because she may be involved with the underground world, but she’s still painfully human
Both my aim & skype are on the member’s list. I also have a kakao & line, so if you’re interested, just let me know. Thank you for my time here! It was truly one of the best. ♥
Sumin committed suicide; it's a thing that she's been contemplating for awhile now, if you've read my bio and self paras. But now that the deed has been done, it also means goodbye. I love this community and family, but honestly, my muse has withered down considerably since it's been awhile. I also have to put my time and effort into preparing for AP exams since they're coming up soon.
On the other hand, I'm incredibly sad that Smoke is now closed, but it's been a good run. I met so many lovely people here and this is by far one of my favourite roleplays. This is actually the longest time I've ever stayed in a roleplay, and it's the first time I was able to complete a para in my two years of roleplaying. Smoke will always hold a special place in my heart. ♥
Thank you to Jane/Jagiya/Adminjumma for creating such a wonderful place! You've worked so hard and the amount you care about Smoke still amazes me to no end. You can finally take that well deserved and long overdue break! And thanks to everyone who plotted and continued to interact with me, even though I am like the least creative person here and I reply at the pace of a snail with two broken legs. Heh.
If anyone would like to keep in contact, I've got an AIM & Skype (which are both on the member's list), as well as a line & kakao (which you can ask me for).
Sumin jumps off the ledge of a building and plummets to her death.
A letter arrives. It's from her brother. She's angry and nearly tears it to shreds, but decides to read it nonetheless. He's sorry, he understands now, and he's willing to make it up to her. The two arrange to meet. In a cardboard box, she tucks Milk into a nest of blankets while he's asleep. The crate is set down gently in front of her coworker's apartment and her lips brush briefly over the velvet fur before she pulls away. She knocks on the door several times before disappearing down the hallway. She trusts that there's no one who will care more for her beloved dog than Sehun. Attached is a note, written in her less than orderly scribble.
"Sorry for the sudden notice, but I'm going back to my hometown to visit my brother. Please take care of Milk for me while I'm gone."
The moment she steps off the train, she's engulfed in a hug, arms embracing her tightly. She doesn't have to pull back to know who it is. Hyunsoo tells her that he's missed her, and she admits the same. Eventually, the two find themselves soaking in the warmth of a nearby cafe, indulging in the rich aromas and rekindling the bond that has long since been broken. Years are made up. Life begins to fill her again.
This doesn't happen.
"Sorry for the sudden notice, but I'm going back to my hometown to visit my brother. Please take care of Milk for me while I'm gone."
Sumin lies. She never leaves town. Instead, she stands on the rooftop of her apartment building, staring out into the open, empty space. From the top of the building, everything seems small. The city that surrounds her is dotted with bright lights as the black sky above her is dotted with stars. She steps onto the ledge.
Time ticks by and she merely exists. She doesn't live, she simply continues to get by. In reality, she died with her parents four years ago. She realizes now that during her entire stay in Seoul, she has tried to fill the void in her life-- and failed. There is nothing, and no one, for her to live for.
"She shouldn't have to live for something or someone else," they would say, "She should live for herself."
But she is pathetic and she is weak, and that is the sad reality. Because she may by involved with the underground world, but she's still painfully human. She's tired, and quite frankly, she's done.
People may mourn her disappearance, but like a fleeting dream, she, too, will soon fade from their memories. In the faction, she won't be missed. Casualties within the underground world occur frequently. People die, and then they are replaced.
Nonetheless, she contemplates all the things that have happened since she arrived in Seoul four years ago. She has loved, she has been loved, she has made friends along the way and fragments of moments she will treasure forever. She has made herself, along with a home. Perhaps her life wasn't such a waste after all. She was happy, she thinks. Was.
that's as many replies as I can get done today cause I have to eat dinner and do homework and study and all that fun jazz. tomorrow or the day after or maybe the day after that or possibly the weekend I'll try to get my butt onto aim and skype to finish plotting with the people I have promised to contact 32904829 years ago, heh. also I've answered everything in my inbox so if you haven't received a reply then that means tumblr is a glutenous boob so just let me know!
note to self: I need more plots with girls so let me just casually hit up all the y chromosomes aye
The wind rustled and her eyes followed as the fallen leaves were swept off the ground before they settled back down moments later. She was seated on a wooden bench, posing as a mere college student who was waiting for a friend. Posing, because although she was the age to be attending classes, she didn't. Instead, she was on a mission. For a little more than two months now, she'd been assigned to watch over a girl by the name of Lee Hyeri.
Having read the file countless times, she practically had all of the information memorized-- living alone, no known siblings, no known extended family, whereabouts of father unknown (possibly deceased). Hyeri's life seemed like the typical sob story until the aspect of mother was pulled up. Mrs. Lee, as it turned out, was a busy woman. She was a hitman for Arcanum-- a rather well known one for that matter, as she murdered a large sum of people from the opposing factions-- but her last moments were in the hand of Scorpio. Nonetheless, even with the woman gone, the daughter, too, needed to be eliminated for sharing the same blood.
Sumin's duty was to make sure that didn't happen. Normally, she'd simply make sure the girl arrived home safely, and on some days, she'd follow her to her job at the movie theater. Which led her back to the bench. She pulled out her phone, tapping away at its features. Its reflective surface, however, gave her a glimpse of something that caught her attention. Peering over her shoulder, she looked up to the rooftop of the building behind her. She was no weapon expert, but if she wasn't mistaken, a sniper was peeking off the ledge. Swiftly ducking away and into the corridor, her pace quickened as she led herself to the door of Hyeri's class, nervous feelings beginning to gnaw at her as she waited.
Leo was trying to ignore all the distracting mystery noises that seemed to be coming from all around them as he tried to find a way out of this nightmare. He more interested in escaping the place then finding whoever or whatever it was that was behind their entrapment.
He didn’t feel her hand leaving his because his attention was too caught in the transparent person, a ghost maybe, that he saw from the corner of his eye just walk through the wall. He could have sworn they were someone he once knew. His feet taking him in the opposite direction of where Sumin had gone, Leo had see who it was. He found himself in an empty bedroom full of dust and faded and torn wallpaper but no ghost was to be found.
When he was about to turn around and leave to find Sumin again he heard the door slam behind him. Another door from somewhere else slammed right after and he heard a girl’s scream. The scream obviously belonged to the girl he was looking for but when he tried to get his door open it wouldn’t budge. He repeatedly slammed his body into the door as well as kicked it but to no avail.
From her peripheral vision, she was able to make out a figure in the mirror. When she turned to face it, the image that blinked back at her was someone who was, well, not her. Out of shock, she stumbled backwards and as she did, her foot caught on part of the floorboard, tripping her. Her hands reached around frantically, trying to grasp the closest thing she could-- the shower curtain. As she stabilized herself, the fabric was pulled open by her weight, and what she saw made her feel sick to her stomach.
Blood. The colour stained the white porcelain tiles, painting a vibrant image of red hues. The rich liquid flooded the bathtub and she could almost feel it drowning her lungs, choking her. The acidic burn of bile began to rise up the passage of her throat as her eyes remained fixated on the sight.
The slamming against the door jolted her out of the trance, and realizing that it was Leo, she managed to croak out his name before her chapped lips parted once more to continue her sentence. Nonetheless, before another word could pass from her mouth, the mirror shattered, shards of glass flying in all directions, nicking and embedding pieces into her.
{ ` she laughs lightly in reply, shaking her head slightly at the woman’s comment. } Free food is enough to make anyone swoon
{ ` waits patiently while the kebabs are being purchased — she takes the two that are offered to her with a grin } I love meat, it’s food fit for the gods { ` takes a bite, chewing thoroughly and swallowing before speaking up again } These are really good, have you had them before or was it a random buy?
{ ` she's not a person who smirks-- or at least she doesn't think she is-- but at this very moment, she just might be. } Well, I must admit that I'm flattered, but you're barking up the wrong tree. { ` there's a brief pause before she jokes. } Unless you're loaded, of course.
{ ` she chews thoughtfully on a piece of meat, silently sighing in content. it was a food fit for the gods, indeed. } Neither, actually. Someone recommended them to me before, and I saw the stand just now so I thought, "Ah, I'll try it now."
{ —the sounds of the clinking glassware resemble something akin to metaphorical tintinnabulations which welcome him to the night, reminding him that it’s still early and he has a plethora of time to squander beneath the crepuscular incandescence. it’s not a place where he religiously frequents, and he garners attention upon his arrival; a fresh face with a ghost of a smile dancing on his lips, hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket and impudence worn like a second layer of skin. he ambles towards a corner of the bar to ensure that he has enough space to enjoy himself, yet it’s a space which he wouldn’t mind being interfered as long as it’s for the better. for the more fun. he settles himself on the stool and orders the usual margarita as an entree, fingers secured around the frail neck of the container as he leisurely takes a sip after another. }
{ —halfway through his drink, a woman (or a girl?) occupies the seat next to him and he doesn’t exactly have any objections. she probably is as old as him if not just slightly older (and in his defense, him frequenting these kinds of places would only increase the chance of meeting older partners, given that he’s relatively really young, just a little past the benchmark) and indubitably attractive with those wide eyes and sensuous lips. he doesn’t spare her more than a glance to ensure that he remains clandestine with it—to show an exuberant amount of interests at the first sight would be way too off-putting—but he quirks his eyebrows upon hearing what she orders as the opening. she doesn’t build up the pace, escalating straight to an apex which will certainly shove her to a free downfall just as soon as she starts regardless of how high her alcohol tolerance is. that definitely piques his interest; it’s either her custom to do so, or she’s simply meandering out of her habits to lose herself in the maelstrom of faux liberation, escaping the grip of reality as rapidly as granules seeping past the interstices between one’s fingers. his bet is on the latter, although it’s difficult to judge without perusing her for a considerable period. when his lips part and his tongue commences to form the words, he doesn’t refrain himself from it—from spilling his blatant curiosity. } Been having a rough day? { —he inquires, before imbibing the rest of his drink and sending her a glance, proffering a polite smile which oozes a trained sense of sympathy. }
{ ` as she waits for the bartender to prepare her drink, her fingers brush over the smooth marble counter top. her interest is drawn by the sound of a voice that seems as though it’s been laced with velvet. her mind registers the question and she thinks that it’s directed towards her. when her brown eyes meet with those of the male’s, her assumptions are confirmed. the aura he emits matched with his relaxed and confident style tells her that places like this are his domain. she hesitates, mentally debating on whether or not she is to respond. if only she can count how many times she has been told not to talk to strange men in bars. nonetheless, the person sitting beside her doesn’t seem strange— not in her judgement, at least. and if he is, perhaps it’s for the better. on the news channel, the neighbors of people who have committed crimes are always interviewed. “i never suspected a thing,” they would say, “he seemed like such a normal guy.” perhaps normal is the worst of the two. after weighing her chances, she decides to reply. she doesn’t care, she thinks, not really. today is the day she’s supposed to let go, anyway. }
{ ` her tongue darts out to wet her chapped lips before she opens her mouth to speak. } I suppose you could say that. { ` her laughter is dry and she wonders how he could have known. did she look so obviously undone that even a stranger was able to tell that there was something completely off about her? or did he simply overhear her drink order? truth be told, there are two very mundane reasons as to why it was the beverage of her choice. one, she isn’t fond of the taste of alcohol and wants to be done with it as soon as possible. two, the more potent it is, the sooner she’ll fall out of sync with reality and into paradise. } How could you tell? Do I look that bad? { ` unconsciously or not, she brings a hand up to comb her fingers through her hair. }
Your character’s daily life: Do they stick to a specific routine almost everyday, or do they go with the flow? Are they night owls or morning birds? How often do they do their grocery shopping, or if they’re responsible to do it at all if they’re living with anyone else?
It’s Sunday. Sumin has no duties today; she’s not the trainer Sumin from Arcanum, nor is she the Sumin who works as a bartender. Today, she’s just Sumin— meaning she’s allowed to sleep in, a luxury she normally can’t afford. Nonetheless, the sound of her next door neighbor’s alarm clock seeps through the thin walls and wakes her much earlier than she’d have liked it to. The music playing is a song she’s become accustomed to hearing as it played every morning. She’s grown to be rather fond of the tune, occasionally days in which she would hum or sing along to its lyrics.
Her eyes blink open lazily as she fixates her gaze on the discoloured ceiling above her. The glow-in-the-dark quality has long since faded, but the plastic stars remain. There are multiple times in which she contemplates taking them down (such as when her mood takes a dip for the low or when reality hits hard because stars mean hopes and dreams and she has none), but eventually she always decides against it. She stretches a hand up and peers through the gaps between her fingers. When her arm begins to sore, she drops it back down onto the mattress with a muted thump. She stays in bed until her hunger gets the best of her.
She walks to the convenience store near her home. Red baskets piled neatly greet her at the front of the building and she picks one up. The aisle selling ramen is her sanctuary and she more than happily enters, selecting several packets. She decides to buy fishcakes because she thinks that they’d taste good with the noodles. The packages are cheap, so she buys four. The pot she owns is beginning to rust and needs replacing, but she thinks that with the addition of all her other items, it’ll be too heavy to carry. Perhaps she’s simply lazy. To her basket, she adds a pack of sticky notes along with a black marker. She uncaps the writing utensil and scribbles onto the leaf of paper at the very top of the stack.
"Buy a pot."
The freezer section holds a variety of ice cream flavours and she narrows the options down until only two remain— chocolate and strawberry. She opts for the latter. In all honesty, she prefers chocolate, but the alternative seems like the classier and more feminine choice. The boy behind the counter gestures to the candy display and tells her that the store is having a special promotion. On the inside of the Chupa Chups wrappers, some are stamped while others are not. If the wrapper is marked, she’ll be put into a raffle to win prizes. She purchases twenty of the lollipops and laughs when she catches the check-out boy’s expression, surprise etched onto his facial features.
"I’ve always wanted to win a raffle," she explains to him.
Sumin leaves the store with a little too much. When she arrives home, she unwraps one of the lollipops and pops it into her mouth. The taste is tolerable for something she had so carelessly chosen. She then proceeds to undress the others, focusing on the parchment paper and carefully setting aside the actual product for her to eat another time. There are no markings. Sumin thinks it’s funny. All of the wrappers are blank and empty, just like her.
She moves on. She feeds Milk. She cooks her own food. Much to her delight, she’s right about the fishcakes tasting good added into the ramen. She watches television and when there’s nothing she’s interested in watching, she surfs the internet. After the sun begins to set, she takes Milk out for a walk, picking up dinner along the way. His droppings fall while they’re at the park and she cleans it up. She washes him when they get home and since he’s been a good boy (he didn’t shake water all over her or track dirt into the house), she rewards him with a treat. Soon after, she bathes herself as well before climbing into bed.
Like many of the 365, today is not an important memory in Sumin’s life.
He smiled brightly when she assured him that she would find him in the future. He was hoping that she was saying the truth because he thought it would be nice to spend some time with Sumin again. He didn’t know much about her just like she didn’t know much about him, but they were both on their own and he was sure that it would be nice to have someone keep him company once in a while since he was spending most of his days alone. It was something he was used to, being alone, but he knew it wouldn’t hurt to change that.
"It was my pleasure," he told her before showing her two thumbs up. "Return home safe, and I hope to see you again soon Sumin-sshi," he added before waving goodbye and returning to his cart which he grabbed before walking rapidly away. It’s not that he wanted to leave Sumin’s side but more that he was in a hurry to get home. He went to pay for all the food he had put in his cart and then left the grocery store, walking all the way to the bus stop where he ended up waiting for the bus that would be taking him home.
It’s only once he had gotten home and emptied all his bags that he realized he had forgotten to ask for her address or even her phone number. Just because he didn’t have a cellphone didn’t mean he couldn’t have called her from the payphone near his apartment. It was an old thing that was probably going to be removed soon because barely anyone used these anymore but he knew this one was still working and he slapped his forehead. How could he have forgotten something so important? There was no changing what had already been done though so he sighed and started taking the ingredients out so he could prepare dinner.
Sumin was his first friend. He was hoping she hadn’t been honest in wanting to see him again.
He watched as she processed his words carefully, and Daehyun felt the urge to cover his face and run, as if he was watching something bad to unfold before his eyes. He counted in his head to ten, studying Sumin’s face as he did, gauging her for a reaction, and when he couldn’t take it, he counted one to five looking at his own lap once again.
Three, two, one.
He didn’t see it coming, and her fingers were warm against his chin. She was touching him, and the small gesture felt so gentle, as if she was with a wounded animal. Sumin’s skin was soft, and Daehyun found himself leaning into her touch, fixing his gaze to her eyes once more as she bid him to with her hand. Daehyun’s breath hitched as she ran her thumb over his scar — not of pain, but of surprise. It doesn’t hurt anymore. He gave her a tender look, and he saw in her eyes an expression that he didn’t have a name to, and his eyes fluttered closed as her finger traced the length of the marred flesh that already healed over. They were still in a shade of red, but the doctor told him that it would be lighter than his skin tone once it’s fully healed.
It doesn’t hurt anymore.
Would he tell her the truth if she asked him questions? What happened? Was there really an accident? Did your father do this too? Why? If only he knew the answer to the last question. At this point, he was done pondering exactly why and how someone could do this to his own child and his wife.
As he heard her words, Daehyun shook his head, feeling his voice go missing again. Then, like a bubble, the warmth of her caress was gone, the lack of touch getting him to open his eyes, and he was surprised to find her image slightly blurry — his eyes were wet with unshed tears. He didn’t know what just happened. He won’t cry, he told himself. You will not cry. This is nothing. But he knew that he was happy, so happy that she wasn’t showing negativity towards him, and that she accepted his answer without question.
She didn’t need to hear his reply to know the answer to her question. Nonetheless, she waited patiently for a response, and when he finally shook his head, her heart swelled. She wished to bubble wrap him, to keep him tucked away from the threats and dangers of the world. At that moment, she was sure that she’d be willing to do anything to ensure that he would never be physically or mentally scarred again.
His eyes fluttered open seconds later and the dampness was immediately noticeable. Without a second thought, she clumsily moved across the couch before wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him in the tightest of embraces. Letting his head rest in the crook of her neck, she brought one hand up to stroke his hair soothingly— or at least she hoped it felt calming. It wasn’t out of pity, as she knew he didn’t want her to think any less of him now that she was aware of the truth. Instead, it was love. She decided to love him, to make up for all the affection that he was denied during his lifetime.
"You probably don’t like crying," she whispered softly as her fingers combed through his locks, "But sometimes it’s good to. It’s okay to be vulnerable, just for today." There was a brief pause before she added, "Any day, actually." She pulled away to look at him sincerely.
Gently cupping his face in her hands, taking extra caution to avoid his freshly removed stitches, she enunciated each syllable of her sentence as her eyes searched his. “You aren't alone, I’m here for you.”
With that, she held him close once more, her own eyes beginning to gloss over. She didn’t remember when the tears started to fall, or when they eventually stopped. The only evidence that remained was the dried streaks on their faces. Daehyun told the story of his life while she simply listened— and that was more than enough for the two of them.
As they stepped out into the hall they were immediately presented with two choices. They could go either left or right or they could separate and take their chances alone. Given how much the girl didn’t really seem to want to be on her own at the moment Leo decided they should stick together a while longer unless there came a chance that splitting up would get them out faster.
He narrowed his eyes as the door suddenly slammed closed and squeezed Sumin’s hand in reassurance as she jumped from the sound. He figure she was probably happy that she decided to come with him otherwise she could have been stuck in that room. Thankfully the creepy laughter stopped even if the silence left became eerier than it had been before. After looking in both directions Leo looked back at her “Let’s try going right if that doesn’t work we can always turn around”
Leo led them down the hall to their right. It was pretty evident to him as they walked that the victorian style mansion they were stuck in had to be haunted. Different sounds bursting through the silence from footsteps that sounded like they were coming from above them to what sounded like someone pounding on doors, he could have sworn he even heard whispering.
The walk down the hallway was perhaps, the most frightening thing that Sumin had ever encountered in her lifetime. Her heart pounded loudly against her ribcage and at every little sound, she flinched. Leo's hand in hers and the occasional gentle squeeze of reassurance helped to calm her, but they could only do so much. She felt her sanity slipping with each and every haunting noise. The pounding, the footsteps, the whispering-- was that a piano playing?
Were they supposed to follow the eerie sounds to discover who or what was behind all of this, or were they supposed to run away because said person or thing could most likely be dangerous? At that point, Sumin was sure that the mastermind behind the plan was not a human, but in fact, a supernatural being. She didn't know which was worse.
Eventually, the two ended up in a different room. From the corner of her eye, something caught her attention. Almost as if she was hypnotized, she unconsciously detached her hand from Leo's and her feet moved themselves to the area of her interest. It was a bathroom connected to the main, which was seemingly normal until the door slammed shut behind her. A scream immediately left her lips and her hands began twisting at the knob in desperate attempts to it.
Friends? She wanted them to be friends? A look of confusion appeared on Han’s face. Ever since the day he had started school, no one had ever wanted to be friend with him. He had always been alone, quietly keeping to himself and hoping that no one would notice him so he wouldn’t get hurt by his classmates. There had been a few who had tried to talk to him and he had longed to be friends with them, to be able to laugh together and share food at lunch. It never took too long for those adventurous ones to realize that being friend with Han would make you an outcast as well. They never stayed.
He mentally scolded himself for still being afraid. Hadn’t they decided Korea was going to be a new start? No one knew him here. No one knew about his past unless he was to decide to share it with them. It was a chance he had to grasp. He smiled widely, eyes crinkling in the corners and finally nodded. “I’d like that. Being friends, I’d like that.”
He watched carefully as she chose the fruits, following the information he had just given her and how proud she looked when she finally placed the bag of pears in her basket.
"It’s a bit hard at first, to be alone but you learn," he said after she had answered him and a quick glance at his old watch told him that he didn’t have much time left if he wanted to get everything he needed, return home and prepare dinner before Chun would return from work. "I have to hurry," he apologetically told Sumin before reaching inside his pocket and grabbing a small notepad and a pen. He rapidly scribbled an address on it and ripped the paper before handing it over to Sumin. "I don’t have a phone but I can be found there most of the time if ever you need me." He felt bad about letting her to her own devices after he had promised to help her out but he hadn’t realized time had been going so fast.
"Will you be okay? Do you need help with other things?" he asked just to make sure. Knowing himself, he knew he would stay if she was to tell him she still needed his help.
She could see him hesitate at her offer to be friends, and it caused her to mentally scold herself. Perhaps she shouldn’t have said such a thing. It was clear that she had put him into an uncomfortable situation, and she had wanted to do anything but, as he had been undeniably kind to her from the very beginning. Maybe she was moving too quickly— of course someone wouldn’t want to become friends with a strange person they met at a market. Just as she was about to part her lips to force a laugh and tell him that she was only joking in order to spare the both of them, however, he agreed.
Her face immediately brightened, and all thoughts of worry immediately washed away. The fact that he had said that he’d like it if they were friends made her incredibly happy, as ridiculous as that sounded. She had left behind her entire life-- everyone she knew and loved-- when she fled the place she no longer called home. As much as she didn't want to admit it, as much as she wanted to deem herself independent, new Sumin missed having someone to rely on.
A small though genuine smile appeared at the sound of his reassuring words. She watched as he quickly scribbed something down onto a notepad before he tore the leaf of paper out and handed it to her. It was an address, and as if he could read her mind and see the visible question marks floating around her head, he explained.
Her heart warmed and the feeling proceeded to spread throughout her body. Despite him not having a mobile device for the two to keep in contact, he had given her directions on her where she would be able to find him. To her, it meant that he was sincere about becoming friends, that he wouldn't abandon her.
"I’ll be fine," she chuckled softly, "You were more than enough help. Thank you." Waving the piece of paper he had just presented her with, she added, "I'll be sure to find you." She had decided that she would visit him even if she wasn't in need of assistance, that she would look for him to chat, to hang out, to do anything-- because they were friends.
She stands there silently like a shadow of her companion, giving only the slimmest nod once the other female stands up. Nearing the entrance she reaches into her bag, feeling the ticket between her fingers as she retrieves it from one of the inner pockets. “Thanks,” she says with a small polite upturn of her lips as she enters inside the building. The inside’s much cozier and toastier than the frosty outside though even with the difference she could still sense the pacifying tranquillity which retains itself even with the influx of people; she appreciated it. As expected of an art gallery, even if she lacks an in depth understanding of the paintings.
Handing the ticket and receiving the stubby tab in return, she flashes a smile of appreciation at the man. Looking around she’s briefly immersed in the colours which surround her along with the amalgamating shapes which spun a crafted illusion of a sort of grandeur which she would never obtain. She’s almost stunned by the amount of impulses she’s getting from everything and it takes her a bit longer to pull herself out. Looking already she sees that Sumin had paced herself ahead a bit through the crowd and she follows after, keeping herself a few steps behind the other so not to lose her.
It was a rather foolish of an assumption on her part to think that Sumin wouldn’t try to converse with her after entering. Of course she would, they had decided to come together and logically speaking there would be of no sense to either of them to drift apart after the ticket. Although Reina’s never dwelled far enough into the language of the arts to spout n essay, she has the poetic quotes which she may randomly use for those whom she considers close. Though she has no idea why they would pop into her head at those moments.
“No problem,” she says fluidly as she nears closer to the girl so that she doesn’t have to speak so loud. Her smile widens ever so slightly as she nods her head, briefly dipping into a nostalgia about her past trip. “When I was young. I didn’t understand and… I still don’t..” A hint of sadness as she wonders if she’ll ever understand now that her family had disappeared.
The tone of sadness in Reina’s voice caught her interest, and she began to wonder if they were still talking about the art gallery, or if it was something more. Nonetheless, instead of asking what was wrong, she simply offered what she hoped was a reassuring smile. From an outsider’s point of view, it might have seemed as though Sumin just didn’t care enough to put effort into listening and trying to comfort the other female. But that wasn’t the case. Rather, from her perspective, she wasn’t in the position to dig into somebody’s past and nose through their business, especially since they hardly knew each other. Perhaps another time.
"That's alright," she began, "We can try to figure this out together." Surely if the two worked together, it would be less confusing for the both of them. Besides, being in an unfamiliar environment was always less stressful when with someone else. With that, she strolled alongside her faction mate as they navigated through the maze that was the art gallery. An abstract model, vibrant with the primary colours of red, yellow, and blue, captivated her attention. Making sure Reina stayed beside her, she approached the figure. Her eyes traced the object and never left the piece even as she circled around it, her feet stepping cautiously.
The tab that listed information about the work of art rendered useless as it merely stated the name of the artist (which she was sure was impossible for her to pronounce without failing miserably and embarrassing herself), the price it was selling for (which was, in her opinion, unbelievably high— but then again, this was the girl who ate ramen noodles religiously), and the description that explained the model (which she couldn’t understand, as it was written so intellectually that to her, it seemed like an alien language). She glanced over at the other female.
“Do you have any idea what this is?” A quiet chuckle escaped her lips as she admitted, “I’m really bad at interpreting these types of things.”
