sunny-side up

hye! i mean hey!

[umhyebin]

heads up!!

me n my (many) gorls will be on hiatus for 3 weeks as i’ll be out of the country but i’m open to plotting/potentially lightweight threads in the meantime :’) don’t die y’all

[umhyebin]

@umyeojin​

( / her phone lights up with hyejin’s eta, and yeojin gets to work ) ( / glasses from the dishwasher, V8 from the fridge, Smirnoff from the freezer, pot of instant noodles bubbling from the stove ) ( / is setting the tray of cupcakes out when the other announces her arrival, can already imagine the grin from the other side of the door ) ( / opens up and sees it’s a total match to what she’s thinking ) hey you! ( / steps aside, sliding slippers over to slip into from her shoes, slipping off the bag from hyejin’s hands all the while. the weight of it is telling, as does yeojin’s smile that grows by the degree, all coy affection ) bet my chances of wining and dining you into staying the night are pretty high, huh.

( / she’s so hungry...seriously...so...hungry...) ( / good thing she can hear yeojin’s feet pattering to the door almost immediately.) hey, you. ( / echoes with twice the amount of affection.) bet you missed me, huh. ( / automatically changes into the slippers and follows her in, breathing in the various assortments of smells that happily greet her. thank god she’s prepared.) i don’t know what it is- ( / slips an arm through hers, lips puckering, just enough flirtiness to make anyone else uncomfortable. good thing yeojin’s no stranger to it.) -but somehow i can’t ever seem to say no to you. ( / squeezes lightly, then extracts herself to make a beeline towards the kitchen to survey its current state.) oooh...is today our anniversary or something? or are you just hungry? 

[umhyebin]

what’s the name of that rom-com again?

[umhyebin]

@pswum

[...]

the kitchen’s empty—sort of. empty of bodies, sure, but looking a lot like a hurricane just swept over with the pots and pans out on the counter and floor, bags of chips and bowls of other miscellaneous snackables tucked into every corner and nook, green glass bottles scattered everywhere but together for recycling. it’s an eyesore he tries very hard to ignore. “i take it back. i’m suddenly tired.”

but he doesn’t reach for the broom. he marches straight to the fridge to take out a pitcher of chilled water, pouring out two glasses. leaning against the counter to take in the horrific view, sungwon blinks. “before today i didn’t know anyone here except for woong.” he sounds exhausted. “not sure if any of these assholes are worth claiming as friends.” laughing in disbelief, sungwon taps his glass. “‘cept for you, maybe!”

Whenever alcohol’s involved, there are three basic phases: the pleasant I can now comfortably talk to and/or hit on the next available person on site, the Oh fuck I think I’ve had enough, and the sobriety that comes either due to the inevitable passage of time or an unforeseen circumstance. 

Which is to say that she’s as sober as she’d been before it’d all went down.

That’s not to say that she isn’t stuck at stage one, probably due to the fact that they’re far into the night and way past her bedtime.  Jieun’s championed the flirting aspect by all means possible, which leaves Hyebin with engaging in conversation with someone she’s just met today.  But that’s neither novel or unwelcome.  At least Jieun has good taste this time- Sungwon seems to more intelligent than the rest of the boys she’s chased, combined. 

“I really hope so.  The year isn’t over yet, and I’m not sure if I’m emotionally prepared to do this again.”  Bless anyone who could.  Hyebin shudders at the thought, still scarred by Jieun’s sheer force of will tonight.  Maybe she should really start to take ‘no’ as an answer.

Did she miss something? “What, this?” Guessing what’s caught his attention, one hand consciously touches the extra set of ears on her head.  Not that she’s one to care about whether he finds a moomin headband socially acceptable.  “Let me know if you want a pair too.  I think I still have the half-off coupon laying around somewhere.” She’s only half-kidding.  And, oh- “oh...right.  I hope she wasn’t too heavy.  At least you got your workout of the day in?”

“Water.” A firm nod, affirmative.  There isn’t much foot traffic in the hallway by now; most are passed out in their respective rooms, and some have slunk out, judging by the pile of slippers at the back door.  The house is quiet.  Peaceful.  

...Almost.  She’s definitely not looking forward to cleaning up tomorrow.  “Ugh...” Surprising how much emotion you can convey in a single syllable; it’s about 90% sympathy and 10% mild horror.  

“6/10?” A hopeful approximation.  Thankfully collecting her glass, she takes a big gulp- she’s parched- and offers a truce of a smile.  This time, it’s different than the ones she’s been shooting him for the past few hours.  Less apologetic and more genuine.  “I’m gonna hope I won back some points.” Between the mess, the stench, and a prickle of curiosity, Hyebin glances out the window.

“Wanna get some air?  I’m sure Jieun can babysit herself for ten minutes.”

[umhyebin]

dead, beat, summer

[umhyebin]

@umyeop​

Screw her for making him think it was safe to say no. A simple shake of his head would have shut anyone else up and make them go on their merry way, but nah. Maybe it’s coming back to him, Jung Hyebin being an actual person he’s known in his life. Or maybe she’s just full of life, constantly, larger than he can only currently wish he’d be. What a way to get by every day, huh.

Sangyeop takes notes.

“I…” He buffers, hand moving itself since the rest of his person seems to not have any reason to become unstill. His stomach growls as if on cue, giving them all the more reason to not have a go at this last-minute lunch date. A popsicle wouldn’t entirely suffice at this time, the drip of it down her hand going unattended, the phone more important than anything else. Taking it, he looks at it, blinking like a robot. He doesn’t quite know what to do. “Wh- what,” he manages, quiet in case a call’s already active, free hand making a gesture that’s just as vague as the situation.  

You could consider this one of the many potential bad habits she should be kicking, but what’s the harm in trying to reach out to someone you hardly know?  Aside from the glaringly obvious consequences (ie: what if he’s a serial killer? drug dealer? worst of all, what if he’s an insta-foodie?)

Though at this point, he’s probably suffering more than her.

Case in point: grumbly stomach, inability to speak in coherent sentences, and overall symptoms of bewilderment at this turn of events.  “Your number,” she explains patiently, shifting from foot to foot.  “For later, I mean.  Although I think you should take care of the situation first...” Her eyes drift meaningfully, just in time for her to also remember her poor popsicle.  Oh well.  She’ll toss it later.

[umhaejin]

date y/y

[umhyebin]

@umhaejin

“noona, are you single?” asked earnestly, there’s nothing particularly “off” about it. a question posed so innocently (paired with a face like his), one would’ve easy brushed it off. haejin, however, didn’t want such a thing brushed off. he was very very very serious about this, out of all things.

so, he asks again. leaning into the marble bar top of yihoon’s kitchen. said owner of the flat off somewhere on a facetime call. today’s dinner menu? ramen.

“are you single?” haejin sports a boyish grin, figurative tail wagging impatiently for a responses. “do you wanna go on a date with my brother? he’s like me, but—better looking.”

a pause. he can’t lie.

“only he’s like, a short 6′0. but he’s gotta sweet car!”

Chopsticks in hand, she’s impatiently hovering around the stovetop.  Ramen’s not a culinary cop-out-- it’s a cultural treasure.  (Plus, she’s starving.)  Busy debating whether an extra helping of green onions is called for, she almost misses the question entirely.

Say what? “Uh.” It’s not a hard question, but it kind of throws her off- especially when she checks to see if there’s a joking expression on his face and finds none.  “Why d’you ask?”

It’s not like she’s dating...per se.  “Ha!” Oh, wait- is he serious about the attractiveness factor?  Maybe she’s just too old to gauge him properly.  She quickly amends with a look of feigned consideration. 

“Poor thing.  Six feet just doesn’t cut it anymore, does it?” 

[umhyebin]

the h in hello stands for help

[umhyebin]

@umyihoon

[...]

“a whatta-what?” a slower digestion at her words said, then you see him fighting the urge to turn his head around. and well, good thing for the girl is that it doesn’t take too long before his talent of adapting to make-do situation kicks in.

“oh– right. what’s for dinner? dad said he’s coming in a few minutes as well. you should really get in the habit of coming back with a bag of ice cream instead of nothing, though.”

There’s no real ‘right choice’ here.  If someone had popped up out of the blue at this time of night and fed her a spiel about “stranger danger” (ironic, considering that she’s also a potential threat for all he knows), she’d probably have already booked it by now. So no hard feelings if he decided it wasn’t worth his time.  

To their left, a good number of street lamps light the path ahead of them.  The boy’s still visibly buffering-- this obviously (hopefully) doesn’t happen often.  But what harm can she do, really?  Hyebin’s leggier than most girls, sure, but that’s more of a drawback than anything else.  Lord knows how she’d be able to defend herself without hurting herself first.  Not that any of this reasoning is meant for him, and not that it’d make a convincing argument anyways.

“A weirdo,” she repeats in a stage-whisper, widening her eyes for emphasis.  “Following me.  I mean.” It probably could use some clarification.  To her immense relief it doesn’t take him long to get into the act, steps slowing to a more casual pace beside his.  The footsteps behind them have faltered, though they’re still following behind.  At least he won’t be stupid enough to pull anything drastic, now.  

She hopes.

“I have some leftover 닭볶음탕.  You like that, don’t you?” There’s actually a full container of it in her bag, untouched per the last-minute dinner plans with her coworkers.  “What’ve we got at home?  I can cook up something real quick.” For real, she mouths afterwards, shooting him a grateful look.  A meal is a small price to pay for staying alive.  

[umhaeil-blog]

wingspan

[umhyebin]

@umhaeil

it’s not the top, not anything close. behind him stands another seven floors stacked up, staggered for modern times’ sake and to serve as a humble reminder of a humbling status. he’s nothing special, wants a sort of nothing that is anything but special, but the view makes all the difference. even if it only lasts for a handful of minutes, each time.

a cool breeze brushes by, thin with a hint of a balmy morning dew that should’ve evaporated off the windows hours ago. in a city this loud, this burgeoning, the quiet that sits here feels like a newfound revelation.

he idly toes a stomped out cigarette that isn’t his, hands in his pant pockets. mid-morning and the sun is half-shrouded by a passing cloud, otherwise clear for as far as the eye can take in the stretch of blue sky. haeil looks this way and that around the rooftop, no padded feline steps to be seen or heard.

“did you chase him away again?”

The pitfalls of a 9-5 (though hours deviate severely and without warning) job are more or less consistent from person-to-person: the physical strain, emotional demand, and lack of any noteworthy stimuli.  Hyebin expects no less, but it doesn’t curb her excitement each time she gets a chance to take a breather.

By mid-morning, her left foot’s fallen asleep and her joints are aching.  Maybe she’s getting old.  Or work’s just aging her.  Or both.  Either way, the stairs leading up to eighth are a welcome reprieve from being planted in a shabby rolling chair for hours on end.  They really need to get to replacing them.  

“Oppa.” Deadpanned, paired with a brief sweep of their surroundings before she confirms it herself-- Asshole is nowhere to be found yet again. “Do you really think I do it on purpose?  I swear he hates me.  He’s never scratched you.”  Which reminds her:

“I’d really like to ask him what qualities you have that make you the superior human being.” (She’s only half-kidding.  Blame Haejin for that.)

[umhyebin]

@umkanghan

[...]

“tell me about dinner,” he asks first. hooks his ankles with hers beneath the table and shakes the water from his hair. he can feel it seeping into the collar of his shirt. he doesn’t mind. not when she’s staring back at him, like this. not when she cares for him, like this. “that one guy from work still giving you a hard time?”

(falls into muscle memory. falls into her favorite song. falls and lets her, lets her, lets her: do whatever she wants, as long as it means she’ll stay.)

(please stay.)

“Well, good.” Good being the objective word, because Han is just that- too good to do anything else.  Just taking what she gives him without a word of complaint. “Not that you have anything to be jealous of.  I already give you special treatment.”

The slippers weren’t by the door-- she finds hers under the coffee table instead, obnoxiously loud when she drags him along by the hem of his shirt.  When they make it to the table Hyebin stops thinking and switches to autopilot instead.  

She pulls the gukbap from the fridge anyway, sets it up to be heated in the microwave.  Tears the foil off the roll of kimbap she’d left on the counter.  Slides it over while she listens to the mechanical hum, staring at the yellow-y microwave light.  “I’ll pinch you to make sure you don’t.  Like, really pinch you.  Don’t think I’ll hold back.”

These days, he’s been more tired.  Quieter.  Not different in a way that she can’t understand-- in a way that she does.  It’s hard to keep up with change.  She’s been stuck in the same stupid revolving door of work and more work for the novelty to wear off.  If she’d been in his shoes at this point, she’d be a trainwreck.  

So just tell me, she wants to say.

Whatever it is.  Whatever you want.

She hopes he hears her all the same.  

“My mom would have a fit if she saw you like this,” she comments absentmindedly.  His hair’s still dripping all over.  What good does a hair dryer do if you never use it?  (She can practically hear the maternal cry-- you’ll get sick if you fall asleep in this state-- and for once she can’t disagree.) Maybe she’ll tackle it for him later.

The gukbap is ready, retrieved from its previous spot and settled between them.  She steals a spoonful and offers it to him without much thought.  “Really good!  They wanted to try the new place that opened up across the street.  Also, turns out Jinhee unnie’s pregnant.  She’s barely older than us, can you believe?” 

(Maybe Hyebin’s the weird one, not her.)

“He’s still stupid.” The huff that comes out is every bit as childlike as she intends it to be.  “We argued again.  And I was right.  Again.” Her fingers find his palm, tapping lightly against it.  Wiggles her toes, not minding the weight of his legs against hers.  

“What about you?  What’d you do for work today?” Her voice softens without meaning to.  This is supposed to be familiar.  How was your day?  A harmless question.  An automatic response.  

It shows in her eyes.  Are you okay?

(I’m here.)

[chia-yin]

Visit Original Link

[umhyebin]

like a local

@umerina​

( / to put it optimistically, the company’s ‘tidying up’. hyebin hasn’t set foot in the office since the (small) mishap involving a little fire and a lot of destroyed files.) ( / they’re supposed to be working from home but everyone’s been kind of frazzled, so deadlines are floating and communication is at a minimum...which is why she’s here instead.) you’re a pro now, huh? ( / nudges her side, adjusting the strap on her currently empty eco bag.) i don’t think i’ve seen you in action before. not here, at least. ( / grins wide, looping her arm through erina’s.) can you get us some good deals? i gotta save my breath for my conference call later. ( / that, and she’s feeling lazy. )

[umhyebin]

@umkanghan

[...]

he means: sit with me. talk to me. tell me about your day.

he means: work was shit, but thank you for making it better.

he means: very, very much.

i missed you very, very much. 

“Are you jealous?” Half a beat is all it takes for the corners of his mouth to tug up. Her fingers unclench, instead skittering against the sleeve of his shirt to get rid of any residual water.  And she’s grinning back despite herself.  

Just ‘cause.

(It’s hard to stay mad at him.)

“Their treat.  How can I say no to a free meal?” Her nose scrunches out of habit when he brushes it off.  “You should know that feeling veeeeery well.” No-frills, plain and simple.  The words hold no weight to them-- the glint in her eyes is more telling, warm and equally mischievous.  

(Nothing complex about this.)

Don’t be an idiot.  Stop overthinking.  Doesn’t matter how many times she chides him, because here he is, hesitating with a reply on the tip of his tongue.  He opts for the easy way out instead, sliding her forward until the couch dips in between.  

Don’t be an idiot.  That stupid echo of years and years of reassurance.  Kang Han and his warm palms, biting back laughter while she bursts into tears.  It’s back to school days where she’s the one who’s supposed to be comforting him, when it’s really the other way around.  Crybaby.  Stop worrying.  At least there aren’t any waterworks this time around.

“Called it.  Want me to heat up some of the gukbap?” Hyebin stays in place for just a moment longer, rocking forward, then wriggling her hands free to give him a gentle push.  The space between them expands, then shrinks again when she slides one leg off the couch, then another, pulling at him to stand.  “Only if you don’t fall asleep on me again.” 

(It’s just Han.)

(Always Han.)

[umhyebin]

puppy love (literally)

@umjinri​

taking care of a dog requires tough love...and an extraordinary amount of patience. he’d always been as lovable and sweet as he is now, but it’d taken countless potty-training pointers, wailing sessions over the mess he’d make (a collaborative effort of neglected toilet paper rolls and anything within reach in the living room), and several passive-aggressively angry stare-downs until he learned.

maybe she was finally reaching her peak of adulthood and transitioning into...motherhood?

but that’s jumping ahead of herself in leaps and bounds. for now, the future remains on hold while she regains footing. it’s hard to see the plans she’s laid ahead for herself when there are more pressing matters to attend to, none of which are particularly exciting or out-of-the-ordinary. still, it’s nice to have a distraction and a companion who loves her wholly and unconditionally--

until he sees them.

week three at the new dog park goes relatively breezily. on the third lap, though, he abruptly stops with ears perked. not a second’s notice is given before the leash in her hand jerks, and then he’s racing forward with uninhibited vigor, barking enthusiastically to match. 

“야, what’s wrong with you-- slow down!” but no sooner does she stumble along does he find his targets, and with them, an unprepared girl along for the ride. plumes of dirt kicking up in the air, she only manages to steady herself when said leash slips from her hands. uh-oh.

[umhyebin]

hyehyehye: who’s the flower 😏🌸🌼🌺

[umhyebin]

so typical

@umkiho​​

The day begins like any other.  Hyebin scans into work, takes the elevator up to the tenth floor and finds her desk.  At 11:30 she takes a quick break on the rooftop, nursing a can of coffee and ranting animatedly to an amused/resigned Haeil, who’s pretty much accepted his fate by now.  And once in awhile, the office cat comes around.  

He’s a scruffy little thing that always makes his rounds on the outside balconies (how he manages to get there remains a mystery... But cats have their ways).  Her first attempt at interaction had ended badly.  The scratches themselves healed within a few days, but she refused to pet him for two weeks after that.  Asshole.

(That’s his name, by the way.)

11:30 comes around and Hyebin’s making her routine trip to the vending machines when the fire alarm begins blaring.  At first, no one reacts-- emergency drills happen on a regular basis.  But it’s not long before there’s an announcement over the speakers.  Soon enough, confusion turns to terror.  Terror turns into chaos, and suddenly everyone’s running into each other as they make their ways towards the exits.  She retrieves the can from the machine and follows the frenzied crowd down the stairs.  This is way more cardio than she’s used to.  Why couldn’t the fire have started on eleventh? (Totally kidding.)

By the time she huffs and puffs her way to the first floor, the firetrucks have already arrived on the scene.  Sighing, she watches smoke pour out of the building, people around her murmuring agitatedly to one another.  This is definitely gonna set them back.  Just imagining the workload they’re bound to end up with at the end of this is bad enough.  She’s gotta tell Haeil--FUCK.

Hyebin grabs the nearest available firefighter and promptly screams, “ASSHOLE IS STILL IN THE BUILDING, OH MY GOD.”

[umhyebin]

dead, beat, summer

[umhyebin]

@umyeop

SNU what now?

He doesn’t forget this is the life he’s living. That being said, racking his brain for that particular remnant in the meantime doesn’t come easy. The part about him going to college at all is fuzzy, but for why? Did he really go? And if he did, was it really there? And if it was, can he at least pretend it’s been a while and not never? Sangyeop can only assume from here that they’ll see.

His lips purse in acknowledgment. Feigning slow recognition, more at the matter of fact than of the mystery girl, he nods once and stops in his tracks fully. Grips onto his messenger bag, hand shoved further into his pocket as he studies her from head to toe. It’s more absorbent than observant. “And what of it?” he deems, is safe enough of a lie for this impending doom of a conversation with a stranger-turned-oh-so-you-were-that-girl-all-these-years. What girl, anyway? If not then, then at least now. She doesn’t feel like a threat. Quirky hasn’t been too unwelcome for some years, people of an ordinary walk of life moreso.

What does she know about the guy other than the fact that she’s seen him enough times on the street to remember?

...Yeah, that’s about it.

“You don’t remember me, huh.” Figures.  If they’ve ever talked it’d probably have been to resolve a coffee order mix-up.  The details are hazy, but he’s definitely one of the seniors people have pointed out in conversation- Park, right?  Something like that.  Popsicle a little melty at this point, she adjusts her hold on it to maintain minimal messiness. It drips on the sidewalk instead. Not that anyone’s going to call her out on it.  There are other things that she’s bound to get yelled at for by a very special someone if she doesn’t get back to work soon.  

Hye thinks.

“I’m Hyebin.  Jung Hyebin.  Class of 2015.  D’you wanna grab something to eat later today?  I need a viable excuse to get me out of drinking with my coworkers.  They’re so damn lightweight I can never enjoy my meal.” It’s not exactly a question- she’s already holding her phone out to him, expectant.

[umhyebin]

After awhile, it gets easier to connect the dots.  It’s their first time meeting and Hyebin can’t find the proper words to associate with this situation.  All she can do is stare at the hand on Dad’s arm, the jade earrings proudly on display.  What she’s learned is that it’s easier to dissect in parts-- a gift she’d helped him pick out (for a special someone, he’d only said); her round belly; his proud, proud smile.

“My pride and joy,” he informs the woman, who glances at her with a neutral expression, as if she can’t be bothered to care. “Mm. She looks more like her mom, doesn’t she?” Hyebin looks down at her fingers and tries not to think.

(The gift. Her belly. His smile.

You’re not his. I am.)

With distance, she doesn’t have to connect them at all.

[umhyebin]

um

helo.. . if u still want me to do ur replies pls like this otherwise i’ll just be discarding our thread rip :( or just lmk if u wanna restart!!