b l o o m i n g.

“...unforgivingly, and forcefully magnificent...”

[chanyeolx247-deactivated2019022]

stains ♚ dahee&&jinyoung

[rydahee-blog]

jinyoung:

he visibly relaxed once she started to loosen up, his smile warming as she started talking naturally with him. “the pyo family? ah, they’re a very kind family indeed. i’ve done some paintings of two of their princesses. i’m quite fond of them, ahreum and nuying. they’re very kind young women. you must enjoy working for them. i know the hyun princesses as well, and i can guarantee the personalities in the pyo family are more open minded.” he chuckled softly, shaking his head. “don’t tell anyone i said that though or it’s off with my head.”

when she missed the sarcasm in his voice he couldn’t help but sigh in defeat. this girl was something else entirely. “no– i did come to see you, i was trying to be… ah, nevermind. just… i came to see you, okay?” he smiled again, the warm returning to his expression after the little bout of mild annoyance. he was trying to be smooth after all, why couldn’t he pull it off? cause you’ve never had any experience before jin, you lock yourself away from all interaction, remember? he sighed at himself, shaking his head before following her along her little whirlwind around the shop.

he could see why she worked for a royal family, she knew her arrangements and flowers very well, it showed in how expertly she put together an arrangement for him, and in so little time as well. he followed along, regarding the gathering of flowers, incredibly please with the selection, but it would cut his trip to the shop rather short, and he didn’t want that. he pretended to hem and haw over the bouquet for a while before regarding her with a pensive look, rubbing his chin in mock contemplation. “it’s nice, quite nice, but i’d like a few more options to choose from. i could lose my job if i’m not thorough after all. what else can you show me?” it was rather cruel and selfish of him to do this to her, but he literally never left the palace unless sungjae did, and even then his entire attention was on sungjae, not meeting new people. he had to savor this while he could.

"i am very thankful to be working for them, because.. honestly, anyone else would have probably fired me." she hasn't been the best worker - all she did in the garden might have been impeccable, but with her lack of grace she did more harm to the family than anything else. "oh, your secret is safe with me." a light laugh escaped her lips as she patted herself on the chest lightly.

emotions flickered on her face like a light that’s about to go out; his words brought very obvious surprise to her features - eyebrows slightly risen, eyes visibly wider and mouth agape. but, fairly, the girl was more likely stunned because of him being straight forward rather than keeping up the sarcasm. whatever it was, she couldn't keep the astounded expression for long, as her slightly open mouth turned into a smile and she hid her burning cheeks in her hands. "well, i'd lie if i said that it’s not a pleasant surprise. unexpected.. but in a nice way." the girl admitted glancing towards the man, too embarrassed to properly look up at him, trying to focus on the flowers instead.

something about his over-exaggerated thinking made her squint, keeping the wide smile from before. dahee did not know much about him, but connecting the scattered dots was not that hard. “usually, my customers who are looking for nicer flower arrangements sit down behind the table right there,” she gestured towards somewhere behind the counter. “we talk a little, they tell me what they want and i draw them a bouquet. if they’re satisfied with it, i go ahead and throw it together.” dahee turned towards him, tilting her head slightly. the look in her eyes implied that she was, in fact, very knowingly offering him an excuse to stay longer - a win-win situation, as he seemed like he wanted to stay and she genuinely found herself enjoying his presence. “though, i am warning you.. the longer you stay, the more it’s likely for me to spill something on you or hurt you with a flower pot.” she couldn’t help but laugh thinking back to all the times they met previously.

[gataash]

secret.

[rydahee-blog]

noyna:

@rydahee

she turns her head, eyes flitting about as she watches for the detail assigned to her. she understands why she needs a bodyguard, but this is too much - all of it. noyna has had her fair share of galas and events like this, but for once the lights, the people, it’s all too much. she’s barely been in this country for ten hours but she feels suffocated, bodice of her dress crushing her ribs painfully. her hands push the doors to the balcony open, shutting it behind her before the man can see where she’s gone. 

clutching the edge of the concrete railing, she gasps, sucking in a lungful of cold night air. it’s much quieter here, far above the rumbling traffic of seoul highways and away from the vindictive whispering that followed back inside.

she touches the back of her hand to her temple and finds that she’s sweating - shit, her make up. noyna lifts up her purse to look through it for tissues but as she turns away from the railing she catches sight of a pair of feet and finds that she’s not alone. stiffening, she looks up, eyes wide. “ah,”

manners, noyna.

“hello.”

 all eye contact was ignored, all possible opportunities for conversation were avoided. social gatherings were far away from her thing. as someone whose mundane life revolved around dirt, fertilizer, nature and borderline farm implements, the girl felt out of place. the atmosphere was something else entirely, something dahee couldn’t help but want to get away from. that’s why every hour or so she spent at least fifteen minutes outside - somewhere where she felt like she could breathe and not feel like a complete outsider, even if she didn’t look the part.

she did not want to dislike noyna - dahee was usually too positive and loving to find any negativity towards anyone in herself. but external conditions involving best friends and heartbreaks made her feel disfavour towards the woman she found herself in front. the woman did not do anything to her specifically, but dahee felt bitterness on her tongue. almost as if she was the one hurt by the engagement.

all formalities were forgotten when she say the other - her mind was too focused on how to approach the subject in a passive way rather than being upfront about it, as she watched the scene unravel in front of her.

dahee almost felt bad for her. almost.

“how disappointing to see you like this,” she blinks, the taste of bitterness on her tongue. “your in-laws would be disappointed.” 

[rydahee-blog]

hold my hand.

[rydahee-blog]

yejin:

<...>

yejin turns around to face her friend, clasping both of her hands. “so what if he’s here? you look so pretty, wouldn’t you want him to see you? he’ll be enchanted as soon as he looks at you!” and she knows it’s easier said than done, and crushes are complicated in any sense of the word, but she wholeheartedly believes in the charm of dahee, in both visuals and mannerisms. maybe she’s a little biased, a decade long friendship somewhat tainting her judgment about these things, but she’s always been honest when needed.

“he might be royalty but he’s still has eyes.”

dahee huffed and puffed, taking a moment before lifting her head to take a look at yejin. the soft rose colour that made it’s way up her neck to her face at the visual of him became a bit darker at the words of her friend. it was flattering just as much as she knew it might have been somewhat biased.

“no. i wouldn’t.” she pouted, letting go of yejin’s hands for a moment to move hair away from her own lips, as too much shuffling got loose strands sticking onto the lip gloss. so much for trying to look graceful for at least one night. “i spent ten years avoiding him and i am not planning on starting hanging around him now. besides, it’s not like anything will change, because a. he’s a prince; b. he’s a crowned prince; c. engaged; d. i’m a gardener,” bending one finger after another, dahee listed the reasons she had thought about way more than the girl would have liked to admit. it was hard not to dwell on the unrequited feelings, but dahee did bring it on herself by never doing anything about the crush besides running away and hoping the ‘problem’ will somehow fade into the sunset. 

looking back towards where he stood, she let out a deep breath, head swaying to both sides as she simply observed for a moment before quickly turning her back to face him him - she didn’t want to get caught and, more importantly, she just wanted to forget.

her hands were once again reaching for yejin, wrapping around her arm and hugging it towards herself while she mushed her cheek on her best friend’s shoulder. “thank you for dealing with me like this. i feel bad - it is your night, you look beautiful and should be socializing. and yet here i am being childish about my stupid crush and keeping you to myself.” the girl stopped for a moment, looking at the princess. fondness and appreciation was glazing her gaze. “you’re the best, seriously.”

 two blinks later she quirked up, standing straight with a happy (almost too happy) expression plastered on her features. “why would i need anyone else, i have you. that’s enough to forget, right?” dahee got greasy quite a lot around yejin, repeating statements and reciting the longest speeches which all circled around the idea of ‘who needs boys when i have my best friend’. if only her emotions listened to that.

[rydahee-blog]

let it out.

[rydahee-blog]

minjun:

“oh trust me dahee, i would love to take a drink tonight after this week’s work.” she smiled. it was not one of those actual happy smiles, it was one of those smiles where it’s like those memes on the internet of those people that have traveled to the abyss and back, not being able to feel anything anymore, kind of smile. “since i’m paying for the drinks, would you like to drink one of my go-tos? its more on the fruity side but it is very delicious.” minjun made her way to the phone and started to place some orders for the both of them, including some snacks to help with the alcohol. at the same time she also started to turn off the main lights and put on the disco one, the room dimmed down but was still bright enough to see everything and then the disco started to flash multiple colors.

“so what it is like being a gardener?” minjun asked, trying to break some ice. internally she was nervous but since they are already acquainted her shoulder didn’t feel heavy. “i always see you attend with something outside whether it be growing new plants, mending flowers, cleaning up the walkways, must be very tiresome.”

she huffed at minjun’s words, tilting her head out of pure curiosity - much like young puppies do when they hear an unfamiliar sound. “work’s that bad? the pyo’s aren’t listening well? or do you do something else besides tutoring?” dahee could not help the excessive amount of questions leaving her lips right after the other’s statement; as much as she appreciated the borderline meme, her nurturing nature made some worry bubble up in her. 

“oh i love being a gardener,” her voice came out just above a whisper, as half of her brain was occupied with trying to find the song she was looking for. “honestly, i got the job by default. i come from a long line of florists. my mother was a gardener for the pyo’s before me,”without even noticing it, the girl started spilling some of her backstory to minjun. dahee really was comfortable. “she used to bring me along with her, that i could learn and at some point take her place. i remember walking into the garden and not being sure where to look at first, as there were so many exotic flowers and fruit trees i have never seen before. it’s still the same today. i enjoy it.” she smiled more to herself than to minjun, mind far away from the small karaoke room - in the garden between fruit trees. “it might seem dirty and exhausting, but it’s something i find peace in.” she blinked, snapping back into reality and turning towards the other. “but just between us, the queen can be really... irrationally.... picky...” 

[rydahee-blog]

giving.

[rydahee-blog]

huiqing:

the girl looked vaguely familiar. perhaps she had worked with this charity beforehand or maybe a patient from the hospital? regardless, the face caused huiqing to pause as he tried to recall where he had seen the girl before him. nonetheless, that wasn’t important, he was more concerned with the way the woman before him continued fidget, perhaps he had really shocked her.

which lead to huiqing's stomach turn in a rather uncomfortable way. he knew that some citizens were uncomfortable with the royalty to see the least. and while most who felt that way were polite with their distrust, huiqing understood that some could not hide their distaste. but the woman before seemed more nervous than anything else.” i apologize, i was just directed here by some of the staff, but please uh ..” was it arrogant to assume she knew he was a royal, perhaps. but nonetheless, it was polite to ensure her to keep the air around them rather casual. “ please, just don’t mind me, i’m here to work.” he explained, his hand waving off as if trying to fan away the awkwardness. 

“it seemed that the rather awkward aura around the room had dissipated as the woman before him started to explain the task at hand. the prince paced towards the said gift bags, humming softly as he took in the information that the woman stated to him. huiqing’s lips turned at the fact that the children wouldn’t be able to get both the coloring books and the storybook, huh that was interesting. “ perhaps they miscounted and don’t have enough of both, that’s a shame but that will be something to take note on for the next event.” now that the woman had gotten over her surprise, it seemed that she was quite involved with an event which caused huiqing to smile fondly at her words.” that sounds like a wonderful idea, it seems like you’ve thought about the whole ordeal for quite a while.” he stated, before finally taking the time to take a good look at the woman. “ oh, you’re the estate’s gardener aren’t you ? dahee isn’t it ?” huiqing exclaimed as sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “ please i came here to help, don’t worry about it.” huiqing waved his hand once more, before settling down at the table which held the gift bags, ‘ i put the candies in the bag correct ? how many are supposed to be in here again ?”

don’t mind me, i’m here to work. the phrase rang trough her head like a drill and she had to bite on her cheek in order to stop herself from letting out a laugh, which in this situation would have seemed rude. oh, the irony; spending so much time hiding and running away just to end up right in front of him. considering all the factors, there was no possible way dahee could even begin to stay calm at the presence of the prince. 

‘well, when life gives you lemons, make a tart’ she thought to herself. dahee had been avoiding him for too long. perhaps it was life’s way of telling her she should learn; a way to grow and finally move on from something that lasted too long. 

with that idea, dahee took a deep breath and stood straighter, regaining her composure. it wasn’t as hard as she thought, as the talk about the children distracted her. “i hate to admit, but it seems like sloppy work. and maybe a colouring book won’t compensate what they’ve suffered trough, but that’s still unfair.” every word came from deep within her concerned heart, which also made her feel smaller under his smile. looking down, the girl moved towards the box. “i just.. like to help. it’s nice to see those kids happy. whether it’s by flowers or by this.” she picked up a couple of candies in each of her hands and turned towards huiqing, slightly shaking the bags with a bright smile plastered on her face before placing them both into one of the red bags. “you don’t seem to be doing this just for the looks. so i’m guessing you know what i mean.” though, she froze the minute her name slipped past his lips. “oh? i didn’t think you recognized me, your highness. i don’t seem to see you around at the household that much,” ‘because i run across the garden whenever i see you’ was what should have been added. instead, the girl carefully gazed at him, trying to forget about her heated cheeks. “yes, that’s right. let’s just put two bags per gift bag. if there ends up being more, we can add those later.”

[aleastories-deactivated20180824]

organic // ydh&rmw

[rydahee-blog]

minwook:

<...>

seeing the signal minwook stands up and brushes off his knees of the dirt. there also seems to be grass stains on his knees and they won’t be coming off now, but he’ll have to worry about that later. minwook is practically almost running after dahhe. there’s a skip in his step as he follows dahee, “we should maybe eat a few, for you know quality test purposes.” he’s pretty sure that dahee knows that he just wants to eat some persimmons because there is no way that she grows anything less than quality.

there was always something so freeing and lively about minwook. him and dahee seemed to be similar in the way they were, as it didn’t look like life took way their light, almost childlike auras. that was one of the reasons why they got along so well. that was also why she didn’t hesitate to comply to the pinky promise he offered, a fit of suppressed giggles escaping from her nose as she tried to fit in some words about how the food he brings her is always very delicious and the importance of ‘sealing the deal’.

“of course i did.” she nodded, the look on her face way too serious to be talking about food. though, in her defense, she was serious about food. and it was a desert that minwook made, which was just another pebble in between the reasons why the pout she supported was made her look like a sensible marshmallow. “i said it when i first tasted it, i will say it now. it was absolutely delicious and fluffy like a cloud.” the pout was replaced by a smile. “one day you’ll take over the chef’s place and i will be able to waltz into the kitchen and steal all the food i want without being yelled at.” it was a personal trauma from her childhood - the five year only wanted a sweet snack (even a candy would have done) to occupy herself with while her mother was working and didn’t need her held. but the man (who she ended up calling the mean king of the kitchen) only scolded her before shutting the door in her face. baby dahee had never been more scared of anyone in her life.

a long breath escaped her lips as she hummed, pleased with his suggestion. “ah yes..” she turned to walk backwards to their destination, just so she could look at minwook, who was following close behind. “because we would most definitely not want our loved and adored pyo family poisoned.” she nodded a few times. “we, as their loyal followers and workers, have to take the bullet for them and test persimmons out.” dahee sighs dramatically. “we’ll die heros, minwook.” 

she was too busy joking around while patting her chest and mumbling about what impeccable workers they were to notice the feeble tree behind her. it caused her to run her back straight into some sharp branches of the three that was their destination. huffing, she turned to face it instead of minwook and rubbed her back to distribute the unsettling (bot not overwhelming) pain. “beautiful.” dahee admired, delicately touching the fruit, observing it. she would have lied is she said that she wasn’t proud of her work with the fruits that grew in the garden - grafting trees was hard work. nevertheless, it seemed to have payed off, as the fruit looked delicious. “help yourself...” she bit her lips, giving minwook a look. “you know.. for testing purposes.” 

[rydahee-blog]

intense.

[rydahee-blog]

jun:

<...>

          good riddance.

          glaring at nothing in particular, he seethed in silence as he released the annoyance that was bubbling in his stomach for a few hours now. he didn’t realize his gaze was necessarily set on someone, as he was too busy paying mind to the millions of thoughts that ran through his head. he knew staring was rather rude as well, and he wouldn’t do it unless he had a purpose for it— and he certainly had no reason to stare at the pyo’s gardener, but he didn’t realize he was the one staring at her first, so one could only imagine the surprise that flashed on his features when he noticed her glance back at him. should he say something? it would probably be better for the both of them if he stayed silent, right? ❝ what’re you looking at? ❞ nevermind.

it felt cold; his stare. it was piercing, like daggers invisible to the human eye. so much that it made an unpleasant shiver run down dahee’s spine and she couldn’t help but  move uncomfortably in her spot under his intense stare, shaking her head. completely unaware that she was just in the way of his gaze - nothing more, nothing less - she couldn’t help but wonder what exactly she did to deserve such a look. has she encountered him before? has her clumsy nature made her spill something like dirt on him? no, she would have remembered. was it because she didn’t say a ‘hello’? she just thought it would be rude to interrupt.

with a lengthy self monologue ringing in her ears, dahee kept looking towards him and shifting in her spot. she did notice his lips move, but was too busy trying to pick her own brain when he spoke to her to actually make out the words. but whatever he said, in her eyes the prince did not seem pleased. not with that look in his eyes.

“i..” she squirmed under his gaze, looking around at the flowers she grew as if they would tell her what to say. she could only clear her throat, pacing in one place. “you just seemed very displeased, your highness. i’m not sure what i did to deserve such a long and cold look.” dahee admitted, not daring to look up and witness the stare again. but she didn’t need to, as she felt it - the way coldness crept up onto her limbs. it was intimidating, to say the least.

[floralls]

by  jardinebotanic

[rydahee-blog]

painful encounters.

@ryjinwoo

around the pyo household dahee was known to be somewhat like a small and messy hurricane ever since she first stepped into the palace at the age of five. it was like she was a walking time bomb of mishaps and danger - expensive vases seemed to voluntarily fall off the shelves at her presence, pots began to break and flood everyone’s shoes with soil, not to mention that everyone around her, including the girl herself, somehow kept ending up injured. 

many struggled to believe the concentration of clumsy in one small, petite body. but one wouldn’t need to follow her around for long to witness her graceless nature. frankly, it doesn’t take that much - just put dahee in a long dress, a pair of heels, give her a couple of glasses of champagne and enjoy the show of her landing face first on a red carpet right near the exit. 

it felt like one of those embarrassing falls one would witness in a movie - the elegant suits and shimmering dresses around dahee disappeared from her view in slow motion, as her heels somehow tangled between the layers of fabric of her long dress and the girl could do nothing but let out a high-pitched yelp and squeeze her eyes shut in complete terror as her face made contact with the floor.  thankfully, she stood up almost as quickly as she went down,  trying to play it off. her calm stance disappeared as soon as she witnessed droplets of red  landing onto her light dress.

“oh god... please help me,” the girl turned to the first person next to her, horrified and oh-”why does this keep happening whenever we meet?” she tried laughing but soon found that it was too painful. dahee covered up her bloody nose with one hand, carefully pinching it with the other, but could only hiss at the feeling. “oh my gosh did i break my nose?” she looked as if she was about to cry, watery eyes set on jinwoo.  why did it always happen around him?

[rydahee-blog]

charm.

@ryxankor

originally the idea was to keep close to yejin, clap when she is introduced, stay a little while after and then go home, because the fancy dresses and expensive suits was not exactly her scene and, frankly, her eyes were a little foggy from a sleepless night working on the flower arrangements for the ball (or was it the alcohol?). but as the main event passed and everyone was back to socializing, dahee found herself wandered away from her best friend, sitting down right at the bar with a champagne glass in hand, slightly swaying to the music.

“this is nice,” the girl said to no one in particular, but a feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that someone was, in fact, listening. uneasy, her gaze moved around the nearest perimeter only to find two very familiar eyes looking right back from a few seats away. the girl wasn’t sure if he was the one to blame for the uncomfortable feeling of being watched, but he was looking at her now. might as well acknowledge it. 

“why are you here all alone? aren’t you enjoying the ball?” the question was directed at him without her moving any closer. she seemed a bit surprised at the fact that ankor, out of all people, was at the bar instead of socializing. as far as she knew, social events made him thrive. “or are you following me?” she squinted suspiciously, voice holding a humorous tone to it. dahee was joking, but it didn’t take from the fact that his smile was nice enough to charm her. she was not that kind of person and maybe even disliked herself for giving in those few times. he was dangerous and she must resist. though, despite all that, he was still her friend - she couldn’t cut him off completely, no matter how much she wanted.

[ccjennie-deactivated20180103]

supermarket flowers,

[rydahee-blog]

ryjuyeon:

@rydahee​

juyeon takes into heart the annual health screenings she’s tasked to have. it is the personal duty that she has to herself and to her well being so it’s no surprise that she finds herself at the hospital one day.

the normalcy of what she’s putting herself through is such an odd feeling that she cannot shake away. when she was still then the coveted bae juyeon, heiress to govern the provinces of seoul and gyeonggi, even something as mundane as a trip to the hospital is something that she cannot do alone. in fact, the hospital staff are the ones to visit them and not the other way around. this makes it feel as though she has some semblance of control. it’s a very liberating feeling.

an hour later and once all the fees were paid, she was finally free to go. juyeon walks through the halls of the hospital in a steady leisure, noticing how the stature of the place is not exactly as depressing and as horrifying as the films and the dramas would show. the bustle is normal, yet she can’t help but frown at some sad faces she comes across.

her footsteps skid to a halt when a soft yet firm hand encloses itself on her wrist. she turns to face the other person as her lips fell open in an act of surprise, brows almost marring together as her features then morph into a look of confusion. “hello! pardon me but is there anything that i can do for you?” she questions in a soft tone. the lady looks motherly, not all too threatening but her guards are up just in case.

dahee could not imagine her life without her mother; she was a giver, giving her daughter so much love and teaching her how to love people, life, nature and anything around. therefore, dahee always called her mother her sunflower - bright and warm, not like anything else in the planet.

but the light started to flicker once her mother started mixing up memories; some days she was completely fine. but on the other days she called dahee a different name - one of a friend she had in high school, sometimes she wandered into playgrounds, dragging one of the boys with her and calling him the name of dahee’s long lost younger brother. 

it was hard to hear the diagnosis - dementia. 

it was even harder to deal with it, as dahee could not always be around her mother to look after her. therefore, her mother wandered off a lot, ending up in police stations without any guardian - she could not recall any name. and every other night her daughter found herself running to different police stations and hospitals around town, looking for someone with no recollection.

that was exactly how dahee ended up in the hospital that night, chasing her own mother and trying to convince her to come home with her. no matter how much talking the daughter did, her mother didn’t seem convinced, taking the chance to walk away any time she could, and before dahee knew it, the dearest possible person in her life was gripping a random woman’s wrist.

“yoonhee, it’s me! how long has it-” dahee grips her mother by the sleeve before she could continue, bowing a full ninety degrees towards the woman her mother had bothered, muttering a bunch of apologies before looking at her mother, who is starring back at her, obviously very displeased. the aged woman shrugs her daughter off before continuing her tantrum towards the woman she was holding on to.

lost, the daughter just stares, gulping audibly and waiting for a reaction.

[rydahee-blog]

it’s you.

[rydahee-blog]

daehoon:

He’s Yang Daehoon, he’s ever the Yang palace boy who never gets to taste wine and see the sun set.

But what people really don’t know is this;

He was once with no name, once gone through the great extremes because of people he didn’t know, once physically ‘violated’ for not his own good. A kid crying with nothing to lose and nothing to gain. Yet at some point in time, there’s a hand that did reach out to him, a smile that he swore he’d remember. He did– might, maybe, have fallen in love with the little child that he would often visit the garden just to talk to her. 

But the system has gotten into him the second he entered the Yang palace as a servant boy, and little did he know that his ambition made his mind wander off of things like childish play and her. A dream that he grew up to forget.

So there he is with his sly grin and flirtatious ways as he finally sips wine of youth that was never his. At some point, he goes to excuse himself to take some fresh air, feeling footsteps following him on the way outside. 

It doesn’t really bother him, he never is afraid of anything– not even death. So when he feels a tap against his shoulder, he idly takes a turn to face someone. He blinks, surprised, nostalgic– different.

Who would even forget her? her eyes are only hers– different from any other people he has met, she’s just that unforgettable. 

“Have we?” he asks, eyes wandering on her eyes, then her nose, then her lips– then he’s stuck back on her eyes again.

“Met?” 

He continues, waits– hopes. 

“you look..” having trouble phrasing a coherent sentence, her eyes wandered around his face, looking for at least some sort of non-verbal confirmation. “you look exactly like a boy i used to know.”

used to. 

to this day she would remember how much she looked forward to the visits of one of her only friends. whatever they talked about was nothing more than child talk - the only thing their young minds could wrap around. but somehow that particular friendship held a bigger part of her heart than any of her current ones, feelings held before she even knew what feelings were. 

the first week he didn’t come she kept asking her mother if he came when she was not around. no, honey, he didn’t. the second week he didn’t visit, she asked around the palace if anyone saw him. no, no one. on the third week disappointment stayed on her shoulders and sadness dwelt in her young heart - maybe he just didn’t want to be her friend anymore.

she thought about the boy growing up, too, the memory of his tears stuck in her head. those tears weren’t shed for nothing? what if something bad happened to him?

now her hopes were suddenly up. his eyes looked the same; and something about the way the man was looking at her told her that seeing her rang a bell in his head, too.

“i am sorry if you are not him, but i feel like i will lose my mind if i leave this alone.” what she said next could have been her own suicide - she might have gotten thrown out. a mundane like her did not belong in the ball, no matter who had invited her. “back when i was a child, i met a boy crying on the street and gave him flowers that i picked when i was helping my mother in the pyo garden.” she could not peel her gaze away from his, completely frozen in place. “is it you?”

[rydahee-blog]

                         -“you hurt, i hurt”.

                          DAJIN (dahee +yejin) : the gardener & the princess.                                                                ;; a friendship that started with a bandage.                                                                                                                  @ryyejin

[rydahee-blog]

it’s you.

@rydaehoon

the ball was not like anything dahee had ever the chance to witness. of course, she had seen her fair share of parties in the pyo residence (or, as they called them, ‘gatherings’). but it was never as grand and elegant as the ball she found herself that evening.  the event was something far away from her reality, which was filled with flowers, dirt and vase shards. it was so foreign that despite the nice dress yejin put her in and how made up she was, dahee spent all evening shying away from any possible conversation and avoiding any possible contact with nobles.

that considered, the fact that she was very openly starring at one particular man sitting not too far away from her was surprising. and as much as dahee did not want to draw any attention to herself, she couldn’t peel her eyes off of him.  he looked like someone she knew many years ago. someone who she saw crying on the street and felt so bad that the young girl gave him her the first ever bouquet she made from not so secretly picked flowers from the pyo garden in hopes of cheering him up. the kids became friends and he kept coming over. until one day he didn’t. she never saw him again.

the man’s resemblance to the boy was frighteningly unbelievable.. intrigued, her feet moved on their own accord whenever he did, following closely. she would have went over to him if it weren’t for her timid character and the fact that he is most likely a noble who will not want to anything to do with her.

isn’t he?

at some point during her innocent stalking, dahee got too close and before she could process what she was doing, her hand reached out to tap his shoulder gently, completely ignoring the fact that he’s been talking to some people. “excuse me?”

[rydahee-blog]

hold my hand.

@ryyejin

that evening the echo of people talking was loud enough to fade the soft live music into the background. dahee couldn’t help but observe the guests in elegant dresses and perfectly tailored suits, who didn’t seem to care that much about the entertainment of the night, too focused on the gossip and tasteless story sharing in their own little bubbles. 

did dahee feel out of place? of course. 

her long dress and wavy hair fit the occasion. nevertheless, the girl felt too common and mundane for the ball, shying away from any possible conversation and slouching uncomfortably whenever she caught someone’s eyes peering at her. blending in seemed impossible and, truthfully, dahee knew that would happen. but how could she have ever declined the invitation to the ball when it was yejin who wholeheartedly invited her? she loved her best friend too much to miss her coming out into society at a formal "debut". it was an important night and that was a good enough reason for the commoner to stay. if yejin was happy, dahee was, too.

a part of the evening was spent shuffling close behind yejin everywhere she went, fingers grasping onto the princess’ hand to feel at least a little bit of comfort. nevertheless, the effect was short lived - as the evening progressed, her sight kept catching things... people... who stirred so many emotions in her: pettiness, envy, regret, anger, confusion, desperation, sadness. dahee tried not to feel those stupid emotions towards the eldest pyo prince and his fiance, she was mad at herself for the ten year old crush, desperate for it to dissolve. but it never did.

“yejin,” her fingers grasped onto her friend’s arm for the one thousandth time that evening. “you know who is here and.. just.. please hide me?” her hair fell around the sides of her face like a curtain as her head hug low, forehead softly placed onto the shoulder of the princess. just like that the commoner hid again. she hid everyone there. even herself.

[rydahee-blog]

let it out.

[rydahee-blog]

minjun:

then it was decided. minjun informed the karaoke staff that they will just share the room and split the overall cost, drinks are on each other’s terms though and minjun feels like she would take a sip or two just for tonight. “alright please come this way ladies.” minjun felt her throat clenched as she heard the staff. “ah no use in really bothering to correct her.” she was mildly concerned of the misgendered term but again, she did not want to be an annoyance since she rarely comes to the business enough for this.

minjun and dahee were lead to their rented room. a large color disco ball hung around the ceiling as the walls were painted with various of colors and designs. the leather couch was wiped clean from the previous renters with the song book placed neatly on a cushion. “the menu for food and drinks on the table, please use the phone here to order,” the staff point to the line next to the door. “enjoy your stay!“ and with that she left the two in the strangely lit area. “well we’re here.” minjun spoke out of the silence before sitting on the couch. “would you like to go first dahee? also would you like anything to drink? it’s my treat since we got into this situation.”

the moment they stepped into the room, dahee headed straight to the couch. sinking into the soft leather, the girl took the song book in her hands, scrolling to find that one familiar melody that she had named hers ever since the first time she found solace in the karaoke room. “oh yes, i’d love to go first! i  have this go-to song. i am sure you know it.” it was one of the old hits that she wasn’t alive to hear live. but at least it has become a legendary song. “but we have to do a duet at some point tonight.” 

dahee took a moment to look at minjun, offering her a smile. somehow, despite them being close to strangers, she felt really comfortable around the younger. “nah, i feel bad about letting you take the bill. how about you pay for the beverages and i pay for the overall cost of the room?” she haggled. “i usually drink some soju with some fried seafood. but if you don’t want to drink, then i’ll just get some sparkling water,” the girl would have felt weird if she drank alone when there’s someone else beside her in the room.

[thesunbin]