Choi Se Hwa - 1993.10.02
Dance Instructor
Location: South Korea
[OC KRP!!! Not affiliated with Lovelyz, Mijoo, or Woollim Entertainment in any way. Strictly roleplay account.]
Sehwa was so preoccupied with calculating the cost of the meal she wanted to purchase that she didn’t even realize she was practically squishing the girl next to her while leaning over. As soon as the other female snapped her out of it and brought her back to reality she immediately gave her some room. “Oh my gosh I’m so sorry! I didn’t hurt you did I?”
「 @sehwaxlove receives a starter for hitting the ♡ 」
muse chosen: HEEJUN
note: this doesn’t have a real plotline so you can lead this wherever you want! or make it whatever you want.
Like so often, Heejun was calm, just staring into some direction. He was a very silent and almost shy person, not smiling often and cursed with something other people would call a resting bitch face. Mostly, he wasn’t good with people, but he was good with animals. Sometimes Heejun was certain that he loved animals more than he could ever like other people. Or maybe he just tried to stay distant from other people. There were so many witches around, more than the normal human could imagine and after all, Heejun tried to avoid them. He didn’t want to get in trouble with other covens again just because he has bonded with a coven leader quite some time ago. ❝ Can we go? ❞ Heejun finally looked up to the woman next to him. ❝ I don’t like all these people here. ❞
Sehwa was still relatively new to the area. She had never been in this part of Korea before but the situation was improving. Since moving here she had pretty much learned her way around and met a bunch of new people, including Heejun. While they weren’t super close at this point, she enjoyed his company a lot and was eager to get to know him better.
She nodded in response to him and immediately began to move away from the area. “Yeah, we can go. Is there anywhere you want to go instead?” To her there weren’t that many people in the area they were at but she wasn’t going to ignore his wishes. Especially if he was expressing to her that he was uncomfortable. However, they didn’t have plans to go elsewhere so she wasn’t sure where they should head next.
▷ ► ► ▷ The beginning of October. Jaewon had always had mixed feelings for this month and it’s only become worse now that his ex girlfriend, Sehwa, is back in town. Jaewon sighed heavily, leaning back on the wall as he sat on his bed. He looked at the time on his phone, noticing the date. He hesitated for a second, but in the end decided to send a message.
[ ✉ Sehwa >>] Happy birthday, idiot. Don’t expect to get that plush from me !! I posted it on social media as a joke.
This year felt quite dull. Nothing felt lively with her father in the hospital. Chuseok was empty and her birthday was as well. Normally she would try spend all of her time at the hospital with her father, but she really didn’t feel like doing so on her birthday and she felt a little guilty. Her plans were to just enjoy the night in as she didn’t have anyone to spend it with. However, she was surprised to receive a text from none other than her ex boyfriend, Jaewon. Despite the fact that their relationship was still awkward, the message was extremely uplifting.
[ ✉️ : Jaewon] Haha don’t worry I know it was a joke. Thanks for the birthday message.
𝓲𝓽 𝔀𝓪𝓼 𝓷𝓸 𝓼𝓮𝓬𝓻𝓮𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓯𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓬𝓲𝓼 𝓾𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓫𝓮 𝓪𝓷 𝓲𝓭𝓸𝓵. when he was raised in japan, he was perhaps one of the most recognised idols of that era. even to this very day, many recognise his as francis of the jpop industry, it had been decades since then, but now… now he was father francis, the bringer of peace and tranquility to the souls of the tormented. a smile graces at his corners as the other spoke, her expression only made a chuckle leave his lips in response. ❝ i do, my dear. may i ask how long you have been doing ballet ? they art form of it is incredulously difficult, the posture alone i believe, is hard to perfect. ❞ he nods. was it odd that a father like himself knew so much about dance ? perhaps. but would it have been a surprise to know that the father used to be an idol ? perhaps.
the father smiles again, ❝ i used to be an idol in japan, before i had chosen the path of peace. ❞ his gaze drifts about the studio, taking in the vicinity, noting the various kinds of people who attended the class. it was an enjoyment to witness countless people gathering all for the cause of dance, how freely this art form allowed people to express themselves.
❝ pardon my rude intrusion, would it be okay for me to stay and watch ? it has been a while, and i am feeling rather nostalgic. ❞
“I’ve been doing ballet for,” She paused a moment to count in her head, it had been so long that even she couldn’t remember, “17 years. I started when I was very young and haven’t stopped since!” That was a fact she was proud of and her face beamed as she spoke. Not very many people were lucky enough to be doing what they loved for as long as she had, or even to find it when that young.
“You used to be an idol in Japan? Really?” Of course she didn’t think he would lie to her, but she was just so surprised to hear it. “I didn’t know that!” Sehwa had also used to perform and at the time could never think of giving it up, but after returning home she found a new dream and was fully enjoying what she was doing now. A former idol making the career change to being the father of a church would probably shock many, and while at first it did shock her, she sort of understood and related due to her own experiences.
“Of course you can stay and watch, it’ll be good for the students to perform in front of people as well.” She escorted him to a small corner of the studio which contained a few chairs, usually for parents to watch if they chose to, but for today none had stayed. “You can sit here and watch if you’d like.”
Minjung glanced down at the other’s bags after letting go of the woman’s hands, raising her eyebrows with astonishment. Clearly, the girl had done more damage than herself and she was grateful she’d forgotten her belongings in her old seat. She probably should have went to retrieve those but there was no need to expose her poor spending habits, not yet at least. “Wow, you really went all out—didn’t you?” Another chuckle left her lips as she became focused on the hoard of bags that separated the two, intrigued by the sorts of things she would have been interested in but never actually prying further.
“I’m just going to cut the crap and say,” The woman glanced over at Sehwa and lowered her voice. “This train is creepy as fuck. Honestly, I didn’t want to sit by myself back there so I’m glad you’re here.” Perhaps she’d made things awkward as her words came to a full stop and all she could do was rub the back of her neck. It wasn’t like her to show such vulnerability, even more so to a stranger she wasn’t sure she’d come in contact with again. However, she felt it was better to be honest and not play games. She didn’t come for pointless small talk. She came for comfort. “You’re scared too, right?”
And there it was again, another heavy sigh that managed to escape her lips and she turned once again to glance out the window. This time she noticed a faint shadow in the reflection, one that she didn’t recall ever seeing before. It looked to be the silhouette of a person, a woman to be exact, sitting in one of the seats adjacent to their own. Minjung spun around to glance over at the seats across from them, her entire being stiffening with unease when the seats appeared empty. “Yah… did you see that just now?” She bumped her arm against Sehwa’s to get her attention.
“I suppose I did, I don’t really see it that way. A friend of mine told me this store had good deals so I went to save some money. I didn’t plan on spending as much as I did but my house is empty so they were all necessary purchases.” Okay maybe not necessary but hey she hardly ever splurged. She deserved it. What Minjung said next though was something that had kind of been on her mind since the two had begun their conversation.
“Yeah it is a little creepy. I didn’t realize it really until we started talking but now it’s obvious.” Sehwa wasn’t one for scary stuff and she tended to scare easily. The other appearing to be equally as scared as she was didn’t help either. “I am scared but,” she attempted to laugh it off, “I’m sure it’s just because we’re the only ones here and it’s late. It’s probably just us being paranoid.” That was the most likely cause of it, and making sense of the situation was the best option for her.
As she tried to calm herself down, she jumped with fright as Minjung bumped her arm. “What? See what?” Sehwa pulled her legs up onto the seat out of instinct and looked around the train cabin they were in. “I don’t see anything... what was it?” Now she was even more spooked than before.
sunny exhaled sharply before carding his fingers through his hair. maybe he was overreacting, maybe he was letting out his emotions on this girl who really did make an honest mistake. “it’s whatever,” he stated, unable to to admit that maybe he had over exaggerated, crossing his arms together and looking away.
“it’s not just about getting laid, it’s a matter of my image. i’m held to a certain standard, i can’t have people thinking that i’ve stooped so low as to wear cotton t-shirts. it’s fashion,” he informed the other, breathing through his teeth as he thought of what to say next. “but you’re soaking we too and not to mention wearing that outfit so i can’t be mad for long because seriously, that’s just pitiful.”
Sehwa looked down at her outfit, confused at his statement. It was a popular look in LA, and something she had worn often. She’d also seen many people in Korea wearing a similar look. Was it really that bad? “I don’t think it’s really....pitiful.” This guy was starting to make her mad. It was one thing to not like her clothes but to call her pitiful for wearing them left a bad taste in her mouth.
“I felt bad about getting your clothes wet and maybe mine aren’t up to your ‘fashion standards’” she did air quotes around the latter two words, “but at least mine will be fine after encountering just a little bit of water.”
The girl was slowly relaxing a little - as much as you could with being followed. Maybe it was the girl’s voice or the fact that she had someone on the line if something did happen to her. “They’re getting quite tiring, but with my album coming out soon I have to practice. I believe its the 20? I forgot with so many dates in my head, maybe you could come to one.” It was a talking point and maybe since the girl is giving her help it was the least she could offer. She’d honestly at this point do anything for this girl. The young artist cleared her throat, eyes looking back as the men started to fall back some as she got deeper into her conversation. Maybe they were giving up ?
“I’ll be sure to !” She faux excitement, hoping to make it seem she was talking with someone she known for years. “You know I always end up taking care of my body - it may take me a bit longer but it happens.” The girl gripped the straps of her pack as she walked faster, realizing she was getting pretty close to her home. Well close enough that she was getting more comfortable.
She had almost asked what kind of work she did -however that would blow the cover of good friends. However curiosity was eating at her - maybe a roundabout question would you work, “Ah you sound so busy - please don’t over work yourself. Are you stationed at the same place?” She had hoped the girl had gotten the point of her question. “Maybe I’ll come by with lunch some day this week?”
Sehwa found herself getting more and more invested into the conversation as it dragged on. She didn’t know this girl at all but maybe it was because she had some similar experiences that she felt closer to her. “They don’t say ‘practice makes perfect’ for no reason.” Sehwa laughed a bit, “I’ll definitely try to make it to one if I can.” After becoming so intrigued with this person, she was interested in seeing who it was on the other side of the conversation in person. Going to a show would probably be enjoyable as well so was there really a downside in attending?
She found herself nodding in response to the girl on numerous occasions, even if the other couldn’t see her doing so, letting out a ‘mhmm’ every now and then to let her know she was still there. Keeping up the conversation wasn’t coming so hard now, at least on Sehwa’s end. “It’s fine, I love my job so much it’s relaxing to me. Yeah, I’m still at the same place. Haven’t gotten that studio of my own just yet but I’m working on it. Oh yeah it’ll be fun to have lunch together, it’s been so long!”
Hyunjae’s ears heard the words she said but his brain did not. He looked between the paper and the stranger so kindly offering him help. Honestly, it was very simple and a quite easy-to-follow map, if you had some sort of previous knowledge of the area. Hyunjae, unfortunately, did not. The man laughed lightly. “ I’ll be honest, my brain did not understand anything you just said. I would definitely appreciate the help, but please don’t let me keep you if you’re busy. “ In conclusion, Hyunjae was a fool … something he wasn’t afraid to admit at least.
She tried hard not to laugh. Her laughter of course, was because he seemed so cute in not understanding, not to make fun of him. “I don’t have anywhere to be, so if you want I can take you there?” Her plans to get lunch could wait. She wasn’t starving to death and just a few extra minutes wouldn’t hurt. Besides she was much more worried about this poor man who seemed to have no sense of direction. “I really don’t mind.”
What have you done to prepare for Chuseok? Has your family prepared for it?
Since my father is in the hospital, we really didn’t feel like celebrating Chuseok this year. It was at the last minute we decided to just have a very small celebration at the hospital with him. My mother and I made a few dishes to take over. Our preparations were very rushed since it was last minute. We all agreed that this might be our last holiday with him so we made the best of what we could do.
Do you enjoy celebrating Chuseok? Why?
I love celebrating Chuseok! There’s so much good food and I get to spend quality time with my family. Even though my extended family didn’t come to us this year, it was always great seeing them and catching up in the past.
Is there anything you dislike about Chuseok? Why?
Not normally. This year I disliked it for a few reasons. Originally we weren’t going to celebrate because my father is in the hospital. We always host and we didn’t want to not have my father there so none of my extended family came. Since I’ve been overseas for a long time I really wish I could’ve seen them. It also just didn’t feel like the holidays at all because we’ve all been so stressed about my father’s condition. So this year’s Chuseok was very disappointing and sad for me.
What will you do on Chuseok and who will you spend it with?
I spent Chuseok with my mother, father and siblings at the hospital. We made only a few dishes since it’s only us, and decorated my father’s hospital room a little. We didn’t want to be over excited because his heart isn’t good, so it was a very laid back celebration.
Will you be going home for Chuseok? How will your family respond to this?
Even though our Chuseok wasn’t as great as it normally is and we didn’t do an all out celebration, I think my family was really glad that I was able to be here this year, since it’s been a few years since I was home. Especially my father, since this might be his last.
Where is your home located? Are you stressed about Chuseok? How is your family environment at home and how big is your family that will be gathering?
My home is located in Wonyang which is where my immediate family also resides. Chuseok wasn’t stressful for me until last minute because we weren’t going to celebrate it this year. Last minute we all came to the agreement to celebrate so my mother and I scrambled to get things done. My family environment at home is good I think, I live on my own but I haven’t heard any complaints from my siblings. As for how big my family is that was at the gathering. It was only my mother, my father, my two siblings and myself. A total of five this year.
Do you have any food allergies that you may need to stay away from?
I am allergic to fuzzy peaches and pineapple. I’m really lucky that my mother tends to stay away from these foods when she cooks so I didn’t have to worry about it.
Is your family more modern or still rather traditional?
My immediate family is a mix. We hold onto a few traditions but we also like to try new things and grow with the times.
Now that Yongdeok and Songcheon are somewhat ghost towns during this holiday, how do you feel about this? Do you miss the hustle and bustle, or are you excited to have a little elbow room?
I don’t have a preference personally. It’s a little weird because I’m not so used to it being so empty but it’s not something that really bothers me or something I enjoy/hate more over the other.
Do you think you’ll go out to enjoy the festivities, or will you stay inside?
I really just wanted to stay with my father and family this year. Since I’ve missed out on so many years prior to this one I just want to be with them and enjoy their company. So that’s pretty much, mostly inside.
Is there a certain way you wish to spend the holiday besides they way you are?
There’s not a whole lot that can be done about our current situation with my father’s health. I do wish that he was healthy and we could enjoy it with my aunts, uncles and other family as well.
▷ ► ► ▷A faint hum would escape from his pursed lips, noticing sehwa arms stick out towards him. He looked at his hands, each having two plastic bags. His arms lifted up for a moment, letting the bags move up and down so that he could feel the weight. He then grabbed on of the bags from his left hand before handing Sehwa a single one to carry for him. “What are you talking about splitting? I plan to take majority of this back to my place.” He chuckled while throwing the three bags over his shoulders.
Jaewon began to follow her lead once the two of them were back outside. But the expression that played on his face when her family was mentioned had made him feel worried. He was always one who could tell when Sehwa was reluctant to talk about a subject. He feared to hear the worst news of the family he once thought of his own. “I’m sorry. I-I should of been there for them, I didn’t know he was that ill.” Jaewon didn’t know what to say or do with the current situation so he attempted to change the subject, “S-so…” His mind drew a blank, now realizing he should maybe not say anything that might set her off. “Nice weather we’re having, huh?”
Sehwa wished he would’ve given her another bag to carry but she knew how he was and decided not to complain. The bag he did give her wasn’t so heavy and was easy for her to carry as well. She laughed a bit alongside him. He knew he wasn’t joking and would end up taking them home but she still was going to eat some too. Didn’t it make sense for her to pay as well?
It was obvious that Jaewon felt awkward and that wasn’t her intention to make him feel that way. “It’s okay. Why would you check up on them right?” Sehwa pursed her lips and shrugged. It wasn’t his responsibility to take care of her family and she didn’t expect him to. Especially after how things ended between them all those years ago. “Really, it’s not a subject you have to avoid.” They came upon her house and she turned into the front yard, “We’re here!” Sehwa rushed up to the door to unlock it and open it for them. “Come inside.”
𝖜𝖆𝖗𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖚𝖕 𝖆𝖑𝖒𝖔𝖘𝖙 𝖘𝖊𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖉 𝖍𝖆𝖇𝖎𝖙𝖚𝖆𝖑 𝖓𝖔𝖜. without thought every morning he would wake up, and do stretches to warm up. for no reason at all. his life as an athlete required him to train almost every day where possible, and with the intense regime of his workout it was almost mandatory for him to do equally intensive warmups to prepare his body. he nods at her question, ❝ i’m not too sure if my warmups are adequate for dance. ❞ a nervous smile pulling at his corners, ❝ i think it would be useful if you walked me through the warmups you expect from me in the future, so i can come well prepared. ❞ he nods again, ready to follow her lead.
“Okay, we can start off with some simple ones then. Better safe than sorry.” If he didn’t know if his warmups were adequate then she definitely would have no idea. Sehwa didn’t even know what kind of warmups he did, so it was better in the end for them to do them together. “We’ll just start off with a runner’s lunge okay?” It was also best for them to stretch properly too so this warmup seemed like the best one to start off with. She easily got into the position to demonstrate.
Though she felt everyone probably knew what this stretch was already, she didn’t want to assume. “So you can just come next to me and do it with me.” Sehwa motioned him over with her hand. “After this we’ll do some jumping jacks too.”
Honeymoon. Negotiation. Adjustment. Adaption. The four traditional phases of experiencing culture shock. Though there were without dout similarities between London and Wonyang, the differences were always present but they were nothing short of glaring. Even after eight months living and working in the city there still seemed to be so many obstacles.
He was lucky in a sense that his parents had insisted on him learning the language as a child. English had always been his first language, and the language that was spoken in his home, but he hand a functional vocabulary and was just fluent enough to get by. It was the little things that he still struggled with. The tiny cultural norms that he’d previously thought nothing of. He couldn’t count the amount of times that he’d managed to accidentally offend someone. Even the design of the city itself was still somewhat disconcerting. It was never something he’d made a big deal out of though, with Sehwa or anyone else, figuring that he’d just work through it. Internalize and reress any negative thoughts: that had always been his modus operendi. Involving other people rarely served any purpose other than to irritate or inconvenience them.
The first few months had been such a blur that in truth he couldn’t pinpoint exactly when, where or how he’d met Sehwa. He’d go on to learn that she’d studied abroad and so been on the same rollercoaster he found himself on, only going in reverse. And so with the honeymoon phase well and truly in the rear-view mirror, he found himself cracking the door open ever so slightly and showing the briefest flash of doubt. After all, if anyone was likely to understand it was her. “I just… I don’t know…” He started, attempting to maintain his usual congenial facade. “Guess I thought everything would start feeling a little more normal by now… and everything still seems kind of strange. I tried reading up on it, and it wasn’t exactly helpful. I didn’t even like London that much but I kind of miss it. Does that sound dumb? I feel like that sounds dumb.”
Sehwa sipped on her coffee quietly as she listened to Jaebeom talk about his issues, nodding occasionally. All of the things he was saying were things she had also felt during her time abroad. It made her so happy that she could be here for him like she wished someone could’ve been there for her. Truthfully she didn’t know how to make the situation better but she would definitely try and hopefully it would work out.
After he finished she put her drink down and shook her head. “No no! It doesn’t sound dumb at all. I went through the same thing when I was in LA. London is what you’re familiar with and I’m sure there are things here and there that remind you of it. Even though you’ve been here for a while, maybe it’s because you haven’t fully immersed yourself in it yet?”
She didn’t want to pretend like she knew the answer, it wasn’t until she moved back home that she had been cured of this feeling after all, but she also knew that going out with friends and participating in events lessened it at the very least. If anything, hopefully just letting him vent it out would help too.
Hyunjae took a moment to catch his breath. Relief flooded through him. He hated asking for help, but man was he glad he hadn’t been shrugged off. “ Thank you so much ! Um … I’m trying to find the Coex Mall. I know that probably seems weird that I don’t know where it is but, well … “ He scratched the back of his neck, offering a sheepish smile.
He’d been to said mall, Coex, once before. It’d been with a friend and they had driven, Hyunjae getting completely lost in conversation. Hyunjae had barely paid attention to the route they’d taken. Even if he did, it was so long ago that he really couldn’t remember. “ My sense of direction is awful, I apologize. “
The Coex Mall was somewhere she’d been to often so she knew how to get there like she knew how to breath. “Oh, yeah I know where that is. Let me draw it out for you, and that’s fine you don’t have to apologize.” It didn’t take her very long to draw up a map for him, it actually wasn’t that far from where they were. “Okay so,” Sehwa stood behind him and showed him the map to explain it to him, “You just go up right to here, and then you turn here and at this point just look for a sign that says this on it and then make another turn and you’re there!”
Sehwa handed him the map and patted him gently on the back. “Got it? If you’re still unsure, I don’t mind helping you out.”
Yoon Sejin was a ball of energy wrapped in a 3-year-old’s body. Mimi was an even smaller ball of energy wrapped in a Chihuahua’s body. All he had surrounding him lately were women and Hyunju was beginning to go a little insane. He missed being a male and doing male things. His brother often avoided him and, as much as he loved his sister, even she could be too much at times. Hyunju needed to bro down. He needed some bro time but he had no one to ‘bro down’ with.
Watching his daughter run had been tiring enough but when he ran after her, he felt old. He wasn’t even 30 yet but his daughter was making him feel older than he was. Watching Sejin bump into a young girl made him flinch. It looked painful for Sejin but he couldn’t help but laugh slightly. His daughter grinned brightly and waved at the woman and it warmed his heart. He was familiar with the girl and so was Sejin.
❝ She’s tiny but she can do some damage. You should see the bruises on my legs, ❞ he joked. ❝ She’ll be fine, ❞ he brushed off, ❝ I’ve seen Sejin walk into a wall then keep going so. ❞
Sehwa waved back at Sejin before smiling and holding out both of her hands for the little girl to grab onto as she helped her up. “Oh really?” she laughed as his joke and stood up to face him. “So she’s got a lot of energy huh?” That part was obvious judging by the situation itself. “Well, it’s nice to meet you Sejin-ah.” She smiled at Sejin and nodded her head. “I’m Sehwa and you are?” Sehwa turned her attention back towards Sejin’s father.
Today she hadn’t been expecting to have such a run-in but the man and his daughter seemed nice enough. She’d probably never run into them again but, who knows, it’s always good to meet new people. She held her hand out to him, waiting to shake his hand.
