icy veins

seo haeun. haley. 27. freelance photographer. seo farms worker.

[hmnara-blog]

Little Follower 🍀 Haley + Nara

[hmnara-blog]

“Ah, I’m sorry!” Nara replied a little out of breath. “Thanks for stopping, it seems like my cat found an interest in you! I hope he wasn’t too annoying – he usually doesn’t just run away like this.”

In a quick motion, the brunette lifted her cat up and fastened the leash on its collar, so it couldn’t run away again. All the worry she’d felt until now, disappeared into slight exhaustion. She was happy about having her cat back but at the same time also scolded herself for the stupid idea.

After sitting the leashed cat down on the floor, Nara scratched the back of her neck and looked the other female, that appeared to be a little older than Nara herself. “Sorry again, I shouldn’t have let him off his leash.”

[hmxhaley-blog]

“This is your cat?”  She did her best to keep the annoyance out of her voice, but her patience had really been wearing thin.  “I mean, he wasn’t that bad, but he wouldn’t leave me alone.  I felt like he was possessed or something.”

Haley watched as the woman attached a leash to the cat, an eyebrow quirking in amusement.  Were cat leashes a normal thing?  She could have sworn those were specifically for dogs, at least judging by her experience with animals.  It looked utterly silly to her, but if it worked, it worked.  And if it stopped the cat from following her, she was supportive of it.

“Do cats like to be on a leash?  I’ve never seen one before,” she admitted, curiosity getting the best of her.  In the city, cats were usually inside pets.  If you saw one wandering the streets, it was probably a stray.  But here, she could honestly never tell.

[hmxhaley-blog]

pickup artist | sh & ls

@hmsunmi

Weekends felt like the longest days of the week.  Even the afternoons filled with manual labor didn’t feel as stressful as the ones spent at the Farmer’s Market.  It was, by far, the busiest time for the Seo family, selling all of the crops that they had harvested throughout the week.  It was always much more bustling than the Market Square, limited to only two days for Yongdam residents to buy their fresh produce.  It helped that the Seo Farms stall was actually quite a popular one, especially with the older population.  People trusted and depended on them to have only the best quality crops, and they attracted a lot of customers because of it.

But being busy didn’t always dismiss the feeling of boredom that often loomed over Haley.  She could only listen to Hyebin rant about her life for so long before she wanted to end it.  Of the cousins, it was surprisingly Hyesoo who was the best with customers, knowing exactly what to say and do to make a transaction, which left her with restocking the stall every now and then.  It was a very tedious job, but she did it well and only complained about the heat every once in a while.

Later on in the day, like a breath of fresh air, a familiar face made her way over to a neighboring stall.  Abandoning her post without much thought, Haley approached the woman with a grin on her face.  At least she found something entertaining to do before she lost her mind.  Leaning up against the stall, she tried on her cheesiest grin, “Hey, Sunmi. I think there’s something wrong with my eyes.”  For comedic effect, the blonde blinked a few times, even going so far as to rub at one with her hand, “I just can’t take them off of you.”

[hmxhaley-blog]

@hmhojun

“hey don’t worry about it! sometimes people get performance anxiety, it’s all cool,” he said with a smile, nodding just as chipper. teaching someone how to interact with animals had both its advantages and disadvantages. with hojun studying the craft after growing up around such large bovines and gentle mares, he was as much of an animal-person as he was a people-person (let’s not put in the fact that he also talked to the animals as such. he just had a connection with them).

“it is one thing for me telling you how to do it, and it’s another thing entirely when you’re face to face in front of an animal bigger than yourself.” hojun took her hand again and placed another couple apple slices in her hand; the other ones dropped from before already moving their way in his horse’s digestive tract. “here, just hold your hand out like this. i promise you, there’s nothing to be scared about. and if jojo does do something bad i will take full responsibility.”

smaller animals?  haley didn’t mind those.  sure, it had taken some time to get used to seeing animals literally everywhere, but she had conquered most of her fears with the help of a friend.  in the beginning, even the sight of a squirrel running around was unsettling, but now she could let one approach her without wanting to scare it away.  yeah, small animals were very simple now, and she was proud of herself for getting to that point.

but bigger animals like horses and cows?  those creatures were still a little terrifying for her.  even though hojun promised her a million times that a horse would never hurt her, she still had reservations about stepping near one.  what if it went crazy out of nowhere and decided to kick her in the stomach?  she’s seen the damage a horse (or donkey?) could do with a single kick in movies and cartoons.

she supposed that if she had to encounter a horse at some point, she was glad that the younger was with her.  hojun was probably the most qualified person in town to teach a person how to behave around these animals, and his presence was comforting for her.  “he’s got those giant teeth!  how do you know that he won’t use them to, you know, bite me?”  she grasped the apple slices tightly in her hand, holding them away from the horse so that it wouldn’t try to take them before she was ready.

[apolloblck]

“Trying out a new method for catching thieves, hm?” A lame joke, if ever there was one, but necessary, in Byun Baekhyun’s humble opinion. It was natural for a joke to slip out whenever faced with a predicament- which, in this case, was the glinting hook snagged in his collar. “Talk about cutting it close.” He muttered, more so to himself than the harried woman who had bustled over as fast as she could. 

Clearly she’d never gone fishing with kids before.

“It’s fine, it’s fine! The amount of times my brothers have done this is kind of ridiculous. And terrifying.” Rogue fishing hooks and he aren’t exactly on speaking terms (one too many threads pulled and near misses tend to have that outcome), but for the sake of putting her at ease, the corner of his mouth quirked upwards and he laughed. His father and younger brothers had wandered off down the pier, and quietly, Baekhyun was thankful the twins hadn’t been around to see him get caught for it may have inspired an unfortunate game of ‘How many times can we catch Baekhyun hyung?’.

“Let’s just take it slow. It’s easy- just watch.” Nimble fingers felt around for the cool texture of worn metal before carefully and slowly pulling the hook free. Hardly what the man had expected to be dealing with on this particular Sunday (his father had decided to move fishing to next weekend’s agenda), but neither had he expected to see Haley away from her crafts. Long waves of blonde tumbling over slim shoulders and concern visible on her face, old fishing rod abandoned on sun stained wood- it all felt out of place on the pier and with him, he thought as he offered the hook back to its owner. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t really expect to see you out here… Trying to pick up a new hobby?

[hmxhaley-blog]

“Did you just rat yourself out?  Because it sounds like you’re saying you’re a thief.”  Even in situations of stress, she was still able to make a snarky comment about it.  She hurried over to be pleasantly surprised with the fact that she didn’t actually cause any damage.  For a moment there, she thought that she had impaled someone with the hook.  “Almost blinded you there, huh?  Totally my bad.”

On top of being an official danger to society, the woman also felt like a total embarrassment for letting this happen.  Though, if she could be glad about any of this, it would have to be the fact that he was remarkably cool about all of it.  If she had experienced a fishing hook flying at her face at full speed, she probably would have pissed herself and then screamed her head off at the person that caused it.  But Baekhyun seemed to just laugh it off, to actually make her feel okay about it.  Almost like she didn’t just narrowly avoid killing someone.

She moved to help him remove the hook, tugging twice before realizing that it was really caught on his shirt.  Giving up rather quickly, Haley took a step back to let him take care of the damage.  He was probably much more experienced with this type of thing anyway, just like all the other residents who were born in town.  It was like fishing was a second way of life for them; it was basically like breathing.  “Yeah, I would have ripped a huge hole if I tried that.”

Once the hook was back in her possession, she moved to collect the rod as well.  “Thanks.  And sorry again for all that.”  His comment brought out a snort of a laugh, leaning back against the pier railing.  “What gave it away? My amazing technique?”  She sucked in a breath, rolling her eyes at the fact that she even had to have this conversation.  She should be at home with her candles and her camera right now, not on a damn pier.  “Grandma thought it would be a good idea, but maybe she’s not as wise as I thought.”

[hmjieun-blog]

— sincerity .

jieun wasn’t somebody who was overly religious, but she would be lying if she said in her darkest or most troubling moments she didn’t turn to the harvest goddess to help her out of situations. while her issues were never anything big, just questions on how to deal with her family,life, etc, this one was morally tugging at her soul and she had spent weeks trying to figure out how to handle it.

it wasn’t her fault in the first place. it was the post office’s.

how a letter addressed to yongdam had ended up her mailbox in marigold she didn’t know, but it did, and in her morning haze to open her mail before running off to see her mother to take her to the doctor, she had read things that weren’t for her eyes to read, and had become privy to secrets that were none of her business. it would have been easier to brush off if she didn’t know who the person was, but in towns as small as marigold and yongdam, it was impossible. she’d run into haley a couple times here and there, mostly in the markets when she stopped by the seo farms stall for some things. it was weird going there now, knowing what she knew about her family-or more so, her father. she could no longer engage in small talk and chatter like usual, staying unusually silent and spending more time looking at haley than buying her things and leaving. 

it was only after going to confessional after some time that jieun decided that the best thing to do was confront haley-gently. to befriend her, after all, from what she had prodded out of her elders, nobody knew all that much about her, though they had plenty to say about the seo family in general. during her down time, she had written a letter of her own, a letter of encouragement to the other, full of her favorite quotes and that she would always be there if she needed to talk. and then after more time of contemplating how to deliver the letter, she decided it would be best done in person. 

the moment came at an odd time, when the two had unexpectedly ended up in the same bar together. wasting no time, she took a seat next to haley, not caring whether she wanted jieun there or not. “i’ve never seen you here before,” she smiled, “and i don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. sometimes people come here just to relax or because they had an awful or stressful day. i know i came because i’ve been kind of stressed out lately. what about you?”

[hmxhaley-blog]

things at home were apparently not going well.  in the last few letters that she had received from her brother, he explained that he wanted to try and reconnect with their father.  haley had no problem with that, really.  if he wanted a father figure in his life, even if it was a shitty one, that was his decision. she wasn’t going to let her opinion get in the way of kijung’s happiness.  but that didn’t mean he was happy about it.

she could make a timeline of negative events that had occurred since that decision of his, all leading to the last letter she had received a few weeks back.  kijung had found the man and had given him a call to meet up the next time he was in town.  their father dropped the news that he had remarried and was now supporting step-children much younger than his own.  and to make matters worse, the only reason why the man had shown up in the first place was to beg for money from his son.

haley felt horrible about it.  not because she wanted her father to be in a good place, but because she knew how much her brother was looking forward to seeing him again.  kijung just wanted a nice relationship with the man that had raised him, but apparently, he no longer existed.  if she could, the woman would fly half way across the globe just to kick his sorry ass.

that’s what led her to the bar.  she wasn’t necessarily a stranger to it, though she usually only visited on weekend nights.  but when you were feeling down, there was nothing better than an ice-cold drink to drown your sorrows in.  and while she didn’t mind company, she wasn’t really expecting for jieun to occupy the seat next to her.

“yeah, i’m usually not here during the week,” haley replied before bringing the drink to her lips for a decent swig.  if she was going to have to talk to someone while in such a shit mood, she definitely needed to be at least a little buzzed.  “just trying to relax, i guess.  need someone to rant to or something?”

[vcsly-blog]

“ I think it’d be great to just wander around “ sungyeol says. “ the lightings changed so I think it would be cool to see how different things look from the usual sunlight. Isn’t that right? “ Sungyeol’s never given much thought to technicalities before. He’d always just snap a picture of anything when he felt like it. Though when Haley had shown him a collection of pictures, its given him some things to consider, new ways to take his pictures if you will. She had told him he was good for someone who isn’t trained, which he beamed at but at the same time pointed out ways on how else he could improve. And in all honesty when she had asked  if she could teach him. 

which brings them here, wandering around the town. it’s quiet, most people just about to start their day, only the sounds of camera snaps piercing through the silence. he’s only ever taken pictures when the sun is high on the sky and as it sets. so he is rather excited to see how these shots will turn out.

there’s a hummingbird flying through some of the flower patches, sunlight filtering through the spaces between the trees. it’s a wonderful scene, sungyeol immediately focusing his camera there with not so much of an angle to capture the shot as soon as he can. 

[hmxhaley-blog]

“that’s fine with me,” haley shrugged, glad that he had decided to give her less work to do.  teaching someone seemed like a difficult task, and even though she was more than willing to help him out, she wasn’t sure if she would actually be good at it.  but just walking around, checking out the difference that proper lighting could make, would be a good first lesson.  if she could recall correctly, that had been chapter two in her textbooks, right after leaning how to use the camera.

the best thing about teaching someone photography was that she could get in her own snapshots while showing him what to do.  much of her time was spent working for her family, either on the farm or at the market, leaving her with little free-time to actually work on the career she wanted.  unless someone needed specific photographs that they couldn’t take on their own, the title of freelance photographer was basically useless in yongdam, but that didn’t discourage her.  if she could take an hour out of her day to just try to find some nice shots, to build up an amazing portfolio, she would be one step ahead when she finally got out of the small town and back into the bustling city life.

she took a few photos here and there as they walked, mostly keeping her thoughts to herself until she found an opportunity to teach him something new.  it wasn’t until he paused to take a photo of a bird that she spoke up.  “birds can be tough to catch, so you have to be quick, but you should still think about your, uh, your angle.”  crouching down to the ground, she showed him the positioning that she felt would give a better photo, “like this.  if you have the time, use a few different angles so you can pick the best one later.”

[hmjiho]

jiho has always thought that the rivalry between marigold and yongdam was more subtler than expected. some people doesn’t express it verbally but their actions can speak otherwise; no matter how hard they try to mask their prejudice towards each other. often times while going on with her deliveries, she’d sense the aversion of others whenever they realize that she’s from marigold, although the general public seems to be rather welcoming. just like the old lady who orders from the stationary store every week and always invites jiho inside her home for some baked goods.

she was expecting to see the the grandma but was rather welcomed by someone younger. jiho remembers her name as haley since her grandmother has always mentioned her whenever they go for a quick chat. she was looking forward to meeting the old lady today since she had promised to give her some tips regarding ranch work. “oh, hello! well, is it alright if i wait for her to come back? i’ll just stay here outside, i have no more deliveries to do anyway.” she explains, hoping she won’t come off as an interruption to the older.

[hmxhaley-blog]

just as her luck would have it, the delivery girl seemed to have ideas other than doing her job. weren’t they supposed to drop off packages and move on?  what made this house so damn special?  haley had more important things to worry about, like her food that would be going cold soon.  she let out a long sigh, glancing over her shoulder to check that she really was the only one inside.  “alright, i guess you can wait.”

part of her wanted to just leave it at that and return inside, but she could already hear the nagging of her grandmother.  it was hot outside, and while the home wasn’t much cooler after she had made her meal, it was still the polite thing to do.  “you don’t have to stay outside, you can come in.  just take off your shoes,” wait, that was a common thing in korea.  she didn’t actually have to mention it every time.  “and, uh, yeah, you can come sit in the kitchen with me.”

[hmnara-blog]

Little Follower 🍀 Haley + Nara

Dogs could be trained to walk next to their human without a leash – so Nara figured that if a cat was trained to do that from a young age, it should be possible as well. That it wasn’t – or at least that it was too soon for that yet, she had to learn the hard way. “Cake!” the brunette ran through Yongdam, hoping to find her cat soon.

Her kitten, on the other hand, was running through the village, exploring freely. There was a lot to sniff at, like flowers and a lot of people to look up at with his big kitten eyes. That is, until he found someone interesting to follow and trot after.

The village was somewhat small, but when trying to find your cat it just seemed way too big. Nara felt like she’d run through the whole village three times already – although she hadn’t – and was slowly but surely losing her breath.

“Wait!” she suddenly called out, when she saw a white ball of fluff walking behind a girl. She started running towards them right away, hoping they wouldn’t disappear around a corner, before she got to them.

[hmxhaley-blog]

Why did this type of thing always happen to her?  All Haley wanted to do was enjoy some time on her own, to walk around Yongdam and take a breather from everything.  And everything included random cats that felt like following her everywhere she went.  She just couldn’t catch a break in this damn town.

There was only one cat that she really wanted to interact with, and that was the cat that lived in her house.  She knew that cat well, knew that it wasn’t mean or sick or a stray.  But this cat?  This one she knew nothing about aside from the fact that it was practically chasing her in an attempt to keep up with her steps.

For what felt like a solid hour, the woman did her best to lose the cat.  Tracing lines in the dirt, she made every twist and turn she could in an attempt to confuse it, but nothing seemed to work.  She was doomed to having this animal follow her around for the rest of its days.

That is, until someone shouted out for her attention.  She paused in her tracks, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that the person was talking to her.  “Can I help you?”

[wtchinghr]

Oddly worded compliment? Backhanded insult? It was a mystery to her– a lot of Haley’s words got lost in translation so to say, and it didn’t take her long to learn that it was easier to just roll with it instead of spending time trying to decipher it all. She chose to let out a halfhearted snort in response, pushing her concentration back to the instrument in her hands that was just begging for attention. “Hey, hey, I’m getting there. You have to be patient and appreciate what you get– you’re gonna be biting your words when you end up looking just as gross as you feel one day.” Pausing from her music, Hyesoo wagged her finger in a playful manner. Though she was just teasing, it still held true in her books, preferring to appreciate what she had in front of her rather than worrying about what she could have.

“Besides, you know what happens when you rush this stuff too fast? Demonic… evil blob things and unnecessary deaths. Which no one wants.” She paused, realizing exactly how weird her statement might have sounded, though it wasn’t a new feeling for her by any means. Unlike with other people, here she was willing to bother with clarifications– most people expected her to be weird anyway, and any clearing of the air would only disappoint the illusion they had crocked up about her. “When I was in Seoul…. I went and saw this movie. I don’t think I would ever mess with spells… Real deal ones, anyway. Or what everyone thinks of it. Too much to lose. I’ll stick to my fortunes, thank you.”

[hmxhaley-blog]

One thing that Haley genuinely appreciated was the fact that she could talk freely around her cousin. There was no need to concentrate heavily on her words, to make sure her translations were exact. The younger wouldn’t judge her if she made a mistake, or if her words didn’t make perfect sense. She didn’t have to worry, and it felt like a weight was lifted from her shoulders.  It was just one thing on a long list of things that made her love the younger.  “I appreciate what I have, but it would be nice to have other things too.”  She let out a snort at the finger wiggling in front of her.  Quickly raising the camera, she was able to catch a decent shot, the movement creating a funny motion blur in front of Hyesoo’s face.

“Blob things?  Those would be pretty cool models for me,” the elder joked as she turned to take a photo of the field.  She didn’t necessarily understand all of the witchy things that the other had interest in, but she still thought it was pretty fascinating.  Even if she didn’t necessarily believe in it, just the idea of it all could be cool in theory.  “But I guess the deaths are the biggest downside, huh?” Haley hummed in acknowledgement, understanding where she was coming from.  “Maybe you should read my fortune again and we can see if less work is in our future.  Sound better?”

[hmxhaley-blog]

fishing was not something that haley had ever pictured herself doing.  the only type of fishing pole that she had encountered before coming to yongdam was from the fisher price collection.  it had never really appealed to her, but it was certainly a popular hobby in a town created by fishermen.  her grandmother had offered it up as a stress reliever, explaining that most people found the sport to be rather relaxing.  and while the young woman thought that to be utterly ridiculous, if her family could spot the tension bubbling up inside of her, there was definitely a problem.

so there she was, struggling with her line as she eyed the true fisherman at the end of the pier. maybe if she watched hard enough, she would be able to understand how to master such a contraption, but at this rate, she might as well just toss the entire thing over the railing and into the water below.  but it was her grandfather’s rod, and she did actually care about other people’s possessions, so she settled for doing her very best to throw just the line into the water instead.  

like she had seen on television, haley whipped the rod backward before jerking it forward, waiting for the line to fly off of the pier... except, it didn’t fly off of the pier and instead caught itself on an innocent passerby who was wandering around behind her.  eyes widening in shock, the woman quickly abandoned her post against the railing to go help the person she had managed to trap.  “fuck, i’m so sorry! i was trying to catch some damn, ugh, some damn fish, but i caught you instead.”

[jaejoongxhm-blog]

silver linings // haley

[jaejoongxhm-blog]

The shutter breaking through the peaceful silence snaps the man to attention. His immediate reaction is to turn his head down, a hand up to shield his right eye. While he may not care what other people think, he’s not a circus show for people to gawk at. Sometimes, the sheer ignorance of some of the rural folks astounds him. At least in the city, the common person wasn’t so blinded by cults and fantasy to mistake his other eye for a bad omen. It’s Yongdam’s own damn fault he never got treated as an infant, that his condition worsened until that eye lost vision. His birthplace still believes that good weather comes from a ridiculous harvest goddess. So no, he’s not letting people photograph him like an oddity.

Jaejoong’s expression remains calm, but there’s a subtle movement in his jaw. He’s grinding his teeth, forcing himself not to scowl. He puts up with enough scorn without being made into a joke. Lucky for him, his cat is already pouncing in the direction of the photographer. Jaejoong takes a deep, heavy breath before speaking. “I can see you,” he says. “I can see your hair.”

One girl isn’t worth bothering himself over, but he’s already started and there’s no going back. The grass softly bristles underfoot as he makes his way over to the tree. He peeks around the tree to see the young woman with a camera in her hands. It never occurs to him that the snapshot came from nothing but innocent intrigue. “Why don’t you people ever leave me alone?” he says. “Give that to me.”

He holds out his hands like an impatient professor expecting a student to hand him a note. Jaejoong has every intention of smashing the damn thing. He’s normally so calm, but the spikes in town gossip have really gotten to him. “It’s not funny, you know,” he says sternly. “It’s not funny to take pictures of people like they’re part of a zoo.”

[hmxhaley-blog]

Haley had photographed her fair share of strangers, and it would be a lie to say that it always worked out in her favor.  Some people were genuinely offended when their photos were taken, and she could understand that.  She herself hated to be in front of the camera, preferring instead to be the one lining up the shot.  But just because a few people didn’t enjoy being in a photo, it didn’t mean she wasn’t going to take any.  Those who didn’t mind were usually interested in what she was doing, and some of them even requested a second shot.  Besides, if she told every subject that she was going to take a photo before she did it, she would never have any successful candid shots.

Candid shots were what made everything real.  It captured a moment in time that was so undeniably true that it could never be properly recreated.  By shouting out a warning or asking for permission before she could take the picture, she ruined the uniqueness of it.  The subject would no longer be natural, and the entire meaning of the photo would suddenly change.  Getting the perfect snapshot was definitely worth the few odd glances she would received throughout her career.

But it seemed like this particular man would do much more than just glare in her direction.  His footsteps changed direction, marching toward her very pathetic hiding spot to confront the photographer.  She hardly had time to greet the small cat that had approached her, a demand immediately tumbling out of him.  Raising to her feet, the woman gripped her precious camera tighter, a scowl suddenly forming at the unnecessary confrontation.  All he needed to do was ask for her not to develop it.

“Fuck no, you’re not touching it,” Haley cradled the device like it was a newborn child that she was protecting from a predator.  There was no way in hell that she would let some stranger man-handle her baby because she took some stupid photo.  “I’ll bite your finger off, I swear I will!”  The way he spoke down to her, like she was some misbehaving child, really put a fire in her belly.  This was her career -- her passion --, something she valued more than anything in the world.  There was no way she would be letting some guy with a complex get in the way of her work.  “I don’t know what kind of--,” she trailed off, her frustration making it difficult to concentrate on mental translations.  “Your ego is too big if you really think I’m... if you think I’m gawking at you.”

[hmxhaley-blog]

📷 @hmdoyeon​

“yeah— sure whatever you say but i could definitely chug down seventeen glass of oranges in one go.” She rolled her eyes before proceeding to chug down five of those same glasses of oranges in one breath until she stopped and choked at the seventh one. “YEAH this is really impossible— but if i can’t do it then you obviously can’t! no— really, try to do it for yourself! it’s actually incredibly nerve wracking!” she groaned at the girl and tried to shove the cup of orange to her mouth. “try! come on, try!”

haley stood back, watching with a rather amused expression as her friend attempted the challenge. it took a little bit longer than she had expected, but five glasses in, doyeon finally had to stop herself. “do you really think i won’t do it?” maybe seventeen glasses of orange juice was a little extreme, but with the wild bets she and hyebin were always coming up with, this seemed like a pretty mild idea. sucking in a deep breath through her nose, she allowed the younger to tip the cup against her lip. after a few swift gulps, she took the glass in her own hands to finish off the drink.  with another breath in between, she switched to a new cup and repeated her actions.  two glasses later, she felt like maybe this challenge was a little unfair.  “okay, i think i’m done.  that’s too much orange for me.  now if it were apple juice, i could totally do it.”

[hmxhaley-blog]

📷 @hmjiho​

it was supposed to be her lunch break. there was only a single hour on market days that she was allowed to ditch the stall to return home for something to eat.  and, of course, as her luck would have it, that sole hour had to be interrupted by a knock at the front door.  for a moment, she paused, praying that someone else was actually around and able to answer it for her, but a second knock came that told her to abandon her meal momentarily.  with hyesoo and hyebin still at the market, and her grandparents outside with the few farmhands, she was unfortunately the only one around to greet the unexpected visitor.

it took a bit of effort to actually get herself to stand (as well as a dramatic groan), but haley was eventually able to make it to the door before the house guest turned away.  pulling it open, she leaned casually against the door frame, gaze dusting over the familiar face.  her grandmother must have forgotten that she was expecting a delivery from the stationary store.  “hey, sorry, grandma’s out back right now.  you can leave that here and i’ll tell her you stopped by.”

[wtchinghr]

Of the few interests that Hyesoo was passionate about, music was the most orthodox of them all. The only memories that she had of her mother involved humming of lullabies and trot songs, and nearly two decades after her abandonment, it still stuck with her. Based on what her grandmother mumbled from time to time, the woman wanted to be a singer, but had to settle and stay in Yongdam after having Hyebin. Sometimes she couldn’t help but wonder if one of the newer artists on the radio was her, living out her dreams for once. They were dreams that resonated similarly through Hyesoo– her intentions in Seoul weren’t to make it big, but simply to make something, and even being back in her hometown wouldn’t stop her from doing at least that.

There was never an objective in mind, never a specific song in her head, but just the need to have something to fill her ears besides the rustling of grass as a breeze went by. Hyesoo was often caught in the middle, bored by how little happened in Yongdam, but overwhelmed by anything more that a larger city provided. “Your film roll says otherwise,” she retorted without any wasted time, scooting over in her seat to avoid her cousin’s touch. “Ah, I don’t? Because I feel really gross. My bra’s practically screamin’– must be dark magic at work once again.” Her voice deepened as she spoke, mocking the worries that some of the villagers were rather open about. 

[hmxhaley-blog]

If there was anything that Haley had to be thankful for, it was the fact that she had her cousins around to keep her company.  She couldn’t imagine living in Yongdam without them, or more specifically, without Hyesoo.  Just the time she had spent alone with Hyebin was enough to make her want to rip her hair out, and when the youngest had returned to the village, it was like an angel was blessing her. She felt as though her cousin was the only thing that kept her sane on a daily basis.

The elder stretched her arms out with a sigh, taking a moment to breathe in the fresh air.  That had to be one of the biggest differences between living in such a small town versus a big city; she finally felt like she could take a moment to breathe.  “The camera captures things that you can’t see with the naked eye.  Like your nice features, for example.”  A small chuckle tumbled out as she rested her head in the palm of her hand.  It was nice to take the time off to just enjoy each other’s company. “You should use some of that magic to, you know, give us money.  Or self-harvesting crops.  That way we don’t have to work anymore.”

[hmxhaley-blog]

📷 @hmxjihoon​

traveling the streets of yongdam with a cherry pie nestled in her grasp was completely and utterly embarrassing.  she felt like some kind of a housewife, making her way to a book club meeting on the other side of town.  every now and then, a dog would come to try and sniff the treat in her hands, or a child would run up and ask for a taste, but she refused to pay them any mind. the quicker she made it to her destination, the less shame she felt buried in the pit of her stomach.

haley shifted her hold on the dessert as she approached the home, freeing a hand to knock twice on the front door.  the fact that she had even agreed to do this in the first place was ridiculous, but a part of her knew exactly why she had done it.  the son of the woo family reminded her a bit too much of herself at times, and for some reason she hadn’t figured out yet, she felt protective toward him.  it was like he needed someone to look out for him, and she had unconsciously taken on the task.

her shoe tapped impatiently against the ground, another knock echoing throughout the home before the door was finally answered.  holding out the pie to the young man, she cleared her throat to speak, “here.  we had some leftover cherries,” a lie, “so grandmother made them into a pie for your family,” another lie, “but make sure your mother gets some as well.  it’s mostly for her.”  how many lies did it take before you were damned to hell?

[jaejoongxhm-blog]

silver linings // haley

He’s peculiar. Anyone would be curious about the handsome young man taking a nature walk in the early morning, holding an open black umbrella above his head. He assumes that with his luck, there could be light showers out of nowhere. Even if it doesn’t rain, he’ll have at least protected himself from the sun.

Behind him, strolls the black kitten he keeps as a pet. –

He hears mewling, the high-pitched distressed kind of a frightened animal, on the other side of the road. Rain patters gently against the roads as he walks across, not minding if his clothes get soaked. The young man makes his way to the other side of the road and crouches down, gravel crunching underfoot. It’s a kitten. It’s a stray kitten with two crumpled legs, as if it’d been trampled by a horse. “Who in their right mind would leave you alone in the cold?” he murmurs. Jaejoong shrugs off his jacket, then gently wraps the frightened animal so he can take her home.  

Ji-Ji is only protective of him because of what he’s done since the day they’ve met. All the hissing and scratching comes from love instead of a possessed cat like some people believe. But, who could blame the townspeople? He’s never quite assimilated with everyone else, although he claims in earnest that he’ll always be a simple country boy from Yongdam village. His cold, intimidating demeanor didn’t help win people over either.

He tilts the umbrella back ever so slightly, then looks up at the sky. A clear, cloudy light blue just like his right eye. Jaejoong supposes that he could hide it behind a patch seeing how uncomfortable it seemed to make folks, but he doesn’t think it’s quite fair. 

“Maybe it won’t rain today after all, Ji-Ji,” he murmurs. “Things can go right for Bad Luck Jae once in awhile, hm?”

[hmxhaley-blog]

Haley’s favorite time of day had to be the free hours she was granted to wander around the village. As much as she enjoyed being around her family (and only half of that was sarcasm), nothing beat being able to explore the small town with a camera in hand.  Today’s adventures brought her to the familiarity of Savanna Woods, capturing shots of vines as they inched toward the tip of a tree.  

Scenic photography, although it never pays the bills, would always be her favorite.  Immortalizing moments found in nature, things that could never be perfectly recreated, was so much more special than shooting poses with a model.  Anyone could take a photo of a figure dancing in a field, but not everyone had the chance to snap a honey bee darting to its next target, sunshine reflecting in its wings.  It took a certain type of talent to be able to catch these things, these little, amazing moments, and that’s what made her feel like an accomplished photographer.

For what must have been an hour, she stumbled through the wood, eye glued to the camera as she spied new subjects through the lens.  It didn’t take long for her to lose track of where she was, but the trails would spit her back out somewhere, so she told herself not to worry.  Part of the fun in exploring was getting lost in it anyway.

Just as the trees began to part, she spotted a dark figure floating by with an umbrella hovering above his head.  A brief glance toward the sky told her that there were no logical reasons for him to have an umbrella, unless he was the type of person to immediately burn in direct sunlight; a vampire, perhaps.  The sight was odd enough as it was, but the moment she raised her camera for a quick candid shot, a small black kitten hurried into frame.  It fit so perfectly in the strange picture, a mysterious figure -- one that most would shy away from -- with an innocent creature trailing his path. Her mind didn’t gloss over the contrast between them, a small smile creeping onto her lips as she raised the camera once more.

She might have forgotten the sound of the shutter for a moment, eyes widening in shock as she caught the attention of the cat, and by extension, of its owner.  In an effort to stay out of sight, the woman did her best to duck behind a tree.  Times like these made her wonder if she actually was an adult.

[hmxhaley-blog]

breaking free | sh & kh

[hmhyerin-blog]

There was a change in Hyerin’s pace as Haley followed after her. Shepaused, for a moment, and then began to walk beside her friend. She didn’t wantto be in front, but mostly because she didn’t want to be far away. There was acrawling thing inside her: something that longed to be beside Haley, somethingthat screamed to be with the other woman, despite what Hyerin knew to be right.And, perhaps, it was because she knew what was right that the crawlingthing screamed some more. Perhaps, it was because she knew what was right fromwhat was wrong that the crawling thing longed and desired. This was wrong; sheknew that. Everything about this was wrong, but she couldn’t stop.

She didn’t want to.

As they walked, their hands brushed against one another’s — justenough to send electricity throughout Hyerin. They didn’t hold hands. No, thatwasn’t something they did. Not yet, at least. Not at this time. For now,brushing hands would be enough. For now, even this was enough to send a rushthroughout Hyerin. She had long outgrown her rebellious phase, but this feltsomething close to that. This felt close to being a teenager again, one whorebelled against society and what society wanted from her. This felt close tobeing alive back in the day.

Something in her should have sparked at the thought of this. Somethingin Hyerin should have walked away or inched further. Something in Hyerin shouldhave taken the note and distanced herself from Haley. Instead, she continuedwalking until they reached the back of the church, where the hammock she’d madefor herself was. Hyerin smiled at her friend before taking a seat, inching tothe side so as to make space for Haley. Whatever this was, whatever it meant, whateverit entailed, Hyerin was glad not to know. She pretended not to know, atleast. For now, she could be like this: carefree. Without the labels they puton this thing, she was free.

Plus, it wasn’t like Haley felt the same way, right?

As she sat, Hyerin looked up at Haley and shook herhead. “I doubt it. I’ve never even been outside of Marigold.” A laugh escapedher. “Except to go to Yongdam or the neighboring woods and lake, and those don’tcount.” Hyerin had a laughter like tomorrow: bright and beautiful. But, it wasalso afraid; no one knew what tomorrow entailed. “I doubt that makes for a veryinteresting life. Plus, eating a tomato in less than a minute sounds verydaunting. Very fun.” Now, she was just poking fun at Haley. It showed on her face.“I’d say, if that was the most fun thing that happened to me, I’d be soldfor life.”

[hmxhaley-blog]

looking at the two of them, people usually wouldn’t see how the pair could connect so easily.  in many aspects, they were opposites.  the elder was practically sunshine personified, walking around so peacefully like a harvest goddess herself.  people looked up to her, followed her words like she was born to lead.  there wasn’t a person around who couldn’t see the beauty in her, haley included. hyerin was everything she could have hoped to be, but could never become.  instead, the blonde stalked through life with a more reserved nature. people looked at her and kept walking, no second-glances necessary.  she was just ordinary in every sense of the word, so she couldn’t understand why the youth group leader even stuck around.  but she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

what mattered the most was their friendship.  it wasn’t something that she came across often, especially when she found it difficult to socialize with many.  it was nice to have someone as lovely as her around all the time.  maybe it would be a bonus to kiss her every now and then, but it certainly wasn’t her main point of interest.  they could carry on forever just like this, and she wouldn’t mind at all.  for now, the simple brush of their hands as they walked side-by-side was more than enough.

they rounded the church to find a much more private area: a simple hammock tied between two trees, overlooking gravestones that laid in the background.  for many, she was sure that this scene would be a bit disturbing, but all haley wanted to do was capture the setting in a photograph.  it spoke wonders to her, seeing such a peaceful place nestled in a world of death.  it felt like a paradox, to be so alive and happy in an area that usually brought out sadness and tears.  it was utterly beautiful in her mind.

she wasted no time before leaning back against the hammock with her friend, a laugh escaping as they tipped backward with the combined weight.  “i don’t think you can really, uh, compare the two. your world is small, but that makes everything so much more important.  it makes you feel, like, bigger.”  haley leaned back once more as her friend laughed, “she made me eat it like it was an apple.  totally gross, trust me.”  she rolled her eyes, nudging hyerin with her elbow, “you’re so full of it.  i’m gonna bring you a tomato so you can experience my pain.”