Like A Tattoo
For: @doyoonid Word Count: 1000 Plot: Two online mutuals meeting for the first time in a tattoo parlour
Yeongshik’s mind was a cluster and burst of emotion. XLNC’s recent popularity within their small indie label had been exactly what the small town boy had dreamed of. The small stages but intimate crowds all singing along to their songs. It brought a wave of warmth that validated all of his past struggles and self-doubts. However, their recent success (as miniscule as it was in the eyes of larger industries) came a little too late. The label lacked the funding and resources to keep the band afloat but then offered them the opportunity to sign with KJH.
The guitarist aggressively rolled his shoulders to shake off the chill that ran down his back at the thought of the company. His history with KJH was no secret from his coworkers or anyone that was still within that company. The aspiring singer had left on less than ideal terms and it had left a very dark mark on his reputation as a professional. The fact that the idol company had willingly reached out to XLNC, knowing that he was still in it, had felt like someone slipped a dog collar around his neck, and with each pull he made against the company it constricted around his neck even tighter.
Expressing this to his bandmates did not go well, no thanks to the country-boy’s frankness and general lack of sensitivity to others (according to his bandmates). He had wanted to protect them, to warn them; but the prospect of shiny new equipment, unlimited access to studios and vocal training was too thick of a dangling carrot for his bandmates to resist. If Yeongshik wanted to continue his musical journey with the group he had grown with, he had no other choice but to stay… and KJH knew it. Now, with his relationship with his bandmates marred and the company working towards rebranding and marketing their group, Yeongshik decided he would use his last remaining moments of freedom to permanently remind him of that brief moment of victory he had with his group.
The guitarist reached for the cellphone that had been tucked away into the back pocket of his jeans and slowed his gait to a more leisurely walk as he scrolled through his SNS notifications. His Instagram and Youtube account was flooded with comments about the new company acquisition. Some fans were claiming that they were selling out, others thought it was a great new opportunity. Old anti’s from his trainee days were beginning to resurface and he found a couple of familiar usernames beginning to dredge up old rumours but painting them in a new colour for new fans to see and sink their teeth into. He had almost thought about deleting his account, but there were a few fans that he had grown close to over the last couple of years, and he couldn’t bring himself to sever those connections, as they were quite literally all he had right now.
He held his cellphone up and flipped the camera so that he could take a selfie. He raised it so that only his winking eyes and ballcap were visible in the shot and that the sign for the building he was about to enter was in the center. ‘YM TATOO’
As he stepped through the threshold of the door, and after a moment of deciding between two different black and white filters, Yeongshik uploaded the picture onto his Instagram story with no text or any other context. By the time the company saw it, it would be too late for them to stop him.
He bowed his head and grumbled a greeting as he moved to the front desk to sign in for his appointment. He filled out a couple of papers and then took a seat. He looked around, impressed with the overall aesthetic of the interior of the building. It was very lofty with high ceilings and concrete walls that were left unpolished. It left a cold feeling, but the staff and décor brightened the space and made it a lot more inviting than he had initially thought.
He looked down at his phone and a small grin curled on the corner of his lips as the notifications began pouring in beginning him not to do it, others asking what he was going to get, more confirming that this was a childish act of him rebelling against the company. He snorted softly. They weren’t wrong.
“Lee Yeongshik-sshi?” A soft, female voice asked from his side. He almost didn’t hear her. The two shared an awkward exchange of greetings as they made their way to her space within the studio. She timidly confessed to being a fan of his group. The thought of a fan giving him his first tattoo brought a genuine smile to his face and he expressed his thanks through a series of unintelligible mumbles and grumbles of gratitude.
“So what would you like to have done today?” she asked as she gestured for him to sit.
“I hav’uh screencap of a soundwave that I’d like here.” He gestured to the inside of his triceps on his left arm.
She seemed to wince a little, but tried to mask it with a smile. “Just so you are aware, this area is very sensitive and can be quite painful.”
“That’s fine.” He bobbed his head. “I’m ready.”
She asked him for the image file and prepared the transfer. They spent a couple of minutes deciding on the size and the placement, and before he knew it, he was lying down on his back in the chair, his arm extended and was aggressively struggling not to flex too much as the small needle bobbed in and out of his skin. It reminded him of when a fishhook had latched itself to the back of his hand and had accidentally been tugged against his skin. The feeling was like a small, sharp, deep cut. Painful, but not unbearable. The sentiment behind his tattoo made the entire experience worth it.