⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

what got you curious? nothing to see here.

[byeolsosa]

the bird and the bee.

i’m not afraid of all the reasons why we shouldn’t try, @illucinoire.

am i... dead?

she smiled, and then the spell was cast. and here we are... in heaven? for she is... mine? at last?

no.

he shook it all off, those wishful thoughts being replaced by the slapping one that it was an obvious hallucination. it couldn't have been real, or at least she looked more unreal that she did on the daily. like they were in a different dimension, maybe in heaven, just as he'd thought earlier, with her being the only entity present. better than paradise, he'd argue.

the train's moving but he couldn't exactly feel that it was. he was able to stand just fine without wobbling or swaying to and fro. or maybe it's because he was left shivering on the platform with ten minutes of numbing quiet, a rouge page of last year's school paper being chased by the wind like a pigeon with wings fluttering with feathers of rhetoric and melodrama being his only other companion, just before he'd boarded (he could have sworn he saw what the articles within it were, one of them being an entry of his).

the gentle chunk of lip-gloss stained lid and her morning earl grey lands on the seat next to her with a graceful flick of her wrist. she looked divine. long, soft curls, ash brown long sleeves, taupe boots over stockings, and a veiled black chupalla which makes all the difference. because that's not how lucy dressed normally. that, or she's attempting the same thing jaebin himself tried long ago before with all the dark clothes he could find in his closet. or going back to his previous thought, that this was a hallucination and none of this was actually real.

echo from all around, la luna ringing in his mind, and an entrance he didn't expect came at a moment's notice. an old man joined in, walking toward lucy in the most casual manner, totally ignoring jaebin as if he wasn't right there standing in front of lucy, just meters away. he could not be blamed, jaebin thought. he was so ordinary, he could beat drax at mastering the art of being invisible. he didn't even have to stay still to be able to pull it off.

the grating, metallic shriek heralds the halt of the decrepit carriage, standing in defiance of... its condition? wait. it was a modern model. it wasn't all corroded iron and tacky upholstery, as the sounds would suggest. nothing made sense in that place. especially thinking back on how he got there in the first place.

it was moo. of course, it was moo. it was the same feline who created all sorts of raucous in his life. bringing him his prized kills, dead birds and rats as "gifts" as his google searches suggested, urinating and defecating anywhere he stood or sat, or strategically depositing fresh hairballs in places where he would narrowly avoid stepping on them, covering his favorite sweater with a fine coating of its hair while he wasn't looking, stealing his stuff and hoarding it in unimaginable places... just some of the few he could think of off the top of his head at a trippy moment like such. but yes, moo brought him here. moo and its gang of cats. it's been years and he's still not sure what gender moo is. but that's not the most important thing to figure out.

"h-hey..." he muttered under his breath, as if that would get anyone's attention. it did get the cats to turn their heads swiftly at his direction, giving him chills down his spine.

"maybe if you didn't interrupt lucy bonding with her grandpa, she'd like you more."

whoever the owner of that voice was, he sure was hoping it wasn't any of the cats. he looked mortified, nonetheless, knowing the possibility of it was very likely. no one else was around, and the then identified person approaching lucy still gave him no attention, just as she didn't. he almost felt insulted. but watching them connect, with no words exchanged, just endearing smiles and longing stares, struck him with awe.

what a clown he'd seem. he didn't belong in that place. why was he brought there again? he had no way to leave either way. he stayed where he was, like a fool who wouldn't mind if it meant it was for lucy. he would do anything for lucy. he would follow her anywhere. wait.

i would follow her anywhere.

the goofy, dimpled smile manifested just as the thought surfaced. who would have thought it would take two years for our protagonist to realize this? everyfuckingone.

[byeolsosa]

LOVE BONER, ACTIVATED!

w-wha?!

[pullstrings]

@byeolsosa

It was rare that Jungah was able to spend time with Woohyun without her father’s presence. Granted, they were sent out together with the instructions by him, but that was no matter. It gave Jungah a chance to relax while performing her duties. She understood fully now why her father still had a right-hand man after all these years. It would be a wonder if she would find someone herself for that role, or if her future husband would.

For now, she had Woohyun.

They were sent out to oversee a few Kangmulpa happenings in Dongdaemun-gu. There was a small trade deal that would be taking place with a lieutenant present, but Junho had decided to send Jungah and Woohyun there for a surprise visit. It wasn’t because he did not trust the lieutenant, but merely to push Jungah to do these on her own. Surprise visits were his favorite, kept subordinates on their toes, and let partners known just who was really in charge.

Jungah was well aware her father was a show off… that’s who she got it from.

Woohyun opened the car door for Jungah, helping her out and telling he driver to wait for them. He was starting to give her notes on what she should look for, but she waved him off. He expected this much—she was like this even as a child. It made him smile, because he knew that now it wasn’t because she was being a stubborn child. These days, it was because she wanted to learn how to do it on her own.

They proceeded to the office building where the lieutenant and a local construction firm owner were discussing the deal. They all greeted her, immediately getting onto their feet and bowing. It was something she was used to, but she still relished in. They all had about twenty plus years on her, yet no one in the room acted as if she was younger the youngest person in the room.

And everything was going well until there was a knock on the door. Less than minute later, two young thugs (now these men were only a few years older than she was, that she was sure of) brought in a young man.

He had to be a civilian, right?

“Why do you have him?” She was the first to speak up, curious, and a little annoyed. Jungah didn’t want them hasseling kinds on the street for no reason. That would bring unwanted attention and younger members were known for being reckless.

“He was milling around too close to the building,” was all she got in response. The lieutenant eyed the boy quietly. “He doesn’t look like the type.” at which Jungah nodded. He seemed a bit too meek to try to take on the men that had him by the arms. He had to be her age.

She decided to ask him up front.

“People don’t wander this area without having a reason. Were you cutting through?” and then, “What have you seen?”

[byeolsosa]

the fear sits on him like a pillow over his mouth and nose; enough air gets by it, allowing his body to keep functioning, but it's crippling all the same. it's the typical 'oh shit, we just rolled up on a set' kind of scenario. jaebin accidentally venturing into gang territory without meaning to. he never means to. he's too pure of a boy. one time he got drugged into happiness, months later and he still repents for something he hadn't done to himself.

he's the kind of good guy that feels sorry about incidents where he's the innocuous victim. the kind of good guy that would pee his pants if he had to stay longer after the long haul in by the thugs that had him unable to speak up when asked questions by a girl. a girl. now, he wasn't one to discriminate but aside from the aura that freezes every nerve in his body, she looked pretty dainty. it's ironically that thought that gets him feeling hopeless. even more so than he did moments ago when he got caught by these men gripping at his lanky arms that could have been turning purple under the cover of their hands.

who would have thought him just finding a private spot to pee in would lead him on a journey to misadventure? on a big scale at that. it wasn’t even just a street gang where he could have been wearing their rival color on accident, thinking he was disrespecting their turf. he would have taken farting out loud on a very public place over this despite his anxiety. but neither were what happened.

at this point in his life, he’s convinced he’s wronged a powerful name in his past life and enjoyed a sweet escape. but those who trespass are meant for consequences, some of which he had bypassed. probably. but that’s all theory. in this life, he does believe in karma. and in this moment, it takes the form of a cackling voice in his head. it told his legs to go weak and wobbly, his stomach to lurch and his heart to ache. he had no way to silence the voice.

“i didn’t see anything!” his voice cracks like a prepubescent boy. “i swear on my grandma’s grave.” he protests with positive rage, if that was possible. “i won’t tell anyone about you guys. i just wanna get out of here.” he voice just cracks constantly at each end of his sentences and then the tears start to well up. they could think he’s bold enough to spy on mob activity, but really, it was just his dumbass tripping on grass. practically nothing.

[byeolsosa]

disthant:

lithe fingers are already tossing halved pasta into the boiling water, bubbling being all too loud for him to notice the other’s arrival through the walkway. right away, at the very least. he glances over his shoulder eventually, a second time being spared and prolonged to give him a once-over from where he stands. “not too long.”

ten minutes? wrong again. maybe.

“seven or twelve, actually. no in between.” this is merely out of spite. “have you even made sauce yet?”

jaebin wasn’t very bright but in his head, he was sure seven minutes was premature and twelve was already risking it. no one wants overcooked pasta. but around the male, he couldn’t exactly express his true thoughts. he had an air to him that jaebin couldn’t shake off. he seemed too sure of everything. “are you sure?” he asks at least.

then confronted with a question back his way, he becomes a stuttering mess. “n-no. was i supposed to do that first?” he doesn’t even know how. save this poor boy.

[byeolsosa]

kiddaeng:

daehyun’s persuasion skills are a staple of his confidence and his reputation. it’s only because he gets along so well with people and that he can pick and choose what to say for both them and himself that things work out alright. it’s both a good and a bad thing to be able to read people so well. like now when he’s really aiming for this experiment to work and he really really wants some roasted marshmallows without the trouble of putting it over an open fire. what started as a simple afterthought turned into a full on challenge because despite his free spirit being doubted was not something he could stand by on. 

so now they both stand before the microwave, daehyun staring a little too close and jaebin staring a little too hesitantly. 

it’s going.

it’s gooooiiiing.

everything ends with a loud pop. ( and really daehyun pretends not to jump )

there’s no hiding the flinch followed by multiple steps back and an exclamation of surprise even after the attempt to conceal it with his hands. to anyone who was seeing jaebin at the moment, he would appear to be traumatized. a little betrayed but holding back on shifting all the blame to the hyung who only tried to make him feel better, he assumes. otherwise he’d throw a fit which is completely uncharacteristic, and something daehyun possibly hasn’t seen in the time that he’d been living with jaebin. his head bowed in defeat and the corner of his lips uncontrollably dip into a frown. he shuffles to the microwave. hands a little shaky, heart a little nervous. from the movement of his feet, it was easy to tell how disheartened he was.

“hyung, if this turns out inedible...” he only clicks his tongue against the ceiling of his mouth and nothing more while slowly revealing the nightmare.

[byeolsosa]

kiddaeng:

i’m not singing bohemian rhapsody down the hallway jae. is that your way of telling me not to leave you by yourself or you’ll make friends with the objects in our room? are you friends with the fridge, it needs some love. she’s not that bad, like glenda the good witch with a temper. avenge paths never end right naruto taught us that. girls are too powerful anyway, I can’t let you do this —-

yeah, hyung. that’s exactly what i’m getting at. you’re the only other company i can bear and be completely comfortable in. i have a problem, hyung. a serious problem. i am friends with the fridge but i don’t know how to give it love when i’m not very rich. either way, if i had some money to fill it, i wouldn’t know what to do with all the food that’s in there since i don’t know how to cook real homemade food. would you cook? i doubt it. you’d be out instead... i’ll be left alone with all the molding food. are they? that makes me wanna challenge but i know you’re right, it won’t end well.

[lifeinpoetry]

there is a poem scratched onto the walls of my throat no one has heard it but it is there

Kai Cheng Thom, from a place called NO HOMELAND

[kiddaeng]

SOFT!

what light through yonder dorm window’s break??? IT IS THE EAST? WESTNORTHSOUTH KOREA! AND ______ IS THE SUN?

[byeolsosa]

went on to do just these 3 replies from a month ago, ends up doing anything but.

[byeolsosa]

disthant:

i know what it is.

“sure thing.” his reflexes urge him to be quick in attending to the pot after all, but courtesy distracts him first. go before i change my mind.

and don’t come back.

(for now.)

strides come easy once the other’s in hindsight, sleeves being rolled up as he hovers over the pot and scans the area for salt. the water’s hot enough by now for a pinch of it to easily be absorbed.

kiel adds three.

it’s a rookie mistake, missing something this simple.

he sprints off, eager to come back as fast as he can. he even counts in a hushed tone, hands rattled by the pressure he’s put on himself. but the moment he has to type on the search bar is when it all slows down.

‘how long to cook pasta until al dente’

he’s already counting to over a hundred. “ten minutes!” he muses out loud, repeating it over and over until he’s back at his previous spot in the kitchen. “it’s ten minutes.” he says a little too enthusiastically, big grin plastered on his face but it diminishes into an expression of worry, brows furrowed as his eyes fixate on the pot. “how long has it been, though...”

[byeolsosa]

kiddaeng:

well i’d never laugh at you so we can cross that off the list. it’s not gonna go bad either so cross that off the list too. yeah and I had to go all the way down to the diner for these microwaveable cups so who really lost here? it’ll be fine!

“really?” he was honestly touched to hear that from him, so you can see his face painted bright with a smile.  daehyun should have known jaebin was easy to persuade. only a few nudges, some compliment as the finale, and he’s already concluded it was all going to be okay. “alright then... here goes.” he takes the cups from the older, dropping the marshmallows in them and very cautiously putting them inside the microwave, pinky sticking out and everything. as the timer starts off, he closes his eyes, albeit one peeking every other second.

[byeolsosa]

pijichu:

where’s the angry face react button from facebook

i’m being humanitarian... i’m praying for a better world. i heard you’re into trees and saving them. what happened to that? with poop, they can grow bigger and healthier. i guess it’s true what hyung says...

[byeolsosa]

kiddaeng:

you always try to get me to sing these old songs i’m not doing it. you can befriend our vacuum in the closet, I don’t want you befriending a vacuum like that. there’s really nothing to teach—- I can’t send you on a quest we got like…class and shit in the morning.

but... they’re the songs i know most. i’m already friends with the vacuum in our closet. we bond pretty often, especially when you’re out and i’m left with nothing to do but clean around here. oh no, why? is she terrible? like an evil witch in disguise? ‘cause she’s pretty... what did she do to you? i’ll avenge you. after class!!

[byeolsosa]

manly tears @affames is a witness to.

he remembers it clearly.

he remembers four months ago; tiny fingers curled around his pinky, he watched the newborn peer through brand new eyes at what must have been such a strange world after life in the womb. his legs kicked in a tiny jagged motion, looking for that resistance they’re used to, he guesses, but finding nothing but air. he wondered if that's unsettling or a relief, it must have been pretty cramped in there. when he stretched, his hands barely rose above his head and he thought of how strange everyone would all look if they kept those body proportions as they grew.

he knew he could ask hyomi if he could carry the little guy, but he was afraid to break him. he's such a fragile thing. then he begins to fret and cry. everyone tells jaebin how annoying that's going to be, but instead his eyes widened in awe. this is a new person, and he’s already filling up with love for him.

crying is one of the few human universals; a manifestation of strong emotions, not just sadness or grief but also extreme happiness. that of which he was overwhelmed by, hence the single tear that dropped. he leaned in, having the baby’s finger wipe it away. he laughed out softly then covered his mouth, realizing the mother might have not been okay with his filthy tear tainting the infant’s precious finger. he remembers looking up at her with a nervous smile.

he remembers to this day because somehow, it seems to be something that he’s done constantly. he just wishes all these slip ups wouldn’t continue to happen when little iseul grows big enough to fathom and mimic his words or actions. even before he could be born, jaebin remembers wishing this baby doesn’t enough up being as dumb as him. “ah… noona, he’s too young to know what poop means… and i’m sure he’ll be a smart boy. he wouldn’t be eating poop.” there it is again, his nervous smile.

[byeolsosa]

@disthant:

“your loss, dude.”

al dente’s the essence of your mother’s home recipe for chicken noodle soup.

wrong. kind of. but he should say it like that anyway. “look it up.”

he gasps a little too exaggeratedly, hand finding its way grasping at his chest and wrinkling his shirt slightly. it was all unintended, though. he really was shocked at his straightforward response. he pouts and usually people tell him it’s unbecoming of a man. whispering in his ear was always his mom, “no one can dictate what you can and can’t feel.” so it didn’t bother him whenever he heard the talks. 

“it is... my loss.” he sighs first, taking a moment, and just looking at the box of pasta as if that’s going to help him figure it out. “alright, i’ll look it up. can you watch out for this then? just in case it boils over. i’ll be back really fast.” he takes little steps back, feet hesitant to actually move before the other has given him the green light.

[byeolsosa]

kiddaeng:

I make that face so many times it’s impossible to distinguish unless you’re really trying hard to. the dorm won’t burn down we’ll be fine. it’ll melt and be gooey and taste good. trust hyung.

aish... i mean, you’re laughing at me! or with me! i don’t know... if it goes bad, what are you gonna do? these are expensive marshmallows... and i got them far. i had to trek, hike through the highest mountains for this... not really, but it felt like that.

[byeolsosa]

kiddaeng:

what celebrity? jisoo? she’s not a celebrity she’s a vacuum with a celebrity’s name. ate a slurpee AND noodles. doooooon’t tell her I said any of this….

i don’t even know her... i’m just a poor boy nobody loves me. i can’t even befriend vacuums with names of a celebrity... teach me how, hyung. i promise not to tell even if i find a way to.