◎﹒⊹ ﹔ . . . Feels Like We Had Matching Wounds, But Mine's Still Black And Bruised And Yours Is

࣪𓇻 ݁ㅤׂ if a man talks sh!t then i owe him nothing . . .

ྀི ⁺ ͙۪ 🥀 i don't regret it one bit cause he had it coming

like the moodboard? it's a teaser for an upcoming fanfic! make sure u follow me and stay tuned! thank you, bye!! <33

oc by: @the-one-and-only-delphi

(+🍞) he got that boyish look that i like in a man ꜝꜝ

♡　　⁺　as long as i'm here, no one can hurt you ˖　 (´-﹏-`) 🍊

like the moodboard? it's a teaser for an upcoming fanfic! make sure u follow me and stay tuned! thank you, bye!! <33

oc by @the-one-and-only-delphi

xl. whispers from the past

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER FORTY ─ whispers from the past.

❛ this is me praying that this was the very first page, not where the storyline ends ❜

Choi Yumi's Perspective

"I need a lawyer."

I stayed silent for a good minute, trying to register the words. It wasn't about the words, even. The voice sounded far too familiar, making my heart drop. Gentle, with a hint of mischief. It was undeniable. The person on the other line was Kim Taesung.

"Hello? Are you there?"

"Y-yes," I stuttered, feeling goosebumps crawl up my arm at his voice.

"Oh, sorry, how rude of me. It's Taesung. Do you remember me?" He spoke the last sentence slowly, and the doubt in his voice was evident.

"Yes," I said quietly, wondering if he had even heard me. It was all so unbelievable. For a third time, fate had brought me back to Kim Taesung, "What do you need a lawyer for? Are you in trouble?"

"Look at you, already assuming the worst of me. You haven't changed one bit, Choi Yumi. Even after fifteen years."

The way he said my name sent chills down my spine. I felt like I was slowly losing touch with reality the longer I spoke to him. Suddenly, I was a teenage girl again. "Just tell me what you need."

"You must of heard the name Kim Youngsoo."

"Yeah," I frowned, wondering what that serial kidnapper had anything to do with any of this.

"Well they've kept me in custody 'cause they think I'm his alibi."

The moment his words fell on my ears, I almost felt my heart stop. Confusion clouded my mind as my breath became suddenly erratic. I placed a hand on my chest, feeling the rapid thumping of my heart against my ribs, threatening to break out. Then, as if to disregard my shock, I heard someone yell "Time's out!" and a beep as the call disconnected, leaving me shaking in my seat, eyes wide.

Narrator's Perspective

"I really want to say 'I told you so,'" Eunyoung said after hearing about the mysterious and cryptic phone call Yumi got from Taesung, "But I'll hold back for your sake. I knew he was bad news, but I never thought he'd actually end up in jail."

"He's not in jail," Yumi corrected her quickly, "They've kept him in custody, so he's just a suspect-"

"Yeah, but imagine what he must have done to make him a suspect for a mass kidnapping case," Eunyoung pointed out.

"This is too much to process," Yumi sighed, running her hand through her hair, "Please tell me something to distract me before I lose my mind completely."

"Sunjae's alive," Eunyoung blurted out the first thought that popped up in her head. Yumi's eyes were full of shock as she suddenly sat up straight.

"Wow, that worked."

"I could barely believe it when I heard it," she continued, "I thought I was dreaming."

"I don't understand how you did it," Yumi asked, looking eagerly at Eunyoung, expecting an answer.

"It sounds really stupid if I say it out loud," Eunyoung warned, "But one day, I was just sitting and thinking about how miserable Sunjae must feel-"

"As one does," Yumi sneered.

"Shut up," Eunyoung said, her lips stretching into an involuntary smile, "I had quite a stupid idea, but I started writing encouraging messages for him and tossed them into his house."

Yumi blinked her eyes rapidly, frowning, "That sounds ridiculously simple."

"Exactly," said Eunyoung, "But he must have really needed to hear something like that."

"You always have been good with words," Yumi pointed out, "You really did it, Eunyoung, you saved him."

"I know," she whispered dreamily.

Eunyoung took a long look at Yumi's face. It was the very essence of the word 'misery.' She looked just about ready to fling herself off a building. She reached for Yumi's hand.

"It's going to be fine," she assured Yumi.

"I'm scared," Yumi said, fixing her gaze on the ground, "Scared that it might be true."

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

Sitting in the interview room of my office, it felt as if I was glued to my chair. The temperature felt colder than ever before while I sat motionless, clutching the interview script tightly. An unfamiliar anxiety had settled in me when I realized it was my first time seeing Sunjae in 2023. Doubt clouded my mind and I began wondering whether I had it in me to keep things professional. All of a sudden, nostalgia seemed to engulf me as I reminisced on my very first interview with the Jagam High Swim team. My nervousness, self-doubt and jitters were exactly the same.

I watched the door open, through which Sunjae entered. I definitely stared at him for longer than I should have, but somehow, I couldn't bring myself to pull away. He looked completely different from the 19-year-old schoolboy I was used to seeing on the bus every day. Dressed in brown trousers and a black woolen turtleneck, he looked like the personification of perfection. This formal, mature attire was something that was hard for to adjust to, but a part of me was just glad that the liveliness had returned to his beady, hypnotizing eyes.

I stood up from my seat an bowed at him and his staff that followed close behind him. Our eyes met briefly, and in that fleeting moment his blank gaze made me wonder if he even remembered me. I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't, but it would be a lie to say it wouldn't bother me. For a few moments, everyone scurried around, setting up their stuff and settling down before the filming began.

I took a deep breath before beginning, "Hello and welcome! It's an honor to have you here today."

"Likewise, I'm glad to be here," he replied, flashing a kind smile.

"Eclipse is soon going to release their fifth studio album, so how do you feel about that?"

"Well, not too long ago, we had our first concert in five years, which is when we announced that an album would be released. It was a really thrilling and exciting moment for me, and I think my members would agree. We also had doubts as to how it would be received by everyone, but what got us through it is our faith in the fans."

"Eclipse's connection with their fans is truly something to appreciate, and they're always grateful for your hard work. They're eagerly looking forward to listening to the songs listed, particularly 'Sonaki,' where you are the songwriter. Could you tell us something about the song?"

At this point, he was grinning from ear to ear and I had to really control my smile that would have surfaced otherwise. He began, "Sonaki is actually a song that I wrote a long time ago. I wasn't too sure as to whether it would ever be released, but what can I say? It's a song that's very personal to me as it brings back memories from my high school years. Even now, while 'm preparing to perform it for my fans, it's as if I'm 19 years old again, writing about my first love."

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: it's so surreal that we've hit forty chapters omg. never thought this would be possible. so grateful for everyone who has been reading this fic <3

delphi's notes: YAYYY FORTY CHAPTERS! tysm everyone <3 yumi defending taesung is the funniest thing ever like girl you're DOWN BAD.

next chapter: friday (out now!) list of chapters here!

here's a hot take: how about you actually study instead of watching gilmore girls?

just know that this is completely self-directed thank you very much

oh my god your acc is so pretty !! 💌

omg this made my day!! thank you so much <33 i love your theme sm it's so angelic 🤍

lvi. on and off-stage drama

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX ─ on and off-stage drama.

❛ i swear i don't love the drama, it loves me ❜

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

"What?!" I breathed out, "Inhyuk's going back to his village? Taesung and Jay are quitting Eclipse? What- what do you mean by that?"

"Exactly," Sunjae nodded remorsefully, "They're saying that they'll finish this festival performance one last time and then quit. But Inhyuk's already left. He's staying with his parents in his village."

It felt as if my entire world was falling apart. I couldn't let this happen. I was supposed to change the future for the better, not create a bigger mess. I had to fix this, by whatever means necessary. 

"Well, we gotta stop this," I said decisively, "Let's talk to Taesung after rehearsal."

"It's a plan," Sunjae said, smiling. His face twisted into an expression of shock when he looked at his watch, "Oh! We're ten minutes late!"

Narrator's Perspective

"What language is this, even?" Yumi exclaimed looking at the script, "Thou lovs't me not with the full weight that I love thee? This nutjob has written the entire play like this! How did I even pass the audition?"

The other students who were part of the cast sat and watched the 'couple' in adoration instead of revising their scripts. They whispered and giggled uncontrollably, much to Yumi's irritation. Taesung, however, was not-so-secretly enjoying it. He was basking in the attention, and the fact that people thought he and Yumi were a real couple made his heart swell with joy.

"You'll do fine," he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. His touch still made sparks dance across her skin. He leaned towards her face and gave her a smile, "We've got plenty of time, hmm?"

"What's your role anyways?" Yumi asked, looking anywhere but at his face.

"Oliver," he answered, not shifting his gaze.

Yumi began furiously flipping through the pages of the script. All of a sudden, she gasped, "Seriously?"

"What?" Taesung asked, sitting next to her, peering into the script.

"Oliver and Celia get married at the end?" she scoffed, but her flushed face said otherwise, "On the basis of what? I swear Shakespeare was on crack each time he picked up his pen."

"How could you say such a thing about him?" Eunyoung said. She had just gotten there along with Sunjae, "Why hasn't rehearsal started yet?"

"Well, the director suddenly fell sick so the writers told us to revise on our own for today," Taesung explained.

"Oh, we ran here for no reason," Sunjae said, chuckling while shooting a knowing glance at Eunyoung. Eunyoung smiled back, "I know right?"

"Ooooh, damn are you two a thing now?" asked one of the girls sitting close to them, eavesdropping.

"How 'bout you mind your own business?" Yumi sneered with hostility.

"How am I supposed to ignore it when they're flirting right in front of me?"

"Maybe you need a lesson on personal space?" Yumi said, taking a step away from her. 

The girl rolled her eyes, then picked up her things and walked off, muttering under her breath.

"You seem to be in a mood today," Eunyoung observed.

"You can thank Shakespeare for that," Yumi replied.

"I don't know why you hate a man who died several centuries ago," Eunyoung uttered.

"I don't know why you like a man who died several centuries ago," Yumi countered.

"I don't like the man, I just thing his work had a timeless element to it."

"And so here we are."

"Okay, okay, stop the bickering," Taesung said waving his hand between them.

"We're not bickering," Yumi shrugged.

"That's just how we get along," Eunyoung agreed, giving Yumi a small smile.

"As long as there's no bloodshed, I'm good," Taesung said.

"How's the prep for the Eclipse performance going?" Yumi asked eagerly. Her question was followed by a long, awkward silence. Taesung stared at Sunjae, Sunjae glanced at Eunyoung, and Eunyoung looked at Yumi nervously.

"I guess you don't know," Sunjae said as gently as he could, "Inhyuk left for his village, because he wanted to help his parents out... He's also planning on dropping out."

"What?!" Yumi exclaimed. Heads turned to see what the commotion was about. She stood, completely stunned for few seconds, "What's going to happen to your band?" She shot a worried look at Eunyoung, as if to say What is happening? Is this our fault?

"Taesung, didn't you-" Eunyoung gestured him not to mention it, shaking her head as subtly as she could. She didn't want to give Taesung and Yumi a reason to argue again. Sunjae covered up his blunder, "Didn't you say you were going to call him?"

"Um... yeah I was," said Taesung, glad that they hadn't mentioned to Yumi that he was going to leave the band, "He didn't pick up."

"So, Sunjae and I were thinking," Eunyoung began, "That we go and visit his village and bring him back to his senses. What do you think?"

"I'm in," Taesung said, looking at Yumi, his eyes full of expectation.

"What if we can't convince him?"

"Oh, you pessimist," Eunyoung groaned, "If he doesn't agree voluntarily, then we'll kidnap him, okay? Are you in or not?"

"I'm in," she said, realizing she wasn't left with much of a choice.

"Good," said Sunjae, "We leave tomorrow?"

"Yeah," said everyone in unison.

There were a few minutes of silence as they all went back to reading their scripts. A moment later, Eunyoung looked up, "Hey, Taesung?"

"Hmm?"

"I had to ask you about that..." she trailed off.

Taesung frowned with confusion, but the realization hit him soon enough and she said, "Oh,  right. Of course," he said, getting up, "We'll be back."

Yumi and Sunjae watched them get up and go outside the auditorium.

"That was weird," Yumi said, furrowing her brows.

"Breathe if you're jealous."

💿

"Any updates?" she asked Taesung, "About my dad? Was the information I gave conclusive enough?"

"Yeah, they've started the investigation," he answered, "My dad said that considering his history, he'll most likely get a life sentence. He wanted me to ask if it's okay with you."

"Yes, absolutely," Eunyoung said decisively. 

Taesung blinked a few times, "Okay, if that's what you want."

"It is."

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: bet u didn't see that one coming

delphi's notes: yumi and sunjae are such an awkward duo lmfao 

xxvi. all roads lead to rome

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX ─ between notes and secrets.

❛ there's many different ways you can kill someone you love the slowest way is not loving them enough ❜

Narrator's Perspective

The doors closed with a thud after one final passenger got on and the bus drove away into the darkness of the early summer morning. The sky was littered with little grey clouds, casting a shadow over the city. 

"It's going to rain today," Yumi observed.

"Yeah," Eunyoung gazed out the window with beady eyes, a smile tugging at her lips.

"Why do you react like that every time someone mentions rain? You're such a weirdo," Yumi scoffed.

"It rained the first time I met Sunjae," she said, still smiling.

"So what?" Yumi spat, "Big deal."

"It is to me."

"Shut up. Where is he anyways?"

"He usually sleeps in these days since he isn't on the swim team anymore," Eunyoung stated, "He takes the later bus."

"Oh god, where's the off button?" Yumi pretended to gag, "You're making me sick, stop it. I need a subject change, gosh. Why were you and Mom so solemn at dinner yesterday? I thought someone died."

Eunyoung's eyes darkened, bearing an eerie likeliness to the overcast sky.  Her smile fell and she looked away from Yumi because the answer to her question was probably written all over her face.

"Oh no, did someone actually-"

"No!"

"Thank god," Yumi sighed in relief, "You scared me for a second."

"It was nothing," Eunyoung said in answer to her previous question, "I was just tired, I don't know about Mom."

"If you say so."

"How 'bout you? Where are you mysteriously disappearing these days?"

Yumi swallowed. It was her turn to look away to hide her face that had "guilty conscious" written all over it, "Extra practice at the club," she answered curtly, "Didn't I tell you?"

"You did."

"Yeah, so that's it. Nothing mysterious. Just boring old piano practice."

"If you say so."

💿

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

How did I end up here? I wondered, staring out of the bus window. It was nearly half past four, and I should have been home, studying—or at least doing something productive. Maybe it was the fact that I hadn't cracked open a textbook in nearly fifteen years, but I just couldn't muster the motivation to do so. Instead, I found myself deciding to visit Yumi.

The bus screeched to a halt, and I snapped my head around to see the doors swing open. I sprang from my seat and stepped off the bus, right in front of the Jagam High music club. Confusion furrowed my brow as I took a few hesitant steps toward the building, then stopped in my tracks. I rubbed my eyes, hoping I was mistaken, but the scene before me was unmistakable.

There, in plain view, was Yumi climbing onto Kim Taesung's motorcycle. The shock must have paralyzed me, because all I could do was stand there, agape, as they sped away, leaving a cloud of smoke in their wake. It took a moment for reality to sink in, but once it did, I snapped into action. 

I began to run.

💿

I must have really been out of my senses to run after a flipping motorcycle, because, by the time I reached what appeared to be Kim Taesung's front door, I stood at a turning where I was sure they couldn't see me, gasping for breath. Honestly, it was a miracle I didn't lose them. God knows how I was able to keep up; It must have been my determination to find out because there's no way I could have done it otherwise.

I leaned against a nearby wall, heaving and breathless. It took me a while to calm myself down, and in the meanwhile, I could hear his front door close and their muffled conversation. To be fair, there was no reason for me to be hiding like this as if I were committing some kind of crime. Yumi's the one who's been lying. To me. And to mom. Yet, she's going about deceiving me in broad daylight, with no shame whatsoever and I'm hiding behind a wall, trying not to get caught.

The tapping of my shoes against the pavement sounded in the empty street. I let out a long sigh. Behind my anger and frustration, I felt hurt. Hurt that Yumi felt the need to lie. No matter what happened, we had always shared everything with each other. Now, there was this secret between us.

"I would never hide anything from her," I muttered under my breath.

What could she possibly be doing with him that she couldn't even confide in me? My pace quickened as I moved towards Kim Taesung's house, anxiety rising in my chest. I practically zoomed past the outer safety door that was left ajar and stumbled onto the veranda and moved towards the front door. I rang the doorbell and waited impatiently, letting out another sigh.

After a few seconds, I racked my knuckles on the wooden door, the sense of urgency evident in my actions. I heard the doorknob rattle as Yumi opened the door. Her frown slowly morphed into a look of absolute shock and guilt. Her eyes instantly widened and she tried to stutter an excuse but it was no use, "Eun...uh.. I, the thing-"

"Save it," I snapped.

She turned to grab her bag from a nearby chair. I scoffed, mostly to myself as I turned to leave. I heard her call out, "I gotta go!" I heard some words of confusion mumbled by Taesung, but my mind was clouded by rage and betrayal. I couldn't comprehend what he said.

Yumi grabbed my wrist, stopping me as I turned around, frowning at her face.

"Eunyoung, please don't do-"

"Don't do what, exactly?!" I yelled, my voice laced with anger, "Yumi, I don't even know what to say to you right now. What is wrong with you?"

"Why are you mad?" she countered irritably.

"Why am I mad?" I repeated, letting out a strangled chuckle at the irony of her question, "I'll tell you why! You're running off to this guy's house I don't know how often a week, and lie to your family. This guy is the spitting image of a delinquent and he has trouble written all over his face. I hope that answers your question."

"I really don't get it, Eunyoung," she screamed, sighing after a few moments, "I don't get why you're interfering like this. It's my life, and let me screw it up! Why're you getting worked up over nothing?"

"Because I'm trying to protect you!"

"Look, everything I do is my choice. So, if I get hurt, it's on me! Just stay out of it, for God's sake, Eunyoung!" she screamed, "You're not even my real sister, so why does it matter?"

Her words pierced through my heart and all my anger melted away in a moment. The frown fell from my face and I felt a lump in my throat.  I took a step back watching Yumi realise the gravity of her words. They seemed to prick and burn my skin. My lip trembled as I stuttered out, "Fine."

I broke into a run onto the pavement as I faintly heard Yumi's voice call out to me in the distance, but I didn't look back. My vision blurred as tears streamed down my face.

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: ouch, yumi, that stings.

delphi's notes: oh eunyoung, only if you understood.

list of chapters here! click here for next chapter.

inconvenience regretted 😞

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH!!!

. . . ( 🦴 ) 月が綺麗ですね ⋆ ࣪. ᓚ

soukoku post for pride month!

xxxii. your embrace

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO ─ your embrace.

❛ now i need someone to hold be my fire in the cold ❜

Choi Yumi's Perspective

"The kitten's grown."

The moment those words left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself really hard. I had been waiting outside the Jagam High Music Club for what felt like an eternity. Each passing minute felt endless, but I endured through my impatience because I wanted to see Kim Taesung. I wanted to sincerely apologize for every thoughtless word I said to him. And when I finally spotted him feeding the kitten on the sidewalk, looking just as gorgeous as ever, all I could say was "The kitten's grown?" I had never acted more stupid in my life

He turned to look at me, and his eyebrows raised in curiosity seemed to fall and his expression changed. His eyes look blank and lifeless, reminding my of the future that I had recently witnessed. He focused his gaze on the ground, as if he was trying to distract himself.

"Oh, it's you."

His words seemed to break my heart in a split second. My mind recalled all the moments I had spent with him in the past. His witty remarks, his humor that was slightly rude, were all vivid in front of my eyes. But now, all that was gone, replaced by a grim, cold boy that I barely recognized. That side of him that only I seemed to know had disappeared, and it was all my fault.

He stood up, facing me now, and my stupid heart began hammering against my chest.

"I- I wanted to say... that I'm sorry," I mumbled out. Another internal slap. That sounded completely insincere. Like someone had forced me to apologize. What was wrong with me? Where had all my communication skills gone off to?

Choi Eunyoung's Perspective

I pushed the door as I entered the swimming pool area as quietly as I possibly could. Immediately, the smell of chlorine hit my nose and the still, cool air that hung over the entire room sent a shiver down my spine. I closed the door behind me, making barely a sound as my eyes scanned my surroundings. There was a wall on my right, and a door on my left leading to a locker room. All the windows had been closed and the only source of illumination was from some dim lights put up on the walls.

I had run into Inhyuk while I was about to meet Sunjae at his house, who told me that Sunjae had gone to the swimming pool because he apparently "left something there." The statement brought an inexplicable anxious feeling that tightened my chest and I came to the school swimming pool as quickly as I could.

A soft sobbing sound fell upon my ears that grew louder as I moved towards the source of the sound. Then I saw him. Sunjae. He was sitting right at the edge of the swimming pool. legs crossed and his head in his hands, crying softly. My raised eyebrows and curious eyes morphed into a face of unwelcome realization. My heart seemed to crack and shatter the longer I watched him. Swimming was everything to him. And all of a sudden, he had to quit. When I thought about the amount of pain he must have been in, it made me want to scream and curse at his fate. I felt that same tightening feeling in my chest as I approached him slowly, mindful of the wet floor.

Ryu Sunjae's Perspective

I felt a pair of arms gently wrap around my shoulders. The action was sudden, unexpected; Especially because no one was around when I checked; But strangely, instead of resisting, I found myself melting into the embrace. A part of me knew. That it was her. With hesitation, I lifted my head, my face wet with tears as I heaved another sob and looked at Eunyoung's face that seemed to reflect the pain I felt inside.

"Eunyoung," I breathed out, my sobbing stopping momentarily, "I was-"

"You don't have to explain," she assured me, her own voice sounding choked, as if she was holding back tears. She was kneeling on the wet floor behind me, her arms clinging onto me, as if she was afraid to let go. All my pain seemed to suddenly disappear in that moment as my face began feeling warmer and butterflies seemed to take flight in my stomach. Her touch sent chills down my spine every single time.

She closed her eyes tightly, as tears spilled out of her eyes. With each drop that cascaded down her cheeks, I felt my heart break. She pulled away and sat facing me while trying to blink away the tears in her eyes. "Sunjae, I," her voice faded away as she tried to compose herself before speaking again. As her hand reached up to caress my face, I felt my heart skip a beat. Choi Eunyoung what are you doing to me?

"I never want you to be in pain. It hurts to see you like this, Sunjae. You never have to feel like you need to bottle up your feelings. Because I'm here for you. And I always will be."

The moment she said those words, I couldn't help but pull her into another embrace and burst into tears. My arms wrapped tightly around her waist as I sobbed into the nape of her neck. I felt the surprise in her body, but instead of pushing me away, her hands rested lightly on my head, caressing my hair with a kind of care I had never felt before. I didn't know how much I needed to hear those words, because they seemed to reassure me in ways that I had never felt before.

Then, at the perfect time to ruin the moment, there was a crashing sound outside. Both of us jumped severely as we slipped because of the wet floor and plunged into the pool that was barely inches away from us. The second that the cold water hit my body, soaking all my clothes, I felt my hands reaching for Eunyoung, who was struggling. I held her shoulders tightly as she steadied herself. My eyes scanned her as I asked frantically, "Are you alright? You aren't hurt or anything are you?"

Her widened eyes seemed to stare at me for a few moments before answering, "No... I'm just a little shaken," her nose crinkled up, "And I think some water went up my nose."

I chuckled at her adorable expression. She's just too cute, I found myself thinking.

"Let's get out of here?"

"You don't have to ask me twice."

☾⋆｡𖦹 °✩⋆｡° ✮

nana's notes: i came up with this cute idea during a lecture btw my brain never take s a break <3 also someone needs to check on yumi, like is she okay??

delphi's notes: aw they fell in the pool. *ERROR* yumi's communications not found ⚠️

next chapter: friday (out now) list of chapters here!