➴ hotel。

@komatsu nana. It was a good question: one he's caught himself thinking about and cutting off more than once. There was plenty of opportunity to leave and more than enough money to do it comfortably with the way he lived. Even now, he sat on more than a decades worth of savings on top of the easy money he pocketed with his own version of hush money his clients provided him. The best part about making majority of his money under the table was that no one could pocket watch what they didn't know existed. His money money was his freedom and yet he couldn't name the tether, holding him in Seoul.

"You know, if I'm gonna be honest, you make a great point. I can't say I've given it much thought past visiting places here and there for the hell of it." he offered, not even committed to his own answer fully.

The matter only dwelled in his thoughts shortly, replaced with the present as the air around them grew in it's playfulness. It was inevitable that they'd fall so easily back into their usual dance, even as they explored new horizons, Yuta not even attempting to hide the lust that darkened his gaze as they exchanged knowing grins. They spoke so easily with their bodies, communicating everything without inhibition.

Curiosities satiated for the time being, he took the familiar invitation with little hesitation as her touch ignited his skin in the chilly air. Just like that, Greece was an afterthought as she gave him that look he could never resist. He flattened his palm along her upper thigh, taking his time as he gave a gentle squeeze with his eyes never leaving hers. "That sounds like a good idea. You're cold to the touch and I have a feeling I can remedy that for you..."

Though his words were meant to be silly, they were also an invite, coupled with him gingerly taking her hand in his own to guide her onto his lap with each of her thighs now on either side of him. Rather than letting her stand first, he chose to gather them both up from the comfort of the lounge and maybe it was the fact that he'd gotten so used to lifting her up by now but it took little effort to get them from the balcony to the the room, crossing the space to fall back into the mess of sheets they'd left.

@nakamoto yuta. Nana's eyes follow Yuta's touch, fingers lightly dancing across the skin of her thighs. She does not miss the devilish grin on his lips, so boyishly charming, and it does make her smile one of her own—a coy simper, knowing, teasing. The direction of their talk is quite clear, easy to see, especially when she has more or less confirmed to herself that Yuta is just like her. (A lost soul in unfamiliar territory, the difficulty in forging genuine bonds all the more obvious with their setup.)

"Does Seoul not feel like home?" she dares ask, an eyebrow raising. "Even after all the countries you've gone to, it seems that you still come back here."

She supposes she could've done the same: travel the world without a care. After all, she has more money than she has use for it, the silence money more than enough to keep herself alive for a year, even with the expensive living costs in Korea (but then again, what other countries does she have to compare to?). She has enough money to change the trajectory of her life, she supposes, and yet she chooses to use it for all the wrong vices, for all the wrong things.

That is a thought for another time, she thinks, a realization for a time where she is alone and there is no one to witness her losing her mind when her thought process goes down a road she would not have expected.

Her skin feels ticklish under his touch, but she doesn't make a move to stop him. Instead, she watches his fingers move, her thighs shifting closer to one another, knees touching. Oddly enough, she realizes that she does not mind this—the invasion of her space, outside the bedroom perspective (though one can still argue that this is still within that range, their bodies more often than not dancing in the same single language every time).

And so, she waits with bated breath, what he wants to do next. "Greece for Summer, hm? Would you tour me around then?" she hums, a jest, "But maybe I'll keep that in mind when summer hits, but for now..." She finds herself reaching out a hand to his on her thigh, with only fingers dancing upon the skin, lightly enough that it barely feels that they're touching at all. It is meant to feel like an offer, an invitation for something that they're both too familiar with, and she looks at him with a sultry gaze. "Shall we go back inside?"

@komatsu nana. Amusement danced with curiosity between their gazes equally and he found it interesting how they were more tentative about peeling back the layers of themselves than they'd ever been about their actual clothes. They were familiar with every part of each other's bodies and somehow still strangers when it came down to it. With this new information, he only felt as though he was sitting in front of a mirror, speaking to himself and searching his own eyes for something that wasn't superficial. All the charm in the world never made it easier for him to understand connections that went further than acquaintance. Even with the friends he had now, he'd opted out of sharing anything too intimate about himself and focused purely on the present. Intimacy began and ended at the physical and Yuta was a creature of habit, finding it tedious to open up any further.

And yet? Here he was, casually letting those barriers crumble on a hotel balcony. Maybe he'd chalk it up to having the right company and all the right conditions but he could only wonder if this would become a trend of theirs. What would they gain from it all? It was a bit odd to think they might be genuine friends but at their trajectory, he deduced that might become the case. When he realized he didn't so much mind that, especially with the added benefit of amazing , his hesitance dissipated and he greeted her inquiries openly.

They were crossing into lighter territory which he could only be grateful for, even with being the person that started this bit of small talk in the first place. His gaze drifted to where her legs lay cozy across his lap and he could only grin that devilish smile of his, leaning forward to put out the cigarette in the tray as she spoke and staying in her personal space a moment to simply examine the exposed area. When his eyes met hers again, his fingers were already dancing along her thigh idly, shoulders lifting in a half-hearted shrug in response. "I don't have any strong feelings about Seoul if I'm being honest. You're right though, I have ventured out here and there. The world is vast with so much to see and I suppose I only come back because I've gotten comfortable at most." he admitted as he drew maps of nothing along her skin.

"If you ever decided you want to lock up your little store and go on a vacation or something, Greece is stunning in the Summer." he added helpfully, having yet to leave her space.

@nakamoto yuta. Nana has dug her own grave. That much is true, and she knows that Yuta knows. He is taking advantage of it, after all, asking her the questions that she would throw his way. Is it out of curiosity, she wonders. Or is it merely to avoid thinking of his own plight, which is something that she would do herself as well? Their gazes meet, and she wonders what he sees. How she's presented herself to him. Is it easy to read her, she wonders, or has she simply given him too many chances? There are sirens ringing in the back of her mind, and she knows—she knows that if she continues this line of conversation, he might be able to dig more than she'd like for him to see.

Perhaps she can blame the hours. Ungodly hours, where the world is supposedly resting (yet there is no rest in the city of Seoul, not even into the wee hours of the night, for dreams are stubborn even when they die and busying oneself with mundane work is an effective way of distracting themselves). She can blame the moon that seems to be watching the two of them with great interest, as it gently coaxes her walls down. Or perhaps she can blame the mindblowing that the two of them have just had earlier, and claim that she is still suffering from the high of it.

Whichever it is, it has left her tongue too loose, she supposes. And that simply cannot be.

When he settles on the edge of her chair, a corner of her lips curls upwards into a coy simper as she moves her legs, placing them atop of his thighs. And she's leaning back, easing against the chair. "Well traveled? That is new," she says, chuckling lightheartedly. She crosses her legs while still on top of his, and she hums.

"But admittedly? No. I've had no reason to actually travel outside of Korea. I do love my little store." She shrugs her shoulders lightly, and her gaze raises from her thighs to meet his again. "Whatever shall I do without it?" But she leans forward, a side of her robe sliding off a shoulder slightly. "I'd say the same for you though. You do seem like the type to get yourself out there. There is no reason to keep staying here, no?"

Something glints in her eyes. Amusement, curiosity. "Or have you found yourself liking Seoul?"

@komatsu nana. Something in Yuta felt almost envious of her inability to remember her life before and it came to a surprise to him, the realization that he'd felt any way at all about the past he chose not to think about in ages slapping him in the face. He managed to gut the feeling right then and there, before it could fully bloomed, doing as he always did when dealing with his own feelings and neglecting them until they eventually burned out and went long forgotten.

His gaze proved that by searching her own, choosing rather to analyze her than confront long starved demons of his past. Already knowing that she was just as guarded as he was, it didn't come as any surprise that she spoke of their birthplace with not even a modicum of emotion or reverence. Though he couldn't reminisce fondly of the place he'd grown up, he couldn't say it bothered him, his mind rarely straying to his past life in recent years. There was nothing in those memories but ugly fights and weeping (mainly his mothers), scars and lies. Broken promises and irreparable ties. Wherever those thoughts lived in him now, they were so deeply buried that they rarely saw the light of day.

He accepted the burning stick with a hum of acknowledgement, ashing it in the nearest tray before holding it to his lips as he considered an answer that made enough sense without revealing too much too early, knowing any explanation of why he never returned would paint a very specific picture. Though he didn't care much about the people he involved himself with knowing of the illicit affairs of his life, this specific subject was a can of worms he'd never really gotten into with anyone. The ask made him consider her for a long moment, deciding right then that he could discuss this with her, digging his own grave right next to hers.

"Never, actually. There's nothing left for me there and I came to terms with that ages ago. All the ties I'd ever had to there are all gone now." and he left it at that, effortlessly putting the ball back in her court by settling on the edge of her lounge chair to ask his next question. "You ever considered living anywhere else? Like outside of Korea, in general? Somehow I feel like you could be well traveled." Which he meant wholeheartedly even if he didn't know how to explain what that even meant.

@nakamoto yuta. "A mere three year difference," Nana says, a corner of her lips curling up in amusement. "I barely remember what Japan feels like anymore."

Her oldest memories start with Seoul, or perhaps, a brief, vivid memory of her father sending her away. Her own memories of high school were already in Seoul—so many months of having to battle the language barrier, struggling to talk when no one else bothered to speak her language. She remembers, vaguely, at some point that her own native language has become so unfamiliar, so strange on her own tongue. She remembers refusing to talk for a few weeks. She remembers stubbornly speaking in Japanese even when her classmates could not understand. She remembers missing home.

But home has never been quite the same ever since. And so the question catches her off-guard, just so slightly. Does she prefer it here? Does she even have a choice in saying no? None of her thoughts show on her visage, of course—she has mastered the art of smiling even when she feels like faltering.

Does she have a choice? Home hasn't been that small bedroom of hers back in Japan for fifteen years now. (Yet she can't say that she's ever considered her small apartment home either. Home shouldn't feel so empty, no?)

"I suppose you can say that. But," she says, tilting her head to one side, moving a hand to her chin, "Korea is all I've ever known. Can't say I ever considered going back to Japan." She holds the cigarette back to him, and perhaps digs herself a deeper grave when she asks: "Did you ever come back? To Japan, I mean." Why, is a question dancing at the tip of her tongue, but she doesn't know whether she wants to dig even deeper. (A grave for her, one that should be buried and never opened again.)

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@kim jennie. it's obvious the girl is on edge, her slim, outstretched limbs trembling along with the rest of her petite frame. the female stranger is holding the canister in her hands so tightly, that eunwoo could see her knuckles turning white. two thoughts whir in the pilot's mind; either she was truly an eccentric one, or the girl has faced something like that of this incidence before. judging by the panicked look that briefly takes over her eyes, it seems like the latter; whatever similar happening has left a bad memory in her mind. his mouth opens in the slightest. he's about to warn the familiar stranger about her own bags behind her, not wanting the female to trip over them. luckily, she doesn't, only proceeding to topple her large bag over.

if he were a person of limited patience, eunwoo probably would have barged his way past her, storming off into his room. but rationally, it would only aggravate the woman and her notions, which wouldn't help his situation. thus, he humors her in reassurance, continuing to try his best in ensuring her that whatever preconceived idea she has about him is completely false. lower his tiring arms and hands, the pilot leans against the wall by him, pressing a shoulder into the surface. "not like i can go anywhere when you're in front of my room door, now can i?" he asked playfully, putting up another smile.

"i'm really not a good liar, i don't appreciate dishonesty." eunwoo goes on to tell her. "my alibis are only sound because they're the truth." he then clears his throat before going on to speak some more. "er, instead of waiting for the front desk, how about i just show you my work id? the concierge staff at this time is limited, and... time-consuming." eunwoo finally stated, trying to find the best but more respectful way to state that the staff at this time didn't execute things at the fastest pace. "it's the front zipper-pocket of my suitcase, if i may move from our impromptu game of freeze tag?..." he inquired, grinning teasingly.

@kim chanmi. [Hotel VIP lounge]

Soonyoung hated Mondays and morning shifts, but since starting at the hotel, he found them slightly more interesting. The bar was much quieter at this time of day, with only a few patrons scattered around. Among them was a woman who blended into the crowd, except for the distinct aura she emitted and her habit of visiting the hotel's bar at the same time every week.

Normally, Soonyoung wouldn't think much of such behavior, but this woman intrigued him—his curiosity was piqued. Her consistent presence, like clockwork, added an element of predictability to the otherwise mundane Mondays. He often found himself wondering about the nature of her visits. Why did she choose this particular time? Was it merely a routine or something more significant?

While wiping down the bar, Soonyoung's thoughts wandered. He mused about the way she seemed to be a cog in a well-oiled machine, always arriving on Mondays, early evenings, and never deviating from her pattern. She usually came alone, sitting at her spot with a calm demeanor, as though the bar was her sanctuary from the world outside. Her routine had clearly been established long before his time at the hotel, and he couldn't help but wonder if it held some deeper meaning for her.

Lost in these thoughts, he didn’t notice her arrival at first, but then she appeared right on schedule. She walked in with her usual grace and poise, her presence commanding a subtle respect. As she took her regular seat at the end of the bar, Soonyoung smiled to himself, charmed by her unwavering punctuality. It was a small, comforting ritual that made his Mondays a bit less dull.

Soonyoung approached her with a friendly demeanor, ready to break the ice. "Good evening," he said, his tone warm. "You always seem to pick the perfect time to come in. Mondays can be pretty dull around here." He added, his eyes narrowing into a polite, interested smile.

"I'm Soonyoung, by the way. It's a pleasure to serve you today," he introduced himself. "Can I get you your usual?" he asked, already reaching for the drink he knew she preferred.

As he poured her drink and set it in front of her, he continued, "It's part of the job to know my customers, but I have to admit, you've piqued my interest. You're always so punctual. Is there a special reason for your visits?"

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@komatsu nana. Though it seemed as if his mind was elsewhere, far out somewhere in the city where he spent most his time, he listened with intrigue. The question seemed to open a door of interest for him that he wasn't aware of before now and who was he not to explore? Yuta didn't know exactly where this conversation would lead them in the future but he wasn't concerned about it ruining their set up so much as adding to it's complexity. Right now it was easy, simple even. There was no need to change that and yet he found himself toeing the line of near strangers to true acquaintances for the hell of it.

There was really no harm in the exchange anyhow with how base level the questions were and he was already acutely aware of how similar they were when it came to sharing unescessary information. They were similar in that way of being purposely vague and though they shared their bodies, this was new territory. New territory he couldn't be bothered to mind when it was with someone like Nana who nearly mirrored him in more ways than one. As he turned his gaze on her now, he mulled over her answer thoughtfully and thought back not so fondly on his own arrival to the country, careful not to let his grievances show on his features.

The small gem of the jewelry pierced into his belly button gleamed faintly as he turned from the balcony to now lean against it, giving his full attention. He was never one to shy away from openly admiring and his eyes scanned the sight in front of him as he thought of his own answer briefly. "Mm not as long as yourself, actually. Bout twelve years now." He thought out loud.

Feeling generous, he continued with a tilt of his head, dark strands now framing his face as he crossed his arms. "I was finishing up my last year of high school by the time I got myself landed here." Easily enough, his next question came to him but it was moreso so that he didn't have to continue on about himself.

"I'm assuming you prefer it here?" was all he asked, still toeing that line of surface level and deep-end as effortlessly as ever. Being conversational was always quite easy when there were no ulterior motives involved.

@byun wooseok. yewon's facial expression turned sour when the man himself ordered another waiter to lead her back to her seat. she stomped her feet and scoffed as she sat down, crossing her arms. she watched how those brats suddenly acted all nice and kind towards the chef, causing her to grumble in annoyance.

she glared at the chef as he approached her table. she was completely unsatisfied with what had just happened. she stood up from her seat and huffed. "but oppa, you're my king! how can i let them disrespect you like that? didn't you see their faces when you showed up? how they suddenly changed to heart eyes? they are crazy. you need to ban them from coming here, or i'll report them so they can't come and eat here again."

yewon didn't know what was going on in her mind right now. she just spewed whatever she thought without considering it. she sighed heavily and sat down again. "the lobster is great, but then again, everything you make is delicious to me."

@choi yewon. Having had prior engagements in the morning, Wooseok hasn’t been present for today’s breakfast service, leaving Kiyong to take care of the whole brigade on his own — as a thank you nonetheless, he made sure to send his co-partner home to spend some quality time with his little girl while he would take responsibility of both lunch and dinner.

Emerging out from his office in which he had changed into his executive chef uniform, the maître d’hôtel made it next to Wooseok with the list of client that had reserved a table while the taller male throughly washed his hands to get started on the meals. One familiar name caught his eye, even though it shouldn’t have been a surprise for him as the lady in question has taken the habit to have lunch at their establishment since its opening; Choi Yewon.

Daughter of a chaebol family, the two grew up side by side, their families having always been very fond of each other. From weekend getaways, to dinners and even planned vacations together, Wooseok saw Yewon grow into a woman in front of his very eyes while being a big brother to her and her fellow siblings.

‘Make sure to chill a bottle of wine for miss Choi. You know which one she likes to have.’ He ordered the front of the house staff, though the slight hesitation on the other’s face immediately stopped Chef Byun on his track, eyebrow raising curiously.
‘What’s going on?’

A sigh left his lips upon hearing about Yewon stepping into an argument to defend his honour though in the meantime causing quite the ruckus and disrupting the other patrons’ peaceful gastronomic experience.

Excusing himself to his brigade, he gave out a couple instructions before making it out of the kitchen and into the dining room, head held high even though he could notice the glances and whispers, beelining straight to the table nearest to Yewon’s usual spot, soon spotting the firecracker of a woman engaging with two other ladies. ‘Ladies, good evening —‘ he bowed his head to the two individuals before turning on his heels and facing Yewon, his expression not letting any of his exasperation show whatsoever. ‘Miss Choi, could you please get back to your seat? I’ll make sure to come see you in a bit’ and with a swift gesture, he ordered a nearby waiter to the younger girl to her usual table while he proceeded to do some damage control (which didn’t seem to take too long, as the two ladies were soon seen ogling the chef with hearts in their eyes and nothing but praises for him and his work).

Minutes later, he was by Yewon’s table, looking at the girl with a tired expression plastered on his face. ‘We talked about this before, Ye — the client is king, and you certainly don’t have to get into arguments with people to defend me, yeah?’ Wooseok gently reached to ruffle the girl’s hair with a him. ‘Now, how’s the lobster?’

@nakamoto yuta. The curse of being a night owl is to be subjected to the slow torture of drowning on one's own thoughts. Luckily for Komatsu Nana, she has quite a few hobbies that often keep her preoccupied enough during wakeful nights. And tonight, her company is sweet. Her company comes in the form of a handsome man, who offers more than a good time whenever she so much as asks for it. Tonight, she is sitting in a hotel balcony with him, resting her chin against the railing of the balcony, cold against her skin. Her eyes move from the city beneath them—always a glorious sight, despite barely hiding its pretentious attempt at looking fancier than it actually is—to the man standing beside her, now watching as smoke leaves his lips.

It lingers in the air for a bit, the question he asks. This is the first time one of them has asked a question that does not immediately involve anything in the bedroom. Silence follows for a beat. Or two. And she fixes her posture, lifting her feet to her chair, clad in nothing but a robe that barely covers her legs, which are shivering lightly from the cold breeze at this height. There is curiosity gleaming in her eyes as she eyes him, wondering what prompted this question.

The purpose of this relationship they have, after all, is a distraction. There is no need to know each other beyond their names and their preference in bed, is there? A wordless agreement made since the first time they've ended up laying together. Is it curiosity, she wonders, curiosity that has led him to breaking that line?

But he offers his cigarette, and she reaches out anyway. She takes it in her hold, lifts it to her lips, before she speaks an answer. "Fifteen years," she says, placing the roll of cancer in between her tiers. Inhales, feels it burn even though this is not her first, and lets it out softly as she pulls the cigarette from her lips again. "I've been here since I was thirteen. Feels a lot longer though, since that's all I really remember from childhood," she continues with a light shrug of her shoulders.

She looks at him then, a light simper on her lips, an eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity. "How about you? You seem like you've been here a while."

@cha eunwoo. jennie continues to grip onto the pepper pry as if her life depended on it, her other hand holding onto her wrist just so she could stop it from shaking— or worse, dropping the small canister from how much her whole body is trembling in fear. she heard and felt the rough slide of her upper and lower teeth against each other when she clenched her jaw, her luggage falling over as she took a careful step back in hopes that she'd increase the distance between them and give her enough time to run.

it's when he started speaking that everything felt muffled, however— like she was going through an out-of-body experience… as if she's a third person watching a movie on an old tele, the static sound rumbling in her ears turning into a huge, deafening noise. but she heard bits and pieces from his explanation, her eyes turning into narrowed slits as she gave him a careful once over during his tirade. her focus lands on the luggage he carried first— and as someone who's gone to incheon for domestic flights, she thinks she's had enough knowledge to distinguish usual passengers at the airport and its staff quite well. she’d also known that there are certain luggage brands that only airline employees use, and it pains her that he seems to be using the one that she would see quite often.

she doesn't let her embarrassment over it get the best of her, though. he's still a stranger— they're alone in an empty hallway, and she has no plans of taking his words in just because he matches the description of what pilots look like after work. it is much better to be safe than sorry. “that could be true— but i can’t just let you go like this. who knows if you're just good at lying and making sound alibis,” she tells him in a firm tone, ignoring the growing ache on her upper arm then down to her elbow. “i—” she her lips, trying to find a good solution for their predicament where she knows she'll be safe, where she won't feel so alone with him. an idea comes to mind, then. “you stay right where you are. i’m gonna call someone from the lobby so you don't get any funny ideas. that’ll clear up your identity.”

jennie knows she's being unreasonable with her demands, but again, she tells herself that this is for her peace of mind. if she ends up being wrong, she’ll just make sure that she’ll pay for this petty crime of holding a mistaken stalker hostage for a long time.

@komatsu nana. The lights of Seoul were enjoyable at this hour of the evening, showing off its liveliness in dazzling patterns that felt built just for this viewpoint on the hotel balcony. Yuta figured it was the other way around, the building taking advantage of its location in the city to give its guests something more to view. He had to admit that this was the first time that they had gotten their money’s worth in the sight alone, the room high up enough to be just above the noise of the city while still lending picture perfect scenery. Not that they ever came to this particular hotel in search of anything special.

The gentle billow of smoke that left his lips barely obscured the view as the fighter leaned against the balcony railing, the cold metal inviting against the heat of his bare skin. There was a slight breeze that brushed the damp strands of his hair back and he breathed deep into the fresh air as he basked in it. Tiredness had already left his body by this point which wasn’t unusual. What was new was the comfortable silence he was sitting in with the person he usually parted with before conversation could even become an option.

Hadn’t much been said quite yet but it was a step up from their usual which wasn’t much more than the physical. They agreed initially that they both liked it that way, making it easy for them to part ways without it becoming awkward in any way. When they met it was lust that drove their actions and lust that made it become something of a regular thing for them, booking rooms to indulge in each other until only sleep could part them and then going their separate ways as soon as they woke again. Now, instead of wearing each other out, they stood together on the balcony, watching the rest of the city live their lives as they passed a cigarette back and forth. It might have been strange to only just now be asking, especially standing in just a towel but he felt curious and indulged himself.

“How long have you lived in Korea?” The topic wasn’t something he cared much about getting into with many people but maybe it was the comfort of knowing someone else that wasn’t born here that moved him to ask. His gaze was still on the view beneath them but he offered the cigarette between his painted fingers idly, parting his lips to the opposite corner so it blew out of their direction.

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@byun wooseok. yewon checked her watch on her wrist. it's time for lunch. yay, she can finally meet her heartthrob in his restaurant. after finishing her business tasks and settling with the clients, she drives her car towards the restaurant with excitement bubbling within her.

byeon wooseok.

just hearing his name makes yewon's heart flutter. what's more, seeing him right in front of her eyes, ah, she goes crazy whenever she thinks about him. wooseok is a handsome man and is pretty tall too — it's quite cute (that's what she thinks) whenever they stand beside each other. his dimpled smiles are so enchantingly beautiful and breathtaking that they leave her breathless. byeon wooseok never fails to make choi yewon's world crumble and fumble — and she doesn't mind that. she loves when wooseok gives her a quick glance whenever she's not looking too (sometimes she can be delusional). the additional brownie point that wooseok has is that he is an executive chef in his own restaurant. even though it's a co-partnership, it's still mesmerizing for yewon as she looks up to him as her mentor as well.

reaching the restaurant, yewon makes her way inside and goes to her usual spot until one of the waitresses comes to attend to her with the menu list. while looking over the menu, she hears a faint whisper across her table, complaining about the food being salty and undercooked. not only that, the ladies even call out the waiter who has been attending to her to complain.

yewon is known as someone who has a low tolerance for patience. she's got her own temper because of her upbringing since she was a child. she sighs in annoyance and gives them a glare. "yah, she's attending to my order, what are you doing?" she asks, about to yell at the ladies. "why are you trying to make a scene? we just want to complain about the food to the waiter!"

yewon frowns at the lady's remarks. ain't no way. ain't no way they're going to complain about what her future husband just made for them. she scoffs. "what's wrong with the food? is your tongue out of service or something? get it checked because I think the food here is totally fine and the best I've ever had!" the ladies look at yewon in disbelief. one of the waiters, who is watching the argument, quickly makes her way to the kitchen to call out for the chef. "chef, someone just complained about our food and miss choi was... a bit mad about it. can you please take a look before they start fighting even more?"

@kim jennie. if he weren't paying attention, the abrupt stop of the woman's rapid steps would have caused eunwoo to collide right into her. luckily, he had taken the precaution to distance himself, as soon as the latter had exited onto the floor. he would have kept walking, but he couldn't— the woman literally was standing still right in the middle of the hallway. trying to silently pass the other wasn't an option; not unless he wanted to awkwardly excuse and brush by her, especially with his trailing luggage.

eunwoo too stops walking, thinking that he'd quietly await for her to move first. she does, but only to unexpectedly whizz around and face him, with some sort of spray canister in hand. in the split-second he does to have to think, he raises his hands up in surrender, visibly showing that he meant no potential harm or whatever perceived danger she suspects. "sorry?..." the pilot starts in confusion, but then it clicks. she has recognized him too— and for unknownst reasons, hostility is the first and last sentiment she wants him to remember her by. "whatever you're thinking, i'm not. i'm not thinking about it." he tells her calmly, his hands still up. eunwoo then slowly moves his finger, to point at the suite door that she is right in front of. "the only thing i'm thinking of is getting to my room, so i can sleep..." he adds in, giving a sheepish smile, hoping to descalate the situation between them. "i'm sure you're just as jet lagged from the flight, no? i was the pilot." he carefully addresses the elephant in the corridor— yes, he recognizes her from the airport, but he hadn't followed her here. his employer just happens to have a partnership with the hotel— booking numerous suites for the many employees that needed to rest during layovers.

@cha eunwoo. had she not come directly from a tedious shoot several hours ago, jennie would be in high spirits for being in the west for the second time. she would've taken pictures of herself the way her fans asked her to when she arrived at incheon for her flight, or recorded a short reel for later once she's seated in the aircraft. instead, all she did was try to keep awake for appearances at the airport— waving at the fans who’ve gone there to bid her their goodbyes and good luck for her photoshoot— then steal only a few hours of sleep during the flight just so she could read the script she brought with her without her vision reading it double.

she was just so tired— so exhausted that despite wearing a mask, the aura she exudes was worrying the team she came with for that trip. she couldn't even count the many times they've turned their heads towards her, concerned looks on their faces, then reaching out a hand to give her a comforting squeeze on her arm at each interval.

by the time they reached the hotel lobby, she watched hyunwoo (her manager) barreling towards the receptionist with hurried steps, sharing hushed whispers towards the staff to give them her room once her identity was verified. yurim, who’s standing beside her through the whole ordeal, came to his aid as well and the desk started to panic just to accommodate them quickly.

chills from the lack of sleep (51 hours, the last time she counted) had settled upon her body by the time yurim handed her the keys, whispering the room number reserved for her before ushering her towards where the elevator is; and she followed suit without question as to why they wouldn't be coming with her upstairs, her brain zeroing towards the closing elevator doors— going on full auto-pilot, barely unaware of her surroundings.

something must’ve turned a light switch in her brain, however, when the same presence that was with her in the elevator seemed to follow her heels in the hallway where her room is located, the sound of luggage wheels on carpeted floors echoing the one that she's dragging herself.

now, jennie is no idiot when it comes to dealing with stalkers even when half asleep, so she's quick in halting in her steps, (trembling) fingers reaching towards the pocket of her bag— where she hid the pepper spray she bought solely for that trip— and turns around, swallowing the fear just so they know that she's not unarmed or vulnerable enough.

“don’t even think abou—” she cuts herself off, squinting her eyes until recognition sets in. she's seen this guy before. a face like him would be hard to forget especially if it looked at you like you were an animal in an enclosure. it had been so random it was hard not to be suspicious of its nature. now, however, seeing him so up close, the bubbling discomfort that's settling on the pit of her stomach is replaced with anger. she raises the pepper spray higher. “don’t even think about it,” she repeats, venom dripping in her words.

@kim jennie. bidding the front desk employee a farewell and good night, eunwoo takes the keycard to his hotel suite and leaves. pulling his suitcase behind him, he walks to the elevators. it was good to be back in the home city, although it would only be for a few days at most, before he had to take off again. usually, when he was finished with an intercontinental flight, he would normally go home to his apartment like anyone else would, but this time his layover was shorter. it would only be 2 days as opposed to his usual 4 days; he had picked up a short, domestic flight to fly tomorrow afternoon. the commute time back and forth wasn't worth losing sleep over, especially after a long flight.

arriving before the elevators, eunwoo pushes the button for it. while waiting, he looks down at his phone, responding to some
unanswered text messages from friends and family. once he's done, he pockets his phone, continuing to wait for the elevator. it arrives a few seconds later. eunwoo enters, and then scans his keycard on the reader of the button panel, allowing him to select the floor of his suite. the doors are in the midst of closing, when he sees a figure dart into view. eunwoo prevents them from closing, with a push of a button. the doors open up again, and in walks a female—a very familiar female.

despite her mask covering the lower half of her face, eunwoo knows—he knows exactly who it is, and what the entirety of her face looks like. he's seen her before—all day in fact, starting from jfk; john f. kennedy international airport, new york. the very first time he had laid eyes on her was the vip airport lounge at jfk. he had been on his ipad, going over his flight details. she had taken a seat some distance away, diagonally across from him, with two other people (one male and one female) seemingly hovering around her at all times. the female she seemed to be friends with, or at least friendly with, while the male less so. objectively, she was attractive; her looks celebrity worthy. subjectively, she was cute, her facial expression at the time representing something like that of a sleep-deprived angry cat. he had given her a polite smile of acknowledgement, before returning to his work. then, at customs, they had started at different lines, but somehow had ended up right behind each other. from there, to now—here.

eunwoo gives her another (second) polite smile. he notices that she's alone this time, without her previous company. he's about to ask her which floor she needs to be pressed, but he doesn't need to, as she glances at the button panel and then proceeds to just move to the farthest corner on the elevator. the elevator doors close. the other's actions make the pilot feel awkward; it's only in this way that he realizes that her room is probably on the same floor as his.

the respective floor is reached, the doors opening. being polite again, eunwoo smiles and motions with an arm for her to exit first. hopefully after today, they wouldn't run into each other. the female rushes out with her suitcase. eunwoo follows suit, leaving the elevator. he then looks at the signs; his room is down the hall on the right... where the female is headed as well. what a coincidence! he walks behind her.