Black, White, Grey (idol! Chan x best friend! Reader)
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (Final), ???
Rebel Hours (dj! Chan x elite! Reader)
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18
Who Said Love Was Easy? (server! Jeongin x regular! Reader)
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Angst End, Fluff End
you know when you really want to talk abt your OCs but don’t know what to say so you’re just holding them up like Simba with a bunch of exclamation points overhead?
most important part of the writing process actually is when you loop a single song on max volume and stare at the word document and imagine the characters doing things for 14 hours. this is known as getting in the zone
Instead try…
Person A: You know… the thing
Person B: The “thing”?
Person A: Yeah, the thing with the little-! *mutters under their breath* Como es que se llama esa mierda… THE FISHING ROD
As someone with multiple bilingual friends where English is not the first language, may I present to you a list of actual incidents I have witnessed:
Forgot a word in Spanish, while speaking Spanish to me, but remembered it in English. Became weirdly quiet as they seemed to lose their entire sense of identity.
Used a literal translation of a Russian idiomatic expression while speaking English. He actually does this quite regularly, because he somehow genuinely forgets which idioms belong to which language. It usually takes a minute of everyone staring at him in confused silence before he says “….Ah….. that must be a Russian one then….”
Had to count backwards for something. Could not count backwards in English. Counted backwards in French under her breath until she got to the number she needed, and then translated it into English.
Meant to inform her (French) parents that bread in America is baked with a lot of preservatives. Her brain was still halfway in English Mode so she used the word “préservatifes.” Ended up shocking her parents with the knowledge that apparently, bread in America is full of condoms.
Defined a slang term for me……. with another slang term. In the same language. Which I do not speak.
Was talking to both me and his mother in English when his mother had to revert to Russian to ask him a question about a word. He said “I don’t know” and turned to me and asked “Is there an English equivalent for Нумизматический?” and it took him a solid minute to realize there was no way I would be able to answer that. Meanwhile his mom quietly chuckled behind his back.
Said an expression in English but with Spanish grammar, which turned “How stressful!” into “What stressing!”
Bilingual characters are great but if you’re going to use a linguistic blunder, you have to really understand what they actually blunder over. And it’s usually 10x funnier than “Ooops it’s hard to switch back.”
It was their first official date and despite both of them already knowing each other, they were both incredibly nervous.
He was not one to kiss on the first date. But he had done a lot on this date that he normally didn't imagine himself to do.
Their first date was an absolute disaster. And everyone was shocked to find out that they were already planning the second one.
As far as first dates go, this one was special.
Having their first date in front of cameras was less than ideal.
They couldn't remember what their first date was, so they plan the perfect first date, even though they've been together for some time now.
A date is not supposed to last more than a few hours, much less more than a day. Especially not a first date.
This first date was a perfect example of Murphy's law. Nothing worked out how they had expected it to, and every time they thought it couldn't get worse, it did.
Having been in an online relationship for a while, it was weird and exciting to have their first date in person months after saying I love you the first time.
Their friends had arranged a blind date for them, and because their friends know them best, they were already planning a second date after this.
If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! 🥰
a/n: Sorry for the delay but here it is cause I finally got back to my pc! Did I also go back and change the title after so long? Yes... I did... it just fit better with everything okay? ;-;
Although a bit shaky and oddly centered it was an endearing photo nonetheless with a natural feel and a genuine energy radiating from our smiles. What surprised me though was my expression, I didn't know I could make a face like that. Softened features, relaxed expression and a certain sweetness captured in my eyes. Feeling a familiar twisting in my stomach, I bit back the words that wanted to spill out. I knew what this was but I was scared. Instead my eyes tore away from my face and moved to his. His eyes were as clear and captivating as usual with their flecks of bold purple among the milk chocolate of his irises. Wait a moment… Instinctively, my hand moved to run through the ends of my hair, spilling ash brown and purple strands into my view. Setting the camera down, I look back at the ocean as my thoughts slowly fall down a rabbit hole. Am I overthinking it? Does Seungmin know? If he did, why didn’t he tell me? Maybe- I felt his body rest on me before his head found its way to my shoulder. For a moment I swear my heart stopped at the momentary thought that entered my mind, but I could still feel the steady rhythm of his breathing.
“Tired?” I ask, now focusing on the boy beside me.
“Yeah… will you keep talking to me?”
It was coming… that was the only thing my brain could scream at me. The words danced on the tip of my tongue but I couldn’t do it, to give him a false sense of hope when I wasn’t even sure. What if I tried and it didn’t work? Our mark is too common to jump to conclusions so I’ll take the burden of hope onto myself and quietly go along with his last wishes.
“Of course. Hmmm… any more interesting stories about your soulmate mark?”
“I thought you didn’t care for those things?”
“Just because I’m not actively scouring the world for mine doesn’t mean I’m not interested. I’m still hopeful.”
“Well I’m sure whoever it is will be lucky. You’re pretty okay after all.”
“I’m honored to receive such high praise,” I joke.
“You know what I mean. Oh. Before I forget,” he placed his hand on mine before guiding it to the small box he brought along with him. “Could you do me a favor and deliver this to someone when you go back to the city? I left their business card inside.”
“Simple enough. Is it your elusive friend you kept this a secret from? I’ll have to figure out how to break the news if it is.” I explained, earning me a quiet chuckle from the boy.
“Nothing crazy like that. He’s just my senior at the hospital.”
“I don’t think that’s the condition he wanted you in for your next visit.”
“If you don’t like a psychiatrist as a fall back career maybe you should do stand up comedy.”
“Wow, are my photos really that bad that my dear friend has to try to find me a new career?”
“Enough,” he says, although I could hear the smile in his voice. “You wanted to go on about soulmates right? Well, do you have any fun stories?”
“My eyes have always been straight black my entire life. Like I said, my soulmate is a bit boring,” I chuckle. “What other colors have your eyes changed to?”
“Aside from red there was lime green, silver, pink, orange but not the natural kind, more like the highlighter shade. With all the bright colors I had a lot of talent scouts trying to recruit me.”
“Look at you rockstar. You're already handsome so I’m not surprised. Any idol skills up your sleeve?”
Even though my lips continued to move and converse with him my mind was elsewhere placing all the pieces together. Seungmin is my soulmate… I am Seungmin’s soulmate. As the conversation winded down I felt the weight on my shoulder lighten as I turned to look at him, a camera lens greeting me instead. Instinctively my lips pulled into a smile as I furrowed my brow.
“What are you doing?”
“You said you like the world through my eyes right? My final gift for you is to see yourself in that view.”
His words struck a chord in my heart, the finality of that statement leaving an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had to turn away to blink back tears that threatened to fall.
“Stop it. At this rate you’ll get the waterworks you’re trying to avoid in the first place.”
“Fine, fine. I'll keep it short. Thank you for accompanying me till the end.”
Somewhere between his sincere words, the camera shutter blinked before I felt the gentle thud of his head once again followed by the sound of crunching sand and a silence that stretched as the minutes passed. One can imagine the shock on my manager’s face when he saw my tear-stained face sitting there with a listless Seungmin. He was forced to make do with the short explanation while we collected our things and brought Seungmin to the car. Once the loose ends were tied up with Granny Jeong, we headed back to the city as I told the whole story.
“Okay so let me get this right. I let you run off to the ocean to clear your head and you somehow met your terminally ill potential soulmate?
“That's the extremely abridged version of it, yes. If you want to blame someone, blame fate.”
Once we arrived at the hospital the person I contacted from the card came out to greet us. He had dark curly hair with glasses who looked no more than a few years older than myself. After situating Seungmin in a room, he sat me in his office and from the title on the card he was a love disease specialist. It was obvious he didn’t agree with Seungmin’s plans as I explained everything. At the end of the story he sighed in resignation before reaching out to take the box. Instinctively I pulled it back, having yet to explain potentially the most important factor of the story.
“I know it’s gonna sound crazy but I fell in love with Seungmin… and I think I’m his soulmate.” He pondered carefully before speaking.
“What makes you believe you guys are soulmates?”
“Our mark is a common one so it’s hard to give a definitive answer. The only real “proof” I have at this time is this. Everything else is circumstantial.”
With that I handed the man my camera, the image zoomed into Seungmin’s eyes showing the noticeable flecks of purple that streak through his iris just like the streaks of violet that highlight my hair.
“And your feelings are… genuine?”
“I’m not sure how I can prove it, but yes they are. I honestly surprise myself with how easily I can say that. Am I making sense?”
“Yes I think I understand.” The doctor’s gaze softened as he spoke. Was I making that face again? “I think I can guess why you’re hesitating with handing over the fragments.”
“I may not have gone looking for him but I won’t let him get away that easily. I don't know if these fresh feelings or the fact we are soulmates is enough but I have to try.”
“Love diseases are finicky when it comes to what is defined as “true love”. Some people get away with just being soulmates while others need raw genuine feelings in full force. Everything is a gamble left to fate. I'm not trying to speak against this idea or anything, I’m just surprised that both my juniors are just as reckless as I was.”
After that, Dr. Bang walked me through the whole procedure of attempting to treat the shattered heart disease. Although there was a surgical piece to it, piecing Seungmin’s heart together had to be done myself and were it not for the doctor I would have pieced it together without rest. Frustratingly after a few mandated breaks, the heart was completed after the thirty-second hour. With that done it was now time for the anxiety inducing part. Before Dr. Bang could finish the procedure, the heart has to sit within the body for twenty-four hours to see if the body accepts or rejects the transplant. Because of this, I was sent home and they would call me with the results. To not be left alone with my thoughts, I went to my friend’s salon to ramble my worries away. As it was within business hours I had to practically pay for her time as she sat me in the salon chair, my lips spilling all my anxieties and worries about the procedure. Her soothing words alongside the relaxing stroke of her hands through my hair chased away the tension built up for a bit. Half my day was spent going in circles with her and by the end of it I had calmed down enough I wasn’t bouncing off the walls and new colors were added to my hair.
That didn’t stop my anxious pacing once I got home though. Sleep escaped me as the twenty-four hour mark ticked closer and closer until it passed and yet there was still no call. One hour later, then two, to four… I had to turn to my manager and work on the exhibit before I really lost my mind although he banned me from actually coming to the gallery in fear I would tear down the photos for the second time when the exhibit is only a few days away. By the fifth hour I was about to make my way to the gallery regardless when my phone rang and I jumped to answer it. Good news. I was at the hospital within the hour and without much thought I barged into the room to hear a monitor beeping in a familiar steady rhythm. My unannounced entrance startled the doctor patient duo. Giving us a knowing smile Dr. Bang closed their conversation quickly before giving us some space. I made my way to his bedside as silence filled the room. The boy who always broke the silence first was now at a loss for words so I took the initiative this time.
“You weren’t expecting this development were you?”
“Honestly? No, but is it weird to say I’m glad?”
“I would hope you’d be glad, all things considered.”
He gave me a soft smile as a reply but my mind was too preoccupied taking in every little detail as if his life would slip away from him once again if I even so much as blinked. The jagged cracks have now faded to the faintest scars and his eyes were still as clear as ever with the fluorescent lights catching the faint flecks of violet, the newest shades of blue and pink now present as well. So engrossed with tracing over every little feature of the boy in front of me, I was startled by the sudden warmth that fell onto my hand.
“Hey, I’m fine now. I’m okay and it’s because of you.”
The sound of his voice seemed to quell my racing mind only for a blush to burn across my face as I realized the meaning of his words and the hand now holding mine.
“So, I guess Dr. Bang already told you everything…”
“To a certain degree, although I’d much prefer to hear it from you.”
“Well wouldn’t I sound a bit crazy to say that I fell in love with you in less than a week?”
“Crazy is just part of your vocabulary Miss-I-trashed-an-entire-exhibit-before-its-opening. Plus it wouldn’t sound as crazy if I said that you earned my trust in the span of one day and became one of the most important people in my life shortly after, right?”
If I didn’t already understand what Seungmin was trying to convey, the small squeeze to my hand was confirmation. After everything that was all he could give and that was enough because that was his way of saying it which made it all the more endearing.
A few days passed and it was my exhibit’s soft opening. With the permission of Dr. Bang, Seungmin was able to attend. Upon my playful request he reluctantly covered his eyes as I slowly guided him into the gallery before allowing him to open his eyes. My eyes traced over his expressions as he examined the photos that adorned the walls as realization hit him.
“Wait, aren’t those-”
“Your photos? Yeah… I know I didn’t have your permission but I wanted to tell a story of finding my spark again which ultimately includes you. You are referenced as an anonymous photographer I collaborated with and we can work out the business details later or I can remove them if you aren’t comfortable. I just couldn’t help it-”
“You’re fine,” he chuckles as he grabs my hand to reassure me. “I’m glad you think so highly of my photography skills as a professional. Walk me through it?”
Although he was there for every one of these photos, I still went and explained each one to him as he intently listened to my endless rambling until we reached the final wall and main attraction. There were three photos lined up next to each other. The first being the very first photo I took of Seungmin’s silhouette, followed by the crooked selfie of us together, and ending with the final photo Seungmin took of me.
“You know it was this very photo that made me realize you were my soulmate?” I said, pointing at the center photo.
“I stopped looking in the mirror because of the disease so I never noticed the hints of violet.”
“Well in retrospect, I do apologize for calling you boring because you are far from that.”
“So what’s the explanation for all the crazy colors I had to suffer through?”
“My university roommate needed a victim because she was trying to be a hairdresser.”
“And here I thought it’s because you’re an artist and don’t fit in a box.”
“Don’t quote me to bully me.”
I playfully slapped his shoulder as we shared a laugh. Since it was the soft opening there were far fewer guests in attendance, mainly friends and close work connections. I made my rounds greeting everyone with Seungmin by my side but at the sight of this person I squealed happily before glomping them in a hug, noticing the person beside them shortly after.
“Dr. Bang I didn’t expect to see you here. So you are my sunbae’s beloved 'Chanie' I hear about often.”
He awkwardly laughed at the mention of his soulmate’s name of endearment for him as the tips of his ears turned red. We chatted a bit more before I continued to make my way through the guestlist, introducing close friends to Seungmin along the way. Upon spotting the pair I was looking for, I called out to the boy on crutches.
“Hyunjin! I’m so glad you can make it! I see you’ve been promoted to crutches.”
“Y/n, your photos are stunning as usual.”
“He’s been hard at work during physical therapy so he’s ahead of schedule,” his soulmate responded excitedly.
“That’s amazing,” I congratulated before dramatically clearing my throat which earned me an eye roll from both Seungmin and Hyunjin. “As my closest friend I’d like to introduce you guys to my collaborator in this exhibit and my soulmate, Kim Seungmin. This is my stubborn best friend Hwang Hyunjin. You can thank him for being the practice dummy to learn how to handle love diseases.”
if you’re white and wanna write a poc character and feel awkward about it i implore you to ignore any twitblr stuff treating it as a massive ethical burden and instead come in more with the same mindset you’d have if you wanted to write about idk firefighters but didn’t know anything about firefighters so you do... research. Like fuck off with the weird kinda creepy calls for spiritual introspection you’re not writing about god damn space aliens you’re writing about humans and if you think you need more perspective of different life experiences just read?
If I were writing about firefighters I'd also, in addition to just reading about them, take advantage of Our Blessed Internet to ask actual firefighters about how shit works. I'd do the same for a minority I'm not a part of.
I remember when there was this LiveJournal community where you could just ask about anything you needed for your novel - medicine, professions, vehicles, how things function in country X - and people who knew something about that would answer.
My eyes shot open as pain burned along my skin, tracing the cracks that run along it. Quiet groans of pain spill from my lips, it was as if a thousand needles were piercing my chest. My agony was only greeted by my reality as pieces of my heart now littered my bed. Once my breathing became even and I was able to move with the least amount of pain, I reached for my phone. Instead, my hand bumped into something bulkier and I remembered the events of last night.
After spilling my deepest secret, talking to y/n became a lot easier and the weird air we had around us seemed to dissipate. By the end of the night the pitcher was nearly empty and I had only just finished my first glass. Thankfully y/n had enough of her wits about her but as we walked back I still ended up being her crutch. When we arrived, I led her to the door but before I could leave she grabbed my sleeve as she took a second to focus as she stood there staring at me for a few moments.
“Wait, a second. You still need your surprise,” she stated while digging in her tote before pulling out something bulky.
“You’re giving me a camera?”
“I’d never give away Sensei like that! It’s only a loan. I’m giving you homework. I’ll be busy for most of tomorrow so I want you to take pictures and we can meet up in the evening.”
“Is this exploitation or free labor?”
“You’re so funny Seungmin,” she laughs heartily as her hand slams into my back. “I’m more selective than that.”
With such an aggressive wake up call, the idea of staying in bed was rather tempting but the fact I’d be left with my thoughts wasn’t. Just imagining what kind of rabbit hole I’d fall into was enough to force myself to get ready and head out. With no real destination in mind, I wandered the area nearby as I aimlessly took photos of anything that caught my eye. A waiting dog, tree branches swaying in the wind, people setting up shop for the day, etc. As my feet took me wherever they wished, I thought back to the owner of this camera. Y/n isn’t an uncomfortable presence but she was definitely something else. It felt… normal being around her and it felt nice to feel that again. Playing along to her requests wasn’t bad, it at least made sure my last days weren’t spent being miserable.
By the time I arrived back at my room, the fatigue of being forced awake finally hit me and I crashed. When my eyes opened again it was dark out. Groggily pulling myself from bed to satiate the twisting hunger now forming in my stomach, I was greeted by the sound of y/n’s cheerful chatter as the kitchen came into view. Ah, she did say she would come find me in the evening… what time was it anyways?
“Oh, look there he is now,” Granny Jeong responded as I entered the doorway.
“He must have had a busier day than me but it’s okay because that means I got to spend more time with you,” y/n sweetly replied to the older woman.
Granny Jeong wished us both good night but not before giving us a playful wink that sent a blush burning across y/n’s face. The girl sputtered after the older lady’s figure before groaning and letting her head hit the table.
“What time is it?”
“It’s eight… oh god, she already has some weird idea going through her mind.”
“Aren’t all older ladies like that? It's harmless. When did you get here anyways?” Y/n continued to grumble to herself for a few more moments before responding.
“An hour ago. Rough day?”
“It was only supposed to be a nap… my bad.”
She gave me a nonchalant shrug as I continued to figure out what to eat. Moving about, I felt bad for being the only one eating so I offered to make her some instant ramen alongside my own that I found in the cupboard.
“I had dinner with my manager. If I had known, I would’ve grabbed something for you.”
“Just asked because it’s weird to be the only one eating.”
“Aww, how cute of you. Should I eat too so you don’t feel lonely?”
I just rolled my eyes at her teasing and told her to wait a second as I let the water boil. Grabbing the camera, I head back and hand it to her. Y/n’s eyes lit up at the sight and quickly reached out to take it. She became preoccupied with the photos as we fell into a comfortable silence. The short moment of peace sadly caught flames as another wave of pain flowed down the cracks on my skin once again. The flares have never happened so close together but things only get worse the closer to the end you get. I thought I hid the agony well but feeling her touch on my shoulder made me flinch from the pain searing the entirety of my skin.
“How about I take over?”
“How did you-”
“Let’s just call this your reward for finishing your homework.”
She gave me a warm smile that I couldn’t refuse, that and the fact the pain grew more debilitating with each passing second. I attempted to sit at the table but y/n clicked her tongue at me before helping me to my room, much to my protest but her bullheadedness won out. By the time the pain eased y/n had returned with the finished food.
“And I made some nice crunchy pajeon as a side because I’m so amazing,” she boasted.
“Sorry, You didn’t have to do all this.”
“Why are you apologizing for your reward?”
“You’re good at that,” I comment as I take a seat on the floor. “Making people not feel guilty for receiving help, I mean.”
“My friend was a lot more stubborn than you with getting help when he was sick so I had to get creative, but it’s not like you have control of your fits. I’d much prefer to hear a thank you anyways.”
“Well thanks.”
After a few bites, under her expectant gaze, I complimented the simple dish which made her already bright smile bigger. With that happy grin of hers she continued to scroll through the camera and I grew a bit curious.
“Why did you have me take pictures anyways?”
“The pictures someone takes actually say a lot about them. All of the subconscious choices made actually tell me who you are.”
“Wow, so you have a psychology degree now?” I joke.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s not a science, more just assumptions I make myself and I’m at least… seventy-eight percent right most times?”
“So then what do my photos tell you about me?”
“Well for one, you keep things at an arm’s distance. You are neither too close or too far from the subject most times as if you are keeping a polite distance but that most likely applies to a lot of your real life relationships too. That mixed with how much light you always have in each photo; you are a kind and warm person.”
“You got all of that after knowing me for barely two days and from random photos I took? You think too kindly of me.”
“Again, it’s just my own beliefs but I think they hold some truth. Even if it was for your own purposes, you still agreed to my dumb friendship plan, right?”
“So you agree it’s stupid?” I tease, cracking a half smile.
“Shut up,” she chuckles with a shake of her head.
“Okay so I guess we can count that as kindness, any evidence to back up your claim of me keeping people at a distance?”
“Aside from the fact you chose to spend your last days secluded from everyone who cares about you?”
“Well if you ever get bored of photography, with your psychoanalyzing skills, you can be a therapist.”
“Ha. ha. You’re so funny.” she replied, matching my sarcasm. “Well. Now that I’ve collected your homework, I should leave the patient to rest, even if you just woke up from a “nap”. I’ll clean up then head out.”
“Hey, hey. I’ll clean up since it’s technically my mess.”
“Then I’ll help you since cleaning with help makes things go faster.”
“Are you always such a busy body?”
“Yup, but I’m especially pushy towards the people I care about.”
With an unnecessary wink to punctuate her statement, she disappeared through the door frame with all the dishes. After we finished cleaning up, I walked her out but as I handed y/n her camera, she shook her head.
“Keep it for now. When we hang out I hope there will be memorable things you want to capture. I like how you take photos, the world is a lot prettier in your eyes.”
Leaving me with a mysterious smile, she disappeared through the gate and I just stared down at the camera. The days slowly began to tick away as I followed y/n on her whims and adventures. Aimless wandering, trying little hole-in-the-wall restaurants, enjoying each other’s company, and capturing little moments behind our lens. Sadly with those enjoyable moments, it only moved me closer to my end and it became more and more draining to be out on top of the increased fits of pain.
“Seungmin, are you sure you’ll make it to the beach okay?”
“I really want to see the sunset.”
She frowned but helped me up nonetheless, it was unavoidable that y/n saw my fits with how much time we spent together so her concern wasn’t unwarranted. Luckily a short walk down the road wouldn’t hurt any more than laying in bed would. As we made our way out of the room, in all of our movement a light clattering greeted our ears. Confused, y/n bent down to pick up what had fallen and curiously examined the red almost crystal looking shard. It took her a beat longer to realize what it was before she looked at me a bit flustered. With a tired smile I shook my head and the tension eased from her shoulders slightly, it was her first time seeing a fragment after all.
“Could you grab me the wooden box on the desk?”
As she handed me the box, I threw the fragment in with the other identical looking pieces that filled the small container. A strange feeling came over me as I now practically held my heart in my hands. Tucking it under my arm, we continued on our way until we were sitting by the water’s edge watching the waves run up the shore and barely miss the tips of our shoes. The silence that once felt so heavy now blew as light as the wind as we both stared off at the sky in our own thoughts and just like that first night, I spoke up first.
“Don’t you want to know the results of our bet?”
“Is it dumb of me to say that the photo doesn’t matter anymore?”
“After you literally fought tooth and nail to keep it?”
“I'll let you in on a secret. Photos aren't the things that spark inspiration, it's the people in it. The bet was actually counterintuitive. If we become friends, the photo is no longer needed since the muse is now part of my life.”
“How scheming, you really played your cards right.”
“I may have been scheming but I was always genuine from the start.”
“I know. You don’t have it in you to use people, you’re too nice.”
“And you say I psychoanalyze people,” she jokingly stated before adding “I have one hell of a way to make friends, am I right?”
“Like you said, artists all got a screw loose somewhere.”
We shared a quiet laugh together before I reached over her, I grabbed the camera she brought along and pointed the lens at us. Confused, she looked at me as if I was the crazy one and I just tugged her closer until I head lightly bumped against each other. I can’t really see how we look but this should be good. Click.
“As friends we should have at least one photo together,” I state as I smile at her.
Breathing in the cool air to the rhythm of the waves crashing on the sand, I close my eyes to bask in the light of the sun but there is no warmth to it. The cool winter breeze only made this beach feel more desolate and calming as I stood on the seaside alone. Or so I thought. Click. At the sudden noise my head turned to the direction of the sound as my eyes snapped open to look at the perpetrator. What greeted my sight was an awestruck girl a few feet from me, camera in hand. My feet pulled me towards her and only upon noticing the closing distance did she snap out of whatever trance she was under.
“Did you take a photo of me?”
“Subconsciously? Yes. Well it was more instinct but it definitely wasn’t intentional. I was taking pictures of the sea but I turned at the sound of a seagull and then you were in my viewfinder and I just-”
“Can you just delete the photo then?” I cut off her rambling.
“I mean normally I would… but this time I can’t… is there any way I can convince you to change your mind? Technically you can’t see your face because of the direction of the sun, so like…”
“I don’t appreciate strangers having photos of me regardless.”
“Well in that case, my name is y/n. I’m a photographer, my favorite color is chick yellow, I can’t handle spicy food although on occasion it does taste good, and I have a dog named Mint.” She smiles as if things were that easy.
“That’s not how that works.”
“It usually does in movies,” she mumbles to herself with a pout before continuing, “Listen, I get where you’re coming from and I know this is a really weird request but this photo is really important to me.”
“That’s a little concerning since I’m the subject of the photo. Are you a stalker or something?”
I wasn’t sure what the point of continuing this conversation was. I should just go to the police and it would solve everything but what was holding me back? Is it because of her incessant rambling that reminds me of a child that I don't have the heart to? Not like much of my heart is left. She was still going on about something before she suddenly snapped, drawing my attention back to her from my thoughts.
“Let’s make a bet. Give me one week. If I can get you to be my friend by then, let me keep the photo and if not I’ll delete it. One chance. That’s all I’m asking.”
She looked directly in my eyes and the sincerity in them shone bright… I didn’t gain anything from this ridiculous game. I want to be alone, why else would people come out to the winter sea? A dying man has little empathy for those who can continue living but as I opened my mouth to respond, Felix came to mind and guilt washed over me. Fine. Judging from the fragments, all I have is a week anyways. Why not spend them with her? Let's call this my final act of kindness.
“Deal.”
“Listen you don’t even- Oh thank god. I thought you were gonna refuse again,” she laughs. “Then first matter of business. Hi, nice to meet you. I’m y/n,” she announced as she stuck out her hand.
“Seungmin,” I replied, shaking her hand.
“Well then Seungmin, let’s have dinner together. Meet back here around… six?”
I gave a small salute in acknowledgement and and after exchanging numbers I went on my way, the girl's muttering about the ocean and the sound of the shutter fading behind me. The share house I was staying at was run by an old woman who didn’t want to be alone, it was a quaint home with little disturbance. Perfect for someone like me. My feet barely passed through the gate before my body froze at the sound of something dropping. A sigh blew past my lips as I leaned down to pick up the fallen fragment. Another one for the box…
“Seungmin, are you sure about this?”
“I’ll be fine. I should have enough time to take a small trip and be back. I’ll check into the hospital then, I just need time to collect my thoughts.”
That was a lie and both Dr. Bang, the director of the hanahaki wing and specialist in love diseases, and I knew this but he only sighed in response.
“I won’t deny your request but as your doctor, even if you find it pointless to collect your fallen pieces, still do it. Take care and don’t head out anywhere too far.”
“Roger that… How’s Felix?”
“It’s ever so small but his condition is getting better. Are you going to tell him?”
“No, he just needs to focus on getting better.”
“He’ll get upset with you when he finds out.”
“I’ll get over that hurdle when I get there,” I responded with a remorseful smile.
The memory began to fade out as my phone’s buzzing pulled me back to the present. When did the sky start to change color?
y/n: are you allergic to anything?
Wouldn’t want to kill you on accident ^^;
Seungmin: no
y/n: Noted. See you soon :D
Ah, it’s almost time. As I was closing the gate to leave, there was creaking behind me followed by a gasp that caught my attention. Upon turning around, my eyes were greeted with y/n’s surprised face.
“Oh You’re staying with Granny Jeong?”
“Your place?” I asked, pointing at the house behind her, after giving her a nod.
“My aunt’s but she travels often so she encourages me to use it if I’m ever around, but this is perfect! It saves us an extra five minutes. Let’s go!”
She smiled excitedly as if such a short bit of time was a big deal. Like an excited child y/n went on ahead, only stopping when she realized that I wasn’t keeping pace with her so she beckoned me to hurry up. After a short walk we arrived at the restaurant and to be frank, I wasn’t sure what to expect but somehow where we ended up seemed perfectly “her”.
“We are by the sea and you choose to eat fried chicken?”
“Hey, it was the safest option. You really didn’t give me much to work with. What if I took you somewhere and you actually hated it? I’m not trying to hit negative friendship points.”
I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous reason but the restaurant was actually quite cozy. An awkward tension settled upon us, neither sure of how to speak to a complete stranger. The silence seemed to be getting to her as she started to fidget with things on the table. Giving her the benefit of the doubt for putting this much effort so far, I speak up.
“So you never told me why my photo is so important.”
“Well you know how I said I was a photographer? To simply put it, I’m in a slump. Every photo I took the angles were wrong, the lighting wasn’t right, etc. and so… I may have scrapped all the photos prepared for an exhibit in two weeks?”
“Is it an “artist” thing to be so impulsive?”
“You know other artists?”
“No but I can’t really say this,” I gesture between us, “is all that thought out either.”
“You know what they say about artists, we all got a screw loose somewhere,” she jokes. “But I came out to the sea to find inspiration then you appeared and well everything worked out somehow.”
“To find inspiration or to run away?”
I said it without much meaning. Who was I to judge when I was here to do the same? I expected some goofy response or a lighthearted excuse but instead she gave me a small smile and shrugged.
“Aren’t you doing the same?”
It was such a direct answer that it threw me off guard. So she can be serious… Thankfully before she was able to catch my initial shock, the food arrived. As the waiter laid out our food, I noticed he had placed a pitcher of beer on the table with two glasses. I gave her a skeptical look as they left.
“You sure you’ll be okay with all that alcohol?”
“It's not like I have to finish it, but it’s no fun drinking alone, drink with me?”
“Asking a dying man to drink?”
“If death is already coming, why not enjoy it a bit? Although it’s only a request, you have every right to deny me.”
She replied without missing a beat, as if the slip of my tongue didn’t happen. It felt… odd. Never commented on the cracks running along my skin, her eyes not scanning me worriedly as if I’d shatter this very instance; it was just… normal. Maybe that’s why I pushed the second glass forward. We clinked our full glasses and took a swig before she let a big shiver run through her body as she smiled at me.
“Okay, now that we’re out of the weird stage and I’ve had some liquid courage, ask me anything you like.”
“Uhm, what’s your soulmate mark I guess?”
“The color of my eyes match the color of my soulmate’s hair. Yeah, it’s one of those stupid ones especially since mine have never changed color. Boring.” She shrugged before asking me, “If you’re dying why go along with my game?”
“You really don’t pull your punches do you? Well… I’m not really sure either. I thought of it as a final gift to my best friend so at least he can be at peace that I didn’t die alone?”
“Are you a lightweight? That’s a little too honest for that little bit of alcohol, although I’m not complaining.”
“That was two questions,” I rolled my eyes but felt a ghost of a smile teasing at the corners of my mouth.
“Actually it was rhetorical, plus you never answered me, so that doesn’t count. Your turn.”
“Do you think you’d fall in love at first sight with your soulmate if you met them?”
Even in my final days, my brain continues to torture itself. I couldn’t help it. It all ended in an instant the minute her soulmate appeared. Or maybe this happened because I thought she was my soulmate… before I could spiral any further y/n’s voice cut through my thoughts.
“I don’t really try to worry about something out of my control. Isn't it better to focus on how you feel now? My belief is that if you’re always living in the future, you’ll only end up regretting your past and you miss your present.”
“I can’t tell if you’re scatter-brained, or wise beyond your years.”
“Why not both? It’s very non-artist of you to try to fit things in one box or another,” she jabs sarcastically. “Okay since we’re on the soulmate topic what’s your mark?”
“Same as yours.”
“Oh? A comrade,” she says as she tilts her glass to me before drinking some more. “Since you're a stickler for the rules you can get a second question after this. Any crazy colors?”
“There were a few but the longest was red. The patients loved that one.”
“That’s absolutely adorable.”
“Yeah until they laugh themselves into an oxygen mask because kids thought I was a vampire,” her mouth dropped and this time I really did smile. “Sorry, doctor jokes. Anyways, why photography?”
“Hmm… it’s like capturing little snippets of life and making your own story from it I guess? It’s hard to put into words.”
“You can ask another one because none comes to mind,” I said with a low hum as I took a bite of my chicken.
“Wow you really don’t want to get to know me, “ she laughs before a flash of seriousness strikes her once again. “Well then if it’s something you’re willing to share, why are you dying?”
It took y/n longer than I thought to ask about this, she seems more mindful than she lets on. I mean the topic became inevitable the moment “dying” fell from my own mouth. Well, if she is the last person I meet then at least there will be one person who will know the whole story.
“I’ve never really explained my situation in its entirety before. So where to start…” I contemplate my words for a bit before continuing. “I have shattered heart disease, a love disease variation that literally breaks my heart into pieces.”
As if to drive my point I pull down my turtleneck to expose the cracks that run along the side of my neck, the cracks making a more intricate web the closer they crawl toward my heart. She showed no reaction, aside from the understanding nod of her head to encourage me to continue but I felt the words get caught in my throat.
“So who gave it to you?” Her voice was quiet as she gave me a small smile that seemed to help relax a bit of tension that had taken a hold of me.
“My ex… if we can even say that,” I chuckle bitterly. “We never officially dated but we were practically a couple. Dates, hand holding, late night calls, most of our time spent together… the works. She also had the same mark so I wanted to believe she was my soulmate or more so I already did, until she came rushing up to me full of excitement.”
“She found her actual soulmate?”
I was thankful for not having to utter those words myself but hearing someone else state the truth stung in a different way than saying it would have. As if the reality of it was finally settling. If she was able to infer that much I was sure she would be able to figure out the rest, after all love diseases only have one true cure. I shrug my shoulders and lean back into my seat to allow her time to piece it together.
“And you’re sure there isn’t anyone around you that feels the same?”
“I’m a hospital resident y/n. Aside from time, my personality isn’t really for making friends as I’m sure you’ve pieced together.”
“Your personality isn’t bad, you just take some time to warm up to people.”
She stated confidently, as if she knew me for more than a day. I didn’t get it. Most people would freak out or give some piteous words, something I’m sure those people give in earnest but just make the receiver of such actions feel even worse. Y/n was taking this information all too well.
“How are you not even fazed by this?”
“I'm sure the last thing you want is pity and you aren't some kind of freak show exhibit so was my reaction all that weird?”
“... No, but that’s what most people would do.”
“Now I’m sure you know I’m not quite like “most” people” she twirled her finger by her temple to drive her joke before adding softly, “Jokes aside, I have a friend who had a love disease. A different one but I was there for most of it.”
All stories will be happening in various timelines but all within the same universe
Various soulmate marks exist so when a person receives their mark they innately just know how it works
most first meetings show subtle signs but very rarely is there an intense reaction to first meeting your soulmate
because it is so subtle there are sometimes false sparks
false sparks are created when you meet someone with the potential to be your soulmate (i.e.: they never received a soulmate mark, soulmate died, etc.) but the catch is that it happens when you meet the person regardless if your current soulmate is well or you haven’t met them yet
Alternatively because there are so many different marks various love-related diseases became a thing as well
A post operation hanahaki patient who lost all of their feelings meets their soulmate in their hospital room. Is there a way to save a love doomed from the beginning?
Hanahaki: A lethal unrequited love disease known for the expelling of flowers and its petals. Only two known treatments: root removal surgery, which would result in the removal of feelings for that person (and in some extreme cases may end with loss of all feelings) or a genuine true love confession.
The Stars in Your Eyes
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Two unlikely best friends learn that “friends” can only take you so far. When secrets and distance become an issue can their bond survive or will the stars in your eyes make you blind?
Star Tears: An unrequited love disease characterized by the crying of colored tears similar to stars that make a crystalline sound when the tears shatter on the surface. Although non-lethal it will slowly bleed the color from the world until the patient becomes blind and the effects are irreversible. The only known treatment is for their feelings to be reciprocated romantically.
Through Your Eyes
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3
Time is ticking and the shattered pieces are falling. One last week, an odd encounter, and a camera... will that be enough to save the silent boy who has already resigned to death?
Shattered Heart Disease: When a person confesses their feelings but the other doesn’t love them back, the victim’s skin slowly becomes cold glass and shatters. The victim will break little by little, before shattering into thousands of tiny shards. However, if another truly loves them, that person can collect the pieces and put them back together to restore them in perfect condition
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Chapter 1
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Puppet Palsy: A disease that develops from excessive manipulation. Strings of the victim’s muscle tissue that is directly connected to the body's nervous system begin to form on the patient's limbs and head. The strings allow the body to be controlled. However, if the strings are broken it will cause possible paralysis and excruciating pain. Only soulmates can sever the ties painlessly.
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Chapter 1
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Love Spots: Scientifically known as Infected Infatuation Postulates; it’s often a symptom of a deeper illness. Love Spots are caused when the shame of falling in love with someone close to you becomes too overwhelming. Extreme cases cause luminescence as the patients start to struggle to keep their feelings in the dark. Extremely infected pustules may painfully burst when not immediately treated.
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Chapter 1
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Bane Vapor: A malignant disease caused by the accumulation of the toxins from toxic relationships and is characterized by an excessive release of bio-halogen vapor. The patient will secrete halogenic gasses uncontrollably from the pores of their skin and others around them will begin to feel nausea, respiratory issues, headaches, impaired motor skills, and various other symptoms as they slowly get poisoned. Like most love diseases, the only know cure is to receive feelings of true love.
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Chapter 1
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Glowing Heart Disease: A rare disease where a person develop a second heart, known as a glowing heart, in response to a overwhelming need for validation, love, attention, etc. Once developed, the heart needs to maintain a certain brightness by receiving said feelings. If it dims out too much or stays dim for too long, the glowing heart begins to crack until it breaks. After the heart breaks, the victim loses all emotions and feeling. However a broken heart can be fixed after a declaration of true love
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Chapter 1
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Musicalia: A disease when the patient has lost a love or enters a one-sided love, they begin to hear a constant, unique song play. Only the person can hear it and while it is possible for people involved can hear it, it won’t be the same as the patient. The song is constantly played in the patient’s head until they slowly become insane. If the patient can’t move on or fall in love with another, they die.
One of the hard parts about being a writer with a vivid imagination is that there are So Many Ideas, and they fall into so many categories, such as
Fics I want to write
Fics I want to read
There is just One Scene and I could write it but it would be waaaay more cool if I had all the build up to the scene but unfortunately. I can only figure out the Scene
I keep changing my mind. Where am I going with this
This has been done a million times before. But. Hear me out
I will 100% Never Write This. This is just my Emotional Support Idea no one can ever know about bc it makes sense only to me
Would be better as a comic...
This will be my magnum opus if I can just get my 50 pages of ideas into a coherent narrative
All I have are vibes
And, of course
WIP I started and haven't updated in 2 years and oh god its beEN TWO YEARS???
Hey, if you're a fic writer and a character speaks in a different language, you don't just have to add the translation in the notes. Use the following HTML coding to add 'text on hover' to the word(s). If the reader is on a computer they can hover over the text to see the translation.
<div title="This is the text in the box!">This is the text that shows in your fic!</div>
Here are some examples from a fic on my AO3.
This coding here <div title="a fool, idiot (lit. emptyhead)">Eyn utreekov</div> will show this on hover.
This next example shows that you can add a lot of text. The formatting is the same as above.
PS: When doing this, there may be spacing issues, but you can edit the text through AO3's html or rich text editor. From there you can add italics (like I did), bold, etc, and fix any weird spacing issues. Just be careful not to delete the coding that you worked so hard on 😂
A king has no sons, no daughters, and no queen. For this reason he must decide who will take the throne after he dies. To do this he decides that he will give all of the children of the kingdom a single seed. Whichever child has the largest, most beautiful plant will earn the throne; this being a metaphor for the kingdom. At the end of the contest all of the children came to the palace with their enormous and beautiful plants in hand. After he looks at all of the children’s pots, he finally decides that the little girl with an empty pot will be the next Queen. Why did he choose this little girl over all of the other children with their beautiful plants.
The seeds were all dead (burned, fake, etc.). The other kids cheated and got different seeds and planted them. The little girl didn’t cheat and was not able to grow anything because the seed was dead. She was the only one who didn’t cheat.
i get the moral it’s trying to convey but that king is an idiot and the kingdom’s doomed. you don’t appoint an honest kid who will forthrightly admit a failure like that to leadership of a country, you put that kid in charge of like… the army, or something. the department of agriculture.
i’d send out dead seeds, then appoint the kid with the biggest and most beautiful plant anyway. ideally the same kind of plant as the dead seeds were from. and ideally a kid with a really good pokerface. that kid knows:
a) how to perceive failure early (a well developed second plant means they knew how soon the first seeds should sprout and didn’t fuck around when they didn’t)
b) how to fix the situation (a second plant of the same species means they got someone to help them identify the seeds and plant more, or are observant enough to do it themselves)
c) how to get the best people for a job in to do it (kids aren’t great gardeners. a beautiful science project probably means mom did all the work— just what you want from a child ruler and their regent)
all around, that kid (or their mom) is the kind of devious results-oriented bald-faced liar you want to go toe-to-toe with the lords of your country and the rulers of your neighbors. not a little kid who admits defeat so early and in a situation with such high stakes. ‘whoops i didn’t grow a plant’ sounds a lot less sweet when you phrase it like ‘i give up on ruling my country’.
you know, i think i’d also send agents out to encourage the kids to destroy each other’s plants. let’s see who’s good at seige warfare, too.
