nxmjaehwan

[nxmjaehwan]

This track makes me feel like I am about to embark on some pretty fucking epic adventures.

[nxmjaehwan]

[ posts below this point belong to a prior character’s tale ]

[nxmjaehwan]

it had been a pleasant surprise. then again when someone was as vain as she was any attention- even negative- well, it was as good as any. and if it was someone not too shabby asking her out to a fancy restaurant, jinah would be lying if she said that she wasn’t over the moon.

the face did seem somewhat similar- probably a shared class. it wasn’t easy to say, her self centeredness didn’t encourage her to go out of her way to make friends. people should come to her, not the other way around. and it was happening right now. ecstatic barely covered how she felt. it wasn’t until she told her closest friend that it hit her. huh it’s mister sex ed asshole. who probably didn’t pay that much attention about her apart from legs to realize she is almost attached to the hip with his latest target. this is too good.

honestly the idea of revenge mixed with the pleasure of a fine date in good looking company was beautiful to her. christmas came early this year. she kept an eye and ear open for him the day leading up to the date- and now that she was sitting in front of her she could barely keep the smirk off of her face. and the chuckle in.

did her really say that. oh god. i’m pretty sure i heard that in a daytime drama.

“hmm yes new place, new people. it’s surprising really- we share a school and even some classes yet we don’t really realize who’s around us. say- how did you notice me?” she asked, batting her lashes trying to put on her best naive girl act.

let the ego swell to give it an even bigger hit- might as well go all out.

“either way i’m very happy, i haven’t been on a date in months. i think i scare the boys” she giggled trying to keep herself from visibly cringing at her act. she did scare the guys though. it was hilarious. she smiled at the waiter as he handed to them the menus. although it was definitely a cliche; her eyes went straight for the highest number she could see. she could add a little insult to financial injury tonight.

its the first sign that something’s a little wayward. the slight shift in demeanor thanks to the batting of eyelashes and affected sweetness, its not similar to what he had expected of her. then again, jaehwan doesn’t know much about jinah, so he could very well have projected his own thoughts into this. and, just as much as he plays with flattery to get the attentions of others, so too does flattery hold weight with jaehwan as well. it soothes over his small quip of suspicion for the moment, deciding to let himself indulge in the idea of being able to turn around the young woman’s disposition. if his mental questioning or slight surprise in her reaction shows on his face, its covered up quickly enough for another of those slow, half smug and half easygoing grins of his. 

after all. it wasn’t likely he could get burned by a date twice, right? the incident with hyunseung had been more than enough, and he doubted it was possible to happen again so soon. no. surely it wouldn’t.

“boys? yes. i’m sure you frighten the boys away. i don’t like to think of myself as something so juvenile, of course, as to be a simple boy. and i would go on to say something like ‘you wouldn’t frighten a real man away’ if i didn’t so detest that mindset as well. i simply am drawn to those that require a particular individual to reveal their true colors. obviously, this,” he waves his hand at the table and the general setting in a slightly aristocratic air, gesturing at the ‘date’ as a whole, “is a means of getting close enough to make that reveal possible.”

ah. jaehwan could very well pat himself on the back. he’s really too good at this to garner another slip up. hyunseung was but a singular happenstance, a rarity that couldn’t be avoided. surely he’d be able to clinch this one easily enough, particularly since jinah seemed even less adept then he’d given her credit for. honestly, he feels as though he’s overestimated the mutant, which is rather disheartening because sometimes jaehwan truly craves the company of someone with enough wit to compliment his own. but. it looks as though the universe isn’t quite able to grant that wish after all. 

[nxmjaehwan]

work got crazy busy for a while there and i just needed brain numbing stuff instead of where i had to think more ahahaha

something close to the regular activity i was here with before should resume now that I'm more accustomed to the insanity that is working at a busy dog kennel in the summer months. more replies coming tomorrow <3

[nxmjaehwan]

His chuckles are breathless with fear and exhaustion. Kyung feels the grooves of the tree press into his skin as he rests his face on the branch. Now Jaehwan is up, he can go back to concentrating on clinging for his dear life. With his eyes closed –he’s not keen on seeing the ground too far away from him, below—he can hear the spiders still scurry around. Kyung hopes they give up and go soon, but he doubts it.

Nonetheless he’s glad they get to take a breather, and only now Kyung’s sluggish brains starts analyzing what exactly had gone wrong. He’s pleased when he realized he’d actually done a lot of good in this situation—that the turn for the worse wasn’t much his fault. It makes him smile a little.

Is he going down anytime soon? Kyung doubts it. Refuses so, even, since it seems it’s safe and he’s truly and beyond exhausted. He feels it in the way that his joints are stiff from all the stress now that he’s not running around and with a groan he starts the process of turning back, eyes squeezed shut against the burn and stretch of it all as his limbs slowly start turning back to their normal shape. It feels like he’s gone through a blender, the changes too much and too fast. With the adrenaline and alcohol pumping through his body earlier he hadn’t felt it—but now Kyung is paying the price, hands pulsing and red and stuck in between shapes.

He raises his head a little when Jaehwan speaks, considering the other’s statement. It hadn’t been so much sticking around –that implies a certain kind of voluntary action that wasn’t really involved—and honestly, he’s still not sure if the reanimator deserves it for trying to leave Kyung around. So he shrugs.

“Safety in numbers” he tells him. “Besides” Kyung allows after a moment, “without your idea I’d still be running for my life. Or worse.” He tries to sit up a little, cursing as he nearly loses his balance and returns to clutching for his dear life. “Though I don’t know how much I’m loving this idea.” He’s quiet for another moment, wishing his heartbeat would just calm down. “Not much of a team player, huh? I saw you trying to save your own skin.”

His tone is neutral, almost carefully so. Artificially so. Kyung’s willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, to forgive (but not forget) if Jaehwan has a good reason for it. Which he doubt, but in the end Jaehwan came back and that matters a little too—Jaehwan helped him when Kyung needed it and the biomass monster owes him. A bit. Sort of. He’s not quite sure where they stand and who saved who and what’s the score. Does it even matter, at this point? As long as they are both alive, right?

Being so suspicious, so distrustful, the moment someone doesn’t play in a way that’s suited to him, that’s not a nice trait. Jaehwan knows this, that much of his personality has much to be desired. Even playing the role of the gentleman, and even with his wit, he’s not got much going for him in the way of amiability. People don’t flock to him in a manner they do some people, he’s never possessed that natural glow of life that causes others to gravitate in. And he’s certainly never been one to display kindness without a purpose behind it. 

Jaehwan often resents people who do display this particular disposition. Oh, he calls them stupid, naive, and gullible behind their backs (hell even to their faces), but the truth is, when he’s alone with his thoughts, he finds the giving personalities so very attractive. And Kyung, who really is looking worse for wear now, doesn’t take this chance to mock him. True, he’s not trying to sugar coat it and make excuses for Jaehwan’s behavior, but he’s not rubbing it in Jaehwan’s face in a way he deserves either. Kyung, it seems, is just being honest. 

Its a fairly impossible concept for Jaehwan most days. Honesty. It makes Jaehwan stay quiet for a long time, although, when he does speak, he doesn’t deign to answer the other’s question with anything more than a tired scoff. 

“You should have just run for it yourself. It was stupid of you not to,” and despite how strung out he’s feeling he still manages to make it sound a little mean. “Why would I ever want to be a ‘team player’” - the air quotes are audible here - “for someone so dim witted?” 

now that I see you (ljh&pk)

[nxmjaehwan]

Oh the joy and pride Jang Hyunseung was feeling inside. He had successfully pissed off the very playboy he had grown curious of. When the other had asked him out he only agreed because he was bored. Hyunseung never thought they would end up where they are now. With the red head getting jealous despite knowing what kind of relationship the two had. It made him sick to think that he could be feeling anything for someone. Let alone someone like Jaehwan.

He felt like vomiting.

He can imagine the expression on the other’s face and that thought only made him grin wider. He probably looked like a psycho the way he was smiling right now. Kinda like the Joker. He felt all warm inside like he always did when he got his revenge. The hatred he can feel in the other’s tone makes his hairs stand up. It felt so good.

“Why are you so curious? Did ya miss me?” he teased, voice laced with innocence and a mixture of other things.

“Someone exactly like me? Don’t make me laugh. You couldn’t find someone like me even if you tried. I’m the only one in this area who can control minds. Why do you say this?” This is where his tone dropped. “Did your date get ruined?”

He’d known it had to be Hyunseung. There wasn’t any way around that, that much was obvious to Jaehwan. But hearing the admittance with the other’s own voice, that helped set Jaehwan back to rights. Somewhat. He was still coming down from the trembling feeling of being laughed at in public, his insecurities warping something as insignificant as what had transpired to a much higher level. The fact that Hyunseung hadn’t done worse to Jaehwan showed that the guy either had more mercy in him than expected, or that he wasn’t as shaken up about it as Jaehwan had assumed. But, even that thought, how Hyunseung could have done something far more horrifying with Jaehwan in his control, couldn’t derail his quickly regaining confidence. Not now that he knew this was about the date, about cheating, something so typically human, something that happened every day within society and relationships. It was something Jaehwan knew how to deal with on some level, after all, this wasn’t the first time he’d been caught.

“I’m not sure I agree with that,” Jaehwan says back, his tone smoother now, silkier, yet without kindness. “I couldn’t say you’ve yet displayed anything particularly unique about yourself to be so thoroughly remembered.”

And the worse are a taunt, a jab, something that might be stupid for Jaehwan to say right now, should he incur more wrath from Hyunseung. But he’s fairly sure that the other mutant student can no longer see him, and therefore, shouldn’t be able to do a thing about Jaehwan’s reply. 

“Feeling jealous then? If you’re so sure of yourself as a gem among the rest of us, why would you ever feel the need to be jealous?” he continues to taunt, an attempt to push Hyunseung past that unaffected boredom he’d been putting on during the conversation. Jaehwan doesn’t want to be the only one here who has lost his cool. He wants Hyunseung to share in that feeling of humiliation, to know how Jaehwan’s insecurities had him on the cusp of real fear. 

Cupid | Hyunseung + Jaehwan

[nxmjaehwan]

[ ☽ ]    She quirked an eyebrow as the other stopped walking, the shorter one of the two also stopping (since she was still clinging onto his arm). Turning her attention to the other, she stared at him for a while. When the other glanced at her, she didn’t flinch away or hide her face in her palms as she normally would. It just didn’t fit the moment.

Glancing back at her surroundings, a small smirk appeared on her face as Jaehwan kept quiet. She got him. No one would expect her to even do something like this. Pride swelled up in her chest at the thought of making the other speechless, but something made her feel guilty. The smirk quickly disappeared from her face. What made her feel guilty. Was it because she still had a soft spot for the other? Or was it because she knew that what she did was wrong. It wasn’t her. She could hear her sister lecturing her from afar, saying how it was cruel.

Feeling the other tighten his arm, she glanced back at him. A bright smile appeared on her visage before she leaned on his arm. ❝Isn’t that sweet.❞ It’s a lie. Although she knew most of his habits, it was hard to tell whenever he was lying or not. It was a facade he played perfectly.  But this time, she just knew. Why would he want to spent time with someone he literally rejected just a few weeks ago. It hurt her a little, knowing that she was nothing but a chess piece in his game. He was the king and she was just a pawn, but in the end, she realized that she didn’t mind.

A laugh escaped her lips. ❝It won’t. Don’t worry. You make it seem I can actually do more than that. ❞ She was referring to the fact that they were nothing more than acquaintances. In those few moments, she realized that perhaps she still does have a soft spot for him. And she really doesn’t mind being a simple pawn in his game.

The relief he feels when she doesn’t try to angle for more, when she doesn’t try to tug out the cards Jaehwan always keeps up his sleeves to show him for the cheating liar that he is, its almost enough for him to want to sit down, to take a moment to himself. Despite his outward appearance, he’d been so filled with tension, with anxiety, over the thought of his act being pointed out, or worse, laughed at. 

Some people feared the dark. Others might fear losing a loved one. Jaehwan though, he feared ridicule above even the far more sensible things in life to be afraid of. Because when it came down to it, what did he actually have? Besides his facade of arrogance, who was he anyways? 

Jaehwan didn’t like to ponder much about the kind of person he truly was. Its something he wants to avoid so desperately, that there just might be the smallest flurry of affection for Taeyeon in his chest for leaving him be, for not continuing to plague him with difficult questions. 

The playful tone of her voice though lets him fall into his regular routine, and he does so eagerly. 

“Hm?” he ticks a brow up. “Are you attempting to tell me your greatest pursuit was indeed monopolizing my lap? And that you’ve achieved your aspirations because of it? Quite a simple thing, it seems that you’re proving everyone who suspects you of being a simple creature right in their assumptions. I wonder if such implications bother you at all.” 

This he says while slipping his arm out of her’s for a moment, bending to slip off his shoes and holding out his hand afterwards to take Taeyeon’s for her as well. Still a little wary of the situation, yet having his curiosity peeked, both for the benefit of self defense and his casual interest, Jaehwan might look at her a little differently now, wondering if there’s actually something worthy of conversation in this companion. He’s never much shared engaging talk with her before, not in any way that was more than being entertained by a sweet puppy of sorts. 

goes around comes around, t x j

[nxmjaehwan]

Jaehwan blinks when the space next to him is suddenly vacant. He’d actually be talking, sharing something important, a very delightful little joke, with Hakyeon, only to have the guy up and disappear without even informing him! 

This unfortunately seems to happen now and then. 

Jaehwan quickly scans the class, wondering where Hakyeon drifted off to like the sly snake he could be, only to spot him sidling up to their professor. 

Shit. 

Luckily, what Jaehwan suspects is Hakyeon’s method of complaint for this ridiculous farce about not liking Jaehwan or something, Hakyeon’s only gotten one word in before the corpse controller can rectify the situation. Slinging an arm over Hakyeon’s shoulders he puts himself right up next to the other young man, a lax smile on his face as he grins at their Professor. A means of offsetting Hakyeon’s perpetual bitch face of course. See? Hakyeon needed him around. 

“He’d just like to thank you for allowing us to pair up for this procedure. See. Hakyeon, sir, he’s quite shy, but luckily I won't mind any awkwardness that transpires between us. I really won’t mind at all, so you can bet to have a fantastic teamwork experience out of us~”

Jaehwan says this and attempts to steer Hakyeon away from their Professor and towards the door in every hope that his words aren’t contested, just for the sake of NOT making a scene. Jaehwan’s fairly sure Hakyeon isn’t the kind of guy that wants everyone’s attention on him, for a matter negative or positive. 

He tsks quietly as he tries to get them out to the hall, keeps his voice low so only Hakyeon (or some mutant with super hearing he supposes) can hear. “You don’t need to be shy with me, hm? I appreciate you and all your, er, unique qualities~ In fact. To show you how sincere I am about that, I’ve even taken into account your reptilian characteristics and have decided to offer you not only guidance for your poor lack of vision, but also, to provide some bodily warmth.” And alright, so he’s kinda unable to resist smirking then, but its not like Hakyeon could see it anyways right? Though, the smug tone of his voice could likely be heard. . . “Aren’t I considerate?”

❝hiss hiss go away.❞ chy;ljw

There weren’t ever many things Hakyeon loathed. Besides the whole technology thing along with being blind, Hakyeon liked to try and focus on the positives of things– like that he can generally see where he was going ninety-nine percent of the time and that his other senses were pretty swag. However when it comes to working in with a group of other individuals (who naturally assume you know shit because you can’t read the text without some sort of help) there’s nothing that Hakyeon’d like to do more than inject himself with his own venom to keep himself from the stress of babysitting idiots. Yet of course the world was out to get him and just so be it his lovely sex ed professor decided to pair him up with the most…immature dimwit there has ever been to exist.

Hakyeon bit his cheek to keep from commenting back whenever this fool opened his mouth– most of the time some crude comment a tween would make before he realized what it felt like to be kicked in the nuts after they dropped. For most of his beloved sex class he spent it sending glances to Jinah in order to keep himself sane. 

But no of course he had to be paired with this idiot on a project about the menstrual cycle as if the topic alone wasn’t anything to be embarrassed about. 

The idiot chatted away next to him, the snakelike other pointedly ignoring him as the rest of the groups continued to do their plotting. He supposed it was rude, but none of their interactions beforehand were really worth mentioning, so Hakyeon decided to get up and approach the professor shortly after their “discussions” began. He was determined to do this by himself. He knew he was well aware on how to do this by himself– how he needed to do this by himself in hopes of keeping his sanity for more than ten seconds. Of course things would go well if there wasn’t the constant interruptions of the other right by his side.

“Professor, I–” 

[nxmjaehwan]

VIXX (live) Ken ver.

[nxmjaehwan]

Song : Voodoo [Intro]

Artist : VIXX

Album : Voodoo

[nxmjaehwan]

If this wasn’t a situation wherein Jaehwan genuinely feared for his life, that offered hand Kyung’s getting him would likely have gone ignored. No. Not only ignored. It would have maybe gotten a little laugh of derision, maybe a roll of the eyes or a scoff even, a way Jaehwan would communicate without words how little he ever needed anyone’s help.

How he wishes that were true. 

Its not the most appealing thing to grab a hold of, but allowing his fussy nature to take over isn’t in his best interest now. Jaehwan reaches up and grabs on, allowing Kyung to help lever him upwards, though once he’s in the clear, once he can manage on his own, Jaehwan shakes him off. 

Though the half of it, half of Jaehwan’s obvious displeasure with the situation, isn’t even due to Kyung’s presence. And its not the thing that has both of them freaked out either, that he can’t blame on anyone but the outfitters of this school. What’s really got Jaehwan ticked off, is how he’s likely only made their situation worse, how he’d taken the effort to bring those spiders back from the dead, only to lose control of them. 

Even now he can’t say for sure what they’re doing, if those dead ones he’d reanimated are going to be an even bigger nightmare for the other students outside still. Fighting something that won’t die isn’t a nice idea for most people.

Finally having some of his breath back in his lungs, so he’s no longer panting for air like they’d been while running, he realizes there’s nothing to be done for his still rapid pulse. They might be up in hiding but until the sun has risen to show them that the danger has been cleared, Jaehwan knows he won’t be able to relax. He’s got nothing to do then with all his frustration, all his built up adrenaline, then to expel it on Kyung. 

Looking at the other student next to him though, at the person who hadn’t left him behind, and he can’t muster up the will to be cruel to Kyung. 

“Looks like, you’re always the one sticking around with me when no one else can be bothered, doesn’t it?”

The words trickle out, in the kind of honesty he is usually afraid of voicing. Maybe having been so scared about being eaten alive earlier, about being hurt by those spiders, maybe its broken his brain somewhere. A second later though, he comes back to himself, just enough to be horrified again. Jaehwan, realizing that this might be attachment, is suddenly struck by a cold sinking feeling in the gut. 

Will this finally be Kyung’s moment to mock him? 

now that I see you (ljh&pk)

Idiot, he tells himself. Kyung used to pride himself on his wits, but there’s not much to pride on when he fails to see that Jaehwan had been paralyzed. There’s the urge to hit himself in the face which he would’ve had his limbs not have posed a danger.

He’s glad when Jaehwan is able to start running himself with. Kyung is –even though he’ll never admit it—tiny. He’s got a story for it; to the death he’ll claim he just stopped growing mysteriously during the midst of his growth spurt. (He’s been considering his manifestation might’ve caused some troubles too—he can add that to the story.) Moral of the story is that it’s difficult to carry Jaehwan, especially when his hands are enormous weapons that can’t really get a grip on someone.

He’s still thinking about this as he runs. Distracted, he doesn’t notice the pause in Jaehwan’s stride until the other grips his shirt to pause him. Kyung thinks it’s good that his shirt was already ruined from his sudden panic earlier—ripped to shreds by his earlier spikes, because otherwise Jaehwan would’ve ruined it. Not that he would’ve made a fuss now—he’d much rather not die.

The tree collides with his face a few moments later and Kyung splutters. Jaehwan doesn have a point—but did Kyung forgot to mention that he’s got a fear of heights? Because he does, and it’s roiling in his stomach now, protesting even as he forces his limbs into different shapes—into claws instead of a knife and tentacle, something that’ll make it easier to climb up. Kyung knows that no matter how much he hates heights –and the physical effort of climbing—it’s still a better bet than staying down with the killer spiders.

But to say that his grip on the tree once he’s up in its branches is stable would be a lie. He’s clutching the wood for his dear life, eyes closed and mumbling curses underneath his breath, directed at everyone involved in this situation; himself, the teachers, the spiders, Jaehwan, whoever’s abandoned them. Seriously, did their fellow students not hear them or something? With all the noise they must’ve been making, you’d think they’d be deaf. (Or attacked by spiders themselves, but that’s not a possibility Kyung wants to think about.)

After a moment of praying to a god that he believes hates his guts (thus rendering the act useless) there’s the realization that maybe he should help Jaehwan up—especially because the guy had seemed like a newborn foal earlier, limbs going everywhere except the right way. The paralysis had done a number on the other mutant. Kyung felt obligated to help him.

At first he considered twisting a limb back into a tentacle, but he’s not strong enough to hoist Jaehwan up, and certainly not stable enough in the tree to do such a thing, no matter how much he clings to the branch and squeezes his eyes shut. But it seems that no matter what, he’d have to let go with at least one limb. After taking a deep breath, he stuck his claw out, pointed tips angled away.

“Here, take my hand” he urges as urgently as he can. Sadly enough, the effect of urgency is ruined by him still clinging for his dear life, legs and arms wrapped around the branch as he resolutely does not look down, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

[nxmjaehwan]

He can imagine the very expression that Hyunseung is probably wearing on his face right now, a mild sort of look to go along with his tone of voice. Its the kind of expression he’d admired in Hyunseung actually, was part of the reason Jaehwan had asked him out in the first place. The fact that the guy always appeared so. . . unruffled. It made Jaehwan curious as to what laid beneath such neatly splayed feathers, made him want to bring out some expressive emotions from such a face. 

This isn’t what he’d had in mind though. 

Jaehwan’s own expression only grows uglier with how flippant, how unaffected, how bored Hyunseung sounds. He doesn’t say anything for a long moment, just lets what’s been spoken curl up around his ribs, the needling sensation of it all encouraging him to think of something to say that will hurt Hyunseung back. 

“Oh? I’m curious, what were you so busy with?” 

His teeth grit together between his words, but he maintains a collected air well enough to pass over the phone. 

“Because if you’ve really only been in your room, I think you’d be worried to know that there’s someone else like you out there? Someone else that can do what you can. Imagine that? Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”

Cupid | Hyunseung + Jaehwan

Hyunseung knew that Jaehwan was aware it was he who had caused him to embarrass himself at the restaurant. He didn’t care though. He could tell Jaehwan was furious and that only made his smirk wider. He acted composed and innocent despite his pride inside. He was proud of his power. He loved it. As long as the other didn’t have a mental power he could make them do whatever he wanted. It was so good.

It also did make him predictable. He was surprised the other male had not worked it out before. Oh well. He knew now. Hyunseung was about to have a very fun and interesting night.

As he heard silence on the other end Hyunseung looked around. Perhaps he was too cocky at times but that’s how Hyunseung was. He softly hummed as he waited for the other to speak.

What he heard next only confirmed his suspicions. Jaehwan was furious with Hyunsueng and it only made him feel like a success. Jang Hyunseung will eventually feel horrible for what he’s done but right now he was too happy. He adored getting revenge. It was a favourite hobby for him. Jaehwan had gotten a taste of his own medicine.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He sighed. “I’m just sitting in my room.” He played innocent well. “Your texts? Oh sorry. I got busy. What did you want?”

[nxmjaehwan]

Jaehwan stops walking. Honestly, he might even stop breathing for a second too, but he’s too composed for that so- 

No of course not he’s just a bit surprised. That’s all. And its not like she’s hit the nail on the head or anything. She’s just- Taeyeon just had a lucky guess and-

Something in him doubts that though when he looks down at her, meets her gaze as he stands there at the mouth of the path, the beach in front of them, with her. 

She looks cheerful as always. She’s holding onto his arm too, like she always seems to want to do, always wants to touch him somehow. And her voice is still sweet. That’s all the same. Its all like its always been. But her choice of words, they seemed. . . off. And Jaehwan couldn’t shake how she held his gaze, so unlike the last time they’d been together, when he’d fairly unsubtly blown off her confession. 

Was this some kind of way of getting back at him? 

Something in Jaehwan’s gut twists at that thought, that even Taeyeon, the person he always considered too dumb to take notice, the one he’d always just-

No. Its not taken for granted. He doesn’t care about her like that. He doesn’t feel guilty he’s just surprised. 

But he’s all wrong footed now. Doesn’t know which side of him to be. He doesn’t know which card he should play, and for the length of time wherein he just does nothing, Jaehwan knows he’s giving something away. 

A scoff is the first sound he makes, but its gentler, not the usual mocking in it. And at the same time he tightens his arm against his body, just a little bit, just enough to make her arm resting in his elbow sit more firmly. He’s decided it seems. He’s decided to keep playing the card that’s already in his hand. 

“You insult me,” he says as he looks away, and starts walking again, his tone light and like his usual charming self. “Of course I want to spend time with you. I just didn’t want you to know that I sent them all away. I didn’t want you getting a big head just because I was playing favorites today.”

Its a lie, a complete lie but Jaehwan paints it like its light as air. 

“Now you’ve gone and forced it out of me though,” he says with a small and ridiculously arrogant sounding sniff. “I fear knowing that I saved my company just for you today is going to result in taking greater liberties than propertying my lap.” 

And he’s teasing, poking fun at her in the way he always does, because he wants to get far and away from the thought that Taeyeon knows him better, had read through to his insecurities in a way he’s never wanted anyone to. 

[ ☽ ]      She blinked a few times at the other’s words, a scowl threatening to appear on her visage, but she managed to control it. She may have been ‘oblivious’ but she wasn’t stupid. ❝Hmm? Be serious, Jaehwan.❞ She glanced up at him smiling brightly, but one would have been stupid if they missed the venom  that was dripping from her tone.  ❝Of course I enjoy your company!❞ Her tone quickly changed. Slightly leaning on the other, it took everything in her to not snap at the other because of last time. 

It was still fresh in her memory, especially with all the alcohol she had in her system from the previous weeks. Time heals wounds, they say, but Taeyeon didn’t see her wounds being healed. Hell, the wounds were probably getting bigger if anything. She was still as broken as before.

Something snapped in her with Sooyeon’s death, it literally broke her. It caused her level of tolerance to drop. She didn’t have time to deal with people like him. ❝ I’m serious, oppa. Either you really did want to spend time with me or..they didn’t show up.❞  She glanced at the other, continuing to walk. If he was really testing her patience then she’ll show him how low it can be. 

[nxmjaehwan]

seolhyunxm

The workplace is typically not one’s first choice, in the realm of both location and company. For as much as you might be able to decide for yourself where to work, its unlikely until you own the business yourself that you’ll have too much say about who you work with. Case in point: Lee Jaehwan at the swanky Italian restaurant in town. 

Jeju’s economy very much supported by its seasonal tourists, such a place is bound to have its threads of fancy restaurants, the perfect settings for romantic nights of wine tasting and noodle slurping not so unlike the picture painted in Lady and the Tramp. Jaehwan of course finds himself quickly attracted to such an establishment. 

Having experience in restaurants during his prior university days, he works up quickly in the ranks of waiting tables, and is delighted that he’s rewarded not only in a slight lift in wages (very slight, but he makes massive tips with that charm of his), but also in the addition of a new hostess that shares a similar schedule to his own. Why is this particular new coworker so exciting to Jaehwan? Well, because she’s a member of his currently university as well of course! 

This gives him someone to act more familiar with, because if anyone catches him acting playfully with her behind the scenes in the restaurant, he can always just pull the schoolmates card, can’t he?

Or did that only work for elementary students? Oops~

“Aw come on,” he says, not at all lowering his voice from the conversational volume he’s holding with her. Of course, he’s attempting to put a bit of husky flair into that tone, so it probably makes it a bit harder for his flirtatious words to be completely overheard. 

“You’ve never wanted to fool around at work? Never? Don’t you think it would be a shame to miss out on that kind of experience?”

He’s asking this while waiting for the dishes for one of his tables to be served up. Smirking invitingly at her while he leans leisurely against the outside of the kitchen’s tiled wall, where his attitude won’t be seen by the dining guests. 

[nxmjaehwan]

nxmjinah

It starts, as many chaotic events do, with an innocent act made of good intentions. 

Okay, so maybe that’s Jaehwan’s description of the beginning. A lot of people who know him might scoff in disbelief at the idea of Jaehwan ever being a reliable narrator within a story. So if he amends himself a little, says he’d gone into this with his usual sort of intentions, then that wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination at all. In fact, it just might even be the truth. 

Jinah is pretty, of a nice height in Jaehwan’s opinion, and looks damn good in a pair of heels. But that’s not what really gets him to ask her out. The far more decisive factor than anything physical is that people seem to pay a bit of attention to her. Not as much as Jaehwan likes to think people pay towards him, but still, its something. And yet even with that though, she doesn’t ever seem to reciprocate the attentiveness. She’s isn’t vying for attention or working hard to make friends and connections at Xavier’s It makes Jaehwan wonder. It makes him curious. It makes him want to know what she’s like when she does decide to give someone her full attention. 

It makes him want to be that. 

This is how he comes to asking her out, seemingly out of the blue, just the way he likes it. He puts on a little charming smile, goes for casual confidence and fresh style and its easier than he’d thought it would be. Though he’s not immediately bored with that, not just yet. Her words are enough to flatter him, add to that big ego he wears deceptively delicately on his shoulders. Jaehwan is very much looking forward to the date, to gaining her affections in more than a passing manner. 

The matter of what he does with those affections, once he has them, can be addressed later, if he’s not quickly bored with her. Its the unknown, the wondering if maybe she’ll be more entertaining for him, that has him showing up to the meeting place for their dinner date that evening. Its a bit formal, particularly with how little they know of one another, but he thinks he’ll be able to pull it off. He feels in his element like this, somewhat casually but nicely dressed, and a classic kind of hairstyle. He enjoys playing the part of the gentleman now and then, putting a light hand along her lower back as he leads her into the restaurant and pulls out her chair, his lips set in a smile all along. 

“Its refreshing to be off the campus isn’t it?” he asks Jinah as he sits down at the small cream-colored tablecloth across from her. “And with someone you’ve not spent time with before? I find I quite like it, almost as if its a way of discovering a different place for everyone. After tonight, even if I come here during the day years from now, I’m sure I’ll remember having dinner with you tonight just as it is now.” 

And oh, he might be laying it on a little thick for your tastes, but that’s his angle. Use just a little bit of his secret romantically inclined side for a bit of classy flair. There’s a bit of something like amusement always sitting on his lips while he continues to smile at her, but its not enough to make out whether he finds what he’s saying pleasantly truthful, or pleasantly ridiculous. 

[nxmjaehwan]

And from the moment Hyunseung picks up, Jaehwan trusts his gut instinct, the one that immediately pins everything on the other male. Something ugly twists in Jaehwan’s gut, something born from the distrust, from the hurt, from the ridicule, caused by Hyunseung. The fact that he doesn’t deserve being treated kindly by Hyunseung, someone he was actively cheating on, doesn’t at all make a different to Jaehwan. 

People are simply not allowed to make fun of him, to terrorize him, to reduce him to this state. No one is supposed to be capable of bringing him down like this. That is supposed to be his role in the lives of others. 

A long silence passes after Hyunseung’s answer, where the only sound possible might be Jaehwan’s heavy breathing, something caused by a building rage. 

Still, Jaehwan does his best to reign himself in, hating how Hyunseung’s composed tone digs under his skin. This is something Jaehwan is supposed to be good at, keeping his cool and replying in silky tones in the face of other peoples’ emotional outbursts. He can hardly stand it, how the situation has been reversed on him. 

“Having fun, are you?” he asks in his own tone of silk, but with a slip of ice in it, something that weighs it down far more than any flirtatiousness would allow. “Having so much fun, you couldn’t even answer my texts?” 

Cupid | Hyunseung + Jaehwan

He was an asshole. Jang Hyunseung was a jerk. A mean and unforgiving boy. That’s what many have said. He knew he wasn’t the nicest person around but he didn’t care. Hyunseung had had a tough life and it was that life that caused him to be like this. Jang Hyunseung does not share. Nor does he allow his lovers to see anyone else. He hoped that by the end of the night Jaehwan will understand exactly what he meant when he had told the other that he was Hyunseung’s and his alone.

As he observed the commotion going on in the restaurant before him he couldn’t hold back the laughter. He fell on his back and held his sides. He knew that no one like being the centre of attention, but Jaehwan hated it. Sure, part of him felt like a despicable person but he didn’t care. Hyunseung deserved to be happy.

As the red head watched his lover flee he smirked. He waited for awhile before he stood up. He wiped his behind in order to clear off any dust or dirt. The staff had been watching him ever since he got there. He didn’t care. He turned to the waiters who gave him a dirty look. He saluted them with a smirk as he turned back towards the entrance and left.

Hyunseung yawned as he placed his hands in his pockets. He knew he should probably go find Jaehwan and seem like the innocent person. He decided to wait a few minutes before ‘suddenly’ happening upon the other male.

Just then his phone rang. He removed it from his pocket and smirked. Speak of the devil. “Hello,” he answered after a few more rings. Hyunseung held the phone to his ear as his other hand remined in his jeans pocket. He had forgotten what he had been doing before he spied Jaehwan and his date. He figured it wasn’t important if he couldn’t remember it. Perhaps his fury and jealousy had removed any other thoughts from his mind. “This is Hyunseung.”

[nxmjaehwan]

The entire situation, no, possibly even Jaehwan’s entire day, has turned into a rather fair shit show. Jaehwan as a certain methodology to his actions, and when something so upsets that course, its very difficult for him to round himself back together. He’d not started out angry this morning, and he’d actually been feeling even lighter when he’d convinced Eggsy to see things his way. 

Having it backfire wasn’t part of the plan.

His expression twists into something unseemly, something unkind, when Eggsy tries to reason with Jaehwan. As if he’s the brains of this outfit. As if the one who made the mess is the man to see reason here. As if Eggsy is the commander of the situation. 

If that’s the way its going to be, then Jaehwan is just going to pin all his childish actions to come upon Eggsy too. 

“I broke the bag? I’m the one who did this?” he grits out back at Eggsy, before smiling and laughing once in a way that is not nice. Its a sarcastic curling of lips and showing of teeth. Plainly, Jaehwan is fed the fuck up. 

A knock on the door interrupts him from spitting anything really insulting at Eggsy. Its a knock on the door that would also signal his study buddy has arrived. A feminine voice calls for Jaehwan when he doesn’t move over to the door to answer it after a moment. 

Rising back up to his full height after looming over Eggsy to glare at the man, Jaehwan collects a breath in an attempt to collect himself, while reaching up to smooth out the hairstyle he’d spent his own precious time on earlier in the bathroom. 

Going over to the door, Jaehwan puts a hand on it, but doesn’t open it right away. Instead he takes a moment to sneer at Eggsy. 

“And to think, I had something fun planned for after you’d cleaned up your shit, because it was clear you needed the reinforcement. Maybe though after a while, you’ll understand why its preferable to be in good standing with me.”

After that he’s walking out the door to meet his partner, quickly shutting it behind him and leaving Eggsy to the disaster and his almost comically inclined villainous foreshadowing. 

two’s a crowd, ljh&te.