* SILK / COLOGNE

[ofsunjae]

heyoo it's m (eileen's mun) back w a brand new muse that i'm rly excited to write & develop! u can find a summary abt him under the cut & hit the heart or msg me if you'd like to plot! i have some ideas at the end but am always down to brainstorm something together

₊˙ ◌⁎˚ ﹒﹙kim dongyoung ‘doyoung’. cis male. he/him.﹚guess who was almost late for their shift at lapis roasters again?? that’s right, it was lee sunjae! it’s a wonder their job as an owner isn’t in jeopardy. the 27 year old has been working at sunset galleria for two and a half years, and is well known for their empathetic nature. on bad days, they can be rather reserved, though. when the mall is dead at night, they can usually be found smoking on the rooftop, but don’t tell their boss!

EARLY LIFE (mentions of low self worth tw)

his STATS page has a lot more basic tidbits about him so feel free to skim thru that for more details

born in seoul on jan 9th, 1996 (cap sun, leo moon & virgo rising <;3)

sunjae's family own a group of hospitals so they're Rich rich lmao but more on that later. he also has an older sister!

he's lived sort of a rich life and not just by financial standards- from the ages of 8 - 17 he was a junior tennis player! and he pursued it pretty seriously, he trained in poland for two years and spain for 10 months, winning several big tournaments. this meant he was mainly out of classes/privately tutored & didn't rly have a lot of friends aside from his core besties. he travelled w his mom so they've always been close, and she was his biggest supporter

tennis was p much consuming his life and although he enjoyed it for the most part, the pressure from his coaches and himself rly got him into a weird spiral. his negative self talk & feelings of worthlessness ultimately cost him a couple of games and he kinda had a breakdown & lost passion for the sport he once loved.

anywys mom was kinda sad abt his withdrawal but she still supported him, dad less so bc of how much money they put towards his career & all the clubs/training but whatever. we ball.

POST TENNIS LIFE & CAREER

ok he's dropped tennis.. naow what... realizing he doesn't rly know what to do w his life & his grades? aren't great so he ends up travelling w his sister for a bit bc she wants to help him get out of his funk.

ultimately decides to enlist to 1) buy himself some time to think 2) rumours abt draft envasion were running around the rich family circles & he didn't want his family to deal w that

sunjae gets caught up on reading lots during his service & returns with a new goal! enroll in uni and get a bachelors in international relations. he has to work hard to study but uni years were much needed to just.. round him out as a person n be around so many new people n jst be some college kid !!

fast forward he's 25 with a degree & still kinda lost lmao! his sister who opened and ran a coffee shop (hint: sunset's very own lapis roasters) has a newborn baby and wants to rly focus on being a mom so she's like hey.. wna run this business for me while i'm gone? :) and it's been two & half years of sunjae as the owner. (it's sweet tho bc on their travels together they always bonded over good coffee and sunjae could tell she's rly passionate abt it so he gives it his all)

now he's 27 and still running lapis, it's good for him but unless you know him closely you wouldn't know he's the owner. acts like he's just another coffee roaster or barista

recently he's pursuing the idea of becoming a human rights lawyer & in his first year at a law school in daegu after a long trial of applying. sunjae's decided that even tho he's unsure exactly what his path will be, he wants to help people whether that's by fighting for them in court or just serving them the best cup of coffee they've ever had :)

PERSONALILTY & DETAILS

loosely inspired by ren from f4 thailand.. v observent of other people's feelings & can be so selfless that it's a flaw at times. putting everyone first & always quietly taking care of people in his own ways, covering the bill for dinner or just lending an ear. the type to rmbr the little details in a conversation w stranger and bring them up if they ever saw each other again

wld Die for his friends.. his homies.. the leo loyalty will be the death of him bc even if his friends get in a stupid brawl u know he's jumping in to defend them. loves to go out w them but doesn't drink much so he's always the dd & 'yes we'll get mcdonalds drive thru on the way home jst get in the car'

there's still a goofy side to him,, kinda like his inner child bc his youth was spent being consumed in sport so he loves teasing friends, using a shorter person's head as an arm rest, pulling harmless pranks etc etc

even tho sunjae grew up rich he never rly showed off his money n u prob wouldn't know abt his wealth until u see that he drives an audi r8 but again he doesn't make a big deal out of it tht's simply his car of choice LOL

knows how to play piano! prob sneaks a couples songs in at lunar flare when there's no one around

developed a smoking habit somewhere down the line that's been hard to kick but he tries to keep it more of a secret (sneaking up late on the rooftop)

PLOTS

rich kid squad: also loosely inspired by the squad from f4 thailand.. the people he grew up with bc their families were friends/attended the same rich people events lol. his found home rly, the kind of friends he would die for and they've been thru thick & thin together over the years - lots of dynamic possibilities here !!

designated driver: the guy u call when u need a way home, could be friends or could be that he happened to be driving one night and sees u walking drunk?? offers to give u a ride

sports/fitness pal: either someone he can hit with bc he still has the tennis skills (esp his killer serve) or someone to go bouldering/hiking with. alternatively someone he's teaching tennis to !

fellow weeb: the new shinkai movie is out... he's calling u up to join him. or simply chill anime watch parties at his place. snacks included

landlord: unbeknowst to u sunjae owns the small apartment building u live in.. maybe u openly complain abt the water pressure & magically it gets fixed the next day (he bought the building bc he got a load of inheritance & his dad said real estate is the best investment but truly he jst wants his tenants happy)

fake boyfriend: either for a day or an event or to make someone jealous he pretends to be ur boyfriend & he's p good at it.. humbles whoever u were trying to trick

confidant: someone who was screaming their sorrows off the rooftop when he went up for a smoke & then they ended up having a conversation and have been bumping into each other there ever since

almost lovers: the timing was just never right.. maybe he loved them too soon and they loved him too late or something else was stopping them from becoming what they wanted to be :/

something based off this :( maybe someone who was there when he was spiralling & cared a lot for him or just ends up being super upset on his behalf

random thoughts: someone taking advantage of his kindness or money / someone he's teaching to drive / someone he knows from church / friends from uni / little sibling figure!! / bad influence on him / mutual dislike or hateship / exes or past flings / childhood friend who always slept over at his + anything else we think of!

[ofsunjae]

sunjae doesn't remember when he took up smoking. it must've been after he had quit tennis, when he was a little older, maybe during his mandatory service or first year of university. either way he picked it up after min haru had disappeared from his life. it's almost ironic now, that the very habit he took up in his friend's absence was the same habit he was using to try and reconnect with him.

it's shortly after sunset when he steps out from the back entrance of the mall. his favourite spot on the rooftop abandoned only because someone else was occupying the space. classic sunjae. thinking of the secondhand smoke affecting others with complete disregard for how it affected himself. nevertheless sunjae avoids making eye contact with the blatant no smoking sign posted on the wall and pulls out a cigarette. he digs around for his lighter in the front pocket of his jacket as he turns the corner and sees the familiar face of a now stranger.

it's strange to call haru that. a stranger. but the warm reunion he had expected (a scene that had endlessly played in his mind in the years he spent looking for him) had been met with cold reality.

his fingers let the lighter in his pocket drop; a white lie concealed by the fabric. instead he finds himself approaching haru only with a second of hesitation. "hey.. could i bum a light? think i lost mine."

around the corner, behind the sun — with @minhru

[bbiwon]

"taking pictures of these isn't the same as taking a photo of a tat. and i'm not someone who's gone and studied this stuff, sunjae. i'm an expert as much as you are an expert." there's a layer of desperation to his voice, desperation plastered across his face; it's all a carefully curated play, and jaewon makes sure that he makes it as believable as possible. for the drama of it, obviously, and the meek attempt of putting a seed of guilt into the elder. every attempt is an attempt, and the worst that can happen is a disappointment or however the saying goes.

he gives a half-spin, hand brought to scratch at the nape of his neck, questioning gaze turning to sunjae. "what kind of a vibe you want, anyway? we can try the brick wall back at 'cuda." a pause, from which a sparkle is born; he takes a closer step, speaking in all but a whisper thereafter. "or you can get us inside lunar flare. you know, if you want that luxurious upgrade for lapis."

[ofsunjae]

sunjae takes an inhale as if he's about to say something in defence but lets it deflate. of course he feels guilty at the desperate tone. how could he not? instead he offers a bribe: "how about if your next five orders at lapis are on the house? could you pretend to be the expert then?" he gives a somewhat amused but apologetic smile.

"i think something minimalistic is good. just so that the drinks are the main focus." clearly he operates on the most basic level of marketing strategies. he shakes his head at the mention of barracuda — he's lost sodam to the establishment way too often during her shifts. "lunar flare..." he hums, "i've actually been trying to work out a collaboration with them for some time. maybe now's a good time." sunjae puts a hand on jaewon's shoulder for sincerity, "see? you do have good ideas."

[greenfated]

jinam gives a nod, an unmistakable 'cheonman-eyo' being delivered through its simplicity. he can't help but cast his eyes downward bashfully at the other's compliment of his work on the gardens. he'd certainly put plenty of blood, sweat and tears into the project, so it was nice to be acknowledged for it, regardless of how terrible he was at receiving compliments. "thank you for saying so. it was a lot of hard work, but it's worth it to see people enjoying it like this," he says genuinely, allowing a few brief glances around at the partygoers.

the colors of the garden really did pop, tying together balloon arches, ivory-clothed tables and spring pastels adorning nearly every guest. it sometimes felt like his work was never done, but he didn't mind it much, as long as he could keep things looking like a fairytale for the hotel guests. he shone a lopsided grin toward sunjae's question, wiping his brow with a towel he was keeping in his back pocket, as if on cue. "i think they knew i was used to being in the sun for long periods of time, so it just seemed safer," he answered, his grill fork poking through another slice of pork belly to test its tenderness. "i don't really mind it much. it's just that ... social gatherings are a bit of a challenge for me," he admits, his pursed lips reluctantly relaying the information.

[ofsunjae]

"it's nice to see the garden so full and busy," sunjae nods in agreement at the sentiment that hard work pays off when it brings joy to other people. it was almost the foundation of how he operated: if he could bring a light into someone's life, make someone's time on earth a little softer then.. isn't it all worth it?

sunjae turns his gaze up towards the sky, only to squint at the sun for a moment. if it wasn't for the breeze he would've tired out quickly from the heat. how jinam was operating next to a hot grill was beyond him. there's a hum in agreement from sunjae. someone who knew him back in his youth would be surprised to see him so extroverted. but even now he found himself a bit tired from the social interactions. "mind if i keep you company?" he asks before greeting a passing guest with a warm smile. "i can do the talking — but only if i get an extra round of pork belly."

[bbiwon]

here's the thing: jaewon doesn't like saying no. and it's not because he doesn't have a backbone, silently obeying everything anyone ever wants of him; it's the situations like these, where saying no would have him come off as a complete tool. it's situations like these where he says yeah, sure, because he thinks that whom he talks with is simply lost (and who wouldn't be, with the vast size of the mall ), only to realize he's alike a fish caught in a net. except that struggling to pull himself out of it, once he realizes just what he got himself into, would also have him coming off as a complete tool. so here he is, after saying that fateful yes, trailing behind his companion, on a mission to take instagram worthy perfect photos.

"what about the fountain?" he inquires, eyes focused on the led display and the pictures that cycle through it. "or is that, like, so overrated nowadays?"

[ofsunjae]

the question isn't why did sunjae recruit jaewon to take pictures for him it's: why wouldn't sunjae recruit lapis roaster's most loyal customer to take pictures of their new summer menu? it's either that or karma for asking for too many pumps of hazelnut syrup.

"i don't know, you're the expert here. i'm following your lead," he gives the led screens a skeptical glance. the four brightly coloured drinks in his hands almost fading into the background against the cycling images. sure the lapis instagram page wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing thing in the world, but sunjae did give it some honest effort. "maybe something a bit less... flashy?"

[greenfated]

garden party ft. open !

the look on his face probably didn't reflect the atmosphere of the gardens too well, as while everyone buzzed happily around him, he looked like he'd been punched in the stomach. twice. his boss had chipperly informed him he'd be manning the grill at a little garden party for the hotel guests. it wasn't that he minded completing his work duties; he simply preferred the ones that didn't put him on display.

he forced a smile as guests retrieved fresh samgyupsal gui from him, along with some grilled vegetables. there was a slight breeze blowing, so he knew the smell was likely wafting through many corners of sunset galleria's grounds. sure enough, he soon spotted one of his co-workers. he offered a timid bow, eyes narrow from the sun's brightness. "help yourself. it's for employees, too," he fixes up a plate of pork belly and vegetables, extending to the other with shaking, awkward hands.

[ofsunjae]

having as many connections as sunjae did meant getting an invite to events such as these. he's here to show face, mingle with some familiar guests and enjoy the nice weather. it's only when he spots jinam (who he recognized to be the hotel's groundskeeper) does he step away from his circle. "thank you," sunjae accepts the plate with a light smile and notes jinam's awkward hands.

"this is all your work, right?" he asks, gesturing to the garden with his free hand. "you really worked some magic on the place. it's beautiful." sunjae remembers what the grounds used to look like, before the renovation. how dull and unkept the grounds were. jinam had given it life again. "now how did a landscaper like you end up getting stuck manning the grill?" he asks with an easy laugh.

[beaceex]

[finita--la--commedia]

– Faraj Bou al-Isha (b. 1956), “Wait” translated from the Arabic by Khaled Mattawa in: “Poems for the Millennium. Book of North African Literature”, edited by Pierre Joris and Habib Tengour

[rainbowrenjun]

DOYOUNG — ‘AY-YO’ JACKET BEHIND