↳ mall

@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
Khaotung pretended not to notice the way First’s face lit up at his words, instead turning to the clerk and thanking them for checking for more hats. He watched as they retreated, taking the time to breathe before turning back to First.

Khaotung wanted to tell him the hat in his hands was the last one, that he needed it, and that he had to ing leave like right now, but his plan went down the drain pretty quickly. The second his gaze landed on him, First’s eyes widened, and a grin ripped through his face, making Khaotung backtrack.

Whenever First smiled, it was as if there were galaxies in his eyes, and he looked at Khaotung as though he’d created them just for him. Khaotung wondered if that was simply what First was like, if he smiled at everyone like that, if he lived his life assuming the best out of every person he came across. For a moment, Khaotung envied him—he would have liked to be that way, to not expect the worst out of everyone, to not shut people out. But life had proven to him, again and again, that it was wisest not to trust people, and so Khaotung watched, eyebrows furrowing in the slightest, as First smiled down at him, happy and blissfully ignorant of how cruel the world could be.

The words coming out of First’s mouth softened Khaotung’s frown, and he didn’t try to stifle the unimpressed look they pulled out of him.

As First went on and on about how he was the worst and no one would ever like him—something Khaotung doubted could happen, given his sunny personality—Khaotung wondered if he should just give up trying to leave. It didn’t seem like First would let him go any time soon, and he figured he might as well take the chance to check a record store he’d been meaning to go to.

Khaotung resigned himself to his fate, loosening the grip on the hat, and smoothing out the wrinkles on its lapels with his thumbs.

“No one is going to think poorly of you.” He found himself saying. Then, “If you wanted my help you could’ve just asked. No need for all the theatrics.”

An image flashed across his mind, sad puppy eyes and a pout, and Khaotung sighed.

“You were here to buy a gift for the company’s secret santa, right?” He guessed.

Khaotung raised a brow, nodding toward First, “You’re almost out of time. Who did you get?”

@✵ khaotung rattanakitpaisarn ⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
First was, for the most part, a simple person. There was once a time when he overanalyzed people's every word, but life had eventually taught him it was nothing less than painful to be reading into things that weren't there. Words are just words, and people always mean what they say, even if they don't always say what they mean.

This way of thinking meant there were moments and tiny details he now purposefully overlooked, scared he might be going back to those old habits just by even thinking about them. Life never shied away from proving itself to be hard for someone who tries to find meaning in everything.

And so Khaotung's hesitation, the way he momentarily turned away from him, the way he then looked back at First, wearing an expression once more impossible to decypher, all those things were just what they were. A normal person, living their normal life. One's mind could wonder what they meant, but to First, there was no need to overthink it.

'We can be friends.'

And that's all he needed to hear. There was no reason for those words to mean anything other than what they mean, especially when said by someone who doesn't strike First as insincere or fake.

First felt a wave of relief wash over him but, not meaning to push it, he decided on giving the other a simple nod, excitement hidden by the teeth grazing at his lower lip which was now thinned by the smile it held. Maybe living here wouldn't be so hard now.

His gaze instinctively landed on the clerk behind Khaotung just as he turned to them. There was no need to understand the conversation between them to conclude this gift hunt would be just as hard as the previous ones and First sighed to himself, eyes darting around the store for the nth time, even more lost than he was when he came in. But at least now he wasn't alone. At least now asking for help wouldn't be such a hard task.

With big, pleading eyes, First followed Khaotung's as he finished the exchange with the store staff. "So.. I'm guessing no luck?". Not more than a second later, a mischievous grin threatened to tear his lips as he tried his best to fake looking upset. Feigning a pout, he sighed, crossing his arms as he pretended to look around the store.

"What am I gonna do? There are only two days left, I can't find anything. I just joined, and they're going to think poorly of me If I don't come with a gift, but if I show up with something they don't like it'll be even worse. I don't want it to look like I don't care.." he rambled as he peeked at Khaotung, hoping the other understood.

@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
*Yes.*
It would be bad, Khaotung was certain of that.

He turned his face away from First, in a breath as he focused on blinking away the tears he was starting to feel prickling his eyes. In doing so, he met the eyes of the store clerk, who had stopped a few meters away from them, perhaps sensing they were having an unpleasant conversation and not wanting to meddle. Khaotung noticed they were holding only one hat in their hands, so he figured it really must have been the last one in the store.

He willed himself to look back at First. He didn’t want to be his friend. He would never be able to trust him, and this would end exactly how Khaotung expected it to. *I don’t know how to be your friend.*, he wanted to say.

First seemed to be nervous, adjusting his hat on his head, big eyes searching Khaotung’s, sweat making his temples shine in the slightest. Khaotung didn’t understand it. He’d given up friendships a long time ago. He’d given up a lot of things.

For a moment, Khaotung was fourteen years old again, standing in the rain. Blue and red sirens surrounded him, taking away the strenght from his legs, making his knees buckle under his weight, sinking his body into the ground. *Would that be so bad?*

He didn’t know what he was supposed to do.

First’s eyes pulled him from his thoughts again, still wide and prodding. He reminded Khaotung of a toddler who kept bugging their parents until they caved and agreed to do whatever he wanted.

Maybe Khaotung should just tell him, *Yes, let’s be friends.*, and get it over with. Maybe then First would stop following him, would let him get out of there and pretend none of this ever happened.

He tried to make his voice soft, but it sounded forced, even to himself. He hoped First wouldn’t notice, “No, of course not.”

Khaotung stretched his lips into an almost-smile, and told him, “We can be friends.”

@✵ khaotung rattanakitpaisarn ⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
First barely had any time to react. The other had stopped rather abruptly, as First later realised, and so Newton's first law proved once more its veracity as he locked onto his heels, pressing hard against the floor to stop himself from slipping away past Khaotung.

It wasn't usually this hard to make small talk—not that whatever was happening between the pair could even be considered small talk at this point—and First couln't help but wonder if he had done or said something that had made Khaotung act this way towards him. Sure, he was quiet, but he'd never seen the trainee push someone away this hard, or at least react this badly to a simple proposal. Did he just not like him? But why?

His voice was cold, like the waves of the winter ocean, pushing you inconspicuously yet mercilessly towards the fang-like rocky formations, and First's pride in his social skills was slowly vanishing, mental arms reaching out to trap him in an emotional straitjacket as they usually did whenever he thought of how alone he was in this foreign land. First pushed them away. He wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"Why?" he locked hopeful eyes with Khaotung, deciding for once to approach the problem directly using brute force as a small pout formed on his lips. Hopefully, the tiny droplets of sweat forming over his temples didn't give it away, but he was nervous. He couldn't help but tensely reach for the brim of his hat, shoulders raising ever so slightly to shake off the nerves as a natural reaction to the psychological turning pyshical tingle you get when you try to stand still for too long, a free hand coming up to push back the strands of hair already sticking to his forehead, strands that quickly became flattened against his scalp once the hat came to rest snuggly on his head again.

"Why not? Would that be so bad?"

[post deleted by owner]

@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
Friends.

Khaotung stopped short of reaching the clerk and turned to look at First again. He was close enough that Khaotung almost grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him. He had to make him understand. None of this was supposed to happen.

First’s words replayed in his head—*I didn’t mean to upset you, I just wanted to talk you*.

“You didn’t upset me.” He let out, without thinking. He hoped, as an afterthought, that he’d sounded as sincere as he was forcing himself to be.

Friends?

Khaotung thought back to the last two years of his life—from the moment he moved to Korea, until now. He hadn’t had someone he could call a friend all that time. Hadn’t needed to. The people he cared about all lived in a small village, in Thailand. All he was after was a way for his loved ones to live comfortably. There had never been a need for friendships, here. He had decided, early on, not to let himself be distracted from his goals. He knew that if he let go of his promise, everything would fall apart. And he had to make this work—he *needed* to make it work.

And yet…

It had been so long since he’d spoken his native tongue with someone who wasn’t on the other end of a phone call line. He could feel heartache pulling at his chest, could feel the remainders of homesickness awakening in the pit of his stomach, traveling through his body, making his fingers twitch, telling him to grab on, hold on, don’t let this one go.

“I…” Khaotung ran a hand through his hair, not knowing how to answer. Just tell him no, his mind supplied. He furrowed his eyebrows, conflicted, and searched for his answer in First’s eyes, “Why?”

Vaguely, he remembered First couldn’t read his mind, and rephrased his question, “Why do you want to be my friend?”

@✵ khaotung rattanakitpaisarn ⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
First prided himself on being a people person, even if more often than not it wasn't until other people approached him that he would become his talkative self around them. This didn't mean, of course, that First didn't approach people. He simply appreciated and very much prefered being sought by others, rather than seeking their attention himself. However, every once in a while, and due to his eager nature to connect with others, someone would catch his eye, and he wouldn't even give them a chance to approach him. He just had to get to know them.

Khaotung was one of those people. First had noticed, and had kept wanting to notice more and more details from the little time they'd spent in the same room ever since he was introduced to the other trainees; subtle yet telling nuances of the way he reacted to what happened around him, the ways in which his attentive eyes would change in the split of a second even if only microscopically. First was quite the observer, and there was nothing he loved more than to discover and recognise patterns in people's mannerisms. Khaotung was fascinating by this exact reason; he couldn't decipher him.

'—I don’t have time to be your Korean teacher.'

First wanted to say something. This was clearly not what he meant, and even if he thought back on his words to try and figure out just what he had said that could possibly make Khaotung think this is what he wanted from him, he just couldn't put his finger on it. His lips parted from each other, the whispers of a thought stuck in First's throat as he stared, wide-eyed, at the trainee, a hand subconsciously countering gravity as it reached out, not truly moving more than a couple seconds from its previous position. First couldn't tell if the other was really in a hurry or if he was just politely being told off, but whatever the explanation might be, he had clearly upset him.

First was much too shocked by the other's words to realise he was already leaving, his back coldly turned to him as he too disappeared in the swarm of bodies. There was no way he was going to let this exchange end in a misunderstanding, so he did the logical thing, the thing any normal person would do: he followed him. He struggled to catch up to him, bumping into a couple of people on the way, but once he did finally manage to close the gap between them, he stood by his side, matching his quick pace and dipping his head to try and catch a glimpse of the other's expression, hopefully one he could actually read.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. I just wanted to talk to you— and it doesn't have to be about Korean or anything like that! I just thought we could maybe... you know, be friends?" he blurted out, not once breathing in between words so as to not give the other any chance to wrongfully read into them.

[post deleted by owner]

@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
Khaotung found himself frowning at the other’s request, not wanting to spend any more time in this store, or with this person.

Of all the trainees he’d seen at the dorms, First was likely the one he should be closer to, given their common birthplaces. Yet, Khaotung kept feeling like he should put some distance between them.

First looked like a person one would easily grow attached to, and Khaotung knew first-hand that attachments meant weakness—suffering. He couldn’t let himself be swayed from his goals by the promise of home, in the form of a friend, and that wasn’t even what First had suggested.

He just wanted Khaotung to be his translator.

For some reason, that upset Khaotung more than if First had outright asked him to be his friend. It was hypocritical of him, but Khaotung was upset because he had not read First as someone who would make use of other people for his personal interest, and now that image of him—which has admittedly been based off of a two minute interaction—was shattering.

*Do I look like a Thai-Korean dictionary to you?*
Khaotung’s words never left his mouth. He sighed, frustrated that he kept holding himself back near this person.

He let his eyes roam back around the store, and noticed, with great relief, that the clerk was finally making their way toward them.

Thankful for a way out, he looked back at First, and settled for saying, “Look, I’m kind of in a rush here, I don’t have time to be your Korean teacher. You should apply for some lessons, maybe watch some Dramas or something, so you start getting used to the language. I just really—” don’t care “—don’t have the time right now. Sorry.”

Khaotung didn’t glance back up at First again. He stepped back and turned, walking toward the clerk and leaving First behind. He hoped the other would finally take the hint, and leave him alone.

@✵ khaotung rattanakitpaisarn ⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
There was yet again a new countenance about Khaotung and First meticulously explored it, eyes studying every change in the other's expression. In the end, he failed to figure out what it meant, which only fed his curiosity even further. His big, soft, round eyes exuded nothing but an enigmatic calmness, never betraying this mysterious aura that surrounded him, but painting him with an unexpected charm First was just now discovering.

It hadn't been long since First joined DSF but in spite of his limited interaction with the other trainees, Khaotung felt... especially distant. He hadn't really seen him around much, and this was actually the first time he had heard his soft yet low voice. It intrigued him how the other seemed to be keeping his distance at all times.

"Ah—" he answered, puzzled, his eyes narrowing faintly but never really leaving the other's face as his lips pressed tightly together in a line of uncertainty. Was he perhaps not clear enough?

"What you said to the clerk, could you explain it to me?" he inquired, every so slightly tilting his head to the side in confusion, momentarily glancing at that door the clerk went into earlier, in case they were to return soon, quickly returning his gaze to Khaotung's deep brown eyes.

[post deleted by owner]

@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
Khaotung didn’t have time to react as First moved to touch him, so he ended up letting the other bring his hand near him, and steer him out of the way of someone rushing past them. He felt himself grow tense, holding his breath as First’s hand made contact with his back. His own body betrayed him, allowing himself to be moved and leaning into First’s gentle hand for the short amount of time it guided him to safety.

He stared, dumbfounded and probably wide-eyed, as First kept talking, but Khaotung didn’t listen to a single word he said, too busy processing what had just happened.

He definitely should’ve told First no.

First’s lips were still moving, and Khaotung should really stop looking at them if he didn’t want to be perceived as a weirdo—why did he even care about any of this?

He studied First’s face for a moment, tracing over his expressive dark eyes, which seemed to be analyzing Khaotung’s every move, down to full lips, and a well-defined jawline. For a moment, First’s big, round eyes reminded him of one of his cats back home, but he frowned at how ridiculous that thought was.

First was a mystery to him, and Khaotung wasn’t trusting of things—or people—he couldn’t decypher right away. He figured, maybe, given the way First had reacted to him before, that if he were to ask First about himself, he probably would answer with sincerity, but Khaotung wasn’t that interested.

He zoned back in on First’s eyes and found them studying him, likely waiting for a reply to a question Khaotung didn’t hear.

“Huh.” He said, smartly. “What?”

@✵ khaotung rattanakitpaisarn ⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
First followed Khaotung through the endless maze of people and clothing racks, peeking curiously over the top of his head to try and catch any of the worker's eyes. The store was a mess, as one could expect. There were people running everywhere, dropping clothes as they tried to carry more than their arms would allow them to, leaving unfolded items just hanging in random stands. Overall, it was as chaotic as a clothing store could be.

The pair finally seemed to find someone to help them, and soon Khaotung was trying to get their attention, proving himself to be a lot more useful than whatever First's attempt had been earlier. First felt bad for anyone working this time of the year. People were stressed out and tended to lash out at the innocent workers who had absolutely nothing to do with their personal issues, and yet they had to be nice and polite towards costumers. So, when the worker gave them what First could only recognise as a tired and stressed out expression, the only thing he could really offer them was an apologetic smile, hoping Khaotung would choose his words as nicely as he would have, were he the one talking with the clerk.

After the short exchange, First watched with curious eyes as the employee walked away, presumably to either continue on with their work or to go check for stock in the back of the store. First couldn't really tell, he didn't understand any of what was said. His eyes followed the staff as they swam through the sea of people, eventually disappearing behind some door.

The pair was left alone again. Well, as alone as two people could be inside a clothing store three days before Christmas anyway. First burried his hands in his pockets as the other turned to face him, his eyes immediately searching for Khaotung's. The trainee offered him another one of his signature smiles as the other explained how the conversation had actually gone.

"Aside from 'het', I don't think—" First quickly removed his hands from his pockets, his left hand quickly coming to hover over Khaotung's back, naturally guiding him aside with a light push so as to allow the man that seemed to be in a hurry just behind him, his eyes only momentarily leaving Khaotung's to give the man an apologetic look, though he did not even spare him a glance. "I don't think I understood anything else."

First didn't want to be too pushy, but they had time to spend, and he wanted to get to know the other trainee. He too stepped aside, returning his hands to their previous position and darting glances between the display next to them and Khaotung, signaling for the both of them to maybe go stand next to it so they wouldn't be in the way.

"Can you teach me?"

@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
Khaotung made a bee-line toward the clerk, feeling First’s stare on his back as he walked around the people-made obstacle course that was this goddamn store. He very pointedly did *not* look back, not wanting to see if the other still had the same puppy eyes expression Khaotung had left him with.

What was he, four? How was First planning to survive in this industry if a mere comment made him look like that? And why did Khaotung even care? Wasn’t he the one trying to get rid of the other in the first place?

Khaotung sighed, hiding it under a prolonged exhale, and finally came to a stop in front of the staff worker. He signaled toward them, trying to politely get their attention, “Excuse me.” He said, immediately regretting it as the clerk sent an uninviting look his way. ing amazing, he knew he should've told First no.

He tilted his head slightly, putting on the nicest smile he could muster as he asked them if the hat in his hands was the last one in the store. Thankfully, the clerk seemed to be swayed enough by Khaotung’s expression to offer him a calm reply.

Khaotung bowed his head slightly at them, offering a “Thank you” as he watched them go check for another hat in the back of the store. As he turned, he noticed First was still behind him, and he tipped his head up to look at him properly.

A fleeting thought ran through his head as he did so—talking to First a lot would probably result in neck problems for him, so he should probably avoid that.

Khaotung blinked that thought away, turning his face down for a moment to clear his throat. He finally glanced back at First, quickly wetting his lips before saying, “The clerk went to see if there are any more hats at the back." He raised his eyebrows, "Did you understand the conversation at all?”

@✵ khaotung rattanakitpaisarn ⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
First straightened himself as his right hand dropped back to his side, his index finger jerking momentarily as it detached from the cold metal links, his expression falling ever so slightly. He could be oblivious at times, but he certainly wasn't blind. He had made Khaotung uncomfortable.

Choosing to stay put until the other took the first step, First squinted his eyes in a pensive, almost comical manner. "Buckat het," he whispered to himself as he shook his head gently, making a mental note to jot it down later. These were the first korean words he'd been taught after all.

First's eyes were to quick to follow the other's gaze as he too searched for a staff member to help them, enthusiastically raising an arm once he spotted a blue colored shirt with the store's logo not too far from where they were standing, only they were much too focused on their task to notice him. The trainee then awkwardly lowered his arm and internally laughed at himself. Perhaps the other didn't notice it and he could just pretend nothing had happened.

As Khaotung turned around to face him once more, First was yet again met with an expression he failed to decypher, but that only further intrigued him. Taking his lack of interest as an invitation, First merely nodded, closely following the other so as not to lose him in the sea of people, while simultaneously keeping some distance between them, wishing nothing but to never see that look of uneasiness in the other's face.

@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
Khaotung took another step back, needing to put some distance between himself and whatever First was trying to do. No one ever smiled at him like that, especially not someone who didn’t even know him. He could understand finding comfort in speaking your native language after some time, but he wasn’t sure that was what First was doing—if he was being honest, he had no clue what First was doing, only that he wasn’t a fan of it. Khaotung didn’t trust him, and he could feel his walls closing up around him again.

He tightened his hold on the hat, saying, “You just call it ‘bucket hat’ in Korean.” He pronounced the words slowly, trying to make them easier to follow.

His eyes paced around the store, looking for a clerk, and he absentmindedly bit the inside of his cheek to try and relieve some of the tension he’d been holding. Finally, he noticed a person wearing a staff shirt, and he nearly sighed in relief.

When he turned back to look at First, he almost flinched back, not expecting his big, shiny eyes to still be on him. He looked away again, “I see a clerk. You can stay here, or go with me. I don’t care.” He shrugged, hoping his dismissal would finally make First quit.

@✵ khaotung rattanakitpaisarn ⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
First eyes only brightened with interest at the others response, his gaze automatically alternating between the object in Khaotung's hands and his eyes. It had been a while since First last felt this comfortable talking with someone, and it was, in a way, easing the loneliness that had managed to creep into his heart.

"Can I go with you?" First asked as he tentatively stepped forward, doing his best to read into the other's expressions. "Maybe I'll pick up some words while you ask" and that grin was back on his face as he carefully reached for the hat, fingers running along the chains. "Like... what would call this?"

@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
Khaotung’s eyes followed the other’s hand, before returning to his face. The last thing he wanted was to waste any more time here, but something in the way First was looking at him made him stop short of outright refusing him. It was as if First’s eyes were begging him not to leave.

Regardless of how much Khaotung wanted to get out of this situation, he recognized himself in the person standing in front of him. He remembered how hard it had been moving into a different country, and learning a new language, which he still wasn’t fluent in.

It’s not like it would take that much time, right? He could just do this for his colleague, and then they’d go their separate ways. It didn’t have to be a big deal.

Carefully, Khaotung reached for the hat again, holding First’s gaze as he did so, “Okay.” He said, bringing it down and fidgeting with its lapels. “I’ll go find a clerk, so just wait here or something.” He chanced a look up, “Alright?”

@✵ khaotung rattanakitpaisarn ⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .

First isn't necessarily an extroverted person, but he enjoys the feeling of getting know people. Ever since coming to Seoul, there was this certain loneliness he just couldn't seem to brush off, and even though he hasn't been here for long, it's been weird not having someone to talk to. He couldn't really remember the last time he went this long without speaking. Even his throat feels weird.

When First learnt there was another Thai trainee, he immediately took an interest in him. There hadn't been an opportunity for him to strike a conversation yet, but maybe that's exactly why it was taking him this long to find a gift. He was never a spiritual person, but this does seem like some type of a sign. First missed home, and hanging around with someone who understood him and reminded him of home was exactly what he needed right now. And so, First made it his mission to at least try and get to know the other. With that same smile never leaving his face, First shook his head happily.

"No no, take it. I'll just ask a clerk for an— oh, actually" he stopped. The trainee remembered how last time he wanted to ask for help it actually took him more than 10 minutes to get the store staff to understand what he needed. Turns out, korean people don't really understand english that well, though neither does he, and First hasn't even started his korean lessons yet.

"Would you mind asking for another one?" he asked sheepishly, a hand coming to rest on the nape of his neck as his eyes nervously searched the other's expression.

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@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
Khaotung pulled his hand back as well, not expecting to be approached, especially not by someone who knew him. He tried schooling his expression back to something neutral, leaning back slightly to look at the person before him.

It had already been a couple of weeks since he’d moved into the dorms, but Khaotung hadn’t taken the time yet to get to know any of the other trainees, instead focusing on setting a work schedule for himself. In his opinion, friendships were secondary—optional.

The guy in front of him was smiling a bit too much for Khaotung’s liking, and everything in his head was screaming ‘this person wants something from you, don’t trust him’.

Still, he figured he probably shouldn’t be impolite to this guy—First, was it?—since he wanted this interaction to last as little as possible.

Khaotung looked up to meet the guy’s eyes, trying for a small smile as he replied, “That’s right.”

He diverted his attention back to the bucket hat, taking an extra second to find his trail of thought again, “I was going to get this hat. Do you mind?” He asked, pointing up at it with his index finger.

@✵ khaotung rattanakitpaisarn ⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .
Christmas was a special time of the year for First. Ever since he was little he would stealthily sneak into the kitchen at roughly 5am with a white bedsheet over his head, feet in the cold floor, to steal one of his grandma's freshly-baked, sweet-smelling sugar cookies. He couldn't quite recall how this tradition had started, but even now that he was older, Christmas wasn't Christmas unless he dug into his closet in search of that same white sheet and watched his grandma pretend she didn't see him leave tiny crumbs all over the counter.

This would be his first Christmas away from his family, which is why he so badly wanted to participate in this anonymous gift exchange the company had suggested. At least he wouldn't spend Christmas alone. At least there was still some kind of tradition, even if new to him.

First didn't know anyone yet aside from the other trainees he'd be living with, and even then, he knew nothing more than their names. When the raffle was done, First had to ask around to figure out just who this person was, getting playfully scolded in the process for revealing such top secret information. He expected it to be hard to find a gift they would like, but he wanted to at least gift them something they could use.

This would be his 3rd and final try at finding the perfect gift. He had gone to this exact mall 2 times by now, but nothing had sparked his interest. However, Christmas was just arround the corner so he simply couldn't push it back anymore.

And so the trainee stood by the bus stop, every so often peeking around as did the other people that had started to gather around him. Christmas was a busy time, and First could only imagine how packed the mall would be by now. He wasn't too bothered by it, but it would surely make this gift hunt a lot more... challenging.

The bus came around the corner after only a couple of minutes, and First brushed his fingers through his hair as he awkwardly waited in line to get in, doing his best to hide the smile that painted his lips as he overheard some girl talk about how her boyfriend was going to get her this new book she had been wanting to read for ages.

The ride was quick, a mere 5 stops, and soon First was just outside the mall. He could almost paint the display windows in his head by now, having passed by and examined each and every one of them at least 5 times in this last week. Nevertheless, First was optimistic. He probably just missed that perfect thing he was looking for, and today he was going to find it.

Having decided clothes were not an option as he barely knew this person's tastes (plus he wasn't very.... knowledgeable in the fashion area), First headed straight to the accessories part of the first store. A good 10 minutes and a whole lot of grabbing and dropping stuff later, First decided this store wasn't it. He'd found a pair of, in his opinion, really nice earrings, but later found out they were out of stock and the only available pair would be the display model. Not wanting to gift something god knows how many people had already touched, First gave up on that store and headed for the next one.

As a defeated sigh escaped his lips, the trainee headed for the next store, squinting at the way-too-bright spotlights by the entrance. "This is enough to permanently blind someone".

Following the same method, he looked around for the accessories, passing by some very questionable mannequins, wondering in his mind if it would be too weird to just copy one of their weird poses in the middle of the store, by himself. Settling for a yes as an answer, the trainee decided to check out the hat section first. He didn't know if she was someone who wore hats often, but if not, maybe First would be the one to introduce that really cool style to her (First knew this, as someone who wore a hat basically every day).

Spotting a rather hip bucket hat in the distance, First headed to where the item was being displayed. How had he not noticed it before? It was perfect. He reached for it, not really giving it much thought, before noticing someone else below him seemed to also be interested in it.

"Oh, sorry" the trainee retrieved his hand just as he was about to grab the hat, only then really turning to face the boy by his side. His eyes widened just slightly as a bright smile appeared on his lips. A familiar face. "Oh! Khaotung, right?" the trainee said, his body now fully facing the other.

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@✵ first kanaphan⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ .

Khaotung looked down at the watch on his wrist, checking the time as if it’d make the train arrive faster. He tilted his head in annoyance—it was already past midday, and he still needed to get so much done.

His right leg was bouncing on its own, a nervous tic he had been trying–and failing–to prevent. A new song started playing on his headphones, and Khaotung adjusted them on his head, so he could listen to it more clearly. However old, the headphones held a special place in his heart, and he couldn’t help but smile as he remembered the time he’d gotten them.

The train finally came to a stop, and Khaotung jumped from his seat, ready to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Khaotung frowned, looking at the name written on the screen of his phone. How was he supposed to buy a gift for someone he had never even talked to?

He tried scrolling through the person’s social media, idly thinking that it was probably a bit stalker-ish of him, but he had no other way to know what to get for them.

Eventually, Khaotung came across a clothing store that called out to him, and he decided to check it out.
As soon as he entered the store he was ready to leave, the sea of people inside making him feel claustrophobic. Perhaps waiting until a few days before Christmas had not been the smartest choice. Whatever. He didn’t have a lot of time now, and this store seemed good enough.

He managed to squeeze his way past speeding people and finally came to a stop in the accessory part of the store. He felt like a more generic gift would be safer, so he walked past the jewelry and his eyes landed on a wall stacked to the brim with different kinds of hats.

Khaotung’s eyes shone with interest before he remembered he was on a mission. He scoured the wall for a while, looking at each hat, picking up a few of them and trying them on. He scrunched his nose at most of them until he spotted a black bucket hat, adorned with a simple chain. It was cute. The more Khaotung looked at it, the more it became clear to him that was the gift he wanted.

He reached out to grab it, but his hand brushed against someone else’s.
He turned to glare at the person who was trying to steal his gift.

@✵ ahn yujin⁻ᵗʳᵃᶦⁿᵉᵉ yunjin brushed a stray lock of her orange hair behind her ear before making sure her hat was on securely, looking at the directory of the mall and frowning to herself. "okay yujinnie, so we're here but we need to find the best store for skin care. i don't think i've ever been here before, what do you think would be the best option?"

[] figured this would be the best place for them to go to buy spa stuff

@☼ choi san *June clapped a baseball cap ontop of San's head as they walked towards the particular restaurant he had in mind*
You better keep that on unless you want a trail of screaming fangrils chasing you
I don't know about you *June rubbed at his temples* But I don't need more of a head ache
Oh - hey! *he lightly swatted San's shoulder and pointed to their right* The place is here
C'mon - *he guided them inside, greeting the owner casually as this wasn't the first time he'd come out to this joint, and chose a table in the back*
Today's my treat, since I'm the one dragging you out for a hangover cure

@☾ jennie kim ʳᵘᵇʸ ʲᵃⁿᵉ With a small bow and a chuckle, she accepts the offered drink, swirling the liquid a bit before taking a sip.
You speak as if I would ever have the luxury of tasting champagne anywhere outside of Seoul. But I do thank you for the invite. I was not expecting you wanting any of us old management farts showing up for something like this.
she lifts the glass in a small toast.
But I will cherish both the invite and the not-as-good-as-in-Paris champagne

@☾ kim yongsun ˢᵒˡᵃʳ @◈ moon byulyi ᴍᴏᴏɴʙʏᴜʟ⁻ʳᵃᵖ ᶜᵒᵃᶜʰ .

After scampering away from the purple carpet and putting on her best host performance and makes her round of greeting guests she finally sees friendly faces of moonbyul and solar. she takes two glasses of champagne off a catering tray and makes her way towards the two, slithering her way through the crowd
hello beautiful ladies! I’m so glad you could make it tonight, you both look so good you deserve drinks. honestly the champagne isn’t as good as the ones in Paris but it’ll do.
she chides in playfully handing the two glasses outwards to be taken

https://64.media.tumblr.com/90c975de5a300396972f05ea5094a88e/c54bad3fccdbddb0-fb/s1280x1920/9cd3f9220b4645481814754e5a544ee7e4868d50.jpg

it had been quite some time , the k-pop diva had not even shown her face in public let alone purposely put herself on display for paparazzi since her accident. as soon as she stepped out of the Bentley , she was blinded with flashing lights and squawking paparazzi trying to get her attention in both English and korean. She loved the attention, of course; however, she hated doing these things without yuqi or yongsun , her comfort people. she puts on her brave face , blessing the cameras with a huge smile despite her jitters. she smoothes her purple dress, the material hugging her body perfectly as she waves and poses for the cameras

she makes her generous pits stops along the purple carpet to answer some questions and of course, they’re nothing short of typical and what she expected to be asked.

‘I have recovered well from my hiatus as you can see’
she playfully gestures towards her body as she continues
‘and right now we’re all focused on things outside the group , we are on a deserved break. I am dabbling in fashion and such but you know, DIA is forever’


she lifts a corny heart towards the filming camera and blows it a kiss as she moves on.
‘What you should expect is a better version of Ruby Jane. And you should also expect Ruby Jane is NEVER alone. I have my DIA girlies with me here tonight to support me which means the absolute world to me.’

‘This is apart of my collection that I am releasing tonight for the public. I wanted something simple but y, something that gives confidence to all the ladies.’


‘I’m thankful for this opportunity and i am thankful for being an idol. I try to always show the best sides of myself and thats all one can do. So I hope I do and if not, that’s fine too because we’re all human. Thank you!’

she waves towards the interviewer, she couldn’t leave quickly enough as she says goodbye to the carpet media to head into the venue to entertain her guests