⊹ 𑁍 lighthouse.

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ I could only smile brightly as I find someone who had the same thoughts as me. it was rare to find and meet those kinds of people, I think to myself. after nodding at your words, I open my mouth to reply, "I can't help but agree with you, jia! I tend to go alone because of the same reason." a small sigh leaves my parted lips before I smile sheepishly. "but sometimes, I feel like my thoughts are louder during these times. being with someone, and as sweet as you, is what I need, so thank you."

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ I nod in agreement at your words, chuckles at your cuteness.
Aha cute but I can truly understand that, this beach is a very calm place during the night where you can think freely and have your alone time so I definitely agree with that.
I nod once more with a smile upon my lips. I hum in thought when you ask me the same question.
Whenever my nights are free, I tend to visit here a lot actually. The first time is when I was driving by here at night to get home but seeing this place stopped me. I never really bring anyone with me because I don't wanna bother them but I'm glad I have great company!

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ "you're right! I'll make sure to visit this time around, and you'll be there anyway- it's like a win-win situation," I laugh when you pinch my cheek before saying those words. "it's already been a few times. I usually walk around the beach when I need to relax, but lately, the lighthouse keeps me hidden if I had to get away from other things." I shrug lightly then look at you, asking the same thing. "what about you? do you usually go here?"

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ Now hey, you can still visit my cafe whenever you can hm? It won't go away anytime soon.
I smile at you as I give your cheek a light pinch. I listen to your words, nodding with agreement as I coo at your actions.
I totally agree, love! So is this your first time visiting here or you been here multiple times?

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ "I would fall in love too, if I had the time to visit back then," I reply while wondering how I never got to visit the café back when I was younger. perhaps it was the schoolworks I had piled up. I shrug before nodding, agreeing with you. "likewise! the stars are much more beautiful and brighter when you get here." my hand reaches to point out the stars, connecting them with my finger silently.

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ Ofc! I liked visiting there whenever I was off school, the more I visited, the more I fell in love with it til the point I asked them.
I nod quickly, smiling to myself as I think about the memories. I snap out of it when I hear your question, nods.
Yeah, it's one of the main reasons I like visiting this place. Like you can take a closer look at the stars than any place you go to!

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ my mouth forms an 'o', humming out as I nod. "it's nice to hear them think of a cat cafe and that you accepted it!" with a small town like yeongwon and its tourists, it's a wonderful idea as business will always be alive for you- of course, spending time with the cats would be calming and relaxing, so it's a win-win situation. I stretch out my arms before looking at the sky, eyeing the stars. "you like watching them too, huh?"

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ my smile widens at your answer to finally accepting it, puts my fist up in victory. i stretch my arms out, listening to your question before i look back at you.
oh yesh they did! when they moved here, they already made a plan of what they wanted to do so that's how it was made!
i nod as i lean back with my arms supporting behind me, admiring the stars.

@? ⋮ ❛ l. saerom｡ // tw: knife, violence, almost kidnapping.

putting away his pocket knife, he kneels by the assailant's who's still conscious, grabbing them up roughly by the collar of their shirt to look at him directly. "do you have zip ties or any kind of restraints inside your van? tell me where they are, unless you'd like take a cut like your partner did." jaehyun threatens, cocking his head over to the man that's lying on the ground. the kidnapper only swears at him in response, retaliating, but in defence, jaehyun punches him in the jaw, knocking him too out cold. he quickly gives a glance to the girl, who's inside his car, talking to someone on the phone. jaehyun can only hope that the latter has some common sense, and is calling for back up. incase she doesn't, he takes out his own phone, calling for an ambulance.

"my name is officer jung jaehyun, badge number 1402, yeongwon pd. i'm on highway 7, close to exit number 34, approximately 3 miles out from it, heading eastbound. two males, seemingly in their late 30s to mid 40s, one has a laceration to the lateral side of their thigh, both unconscious, after being punched in the face. pulses present, both suspects breathing. bleeding is minor, putting pressure on the wound, tourniquet made using sleeves of jacket." he recites calmly, as he takes the phone in his hand to his ear, raising his shoulder up to pin the phone to his ear, so that his hands are free to tend to the cut that he made on the first kidnapper. taking off his jacket, he cuts it apart, cutting a sleeve off. using the lone sleeve, he ties it around the man's leg a few inches above the cut, tying it tightly enough. jaehyun then uses the rest of the jacket to bandage the wound, placing his hand atop of the folded jacket. he then continues his phone call with the 911 operator.

"also, send a police car. injured males suspected to be kidnappers, female victim present, distressed but no visible injuries. license plate of the kidnappers vehicle from seoul, license plate number bravo, 8808." jaehyun then peers out, trying to see the girl's car that is parked in front of the van, to see if he could get a look at the license plate on it as well. "female victim's car also present on scene, but license plate unable to be seen, as suspects' car is blocking the view." he then looks back to the girl in his car, because of what the 911 operator tells him. the latter had sensibly called for back up, having called the police. "she's a smart and strong girl." he tells the operator, who agrees, and tells him that the eta of the ambulance will be about 15 minutes, and the police, about 10 minutes. finally, stating that he would monitor the suspects and the victim, until help would get here, jaehyun hangs up the phone call. he was going to have to restrain both the kidnappers. at first, he had been thinking to use whatever was in the kidnappers' van, but then thought against it, being cautious as the van could now be partially a crime scene, and tampering with any forensic evidence that could be in the car didn't sound like a good idea. luckily, this was why he always carried around some zip ties in his car. he couldn't carry around handcuffs off duty, but not knowing what situation he could get into, a citizen's arrest could be made using zip ties.

"hey!" he yells at the girl in the car, waving his one free arm. "can you throw me the handcuffs that are in the glove department!"

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ "I- am I?" I ask, not really sure if I am cute as I believe that I was far from it. I could picture myself visiting you as you start to be ecstatic at my presence. I shake my head before saying, "ah, you don't have to really. I want to pay and support you with your business anyway." my cheek gets poked, resulting with my lips parting to let out my giggles. "you're welcome! let's get some real food someday-" I squint playfully at you when you mention treating me before finally giving up, "fineee. I'll treat you the next time we eat then, okay?" I suggest, wanting to do the same with you. "out of topic but... if I may ask, was the cafe started by your parents?"

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ my eyes widen a lil in surprise at your reaction before cooing more at how excited you are.
you are so dang cute!! really? i can't wait to see you!! whenever you visit, best believe i will give you a free meal! awe thank you jiwon, i'm really honored to own such a lovely cafe, and that is thanks to my parents!!
i nod quickly with a smile, pokes your cheek just once.
hey, wanna eat some real food? i'll treat you!!

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ how many times will you compliment me? I think for a moment as my bashfulness continues to show on my face. "you're so sweet, thank you really," I say softly while I hold onto my empty juice box and the pack that was used by the sandwich earlier. my eyes blink at your reaction before laughter spills from my lips; you being proud of me warms my heart. "the cat cafe!" I exclaim happily as my expression only show nothing but excitement. "I was planning to visit it sometime, but I haven't gotten the chance to do actually. it must be wonderful to own such a wonderful establishment, jia."

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ [] ofc love, i didn't want to leave you confused hfdgg

i let out a coo at your cute reaction before gasping at your words, shaking my head in disapproval.
you are indeed pretty and i'm confident you are just amazing as she was! pft 2 years must've mean you doing very well with your career love, i'm proud of you and i hope you continue to thrive with doing what you love!
i put my fist up with excitement, showing i'm proud of your hard work. i put my empty meal into my bag that came from that, making sure i don't leave any trash here before i look over at you with a smile at your words.
i'm the owner of cafe de feline, a cat cafe that is taken place uptown!

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ [] askdk it's okay! thank you for letting me know it was you though, bubby. <3

I could only laugh happily when you compliment me. the bashfulness that had subsided earlier comes back as my cheeks flush. "I- I'm not really that pretty and amazing like she is, but thank you," I reply softly before taking a sip of my juice box to calm myself somewhat. "I've been doing it for 2 years already. I'm still not that good, but I'm managing!" I raise my hand to give you a thumbs-up then hums and asks about you in return, "what about you though? I'm curious about what you do too!"

@ꕤ ⋮ ❛ j. jaehyun｡ // tw: knife, violence, almost kidnapping.

the night sky was a blank space, a few stars scattered across it as if someone had grabbed a handful of silver glitter and thrown it carelessly over a dark canvas. chaeyoung had long realized that the stars here were more visible in yeongwon than in seoul; there was a particular beauty to watching the stars sparkle the more you stared at the sky, the smaller ones daring to show their beauty too. she was enraptured, leaning against the hood of her car and head tilted to the sky in awe.

god, she was cold- the january night breeze was merciless, she thought to herself, tugging her coat closer to her with a huff. and unlike seoul, yeongwon slept peacefully at night. it explained a lot as to why the tow-truck she'd called was taking it's own sweet time to come. her phone read 10:34PM, and she heaved her nth sigh that night. if only she could fix her car herself...

alas, she knew nothing about engines and the likes.

clicking her tongue against the roof of her tongue, she traipsed over to the driver's side, leaning down the side to rev the engine but to no avail. she should have known it was a bad move to turn her back to the road, especially on the highway leading to a remote town. she should have called the cops before the tow-truck, asked for security first. but if she knew everything, she would have been nostradamus.

she had no time to react, hands and arms pulling at her own lithe frame harshly as if she weighted nothing... as if she was a ragged doll. her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach just as a shriek built in , barely making a sound when a hand slapped down on . she thrashed and kicked as much as she could, struggling in the hold of whoever it was that was trying to take her away. a thousand and one thoughts flashed inn her head, her life flashed before her eyes that also welled up with fresh tears, her body writhing with struggle. she didn't know how long she struggled for but her body was so close to giving up... until the hold on her body loosened, enough for her to scramble away in panic. a voice spoke to her, unrecognizable but chaeyoung wasn't going to think twice before obeying; she rushed behind the man, who she realized was a cop a moment too late. oh, thank god- another shriek resounded from her and before she knew it, her fist had snuck out, knocking into the nose of a man who came at her with a pocket knife.

, that hurt. flinching and clutching her hand to her chest, she got into the car once the command from the cop sounded, without a second glance to the man she had punched. she should call 911, right? yes, she should- siri worked wonders at this time, chaeyoung thought to herself as if nothing was happening outside the car, beginning to bark the address of where she was to the respondent. there was no way this cop was going to make it out alive by himself.

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ [] the deleted post was me bc I accidentally press the "reply" button hsdbhd

I gasp in surprise by your answer, my grin appears upon my lips.
Ohmagad, I was right, you definitely look as pretty as she is!! Awe how flattering, I'm very honored I get to meet the daughter of the wedding planner who planned my parents' wedding! It's lovely you are taking the same path like your mother, i find that amazing. So how long you been wedding planner? You getting the hang of it?
I said as I sip the last bit of my juice box.

[post deleted by owner]

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ "I do love it, especially when you get to see the whole picture!" it was a beautiful one anyway; seeing all your hardwork paid off in the end is something everyone appreciates. I take another bite of my sandwich, seemingly forgetting it after a few minutes. with a hum, I look over to your phone as I stare at the photo before a grin curls on my lips. it is her, my mother and my inspiration. "yes, that's her! we have the same vibe actually," I reply, reaching out to poke her virtual smiling face. "she's still the same as ever- beautiful and amazing." I shake my head before continuing, "I never knew I would get to meet the daughter of one of my mom's clients. that's amazing, heh."

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ It really must be if you're the only one doing all of the work but despite that, you still love your career right? And you're welcome.
my smile widens as i eat the last bit of my sandwich, pats my tummy in satisfaction. i listen to your words about your mom working there also, which perks up my interest.
Your mom does too? Hm I think I have a picture of my parents with their wedding planner.
I said as I take out my phone, looking through my gallery before I show you a picture of it.
I was wondering if that was her? And actually, you look just like her.

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ I let out a sigh of relief, knowing how great your reaction is when it comes to hearing my job. I could only ask myself for a moment why I was feeling nervous about it earlier. "I'll admit it's fun, but sometimes, it can be stressful," I rub my nape, thinking back to the times when I would have to schedule meetings with a bunch of people. my ears perk up, listening to your words; the smile on my face continues to widen as I mumble a 'thank you' at your way. after a few seconds, a thought passes in my mind- I wasn't sure if it was worth mentioning to you, yet I still tell you. "honestly, my mom works as a wedding planner too. she was the reason why I took up the career."

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ My eyes widen a lil in interest at your job before I nod in agreement.
that job must be fun as heck but it's very sweet to be planning weddings for couples to be wed!
I continue to sip on my juice box, admiring the night sky filled with sparkling stars.
when my parents moved here, after a few months they end up getting married here and they said their wedding planner gave them an amazing wedding too despite my parents not really having that much money to have one so thanks to her, their dream wedding come true. my parents even have pictures during that day, that's amazing and I wish i was there to see it in person but I wasn't born..yet.
I said with a chuckle, looking back at you with a smile upon my lips that hasn't lessen since.
I respected wedding planners ever since and I will respect you too, jiwon.

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ my cheeks flush slightly when you say the same to me. sweet words are enough to make me feel bashful. "I'm glad to hear that, jia." I take a bite of the sandwich, answering you after it, "I don't mind it at all! honestly, I work at my place mostly- I'm a wedding planner." it wasn't a job that you would normally hear, so I was curious on how you would react to that.

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ i smile with satisfaction at your words, taking a bite of my half sandwich as i shimmy with excitement.
i'm very happy to hear it, love! it's been good for me also especially meeting a new person aka you! if you don't mind me asking, where do you work at? so i can visit you with more sandwiches and juice boxes.
i said with a wide grin upon my lips at you.

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ my smile only grows once you take and shake my hand. after the small introduction, I take the juice box, putting in the straw for me to use for sipping in a few. "mm, I'm feeling good actually- even great since I get to meet someone here this time!" my words are nothing but true before I let out a hum, asking you in return, "what about you though?"

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ i let out a coo at how excited you was by your words and actions. my smile widens more at your introduction, holds your hand in mines as i give it a gentle shake.
it's a pleasure to meet you as well, jiwon! so how are you thus far? good i hope.
i said as i then take a sip of my juice box.

@? ⋮ ❛ m. jia｡ my lips are curled upward, mumbling a thank you afterward as I take the items from your hands. "I would like to sit with you!" it wasn't every day I get to be with someone at a place like this. I move to settle myself beside you- not too close but not too far. once comfortable on my part, my hand extends for you to shake on as I introduce myself, "my name is jiwon. it's nice to meet you, jia."

@? ⋮ ❛ p. jiwon｡ smiling widely as you nod in agreement to my offering, giving you half of my sandwich and my extra juice box. i gently pat an empty spot on the blanket i was sitting on.
wanna sit with me? if not, i mean you can stand too aha. so i'm jia, how about you?

@? ⋮ ❛ p. chaeyoung｡ [ please do not mirror! PLEASE.]

it's a quiet night like any other in yeongwon. the night still, darkened, the only sounds that resonates through the town being the seaside; its waves lulling a rhythmical melody thats all too familiar to its residents. to jaehyun however, no night is ever quiet. his mind is never quiet; never still, always racing, running with thoughts, a recollection of the past, a horrific loop with no end. he needs to stop, he needs to breathe, he—he jolts awake from his sleep. it's happened again. it's been the fifth night.

putting a hand to his chest, and sinking in deep breaths to slow his palpitating heart that's driven by adrenaline, jaehyun then slowly gets up from the futon. he puts the futon back upright, closing up his make-shift bed. not being able to sleep properly, he had regularly begun to sleep at the police station, hoping there would be some call of trouble to keep him busy, to have him jump into action. but most nights, nothing.

he doesn't bother trying to go back to sleep. jaehyun knows it's just not going to happen. grabbing his jacket and car keys, he resorts to his usual late evening habit. a habit that he's picked up to disassociate, to escape his past. a late night drive. closing the door, and putting on his seatbelt, he connects his phone to the car's audio system, playing a soft indie playlist from spotify. aimlessly, he drives, speeding right for the highway. 10 minutes, 20 minutes, half an hour, 40, 50... he's on the outskirt of yeongwon now. in his rearview mirror, the town's lighthouse stands proud and tall, only before it's cut off by a sudden black van. the vehicle then passes him, driving way past the speed limit. damn it, he should have taken the cruiser. at least then he could have ticketed the driver.

however, the strange van doesn't stop its terrible driving—coming to a sudden stop about a mile or two offroad before jaehyun, flashing its hazard lights. jaehyun's eyebrows furrow in confusion. what was this van doing, did someone inside need help? he slows his speed, he too putting on his hazard lights and coming to stop off the highway behind the van. that's when he notices there had been another car up ahead. parking his car, jaehyun steps out, and just as he does, he hears everything at once; the van doors sliding open, the shriek of a female—some kind of altercation was going on. immediately, his policing instincts kick in. opening up the middle compartment beside the driver's seat to his car, he grabs his swiss army knife. slipping it into the side pocket of his cargo pants, he dashes towards the black van. 2 assailants, trying to take a girl into the van by force. since he's technically off duty right now, jaehyun doesn't spare the attackers any sympathy. sneaking up one of the men, he puts them in a chokehold from behind, his blade now out, by the guy's neck. "let her go." he demands, the command nearly a growl. "no? alright then." jaehyun chokes out his opponent even harder, then slashes the guy's leg, at the same time, shoving him forward into the other kidnapper. using this pandemonium, jaehyun surges forward, punching the second kidnapper's face, followed by palm strike, kick to the man's family jewels. "move! behind me, now!" jaehyun yells at the girl, grabbing her to force her behind him. he dodges a swung fist from the man he had cut, before throwing a right hook of his own, practically knocking the man out cold. "get in the car, and stay there."