a bit of a bittersweet post today, but after the new year aesocnet will no longer be active!
you may (or may not) have noticed that i have not been that active all year and being completely transparent, i no longer have the time nor energy nor motivation to run this ocnet anymore. with both university studies and my work responsibilities, i have little time to work on the ocnet and if i do get time, it not nearly enough to get anything done. which leaves member updates and messages neglected and i always feel like i am letting the members down. i think it is for the best for myself to say finally say goodbye to this account.
we’ve had a good three years (almost) and i want to end on a happier note, so i will be holding the final aes!ocnet awards in december and will be reblogging all posts that are tagged with #aes!ocnet until january 1st 2023. please do not use any aesocnet tags after that as it would be a waste of time as i am not following them.
with all this being said, I have really enjoyed most of my time here and have made some amazing mutuals that i will cherish my interactions with! this account will act as an archive and if you wish to stay connected, i would love to be mutuals over at my main @ourpaige ♡
“Where are we headed again?” Evelyn brought her sunglasses back over her eyes, the blazing sun coming back out from its spot behind the clouds.
The group had landed in Seattle not too long ago, and with not having much time to sightsee before the show the next day, everyone was desperate to get out and see as much as possible. Seokmin had popped into Evelyn’s room after they arrived at the hotel and asked if she wanted to tag along with him, Jeonghan, and Joshua and of course she agreed.
“Um, it’s called ‘The Gum Wall’?” Joshua read off his phone, glancing up every now and then, switching back over to the GPS with the pinged location. He was voted to be the navigator for their outing, and had been leading the group ever since leaving the hotel.
“The Gum Wall,” Seokmin repeated, holding onto the strap of his camera, taking in the scenery, “It sounds intriguing.”
“Very intriguing,” Evelyn agreed, hoisting her purse up further onto her shoulder. Jeonghan had offered to carry her bag for her a few times, but she politely declined with the man still being injured.
“Just think of how gross that wall is.”
“Don’t even get me thinking,” Evelyn scrunched up her face in disgust, “I’m just gonna pretend it’s fake gum made to look real.”
“Good idea, I didn’t bring you a bucket to hurl,” Jeonghan joked, nudging Evelyn with his shoulder.
The group continued down the busy street, stopping to take a few pictures along the way and keeping their eyes peeled for the hidden alleyway. On the way, Jeonghan had spotted an ice cream truck parked alongside the curb, and the group couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get some along the way.
“Wait-,” Evelyn popped the last piece of her cone into her mouth, chewing quickly as she dug around her purse for her camera she had shoved in before leaving the hotel, “Sit down, I want to take a picture of you guys.”
“Seungkwan mentioned you’ve been a lot more pictures now,” Seokmin licked his fingers free from the already melting ice cream, sitting down on a nearby concrete wall with Jeonghan and Joshua following suit.
“It’s definitely one of my favorite gifts,” Evelyn brought out her camera , fiddling with the settings before bringing it up to her face with a smile.
talk to me as i am sleeping, hold me while i'm dreaming.
↳ Jang Akira, Choi Minwoo || Min.
↳word count: 3.5k, warnings: almost smut, angst, drug use, mentions of overdosing.
akira in the wake of hearing the news about august moon.
context here. read the other two pieces before this here and here. min is from @andr0-gyny.
Akira took a deep breath, trying to ground himself as much as possible as he stood in front of the Androgyny dorms. Tonight was Min’s night. He had consciously split his time between Min and Yoonah… It was mostly to accommodate Minwoo. He tended to get jealous so easily. It made Akira roll his eyes so hard that he thought they might flip out of his head.
He took another breath, feeling lightheaded from the lines he had just done. But he had to act normal, he couldn’t let Min know that he was still using, he couldn’t bear the consequences.
Saye had let him in with a soft grunt before disappearing into his room to go back to sleep. He made no mention of the fact that it was nearing four a.m. and the two were surprised he had even bothered waking up. Androgyny actually had a big dorm for the number of people that were living there. Akira would know, he’d lived there before and felt cramped when there were twelve members all living under the same roof. Min had come out of his room and gone straight to the pantry, digging around and trying not to make too much noise.
Akira had taken a seat on one of the couches and pulled out his phone, scrolling through Twitter and trying to focus his mind on something because he felt as if his head was floating off his shoulders.
CRACK. Followed by a series of tiny thuds interrupted the silence. He jumped when he heard the explosion before him, he looked up in terror, seeing the candy rain down onto the floor, locking eyes with Min standing before him, a ripped plastic bag in his hands and mini chocolate bars all over the floor.
“I pulled it too hard...” Min dropped to the ground, picking up handfuls of the chocolate and putting it into the more in-tact half of the plastic bag. Even in Akira’s own inebriated state, he could still smell the alcohol on Minwoo. It had been an issue in his old rap crew, it was full of alcoholics but Min had never settled into that kind of lifestyle-- probably because he was so young back then. But Min had definitely settled into it now.
“I want one!” Akira pleaded, pouting at him. He put his phone on the coffee table before him and felt himself sinking deeper into the couch.
A mini bar of chocolate was being pressed against his lips and he opened his eyes, parting his lips as Min was above him, eyes heavy as he looked down at Akira. He pushed the chocolate into his open mouth slowly and they never once broke eye contact. Minwoo traced his thumb over Akira’s bottom lip and cracked a thin smile, trailing down his chin before taking a seat next to him on the couch.
Akira let the chocolate melt on his tongue, creating a sea of sweetness that cascaded over him. He hummed and let his head fall to the side, being held up by Min's shoulder. He slid his hand on top of Akira’s, his palm so warm against his skin that it made him tingle. Akira huffed out a sigh as Min messed with the universal remote for the television that was hung on the wall before them. He tried his damnedest to turn it on but the buttons just wouldn’t work.
“I have to pee.” Akira announced, getting up in one fluid motion, he regrettably didn’t want to get up-- he could’ve stayed like that forever as far as he was concerned.
Bathrooms when you’re high are like a whole other world. The silence behind the closed door was deafening and the fluorescent lights shined a bit too unnaturally. Akira couldn’t help but stare at himself in the mirror, noting the bags under his eyes and his dishevelled hair. He pulled at his lower eyelid with a finger, the veins in his eyeballs screaming red in stark contrast against his sclera. He patted his own cheek, giving himself a grin and shooting finger guns at the reflection looking back at him.
The bathroom had this crystal light that Akira had always liked, high or sober. The way it projected a flurry of colours as the light shone through the glass reminded him of the stars. He stood there, flicking the switch back and forth and rotating the crystal globe to make the stars dance. He felt like he was part of the universe, floating through space with the bathroom lights off and the colourful light slicing through the thick blackness and flitting across the walls. Akira’s eyes felt heavy suddenly, rubbing at his face with his hands and welcoming the feeling of sobriety that was starting to crash against him. He wanted nothing more than to stretch out with Min on his couch and just cuddle the shit out of him. Min was so warm and inviting and Akira felt so fucking cold.
He made his way out of the bathroom, patting his pockets to try to find his phone and check what time it was-- but they were empty. Minwoo.
Min could never control himself when he saw an opportunity whether it be hiding somewhere to jump out and scare the hell out of someone or to hide Akira’s fucking phone. Akira walked with purpose, reaching the end of the long corridor to see Minwoo sitting slumped back on the couch, a Twizzler hanging from the corner of his mouth as he watched a video on his own cell phone. He closed it out, locking his phone and putting it down when he saw Akira.
“Feeling okay?” He asked, taking the Twizzler out of his mouth and setting it on the couch.
“Give it back, jerk!” Akira said, standing before Min and extending his hand.
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“My phone! I know you took it, Choi.”
Min looked up at Akira, his mouth twisting into a grin. “What makes you think that, Dalhae?” his voice was lower, he spoke quieter.
Akira narrowed his eyes, scanning the area around Minwoo to look for signs of his poor stolen phone. It wasn’t anywhere obvious as far as Akira could tell, but with Min, he admittedly never knew what to expect.
“AHA!” Akira cackled as he lunged for a bulge in Min's pants. His hand cupped it, trying to get a good hold onto what he thought was his phone.
He met eyes with Min who just stared back in complete and utter shock. Minwoo was frozen and it looked like he had even stopped breathing for a moment before Akira realised that he was groping Min’s dick through his pants. Akira felt a chill run down his spine as his ringtone sounded from behind him.
Akira turned his head, seeing his phone lying on the coffee table behind him, screen lit up and chirping from an alarm he had set for another practice that he was bound and determined to skip that day.
“Oh my fucking god.” Akira mustered out from between his heavy lips. He turned his attention back to Minwoo who was seemingly still in shock. He drew his hand back quickly, stepping away from him and standing before the boy awkwardly. “I’m sorry…”
Min looked up at him. “You accuse me of stealing your phone, then you grab my dick and all you have to say to that is ‘sorry?’”
Akira picked up his phone, turning off the alarm and shoving it in his pocket. “You always do things like that anyway.” He grumbled. Akira was pouting, his words hardly audible as he spoke. He sat down on the couch next to Min and crossed his arms.
“Come on Dalhae. Lay with me, I’m sleepy.” He said.
Akira’s chest tingled, still pricking with embarrassment from what he had done. Minwoo stood up, standing in front of Akira.
“Come on, don’t be pouty just because you grabbed my dick.” He paused for a moment, looking into Akira’s eyes. Min laughed as Akira scowled up at him. Minwoo held out his hand and Akira reached for it, taking it in his smaller one and immediately the tingling turned into heat that resonated through his being.
*****
As much as Akira liked Arcadia and everything that August had shown him, he much preferred being at The Octagon. Arcadia was massive compared to how small and intimate The Octagon felt.
He chased what felt like his hundredth line that night. He was definitely up— and not necessarily in a good way. He had gotten shaky and paranoid, his eyes open wide as he wiped his nose with the back of his hand and sniffled. He looked at his phone, seeing that August was almost an hour late to their original plans… It truly wasn’t like him, August was usually here before Akira ever stepped foot in the building if he didn't have prior engagements.
Akira unlocked his phone, typing a short “bro, what the fuck?” to August as he shook his head and set it on the couch next to him. He jerked his head to the side as he heard someone enter the room, and he must’ve looked just as crazy as he felt when Hyejoo walked in and threw his hands up in defense.
“Where the fuck have you been?”
“Excuse me?” Akira said. “I’ve been here all fucking night, what do you mean ‘where have I been?’”
“We’ve been looking for you. Some bad shit has happened and no one could find you, dumbass.” Hyejoo crossed his arms, dark circles apparent under his eyes. Akira had always thought that Hyejoo was handsome— really handsome. Hyejoo always made Akira think of that guy from that book about the social hierarchy shit where that prep got stabbed— was it Ponyboy? Akira couldn’t even remember anymore, all he knew was that Hyejoo had bleached hair just like the main character and that it made him look rugged in the most delicate way.
“What happened?”
Hyejoo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from Akira. He walked over, sitting next to him on the couch and put a hand on his shoulder. Hyejoo squeezed him tightly, making eye contact with him. “It’s August.”
Akira could feel the bottom of his stomach drop out as if he had looked over the edge of a clif. The two words made him feel immediately ill.
“What?” Akira’s voice didn’t sound like his own as it travelled from his throat. He sounded small, like he had became a child again and he hated the feeling more than he hated anything.
“Listen, don’t freak out. He was stable when we last heard about him, but he was in bad shape.”
“What happened? What did he do?” There was really only one thing in the back of Akira’s mind. He knew August like the back of his hand, August had become one of his closest friends in a short amount of time. Even if they fought back and forth like stray dogs, Akira couldn’t deny how deeply he felt for August and how much he actually appreciated the others' friendship. Akira knew what had happened. But he needed to hear it.
“Yebin said he’d been on a bender again. She hadn’t been in contact with him all day which was weird, you know how August is.” Hyejoo said. He could tell Hyejoo was even having a hard time recounting the story, but Hyejoo was always one of the stronger ones. This was the most emotion Akira had ever seen out of him.
“He… He overdosed?” Akira’s voice rose with the question.
Hyejoo nodded, an almost minute gesture as he looked down and away from Akira. “Yeah. August overdosed.”
“Is he gonna be okay? Was he awake, or was he—”
“Akira, we don’t know. He was taken to the hospital and no one was able to go back there except for Yebin. We just have to wait it out.” Akira clenched his jaw. Hyejoo stood up. “I have to go, Jisu’s waiting for me. Do you have a safe way home?”
Akira nodded without hearing fully what Hyejoo said— August was supposed to be his way home that night.
Hyejoo slipped out before Akira could truly register that he was even leaving. He looked down at his phone again, picking it up with trembling hands. He wanted to go home now, he didn’t want to be in such an open place anymore. Akira did the remaining two lines that he had cut on the low table before him and looked down at his phone as he navigated the screens. He could feel his chest heaving violently— was he hyperventilating?
He pressed the phone to his ear, listening to the ringback as he leaned back, spine hitting the couch cushions as he looked up at the ceiling. He knew he should probably be calling Yoonah right about now, but he wasn’t in the mood. He just wanted to go home.
“Mmm, Kira?”
“I’m sorry, I know you’re sleeping and I’m sorry for calling you, but—”
“Dalhae, what’s wrong?” Min’s voice was deep, heavy with the sleep he had just been stirred from. But he was still just as gentle with Akira as he’d ever been.
“Can you come get me?”
There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line before Akira heard the shuffling of Min’s sheets as he pulled them back and sat up. “Yeah, yeah of course. Where are you?”
“Gangnam. It’s a place called The Octagon.”
“Did someone hurt you?”
“No. I’m alright, I just wanna go home, Minwoo.” Akira rubbed one of his eyes with the heel of his hand.
“Why’re you crying? What happened?” Min’s voice had changed as he became more lucid, Akira could hear him as he went through the motions of slipping his shoes and stepping out of his dorm.
“I’m not crying.” Was Akira crying?
“I’m catching a taxi now, I’ll stay on the phone until I get there.”
*****
Akira stumbled into Min’s room, the warm scent filling him as Min pushed against his back, flipping the lightswitch off and leaving only a glowing yellow lamp in the corner.
Min had found out quickly that Akira was still using— heavily at that. He had managed to keep it a secret up until this night, but he just didn’t care. It was at the back of his mind with the information he had been told at The Octagon.
But regardless, Akira was fucked up. He was so fucked up that he could barely see straight. He never wanted Min to see him like this, especially not after the night that Min threatened to be friends with Bunny again if Akira kept using. But Akira couldn’t stop. Akira needed it to feel normal. Any time he was sober he felt sweaty and bothered, his palms tingle and itch and he was irritable until he could get his fix again.
Akira had a problem.
“Minnie, are you mad at me?” Akira asked. His voice was heavy, pitiful even. “Please don’t be mad at me.”
There was a long silence as Minwoo stayed pressed up against Akira’s back. He let out a long breath, one that sounded like Min had been holding it in for a long time. He leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the back of Akira’s head and closing his eyes. “No, Dalhae. I’m not mad at you.”
Akira was having a hard time forming his next words. He knew what he wanted to say, but actually putting it out into the universe almost felt painful.
“August overdosed tonight.” Akira put his hand over Min’s, grabbing the others fingers and pulling him along as he walked. “I really just wanna sit down, can we sit down.”
Min seemed to freeze, allowing himself to be dragged by Akira momentarily toward his own bed. “Shit, Akira.”
Akira knew that Min probably didn’t know what to say-- even though he didn't know what he could possibly want to hear at that moment. He just knew he was craving comfort and warmth, something he didn’t think he would ever be able to achieve.
Akira laid down in Min’s bed, pulling Min on top of him. Min complied without any reservations, arms wrapping around the other tightly. Akira didn’t bother speaking again. He found no sense in filling the silent void with words. Min, on the other hand, was different.
“You okay, baby?” Min propped himself up a bit so he could look at Akira’s face. His eyes were dilated from the drugs he’d taken, Min could tell undoubtedly, but he couldn’t bring himself to be upset with the other. He didn’t even mention it.
“I don’t want him to die, Minwoo.”
“You don’t know how bad it is, I know that if he hasn’t died yet then there’s a really good chance that he won’t.” Min was pulling words out of his ass. But if they helped Akira feel better he figured it was okay.
Min ran his fingers along Akira’s cheekbone as he looked down at him. A strong look wore heavily on Min’s face. “You just need to relax, baby. There’s nothing you can do.”
Akira looked up at Min again, their faces closer than they had been in a long time. Of course, the two often laid together, held each other in their arms, but never face-to-face like this. Akira thought Min was handsome— he had a pretty and masculine face that was so undoubtedly him. He’d never seen anyone who looked quite like Choi Minwoo, and he figured he probably never would again. Akira couldn’t help his longing that he had for the boy, the way he talked to Akira with his soft and even tone, or the way that he took control in every situation. Akira couldn’t help but to wonder if there was more to what he was feeling for Min. His deep-seated adoration felt out of place, it was something he didn’t feel for anyone else and had never felt before Min had come into his life. Was there something more? Could Akira like Minwoo more?
Akira stared at Min’s lips, his eyes hazy and low from the drugs. He licked his own, tugging his bottom lip between his teeth. Minwoo felt the crushing silence, and he started to roll off of Akira to give him some space. But for once, Akira didn’t let him go. Akira kept their faces right before each other, fists twisting into Min’s shirt. His chest was hard, his body was warm, and Akira couldn’t tell if it was the drugs making him all-consuming. He was taken in by the musky scent that Min wore, the way his weight pressed Akira onto the bed.
Akira couldn’t help himself anymore.
“Dalhae, what’re you—” He cut Min off, pulling him in by his shirt and pressing their lips together.
Akira could feel Min freeze at the sudden connection, but it didn’t take long for him to react, one of his hands splaying across Akira’s cheek as he tilted his head and deepened the kiss. Min’s mouth slotted open, his tongue pushing into Akira’s— and Akira welcomed it. He whined into Min’s mouth, pushing him over so he could roll on top of the bigger man. He sat on Min’s hips as the other had done to him countless times as his fists stayed balled in his shirt, keeping Min clutched so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.
Min’s hands were everywhere— touching Akira’s thighs and waist and face as they kissed. They just kept going, their lips working against one another with an infrequent tongue prodding in from either party. It was raw and warm. Akira would be lying if he said it wasn’t the most intense kiss he’d ever experienced.
Min’s hands went from his waist and started sliding down to the front of his pants, palming at Akira’s dick that was already hard. It was humiliating and it made Akira draw back, breaking their kiss apart with a gentle smack. He grabbed Min’s wrist and tried to look him in the eyes, but the sudden realisation of what he was doing hit him and made him feel embarrassed. This wasn’t Akira. Akira didn’t like boys.
No. Akira liked Min. Akira loved Min.
“Shit, I forgot,” He said, averting his eyes from the boy who looked up at him, a confused look wearing down on his gaze. Akira reached down, swiping his thumb across the scar on Min’s cheek before climbing off of him. “I have somewhere to be, I have to— I-I have to go.”
It was a lie-- of course it was a lie. But Akira was overwhelmed. He had acted too hastily and scared himself, he wasn’t ready for something like this, for anything like this.
“Dalhae,” Min sounded like he was coming out of a deep sleep, raising himself up on his elbows and getting up from the bed and following behind Akira as he walked toward the door. “Akira, you’re fucking joking.” He put his hand on Akira’s shoulder and he froze for a moment before his fingers wrapped around the doorknob.
Min didn’t hold him tightly. He let Akira go when he wanted to, Min’s fingers fell limply when Akira walked out the door.
TWICE's Maya was the star at the recent Lancôme Pop-Up Event in Itaewon, South Korea on August 18, 2022. Other notable celebrities present were SNSD's Sooyoung, Lee Jaewook and more.
Maya stunned with her bangs and all black look. Korean netizens were mesmerized and even said she looked like a CG character from SM's alternative universe, Kwangya.
Knetz comments:
Wow seriously Jieun's visuals ㅠㅠ
How can someone look this good?
She looks like she entered Kwangya... I thought people were being overdramatic, but I acknowledge this
Maya is so freaking pretty... she suits that lip color like a glove
SUGAR RUSH'S TWITTER ACCOUNT posted a TEASER PHOTO for the group's next comeback, LOVE BOMB. the photo was posted with the caption 09. 19. 2022 and the hashtag #SUGAR_RUSH_LOVE_BOMB.
inVAGANT (인바간트), is a 4 member South Korean boygroup under Olympia Entertainment. The group consists of the members Daein, Vante, Seokho, and Jun. They debuted on January 3, 2008.
— [♡] ORIGINAL INHABITANTS of Haven Island, a paradise. They lived in peace until the arrival of the hooded men, whose intentions were to KEEP the island and GOVERN IT abusing its wealth and pleasures.
They were eventually CAPTURED and sent to earth, where they use their magic abilities to open portals that take them to DIFFERENT DIMENSIONS, trying to find the one that will take them back to Haven.
.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆. LEARN ABOUT THEM !
— [♡] Why "inVAGANT"?
The name comes from the combination of the words "In" and "Vagante" ("Stray" in italian). The name has TWO MEANINGS, the first is that the members of inVAGANT WILL NOT follow expectations and will go against the normal to show a NEW STYLE. The second meaning is associated with the NARRATIVE UNIVERSE of OLYMPIA ENTERTAINMENT, in which inVAGANT were expelled from their land and are now wandering between dimensions trying to return.
— [♡] Official Greeting:
“Va-gan-TE! Hi, we are inVAGANT!”
— [♡] inVAGANT's Fandom Name is...
inCUORE !! (인구오레)
— [♡] Why inCUORE?
It's a wordplay with the name of the group, instead of "Vagante", "CUORE" means "HEART" in italian, so inCUORE means "in the heart".
[ SUMMARY ! ] in which sunwoo almost breaks.
[ CHARACTERS ! ] jeon sunwoo, noh jiwon, lim yedam
[ TIME ! ] sometime in 2021 (around the chloe scandal)
[ WORD COUNT ! ] 2k
[ WARNINGS ! ] fighting, swearing, mentions of sex
Sunwoo stared across the room, his eyes narrowing as he heard bits and pieces of the four boy’s conversation. They had been going on for the last five minutes of their break all about their most recent hookups and while Sunwoo expected nothing less from Taejoon and Julian, Jiwon was a surprise, and one that hurt.
Sure, Jiwon had hooked up, and had left some girls heartbroken before, but since meeting Taejoon and Julian he had only gotten more brazen on the topic. Sunwoo wouldn’t be mad if he was just sleeping with a bunch of girls, but he was using them and laughing about it behind their backs, while they were probably waiting for a call that would never come, which Sunwoo couldn’t stand.
The boy let out a sigh, standing from his spot leaning against the mirror and walking out without another word. Nobody even seemed to notice that he left, none of the seven other boys in the room even batting an eye at him. It hurt him just a bit, but there was a twinge of relief in the back of his mind when nobody came to follow him.
Sunwoo walked down the hallway, turning the corner before leaning against the wall, letting out a long sigh, enjoying the moment of quiet.
“Someone looks upset,” a deep gravelly voice from next to him spoke out into the silence, startling Sunwoo out of his peaceful trance. The man’s eyes shot open coming face to face with the chill laid back smile of Yedam.
Sunwoo had been under the company for about half a year, yet he had never once come face to face with the bassist of Neon Hearts, in fact he had never come back to face with any of the members of Neon Hearts.
The shock must have been present on his face because Yedam let out a smooth, silky laugh. “Ah, yes,” he said, the laugh remaining in his voice. “Finally seeing a member of the elusive Neon Hearts, don’t worry I’ve heard all the rumors before.”
“Rumors?” Sunwoo finally broke out of his trance, cocking one of his eyebrows up. Sure, he had heard that Neon Hearts were seculuce and often aloof with anyone they met, but he had never heard any of the gossip that normally traveled around the trainee sphere.
“Oh, you know, the ones where Neon Hearts is actually a front for money laundering or a drug ring so we barely ever come into practice except for when we need another song,” Yedam shrugged with a small laugh. “Or, my personal favorite, that we’re all vampires and only come in at night which is why less people see us.”
“Do people really say those things?” Sunwoo chuckled.
“Not to our face, but I’ve seen some trainees look absolutely terrified of us,” he said. “But, as you can see, I’m standing here in the daylight so the vampire one must not be true.”
“I don’t know,” Sunwoo shrugged, pointing up at the lights above him. “These are all artificial lights so I don’t think we can rule it out just yet.”
Yedam blinked at Sunwoo, before a smile formed on his face. “I don’t have a comeback for that one, but I’m glad to see that our ridiculous rumors have put a smile on your face.”
Sunwoo was almost shocked at the words. He had almost completely forgotten about what had annoyed him in the first place since he had been talking to Yedam. It was a nice distraction to have someone to talk to that was nowhere near involved with Jiwon, someone that could actually distract him from what was going on.
Yedam paused for a moment, debating the next words before saying them. “So, what’s up to make you all upset?”
Sunwoo let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. “You know, just group stuff.”
“Like the whole coming to Outcast and them kicking a member or just general group drama?”
Sunwoo raised an eyebrow. “Now who’s the one that knows all the rumors?”
“Word travels fast around here,” Yedam laughed.
“Well, you’ll be sad to know it’s nothing to do with the rumors, just general group drama,” Sunwoo shrugged. “Some of the new members are bad influences.”
Yedam made a small noise of understanding. “Not too surprised based on other rumors I’ve heard.”
Sunwoo laughed. “Why am I not surprised?”
“Here, give me your phone” Yedam pointed his head towards the phone in Sunwoo’s hand, and he wasted no time handing it over. “Take my number, if they get annoying again you can come and talk to me, I don’t mind being a pseudo therapist.”
Sunwoo nodded, taking the phone back. “Will do,” he smiled. “I gotta get back to practice, but thanks.”
“No problem,” he said with a small half smile, continuing down the hallway to where he had been heading before his little detour. Sunwoo just watched where he was for a moment, before continuing making his way back to the practice room.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Sunwoo said from his bed, watching as Jiwon moved around the room, finding something to wear to visit Della. The question had been on Sunwoo’s mind ever since Jiwon had brought up going out that night.
“When have you ever cared if going out was a good idea?” Jiwon raised an eyebrow, stopping to look at Sunwoo. It was true, Sunwoo had never really been a person to care if Jiwon or any of them went out, though with all the eyes on Della after the whole Chloe situation, Sunwoo had a bad feeling about it.
“Since there’s been a shit storm in the media with Della recently,” Sunwoo said, looking at Jiwon to see him roll his eyes.
“Not really Della’s fault,” Jiwon told him, going back to picking up some shirts and deciding between them.
Sunwoo rolled his eyes. “Just because it’s not Della’s fault doesn’t mean it’s a smart image move to be hanging out with her when all eyes are on her.”
“You know you can just say you don’t like Della and go,” Jiwon told him, his tone getting snippy, much more than he had been during the rest of the conversation. Sunwoo knew he struck a nerve, he knew that he should just let Jiwon do what he wanted, he knew he wasn’t going to listen to him anyway.
“I never said I didn’t like Della, I just didn’t want you to get sucked into all the rumors,” It didn’t seem like it was too much to ask, wanting Jiwon to be careful. Jiwon had always been like this since they were little, the rules never seemed to apply to him.
Jiwon just shrugged. “I guess I’ll just be careful.”
“Going to see Della isn’t careful.” Sunwoo crossed his arms, raising an eyebrow. It almost pained him just how dense Jiwon could be.
“God, Mom, it’s just a little meet up,” Jiwon rolled his eyes, finally picking a shirt off a hanger and putting it on.
“I don’t know why you’re getting so annoyed that I’m concerned about you getting in deep shit.”
“I’m annoyed that you are trying to tell me what I can and can’t do,” Jiwon crossed his arms, eyebrows furrowing in frustration. “We aren’t kids anymore, I can make my own fucking choices.”
“I’m just trying to make sure you don’t get into a scandal that could get you kicked out of the group,” Sunwoo shot back. “But I’m not sure that you even really care about that since you never had to work hard for it.”
“You know I care about this group,” Jiwon responded, his voice low, eyes narrowed.
“Yeah, well start acting like the fucking leader and put it before your little fuck buddy,” Sunwoo’s voice got louder and he could feel himself getting more and more worked up. He wasn’t even that mad about Jiwon getting into trouble, at this point he didn’t care since it was obvious Jiwon didn’t care about his reputation. He just didn’t want to see Della end up like Chloe.
“Just because you’re in love with me doesn’t mean you get to dictate who I hang out with!”
Sunwoo paused, his mouth hung open slightly as he watched the other boy stare at him with anger in his eyes. Jiwon knew, Jiwon knew, Jiwon knew. The words kept running through his mind and Sunwoo didn’t know what to think. He shouldn’t be surprised Jiwon knew, Jiwon always could read him like an open book, but this had been the one thing he wanted Jiwon to not know about. He couldn’t think about this now, he needed to get back to the topic at hand. Sunwoo took a steadying breath, trying to push his worries out of his mind for this moment.
“I’m not trying to dedicate who you can hang out with, you asshole,” Sunwoo said after a moment, and he could tell that the hurt was seeping onto his face, something Jiwon would notice in a second. “I just don’t want you to hurt anyone.”
“Sleeping with people isn’t hurting them, it’s completely normal,” Jiwon rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. “Maybe if you got your dick wet every once in a while, you wouldn’t be such a prude.”
Sunwoo sighed, rubbing a hand over his temples. “I’m not telling you to not have sex with people, just don’t hurt them in the process.”
“When have I hurt anyone from this?”
“I’m sorry, have we both not listened to Chloe’s new song?” Sunwoo shot back, getting annoyed with the older man. “You know, the one that caused a shit storm with her and Della? The one everyone thinks is about Hyeonju and you should be thanking some higher power above that Outcast had Della start fake dating him before it all came out?”
Jiwon just rolled his eyes. “One person doesn’t prove anything. That’s Chloe, she was psycho from the beginning.”
“One person shows that you were careless once and you could be careless again.” Sunwoo said, pausing and letting out a sigh when Jiwon didn’t look like he would say anything. “Look, sleep with who you want, I don’t care, just don’t hurt other people doing it.”
Sunwoo didn’t wait for Jiwon to say anything, to start arguing with him again, he just turned on his heel and left their shared room, not even thinking before he left the dorm all together.
Sunwoo walked for a while, letting the cold night air hit his face as he looked for somewhere, anywhere he could go that wouldn’t be back at the dorms. He was sure that Jiwon had left by now, but he knew that going back would leave him to deal with the expecting eyes of Jinhwan and Donghan who knew the two never fought. Going back meant he would be the one to answer questions and he sure as hell didn’t want to be the one doing that.
He paused for a moment, looking out at the Han River, watching as the moonlight glistened on the top of the water, looking peaceful like he wished his mind would at the moment. Sunwoo sighed, pulling out his phone. There was only one person he could think to call right now, someone that wasn’t too close to this situation, an outsider looking in. His finger paused over the call button, debating, but he pushed down anyway. The line rang a few times before the man on the other end picked up.
“Hello?” the voice rang out, confusion evident in just the one word and Sunwoo cursed remembering that Yedam didn’t have his number.
“Hey, Yedam, it’s Sunwoo,” he laughed into the phone awkwardly. “Are you free right now?”
the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.
↳ Adrian Yeon || Jaewon, Felix Yeon, Elias Kim || Jiho, Summit Ensemble.
↳word count: 2k, warnings: fighting.
felix and adrian have truly never gotten along, and it doesn’t seem like they ever will.
For context on Jiho and Felix’s relationship, you can read this and understand immediately what’s up with them.
The sound of glass breaking shattered the acute silence in the dorm. It was late, and while most of the members were still awake besides Jaeyoung, the sound was still a disturbance to say the least. Eli rubbed his eyes and sighed as he looked over at Ash who shared his expression.
Felix found himself sitting on the ground, his cheek stinging as he was surrounded by broken glass that cascaded on the floor around him. He touched his cheek with a gentle hand, feeling where his skin had been sliced open. He pulled back, looking at the crimson that covered his fingertips. His bottom lip quivered before he clenched his teeth together.
It was always like this for one reason or another. Ever since Felix was young, he could remember how common this occurrence was. He thought he had escaped it once and for all, but his insistence on picking the best company that was offering themself to he and Elias– Elias who he now had to call Jiho– had put him back in this predicament. Had put him right back under the same roof as his big brother.
“Actually-“ Seungkwan spoke into the mic, looking down the row towards Evelyn, “-Our own Eunji has been working out more recently.”
“Her arms have gotten larger since the last tour that’s for sure,” Seokmin added, turning to smile brightly at Evelyn.
The camera panned over to Evelyn as her eyes grew wide, the crowd bursting out into excited cheers. She held her hands up and waved them frantically, trying her best to calm the carats down. Sure, she had been going to the gym more often than before, but her muscles weren’t that big.
“I don’t know what they’re talking about,” She rushed out, a smile attached to her face, “They are the same size I swear!”
“Look, Evelyn’s turning red,” Dino stepped forward from his place in line to look down at her, laughing into the mic.
Evelyn couldn’t stop the giggles escaping her mouth, having to turn her back to the crowd to try and compose herself again. She shivered when a cold sensation met her arms, the crowd erupting in even louder screams than before that were almost deafening.
It took her a second to realize that her jacket was yanked down revealing her toned arms. She whipped her head to the side to find the culprit, Seokmin, running back to his place in line, doubling over as loud cackles filled his mic.
The members turned to look at the LED screens behind them, taking turns on praising and complimenting Evelyn’s arms.
“I’m jealous of Evie’s arms.”
“She’s going to start showing them more now, just wait.”
“Eunji’s arms are bigger than Mingyu’s.”
She turned back to face the crowd, her face painted with shock and disbelief, pulling her jacket back up onto her shoulders. “Wow, Seokmin is a real troublemaker.”
A tragic car accident on the bypass leading out of Seoul was reported early this morning and it was confirmed to be fatal for all who were involved. Reports now state that one of the vehicles involved was the family of Summit Rapper Ash Nam.
The vehicle was driven by his father, who was accompanied by Ash's mother as well as his younger brother and sister.
Representatives from Angelico Entertainment confirmed that Ash Nam will not be taking a break from activities and will continue to promote and participate in Summit's upcoming world tour.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ash during these hard times.
i remember the first day we met as if it was yesterday; it was a hot summer, the both of us were at LA since our dancing skills were… not that good, and we both shared a dream, a passion. you looked so lonely sitting right at the corner of the practice room, but since you looked like a nice person, i decided that it was a great idea to approach you and befriend you.
i’m always going to be grateful with 10 year old june for making that decision.
you were going to turn fifteen when we first talked with each other, and now? you’re having your 25th bday today? i still can’t believe how time flies.
we’ve been through thick and thin, through our best, bad and worst moments, and i’m 300% sure that you’re the person that knows me the best in this entire world. thank you for existing, jeon jungkook; for lightning up this world with your existence and for being such a beautiful human. thank you for being one of my favorite people ever and for always supporting me and loving me the way i am. i’m just really grateful with the universe for having you in my life and for being able to call you my best friend and my other half. 🤍
happy 25th birthday old one😛 keep being the shining star you’ve always been⭐️
i love you 3000 jk
with love, minmin xx (aka june, junnie, MJ, junjun, bubbles, gummy bear, bunny, little sprout, twinkle twinkle little star, etc lol)
psa. you still owe me ice cream.
i forgot to post this one💀 it was in the drafts but uni happened and i got busy lol. anyways<3 we love best friends
CHLOE KWON posted a teaser photo on her TWITTER account with the caption 'COMING SOON.' the photo just says the words 'THESE PURPLE NIGHTS.' which people have took to mean the title of her well teased first ALBUM under her own company, LOVELY RECORDS, which had a pre-release single, FAST TIMES come out in JUNE.
↳ Ash Nam, Reid Kim (@l0serclubs), Son Jinhwa (@whileinvenus)
↳word count: 4k, warnings: discussion of injuries and distressing situations.
“Who even is this kid?” Reid asks as he walks in time with Jinhwa, who’s walking at a brisk pace through the hospital halls. He’s processing the room numbers as fast as he can like he’s on some mission to get to Ash’s room as soon as he can.
“Someone who needs our help,” Jinhwa answers simply. Reid shoots him a look at the vague answer, sighing.
“Okay, well, his name?” Reid asks again. Jinhwa stops in front of Ash’s hospital room, pointing to the name on the door, giving Reid that business professional smile he’s mastered by now.
“Ash.”
Reid almost scoffs, nodding with raised brows.
“Thanks. Don’t know where I would be without you.” Reid deadpans, shoving his hands into his pockets as Jinhwa gives the door a soft knock before going inside before Ash can even give a confirmation to be let in or not. He always did that, walked into places like he owned them.
Though, when he steps into Ash’s room, his steps are lighter and more gentle as if he’d scare the boy in the hospital bed. There’s a warm and soft smile on his face, hoping to make Ash more comfortable. He can only imagine how uncomfortable he must be in this condition, just the sight of someone so doe eyed as Ash laying in a hospital bed makes Jinhwa want to grit his teeth.
Eli told him about his suspicions of Kyungha, told him about how he hit him because he wouldn’t hit Ash, and now Ash is in the hospital with a chest tube. It didn’t take a genius to put the pieces together.
“Hi Ash,” Jinhwa smiles, bowing his head slightly as he walks over to the side of the boy’s bed, putting his hand on his shoulder gently before motioning towards Reid behind him, who forced a tight lipped smile. “This is my friend, Reid. He usually helps me with things like this.” Jinhwa seems to have an answer for everything.
The man sits down in the chair beside Ash’s bed, sighing softly as he does so, looking the boy over once before back up at his face. “I just came in to check on you and how you’re doing. I also want to get the full story on what happened to you. I want to make sure that whoever did this to you is punished to the fullest extent,” A lightbulb goes off in Reid’s brain when Jinhwa says that in his professional voice. It makes him swallow, eyes falling to the ground and arms crossing across his chest.
“Do you know who did this to you?” Jinhwa purposely doesn’t tell him about his meeting with Eli. He wants to hear Ash’s version before telling him what he already knows.
Ash is alone in the hospital for the first time since he got there. Eli had left him long ago, his parents had been in and out, but they wouldn't be back until tomorrow because they had to take his sisters home, so he was finally able to sink into the hospital bed and take the deepest breath he could muster without hurting himself too badly. He still didn't feel normal-- he was told he probably wouldn't for at least a few weeks. He still wheezed when he breathed and he had to pause when speaking to take a breath in.
He had been told he had a punctured lung. He had three ribs that had all broken completely, floating inside of his torso-- one of them happened to have stabbed into his lungs, making one of them collapse. When he got to the hospital, there wasn't much time to talk about how this had happened, just a scramble to get Ash into surgery to make sure the damage was repaired the best that it could be. Now, he refuses to look at his left side, a tube coming from inside his chest laying next to him in the bed as well as an IV in his slinged arm. It all made Ash feel lightheaded. So he opted instead to stare at the wall before him. Just thinking.
His head jerks up when he hears commotion, two people walking into his hospital room-- he recognises both of them and his jaw goes slack when he realises who is standing before him. He wishes that things had gone differently upon his first formal meeting of his boss and someone that he had always admired from a distance. He wished he could stand up and give them the respect that they deserved.
"I-I'm sorry," Wheeze. "Mr. Jinhwa, it's nice to meet you." Ash puts a hand on his chest, sucking in another laboured breath. "You too, Mr. Reid, I admire you a lot." Ash says candidly.
Ash blinks softly, looking up at Jinhwa with big eyes. He's impressed that the man is actually here in front of him. "N-no, you don't have to worry about that," Wheeze "It was my fault, I just wanted to go out and--" wheeze "catch fireflies. I should've-- I should've done better."
Ash's blood runs cold as he speaks, he's sure he's gone pale and he's surprised that he isn't stuttering more. His hands begin to shake so much that he braces them against his thighs under the covers. He looks away from Reid and Jinhwa. "I'm sorry for the trouble I've caused, I-I" wheeze "I'm so sorry."
Seeing how much Ash is struggling to breathe makes Jinhwa’s chest ache slightly. He hates seeing gentle people taken advantage of, beaten down until they’re in a hospital bed, it makes him absolutely irate. He swallows it down for Ash, not trying to put any more stress on him.
Reid forces another tight lipped grin, this one feels more genuine. “Just call me Reid. It’s okay,” He tries to mimic the same smoothness Jinhwa possesses, he likes to think he’s getting better at it every day, “Thank you.”
Jinhwa scans Ash’s face, nodding along to his words just to show him that he’s listening. Something catches in his throat when Ash mentions going out to catch fireflies. A lot of things about Ash remind Jinhwa of his son from his large doe eyes to the fixation with bugs. Of course, Jinhwa’s son is five and Ash is in his twenties but still the resemblance is there in his head.
“Done better?” Jinhwa questions, brows knitting slightly. He puts his hand on the side of his bed, an offer in case Ash wants to take it. It’s no secret the boy is in distress, something Jinhwa wishes he knew how to ease. “You know my son loves catching fireflies too but he really likes moths. Those are his favorite,” The man explains in a soft and casual tone, he wants Ash to be comfortable. “Bugs are cool. Don’t be sorry.”
Jinhwa glances at Reid behind him. Both of them silently agree that Ash isn’t going to budge on his own. Reid looks at Ash, loosening his stance to hopefully look less intimidating.
“You know, the person who did this to do...You shouldn’t protect them,” The boy tilts his head down at Ash as Jinhwa nods in agreement, “They didn’t protect you. You would’ve died in that park if it weren’t for Eli.” Does Reid know if Ash would’ve died in that park? No. Not at all. But he says it with so much confidence, he even believes it could’ve happened.
Reid shrugs.
“They don’t deserve your protection, Ash. Not after what they did to you.” A small lull, showing that Jinhwa approved of Reid’s little speech. Then he straightens his back, clearing his throat slightly.
“And...Eli talked to me after you were admitted to the hospital,” Jinhwa gives a half smile and a knowing look, “I know about Kyungha. Well, I know what Eli told me about Kyungha,” Jinhwa raises his brows at Ash, “But I want to hear what you have to say about Kyungha.”
"I-I shouldn't have gone out. I know I wasn't supposed to but I d-did anyway." Ash says with a rushed voice. "I should've done better." He says again.
Ash doesn't hesitate to pull out from under the sheet and take Jinhwa's hand, his own still trembling as he clutches the others fingers. He almost perks up at the mention of moths. It reminds him of his dad and it causes a tinge of warmth to bloom in his chest momentarily. "I used to hatch moths with my dad when I was a kid." Ash struggles to get out. He stops talking completely for a moment as he bites his bottom lip, a thick pain rippling through his chest-- something else he had been told was normal to happen from time to time while he was healing and getting better. It almost knocked the wind out of him.
"Have you ever hatched moths, Mr. Jinhwa?" Ash asks him as his gaze dances between the others eyes. "You should if you haven't. It would be nice for your son."
His eyes travel to Reid, listening to him speak. His voice is so deep and even as he speaks, unwaivering and there's something comforting about how he sounds-- the way that both of them sound. It's like they had done this a thousand times over. He listens to what they have to say, up until the end.
Ash jerks up hearing Kyungha's name. It sends coldness through his blood, and as he sits up straight, he can feel his ribs cracking inside of him and the tube in his chest moving in a funny way. The pain makes his eyes well up with tears until they spill down his cheeks, but he acts unaffected as he speaks through pained and laboured gasps.
"He can't-- You can't tell him, you can't let him know that you know or that anyone told you," Ash says frantically, his fingers squeezing Jinhwa's hand a little tighter as the words are ejected from his mouth. "He-he said he'd kill me if I ever told anyone what happened, you can't let him know, he'll kill me."
Ash's silent tears had turned into hysterics at that point, his sobs affecting the way his words came out. He was able to quelle it quickly, however, gaining control of the emotions that bellowed out of him as he sucked in a breath and clutched at his side with his slinged arm.
He sniffles softly, looking from Reid to Jinhwa. "Please, I-I..." He takes another shallow breath in, shoulders shaking. "I just wanted to catch fireflies, I just wanted to go outside."
Jinhwa immediately holds the boy’s hand in a protective hold when he wraps his fingers around his, smiling when he asks about hatching moths. “Can’t say I have but Hajoon would love that,” He name drops his son like everyone knows the kid. Even Reid looks around when he hears that name.
He’s only referred to Jinhwa’s kid as…Jinhwa’s kid.
“Woah, woah,” Reid acts before Jinhwa can, putting a hand on Ash’s chest to gently pushing back to where he’s laying down. “Go easy on yourself.” And Jinhwa would agree if he wasn’t so focused on Ash’s words.
Kill him? Jinhwa tries to think back on the day he hired Kyungha. He seemed normal enough. His memory is foggy though, he can barely remember half his talent let alone staff he doesn’t give a shit about.
Jinhwa is eerily calm through Ash’s break down while Reid is stiff, not knowing what to do when people cry as the elder gently rubs the back of Ash’s hand with the hand that isn’t holding his. He swallows, looking at Reid then back at Ash.
“You’re not the one who broke contract, Ash.” Jinhwa assures, clearly struggling to keep his voice calm and collected. He’s angry. He’s angry he let someone like Kyungha into his company, around the people he’s supposed to care for, let him get so comfortable he put Ash in the hospital. “Going outside isn’t against your contract. You did nothing wrong. You did nothing wrong.”
Reid’s heard him say these soft and gentle words before but to a different doe eyed boy who cried in his presence. It makes him swallow, eyes looking down and jaw tightening.
“You know…Managers sign contracts too and one of the rules I have in those contracts is they don’t abuse their talent,” Jinhwa looks Ash’s frail body over as he speaks before looking back at his face, “I think people like Kyungha don’t belong at Angelico. I don’t think they belong anywhere but in the ground, if I’m being honest.”
Reid sighs through his nose at that. Of course that’s where this is going. That’s all Reid seems to be good for in Jinhwa’s eyes at this point. Jinhwa tilts his head at Ash, nodding slowly.
“I can make him go away. I can make sure he doesn’t hurt you or Eli or anyone else every again—We can,” He nods towards Reid, who’s staring ahead, before his gaze shifts to Ash’s bed.
“All you have to do is tell me you want that,” Jinhwa’s voice is quiet, soothing, as the hand on top of Ash’s slides off and off the bed. The other hand still holds onto the boy’s, squeezing softly.
“Whatever you want to do, Ash. It’s up to you.”
Jinhwa telling Ash that he's done nothing wrong makes him fall silent, his bottom lip quivering. Ash has been trying so hard for a long time, even before he debuted. He hates to think about it, but the way things had gone made him feel like everything he did was wrong, like there was nothing he ever did that was right. He didn't know why he was such a magnet for things like this, why people treated him this way, but he's suddenly overcome with self pity.
You did nothing wrong.
Tears roll down Ash's cheeks silently, his breath hitching in his chest. He makes a sound like a strangled rabbit as pain circulates through his body, soberingly aware of every broken thing on him, both physical and not. His eyes flick to Reid when he sighs through his nose, and he feels bad. He doesn't want to be such a burden that he's irritating, even as he's laying in the hospital bed, he doesn't want to be the cause of someone else's discomfort.
"I'm sorry." He says, looking at Reid. His eyes flick back to Jinhwa and he realises he's left the elder's question unanswered.
"You wanna hear what I have to say about Kyungha" Ash says softly. "He's hit me in the face a couple times, but it was never anything serious. Mostly open-handed slaps, nothing too bad. But that night... I had a jar with me, and--" Ash takes a moment to catch his breath, realising that he's running out of air quickly. "And I was just gonna go to Haneul Park to catch some fireflies... I haven't seen them since I lived away from Seoul and I was feeling homesick since I don't get to go home much."
Ash's voice quivers recounting the events that happened. "I was just walking out the door and Kyungha Hyung grabbed my shoulder and he seemed like he was going to be nice to me. He took me outside and knocked my jar out of my hands and it broke on the sidewalk." Ash keeps his big round eyes trained on Jinhwa as he speaks. They're glassy, wet with tears, and Ash can't stop trying to fruitlessly blink them away. "He drove me to Haneul Park and we climbed up the hill and I don't know why but it feels hard to remember exactly what happened in what order but I know he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me along faster and my shoulder popped and I couldn't use it right anymore. And he told me I can't do meaningless stuff like that anymore-- like go outside and catch fireflies and stuff. And he said he wanted to crack me. I asked why he was doing this to me and he said it was because I was weak, that I was the weakest one in the group and that he was gonna ruin the place I loved so that I'd only think of him when I went there."
Ash had started crying again, his tears affecting his words softly. "And he just started hitting me." His voice broke as he said that, a sad smile growing over his lips. "He started hitting me and he wouldn't stop, not until he broke my ribs and I started wheezing because my bones punctured my lungs and... It sounded really ugly. I guess he thought I was going to die up there. So he left me on the hill and... I thought I was going to die up there too. But at least I got to see the fireflies. I laid on my back on the ground because I couldn't move and they were just fluttering above me, pulsating their lights. At least I got to see them." He says sorrowfully.
He rolls Jinhwa's words around in his head for a moment, he's really mulling over them as he puts his free hand on his chest, clutching at his side. His pain is growing from where he had jerked his body, and part of him thinks that maybe he pulled something loose from his surgery with the quick motion. He takes another deep breath in, air quivering through his lungs as he does so.
"Mr. Jinhwa... I don't want him to lose his job." Ash says. He rubs his eyes with his free hand. "I don't wanna be the reason that someone gets fired..."
Ash thinks about it for a moment. "Can't you just remove him from our group? Put him somewhere else? He might have a family or kids or--" Ash wheezes softly as he speaks, getting cut off by the restriction of air passing through his lungs.
"You're just a good person," Reid says in response to his apology, shaking his head. "I'd want him dead. I don't understand how you can show someone who did this to you so much...compassion," Reid guesses that's the right word for what Ash is. Compassionate.
Also, Reid is just always in a state of being pissed off. It has nothing to do with Ash.
The longer Jinhwa listens to Ash, the more disappointment in himself he feels. He was supposed to protect the people under his label, assure their safety at the least, and he can't even do that correctly. He has to get people to help him dispose of the trash he's let in. He knows he's too hard himself. There's only so much a background check can catch but still, people like Ash shouldn't get hurt because of his incompetence.
Reid's jaw almost drops when he hears Ash say he doesn't want Kyungha to lose his jaw. His dark brows shot up in actual shock, looking at Jinhwa then at the boy in the hospital bed.
"Are you serious?"
"Reid–"
"Ash, he threatened to kill you. Why are you worried about his job?" Reid wishes he knew how to have a lighter tone but everything he says either comes out harsh or monotoned. Jinhwa shoots Reid a glare that could kill when he decides the boy is talking too much for his liking.
He didn't come here to lecture Ash. They're here to pursue him into taking action.
Reid is silent the second he sees the glare, eyes falling down to the floor. He's trained like a soldier when it comes to Jinhwa. It makes him feel pathetic.
Jinhwa turns his attention back to Ash, eyes immediately softening when he does so. He shakes his head at Ash's words, sucking air between his teeth.
"He doesn't have kids or a family, Ash. You don't have to worry about that," His eyes shift to Reid again as if silently giving the other permission to speak again. Reid almost doesn't take it, just looking between the two before his gaze lands on Ash again. Reid likes to think it's obvious what routine Jinhwa is pulling.
He's the good cop and Reid is the bad cop. That's how this always works.
"You know, if he moves him, he'll just find someone else to do this to. Someone smaller and weaker than you," His mind is focused on one person in particular even though he knows Jinhwa would never let that happen, "People like him don't change. They just get worse."
Jinhwa nods in agreement, looking at Reid proudly before looking back at Ash, giving a calm and gentle smile.
"I can get rid of him. 'Make sure he never hurts anyone ever again," He's pretty sure it's obvious what he means by that, "I just need you to tell me that's alright. That's all we need from you, Ash."
Ash is silent when the others speak. There's a part of him that feels completely defeated at this moment. He understands what's happening, he's understood from the beginning, but truth be told he didn't want to truly believe it.
Ash always tried hard to be a good person. He was a mild person who was gentle in all aspects of his life. He had gentle hands, a gentle voice, a gentle demeanor-- everything he did fluttered just as softly as the wings of a butterfly. Ash knows it makes him sound weak and even pathetic. The fact that he was lying in a hospital bed and still feeling pity for the person who put him there. Ash took a breath the best he could manage, a small wheeze passing through his lips again.
"I'm sorry I'm like this," He says, as if he's fighting the words on the way out. "I can't help it, I just always wanted to be a good person, I just want to be good."
Nothing good had really ever come from Ash's resolution to be a good person. Not since he came to Seoul. He kept to himself because he didn't have much to talk about with other people, but it had only made him seem stuck up. When he was in his first group he was picked on ruthlessly to the point that it had started to affect his mental health. At least things with Summit were better, at least he had a friend. But then he had to worry about Kyungha.
Ash realises then that it was because he's weak.
His eyes flick up to Reid again, taking in his features. Everything on his face is strong. He has a strong jawline, strong nose, strong eyes, Ash wished he could be like him. Ash wished that they could at least be friends. Maybe in another lifetime.
"You really didn't have to ask my permission to do... That." Ash feels sick. He feels so fucking nauseous and he wishes they hadn't come to him like this. They already knew everything, he didn't understand what the point of all of this was. He didn't understand why they had come to him at all when Eli had told them everything they needed to know.
"Do what you have to do." Ash says. He knows his eyes are probably twice the size they already usually were, looking at them like they were two ghosts haunting his hospital room. "I... I don't wanna know anything about it."
He looks at Reid again and it all makes sense to him-- why he looks so strong, so tough. It's because he has to be, Ash figures that Reid never got an opportunity to be soft, never had the same luxury that Ash did. It makes him wonder if Reid wanted that for himself.
"I'm sorry I caused so much trouble," He says, but really only to Reid. Reid was just like him. Reid was similar in age, just an idol who had trained and debuted just like him. Ash couldn't imagine the things he had seen if they were so blasé about this, he couldn't think about what else they could've potentially gone through.
