#xoxo.event02

[remrse]

playing it cool never works for jaerim. he's not the kind of person who could act like he didn't care, or walk past someone he cared about pretending he didn't see them. even if he tried, it’d be a pretty lousy attempt that would only betray his façade and reveal the truth about how he really felt. he's always been someone who wears his heart on his sleeve, despite the countless times he had gotten hurt from that. just as a leopard never changes its spots, jaerim is the fool that never learns.

he had expected raon to avoid him after that night at the benefit. they had, after all, crossed the line they had sworn off all these years. there was a lot to unpack with that change in dynamic (he wouldn't want to call it a mistake, unless she thought of it as one) and he understands that it could've been overwhelming for her. he had called her a few times, all of which went to voice mail. maybe she was just busy. (he was too, with the gallery's opening, but why was she on his mind during every pocket of free time he had?)

after a couple of unread messages and a very incriminating gossip girl post, he finally understands why she was avoiding him. this is when he should've sent her another message, explaining all that was possibly running through her mind, but he realises that he had reached a roadblock himself too. if even he didn't know the answer to this quandary, how could he explain it to her? he misses her and contemplates showing up at the bar she works at, knowing she couldn't turn a customer away, but never plucked up the courage for that.

it was a reflex, showing up by her side when she had gotten wine all over her clothes. he had forgotten the cold war they were having (or at least, a war she had commenced and a poor defence on his end) when he swooped in to put his jacket around her, taking her away from the prying gazes basking in her demise. they left yutnori and he leads her into a staff lounge at the museum, where he had left an extra set of clothing and some toiletries to freshen himself up between breaks.

"i only have an extra suit, but i think the pants would be far too long for you. this should be enough, though." he hands her his white buttoned down shirt and the towel he had gotten from the trunk he came with in the morning. "most people had left for the refreshment party so the museum is pretty much empty. don't worry, just change into this."

SCANDALOUS ft. @ra0n

[remrse]

jaerim still remembers that midsummer night like it was only yesterday.

he was far too drunk to be remembering it as clear as day, but every detail was etched deep in memory. that was the night he had gotten dumped (this isn’t the groundbreaking part of the story), and the same night he picked up a paint brush again after years of shunning the canvas. the latter alone was something worth celebrating—he had missed painting, yearned for the feeling of wet paint gliding across a blank canvas, and wanted to feel like he was good at it again—but not when it's a product of the truth he tried so hard to suppress.

his girlfriend of five months had just broken up with him and the first person that came to mind was raon. he showed up at the bar she was working at and spent the night drowning his sorrows. the usual, it’s what he does every time he gets his heart broken. he claims it’s because no one makes a heartbreak remedy as good as hers, but he knows the cure isn’t in the drinks, but in the girl that makes them. 

it was her presence he sought after whenever he needed help mending his broken heart. at first, it was because she didn’t know him as well as shiah did, and they didn’t have as much history as he did with seulki. it made it easier, confiding in a stranger about the things he wishes he forgot the next morning. and as much as seulki does a fine job in distracting him from the pain, he needed someone to pour his heart out to; someone to laugh at him and the tragedy that is his love life, to make him feel like things aren’t as bad as he thought they were. (and they really weren’t, as long as she was there with him.) 

you would think someone who has been through this many breakups would get used to it, but seo jaerim is too much of a romantic to harden his heart and listen to his mind. it’s why he needs raon’s brutal honesty—at least, that’s what he tells himself every time he goes looking for her with pieces of his heart. 

that night, after he had gotten home in the cab she sent him back in (he wanted to ask if she could stay with him for the night, but remembers their pact to stay friends and decided against it), he finally picked up the paint brush that was lying next to the empty canvas he had spent months staring at, willing himself to create something as effortlessly as he used to when he was a wide-eyed teenager riveted by the world he knew nothing of.

maybe it was the alcohol in his system, or the innate desire for a person so close yet so out of reach, his hands moved quicker than his mind, painting a picture of what he kept hidden in his heart. he says that heartbreak is the biggest stimulant of artistic muse and that the breakup inspired him to paint, but even he knows that would be a flat out lie. as his hands danced across the empty canvas, the person on his mind was not she who had broken his heart, but she who does not know has his heart. 

she was the one person who felt further than the stars but had a warmth stronger than the sun. she was always around, dangling before him like a treat out of reach, and that only made him want her even more. (it doesn’t help that he’s once had a taste of the forbidden fruit, one he’s taken a bite out of knowing he shouldn’t have. could that be why it tasted sweeter than the fruits handed to him on a plate?)

when sunlight poured into his apartment the next morning, he swears, hungover with a pounding headache, that the painting would never see the light of day. even if he had been waiting for this day in years, for the day he would be able to pick up a paint brush and create something that did not reek of guilt and regret—the two things that clouded his mind every time he stood before a blank canvas. (he was afraid, to paint, for fear that the result would be one that reminded him of a mistake he’s yet to forgive himself for; a creation of his that never saw the world.)

the painting, along with all his age old art supplies that didn’t work as well as they used to, found its way into the back of his closet, to be hidden from the world, as his heart was from her. it’s okay, he tells himself, you’re better off deciding which artworks to display in a museum; it’s okay, he tells himself, you’re better off as friends.

but it’s not okay, he realises the night they crossed the line they had been dancing around all these years. he was drunk, again, but his mind was just as sharp as it was that midsummer night. he realised it when they locked lips again after all this time, that a mere friendship is not what he wants; that he no longer wants to hide his heart as he had hidden the painting that bears his heart.

the new gallery was still missing a center piece, one that would generate enough buzz to kick off its opening, a monumental event for his family. journalists have been asking, “why did you stop painting?”, and his grandpa wanted to see him paint again (he says jaerim was the best at it amongst his cousins and it was a pity he had stopped). most of all, he wanted to be honest, even if not to her, to himself. 

“a little more to the left,” he says, taking a step back, watching as the movers hung up the final piece that would complete the gallery. “perfect.”

midsummer secret artist: seo jaerim

[remrse]

jaerim had picked out a dress for his date. usually, he doesn't bother to—his dates always look good anyway. (it's why he chooses to take them for these events. the seos never show up looking anything less than perfect and the same standard is expected of the women he has on his arm.)

it was different this time, not because he thinks she wouldn't look good in what she'll pick out for herself—quite the opposite, actually. if there was anything he knew with utmost certainty, it would be that jin seulki looks good in everything she wears.

not because it comes effortlessly for her like it does with seryung, but because she invests time and effort into perfecting her look, picking out only the best pieces to accentuate her assets. in many ways, jaerim finds himself drawn to that commitment and diligence. in many ways, it reminded him of what it was like being a seo.

it appears his father thought the same, for he deemed seulki the best candidate for his date to an event this important to his family. they've spent a whole year preparing for the opening of the new gallery, a large-scale event jaerim was painstakingly put in charge of. not only would everyone have their eyes on him that night, all attention would also be on the girl he shows up with.

jaerim had no say in who his date would be for the event, but he'd be lying through his teeth if he said he wasn't looking forward to it. to seeing how she'd look in the dress he had picked out for her (he knew by heart, from all the nights he spent undressing her, the best silhouettes for her figure), if she would look as good as he had envisioned, or if she'll even put on his dress at all, since she has a knack for not letting him have his way.

he wouldn't even hold it against her—there is just something so gratifying about losing to seulki. maybe it's the way she smiles at him after. so irritatingly cocky yet electrifying. makes him want to let her win sometimes, just to give her that confidence he finds so sexy. (besides, does it really matter which dress she wears if he plans to have it off at the end of the night?)

jaerim stands before the flashing cameras and prying journalists lined up at the entrance of the museum, watching a limousine drive up to the barricaded walkway. cameras turned towards the vehicle and shutters started going off twice as fast, eager to get a picture or two of his leading lady for the night. he wasn't sure if it was because of all the camera lights shining their way, but he finds himself heating up, heart pounding in his chest as he opens the door for her. (he hates to admit it, but jin seulki still makes him nervous.)

"you look... nice." beautiful was what he meant to say but that's not really their kind of thing.

DOGFIGHT ft. @16lies

[remrse]

i'm here with a little update about jaerim, as well as a plot call for this month's event, which jaerim will be hosting! if we haven't already plotted or if you'd like to plot for the event, just hit me up! if you'd like to do an event thread on top of our ongoing threads, i'll be down to do a shorter thread for the event! i'm available on both ims and discord, whichever you prefer.

first things first, jaerim has now taken on the moneybags skeleton which does not change much (or anything, really). to begin with, the gossipgate scandal did not affect him very much as his family is very influential (especially in the arts) so his career was already laid out for him. however, i did flesh out some details about his family that might come up in some threads:

his family is one of, if not the most, influential families in the arts; basically old money with a long lineage of artists (and other art related careers)

they also think they are superior to others because they are "cultured" on top of their wealth

it was always a career in the arts or risk being the black sheep of the family

every child born in the seo family would be sent for art classes, it is as important as learning the korean language

his family is very image-focused, often portraying themselves to be polished and sophisticated, people with refined tastes

naturally, they do not tolerate scandals that could potentially damper their image

they paid off media outlets to keep jaerim's name out of the gossipgate news so while you could kind of make him out in the video, there is no real confirmation of him being in it

they were also the ones that had insisted his then girlfriend have the abortion (see: his biggest gossip girl scandal)

he never had issues with college acceptances because his family name guarantees him a spot in any art program (probably also due to nepotism because he has relatives who are art professors)

while his parents are okay with jaerim dating around, they are incredibly picky when it comes to his potential marriage partner (they do not have to be in the arts themselves, but they would have to be from an influential family)

now, onto the event, which is held at his family's museum! it's basically the opening of a new gallery, with an exhibition curated by jaerim. in line with that, jaerim would display a painting of his, revealed for the first time at the event. the painting would be of a woman, rumoured to be inspired by one of his exes or past love interests/crushes, though her identity is unknown. this is just a brief idea, in need of more plotting. just thought it would be fun to add a bit of drama! with that said, here are some plot ideas i came up with:

maybe your muse could be the subject of his painting and she doesn't know it (or she could know, if she had modelled for him), maybe it could be a nude painting (with or without her consent), anything juicy — nothing's set in stone yet so i'm open to anything!

or your muse (or most people) thought the painting was of her, when it in fact, wasn't

maybe your muse sends a tip in to gg that the painting is of them, even though it wasn't, or your muse knows the painting is of them and intentionally sent it in to gg so everyone else would know too

jaerim's date for the event; seeing as this would be a very important (and public) event for his family, they would expect him to go with someone who is also from an influential family (does not have to be a romantic interest, could be someone that his family thinks is good for him)

or he could just go against his family's wishes and bring someone he wants to bring (because he likes them, or it could even be platonic, like they're just a good friend who could ground him when he's stressed, which he will be at this event)

he could bring you on a private tour of the gallery, either before its opening or after, to beat the crowds. it would be quiet and empty so it could be romantic! he might tell you cheesy things like you're prettier than the artworks or steal a kiss behind some fancy installation with a sign that says "do not touch the art"

jaerim could've auctioned his painting and it was sold to you (for whatever reason — the painting could be of you, or it wasn't of you and you wanted it destroyed, or you just thought it would be funny to see his reaction, or you just liked it and had more money than everyone else lol) and he personally hands it to you after the auction

both of you dislike each other but the media and press are watching so you put on a show just for them, even go as far as to take a chummy picture together

you had wine spilled on you at the refreshment party and jaerim takes you back to the museum to get cleaned or changed (maybe all he has is another set of his own clothes and you walk out of the changing room in his shirt... looking a little scandalous...)

you meet jaerim for the first time at the event; maybe you were introduced to each other during the refreshment party, or you meet on one of the tours around the new gallery. doesn't have to be anything complicated, could just be a first meeting for our muses who do not have pre-existing connections!

not sure if we have any muses who are artists but if there are any, maybe your work is displayed at the exhibition!

if none of these work, i'm down to brainstorm and come up with something fun for our muses! click here for my intro if you need more information about jaerim (it's been updated with the above mentioned changes). anything else, feel free to drop me a message on ims or discord!