#– – ᵗʰʳᵉᵃᵈˢ ｡˚ ˚☽

[choboss]

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @ofxiang

➜ ayoung wiggled in place, fingers drumming against the drink she clasped in her left hand. she was usually the type of person who had plenty of patience but she hadn't eaten in twenty four hours, though not intentionally, and she was starving. the london fog latte and fruit sando had her name all over them and she was ready to just finally sit down and let her brain and feet rest.

her eyebrows furrowed as time ticked away and she was still standing in the same spot in line, waiting to checkout what could be taking so long? she craned her head around the person in front of her, seeing a tall, slender man searching for something. the cashier eyed him warily, an impatient look on her face before snapping at him. "are you going to pay?" ayoung's eyebrows raised at her tone, surprised how she was speaking to him. cutting the line, she held out her assigned company credit card, one of the perks of being staff with infinite. "just charge him to my account, please." she interjected, offering a reserved smile to help cut the tension.

[choboss]

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @myhyun

➜ where is it? that's all ayoung could think as she patted herself down, yet again. dark chocolate tresses flew wildly behind her as she tried to retrace her steps, coming up empty handed at every turn. she had just had it, she swore up and down she had slipped it into her pocket after soundcheck. she was so thorough about making sure she had it. she just didn't understand how it could've slipped her attention.

a frustrated sigh escaped her lips as a hand threaded through her hair. the book was filled with personal things. moments she wanted to hold dear and lyrics she had been trying her hand at. no one else had seen the content of her journal and she didn't want that to change now. she'd feel so stupid and vulnerable if her inner thoughts were someone else's entertainment.

at the thought of unfamiliar eyes peering into her soul, she began to move faster, trying to maneuver between the tight spots backstage without disturbing anything. she caught something white out of the corner of her eye and in something that could only be described as pure desperation, slowly lowered herself to her knees to reach under the speaker to try and pull it free.

[choboss]

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @hiiddens

➜ ayoung pursed her lips, wiggling from side to side as she glanced down at the pieces of paper strewn about the island in her kitchen. she was deep in thought, causing her nose to scrunch at the bridge and her eyebrows to furrow, giving her an expression much too serious for the situation at hand. "okay, I give up!" she finally announced, a dramatic huff escaping her lips as she fell into the chair next to her. "chinese, indian, Italian. any thoughts?" she turned to the younger woman by her side, hoping she could be more decisive.

she regarded the glass of peach moscato in front of her for a moment before deciding to pour herself a glass. "want one?" she inquired, patting the adjacent chair as she smiled from behind the wine glass. "I think I'm leaning towards italian but that's only because of the dessert options."

[choboss]

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @thatsohkai

➜ a grimace came over ayoung's usually stoic features as she reached down to massage her thigh. the tour was just kicking off and she simply didn't need this at the moment but the pain had come in such a massive wave that it stopped her in her tracks, nausea overwhelming her and making her sway. the flight had been too long for her legs despite getting up to walk around the cabin when she was able. the pain made her want to scream, not only because of how tightly it gripped her but because of how wholly unfair it felt to be crippled and limited by it so early when she still had so much in herself to give.

a deep, throbbing pain nearly brought her to her knees as she went from massaging to gripping her leg in desperation. she tried to breathe through the pain and nausea-- slow measured breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth-- as she hobbled towards the closest wall for support. her eyes were glassy from tears, angering her even further as she hated feeling embarrassed and vulnerable like this. she tried to muffle her sniffles with one hand, the other trying to clear the hair from her face as it stuck to the tear tracks on her cheeks.

hearing footfalls from behind her, she frantically tried to wipe her tears away and make herself presentable as she leaned against the wall. a forced smile decorated her lips as she turned to greet whoever was coming up, still wanting to make a good impression being so new to the company.

[choboss]

➜ in a rare treat, ayoung was given the evening off to explore the sites while braveheart's other manager watched the girls in their hotel. while her leg and hip pulsed with the slightest ache, she knew she likely wouldn't get a night to herself for who knows how long so she had to take advantage of her one night of free time. she would never use a cane in front of the members of braveheart. her pride was much too important to her and she hated when others looked at her with pity in their eyes. she didn't need or want the pity and did her best to avoid it. plus, something just told her that if she was ever spotted using it by braveheart that she'd never hear the end of it from daisy.

the cane was simple and easy to conceal thanks to its collapsible tiered design. she pulled it from her messenger bag and snapped it into place, her body thanking her even just the small amount of respite. truthfully, the relief had been just enough that she was caught up in the feeling and not paying attention to what was happening around her when someone bumped into her and she stumbled.

she kept her cool and brushed the hair from her face, squaring her shoulders as she turned to see what exactly had happened. her eyebrows furrowed and the rest of her features were knitted in confusion as she recognized the body that had collided with her was a member of the tour and it was minseok at that. she was curious how a soloist had managed to ditch his managers and get around mexico by himself. with braveheart, the members could spin tales, divert, and cover for one another but minseok didn't have that luxury.

she could see the panic on his face as he explained what was happening. she shook her head, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. he was lucky that it was her that found him and not another manager. having been an idol herself, she understood they still needed life experiences and some room to grow and find themselves like the kids they were. it was often stolen from them by executives and trainers and she wasn't going to continue the theft of joy.

"people? following you?" she was confused by his words, to be sure, but instead of standing there, wasting time, she fished into her bag for keys and returned the tugging towards the minivan. "are they still following us? do you know what they seemingly want? an autograph or?"

☆ → @choboss​​

For an idol who had been in the industry for over ten years, he certainly should know better than sneaking out of the hotel without security. But it wouldn’t be Seok if he weren’t reckless, and he hadn’t really thought that he would get followed all the way to Mexico. It wasn’t the first time, but Minseok had been too busy with his comeback and everything that he had forgotten how dangerous this all could be. The soloist was enjoying some street food when he noticed the flash in his eyes. Like a deer caught in headlights, Minseok had looked around until he found them, and knew he was fucked.

Although he had texted Haneul (knowing he was fucked up completely), he knew nobody would ever be as fast to arrive there on time. He forgot all about his food at the table and got up, trying to find a way out. In his rush, he hadn’t noticed the person next to him until it was too late and they bumped into each other. Minseok was about to apologize when he recognized one of Braveheart’s managers, and felt like he just was having a bad day. Of course, one manager would tell another, and soon his manager would know. Forget the problem he would get once his brother read the text, his team would have his head. But there was no time to focus on anything, so he reached for her arm and gently pulled her out of the way. “I’m sorry, Ayoung-ssi. But there’s two people following me and we have to get out of here pronto.”

[choboss]

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @offleurs

➜ a frown tugged at ayoung's lips as she looked at the text that had popped up on her lockscreen. julian was curious if she had seen eunji, one of the braveheart members, which made her anxiety spike and her heart flutter in her chest. she tried to remind herself they were just starting the tour and a lot needed to be ironed out and not knowing where a member was at that exact second wasn't the end of the world but she still couldn't help the slight tinge of worry that seemed to plague her so often. pushing the feeling to the back of her mind, she texted back that she was going to check around the stadium offices just to see if maybe she was hanging around the cafeteria or practice rooms.

as she turned the corner a seemingly familiar figure caught her eye as the owner turned down their own hall and out of sight. breaking into a slight jog, she tried to catch up to the girl, her hand reaching for her shoulder once she was within reach. "eunji, julian said he's been texting you all day. why haven't y- oh! you're not eunji. i'm so sorry!" she stuttered out an apology, bowing deeply to convey her embarrassment and sincerity. she could feel her cheeks burning and placed a hand to her cheek, cursing herself for being so bold to assume it had been eunji in the first place.

[choboss]

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @xojinnie

➜ oh to have a maknae, ayoung thought to herself as she watched jinnie with a soft smile. having been the leader of iluvu meant she was all too familiar with the inner dynamics of a group. it also meant that she had a built in soft spot for the youngest member of braveheart by default. if it hasn't already been so inate due to her past, it was a done deal once she had met jinnie in person. so bright. so lovely. do effervescent. the true embodiment of a maknae in human form.

"miss jinnie!" ayoung called, having mustered the nerve to interrupt whatever it was that was bringing such a smile to her face. "I have your lunch and some clothing for you to try on ahead of a shoot.' she nodded towards the bag of food behind her, her arm beginning to grow tired as she held the outfits up high by their hanger to avoid them dragging on the floor. "which first: food or fitting?"

[choboss]

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @justwons

➜ when ayoung was forced to quit idol life she never would've guessed her path would lead her to bring a manager for a girl group. she thought she'd leave the entire industry behind but something about it called her back again. settling in with braveheart and their routine and learning the ins and outs of her members had been, and still was, a challenge everyday but it was a challenge she welcomed with open arms. now, six months in, many of the wrinkles had been ironed out and now she had become ridiculously endeared to them, even in the difficult moments.

she knocked on the door to haewon's room, only peeking in once she heard a familiar voice welcome her. "haewooon." she let out in a singsong tone. it was a side reserved for the braveheart girls. it was more open and vulnerable, more honest than the cool, detached front she put up to keep others at arms length. "I got your text. do you need to go somewhere? my schedule is free so I'd be happy to take you."

[choboss]

➜ ayoung was in another world as she flitted about, trying to get everything sorted for her girls. jinnie's in ear had been malfunctioning and the older female had seen more than enough incidents in her time as an idol to let something so serious slip by and potentially harm the beloved maknae. it was still earlier in the day and it'd be a few hours before braveheart needed to be present and accounted for so the manager did her best to make sure everything would be in order well before then.

closing in on her destination, her pace began to pick up. the sooner it was marked off her to do list, the better. someone rounded the corner, approaching her hesitantly and it took her eyes and brain a moment to catch up and alert her to who the figure before her actually was. she cursed under her breath, unsure what plan of attack she should use for the run in. she hadn't seen her in years, despite how close they had once been, and she wasn't completely sure she'd be able to swallow her pride.

her feelings towards eunhae were a mix of hurt, anger, sadness, and resentment. she had hoped beyond all hope that eunhae would visit her in the hospital, would come running and they would mend the friendship but it didn't happen. it was such a foolish thought to cling on to. now she wasn't sure what'd she even want from the leader of flora or if they'd ever be able to have what resembled normalcy.

at the sound of eunhae's voice, her neck craned as she looked around her to make sure it was her eunhae was speaking to. it was already mortifying enough to run into her, she didn't need the extra addition of mistaking a greeting for someone else for her. ayoung became rooted in her spot, body language stiff as a board and hands stuffed into her pockets so she wouldn't bite away at the cuticles while she was in distress. "hey." the greeting was shaky and full of trepidation, her usually self assured demeanor completely absent.

"oh, uhm, neither. well kind of." her speech was rushed and she avoided eye contact, finding her shoe laces more interesting than anything else in the room. "i know jinnie and xin are up right now practicing omg and then whoever has a completed group will be up next."

     rehearsals were so irrelevant to silver at this point. they’d been doing the same fucking setlist for nearly a year, except for the occasional addition or two. everyone already knew their lines, their steps, everything. so, the days flora had to go to the venue for practice felt like a total waste of their times. with her sunglasses on and a iced coffee in hand, the leader slunk through the hallway backstage, heading in the direction of the dressing rooms. according to their manager, the girl groups were the ones at the aztec stadium today for a stage rehearsal. she prayed to whatever god that existed that she wouldn’t have to deal with another run-in with hwang deiji. however, the moment she rounded the corner and spotted ayoung, the leader realized that maybe she should have added a certain other person on her ‘do not run into’ list.

    silver paused at the sight of the braveheart manager, contemplating on if she should just keep walking or not. after a beat, she decided on the later. the brunette’s lips quirked downward as she removed her shades, nodding her head in acknowledgement at her former friend. “ hey. ” she replied simply. at the very least, she could keep things professional. “ is braveheart rehearsing first, or us ? ” flora’s team being incompetent ( as always ) hadn’t been clear on that. so if nothing else, at least ayoung could give her clarification.

꒰ ♡ ꒱ — @choboss​!

[choboss]

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @fieldofdeisies

➜ a delicate finger tapped against the steering wheel in time to the soft music that drifted from the speakers. it was a bit impatient and the sharp staccato was a clear foil to the calming environment the brunette was trying to foster. if she was honest, she wasn't in the mood for this. she just hadn't been able to get to sleep the night prior and it made her usually unending patience feel particularly vulnerable.

still, this was her job and it was expected for her to remain professional, even if it killed her. glancing down at her watch, she let out a slow breath to center herself. twenty minutes until they needed to be there and they were ten minutes out. not too bad, she thought to herself. she heard the rear passenger door open and her posture stiffened. "good afternoon, daisy. hope you're enjoying the break!" she chirped, trying to sound friendly and excited, though she wasn't sure if that would help or harm the situation.

[choboss]

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @julianfm

➜ walking into the braveheart office area, ayoung tried to stifle a yawn, failing miserably as she thanked herself for having the foresight to stop by a coffee shop before hand and load up with goodies to chase away the blues. the meeting had been long and boring and wasn't anything new to her and julian but they were required to attend and have bodies in chairs per higher up instructions. what a way to spend a saturday. she thought as she looked down at her watch only to see the day was, for all intents and purposes, over. she scowled momentarily at the thought as she fetched a large bag from the fridge.

with the thought of caffeine and food lifting her mood, the scowl was replaced with a focused look as she unpacked her spoils. a venti mocha hazelnut iced frappe with plenty of whipped cream, her favorite sandwich, and a mixed variety pack of macrons for her and the usual meal and drink order for julian, with his favorite dessert still tucked away in the bag as a surprise. he hadn't asked for any food-- not that ayoung thought he ever would, to be honest-- but she felt if she needed a pick-me-up, maybe he did too.

a familiar set of footsteps sounded from behind her, causing a smile to tug at the corners of her lips. shooting a quick look behind her, she offered a greeting. "hope you're hungry after that snoozefest! I got us lunch--er. well, I guess dinner would be more accurate at this point." she frowned, gesturing towards the clock on the wall. her frown vanished as quickly as it had appeared as she reached to hand him his drink. "it's your favorite."

[choboss]

➜ ayoung let out a loud, drawn out groan as she pulled herself from the bed of the hotel to turn off the alarm clock on the nightstand. it seemed to be amplified by the hotel room walls and bounced off them straight into her delicate ears. a hand landed on the off button a little more forcefully than need be and was followed by a sigh of relief. if it had been any other day she wouldn't have set an alarm and would've allowed herself to wake up naturally as she would always wake up before the girls needed her due to her internal clock. today, however, she had plans with someone very special. someone she hadn't seen in weeks due to scheduling conflicts.

her hair went up into a quick ponytail with face framing layers of bangs giving the look a purposefully messy look. the night before she had laid out a pain of skinny jeans, a fitted black t-shirt, and an oversized cream colored cherry cardigan with sneakers. maybe not the fanciest look but it was functional and she knew her 'date' wouldn't mind. her eyes scanned her room one last time, taking in the details to make sure she had everything she'd need for the day. wallet? check! phone? check! hotel room key? check! her entire life stuffed into her messenger bag? check, check, check!

a familiar face greeted her as she exited the elevator to the lobby and she couldn't help but break into a smile that ran from ear to ear. "buenos dias, senor!" she replied back with a stifled chuckle and exaggerated curtsy. "i hope i didn't leave you waiting for too long. morning came a lot quicker than i was expecting and that alarm clock had a personal vendetta against me." she closed the distance between them, a smile still in place. "how did you sleep, hm?" she inquired, reaching towards him to offer him her arm.

maki scans the hotel lobby for ayoung before checking his phone for the time. he was early. so he takes a seat on one of the lobby sofas while he waited. he had nothing against hotel breakfast- but when compared to fresh baked goods and warm hot chocolate from local markets there was one clear winner. he’d texted her last night to invite her out for an early day out and lucky for him- she accepted. he loved that they had managed to maintain their friendship throughout the years all the way back from trainee days. while their past relationship might’ve not been the right call for them, their friendship had blossomed into something beautiful. 

quietly, tamaki hums along to the music playing overhead. his fingers tapping along to the beat against his legs until he hears the ding of the elevator doors opening. its his excitement keeping him so alert. “buenos dias!” he smiles as her, now getting up from his seat. @choboss 

[choboss]

➜ of course she knew his name she considered it her job to know at least a cursory amount of information of all the artists on tour with braveheart, just in case. not to mention she was a bit of a fan of indigo. love shot had been on replay for her when it came out. it was just too infectious to ignore but as a former idol herself she had long since learned to keep her cool around other idols. professional, unflappable-- or at least she liked to think so. it was imperative to play it cool, calm, and collected so all the idols could feel safe and comfortable behind the scenes at all times.

"seen me around? i do suppose i'm a bit like a fly, here and there and everywhere!" she joked, her fingers dancing in the air in an attempt to mimic the flying insect. "i've seen you around, too. with minseok." she tone was playful. "and, well, on stage." she gestured towards the stage. as he pointed towards the journal her eyes followed. she let out an awkward cough, tucking the once lost object into her satchel. "oh, uh. no. actually it's mine. my father is a producer and i've been wanting to take after him, y'know?" she fidgeted awkwardly, suddenly finding her hair increasingly interesting to tend to.

she never presumed anyone knew of her status as a former idol despite ILUVU's flash of success with their last release. it was less painful to assume everyone thought she was a nobody. "i used to be an idol and now that i'm not, i've been focusing on the more artistic side. just to fill some free time, really."

if he were honest, it was hard not to laugh. how could someone with a face like that swear just like his grandfathers' friends? yehyun pinched his lips to keep a stoic expression. there was a time and a place, and he knew that. he also knew that with how infinite worked indigo to the ground, his body would (more than likely) be broken by twenty-seven, too. it would be his turn to swear at aging soon enough.

"i know," shut up yehyun. well, he could only smile a bit and nod now. it took him less than a few seconds to be weird around cho ayoung, someone he had known of since she was ILUVU's leader and main dancer, amor. there was no way that she knew, right? that he had memorized every word to honey days after it's release and cried (just a little, he swears!) during the accident and disbandment. "i mean, i, uh, i've seen you before," maybe one too many times, that is, even off of noraebang tv screens and youtube. with the number of times he had accompanied minseok to meet up with jinnie, braveheart's manager and minseok's best friend have made awkward eye contact at least once before.

"uh, yea. yes i am," was it formality, or did she really not know? "moon yehyun," part of him was hopeful he faded into the background well enough no one ever noticed him. "is it" – he pointed to the journal, clutched so tightly by ayoung's hand – "one of theirs?"

[choboss]

➜ "potato, pahtahto." she smirked as the youngest member of braveheart scolded her in faux outrage. grabbing her drink, she tilted it towards jinnie, offering her a taste hoping that it would be a strategic distraction from the fact that she wouldn't be eating a full meal. she watched her unpack the lunch with a smile, eyes watching her joy with a hidden intensity. "maybe but we don't know yet." she tsked lightly at her, much like a disappointed mother would but much like her earlier outrage it was completely fake. "i'll eat whatever you don't finish, how's that deal? besides, i don't want to get grease or stains on these clothes as we get you fitted."

a triumphant smile spread across ayoung's face as jinnie admired the first set of clothing. she had seen the pink peaking out of the clothing bag at the store and curiosity got the better of her, leading her to look inside the bag and upon first look she just knew she had to snag it for jinnie. after both had inspected the pink number and it's ensemble, ayoung went to the next bag, pulling the bag away and leaving the number hanging from the hanger. "okay here's the second piece. i went for something less feminine and more chic to show a different side of you for the pictorial. what are we gonna rate this one, hm?" at jinnie's question, ayoung felt her heart drop. the words worried ayoung and she quickly turned to face jinnie. "if anything you'll look too good in the clothes and all the other models at the shoot will be so jealous they won't know what to do with themselves." she declared defiantly, shoulders squared up and showing confidence in her words.

" that's not a meal, unnie ! but it does sound yummy. " jinnie giggled as she took a seat on the couch, eagerly reaching out for the to-go bag. once everything was unboxed and placed on to the coffee table, the maknae clapped her hands happily as she took in the scent. it smelt like samgyeopsal and her stomach rumbled at the thought. that sounded so yummy right about now. as much as she enjoyed traveling to new places, nothing would beat the food back home. " there's plenty for us to share. " she declared as she popped open the container of rice. thankfully, the restaurant packed enough utensils for the both of them. ayoung has no choice but to join her and eat well.

the brunette smiled at the manager's excitement, glancing up to see what was inside of the garment bag. her eyes lit up in delight. " that's so cute. " zeroing in on the pink wool top, jinnie admired the sight. it looked like something she would pair with her everyday outfits. she wondered if the brand would let her keep it after the photoshoot. " i love it. " she expressed her approval, smiling up at ayoung as she pointed at the next bag. " that one next. " as the older woman handled the clothes, jinnie fixed up to plates so that the both of them could eat. " do you think these will look good on me ? " the modeling and fashion side were definitely the most nerve-wracking part of being an idol, so far. much like variety shows, the maknae didn't enjoy them as much because she felt so anxious about being perceived. when she was on stage, it was easy for her to become someone else. but having people scrutinize her real life appearance or personality ? that was the worst.

[choboss]

➜ a gasp filled with horror and confusion left ayoung's lips and she swore if they had been in a tv show, a record would've scratched and the audience would've been so quiet you could hear a pin drop. it felt so very surreal, like she was in some cheesy, daytime soap opera or poorly written drama. she had avoided seonhwa for her entire six month tenure and had previously been certain that the girls would keep her busy enough to continue to avoid the rose haired woman.

"oh, seonhwa." the words barely came out above that of a whisper. they were caught in her throat and began to turn into a ball with words that wanted to follow after them. she was suddenly aware of how dry her mouth and lips were, a tongue dipping out from between her lips in an attempt to impart some moisture. it was of little use as she stared the familiar face in the eyes.

they say there's two options; fight or flight but that isn't really true, is it? there's fight, flight, fawn, or freeze and ayoung had been frozen in place by the soloist. most of the feeling was shame that seemed to weigh her down like lead had replaced the blood in her veins. seonhwa bringing up eunji snapped her back into a focus and onto the subject at hand.

"deiji won't answer me. she keeps sending me to voicemail so i won't be getting any help from her."

♕ → choboss​

– – ｡˚ ˚☽ @offleurs

➜ a frown tugged at ayoung’s lips as she looked at the text that had popped up on her lockscreen. julian was curious if she had seen eunji, one of the braveheart members, which made her anxiety spike and her heart flutter in her chest. she tried to remind herself they were just starting the tour and a lot needed to be ironed out and not knowing where a member was at that exact second wasn’t the end of the world but she still couldn’t help the slight tinge of worry that seemed to plague her so often. pushing the feeling to the back of her mind, she texted back that she was going to check around the stadium offices just to see if maybe she was hanging around the cafeteria or practice rooms.

as she turned the corner a seemingly familiar figure caught her eye as the owner turned down their own hall and out of sight. breaking into a slight jog, she tried to catch up to the girl, her hand reaching for her shoulder once she was within reach. “eunji, julian said he’s been texting you all day. why haven’t y- oh! you’re not eunji. i’m so sorry!” she stuttered out an apology, bowing deeply to convey her embarrassment and sincerity. she could feel her cheeks burning and placed a hand to her cheek, cursing herself for being so bold to assume it had been eunji in the first place.

♕ Being the first to do soundcheck was part of her contract to do this tour, so she could use the rest of the time to get ready for the concert. Once it was over, and she was satisfied by it, it was about lunchtime and she hoped there was a place anywhere near to get a salad the way she liked it. A new stop meant another stadium to get used to, but considering it wasn't her first time giving a concert in Mexico City, the soloist was actually more relaxed than usual. It was nice when they went to a known place, because it was easier to get things done than when they had to explore the place before it. Although it was a huge place, she knew it was possible to find her way to her waiting room without having to call her manager.

The footsteps behind her weren't unusual, with so many people running around doing their thing, so she simply kept texting her manager so they could decide on lunch. The gentle touch on her shoulder, however, had the short singer jumping in surprise. Seonhwa turned around as she pulled her hood off her head, pink hair bright under the lights as she met with a familiar face. It wasn't so much a surprise, as she had seen the former idol around in the past few months, but although she had a close relationship with two of the Braveheart members, she hadn't really been in the same room as Ayoung. "It's alright. I haven't seen Eunji, but maybe you can ask Deiji? She usually knows where her girls are." It was a real talent, actually, to always know no matter where they were. But the younger was a great leader, after all.

[choboss]

➜ "ah, you give this ahjumma too much credit." she teased, nudging the younger woman lightly with the shoulder she had just patted. if ayoung had been standing hyerin likely would've flown across the room as she would've used her patented booty bump instead of a light shove. flashing hyerin a radiant smile to communicate she knew it was all fun and no harm meant, her face dropped as she focused on the menus in front of her.

"you don't understand, hyerin-ah!" she sighed rather dramatically, wilting a bit within her seat. "i'm good, amazing even, at making decisions when it doesn't affect me-- like for the braveheart girls. when it comes to me it's suddenly the same difficult as disarming a bomb." leaning against the counter, she used a fist to keep her chin up as she peered at the menus hyerin had scooped up. hopefully she would take the decision away from ayoung and they could get on with their night.

pouring hyerin a healthy serving of wine, she slid it towards her by the base, careful to not spill any as she had heard one of the movies they planned to watch wasn't so good and they'd need all the alcohol she had on hand to get through it. at the question, ayoung nodded from behind her wine glass. "it is! some michelin star chef is expanding into asian. i'm certainly not going to complain when their tiramisu looks that level of amazing." she reaches for the pamphlet in hyerin's hand, waiting for affirmation before taking it and revealing the back that had pictures of cheesecake, tiramisu, cannoli, and a decadent milk chocolate mousse cake with meringue that made her teeth throb just from looking at it.

"i'm getting tiramisu, without a doubt. their bolognese looks amazing. oh! so does the lobster risotto." she brings the wine glass to her lips, savoring the bottom notes of pear and citrus zest, watching hyerin scan the menu. "don't even think about looking up the prices, young lady." her voice is sharp with a strictness that the both of them know is all bark and no bite.

          she couldn’t help but to be amused at the apparent turmoil her friend was experiencing — over food, of all things. she covered her mouth to stifle her giggles, gaze travelling back and forth from the older woman’s expression to the papers on the counter. hyerin wasn’t picky at all, and enjoyed all of the options available. “you did your best, thank you for trying,” she teases, patting her shoulder as if consoling her. “i was thinking of adding more options but i’m worried it might cause your brain to overheat.”

          hyerin takes the available seat next to ayoung, taking two of the pamphlets — one for each hand — while nodding quickly at the other’s question. “yes please. as much as possible.” she’s really not much of a drinker, but who is she to turn down a glass when she’s around someone she trusts? she already knows the older woman would stop her if she ever tries to go over her own limit. “italian…” thinking back on it now, when the tour made its stop in milan she was certain that she spent seventy-percent of her free time there eating all that she could — desserts very much included. “alright, you’ve convinced me ! is this a new place?”