* / 𝓈𝓅𝒶𝒸𝑒 𝔾ℍ𝕆𝕊𝕋

there were times when taejoon regretted how many fun things he had deprived himself of in his younger years. he’d never really lacked a social life, it was just that when he was young enough to justify trick-or-treating, he was too busy with things kids his age shouldn’t have had to worry about:  sports practice, hagwons, lists of chores that always seemed too excessive. so he hadn’t allowed himself to enjoy halloween. besides, it wasn’t something his parents supported. they would’ve had his head on a pike if he tried to dress up.

but as an adult in yangcheon, he felt like he could do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted and maybe kind of look like he knew what he was doing. but maybe that only applied to typical street-rat behavior because every time he looked over his shoulder, there was some critical parent glaring at him.

what did they think? that he was going to steal all the candy and leave none for their precious kids? fuck. he liked candy just as much as everyone else did and probably ate it way less often than all those sticky-fingered toddlers.

“you see—” he started, unsure of how to approach this matter. even with all the looks, no one had actually said anything about his age yet. he couldn’t argue, either, because he’d always had an older face. there was no way he’d pass for a kid, even if his height were to be ignored. “i’m actually trick-or-treating for my little brother. he’s got a cold, so he couldn’t make it out tonight.”

he nodded once, clearly satisfied with his own explanation, then stuck the reusable ghost-printed tote he was carrying out to encourage hanbin to drop some candy in. “c’mon.”

growing up with younger siblings in a privileged household, hanbin had experienced his fair share of lies being told to him, or his parents on behalf of himself. lies stating that hanbin had been the sibling to accidentally break the vase while playing in the house when he wasn’t supposed to be, not one of his siblings. or that the oldest of the shin children had told one of his siblings that doing something was okay -- when he definitely hadn’t. being the oldest could be a burden, but at the very least it kept things interesting. and, it gave him something that was similar to life experience.

it was safe to say he could tell that the boy on his doorstep was lying to him. 

not that it was any of his business, so it was all he could do to raise a brow as he watched the stranger open his candy bag. so far, he’d been pretty successful at securing a decent haul considering his age and his size. “ i really don’t care, you know, ” he offered, grabbing a handful of the treats he’d prepared and dropping them into the bag that was being held out in front of him. “ i mean, i don’t care why. but i’m sure your... brother will appreciate you going out of your way for him. ”

there were a lot of fond memories lia had associated with halloween. it’s not because it was her birthday but rather it was because of the countless trick or treating adventures she and her siblings took when she was younger. as they got older, the halloween tradition slowly stopped and lia found herself looking at the trick or treater with a sense of nostalgia. especially when her siblings started to move out of the ong manor, leaving her alone with their parents who were barely at home. 

this year was indeed a bit different.

for the first time in years, jaejin will be taking them for trick or treating again. in her excitement, she raced ahead of her siblings and abruptly stopped when she realized that she looked like a giant compared to all the tiny kids in their cute costumes. a couple with their kids gave her a weird, judging look as they passed by her. maybe she should have waited for her siblings, max’s cuteness will be able to win over the homeowners so they could give them candies as well. with her siblings nowhere near yet, lia just decided to go to a house she knew too well.

hanbin is jaejin’s best friend. surely, he will give her candy right? “trick or treat!” lia squealed, her voice muffled by her costume. maybe deciding at the last minute to be pikachu isn’t the greatest idea after all but she was already inside the mascot so she might as well own it. “oppa, it’s me! lia bear!” she waved her pikachu arms wildly and hopped towards him.

with how long hanbin and jaejin’s friendship had lasted over the years, through changes in their work and them living on different continents, it shouldn’t be a surprise that him rekindling his relationship with his adopted family meant that the artist would be involved with that, too. over the last month or so he’d found himself becoming more and more familiar with his best friend’s non-biological siblings, but he couldn’t say it was lia of all people he expected to enthusiastically run up to him in a pikachu onesie on halloween night, right as he was heading back inside his home after finishing greeting some appropriately aged trick or treaters.

clearly, the woman was happy, anyone with eyes could tell as she flapped her arms around in her costume. no doubt more of the ong family would be in the street somewhere, too.  it was sweet, and hanbin supposed he could part with some of his candy. really, she did meet the criteria to earn herself a treat, and he didn’t put it past jaejin at the very least to trick him if he didn’t oblige.

“ oh ! lia, it’s you ? i couldn’t tell. ” his response to the younger woman was pretty deadpanned, because clearly, he could tell a grown woman in a pikachu onesie pretty easily. still, her enthusiasm caused a small, amused laugh to spill from his lips. “ i guess you’ll be wanting some candy, yeah ? too bad i’m all out. ” holding the container he’d been keeping the treats in close to his chest, he tilted it back so she couldn’t tell he was only messing with her.

with the sort of lifestyle eunho lives, he’s use to seeing nice things. pretty things, glittery, flashy, all of the likes. yeah, things were pretty, but there was a different type of pretty with art. it’s amazing at what kind of art the hands can do, can create. so dedicated and hardworking, really trying to put all into a piece of art - it’s a story. eunho finds a story in each and every piece of art that catches his eyes. the first time he saw the mystery person’s art, the story he took from it stuck with him, still stays with him. and then he saw the next, and the next and eunho quickly became too intrigued by each peace. that’s how he found himself so intrigued and wanting to see more, and it’s like the artist knew because not long after, he had accidentally found another one.

now eunho definitely has a few instagram accounts, his public and main account, his private account, his rant account and then he has a completely anonymous fan type account for said artist. it’s there where he shares the pictures of the art he finds by them, shares his feelings and thoughts of what he gets from each piece. slowly over time, people began to find the account. some just following him to view the art, some following him to see what sort of things he takes away from them, some others to do both and to support him as well as the artist. now, the account is relatively known.

and that’s where he finds himself again tonight. after having a not so great day, what other thing could he do other than sit in his apartment and mope around? that’s right, he can revisit the most recent piece and look at it. that in itself gave a sense of comfort, plus it meant that eunho would be able to take more pictures, some more close up and more detail oriented like ones.

it was late, completely dark and only the lampposts were lighting up the surrounding areas. the eerie feeling is slightly a discomfort, but standing in front of the art makes him feel a bit more relaxed. eunho was use to taking nightly walks often, but on the nights like this when the sky was as dark as could be, there’s always a ghostly sort of feeling underlying. but with the presence of another person, that settles his slight nerves even more. “mhm, all of them.” eunho nods, enthusiastic and low tone as he stands there, hands pushed into his pockets. “what sort of story do you take from this piece?”

it’s not that hanbin sought out feedback for his work. ultimately, he created art for him and him alone, his hobby an outlet for his frustrations and stress that had built up throughout the week. being a business owner wasn’t easy, some clients aren’t exactly what you would call pleasant to deal with, and his parents are great but... they have their moments where they perhaps rely a little too much on their oldest son’s opinion in regards to their brand, even though he isn’t part of the company other than by his name only.

so, at the end of the day his art was just for him, but it was still nice to see others appreciate his work. both online through various fan accounts he’d stumbled across, and now apparently, in person. 

at being told the stranger had seen all of them, the man raised a curious brow, arms still crossed over his chest as he looked over at him. “ really, all of them ? ” the artist had to question, ensuring he’d actually heard his companion correctly. it had never been his intention to have someone or people look for his work. although he wasn’t exactly dense and knew that some people did, it was... flattering. knowing that somebody was so touched by what he’d made that he would try and seek out more.

“ i don’t think you wanna hear my opinion, ” hanbin spoke out, a hum expelled from his lips with a sound that was akin to a laugh. he really wished his thoughts and feelings towards his own artwork was as deep as those made them out to be. there were theories he’d read over the months they were deeper and more meaningful than anything he could ever come up with. but, he supposed that was the thing about art, there’s really no right or wrong answer. “ what about you ? you seem like the expert here. ”

“you could have told me this two hours ago.” jaejin complains, yawning again. he woke up at 6am for training and couldn’t even take a nap once he got home. his plans for the night were for a good night of sleep and that’s it, but hanbin texted and here he is, following his friend all around seoul while trying to stay awake. he can’t complain, though, hanbin has taken over 12 hours flights just to see him multiple times so what is a few less hours of sleep? besides, if anyone is going to get arrested with hanbin for trespassing and damaging public property it’s going to be him.

“yeah, and if someone tries to mug you what are you going to do, spray paint their knife?” jaejin rolls his eyes. this is so hanbin, he thinks, wanting to be all tough. sure, hanbin can handle his own, but jaejin would still feel better if he knew hanbin has someone who has his back. this is just who they are, always doing the most for each other. where would he be if it wasn’t for hanbin’s friendship, anyway? not that jaejin will ever tell him that, of course.

jaejin sighs, sitting down on the sidewalk while hanbin does his thing. he pulls his phone, ready to read the theory thread about an unsolved mysteries episode on reddit. at least these night escapades with hanbin give him time to read all the things he never can because he is too busy training or doing whatever his siblings ask him to do. it’s all about the little things. “what are you doing tonight?” jaejin asks while the thread loads, “and why the fuck did we need to come so far from yangcheon?”

while hanbin never expected jaejin to accompany him out so late, especially when how packed he knew his friend’s schedule was, he always said yes. it was something unspoken between them with how many times hanbin had travelled across continents to see him, the other would never turn him down if he needed ( or wanted ) anything. as many times as he tried to assure his friend that he didn’t owe him anything, it was always the same thing.

“ at least the scar would be a cool color if they do stab me, ” hanbin comments with a nonchalant shrug, still continuing to take out spray can after spray can, not even bothering to look at his friend as he responded to his joke. once he was ready he put his bag to the side, taking a step back so he could examine the space he had to work with. most of the time when he created art it was of a type of bird, and it’s likely that tonight would be no exception. 

“ probably a bird, ” the artist answered, still examining the wall with his hands on his hips. he wasn’t wanting to give more of an answer, because really he didn’t know. the art just kind of took on a mind of it’s own. “ because if i paint too close to home and the cops catch me, i’m fucked. at least here it’s easier to stay hidden. ” nodding, he finally took out the first color, shaking up the can and beginning to get to work. “ whats happening on reddit, anything good ? ” it had been years since hanbin had even looked at the site, but finding out fun things here and there from jaemin was still kind of fun.

perhaps it was hanbin’s own fault this happened. really, he should have known better than to walk by the exit of the haunted house. for a brief moment it had caused him to chuckle to himself, hearing the frightened yells and shrieks from those inside, being terrorized by the workers in costumes that were hiding in the dark and around corners just waiting to scare them. it was silly really, in his opinion, the people paying for this attraction knew this is what they were paying for. so, why were they so scared ?

the artist barely had time to dwell on his thoughts before one of the aforementioned patrons of the ride hurried out of the end of the activity, clearly frightened and not looking as to where she was going. before he could even react she was crashing into him, causing the oldest shin to stumble, almost losing his balance with a swear slipping from his lips. thankfully, she was tiny, and he was able to hold them both upright with an arm unintentionally wrapping around her. 

“ i- uh- ” clearing his throat he took a step back from the woman, although he couldn’t help the way his arms were still held out in front of him, ensuring she was balanced on her feet from the fright she’d just experienced before he completely let his guard down. “ it was worth the money then, i guess ? ” he chuckled awkwardly as he spoke, unsure of what else to do in this situation. 

or in this case, this couple’s tiny witch and tiger. they were very cute.

“ ah ! so scary ! ” he chuckled as he handed them their well earned candy, waving them off as they headed away and to the next house. only he waited around for a moment, leaning in his door frame with his arms wrapped around his plastic jack o’ lantern full of sweets to look out over the neighborhood. spotting something ( or someone ) that didn’t... quite fit the scene.

“ aren’t you a little too old to be trick or treating ? ”

beauty of art.

starring: @yhhanbin​

the city of yangcheon was quite big, and it took eunho a while to discover all of the new and secret places, in which he probably still hasn’t. but with his late night escapade walks having had become more often and often, he had unintentionally found something that was rather eye catching, something that made him freeze in his steps and look at said thing in awe. eunho had never really been artistic, the most he could do was a fancy stickman with really bad clothes, but this.. this piece of at was something else, and he couldn’t take his eyes off it. it was quite honestly, absolutely amazing and beautiful.

he was taking a shortcut back to his apartment when he had found it, and on that particular night, he was so glad he did. he wasn’t all that interested in art in all honesty, but he did appreciate the sight of this art. there was just something about it that made him awestruck. eunho remembers seeing it for the first time, remembers how he stood there for ages to stare, and then ended up spending another fifteen to twenty minutes taking pictures of it. the colours, the uniqueness, the message that he personally received from it - he would frame it up in his apartment if he could (in which, he actually does end up doing sometime down the line).

and then he saw another recognisable piece not long after that, and he could tell it was by the same artist because of the signature and the style. thus, he took more pictures, from different angles and spent a good fifteen minutes standing there taking in the masterpiece before he had realised the time, and then he was off. that particular spark eunho was slowly seeing less and less of in his life was becoming more and more obvious, and for a split mo ment, this artist had managed to pull a bit of it back with their art. it was amazing.

it’s another night escapade walk, this night he had decided he wasn’t going to find himself shoved deep in a crowd in the middle of a club and instead, taking one of his regular night walks. dressed in his casual clothes (it was night, so he was wearing a random shirt, a hoodie that was namhyuk’s and some tracksuit bottoms that he only really wore when he was in his apartment) and feeling way more relaxed and at ease than he usually does, eunho’s just strolling, taking in the peaceful night when he finds himself heading to the location of where he found the latest piece of art. there, he finds somebody else, a taller male, looking at the piece of art. wow, someone else found it, too. “it’s a really nice piece, isn’t it?”

even though it’s definitely a bad idea, there are times where hanbin returns to his work to check on it, to see if it’s standing through the test of time, and if many people had a chance to see it before it’s no doubt power washed down, or painted over. it’s a self indulgent thing, his pride getting the best of him. a trait he inherited from his parents. sometimes, you just need that confidence boost to know you’re putting your time and effort into something worthwhile. as much as art is for yourself and no one else, it’s still a comfort to know that there are others who appreciate what you do.

as if all the instagram accounts dedicated to documenting his work weren’t enough. 

sighing out of his nose into the cool night hair, hands in his pockets, there was a smugness to the man with the fact that his painting had managed to stay up for almost a week now. perhaps no one who really cared had managed to find it yet. good. 

what he hadn’t been expecting was there to be someone else not only looking at it at the same time as the eldest shin, but wanting to talk to him about it. apparently there are others who enjoy talking night walks at stupid o’clock in the middle of seoul’s city streets, who knew ?

with the question that was presented to him, hanbin couldn’t help the way he chuckled. if only this guy knew the affinity he had towards the piece.

“ yeah, i guess i like it. ” his voice was quiet as he spoke, and really, he was answering honestly. with everything he did, the artist was never one hundred percent and completely satisfied. it was a good thing he supposed, as it always pushed him to continue to learn and keep doing better in the future. “ have you seen many of these around ? ” a follow up question asked that was mostly to satisfy his own curiosity. did this person just happen across his art during a late night stroll, or was he one of those who actively go out of their way to seek his art out and capture it themselves ?

hanbin wouldn’t call himself a petty person. he’s not the type to gold grudges, or put additional effort into worries that have long passed. it’s a pointless venture to him, and he’d rather look towards the future, his focus on bigger and better things. the only thing was, there was a point in his life where iseul was the bigger and better thing he had to look forward to. the end of their relationship wasn’t purposeful, and even he could admit his actions had been a little selfish. but, he also knew that her stopping him from making those decisions would have been even more selfish on her end.

maybe it was better for them that he’d taken the blame.

still, during a night walk through the city of seoul, he couldn’t help himself. the bare brick wall was screaming to him, calling his make and practically begging for him to set up shop here for the night. part of him tried to pretend he didn’t recognize the building he had chosen, and who it belongs to. the other part of him argued that that’s why he’d chosen it.

as much as he could avoid it, the club in question he’d chosen was one of the more popular among the crowd that the artist hangs out with, so even though he’d suggested many other places for him and his friends to go out for a drink, they’d ended up here. trying to appear relaxed, there was a nervousness and tension to hanbin’s posture that showed he was on edge, even with the drink in his hand slowly lowering his inhibitions the longer he stayed there. although he couldn’t help thinking that if iseul saw him there, she would have plenty of things to say about his artwork. 

hanbin had been close friends with jaejin for a long time, a really long time, but it hadn’t been until recently that he was slowly being introduced to his plethora of adopted siblings. some he’d spoken to more than others, of course, but one thing he hadn’t been expecting to come from his interactions was an invitation to max’s youtube channel. the artist had watched a couple of videos here and there, and sometimes he even sought them out himself when he caught wind down the yangcheon grapevine that there was an ( embarrassing ) upload dedicated to his dear friend jaejin. but appearing on it is something he’d never really imagined. hell, he’d never really considered his face being on anything. not even with his intimate ties to the h♡neyheart brand. 

so now that he found himself there, camera facing him -- almost like it was staring into his soul -- he felt... not nervous, but there was something definitely akin to butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. the eldest shin gazed curiously around the room, surprised to see that so much equipment was needed to film. mostly he thought kids these days just stuck an iphone on a tripod and called it a day. he supposed that wasn’t the case if you wanted to make a career out of it. “ so uh, what do you want me to do again ? ” he questioned in a quiet tone, leaning back in the chair in a way that seemed like he was comfortable, when in reality his body felt as stiff as a board. he just needed to relax.

there has been hundreds of times where hanbin has ventured out at night alone, deep within alleyways of the large buildings in seoul. it’s second nature to him now, weaving in and out of dark streets, picking out what he deems to be a good spot to set up shop for the next few hours. it has to be somewhere secluded enough that people ( and the many cameras littered around the city ) don’t catch him, but public enough that people can actually see his work once it’s complete. if you were walking around with him as he tried to locate that sweet, perfect spot, you might think he was lost. only, he’d done this enough times to know the back streets like the, well, back of his hand.

clad in black clothing from head to toe, complete with a black face mask and backpack filled with colors upon colors to bright spray paints in contrast, if you weren’t looking for the shin heir you likely could miss him walking by you. the only thing is, today he has a companion, determined to keep him safe from the goings on during the night in the city of seoul.

it was three o’clock in the morning, so he supposed it was normal to hear a yawn sound from behind him, just as he took out a flask that had been concealed in his pocket for a long sip. “ you don’t need to follow me around. i’m a big boy. pretty sure whatever’s lurking is more scared of me than i am of it. ” hanbin announced, turning his head to look at his friend. which turned out to be a lucky move on his part, the turn of his head causing something to catch his eye and forcing him to stop in his tracks. “ this is it. so get comfortable because we’re gonna be here a while. ” before he’d even stopped speaking he’d immediately dropped to his knees, rummaging through his bag and pulling out can after can to get started.