virtual / reality

park sunwoo. 20. hyeon mu.       i'm free, free falling       will you catch me?

[mmsunwoo-blog]

liked by @qinmeihua, @junsu6, @choahae, and 1,358 more.

park_sunw00: photo creds to @won.dergirl

[mmsunwoo-blog]

STUCK ON YOU

accio – @mmyemi !

he’s too easy. complacency follows him around, dragging him by the ear. unrelenting. unwilling to let go. his heart forever pasted on his sleeve. not proud, but visible for all to see nonetheless. it’s something he needs to learn to fix. the easy smiles and automatic head nods. they need to stop if he wants to save himself the trouble. he can’t though. it’s just not in the cards. so when haesung comes around, eyes gleaming, with yet another concoction up his sleeve, sunwoo knew he was done for.

( it goes down easily—cherry sweet. )

maybe sung’s hit a lucky streak. sunwoo’s feeling fine ( it’s a first ) as he walks quickly through the halls and out onto the courtyard. he’s looking for a certain bob of blonde. jiyi. eyes searching, darting this way and that. and yet somehow he fails to see the whirlwind of familiarity and foreign all jumbled up before him. all mixed together. a storm that’s ready to lay destruction in its path. all this is right in front of his own two eyes—he misses it completely.

“ow !” the impact has her shoulder digging into his ribs, knocking the wind out of his very lungs. it’s sudden, both the collision and the realization that finally dawns. “o-oh. sorry. i’m just gonna—“ he tries to untangle himself from her as he stands up. “—go ?” that’s weird. he can’t. like, physically can’t.

he pulls on his hoodie, following the soft cotton material with his eyes. it leads him straight to her. what the—he tries to move his foot. to take a step in the opposite direction, far, far away from here. from the person he thought he used to know. from the weird pang that seems to play in tune to the beating of his heart. betrayal, is it ? ( most likely. ) it’s useless. he quickly realizes that the whole entire right half of his clothes, his body, is stuck. actually, physically, krazy glue sticky—stuck to her left half.

at times like these, he wishes he was just a plain old maeobsa. no magic. no fun and games. ( he’s really gonna have to kill sung for this one. )

“um, do you know any spells that could like,” he raises his—their hands. all while expertly averting her gaze. he really doesn’t want to deal with this right now. “fix this ?”

[mmsunwoo-blog]

FALL INTO

accio — @mmyuanlan !

yuanlan’s good at a lot of things, he’s noticed. dueling club being one of them. for five years now he’s gotten his ass beat ( singed hair and everything ) at the weekly meetings. it's fine, he’s only there for the free food anyways. but there’s only so much a boy can take. even one as patient as he. there’s a breaking point. intangible, yet fragile all the same. he’s reached it a long time ago. ( the ceiling is just barely grazed: spidery patterns on glass. )

this is typical. it’s always a marathon to get through class. but when the bell tolls at the end of the day, the world suddenly plays at normal speed. unmuted. in color. he’s here, comfortably seated at his usual spot in the far right corner. fingers on autopilot fighting whatever opponent he decides is worth his while. when the opportunity arises for yuanlan to join in on the fun, he sees no reason to say no. it’ll be a nice change of pace for once. her getting her ass beat instead.

“oh, you’re here. just give me a sec,” his eyes don’t stray from the lasers and graphics on screen. it’s understandable, though. he's mid battle when he hears footsteps come up behind him. still, for all he knows he could be just talking to the air. the game ends with numbers flashing across the screen. he’s grown accustomed to the pixelated golden streamers by now, but he still finds his heart swelling just a bit at the sight.

he turns to her, grinning from the rush. “it’s your first time at a pc bang right ? so you can either just sit here and watch,” he pats the empty seat next to him, “or if you wanna play, we can do that too. there’s couple seats over there,” his eyes wander in said direction, but not before a flush creeps into his cheeks. it was an innocent comment, really. park sunwoo, ever the honest.

“i mean it’s meant for couples ! but we’re not obviously. but like, we can still sit there. it’s just. y’know. easier to play together that way.”  ( shit. he really didn’t mean it like that. )

[mmsunwoo-blog]

MY VISION, YOURS TO KEEP

[mmsunwoo-blog]

mmdaehyun‌:

( ... ) 

“right, so is there anything in your book about phallic shaped symbols? maybe you can go from there.” he’s only half joking. only half. though daehyun can only wonder how far he can take it till sunwoo bursts his bubble. by now, it doesn’t seem that he’s particularly smart of a hyeon mu kid. 

     “tessomancy is really not that difficult, i don’t see why you’re struggling so much.”

you’re not focused enough. it feels like the world is made up entirely of white noise and he’s stuck in the middle of it; at the pure mercy of the sound waves that come crashing in. it’s the caffeine, ( it’s definitely the caffeine ) but daehyun doesn’t know that. so, he ignores the pounding in his heart and the jittering in his hands, blinking twice before confirming the fact that yes, there is a hot dog like shape at the bottom of the cup.

“p-phallic symbols ?” if he’s remembering correctly, yosul’s divination textbooks were rather conservative. he can’t help but awkwardly chuckle at the thought. it’s dumb, and boyish, and juvenile, yes—but the pounding of his head is taking him to new heights right now, and it looks like the way down is far too long of a trek. “you’re kidding, right ?”

he finds the textbook easily ( thanks to daehyun’s quick tidying up charm ) and thumbs through the index anyways. desperation does things to a person. p, p, p … phage, pyrrhic—the textbook skips right over phallic. convenient. “nope,” he announces with more enthusiasm than necessary, ( was it relief that he’s feeling ? ) “there’s nothing in here about phallic symbols.”

it’s far too easy for daehyun to say. he makes everything seem like a breeze. sunwoo’s only along for the ride, ready to pick up the scraps if any are left behind. it’s not that he’s incapable. no, he’s capable of whatever he sets his heart on ( it’s what his mother always said. ) the gears in his head, however, only start turning when they see a purpose. a reason. a means to an end. with divination as a whole, tessomancy in particular, he can’t see anything beyond a major headache from both the absurdity of the subject, and its overuse of incense.

“hyung, you’re like. i don’t know, just good at everything,” he sighs, sparing his daunting stack of notes a second glance. “maybe i should just give up and take the troll.”

[mmwonsik]

connect.

[mmsunwoo-blog]

mmwonsik‌:

( ... )

“facetime…” he reads ( not out loud because it’s 3 in the morning and people are sleeping, except him apparently, stupid new phone ) with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “what the hell is that? ah, shit, knew i shouldn’t have thrown the manual away… ” 

he’s not exactly used to booty calls at three in the morning. it’s surprising he wakes up at all when typically he’s ever the deep sleeper. perhaps, it’s simply just wonsik’s lucky day. regardless, sunwoo finds his eyes opening reluctantly as he groggily reaches for the phone that’s charging underneath his pillow. squinting, he makes out a bleary, familiar name on the screen before hitting the green, accept icon.

he regrets not turning his volume down as the rustling and muffled movement on the other end is loud; disrupting the peace and early morning tranquility of his own room. the decency to spare the snoring mound on the other side of the room a quick glance finds him soon after. he checks for no signs of disturbed movement from kai before tentatively hopping out of his own bed, haneul pods in hand as he tip toes into the bathroom before shutting the door quietly behind him.

“hello ? wonsik hyung ?” there’s a pause as his eyes shut in response to flipping on the light switch. spots dance along his vision, making the whole experience uncomfortable. jarring, at most—but clearly, this was the least of his problems right now. “hyung, is everything ok ?”

it’s not until he hears the confused murmurs from the other end do the pieces of the puzzle fall into place, painting a whole picture that’s far more amusing than sunwoo would have originally thought. he stifles a giggle before responding, “you do realize you called me, right ? i can hear everything you know, hyung.”

[mmsunwoo-blog]

ONE OF THESE NIGHTS

[mmsunwoo-blog]

mmchoa·:

( ... )

she watches with amusement as sunwoo takes it upon himself to be their designated grill master, expertly cutting the cooked meat into smaller portions. grabbing a set of chopsticks from the metal canister beside them, she pops a piece of pork belly in her mouth followed by a bit of kimchi for flavoring ( by god how she’s missed eating kimchi. her attempts at making some of her own while abroad were dismal. better to save it for the professionals ) “i brought myself back, does that count ? —” she’s teasing him but internally she’s mourning the fact that it hadn’t even crossed her mind to buy a souvenir for her dongsaeng “—i’ll be sure to get you something on my next job. how does that sound ?”

ah yes, paper pushing and all that real life adult stuff. it feels like he’s a million miles away from that sort of thing right now. a newly minted twenty year old who’s barely made it far out of the cradle, sunwoo doesn’t know if he’ll ever be ready for that kind of stuff—the real world and it’s horrors. for now, he’ll just enjoy the wonders of korean bbq; cooked fresh and golden brown, crisp to the touch. he takes the plunge and pops the first piece of the night into his mouth, sucking in a small breath to cool his mouth down because it was hotter than he had expected. “oh, watch out,” he breathes, “it’s hot.” ( thank you, captain park obvious sunwoo. ) once he gets the hang of it though, he begins to eat at a decent pace. “mhm,” he nods, absentmindedly; his mouth full. “that’s really cool, noona.” ( he means it, really. )

it was a lighthearted question, a second thought that managed to slip his tongue. sunwoo never expected anything from choa, her comfort was enough. still, he can’t help but play along. the mood is light, warm, and smells like a typical, greasy kbbq joint ( he doesn’t mind ) —it always is when he’s with her. “it’s okay, noona. what is there to bring back from russia anyways ? yeah, just bring me back something cool from japan or something next time. i heard they have limited editions of the death note volumes there.” he continues to poke at the grill, pushing all of the cooked pieces to the side to make room for the next batch of pork belly. “when is next time by the way ? are you leaving again soon ?”

he’s onto the kimchi jjigae now, taking sips of the spicy broth and using it to flavor his rice. he could get used to eating like this all the time. technically, his wallet was thick enough to support this ill planned diet. “i hope this is enough food,” he murmurs, suddenly aware of how small korean portions are. again, it’s not a big deal. he’s got the time, appetite, ( and money. ) he shrugs, “we can always order more if you’re still hungry.”

[mmsunwoo-blog]

mmjiyi‌:

( ... )

she sighs and tugs on his arm. “sung’s busy but he said he’ll try to meet us once he’s done with his school stuff. and, y’know.” jiyi scrunches her lips to the side, not quite happy to say it but needing to anyway, “if you don’t wanna go, it’s okay?” but her excitement over the new bar wins out, and she reaches out and taps sunwoo’s cheek, grinning wide when she adds, “but if you do, i promise i’ll make it fun!”

bars were never really his thing, but then again dueling club and being quidditch announcer was never really his thing either. both were jiyi’s ideas, one was sober while the other wasn’t. he’s starting to see a pattern here but the concern that should follow is suspiciously nowhere to be found.

“i don’t know what kind of instagram accounts you follow but all that shows up on my feed is sung’s selfies and video game ads,” he states as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. they’ve been walking through the winding halls for some time now, nearing the doors that lead out into seoul’s bustling night life. if he chooses to walk through said doors, he knows in his heart that it’ll be a long night. that the hours will tick by relentlessly and soon it’ll be morning. he’ll have to trudge to class, lifelessly drowsy and somehow make it back in one piece. “jiyi, it’s a wednesday night. we have class tomorrow morning.”

he stops and turns to look at her when he feels the tug on his forearm. he really should be immune by now. years of her whining should have inoculated him to this kind of trickery. but sunwoo was never one to say no, especially not to his friends ( especially not to his excited, hopeful best friend. ) he reaches up to touch the spot on his cheek her fingers had just been. “i guess i don’t really have a choice, do i ?”

he sighs as his hand drops back to his side, fingers sliding into his pocket as usual. “let’s go,” he pushes the heavy doors open and steps out onto the courtyard. “you lead the way.”

[mmsunwoo-blog]

mmeihua‌:

( ... )

“sunwoo?” she calls out, hesitantly stepping off the walkway, books still in her hands. it’ll be strange if he does show up, that’s for sure, but perhaps even stranger if he doesn’t. “are you.. uh, here?” 

it's rare enough to see him out of the confines of his room, away from the games and glory—actually present in the real world. it's even rarer to see him on a broom: flying. alone. it’s a well kept secret, this small habit of his. he doesn’t do it often, usually some snacks and a starcraft session will do the trick. occasionally, jiyi and sung may coax him out of his room, distract him a bit before sending him back. flying was always a last ditch effort. he supposes this situation calls for that. by no means is he a prodigy, but a lap or two around the grounds is manageable. with the wind in his hair and the moonlight in his face, he’s bound to forget, right ? right ?

( wrong. )

it’s sad, really, how easily he can recognize her willowy frame even at this distance. at this time of night. it’s just what he needed: the fates and their twisted, little game. of course, it’s the one person whose been plaguing his thoughts and muddling his mind. the one person whose presence sunwoo would be more than willing to bear. the one person he’s trying very much to avoid right now as he attempts to figure all this shit ( this heart on his sleeve, rose colored shit ) out.

the panic is what triggers the spiraling of his broom. the jarring suddenness of the whole situation is what triggers the panic. the combination of the two has him crashing into the nearest window before landing on the ground with a thud. the pain barely registers over the fear of: i think she saw me !

he gets up quickly, stumbling this way and that before grabbing the culprit broom. his first thought is to hide. yeah, that's a good idea. he’s crouched uncomfortably in the nearest overgrown bushes when he hears her. “oh, hey meihua,” he chuckles nervously as he crawls out from his hiding spot, dusting himself off casually as if he didn’t just try to run away from his problems ( as if he doesn’t want to just drop dead on the spot. ) “what’re you doing out here ?”

[mmsunwoo-blog]

FOUR WALLS

[mmsunwoo-blog]

mmjaeho‌:

( ... )

“you do know that you don’t have to put everything you see into your mouth without looking at it first?” he shouldn’t complain ( and isn’t actually ) because in reality, sunwoo’s presence does help to summon his little brother more often, and any excuse to see his brother more is enough for jaeho to be thankful. despite his best efforts ( he was actually trying, which is even sadder ) his arms drop away and his expression opens into something close to warm, “take care of yourself, please.” 

he barely catches the vial jaeho tosses at him, fingers fumbling as they try to get a grip. get a grip. it’s the thing he needs to do if he wants to avoid ever coming to the ymmc under these circumstances again—but it’s not his fault this time, he swears over and over.

“oh uh,” he pauses, scratching the back of his neck before unscrewing the potion, “thanks, hyung. i guess. for always keeping them on hand, i mean. for me, you know.” is it the way jaeho’s stance screams intimidation ? or maybe it’s the hard to decipher look in his eye. either way, sunwoo takes this as his cue to stop tripping over his words and to just drink the damn potion.

when he does the relief is immediate. it’s only a little unfortunate that the cold, cool sensation is so familiar to him. the way the potion trickles into his veins, entering his system to clean up whatever havoc had been wreaked before. his mind clears a bit after a second or two, ripe and ready for whatever conspiracies he may have thought up in the meantime.

“yeah hyung, about that,” he starts, eyes growing wider and voice becoming all the more frantic. call him crazy, but sunwoo doesn’t care about that right now. his heart is only pointed in one direction, and he’s got nothing to do but run towards it. “i know this is gonna sound weird, and i know given my track record it’s gonna be hard to believe, but hear me out.”

he shoots the elder another hopeful glance, starry eyes searching jaeho’s for any signs of objection before continuing, “i think someone tried to poison me this time. i didn’t eat anything dumb on purpose today. well, nothing that i remember at least.” his voice wanders off unconvincingly as his mind follows in suit. ( it’s the adhd, he’s working on it. ) “anyways !” that comes out louder than intended ( he’ll work on that too. ) “what i'm trying to say is, i think someone tried to play a prank on me or something. probably my dumb roommate.”

a sigh works its way up and out, leaving a slouched back in its wake. the softer tone in jaeho’s voice coaxes something akin to guilt out of him. all of his previous carelessness floods back into his consciousness, replaying themselves before his eyes. “i know hyung, i’m trying to take care of myself more.”

( perhaps what he means to say is, “i’m sorry.” )

[sungmm]

THE G O L D E N TRIO ;

ft. won jiyi as harry, park sunwoo as ron, & lee haesung as hermione.

“ why is it when something bad happens, it’s always you three? ”

[mmsunwoo-blog]

HEAD IN THE GAME

[mmsunwoo-blog]

mmjunsu‌:

( ... )

( he scoots closer to sunwoo, looking at his reflection in the tiny box on the right hand side of the screen; excited. ) i’m not nervous! ( he lies protests childishly, scrunching his nose before his expression straightens out sincerely. ) hyung you’re so good, ( mischevious curl of the lips soon follows. ) but you might have some competition starting today, fakefaker-nim ( what? shit-talking was standard. junsu nods his head emphatically and sunwoo declares that they’ll be starting. )

( his eyes lighten up as the number of viewers increases exponentially, and junsu looks at the hyeon mu boy for cues. his attention is drawn to the chat box in the corner, and he lets out a shy laugh as he self-consciously shakes his fringe out of his face. ) 

yo, who taught you how to trash talk like that ? ( ` in his eyes junsu was always a sweet kid. a tall one sure, but a kid nonetheless. of course, the slander doesn’t bother him. all in good fun, right? ) ( ` he chuckles as he reaches over to mess up junsu’s bangs a bit. why ? because he can. because junsu's cute, always has been. this was no different. )

( ` he momentarily forgets about the stream, about the viewers piling in to watch today’s gaming session. blame it on his adhd, or maybe this time it was the delinquent satisfaction he gets in teasing the younger boy. ) ( ` regardless, he doesn’t realize any of this until after about five thousand people have already seen him giggling manically as he continues to mess with junsu in proper sunbae fashion. ) oh dang, we’re on. uh, hey guys!

(  ` what follows is automatic. doing one too many streams has his body and brain primed for what is to come. exhibit a: his hands raise automatically to wave and throw peace signs at the camera, eventually settling themselves around junsu’s shoulder, pulling the first year ever closer. ) what’s up and thanks for tuning into the stream. if you’ve been chilling with me every thursday night at seven, then you already know—i’m park sunwoo, aka fakefaker1, and yes, i do have games on my phone.

( ` in the beginning he would have been out of breath by the end of his intro. now, he’s as relaxed as ever. this is his comfort zone now. his real realm of complacency. today, he just so happens to have a guest. )

anyways, you guys are probably wondering who this giant baby is right here … ( ` he turns towards junsu, flashing the younger a wide grin. ) do you want to introduce yourself to crayon pop or momoland bgm, little dude ? ( ` it was supposed to come out as a murmur, only meant to be shared between the two of them. sunwoo miscalculated, however, the quality of his mic and its ability to pick up even the smallest of whispers. ) ( ` he’s laughing to himself as his fingers quickly work to turn on said music. it only backfires when he glances at the endless stream of comments out of the corner of his eye, some of which are confused. some are trolling. many of which are laugh-crying emojis. )

oops, i guess you guys heard that. ( ` he shrugs sheepishly before turning on the music. it’s a bubblegum pop kind of day. )

[sungmm]

& cotton candy.

[mmsunwoo-blog]

sungmm‌:

( ... )

he consults his neatly written recipe before sitting down, mumbling under his breath as he makes a mental checklist of everything that should have gone into his potion. “okay! it should be done once it finishes simmering and turns a pink color,” he says, propping his head onto the palm of his hands as he looks in the direction of his best friend. 

“so whatcha playing, dude? oh, wait- let me guess- is it a dating game? jiyi said that you were lonely, but i didn’t think you would be that lonely,” he teases, voice light and eyes crinkled. 

it would be unusual if it wasn’t routine by now. sunwoo and haesung—stuck together like two peas in a pod. it’s always been so easy for him to match sung’s pace. to fall into step with him while his mind is a lightyear away, head in the clouds ( read: fortnite ) or what have you. for him it’s always been automatic. since the day he learned to walk. since day one—always.

today his feet lead him here: their regular, unassuming empty classroom. he’s made himself comfortable on one of desks near sung’s little brewing station: arms sprawled across the table, his chin resting on its wooden surface. he’s preoccupied with his phone when he hears sung’s voice call out.

“huh ? hali-whats ?” he asks, eyes still focused on his game. his fingers tap the on-screen villain violently a few more times before he finally looks over at the array of herbs and various unidentifiable specimens floating in jars. god, he’s always sucked at potions.

“what does it look like, dude ? these leaves all look the same to me,” he shrugs, reaching for a bunch of dark, green leafy stems. he shakes them, waving them around and finding juvenile joy in the way they rustle before handing it over to sung on a whim.

“you’re welcome,” his eyes don’t even bat at the cheesy pet name. that’s what a lifetime of being around haesung does to him. he’s become immune, really. what’s more shocking, however, is “—wait, i got it right ?” he exclaims, beaming at the thought of perhaps actually retaining something from the hours of sitting lifelessly in potions class last year. “yo, my guessing skills are on fire !”

he can’t help but chuckle to himself, the giddiness still working its way out of his system as he turns back to his phone. “shut up, sung,” he retorts eyes rolling, although there’s no malice in his voice. just pure lightheartedness. “i’m playing fornite, dummy. now, leave me alone.”

he’s about to fall back into the rhythm of things. into the lazy beat of the warm, spring afternoon. but just as he’s about to sink in, a jarring smell captures his attention. his eyes dart toward the unattended cauldron as his hand comes up to cover his nose. “dude ! what’s that smell ? did you burn the potion or something ?”

[mmsunwoo-blog]

DOG DAYS

july 2019 / coney island—brooklyn, new york

accio — @mmseol !

he’s been doing things for the sake of just doing something lately. no, he’s been doing that for a long time. lately more than usual perhaps, but the feeling is the same nonetheless. it’s a gift of summer that’s been taken for granted more often than not. endless days. no responsibilities. any child’s golden dream.

so here he is, baking under the brooklyn sun, carnival music blasting in his ears, and the smell of greasy fast food enveloping him—all for the sake of just doing things. for summer vacation. for the ( fiery ) girl who dragged him all the way from the comfort of his own bed into this bustling, rowdy crowd.

“we should have gone on like a tuesday or something,” he mumbles as he tries to navigate the sea of people before him. it’s blinding, really. how the sun reflects off of almost every surface. the light is bright, hitting his eye at just the right angle. he should have brought his sunglasses to new york with him, but he wouldn't be park sunwoo if he hadn’t forgotten to pack something.

he looks at her now. at her dyed, bright red hair. at how conspicuous it is against the tide of browns and blondes. he sees the gleam in her eyes. the bounce in her step. and he sighs, knowing it was going to be a long day. the fatigue already sinking into his skin, wrapping around his bones. it'll be fun, hopefully. tiring ? definitely.

“alright, what ride are we going on first ?”

[mmsunwoo-blog]

mmsunwoo‌:

what’s good, fam ? i’m yumi and have here for y’all one ( 1 ) twenty yr old, year five, hyeon mu, & certified dumbass nerd park sunwoo. his profile can be found here & a nice lil’ rundown can be found under the cut. i have a twt ( @sichengly ) and discord ( @ yumi wants a spidermark#1724 ) if you’d like to plot there, but if you’re shy then smash that heart & i’ll come sliding into your ims instead !

Keep reading

[mmsunwoo-blog]

FOUR WALLS

accio — @mmjaeho !

maybe he should consider packing his bags and moving here permanently. he’s been confined inside these septic, plain white walls often enough. every time it’s the same careful, stern words of advice. and every time he nods wholeheartedly. resolution in his eyes. resolve in his steps. yet, every time he always somehow ends up back here: square one.

sure, sunwoo’s been careless the countless times before, popping the nearest snack into his welcoming mouth without much thought or question. and yes, that’s occasionally gotten him into some ( a lot ) of trouble, but that’s what the doctors at ymmc were for, right ?

what’s different this time though, is the circumstance. this time it wasn’t his fault. this time it hit him blindsided. he’s not sure who, what, where, when, or how. all he does know is that someone, something slipped a trace of the wretched allergen into his food, and now—well, now all has been said and done.

he shifts uncomfortably in the examination chair, mentally preparing to confess all this and more to a certain, disapproving scowl, which ( unfortunately ) sunwoo is all too familiar with.

his inner turmoil, however, dissipates as soon as the door opens, revealing—“jaeho hyung !” csi: yosul will just have to wait then, at least until the itching of his skin and the tightness in his throat goes away. 

“nice to see you again, i guess ?” he tries to hide the sheepishness with a chuckle, but instead it comes out forced. awkward.

[mmjiyi-blog]

3:30PM

( 5th year gang gang ! @mmsunwoo @sungmm )

that’s so us allie x  /  ateen seventeen  /  count on me bruno mars  /  i need it johnny balik  /  your dog loves you colde ft. crush  /  church samm henshaw  /  comethru jeremy zucker  /  la di da the internet  /  day 1 honne  /  you’re my best friend queen

[mmsunwoo-blog]

ANGEL, DEAR

accio — @mmdaeil !

why is here, you ask? sunwoo doesn’t know either. what he does know is that he was a goner from the minute he said, “yes,” nodding at his sunbaes ( his wonderful, hazing-perpetrating, party crazed, dueling club sunbaes ) and grasping onto the money slipped into his clenched fist. from the minute he decided to take the road less traveled, the so called shortcut. from the minute he sees the colorful signs and streets of seoul morph into something less familiar, darker, grimier.

but his eyes are still bright—as bright as ever ( ripe for the taking ) as they dart from storefront to storefront, vendor to vendor. how is he supposed to find something as obscure as “the shady looking wizard with a stash of jinxed soju at the street corner” is uncertain. the definitive: he really doesn’t belong here.

he doesn’t belong among the shadows that lurk around every dim streetlamp. among the strangled pleas and desperate shouts. and certainly not among the peddlers lining the dingy alleyway in which he is currently trying to pass through.

it's a strange predicament, really. a glassy eyed boy, filled with nothing but blood in his veins ( gold in his heart ) , strays a bit too far from the yellow brick road. said boy is a lamb, wandering freely, willingly into the lion’s den. of course, he doesn’t realize this. not when his intentions are pure, bleach white.

he doesn’t realize this even as he’s about to hand his money over to some strange looking lady with a toothy smile and a tight, rough grip on his forearm. he’s desperate now, just wanting it to stop. to be left alone and on his merry ol’ way again.

“ahjumma, please,” the enunciation of the latter and the strain in his voice does nothing to deter her though. she’s hungry for her prey—the green and blue bills in sunwoo’s left hand.

and when her nails start digging into his skin, her voice becoming frantic, he concedes. he’ll just have to deal with his disappointed ( sober ) sunbaes later. right now, he just wants to go home.

“here, this is all i have left so please, please, let go of me !”