spellbound.

❝ one day, she ventured to the palace library and was delighted to find what good company books could be. ❞ — e. lockhart

[hrminjung]

“ is there anything else you want to say to me? ”

misc. starters

her eyes narrowed at the young man sitting across from her, taking a bite of her hotdog and chewing silently. how did this guy think he was? “yes.” a pause for dramatic effect, something she was never usually prone to do, yet felt the situation called for. “your opinions are idiotic. listen, i understand you’re probably some hotshot, up-and-coming lawyer, but there is no way you can persuade me that the most famous people from new york are the roosevelts. that’s just not right. especially when the writer of the hamilton musical is right there." 

minjung shook her head in utter disbelief. he’d mentioned earlier that he had lived a short time in the city, a number she had forgotten though she knew it was less than five. it had to be considering the most iconic people he knew hailed from the city were the roosevelt family. everyone was free to their opinions, minjung knew and (usually) accepted that much, but this was just absurd to her. a line that wasn’t to be crossed with a native new yorker. "all i’m willing to say is that eleanor is maybe in the top ten.”

[hrminjung]

Sneaks up on.

send one thing for your muse to do to mine.

it usually took minjung less than a week to complete a book. she loved a variety of genres, anything from timeless classic novels to the most recent comic book series, and she would read as much as possible. on most occasions, she could pick any book from a shelf and find something of interest in its pages, but not with her current read. the book began drearily and took it’s time to build up to an uneventful climax. sprawled out in a lounge chair in the college library (where she felt most motivated to complete tasks), minjung was determined to complete this horrid book. her brain was in deep concentration as it forced itself to absorb the words on the page.

a cool prickle down the back of her neck and the sudden whisper of “hello noona” right next to her sent minjung nearly five feet in the air in shock, a small yelp managing to escape. other library patrons were quick to glare and hush her, but her focus was now on the smug student trying not to laugh. “why would you do that?” she angrily whispered, hand unconsciously coming up to knock some sense into him.

[hrminjung]

love, minjung.

a collection of songs on vinyl put together by minjung “mj” yoon. side a contains songs played often in page turner, her bookstore. this side features tracks that could also played in a coffee shop and a high school dance in the 80′s. side b is a personal playlist of songs that have some minjung feels a connection to (and were helpful in making her come to life). it starts off quite sad, but eventually picks up pace as minjung’s life does after she begins a new life in hwaryung.

[hrminjung]

Reads to them

send one thing for your muse to do to mine.

minjung scanned the shelves for the right book, plucking a well-worn paperback and flipping through its pages with confidence. “here it is.” she cleared her throat before reading from the page aloud, though in a soft tone that wouldn’t disrupt the other patrons of the store. “‘i am still so naive; i know pretty much what i like and dislike; but please, don’t ask me who i am. a passionate, fragmentary girl, maybe?’ sylvia plath, from the unabridged journals of.” with a soft thud, minjung closed the book and smiled fondly at the younger as she handed it to her. “it’s nice that your class is focusing on women’s literature for this month. and you chose to do yours on plath? an excellent and admirable choice.”

[hrminjung]

❝ so they shut down all the trains and buses… ❞

winter starters

“again?” mj sighed. “that’s the second time this month. you would think with the consistently terrible weather in this city during the winter, they would just get a better transportation system. maybe try something underground and away from the snow.” outside, the wind was howling loudly, powerful gusts causing the windows to shake. the clock on the far well read a quarter past six. the storm was most likely going to worsen. minjung put away the markers she’d been using to make a sign to display in the shop and grabbed her belongings from their hiding spot underneath the front counter. 

the girl was the only customer in the store right now, probably having lost track of time in the stacks while the storm built up until the noise outside became inadmissible. “well, since you’re the only customer left and the storm is showing no signs of stopping, i’m going to close up early. would you like a ride home? my car’s outside and i drive decently in the snow. usually.”

[hrminjung]

❝ don’t slip! ❞

winter starters

the icy ground had not been an obstacle to minjung since she was a child, fumbling on unsteady feet. she had gotten so accustomed to cold conditions that she hardly gave the ice on the ground a second thought when heading out. even her mother had given up on telling her to be careful when she ventured out in the snow. “there’s no need to worry about me. the ice and i are basically one now.” she joked with a soft smile as she rewrapped her blue wool scarf around her neck in preparation for her trek home. when she was finished, the girl looked back to see he was still at unease.

“listen, i’ll be fine. i appreciate it, but it’s barely freezing outside. i’ve braved far worse weather than this.” minjung reassured him once again. she went to open the door, hollering a goodbye as she made her way down the block. not even five minutes since leaving the cafe, minjung was making her way past an icy patch on the sidewalk when she tripped over her shoelace, which had become untied, and came crashing down onto the cold ground, barely managing to catch herself with her hands. “you have got to be kidding me.” she quickly looked around her to make sure no one, especially not dabin, had seen her fall.

[hrminjung]

one day, a story for @hrdabin

1:55 pm. her eyes went from the clock on the far wall to the door. she became aware of each tick of the second hand, the sound becoming louder in her ears than the soft volume of the record player. each week at nearly the exact same time since she had opened, he came in to the bookstore. a smartly dressed, tall boy, who usually came alone, though she could remember a few times where he had brought a companion or two with him. and like clockwork, as soon as he entered, he would make his way to her for conversation and ask for a new book recommendation.

it was a pleasant welcome when she had first opened. minjung was glad to quickly find someone in her new community that shared the same love for reading that she had and it was good for business to have a regular customer. at some point in time, the conversations they shared became longer and branched out from simple book talk. most people would consider this making friends and building a rapport. to her, this was considered a nuisance, an obstacle to be dodged. she didn't drop her entire life and move to a new city to form all new connections. minjung moved so that she wouldn't have to deal with anymore long term relationships.

she looked at the clock again. 1:57 pm. he would be entering any second now. in addition to the list of recommendations she had for him in mind, mj also prepared a list of excuses to quickly end his attempts at conversation. she even thought about enlisting the assistance of one of her employees in some of these plans, but to include them would mean an explanation as to why she wouldn't want to have a conversation with one of her most loyal customers.

the sound of the bell above the door stopped her thoughts. showtime.

[hrminjung]

the fixer, a story for @hrxwoo

there was no justifiable reason for spending the few free hours she had after work doing something so utterly abhorrent. but minjung's parents were extremely persistent people and they would not stop calling until she agreed to meet with a client of one of their friends. they knew not to ask for favors from her often, knowing she moved back to korea to distance herself from their narcissistic, high society circle. so when they went out of their way to harass her about this particular task, she knew there was no way she could deny them.

now here she was, making her way two floors down to the apartment of a stuck up athlete who's reputation she was tasked with cleaning up. the only information her parents had given her was his name and a harsh warning not to immediately judge him based on the articles about him. of course this only lead her to looking him up online to learn about his various scandals and indiscretions. the media portrayed him as a notorious playboy party-goer who was obsessed with his own wealth and popularity, making him everything she hated about the rich and famous.

it was her ability to evade all press coverage that made her the most ideal candidate for helping him fix his reputation. after her biological father died, minjung's media presence began to decrease. her family wasn't exactly considered famous, but they were prominent in the business world and were often pictured in news at parties with star studded guest lists. when minjung began to fade into the background, she privated all her social media pages and she was no longer in contact with anyone from the upper social circles either. thus, she was never pictured anywhere. the steps to remaining undetected were easy, minjung didn't understand why she had to explain it all in person.

her parents insisted that she meet with him. they even sent her a recommended list of wines to bring him as a welcome present. even knowing his reputation, they still wanted her to make a good impression on him and thus, all of his business connections as well. minjung fiddled with the handle of the gift bag as she walked down the third floor hallway. she came up to the door and knocked, mentally preparing herself for the mess she was about to face with a polite smile ready.

[regalauthority]

krystal jung for madame figaro

[hrminjung]

dr. jekyll and ms. hyde, a story for @hrjiyeon

the shop was having a slow day. minjung usually spent these off hours reading a book or planning new displays for the store, but she didn't feel like doing either now. instead her heart was aching to shop again, though this time she would have a limit to her spree. shopping was a reminder of a life before, sure, but retail therapy can work at all phases of one's life. even the ones where you've supposedly renounced ridiculous spending habits. this won't cause me to relive anything from the past if i don't allow it to. with an exasperated huff, she continued browsing the online catalog, trying not to be too in her head about the situation.

someone entered the store and minjung looks up from her laptop to greet them. her smile drops immediately when she sees their face, the shopping cart becoming a distant memory in her mind. "audrey." her voice is barely a whisper. breathing is becoming a laborious process and minjung can't remember how to do it. something about in and out, except her diaphragm is locked in place and won't expand. she's just holding her breath and staring at a girl who's influence she thought was long gone from her system.

the customer smiles. mj doesn't return it. instead, she quickly averts her eyes and darts to the back of the store. it's the only place she'll be safe. how old am i? why am i hiding from an ex— no, the girl couldn't be can ex because they had never dated. her thoughts come to a halt as the memories come speeding back to her like a bullet train. the feeling of love she thought she'd forgotten how to feel, the absolute defeat when her love wasn't reciprocated, the desperation to be loved she craved after the whole ordeal. then all of it was buried deep inside her, emotions and memories she no longer wanted to remember. until now. when she stepped back into minjung's life. was it her though?

minjung peeked around the corner to look at her again. it had to be her ex. of all the cities in the world, how did they end up in the same one? she looked around the store, hoping an employee would come to help the customer so she wouldn't have to. then she remembered she had sent the single worker home for the day because of how slow business was that day. it was time to grow up. she gave herself a once over in the mirror, chided herself for even caring that much about her appearance, and then made her way to the front of the store where her the customer was still standing. "h-hi."

[soulbled]

Coincidences leading to a small adventure, now that would bore him. Coincidences leading to a mystery that may unravel more?  Now Felix is in. It might be at the expense of the other person, he has yet to figure that out. But also it wasn’t him who happened to drop the interesting notebook which carried snippets of words and thoughts. It felt a bit intimate, or as intimate as journals can be. It had also been what helped him figure out who the person happened to be, at their expense. Returning it would be for the better though and this is why Felix finds himself at the entrance of a bookstore.

A bookstore. He liked exercising his mind, and he liked learning random things through reading. Sometimes, the unexpected comes from oddest of books. Or something comes from doing nothing. Depending on the reaction of the person who wrote the things in the notebook, then he may linger longer to look around the bookstore. If not, well, then Felix will just leave a pleasant smile and leave.

❝　Hello?　❞ Felix takes a deep breath and walks through the door, curiously looking around. It’s reasonably quiet, as expected, and there are only a few workers. Also, as expected. He’s also built a general image in his mind of what the person should look like. But a guess is a guess. So he decides maybe it’ll be best to inquire instead. ❝　Is there anyone here by the name of Minjung perhaps?　❞

a starter for @hrminjung

[hrminjung]

today had been deemed unworthy of continuing very early on. it had been marked as one of the worst days in her life. this mood was attributed only to the loss of her beloved notebook. a neatly kept, yet wearing at the corners, leather bound journal documenting all her thoughts for a novel she would probably never finish. the pages were filled with half written paragraphs, a disarray of plot points that combined in no particular way and even some personal venting about the disastrous states she went through in life. to her, the journal held the same place in her heart as a beloved child would have, it was of similar importance to pandora's box and was so necessary in her life, it had become an attachment of hers.

nevertheless, she continued to smile at each customer that came in and was sure to greet them with absolute kindness. a true business owner. or at least one who lived excellently in denial and buried emotions. as she made her rounds through the store to check on the customers, she heard the entrance bell ring to signal that another customer had walked in and immediately went to greet them. she was beat to it by another one of her workers. but as she was turning around to continue her rounds, she heard her name.

minjung walked back over to him, smile still on her lips as she told her employee to check with the other customers, while she took over here. after they had walked away, she turned back to the young man who had just entered. "i'm minjung, the shop owner. you were looking for me? was there something i can help you with?"

[hrminjung]

minjung stifled a laugh upon hearing about insurances, her hand coming up to cover the tightly pressed lips holding back her amusement. "i'm not from around here, so it can't be from school. unless you're actually from new york." she pays extra attention to his definitive features, the slope of his nose and the gentle angles of his jawline. they're not entirely uncommon features, but she swears she knows his face. in a moment of desperation, she almost considers bringing back the memories of secret rendezvous during her trips to korea.

"it must be from somewhere here..." her eyes shift to his. and then it dawns on her. "you walk around a lot at night too, right? i've seen you walking through the city around this time of night before on more than one occasion." on her nightly strolls, minjung paid no attention to those around her. she was too busy staring past them toward the city lights but her mind seemed to remember his on account of the multiple times she had seen it before. or at least his eyes were a familiar memory. “although this time... your face is a little less covered. was it time to wash the masks?”

[yourgeniusplaylist]

Visit Original Link

I knew When you told me you don’t wanna go home tonight…

[hrhall]

MISC. SENTENCE STARTERS

Feel free to turn these into threads!

“  i wish i knew how to talk about it.  ”  

“  you don’t have to talk, we can just sit together.  ” 

“  i don’t want to be alone anymore.  ”  

“  i wish i could hate you. ” 

“  take a seat, we’re gonna be here a while. ”

“  i need you to trust me.  ”  

“ i missed/miss you. ”  

“  she/he won’t listen to me. ”

“  let me do this for you. please.  ” 

“  is there anything else you want to say to me?  ”

“  tell me something happy. ” 

“  promise me.  ”

“  i just want/wanted to help.  ”  

“  let me explain.  ”

“ i didn’t/don’t need you to understand, i just wanted/want you to support me. ”  

“ i’m on your side. ”

“ i’ve got your back, okay? ”

“  please, tell me you have a plan. ”

“  stay with me tonight. ”

“  don’t go. please.  ” 

“  i’ve been alone for so long i’m afraid i don’t know what it’s like not to be.  ” 

“ talk to me.  ”  

“ i did what i had to do.  ”

“  we can’t keep going on like this. ”

“ i’m just tired.  ”

“ i’m scared.  ”

“ it’s okay to be afraid. fear can be good. use it.  ”

“ it’s better to expect disappointment. ”

“ hope is dangerous.  ”

“  i like seeing you smile. ”  

“ you look beautiful.  ”  

“ be patient with her/him. they’re trying. ”  

“ i’m trying my best and it’s not good enough. it’s never good enough. ”

“  i’m starting to think i’m just fucked up.  ”  

“  have a drink with me.  ”

“ she/he is better off without me. but i guess that’s their choice. ”

“  you can’t dictate what’s best for someone else. ”

“ can i help you?  ”

“ i thought you’d like this. ”

“  do you wanna get out of here?  ”

“  walk with me?  ”

“  well, shit.  ”

[hrminjung]

Tries to make them laugh.

send one thing for your muse to do to mine.

don’t crack, don’t crack, don’t crack. she kept her lips pressed in a thin line as she looked at junjae from across the table. “it won’t work.” this was really how they were going to spend their 30 minute lunch break from the dog shelter: having a staring contest at a cafe. their drinks and pastries sat on the table, untouched. minjung didn’t really understand how they started this, but half their break had already passed and her lips hadn’t quirked in the slightest. but she couldn’t keep it for much longer with him making ridiculous faces at her and telling terrible, corny jokes. minjung was still going to lie until the end and tell him he was no where close to making her laugh. “just give it up, jun. we’ve only got 10 minutes left here and your coffee is getting cold…”

[hrminjung]

Give flowers

send one thing for your muse to do to mine.

“oh.” minjung stared blankly at the flowers held out to her. they were a sweet and welcome surprise to her otherwise dreary monday afternoon, she just hadn’t expected them in the slightest. she was snapped out of her trance by the sudden sound of him clearing his throat. she hadn’t realized the only thing she had said since he offered them to her was a simple and probably impolite reaction. “i didn’t mean- not oh- they’re-” she must have sounded like a fool fumbling for words. was it becoming evident that she hadn’t received flowers in a while? “these are beautiful, min soon. thank you so much for them. i’ll grab a vase from the back and put them on the store counter.” she smiled as she took the flowers from him, cradling the bouquet in one arm. “so what’s the occasion?”

[hrmedia]

@mjspage

absolutely spoiled. here’s to 23! stop by page turner today to pick up a free mini art print and get 23% off any purchases!