minki shouldn’t be as proud as he is each and every time he makes hanbin blush. but it’s cute, hanbin’s cute, so he’s just going to take it as an accomplishment each time he does. “you’re cute, i can’t help it,” he says, his grin getting bigger as he watches the other man. but then he’s calmed down and with the words minki’s smile drops. he’s mentally figuring out what’s going on later for him and when there’s absolutely nothing that he knows of, he knows he’s going to be staying here. there’s no way he’s going to let hanbin stay by himself when there’s trouble about. “well, i’ll keep you company,” he says, moving to sit on the floor next to hanbin’s feet. he knows he could get a chair or something, but he’s comfortable like this. he must look a little redicilious like this, but he doesn’t care one bit. it’s just hanbin. the least it’s going to do is make hanbin smile. “if anyone tries to fuck with the shop, they’ll have to deal with the both of us.”
every time there was something in minki able to make him blush ━comments or little nudges, things he should be used to and yet managing to color those pretty cheeks of a peachy pink no matter what. perhaps it was just sign that he was never going to get used to that, just like he wasn’t used to how that game had been influencing the lives of those who ddn’t want to be involved as well. it was some kind of predicament that scared him, truth be told. and while he was ready to comment on the other’s need for a chair that he could pick from the back room, he knew minki wasn’t going to. “ i don’t know how much of a help i can be, though. ” a sad smile curling those pretty lips, tiny fingers reaching to give the other’s head a gentle pat. he wasn’t a fighter, at all ━if not, he hated fighting with every ounce of his being. it reminded him of highschool, of the storage and the blood and his legs not being able to make a decent step, and it scared him.
the sound of the bell rings in his ears, too loudly for its little, tinkling sound to warrant. everything has been too loud lately. he ducks into hanbin’s shop sheepishly, trying his best to appear small despite his rather large stature. there’s not many people he’s spoken about all of this too he doesn’t feel like he’s had the time to so much as catch his breath. minho’s still wearing his work clothes, and he smells like the cigarette he smoked on his way over. “ hey, um, do you have a second to … talk? ”
he was used to minho’s visits ━either to his place or the shop, there was nothing unusual in that for he knew the younger had a massive need of support and a terrible way at communicating it. it was perhaps why the visits worked best. they just were... direct. “ minho-ah, hello. did you had a nice day? ” he immediately greeted with one of his signature soft smiles right before feeling concern rise and with it a frown. “ of course you know i’m always here for you. what happened? is it something needing of the back room? ”
he’s more thankful for day jobs and regulars more than he is anything for escorts. sometimes it’s nice to just have the rest of the night to do whatever he wanted to do. and today, he wants to go visit hanbin. he’s still dressed nicely, but he’s loosened his tie so he looks more casual. stepping into the store, he’s met with the bell, and then the chime of hanbin’s voice. sometimes it’s hard to believe that hanbin is actually real and not a fairy or something, but he is. minki’s lips pull into a small, fond smile, and he’s making his way over to the smaller man. “just you.” he’s teasing, of course, and he finishes it off with a goofy wiggle of his eyebrows. he’s not elaborating at all, and if hanbin wants to just brush the playful flirting off, he’s more than welcome to, he’s not going to push hanbin at all. he cares too much about the other man to do anything to harm him. “what are you doing?”
minki would always tease and poor hanbin would always fall for it even if he knew by now of the other’s attitude and overly confident energy, finding his own cheeks bursting into such a lovely shade of pinkish peach against soft caramel skin, eyes squeezed in a black-lined slit. “ yah, don’t... say that ! ” his voice so easily chirped in its well known soft tone, even hiding his face with those tiny hands of his. it couldn’t really be helped, with how much of a gentle and soft soul he was.
but after he calmed down a bit he returned with such a fond smile towards the other, hand now drumming onto his laptop’s side. “ not much ! i’ve been keeping an eye on the shop, i heard there’s going to be a bit of a chaos at gangnam’s more central area and i’m afraid for the windows to get broken like last time... ” which was something saddening the poor author so much, especially with how much he loved that shop he’s bought and nurtured as a second home.
he looked oh so focused on the read, on the way he would hop page after page, devouring the ink and the yellowish hue of paper with giggles at well studied jokes he couldn’t help but let bubble out of his pretty lips ━it was always like that, with that world that felt more homey than the streets he’d walk to get his groceries or the sky above his head, that felt more soothing than the chatter of people even if he did ndeed love the streets and the voices and the sky, no doubt ! there simply was something more whenever he’d just stay in his shop, in that little gift of impulse ━the laptop open to a draft to conclude and the book resting in his hands, the fond smile for one moment turning into adorable expression of surprse when the bell at the door rung as it opened. “ oh ? ” yes, hanbin, time to return to earth where you technically belong. “ hello, please ━let me know if you need anything ━ ”
hello there to all of you new people ! i go by r or rhu, gmt+1 timezone and currently on a quest to survive yet another day at uni while crying over this mochi over here ! hanbin is a good boi i hope to get the chance to develop in here even if i suck *ss at plotting, but meanwhile this is going to be a quick rundown of his story & you can find STATS / WANTED CONNECTIONS / THE BOOK SERIES here ! feel free to like this if you wanna plot or ask for my discord while i hop to write down my other boy’s intro ♥
[ PARK JIMIN, TWENTY-FIVE, CISMALE, HE/HIS ] hello, [ CHOI HANBIN ], this is the NERVE promotional discount offering 30% on the first three months of membership to whoever decides to join us in this limited amount of time ! it doesn’t matter if you’re an [ NOVEL AUTHOR ], or if you think you’re too [ KIND HEARTED AND SELFLESS ] or too [ GULLIBLE AND SUBMISSIVE ] to live the NERVE experience, for the game is meant to be accessible to anyone. we at NERVE are well aware of how much you value your safety, especially considering [ YOU LIED AND TOOK BLAME OF SOMETHING YOU HAVEN’T COMMITTED IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN YOU WERE THE VICTIM ] but don’t worry ! our terms of service are made to keep you and your peers safe. one of our next dares’ worth equals to 800.000KRW. so, are you a watcher or are you a player?
tw for: child neglect, bullying & sexual abuse
BACKGROUND
way before the great success of his books, hanbin was nothing but the only child of a very poor family living right near the docking areas of busan. both parents had to work three jobs to make meets end and grant their kid an education, but still hanbin was heavily affected by the lack of familial presence by his side, albeit not weighing it on the two at all.
being a very shy kid, tho, it was really hard for him to socialize, which is why he’d rather always spend time with books or with some paper to scribble on rather than playing with the other kids. it was a situation that never was brought up to hanbin’s parents attention simply because it was just seen as a juvenile shyness meant to disappear when growing older, something that only got worsened when at the beginning of high school he became target of bullies who would constantly point out his status and the fact he had to work after school. even then, hanbin never spoke about it and only closed himself even more into writing, winning a few poetry contests held in his school while starting the very first draft of what was going to become the first novel of his series.
speaking of his afterschool job ━a florist’s greenhouse where he had to tend the plants, not so far from the local arboretum━ , it was perhaps the only place where he felt safe and serene, and where hanbin himself said in various interviews that it helped him destress from the harshness of life and helped him write.
at the age of 18, he was framed by his bullies for an act of vandalism at the basement storage after he got dragged there with an excuse, and was found trembling and bleeding from his head nearby its entrance while the storage itself was essentially turned inside out. the incident left him very shaken and very prone to panic attacks towards sudden movements and unprompted touching. because of not speaking and not accusing anyone of what happened, he was pretty much considered guilty and forced to help one of his professors with afterschool work and ditch his actual job for that week as a punishment. it was that professor who found out of hanbin’s draft for his novel and encouraged him to try looking for an editor if writing was really what he aspired to do as a job.
that encouragement was the little spark this shy boy needed to go forth with his dream, actually signing with a known korean publishing house who had extremely appreciated his draft and only needed corrections and some more finessing to be done while he was busy graduating from highschool. he didn’t go to college due to lacking money for it and not wanting to become further weight for his tired parents, so he put all his heart and soul into alternating the greenhouse job and the final stages of his novel’s publishing.
serendipity came out exactly one and a half year later ( 2013 ), and its story was an unexpected yet gradual success that brought the young man’s name under the spotlight. wonder ( 2015 ) and euphoria ( 2017 ) managed to raise the bar even higher to the point the three books got a complete cover renovation and was approved for translation in several countries as well as an official name for the saga:the serendipity gospels.
the great success of the book had him finally being able to have enough money to do whatever he’s ever dreamed of: he finally moved from busan to bucheon, where he took a small studio apartment ( and also bought a small bookstore where he’s pretty much most of the times, selling very rare books and writing his own stuff ) and keeps travelling to seoul from time to time due to being often invited to attend conferences, be a guest on tv shows and of course, working with the editor.
HANBIN
the living proof that angels are real and are too good for any of us. he literally forgave his parents for not being with him because he knew they had to work and used the money from the first book to repay them for all the sacrifice they’ve done, and also made a gift to the greenhouse’s owner to thank him for being patient with him and letting him appreciate the beauty of flowers even more.
very soft. very, very shy. never raises his voice. rarely talks unless it’s being asked something to him or he really feels talkative. which again, very rare moments, and has this thick busan accent many think sounds cute on his soft voice. and gestures a lot with those tiny fingers. pls god.
has ptsd from what happened during his last year of highschool and won’t talk about it claiming he doesn’t remember what happened, but it’s clear that it left a huge scar onto him that he’s unhealthily suppressing.
he writes the most beautiful poetry and the most heartwrenching scifi book series ever conceived and has had people in tears for how euphoria ended, like how dare he. that’s offensive.
loves the sea like he loves books, flowers and eating samgyeopsal.
fans keep saying that the protagonist of the series, a mute boy called seokjin, is a literal author avatar of hanbin, which has also been brought up to his attention duringeuphoria’s press conference. he has of course said nothing on the question, simply saying that like every author, there’s a piece of him in every part of the books.
catch yourself falling in love with how he giggles when he’s gotten an idea and pitter-patters to get his notebook to write it down, cause that’s the sound of happiness. or how he literally keeps his feet in the water and smiles fondly at the horizon regardless of he sea being calm or stormy. or how his eyes sparkle when he’s found a book to read.
his manager still is so pissed at him for buying a bookstore last year… but hanbin just felt the old, hidden place calling for him okay? he had to. plus he’s still working on his own books, he can do both things mister grumpy just watch him
minho for the most part is usually ravenous, always running low on energy from lack of sleep and refuelling himself constantly throughout the day to stay awake though not always with food, usually with something else. so give him something to eat and it’s usually gone within seconds, but not today. today he just about brings himself to take a couple of small bites, forces them down really. his stomach is churning. but he knows hanbin is right, knows that before he does anything else he has to sober up, no matter how much he wants to stay fucked.
he appreciates the LACK OF JUDGMENT in hanbin’s voice more than the other could ever possibly know hanbin is the first person he’s told, after all. shoulders shrug gently, bottom lip quivering. “ she called me, ” he starts to explain, his voice still shaky and small. “ she called me and she told me, and the first thing i asked was if she was sure it was mine was that a dick move? was that fair to ask? i don’t know, but she said she was sure because she hasn’t slept with anyone else in MONTHS, and, ” he pauses, catches his breath around a sob. this isn’t the time to talk about the fact that even that had shaken him, this isn’t the time to feel sorry for himself. “ she wants to keep it, and … she was calling to let me know, to see if i wanted to be apart of … it, and then i hung up. ” he stops again, thinking about the work his mother does with YOUNG, SINGLE MOTHERS, about the fact that if he walks away from this, if he doesn’t at least try, he’s going to realize his worst fear becoming exactly like his father. “ so i went out and i got really fucked up, and then this girl came onto me and i went back with her like i … ” like he hadn’t learned anything. “ and then i woke up and i was still drunk and now i’m here. i haven’t called her back. ” it takes him two seconds after he finishes speaking to burst back into tears, holding the sandwich in his hands TOO TIGHT.
minho might not be the brightest and most polished apple in the basket, but if there was something hanbin was sure, that was that the boy he had been taking care of and checking up onto like a brother of his had a good heart. it just happened to be accompanied by terrible management and control skills, which was something the author could relate to certain extents. still, he was doing his best to make sure minho could really feel him close, that his consolation wasn’t just being delivered with words, but with gestures too.
there was a frown tainting the author’s face, but it was clear that it was stemming from focus, from trying to depict the scenario explained by the younger in the most accurate way so that he could somehow simulate it, and come up with a solution that wouldn’t seem too ridiculous to be brought up. “ you were scared, you━━you didn’t mean to act like that, it’s normal to be, uh, very brash and impulsive when you’re shocked. ” he would have been surprised of the contrary. a kid coming through was even more than just serious business, it was something meant to change one’s life forever, either in a positive or negative way. and he knew the girl was going to have one hell of a hard time on her own ━their society being so cruel and cutthroat, such a sharp contrast with the way his small hand would run through the drunken youth’s hair. “ before calling her and cl━clearing things up with her, mhmh ━━we━we must address the elephant in the room, minho-ah. ” a pause. “ do you want to help her with the child or not? do you want to be involved? you’ll have to ask yourself that, minho-ah, you’ll have to. you have to look i━into your heart and decide, because these are situations where you can’t be vague to, or gloss over. these are things that change people from the inside out. ”
this man is certainly full of surprises. minki is once again taken aback by hanbin, and he can’t help but to let out a short breath of laughter. “a book conference?” of course his coworkers would choose some high class fancy lounge on the night there’s supposed to be a conference. they probably knew about it. minki, on the other hand, had no clue. “you’re… an author?” surely he had to be fucking with him, right? authors don’t look like this. they look like some uptight middle aged man or a woman who looks a bit like a mouse. they don’t look like hanbin does right now. it just doesn’t happen. “you’re fucking with me, right?” and then he’s running his fingers through his hair, glancing out around at the other people. “i’m here with some of my coworkers. they decided to go out and i can never really say no to alcohol, so here i am.” he’s shrugging, looking back at hanbin. “they all left to find their own people for the night and left me by myself. but now i’m not alone.” even if he’s still completely thrown off guard by hanbin being an author, he’s still interested. and unless hanbin completely turned him down, he’d continue to show his interest.
there seemed to be shock in the other’s voice ━somehow causing the flustered one to let a small chuckle off glossy lips of his, unsurprised for it was actually a pretty common reaction people seemed to be getting around him. no one would expect choi hanbin, with his ethereal presence and delicate charms, to be the author of such a successful book saga ; he’s seen people expecting him to be some old guy, or a woman using an alias to get the novels published without backlash, and the faces they’d do at the truth unveiled was always something so amusing to see. “ ah, i am not joking, no ━i am an author. my books are actually quite the talk for last few years. ” a soft smile offered to the impromptu guest, to a couple of other authors who approached to greet him, shaking hands and courtesies ( ‘ah hanbin-ssi, your prose has been such a mesmerizing wave of fresh hair!’ ‘hanbin-ssi, it’s always a pleasure to see you as one of our literary promises!’ ) ━elegantly, as if he himself was host of the event when he was just one of the many pens invited.
his eyes cautiously returned to the other male with a flush of pink still on those pretty cheeks of his ━taking note of the other’s explanation and word choice. “ i, ahn━ i am glad you consider me some sort of good company already? wasn’t━wasn’t expecting that, no. ”
finally my con adventure is over and im returning to my cozy home ! this means tomorrow i will be resuming my regular activity on hanbin and maybe do a cute insta-esque post about the convention he attended bc im that extra uwu
S_ARA_NG: Oohh! where are you going, Mr??
S_ARA_NG: It’s a way to practice your patience and how good you are at distracting yourself c;
S_ARA_NG: Or how good your friends are at entertaining you xD
S_ARA_NG: I support that idea!!! so much! we need that in our lifes, like, NOW!
CHOIBINS_TSG: ah im going to italy ! i have been called as a guest for a panel to a big convention there !
CHOIBINS_TSG: well im with my manager and theyre not exactly the funnest of the bunch, but so far i’ve had the kid of the person in front of me trying to grab my glasses ! very cute !
CHOIBINS_TSG: please someone invent teleport for us all
minjwa: oh no!!!!! that’s awful D:
minjwa: jfc crowds are the worst honestly hhh sending all of the best wishes for u
minjwa: a teleport platform sounds amazing omg maybe a little bit too op but who cares i’d love that
CHOIBINS_TSG: i knooow ;; i have a convention in italy to attend, and there’s a panel scheduled for me to speak about the books since they just got translated in there!
CHOIBINS_TSG; i wanna think it’s gonna be fun, but at this point i am not sre what between the crowd and the jetlag is gonna make me feel so groggy, aaah :v
CHOIBINS_TSG: please lets make a petition to have teleport actually developed, never thought i’d need this more than ice cream cake
he feels GUILTY, more than anything else, he supposes guilty for always dumping all his shit on hanbin, someone who’s too GOOD to him, who does too much for him, guilty for the sheer magnitude of the mess he’s gotten himself into & his reaction to the NEWS in the first place. he feels guilty as he watches hanbin close the shop for him. how many sales or customers is he going to lose because of him? and yet, in regular MINHO - FASHION, he doesn’t act on this guilt, doesn’t do anything to fix it.
they’re in the back room before he knows it, the books on the shelves a BLUR as they walk by them. the moment his ass lands on the couch, his head is in his hands, fat tears running down his cheeks. he only looks up to accept water from hanbin, and holds the glass tight between his shaky fingers. “ you’re not gonna BELIEVE it. or maybe you will. i don’t know. i really don’t. i don’t believe it. ” a beat passes. he downs half the glass of water and wipes his mouth. a crease forms between his brow, and his voice goes SMALL, a stark contrast to his usual self always too loud, always too awkward, too much or too little all at once. “ i got a girl i was sleeping with pregnant. ” he sinks his top teeth into his bottom lip he looks SO SMALL despite his stature, looks more like the boy he was before than he has at any other point over the last two years. he HATES the way the words sound when they hit the air, it’s the first time he’s spoken them since she rang and she told him and he … he HUNG UP and went out, in an effort to make himself feel better that only made him feel worse.
of course, he knew closing the shop early was going to have consequences, albeit minimal —maybe one or two people getting miffed because the place is in standby— minho’s clearly shaken condition being the primary worry for such a selfless heart choi hanbin was born with, always there to make sure that the one he looked on like the little brother he never had could get up from whatever hard blow always had him almost agonizing on the ground. it was a sight that made his own heart ache —seeing the younger like that when he should have a happy life, it was heartbreaking.
“ it’s gonna be okay. ” those words ushered by plump pink lips, small hands so used to tap onto computers and caressing the papery texture of a book already helping out the younger in holding the half-filled glass of water, unwrapping a simple cheese sandwich and offering it as well. “ eat, bread kills the hangover a little. ” it must have been something serious if it reduced the younger in such a mess —and in fact it was, hanbin’s eyes growing so wide while sitting by the younger’s side, still trying to give comfort with small caresses along the curve of that broad shoulder. it reminded him a bit of himself —scared and lonely, defenseless to the hurt that has been shoved onto him without any remorse. it wasn’t something to gloat on, it wasn’t something that could be solved by scolding, or accusing. “ oh, minho-ah... ” it firstly left his mouth, soft voice wanting to reach for the younger’s panicky mind. “ i am here, i—i can help, even if i don’t have experience. you—did you talk to her? did she tell you what she wants to do? ” because her input was needed too, or nothing could be solved at all.
CHOIBINS_TSG: i have a 12 hours long flight ahead and the thought only tires me already
CHOIBINS_TSG; there’s such a crowd and we have barely started boarding the priority line
CHOIBINS_TSG: this is why i am favorable to the invention of a teleport platform :c
