𓈒𓏸 khayan ༄.°

Rayan stood off to the side of the front doors to the golden lit restaurant as she peered at the menu banner posted outside with great interest, her doe brown eyes lighting up at all the options—and the cost of them! It was freezing, the cold air whipped around her petite figure, the brown leather jacket draped over the beige cableknit sweater, paired with dark wash jeans proved to be nothing but a mere fashion choice as Rayan kept trying to adjust the thin light blue scarf to protect her face from the sweeping chill as she looked at the menu, but all failed as more of the cold morning breeze flicked at her curls. The one employee watching her from the inside, slightly annoyed and worried about a potential customer dropping to the ground at their door must have telepathically forced her to come in; because finally common sense made Rayan pull the door open and out rushed the dizzying warmth everyone else in the restaurant took refuge in. She took off her coat as she sat down at one of the empty tables, and placed in front of her was the exact copy of the menu from outside. Anything she had in mind when she was outside poofed into thin air as she had more time to look over the laminated pictures of the savory food. A shiver of excitement ran down her spine, her feet tapped against the floor in a common rhythm, and her cheeks raised as she pressed the tips of her fingers together. Rayan was happy to finally try the restaurant she was scoping out for the past week, especially for the ten percent breakfast deal she would see floating around in the town's app. Rayan's eyes glanced from the menu to the empty seat across from her, usually the absence would bother her, the inkling fear of any possible judgement from eating alone, but she made it a mission to be here.

@✧˚ l. seonghee yul watched the female in front of him in amusement. he hadn't meant to draw such reaction from her but now he had, something in him feeling twisted. he leaned back, letting the silence hang between them before he sighed. "beautiful? if you mean that .. i was drawn to her then yes. i suppose she was, always do." his voice was barely a murmur, but his gaze never leave her. he noticed the faint flicker of her vulnerability she tried to mask on. "but seonghee — she wasn't you."

yul tilted his head aside. "enemy ? how can you claim of her that way when you didn't even know her ?" yul shaking his head and sighed. "this is why i said you're unbelievable." he wants to add something more before — the waiter comes to them serving their foods. he clears his throat and looks at the food and thanked the waiter after they finally left. "don't be bothered about who's the girl is— just eat."

@✧˚ c. yul Seonghee’s breath caught as Yul’s words settled over her, each one sharp enough to pierce her carefully held composure. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her seat, gripping so hard her knuckles turned white. She forced a light laugh, though the sound wavered. “Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,” she replied, a brittle smile on her lips. “You’re a bit of a catch yourself. Any girl would have wanted you.”

But for once, her mask slipped. In that unguarded moment, she looked almost lost, a glimmer of pain softening her expression. Her eyes glistened with something unshed, a faint hint of vulnerability that she knew better than to show. 「The daughter of a mayor cannot cry」she reminded herself, swallowing the ache that rose in .

Clearing , she steadied herself, the fragile mask slipping back into place. “Well, I must know my enemy before doing anything.” She paused, her voice barely a whisper. “Who is it? Was she at least beautiful?”

@✧˚ l. seonghee yul sighed upon hearing her words. of course — she was right. she was definitely a princess of haepung ngl. but for him to be the subject or person that she wants is a bit — difficult because for yul himself. he doesn't really wanted this kind of arrangements. "i don't know what makes you think that, miss, and — if i said i have someone else already, what would you do ?" asked him somehow curious about what she's gonna respond. "actually — i do."

maybe if he tell her about this certain someone, seonghee might stop chasing him around and yul couldn't be more thankful if it's happens

[post deleted by owner]

@✧˚ k. seokwoo regret instantly washed over her like a bitter tide that gradually pulled her under. lisa remembers the abhorrent scene much like it were yesterday when she had seen seokwoo’s girlfriend indulged in a far too friendly exchange with another man. she remembers, wasting away in midst of the incomprehensible madness from just how long she spent trying to come to terms with making the right decisions going forward.

did seokwoo deserve to know? definitely so.
but was she the right person to have heard it from?
that’s where lisa was at a loss.

as his best friend, she had come to stick around long enough to watch the relationship where it began, only to gradually decompose like a flower struggling to bloom without a gleam of sunlight— seokwoo more so clinging to minsi, even as it became painfully clear that their relationship was toxic. beyond saving, she often thought much like the memory of his laughter, a genuine smile on his face, soon becoming nothing but distant fragments of the past.

there would never be a time where lisa would come to understand just how long seokwoo could’ve subjected himself to such torment for this long. blinded by love without a moment of doubt. but she was never the best person to judge; knowing just how much she too struggled to find solace in acceptance for a love with her own past flame that was more than likely never meant for her. everything at hand just agitated her at best, because she saw a reflection of herself in him that ultimately shined a dim light upon her own miserable, pathetic state.

lalisa manoban was no better. but did she want this moment of clarity in exchange for her best friend’s happiness? what friendship they had eventually go to waste? absolutely not. none of this pain and torture was anything they could’ve asked for in a million years, and yet.. here he was, justifying said cowardice to retreat from it all. giving reasons for the female to step back as the tables nearby spectated onwards, needing distance from the man who had been both her refuge and her tormentor. “listen, i didn’t know how to tell you, or if I should’ve even been the one to say a thing before she does, but.. please don’t look at me like any of this is my fault? i saw how you looked at her, i knew the love you had for her just from how you talked about her. i wasn’t going to ruin all of that for you, because at some point? i knew she made you happy.”

“she /did/ make you happy.” watching seokwoo falter back, she clenched her fists, feeling the sting of tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. the words that had erupted from her lips pushed aside any sense of remorse like a wave crashing against a fragile shoreline, for as the memories flooded in of everything they both went through— each one was all overshadowed by the weight of their unfortunate decisions. “i couldn’t imagine what kind of friend i would have been if i took that happiness away from you, seok. i cared about you, and i cared too much which is what made it so hard. i didn’t believe you could handle the truth.”

she took a deep breath, her chest feeling tight like never before. “i didn’t want to be the one who broke you.”

@✧˚ m. lisa Seokwoo winced. He expected it. He didn’t expect Lisa to forgive him so easily, not when her words clearly cemented each time he failed her, each of those moments where he left her standing alone in the dark when she needed him most. “You know it’s not my way of overcoming my guilt- I //don’t// want to disappoint you any more Lali-.” Spineless wouldn’t have begun to describe what a an Seokwoo really was, defending his girlfriend despite knowing how toxic she was. He’d been too desperate, grasping on to anything that might keep Minsi close, anything that might make her love him as much as he loved her. But all it did was prove how much of a coward he truly was. He closed his eyes once more, the dull ringing in his ears from this morning returning ten-fold.

“I know… I know. Please…. Just give me one more—” Seokwoo paused, the ringing in his ears unbearable. “Wait, what?” The man’s heart pounded against his ribcage, each beat growing increasingly louder—angrier— until his body tensed in realization. His hand left Lisa’s shoulder, frozen in midair as if time had stopped, the pads of his fingers still stinging from the warmth that was just there moments before. He looked at them in mild disgust, feeling the poison crawl up his fingertips when her words burned into the back of his mind. The times he spent texting Lisa, unsure of Minsi’s whereabouts—. “Don’t you walk away from me. How long did you know? I-… All those times I- picked her? Why didn’t you //tell// me?” He furrowed his brows and scoffed, an acidic laugh escaping him, though it felt more akin to him choking on it. “Of course this spineless idiot who kept ghosting your self-destructive didn’t deserve to know the truth. What kind of boyfriend would I have been if I kept hanging out with the one person his girlfriend was insecure about? And you KNOW what I’m talking about.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, regret and shame washed over him, but he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t. “You. You let me sit here. Hurting you. When you knew. You let me keep holding onto something that didn’t even exist.” His shoulders sank as his eyes bore into the condiments. He couldn’t look at her.

@✧˚ k. seokwoo of all people, he should’ve known better. lisa genuinely expected seokwoo to have never placed her in such a difficult situation. let alone when the man by her side was one of the few to have been around when she’d gone through one of the most difficult times in her life- reminding the young musician exactly why she was so upset to begin with. who she felt was her one true love had deserted her when she had least expected it. so, to see an almost similar pattern gradually put itself into play with her best friend, it frightened her. never had anything been as scary as predicting going through the same sort of pain all over again.

but if there was anything that lisa could do best at this point, as much as it shook her to the core, she would by the very least speak up for herself before things could ever escalate to the inevitable worst. “what is this.. where is all this even coming from, and why now?” she stared at him in utter disbelief, the kind that made her fists clench and her jaw tighten. oh, she could’ve slapped him.. was it going to be that easy to sway her thoughts like he used to? comforting her with nothing but empty promises? all men seemed the same at that point. her ghost of an ex, and now.. kim seokwoo himself. a swirl of emotions tugged at her, willing her to continue her strides of fury that was still so fortunate enough to have kept lisa from causing a bigger scene at the restaurant, now that they were collecting stares from nearby tables.

“i’m sorry if this is your way of trying to overcome guilt for just leaving me in the dark then i don’t know what to tell you, but i don’t think i want this. i don’t want to be left in a position where i’ll constantly wait for you to disappoint me again. i’ve given you so many chances, seokwoo. but this time, at least one thing’s for sure. i’m not as spineless as you, and your /cheating/ girlfri-“ quickly, she caught herself before she could ever spew more venom than necessary. a look of sheer regret evident in her widened glossy orbs of cocoa brown now dimming in absolute horror to the one thing she practically sworn she would carry to her grave. there, a tear would finally fall as she quickly forced herself up to leave. “i- i need to go.”

@✧˚ m. lisa Another couple of minutes passed before the light jingle of the front entrance signaled an additional patron, his sharp gaze flickering up to the familiar face in silence. He froze, unable to say anything. It wasn’t until the woman had settled into the seat across from him that his shoulders visibly relaxed. She wasn’t going to turn away and leave. She wasn’t going to toss another customer’s drink on him like some cliché K-drama scene. He wouldn’t have blamed her if she did, though. His girlfriend’s words were brutal and insinuating, and he had done nothing to defend her—he never did. Defending Lisa would have been a betrayal to his girlfriend and would have only caused Lisa more of a headache. Even if it meant hurting Lisa, he kept his mouth shut.

Even now, as Lisa’s words rained down on him like a million bricks, his dulled canines sank into his bottom lip until he could taste the iron seeping through his tastebuds. He closed his eyes, nodding. Listening. “I know. You’re right,” was all he could say, allowing her to get out everything she needed to. It didn’t help make it hurt any less, like a sharp arrow whisking through the trees, her words varied in force as they reached him in fragments. All true. But what hurt more was the expression she wore— her inability to meet his eyes for more than a second at a time. She was hurt this whole time and was //still// here.

With his back hunched over, he inched forward before moving to the seat adjacent from his friend instead, his chin propped up on his arm, the other palm on Lisa’s shoulder comfortingly. “Why are you looking away? Don’t tell me you’re about to cry. What do you want on your nails? The white jelly bows? Or those crystals that can’t decide whether to be purple or blue? No one uses zoom anymore, I’ll get you one of those disposable cameras that cost too much money to develop the photos. I’ll treat you to raw men wherever you like, don’t cry. And what’s with all the cat reels? I never thought I would see an Ed Sheeran cat but here we are.”He closed his eyes, cursing inwardly at himself. Why did he have to be such a guy. “I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry, La. You’re not an afterthought, and I’m a head for putting you through all of that over and over. There’s no excuse or explanation to make any of that okay. I do care and your feelings matter to me, and I’ll make sure not to let you experience any of that ever again. I know my apologies don’t mean jack , so tell me what I need to do to make it up to you?”

@✧˚ k. seokwoo there was honestly no point. if seokwoo hadn't been showing up— not for any of her invites, a formidable amount of texts or calls, or even to defend her from his despicable girlfriend's insults when he honestly could— then there was no reason whatsoever for lisa to make it to the restaurant as planned. why should she even waste her time counting on a friendship that gradually seemed one-sided? had it not been for the years worth of friendship that they'd built from the solid ground up, the timeless amount of memories they've shared both good and bad, then the woman would've more than likely found it easier to tap out. and yet, she couldn't.

lisa begrudgingly made her way into her brother's restaurant, gaze flitting about until, upon landing the more than familiar face, she took a deep breath. more so to cease the raging fire of frustration that ran rampant within her, fuelling the energy which kept her at home for a good amount of time. planning to ditch him, before he could ever ditch her again. but for once, if her eyes weren't deceiving her, seokwoo had arrived and yet as she joined him at a table, the bitter taste of her supposed friend's repeated cancellations still lingered in her mind like a bad aftertaste.

enough pulsating tension permeated between the two in silence until lisa decided to speak up, providing her two cents on the ordeal of where they stood as friends once and for all. "you know what? honestly, i'm hurt. i don't know what it is at this point that i did, or what you think makes it okay to treat me like this, but i don't like it. i don't like being made to feel like an afterthought, seokwoo." her words hung in the air, voice sharper than intended as she sat across from him, arms crossed defensively against her chest. "honestly, i get it. life happens, and we all get busy but.. this isn’t the first time. i deserve better than being put on the back burner especially if i'm supposed to be your friend. someone.. you actually care about." she added, her voice softening eventually, while her gaze dropped. hopefully, her brother wouldn't be around to catch such a sour sight.

@✧˚ m. lisa From the moment he stopped texting Lisa until the following weekend at their unofficial official scheduled meeting time, all Seokwoo could think about was how he was going to face her. Should he get on his knees and beg for forgiveness? No. The brat would have walked the other way to save herself from the embarrassment. He would have, too. Swallowing his pride and watching hours worth of unseen reels seemed like the most natural solution before showing up at the restaurant. His fingers tapped anxiously against the table’s hard surface. He groaned. Swallowing a slick, raw egg would have been easier than this.

Perhaps this was better than sitting around in his room, worrying about the only two friends he had in his life: Lisa, the bubbly exchange student he’d mentored in college, and Minsi, his girlfriend, whose whereabouts were currently unknown—again. No amount of words would undo the stretch of silence between him and Lisa, but he hoped that apologizing and showing up was a start. When the waitress made her way over for the nth time to take his order, he replied with the same response saying he was waiting on a friend. The waitress gave him another look of pity before walking away.

@✧˚ s. bible "phi bible- hmm, i shall keep that in mind, also you may think there aren't many options there, but don't think so, trust me, basic staples or not, there are a lot of new, fun things I'm sure you can do with that." ning muses with a small smile, giving him back a thumbs up, before reaching out to take the cup of water provided and she takes a tentative sip. opening up her social media app quickly and skimming through mindlessly as she waits for the male to prepare her meal. a bit lonely but she rather the quietness in the area - compared to people bothering her peace. glancing up at the voice, her eyes find bible there before she shakes her head. "nope, I love seafood a lot, so you can be comfortable with adding those," she explains with a small smile before going back on her phone and shooting some quick messages to her fellow racers in the crew, scheduling a meet up Wednesday night. "so phi bible, may I ask how old are you?" ning calls out - knowing that the place is not that huge, and he should be able to hear her just fine, or so she hopes.

@✧˚ s. bible Very lucky alright at least in terms of what they eat. They are still a handful at times in other ways though.
/think about it for a moment/
If it's not any trouble for you sure just nothing to spicy for them please

@✧˚ c. tzuyu Bible perks up and gave his shout of "welcome to Khayan" the moment someone opens the door. The unfamiliar face didnt faze him and he watches as the lady takes a seat in one of the empty chairs. "Usually the green or white curry, but if you prefer something a bit more flavorful i suggest masaman curry or tom yum!"

@✧˚ n. yizhuo "Honestly there aren't 'that' many options here, they're just basic staples," he chuckled softly and cleaned the plates and bowls that he will probably be using later. "It's phi bible, you use the honorific first, before the name," he explained gently, happy that the lady is trying to learn more about the anecdote of his culture. He simply nods and gave the lady a thumbs up before pitter pattering in the kitchen, cooking some mama creamy tom yum noodle and mixing it into his own cream tom yum soup. "Are you allergic to seafood?" he ask the other, not wanting to risk any accident happening in his restaurant

@✧˚ l. eunbi oh they're not?
very lucky of you!
do you want me to pack something up for the twins to try at home?

@✧˚ c. seungcheol Saerom's smile faltered for a heartbeat. She called for a waiter and ordered Pad Thai for him, delaying to answer his question.

As the waiter left, she closed the menu and smiled. Her pretend confidence again on full display. “Oh, haven’t you heard?” she said, masking the sting of self-mockery with a soft laugh. “They say I’m the princess of Haepung. I always get what I want.” Her eyes searched his face for a flicker of emotion, anything that hinted he saw past her mask. “And I’m certain that I want you,” she finished, leaning forward looking directly at his eyes.

"Do you have anyone else?" She asks, trying to be non-chalant about it. "Maybe someone before you moved back in town?"

@✧˚ l. saerom “pft.” the way saerom said that made seungcheol want to laugh, but he held back at her remark. this girl’s confidence was through the roof — it was unbelievable. “how are you so confident saying that, miss lee?” seungcheol was impressed. even though their engagement was arranged by their parents, seungcheol never had any intention of marrying yet — or maybe not now, or anytime soon. his heart clenched at the thought of someone else he couldn’t call his own.

he sighed. “yeah, whatever, pad thai is fine, i guess. just order it,” he said, closing the menu and leaning back in his chair.

@✧˚ c. seungcheol Saerom’s smile slowly grew, as she caught his mumbled words, her heart skipping. 「He worries about me too,」she thought, ignoring the quiet, doubtful voice in the back of her mind.

“See? You do care, Cheollie,” she teased, voice light and playful as she watched him bite his lip, pretending indifference. “But once we’re married, you’ll be stuck with me fussing over you all the time, so you might as well start getting used to it.”

She leaned in slightly, trying to catch his eye. “Besides, eating alone sounds so lonely. Who else would remind you to order something green on your plate?”

Deep down, she wondered if she was pushing him too much, if her warmth only pushed him further away. But she held on to her hope, telling herself that persistence was all she needed—he’d realize her love was exactly what he needed someday.

"So, what would you like to eat? I heard their Pad Thai is delicious!"

@✧˚ l. saerom he sighed softly, rubbing the back of his neck at the remarks from the woman in front of him. "whatever then. i eat well every day, so you don’t have to worry about me. just worry about yourself—you’re so thin." the last part came out as a mumble, but seungcheol acted like he hadn’t said anything, as if he didn’t actually care about her. he bit his lip and glanced at the menu. "maybe i am."

he glanced back at her, noticing how she kept that gentle smile, completely unbothered by his coldness. it almost made him feel guilty. — almost. “it’s just another day. you don’t need to fuss over me like that,” he mumbled, though his voice softened.

@✧˚ s. bible being rather new in the town, but needing to familiarise herself with everything quickly, tzuyu started off by visiting khayan, partly because it was such a popular spot, and she was quite famished as well after a sleepless night. from what she had heard, it was one person managing the whole store, and she was amazed and could relate; she'd been alone for such a long time, after all.

entering the store, she greeted the boss with wide smile, asking for some recommendations. "hello! is there anything that people mostly ask for?"

@✧˚ c. seungcheol Saerom tilted her head, giving him a soft, unwavering smile, refusing to let his words discourage her. “I know, Seungcheol,” she said, her voice warm and gentle. “But everyone needs company now and then, right? Besides, I’m just making sure my future husband eat a good meal after such a busy day.”

She ignored his crossed arms and the way he leaned back as if to create more distance between them, focusing instead on the little things—the fact that he was here, seated across from her. “I can tell you’ve had a rough day,” she continued, as if his words hadn’t hinted at his indifference.

「He’ll come around eventually,」

she thought...「he just needs time.」

@✧˚ k. minah suuuure, and I am an angel
/rolls my eyes playfully at you
okay, we have a deal
lets go home now, they are ready to kick us out now hahaha

@✧˚ s. mingi what are hangovers.. i have never heard that before /looks away/
/arms still crossed/ i guess we will meet in the middle, fine, 2 bottles

@✧˚ k. minah y-yah yah yah, let's not go way too crazy now, okay?
think about the hangovers you'll get tomorrow when you wake up and need to work
/cross my hands and make an x while shaking my head
uh.. two bottles, sounds good?

/crosses arm and sneers/ wow you really don't believe me huh.. we are buying 8 bottles tonight.

@✧˚ k. minah the honest answer is, No I don't believe you can handle 8 bottles
and the sugarcoat one is... I'd like to see you try
hehe
/rubs my arm where you smacked it while grinning/
so, which one?

@✧˚ s. mingi /stares and slow blinks at you as my cheeks got pinched/ y-yah! /smacks your arm/ what's the honest answer and what's the sugarcoat one? I would like to weigh my options

@✧˚ k. minah Do you want an honest answer or a sugarcoated answer?
/chuckles, and without me realizing I reach out to pinch your cheek lightly, quickly pull my hand back as I clear my throat/
ahem
y-you might get too much fun...

@✧˚ s. mingi you don't believe me?
/throws hand and blows a raspberry/ mingi is no fun...