storiesfromthefarm

[storiesfromthefarm]

Hi when are you gonna update again? and how much chapters is it gonna be?

hello! unfortunately, the answer to both of these is "i'm not sure"

i get into bouts of writing motivation and blocks. currently, i'm in a block, trying to figure out how to bridge the next parts of the story into the bigger plot points which are coming up.

i write for fun, so i never really sit down and make extremely detailed and set in stone outlines. i have general ideas and let things come to me naturally, so i can't say for sure how long the story will be.

i'm sorry i've been somewhat silent since the last update. the block is pretty extreme and i have been distracting myself with other things to try not to stress myself too much over the next chapters. i appreciate everyone's patience and understanding <3

#answered

[storiesfromthefarm]

Stories From the Farm ✿ Chapter 9

╰a Poly!SVT kpop au

╰ feat. SVT, original female character

╰ mentions of zombie apocalypse, slice of life, ari and lee “never had a female friend in his life” jihoon are awkward

╰ index:     - Gongjunim: 공주님, trans. princess                     - Halbi: 할비, trans. nickname, short for 할아버지          

Ari sat on the couch, shoulders hunched and nose wrinkled.

“Just go outside,” she muttered. “The only thing you’ll be doing in here is staring at me on the couch.”

“You’ll need to get up eventually,” Joshua offered quietly.

“Yeah, and? Are you offering to help me pee?” she griped.

Ari was beyond irritated. Her ankle was swollen thick - a blooming blue blush already forming. The pain wasn’t enough that she considered it could be broken, but it was definitely twisted. Her wrist was only slightly better off, not yet bruised but definitely aching. There’s no way she’d be able to to the housework easily with half her limbs out of commission.

“You’ll need help getting around,” Joshua returned gently. “If you push yourself or put too much weight on it, you could make it worse.”

“Yeah, then you’ll really be in trouble,” Vernon continued.

She sighed irritably, throwing her head back to rest on the edge of the couch. Several of the other members were staring at her from the table, troubled looks on their faces. She blew a wayward hair from her eyelashes.

She knew they were right; she was intimately familiar with sprained ankles, in fact. That’s what annoyed her the most, because she knew what to expect: 2 to 4 weeks minimum of rest, having her leg kicked up on a pillow, and this time she wasn’t even sure she could spare ice to reduce the swelling. Sprained ankles were a pain in a half even when she didn’t have an entire house to clean, meals to make, laundry to do.

“I’ll just rest today and get back to it tomorrow,” she said at length. “It’ll be fine. There’s too much to do to just sit around.”

“You’ll do no such thing.”

Ari’s stomach sank. She knew that tone. Halbi only used that tone when he was about to put his foot down. “Halbi, please. There’s so much to do.”

“And we got plenty o’ hands to do it,” he waved toward the boys. “Boys can stay and help around the house till you’re better, and you’re gon’ sit right there and not run your mouth ‘bout it. That’s final. Won’t let you hurt yourself even more just cause you’re so damn stubborn.”

Ari very much wanted to run her mouth about it, but she bit her tongue. She knew they were right. If she overdid it and ended up with permanent damage in her foot - well, Vernon had already said it: she really would be in trouble.

“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth, folding her arms huffily. “Everyone go outside already. I didn’t decommission myself for nothing, and I want to pout in peace.”

- - -

“You really think she’ll be okay?” Chan asked, eyeing the house worriedly.  

“She’ll be fine,” Jeonghan responded, throwing the ball up lightly and catching it again. “I think we should be more worried about her actually resting like she said.”

Seungcheol hummed. “That’s true. Haraboji is right; she’s so stubborn.”

“She seemed to listen pretty well to Haraboji, though,” Seokmin said, eyes wide. “She didn’t even try to argue with him just now.”

“I don’t think that really had anything to do with Haraboji,” Vernon said. “She knew we were right about her ankle. I think she just gave in for her own good.”

“Yah, Vernon, you never told us what happened in the shed anyway. How’d you get her to stop arguing and let you carry her?” Mingyu finished staking the net into the ground, leaning on the pole.

Vernon shrugged. “I just talked to her. I just tried to explain that we weren’t going to hurt them and she could trust us.”

“Do you think she’ll ever trust us?” Minghao asked. “I know we’re grateful and all, but it still feels weird staying in a house with someone who seems to…not like us very much.”

“Try not to take it personally,” Joshua offered, frowning slightly. “After everything Haraboji’s told us, I really do think she likes us. She’s just worried about letting strangers in. She’s a Carat, after all, so it’s not like she hates us?”

“Then why does she keep being so…?” Jihoon let the question hang.

“It’s only been like a week,” Vernon offered. “Maybe we just have to give her more time?”

They all nodded quietly.

“You don’t think her and Haraboji are hiding anything, do you?” Chan asked suddenly, in a small voice.

Joshua turned curiously. “Where did that come from?”

“I don’t know,” Chan returned slowly. “I just get the feeling they’re not telling us everything? I’ve been thinking about it. I mean, how does Ari fight them? And how is it that she apparently just wanders around the city collecting supplies?”

“Haraboji kept saying she had her own ways,” Seokmin offered. “Maybe she’s just really careful? I mean, she is pretty tiny. She might be good at hiding and sneaking around them.”

Something in Vernon’s mind was set aflame. After what he had just seen in the shed - “I tripped on some stupid fucking bottle or something” - sneaking didn’t seem like it would be Ari’s strong suit. She had even called herself clumsy. Was it a fluke? Was she just more lax here on the farm, where she felt she was safe, and had a rare accident? But Chan had a point: no matter how careful she was, Seoul was crawling with infected. There’s no way she wouldn’t have been seen even once, surely? So how did she still manage to get around and get all these supplies?

“You don’t think they’ve…killed anyone, do you?” Jun asked suddenly, eyes wide. “Maybe she’s not really going into the city. Maybe they take supplies from people who…come through the farm.”

“What? No, don’t be ridiculous.” Seungcheol shook his head. “After everything they’ve done for us, you can’t really think that? Don’t let your imagination get the best of you.”

“But,” Soonyoung started, “didn’t Haraboji threaten to use us to grow the potatoes that first day?”

“Yah, seriously,” Seungkwan said incredulously, “he was just saying that so we’d behave around Ari-ssi.”

“Even if they aren’t telling us everything,” Joshua said sternly, “I don’t think we should start thinking like this. Haven’t we done things we’d prefer not to in order to survive?” Everyone grew quiet. “Vernon’s right. It’s only been a week. We can’t expect them to tell us their whole life story after such a short time.”

“I don’t know,” Jun said, laughing quietly, “Haraboji seems very talkative.”

The others chuckled, but Seungcheol sighed. “Still, let’s just give it more time. I know she’s upset, but Ari-ssi being hurt means we get a little longer here. Just be polite, like we said the first day. Maybe we’ll get through to her eventually.”

- - -

“You gonna spy on ‘em all day?” Halbi asked, laughing as Ari shuffled down from where she had been stretched across the arm of the couch, neck craning to see outside.

“I got that stupid thing out so they could play. Why are they just standing around talking?” she groused.

“Ah, let ‘em relax. I keep tellin’ ya’. They’ve not had an easy time of it like we have here on the farm.” Halbi sat next to her with a grunt. “Speaking of that - how’re ya feelin’?” He eyed her seriously.

“My ankle’s messed up,” she deadpanned immediately, “not my brain. Things are fine.”

“Well, you just let me know,” Halbi said. “You need to rest or anything, we’ll bring ‘em right back inside so you can get some sleep. I know you want ‘em out soon as possible, but things can get on for a little longer. Nothing too pressing that can’t wait.”

Ari sighed. “You’re really set on dragging this out, aren’t you?”

“Gonna wear you down one way or another,” Halbi grinned. “You not thought about it at all?”

“Of course I’ve thought about it. At length. The answer is still no.”

“And why’s that?” Halbi asked gruffly. “Gimme one reason you think these boys ought to go back to fightin’ for their lives out there when they could stay and help us out ‘round here.”

Ari turned a stern glare toward him. “You know the reason.”

Halbi sighed. “Gongjunim, I’ve told ya’ a hundred times. The right people’ll understand. Even us old farts understood after a while. Them boys will, too. Ain’t you their carrot, after all?”

Ari breathed a soft laugh, shaking her head.

“We’re still good people.”  

Vernon’s words echoed in the back of her mind. Of course she wanted to believe it, but even the best people can turn ugly when in the face of something unfamiliar, something that scares them. How could she ever predict how they would react when - if - they found out about her? She sighed, craning her neck again to catch a glimpse of them outside. They were finally playing, the ball flying through the air back and forth, shouts echoing in through the open windows. Laughing. Smiling. In only a few days, they were already a far cry from the exhausted individuals that had trekked mud into her entrance.

“Good people, huh?” she whispered to herself. “We’ll see…”

- - -

By the time the boys reentered the house, it was dusk.

She hobbled out of the bathroom on the lower level, using the wall for support. It was Jihoon she ran into on the way.  He was breathless and grinning, until he saw her. When he did, he stopped short, eyes wide.

“Uh…hey.”

She blinked. “Hey.”

“I was just…” He trailed off and pointed lamely in the direction she’d just come from.

“The bathroom’s free if you need it,” she offered awkwardly. “I was just, um, going back to the living room.” She also pointed lamely in the direction from which he’d come. It was quiet between them for a long moment before she cleared her throat. “Anyway.”

She began to shuffle forward again, hopping on one foot. Just as she was about to pass him, he stopped her, placing a hand out just shy of her free arm. “Uh, do you…?” He cleared his throat, too. “Do you need help?”

Ari felt her ears heat. “No—I uh, I don’t wanna bother you if you have to,” she cleared her throat again, “I’m fine. I’m just gonna…” She pointed, once again, toward the living room and gave a tiny hop, watching him immediately withdraw his arm.

He nodded without another word, shuffling past her quickly and disappearing behind the bathroom door with a sharp snap. Shaking her head minutely, she rubbed at her ears, willing them to stop burning. “So awkward,” she whined under her breath, slowing making her way forward again.

Halbi had already started dinner, and the boys began helping him around the kitchen, talking animatedly. Joshua and Minghao were settled on the couch, talking amongst themselves.

Minghao noticed her first as she tottered out of the hallway, doing an awkward bounce to put as little pressure on her foot as possible now that she didn’t have the wall for stability. He stood quickly, moving to offer his arm without a word. Ari stood for a moment, considering rejecting the offer, but she resolved herself to his help, gently placing her hands on top of his arm for support as she hobbled forward. She could feel the whisper of pressure on her lower back from his other arm, ready to support her at any moment in case she stumbled. He led her to the couch, helping her sit softly and she sighed when she was finally down again.

“I forgot how much this sucks,” she pouted. On top of the dull pains she was feeling, hopping around seemed to use more of her energy than she expected. Even her trip to the bathroom had made her breathless.

“Just keep taking it easy,” Joshua offered. “It’ll heal with time.”

She continued to pout, knowing he was right but not enjoying that patience was her only option. Patience was not one of her strongest characteristics.

“Did you all at least have a good time?” she asked softly. “Outside?”

They both nodded. “It was the most fun we’ve had in a long time,” Joshua offered quietly.

“…Good.”

- - -

Dinner came and went, and the mood turned quiet as exhaustion swept over the boys after a long day outside. Some turned in early to the sound of evening rain, and when it came time for Ari to return to her room, it was Mingyu who insisted on helping her up the stairs.

“I could just carry you, you know,” he said as she gripped his forearm for support, hopping up one stair at a time.

“No thanks. I feel bad enough doing this.” She stifled a blush as much as she could, but her face still felt warm.

When they finally made it to her room, she could nearly feel her calf cramping. She sighed, making to push open the door.

“Thanks,” she muttered.

Mingyu acknowledged it with an offhanded hum. “I should be the one thanking you.” She looked at him and he continued, placing a warm hand on her arm and giving it a light squeeze. “Best birthday in years.”

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆

taglist: @hyuckscult13​ | @woozarts​ | @hoshihandholder​ | @sohnfile​ | @cuzyourmyflower​ | @atinyidea-bon​

#seventeen #svt #seventeen series #seventeen story #seventeen imagine #i hope everyone's tagged ok! #they didn't work the first time so i had to try and fix them ;;

[storiesfromthefarm]

i’ll delete this tomorrow, but since i’ve gotten so many nice messages and things about people being excited for the next chapter, i wanted to quickly let everyone know it’s coming tomorrow (8/14)! ^^ it’s complete and i’ll edit it tomorrow before posting. thank you all so much for your patience <3

[storiesfromthefarm]

New theory, she's an Ai or has like those microchips planted in her head where they can see stuff. Idk what's it's called but like the microchip is connected to cameras, internet and stuff. Idk how it works when there's a zombie apocalypse but 🤷‍♀️ magic? 😂 But it's unlikely because then it pops another question, how does Ari gets rid of the zombies without dying or turning?

Another theory is that she immune to the disease and the other group before svt tried to use her to find a cure?? Like they somehow find out? Or they tried to take the farm as their base but obviously failed. Or they had another hidden agenda.

If she was bitten and didn't turn, the zombies might think she's one of them so she can maneuver them to somewhere else or get rid of them? An after affect of not turning is that Ari can sense zombies in the surroundings.

So many theories. Anyways hope I'm not bothering you with these.

hi hello first of all: please don't ever think you're bothering me!! i love reading people's response and theories about what might be going on, so i appreciate any and every message!! ^^

that being said, i'm so sorry this took me a billion years to answer. i tried to answer it the first day it sent and then tumblr was being weird and kept refreshing the page before i could post it so i got annoyed :') lmaoooo

as for the theory!! i like it. something in the vein of resident evil, right? how they can kind of see what alice sees and everything? i think that's a really nice take, too, as well as the other theories 👀 like i said, i'm trying to ramp up and get the reveal out a little sooner than maybe expected cause i'm excited! i can't wait to see what everyone thinks! ^^

tysm again for the message <3

#answered #this is from like a month ago I AM SO SORRY I RLY DO APPRECIATE IT

[storiesfromthefarm]

I'm assuming Ari was bitten by a zombie but never turned so that's why she's weary of people. Maybe that's why she has a smart lock on her door so if she turns, she won't bite anyone? Or it's just so people don't enter her room or try to kill her? And screaming Yoon Jeonghan is such a carat thing to do, honestly relatable 😔✊.

Joshua and Vernon knowing Ari was nice but is a tsundere 😂, won't be surprised if they know everything. Just American line things I guess.

Kinda want to see svt's reaction to Ari's kpop collection and seeing their albums and caratbong after such a long time. Does she have both caratbongs or only one? If not both which version does she have?

ohooo~ your theories are theorying 🧐🧐 i can't wait to finally tell you guys what's going on with ari!! i'm currently reevaluating the pace of the story to see if i want to speed it up a bit so we can get there faster, but we'll see!!

also in some weird way, i imagined to myself it's the way she speaks. shua and nonnie are more used to american turns of phrase and mannerisms, so they can sniff out the bullshit a little faster hehe >:)

as for the kpop collection, i definitely intend for them to find out sooner or later! i will never let an opportunity for yoon jeonghan (irritated)(affectionate) to tease our girl. and she absolutely has both!! ^^ she's a big collector <3

thank you so much for reading and for your msg! <3

#answered #love how both messages today called out yoon jeonghan specifically lmao #my favorite little menace

[storiesfromthefarm]

It's always Yoon Jeonghan instead of Jeonghan lmao 😂.

Amazing chapter as always, can't wait for the next one!! Keep up the good work and take your time so you don't overwhelm yourself!! 💕

his special brand of annoyance warrants a full name sorta reaction 😂

also tysm 🥺 that means a lot and i really really appreciate it!! 💕💕

#answered

[storiesfromthefarm]

STORIES FROM THE FARM ✿ chapter 8

╰a Poly!SVT kpop au

╰ feat. SVT, original female character

╰ mentions of zombie apocalypse, slice of life, yoon jeonghan is a menace, language

╰ index:      - Gongjunim: 공주님, trans. princess                       - Halbi: 할비, trans. nickname, short for 할아버지                - Noona: 누나, trans. older sister, familiar term for a younger male toward an older female      - Ahjussi: 아저씨, trans. used to address a middle-aged or married man

It was incredibly difficult for Ari to pretend that her love for Seventeen didn’t burn with the white-hot intensity of a thousand suns now that she had offered up a birthday meal. She could only deny her interest for so long, her feeble excuse of saying she’d overheard their conversation the other night falling on deaf ears. There were too many knowing grins now, too many curious eyes that seemed to look at her in a new light. She tried to steel herself with each and every gaze, fervently sticking to her story.

“Do you know how bad my memory is?” she muttered after Seungkwan’s teasing remarks. “I could never remember all your birthdays. I already told you, I overhead you.”

“So you were eavesdropping?” he smiled, raising his brows.

She prickled. “I was bringing you supplies! You all talk so loud I could hear you outside the door!” She harrumphed, spooning soup into her pouting mouth. She wasn’t exactly partial to the soup, never having had it before, but she wasn’t about to waste what she’d worked so hard on, least of all waste her precious beef.  

“Ah, you don’t have to be embarrassed!”

“Yah, but if you really are a Carat, why’d you lie?” Chan pouted.

Ari’s hand twitched. “I am not,” she insisted weakly.

“Carrot?” Halbi barked. “What kinda nonsense is that?”

“Carat is the name of our fans,” Joshua explained to Halbi. “And I’m sure Ari-ssi had her reasons for keeping it from us.” Although it was in response to Chan, he directed himself toward Ari, offering a warm smile.

“I think you were nervous,” Jeonghan smirked, head resting on a palm cockily. “Our dear Carat seeing her favorite idols on her doorstep.”

Ari scoffed, turning to stare at him insolently. “As if you could make me nervous.”

“I’ll try my best, if that’s an invitation.”

Ba-bump.

She was so flustered by the unexpected statement that her scandalized words slipped out before she could stop them. “Y-yoon Jeonghan!”

His grin was as immediate as it was shit-eating, and Ari realized her mistake. “You seem awfully familiar for someone who wasn’t a fan.” The tip of his chopsticks rested on his lips as he continued to grin teasingly. “Using my full name. Who do you think you are?”

“Oh, that’s right!” Seokmin jumped in. “You wouldn’t know his full name if you weren’t a fan of us!” He laughed. “Aw, you really were a Carat!”

Little shit… she thought irritably, glaring at Jeonghan. He seemed utterly unconcerned, continuing to stare back at her with mirth in his eyes.

“Who was your favorite member?” Mingyu asked.

“What was your favorite song?” Hoshi piggybacked.

“Tell the truth - which unit was the best?” Seungkwan joked.

“How long have you been a fan?”  

Ari pursed her lips tightly, determined to hold her ground, but it was a gentle hand on her should that made her relax. “Don’t mind them,” Seungcheol said gently. “You don’t have to answer. It’s just, well, we obviously haven’t seen a fan for a long time. We’re all just…happy.” The way he smiled made Ari’s heart squeeze. “But don’t let them pressure you.”

“Ah, Gongjunim, what’s the harm in tellin’ ‘em?” Halbi gestured vaguely. “Your jig’s up anyhow.”

Ari sighed heavily. “I’m not telling you my favorite member, my favorite song was “Run to You,” and I’ve been a fan for…quite a long time.” She cleared her throat and lowered her eyes. “Now will you please shut up and eat?”

- - -

Ari quietly gathered the dishes as the boys talked animatedly.

Halbi had taken it upon himself to give them the day off, given that it was Mingyu’s birthday. They should relax and enjoy themselves, he said. Much to everyone’s surprise, Ari hadn’t said a word against it. She agreed, even. After all, birthdays are important, especially in times like these. They really were something to celebrate.

“Let me help you.” It was Jun who wandered up behind her quietly, gesturing toward the dishes.

“No, it’s okay.” She shook her head. “Go relax with the others.”

He stared at her silently for a moment. “You should relax, too. You got up early to cook for us.” His voice was warm. Distracting, she thought.

“You’ve all cooked for me the last few mornings,” she returned, clearing her throat. She turned back to the dishes. “Really, go sit.”

She thought that was the end of it after another moment of silence until she felt Jun move behind her, so close she could feel his shirt brush up against her back. “Noona, let me help. Please?” His voice was low as it echoed from above her ears, and he reached forward, gently taking the bowl from her hand.

Her eyes shot wide open, her brain short circuiting. Noona? Before she could process it any further, he gently moved her aside, taking up the task of loading the dishes. “A quick wash on the hottest setting, right?” he asked, a soft smile on his face. She nodded dumbly in response and Jun went back to the dishes. He didn’t look at her when he spoke next. “We have to shock you.”

She blinked and tried to put her brain back together. “What?”

“So you don’t argue,” he said, laughing to himself. “We have to shock you. Jeonghan-hyung did it, too.”

Her face flared up immediately, and she stumbled over her words. “Shock - what - but…I don’t argue.”

“You’re arguing now,” he returned.

She gaped, opening and closing her mouth as she struggled to find a clever response. When she came up empty, she pouted. “J-just do the dishes.” She walked away, pointedly ignoring the fact that he was laughing at her again.    

She hovered around the dining room for a moment, idly wiping the table and listening as conversation lulled, slowly moving toward topics of the past. How they used to go out for a nice dinner on birthdays, drinks, karaoke, just getting together and enjoying each other’s company, maybe a small game of whatever sport they could with whatever equipment they had available.

Will they be bored, stuck in the house all day? She frowned, slowly moving away toward the laundry room, where she tossed the dirty rag. She debated for a moment, tapping her fingers against the counter.

It had already been five days since they arrived. Two more, and - theoretically - they should be moving on. It was for the best, wasn’t it? She glanced at a laundry basket, full to the brim of their dirty clothes from yesterday. When the days were over, she’d fold them up neatly, pass them along to the boys; they should keep a spare change of clothes at the very least, shouldn’t they?

Or, the small nagging voice in the back of her mind argued, they could stay here. “But where would they sleep?” she murmured to herself. “Packed in like sardines on mats on the floor…”

But there was also another room, a room she could clear out to make some additional space. She frowned at the thought.

“And the food…” she murmured again.

But what about the food? They had plenty. Too much, even. So much it was nearly going to waste. And they could help with the farm, to harvest more and compensate for the additional mouths.

“No,” she muttered angrily, pushing away from the counter. “Even if I can rationalize everything else, they can’t stay.” If they ever find out about me, she thought sadly, they’ll never understand…

- - -

“Halbi, I’m going out for a bit,” Ari called quickly.

“Where are you goin’ all of a sudden?” He called from his place on the couch, craning his neck to watch as she walked quickly through the foyer.

“Out!”    

Ari stole out the door quickly. She began walking idly, enjoying the sunshine and taking in the fresh air. With each day that passed, the temperature grew warmer. Soon, summer would be in full swing. The farm would be thriving, and Halbi would be busy harvesting and planting; she would be busy storing, freezing, processing. It would be the first time they experienced summer by themselves, after Ahjussi’s passing a few months ago.

“We can do it, can’t we?” she said to herself. “It’ll…be fine.”

She tried to shut her brain off as she continued on, reaching the community center quickly. A flurry of dust fell from the doorframe as she shoved the door open, and she coughed and sputtered as it flew into her face. “Really gotta get down here and dust more often…”

- - -

Vernon made his way quickly down the dirt path, toward the hanok in the distance. Haraboji had said that was likely where Ari was heading.

Why had she run off all of a sudden? He thought after breakfast, things were a bit better. She’d finally admitted that she’d been a fan, so he thought maybe they’d had the opportunity to get a little closer, but as soon as Jun took over the dishes, she wandered away for a several minutes before rushing out with hardly a word. Surely she can’t be that upset. She can’t think we’re mad at her for being a fan, can she?

In truth, they were all really happy, just like Seungcheol said. For them to run into survivors, for the survivors to be so willing to help them, and one of them is one of their Carats? Of course they were happy. Hearing the word after so long made him feel warm, like a little bit of his old life was back. Even through all this, there was still at least one person in the world who remembered them like that.

He was ripped from his thoughts suddenly when he heard a series of short screams come from the community center, followed by a cacophony of noise. Eyes wide, he moved more quickly. “Ari!” When he didn’t hear anything in return, he started at a full run, tearing across the farm as fast as he could. “Ari!”

Skidding to a halt in front of the community center door, he called again, easing into the building with tense shoulders. “Are you okay?”

From somewhere in the corner, he heard her groan. “I’m okay…I’m fine.”

“Nothing’s here, right?” he asked sternly, searching for anything to use as a weapon.

“No, there’s nothing here!” she snapped. “Unless you count a clumsy moron!” There was a clatter. “Dammit,” she hissed.

Vernon maneuvered carefully through the stacks of old junk in the building: old electronics, broken farm equipment, empty boxes and the like. Haraboji hadn’t taken them inside the building, but he’d mentioned that there wasn’t much use for it after most of the others had passed away and that it was mostly used for storage now.

When he finally reached Ari, he found her sprawled face down on the ground among several - now very broken - electronics, her foot seemingly tangled in some sort of net. “Jesus,” he muttered, immediately kneeling down and trying to remove the debris. “What happened?” He pushed away a large scrap of hard plastic, which seemed to belong to an old karaoke machine, if the microphone attached was any indication. Beside her, too, was a large, cracked television. It had fallen to her side, the glass thankfully shattering to her left instead of right on top of her. He scooted it as far away as he could before she turned over irritably, supporting herself on an elbow and cradling her other hand.

“Dammit,” she hissed away, trying to shake the net from her foot.

“Oh, here.” Vernon reached forward immediately, untangling the net from around her foot and ankle. “Are you okay? How did you manage all this?”

She huffed. “I tripped on some stupid fucking bottle or something that was on the floor. I rolled my whole fucking foot and I was carrying the net so I tripped on it when I started stumbling, and I tried to grab onto something to stop myself from falling and apparently I grabbed onto the start of a whole fucking avalanche!” She said it all in one angry breath, and Vernon had to bite his lip to start from laughing. He’d never seen her quite so expressive.

“Wait, rolled your foot?”

She sniffed. “It’s fine. It just…stings a little.”

“What about your hand?” He nodded toward the one she was favoring against her chest.

As if she hadn’t realized it until now, she straightened her arm immediately. “It’s…fine. I think I just came down on it weird.”

“Can you stand up?” He backed off, standing and offering her a hand.

She pushed forward and took it hesitantly, and Vernon could tell immediately that something was wrong. He watched as she grit her teeth, barely able to put weight on her foot. He pulled her full weight up, until she was swaying on the spot, ankle hovering just over the floor.

“It’s fine,” she ground out, taking a single, limp step forward before her leg nearly collapsed under the weight. “Shit!”

Vernon’s eyes widened as he reached out, catching her quickly before she toppled back over. “Yeah,” he said, nodding, “looks totally fine.”

“Shut up! I’m telling you, it’s fine! I can—” She tried to take another step forward, hands still twisted in the fabric of his shirt, but her ankle couldn’t hold her, and this time, she cried out in pain. Vernon held her fast, one hand holding her arm and the other firmly around her waist.

“Shit,” he muttered. “You don’t think you broke it, do you?”

“No,” she ground out, eyes squeezed shut. “It cannot be broken. I’m sure it’s just a sprain.”

They were quiet for a moment as Ari breathed heavily through her nose. Vernon took a moment to look at her. Despite what she said, the corners of her eyes were wet, and her hands were gripping him tightly, fingers twisted in his shirt so tightly she was nearly pulling it down his shoulder.

“Come on,” he said quietly, “we need to get you back to the house.”

“You go,” she responded immediately. “I’ll get by.”

“Bullshit,” he returned easily. “What are you gonna’ do? Crawl back?”

“If I have to!” She opened her eyes to shoot him a glare.

His mouth twitched in a frown. “Ari, come on. Seriously?” Speaking English for the first time in who knows how long felt strange, but he couldn’t help but slip back into his native tongue to convey his frustration.

She made a surprised noise in the back of her throat, mouth slightly open as she struggled to find a retort.

“What?” he asked.

She shook her head slowly. “Nothing,” she responded in a whisper. Her voice in English sounded different, somewhat lower. Vernon was surprised to find he liked it, and he blinked when she actually offered him a small smile. “I just…forgot you could do that.”

“What?” he laughed. “Speak English?”

“Yeah,” she gave a breathless laugh in return. “I’ve just…been speaking Korean for so long with Halbi, I almost forgot…what it was like.”

Silence stretched between them again, the only sound the background of nature outside.

“What were you doing in here, anyway?” he asked at length. “What was the net for?”

“Ah,” she vocalized shortly, looking around toward the net which lay tangled on the floor. “Yeah, about that. I was just - I mean I just figured - because maybe you’d be bored - and since it was his birthday, maybe he’d want to do more than sit in the house and - I don’t know, I just thought maybe he’d like to get outside for something that didn’t involve working so I thought maybe I’d get out this stupid volleyball thing.” She cleared her throat as she continued to ramble. “I bought it when the house was finished cause I had all these big plans to try and have like, parties and stuff, but it turns out you need like, friends and stuff to have big parties and cookouts and whatever, and I don’t like sports so I never used it, and then the world went to shit and we just stored it in here, but I thought maybe you all would like to play, so I came down here looking for it. The poles are over here, and I was going to try and unbury them and bring everything back up to the house and—”

“Ari.”

“Yeah, sorry.” Her voice pitched high. “I just thought…it might be something fun you all could do for his birthday. Together.”

She hung her head, refusing to look at him. Vernon smiled, resisting the urge to squeeze her waist or pull her in for a hug. “I knew you liked us.”

“Shut up,” she whispered again.

He chuckled again, slowly releasing her. “Here.” He turned, bending down on one knee.

“…What are you doing?”

“You can’t walk back to the house. I’ll carry you.”

“No,” she responded immediately.

“Yes.”

“Fuck off, you can’t carry me.”

Vernon snorted. “You act a lot different in English.”

“I don’t know the colloquial curse words in Korean,” she snarked.

“Come on, just get on. I’ll take you back up to the house and the others can come get the net and stuff.”

“No.”

“Why?”

“I’m…heavy…”

Vernon sighed, standing and turning back to face her. She stared at him defiantly, mouth twisted.  

“…You can trust us, you know,” he said quietly. “I know why you don’t; I get it, but we’re really not interested in hurting anyone. We’re just trying to get by, just like you.” He watched Ari’s face soften, her defiant gaze turning sad. “You can let your guard down, even if it’s just a little bit. I promise, we’ll show you, we’re still…good people.”

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ taglist: @hyuckscult13​ | @woozarts​ | @hoshihandholder​ | @sohnfile | @cuzyourmyflower​

#seventeen #seventeen series #seventeen story #seventeen imagine #svt

[storiesfromthefarm]

Hii i love your work !! can i be added to the taglist?💛

ahhh thank you so much 🥺  yes ofc; i've added you to the tag list ^^ <3

[storiesfromthefarm]

STORIES FROM THE FARM ✿ chapter 7

╰a Poly!SVT kpop au

╰ feat. SVT, original female character

╰ mentions of zombie apocalypse, slice of life

╰ index:                 - Haraboji: 할아버지, trans. grandfather                 - Halbi: 할비, trans. nickname, short for 할아버지                 - Ahjussi: 아저씨, trans. used to address a middle-aged or married man       - Hyung: 형, trans. brother; familiar term for a younger male toward an older male

“Hyung, did you see the calendar in the kitchen? It’s almost your birthday.”

“Eh?”

“Mn. Apparently it’s the third; it’s three days from now.”

Ari hesitated, fist hovering over the door. Instead of knocking, she pulled back, leaning against the wall to the left.

“If Haraboji lets us stay the week like he said, we’ll still be here for it.”

“Ah, well,” Mingyu said. “Doesn’t really matter, does it?”

“Ah, come on! Maybe if we tell Haraboji, he can convince Ari-ssi to give us some meat!”

Ari prickled, shooting her head toward the closed door. Halbi told them about the meat?! God, that old man has a big mouth.

“Nah, let it be. I’m happy enough that we get to stay here for a bit. Besides, I don’t wanna do anything to piss her off any more than she already is.” Mingyu chuckled.

At this, Ari felt her heart sink. She hung her head, twisting her lips. Surely she wasn’t that bad, was she? It’s just…they had to know they couldn’t stay. There were too many of them.

Someone sighed deeply. “She’s so pretty, though, isn’t she?”

Ari’s eyes widened. There was a chorus of agreement, and Ari felt her face warm.

“I wonder what happened to her to make her so mad, though. Remember what Haraboji said?”

“Maybe it’s just her anxiety? Remember how Seungcheol-hyung was when he got bad?”

Oh, Ari thought sadly, that’s right. I forgot…Seungcheol had to take time off at one point for anxiety, too. Wait, my what?! Just how much has Halbi been telling them?  

“I think she likes us.”

“What?!”

“Are you crazy?”

“She definitely hates us.”

“I don’t think so? I think she’s just pretending to. Didn’t you see the way she reacted yesterday when Haraboji told her about us being idols?”

“Yeah, but…she said she didn’t like us.”

“Nah, I think she’s lying.”

Who is that? Is that Vernon? That little - what does he know?!

Although the rational part of her mind responded quickly: He seems to know everything. Because of course she was lying. Of course she was. She was thrilled to death that they were alive, that they were here and safe and eating well - at least for now - but the happier she got about all of that, the harder it would be to send them away. And she had to send them away.

“I wonder who her favorite group was, anyway?”

“We should make Hansolie ask her, since he’s so convinced she likes us.” They all laughed, and Ari rolled her eyes.

Shuffling slightly, she finally plucked up the courage and knocked on the door with her free hand. Mingyu opened the door quickly.

“Can I…come in?” she asked, raising her arm, which was weighed down with the things she’d brought from the warehouse.

Eyes wide, Mingyu nodded, opening the door wide and moving aside to let her pass.

“It’s extra clothes,” she explained, slowly setting the large stack down on the floor. “Shirts, socks, underwear, pants. So I don’t have to do the laundry as often. Halbi mentioned that you all talked about shaving while you were out, so here’s some razors and cream. They’re not fancy but the blades are all new. I brought tissues in case you need them, and wet wipes for…whatever.” Clearing her throat, she stood, leaving the large basket full of items on the floor. “Just basics.”

“Thank you, Ari-ssi!” Seokmin grinned and Ari felt her heart tighten a bit.

Though it was only the second day, there was a lot more life in their eyes than there had been when they’d arrived yesterday. His cheeks weren’t quite as full as they once had been, but Seokmin’s smile was still wide and warm.

“Sure,” she mumbled, trying to ignore their very pointed stares. “If you need anything else…” She made the terrible mistake of looking toward Vernon, who was looking at her with what some might describe as warmth. “Tell Halbi!”

She very nearly ran from the room, closing the door behind her loudly. Grumbling to herself as she made her way upstairs, she pressed her hands against her flushed cheeks. She had already delivered the supplies to the other boys, and Halbi had turned in some time ago.

The boys had spent the remainder of the day with Halbi, mulling about the living room and chatting, while she hid away in her room until dinner rolled around. A very small part of her wished that Halbi would just get on with it, make them work all day and get as much done as possible. She sighed, shaking her head. But Halbi was right; they’d been staying outside for quite a while now. They were probably exhausted, even after a good night’s sleep in the house. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to overwork them.

As she quietly slipped into her room, she thought about the conversation she’d overheard.

Three days from now, huh…

- - -

The days passed easily, each day the same. Ari began to wake up later, to the smell of breakfast and chatter downstairs. She went about her chores while the boys worked outside for the first half of the day, moving inside after lunch to relax.

However, on the morning of the sixth, Ari was shaken awake by Halbi. She groaned, rubbing at her eyes.

“Don’t know what ya’ needed me to wake ya’ so early for. Boys can handle breakfast. Couple of ‘em decent at cooking.”

“I wan’ cook today,” she mumbled into her pillow sleepily.

“Well then ya’ better drag yer tail outta bed.” He patted her head once before leaving the room.

She sighed deeply into her covers before tossing them off, the cool air of the room meeting her bare legs. She stretched, long and wide, before stumbling out of bed and washing quickly.

Halbi was already in the kitchen with a glass of water.

“What’s the sudden interest in gettin’ up so early to cook?”

She shrugged. “I feel like seaweed soup this morning. I want to make it fresh.”

Halbi stared at her incredulously. “Seaweed soup?”

“Mm.”

“You ain’t never ate seaweed soup in yer life.”

She blinked slowly. “…I wanna try it.”

“All of a sudden?”

“Yes, all of a sudden I want to try seaweed soup! Is that a crime?” She twisted her hair into a messy bun. “I’m going to go grab some things from the basement.”

She left quickly, into the auxiliary kitchen and then down into the basement.

On the list of places most important to the farm, the basement was surely included. The basement was filled to the brim with everything she had stored: the meat, spare fruits and vegetables, all the dry and canned food, and all the medicine and extra supplies. It was the largest space in the house. She’d designed it overlarge because she originally had dreamy, even grandiose, plans for it, but - well, plans change.

She opened one of the several commercial freezers, digging around through the meat. If they can only have it once…Her hands lingered over several cuts of fine hanwoo beef. She normally only saved it for Chuseok, but, after all, birthdays are important.

She whined a little in the back of her throat. “My beef…”

With a heavy heart, she pulled several of the cuts out and loaded them into her arms. Slowly, she began gathering the ingredients from around the room. A pack of dried seaweed, a large radish, a handful of green onion, and one of the late season apples. “Most of the other things should be upstairs already,” she mumbled to herself as she balanced everything precariously.

She carefully made her way back upstairs, grabbing a large stock pot from the auxiliary kitchen as she went and dumping the ingredients onto the counter in the main kitchen. When she turned, Halbi was staring at her knowingly.

“What?” she grumbled. “You said they’ve been doing a good job.”

“Special meal even if they are,” he said. He wandered over. “You even gonna give ‘em the hanwoo? Well, now. I knew you was fond of ‘em.” He chuckled. She pouted, turning away and grabbing a bowl from the lower cabinet. “So which one of ‘em is it?” Halbi continued.

She sighed as she ripped open the packet of seaweed. “…It’s Mingyu.”

“That’s one o’ the tall ones, i’nit?”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes. The tall, tan one. Er…” All of them had become pretty tan. She guessed it was from being outside for so long. “The tanner one. How much of this should I soak for thirteen people?” She flipped the back over, trying to see if there were portion suggestions.

“Ah, just chuck it all in. It’ll all get ate.”

“I like it,” she said, tearing some portions apart before tossing it in the bowl. “Easy.” She filled the bowl with water quickly before setting it off to the side. “Now, meat.” She pulled another large bowl out and carefully dumped all the meat in before filling it with cool water. “Hmm, how long should it all take to defrost?”

“Hour or more,” Halbi offered, peering over. “Probably ought to’ve thawed it last night.” She tapped her fingers on the counter irritably. She wanted it to be done by the time they got up. “Ah, don’t worry yerself about it. Just start boiling it when the seaweed’s ready. Won’t matter too much; you can skim off any blood and such.”

“Ugh,” she groaned at the thought. “Worst part about boiling meat. That’s fine, though.” She sighed. “While we’re waiting, I’m gonna go back down to the basement. I’m going to check all the food storage.”

“Mn.”

She wandered back downstairs. She started with the freezers, feeling their sides and checking their temperature gauges, dusting off the vents at the bottom, as well. Originally, she’d only had the one, intending to use it as an extra deep freezer for storage. It had been more than a hassle getting the other six from Seoul. It had involved a lot of blood, sweat, and tears, and had resulted in her lying in bed for nearly a week due to a tweaked nerve in her back. Still, after Ahjussi had brought all the meat from his cattle farm, saving it had become an extremely time sensitive issue, as the ice he put it on in the truck would only last for so long. If he hadn’t brought a dolly with him, she never would have been able to move the large appliances by herself.

Most of the electricity they stored was for the multiple appliances around the house. She never turned on the lights or the heating and air. All of the non-essential electronics had been unplugged and stored away in the community center long ago. Now, all that was left were the things that made their lives infinitely easier, the creature comforts that she’d hold onto until they gave out: washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerators and freezers, and her precious electric vacuums. The cold storage, too, was incredibly important to keep as much of the food Halbi harvested fresh for as long as possible.  

For immediate access, she kept a small store of fruits and vegetables here in the basement, as well. Onions, apples, carrots, radishes, sweet potatoes and the like, all wrapped neatly and stored in ventilated shelves so she could move them up to the main fridge easily. She slowly began checking them one by one: unwrapping, checking for signs of rot or softness, rewrapping. It was a long process, but it was necessary to keep the food safe. One bad apple, as they say.

The slow, mundane task nearly lulled her back to sleep. By the time she finished, her eyes were heavy as she wandered back upstairs. She idly rinsed the softened seaweed before preparing the stock, throwing in the ingredients to boil.

By the time the soup was ready, everyone had started wandering out of the rooms. She was just placing the meat garnishes on the last bowl as several of the members wandered in, washed, but still looking tired.

“No way…” Chan sniffed. “Is that—?”

Ari picked up a warm bowl, turning as she prepared to set the table, to see Mingyu, who was standing only a few feet away, a shocked look on his face. Ari shuffled her feet uncertainly, slowly offering him the bowl in her hands.

“Happy Birthday…”

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ taglist: @hyuckscult13​ | @woozarts​ | @hoshihandholder​ | @sohnfile​

#svt #seventeen #seventeen story #seventeen scenario #seventeen imagine #i am so sorry this took 5ever i have the worst adhd and doing a thing is hard #ty to anyone who sticks around ;-; #i'm working on the next chapter now so hopefully it will be out much sooner than this one was ^^;

[storiesfromthefarm]

STORIES FROM THE FARM ✿ chapter 6

╰a Poly!SVT kpop au

╰ feat. SVT, original female character

╰ mentions of zombie apocalypse, implied character death, slice of life, ari is bad at math

╰ index:                  - Haraboji: 할아버지, trans. grandfather                  - Halbi: 할비, trans. nickname, short for 할아버지                  - Gongjunim: 공주님, trans. princess        - makgeolli: 막걸리, trans. a Korean sparkling rice wine drink. sometimes referred to as a farmer’s drink, popular among the rural working-class        - bibimbap: 비빔밥, trans. mixed rice dish        - Hyung: 형, trans. brother; familiar term for a younger male toward an older male

“That’s good and sturdy!” Halbi said as he gave the post a good shake. “You boys learn quick! Now that we got the fence set up, we’ll go round the other side and attach the crate.”

“But Haraboji, why attach the crate with food on the other side? Won’t it draw animals closer? Isn’t the point to keep them out?” Seungcheol asked.

“It is. Long time ago, though, I tried this here method out. I got to thinkin’ to myself, if food’s what they’re after, give ‘em some and maybe they’ll move on. Instead of gettin’ in and ruinin’ the whole field, they take their fill from this here crate and then move along. Keeps ‘em comin’ around lookin’ for the next meal, sure, but also keeps ‘em out the rest of the crops. Don’t have to fill it with much anymore, barely get deer these days, just some scraps from the house, maybe a bit of fruit and they leave the rest of it alone.”

The members nodded in understanding. “Let’s go ahead and move on slowly. Now, between you and me,” he started conspiratorially, “this work don’t take all that long. Gongjunim don’t know that, though, so we’ll take our time.”

“Oh, Haraboji, speaking of Ari-ssi…” Seokmin pointed in the distance.

Ari was walking down the path easily, dragging a utility cart behind her. When she finally reached them, they saw it was full of plastic cups and a large jug of water.  

They looked different like this, Ari thought. Halbi had furnished all of them with farmer’s hats and gloves, and they were all sweating slightly under the warm sun, some of their white shirts now stained. Some of them had dirt on their knees. She had intended to laugh at the irony of idols doing work around her farm, but she got sidetracked when - to her surprise - she found them, dare she say, even more attractive?

She shook her head, grabbing a pack of wipes from the cart and handing it over. “Here. I brought some water.”

She filled up a glass and handed it to Halbi, who finished wiping his brow. “Didn’t bring any makgeolli?” He eyed the cart.

“Halbi, you’re going to start sweating makgeolli. Please drink some water.”

She began filling glasses one by one, handing them over as she looked around. “You already fixed this section? That was pretty quick.”

“Not a thing to it! Good, strong workers, these boys! Whole lot o’ fence to go yet, though!”

“Are you getting hungry?” Ari asked. “I can start lunch soon.”

“Anything you boys been wantin’ to eat? Can’t eat worth a damn, but Gongjunim’s a great cook! Cook ya’ nearly anything you like.”

“Cold noodle soup…” Longingly.

“Spicy rice cakes!” Excitedly.

“Pork belly.” Sadly.

Ari sighed. “How about bibimbap?”

“Yahh, bibimbap!”

“Halbi, we’ll use most of the eggs. Can you bring some more in later?”

“We will.” He nodded.

She gathered the cups from them and set them back in the cart. She hesitated a moment. “…Who likes yolk and who likes fried?”

The boys all exchanged quick glances before stating their preferences and Ari nodded. “Halbi,” she said as she made to turn and leave, “the demons ate earlier, so if they come up and try to tell you I didn’t feed them, they’re dirty little liars.” Ari raised a hand in parting and left up the dirt path.

“Demons?” Jun asked curiously.

“Field cats!” Halbi cheered. “Four of ‘em. Good at keepin’ pests outta the crops. Never took much to Gongjunim; they only like her for the food. Kept getting her feelings hurt when she first moved here ‘cause they wouldn’t sit with ‘er. She always liked dogs better, anyway. ”

“Haraboji, if the field cats are wild, how is it that they…?”

“Well, animals got instincts, don’t they? Them cats know trouble when they see it. Usually stick pretty close to the farm, anyway, since they was raised here and we feed ‘em good. Come on. We’ll fix another section up that way and then head in.”

“Haraboji,” Seungkwan started, “Ari-ssi mentioned yesterday that you don’t get many on the farm?”

“That’s right. Not many people out this way to begin with, so not many to turn. If we ever get ‘em, they come wanderin’ in from somewhere else. Gongjunim always takes care of ‘em, though.”

“Eh?” Mingyu asked surprised.

“Haraboji,” Joshua asked slowly, “Ari-ssi is the one who fights them?”

“‘Course she is! I’m old! You think I wanna go around fightin’ monsters?” he exclaimed loudly. “Gongjunim the one been taking care of things like that. Always makin’ sure us old folk were safe.”

“But…for someone like Ari-ssi…” Minghao trailed off.  

“Now, don’t you worry ‘bout her. Gongjunim has ‘er ways. Only reason this whole place has lasted for so long is cause she keeps it safe.”  

“She just doesn’t seem like the type to fight,” Joshua said cautiously.

“Scrawny, i’nit she? But I told ‘ya - she’s got ‘er ways.”

- - -

Making meals for fourteen was a lot more stressful than Ari had anticipated.

Soup was one thing: just use the biggest pot and throw in extra ingredients, but - she paused, staring at the rice cooker - how much rice did fourteen people eat? What was the ratio again? One person needs a cup of cooked rice, but that’s half a cup of dry rice, times fourteen people, so…she stared at her fingers as she counted. The wheels in her brain spun, tangling together as she buffered.

“Twenty…eight? That seems like way too many cups. Oh, whatever!” She finally exclaimed loudly, stomping into the auxiliary kitchen and pulling out another rice cooker. “I’ll just fill them both and if we have extra, they’ll have fried rice for dinner.”

Frustrated, she pulled out a large metal bowl, ready to wash the rice. “Wait but…then how much do I wash again?”

- - -

“Haraboji, is Ari-ssi the reason you all have so much, too? All of the extra shampoo and things we used. How is it she has so much around?”

“Well,” Halbi heaved a stake out of the cart, “even before all this, when Gongjunim was fixin’ up the farm, she liked to keep things lyin’ around. Used to be, we’d have farm hands and seasonal workers to help out us elders during the busy season. Always needed extra supplies, so when Gongjunim fixed up the community building, she went out and bought piles o’ things: clothes and gloves and hats and all kinds of hygienics and such to keep in it. Couldn’t offer a star salary back when we was hard up, so she let ‘em use it all and take it home if they needed it. Moved the whole lot of it into the house after the world went crazy, and she picks up anything she thinks might come in handy any time she goes out, too. Got all kinds o’ crazy things stocked in that basement.”

“Ari-ssi goes out?” Jihoon asked.

“Oh, sure. Goes for supplies when we need ‘em. Stocks up in the city few times a year, usually before the weather changes too bad.”

“The city? She goes all the way to Seoul?”

Halbi grunted in confirmation. “Always brings back a pile o’ stuff. If she thinks we’ll have a need for it in our whole life, she brings it back to the farm. Had to send her out last year before the snow came for some tarp and rods and such. Bad storm blew some of the vertical farm down, so we had to fix it before the frost.”

“She goes alone?” Chan asked, frowning.

“Mn.”

“Haraboji…isn’t that dangerous for someone like Ari-ssi to handle all by herself?” Seokmin asked, concerned.

“Can’t be helped, can it? Someone’s gotta do it, and she insists someone’s gotta stay and watch the farm. She’s all right, though. Not much you need to worry about with Gongjunim when it comes to that.” He frowned, growing quiet. “Well, like I said…she has her own ways.”

- - -

Frazzled, Ari stepped onto the porch and irritably rung the small bell.

She had severely overestimated the rice. Nearly an entire pot’s worth was unused. Her calculations had gone wrong somewhere. “Gone wrong everywhere,” she snarked at herself. Taking a deep, steadying breath, she shook it off. “It’s fine, though. We can still eat it tonight. It’s not wasted.”

More than the irritating rice situation, Ari’s head was beginning to throb. The stinging behind her eyes had dimmed slightly, now that they were moving away from the property, but the stress of having to move them during broad daylight when she knew Halbi and the others were right outside…

Moving back into the house, she set the table quickly: fourteen bowls of bibimbap along with side dishes full of kimchi, fried zucchini, and Halbi’s favorite seasoned radish.  

She almost settled into a chair before she jumped back up. “Drinks,” she sighed.

How did they manage? she wondered. She supposed they were adults, could always take care of themselves, but she knew they must also all take care of each other. Having to cook and clean and do laundry for twelve people was already beginning to exhaust her. If nothing else, they could never stay, otherwise she’d faint just trying to keep up.

After filling enough glasses, she brought them over to the table slowly. She poured herself a glass of tea before collapsing into a chair, groaning. The door opened to a chorus of chatter as the thirteen men entered, kicking off their boots.

“It smells so good in here!”

“Go wash up,” she said tiredly. “It’s all ready.”

“All right, Gongjunim?” Halbi asked as he came to wash his hands at the kitchen sink. “Yah, what’d you make so much rice for?”

She frowned. “I’m fine. I buffered with the rice, and it got a little…cloudy earlier.” She ran a hand through her hair, holding the back of her neck as she closed her eyes.

Halbi paused momentarily, turning to stare at her before nodding. “Cloudy, huh…”

She nodded.

“Cloudy? It looked clear all day!” Mingyu said curiously as he came in from the spare room.

“It cleared up,” Ari offered, directing the answer toward Halbi as he sat down.

Mingyu furrowed his brow, confused. He shrugged it off, however, when he spotted the table full of food. The other members filed in, taking their seats quickly. “Go ahead and take your time,” Halbi said. “We’ll call it done for today. Don’t wanna work ya’ too hard on the first day out.”

Ari wasn’t paying attention, so he sent a quick wink toward the boys. They all dug in after a quick thanks, and Seungcheol noticed that Ari was moving considerably slower than normal. A noticeable exhaustion sat under her eyes.

“Ari-ssi, are you all right?”

Her hand paused mid-mix, turning to look at him with wide eyes. “…Fine!” she said suddenly, her voice pitched. “…Headache,” she followed simply. She cleared her throat, turning her attention back on her bowl, which she began to mix in earnest.

“Do you…need some medicine?” Minghao asked. “We have a little left. It’s expired but it still works all right.”

She paused, looking back up with wide eyes again. Why would he offer her medicine, if they only have a little left? “No, we - we have some. It’s fine. …Thanks,” she mumbled. He nodded.

“Ari-ssi, Haraboji told us you sometimes go into the city.”

At this, her eyes narrowed as she turned toward the old man. “Oh, did he?”

“Aren’t you scared, going out all alone?” Chan asked. “It’s gotten too dangerous in the city; that’s why we left.”

“Scared?” Ari couldn’t stop the snort that left her throat. “The only thing I’m scared of are bees.”

“And bugs,” Halbi offered, taking a large bite of his rice. “Mice,” he said through the food, “snakes, touchin’ raw meat and wet food in the sink.”

“Thank you, Halbi,” she said through gritted teeth. The boys all chuckled.

“But Ari-ssi, even if you aren’t scared - how can you go into the city alone? How do you manage to get around without them seeing you?” Joshua asked. “We always made sure to travel together to look out for each other, and even with that we sometimes had…close calls.” His voice trailed off quietly, realizing what he’d just said.

Ari felt the mood shift dramatically. All the members went quiet, most chewing quietly, some even putting down their utensils.

“Aigoo, what’s this?” Halbi asked. “Gongjunim’s just careful. Told ya she had her ways.”

“Halbi,” she said softly, shaking her head minutely.

“What?” he gruffed. “What’s this doom and gloom all of a sudden?”

Seungcheol cleared his throat. “We’re sorry. It’s just - well, before we left the city…”

He remembered the look on Wonwoo’s face vividly. The pain the bite caused him as he jerked his arm away, the look of horror on his face as he turned and saw the members trying to reach him. His voice cracked as he screamed at them to leave. To just go, leave him behind. How he was done for anyway. Seungcheol’s hands shook, and he quickly placed them on his lap.

“Hyung?”

Halbi sighed deeply, nodding. “Lose someone, did ‘ya?” he asked gently.

“One of our members,” Vernon offered very quietly. “He was…like a brother to us.”

“Sorry to hear it,” Halbi offered. “All the young people goin’ too soon in this world.” He sighed again. “But you just remember him like he was. He’s lookin’ down on ya’.”

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ taglist: @hyuckscult13​ | @woozarts​ | @imnotreadytolove | @sohnfile​

#seventeen story #svt #seventeen series #seventeen #seventeen imagine #seventeen scenario #tyasm for reading ;; #i dont have an update schedule rly so im sry these come at such random times!!

[storiesfromthefarm]

hi! can i be added to the taglist? <3

hi! yes ofc <3 thank you for reading! ^^ 💕

#answered

[storiesfromthefarm]

Oh~ so Ari has social anxiety & it looks like she was about to have a panic attack (& she's probably an introvert). I'm just guessing/making assumptions that she might have had anorexia(??) in the past and maybe depression, but I'm not too sure. 🤷‍♀️ (I can relate since I've been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder/social anxiety & depression)

I can understand where Ari's coming from (being suspicions of people & their intentions) especially since it's set in an apocalypse where people would try to take advantage of them & it seems like they've had a bad experience with some travellers hiding their true agenda/acting & showing their true nature at the end (backstabbing them) from what I've read.

I honestly thought in chapter 3, where they were talking about the grandmother, idk why but I thought that those travellers (above paragraph) killed her or something?? And I'm guessing Ari was having a breakdown about the grandmother's son idk (he is either dead or was turned into a zombie or maybe he already left before the apocalypse happened, so many options) or maybe it's someone she was close to since she said they didn't last one day. (Just guesses)

Lol Ari calling the cats demons, I'm not surprised, maybe I've watched too many shows/animes/people calling cats demons.

I was kinda expecting for a svt member to pass by while she was feeding the cats and see how she acts when nobodies there & she doesn't have to socialise.

Maybe next chapter we'll get to see Ari cooking meat for them (since she only allows meat for special occasions like Chuseok & birthdays) + her lying in chapter 2 & 3 about the water/knowing them and Joshua asking her about knowing them, idk why but I laughed because Joshua already knows, that Ari knows that svt has 13 members in chapter 2, but she still acts (oblivious) like she doesn't know them in chapter 3 when they were eating (like Joshua watching the interaction 😶).

Also she will probably relate more to Minghao, Jun, Joshua & Vernon since they're foreigners & might be homesick.

Anyways, another great chapter!!💕 Can't wait to see the next one!! (Also wondering who's her bias lol) And sorry for the long ask!!

ahhhh pls don't apologize! i LOVE long asks 🤧 i rly love reading all your thoughts on the story! you're spot on in some thoughts, and for others...well, you'll see as the story goes on ;) hehe thank you sososo much for your kind words and for looking forward to more! ^^ 💕 💕

#answered

[storiesfromthefarm]

STORIES FROM THE FARM ✿ chapter 5

╰a Poly!SVT kpop au

╰ feat. SVT, original female character

╰ mentions of zombie apocalypse, implied character death, slice of life

╰ index:           - Haraboji: 할아버지, trans. grandfather           - Halbi: 할비, trans. nickname, short for 할아버지           - Gongjunim: 공주님, trans. princess      - Ahjussi: 아저씨, trans. used to address a middle-aged or married man

Ari awoke the next morning to the smell of warm food.

She gasped, shooting up in bed. What time is it? Why didn’t Halbi wake me? Blearily, she stumbled out of bed, moving into the bathroom to wash up. By the time she finished and made her way downstairs, several members were filling the table full of hearty dishes.

“You let them use my kitchen?” she demanded toward Halbi, who was slapping several pancakes onto a platter.

“I used your kitchen, ya’ brat,” he returned. “Go sit; I made ya’ some onion soup to go with your pancake.”

“Why didn’t you wake me? I always cook you breakfast.”

“We got guests here who cook, too, and they get up lot earlier’n you do. You need your rest, so I let ya’ get on with it. You gonna get onto this old man for takin’ care of ya’?”

Ari blinked, immediately backed into a corner. She kept quiet, slowly sliding into a seat at the table.

“Arguin’ all the time,” Halbi muttered.

“Yah-” Halbi cut off her response by pointing the spatula at her threateningly, and she snapped her mouth shut again, scrunching her nose in irritation.

She heard several snickers around the table. “Haraboji, you and Ari-ssi seem close. How long have you known each other now?” Mingyu asked.

“Oh, now,” Halbi started, “what’s it been? Must be nearly five years, I guess.”

Seokmin, who was sitting beside Ari, happened to glance in her direction, and saw her hand underneath the table, silently counting on fingers. He smiled a bit. Cute.

“Something like that, I think,” Ari offered. “Two years of zombies, two - maybe two and half now before that - since I lived here.”

“Well, long enough. That there’s my granddaughter anyhow.” He placed the plate of pancakes on the table and settled into a seat himself. “Attitude and all.” Ari rolled her eyes. “Now, let’s eat! Get your fill, boys. If ya’ve never worked on a farm before, you’ve got your work cut out for ya’.”

As they all dug into their meals, Seokmin couldn’t help but feel distracted. He watched from the corner of his eyes as Ari spooned herself a bowl of soup, and took a portion of pancake. She hadn’t eaten much more at yesterday’s meals either. No wonder she’s so…small. He thought she’d look healthier, with the abundance of food they had on the farm. As they ate, she had another bowl of soup, and another, smaller piece of pancake, before she seemed to settle, not reaching for more.

“Ari-ssi,” he posed quietly. “You don’t seem to eat much?”

Surprised, she glanced toward him. “I…” she glanced down at her dishes, her brow furrowed. “I ate a lot, though? I’m full.”

“I told ‘ya before, didn’t I?” Halbi said. “Eats like a bird. What’s that you got called again, Gongjunim?”

As their attention turned toward her, Ari seemed to shrink. Physically, Seokmin watched her push herself back up against her chair. “I don’t know the name in Korean. I have issues with my stomach lining, and a condition that makes me feel full quickly. I can’t eat a lot at once,” she muttered. “It’s not a big deal.”  

“She’s got a baby’s palate. Can’t eat anything too spicy or salty, or too,” Halbi seemed to stall. “What all is it again? Aigoo, you can’t hardly eat anything.”

Ari huffed. “Nothing spicy, salty, acidic, pickled, or too fatty.”

The boys stared in awe before Soonyoung spoke up. “That is so sad.”

She glowered at him. “I didn’t like most of those foods, anyway. I told you, it’s not a big deal.”

“That’s why you eat so simply,” Mingyu motioned toward the clear soup and plain pancake.

Ari nodded. “I get really sick if I have something that could irritate my stomach.”

“Have you had it since birth?” Joshua asked. “That must be so uncomfortable.”

Ari cleared her throat. “No, it uh, developed.” She began stacking her dishes. “Can we stop talking about it? I’m fine. I’ve been like this for years; it’s not as bad as you seem to think.” She carried her dishes over to the sink and began unloading the dishwasher.

“Well, if we’re all done, why don’t we get ready to go out?” Halbi asked, clapping his hands together.

“Leave the dishes there,” Ari called out. “I’ll get them in a bit.”

Halbi eyed her as she stood with her back facing them. He raised his brows at the boys, gesturing to the dishes. Seungcheol nudged Mingyu and they all nodded quietly, gathering the dishes in stacks quickly. Halbi nodded with a grin. “I’ll be on the porch.”

Seungcheol, Mingyu, and Joshua carefully delivered the stacks of bowls, plates and cutlery into the kitchen, setting them on the counter beside the sink where Ari stood. She stared at the piles before giving the boys a withering look. “Thanks.” She gathered a pile of clean bowls in her hands, ready to put away. “Go on. You need to get ready to help Halbi.” She didn’t say more and instead began moving about the kitchen again as if they weren’t even there.

- - -

“She still doesn’t like us,” Chan commented lightly.

“Ah, she likes ‘ya fine. Talks to ya’, doesn’t she? More’n she used to do. Used to be, we’d get strangers comin’ through and Gongjunim would ask us to pretend she didn’t even speak Korean so she wouldn’t have to talk to ‘em.”

Jeonghan laughed. “She went that far?”

“Oh, well. She’s got people anxiety, or something. I don’t rightly know the term, but that girl really does have a bad way with most people.”

“Anxiety?” Seungcheol asked in response. He shared a look with the members.

After they had turned in last night, some of them naturally chatted before falling asleep. Jeonghan hadn’t failed to mention how she had acted in the laundry room, mostly because he wanted to ask the leader if he’d done anything out of place.

“She does,” Halbi nodded. “Stresses herself half to death over the littlest things. Used to drive us all crazy ‘till we learned why.”

“Learned why?” Seungkwan parroted.

Halbi nodded. “She’s got ‘er reasons for being the way she is. Gongjunim had a rough life before,” he sighed. “But that’s not for me to say.” They finally arrived at a large building. The old man rapped his knuckles along the aluminum siding. “This here’s one of the equipment sheds. We keep ‘em full of anything we might need to keep up the farm. Wood for the fences, barbed wire, tools and screws and such.” He waved them inside.

“Couple of ya’ pull up some of them carts and start filling it with this wood here. We’ll get what we need and then I’ll show you how to build a proper fence that’ll keep out damn near anything.”

- - -

Ari loaded the dishwasher quickly, starting the machine before moving back toward the table, cloth and cleaner in hand.

Why was Halbi like that, always telling the boys all her business? “Nosy old man,” she pouted as she wiped the table.

She hummed mindlessly as she went about her chores, wiping down surfaces and straightening chairs. She reorganized the fridge, cleaned out the robot vacuum (which she still felt guilty about using but just couldn’t let go of, even in the apocalypse), wiped out the sink and eventually moved down the hallway to the room the boys were staying in.

Most of their blankets were haphazardly strewn over the mats, left unkempt as they drug themselves out of bed this morning. She knelt down, tidying the blankets and leaving them neatly folded at the bottom of each mat. Each member’s pack was in the vicinity of their own mat, some leaned against the walls, some thrown casually onto the floor. She hesitated before shaking her head. “Shouldn’t touch their stuff,” she muttered. So she moved on upstairs, straightening the beds in the two spare masters, as well.

Halbi slept in the mini master closest to her room, and she went in and tidied his things as well. There was never much to do. Halbi always made his bed in the morning, and he didn’t keep much else in the room.

She busied herself like that for a while, dusting surfaces and wiping counters. Nothing was particularly dirty, but the moment she went even one day without cleaning, she felt like she’d never catch up again. It had been easier before, when she used to have the housekeeper. When she had been building, the size of the place had caused her some concern, but she had quickly shrugged it off when she realized it was just as easy to pay someone to help her keep the place up. Having been doing it herself for the past two and some years now, she often felt like cleaning was all she did.  

By the time she re-entered the kitchen, she felt a little at a loss. She plopped down at the island, swinging her legs lazily. “Oh, wait!” She hopped off quickly, moving toward the fridge. The small calendar she’d drawn had yet to be marked off today, and she did it quickly, writing her name in the bottom of today’s box. She stared for a moment, considering something, before slowly drawing a star under yesterday’s date, as well. They had just moved into the first week of April.

She frowned. Wasn’t someone’s birthday in April?

“Wait, what am I thinking?” She said, throwing the pen into the drawer next to the fridge. “No birthdays!” No attachments.

She stared out the kitchen window but she didn’t see any sign of the boys or Halbi. She guessed if they were working on the fence, they’d be on the other side of the property by now. She narrowed her eyes, pain prickling the back of her eyelids as she felt for anything out of place. She sensed nothing and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh! The laundry!”

She had to rerun their clothes again since they were so dirty, and she had only switched them to the dryer once she was satisfied all the grime and muck was removed. She made her way into the laundry room, settling on her knees with a basket as she began to unload the machine. She hummed as she moved back to the living room, getting comfortable on the couch as she went about folding the clothes. She laughed as she folded one of their shirts; someone had been running around the countryside in Balenciaga of all things. As she fluffed the sleeves and straightened the seams on one of their oversizes jackets, she pushed out her bottom lip. “I should go see if I can find the demons, too. They didn’t come around at all last night because the boys were here.”

Sighing, she smacked the jacket onto the top of the pile, finishing up quickly. Having no idea which clothes belonged to whom, she left them sitting on the couch. The boys could pick them up later. She pulled up the sleeves of her sweatshirt, straightening the fabric on her thighs. She’d originally put on another dress this morning, but after her brain had woken up and remembered that there were twelve strange men in the house, she’d quickly changed into something much less cute. An oversized sweatshirt and tights wasn’t exactly fit for today’s weather, but she’d just have to deal with it for now.

Leaving out the front, she moved to the corner of the farm where the food dish sat, empty. “They must have come during the night…” She picked it up and jogged back into the house, refilling it and also grabbing a handful of snacks. She stuffed the snacks into the waistband of her pants. If those demons even thought she had anything other than kibble, they’d never eat their food first. As she stepped out of the house again, she shook the aluminum food dish loudly, walking about the front yard slowly.

The weather was getting nicer by the day. The warm sun hung overhead and a light breeze ruffled the trees. She was so excited to see the sun again. The winter months always made her moody, more lethargic and irritable. This past winter had been particularly hard with the loss of Ahjussi. For the past several months, it had just been her and Halbi, ghosting along in life in the echoes of mourning. In some regard, she could understand why he was so welcoming of the boys. She’d never been the greatest of company, even in the best of times.

Reowwww

“Finally showed up, did you?” She shook the food dish again as the ginger cat circled her legs. “Where’s your demon pack, huh, fluffy boy?”

As if on cue, several other cats began to appear slowly. A fluffy Calico, a stubby legged Munchkin, and a grizzly old Korat slunk into the yard. Ari set the food bowl down, and all four cats circled around it, munching away.

“You guys have been slacking off, haven’t you? You know, I found a mouse in my house the other week. You’re supposed to get rid of those things; that’s like, your whole job.” She squatted down and rested her cheek on her hand as she watched them eat. She reached forward quickly, plucking a stuck leaf out of the Korat’s fur. He stopped eating and offered her a short hiss. “Stow the attitude, geezer. You had a leaf on your butt.”  

She watched them eat quietly, until the entire dish was empty. The all hung around, circling and rubbing against her knees. “What? You think I have something else for you? Well, I do.” She shuffled and pulled the treats from the waistband of her pants. All four cats closed in quickly. “All right, all right. Hang on!” She quickly tore open all four packs of treats, squeezing them into each corner of the dish. “Hey, hey! Eat your own!” She shoved the ginger toward his own pile and away from the Munchkin’s. “Gluttons.”  

Once the treats had been devoured, she picked up the dish. “That’s all for right now. I’ll put some dinner out later so make sure to eat, okay?” She carried the dish back onto the porch, setting it down and throwing out the old water from the other dish. She refilled it quickly inside before returning it to its place. She stared at the water for a moment before looking off toward the other side of the farm. It’d been a few hours now.

“I wonder if,” she muttered to herself, kicking her toe against the porch, “they’re thirsty at all…”

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ taglist: @hyuckscult13​ | @woozarts​ | @imnotreadytolove

#seventeen story #seventeen imagine #seventeen scenario #svt #seventeen #seventeen series #sry this took 5ever ^^;

[storiesfromthefarm]

If Ari is worried about the water she could always suggest for them to shower together in groups/pairs (to save water) lol. 😅

anon ur brain 😩 the way i didn't even think of this but catch me editing chapters cause this is exactly smth ari might pull lolol

also the way the members probably wouldn't even hesitate cause they been doin it since predebut lmao

#answered

[storiesfromthefarm]

I don't know why but I feel like Ari has a soft spot for Joshua?? 🤷‍♀️

Ari and Jeonghan looks like they're going to have an enemies to lovers arc?? 😅

When Mingyu asked if Ari needed help for cooking, I was like do you still remember how to cook in a kitchen?! 😄🙃

Anyways, I can't wait to see what happens next!! Keep doing what your doing!! 💕

honestly tho, is there a person alive who doesn't have a soft spot for shua?? (couldn't be me 🤧) i'm rly excited to show more of how she gets on with each member specifically as the story progresses, so pls stay tuned ٩(＾◡＾)۶ i'm so glad you're enjoying the story so far & tysm for the kind words 💕

#answered

[storiesfromthefarm]

STORIES FROM THE FARM ✿ chapter 4

╰a Poly!SVT kpop au

╰ feat. SVT, original female character

╰ mentions of zombie apocalypse, implied character death, slice of life

╰ index:            - Haraboji: 할아버지, trans. grandfather            - Halbi: 할비, trans. nickname, short for 할아버지            - Gongjunim: 공주님, trans. princess            - Chuseok: 추석, a mid-autumn festival; major Korean holiday, equivalent to Thanksgiving

╰a/n: HAVE YOU ALL HEARD DARLING? THIS IS A DARLING STAN ACCOUNT NOW ! STREAM DARLING, DARLING ~ kiss me, baby ( ˘ ³˘)♥

Ari laid out the last mat, lining it up neatly with the others.

Six would stay in this room on the mats, the others would take the mini masters. Two to each bed and one additional mat on the floor of the room. They couldn’t have their own room or their own bed, but at least it’s better than the grass they might have been sleeping on before.

She paused as she laid a cover on top of the mat, twisting the fabric between her fingers. How long had it been, since they had really felt any sort of comfort? Living outside, sleeping on the ground, scavenging for scraps. She knew that the latter must have been particularly hard the closer they came to the farm; she’d gathered everything edible within a nearly five mile radius and brought it all back to the storeroom ages ago.

When did they lose Wonwoo? Was it right before they left the city? If it was, then they left in bad spirits, with no plan, nowhere to go. It must have been so hard, she thought. Still, as much as she felt for them, as strange and wonderful as it was to have the members of Seventeen around, they couldn’t stay. “A few days,” she muttered to herself. “They can only stay a few days. Finish helping Halbi and then they have to go.” And no matter what, she thought to herself, do not get attached.

- - -

“We got sesame and soybeans, rice, tomatoes, potatoes, onion, green onion, garlic, peppers. Over there’s cabbage and lettuce; we got wheat and a bit of squash and cucumber, corn, carrots. Didn’t use to grow quite so much but after everything happened and we weren’t selling harvest anymore, didn’t make much sense for us to have pounds of soybeans go to waste when we could grow us something else to eat.”

“Haraboji, you take care of all these fields yourself?” Jun asked in awe. “That’s amazing.”

“Well, it ain’t easy, but I been farming my whole life. I do enough to get us by.” Halbi sighed. “Truth is, I’d like to do more. We do what we can, but crops still go to rot if I can’t get to ‘em in time. Even after that, with just the two of us here, we save more’n we can eat fresh. More’n half of it’s frozen down in the basement. It’s damn waste and a shame.”

The members all exchanged quiet looks amongst themselves.

“Well, anyway! Here are the girls!” They approached a chicken coop, several dark and tawny chickens plucking away at the ground lazily.

“That’s how you have eggs,” Soonyoung commented to himself.

“Exactly so. Important to stay healthy at times like this, so we keep good eggs, got the soybeans to make some tofu. Gongjunim keeps the beef locked down with an iron fist unless it’s for special occasions, so we get us our protein in other ways.”

“Sorry?”

“Beef?”

“The what?”

“You have meat?”

Halbi laughed at their eyes, wide with awe. “Don’t tell her I told ‘ya or she’ll throw herself into a fit. Truth is, this ain’t the only farm Gongjunim took care of. Old bastard I knew from way back had a cattle farm, not but the other side the mountains over there.” He pointed off to the edge of the farm where a small crest of mountains surrounded the property line. “Well, ‘bout a year after she got here, he had some trouble with equipment, woulda shut him down for a while without replacing it, but he didn’t have the money. Everyone fell on hard times ‘round then. Gongjunim offered quick as a flash to fix it up for him. I introduced them right after she moved here. Girl loves beef more than anything; think it’s cause it’s one of the only things she can eat.” He laughed. “Well, anyway. She bought his farm from him, too. When things started happening, he killed just as many cows as he could, processed ‘em right, packed ‘em up, and brought it all here. Stayed with us till he passed on, too. Not all that long ago, actually. Just about a few months, when it was still snowin’ hard.”

“And, and you still have the meat?” Jihoon asked.

“Too much,” Halbi said, shaking his head. “She’s determined to make it last as long as possible. Says she wants to have some in case of an emergency, but she always lets us have some on our birthdays, and we still make a point to cook a good meal for Chuseok.”

The members swallowed thickly at the thought of meat. Whatever they had left in their freezers had run out quickly after the outbreak, and it’s a meal they haven’t had since.

Halbi laughed. “Well you just help an old man finish his chores later. We’ll get you some meat before you get on your way!”

“Really?!”

“Thank you, Haraboji!”

“But…will Ari-ssi be okay with it?”

“Ack, don’t worry about her! You do right by the farm, she’ll do right by you. She might not be too happy about it at first, but I told ‘ya, she’ll want it, too. She won’t say no.”

- - -

“What else is there? Dishes are done,” Ari counted on her fingers, “laundry’s been rerun, showers wiped down, beds are set up. I can’t clean their shoes right now since they’re wearing them.”

As she wandered down the hallway, she lingered by the door. The one that stayed closed, locked behind a passcode. It was the only room in the house to have a separate smart lock. She was surprised none of the boys had asked about it yet, but then again, they had other things on their mind. She glanced toward the front door. It didn’t sound like they were coming back from their tour any time soon, so she quickly entered the passcode and slipped inside, closing the door behind her.

The sight that greeted her was the same as it always was: the plush, oversized couch, her favorite iridescent coffee table, the multiple, oversized stuffed dolls, and the shelves, filled to the brink with her favorite albums.

Her eyes landed on one shelf in particular, and she smiled softly, moving toward it easily. The Caratbong which she’d decorate herself shined in the light, and she pulled a random album off the shelf. She flipped through the photobook slowly. “They all look so different now.”

They were still the same boys she saw in the photos, but aged, more tired, slightly thinner from lack of food, and if she were being honest, they could all use a decent haircut. She laughed to herself, flipping another page before pursing her lips tight.

Wonwoo stared back at her, leaning casually against an old counter. His all black leather suit matched his sleek black hair. Gently, Ari settled a shaking hand on top of the page. Did it hurt? Did he suffer? She hoped not. She hoped it was quick. Hoped there was no lengthy infection, hoped he’d gotten a bullet through the brain before he could become one of those things.

“Sorry,” she choked out in a whisper. “So sorry, Wonwoo. If I had known you all were still alive,” Ari sniffed, “if I had known, I would have saved you all.”

She took a deep breath, throwing her head back to stop the tears from falling. She slammed the album shut and shoved it back into the shelf. She turned sharply and left the room, wiping at her face angrily.

- - -

“A week?” Ari yelped. “You want them to stay a whole week?”

“Keep your voice down, now. Those boys are trying to sleep.”

“Halbi, a week, are you insane?! That’s longer than we’ve let anyone stay!”

“That’s long enough for ‘em to help me with the fence and the fields.”

“And long enough for them to get comfortable!” Ari hissed in return. “What if they just expect to stay longer after everything is finished?”

“How can they expect to stay any longer,” Halbi groused, gesturing toward her, “when you keep reminding ‘em they ain’t welcome?”

Ari huffed. “They have to know they aren’t.”

“And why not?” Halbi asked in return. “If those boys turn out to be good with the work, why not let ‘em stay?”

“Why not?” Ari repeated disbelievingly. “Because we don’t know them? Because that’s too many people? Because,” she continued meaningfully, “you know they’d never…no one can…understand. They can’t know.” She hung her head momentarily, pain beginning to tingle behind her eyes. She smacked the rag down onto the counter suddenly. “Besides, you think they’re nice now - what about when it comes time for them to leave? You think they won’t show their true colors? Try and force us to let them stay? And the house can’t handle all of us, anyway. We’d be packed.”

“Not a single person in this world able to threaten this farm and you know that,” Halbi gave her a stern look. “We’ll do what we have to if it comes to having to do it, like we always have. And if they stay, you can get to know ‘em. Handsomest group of boys I’ve seen come across our farm since the start. I’m surprised you’re not fallin’ all over yourself, them being some of those idol singers and all.” He reprimanded her with a shaking finger. “And what’s all this ‘bout the house? House’ll last longer than any of us will, them solar powers and our well is more’n enough.”

When she didn’t respond, Halbi sighed. “Come sit, brat.”

Ari sniffed, frowning as she shuffled over and plopped down beside him on the sofa. “More’n anything,” he started, placing a hand on her head, “an old man ain’t gonna be around forever. You’re stubborn as a damn mule, but even you can’t handle the whole farm and the house on your own. Now that it’s just us two, I need someone here that’s gonna look after ya’ once I’m gone.”

“Don’t,” Ari whispered softly through tight teeth. “Don’t even talk about that.”

“You may not like it, Gongjunim, but death is a part of this life, too. I’ll be damned if I leave you alone to fend for ya’self. Now, those boys seem like good, decent kids. If I can teach ‘em the farm, once I’m gone, they can take care of ya’. You might even get yourself a lover if you’d be a little nicer.”

“What?!” she squawked.

Halbi laughed. “Ah, all you youngsters these days are so sensitive about sex. You’re a pretty young lady, and they’re a bunch of handsome men. Now I’ve told ‘em to mind their manners around ya’, but they’re still men, after all. Probably not seen a girl pretty as you in a while. At least one of em’s gotta have eyes on ya’. You just make sure they don’t go puttin’ hands on ya’ without your say so.”

“Halbi, I’m very uncomfortable right now,” Ari said stoically, shaking her head.

The old man laughed, throwing his head back. “You just think about it.” He gave her head another pat. “Bound to happen sooner or later, finding someone we want to stay with us. I’m just sayin’. They might be the best we’ll get.” He groaned as he stood, pushing himself up from his knees. “I’m turnin’ in. You don’t stay up too late.”

“Night night, Halbi,” she said as she stood, too, offering a small bow.

“How many times I gotta tell you to quit bowin’ to an old man?”

Ari smiled in return as he made his way up the stairs. “I’ll always bow to my Halbi.”

“Ack!” He waved her off again before disappearing out of sight, and Ari stared after him, trying to push everything he had just said from her mind.

☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ☆ taglist: @hyuckscult13​ | @woozarts​ | @imnotreadytolove

#seventeen story #seventeen imagine #seventeen scenario #svt #seventeen #seventeen series

[storiesfromthefarm]

Thank you sm for putting me on the tag list! I’m actually super excited to see where the story goes

ah ofc ofc!! (人´∀`) i'm so happy to have you & tysm for reading~ <3

#answered