heirdrop - Tumblr blog

[heirdrop]

𝒉𝒂𝒋𝒐𝒐𝒏           ╱           @ofkaan

He raised his head, meeting Kim Yul's gaze with a defiant stare. With a little pat on Yul’s chest, Hajoon offered a gesture that spoke volumes about his courage and resolve. The atmosphere grew tense, as if a storm was brewing between the two men. With an unwavering gaze, he muttered in a frigid tone, “If you think I’m scared of you, you’re wrong, hyung. Also, if Seunghan requested it, I could swiftly and effortlessly eliminate you.”

𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝚃𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙺𝙸𝙳𝚂 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚂𝙴 𝙳𝙰𝚈𝚂?    certainly not respect.    intelligence is mostly inherent,    but it seems that it's in short supply as well.    audacity,    however,    has no qualifiers    ⸻    just accessories in the form of privilege and delusion.    ❝    you should put some more effort into the upcoming rituals than threatening someone in the men's room of a police station.    ❞    genuine good advice,    out of the kindness and generosity of his own heart.     yul can't    ⸻    or won't,    rather openly,    not to insult hajoon's intelligence by pretending otherwise    ⸻    stifle the snicker as he steps around the other, stopping at a urinal to do the actual business he came here for.    ❝    eliminate me.    ahh,    you kill me,    choi hajoon.    ❞

on what to avoid,    says his inner middle schooler.    no doubt this exchange will make its way back to his brothers,    and it was best not to give him any more ammunition.    not that he ever needed to.    everything seunghan had on him was a scramble to follow in yul's footsteps;    he needed allies because he couldn't stand on his own two feet.    yul would always be the trailblazer between the two and anything else was mere floundering in an attempt to intimidate.     what a pity to have the prize in arm's reach and still be so insecure.

❝    i'm chill,    i'm chill...    ❞    but apparently not enough,    the freezing bite of the sink water pulling a hiss from between clenched teeth.    yul shakes his hands dry as he approaches the towel dispenser    (    oops,    did some get on hajoon?    completely unintentional    ),     taking a sheet to blot out the remaining moisture.    spreading his hands in a slight bow,    he dips his head.    ❝    you're right,    we all should try to get along.    but you have to know why some of us can't,    right?    and i mean the whole truth of it.    ❞

surely seunghan knows better than to spin a sob story, and surely the scion of politicians knows better than to hitch himself to a non-starter mired by bastardy. unless he's hoping to use his own clout to drag seunghan's name out of the mud    ⸻    but how could he?    the thing about dynasties is that traditional values are the only way to succeed in them.    father got lucky with the post-war boom,    rapid industrialization turning tech into the domain of kings.    the kims are allowed to be atypical,    which is why they can kick and scratch at each other until the one who makes the most money comes out on top.     but a politician in south korea will never get anywhere with the stench of a man conceived out of wedlock hanging over him like a cloud of skunk spray,    paternal preference or otherwise.

isn't it a much prettier story to restore the firstborn son to his rightful place?

but no,    he's much too tainted,    and there are better things for yul to expend his efforts on than turning someone who's pretty firmly in his brother's camp.    and if hajoon isn't bright enough to see what a sinking ship seunghan is,    then    ⸻     well.    wouldn't be much of an ally anyway.    yul brushes some imaginary lint off of his chest,    coincidentally where hajoon's hand had been earlier.    his own palm falls on the other's shoulder once,    then twice,    as he walks past.    ❝    don't worry,    joon-아.    i'll help you remain a free man.    ❞    a dramatic exit punctuated by the ker-chunk of the door handle and the hiss of the hydraulic closer.

[heirdrop]

𝒔𝒆𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒏           ╱           @5threquiem

the man releases his hold on his older half-brother in a manner that is not unlike a shove. he sees it now, the devil’s motive — to throw him off his game, if only so yul may steal his inheritance from right under him. mother was right. seunghan steps forth, hovers over his half-brother with barred teeth.

“you’re the rat.”

𝙸𝚃 𝙵𝙸𝙶𝚄𝚁𝙴𝚂.    it makes sense that his stupid brother would immediately leap to the wrong conclusion,    that he would accost yul like the violent brute he always knew seunghan to be,    that he thought looming over him like a malnourished gargoyle frothing spittle in his face would be even remotely intimidating.    seunghan's side of the family has always carried a distinct detachment from reality    ⸻    a profound misunderstanding of their station    (    even lower than the worms    )    so,    it stands to reason that the huffing and puffing mouthbreather before him would sprint fully down the wrong path with all the delicacy of a rodeo bull.

❝    don't fucking touch me,    ❞    yul hisses,    a bit of a moot point once he's already been unhanded.    but it makes metaphorical sense,    in reference to the talons they've sunken into each other in this years-long death spiral.    the ground has come up ever closer to them,    the tightly packed earth over noh hyungseo's grave.

it was easy to forget about the whole thing.    the stench of failure lapped at his heels for years    ⸻    briefly hyungseo's death,    then his miserable initiates,    and after that a smattering of dead-on-arrival start-ups    ⸻    before he gained his footing.    piling as much crap as he could on his plate    (    as if being a dad wasn't already enough    )    became the simplest coping mechanism.    to have at least one thing snatched off his buffet platter without even asking,    condescneding and accusatory tone notwithstanding,    is a gift.    hell,    he'd kiss every one of the 2013 chessmasters if they wanted him to.

sue him for expressing vulnerability in public,    yul supposes.    figures that kim seunghan's a 한남.    it's even in his name,    sort of.

a scoff tears its way free from his throat as yul shoves his brother back    ⸻    half-retaliation,    half to get more space.    ❝    what the fuck are you talking about?    are you high?    been skiing lately?    ❞    he casts a long look down the hallway.    he'd hate for their forefathers' generosity to be rescinded because kim seunghan is an absolute moron.    ❝    i should be flattered that you think i have enough bandwidth to pull all this shit off.    but unlike some people    ⸻    namely,    you,    i'd wager    ⸻    i am busy.    i don't have the time,    and i don't need any underhanded tactics to prove i'm better than you,    so get that fat fucking finger out of my face,    you little shit.     ❞

although,    in hindsight,    maybe he should've played up the bogeyman aspect some more.

[heirdrop]

𝒉𝒂𝒋𝒐𝒐𝒏           ╱           @ofkaan

“You shouldn't even think about getting on my bad side, regardless of your petty grudge against us. The fate of the entire alumni depends on this. Plus, you're stuck with us now, so get used to it.”

𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴 𝙰𝙻𝙼𝙾𝚂𝚃 𝚂𝙴𝙴𝙼𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝚂𝙻𝙾𝚆.    it taunts yul,    like the flashing lights of an arcade game    ⸻    he could keep quiet,    could walk away,    could even play nice in an attempt to turn hajoon away from his brother.    or he could take a swing at the other's stupid,    smug face.    by far and away the worst course of acction in a police station,    but god is it tempting.    even if it wouldn't be a very good punch,    seeing as he's not much of a fighter,    it would make him feel good,    and that's all that matters to yul in the end.    satisfaction is few and far between in his life.    and the potential assault charge may be worth casting further doubt on the three stooges    ⸻    but that's not the name of the game.

the initiates are meant to compete with each other.    if ryu joowon isn't good enough to knock hajoon out of the ring,    big-brother-esque alliance or otherwise,    then that's simply the natural order of things.    han screwed up, song did one thing right    (    not that it at all makes up for the rest    ).    it's not his place to sabotage,    and he'd land in hotter water than the whole lot of them,    all thirty people bound by melodramatic secrecy.    what a fucking mess.

❝    i'm sorry    ⸻    are you telling me what to do?    ❞    yul scoffs,    a harsh,    grating noise that he only just manages to curb in volume.    walk away,    a voice says in his head,    eerily reminiscent of his mother.    he's not worth it.    neither was noh hyungseo,    and yet they're all here because he couldn't doggy-paddle his way out of a wet paper bag.    this is valuable time yul could spend doing literally anything else.    choi hajoon's presumptuousness is not so grave an affront that it requires retribution.    and yet still,    venom drips from his tongue.    ❝    can you blame me for being cautious?    how am i to know you had nothing to do with this?    unless you want me to think you're a loser whose own partner intiate won't even talk to them.    ❞    tweedle dee and tweedle dum.

cruelty is beneath him    ⸻    or so he'd like it to be.    but the simple fact of the matter is that it's horrendously easy to get in yul's bad side,    and being unkind to people he dislikes is one of his favorite pastimes.    hurt people hurt people,    or something the therapist his mom got him said.    he stopped going years ago and just drives around when he's supposed to be at appointments,    so he doesn't actually know what the solution to this personal issue is.    but he should have gotten it out of his system by now.    ❝    good on you to make sure you don't shit your pants in there,    though if you need adult diapers,    형 has got you covered.    ❞    mostly.

[heirdrop]

𝒕𝒂𝒆𝒓𝒊          ╱           @pcrfumed

"what a shitshow," taeri says, idly. she doesn't bother looking at him as she waits for her car. when was the last time she had to? she's seen that face too many times, handsome and dull and bereft of anything that inspired her. she tips her head towards him. "should we hope for a confession in tomorrow's paper?" taeri says, amusement sharp enough to wound. pointed at him, at their class, at the kids- did it matter who she pointed at, as long as it landed?

𝚈𝚄𝙻 𝙷𝙰𝚃𝙴𝚂 𝙸𝚃.    agreeing with people he dislikes.    it's easier to be permanently adversarial,    to take the opposite stance and push buttons freely,    indulging childish whims and tantrums.    it feels better to lash out than to swallow his pride.    the world is simplest in black and white.    against yul or for yul.     everyone who's    ❛    bad    ❜    is stupid and not worth his time.    must be why betrayal stings so much    ⸻    living proof that some of the smartest people he knows can turn their backs on him without compromising their integrity.    which is why he pretends that they have none.    but in this,    it's hard to deny taeri's  words.

how the fuck did this go so very sideways?    they weren't like this as initiates,    were they?

yul remembers ambition.    remembers sleepless nights    (    dry ones,    for the most part    ),    remembers the burning need to win,    like he was headed to the executioner's block if he didn't.    it doesn't seem worth it,    now.    the headache and the pulled muscle,    the scrutiny and the backstabbing,    and all for what?    doors that most of them could open with money or family name anyway?    that sounds a little like cowardice,    but caring is beyond his reach now.    all they can do is link shields,    form an impenetrable phalanx against the powers that be.    the only question here is if she'd gut him underneath the turtle formation.    or if anyone else would,    but he's stung by taeri in particular.

❝    no fucking shit.    ❞    he wishes he could be so easily entertained.    maybe he wouldn't be sprouting gray at this age    ⸻    oh,    crap,    is it showing?    can anyone see?    yul takes another puff and holds it in,    the searing heat in his lungs a paltry comfort.    ❝    you already know what i'm hoping for.    ❞    yul's got wants.    lots of 'em,    hundreds,    even.    some insignificant,    some downright delusional,    and he's never hidden a single one.    a traint incongruent with a secret society,    isn't it?    just another sign that he doesn't belong.

whatever.    he'll continue to play as dumb as he needs to,    and soon enough,    this storm will pass.    justice will be served,    whatever that means.    if jung yoojin gets punished for her egregious lack of judgment or hyungseo finally gets exposed for the douchebag try-hard he is     ⸻    was    ⸻    it's all the same to yul.    they've all got bigger fish to fry.    it's simply a matter of cooking this minnow first.    ❝    suppose this means song will get knocked down a peg.    how lucky she is to have your shoulder to cry on.    ❞

[heirdrop]

𝒔𝒆𝒖𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒂𝒏          ╱          @5threquiem

“shall we?” now, smiling innocently, seunghan holds his hand out and directs yul to the table, never mind that it is yul that is hosting, and seunghan that is the guest, “we don’t want to keep father waiting.”

𝙷𝙴'𝚂 𝚁𝙴𝙰𝙳 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝙾𝙵 𝚆𝙰𝚁.    contrary to popular belief,    it is a simple book filled with    ❛    no shit    ❜    common sense koans and the occasional baffling anecdote about ancient agriculture.    it,    and machiavelli's the prince,    were some of the most quoted pieces of literature in all of the investor meetings,    luncheons and zoom calls alike,    a string of words recited uncomprehendingly and utterly unbefitting of each context.    yul's memorized an aphorism or two just to fit in,    but for the life of him,    he can't recall one to spit in his brother's face.    maybe he could come up with one on the spot    ⸻    feed your enemy,    and you'll have a friend for life.    poison your enemy,    and you'll have one less problem.    mm.    no.    sounds  stupid    (    which would suit seunghan,  but  he's  supposed  to  be  playing  nice    ).

❝    hardly,    ❞    yul hisses instead through a clenched jaw.    it's bait if not an insult.    their father wouldn't take too kindly to hearing about just how little yul needs him,    either for his ego or even pure pragmatism.    why would he hand his life's work to a son who doesn't need it?    yul doesn't need any more reminders of his short-sightedness;    he's got an adorable one to tuck in every night,    presently hopped up on apple cider and making puppy eyes at every elder who will indulge him.    ❝    such a generous offer,    hannie.    stop trying to act all grown up,    yeah?    ❞    two can play at that game,    yul's nails more involved in pinching seunghan's cheek than they should be.

is this how brothers play with each other?     he wouldn't know.    yul's never had siblings,    only a nuisance he sometimes wished would die,    and his best friend had an age gap twice as large as yul and seunghan's.    there are no examples to draw from,    save perhaps a maternal uncle who was too doting if anything.    yul doesn't want to give the wrong impression,    that he likes or cares about seunghan to any degree.     at leas tnot to the man himself,    who is blessedly intelligent enough to fall in line with the charade.

he supposes it would be asking too much of seunghan to have the sense to step entirely aside.    yul may even be compelled to throw him a bone,    offer him a cushy if ineffectual position in the family business in exchange for his obedience.    let it be said,    kim yul is no tyrant.    but that may be expecting too much from a boy who tore at yul's coattails rather than clung onto them.    allowing himself to be led is a concession,    swiftly followed by the counterattack of leaning forward to pour tea    (    first father,    then brother,    and finally with great humility,    himself    ).    ❝    drink up.    you must be thirsty.    ❞

[heirdrop]

𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗜 𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗙𝗘𝗘𝗟           ╱          @ofkaan

𝙻𝙰𝚁𝚁𝚈,     𝙼𝙾𝙴,    𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝚄𝚁𝙻𝚈    ⸻     𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙴𝙴 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝙾𝙶𝙴𝚂,     𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃'𝚂 𝚆𝙷𝙾 𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚈 𝙻𝙾𝙾𝙺 𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴!    god,    that's been bothering yul forever.    he's sure they'd call themselves the three musketeers or some other romantic,    idealistic trio.    but seunghan is a big,    dumb baby with an oversized head,    and all of his friends by extension are doodooheads too.    not that this flagrant and egregious violation of public sanitation was punishable by death.    it's hard to think of them now as a dynamic duo of diaper-donners    ⸻    but that's why they're all gathered here,    isn't it?    to get justice for the dearly departed?

yul feels no guilt for what's been said,    for what he'll continue to say.    it's not as if he's wrong.    three dumb boys feeding each other's egos leads to all sorts of mishaps,    some they can laugh off and others they can't.    yoojin bears part of the blame,    of course,    for coming up with such a dumb ritual to begin with.    but maybe if the three stooges weren't so busy painting targets on their backs,    goofing off,    breathing,    or thinking they're worth something,    this wouldn't have happened.    yul has already handed out all the condolences he'd been willing to give.    the varying levels of gratitude therein have curbed any sort of altruism that might've clawed its way out of his ribcage.

so when he spots hajoon's approach from the corner of hsi eye,    he offers nothing    ⸻    no wishes of good luck or warnings.    perhaps he should've;    it'd be as much an opportunity to gloat as it would serve as a transparent gesture of vague good will.    he never said hajoon was a suspect.    person of interest seemed close enough,    though.    that said,    there are better places for childish behavior than the halls of a police station    ⸻    even though he can't quite stop himself from moving a shoulder to avoid a body over a meter away.    a gesture some brilliant detective is going to clock,    surely,    and one that yul is going to own wholeheartedly.

[heirdrop]

𝒚𝒐𝒉𝒂𝒏          ╱          @silenthowls

Yohan pauses to crack a knuckle. He does not remain in upset with Yul's statement for long. "Whoever did all of this has a clear goal in mind, that's for sure... and I don't plan on sticking around the rest to find out." He turns back toward the window. And I am the last who would have anything to worry about.

𝙺𝙸𝙼 𝚈𝚄𝙻 𝙸𝚂 𝙰 𝚁𝚄𝙽𝙽𝙴𝚁.    it's a wonder he found himself doing swim when he was younger,    because he would've made a killing on the track team with his flight-skewed instincts   ⸻    but seunghan has longer legs and swimming in the same pool with him was hell on earth already.    as the insult falls from yohan's lips,    he can't bite back the snicker.    on the whole,    it's a rather gentle word compared to what he    (    they both    )    thinks of seunghan,    but the loyalty is gratifying enough on its own.    the charade of friendliness he has to live under so long as his father still draws breath is a crushing weight;    knowing there's at least someone he can be honest with outside of his mom is an incalculable relief.

but yohan has issues of his own.    whatever that skirting around earlier was    ⸻    and there was only just a teensy bit of offense at being left in the dark,    scout's honor    ⸻    and the resurfacing of what yul can only assume is the darkest period of his life.    the truth is,    he doesn't actually know.    the pockets of yohan's life he'd been allowed access to over the intervening years were carefully curated,    both for his own sake and jace's.    they never spoke of his time in the military or any other tragedy beyond the first that linked them together,    the hereditary misery that clung to both like an inoperable tumor.    just enough,    yul can only assume,    to pump fresh lifeblood into a relationship he'd let languish.    had he earned the right to know    ⸻    and wouldn't it be worse if he didn't have to?

his lips twitch,    humoring the almost-joke.    ❝    the sooner we sniff out the rat,    the sooner we can break out the glue trap.    ❞    inhumane and slow,    the complete opposite of his desired approach to the whole situation.    it should really be more of a neck snap,    thumb and forefiner,    quiet and quick.    but there should be some level of suffering,    some comfort in the gruesomeness,    for putting his closest friend through this.    yul remembers the funeral,    yohan straining in his hands as he tried    (    and failed    )    to shush and calm him.    it's only karma that whatever freak who thought this was funny or brave or both be made to squirm.

❝    i don't know,    i guess i'm talking just to hear my own voice.    it's a kim family trait.    ❞    there,    that should ease the tension.    settling back into his seat,    yul folds his hands over a knee.    his leg bounces to the rhythm of the theme song to some kid's show jace is hooked on.    yul's eye slowly travels to his right,    lingering in the peripheral as he speaks.    ❝    that night aside,    did you have a good vacation?    enjoy the beach?    ❞    or someone?

[heirdrop]

𝗔𝗠 𝗜 𝗕𝗔𝗗 𝗢𝗥 𝗠𝗔𝗗 𝗢𝗥 𝗪𝗜𝗦𝗘?          ╱          @pcrfumed

𝚂𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙸𝚂 𝙵𝙾𝚁 𝙱𝙰𝙱𝙸𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙱𝙸𝙶 𝙸𝙳𝙸𝙾𝚃 𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙴𝚁𝚂.    it's a philosophy yul came up with as a child,    a worldview born chiefly of spite    (    as most things about his pathetic existence are    ).    there's nothing to be proud of,    and he's gotten pretty used to ignoring the shame    ⸻    of being the unwanted son,    himself and his mother the subject of shout-like whispers during family gatherings,    the burning in his gut when kim seunghan does anything deserving of praise,    whether or not it has to do with yul.    yet in spite of the clear-cut tenets of this credo,    yul has always been a generous sort.    as long as the risk to himself is minimal,    yul has no problem with being nice,    if not bland and inoffensive.    sure,    go ahead,    i've got plenty of pens or hey,    i have the answer key to this problem set if you need it or yeah,    this code is open source,    no need to credit me though i'd appreciate it if you did.

there's no real loss inherent to offering kwon taeri a cigarette as they wait out a dreary december drizzle beneath the awning of the police station.    he'd be down one cig and he'd have to take his hands out of his warm coat pockets,    unfurl them from around the little warming packets.    that's all.    hardly strenuous,    especially for an old friend.    but that's just it,    isn't it?    old should be replaced with former.    never,    actually,    if he's going to be entirely honest.    because no actual friend,    someone who knew,    understood,    and liked yul,    would've ever chosen to brandish the bane of his existence like a weapon,    to club shin doyoon to metaphorical death with the one person yul hates more than dear old dad.

it's that it makes him feel stupid,    actually    ⸻    that's the part that hurts most.    his life is a revolving door of adults and authority figures,    but with peers    ...    he sounds dumb as hell,   and he knows it.    he'd never say it out loud because he knows taeri would laugh in his face.    but they were comrades,    once upon a time,    weren't they?    whatever happened to loyalty?    had a handful of years really changed so much,    and why hadn't yul noticed it?

❝    tch.    ❞    he'll swear on a bible that the annoyed click of his tongue once she came to a stop beside him was purely reflex,    but they both know the truth.    yul has nothing to say to taeri that won't devolve into shouting,    and that's the last thing either of them wants when roughly ten feet away from the nearest cop.    when he next exhales after a puff,    he turns so that the wind blows the smoke away from her    (    and he won't look her in the eye as he does so    ).    how's that for a favor?

[heirdrop]

were you aware of any threats or hostile behavior directed towards noh hyungseo?

❝    wait,     are you saying that you think this is premeditated?    ❞

a golden goose plops a shiny,    24 karat egg in his lap.    with a yolk made of pure poison,    of course,    but it sure looks pretty,    and it feels nice and warm.    the house of fabergé had some pretty good ideas.    incredulity tugs the corners of his mouth upward,    bewilderment tinted with a hint of maladaptive daydreaming.    but no,    that's more trouble than it's worth,    there are too many variables and chances for it to blow up in his face    ⸻    one of the few moments in which yul wished he'd been nicer to seunghan,    that he'd hidden his loathing rather than broadcast it for all to see.    it's in everyone's best interest to play it as a freak accident.    murder investigations take forever,    criminal trials    (    and subsequent appeals    )    even longer.    the way yul sees it,    they need to work together to make it an open and shut case,    make the detectives feel stupid for suspecting otherwise,    if they can.    but he can take a few seconds to dwell on the what if's.    oh,    officer,    he was always so jealous of his best friend.    would you consider that sufficient motive?

❝    no.    i mean,    he was a bit of an arrogant prick,    so there were people he rubbed the wrong way,    but i've never heard anything about a threat of any kind.    ❞

[heirdrop]

why were you at the midas resort at the time of his death?

a sheepish smile would be out of place here,    wouldn't it?    because the last words in the question were to do with hyungseo's demise,    and the police don't care about his relationship problems,    so there's no point in trying to appeal to them with good humor.    a dead boy is no laughing matter.    no catalyst for a rom-com.    maybe ten years ago would playing glib work well in his favor    (    or maybe not,    considering someone is still dead.    it's like he doesn't want to remember that fact    ).    but a shrug is fine.    heat marking the tips of his ears having nothing to do with the time of year,     yul glances between the two officers.    ❝    lover's spat,    ❞    is the answer he ultimately goes with,    because he can't help himself.    the man softens,    brows curve up sympathetically.    yul spies a wedding band on his finger. the lady officer remains unmoved and folds her arms over her chest.    ❝    my girlfriend and i are going through a rough patch,    so i thought i'd treat her to a weekend getaway.    we'd heard about it from the other students.    last time i take my advice from that lot,    i tell you.    ❞    well,    at least one of them appreciates his sense of humor.

[heirdrop]

who was the last person you saw with noh hyungseo while he was still alive and when?

head tilted upward toward the fluorescents,    yul lets the buzz of them fill his ears,    artificial and anxiety-inducing,    like a symphony.    ❝    he was at the lake with his two friends    ⸻    choi hajoon and kim seunghan,    ❞    said in a trance-like state,    like a shaman possessed by witness spirits.    like he's buried in the recesses of his memory,    genuinely searching,    trying to be helpful.    both faraway and yet present,    palms pressed together as if in prayer.    this is the only way a lack of eye contact is not allowed;    it has nothing to do with the fact that he's growing bored of cyclical queries and stringing together mostly true answers.    ❝    i didn't see what they were up to, horsing around by the banks, maybe?    we left after we saw them.    it was late    ⸻    cold.    past sundown,    at least.    ❞    better to place himself at the scene of the crime than have someone unceremoniously plop him there.    honestly is the best policy,    but no one's made him swear to tell the whole truth just yet    ⸻    and he has the tongue of a sinner anyway.    hyera can vouch for that in more ways than one.

[heirdrop]

can you describe your relationship with noh hyungseo?

❝    only in terms establishing that we didn't have one.     ❞    he's trying not to sound too snippy;    it helps no one    ⸻    least of all himself    ⸻    to get on a cop's bad side because he can't mask the chip on his shoulder for a few hours.    (    or so he hopes.    how long do interrogations take,    anyway?    surely they aren't trying to dehydrate him in the hopes of drawing out a confession.    there are several people who are way easier to frame,    one of which yul would be more than happy to incriminate bribery-free.    )    suddenly,    he becomes all too aware of the tense line of his arms,    fingers knotted together on the cold steel table.    they're well into winter,    but the heat isn't on.    trouble with the electric bill?    he wonders.    yul supposes    ❛    comfort    ❜    is nowhere to be found in the mantra of protect and serve.    ❝    i mean,    i know of him.    we run in the same circles by virtue of our parents sharing a tax bracket,    but i would hesitate to even call him an acquaintance.    i'm of the opinion that the company you keep is a reflection of yourself,    and his circle is    ...    shall we say,    questionable.    ❞

[heirdrop]

do you know of anyone who could possibly be involved in noh hyungseo’s death?

this is a delicate question.    there are many ways to play this    ⸻    too much or too little and yul runs the risk of implicating hismelf in a crime without motive,    giving purpose to finding one no matter how outlandish or circumstantial.    he's at the mercy of an overzealous soul,    one chasing a promotion or another misguided by a sense of justice.    there's a lot people like him can get away with,    yet painting with the same brush,    there are plenty who would like to see his ilk get theirs and would leap at the chance.    it's a sentiment he can understand;    it's not like he can pass up this golden opportunity either,    to pelt a bird with two stones    ⸻    or whatever the fucking saying is.    ❝    he and my brother seunghan were close.     ❞    furrowed brows form a crease in between them,    eyes wide as the full weight of his words evidently dawns on him.    ❝    not that i suspect any foul play!    my brother and i have never gotten along,    but i don't think he's capable of    ⸻    of that.    it's just    ...    you know how things get when egos and alcohol mix. teenagers think they're untouchable.     accidents happen.    god    ⸻    is it awful of me to say that?    ❞    nope.    not even a little bit.

[heirdrop]

BREAKING NEWS — FROM THE ARCHIVE, 20 DECEMBER 2016.

“Good evening. I’m Kim Yena, and this is SBS News Tonight. To our top story of the hour, the body of a young man was discovered washed ashore on Cheongpyeong Lake this morning. The victim, believed to be 19-year-old Noh Hyungseo of Seoul, was found by a group of tourists. While formal identification is still pending, police have strong reasons to believe the decedent is the same individual who was reported missing by the Noh family on December 6th, 2016.

Authorities from the Gyeonggi Provincial Police have established the crime scene and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The exact cause of death remains unknown at this time, and investigators are urging anyone with information to come forward. If you have any details that could assist with this case, please contact your local authorities immediately.

Noh, a promising first-year student at Seoul National University, was the only son of the CEO of NGK group and the grandson of the company’s founder. He was widely regarded as one of the brightest students of his class, and his sudden disappearance had sent shockwaves through the academic and corporate communities. In the wake of his tragic death, the students of the university have set up a memorial in his honor, where members of the community have gathered to pay their respects.

NGK group has declined to comment at this time.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family. We will continue to bring you updates as more information becomes available. This is SBS News Tonight, I’m Kim Yena.”

given the societal prominence of the noh family, the discovery of noh hyungseo’s body washed ashore in cheongpyeong lake sends shockwaves throughout all of south korea. in becoming a media sensation, the police have been pressured by the public to double their efforts in investigating the cause and events leading up to the noh heir’s death. in their efforts, they uncover a crucial piece of evidence: in the approximate week of noh hyungseo’s death as determined by the body’s state of decomposition, several students from his university had checked into the midas resort, located a short kilometer away from the lake in which his body was found. additionally, many of these students have been seen or associated with the decedent at various points in his life. throughout the week of december 26th, 2016, the police call each of these students in for questioning. baek sunghyun and im sora are the interrogating officers.

can you describe your relationship with noh hyungseo?

when was the last time you saw or spoke with him?

were you aware of any threats or hostile behavior directed towards noh hyungseo?

did you notice any changes in noh hyungseo’s behavior leading up to his death?

why were you at the midas resort at the time of his death?

did you travel with or meet anyone during your stay at the resort?

did you see or interact with noh hyungseo at any point during your stay at the resort?

did you recognize anyone at the resort or notice any unusual behavior around the time of noh hyungseo’s death?

did you visit cheongpyeong lake or its surroundings at any point during your stay at the resort?

did you see noh hyungseo at or near the lake at any point?

did anyone mention going to the lake or meeting noh hyungseo in that week?

do you know of anyone who could possibly be involved in noh hyungseo’s death?

who was the last person you saw with noh hyungseo while he was still alive and when?

did you notice anyone acting suspiciously after noh hyungseo was reported missing?

have you, at any point, been discouraged from speaking with the police or sharing information?

do you have any theories about what might have happened to noh hyungseo?

is there anyone else you believe we should speak to?

event details  thank you for your patience — our second event is now underway! for context, noh hyungseo’s body was found by a group of tourists on the morning of december 20th, 2016 and the incident was broadcasted in news stations across the country come the evening. a student-run memorial was set up at snu’s courtyard for members of the community to leave items like flowers, photographs, personal notes, and the like, and to pay their respects. police investigations began shortly after the news broadcast, with all 2016 chessmasters and 2019 initiates being called in for questioning within the week of december 26th, 2016. the incident was ultimately concluded to be an accident, and the club and its members left unscathed. when participating in this event, you may explore events from the news broadcast up to the point of the interrogation and their reaction to it, but please do not explore anything related to the case beyond this point!

askbox prompts  please keep your askbox open and reblog this event post if you would like to receive the prompts above by our lovely members! please also remember to send some prompts out to anyone participating! answering a prompt also counts towards activity, with 3x prompts answered being equivalent to 1x thread. you may choose to send these prompts on or off anon, but it is understood that any prompts received is from the police. if you do not wish to receive any prompts, please at least answer 3 prompts of your choice for a better idea of how your muse will react to the second part of this event. this will count for a total of 1x thread activity. admin plotting tip! to make the most of this event, consider the alibis that your muses may conspire with others to come up with to explain what they may have been doing at the midas resort and to make sure their stories match up!

ooc info  this is a two-part event — this first part is set in 2016. please tag all posts as #cm:breaking. the second part of this event will be set in 2024 and is scheduled to be released on 25 august, 8pm pst. all event starters may be posted up until 15 september, 8pm pst and, along with any prompts, should be wrapped up by 22 september, 8pm pst. participation is optional, though it is understood that your muses would have been brought in for questioning.

as always, thank you for being such lovely members and for your continued commitment to checkmate! if you have any questions, our askbox and dms are always open!

[heirdrop]

hello!!!!    don't mind me rolling up 15 minutes late with a call of my own!  below are a couple of ideas to get the ball rolling,    i am of course always willing to brainstorm if you have any other ideas!    please feel free to leave a like and i'll go ahead and poke you on ims or on discord <3

i.    yul has an alibi squared away in baek hyera,    perhaps the one benefit of scrambling to intiate one's girlfriend at the very last minute.    with the police convinced that they were indulging in each other while one of their peers drowned,     it has come to yul's attention that his other idiot initiate has no alibi to speak of    ⸻    and so he's enlisted the help of MUSE A in return for a vaguely worded favor.

ii.    alternatively,    what yul had thought was water-tight actually has a few holes unaccounted for  (    i.e.    contradicting key card entry times at the resort,    etc.    )    that MUSE B has swooped in to rescue him from.    although grateful,    yul is also wary of any motives in rescuing him from further scrutiny.

iii.    rather than helping someone's alibi,    he's willing to deligitimize  (  or at least cast doubt upon  )    someone else's.    he'll only do so for a price,    of  course    ⸻    unless MUSE C's target is his very own brother,    in which his generosity has no limits.

iv.    a fellow attendee to the student-made memorial,    yul's presence has drawn suspicion regarding his relative openness to cooperating with the police.    MUSE D strongly believes that yul,    maybe in a poorly timed sense of guilt,    could blow the lid on the whole thing.    he sure picked the wrong time to grow a conscience.

v.    alternatively,    MUSE E is a member of the club who thinks yul's sorrow is too little,    too late.    while they can admit he did attempt a good deed in trying to rescue hyungseo on the night of the 4th,    the fact still remains that he couldn't save him and that he never once cared about the man before all this.    there's no way,    in their mind,    that these condolences are sincere.

[heirdrop]

𝒋𝒖𝒚𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒈          ╱          @rcttencore

hand lightly brushing against his arm before she leans in just a touch, faintest trace of his cologne mingling with the air between them. she brings her lips close to his ear, a delicate and intimate motion all too disproportionate given their non-existent relationship. "you look good tonight," she murmurs, soft and inviting with a tinge of conspiratorial sweetness. her gaze, however, divulge her motive as they drifting pointedly towards a different direction, a silent signal of the charade she has choreographed.

𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚆𝙰𝚈𝚂 𝚃𝙾 𝚂𝙿𝙴𝙽𝙳 𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝚃𝙸𝙼𝙴.    sleeping,    coding,    texting his mom    (    because she'll buy some paper-making company in japan for fun if he leaves her to her own devices    ).    frowning at his brother    ⸻    giving himself wrinkles!    ⸻    is fairly low on the list of productive tasks,    but yul can admit his discipline's slipped a bit ever since he got into the king's club.    he doesn't even recognize half of the people here;    only immediate relations stand out like beacons in the crowd.    everyone is a blur better off ignored as he clings to the walls with a drink in hand.    i could get laid too,    a bitter,    pathetic thought that startles a laugh out of his chest comes at the tail end of watching seunghan work what yul assumes to be his charm on some poor,    unsuspecting young lady.    the thing is,    yul has no problem with pulling women    ⸻    but insisting upon it makes it sound like a lie.

how serendipitous it is,    then,    that overt proof would saunter right up to him.

❝    you're laying it on a little thick,    sweetheart,    ❞    yul snorts.    glass-cooled fingers brush a lock of    ⸻    uh.    hm.    oh,    juyeong,    that's  it!    ⸻    juyeong's hair behind her ear,    tracing her jaw in the follow-through.    there's only ten members of their little cohort including yul himself;    his mother raised him better than this.    guilt flashes briefly across his face in the shape of a pained smile,    only to be wiped away with a blink and the realization that he can count their total conversations on one hand.    it takes two to tango,    after all.    he's not going to shame her for only now getting to know him    (    biblically or otherwise    ).    ❝    should i even the playing field?    your lip gloss looks nice,    mind if i taste it?    ew,    could you imagine?    sounds like something he'd say.     ❞

it's no coincidence that she came up behind him,    yul wagers.    that's fine,    he doesn't mind a good old-fashioned mind game every now and then.    especially when it's on the glaring white light of a man    (    pond scum,    in his professional opinion    )    in the distance begging to regain both their attention.    he lowers his head a smidge,    still leaned against the wall.    he beckons her closer with a crooked finger 'neat her chin.    his words are breathy,    fanning a few strands draped over juyeong's shoulder as he speaks.    ❝   i gotta say,    this is a little unconventional as far as sabotage goes.    are you as good an actress as you look?    ❞

[heirdrop]

𝒚𝒐𝒉𝒂𝒏          ╱          @silenthowls

"I'm sure Jace misses you. That's fine..." Yohan mutters slowly, shifting to lean in full against the door. He's developed quite the far off stare as he watches the scenery pass them by. "I'm fine. I wasn't aware I was giving the impression that I'm not. Don't worry about it," Yul would likely know a lie when he hears one, sees the way Yohan clutches the bridge of his nose as he turns from the window. ( And he surely noticed the way he slept for the entirety of the plane ride. ) "And, you. Are you okay?"

𝙲'𝙼𝙾𝙽, 𝙼𝙰𝙽, 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙲𝙰𝙽 𝙳𝙾 𝙱𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝙽 𝚃𝙷𝙰𝚃.    a message conveyed via a single furrowed brow,    yul releases a light exhale through his nose.    his senses for chicanery have been honed by jace's  antics    (    no,    dad,    i didn't knock over the planter even though i was the only person in the room    /    i don't know how the printer got stuck!    /    you said i could have one more piece of chocolate before bed    ),    so he can't help but find these antics equally amateurish.    it stings a little,    actually.    yul thought honesty was the one thing he could count on between them if competence was to fail.    which it wouldn't    ⸻    they both have that desperate drive for survival that none of their contemporaries will ever understand.    it's all or nothing for them.

or it had been,    once upon a time,    before yul had made something of himself halfway across the world,    proof positive that he could be more than what his parents made of him.    the american dream.    these colors don't run.    (    only yul does.    )

❝    hey,    i'm sure he misses his favorite uncle yohan too,    ❞    yul snorts,    an olive branch. he won't mention anything for now,    it wasn't like yohan historically had any issues with spillng his guts eventually.    but maybe it wasn't too good of an idea to look back on history,    not when noh hyungseo clawed his way out of his grave like the walking dead.    yul's initial reaction is offense    ⸻    i never did anything to him,    hell,    i tried to save him!    ⸻    though he can admit that,    yeah,    he'd be pretty pissed if he died and the official narrative was that he was a dumbass.    ❝    i can't lie,    i'm a bit shaken.    came back expecting one thing and now we've got to deal with these stupid fratboy hijinks.    hopefully it all dies down soon.    ❞

it has to.    yul doesn't have time for this shit.    he's very good at spinning a hundred plates at once,    but he's running out of those fucking sticks    ⸻    and the sooner this situation is packed up,    the sooner yohan can put this behind him.    he's not the one who needs to clear his conscience.    may jung yoojin sleep on warm pillows for eternity,    wherever the hell she is now.

❝    i mean...    ❞    yul wets his lips,    lowers his voice.    words not meant for the chauffeur to hear.    ❝    i get wanting answers.    i get calling out foul play.    but that dumb shit in the pool was juvenile as fuck,    you know?    if you know something,    just say it.     and leave me the hell out of it.    ❞    the scandal can take seunghan down with it,    though.    that part yul doesn't mind.