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timextoxhajima · 4 months

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Sonder: Part IV

Parts: I II III IV V

member: enhypen heeseung! x oc! woo ki yeom [3rd person pov]

genre: coming of age, slice of life, angst, romance

w/c: 5.8k

warnings: topics on religion, distressed relationships, mental health (I want to leave an a/n here that I grew up with my maternal family being Buddhists so what I've written is based off what I researched online and the way her family practised Buddhism. I'm personally a free-tinker and this narrative is not in any way meant to offend nor support any particular religion.)

synopsis: after being kicked out of her home, Woo Ki Yeom is forced to live life on her own. struggling to find herself in the midst of her chaotic life, she meets lee heeseung, who, like her, can't give any more fucks to life than she does.

"n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own."

It had taken Heeseung awhile to fall asleep, despite knowing that she was long passed out. If he tried hard enough, he'd be able to hear the first morning birds chirping from a distance.

Ki Yeom was wrapped in her blanket, passed out on the mattress on the floor. Her place was kept simple and somewhat tidy, with an abundance of instant food and a rather adequate range of cutlery and utensils. The furniture is minimal - they look like resale items from garage sales or thrift stores. There's a small desk in the corner where her laptop is, and right next to it is a single-columned shelf with some files and books. He wonders if they have her drawings, but he's too tired to get up and be nosy.

Besides, he's heard enough of her story to feel bad for her, to feel like he was an asshole for thinking the world was a boring place. Suddenly, he feels like a hypocrite.

He had the perfect home, much like the best friend she had described, and yet, he chose to pack up and leave, in search of 'life's purpose'.

Heeseung sighs, breath trembling. He leans his head back on the kitchen cabinets, and prays that his tail bone and neck wouldn't hurt too much in a couple of hours.

By the time Ki Yeom's eyes had finally managed to open (albeit how swollen and uncomfortable they were), she had already managed to make out the blob that's passed out along the length of her kitchen and cabinets.

He slept facing upwards, one arm under his neck and the other over his eyes, hair tousled and his shirt was slightly pulled up to expose his belly button.

She rolls over in her mattress, arm extending to the rattan box she had by it as a tableside top.

11.38am. 3 missed calls. 327 unread messages.

She pulls the notifications bar down.

2 missed calls from Jun Yeol.

1 missed call from Soo Min.

Jun Yeol: Hello?

Jun Yeol: Don't you have an appointment coming in at 12.30pm?

"Fuck."

Ki Yeom sits up, tired eyes struggling to remain open. She swings her legs over the edge and stands, stretching her neck and arms as she walks over to the bathroom quietly.

And for the first time in four years, there's a need to close the bathroom door.

The afternoon sun was ruthless when she stepped out, scorching her skin in all the spots she was exposed, but it felt different.

Ki Yeom wonders if the talk the night before had really made the difference. Why did it make such a huge one?

She pushes herself into the parlour, rushing past Soo Min and Jun Yeol (so they wouldn't be able to spot her swollen eyes that easily) and straight towards her client who was already seated at her booth.

Heeseung jolts awake when a car honks, then he realises the sun wasn't in its usual spot in the mornings when he normally wakes up. He sucks in a deep breath, then yawns, hands fondling his sides for his phone. Gone.

He quickly sits up, wondering for a moment if the girl might've possibly stolen it. But as he sits up, he spots his phone being charged at the plug on her desk.

He sighs, instantly feeling terrible about doubting her. Awkwardly squatting next to her desk, he unlocks his phone without pulling out the charger, looking through the messages that his friends had spammed in their groupchats and the Instagram notifications that he couldn't really care less about.

Maybe I should just delete it, He thinks to himself. Then he unplugs his phone, then grips the edge of the table to pull himself up.

That's when he spots the post-it note pasted to the surface.

Feel free to stay the day. I trust you won't steal anything. I have an appointment and then I have to meet the friend I was telling you about last night for coffee in the evening. Wish me luck.

Heeseung peels it off the desk and reads it again. He gently folds it, deciding he would keep it as some sort of contract for their friendship. As he drops it in his pocket, he realises that he was instantly finding joy in being an annoying friend.

It's a slow afternoon as he goes back to his apartment, freshening himself up before leaving to run errands. But just as he steps out of the lift-

"Hi, I'm looking for a Woo Ki Yeom?"

Heeseung looks up from his phone despite having already walked past him. He doesn't turn, but in his peripheral vision, he can make out an older man, probably in his late 40s, talking to the guard at the counter.

Exiting the building, he turns back and looks in through the glass, watching the man gesture to the security guard. In his wrinkled hand was a little note, which Heeseung assumes is the address, and as he swaps the note from one hand to another, he wipes his free palm on his Bermudas.

Heeseung looks away, heart stopping and breath held.

They have the same tired eyes.

"Alright," Ki Yeom takes a deep breath, sitting upright from the crouched over position she was in. She gently pats the wrap and pulls off her gloves, reaching over for a newly packaged ointment bottle and placing it into a plastic bag. "This is the moisturizer ointment. Wash your tattoo two to three times a day gently with water then dry it, then use the ointment. Don't go sunbathing or tanning until your tat's healed."

"How long before it's healed?"

The girl sits up in the chair and swings her leg over the edge, awkwardly lifting up her arm where the abstractly-drawn starfish was red and swollen.

"Uh..." Ki Yeom laughs a little (on the inside. She doesn't want to hurt the girl's feelings. The star fish has the diameter of a coin). "I'd say a month? Should be fine... Do you go to the beach or go swimming in an outdoor pool or running or...?"

"Oh, no. I just... you know. Wondering how long I have to wait..."

Ki Yeom squints at her before turning around in her roller chair, reaching out to pack her equipment and inks. "Wait? Before... showing it off?" She pauses, studying her client. "Someone doesn't want you to get a tat, huh?"

The girl purses her lips together in an awkward, embarrassed smile. "When it's healed, it's easier for me to say that I've already gotten it done and there's nothing to be done about it."

Ki Yeom smirks cheekily, tossing her used gloves into the bin by her station. "My boss once told me that tattoos belong to the person that's getting it. Your body, your choice. If that's of any comfort."

The client nods again, unsure how to respond. Ki Yeom ignores the horrid ending to the conversation and walks her up to the cashier, where along the way, she spots Ji Yeon loitering outside the parlour like a stalker.

Maybe I shouldn't have told her I was free today.

After her client leaves, Ki Yeom pretends not to see Ji Yeon, meagerly walking back to her station as if dragging out the time and procrastinating the coffee date. Though, she kind of needed it, after all that crying and lack of sleep last night. In fact, Ki Yeom is surprised she had managed to stay awake the entire time she was working.

"She's like an ex-boyfriend," Soo Min calls out from her station, eyes quickly glancing to her and then back to her own client.

"Y'think?" Ki Yeom widens her eyes, well aware that she wasn't in anybody's field of vision to see it, as she crouches to pack her bag.

"Will you be okay?"

Ki Yeom picks up her bag up and swings it over her shoulder as she stands. "I guess I'll find out later."

Soo Min looks up from her client for just a second, and nods.

There's a reluctance in Ki Yeom's chest as she turns around. Ji Yeon was still outside, now back facing the parlour, and turned to face the road. She was looking up at the buildings, eyes still full of wander.

I will always be second to Ji Yeon. As someone experiencing life; as a person. She will always be kinder, and sweeter, and gentle with her words. Polite to the elderly and patient with the children. The type of person that cats and dogs wouldn't hesitate to run up to on the streets, as if they already knew her.

The waitress at the coffee shop was clearly more than surprised to see the unfriendly tattoo artist coming in with another person. And as the cherry on top, said person was the polar opposite of Ki Yeom.

"Hello," Ji Yeon greets the waitress, who beams upon the acknowledgement.

Great, now I look even more like an asshole.

"Hi! Can I get you started on any drinks or appetisers?" The waitress is high-strung, as if excited to finally have someone to talk to. The dinner crowd hadn't come in yet, and Ki Yeom is slightly curious at why she seemed so enthusiastic.

"Give us a couple of moments to look through the menu. What do you recommend?"

"We're known for our coffees! But our pork belly rice bowl and fusion items are popular as well."

"Great, I'll keep that in mind."

And with that, the waitress smiles widely, greeting Ji Yeon again before she walks back to the counter.

"Can we get this over with?"

Ji Yeon looks up from her digital menu and at Ki Yeom, eyes tired and shoulders sunken.

"You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night," She points out as-a-matter-of-factly, looking back down at her phone screen.

"I slept late, and slept badly, just so you know. But we don't have to prolong this. What do you want to talk about?"

"Are you hungry? Shall we get their coffee specials and just a pork belly bowl for sharing?"

Ki Yeom stares at her, wanting to frown but unable to when she looks up from her phone again, eyes bright and spirits lifted.

Then this nagging, digging feeling in her stomach comes again after four long years. The feeling of watching someone be absolutely perfect, knowing you wouldn't be anywhere near and being unable to fathom why.

She was in perfect control of her feelings, her facial expressions, her body language, her tone and her words. Ki Yeom knows that the problem is within herself, but she knows she doesn't have the patience to fix it.

"Can you stop being like this?"

Ji Yeon presses the submit button on the digital order form as Ki Yeom hurtles the words at her. She looks up at her, then locks her phone and places it facing down on the table.

"Like what?" She gently shakes her head and politely places her hands on her thighs.

Ki Yeom tightens her jaw, leaning back in her seat and placing her wrists on the edge of the table, fingers curled in, like she was stretching, while facing Ji Yeon who was sat opposite her. She studies Ji Yeon - That blank, innocent look on her face that tells her Ji Yeon truly has no idea what she's talking about.

It steps on her toes all over again.

"Like a perfect... specimen of a human being. What's wrong with you? Are you so afraid to hurt someone? Are you scared that being angry is going to piss someone off? Are you afraid to make enemies?"

Now, there's a gentle frown slowly forming between Ji Yeon's brows. "I don't understand. What does the way I respond to things have anything to do with this conversation we're supposed to have?"

"Because you're just so perfect! Do you owe the world something? Why do you care so much about how people look at you?"

"What are you talking about?"

Ki Yeom pants slightly, realising that she was speaking abit louder than normal. Her hands were now gripping the edges of the table. She sighs and rubs her eyes.

"No, don't shut down on me now," Ji Yeon reaches out and pulls her hands off her face.

"Don't touch me!" Ki Yeom retracts her wrists sharply.

Ji Yeon is obviously hurt at the rejection, but she leans back and crosses her arms across her chest. "Go ahead. Say something else. After all, this is how much you've spoken in four years."

"Oh, now you're getting mad? All those years of being Miss-Goody-Two-Shoes finally catching up to you, huh? I was the grumpy one and you were always the pretty, smart, nice one and you loved it!"

Ki Yeom pauses, watching as the brutal truth and harsh emotions begin leaking from a cracked bottle that she had tried so hard to wrap up and throw away. It's slow - the beads collecting at the little cracks. So small, that you might mistake the bottle for condensed beads of water.

"And you know what? You loved it all the way until my family fell apart. Even then, being the nice person was your utmost priority! Paying for my meals when I said I could. Buying things for me just because I mentioned it once! And then when it all happened, you ran around asking where I was, announcing that you were just worried. All that effort trying to find me and making sure that I was okay. Well, guess what? With or without you, I was not okay. I needed a friend. A friend who would get angry with me and be broke together and lose all direction in life. Not a fucking guardian trying to replace my fucking parents. Not a role model that's excelling at everything she does. Not a person that never disappoints."

Something in the kitchen dings. It's a good thing nobody else was in the cafe right now, for a pin drop would sound like a metal thermoflask dropping on the floor.

Ki Yeom had completely expected Ji Yeon to pack her things and leave. Maybe throw a cup of water at her. Or at least tear up and cry out of hurt and grief.

But she is Ji Yeon, and to Ki Yeom, she will always be perfect in the way she feels things; sees things; perceives them. Right now, Ji Yeon is just but a person who is victim to the trials and tribulations of life, the victim to individual thought and perception.

"You're right," Ji Yeon responds quietly. The reply stuns Ki Yeom, surprise seeping again into anger. Ki Yeom cocks her head, a disbelieved smirk ripping apart her lips and preparing to retort again, but Ji Yeon interrupts her. "If you think I'm perfect, then I guess to some extent, I am. I don't wish to look imperfect. That's just how I am. I grew up believing that perfection is just a concept, subject to individual perspective."

"Shut the fuck up. You're telling me you had this ideology at what, the ages of six to ten?"

"From the ages six to ten, perfection was not a concept I understood."

Ki Yeom stops.

"From the ages six to ten, I was just learning. God forbid anybody who thought that a kid who just wanted to learn was imperfect. You are angry at my lack of response to the things that happen out of my control. I see it as a waste of time if I respond angrily. What good does it do?"

The anger seems to seep back in again. The irony is, Ki Yeom understood her. Word for word, from her perspective. But the more she spoke, the more perfect she seemed, as if she couldn't be more perfect. What kind of politically correct, woke response was that?

"I know what you're thinking. You're thinking why I'm still acting like I'm perfect. If it's of any comfort, I don't think I am, but you seem to think that I am. And yet, the fact that me being perfect is imperfect to you is a point in itself. Perfection gets on your nerves and imperfection gets on others'. There's no winning."

Ki Yeom sucks in a deep breath, toes curling in her shoes as she buries her face in her hands. She can taste the sour ball in the back of her throat as her nose starts to sniffle with her breaths. There's a muffled second, only able to hear the music playing in the back, then there's an overwhelming grief of loss as the gravity of the truth slowly sets in.

"I'm not here to talk about whether I was perfect and how it bothered you. I wanted to know... how you've been. Clearly, the things I did as you went through that rough patch in your life was not the best sequence of actions from your point of view but it was from mine. I hope you know that even though what I did wasn't of help, but it was still what I thought was best."

There's a pause as the waitress comes by with the coffees. The ceramic clanks onto the table.

In theory, Ki Yeom knows she's right. Ji Yeon is always right. Everything she did, she did with her best interest at heart. She was broke, so Ji Yeon offered to pay. She was kicked out, so Ji Yeon wanted to look for her.

Maybe that's the part Ki Yeom couldn't swallow. Even when she was the victim, she was still the bad guy, not the fallen hero who had a redemption arc.

"I wish we weren't ever best friends," Ki Yeom's voice is hoarse and exhausted. "Because then we wouldn't need to go through this."

"The good friendships are tested to their limits. That's how a bond is formed."

"No. Our bond was gone a long time ago and we are both just here to reconcile with it, and bury it."

There's a special type of grief that comes when you're actively aware when an era or a period of fond memories come to an end - like a holiday.

Or a friendship.

Said grief feels slow, almost insignificant. Like you don't notice it because it's been gone for so long.

There isn't much to say about how it feels. Except that it creeps up on you, no matter how many times you are able to rationalise the feelings to yourself. You could tell yourself the story a hundred times in the mirror and still be unable to swallow that the friendship had turned sour, no matter the exact reason.

And that sucks.

Ki Yeom was too exhausted to feel the sadness and the grief of it all on the way home. She couldn't even cry.

So when she spots Heeseung sitting by the bench outside the apartment building and eating an ice cream, the setting, evening sun casting a mandarin shade on him. She wonders for a moment if he was here for her.

She pauses at the traffic junction, tilting her head as she waited for him to take notice of her waiting for the lights to change. Then he looks up and around, and spots her across the road. Ki Yeom wants to smile, but it doesn't come out.

Then her heart stops, when Heeseung seemed worried. She doesn't know why she had expected him to smile and stand and wave to her, but he doesn't.

The traffic light turns, the incessant beeping somehow making its way past her headphones and into her eardrums, that quite literally explode in them when she gets them off.

"Hey," Heeseung greets first, licking the corner of his lips. "Look, there's something that I think you should know before you go into the building."

Ki Yeom frowns at him, as if he were the one who just broke her heart into a million pieces. He sucks in a deep breath and purses his lips, puffing up the space between his gum and the inside of his mouth, then exhales through a small 'o'.

"I think your father's here."

And just like that. The day literally could not get any worse.

"What?"

Heeseung parts his lips in a bid to say something, but nothing comes out.

"Why don't we go elsewhere? Until late, and maybe he won't be here anymore."

"How long has he been here?"

"I woke up in your place around lunchtime. 12 plus, one? Went home, washed up and came out for errands around two and he was already here. Asking the guard if you lived here."

How many fucking times must she go through this tormenting process in a day?

"You said you had that coffee date today with your friend. I'm assuming it didn't go well. Let's not stay here."

"You just told me he's been here for five hours. Even if he goes away while we're away, he's gonna come back another day."

"I know that but you're not in the state to have another conversation like that."

"Don't talk to me like you know everything about me."

"Then be my guest and go in there. Have that conversation with your father about the last four years he was absent from your life. Tell him that you're doing well but you got an offer to move overseas and that you just fell out with your best friend."

If her thoughts were a mindless man running on a treadmill, he'd halt so abruptly, he'd fly off.

Heeseung raises a brow when she goes quiet.

The street behind them had significantly picked up in traffic all of a sudden. He assumes it's the evening traffic.

"What, did I just summarise your life? Ever since you moved out?"

Ki Yeom frowns and looks away, eyes welling with tears.

"You are so caught up... in- in thinking about the same few things, that you couldn't see anything outside of it. And now that they have finally come knocking on your doorstep, you hate it. But haven't you been giving it the most attention? Given how much you despise it? Four years! And this is all that you think you life amounts to? Topping sales, an offer overseas, a falling out with your best friend?"

She turns and shoves him back on the shoulder, the tears finally billowing over her lower lids. "You think it's so easy to let go? You think I don't wake up wishing that things were different? Maybe if I were a better person and I weren't such a bitch, I'd be a better friend and a better daughter."

Heeseung parts his lips in disbelief, hands ruffling through his hair as he combs through his locks with his fingers. "You don't get it. These are all but mistakes in life, personalities and perspectives that don't align. You've had four years to learn from them, accept them and forget about them before you move on. But you have been your own prisoner."

"Ki Yeom?"

Heeseung gently shuts his eyes when he can hear the fragile voice coming from behind him. His arms drop to his side as he opens his eyes again, watching through her eyes as her inner world crumble even more. He already made her cry, now someone else is here to finish the job.

"Who is this?" The footsteps are anxious as he comes from behind Heeseung, who turns around and meekly greets the elder. "Is he bothering you? Who is he?"

Ki Yeom is speechless, but she can't ignore how different he looks.

She counts the wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes. His hands are naturally trembling abit more as he points to Heeseung, and he seemed to have a little limp when he walks.

"Ki Yeom, is he bothering yo-"

"Don't."

There's a look of hurt that's somewhat expectant on his face when he knows her response is to him, and not to answer the question.

"Who gave you my address?"

Her father looks down at his feet, slightly ashamed.

"I begged your grandfather for it. I'm sorry. He told me he can't give it to me but I just... kept asking. When he gave it to me, he told me that I could only come look for you in secret, and not reach out. But- but how could I? I mean... it's been-"

"Don't."

Ki Yeom has both palms lifted in the air and facing him in a bid to tell him to shut up. Eyes closed, she blinks the tears that are hindering her vision.

"I'm..." Heeseung's voice croaks. "Going to go-"

"No," Ki Yeom glares at him. "You." She points at him. "Don't move an inch. And you." She turns back to her father. "You have three minutes to say what you have to say because I have nothing to say to you. And regardless of whatever it is you're about to say, I have nothing to say back. I just hope that making this trip and getting it off your chest is enough for you because that's all you're going to get."

Heeseung's brows are slightly furrowed as he side-eyes her father, trying to read his expression from his peripheral vision. The elder man is taken aback, in a 'hurt' type of way that he knows there's nothing he can do to redeem himself.

"I just wanted to know if you're doing well, and if you're safe. If your workplace has been kind to you and whether you need any additional financial help, because I brought some for you," He ransacks his waist pouch for a smaller one, holds it out. Ki Yeom doesn't move an inch, eyes fixated on his. "I wanted to apologise. For the way things happened. I know I can't turn back time and undo what happened but I want to apologise on behalf of your mother and I want to say that she only did what she thought was right-"

"No, she did what she thought was right for herself! If she had any idea what was right for our family, don't you think she would've taken grandpa's help?! But no, being faithful to your religion was enough, wasn't it? That was what would put food on our table, fill our wallets up with money and light up our rooms, right? Right?"

They had been standing there long enough for people to start noticing them, and for the sun to set enough for the street lamps to flicker on.

"And don't you dare think for a moment that this isn't your fault. I don't blame you for losing your job, but I blame you for not being a better father. Not being around to make sure mom didn't do what she did. I know you were out trying to make ends meet but in the midst of all that, you had completely forgotten that I existed. I as in your daughter who just needed a parent."

If Heeseung were watching a soap opera, he'd be on the edge of his seat, eyes widened and fingers holding some chips, but no. This was happening in real time right before his eyes, and he hasn't got a clue what to do (since he knows better than to say something).

He can see the tears drying up her eyes all over again, as if her swollen eyes from the night before had properly recovered. And her father, the indescribable look in his eyes as he tears up as well. Head hung low and fingers anxiously picking at the corners of the cash stack.

The inevitable uncomfortable silence between them sets in, amidst all the noise that was happening around them.

Ki Yeom knows that an apology will not suffice. Nothing ever will. The damage had been done and even if she did take the cash, it will not make a difference.

"Are you done?"

Her father looks up from the floor.

"If you are, please leave."

"Ki Yeom..."

"Now."

A motorbike races past.

"And I never want to see you again."

Heeseung glances at Ki Yeom, and back at her father. His shoulders are sunken. He knows he's defeated. But still, he lifts his hands and tries to offer her the money.

Ki Yeom reaches up to her face to wipe the tears, clearing her throat as she steps back.

"You'll need it when you retire."

Then, she gently grabs Heeseung by the wrist and pulls him along, past her father and away from the apartment building. Heeseung lets her drag him down the pavement, earning strange glances from corporate passerbys who were making their way home from work and whatnot.

But until he was sure they were definitely out of sight of her father, Heeseung holds his weight down, hand reaching out to her forearm.

"Ki Yeom," He says, loud enough for her to hear. But she doesn't respond, ignoring his touch and his call, and continues dragging him with more force.

"Ki Yeom, please."

He finally puts in enough strength to halt her, and so she jerks to an abrupt stop when it's his turn to grab her arm. Her eyes are swelled up again, mucus running down her philtrum and between her lips when she turns around to face him. He can tell she's trying her best not to take a deep breath, for it would trigger one of those hard-to-breathe sniffles and she would collapse into a sobbing mess.

Heeseung doesn't know why, or much rather, how, he has grown to see her. Perhaps, for the first time in a long time, she's the first person that he's known abit more than surface level. Maybe it was because she knew nothing about him, other than the things he has chosen to share, and that made it easier to trust her.

Who said a stranger you meet at a laundromat would stay a stranger?

He awkwardly, but slowly, closes the gap between them, gently releasing her arm. He's careful, trying to read her body language as she stays almost completely still. Then, he can feel the bones in her shoulders under his arms, and she remains so still for a few seconds, he was still unsure.

But like hugging a vase that was haphazardly pieced together with glue without enough time, care and concern, Ki Yeom shatters. He closes his eyes, trying not to cry himself, as her entire frame softens, shoulders shivering with each sob and sniffle.

She doesn't hug him back, but she presses her face into his shoulder so hard that he can feel her tears soaking through his shirt and onto his skin.

"I- I wish it didn't happen- like this."

"I know."

"I- I know he meant- meant well. But- I- just-"

"I know."

The conversation was short-lived.

Sometimes, there aren't enough words to explain a feeling; a feeling of resolution, even if it feels like it's the worst decision you could make.

Perhaps, trying to find the words defeats its purpose.

After Ki Yeom had finished crying, mostly because she regained enough social awareness to realise how embarrassing it was to be hugging in the middle of the street, the duo had found themselves sitting by the pavement, feet on the street as bicycles and cars drove by.

The ice cream was melting quickly, so Ki Yeom fought the urge to close her eyes and finish it. Heeseung tosses the last of the cone into his mouth, swiping his hands against each other to get rid of the remaining crumbs.

He sighs, leaning back with his palms on the concrete by his hips, eyes looking up at the cloudy sky that was partially blocking the moon. There was that dewy scent of rain wafting through the sky, so he looks around somemore, hoping to catch a glimpse of lightning somewhere.

Ki Yeom quite literally shoves the rest of the lemon coating into her mouth, knowing that if she ate any slower, it would start running down the stick and over her hands. She wraps the stick in the wrapper the ice cream came in, and folds it nicely.

She looks ahead, then around, trying to find what Heeseung was looking at previously. Pulling in her knees to her chest, she wraps her arms around her thighs, fingers picking at the dry skin on her elbows.

"You know, what you said to me just now before he showed up... It made sense."

Heeseung takes awhile to turn his head back to her, processing her words before he tilts his head in her direction. His eyes remain looking forward, at the street and the lamp post on the other side.

"I've had so many conversations with myself. Running around in circles and trying to persuade myself that it was time to move on and that I didn't care. But I knew deep down that I needed closure, even if it meant a messy one that I didn't want. I knew I was angry with Ji Yeon and I knew it wasn't her fault. I knew my father did what he thought was best at the time it happened. But I just couldn't forgive them for the things they did."

Heeseung finally turns to her. He pulls his legs into a cross and picks at the threads in his ripped jeans.

"Just because you can understand why they did those things doesn't mean you have to forgive them. I think if that were the case, mankind wouldn't be so complex. We'd all just be aiming to be understanding, and by that condition, we'd be a peaceful society. But we're not, and... I mean, things happen."

Ki Yeom starts to smell the rain as her clogged nose clears up completely.

"When I went through my own difficult times, I'd tell myself that I'm just an anime character that had to go through these stupid arcs to get the character development. Else, I'd just be the lame side character that everybody forgets about."

A little smile cracks through her lips as she looks down into her lap, staring blankly at the cotton stitching on her pants.

"It's not common that a character has to go through two arcs in so little time, but it happens. Usually they're the badass ones that everybody roots for, even if they're morally questionable."

Then the drizzle starts, gentle and kind, like little snowflakes falling from the sky. Like they were trying to wash away her sadness and grief.

"I think I'll stay here for awhile."

Heeseung turns to look at her, face turned up to look at the sky. The droplets land on her skin, and for a moment, it seemed like the sky was doing the rest of the crying for her.

"Are you planning on staying until you're soaked?"

She hums in response. "Maybe."

He turns to look at the sky too, closing his eyes as he let the water run down his face and neck.

"By the way, do you do your laundry on Wednesdays? Because I just remembered it's a Wednesday."

#heeseung scenarios #heeseung imagines #heeseung angst #heeseung fluff #enhypen imagines #enhypen scenarios #enhypen angst

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ourolite2 · 9 months

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ℛescherché ℛoles!

ourolite original characters feature unique capabilities and sins, alongside eesome endeavors and epitomes only seen amid swevens. linger long and think soundly of sonder; remember the memories of your childhood, the habits you harbor in your solitude, and know that these entities too have their personalized memories and ticks, their reveries and evergreen dreams long lost in the mist similar to your own. respect them, whether you love them or not, for they would... well, some of them would do the same for you.

readers are advised to download the google docs app if able for better presentation of the extended character notes, and dark mode is recommended in tandem with this! also, some characters are shipped canonically, but x reader and other x character asks are not disallowed! inquire and request as you see reputable.

this section is innately memorable, but it's particularly recalled for including unique subjects. these are listed as: disorders, disabilities and a variety of conditions as well as various races, gender orientations, sexualities, mythological origins and more. though in a dimmer light, there's a list of more sensitive topics including: racism, homophobia, abuse + neglect, trauma (especially that of childhoods), gore, death, violence, manipulation and more. this is your preamble of caution and context; to all who scroll further, treat yourself and enjoy!

☆ INDIGO ( maneki-neko! oc )

"Ah… your rings are pretty, I’ll be keeping them now … *big yawn* Hm? What? Are you still here? Run along, go find someone safer to speak with.. Heh, I’m only toying. I have a reputation to uphold after all. Being a maiden’s courier is a rather exhausting task. Now, do you mind? I want entertainment. Tell me about yourself, and maybe I’ll reconsider not stealing your pendant." — Mystery Cat. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

★ ILLŪNIS ( rusalka! oc )

"Daring evening, is it not? Where are your manners? … To rest your ignorance, I am Sentinel Number Three, Illunis — Europe’s Moon Maiden. Come, come, humor me with a drink or a jest, for I am dying for a dance.” — Sentinel Illunis. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

★ FRANKINCENSE ( churel! oc )

"Hiiii~ Here to see me? Nah, I’m not b—Hm… Might be busy later; not now. But listen, if you’re here to more cookies sell any more, I can’t risk not affording rent again. So stay quiet around that one. *Points her kusarigama over at her daughter who’s distracted with a box of girl scout cookies.* Hear me straight? *Nods weapon back at you with each word.* It’s very important." — Lord Frankenstein. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

☆ YASHMI-NOIR ( angel-child! oc )

"Hm….Mm… Hi, nice to meet you.. I’m Yashmi-Noir, and this is Frankenstein. *Hides behind Franky and peeks out at you, followed by Franky’s loving chuckle.* Frankenstein is my mommy.. Bu-but you jus’ call mommy Franky! ..And Yashmi-Noir can be Yashmi.. ‘kay?" — Sunshine. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

★ XĪN’YUÈ ÀN ZHŌNG ( ceo! oc )

“And yet my initial order to you, not to he, she, or they, was to replace the prior base with May Bells to embue the vanillic tones. Fix the issue immediately. This product’s date is definite, and I’m sure you wouldn’t particularly favor the outcome of its delay … Hm, I figured you have some sense. You’re dismissed, as for I—*finally looks at you, expression softening sequentially* have other matters to address.” — Mr. Anzhong. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

☆ JIHANE MEILĖ ( metaphysician! oc )

"Oh, your aura it… completely surpasses the essential nature of reality; have you already touched the ends of reality, miss/sir? Made your mind a limitless, tangible space? It’s an honor to encounter a warrior such as yourself, *mumbles* one who vividly represents the Seven of Pentacles, reversed and all… Heh, don’t give me that look! Let’s bargain a lil’, m’kay? Open your wisdom and bestow mind-independent certainty upon me in return for… m’name? How does that sound?" — Sinning Star. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

★ CIRCE YUÈ'LI ( vampire! oc )

“Oh? Fending for yourself? Sweetheart, you're assuming I'm a threat while wandering through my backyard. .. You were 'lost'? Really? Hm. Did you maybe receive an invitation to my abode while you uh.. wandered? ... No, right? Okay. State your business or join me as dinner, you're kinda already starting off on the wrong foot.. Still though, I'm not picky, I haven't had some good buttered thighs since like three dynasties ago.” — Sir Circe. profile. extended details. headcanons #1.

˶꒱ઉ productions 𐙚 ˙

oneshots.

headcanon combos.

drabbles & concepts.

reblogs.

⑅ ourolite productions. all rights fucking reserved, do not plagiarize.

#genshin #genshin headcanons #genshin imagines #genshin impact #genshin impact smut #genshin smut #genshin x black reader #genshin x reader #genshin oc #genshin original character #genshin nsft #genshin spoilers #WE HERE YALL OMGGGGG -neso

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yandere-romanticaa · 2 years

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Something of a continuation of this since a lot of you enjoyed it. This was rushed beyond belief.

"Nahida I'm not sure I'm cut out for this."

"Don't be silly, I'm sure you'll get the gyst of it!"

Her cheerful voice echoed inside your mind as you lay in bed, engulfed in total darkness as Nahida guides you in how to control your newfound powers.

"Entering a person's dream should be a piece of cake for you. I'm sure you'll be able to master it in no time."

Despite her encouragement, you had your doubts. Stepping into Teyvat was a whole beast all on its own but to suddenly assist the adorable dendro archon in her shenanigans was something that words could not describe. Like a little bird Nahida found you lost and stranded, all alone and hungry with no one to care for you. Being the merciful archon that she is she took you under her wing and decided to help you. Her help also extended to the fact that she was the Archon of Wisdom, a being who's sole purpose was to learn new things and your whole existence challenged quite a few things she was familiar with.

Due to being an avid player of Genshin Impact you knew of the ultimate fate that became of the original Dendro Archon, making you the second person in the entire world to know the real truth. You theorized that by some miracle a small piece of the ancient goodness somehow made its way into your world and into your being, tying to the mysterious world of Teyvat.

The sky is fake, as you once heard.

Just how true that was?

There was no time to worry about that though.

Not when a large hand was placed on your mouth, trapping you on the ground.

🕊️ TAGS: @genshinarchives, @mod-kisa-blog, @morigumy, @juuuuuj101010, @kalopsia-sonder, @b10h4z4rd, @xiaopleasecomehome, @yumekos-gamble, @mayulli

#genshin impact sagau #yandere #yandere x reader #yancore #yanderecore #yandere aesthetic #yandere imagines #yandere x you #genshin impact sumeru #genshin sumeru

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ourolite · 7 months

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ℛescherché ℛoles!

readers are advised to download the google docs app if able for better presentation of the extended character notes, and dark mode is recommended in tandem with this! please, it looks insane otherwise!! *sobs* also, some characters are shipped canonically, but x reader and other x character asks are not disallowed! inquire and request as you see reputable.

☆ INDIGO ( maneki-neko! oc ) "Ah… your rings are pretty, I’ll be keeping them now … *big yawn* Hm? What? Are you still here? Run along, go find someone safer to speak with.. Heh, I’m only toying. I have a reputation to uphold after all. Being a maiden’s courier is a rather exhausting task. Now, do you mind? I want entertainment. Tell me about yourself, and maybe I’ll reconsider not stealing your pendant." — Mystery Cat. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

★ ILLUNIS ( rusalka! oc ) “Daring evening, is it not? Where are your manners?… To rest your ignorance, I am the Sentinel Number Three of Russia, Illūnis — Europe’s Moon Maiden. Come, come, humor me with a drink or a jest, for I am dying for a dance.” — Mortis Poena. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

★ FRANKINCENSE ( churel mother! oc ) "Hiiii~ Here to see me? Nah, I’m not b—Hm… Might be busy later; not now. But listen, if you’re here to more cookies sell any more, I can’t risk not affording rent again. So stay quiet around that one. *Points her kusarigama over at her daughter who’s distracted with a box of girl scout cookies.* Hear me straight? *Nods weapon back at them with each word.* It’s very important." — Frankenstein. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

☆ YASHMI-NOIR ( angel daughter! oc ) “Hm….Mm… Hi, nice to meet you.. I’m Yashmi-Noir, and this is Frankenstein. *Hides behind Franky and peeks out at the Traveler followed by Franky’s loving chuckle.* Frankenstein is my mommy.. Bu-but you jus’ call mommy Franky! ..And Yashmi-Noir can be Yashmi.. ‘kay?” — Sunshine. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

★ XĪN’YUÈ ÀN ZHŌNG ( billionaire ceo! oc ) “And yet my initial order to you, not to he, she, or they, was to replace the prior base with May Bells to embue the vanillic tones. Fix the issue immediately. This product’s date is definite, and I’m sure you wouldn’t particularly favor the outcome of its delay … Hm, I figured you have some sense. You’re dismissed, as for I—*finally looks at you, expression softening sequentially* have other matters to address.” — Mr. Àn Zhōng. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

★ CIRCE YUÈ'LI ( vampire! oc ) “Oh? Fending for yourself? Sweetheart, you're assuming I'm a threat while wandering through my backyard. .. You were 'lost'? Really? Hm. Did you maybe receive an invitation to my abode while you uh.. wandered? ... No, right? Okay. State your business or join me as dinner, you're kinda already starting off on the wrong foot.. Still though, I'm not picky, I haven't had some good buttered thighs since like three dynasties ago.” — Sir Circe. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

☆ JIHANE MEILĖ ( metaphysician djinn! oc ) "Oh, your aura it… completely surpasses the essential nature of reality; have you already touched the ends of reality, miss/sir? Made your mind a limitless, tangible space? It’s an honor to encounter a warrior such as yourself, *mumbles* one who vividly represents the Seven of Pentacles, reversed and all… Heh, don’t give me that look! Let’s bargain a lil’, m’kay? Open your wisdom and bestow mind-independent certainty upon me in return for… m’name? How does that sound?" — Sinning Star. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

★ J'ŪLILI ANÉO LĀPAKI ( plutonian bunny! oc ) “Yo. So, how was your trip? .. Mm, yeah *smiles slightly at your comment about the cold temperature*, I get that a lot. Can’t control the weather, but I got some goods to compensate you for it. We don’t get many worshippers, so there’s always somethin’ to share. *Hands you one of the cloud coats Sentinel number three made, along with a heat-holding canister of tea, and a couple of hand warmers.* Uh- you want a cinna bun, too?” — Juju. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

☆ YÚYĪN ÀN ZHŌNG ( emhalo xipe’va! oc ) “What are you staring at, huh? Glabrescent lil’ bitch… If you wanna talk, then talk, ‘cause I damn sure don’t speak sign. Not willingly. Not without payment… Actually. Hmph. *smiles deviously* … Say, y’know a lil’ sign, doncha? You’re human, right? I’m pretty short on cash, sooooo… let’s make a deal.” — Nepenthe. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

☆ MÉLIOR VILLOSA ( amoisa xipe’va! oc ) “Oh- Eh… Hello. *shifts with obvious discomfort, plastering an awkward, upside down smile* Uhmm… Hi. Need anything…?” — Sencha. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

☆ MAKA GALILHAI ( autistic swordsman! oc ) “Hi..” — Morning Star. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

★ EUN BYEOL ( mute neptunian! oc ) “Hmmm… you’ll do..” *the mystery man then creates a portal underneath you causing you to fall through before closing it shut, listening to your faint screams before everything goes silent. Then, he waves goodbye cutely.* “Hehe, bye bye~” — The Poetic Blue Swan. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

★ ZOLENE IRENE ( demi-god! oc ) “OOOOH!” *purposely bumps into your shoulder before ‘saving’ you from falling* … “Whew, that was close… wassup baby? You aight? You like girls?” *comedically blows her bangs out the way with a flirty grin* … “Aight, aight, lemme stop…” *giggles a little and gives you your space … “I just wanted to say that you’re really pretty. Uh, you like chinchillas? You do now.” *pauses to pull mr. micos from out her shirt; he is erratically upset* … “This is like... His name is Ukumari Micos, but please call him Señor Micos, or else—Damn, Micos! Cálmate, fuck! *grumbles* scaring them away… Ahem, anyway… yeah… Hehe, can I have your socials, por favor? It’s okay if you don’t wanna.” — El Hijo De Inti. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

★ TIDA-BITUIN MIYAGI ( blind prodigy! oc ) “N’ then I— *Jumps dramatically at your sudden voice, turning in the wrong direction to face you.* Damn, bitch! When’d you get here?! Shit..! .. Uh.. my bad, uh, you here to ask me how many digits of pi I can list, or are you gonna ask if my dog helps me both piss and wipe? Talk fast. *You explain that you had wanted to introduce yourself.* .. Oh. Damn, my bad again, well.. Nice to meet you, cutie. *He smiles a little and laughs awkwardly as you turn him to face you the right way.* Heh, whoops. Blind and shit.” — The Mathematic One. profile. extended details. character ai. headcanons #1.

⑅ ourolite productions. all rights fucking reserved, do not plagiarize.

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peerlessscowl · 9 months

Note

There is a strange suspicion Kent finds when he sees the staff calendar report on whose birthdays it is today in the monastery, but he makes no comment on it. Even if the name he's looking for, 'Raven', isn't there on the announcements, the date being there is enough to remind him of the man's birthday... a detail he remembers from their time spent working together, however brief it might have been.

Finding Raven proves a bit more difficult than he expects, having trouble asking around for him too, but he finally finds him when the sun begins to eclipse the horizon.

“ Ah, Raven! There you are. Oh, how it gladdens me to have finally found you, ” he calls out to his fellow redhead, running up to meet him, parcel in hand. “ It is your birthday today, is it not? I remember it being so. My apologies for not preparing much more than this, but I do recall you being impeccable in your hygiene back in the day. Forgive me if this is forward of me to assume of you, but I thought you might enjoy something like this but otherwise not purchase it for yourself... ”

The small parcel he offers contains unscented soap packed alongside a small vial of fragrance oil, one that carries with it notes of pine.

“ The scent reminds me of Caelin. I have fond memories of it and of you there with us, so I hope you shall accept it... ”

His feelings on the day had been muddled from start to finish - from gentle bright chirps of well-wishes from those he had known only in passing, to those that had wracked his heart and rent him hollow, it had been strange to reconcile the man he was today with something so innocuous as a birthday, and stranger still to realize that there were so many that truly wished him well.

The sonder had discomfited him more than the comfortable ostracization.

But it was familiar faces that had sanded off the rough edges of the sensation, and he couldn't help but still at Sir Kent's approach, even knowing the intimacy that was about to be expected of him.

"I'm sorry you took the trouble," he replied in greeting, cocking his head. He hadn't necessarily meant to be difficult to find, but old habits did die hard.

Despite a moment of hesitance, Raven extended his hand to accept the gift, inspecting it for a moment before nodding his thanks. "You have a keen memory, Sir Kent. My thanks, this - "

Fond memories. The words struck him like a blow, but so featherlight it might have gone unnoticed if not for the combination of the scent memory of rain dusted conifers, and the squeeze in his chest as he remembered Castle Caelin, the further ache as he remembered the dank cavern that had apparently only been in dreams.

A beat, his head tilting just forward for his eyes to focus on the gift - simple on the face of it, but with the heavy burden of readily given friendship that Raven could not help but bring his other hand up to bear the weight as well.

"This is...thank you, Sir Kent."

The unscented soap was to his favor, and would have been used in a timely manner, but the fragrance oil was more delicate, and unlike him to indulge. But, if Kent happened to wander nearby to Raven's dorm and peered in, he might have seen the bottle open on the desk, diffusing its scent into the room.

#in character #birthday 2023 #interaction: liegebound #ignore how late this is #i just wanted to contextualize the upcoming christmas ask jdskfd

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miladybianca · 1 year

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Sonder

(My Autobiography)

Sonder means that each random passerby is the main character of their own story, living a life just as vivid and complex as our own. We have our own stories, different experiences, and lessons to learn. Let me tell you my story. Hi, I am Alexandra Bianca Comandante Alcuetas. My grandparents from my father's side gave that name to me –Bianca, which means white or beauty. Only my family and relatives call me Bianca, then my friends and classmates call me Alex or Alexa. I'm currently 17 years of age, turning 18 this October 12. Time is so fast, isn't it? To start off, I will introduce my family. We are matrilocal; we are currently living with my mother's parents. Yes, we are an extended family. I live together with my mother's sister and her cousins. I have 2 siblings, they are both boys, and I am the oldest. Just imagine being the eldest and being the "unica hija" at the same time; well, that's a lot of expectations and responsibility. Going back, I studied my elementary years at Dasmariñas II Central School and completed my Junior High School at Philippine Christian University - Dasmariñas. I am finishing my Senior High School at Emilio Aguinaldo College - Cavite and planning to take college at De La Salle University - Dasmariñas.

If I wrote my story, one page would not be enough. Although a lot had happened in my life before, I viewed my life as boring, and I felt like something was missing, that feeling that life was the same every day. There's this feeling that I can't explain. I made myself active before, thinking I could find the answers I was looking for. I joined dance competitions and street dances like the Paru-Paro festival, became a choreographer in Junior High, joined cheer dancing in grade 7, and joined pageants and school activities. I was active in school activities as a member before. Then, I entered the life of being a student leader, still active, thinking it was easy but it wasn't. I experimented with things; I tried doing many things, thinking I would know myself more. Aside from that, I tried some things I never tried before. I tried creating a youtube channel – yes, I tried vlogging, and now I have 472 subscribers. I tried doing travel vlogs, cooking vlogs, make-up and DIY vlogs, challenges, and song covers and discovered that I have a talent for singing. So I joined Friends of St. La Salle Choir, now part of the music ministry in the DLSUD chapel, and it's been 3 years. I made myself busy, thinking I could search for the answers I was looking for. But in searching, I lost myself and did not value the things I already had.

Now I believe that it is true that you have to experience things for you to learn from them for you to find the answers to the what-ifs and questions running through your head. 2 years ago, my grandfather died. He died from COVID-19. I think it was the lowest part of my life, and it was very traumatic. There are a lot of whys running through my head. It's like I had fallen and didn't know how to stand again. At first, it is hard to accept and to start again. But as time passed, my family made me realize the true meaning of life. They made me feel the love that I had been longing for my whole life. I realized that everything happens for a reason and that nothing is permanent; everything we have now is not ours but God's. I realized that the love I am searching for is already given to me; I just don't see it. I searched for the answers that have been with me my entire life.

Now, what is more important, is that I learned my lessons and value and appreciate more the things and people in my life now. Ending this essay with a message for everyone that people come and go. "Change is the only constant in life." Nothing is permanent. Everything that is happening to us now has a reason, and it is we who decide whether to stay down or move forward and learn from it. It is we who decide our future.

#autobiography

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republic-korlan · 2 years

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Korlan announces massive military expansion

Ikaroa Storinka has announced a complete reform of Korlans military. He plans to improve his countries navy, airforce and infantry, as well as expand on other aspects of Korlans offensive capabilities.

Firstly, Storinka hopes to continue to build a navy capable of exerting his influence all across Ailou. Korlan already has one of the greatest navies in the region, and Storinka hopes to expand upon this. The president has already expressed his wishes to take control over major trade routes in Ailou, but also wishes to use his new base on Sonder to spread Korlans naval power worldwide. He also wants to begin expanding his navy with submarines, aircraft carriers, etc. He has also expressed his hopes to expand Korlans amphibious warfare capabilities, announcing the construction of several amphibious ships. Storinka has also announced the construction of 2 large amphibious mobile bases, ships which, upon landing on shores act as a large defendable base.

Ikaroa has also addressed his desires to own a grand airforce, ensuring air superiority over the Korlanic Isles and central Ailou. He hopes to do this by investing in the previously mentioned aircraft carriers, and various different jets and helicopters. There are also rumoured to be secret projects being conducted by the Korlanic government, including rumours of nuclear weapons and possible chemical weapons for both use on soldiers but also for purposes such as herbicide.

Lastly, President Storinka has announced plans to introduce mandatory conscripton for those aged 18-25, as well as draft conscriptions for those aged 25-50 in case of war. He also wishes to begin producing various armoured vehicles such as tanks and trucks, as well as the production of several types of long range artillery. Along with the rumours of herbicide gases mentioned previously, Storinka announced he will order the construction of several tactical tree crushers. Finally, Storinka says he will be sending several units abroad to allied countries to train in foreign terrain. Korlanis are known for brutal guerrilla warfare within it’s jungle terrain, and Ikaroa wishes to extend this to different terrains around Ulina.

President Ikaroa Storinka has not yet announced a date that he wishes to accomplish these goals by, but remains optimistic about Korlans ability to begin outproducing competition when it comes to military, especially with its allies becoming closer together.

#ulina

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farolero-posting · 1 year

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OneShot OST Tournament Master Post!

Let's start June by picking our favorite music!

I have compiled every track in both the 2016 release OST and in the Solstice OST, including a few extra tracks!

This post will contain a list of every bracket, with links to access them. Each match will last one week to give you time to vote. Feel free to reblog and share propaganda!

You can also visit the "tournament" on my blog to find all related information!

Round 1 - (starting on June 1st)

Phosphor vs. The Prophecy (link)

Flooded Ruins vs. Geothermal (link)

To Sleep vs. To Dream (link)

Library Stroll vs. Library Nap (link)

Inventory vs. Vestige (link)

Deep Mines vs. Out of Protocol (link)

==[Epilogue]== vs. Puzzle Solved vs. Ram vs. Sun vs. Rowbot (link)

Simple Secrets vs. Simpler Secrets (link)

Abandoned Factory vs. Factory (link)

Indoors vs. Pretty nice day, huh… (link)

Navigate vs. Navigate (extended) (link)

First Flight vs. Aviator (link)

Alula vs. Children of the Ruins (link)

Panic vs. Collapse (link)

My Burden Is Light vs. Someplace I Know (link)

Dark Stairwell vs. Countdown (link)

Sonder vs. Sonder (extended) vs. Rue (link)

Silverpoint vs. A God's Machine (link)

Pretty vs. Pretty bad (link)

Ghost in the Machine vs. Solstice vs Pelude (link)

The Tower vs. Niko and the World Machine (link)

Into The Light vs. Self Contained Universe (Reprise) (link)

I'm Here vs. Happily Ever After (link)

The World Machine vs. Encounter (link)

Sunrise vs. In Memory (link)

Distant vs. Distant water (link)

Thanks For Everything vs. Niko's theme (link)

The First Universe vs. Self Contained Universe (link)

IT'S TIME TO FIGHT CRIME vs. OneShot Trailer (link)

On Little Cat Feet vs. On Little Cat Feet (ground) (link)

Eleventh Hour vs. The Simulation (link)

Homesick vs. The Author (link)

Round 2 (starting on June 14th)

Phosphor vs. Geothermal (link)

To Dream vs. Library Stroll (link)

Vestige vs. Out of Protocol (link)

==[Epilogue]== vs. Simpler Secrets (link)

Factory vs. Indoors + Pretty nice day, huh... (link)

Navigate (extended) vs. Aviator (link)

Alula + Children of the Ruins vs. Collapse (OLD LINK) (NEW LINK)

My Burden Is Light vs. Countdown (link)

Rue vs. Silverpoint (link)

Pretty + Pretty Bad vs. Ghost in the Machine (link)

Niko and the World Machine vs. Self Contained Universe (Reprise) (link)

Happily Ever After vs. The World Machine (link)

In Memory vs. Distant. (link)

Thanks For Everything vs. Self Contained Universe (link)

IT'S TIME TO FIGHT CRIME vs. On LIttle Cat Feet (link)

Eleventh Hour vs. Homesick + The Author (link)

Tie Breakers - Fast 1 day polls

Indoors vs. Pretty nice day, huh... (link)

Alula vs. Children of the Ruins (link)

In Memory vs. Distant (link)

Round 3 - Starting on June 25th

Phosphor vs. Library Stroll (link)

Out of Protocol vs. Simpler Secrets (link)

Indoors vs. Aviator (link)

Children of the Ruins vs. My Burden is Light. (link)

Rue vs. Ghost in the Machine (link)

Niko and the World Machine vs. Happily Ever After. (link)

In Memory vs. Self Contained Universe (link)

On Little Cat Feet vs. Eleventh Hour (link)

Surprise Revival Polls!

Encounter vs. The Simulation (link)

Distant vs. Children of the Ruins (link)

Round 4 - Starting on July 4th

Phosphor vs. Simpler Secrets (link)

Aviator vs. My Burden is Light (link)

Ghost in the Machine vs. Niko and the World Machine (link)

Self Contained Universe vs. Eleventh Hour (link)

Ruound 5 - Starting on July 12th

Phosphor vs. My Burden Is Light vs. Distant (link)

Niko and the World Machine vs. Eleventh Hour vs. Encounter (link)

Finals - Starting on July 19th

TBA

#oneshot game #oneshot #poll #tournament #music #oneshotgame

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joyner111 · 14 days

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Some of the top recommendations of best vapes to buy in 2024

When it comes to the best vapes to buy in 2024, there are several devices that stand out for their performance, design, and user satisfaction. Here are some of the top recommendations:

Wave 8000 Disposable Vape by Wavetec: This device is a standout in the disposable vape market, offering an 18ml e-juice capacity, a 650mAh rechargeable battery, and a nicotine strength of 50 mg (5%). It's designed for extended use, with approximately 8,000 puffs per device. The Wave 8000 features a sleek design, ergonomic grip, and a draw-activated mechanism for ease of use. It's available in a variety of flavors and is priced at an accessible $13.99, making it an excellent value option.

Wave Vue 10000 Disposable Vape: This high-capacity disposable vape offers an impressive 10,000 puffs with 20ml of e-juice. It includes a 650mAh rechargeable battery and an LED screen for monitoring battery life and e-juice levels. The Wave Vue 10000 is designed for convenience and style, with a sleek appearance and USB Type-C charging port.

Vaporesso XROS PRO: Known for its outstanding battery life and pod longevity, the XROS PRO offers market-leading flavor and is praised for its ease of use and general performance. It's considered the ultimate pod vape for 2024.

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Vaporesso Luxe PM40: This device features a 1800mAh battery, adjustable wattage up to 40W, and Vaporesso's innovative GTX coils for a wide range of vaping experiences.

Geekvape Sonder U Pod Kit: Designed for both MTL and DL vaping styles, it offers adjustable airflow control and a 1000mAh battery for extended use.

Innokin Kroma-R: This pod system is known for its ease of use, leak resistance, and a 4000mAh battery for long-lasting power.

Uwell Caliburn G3: Known for its user-friendliness and smooth MTL vaping experience, the Caliburn G3 features a side-filling system and an integrated 1500mAh battery.

These best vapes to buy have been recognized for their reliability, performance, and the overall vaping experience they provide. Whether you're looking for disposable best vapes to buy or a more traditional vape device, these options offer a range of features to suit different preferences and needs.

#best vapes to buy

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hongmirko · 2 months

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-> Thinking about using this beautiful song for our film poem, with a warm ambience and gentle tone that resonates with our ideas of sonder and intention behind our film.

-> Has a strong sense of nostalgia and longing, a song that we feel everyone can somehow connect with to an extend, which in turn reflects the ideas of sonder and the lives that everyone is experiencing at the same time.

#Spotify

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timextoxhajima · 4 months

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Sonder: Part II

Parts: I II III IV V

member: enhypen heeseung! x oc! woo ki yeom [3rd person pov]

genre: coming of age, slice of life, angst, romance

w/c: 5.2k

"n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own."

Sim Ji Yeon was the most perfect person to have existed in Ki Yeom's life. Under normal circumstances, the single child is the spoilt one. Unlimited attention from the parents or usually an unlimited amount of pocket money or allowance due to the guilt that piles up from the lack of attention.

But Ji Yeon was the complete opposite. She grew up with an older brother - Sim Jae Yun, who loved her more than any other sibling Ki Yeom has ever met. Her parents, though spend alot of time working abroad, regularly comes home or brings them along to wherever it was they were working at and treats it like a holiday. They have a border collie that listens to everything they say and a family that quite literally never fights with one another.

All of her friends love her and she probably never feels left out at all. Her parents let her wear and eat what she always wants to and Ji Yeon doesn't spend more than a couple of hours loathing over how useless she is or how unhappy her life is. She never gets angry with the person who gets her order wrong or frustrated when the person infront of her is walking extra slow. She's so secure about herself that even when she's aware someone shits on her behind her back, all she does is smile her pretty smile and shrug her shoulders.

And on top of all that, Sim Ji Yeon was happy.

During the five years Ki Yeom's family spent falling apart, Ji Yeon had extended a helping hand multiple times. But, it's in Ki Yeom's pride and anguish that these offers of help morphed into pity and sympathy. And one day, Ki Yeom just... gave up.

Gave up trying to explain, or say 'no, thank you', or that she's not in the mood for a meal she knows Ji Yeon will pay for anyway.

So when Ms. Perfect drops Ki Yeom a text a day after her father had sent her a letter (albeit to the wrong address), her morning is ruined.

Ji Yeon: Hey, how are you? Please reply me... It's been four years. Ji Yeon: We'll go out for a meal. Ji Yeon: I promise you'll pay for your own food.

Ki Yeom locks her phone and groans herself back into the pillow.

It's not easy to pretend a friend of 15 years doesn't exist.

But Ki Yeom's phone goes off for an 11am appointment - which is earlier than usual - and forces herself out of bed first. Reply later.

She's pulls the door open, telling herself that she'll get a coffee and a sandwich on the way to work, but first-

Nearly slipping on whatever she stepped on, Ki Yeom stumbles backwards, only managing to catch herself with her legs awkwardly opened and her fingers gripped on the door frame. She looks down, and stares at the envelope with a shoe print on it.

It's the letter from her father.

She looks up and down the corridor - no one. Did the boy leave it here overnight? Reaching for it, she notices a light pencil writing on the envelope itself, right beneath the wrong address.

I thought I should leave it here anyway. It's yours after all.

Sucking in a deep breath, she stares at it. But her second alarm goes off, calling her to fling it mindlessly into her apartment and shut the door.

Lee Heeseung had chosen to come out on his own and live the life he had always wanted. Quiet, but determined, he wanted to experience being out in the open, making new mistakes and learning all the new things. He learned that life was short and that regrets would be regretful. So, with about a grand in his bank account and an apartment that he had found with the help of his brother, he moved.

But don't misunderstand him, no. He does not have the wanderlust for life the way he seems like he does. In fact, he's in an ironic paradox with himself - if that even makes sense.

Heeseung had an epiphany after enrolling in university - he was a sophomore student when he realised his life was slowing down. Slowing down in the sense that life didn't seem to have much to offer him anymore. It was just: class, study, nap, eat, study, sleep, and occasionally have a drink or two with his acquaintances (because it takes much more than a drink or two for Heeseung to consider someone a friend).

And then he thought, what would happen once he's done with university? Will he decide to do a phD or a master's programme and prolong this cycle for another decade-ish or will he graduate and work like any other civilian?

My, God, he thought to himself on one of those nights he couldn't sleep. Doesn't life have so much more to offer? Surely it can't be that everyone's lives and hours are the same everyday?

If you could condense his thoughts and feelings into a sentence, Heeseung was simply rejecting the possibility that life was mundane, and in a bid to force all of life's forces of nature upon himself, he chose to move out on his own.

His motto? Make me want to live.

Heeseung was almost baited upon finding that envelope. He only looked through them when he got home and was on the verge of ripping it open before he noticed he doesn't recognise the name on the envelope. He pauses, fingers dragging along the edge and making out the name.

Woo Ki Yeom.

The unit numbers were easily mistaken - he stayed in 07-33 and whoever this Ki Yeom person was, stayed in 07-38.

He considers tossing out the letter, or even returning it to the letter box downstairs that was meant for the 'wrongly delivered'. But on the way to the lift, he stops himself, and looks down the hallway for the 07-38 unit. Sucking a deep breath, he walks over and knocks on the door, hoping no one would answer and he would have the chance to rip open the letter and read it for himself.

But he's proven wrong when the door opens, and it's the girl he lost a washing machine token to. Just because he wanted to be nice for once. He remembers he hasn't gotten it back though.

"Oh, it's you."

She looks... tired.

"If you're here for the token, I don't have any extra to return. I can pay you a couple of cents or a dollar for it if you're insistent."

Heeseung quickly shakes his head and lifts the letter to show her.

"Uh, this came in my mail. I think they wrote the address wrongly."

She carefully studies the words written on it, and glances up at him through her lashes.

Heeseung panics.

"I figured eight just seemed the most similar to three, so. Are you... Woo Ki Yeom?"

A pause.

"Yeah, thanks."

Heeseung watches as she gently takes the envelope, finding the edge of the flap to tear it open. In a terrible bid to find an excuse to stay, Heeseung blurts out the worst joke ever.

"Mail's not that common nowadays. They don't have your number or email?"

A little smile tries to crack its way through when she finally pulls the letter out, but she doesn't even bother looking at him whilst unfolding the sheet of paper.

"Yeah, they don't have my number or my email."

Oh, my God, she hates me.

"Oh," He mumbles under his breath, wanting to dig a hole and slap himself over the head if he could.

But the girl goes quiet as she continues to straighten out the letter. Her eyes seem hesitant and afraid, like it was someone she was afraid to hear from or someone whom she didn't want to look for her here.

What if she's dealing with some illegal activity? And this is just being passed off as an innocent letter? What if this isn't even hers?

Heeseung rubs an eye and purses his lips, unsure of his presense as she starts to read the letter. He was expecting her to finish it, then thank him and close the door.

Or... start crying and rambling about a broken-up boyfriend... or a family member who is knee-deep in debt-

But he's startled instead, when she angrily folds it back up - or rather, crumples it - back into the envelope. She shoves it harshly back into his arms, which shocks him.

Heeseung's eyes widen as she pulls backward, the haphazard letter-in-envelope awkwardly sitting between his arm and stomach. Frowning, he wants to ask her about her attitude and lack of politeness, but he doesn't miss her eyes that are looking down. A sheet of tears have coated them. They got shinier in the last couple of seconds.

"Um," He carefully whispers. "You... alright?"

She looks up at him, and seems embarrassed for a split second.

"It's not mine."

Ain't no way that's not yours.

"Are... you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," She rubs her eyes. "Sorry, I was just busy making dinner. I have to go."

"Right," Heeseung subtly readjusts the envelope and nods.

With pursed lips, she looks at him one more time for acknowledgement. He's quiet, and careful, as he takes a step back and turns to leave, hearing the door close behind him. Heeseung looks down at the envelope and letter, hands slightly trembling at the thought of what content the letter could possibly hold.

Later that night, Heeseung was busy planning out his study schedule alongside his piano tutoring sessions when he notices the envelope and crushed letter sitting at the edge of the dining table. He thinks about the girl's reaction - the letter must belong to her.

There's a little voice in his head going, No! Do NOT read it!

But Heeseung is a busybody and nobody's around to stop him anyway, so he sets aside his headphones and walks toward the coffee table.

Dear Ki,

I'm writing to share that I've gotten a job. I'm sorry if the address on this letter is unclear, but I hope a kind soul will have it delivered to you if it's wrong.

I know what I say now can't undo what has been done, but I hope you will forgive me. I just want to know if you were doing well, and if you were eating and sleeping well. If you have enough money for your meals and for your rent.

If you wanted to know, your grandfather keeps your secrets for you very well. He hasn't once budged about where you work, only the estate where you live, and that's only because a parent knows how another parent feels when their child is not talking to them and fending for themselves.

Your mother and I want to see you soon, so please... write me back soon and we can talk about a meal or a cup of coffee or something. Let us make it up to you. Make things right. I don't want the way we last saw each other to be the way we end forever. We're always praying for you, Ki.

Love,

Dad

Heeseung is almost touched. He folds the letter back up and fits it nicely into the envelope. Then, he grabs a pencil and scribbles gently on the surface where the address has been written.

The next morning, Heeseung wakes up at an ungodly hour - His classes were at 9am. Who even puts a class at 9am?

Grumbling his way out of bed and into the bathroom and then into the makeshift kitchen for coffee, he spots the letter. He can’t help but wonder what had happened between some parents and a child, for her to move out and quite literally hide from them. Why was she so angry?

Later, Heeseung gently places the letter on the floor right outside her door. Whatever will happen to it is up to her thereafter. She can toss it up or rip it apart and set it on fire and it would be none of his business. If her parents had done something so unforgiveable, then maybe she should anyway.

Heeseung straightens himself, then looks out the window to notice the clouds and impending rain.

Ahn Yoo Hyeon grunts and sighs, tossing the wet wipes into the little trash bag she brought along with her.

"I hope you're eating all the good food up there where it's probably free of charge and not susceptible to import taxes," She winces and wipes the sweat off her chin. Struggling to stand, she takes a deep breath when she's finally up. The late morning sun beats down on her dark hair and her exposed arms, sweat dripping down her back and her chest inside her shirt.

Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

Hurriedly grabbing another wet wipe to clean her fingers, she then picks the phone out of her pocket. She squints at the screen.

"Perfect timing."

"No way, you're there?"

"Mhm, just finished cleaning him up."

"Sorry I couldn't be there this year."

"It's fine. World won't stop just cause you can't make it this time."

"Anyway, the team's looking for artists. Planning on doing an international tour or something. If you have any names you'd like to recommend, send them my way."

"Interesting. What's in it for them and for me?" She snickers.

"You'll find out when you get me one or two," He pauses. "Say hi to him for me."

"He knows you'd be here if you could."

Yoo Hyeon looks down at the tombstone: AHN YOO KWON

Despite him being an unusual eight years older than her (with no other siblings in between), he treated her just like any other big brother would (as opposed to the other much-older brothers whom she knew treated their little sisters like princesses).

That was to say, he ruffled her hair everytime she had gotten it done, or stole her food without permission, or the reverse: she would rip the computer plug out from the power socket when he was in the middle of a game. He wasn't one of those 'golden-perfect' older brothers. He was annoying as fuck.

When her brother had joined a gang, and even if, in fact, he did not, Yoo Hyeon knew that he had mingled with bad company. This was strange and highly unlikely from the start, because she belonged to a family that prized education, contribution to society and hierarchy.

In hindsight, this could be why her brother even took a liking to those people anyway. Because he had found a place where he could be himself and not be bound to their parents' expectations. If he was born to be a criminal, then maybe it was, in some sick and twisted way, his calling.

Ironically, it wasn't those people who got him in a coffin. It was a cat who had been beaten up and tortured by a bunch of kids. He had found them in the back of an alley in the middle of the night, thanks to the mewling and crying of the poor mangled thing.

And upon finding them, you'd think that a 25 year old gangster would have the upper hand against the group of 15 year olds, but they were armed and he was outnumbered.

They didn't have the intelligence to drop it and run, which was shocking by any measurement, because that's exactly what he had expected.

He was found with gashes to his arms, face and body. Broken ribs, and had died from blunt force to his head with a piece of debris left in that alley from a renovation project nearby.

And all those kids got were a couple of years in juvi because they were 'underaged' and 'misguided'.

The cat survived. And Yoo Hyeon cried to it every other day it felt worse than usual. So when even the cat passed just barely a couple years later, which Yoo Hyeon then found out it was an old cat, she felt like she had lost every remaining piece of her brother.

Her parents may have forbidden them both to get tattoos, but she remembers the first time he showed her his first one. It was a little wave, the kind that a white girl would have on her arm, which was funny.

Then over time, he decorated himself with them, since he no longer cared what their parents thought.

But these were all just fragments of memories now.

Death is a funny thing, for with his death came Yoo Hyeon's call-to-action, and by 'action', she meant opening her own tattoo parlour without ever getting a single one on herself. Getting over it was one thing, but making sure that it was with reason is another.

Yoo Hyeon will carry this reason and mission for the rest of her life.

"Ki Yeom," Ahn Yoo Hyeon calls out. In between her fingers is a thin stack of papers. "Pay goes out today. Check your deck."

You'd think the person who owns a tattoo parlour would be covered in tattoos, or at least, one. But Ahn Yoo Hyeon grew up in a household that condemned tattoos and in a bid to seal it with a nail (and by seal it with a nail, she really means offer a slap in their faces), she opened her own tattoo parlour without ever getting one.

Whether this story was true... well, Ki Yeom had no way of verifying.

"Thanks," She takes the deck and flips through them.

Ms. Ahn had always been very perceptive - which is ironic, considering how little you can read from her face and her tone. So Ki Yeom isn't really surprised when the woman of few words starts another conversation.

"You look troubled," She pulls off her sunglasses and her fringe topples over her forehead. Ki Yeom had wondered a few times if Ms. Ahn had a boyfriend. "Which is strange considering your paycheck this month."

Ki Yeom looks up from the deck and looks at her for a moment. A knowing exchange. They are both children of family feuds that cannot be reversed.

"I wish I could give you advice," Yoo Hyeon lays a tiny smile, pressing the arms of her sunglasses against her own stomach to fold it. "But I'm not in any position to share any."

"Is it true? What they say about your family and that they didn't like tattoos?"

"Oh, they hated them. Thought of it as vandalism and lack of respect to the body. The funny thing is, I see what they mean. After all, it's a choice you make to permanently alter your body, even if it's minute and unnecessary. But it's not up to them to decide what strangers do to their bodies."

Ki Yeom is slightly stunned at the honesty and openness.

"What, surprised I shared so easily?" Yoo Hyeon chuckles and reopens her sunglasses. "You did well this month. More clients are asking for you."

She holds out a hand for the deck, which Ki Yeom returns. "I try my best."

"Do you still dream those dreams? The ones that give you your ideas?"

"Sometimes. But it's not like all my ideas are from my dreams."

She hums in response and slots her deck back into the folder. "Continue the good work. What you have... It's a talent that not many people have."

An awkward pause.

"Say, I just had an old client... Works for an art establishment over in Europe... He called and asked if I had any recommendations to let join their team of artists."

Ki Yeom straightens her tilted head. She turns and looks around, making sure nobody's eavesdropping.

"I'm- I'm just a tattoo artist."

"Whose job entails strangers trusting you covering their body in permanent ink. I think you'd enjoy this... challenge."

Another knowing silence.

"What is it that's keeping you here?" Yoo Hyeon squints, just slightly. She tilts her head now, as if trying to split Ki Yeom open and read through her memories like a book. "If the thing that's keeping you here isn't bringing you joy or any benefit to your life, then perhaps it's time to move on. Don't let the mistakes you couldn't fix create more mistakes in your life. Else, what's the whole point of the phrase 'Learn from your mistakes'?"

Her words are so sharp, so direct, so fast - it's like she had rehearsed them. They sit in Ki Yeom's heart and her brain and her throat.

"Drop me a text if you're interested. When you think the world is against you, that's when you know it's time to see the rest of the world and realise that the rest of the world actually doesn't care," Yoo Hyeon opens her sunglasses and fits them on her head. She turns around to the front desk and tidies up the remaining decks for the other tattoo artists. "And last I heard from this place, everybody seems to hate you anyway, hmm?"

Clearing her throat, Ki Yeom realises her palms are sweating into the deck.

"Thank you for the offer."

Yoo Hyeon picks up her purse, ready to leave. "You have only yourself to thank that the offer came by, else I wouldn't have even offered it in the first place. But I'll let you know... I'd be vastly disappointed if you reject it. Because then you just might have to work here for the rest of your life."

She offers an animated, stretched out smile, then turns and walks out the door.

The day passes like any other day, other than Ki Yeom's colleagues talking about their decks. Only Jun Yeol and Soo Min had the courage and were good enough friends with Ki Yeom to share each other's. Of course, Ki Yeom had topped sales again.

It was late and most of the other artists have gone home, leaving only them and one or two others with clients who have harder pieces.

"At this rate, you might as well buy the parlour and take over for Ms Ahn," Jun Yeol flips through Ki Yeom's deck.

"Speaking of Ms Ahn, I thought I saw her speaking to you this afternoon when she came in," Soo Min pushed herself over from her working space, the rollers making a frequent squeak-squeak noise as she rolls Jun Yeol's deck up in her hands.

"Oh, my God, I jinxed it?" Jun Yeol closes Ki Yeom's deck and places it back on her desk, arm resting on the edge and turning to look at her in slight disbelief. "Call me a sorceress."

"Soceror," Soo Min rolls her eyes.

"Words should not be bound by gender."

Soo Min glares at him. A cheeky silence as Jun Yeol gets up and snatches his deck from Soo Min's hands.

"She offered me a gig," Ki Yeom whispers, just loud enough for them to hear. Jun Yeol and Soo Min both turn to her.

"In some art organisation. In Europe."

"What?"

"That's crazy!" Jun Yeol's jaw drops, unfolding his deck and mindlessly hurtling it onto Ki Yeom's desk. "What did you say?"

"What's crazier is that she probably rejected it."

"I told her I'd think about it."

"Let me guess, until you die?" Soo Min raises a brow.

"You're a horrible comfort person!" Jun Yeol lands a palm on the backseat of Soo Min's chair and twirls her to face the opposite direction. "Well, what's keeping you thinking? What are the concerns?"

Soo Min squeaks back to face the party of two, looking around to make sure nobody else was listening.

"I don't know. I just... it feels so far."

"Isn't that the point? You're not happy here. Find your happiness elsewhere."

"Will you shut up?" Jun Yeol smacks her over the head, earning a harsh wince and a feigned punch from her. "It's a big deal. Not everyone can uproot and move away from a whole life they've known here. Plus, you have your grandfather, right? I mean I know you're not close but it's not like he's there. He's here. Everyone's here."

"She literally doesn't have any friends here - no offence - but if she can flourish elsewhere, I don't see why she should stay bound here like a poor dog chained to his-"

Then the parlour door swings open, the keychains hanging on the handle ringing as it does.

"Hi. I'm looking for Ki Yeom, I saw somewhere that she worked here."

Soo Min and Jun Yeol look from above Ki Yeom's head, then down at her face as she was backfacing the front door.

Ki Yeom didn't have to turn around to know who it was. She whirls around in the chair, standing as she does. "Who told you I worked here?"

Sim Ji Yeon forces out a sad smile, lips parting to find an answer. "I... I googled you. Took me a couple of minutes, but it wasn't that hard to find your name. Here."

Ki Yeom rubs the back of her neck, turning around to look at her colleagues. Jun Yeol rushes to her side, back facing the stranger as well.

"You look like you need help. Who's she?"

Soo Min shifts her chair so Ki Yeom and Jun Yeol blocks her from the stranger's vision.

"Uh... Long story short: Childhood friend. Fell out because... I didn't like that she was so happy and so nice to me and I felt like she was pitying me after I fell out with my family."

Jun Yeol scowls at her. "'Didn't like that she was so happy'? What are you, allergic to being happy?"

Soo Min swats him on the arm. "You were just telling her to stay here in this miserable place just a couple of minutes ago!"

"They are two very different things, bitch!" His eyes are about to pop out his head. "And did I just hear you call this place a 'miserable' one?"

"Alright, shut up. The two of you. I'm fine. I'll handle it."

Jun Yeol is about to protest when Soo Min reaches out, flicking her fist into his groin. He crouches over, cheeks puffed and lips pursed.

"I'll- I'll get you for that... later."

Then she drags him away from the front door's view.

Ki Yeom must admit, she's not all that surprised Sim Ji Yeon is here. She is persistent and diligent in all the right ways there is as a student and as a person, but that didn't mean that this personality trait wasn't annoying in other contexts.

"I know you've been reading my texts. I just wanted to know how you were doing. I don't know anything about you anymore and I just can't stand to know that... I no longer know anything about you and your life."

The street side lamp outside was illuminating the pavement behind her like she was an angel. Ki Yeom almost wanted to scoff at this sight.

"I don't know why it matters that you don't know anything. My parents don't know anything. Nobody knows anything, but I'm fine and well."

Ki Yeom can see that the words have stung her. Ji Yeon, like the last time she had seen her a couple of years ago, still looked as perfect as ever. Perfectly dyed brown hair, the type that makes her even prettier, but not bright enough for corporate jobs to turn her away. She has that clean girl look going on. White off-shoulder top and flared jeans and slip-on sandals. The ultimate casual pretty-girl look.

"It matters because I care. It matters because you basically disappeared, and for the last couple of years, I've been stuck wondering what I've done wrong. And if it was my fault that the friendship has turned sour."

"It's not your fault, it's mine. For being an ass."

"So at least tell me how you were being an ass. You have so much spine to be out here making a life for your own but you don't have a spine enough to tell me why I had to google you?"

Ki Yeom sharply tilts her head. "'Spine to be out here'? Have you... forgotten why I was even made to be out here making a life for myself?"

The taller clears her throat and looks down at her feet. "I'm sorry. That wasn't what I meant."

Something beeps from behind them at the cashier's. A client awkwardly passes them and leaves.

"Look, I..." Ji Yeon sucks in a deep breath and sighs, gently shaking her head. "I just want to know what happened. And if after all the clearing up, you still hate me and our paths have just... diverged too far and too long ago, then I will just have to make peace with it. But I can't just leave this... it's like abandoning my house without reason."

And the world is even quieter than before.

Suddenly, there's one more thing that is keeping Ki Yeom from leaving, and she hasn't even had this conversation with Ji Yeon.

Heeseung doesn't do it often, but he has his door slightly ajar so he can see if the girl has come home. He hopes she doesn't notice it, because he knows it's creepy and weird and he's kind of an ass because he just wanted to see if he could get a glimpse of-

Ding.

The lift doors open, and he can just barely make out a shadow passing down his corridor. He carefully places his pen down, and makes his way to the door, head carefully peeking out-

"You are quite the busybody, aren't you?"

She uses a fist to shove the door into the apartment, the handle jamming into his stomach.

"Ah-" He groans, clearing his throat and moving backwards, fingers gripping the door. "Well... Humans are only... curious. The letter yesterday was obviously yours."

She squints at him. "You read it, didn't you?"

"Well-"

She kicks the door, pushing him off balance.

"Yes," He quickly admits. "I'm sorry! It just... you crumpled it all up and threw it back in my hands and you looked like you were about to cry so I got curious and-"

"Breached my privacy and read a letter that you knew wasn't yours?"

"Euhhhhhhh..." He squeaks, slightly shrugging his shoulders. "I'm sorry. For what it's worth, I know it's none of my business. Your life is yours, and I couldn't care less-"

"So why were you waiting for me to come back?" She perks up a brow.

"I mean- If you knew someone was going through a hard time, wouldn't you care?"

"Not if this person meant nothing to me."

"You're kind of harsh."

"And you're kind of nosy."

"Okay, okay! I'm nosy and you're sad, I get it."

Ki Yeom rolls her eyes and turns around to make her way back to her own apartment.

"Just so you know! I don't normally care either!" He partially shouts down the corridor as she unlocks her door. "I just-"

SLAM!

"...Am kind of going through an exisistential crisis too."

Heeseung sighs heavily, throwing his head back in frustration. Stepping backwards, he gently gets the door shut, turning around to look at the pile of lecture notes sitting at his desk. There's a gnawing, frustrating feeling in his chest.

Why does it feel like the world is so happening, and he's just a boring loser trying to find entertainment?

He thinks that maybe this mindset is selfish, and that some people would rather live their life in quiet peace. But why does he have the hunger for stories, for gossip and to learn the secrets of others? Is he not worth life's ups-and-downs? Is he so mundane that he will live a mundane life and die a mundane death?

Pathetic, he thinks to himself. He dragged himself all the way out here to find himself, to figure out what life means... and yet he's finding it in other people's demise.

Perhaps this life wasn't for him. Perhaps he belongs in a sheltered home, away from life's trials and tribulations. Perhaps God knows he's too soft and fragile for it.

PART III

#enhypen scenarios #enhypen imagines #enhypen angst #enhypen fluff #heeseung scenarios #heeseung imagines #heeseung angst

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