* # 𝙲𝙻𝙾𝚂𝙴𝙳 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚁 ; isla kwon (@wayshome) .ᐟ
* # 𝙻𝙾𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽﹔a candlelit banquet, tucked away in the heart of cheongdam .ᐟ
˖ ࣪ . ࿐ ♡ ˚ . 𝐓𝐀𝐄𝐖𝐎𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐁𝐓𝐋𝐘 𝐀𝐒 𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄 — which, realistically, isn’t much. the room is all soft golden lighting and the kind of polite, effortless chatter that makes him feel like an intruder just by existing in it. there's the warmth of too many bodies in one space, the clink of glasses, the occasional burst of laughter from a table that’s worked through far too many bottles of wine already. it’s... a lot. but regardless, he's here.
the champagne flutes in his hands are blessedly cold, grounding, condensation slipping between his fingers as he weaves through the crowd, keeping his head down and avoiding eye contact like it’s a competitive sport. by the time he reaches isla, he exhales, slow and measured, like he’s made it back to safety or perhaps just barely survived something harrowing.
"here." he offers one glass with careful hands, brushing away a stray drop of condensation before she can take it. he hesitates, then clears his throat. "they, uh… were out of the cocktail you wanted. i asked, but the bartender just looked at me like i offended his entire family." his mouth twitches—half a smile, half an apology. "so. champagne."
he finally takes a sip of his own, gaze flicking around the room before settling back on isla. his free hand twitches, like he wants to adjust his glasses—except he’s not wearing them tonight. (he’s still regretting that decision.)
"i think i might be underdressed," he murmurs, tugging lightly at his collar. he looks down at himself—at the suit that is, objectively, perfectly fine—then back at isla. his expression mild, but there’s a touch of self-consciousness there, like he’s waiting for her to confirm he doesn’t stick out as badly as he feels he does.
"are you having a good time?" his voice is quieter now, sincere in a way that doesn’t demand an answer but still wants one. then, barely a breath later, a small huff of something close to a laugh. "please say yes, so at least one of us is."
