hot chocolate.
with @throwawaywing, the afternoon of december 15.
ââşââ Ë･ââš
If there was a tranquillity to Seolhwa when Nakyung had arrived, undisturbed snow and that quiet typical of early mornings, it was long gone by the time everyone else had trickled in. Nakyung stumbled over luggage left in the living space when crossing the room, lost track of whom she'd greeted and whom she hadn't, and overall felt something tight in her chest unwind.
She'd feared that witnessing this gathering, being around this specific group of people for the first time since the funeral, would turn painful. Haneul was meant to be here. And like the dip in the mattress next to her that had gone cold, she'd thought that his absence might be felt too strongly in this web of guests. It still might. But at least, for now, the weight was manageable to carry.
It lifted further when she entered the kitchen and spotted Ian looking through their groceries. Nakyung put on a tone just a little cheerier than she felt, because the first rule to keeping up a good mood was pretending to be in a good mood yourself. "It's getting lively out there, huh?," she said, alluding to the bark of laughter that trickled in from the hallway.
Tea leaves were easily located. Nakyung opened one of the overhead cupboards in her quest to find a pot to use, didn't find one, and moved on to what she thought the next likely spot was: the shelf next to the stove.
"Do you have any idea where the tea bags are?" Good management to delegate the next hunt, she thought. "I'm sure there's, like, a system to this madness," she indicated the state of the kitchen counters with a broad sweep of her arm, "but I haven't figured it out yet."
frost.
with @gravaris, the morning of december 15.
ââşââ Ë･ââš
The snow was undisturbed when Nakyung parked her car that morning, either because she was the first arrival or because tracks had been covered anew by the sporadic downfall that had turned her drive from relaxing to slightly annoying around the one-hour mark of the trip.
She'd slept badly the previous night, in bed early but unable to fall asleep. The few hours she'd gotten had been interrupted by her startling awake, turning around and expecting to feel a dip in the mattress next to her, the warmth of another person. It hadn't been that bad in months, but the upcoming vacation must've startled something in her subconscious. The last time she'd stacked luggage in her tiny hallway, Haneul's bags had been next to hers.
Gureum yipped from her spot in the trunk. Nakyung killed the engine, steeled herself for the first bite of cold, and climbed out of the car. The snow crunched beneath the soles of her boots in a way that felt immensely satisfying. The slam of the driver's door was too loud in the quiet of the mountainside. Nakyung's breath turned foggy in the chilly air; she took another one to steady herself, then went to free Gureum from her prison.
Thrice - now four times - she had been invited to come to the house looming above her now. The first time, before Haneul had asked her to be his girlfriend, Nakyung had declined politely and spent the time at her brother's house instead. She'd gone the second time, and spent most of the trip playing board games and winning a prolonged snow fight. The year before, their tentative plans had been dashed by Haneul's death. And now, she rang the doorbell with a dog in her arms and the knowledge that a piece of her had been lost in a landscape not unlike this one.
The door opened. Nakyung put on an easy smile. "Hajun, hi!," she got out, then Gureum started wriggling and she bent to put her down, watching as the dog went up to greet him with more enthusiasm than even she was able to muster. "Am I the first to get here?"
hi! i'm jade (s/h) and i'm here with nakyung, haneul's girlfriend, and gureum - the dog she adopted while they were dating. if you feel like reading, you can find her biography and profile on her blog. below the cut is a tldr. give this post a like and i'll hop into your dms to plot! discord is available on request. (a little disclaimer: i'll be sending out messages slowly so this blog doesn't get sniped, so if i don't get to you right away i'd appreciate you coming to me!)
son nakyung, born august 30 1969, works as a fashion editor at a well-known, fairly prestigious magazine.
nakyung grows up in a small countryside town. she has a decent childhood: her parents argue plenty and they don't have a lot of money, but she spends her afternoons wading through creeks and going on long bike rides with friends.
her father leaves the family when she's 12. nakyung realises that leaving town is something you can do - if you have the resources to do it. the work she puts into her studies after she figures this out pays off: after graduation she's accepted into university in seoul.
she spends the first two years of her degree bartending to pay her bills, then gets a job writing fluff for a teen magazine.
nakyung graduates, gets a better job she's networked herself into - and five months later her mother dies. she processes her grief by overworking. over time, nakyung job-hops into a decently-paid position.
she moves into a new apartment, this one big enough to host get-togethers. around 1993, she starts crossing paths with haneul; he's a friend of a friend.
a year later they're properly introduced by a mutual friend. they hit it off pretty quickly, grow closer somewhat effortlessly and start flirting. nakyung, who'd previously slept around (with both men and women) but never committed, starts pining a little. when haneul asks her out mid-1995, she says yes immediately.
it's a good relationship! they adopt a dog (or nakyung does, and haneul's forced to accept its presence), he stays over plenty, i like to imagine their friend groups blend just a tiny bit. nakyung tags along on some of his trips, but not all - she'll happily join in on a fun activity, but isn't as thrill-seeking as he is and has a job she needs to hold down.
she learns about haneul's death through a call the evening after he died.
personality.
nakyung's a people person and girl's girl, the sort of woman who seems to know everyone and shows up at most outings she's invited to. she's very confident, a true extrovert, but there's a warm core to her that makes it easy to sit in silence with her, too. she can be bossy and prone to teasing, and she moves through life like someone who knows what they want. get to know her better, and you'll realise that once she's attached to you, it'll be hard to get rid of her. she's an active person (almost) always up for an adventure. but nakyung also isn't very self-reflected, deals with negative emotions by finding something else to focus on and rarely lets herself process. ever since haneul's death, she's been more subdued and quiet.
at seolhwa.
nakyung came to seolhwa with gureum, the dog she adopted while she was dating haneul. the logistics worked out better than making someone dogsit - and really, gureum was haneul's dog, too. she's a white-furred maltese and very friendly. feel free to include her in any of your threads, have your muse take her on walks or cuddle up with her on the couch! no need to check in with me in advance.
also hidden in nakyung's trunk: a big bag of yarn, some fabric, her trusty old sewing machine. she intends to spend at least some of her time catching up on projects - and finally finishing that blanket she'd started knitting for haneul ages ago.
wanted connections & plot ideas!
these are intended as starting points and not fully-fledged plots!
people she knew before she got closer to haneul, that were part of the same circle of friends.
the friend who set her and haneul up!
the person who called her to tell her haneul had died. preferably one of the hikers or a family member.
some sort of tentative acquaintance? someone who has her phone number primarily because haneul spent so much time at her place. they could've talked a bit here and there. similarly, someone intending to crash on haneul's couch could've ended up on hers because that's where he was at when they called.
and, of course, people she got close to after she started dating haneul; people whom she's grieved with; the person she'd team up with on group board game nights; people whom she's travelled with as part of haneul's group. and anything else we can think of!
âTime was really visible in this sweater. But I also loved the thinness of the yarn and the pointlessness of the exercise. It felt more like it was about preserving a relationship than a need.â
yousharknotpass
kaledo-art
gummygunk
origamiaround
turnnoffyourmind
