⌡ WILD FLOWER x IB&SDW⌠
hdxdongwoon:
one thing that dongwoon likes about hongdae most of the time is that the people around the area, despite their proclivities towards wild partying and drinking, generally aren’t crazy impolite jerks. dongwoon hasn’t always been living within the hongdae area, so he knows what things can be like in other places, but he’s found that the people in hongdae aren’t horrifyingly creepy.
nonetheless, there are exceptions to almost every rule and hongdae isn’t an area limited to people who live around the university. people from different parts of seoul, south korea will come to hongdae, for whatever reason, and they will bring along their characters’ and personalities with them. that’s what he believes as he walks into a cafe and grabs a drink for the evening, just a light tea to boost him through grading assignments.
it’s clear to anyone with ears that there’s a man harassing a reluctant woman within the cafe. by the murmurs of conversation amongst the other patrons and the wait staff, he can tell that no one else intends to intervene either. dongwoon is not a fan of conflict or sticking his head where it doesn’t belong; it’s why he’s let bullies trample over him a lot. however, it sure does sound like things are going to get ugly.
for a reason he cannot put into words, he takes his order and clarifies the situation with the waiter who serves him his drink, then he walks over to the table where the man harassing the woman is.
"honey, what’s going on?" he interrupts the male, hoping that the female would understand that he was trying to help and get the persistent creep off her back.
She has never been to this part of town before-- not that it lacks anything from the part she hardly ever strays from. It's just that she's much more comfortable with things she is familiar with. Her timid personality naturally prevents her from trying anything new despite having the desire to break free from her shell and explore the world in a whole new light. So when the usual coffee shop she frequents is suddenly closed for the day, she takes it as a sign for her to try something different. Perhaps, a small change here could eventually lead to a new her-- someday.
Cycling down the other fork in the road, she finds it both refreshing and exhilarating to go on a little adventure all on her own. Spontaneity isn't exactly a part of her life's vocabulary. Her parents have always forbidden her to travel alone ever since she was a child or talk to strange, unknown people but she figures that this rule would have to be exempted now that she is legally an adult. How could she survive if she doesn't talk to a single soul? How would she get directions or the help she needs? And with these thoughts in mind, she has dared herself to open up to people albeit just a little.
Once she sees the name on the sign she's been looking for, she chains her bicycle to the allotted space. A random act a day is good for the soul, she tells herself as she squares her shoulders and attempts to walk with her head held high in confidence. Of course, every self-resolve she has crumbles upon being greeted by a sea of faces in the shop. To her, it almost seems as if a huge portion of the Hongdae population has decided to hang out in this particular coffee shop that very day. The sound of the bell chiming as she opens the door has somehow garnered her a few unwanted attention. And like the Irene she has always been, she casts her gaze downwards as she heads towards the counter to place an order.
With the receipt in her hand, she slowly makes her way towards one of the newly vacant seats after the couple occupying them gets up and leaves. Bossa nova plays in the background but it does nothing to alleviate her anxiety. Her drink arrives a minute later and she sips it silently as her eyes take in the sight displayed before her. Towards her right is a group of friends who seem to be enjoying each other's company. Cheerful laughter then fills the air, something she has never been a part of. If only she could find a place where she belongs.
Lost in her thoughts, she does't realise that a young man has slipped into the seat across hers until she gets rudely interrupted by the sound of his voice. He introduces himself and asks that she does the same but she politely declines by shaking her head. He doesn't get the hint that she isn't interested in talking so he asks again but she repeatedly shakes her head. This seems to rile him up, prompting him to think that it is alright to call her stuck up and 'another rich girl who thinks she's so high and mighty'. This ordeal receives quite a few glances from the other patrons but none comes to her aid-- or so she thought, until another man approaches her table.
But when he speaks, she is quickly taken aback by his words. Did he just use a term of endearment with her, who's a complete and utter stranger to him? Is he here to bother her too? She couldn't decipher his motives of coming here and making the situation worse so she just shakes her head again and again while keeping her eyes squeezed shut. She wants to get out of here but with these men surrounding her, she doubts that she could exit the place without putting up a fight, and she isn't that much of a fighter to begin with. She instantly regrets coming here. This is why she shouldn't have acted on impulse in the first place.
