#❪ 🤍 ❫ 𝐀𝐇𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐔𝐍 ╱ threads.

[svvanisms]

❪    🤍 ❫ 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐍𝐉𝐀𝐄               ⸺ 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 : inside apartment 2a at gyeogang street lofts               ⸺ 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒 : king of bets and queen of confusion               ⸺ 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 ( @tightestrope )

       THE LAUGHTER THAT HAD BOUNCED OFF THE WALLS DURING THE GAME HAD SLOWLY FADED . . . the apartment was a little quieter now, with some of the usual attendees of son hyunjae's infamous poker nights having filtered out due to having other obligations. haeun's acquaintance — using the term friend seemed a little strong — had done the same about an hour or so ago, having jumped ship the second she realized most of the guests were there to actually play the game as oppose to stand there and mingle. haeun hadn't been sure what to think about the situation, given the other had all but pressured her into attending. when the other woman had caught wind of haeun living in the same apartment building as hyunjae, she had been all too excited with the two of them going, but then one minute, she had been seen cracking open a soda to mix with whatever she'd brought along to drink, and the next she had been gone.

       haeun glanced down at her phone, where her texts to the other had gone unanswered. she didn't mind being by herself, as she often was someone who enjoyed being on her own, but she had been torn between retreating back to the comfort of her apartment and staying to see what the night was all about after realizing she had been abandoned — she really didn't know the first thing about card games, especially poker, but to just be here for only a few minutes after hyunjae had welcomed the two of them seemed terribly rude.

       "oh, uh—" haeun stutters a little when one of the last players stands up from the table, gesturing for her to come take his seat. she had mostly stuck to the wall for the last thirty minutes, idly watching the game between sips of her soda and doing her best to understand the rules. it seemed a little embarrassing to ask anyone what was going on, so she'd simply kept quite and watched from afar. she offers a polite, albeit sheepish smile in response, eyes flickering between the man on his way out and the host of the entire thing who had been sitting beside him. "that's okay, really, i'm not sure i'd be any good, so i'll just watch the next round."

[svvanisms]

       THE BEGINNING OF TWILIGHT PAINTS ITSELF ACROSS THE SKY . . . it wraps the bustling atmosphere in a familiar embrace, the buzzing neon lights of the nearby shops and food stalls competing with the first few signs of stars that appear overhead. the steam from the food stalls drift up into the air and she finds herself inhaling the familiar scent of fishcakes. it's still rather cold out even with it nearing the end of winter, but hongdae is still ever bit as busy as always — tourists and locals alike cram together to make their way down the streets, taking in the sights all around them as their conversations meld together into the backtrack of white noise for her walk home.

       haeun often enjoyed peace and quiet — there was something about the stillness that calmed her and made her feel at ease, especially after countless hours of meetings with vendors and influencers and her mind ping-ponging all sorts of different ideas from the confines of her desk at IVORY DRIFT. she was so often excited to come home after a long day, wanting to relish in the silence of her own company at her apartment, but there was something admittedly enjoyable about being in the heart of all the action too. maybe it was because despite how chaotic and rushed everything was around the area, she simply faded into the background amongst it all.

       she had assumed the walk home this evening would have been like any other, the sight of her figure melting into the crowds, going unnoticed with her suspiciously heavy grocery bags in tow, but it seemed that there was someone who had caught her out from the crowd. the sound of his voice catches her attention, and haeun blinks, head tilting upward as she catches the sight of a tall man — hesitant, sheepish, offering up a little bit of assistance as he gestures towards the shopping in her hands. she takes in his appearance, and gets a sense of deja vu, as though she's seen him before, though can't quite place when or where. it's not until he mentions that he also lives in the same apartment building that the pieces slowly click together.

       haeun takes a moment to consider his offer before allowing a small, albeit shy, smile to take over her features. it's only when he offers up his help does she realize just how uncomfortable the bags had been weighing on her hands. she can feel the plastic cutting into her skin, and she gently lifts them up towards him. "thank you so much, that would actually be really great," she says softly, a mix of embarrassment and relief evident in her voice. "i think i bit off a little more than i could chew with packing everything into just a few bags." her orbs flicker to where the tops of some green stems stick out from the bags, and she lets out a sheepish laugh, gently swinging the groceries weighing her left side down. "do you want to split them down the middle? i can carry these two if you don't mind carrying the other ones."

*  #  𝙲𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙴𝙳 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁 ; ahn haeun ( @svvanisms ) .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ *   # 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽﹔ the familiar stretch of pavement leading back to the gyeogang street lofts .ᐟ‍​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

˖ ࣪ . ࿐ ♡ ˚ .𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐊𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐊𝐘, washed in muted golds and pale violets as the sun sinks behind the buildings. there’s a bite in the air, the lingering chill of february still settled into the city despite the deceptive warmth of the setting sun. the pavement glows faintly under the fading light, but the cold seeps through his coat, a quiet reminder that winter hasn’t loosened its grip just yet.

taewoo tugs his scarf a little higher as he walks, the fabric brushing against his jaw. he hadn’t planned to be out long—just a quick step away from the quiet of his apartment, an excuse to clear his mind, stretch his legs, before the walls started pressing in. he should’ve known better; hongdae at this hour is still restless, people moving in scattered groups, the air thick with the scent of street food and the faint, distant hum of buskers setting up for the night.

he doesn’t pay much attention to the people around him, at least, not until he notices her.

she’s struggling.

not in an obvious, attention-grabbing way, but in that subtle, familiar way—the weight of her grocery bags pulling awkwardly at her arms, plastic handles digging into skin, fingers shifting, adjusting, failing to find a comfortable grip. taewoo thinks he notices one bag wobbling dangerously close to spilling all it's contents, and with that, his feet slow before he even thinks about it.

there’s a brief hesitation, a flicker of consideration—would she even want the help? would she find it weird? but the way he watches as the scene continues to unfold makes the decision for him. and, his footsteps are quiet against the pavement as he gravitates toward her.

“need a hand?” his voice is even, a little shy, like he’s testing the waters rather than forcing the offer. he doesn’t move too fast, doesn’t step in too close, just tilts his head slightly as if to say, i can take some of that if you want.

a pause. then, almost as an afterthought, he adds, “i live here too.” like that somehow makes the whole thing more normal. “uh—“ he glances back to the entrance of the building he knows as home. “if that’s where you’re headed . . . ”

[svvanisms]

❪    🤍 ❫ 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐎𝐇 𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐈               ⸺ 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 : outside apartment 10b at gyeogang street lofts               ⸺ 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐋𝐒 : the wallet's journey ends at the doorstep               ⸺ 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 ( @hanichacha )

       HAEUN'S INDEX FINGER HOVERS OVER THE DOORBELL . . . though normally steadfast in her decisions, she feels a little awkward, and almost hesitant, standing here, waiting for the occupant of 10b to open the door. in her opposite hand there is a wallet, the whole reason she's wandered up here. she had found it in the middle of the grocery store earlier this morning, and though she had originally planned on simply handing it over to the customer service desk, by pure coincidence, she had noticed the name tag slipping from it's folds, immediately recognizing the address as the same apartment building where she resided.

       she had thought at the time that returning it herself would be the best option — it seemed strange to randomly put a note on the other female's door that her wallet was at the supermarket, perhaps even odder to show up just to tell her about it, and if haeun didn't say anything about it at all, there was no telling how many other places her neighbor had gone, so it might be a while before the wallet was discovered.

       she takes a small breath before leaning forward, pressing the doorbell once more. if the owner of the wallet wasn't home, she could always leave it with the landlord, or even the coffee shop downstairs, but just as she's considering these options, the door finally creaks open and haeun feels a wave of relief wash over her at the sight of the other female — she really didn't want to have to go all the way downstairs to explain the situation to a random employee.

       "hi, sorry to bother you," she starts apologetically, shifting her weight from one leg to the other and offering a small smile as she introduces herself to the other woman. "i'm ahn haeun. i live in 6b, and i'm here to return this," she holds up the wallet in question, wanting the other to be able to see it clearly. "i believe this belongs to you? i found it at the store earlier — it looks like everything is in tact, but you might want to double check it."

[svvanisms]

❪    🤍 ❫ 𝐀𝐇𝐍 𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐔𝐍 ╱ tags.

[svvanisms]

       AHN HAEUN WAS NOT SOMEONE WHO EASILY ADMITTED DEFEAT . . . she was tenacious, and was often the type to see things through to the end against all odds, unwavering in her goals and steadfast in her decisions. she did this in all aspects of life — whether it be hobbies, her occupation, friendships and relationships, she would always go the extra mile to see things through, to be the best version of herself that she could be, and to give things her all without any hesitation. even in moments where something got off track or went awry, she would muster up the perseverance to carry on, even if it meant grinning and bearing whatever challenge she was facing. she tried to turn each bump into the road into some kind of experience that would help her grow stronger, and most times, calling on her tenacity got her through things, but there were the few rare times where not even her seemingly unwavering determination failed.

       today was one of those days where she couldn't keep her head above water — a series of unfortunate events at IVORY DRIFT left her feeling drained, and her mind kept replaying the events of the day over and over again, even as she headed home. suppliers sending wrong products, someone bumping into the display case and shattering several glass pieces, an intern scheduling the launch post of their latest release much sooner than intended, and then her and her sister butting heads over it all — not to mention she had gotten a phone call from her mother earlier, insisting she come out this weekend to the house to meet one of their family friend's nephews. it had been what one would call the perfect storm, and it had all come to a crescendo when she had arrived back home only to realize there was some kind of electrical failure, preventing her from getting into her apartment.

       she raises her head when she hears someone call out to her, tired eyes blinking into the dreariness of the dimly lit hallway, catching sight of the outline of a male looking down at her. she offers him a weary smile, even if perhaps he can't see it too clearly. "pouting is kind of a strong word," she says with a small laugh, fishing her cell phone from her pocket — the thing had died the second she had gone to call the landlord, and it had felt like all her strength had left her the second the screen had turned black. she holds it towards him, as though to say she had at least tried to work through things herself before ultimately ending up on the floor. "i'd prefer to say i'm currently brainstorming options until the universe decides to throw me a little bit of luck."

closed starter for @svvanisms (haeun)

꒰ა ໒꒱. 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐀𝐓 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐀𝐍’𝐒 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐔𝐓 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍. he hadn’t even registered the sluggish pace of the elevator which was an indication of what awaited him. instead, he ignorantly stepped inside and zoned out as it climbed up to his floor. the machine came to a lurching halt, it’s doors slowly opening for him to exit.

unlike the faulty elevator, ángel noticed her the second he stepped into the dimly lit hallway — a young woman sitting on the floor, knees tucked to her chest, her expression tainted with defeat. it was only then that he realized he’d been walking through darkness the entire time. he assessed her for a few silent beats, piecing the scene together, before scoffing in amusement.

“so you’re just gonna sit there and pout ‘till the power comes back on?”

[svvanisms]

       HAEUN FINDS LAUGHTER BUBBLING IN HER CHEST . . . it's bright, effervescent and carefree, like soap bubbles, or the fizziness of a carbonated drink, chasing away the lingering awkwardness of an exchange with a stranger in the elevator, and dispelling the residual embarrassment of something she had been so proud of not being able to sell well despite her best efforts. it breathes new life into her, and she can't help but grin as the other female leans into her jokes, keeping the conversation going with lighthearted humor that has haeun feeling the onset of stitches in her side. it's a little funny when she thinks about it — she can't remember the last time she's had such an effortless conversation with someone she had just met, and actually had a good laugh about it.

       "don't worry, they're only going to curse people who turn them down," she says through a giggle, wiggling her eyebrows slightly as the other female plucks a few of the suncatchers out of the box. she had been so worried she wouldn't even be able to convince someone to take one, let alone three, so she feels another swell of happiness wash over her as the other watches the reflection of rainbows dances off of their skin, painting the elevator walls with color when turned a certain way. "you've managed to outdo the dark magic. congratulations on passing this test, chosen one. you and your sleep demons can rest easy now."

       another fit of laughter spills from her mouth — she's never been one for fantasy novels, or games that have perilous journeys with mythical creatures, but she imagines she sounds a little like someone who has given the main character an important item that would help them for the rest of their quest. the giggles settle down for a moment and her ears perk up at the idea of a giveaway. it's another great idea, she thinks, wondering briefly how she hadn't thought of that before now either. it seemed like her new found companion just had all the right solutions — there was something really eye-opening and enlightening about a conversation with a stranger.

       "that sounds like a great idea. what better way to destroy your enemies and max out your skills then to do it aesthetically? i'm not really a gamer, but even i'd get one with that pitch," haeun grins, the two of them stepping out into the hallway of the third floor and heading towards the apartments. she takes a quick glance towards her own apartment before turning back to the woman, smile still stretching across her features. "thanks for the glowing review. next time i'll be giving a discount to loyal customers, so don't forget to request me again."

       the conversation ebbs off for a moment, and haeun thinks this might be the end of the exchange — it's a little bittersweet, she thinks, but she's still glad that she was able to have someone take a few of the suncatchers off her hands. she opens her mouth to say her goodbyes before the other speaks, and the playful invitation fills the space between them. "i was nervous about you being my first victim, but i'm glad that my evil mastermind plan went off without a hitch," she can't help but beam, shoulders shaking with another chuckle. "that actually sounds great. i'd love to take you up on the offer. let me just drop this box off quick if you don't mind." she turns, but like the other had done only moments before, she pauses, tilting her head over her shoulder mid-step, as she realizes she hadn't even introduced herself yet. "i'm haeun, by the way."

˖ ࣪ . ࿐ ♡ ˚ . 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐉𝐈 𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇—quick, unguarded, slipping past her lips before she can catch it. she barely manages to smother the tail end of it against the back of her hand, but it’s too late. the damage is done, amusement written all over her face, tugging her mouth into something dangerously close to fond.

“wow. huge responsibility to be handing off in an elevator, but alright,” she muses, stepping out with a lazy stretch, the plastic bag on her wrist rustling as it swings with the motion— before glancing over her shoulder. “hope you realize I’m gonna be unbearable about this now.”

but her attention doesn’t stray for long. the box pulls her back like a moth to a particularly aesthetic flame, fingers ghosting over the edge as she eyes the suncatchers with renewed interest.

“wait. you had to get rid of them?” her tone dips, exaggeratedly suspicious. “like... had to? are we talking a normal had to, or a ‘these may or may not be haunted’ had to? blink twice if you’re in danger.”

she hums, faux-considering, then exhales through her nose and nods, decisive. “alright, well. if you’re offloading cursed objects, i might as well take a few extra. waste not, want not, y’know?”

she plucks three from the box with zero hesitation, shifting them between her fingers before holding one up to the light—and oh. immediately, fractured rainbows spill across her skin, catching in the loose strands of her hair, flickering against the walls like something alive. god. she has to pretend she didn’t just get a little bit enchanted by a random hallway interaction.

“actually, yeah, way too nice to just hoard for myself and my army of sleep demons.” she tilts her head, mostly talking to herself now. “maybe I’ll do a giveaway. ‘win a suncatcher, ascend to a higher plane of vibey existence.’ throw in some fake lore about how they boost your crit rate in ranked or something.”

her lips quirk as she twirls one between her fingers, then she turns back to her unexpected benefactor with a slow, easy grin.

“anyway. hell of a home delivery service. i'll definitely be leaving a five star review.” she shifts her weight onto one foot, like she’s already half a step away, before pausing—like the thought only just struck her.

“oh, wait—lemme buy you a drink or something downstairs. can’t just rob you blind without at least pretending i have morals.” her tone is light, playful, but the offer is real enough. “unless, of course, this is some elaborate ploy to get me into eternal suncatcher debt. in which case—” she clicks her tongue, smirking, “well played.”

[svvanisms]

       HAEUN LETS GO OF A BREATH SHE HADN'T REALIZED SHE'D BEEN HOLDING . . . shoulders relaxing in her exhale, followed by a soft laugh of relief that bounces off of the elevator walls. she was the one to initiate the conversation, but there had been a split-second of regret gnawing at her the moment the words had left her mouth. it was one thing to entice an online presence with new products through aesthetically-pleasing social media posts, but to pitch something face-to-face wasn't what she would exactly consider treaded territory — and it's only after the fact that she realizes how strange it might be for someone to be gifting out suncatchers in the apartment elevator. by a stroke of good fortune, however, it seems like the other woman is at least interested in taking a look at them, so haeun makes sure to shuffle the box a little closer for the other to inspect what's inside.

       "they're actually all the same style," she says with a gentle chuckle, feeling a little bashful given there wasn't really a variety. she's thankful though, in a way, considering she had suggested a few different styles of suncatchers when the collection had launched, only for her sister to shut down her idea on the spot. she tries to ignore the familiar flush of embarrassment creeping up her neck, deciding to focus on what the other had said — a mystery grab, that actually was a pretty good idea if they ran into the same problem again somewhere down the road.

       "but they're guaranteed to make other people, and sleep paralysis demons alike, very jealous of how aesthetically pleasing your sleep paralysis will now be," haeun grins, trying to follow through with the joke before lifting the box up so it's easier for the other to look at the suncatchers. she's thankful that it'll be one or two less heavy by the time she gets back to her own apartment. "you're welcome to take as many as you want. they're overstock from work, and they were too pretty to just ship them back to the warehouse — or worse, throw them away."

       haeun glances over at the other female through her lashes, only then noting that she looked oddly familiar. of course, it was kind of expected that you'd feel a sense of familiarity when crossing paths with someone who lived in the same building, but she swears she's seen the other a few more than a handful of times. as if on cue, the elevator dings! once more, and it's only then that haeun realizes they're going to the very same floor. "looks like we're going to the same place," she shuffles to the side to let her neighbor go first. "after you, chosen one," she offers the other another smile, this time with a giggle following behind. "i'm happy to do a home delivery for you."

˖ ࣪ . ࿐ ♡ ˚ . 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐀 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐁𝐋𝐄, and most days, sooji welcomes it. she likes the unpredictability—the chance of bumping into someone random, the possibility of a brief interaction that might offer some unexpected entertainment . . . but today? today is different.

she’s mere seconds away from reaching her apartment without any unnecessary social interaction��a personal victory, really—when she rounds the corner and sees it: a blinking red light on the panel. a betrayal in LED form. she sighs, adjusting the plastic bag in her grip. inside: an overpriced energy drink, a half-eaten convenience store sandwich (suspiciously soggy), and instant coffee she definitely didn’t need.

she trudges forward, barely registering the cardboard box on the ground or the other person waiting beside it. too focused on the elevator, willing it to arrive faster. impatient as ever. maybe, if she presses the button aggressively enough, it’ll sense her desperation. but her impulses only live on as a thought. thankfully, the doors finally slide open with a ding! and sooji steps in without a second thought—only to realize, belatedly, that someone else has followed, nudging their belongings in with them. it's then that sooji glance over at the other person.

she blinks, peeking at the box, then at her fellow resident. they have the distinct air of someone trying to sell something, which would normally send her fight-or-flight response into overdrive, but before she can even think of escaping—

the girl starts talking, and sooji's gaze follows the gesture toward the items accompanying her. suncatchers. a lot of them.

and just like that, the gamble finally pays off.

"oh , hell yeah." sooji doesn’t hesitate for even a second before inching closer, peering inside with blatant curiosity. the faint glow of the overhead lights catches in her eyes—dark, but alert in a way that suggests she’s running on caffeine and the sheer willpower of someone who hasn’t slept properly in days.

she tilts her head, scanning the suncatchers, and then glances back at the other, (she looks familiar...). an easy, lopsided grin paints itself along her visage. "you just happen to be handing these out, or am i, like, the chosen one?"

with her free hand, she idly spins one of her rings, a small nervous habit that betrays the underlying restlessness in her energy. "actually, no, don’t answer that—i’m taking one either way. i’ve got a window in my gaming setup that catches the sunrise at the exact, most obnoxious angle possible. maybe if i hang one of these up, it'll turn my sleep paralysis into a light show or something."

a pause. then, with the mischievous glint of someone who thrives off pushing their luck:

"wait, do i get to pick, or is this, like, a mystery grab?"