⤷ 　courtyard.

@⁰¹ somi j. The impromptu football game was a blast. It turned quite serious towards the middle, causing Wooyoung to sweat more than he intended to. After a refreshing shower at the school's locker rooms, Wooyoung was about to enter the hall to wait for the rest of the guys. Unknowingly, he happened rush out into the hall and straight into someone's path. He came face to face with an oncoming person, gasping loudly in warning as well as freezing then staggering to avoid collision. For the briefest of moments, due to the shock and temporary adrenaline rush, Wooyoung didn't recognize the girl that had just ran into him (whose path he'd crossed, actually). "Are you okay? Your nose's okay?" Wooyoung asked quickly, nervously lowering himself to inspect her face. He couldn't fix a broken nose, though he was probably the most apt to provide first aid. "Oh, hi," he breathed out awkwardly, chuckling at the sheer incredulity of the situation. If the familiar blonde hair and the even more familiar figure didn't give it away, her face sure did.

Of all people, he ran into Somi. If running into an ex weren't awkward enough, running into an ex in front of the dudes for the first time after a raunchy party incident with said ex would definitely take the cake. The discomfort was becoming palpable. "Ah. Sorry for this. We'll be on our way if you're okay. Sorry again," Wooyoung apologized, the smile on his face turning into more of a sneer after he noticed his disrespectfully gaping friends. Decidedly, he needed to get rid of the lingering eyes before he even attempted to talk to her. He ushered his friends outside of the building and onto the courtyard.

Outside, the rowdy herd of jocks was loudly discussing what was next on the agenda. Food, video games, party. Wooyoung quickly came up with an excuse as his attention was again drawn to the familiar blonde hair and even more familiar figure, bid an even quicker goodbye, and jogged off. "Hey," he called out as soon as he was in the hearing range of the girl. "Hey, Somi. Hi!" He slowed down once he caught up with her, walking beside her whilst smiling. "Sorry for running off like that. They're... yeah," he didn't elaborate, the loud laughter and whatnot from behind them speaking for itself. "Are you really okay? You didn't get hurt, did you? I'm really sorry. I didn't see you there. Something must be wrong with my X-ray eye," he joked, rubbing at his left eye as if to prove a humorous point.

@⁰³ yeonjun c. a drenched mop can be seen out in the yard, sitting on a bench as it goes through a mental battle on whether or not to take its excessively thick and fluffy faux fur coat off with the amount of times it lets it slip off and roll on its shoulders every few seconds. this drenched mop looking is lia. and she had put on way too many layers that day, thinking that it'll be another windy few hours that she'll get to spend in the courtyard as she looks for a muse for her to play dress up with. to her misfortune, the sun decided to be out in the open, making its way to where she was seated and attack the sadly overdressed girl with its blazing rays. her eyes dart around worriedly, anxiously imagining how she currently appears to the people around her while also looking for a nice shade to be under in. but before lia could spot herself /THE/ tree with /THE/ shade, her sights land on a highly eye-catching tee worn by some dude. then down to his pants? and then his shoes? girlie's brain was almost fried because how good is this guy at styling himself? her eyes zoomed out then, and now what she sees is a potential "model of the week" material.  you could even say she was almost starstruck with the way he carries himself like the world was his red carpet. lia knew she absolutely had to let him try on the many different outfits that flooded her mind. she then gathers all the strength in her legs and shoulders, pushing her weight, along with her now heavy, sweat filled fur coat off her seat to hurry over to the striking male, her hand pressed to her chest. soon enough, she stops him in his tracks with a squeal. "oh. my. god. babes, your whole outfit is absolutely everything to me right now. from the top, to your pants, to the absolute goddess of a pair of shoes you have there. ah, you're just so mesmerizing right now. sparkling! literally!" she chases,  her voice filled with excitement as she fidgets nervously, gaze travelling from his head to toe, simply admiring the way he looks like a walking museum art piece. while she, still a mol.

[post deleted by owner]

ANN. ᴍɪɴɪ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴᴇ!
― event: sports recruitment / club rush week.
― mini event one is finally coming to an end. thank you to everyone who has participated!
you may continue to wrap up your threads!

@⁰³ saerom l. It’s no secret between the two of them that he liked fire. Not enough to create havoc, but he allowed himself to bask in its warmth, at times even running his thumb through the flame each time he ignited the lighter just to burn time. When he feels her gaze trace upon his frame, it’s like he’s ablaze, but this time he can’t seem to find enough ropes to keep himself together. This time, it’s more overwhelming than he relishes. With his skin burning, he looks at her just once, returning the gaze he once saw his future in without a waver.

“Are you really?”

His tone was flat, nothing of any anger, but rather exhaustion with a hint of assertion. If they were going to fight, bicker their minutes away, argue, he was most definitely not in the mood for any conflict, but he’d assume it were the same on the receiving end. He finds himself slumping back against his bag and the seat, a hand rubbing at his cheek with an exhale of a sigh. “Do you know why you fainted?” The nerves from the event had mostly dissipated, but now he was left with endless questions.

In their past, he’d have no hesitation to ask, but they’re back to stage one where all intrusive questions were to be shut out. He doesn’t bother to ask the true reason, but he wants to know if she knows. In a way, it confirms certain things.

He can’t help but to smile just ever so slightly when the dog cuts through the tension with the barks, filling the silence that was soon to drown him. “When did you get him?” He questions, drawing his lower lip between his teeth between the interaction. It’s clear he doesn’t know much, let alone at all if there was a deeper narrative behind the rescue. However, he can admit he’s pieced it together that this isn’t something new solely because the pup knew what exactly to do and how he wasn’t whimpering as much as he expected during the wait.

Jungkook gave a light shrug of his shoulders, elbows perched on his knees with a side of his face nestled into a palms, mumbling, “I know that this isn’t your first time,” he pauses then continues, eyes now pinned down to his tapping feet, “Other than that, I don’t know anything—unless I'm supposed to know something.”

Like a stranger knows a stranger, he ponders to himself.

@⁰¹ gahyeon l. Strolling around the courtyard and visiting all the stalls that were prepared to advertise all of the extracurricular options for students, Wooyoung aimlessly checked out almost every one of them. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in any clubs or sports, but for now, he was more focused on his studies. Being social as he was, the studies and his own fun took up enough of his time as it was.

With his hands in his pockets, he stopped by the last stall, which seemed to represent the volleyball team. He took a spot beside a small group of possible new recruits and read through the leaflets and whatnot. Back in high school, he was quite good at sports, but considering his current ambition, something hit him funny.

"There seems to be a lot of interest in this sport," he chuckled, speaking out loud to whomever. "A need for strong legs and firm arms, huh?" Absentmindedly, he looked at the closest person beside him and his eyes went straight to their radius bone. "Hm," he wondered for a second as his eyes aimed higher, finally acknowledging the person to whom the wrist belonged. "You seem to have strong radiocarpal joint. And quite a healthy looking one. You'd be a good hitter," Wooyoung beamed at the girl. Picking up conversations on random was never a problem for the lad. "You should join! But if you happen to notice a swelling right here," Wooyoung pulled a hand out of his pocket to point at the nice looking girl's wrist, right under her thumb, "you should immediately see a professional. Or me, a future professional," he chuckled and shoved his hand back into his pocket.

@⁰⁴ jungkook j. the silence was deafening. so much that saerom was sure he could hear the irregular and irrational beat of her heart. god, she should say something- anything. her lips parted to say something again, perhaps jest or say something rude after wetting the tiers but he beat her to it. and her nickname sounded like such a prayer on his tongue. it was enough to make her clench her eyes shut, ignoring how her wear heart skipped a beat before picking up pace again, the heart monitor making an alerting sound.

what a traitor her heart was.

taking a deep breath, and using the same momentum to gather every ounce of courage in her body, she opened her eyes, the dark embers finding his face immediately. he was always pretty, to the point she got mildly jealous but the jungkook in front of her was a handsome man, changed and grown over the years. he looked like the musicians they'd both stole the nights to go see, the very artist he strived to be; but there was an air of aloofness around him, something saerom recognized all too well. the inner monologue came to a halt, the lack of warmth pulling her eyes to her now empty hand.

god, he hated her, didn't he? after all, how could he not when she had left him like this? how did she expect him to still like her when she had broken what they had herself, with her own bare hands and her dying heart? how did she want him to still want to hold her hand, when she wasn't worthy of his gentle soul and would never be? swallowing the ball that had risen in , she nodded, focusing back onto the question he had posed.

"I'm okay," she whispered back, unconsciously bunching her fingers into a fist.

a small woof sounded next to her and she turned her head to spot Louie's handsome face on the bed, staring at her with concerned gaze that pulled a sweet chuckled out of her. "there there. i'm not dy- i mean, im not going anywhere anytime soon." lies. there was no knowing when she would- forcing herself to look at the boy who sat next to her again, she asked, almost choked. "how much did you figure out, jungkook?"

@⁰² chaeryeong l. yeonjun's expression just falls more with each second, the worry showing in his frown. he really wishes they weren't in this situation now, or if they were, that this was some alternate universe where yeonjun did like her and they could be happy right now. but it's not, and that's all to the detriment of the girl in front of him. its not like he could do anyting to help this situation either. he just listens intently, before slowly shaking his head at her first sentence. "i.. i'm not putting myself down for you. i genuinely think all of that, it's all true." it's just correct - yeonjun could think a lot of things about himself. like, sure, he has the best style in the whole university. he also happens to be easy on the eye. he's the best student of his year within his major. but someone lovable isn't part of the list. maybe platonic love, sure. his family has shown him that for so long, after all. and sure, people like chaeryeong have- all so sweetly- crushed on him... but yeonjun just knows that if he were to reveal every bit of himself, all of those people would harbor no feelings for him. maybe they'd even turn out like those boys he once thought of as friends did. burning bruises and hurtful words. they blink a few times in a row. 'i've got to bury those thoughts... they mean nothing.' he lets out another exhale to reset. "please don't say sorry for anything, chaeryeong. you're really amazing." yeonjun makes sure to regain the strength in his voice to clearly express his thoughts to the other, with all his conviction because he wouldn't be able to forgive himself if she felt bad about herself due to him. "well.. good luck with class..?" yeonjun's really not sure what to say to the girl, his voice hesitant and slightly trembling. he hates this feeling. even his regularly dense self can tell how obviously the girl is pretending to be okay instead of actually feeling okay, but it's not like calling her out would do them any good either.. yeonjun leans slightly on one of his legs. he stops himself from physically cringing at the voice crack, just nodding and making sure to wave back to the other. "yeah, see you."

@⁰³ yeonjun c. ( ) i am so sorry i keep word vomitting pls don't feel pressured to mirror ;;u;;

chaeryeong could not even say she was surprised by yeonjun’s response. he was highly popular, even outside of saebom alone, he had a following of fans due to his skill in dance that he was recognized for in various competitions. if looks could kill she would be done, dead and buried. on top of that, he was a smart, kind, and bright young man. of course someone like him could never see someone like her in that way. even now he was being so gentle with her, to let her down easy— albeit this being a difficult predicament for the both of them. through all the time he spoke, she just listened and finally, all that left her lips was a defeated. “oh…” who was she kidding, surely, he was not interested at all or perhaps it was that some other lucky girl had already caught his eyes? regardless of the reason, nothing could change the fact that her very first serious crush…had just rejected her. she could feel tears form and threaten to fall from her eyes, rejection always hurts but she does not want him to pity her so she swallows the lump in and shakes her head firmly. “please no. it’s t-totally okay if you don’t feel the same at all, but to say something like ‘find someone much better than me’ well…that almost makes it sound like you’re putting yourself down a bit for my sake. please don’t do that. you also deserve someone just as amazing sorry that i…” what else could she say? perhaps for now nothing would suffice. things were surely a bit awkward now, but at least she had told him. now all she needed was time (and a good cry with a pint of strawberry ice cream). “thanks for…y’know coming out here and hearing me out. i s-should probably head back now i have…class soon…” she lied, a little white lie but she just wanted to vanish as soon as possible and be left to her own device (demise more like really). “i’ll see you around!” her voice cracks midway through her sentence, and she then waves the tiniest of goodbyes to her…friend, yes only a friend and nothing more. and as she saunters away, head hanging low she comes across a garbage bin to toss her badly burnt cookies in.

@⁰¹ minju k. "sure." heeseung just nods at her apology, not really committing to accepting it or not- he's strongly of the belief that the results matter over all, so apologies just feel unnecessary - they don't change the events which happened. but all this was is just slightly irritating, not anything worse to truly hold over the girl either. heeseung just walks in silence after that, despite her offer to 'make it up' to him. "why would you insist over such a trivial thing," he mumbles out under his breath as soon as he hears the other's words. once they reach the club table, the boy places down the box on top of said table. he begins to walk away, taking a few steps ahead of the table before he turns his upper body around to look back at her - even heeseung would find it too rude to leave without a proper response. "...i'll consider coming by. be careful if you move these again." and with those words, the male takes his actual leave.

@⁰¹ heeseung l. when he halts in his tracks to then relieve the guilt felt in her chest by handing her one of the boxes, she flashes him a thankful smile, the light weight of it's contents having her arms relaxing from it's earlier tension. "yeah, i'm sorry about that again," her expression well replicates the :pleading: emoticon—brows furrowed apologetically, her lower tier jutting out just in the slightest—before an idea pops in her mind in the midst of their leisure walk towards her club table. "i work at the rooster café, if you've heard it. maybe i can make it up to you by a cup of coffee, tea, or pastry. on the house, of course," she chirps, glancing at him as their shoulders brush against each other's from the seemingly crowded courtyard. "i'm insisting."

@⁰² chaeryeong l. yeonjun is /definitely/ confused, he concludes as he smiles at chaeryeong who's acting very different from her usual self. he's not sure why she's suddenly acting this way, but it does pull a little bit of laughter from him. "i meant more about your reasoning from wanting to call me out, but..." yeonjun let his words naturally fade out, as the other begins speaking again. as chaeryeong looks away, yeonjun falls silent and decides to stand there and listen to all she has to say, hoping that his full concentration could help calm her down and let her get through whatever she's thinking of. don't all friends like each other, is the first thought which runs through his mind. he's starting to get concerned that chaeryeong's fell sick or something like that, why would she suddenly be telling him all of this, and need to rehearse it all too-- oh. 'as more than a friend'. it's now yeonjun's time to grow all flustered, because he.. had not seen that coming, no matter how much time that they've spent together. his eyes are widened, and he slightly panics. he had never felt more than friendship for the girl standing in front of him, and to hear such high praise from her... it's extremely flattering and sincere, but not something he could reciprocate. yeonjun almost wishes he did, just so he wouldn't have to go through this moment- but more importantly, so that /she/ wouldn't have to. yeonjun lets out a deep exhale, taking a step closer as to carefully make eye-contact with the other. "i'm.. sorry, chae. i can't go out with you, no... i like you a lot too, just.. only as a friend. it would be unfair of me to act as if i feel anything deeper for you. but i really do appreciate you, and think you're such a wonderful, sweet person.. thank you for thinking so highly of me too, and sorry again.. either way, i'm sure you'll be able to find someone much better than me in your future." he says all of his words with true conviction behind them, full belief in his words, yet his hands tremble slightly, extremely worried about how the other will take his words.

@⁰³ yeonjun c. gods why did she suddenly have the need to dash to the bathroom to throw up and pass out all at once? the dramas never said confessing to your first ever /serious/ crush was this…stressful. she thinks for a moment she much rather be taking her genetics final right about now. she gives him a wide, lopsided smile— could this be any more painfully awkward? you bet it could, for it was the cue for her stomach to make it known that it too was here, singing the song of its people (or fellow organs) loud and proud. “h-hi hello!” dang it, she already said hello. “i did!” she says, perhaps a bit /too/ loud for lee chaeryeong who barely makes a peep. it was just the nerves talking. “of course i did! and um— the reason you’re here is that i indeed called you out. here. to see me, of course.” she knows she cannot beat around the bush, because if given the chance she might just chicken out and make a run for it. but she deserves to be honest with her feelings, and she knows yeonjun deserves her honesty as well, it is after all one of the basic things needed in any sort of relationship. “s-sorry i didn’t think it’d be…this hard. i even rehearsed a lot in my head but it feels like i’ve suddenly forgotten every word in the dictionary.” she takes a deep, shaky breath and averts her gaze to the floor. she could not look at him, she just had to come out and say it. “i like you!— you’re a very precious and kind person yeonjun. you radiate such a happy and confident aura no matter where you go and i like you as…as more than a friend so…so would you….” the more she talks, her voice seems to become smaller. “go out with…me?” a weight is lifted off her shoulders, and she dares to finally look up at him, cheeks flushed and her hands still just as sweaty, fiddling with the small container of cookies.

@⁰² chaeryeong l. yeonjun had been contacted by chaeryeong to come to the courtyard today. the two of them had been good friends for what yeonjun would consider a while now, since one of their shared electives, and it was always an enjoyable experience when he was around the other. so of course, he had quickly and happily agreed to spend time with her today. with those positive memories in mind, the student's steps were long and light as they made their way throughout the courtyard, only slowing down once he sees the other's figure in his line of sight. yeonjun walks just a little closer, a small smile rising upon his face at his younger friend's greeting. "hey, chaeryeong." his tone is warm as he gives a small wave towards the other. "nice to see you too? pretty sure you're the one who called me over in the first place, though." his smile grows a little more out of amusement as another laugh leaves him, until it naturally fades out and yeonjun takes a step closer with his intrigued eyes, leaning in slightly. "why did you want to see me anyways? not that you need a particular reason, just curious."

@⁰¹ minju k. heeseung is left waiting for a few moments, the male shifting his weight back and forth between his legs until she speaks again. the boy raises his eyebrow slightly at her insistance. on one hand, he's extremely skeptical of this girl's ability to carefully hold these.. on the other hand, it really isn't his thing to deal with, he doesn't need to, and it definitely /is/ kind of a bother. so he pauses in his tracks, and places the stack down before passing half of it back to her and carrying the rest. "i doubt you can handle all of it. you'd just bump into another person sooner or later." he dryly states, not even waiting for a response as he straightens his gaze and starts walking down towards the girl's club table once again.

@⁰³ yeonjun c. how did people confess again? was it like in movies or animated shows where her heart would be racing, shades of crimson blooming in her cheeks, and a windy spring breeze that would allow her words to fall effortlessly from her lips and dance in the wind? or maybe it was more like an ache in her gut, oh no, was she gassy /now/ of all times....clammy hands clutching a small tin that contained semi-burned cookies (the girl could not cook for the life of her— and honestly? the last thing chaeryeong should ever be around is an oven, but hey, it was the thought that counts no?) and a speech she had rehearsed over and over but was sure she would forget it the minute yeonjun was /actually/ there. it was not the type of confession that she had held onto for years like the female love interest in some drama— but, it was her very first time outing her feelings, sincerely in the open like this. what would she say? and honestly what would /he/ say? perhaps this was a one-way ticket to ruining their friendship, but chaeryeong was not one to hide her true feelings and intentions. she had to be honest and in doing so, bear the consequences as they came, whether good or bad. she had not been waiting in the university courtyard too long, and to her luck it was fairly empty, just a few students that passed by, minding her own business. when the petite girl finally spotted the stylish, handsome young man heading her way she stumbled frantically to hide the tin of cookies behind her in a very bad attempt to act casual, calm, and collected. “h-hiya yeonjun! fancy seein’ ya here.” she chuckled. really, ‘fancy seeing you here’, when /she/ had asked to meet him in the first place. if the gods were merciful they would strike her with lighting right now and turn her into a pile of ash.

@⁰³ saerom l. Silence. He enjoyed this feeling between them as if they weren't amidst a circle of conflicts, but a part of him hated that he felt this because she was asleep. He remembers how they worked together like any pair of youth that wanted to rule the world. They were loud in their actions, but their harmony was like neoprene... durable, stable, and resistant. But somewhere down the line, the material ripped to shreds and left their story drowning in the sea floors with no time to bid their goodbyes.

Stil, this aches his heart on certain nights. How such a beautiful bond died to their feet without a word? Why life was so adamant to push them back together when it ended the way it did?

Jungkook feels her shift ever so slightly, but there isn’t a feeling of comfort. He isn’t sure what to say… how to speak to her, how to even look at her. Prior to this incident, there was no acknowledgement of her existence for the sake of peace. If not that, he was busy running on anger and hurt. Without the fury of the emotions, he’s unsure of how to act so when she reels out her first words, he’s left stunned. Stilled and troubled, when he hears her shush the nickname that rubbed salt into the open wound of his heart. “I think you almost did for a second, Rome,” he whispers, managing a weak smile as he squeezes her hand.

He begins to overthink. Maybe she still hates him since she hated him enough to abandon him. He withdraws his hand a bit too quickly for his liking at the thought, loathing the way he still yearns and pines. The way he could still feel the adrenaline running through him when he thinks about the days they conquered life together. Jungkook draws his distance, gaze dropping down to his bag. Maybe she wants him to leave. He swings the bag onto his back just in case, but there’s a few things he needs to hear before he departs. “Are you feeling okay? Do… you remember what happened?” He ponders carefully, voice so small and full of nerves. He hopes it’s soft enough for the fragile bond they have.

@⁰¹ heeseung l. it's fortunate for her that she's distracted in scrambling to get the boxes, for if she had really taken his rather cold tone into mind, she wouldn't have the courage to look at him. unfortunately for him though, she does (look at him) — and she's sort of left staring . . . well, not necessarily true, she /does/ blink, but only because she can't believe that someone this good-looking attends the same university as her. so, excuse the few moments she spends wordless, not even realizing he's holding her stack of flyers until he speaks once more. "huh? oh, uh, i have a table set up down there, the one with the huge team pawssible sign," she says, reaching to softly scratch at her cheek out of habit, a nervous tic even. "you don't need to... i'd hate to bother you more than i have, and i can do it, i mean, i made it here from the parking lot, so—" an awkward chuckle sounds from her, now holding out her arms for if he was going to give it back.

@⁰¹ minju k. heeseung's not really sure why he came out here. he hadn't really seriously considered joining any clubs nor does he think he will. yet here the boy is, leaning on one leg as he stands in the middle of the courtyard during this.. club rush, or whatever is going on. a hesitant hum escapes him, his figure waving a little back and forth alongside his gaze directed at the ground while he debates whether to engage with these people and fulfill his curious mind which seeks for the knowledge of what goes aro-- and suddenly he feels something bump into him, boxes coming into his vision. he's slightly irritated, and the first thought which comes to his mind is that she should have been careful and looked ahead-- and at the exact same time, the other says that she couldn't see. heeseung mutters a little under his breath as his fingers tap his thigh, because 'how am i supposed to respond to that'.. "you should be more careful." he says in a rather cold tone, but his eyes can't help but look at the boxes.. and so, he grabs them both into his arms, /just/ because he would rather not be bumped into again. "where are you taking these to?"

@⁰¹ heeseung l. "yeah, i have the two other boxes of flyers, i'll be there soon!" she voices into the receiver of her phone before pressing 'end call', distractedly shoving it in her back pocket. sure, she may not be the strongest link, but there's no way two boxes of paper could be a difficult carry to the courtyard, right? with the two stacked, it barely leaves room for her to see over the top of it, not to mention it's weight on her lithe arms ― she wonders just how she's going to make it. after five minutes, and in hobbled shuffles, she's finally stepping onto the courtyard's pavement with a look of relief. in the distance, she can see the pastel banner of her club's table, and just when she's beginning to feel a sense of accomplishment fluttering in her chest, it seems as if the universe has other plans for her. in the moment she leans on one leg during her walk, the top of the box briefly covers her vision and she fails to see the student before her, inevitably bumping into them and as a result, the boxes flatly fall onto the concrete with a rough sound. luckily, the impact isn't too extreme to where either box has opened, but the embarrassment felt in the heat of her cheeks say otherwise. "oh my gosh, i'm so sorry. i couldn't see and―"

@⁰¹ franco m. It was the same old day for Aeri, taking a little walk around the courtyard before another class started. With books and journals at hands, she was searching for a rather quiet spot to read as she was getting tired sitting inside the library when the weather is good. It was hard when she first moved in here, since almost everyone came from rich family, she didn't have any confidence to talk to anyone but thankfully some of her peers in the class made move first and be friended her, but they were having different classes today so she had to stick on her own this time. Closing her eyes momentarily as the wind blows, she heaved a little sigh, not aware of someone coming her way.

ᴍɪɴɪ ᴇᴠᴇɴᴛ ᴏɴᴇ!
― begins now monday, jan 24 (ooc) / monday, aug 30 (ic).
― for more info, check the 'events' room.

@⁰⁴ jungkook j. The lull of sleep was a welcoming one, one that Saerom gladly succumbed to. After all, it was within the confines of a small dreamless space that she found peace. She’d always wanted perpetual sleep, finding her dreamland better than reality; at least in her dreams, she wouldn’t die at the whims of fate.

fate... oh, what a bastard it was. it changed with the seasons, like a meager woman changing her clothes indecisively, like a little boy saying he prefers the color yellow one day when he truly prefers blue come the morrow's sunrise. sometimes fate had a cruel sense of humor, giving you the thing you always wanted at the worst time possible. when she wanted life, fate took it away from her. so she'd long decided she would play fate in turn, akin to it like she was playing with fire. perhaps she was testing waters, ought to tread it carefully for she walked a thin line of life and death... but she did not care. she would right her own fate if she had to and she would will the universe to conspire to make it happen.

but here's the thing about fate too; sometimes, no matter how much you willed it to flow as you wanted, it had a mind of it's own.

Saerom stirred slightly, able to feel her heart skip a beat before picking pace again... irregularly as ever. her hand was covered by something warm and she instinctively held on tighter, as if it was an anchor that tethered her to the ground. to reality... to life. truth be told, she recognized that touch. she always would; no matter the situation, no how much false-hatred, pain and absolute denial she harbored in her heart, she knew who her heart beat for.

there was no way it was real, she thought to herself, brows knitting even as she kept her eyes closed, parched lips parting to croak. "did i die and go to heaven, koobear?" there was no way he was here with her, no way he was holding her hand; reality was too painful, so she would settle in her far fetched dreams, no matter if the room reeked of medicines and bleeped quietly of heart monitors.

@⁰³ saerom l. Fall had always been one of his favourite seasons. It was a comfort pal, one that you could pry off a layer without worrying too much about the harsh response of winter’s unfriendly winds. There was no need to hunker up on big thick puffers that would leave the sound of the friction between arm and body as you walked. He knew that as weeks soon creeped up, these days were going to end and what more than to appreciate his strolls more while he was on foot, especially on campus. Aside from the burdens of layers off his shoulders, he enjoyed the transition of leaves between summer greens to sunrise yellows, sunset oranges to ruby red, then sangria buried underneath duvets of snow.

So a stroll he went and enjoyed. A quiet one to clear his restless mind before his next class with his hands in the pockets of his oversized sweater. His light steps covered by sticky combat boots sauntered on top of concretes as he held onto the strap of his backpack that hung on his shoulder. He hummed a different tune each time a mellow drift found itself through pathways between buildings. No Blueberries, Die For You, Slow Dancing in the Dark, etc.

It took him a moment to realize that the nudge against his leg was not the movement of the wind, but most certainly an impact. Jungkook halted his steps with his attention now strayed behind him where the dog stood alarmed. It’s unusual to see a dog with a leash with no owner, so when he takes a quick look around, it’s even more strange when there isn’t anyone in sight. “Where…” he fails to finish his sentence when his confusion grows. “Your owner, buddy. Where are they?” Fortunately enough, the dog charges away after he takes hold of the leash and Jungkook has no trouble faltering behind with quick steps.

The sight that unfolds before him is not one that he expects with any person, but it leaves him stunned with he finds his former friend unconscious. All the anger, false hatred, anguish were dissolved in the moment and all that was left was the feeling of growing apprehension. Without a struggle, he falls onto his knees with his bag colliding to the ground as he tilts her chin up to clear her airway. “Rome, Rome. Can you hear me?” The nickname slips between ambience of his voice, but that’s the least of his concerns. To his dismay, there’s no response, so he presses his digits to her pulse. It’s there, alive, thumping into him like some mockery, but she remains unconscious like otherwise. “, what to do—“ he finds himself cursing, but frantically, he’s dialling the campus infirmary for help. “Hey—my friend’s unconscious and I found her a minute ago. Her pulse seems to be fine, but she won’t wake up. We’re right beside the cul-de-sac between the Engineering building and Arts building—okay, thank you.”

For an stilling frame, he debates whether he should just carry her, but with the influx of students in the halls, he could only curate problems that could arise on his run. Besides him not having enough arms for their belongings, he’s at a dead end when a distressed puppy is in the picture.

It only takes half a minute until he hears the rapid moving wheels of the stretcher fill between the pounding in his ears. He backs away when the school paramedics take over and lift her up onto the stretcher, masking her away with oxygen. Jungkook takes the chance to scoop her belongings into his bag in the same moment with the leash, again, in his possession. He witnesses them strap her securely before wheeling her to the dispensary. He follows behind with a running puppy by his side, but heart and mind left where she had collapsed. He’s no believer of the Gods, but he’s praying in his mind like his life depends on it.

As time seemed to settle down slowly, he could only lean over with his face shoved in his palms once he got a proper seat beside her bed. Each tick of the schoolhouse clock hanging above his head nearly drove him insane, but he heaved out a much needed breath as he sunk into the seat. The high pitched whines beside him would soon lift up his head to the now-stable girl in front, but he winds up looking at the dog with a small smile. He raises a hand to sooth at his head in reassurance with a murmur, “She’ll wake up soon, buddy.” In the same glance, he wonders when she had gotten this pup and if they would’ve met if they were still friends.

Somewhere down the line, he finds himself taking hold of the hand he was once familiar with. The type of warmth was human, but he could differentiate from her’s from the rest just like back when they were in love in New York.

@⁰⁴ jungkook j. the sun was high in the sky, the 2PM breeze surprisingly warm for autumn's cold. fall was right at the world's doorsteps which had begun to be covered in a cobbler crust of brown sugar and cinnamon. he loved the fall for it always seemed like the one season of the year that a higher entity seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it. saerom wasn't paying attention to the way that the trees that had begun changing colors yet the brighter notes of yellows and oranges were still odd spots amidst the stark greeneries, the courtyard bustling with students who chose to spend the last few remaining dulcet days of fall before winter hit outside.

her grip was tight on her cup of coffee and much to her annoyance, it was beginning to loosen significantly. Saerom felt too tired, her vision blurring for a moment; she had to pause her walk, tugging on Louie’s leash enough to make him stop. Deep breath— inhale, exhale, she repeated to herself like a mantra, remembering her doctor’s words. She had to force herself to breathe, to ease her heart.

She began her trek to the library again, sure that she wouldn’t fall. Alas, she spoke too soon.

Her body was light, as if a feather flitting with the winds’ whims even if her head felt heavy, enough that the burden of it came cause her to come crashing down onto the ground. Her coffee had slipped from her loose fingers, splashing under her in a mess of sticky cream and cold brew that stained her clothes and the books under her arm that were also strewn haphazardly around. Her eyes had fluttered close as she gave in to the lull of the darkness that loomed overhead, autumn’s breeze cold enough that the dark was comfortable.

Louie had noticed immediately, that the girl he was supposed to take care of and protect had fallen to the ground. No matter how much she nudged him, she wouldn’t wake and it’s without further ado that he runs straight, finding help like the good boy he is. It’s the first person he sees, someone way taller than the little miss and he was quick to say a little hello, poking the man’s leg with his snout urgently. Ugh, why did he not understand?!

@⁰³ mark l. Anyone who is- or has ever been- a student knows there are bound to be days where one simply can’t bring themselves to attend class. Regardless of reason- or lack thereof- a certain newly transferred freshman by the name of Franco Masini had decided to prematurely embrace the weekend’s arrival, having roughly spent half the day in the sweet solitude of his dorm room. Eventually he felt obtaining some fresh air was to be in order, but before doing so Franco makes a quick pit stop at the school’s cafeteria to retrieve a bit of nourishment.

Once outside he sets foot on a leisure walk around campus grounds, mentally smiling at the sun’s pleasant rays basking onto his person as he chomps away into his chosen snack, a crisp, juicy Fuji apple that happens to be his favorite of all kinds. With his other hand he swaps out the bottled drink he grabbed for the phone in his back pocket, unlocking the device then tapping into Twitter and within minutes of scrolling through his feed Franco finishes the fruit shortly before his eyes zoom in on a particularly engrossing post. It’s practically itching to be commented on in which he executes said action in a timely fashion, mindlessly tossing the apple core off to the side somewhere in the process.

@⁰¹ franco m. It's a sunny Friday at Saebom, and thank god Mark is free from classes on Fridays, for it's the day he usually dedicates to community service. Being a part of Gamma Beta, the professional fraternity on campus, community service is a big part of Mark's life. While the frat simply finds and shares opportunities for the boys to be active in the community, Mark has a bad habit of taking all the slots before others can have their share. Though he usually prefers service that involves other people, like taking a shift at the nursing home or helping feed the homeless, today's activity is quite simple: pick up trash around campus. While others may be embarrassed acting like a garbage man, Mark doesn't feel that at all. With a trash bag in one hand and the Trash Grabby Thingy in another hand, he's already beginning to see a difference in the amount of litter on the floor already. Stretching his back and wiping the sweat on his forehead, he's proud of himself!