Realistic or Modern 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒

[reveriee]

triples x reveriee

 

[triples]

SAERIN

when your hands left mine, they were replaced by the rushing hands of time

why am i like this?

nine of clubs

what do i live for?

상실의 순기능

— epik high

mood: concerned
location: home...?
interactions: mingyu, myohee

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We’re looking for someone, the man had seemed hesitant, almost apologetic, with a little more experience. And so, there it was, another rejection. Saerin pulled the worn-out strap of her bag tighter against her chest; frustration tugged a little harder at her gut with every failure, and she was beginning to feel nauseous. Saerin may not be the most perceptive of the lot, but even she had begun to pick up that it wasn’t just her inexperience with the jobs they were talking about. There was a reason, after all, why they kept bringing up that unfortunate word — tough.

A sigh built in her chest that she fought back down. She had no right to feel sorry for herself, Saerin was well aware, she was the cause of all her own problems. The weight of the key against her palm reminded her that she was lucky; she had someone who took her in and gave her shelter. Someone out here who cared about her, even though she was struggling, which was more than heartbreakingly many of the people she’d met in the past weeks could say.

The hint of a smile returned to her lips at the thought. Right, there was someone she wanted to see, and maybe catch a meal with before they left for work. Someone just behind that wooden door.

Or so she'd hoped, as she strolled through the living room and into the kitchen, but what she found first instead was a snarling snake, winding torso littered with large blooms that were as deeply scarlet as its menacing eyes. Saerin's steps stuttered, losing their rhythm to the yet enduring fear of the tall figure to whose back the striking tattoo was attached. It was an illogical, undeserved fear, she coaxed herself, though she still set her bag down on the furthest chair from where he stood.

"Evening, Mingyu-s..."

Saerin began as abruptly as she ended, her worries split evenly between how he disliked her using "overly" formal language and how loud her voice sounded in the otherwise quiet house. His glance flicked to her and then immediately back to the contents of his phone, without even a hum of acknowledgement for her presence, like she was a fly he'd happened to notice buzzing by. Saerin cringed internally; she couldn't decide if that were a reaction she was thankful for, or not.

Illogical, she repeated, and undeserved. Mingyu hadn't actually shown any of the villainy that Myohee had accused him of. He was just a little... intense, so to speak. If nothing else, she'd bet no one ever doubts that he was tough enough for a job.

As the two of them simmered in an awkward silence — awkward only for her, she guessed — she took an apprehensive seat, grabbing her own bottle of ice water. At least now they felt somewhat like housemates, she mused. If her parents knew she was living with someone like him, what would they think? It depended, she supposed, on whether they saw his ink. They always thought lowly of people with tattoos. It was one of many of their opinions she had begun to question.

Still, she was surprised, too, the first time she saw them. Now she found them quite intriguing. Art was art, even on a body, wasn't it? The one resting on his chest, for example, seemed like a simple, tribal pattern. But if you looked closely, you could see that it was built on top of a different piece; Saerin thought it looked like a story.

"What?"

His sudden question, imbued with that scathing quality as always, jolted her out of her daydream, marking one of the only times in the past two weeks that he'd started a conversation with her.

"I was... I mean, your tattoo, on your..."

she spoke up, if for no other reason than because saying 'nothing' might be rude,

"it's interesting."

His stare stayed on her for a little longer this time, as she shifted nervously in her seat. Had she said something wrong? Was the tattoo a sensitive topic for him? Should she just brush it off now while she could?

"Yeah, well,"

he finally replied, in a lighter tone than she expected, glancing down at the mentioned tattoo as if to check something,

"I wouldn't be too interested if I were you."

"Why?"

She asked before she could catch herself, and this time her cringe was not only internal. But rather than a glare or a frown, Mingyu scoffed, the closest thing to a laugh that she'd ever heard from him, as mirth passed across his feature for a brief moment. It was a sarcastic instance of humor, but humor nonetheless, and it was a good look on him. More suited to him, she thought, than the cold stare he always had on.

Unfortunately, it went away as quickly as it came. Not just back to his normal expression, but to an even darker one, as he lifted himself from his relaxed position against the counter and prepared to walk away. Saerin jumped slightly at the abrupt switch, her gaze following his to the hallway behind her.

"Myohee!"

She exclaimed, noticing a step too late that her friend's face didn't look great either. It looked, in fact, like she was ready to argue. Like there were words on her tongue just waiting to be unleashed. Saerin went still, eyes flickering back to Mingyu, whose roll of the eyes she could practically feel from where she sat, then out to the living room, where no trace of their final housemate was to be seen.

Her hands gripped onto the cool plastic bottle like a clutch. She may not have lived here long, but she didn't need much experience to know what was happening. The only way it could be any clearer was if there was somehow lightning striking in the background of the scene, as they met each other head to head, one unwillingly and the other very purposefully. She braced herself.

Where was Jueon-ssi?

© reveriee

 

[reveriee]

MYOHEE

In disarray, as I'm flying away With you deeply in my heart

you departed

queen of hearts

You played my love like a game

play

— yuju

mood: fuck u mingyu
location: the house.
interactions: mingyu (very unfortunately)

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Hwang Myohee was pissed off to hell and back.

She knows what you're thinking, and before you say she's just worked up about something small fucking Lee Mingyu did again, no, it was not something small. That morning, Myohee had stumbled into the kitchen just to see a pile of dishes in the sink, uncleaned -- dishes Mingyu should have washed the previous day. Mingyu was not only a filthy heathen, but clearly he was just living off the hard work and efforts of the rest of the house (mostly Myohee, though). Where was the equality? The justice? If anyone deserved getting a break from chores, it was poor Saerin who was still adjusting to the group -- certainly not Mingyu.

If that wasn't enough of kitchen irritations, Myohee had opened the drawer to find her extra spicy shrimp chips gone. Her last pack, no less. Meaning that she would have to go around the block to satisfy her spice craving, which she was not willing to do after being hit with the abomination that was Mingyu's unattended responsibilities. Of course, Hwang Myohee knew who the culprit was immediately; Saerin would never take something without asking, and Jueon ate almost exclusively sweets. And she's sure you can guess who the Spicy Shrimp Chip Thief was as well.

But, whatever! It was early enough that Mingyu was still probably at the bar, so Myohee just grit her teeth and chewed on a Tylenol for the impending headache she knew would arrive.

So, she moved on with her day -- washing the dishes in the sink (because as much as she wanted to force Mingyu to do it, she couldn't handle the disorganization and filth for any longer), meeting up with a daytime client whose wife worked the night shift at the local hospital (Myohee always felt really bad about it, but she had heard through the grapevine that his wife was seeking the assistance of one of those muscly male escorts from Jangmi, so it wasn't like she was completely innocent either), and having a nice long chat with one of the girls from the brothel she stumbled into. It was at the grocery store, in the produce section were there was a wonderful sale on daikon radish -- one that Myohee heartily took advantage of. For a few minutes, Myohee thought her day was really going to get better, until she heard that One Dreaded Name.

(So Seonah didn't actually say Mingyu's name, but Myohee heard it in the air).

Seonah had talked about how she and the girls went to the bar the night before, and how they mentioned Myohee's name and how this "tall, aloof-looking but handsome" (Seonah's words, not Myohee's) bartender came over to their side of the bar and talked to them. Myohee, too fed up to be hearing anything more about how mysteriously attractive Mingyu was, simply gave Seonah a strained smile and mentioned an appointment she unfortunately had to get to.

As she returned home, she fumed. How dare Mingyu not only ignore his responsibilities and leave the kitchen in filth, not only take her last pack of extra spicy shrimp chips -- how dare he talk to the girls?

So when the first thing she saw when entering the kitchen was the man himself, could you blame Myohee for snapping at him immediately?

"You fucking ape, Lee Mingyu -- it was your turn to clean the dishes yesterday, and what did I see when I woke up this morning? The filthy ass plates stacked in the sink. And I know you took my last pack of extra spicy shrimp chips! Can you fucking be responsible for yourself for once instead of taking advantage of us? You can't just ignore your obligations and go dilly-dally off into the sunset in someone's luxury car -- this is life, which means you need to put in the fucking work. If you don't start picking up the slack, maybe I should get Jueon to leave your ass in the streets -- see how you'll do!

"Also, I know you talked to my friends at the bar last night. You knew they knew me -- what did you say to them, now?" Myohee narrowed her eyes as she aggressively put away the groceries. "Fucking slimy bastard."

© reveriee

 

[triples]

MINGYU

so you're all saints, so free of sin; but don't shed a single tear for me

i'm wild i'm merciless

jack of diamonds

i'm unbreakable

rosario

— epik high

mood: ugh
location: home
interactions: saerin and her bitch friend

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Mingyu was not a fan of the new girl, let's get that straight. But compared to her loud ass friend, stomping down the hallway with enough petty anger to make up for what they lacked in height, she had the clear advantage. By the time Myohee had opened her big fucking mouth and taken a preparatory breath, he was already missing when it had just been him, Saerin and minimal interaction. Ugh. And of course she was complaining about the same old shit again. He should have just left early today.

"It was your turn to wash the dishes!"

For the umpteenth time. Like dirty dishes were some kind of time bomb and couldn't wait until he came back home after work. That it bothered her so much, she just had to wash them the moment she spotted them wasn't his problem. He would tell her that if he hadn't already tried millions of times before and she never listened.

He had rolled his eyes twice already in the same minute she had appeared in his sight; it was going to give him a headache. Mingyu tried to walk past her to put his bottle back in the fridge, but found himself blocked by her huffy stuffing of the grocery bags onto the counter, as she continued ranting:

"If you don't start picking up the slack, maybe I should get Jueon to leave your ass in the streets — see how you'll do!"

Fucking hilarious. What was with these girls and their absurd faith in Han Jueon? Have they met him?

"Also, I know you talked to my friends at the bar last night."

How? He never even told them his name. Myohee's paranoia when it came to him truly never failed.

All because of that one, singular incident where one of her clients had found out she lived with him and "misunderstood" why he was being dragged by his collar — which was not in the least because that ahjussi was messing around with "his girl", but because he wouldn't get the fuck out when Mingyu was trying to close up the bar. He couldn't care less about who slept with Myohee, but he did care that he was working overtime over a drunk old man.

"What did you say to them, now? Fucking slimy bastard."

His lips curled in an annoyed snarl as she wrapped up her rant. If he had resisted the temptation back then to tell that girl why she hadn't been seeing Mia around lately — 'She's occupied with a new piece, didn't you know? A highschooler or something; it's a little weird, honestly.' — he sure regretted having self-control now.

"I asked them what drinks they wanted, Mia,"

he began his defense right on time, all the fights they've had before proving to be great rehearsals,

"because that's my damn job. And I do my damn job, rather than try to be some thrift-store-therapist for people that just want to drink and fuck."

He pushed past her smaller figure, matching her aggression on the groceries with his on the fridge doors, turning back around to face her as he jerked them open.

"And since you forgot, this is my fucking house, too. So if you have an issue with me, you take your own ass out to the streets."

His gaze floated over to the lone, unwitting victim at the dining table, still clutching onto her water like it was a lifeline, and he pointed at her with a viciousness beyond how upset he actually was — something Saerin clearly hadn't gotten used to by the way she flinched.

"And maybe take your fucking pet with you, because you're real rich calling me useless when it's your friend leeching off us for a free house, don't you think? What's she doing here, still? What happened to for a while, huh?"

He paused to shut the door, using less force on the poor appliance this time but far more in his voice, as he demanded,

"Go on and tell me about it, Hwang Myohee."

© reveriee

 

[reveriee]

MYOHEE

In disarray, as I'm flying away With you deeply in my heart

you departed

queen of hearts

You played my love like a game

play

— yuju

mood: ugh enough of him
location: gonna head out soon
interactions: mingyu (very unfortunately) and saerin (much better!) triples

scroll

"... And I do my damn job, rather than try to be some thrift-store-therapist for people that just want to drink and fuck."

Myohee bristled, but chose not to argue -- it's not like someone as cold-blooded as Mingyu would understand matters of the heart, anyway.

"And since you forgot, this is my fucking house, too, bitch. If you have an issue with me, you take your own ass out to the streets. And maybe take your fucking pet with you, because you're real rich calling me useless when it's your friend leeching off us for a free house, don't you think? What's she doing here, still? What happened to for a while, huh? Go on and tell me about it, Hwang Myohee."

Myohee narrowed her eyes, shoving Mingyu aside under the guise of putting vegetables in the fridge.

"Ha, me? Go leave for the streets? Did you forget who helped you get here, Lee Mingyu? Did you forget who got you that swanky job at the bar? Let's be real, it'd be you and Jueon on the streets without me, not the other way around. You think you're so tough and self-reliant, but I'm the one who got you all this shit in Seoul -- not you or Ju. Don't forget that.

"And Saerin's not fucking useless, you dick. I'll help her like I helped you two years ago, and when she gets her job and actually does her chores, we'll see who's actually doing the least here."

If it were just another day, Myohee may have continued on her tirade -- it was always easy to, as Mingyu's existence was nothing short of infuriating. But she hadn't forgotten about doe-eyed Saerin, seated stiffly at the dining room table. Saerin, who was too good to be surrounding by their arguments; vaguely, she reminded Myohee of an innocent child watching her parents fight in the stairwell, unable to seek the refuge of her room.

"C'mon, Rinnie," Myohee switched gears entirely, adopting a much friendlier, softer tone as she directed her gaze at the other girl. "Don't be discouraged; it's okay to ask for help. I know a lot of people in this city, and I'm sure many of them would hire someone like you in a heartbeat!"

Myohee strode across the room, gently grasping Saerin's wrist and linking arms with her. "Told you Mingyu's a dick," she said placidly as she guided them into the streets. "He doesn't know what he's talking about, that fucker. Now, what kind of jobs have you been applying for?"

© reveriee

 

[triples]

SAERIN

when your hands left mine, they were replaced by the rushing hands of time

why am i like this?

nine of clubs

what do i live for?

상실의 순기능

— epik high

mood: hire me pls
location: not in the kitchen (´ ω `♡)
interactions: myohee

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What's she doing here, still?

It was a question worth asking. Amidst the thunderous argument unraveling in front of her, those words struck Saerin like lightning. And as refreshing as it felt to have someone to speak up in her defense, she couldn't deny that Mingyu's perspective was the more objective of the two. Useless... it was a fair assessment of her, as she was right now. This couldn't go on. Maybe she should leave, after all. Maybe she was starting to relax more than she deserved to.

The rejections she'd faced in the past week came raining down on her, nearly drowning out their fight. Nearly, of course, being the key word. As Myohee continued to chide their housemate, Saerin couldn't help but grow nervous. Sure, Mingyu had only been harsh in words thus far, but she couldn't imagine it would go well for her friend if it turned to action. And she would try to help, of course, but the way his shadow seemed to stretch across the table and over her head from where she sat inspired little hope.

"We'll see who's actually doing the least here,"

Myohee snapped, her statement punctuated like the end of a conversation. Mingyu, on the other hand, didn't seem done quite yet. He seemed, in fact, like he had plenty to say right back. Plenty that, Saerin ventured to guess, he would have said, if it were not for the low buzzing of his phone on the counter.

"C'mon, Rinnie,"

the sudden positive turn of her friend's speech, ironically, snapped her to attention, bringing her flickering gaze fully on the other girl,

"Don't be discouraged; it's okay to ask for help. I know a lot of people in this city, and I'm sure many of them would hire someone like you in a heartbeat!"

Saerin managed a weak smile at the reassurance. The thought came to her again, how Myohee was too good a friend for her. There was nothing she could give back to her, yet she kept taking, and taking, and taking. The helping hand, the roof above her head, the encouragements. She was so selfish, allowing herself to be taken into her embrace each time.

And she does it once more, as the older girl crossed the dining room to take her by the hand and lead her out of this cloud of tension. Saerin snuck a glance back at Mingyu, relieved for once to see the ink viper glaring at her instead while he was occupied on the phone. If their squabble had gone on any longer, she would have run out of a breath to hold eventually.

"Told you Mingyu's a dick,"

Myohee reminded her as they stepped back out onto the streets,

"He doesn't know what he's talking about, that fucker."

Saerin wanted to trust her, she really did, that he was just being cruel and she wasn't completely hopeless. If self-confidence could only be shared through touch, perhaps she would have.

"Now, what kind of jobs have you been applying for?"

The question came as they turned the corner. A question that, finally, Saerin had the ability to tackle.

"Uhm, a waitress... at a handful of places,"

she started to list, wondering if she should mention that the first of those place it had turned out to be a hostessing bar, and she had left in admittedly irrational mortification at the realization,

"An assistant at one of those factories in the industrial park, and even a night-shift job standing outside a restaurant giving out flyers."

Her words slowed to a stop, and she couldn't stop the sigh from escaping this time as she mindlessly leaned into Myohee's arm. All her life, these were jobs spoken of like unwanted goods around her. And it took all this to really hit home for her how wrong people were for looking down on them.

"Myohee, what do I do?"

Saerin began, in the soft, almost childish tone she had once always used with her best friends. But as a stranger rushed past them, as if the trigger word for a hypnotic spell had been spoken, she straightened up abruptly. There she went again, acting close with people without their permission. She cleared her throat before continuing,

"I just... I'll try harder, it's okay. You don't have to introduce me, Myohee. It'll be bad if you do, and I mess up."

A pause. She gathers more strength in her voice and a smile on her face, hoping to convince,

"Maybe I'll try to find jobs a little further out! There's more stores downtown, so I'll have more chances, right?"

© reveriee

 

[reveriee]

MYOHEE

In disarray, as I'm flying away With you deeply in my heart

you departed

queen of hearts

You played my love like a game

play

— yuju

mood: no. i will Help You, and you will succeed
location: seoul city streets
interactions: saerin triples

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"Uhm, a waitress... at a handful of places --"

Myohee hummed and nodded. Made sense.

" -- an assistant at one of those factories in the industrial park --"

This Myohee gasped at. A factory?? Saerin??? No no, that wouldn't do at all.

"-- and even a night-shift job standing outside a restaurant giving out flyers."

Truly unacceptable. Saerin would not be relegated to a job where she would have to stand outside in the cold night, attempting to get uncaring strangers to take a stupid paper. Myohee's heart ached for her; Saerin had been trying even harder than she thought, and had even worse results, which Myohee was rather confused by, as employers offering those types of jobs were never so picky -- especially, in her humble opinion, when offered someone as pleasant and diligent as Saerin.

"Myohee, what do I do?" Saerin's voice reminded Myohee of a baby bird, shivering and left alone in its nest in the bitter winter. She wrapped her arm around the younger girl's waist, tightening it in reassurance. Myohee firmly shook her head in response to Saerin's insistence on doing things on her own, letting her speak but tutting in disapproval.

"There's no way in hell I'm gonna keep letting you do this on your own," Myohee said adamantly, refusing to hear otherwise. "You're not a burden -- I want to help you, Rinnie. And besides, nothing bad could happen from letting me help you." Myohee winked at the other girl, blowing her an exaggerated kiss. "Even if you do mess up, no one's gonna get mad or try to break things off -- definitely not with me! Have more faith in my charms, hun.

"But you're right about going downtown! This is Seoul's ugly underbelly -- there's a reason why no one's climbing their way up out of here. But worry not! I know people over there too. Like there's this great western-style restaurant smack dab in the middle of Itaewon, and the owner is so sweet, I love her. And you'll get great tips because of all the tourists and expats over there. Sure, there are a lot of cocky American soldiers, ugh --" Myohee grimaced at the thought of one of those slugs hitting on Saerin "-- but it's better over there. No one would get away with any of their shit.

"So, what do you think? We can head over there right now; I'll text the owner, she's always there for dinner service. But, Rinnie, if you're not too fond of that restaurant job idea, there's also this cute ice cream shop in the area ..."

© reveriee

 

[triples]

MINGYU

so you're all saints, so free of sin; but don't shed a single tear for me

i'm wild i'm merciless

jack of diamonds

i'm unbreakable

rosario

— epik high

mood: bored
location: the convenience store
interactions: jueon

scroll

Time had barely begun to breach the frontier of night — not really, it was 23:45 — but Mingyu was already a free man, roaming the streets. If he had been working at the club, he would still be there, dealing with whatever brand of idiot came by or maybe even flirting with one of her girls just out of spite. But alas, today was an atypical day, thanks to the owner's introduction of him to an... external event.

So here he was; bored. He could just go back home, but hell knows there's a troll lurking over there, probably waiting with more trash to spill that she called words. No, thanks.

The jingling of the bells as he pushed open the door dragged the glances of two girls browsing the ice cream fridge towards him, their oversized hoodies trying and failing to hide the fact that they were dressed in school uniforms. The duo felt vaguely familiar to him, in the context of this tiny corner convenience store. Like they'd been here the last time he came, too. The way they started whispering to each other upon spotting him pretty much confirmed it.

Did Jueon have some kind of middle school stalkers? Hysterical.

"Jaewon,"

he called, as he strolled in from the entrance towards the cashier counter placed all the way at the other end. He would have called the full name for emphasis, if he could remember what the surname was supposed to be this time. Seo? Shin? Sang? Did it even matter, when it was the, what, fourth fucking one? He didn't think so.

"Aren't you done?"

The sound of his combat boots against the floor rang loud in the quiet store, ripping through its monotone mood. A muffled giggle from a distance accompanied his rhythm, reminding him that all teenage girls were incomprehensible; not just the ones at home. Did that make him like them any better? No.

As he passed the first shelf, stuffed with snack after unhealthy snack — the sight of spicy shrimp crackers brings to mind a terrible image, and he throws away his deliberation of picking a packet up, having lost his appetite — the figure of Jueon behind the counter entered his vision, dressed in that ridiculous polo shirt of a uniform, and Mingyu found it once again comical. He never failed to. The scene was just so jarring in its banality.

"Didn't you start early today?"

He questioned, coming to a stop at the counter and grabbing a box of mints as he did. Mingyu clicked the cover open, and popped a couple into his mouth, keeping the box in his fist. He leaned forward, arms crossed and rested on the cool tabletop, graciously granting Jueon the rare privilege of looking down at him.

"Or did you leave me to deal with that bitch alone for no good reason?"

© reveriee

 

[reveriee]

JUEON

but i'm caught in the ashes, oh weathered the storm; and I fall apart — no, I've been here before

damage is done

ace of spades

the cost of catastrophe

casualty

— hidden citizens, ft. tash

mood: heh
location: the #shops
interactions: mingyu elvis triples

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It had been a long day.

Jueon had come into the store at the ass crack of dawn, which he was really fine with -- he liked it even, and the way it reminded him of being a kid, waking up too early to open up the store. But the shift he worked was a long one, and business was slow, making the day more unbearable as it dragged on and on and on.

Jueon had a lot of things to like about his job. Aside from the long-lost familiarity, the store he worked at sat right at the fringes of the slums and the inner city, guaranteeing him an interesting clientele of all characters. Though most of the customers were what you'd call normal -- high school kids, single mothers, the elderly, sometimes businessmen -- there was a sizable portion of the homeless, drug addicts, hookers, gang members -- people whom society would disapprove of, but people Jueon found especially interesting, and in a strange way, nostalgic. Though he was fine with restocking the shelves and counting the money during the night, Jueon's favorite part of the job was arguably the people -- something that most would be surprised to hear come out of his mouth, he was sure.

But as it had been for the past eighteen hours, business was slow, and Jueon was bored.

For the past ten minutes, he had been considering the duo of middle school girls near the freezer. They had been "perusing through the ice cream" for a decent amount of time, which really meant doing a bad job of hiding how they were staring at him before they would finally come up to the counter with strawberry ice cream cones. They had been coming in rather regularly for the past few weeks, especially on Saturdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays -- the days where Jueon was consistently scheduled to work during the time of night after cram schools closed, leaving a few stressed-out students to wander the streets for something fun to do before they would have to go home and wash, rinse, repeat. Jueon hated school -- thank God he was done with it.

The bells jingled, and Jueon lifted his gaze, his prepared greeting washing away when he saw who it was. Mingyu called out his name, strolling through the store and looking like the epitome of cool, dressed in leather, combat boots, and aloof confidence. He looked almost like some anime archetype, Jueon mused to himself, briefly glancing at the ice cream freezer. The two girls started whispering again, their eyes glued on the two men.

"Didn't you start early today?" Mingyu crossed his arms, leaning against the tabletop. "Or did you leave me to deal with that bitch alone for no good reason?"

Jueon glanced up at the clock. 23:46. The girl who was scheduled the work the graveyard shift was to arrive at midnight.

"C'mon, Myohee's not that bad," he responded, immediately knowing who the subject of Mingyu's ire was. Jueon couldn't help but take particular note of the two girls, who abandoned their pretense of looking for ice cream and were now blatantly staring at them. "At least, she's nice to me. But I dunno, maybe it's just my charms."

Jueon gave Mingyu a wry smile, leaning down on the counter to match his height, inadvertently bringing the two of them only a few inches apart. He heard one of the girls let out a short scream, while the other one shushed her vehemently. Jueon wanted to laugh.

"But I'm sure you can handle yourself. You don't really need me to white knight you, do you? Or maybe you do -- is that why you're here right now?" Jueon leaned forward even closer, failing to completely hide his self-satisfied smirk as both of the girls shrieked. Funny. "Or is that just my charms too?

© reveriee

 

[triples]

MINGYU

so you're all saints, so free of sin; but don't shed a single tear for me

i'm wild i'm merciless

jack of diamonds

i'm unbreakable

rosario

— epik high

mood: *eye roll intensifies*
location: the convenience store
interactions: jueon

scroll

"Is that why you're here right now? Or is that just my charms too?"

Ha. Look at this guy. He wasn't even being subtle about his true intentions — which, no doubt, had to do with the stares coming from that corner he kept glancing at. If their newbie could see him now, would those stars in her eyes still sparkle? Probably not. She seemed the easily scandalized type.

Mingyu’s gaze followed Jueon’s movements, not breaking contact even when the distance between their faces dropped to rather critical levels. A smile crossed his lips, just slow enough to notice before it faded away, like a curious passerby. His voice, however, was as unburdened by affection as ever when he replied, in a tone that made it perfectly unclear whether he was joking or genuine:

“I’ll bite you if you get any closer.”

He pushed himself back, before Jueon could decide whether or not to heed the warning, restoring himself to full height and allowing the table to fulfill its job of keeping the two sides apart again. Playing along with these little antics was for another time; one where they weren’t on the topic of Myohee (because what else could kill a mood faster?) and two stupid kids weren’t in audience (well, he reconsidered, that could definitely kill certain moods faster). Jueon having too much fun was annoying to look at, anyway. A light glare shot at the girls shooed them away successfully, though only to the less visible ready-to-eat section.

“But I’m taking that to mean,”

he continued, back turned to the counter as he lifted himself onto it with the weightlessness of a cat, making light of its designated purpose once more,

“that you will play prince for me if I asked?”

Mingyu scoffed at his own words. What a stupid conversation, even in context. Maybe he was lying to himself after all — about not playing along, that is. He leaned backwards, head slightly tilted so Jueon was well within his vision, legs hooked on the edge of the countertop and muscles working to hold his torso at an angle you might expect to see at a gym instead.

“Well, I’m asking,”

he declared, laughter almost — almost — perceptible in his tone,

“whisk me away to… who cares, Busan or something. Away from the witch and her fucking chores.”

A pause. His tone got a little more serious, the meaning of his words, perhaps, deeper, as he asked,

"Aren't you sick of this, too?"

He let the moment hover, a moment that he barely sensed himself, and that he doubted Jueon would, for how little they knew of each other's thoughts. The second he noticed was the same second he cut it off, with:

"And don't fucking tell me she's nice again. She's only nice to you because she has me to take her shitty personality out on."

© reveriee

 

[reveriee]

JUEON

but i'm caught in the ashes, oh weathered the storm; and I fall apart — no, I've been here before

damage is done

ace of spades

the cost of catastrophe

casualty

— hidden citizens, ft. tash

mood: ^^;
location: the #shops
interactions: mingyu elvis triples

scroll

"I’ll bite you if you get any closer."

Jueon rolled his eyes as he stood back up, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You're no fun." It was fine; if Mingyu escalated whatever Jueon started in the presence of middle-school-aged girls, he might have puked.

“... whisk me away to… who cares, Busan or something. Away from the witch and her fucking chores."

Jueon cocked his head, a little gleeful about how Mingyu played into a charade he was likely internally rolling his eyes at. "Aw, are you my damsel in distress, Min?" Never thought I'd be the hero.

"Aren't you sick of this, too?"

The sudden seriousness of his words forced Jueon to contemplate.

"And don't fucking tell me she's nice again. She's only nice to you because she has me to take her shitty personality out on."

Jueon raised an eyebrow at that, but was otherwise unexpressive. He knew Mingyu and Myohee didn't get along (at all), but he enjoyed being around both of them (separately) and thought that their current situation was beneficial enough to worth being preserved. It really was difficult, though, to maintain the peace; Jueon felt no personal investment in any of their squabbles, and thus didn't have any subjectivity pulling him over to one side or another when he broke up their fights, but by the sheer nature of their dislike for each other, he had to walk on eggshells around the topic of the other whenever he talked to one of them. And that was fucking hard sometimes, and a little tiring -- over what? Nothing that wasn't pointless.

Part of him implored why it was so difficult for him to consider leaving Myohee (and Saerin, now) behind to go somewhere else with Mingyu -- especially considering what he had been through with the latter. And he felt Mingyu might wonder that too -- wonder if he valued their friendship, cultivated over five years in the crooked shadow of crime, not more than his more recent one, cultivated over thoughtless drinks and one where he never really opened up his heart.

But Jueon wouldn't know. And he wouldn't spend time uselessly contemplating what-ifs.

"I think it's fine here for now," he said plainly. "We'll go when we need to.

"And about Mia..." Here he hesitated; this topic required delicacy, which Jueon wasn't used to needing, delicacy that he wasn't too sure how much he gave a shit about -- especially with Mingyu. "You can't really, really hate her, can you? And I don't think she really, really hates you. You guys talk so much fucking shit ... over laundry. Can you blame me for not taking this that seriously?" Jueon looked the other man in the eye, shrugging. "We've met shittier people. And you can do worse." I've seen you do worse.

Jueon cocked his head, a teasing smile tugging at his mouth. "But maybe I'm wrong ... does my damsel Mingyu really need me, his highness Prince Jaewon, to save him from the curse cast over the land --" he lowered his voice theatrically "-- laundry? Even worse, dishes?

"Well, it's good entertainment, even if it's stupid," Jueon moved on before Mingyu could really answer. "We can talk about this later -- dunno if this is the best setting. Lemme clock out. Doyeon always comes early, anyway."

"Wait, wait!" The two girls dashed up to the counter, shoving Mingyu aside. Jueon really wanted to laugh. "We're ready to pay!"

Jueon smiled. "Great! Will this be all?"

The taller of the two girls nodded, eyes moving to his name tag (like she didn't already know his name). "Mhm, Jaewon-ssi!" The two of them sifted through their purses, the shorter one cursing under her breath when she realized she didn't have her wallet and that her friend didn't have enough to fully cover her.

"You guys are only three hundred short," Jueon noted, easily counting the bills folded up in their hands. He leaned to their height, winking. "You're off the hook. Just between us. Don't tell my coworker --" Jueon nodded at the tired university student, dressed in the store uniform, who just walked in "-- she'd scold me, so shh."

© reveriee

 

[triples]

MINGYU

so you're all saints, so free of sin; but don't shed a single tear for me

i'm wild i'm merciless

jack of diamonds

i'm unbreakable

rosario

— epik high

mood: Thinking TM
location: the convenience store
interactions: jueon

scroll

We'll go when we need to. Right. We? Or him? It wasn't a grievance as much as a genuine question. They were both selfish bastards from the start -- what real reason did either of them have to think there was a we in the first place? Especially considering how their journey here had started? He scoffed as Jueon went into his childish charade again; it would be a useless question to ask this guy.

"I'm not asking you to save me from chores, I lived fine on my own for eleven fucking years,"

he began, not quite as aggressively as he might have made the statement if it were Myohee in front of him, and which was perhaps why he managed — when he continued with,

"if anyone-"

— to be cut off by the damn girls clambering over to pay for their items.

Arching a brow at their... determination, he watched Jueon toy with them for all of another second before he turned around and whisked himself away towards the exit. The phone in his front pocket buzzed again as if to thank him for finally making time to answer its frequent notifications, and he slipped out of the small, bright space onto the dark streets.

Will you be at the club tonight? The messages effectively questioned, multiple times and amidst other pointless drivel.

Nah, was his much shorter, simpler answer. In the corner of his vision he noted a girl, this one about his age, dressed in the convenience store uniform walking towards him. She gave him a hesitant smile and a nod of acknowledgement. He gave her a cursory glance, and then decided to ignore her. Must be Doyeon, he guessed.

He glanced inside at Jueon, his shape blurred through the misted glass walls. If anyone knows, it should be you — that was what he was going to say, wasn’t he? It was a laughable statement, in the greater context, one that the girls (who were giggling their merry way out the store, now) perhaps did him a favor by cutting off. What did Jueon really know about him? He's never told him anything, and he wasn't going to start now. The question hovering in the back of his mind surfaced again.

Aw, came a quick response, bringing to mind an image of dyed pink hair on a heavily tattooed figure, sulk on their face unsuited for the rest of their demeanor. The next message is quick as well, almost planned: Do you want to come down to the station? I’ll buy the drinks ~

Mingyu paused. Funny. The same question with such different implications, that he asked himself in the span of seconds: Should he just leave? Before he could glance back once more, the bells behind him jingled.

Free drinks or being home to be with people he didn’t like and thoughts he didn’t want? The choice wasn’t particularly difficult. As for Jueon… well, it wasn’t as if the guy really cared.

“Hey, you go home first,”

he spoke, turning off his screen just as his friend came within close enough distance to see the contents. Why? Considering what happened to the last gang member Jueon hung out with, Mingyu wasn’t inclined to introduce him to any other. Him being all secretive was just a result of that hesitance. Or so he said to himself.

“I’m meeting a friend.”

© reveriee

 

[reveriee]

JUEON

but i'm caught in the ashes, oh weathered the storm; and I fall apart — no, I've been here before

damage is done

ace of spades

the cost of catastrophe

casualty

— hidden citizens, ft. tash

mood: mmm ... eh whatever
location: the #streets
interactions: mingyu elvis triples

scroll

“Hey, you go home first. I'm meeting a friend.”

Jueon slowed to a stop. Mingyu was leaving? After what, ten minutes? Then why did he come to visit me, jeez ...

Usually, Jueon wouldn't have paid any mind. He wasn't anyone's mother -- he had no reason to care enough to be nosy.

But he wasn't fucking blind. Quite the opposite; Han Jueon could read texts from across the room. He could decipher slivers of ink snaking out from under the shirt collars of Mingyu's new friends, even under the cast of shadow. And he had spent most of his life standing behind a cash register, watching: watching to see if the drug-addicted regulars were going to crack that day and swing at him, watching to see if the suspicious figures who entered were petty show-offs or serious criminals he could lose a finger for talking back to. Every day, Jueon saw things that most people wouldn't even consider, and though he chose to discard most of his observations as useless, some things stuck. That was called survival.

He was well aware that Mingyu was probably associating with people like himself -- those who walked too close to crime. Not like the conclusion was particularly ingenious. In what world would someone like Lee Mingyu walk away from probably the only thing that fit him like a glove?

And yeah, Jueon didn't like it. Didn't fucking like it at all, because as long as they kept going back, bad things would keep happening.

(That was the nature of crime, though, wasn't it? Or maybe just the nature of consequences -- Jueon wouldn't quite know).

Whatever Mingyu was doing wasn't serious enough to talk about, though, and Jueon would rather not start a fight. So he just shrugged, responding in his usual blasé manner. "Whatever, man -- suit yourself. Take care, I'll see you later."

© reveriee

 

[triples]

SAERIN

when your hands left mine, they were replaced by the rushing hands of time

why am i like this?

nine of clubs

what do i live for?

상실의 순기능

— epik high

mood: introspective ??
location: home
interactions: nobody ㅠ.ㅠ

scroll

You’re hired. Saerin never thought she could be so ecstatic to hear two simple words. Myohee really was a miracle worker. She didn’t know how she was ever going to repay her. Pay back kindness in equal measure – that was, to her, the minimum standard. But how? Her friend hardly needed a job.

In fact, the girl was out with a client right now, Saerin suspected. The man that had picked her up was… on the older side. Professional, but tired. Not someone a person like Myohee, magnetic and unrestrained, belonged with. Then again, she didn’t know that for a fact. She was beginning to accept that she knew pretty much nothing for a fact, not in this neighborhood.

Though, speaking of people that she thought Myohee fit in with – even if she fought with them all the time; Tom & Jerry were also considered an iconic duo – the house was still empty. She didn’t know if that was common around this time, considering how early she tended to sleep. But she didn’t want to sleep tonight. She was in a certain mood, an inexplicable one. A drinking mood, her sister might call it, but Saerin had hardly drank before beyond a few sips of beer. She just wanted, she supposed, not to feel alone.

Not that she necessarily wanted Mingyu back home but, well, maybe Jueon? They were awkward together, too, without Myohee around, but at least he wouldn’t intimidate her into silence just by existing. He, unlike whom she presumed to be his best friend, was comfortable. Calm. Laidback. Just not so intense, in general, in a place where everything else was. His normalcy was a relief, and it made her miss-

Saerin threw her head back against the couch, as if willing the cushions to put a stop to her thoughts like it put a stop to her skull from hitting the wall. She lifted strands of her hair up and released them from the trap of her fingers, watching as they fell in almost slow-motion. Perhaps she should go to sleep after all, force herself to rest and her brain to go into the sweet state of nothingness.

Or so she nearly decided, until the sound of the opening door came. She perked up, hopping lightly onto her feet and taking the couple steps forward so she could see who was entering. As the figure came into view, a small smile brightened her expression, and she greeted,

"Jueon-ssi, welcome home."

© reveriee

 

[reveriee]

JUEON

Headed to a place with light, but The shadows still follow me from behind

keep running forward

ace of spades

there were times when i couldn't fly

side by side

— BewhY

mood: eh
location: the house
interactions: saerinnnnn

scroll

Jueon didn't normally overthink. In fact, his sister would probably say that he didn't think enough, if at all -- not like she was to be trusted. But as he made the brief trek home, he couldn't hold his thoughts back from occasionally wandering and straying towards Mingyu. Who was his friend? What were they doing? What did this mean for their group, their alliance? Would this mean anything, or did Jueon construct an enemy out of misplaced suspicions?

But Jueon wasn't one to overthink, so by the third time these thoughts arose, he managed to snuff them out for sure, humming a light tune for the rest of the way to fill the void. Another day, completed. His job was rather mundane, and while Jueon appreciated that to a certain extent, it wasn't really enough to satisfy him; tomorrow, after work, he would go into the city and get his fix.

Jueon unlocked the door, opening it to a strangely silent house. Myohee probably wasn't home, then -- even without Mingyu to argue with, her presence was always a little noisy, almost tangible.

The light pattering of footsteps alerted him to another's presence -- one that could only be Saerin's. Jueon locked the door and turned briefly to look over his shoulder as the girl entered his view, offering her a small smile in return for the one lighting up her face. "Jueon-ssi, welcome home."

"Hey, Saerin," Jueon slid his shoes off, glancing back at the younger girl, who was looking more uplifted than usual. "Mm, you seem happy. Did your job search with Myohee go well?"

© reveriee

 

[triples]

SAERIN

when your hands left mine, they were replaced by the rushing hands of time

why am i like this?

nine of clubs

what do i live for?

상실의 순기능

— epik high

mood: getting better
location: home
interactions: jueon

scroll

“Mm, you seem happy.”

She blinked at his remark; did she? She felt better today than any other day she had spent out here, definitely. But for him to notice the change so instantly must speak to how down she’d been in the time that he knew her.

“Did your job search with Myohee go well?”

Ah, so he’d already known about it. Had her friend told him? Saerin's smile grew a silver wider.

“Yeah!”

She affirmed, her enthusiasm a splash of yellow against the grey, anxious colors that had colored her tone before.

“I was hired at this makeup store, in the shopping district downtown.”

She brought herself to a stop before she rambled too much, though she still tagged on a quick:

“Now I can pay back the rent and everything!”

As Jueon moved from the entrance through the living room, and then into the kitchen, her curious gaze trailed after his figure. Her footsteps were slower to follow, but she ended up at the entrance of the kitchen all the same, shifting her weight from one foot to another as she stared at his back.

“How was your day?”

She gathers the courage to ask, for the first time, her fidgeting hands an indication of how little she wanted to come off annoying. Yet, when his silence persisted for a fraction of a second too long -- not really, her perception of time was just unreliable in the moment -- her nerves pushed her to continue questioning:

“Where's Mingyu-ssi?”

© reveriee

 

[reveriee]

JUEON

Headed to a place with light, but The shadows still follow me from behind

keep running forward

ace of spades

there were times when i couldn't fly

side by side

— BewhY

mood: lets do something fun
location: the house
interactions: saerin ( triples )

scroll

Jueon responded to Saerin's news with an affirming hum. So she finally (not like Jueon was the one complaining) got a job. Now there was one less thing for Mingyu and Myohee to argue about -- well, not like it mattered. Those two could find a point of contention in absolutely nothing, which was both impressively creative and increasingly exhausting.

"How was your day?" Jueon glanced back at the brunette girl, taking note of her fidgeting hands. "Where's Mingyu-ssi?"

Jueon, who was about to answer, felt the words on his tongue slowing to a stop. The first question was easy, predictable, but the second one took him a little by surprise. It's not like they were attached by the hip, right? And it's not like Mingyu (or any of them) followed a strict enough schedule for their absence to be something to be questioned.

But maybe Saerin just wants to know, Jueon mused, and he had to admit that if anyone knew anything about Mingyu, it'd be him.

"He's with another friend," he responded placidly, reaching inside his jacket pocket for the cigarette pack he had stolen from the store, before hanging the article of clothing up on one of the hooks Myohee had hammered into the wall. "I'm not really sure what they're doing."

Jueon opened up the perfectly crisp, untouched cigarette pack, about to go through the motions as he usually did before he remembered Saerin and all her reserved but averse reactions to smoking (especially when it was combined with him). He couldn't recall her saying anything outright, but hey, he had eyes. Jueon mentally sighed, pushing the cig back into the neat row he had tugged it from and dropping the pack in a drawer for good measure. "Sorry," he said to Saerin, offering a vaguely sheepish smile. "You don't like that, do you?

"But hey, congrats on the job," he continued, switching the topic. "You know, we should do something fun to celebrate." Things were getting dull; Jueon needed a break. "What do you like, Saerin? Drinking, desserts, movies? Stargazing on the roof, long walks on the beach?" Jueon smiled, his tone growing more amused with each new silly, offhand suggestion. "Hey, tell me about yourself."

© reveriee