I'll make a man out of you (Jiyong)

[Jiyong Kang]

Jiyong was doing great! At least, he thought so. He was going to have to actually try saying these things to Kimi, though, to know if he was right. And he was definitely planning on it, because Jake was encouraging him to, and Jake knew everything! Surely he could win Kimi over as long as he followed everything on point.

“You too kind,” he replied with a shy giggle and dip of the head. Man, he should get in the theater club or something, he was so good at this girl acting thing! Or, er… Just… acting in general! Jiyong looked up curiously at the pause, wondering what Jake would say. He broke character a tiny bit to laugh at the “awesome Jake” thing, but quickly responded, “Jake? He sound very awesome.” Jiyong gave him a tiny wink, then went solemn again. A party… How would Kimi respond to such a thing? “A… A party?” he repeated shyly. “Oh, I… I don’t know, maybe….?” He fidgeted “nervously” with the grass. “What if I know no one?” That seemed like a legitimate worry. “And how to dress…?” Because girls definitely worried about looking like they dressed appropriately!

He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to be able to do this. Jiyong’s cheeks were starting to redden a little from embarrassment for acting so feminine for so long. He was going to need to go… Punch a punching bag or something after this to reclaim his masculinity. He was also starting to feel a little strange, having Jake continue to act like he was ‘coming on’ to him for so long, but he put that off as just not being used to another man acting that way. It was all for educational purposes.
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[Jacob Tapper]

Despite having far less experience in the romance department than he would ever let on - particularly to Jiyong, who obviously looked up to him as someone who knew what he was talking about when it came to girls - Jake was fairly confident in his ability to woo a member of the opposite sex. As long as he could grab their attention for long enough, he was sure he could get a date out of pretty much anybody.

It was sort of funny seeing how Jiyong replied to his advances, pretending to be a girl. Apparently the Korean did think he was some kind of charmer, based on all his little giggles and whatnot. Heck, if Jake wanted he could probably charm Jiyong a bit even out-of-character, but that wasn't really their dynamic. His face reddened somewhat at the other boy's wink, which he was oblivious to save for a brief feeling of warmth in his cheeks.

"You'll know me!" Jake reassured. "I'll be there. And some of my friends, too. I could introduce you." Realistically, if Jake actually did throw a party that Jiyong brought a girl to, he would make sure they were having a nice time. "It won't be too crowded," he added, sensing that Kimi might be something of an introvert. "And you can wear whatever you like. I'm sure you'll look great."

Alright, Tapper, he said to himself, leaning in ever so slightly towards Jiyong-as-Kimi. Bring it in for the landing. "So, whaddaya say? I'll pick you up at eight?" He put on his best cute-boy face, eyebrows raised hopefully and a small smile one couldn't possibly reject adorning his features.

[Jiyong Kang]

Jake probably could charm Jiyong, and the Korean boy wouldn’t even realize it. He already got excited and attached because of the food he gave him, after all – but he just saw that as a normal friendship (well, normal between a dongsaeng and his hyung, at least, with the former giving respect and the latter being supportive and a good role model). If there were any other sort of attachments there, he wasn’t yet aware of it.

“I guess…” he replied ‘uncertainly’, pretending to contemplate the party more seriously with Jake’s convincing. “I like making friends.” Kimi did seem friendly, if shy (was that possible? She hadn’t run away from him, at least, even after he started acting weird with the bees and flowers and such). “I do not like crowd, so sounds good.” (s)He brightened a little. “Okay. I… You are kind.” Jiyong pretended to cover his cheeks to hide a blush.

He tried not to move back as Jake leaned in, but it was a little difficult, since he wasn’t used to his face being so close to another man’s. “Um… Okay,” he agreed with a nod and a small smile. “I will bring snack.” She seemed the type to do so. But now that the act was pretty much over, Jiyong let himself break character and burst out into laughter, rolling on his back and holding his stomach as he giggled. “Ahh, hyung, I cannot act like girl again,” he pleaded. “Next time, find real girl!” Although hopefully he wouldn’t need another example, since he’d just had a lesson and would totally try it on Kimi the next time he saw her!

“Is there really party this weekend?” he asked curiously as he sat up. “Should I ask Kimi before?” Hopefully he would be able to find her before the weekend came if Jake was, indeed, having a get-together at his dorm. Jiyong reached down and snatched up a couple more Cheetos to munch on. He was going to get addicted to these things.

[Jacob Tapper]

If there was something distinctly Korean about Jake and Jiyong's relationship, Jake wasn't aware of it. He sort of saw it as a more typical older brother/younger brother dynamic: Jiyong looked up to Jake (at least, that's what he had come to believe), and Jake taught Jiyong everything he knew and occasionally fed him. He thought it was a pretty chill setup. It made him feel like kind of a big deal, like Jiyong was his one-man entourage or something. Or, perhaps more realistically, Jiyong was the little dog bouncing around Jake, the bigger dog, if one was old enough to remember those cartoons.

As Jiyong broke character, their role-play now concluded, Jake let out a chuckle. "See, it's that easy!" He stated proudly. "Nothing to it but to do it." That was what his mother had always said: you had to 'do the thing.' Thinking about the thing, talking about the thing... that wasn't doing the thing. You had to do the thing, or it would never get done. "If you do exactly as I did to the real Kimi, I'm sure you'll bag her." Talking about a girl like she was a prize to be won, or (more darkly) prey to be caught, was the sort of thing that would remind a person that Jake was, after all, a guy's guy. He was generally polite, but he wasn't perfect.

When asked if there was really a party, Jake shrugged. "Well, maybe," he replied tentatively. "I sort of made it up for our example, but... do you want one? Do you think she'd come?" He'd be willing to throw something together for Jiyong if it would help him get his girl. It wasn't like it would take that much effort - just send out a Facebook invite, tell people to bring their own booze, throw together a playlist... it was easy.

[Jiyong Kang]

“Right, easy,” Jiyong replied with a smile. Wow, Jake did make it seem so easy, it really didn’t seem like that big of a deal anymore. He supposed if he’d been playing the role of a louder, more confident girl, things might have seemed different, but surely Kimi would respond well to such casual, easily spoken things. “I will do it! Just watch, hyung, I will get date in no time.” He beamed up at the older boy. Hopefully he wouldn’t start to view women as ‘prey’ (in fact sometimes he felt like he was in that position, given how loud and aggressive some American women seemed to be), but he really was very interested in actually trying to date. He never had the opportunity on the farm, so now he would take advantage of it!

He was very excited about the idea of a party. “Oh, hyung, party would be great!” he gushed. “I can help!” Jiyong had never thrown (or even been to, really) a party since he’d moved to the States, so the idea of going to one sounded appealing on its own, let alone with a date. “I can get Kimi to come,” he promised confidently. “I will ask when I see her.” Jiyong wasn’t sure when that would be, but he would definitely make sure to try his new tricks that he’d learned from the best hyung on campus. “Ah…. Thank you!” he added a little belatedly. He grinned and glomped onto Jake’s side affectionately. “You are best!”

[Jacob Tapper]

It was obvious to Jake that Jiyong didn't have much experience in the dating department: the boy wasn't exactly oozing masculinity. But while he didn't know Kimi personally, based on Jiyong's interpretation he was of the opinion that she was safely in the Korean boy's league. She was shy, girlish, and cutesy, and... so was Jiyong, really. They probably had a lot in common. The brunet was aware that part of the reason Jiyong looked up to him was because he was more muscular and masculine, and Jiyong wanted to be like that too; it would take a long time for Jiyong to achieve those characteristics, so for now it probably made sense for him to hit on girls who were a little more accessible to a guy like him.

He was personally ambivalent to whether he wanted to throw a party or not, so the fact that Jiyong wanted it was enough for him to agree to it. That said, the younger male's offer of assistance was unnecessary: throwing a dorm party was pretty much an effortless feat, particularly the sort of party a guy would throw. It occurred to him that he should probably make sure his roommates, Cade and Connor, were okay with this, but... that was sort of secondary to him, and they'd probably understand that he was just doing it to help a friend get laid. No guy couldn't relate to that.

He jumped slightly with surprise as Jiyong suddenly hugged him, the boy's thin arms wrapping themselves around Jake's bare torso. "Heh, that's what they tell me..." He replied in mock vanity, hyper-aware of the color rising on his cheeks but choosing to ignore it. He patted Jiyong on the back with his hand closest to his companion, as a sort of friendly gesture but also to signal that the embrace was over. "It's no problem, really. Just make sure you get her to come. I'm doing this for you." He smiled. "Do you want to practice on me?" It only made sense that Jiyong might want to do a dry run before actually going for Kimi. But Jake was also ambivalent about that.

[Jiyong Kang]

Jiyong did want to be manlier and more muscular. Taller too, but that wasn’t really something he had control over, unfortunately. Maybe he should start going to the gym? Jake looked like he worked out… Maybe he could ask if he could tag along sometime! The older boy wouldn’t mind, would he…? Jiyong wondered how long it would take, too, to get results. A week? Two? If the opportunity came up, he would definitely mention it to his friend.

He didn’t know what it took to throw a party, and since it was Jake that offered to put it on, Jiyong would be happy to do anything necessary; he didn’t realize how easy it was. On TV, it seemed like American parties were really loud, exciting, and intense, but he would likely be surprised by how chill they could be too. And chill was more his comfort zone anyway.

Jiyong was the affectionate type, and skinship wasn’t all that uncommon between boys where he grew up, so hugging Jake didn’t seem all that out of the ordinary for the younger boy. “They do?” he replied, not sure who ‘they’ were, but assumed it was true. Because who wouldn’t think Jake was awesome? Jiyong caught the hint and pulled away when he was patted, but his grin wasn’t fading. “I will! She will come, you see. No one can resist this, right?” He held up his skinny arms and flexed, showing the tiniest of bicep bulges. He was joking, of course, but the confidence was real. The offer to try it on Jake wasn’t something the Korean boy was expecting, but he smiled and nodded, because practice was always good!

“Okay, um… You be Kimi now, yes?” This would be a piece of cake. He straightened up and… let his eyes fall down to Jake’s bare chest before bursting out laughing. “Kimi, put a shirt on!” he giggled, nearly toppling over from his mirth. Maybe this wouldn’t be as easy as he thought to do without breaking character. Surely it couldn’t be harder than acting as a girl? He was a man, after all! This should be easier!

[Jacob Tapper]

Jake was a nice young man. Truly, he was. He tried to be kind to others, only got into fights when provoked, and genuinely tried to be more generous with the compliments than with the insults. But he wasn't perfect. And he did snort audibly when Jiyong flexed for him. It wasn't out of derision, necessarily: he got that Jiyong knew he wasn't athletic like Jake was and had miles and miles to go if he hoped to be buff like Jake. Jake wasn't exactly a body-builder himself, of course, but he was athletically gifted and had some muscle to show for it. He was proud of that, so Jiyong pretending to flex was just... funny to him. "Uh, those could use a little work," he said of the younger male's arms, trying to be as positive about it as possible. "So could this," he added, poking the boy in his 'belly.' Jiyong was actually quite skinny (despite eating junk food), so there wasn't really a 'belly' to speak of, but nor were there abs to show off.

Jake took a moment to get into character as best he could. He had no real idea how to pretend to be a girl, but he was willing to give it a shot since he figured Jiyong could probably use some practice before going for the real thing. He laughed as Jiyong told 'her' to put a shirt on - kid was funny when he wanted to be - but he immediately got over it, since he was in character now. "This is very serious, Jiyong-san!" He scolded sternly, with a slightly higher, airier voice (though he probably still sounded nothing like a Japanese woman). He had no idea at all where that had come from: maybe it was from the martial arts films he'd watched as a kid with his dad, or maybe he'd remembered Jiyong using that honorific at an earlier moment. "If you want a picky girl like me, you have to give it your best shot." He took his notebook out - the one he'd been journaling in when Jiyong had joined him - and pretended to write in it some more, looking busy.

[Jiyong Kang]

Jiyong wasn’t expecting a serious response to his ‘impressive’ flexing, so he just grinned when Jake snorted at him. He knew he had to use charm rather than toughness to get a girl, and he was okay with that… for now. Someday, though, he would be the man he wanted to be! “Ahh, you are right,” he sighed, lowering his arms with a pretend pout. He squeaked and giggled at the unexpected poke, clutching at his thin, unimpressive stomach with a squinty-eyed grin at his friend. “Hyung, I want to work out!” he exclaimed, seeing his opportunity in front of him. “With you! I will be big in no time, yes?” Because that was how lifting weights worked. “Then Kimi will like even more!” Because… All girls liked muscles, right?

He kept giggling after his ‘joke’, considering he would feel really awkward if Kimi was actually not wearing a shirt in front of him. Nope nope nope, he wouldn’t be able to talk to her at all that way! But since it wasn’t really Kimi… “Ah, I am sorry, Kimi-san,” he apologized with a submissive dip of his head. …. Whoops, that wasn’t manly, but at least it was polite! He scooted over a little closer to ‘her’ as Jake starting fiddling with his notebook, rubbing the back of his neck as he did. “Kimi, ah… You dress very nice today,” he started, remembering that Jake had started with a compliment. Jiyong tried not to stare at Jake’s chest. “It, ah… Look very nice on your skin!” He was struggling not to laugh again. Jake looked nothing at all like Kimi, which made it a little difficult.

[Jacob Tapper]

If Jiyong thought it would only take a couple of weeks to go from frail to fit, he had a rude awakening ahead of him: it took a lot of work and self-discipline to develop the kind of figure Jake had. There certainly wouldn't be room for entire bags of Cheetos. The brunet would be willing to show him around the gym, but he usually had his own routine to stick to and wouldn't necessarily want to slow-walk him through every single type of exercise he could do. Gym time was his time. But they would have time to discuss that later.

As for the roleplay, Jake had something of a plan: he was going to be a lot harder to get than Jiyong had been, and a lot harder than Kimi would be. That way, his little friend would be super-extra-completely prepared for however Kimi might react to his advances. Also, it was more entertaining than just doing the same thing they'd already done. That said, Honeyfingers was perhaps in for a few surprises over the course of their little 'scene.'

'Kimi' looked sidelong at Jiyong, as though the boy had interrupted her in the middle of something important. "Are you saying I don't dress nice every day?" She asked, eyes widening in mock surprise. That was a common joke, at least among Americans - to turn a compliment into an accusation of insult - but Jiyong might not recognize it, so it would throw him off a little. "Besides, I hate this dress," she said, shaking her head distastefully. She looked back down at her notebook like she was getting back to work, before turning more fully to the boy beside her. "Did you need something?"

[Jiyong Kang]

Jiyong could have that sort of self-discipline… Maybe. If he didn’t get distracted by gardening or something and forgot that he was supposed to be in a hot, sweaty room pointlessly lifting heavy obects. Huh, maybe it wouldn’t be all that much fun… But it would be worth it, surely?

He might have to have more than wit and charm to woo a woman, if she acted the way that Jake was planning on. Jiyong gave ‘her’ a bright smile as Jake looked at him, unconsciously puffing out his chest a little and sitting up straighter. Confidence! However, how he replied was not what the Korean boy was expecting, and it was clear in his bewildered, horrified expression as he panicked over how to respond. “N-no, that is not what I mean!” he flustered. “I just… ah… I like this color!” Any sort of ‘joke’ had completely gone over his head. “But Kimi-san always look great.” That wasn’t a complete failure, right? “.... Oh….” Why… Why would a girl wear a dress that she didn’t like!? “Ah, well, um…” Jiyong ran his hand through his hair nervously. Goodbye, confidence. “I think Kimi-san look great in anything,” he finally mumbled, not knowing what else to say. Now he just sounded like he was repeating himself. He grimaced when Jake ‘went back to work’, half-reaching his hand out as though to touch ‘her’ shoulder before retracting it and holding in a sigh. “O-oh, um, I… Ahhh… I wonder if Kimi-san is busy this weekend?” he asked, continuing to copy what Jake had said earlier. “My awesome friend Jake is having party, and I wonder if Kimi-san want to come.”

Jiyong tried another bright smile, oblivious to what else Jake might have planned.

[Jacob Tapper]

While 'Kimi' was ignoring Jiyong's attempt to get the conversation back on track, Jake was listening intently to everything the younger boy said. Pointing out the color as a specific reason he liked the dress was a little effeminate, but wise; it made him sound observant of her, and ensured that future exchanges on the topic would focus on the dress and not how she looked in it (or others). Assuring her that he liked who she looked in everything was obvious, but it was no less important he say it. Jake wasn't going to continue that conversation, since in reality it was highly unlikely Kimi would actually react that way to his compliment. The brunet determined that the Korean boy had essentially passed the first test, though he would have to be more sure of himself. Stammering wasn't attractive; mumbling wasn't masculine.

When asked if she was busy, Jake decided to make his Kimi a little harder to get than Jiyong's had been. "Busy? Oh, yes. I have so much homework. And a Council meeting. And I have to go grocery shopping and volunteer at the soup kitchen and call my mother and bring my laptop to the Apple Store." The second test: Kimi wasn't just sitting around waiting for someone to bring her her weekend plans. Jiyong would have to convince her to make time.

She scoffed at his suggestion. "Your awesome friend Jake," she repeated, like the words tasted bad in her mouth. "You must like him more than you like me." She had turned back towards him, but briefly looked back at her notebook. "I don't like that Jake. He is very arrogant." In fairness to everyone involved, a shy girl from Japan could definitely think that about a guy like Jake. The third test: Kimi didn't seen to want to go to the party, even if she had the time. Jiyong would have to change her mind.

[Jiyong Kang]

As hard as he tried, Jiyong was an effeminate person, and it was coming across obviously in his responses. Despite growing up on a farm and learning the sort of ‘hard life’ most city-dwellers didn’t know, he’d somehow managed to retain that softness and attention to detail that many boys his age didn’t have. And unknowing to him, there may have been girls that liked that in a guy. Maybe Kimi would be one of them?

Well, apparently not in Jake’s opinion… And Jiyong was still determined to become more like a real, strong, American man!

But ahh, another challenge… What to say if Kimi was busy? Hmm… Well, a compliment never hurt to start, right? “Oh, wow, Kimi-san very busy and organize! So many chores…” Jiyong would never be able to handle so many things in one weekend, he was too laid-back and a little lazy. He bit his lip, mind whirling with ideas. “But, ah… Everyone need a break sometime! You must have fun and not work all time, yes?” That just wasn’t a good way to live, especially for people as young as they were. “Someone hard-working as Kimi-san deserve to do fun thing!”

Hopefully that worked well on “Kimi”. Jiyong was still struggling to keep up with this less easy role that Jake was putting on, but at least he didn’t think he was floundering completely. “Whaaat? No, he… he smell bad!” he assured… Jake. Jiyong almost burst out laughing at that; he was smiling broadly as it was. “Kimi-san smell wonderful! And also is awesome-r.” Sorry hyung, he didn’t really mean it! “Ah… Yes! You are right, of course! But he throw great party. Kimi-san do not need to talk to him, oppa will be there!” he promised, pointing towards himself. He didn’t really think those things about Jake, and Jiyong hoped he knew he was only doing it to make “Kimi” more interested. “Ah… There will be good food! And music. It is in dorm, so you can leave easy if is not fun for Kimi-san.” That way, at least, ‘she’ would give it a shot and at least come see what it was like.

[Jacob Tapper]

As a shy, introverted Japanese girl, Kimi would more likely than not be a little more accessible than Jake's interpretation had been. But this was intentional: if Jiyong could successfully woo someone who couldn't take a compliment, was too busy to hang out, and didn't like his suggestion, then the real thing would be a total breeze. But that said, he figured he had thrown the poor guy enough curveballs at this point, so it was time to wrap up their little scene.

The brunet smirked as Jiyong professed that he smelled bad. Sure, Jake engaged in a lot of sweaty, physical activity, but he always wore deodorant when he was working out or at basketball practice, and he showered immediately after finishing, so he was pretty sure nobody thought he stunk. He got that Jiyong was trying to demonstrate he didn't worship the older boy, though, so he didn't take it personally.

He was put off a second time by Jiyong's promise of 'good food.' What, Jake had to make this a catered affair now? He wasn't planning on having food at all! Just music, BYOB, and too many people to comfortably fit into a dorm room. That was what made a good party. But he supposed he could spring for some chips and dips or whatever if it would help his younger friend get his girl. This kid was going to drive him out of house and home.

"Hmmmmmm...." Jake made a sustained, thoughtful noise, bringing his finger up to his chin like was really thinking about it. "Okay, I suppose I can go for a little while." He nodded; yes, he believe that was what Kimi would say if their conversation actually went that way. He broke character immediately, not wishing to act like a girl any longer than he had to. "Congrats, man, you got 'er!" He gave Jiyong a playful punch on the arm, which in all likelihood was a little harder than it needed to be due to Jake's strength and Jiyong's slight stature. "You think you can do it like that with a real girl?"

[Jiyong Kang]

Jiyong had never been to an American party before, so he just assumed that food was a staple item at them. If asked, he would gladly chip in and help, but he was rather clueless on the matter (not to mention already flustered from Jake’s acting like a very hard-to-get girl).

He waited with bated breath while ‘she’ seemed to contemplate his offer. It was weird, but Jiyong almost felt like this was real, and that if Jake said no, he failed miserably at life. But this was just a practice, he tried to remind himself. No big deal! So why did he feel so nervous…? “You can??” he gleed when the older boy ‘accepted’. “Great! Oppa will pick you up and take you, okay?” Jiyong didn’t want her to get lost trying to find the right dorm, after all. He beamed at the brunette’s praise, which only faltered with a wince as he rubbed his now-sore arm from his friend’s enthusiastic punch. “Only because hyung is best teacher,” he replied modestly with a small smile. Even if he hit too hard. “Yes! I think Kimi-san will say yes.” Why wouldn’t she? Jiyong has all the confidence in the world now. “Thank you so much!”

Jiyong knew he had a training session not too long from now, so he began to stand up (only after taking another handful of Cheetos). “Ah, I should probably go,” he said apologetically between nibbles. “I am sorry, I have training and I do not want to miss. But I will see hyung this weekend, yes? For party!” The younger boy bounced excitedly. “Please tell if need help!” He couldn’t wait for the week to be over now. His first party! And inviting a girl! Ah right, he actually needed to invite the real Kimi first…