nam-daeeun

[nam-daeeun]

He blinked at her reaction, taken aback. After a moment of silence, however, he nodded. “…you’re right. I, uh. I owe you an explanation.” Dae swallowed hard, glancing down at his hands. “…people keep vanishing, Dee. I’m…tired of making friends just for them to disappear the next day. I’m tired of getting to know people just to have them ripped away a week later. My whole life has been nothing but people leaving—I haven’t seen my sister since high school, I only just recently managed to reconnect with Jieun, I didn’t even know Hana and Junho were living here, the only reason I came here in the first place was because I was chasing Selin…I’m always the one chasing. And it’s…it’s tiring.” He gave a small shrug. “I figured it would be easier if I just didn’t have any attachments in the first place. But…that’s not how I work.” At Dee’s latter words, his brow furrowed, glancing back up at her. “Whoa, what? Cameron’s back?” His eyebrows raised even further as she continued. “He wants the kids? But he’s the one that walked out on you! What kind of nerve-?” Dae stopped himself, rubbing his hands across his face. “What the hell is his problem?”

He shrugged awkwardly. "Not really, but, uh...life doesn't wait, right?" Dae gave her a small smile, moving from the wall to sit nearby. "Sorry. Didn't mean to make it awkward." At her explanation, his eyebrows skyrocketed and he let out a small laugh. "You got the cops called on the party?" he chuckled. "Well, at least everyone cleared out. At least the godforsaken cops are good for something," he added, shaking his head. "How are the kids doing?"

[nam-daeeun]

Dae nods, sighing. “Yeah. Yeah, I know.” The reason Hana wants to move is the same reason he had decided to remain in Nightrest: it seemed as though his cousins’ hometown had recently decided to become the murder capital of the country, and he didn’t want to even think about what could happen to them without him knowing. At least this way, if anything happened, he was there. “Stay safe. Let me know if you do decide to move—I doubt anyone would look twice.”

Dae let out a small laugh, waving a hand in response. "Please. I practically turned off my phone last weekend, Hana. You don't need to explain yourself to me. As long as you're okay. Sort of." At her question, he nodded. "Not much better," he murmured, shaking his head. For a minute he blinked, staring at the air in front of them before he spoke again. "...do you think it's ever going to end?"

[nam-daeeun]

END.

"It did, actually!" Dae chuckles, nodding. "I've already got those first-week crazies." Referring to both his students and his current mental state. "So far, so good—we haven't had time to do too much yet, thank god." He shrugs. "Stuff is gonna start ramping up soon, though." He pauses awkwardly. "Things going alright with you?"

[nam-daeeun]

Dae let out a small laugh, waving a hand in response. "Please. I practically turned off my phone last weekend, Hana. You don't need to explain yourself to me. As long as you're okay. Sort of." At her question, he nodded. "Not much better," he murmured, shaking his head. For a minute he blinked, staring at the air in front of them before he spoke again. "...do you think it's ever going to end?"

truthfully, she had thought that dae wouldn't have wanted to speak to her again. she would have understood. "i'm sorry for not texting or calling you." she replied. she knew she should have. just to check in with him. "honestly? pretty shitty. but i'm doing my best to go on." she replied. there was no point in sulking over things. all one could do was move forward. "how've you been?"

[nam-daeeun]

He shrugged awkwardly. "Not really, but, uh...life doesn't wait, right?" Dae gave her a small smile, moving from the wall to sit nearby. "Sorry. Didn't mean to make it awkward." At her explanation, his eyebrows skyrocketed and he let out a small laugh. "You got the cops called on the party?" he chuckled. "Well, at least everyone cleared out. At least the godforsaken cops are good for something," he added, shaking his head. "How are the kids doing?"

"Oh." Dilara said, casting her eyes down and away from his frame. She had been so wrapped up in her drama that she almost fazed out the murders. They were nothing but a bad memory. "Are you - better? Are you doing okay?" she asked then sighed, wanting nothing more than for this conversation to not feel so alien. She was mad at him, but she truly had no reason to. Dae didn't owe her anything but for some reason it did bother her that he's been so distant? M.I.A? Dilara had thought they were closer, that this friendship meant something to both of them but it wouldn't be the first time that her assumptions or thoughts betrayed her. Just look at how great her choice in husband had turned out. Or even her supposed best friend. "Don't apologize. You have no reason to." she said, genuinely. "The party was alright. A lot of drinking, a lot of dancing and playing games. It was good, and then I guess one of the neighbors called the police which did helped get the people out my house."

[nam-daeeun]

"It did, actually!" Dae chuckles, nodding. "I've already got those first-week crazies." Referring to both his students and his current mental state. "So far, so good—we haven't had time to do too much yet, thank god." He shrugs. "Stuff is gonna start ramping up soon, though." He pauses awkwardly. "Things going alright with you?"

He nods, taking a sip of his coffee and stuffing one of his hands in his pocket. "Has the school year started for you yet?" he asks, because Jun realizes he doesn't exactly have anything to talk about with him, at times feeling that Dae wasn't really the kind to be very open or easy to converse with, so he's fine keeping their conversation short. "I'm okay," he says, because even if he wasn't, it would feel a bit weird to say anything more.

[nam-daeeun]

Dae gave his cousin a sheepish grin, scratching the back of his neck. "Sorry, Ji." He sighed. "Actually, I'm not going to lie—I turned off my phone over the weekend, and it was a total relief." He glanced sideways at her. "I'll, uh...I'll let you know before I do that again, though. Everything going okay?"

location : daily dose with : @nam-daeeun

"And where have you been?" Jieun questioned, leaning back in her chair as she looked up at her cousin. "You know, if the killer wasn't already dead, I would've assumed that you were the next victim. Did you forget how to use a phone?"

[nam-daeeun]

Dae blinked at her question, pausing. Yep. He'd been right. Quickly redirecting his mindset, he gave her an awkward half-shrug. "The...party hit a bit harder than I expected," he replied. "And then the semester started up again, and I got swamped. Not that that's an excuse." He sighed, leaning against the wall nearby. "I'm sorry." There was a short silence before he spoke again. "...did the party go well, at least?"

The past couple of days had been weighing a little too much on her head. Enough to keep her awake for days on end, but sleep was no better. Dilara turned when she heard his voice, "Hey." she said softly and offered him a smile. It felt like months since she'd seen him, and wasn't entirely sure what had happened. Then again there's been so much going on around her that she was surprised at just how much she's missed him. Then the anger came. "Where have you been?"

[nam-daeeun]

Dae glances up quickly, barely avoiding running into the other man, and smiles at the familiar face. "Hey, Jun," he replies, nodding as he steps back a pace or two. "It has, actually." He can't quite remember when the last time they talked was. Was it before or after the party? The past few weeks have been too chaotic for him to recall. "Not bad." He shrugs. "You?"

closed for @nam-daeeun

location: the daily dose

Funnily enough, Jun feels as though the only person he's had a genuine conversation within his family had been his younger, normally abrasive younger cousin instead of anyone else. It's radio silence amongst those he's related to, which feels odd all things considered. Taking his coffee order outside with him, he quickly runs into the younger, prompting him to stop and nod towards him. "Dae," Jun greets, offering him a smile. They've never really been particularly close, but there's no reason to not be cordial. "It's been a while, hasn't it? How have you been?"

[nam-daeeun]

Dae nodded slowly, listening to her words as she sat nearby. "Makes sense. Besides, time flies faster for kids, anyway." He grinned. At her latter words, however, he couldn't help laughing, shaking his head. "'Know you mean business,' huh? What happened to business? Are you so easily swayed?" he joked.

barbie stirred her coffee as she sat down beside him, letting out a chuckle in the process. her kids were rowdy after lunchtime and recess, so she totally got it. ❝ you have to have a call to action and a punishment so they know you mean business. my punishment is that i take five minutes of their recess if they get in trouble. ❞ pressing her lips together, she rolled her eyes at herself. ❝ it’s never really five minutes more like two cause i can’t stand to see their sad faces for too long but they feel like it’s five. ❞

[nam-daeeun]

"hey," he replied, glancing down at the back of her laptop. "haven't seen you in a while." dae paused, taking a sip from the coffee cup in his hand. it was a combination of things—his own absence from the town after the shock of the engagement party certainly hadn't helped. "how's everything going?" it was a loaded question, but he wasn't sure how else to start.

location: daily dose open to: @nam-daeeun

to say she hadn't talked to anyone in her family for a few weeks was an understatement. on her end, it felt as if they all hated her. and maybe they did. she wasn't the best person apparently either. eyes glued to her laptop that she had brought with her, she went over the things she had bought. from stuff for jia for school, to a birthday gift for her. a small sigh escaping her lips, she looked up. seeing dae sitting across from her, it was a surprise. "hi." she spoke, unsure of what to honestly say.

[nam-daeeun]

closed \ @dilara-k location \ dee's house (because i doubt she'd be anywhere else)

"Hey, Dee," he called, stepping inside the house as he glanced around, "I hope I'm not intruding?" He hadn't messaged before coming—which wasn't normal for him, but he had missed Dee, and not going to the party the previous week had made him think their relationship might be getting a bit...awkward. "Just wanted to swing around and say hi."

[nam-daeeun]

closed \ @barbiehernandez location \ wardwell?

"Do you have any tips for corraling kids?" Dae asked, chuckling a little bit. "Usually, they're not so bad, but it's the beginning of the year, and the new ones..." Dae shook his head. "It's like hell on wheels in there, and I've got to figure out how to get this under control."

[nam-daeeun]

Dae: i have lol Dae: [UNSENT] i don't really have a choice do i Dae: i'll be there!

Dee: I know, you've been hiding from me Dee: Definitely! You coming to the party, right? Dee: I won't take a no for answer!

[nam-daeeun]

"Me? No." Dae laughs, shaking his head. "I only moved here about...oh, six months ago or so." He nods. "I'm from Boston, originally. But I've been down here a fair bit before; most of my cousins live here. I was—well." He pauses. "I was coming down for a visit, and decided to just bite the bullet and move." He shrugs, grinning. "What about you? Why'd you head down?"

He chuckles a little, nodding. "It's nice to meet you, man," he says. "I've only been here a week. But it's not my first time in Nightrest, I used to come here quite a lot growing up." And then with his ex fiancée. "But it's been two years since I last came here. What about you, are you born and raised here or?"

[nam-daeeun]

Dae cocks an eyebrow, though he simply nods. "Yeah. Case closed." Of course, that was what they had thought the last time. And then he'd found an arm in the middle of Salem Neck Trail. Shaking his head, he smiles. "I'm Dae-eun. Or Dae. Similar thing, I guess." He chuckles. "Have you been in town long? I don't think I've seen you around recently."

Drew nods quietly at the man's words. He sounds confused, which he doesn't blame him for. It is a mind boggling situation, more so for the people who had to live it day-by-day and experience every shred of it. He feels bad for the man. "Forget I asked. The important thing is that the case is closed, right? Probably better not to keep dwelling on it," he offers. "I'm Andrew. Or Drew, whatever you'd like to call me." He gives him a polite smile.

[nam-daeeun]

"I didn't think even this many, to be honest with you, Ji." He laughed slightly, glancing out the nearby window. "Yeah, I don't disagree. Self-defense is a viable argument in court, so...maybe that'll help him." Dae cocked his head, thoughts scrambling before he realized Jieun was talking to him again. "Hm? Sorry? Oh." He shrugged slightly. "Yeah. I'm just..." Dae sighed, adjusting his position in the chair. "I have a lot of questions," he continued finally, "and I don't think any of them are going to be answered anytime soon." Certainly not with the current police force in charge.

"I hope it is. I mean, how many psychos can live in Nightrest?" She asked and for her sake, she prayed this was the last of it. Not really sure if she had it in her to deal with losing anymore people. No longer able to count the people she's lost on her hands. "Which is completely stupid. Jake was in a kill or be killed situation. I don't know why the cops can't take that into consideration." Why Jake was being put away from putting an end to something the police couldn't even do. She took a quick glance over at her cousin and seeing his smile falter, she couldn't help but to feel for him. "I'm sorry... I know she was your friend," Jieun finally said, her voice a lot softer than what it had been originally. Daeeun probably being the first person, aside from the Oh's, that she felt sad for. Even if her own personal feelings about Adee had changed long before, the brunette wondered if she would've been in the exact same position as him.