in somnis veritas

( in dreams, there is truth. ) — im sanghyun, twenty-five.

[jisuyw]

◈ glissade w/ @ywsanghyun​​

she likes this part of the festival of ice, getting to skate across the frozen lake and pretend she’s somewhere far away. it makes her feel like she’s floating, with only the blades of her skates keeping her from floating away into the sky. but maybe, she thinks, she gets a little too distracted. at least, that’s what she thinks when she manages to almost run into him in her thoughtful reverie – skidding to a stop dangerously close to colliding with him. ❝ i’m so sorry–! ❞ she almost squeaks the apology out, shuffling her weight between her feet. ❝ i was just so focused on skating…i wasn’t paying attention. ❞

[ywsanghyun]

he handles the lake’s curves and uneven dips at leisure, enjoying the wind and the slice of his skates on the ice. they probably should’ve been sharpened many seasons ago, but sanghyun never keeps up with things like that very well. he regrets it immensely in times like this: when he’s blindsided by another skater, and his dull blades screech to an unpleasant halt. sanghyun holds out his arm on reflex, reaching to steady her even as his other arm is flailing to steady himself. “whoa, are you okay—? my bad.”

he relaxes once they’ve both found their footing, and he realizes it’s a familiar face. sanghyun glances out at the crowd floating by as he catches his breath, trying not to wheeze. “ha. i don’t mind all the tourists, and it makes things interesting at the inn,” he muses, “but i’m definitely not trying to slip and fall in front of ‘em.” sanghyun gives jisu a wry smile. “can’t have anyone thinking we’re one of them~”

[ywyoungae]

**+ patience

@ywsanghyun

literally, what’s going on? she really needs someone to explain it to her.

youngae has been sitting beside this hole on the ice for like, at least, two minutes. and other people are enjoying themselves? this feels like an awful prank. of course, she knows what ice fishing entails, but nowhere in her mind did she think it’d be this awfully boring.

she taps the fishing rod with her foot, hoping that’d make it do its magic. how did the fish not freeze down there? that makes no sense at all! youngae drops down from her seat—which is rather comfortable, she must admit—and kneels down in front of her very own personal hole. why doesn’t the ice around it crack too? open up and swallow her whole? but she’s stronger than that. such thoughts won’t scare her away.

and there she is, staring into the freezing abyss that is a nearly frozen lake. just one moment to lose your balance and that’d be your end. but youngae really drops her face down there, hoping to be close enough to spy any passing fish.

[ywsanghyun]

he’d wanted to be a fisherman, once. he likes beaching and boating well enough, but the dream was short-lived, like most of sanghyun’s ambitions. it’s to be expected from someone who doesn’t like to wake up early, gets sick easily, and is also sort of allergic to fish. this type of ice fishing isn’t so bad, though, at the festival. all the locals are out trying their hand at it, and when sanghyun takes a survey of the crowd, he decides that he’s easily not the most useless one here.

high on the success of a few small perch caught, he seeks out a new location and immediately spots yoo youngae crouched possessively around her ice hole. sanghyun comes next to her and squats down just as low, balanced on the balls of his boots. “hey, scoot over,” he says, and sets his fishing pole down for the moment. he inches closer, bracing his elbows on his knees and his chin propped into his hand. sanghyun peers into the lake. “anything good down there?”

it’s a mix of teasing and genuine curiosity. mostly the latter, because tomorrow is sanghyun’s birthday and he’s probably getting too old to be bothersome to a teenager on purpose. but then his gaze catches on youngae’s empty fishing pole setup, and he can’t resist. “it’s easier if you use bait.”

[ddonghyun]

flower boy ong 💐

[ywsanghyun]

( 200125 ) — “it was my birthday today. a visitor at the inn said it’s called my golden birthday, ‘cause i’m turning 25 on the 25th. i mean, traditionally i’m 26 this year, but... that feels like too much.” sanghyun has a hand closed tightly in his pocket, protected from the cold night. late twenties? he doesn’t even want to say it aloud. he lifts his gaze. the small forest shrine is shrouded in shadow, and he’d almost slipped on a patch of ice approaching its clearing. sanghyun prefers to visit in daytime, usually, but he’s been in yangwon all day for the festival of ice. “i feel older and younger at the same time,” he says, “like... every season i come back here, and nothing much’s changed at all.”

with a deep breath, sanghyun pulls his hand from his coat and loosens his grip on the frozen tears clasped inside. there are four of the small gemstones, one for each season of the year, and they capture faint moonlight as sanghyun lines them up along the shrine’s base. “i visited the shaman today and got a blessing, but there were a lot of tourists there too.” he chews at his lower lip. “you’ll keep an eye on these out here, right? they’re prettier than something golden, for me.”

he doesn’t often touch the shrine itself, but tonight he rests his hand on the deity’s cool stone figure, and briefly dips his head. the stone warms beneath his palm. “this year, i’m going to figure it all out,” sanghyun resolves quietly. when he lifts his head, the heat fades. there’s no response, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t listening.

[ywsanghyun]

kick back,

( @ywjiho ) — there’s a football match on television, afternoon time in europe while here in yangwon, it’s yet another snowy night. sanghyun squints up at the score and frowns slightly. his eyes are so tired from wearing contacts all day, and the screen mounted behind the bar is so bright. it’s a lot nicer than the tv his family has at home, though, so he’d been looking forward to stopping by after work to catch the end of the game. not that he ever needs an excuse for it. even with the new job breaking up his routine, he ends up here a few times a week, and no one thinks it’s much of a surprise. im sanghyun, for all his restlessness, always finds himself wandering back to the same old, same old same damn things. sanghyun picks up his beer bottle, leaving behind a ring of condensation on the counter. he’s gotten too predictable, really.

the front door opens, bringing with it a blast of air frigid enough to chill him out of his thoughts. half the bar patrons wince at the cold, and sanghyun feels his expression relax when he sees who it is. he gestures her over and raises his brows in lieu of greeting. “you just getting off work now?” it’s not so unusual for them to meet up at night. the son residence is in the same direction as the bus stop, but sanghyun hasn’t seen jiho around in a while. “the game’s almost over,” he says, gesturing to the tv with his bottle, “if you wanted to hang around for a few minutes this time~”

[ywsanghyun]

birds of a feather

[ywsanghyun]

( ywsomin ) — “missing you?” she asks incredulously, acting like the mere idea is simply impossible. “no way. believe it or not, i frequent the library. i just tried to avoid it when you were working there.” it’s definitely a lie, because as much as she tries to pretend that she enjoys reading, there’s always something better to do, in her opinion. maybe she had stopped by a couple times just to say hello, but she won’t admit it. it’s too pride-damaging. “it was a relief when i found out you had moved on to bigger and better things.”

( that comment alone is enough to make her snicker, though, because his new job isn’t better. just another entry-level gig, and she can’t even really say anything since she’s in the same boat. )

“yeah, i agree. i mean, don’t get me wrong – if i found a better job, i’d leave in a heartbeat.” she pauses then, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one who would care to hear that is nearby, then adds, “but you’re right. it’s not the worst. gotta admit, though, it’s hard to imagine you waiting tables.”

and then she pulls a pen from a pocket in her apron, and scribbles “special” onto her notepad, as if she’d forget. “such a simple-minded man. i’ll try not to drop your plate, but i make no promises… the floors are awfully slippery here sometimes.”

“shit, i must’ve had you all wrong... a bookworm and a waitress,” sanghyun laments mildly. “chae somin is full of surprises.” he tilts his head and considers her, curious. “is it really that hard to imagine me as a waiter?” he doesn’t particularly strive for five-star service, but neither does the restaurant as a whole. he’s not sure people would expect that out of a town like this, anyway. they’d probably be surprised. “customer service didn’t really seem like.. your thing, either. the charm is half the job, right?” he tilts his head, pushing the line toward a clearly teasing tone. “but... you’re kinda working that apron.”

being charming might be half the job, but for sanghyun, it’s less effective when half the town already knows him. when they already know how simple-minded he can be. sanghyun’s slight smile grows into a grin, and he doesn’t pretend to be offended at the description. “just a simple man looking forward to a hot meal on a cold day,” he agrees. he tosses a glance toward the kitchen, and hums with deep, exaggerated sympathy. “sounds like a work hazard. the inn definitely puts its employees’ safety first~” work would be more interesting with somin back on shift with him, like in the old days. disastrous, probably, but still interesting. sanghyun doesn’t go so far as to suggest it. he does, however, suggest dinner with the same easy, careless tone in which they always tend to communicate. “you’re welcome to join me, by the way.. if you need a break from all the hard work.”

[ywsanghyun]

birds of a feather

[ywsanghyun]

( ywsomin ) — there’s a perpetual annoyance that comes as a symptom of working in the diner. it wouldn’t be fair to say that somin hates it, because she doesn’t – it sure beats some of the jobs she’s had in the past few years – but it’s certainly not something she enjoys, and the regular customers usually don’t make it any better. she’s found in her most recent occupational endeavors that she can only handle being rushed for so long before she snaps, and the thing about the diner is that she’s always being rushed. gotta take orders before the customers get antsy. gotta bring orders out before they get cold. gotta make sure everyone’s glasses are filled. gotta be nice enough that they’ll leave a tip to make all the rushing worthwhile. today, in particular, has been rather trying; and when she approaches the newly arrived customer, she’s about ready to ask him to just leave ( she wouldn’t, obviously, but she wants to! ) until she gets a little closer and realizes who he is.

she tries to repress her smile, but deems it to be impossible in no time; it’s that familiar banter that finally does away with her annoyance, at least for a minute. “yeah, yeah, yeah,” she drawls in response, accompanied by a roll of her eyes. “surprisingly, i haven’t been black-balled yet. guess i’m just too good of a worker, huh?” she pauses, then, waiting to see if he shows any kind of reaction because he knows better than anyone ( minus her previous employers, maybe ) that she’s… definitely not a good worker, usually. “what’re you up to these days, sanghyun? couch-surfing? now that i think about it, i haven’t seen you at the… library? in a minute.”

“yeah,” agrees sanghyun easily, “that must be it.” somin certainly looks harried, but sanghyun’s not sure if he’s convinced. she’s taking her time chatting with him, at least. sanghyun thinks she wouldn’t hesitate to cut it short if she actually needed to, so he doesn’t feel much urgency as he leans back against the booth.

he regards somin with a small smile. “huh, were you missing me? never pegged you as the type to hang out at the library all that often,” he muses, ignoring the couch surfing comment ( only true because he lives out of town and sometimes misses the last bus home ) in favor of fluttering his lashes at her. he and somin are too similar for any dig to really land, but he doesn’t intend it to. that’s what makes the banter so easy. he’s heard it all so many times and in so many different ways; it feels better to be teased by someone who actually understands.

“i’m at the inn now,” he clarifies, “at the restaurant. waiting tables and shit.” sanghyun blinks. a quick glance at somin and then around the diner is enough to realize that she’s doing exactly the same. “great minds think alike, yeah? it’s not so bad. free meals are definitely an upgrade.” sanghyun runs his tongue along his teeth as his stomach rumbles right on cue. “speaking of... i’ll have the dinner special, when you get the chance?”

[ywmieun-deactivated20200125]

* chasing time,

(     we are stranded travelers.     /      @ywsanghyun     )

Each movement of the bus sways her body back and forth. The subtle movements lull her into a calmness, like a babe being rocked by her mother. Eye-catching scenery flowing by does little to help the heaviness of her lids. Green and other flecks of color still spotted the countryside, yet untouched by the blanket of snow surely to arrive soon.

There is nothing quite like the outskirts of Yangwon. Beautiful in a way which she fails to describe other than blessed heavily by the Harvest Goddess. ( It’s not an anomaly that most of the area’s agriculture took place in these enriched areas. ) She’s certain Wolhae Village, where she is currently bond, will be just as visually captivating.

Lost in a daze, Mieun is utterly focused on the sights and sounds surrounding her, but ㅡ it comes to a sudden halt. Stillness, quietness save for the mutters of other passengers. The driver’s voice cuts through the silent air with an authoritative, yet calming voice. After taking a step outside for a few moments, he returns to inform everyone there’s an issue with the gas tank and one of the wheels.

This would mean waiting for quite a while on a still bus going nowhere. Mieun is in no state to afford simply sitting there.

She rises from her seat, face shrouded with determination. Her long strides bring her quickly from the back of the bus to the front.

“I don’t mean to seem impatient, but I have an important duty to attend to.” Mieun turns herself around on the metal stairs and bows as deeply as she’s able toward the driver. She’s not one to leave others in a dire situation without reciting a prayer for them. How would her conscious and the goddess allow her to do so? “Thank you. Best wishes to everyone. Do arrive back safely.”

With that, she departs from the bus and begins her treck.

[ywsanghyun]

it might be a nudge from the harvest goddess. sanghyun’s tired, but he’s in no rush to get home, with how tense things have gotten between his father and sister lately. when the bus comes to an unexpected stop, sanghyun would usually be content to doze off and wait out the delay. but the woman ahead of him stands, breezing down the bus aisle with determination, and something urges him to follow. he swallows and watches the shaman’s exit, hesitating. as she begins to walk away, the nudging guilt only strengthens. with a last wistful look out the window, sanghyun bows to the inevitable. he may not fear the other villagers, but he’s no one to resist the wishes of the goddess herself.

he dips his head to the driver on his way out. the shaman’s display of grace does prompt sanghyun to quickly wish him safe travels where normally he would only murmur his thanks, although there’s no formal bow or bus-wide announcement to go with it. then he’s on solid ground again, careful to step over the muddy slush piles on the side of the road.

is this what she wanted? the wind bites immediately into the gaps between his coat buttons, but sanghyun doesn’t really mind the fresh air after being cooped up all day. “hey, mieun,” he calls out ahead. he digs his hands into his pockets and takes wider strides; it’s no large effort to catch up. “are you headed up to wolhae?” sanghyun pauses and turns back to the bus, and looks at the shaman again. now that he’s made the move, he’s not sure what’s next. “i wasn’t sure if you’d mind having any company out here,” he offers after a beat. “the walk is kind of scenic if you stay off the main road.”

[ywsanghyun]

taste test,

( 🔍 open! ) — if anyone wants to get technical about it, then sanghyun technically doesn’t contribute to the potluck. but he is an employee who helped set up the dinner area yesterday, so he would argue in favor of a free pass if confronted. he also helped gyuri taste-test her soup! both things considered, when the im family arrives at the inn, sanghyun doesn’t feel any guilt as he grabs an empty plate and lines up with his mother.

aside from avoiding fish, sanghyun isn’t picky. he piles up servings of most of the dishes indiscriminately. only one near the end of the table gives him pause, with no helpful label in sight. he can’t say it’s immediately appealing, either. “this seems a little..” sanghyun gently prods the dish with its serving utensil, trailing off. he settles on “funky,” the word dripping from his lips in a clearly hesitant manner. he looks up only to find his mother a few paces ahead, already wrapped up in a different conversation. sanghyun makes eye contact with someone else across the table, who has likely overheard instead. “ah—” he blinks and offers a sheepish smile, full of goodwill and definitely not insulting the dish at all. “it’s not yours, is it?”

[ywsanghyun]

birds of a feather

( @ywsomin​ ) — his spirits have been lighter this december, despite the frigid evenings. it’s mostly because sanghyun’s started working at the inn, and the change of scenery has been refreshing. sanghyun’s on his feet more often, and townsfolk are more receptive to idle chatter after a good meal than at the peak of a high-tension study session, and there’s no head librarian to chide him for cussing in front of families at the circulation desk. it’s true that he wanted that job at the library last year because of its guaranteed downtime, but, well. he’s never been the best at figuring out what he actually needs.

thinking short-term is easier: like walking into the diner on his off day, and having nothing but a hot dinner on the brain. it’s been a little while, since sanghyun usually gets his meals at work, but things change so slowly that it still feels like home. he slides into an empty booth and he’s fumbling with his coat when the waitress approaches, focused between the menu and his arm stuck in his sleeve. “i’ll just have the dinner special,” he says, “and... oh.” sanghyun looks up and does a quick double take — and then he can't hide his surprise when he recognizes her. “it’s chae somin.” his lips curve up with amusement and sanghyun frees himself of the coat , fully shifting his attention to somin. “i guess they're letting just anyone work here nowadays, huh? last i saw, you were...” sanghyun tilts his head, entertainment only growing when he realizes he isn’t sure. he waves a hand. “somewhere else.”

[ywsanghyun]

hi, hello!! i’m des (she/her), and this is im sanghyun! he’s not a new muse, but now he’s the second-born of the im family canon, who owns the carpenter’s workshop in wolhae. you might recognize him as the new waiter on staff at the yangwon inn restaurant. if not there, then maybe you’ve seen him working his last job at the public library, or maybe the general store, or at the hot springs on yeoshin mountain..? — ah, he’s never really managed to sit still for long. he hopes to find his true calling one day, though!

check out his ( app / profile / plots ) for more info! it’s easiest to contact me via im here. you are also welcome to add my twitter @/centermeiqi or discord ww#7232, or just like this post and i’ll come to you — looking forward to it! ♡

[going-to-maine]

Visit Original Link

[ongnable]

i used up all my uwus on him