healing

there was constant alert in the idol’s eyes. which was given when he had decided the worst way to participate to a game that went against his whole existence as an artist and idol, and to do it by faking to be a girl to begin with. considering how tricky it was to dress up every time and get away with it, he could only thank this time the restroom was mixed and no one was around when he entered, so he had the chance to change from his tracksuit and shirt to something more akin to the identity he forged as THE GLASSMAIDEN. the only moment he felt saving with leaving the toilet block with his handybag was when he had his hat and mask secured on his face, taking a deep breath before darting in and accidentally smashing against someone’s chest… and losing his balance. “ oof. ”

open !

“oh!” one moment she’s walking and the next moment she’s on her behind. she’s hissing in pain as her brain tries to piece together what had just happened, why she’s on the floor with her purse open and her items scattered across the floor, the book she had in her hands several feet away from her and the other person. “oh.” it clicks and then she’s staring at the other person in a daze. “oh, i’m so so so sorry, i didn’t mean to run into you.” she’s moving to sit on her knees, even though her body is still aching, tailbone thrumming with pain and her head starting to hurt. she’s dealt with worse, she can deal with this. “i honestly didn’t see you, are you okay?” she’s starting to gather her stuff while she keeps her eyes darting back and forth between what she’s doing and the other person, really and truly hoping that they’re okay.

mian’s visibly caught off guard by her question , instantly thinking of a way to change the subject before pointing at the man and trying to revert ella’s attention back to him . ‘ so, what’s the odds he’s gonna chicken out and decide to come back down ? i’m gonna go ahead and say slim to none because it looks like he’s having way too much fun up there . ‘

ella’s narrowing her eyes at mian, watching her reactions. her questions have already been answered by the way mian avoids the question. it makes ella’s heart and stomach drop and she’s glancing away from mian now, trying not to make a huge scene of it. if mian wants to do this, she’s going to, and while ella really wants to stop her, help her get out of nerve, she knows it’s probably not going to happen. she seems too invested into it, judging by the way she’s talking about the excitement. “i hope he comes back down, i really don’t want to see anyone get hurt today. or in general.” she’s letting out a soft huff of laughter at that, taking a sip of her tea.

Sometimes, Seohyeon thinks she might like a life of excitement – then she remembers what happened to her more debauched ‘friends’ when they played nerve and thinks better of it. Just because it’s something everyone else is doing does not mean that she should follow in their footsteps. And even if she does enjoy it, there are always consequences which come after. “The game has taken over rather quickly, hasn’t it? And honestly, I’m just as pleased as you are to find someone who thinks the same way that I do.” She smiles at the girl next to her, extending a hand for the other to shake. “I’m Seohyeon.”

ella’s nodding. “it really has. i’ve never heard of it until i came here, so it was very shocking when it was explained to me.” she was very sheltered when she was with... him... but still, she didn’t think it was anywhere around her even if he wasn’t that controlling. “i’m ella,” she says, and then shakes seohyeon’s hand. “it’s very nice to meet you, seohyeon.” she’s glancing back over at the crowd and the man, before letting go of seohyeon’s hand. “did you want to go somewhere where we won’t have to deal with this?”

to tell you the truth , mian had absolutely no plans of going out at all today , only wanting to  stay in her apartment and indulge in her daily dose of christmas movies . it was just by chance she had heard someone at her door , instantly jumping up to open it just to see a large crowd seemingly crowded around a man . in true mian fashion she instantly ran out of her door , not wanting to miss anything at all . at first her eyes are completely focused on the man ahead of her , but once she hears ella’s voice she instantly turns to her with a smile  . ‘ heck yeah. i mean , maybe it’s not the best way to get paid , but hey you get rich or die trying . besides , i’m here for a good time not a long time . ‘ 

eyes widen and she’s staring at mian in shock. “feng mian!” perhaps she shouldn’t be as surprised as she is to hear that come out of her mouth, but she still is. she’s reaching a hand out, gently tugging on mian’s arm to get her to come closer. the grip is a little firmer than usual, and she doesn’t let go, looking up at the younger woman. “you play?” she has to have confirmation, even though everything else is pretty damning. 

people tend to fall prey to the game for many different reasons — more often than not, it’s all about the money. nothing seems too crazy when you have bills to pay and you’re desperate enough to put your well-being on the line, especially not a tiny, supposedly harmless dare. yet money isn’t always everything. some people are curious, bored, sick and tired of their mundane lives and looking for a thrill, while others might even have something to prove. it’s different for everyone. “ hm, who knows? ” it’s a rhetorical question, spoken with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, one hand tucked into the pocket of his jacket, the other cradling his cup of warm coffee, utterly unimpressed by the chaotic scene unfolding before them. when he glances at ella, hyunsik finds himself wondering what exactly they are — friends, or just acquaintances? would she judge him, too, if she ever found out about his involvement with nerve? “ you really hate this game with a burning passion, don’t you? ”

“i wouldn’t say that...” she trails off, looking down at her shoes. she would, but she doesn’t want to seem like that bad of a person. she doesn’t like to judge people, especially when they’re just after a living, but she wonders how they could actually go through with some of the things they go through for the money. is it really worth everything? “i just... worry about people, you know? i don’t like seeing people get hurt.” she’s looking up at hyunsik now, eyes soft. “it also just... makes me feel bad that people have to resort to this for money...” 

When Seohyeon had woken up that morning, her first thought was that she desperately wanted some hot chocolate. A quick perusal of Minho’s pantry showed her that he did not currently own any - which, if she was being honest, didn’t really surprise her. Still, the lack of the drink didn’t stop her from wanting it. So she did her best to bundle herself in enough layers to keep warm and left the relative comfort of the apartment. As she walked out of a nearby cafe fifteen minutes later - the proud owner of a cup of hot chocolate - her attention was caught by the commotion at the corner. She stood on the outskirts of the crowd and watched as the unknown man began to climb. Her breath caught when seemed about to fall, but then he righted himself, causing her to sigh in relief.

When the girl next to her began to talk, she happily turned her attention from the spectacle in front of them to face her. Sipping her drink, she thought for a moment about what she had said. “I think that the possibility of being hurt adds another level of excitement for some people - which is quite sad, honestly. The world would be so much nicer if people spent their energy on more positive things.”

ella’s letting out a small sigh. “yeah, that’s what everyone wants, right? the excitement.” this type of excitement makes her stomach churn and makes her skin crawl. she doesn’t like risky things, and the only risky thing she’s done in her life was run away to bucheon. she’s taking a sip of her drink, letting the warmth help calm her down. “i agree, i wish it was more positive. if more people would just be more charitable, people wouldn’t have to resort to this to get money.” the idea of money is tempting, but she wouldn’t be able to do anything risky at all. she’d probably just end up crying. “i’m very glad that someone agrees with me, everyone else really seems to enjoy nerve,” she says, softly, looking up at the other woman.

i’m going to slowly work my way through everyone and sending out messages but i do work later today. so it may take a while. work has been kicking my ass, but i’m going to try and get to everyone as soon as possible.