➴ downtown。

@kim minjeong. Sunghoon's lips parted, poised to reply, yet it was solely a facade as no words escaped. He had assumed she wouldn't be interested in seeing him again, let alone attending to his needs, but her unexpected acceptance ignited a flurry of emotions within him—relief foremost among them, mingled with a surge of gratitude and perhaps a hint of encouragement?

He didn’t linger on the thought for too long, as his focus was abruptly diverted by the shift in direction. The initial drive had been serene and felt secure, though she had clearly restrained its power. This time, however, was more audacious, with the wind slicing through his hair rather than smoothly breezing past. It elicited a rush of excitement that almost compelled him to scream, were it not for the wind feeling like an overpowering veil over his mouth. He wished to become accustomed to this sensation, despite the challenge it posed.

Once they came to a stop, he observed her swift movements at the peak of her work. Mesmerized was just one of the many emotions he felt; witnessing a female mechanic was a novel experience for him, being he’d only acknowledged the possibilities of one. The historical significance behind the structured precision of her hands captivated Sunghoon, who was now a curious observer eager to delve deeper—not at all to understand her work, but to unravel more about her as a person.

"You've understated my words. We both know the answer now; no need to catch your hair on fire," he remarked with a hidden amusement in his voice, delivered in a dry, deadpan tone that contradicted the humor within his words.

"Min," he mused silently, pondering various possibilities for the remainder of her name. However, he realized he wouldn't know until he saw her again, possibly her intention all along.

"Next time... you keep dropping hints about wanting to see me again. Be careful... I might get jealous if I'm not your favorite customer," coming across but a tease but all seriousness lingered in every word, hoping for time to grant him another chance to pause and observe her. His gaze wasn't solely fixed on her skilled work but also on her captivating aura. She possessed a beauty that could make one forget the concept of time being in the presence of—a type of allure that Sunghoon found astonishing. If he ever dreamt of her, he suspected he'd wake with a racing heart; she truly was a gem waiting to be discovered.

"Oh, that was quick... Sure, yeah, even though that did sound like a closing to a commercial- I wouldn't mind bringing you food or something instead of purposely breaking a windshield," he added with a breathed chuckle. "Thanks again."

Sunghoon despised the thought of taking kindness for granted and was instilled from a young age with a sense of ethics to always do what he deemed right. In this instance, he felt compelled to compensate her, even if she attempted to dismiss it. It was something he couldn't ignore. He swiftly searched his pockets, eventually finding his phone where he typically stowed his tutor week earnings. Usually, he kept the money there for safekeeping, transferring it to his account when necessary. This time, however, he was grateful he hadn't yet done so. He’d only stuffed a hundreds worth and he intended to hand them off, he approached her with determined steps, closing the distance between them to slip the bills into her jumpsuit pocket, a precaution he chose against her refusing.

With a nod of farewell, Sunghoon made his way back to his vehicle. Settling into the comforting texture of the seat, he glanced at the dashboard, signaling the conclusion of his venture. Helplessly, he stole a final look in her direction as he maneuvered out of the parking plot until he could finally take off down the roads where he’d grow further and further away from the entirety of where she remained.

@park seonghwa. [H] Hearing Seonghwa answer the phone and immediately plea for the other to wait, Jisung let out an exasperated sigh. He was upset, this happened more often than not, and most times Seonghwa wouldn't even answer the call, he could tell that he was at least trying this time. It was still too many times to give him the benefit of the doubt, and he still had yet to actually show up. "If you're not here in thirty minutes, I'm leaving, Hyung." He said in a monotone voice and hung up the phone.

He glanced around the area, before seeing a small boba stand. Ordering himself a drink, and finding a small table to sit at while he waited. Idly scrolling through his phone and keeping a watch on the time.

@park jisung. Seonghwa had been pre-occupied with his most recent studies, a small research project that he was doing on the side of work. If all had gone well it was something that could definitely make a breakthrough in the medical field, and help not only him, but his colleges out a lot in their field of work. Having spent all day on it, Seonghwa hadn't realized how late it was until the loud ringing of his phone had startled him, drawing his attention from his laptop. The phone screen lit up with his brothers name written across.

.

He quickly swiped the answer on his phone, his eyes darting at the clock. He was an hour late to have been meeting his brother on a small hangout that Seonghwa knew their mother put him up to. It was well intended, but Seonghwa couldn't help but find the whole ordeal exhausting. He loved his brother of course, but the two barely shared anything in common. "Jisung, I'm sorry. I'm putting my stuff up now and am on my way." He said into the phone as soon as it was brought to his ear. "Please wait for me." He added on for extra effort, luckily downtown wasn't that far of a drive from the hospital and despite everything, Seonghwa did promise his brother they'd meet up. He knew he needed a well needed small break, and he didn't want to hear anything from their mother if he didn't show up.

@park seonghwa. [H] It was one of the first weekends Jisung had in a while that he hadn't spent his time playing basketball with his friends, that counted as his 'early practice' as he had made plans with his older brother. Their mom had encouraged Jisung to try to get Seonghwa to hang out with him for a while before his brother found him in a downward spiral of stress and everything else.

He was shocked when his brother had so easily agreed to a small outing for them, something simple of them just walking around downtown and possibly stopping at a few bars, maybe grab a bite to eat. Of course, though, when Jisung showed up just a little early he had expected his brother to make him wait longer than he should. After an hour had passed Jisung almost decided to just leave, how pathetic was it to have been stood up to an outing by his own brother? He pulled out his phone, quickly dialing the others number, one last chance before he decided to make his way back home.

@park sunghoon. "No need. Just say you'll drop by and let me tune you up and we're even. But thanks for the drink, you really didn't have to." Minjeong, usually shrouded by the shadows of her own guarded world, found herself unaccustomed to the sudden display of unsolicited kindness, much of the kindness she was accustomed to being given with the pretense of expected return.

As her motorcycle roared to life, its engine growling with a primal intensity. With a mischievous glint in her eye, she seized the moment to showcase her driving prowess once she felt the secured hold of her fair skinned passenger, her fingers deftly manipulating the throttle with a fluid grace. Executing a series of exhilarating maneuvers, her bike darting through the asphalt labyrinth with an almost balletic precision. Each swift turn and rapid acceleration was a display of deft control and audacious flair, designed to leave Sunghoon, in a state of awe.

As Minjeong guided the motorcycle to a halt outside the mechanic shop, the dim flickering light of the streetlamps casting an even more grim glow over the aged establishment. Soon she dismounted and retrieved the stowed away gas can from the bike, her movements as fluid and deliberate as the ride. As she began, her hands worked with a dexterous rhythm, every action followed with practiced ease and precision. Glancing over her shoulder, her messy tresses cascading over the opposing side as she caught his gaze with a playful glint. “So you're saying I'm not bad to look at, huh? Do you think I'm pretty, you can be honest with me, I won't get too mad if you say no.” she teased, her voice lilting with a coquettish lilt, "How about this… Next time you see me, I'll tell my real name, for now just call me Min." She chuckled with a practiced nonchalance, deliberately sidestepping his inquiry about her name.

Moonlight casted an ethereal glow on his pale skin, accentuating his striking features as he stood by, simply watching her work. Her lingered gaze conveyed a myriad of emotions; curiosity, fascination, and a burgeoning desire – all woven together in the delicate concoction of her expression. As the last drops of fuel trickled into the tank, she met his gaze once more, her eyes shimmering with an invitation that needed no words, yet they followed shortly nonetheless. "You're all done, next time I see you should be by choice, not necessity. Don't be a stranger- and be safe out there, pretty boy.. You never know what crazies lurk out in a like this."

@kim minjeong. Sunghoon observed the beguiling smile of the ice-blonde girl, noting how the highlight on the dimple of her cheek accentuated its roundness, a warmth contrasting against her cool demeanor. All sparked by his gesture of offering her a drink. He hadn’t anticipated her acceptance but felt genuinely relieved when she did, her infectious laughter resonating in his memory. Despite his initial grapple of resistance, he found himself inexplicably drawn to her magnetic aura, even when she taunted him with her quip remarks.

"Don't worry, I do intend to pay you. I wouldn’t consider accepting a drink as payment either... I just thought you might want one," he mused, a faint smile touching his brims once more. Observing her slightly messy enjoyment of the drink, he felt an urge to wipe away the stray droplets that adorned her chin and sunk into the fabric of her shirt but refrained, knowing such an act might be misinterpreted, especially by a stranger whose thoughts he couldn't fathom and he didn’t wish to find out on the pretense of that gesture. Oddly, he found himself wishing to end their encounter on a positive note.

With a subtle nod, he shifted his position to settle into the rear seat, his hands finding a natural grip around her waist. This time, there was no space between them; he pressed closely against her back, using the excuse of cramped conditions to justify their proximity, even though he suspected she might see through it. He would ignore his shortcomings for this.

"I... wouldn’t say that. Your face was more captivating than anywhere else around here... wait—never mind… By the way, what’s your name? I don't recall you mentioning it." he ventured, realizing she remained a stranger whose name eluded him despite the hour they had spent together. Did it truly matter? Perhaps not, yet it was the one detail he wished to glean from their venture.

@park sunghoon. Along with the retraction of his stout appendages she felt the stale humid breeze tickle at her exposed skin, vehemently ignoring her cognitive whispers, most of which were exasperated from the lack of any recent physicality, that was her excuse or at least the sole one she intended to commit to, with their imminent and very likely permanent departure looming the near future, she had no encouragement to entertain any arisen whim.

However resolved as she was, her mind held other intentions, narrowly fixated on the way his mellifluous tone rang out in the dead of the night to the resolute nature of his descending stride that led to the eventually disappearance from her sight, allotting a moments breadth to recalibrate herself, she stalked by the machine, retrieving her cellular device in sought of any reflecting surface, absently fluffing her layered tresses then fishing out her go to lip product to refresh the tinted gloss adorning her plump brims, once satisfactory she returned said device to the confines of one of her pockets, orbs shifting from the direction the male wandered to the idling pump.

Only when the illuminated display changed did she spring into action, unfastening the container as she tapped the furthest right button, soon dispensing the fuel. Unsolicited disquiet etched a crease between her bleached brows which furrowed as she made quick work of concealing the container, stowing it away under the spacious storage of the bike, now all that remained was the drive back, one single trip and she would never see him again, he would remain nothing but a brief late night encounter, a mere remembrance to reminisce some point later, it was better that way, but if that was solely the case why did a sense of disgruntlement set off at the notion?

The discontent settled on her countenance only displaced by perplex upon his return, the gesture summoning the charming indentation to peek through the roundness of her cheek, shortly supplemented by the brief trills of her mostly muted laughter, she blindly dove her hand into the bag, retrieving the peach flavor before her shoulder rose in a shrug. “Cute.. Doesn’t count as payment but appreciate it.” Marked by the perception of her rows making appearance, her jovial jab held no true weight as she opened the small bottle, parting her lips to chug the contents in one shot, missing the entirety by a millimeter resulting in the liquid dribbling down her chin to soil the tube top which had seen way worse, urging her to swipe the back of her hand over the affected areas with a bout of chortles resounding all the while.

“Anyways, ready to head back? I’m sure you’re sick of my face and probably ready to get the hell out of this dump.” Amusement accompanied her assumptions as she swung herself onto the seat once more, nodding to the rear for him to hop on as well.

@kim minjeong. Sunghoon would've never envisage the stipulation amounting up to his first cruise along a bike of this stature, in fact he never had the prior desire of experimenting in the field yet here he was, digits entangled upon the seams of her jumpsuit, breathing against the forced impales of air rushing against his features, gazing through knitted brows and squinted lids the passing landscape of locality. It never fell into realization just how numbing of musings a it was, similar to how he felt on his way to this predicament.

He wondered if she held back, granted the exchange of her words and the veil of her orange aura that she wasn't one to color within the lines, accept lawful rules and abide but the contrary. It was painfully obvious however Sunghoon wouldn't question it, it's not as if he'd have this experience again, so why poke at an aimless attempt? Possibly, he just didn't wish to piss her off again and risk the both of their lives in her minor rage but what could get more exhilarating than that? No, terrible thoughts. Sunghoon did value his life most of the time.. He didn't want the people in it to see him on the news.

The ride felt too short, even with ice blonde's citizenship skills in the works, it dawned a sense of aversion knowing the return back would end this venture effectively. One with a conventional head on their shoulders would feel relief, but he never regarded the presence of dismay instead. Unhanding the sole blockage of her slender waist, Sunghoon shifted off of the seat. "Alright, i'll be back." With a glance towards the number signaling the slot they claimed, his strides led him inside the building. He never had the intention of strolling, in fact he would've hoped to be in and out that is until the lingering thought of offering his gratitude in some makeshift attempt crowded his intentions. It led him to skim the aisle from where he stood, his tall stature aiding in his sought.

Typically he would go for his favorites but he simply narrowed it down to one: a yogurt drink. In his eyes they could never wrong him, and bee-lining towards their designated aisle, he grabbed two; a peach flavor and strawberry. He could solely hope she didn't have a distaste for the likes or else his efforts were fruitless.. But the ideation he'd have two on his hands weren't as disheartening. Finally appearing before the counter, with a greeting he followed with his concerns to which were regarded during the exchange of the drinks as well.

Met with that tepid atmosphere of the wind once he left the building, his steps were more timid than his previous strides until he paused at the head of the motorcycle. The hand that dangled the black bag of contents within, stretched out. "I don't know if you're into these- But if so, i got you one.. Just in case."

@park sunghoon. Vexatious as it were the urge to brandish her more flamboyant stunts fell on mute as rationality outweighed her desire to flaunt, mostly due to the inherent risk of the boy freaking out as a direct result loomed, instead she enacted a more aberrant decision of abiding the posted speed limit and avoiding her usual evasive maneuvers solely for his sake, one thing Minjeong would never accept was the liability of causing anyone harm.

The wreathe of his arms constricting her form should have been a mere indubitable expectation but that didn't prohibit her mind from engrossing the necessary embosom, feeling the taut stretch of muscle exerted the least bit to ensure the unyielding hold left her mind reeling, much to her own dismay she even happen to find the stranger beguiling to say the very least. Furthering her agenda to wrap this up swiftly before the abasement of her unrequited attempts manifest in a visible level.

Much of the ride passed in a tranquil blur, even without the raucous excuse of neighboring cars filling the road, she couldn't quite pull herself to formulate much of a meaningful colloquy with much of it requiring her to shout over the consistent roar of the engine, the pair arrived within a record time of fifteen minutes. Only then did her tone ring out once more only this time devoid of any semblance of hauteur. "Seen it takes 93, so about 35 should fill you up." She instructed with a nudge of her chin towards the building, rolling to a stop beside the first pump.

@kim minjeong. Why was the enveloping notion to please her and not bemuse under her skin so pulling? It was the magnitude the simple curl of those brims shifted, the appeal in which upon an inch it felt as if you accomplished a mile. That's what blighted his decisions, or perpetually what Sunghoon will tell himself later on. Her words oozed with forthcoming regret, she would know if one needed the guard but Sunghoon couldn't pull himself to use it. Playing it off as if a ricochet of her not needing it, he didn't either. But realistically it was far deeper than that. Although that was possibly a matter of time judging by his inability of admitting terms with the sense of advent this mishap turned out to be.

'Pretty boy' Faintly, he felt the muscles in his cheeks shift, his brims pulling back the slightest in what posed as his first wave of diversion. Is that a frequent term she utters? or was that pointed and momentous. He had no right to feel a sense of proprietorial pool fester in his gut, and yet here he was hoping it was the latter option.

This is the part he didn't think about, the propinquity of their bodies as she embowed forward. He couldn't leave an appropriate space for the woman safe for him falling off the machine, and therefore he was left with no choice come the leading grasp of her hand. reviving it from it's prior limp form, his opposite arm came to complete the encirclement of her torso and his chest met her back. Ignoring the way her form aligned with his own in every way down to a graze. His eyes fell shut upon the forewarning, there goes another anchoring pet name. He didn't have time to process it before his body was engulfed in a gust of wind, threading across his features and through his considerable tresses, he couldn't help the right hemisphere of his visage pressing to her left shoulder to avoid it.

@park sunghoon. Inability to pinpoint just what it was about the stranger that seemed to dilute her usual choleric riposte, besides the fact that he unanimously ticked every visual box, there was a inadvertent pull about the male and it wasn't simply his prodigious stature. Not when the words that left those inviting, pliant and most likely silken brims was the sole source of the confoundment she felt, was he indeed trying to get her ticked off or perhaps the night diminished his sense of cognitive distortion and she was the sad recipient.

His inquiry nearly flared her finally cornered away indignance until he finished his thought a moment after, but much to her astonishment the brunette's following words pulled her signature lopsided simple to a risen visibility as her observant yet intended gaze fell on his every move, the way his lengthy leg whipped over the matte charcoal and glossed ivory machine left the blonde ogling for a second too long before snapping out of her stupor with an indignant scoff as she noticed the discarded protective wear. If he wanted to test her like that she would all too gallantly oblige.

"suit yourself, pretty boy. but don't blame me when you wish you took it." her forewarning came with a flash of pearly rows decorating her previously dull expression with that of sudden mirth, the breeze whipping the cascading lengths of her blonde tresses in a swift just before his face as she mounted the front, settling in a position that accentuated the arch of her back as she leaned closer to the front, fishing out her key she revved and kicked the machine to life with a boisterous growl filling the otherwise quiet night, reaching back she grasped his wrists to secure the pair around her slender midsection, offering nothing more than a brief warning before she peeled off the lot towards the road leading to the local gas station.

"Better hold on tight, backpack."

@kim minjeong. The sheer levity blossoming across her features dawned a imperceptible narrow of his lids, if it weren’t for the empirical fixate of that admirable permanent dip in her cheek upon such ingratiating curl of her adorned brims, he’s sure he would’ve rolled his eyes. Someone who preens upon getting rises out of others, is she? It didn’t aid the matter of a sense of.. relieve cascaded his mind. It’s not as if he intended to return here. ‘geez, i would’ve never guessed that’ Was at the tip of his tongue, instead “oh, that’s good to know then.” Curtly proceeded to be uttered. Appearing as one of those condescending figures, when in fact they are the one in need, rubbed the male the wrong way and he refused to gather in their makeshift community. After all, it was a mere poke of fun when he could’ve been met with much worse.

It solely manifested in his mind after the fact, of course that’s how diagnostics work, how could Sunghoon appear so.. oppugnant? A single appendage rose in caressing the side of his neck, dark orbs wandering to a placement of cement along the ground, in apparent elusion. “Yeah— sorry..- ” He could gather the sole shake of her head out of his peripheral vision, and couldn’t blame the fascinating woman for it. A soft breath collecting within his chest rather deflated it with the exhale he released, ultimately turning his attention to the figure just to witness the sway of her amble in the short distance. “You- want me to ride with you?” Choppy and quizzical his words pattered out, he accepted the reasoning this time around if she did roll her eyes at him, she’d make sure he was fully aware of the irritation behind the action, so he continued.

“Not that it’s a problem— ..” Reflexively his arms parted that of a space proximate width of the protective layer, clutching it upon the retrieval. Of course it was a problem. Was he genuinely going to slide this chalk of hardened wear over his head and backpack a stranger he doesn’t even know the name of? .. of course not, Sunghoon’s sense of imperilment reigned superior than that, right? He trudged the remaining distance towards the petite woman, unsure of where to discard the helmet, he placed it in the hollow seep of bushes by the two-seater. Surely nothing would happen to it, it’s just the two of them after all. “If you dont need it, why should i.” Turns out, he was just as perceptible as a child running after it’s favorite candy without thinking once let alone twice, and the sole line he drew— was that of shoving an unknown body’s helmet over his head. Comical. His leg swung over the width of the seat in which led him to stand over the body of the bike, inching backward to then claim space behind where her figure would appear. Why did a sense of rouse stimulate his chest, while his dark orbs peered towards the woman in question who practically galvanized him to join her.

@song yuqi. Chris had frequented the batting park often, not only for solo practice on his own, but if he just needed a space to clear his mind, it was one of the places he felt he was really able to do that. Today was one of those days that he had come to clear his mind. He had a tendency to overwork himself, and recently he had been doing just that. Taking time for himself was always needed and he knew he would hear about it from his coach and the rest of his team if he didn't allow some rest time. Though, he wasn't sure that they would count this as 'rest time'.

After finishing his sets, Chris stepped out and was almost ready to call it quits for the way to go home, however, on his way out he couldn't help but to notice the frustrated sounds coming from one of the patrons at the park, stepping back a bit and watched them as they missed every ball that was shot out of the machine. Their form had been completely wrong and he could tell that her frustration grew with each swing she took. He let out a soft chuckle of sympathy before approaching her. Hand on the cloth fence that caught the balls that weren't hit.

Clearing his throat to hopefully not fully startle the other and gain her attention. "Excuse me." He hoped that he wasn't interrupting too much. "I can give you some pointers if you'd like?" He offered, he only wanted to help the other out a bit so that she was able to actually hit a ball, instead of wasting her time.

() open starter! you dont have to copy this length if its a lot lajdjfjfkf


julie was one to explore and want to experience anything, or at least many various things new and sometimes that led to bad things. bad, whether or not it's actually something small or not though in this case, the woman really hopes she doesn't get herself lost while checking out this area. what is this area one may ask? well, julie has heard from a co-worker at the police station that this downtown area is home to multiple different shops, restaurants, other businesses. she recalls feeling amazed by that conversation and wanted to check it out for herself whenever she was on a day or two off from work. thankfully, today, julie didn't have to work today so this was perfect! time to explore, hopefully it isn't too crazy on busy level or how large the lil town may be. she’ll find out once she gets there because honestly speaking, julie didn't really bother researching too much on the location minus the directions on how to head there via car. there was no way she could walk there, plus it’ll clearly save some of her energy to stroll around the downtown.

maybe she could meet some people there if they were in the mood to speak with her. julie isn't fully sure how residents may act towards others who look like tourists… she’s been mistaken as such before so she’s kind of at least not surprised if that were to happen once more. she could've taken her motorcycle, but the woman has absolutely zero idea how hectic the parking situation may be, and for safety reasons, she doesn't dare take that out of her garage, only on nightly travels! she prefers doing that hobby of hers once the sun goes down… well there's never been an exact reason behind that preference, it’s honestly been because there's less likely to be activity on the roads?

okay, enough of that now. julie hums a random song while making her way over towards her destination via car, paying attention to the streets as usual, vibing along to her music through her aux cord. it took her a couple minutes to get there, about fifteen or so till she made her way there. woah, this is interesting. she muttered to herself while her eyes began to wander just a tad, parking her car which turned out to be an easy task, no need to search for a while and started her walking journey once leaving the vehicle with her purse, belongings and car keys.

julie stopped in her tracks, taking a moment or two to look around downtown before starting off in a certain direction, starting off her exploration. she still had occasional trouble reading some of the korean signs so hopefully she doesn't run into any trouble because of that… though it seem like she may have spoken too soon. the woman went off into a small cafe to purchase herself some boba tea to try. she's not really a fan of tea by itself but maybe with the other ingredients, she’ll do okay. she stepped out of that same cafe after purchase and thanking the staff, boba in hand while continuing to walk.

she’d walked a long while, unsure if she’d actually buy something.. maybe, we’ll see. though she was getting a bit hungry and she recalls seeing a restaurant that caught her eye while back to wherever she parked. she couldn't really pronounce the name correctly but she was curious enough to try it. now where was the direction to her car again..?

@kim youngkyun. ⟨ the past. ⟩

after finishing his client's car, knowing they will pick it up tomorrow, changkyun lay on the couch, pondering the meaning of his life. he sighed heavily and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling exhausted. there were still a few cars he needed to check on, but he would likely do it in the middle of the night or tomorrow. his clients were close friends and not in a rush, which he appreciated. he felt grateful for his friends who had supported him to this point. even though he had to refuse his father's offers to become a businessman like him, changkyun just couldn’t accept it. at least, not for now.

he sighed again and got up from the couch as his phone buzzed with notifications from his friends, inviting him out for drinks and a night of getting wasted. he was about to refuse, but his friend sent a few pictures of ladies he could potentially sleep with, piquing his interest. was a way for him to relieve stress, and he wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity.

after showering and making himself presentable, changkyun left his garage and got into his car, driving towards the club. on the way, he noticed someone running down the road, being chased by a few guys. he pulled over immediately.

they must be crazy. it wasn't that he wanted to play the hero, but it didn’t sit right with him to see something like that and not intervene. he locked his car and followed them, seeing the group beating the man to a pulp. he sighed.

"yah, yah. aren't you going too far?" he asked as he stood in front of the bullies. he glanced at the heavily injured stranger on the ground and sighed again. "i hate when people bully the weak. can't you find someone tougher to fight with? what a coward."

one of the bullies came up to him in anger and cursed changkyun out, but changkyun knew well how to dodge the hit and returned a punch to the bully's face, causing him to fall to the ground in pain. "oof. you don't want to mess with me, kid. it's going to be your biggest mistake." another bully ran towards him with a blade in his hand, but changkyun's reflexes were quick; he pushed the hand away, causing the blade to fall to the ground. adding some punches to the man's face, changkyun breathed heavily when the man fell to the ground. another one quickly ran away to save himself. changkyun watched the man run away, leaving his friends behind, and cackled, shaking his head. "unbelievable."

he picked up the blade and looked at the man on the ground. why did he even rescue him? he didn't know, but it was fine as long as the man was safe. he sighed and crouched down in front of the stranger, holding out his hand. "come on, get up. let me take you to a nearby clinic and then send you home. apparently, you're not really safe here."

that's how their friendship started to blossom. from an experience that changkyun didn't even want to be a part of, but he went through with it anyway and enjoyed youngkyun's company all the way through the years.


⟨ present time ⟩

changkyun made his way to the place where he first met youngkyun, shaking his head when he saw the man prick his fingers on the fence. "you're still as clumsy as ever."

@park sunghoon. Revelry painted idiosyncratic beauty with the indicative indication of her cheeks risen to accentuate her simper, the deeper indentation on her left cheek appearing to portray just how much ruffling the perpetual strangers feathers brought her joy, yet despite her impish enjoyment, she wasn’t one to turn away a potential future customer or even better, the opportune of monetary gain. “I’m just ing with you.. As long as the lights are on, you’re good to drop by.. We even have tow trucks if you wind up in the actual middle of nowhere—.” Her condescending tone held no actual bite, much of her words wore merely jest but of course the male wouldn’t possibly know that. Minjeong didn’t truly care whether she saw the prepossessing male again, but if that were truly the case then why did she feel the sudden urgency to damage control?

His question felt so condescending, it was a no brainer she was required to ask a ton of questions, more than she even wanted to but to hear him question her for such made the steady smug curl of glossy brims falter for a brief second. “You do know that’s how diagnostic work—” ‘you might as well had said shut the hell up and do your job’ the thought continued solely within her mind, a subsequent shake of her head followed the swift roll of her faux aqua orbs, nudging herself from the semi slouch against the vehicle, it was ignominious enough for her prowess to be so blatantly doubted, the distant rumination of whether such would dare be uttered to any of the burly males she worked with, the thought alone was enough to erase any glimpse of jocular intent, shifting her to a more professional disposition.

“I can take you to get the gas, come back fill it up and you’ll be on your way.” Her tone was almost apathetic in the way she spoke so formal, already strutting off to her bike to pack up the gas can, she retrieved her helmet before pausing to spare him another glimpse. “Here, catch— you can use that. It’s not far so I won’t need it.” It was a light toss, one that even an uncoordinated child would manage to catch, surely the lanky male would be able to with much ease.

@kim minjeong. A notion of perturbation, allurement and cautiousness crowded within his chest a misleading swirl. Her nearing meant he could observe better, he could collect every detail making up her engaging features and store them someplace he could recall once more. The sliver of pink intruding itself on display grabbing Sunghoon's attention for but a second before what expression had been contorting his features.. fell. Thick brows dipping into a particular narrow per the words registering to his senses. 'cute? but stupid..' How could he focus on the immaterial bits? He couldn't help it. " i didn't realize.. if you didn't want my business, you coud've sent me away. don't worry, next time i'll push it to the next middle of nowhere with a gas station. You wont have to see me again. " The time to ponder over those words were nonexistent before his brims were parting once more.

"im not sure... i could've sworn it had something in i- Is it mandatory you ask so many questions? " Granted it was one in particular, Sunghoon despised the thought of belittlement, and it was a particular repugnance he felt towards appearing lowly in her eyes, just like every other customer she came across.. The thought was tasteless and he knew come a time he's alone he'll pelt his own mind of why. His steps fell in tune with her own in mere seconds, from behind to appearing beside her in his strides, until they came to a halt before the side view mirror of the drivers seat. His fingers tucked within the thick pocket of his outerwear in search of the key fob, in which upon her statement, the pad of his thumb gently grazed the engraved design of each button. 'What are you looking for?' it dangled at the tip of his tongue, but she was the expert here, not Sunghoon. Even if the trust wasn't particularly there, the respect for her field of work was, oddly he didn't want to question her. Leading him to press the sequence along the connected device to remote start it, the rumble of acknowledge revving seconds later as the head and tail lights reflected the area.

@son seungwan. they had arrived in the bustling heart of the city; downtown. jisoo tilted her neck up slightly, peering over her steering wheel and the dashboard of her car, searching up ahead for parking spot on the side of the road. expertly, like the parking goddess she was, jisoo swiftly pulled up, before turning her steering wheel this way and that with the palm of her one hand, sliding her car perfectly into a paralell park. "we're here~" jisoo sang out, unbuckling her seatbelt. grabbing her purse, she then exited the car, awaiting for her friend in the front seat.

once wendy too had gotten off, jisoo locked her car. although she wasn't deviating too much from her usual personality, on the inside, jisoo was bubbling with elation. it had been years, since she had last been able to spend time with her fellow manhwa connoisseur. wendy was one of those friends where jisoo knew she could pick up their friendship at any time, no matter how much time had passed between them. they always made sure to text each other during the holidays, birthdays and any other special occasion, but of course it wasn't the same. now, they had a whole two days to themselves— to catch up on each other's livelihoods, to eat and try new restaurants together, and most certainly, spazz about the latest artistic literature (manhwas, webtoons) they were both reading.

she turned to her friend. "hmm... what do you wanna do first? are you thirsty or hungry? there's also the beach nearby too, we could go there as well." jisoo stated, listing a few suggestions. "we still have about 2 hours before we can check into the airbnb."

@christopher bang. "Oh for fluff's sake!"

A deep, grumbling roar could be heard throughout the batting park, followed my the metallic clicking sound of a baseball bat hitting the ground. Luckily enough, she was all alone with no one to witness her rather childish outburst, no one to witness the tears starting to fill her eyes.

Song Yuqi wasn't usually one quick to cry, at least when there was no alcohol involved. But after weeks of pent up frustration and anger, nothing going the way she wanted to, she had reached her limit, emotions threatening to burst out. Which was why she had decided to come here late at night. It was either the batting park or a boxing gym. To let off some steam. Or so she thought.

After missing the nth ball of the night, the young woman found herself more frustrated than ever, angry at the stupid people making up baseless rumors about her on the Internet, spamming the comments section underneath her videos and her streams with insults and hate. Angry at her useless moderators for letting it slip, telling her that it was normal and just came with the profession. Angry at her father for brushing her off when she brought up the issue because he was too busy kissing up to some executive (which she knew was necessary, but still! He was her father!). Angry at the whole world for being so unfair and judgmental. But mostly, she was angry at herself for letting things get to her. Even after so many years in the business, Yuqi sometimes still found herself affected by all the online malice. Though she never showed it live on stream, it did hurt.

Maybe she should just give up. Not being a v-tuber. But baseball. Coming here, she had thought that it would be rather simple. A machine would spit out the ball, she'd hit it while imagining it to be the head of one of her haters. Easy peasy. Reality proved to be much different though. Somehow, no matter what she did, she just didn't seem able to hit the ball. And the few times she did, if barely had any impact, the small sphere dropping to the ground a measly few meters away. Maybe she really didn't have any talent to be a batter.

"Should have gone to the boxing gym instead..."

@kim mingyu. It was subtle, and honestly would have gone unnoticed by the reporter had he not been so keen to paying attention to all the little details. Which, he wasn't sure, was a good thing or a bad thing. They way the Mingyu had seem to change just a bit in his demeanor, and of course the little spark of hope that Jisung held on to for gaining the interview with him grew even brighter. Though, it was hard to contain the hope in his eyes while he waited for another answer from the other. He shook his head at the question thrown at him, there was no way that Jisung could give up, he wouldn't allow himself. If he wanted to make a name for himself and his work he had to be determined, and if he wanted to prove himself to the other, that he wasn't like the other reporters, he had to be persistent in showing him that he wasn't there to berate Mingyu for his past.

The confirmation the other gave Jisung had filled him with an unexplained amount of joy, a bright, heart shaped smile covering half of his face now and he nodded. He certainly wouldn't mind spending a few extra dollars just to get this interview if that's what it took, at this rate, he would consider it a success for himself, and if all goes well, it would pay out for him better in the long run. "Okay!" he couldn't help the happy chirp that escaped him in his words with the nod, that had him holding on to the hard hat that was placed on his head just a few moments before.

He grabbed his phone out, before quickly moving to press in the details into his calendar, before looking back at the other, trying to force his smile not to be so wide as he placed his phone back in his pocket. "Thank you, I promise you won't regret it!" He says before slowly stepping away, a bit and giving a small wave to the other. "I'll see you then?"

@im changkyun. Present Day:

Walking by the old spot where everything first started caused Youngkyun to shake a bit, it was where he first met Im Chankgyun, it was not the best of circumstances, but they became best friends after that, even if they were opposites, Changkyun pushed him out of his comfort zone and it is something that he will always be thankful for, as well as this memory where he looked at the steel gray fence and he rubbed his fingers against the little spikes on it causing little cuts to form against his fingers. It didn’t hurt but, he felt the pain of ten years ago like it was yesterday.


Grade 9 : The Event

Walking home from school was a normal occurrence for Youngkyun, it was something that he had done since he was in Grade 4, his parents trusted him and he trusted the route he would take since then, the high school was only five minutes further out so there really shouldn’t have been any trouble at all trying to get there to home. It was his first week at school and he was enjoying all of his classes and, he’s favorite class was his elective, digital photography, it was the only thing that kept him whole and cured any depression that he may have. Speaking of depression, on this day it was raining harder than it ever did before that Kyun could remember and it caused him to put his hoodie up and crease it just a bit so it could cover his eyes too, he hated when his eyes got wet. It was a terrible feeling and that is why he hated going swimming or going into a lake, he always sat out during these activities because of it. Taking a shower or a bath was one thing because that is a requirement of life, but going swimming was not something that he liked. Each raindrop that would hit his face would feel like a needle hitting his skin at the doctor’s office as it traveled down his forehead to his eyes or his cheek. As the rain continued to pour down on top of him, he felt like the breeze wasn't strong enough and he heard some footsteps behind him, inching closer and closer, he took a glance to his left and noticed that shadows were getting closer to him. He figured that some people were trying to get by and that it wouldn't matter if he kept walking at his normal pace.

"FWEET" he heard a whistle, it was quiet but he heard it and the roaring noise of the thunder and lightning above him, it caused him to go into a panic mode. He quickly changed course and decided to try and cross the street, moving to his left he noticed there was a figure there. The figure was about six inches taller than him and he did not want any part of him. Panicked, he picked up his pace and ran as fast as he could down the street to get away from the one person, or he thought was only one person. As he got to the edge of the crosswalk he noticed two more people down there waiting for him. They had to be no older than sixteen, what did they want with him? Shaking his head, he tried to go to the left but he ran into the first figure that he had from before, a hard thump and he fell hearing a crack as no doubt his camera broke inside of his backpack. The camera that broke meant a lot to him, it was the first camera his grandfather gave to him and it was the camera that his grandfather used when he was in college. It is, well now a family heirloom that most definitely broke inside. That water that felt like a needle in his face now felt like little stab wounds on his face from how dejected and demoralized he was from this incident.

Staying on the ground, sulking, he was picked up by the assailant and a hard punch to his stomach was followed after the elder male wound up his fist like it was a wrecking ball, and Youngkyun had no time to prepare himself for it, he was thrown back against the brick wall of where he was near and laid down against it, contemplating fighting back. He was not a fighter, he did not want to fight there was something about it that bothered him something that made him not himself. "Wh-why.. are you doing this?" Trembling with fear he looked up at the sky, the clouds were beginning to separate and he saw a bit of sunlight come down and he smiled to himself.

PUNCH.

Another male came into the picture and gave him a punch to his throat, sending him into a short daze, where he began to get confused and he tried to call out for help, but there was no one around, they dragged him into the alley right next to the sidewalk where he was walking, his shoes scratching against the concrete and his knees picking up little cuts along the way, which felt the same as the needles from the rain that would go near his eyes. He did not enjoy this feeling, he didn't know what he deserved to have this pain induced onto him, but he couldn't do much about it, it was a 4 on 1 assault and no one was around to help him. Quivering in fear he ran towards the end of the alley where there was a gated fence that he could try and climb. Freedom! Yes, this could be his escape. Shaking his head he got up and tried to run but was met with a fist to his back which caused him to fall face first and he winced in pain, "Uhng-" He felt a stinging pain on his lip and realized that he was bleeding, he touched the cut and his index finger became crimson red with blood, he put his finger up to his lip again and checked it again, he was bleeding, and it was not stopping. He circled the blood around his fingers, wiped it against his pants, and stood back up.

Anger, was what filled Youngkyun's mind now, he had anger now that they drew blood, he wanted to fight back but he still decided to run for the gate, why you may ask? Because he is a coward, that is all he knows and will ever know in the future as well. As he was running he tripped over his footing and looked around for anything he can use as a weapon, anything that he can defend himself with, "Damn, nothing really huh.." He saw a flashy object come from one of the bully's hands, it was his grandfather's camera, and he slammed it to the ground, as each piece shattered, that was one possible dream or memory that could have been captured in his life or in someone else's life that was gone, and that hurt more than the water or the cuts that he procured on his body today. Sitting there in disbelief he let out a silent cry as he tried to inch closer to the pieces that were broken, he wanted to save it, wanted to fix it, but there was no point in getting closer, as the bullies were right there.

Feeling hopeless and like he could hang on to nothing, he hoped for a miracle, he needed something or someone to come and save him, he needed a saving grace, something that would pull him away from this nightmare. He backed up slowly until his back hit the fence that had little spikes on it and he felt the spikes dig into his shirt at first. "Of course, trapped", whispering to himself but then he heard something in the distance like someone was coming. He couldn't really make out the person as he was a bit dizzy from falling down, but it seemed like it was someone different than the bullies that were in front of him.

@park sunghoon. Distance diminished to a couple of feet proved her initial thought, the stygian tresses creating a veil that framed his pale complexion did little to conceal the thick brows beneath yet somehow complimented his lacteous skin tone. With a beckoning jerk of her head to the side, she started back towards the inner area of the workspace ushering his accompany, mainly to set aside her current task and assess his needs better. Wiping her hands on her prior discarded towel, suddenly connecting and subsequently inverted the pair before stretching them over her head with a near subdued groan, hooking her thumbs between the bunched fabric of her jumpsuit and the visible expanse of her hips on display by the rolled up tank she wore.

Observant as she was, instantaneously she could surmise he wasn't from this side of town, the visibly indications of his discomfort only confirmed her hypothesis, and every fiber in her being yearned to for it and that she did, never one to deny herself such opportune indulgence, she slowly unveiled a duplicitous smile as she stepped closer to the overtly disturbed male, just narrowly resisting the urge to touch him instead she let her head fall to a feigned curious tilt, the slightest glimpse of her tongue poking out the corner of her gaped mouth. "We were closed.. if you couldn't tell by the lack of anyone here but you're kinda cute so i'll help." Shrugging as she eyed him gradually. "For future reference even on E any car has about 20 to 40 miles so just go to a gas station or even better don't be stupid and let it get that low. anyways let's get started."

"Was it completely on E when you got here?" She inquired as dark orbs surveyed the space exploring her mental catalogue of supplementary equipment, weaving through the obstructing mess of parts and tools littered about, eventually retrieving an old somewhat battered handheld gas can. "I'll let you know how much in a bit." She had zero intentions of charging him, but if he insisted on paying anyways she surely wouldn't turn him down. But for now she needed to confirm a few things before she offered his actual sole solution. With the red container secured in her grasp she sauntered out with resolute steps towards the only vehicle parked in the lot which of course could be none other than his, glancing over her shoulder at him with a slight narrow of her usually round eyes, giving into the nagging urge to grab his wrist in aid of tugging him along swifter. "Turn it on, need to see something real quick" Rounding the length of the vehicle, she pushed in the gas flap until it popped beneath her hovering fingertips, all it took were a brief glimpse at the number indicated on the inside and she had committed it to memory. Lithe arms tucked loosely around her waist, her amorphous gaze landed on him yet again.

@kim minjeong. The closer his footsteps drew him, he could hear the blaring tune seeping out into the open space, Sunghoon couldn't recognize what eventually was a buzzing murmur, consumed his surroundings. The distortion of the rigid speakers rounded it to a collective ruckus. The taller wasn't sure what he was expecting, a greasy middle-age guy who could barely maneuver the heap of a mess to find his tools? Or better yet, someone younger but still appearing as if they slept in the very shop they serve in. Either way, Sunghoon would've been wrong.

Bleached strands in the shape of a chest length wolf-cut and piercing eyes that entranced the beholder, as if it was a sculpture he's never witnessed before was placed in a graveyard, it was odd how he wished it weren't. His surroundings had the stench of the previous misleading description he assumed precisely, forcing him to cut his regular inhales into short intakes, safe for filling his longs of the sweat, oils and otherwise chemicals that just did not mesh well. Curious eyes raked down the woman's clad form, swiftly though, before they met her dark irises. Sunghoon didn't want to come off particularly off-putting for coming across a sight he's never seen before. His thick brows knitted, succumbing to the fact this is who would be assisting him tonight, why could he feel a anxious knot form within his abdomen? nerves, to put it simply.

At least he was in luck, the box propped along her hip proving she was still in the process of working, it brought a dawning of ease to assume he would get what he needed, and be out of her way. "..i ran out of gas.. was hoping i could get some help. i dont exactly .. have any other choice. " It was difficult to speak in what felt like foggy oxygen, he could taste it with each word and the urge to grimace was impending. But to mislead her into believing it's appearance would be for her, was unsettling for some reason, the taller shoved the feeling down. He couldn't, not right now at least. He just needed to leave, preferably as soon as possible. " How much would that be? "

@han jisung. The half-hearted chuckle threw him off in addition to the prompt disagreement with his response. He paused, his jaw clenching and unclenching within a span of a millisecond. Not even his closest friends bothered to send him words of encouragement after his conviction, how was he supposed to believe in himself? Not that he blamed them. With his past track record, it wasn't completely out of character for him to resort to violence. But here Jisung was, apprehensive about letting the tired construction worker go about his day without an exclusive interview. "You're tellin' me." He held back an amused smile. All Journalists were somewhat biased, especially the one standing in front of him, though this one in particular hadn't insinuated anything like the initial mob of reporters.

If only there was someone like him a few years ago. Maybe he wouldn't be so tired.

Mingyu studied Jisung for a long moment, his expression unreadable. The weariness in his eyes clashed with a glimmer of something else—maybe curiosity, maybe resignation. maybe hope. hope. "You really don't give up, don't you? Even when I was being so mean," his voice was cold but carried an undercurrent of mild admiration. "You talk about seeing things from a different light, but that doesn't change what happened and the ugly result of it. But I'll tell you what. I'm off in 30. Buy me dinner and you have yourself an interview." If there was one thing he couldn't turn down, it was food. Doing this interview was like hitting two birds with one stone: a free meal and getting rid of one persistent annoyance.

"Grandma's Tofu House at 8. It's Monday so it shouldn't be too busy." As he drew out their plan, the taller of the two walked the journalist to the entrance of the construction site, making sure he made it out of the hazardous terrain safely, but not without a few hiccups, most of which were his less-than-nice co-workers trolling. A tired sigh left his lips, knowing that arguing would only cause further issues to his position at the construction site. "Now go."

@park sunghoon. “Only like me cause her daddy don’t, took her soul cause i don’t got one of my own—.” Perfect synchronization marked her every move, each taken step accentuated by the complex layers of the beat, and the way her body rolled drawing attention to reverb of the bass as she recited the lyrics engraved in her subconscious while she fluttered about the space in retrieval of the needed materials.

The least daunting task reserved for the last of the night, it only took a maximum of half an hour to swap out the tires of the bike she had been working maintenance on, the towel draped through her partially rolled down jumpsuit released solely to wipe the excess grease from her gloves, a habitual routine of her post cleanup, peeling off each glove to reveal the alabaster complexion littered with stygian ink trailing up the length of her wrist. A single glimpse of her screen answered her mental inquiry, leading to her strut towards the front, where the newly acquired inventory lay haphazardly in boxes stacked off behind the front desk, the collection was growing too vast for her preference and relying on the men she worked with to tidy it had long since proved futile; she would gradually decrease the extent just as she had been doing on the nights when she stayed a bit later than the others. kicking open the drawer to retrieve a box cutter, she hauled the first two boxes back to her workspace.

It wasn’t often that Minjeong forgot to lock up and turn off the external illuminations, she was simply preoccupied and charted the task off for when she was ready to leave instead, it made more sense that way, or perhaps it was just her indolence convincing her of such. Regardless she never felt the need to heed the men's warnings as no one frequented the shop at hours such as these, and the blonde had reason to believe that would remain the case until she had seen it with her own eyes, and there he was like the very personification of the forewarning she had mentally drowned out so many times before, his stride initially caught her attention as she was already approaching the opposite direction, a smaller box nestled against the curve of her hip and supported under her arm, with one mere glance she could tell he wasn’t a local, but all that affirmed was the extra money she could extort and with that she drew closer, her words obscured by the gum she was chewing. “what can i do for ya?”

@kim minjeong. His yearn for this distinct adventure was ephemeral, for the inevitability of his dark brown orbs flitting through his surroundings, the quicker he came to his sense of cognitive. What the hell was he doing? He’d lost his mental direction of a map, he was lost. The roads have changed, not even the identification flaps reading the street’s name had a ring to it, suddenly the air felt inauspicious.

Sunghoon wasn’t one to ignore salient signs, not if he could help it, and the dashboard drew his attention once more to that, realization always hits harder in the air of spontaneity. He finally crept up to a stop light, the thick bar swinging spinelessly in the warm winds, staring back at him a harping red. Sunghoon tore his gaze, reaching for his device in lieu of awaiting the signal shift, a few taps led him to discovering his surroundings, thankfully. A mechanic shop was nearby, a sole left turn and straight shot away. Yeah, the brunette could make that in enough time. At least his calculations swore so to him. A green cast shined across his direction, leading him to step on the gas and wake the engine from it’s temporary rest with each complete stop he took. The directions he steadied imprinted themselves a mental imagery that he then began to follow.

Slowing to a considerable speed, he made sure to keep his sights open, he couldn’t miss the building. And soon enough, it came into visible recognition. It appeared a rustic structure, safe for the flashing lights that read it’s name with one, possibly two missing letters when the second one failed to flash the same sequence the others did sometimes, that brought down the appealing reputability that he read through the reviews, but stupid decisions couldn’t have perfect remedies, now could they? Sunghoon heaved a sigh as he turned into the space designated for the buildings parking before shutting off his vehicle. The gapping entrance space mimicking a garage door was open, a sign they were? He wont know until he found out. A knot he tried to swallow away formed in his throat as he approached the entrance to find out.

@huening bahiyyih. seven days, one hundred and sixty-eight hours, ten thousand and eighty minutes.

with the gentle caress of the sun’s rays and the comforting shield of the moonlight⸺day in and day out, her soul has always met nothing but the mundane. years ago, her obsidian orbs filled with ardent affinity for the resplendent colors of her world would gleam under the soulful dance of the warm morning’s coruscating lights. yet today, much to her dismay, the vibrant hues of a freeing blue, a cheerful yellow, and a solemn green flushed themselves to a resentful and bleak cloud of gray.

when was the last time she vividly heard what made the universe alive? every footfall in sync with hers, every beeping of a car intercepting another, every laughter that tells a story⸺all of which fell silent, as if she stood in a period devoid of life and time ceased to move forward in hers.

yet she continued to persist, swiftly tidying up departed tables, scrubbing away at food stains on the surface before a new customer arrives. the manifestation of her perseverance pouring from the plains of her skin, beads of sweat glimmering under the moon’s faint brilliance tangling with the street light’s tangerine flare.

the rise and fall of her chest was evident, coupled with the uncomfortable moisture of her hot breath tainting her plastic work mask, the sticky sensation tracing her skin. however, there was nothing but silence in her exhaustion while she willed herself to gather her bearings. from the corner of her eye emerges a beautiful figure of a young woman seemingly enticed by the appetizing aroma of tteokbokki, twigim, potato hotdogs, and egg breads behind her. younjung draws in a deep breath, her eyes curling up and crinkling at the corners to welcome their newest customer.

dainty hands pull at the backrest of the unoccupied green plastic chair, and she settles herself beside the woman, gently pulling her linked speech cards out of her apron’s pocket. she bows her head towards her first before showing her the topmost card that read, “hello! welcome to our food booth.” she eyes her once more, making sure that the young woman has read the card before flipping it to the next, “i’m younjung, your server for tonight.” she raises a hand meekly, waving at the woman as a friendly gesture before a new card is flashed. “i am hard of hearing, but i will tend to your cravings with all my might!” she affirms her statement with a series of nods, now showing the last card. “please fill out the paper form to place an order and signal me with a pat to my arm when done. thank you!”

@park sunghoon. It had been at least two hours since the last of her coworkers left for the night, the usual forewarnings amongst useless reminders were tossed her way, which only encouraged the halfhearted grunts in response before Minjeong all but begged them to just go, this wasn’t the first time she had singularly stayed and it wouldn’t be the last.

Nimble, slender digits fluttered effortless in their actions, despite there being no one but her in the garage, she preferred the atmospheric solitude of her earphones, at least the one that still worked properly. her teeth in annoyance, Minjeong yanked off the pair by the strings in one swift motion, instead she connected her phone to the ty bluetooth speaker that she knew would eventually fail one of these days, but it’ll do for now. It wasn’t important enough to urge the blonde to do anything proactively about it, and the men never seemed to care much for replacing it. ‘it still works you just gotta give it a good hit and it’ll be fine’ they would all remind her as if she hadn’t discovered the makeshift way to revive the device, but she had long since learned not to question their methods less she yearned to hear loads of lectures and unnecessary mansplaining.

Soon enough she was engrossed in the process, the boisterous bass of her current musical hyper fixation filled the cluttered space of her workplace, just barely drowning out the occasional clank of metal as she seamlessly switched between gauge sizes to suit her needs, she had decided to stay late and finish up a bit more of her workload before the next influx arrived during the weekend.

@kim minjeong. Awfully quiet, warm yet atmospherically stuffy, that’s the weight of how Sunghoon’s night ticked by. Not even his ever-so-useful Laptop could save his night this time, he needed to get out.

The resounds of his footsteps echoed throughout the wooden floors in a guide to the sole barrier to the outside, Clad in nothing more than a loose pull-over, all the loose items, necessities rather being his hand held device and the keys, that he collected on his trail were stored in the front pouch of said garment. The subtle hum of the engine greeted him as he approached the vehicle, it never took him long to settle in, the instant poke of indicators flashing an array of beams in hopes of being noticed across the dashboard, the most important detail being what exactly would fuel his after dark journey. It’d proven to be ineffectual, with no sense of direction in thought came with just as low intentions, and Sunghoon was already turning the very opposite direction of where to mollify what would’ve saved him his time.

His sights only dipped to glance towards the low lights of the dash, the sliver line of red proving his gain of speed as it rose to considerable half across the rounded display, Sunghoon eventually reached out of familiarity territory, just that swiftly. But little did he know, he’d only had a couple of miles right before he would appear stranded within these outskirts.

@kim mingyu. In his line of work, Jisung had met many types of people, so the remark from the other male hadn't came as a shock, but only caused the smaller to let out a half-hearted chuckle, his nose scrunching up from the smell of dirt. The words going right over Jisung's head, he had heard them, but he didn't pay any mind to them at all. He had come this far but wasn't about to give up now. "Gotta be to keep the job." Was all he said, when Jisung had set his eyes on something it was hard for him to give up on obtaining it, no matter what it was. So when he heard the answers firm denial in wanting to do the interview he hadn't paid much mind to it, it was the following words that Jisung clung too.

"I'd offer to disagree." Jisung said he had been just as firm and steady with his voice. The prospect of his own work having been one of the only ways to get him to step out of his own comfort zone. If it was any normal situation, Jisung wouldn't have bothered past the first dm on Instagram, and left it there. "News articles are very much biased, and they love to paint things for a good rouse." He replied. He knew how easily the words could be turned around on him, but if he had to argue, he would say that his bias had been in the convicts favor. Had things gone well.

His hand dropped to his side, confused a bit when the hard hat was placed on his head, but it had only spurred Jisung's curiousity more, the guy in front of him certainly didn't seem that bad. Sure he was a bit harsh with his words but there had been more of a sarcastic undertone in their exchanges in messages, and then now he showed that he had at least cared about others, in subtle ways. "No." He shook his head, attempting to straighten his stance a bit, his shorter stature being hard to be taken seriously sometimes. "What you say may be true, but I know that there's got to be a reason behind it. There are plenty of actual bad people out there not being punished for their crimes, so.. i don't know.." he paused for a moment to take a deep breath. "I like to see things from a different light."