#LOC.YUNHWA

[blucmoon]

━  ☾ ⊹  ( im jaebum, cis male , he/him ) say hello to AE YONGGUK, the TWENTY SIX YEAR OLD that seems to have a lot in his hands with HIS job as a STALL OWNER, DRUMMER AND OCCASIONAL BARTENDER! beyond that, they seemed RESPONSIBLE AND TRUSTWORTHY upon first glance. i heard someone say they’re sort of EVASIVE AND INSECURE though. HE seems to live in a 4 BEDROOM HOUSE in YUNHWA, SOUTH KOREA. anything else to add? oh, yeah! he also RUNS A STALL CALLED “KODACHROME” WHERE HE TAKES PHOTOS FOR IDS, SELLS PRINTS AS WELL AS BOOKS SESSIONS FOR PHOTOSHOOTS. 

basic information

full name: ae yongguk

nickname(s): guk, yonggu (hasn’t figured out why)

age: 25

date of birth: january 6th, 1995

birthplace: seoul, south korea.

hometown: yunhwa, south korea.

current location: yunhwa, south korea.

ethnicity: asian.

nationality: korean

gender: cismale

pronouns: he / him

orientation: demiromantic, bisexual.

occupation: stall owner and drummer of a band called “crux”. sometimes he helps at his aunt’s bar in busan for some extra money.

living arrangements: house #4012, hwesakgu.

language(s) spoken: korean, english (conversational)

physical appearance

faceclaim: got7’s im jaebum “jb”

hair color: like almost everyone, he has naturally brown hair but throughout the years he’s dyed it blonde or black a couple of times. right now, it’s black and he has managed to grow it to a length he really likes below his chin. yongguk can be usually seen with his hair down and every so often he puts it up in a half updo. whenever the band has a gig, he  exerts a little more effort (even if most of the time it doesn’t pay off).

eye color: brown. (likes colored contacts every now and then)

height: 179 cm

weight: 66 kg

build: lean person, with a good muscular frame.

distinguishing characteristics: two beauty marks right next to each other on his left eyelid.

tattoos: has a full sleeve on his left arm from shoulder down to a little above his wrist and another one his right forearm.

piercings: lobe and upper lobe in both ears, anti-tragus on the left one, double helix on the right, anti-eyebrow and nose on the right side of the face (won’t ever use jewelry during the day though).

clothing style: while he’s working at the stall he has a more casual style consisting of jeans, cargos, pants, button downs, sweaters. likes layering with denim shirts, flannels, jackets, windbreakers over t-shirts, etc. mostly in earthy colors, dark reds and blues, white, gray and black. no matter what though, he will always wear long sleeves, even in the hottest summer days and never roll them up, going to these lengths just to not draw any unnecessary attention. (he’s even gotten a fair amount of rash guards for those occasions when he feels like going for a swim.)

at the bar or at gigs, he’s usually clad in all black or dark tones. sleeveless shirts or those with short sleeves are his go-to, not nearly as concerned to conceal the ink over his arms from the public eye at night. he likes to choose style and comfort when performing, thus splurging a little more on his nightly outfits rather than those he uses on the daily. leather and denim jackets, bombers, sometimes harnesses, jeans in either black or leather, boots, sneakers, muscle shirts, graphic t-shirts, shirts with the first buttons undone and rolled up sleeves in dark, rich colors. style varies from street fashion to grunge to rocker depending on how he feels.  

health

sleeping habits: goes to sleep really late but has no trouble waking up early to go to to work, though for the first couple of hours he’s awake and if he has gotten 4-5 hours only, he’d be kind of silent and unresponsive until getting that first cup of coffee. will likely nap before his shift at the bar only for an hour and a half tops.

eating habits: eats 3 - 4 times a day and gets easily hungry between meals. often seen snacking whatever he can.

exercise habits: doesn’t really exercise much constantly, but on the weekends he likes hiking or running around town.

emotional stability: 6/10

body temperature: average

addictions: none

drug use: experimentally a couple of times, hasn’t done it in a while.

alcohol use: socially, medium-high tolerance.

personality

label: the opaque (unable to be figured out; hiding behind a façade; not transparent.)

positive traits: reliable, responsible, hard-working, trustworthy, loyal, thoughtful, generous, creative, passionate, artistic, caring, considerate, devoted.

negative traits: defensive, evasive, cautious, indecisive, defiant, self-doubt, fluctuating self-esteem, conflict-averse, private, self-conscious, sensitive, unpredictable.

hobbies: starting songs he never finishes, watching the same show every year (avatar the last airbender) as well as his comfort movies, cloud/star gazing, jigsaw puzzles, origami, video games, playing guitar sometimes.

habits: knuckle cracking, muttering under his breath, snacking between meals, rubbing hands together, jaw clenching, gesturing while talking, rubbing the back of his neck, running hands through hair, drumming fingers, sings along to songs and sings gibberish for the parts he doesn’t know, doodles on any paper at reach, dozes off when bored/daydreams, bobs his leg while sitting.

zodiac sign: sun capricorn, moon pisces, rising scorpio (read as: impending disaster)

mbti: infp

enneagram: 6w5

temperament: melancholic

hogwarts house: ravenclaw

moral alignment: chaotic good

primary vice: wrath

primary virtue: diligence

element: water

expanded personality

yongguk has a strong tendency to appear quiet and reserved and it might come off as standoffish or easily confused with snoberish, which makes it worse when he doesn’t go out of his way to change this preconception about him. he needs a great deal of personal space, both physically and mentally, and any attempt to control him or forcibly schedule his activities will only strengthen his need for time alone.

he’s responsible, trustworthy and hardworking. relies heavily on his intuition to guide him and knows how to patiently wait as well as how to adapt to any circumstances. in yunhwa, he’s been forced to learn how to interact with the townsfolk and through the years he’s mastered the front he puts on in order to remain below the radar and not get any unnecessary attention; polite, helpful, sometimes even considered as a sweet guy, yongguk has no problem lending a hand to anyone that needs it.

however, in busan, his adaptability is also handy when it comes to dealing with customers. at the same time, it’s in these moments when he feels a little less restrained and allows himself to be less calculative: flirty, playful, sometimes misleading… he’s gotten in several problems because of this and yet he has no plans to stop it anytime soon.

yongguk is a little insecure and with a fluctuating self-esteem: sometimes he’s very well aware and confident on his skills and assets, but other times he will second-guess everything about himself. this combined with an strong fear of failure that stems from poor past decisions, makes him hesitate when it comes to making important calls that could potentially affect his future, but he knows how to play it off… most of the times.

despite appearing simple at a glance, yongguk is more than what meets the eye. friendly but private, polite but passionate about his beliefs, calm and sometimes expressionless. it’s not that he doesn’t have feelings - he actually runs quite deep and strong - it’s just that he conceals them under a mask of politeness because he’s unsure how to deal with them; he’s restrained when it comes to conveying emotion, but has a very deep care for his peers. might be awkward and uncomfortable with expressing himself verbally, but has a wonderful ability to define and reveal what he’s feeling on paper.

yongguk is genuinely interested in understanding others, a good listener, but will exclusively share his sorrows and woes only with the friends he trusts the most, unafraid to display his best and worst with them. his natural intuition allows him to sense the mood without the need of words. however, he can be quite impressionable and be easily influenced by the moods of others, which may often lead him to feel overwhelmed because of this.

incredibly curious, yongguk loves to explore with his hands and his eyes, touching and examining the world around him with cool rationalism and spirited curiosity. he explores ideas through creating, troubleshooting, trial and error and first-hand experience. yongguk can be a challenge to predict, even by the closest people to him. can seem very loyal and steady for a while, but he has a tendency to build up a store of impulsive energy that explodes without warning, taking his interests in bold, new directions.

with a good memory, he can recall experiences from the past down to smallest details. this is both good and bad: remembering the good memories is a way to ease himself when in stressful or sad situations, but he’s also prone to dwell on previous mistakes and regret them for a long time.

he’s not consistently angry. will either let the anger build up and release it all at once in an outburst or let it out slowly through small, critical remarks throughout the day. sometimes, both. he’s very difficult when annoyed, but it usually doesn’t last that long. a perfectionistic through and through, his main source of anger usually comes from things not being up to their standards. not good at sparing others’ feelings when he does become irritable. doesn’t like conflict and will go to great lengths to avoid it. in those occasions where he does have to face it, he will approach it from his feelings and mistakenly place little importance on who is right and who is wrong. yongguk will react to the emotions he’s going through and won’t care whether or not he’s right, which makes him appear irrational and illogic.

background (tldr)

his parents work in the field with doctors without borders.

yongguk was born in seoul and lived there for six years before his parents sent him to yunhwa to stay with his grandparents while they went abroad.

seven years passed, his parents would rarely contact them, much less visit them.

in the meantime, his grandma taught him how to play many instruments, being a musician herself and he was enrolled in kwangsook academy.

at thirteen they returned and guk moved with them back to seoul. around this time he became more reserved and quiet, the conversation always focused on his parents achievements and interests.

he made it his goal to become a doctor in hopes of having something in common with them. it was a way to seek their attention and approval.

a year later, a new plan was announced and yongguk was back in yunhwa with his grandparents. he was actually pretty happy about this.

started taking his studies seriously in his junior year of high school, going to the extent of dropping music and every other altogether.

he successfully managed to get into pusan national university, school medicine.

however, the whole experience was something he wasn’t ready for at all. for a year and half he struggled to keep up with his classmates and was utterly ashamed to compare his simple goal of wanting to get closer to his parents to the drive of everyone else.

he drops out after talking with his grandfather, a successful doctor himself.

initially excited to get the chance of truly discovering what he wanted to do, a single call from his father deterred his enthusiasm. he was supposed to return to yunhwa, instead he decided to move in with a friend and stay in busan… where everything goes downhill.

at only twenty and under the fake pretense that he’d get his act together, he allows himself to make mistakes and act recklessly, secretly wishing that’d be enough to get his parents attention.

he found temporary jobs all around busan and never lasted too long, but he still made money and that’s the only thing he really cared about at the moment. things aren’t great, but they aren’t that bad, or so he tells himself.

at twenty one, he gets a full sleeve on his left arm as well as many piercings. a couple of weeks after this, his grandparents decided to pay him a surprise visit and the state of his apartment as well as life… is not optimal.

coincidence or not, his parents video called them at that moment. it was the first time he heard from them in a year, and it was the last time as well.

seems like only his appearance was enough to finally trigger some sort of emotion from his father, but it wasn’t really the kind he was looking for. it was anger and he could clearly see the disappointment in his eyes. a heated argument ensues, one that ends with “you’re not our son anymore.”

perhaps it came a little too late, but it was the much needed wake up call to get his act together. not in order to mend the relationship with his parents, he knew that’d be impossible. but more so, for himself.

he perks up at a suggestion from his grandmother, one that was about a long forgotten hobby of his: photography. he remembers an old shoe box filled with polaroids and undeveloped films under his bed.

thus, he stays in busan after enrolling in a community college for a year-long photography class. around this time, one of his aunts offered him a job as a bartender in her bar and since then he’s been helping her every now and then. he says it’s for extra money, but in reality is a way to repay her from hiring him when no one else would.

after he was done with his course and had saved enough money to get a decent camera, he decided it was time to go back to yunhwa.

he returned three years ago. luckily, his reputation there remained intact and he wanted it to stay that way thus hiding the ink on his skin with long sleeves and removing the jewelry whenever he was outside.

yongguk moved back with his grandparents, this time to help them out and take care of his grandmother who started to get a little ill. he picked up playing and making music after finding his long abandoned drum set in the garage.

with the help of his grandfather, he opened his very own stall called “kodachrome” where he takes photos for ids, sells prints of his own work (mostly of yunhwa’s scenery) as well as books sessions for photoshoots.

a year and half ago, however, he had to find a new place. his grandparents decided to retire and move to jeju. thankfully, he managed to get a deal to rent a house from one of his grandma’s friends. the house was a little too big thus he decided to post an ad online looking for roommates to share the space and ease the expenses.

in the present, yongguk is still running his stall and getting contacted every blue moon by small influencers and event planners looking for his services. three nights a week, he goes back to busan to work for his aunt at the bar and every other night he has gigs with a band, which was randomly created after having far too many drinks with his roommates.

background (full)

tw: mentions of needles, tattoos, substances but nothing too graphic.

ae yongguk was the name given to you and and your endearing smiles as well as adorable dimples seemed to be more than enough to have everyone coddling and cosseting you from the get-go. nonetheless, permanency was never on your parents’ agenda. by the time you turned six, they moved away and you were shoved into your grandparents’ household in yunhwa.

it’s difficult to comprehend the sudden change, being told that you’d be living with them for some time. how much? they don’t specify, but the next thing you know is that you’re wordlessly bidding goodbye to your parents, who promised to write and come back for you soon. they didn’t. being part of doctors without borders and making it their goal to offer medical aid where it’s needed most, they put their humanitarian labor before parenthood.

the first letter you got arrived eight months after they left. there’s disappointment and there’s also heartbreak, but they don’t last long. you don’t allow them to regardless of your young age. instead, you focus on how your grandfather, despite having severe and strict ways, squeezed your shoulder and offered the small smile that you know all too well now. or how your grandmother, a renowned musician, didn’t hesitate to shower you in unconditional love. your education didn’t cease and your grandfather immediately enrolled you at kwangsook academy.

one of your most prominent traits is how transparent you are with your emotions and your grandmother easily learnt to read this. it was no surprise that the first time you saw her playing a beautiful song on her baby grand and your irises sparkled with curiosity, she immediately beckoned you closer. “hi, my love.” the elderly woman greeted while shifting a little so you could take a seat beside her. you meet her eyes and you wonder if she’s looking for anything by the time an easy smile appears on her face. “do you like music?” you’re unable to respond, but she must’ve seen something because, after that, she started teaching you the basics of piano. a couple of days later, she asked again and this time around, the answer naturally slipped out of your mouth: i love it.

for your regular classes, you were constant and responsible. sure, you enjoyed learning, but your interest wasn’t inherently there. it was just something you had to do. however, when it came to that newfound love for music of yours, you were the one with the initiative to ask for more lessons and practice whenever you had free time; first the piano, later the guitar and a couple of years later you made the stubborn decision to learn the drums.

it was nice staying in yunhwa, it brought you a comforting sense of belonging. it was the beginning of finding your own voice; discovering your likes and dislikes, some of your talents and even the chance of making friends. however, there was always a lingering question in the back of your mind and a deep sadness you rarely showed: when are my parents coming back?

they do, but only for a short period of time.

you had only turned thirteen, but the moment you saw them you were but an excited kid, joyously yelling and running to hug them, but they greeted you rather… frivolously. you try to ignore the breach between you and them, which you felt the most when you were holding your mother’s hand; her skin a couple of degrees colder than your grandma’s. they ask how you were doing and, in your frenzy, you start talking about everything that’s happened all this time only to be interrupted; the voice you were starting to grow inevitably drowned in the sea of their own achievements and stories.

it’s then that they tell you they’d move to seoul and you’re to go with them. apparently, with the intention to settle down and give it a go to having a normal family. you say goodbye to your grandparents, and unlike your mom and dad, the promises of staying in touch with them are real.

you were silent and reserved around your parents. you had to after learning that no matter what you tried to tell them, the conversation always ended being about what interested them. for a while you pretended to be okay with it, but soon you started wishing they paid as much attention to you as they did to their cause. it made you think that, by immersing yourself in that world, you might be able to keep them interested long enough or make them proud, and your very own obsession to become a doctor started right there. simple questions that had your parents perk up are what made you believe that your plan isn’t too far fetched.

luckily, you were able to retreat to your music whenever everything became too overwhelming, but even this wasn’t enough to stop an ever growing beast called dissatisfaction from making your chest its home. it increases in size and sometimes it’s so big that you’re unable to keep it in your ribcage, coming to light with rebellious little acts such as not doing your homework or bluntly strumming your guitar late at night. eventually, unspoken words and jumbled thoughts find their way into old notebooks full of an amateur’s unfinished songs.

it’s exactly a year later that they announced their new plans of moving to the other side of the world, plans that didn’t take you into consideration at all. it was disappointing, but not really surprising. still, you were able to comprehend the nature of their jobs, after all they were brilliant doctors and only a handful were willing to offer the assistance your parents did. you stop expecting things to change after the farewells you exchanged with them. you wished them the best and truly meant it.

going back to yunhwa at fourteen is something you anticipate; your grandmother welcomed you with your favorite food and your grandfather with a blank notebook. “for your songs, son” he said with that smile of his, learning about this new hobby of yours from one of the many mails you sent them. both were happy about your return and helped you pick up your studies where you last left them.

it’s in your junior year at high school when you truly get serious about your studies, medical school was your single goal. even though you’ve come to terms with the relationship you had with your parents, a hopeful part of you genuinely believed that becoming a doctor would help breach the distance.

and so you do, dropping music altogether and every other hobby that “needlessly” consumed your time and energy. it was admittedly exhausting and you were obviously miserable without playing any instrument. the sleepless nights and the isolation you brought upon yourself paid off the moment you received the news of your acceptance at pusan national university. that very night, you got a call from your parents congratulating you.

for the next year and a half, however, things prove to be extremely challenging when you find yourself amongst thousands of students whose drive and ambition is stronger than simply wanting to get close to their parents. it’s shameful, you admit and the constant pressure as well as the competitive environment soon takes a toll on you, but it was much needed for you to start questioning everything; yourself, your goals and if it was really what you wanted.

the person who helps you to fully come to this realisation is none other than your grandfather, another renowned doctor in your family. it’s shocking to hear him encouraging you to drop out and follow your dreams. truth is you were far too concerned chasing after a hopeless goal than to craft ambitions and dreams for yourself. still, you follow his advice even when you are completely at loss about what the next step would be.

if news of your acceptance travelled fast, so did the news of your departure. you got a call shortly after and all you heard was “we’re very disappointed” followed by radio silence before your father hung up. you were nineteen, about to turn twenty, when they last talked to you.

their silence becomes one of your many excuses to make mistakes and act recklessly; if your good behaviour and your previous little act didn’t catch their attention, this surely will. it’s your shield against the disapproval in your grandfather’s eyes, and that very shield is what stops him from stopping you. even when you told him you wouldn’t return to yunhwa, instead moving to one of your friend’s apartment in the heart of busan.

it’s amusing how easily your grandfather believes your fake promises of trying to get your life together and you feel awful for being such a good liar. you find decent jobs, but never stay too long. unnecessary fights with customers or blatant irresponsibility are the main reasons that force you to find a new one every couple of weeks. you’ve been many things: a busser, a server, even a mascot. you didn’t mind much as long as you were paid.

you willingly dive into a void filled with indulgence and bad decisions. all in order to not think, to not dwell on the future. you used every situation you could possibly get yourself into as a distractor from the painful reality. you were lost, so utterly lost.

twenty one comes around and you decide that, for the first time ever, you’re going to gift yourself something. a permanent work of art, its canvas your skin.

three monthly salaries were spent on black and red ink which reminded you of your favorite place. the needle pierces your skin once, twice, hundred times until your arm is almost fully covered… maybe it was a metaphor, a feeble attempt to display something bright and wonderful on someone who otherwise had long lost every trace of that. it was not enough and a couple of piercings follow in trying to beautify the sheer mess you’ve made of yourself.

some nights you question your own strength and sanity. you used to be pristine, someone to be proud of and an exemplary resident of the town you fondly call home. you were constant, had talent and a midas touch that turned meaningless words into beautiful songs, scribbles onto paper into melodies that had every listener humming along.

what happened to you, boy? says a voice in your head… or is it from your chest? is it the dissatisfaction you’ve tried to keep locked for years? all it took was to be called a disappointment once for you to willingly become one?

it consumes you and every passing day it becomes louder, but you’re stubborn and simply take it as a challenge to find new ways to drown it. headachingly loud music, poisonous substances, liquid trust or the ecstasy under someone’s fingertips… the city swallows you whole and provides you with momentary sweet oblivion but… is the aftermath of impeding remorse worth it? it is, you convince yourself while running back into it’s arms night after night.

one day, without warning, three knocks come onto your door and when you’re about to curse whoever disrupted your game, you’re met with your grandparents. your appearance is deplorable; bloodshot eyes, greasy hair and alarming signs of lack of proper sleep. it hurt to see your grandmother, as crystal clear as you wear, worried and at loss of words. a thing the city taught you was to be a pretender and so you ignore every sign of concern in their faces while smiling at them. “long time no see!” you say cheerfully.

it’s a quiet visit. they don’t know what to tell you or where to start, and neither do you feel a need to fill the awkward silence when your grandfather’s phone went off. he answers without thinking to a videocall and the voice that greets him has you freezing on your spot. father. your face falls and your eyes widen in obvious panic when he asks about you. the older man in the room seems to be equally as frantic as you when he glances at you, taking in how you look before your father speaks again.

“oh, is yongguk there? let me talk to him.” his authoritative tone was enough to have your grandfather turning the phone towards you. it’s late, far too late to fix yourself or even try to hide the glaringly bright red ink on your arm. so, in your frenzy, you decide to play cynical. what else could you lose, right? “hey, dad.” you greet with a shameless smile upon your lips. “your timing is as impeccable as ever.”

the argument that ensues forces you to retreat to your room and you thank whatever universal force that your roommate decided to have a weekend-long trip. it’s a heated fight, and you realize midway through that this is the longest conversation you’ve ever had with your father. why is it that the most display of emotion you get from him is when you don’t follow his ridiculous standards? he gets louder, so do you and it escalates to irreversible words. the last thing he says is “you’re not our son anymore” followed by silence.

then you laugh.

you laugh over the irony of an absent father saying such a thing. you laugh because you don’t want to allow him see you hurting. you laugh at how fucked up the whole situation is. “doesn’t make a difference, does it?” you say between unabashed chuckles. “not like you ever acted like a father, anyway.” and you hang up, your legs giving in and only then did you notice that your whole body had been shaking this whole time.

you muffle a scream on a pillow while feeling so alone and like the butt of the cruelest joke. you want to hate your father and your mother. you want to despise them for their horrible behavior. instead, you find yourself crying like an abandoned kid wanting, yearning for the love that wasn’t given to him. you want to run, to disappear, to hide where no one can find you.

then, two arms wraps around you and even though your grandmother is a little smaller than you, you find yourself feeling protected under her embrace. shortly after comes a pat on your head from your grandfather. you look up at those brown eyes full of wisdom and, when he tells you “everything will be okay, son.” you wholeheartedly believe him

because, a year later, things started looking up.

#INFO.TXT #YONGGUK.EXE #LOC.YUNHWA

[blucmoon]

━  ☾ ⊹  ( lee sung kyung, cis female , she/her ) say hello to KWON INNA, the THIRTY ONE YEAR OLD that seems to have a lot in HER hands with HER job as a TRADITIONAL TEAHOUSE OWNER! beyond that, they seemed CONSIDERATE AND HARDWORKING upon first glance. i heard someone say they’re sort of GULLIBLE AND IMPATIENT though. SHE seems to live in a FOUR BEDROOM HOUSE in YUNHWA, SOUTH KOREA. anything else to add? oh, yeah! she also USED TO BE AN EDITOR AT A PROMINENT PUBLISHING COMPANY IN SEOUL!

about

name: inna kwon

birthday: september 10, 1989

age: 31

gender and pronouns: cis female, she / her.

orientation: bisexual,

birthplace: busan, south korea

hometown: seoul, south korea.

current location: yunhwa, south korea. (house #4013, hwesakgu)

level of education: b.a in korean language and literature & journalism (double major)

occupation: owner of the teahouse at yeyun inn

past occupations: editor at a prominent publishing company in seoul.

appearance

height: 176cm / 5’7ft

weight: 54kg / 119lbs

piercings: left ear; daith, flat, double helix, anti-tragus, upper lobe and lobe. right ear; helix, upper lobe and lobe. likes to wear cuff earrings often.

fashion style: used to stick to seoul’s fashion, always wearing luxury brands as expected from the daughter of a socialite family. suits, skirts, dresses, purses… she didn’t spare any expense when it came to her wardrobe. now that she’s in yunhwa, inna completely changed her style… and finally found one that allows her to feel comfortable in her own skin and stop pretending to be something she isn’t and never was. tight clothing was exchanged for dresses and skirts that dance with the breeze while she takes walks on the beach. sweaters, blazers and blouses that are two sizes too big on her, often making her to roll up the sleeves for comfort. pants, shorts and skirts of all shapes and lengths in a variety of patterns, mostly plaid, pinstripes, herringbone and every so often she’d opt for more striking, eye catching patterns (it has a lot to do with her emotional state). as for shoes, she changed the expensive stilettos for flats, boots and sneakers. for accessorizing, she likes to decorate her wrists with dainty bracelets and her hands with several rings in gold and silver, usually three in the left hand and five in the right one, sometimes stacked, sometimes one on each finger. depending on the season, she either wears delicate necklaces or fashionable scarves that cover both, style and function. her favorite way to dress is with pants, mostly cuffed jeans, a blouse or a shirt that she loosely tucks in and long coats, big cardigans or blazers on top.

eyes: a light shade of brown, almost reminiscent of melted caramel: equally as warm and sweet but doesn’t necessarily catering to everyone.

hair color and style: it’s been far too long since she’s last seen her natural hair color, which she vaguely remembers as a dark brown, so dark that she sometimes thought was just black. as she grew up and gained a little more of liberty to make her own decisions, her hair changed to a variety of colors: from red to black to light brown to blonde with pastel strikes. now, it’s dyed auburn brown, reaching the middle of her back and with bangs. she has naturally wavy hair, but only slightly, enough to not be considered straight. she likes it and would rarely ever go out of her way to do anything different like straightening or curling it, much preferring to let it cascade down her shoulders. halfway through the day though she can be seen pulling it up in messy buns or ponytails, or even braiding it whenever she has some free time.

personality

positive personality traits: disciplined, honest, considerate

negative personality traits: impatient, stubborn, gullible

bad habits or vices: stressing over things she can’t control, smoking once or twice a day (more when she’s anxious or stressed), late night snacking, drums her fingers everywhere.

birth chart: virgo sun, capricorn moon, leo rising

mbti: isfp

enneagram: 4w3

hobbies/interests: reading under the sun, journaling, listening to music directly from vinyl, playing chess and jigsaw puzzles, riding her bike to and from work and around town, nightly drives and two in the morning street food, online shopping, sales hunting, cooking.  

background (tldr)

inked words in a piece of parchment were all it took to turn her life around.

one day, she held a crown over her head, titles of excellence under her arm and an engagement ring around her finger. inna was the oldest daughter, the next in line, the one that was meant to achieve greatness first between the three siblings and set the example for them.

having the kwon surname was a synonym of high expectations and never did she fall short of any of them. inna was an exemplary woman, hard working and, most importantly, one that rarely voiced her opinions.

nonetheless, the day she came across a letter addressed directly to her was the day she started questioning who she really was.

sometimes, the protection that comes within hiding the truth is much needed to keep someone blissfully unaware of the reality; to keep them from unnecessary pain. inna doesn’t blame her parents for sheltering her, but she does hold it against them for underestimating her and not telling her she was adopted sooner.

the letter was short and the sender’s penmanship was gorgeous, clear, easy to read… and one that was completely strange to her. yet, she claimed to be her biological mother and promises of some answers came within a will, one that conceded her the ownership of a property and a teahouse, both allocated in yunhwa.

after several days of contemplation, arguments between her and her mother and research about a town she’s never heard of before, inna made a decision. one motivated by the final straw that came in the shape of a selfish partner whose only real interest was to have the perfect trophy wife. packing her whole life into cardboard boxes and several suitcases isn’t nearly as difficult as she first expected and so she leaves without looking back.

saying goodbye to seoul leaves a bittersweet taste as she drives five hours to yunhwa, only stopping when arriving at the address on the will. the woman spent almost an hour observing the front of the rather old house and it was clear that no one had habited it for months; overgrown plants on the small garden at the front, dust collecting on the windows… and the unknown behind its closed door.

she had no idea of what to expect, of what she going to find. it’s deeply scares her, the truth has never been an easy thing to swallow and she second guesses her plans when someone, apparently her mother’s acquaintance, stops by and the first thing they tell her is “you have her eyes.”

that’s all it takes for inna to make up her mind.

background (full)

inna is the oldest daughter of the kwon family, who were not famous per se, but well-positioned in the high society of seoul. her father had a couple of restaurants and her mother was the director of a publishing company she built from the ground. other than that, they’re your average rich family with parents having great expectations on their children to either follow their steps or achieve greatness on their own. inna was the ‘firstborn’, older than her brother for seven years and nine years older than her sister.

an absolute sweetheart as a kid, easily charming everyone with her dimpled smiles and lighter-colored eyes, a striking feature that didn’t resemble neither her mother’s or father’s very own eyes. however, it was never questioned neither was it unwelcomed. instead, it was appraised and even something her mother often showed off.

almost always been a well behaved daughter; charming, polite, obedient. the classic oldest daughter schtick and her mother constantly reminding her to set the example for her siblings only added to it. sure, she got into her fair share of trouble; a broken heart more than once, underage drinking (not too often), maybe cheating in an exam once or twice or copying someone else’s homework, but she made sure nothing would suffice to tarnish her or her family’s reputation permanently.

it’s in high school, after taking a literature class and discovering her love for reading and writing, that she decided to study something along those lines. not so surprisingly, her decision was fully supported by her mother which, admittedly, made her hesitate. inna had the gut feeling that the moment she shared her plans, her mother had already further paved the path of her future.

trying to look past this, college wasn’t nearly half as bad. actually, the years spent studying korean language and literature as well as journalism (double major nerd over here) were her favorites. between her junior and senior years, though, she took a sabbatical year (it was her 21st birthday wish and her father easily caved in despite her mother’s disapproval) to travel and her first destination was paris followed by london, tokyo and lastly california.

graduating at twenty two, inna immediately got a job in her mother’s company and slowly worked her way up until achieving the position of editor-in-chief at twenty seven. inna was really good at her job and she knew what it took for the company’s publications to become best-sellers, but she never shone whatsoever.

all her achievements never seemed to be hers for the spotlight always landed on her mother and rumor had it that inna got where she was thanks to her mother, which is partly true. sure, getting the job was a given, but everyone failed to see how exigent her mother- her boss was, or the amount of criticism she got without anyone noticing, or the late nights at the office, or the weekends without a break. still, inna never went out of her way to discredit the rumors, already knowing that changing people’s minds was 1. difficult and 2. pointless. every word, jab and snide comment directed her way fell on deaf ears.

inna wasn’t particularly discontented about her job, but she didn’t feel fulfilled either.

something felt constantly amiss and the sensation of being utterly lost was nothing new to her either. her dreams, goals and ambitions were all stored away, collecting dust and spiderwebs, just like her unfinished manuscripts safely kept in a box at home. being an author was her biggest dream, not reviewing, editing and telling other authors what to do to become a hit. inna wanted, longed to be on the other side.

however, there always seemed to be excuses for her not to: endless work, new publications, new clients and projects, then promotion after promotion and, lastly, a new partner that asks her hand in marriage by the time she turns thirty.

he was sweet, caring and always supported her professional growth. idealistically, the perfect partner. the kind that she introduced to her parents without hesitation or having to tell him to keep something a secret to avoid their disapproval. none of that happened this time compared to previous partners of hers. inna should’ve known something wasn’t right about someone so flawless, so selfless. maybe a part of her felt it from the get go, but in her position, the next “natural” step after having a stable career, was getting married and forming a family of her own. so when he asked (nothing too out of the world, just a family dinner), she couldn’t say no.

life was seemingly perfect.

the wedding planning midway through and one of the books the company published and she personally supervised became a huge success in the country, even getting a contract for a drama adaptation, thus the remuneration she got was big. rumors of a new office opening overseas where often heard across the building as well as inna being in charge of it. she couldn’t be happier.

it was the calm before the storm.

one afternoon at her parent’s house everything went downhill.

her mother asked inna to bring her a manuscript from her office. unsuspecting, inna was looking for it through the drawers when accidentally coming across an envelope with her name beautifully written on it. curiosity had always been her best and worst trait, and this time she couldn’t help but reading the contents.

the letter was short and the sender’s penmanship was gorgeous, clear, easy to read… and one that was completely strange to her. yet, she claimed to be her biological mother and promises of some answers came within a will, one that conceded her the ownership of a property and a teahouse, both allocated in yunhwa.

after several days of contemplation, arguments between her and her mother and research about a town she’s never heard of before, inna made a decision. one motivated by the final straw that came in the shape of a selfish partner whose only real interest was to have the perfect trophy wife. packing her whole life into cardboard boxes and several suitcases isn’t nearly as difficult as she first expected and so she leaves without looking back.

saying goodbye to seoul leaves a bittersweet taste as she drives five hours to yunhwa, only stopping when arriving at the address on the will. the woman spent almost an hour observing the front of the rather old house and it was clear that no one had habited it for months; overgrown plants on the small garden at the front, dust collecting on the windows… and the unknown behind its closed door.

she had no idea of what to expect, of what she was going to find. it’s deeply scares her, the truth has never been an easy thing to swallow and she second guesses her plans when someone, apparently her mother’s acquaintance, stops by and the first thing they tell her is “you have her eyes.”

that’s all it takes for inna to make up her mind.

still, everything feels strange to her as she steps into a house that’s now hers, but has never visited before or even had an idea of its existence. it’s overwhelming, to say the least, to encounter what inna assumes was her mother’s way of living. the further she stepped into the house, she noticed that nothing really matched and every piece of furniture seemed to have been purposely selected to differ from the rest. every chair in the dining room was different, some looked older than the rest and traces of restoration were clear on the mismatched filler between the cracks. a homemade project is what inna assumes. it was a mess, but somehow, a beautiful one.

that’s the first thing she learns about her mother: she liked to give things a second chance.

sleeping in that house wasn’t plausible for several reasons, mostly because she didn’t like the idea of reside there in its current state; the cracking floor, the thick layer of dust that caused her to sneeze repeatedly and she swears a rat had made that place its home. inna immediately planned to do some renovations and reparations and, until the bedroom and kitchen were fully functional, she’d make do by finding another place to stay.

her next stop was yeyun inn, the second location indicated in the will where he was to take over her mother’s business: the teahouse. this was something that absolutely dumbfounded inna, not knowing anything about running a place like that for her core occupation was a stark contrast from it. still, she was aware that the savings she had, despite being a respectable amount, would only last for so long and most of them would be invested in the house anyway.

troubled, she presented the will to the innkeeper as well as her living arrangements problems, which were easily solved by temporarily moving into one of the inn’s rooms. however, the teahouse was different and inna has been struggling a little to learn all there is to learn about it. four months later, inna is still in yunhwa, still learning all she can about her mother and only recently moved into her new house after some renovations were over.

it’s conflicting to be there and be constantly compared to a woman that was a complete stranger to her. somedays, inna feels flattered, especially when they mention their eyes, but most days, she’s angry. she’s resentful. she’s annoyed that the chance of meeting this seemingly wonderful woman that the whole town loved was taken away from her.

some things to note

inna has been in yunhwa for 4 months, never heard of the town before or anything about her mother. she doesn’t know if she’s here to stay permanently or what, but meanwhile, she plans to make this place her home and this is why she considers herself a citizen.

has not been in touch with her family (except her dad) since she moved into yunhwa. leaving seoul meant leaving everything behind: her job, her engagement, her family, her friends.

it’s nice to not be compared to her adoptive mother and siblings here because whenever this happened in seoul, it was all backhanded compliments… but here in yunhwa, she often has to put up with the same thing, only that nicer and because of her biological mom. sometimes she’s polite, but some days, inna immediately shuts down anyone who even tries to tell her anything (as politely as possible… or not)

actually inna’s biological and adoptive mothers knew each other. her mother adopted her because her biological mother was in a really bad stage in her life and knew she couldn’t provide her daughter the life she deserved. her adoptive mom hadn’t been able to have kids as much as she tried, so at the moment it sounded like a good idea. they made a promise to not tell inna until her mom was in a better place where she could meet her daughter without any shame.

after the adoption, both kept in touch every couple of months for her adoptive mom to update on inna’s life, achievements and everything. this is exactly why some townspeople are prone to know about inna: her mother used to show her off a lot, even showing some photos she got.

her adoptive mother wasn’t supposed to be able to have kids, but seven years after adopting inna, she got news of pregnancy… and again 2 years after that. the dynamic didn’t change much, but her mom has always been extra exigent when it comes to inna and a little more lenient with her siblings.

her biological mom got her life together after struggling for a while and became a really important part of yunhwa’s community. she helped anyone who needed it and tried to find ways to improve the town just to make life a little better. so yeah, inna’s mom was well-known, especially after she got the teahouse (approximately 20 years ago), where she welcomed anyone to share their woes or joys over a cup of tea.

the process of cleaning the house was a long process because of all the things her mother had. she kept some furniture like the table and chairs from the dining room and a beautiful desk, but the rest had been mostly ruined due to the rats. yes, rats. (its okay, the house has been fumigated.)

while going through and selecting her mom’s belongings for donations and stuff, inna found several things that she was able to keep like a box of letters her mother wrote her but never sent, tons and tons of journals she used to write short stories in and that never saw the light and her mom’s vinyls collection. (inna drove all the way to busan to get a new player because hers didn’t work anymore).

the house is still undergoing renovations, but she’s able to live there despite it since they’re done through the day while she’s at the teahouse. she’s slowly becoming a plant mom because of the beautiful lighting the house has and now that she’s not as busy as she was in seoul, she has more time and patience to take care of them properly.

is still struggling to learn the business, but doing a whole lot better than her first month running the teahouse. she also became absurdly fascinated by tea and is absolutely surprised there’s no boba tea in yunhwa yet so she’s made this resolution to learn how to make bubble tea and sell it. (looking for guinea pigs that can taste her delicious creations.)

(cw: smoking) she smokes, an awful habit she got from her working days in the city. has been trying to quit even before she moved into the town but its been to not avail. she’s managed to reduce her intake to one or two a day, but in those days that she’s more stressed, it doubles.

don’t come @ her but she has rich girl hobbies: knows how to play chess and actually enjoys it a lot, she even brought with her a board her father gave her when she was younger and is keen to find someone that plays with her, even if she has to teach them herself.

is shopping a hobby? yes, and she does it quite often though she’s found a secret joy in hunting sales. every so often she likes to splurge and label it as self-care.

enjoys a good wine anytime and if she has a craving in the middle of the night for a good bottle, she’d drive all the way to busan in order to satisfy this. maybe treat herself a dinner or perhaps clubbing? who knows.

has a car but has rarely used it since she moved into yunhwa because the town is so accessible by walking or bike that she decided to buy a bike instead. it’s her favorite method of transportation and uses it everyday to get to work.

#INFO.TXT #INNA.EXE #LOC.YUNHWA

[blucmoon]

━  ☾ ⊹  ( kim hyunjin, cis female , she/her ) say hello to SHIM YUNHEE, the TWENTY ONE YEAR OLD that seems to have a lot in his hands with HER job as a GAS STATION ASSISTANT! beyond that, they seemed RESPONSIBLE AND LOYAL upon first glance. i heard someone say they’re sort of SELF-DETACHED AND IMPATIENT though. SHE seems to live in a 3 BEDROOM HOUSE in YUNHWA, SOUTH KOREA. anything else to add? oh, yeah! she also USED TO BE A SOCCER PLAYER UNTIL SHE BROKE HER ANKLE MID-GAME AND WAS ADVICED TO NEVER PLAY AGAIN.

stats

⋆ ― full name: shim yunhee ⋆ ― nicknames: yuni / yunee (sounds like yun 2) ⋆ ― age: twenty one ⋆ ― date of birth: january 8th, 2000. ⋆ ― birthplace: yunhwa, south korea. ⋆ ― current location:yunhwa, south korea ⋆ ― living arrangements: hwesakgu, house #3021. ⋆ ― ethnicity: korean ⋆ ― nationality: korean ⋆ ― gender: cis female ⋆ ― pronouns: she / her ⋆ ― orientation: : ) ⋆ ― religion: atheist ⋆ ― occupation: assistant @ gangmoon gas station ⋆ ― language(s) spoken: korean (fluent), english (advanced level) ⋆ ― accent: heavy

physical appearance

⋆ ― faceclaim: loona’s kim hyunjin. ⋆ ― hair: naturally brown, has only dyed it twice in her life. once red for more than half a year when she was a freshman at college and now it’s currently dyed to black. lets it down most of the time without doing anything to it, much preferring it’s natural waves (even though there are many). still, her second go-to style are messy ponytails and buns, followed by half up-do’s. only when tries to exert a little more effort, she either curls it on straightens it completely. ⋆ ― makeup: minimal, only started wearing mascara and eyeliner in college and still has trouble to draw even lines in both eyes. other than that, she applies colored chapsticks in red and pink hues. ⋆ ― eye colour: brown. ⋆ ― gaze: dreamy and pensive, slightly strained, often expressing attentiveness, sardonic irony or melancholy. ⋆ ― height: 163cm / 5'4" ft ⋆ ― weight: 48kg ⋆ ― tattoos: none yet. ⋆ ― default expression: solemn, monotonous but often shows light amazement or full interest when having a conversation that piques her interest. showcases a polite half-smile in an attempt to come across as a trustworthy person, otherwise her gestures are timid and undemonstrative. ⋆ ― markings: scar large scar on her left ankle from a recent surgery, small scratches and some other bruises all over her legs and arms. ⋆ ― piercings: lobe and upper lobe on both ears. double helix on the right one. most of the time in yunhwa she’d cover them by letting her hair down and on those occasions where she feels like having it up in a ponytail or any updo, she only wears earrings on the standard lobe. silver and black jewelry pieces are the things she wears more often. ⋆ ― clothing style: ranges between casual and sport casual. jeans, shorts, graphic t-shirts, loose blouses, oversized sweaters are her go-to when her mother reproaches her about wearing leggings, joggers and sweatshirts too often. whenever she wants to look different and think more about what to wear, she asks yunmi for advice and will most likely go with whatever she tells her with minimal adjustments. she admittedly likes to wear flowy dresses in summer and skirts every now and then, but feminine clothing like that always makes her feel a little out of place and uncomfortable.

health

⋆ ― allergies: none ⋆ ― sleeping habits: 7-8 hours daily, throughout her life in college she developed the habit of waking up really early thus she’s considered a morning person. has more energy in the morning compared to the rest of the day and would often nap 20min-1hour in the afternoon. can easily fall asleep anywhere and most all the time, she sleeps on her side hugging something, which has been difficult to do so after the surgery. ⋆ ― eating habits: not a picky eater but a slow one. likes to take her time enjoying her meals and is usually the last one to finish her food. eats whatever presented to her and always up to try new dishes. has the habit of snacking between meals, though because of her previous strict regimen, her snacks were mostly fruits, vegetable and healthy snacks overall. now, she just eats whatever without caring about the calories count. ⋆ ― exercise habits: used to exercise daily on her own + the soccer practices. now, she has to go twice a week for physical therapy to a hospital in busan. ⋆ ― emotional stability: 6/10 ⋆ ― conditions: lesion - fractured ankle that required her to undergo surgery. ⋆ ― needs: glasses for reading, but wears contacts outside her home. currently wearing a walking boot / orthopedic shoe in her left foot thus she also uses crutches to walk around. however, this doesn’t apply much at home where she completely disregards the crutches and prefers skipping around with her healthy foot or carefully walking with the boot (though mindful of not applying too much weight on her left side.) ⋆ ― body temperature: average ⋆ ― drug use: none. ⋆ ― alcohol use: socially a handful of times in college, med-high tolerance.

family

⋆ ― father: shim junho ⋆ ― mother: jo minha ⋆ ― grandfather: shim changsook ⋆ ― grandmother: hwang moonhwa - deceased ⋆ ― sibling(s): shim yunhee (rooming with her) ⋆ ― pet(s): angora cat, mismatched eyes (deaf of one ear.) ⋆ ― social class: middle class ⋆ ― guardians: overbearing / absent ⋆ ― childhood: uneventful most times, popular in her soccer team

personality

⋆ ― label: the soiled dove ; someone who is sympathetic and full of hope. however, they can also be lost ⋆ ― positive traits: diligent, responsible, thoughtful, generous, creative, sensitive, kind hearted, honest, supportive, loyal, protective, calm (most of the time), polite, trustworthy, helpful. ⋆ ― negative traits: detached, distrustful, distant, stubborn, self-critical, impatient, conflict-averse, difficult to get to know, private, reserved, arrogant, fluctuating self-esteem, harsh, blunt, prideful. ⋆ ― hobbies: reading, playing video games, baking (just started learning how to), building/decorating things out of rusted or useless pieces from her grandfather’s garage or the station (of course, after asking if she can have them), talks to her cat sometimes (she’s convinced yuno understands everything she’s saying, she swears he even nodded once when she asked a question), people-watch, sitting by the beach and watch the sea for hours on end, used to climb over the roof to stargaze (misses this a lot). ⋆ ― habits: chewing the ends of pens, knuckle cracking, muttering under her breath when deep in thought/focused on something, talking to herself, snacking between meals, humming/singing to herself, hair twirling, gesturing while talking, tucking hair behind ears, peeling off bottle labels when anxious/worried, slouching, drumming fingers, rubbing the palm of her hand with her other thumb when nervous. ⋆ ― zodiac sign: sun capricorn, moon capricorn, rising libra ⋆ ― mbti: infp-t (he mediator) ⋆ ― subtype: ni (intuitive) ⋆ ― enneagram: 8w9 (the diplomat) ⋆ ― temperament: melancholic ⋆ ― threat level: moderate ⋆ ― approachability: amiable ⋆ ― anger:  cold ⋆ ― hogwarts house: ravenclaw ⋆ ― moral alignment: chaotic neutral ⋆ ― primary vice: pride ⋆ ― primary virtue: diligence ⋆ ― preferred humor: stand up / wordplay / potentially offensive / absurd ⋆ ― type of drunk: happy / risk-taker (rare) / honest / sleepy ⋆ ― type of cry: reluctant / sniffle / unfazed ⋆ ― type of laugh: chuckle / huff / raucous (rare)

yunhee’s first impression is that of a calm person, gentle in her approach, even a little timid and soft spoken as she first introduces herself. however, these impressions can quickly change the more comfortable she feels around someone and, depending on the situation, she can be loud and blunt from the get go.

has a vibrant and creative way of thinking, something she’s sure she inherited directly from her grandparents. possesses a fine intuition and this has always allowed her to either establish meaningful connections or stay away from people that strike her as untrustworthy or dangerous.  

heavily dislikes routine, monotony, stereotypes, conventionality, strict order, having to follow rules and regulations. she seeks new experiences and feels attracted to interesting and unusual people. this is a double-edged sword, however, for she can take unnecessary risks and be self-indulgent in certain vices for the sake of chasing thrills. can be really reckless and impulsive when feeling stuck and can take poor decisions because of this.

caring nature, the type to try to put others’ needs above her own and help her beloved ones through any situation that troubles them. she’d try to understand their true feelings and often gets protective of them. sensitive and attentive, she tries to maintain the relationships she builds and showcases tolerance to most flaws and weaknesses of others since she has trouble cutting off people that have exhausted her for she grows used to them.  

externally she might seem serene or emotionless even, but in her heart she’s sentimentally predisposed, has bouts of moodiness and melancholy. regrets her mistakes and misfortunes for a long time due being able to recall experiences from the past down to the smallest detail. people can often perceive her to be emotionally blank or poker-faced, but when she’s challenged she can get very angry and passionate.

somewhat unsure in herself, she’s prone to doubt and hesitate in situations where she has to act decisively and doesn’t like to hurry. most likely will try to delay carrying out tasks and finding solutions to problems for an indefinite period of time. she will rarely ever promise something if she’s not able to keep it. on occasions, she knows how to patiently wait and adapt to any circumstances

yunhee will immediately shrink away from confrontations or at the very least try to not make them escalate, remaining quiet through them and hoping for them to be over soon. however, when injustice happens before her eyes, she’s not the type to stay quiet if the affected part does, stepping in if necessary (although with shaky hands, wavering resolution and immediate regrets). aggression and confrontation doesn’t sit well with her and she much prefers to do things her way, peacefully yet firmly.

background (tldr)

⋆ ― yunhee and yunmi are twins. ⋆ ― their parents are still very traditional and close-minded. also worked a lot and were really absent but were also overbearing, wanting certain paths for their daughters like studying medicine or something else. ⋆ ― its thanks to their grandparents that the twins can explore their interests and likes freely. ⋆ ― yunhee spent more time with their grandad, and he taught her a lot of useful things in order to be independent and solve problems on her own. he also taught her what he knows about cars and it’s something she easily absorbed and came to really love. ⋆ ― she used to love living in yunhwa but it soon becomes boring for her. there were a few exceptions to this like a city boy who used to visit and she’d spend all her days playing with him (until he stopped coming) or playing soccer with the other kids in her free time. ⋆ ― noticing this like of hers and how she started growing a little bored of it the more she played with the same kids, her grandfather helped her be part of an all girls soccer team in busan and he’d drive her there 3 times a week for practice. ⋆ ― ever since then she dreamed to become a professional player. ⋆ ― she was given a sports scholarship for a college in seoul, her parents were reluctant and they had to come to a compromise where yunhee would study accounting in exchange to be allowed to be part of the soccer team. ⋆ ― she thought she was leaving yunhwa for good. ⋆ ― yunhee then meets there her childhood friend, kitae, and after a couple of months they start dating (though they broke up in her junior year.) ⋆ ―  in her senior year she got a really bad injury mid game and her ankle was fractured. it was so bad that she had to undergo surgery and the doctor advised her to never play again. ⋆ ― her parents used this chance to bring her back to yunhwa and that’s how she ended up there. she doesn’t go out though, the first months she spends them completely holed up in her room and only decided to go out a couple of days before the festival to welcome the new mayor (edited on feb 27). ⋆ ― however after a couple of months they demanded she got a job. which her grandpa helped her with and landed her one as one of the mechanic’s assistants. this is all because the owner owed him a favor. ⋆ ― she accepts right away, thinking she’d have the chance to help fixing cars but instead she’s asked to sort pieces, make inventory, help for the accounting or work the convenience store. the owner often says it’s because of her injury but she suspects it’s also because she’s a girl. ⋆ ― she’s supposed to go to physical therapy to recover and she allegedly does once every week, her dad or grandpa drive her to busan, drop her off and go to run some errands or do other stuff because she asked them to since she didn’t like the idea of them waiting. however, reality is that she didn’t want them to see her sneaking out to a nearby arcade where she spends the next 2 hours instead of attending therapy. this comes from her fear of never getting better or completely healed, so why trying in the first place right? ⋆ ― wears a walking boot / orthopaedical shoe and crutches in the present (sorry if i often repeat this while we plot or as i write, it’s important for her mobility and stuff)

background

born on january 8th at 12:06am, she’s yunmi’s twin with a difference of eleven minutes and thirty six seconds, something her sister rarely ever overlooks. hand in hand, two girls restlessly run around yunhwa while waving and cheerfully greeting every auntie and uncle they come across. named after the little town, the twins quickly made every street their playground and every building part of their imaginary kingdom. dog-shaped dragons were their pets and the adults who frowned upon them the evil-doers in their never ending fairy tale. at the end of every day, one last enemy remained, one that always tried to command them with “don’t run inside the house”, to control their minds with a “clean up your toys” and, lastly, with the most powerful spell they weren’t able to ever defeat: “time for bed”. mom.

growing up in yunhwa is initially fun, just how youth is supposed to be. full of laughter, getting easily marvelled by everything new and adoring the stories the elderly people eagerly shared with them. her early memories are mostly filled by these along with the ever comforting presence of her sister and grandparents, their parents busy making a living to provide for their little family.

as different as their birth times, one at the end of a day, the other at the beginning of the next one, the twins would grow up having contrasting interests thanks to the encouragement and support of their grandparents, something mom and dad would often frown upon.

while yunmi spent more time with their grandma, yunhee would do so with their grandpa. the old man, once one of the little town’s mechanics, always inculcated in yunhee the habit of being independent and learning to solve problems on her own. starting with childish riddles that would increase in difficulty as the girl grows up to changing a tire right when she turned fifteen, yunhee has always enjoyed the time spent with him and the lessons learned.

however, along the way, yunhwa became something yunhee knew well. a little too well.  every corner, every pebble on the road, every stray dog… every little thing committed to her memory… and, eventually, she grew bored of the routines, the monotony, the same sights day after day.

there was a single exception though, and it was a boy that used to visit yunhwa. a boy a little too shy, a little too fearful and one that immediately made her feel protective towards him despite being a year older. days were spent playing together, her trying to bring him along to play with the other kids but never letting go of his hand whenever he reached for her.

she’d bid him goodbye when time came for them to go back home, and she’d rush to tell her family about the adventures they had. he made her days less boring, but at the same time, whenever he left yunhwa, it made everything fall back into the same tedious routine. this was a repetition each year, until he stopped coming altogether one day.

perhaps the first heartbreak she went through when waiting in their usual meet up place and he never arrived, but then she couldn’t blame him. yunhwa wasn’t a fun place to be in for too long.

another of the few things that were slightly different were the fun soccer matches she’d often have with the kids at her school. mixed teams were made in p.e. and only a handful of girls were part of it. yunhee immediately found joy in the sport, even asking to be part of the afterschool team that her grandfather coached as a hobby.

then again, monotony decided to befriend the sport she adored so much and it didn’t take her long to memorise exactly all of her teammates go-to moves and strategies when playing. she knew exactly when one of the boys would try to trick her into believing he’s going to kick the ball to the right only to kick to the left or how another would pour all of their energy into a sprint to get a headstart towards the goal.

her grandpa didn’t miss the way she’d sigh and stay on the bench, thus asking her what was wrong. not having the heart to lie to him, she told him how she felt and how boring and dull everything was. such words surprised the elder man for they were something an eleven years old shouldn’t be saying nor feeling.

so he talked to her parents, asking them to let her join an all-girls team in busan where he knew competitions and championships often happened. not liking the idea at all at first, they immediately refused, but upon noticing their usually cheerful girl skipping the games and spending her afternoons in her room, they reluctantly agreed.

it was one afternoon that he asked yunhee to accompany him somewhere, which much to her surprise, was busan. she thought it was nothing but a short trip, maybe one where they’d go to a big store of auto parts to stock up her father’s garage for his most recent project. she was excited anyway, always enjoying anything new.

what she didn’t expect was for him to drive her to soccer field where a bunch of girls her age were playing. yunhee immediately questioned him to which he simply replied “welcome to your new team.”

from that day, yunhee became part of a busan all-girls soccer team and her grandpa would drive her three times a week after school to practice. sometimes, her grandma and sister tagged along and she could hear them all cheering her up even if it was only a practice. games were the same, though her grandma made it her goal to make them all matching shirts with her name on it. it was thrilling, really, to be part of something like that and be able to do it outside of yunhwa.

her coach was a really nice woman and always pushed them to give their best on the field. one of the bigger lessons yunhee learned from her was to dream big. and so the girl did. at age fifteen, she had learnt about professional soccer teams scouting players that were part of varsity teams and from there, yunhee made it her goal to become a professional player and her every decision after that was headed in that direction.

she was good at it, too. fast and with a good intuition that allowed her to make calls that were not part of the initial strategy (which sometimes bothered her teammates), but this changed when she was appointed as the team’s captain for the last year before she was meant to go to college. that last year was crucial for her and the whole team, most of her teammates relied on the league’s results and the team’s performance for their future and so did yunhee.

with much effort and dedication, the team managed to won a really important league that granted her a sports scholarship in a renowned university to be part of the varsity team.

it came the time to make a decision on the career she was going to go for, endless possibilities laid in the brochure she was holding. yunhee was initially considering going for automotive or mechanical engineering, but she knew things were too good to be true the moment her parents sat her down to talk with her.

once again, they voiced their dislike for the decisions she was taking and tried to talk her out of being part of the soccer team and studying something so ‘masculine’. they masked this with concern about her getting hurt, but she could easily tell the whole idea just didn’t sit well with them and their traditional values. however, yunhee couldn’t be moved as it was all part of the plans she’s made for herself and stood her ground about her decisions. her mother threatened to not let her go and it was then that compromises had to be made. she was given the option to pick between dropping soccer altogether and study whatever she wants, or study what they think it’s better for her while still being able to play.

the decision was clear when she registered to major in accounting.

this doesn’t deter her from living her dreams and finally moving away from yunhwa when turning eighteen to seoul. the moment she boarded the plane, she made herself the promise to never look back with the sole intention to never return.

unexpectedly, she meets her childhood friend in a party thrown for the freshmen, the same guy that used to visit yunhwa when he was a kid. kitae. it’s surprising to find out he’s part of one of the sports teams (baseball) and it feels natural to pick up the friendship where they left off.

she’s known as one of the rookies to look forward to in the field and she goes above and beyond to get good grades in order to maintain the scholarship (and her parents off her back). yunhee invests herself a little too much in her studies and in soccer, saturating her schedule with practices and studying sessions to the point that she misses a lot of the college life as well as the city.

yunhee ignores this though, thinking that the way she was doing things was normal, only ever having another reference to this who was just as dedicated as she was.

she started dating kitae midway through the freshman year and all the way to her junior year before he unexpectedly broke up with her.

she’s admittedly not the same after this and yunhee starts to push herself to unimaginable limits only to keep herself busy. she started to double her training, even if most was done on her own, and her studies took up most of her night despite having to wake up before the sun came out.

then she turned twenty one, and this marked the beginning of the end: she was in her senior year, meaning that she’d graduate soon and, if she was lucky enough, some professional team would try to scout her for their team. she only had to deliver, win as many games and score as many goals as possible. twenty one was supposed to be the golden age where her dreams became plans and her plans turned into action.

but it wasn’t.

the team was set to have an important match with another school, both having a rivalry that’s gone for decades and it was clear that this match was of utmost importance for everyone. the students who knew her and her teammates, chanted every time they came across them and wished them good luck. the pressure was clear and tension lingered in the air.

the match started and for the first half, her team had a big lead against the opponent. there was energy running through their veins as they were in the locker room discussing their next strategy. yunhee, as the striker of the team, was excited to have scored two goals already and assist in another one. the whole team was confident and comfortable as the second kicked off.

as confident as they were, they failed to realise the other team was growing desperate and more aggressive in their defensive… at some point, yunhee got the ball and was set to score her third goal of the night… but a girl of the other team tried to stop her which resulted in a severe collision between them. pain is all yunhee feels as she falls onto the ground, a yell ripping through the field as she holds her ankle. the game is paused and the referee showing a red card on the other girl’s face is the last thing yunhee remembers before giving into the darkness

she wakes up to fluorescent lights and has to blink a couple of times. she has no recollection of what happened after she passed out and her parents briefly summarize all the events that came after. they told her she had to undergo surgery and that right now they’re waiting for the doctor. yunhee glances at her foot, propped up and the sight is not at all encouraging.

the doctor comes in to share some heartbreaking news, ones that she’s been expecting but it doesn’t make it any easier. she’s gotten her ankle fractured and even when the surgery was successful, she won’t be able to play soccer again. her hopes and aspirations shatter in that moment, watching the doctor leave and her parents share a complicit look that she doesn’t miss. she’s trying to process, trying to think when her mother says something she barely comprehends. yunhee asks her to repeat her words and when she does, anger is the first thing she feels though she conceals it

so she does, without much of a say and suddenly her whole life in seoul feels like a blurred dream. yunhee is back to her childhood room sharing it once again with yunmi and it all makes her feel like she’s regressed. like the last 4 years weren’t real. it’s a bittersweet sensation, the nostalgia always making her reminiscence fondly but the reality of what brought her back the town breaking her heart time and time again.

for the first month, she holes herself in her room and refuses to leave the house. even when they drive her to physical therapy, she finds ways to not go. either by sneaking to other places or waiting in the nearest bus stop until they picked her up again. it’s her little secret and she blatantly lies about her non-existent improvement. she’s good at it and they don’t push it.

however, her parents doesnt like that she’s her days away and even though she still has the boot and makes a million excuses to not do things, they demand she finds a job soon. preferably in the area she majored.

but she doesn’t listen, only complains to her grandfather who now lives with them and he immediately finds a solution. within two days, he comes back to tell her he got her a job at the gas station, the owner owing him a favor and paying it by hiring her. excitement sparkles in her eyes for a second and she notices how proud her grandpa is after sharing the news. always having a soft spot for the elder man, she accepts right away.

now she’s at the station but things don’t go as she expects it. the owner was reluctant to have her there for several reasons, and yunhee knew that one of them was because she was a girl and the other because she was still recovering. still, he honours the pact with her grandpa and keeps her around… only that she’s assigned to sort pieces, make inventory and help with the accounting.

things aren’t exactly perfect, and she’s not all that contented with the current situation, but being out of the house gives her a little purpose.

trivia

⋆ ― she’s really good with kids and when she was a teenager, she used to babysit in the afternoons when she didn’t have football practice. yunhee doesn’t question how or why kids also have an affinity for her, but she thinks it’s because of her grandfather being a casual coach of a small soccer team for years now. she helps him coach occasionally, especially on the weekends and shares  strategies and tactics she learnt in college.

⋆ ― one of the few things she learned from her grandmother was baking and she’s actually decent at it, though she only bakes when she’s sad, stressed or angry. if she gives you a bag of cookies, something’s definitely wrong.

⋆ ― before she started playing soccer, one thing she got really into was reading, especially stories that took place in different countries, either fictional or real. she used to get home from school and read for the rest of the day. when her schedules got a little busier, she’d still try to sneak some reading in between activities. in the present, it’s not weird to see her carrying a book in her bag or hand and she enjoys going to the beach after work to read. her favorite genres are fantasy, romance, science fiction, suspense and thrillers, actions and adventures, crime and mystery basically everything that’s not horror.

⋆ ― their grandfather owned a 1967 ford mustang gt automatic yes, automatic. don’t @ me. that he used to drive around yunhwa with his wife. it was in this car where the twins learned to drive when they were 16 and it’s color is a beautiful teal, his wife’s favorite color. by the time the twins were 18, their grandpa decided to give the car to them. when they talked about their future plans of leaving yunhwa, he offered yunhee to take it to seoul to facilitate things, to which she excitedly agreed after getting her licence. however, after their grandma’s funeral and yunmi’s return, she decided to drive it back so yunmi could use it instead. after all, yunhee had it most of the times parked and rarely ever used it this has nothing to do with having a certain someone driving her around. now that yunhee is in yunhwa too, one thing she misses the most is driving it and has settled to the passenger seat while mimi’s the one behind the wheel.

⋆ ― there’s nothing yunhee wouldn’t do for yunmi. be it become her model, her guinea pig, a confident, a friend, someone to share secrets with, anything. yunhee would go above and beyond to ensure that yunmi is safe even if sometimes that doesn’t translate in the most appropriate ways (like absolutely loathing her exes). it might look like they hate each other by how they constantly banter, but behind all of that, there’s nothing but love.

⋆ ― in college, despite having the scholarship she wanted to make some money and managed to squeeze a job in between her schedules as a barista at a coffee shop within the campus. she saved every penny she made and the first thing she bought for herself was a nintendo switch. she still has it to this day and it pains her that the nearest place to buy physical games is busan. she still orders them online, but they take a little too long to arrive. she has some weird fixation to get physical copies over digital, don’t question her. in yunhwa she doesn’t use it as often, mostly at night before going to bed or on those dull and boring sundays.

⋆ ― she started making things with rusted pieces recently, exactly while she isolated herself when returning to yunhwa. one day she was at her grandpa’s garage and saw a pile of pieces he was going to throw away. yunhee asked if she could use them. from those things, she figured how to make some candle holders and decorated one of yunmi’s notebooks. she found fun in it and now is a regular hobby.

⋆ ― has an irrational fear of never recovering and as conflicting as it is, she’s been self-sabotaging by not attending ayn of the physical therapy appointments, instead sneaking into the arcade nearby to the hospital. update: she’s attending therapy now and they were able to remove the boot after a couple of months, now she doesn’t use neither boot or crutches and only has a slight limp.

⋆ ― she’s known the innkeeper since she was a little girl and the family trusts her enough to leave yunhee in her care. in the present, sira even keeps a room available for her whenever she doesn’t feel like staying home. yunhee calls it a home away from home so if you see her around the inn, that’s is why.

⋆ ― if you ask her what she wants to do with her life, she wouldn’t have an answer. she’s absolutely clueless and doesn’t dare to dream big anymore so she’s just living one day at a time. the only thing she’s sure about is leaving yunhwa and even that, she’s not that confident anymore.

goals

⋆ ― to forgive - yunhee feels it nestling within her heart. resentment that’s one step away from turning into hatred. she knows it’s not the other girl’s fault, the incident was all just a miscalculated movement. admittedly one that cost her the future she’s careful crafted for herself ever since young. one that pretty much forced her to return to the town she so desperately wants to run away from. somedays, revenge seems like a good idea and darker thoughts of how to get back at the girl that fractured her ankle slowly crawled into her mind and made it their home. however, she’s wiser and she’s been taught differently. yunhee wants to forgive the other girl. to forgive her parents for the lack of attention and the many things they’ve said in parental reproach. most importantly, she wants to forgive herself for the poor decisions she’s made. for relying so much in her talent and so little in a backup plan. for pushing herself to unimaginable limits. the process is not going to be easy, but at least she knows where to start.

⋆ ― to forget - yunhee thought, when leaving yunhwa for the very first time, that she’d never go back. she wouldn’t look back at the family she was leaving behind. it was easier that way. the girl didn’t have time nor need to dwell on what once was. she was fine living in the beautiful lie of her life being how it was meant to be. now, she’s back to the little town after kissing her life in seoul goodbye. for the first time, she allows herself to crane her neck and reminisce as she looks at the sea. the waves, the wind and the seagulls being the piano, the cello and the drums of her own personal orchestra as her eyes settle on the sunset. a beautiful view, one the city failed to provide.

there’s a weird sense of nostalgia, but not one she’s fond of. within her longing of the supposedly better life she was living comes the realisation that maybe things weren’t as fantastic as she once thought. something akin to sadness invades her when remembering a certain city boy. one that made every hardship more bearable. one that didn’t fail to present her with little secretive moments amidst the chaotic schedules they both had. she wonders, silently, where he is and what he’s doing.

a heartbeat later, she makes up the resolution to forget. to stop clinging onto the lingering hope that maybe, just maybe one day she’d be able to return as if nothing ever happened. to forget that one day she almost tasted glory and her dreams were within hand’s reach. that she once loved someone so deeply, so selflessly. to forget how he made her feel under his gaze and how she wanted nothing but his well being. how, instead of being self-centred as usual, she’d tried and tried to put his priorities before hers. how it was the first time she’s ever felt that way about anyone.

she’s going to forget it all for the heartbreak she brought upon herself will do nothing but stop her otherwise.

⋆ ― to live - it’s a simple reasoning, one her grandfather always reminds her of. “you need to live for yourself and no one else.” these words stay with her throughout her whole life, they’re a reassuring motto and what often keeps her going. she’s come to compromise with her parents in order to be able to achieve major dreams. still, being given a second chance, a start over, yunhee is not going to let it go to waste. the only problem arises when trying to figure out what’s next. what’s the next big step in shim yunhee’s scheme? no one, not even herself knows, but the little gas station her grandfather used to run is certainly a good way to start figuring it out.

extra

yunhee knows what to expect the moment the doctor enters her room. she can tell by the way he’s frowning at the files in his hands or how he’s going above and beyond to avoid her inquisitive eyes. it’s obvious in the beads of sweat he’s trying to conceal and the abnormally tense smile he’s flashing to her mother.

he briefs her parents on how the surgery went. the girl is only able to understand bits and pieces of all the technical information and she’s not even sure her parents comprehend either despite the attention they’re giving him. they’re just waiting for the inevitable and so is she.

finally, he looks at her, meets her eyes and it makes her wish he didn’t.

“yunhee, the surgery was successful and you’ll regain mobility with proper therapy.”

no, don’t say it.

“but you won’t be able to play soccer again, sorry.”

her heart drops and so all her dreams for the future with it. she’s heard of situations like hers before, they kind of what make up any player’s worst nightmares. for her, they were nothing but far fetched tales. she’d be absurdly unlucky to have her career ruined by something like that.

yet, there she was, watching the doctor leave the room and smile at a nurse as if the information he’d just given her didn’t absolutely shatter her whole world. she’s incredulous, hoping she misheard, hoping it was all a nightmare when her mother breaks the silence.

yunhee looks at her, trying to make sense of the words she’s saying so easily. her parents didn’t waste a second, didn’t give her time to properly process what’s happening while pushing her into something she knows she has no say in. she sees the poorly hidden relief in their faces, her parents have always been painfully transparent.

“what did you just say?” yunhee asks with a frown.

“you’re moving back to yunhwa with us.”

#INFO.TXT #YUNHEE.EXE #LOC.YUNHWA