stay gold;

irene bae. 21. fashion design student at hongik university. owner of ginger inc. residing in apt 505 at mirinae.

[uhxroy]

ᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ • sᴡ × ɪ

[uhxroy]

Why she didn’t want him to inform her parents confused him. And even more so did her statement. With his brows slightly furrowed, he walked over to the seat at her bedside, following her gesture. “What do you mean?” As he sank down to the chair, he tried to figure it out as well and his mouth fell open when he thought he realized what she meant.

"Do you mean I,. I can leave?" he asked, pointing a figure at himself. He immediately shook his head. Whether or not she also meant he could leave without paying a single won, he knew he couldn’t leave an injured person on their own, and not especially a girl whose injury he helped cause. "I wouldn’t want to, not until someone’s coming over to help you out or unless you’d want me to. Will someone be coming over?" At the back of his mind, though, he wondered who would, now that she told him not to call her parents.

"And the bill…" He finally decided to bring it up, since it was possible that was also what she meant, and out of embarrassment, he hung his head. "I, I think I only have seventy thousand won I could offer now, but the rest I’ll have to pay back in batches. I’ll be sure to pay you back in a few months, though. Would that be all right?" He clenched his fists at his side, realizing that he truly needed to ask his parents for help this time. He was on good terms with them, but he didn’t want to give them any reason to look into details of his life in Korea. All they knew, after all, was that he studied in university. If they found out that he was actually there to sing, they would definitely not be pleased.

[hdxirene-blog]

       She could see the look of confusion slowly creeping into his features, perhaps questioning her decision to keep her folks in the dark. It could have been the anaesthesia still flowing in her system that impaired her mental function of reasoning but she was certain that even if she was truly sober, she would still want to keep it between them. Causing her parents inconvenience was at the bottom of her list of things-to-do after all. They would most probably never let her out of their sight ever again after her recovery. And that worried her more.

       His intentions were good, she got that. But she didn't want to be a burden to him any longer. Who knew how long they'd both been in the hospital? If he had any other ( better ) things to tend to, then she would rather have him leave rather than waste more time on her. She would be fine under the care of the medical professionals here and she doubted that her condition would worsen. As she was about to open her mouth to respond, his words struck something within her, prompting her to clamp her mouth shut right that instant.

       It rang again and again in her head, his question. Besides her parents, she didn't really have anyone else. Friends were a scarcity in her life and even if she did have some, she also wouldn't want to trouble them Yes, she was probably being difficult but all she ever wanted was to try living on her own no matter how hard it was. If she kept on relying on other people ( and their sympathy ), then she would never learn to stand on her own two feet. Seeing how honest this man was with her, she didn't have the heart to lie to him. So instead, she just shook her head. That would suffice as an answer. 

       When he brought up the subject of the bill, a sigh of relief escaped her lips. She was glad that he understood what she meant. But she didn't approve of the things that he said. Didn't she just tell him that she could take care of the matter? Not wanting to worry him any longer, she finally cracked a smile, albeit a small one, for the first time that day since she awoke and found him in the room.

       ❝ It's fine, ❞ she whispered, shaking her head. ❝ It was my fault after all. ❞ That could be a lie but it could also be the truth. Perhaps it was due to her recklessness that landed her in this predicament in the first place and if someone were to take responsibility for it, it would be no other than herself.

[hdxirene-blog]

「 taken 」↳ bjh & gjc

[hdxgongyoo]

"Just a bite." She said, her brown eyes mischievous. An amused smirk crossed his lips, his head shaking no. "Come on! It’s just a doughnut." She laughed, pulling onto his arm, jokingly whining. "It’s empty calories." He replied, chuckling at her antics. His hand reached out to run his fingers through her hair, cupping her cheek, rosy from the cold. "You’re taking your restaurant manager job thing too seriously. Donuts bought from a random store can be delicious too." She pouted, yet still leaning into the warmth that his hand provided. Another chuckle followed, "Fine. I’d take a b-"

A bump knocked him out of his reminisce, the doughnut he was staring just moments ago lowered to his side. A distressed expression followed and she left. He turned, eyes tracing her movement. With the grab, his eyes widened with the grab and before he could react, the van had sped away. Perhaps it was instinct, training that have never really faded, that led him to spin around to scan the crowd behind him. His eyes locked on to a lone male, moving away from the scene. His demeanor and behavior identifying to Gong Yoo that he was the herder.

Irene was a family friend, cousins to his irritating brother not by blood, Daehyun. The fact that she didn’t recognize him even with the mask for the slight flu he had, determined the skill of this herder. Irene was taken. He needed to identify the reason and the possibility of her location fast. The way she was taken spoke much about the team that is after her, the herder herds her towards a location where the grab is meant to happen. He would be noticeable, menacing, drawing the mark’s attention from her surroundings to the path he’d like her to take. This man was a pro, that much was certain. Gong Yoo always had this ability to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, that much he was certain. However, Irene may just have been lucky enough to run into him just before the grab, the police wouldn’t be able to track her down, the systems in place left much to be exploited. Gong Yoo has already been used to working out of the system, something he hopes never to step back into, but a friend’s life was on the line, there was no choice in the matter.

As apposed to the herder’s ability to project his presence and make the mark aware of his presence, Gong Yoo was an opposite. He was like a shadow, following his mark without him noticing. Eyes followed the herder as he retrieved a phone from the ground, Irene’s. The herder made his way to a basement parking lot, keys jingling out. The telltale sound of his car unlocking with the press of a button echoed against the walls. His hand found the handle of the car door, and Gong Yoo appeared. A quick jab against the herder’s throat silenced him to nothing more than mere gasping. Strong and thick arms curled around the herder’s neck in a sleeper hold. A futile struggle later, the unconscious herder was taken, Gong Yoo driving out in the herder’s car, gloved hands on the steering wheel.

Read More

[hdxirene-blog]

       Darkness was the last thing she saw and now, darkness was the first thing that greeted her. It enveloped her whole like a silken cocoon, swallowing her in its endless abyss. In the pit of her stomach, a violent storm was a-brewing; the almighty Zeus with his raging thunder and lightning bolts taking the form of trepidation, causing turmoil and terror. And in that moment, she believed that if one were to shine a torch onto her face, they'd see the fear lining her blood-drained face in bold, black coal. There was a lump in the back of her throat and it threatened to tear her jaw apart, demanding to be expelled. That was how terrified she was. That was how she thought her life was ending.

       In all honesty, she was surprised to still be able to open her eyes another time. Yes, she may have been kept in the dark, literally, but she was still alive nevertheless. But that didn't stop her from thinking that this was all another figment of her imagination. Maybe she was already dead-- but she never really did believe in life after death. Or perhaps it was the alternative-- the kidnapping had never trully happened. Maybe, just maybe, this was all a horrible dream. Just as hope began to bud in the crevices of her frightened, fragile heart, it was shot down, stomped upon, buried six feet under by the piercing sound of a door creaking open.

       ❝ Looks like the princess has awoken, ❞ came a gruff voice, brusque with an underlying tone that sounded both twisted and sinister.

       Princess. It was funny how this man had addressed her in such a manner. All this while, she was convinced that a man would be the prince who saved the damsel in distress. Never would she have expected him to take the dark form of evil and lock her away in this faraway place. Perhaps what she needed was a dragon instead of a fork-tongued prince. A dragon would keep her warm. A dragon would keep her safe. Safe from outsiders. Safe from strange men who crept in corridors and blended in with the shadows.

       With the door ajar, some ray of light had found their way to the bottom of the loosely-tied piece of clothing covering her eyes. Upon receiving the stimuli, her pupils readjusted their size and she could barely make out the dirty cement floor she was sitting on and the ropes that bound both her ankles to each other. Barely seconds ago, she hadn't felt a single thing on her but now, the ropes seemed to have tightened, strangulating her ankles until they began to ache and throb, both her feet tingling -- no, numb -- what with the bad circulation.  

       When the man spoke a second time, she inched even closer to the cold wall, wishing she could shrink right there in the corner. Could it be considered a display of mercy from their part for leaning her against the wall instead of throwing her onto the hard ground when she was unconscious? No. They probably had something else in mind since they had kept her alive up to this very second. Considering the fact that the man only used the singular form with her and the silence of her surroundings, she assumed that she was alone. It must have been a room of some sort, a small one to be precise, for the man's voice reverberated just the slightest when he talked. 

       Now that her mind was fully focused on the present, a different thought slithered into the back of her brain. Right now, the chances of her escaping seemed very bleak-- she was on her own, blindfolded, hands and legs bound. Would anyone notice her disappearance? Most likely not. It was a school week and her parents weren't expecting her home so soon. Friends? She barely had any and even if she did, perhaps none of them cared enough if she hadn't shown up for classes. Everyone in university was their own person and leaves of absence were very common. Perhaps this really was the last of her after all.

[hdxirene-blog]

「 coffee and cake 」↳ bjh &sl

hdxstephanie

       If stares could bear holes, there'd be a huge one on where the platter sat. About twenty minutes ago, she stepped into this unique cafe with the intention of cramming for her upcoming quiz. From a few of her course mates, she'd overheard of an interesting place to study where they allow patrons to eat and drink. Now there were practically no other places she'd know of that allowed such a thing and as tempting the idea of studying at Starbucks sounded, it wasn't exactly a very conducive place to do so. 

       Cafe Comma is both a cafe and a mini library-- or at least, that was what she heard. They said that the ambiance within was actually very warm and silent and she could see it for herself once she got there. When inside, she was blown away by the sight of stacks of books filling the ceiling-to-floor shelves. Besides, the strong aroma of brewing coffee was enough to convince her, snatching her heart away the moment she took her first step inside.

       But this cake before her looked nothing like the one she had pointed at through the display glass earlier. Not wanting to appear as another fussy customer, she decided to try it, hoping it would appeal to her palate.

       It didn't. 

       There was something off about the taste-- terribly off. With a dreadful heart, she swallowed it down and washed the awful aftertaste off with her espresso. It worked. Although she wanted to ask for a replacement, she was too shy to do so-- more so after she had already taken a bite from a different piece of cake she had asked for. So there she was, eyes glued to the platter instead of to the pages of the book lying to her left. Little did she know that another individual set of eyes were on her, and although they missed her tasting the supposed sweet treat, they did notice her odd expression.

[hdxirene-blog]

anyway, I'm just gonna mention those I owe and those I'm currently waiting on. Please inform me if you ever want to drop a thread, yeah? ;;

replies drafted for:

hdxdaehyun hdxtao hdxhwayoung hdxroy hdxleejieun hdxgongyoo

writing a starter for:

hdxstephanie

waiting on:

hdxhanjiwon and everyone else who's on a hiatus hdxsungyeol, hdxhimchan (for starters)

plotting with:

hdxbaro hdxkmyungsoo hdxhyerim hdxjaewook hdxjisoo (but she's on a hiatus so this will have to be put on hold)

[hdxhanjiwon-deactivated20150122]

▪▪ under the weather.

          [ teary eyes and runny nose, irritation deluges his system . his lips are red from the raw weather and from nibbling them too much to distract himself from the terrible headache . last night, he sighs then pinches the bridge of his nose as he sways down the bare street . he shouldn’t have gone out . he shouldn’t have gone to that old bar to drink until he passed out and woke up at the front, lying on the hard pavement . it is still cold just like yesterday ; it’s a goddamn mistake to not bring along his jacket when he’s wearing a sleeveless shirt . say hello to fever . sniffing, he rubs his tattooed arms in an attempt to warm himself up while squeezing his eyes shut for a bit to clear his slightly hazy vision . though when he opens his eyes and turns the corner merely a second later, he bumps into a young woman, causing whatever that she holds in her arms to drop and scatter about . ] ” oh, shit. i’m– i’m sorry. ” [ still dizzy, he crouches to help her and tries to balance himself on the balls of his feet … only to fall back so fucking gracefully . ]

[hdxirene-blog]

       【— Arms full of groceries, Irene makes her way slowly down the street, wary as to not bump into other people and drop all of her things. Just a couple of days ago, she realised that she had run out of pretty much everything in her house. Her refrigerator is empty and so is the fruit basket that always seems to have an endless supply of bananas and oranges-- well until that very day. Classes have taken up a large amount of her time that she has no vacant time to go out and do her shopping. Saturdays are usually spent with her manning her store but not today. Today, she has decided to keep it closed until she settles everything on her checklist. So now here she is, heading up the slightly steep road that goes uphill. And although she tries her very best to steer out of people's way, she doesn't notice the man that has suddenly turned in her direction. Inadvertently, they collide with each other and the bags in her arms drop to the ground as gravity settles in. She tries to salvage whatever she can but it isn't much. At least her vegetables are okay and so are some of her apples-- well they're slightly bruised but still edible nevertheless. Glancing at the man who has ran into her, she is taken aback to see him falling to the ground all of a sudden. Is he really that weak? Crouching down in front of him, she sets the bag aside and attempts to hoist him up. But his weight is a little too much than she could handle that she eventually loses her balance and falls atop him as well, eyes rounding and face flushing a bright shade of scarlet.】

[hdxhwayoung-deactivated20150514]

【 i spy with my little eye | rhy & bjh 】

       12:50 am. The digital watch strapped onto her wrist gave her the time in bright green numbers as Hwayoung walked out of her friend’s apartment complex. The street looked absolutely deserted. No one was walking on the street. It looked exactly like a scene in the movie where something bad happens to a character. She would have stayed later, probably even slept over in her friend’s apartment, but no, she had a midterm tomorrow and boy, did she… not study at all.        It probably wasn’t the best idea to walk on the streets alone in the late hours of the night. She wasn’t going to deny she was pretty scared. She’s seen a lot of news reports of people getting attacked and left for dead in alleyways. Sighing to herself, she tried to block the ideas that she might get attacked with happier thoughts. It didn’t seem to work though, when all she could still think about how there was probably a thirty-five percent chance of her getting attacked. There was absolutely no living soul aside from her on the street, and there was that unsettling silence that just made her worry more and more.        While on her way, she saw pink and the heavy weight on her heart lessened. There was another woman with pink dip dye, who was standing on the street and… seemed to be hiding from something? She paid no attention to it, only continuing to walk. She was about to come close to the girl and where she hid before she tripped over air, which was classic Hwayoung really, tripping over absolutely nothing, and accidentally bumped into the girl, bringing her out of her hiding spot. Once they were both out of the hiding spot, she finally saw what the other woman was hiding from.

[hdxirene-blog]

       She knew that having a sale wasn't such a great idea but she needed to clear her store for her upcoming winter collection. Jackets, sweaters, scarfs, boots were only part of what she had pre-ordered a week ago. All of these needed a much bigger space and her store was already pretty limited to begin with. The only way she could get the room she so desperately needed was to hold a clearance sale. Either she had her expectations too low or perhaps she underestimated the power of the word 'sale', but the turn out was unbelievably great. And because of that, she had to close the store down a little later than usual before heading home. 

       Unlike the previous nights, this one was much brighter-- probably due to the glow of the full moon and the endless veil of stars twinkling in the night sky. Even when she was taking her sweet time cycling to her destination, admiring the almost ethereal beauty of the lit-up sky, she always made sure to keep an eye out. This was still a huge town and she was just a small girl out here in the open, all alone, vulnerable. Hongdae may seem very lively during the day, but not this part of it and not at this hour. As her paranoia immediately took over, she kept her eyes straight on the road. No more goofing around. She wouldn't want to get into any unwanted situation.

       And although that was what she desired, fate seemed to have more in store for her. As she was cycling past a dark alley, suddenly her ears caught the sound of a cry; it was so faint that she could have missed it had she not been concentrating on the silence of night. Despite the alarm bells ringing in her head, her curiosity got the better of her. Leaving her bicycle in the shadows, she quietly made her way towards said alley, crouching when she reached the collection of garbage by the full dumpster. She had to hold her breath to ignore the stench but that didn't prove to be a problem when her eyes caught the sight of something glinting in the dark. Is that...

       Just as quickly as it had appeared, it was consumed by the darkness. And then there was the cry again, soft and muffled. And again. And again. Until there was complete and utter silence. Had she just witnessed something she shouldn't have? Her eyes widened in horror as the realisation sank in. She needed to get out of here. Now. But as she inched backwards on the tips of her toes, she suddenly collided with something-- or rather someone. A cry of surprise escaped from her lips but it soon got silenced by the sound of someone shouting and coming in her direction.

       ❝ Get up, get up! ❞ she whispered harshly at the... girl? There was no time to care about who it was. Her main priority was to leave this place safe and sound, in one piece and not in another body bag. The mere thought of the scene unfolding before her very eyes earlier was enough to make her blood turn to ice. Curling her fingers tightly around the girl's wrist, she tugged as hard as she could to pull her up before dragging her along in a sprint. ❝ Hide. Now! ❞

[dothehufflepuffle]

Visit Original Link

[hdxirene-blog]

「 taken 」↳ bjh & gjc

       Half an hour had gone by but Irene showed no sign of stopping. Why? Ever since she left the mall earlier, she somehow had a strange feeling nagging, tugging harshly at every neuron of her brain, demanding that she paid attention to it. But she was constantly surrounded by paranoia that she disregarded this feeling as just another one of her mind's hyperactive imagination. There was quite a large number of people around her so of course, they were bound to head in the same direction. The only thing that made her change her mind was the fact that this strange man also stopped when she had to bend down and retie her shoelace that had come undone.

       She could see him from the corner of her eye-- all athletic build and long limbs. But she couldn't see his face, no. He had his cap on and his eyes were always cast downwards as he walked. By the second turn around the corner, she was absolutely certain that this man was tailing her. She tried to lose him in the crowd again but to no avail. Whoever he was, he definitely knew what he was doing. When she passed by a car parked by the roadside, she decided to steal a stealthy glance at him. And that was when she finally knew how real fear felt. At that exact moment, it seemed like he knew what she was doing and their eyes caught each other's gaze in the reflection. His were cold and piercing, and they chilled her to the bone.

       The sudden realisation that she had gotten herself into a much deeper mess made her steps lighter, quicker. And he too followed suit. Shoving her hand into her pocket, she tried to fish out her mobile phone but unfortunately, some other pedestrian coming from the opposing lane bumped into her and the device slipped out her clammy hand. By the time she had turned into another street, the crowd had significantly reduced in number and what made it worse was that she couldn't even tell where she was. Passersby were scattered along the sidewalk and she was too terrified to grab onto one of them and scream for help. She had to act quick yet discreetly. A man was heading her way but he seemed to be preoccupied with the doughnut in his hand. He would have to do. There was no other way for she could already hear the approaching footsteps behind her.

       When they were close enough, she made a quick swerve and knocked into him. She tried to tell him, she really did but in this state of panic, she seemed to have lost her voice. Casting him a frightened look, she immediately moved away and resumed her flight. Just another thirty meters till she could make another turn and hopefully lose the man who was hot on her heels. But imagine her surprise when a van suddenly sped past and braked right in front of her. As she spun on her heel, she felt a rough yank on her wrist. Her lips parted to let out a scream but they were soon muffled by an acrid-smelling piece of cloth. The last thing she remembered was being dragged towards the tinted vehicle and the door slamming shut. Everything else had since then faded to black.

[uhxroy]

ᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ • sᴡ × ɪ

[uhxroy]

He took a small step back when he noticed her flinch, as faint as the reaction was. Of course, anyone who just woke up would be startled by the kind of outburst he just made.  How her skin paled afterwards was an entirely different matter, however. Sangwoo easily saw the look of mild confusion on her face turn to something that of terrified. He could see her eyes dart around the room, as if there was something terrible about to happen. The sudden change in her temperament rubbed off on him, and he began to feel anxious again.

He opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but he was instead met with a question. “Oh, I, I’m not sure, actually…” his voice trailed off. Of course, he thought. I should have thought about that. The idea didn’t occur to him until she mentioned it, and he realized he should have done just that while waiting for her to wake up. “Should I have…? I It didn’t occur to me earlier because my first thought was just to bring you here and the hospital staff took care of the rest. So I don’t know if they did already.” His eyes went to the door, while he wondered if he should go ask. “Would you like me to ask them?”

The mention of parents also brought to his mind the issue of settling the hospital bill. Sangwoo subconsciously dug his hands into his pockets, as if grasping for money he could spare. Unfortunately, all he had was a wallet containing all the money he had for the next two weeks and his battered smartphone. Unfortunately, the accident had been his fault. Having had only a few hours of sleep the previous night, he hadn’t been paying enough attention to his surroundings when the collision happened. He kept quiet about this concern at the moment, however. Perhaps it was something he could negotiate his way out of. The girl’s well-being came first and foremost.

[hdxirene-blog]

       Her eyes never left his as she listened intently -- or at least attempted to -- to his words. Somehow, she did feel a little relieved knowing that her parents were still not informed-- yet.

       ❝ N-no! ❞ she quickly interrupted him when he offered to ask. Perhaps it would be a good thing to keep them in the dark for now. Having her mother running into the ward, probably in hysterics after hearing of her one and only daughter's accident wouldn't look as amusing as it may sound.

       She let a few moments pass in silence between them. Being the silent but observant type, she did notice the little things he did, like how he slipped his hand into his pocket and the flicker of expression that crossed his features even if just for a brief lapse of moment. And just then, a thought popped up in her mind, perhaps the same thought that seemed to hover over his head right that instant as well. The bills. She could definitely afford to pay for everything. Besides, she could most probably be the cause of the accident although her memory seemed to be failing her now.

       ❝ You know.. I-- ❞ she began, pausing for a second to swallow and wet her throat, ❝ I can take care of this. ❞ She hoped he would understand what she meant. Telling him outright didn't seem to be a good option. It wouldn't cost a lot anyway, right? She only assumed that she got a few stitches on her forehead and nothing major that required surgery. Her head seemed to be alright with no alarming symptoms she should worry about too. With only a twitch of her index finger, she gestured towards the chair beside her bed so he would take a seat and not have her crane her neck to look at him.

[hdxirene-blog]

「 a rainy day 」↳ bjh & hzt

[foelgen-deactivated20150514]

Morning was at finish as afternoon became climbing into the clock that ticked on his wrist; the ticking of the hand moving in a slow circle in fight towards time and all. But time was slowed down in the downpour of the rain. A haven within all the hustle and bustle of the world. Zitao was at peace.

The thrumming of the rain drops against the umbrella provided him his own step of beat — and he breathed deeply as he stood there, closed eyes and umbrella in hand.

A horrid downpour, it was, completely. But he heard steps; loud as soles hit the rain wet ground, his eyes opening in surprise as he felt the flush of air stoop in behind him. He glanced once over, confusion taken across his face as he saw a female shivering with her hands around herself — drenched from something far more than a downpour.

With a silent sigh, Zitao could only smile in humour of the situation, of the female standing there staring at him as if someone struck her with the realisation of him standing under an umbrella and not a roof.

Her step was quick, however, the rain falling onto the already wet female as she stood there, a step away from the cover of his umbrella with what he figured was embarrassment.

"Please, don’t go out in the rain again," he said, watching her with a slight concern, "Do come under, you can’t go around like that, drenched by the rain. There’s plenty of room here, you see."

[hdxirene-blog]

       His voice was gentle in contrast to the heavy rain splattering on the ground like halos around their feet. Straightening herself up, she had to move her hair out of her face so she could take a good look at him. His eyes -- despite their different shape -- was kind and inviting. How many times could she honestly say she had the chance of encountering people like him in this place? Not many, that was the truth.

       There’s plenty of room here.

       Her gaze flickered over to him, then the umbrella and the limited space he had beside him. As tempting as the offer of getting some shelter sounded, she knew that he was only being polite. If she were to really go under the umbrella, he would probably have to inch out so both of them could fit. And that would result in him getting his shoulder drenched, and she would inadvertently be troubling him. 

       Instead, she continued to shake her head while giving him a small smile. There was no need to bother someone else with her misfortune. It was her fault for forgetting to carry an umbrella with her anyway. Now all she had to do was wait for a taxi who'd gladly take her in even in this condition-- despite the fact that not a single car had drove by since she got splashed earlier. As she was about to turn away, a sneeze escaped from her, convulsing her body and causing her to lose her footing on the slippery ground where she eventually fell backwards, landing flat on her back.

[hdxirene-blog]

「 lights out 」↳ bjh & sjr

[hdxjaerim]

It was her scream that proved more effective than waking him up than the storm outside. He jumped, and realised (belatedly) that he was wearing no suitable garments for entertaining guests. In fact, he wore very little, and as such his ears turned red with embarrassment. Hopefully, the girl before him would be too distracted by whatever was bothering her that she did not notice him.

A hand absentmindedly brushed through his scalp, and he caught sight of her mouth moving, but the thunder didn’t let him hear what she said at first. He assumed that she repeated herself, and when he flicked the switch on the wall beside him he realised that she was right. Not that he would have noticed in the first place, but he chose to ignore the momentary irritation at having precious sleep taken from him, in favour of thanking her for the information. “Ah, yes, you’re right. That’s unfortunate…”

Considering that people wouldn’t normally tell him such things, his head tilted slightly to the side in confusion. “You… Do you need flashlights or anything of the sort? I’m happy to lend them to you.” Not waiting for a response, he stepped back, as if to invite the girl into his home. She could very well be a killer, but he trusted in God to keep him safe. Besides, she looked terrified enough as it was. “You can wait inside if you’d like? I’m afraid it would take a while to find anything in the dark.”

[hdxirene-blog]

       When he spoke, she averted her gaze, not because she was terrified of him -- which was also partly true in a way -- but because of the fact that he was a little underdressed, in the literal sense. She noticed the change, as faint as it may be, in his posture as he seemed to realise this too. But she wasn't about to let that hinder her from getting the help she so desperately needed since he was all she had at the moment. 

       At the mention of flashlights, she looked up at him once again and nodded. She nodded really hard that her head got dizzy so she had to stop and stare down at her feet in embarrassment. And she did hear his invitation. Loud and clear, at that. But she couldn't bring her foot to take a step further. She didn't even know his name nor what he does for a living. But as she opened her mouth to decline his offer, lightning flashed and a loud crack was heard in the distance. This made her jump in surprise and scamper behind him in fear. 

       It was probably too late for her to walk out right now since it would only make her look like a fool. Balling her hands into fists so tight that crescents formed in her clammy, bloodless palms, she stepped away from him in order to avoid herself from actually jumping on him if thunder struck another time. If anything, this storm seemed to test every fiber that made up her entire being and she absolutely detested being put on the spot.

       ❝ I'll wait here, ❞ she mumbled. 

[hdxirene-blog]

your writing is amazing! ;u;

help me I think I’m crying oh my god anon thank you so much but really though I’m not and there are plenty of others who are amazing too but thank you so so much. I really appreciate this and I promise I’ll work even harder to improve so I can make you proud

[hdxirene-blog]

「 broken in 」↳ bjh & lje

[hdxleejieun-deactivated20141202]

      It couldn’t be a longer day for Jieun. She was basically all day at university, filming some things and practicing other stuff. It was also a busy day in her mind as well, overthinking again, whether she would be able to do well or not. For some reason, she was so scared. She knew it was a bad mindset to start with, since that way she will certainly make a mistake, but she couldn’t help her mind. On the other side, that night she had to perform in streets, since she had no money for partying tomorrow day. Her mind was literally going nuts all day and the fact that she didn’t get much sleep previous night didn’t help at all. 

      After such a hard day, she was thinking whether it would be even smart to perform that night, but Jieun realized she just have to if she wants to spend this weekend well. When she came home after university, all she wanted to do is collapse on bed and sleep over the next week, but taking a glance at her wallet motivated her. Picking up her heavy guitar case, she prayed she doesn’t embarrass herself that night. Not only that she was a quite poor instrumentalist, not even practicing much due busy schedule at university, but she also couldn’t concentrate at all. 

      First of all, she didn’t even have energy to walk to the place where she usually performs, plus she saw a lot of performers that night so competition was big. Sitting on the cold sidewalk, she listened to colliding melodies, she almost fell asleep right there. As soon as she started playing, she knew she wasn’t going to make any money that night. She stopped about 10 times during one song because she forgot the chords and her voice was hoarse, probably due tiredness as well. There wasn’t anybody around her, to watch her perform and she blamed herself for even wasting her time there. Not even nice people who passed by left any money, as they usually would. All in all, it was a big flop for Jieun, so she just packed her things, but stayed there, on the sidewalk, just for a little bit longer to hear others, who did such an awesome job. 

      She was dragging herself home, looking at the watch, it wasn’t late, but she felt like it was 3am and she’s going home from a bad gig where she just wasted her time and money. Jieun was just passing by the clothing shop she have never visited and never had intention to, mainly because it was never open when she was passing by. Looking through the glass window, she saw somebody wrapped in some kind of fabric. She looked at the door, it said it was closed. Usually, she wouldn’t interrupt and just pass by, she was the type to always mind her own business, since she never had time for others, but her level of curiosity rose rapidly. Knocking few times on the glass window, she hoped that person isn’t asleep and waited for an answer. 

[hdxirene-blog]

       A couple of times actually, she had dozed off only to shake herself awake seconds later. She had to be strong. Nothing came out of being weak. It was ridiculous the number of times she had been telling herself these lies when in all honesty, she was really close to giving in and sleeping the night away. But she couldn't. She wouldn't. What if the intruder was personally after her? What if they had something against her father and decided to take it all out on her? Well these thoughts somehow managed to make her eyes stay open.

       Sighing softly, she adjusted her position since her bottom was beginning to hurt from sitting too long on the cold, hard floor. Right that moment, seeds of regret began to plant themselves in her subconscious, scolding her for acting without thinking. Maybe the noise she heard was actually another broken object falling instead of signifying the presence of someone in her abode. Another sigh escaped her lips. How long would it be until the sun rises? She was starting to shift uneasily on the floor and her nose was beginning to run because of the cold. It wasn't exactly what someone would call a pretty sight.

       Caught up in her own thoughts, she didn't notice another presence standing outside her store until she heard the faint knocking on the window. Her head instantly snapped up at the sound as she swallowed down a scream that seemed to be sitting at the back of her throat all this time. Oh. It was only a girl. Slowly but surely, she got up only to fall back on the floor as her numb legs gave way. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the thought of the girl catching her in such a manner. Gathering every ounce of strength she had left, she pushed the bad thoughts aside and made her way towards the door.

       Once she was done unlocking the door, she pulled it open and shot the other a look that was a mixture of both relief and apology-- mainly for having her caught her in one of her worse states. 

       ❝ Hi... ❞ she dared herself to say, although her voice was barely above a whisper. ❝ May I help you? ❞

[hdxbyul-deactivated20141205]

goddamn beautiful skin and their temptations || irene + byul

It’s not that Byul’s getting more desperate these days. It’s more like she’s bored out of her mind way too easily, and so her mind wanders to inappropriate wants more quickly. Not her fault. She was practically raised to be this way, having all the freedom she pleased for so many years.

So it’s not a desperate once-over she gives the young woman who comes into the bakery, oh no. More like a curious once-over. The lady’s got dip-dyed hair, after all. It’s not something you see everyday, especially paired with such a… divine, almost, kind of complexion. It’s jarring to see someone so nice looking in this place, considering the type of person Byul is. What should she say?

"I should hope you’ve been using your gorgeous face to score in the bedroom," she all but blurts out, settling her arms on the counter and leaning forward. She smiles after she says it, trying to appear friendly and not lustful. God, if she could mark that flesh…

[hdxirene-blog]

       One step at a time. A new shop a day. These are the two things that Irene has decided to live by until she graduates. Just a day ago, she overheard two guys talking over lunch about a new bakery that has just opened in town. According to them, the owner likes to 'butter her buns' and that she is 'really good'. Never in her life has she ever tasted a buttered bun so this piques her interest.

       Since she has half of the day off, she decides to have bread for lunch. Back at home, her maid always makes the most delicious breads and cookies and the thought of them is enough to make her mouth water. Just five feet away from the bakery, her nose has already picked up the warm scent of just-baked goods wafting in the air. Her stomach growls in response to such a stimulation that she steps even hastily towards it. 

       Of course, the bakery lives up to its name and the glorious tales she got out of her eavesdropping yesterday. The corners of her lips curl into a smile as she scans every item in sight. All of them look delicious. As she is about to grab one of the buns, she gets startled by a voice. She has been too caught up in trying to curb her hunger quickly that she doesn't notice the girl standing behind the counter. But as much as the broken silence has surprised her, it is more of the words she said that makes her freeze and stare at her wide-eyed.

       ❝ I beg your pardon? ❞ she finds herself asking politely, confusion written all over her face as she prays she has heard the other wrongly earlier.

[hdxdaehyun]

{ the trip to his cousin’s mansion was one that he took often back when he hadn’t left for his studies abroad. the familiar pathway to the huge house greeted him, and the same staff he had left had offered to park his car for him. stepping out, he climbed the stairs to the front porch, the door already opened for him and he’s asked to wait for her in the drawing room. it was eerily quiet; a normal thing for such a huge house, much like his own, albeit his was humbler than this abode. } 

[hdxirene-blog]

       【— Holidays were fun because she got to spend her time at home, far, far away from the noisy and inconsiderate people of Hongdae. Here, she had all the leisure in the world to read her novels in complete and utter silence without getting interrupted-- or so she thought. Half-way through her newly-bought book, her mother had peeked her head into her room to let her know that she had a visitor. Now, Irene knew for a fact that she didn't have many friends or anyone, for that matter, that knew where she lived. So when she stepped into the drawing room as instructed, she was taken aback to see another familiar face, though this was much older than the last time she saw it. Nothing much had changed-- well except for how he seemed to tower over her even from this distance -- or perhaps that was only the sun rays playing tricks on her eyes by elongating his shadow -- and the wiser glint in his eyes. Giving him a bright smile, she bowed her head as a way of greeting, her shyness around him still intact even after all these years.】

[exxxkj-deactivated20150112]

Lonely Nights Are Lonely || Irene & Jiyong

 The first night was bad. It was really, really bad, possibly the worst night he’d had since he’d still been living at his uncle’s house, after having found out that he’d ruined two peoples’ lives. This time though, it felt like he was ruining three peoples’ lives, his own included. He missed home. He missed the people he’d had to leave behind, the people who were waiting until he was more stable here, and waiting to sell their old house, before moving out to Seoul with him.

He hated being here alone. More than just the simple loathing he held for Seoul and all the memories and fears that constantly washed over him every time he walked outside, he hated having no one to really talk to. He looked over at the clock sitting on his nightstand, on the other side of his empty apartment, right beside his empty bed, and realized it was bedtime. It was actually way past bedtime Maybe that’s why no one had picked up the phone when he’d called—they were too busy sleeping.

It was probably for the best anyway—he was entirely too drunk right now to really make smart conversation, not that anyone would care. No one here would care about anything he did. He reached over and grabbed his guitar. No one would care if he played this as loud as he could or took it and bashed it against the wall, breaking it to a million pieces. It didn’t matter.

He let go of his 7th bottle of whiskey and wobbled to his feet, unsteadily heading towards the door as he dragged his guitar along behind him. He didn’t care what time it was, since nothing he did mattered anyway, so he stepped out into the hallway of the apartment and started playing nonsense on his guitar, strumming the strings with no rhythm or beat or tune. He muttered and murmured gibberish loudly to it just the same, pretending like there were lyrics.

[hdxirene-blog]

       She could hear the sound of the clock ticking as each second went by very vividly. She had alsocounted how long she had been listening to it-- 643 seconds. That was exactly the amount of time she had spent staring at the dark ceiling except for the few splashes of light that spilled through the curtains. Normally, she would be fast asleep at this time, reunited with her parents in a faraway dream. But not tonight. Tonight, she had been rudely awakened by the sonorous yet horrible voice of a man hanging outside her apartment.

       The singing itself was already bad enough but he really didn't have to add to the awful noise by strumming his guitar as if the strings were made of branches because they would eventually break if he kept playing. She had done every relaxation technique she knew of to rid herself of the anger bubbling within her -- counting invisible sheep that seemed to be leaping and floating in mid-air as they made mocking faces at her and taking in deep breaths and holding them in until her face turned blue that she was certain she was going to die due to lack of oxygen-- but to no avail. She was everything but calm.

       Eventually, she sat up in her bed and contemplated on calling the police but she doubted that they would take any action in the dead of night. How she wished she had her father with her so he could storm out and tell that man off for disruption of peace. But he wasn't here and she was all alone in the apartment. She desperately needed this sleep. The past week had been a living hell for her as she struggled to complete her designs so she could hand them in on time. And because of that, she had sacrificed hours of precious sleep. In two days' time, she would be sitting for her monthly quiz and that too, had contributed to her lack of sleep as she burned the midnight oil to revise her notes.

       Another fifteen minutes had passed but this man showed no signs of stopping his relentless, horribly, out-of-tune singing. Without even realising it, Irene had chewed so hard on her lower lip that it had begun to bleed. She only knew this when she tasted a metallic taste on her tongue. This has got to stop right now. Yanking the blanket from her mattress and wrapping it tightly around her frame, she marched towards the door, unlocked it and went directly towards the source of the voice. She didn't care that she had practically put herself in harm's way. All she wanted was a good night's sleep and that seemed to be the most difficult thing to have at the moment.  

       ❝ Can you please tone it down a notch? ❞ she demanded, her naturally soft voice now a high-pitched squeak and her cheeks burning a furious red but it was probably too dark for the stranger to notice. Where she had gotten this courage was beyond her but until this man decided to comply, she was determined to stand out here in the hallway and stare him down.

[uhxroy]

ᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴄɪᴅᴇɴᴛ • sᴡ × ɪ

[uhxroy]

Sangwoo’s mind had been began to be filled out with different possibilities as to why she hadn’t woken up yet, all of them unpleasant. He replayed over and over the incident in his head to reassure himself that she will live but then there was the hospital air, crisp and clean yet suffocating, and only heightened his anxiety by threefold.

The brisk rhythm he had started to engage in as he paced back and forth was broken abruptly when he finally heard another voice inside the room. He turned his eyes towards the bed, and saw that the young woman had woken up. “You’re awake!” he exclaimed, his face lighting up with the relief he felt. The worst of his fears had been vanquished. If she was conscious now, that meant she was more or less all right, wasn’t she? “I was so worried— Ah… right.” Quickly, he gave a a small nod. His excitement from seeing her finally awake had prevented the questions from getting through to him when they should have.

"I’m Kim Sangwoo, and my bike collided with yours earlier near Hongik University. You fell off your bike and you sustained an injury to your head… I think." His eyes warily went to where it had been bleeding earlier, as if he was expecting blood to flow out at any moment. "You do remember that, don’t you?" He paused to see how she would respond to his inquiry. "And then you fainted so I brought you here." He took a step towards her, trying to get a closer look and hopefully, a better insight on how she was before he continued. "Anyway, how are you now? would you like for me to call to the doctor?" he offered, with one of his thumbs pointing in the door’s direction. "Do you need help in any way?"

[hdxirene-blog]

       His exclamation made her flinch a little, clearly startled by any loud sounds due to her throbbing headache. So she just lay there in silence and listened to him; how he introduced himself and how she -- they -- ended up here. She was in an accident? Ah, right. The picture forming in her head was still a little hazy but it was slowly coming back to her now. It definitely explained the pain in her head and the aches she felt all over her joints and muscles. It would have been better if his explanation provided her with some sort of relief but sadly, it didn't. The accident must have been quite a bad one for her too for her to feel this terrible. Or maybe she was just weak.

       Very carefully, she lifted her hand once again to touch the area on her forehead that stung the most. All she found was a dressing covering whatever wound she had sustained. Her fingers itched to pry open the tape that secured the cotton gauze and see her injury for herself. Should she ask for a mirror? And then it struck her. Her complexion began to pale at the thought of a scar forming on her forehead. No, it wasn't due to the cosmetic reason. She was more terrified that she would worry her parents if they saw it and maybe, just maybe, they'd go a little overboard and sue the person responsible in marring her face.

       So when he asked her if she needed any help, she simply shook her head although she knew the action itself would worsen her headache. She didn't want any of the attendings to inform her parents about any of this unless... Have they been told? Wide eyes darted across the room, as if in search of something. How long had she been unconscious? There was no clock in sight so she couldn't honestly tell. It seemed like she had no choice but to ask this man. Clearing her throat, she inquired, ❝ My parents... do they know? ❞