Document Type: Internal Briefing
Prepared by: evie, Director of Narrative Operations
— a directory of all creative assets, active ventures, abandoned deals, and classified scenarios.
— primary subject: kyungdan from jinx; satoru gojo from jujutsu kaisen
— previous engagements: code geass, death note, yu-gi-oh, final fantasy xv, final fantasy vii, and final fantasy xiii
note: full list of previous engagements can be accessed via Public Filings
Public Filings:🔖 AO3 || 📖 FFN 1 || 📚 FFN 2
LEGEND:
Core Assets (faves): ✨
||||||| ACCESS THE CREATIVE PORTFOLIO INDEX ↓ |||||||
ACTIVE ENGAGEMENTS
— high-priority, ongoing multichapter initiatives receiving regular resource allocation and executive oversight.
‣ The Price of Us
‣ Jinx: Reimagined
Recent Releases:
I Promise I'll Win ✨
Five Thousand Miles ✨
see more under the cut ↓
MICROBRIEFS
— short-form internal memos and compact materials.
Jujutsu Kaisen:
Pop Goes My Question (satoru gojo)
Just a Man (satoru gojo) ✨
Pure Love (satoru gojo) ✨
This is How You Fall in Love (satoru gojo) ✨
Coming Home (satoru gojo)
What Those Eyes See (satoru gojo) ✨
I'm Already Yours (satoru gojo)
I Signed Up for This Casually, and Now…. (satoru gojo)
Code Geass:
For My Glory, and Mine Alone (julius kingsley) ✨
The Scarlet Masquerade (lelouch/c.c.) ✨
Their Happy Ever After (lelouch/c.c.)
Señorita (lelouch/c.c.)
And On This Day (lelouch/c.c.)
Sea Witch (lelouch/c.c.) ✨
The Last Siren Kiss (lelouch/c.c.) ✨
Thank You, C.C. (lelouch/c.c.)
It's About Time, Lelouch (lelouch/c.c.) ✨
I Promised, Didn't I? (lelouch/c.c.) ✨
To Find a Way (lelouch/c.c.)
Tachycardia (lelouch/c.c.)
The First and Not the Last (suzaku/kallen) ✨
Airport Fairytale (lelouch/c.c.) ✨
R&D OUTPUT AND SIMULATIONS
— conceptual work sourced from the creative think tank, imagination exercises, and audience-driven hypotheticals.
Jujutsu Kaisen:
Gojo goes on blind dates
Thinking of Gojo's Six Eyes ✨
Richfriend!Gojo spoiling Ieiri and Geto
Gojo's dessert refrigerator
SaShiSu working at Jujutsu High
SaShiSu: Shoko's first impressions ✨
SaShiSu: Chaotic teens will be teens
SaShiSu as housemates (imagines) ✨
SaShiSu in an Avatar: The Last Airbender AU (imagines)
SaShiSu: Satoru and Suguru step up to defend Shoko (imagine)
D&D with Gojo, Itadori, Kugisaki, and Fushiguro
TeenDad!Gojo with Baby Megumi and Best Sister Tsumiki ✨
Satoru and Suguru as YouTubers ✨
Husband!Gojo x Shy!S/O ✨
Serial-dater!Gojo
The Gojo Clan and their assets ✨
Ghost!Gojo haunting your apartment ✨
Rock Band AU - Satoru, Suguru, Choso, Sukuna ✨
Rock Band AU - Satoru is dating ✨
BoardDirector!Gojo (Imagines) ✨
COMPLETED DELIVERABLES
— narratives that have successfully reached closure, approval, and full sign-off. no further action required.
Jinx (Manhwa):
I Promise I'll Win ✨
Five Thousand Miles ✨
Code Geass:
The Emperor's Wish (lelouch/c.c.) || ao3 & ffn ✨
One Day at a Time (lelouch/c.c.) || ao3 & ffn
Everyday is Christmas (lelouch/c.c.) || ao3 & ffn
See You Again (lelouch/c.c.) || ao3 & ffn ✨
Five O' Clock (lelouch/c.c.) || ao3 & ffn
The Queen's Longing (lelouch/c.c.) ✨
The Chaining Booth (lelouch/c.c.)
ZOMBIE PROJECTS
— slow-moving initiatives that remain technically open. expect updates at irregular intervals; pending strategic bandwidth and executive whims.
‣ Never Grow Up (satoru gojo)
DEAD DEALS
— terminated ventures. reactivation pending. maintained in archive for transparency and historical documentation.
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Jinx Reimagination, Friends-to-lovers, Established Friendship, Established History, AU - Canon Divergence, Dan and Jaekyung met in college, Jaekyung dropped out, They reunite as adults, Yellow-green Flag Jaekyung :P, Slightly OOC Kim Dan (he’s not wimpy, nor a crybaby, has more pride, only half a people-pleaser)... adjusted their age gap a little bit so it fits the canon-divergent timeline… Dan is now only two years older than Jaekyung, banter as love language, “Two dudes chilling in the hot tub, 5 feet apart because they’re not gay” friendship vibe, Idiots in Love, Friends with benefits, Friends with sugar baby benefits for Dan, Down-bad Joo Jaekyung, Roommates, Emotional Constipation
Two friends/roommates, two people jinxed by life, and two emotionally constipated men slowly discovering that love sometimes moves in one day and refuses to leave.
“Shit, they’re wild,” Jaekyung muttered with his arms folded across his chest. And if he wasn’t sitting so close, Dan wouldn’t have heard him.
“Are they? Or have you seen worse?” Dan asked Jaekyung knowingly as one of the guys started cheering when a server — a gorgeous woman with money-piece hair and in a bustier top — sauntered over with glasses of what looked like iced tea.
“I’ve seen you!” Jaekyung shouted over the bass that vibrated straight through the soles of Dan’s shoes.
“Liar!” Dan shot back, grinning now and toying with the dog tag necklace around his neck. He thanked the server when she put a glass in front of him.
“You can’t even remember half the shit you did when you were drunk!” Jaekyung rolled his eyes and stirred the liquid with the adorable neon green cocktail umbrella. “What is this?”
“Umm…” Dan hesitated.
Jaekyung was steadfast about staying sober. Dan learned that very quickly the first time he took his hoobae out to Hongdae with his third-year friends; Jaekyung ended up being the person charged with wrangling everybody when the group’s energy wound down, and everyone was either asleep, incoherent, sick, or all of the above.
That preference hadn’t changed even at 25, Dan quickly learned.
So honest to every god in existence, Dan was going to stop Jaekyung from drinking what he very well knew to be an alcoholic cocktail.
But too late…
Jaekyung had downed the glass already.
“That’s tart,” Jaekyung commented and sniffed the empty glass, even licked his thumb to taste any spilled remnants of the drink.
Dan pressed his lips together and sipped from his own glass.
Jaekyung will be fine, right?
It’s just one 6.5-ounce glass.
=OoOoO=
“Kim Dan… Daaaaannn~”
The voice was a low, rumbling vibration against Dan’s collarbone.
Jaekyung — all six-foot-four, and one hundred ninety-eight pounds of pure fighting muscle — had transformed into one of those air dancers people liked to put up in front of car shops.
He was melting… on Dan’s shoulder.
One drink.
One downed glass of Long Island Iced Tea was all it took for Jaekyung to metamorphose from a dignified UFC champion into… whatever the hell he was doing now.
Dan thought Jaekyung was fine a couple of minutes ago, but the moment he caught him suckling on ice like it was a pacifier and squinting at his phone while he put his face two inches away from the offensively bright screen, Dan knew it was done for.
And now… this.
“Jaekyung, you're crushing my spleen,” Dan huffed, though he didn’t actually push him away.
He gave up after the first try — Jaekyung was heavy, and Dan was left to suffer the consequences of it. The man’s skin was a furnace — the byproduct of insane metabolism, one alcoholic drink, and the polarizing lights flashing in the darkness around them.
“No, I’m not,” Jaekyung protested and shifted around.
He spotted the untouched platter of what looked like chicken strips that had arrived moments ago and clumsily reached for one. Dan watched with ever-growing amusement as Jaekyung squinted at a strip he held with both hands before he shrugged and started nibbling on it.
“You know you can just… take a bite?” Dan prodded Jaekyung.
Jaekyung shifted around, blinked at him, and shook his head. “Breading won’t feel right.”
Huh?
Dan scratched at his cheek as he gently pried the half-eaten chicken strip from his friend’s massive hands, wrapped the uneaten bottom-half in a clean napkin, and handed it back.
“Hold it properly at least.”
“I was holding it properly,” Jaekyung protested again and glowered at the food held in his hands. “Dan…”
“What?”
“I’m drunk, aren’t I?”
Giving the innocent chicken strip one more offended glare, he tossed it on the table and leaned even harder against Dan in ways that shouldn’t be possible. A shiver skittered up Dan’s spine the moment Jaekyung buried his nose into the crook of Dan’s neck.
Dan could smell the alcohol on him, but it was layered with expensive cologne and sweat.
“You’re a clingy drunk,” Dan agreed with a laugh — a breathless, slightly strangled sound.
He would be lying if he said he didn’t find this amusing. Sober Jaekyung was a terrifying freak of nature in the ring, an indomitable fighter with an iron grip on his metaphorical throne. Drunk Jaekyung was a giant, needy marsupial who apparently lacked a skeletal structure.
For Jaekyung’s sake, Dan sincerely hoped Daehyun and the others were too hammered or thoroughly distracted to notice this complete 180 in behavior.
“Hyuuuung,” Jaekyung groaned — a long, low, pained sound that made Dan’s spine tingle again. Dan shifted in his seat, mindful of how awkward their sitting positions were. “My head fucking hurts.”
Those massive hands, calloused from years of manual labor and long-faded scars earned from multiple light heavyweight bouts, found a place around Dan’s waist. Jaekyung anchored himself to Dan like a lifeline, long fingers digging through the fabric of Dan’s borrowed Henley. All too aware of thin fabric separating him from bare skin, Dan’s heart skipped several beats the moment Jaekyung’s touch alighted on him. Heat burned right through Dan’s carefully crafted composure.
“O-Okay, wow.” Dan chuckled. It was a useless attempt at driving away the indecent thoughts lurking at the edges of his mind. “You’re really drunk off of that one glass.”
Jaekyung nodded against Dan’s shoulder, pressed close enough to nuzzle the skin at Dan’s neck every time he moved his head. “Don’t you like me like this?”
“Huh?” Dan blinked as he jarred himself out of counting each long eyelash he could make out in the gloom.
Curious dark eyes peered at Dan as Jaekyung shifted again and propped his chin up on Dan’s left shoulder instead. “You used to tell me you wanted to see me drunk.”
“I did?”
“Mhm mhm… Sunbae tried to feed me Soju that one time.”
“Do you… even know what you’re saying?”
“I dunno,” Jaekyung mumbled in English. “Sunbae, I like you.”
Dan exhaled a long-suffering sigh. So they had reached this point, huh… He patted the side of Jaekyung’s head, unable to resist the urge to stroke his dark hair and let his own fingers settle just at the base of Jaekyung’s jaw.
“I like you too, and I think you need to sleep this off now,” Dan concluded and discreetly checked the time on his phone. 2:02 in the morning. He’d partied hard enough in his early twenties to know that this was high time to find another place to continue the fun or knock out for the night.
“Really?”
Was Jaekyung pouting?
“I was kidding; now get off. I think we should get you back to the hotel.”
“You’re not funny, hyung.”
“I never said I was a comedian. Come on, let go.” Dan gently patted the arm that was still wrapped around Dan’s waist.
“Don’t wanna,” Jaekyung breathed into Dan’s ear.
The timbre of his voice slithered around Dan like a treacherous serpent — probably the very same one that tempted the woman to eat an apple or something. Dan doubted reminders of information he’d learned in passing in elementary school would be enough to distract him from the insistent heat that slowly uncurled in his stomach.
This was unfair… And evil.
The screeching laughter, the beginning notes of a familiar pop song, the strobe lights painting Jaekyung’s sharp jawline in flashes of electric blue and hot pink all began to blur into white noise.
“Jaekyung, look at me,” Dan murmured — his next attempt at convincing the other man to call it a night. He cupped Jaekyung’s jaw and tried to coax his head back.
Jaekyung groaned another low, petulant sound, but he lifted his head. Dark eyes usually so sharp they could cut glass were heavy-lidded, glazed, and fixed entirely on Dan. Zero professional distance between them, no ounce of comfortable camaraderie that Dan fondly remembered from years past.
Dan released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as he struggled to contend with the near-overpowering urge to press closer instead of pull away.
“We really should—”
"You're loud," Jaekyung muttered as his gaze dropped to Dan’s parted lips. His thumb twitched against Dan’s hip, dragging the fabric of his shirt up just an inch. The friction of the movement sent a sharp, electric sensation straight up Dan’s spine again.
“It’s a miracle you can still hear me above the music,” Dan whispered, unperturbed by the proximity of their faces.
His heart hammered a rhythm that rivaled the club's subwoofer. The air between them was thick, and humid, and dangerously charged. Dan was far from drunk — only tipsy enough to entertain ideas he would have shot down on a normal weekday, but his head spun.
He really is so painfully gorgeous.
Dan’s eyes strayed away from his friend’s half-lidded gaze; it traced the line of Jaekyung’s inviting lips instead.
We shouldn’t…
He’s my boss…
This is inappropriate, I should—
“Too. Loud,” Jaekyung repeated, voice trailing off into silence as he let his massive frame succumb to gravity and he tilted forward.
Dan startled slightly as their lips brushed and lightly pressed against each other — cautious and unsure…
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Jinx Reimagination, Friends-to-lovers, Established Friendship, Established History, AU - Canon Divergence, Dan and Jaekyung met in college, Jaekyung dropped out, They reunite as adults, Yellow-green Flag Jaekyung :P, Slightly OOC Kim Dan (he’s not wimpy, nor a crybaby, has more pride, only half a people-pleaser)... adjusted their age gap a little bit so it fits the canon-divergent timeline… Dan is now only two years older than Jaekyung, banter as love language, “Two dudes chilling in the hot tub, 5 feet apart because they’re not gay” friendship vibe, Idiots in Love, Friends with benefits, Friends with sugar baby benefits for Dan, Down-bad Joo Jaekyung, Roommates, Emotional Constipation
Two friends/roommates, two people jinxed by life, and two emotionally constipated men slowly discovering that love sometimes moves in one day and refuses to leave.
“Hngh! Aaah ah!”
No… No, that couldn’t—
He was imagining it, right?
There was no way…
The keening didn’t cease — only seemed to grow louder and more desperate as the strange voice started calling for a god and begging for “more.”
Dan hesitated at the foyer, debating whether it would be a good idea to venture inside and risk witnessing something he shouldn’t see. The penthouse was open-concept, with each area sectioned off by tasteful storage or expensive freestanding decor. There were blind spots from particular angles, but certainly no refuge against the noise of… whatever the hell was going on right now.
He wasn’t an idiot; he knew what those sounds were, of course.
He just wished he was wrong.
Maybe someone — some stranger or employee Dan wasn’t aware of — was in extreme pain and wasn’t aware of how they sounded.
Or maybe Jaekyung was foolish enough to watch porn on his phone and connect to Bluetooth surround-sound systems Dan didn’t know existed around this massive house.
“Agh! Fuck! That h-hurts! Ngh! Ah! Ah!”
Maybe they were just loud… Loud enough to break through walls.
Doing his best to convince himself that he was deaf and blind, Dan steeled himself and strode with a purpose, intent on beelining towards the floating staircase, up to the second floor, and locking himself inside his bedroom until the obvious fornication was over.
He silently prayed to whatever deity was listening that the sex was not happening anywhere on his route upstairs.
But Dan was afforded no such luxury as he turned a corner—
Because…
Well…
They were right there.
On the couch.
Mostly naked… Well, Jaekyung still had most of his clothes on, but the stranger groaning and writhing on his hands and knees in front of him was nude — eyes squeezed shut, mouth falling open every time the force of Jaekyung’s thrusts jerked him forward.
A burning, crimson wave rushed from the collar of Dan’s white T-shirt and washed over his entire face. Surprise, disbelief, mortification, and swiftly mounting embarrassment filled him as he gawked at them.
Everything in him screamed at him to turn away now and run… Maybe vaporize, or fall through a hole in the floor, but his feet had developed minds of their own, and Dan blamed their stupidity for staying rooted to the spot — now trapped in an agonizing, paralyzing paradox: a puritan’s worst nightmare warring against the hypnotic, deeply alluring invitation to satisfy human curiosity.
Are they seriously doing this on the couch… where I sit and watch TV?!
Dan froze for three whole seconds, heart pounding erratically in his chest as the words fought to climb out of his throat.
Seeing Jaekyung fuck the brains out of a stranger — a man — was the last thing Dan had expected to witness today.
What the hell did I just wander into?
“Do you have to do it here?!” He yelped, voice climbing a few pitches. Dan almost didn’t recognize his own voice as the exclamation burst out of him like a loosened cap from a shaken bottle of soda.
The air around them stilled, the rhythmic sound of slapping flesh stopped, and the stranger was the first to react. His head snapped towards Dan’s direction — Jaekyung’s followed half a second after.
“The fuck? Get out, pervert!”
“Hyung, what are you doing here?!”
Jaekyung and his sex partner said at the same time, speaking over each other in a rush while Jaekyung fumbled with the open flaps of his jeans, and the stranger swiftly snagged a pillow to cover the erection that Dan thankfully did not see. It was a poor attempt at preserving whatever modesty was left to, because the image of Jaekyung’s thrusting in and out of someone’s hole was now burned into Dan’s retinas.
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Jinx Reimagination, Friends-to-lovers, Established Friendship, Established History, AU - Canon Divergence, Dan and Jaekyung met in college, Jaekyung dropped out, They reunite as adults, Yellow-green Flag Jaekyung :P, Slightly OOC Kim Dan (he’s not wimpy, nor a crybaby, has more pride, only half a people-pleaser)... adjusted their age gap a little bit so it fits the canon-divergent timeline… Dan is now only two years older than Jaekyung, banter as love language, “Two dudes chilling in the hot tub, 5 feet apart because they’re not gay” friendship vibe, Idiots in Love, Friends with benefits, Friends with sugar baby benefits for Dan, Down-bad Joo Jaekyung, Roommates, Emotional Constipation
Two friends/roommates, two people jinxed by life, and two emotionally constipated men slowly discovering that love sometimes moves in one day and refuses to leave.
“Hngh! Aaah ah!”
No… No, that couldn’t—
He was imagining it, right?
There was no way…
The keening didn’t cease — only seemed to grow louder and more desperate as the strange voice started calling for a god and begging for “more.”
Dan hesitated at the foyer, debating whether it would be a good idea to venture inside and risk witnessing something he shouldn’t see. The penthouse was open-concept, with each area sectioned off by tasteful storage or expensive freestanding decor. There were blind spots from particular angles, but certainly no refuge against the noise of… whatever the hell was going on right now.
He wasn’t an idiot; he knew what those sounds were, of course.
He just wished he was wrong.
Maybe someone — some stranger or employee Dan wasn’t aware of — was in extreme pain and wasn’t aware of how they sounded.
Or maybe Jaekyung was foolish enough to watch porn on his phone and connect to Bluetooth surround-sound systems Dan didn’t know existed around this massive house.
“Agh! Fuck! That h-hurts! Ngh! Ah! Ah!”
Maybe they were just loud… Loud enough to break through walls.
Doing his best to convince himself that he was deaf and blind, Dan steeled himself and strode with a purpose, intent on beelining towards the floating staircase, up to the second floor, and locking himself inside his bedroom until the obvious fornication was over.
He silently prayed to whatever deity was listening that the sex was not happening anywhere on his route upstairs.
But Dan was afforded no such luxury as he turned a corner—
Because…
Well…
They were right there.
On the couch.
Mostly naked… Well, Jaekyung still had most of his clothes on, but the stranger groaning and writhing on his hands and knees in front of him was nude — eyes squeezed shut, mouth falling open every time the force of Jaekyung’s thrusts jerked him forward.
A burning, crimson wave rushed from the collar of Dan’s white T-shirt and washed over his entire face. Surprise, disbelief, mortification, and swiftly mounting embarrassment filled him as he gawked at them.
Everything in him screamed at him to turn away now and run… Maybe vaporize, or fall through a hole in the floor, but his feet had developed minds of their own, and Dan blamed their stupidity for staying rooted to the spot — now trapped in an agonizing, paralyzing paradox: a puritan’s worst nightmare warring against the hypnotic, deeply alluring invitation to satisfy human curiosity.
Are they seriously doing this on the couch… where I sit and watch TV?!
Dan froze for three whole seconds, heart pounding erratically in his chest as the words fought to climb out of his throat.
Seeing Jaekyung fuck the brains out of a stranger — a man — was the last thing Dan had expected to witness today.
What the hell did I just wander into?
“Do you have to do it here?!” He yelped, voice climbing a few pitches. Dan almost didn’t recognize his own voice as the exclamation burst out of him like a loosened cap from a shaken bottle of soda.
The air around them stilled, the rhythmic sound of slapping flesh stopped, and the stranger was the first to react. His head snapped towards Dan’s direction — Jaekyung’s followed half a second after.
“The fuck? Get out, pervert!”
“Hyung, what are you doing here?!”
Jaekyung and his sex partner said at the same time, speaking over each other in a rush while Jaekyung fumbled with the open flaps of his jeans, and the stranger swiftly snagged a pillow to cover the erection that Dan thankfully did not see. It was a poor attempt at preserving whatever modesty was left to, because the image of Jaekyung’s thrusting in and out of someone’s hole was now burned into Dan’s retinas.
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Jinx Reimagination, Friends-to-lovers, Established Friendship, Established History, AU - Canon Divergence, Dan and Jaekyung met in college, Jaekyung dropped out, They reunite as adults, Yellow-green Flag Jaekyung :P, Slightly OOC Kim Dan (he’s not wimpy, nor a crybaby, has more pride, only half a people-pleaser)... adjusted their age gap a little bit so it fits the canon-divergent timeline… Dan is now only two years older than Jaekyung, banter as love language, “Two dudes chilling in the hot tub, 5 feet apart because they’re not gay” friendship vibe, Idiots in Love, Friends with benefits, Friends with sugar baby benefits for Dan, Down-bad Joo Jaekyung, Roommates, Emotional Constipation
Two friends/roommates, two people jinxed by life, and two emotionally constipated men slowly discovering that love sometimes moves in one day and refuses to leave.
“Dan, what the hell?! Who the fuck did this to you?!” Jaekyung bellowed — concern, frustration, and anger etched into every line of his face.
After last week’s string of unprofessional absences, Dan was now coming into work looking no different from one of the punching bags Jaekyung just finished whaling on, and that said a lot about how fucked up he looked right now.
Fresh bruises littered visible skin — an especially large one peeked out of the top of Dan’s black long-sleeved turtleneck shirt. Jaekyung had the sneaking suspicion that there was more underneath that top. Why else would Dan wear something that covered him up this much?
‘I just tripped on some stairs,’ Dan said. What a load of fucking bullshit!
“Um… I swear I’m fine. I just suffered a nasty fall,” Dan insisted, flashing a bright yet fake smile while the gauze covering his left eye shifted around with the movement of his face and screamed otherwise.
Annoyed, Jaekyung arched an eyebrow and clicked his tongue in disappointment. “You’re a fucking bad liar. Do you forget where you are?”
Acting like no one in this gym knew what a brutal beatdown looked like.
“I— Um…”
“Hyung,” Jaekyung addressed Coach Namwook, “—can we get a medic in here?” As Namwook hurried to do what was being asked, Jaekyung turned to Dan again and assessed him from head to toe, top lip curling up with thinly veiled disdain and disappointment at the situation. “And you. Get your ass to the recovery room.”
“You sound like a drill sergeant, hyung,” one of the guys piped up, laughing nervously.
But Jaekyung wasn’t having it and snapped, “Shut up! Get back to training and stop pissing me off.”
The gym’s on-call doctor arrived not long after Namwook picked up the phone, and the man was redirected towards the recovery room that usually housed fighters who suffered the awful consequences of sparring with Jaekyung.
Dan was in there right now, probably sitting on one of the examination beds, twiddling his thumbs. Jaekyung was inclined to blame Dan’s chosen residential address, but that can’t be the whole picture, can it?
Awful people stalked the alleys of shitty neighborhoods like that; no surprise there, but they didn’t go around singling people out to torment them for no reason — unless they were on something that day.
Overcome with curiosity for what was happening in the recovery room, Jaekyung swiftly discarded the training gear attached to his body. He entered just as the physician was leaving. The other man bowed to him as he passed by, leaving Jaekyung hovering at the threshold just as Dan finished putting his shirt back on.
Taking care of a shit-faced Dan, finding out about Dan’s grandmother’s awful condition, the hospital bills on a payment plan that were slowly accruing interest. And now this?
“I’m starting to see a pattern,” Jaekyung grumbled, voicing the conclusion in his head.
The fresh eye gauze patch over Dan’s eye made Jaekyung uncomfortable, but despite Jaekyung calling out his bluff, Dan still put up a valiant yet futile effort to pretend.
“Why are you worried?” Dan asked jokingly, scratching the back of his head.
Was he serious?
Jaekyung cast him a look. “Do you realize how bad this makes me look as an employer? Also, your grandma will be very disappointed.”
Dan laughed before agreeing. “You’re worried about her finding out? Like I’d show up in front of her looking like this?”
“Nice to see that that brain is still working,” Jaekyung snarked, stepping into the room fully and letting the door behind him close. “So, are you gonna tell me what happened or clam up again?”
Dan sighed, as if the next words were a heavy burden to reiterate. “I told you, it’s really nothing to worry about. I can handle it—”
“The black eye says otherwise,” Jaekyung interrupted. “You’re making me want to impose mandatory self-defense training on all non-fighting personnel.”
“It took me working here to get you to think of that?”
“Well, no one ever came into work looking like they just barely survived the first round in a boxing ring. So did the doc give you something?”
Dan raised his hand, showing a familiar treatment ointment for bruises. “Pretty standard for fighters, I’m guessing?”
“Right. Well… You aren’t going anywhere later. I’m driving you home.”
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Jinx Reimagination, Friends-to-lovers, Established Friendship, Established History, AU - Canon Divergence, Dan and Jaekyung met in college, Jaekyung dropped out, They reunite as adults, Yellow-green Flag Jaekyung :P, Slightly OOC Kim Dan (he’s not wimpy, nor a crybaby, has more pride, only half a people-pleaser)... adjusted their age gap a little bit so it fits the canon-divergent timeline… Dan is now only two years older than Jaekyung, banter as love language, “Two dudes chilling in the hot tub, 5 feet apart because they’re not gay” friendship vibe, Idiots in Love, Friends with benefits, Friends with sugar baby benefits for Dan, Down-bad Joo Jaekyung, Roommates, Emotional Constipation
Two friends/roommates, two people jinxed by life, and two emotionally constipated men slowly discovering that love sometimes moves in one day and refuses to leave.
The screech of the bus brakes could only do so much to jar Dan out of his rumination. It was late; he checked in on Grandma again after leaving the gym, and now, after a long day, Dan could feel the exhaustion settling on his bones.
He needed sleep… badly. It felt like someone had pumped lead into his body.
He barely even noticed the insistent buzz at his pocket until the repetitiveness began to feel bothersome. It was an unknown number.
Dan pressed the phone to his ear and answered with a faint, “Hello? Who’s this?”
“Hello. I’m calling from the redevelopment association. Am I speaking with Mr. Kim?”
Redevelopment association?
“Yes, that’s me.”
“We’re calling to confirm your vacancy status. The final eviction notice passed last Tuesday. Demolition crews are scheduled to block off your area next week. Why haven't you vacated the premises?"
The world seemed to tilt — skies above shimmering with lopsided specks of light, the distant hum of the road, the yowling of a cat on some random rooftop. For the second time in one day, the world vanished into a loud, ringing silence.
"What?" Dan choked out, freezing on the spot. "Next week? No... no, there has to be a mistake. I haven't received any notices."
"Sir, we’ve sent out multiple notices that the schedule has been moved forward. We reached out via text and mail," the voice clipped back, devoid of emotion and a little bit annoyed. "If you fail to clear your belongings by the end of next week, the association is not liable for destroyed property. Please cooperate so we don't have to involve structural security."
“What— No, wait—”
But the line went dead.
What the hell was he supposed to do now?
One problem after the next — a never-ending line of enforcers, each one with bats clutched in their hands, waiting for their turn to take a swing at him for no other reason than failing to be a functioning adult.
He couldn’t afford to move right now… He was only a month into his new job, and even there his position was shaky. He had loan interest payments to tackle on top of worrying about his grandmother’s condition in the hospital (even though the bills were already taken care of, the trepidation remained).
Where was he supposed to find money to pay a deposit for a new place — even the cheapest one?
Dan didn’t know how long he stood under the ugly yellow light of a rusty streetlamp, staring at the blank screen as a cold, paralyzing sense of unease flooded his chest. Life had been a blur of hospital corridors, frantic overtime shifts, endless part-time gigs, and relentless job hunts for the past couple of months. It was shaping up to be a shitty year, he could already tell.
But this…
This was so unfair!
Dan’s throat tightened as the world around him began to blur. He forced one foot forward and then the next, maintaining a trembling grasp around his phone. One problem cut off, and another grew in its place.
He gasped for air as he forced down a sob — crushed by the suffocating impossibility of scrounging together millions of won that he didn’t have.
He’d scored a high-paying job at an elite gym (4.3 million won a month), and even that wasn’t enough. It was always siphoned away by circumstances beyond his control.
God, what he wouldn’t give to have a cigarette between his fingers right now.
He was trapped.
Driven by mounting panic, Dan forced his legs to move — practically running up the final staircase that led toward his gross home. The one place he’d called home for so many years while living under grandma’s care.
But as he finished climbing the final stretch, Dan froze again with his breath caught entirely in his throat, dread consuming every inch of his being.
Loan sharks… These same men that had harassed him and his grandma for years and physically assaulted him in the name of twisted satisfaction. Their heavy leather jackets hung from grotesque frames — a menacing picture against the peeling paint and algae-crusted concrete. One of them, the ringleader, was busy flicking a gold lighter open and shut.
The clicking and clacking multiplied the horror.
Dan stepped back quietly… They couldn’t see him. He had to get away.
Maybe find some place else to spend the night?
"Well, look who finally decided to show up,” a familiar sickening voice purred.
Shit.
Dan’s attempt at retreat into the shadowy parts of the alley failed just as the lighter stopped clicking, and he knew he’d already been caught.
He had to run… He had to leave.
But—
The alley’s cold walls slammed against his back, and air came wooshing out of Dan’s lungs in one awful huff. Thick, calloused fingers dug into his shoulder joints like a dull drill bit, sending spikes of pain up his arm. Another hand gripped the front of his grey hoodie, twisting the fabric as he shoved Dan back further against the wall.
"Where’ve you been, kid? We’ve been waiting for you for hours," their ringleader said, deliberately violating Dan’s personal space. The heavy stench of cheap cologne and stale cigarettes assaulted Dan’s nostrils as the man leaned close and spat in his face. "You’re a hard one to find these days. Almost thought you skipped town."
“W-What were you doing outside my house? I made my payment on time this month,” Dan protested even if he knew his pleas were worthless.
The ringleader sneered as one of the other guys blew cigarette smoke in Dan’s face. The other carried a steel bat, and he grinned at Dan as he tapped the object against his open palm — a promise.
“True, true, you paid all that interest, but…”
“Agh!”
The cry of pain left him before he even knew it, dark concrete rushing up to meet his face after the hit. The wet smell of iron seeped into his lungs with every breath as something wet dripped down the side of his face.
Was he bleeding?
His cheek and the muscles around his eye hurt too. No broken bones, but he knew the beginnings of a horrid bruise when he felt it.
“—The question is, ‘how,’” the brute snarled as spit came flying into Dan’s face. “Are you laundering money for someone? This shit better not be dirty or we’ll break your fingers!”
Dan weakly stared up at them, vision a little blurry as he could feel one eye swelling shut already.
“I-It’s all legal, I swear,” Dan struggled to speak, pushing the words out despite the fear that encroached his entire being.
“Don’t fuck with me, kid!”
“I promise. Don’t worry, I can pay off my loan again next month, so—”
The words seemed to satisfy the brood of vermin, and a dry, humorless laugh followed as he raised his hand again. Dan flinched at the motion, but the horrid man only patted his cheek — a slow, humiliating tap that carried the explicit promise of even more violence.
“Keep up the good work, Dan-ah. Still, we came all this way. It would be a shame to leave without a proper goodbye…”
The walls closed in as his world flashed with blinding white light and succumbed to a nauseating tilt.
=OoOoO=
Dan had arrived early today — something he decided on to make up for his shitty hours this week. Coach Namwook was the first person Dan saw the moment those glass doors opened, and the familiar yet distinct smell of an MMA gym welcomed him into the space.
Jaekyung’s manager was talking to another fighter… Something about fried chicken from last night and how it was apparently stinking up the place.
Not that Dan could tell. The disinfectant smell was as sharp as ever.
“Hi, everybody, good morning.”
“Doc?!” Namwook gasped the moment Dan came into his field of vision. “Oh no, are you okay? What happened?”
“Ah…” Dan stalled. “I just tripped on some stairs, no big deal.”
“Right.” Namwook was still the picture of concern as he scratched the back of his head. “Maybe we should—”
“Dan, what the hell?! Who the fuck did this to you?!”
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Jinx Reimagination, Friends-to-lovers, Established Friendship, Established History, AU - Canon Divergence, Dan and Jaekyung met in college, Jaekyung dropped out, They reunite as adults, Yellow-green Flag Jaekyung :P, Slightly OOC Kim Dan (he’s not wimpy, nor a crybaby, has more pride, only half a people-pleaser)... adjusted their age gap a little bit so it fits the canon-divergent timeline… Dan is now only two years older than Jaekyung, banter as love language, “Two dudes chilling in the hot tub, 5 feet apart because they’re not gay” friendship vibe, Idiots in Love, Friends with benefits, Friends with sugar baby benefits for Dan, Down-bad Joo Jaekyung, Roommates, Emotional Constipation
Two friends/roommates, two people jinxed by life, and two emotionally constipated men slowly discovering that love sometimes moves in one day and refuses to leave.
Early Spring, 2022
Dan sighed heavily as he tapped on the ‘Confirm’ button and felt his misery climb higher.
There it went: what was left of his monthly paycheck drained after the last online banking transaction. He lived every day trying not to spiral about how his late twenties had devolved into an unforgiving series of unfortunate events, but it was kind of hard not to dwell on it sometimes.
Part of him wished he could travel back in time and still be an undergrad.
Dan was optimistic about the future back then. He’d had a stellar transcript, and picking up side gigs to drum up some cash wasn’t as bad. His grandmother was still relatively healthy; he’d had a social life, shared a dorm with a hoobae who used to nag Dan about his smoking and threatened to deck him in the face if he didn’t stop. (Jaekyung could have, but he never did).
Joo Jaekyung…
They had their differences and their gripes, but Dan would be lying if he said he didn’t miss the odd companionship he’d found with the younger man. Jaekyung was hot-headed, a little impulsive, gave off constant ‘I don’t give a fuck’ vibes, a bit of a delinquent, and, truthfully, scary, but for the most part, he reminded Dan of a surly and grumpy cat.
Shame that Jaekyung dropped out…
Dan never saw him again after he himself graduated, and only got one last text from Jaekyung, telling him that he had stopped going to university after his second year of undergrad.
Life just got harder after college graduation, what with his grandmother receiving a cancer diagnosis and especially after that incident in the hospital.
Dan could vomit just thinking about it.
He blinked and squinted at the back of the headrest in front of him as Dan tried to calm himself down. He was twenty minutes away from the next bus stop. He may have been blacklisted from several hospitals around Seoul, but at least they hadn’t revoked his physical therapy license.
Because those freelance PT jobs paid more than his stints at a convenience store, for sure.
And Dan’s latest assignment?
Come to a gym at a specific location in Seoul to treat professional athletes.
Part of him knew he should have known better than to trust a vague job description he found online, but the payout was too good to ignore, and they did emphasize that they needed a qualified physical therapist to carry out the job.
Dan had expected a lot more after the phone call interview, but apparently, that was all it took.
He was assuming today was the day of the final interview, and, if he was lucky, maybe even the first day on the job.
Maybe this could be his clean career restart? A chance to build it back up again after that creepy director tried to have his way with him and ruined Dan’s life in the process.
Shit…
Dan inhaled and exhaled, counting each breath to calm himself down again. He couldn’t get worked up over that now.
He had a job to do.
=OoOoO=
Park Namwook — the guy Dan had been on the phone with about the job — quickly advised Dan to head to the 5th floor: Team Black MMA Gym. Dan barely remembered exiting the elevator and rushing to the entrance.
He squeezed through the limited space he himself had created at the door, and the idea that he was in a professional MMA gym only sank in the moment the combined odor of sweat, blood, rubber flooring, old leather, and sharp disinfectants hit his nose.
That and someone’s cry of pain, accompanied by headgear flying across the room.
Dan flinched when the object rolled at his feet. It was splattered with blood.
“Huh? I thought I made it clear I don’t want anyone bringing strangers in here while I train. Which one of you clowns decided to invite a guest without clearing it first?”
Wait a minute…
That’s— No, it can’t—
Dan was not short by any means, but he caught himself craning his head back to properly address the owner of the familiar voice and the imposing presence towering over him.
“Jaekyung?!”
The name left him before he could stop himself. No way… This was unreal. Dan couldn’t remember his friend being this tall. Did he grow even more after dropping out? How long has it been? Six years? Seven years ago, maybe?
A myriad of expressions flew across the other man’s face. It started with confusion, eyes flicking towards the brass name tag clipped to Dan’s scrubs, and then the recognition dawned on his face.
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Established Relationship, Fluff, Angst, Yearning, Mutual Pining, MMA Violence, Long-Distance Relationship, Idiots in Love, Mutual Masturbation, Frotting, Making Out, Anal Sex, Established Dead Granny, Dual POV, Situationships
The 25th of December looms close and so does the inevitable date of Dan's departure. Dan leaves Seoul with a degree to earn, and a bright new future to build. Jaekyung lets him go the only way he knows how: by staying and waiting, and pretending that “friends” is enough when it painfully isn’t.OR Dan flies abroad to experience a new life for himself. FINALLY. And Jaekyung mopes in Seoul, yearning for Dan’s presence day and night. That's sweet revenge in my book.
read it on ao3 >>
Returning briefly to Jaekyung’s penthouse after more than a year of not being in it dredged up memories Dan would rather forget. But at the same time, he couldn’t deny that the place looked and felt different, despite it being the same.
It was warmer somehow…
Yes, it was still as austere as a showroom in an interior design magazine, but at the same time, his grandmother’s old Mother-of-Pearl wardrobe was still there, and Dan kept finding all the gifts he had given Jaekyung last year and this year, too. They were scattered around the penthouse like little Easter eggs.
The wacky Melbourne mugs and the personalized tumbler he’d gifted Jaekyung for his 27th birthday had their home on the kitchen counters. Dan spotted the tumbler sitting next to the gym duffel bag this morning while Jaekyung was out for his usual sunrise run.
AFL pins arranged in neat rows and columns in one of Jaekyung’s shelves, Hosier Lane stickers and handmade magnets on the fridge, bookmarks with Aboriginal designs sticking out of books left out on the coffee table or the nightstand, the coffee postcard pinned to a corkboard in Jaekyung’s bedroom.
The thin chain-link necklace made of tiny stichtites that Dan bought from a Salamanca market in Tasmania and gifted to Jaekyung for his 28th birthday lay on top of Jaekyung’s nightstand, next to a spare smartwatch.
The pair of stuffed hamsters he had bought from a boutique shop in Melbourne was also a mainstay in Jaekyung’s bedroom. Dan didn’t mention them or acknowledge their existence, but he spied the plush rodents lying side-by-side on the ottoman. Dan had the sneaking suspicion that Jaekyung kept them there only because Dan occupied the right side of the bed last night (after arriving late at night from the airport).
But above all, he was most surprised to discover the presence of a particular present proudly displayed among Jaekyung’s modest collection of expensive watches.
The Cartier keyring with the black and red leather tag gleamed under the warm lighting of Jaekyung’s walk-in closet. Propped up carefully beside the trinket and its red velvet case was the birthday card that still had Dan’s familiar handwriting — the ink was slightly faded now, but the words on it were as readable as the day Dan wrote them down.
It was a relic of Dan and Jaekyung’s tumultuous beginnings — a reminder of how things fell apart before the pieces came back together.
Jaekyung was busy readjusting the watch on his wrist when Dan stepped closer to scrutinize the first gift he’d ever given Jaekyung.
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Established Relationship, Fluff, Angst, Yearning, Mutual Pining, MMA Violence, Long-Distance Relationship, Idiots in Love, Mutual Masturbation, Frotting, Making Out, Anal Sex, Established Dead Granny, Dual POV, Situationships
The 25th of December looms close and so does the inevitable date of Dan's departure. Dan leaves Seoul with a degree to earn, and a bright new future to build. Jaekyung lets him go the only way he knows how: by staying and waiting, and pretending that “friends” is enough when it painfully isn’t.OR Dan flies abroad to experience a new life for himself. FINALLY. And Jaekyung mopes in Seoul, yearning for Dan’s presence day and night. That's sweet revenge in my book.
read it on ao3 >>
“I see… W-What about your pre-game ritual then?” Dan couldn’t help asking. Because if Jaekyung was neglecting to sleep with someone before a match, what did that mean?
“It’s changed… A little bit. I don’t—” Jaekyung paused and cleared his throat, like he was forcing the words out and fighting through his own hesitation. “I don’t have sex before a match anymore. Haven’t really done so since Christmas Eve last year. Don’t really need it.”
Dan remembered that night and the ache that had lived behind his ribs all evening at the prospect that it was his last night with Jaekyung, believing that was the end of them because he had chosen to start a new chapter in a different country and different city, only to be proven wrong.
“Do you know why?”
Jaekyung took a deep breath and held on to the mug a little tighter, while Dan waited with bated breath.
It seemed like forever had passed before Jaekyung turned to fix his eyes on Dan. “Want to hear something fucking nuts?”
“What?”
Jaekyung’s gaze roamed over every inch of Dan’s facial features again — a look highly reminiscent of last night. He reached out and gently brushed away strands of hair that got into Dan’s eyes, and said. “I think of you and fall asleep instead.
Dan’s breath hitched at the confession. A revelation so personal he didn’t know what to do with himself after hearing it — didn’t know what to feel either.
Didn’t dare to think about the possibilities behind such a statement.
But when Jaekyung leaned forward to kiss his lips again, Dan gave in and reciprocated the kiss anyway, simply because it felt like that was what his body was made to do: surrender itself to Joo Jaekyung whenever he asked. He stroked Dan’s face with his fingertips while Dan’s own hands moved like they had a mind of their own, cupping Jaekyung’s jaw in return and angling his head a little more so the kiss could deepen just a bit.
It felt so wrong yet so right at the same time — a dizzying puzzle.
In the end, it was Dan who pulled away first, breaking the kiss hesitantly.
Jaekyung pulled back and finally gauged the expressions on Dan’s face. He looked troubled — brows furrowed together with concern, eyes downcast, and shoulders slumped. He tried reaching for him again, an attempt to erase the doubt that lingered on Dan’s countenance, but he shied away from Jaekyung’s touch.
Dan stared at his own reflection in the coffee brew instead. “I wish you wouldn’t say things like that.”
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Established Relationship, Fluff, Angst, Yearning, Mutual Pining, MMA Violence, Long-Distance Relationship, Idiots in Love, Mutual Masturbation, Frotting, Making Out, Anal Sex, Established Dead Granny, Sporadic POV Switches, Situationships
The 25th of December looms close and so does the inevitable date of Dan's departure. Dan leaves Seoul with a degree to earn, and a bright new future to build. Jaekyung lets him go the only way he knows how: by staying and waiting, and pretending that “friends” is enough when it painfully isn’t.OR Dan flies abroad to experience a new life for himself. FINALLY. And Jaekyung mopes in Seoul, yearning for Dan’s presence day and night. That's sweet revenge in my book.
read it on ao3 >>
“Moon’s beautiful tonight, huh?” Dan whispered, head craned back to stare at its shape barely covered in shadow.
But while Dan fixated on the moon, Jaekyung was fixated on Dan. “Yeah, it is.”
Dan chanced a look at the beach, which didn’t diminish in its population. In fact, the number of people seemed to have doubled, attracted by the prospect of late-night beach parties and free-flowing alcohol.
“Should we go? They’re going to start lighting bonfires soon, and the music will get pretty loud,” Dan suggested, and didn’t move away even when he noticed Jaekyung’s sudden proximity.
“Yeah, we could.”
Jaekyung was still busy marveling at Dan. No, really, it was unfairly attractive. Wearing a loose cream collared T-shirt tucked into light blue jeans with dark aviators perched on top of his head, elbows casually resting on the railing behind him. And whenever he tilted his head back to savor the wind or soak up what was left of the dying light, Jaekyung had the most inappropriate urge to press the entire line of his body against his and litter that graceful neck with kisses, until purple flowers bloomed under his skin.
A finger leisurely tucked itself underneath Dan’s chin. It coaxed him to turn and look. Dan froze, too utterly taken by the warmth in Jaekyung’s darkening eyes. He barely noticed when the other man plucked the sunglasses off of his head and carefully folded the frames, tucking them both into Dan’s button-up shirt again, where they used to be.
Jaekyung didn’t know what possessed him, but he couldn’t resist brushing his thumb along Dan’s lower lip. And when he was looking at him like that?
“Are you going to kiss me?” Dan blurted out softly.
Jaekyung’s attention flitted from Dan’s eyes down to his mouth, roaming over his face before fixating on his lips again. “Do you want me to?”
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Established Relationship, Fluff, Angst, Yearning, Mutual Pining, MMA Violence, Long-Distance Relationship, Idiots in Love, Mutual Masturbation, Frotting, Making Out, Anal Sex, Established Dead Granny, Sporadic POV Switches, Situationships
The 25th of December looms close and so does the inevitable date of Dan's departure. Dan leaves Seoul with a degree to earn, and a bright new future to build. Jaekyung lets him go the only way he knows how: by staying and waiting, and pretending that “friends” is enough when it painfully isn’t.OR Dan flies abroad to experience a new life for himself. FINALLY. And Jaekyung mopes in Seoul, yearning for Dan’s presence day and night. That's sweet revenge in my book.
read it on ao3 >>
June 21, 20XX
His birthdays always came with fanfare that Jaekyung deemed unnecessary. He didn’t see the point of celebrating it — it was just another day. He never celebrated the day of his birth growing up, and the habit had solidified well into adulthood.
No one cared about it before, so why now? And why did people insist on giving him gifts when he could buy whatever he wanted?
The disdainful thoughts stewed in Jaekyung’s head as he eyed the pileup of presents crowding the foyer. It’s the same shit every year. Dozens of gifts, too much cake, fan letters (he didn’t mind those), and more gifts in the form of brand packages. He knew that 90% of them were given to him for the sake of PR, because at the moment, it was in a brand’s best interest to have him as an endorser. Jaekyung didn’t fancy the show-business side of being an athlete, but it came with the territory, and as long as he was marketable, the pandering would continue.
There were always two or three from the pile that Jaekyung would appreciate. The rest would be handed over to his social media and PR team to handle. Apparently, they used them as giveaways on his official account.
Shame that he never really cared for the birthday gifts. Well, except—
Except one.
Jaekyung had just finished his morning shower — the one he took after going on an 8-kilometer run around the neighborhood, and finished donning a fresh T-shirt and sweatpants. He shuffled into Air Max 720s and meandered over to the shelf with his watches and other wrist accessories.
The present was tucked away in its pristine velvet-red case, with the birthday dedication note sitting right beside it. He carefully reached for it again, like it was something fragile that could break at the slightest touch. The clasp popped open to reveal a tiny Cartier keyring, customized with a black-and-red leather tag.
The object by itself? Unremarkable.
The meaning behind said object? Absolutely priceless and probably worth more than his MMA career and assets combined.
Jaekyung could have bought the Cartier accessory with money he considered chump change.
Kim Dan bought this with every bit of cash he’d earned, trading away extra hours of his day that he could have spent resting just to acquire something he thought Jaekyung would like and wish him a happy 26th birthday.
But—
“Hey, Kim Dan. Who asked you to buy this for me? You should just stick to doing your job instead of wasting your time on useless things.”
Jaekyung let out a heavy exhale, his throat tightening at the phantom sound of his own sinister voice and at the sight of the delicate charm lying innocently in the middle of his palm.
He’d thrown this… He threw Dan’s gratitude and feelings back in his face.
What would have happened if he’d thanked Dan for the gift instead?
“I’m fucking awful.”
His phone buzzed with an app notification: someone was at the door.
It was the mailman. The guy handed over a package secured with bubble wrap, and Jaekyung didn’t care for it at first… until he spied the shipping label that had the sender’s name and address printed on it.
tags: 18+, AU Canon Divergence, Not Canon Compliant, What-if, Established Relationship, Fluff, Angst, Yearning, Mutual Pining, MMA Violence, Long-Distance Relationship, Idiots in Love, Mutual Masturbation, Frotting, Making Out, Anal Sex, Established Dead Granny, Sporadic POV Switches, Situationships
The 25th of December looms close and so does the inevitable date of Dan's departure. Dan leaves Seoul with a degree to earn, and a bright new future to build. Jaekyung lets him go the only way he knows how: by staying and waiting, and pretending that “friends” is enough when it painfully isn’t.
OR
Dan flies abroad to experience a new life for himself. FINALLY.
And Jaekyung mopes in Seoul, yearning for Dan’s presence day and night. That's sweet revenge in my book.
read it on ao3 >>
Jaekyung lifted the golden keychain from its red velvet box. He’d been taking out the trinket more and more these days, staring at it and remembering what Dan went through to get it. He’d been pulling nighttime deliveries to scrape together enough money for Jaekyung’s birthday gift, and his ungrateful past self threw it at Dan like it meant nothing.
He knew now that he didn’t just throw away a gift. He’d squandered Dan’s efforts and disregarded the thoughtfulness and care that came with the present.
In the face of what this gift represented, first-class plane tickets were nothing.
Ironic how he didn’t think much of it then, but now this little chain and its black-and-red leather tag was one of, if not the only, prized possessions he wanted to take to the grave.
Dan was insistent on moving out of Jaekyung’s penthouse one week after his rematch with Baek Junmin, and after that, Jaekyung would have to content himself with staring at this.
The embodiment of Dan’s past feelings.
Scraps of what could have been.
How would it have played out if Jaekyung hadn’t thrown the gift back then and just… thanked Dan for giving it to him?
His past self wouldn’t have used it, but he could have at least accepted it graciously and kept it.
Stupid. He was so fucking stupid.
Jaekyung finished up putting on a T-shirt and pajamas for bed before stashing away his treasure very carefully — in a display case next to some of his expensive watches.
He was supposed to have sex tonight — part of the pre-match preparation, a set formula for victory, but… he didn’t really feel like it at all.
He didn’t think he wanted to…
After a lovely evening out and dinner, he just wanted—
Jaekyung stepped out of his walk-in closet and paused at the sight of Kim Dan already sitting on top of his mattress, typing something in his phone — probably doing English vocabulary or grammar exercises in the language-learning app again.
He didn’t say anything and only sat cross-legged on the mattress, chin resting on the heel of his palm as he waited for Dan’s acknowledgement. The other man was frowning and pouting, visibly confused. Jaekyung straightened a little to peek at what had stolen Dan’s attention so thoroughly. Apparently, he was stuck on filling out an English sentence with the right verb tense.
“Past tense of ‘catch.’” Dan tapped a finger against the back of the phone, busy trying to rack his brain for an answer.
“‘Caught.’ C-A-U-G-H-T. Like, ‘I caught you slacking at work.’” Jaekyung prattled on in English, watching Dan with amusement as the meaning sank in and he started fumbling with his phone. “I’m kidding. Relax.” Jaekyung chuckled after switching back to Korean.
“N-No, you’re right.” Dan scooted far enough to deposit his phone on the nightstand. The sound of rustling sheets filled the tense silence as Dan became hyper aware of how intently Jaekyung stared. “So… Um— Should we get started then?”
After how many times they’d done it, you’d think Kim Dan would be a little less shy about initiating sex, but apparently, no… Jaekyung idly wondered how many more times they would have to do it before Dan’s shyness truly disappeared.
In the end, Jaekyung dignified Dan’s question with a shrug. “I’m not in the mood.”
Dan was kneeling in preparation when he suddenly sat back on his heels. “But don’t you need to? For the jinx? Mr. Joo, I’m here to help you with whatever you need, so maybe I can try getting you in the mood?”
Well, didn’t that sound familiar?
Memories of Dan, high out of his mind on potent aphrodisiacs back in the United States, came rushing back. He came to Jaekyung’s door unprompted back then, frustrated and in tears, pleading for sexual relief that Jaekyung made him work for because he “hadn’t been in the mood” when they first started.
That was then, and it wasn’t the same as now.
He didn’t feel up to doing it because… because Jaekyung didn’t have a name for how he felt tonight.
It was a confusing mix of disappointment, sadness, peace, and relief — four separate feelings that had no business being jumbled up worse than wires.
The sigh he released probably convinced Dan that he was giving in.
tags: 18+, Established Relationship, Post-Canon, Domestic Fluff, Making Out, Wholesome JaeDan/KyungDan, Attempt at Humor, MMA Fighting, MMA Violence, Romantic Fluff, Flirting, Domestic Boyfriends
Jaekyung proves that he doesn't need to fuck to win; he just needs Dan.
OR
"Where's the trophy? He just comes running over to me..."
masterlist
Dan has seen this same song-and-dance multiple times by now.
The singing of the national anthem was always the worst part.
Outside, the atmosphere in the arena carries a stillness that feels rehearsed — thousands of people grouped in a heavy, hulking press of bodies, appearing respectful and unified as they sing in uneven harmony. Somewhere outside of this gargantuan building, thousands of others watched at home or in loud sports bars — maybe even streaming the fight on their phones.
The music swelled and echoed against the steel beams and LED screens, and Dan continued to stand off to the side of the locker room corridor with his hands clasped loosely in front of him, eyes fixed on the floor until the first note hit.
He knew every word, just like everyone did.
It was still a poor distraction, and it never made it any easier.
Jaekyung stepped out of the locker room, finally, with the South Korean flag hanging folded over his shoulders.
pairing: gojo x fem!reader or BoardDirector!Gojo X Assassin!FemReader
— You're an assassin, Toji Fushiguro's most prized protégé. And your next target? Satoru Gojo, Vice Chairman of the world's most influential conglomerate.
tags: 18+, MDNI, NSFW, fem!reader goes by the alias, 'rin matsui', 3rd person POV, she/her pronouns, reader/oc is a single mom, morally-gray protagonists, childhood-friends-to-lovers, slow-burn, mafia x corporate au, eventual smut, mutual yearning, drama, angst (check series masterlist to see all the tags)‼️PLEASE READ THE TAGS‼️
wc: 7.7k
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Chapter 3: Too Close, Too Fast
Satoru’s Thursday morning was going fantastic.
His latest discovery? Arguments with new hires should be added to the company food hall breakfast menu. He hadn’t finished his plate yet, but the meal was… savory so far.
Nine out of ten. No notes. He’d take this over a venti cup of cola frappuccino any day.
Not.
“—Notice the timestamps? Whoever did this didn’t try to hide. They moved like they expected not to be seen.”
“So what I’m hearing is, you’re alleging the breach on Kaisen Tech wasn’t a brute-force hack or caused by a leak—”
“I’m not alleging, I’m stating.”
“Stating requires proof, you know.” Satoru finally raised an eyebrow after his last deadpan response.
“You already have it. You just haven’t been looking at it properly.”
Huh…
Satoru let the silence simmer for a hot minute, index finger tapping on the physical report. Her 15-page long report from yesterday.
He’d called Rin into his office five minutes after he’d arrived this morning, let her stand before him, and the entire time, she’d stood stock still across his desk with squared shoulders and her hands clasped lightly behind her back — the maddening posture of someone who didn’t mind waiting.
He wanted to test her tolerance for silence, sue him.
She presented herself exactly as she did last Friday night: unfazed, unnervingly calm when scrutinized.
Fine.
He broached the subject of her report, started off with one or two questions, and somehow the conversation had devolved into… this.
“Meaning?” Satoru prodded as he stared at her over the tops of his frameless blackout glasses.
Rin gestured towards the report with a tilt of her chin. “You’re not looking at hacking signatures—”
“Yes, I am.”
“—No, you’re not.”
Did she just snap at him? Satoru blinked… slowly.
Rin ignored his interjection and continued, “Look past the literal evidence. There’s a pattern of behavior there. Look at the consistency, the missing timestamps, the access level escalation. Whoever breached Kaisen Tech did not break into the system—”
“—They walked right through it.” Satoru couldn’t help interrupting again, because well, he had suspected the same thing last week and said as much to eleven other board directors.
But where his had been nothing more than speculation, she had racked up enough evidence to confirm her suspicions and his.
“Yes. Walking past every line of cybersecurity defense very comfortably.”
“Cute. There’s an insider in the company.” Satoru’s tone did nothing to hide his sarcastic amusement. “Dear uncle would be happy to hear this.”
If Rin was right, Core Operations and Support Division was going to have one hell of a week or two resolving this. Why’d he volunteer to fix this again for them in the first place? The issue had nothing to do with private equity or expansion.
“It’s a protected insider.”
Yes, Satoru already figured as much. “Someone with clearance helped them.”
Rin nodded once. “They had clearance and confidence.” She paused, tilted her head ever so slightly and eyed him curiously. It was kind of the same look that predators gave prey when they were deciding if they’d have them as a snack to stave off a craving. And then she said, “The confidence to commit a crime like that comes from believing no one will look too closely.”
Well then…
Satoru stared and laughed lowly — more out of disbelief than anything. “You’re implying we’re too arrogant to suspect our own people. For all I know, the culprit could be the CEO or the Chief Technology Officer that reports directly to me, that’s what you’re saying.”
“I didn’t say arrogant.” The corner of Rin’s lips twitched ever so slightly. “I said you were comfortable.”
At the correction, Satoru stilled. The gravity of the situation and the implications it could have, began taking hold. He slid off his glasses, so he could look at her properly.
“You realize what you’re suggesting, don’t you?”
“Gojo Group, as Kaisen Tech’s parent company, is powerful and has layers of bureaucracy. That’s perfect for hiding misconduct. Think about how many levels of management even a Senior Director at one of your PortCos has to go through if they want to bring a sensitive issue to corporate. 90% of the time, I bet you never even hear of it. The executives that report to you handle what they can, CEOs especially, just as you’re paying them to do. But then, who’s checking your C-suite executives? They answer to you, but everyone else in that company answers to them. There’s a gap there.”
At this point, should he be offended?
“Did you just insinuate that Nanami is bad at running audits?”
“No. However, people in positions of power are capable of hiding things. They can get away with a lot. Maybe a subordinate or two notices, but are they brave enough to speak up? That could be part of the problem too. Their refusal to raise red flags comes from self-preservation not loyalty.”
“Accountability isn’t vertical.” Satoru caught himself mumbling.
Her eyes twinkled — she heard that, and she knew exactly where his mind wandered to.
“—accountability is not vertical, Vice Chairman. It’s a loop… Or at least, it should be. Everyone should be watching everyone.”
He needed a system that supported universal checks and balances — not just from the people at the top. That was now second on the agenda.
The smile that crept across Satoru’s lips was sharp, dangerous. “You’re very comfortable insulting my corporate governance, Ms. Matsui.”
Rin cocked an eyebrow. “You hired me to challenge it, Vice Chairman. If you wanted compliance, you should have hired a strategist not a fixer.”
Touché.
And there it was: her independent consultancy flag waving in front of his face. She should have literally slapped him with it at this point. Maybe he should tell her to carry literal flags just to remind people what she was here for.
He liked that answer… maybe a little too much.
Satoru breathed a long exhale and stood up, still pretending like he couldn’t feel the weight of Rin’s observant eyes at his back as he moved to stare at the view beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass windows with his hands in his pockets.
“So… Now you’ve confidently alleged that the breach is internal.” He turned around and met her steady gaze. “How do we hunt someone who expects not to be hunted?”
After standing in place for what felt like hours, Rin finally moved and stepped a little closer. “You build a maze, and then you watch who walks through it like they’ve been there before. In the literal sense, set up unique, high-value data decoys for each suspect. Make it irresistible. For this case, everyone with security access to the stolen files should be treated as a suspect.”
Oh damn… That was actually good.
Now that… That could actually work. They might need to set up an entire investigation task force temporarily for it, but Satoru was sure there was another PortCo they could pull resources from. Maybe a cybersecurity team from Sentinel Dynamics could step in? Orion (another portfolio company of the Gojo Group) had an entire cybersecurity division they could mobilize. His uncle would have more control over centralized support functions and should be able to facilitate communication and interaction between two companies.
The question is, would Yasushi Gojo even sanction a strategy like that?
Another board meeting to discuss the Kaisen Tech issue was overdue. Maybe he should call for one? Shoot a text to his old man and give him an update?
He glanced at Rin and her schooled expression again.
“For someone with ‘consultant’ in their job description, you make hunting people sound easy.” Satoru mused and waited for any micro-reaction to flit across her face. There wasn’t any. She didn’t even flinch.
She either felt nothing, or she was really good at hiding it.
And if it was the latter, that could either be very useful or very dangerous.
Satoru was convinced something was wrong with him for liking both options.
“Going off of this,” she tapped the only paper stack on his desk — the report, “—you wanted someone who could audit intent, not systems like Director Nanami and his team usually do. Congratulations, Gojo, you hired the right person to find and fix the problem for you.”
The fuck?
“You think I hired you on a whim and wishful thinking?”
“There was no rhyme or reason for springing an offer letter on me the same night we met.”
Ha! That’s what she thought.
He’d hired her for a reason and his perceptions of her level of competence had been right.
And yet, who is to say she hadn’t meant to project herself that way, so she could score a good consultancy project? The possibility was not non-existent.
Satoru was used to people seeing his name and his position in the corporate world as a stepping stone or the height of achievement. His time and influence, his decision-making, was valuable. He knew that. The people that orbited him knew that.
And Rin likely knew that too… So if she had, then—
“I’m a fish that bit the bait you dangled. That’s what you’re saying.”
“Did I? And are you? I never said that or implied it, but if the shoe fits…” She trailed off with an infuriating little grin that told him maybe he wasn’t the only one enjoying this.
It was neither a confirmation nor a denial. And even if it was the former, he honestly respected the hustle.
“So, you read people, hm?”
“I read behaviors, spot blind spots, find patterns. That’s my job.” She enunciated each word and Satoru caught himself watching the way her lips moved around each syllable.
“Read me.”
“You’re unserious.” Well she wasn’t missing a beat, was she? Her eyes wandered to the top of his head and the complete lack of gel or wax to style it neatly and hold it together, to shimmering blue eyes blocked by dark sunglasses, to the complete lack of a formal tie and three-piece suit. “You violate company dress code and if you were anyone else, HR would have written you up for several penalties by now. That says a lot. You like projecting an image like that; maybe even pretend to be unpredictable. But you’re… not. You’re calculated — every word, every gesture, every pause, every outfit choice. You weaponize nonchalance.”
She wasn’t wrong… and she wasn’t entirely accurate either.
Satoru meandered closer. “You know what annoys me about you?”
“Several things by now, I assume.”
How were they standing so close already? Just a foot apart. He could smell her. Raspberry and vanilla — a delectable smell on pastries if he had to say so himself.
Satoru chuckled. “You talk like certainty is a personality trait.”
“You talk like deflection is a leadership strategy.”
Satoru was suppressing a grin. He was losing this and he knew it. He was starting to think that her eyes were prettier up close, and that was his cue to step back, drop into his chair, and sigh.
He was frustrated. He was entertained.
“You’re irritating.”
“You’re welcome.”
He laughed — an unabashed, unfiltered laugh. She looked like she was one more inhale from joining him. Instead, he had to content himself with watching a bright smile creep onto her face as she allowed a small chuckle to break through.
Wow… just wow.
But the amusement broke when his phone — that he’d abandoned on the desk — started buzzing.
RYOTA GOJO — INCOMING CALL
His eyes flicked towards the letters, and then at her. This was either spectacular timing, or it could be the worst, because if his father was calling him during business hours, and bypassing Ijichi completely, that meant one thing and one thing only…
He smiled slowly. “My father is going to want that analysis. Better hope you’re as convincing in a boardroom as you are in my office.”
“That’s your job. I’m just here to report the facts.”
“Mm. He won’t like your conclusions either.”
“Neither did you.”
God, this woman.
Satoru shook his head at her. He bit his lip to suppress another smile, finally picked up the still vibrating phone, accepted the call, and crooned in a chipper voice that would have probably unsettled Ijichi if he’d heard:
“Heeyyy there, Executive Chairman~”
=OoOoO=
Surprisingly, Satoru was not an overbearing boss…
Rin liked to think she wouldn’t have minded micro-managing anyway, because part of her was used to the constant surveillance. But it was refreshing to find out that although the Board did expect results, they would hardly meddle in her methods or the way she went about finding the mole in Kaisen Tech.
“Nanami, you’ll supervise the operation. She will run it.”
Satoru’s words from that day’s meeting crossed her mind again. He had been addressing Nanami, but the full weight of his gaze lingered on her.
Surprise, surprise, Satoru had been right about that day.
In the end, Yasushi Gojo, Head of Core Operations, sanctioned her plot, and the Executive Chairman signaled his approval through the tiniest of nods; however, both his father and uncle didn’t like her conclusions or the result of her analysis. It wasn’t because they weren’t fond of her personally, it was more so they didn’t like the confirmation of their suspicions in the beginning and that someone with high-level clearance was brazen enough to attempt a data heist such as this.
The succeeding two weeks and the few days that followed after unfolded in jagged fragments stitched together by daily commutes to the Gojo Group HQ, making time for herself and especially Megumi, late nights, board inquiries, end-of-day reports to Director Nanami, occasional midnight calls from a Board Director who was traveling overseas, surveillance reports, directing the taskforce assembled specifically for handling the Kaisen Tech data breach under her direction, and… Satoru Gojo.
He wasn’t always present, but she knew he was always watching.
Sometimes he literally watched from the doorway of the temporary operations room Nanami assigned her while she was doing work.
Other times, his eyes were on her metaphorically via precise email responses at unholy hours. (Does the man even sleep?)
During status report meetings with him, Nanami, and the rest of the Kaisen Tech breach taskforce, she’d turn, and Satoru would already be looking at her. She never detected an ounce of suspicion or hostility in the way he stared.
It was much worse.
He stared at her with curiosity.
She wished he would stop.
“You know, I was always under the impression that people like you had better things to do than watch someone else stare at a computer for eight hours a day.”
The click-clacking of keyboard keys filled the space between them as Rin busied herself locating particular files she’d want to include in her end-of-day report. Satoru stopped scrolling on his phone and looked up at her just in time to catch her eye.
“It’s only been an hour.”
“That wasn’t my point.”
“And excuse you, I am doing my job.”
“What job?”
“Supervising you.”
“Last time I checked, that was Director Nanami’s responsibility, not yours.”
“I’m your boss’ boss and I hired you.”
Smug bastard.
“Never pegged you for a micromanager.”
“You’re right, I’m not.”
“Then why are you hovering?”
Satoru shrugged, pushed the sleeve of his expensive jacket back to check his watch, and relaxed further against the back of the armchair like he owned the lounge. (Technically, he did, but that was besides the point).
“I’m curious and nosy and unfortunately for you, I have corporate downtime.”
So you decide to pick on me? For what?
Rin paused and raised an unimpressed eyebrow at him. “Define corporate downtime, Vice Chairman.”
He waved a dismissive hand at her, flashing a megawatt grin that probably disarmed most department heads and executives. “An hour. I got a meeting with NEXGEN’s newly appointed CEO in thirty-five minutes actually. Riveting, huh?”
“Yes, I’m sure.”
He called her irritating one week and a few days ago, and look at him now…
“So how long have you been doing independent consultancy?”
“Should have asked that question before you hired me.”
“I hire people based on potential and competency, not work experience.”
“HR must love you.” She did nothing to mask the sarcasm bleeding through her tone. Not that Satoru seemed to mind.
“They do, actually.”
“And who told you that?”
“360-degree surveys. You stay here long enough, you’ll be involved in that initiative too.”
“Can’t wait.”
“You’re snippy today.” He drawled.
“I’m trying to do my job.”
“You’re compiling an end-of-day report. I’ve seen your handiwork. That,” he jerked his chin towards her open laptop, “—hardly requires any effort from you. Also you’re here, not at a hotdesk.”
Ugh. Well, well. He was observant. Not surprising.
“Just because that’s how you operate, doesn’t mean it applies to everybody else. Stop projecting your ways of working onto other people.”
She glanced up again. Wrong move. He was already eyeing her — sunglasses pushed up to the top of his head.
“You’re not ‘everybody else’ though.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You’re holding a conversation with me while you’re ‘doing work.’” He lifted two fingers and did air quotes at her. “Without. Pause.”
Rin frowned a little. “Do you enjoy doing this to all your employees? Is Director Nanami subjected to this type of behavior too?”
“Not all the time, but I’m beginning to.”
Rin blinked. Slowly. Did he just smirk and poke his tongue out at her?
A memory of a much younger Satoru flashed before her mind’s eye. The same boyish smile and the same twinkle in his eyes. It had been a decade and a couple of years, but she knew from experience how relentless Satoru was when he was in a mischievous mood. Apparently, that carried over to adulthood.
Did he really not remember her?
Worse. Was he beginning to?
Nothing about his behavior so far clued her in or confirmed that he did. She couldn’t go and ask him directly either, could she? That would jeopardize the entire point of her undercover operation.
“You did not answer my question by the way. We would have moved on to something different by now if—”
“Six years.” Rin lied smoothly, maintaining a deadpan face before returning to her laptop screen. “And I can’t disclose anything about my previous projects, I’ve signed NDAs. You’re better off ambush-interviewing one of the interns at the Finance Department.”
Without missing a beat, he said, “Oh that’s on tomorrow’s afternoon agenda. You’re today’s lucky subject.”
“Oh fun.”
“Lighten up, Matsui.” Satoru threw his head back and groaned at the ceiling. Rin spotted a couple of employees and managers turning their heads toward the sound. Realization struck that it was the Vice Chairman himself and they quickly pretended not to notice again. “Take a break is what I’m saying. We both know you can finish that EOD report at home or later tonight if you wanted to.”
“I’m busy at night.”
“That’s not what your late night email correspondences say.” He was smirking at her in that infuriating way again. “Sending quick status reports at 2:30AM. Very diligent.”
“They were meant for the next workday. Why are you even awake at that hour?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
Because he certainly wasn’t shy about letting her know that he read her email and he would reply.
“Executive meetings at different time zones. What’s your excuse?”
“You hired me to stop one of your PortCos from bleeding another billion. Cyber criminals are more active around that hour. Ergo, you get the occasional live update.”
“Mm. Touché. It’s nice to know that someone bit your bait though.” Satoru’s tone shifted into something more sincere.
“They have.”
“Any persons of interest yet?”
“Soon I think. Maybe even tomorrow. One more piece of evidence and we have our suspect.”
“You’re quick.”
“Efficient.”
“Hiring you was one of my brilliant ideas.”
“Just doing my job.”
“Does this mean I should expect another live update from you at 1AM tomorrow?”
Rin shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. Depends how the thief moves.”
“Perfect.” Satoru was checking his phone again. He exhaled and finally stood up from the leather armchair.
Rin couldn’t resist following the movement of his hand as he ran it through his hair and fixed his sunglasses back into place. The dastardly smirk was back, and those same hands disappeared into his pockets.
“Well, I gotta run. I’m late for my meeting, but it was nice talking to you.”
“Your tardiness isn’t my fault.” Rin returned his small smile.
Satoru chuckled. “Definitely not. It’s the cafe’s fault for delivering my coffee late. See ya around, Matsui!”
She watched his retreating back as he crossed the expanse of the food hall and disappeared through the frosted glass doors. And seriously? He waited for his coffee order to arrive first before he jumped in on that call?
The ironic part was that after he left, she actually took him up on his offer and did take a break. And like he casually predicted, at precisely 1:25AM the next day, Rin sat alone in her study — while her son slept soundly in the next room — busy sending live update emails to her Kaisen Tech breach taskforce, Director Nanami, and Satoru Gojo.
LIVE OPERATION UPDATE — K.T. DATA BREACH
Today, 1:25AM
From: Rin Matsui <[email protected]>
To: K.T. Taskforce 8+
CC: Kento Nanami, Satoru Gojo
Update:
Dummy file labeled Project Aura retrieved from a secured folder at 12:57AM, today.
Our suspect is confirmed — offshore contractor in Brazil, Ms. Pereira.
Next steps:
Taskforce meeting tomorrow at 11:00AM, Floor 37, Room 3A
Requesting floor authorization from:
Kento Nanami, Director of Corporate Security & Intelligence
-R. Matsui
A reply came five minutes later.
LIVE OPERATION UPDATE — K.T. DATA BREACH
Today, 1:30AM
From: Satoru Gojo <[email protected]>
Go to bed. 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
-S.G.
Rin stared at his reply for a good ten minutes. That was rich coming from the same man who was emailing her within the exact same hour.
Was he serious?
Was their rough semblance of a conversation from earlier in the day the final catalyst?
Rin was used to silence and quick no-nonsense, formal replies — a hallmark of corporate professionalism. That was what was expected for a conglomerate with such a dignified reputation as the Gojo Group, and Satoru was out here tacking on facepalm emojis. It was such a far cry from his previous clinical responses.
Executive Chairman Ryota Gojo would never.
And on second thought, Amanai was right to warn her about the Vice Chairman’s… eccentric behavior.
She didn’t know what possessed her and she figured future Rin would chalk this up to late-night brashness, but she navigated towards the email system’s massive GIF library, found an appropriate response, and hit send anyway.
If she was any other employee, she would have found comfort in the way Satoru handled replies. It was surprisingly casual and refreshingly non-threatening.
But given the true purpose of Rin’s presence in the Gojo Group, it was… disconcerting.
Satoru wasn’t like that a fortnight and several days ago. So what changed?
=OoOoO=
“Ms. Matsui found our thief and the executive responsible for enabling her,” was Nanami’s latest in-person report as he stood where Rin did a week ago — before Satoru’s polished chocolate mahogany desk.
“Told you I had a good eye for talent.” Satoru said as he browsed through his emails.
He didn’t really mean to, but his eyes kept drifting back to his latest correspondence with Rin Matsui. A smirk kept ticking at the corners of his lips as he opened it for the seventh time that morning. Excessive? Sure, but no one had to know that. Her only response to his last email telling her to go to sleep was a GIF.
It was a simple GIF: an animated pot with a face contorted in chibi rage, pointing at a steaming kettle while shrieking, “BLACK!”
It was cute… and funny to him for some reason.
“I never doubted that, Vice Chairman.” Nanami gave his polite response and gingerly placed a neatly printed and compiled report enclosed in a folder on his desk. “Here are printed dossiers ready for distribution and review by the Board. Good day.”
Satoru watched Nanami leave and waited until the door behind him closed. He reached into the folder and took out a copy of the compiled evidence. It wasn’t a thick stack, but a quick scan through the pages revealed that Rin did indeed deliver on what she said she would.
The evidence pointed to the same source, same access trails, and the same internal authorization.
From the moment Rin told him that it was likely someone who reported directly to him, Satoru already thought of possible suspects. He left the investigation up to her and Nanami and the task force they patched together, of course, but Satoru preferred having a list of culprits of his own — a way to test how sharp his own intuition was when it came to these things.
Alas, the person responsible for the breach on Kaisen Tech that cost the PortCo billions of yen was someone from the inside.
It was someone powerful and trusted, and very very stupid.
Rin didn’t dramatize it and didn’t call for a meeting, even when the official email came through just after lunch today — clinical, sans fluff, just a single line on the email body.
KAISEN TECH DATA BREACH — IDENTIFIED
Today, 1:12PM
From: Rin Matsui <[email protected]>
To: GJ Board 12+
CC: Kento Nanami, K.T. Taskforce 8+
Attached: Proof of Internal Collaboration.pdf
Dossier attachment approved by Vice Chairman, Satoru Gojo.
-R. Matsui
The attacker: A freelance contractor hired for software diagnostics.
The accomplice: Kaisen Tech’s own Chief Technology Officer.
Motivation?
Money…
It was always for money.
It was a resource that Satoru had plenty of, and the CTO of a company as highly valued as Kaisen Tech was certainly not in any shortage of that.
It made it all the more pathetic.
But it can’t be helped, can it?
People like that wretch of a CTO would always exist — people with no regard for integrity or honesty.
=OoOoO=
Almost a whole month into working at Gojo Group HQ and she’d thought she’d have gotten used to the chaos that preceded lunch hour, but nope… No number of rapid-fire messages on the #foodhall-tracker channel could ever prepare her for unique pandemonium in tailored suits.
Lunch hour on the 50th floor meant every table had already been claimed. Anyone who managed to snag a decent seat guarded it with the ferocity of a fantasy dragon, while the buffet line snaked around the polished columns with the efficiency of people who’ve done this dance hundreds of times before.
Rin navigated the noisy crowd alongside Amanai with practiced ease.
With trays in hand and shoulders angling through gaps between busy bodies, they meticulously searched for free space.
“How’s that case you were handling by the way?” Amanai chirped as they narrowly avoided some guy carelessly passing over a glass of iced tea to his friend.
She couldn’t give her friend the specifics, but… “It’s done. I’ve already handed in the final report to Nanami and the other stakeholders. Not my problem anymore.”
“I know you’re not allowed to talk about it freely, but based on what you told me vaguely, it still sounded pretty intense.” Amanai commented, shaking her head.
‘Intense’ was one way of putting it.
It was the sort of situation where chaos existed under the calm surface. Anyone who wasn’t in the know wouldn’t have guessed that the Gojo Group had bled billions in the last month because of some CTO’s illegal motivations.
In any case, the situation was in the hands of the Legal Department, Kaisen Tech’s own team of executive leaders, and the Gojo Group Board of Directors now. Corporate Intelligence and Risk Assessment will only be involved again if Legal had additional questions or required additional supporting evidence to create an airtight defense in case the situation was brought to court.
“—Only for insurance though.” Nanami had said while straightening his already perfectly symmetrical solid-colored tie. “It doesn’t happen often, but Gojo likes to take care of these things quietly.”
She fell into step next to him, holding onto her company laptop as they both left Floor 40 — one of the executive floors in Gojo Tower that required private elevator access and special authorization issued to one’s corporate keycard.
“Which Gojo?” Rin asked when they were in the privacy of the descending elevator.
“All three of them.”
It made sense though…
Less outside meddling meant less public press coverage.
Finance and economic titans the likes of the Gojo Group would prefer to control narratives. Reputation was a currency that was as equally valuable as the kind people used to buy everyday items. A sullied reputation could easily cost millions of yen or dollars to fix.
So when she eventually fulfilled the purpose of her actual job, what sort of narrative would the Gojo Group spin then?
“It is.” Rin agreed in the present, further disappointed by the lack of good seating. “Guess the window table is a lost cause.”
Amanai turned towards where Rin was gesturing with her chin and snorted. “Yeah, we’re going to have to fight for that corner near the lounge.”
Rin gave her friend a knowing look. Amanai was nothing if not persistent. “You say that like you won’t absolutely bulldoze someone if you have to.”
“Oh, I will.” Amanai declared cheerfully, mischievous gleam in her dark blue eyes. “And no one will say anything because HR loves me.”
In the end, they managed to snag a small table near the edge of the lounge just as two data engineers stood up — a small victory earned through timing alone. They sit, relieved, knees nearly bumping beneath the table.
Around them, the food hall continued to buzz. Someone’s laughter rang loudly near the coffee bar while a pair of analysts argued animatedly over something on a tablet, and near the far end, a quiet ripple of attention moved through the room.
Rin didn’t care for whatever it was, too busy unwrapping her metal chopsticks and stealing one of Amanai’s fries, much to the younger woman’s amused exasperation.
“You know,” Amanai spoke between bits, “—if you keep doing that, I’m going to start charging you.”
“Add it to my tab.” Rin replied easily. “What’s another, when I’m already in debt to you for the tour, the coffee, and that time you saved me from accidentally sitting in the executive-only meeting room?”
Amanai laughed. “That was iconic! Your face when you realized—”
“Don’t.” Rin groaned and suddenly regretted bringing that incident up. Satoru had been in that meeting for sure and probably would have laughed his ass off or glowered at her (he could go either way, really) if Amanai didn’t save her from that potentially embarrassing mistake. “Please.”
They eat in companionable silence for a moment. It’s comfortable and familiar — a part of life that almost felt normal to Rin.
Almost.
“So,” Amanai started casually, nudging Rin’s foot under the table. “How’s your kiddo?”
At the mere allusion of her son, Rin smiled and didn’t hesitate giving an answer. Amanai caught her swiping through gallery photos of Megumi during lunchtime once and had been curious ever since — not that Rin minded.
Amanai was a good person — kind and open, a being of light and a beacon of normalcy.
“He’s doing good.” Rin replied, a soft warmth slipping into her voice without permission. “He’s in that phase where he asks why about everything. Kept asking me the other day why toast burned and why adults drink coffee when it tastes bad.”
Amanai giggled as she bit into a cheese egg roll. “Smart kid.”
“Too smart.” Rin agreed and added, “He figured out last week that bedtime is a social construct.”
Laughter rose between them, bright and carefree. They didn’t see the way a few heads nearby subtly turned, nor see Satoru Gojo passing by with Ijichi trailing behind him like a shadow.
Amanai leaned forward, intrigued. “How old is he now?”
“Turning six in December.” Rin replied, shaking her head. “But somehow, it feels like he’s going on 60. Dear boy has too many opinions.”
“Of course he does. Wait, what’s his name again?”
Rin smiled down at her plate, thumb brushing the edge. “Megumi.”
“That’s a unique naming choice.” Amanai commented sincerely.
Yes, she got that a lot. Rin would be the first to admit that she gave her son the name with no regard for his gender: it was simply the first name that came to mind that moment the nurse laid him in her arms almost six years ago.
Blessing.
That was what Megumi was to her, wasn’t he?
A blessing, and the first ray of hopeful light in a world entrenched in darkness. She would never tell her son this, but he saved her — in more ways than one.
“It is, and only because it suits him so perfectly.” Fondness shown on Rin’s countenance as she thought of her endearingly observant little boy. “He’s so stubborn. Likes to pretend he isn’t affectionate, but sometimes, when I work late, he waits up on the couch with his babysitter. Just refuses to sleep until I come home.”
Amanai was smiling at her, soft and admiring. “You’re a really good mom, Rin.”
Rin exhaled, quiet and steady. “I try.”
There was a pause right before Amanai perked up and grinned again. “You should bring him around sometime. Not here, obviously, but—”
“God, no.” Rin laughed. “Unless Gojo Group suddenly opens a daycare suddenly, I’d worry for Megumi’s sanity if I brought him here.”
“I’d like to meet him someday.” Amanai nodded enthusiastically.
Rin nodded, a bright smile still on her face. “Maybe someday.”
Whenever that would be…
If it ever happened in the first place…
=OoOoO=
Working after hours was not a strange concept for Satoru.
He knew how most people perceived his job: glamorous and convenient. The title attached to his name since undergrad graduation was like a bright neon sign at a Vegas strip — a humongous, flashing monstrosity that screeched, “MONEY!!!”
The public saw the prestige and the polished image, but completely neglected the un-sexy parts of being a board director.
Satoru was well-aware that he occupied a privileged position, but to be fair, the fancy title came with weighty expectations and heavy responsibilities that will crush anyone else ill-equipped for the job.
And sometimes, those heavy responsibilities entailed staying in the office after 5PM because he had a war room meeting with investors from Dubai at nine in the evening.
So Satoru killed time by wandering through general-access floors. Just don’t ask him why he’d chosen to wander through the 30th floor. He liked to think his feet had a mind of their own and wandered there more frequently these days.
Totally random… Definitely not because of a person. Nope.
He passed one of the closed off rooms, noticed a single employee hunched over an ominously glowing monitor, and stopped dead in his tracks. He knew her: Aya Nakamura, software engineering lead working exclusively under his division, looking bleary-eyed and clearly wired on instant coffee.
The fact that she didn’t notice him slink up behind her, peering over her shoulder like a goblin to see what had her muttering curses under her breath, revealed just how evidently exhausted she was. Aya grumbled something about a system update failing again and how a corrupted data sync was threatening one of their live analytics dashboards.
“You know,” Satoru spoke lightly and softly, “—most people leave this floor before ghosts start coming out right?”
Aya froze, shoulders stiffening as she slowly turned to acknowledge the owner of the voice. “Sir, I— I didn’t think anyone was still here.”
Satoru waved off her worries nonchalantly. “Apparently, you and I have that in common.” He perched on the edge of the desk beside her, eyes flicking over the scrolling lines of code. “System glitch?”
“Yes, Sir.” Aya sighed and turned back to her screen. “The new data pipeline keeps throwing duplicates during the sync. I’ve been trying to isolate it since four.”
Satoru nodded once, peering at the error logs. “Where’s your patch team?”
“They clocked out at five, but I didn’t want to leave this hanging.”
The Vice Chairman didn’t say anything for a long while, just watched the screen as Aya continued doing her job in spite of her exhaustion — wholly determined to see this job through to the end. And while it was admirable, Satoru himself wasn’t a huge fan of forcing oneself to keep up like this when you’re obviously at the end of the rope.
Satoru released a quiet breath and graced her with a soft smile. “You’ve got good instincts, Nakamura. But next time, delegate. You’ve got a patch team for a reason. You’ve been staring at the same line of code for, what, four hours?”
Aya stopped typing and slumped further into her chair, hands quickly wrapping around a mug of coffee that had grown cold. “I just— didn’t want you and the other analysts to wake up to a broken dashboard, Sir.”
“I’d rather wake up to a working engineer.” Satoru quipped, and a thoughtful silence hung between them. There was understanding there; no judgment. Finally, he gestured toward the empty hallway and the soft illumination that beckoned beyond. “Head home, Nakamura. Get some rest. The system can wait; your burnout can’t.”
Aya hesitated. “And you, Sir?”
Satoru’s lips quirked. “Board Director duties. I’m trapped.”
He gave her space to gather her things and leave, just glad that she was shutting down her computer and finally clocking out for the day. And as Satoru returned the polite farewell, he couldn’t help thinking that maybe he should take his own advice. Unfortunately, that was a luxury only employees could afford.
When an empire demanded time from its governor, it did not appreciate waiting.
He was passing by the main production floor and its many empty workdesks — empty except for one.
What is it with people and pulling overtime today?
Still sitting right there at her desk, with its trademark succulent and the ever growing collection of stacked sticky notes, was one Rin Matsui — fingers clacking over the keys, eyes focused on a monitor threatening to burn off her retinas.
Apparently, Satoru wasn’t just a Vice Chairman, he was an impromptu hall monitor now too.
He sauntered towards Rin’s desk and rapped his knuckles on the hardwood to get her attention. Surprise flitted across her face for a second, but she quickly recovered and schooled herself into donning the familiar mask of professionalism.
“May I help you, Vice Chairman?”
“It’s late.” Satoru deadpanned, fondly exasperated at the fact that he had to repeat the same spiel he’d just spouted at Nakamura. “Go home.”
At his tone, the professionalism dropped, and the Rin he was used to seeing around the food hall lounge showed up. She scoffed. “The Board wants this latest assessment by tomorrow, yes?”
Satoru frowned. “Did Nanami put you up to that? Even the overtime?”
She leaned back in her seat, swayed the chair from side to side slowly. “Yes and no. Late nights are due diligence.”
“Corporate hates overtime, you know.”
“Pfft. You can afford 40 hours worth of overtime pay, shut up.” She rolled her eyes and returned to her work, completely missing the smirk that unfurled across Satoru’s lips.
“Ooh you’re feisty again today. Telling your boss to ‘shut up?’”
He caught her stiffening for a brief moment before she relaxed again and sighed. “Didn’t mean to sound insubordinate, Sir.”
Satoru was under the impression that they were engaging in a casual conversation without the hierarchical labels, but then again… They were in the office, and he had caught her in the middle of doing work at her actual desk — not like the other few times he’d chatted her up at the lounge.
“Relax, Matsui, you’re not in trouble. If I cared, HR would have texted by now.”
“Thats… quite the exaggeration.”
“Anyway, point still stands. Pulling overtime’s a bad habit you ought to stop doing.” Satoru preached solemnly while wagging a finger at her.
“Well, this one’s for good reason.”
“What even is that?” He stepped closer, peered over her shoulder just to check what she was doing — an assessment report. “You can finish that tomorrow, what are you talking about?”
“No, I can’t make time for it tomorrow. I’ve got two back-to-back meetings penciled in with your M&A recon team and intelligence analysts.”
Satoru cocked an eyebrow. “I don’t recall the Board ever being notified about that.”
“It’s for your uncle.”
“Oh. Well, push it to the day after tomorrow, I’ll let him know.”
She eyed him skeptically. “Are you sure?”
“Yep. What’s he going to do if I say so?” She looked hesitant still, so he continued with a smirk. “He’ll complain, but only to me and my dad.”
“They’ll give you flack for this.”
“Eh, who cares? They’ll fold anyway. Go home, Rin. Isn’t someone waiting up for you?”
He saw recognition and realization flash across her gaze. She didn’t even look surprised, just strangely knowing. Although, knowing her and her penchant for observing things, plus the nature of her independent career, he shouldn’t be surprised about how perceptive she actually was.
Didn’t he hire her for that reason in the first place?
“You eavesdropped at some point huh.”
He didn’t even bother refuting anything; just shrugged and said, “Is it eavesdropping if I was close enough to hear you and Amanai talking anyway?”
He hadn’t meant to eavesdrop; he just so happened to be in the food hall just like everyone else during lunch hour.
The 50th floor was notorious for noise layered over noise, but whenever Rin was in the vicinity, her voice cut through it anyway and Satoru would instinctively pay attention no matter the circumstance.
It was not the fact that Rin was a mother that caught his attention, it was in the way her voice had tightened, how bright her eyes had shone as she spoke to Amanai of the little boy who depended on her and loved her fiercely and quietly, how relaxed she had looked — a rare occurrence in the office even around him, how every anecdote had conveyed maternal love, unguarded.
Rin had a son.
At the time of hearing it and finding out about it the way he did, Satoru felt… strange.
It wasn’t information meant for his ears, but he treated it like a fragile truth meant to be held carefully anyway.
She was a mom… She had a family. She had a man already.
Without thinking too much about it, Satoru patted her shoulder. “Seriously though, just go home. It’s fine. Your kid will hate me and your job if I keep you from him any longer.”
For a brief second, she looked like she wanted to say something but the smartphone on her desk vibrated loud enough to break the flow of their conversation. It lit up with a notification. Rin glanced at it, turned it over, and checked the clock on her computer.
“You know, it’s really not a problem, Vice Chairman. It’s only 8PM, but if you’re sure, then I’ll take you up on the offer.” She smiled slowly, putting her computer to sleep while she started gathering her things. “And I’ll put the blame on you when your uncle chases down Nanami’s department for the slight delay.”
“He’s a grown man, he’ll survive one more day without a PDF to read.” Satoru shook his head, gaze softening behind his glasses without meaning to.
“Thank you, Vice Chairman.”
“Good night, Rin.”
=OoOoO=
“Good night, Rin…”
Such a simple greeting — a send-off — that had a bit of heft to it, more than she could admit. His voice tinged with displaced softness, still echoed in her head when she’d arrived home.
Rin left her shoes on the genkan, aligned neatly next to Megumi’s small sneakers and the babysitter’s flats. The lights were already dimmed while the faint scent of rice and ginger still lingered in the air. She abandoned her belongings and the small laundry bag she’d picked up on the way home from Marunouchi on the kitchen counter when Tsumiki, Megumi’s babysitter, noticed her.
The girl switched off the TV and rose from the couch to come and greet her. “Megumi fell asleep early tonight. The playtimes from school tired him out.”
The two women glanced at the sleeping boy on the couch, fists curled underneath his chin as he nestled into the warmth of the throw pillows arranged around him like a bird nest. Her son and Tsumiki’s doing no doubt.
“That’s all right. He needs the sleep.” Rin rooted around her slacks’ pocket, taking out the envelope that housed Tsumiki’s babysitting fee. She smiled as she pressed the object to the younger girl’s palm. “Thank you, Tsumiki.”
After bidding farewell and scheduling another babysitting appointment for Megumi next week, Rin began her nightly ritual: washing up before bed, donning comfier lounge wear, plugging her dying phone to an outlet on the wall, and gathering up Megumi in her arms to take him to his bedroom and tuck him in properly.
He awoke very briefly, bleary-eyed and a little confused, but relaxed the instant he caught a glimpse of her face.
Smiling, she brushed overgrown strands of dark hair away from his cheek and sent him to dreamland with an affectionate kiss on his forehead. Only when his bedroom door closed softly behind her did she make her way back to the laundry bag she’d neglected to unpack.
There wasn’t much in there — just freshly folded and ironed blouses and button-up shirts… and a non-descript vial no bigger than her thumb wrapped in wax paper, tucked between the layers of neutral fabric.
She’d gone through the meticulous trouble of procuring the toxin over a week ago.
She wasn’t in the position to fulfill the kill contract right then and there, but it was good to have the… instrument on-hand.
Rin brought the vial up to eye-level, scrutinizing the harmless-looking liquid encased within.
“It’s almost too easy.”
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