sharpeztlives

[sharpeztlives]

obligatory post to apologize for any lack of response on my end lately 😭 last week, i got word that i’d be teaching a lecture this semester, so i’ve been running around trying to get prepped for that 🫠. anyways! semester starts tomorrow and i’m teaching AND have class to attend! don’t ever go to grad school it’s a TRAP…

once i get into the swing of things, i’ll be back full force. not ignoring anyone, i swear, just horrendously busy as of late 💓

[sharpeztlives]

"i like when you play your violin." yohan knows she's only teasing, but he lets the affirmation cut through the playfulness anyways. it has to be nice to hear. besides, he can be nice— sometimes— contrary to popular belief. "i don't need to tell you that you're good at it. i think you know that already. but i can tell that you love it without you having to say a single word. i think that's really special." lips pull into the faintest hint of a smile. it's a magical feeling to find something that makes you tick. "do you know how to play other string instruments too? i can't really picture you playing an upright bass. that thing has to be taller than you. do you get a little stool to stand on?" there it is again— that teasing lilt to his voice. yohan can never stay earnest for long.

he pauses at the question, considering it for a moment in quiet respite. what does he think of when he thinks of love, unprompted? the first images that flash through his mind are his friends, his band, being on stage, rainy nights, his mom. "i think of both." he settles, "but i think of the people first." it's not like he's got a long list to get through when he thinks about who he loves. is that depressing? yohan thinks he likes it that way (or he's convinced himself he does, at least). "i do think there's a pretty stark difference between loving things and loving people though, you know? so i guess it'd depend where my head's at." shoulders lift in a small shrug. "i get that— the feeling different things. but i think true love—" he cuts himself off with a short laugh. as if he really knows anything about true love. "i think it makes you feel everything all at once."

he's not entirely sure how they'd ended up here: his curtains drawn aside, starkly different from the front that he typically puts out towards the world. but it's kinda nice. eunwoo's never been the type to cast judgment— at least not on him.

nose scrunches up when she kicks the question back to him. really, he should've seen this coming. he would've done the exact same thing had he been in her shoes.

there’s lots of things about yohan that were loud: the music filtering through his headphones, the way he played his guitar, all the petty arguments he starts and can’t quite finish… and yet? he's overwhelmingly silent. always hanging around in the background; never fully present. never saying anything of real substance— save for now. his thoughts may run at a million miles per second sometimes, but he keeps it inside. "i don't think i'm the loud and proud type either." hand fiddles with his pen, suddenly feeling a little exposed by the topic at hand. he never talks about this sort of stuff with anyone but himself. "— i am the certain type though." eyes flit up to meet hers for a split second. "if i love someone, i'll make sure they know it. no second guessing. i think that's bullshit." cut and dry, straight to the point, even in love. but that's not such a bad thing, is it? "i don't think you should ever have to wonder how someone feels about you." surprising, perhaps, but yohan's not one to play games when it comes to matters of the heart. "maybe i'm louder than i think i am."

head thunks lightly against the wall as he leans back, looking over at her once more. "you should be more proud of that, you know." he nods in her direction. "the 'sticking around' thing. consistency matters. i think it says a lot when someone's continuously willing to show up for you." he mimics her previous expression, raising his brows expectantly. "do you think that's your love language, then? quality time?"

"right? unheard off!" eunwoo says, voice going uncharacteristically high for her, playing in the outrageous look of you're fucked yohan was giving her. she was, mildly, fucked, but it wasn't anything anything a few extra sleepless nights wouldn't fix. she's done this more often than she would be willing to admit... maybe she could be honest with yohan..

she is watching him closely as he props his feet on the desk and she leans back in her seat, no longer hunched over the guitar, but her fingers still pull on random strings quietly. she can't help but raise an eyebrow at him, bit skeptical but curious "my beloved violin? you miss hearing it be played?" she asks, obviously teasing "it's in the usual room i practice, i stopped carrying it around with me much." she shrugs. she would bring on campus, specifically the music department rooms in the morning and take it back with her whenever she left, afterall she did spend majority of her time in that building so it made sense.

eunwoo listens to his argument, fully agreeing with his words but most lectures were... "they are traditionalists." she explains, as simple as she can "i could, but that lecturer..." she grimaces a bit, brows furrowing and lips pressing in a thin line. she shakes her head, she can't get away with it with him "i will be doing strings only, i think it would be fun." not really, but because she was confident she could do something good with it, have the skill. "or i could do the whole thing on a software, i haven't decided." she shrugs her shoulders, a bit sheepish about the lack of urgency or decision making from her. uncharacteristic really, she should be worried.

she spared yohan a slightly pointed look, more curious than anything, at the laugh she hears from him. he makes her think, purse her lips and strum the guitar a few times, as if keeping her hands busy helped. "wouldn't you think about the things you love?" a pause "would you think about the people you love?" she questions, curious really. "but they make me feel different things. one makes me calm, the other one makes me passionate, you know, different feelings all stemming from stuff i like." eunwoo has never been the best with words, sometimes she thinks she is horrible and keeping quiet is always the best solution- unless she is arguing, she gets really good with her words then- but this wasn't arguing. it was a genuine conversation she actually enjoyed.

she's listening to him, fingers finally stopping against the strings. yohan's description is pretty spot on, she knows what he means and hums in agreement, head slowly nodding. she agrees, a lot with what he says, but they seem to see eye to eye more often than not at this point. however, his question directed to her catches her by surprise, almost enough to make her flush as a frown appears on her features, crease between her brows deepening "me?" she questions, as if she was surprised to be asked those questions- well, she was, but that was besides the point. she isn't loud, but she is proud, about a lot of things, some of her achievements, some of her friends. so she shakes her head at him, shoulders shrugging soon after "i'm not the loud and proud type, not really." she starts, voice dropping a bit lower as if she was telling yohan a secret or two. and her thoughts drift and she feels herself frown even more "i'm the quiet and consistent type i guess. i stick around?" she's unsure and it shows in her voice, but she oddly doesn't mind. it's not everyday she has these conversations. whats the worst that could happen?

"what about you?" its only fair she flips the question on him, brows raised, expectant even, but not pushy for an answer.

[sharpeztlives]

"TAKE MY HALF" PREVIEW || BEOMGYU

[sharpeztlives]

he has half the mind to scoff when she asks that— you think i’m beautiful? of course he does. he has two working eyeballs. anyone that doesn’t think han seoyun is gorgeous is fucking lying. but he doesn’t say that out loud, nor does he scoff, nor roll his eyes like she just asked a him a question with the most obvious answer in the universe (even though she kinda did— there’s certain undoubted truths in life: the sky is blue, seoyun is beautiful, et cetera).

the moment passes, and he’s grateful for it. yohan’s not sure he has it in him right now to possibly explain how he’s been vaguely intrigued by her preppy style and dramatized demeanor since the moment he’d first laid eyes on her. it’d been borne out of pure amusement at first (and maybe some annoyance), but now that he’s thinking about it…

no.

no more thinking about it.

but then her perfectly-manicured fingers are fixing at the buttons on his shirt, and his breath is hitching in his throat.

damn it. he’s thinking about it.

their eyes meet for a split second, and for the first time, yohan feels like he's really seeing her. not the overconfident, sometimes loud, outgoing, perfect face she shows to the world. it's something softer. the quietness in her tone, the care she puts into doing his tie up for him... it's sweet. "i trust you." he repeats in confirmation. it's more certain this time, though hushed in tone. it's his turn to flush now. yohan's sure that she can see the pink creeping up his neck and spilling onto his cheeks. the thought of it only makes him blush more. god, this was torture.

she pulls away. yohan thought he'd be relieved with the distance (and for the most part, he is), but there's the tiniest part of him that wanted her close again.

he's got to beat that feeling down with a stick or something. seriously.

i have good taste, after all. yohan snorts at that, thankful for the sudden change in tone. "you know, when you compliment someone, you're not supposed to compliment yourself in the same breath." he shoots her a pointed look. "thank you. for the compliment. and for your genius." eyes roll over-dramatically— playfully. "and for tying my stupid tie." he tacks on. he pauses for a moment, pursing his lips like he's thinking about something. yohan's not sure that he wants to give the blonde leverage to tease him. lips press together in a thin line. he meant it when he said he trusted her— not that this is a big deal anyways. "i don't know how to." eyes flit downwards, pulling gently at the piece of fabric around his neck. "... tie a tie, i mean. nobody ever taught me."

and maybe that's the answer to her next question, too: nobody ever taught him anything about this life he'd suddenly been thrust into.

he heaves out a heavy sigh, giving his head a little shake. "i just don't get it." the galas, he means… or maybe it's just the entire lifestyle. he shifts his weight from one foot to the other. it feels strange to be so open with someone like this, even when he's not really saying much. yohan usually doesn't say anything at all.

somehow, she disarms him.

"i didn't... grow up like this." now that's edging on way-too-fucking-personal for his taste; he swiftly moves on. "i'm just not used to it. it all feels so disingenuous. it all just sorta gives me the ick." his nose wrinkles up, "besides, my dad's going to be there. and christine," (his stepmother that he would never give the honor of being called mom in any way, shape, or form) "and their kids. and everyone else. and there's going to be a million questions about 'oh, how is school, yohan?' 'what are you going to do with a degree in literature, yohan?' 'how's the band stuff going, yohan?' 'when are you going to join your old man at the company, yohan?'" just thinking about it makes him want to rip his hair out.

"do you not get that at galas? the billion questions about your future, from people you barely know, that you don't know how to answer?" he looks to her, eyes searching hers for any semblance of understanding. he wishes it'd all just magically click for him one day, but it hasn't. it won't. he knows this. "what's the secret? do i just have to get drunk off champagne? i've tried that already— it was not pretty."

seoyun can’t help but cross her arms as she listens to yohan rant about the clothes, shifting her weight to one of her hips. she’s not mad; if anything, she’s somewhat entertained. for a man who hates clothing so much, he really has a descriptive way of describing it (he was a literature major, right? that definitely adds up.) she waits to speak until he finishes up for a bit, a tiny smile on her face. not mocking, but amused. “sooo, and i’m not too sure, maybe i’m picking up the wrong vibe here… but i’m getting the idea that you don’t exactly like ties.”

it didn’t bother her that badly that fashion wasn’t everyone’s thing, despite how snobby as she could be when it came to how other people dressed. of course, there had to be unfashionable people in the world so those with taste could stand out more! besides, she’s sure there’s stuff yohan cares about deeply that she couldn’t wrap her mind around.

she opens her mouth to tease yohan again, to help keep the mood lighthearted when she was very much aware that he was absolutely out of his element.

then he kept speaking.

“… wait—waitwaitwait, you think i’m beautiful?” oh, shit. listen, seoyun was more than used to being complimented by other people, much less men. she enjoyed the attention she got because she knew she looked good as hell. lived for being told so, even. if not for her passion for being the one behind designing the clothes, she probably would've had an interest in being on the runway instead.

she can feel her face heating up from words that would rarely get any reaction from her. but there was something about yohan complimenting her, though—

it feels like the moment passes almost as fast as it came, and seoyun’s not sure if she feels disappointed or relieved. her shoulders slump slightly, biting her lip to stop herself from pouting. she manages shake it off as best as she can, rolling her eyes at his attempt to escape. “… uhhhhh, no way! you didn’t expect me to say yes to that, right?” like hell she needed his dad somehow knowing she was the one who told him not to go.

she hesitates with the way he speaks softly to her, the way he’s not trying to hide from attending the gala anymore and actually… seems to want her help, even if he hates this whole situation. “… you trust me?” the words leave her before she realizes it, a quietness in her voice that’s rarely seen.

“… well, if you want my opinion, i think that you’d look pretty nice without a blazer.” she takes a step closer, fixing his shirt buttons and collar for him. there’s a calm, but focused look in her eyes as she glances back up at him for a quick second, before wrapping the tie around his neck and starting to tie it.

loop, cross, wrap…

tying it only takes seconds but it feels nearly like hours for seoyun. despite how concentrated she is on such a simple act, she knows her face is still warm from what yohan said earlier. once she’s done, she grins up at him—a genuine grin, not one of her teasing ones. “and i think… the tie looks good on you, too. i have good taste, after all.”

a beat passes.

then she tilts her head, glancing away from his eyes now. “so like, is there a reason you’re so against going to this event…? i know it’s not your scene, but like, i’ve never had a bad time at a gala.”

maybe she’s trying to change the subject in her own way too.

[sharpeztlives]

he's about to argue— not because he actually thinks he's ought to have responsibilities— but just for arguing's sake. yohan likes to push her buttons. besides, the longer he distracts her, the longer break she'll get before she power-walks back down to whatever booth needed her so desperately. lord knows she won't just take a damn break herself. if anything, he's doing her a favor here... in a roundabout sort of way. where was his thank you?

yohan's about to tell her this— explain how he's practically being a saint right now by doing this for her— when his cup is ripped from his hands. "wh— hey!" he blubbers, watching on helplessly as she sips from the drink that he hadn't even gotten to enjoy himself yet. yohan's caught so off-guard that all he can do is stand there with an open mouth and furrowed brows. "you stole my slushie." he states, utterly dumbfounded (thank you, captain obvious), looking at her, then back down to his now-empty hand.

"... just keep it." yohan grumbles, wrinkling up his nose, like he's actually scared of catching cooties from her drinking out of his straw or something. eugh, gross. respectfully. or maybe disrespectfully. she did steal his sweet treat, after all. actually, yea. he's peeved. "— who the fuck does that?!" she's so annoying; has been since they were kids. the worst part of it all is that it's actually kind of hilarious. if it hadn't happened to him, he'd be laughing right now. "you have no manners. none!" and that's coming from kang yohan of all people. the irony isn't lost on him. "— and to think i was doing you a favor by distracting you. i bet this is the longest fucking break you've taken all day, isn't it? and what do i get as a thanks? robbed blind?!"

he huffs, as if to further prove his point, arms crossed over his chest defiantly (though, let's be real, he probably looks more like a vexed toddler pouting right now). "you so owe me a new one, by the way. and a snack too— for emotional distress. i know my rights." he points at her. "and that's before you get back to work with whatever the fuck you're doing." it's probably something dumb. like calculating all the blades of grass being crushed by the stages... or some bullshit like that. "there's no way you're actually this busy, agatha. i think you just like holding a clipboard and walking around mad as hell. we've got to get you a new hobby."

if agatha had been even a bit herself today, she would've had a retort ready whenever she's facing kang yohan. but along with the tiredness comes the brain fog, and along with the brain fog is yohan's words not fully registering to her.

agatha's shoulder sag even further as she listens to him. it's her third time bumping into him just today and while he'd been merciful on the first, annoyed on the second, now at the third he's completely on nagging mode.

"look, i really didn't see you and i'm sorry, okay?" was the best she could muster, still looking at him with apologetic eyes. at this point, she's already too tired to even hear what he was saying to her. "and no, i haven't had the chance to enjoy because a festival like this needs all the help they can get to run properly. it's a good thing that oph-" she stops herself, takes a deep breath to center herself and not get worked up. yohan was good at that, working her up and then getting her into trouble. that's always the case even when they were younger and all the blame getting pinned on her.

and yet, here he was still nagging her ear off.

"it's a good thing that you don't have to do anything but being actually part of the student government means i have a lot of responsibilities-- why am i even explaining myself?" she shakes her head then her eyes lands on the drink he has on hand.

she takes a step closer to grab the straw and stabs the drink without missing this time. before yohan could protest, she takes the drink and tries it herself. the tangy mango bursts in her mouth and she looks to yohan with a thumbs up. her energy already going up with the sugar rush.

"ohh! this is really good, where can i get one?"

[sharpeztlives]

"they've got you guys running this shit like the military, dude." it's not even the first time today someone's told him they've been so wrapped up in working the festival that they've forgotten to take time for themselves. yohan's happy he didn't have to sign up for shit. if the other ophiuchus members had decided that they'd be helping out somewhere, he would've mysteriously disappeared for the weekend, he's pretty sure. "my friend, agatha— you know her? she's like... this tall." he exaggerates his gesture, holding his hand all the way down by his waist, like she's only four feet tall. "she's been so busy running around and working that she bumped into me three separate times just today. and then she stole my fucking slushie." he's still not over the theft of his sweet treat, evidenced by the disapproving shake of his head. who does that!? "— point is... i think every single booth should shut down for thirty minutes so everyone can sit down."

he moves to sit down in the grass in front of her as he waits for her to feel less like she's about to pass out. he can be patient. just this once. "you'd think they'd give you free snacks if you're literally working a booth with food." he clicks his tongue. "y'know, i went yesterday and this dude in front of me got the last corn cob." seriously, what was up with people taking his treats from him? "but—" he raises his brows, eyes lit up all playfully, "now that i know you're working the booth, i've got an in. i'm skipping that fucking line." that's... not how it works. but what if it was? there's nothing wrong with a little line-cutting when he wasn't the unlucky one being pushed back in the queue. "... we probably shouldn't grab food from there right now, though. i have a feeling they'll whisk you away and force you to start helping again. you know any other good booths? i don't think i've actually stopped to look at any of 'em."

she scrunches up her nose in slight protest, though she knows she probably deserves this from him right now. it's a little funny, if she's honest, that they're meeting this way this time considering the ... circumstances ... that they had met in more than a year ago.

she never thought she would see this side of him, honestly. it's kinda funny.

"i just got sidetracked ..." jiahn tries to protest a little, her pride feeling the tiniest bit hurt that she wasn't being given the benefit of the doubt right now. she's fully aware that she's in the wrong in the moment but she doesn't think she deserves to be scolded or anything. getting caught up in all the festivities is something she's sure she isn't the only one guilty of doing.

nodding to answer his question, she brings the water bottle back to her lips to take another sip. and then caps it and presses the cold side to her forehead again. "okay, okay, gimme like 5 more minutes," she mumbles, not really wanting to get up but know that he's right.

"i'm working at the anime club's booth! anime club x sweet corn cafe," she clarifies, though the anime club is only running one stand. "it's pretty busy because i think the food is good, and we have a lot of variety so it's been busy ... i probably should've taken a break but it's so easy to get caught up in it all, you know?"

[sharpeztlives]

location: poster purgatory with @veritastrap

this was bullshit.

yohan knew he should've just skipped this damn meeting. now he's stuck hanging up posters around campus for god knows what because someone had decided that ophiuchus needed to get their dirty little hands on something and "help out" (read: manipulate the entire situation). there's about a million things yohan would rather be doing than this. but somehow, the poster-hanging isn't even the worst part.

it's who he'd been paired off with.

head turns to sneak a glance at the woman diligently sticking a poster to a wall. they'd split up the pile initially, but hers looks like it's almost done. yohan's hung up maybe six posters (and bunches of them mysteriously disappeared every time they walked past a trash can). he needs to catch up... but that's what partners are for, isn't it?

he steps up beside yerim, unhelpfully slapping another poster up directly beside the one she'd just put up. it might be upside down. it doesn't matter. in one fell swoop, yohan's shoving a chunk of his posters into her hands before she can stop him. what's that saying? if you want it done right, just do it yourself? yea. she can do it herself. "here. look, we're almost done." he says, wiggling his now-small stack of papers in her face— no thanks to any of his own effort, of course.

another poster is haphazardly smacked onto a wall... and then it falls off. yohan pretends not to notice. "this is dumb." he mutters, wiping a hand over his face. campus is a ghost town; nobody's around to overhear them talk about this. not that he really cares that much. "if ophiuchus is supposed to be some secret society, then why do they have us hanging up these flyers?" he actually looks at the poster (finally). it's for a special election on campus. "... shouldn't someone else be doing this? like, i dunno, student government?" yohan shoots her a look. "don't even try to disagree. you have to know this is stupid, right? you can admit it. i won't tell."

[sharpeztlives]

it's impossible to bite back a grin when she's practically leaping up the second he backs away. ill be nice, then. if this is seoyun being nice, then he wants her to be nice to him all the time— even if she is kinda funny when she's got that whole spoiled brat shtick going on. yohan's slowly coming to the conclusion that he just plain likes her— snobby, sweet, and everything else she is in-between.

(he especially likes when she's kissing him).

he lets himself be pulled in without any further teasing; truthfully, he's leaning in at the same time, like he can't possibly wait another second before their lips meet. he's been waiting on this— this stupid kissing booth had delivered a perfect opportunity to him on a silver platter. how could he possibly pass this up? by her unfiltered eagerness, yohan's betting she was waiting on this too. it makes him want to kick himself. he should've kissed her sooner.

god, he really should've.

she kisses him, and it just feels... right. he couldn't explain it even if he tried. there's no fireworks— nothing loud and triumphant. it's just a small click in the cosmos. a certain quietness. everything around them is drowned out by her. the music surrounding them, the giggles from the other ice skaters, the perpetual noise of the crowd of students packed into the festival— all of it— is nothing but a whispered hum in the back of his mind. how could he possibly focus on anything else when her lips are on his?

they pull away, but he's still chasing after her— leaning forward ever so slightly— like he doesn't want the moment to end. "wow." yep. that's a good way to sum it up. yohan wants to smack himself on the forehead. he hums at her comment, bringing a hand up to gently wipe at her lipgloss now smothered all over his lips. "you think so, hm?" the thought of her not wanting him to kiss anybody else makes his face hot. he's so not supposed to be the one blushing right now. a playful glint suddenly flashes in his eyes. "why? is this not my color? is it washing me out? where's my sangria red?"

he's smiling— has been since the moment she pulled him in. "y'know... i thought this booth only gave out cheek kisses." he clicks his tongue, giving his head a little shake. he's only teasing, made evident by the way he reaches out to lace their fingers together across the counter, keeping her close. "— i liked it. a lot." he assures her suddenly— earnestly. "... buuuut i definitely wouldn't mind a cheek kiss too." he's just being greedy now (sue him!).

“snrkk-” this time, seoyun’s hand lifts up to her mouth, trying to hide the laugh that comes from yohan pretending to act tough. it’s kind of weird to her, she thinks, that there’s things out there that if she saw another guy do them she’d find it a little lame or annoying. but on yohan, it was… actually kind of funny. she uncovers her face once she manages to stop laughing, but there’s a lasting small smile still. “… right, i’ll let you know exactly when he comes.”

one second she’s laughing at how silly he is, and the next with him leaning forward, looking into his eyes with their faces closer than ever before… her eyes widen slightly at the way the distance between them shortened. shit.

it’s not at all helped with what yohan tells her, she can feel her face burning now. she has bite back a grin and glance away for a quick second when he outright admits he wants to kiss her. her ego was basically jumping up and down in her mind with every word he said.

there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pout on her lips when he stands back up straight; she liked having him as close to her as possible. (though, she would not admit to pouting at all.) she playfully huffs and follows after him right after, pushing her seat back and standing up. “alright, i guess you’ve made your plea loud enough. i’ll be nice, then!”

truthfully, seoyun was always one of those girls who preferred the other person to make the first move. not because she couldn’t, but she just liked the feeling of being wanted. knowing that someone liked her so much—needed her so much—that they needed to act on it, regardless of the gesture.

she was going to allow herself to break that rule just this once, only because yohan was teasing her too much.

“come here already.” she whispers quietly, just for yohan to hear—because she doesn’t really care about the rest of the people around them right now, she wants to melt into him at least for a few seconds. she tugs him down slightly by his jacket collar as she closes her eyes, far enough for their lips to meet.

she’s kissed people before—both back at home and at yeonhwa, to the point where she’s become more protective of who gets to be with her. not just anyone deserves to be with her, and she slightly regrets a few of those kisses.

but something about kissing kang yohan feels… different. maybe it’s partially the relief that comes from finally doing it, with all the tension between them from the moments prior. it has a bit of that awkwardness that comes with every kiss with someone new, but she doesn't mind at all. she finds herself smiling a little into it, her grip on his jacket relaxing slightly in the few seconds that follow.

there’s no going back before this moment, but she thinks she’s ready to take that leap again.

when they finally pull away, seoyun glances up at him with half-lidded eyes. her eyes trail down to his lips… then she lets out a soft laugh when she notices the lip gloss she left on his lips. “oh. … pretty good way to make sure you don’t kiss anyone else, hm?”

[sharpeztlives]

you could always count on yohan to be fashionably late to something (as fashionable as a black band t-shirt and jeans could possibly be, at least). tonight's no exception... even if he had been pretty excited about the company that'd be there: any party with akari in attendance was always fun. so maybe— just maybe— he'd put a little pep in his step as he walked from the convenience store where the taxi had dropped him off over to the apartment. not that he'd admit that.

walking through the door and catching sight of her made him grin, his smile only growing as she bounded over to him and doused him in affection. yohan wouldn't fess up to it, but he reveled in the attention. it felt nice to be wanted. the kiss to the lips is a little surprising, though, but welcome. someone's eager. "seems like you got started without me." he hums, snaking an arm around her waist to keep her close. "you sure you need more of this, sweetheart?" he teases, wiggling the bottle of whiskey in his hands. he bites back a laugh when she takes it from his hand and laces their fingers together instead.

he lets himself be pulled along without any protest, only leaning away to set the other bottle of liquor on the kitchen counter as they pass by. "i feel like i need to catch up to you." he says, poking her side playfully with his free hand. "how much have you had?" yohan's pretty sure he'd be on her level in a just few minutes— he'd taken an edible about an hour ago. he'd go for a rip from the bong now, but he really didn't need to be a victim of the 'this-edible-ain't-shit' mentality (that's a lesson you only need to learn once).

yohan flops down onto one of the beat-up couches in the living room, waiting for everyone else to trickle in and round up. he's not usually one for games, but akari looks excited about it— he wanted to make sure she was having a good time too. besides, if it ended up being some corny shit like spin the bottle, he'd just lean over and force the damn thing to point at her and whisk her away. "c'mere." he prompts, patting the seat beside him, giving her arm the gentlest little tug. once she's sat down, he casually drapes an arm across her shoulders (very smooth). "alright. what're you roping me into now?" he lilts, as if he's not the bad influence. "what are we playing?"

nights like this || closed for @sharpeztlives

FLASHBACK to Akari's first year

taking another shot of vodka, it slid down her throat effortlessly. she sat on the floor of some random classmate's apartment. luckily for the lot of them, they were off campus. it was her first year and she wasn't taking any of it very seriously. so, then came on another shot and another pounded down with a small 'whoop' escaping her lips at the random goers. people were also passing a bong around, so many reasons this party could not be on campus tonight were filling her mind. yet, she didn't care.

retrieving her phone, she was about to text yohan again, asking where the hell he was but, she decided against it once the front door of the apartment burst open. there he stood, smiling with more alcohol to rejoice the crowd with. everyone seemed to cheer for it, akari smiling a little bit to herself then.

already quite tipsy (and a little stoned), she bounced her way over to yohan in question, giving him a flirtatious smile. they hadn't known each other too long but they clicked and one thing had lead to another , akari inviting him over for an evening alone one night after another party (much like this one). a small hop was in her step as she greeted him, "hey cutie, you're only about an hour late into the fun." manuvering a hand around his frame, she squeezed his hip affectionately and allowed his cheek to be graced with a small kiss.

"looks like you brought more of the good stuff." because based on what she saw, there was more vodka and even whiskey. the aroma of pot mingled in the apartment, something that never offended akari these days. leaining in closer to him, she gently pressed her forehead into yohan's affectionately and pecked his lips. "we were just about to start a new drinking game!" her voice is so ecstatic, so carefree. it was like the rest of the world ceased to exist except for that particular moment in that particularly bland and plain apartment.

maybe they spend all their money on booze and weed..

no matter the case, she just wanted to spend time with the guy she'd been casually hooking up with and forget the outside world existed. her parents were starting to breathe down her neck, but that wasn't a thought she would contend with tonight as her chest rose with a larger breath then. grasping one of the large bottles yohan had, she threaded her fingers through his free hand then and gingerly tugged him to join her. "if it gets too crazy we can head outside for a bit." she couldn't sleep anyway and required the company.

[sharpeztlives]

there's nothing yohan hates more than being interrupted when he's locked in on an assignment (except maybe neckties. or pointless galas. or... actually, maybe it's not at the top of the list on second thought). the problem is that he's got a one-track mind: any distraction, and his train of thought is zipping right past him far, far away, never to be found again. so when the chair across from him scraping against the floor catches his attention, his brow pinches. when he realizes someone's actually sitting down across from him, he looks up, expression one of disbelief and pointed irritation. at the recognition of the friendly(?) face, though, his features are quickly morphing into vague confusion. minjoon's maybe not the very last person he expected to see, but he's certainly not someone he'd predict would be approaching him at a random café. it's not that he didn't like him... really, he was mostly indifferent, if a little impressed by joon's forte for music (pun intended).

he sits back in his seat now, pulling out the one earbud he'd had in to give the other his full attention. if he's here, it must be for a reason, right? unless... joon was just trying to be friendly? objectively, it's not weird. yohan knows that. he's just never really been the type to approach someone himself, so he's been caught a little off guard. maybe this will be nice. maybe. "torture's always a sound method." he nods solemnly, corners of his lips quirking the tiniest bit upwards into a smile. "thanks, man— for the compliment and the coffee." yohan moves to shut his laptop now, assignment long forgotten at the mention of the practicing he'd been doing yesterday. he can practically feel the tips of his fingers thrumming against the strings of his guitar now just thinking about it: he'd been hacking away at this song for a few days now, and had finally had an epiphany yesterday. he'd stayed there for hours.

"it usually just starts with an earworm, honestly." shoulders lift in a shrug. "i dunno... playing is really relaxing to me. sometimes i just strum mindlessly for an hour or so until something starts to stick." fingers tap rhythmically against his laptop. "definitely more of a hands-on guy, if you know what i mean? i'll never know what sounds good or feels good until i'm actually trying it out in real time." he's not particularly well-versed in music theory; he's not the type of person that has perfect pitch or just knows how to piece together chord progressions on a staff to make things sound good. "you're stronger than me, man. i'm only working with four— maybe five— instruments, and half the time, my friends are writing their own parts. i don't know how you manage entire symphonic orchestras like that. i felt like i was fucking drowning during our project. i'm still not confident that i know what a bassoon actually sounds like." he lets out a short laugh, giving a shake of his head. "do you usually start off a project just on the piano?" head tilts. "you play anything else?"

( we're doing this now ) ;  ⸺ + @sharpeztlives !

they shouldn't work, and in fact, they don't fucking work. not really. minjoon had spent the whole three weeks they were stuck together by academic fate politely and quietly (if a big snarky and snappy from time to time), working with his head down. he took everything so seriously, and yohan? he was a bit grumpy in his own way, yet that was where the similarities dropped off.

so it should stand to logic that joon takes to his freedom like a butterfly, right? (butterfly... he thinks of jiahn when he thinks of those... really? a compulsive thought even here?)— but when their assignment came to an end, what reasonable explanation is there for joon stop for an extra coffee at his favorite shop that morning (today, jinyoung is not there to slow him down and get in his fucking way and that's a blessing, too). he knows where yohan will be because he listens better than it seems and remembers (he's not that bad of an asshole), and he approaches nonchalantly.

first, the click of the coffee cup as he places it in front of yohan. and then the creek of the chair as he sits across from his former partner turned stranger again— well, should be stranger. but joon gets comfortable, places his sharp chin on his palm and gives yohan a little look. "i heard you yesterday; music practice room c or whatever it was. didn't want to interupt you but it sounded... nice." he doesn't like that kind of music, typically. but joon can't help but find himself fascinated a bit. "you took a music comp with me too, right? what's your process for music like that— pop punk or whatever." he's sounding so neutral, buried beneath that even-tone is his very candid interest. "to be honest, with classical, i just torture myself to make music." it's a joke but he delivers it so fucking straight it might not even sound like one (except for the way his lips quirk up into a grin).

[sharpeztlives]

[sharpeztlives]

can't a guy just sip on his mango slush in peace? — the answer's no, obviously. yohan goes to poke the straw through the lid of his newly-obtained drink, but he's stabbing nothing but thin air as someone knocks directly into him and jacks up his aim. it's truly the little things in life that annoy him to no end. he looks up, irritated, ready to tell them to watch where they're fucking going, but then the culprit is apologizing, and it's her. again.

if looks could kill, she'd be six feet under right now. "agatha. seriously?" he lifts his hands up, like he's saying 'what the fuck?' without actually saying it (by now, though, he's pretty sure she can read his mind). "do you need new glasses, or what? forget to put your contacts in this morning?" he deadpans. "you know, if you stopped spreading yourself so thin all the time, you wouldn't have to power walk everywhere and risk bulldozing someone to the ground." it's a little dramatic, yes (she wasn't going to knock him over), but it gets his point across.

"why are you always on some sort of mission? this isn't spy kids. it's a music festival." he could ask this same question to half the people in ophiuchus— hell, he could ask it to half the people at this school. "you've bumped into me three times just today— for what? to go stand behind a booth? come on, dude. is it that serious?" he shoots her a look. "have you even had the chance to, i dunno, enjoy yourself at all? watch a few sets? grab a snack?"

third bump's the charm present, yeonchella event starter for kang yohan ( @sharpeztlives )

what does a lack of sleep, complete exhaustion, and dehydration get you?

apparently for agatha, a whole lot of apologizing.

running around the festival is something agatha expected to do, that's why she is prepared and put on the most comfortable shoes she has. what she didn't expect though is just how much it would take a toll on her body, already exhausted due to the after party last night. the regret sets in the longer the day goes by and she has no one to blame but herself. she really should've listened to seoyun and not go overboard.

she can't help but bump into others as she passes by, her eyes lock straight at her target location which she should be at in T-minus 1 minute and 30 second. that is, until she bumps into yet another person that sends her back a few steps.

"i am so sorry," she says as she gathers herself before turning to look at her victim with apologetic eyes. that is, until she realizes who it is that she bumped into once again.

she's sure kang yohan had a look that wanted to strangle her and she doesn't blame him. this wasn't the first nor the second time that their shoulders met today. "i know it sounds like i'm making excuses but i really didn't see you, yohan."

[sharpeztlives]

he's fucking starving and it's making him unbearably grumpy. all he wants is something from the sweet corn stand— he's even willing to wait in this mile-long line with the sun blazing down on him. it'll all be worth it once he has a little treat in his hands. he'd been waiting, and waiting, and waiting. standing here like he didn't have anything better to do. honestly, at one point, he considered ditching the queue and just ordering delivery back at his dorm so he could enjoy the air conditioning before coming back for yeonchella round two. but he persevered— stubbornness, or just stupidity?

it definitely feels like the latter when he's literally the next person in line and the dude running the stupid booth announces that they're fresh out for the day. he swears his eye actually twitches. he could plopped in bed right now eating takeout if he'd just gone with his gut and left fifteen minutes ago. now he was here: hot, hungry, and irritated as fuck. the cheery greeting doesn't help, and then somehow, against all odds, it gets even worse. this blonde dude— he knows him. karma was so real, and it was kicking his ass right now.

"— mhm!" yohan smiles, but it doesn't reach his eyes; in fact, it looks more like a grimace. "must be your lucky day, man." it is painfully obvious that he's annoyed right now. it's not even about the stupid corn cob anymore. it's about him— that fake little smile. the little jab. alright, fine! yohan had royally fucked up their first meeting. he'll admit it. now this guy is just rubbing it in when he's already peeved. he lets out a little scoff at the thought, muttering under his breath. "— fucking prick."

⋆ YEONCHELLA MEMORIES ₊ @sharpeztlives ⋆ YEONHWA UNIVERSITY ₊ SEOUL

⋆⁺｡˚⋆˙‧₊☽ ⋅✯⋅ ☾₊‧˙⋆˚｡⁺⋆ 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 𝐘𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘, today is already looking like it could be better. Hell, it’d better be!

Phoenix was famished. All he could manage this morning for breakfast was a quick ham and egg sandwich. Everyone knows a measly bite like that wasn’t going to do much for him but he’ll deal with it. Besides, he’ll have plenty to savour at the food stalls later. He runs around the premises for a bit, greeting everyone he knows, burning energy with his mouth before he decides that it’s finally time for a snack. 

With a line this long, Phoenix was aware that he should have picked something else but he was stubborn like that so he waits patiently for his turn. When his turn finally came, he nearly drools at the sight of the corn on the cob in his hand, the heat making his skin burn in a good way. Happy with his purchase, he’s about to skip away from the stand when the student in charge announces that they were all out of stock. Turning on his heel, he comes face to face with someone very much unforgettable. 

“Oh, hello!” Phoenix greets the other student with a tight-lipped smile, ready to mask his subtle jab. “Fancy seeing you here. Such a shame they’re done for the day. I mean it’s hard to resist the aroma of melted butter on sweet corn, am I right?” ⁺₊

[sharpeztlives]

he keeps his eyes trained on her, half-afraid that she'll just slump over and pass out any second. yohan's not exactly a medical professional, but he knows what too much heat and not enough water can do to a person... and he doesn't really want to be the one hauling an unconscious jiahn over to the red cross tent— he absolutely would, don't get him wrong! just not exactly on his list of things that he'd like to do today.

"aish... you people. working is fine and all, but you've gotta take some time for yourself too. especially like... for your basic needs? hello?" he'd already bumped into agatha in her flurry of running around and working the festival three times that day. why couldn't everyone just chill for a few seconds? he didn't get it. "at least you're aware of it." and hopefully won't make the same poor choices tomorrow (he doesn't say that last part— he's trying really hard not to nag right now).

"... is the water helping a little?" yohan starts again after a small bout of silence, teeth catching his lesser lip in worry. "look, once you start feeling less dizzy and more like you can walk, we'll grab something to eat, okay? on me. they've got some cool food stands. we can scope them out for tomorrow when you actually eat lunch." he's only teasing, corners of his lips pulling into a faint smile. "what booth are you working?"

she laughs a little as she slowly processes what he had just said about dying and using dead last. if she had been less dehydrated and not dying of heat exhaustion, she probably would've found it funny but right now she's not really processing much.

she doesn't even notice that he had stolen a water bottle nor a chair.

plopping down into the chair only sends a wave of dizziness over her, and she clutches at her head for a moment before she realizes that he had shoved a water bottle in her direction as well. probably, she should've sat down a bit slower considering that she's suffering quite a bit. she definitely should've paid more attention to the warning signs that her body had been giving her—starting with the headache that had started a few hours ago and that she had ignored.

"i was ..." jiahn trails off, trying to think of what she had been doing, deciding maybe it was better not to answer and to drink the water that had been given to her instead.

"caffeine and vibes is a good way to put it," she says after slowly drinking a few mouthfuls of water, already feeling a little better for it. ah, the wonders of hydration, truly.

the water bottle is then pressed to her forehead as she lets her eyes close for a moment, wanting the spinning to stop for a little even if it's only whilst her eyes are closed. "i was working and it was busy ... i totally forgot to eat ... my fault, truly ..."

[sharpeztlives]

"you procrastinated long enough that you've got a week— maybe two weeks— to compose a piece for an entire orchestra?" he deadpans, giving her a look that seems to say you're fucked. yohan won't say it aloud though, just offer his same, silent support that he usually does. he's happy to be a springboard to bounce ideas off of to get the ball rolling— she's gotta start somewhere.

he kicks back in his seat, arms crossed over his chest, feet propped up on the small desk that he'd been writing on just a moment ago. "who said it had to be a guitar? just take the melody and run with it— apply to some other strings. what ever happened to your beloved violin?" he lilts, resuming the clicking of his pen. he's not entirely sure about how orchestral composition works, but surely there's a way to take a motif like the one she's strumming now and build it into something entirely new. hell, if anyone could figure it out, it was her.

"and why can't you add a guitar anyways? sure, they're not really traditional in an orchestra, but isn't a part of music supposed to be about coming up with something new?" shoulders lift in a shrug. it's just some food for thought. for all he knows, the professor might be a stickler for using only the same old orchestral instruments. his nose wrinkles up. what a dumb rule.

but the mention of love captures his attention, and his pen ceases its clicking once more, head tilting upwards to look at the ceiling as she speaks. the mention of loving sleep does elicit a small laugh though, and yohan gives a fond shake of his head. "i think it's interesting that you immediately jumped to things you love." he purses his lips. "if it's a specific mood, shouldn't it be how all of those things make you feel?"

"i like that." he turns, nodding towards her. that gentleness and softness. "i feel like when people think of love, they usually jump to something super grand and loud. like they're trying to encapsulate the feeling of firecrackers 'n shit." he sorta hates that trope in media— the fireworks going off after a first kiss to represent how someone feels inside. it's just a little corny, is all. "i think love's..." he trails off, looking back down at his notebook. "different." he finally settles. yohan might consider eunwoo a friend, but he can't totally give himself away like that. god forbid someone know he's a romantic! "— i dunno, what do you think?" he flashes her a playful little grin. "are you the loud and proud type?"

it's always quiet and nice with yohan, breathable eunwoo would say. like she could mess up, time and time again until she gets the pattern right and breathe out be able to breathe normally without worrying about consequences. it was nice, so nice she almost always looked forward to their little get togethers. he didn't always pay 100% attention to what she played, how she played it, but he answered whenever she had questions or seemed to get stuck on something. and to an extend, eunwoo isn't exactly sure what she brings to the table. she doesn't question it often, but it lingers sometimes and she isn't brave enough to ask.

she doesn't thinks he has taught him anything in return, but that never seemed like an issue, so she accepted things as they are. quiet, yet, energizing.

today was no different, keeping each other company with her messing around on the guitar and yohan busy with whatever he was scribbling in his journal. peace and quiet. eunwoo did feel like she could breathe normally for a while, shoulder relaxing with every minute passing. the clicking of his pen before answering her question makes her glance at him quickly, she messes up the strings and sighs softly.

"next week? or is it the week after that?" she questions, not even sure if it was next week or the week after. she's been very… scatterbrained lately, loads of thoughts, loads of to do lists, loads of things she didn't want to touch. she would get around to it, what was a few more sleepless nights to someone who has been functioning out of pure spite and need to prove people wrong for the past ten plus years? "we do have a prompt actually." eunwoo perks up, just a bit, just enough and she looks up at yohan as if he struck gold "well, i don't really." her fingers stop against the strings as he points it out and she glances back at her hands, shoulders shrugging.

"don't think i can add a guitar to a short orchestral sketch for a specific mood." she half quotes her assignment title half wings it, because she hasn't paid enough attention in the lessons to really remember. very uncharacteristic of her. however, there is a rather cheeky grin pulling on her lips, a little lopsided and thinly streched "and the mood was love." she says it, like she was putting the last nail in the coffin and she knows questions will come up. "i love a lot of things, how can i pick just one when they are so vastly different? like-" eunwoo plays a riff, a different one, one that she doesn't think yohan has heard "i love music, i really do, but how do i portray it? i also like sleeping, maybe that's a good choice? something soft and melancholy?" she's brainstorming, something, anything, as she slows down the strumming, something more gentle and soft, longing almost.