#rackandrouge

[unstatvsquo]

what use did kevin have breaking into this party? outside of the thrill, the party itself was hardly his scene. he knew he didn’t fit in with this glitz and glamour, not with his wrinkled dress shirt from a highschool dance of yesteryear and his dress pants which, try as he might, he could not seem to fully rid of the dust from his escapades of sneaking around. yes, he wasn’t much to look at, yet miraculously the ever-shortening attention span of his partner in crime had not abandoned him. well, she had obviously, here and there. except the money moment of the evening was ever approaching and there rue was, returning in her usual burst of unrelenting cheerfulness. something kevin would normally retaliate with his own snippy moodiness. maybe it was the sips of champagne he’d snuck or just the dizziness of the evening for hid body’s only response was a quickening pulse.

cough. ‘i thought you were looking for someone to kiss at midnight.’ kevin finally managed, his usual taunting smirk splayed on his lips. ‘you’re running out of time.’ @rackandrouge

[unstatvsquo]

death at a ritual

sunday evenings were most usually spent in the library with hana. they’d claimed their thrones in the third-floor reading room (the most regal-esque and intact armchairs the aging room had to offer) while hana poured over her notes for the coming week’s lessons. theoretically, junho was also to be studying, though most nights he spent admiring the beautiful autumn witch he’d somehow managed to make his. 

this was not one of those evenings. 

instead, he found himself in a damp and long-forgotten basement classroom he hadn’t known existed until that night. the rotting, wooden desks and chairs pushed to the outer corners of the room. the only source of light came from a, now broken, ring of wax candles in the center of the room - the meticulously set circle disturbed by the unmoving body of a man. though his mind only made this connection in an attempt to settle his turning stomach. sebastian was no more than a boy... a kid, like him, like hana... capable of change he earnestly believed anyone was capable of. 

sebastian no longer had that chance. 

he wished he felt sorrier than he did. he wished he didn’t feel so smug. he was sick with himself because deep down he’d wanted this. he’d hated the slimy bastard more than he’d hated anyone in his entire life. but did that make him deserving of death? even if he’d wished the same upon junho? 

he tore his gaze from the circle to hana. he hardly recognized here these days. she looked the same in many ways. the way her hair gently framed her face, the way her lips pursed tight in concentration, the way her skin glowed in the light. yet she seemed so far away, she had been far away. junho realized in many ways she’d become a stranger and it made his world feel so empty. 

‘ hana, what have you done? ’ his voice came out small and unsure, two things junho certainly was not. he consciously made a point to stand his ground despite every muscle in his body urging him to take a step back. he came to another realization that he no longer knew what she was capable of. deep down, he knew, he hoped she still cared. she’d just saved his life, had she not? yet he couldn’t with confidence put his entire trust in her. 

there was only one thing he still knew: he loved her. 

‘ you should go. ’ he said decidedly. ‘ go back to the autumn house and make sure no one sees you. go to bed. i’ll handle this. ’ / @rackandrouge

[unstatvsquo]

princess & her protector

summer had always been a season of mixed feelings for junho. for one, it filled him with a sense of nostalgia. that unattainable past - a carefree state that he’d long since accepted he’d never be able to return to. not that he held any bitterness over this... at least not to his knowledge. 

on the other hand, he was on a constant state of alert. that’s not to say he wasn’t always on alert (that’s sort of what being a bodyguard entailed). but summer... summer was different. as if something was in the air pushing the princess to behave as wildly as possible. every year, without fail. only it somehow seemed worse this go around. 

‘ your highness, i’m begging you. ’ he’d yet to slump his shoulders in defeat - he knew it would only encourage her. ‘ get out of the fountain. ’

he should be thanking his lucky stars they were shrouded in the safety of night. 

‘ i’m not joining you. no matter what you say. ’ he heaved a heavy sigh, apprehensive to approach knowing (from experience) she would splash him given the opportunity. he shrugged off his jacket, offering it in lieu of a towel. 

he couldn’t decide if sternness or‘ pleading would be more effective. knowing the princess, it was neither. ‘ i’m not negotiating with you this time. ’ he settled on holding his ground, hoping she would at least try to take him seriously. ‘ come here. ’ / @rackandrouge

[unstatvsquo]

it wasn’t as if gaehwa was kevin’s favorite restaurant. far from it. he could name five, ten places off the top of his head with better food. this was more a matter of convenience and nothing more. at least, he liked telling himself that as he reached for the menu every week knowing full well he could order from anywhere else if he truly wanted to.

the first time ryuwon had shown up at his doorstep in her kitschy delivery get up, he’d been amused. the possibly most insufferable girl in his entire class serving him. there was something smugly satisfying about the whole thing - the first time. it grew tiring, fast. yet time and time again he found himself ordering, hoping maybe he’d get a different delivery girl though mostly hoping somehow he’d get an upper hand in conversation if he kept trying. every attempt had been somewhat disastrous, though he liked the blame his younger sister for always finding some way to meddle. 

today was a rarity, the apartment empty of chattering relatives and kevin both incapable and unwilling to cook for himself had been left money to order out. he’d ordered maybe an hour ago, quickly losing track of time as he immersed himself in his painstaking ranked solo queue grind. 

it must’ve been ryuwon’s impeccable intuition to decide to deliver at the worst possible of times. the doorbell rang in the same (annoying) pattern she always used - in the middle of a crucial team fight! 

‘ can you just let yourself in? ’ he shouted, knowing the thin walls of the apartment would carry his voice outside. he wouldn’t dare be so loud if his mother or sister were home, luckily he only had to play by his rules today. ‘ i’m in the middle of something really important! ’ / @rackandrouge

[rottenfrvit]

(WHEEZE)

nell isn’t nearly as cut out for the physical activity this job surprisingly demands from her. the mountain path is uneven, and she’s pretty sure the the camera man is struggling to keep up as well. plus, thinking about the case they’re investigating doesn’t really help her feel anymore comfortable.

still, she’s certain she puts in more energy to looking composed than anything else. can’t have the camera catching her out of breath, and out of shape.

“is that it?”

finger pointed at the direction of where the bodies were found, or at least, where she thinks it is. it’s pretty hard to distinguish the differences between patch of grass, rocks and trees from other patches of grass, rocks and trees. either way, it doesn’t stop her from heading over anyway, though her steps are cautious and hesitant.

not because there’s a likelihood of slipping and snapping her neck on a boulder, but because she’d rather not step on anything that can be considered as evidence. if possible. it’s been 17 years, but she won’t take her chances.

so when something under her shoes lets out an audible crunch, you can’t blame her for jumping with a little shriek.

“are we even allowed to be here at night?” she whines, shooting a look at somin. “if we didn’t take that detour for your dang pitstop snacks, we could’ve made it before sunset!”

@rackandrouge !

[inglcricus]

↬ closed starter for @rackandrouge!

it can be argued that the definition of arrogance is the overextension of confidence, wherein one places unfounded faith in a skill which they do not possess. that is to say, for a man who had spent the entirety of his adulthood rotting within the claustrophobic chamber of four concrete walls, takjae is awfully trusting in his ability to get away with entertaining his criminal impulses. picture this: harsh lighting splashes across the overpopulated dance floor. in a discreet corner painted wholly in midnight is a scene featuring his left palm tapping obnoxiously against the bouncer’s bearded cheek, as condescending slurs trip along the expanse of his forked tongue. such is the pride of man, that one would forget the professionalism that is expected of them in their place of work, for the scene erupts quickly into a dangerous brawl made complete by the high-pitched screams of onlookers and the sound of shattered glasses of drinks unpaid.

so here the night ends, with large men forcefully escorting takjae to inha’s office by the crook of his arms. if he were not as drunk, arrogance bids him to think that perhaps, he could easily shrug their iron grip from his biceps and promptly escape. but that would be beside the point, would it not? for there is a specific reason why he had picked to visit this club, to steal these drinks, to enrage these bouncers: all this to see her, the woman whose porcelain neck he would give anything to wrap his callous fingers around, to caress, to behold, to drain the life out of. and here she stands now, in front of him, pristine and comfortably dressed in a manner that had once incited the most vulgar complaints from pink lips whose taste, for the life of him, he cannot recall.

all it takes is one look from her feline eyes for him to sober up. so here he stands, snatching muscular limbs from the hands of her security personnel in an effort to regain composure. see here, the image of foolishness, of arrogance for ever thinking that he could stand in front of her and remain completely unbothered by the shape of her. he knows little what to do with his hands, knows little of whether to kiss or kill her altogether. instead, he beckons his voice to rise from his throat.

“do i know you?” the manner he says this in is altogether deliberate, condescending, absent of the teasing, affectionate tone that had once accompanied his conversations shared with her. should there ever exist the feeling of guilt in his heart, he is quick to squash it. this inha doesn’t deserve his smile; she doesn’t deserve anything from him. not anymore. not ever.

[peachymagazine]

How to Excel in School

Written by Cherie // Photo by Analisa

September is already looming and that means back to school. For many people this is not something they look forward to, but with the right attitude and a good approach, you can make the most out of school and get the best grades you can.

Have a set sleeping schedule - When you have a set sleeping schedule, you will easily fall asleep at night and easily wake up in the morning for school. This will make you a morning person and make sure you start off every school day the right way. I’m not saying you have to go to bed at 10pm on the dot every night, but maybe leave the 2am Netflix marathons for the weekend.

Be friendly with your teachers - You don’t have to be best friends with your teachers, but be friendly. If you’re friendly with the teacher and talkative in class, they’ll be happy to write a quality recommendation letter for you if you need one. Also, it makes the classroom a nicer environment and will put you in a better mood.

Start a bullet journal! - Ok, so you’re thinking “what on Earth is a bullet journal???”. A bullet journal is a recently designed planning system to use with a notebook that is very flexible and adjusts according to the user’s preferences. With this method, time management will be a piece of cake. For more information on the ins and outs head over to bulletjournal.com. 

Start with the easiest homework. Often when students procrastinate, it’s because they feel intimidated by a large project or a big workload. Start homework with the worksheets from easy classes and then move on to bigger assignments as your motivation and concentration increases. Additionally, it’s a good idea to break big homeworks down into little bits until they’re less scary.

Raise your hand in class - The classes you don’t like are often the classes that you have the lowest grades in. Since these classes don’t interest you, you often daydream and don’t pay attention.To score well in such classes, ask your teachers questions in class to make sure you understand the material. Plus, your participation points will skyrocket!