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CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT

Penulis: VEEWRITES
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-06-09 20:43:11

Yuki's POV

I was in my fifth day behind the bar, and I could honestly say that things were going. surprisingly well. I'd kept my cool, even when customers threw the odd jab or offhanded remark my way. I reminded myself every day: don't react, don't respond—just focus. This bar was my fresh start, and I wasn't going to mess it up.

Some customers, however, made my shifts bearable. Their energy, their stories, their wit—it was infectious. And the cocktails? I was creating, mixing drinks that, thankfully, most enjoyed. In fact, while being truthful, with the amount some of them drank, I doubted they could tell the difference between a balanced cocktail and a mix of whatever.

Flipping through the bar's manual, I was amused to find some of my old Chicago favorites represented. Cocktails with names such as the "Slab Dragon" and "Fire Moth" rang bells—some good, some not-so-good. I chuckled, recalling the wild nights and questionable choices. Lesson learned: sometimes simplicity is best.

Tha
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  • PRETEND PRINCESS   DAY 1

    Yuki’s POVMy heart leapt out of my chest, hammering against my ribcage in a sickening rhythm that felt like it might crack bones. I stumbled backward until my knees hit the cold floor, then collapsed, clutching my chest as though it would stop the madness inside me.Creed. Here. In Japan. I hadn’t seen him in months—not since Chicago, not since Grandpa Roman’s funeral, not since he slammed the door in my face.Why? I whispered to the empty silence. Why now? In my life? What does he want from me?My eyes roamed the ceiling, as if it held answers I’d forgotten.The doorbell rang, jarring me upright. My heart stuttered. Could it be him?I crept to the door and stared through the peephole. just a delivery guy with boxes.Right. I’d ordered glitter palettes and a rhinestone crop jacket, gearing up for this new bartender life. I wasn’t going to start off dull or sloppy. Yuki was bright. Yuki sparkled. Still, even as I signed the package, one eye drifted to the empty street, half-expecting

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   FIGHT FOR YOU!

    Creed's POV"Goodbye, Creed," he said, voice low, eyes dark. Then he turned and started walking away, taking my entire heart with him.I stood there, frozen in the middle of the quiet Tokyo street, lit only by neon glows and a single flickering streetlamp. The thump of distant music pulsed from the bar we’d just left, but the moment felt like it had been vacuum-sealed—a bubble of stillness and ache. My throat closed up as I stared at his retreating back.He looked remarkable. He always had, but now there was something even more piercing in his presence. I had seen Yuki in every shade—giggling, stubborn, disguised, angry, soft, broken, blushing, triumphant—but this? This was the dimmest I had ever seen him. Yet, even dim, he burned like a low ember that refused to go out. His hair was slightly damp from the humid night air, his bag slung lazily over his shoulder, and his strides were fast but unsteady, like he was trying to outrun gravity itself.My first instinct was to run after him.

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   GOODBYES AND HELLO'S

    Creed's POVThe bar was hot and dark, but the thud of music, conversation, and the constant cocktails coursed through it like a heartbeat. I was leaning against the counter, my drink in my hand, something smoky and potent stinging my tongue, but I didn't pay much attention. The night had started out with the potential for just unwinding, for letting my mind coast on something other than Yuki, but it was no use. Every laugh, every shrill note of the DJ's music cycle was too loud. Too bright. As if the world kept going forward, even when I could not.And then I saw it. A flash of icy hair, catching the strobe lights as it had caught them so many times in the past.The world around me froze. I blinked.Someone with silver-blue hair was pushing through the crowd, heading for the door.My heart jumped into my throat.I put my drink down. Did not even say a word to the bartender as I followed behind, weaving through the dancing throng like a ghost. My heart beat so hard I thought I'd go dea

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   CLOSER THAN I THOUGHT

    Yuki's POVI was in my fifth day behind the bar, and I could honestly say that things were going. surprisingly well. I'd kept my cool, even when customers threw the odd jab or offhanded remark my way. I reminded myself every day: don't react, don't respond—just focus. This bar was my fresh start, and I wasn't going to mess it up.Some customers, however, made my shifts bearable. Their energy, their stories, their wit—it was infectious. And the cocktails? I was creating, mixing drinks that, thankfully, most enjoyed. In fact, while being truthful, with the amount some of them drank, I doubted they could tell the difference between a balanced cocktail and a mix of whatever.Flipping through the bar's manual, I was amused to find some of my old Chicago favorites represented. Cocktails with names such as the "Slab Dragon" and "Fire Moth" rang bells—some good, some not-so-good. I chuckled, recalling the wild nights and questionable choices. Lesson learned: sometimes simplicity is best.Tha

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   FIND YOU

    Creed's pov The Shenglee headquarters had been located in a high-rise glass building within Roppongi. Clean, minimalist lines, the product of minimalism—just what I had approved when the Japanese division was originally drafted. It was all done absolutely to perfection in every aspect. But the instant I entered through the sliding doors, I felt it.There was something wrong.The usual hum was absent. No raucous laughter from the creative team. No insane typing. No department yelling. Just silence. Polite, proper, too perfect.I adjusted my tie as I stepped into the elevator.The top floor was revealed as an elegant lounge that provided a stunning view of Tokyo Tower. Waiting there, tall in racks of white pants and racks, was Shenglee herself—a woman to be feared eyes aflame and take-no-prisoners attitude.She inclined her head slightly as she saw me. "We meet again, Creed," she said, her English precise but inflected.I nodded. "Shenglee."She smiled and indicated the glass-sided con

  • PRETEND PRINCESS   COLOURFUL BEARINGS

    Creed's PovI was on the next flight to Japan.No time to waste this time.Carrie had been right. They'd all been right. I'd spent months digging myself deeper into a hole of confusion, shame, and pride. I tore through my relationships like tissue and incinerated every bridge I torched like I was allergic to harmony. And for what?To show I wasn't gay?To maintain some distorted form of masculinity I didn't even subscribe to?I should have left months ago. But I didn't. I simply waited for something—oblivion, portents, intervention from God—until all that remained was the hellish quiet of my own doubt. And if not being gay mattered so much to me, perhaps it was time simply to know. To finally be quiet enough about resisting myself to know what it was that I really wanted.Everything at HQ would continue as usual. The administrative assistants would take charge. The VPs would ensure to tout their few numbers. My leaving wouldn't impede me. But this journey this mission—it was someth

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