she's dreaming

Annie toke a while to understand what the girl was saying, since she wasn’t still used to speaking in Korean just yet, Annie just nodded acknowledging. Instead of waiting at the door, she felt free to enter the place to be able to talk more comfortably and get closer to her. Being in a new city wasn’t a problem to Annie, since she was used to travel a lot with her teammates. The only difference is that she is alone now. She could tell a lot of funny stories to anyone that is curious.

As Annie was getting ready to reply, someone had opened the door and entered. Following his steps with her eyes, she soon understood that it was a worker, so she just relaxed. “You are very kind, I just hope it won’t get you in trouble. I will try to be as fast as possible, I promise.” She answered with a simple smile.

She takes note of the other taking a while to reply, but decides not to comment on it. The other woman seems to be Korean, but for all Jieun knows, she could be new to the country as well as the city. “Ah, no need to worry about that,” she assures the woman after she voiced her worries. “I’m the manager here, so I can’t really get into trouble,” she laughs. 

“Give me one second and I’ll be ready to come with you,” she says, holding up one finger before she hurries into the backroom. Her co-worker is already there, getting ready for his shift. “I’m going out for a second, call me if you need me,” she tells him, to which he replies with a firm nod. Once that’s cleared up, she grabs her coat, going out to meet the woman waiting for her. 

“Alright, I’m all set! You ready to go?” 

Lian should have expected that if she was going to be blunt and honest, the other girl would too and so, with that, the cat was out of the bag. “Right…” she said, her voice trailing off and a slight frown appearing on her face.

It was crazy to think how much had changed between the two of them, they had never been like this before. They had been much closer but the girl in front of her now was not the same girl she had known before. 

Did Jieun think the same way about her too? A part of her was curious to know the answer, but another part told her that it was best not to ask such questions. 

Lian nodded when the other answered her question, and for a moment, it was as though things were normal again, but as much as Lian wished this, she knew it wasn’t. Even if certain things had been different, Lian was sure the two would have still ended up here because of the one, single, event which she was sure was what was making things so tense and awkward between the two now.

“I’m…okay too,” she said, offering a small smile. “I’m just working and just…you know, same old, same old. Everything is the same.”

“That’s good,” she replies, offering a smile of her own. It feels forced, to some extent, as their conversation hasn’t gotten over the initial awkwardness. She wasn’t sure if the two of them ever could get past their awkwardness, considering past events. It’s a pity, really, that a stupid mistake ruined a friendship to this extent. 

“What do you work with?” The question shouldn’t be necessary. The two used to be close, they had known almost everything about each other, and now Jieun doesn’t even know what her old friend does for a living. She’s embarrassed as she realizes she can’t even remember if the older ever told her about any of her own ambitions, Jieun having been too occupied with her own back then. Still is. 

“I work a lot, too.” She nods along with her own words. “Still at the same salon. But hey, I manage the place now, so I’ve been making progress.” She laughs, attempting to lighten the conversation, ridding it of some of its awkwardness, though she’s not sure how successful her attempt is. 

Lian says everything is the same, but is it? Maybe it is for her. Jieun feels like a completely different person now, compared to who she had been back then, when they had been friends. 

✎  —–   THERE’S a smile on his face as he enters the salon, greeted with a familiar feeling he can’t exactly place. It wasn’t the first time he had been in the particular establishment however, but it was the first time he had been in it in a long, long time. Chai booked himself an appointment for that afternoon on an absolute whim: for some reason, waking up and seeing his fading blond hair stand disheveled along his temple disappointed him. So he decided on a change.

“Jieun noona, hello!” the young artist raises a hand as he approaches the older female—they weren’t the closest of friends, mere acquaintances at most, but he liked to believe he at least knew her face. She was close friends with Insu, if he remembered correctly. So by default, Chai figured he should at least know her face. “Mm? That’s fine with me. I sort of just made it without a real thought about who’d do it. Just as long as the job was done.” Chai laughs softly after the statement and offers a small shrug of his shoulders; he really truly did not care who did his appointment, just as long as they didn’t majorly fuck up his hair. Jieun seemed like she knew what she was doing, so he felt no reason to protest.

At the direction of her hand he moves to sit in an empty chair, setting his small backpack down onto the floor under the counter, out of the way. He scratches the side of his neck as he looks at himself in the mirror, gaze traveling from his hair to Jieun as she asks what he wants. Chai gestures absently to his hair while responding, brow knitting as he thinks through his statements. “Uhm. I didn’t have too much in mind, but I’m sick of this blond thing I have going on? I was thinking maybe. Switching it up again. Back to black? But I’m not sure how black might look on me right now. I also want my hair to finally breathe again after having so much bleach in it for this damn look.” Chai rolls his eyes with a small smile, setting his hands down into his lap. “What do you think? Black a good choice? You probably know more about this stuff than me, so.”

“Right,” she nods, smiling at him as he told her he had no preference for a specific hairdresser. She had been counting on as much when she made the appointment switch. Anything else would’ve robbed her of a chance at getting some good gossip, directly from the source. That wasn’t a chance she was about to pass up. 

Her hands brush through his hair as he describes what he wants, getting a feel of what she has to work with. It’s definitely easy to tell it’s been bleached for a while, the blond’s hair feeling damaged. However, it’s not badly damaged — Chai must have been getting it professionally bleached, instead of doing it himself. Which is good; makes it easier for her to work with it. 

“Yes, your hair definitely needs to breathe,” she agrees. “I think black is perfect. It’s your natural color so you won’t have to dye it for a while, if you decide to keep it. Besides, darker colors are always in style during winter.” As she speaks, she begins gathering the supplies she needs, finding the right color hair dye and deep condition to go with it. 

Once she has everything, she drapes a black cape over his body, attaching it at his neck as she sits down on a chair behind him. “So you don’t want to get it cut, correct?” she asks to clarify, their eyes meeting in the mirror. Now that there were no more preparations to do, there is no use beating around the bush — she’s dying to hear if there is any truth to what Insu has been telling her. 

“The black is going to suit you very well, enhance your features a lot. You doing it for anyone special?” 

Jieun was surprisingly nervous. She’s on her way to the Charms classroom, a class shared with the Gryffindors. It’ll be her first time seeing Shin and Kisung after the change in her relationship with Insu. 

Not that Shin knows anything. At least she thinks, and hopes, he doesn’t. He’d been upset at the mere thought of something happening between Insu and her. She can’t imagine how upset he’d be if he found out he’d been right, and something had actually ended up happening. She just hopes Insu hasn’t told him anything yet. It really should be coming from her, being his sister and all. 

But Kisung. Kisung is Insu’s brother, and she doesn’t doubt for a second that he’s aware of everything that went down the night before. Hence her nervousness. If Shin had reacted the way he did, what will Kisung say? Will he have the same kind of reaction, or will he be happy for them? She honestly isn’t sure, but she supposes she’s about to find out. 

When she gets to the classroom, she’s relieved to find Kisung has arrived already, the seat next to him empty. She guesses he’s waiting for Insu, but slips into the seat before the other Lee brother can claim it, anxious to find out if the other would be upset with her or not. 

Once she sits there, though, she realizes she has no idea what to say to him. Straight up asking him how he feels about it doesn’t seem like the right way to go about it, so she opts for a simpler approach, hoping he might mention it himself. 

“Hey, Ki,” she greets him, smiling warmly at her friend. “You got a date for the ball yet?” 

“Of course.“

He shouldn’t play favorites. At least not out in the open–but it’s difficult with her. He’s always been an academic, with a sharp appetite for being the finest in any class during his time at Hogwarts (Magical Creatures being his only stumble) and he sees a similar sort of soul in Miss Jung.

“Is this for Potions or Quidditch? You have a fair future in both.” It’s her last year, and he hopes that she’s taken a serious thought towards her career path. Knowing the clever, driven witch she is–Cheolsu is certain she’ll excel at either.

“Ah, it’s for Potions,” she replies. His praise makes her feel a sense of pride. This isn’t just anyone praising her, it’s Professor Bang, someone she has admired for years. His praise lets her know she’s on the right track. 

“Thank you, sir,” Jieun continues, a quick bow of her head. “I’m just wondering if you have any extra credit work for me to do in your class. I know I’m already doing well, but I want to be the best. Since it’s my last year and all.” She hopes she’s not coming across as full of herself; the last thing she wants is for Professor Bang to think badly of her. 

Jieun hasn’t been a part of the civic center’s art club for long, nor would she say she’s very dedicated to it. She doesn’t actually have time to dedicate herself properly to anything that isn’t her job. It’s more of a hobby, really, a place where she can find other people who also appreciate art. However, despite not being the most fitting member for the job ( in her opinion, at least ), she has been tasked with keeping an eye on the new kid who’s considering joining them. Whatever that means. 

Despite not being sure exactly what her responsibilities entailed, Jieun had been welcoming to the boy, showing him around before the meeting began. She’d left him alone after that, as she had some pieces she needed to finish for the club’s next art exhibition. Once she’s somewhat satisfied with the progress she’s made that day, she makes her way over to where Felix is sitting, intending on checking on the younger.

“How’s it going?” she asks as she approaches him, her gaze quickly moving over his workspace. “That’s pretty good. Are you liking it here so far?” 

She tastes like butterbeer–a little two sweet. And while In-su wasn’t expecting to see stars (he’s realistic about relationships) he wasn’t ready for how right kissing Jieun felt. It gave him the courage to admit, “I like you.“

There’s more he wants to say–a flurry of words explaining why and when it all started, because he can tell she didn’t expect the kiss. But the words are caught in his throat. Just a couple hours ago they’d met as friends, and now In-su’s pushing for more without much of a heads up. There are questions in her eyes, in the quiet of her voice that he has to answer, and it’s tough when there’s not much for him to go off on from her reaction. Is she disappointed? Angry?

In-su covers her hand with his.

“You know–when something’s so close, you can’t really see it that well. You were always beside me and the boys. And I always loved you as my best friend, but–” He guides her hand up, brushing the part of his mouth along her knuckles in a kiss, the words warm and muffled on Jieun’s skin. “I don’t want you to go to the ball with anybody else. I want you to go with me.”

It’s out in the open now, and that somehow makes the words flow easier. “I like you, Jiji.” He sets her hand down on her lap but doesn’t let go. “And I’m not fucking around. I wouldn’t risk what we’ve got like that.”

He holds her eye. “I’m serious about you. So, please. Go to the ball with me.”

She stays quiet, merely looking into his familiar eyes. Truthfully, she doesn’t know what to say. Or do for that matter. Managing one coherent thought is hard at the moment, as her best friend kissing her and confessing to her is the last thing she had expected to happen that day. Maybe she’s been oblivious ( at least the things Shin had said to her would make sense if that’s the case ), but up until now, she had been completely unaware of Insu’s changing feelings towards her. 

The warmth of his hand covers hers, and her gaze travels down to them. The first thought that hits her is how right it looks. Which, to be honest, sort of scares her. Has she been developing feelings while being completely unaware of it herself? How long had this been happening? 

As he moves her hand, her eyes follow it, their gazes eventually locking again. As he speaks, her eyes never leave his, not even when he sets her hand down. 

Insu likes her. Like, really likes her. She hates how unsure she is of her own feelings, hates her inability to give him a clear answer after he bared his heart to her. Though while this all feels new and unfamiliar to her, she also has a feeling of warmth, familiarity. Being around Insu would always elicit those feelings in her, and following his confession, her chest feels even warmer, if that’s even possible. 

Maybe there is a slight chance she has been oblivious to her own feelings developing. Or maybe what she’s feeling is a potential for feelings to grow. She’s not sure how to explain this to him. Instead of speaking, she looks down on their joined hands, carefully entwining their fingers together. She looks back up at him again, a slight smile forming across her features as she studies his face. There’s a deep intake of breath before she begins speaking. 

“Insu, I...” she begins, her voice faltering as she realizes she has no idea how to explain any of her thoughts. “I don’t know what to say. I don’t want you to take this as rejection, because I’m not rejecting you. At all.” She swallows. “I just... I don’t know, I guess I need some time to process this.” 

She pauses, her thumb slowly stroking his hand as she gathers courage for what she’s about to say next. She feels stupid for even feeling nervous to say it, seeing as Insu had literally just confessed his feelings to her. It’s not something she should have to feel embarrassed about, not around him, but at the end of the day, Jieun has always been a person who feels uncomfortable with admitting to her feelings. 

“I, uh, wouldn’t mind doing that again, though. The kiss.” Her last words come out barely audible, eyes fluttering down in embarrassment. She can feel the brush spreading on her cheeks, turning her pale skin a rosy pink. “And of course I’ll go to the ball with you. There’s no one else I’d rather go with.” With her last words, she dares peek up at him again, a shy smile playing on her lips. 

WONYANG HARRY POTTER AU — TASK 002 : YULE BALL

His hand drops to rest on her shoulder, the cream still a smear of white on his thumb. He’s not sure what to do with it. What to do with her. Jieun’s his best friend. Has been for the past seven years, and there’s a weight between them from matching memories–the scratch of quills on parchment as they linger in the library, the sheen of sweat and determination as she faces him across the Quidditch field, the warm press of her body against his side as they wander through the halls. She’s always been devoted to him and their quartet of friends, and that had been enough.

Until it dawned on him this afternoon that she could be taken from them. From him. And the thought of another student taking her to the ball terrified him so damn much not because she’d be ditching their group of friends–but because he wanted to be the one offering her his hand. Wanted her fingers curled around his palm.

He’d taken it for granted–having her next to him.

“Don’t punch me, okay?“

Sometimes it’s easier to show than tell. In-su drags his thumb across her lower lip to smear the cream off and leans in–hesitating for a quick exhale of breath before closing the distance and pressing a kiss to the part of her mouth.

She stares at him, his hand feeling warm as it rests on her shoulder. There’s a brief silence between them, the only sound in the room being the crackling of the fire. He seems to be hesitating to tell her. Is he nervous? He must be serious about this crush, then. She wonders who it could be. 

Finally, the silence is broken. His words make her frown, confused by what he means by them. “Why would I—” 

Oh. 

Oh.

It dawns on her what’s about to happen, and all she can do is stare. She’s not given any time to gather her thoughts, because then he’s leaning in, his face close enough for her to feel his breath graze over her lips. There’s a moment of hesitation, where her breath hitches, and then, his lips are on hers.

Her first kiss. Jieun doesn’t know how to respond, sitting there unmoving as her mind tries to comprehend the situation. She feels as if she should be panicking; Insu is her best friend of seven years, and now he’s kissing her. It should feel weird, potentially enough to ruin their friendship, but for some reason, those thoughts quickly pass. Instead, all she can think about is how soft his lips feel on hers, her heart quickly increasing its rhythm. 

She doesn’t know how much time has passed by the time she pulls away from him. Their gazes meet, and her brows furrow, uncertainty clear on her face.

“Wha— what was that for?” she asks quietly, her voice barely audible.

Her response brought a frown to Lian’s lips. The voice was the same as she had remembered, but it was different now. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but Lian didn’t feel her childhood friend anymore. 

It was a stranger in front of her now, and too much had changed, too much had happened so that any hope Lian had of them being okay was completely out the window. 

“Yeah, of course, it’s a good cereal,” she mumbled, but she hadn’t even seen what brand she had used to hide from the other. She didn’t even bother to acknowledge the fact that the other clearly knew what she had been up to, tinting her cheeks in embarrassment a little bit.

 “Oh yeah, totally. Can’t get enough of that…” she glanced over at the display. “Multigrain Cheerios…” Gross.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, pausing for a moment before adding. “Besides the obvious. I meant here, waiting…were you waiting for me?” she wasn’t sure why she was asking. She wasn’t sure if it would even matter what she had to say. “You doing okay? It’s been a while…”

Things would never be the same. 

An eyebrow is raised at the other woman. Jieun doesn’t believe her for a second, and she’s sure they both know it. “Sure.” She nods, dragging the syllable out. Honestly, there is no use beating around the bush, but if Lian wants to pretend she was actually there to check out the cereal, that’s not Jieun’s problem. 

The tenseness between them, however, is soon addressed. “I wasn’t exactly waiting for you,” she corrects her. “I just happened to notice you on my way back to the register, and it was very obvious to see what you were doing,” she explains with a shrug. 

“I’m... okay.” Honestly, the question surprises her. After the two had lost touch years ago, Jieun had never expected they would stop and chat about how they’re doing if they ever ran into each other again. Had they just been regular friends from school, she might have seen it coming, but her friendship with Lian had began deteriorating long before they stopped talking, a moment in their past creating an awkward tension between the two girls. 

“How are you?” she asks, and she finds that she’s genuinely curious about the answer, which surprises her. 

         It had been a little over a year since the last time that he got his hair cut - and considering the fact that he cut his hair himself and that was kind of a disaster in and of itself, and it took him a while to grow it out until it didn’t look like such a wonky goddamn mess. So he figured going to a professional to get his hair cut was probably a better idea. Less embarrassing than having to deal with his own stubbornness biting him in the butt because he believed he could achieve something by himself.

He can’t remember at what point he agreed to let Jieun style him - it might have been an attempt to get her to be quiet, honestly. Or maybe she’d secretly gotten to him and the core of his issue, and as such he followed the woman to heed her advice for how a ‘star’ should dress.

He never really felt like such a thing would apply - in America his existence was such that he was merely a background piece, not anything special. But with this band it was different. He’s still a bassist but because hes the core of why the band formed in the first place - the media was labeling him as the leader.

So if Deryl looked like a slob - it would bode poorly for success of the band. At least, that’s how he saw it. Presentation is an important part of being an entertainer already, but in Korea its importance seemed to grow two-fold. 

He was still somewhat overwhelmed with what the woman was talking about, but he’d suck up his worries, at least for the moment. “Sounds alright, yeah,” his tone sounds slightly non-committal, as if he’s not really sure whether this is the answer the other wants to hear, but he  really doesn’t know.

The older doesn’t sound as committed to this cause as she was, but Jieun wasn’t going to let that stop her. She’s aware of the fact that this is just some random client of hers, and she’s not in any way responsible for him or his band, but she wants to help. She’s heard of his band before — not because she’s into music, mind you, but gossip spreads fast, especially when working as a hairdresser. The group hadn’t been doing too well, and the least she could do was help their leader look his best. She doubts it’s going to make them suddenly rise to fame, but it’s a start. 

“Okay, so...” There’s a pause as she eyes his outfit, gaze moving quickly over him. The only word she has for it is simple — painfully so. It looks like he doesn’t care at all about the way he looks, which might be true for all she knows. But that won’t work as an idol. “What type of clothes do you prefer? Do you think you have a style?” She doubts it, but doesn’t hurt to ask. 

She barely allows him to come with an answer before she’s talking again, finding it hard to stop once she gets going. “I think we could keep a more simple style. It doesn’t have to be complicated! What’s important is that all your clothes fit you perfectly, that your outfits match, and of course, accessories.” She puts some weight on the last word. “They really help tie together an outfit. Basically, your outfit has to tell a story. Makes you look interesting. People will be dying to know who you are.” She pauses, allowing him to take in everything she’s just told him. 

“Sorry, this is all a bit overwhelming, isn’t it?”