people watching

[jayvng]

KAHI.

kahi hums when khai confirms that the restaurant is fine, trusting his word for it — after all, he was the professional wrestler and most likely too prideful and stubborn to let a lunch be what ruins his chances of winning —, so he doesn’t insist. the mafia heir eyes the menu, though he doesn’t feel particularly hungry so he focus on the entrees or anything that seems lighter on the stomach, maybe he’d even ask for a salad or something along those lines. what he actually wants is another cup of coffee, though it’s far past breakfast time and that he has already had enough coffee to fill his morning and afternoon anyway.

and the conversation between them feels normal for a moment, just an older brother worrying about the diet of the younger one. it almost feels like a normal lunch in which they don’t have to discuss gruesome deaths or illegal businesses, that kahi doesn’t have to keep a tight leash on khai just so the other won’t go too off the rails. it makes him remember about the times when they were kids and khai still sang to him because he believed the songs would make kahi’s pain from his sore and injured muscles go away, when playing the big brother role meant keeping any sort of bullies away from khai, was making sure that kahi was the only one who had to go through the ruthless trials of becoming the next head of the family.

but that moment is easily shattered by reality when khai brings the diana murder incident. “but we weren’t the ones that did it, were we?” the older kang points out with a clipped tone. “besides, just the fact that there are conspiracy theories about her death even after so long proves my point that in the end their job was sloppy at best.” even if they were never able to find anything to prove that, or if the authorities at the time did, then it was made sure that it was swept under the rug. kahi still stubbornly thinks that his points stands. that, as much as khai’s right about the response of insu’s possible murder, it doesn’t mean that there won’t be people that won’t speculate, that they won’t have to work extra hard to clean everything up anyway, to always have to come back to that case so what really happened will be kept as much of a secret as it can.

“but why are you so interested in this politician’s son?” kahi asks even though he knows the answer to it anyway, though he never thought that getting interested in insu would make him a target for khai of all people.

and it feels like raising a monster, talking to his brother sometimes, especially when it’s about their far darker world. it feels that no matter what he says, the other will twist it in a way that it’ll simply indulge his younger brother and his sadistic tendencies, that will be kahi feeding more into the perfect killer that khai is turning out to be. even their father acknowledges khai’s skills, but has always deemed the younger kang too unstable, too ruthless even for their own standards to be able to trust him with the family and not get them all killed because khai decided to mess with the wrong person. their father is always saying that the heir needs to have a head as cold as their blood.

kahi sighs heavily and exhausted, feeling almost like he’s carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and wondering if he finally concedes at this hypothetical scenario than khai will finally drop it, will give his older brother a moment of peace. “khai.” kahi warns either way, doesn’t want to leave it to chance that maybe khai will go through with it anyway just because he’s bored and wants to test out if the next head of the kang family is as apathetic about insu as he claims to be. “just—” and then his phone rings, a tone that kahi can’t ignore. “a moment.” he finishes instead of what he had in mind.

“yes?” the mafia heir answers his phone, eyes dropping to the menu when the first thing that his father does is to ask if khai is with him, a little odd of a question unless the other has done something bad or if he wasn’t supposed to be hearing on the conversation. that’s why kahi does his best to pretend that their father is talking about anything but the person sitting in front of him. “yeah, why?” he sends a quick and subtle glance around the restaurant, like the question was about him being in public, if there was a risk of being eavesdropped. “should i relocate?” and then just frowns when the answer is no, when he’s told that what he needs to do is to leave the resort because one of their transactions went south and of course that kahi needs to fix it and that he should bring khai with him as well as backup. “fine, on my way.” though he isn’t exactly pleased with the idea of bring the other with him.

“come on, we’re leaving.” kahi stands up as soon as he hangs up the phone, puts it on his pocket and not really waiting for khai to start moving as well, knows that the other will do it in kahi’s same speed or even faster, especially when he clarifies— “family stuff, i’ll explain on the car.”

normality, not something that khai is used to, not when it comes to his relationship with his brother. an incessant need, perpetuating from his insatiable desire to outdo his brother, to be the outstanding representative of their family. khai had built everything from the ground up, had crafted a career out for himself with the years and years of self discipline, though his brother might disagree. the mistake that he learns at too young of an age, having entrusted his errors, miscalculating his schemes and seeking his brother for help. a tennis racquet raised above his head, beating his rival teammate to the ground- shattering bones, major organs that become punctured by broken ribs, accompanied by bloodied digits that curl into his palms. 

and his brother is the first point of contact, asking how he should dispose of the body, how to hide the evidence and how to make it seem like an accident if discoverable. his brother ensures him that it wouldn’t be necessary, that the body wouldn’t even be found to begin with for an investigation to take place. khai sits back feeling reassured and it’s not the last time he asks his brother for the same help. seeking assistance over the years, until he became good enough to hide the bodies himself, until he didn’t need to ask so much.

khai built everything from the ground up, except for the experience that he lacks when it came to their family business. but even with that, oddity paints their pairing well. “sloppy?” khai repeats after his brother, hard to hide the laugh that escapes from his lips. finding it humorous in kahi’s words that the older thought princess diana’s murder was sloppy, considering they haven’t even been caught even after all these years. but then again, khai could agree that technology has improved since then, that with the capability of today’s forensic study, that it would be a lot harder to get away with. so he settles, settles with a lingering chuckle. “whatever you say, brother.”

khai lets himself settle back in his seat, “why not?” khai has always had interest in the politician’s son, that this hypothetical son used to the image of empowerment, one of rebellion- a kind of liberty that shone through even in the most restricting atmosphere. he saw the politician’s son as a beacon of light amidst the tunnel of misery, lacklustre and cornered into an eternal loading screen of spirals. then suddenly, he shattered the illusion. he became everything khai hated, became everything khai didn’t want to see him become- a disappointment in the eyes of someone who saw so much potential in the older. then, there was his brother, the interest he showed in the politician’s son, the protective nature that was not hard to spot, despite his brother’s tough exterior- makes it all the more glorious to delve into.

his brother emphasising his name, brows raising in response as only a smirk presses against his countenance. nodding as his brother tells him to wait a moment. and it’s not hard to see that his brother was clearly attempting to hide something, contrary to his own beliefs of how good of an actor he is, that he wasn’t. “should i relocate.” he mocks his brother’s voice as the other speaks, then he hears that his brother was going to be on his way- a sigh leaving him in response, prepared to bid his brother farewell, waving. 

“we’re?” he repeats, making sure that he had heard right, a brow raising, retrieving his wave. khai wasn’t exactly feeling like having a private vacation with just his brother, doesn’t think that it’s the right time considering he was only just getting into the talk of killing insu. family stuff. now that sounded exciting, getting up from his seat as he follows suit, “this isn’t you trying to isolate me and killing me off to eliminate competition as heir, is it?” he jokes, his tone too sarcastic to convey any truth. “was that dad? or... mum?”

[jayvng]

AERI.

     she knows that a lot of it seems a little hard to believe because she herself, found it hard to believe. thought that at any moment she would wake up to the blaring of her alarm clock and come to find that everything that had happened was all just some sort of hallucination that she had fallen into amidst her desperation. the other part was afraid that she would probably end up in a ditch somewhere— dead. she was still deathly afraid and uncertain with the situation unfolding before her and she wasn’t sure what to tell her own brother. whether or not she should open up and have his input or, to hold everything in because it was going to be better that way.

     and she understands perfectly the worry that her brother feels for her, but couldn’t help the way that she felt a little insulted at the way he questioned her. “yes, to just attend dinners and events.” she repeats after him with a firm voice. her brother’s following questions were the exact same ones she had asked herself, questions that she still found odd, that made her feel like this was all a scam, that she was maybe too naive into believing otherwise. 

     a sigh leaving her, “listen, i’m still looking for the catch myself.” rolling her eyes as she responded, “but anything to make life a little easier.” anything to make life a little easier for her brother, “i asked him the same question and he said something about—” she pauses because she doesn’t remember what his reply was, was certain that throughout the entire trip she was more mesmerised by all the stores he had taken her to, to really let her interrogation of him sink in. “—the point is, i’ll be careful. i know what i’m doing, i’m not that dumb.” she settles, mentally noting to pay more attention to jungkook.

     “and that’s why dad doesn’t know.” she adds, her gaze matching her brother’s, “and that’s why you’re going to keep this a secret.” her voice softens, “are you also insinuating that jun’s a bad person too?” rolling her eyes, “i left a lot of the stuff jungkook bought for me at jun’s place, just so you and dad won’t through a fit over it.” another sigh leaving her.

aejin frowns, finding everything a little too sceptical for him to believe that the things were unfolding the way that they were. he finds it odd that suddenly someone with this amount of wealth was openly giving money to his sister, simply for her to spend time with him and to do nothing else. no ulterior motives that were put in place, no scheme to sidetrack her, no other clear signs of red flags that aejin could easily pick up from. despite this, he couldn’t help the way he felt suspicious. 

aejin felt wrong to tell his sister otherwise, that he would be overstepping boundaries just because he decided that what she was doing is wrong. he wants to trust in her better judgement and believe that she’s capable of seeing for herself whether or not jungkook is a good person or not. a sigh leaving him as she reiterates her response, “sure.” aejin having to hold back the urge to roll his eyes and be as condescending as his thoughts were.

“the fact that you’re still looking for the catch and you’re also suspicious and not one hundred percent trusting of this, is enough of a red flag.” he tries to explain, tries to get his sister to see the possibility that all of this could be sham. “what if you suddenly stopped coming back home, life would not be easier aeri.” aejin can’t help but be dramatic, but also a layer of truth lathering his words heavily- another sigh leaving him. 

“jun knows about this? how much does jun know?” he questions his sister, sitting up properly as his frown turns into raised brows, “you know, jun’s always been open to wanting to buy things for you- you could’ve asked him instead. at least we know he’s a good person, aeri.” palms coming to drag down his face, still in disbelief at his sister’s words. “how far into this relationship are you?”

[jayvng]

JUNGKOOK.

it doesn’t sit well with jungkook that aeri never told him where she lived besides the address she shared with that one friend — and then, of course, the penthouse that she lives in now, though that one doesn’t count since it was jungkook himself who bought it for her so of course he knows where it is. he knows that it isn’t his business, especially now that she doesn’t live there anymore, but it’s something that still bothers him like an itch that he can’t quite scratch. it’s fine most of the time, especially when he’s spending time with his fake girlfriend, but when he’s alone with too much free time it’s sort of a different story.

it feels like she’s trying to keep a distance from him, to build a wall between them and it’s those thoughts that make him frown whenever that information pops up in his head— like right now.

he’s supposed to be focusing in this assignment for one of his classes that he has with aeri — probably why he’s even thinking about her now — and instead of writing his essay, the samsung heir can’t stop thinking about the reasons why aeri wouldn’t want him to see her now ex house. was it because he was too much of an asshole and she thought he’d make fun of her? is it because she’s indeed so poor that she needs to live in a garbage can or under the bridge? is it because she might be a spy and—

his ridiculous assumptions are interrupted by his phone ring, not taking him a second ring to pick it up since this is aeri’s ringtone. “hey—” but then jungkook is interrupted by a male’s voice, introducing itself as aeri’s brother and out of reflex that the samsung heir sits on his desk a little straighter. he never met the boy in person, but he has heard his girlfriend mention her family once or twice, remembers her telling him that the tuition was actually for her brother since she had a scholarship. however, there’s no time for jungkook to ask anything, to question if aeri is alright after hearing that she passed out, but he does take note of the address and stands up without thinking twice, taking his wallet and the keys of one of his cars.

✎ sending to ⋯ ( aeri 💍💕 ) ↪ i’m on my way ↪ be there in five

and that’s the only thing that jungkook texts before he’s on his way, making it in exactly five minutes before he’s knocking on the door of what is— well— a modest house, definitely one that jungkook wasn’t used to. the man who opens the door isn’t someone that jungkook is familiar with either, especially with the way he seemed not so friendly in letting the samsung heir in— but then jungkook rarely had patience and manners with people who spared him such things, imagine with the people who didn’t.

so of course that he quits being the nice son in law the moment that one he realizes this is the same man who kicked aeri out when she’s this man’s own daughter and two that he won’t be treated with respect anyway so jungkook just decides that he won’t care, not even when the man threatens to call the police on him when the samsung heir gets inside the house without an invitation. “right.” he snorts right at the old man’s face. “good luck with getting the only heir to the samsung corporation arrested.” because he never had any problems in using his privileges to deal with those type of problems, especially when it’s one something so small and two he’s very much justified in trespassing this house, after all, aeri needed him.

that’s why he tries to not pay attention to what the man was ranting. “aeri?” he called foer the design student even if she knew that she was passed out because he couldn’t remember her brother’s name— isn’t even sure if aeri ever mentioned her brother by name when around him, so he hoped that was enough of a sign for the brother to show up or something along those lines— not that jungkook himself wasn’t ready to open door after door to find out where aeri was. as a matter of fact he was about to do that, only sending a glare towards the oldest kim because he wouldn’t shut up. “listen, dude, i’m just here to pick my girlfriend up and then i’m leaving, so just— you know.” then jungkook does a dismissive gesture with his hands, shooing the old man away. “and i’ll be out of your hair in a second.”

but that only seemed to trigger something in the old man when jungkook used the term girlfriend to refer to aeri, initiating a whole new rant and to be honest, the samsung heir was over it like five minutes ago.

aejin feels a sense of relief once he had received the confirmation that one of aeri’s emergency contacts were coming to pick her up. this would at least give aejin some time to bargain and settle things between the tension lines of their father and his sister. it doesn’t help that it starts to rain a little to heavily, that the thunder reverberates even louder against the metal roof of their home. he was certain that even if his sister was conscious at this moment, the thunder itself would knock her back out again- the even louder thudding against their room door doesn’t help to satiate the sudden panic that moves in waves throughout his mind. he knows that his sister’s fear of thunder and lightening stems from a previous experience, one that left their neighbour homeless and the stray cat that his sister had been feeding, dead. 

the stressful moment only worsens when he hears their father screaming from across the thin walls, something about calling the police and he aejin lets a frown move across his features,  had a neighbour heard all of the ruckus and came over? or was it aejin’s own friends coming over at the wrong time? was it euijun? no, their father would never talk to euijun that way. then, he hears an unfamiliar voice calling for aeri, and it clicks- it’s the kookie person on his sister’s phone. must be. the emergency contact. he pieces together, pulling the door to their room open, hearing i’m just here to pick my girlfriend up and his optics widen slightly with both surprise and confusion. his sister has a boyfriend? he squints slightly, “cookie... over here.” he reluctantly refers to the other as the contact name on his sister’s phone, voice evident that he was unsure of what or how to address the allege boyfriend before him.

his father looking more mad than what he had started out with, storming towards them, screaming about how this was his home and no stranger should have the right to waltz about the place with this much entitlement. that aejin was allowing for someone to practically make themselves at home, in a home that wasn’t his own. aejin pushing the older man’s words to the side, directing his sister’s emergency contact into the room, “dad can you just- just back off for a minute, aeri is unconscious and it’s raining outside and this guy is euijun’s friend okay, dad? he knows euijun, he’s jun’s friend.” hoping that his father would ease up at the mention of euijun’s name, knows that he had a soft spot for the other. ushering the emergency contact into the room before locking the door behind them, hearing his father scowl before storming off back to where he presumes would be the kitchen.

“my sister is your girlfriend?” he turns to the other, brows raised, taking a moment to take the other’s features into his memory for future reference if it were true. then, more pieces fall into place, “...you’re the guy that pays my sister to be his girlfriend?” optics rolling as a sigh leaves him, “great.” now, aejin wasn’t sure if he could even trust the other with his sister’s unconscious body- unsupervised. 

aejin wasn’t sure if this was going to be a good idea, to let someone who pays his sister to be his companion to take care of her whilst she’s unconscious. he doesn’t even know if the other was capable of taking care of his sister, doesn’t know if the other would just make things worse and make his sister unconscious forever or if he’d try something funny on her and aejin would be stuck regretting his decision forever. but as his gaze falls onto his sister, the thoughts are quick to fade to the back of his mind, “she usually wakes up in a couple of hours, but the weather isn’t helping.” he moves to the old window, pulls the curtains shut in attempts to obstruct the flares of lightening that streak through the gloominess outside. 

[jayvng]

EUIJIN.

      unlike his brother, euijin didn’t have much of a say into what he wanted to do with his career. most of it already having been paved out for him by his mother who was more than excited to have a son be her successor in the limelight and a father who was approving of having him be thrusted into fame at such a young age. it only made sense that, that was going to be his career because what else was he going to do, if not use his parent’s stature as a stepping stone to an easy career in acting. and for this reason, he had always envied his brother, always saw how lucky the younger was to be able to pursue in something he truly loved and had a drive to do. 

     he doesn’t miss the way his brother makes direct contact with him first before averting his gaze to their father, nodding at the other’s response. his brother a force to be reckoned with, perhaps even the family’s pride and joy. not only was he studying medicine, he was also the youngest talent on the national team— something their father doesn’t shy away from making it known to everyone he encounters at the party. he’s sure that their father was going to parade euijun around as soon as the opportunity allowed for it. 

     and the way their mother returns the smile that euijun offers, is telling enough of how proud and supportive of him, she was. “he has been working hard, not prioritising these parties should be a given, considering he’s still in medical school.” he adds, their father looking pleased with their cordial responses and offers a chuckle, waving his hand dismissively— as if to say that it was his mistake for appearing so pushy with euijun. something euijin knew was done out of courtesy and not so much out of true compassion. “when are you leaving for your next training session, jun?” turning to his brother, taking the glass to his lips before placing it back down onto the table before him, “and the game should be a month from that, right?” he has had his brother’s schedule somewhat memorised, the almost pattern that his brother goes through, like a travel itinerary that after many years— had memorised. 

     “i’ll be sure to clear my schedule for the week to attend.” confirms with his brother if that was okay to do, giving him some space to rebuttal in the case he didn’t want euijin to show up. “alone, of course.” he adds, reassures his brother that he won’t be bringing alone anyone jun wasn’t yet familiar with— namely, his fiance.

euijun is glad that he could at least have the liberty to pursue what he wanted without fearing of their parent’s disapproval, though, he was also thankful for the bullets that his brother had taken in order to allow him some autonomy in his choices. euijun knows that if it weren’t his brother’s noble sacrifices of his own choices, euijun would be the one to have to face those consequences himself. he’s not only glad but also thankful that his brother was the one in the arranged marriage and now himself, glad that his brother doesn’t show him the same attitude or backward glancing that he had expected to receive from his brother upon receiving the news. glad that none of the things their parents chose to put into their lives had affected their relationship.

he’s also glad when his brother speaks up, adding support to his own words at the dinner table. a genuine smile gracing at his corners as he turns to face his brother, a thankful gleam in his optics reflecting against the tiredness of his countenance- already too early to be feeling this way. the same smile hardens to a more stiff curve of his lips as his gaze meets with their father, who waves a hand dismissively- a silent apology that he could only assume was done out of courtesy. euijun has to hold back on the eye roll that threatens to exercise at his optics.

“in two months.” he nods at his brother’s following question, “look at you, brother.” a chuckle leaving him, “having my schedule memorised, are you my number one fan by any chance?” tone teasing in nature, knowing full well that aside from aeri- his brother was the only other person who somewhat memorised his game time. the two that would always clear their schedules to make time for him, to make time for his matches and to support him by the sidelines. he wasn’t even sure if their own father was aware of his packed schedule or if the older jung depended on euijin to feed him the information. 

“i know you will.” his gaze turning to their father, “will you? i assume you’ll be too busy to be in attendance, right?” no malice behind his words, the disappointment already having died long ago that he was now incapable of feeling anything but slight pinch to his chest. 

his gaze returning to his brother as the other spoke again, “i’d expect nothing less. the rumours of your fiance’s brother seems anything but pleasant. have you looked into it? the lees, i mean.”

[woneko]

🔥

[jayvng]

AERI.

     she envied his efforts, the way he pursued both of his passions with equal vigour, despite the modesty in his words. she was certain that he knew more than enough to get a passing mark, if not— an excelling mark in his course and that he was only trying to lower his achievements as to not oversell his capabilities. a quality that she admired, especially in someone of his stature. it was times like these, that she wished she was of more help to him, so that she could offer him more assistance. he was already doing so much for her, lending her his time was enough to make her gaze soften upon landing on his frame again. “you’ll do great, junnie.” she offers him a smile.

     she nods, “i’ll be sure to make time for it, just let me know at least a few days in advanced.” she adds, sure that she would be able to clear her schedule to make time for him regardless of her plans. was certain that her brother would show up as well in support of him. “i’ll cheer for you disgustingly loud and embarrassingly.” her smile turning into a grin as she spoke, remembering of times prior that she had done the same, only to lose her voice the following day.

     then, the topic of jungkook arises and euijun points out her couple act with jungkook, not wanting to blatantly state that they were just acting to appease his parents so that she would be able to pay off her brother’s tuition. the extra financial support from jungkook helped a lot, it had even earned her a new place to live near campus and away from her father— opened up new opportunities for her. “jun, i haven’t kissed him.” she adds, wants to remind him that she hasn’t done anything extreme to jungkook, that the most she has done, was hold his hand. “i sat on his lap to give him a hug because we were arguing and i didn’t want to cause a scene.” she rolls her eyes, makes sure that her point is made. “it was for three seconds, junnie. if i didn’t know any better, i’d say you’re jealous.” a smirk tugging on her corners as she spoke, more teasing than meaning any malice.

     his following words catch her off guard, she wasn’t sure how to respond. she had never thought about it, had never thought about asking anyone for money. “it just happened, i don’t know.” she shrugs, honestly not having been able to offer him a truthful answer. “you’re still my number one, he won’t replace you jun.” she nods, tries to sound reassuring accompanied by a chuckle. “on another topic, i’ve always wanted a puppy— and now that i have my own place, i can finally start looking to adopt one. are you free to come look for one with me?”

euijun appreciates the effort and time she puts into their friendship, he knows how much she was willing to clear her schedule for him and it was evident of all the prior times that she had done just that to accommodate his own. he was thankful that he got to befriend aeri through aejin, glad that he was able to have the opportunity to be a part of the kim’s family, even if it were just that little bit of trust that aeri’s father offers him. euijun couldn’t help the smile that graces at his lips as she spoke, “i’ll make sure i at least score a goal as to not put your cheering to waste.” a smirk playing on his features.

euijun couldn’t recall the last time him and aeri were ever intimidate to the point that jungkook and her were, couldn’t even pick a point in time that they even got as closed to as holding hands in public. he feels as though her words were only being said to appease him and doesn’t sit well with the way that she so easily dismisses his concerns when brought up. “i’m not jealous.” he states, a little too firm and offended to be a joke- clearing his throat. “we’re just friends and we do not hold hands.” he tries to point out a flaw in her logic, knows that she probably has a thing or two for jungkook and neither does that sit well with him.

“it just happened?” brows raising, optics rolling as a sigh leaving from betwixt thinned lips, already too vexed to further comment. “i’d rather you just tell me that you like him than feed me these excuses.” wanting to prioritise the truth more than anything, though her following words do appease him somewhat as he feels himself softening up again, against the gentle chuckle that leaves from her own lips. “aeri— i don’t know how i feel about you accepting money from someone you just met like that.” a defeated sigh leaving him.

optics widening with slight interest as she mentions wanting a puppy, “are you asking me to adopt a puppy with you?” euijun couldn’t help the excitement that ignites in his chest, “for someone as rich as jungkook, he could’ve gotten you an apartment that came with a puppy. cheapskate.” 

[jayvng]

JUNGKOOK.

and for a brief moment jungkook thought that this couldn’t be so bad. at least euijun wasn’t trying to pick up a fight with him and the samsung heir honestly thought that he could return the courtesy. besides, he’s sure that aeri is about to come back at any moment now so perhaps this conversation would end before they got annoyed with each other, at least. “not professionally, just for fun.” he answers polite enough, not feeling the urge to insult the other for once. “just for fun.”

however, the samsung heir was clearly wrong because he couldn’t help but feel a little like euijun is teasing him, trying to rile him up when he says that aeri doesn’t talk much about him to the athlete and it doesn’t help that jungkook feels like he’ll lose if he admits that he’s still undeclared at university— not that it was something embarrassing for him to admit, never saw the big deal in it because he didn’t want a degree anyway, knows that in the end he’ll forced to choose business management or anything along those lines anyway and now he’s simply avoiding the unavoidable.

“i guess you two aren’t that close then.” jungkook can’t help but retort, a polite smile still unfaltering on his lips before he moves to the next question like he didn’t just pettily poked at euijun. “and yeah, we had some classes together though we aren’t in the same major.” though the samsung heir doesn’t make any effort in answering what major that he is in and that won’t change.

the samsung heir takes a sip of his champagne, feeling like he’ll need the alcohol to go through this whole conversation with his sanity intact and his eyes once again going through the crowd to see if he could get a glimpse of aeri somewhere or at least someone who could be his saving exit of this conversation— jungkook is almost sure that euijun has a brother, has heard it briefly when once or twice in this or that party, so of course he tries to look for the older jung as well, anything is game at this point, but of course that the universe is against him and jungkook doesn’t find anyone so once again he’s stuck with euijun for who knows how long.

“do you go to university as well?” so jungkook is simply stuck at this endless small talk. “or you’re focusing only in your career?”

euijun still doesn’t see the appeal that aeri sees in jungkook. he allows already tired optics to lay rest on the other, digits taking the glass to his lips for a sip of the champagne before placing it back down onto the tray of the passing by waiter. he nods as the other speaks, feigning interest. he can’t help but also wonder whether or not jungkook was any nicer to aeri, or if all the rumours that he has heard about the samsung heir carried through to everything. the thought alone made euijun a little weary, more concerned for aeri’s wellbeing now that its settled in.

“i guess not.” he shrugs, doesn’t take offence- he knows better than to show his true colours at a party, in front of aeri’s friend. even if this friend, was overwhelmingly vexing to his nerves. “we’ve adopted a puppy together recently, hopefully that’ll bring us closer together.” he adds, a smile accompanying his words, despite not having yet received the puppy. something about home checks before the adoption shelter allowed for the rehoming process to begin, both his own and aeri’s new home to be inspected. aeri’s new home, the one bought buy no other than jungkook himself, does not sit well with euijun either. “oh, that’s nice. what classes do you share?” trying to fill the silence and awkwardness that falls in between the gaps of their conversation, only hoping for aeri’s swift return.

he nods, “med student.” something he was soon to drop out of, considering his sudden career’s progression and the way it had sky rocketed more than he had anticipated. a hobby that grew out of proportion and now he was able to make it a liable career path, following in his father’s footsteps. “i’m trying to juggle both, a lot harder than it looks.” optics rolling, a tired sigh inadvertently escapes from between his lips. “aeri’s a big advocate for education, so it helps having some positive support around.” nodding as he spoke, almost certain that jungkook would agree. it was one of aeri’s best qualities, the way she would support those around her regardless of her own circumstances. “wouldn’t you agree?” 

fingers running through his hair, aeri hasn’t told him much about jungkook neither has she spoken about their relationship, or whatever this was. “so, how long have you and aeri been together?” he questions, attempting to piece together the situation between the two despite aeri reassuring him that they were just friends- which he doubts.

[jayvng]

YUNA.

yuna admits that her attendance in university could be better. as much as she puts the extra effort into attending as much of her classes as she can, there’s only so much that she can do when she has so many parties to attend — especially now that her dad is in the middle of his campaign — and appointments that she has with euijin, everything to make sure that her father’s image is perfectly pristine, everything to sell the idea that she’s a perfect pair with her arranged fiance. besides, now she’s extra busy trying to work subtly against the oldest lee. but she still tries to make up for it whenever she can through her assignments and exams, the professors not being able to do much against the daughter of the candidate lee insik — at least something nice from being her dad’s daughter.

however, group assignments are always a little of a nightmare because it involves not only her attendance but also going to group meetings and unfortunately if yuna doesn’t have the time to attend classes, she has much less time to go to group meetings— no matter how much opinion that she actually has and wants to give her own input in the final product, but ends up not being able to say much considering that she doesn’t feel she can since she isn’t there when the decisions were made.

just like now when she’s paired up to another person that seems to have the same schedule as her. yuna only hopes that he’s at least responsible with his part just like she is. after all, that’s probably the only reason to why her groupmates don’t give her more of a hard time.

“just one.” she admits, the very first one that they ended up enjoying a coffee together more than actually discussing what they were going to do as a group. “i don’t have their notes, but i got some of my own.” that she researched during her free time, everything that she could find about the theme of their assignment, already putting it aside for the other to take a look.

“maybe we could trade notes first?” she offers. “just so we can align the point of view we’re going for? and then maybe brainstorm from there?”

just one. that was better than him, at least. euijun has been to exactly none, only sporadically appearing in their group chat when he has been tagged or mentioned one too many times to simply ignore. his brother tells him that he needs to make a prompt decision on whether or not staying in medical school was going to be something he wanted to do longterm, because at this rate, it was only making his athletic career suffer. his brother had a point, that he was to focus all or nothing onto the one thing he was most passionate about and it makes a deep sigh depart from his lips as he stares at the textbook before him.

eyes lifting to look at the notes she had compiled, giving it a brief skim- just enough to get a synopsis of her points. he nods as she suggests trading notes, sliding his own across the table to her. notes that he had compiled in the middle of soccer practice and in between his break times on campus. sometimes he surprised himself how much he could get done when under extreme pressure and the duress of the educational system. 

“sorry, what’s your name?” euijun almost feels bad for having to ask, his question evidence alone that he doesn’t participate enough in their group chat to find out their names. the only reason he even knew what everyone looked like was based on the table number he was given before having entered an hour late. “i’m jun by the way.” a smirk lining his features, “you can clearly tell i don’t turn up to the meetings enough to know shit.” at least he’s self aware, a slight chuckle following his words. 

“so, what’s your stance on capital punishment?” his gaze still stuck on her notes for a moment before returning to the textbook in front, “are you pro or anti capital punishment?” digits flipping through the pages, “i might be pro. life sentence is basically a variation of capital punishment.” 

[jayvng]

AERI.

     she lets the smile tug at her corners as he apologises, having not meant any malice behind her words. finds him so genuine in the way that he had volunteered so easily to help her out, unlike her brother who showed some hesitancy from the very beginning. and that’s mostly why she holds back on being difficult, holds back on trying to be as accommodating as she can because she was at the mercy of his generosity, of his time and patience. then his following comment regarding her heights, receives a roll of her eyes, “ha ha, you’re so funny.” feigns a grin her features, exaggerated and freakish. 

     “i haven’t even graduated yet, let alone designing anything worthwhile.” she retorts, feeling a little hopeless as the thoughts of having to pursue her almost impossible dreams after her undergraduate was done, was going to be a strenuous journey to mediocrity at best. she’s aware that she means no competition to existing designers and only hopes to make things that bring her joy, the creative process doing just that. but eventually, she will have to give in— considering that this hobby wasn’t going to be a longterm thing where she could make enough of a living off of it. a part of her plans for the future without jungkook, almost certain that at some point, he was going to leave because the thought of someone like her being with someone like him— seemed so mismatched. 

     she knows that euijun has been thinking about dropping from university for a while now to focus on his athletic career— was a little surprised that he was able to carry on for this long to begin with, considering how rarely she gets to see him on campus. “i would offer to help you with your project but i don’t know much about what you’re studying.” academically, the subjects he studied were more intense than hers, despite if she gave it some time— she was sure she could get a hang of them but she barely had time for herself nowadays to even think of learning anything remotely difficult or out of her comfort zone. “of course! i wouldn’t miss for the world.” she assures him, having always tried to attend his games whenever he played. 

     and then, the topic of jungkook comes up, a sigh chuckle leaving her almost having expected it to. she senses the distaste in his tone, “we’re not a thing. we’re just friends.” rolling her eyes, jungkook had so himself that they were just friends and nothing more. two friends acting as a happy couple though— not for long, she senses the end is near but then again, friends don’t do half the things they do. “i don’t think our friendship will last long though.” she admits, “two different statuses, too much of a difference.” she adds, “and he’s not as subtle as you.” she offers euijun a smile, “why? what’s with the frown?” 

euijun lets a smirk grace at his features as she clearly mocks his humour, finding her own a little too endearing if anything. “you’ll get there soon.” euijun knows that deep down, aeri was going to make it big, if not for her own designs then as part of another brand. she always had a gift of art, drawing and compositing colours to make an image that fit so well into any possible theme given to her. euijun has witnessed enough of her projects to come to the conclusion that she was going to be a great addition to the fashion industry after her graduation. he’s almost certain.

he lets a chuckle escape, shaking his head, “neither.” admitting that he too,  had no idea what he was studying and what he was meant to do. he has a general idea of what was required of him but other than that, little else to occupy the gaping hole that was his lacking knowledge. “but i’ll manage, i have no other choice.” at this point, he was just going to see how long he can string along both medical school and practice, knowing full well that when it came down to having to attend residency- that it wasn’t going to be something he could do. he could hardly keep his sanity as it is with assignments and exams every other week, scattered in between his practice and matches. 

a smile casts onto his features, “i’m glad, i’ll send you the ticket info and everything when it gets closer.” like he always does whenever he knows that she would be available to attend them. glad that she’s able to make time for him and that she was still so willing to support him, despite them not being able to hang out as much as they once used to. clashing schedules doesn’t make it any easier.

euijun can’t help the relief that settles in when she states that they’re just friends, evident through the sigh that leaves him. “i don’t think friends sit on each other’s laps and kiss.” he adds, questioning her back, having seen her and jungkook together at an earlier event. “neither do they hold hands or attend parties as dates.” he holds back on the eye roll that threatens to spill from his features, though he also couldn’t hide the slight smirk that pulls on his lip as she mentions the longevity of their partnership, that euijun was better. “flattery will get you nowhere.” he responds, “if you needed money- i could’ve helped. why consult him?” 

[jayvng]

AERI.

     she nods at his initial question, lets her gaze fall onto his features knowing full well that he was trying to decipher her like he always does. then, he brings up their mother’s passing— something she hadn’t thought about for quite some time now, thinking that perhaps she had finally come to accept it. that she was finally learning to let it go and move on from it without feeling as though every piece of her soul, cracked at the thought of it alone. she felt as though she was responsible for the death of her mother, because her birth was what made her mother’s passing come so prematurely. though, their father makes it known that it was the result of years of substance abuse that had constituted to her death more than aeri’s delivery. that aeri should be thankful that she didn’t come out with some deformity as a result— a blessing in its own right.

     “you really think i’d stoop that low, just for money?” she rolls her eyes, feeling a little insulted by the words her brother was insinuating. “jeon jungkook.” she settles finally, “the samsung heir, i met him on campus and he just wants me to attend dinners and events with him and to act like his partner to appease his parents. that’s all.” her gaze matching her brother’s, couldn’t help the way her eyes softened at her brother’s concern. something she hadn’t felt in a really long time  since most of her focus fell on their father’s harsh words bestowing her reverie. “so accept the money, pay off your tuition. i’m not doing anything sketchy.” she reassures him, “he has been really sweet to me, and respects my space.” she’s trying to explain to her brother that jungkook isn’t that bad, considering the reputation he upholds but then again, she isn’t sure if her brother was even aware of that.

     “i know. don’t worry, i’m sure he’ll disappear soon enough once he finds someone prettier and richer than me.” she rolls her eyes playfully at her brother’s warnings. “well, dad’s never happy with me so— i have nothing to lose really.” she shrugs, finding that no matter what she did, their father would always find a way to villainise her.

aejin knew better, knew his sister better than to think that she would ever stoop that low. however, he couldn’t help but think that whoever was offering this amount of financial support had clearly found her price- everyone has a price and maybe they had found aeri’s. but he lets that thought die down with the rest of the questions that brim at the surface, wanting to ask her a million and one questions to find out the real reason to why and how she was getting the income that she was getting. he lets his brows raise in scepticism, a squint forms on his countenance as he looks at her, her question going unanswered. 

the samsung heir. his squint altering into widened eyes as she continues her explanation, almost sounding like some sort of series on netflix or fanfiction one would find on the dark web. “to just attend dinners and events?” he reiterates, voice sounding more sceptical than the expression that pulls across his features. “what kind of movie is this, surely, surely there’s a catch somewhere. wouldn’t someone like that have access to an heiress of the same circle?” this jungkook person, was starting to sound incredibly seedy. aejin makes a mental note to tell euijun about this as soon as the other was free. 

“hmm, yea- i don’t know about that.” shaking his head, “how long will he respect your space? he’s clearly playing at something, aeri.” he can’t hide the disbelief in his voice as he spoke, thinking that his sister had fallen for a scam to easily that she was going to have a bigger lose than anything she could have ever imagined. could ever compare to. 

aejin feels a little more reassured when aeri mentions that this jungkook person wasn’t going to be a permanent addition to the family, glad that his sister has some sensibility into seeing that the samsung heir had access to more of a social circle than their own. “just be careful, aeri. these rich guys, you never know what they’re capable of.” he adds, feeling a little worried for his sister’s choices and the possible consequences she was about to reap, “if dad knew, he would have every right to be worried and angry with you.” 

[jayvng]

JUNGKOOK.

jungkook once thought that sitting down to talk to his father was the worst experience that he could have, but then that was before aeri just left him with jung euijun, the friend who let her live in his house before jungkook bought her the penthouse close to campus, the friend who keeps insisting in picking her up after class so they can work on whatever design project that aeri has and he was being her model, to stop by sometime in the penthouse because he wanted to see her. all small things that at first glance no one would really think twice about, after all, they were friends and aeri, majoring in design, obviously needed someone to be her model and since she knew euijun for longer than it made a little of sense.

however, jungkook isn't just no one and it bothers him a little too much, probably more than he has any right to be bothered, that they seem so close. the samsung heir not being able to not think about how euijun might be a little too clingy, how the jackets and clothes he leaves on aeri's apartment are nothing but a way to rile jungkook up — and of course they do, he's ready to burn them if aeri wasn't going to scold him for it.

so he doesn't like euijun, would rather spend the whole party being scolded by his father and being reminded about all the ways that he's a failure of a son, a disappointment just by standing there and breathing than to spend it having to small talk with the guy that jungkook is 99.9% sure wants to steal his fake girlfriend. the samsung heir even tries to look for aeri in the crowd, a way to stalling having to say anything to the man by his side, but she's completely gone by now, dragged away by some politician's daughter and jungkook never had the mind to remember her name, but he guesses he should know now since she seems to be friends with aeri.

only when he can't really avoid the situation anymore that jungkook sighs, barely tries to hide the displeasure of sharing the same air as jung euijun. "so." he starts, playing with the champaign flute on his hand. "you're an athlete, right?" and that's as much as jungkook remembers, being too annoyed by the other to really catch and keep the detail of what sports that euijun plays.

blame the years of adolescence under the roof of an austere man who reigned with an iron fist, crafted syllables that had purloined his fervent daydreams of fairy tales so everlasting. reverie stained by the shackles of reality, besmirched by the chains of everyday facsimiles that bled into the delusional view of the world he saw as picturesque. pressure that ruptured at the seams of an already flickering candle that threatened to be doused by the very tears that fell from his mother’s eyes. 

euijun envisioned a future for himself where the ecstasy of love would encompass his soul, sanguine wine staining the lips of his beloved as they cavort through the demesne. perimeter lit by the garden lamps that glowed a subtle amber beneath the milky crescent. though, his father’s resounding voice down the hallway serves another purpose as his brother’s fate gets cast into the flame of lost autonomy. seeing his own visions go ablaze as his hues land on the only person he sees himself growing old with, maybe too young to even consider such a thing but his heart beseeches him to do good with the instincts that brush at his temples. a subtle skip of his rhythmic beating, denoting the minute rebellions he could commit under the watchful eye of his father. 

and aeri was that very being, the materialised vision of the life he wanted to narrate, one that didn’t drain him of his life source. but one cannot simply admire her without the clear eyesore beside her, the samsung heir himself. euijun wasn’t completely liberated from the emerald varmint that so childishly gambols in his chest when he saw aeri in the other’s lap, couldn’t help the way his digits curled into fists, unbeknownst to himself- almost instinctively on sight. how he watched aeri hand jungkook the cuffs that kept his sleeves in tact, how it made euijun sick with jealousy. 

but he plays nice, keeps the facade on his features as he eyes the ocean of people- hoping that aeri would return soon to alleviate the disgust that builds in his throat. if money was what aeri was after, he could have provided her with enough to keep her family in good hands instead of stooping to the levels of this- gaze shifting from the crowd to jungkook, a lusus naturae. 

resenting hues softening immediately as the other begins to speak, nodding, “and you?” he knew little to nothing about the samsung heir aside from the fact that he was the heir to the tech giant of south korea. aeri, having being sparing with her details. “aeri doesn’t talk much about you, pardon my ignorance.” he adds, more of a forewarning of his own intentions than to mean any malice in his words. neither has he been to these parties enough to be well versed in the hierarchy of high society. “what do you major in? are you and her in the same course?” attempting at some small talk.

[jayvng]

MILES.

     he knows that he can be difficult, that his stance will not falter for anyone— not even taesoo. he refuses to give into something that he sees he has no responsibility in taking accountability for. this wasn’t his fault, this wasn’t something he had created out of thin air, this wasn’t a random act that was summoned from somewhere in the ether that had materialised as this campaign to cancel him and kiha. that suddenly now, the disbandment of crescent was a possibility all because of one article that was stupidly written to slander him. he sees no point in surrendering to something so irrelevant to him. and although, everyone around him would much prefer it if he had chosen to apologise, to make things easier on everyone— and to have the netizens and those on the outside be pleased with his surrender. but this wasn’t going to be an option for him.

     “not that insane to accuse me of something that defamatory?” he repeats, brows knitting together as his head tilts to the side, facing taesoo. “the article said we were sucking faces. that we’ve been dating since early 2015. if that’s not defamatory, i don’t know what is.” he tries to speak with the calmest tone he could muster up, feeling the anger boiling still, in his chest. his prior scandals have always been something of small scale, things that he never took personally because they were all so insignificant but this time— it was different. it involved kiha. it involved something so outrageous as accusing him of something that was so— “ridiculous.” he huffs with a sigh, gaze lifting upwards in attempts to suppress the anger. it was at if he had hit his breaking point, hit the quota on the amount of scandals he could handle.

     and he does feel a little bad about the image having been broken, now pinned to the fridge. the paper that’s handed to him receives another frown, he already knows what it is, already knows what’s expected of him. but was he going to follow it? absolutely not. a scoff leaving him as taesoo already knows what to expect from him, only it was going to be the same as every other previously done apology— only this time, much worse. 

     he takes a moment to scan through the document, stopping as soon as he reads the words apologise for disappointing fans, “what the fuck did i do to disappoint fans? for living and breathing in front of a reporter who was going to slander me? how is that my fault?” digits move to rip the document up, ceo yoo was expecting too much from him. “i’m not doing it and don’t worry, i won’t be on social media— i have better things to do.” rolling his eyes.

taesoo agrees that the articles didn’t tickle the most pleasant feelings that suffocate his reverie, didn’t make much sense to have such negativity to suddenly arise from thin air. the two had always had a closer relationship compared to the rest of the group, one that taesoo only assumed to be something the maknae line had crafted for themselves. he understands that for miles it was probably easier to have opened himself up to kiha than to speak with their leader, the age gap didn’t make it any better now that they were at two very different paths in their lives and career. he understands that miles isn’t being the easiest because of the cards and circumstances handed to him, understands that this isn’t what he wanted. none of this was what anyone wanted.

taesoo lets the younger speak, the slightest tug of his corners pull as he sees miles so passionate speaking about something. it had been a while since he had last seen this much emotions from the maknae. can’t help the way his brows ease up as his gaze lands on the other, “it comes with the territory.” he simply states- defamation came with the price of fame and recognition. although not completely desirable, it was the cost for this kind of career. “as ridiculous as it is, it’ll die down as soon as you consider issuing an apology.” he’s trying to sound understanding, trying to offer a way out in hopes of soothing out the already rampant hearsay. 

“it’s not your fault-” pausing, only as the sound of the tearing document echoes slightly throughout the dorms. a sigh leaving in response, can’t help but feel that miles was being a little unreasonable at this point- a little childish. “why... why do you do the things that you do?” his gaze falls to the scattered pieces of paper at the other’s feet, “i understand your frustration, perhaps not to your extent but i do understand that this isn’t a desirable outcome. i understand that you’ve done nothing wrong, but this was one of the terms and conditions that you had signed over to when you joined yuseong.” taesoo reminds miles that this was part of the job, “and you can rip up as many documents as you’d like, it won’t change the fact that you’re in a scandal that involves another members and you’re refusing to do what is part of the contract that you signed.” his voice becoming more stern as each word began to leave him.

[jayvng]

for lee yuna— @bemyuse from jung euijun

the unread messages sent in the group chat for one of his group projects that he hadn’t been able to attend for the last few weeks with the excuse of practice and having to prioritise other subjects over his elective. it doesn’t help that the members of his group project were already sick of seeing his name on their assignment and not being able to hear from him from the day one. he scarcely responds, if ever at all- but decides that today would be a good opportunity for him to finally get his priorities aligned properly.

he responds, noting that he’ll be present at the group meeting scheduled later today. and that’s why he was now sat in the library by the window surrounded by unhappy faces that were met with having to work the extra load just to carry him on their backs. it doesn’t help that he arrives an hour late, the lab coat from his previous class encasing his hoodie that pulled over his strands. he promises to catch up and to do his part of the project as to ensure that no one gets dragged down alongside him due to his absence. the hood pulled down halfway as his ebony strands fall in between the fabric of his hoodie and the tired skin that flashes a dull tone of weariness. one that he doesn’t try too hard to hide, doesn’t put in too much effort to show that he wasn’t enjoying the imbalance of his work and schooling life. 

digits flipping through the textbook, as he begins to compile his notes for the project. the group tells him that they’ve separated everyone into pairs and that he was going to be working with the other absent student, a little taste of his own medicine he supposes. the two most unreliable members of the project group to be working as a team in order to fulfil the last few requirements of the assignment together. he nods, it was the least he could do considering how many times he had missed the group meetings- this being the first time he had ever shown up to one. 

he takes a moment to slip the lab coat off from his shoulders, having stayed back for a few minutes to catch up on his lab assignment, which turned into twenty- then, an hour. folding the coat up neatly as he tucks it into his bag, finally looking up at his group partner, “have you been to any of the previous meetings? i missed out on the notes they compiled.” gaze shifting to the textbook before him, “how should we do this? split up the readings and do a summary or should we brainstorm first?” 

[jayvng]

for jeon jungkook— @bemyuse​ from kim aejin

unpleasant, was the sound not only escaping from his father’s mouth, but also the sound of his sister painfully telling their father how she wasn’t doing anything he was accusing her of. aejin stands in between the two, careful hues eyeing the two as he ensures that his father doesn’t recklessly lunge at aeri amidst his own frustration. he watches carefully, lets his gaze drift towards his sister every so often as to ensure that she knew he would be here to support her at any point she found their father was being too unreasonable. aejin knew better than to stick his words where they weren’t welcomed, knew that neither his sister nor father would appreciate him meddling in between their conversation.

aeri doesn’t take kindly to him defending her, likes to fight her own battles- much like their father. but the rain that cascades against their rattling windows, panes on the brink of falling apart, fragile and thin- he hears the bullets pelting against the glass and shortly after, followed by streaks of white that dart across the gloomy sky. it starts off silent, and he already knows his sister saw it too, sensed the incoming thunderstorm that was bound to happen. aejin debates on whether or not to call euijun to come and assist in calming down the household, but the magnet on the fridge reminds him that his friend was attending bootcamp for his upcoming match in a few months. and he dismisses the idea altogether, anticipates the clash that was to come but it never does and silence reigns over their small apartment. 

but it doesn’t last long, the silence doesn’t stay as the thunder crashes, streaks across their window and the sound resonates a lot louder than he had expected. he watches his father flinch, sees his sister clutching at her ears, curling up into a ball as she breathing picks up. cautiously he steps back towards his sister, gaze stuck on the father never knowing the unpredictability of the older man. then- aeri falls to her side, aejin is checking her pulse, “aeri?” he gentle taps her shoulder, “aeri.” his gaze moves back to their father who only stands by the kitchen rolling his eyes, screaming about how good of an actress she is, how her fear of thunder manifested in the most convenient hour of their conversation. 

aejin carries his sister to their shared room, ignoring the screams of their father in the background and the heavy footsteps that trudge closely behind, telling him that he stupid for falling for her trick. “aeri.” he gently whispers, lowering her into her bed, as their father stands in the tiny hallway scoffing. “please, now is not the time.” lets the seething tone in his voice be subdued by the worry that washes over him, reaching for aeri’s phone in her pocket and he’s looking anyone he can call on her emergency contacts that wasn’t himself. in hopes that there would be someone, anyone willing to take his sister in for a few days as to let their home life simmer down before she returns to face their father again.

kookie. a strange name followed by numerous emojis, the only name aside from his own and euijun’s, he lets the call ring through, hearing the other end pick up, “this is aejin, aeri’s brother. you’re on her emergency contact list.” he starts off, tries to bury the slight panic in his tone, “she passed out-” he feels his father glaring into the back of his head and he begins to scream at aejin as to why he was bringing strangers into their family affairs, a hand reaching out to grab at aejin’s collar from behind, tugging him up from his position beside aeri’s bed. “i just need you to come pick her up.” he manages before his father has him pinned to the wall, “please come to [ insert address here ].” and the call drops.

he has aeri’s phone gripped in between his fists, the other shoving their father off of him, quickly retreating into their room- locking the door behind him as he hears his father banging against the thin wooden divider. 

[ txt » kookie 🍪💖 ] apartment 11 if you can come [ txt » kookie 🍪💖 ] let me know when you arrive and i’ll open the door [ txt » kookie 🍪💖 ] if you can’t come, that’s ok too [ txt » kookie 🍪💖 ] just disregard everything i said

he eyes the heavy textbooks on his table, debates whether or not he should just try slamming them against their father’s head the same way he was slamming against their room door. aejin will figure something out.

[jayvng]

KAHI.

kahi almost points out that this— this right there is the reason why father is so hesitant in letting khai be the head of the family, why the oldest kang keeps lecturing him about his overly violent behavior, his overly violent ethics. kahi almost points out that this is why father favored him to be the next head of the family even if he weren’t the oldest between them. however, kahi feels that it might be too much of a cruel comment towards his younger brother, that it might cut a little too deep for some stupid bickering about ethics that aren’t even related to their line of actual work. this is just khai trying to get a rile out of him, using insu, so the older kang lets it pass, instead just does his usual eye rolling right back to his brother.

two months, kahi is almost sure that he can make the time if he puts it on his agenda now, maybe he should also invite their parents to also show up just to see khai kick someone else’s ass. not that kahi himself enjoyed the sport, not when he saw so much violence already, when he’s at some sort of break or doing a hobby, he’d rather to have at least that untainted by the bloody world that they live in, by how easily violence comes to kahi even though he’s always trying to claim the higher ground and argues that he doesn’t do it out of pleasure, or some sort of power trip. he does what is necessary for his organization and if that means getting violent sometimes, so be it. it isn’t like kahi has a choice anyway.

“so you already started your diet, right?” not that kahi knew much about khai’s training either. “we could go somewhere else if there’s no food for you here.” he offers because that’s what a good older brother does, because he doesn’t want khai to not eat simply because of kahi’s poor choice in restaurant.

“well, wouldn’t you?” kahi raises his eyebrow in obvious skepticism when khai denies that this is about insu. he’s sure that his brother wouldn’t be asking him if it weren’t. besides there is little to nothing that would stop kahi from targetting someone, especially if that someone gave him consentment — no matter if it was a playful remark or not. “and i stand by my words.” he presses his lips into a thin line. “you don’t get involved with those kind of people, not worth the trouble.”

kahi sighs then, hides his ruffled feathers with mild annoyance, like someone who is just tied yet resigned of having to say the same thing again and again. “the only people i’m defending is our family.” in a way, yes, though it isn`t the complete truth. “politian’s children are too messy, too troublesome. and if you get consent,” kahi folds his hands on his lap to hide any fidgeting. “then you tell them that if they want to die, then they should do it themselves instead of pushing the problem to someone else.”

khai figures that a part of him had grown to be dysfunctional from the rest of his body, that it grew to be so bloodthirsty that even at times- it frightened him to reflect on who he used to be. the drastic change from his adolescence doesn’t make it any easier on the way that he now viewed everyone and everything. his brother had become a target for him to beat down on, his father- someone who was unrelentingly stubborn in deeming that his brother, who had grown so soft would make a better heir than him. insu, someone who he had looked up to was now equally as soft and giving in to someone he had once made known that he would move mountains to defy. 

he comes to terms with the fact that he enjoys seeing people hurt, a little too much. he had come to terms with that fact that maybe he was a sadist of its highest kind the way his eyes would glisten at his victims would paint the grass red. 

his gaze shifts through the menu in his hand, “no, the food here is alright. fits my diet fine.” he responds to his brother, besides it wouldn’t hurt his strict regime to have a cheat day two months away from his fight. it would be something he could always work off if he needed it to. he’s quick to roll his eyes in response to his brothers words as they fall in between deaf ears, having chosen to ignore most of it but then- he’s unable to hold his tongue, “if someone could assassinate princess diana and make it look like an accident, surely killing a local politician’s son isn’t going to render a response as big as the princess of wales.” still adamant on the fact that if he truly wanted to, he could probably kill insu and make it look like an accident. though, he wasn’t sure if his brother would be too fond of that decision, would be too forgiving of him having ended insu’s life- much to his confusion because as far as he was aware, insu was no longer a major concern to them. aside from the lee’s campaign, things didn’t tie the two of them closely enough to warrant such a strong response in his brother.

“oh?” he raises a brow, his gaze lifting from the menu to meet with his brother’s again. “interesting, i’ll keep that in mind the next time said, hypothetical politician’s son, gives me consent on killing him and tells me to pull the trigger. i’ll be sure to encourage him to do it himself as to cut back on the troublesome nature of the killing.” he nods, a little too eagerly as a smirk paints so eerily across his features, “oh, brother. you are so brilliant with your ideas, no wonder father deems you as heir.” he adds, speaking ever so slowly as to emphasise every single word that left from his lips. “though, it is quite boring to not do the killing myself but i guess it’ll be worth avoiding all the messy and trouble.” a sigh leaving him, rather dramatic.

[jayvng]

KIHA.

“ok then, we can start whenever you feel up for it..” kiha hums softly when hunter replies that there are only clothes in those boxes which is good. it means that kiha won’t end up bumping into something embarrassing or too personal, won’t have to deal with the awkwardness that comes with it, especially when he isn’t even in a place that he can get too comfortable around hunter, not like that— or even going through the risk of finding something of miles in the middle of those boxes that will make him even more guilty about the whole thing or just make him sad because it’ll remind him that he isn’t friends with miles anymore, that the other doesn’t want anything to do with me.

then the main vocalist grins when hunter announces he can cook for dinner, feeling that he isn’t completely freeloading on hunter for the weekend and also cooking has always been something that kiha found to be an easy and sincere way to thank people back for things that have been done for him, especially involving any sort of support, and it absolutely helps that kiha’s grandparents made sure that he was capable of living by himself before sending him to yuseong — which includes cooking, doing laundry and most of house chores that his grandmom was sure it’d be needed when he was either living alone or in a dorm with other boys who heavens knows if one of them knew to make something that isn’t ramen or if they were just completely hopeless in the kitchen. “ok, deal.”

“do i need to do groceries or you have everything already?” it isn’t like kiha could go out that easily and go do groceries like he’s used to even as an idol, but he’s sure that there are some delivery service that puts the groceries right at your door. the only missing was knowing what exactly he needed to buy, or even if he neded to buy anything at all.

and usually hunter would be right— kiha knows exactly how… emotionally inept miles can be when he needs to confront and express his feelings, but the main vocalist feels that this situation is a little different, because usually doesn’t involve the mess of kiha’s own feelings and the consequences of him not being able to hide them better, especially when said consequences were so big that is almost costing them their career since some fans who always shipped him and miles were having a field day with the scandal, fueling it even further. “maybe he isn’t being dumb this time.” kiha argues very very softly, like a whisper, because admitting that he’s guilty means opening up to hunter about something that kiha isn’t sure if he’s ready to, not when it could change the other’s view of him completely.

“i remember that.” kiha takes a moment to feel sympathy over hunter and his scandal, how he ended up getting kicked out of yuseong for real, though he also found a better place in goldstar entertainment— and kiha was almost jealous of him, how now the older park is working for a decent agency instead of being sucked dry by yuseong like kihas has been throughout all these years, and the thing is that even if he gets kicked out of yuseong in the end, the main vocalist isn’t sure if an agency would want him, much less such a generous one like golstar ent. “by the way, how is golstar? everything ok?”

but he can’t help but tenses up when hunter points out that someone who is overly defensive means that they have something to be guilty about, his eyes turning back to the counter in front of him instead of looking at the older park, until he finally processes that hunter isn’t talking about him in specific, but just how being defensive isn’t a good reaction. “yeah.” and kiha’s voice sounds a little weird, off, still not being able to even look at hunter and instead goes back to picking at the skin close to his nails. “i’ve heard that quite a few times.” which is a white lie, because no one has been exactly guiding him and miles through this, unless it’s to assume the blame for being careless and writing apologies.

“oh,” and to be honest, kiha’s mind didn’t really find the time to think about his bed arrangements. “is the tteokbokki done?” he asks instead. “we can do that after we eat, maybe.” it’d also give kiha some stalling time to finally decide where he was going to sleep.

“everything you need should be in fridge or somewhere around the kitchen.” unlike his younger brother, hunter was more in tuned with his survival instincts than miles. he was able to cook for himself and do his own laundry with little to no supervision. it was one of the reasons why their mother was so insistent on having the two of them move out together once their careers had allowed for it, but since hunter’s scandal, things seemed to work out a lot differently. much to their mother’s displeasure. “if not, i can go get what you need for you.” he offers a nod accompanied by a slight pull at his corners, countenance painting him with genuinely care- wanting kiha to feel somewhat relaxed in a time of unsettling storms.

hunter doesn’t think this scandal would be enough to end their career, doesn’t think that it’s enough to impact anything down the line for more than six months from now. he knows this from his own experience, knows that people are only around for the circus fire that would alight when casted more fuel to the flame. however, unlike his brother, hunter was more compliant than he was hasty in brushing off any instructions given to him. but he couldn’t deny the urges to riot much like his brother, and that was probably why he had chosen to leave yuseong and end up in the arms of goldstar entertainment. there had been a brief moment where he had contemplated on whether or not he should have started his own company, funding his own projects without the watchful eye of a surveying overload that would restrict everything one of his plans. 

but his manager encourages him to not do rash things amidst temporary emotions, instead to look into goldstar who had offered him a contract shortly after having been released from yuseong. goldstar was like a breath of fresh air, the nurturing nature of the ceo towards their artists, the way they had creative freedom over their own projects and everything was just so much more... relaxed. “it’s a lot better than yuseong.” laughing slightly at his own words, not wanting to make kiha feel worst off, “it’s good, there’s a lot more creative freedom for the artists.” he nods.

“that’s good then, it means the people around you are doing their job.” he nods again, this time more sincere, more thankful that kiha and miles were at least having some sort of positive support around them. that someone was giving them a guiding light through their scandal, that sounding defensive was just going to blow things more out of proportion. nothing screamed guilty more than someone actively attempting to debunk rumour after rumour. “because no one told me back when i was going through it. everyone just told me to apologise, to say this and to do that.” he rolls his eyes as the memories cascade back into his reverie, unwanted reminders of how much he detested yuseong and ceo yoo. “the more i apologised, the angrier i got and the more defensive i became. everyone thought i was this spastic maniac because i was so defensive.” he shrugs, sharing little pieces of his experience in hopes that it would provide kiha with some peace knowing that hunter had made it out alive after a scandal had almost ended his career.

“yeh, it’s all done.” he moves to gesture to the tteokbokki. hunter wasn’t sure how he was going to clear out miles’ room for kiha, the other’s pile of black clothing almost engulfing the entire room. it doesn’t help that hunter can barely differentiate between the pieces but he was too afraid to throw anything out, considering the younger had a knack for buying expensive items that looked all too much the same and brandless. a sigh leaving him at the thought alone, “actually, my brother’s room looks like a black hole at the moment with all of his black clothes everywhere. unless you want to help me declutter that mess too- i’ve been trying the last few weeks but everything looks the same.” he moves to his fridge, retrieving two bottles of cold water, placing one on the counter for kiha, “are your activities on hold? did you have comebacks lined up?”

[jayvng]

AERI.

     she never thought she’d admit it, but a part of her was thankful that jungkook had walked into her life and given her the gift of being able to afford her brother’s tuition. it seemed like aejin was the only person in the family who was close enough to making a difference in this house. she, herself, someone who was undertaking a design major was not going to make it big right away. it was going to take her numerous years, numerous rounds of trial and error to correct herself well enough that would be able to make something worthy of being known. and sometimes, she feels as though she had chosen all the wrong pathways in life, that if she had just taken something like business or medicine, something more safe— the burden off of her brother’s shoulders would be so much more better. but it was too late for that now, she had already been given a full scholarship and regret was not something she could afford right now.

     as her brother walks in, her gaze almost narrows in on him, with a special kind of anger that was reserved only for their father but she slips up before allowing herself to ease up. he just wants the best for you. she rolls her eyes in response, “if by best for me, you mean he wants me to not do anything? then sure.” and her brother continues, “and so do we, brother. we work as hard as he does.” and she knows, she knows that he’s just trying to comfort her and to remind her of how hard their father works for the both of them and even though, it doesn’t always show— that he really does care for them. and she lets out a sigh.

     hues perking up as he questions her of the money, “you’re not going to believe me even if i told you because i can hardly believe it myself.” she rolls her eyes again, still in disbelief. though, the anger has managed to subside, “i’m dealing drugs.” she responds sarcastically, “no, i’m not. i just met someone who was really generous and donated me a bunch of money.” she shrugs, she wasn’t exactly sure whereabouts jungkook stood in her real life, whether or not she should really be calling him her boyfriend or something weird like that.

     “he’s just someone i met at uni.” she adds.

he’s not surprised with the way his sister had responded, fully aware that aeri had every right to feel the way that she did. aejin knows that their father is a lot more lenient with him than he is with aeri, something about raising girls differently to boys or else they’ll end up ruined for life. an ideology that doesn’t seem to fit into the carved image of what aeri was striving for, and to him, he knew his sister was not one to sit back and to let her cards fall onto her lap like some sort of blessing from the gods above. aejin lets her comments slide, lets her settle into her calm again before he’s able to here the sarcasm in her voice as she responds. 

“someone you just met in uni is giving you this much money?” he squints, knowing that what his sister had just said about him not believing her was in fact a reality that was sinking in now. he pulls back from his hunched posture, leans up against the wall. “you’re obviously not dealing drugs.” he adds, “unless...” tilting his head to the side as he stares at her for a moment, attempting to into account any visual apprehensions that caught his eye. “...no, you wouldn’t. not after mum’s death.” he settles with a sigh, “so, who is this someone? and more importantly what did you have to do in exchange to receive all of this money?” arms crossing before him, not wanting to sound too interrogative of his sister, not wanting to sound too much like their father. 

“if something seems too good to be true, it probably is aeri.” he adds, earnest care lathering his voice as he spoke, “and quite frankly, i’m not too sure i can even accept this money without knowing the truth of how you actually got it. i’d rather sell every organ in my body.” aejin was more afraid of aeri doing something rash with herself, and he was more afraid of what would happen to her if their father ever found out. “and dad’s not going to be too happy when he finds out especially, when this someone is a he.”