We’ve got to shake that ass to get that toned bod!” Your housemate said, removing the blanket that covered your body and twirling you to look at him. But before you could even complain that you didn’t want to, your eyes widened at his outfit.

“What the hell are you wearing?” You shrieked, absorbing Johnny’s chosen workout attire of a bandanna, skimpy tank top (with ‘Let’s Get Physical’ printed on it in silver glitter), and a pair of neon booty shorts. “The weather’s hot, baby. And maybe I want to show off the fruits of my labor so you and Mark will be motivated to work out even more,” he said, now showing off his rainbow-striped tube socks and retro sneakers.

“You look as if you stepped out of a cheesy 80s aerobic video, but whatever,” you grumbled, finally getting up from the bed. “Can you give me five minutes to change?” He responded with a thumbs-up before he screamed again in the hallway. “I’ll let you do ten push-ups if you don’t comply with that time!” You could only roll your eyes at his words before you search your closet for a pair of jogging pants.

\\\

Four minutes later – for fear of doing something you didn’t even know how to do properly – you emerged from your room and saw that Johnny had already set up the living room with mats, kettlebells, and weights.

“Wow, you’re early,” your instructor said, eyeing you from head to toe. “For a beginner, you sure dress well,” he gave you another thumbs-up, which you replied by flipping the bird on him. “Mark Lee! Where the heck are you?” His booming voice made the younger guy come out, who wore all black for his workout attire. “I see you’re in black, Mr. Lee. Maybe we’re going to mourn the loss of your excess fat after this,” Johnny snickered, earning giggles from you and your fellow attendee. “Now, let's get it!”

\\\

Although Mark was fitter than you, he was showing signs of fatigue from the routine that your instructor demonstrated. You can say the same for yourself, but you didn’t want anyone of them to see how exhausted you are. However, Johnny was still in high spirits by teaching you guys how to do exercises with the kettlebell and even pumped up the music. To be honest, you didn’t want to take his workout seriously because his playlist was all over the place – aside from the aforementioned cheesy 80s aerobics music, he also had promiscuous rap songs and even techno headbangers from the late 90s. As much as you wanted to laugh at how the playlist shifted from Vibez to Crazy Frog, Johnny berated you when he caught you not following instructions.

“Miss Park, please! If I catch you not following again, I’ll make you do 10 more,” he hissed while moving the kettlebell up and down.

“Can we get a break, please,” Mark groaned, looking paler than usual. “We’ve been at it for 20 minutes, hyung. Please?”

When the brown-haired guy dropped the kettlebell on the mat, you and Mark rushed to the kitchen to get some drinks.

“Don’t drink anything that isn’t water or any sports drink! We’re not yet done!”

\\\

Johnny’s exercise routine took 45 minutes, and it ended with you and Mark lying on your respective mats in pain. “Am I that out of shape?” He huffed, looking up at the ceiling. “Nonsense, you’re fitter than I,” you replied, your breath still catching up with your exercise. “Look at me, I might die anytime soon.”

“That’s even more nonsense!” Your instructor sat beside you with a huge smile on his face. “You did great, baby! I never thought you were that flexible,” he handed you a bottle of Pocari Sweat, which you accepted wordlessly.

“How about me, hyung?” Mark’s question was answered when Johnny threw another bottle of the sports drink at him.

“This was really fun! Maybe we should do it twice a week. We don’t have much to do during this quarantine anyway.” He was ecstatic at how he made you and Mark tired from exercise that his eyes were practically glowing.

“Who says we don’t have much to do? I can list a lot of things I can do during this quarantine that doesn’t involve exercise,” you grumbled, sitting up so you can now drink your Pocari Sweat.

“You and your sedentary activities,” Johnny scoffed. “Why don’t you and Doyoung make a club? You two are practically holed up in your bedrooms anyway.”

“There’s a certain joy of staying inside, Mr. Suh. For someone who isn’t an extrovert like you, you wouldn’t understand.” You placed the bottle on the floor with a thud, shaking Mark a bit.

“Hey, noona. Calm down,” he whispered, scooting closer to you. “And please, don’t fight. If there’s one thing I don’t want all of us to do, it’s that.”

You stared at Johnny, who returned the gesture. You had a stare-off that lasted for fifteen seconds before you heard Mark stand up and go back to his bedroom, mumbling something along the lines of ‘never-ending sexual tension’ and ‘dense as fuck’.

“But seriously, Essie. Exercise is good for everyone. I don’t need to remind you that, right?” You couldn’t look at the guy beside you, who talked with such a soft and loving voice. You could only nod in response and looked at your lap. “I’m going to make this a regular thing, and of course, you and Mark could also hold activities of your own that all of us can do.”

“I’m guessing Mark will make us perform a song together, considering all of us play instruments,” you chuckled, remembering the times that he gathered everyone in the living room so each one can perform a song of their liking.

“I think so too,” you heard Johnny move closer to you, “and I wonder what’ll be yours?” When you looked up, he linked an arm around your waist and pulled you closer to him. “Maybe eat,” you said matter-of-factly, making him laugh. You felt his abs as he did so, and you tried to move away, so you don’t completely become a flustered mess. He didn’t let you and tightened his hold.

“It’s all balanced then,” he kissed the top of your head before letting you go. “Our next session will be two days from now, so talk to Mark which one of you is in charge of tomorrow’s activity.” He helped you stand up, and in return, you helped him clean up today’s set-up. “I think I want to go first, I want us to eat something I haven’t eaten in ages…” you mumbled after packing away the last of gym equipment into its respective cabinet.

“Oh, is that so? But still, talk to Marky.” Johnny jerked his thumb toward the younger guy’s bedroom. “Yeah, I know. But thanks though for today.” You grinned, giving him two thumbs-up. “And thank you as well, my grumpy baby,” he messed your hair with his hands, “I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s feast.”

“Same here,” you laughed, now dashing toward Mark’s room. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to talk to Mr. Lee here.”

–––

FIN

Quarantine Series (Part IV)

Although this is the last one I’ve written for this series so far, that doesn’t mean it’s the end. I might write more if time allows and inspiration hits. 

Like with the previous installment, here’s a GIF (credits to this post from @jeongjaehyuns​) to let you know what this is going to be all about. You know your girl loves her North America-based boys! 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Johnny and Mark’s indoor camping V Live has got to be one of my favorite videos of them of all time. I think I watched it twice or thrice. Maybe I should watch it again. Anyway, enjoy this piece inspired by that cute and hilarious video. 

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 1,000+ words

–––

Mark decided to set up a tent in the middle of the living room as one of your activities during this quarantine period. He also got Johnny’s foldable table, which he used to place some snacks. A wicker basket was nearby, hopefully containing more snacks and some drinks. There were also fairy lights strung around the tent to give it a cozy feel. In short, Mark did a great job of making a cute set-up.

“Nice work, Mark,” the elder guy remarked, eyeing the tent’s interiors. There were a lot of pillows inside along with three blankets, meaning each one of you won’t get cold and fight over one piece of fabric. “So, what are we going to do here?”

“Yeah, what’s the concept for today’s session?” You piped in, pushing Johnny gently so you could crawl inside the tent. He grunted at your action but let it slide when he saw how ecstatic you looked once you settled comfortably inside.

“Well…I don’t know. We could just chill and stuff?” The younger guy replied, scratching the back of his head. “Wait. I think I have some Legos…” He returned to his room to retrieve said toys.

“What are we, five?” You grumbled, looking at Johnny who seemed pleased with the idea. “Seriously, Youngho?”

“Hey! I bet you didn’t get to do them when you were young,” he scoffed, running a hand through his caramel locks. “You missed out a chunk of your childhood if you didn’t.”

“Oh yes, right, just like missing out on reading the Harry Potter series,” you muttered, looking at Mark return to the tent with boxes of Legos for you to create.

“This is all I have, and look! I have three sets for us to work on. Perfect! Now each of us will work on something,” he shook the boxes before handing one of each to you and your other housemate.

It took you an hour to finish yours, while the guys finished earlier. “This just proves that I really didn’t get to play with Legos when I was young,” you murmured, figuring out where to put the last block on the piece you were making. “Hey, let me help with you that…” Mark offered, which you accepted since it has been over two minutes that you’ve been struggling.

As he examined the piece you were working on, you spied Johnny holding in his laughter. You raised an eyebrow at him, and he responded by letting out his trademark cheeky laugh. “What’s so funny, John?” You put both hands on your hips and glared at him with all the annoyance you could muster.

“Oh baby, it’s just you’re so funny,” he said in between laughter, “your sisters were right. You are effortlessly funny.”

You tackled him on his side of the tent, and all of your Lego sculptures tumbled to the ground as Johnny accidentally kicked the bed table that all of them were on.

“Johnny hyung!” Mark whined, eyeing the mess he made. “Blame Essie! She made me do it!” He pointed at the girl who was playfully punching his forearms. “You’re such a bully sometimes!” She complained, punching his sides this time.

“Essie noona! I expected better from you,” the younger guy commented, now packing up all the Legos that were scattered on the floor. “But he’s laughing at me for no reason at all, Mark! How can I not get pissed off with that?” You pointed an accusatory finger toward the taller guy, who has now composed himself and looked at both of them seriously.

“Okay, Essie. Sorry about that,” Johnny said as monotonously as he could, “And Mark, now that our Legos have all collapsed, what do you suggest we do next?” His tone changed to a cheerful (yet sarcastic) one when he faced his hoobae.

“Do you want some drinks?” Mark suggested, who was standing outside the tent with the three boxes of Lego sets on his arms.

“Alcoholic or not?” Johnny pinched your side after asking the question. “Essie, don’t you have any concept of drinking alcohol at certain periods?” He hissed, pinching you again.

Although his pinches hurt, you ignored it and beamed sweetly at the person you were talking to. “Uh, I was thinking of making us hot chocolate,” he said.

“Sounds good to me!” You gave him a thumbs-up, which the guy beside you mirrored as well. “Then, hot chocolate it is,” Mark disappeared into his bedroom first before he went to the kitchen to prepare probably some Swiss Miss.

“Isn’t he such a great host?” You said, eyeing the younger guy’s movements from inside the tent. “Yeah, he is. A good kid too,” Johnny replied, grabbing one of the pillows first before lying down.

“Now I feel pressured on what to do when it’s my turn,” you looked at the guy beside you, who patted the space beside him. “Lie down with me,” he whispered, and you complied immediately.

“Don’t sweat it. Look at us, just hanging out inside a tent at the living room since we can’t go camping outside,” he shifted his position so you’ll have more space, “and after having some snacks, I think we’re just going to do whatever, you know?”

“It’s been a while since we bonded like this too…” you tilted your head to look at Johnny again, who surprised you by kissing your forehead. “I guess so? We haven’t had heart-to-heart talks. You two might have since you were together for the past few weeks, but the three of us? It’s been way too long.”

“I agree with that,” Mark’s booming voice startled you and Johnny. “Hey, here are your hot chocolates, which pair perfectly well with these tasty waffle biscuits,” he took out a huge red packet from the basket and placed it on the table. “Bon appetit, guys.”

After your simple snack, your host decided to just spend the rest of the day catching up with everyone. Mark was often out due to his projects, and whenever he returned from them, he was often sleeping and rarely got to talk to anyone of you. If he did, your conversations barely lasted five minutes before he had to head out or sleep.  

Although unfortunately, there’s a global pandemic right now, it was time for the overworked young man to catch up with rest and know what’s up with his beloved housemates whom he loved so dearly.

–––

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

Tripping

I don’t know what’s up with the Tumblr app, but the whole content of this post got deleted when I posted it. Hence, I deleted it, and I’m starting all over again. I’m actually pissed about it if I’m being honest.

We’re going way back to my first writings, so you might be reading some of my Y/N stories in a few weeks. 

Here’s a piece that will put a wrench into Johnny, Essie, and Mark’s relationship. We’re getting somewhere, aren’t we? Before you get annoyed with me, enjoy a cute Johnny and Mark GIF first!

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: This story takes place before Johnny and Essie got together, and she hasn’t moved into his (and Mark’s) place yet. Read on to know how a simple trip to a restaurant become a tense situation. Oh, how I love to make tension so I could complicate the timeline! 

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 935 words

Warning: Italics are for thoughts, and italic and bold are for lyrics. I have also embedded the music video of the song mentioned below for your listening pleasure. 

–––

You didn’t need to go to karaoke when you’re out with Johnny and Mark. The three of you always sang inside the car without any care for the world.

Since Mark was back from his trip abroad, it was time that the three of you catch up on life. The Korean-Canadian was Johnny’s housemate, and boy, was your best friend over the moon that his ‘younger bro’ was back.

You decided to eat at this Spanish restaurant that just opened, which already has rave reviews online. Since Johnny’s always game to try new restaurants and Mark was pretty much a guy you can easily tag along with, you orchestrated this trip before lunchtime. You didn’t want to fall in line, especially with these ‘grumpy old men’ you are bringing along.

Johnny was the designated driver, and as always, he assigned you the tunes for this excursion. Mark didn’t have any role since he was the guest of honor, so he hogged the back seat to himself.

Everything was going smoothly, with one of you singing or humming along to your playlist. When Yellowcard’s ‘Ocean Avenue’ played, Mark immediately sat up and began singing.

Sometimes, it’s best not to judge a person by what he listens to. You were sure that Mark only listens to hip-hop and rhythm-and-blues, but he surprised you once again by jamming to one of your pop-rock hits back in the day.

Johnny joined in as well, even headbanging a bit as he drove. Before you knew it, all of you were singing the chorus.

“If I can find you now, things would get better…we could leave this town and run forever…”

You and Johnny shared a knowing look since this was your jam during your middle school days. When you looked at Mark, you saw that he was so into the song. He was doing the air guitar, for Christ’s sake!

You couldn’t help but laugh and reached him. He took your hand with his and squeezed it, still singing his heart out.

Together, you sang the bridge part. “I remember the look in your eyes when I told you that this was goodbye…”

The two of you exchanged lines this time, realizing later on that the lyrics fit well with your scenario.

“You were beggin’ me not tonight, not here, not now,” you sang, which Mark replied with, “We're looking up at the same night sky, and keep pretendin' the sun will not rise…”

Then, together again: “We'll be together for one more night, somewhere, somehow…”

Your hands didn’t leave each other, and you sang the lines while looking at each other. Never mind that your position was uncomfortable; you were too focused on singing with Mark.

You didn’t notice that Johnny wasn’t singing along anymore or the fact that his knuckles were almost white from gripping the steering wheel.

When the chorus came again, that was the time you pulled away. You and Mark finished singing along still with the same energy. You peeked at your back and saw that he was imitating his Henry hyung by doing an air violin impression. You laughed again, covering your mouth with the hand that he held. It still felt warm.

You remembered the time that he dropped by your apartment a few months ago, singing your melancholic favorites. You shared a similar moment, hands touching and staring into each other. Although a few months have passed, you still don’t know how to describe your feelings for him.

After all, you were conflicted. You also love the man who’s willing to drive you anywhere and feed you whenever you’re hungry. He was beside you, and he was oddly silent as the next song played.

“Hey, Johnny. Are you okay?” You couldn’t help but ask despite knowing that he didn’t look like it.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he grumbled, eyes focused on the road ahead. This was the time you noticed his grip on the steering wheel, and you gently touched his shoulder. “No, you aren’t,” you said softly.

He took a deep breath first before he relaxed. One of his hands went limp beside him, which you took immediately. He looked at you funny as he drove with one hand.

“I’m not going to let this go until you are okay,” you pouted, squeezing the hand in your care.

He sighed in response and continued to drive in silence. Why could he be suddenly not okay?

When you took a glance at Mark at the back, he was absentmindedly scrolling through his phone and lip-syncing to the song playing.

You felt Johnny’s grip on your hand tighten, and that’s when it hit you. Is he jealous because I’m getting touchy with Mark?

Your eyes widened in realization, and you felt more confused about your situation.

Mark, who was seven years your junior, admitted that he has feelings for you.

You, on the other hand, were starting to fall in love with Johnny.

Although there were instances that your crushes on Taemin and Kai will resurface, it could never compare to your love for Youngho.

You didn’t want to lead on two men. You only want to end up with one.

You looked at Johnny again, who tried his best to look unaffected. You squeezed his hand and kissed it.

You are sure of who your feelings are for now.

Good thing the stoplight was on red or else he might’ve pulled the brakes sooner. He didn’t expect your action, and his cheeks and ears were red.

You gave him a small smile before letting go of his hand. The stoplight turned green now.

–––

FIN

P.S. I got the title because I had 'Welcome to My Playground' playing in my head. And of course, that word came from Johnny's lines in the song.

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

Sugar and Fluff (Volume 3)

This is not the usual edition of this series, as this focuses more on the tension between Johnny and Essie before becoming a couple. 

The stories are still sweet and fluffy, but at the same time, it isn’t. Anyway, here’s Johnny rocking the keyboard as a hint on what to expect for today’s post. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: I think I’ve already said what you need to know, but I’d like to move what I usually mention at the Warning header that italics are for thoughts and italic and bold are for lyrics.  Both videos of the song mentioned will be embedded below for your listening pleasure. You can also click the link of the song in the second part if you’re not into the video, but why would you miss one of the cutest MVs of all time? Just kidding, guys. 

POV: 2nd person for both 

Word count: 1,800+ words 

–––

I. Because Johnny playing the piano will always be iconic

There were times you missed playing the piano.

You and Nini used to go home late from school because you took piano lessons. However, you weren’t able to move past the first grade as you eventually found it difficult to play. Reading notes past beyond the staff and figuring out how to play half notes made you lose your interest since it took you time to figure it out on the keys. Nini was able to finish the program and could still play a complicated piece if asked to.

Now that you were living with Johnny and Mark (who was unfortunately abroad again), you were delighted to see that he had a piano at his place. Not only does he have the classical instrument, but he also has an organ in the corner of his bedroom.

One time, you asked him to play after a long day at work. “Play some for me, Johnny,” you asked, tapping the side of the instrument.

He was lounging on the sofa, watching a video on his phone. “Come again, baby?” He said, briefly looking up at you. “Can you play the piano for me?” You sat down beside him and even leaned toward his face to show how much you wanted it.

“Hey, what’s up?” He sat up straight and examined your face. You don’t usually ask him to play the piano unless you were not feeling well or you needed added stimuli for sleep.

“I don’t feel so well,” you whispered, looking away from him. “Why? What happened?” You heard him come closer to you, the fabric of his pants and the sofa cover rustling together.

“I’m not comfortable telling yet,” you responded as he held your hands. “Okay baby, I’ll wait for that,” he squeezed your hands first, “but now I’ve got to fulfill your request.”

He went to the piano and you watched him prepare, wiggling his fingers first before he placed them over ebony and ivory keys.

When you heard the iconic introduction of Alicia Keys’s ‘If I Ain’t Got You’, you stifled a sob.

It brought back memories of your childhood playing the piano – after all, she was the person who inspired you to play.

Some people want it all

But I don't want nothing at all

If it ain't got you baby

If I ain't got you baby

He sang, which made you more emotional. It has been a while since you heard him sing again. You went to his side and sang along with him.

Some people want diamond rings

Some just want everything

But everything means nothing

If I ain't got you, yeah

You looked at each other as you finished the chorus, then gave each other the most genuine smiles you could muster.

It was a beautiful moment that both of you would treasure – you even mentioned it during your wedding speech!

Even though you know you don't have a great singing voice, you did your best to give justice to the song. You believed that you harmonized well with Johnny, who was giving more than his best self to execute the song.

If I ain’t got you with me, baby

So nothing in this whole world don’t mean a thing

If I ain’t got you with me, baby

As the song ended, Johnny looked at you expectantly. “That…was good, right?” He asked carefully and a little out of breath since he used more of his singing voice today.

You nodded, flashing him a grin. “Yeah, that was great. Can’t believe we harmonized so well,” you said, taking a seat beside him on the stool.

He laughed at your comment and looped an arm around your waist. “I hope that made you feel better,” he whispered, his mouth too close to your ears and neck.

Shivers went down your spine with his words, but you didn’t let him make you weak. You leaned forward and whispered back, “Yes, it did. Thank you, Johnny.”

His other arm snaked around you, and now you were enveloped in his embrace. You settled your head on his shoulder, and he did the same.

“You know I’m always here for you, right?” He murmured against your ear, making you wrap your arms around his neck.

“Yes, I know. And I’m so grateful for that.” You had to pull away a bit to look at his face, and he made a kissing face.

You know you wanted to kiss him back, but you know that you shouldn’t. You nuzzled his neck in response, which made him giggle. “Not there!” He whined as he squeezed your sides. You yelped when he pinched too hard and attempted to bite his shoulder.

You were in a playful mood after getting your emotional side out of your system, which Johnny shared as well.

You moved your tickling game at the couch wherein you laughed, cried, kicked, and bit each other. Once both of you were tired, you stared into each other’s eyes while you embraced.

“I missed moments like this,” Johnny started, one of his hands now stroking your hair.

“Same here,” you replied, one of your hands cupping his face.

You two were so close that people thought you were dating. You had to correct people that you aren’t – you told them that you were so comfortable with him that you can be really intimate with him at times. You didn’t know if he said the same thing to other people though.

There were instances that your closeness made you feel things – you just wanted to kiss him, cradle him in your arms, or even do it with him. You had to fight it because you were not sure if he felt the same.

You wanted to say something, but the words left your mouth. You looked at him lovingly, wishing that something will come out of your intimacy. He sensed your longing and pecked you on the lips.

It was very brief that you weren’t able to process it. You blinked when he pulled away, making him giggle at your reaction. “Aw, you’re so cute Essie,” he said, pinching your nose. You glared at him in return, and he soothed the part he pinched.

“I love you,” he said, his face glowing with warmth.

The words came out of your mouth without any hesitation: “I love you too.”

Those three words may seem romantic, but they can still mean differently – either they mean he loves you more than you think or he loves you just as his best friend.

You wondered what he meant by that.

\\\

II. Inspired by my favorite Regina Spektor song

When Essie realized she was in love with Johnny Suh, she knew she was screwed.

She had a lot of guy friends who were close to her, but they did not reach the level she had with the Chicago native.

They were quite intimate – they had skinship similar to that of a couple. People often thought that they were dating, which they either pretended to be (at times to fend off creeps) or dismissed.

Sometimes, she had to hold herself back from touching him. She knew other people would make comments behind their back about the way she massaged his hand when she was bored, or when her hand absentmindedly ran across his chest down to his waist when she was comforting him.

But that was how they were. In return, Johnny liked to hug her and bury his face in the crook of her neck, as if he was kissing it. There were instances that he did – just a simple peck. That wasn’t romantic, right?

However, these gestures were getting to her. The topics they were discussing lately were about relationships and what they would like to see in their ideal partner.

Essie noticed that he was taking notes. When she talked about how she would love it if her dream guy would get her tickets to any one of her favorite performers at a show abroad and watch it with her, he made it happen a week later.

He dragged her to the airport at 3 a.m. on a Thursday so they could fly to Peru and watch Franz Ferdinand later in the evening. They spent two days and three nights, resulting in a memo from her office when she got back. It was a surprise that made her feel loved and terrified at the same time.

Whenever people did something for her, she appreciated it. Truly, madly, and deeply, like the song goes. But she was terrified at how her heart beat loudly against her chest when he held her hand, gripped it tightly, and looked at her straight in the eyes as he led her closer to the stage of the concert they were watching.

“Aren’t I a step ahead of your ideal partner?” He said while the strumming of an electric guitar echoed in the open night.

She cocked her head at him, gesturing him to repeat what he said. He laughed in response and patted her shoulder. “Never mind,” he mouthed as he continued to hold her hand.

In fact, she heard him loud and clear. But she didn’t expect his words. She was rendered speechless by it.  

As she currently watched Johnny furiously typing away on his phone at the other end of the sofa, she reevaluated her feelings for the nth time.

They were living together for the past three months, along with their friend Mark. Her apartment, which she shared with Nini, was under repair. It was her part of the house that needed repairs, making Nini stay behind and watch over the process.

Essie was lucky that Johnny immediately offered his apartment, which had another spare room. When she moved in, she was shocked that he made it a replica of her room. She found it creepy at first but then grew to love it each day. It was sweet, very sweet, of Johnny Suh to do this.

He has always been sweet, if not smooth, for the duration of their friendship.

His actions must tell her something by now, right? But no, she could also be the densest person in the world.

“Hey, baby. Are you okay?” Johnny broke her reverie, glancing at her worried face before going back to his phone.

“Yeah…I am,” she responded slowly, her eyes looking for something to distract herself with (other than him, duh). “I’m just…at a loss.”

“What do you mean?” This got his attention as he shoved his phone in his pocket, moving closer to her at the other end of the couch.

“I…I don’t know what to do,” Essie whispered, looking at her palms this time.  

“Hey, what’s up, really?” She could feel the warmth of his body near her, and she closed her eyes when he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her toward his chest.

“Johnny…” she mumbled, burying her neck on her shoulder. Her left arm hooked around his waist while her right gripped the fabric of her dress tightly.

“Baby…” Those words were enough to make her weep.

Why must you make me feel this way?

–––

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!