#y;2014

[ex-shinhye247-blog]

when did the light die

@247jiyong

2014 - around the time the fun really starts

Hoisted in her usual work outfit of a pair of comfortable jeans, a vest and a blazer, Shinhye walks into her official new place of work. It’s only her fourth day on the job, but she’s getting pretty good at the entire thing already, more than aware of what exactly it is she’s supposed to do and already feeling comfortable in the hustle and bustle of the night club. She recognises some of the regular bartenders on her way to the back, and sends them a happy smile and a wave. After dropping her bag in her locker, she heads back out into the actual club and starts interweaving between the people to make her way back to the door.

It’s after an hour or so of checking IDs and telling the already drunk people they’re not allowed inside like that, that the DJ for the night starts. The music changes instantly and Shinhye finds herself bobbing her head to the beat after not very long already. Grinning loosely because at least she’s getting a proper background beat that evening, she continues to quietly enjoy herself with the music throughout her shift.

Eventually she gets curious about the person providing them all with such a great setlist that night, so she makes her way over a little closer to the turning tables to get a glimpse of the guy. Now if several years in underground circles teaches you anything, it’s how to recognise people from just a silhouette, so she doesn’t even need a proper look at his face to recognise the person currently standing there with his pair of headphones, hard at work.

Kwon Jiyong. She remembers him more than clearly. They’d been in the same year back in Cheongnam, but hadn’t really been more than acquaintances until one of the many high school parties, where she’d found him a little tipsy and very talkative. She’d been his drinking buddy for the rest of the evening, keeping him from saying stupid things to anyone else, and had kept everything he’d told her to herself. At a next party she’d seen him again and like that, through the course of parties, they’d slowly become friends.

Good enough friends for her to now want to go over there instantly and give him a big hug, that’s how happy she is to see him again. But work came first, and so Shinhye went back to her position from before, going back to checking out the people entering and making sure none of them were behaving inappropriately. Yet it didn’t take long for her mind to wander back to Jiyong, watching him work and reminiscing about the good old days when they used to spent time together in places like this.

He was a friend, definitely. One of the few she’d truly regretted leaving behind. But here she was presented with a chance to reconnect, to maybe pick up where they left off, just a little further down the line. Maybe she could feel a little more like the person she used to be, too. That’s why, when eventually Jiyong’s shift is over, she instantly makes her way through the last remaining parts of the crowd to get over to him.

“Jiyong!” She calls out, not knowing if he will mind or not but having no other name to call him by. “Jiyong, hey!” There is very little to no thought about what she’s doing as she jogs the last few paces towards him and kind of launches herself at him, arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him into an excited hug. “It’s been so long!” She exclaims happily, only to then think of the part where it has indeed been very long and maybe he is not entirely comfortable with doing this - or with seeing her again. Well, too late for holding back, so she just lets go of him again with the same bright smile still on her face. “What a coincidence to see you here!”

[ex-shinhye247-blog]

disinclination

@247shiwoo

2014 - a decisive winter day

It’s been seven months since that faithful night on which Shiwoo stumbled into her apartment drunk to the bone. Since he’d confessed his feelings for her and thrown her world upside down. Since he’d fled her apartment in the morning with nothing but a text telling her to forget any- and everything he’d told her the night before.

Seven long months of mulling over the new truths she had come to find out that particular day. Seven long months of trying her best to pretend like the entire day had never even happened, but she can’t really. His words held too much meaning, too many things she just can’t pretend to never have realised. Even if she had not realised it until the moment he told her what she meant to him.

But here she is. Cleaned up, as good as she could. She reconnected with her cousin, found herself a new place to live and has started writing again, finally. All because of what he had told her. All because she didn’t feel like someone worthy of the kind of love he gives her. She still doesn’t, despite all the changes, and that’s why she feels like she needs to talk to him again. Like she needs to bring it up again.

So this time it is her turn to go over to Shiwoo’s place. With trembling fingers she presses his doorbell, holding her breath until his voice sounds over the intercom. “Hey, Shiwoo, it’s me. You got time? Can I come in?” She presses her trembling hands against her sides, hoping that her nerves won’t get the best of her tonight.

[ex-shinhye247-blog]

fire and water

@247wonshik​

2014 - a busy spring night at the club

It’s been a few tedious and fruitless months of going around town applying to jobs left and right. But with a gaping hole of four years in which she didn’t do anything that she can mention, there aren’t many people willing to hire her. After all, it makes her look like a bum who doesn’t want to work. Nothing is less true, of course, but people aren’t as open-minded anymore these days to just hire whoever shows up asking for the job. Probably because it has proven to not work out for them in the past.

She’s long given up the hope of finding a job in a clothing store or something of the sorts, but even the supermarkets have denied her as well and now she’s doing the last thing she can think of: use her recently developed skills in order to make a living. There was a sports centre where they taught self defence classes, but somehow they didn’t seem to think it proper for a woman of her posture to teach them. It makes all the more sense to her, to prove that even someone with her stature can defend themselves easily, but she doesn’t call the shots.

So now, she’s going past the night clubs. Because night clubs need bouncers, which is something she’s pretty sure she can do. And aside from that the late working hours mean she will have entire days to herself to do nothing but sleep and write. It honestly sounds like a good idea. But once again her search has brought her past several night clubs to no avail, her somewhat petite figure and slender built are not convincing anyone that she’s good for the job.

Lush Night Club is one of the last names on her list. Her hope for actually finding a job is dwindling fast and she feels like if she can’t nail this interview she’s going to have no other choice but to go into the cleaning sector. But sticking her gloved hands into other people’s toilets is definitely not the type of thing she thought of getting into. She would much rather go right back to smuggling in that case.

Taking a deep breath, Shinhye straightens up and takes a deep breath, walking into the night club. She beelines for the bar, where she asks for the owner of the place because she’d like to apply for a job. There is a moment’s wait in which someone goes to check, probably, if the boss is in, and then she’s asked to come through. But instead of going to an office, she’s asked to follow them up to one of the VIP areas, where a young man on a couch is pointed as being the owner of the place.

She manages to shake off her surprise quickly enough to walk over to the man, the sound of her high heels drowning in the loud music, despite the fact that the night is still young. Coming to a stop at the couches, Shinhye instantly dips into a polite bow. “Good evening, sir,” she greets the male in the most formal of wordings she can muster. “My name is Park Shinhye. I’m here to apply for a job. I could work as a bartender, or a bouncer, or something else you might need.” She straightens again and allows her gaze to lock with that of the male, reaching out the paper with her information on it.