RETROUVAILLES

(n.) a unique term that describes the happiness of meeting someone that is very dear to you after a long time

[sweetreunions]

hey y'all, i'm april ( s/h, 21+ ) and this is kang jinah! she's technically a muse i've had for awhile but i've tweaked things here and there so bear with me as i figure her out fully once again 🥹 you already know the drill: background (tw: mentions of child abandonment + bullying) and plot bunnies under the cut, drop a like for plotting and i'll hit you up 🫶🏻

BACKGROUND

born in daegu to a young college couple that could barely afford to make ends meet for themselves, let alone their newborn child. she was left on the steps of the local fire department at the age of three and brought to a children's home not long after

she was six years old when a sweet couple from the busy bustling city of seoul adopted her, the wife having chanced upon the children's home and jinah during a work trip as a traveling nurse. little young jinah would become the light of their lives despite not being biologically theirs

jinah's childhood was spent adjusting to the bright and loud city when she had only known the quaintness of the countryside, but it didn't take her long to adapt and by the time she moved on to middle school, she was living life like a seoul local

if living like a local meant enduring the hazing and bullying of fellow classmates for being given up at birth. how they came to know such a fact, jinah would never know but that didn't faze her nor did it hinder her in any way because if there's anything that kang jinah is, it's resilient

that resiliency got her through public schooling and before she knew it, she was entering university where she could be anyone that she wanted to be. not that she particularly kept her adoptee status a secret, but it's not exactly something you spill on a first date over coffee, y'know?

it's also during university that she started to fiddle with the idea of finding her birth parents, figure out her true roots and what not. she was careful in letting her parents know of her thoughts and luckily for her, they were fully supportive of the idea as long as jinah finished university first. so that she did; with a bachelors in computer science from hanyang and a mountain of debt to show for it

and so she's back in daegu now, 20 years later to search for her birth parents after the immense amount of money spent on a private investigator alerted her that [redacted] and [redacted] on her file still resided there

for her personality she's very much sticking to the phrase "it is what it is", meaning she's likely to be one of the chillest people you've ever met. it's not that she doesn't care, because it's likely that she does, it's just that she chooses not to stress herself over things completely out of her control. she's sweet and almost always with a smile on her face. a nice girl that would help the elderly cross the street if she saw them struggle or wander around to help a lost child find their parents, you get the vibe we're going for here

PLOTS:

she's a relatively fresh face around the mall and clearly in need of a friend; that's where you come in! ever since you noticed her taking a break on her own you've made it your personal goal to check in with jinah whenever possible

for whatever reason, you find yourself digging through the racks and racks of items at isanghan thrift and she's got her eye on you for potential theft with the way you're ransacking through the shelves but really, you're looking for this (1) thing you lost and security says rumour has it it's landed here

something like this post where she notices you having a crappy day and when she inevitably asks what's wrong you say "nothing" except she's calling bullshit. she may be new to sunset but she isn't dumb, so spill

she's been dying to try out glogolf but she doesn't want to go on her own because "that's just sad" so she basically begs you to go with her and honestly...how can you say no to her 🥺

someone who she's known from seoul!! it can either be a friendship they had or perhaps they didn't get along so well back then, the possibilities are truly endless here

a new (?) city means a new dating pool and miss girl won't pass up the opportunity. that is until she finds out you also work at sunset and then it's jinah goes ghost!

miss compsci major is also a gaming nerd and she makes it pretty obvious with her spending breaks glued to her phone a lot of the time– oh what's that? you're a gamer too? oh she could just fall in love rn in this club

i'll add more as time passes (or perhaps make a legit plots page lmao) but this is all i've got atm. as always, if nothing works here i'm all for brainstorming so let's get itttttt 🌚

[sunsetfmsarchive]

at the risk of losing this blog too, i wanted to announce to everyone that tumblr has unfortunately deleted my blog for zurie, my blog for jinam and the main so i'm kind of at my wit's end right now. i've contacted tumblr, but that can take literal weeks to resolve, so i'm thinking of trying to remake the main and hope for the best. just wanted to reiterate to everyone that sunsetkrp is NOT closed despite the termination of the main !!

[miyeosin]

MIYEON ; QUEENCARD (2023)

[wiildgeese]

she likes to think she’s practical. a woman based in logic, playing for two parts of the stem field. but when her cousin calls her so close to the witching hour about a disturbance outside her house, there’s a part of her that breaks out in cold sweat. she thought she’d left that part of her up in palgong mountain, back in the days when she’d spend her early mornings huddled around a group of park rangers as they passed around horror stories like they would a torch. she didn’t believe them then, had only bothered to stay around for the warmth. and it wasn’t until she’d experienced it for herself, a glimpse of something in the woods vague enough for one’s imagination to fill in the gaps, that she’d started to put meaning to all the past incidences that she could never quite explain.

it's this same vagueness in jinah’s call that gets to her. the rattling of windows on a breezeless day, the distant howl of a child’s cries, wood creaking on the floorboard. that’s how these stories start, isn’t it? now she’s pulling up to jinah’s place with a pair of well-worn hiking sticks, does a brief sweep of the perimeter from the safety of her car. she leaves the engine on. “jinah?” she whispers into her phone after the click, an irrational fear that the poltergeist may hear her from her vehicle, “i’m here. can you open the door?” and what she really means to say is to open the door and come get her, because she’s too afraid to step out alone.

WHO YOU GONNA CALL / @sweetreunions

[sweetreunions]

what should have been a relaxing night in is slowing turning into anything but as jinah is curled up under the covers on her bed, door closed, as if either of those things would truly save her from any sort of paranormal activity she has convinced herself is happening. it's truly just her luck that minyoung happens to be out for the night as this happens– after all, two is better than one, right? it's with that philosophy that she calls nara and requests the girl come over to save her from who knows what lurks in the shadows. she doesn't really believe in ghosts but when strange noises start sounding from beyond the thin walls and the lights begin to flicker in random intervals, it's becoming difficult for her to not become a believer.

and when her phone rings from its position beside her on the bed, she almost screams.

the caller id flashes nara's contact name and phone number once she has calmed down enough to check and with shaky hands, she picks up the phone. "um..." she trails off before she can even truly begin her sentence. surely she could open the door, except that would mean she needs to leave what she has dubbed her safe haven. but nara's come all this way and back to her original philosophy, two is better than one. "yeah, one second, i'm coming." so she slips out from under the covers after hanging up the phone and takes quick footsteps towards the front door. she swings it open and meets eyes with her cousin, sitting cushy in her vehicle. she’s only wearing what can only be deemed as sleepwear— an oversized tshirt and shorts but she lets the door lock behind her before she’s escaping to the safer vicinity of the car, unlocking the door and slipping in with a breath of relief. “

okay first, thank you for coming to save me. second, i don’t actually have a plan for after this…”

[firstpatrol]

jinsik glances up at the clock above him, watching the big hand tick slowly, one second after another. he's sitting alone in the security station, quarter past eleven on a lazy sunday morning, no longer clad in the light blue uniform he usually sports. at this hour on any other day, he'd be crammed onto the backseat of a city bus, en route to his dingy flat after completing yet another uneventful night shift. mundane as always, a monotonous routine. what ever happens in daegu anyway?

he leans back on his chair, fingers tapping the desk adjacent. bleary eyes fixate on the entrance, hopeful that he’d catch a glimpse of his colleague walking through the door, any second now. it's quiet, save for the ticking of the clock when suddenly, his attention is diverted by a familiar ringtone buzzing on his work phone. the words isanghan thrift flash on the caller id and jinsik swiftly picks it up, cookie cutter greeting offered as a response, "cha jinsik speaking."

one mention of his name, and he puts a face to the voice almost immediately. though it sounds nothing like the jinah he knows — the bright, contagious smile that enamours him as he walks past isanghan thrift two months ago, melodious laughter in the midst of lunchtime chats once he finally mustered up the courage to introduce himself. today, her uneasiness is apparent, palpable even from across the line. so he reassures her, voice steady and composed, "okay, don’t panic. i can see them from the camera feed." leans in over the security camera, carves a mental picture of the person browsing through the racks. "just keep an eye on them, alright? don't initiate conversation, don't confront them until i'm there. i'll be with you soon."

and just like that, he’s running towards isanghan, all geared up for action.

it’s a rare occurrence for jinsik to seamlessly blend in with sunset’s many customers, as he casually browses through the racks a few feet away from their target. with a watchful eye, he carefully observes their every move, taking note of the many pockets adorning their jacket — a potential red flag, strike one. they’ve been stuck on a particular section for a while too, jinsik notices, the exact same one as he’d monitored through the cctv. strike two. his attention sharpens on their hands, which nervously fiddle with the price tags — a clear indication of suspicious behaviour, marking strike three.

gesturing discreetly towards jinah, signals for her to approach, holds up the first shirt he sees as cover. "excuse me, is this included in the 50% off sale?"

[sweetreunions]

jinah's nodding her head at jinsik's instructions, head full of worry and eyes hyper-focused on the alleged suspect at hand– and it's only moments later that she realizes she had never verbally provided confirmation she understands his instructions. she would like to believe he had been viewing the security feed but nonetheless she speaks a soft "yes" into the phone before the line goes dead. it's her, the quiet music playing in the background, and the other who she has been specifically instructed to stay away from. she's calm, she surely doesn't think this could be just like an episode of the crime dramas she has been binging lately.

the seconds tick by, notably marked by the antique clock placed carefully behind the cash register, which she learned only recently was handed down through different generations of owners of isanghan thrift. definitely not something she would want to break or allow to get in harms way. jinah's careful to only take her eyes off the suspect for barely thirty seconds as she tucks the clock away into a half-empty drawer an arms-length away. it's then that she sees jinsik entering and there's a sigh of relief she's hardly aware she releases. there's still the chance of something dangerous happening but at least in his presence she feels much safer than if she were to handle this alone.

she meekly leaves the safety net she created for herself behind the counter when he gestures for her, begins to speak when her voice cracks and there's a pause as she clears her throat. "yes it is, would you like to try it on? we have fitting rooms at the back." jinah gestures towards the back of the store which also happened to make the suspect exactly in the line of both their vision. she's feeling more confident with the comfort of jinsik's presence but she's still unsure of what exactly will happen in the following moments. so she lowers her voice to a whisper, leaning in just a smidge closer to the male. "what's the plan?"

[sweetreunions]

do you feel like marriage is in your future?

"I'm...not sure." she's a little reluctant to answer but it's honesty hour after all...although she barely has a real answer to supply. "it feels normal to have it as such but at the same time, i can't predict the future."

[sweetreunions]

have you ever betrayed someone close to you?

"what?" to say she's shocked is an understatement and she's shaking her head to refute the question before she proceeds to speak. "of course not! i'd like to think that i've been good to everyone in my life– if anyone has ever felt betrayed by me i'd honestly wish they let me know."

[bezeniths]

tour guide ft. @sweetreunions

to say zurie was in her element being sunset galleria's unofficial welcome wagon would have been a vast understatement; to show a newer employee the mall through her eyes was an experience she never got tired of. she knew all too well a new workplace could be an overwhelming and even scary transition, so she wanted to make sure jinah felt as at home there as possible. "so, we'll start with this !" zurie begins her specialized tour in front of the employee lounge.

"the employee lounge ! you may have seen it already, but there's a few tricks to happiness. if you bring food from home, never leave it unattended anywhere in there. the fridge, the counter ... even if you try and stash it somewhere, it'll get sniffed out and devoured. i learned the hard way," she recounts solemnly, memories of her first month at the mall flooding back. so many ramen bowls were lost before she got to taste them, and she'd be damned if jinah would suffer the same fate. "you're better off taking it to work with you and securing it there, somewhere," she advised the other before peeling away from the breakroom door.

"we'll head to the maintenance stairwell next ! i dunno if you have a smoking habit of any kind, but if you do, that's the place to be ! we'll pass through there to the old, sealed off art studio. they don't do lessons there anymore, but there's still some cool stuff around. some of us drink there if the bar isn't open or if we lose our keycards to the top floor," zurie's words are full of purpose and the sentimental air of someone who's found home without realizing it. "but anyway, how's it been so far ? are people treating you okay ?"

[sweetreunions]

it's never easy, moving to new surroundings and being within unfamiliar grounds. it's even more difficult when you're in a place that was once home, yet it felt so foreign now despite jinah having allegedly run through the same ol' streets at a young age. the friends she used to have at the childrens home were long gone and if she were to be honest, she hadn't exactly bothered to keep up with them either. so she's grateful for zurie, a new friend in a semi-new city, taking on the burdensome role of welcoming her with open arms and a smile brighter than the sun itself.

the tour itself is fascinating, learning the secrets of the mall alongside do's and don'ts– helpful hints she's more than grateful for. what had originally been one floor too many and a sea of people is slowly morphing into something more manageable. "i can only imagine the horror of losing your food!" the raven-haired girl chuckles, mental notes being taken to essentially never leave anything behind. ruthless, she thinks, before she's shaking her head. "non-smoker here but i promise i'm no party-pooper! i'll just be in the background with a beer in hand or something like that...as long as you guys let me in." she laughs again, gently nudging zurie with her elbow as a slight twinkle sparks from her eyes.

"everyone's been sweet so far, although i haven't had the chance to speak to that many people. customers are nice too which is what i was most afraid of...rude people are just so difficult to handle, you know?" there's a frown that dawns her lips, brows furrowing slightly at the thought. she brushes it off though and turns her attention once more to the girl in front of her. "anyway!" she emphasizes the swift change of topic, blush pink lips shaping into a bright an infectious smile. "i can see why you, and others, have stayed employed here for this long– this place has so much to offer! without you, i'd be so lost, seriously."

[sweetreunions]

would you classify yourself as having abandonment issues?

jinah laughs at the abrupt question, covering her lips with her hand in an attempt to quiet herself down. "i mean...i think everyone has some sort of trauma resulting in issues later in their life, no? i doubt i'm any different but there are times where i think about raising a pet of some kinda– maybe a cat? but then i think about the possibilities of it playing outside one day and never returning..." she blinks a couple times, another laugh escaping. "what was the question again?"

[sweetreunions]

have you ever felt resentment towards your biological parents?

there's a long silence before she brings herself to answer the question and if this was a webtoon, you'd be able to physically see the gears in her brain turning as she speaks. "no, i would like to believe they had a reason to do what they did. and without them..." she trails off for a moment, "i wouldn't have met my parents now and live the life i do now. no hard feelings, i swear."

[sweetreunions]

what are your genuine opinions on your cousins?

"my cousins? i don't know all of them nor do i see them usually...my parents have a big family!" she chuckles softly before a short pause, tapping her chin as she thinks. "well, lately i've been talking to nara more ever since i moved back to daegu and she's fun. with the way we are now you wouldn't believe we used to not get along...but like it's always nice to have friends of the same age. then there's nabi who i adore. she's like a younger sister to me! i'm really glad i have both of them with me here."

[sunsetkrp]

𝐇𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐑 !

reblog if you'd like to take part !!

[sweetreunions]

jinah isn't suspicious by nature. she's been taught growing up to see the good in people and believe what's on the surface; people have no reason to deceive anyway, her parents used to say. it's how she finds herself in this sticky situation of sorts, gears in her mind turning a little too fast for her liking as she eyes the little the listening elle kiosk just a few feet from where she stands, arms folded across her chest and eyes narrowed towards its owner behind the little table.

the tale unfolds a month prior when she was on break and curiosity got the best of her and she tried her hand at the fortune tellers kiosk, asking a simple question to cure her boredom. now, whether it was dumb luck or danyi actually had divine powers to get a prediction correct, she couldn't tell. but evidently it didn't stop jinah from returning again, this time asking something more complex with slimmer chances of good ol' dumb luck saving the day. and just as she suspected when she asked about the whereabouts of her parents, the supposed "psychic" had the sheer audacity to essentially go full-on ouija board on her. while jinah may not have all (any) the answers on the whereabouts of her parents, one thing is certain: they aren't dead.

so here she is, ready to go face-to-face with danyi in a full on dispute that's relatively out of character for her.

"interesting you still have this booth up and running." she lets the words fall from her lips, tone ice-cold and the opposite of anything anyone has ever heard from jinah. the normal bright and sweet girl is nowhere to be found in this instance, though no one should really blame her. you don't play with a girl's very much alive parents– but clearly danyi needs a lesson in that. "you know..." she drags her sentence out, palms hitting the wooden table with a slight thump as she hovers over the girl and her kiosk. "it's not good to lie to people, especially about such personal things! you could be ruining a lot of people's lives!"

@ghostycore

[lisanamjoon]

miyeon ♡

[sweetreunions]

on a good day, jinah has come to notice that she would hardly have the need to look at the clock during her shift. time would simply pass by without her realizing as she busies herself with customers entering and exiting the store, refilling the racks with items from the back in order to (and she's quoting her boss on this one) "keep the floor fresh"– whatever that truly means. however it's a true misfortune that not every single day can be that way, including today. she's all but twiddling her thumbs as the seconds tick by, time feeling at a standstill. she's beginning to think 8 hours would feel like 800 until bells jingle and the sweet sound of her saving grace from boredom enters.

"welcome to isanghan thrift!" a bubbly jinah chimes, a smile on her lips as she greets the customer who she now deems as her own personal angel. in all honesty she would have taken a nap to make time pass by faster on this particularly slow day had they not entered, but her boss doesn't need to know that.

she settles back behind the cash register after her greeting, choosing to busy herself with her phone and scroll through social media– she would be called upon for assistance if she was needed. but as more and more time passes, jinah looks up towards the racks, noting the way they're essentially ransacking through everything and while she's no expert on people of no good, she begins to feel an odd suspicious feeling in her gut that something fishy was going on. now she's only 5'3" and despite having potential items at her disposal to be used as a weapon, she would think the odds are still slightly against her favour.

so she does what she deems the logical thing: call mall security.

her voice is barely above a whisper when she speaks in order to not alert the alleged thief in the store, a sigh of relief leaving her lips at first when she recognizes the voice on the other end of the line. "jinsik? i think there's some suspicious behaviour happening here...someone looks like they're looking to steal something." her eyes shift focus every now and then, trying to keep her eye on the target yet also not create suspicion. "help?"

@firstpatrol

[sweetreunions]

describe yourself as a color

"um, i'm pretty certain i was already asked this during my interview for isanghan– do people ask this on the regular?" she twirls a strand of hair before letting it fall against her shoulder. her eyes flicker to the table where her lunch is displayed in its half eaten glory. "orange. and most definitely not because i want to wrap this up so i can eat that orange right now."

[sweetreunions]

are you prone to forgiving people when they've betrayed or wronged you?

"hm, that's a tricky one. it mainly depends on the degree of wrongness, i suppose." she taps her chin a couple times, lips pursing outwards as she thinks. "like, if you ate the food i left in the employee fridge i'd be able to forgive you no problem. but then if you're saying you did something like expose my deepest and darkest secrets to the world, i'd probably have a harder time." she pauses, eyes narrowing slightly. "wait, are you asking because you did something?"