Realistic or Modern 𝒮𝓀𝓎 𝒞𝒶𝓈𝓉𝓁𝑒 ~ 𝐼𝒞

[Stardust Galaxy]

sky castle

The annual gala charity of the Jang Family it was a known event to help different health foundations, did they needed to throw a party for it? Probably not, but how would you reunite all the rich people in South Korea to donate their money make it seem that all of them cared about the people in need while they walk around with designer clothes and jewelry that had more zeros in their value than you can imagine?

This year was different from the past galas, it wasn't a secret that some rumors about the hospital of the Jang family were starting to spread around the city, some people believe them while others just thought it was just lies that someone created just to obtain some money, but maybe there was more than Jang Byung-Ho the actual president and owner of the hospital care to admit about the actual environment inside the doors of the hospital.

Or maybe the problem wasn't only inside the hospital would also the tension between the Jang couple would show up during the gala or would both of them would just play it as they have done the past couple of months, maybe their real jobs were meant to be actors, but that wasn't mostly a trait that every rich person had? Being able to pretend that you had the perfect while behind closed doors was a completely different story.

The night was just only starting and you could already see the fakeness in most of the attendants if not all of them, saying to each other how heartbroken they felt about the sick children, because what else could be more touching than children with cancer? but just after they made their donation they changed their subject to brag about their children or were they planning for the holidays, rich people were really something interesting and maybe all of it was it was needed to clean the reputation of the family or maybe it was just the opportunity from someone else to take advantage of the situation and dig more into someone's dirty little secrets.

But in a world where all the adults pretend in front of each other, would their children be the same? Pretending that they are best friends when they are about to fight each other or acting like you are the perfect person when in reality you have recurred to dirty ways to make your way to the top or maybe you just keep it all to yourself and won't say out loud what really happens inside the house.

Would these young heirs be just there to spend a fun time partying while they were pretty clothes and drink expensive champagne while having everyone seeing how close they are or maybe at the end of the night they start showing their true colors behind that mask of perfection?

Tags: A ameuSHhen1Tn2ba Uxie weldherwings natasha. triples​

 

[Stardust Galaxy]

Jang Hye-Bin​

Mood: Just smile and pretend
Outfit: X
Location: Party Hall
Tags: weldherwings

For Hye-Bin the annual charity gala was one of her favorite events from the year, she loved seeing the organization of such big event that her family run, maybe was that their parents put so much attention to even the smallest detail so it would be perfect, that could be the reason why Hye-Bin was waiting for this event every year or also because that meant that her family was the center of attention while everyone just repeatedly adulated them and their charitable cause.

But that year was different, sure everyone's eyes were on the Jang family, but was it because of their good actions or the rumors that were starting to circulate. Hye-Bin, of course, was worried about the reputation of her family and the hospital, since one day she would be the one in charge of it and this kind of rumors were just starting to mess with her stability.

It wasn't like she could discuss how she felt to this to her parents in the first place, she wasn't even supposed to know about it or how her parents were constantly arguing, her parents thought that Hye-Bin and her little sister were living on this bubble where they didn't know about the problems in real life, but they weren't expecting that Hye-Bin would know all the truth. And secondly her parents never really cared how she felt, even if she showed the smallest change of emotion instead of asking if she was okay, they would tell her that she was lacking and needed to work harder because she was just throwing everything away.

Hye-Bin just not only needed to pretend that her family was perfect and nothing was falling apart, but she also needed to show that she was interested in their questions they asked every year "Look at you! you are such a beautiful young lady" You told me the same thing last year and I don't think I'll change that much from when I was 16 to when I was 17 "The entrance exam is soon, which university you want to attend?" Everyone knows I'm going to Seoul National University just like my grandfather and father did and continue with the family tradition that has been decided since the day I was born "Do you still practice fencing?" Yes, I still do I. Actually I won all the competitions and even make it to the news, do you live under a rock That was the kind of answer Hye-Bin wanted to give but she just smiled and replied politely to all the questions.

What was supposed to be one of the best nights of the year for Hye-Bin, was just making her get annoyed everything was just getting on her nerves, she wasn't if it was all the stress of her family or it was because Park So-Jun and her family were attending, who invited them in the first place? Oh, right, her parents because they need to pretend they are friendly to their neighbors but just knowing that the girl was walking around and thinking that she could fit with everyone else just made Hye-Bin's blood boil, she was just expecting that hall where the party was held was big enough so she wouldn't see her all night.

Hye-Bin was too immersed in her thoughts when the voice of one of the ladies talked to her and her partner "Look at you two! You look so cute together. Your families really did something good for both of you in setting you two together" the old lady said to them. It wasn't a secret about the arranged marriage between her and Ryeom and it was only natural they would be together in this kind of events they needed to show they were close, and maybe they were doing a good job even if Hye-Bin was just holding Ryeom's arm "Thank you, Ryeom is really sweet. I'm really happy with the decision of our families" she said with a smile as she looked at the boy hoping he would say something even if it was to pretend.

 

[natasha.]

park so-jun

the game changer

the party hall

"can i leave now?"

a gown for a gala

Truthfully, So-Jun didn't want to be here. The fact that this was a gala run by Hye-Bin's family made her even more reluctant to come, but she hadn't really had a choice in the matter. Her parents were still sort of fresh faces around Sky Castle, and that took some getting used to, so her father insisted they make an appearance when they got the invitation, because what better way was there to climb the social ladder? They had the money to fit in — though if anyone knew how they got that money, things would be drastically different — and So-Jun's mother loved to brag now that she had plenty more to brag about. And wasn't that what everyone in Sky Castle did? Her parents fit in perfectly.

She wasn't so sure the same applied to herself.

She still wasn't used to wearing gowns or mingling with other teens her age who clearly grew up with wealth. She supposed she could get used to at least one of them — if she ever did go on to become a famous musician, she very well couldn't sit at a grand piano on stage in jeans and a t-shirt. Still, compared to a lot of the other people at the event, her dress was more on the simple side. Had she left it up to her mother, she'd be showing up in something flouncy with ruffles up to her neck.

For the time being, So-Jun stuck to her parents, tailing them like she had nowhere else to go. And that was because she did have nowhere else to go. So-Jun didn't yet see anyone she recognised, which wasn't really saying much because she still didn't know a lot of people from school. She'd hoped she'd at least see Inhyeon because even if their friendship was new, she'd be a friendly face. Honestly, So-Jun would have preferred to stay home playing cards with her grandfather.

"It was nice of the Jang family to invite us," her mother remarked, just having finished mingling with another couple.

"We should find them and thank them," her father nodded in agreement. That definitely wasn't something she wanted to do, because it would mean inevitably having to meet Hye-Bin and So-Jun wanted to keep her distance. She wasn't sure what all the reasons were behind her vendetta against her, but she'd rather avoid conflict instead of inciting it.

So-Jun was about to discourage the idea when her mother turned to her. "There are plenty of other young people here your age. Why don't you go mingle with them? I'm sure some of your friends are around."

Being left alone sounded almost as bad as being forced to meet Hye-Bin. "But—"

"Come on, Juno, you've always been good at making friends," her father chimed in and gave her a small pat on the back. "We'll be around if you need us."

So-Jun opened her mouth to say something, but her parents were off, arm in arm, already finding someone else to speak to and leaving So-Jun standing alone in the centre of the room. She crossed her arms and looked around. She felt a moment of relief when she noticed Ryeom a little distance away. That was certainly a friendly face. The moment of relief was brief, however, because she soon noticed his arm was linked with none other than Hye-Bin's, so her idea of making a beeline toward him was quickly tossed out of her mind and she looked away. If there was one familiar face, surely there were more?

So-Jun could only hope as she continued to look around, standing awkwardly amid all the other guests.

mentions: hye-bin, inhyeon, ryeom. ; interactions: none yet.

 

[Uxie]

bae inhyeon

the deceiver.

depressed, but well-dressed

location

main ballroom

outfit

w/ a pretty necklace

mentions

hye-bin, ryeom, so-jun, hyuk

interactions

so-jun

tags

natasha.

inhyeon loved parties. every bit about them, and the charity gala was a party. sure, it wasn't as fun as one without adults sneering down at you with empty concern, but it was still a party. she was wearing a new dress, a fit she absolutely adored, and she felt great in it.

or at least, she was supposed to.

there was something about the gala this year that had her on edge. it had her particularly irritable, where the usual niceties from the CEO of who-knows-what and the chairman of who-fucking-cares made her want to snap back more than usual. but she was used to that by now, having to plaster a sweet smile on and pretend like she even knew who they were, so that couldn't have been it. there wasn't any question about it, really. she knew he would be coming, as he had come every year before, and she, very frankly, did not want to see him in the least. it had been a few weeks. she needed several, several more, but she'd pulled herself together to attend. if not for the sake of appearances, for the sake of her worrywart parents that treated her like a delicate flower. well, she was pretty fragile as of late, but inhyeon liked to think of herself stronger, even if it was just white lie.

"inhyeon, dear? are you alright?" a hand on her arm made her jump slightly, and she turned to meet her mother's gaze, the concern in her eyes evident at a glance. inhyeon had barely scraped the tip of the iceberg with what she'd told her parents, but mrs. bae had always had a sixth sense when it came to her daughter. "if you're not feeling well, we can go home early."

inhyeon forced a smile. she wanted nothing more than to just accept, but it wasn't a choice she wished to entertain. "i'm fine, mum. don't worry." she assured, trying her best to make sure her voice didn't waver in the least. her mother was unconvinced but knew well enough that inhyeon wouldn't budge even if she pressed further. with a final squeeze of support, she turned back to the conversation at the round table, nodding along to the comments and remarks that inhyeon had long lost track of. it wasn't long before she excused herself to go get food, which loosely translated to "i'm gonna go wander around until i find something interesting." her parents let her go without much objection, but not without one more reminder in a hushed tone to let them know if anything went wrong.

she did end up heading for the buffet table, though her plate remained empty even after she reached the end of the line, save for a slice of cake. it was a little early for dessert, but inhyeon had lacked much of an appetite the past week. she'd had to pin her dress a little tighter around her waist because of it, but it never hurt to lose some weight. sure, we could go with that. taking small bites from her cake (red velvet? good choice), her gaze darted around the room, flitting from table to table as she searched for a familiar face. she was desperate for any sort of company to talk to at this point— anything to get her mind off how oddly suffocating the event was— so when she spotted so-jun hovering alone, not unlike a lost puppy, the young socialite made no delay in striding over with as much confidence as she could muster.

"so-jun~ what are you looking at?" inhyeon greeted cheerily as she looped her free arm around the other girl's. genuinely pleased to see her, she shot the girl a friendly smile before following her line of sight to the almost beaming couple stood a good distance away. the older ms. jang and the only son of the kim family were undoubtedly the centre of attention, what with the gaggle of adoring fans surrounding them. inhyeon had expected she wouldn't be able to get a hold of hye-bin today, even if it wasn't particularly high on her list of priorities. nothing was, save for avoiding hyuk. "are you worried about hye-bin? don't be, she's too busy to have time for me, so she won't have time to bother you today." there was no mention of ryeom, though she supposed there was no reason for so-jun to be looking at him. had they even met? probably, but the boy's affairs weren't ever her concern.

inhyeon fixed her attention on so-jun once more, giving the girl a once-over. "you could do better with your hairstyling, but you look good. better than your fit at my party last year." she let out a quiet giggle, but her eyes held no malice for her comment. leave it to her to nitpick an outfit while trying not to sound condescending, though it was clear that her compliment was genuine, at least. she started moving, leading the girl along with her in no apparent direction.

"it's your first year at the gala, isn't it? look more interested, then none of the weird old uncles will bother us. they don't make for good conversation, trust me." her mind wracked for topics to talk about. did she even know anything about so-jun? her last name and her residence, maybe, and that she was a pianist. huh. you'd think she'd know more after being in the same class as her for a year, though she supposed she'd never stopped to ask. "did your parents just tell you to go mingle, or something? i could introduce you to anyone you haven't met yet. i'll tell you who's nice and who's not. or if there's anyone you're looking for in particular?" she was rambling, but anything to keep the conversation afloat, just so she'd have something to focus on.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[ameuSHhen1Tn2ba]

"Dammit."

Fourth try and still no success. Stubborn bow tie. Ha-Joon was getting even more frustrated as time went on. Tying it over and over again, only for it to turn out lopsided or messy looking. He had been standing in front of the mirror, velvet blue suit jacket hanging on the back of the chair nearby, as he cursed the day bow ties were invented. His dress shirt sleeves still rolled up as he had yet to put in his cuff links. He heard the subtle noise of knuckles tap against his door before it began to open. The boy watched through the mirror as his "Appa" peaked through the opening. "Almost ready?" He asked as he stepped inside. Ha-Joon moved his focus from the man's face back to his busy hands. Something about holding Hyung-Min's gaze made him upset. He felt so detached from those eyes that used to hold admiration and love for him, only seeing emptiness and disappointment in it's place. Maybe it was all perceived, that he still loved him as a son even if he wasn't his flesh and blood. Or it was real and he was just hopeful that it wasn't.

A sigh came from the older man as he stepped in front of Ha-Joon. He pulled the boy's hands away and began tying the black tie like he had done 100 times before. You'd think after 18 years he could get it right. In silence, Ha-Joon watched Hyung-Min's focused face. He used to wonder, for a long time, why no body ever said he looked like his father. Well, now it made sense. As his Appa finished with his tie, he pulled his sleeves down and turned to grab his cuff links from the drawer behind him. Neatly placing them in their spot, Ha-Joon turned to see his jacket being help open for him. Hyung-Min pulled the suit coat on, brushing the shoulders and making sure everything looked good. The boy kept a straight face as the older man gave him a small smile with a satisfied nod. A pleasantness that felt forced. An unmistakable sadness as he did so.

It was almost ironic how well he matched with the rest of his family. So-Hyun always insisted that the family looked unified. Despite the fact they were all wearing cobalt blue, riding along together like the usual Sky Castle family, he couldn't feel more alienated. There was no sense of familiarity for him. Because Ha-Joon didn't belong. Something that he was still trying to wrap his mind around. Still trying to cope with. Even if his real Eomeoni was sitting in the car next to him, she wasn't his Eomma. The woman passed him off to the nanny almost as soon as she had gotten home from the hospital. She never did anything to raise him, leaving it all to her husband and hired help. Ha-Joon wan't just imagining things; she really did hate him all these years, didn't she? It worked out now since he hated her back. The drive was silent. It was possible that if they opened their mouths, their parents would begin a tense argument like always. Or Hwa-Young would begin to complain about how she knew that she wouldn't like any of the food there. Ho-Sung never seemed enthused about anythings, so Ha-Joon never expected a word out of his half-brother.

Stepping into the building, Ha-Joon was ready to leave his parents side and go do his own rounds. Talk to friends he hadn't seen all year sounded nice. He enjoyed parties. He liked them better when they weren't as formal, but it was still a party so he was happy. The only thing in the back of his mind? The possibility of interaction with Hyuk. Before he wouldn't have hesitated to spend the entire night by his side. Cracking jokes mostly at the expense of the stifling crowd of old rich snobs. Now things were different. Whenever he saw his face all he could see was the red puffy eyes and sobs from Inhyeon as she told him all about what had happened. Nothing made him more angry than a liar, and Hyuk was one of the worst he had ever met. Well, besides his mother.

He had been lectured, however, by his Eomma. Appearances were everything weren't they? Despite his enraged disposition whenever he even heard his ex-best friend's name, he was going to have to be nice. Ha-Joon wanted to avoid that for as long as possible. He didn't have to worry about it for awhile, as his parents forced him to make idle chatter with all their friends. The Jang Family Gala was the perfect occasion to brag about their son who was doing so well. Though this year it wasn't his name that he heard from Hyung-Min's mouth. Ho-Sung seemed mighty popular this year. Not like the younger boy deserved it. His parents had to bribe the teacher to let him pass last year. The bitter feelings of betrayal and resentment swirling together withing him.

Sick of listening to the lies his parents spewed about his younger sibling, Ha-Joon eventually excused himself, even if his Eomma had opened her mouth to stop him. He pretended he didn't notice. He did a quick scan of the surrounding area, able to spot Inhyeon talking to someone within no time. He was well aware that tonight would be difficult for her. Ha-Joon was prepared to spend the rest of the night by her side. If he felt betrayed, he was sure that she felt it even more so than himself. Without identifying her company he decided to go check up on her.

A hand on her upped back, just below her should blades, as he came up from behind her. "Inhyeon," Ha-Joon greeted her in a cheery tone, "Don't you look absolutely stunning." Always dressed to impress, she always did look great. He was also aware that a compliment went a long way to lift her spirits. His eyes met her's, a smile that asked if she was alright without saying anything. It was something you picked up in high society, the ability to speak with just a look. "I'm sorry am I interrupting?" Finally he looked over at the girl Inhyeon was talking to.

Ha-Joon felt his brain stutter when he saw who it was. So-Jun wasn't who he was expecting to see. He was aware that the two were friends, so it shouldn't have shocked him. She was someone he knew, quite well actually. They had been in each others company, what was it two or three nights ago? Not like anyone else knew they were so ahem close. "Oh! So-Jun-ah...You look lovely as well. How are you?" Ha-Joon attempted to keep the rising awkwardness he was feeling out of his voice. It never used to bother him before, it was easy to be just normal friends around everyone else. They were genuinely friends, a friendship that he valued. It just seemed that their agreement was starting to overshadow that fact. Hopefully it wasn't too noticeable, Ha-Joon didn't like lying about anything to Inhyeon and she'd have no problem asking him if something was up. "Your first charity gala, must be exciting, huh?" He added. His well rehearsed semi-forced smile directed at her. The act of pretending being something he was trained to do ever since he was young, a side effect of high society. At least that side effect was helpful.

Yoo Ha-Joon

Location:
Home > The Jang family's Charity Gala
Mood:
I seriously doubt tonight will end well
Interactions:
old rich snobs > In-Hyeon ( Uxie ) & So-Jun ( natasha. )
Outfit:

 

[triples]

SEO HYUK
- the two-faced -

He was drinking a little too much champagne. One waiter or another seemed to constantly be coming by with an offer of refilling his glass, and Hyuk couldn't give himself a reason to refuse. He wasn't in a good mood at all. The sweet, artificial smell of his wonderful step-mother's perfume was going to give him a migraine, and he couldn't even move away thanks to her iron grip on his arm. The topic of conversation was about the charity, and how much of a saint each of them were for having the courage to donate a whole 0.000001% of their wealth, which didn't interest him in the slightest. His choices in state of being were currently either tipsy or irritated.

He'd been looking for an opportunity to separate himself from his parents since the moment they stepped off the car. Just his luck, however, that his siblings weren't present — his brother was, quote unquote, sick and and their fashionable youngest had refused to come because she didn't like any of the dresses picked out for her — leaving him the only trophy left for Kyung-Ae to show off. In other words, he'd been stuck following her around, engaging in that same old soul-sucking, brain-numbing routine. Smile. Nod. Smile. Nod. Greet them. Thank them. Smile. How. Fucking. Annoying. You'd think he would have grown used to it after all this time, but it just got more and more utterly boring each year.

"Our Hyuk's been thinking of going overseas to study, too," Kyung-Ae's airy tone invaded his senses as she patted his arm for the upteenth time, "weren't you, darling?"

He wasn't. Not at all. Why? Because he knew if he ever took one step out of the country, getting his own inheritance was going to be an uphill battle when he came back. And, why's that? Well, all thanks to the treacherous bitch that is the very woman beside him, of course, who had been insistent on telling everyone the opposite of what was on his mind as graduation approached. As if that was going to somehow pressure him into obeying. He glanced at his father, the only other one in this hall who knew that she was spouting absolute bullshit. Nothing. Of course. Hyuk tugged his lips up in a smile, but did not reply.

He didn't look to see if that response was satisfactory for Kyung-Ae, instead turning away to study the crowd, taking yet another sip from his tall glass. The conversation droned on, thankfully without anymore need for his participation, their words blending together once more into white noise. Briefly, he wondered where Ha-Joon would be. If it was another time, they would have already been together, having saved each other from their parents and poking fun at the most uppity members of this little society. But, well, that was off the table, wasn't it?

Just as that thought passed his mind, a stand-out trio caught his eye from the middle of the hall. Call the devil & he shall arrive, hm? From the edge of Hyuk's line of sight, Ha-Joon made his way over to where another delightful sight, In-Hyeon, stood with a familiar-looking girl who had her back turned to him. He had a way too easy time seeing them, being unfortunately taller than most figures in the hall. Hyuk felt the lingering taste of alcohol in his mouth suddenly sour. Look at that, he mused to himself, don't they just make a pretty fucking posse?

Who was the third party, then? He quickly got that answer when he caught sight of her profile. Park So-Jun. Hyuk arched a brow at the unexpected combination of foe, foe and target. Though his expression didn't show much change from outside perspective, the urge to go over there shot up from a negative to a much, much higher value, as his gaze stopped its wandering altogether.

"Excuse me," he spoke up, glad to have finally found somewhere he had both the reason and desire to move away to, "I'm going to go talk to Ha-Joon, for a while." It was the tried and tested easiest way to be let off. And, of course, it worked this time, too, even though his parents were clear on just how well he & the other boy were getting along these days. It wasn't the actual feelings that were important, after all, just that them standing together made a satisfactory picture.

With that, Hyuk finally made his way over to the conversing trio. His steps didn't falter by even a bit as he approached them, entering their bubble like it was natural. To others, it really was. What his entry was like for the actual people involved could only be described by themselves. His gaze landed on Ha-Joon, first, then In-Hyeon. But it purposely didn't linger on either, falling on the last girl instead.

"Hey, So-Jun," he greeted, his hand briefly tapping her shoulder, "surprised to see you here." His eyes curved along with his lips in what looked like a genuine smile. "Pleasantly, of course," he added, with a hint of teasing in his tone. A short pause. His gaze went back to the other two as he continued, still in that impeccably light, joking lilt to his voice, "Not as surprising to see you two."

location: jang family charity gala, party hall

outfit: click me

mood: wanting to escape boredom

interactions: so-jun | in-hyeon | ha-joon

codebytriples

 

[weldherwings]

the caged bird

i don't want to be here​

location

main ballroom

outfit

click here

interactions

Hye-Bin ( Stardust Galaxy )

mention

so-jun ( natasha. ), inhyeon ( Uxie ), ha-joon ( A ameuSHhen1Tn2ba ) + hyuk ( triples )

Maybe I could pretend my appendix has burst? No, that’s foolish. Umma and Appa wouldn’t believe me. What if… What if I intentionally choke on one of the appetisers? After all, if it doesn’t get me out of here, then at least I’ve found a way to die without anyone thinking it’s suspicious.

No… There are too many doctors in the room.

They’re bound to have some sort of resuscitation machine somewhere. And, knowing Umma and Appa, they’d want me to seem like some sort of superhuman who can just bounce back up again from some sort of experience like that. There really isn’t any sort of route I can endeavour on without raising suspicion or conflict, truth be told. I suppose I’m obliged to stay here for the rest of the night, having my arm clung to with such eagle-like talons.

“Look at you two!”

Huh?

His dark eyes gave a quick pattern of blinks before looking at the older ladies before him. Had he zoned out again? Well… it seemed so. He had been to so many Galas in his life that he had seemed to master the art of dissociating or hiding in his thoughts instead of interacting with people that he was apparently meant to be impressing for God knows what reason. Ryeom’s eyes flashed from their little fan base they had been collecting unintentionally, to his fiancé who stood next to him, clinging to his arm.

How lucky he was that his parents had teamed him up with an extrovert like Hye-Bin. Someone who was truly passionate about her legacy and obsessed with how people perceived her and her bloodline (or, as some people would call them; family). Sure, Ryeom should have been the same. He should have put in great effort to make the Kim family name outstanding and to project a happy, thriving appearance to all. But the fact was, he didn’t have the energy for it anymore. He had tried for so many years, and he was beginning to run dry. So, thank God for Hye-Bin who could talk until the cows came home, and the only thing Ryeom had to do was stand there, look pretty and nod in agreeance with her. This was her show. He was simply that kid who stood in the back, holding up leaves and pretending to be a tree.

And apparently this tree had a speaking role because his arranged fiancé was looking at him with a grin on her face and eyes that screamed say something. Oh right. He had to play along. “Oh uh…” he began, feeling like a deer caught in headlights. He hadn’t rehearsed anything. This was bad. Quickly moving his gaze from Hye-Bin to the older ladies that stood in front of them, waiting to hear something, he could feel his heart quicken. “Yes… Thank you…” he responded, giving a small head bow.

It seemed to bring a smile to the woman’s face; thank Jesus! He felt like he was going to have a heart attack from it all. The woman began to speak once more, about how lovely it was to see young people finding love and settling down – rather than going out to parties and making a fool of themselves. But it felt like her voice was slowly starting to fade into the background once more. Ryeom wasn’t interested in it at all. Instead, he allowed his eyes to focus on the background behind the woman to see…

So-Jun.

Oh, thank God. Someone who had actual brains was here. He felt his stomach initiate a Mexican wave and his heart cheering on the movement. How he would love to walk over and greet the girl, his best friend. However, he knew that Hye-Bin would never let him do so. He was a mouse and she was an Eagle, holding tight onto her meal. Besides, the moment he saw Inhyeon walk over and loop her arm around So-Jun’s free arm, all hopes of walking over vanished. Seriously. Out of all people, it had be Inhyeon. Their small party only grew as Ha-Joon and Hyuk joined in too. Even though there was one person in that group that he would rather avoid (hell, he would rather stick pins into his eyes than having to deal with Inhyeon and her teasing mannerisms), it still seemed a thousand times better than the mess he was stuck in currently.

Oh, how he just yearned for some sort of taste of freedom.

coded by weldherwings.

 

[natasha.]

park so-jun

the game changer

the party hall

finally some company.

a gown for a gala

For a moment, So-Jun was alone, and then suddenly in the next, she felt surrounded by people. All friendly faces, thankfully. She wasn't aware that there was anything to worry about.

Inhyeon approached her first, which made her release a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. So-Jun had only just been thinking about Inhyeon and there she was. Admittedly, she expected to find the girl at the side of her best friend, though she supposed it made sense that that wasn't the case. Hye-Bin needed to be seen with Ryeom. This suited So-Jun just fine because it meant she at least had someone to talk to, and she was no longer standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

"Not worried," she assured the other girl when she brought up Hye-Bin. "Just actively trying to avoid." And hopefully she'd be able to do that for the rest of the evening. So-Jun instinctively lifted a hand to touch the tips of her hair when Inhyeon commented on her appearance tonight. "Uh, thank you?" She couldn't help but chuckle softly.

So-Jun had never really put as much thought into her appearance as many of the people here, though she'd made more of an effort tonight with her dress selection. Her hair... well, she was never fond of styling it, so it was a wavy mess. Somehow it suited her though. She didn't think she'd recognise herself if she coiled it up into a bun or an elaborate braid. "You look good too," So-Jun offered, though she suspected that Inhyeon already knew that.

Inhyeon's offer to introduce her to people was met with a hesitant smile. While she could use more friends, So-Jun was a little wary. inhyeon turned out to be nice, but she wasn't sure if the same could apply to many others. After all, Hye-Bin was her best friend, and her and So-Jun couldn't be anymore different.

She was spared from answering, however, when they were joined by another presence. So-Jun recognised him immediately, and she tensed up a little, if only because she met him much more than anyone else realised. He didn't seem to notice her immediately, but when he did, she offered a smile. She knew he was close to Inhyeon, and she also knew that she didn't know about their little arrangement — the one that So-Jun was still trying to figure out how to end, because she didn't want their friendship to take a turn for the worse because of it.

Nothing was going to happen right now at the gala though, so she did her best to act normally. "I'm good," she answered his question with a small nod. "I guess you could say exciting is one word for it," she added, tilting her head to the side a bit. Admitting out loud that she'd rather be at home in pyjamas may not be well received, so playing along seemed to be her best bet, even if she probably looked as out of place as she felt.

And just like that, another member joined their party. Upon feeling a tap on the shoulder, So-Jun turned to see another familiar face, though not one as friendly as Inhyeon and Ha-Joon, primarily because she had yet to actually interact with Hyuk more. She assumed he approached them because he was friends with either one of the other two, because it didn't register in her head that he might come over to speak to just her — even if he addressed her first.

Her smile widened a bit at Hyuk's greeting. "I have a feeling you aren't the only one who's surprised," she admitted, chuckling softly. He might be one of the few who'd be pleasant about it though. She briefly glanced around the room while Hyuk addressed both Inhyeon and Ha-Joon. All of them seemed to know each other, so So-Jun made a logical suggestion, "Have any of you eaten yet? We could probably sit together?" If that was how things worked. She didn't know. It just seemed like the next thing to do since she was getting hungry and she finally felt comfortable since she was around people she knew.

mentions: hye-bin , ryeom ; interactions: inhyeon , ha-joon , hyuk.

 

[Uxie]

bae inhyeon

the deceiver.

are you fucking kidding me

location

party hall

outfit

w/ a pretty necklace

mentions

none out of the conversation

interactions

ha-joon, hyuk, so-jun

tags

natasha. A ameuSHhen1Tn2ba triples

inhyeon felt herself freeze up at the contact, though she quickly relaxed upon turning, immensely comforted at the sight of her close friend. "don't you look absolutely stunning," she managed a small smile at the compliment, feeling a rush of energy. ha-joon always knew the right things to say, and she was relieved she'd run into him this early into the night. lord knows she'd need the support. "i'm sorry, am i interrupting?"

he seemed to do a double-take upon the sight of so-jun, a gesture that inhyeon didn't even think twice about. she probably wouldn't have caught it either, if not for his awkward, half-hearted compliment to the other girl, one that made inhyeon let out a quiet, small giggle. maybe he'd developed a crush? the thought of that reminded her of her parents' suggestion that she consider 'making moves' on him, and the memory made her cringe inwardly. suddenly uncomfortably aware of the hand on her upper back, she took a minuscule step forward, ever so slightly, just to get his hand to drop back to his side.

regret. should've kept his hand there.

"you're not interrupting, but he is." she muttered softly under her breath, just loud enough for ha-joon to catch it, glancing away from the group to avoid making eye contact with hyuk. just the sight of him made inhyeon want to throw up the two bites of cake she'd had, though she tore her attention away from the very interesting patterns on the wallpaper when he addressed so-jun first. as if the two of them weren't there. "surprised to see you here. pleasantly, of course." the nerve of him to quirk a smile. his gaze shifted to her, and he spoke again in that same light-hearted tone. she hated it. she hated the dull ache in her heart. she hated the fact that he looked like he was completely and utterly over her. it distressed her in a way that she couldn't place a finger on; did she want to burst into tears, or did she want to smash her plate over his head?

so-jun's polite reply pulled her out of her little daydream about giving her ex a concussion, but her next suggestion made inhyeon falter. her smile had long gone, and her free hand was currently using the fabric of her dress as a stress ball. she forced herself to release her fist, plastering on the sweetest, fakest smile that she usually reserved for her judgemental, senile grand-aunt, all while trying to maintain her composure. "i," inhyeon raised her plate with as much cheeriness as she could manage as she slid her arm out from between so-jun's, "have food already. but—" there was just the briefest moment of hesitation. she'd been planning to just dip out and go for some fresh air before she lost all semblance of her sanity, but it would be a joyless affair for ha-joon, and the thought of leaving so-jun alone with hyuk made her shudder. he was clearly planning something. was it her duty to protect anyone else from his harm? no, but she sure didn't want to see him succeed in executing whatever trickery, back-stabbing bullshit he'd prepared.

"—i would love to!" she regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth. she should've just been selfish and let ha-joon deal with it. fuck. whatever. whatever. everything would be okay. "shall we?"

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[ameuSHhen1Tn2ba]

Ha-Joon continued to smile at So-Jun and nod at her statement. He thought about the possibility of excusing himself and just letting the girls have a nice time on their own, he didn't want to make So-Jun feel anymore tense than she already was at the event. That idea was plucked right out of his head as he heard Inhyeon's hushed voice about someone intruding. By her tone, he could assume who it was before even looking up. As he did, Ha-Joon's little hunch was confirmed as Hyuk walked up to them with complete ease. The all too familiar feeling of anger simmered quietly within him.

His already forced cheery disposition dropped. Ha-Joon tried, for the sake of everyone around, to keep his expression as neutral as possible. His first thought was back to their last interaction. When Hyuk failed to show him that he felt remorse. When he failed to pull any type of forgiveness out of Ha-Joon. He was his best friend, of course he wanted to be able to reconcile what was wronged. But how could he when he didn't care that what he did was terrible? His second thought was Inhyeon. He looked over at her agitated look in the other boy's direction. Ha-Joon took a small step closer in her direction, trying to put himself between her and the snake. He was half tempted to take her hand that had a fist full of fabric. She never deserved to be treated the way that Hyuk treated her so carelessly. He knew that she was far from over it. That she was still pulling her fragmented pieces together.

For the sake of peace in a public place, Ha-Joon dipped his head in greeting towards his former friend. His peppy tone put a bitter taste in his mouth, making every sentence he thought of full of venom and spite. But he knew better than to provoke Hyuk in the middle of the ballroom. He could hold his tongue. He could control his anger. He could be civil. For now. It would be disastrous if he couldn't. Ha-Joon had experience already at school, since the unfortunate seating arrangements had them planted right next to each other. For the most part, he just ignored him. But that strategy was proving more difficult as So-Jun suggested that they all got something to eat.

He had lost his appetite already, but sure. Why not continue to put himself through absolute torture of being in the company Seo Hyuk while not being able to smash his face in?

A closed mouth smile, that didn't quite reach his eyes, was given in reply to Inhyeon as she accepted the offer. "Yeah, sure. That sounds absolutely perfect," Ha-Joon barely attempted to keep the annoyed tone from his sentence. He was surprised that Inhyeon hadn't decided to try and use her piece of cake as an escape route. He wouldn't have blamed her. He wanted to just walk away. But if he did that then everyone else in the room would notice. And the there would be questions. "I thought you and Hyuk were friends. What happened?" There were already rumors, Ha-Joon didn't want to feed that growing flame. Not until he could control it's spread to destroy what he needed it to. A little cynical, possibly, but Ha-Joon felt a little entitled to revenge. "After you," He spoke in So-Jun's direction. "Are you joining us as well Hyuk?" Ha-Joon looked back over to him. There was always a plan brewing below the surface for him, wasn't there? Based on his pointed introduction to So-Jun, a little warning went off inside of him. She wasn't going to be the next victim of his silvertongued assholery. Not if he could help it.

Yoo Ha-Joon

Location:
The Jang family's Charity Gala
Mood:
Deep breaths, don't make a scene here.
Interactions:
In-Hyeon ( Uxie ), So-Jun ( natasha. ), & Hyuk ( triples )
Outfit:

 

[triples]

SEO HYUK
- the two-faced -

Hyuk's smile threatened to widen in his mirth at So-Jun's suggestion of eating together, as his gaze flickered once again to his duo of self-proclaimed foes. The simultaneous light of abject horror that appeared in their eyes was almost funnier than the idea itself ⁠— almost, because them being so in sync somewhat got on his nerves. He'd have been better off not knowing them well enough to recognize their looks for what it was.

"I already have food," In-Hyeon stated, as if it wasn't already perfectly obvious. The smile she forced out was so exaggerated that she might as well have just written 'I'm faking it' on her face in block letters. Or maybe it was just so obvious to him because he'd seen lesser variations of it many times. Hyuk was about to glance at So-Jun to check if she'd noticed, when In-Hyeon's next words pulled his attention right back. Namely: "-but I would love to!"

Surprise muted him for the same second that it took Ha-Joon to respond with his own agreement. Hyuk's smile stiffened first, then gained a hint of amused incredulity despite his attempt to keep it off his expression. Could they tell? Those two, probably. That didn't matter. As long as So-Jun didn't, he was good to go. Ironic, really, that it was after they became his enemies when Hyuk finally had much less to hide from them. Sad, even, one might say. One who was more sentimental than him, clearly.

"Are you joining us as well Hyuk?" Came the oh-so polite invitation from the boy who had only a second ago looked about ready to throw hands in the middle of the hall. And how could he possibly refuse his beloved best friend?

"Sure," He replied, a nonchalant drawl in his tone, before turning in the direction of one empty table he remembered seeing on his way over. "I think there's seats over there," he continued, taking the lead just about spontaneously. His hand went over to hover behind So-Jun's back, smoothly steering her toward the direction of their new destination as he, too, turned away from the other two to walk towards it.

location: jang family charity gala, party hall

outfit: click me

mood: weird mix of amused & annoyed

interactions: park so-jun | bae in-hyeon

codebytriples

 

[Stardust Galaxy]

Jang Hye-Bin​

Mood: She is so annoying
Outfit: X
Location: Party Hall
Tags: Ryeom, Inhyeon, Hyuk Ha-Joon, So-Jun

How long does it was going to take to Ryeom to talk? It seemed like the guy was terrified of saying something, did he was even paying attention to the conversation? She just complimented him and was smiling at him like she was totally in love with the guy, was she in love with Ryeom? Probably no, but she didn't mind his company when he just existed and didn't cause any trouble just other people she knew.

Finally, the guy spoke and it wasn't what she was expecting at all “Yes… Thank you…” Really? what's that all he had to say? He couldn't at least say something more and compliment her or say something cheesy to please the old lady, even if it was a total lie, for god's sake, she just admitted that he was sweet when Hye-Bin had never seen the guy show any emotion, he could be probably a psychopath and here you had Hye-Bin pretending that Ryeom was the perfect guy.

But it seemed the vague answer of Ryeom was enough to please the old lady as she continued talking about how happy she was for them, Hye-Bin just smiled at the lady but instead, she just wanted yell at the lady to shut up because she was getting her on her nerves.

Hye-Bin took a small glance back at Ryeom and noticed that he wasn't paying attention, she followed where the guy was looking at that could be more important than hearing the old lady, well anything could be more interesting than continue listening to her, that was when she realized what he was staring at or in this case who he was staring at, it was no other than So-Jun, why he was paying attention to her, Ryeom was only supposed to pay attention to Hye-Bin and only her.

She could feel her blood boil just by seeing So-jun, but when she noticed that Inhyeon loop her arm around So-Jun's, she just wanted to go and push away So-Jun away from Inhyeon, why she was close to such a filthy girl, Hye-Bin just wanted to grab Inhyeon's piece of cake and throw it on the face of So-Jun and tell her she wasn't welcome here and that she would never fit and that she would never allow that she and Inhyeon would be friends.

And as much as she wanted to throw So-Jun and her family out of the gala, she couldn't she needed to show that she was an educated young lady and would welcome everyone no matter what, it didn't take long until Ha-Joon joined them and he was followed by Hyuk, was this the let's put attention to So-Jun and make her the center of attention? She didn't care what Ha-Joon's relationship was with the new girl and Hyuk was mostly because of the deal they had but she was sure the guy would use the girl for fun and later break her heart, maybe that was something she wanted to see and would feel happy about it.

It seemed they were moving from the spot they were and it seemed that Hyuk was making his move on So-Jun maybe he was already working in their deal. And maybe being there would let her have some time with Inhyeon while Hyuk just did his thing, Hye-Bin looked again at the old lady "We are sorry, but we have to go, we have to continue to thank all the guest for coming to the gala. I really hope you had a wonderful night and thanks for coming" she said before she started walking and dragging Ryeom with her to where the group was "Is nice to see everyone here, I hope you are having fun, and So-Jun I hope you don't feel out of place I''m sure this is not the type of parties you frequent, someone who is not used to this kind of environment might feel they don't belong here" Hye-Bin admitted without any remorse and as soon as she was over she turned to Inhyeon "Inni, why don't you show me where you grab that piece of cake? It looks delicious" she said to her best friend.

 

[weldherwings]

the caged bird

save me. please.​

location

main ballroom

outfit

click here

interactions

Hye-Bin ( Stardust Galaxy ) + ha-joon ( A ameuSHhen1Tn2ba ) (through eye talking)

mention

so-jun ( natasha. ), inhyeon ( Uxie ) + hyuk ( triples )

He was off again.

Daydreaming about the possibility of being able to roam where ever he wanted freely while at this party. To drink and eat as much as he wanted without his parents and their co-workers staring at him like a hawk, judging his every movement. It felt like the collar around his neck was too tight, and he was just yearning for the moment he could finally unbutton his top button, call it a night and actually friggen breathe. But he knew it was going to be a very long night. After all, they had just arrived around half an hour ago. Not to mention this was Hye-Bin’s family’s gala. He had to be here and to make an impression.

Well, I suppose daydreaming wasn’t the best impression he could make. But here he was, forgetting that he was meant to be on his best behaviour and pretending like he gave a damn of what was going on around him. The last time he attended one of these damn galas, he spent almost twenty minutes sitting and listening to some old guy talk about his new bird feeder. Ryeom was silently praying to himself on his way to the actual gala that there wouldn’t be another moment like that tonight.

“- and thanks for coming”

Wait – what was happening?!

Before he could grasp onto his bearings, Ryeom was being sucked out from his happy little place that he had been hiding within the depths of his mind and was getting dragged back into reality by the claws of a demon. Well, that was a bit harsh to call Hye-Bin a demon. But, alas, the girl was yet to show him that she wasn’t like the other rich snobs that he grew up around. Now, that was saying something considering they had been technically together for two years. You’d think she would open up to him on an emotional level by now. Sadly, no. It was almost like she was a robot and nothing ever seemed to crack her. I mean, he was yet to discuss with her about his own emotions and such. But he wasn’t planning on doing it until she did.

It took him a hot minute to try and connect the dots once again and realise that they were now standing in front of the group of people he had been daydreaming about finding freedom with. Holy crap. Could Hye-Bin read his mind or something? His eyes widened slightly at the thought before reminding himself that it was preposterous. Unless… she really was a demon.

After all, the way she spoke to So-Jun was demon-like, was it not? It caused a small frown to form on Ryeom’s face as he glared at his fiancé. Oh, how tempted he was to wriggle his arm away from her hold. But no; he would probably completely destroyed for making a move like that, and someone was to see. He wanted to speak out. To say something to defend So-Jun. And well, he was going to. His mouth even opened slightly, and he was mustering up the courage to form sounds from his mouth. However, Hye-Bin brought her attention to someone else. Someone that Ryeom had almost wholly forgotten was standing there.

Oh, hell no.

Automatically, Ryeom could feel every muscle in his body tense as he heard the real demon’s name being announced; Inhyeon. Well, Inni as Hye-Bin said. Now, he was sure the girl was probably lovely. She just… wasn’t lovely to him. In fact, he felt like she went out of her way to punish him for this dumb decision that their parents made for them to be married. It wasn’t like he asked for it. Now, the fact that his fiancé was talking about cake and many contributing factors were causing him to feel stressed, all he wanted to do was rub his face in the damn dessert.

Okay. No, no, no. There was no way he was going to go and be alone with Hye-Bin, Inhyeon and cake. That was only going to ask for trouble. He wanted a get out of jail free card. Quickly, his eyes darted to So-Jun. He could give her a ‘look’ that pleaded for help. However, his brain took a moment to remind him that it would probably look wrong for him to look at another girl like that. Uhhhh. Hyuk? Okay, no. He knew that Hyuk’s way of helping would probably be to drown his sorrows in alcohol or something. So the final person that was left…

Ha-Joon.

Ryeom’s dark eyes travelled to his… friend? Yeah, I suppose they were friends, weren’t they? He looked at the boy and allowed his eyes to do the talking. And what were they saying? Oh, they were screaming. Get me out of her grasp and save me, please.

coded by weldherwings.

 

[natasha.]

park so-jun

the game changer

the party hall

frustrated.

a gown for a gala

So-Jun's suggestion seemed to be well received by everyone involved, which she thought was a good thing, though she was picking up on a slight bit of tension. At the moment though, she couldn't piece any of it together, but she supposed it made sense. Hyuk, Ha-Joon and Inhyeon all knew each other already. Maybe there was some history there that she didn't know about. Whenever Ha-Joon and her... met up, they didn't really talk about that sort of thing. Her and Inhyeon were still only just getting to know each other, and it was the same with Hyuk. Maybe she'd learn more as the night went on, but for the time being, she just smiled and nodded as everyone seemed to express some form of agreement.

So-Jun's eyes began to scan the place, looking for an empty table that they could grab, but Hyuk beat her to it. She happily let him lead her, ultimately taking a seat beside him while everyone else settled down. It was only once she sat that she realised she actually had to go and get some food, and with their table now more or less reserved, she attempted to do just that, lips parting so she could verbally excuse herself .

Before she had the chance to do any of that though, they were joined by two more — one was a friendly face and the other... not so friendly. Of course, it didn't seem that way. Hye-Bin wore an award winning smile that would have led people on to believing that everyone in this room was her best friend, and hell, maybe she did have almost everyone wrapped around her little finger. So-Jun didn't know her well enough to know for sure, but she certainly carried herself with that kind of energy. Regardless, So-Jun knew for sure that she herself was among the few not wrapped around her little finger, and she didn't intend on that sort of thing ever happening.

To be polite, So-Jun smiled in greeting, though she directed it more at Ryeom who seemed like he'd rather be digging his own grave than be where he was right now.

When Hye-Bin spoke, addressing her, So-Jun did her best to keep up the smile, though it felt more forced than ever. Her attempts to dodge Hye-Bin proved to be futile, and while she didn't consider herself a fire starter, she also wasn't going to sit quietly. So, in an almost sickly sweet voice, she replied, "Oh, it's fine," So-Jun kept up the smile. "People like you make it extremely easy to feel like I belong here."

Knowing that things could very well only escalate from there, So-Jun thought back to her original plan to get some food. The last thing she wanted was to make a scene, even if she was trying to mask her retorts with an almost jovial demeanour, and her parents certainly weren't going to appreciate it if they were shunned from future events just because of their daughter. So-Jun decided to continue to avoid. Even if it failed her the first time around, maybe she wouldn't have to interact with Hye-Bin again now that they'd both got a jab in.

Glancing around, people seemed occupied. Hye-Bin had moved on to asking Inhyeon about cake, and Ryeom... seemed to be making eyes at Ha-Joon? In any case, So-Jun didn't feel the need to publicly announce that she was leaving the table anymore, so she just leaned toward Hyuk a little before rising from her seat. "Wanna go get something to eat?" Her tone had lowered because the words were meant for just him. Hye-Bin and Inhyeon were busy talking, and she didn't want to risk more awkwardness with Ha-Joon by asking him to go with her. She would have asked Ryeom but that would have probably created more trouble — trouble that So-Jun was currently trying to avoid — and Hyuk seemed to be interested in being friendly.

She could have been wrong, and he could have declined her offer. Either way, So-Jun didn't intend on being at the table for much longer because she was really hungry now, and being far from Hye-Bin sounded like a good idea. At least for a little while.

mentions: everyone. ; interactions: hye-bin , hyuk.

 

[Uxie]

bae inhyeon

the deceiver.

six is a crowd...

location

party hall

outfit

w/ a pretty necklace

mentions

hye-bin, ryeom,so-jun, hyuk, ha-joon

interactions

so-jun, hye-bin, hyuk, ha-joon

tags

natasha. Stardust Galaxy triples A ameuSHhen1Tn2ba

she revelled in the subtle disbelief that crossed hyuk's face, even if her entire being still wanted to throw herself off the nearest balcony at having to sit next to him. so-jun should take one for the team, though from his very pointed attention towards the girl, that would only play towards his plans. god, would she really have to take his other side just to keep an eye on it? but it would kill her ten times over to watch him flirt around with another girl right in front of her.

wait, was she jealous? she must be going insane.

her hand reached for ha-joon, catching the hem of his sleeve as she pulled him forward to follow the duo who'd gone ahead, shooting him a worried look that said her share about the situation. so-jun had just taken a seat when the group was joined by a wayward hye-bin flanked by her less than enthusiastic fiance, a sight that caught inhyeon by surprise. when was the last time she'd spoken to hye-bin for more than 5 minutes at the gala? well, she'd spent the last year pretty much hanging onto hyuk's arm, and the to-be-doctor herself had been surrounded with even more groupies than she'd had to deal with this year. almost reflexively, inhyeon did a quick scope of the party hall, wondering if hye-bin's father was shooting daggers at her for distracting her daughter. he'd never liked her much, and the feeling was very mutual, so inhyeon didn't particularly care. she did wish to gloat, though.

either way, the whole gang was here. the table was getting way too crowded. "so-jun, i hope you don't feel out of place. i'm sure this is not the type of parties you frequent, someone who is not used to the environment might not feel welcome here." inhyeon raised an eyebrow at her friend's back-handed greeting, a frown flickering across her lips. she nearly made a noise of surprise when hye-bin went to her side, very interested in the cake her family herself had chosen the caterer for. inhyeon gave her a confused look, though she quickly masked it with the best smile she could manage.

"so-jun's fitting in perfectly, binnie." she said slowly, her tone cheery but telling of her hesitance, "and the cake was just... from over there! you know, by the buffet table?" did hye-bin want her to take her to the buffet table? so-jun would certainly love that, probably, but inhyeon didn't like the idea of derailing her plans over her friend's odd behaviour. "but... shouldn't you stay with ryeom?"

inhyeon snuck a glance at hye-bin's fiance, knitting her brows at his deer-in-the-headlights expression. he always seemed terrified of something around her, though it wasn't like inhyeon intentionally went out of her way to antagonise him. he was just easy to tease since he took everything like a champ, though his lack of a personality didn't make it quite as fun. ryeom didn't seem quite as excited about the idea of having hye-bin hang around, and it did make her wonder sometimes why the two were even together. had they even kissed? did they need to oil their joints before taking it to the next stage?

the boy's helpless signal seemed to directed at ha-joon, and she looked over too, catching his eye. her hand slipped a little lower, grabbing his hand, her finger tapping lightly against the back of his hand in a familiar rhythm. will you be okay? his reply came shortly after. yes. she paused, gave him one last look, before her hand loosened its grip around his, reaching instead for hye-bin. she'd just looped her arm through hye-bin's when she caught sight of so-jun whispering in a hushed tone to hyuk while rising to her feet. it didn't take a genius to guess their intentions, but just as well.

"so-jun," she said in an almost forcefully agreeable tone, though her gaze had somewhat drifted to hyuk, making direct eye contact with him before focusing back on the girl addressed, "are you going to get food? hye-bin wants some cake too, so why don't we go together?" inhyeon was currently ignoring the annoyed look hye-bin was probably shooting her, her bright smile concentrated on so-jun. it was clear the socialite would not be taking no for an answer, and she would usher so-jun from the table even before she replied. hyuk didn't receive the same courtesy, though she wholly expected him to follow along anyway. a resilient cockroach that would not die. maybe that's how he saw her, too.

the group of four made their way towards the buffet table, leaving ha-joon and ryeom to their own devices at the table, though it quickly became more accurate to describe the quartet as two duos. "binnie, don't you have better things to do?" her question came as soon as she'd pulled her best friend out of earshot, her irritation and bewilderment bubbling at the layers of her voice despite her hushed tones. "i'm sure mrs. hon hasn't told you how much you've grown yet, right? so why are you allowed to roam this early?"

she didn't mean for it to sound quite so accusatory, but she'd gotten used to hye-bin being too busy for her. it was routine, status quo. her sudden interest in affairs other than keeping her image pristine in front of the hundreds of guests she had to entertain was jarring and, frankly, suspicious. inhyeon just wanted, no, needed, to keep an eye on her scheming, dirtbag ex— wow, she sounded obsessed. she was not obsessed. he was an asshole. it was for the greater good of the world, in particular, her pride and sanity. inhyeon squeezed her eyes shut just to clear her head, then fixed her gaze on her best friend as they approached the start of the buffet line. "just- why the sudden attention? i should be making sure hyuk isn't doing anything. look at him making eyes at so-jun. he's planning something." inhyeon complained as she reached for a plate for hye-bin, taking the opportunity to steal a cursory glance at hyuk, scowling at his closeness with so-jun. she huffed, her attention returning to the food that had been prettily spread in front of her. she needed another slice of cake.

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[ameuSHhen1Tn2ba]

Ha-Joon was intrigued that Hyuk had reacted with relative shock that both him and Inhyeon had agreed to join them to eat. He was sure that if he had ulterior motives, that Hyuk would have realized that they were aware of his scheming tendencies. It really shouldn't have surprised him. Leaving So-Jun to eat with him alone was like leaving a lamb alone with a wolf. He wasn't stupid enough to do that. Whatever Hyuk was up to getting closer to So-Jun would at least, hopefully, be delayed by Inhyeon and his efforts. That was already proving more difficult as Hyuk placed his hands on So-Jun's shoulders and began to direct them to a table.

Locking eyes with Inhyeon told him that she was thinking the same thing. He gave her a small nod in agreement. He could tell that along with the concern came hurt. That made his simmering anger heat up just a little bit more. Her hand went up do grab onto his jacket to pull him along. He readily followed after her to the table. He took a seat next to Inhyeon just to look up and see that there were two faces joining their little group. Now it seemed like a party. Hye-Bin came around, toting her beloved boyfriend, Ryeom, around with her. His face told Ha-Joon a lot of things. His discomfort with the situation was very obvious.

He smiled over at the two new additions, that was until Hye-Bin began to talk. His smile slowly faded into a neutral expression as she continued. Her statement directed at So-Jun was not only petty, but uncalled for. The Park family was more than welcome here, sure So-Jun herself hadn't taken to riches quite as well as the rest, but that wasn't a bad thing. Ha-Joon was going to say something until Inhyeon beat him to it. That was probably better, since Hye-Bin and her were closer. He took the moment to look over at So-Jun, checking to make sure she didn't seem upset by the other girl's passive aggressive greeting. She looked fine, indignant but unharmed for the most part. That was when she spoke up for herself. Ha-Joon smirked at her response.

As his attention moved to the hospital's heiress' face, something else demanded his attention. The pleading gaze coming from Ryeom. He seemed to echo the words "help me" in one single glance. He was the younger boy's friend. They had hung out a few times and were starting to get closer. Ha-Joon knew Ryeom often had a hard time standing up for himself. He couldn't blame him, Ha-Joon was aware of what his parents were like. He may not know details, but he wasn't blind either. Soon he felt a hand grab onto his, the boy's attention was brought to Inhyeon as she tapped gently on his hand. Will you be ok? Right. They were all going to get food. This was a perfect solution to save Ryeom from the clutches of Hye-Bin. His answer was swift and easy. Yes. He made eye contact with her, then pointed in the direction of So-Jun and Hyuk with his eyes. A silent way to say "watch out for that".

"I'll get bored by myself. Ryeom, you can stay and help me keep our table," He added quickly after Inhyeon stated that her and Hye-Bin were going to join So-Jun and Hyuk in getting food. "Hurry up! I might die of starvation," He joked. Ha-Joon watched the group as they left. Well. He was mostly watching Inhyeon while she interacted with Hye-Bin. Double and triple checking that she was alright. He knew things were somewhat tense between the two. He just worried. That was all. Nothing more, nothing less. His eyes drifted over to Hyuk and So-Jun. They seemed to be getting along annoyingly well. There was a part of him that wanted a glass of champagne to take the edge off. Being around Hyuk was making him antsy. He was doing his best to ignore him, but the googly eyes he was making at So-Jun was making it difficult. It wasn't that he was jealous, So-Jun wasn't his to be jealous over. He just didn't want her to be the next one with a broken heart crying on his shoulder. He already had one of those to deal with, he didn't need a second.

He suddenly remembered that he still had company. Not that Ryeom really minded sitting in silence. "Having a blast I assume," He smirked while looking over at the other boy. Ryeom was probably just relieved to be away from his supposed fiance. They never really acted like couple, even if they were. Well, it wasn't his business anyway. He had too many other things to worry about. "Hey, at least you get a break before you have to dance with her," He continued to tease, "I feel like she's one to step on your toes on purpose. Is that true?"

Yoo Ha-Joon

Location:
The Jang family's Charity Gala
Mood:
I have way too many people to look out for. I'm only one dude.
Interactions:
In-Hyeon ( Uxie ), So-Jun ( natasha. ), & Hyuk ( triples )
Outfit:

 

[triples]

SEO HYUK
- the two-faced -

It wasn't long after they took a seat that Hye-Bin arrived at their table, dragging Ryeom along and effectively completing their little (perceived) clique. The poor boy looked pretty much terrified to be where he was and, rather than worried, Hyuk was simply amused. Ryeom and his reactions never failed to be interesting, even if that was never the boy's actual intention.

Hye-Bin's catty attitude toward So-Jun, on the other hand, was much more boring thanks to its sheer typicality. Then again, maybe it was just so obvious to him because of that deal she'd struck with him. Hyuk quirked a slight smirk at So-Jun's response, but hid it with yet another sip of his champagne. Wouldn't want her majesty to get all annoyed, would they? For all his mirth at Ryeom's tired, despairing look, Hyuk could also empathize with it. Hye-Bin could be prickly.

So-Jun clearly agreed with that judgement, as she suddenly whispered to him, "Wanna go get something to eat?" Planning an escape route from the current tide of conversation at their table, he supposed. He was definitely down for that. Plus, he had no reason to refuse extra time spent with So-Jun, after all.

"Yeah," he replied, his volume equally low, putting down his glass as he did. Right then, though, In-Hyeon's voice cut between them, forcefully stealing his attention again. He looked up at her upon hearing her invite So-Jun, and their gazes met for a long second. He arched a brow as if to ask what she was trying to do, but didn't get an answer. He didn't really need one. It was obvious she just didn't want him to get close to this new friend of theirs. He was hurt, really.

Wordlessly, he followed after them, easily falling in stride with So-Jun as they headed to the buffet table. Hyuk didn't actually want food. He made it a habit to eat before events like these, and tonight was no different. Still, he grabbed a plate & a random, chocolate-esque pastry so he didn't look out of place while tagging along beside So-Jun.

"Is the gala what you expected so far?" He asked while walking alongside her, just quietly enough that Hye-Bin wouldn't be able to hear. His tone was both joking and scathing as he continued, "Or is it even fuller of love for the sick and poor?"

location: jang family charity gala, party hall

outfit: click me

mood: entertained

interactions: park so-jun | bae in-hyeon

mentions: kim ryeom | jang hye-bin

codebytriples

 

[Stardust Galaxy]

Jang Hye-Bin​

Mood:She needs to leave
Outfit: X
Location: Party Hall
Tags: Ryeom, Inhyeon, Hyuk Ha-Joon, So-Jun

Was Hye-Bin's greeting towards So-Jun polite? Of course no, but it was the one that she deserved if everyone wanted to play the little welcoming game to her and make her feel that she was one of them, Hye-Bin wasn't going to be part of it, she would never see the girl as an equal, it would be an insult to her to even think that So-Jun was close to being like Hye-Bin.

Hye-Bin wasn't surprised that miss nobody had something to say if she was thinking that making it seem that they were on the same level would infuriate her So-Jun wasn't aware that Hye-Bin knew her value and it wasn't close to So-Jun's, wait, does she even have any value? For Hye-Bin was still a peasant and she would always be one.

It didn't take long until Inhyeon intervened, trying to excuse that So-Jun fitted perfectly in the gala, her beloved friend needed to realize that hanging out with So-Jun would only affect her reputation, but she was too nice and naive to see things the way they really were. Hye-Bin could notice confusion on Inhyeon when she asked him about the cake since it was more than obvious that Hye-Bin would know where everything was located.

After that Inhyeon asked her if she shouldn't stay by Ryeom's side, even if they needed to be together mostly for the show, it wouldn't be the end of the world if she left him for five minutes "Ryeom won't mind that I spent some time with my best friend and I feel like I haven't been able to talk with you all night" she said to her friend, but what she thought it would only be a moment between the two best friends was turning into So-Jun's and company as Inhyeon invited her too. was she for real? Did Inhyeon really think that having Hye-Bin and So-Jun close to each other would be good, it would most likely end in the start of World War III, Hye-Bin wasn't sure if her friend was just extremely naive or she loved seeing the world burn?

But it seemed that So-Jun was already too busy with Hyuk, so maybe her partner in crime was starting to be useful before she and Inhyeon left towards the buffet table, Hye-Bin gave Ryeom a kiss on the cheek, sure their display of affection was mostly inexistent and cause to satisfy their parents, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be useful in this kind of cases, whatever those glances and smiles those two had with each other, it was just to make it clear to So-Jun that Ryeom belonged to Hye-Bin.

As the two friends walked towards the buffet table, Inhyeon once again asked Hye-Bin if it was okay for them to be spending time together "Spending time with my best friends, is better than talking to those old socialites ladies, they can wait is not like they would get any older than they already are if I take five minutes and eat something with you besides you are not happy that I took you out from being so close to Hyuk, you should be thankful" Hye-Bin admitted to Inhyeon, but once again the damn of So-Jun was mentioned again, why did Inhyeon care so much about her, she was her best friend and not So-Jun, but Inhyeon wasn't mistaken Hyuk was paying more attention to So-Jun thanks to their deal, Hye-Bin didn't care what Hyuk did as long as he got the job done, but she needed to play it cool and pretend that she didn't know what was really happening.

"Inni, that's what he wants, we both know Hyuk, he is just doing to mess with your head, he just showing to everyone that he already move on while you are still thinking about him and you are falling on his mental game, don't let him see how you are still thinking on him, listen, you don't need a man, a man is the one that needs you, men are just an accessory for us who could take over the world on our own, you can easily find another guy and prove him that you have already moved on and that he wasn't enough of a man for you" Hye-Bin said to her friend as she started to look around the hall trying to locate someone until her eyes landed on Ha-Joon "Ha-Joon could be a good option, sure his visuals are not up to par to Hyuk's, but he would definitely make a loyal pup... a loyal boyfriend"

 

[weldherwings]

the caged bird

can i go home now?​

location

main ballroom

outfit

click here

interactions

Hye-Bin ( Stardust Galaxy ) + ha-joon ( A ameuSHhen1Tn2ba )

mention

so-jun ( natasha. ), inhyeon ( Uxie ) + hyuk ( triples )

“I’ll get bored by myself. Ryeom, you can stay and help me keep our table.”

Ryeom’s dark eyes widened at the sentence. If he had forgotten where he currently was, the boy would’ve thrown Hye-Bin off his arm, leapt over the table, and sat quite happily next to Ha-Joon – someone who he was growing to respect and admire daily. The boy just had something there that Ryeom couldn’t manage to muster up. It was probably confidence. His parents claimed it was the testosterone hormone, often telling Ryeom once the Yoo family would leave from dinner. They would often ask why he wasn’t more like Ha-Joon and have more confidence, and at least show some interest in wanting a girlfriend. Because apparently the thought of their son being gay was enough to send them on a rampage through Gangnam.

“Ryeom won’t mind that I spent some time with my best friend-”

His attention was dragged away from Ha-Joon to his fiancé. There it was; one of the things that annoyed him. People talking about him as if he wasn’t even in the room. People making assumptions about how he would feel in a given situation. Did he not have his own brain and feelings? Was he not allowed to think for himself? Apparently not. I mean, she was right though. She could spend the whole month with her best friend if she wanted to. The distance was great. But, still.

Ryeom had been so deep in his own thoughts that as he felt the pair of lips press against his cheek, he had to snap out of his state. Two years of just a kiss on the cheek and it still startled him. Made him wonder if he was ever going to be able to finally get that first kiss that everyone always romanticised about. And when he did, he prayed it was with someone he actually liked. Not with a she-devil who was hell-bent on making his life a living horror film.

His eyes trailed after Hye-Bin, watching his fiancé walk away with the small group. A soft sigh slipped past his lips before noticing that his gaze was drifting towards Hyuk and So-Jun. Now… Hyuk was another guy full of confidence. Right at this moment, he envied him. He seemed to have So-Jun in his palm and had all her attention. Jealousy was a horrible green monster, and Ryeom was slowly transforming into the Hulk. How dare someone else treat So-Jun like a dear friend because… well… that was how he treated her and… Well… How dare they-

“Having a blast I assume-”

Wait – what?

He had done it again. Daydreaming and lost in his thoughts, only to be shaken back into reality by someone else. Ryeom looked over at Ha-Joon with wide eyes once more, trying to remember what the boy had just said so he could respond. “Oh…” he slowly and quietly responded before nodding and taking a seat down in the closest chair. If you were to compare the power couple’s speaking resemblance to animals, Hye-Bin was an elephant and Ryeom was a mouse. Regardless of who they were around.

Hearing the comment about taking a break and how Hye-Bin is one to step on his toes, oh… How Ryeom wanted to clap back. He wanted to make some comment of how Hye-Bin would step on his back and head, let alone toes. And how the stepping on was constant through life, not just designated to one dance. But there were people around. People who thought that Ryeom and Hye-Bin were the next “it” couple. People who thought that the pair of them were in love; utterly and completely head over heels captivated with each other. And if they were to think otherwise, he knew his parents wouldn’t be happy.

So, instead, he gave the boy a soft, small smile before gazing back over to So-Jun and Hyuk. A frown slowly formed on his face as he watched the two interact. “I wonder why she asked him…” he said softly under his breath, unsure if Ha-Joon heard him or not. But damn well sure that the people around them wouldn’t and couldn’t report back to his parents.

coded by weldherwings.

 

[natasha.]

park so-jun

the game changer

the party hall

feeling a little better.

a gown for a gala

Because So-Jun was actively trying to tune out whatever Hye-Bin was saying ever since she so graciously addressed her once she sat down at the table, she didn't actually pick up on the fact that she wanted to go get cake. The moment Inhyeon began to usher them all toward the buffet table, she wondered if she'd made a mistake in suggesting food in the first place. She was hungry, there was no doubt about that, and the cakes and other pastries on display certainly looked delicious, but was it worth it to have to stand Hye-Bin's company for longer?

Well, she didn't get much of a choice, thanks to Inhyeon, and she could only form a tight smile as she followed her toward the buffet table. Hyuk seemed to fall into stride beside her, which she was glad for since the two best friends up ahead were busy having a conversation amongst themselves.

She tried to hang back as much as she could after getting a plate, mainly to avoid bumping into the other two. It was better to be invisible, for the time being, but it seemed she wasn't invisible to everyone. Hyuk's voice jerked So-Jun out of her thoughts on this whole thing, and he kind of saved her from mentally spiralling. She was very close to thinking about just leaving. It would prevent any kind of scene, so her parents couldn't really be upset with her about that. For the time being though, she stayed put, instead taking the opportunity to get to know Hyuk better.

"Oh, it's definitely what I expected," she replied with a bit of a chuckle before reaching out to grab a slice of cheesecake. It wasn't appropriate for dinner, but So-Jun had a sweet tooth, and the desserts called to her more than the food did. She may not enjoy these galas, but at least she could take advantage of the elaborate spread.

"But it's also better than the first time I ever went to one of these kinds of events." That had been shortly after moving to Sky Castle, and her parents were invited somewhere. Not a gala, but some kind of event run by some rich family. It all seemed the same to So-Jun. Truthfully, because she hardly knew anyone at the time, she didn't know if any of the people she knew now had also been there then. "This time around I actually know a few people, and that beats having to stand alone in a corner somewhere."

Judging by Hyuk's tone though, she guessed he didn't enjoy such events much either, but she also didn't want to make assumptions. With Inhyeon and Hye-Bin still a distance away, she felt a little more comfortable, and allowed herself to talk freely with her current companion. "What do you think of all of this?" She asked, picking up a small tart as well as she passed by a whole plate of them. They looked too good to pass up. "Actually, let me rephrase: if you didn't have to be here, where would you rather be instead?"

mentions: inhyeon, hye-bin. ; interactions: hyuk.

 

[Uxie]

bae inhyeon

the deceiver.

that's a wild thought lmao

location

party hall

outfit

w/ a pretty necklace

mentions

hye-bin, ryeom, so-jun, hyuk, ha-joon

interactions

hye-bin

tags

Stardust Galaxy

inhyeon stifled a laugh at hye-bin's jab at the age of a good portion of the guests tonight and the thought of her best friend making time for her put a small smile on her lips. her brain didn't seem to care that hye-bin may have been saying that to mask any ulterior motives, focusing solely on the notion inhyeon was important enough for her to neglect her duties, even if it was only for a moment. "you should be thankful." her smile faltered as she did a double take, her eyebrows furrowing in bewilderment.

"thankful?" inhyeon muttered under her breath, just quietly enough that she didn't interrupt hye-bin. meanwhile, her attention was on the lovely selection of desserts before her, appreciating how perfectly iced some of these cakes were. which flavour should she go for next—

her hand stopped in its path towards the tongs, hovering in mid-air as hye-bin spoke once more. "inni, that's what he wants, we both know hyuk. he's just doing that to mess with your head, he's just showing everyone that he's already moved on while you're still thinking about him, and you're falling for his mental game," she stared at hye-bin, about to retort that she knew better than to fall for his tricks again, but instead said nothing. she knew she was right, but she was still trying to convince herself that she was over him. apparently, she wasn't doing a very good job, because a rising feeling in her chest was nagging at her to look over at him again. inhyeon was damn sure he was still way too close to so-jun, but it irritated her that there was nothing she could do about it. "listen, you don't need a man, a man is the one that needs you. men are just an accessory for us who could take over the world on our own. you can easily find another guy and prove to him that you have already moved on and that he wasn't enough of a man for you."

the statement was supposed to be empowering, refreshing, almost, and while a part of inhyeon appreciated hye-bin's efforts to cheer her up, another part of it wanted to respond with snark. it was easy for her to say, wasn't it? her grades were stellar, she was popular, her fiance listened to every word she said and her future was all set for her. 'take over the world on our own' didn't seem quite as feasible as it had been a few months ago. would hye-bin even be saying that if she knew what was going on with her family? inhyeon broke eye contact, quickly shifting her gaze back to the cake and doing her best to pretend like she was having a blast deliberating which slice of cake she'd pick now. who was she kidding? she wouldn't even be present at the gala for hye-bin to be giving her kind words of encouragement if the jang family found out. hye-bin probably wouldn't even care. as distant as they'd become, the thought made inhyeon sad. she really was nothing without money, if she couldn't even get her friends to stick around.

subconsciously, she turned to glance back at ha-joon, though hye-bin's calling of his name made her immediately turn back, startled. did hye-bin read her mind? no, jesus. ha-joon could be a good option. sure, his visuals aren't up to par to hyuk's, but he would definitely make a loyal pup... a loyal boyfriend." there was no stopping the laughter that bubbled out of inhyeon's throat at that next remark, from the hilarity of the sheer ridiculousness of that prospect.

"ha-joon?" she repeated incredulously, a little louder than she'd intended, drawing stares from the surrounding people, hardly fazing inhyeon but causing her to make sure her next words didn't come out as a shout as well. "god, no way. you know, my parents even wanted me to consider him so i could—" she cut herself off, realising she'd nearly said too much. her eyes wide and her lips curved into a careful smile, she continued, "they think he'd make a good son-in-law. if they only knew."

inhyeon shook her head, finally placing a slice of cake on her plate. she'd try chocolate this time. "either way, ha-joon is out of the question. not my type. i don't think i can date so soon, too. i'm not the easy type, y'know?" she stabbed her fork into the cake somewhat forcefully, enjoying the way the sponge split apart beneath the weight of the metal. "i don't sleep around. maybe that's why he seems perfectly fine. he gets around." her remark was pointed, and she almost hoped hyuk heard it. she wouldn't even get a reaction as any sort of indication, but it was still stress relief. inhyeon was very stressed.

but enough about that. talking endlessly about him was not driving her "i'm not obsessed" narrative, even if he was still occupying an unreasonable amount of her thoughts. her gaze wandered back to the table, where ha-joon and ryeom were... presumably making small talk. the sight of it made her smirk. "what about you and ryeom, though? when's the marriage?" her words were said in a small sing-song voice, her tone evidently teasing. she still had no idea what hye-bin saw in ryeom. even if it had been her parents' pick... well, he was an even worse contender than ha-joon, to put it simply. inhyeon had nothing against the boy, only that he essentially had no will of his own. what was he looking at with such a forlorn expression, anyways? she followed his line of sight to the couple she'd been glaring at only moments earlier, and her eyes narrowed. was he looking at hyuk, or so-jun? both were odd answers. "how far have you two even gone?"

♡coded by uxie♡

 

[ameuSHhen1Tn2ba]

Ha-Joon was still getting used to how quiet Ryeom was. He, himself, was incredibly talkative and chatty. The other boy was very quiet. He found himself carrying the conversation whenever they were together if they talked at all. He'd break through his shell eventually. Or not. Maybe Ryeom was like this all the time and no amount of bonding would change that. That thought made him rather...sad. Because Ha-Joon knew why the other boy was this way. It wasn't right, that was for sure. Ryeom's smile, however, told him that he was at least entertaining him before he went off to get lost in thought again. That was when he finally spoke, well whispered, more than a single word. Asking why So-Jun had picked Hyuk to go over and get food.

Let's play that game. Ha-Joon began going through the list of people around the table that she could have picked and why she didn't choose them. Hye-Bin was a no brainer. That girl hated So-Jun, something about jealousy. Apparently Hye-Bin was rather territorial. Which is probably further reason why she didn't pick Ryeom or Inhyeon. That would cause contention between the two, and knowing So-Jun, she probably didn't want to increase the tension. Not because she was weak, just because she enjoyed peace. That left him. It was very obvious why she didn't ask him. Well, to Ha-Joon it was. Ryeom didn't know, and hopefully never would, why. Neither of them really wanted to go through that awkwardness. When it was just them, things were just fine. But recently being together around other people felt weird. He didn't really understand why there was shift all of a sudden.

That was a lie, he knew why. Ha-Joon just didn't want to accept it. It involved complicated feelings that made already complicated situations even more...well...complicated. Even if he understood why she picked Hyuk, he still didn't like it. No part of that situation sat well with him. But he couldn't give the whole entire explanation of why she picked him over everyone else. Not only did it have exposing information, but it also wasn't really the core reason why Ryeom asked that question. There was an underlying tone there, but he wasn't sure what it was. "I don't know, they're being pretty friendly," He commented in an as close to neutral tone as possible. His eyes were trained on Ryeom, wondering what he was thinking about and hoping his appearance would give it away.

His analysis was cut short by the sound of his name. Ha-Joon felt his gaze shoot over the where it came from. He knew who it was before his eyes landed on the culprit. He'd know that voice anywhere. Looking over at Inhyeon, lost in conversation with her friend, he felt a bit nervous. Why were they talking about him? Was it good? Bad? Neutral? Funny? He felt his ears grow hot the more his thoughts spiraled. He couldn't just ask either. That would be, uh, nosy. It wasn't his business. Why did he care in the first place? They were all friends. Friends talked about friends.

Ok, he needed to distract his racing thoughts. Ha-Joon moved his attention back to Ryeom quickly. He also seemed like he needed a distraction. He wanted him to enjoy himself as best he could, and his current expression did not look pleased. "You coming over after school on Monday?" He asked suddenly, trying to get on a subject that would help them both forget their worries. "I got a new game, thought that we could break it in together. Maybe you'll actually be good at this one," The boy teased with a grin. If everyone else was lost in conversation, may as well try to do that as well. Though, Ryeom wasn't exactly the most talkative, so this may be wishful thinking. Tonight was going to be long if he was going to spend it between worried and annoyed. He was hoping the other boy would surprise him.

Yoo Ha-Joon

Location:
The Jang family's Charity Gala
Mood:
It's gonna be a long night
Interactions:
Ryeom ( weldherwings )
Mentions:
Everyone else ( Uxie Stardust Galaxy triples natasha. )
Outfit:

 

[triples]

SEO HYUK
- the two-faced -

Hyuk obliged So-Jun's bright reply with a smile as they continued strolling along the buffet table, him at half his usual pace so it would match hers. He wondered if he had ever been at the same event as So-Jun before, just without noticing her. On one hand, there weren't many families in SKY Castle in the first place for there to be too much variety in the guests at most parties, not including the outsiders. On the other, his father was very selective about which events he and his family showed up at — every moment spent outside the house had to align with their image, after all. Both the hosts and purpose of the gathering had to fulfill abstract requirements only the older man knew exactly.

"This time around I actually know a few people, and that beats having to stand alone in a corner somewhere," So-Jun mused, pulling a short chuckle from Hyuk. Not because he could relate, of course, but because he thought the opposite, sometimes. When too many people want to talk to or about you, it quickly gets tiring returning those damns. He studied So-Jun, whose gaze was in turn focused on the array of pastries, for a moment. She'll probably eventually start to feel the same way, assuming her family stays at their current heights.

From the corner of his eyes, he caught In-Hyeon & Hye-Bin taking turns glancing pointedly at their table. Talking about the other two guys, he supposed. He, too, turned to glance at the ones they left behind, only to meet a burning gaze from Ryeom. Well, as burning as that kid's look got. He arched a brow, somewhat confused. Was it aimed at him? Or So-Jun? Is it because she asked him instead? Hyuk knew the two were friends, but-

"What do you think of all of this?" His companion's question interrupted his musings. A pause as she hesitated for a split second before picking up a tart, as if she'd tried but failed to resist it. An amused smirk pulled at his lips at the sight. "Actually, let me rephrase: if you didn't have to be here, where would you rather be instead?" The girl continued to ask once the pastry was safely on her plate, and Hyuk took in her unexpected question for a moment.

Where else would he go? His house? To do what? There was nothing in that place except a sleeping Nari and the maid who acted like she was mute except when acknowledging someone or the other's demands. If it was a month or so before, there would also have been the option of dragging Ha-Joon along to lounge around in parks and play a lazy game of basketball... Maybe he would have just called a couple friends up and gone to a club or something, if there was no gala tonight. Waste the night away and let his workaholic brain take a rest while alcohol did the thinking for him. In a private room, of course, where nobody could see the decadence that went on in his hidden social circles except its members.

But he couldn't possibly tell So-Jun that, could he?

"I don't actually know," He gave his answer before it became one weird beat late. As he said that, In-Hyeon's voice interrupted with a faint "...fine. He gets around.". It felt pointed at him and, if it was, it would be true. And also one other possibility of where he might be instead of here, at this hour of the night. He stopped himself from speaking for a moment, in case the distraction made him spill words he didn't mean to say.

"Maybe swimming," he threw out randomly, "or just a stroll. I haven't been relaxed in a while, so." That was slightly more honest that he expected from himself, but, well. Still an acceptable answer.

"You?" He asked, mostly perfunctorily. From what he knew of So-Jun, he didn't expect the unexpected too much. She seemed like a normal person — a rarity around these circles, though he guessed that was because she hadn't been raised here. He wondered vaguely what she would have been like, had she been one of them from the get-go. She was already changing quite a few dynamics in their little clique after such a short time mixing in with them, after all. "What did you use to do? You know, before all this became a thing for you," Hyuk expanded on his question, acting on his impulsive curiosity, his hand gesturing to the rest of the hall as he did.

location: jang family charity gala, party hall

outfit: click me

mood: ...

interactions: park so-jun

codebytriples

 

[Stardust Galaxy]

Jang Hye-Bin​

Mood:Why are you asking that?
Outfit: X
Location: Party Hall
Tags: Inhyeon

Hye-Bin was sure her words would encourage Inhyeon to stop thinking about Hyuk, and she meant them. Hye-bin wouldn't go sugar coating things, she would just say it with full honesty, so if she said that Inhyeon could find another man that was better than Hyuk was because it was true. Maybe stating that Ha-Joon was the best choice was a bold choice, not like she wanted to start playing matchmaking with her best friend and her school rival she had other things to worry like making sure So-Jun disappeared from their lives.

Maybe she was too into her thoughts that it shocked her a little bit when Inhyeon said out loud the name of the guy their conversation was being about. Making some of the guests to stare at them, which lead to Hye-Bin smile at them so reassured them that nothing was happening and they should continue enjoying the gala. As Inhyeon was telling her about her parents thinking Ha-Joon would make a good son-in-law, Hye-bin took a bite of the mocha cake that she decided on. Should she take a piece of this cake for Ryeom? Maybe he would like it. Wait what was she thinking? Why would she want to take a piece of cake for him? If he wanted he could easily stand up and grab a piece for himself, she didn't need to be doing that kind of stupid stuff, besides he wouldn't appreciate the flavor, she was sure he loved vanilla that was as plain as his personality.

Hye-Bin listened to how Inhyeon was stating she wasn't ready to start dating to date again "I'm not saying that you should start dating at this moment, but you know, have your options open" she replied to her best friend. Was Hye-Bin the right person to even say this? Probably no, since she has only dated only one guy which happened to become her fiance due to their parents' idea.

"What about you and Ryeom, though? when's the marriage?" was the question of Inhyeon as she glanced at the table where Ryeom and Ha-Joon were, so they were now talking about Hye-Bin's dating life, this conversation was taking a turn. "Is just fine, he is just... he is just being Ryeom, there's not much to add, he just, exists and doesn't bother me so it's fine with me. Probably the marriage is going to happen once both of us graduate, but a date hasn't been set. Our parents want that we focus on entering a university rather than worrying about planning a wedding, but when the date is set you are going to be the first one to know and you would help me plan my wedding as we promised when we were kids" Hye-Bin replied with a smile.

Hye-Bin was taking another bite of her cake when Inhyeon's question took her by surprise "how far have you two even gone?", that question made Hye-Bin cough for the surprise, why Inhyeon wanted to ask that kind of questions, she needed to maintain her composure and not act like she was embarrassed, she never asked how far she went with Hyuk, why she was doing that to her "You... You know, we are taking things slow, we don't feel the pressure to rush things" she replied, would it be lame to say they haven't even kiss other than the cheek, well, Inhyeon didn't need to know that. "Let's go back to the table, I'm sure Ha-Joon and Ryeom already miss us"

 

[weldherwings]

the caged bird

but... why him and not me?​

location

main ballroom

outfit

click here

interactions

ha-joon ( A ameuSHhen1Tn2ba )

mention

so-jun ( natasha. ) + hyuk ( triples )

Ryeom knew why So-Jun couldn’t have asked him to join her to gather food. I mean, she could’ve but that would’ve started World War Three. He knew how his … ugh… fiancé (even just thinking the word made him shiver in horror) felt about his best friend. And his best friend knew how he felt about Hye-Bin. It was a horrible, awkward circle of chain whispers that he knew one day was going to explode. But today wasn’t that day. Well, at least he hoped so. So, he knew that she couldn’t go over with him. But did that mean she had to go over with anyone at all?

At Ha-Joon’s comment about how So-Jun and Hyuk were acting pretty friendly, an even deeper frown formed on his face. Sure, Ha-Joon had said it in a neutral tone. He wasn’t implying anything at all. And yet, in Ryeom’s mind, it twisted and turned in so many directions that he could only take it as bad news. His brain was elbow deep in theories that he was doing that thing again – daydreaming. Well, his parents called it daydreaming. He would just stare off into a distance and his brain would just take over. It was like he was having an out of body experience. All he could do was fixate on thinking. Like he was in a trance of sorts. While his parents called it daydreaming and would often tell him off for it, any medical practitioner would tell you that he was dissociating.

So, when Ha-Joon turned back to him and began to speak, half of the words that came out of the boy’s mouth actually processed in his mind. It was a full good couple of seconds after the boy spoke that Ryeom realised that he was being spoken to. “Hmmh?” he responded softly, his glassed over eyes looking from So-Jun to Ha-Joon. Finally, his brain gave that mental kick it needed; like someone had finally pulled the pull string on a chainsaw or lawnmower to get his going. Blinking a couple of times, Ryeom automatically set up straight (praying to God that no one had caught him off guard and slouching for those few moments because no doubt if there was any pictures of him slouching, he would get an ear full of it from his parents).

“Oh… Monday? Uh…” He paused, trying to think if there was anything scheduled for Monday after school. “Uhh… I have an hour of study and… an hour of personal training. So, I can come over after I have a shower? Maybe around… six or… seven?” He suggested to the other. The tease earned Ha-Joon a soft smile and a heavy exhale through Ryeom’s nose. He knew he wasn’t the best at video games. After all, his parents thought that it drained his brain out. But what happens at Ha-Joon’s house, stays at Ha-Joon’s house. His parents didn’t need to know that their son was lying to them and playing games at their family friend’s house.

coded by weldherwings.