aside from the people who somehow completely ignore that FF8 is all about Squall dealing with, healing from, and growing as a person as he combats his mental health issues as a teenager, we really donât talk enough about how much ANXIETY this boy has.
take for instance this sceneâwhich is still a cute, funny, and iconic sceneâbut during one of my latest playthroughs the moment in the gif on the right really struck me because even though at the beginning of the game Squall is outwardly stoic to everyone and this whole bit heâs doing with Rinoa, pretending not to know how to dance, is a weirdly extroverted introvert way of trying to get out of actually talking to her lmao BUT when he actually bumps into someone else on the dancefloor, this random guy gets mad at him and probably says something mean, and what does Squall do? He freezes. He looks like a deer caught in headlights, scared, doesnât say anything! He backs away and doesnât look anything like the apathetic tough guy we see earlier in the Dollet mission. Of course, knowing better after having played this game and knowing who Squall really is, clearly this is a moment of true social anxiety and thankfully Rinoa is actually there to stand up to the rude guy and makes a stinkeye face and then they get back to dancing and Squall finally lets down his guard enough to think âok, maybe iâll actually dance with her this time.â then we get a beautiful dance moment with the fireworks and Squall actually looks Comfortable as heâs dancing with Rinoa and even smiles at the end etc. until Rinoa walks away
anyway, this is an early game moment! how anyone gets to this part of the game and doesnât see the depth of Squallâs personality and doesnât see a major indication that Squallâs previous aloofness is not rudenessâbut actually, hey, this guy might have serious anxiety and mental health issues, and heâs a child soldier who was just thrust into a real life war as part of his senior graduation examâIâm just saying if you get through all that and still come out at this point, let alone at the end of the game(???) thinking âsquallâs a jerkâ youâre either a child who doesnât understand how mental health issues present or youâre honestly just not paying attention (or maybe youâre the jerk :D)
and further to that point, how anyone doesnât see or understand that in this scene thereâs already a seed planted in the romance between Squall and Rinoaânot because of the dance itself, but because of the way Rinoa both pushed Squall out of his comfort zone and was there to ease his anxiety when things got a bit too uncomfortable for himâwhich is only the beginning of how far Rinoa goes to stand by him and get to know him despite all the ways Squall tries not to let anyone in because of his abandonment issues, anxiety, and depressionâitâs so clear that the romance does not happen âout of nowhereâ and up until this point, Squall is probably not used to anyone standing up for him like this in an anxious moment like this, and Rinoa clearly makes an effort to want to dance with him but she also wants him feel at ease and doesnât give up on a socially awkward and anxious guy who dances terriblyâŠI absolutely love her for it and itâs very easy to see how Squall could, too (even though heâs probably not conscious of it at this moment and itâs just a tiny seed planted underneath layers of mental health issues and walls he puts up in his heartâBUT ITâS THERE)
anyway, I made a closeup gif of that anxiety moment a while ago because it just stuck with me so much, like apart from the HE JUST LIKE ME FR đ of it all, I just love how much depth Squall has and heâs always been and always will be my favorite FF protagonist and Iâm so glad that we get to have him represent a journey of battling and healing from depression and anxiety. honestly if youâve gotten this far into this post and you havenât played this game before, Iâm telling you now, PLAY FF8. ITâS SUCH A GOOD GAME đ
If you haven't already, I highly recommend downloading the webtoons app on your phone and then check out these amazing webtoons, some of which are coming out in books, which I am super stoked about.
If you have any suggestions or think I missed some really good ones, let me know! There are tons more that I read, but these are my top 20.
Itâs been a long time so Iâm working on getting my drawing capacity back in gear. _(:3ăâ )_So some sketches for my new hyperfixation. I donât have much time and energy but Iâll get back into the swing of things soon ( âąÌáâą Ì)ï»â§
Modeled living room from otome game called Variable Barricade. Unfortunatly, the lighting setting just isn’t same as blender cycles re
You can view the 3D model from the link above! No need fancy PC, you can even load it on your phone. Please take a look! Also if you have oculus or vr device I think sketchfab should support that as well. It's almost to exact scale, couch being about 2m and 65inch screen TV and all that hehe
Lighting, hairs, and textures didn't quite turn out right when exporting to sketchfab, so I rendered some still shots to show actual quality!
reference screenshot from the game, and some sketches:
Next is probably Nil admirari Kuze's room in the apartment.
Comment if you want to be notified in future updates on this project!
Room modeled based on the screencap of the game. - Olympia's Room - Olympia Soiree - 3D model by fuzziehoodie
ayyoo next 3d model is done! This one is really scuffed on sketchfab compared to the actual blender render rip... maybe when I get better I will actually fix in in unreal engine and make it good. also wanna add those sprinkle affects when I can lol
I had to painted the hdri using spherical panoramic perspective (rip nodes)
The Last Supper was actually a Passover Seder which means by the time they broke the food out, these guys were likely already drunk out of their minds.
rating: 16+ for i guess language and spicy promises
a/n: i have always staunchly said i would never write rpf, but here we are. pls ignore the fact that i've ever written and shared this. anywhere. ever. it doesn't exist. that being said, i had a dream a few months back about kim seokjin and woke up the next morning, suddenly deciding to double-bias so. beware your own brains, kids.
When most kids think of summer, they think of campsite memories; cooking sâmores around a massive bonfire with all of their friends, loud music on the lakeside, cool water against their skin as they swam and frolicked during summer nights with the stars high above them.
First crushes, first intimate moments of holding hands and locked gazes, maybe even first kisses, connecting while nestled amongst the fireflies and under the canopy of haloes formed by the campground lights above.
You were certainly no longer young enough to be considered a âkidâ, but as you headed up the incline to the center of the campsite, dragging your luggage behind you, a fond smile teased at the corners of your lips.
Yes, fond memories of summer camp were, in your opinion, universal. And it was nice to be backâeven if it was more business as a counselor than as a kid who truly got to enjoy a carefree summer.
The wheel of your suitcase snagged on a rock, and you stumbled before looking back with a grimace. One tug, then two, and the wheel still couldnât break free from the rock. A sigh leaked out of you, escaping from every nook and cranny of your soul, before you gave it one (hopefully) final, hard tug.
Oh, your suitcase came free, all right, but so did you. The freefall had your stomach flipping on itself, and a gasp left you as you flailed your arms in a vain attempt to find purchase. When it seemed like all hope was lost, you screwed your eyes shut, convinced youâd be flat on your back against the dirt soon enough.
When it didnât happen and you realized it felt like you were floating, zero-g style, you cracked an eye open, coming face-to-face with warm, deep brown crescent moons. The corners of the moons crinkled in amusement, and you realized your savior was Kim Seokjin, the campâs resident jokester and your fellow counselor. Also, your childhood friend.
He let out a laugh, one that bordered on his trademark squeaky, embodiment of humor, before he pulled you vertical again. âI leave you for one summer, and come back to you being unable to walk. Who knew you were such a danger to yourself?â he teased, before adjusting his backpack strap.
The movement shifted your attention to his broad shoulders, and you quickly made eye contact with him again before it was too obvious youâd been staring. âHa, very funny, Seokjin. Thank you for saving me from my untimely demise, though.â
A quick wink paired with a single finger gun had you chuckling at his antics, before the two of you headed up the path again, the handle of your disobedient suitcase now clutched in Seokjinâs large palm. As you neared the flagpole that marked the center of the campsite, the sound of the kids getting raucously settled into their bunk assignments increased tenfold. Peals of laughter, teasing jokes, and light ribbing filtered through the open windows, and you smiled at the jubilant energy of this yearâs campers.
When a particularly sharp squeal pierced the air, followed by bubbly giggles, Seokjin shook his head with a frown. You knew him well enough to recognize that he wasnât actually annoyed, but he kept up the façade, gesturing towards the bunks as he said, âYa, these kids. I just know theyâre gonna be a pain in myââ Two kids sprinted past, yelling with glee as they tried to race to claim a bunk. They almost ran you both over, until Seokjin quickly stepped back, placing his arm in front of you as he made room on the path. ââass, see? The perfect example.â
After yelling at them to slow down, he lowered his arm, switching your suitcase handle to the other palm so he could twist around to look at you. âYou sure you want to be a counselor this year? I wonât lie, taking a year off was a nice break.â
Lightly, you bumped his arm with your fist. âDonât pretend, Seokjin, you love these kids.â
âSure, sure, loveâs a strong word.â
Together, you made short work of the remaining path to the main building. It was already late afternoon, but the first scheduled activity for the counselors was the social ice-breaker just after dinner. New counselors were introduced, the high-level schedule for the kidsâ activities over the course of the next month were explained, and then counselor bunk assignments were issued.
To be honest, it wasnât all that different from attending camp as a kidâyou just obviously had more responsibilities. The head counselors always made sure to make room in the schedule for all of you to have your own brand of fun and social activities, otherwise you were pretty sure some of the counselors would go insane by the end of the month. The kids were great, but they were still kidsâenergetic, rebellious, and full of mischief.
Your boots thudded against the hollow, wooden deck as you made your way into the main building. A wave of crisp, cool air enveloped you, and the two of you let out a simultaneous sigh. The sheen of sweat on your skin began to dissipate, and you fanned the front of your v-neck tee in an attempt to expedite the process.
As you glanced around the main hall, you didnât catch the brief glance Seokjin directed at your chest. By the time you looked back at him, he was inspecting the notices pinned to the corkboard, the tips of his ears slightly red.
âAre you okay, Seokjin? You look a little burnt.â
âWhat? Burnt? I was barely in the sun,â he said, rubbing the back of his neck. Out of nowhere, he reached up and tugged a perforated flyer off the bottom of a piece of paper. âWow, this looks super interesting. Iâm gonna go check it out! See you at dinner.â
Quickly, he handed you your suitcase before scurrying down the hall. He moved so fast, you didnât even have a chance to ask him where he was going, or when heâd be showing up to said dinner.
âUh, okay. Bye?â you murmured, before looking at the flyer heâd been inspecting so closely. Confused, you cinched your brows together before raising one in doubt.
âKnitting club, huh?â
Soon enough, night fell.
All the campers headed towards the massive bonfire burning at the base of the flagpole, a sea of excited youths wound up, ready and raring to have fun. You watched them pass with a smile on your face, a look that mirrored many of the kids as they found their seats around the flames.
Some of the other counselors were handing out sâmore kits, Seokjin included, and you found your eyes following him more than not as he moved around the fire. He joked with the kids, teasing some of them as he dropped off wooden skewers and graham crackers, or patting some on the back as he left behind marshmallows like a summer fairy.
Every so often, his squeaky laugh would reach you, and your smile unconsciously widened every time. When a shoulder knocked into yours, you stepped aside before you realized your other summer camp pal, Jungkook, had finally made it in.
âHey, did you just get here?â you asked, reaching out for a quick hug.
With a wide smile that showed off his adorable teeth, he returned your hug as he said, âYeah, my flight got delayed. I see youâve started without me!â
âYou know weâre on a tight schedule here,â you teased, offering a wink in your best impression of Seokjin.
âThatâs a lie, and we both know it.â He laughed as he faced the same direction youâd been standing in, before looking down at you with a raised brow. âSo, checkinâ out Seokjin-hyung, were you?â
âW-what?â Your cheeks felt inflamed, and you quickly looked awayâat literally anything or anyone but Seokjin across the clearing. âWhy would I be checking him out?â
âGee, I donât know, because youâve had a thing for him since we were also kids at camp?â
âThatâs definitely a lie.â
âIs not.â
âIs too! IâHow old are you, Jungkook, honestly?â you said with a huff, before shoving him. Hard.
He laughed again, loud and bordering on a cackle, before trying to tickle you in the side. âOld enough to recognize a crush when I see one.â
You squirmed away from his conniving fingertips. âSeokjin is just a friend, like youâre just a friend. Friends donât check out friends.â
With a teasing smile that hinted at dangerous territory, Jungkook ceased his attempts at tickling you in favor of leaning in so he could whisper in your ear. âTell that to Seokjin-hyung, then.â
His breath tickled the shell of your ear, and you scoffed in denial as he straightened. You were just about to vehemently deny that Seokjin would ever check you out, but couldnât manage a single word before Jungkook waved to someone over your shoulder. âHey, hyung! We missed you last summer!â
Panic welled in your chest like an ominous raincloud, and you whipped around to face Seokjin. âO-Oh! Are you done handing out the sâmores kits?â
For no reason whatsoever, you felt embarrassed, chagrined, like a child caught sneaking snacks at midnight, well past their bedtime. When you made eye contact with Seokjin and saw the dark expression on his face, you felt your heart drop into your gut. Is he upset at me?
Seokjin lifted the clear bag in his hand as he said, âYep, just ours left. Sorry, Jungkook-ah, I didnât realize you were here so I didnât bring you one.â
His tone was light, but stiff; you could tell that he was holding something back. Anger? Disappointment? Whatever it was, you didnât like it. There were rarely moments when Seokjin sounded truly mad, or any other emotion but carefree or amused. Youâd been around for a few of those rare moments, but it was always off-putting when they occurred.
This felt different. Like you had somehow been the cause of his irritation, and for the life of you, you couldnât place why.
Jungkook shrugged before offering a crooked smile. âThatâs okay, hyung, I can run and go get one. Iâll be right back!â he said before jogging off.
You both watched him trot off in silence, before the crinkling of the bag pulled your attention back to Seokjin. He was settled down on the log bench in front of you, and you hung back for a second, trying to gauge the mood. Evidently, you took too long, because he turned around and patted the empty spot beside him with raised brows.
âSorry, IâNever mind,â you murmured as you sank down onto the bench beside him.
He pulled out the crackers and the marshmallows, handing them to you to hold onto as he then pulled out the chocolate. âI got you milk chocolate, your favorite.â
âYeah, but you hate milk chocolate.â
He shrugged as he skewered a marshmallow. âI can deal.â
You watched him roast the marshmallow, charring the edges slightly in the way you know heâd always preferred. âWe could ask Jungkook to bring back dark chocolate for you.â
As soon as you mentioned Jungkook, Seokjin scooted away, farther than he would normally sit from you. He disguised the discrete movement by holding out a hand. Opting not to comment on his avoidance, you handed him one-half of a graham cracker without a word.
âNo, itâs fine,â he said without looking at you.
You let out a breath, before reaching out and placing a hand on his arm. âSeokjin, are you upset? Did I do something wrong?â
âNo.â
âYou say no, but that honestly sounded like a yes.â
âIâm not upset.â
âThen why are you acting like youâre upset?â
âIâm not.â
With a huff, you said, âSeokjin.â
He reached out a hand again, and you placed the other half of his graham cracker into his palmâalbeit a little too rough as it immediately cracked. Exasperated, he finally looked at you with a dry expression. âThat oneâs yours now,â he muttered, before reaching down to grab another cracker from the bag.
Crossing your arms as you faced the fire, you fell silent. There wasnât much else to say, not when he wasnât willing to honestly communicate with you. In your opinion, youâd known each other long enough to not pretend like this, but if he wanted to be difficult then damn it, you could be, too.
A few seconds passed, then a minute, before he finally cleared his throat. âSo . . .â
You didnât bother to answer, knowing heâd continue either way. Besides, if you talked right now, youâd likely just snap at him. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw him glance in your direction before setting his open-faced marshmallow sandwich in his lap so that he could warm the chocolateâthe final touch on his sâmore.
Clearing his throat, he said, âLast year when I was gone, did you and JungkookâI mean are youâThe two of you arenâtâDamn it.â He broke off with an irritated grunt when his chocolate fell into the fire, and he sat up with a sigh. âAre you two together now?â
Frowning, you finally looked over at him. âWhat?â
âYou and Jungkook-ah, are you two dating?â He picked up his chocolate-less sâmore, twisting on the bench to look you in the eye. âLike, are you together?â
âAbsolutely not.â
âOh.â He tossed his skewer down before picking up his âsâmoreâ to inspect it. âI guess it just kind of seemed like you were, uh, cozy earlier.â
âIâve known him just as long as Iâve known you, Seokjin.â
âRight, I know, itâs justâI donât know, never mind.â He pivoted to face the fire again, staring at his sâmore with a disgusted expression.
You followed his gaze before rolling your eyes and grabbing your phone out of your pocket. âIâll tell Jungkook to bring dark chocolate for you.â
Seokjin tossed the failed snack into the now-empty bag with a dramatic sigh. âItâs fine, I didnât want one anyway.â
âYou love sâmores.â
âIâll make one later. Youâre really not together?â
You blinked at his sudden change in topic, before shaking your head in denial. âNo, Seokjin, weâre not.â
âMm.â
Silence fell between the two of you again, and you eyed the marshmallow and cracker in your other hand. Why did he even care if you were dating Jungkook? You wouldnâtâever, that would be like dating your little brother. But even if you were, why would Seokjin, of all people, care?
A disgusted groan left the man beside you, and you looked up in surprise, thinking heâd caved and just ate his marshmallow-only sâmore. Instead, he was gazing across the campsite with an overly theatrical expression of annoyance. You followed his line of sight, catching two of the other counselors making out on the log bench opposite the bonfire.
âThere are kids here,â he hissed.
Glancing around the campsite, you turned back to say, âActually, I think most of the kids have left. They probably went to their own make-out sessions in the woods.â
âStill, this is a campsite for kids.â
You snorted. âYou know as well as I do, Seokjin, that the kids get up to worse shenanigans than the counselors doâespecially after-hours. Youâre no saint.â
âThat was one time!â
âOne time still counts.â
âUgh, someone oughta tell them to get a room.â
âSo, go over there.â
Seokjin looked at you with wide eyes, offended. âYou get over there. I donât want to see that up close.â
âWhat are you, twelve? Besides, give it a week. The hormonesâll fizzle out and itâll be back to business, itâs like this every year.â
âCanât even eat my sâmores in peace,â he mumbled under his breath.
He looked down at his marshmallow sandwich in the bag between his feet and shook his head in disappointment. âDefinitely not.â
Exhausted from the dayâs activities, you trudged back to the campsiteâs main building, dragging your feet as you walked. Behind you, the sun was slowly sinking below the rooftops, sending persimmon-colored rays sifting through the cracks between buildings and warming your back.
The kids went to the lake today for the kick-off activity of the summer, which involved tubing, rope-swings, and lemonade. While they were having a blast, living their best lives and being young and wild, you were being stoically ignored by Kim Seokjin.
The tension from last night somehow bled into today, so noticeable, apparently, that even Jungkook picked up on the odd vibes. More than once, he asked you if everything was okay, to which youâd initially answered, âI think so?â
But by the end of the afternoon, your answers had morphed into, âI honestly donât know.â
It was driving you crazy. Seokjin was driving you crazy.
Youâd also barely slept, your brain refusing to let you rest as it tried to puzzle out all the reasons why Seokjin would care even the slightest bit whether you and Jungkook were together or not. Heâd never cared before, even going so far as to tease you about all the other flings youâd had at summer camp in your younger years. So why now? Why Jungkook?
Dinner came and went in a blur, and you barely remembered finishing your food let alone trudging out of the main building and back into the stuffy evening air. You were so in the zone, you didnât hear anyone approaching you, didnât hear the sound of someone calling out your name. It wasnât until that someone was lightly grabbing your wrist, that you spun around in surprise.
âSeokjin?â You blinked up at him, owlishly, as you tried to process when he got there.
His chest was rising and falling a bit faster than usual; he must have hurried after you. âIâve been calling your name since I left the dining hall, did you not hear me?â
âNo, sorry, IâIâve been kind of out of it since this morning. I havenât talked to you all day, either, so I guess I wasnât expecting you to be right behind me.â You tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear, your braid in disarray from the dayâs events.
âItâs fine, I shouldnât have snuck up on you. I, uh, I was kind of out of it today, too.â He rubbed the back of his neck, his telltale sign of nervousness. The tips of his ears were tinged red, and you tilted your head in confusion.
Without thinking about it, you blurted out, âWhy are you embarrassed?â
He dropped his hand lightning-quick, before meeting your eyes with his mouth slightly agape. âWhat? Iâm not, IâThereâs no reason to be embarrassed.â
âRight, but Iâm not the one with red ears right now.â
âI donâtââ He let out a sharp exhale before grabbing your wrist again and dragging you to the side of the deck.
There was a tiny alcove at the end of the deck, tucked into the side of the wooden logs that lined the exterior of the lodge. It was a popular spot with the kids, known as the âkissing boothâ despite it being one, not a booth, and two, completely visible from both inside the lodge and outside. The only blind spot where you couldnât see the alcove was directly by the front entrance.
Why is he taking me here, of all places? Now it was your turn to flush, and you hoped it wasnât obvious in the dark.
When you were both safely tucked in the alcove, he spun on his heel and looked down at you with frenzied eyes. Seemingly frustrated, he brushed his hands through his hair, pushing it off his forehead, before tilting his head back and taking a deep breath.
âAre you okay, Seokjin?â you asked quietly, furrowing your brow in concern.
âYeah, Iâm fine, I justâI have something to say, and I donât know how to say it, and itâs just . . . itâs been bothering me all day.â It sounded like all the air whooshed out of his lungs, and he looked back down at you, newfound determination on his face.
âYou know you can say anything to me, right?â
His expression softened. âI know I can, but thatâs actually part of what makes this so hard.â
âOh. Um, Iâm sorry?â
A chuckle escaped him, and he reached up, about to wrap his hands around your arms before he quickly let his own drop back down to his sides. âSo, Iââ
Out of nowhere, it started to drizzle, and you broke eye contact to blink up at the night sky. The drops were tiny, barely whispering across your skin like eyelashes on soft cheeks. They collected on your hair, briefly suspended in time before they sunk into the strands. Eventually, enough of them gathered to make your hair damp, and your shirt was gradually becoming more wet.
As you looked back at Seokjin, the lights from the lodge created diffused haloes around you, refracting in the raindrops. You blinked rapidly, trying to clear the drops collected on the fine ends of your lashes.
âOh, come on,â Seokjin mumbled in frustration, shaking the wet, stringy strands of his hair from side-to-side. The moisture flicked off onto you, and you sputtered in surprise. âSorry! Iâugh, damn it.â
This time, he did reach out to touch you, using his slender fingers to brush off some of the moisture on your arms. You stopped him, briefly wrapping your hands around his and trying to ignore the fluttering in your stomach. âItâs fine, itâs just going to continue to drizzle. Tell me what you wanted to say, and then we can get out of the rain?â
âRight, thatâd be the smart thing to do, wouldnât it?â He offered a tiny, nervous smile, before shifting his weight to his other foot. âUm, do you remember when I was asking you about Jungkook? And if you two were dating?â
âYes.â You didnât offer anything else. To be honest, there wasnât much else to say. It was still kind of a sore topic, considering heâd given you the cold shoulder all day, despite you giving him an honest answer.
âI, uh, I talked to Jungkook about it today.â
Confused, you shook your head. âWhy?â
âI donât know. Itâs not that I didnât believe you, I just . . . I guess I wanted to get his perspective.â
âOn the fact that weâre not together? Did you think heâd tell you something else?â
âNo, thatâs not it.â
âWell, Iâm sure he told you the exact same thing I told you: that weâre not.â
âRight, he did. But he also told me I was an idiot.â
âFor asking him if we were dating?â You crossed your arms, slightly cold due to your now soaked-shirt.
So quickly, you almost missed it, Seokjinâs eyes flickered down to your chest before meeting your gaze again. âUm, well, no. I mean, yes, but not for asking just that, I guess.â
âI donât know what you mean, Seokjin. I donât want to rush you either but . . . could you get to the point? Please? Itâs getting kind of cold.â It was your turn to shuffle in place, trying to warm yourself up as the rain continued to come down in soft drops.
âSorry, I guess Iâm just unsure how to say this. Nervous? I donât really know,â he offered a self-deprecating laugh.
As his laugh faded, his smile did too, and you were met with an uncharacteristically serious expression. Again, he reached out to you, but this time he traced his fingers along the wet section of hair that curled along your jaw. Gently, he trailed his fingers down your cheek, and you unconsciously tilted your head towards him.
The fluttering in your stomach was back, but instead of avoiding them, instead of taking a step back and away from Seokjin, you leaned forward slightly without realizing it. The corner of his lips quirked upwards in knowing amusement, and he took a full step forward, closing the distance between you.
He was so close, you had to crane your neck back to maintain eye contact. In the back of your mind, an absent thought flitted across your thoughts. Has he always been this tall?
Next, he curled his fingers under the base of your chin and tilted your head up more, to the perfect angle where if he leaned forward an inch or two, he could easily kiss you.
Kiss me? IâWhy would that even cross my mind? I donât wantâ
Your eyes widened in surprise as it finally clicked for you. You did want Seokjin to kiss you, you had all alongâand you suspected he wanted to kiss you, too. If any of his behavior over the past few days was anything to go by, heâd likely been jealous when he saw you and Jungkook joking around the other day. He probably thought something had happened between you and Jungkook the one summer heâd been away, that heâd missed his chance to form a deeper connection with youâthat Jungkook had swooped in and taken what Seokjin had wanted.
You.
âSeokjin,â you whispered, and he then lightly traced your bottom lip with his fingertip, following the motion with his eyes.
âMm?â
âDo you . . . like me?â
He raised an eyebrow, meeting your gaze again. âWhat if I said yes?â
âIâd ask why you never told me sooner.â
âWhy didnât you?â
âIââ You broke off, closing your mouth with a shrug. As you went to speak again, he said the words synchronously with you. âBecause I just realized it.â
He chuckled afterwards. âYeah, I thought so.â
Shaking your head, and unintentionally freeing your chin from his grasp, you let out a disappointed breath. âBut if youâd said something sooner, we couldâveââ
âCouldâve what? Done this sooner?â
Your eyes shot up to meet his. Before you could process what was happening, he was leaning down, cupping your cheeks, and pressing his lips to yours.
The first thought that floated through your head was that his lips were every bit as soft as you thought they might be. The second thing that registered was the sound of the ever-present cicadas, chirping away even though night had fallen and stars littered the dark canvas above you.
As Seokjin moved his lips against yours, the fluttering in your stomach turned into rolling waves, pulling at something deep inside you. He tilted his head in the other direction and you met each one of his moves with your own, breaking away every-so-often only to come back for more.
When you felt the tip of his tongue trace the inner seam of your lips, you let out a surprised gaspâone that he took advantage of as he slid into your mouth.
An unbidden moan left you, and on the exhale, you breathed his name.
His only response was deepening the kiss further as he pulled you firmly into his arms. Warmth encased you, and the soft material of his sweater flitted against your skin like promised whispers. When his tongue caressed yours, the waves in your lower abdomen only became more chaotic.
It felt like you couldnât breathe, couldnât get enough of him.
His large hand drifted up your side before coming to rest against your neck. He broke the kiss, pulling away slightly as he tilted your head back with a gentle touch. It was as if he thought you were fragile, afraid to be too rough, afraid if he let go, youâd change your mind and none of this wouldâve happened.
That it was all a summer dream, forged in the humid night and amidst the fireflies.
It felt like one, you thought, as the tip of his tongue ghosted along your craned neck. A soft gasp left you, and he whispered your name against your skin as he traced his nose along your jaw.
âIâve wanted to do this for years,â he murmured, his voice deep and silky to mirror the night around you.
âThen why didnât you?â
He let out a small laugh, and you felt his breath pepper across your skin like a stone skipping along the surface of the lake earlier today. âHave you met you? Do you know how hard it is to pin you down?â
âSince when do kisses pin someone down?â you countered. âBesides, you wouldâve found out sooner that isnât true if youâd just done it.â
Seokjin held your gaze, his expression soft, warm, loving even, if you dared to let yourself think that. Slowly, he leaned down again, his eyes drifting shut in anticipation of catching up on all the years you both had missed out on.
When he was just inches from pressing his lips to yours again, a voice called out from the entrance of the lodge.
âAh, hyung! I guess you finally confirmed that weâre not dating, huh?â
Jeon Jungkook, I swear to â
You whirled around, staying firmly trapped in the circle of Seokjinâs embrace. Jungkook, the little brat, was leaning out of the lodge, his hand still looped around the door handle. He was waving, a shit-eating grin spread across his face as he watched the two of you from afar.
Simultaneously, you and Seokjin both shouted, âShut up, Jungkook!â
He practically guffawed, before he pulled himself upright and disappeared back into the lodge with one last, âYouâre welcome!â
Seokjin shook his head in dismay. âHonestly, who raised that kid?â
Even though you were annoyed, there wasnât much that could bring you down from the cloud way up high that you were currently sitting on. âWasnât it you?â
âYa, just because Iâve known him since he was 15, doesnât mean Iâm his dad.â
A soft smile teased at your lips, and his eyes dropped to stare at them, amusement quickly disappearing as he pulled you close again.
âI know Iâm handsome, but you can stop staring now,â he teased, his eyes never leaving your mouth.
âSeokjin?â
He hummed in acknowledgement, meeting your eyes once more. âWhat?â
âNow itâs your turn to shut up, and kiss me instead.â
âDonât boss me around,â he said as he matched your smile with one of his own. Before you could offer a rebuttal, he quickly leaned down and captured your lips once more.
You supposed this one time, it was okay to let him have the final word.
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