#favourite SN items

[avreni]

For some reason my phone decided not to save a random bunch of screenshots, but I blithely exited SN and abandoned this styling without realising most of my best pics hadn't saved. 😭 At least I had these two.

[arsene-fixates]

Heyy I'm curious what time period does SN take place in? Also i dont think you and informant have much reason to have taken a photo together but imagine heart shapes being cut out of photos of you two to be kept in lockets or something.. Idk that just feels very key signature to me

HI WREN I really like this question, I get to talk about one of my favourite details from the game.

Seekers Notes takes place in the Victorian era, in the 1800s but sometimes the game gets it’s details a little off

but i’m here talk about what the game gets right, and I’m sure you guys don’t want to hear about the usual 19th century items you’re probably familiar with like the cameras

or coffee pots

Violins.. things that you know existed in that era

i want to talk about the more obscure items! that I didn’t know! Like,

The kaleidoscope!

The washstand

Globe bar

Curling iron

Extinguisher

Calendar

tea tray

i love the attention to detail in this game soooo much ^_^ things on the left are clickable in game items that i went to get screenshots of myself :3 and the right is me finding the most similar looking ones

[thejokig23]

Complaining about Monster Hunter World/Iceborne because that is my favourite activity

- The slinger is completely unnecessary and super duper ugly. Could have just been an aiming button and let us throw items with R2 when aiming, and have the grappling hook be something we have that isn't tied to a dumbass clunky wrist crossbow. Also they let weapons other than SnS use some items while drawn and I think that's bad

- Clutch claw

- Scoutflies are overly bright and also kinda ugly like the slinger. I like the idea of tracking a monster but the implementation is just bad and has little more depth than paintballs

- Hyper realistic graphics are unnecessary and detract from the gameplay, needing the scoutflies to highlight items so you can actually see them instead if being conveyed in a less gamey way

- Resupplying at base camps ruins the game balance

- Mantles look bad and are just kinda gimmicky for the most part, while boosters ruin the need to use items

- Sliding is annoying, and makes fighting on slopes really clunky

- Monsters get stupidly tanky in G rank

- Renamed G rank to master rank

- Items were changed, which I'm mixed on how okay I am with this. Potions suck, but were done much better in Rise (though other items that use the same animation take way too fucking long for no reason), "pill" items are almost TOO fast, and being able to roll out is a good change

- The story SUCKS and you're forced to go through it in the most tedious way they could imagine. I also don't really like any of the characters

- Crafting was simplified overall, and in many ways item management was never something I thought about after like, Anjanath

- Armour skills were made more generic and not as interesting imo. It's still a good system (that was poorly utilized), the old system was just unique to Monster Hunter and I'm sad it's gone

- Slap-on weapon designs. Everyone hates them because they suck

- The open maps are way too big and confusing if you aren't blindly following scoutflies, and I find zones don't have as much identity as in past games

- Your palico isn't as good as the ones in Generations

- The difficulty is way too back loaded, with low rank being too easy and later on things get bullshit and unfun

- Endgame being made the focus ruined the game. Augments, post release monsters, and decoration grinding are not what the game should be about

- Paid DLC

- The music isn't as good in most cases, though with a few notable exceptions (rotten vale music is better than rotten vale as a map)

- Weapons handle differently for NO reason. Why did they change so much that didn't need to be changed

[guintheakita]

Escape Midnight Castle

I tried to make a 'wall' (in order to make it look like she's peeking) with one of the stickers but the pokka dots don't really fit the theme.

[dailyexo]

[TRANSLATION] Kai - 211212 Official EXO-L Japan website update: ”‘Beyond LIVE ＃Cinema－KAI：KLoor’ Report!” (”「Beyond LIVE ＃Cinema－KAI：KLoor」レポート！”)

"本日、カイのソロオンラインコンサート「Beyond LIVE ＃Cinema－KAI：KLoor」が開催されました！ ご覧いただいたみなさん、ありがとうございました！

カイからの電話の着信で始まった今回のコンサート！ みなさん、突然の電話に驚かれたのではないでしょうか？^^ 今回のコンサートでは、コンサート中にSNSを通してカイからメッセージや動画が届いたりと、「今、この時間を一緒に過ごしているということを感じてほしかった」というカイからみなさんへの気持ちがたくさん詰まった時間になりました♪

また、カイが「瞬間移動できるという僕の能力を使って、みなさんにパフォーマンスを見せたかった」と話していましたが、コンサートを通して一瞬も途切れることなく続くその世界観に、みなさんもどんどん深く引き込まれていったのではないでしょうか。 カイと一緒に時空をさまよう世界の中で出てきたアイテムたちも、その世界の重要な��ーとなっていましたね！

ひとつひとつのパフォーマンスにも力を入れて準備をしてきたカイですが、オープニング映像から『Nothing On Me』でカイのつくりだす世界に一気に引き込むと、『Come In』では黒と白のシックな衣装で登場。椅子を使ったスタイリッシュなダンスで魅了しました。

『Confession』では、力強くパワフルなステージを、『To Be Honest』では、とてもキュートな姿を見せてくれましたね♪

大人の雰囲気溢れるバーのセットで披露し、カイもお気に入りと話していた『Vanilla』は、ダンサーと息の合ったパフォーマンスで妖艶な世界に。 『I See You』では洞窟のような空間で、そしてEXOの楽曲『Jekyll』のステージでは印象的な赤いリボンを張り巡らせたセットの中でパフォーマンス♪一瞬で次々と移動しながら様々な世界へと連れて行ってくれました！

そして、クライマックスには1st Mini Albumのタイトル曲『Mmmh』を、さらに先日発売された2nd Mini Albumタイトル曲の『Peaches』を海の中を連想させる幻想的でまるで夢の中にいるような世界の中でパフォーマンスして幕を閉じました。

さらに最後には、コンサート会場から“瞬間移動”してきたカイからのサプライズトークライブが！^^ コンサートのコンセプトや映像に登場したアイテムに込めた意味など、秘話を話してくれました！

みなさんと過ごす今日の日をとても楽しみにしていたカイ^^ 「ずっと緊張しながら準備をしてきたけど、いいコンサートができて良かった、幸せです。コンサートがみなさんへのプレゼントになるといいなと思うし、僕もみなさんからプレゼントをもらいました！」と話していたカイの、その嬉しそうな笑顔がとても印象的でした！

そんなみなさんとの楽しい時間を過ごしたカイから、EXO-L-JAPANのみなさんへ写真が届きました！

カイが「早く直接会って、コンサートを一緒に楽しみたい。また会いましょう！」と伝えていましたが、みなさんもまた直接お会いできる日を楽しみにしていてくださいね^^"

Translaion: "Today was Kai’s online solo concert ‘Beyond LIVE ＃Cinema－KAI：KLoor’! Thank you to everyone who tuned in!

The concert opened up with a phone call from Kai! Were you guys surprised when Kai called you?^^ During the concert, fans could see SNS messages from Kai saying things like, ‘Doesn’t it feel like we are together enjoying this concert right now?’. Kai conveyed all his thoughts into his messages the whole time. ♪

Kai continued with his messages: ‘Using my teleportation power I wanted to be able to show you guys all kinds of performances.’ It was hard not to feel completely immersed in Kai’s world during the concert, right? Fans wandered through time and space with Kai, picking up various items. Those items were important keys to unlock each of Kai’s different worlds.

Each performance brought fans to a different world that Kai had prepared. Fans joined Kai starting from his opening VCR and the song ‘Nothing On Me’. Later he performed ‘Come In’, featuring him in a chic black-and-white suit! He used a chair in the performance and showed off his style and charm.

He pulled off a variety of styles throughout the concert, giving fans a cool performance for ‘Confession’, whilst turning the dial to cute mode for ‘To Be Honest’. ♪

Kai captivated fans with his mature side during the song ‘Vanilla’. He mentioned that 'Vanilla' was one of his favourite tracks and it was clear he and his dancers had perfect synergy during the performance.

For ‘I See You’ fans were teleported to a cavern-like set. Next Kai performed EXO’s song ‘Jekyll’ which featured a red ribbon in the set. ♪ Each transition was flawless as fans got to travel with Kai!

The next song was the climax of the concert; ‘Mmmh’, the title track from Kai's 1st mini album. Right after that he closed the concert with his latest song, ‘Peaches’, from his 2nd mini album. Fans were transported into the ocean for a fairytale-like performance. It felt as though one were in a dream.

And as a little surprise, Kai ‘teleported’ back to fans to give one last ment! ^^ He told fans the secret behind the concert’s concept and the featured items and VCRs!

Kai was so happy to be able to spend this day with fans ^^ ‘I was so nervous when preparing everything, but I am glad the concert went well. I am so happy! I thought it would be wonderful to give this concert to everyone as a present, and in fact, your joy is a gift to me.’ Kai said during his ment as he grinned from ear to ear! It was a sight no one could forget!

Now we have a selfie from a very happy Kai for EXO-L JAPAN!

‘I look forward to the day when we can have an in-person concert. Until we meet again!’ Kai said. Look forward to the day when we can all meet again! ^^"

Photo link: 1

Credit: translation, dailyexo.tumblr.com, Source: Official EXO-L Japan.

[shinescape]

MTL & MISC MASTERLIST

ATEEZ

great with heights

good at swimming

to do their s/o's hair for fun

when they found out they weren't their s/o's original bias

leaving notes on your cup as a barista

to struggle talking when left alone with their crush

willing to go shopping together

to get scammed

to confess or be a secret admirer

to learn girl group dances for this idol s/o

to collect merchandise of their idol s/o

as their sibling

to flaunt a gift given by their s/o

to be proud of a kiss mark

to welcome an affectionate s/o

to bring their partner to work

to take photos with s/o vs solo shots

to hold their s/o's shopping bags

EXO

getting matching couple items

forget to pick their child from daycare

to enjoy late night talks vs early morning talks

to break a heart when they're angry

to get heartbroken easily

NCT & WAYV

I would hang out with

prefer outdoor or indoor dates (nct 127)

to be a repeating customer because they fancy a staff

caught looking at their crush

stalk their crush sns account (nct dream)

to tease their partner because of a photocard (nct 127)

to secretly do fortune reading of their crush (maw unit)

to spam their s/o when they can't be reach (boss unit)

to fall for lyrics prank (nct 127)

to be extra around their crush (nct 127)

SEVENTEEN

fitting for a supernatural concept

into morning sexy time (nsfw)

to get scared when s/o calls them by their full name

to have matching wallpapers with their s/o

to eat their favourites first vs save it for last

THE BOYZ

good at swimming

forget to pick their child from daycare

to be a repeating customer because they fancy a staff

to hold their s/o's shopping bags

MISC

nct dream as pet store workers

ateez as locals on a vacation island

ateez as drivers

ateez sneaking their s/o to the dorms

[laufire]

what’s your opinion on amy/jonah?

I don’t really have ~deep thoughts, about them or the show in general (it’s my “no thoughts, head empty” show with some bonus anti-corporatism to spice things up, okay), but I’ll give it a go lol.

First of all: the fact that I don’t hate it is already a huge step up from a lot of sitcom ShowTPs, so let’s give it that xDD. There are a few times where they’re frustrating, I guess, like every other character (it is a sitcom). But they have many lovable moments.

My favourite moment of theirs is when they’re having fun trying out discarded defective items in the warehouse, goofing around. In general, I really appreciate how Jonah can make Amy enjoy herself. Their fight after Amy kisses him for the second time and the mess it makes is one of the most intense moments of the show, for sure.

BTW: the reason this has been sitting a while in my inbox is that I didn’t want to answer until I knew what the series finale did with them. If Amy had been obligated to jeopardize her professional career for them to get back together, their relationship would’ve been added to the Loathed Sitcom Couples list, sns xD. Thankfully it didn’t happen; quitting at Zephra for their practices didn’t hinder her, and she’s still thriving in that area :DD (both of them are!! I’m actually bummed we don’t get to see anything about Jonah’s City Countil campaign, I love those kinds of storylines lol).

Also, I kinda wish we’d seen more of them interacting with each other’s family. Those were great moments.

[monchikyun]

XII. baby, it’s cold outside

The cold water does nothing to quiet his distressed heart, it only succeeds in putting him even more on edge, just as he is afraid it might. As his body slowly succumbs to the sweet feeling of numbness, he goes over the events of this night in his head, thinking whether he should just give in and let himself be selfish. As long as they're here, in a place far away from their everyday lives, what could stop them from enjoying a little harmless make-believe.

Except when his playmate is Connor, nothing is ever risk-free and safe. Gavin should lock himself in the bathroom till the morning, then drive them home and never talk to the android ever again, for both of their sakes. A plan that has more holes than a colander. First of all, he’s really fucking tired and a bed, no matter how uncomfortable, is something he’s physically unable to turn down. Besides, they are work partners, if nothing else, and he doesn’t want to entrust Connor to some stranger. Not that he’s worried the tin can won’t handle himself, it’s just… he got so used to having him around to help him with the stuff his stupid human brain isn’t equipped to carry out that he can’t even imagine being on his own. He’s never had a partner last this long, and frankly, it would be a shame to ruin their job-efficiency just because one of them can’t keep his mouth shut.

His very smart thoughts get interrupted by an uninvited cough, serving to make him aware of his partially clogged sinuses threatening to make the following days hell if continues treating himself like a war criminal. He has no choice but to cave in and turn the faucet handle the opposite way. No one fancies catching cold and Gavin isn’t an exception.

❄️ ❄️ ❄️

“Ahh phcking shower!” 

A scream coming from the bathroom halts Connor’s unnecessary tidying session, making his stress-level rise significantly. 

He runs to the door and knocks on it without letting his head construct any possible scenarios. Remaining calm is the priority.  

“Are you okay?” he yells through the sound of running water, ready to barge in if there is no reply. 

“Yeah, yeah I’m fine, just almost got boiled alive.” He rests his back against the wall as relief washes over him. There is a myriad of possible responses he’d like to use behind his closed eyes, but all he manages to say is a silent “Hurry up and come here.” 

The devil on his shoulder is enticing him to go and take a peek, the door isn’t locked after all... the main reason for which is the faith Gavin has in him. He knows Connor would never invade his privacy unless specifically asked, so he resumes dusting the empty closet. It’s important to make sure the environment here is best suitable for his human’s health, for he heard the cough coming from the next room. Nothing escapes his sensor, not even the fact that Gavin’s body is well on its path to a proper fever if someone doesn’t take care of him. The man himself is the least like to do just that, so it’s up to Connor to prevent him from getting sick. And if he fails, at least he’ll have an excuse to get close to his friend without it having the additional implications they like to avoid so much. 

After he’s done with cleaning the room, he changes into something resembling pyjamas, just so doesn’t carry around the dirt gathered by his usual clothes. It does provide a sense of comfort as well, and not only for him. Surely, Gavin would be pleased to see a more human-like behaviour from him. 

He sighs and sits upon a bed closer to the window, hugging his knees in need of grounding himself a bit. It’s snowing heavily behind the drawn curtain, he doesn’t have to see it to know.

 It goes together with the blizzard inside his mind, giving him the only other acceptable company.    

Connor doesn’t regret letting his affection show, he doesn’t wish to take it back, but it still doesn’t sit well with him. It feels like he’s done something terribly wrong, something that would destroy the slight bond between them. 

Nevertheless, he doesn’t let it bother him when Gavin emerges from the bathroom dressed only in thin sleepwear, his eyes tearing up as he yawns. Connor doesn’t waste the opportunity to annoy him and throws at him the ugly Christmas sweater he packed specifically for this reason. 

“What am I supposed to do with this?” the man stares at the thing incredulously, about to chuck it back where it came from. 

“You need something to keep you warm during the night.”

“Thanks, but no phcking way I’m wearing that.” But he doesn’t return it, instead, he casually lays the sweater on top of his bag and goes to turn off the light. 

Before he has the chance to argue, the detective buries himself under his blanket and whisper an almost inaudible “goodnight.” Connor detects him shivering, sees how he curls into a ball to gather the smallest amount of heat.  

That won’t do. He stands up from his own bed and slowly walks over to his cold friend, gently placing an extra blanket over him. Androids don’t usually perceive the effects of temperature, so it’s only fair Connor gives his to the detective. Doesn’t mean he has to tuck him in like a baby and wish him sweet dreams, but who ever will stop him. 

❄️ ❄️ ❄️

Gavin planned on staying up all night, savouring the rare moment of peace when Connor’s there with him but not too near to make him self-conscious. So, of course, he had to fall asleep as soon as the weight of a second blanket made him warm and cosy enough to sublime. 

He wakes up without remembering any of his dreams, which is for the best. His head doesn’t hurt like it normally does in the mornings and he even dares to think that he’s well-rested, which would be a first this year. Connor greets him with a cup of coffee in his hand and a bright smile on his face, which is the moment he decides he doesn’t ever want to leave this place. Or maybe just for a couple more days. 

“Good morning, Gavin.” No “detective” this time, huh. Perhaps he really will spend the rest of his life w̶i̶t̶h̶ ̶C̶o̶n̶n̶o̶r̶ here.  

“Mornin’,” he mumbles, too flustered to address him in any way. 

“I bought you breakfast. Your favourite.” 

“Coffee and aspirin?”  

“And croissants." Gavin has to hold himself back as not to say something stupid like 'I love you', so he just takes the offered items while muttering a quiet "thank you". 

"It has been snowing all night." 

He sips on the bitter hot delight while listening to Connor's heavenly voice, a scene belonging to his fantasies, yet a part of his current reality. 

"I don't think it's a good idea to even step outside, least drive. The temperature is too low, and the piled-up sn-" 

"Yeah, okay. We'll stay here until the weather clears up." That is definitely too eager of a reaction, but he had to get it out there before his self defense mechanism kicks in. 

He glances out of the window only to notice it has frozen over, limiting his view to the outside world. Still, the snowflakes dancing in the wind have a way of letting themselves be recognised, so Gavin sends them soundless gratitude and bites into the still-warm pastry. 

It’s not Christmas yet, but he already knows he won’t ever forget this year’s holiday, no matter where he ends up spending them. 

@a-convin-new-year 

[byunsboyz]

Jamais Vu - Part Two

Exo Fanfiction

Baekhyun x Female Reader

Warnings: none? 

Genre: Fluff/Angst

W/C: 3507

Part One Part Three

_____________________________________________________________

You watch as Baekhyun turns away from your front door and disappears inside the next apartment.

No way.

*Slam*

Shit.

************************************************************************

Later that night you lie wide awake. 

Replaying the interaction over and over in your head.

Each time making you want to sink further into a hole of shame. 

Guess it’s time to become a recluse? 

You groan out loud as you roll over and try to shake all thoughts of Byun Baekhyun from your mind.

You nose fills with the smell of fresh cotton and magnolia that seeps out of your sheets from the movement. 

“Byun Baekhyun is that you? It’s y/n from university! Wow, what are the chances….” 

All the things you should have said verbalising in your mind when its already too late.

He would have realised and you both would have laughed and reminisced but no!

You knocked him over, stole his groceries and invaded his personal space.

Your chest feels tight with regret and embarrassment. 

You can’t even remember the last time you were left speechless, probably because you stopped letting your guard down a long time ago. 

You clutch your pillow against your face and let out the frustrated yell that you’ve been holding in all evening. 

The next morning you make sure to leave your apartment early. 

The main reason being that it’s your first day in a new department and you want to get into work to set up early and talk to the Director of Corporate Accounting, Mr Do regarding the accounts you’ll be managing.

You also want to have a quick check-in with Jaehyun to make sure he has everything he needs in place to start managing your old team. 

But NOT because you’re planning on avoiding Baekhyun until your lease runs out. 

Because that would be ridiculous...

“You’re being ridiculous!” 

You sigh, as you friend Aria scolds you on your lunch break.

“I don’t know what you mean” you huff, stuffing a tuna maki roll into your mouth.

Aria has been your best friend since you joined Kim & Partners almost six years ago. 

You often grab lunch at the small ramen restaurant around the corner from your company.

You both started at the same time and hit it off during your induction week.

Aria worked in the IT systems department and helped develop and manage aspects of the different software systems used at the company. 

You were utterly clueless and would often be on the phone to the support desk because you’d managed to crash or break something that should be impossible. 

Aria knew of Baekhyun, you had drunkenly ranted to her about him a few years back triggered by him leaving you a dry happy birthday message on your SNS page. 

You’d told her everything. About how you met, how close you’d been and how you’d felt about him at college.

You remember the tears hitting around the point you explained the last couple of years he had faded away.

“I know that he never could never have known how I felt, but-like” you had paused to down another shot, “...he still should have cared about me in some capacity right?”.

“Then delete him, he’s not worth it” she had soothed, rubbing your back.

You probably sounded so desperate but truthfully you felt abandoned.

You swallow down the uncomfortable memory with a sip of water as you continue to justify yourself.

“It’s not even like we really know each other anymore. Maybe HE’S avoiding ME”. You point your chopsticks at her accusingly. 

Aria raises her eyebrow at your words, accompanied by a glare. 

“Stop it! You’ll make the ramen taste bad!” you gasp, shielding your bowl.

She scoffs at your dramatics. “You live next to each other, it’s not like you can avoid him forever”. 

You look up from your bowl, a glint of determination in your eye.

“Challenged accepted”. 

“Stubborn ass”.

“Says the Sagittarius!” you shoot back.

When you get back from lunch, you head straight to see your new manager.

“I’m back Mr Do, are you ready to go over the client files?”. 

“Please don’t call me Mr Do, that’s my father’s name,” he sighs, looking up from his Laptop. “I’m not that much older than you, call me Kyungsoo”.

He grabs a stack of papers and files from his desk and walks around to plonk them onto yours opposite. 

“Are you sure it’s fine for me to invade your office?” you ask, flipping through the first document.

You were surprised to learn that you were sharing the office with the department director. 

The rest of your colleagues were sat open-plan adjacent to the office. 

You snort loudly.

“You can tell your background is auditing” you add, admiring the uniform presentation of each set of financial accounts. 

“Is it that obvious?”

His voice sounds closer than you expect. He’s still leaning against the edge of your desk as he looks over the file in your hand, a slight smirk on his heart-shaped lips. 

It’s not common to come across such a good looking accountant. A far cry from the crusty old white men you’re accustomed to working with.

Well, Jaehyun is handsome but you only see him as a younger colleague.

Kyungsoo, on the other hand. With his deep whiskey brown eyes and short black hair, complimenting to the warm hues of his skin. Is just plain hot.

His shirt sleeves are rolled up past his elbows and you can’t help but take notice of the tone in his forearms that cross over his chest. His voice snaps you out of the slight trance you’ve fallen into. 

“...and yes, it’d make sense to share the same space since we’re going to manage the biggest clients together. Did Mr Kim not explain that this is a promotion,” 

You nod in understanding and he steps back to his desk, looking up once last time with warm assuring smile. “Let’s work hard together”.

Then his attention is back to his laptop, his expression full of concentration.

The rhythmic tapping of his calculator and keyboard filling the room as soft background noise.

You cant help but smile as you look back down towards the files in front of you, a new feeling of determination ignited. 

Working with Kyungsoo for the rest of the day makes you forget about the previous day’s events.

That’s until you step into the lobby of your apartment building and instantly feel anxious at the sight of the elevator. 

You don’t fancy another run in with Baekhyun, so you opt for the stairwell.

You trudge up the stairs until you reach the top floor. Catching your breath as you stand on your tiptoes to peek out of the small glass window that looks out towards your hallway.  

The coast is clear so you make a stealthy dash past Baekhyun’s apartment into your own. 

Aria is right, you this is childish but you don’t want to deal with any awkwardness or confrontation. 

You leave early again the next morning, work late into the evening and take the stairs. Doing the same the next day. And the day after that. 

Most people don’t talk to their neighbours anyway. You’ve lived plenty of places and hardly interacted with the people in your building.

Maybe this was your new normal. 

The weekend is here before you know it. 

You open your eyes groggily. The last thing you remember was reading through some files that you brought home with you yesterday to make notes.

You blame your passing out on the two glasses of chardonnay you had to accompany the reading. 

There’s an ache in your thighs and knees that you attribute to the number of stairs you’ve climbed recently. 

Perhaps this will count towards your yearly cardio. 

You snort at the thought as you rub your eyes. Stretching your arms above your head as you try to loosen the stiffness of sleep from your body. 

Faint jazz music plays in the distance, drifting through the wall you share with Baekhyun's apartment. 

You close your eyes and listen, a soft piano and guitar medley you think?  The double bass thumping along like a gentle heartbeat. 

A feeling of melancholy washes over you causing you to sigh so you force yourself to get up and take a shower. 

Feeling more awake you decide now is the right time to sneak out of your apartment and grab some groceries while it’s still early.

A few hours later than you expected you return to your building, a bag full of groceries clutched in one arm and a couple of extra bags from an impromptu retail binge. 

You couldn't help yourself when you walked past your favourite clothing store Privé and spotted this beautiful pastel blue off-shoulder skater dress.

It literally called out for you to purchase and before you knew it you were also picking up a few new makeup and skincare items to indulge in for the rest of the day. 

‘I don’t splurge often… I work super hard and I deserve this!” you reason with yourself, grimacing as the total of your purchases flash across the cashier screen.

There's always a pang of slight guilt that accompanies any shopping high. The accountant aspect of you scolding your more impulsive side. 

You don’t dwell much on it as you approach the end of the hallway and find yourself contemplating a new dilemma. 

Haul everything up the stairs or risk the elevator. Realistically you’re carrying way too much so the only logical option is taking the elevator. 

It’ll be fine you assure yourself as you step onto the elevator, pushing the button for the top floor. 

Just as the elevator doors are almost closed a hand shoots through the gap and you yelp in surprise.

“Didn’t you hear me calling out to hold the eleva-!” gasps Baekhyun as he shoves his body through the door gap. 

His words cut short as his eyes land on you. 

Your stomach twists into a knot, tightening your grip on the grocery bags as you step to the side to create more space between you.

“I didn’t hear you...s-sorry” you manage to stutter out, trying your best to keep your voice even and eyes straight ahead.

You catch your image in the mirror of the elevator, your hair looking slightly windswept from the outside. 

A sudden conscious sensation of being watched sends a shiver down your spine and you feel your eyes being drawn to the figure reflected next to your own.

Baekhyun is staring, directly at you. His head turned towards you and lips slightly agape.

As if he’s about to say something. 

You internally plead with the elevator to move faster and as though it’s heard your thoughts, you feel the soft judder beneath your feet as it comes to a halt.

When the door spring open, you walk straight for your apartment. Not daring to look behind you.

Your hand trembles as you rapidly punch in your lock code and push open the door, stepping into your apartment and using your foot to kick the door shut behind you.

The door thumps, obstructed by something and you place the items on your counter thinking that your umbrella stand has probably fallen over.

Instead, when you turn around Baekhyun is standing in your doorway. His arm stretching out to hold your front door open.

“Are you avoiding me?”.

You freeze, feeling yourself flinch at his words. Caught off guard by the sudden accusation.

“No why would you-”. 

“Aw come on Y/N! you can’t even look me in the eye right now.” He cuts you off, his tone exasperated. 

“Who are you to suddenly act as if you know me?” You spit back without thinking. 

A tinge of heat rises to your cheeks. Annoyed with yourself for biting back so easily.

Baekhyun's expression softens. 

He lets his arm drop from the door and shoves both hands into the pockets of his jacket. 

“Look. I’m sorry.” 

“Wha-why?” 

“For yelling at you the other day...for the last couple of years?” he winces at his own words. 

“In my defence, you knocked me over” He looks at you like a kicked puppy, “and your hair is much longer now.”

He’s apologising?

“I don’t know what to say” your thoughts spilling directly from your mouth. 

You feel overwhelmed, unable to pint point exactly how you feel. 

Angry. Relieved. Happy?

You hear a half sigh, half laugh from Baekhyun.

“Hi?” He offers.

“Hey...” you reply weakly. 

You both stand there, for what feels like a while.

“Can we start ove-,” you begin, words cutting short as Baekhyun blurts out the same.

You laugh this time.  

“Please.” he adds.  

You note that his hands are now resting at his sides, a sure sign he’s also feeling less on edge. 

You feel ridiculous for even remembering that.

“Good...well. I’m glad” you agree. 

Not knowing what else to say. 

“Yeah, me too,” he continues. “So we’re finally neighbours.”

“Uh-huh” you nod. 

“Awesome” 

You cross your arms over your chest. “So what brought you to move here?” you ask.

“Work, new job!” 

“Congrats”

“Thanks…” He rocks back on his heel. One hand returning to his pocket. “What about you?”

“Huh?... Oh, the same”.

You cringe at the dry turn of the conversation. 

Is it appropriate to ask him to leave?

“So-uh, yeah. I guess I'll be seeing you around?” You opt for something subtle.

He seems to understand, his eyes widening slightly as he quickly steps back from the threshold.

“Ye-yes of course! Catch up soon?” 

You're not sure if he’s asking you or telling you, so you just offer him a weak nod as he closes your door behind him. 

You hold your breath, straining your ears for the sound of his door closing. 

The moment you’re sure Baekhyun is back inside his apartment you jump straight on the phone to Aria. 

Words of confusion spilling from your mouth as you fill her in on what’s happened.

“What does this mean!?” you whisper/shout over the line.

“How am I supposed to know?” she deadpans, always the most sympathetic. “What do you want?”

“What?” 

You flop onto your couch dramatically.  

“Like, do you want to be his friend again. Address your feelings and issues and rebuild a relationship or just keep things in the past and remain as you are?”.

“I...I don’t know. I’ve spent so much time avoiding him I didn’t even consider anything like that”.

You hear her sigh on the other end. “So think about it carefully, you were really upset last time” 

You respond with a groan.“I know”. 

“Do you want me to text Key and we can all meet up, get some drinks and debate this further. You know he’s always opinionated on things like that.”

“Tempting, but I have to work on some client files and think this over for myself...” you pause, suddenly realising something. “Wait, Key knows?”.

“Yah, I’ve been texting him this whole time.”

You press two fingers against your temple, feeling a headache coming. “Thanks mate.”

Kim Kibum, Key as he prefers; is your other best friend.

You met at a night school you’d attended a few years back, after sitting next to each other by chance on the first day. 

You would meet up at the weekends for joint study sessions, usually followed up with a few drinks and sharing mutual complaints about the difficulties and stress of working and studying at the same time. 

You’d introduced him to Aria and the rest was history. 

You usually meet up together once a month, sometimes hanging out with his roommates Minho and Taemin. 

“Tell Key I’ll text him later, rain check on the drinks. Maybe next weekend...uh-huh, ok. Text you later.” 

You end the call, looking up at the ceiling. 

Chest feeling heavy as you try to put your thoughts towards Baekhyun into one place.

Was this a friendship worth salvaging. You were close past tense, but also people grew and changed. 

He wasn’t the only friend you grew apart from so why did it sting so much when you did?

It’s not like you were still in love with him or anything, or that you were waiting for him all this time.

It’s not a romantic comedy. (Even if you do enjoy watching them).

You feel cursed in the relationship department anyway, the last ending terribly with your ex cheating on you with someone you considered to be a friend. 

Remaining single is currently a choice. Aria and Key constantly threaten to drag you to some speed dating event but you refuse. 

The rest of the weekend goes by peacefully, you meet Key for coffee Sunday afternoon for a change of pace from looking over client files and cleaning your bathroom.

“I think...,” you start, taking an extra-long sip of your iced latte “It would be nice to be friends again”.

“We were friends?” Key looks up from his phone, a smirk on his lips. 

You smack his arm playfully. “You know what I mean!”. 

“So you’re not planning any love confessions this time?”.

You grimace, “I was eighteen! It was a crush...now I’m a grown-ass lady who knows she’s going to die alone with seventeen dogs”. 

“Hmmm, well if you don’t want him, I’ll have him” 

You choke on your coffee.

“How do you know he’s not an ugly ass?”

He holds his phone up to you. 

“Because SNS is a wonderful thing darling”. 

You gasp, snatching the phone out of Key’s hand. Baekhyun's profile photo staring back at you.

It looks like he’s on a beach somewhere. 

His hair a light shade of blonde, wearing a tight fit shirt which only emphasises the broadness of his shoulders.

He’s grinning cheekily at whoever is taking the photo and you feel the corners of your lips tugging upwards in response. 

You don’t think it’s the sun that brightens the picture.

A hand suddenly waves in front of your face. “Earth to lover girl!” Key calls out, removing his phone from your hand. 

“Stop stalking Baekhyun.” you huff. 

“Fine fine fine” he deadpans. “but only if you add him yourself”. 

“How do you know we aren’t already friends?”

He looks up at you with a raised brow. Ah yeah he’s already checked. 

You chew on the bottom of your lip nervously as you press send on the friendship request. 

Pangs of guilt emerging over the fact you had even deleted him in the first place 

But you needed to back then, it used to hurt to look at him. 

Monday morning as your leaving your apartment your surprised to see Baekhyun leaving his apartment at the same time. 

He looks you up and down curiously.

“Morning” He smiles, “this is a bit late for you?” his tone slightly teasing.

He’s not wrong, you’re back to leaving your usual time. 

“or maybe you’re early” you respond, mimicking his tone. 

He laughs and shakes his head. “No, I leave this time every day”. 

He falls into step as you head towards the elevator. 

“I started working in a new department last week so I went in early to try and adjust faster.” 

Wait. Why are you justifying yourself to him? 

“So you’re a big fancy accountant now?” he asks, smiling as you wait for him to step onto the elevator before you push the button for the ground floor. 

“And you a fancy architect?” you offer, he laughs and nods in agreement. 

The rest of the elevator ride is in silence, but this time you're not itching to escape. 

Baekhyun hums randomly to himself as he fiddles around on his phone. 

*ping* 

You reach into your pocket searching for your phone at the sound of the notification tone.

‘Byun Baekhyun has accepted your friend request’.

You look up from your phone but he’s not looking. His expression serious as he continues to look down at his phone. 

Does he feel bad that you deleted him?

You step off the elevator and leave the building at the same time.

Keeping a half step ahead as you turn off towards the subway station.

In your peripheral you see that he’s turned in the opposite direction. 

Should you say goodbye, is it weird to wish him a good day? 

You start wondering as you walk further away from each other. 

“Kick some accounting ass!” Baekhyun suddenly calls out, making you spin around in surprise. 

You snort at his word choice.

“Architect the shit out of some buildings!” you call back. 

You’re rewarded with one of his loud melodic laughs and you catch yourself sighing dreamily.

Ah Shit.

[dreamcatcherjiah]

Part 1

Painkillers. That was the first thought that you could rationalise when you woke up. The pain had been getting gradually worse through the months, to the point that it wasn’t only your chest that hurt anymore. When you woke up, the first thing you noticed was the feeling of constant pressure you felt in the middle of you spine, as if someone was constantly pressing some object to your back, trying to reach you heart in one fine blow. You no longer felt the burning on your chests, as things stood at present. Yes, it was annoying, and it didn’t allow you to function properly on a normal day, but the painkillers that numbed your senses more often than not these days dealt with it marvellously.

So the first thing you did that day when you woke up was drag your cold feet to the bathroom and, even before looking at yourself in the mirror, you downed two painkillers with a few sips of water from the tap. They always left a funny taste in your mouth, those pills. Then you sat on the closed lid of the toilet, and patiently waited for the pain to go away. As an afterthought it occurred to you that you could at least have brought your phone and had a look through Twitter now that you had little else to do. It seemed that these quiet numb moments in the morning were the only time of day when you could snatch a few minutes to be up to date with the news and what was old and new about your favourite group. You’d been kind of disconnected lately, so busy with work that you hadn’t step foot in the dance studio for two weeks. It’s not like your body or its condition would have allowed it, anyway. With a tired sigh you decided that you could wait for the numbness to arrive lying on your bed scrolling through Twitter, just as well as you were doing now barefoot in the cold tile bathroom.

You dragged yourself back under the warm covers and reached for your phone in the night table. It wasn’t too cold, the case, but it gave you a startle nonetheless. Opening the bird app for the first time in weeks, you were assaulted with notifications that you ignored in favour of looking through the most recent tweets. And you worried. How would you not, when one of your favourite artists was looking as if he had dragged himself back from the dead? He looked smily and warm, but the bags under his eyes and the defeated curve of his shoulders told another story. Their fans, you along with them, were worried because his dance moves didn’t seem to have that energy behind them anymore. There was also constant speculation about the reason why he was constantly rubbing over his heart. The most adamant ones were even saying that he had found his soulmate and they had died and that’s why he was looking dead standing. It’s not as if they have any proof, though, you thought. The soulmate thing was a nice little bedtime story for those who believed in the long obsolete system, but that was all it was. There was no proof, either medical, nor visual it existed like it used to in the past. 

Taking one last look at his tired, but still smiling face, you left your phone between the covers of the bed and started your morning routine. Rolling your shoulders back, you checked if the painkillers were doing their job. Noticing the pain had somehow dispersed evenly through your back and it was a bit more bearable now, you set about seeing that everything you had to do today was done.

Not even lunchtime and you were already in your second pair of pills, now due to the headache brewing behind your right eye. How can a job that you enjoy leave you feeling like a puppet whose strings have been severed? Your coworkers are louder than ever today, laughing ostentatiously about some trifle article they had seen on SNS or some celebrity buying another ultra-expensive apartment you would never been able to afford even if you worked yourself to the bone every day for the rest of your life. Wow, pain did make you cynical.

Someone cleaned their throat next to your desk, and looking up, you just found your typical office employee, pencil skirt, silkish blouse and a huge grin. And you couldn’t for the life of you remember her name. But, the point is that you were certainly pass the point of caring.

“Can I help you?” You asked, feigning a bit of interest, but not so much so that she would take it as a clue to stay talking to you longer than necessary, worsening your headache. 

“Always so nice, Y/N! I don’t know how you manage!” I don’t, either, Karen. I don’t. “Well, what I wanted to tell you is that my birthday is coming next week, and I was planning on celebrating it at a cafe, but turns out something fantastic happened! Can you guess what it is?” Not even stopping to catch her breath, or give you time to try and guess, she continued, with such shining eyes you wouldn’t have been surprised if she started crying glitter. “I managed to get my hands in two VIP tickets for BTS’s final concert the day after tomorrow, and I know for a fact that you are also an Army… would you care to come with me, please?”

Right about now you were feeling quite a shitty person, if you were to be honest with yourself. This girl whose name you didn’t remember was offering a ticket, VIP no less, to the concert of your lifetime and you’d been cheekily half-ignoring her. Pain was really a bitch, how did you become this person you didn’t recognise? Even with her looking at you with those open, sincere eyes, saying please as if you wouldn’t give your last cent to experience at least once in your life what a BTS concert was like… You felt terrible.

“Hyejin-ah, Y/N! We are going for lunch in ten!!” Shouted another one of your workers, inadvertently saving you from the embarrassment of admitting you didn’t remember the other woman’s name. “You coming?”

Before Hyejin could answer, you called her name and took a deep breath, braving through the pain. 

“Hyejin, I couldn’t possibly impose… those tickets are incredibly expensive, and I don’t think I could pay you…”

“Don’t be silly, Y/N!” She chastised you, releasing a pretty giggle. “It is my birthday, and I want to share my happiness with another Army! The tickets are already paid for, the only thing you need to do is choose a nice outfit for that day, take your Army Bomb and enjoy the concert with me, will you?”

“But…” your words died in your mouth, emotion clogging your throat. You found yourself smiling, truly smiling for the first time in quite some time, and nodding. “I don’t know how I will ever repay you, Hyejin-ah…”

With a little squeal, she threw her arms around your neck and hugged you tight. Forgetting about your back, your chest, your head, you returned the hug instantly. You couldn’t believe how this girl had changed the course of your day in a few minutes. How could someone be so selfless?

“You’ve done so much for me since I joined the company, Y/N-ah!” She was saying, while you mused to yourself. “Thanks to you I could get a head-start on working here and I am so thankful! And I am so happy I found another Army here, and we can share this experience! AND ON MY BIRTHDAY!”

Her happiness was contagious, and soon you were laughing out loud, feeling so much better now compared to the previous… weeks, months…? You didn’t even care anymore. You were going to repay Hyejin however you could in the future. No matter how much pain you were in, or how tired you were. This girl was worth braving through it.

“Oi, you two! Are you coming or not?” Asked the same guy again.

You both took your coats laughing and headed for the elevators. What an edifying morning you were having. You had ended up with a new friend — hopefully — and the best present someone could have given you. What else could happen today to make it better?

The days between the good news and the concert came and went without you so much as noticing. Hyejin was gradually becoming a constant presence in your life. The day after her offer you brought her a cup of coffee and the day after that as well. You could see it becoming a habit, but she was such a nice person that only for the smile she gave you, you would make a little detour to get your coffees each morning. She was such a nice woman, Hyejin. You could almost forget about the pain in your body. The concert being a Saturday gave you all Friday night to panic, running through your apartment to choose what outfit to wear. Your Mang headband was the sure item, but the rest was driving you mad. Deciding that it was futile, you checked your bag for the battery, your Army bomb and your bottle to fill with water once inside. You were so excited for the next day!

Suddenly your heart constricted and you vision went black for a second. Your Army bomb crashed against the floor, but you didn’t realise it, as your knees collided as well with the wooden surface. Panting, you took your hand to your forehead in an attempt to calm yourself. You hadn’t been feeling so well lately, but not so bad either. But this was next level painful. No, you wouldn’t allow this stupid pain to keep you from going to that concert. Not even if you had to drag yourself to that stadium. Little by little, the pain began to leave, and you watched helpless at the clear pieces of your Army bomb looking at you from the ground, as broken as you felt.

As soon as Taehyung had dropped the bombshell, it had been decided that Bang PD-nim needed to know. The situation was obviously getting out of hand, the fans were beginning to notice as well. But what was worse was the slow deterioration Bangtan was seeing in the face and body of Hobi. He was usually his bright self when the situation required it, but it was obviously becoming increasingly painful and the last thing that anyone wanted was for Hobi to be in pain. A couple of weeks after they returned to Korea for the final concert of the tour, he had dropped nearly unconscious to the floor, whimpering and rubbing his chest over his heart. The skin on his chest had become dry and irregular over that spot he couldn’t stop rubbing. This situation was getting out of hand for all parties involved.

With the final and the comeback approaching day by day, they had asked their for a meeting, the seven of them, Bang PD-nim and their managers. Mainly to discuss the situation and what to do in case Hoseok couldn’t perform — which was out of the question, according to him. He was performing and that was final.

“So, you are telling me that you assume these pains, that the doctors you have seen have no medical explanation for, have to do with your soulmate connection?” Asked the CEO, with his eyebrows raising to his hairline.

“Yes, sir.” Answered Hoseok, bowing his head out of embarrassment. If it was up to him he would have downed a couple of painkillers and they would all be practicing their asses out for the concert, and yet here they were because of some insignificant chests pains. Yes, as his mother had told him, chest pains were something really serious, even more so for someone with such a hectic lifestyle as theirs. But, deep down, and after Taehyung’s confession about being able to see the string, he knew what was causing the pain. That was in part the reason why he was feeling so defeated lately. Tae could see the string, but it had always pointed away from them in the same direction. With them travelling around the world on tour, the only thing Hoseok and the boys could manage to figure out was that his soulmate was provably back home in Korea, since the string always pointed in that direction. Now that they had returned he didn’t have the strength to ask Tae about the string. Just seeing his wild facial expressions and the way his head would snap in a thousand different directions was enough to warn J-hope not to ask. 

“Son, the soulmate connection cannot be proven… no one can see the strings anymore, Hobi.” Answered back the older man, bringing him back to reality.

His hand instinctively went to his chest and started rubbing it. The painkillers he had taken that morning without Jiminie noticing were loosing their effect. How much longer would the meeting be, so that he could sneak out into the toilet and remedy that? Joonie’s hand stopped the circular motion over his sternum and with a look of finality, pinned both of Hobi’s hands to his leg. 

“I can see them, though,” whispered Taehyung, not making eye contact with the CEO. “I can’t see anyone else’s but Hobi hyung’s at the moment, but his is right here,” he said, pointing at a slightly discoloured patch in the middle of Hobi’s favourite T-shirt.

“You have been rubbing away at it, alright, Hobe-ah,” whispered Yoongi, eyeing the T-shirt and the exact location where Tae’s finger was touching Hobi’s chest.

Bang PD-nim was looking at them all alternatively, not really ready to believe what they were insinuating but, what other explanation was there to the state Hoseok had been for the last few months? If finding his soulmate was the solution to free him from the pain he knew the younger man was feeling, he was willing to look for that person himself even. Finding your soulmate nowadays was almost seen as a miracle, and these boys deserved the universe after all the hard work and the blood, sweat and tears they had spilled.

Yes, it was completely unbelievable, but then again, rarer things had been seen through the years. He could take a leap of blind faith for the well-being of his boys, for the well-being of Hobi.

“Have you got any idea of where this person could be?” He asked, setting the boys into a momentary frenzy of disbelief. Was the CEO really agreeing to look for Hobi’s soulmate?

“We have a general idea, thanks to Namjoon,” said Jin, assuming his role as the eldest and revealing what so many nights of speaking amongst the seven of them had clarified, “while we were overseas, for example, according to Tae the string always pointed in the same direction and we checked. Hobi’s soulmate is not in America nor Europe. No matter how much distance east we covered, the string kept pointing in that direction. As soon as we got to Seoul though, Tae started seeing the string pointing in random directions. It didn’t make any sense to us, until Joon suggested that for the string to change direction so fast, the person should be much closer than it had ever been before. For the most part of the day the string would stay still pointing in the same direction, until around 5 pm when it would change locations. The person must be here in Seoul or incredible close, close enough to follow the thread and find them.”

After Jin tried explaining Namjoon’s complex reasoning to the best of his abilities, gaining a nod from the leader, Bang PD-nim looked deep in thought, and none of them dared to interrupt.

“Am I right in assuming you are not only here for the logistics decisions for the concert, but also to ask for permission to follow Hobi’s thread?”

Looks were exchanged among the seven of them, Hobi feeling a strange sense of hope and trepidation filling him for the first time in months. 

“Yes, sir” he answered. No other words would leave his mouth now, his eyes fixated on the older man and holding his breath for the words that would free him or condemn him to endless pain.

“We have the concert tomorrow, we can’t very well drop everything and go looking for someone through Seoul,” at these words, Hobi’s shoulders stooped forward and his hands started itching in between Namjoon’s to reach for his chest. “That being said, I don’t see why we couldn’t use the days after the concert to conduct a bit of a search and, with the help of Tae we could find them in a day or two. Yeah, I don’t see why not.”

What happened next surprised every occupant of the room, including Hobi himself. He jumped from the chair, shouting “REALY?” Over and over again. His body was now pray of an energy he hadn’t felt in ages. Cursing through his veins like electricity was a feeling so exhilarating he couldn’t put words to it. Euphoria. Was it? Ecstasy, perhaps? He wouldn’t be able to put a name to it even if he tried, but he just knew he was feeling better than ever.

That was until something inside him told him his soulmate was in pain. He would be unable to tell what was it exactly that told him so, but there was definitely a nagging at the back of his head telling him something was not alright. 

“They’re in pain,” was the only thing he managed to say before his eyes filled with tears and he became a whimpering mess in the chair he had been sitting before, in pain again. 

“I think it would be better if you took him to the dorms for the night,” suggested the CEO, giving the poor man a warm look. “We will discus our plan of action in more detail tomorrow after the concert, boys. You just rest tonight, tomorrow is a very important day.”

Helping Hobi up, Jimin and Jungguk took him out of the office and towards the elevators. The rest of Bangtan followed slowly behind and the managers could hear them whispering among themselves.

“I swear, these mood swings are gonna end up giving me early grey hairs at this rate, I just want him to be alright,” Jin was saying while they moved slowly.

“As if you would know if you had grey hairs at the rate these people bleach our hair.” Scoffed Yoongi two seconds after. 

💞Tight Hearts (Idol!Hoseok x Reader)

Part 1

Plot: The red string of fate was visible when our grandparents were children. They would play around, following the strings from one person to their soulmate and laugh happily when these two people inevitably found each other. It was a reason for happiness. But little by little, people stopped seeing the threads. In bad times, it was dangerous, it was a liability, so people stopped seeing them to protect each other from harm. When I was born, nobody saw them anymore, they just felt their soulmate. Anxiety, happiness, sorrow, love, the hearts of the soulmates are one, feel the same things, but it is almost impossible to find your soulmate, now that the threads cannot be seen.

Tight Hearts Masterlist

A/n: Here is the first part of Tight Hearts!! I hope you guys liked it!! It took me so long to publish because I am a bit of a perfectionist and I want this story to be perfect, as it is very close to my heart🥺🥺🥺 Anyway, I hope you guys liked it! Let’s chat!! Tell me what you thought🥺

Send me an ask if you want to be added to the tag list.

Love 💜🌙

Tag list: @obsessoverthesmallthings247 @threedecadesofawkward @mabel-k3 @tremendousminyoongi @justignoremepleaz @demonic-meatball @hadaises @littlestsweetpea28 @rjsmochii @take-u-2-an0ther-w0r1d @gali-005 @salty-for-suga @indicisive-af​ 

[colde0channel]

[ENG] 180530 COLDE - DAZED INTERVIEW

Q. I was hesitant right before I came to see you. I wasn’t sure what questions to ask. I assumed ‘music’ was the only clue that explained your name ‘Colde’. 

Colde: That’s absolutely right. I never had the intention of creating a visual stereotype of the work I’ve been doing so far. I’ve rejected using other elements besides music.  It’s the same reason why I wear a hat/cap when I sing. That’s why I’m reluctant to be exposed in the media and I hardly do interviews very often. I’ve been doing that for the past two years, I’m now working as a solo artist as of this year. I thought this time, I’d have to brand myself differently. This is my first magazine interview with Dazed.  (t/n: He feels more confident performing on stage. He explained in previous interviews that he’s in fact a ‘timid’ person. This interview took place in 2018. Colde officially debuted with 0channel as ‘offonoff’ in 2016.)

Q. That sounds great. So let’s start this with, what’s the meaning behind the name ‘Colde’ ?

Colde: There are certain words that I love, and one of them is ‘Cold’ . When I visualised it as an image, I thought it fit well with my voice and appearance. I’m naturally not a bright person but the name ‘Cold’ goes well with a calm feeling. There are lots of meaningless typography (names) so that’s why I put an ‘e’ at the end of ‘Cold’. (Cold + e= Colde) (t/n: He mentioned on Red & Yella, that he got the name using a word generator. Although his name is Colde and with a voice that sounds ‘cold’ too, he wishes to bring warmth with his music.)

Q. What type of person is ‘Colde’ aka ‘Kim Heesoo’ like in real life? Are you as quiet and calm as when you sing?

Colde: I like to think positively, and I’m usually quiet. However once you get to know me, I like to joke around. I tend to discuss deeply about what I love;  like collecting vintage items, old books and I love taking film photos that I can directly connect to music. Which I then keep in a stack of archives. Also riding an old car. I write songs with that kind of inspiration. I know a lot of people have been curious. (t/n: In fact he has a tattoo of an ‘old car’ on his right arm. Also the film photos he took in Texas (2019) were used for his LOVE PART 01 EP cover)

Q. What other things do you do, when you’re not doing music?

Colde: Talking (to friends)? Or watching a movie. I enjoy drinking tea peacefully while reading books. I like going to clubs but only when it’s for work, like planning a performance or parties. (laughs)

Q. Don’t you sometimes dream of escaping in a fit of anger?

Colde: Hmmmm, well I would take a walk on the Han River Bridge and just sing. Then sing loudly until I can’t hear my voice and the sound of cars.

Q. When you know you have enough control of yourself, it’s not as easy as it looks. So far, do you think you’ve been able to compete only with music rather than revealing yourself (into the public). 

Colde: When me and 0channel moved together as a team, we solely focused on ‘offonoff’ as opposed to individuality. Our concept was not to let anyone know about us, like Margiela (brand). It was difficult to continue with that kind of concept as a crew (team). But with that, it’s constructed well in its own way. I would express it as ‘branding’.

(t/n: It’s almost saying as if ‘offonoff’ is a brand of its own. Martin Margiela who owns the brand, remains to be a private person.  “Constantly challenging people’s expectations, the label persistently presents the idea of anonymity within their collections, and often sends models down the catwalk with their faces concealed so the concentration is on the clothes.” source: vogue  )

Q. I agree. Nowadays, we do the branding ourselves. Offonoff and Colde’s music reminds me of the phrase you either ‘like it’ or you ‘crave for more’ . Without a doubt, both of you have different opinions. When you work on an album, how much do you or both express your own preference(s)?

Colde: For my solo music, they’re all centered around me so everything is decided by my opinion.  Whereas in comparison to teamwork (offonoff), our opinions are half and half. We combine both of our ideas, well enough to make it work. That’s why it takes longer to work on the album. Which is the same for other things besides music. From a month before the album was released, we gathered every week to have visual meetings. Discussing ideas on how we would like the music video(s) to turn out. So I think we have good teamwork and synergy based on that.  

Q. I heard that your first solo single ‘Your Dog Loves You’, from song writing to music video and album promotion was done without any label.

Colde: When we were still promoting as ‘offonoff’, our previous label (HIGHGRND) positively reflected the opinions of artists. So there weren't any conflicting issues. When I wrote this song (YDLY), I told myself “I’ll pursue this, there’s no one stopping me.”  I started working on the album (YDLY) thinking about my dog; Samna. Even though we’ve been apart for a while, I still feel a sense of happiness. I realised that love is truly incredible. I wanted to express the meaning of my love and gratitude (for her), so that’s why I wrote about Samna as my first single. ‘Your Dog Loves You’ is a song that conveys my honest self and emotions with sincerity. Thus recording (the song) is important when doing music.

Q. What type of branding will be added to this song? 

Colde: For this song, I think my real name ‘Kim Heesoo’ best represents me than Colde. To Samna, I live as ‘Kim Heesoo’ (laughs). We will be selling T-shirts with the release of this album. Some of the proceeds (from selling the shirts) will be donated to ‘CARE’, an animal shelter organisation. They also helped with the music video shoot. 

Q. Is Wavy a type of movement?

Colde: That is correct. It's not just a concept or a crew but it's going to turn into a ‘brand’. Essentially it will then form as an ‘official label’. I'm still thinking about how I'm going to make it interesting, once it's unveiled. I can't tell you any more details, please keep an eye out . (laughs)

Q. It seems that promoting the song strategically is as important as good music.

Colde: I guess you could say that. When me and 0channel made our first song (Mood. mixtape [2015]) as ‘offonoff’, we tried to complete it with a high quality visual. With that, we started a website for it. The goal was to make the site accessible for everyone to access, and I paid attention to the small details. (offonoffart.tumblr.com) Which I think played a part of the promotion. It’s the same process for my solo music. I’m not only good at making music, but I should get the most out of using webzine, youtube channel and SNS websites (instagram etc). I also like to observe and explore how people use these websites.

Q. Are there any public figures (eg. actors, writers, artists) or anything that you are interested in nowadays?

Colde: Vintage shopping. In my spare time, I would make a trip looking for only vintage items.

Q. In your opinion, is nostalgia for old (things) any special?

Colde: Without them (old things) what would be left after the person passes away? Money? I don’t think so. If I leave something that is special (to me) I’d regard it as if it’s my child. I believe that whoever is influenced by me, will be greatly inspired. If you have a distinctive preference, the meaning of life will look even more different. Then I’ll be able to explain that clearly to someone, before I die. 

Q. What’s the latest thing you’ve purchased?

Colde: Yesterday I bought a candlestick decorated with crystals on it. There’s a favourite shop that I like, whenever a new item comes in the owner would always contact me first. I also bought postcards and old magazines.

Q. Does that kind of preference also similar with fashion?

Colde: I love anything vintage in Japan and the UK. When I talk to my friends, ‘vintage’ is always the subject of the conversation. (t/n: He visited both countries before.)

Q. It is evident that cool musicians like you dress well. I think that’s why we’re able to film Eli’den Men with you today. 

Colde: I’ve been offered a lot of fashion photoshoots and I’ve disappointed many, even though it’s a great opportunity. I had to decline them. I’d rather make a proposal for myself first, planning to do projects which connect music and fashion. Having the chance to work on Eli’den Men, I was so excited that I knew it would be fun. Even wearing eleven outfits was a challenge for me. 

Q. How do you feel after filming it?

Colde: I feel great because I got to wear many pretty clothes. (laughs)

Q. What is the relationship between fashion and music for you? 

Colde: I think my own criteria of fashion determines whether I'm an artist or not. Anyone can identify if an artist’s identity is connected to fashion. It doesn’t necessarily mean an artist has to dress well. I don’t think I can look my best, without that connection between work and clothing. It’s very important to show your personality through fashion. For example, when performing as offonoff’s Colde, I would wear my cap pretty low. Because that’s the character I set up for myself. I’m the type of person who doesn’t want to make eye contact with people, who’s also timid, passive and a reserved person. But in reality I’m gloomy and an introvert.  After becoming a solo artist it’s getting better, now that I’ve started to open myself up to the world.  Hence why I decided to appear on the show ‘BREAKERS’. The process of opening myself is revealed through fashion.

Q. I can feel the sincerity from your honesty. From now onwards I have high hopes of what’s going to happen next (for his next music release). 

Colde: For my next second single; the keyword is  ‘Fashion’. (Colde - WAVE [EP]) These days, I’ve been so immersed in my work. I’ve been planning this (album) since last year. It’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m planning to get a head start on this around June to July.

Q. So will we meet again next month?

Colde: I’d love that (smiles). I think it’s more meaningful if it’s with DAZED. Please look forward to my new music and upcoming projects.

✧ original source here

Translated by @colde0channel.                                                                          Please credit when reposting. Thank you!

[wallaceharmon69-blog]

Low-cost Brand Wholesale, Designer Handbags, Footwear, Garments, Accessories From China

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[sakyou]

Supporting Rejet & Where to Shop

Watching the Rejet live stream was a real eye opener to see the extent of piracy and illegal uploads and how badly it is effecting Rejet as a company.

For those who didn’t or couldn’t watch just to put it in perspective;

Rejet get on average 200 copyright infringement notices a month

Most of these are from Youtube with Iwasaki-san pointing out that on one particular day in June alone they had received over 100 of these just on Diabolik Lovers content. Iwasaki-san sees them all and it’s really disheartening (he has also tweeted about this in the past).

Some of you may be thinking so what? Well to put it simply it eats into the company’s profits and makes some things no longer viable to produce. For example, the Rejet Fes DVDs that comes out each year. As a result of pirating producing these DVDs is no longer viable and they have ceased production of future Rejet Fes DVDs for the time being. 

But what about games? Rejet doesn’t make as many as they would like is because frankly it would run the company into the ground. Iwasaki-san went into greater detail in the livestream breaking down costs and reasons, but to summarize they cost more than CDs to make and take a long time to get a return on. Plus there’s production numbers to consider and the movement of people to mobile gaming.

So what can we do? I know Piracy is always going to happen and not everyone can afford to buy everything, but at least try not to post download links, CDs, videos, etc somewhere 1000+ people are gonna see and use it as oppose to just you and a few friends. 

Rejet is not as big as the international fandom seems to think it is.

(Ive included some links and tips when it comes to shopping around for goods under the cut.)

Where to Shop: 

AmazonJP (Click globe at top to change site to English) - Ships worldwide

I recommend this site if you’re from a country that gets charged customs tax alot. Amazon will charge you money in advance to cover customs taxes which can save you money having to deal with shipping and handling. Any money not used will then be refunded to you a couple of months later

Only DHL shipping for international customers (can be pricey)

Points on certain goods which can be used as money off future orders

Payment is taken upon shipping, you can cancel your order any time before then

Does not accept Paypal(?)

CDJapan (English)  - Ships worldwide

Multiple shipping options from SAL to Fedex

More likely to have preorder bonuses

Points system 

Amiami (English) - Ships worldwide

Order now pay later system

Multiple shipping options

Tends to have store exclusive preorder bonuses

Prices usually cheaper

Points system

Mandarake (English) - Ships worldwide

I have not personally used their global site myself but good place to look for harder to find goods

Proxy Service (Various) - Ships worldwide

If you want to buy from Skit Dolce, Stellaworth, Animate, Etc for store exclusive bonuses and goods you’ll need a proxy. They can vary from simple forwarding in which you make the purchase and send it to them for shipping to you or they can order it for you. 

Fees can be expensive

If you’re going down the forwarding route a lot of JP stores only accept credit cards

Animate International (English) - Ships worldwide [added 08/29]

The international branch of Animate

Buy directly from Animate 

Listings tend to include preorder bonuses also found on their JP site (Please check each listing before ordering)

Selection not as large as their JP site but they’re constantly adding to it

Shipping can in some cases work out to be more expensive than using a proxy but it’s a lot less of a hassle to buy direct

I have not bought from them personally but quite a few people have suggested them

Tips:

Avoid Ebay

Unless the seller is local to you goods tend to be extremely overpriced

For me personally using any other site but Ebay for the same goods tends to work out way cheaper

Look for sellers on Myfigurecollection and SNS sites

These can often end up being cheaper than Ebay (I got an original release Kanato plushie in near mint condition for under RRP a while back whereas it was 4 times the price on ebay)

Remember to do your research and ask plenty of questions if you aren’t sure. Better to be safe than scammed

Join box splits

These days a lot of people here on Tumblr, Facebook and Twitter host box splits for goods. It can be a cheaper way to get your favourite without having to buy a whole box or paying an arm and a leg on ebay

Myfigurecollection is a great place to look for box splits 

Please be sure to check the legitimacy of the host before partaking or sending any money

Also make sure you’ve taken all the listed costs into consideration and are 100% certain before joining a split

Bundle your order

Bit of an obvious one but if you plan to buy 1 item that comes out this month and 1 next month bundle them into one order to save on shipping

If you have local friends you can even bundle your orders together and split the shipping

Ask for CDs/Games/Merch for your Birthday/Christmas

If you can’t afford to buy goods yourself maybe ask family or friends to get you something instead only if they can though

[misakoaokitranslations]

Ladurée💓 (2020-6-5)

Afternoon tea at Ladurée Kitasando💓

This afternoon tea was part of my birthday celebrations💓

It was my first time doing afternoon tea in a while

So I was really excited for it💓

Kawaii💓💓💓

I love Ladurée café💕

My name is on the plate💓

The parfait was super delicious💓

For tea I had my favourite Marie Antoinette❣️

Before afternoon tea、I had lunch with my older sister❣️

We went to a Thai restaurant my older sister was interested in trying🇹🇭

It was delicious💓

Misako and my older sister love Thai food❤

The som tam was particularly delicious💓

After lunch with my older sister、I went shopping to buy her a birthday present💓

1 week after Misako’s birthday is my older sister’s birthday🎂

I wore the clothes from my collaboration with PINK HOUSE-san、and recently I've been lovingly using the bunny backpack🐰

It hangs well from your shoulders、and you can fit a lot of stuff in🐰

I haven’t really seen many rabbit bags but it’s cute so I recommend it💓

Currently being held at the Ikebukuro Seibu Store、and the Ginza Tokyu Store

PINK HOUSE-san Collab Pop Up❣️

 Lots of people are visiting every day、so thank you very much😊

I’m very grateful that some items are being sold out、

And more details are available on the Instas of Ikebukuro Seibu Store、and Ginza Tokyu Store、so please take a look❣️

 Even though I was so excited I went to the stores the first day they opened笑笑lollol

This time I can’t hold any in-store events、so I can’t convey my thanks to you all in person、

And while it’s very unfortunate、when I see on SNS that you bought something、I’m really gladー💓

 If you have the chance to go in person、please go and take a look💓

 Today is a Misako nurse DAY💉

See you💓

Original - https://lineblog.me/aokimisako/archives/9416298.html

[saurabhsarkar]

🤩▶️ My Favourite : Triple Schezwan-Manchurian Rice ❤️ . . . 🔽⏺️🔽⏺️🔽 🖼️ In Frame: Triple Schezwan Rice with Manchurian 👨‍🍳 Cuisine: Indo-Chinese 💮 Category: Meal with Appetizer 🛎️ Place: Sn '94 Cafe 🏷️ @sn94cafe 💰 Cost: Rs.250/- 📍 Location: Old Rajendra Nagar, Raipur ✔️ Zomato Delivery ❎ Non Veg Items 🔼⏺️🔼⏺️🔼 . . . 🔸Schezwan Rice is an adapted indian fusion of popular chinese fried rice recipe which is flavored with schezwan sauce. Today, it has evolved from a popular street food to a proper main course in many fine dine restaurants.💕 🔹Vegetable Manchurian is an indo-chinese cuisine or indian street food recipe made with deep fried veggie balls in manchurian gravy. 💕 . . . 📂 TWS Verdict: 🌀 Food: 4.2/5.0 🌟 🌀 Service: 4.5/5.0 🌟 🌀 Ambience: 4.0/5.0 🌟 . . . 🔹 Do you love Schezwan Rice? Lemme know in the comments section 💬 . . 🔆 FOLLOW ✴️ SHARE ✴️ TAG ✴️ COMMENT 🔆 . ↘️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️↙️ ➡️ @TASTEwithSaurabh ⬅️ ↗️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️↖️ . 🔶Use #TASTEwithSaurabh 🔶 🔽 #️⃣ #AutumnWithTWS . . . tags: #foodblogger #foodislife #foodporn #raipur #foodislove #indianfoodbloggers #raipurfoodie #foodoftheday #raipurfoodblogger (at Raipur) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4CEU-gFcZr/?igshid=njs3kxmtme3g

[restlessmaknae]

Paradox [pt.5]

Chapters: 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

Word count: 2077

Genre: angst, drama, a bit of fluff

Pairing: Lee Donghyuck (Haechan); Yu Dayoung (OC)

Setting: non AU

Warning: mentions of character death, suicide, hints of depression

Chapter warning: mentions of digestive problems (I don’t know if it can be triggering since it’s not an eating disorder but I put it there to make sure that it doesn’t disturb anyone), calories, diets

They were so young, so talented yet so desperate.

Rulefollowing Paradox

Even though rules are intended to determine actions, "no course of action could be determined by a rule, because any course of action can be made out to accord with the rule".

 The hardest part was still yet to come. We couldn’t be prepared for what was following. The days got undeniably harder and so did the war that I wanted to win. It seems that I was an easy opponent and gave up easily. People usually think that if you commit suicide, it was the easy way for you. I have to tell you that it wasn’t. I’m not saying that I was brave and I really should have done it but you can’t imagine how many times I’ve actually changed my mind. I was constantly thinking about my family, the company, my dream and you. It wasn’t easy at all.

The thought first crossed my mind when Dr. Lee said that I should give up on my dream to become an idol. My body wouldn’t be able to handle it. You know that I’ve said that it was because of all the stress and pressure that was taking hold of me due to the upcoming debut of the Tender Thorns. Still, I wanted to believe that I can do it.

That’s why I made the deal with the company.

 Tender Thorns’ showcase ends in the hospital

YG’s new girl group – the Tender Thorns – has held their very first showcase on 27th May. The 5-membered group was promoting their debut album – Black Roses - , performing all 5 songs of the mini album. In the end, the showcase ended with a member’s sudden collapse on stage.

The girl group’s youngest member – Yu Dayoung – was immediately sent to the Gangnam Yonsei Sarang Hospital for a medical check-up, said the company’s representative Nam Hyunjae.

YG has reassured the fans in an SNS post, saying that the condition of the idol is stable.

“Yu Dayoung has worked extremely hard in order to show good performances during her first showcase, so her diligent attitude resulted in fatigue and lead to her losing her consciousness. We can reassure everyone that there is no need to worry, she can carry on promoting with the group if the doctors say so,” claimed the company through their official SNS account.

Whether she will be discharged from the hospital or have to stay there for more examinations, it has not been announced. YG has promised that they would inform the fans about the news of her incident.

 Donghyuck was there. Every single time she needed his presence, he was there. He was beside her hospital bed when she woke up after her collapse during showcase. He held her hands tightly, giving it a strong press to let her know that he was there.

He was the one whose shoulder she leaned on after she had a conversation with the company concerning her future. They betrayed her and her fans. They said that they would wait for the doctor’s decision but they made it all up by themselves. She was forced to leave the group immediately as they didn’t want to risk the future of the Tender Thorns. That was it, she didn’t have a say in the matter. Although she couldn’t do anything because she wasn’t the one to blame for their tight schedules, rigid diets and unbearable expectations, she turned out to be the bad guy in the end.

Needless to say but the news was shocking for the fans. On the other hand, YG took great advantage of it. The company used her departure from the group to show that they “let” her take care of her health because they didn’t see her condition as a game. Those were big, fat lies, of course.

Donghyuck knew the truth because he was there for her. But the social media sites, newspapers and radio shows weren’t witnesses of her tragedy. That was what was written in the papers, the lies that were announced on the broadcasts and everyone believed that it was the truth – Dayoung left the group because she wanted to get better and YG let her do so. It was a hideous lie, nothing else. It was the verdict that she couldn’t confront. The truth was hidden behind sweaty practice rooms and stuffy hospital halls.

It was eating her up alive, haunting her wherever she went and she still couldn’t get rid of it; her soul was already being given to the devil.

“I didn’t think that it would end up like this,” Dayoung said, her eyes fixated on the stern white wall before her. It was another one of her weekly medical check-ups and although she protested that she didn’t want him to be there, Donghyuck could only leave the company at this hour, so it was their only chance to meet up in the midst of his busy schedules. She was done with her examination, so now they were waiting for the results in the quiet hall.

Dayoung couldn’t leave YG yet, her contract was needed to be rewritten and all parties – involving the company staff, her family and herself as well – should sign it to put an end to her trainee years. She hadn’t even started it yet she had to leave so soon. He couldn’t even imagine what she might have felt.

“Me neither,” he murmured out a jumble of words and his voice came out hoarse.

“I always thought that idol life is something that only the most hard-working and most talented people could reach. It turns out that I was right. I wasn’t good enough,” she croaked, her eyes a bit teary. She couldn’t look at him, so she made sure that she averted her eyes to her interlaced fingers.

He felt a giant pang of hollowness in his chest and struggled hard to keep his composure in check. It was too much for him, he couldn’t bear the sight. She was too broken compared to her usual self; she was only a ghost of the real Yu Dayoung. It stung him right at the heart when she didn’t respond to her jokes, her lips didn’t curve into a smile and her face didn’t even flinch when he bought her favourite ginger green tea. She was a lifeless, hopeless angel who was stuck on Earth because humans cut off her wings. There was no way she could fly again, it was over for her.

For him, it felt like watching a beautiful flower growing in the desert. Sandstorms were meant to come and go, rain wasn’t even a definition there and the heatwaves were impossible to handle. Yet, she stood there, strong and vulnerable, with all her power to hold onto the hope that maybe one day, she won’t have to suffer again. However, winter eventually came and so did the frost. Hardships followed hardships and when spring finally gave a searing kiss to winter with a promise to encounter next year again, she was nothing else but a withered memory.

“Don’t say that!” he asked gently, reaching for her hand. When he touched it, her eyebrows furrowed. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at him with an expression that made his stomach churn with worry.

“You know nothing, Donghyuck! It’s so easy for you to act calm! You were never accused of something that you haven’t even done. You were never left with a crashed dream and a contract, indicating that you were not enough! And you never had to go through weekly check-ups, just so learn that you have a digestive disorder and there’s nothing you can do to help, expect relax a bit,” she snorted and let out an irritated laugh. She was acting sort of crazy and Donghyuck had to admit that he had never seen her like that.

“Oh yeah, doctors, why not relax a bit? Why not going on a picnic, eating all the fatty foods that I’ve craved for, ignoring my digestive problems when my life is a complete mess? It’s easy to say to change one’s life when it’s not their own,” she fumed and a huff of air left her nose in wrath. She was literally shaking from anger, her eyes widened.

To tell the truth, he was quite taken aback by her sudden outburst because she had never said those words out loud. He didn’t think that the doctors’ attitude had such an impact on her. He knew that they couldn’t say anything else, they always repeated the same. Eat right, spend lots of time outdoors, lead a less stressful life. That’s the key to a healthy life. Hadn’t they ever heard of idols and their diets? Although Dayoung wasn’t an idol anymore, he reckoned that it would be incredibly difficult for her to eat differently, without being ashamed of gaining weight and eating food with more than 700 calories per day.

Not to mention that asking her to be less stressed was impossible at her current state. She was being told to act like nothing had happened when all she really wanted to do was to cry and scream at the top of her lungs, cursing those assholes at her company who made her lie to everyone. Would it be fair to ask her to act otherwise?

“You have to understand−“

“Understand what?” she cut her off and slapped his hand away. Her action caught him off-guard but it would be a lie to say that he didn’t see such a twist coming. “The importance of a healthy life? God damn it, Donghyuck, we never had the chance to be healthy!” her voice sounded like a terrifying thunderstorm in the utter silence of the room. “It was forbidden for us! All we did was practicing, practicing, eating the minimum amount of food without passing out and practicing more. When did the company care about our health? We were toys, nothing else. Items that they could use to make money. That’s it, idols are nothing more than that and you’re lying if you say otherwise,” she spluttered.

“Not all companies are the same,” he muttered under his breath but he didn’t calculate that it would make her even angrier.

“Then, you’re lucky, SM boy. Your company’s different,” Dayoung rolled her eyes and looked away.

During the next minute, a long, tentative silence was hanging up above them. Neither of them wanted to break the uncomfortable silence. Donghyuck was afraid to say a single word but he didn’t know how to reassure her either. He had to admit that it wasn’t the best idea to boast with the fact that SM was a bit different than YG regarding the incidents of their idols. And even though it seemed so, he didn’t in the least intended to hurt her with his words.

“Dayoung…”

“I’m going. I can’t stay here for another minute,” she stood up immediately and he had to run to catch up with her.

“Where are you going?” he inquired, his voice laced with fear. He was utterly worried that she might do something stupid if he lets her leave alone now.

“Anywhere but here,” she nodded, more like to herself but he couldn’t watch her walk away like that.

Without giving much thought, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a warm, affectionate hug. In the beginning, she fidgeted a bit but when it finally dawned on her that he wouldn’t let her go this time, she leaned in and rested her head on his shoulders.

Soon, Donghyuck felt tears streaming down her face, making his newly-washed T-shirt wet in an instant. He drew circles on her back, whispering soothing words into her ear until she had no more tears left to shed. Even after that, they stayed right there, in the middle of the hospital hall, holding onto each other like they were never meant to be separated. Like they knew that it was the last time they could hug each other like that. Like it was a matter of life and death. Like they were puzzles that found their missing pieces. Like fire and water; black and white. Like the parts of a paradox.

Like a girl and a boy who desperately love each other but shouldn’t. Like it was their way to say goodbye.

Like it was her way to say goodbye.