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#i would tag vant but she’s not like In The drawing so.
freak60000 · 2 years
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i’m a huge echo fan. the last three are just trace images of kittens
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Ephemera Chapter Seventeen
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Ephemera: In art, transitory written and printed matter (receipts, notes, tickets, clippings, etc.) not originally intended to be kept or preserved.
Alternatively, things that exist or are used for only a short time.
Description: Nobody knows who Vante really is. Everything about the popular artist is shrouded in secrecy: from his face to his name to everything in between. After years of working for his art gallery, Y/N feels she may just be the closest thing he has to a friend. Between her success at work and her relationship with campus hot-shot Jeon Jungkook, Y/N’s life has never been better. But is Jungkook truly who he says he is? And who will Y/N protect now that she knows Vante’s livelihood may be on the line?
Genre: Romance, Drama, Fluff, Angst
Pairing: Jungkook x (f) Reader x Taehyung
Word Count: 5.0k
Tags: Non-Idol!Au, Gang!Au, Art History Student!Reader, Film Student!Jungkook, Art Student!Taehyung
Warnings: Swearing and mentions of alcohol, although infrequently
A/N: PER-SO-NA ! WHO THE HELL AM I ! I’m so hyped up for this comeback, you guys. I can’t wait to see what they’ve prepared for us. I hope you guys like this new chapter! We’re winding down now. Probably only a few more chapters! It’s pretty lucky because the timing works for my trip to LA. Anyway, please don’t be shy and send feedback, critique, questions, theories, and comments my way. I’ll be sure to respond to all asks I receive within a day of receiving them! Links will be added later, so for now check my masterlist to find previous chapters!
And again, if you want to follow my Twitter, my username is @/plzpunchmebts. I’m super active over there and hopefully in the future I’ll do some livestreams/chats with you all! And concert videos!!
- Mercury
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Masterlist
Weekly updates: Sunday, 1PM (PST)
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“Sanyo Industries celebrates their thirtieth year in business-,”
“Six Sanyo products you can’t live without!”
“Last year, Sanyo’s gross income was-,”
Everywhere I went, it felt like that name followed me. On the walk back to my apartment, a disembodied radio host would shout it at me from the open window of a passing car. The ads on my social media all pointed to it. The very phone in my hand as I collapsed onto the couch was manufactured by them. I squeezed my eyes shut, begging night to fall faster. I didn’t want this to be reality.
Of course, I’d had my suspicions. With what Jungkook said before and that guy Younghoon from Sanyo and all the strange connections…
But I didn’t want to live in a world where this sort of corruption bled into even the most respected of companies. I didn’t want to believe what Seokjin said about corporations being legal criminals. I didn’t want to believe that the institutions I trusted were fraudulent.
Eyeing my cell phone, I quickly powered it off and slid it across the floor, furrowing my brow as I rested my face on the couch cushions. Today had been a bad one. Between the strange photo Taehyung had taken, Namjoon adding pressure, Nara losing her job, Yoongi’s involvement, and my own misgivings about ratting out Seokjin and the others, I felt like I could sleep for days.
And, even though my arm was dangling off the side and my cheek was squished against the stiff couch cushion, I shut my eyes and drifted off into a fitful sleep.
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Sighing, I took my seat in class. Professor Jung stood at the front of the room, scrolling through his phone, and I couldn’t help but feel hyperaware of it. His cell phone. Her laptop. His drawing tablet. I rubbed my bleary, warm eyes and rested my cheek in my palm, shaking my head.
“Morning,” said a deep, comforting voice I’d recognize anywhere.
I opened my eyes with a start and turned toward Taehyung as he stood beside my desk, smiling gently. He set a hot coffee beside me and settled in the seat to my left. He looked well. Shaven, hair windswept but not messy, glasses prim on the high bridge of his nose. He was dressed as usual: colorful and artsy, with a blue patterned button down and baggy slacks. He settled into his seat and gave me a smile before sipping his own coffee.
At his entrance, there was a noticeable shift in the classroom atmosphere. People became quieter, talking in hushed tones. Instead of chatting openly, now they leaned across desks and pushed aside paint brushes to whisper. I felt all the eyes on him and, by proxy, on me and sighed, resigning myself. I took a drink of coffee and ran my fingertips along the sides of the paper cup.
“I’m happy you came,” I said with a gentle smile his way.
Perhaps I’d have been content to forget about that picture he’d taken of me, sleeping. Perhaps deep down I wanted to pretend I’d never seen it. But when he turned to me with warm, tender eyes and a smile I felt a little piece of me shift out of place. The gesture wasn’t so innocent anymore. There was more now, more than before.
And I was too chicken to face it.
So instead I simply kept my smile pasted right on my face. Unwavering. “Yeah. After talking with you…I realized I’d probably regret it if I let my fear get in the way of something I’m passionate about.”
I nodded. “Good,” I said, giving his shoulder a weak punch. “Don’t go running away again, alright?”
He smiled and patted my hand, sighing as he eased into his seat. “I missed this room,” he said, then glanced around, his gaze quieting every person it touched. He winced a little, like it hurt, then chuckled and nodded. “Didn’t miss that.”
“What?” I asked.
He eyed me and shook his head. “Being looked at like that.”
I nodded. “I see…”
“But it’s different now,” he said with a simple nod, smiling as he sipped his coffee. “They’re not looking at me like I’m weak. They’re looking at me like…like I’m cool.”
I chuckled. “Maybe it’s because you are cool,” I teased with a smile.
He laughed, shrugging, and took another sip and another sweeping glance around the room. “I’m glad I came back.”
I was quiet for a moment, debating whether or not I should say what I wanted to say. But seeing his eyes cast down, watching his own deft hands as they moved gracefully over the top and sides of his coffee cup, I couldn’t help myself.
With a soft smile, I took a swig of my drink, sighed, and eyed him sidelong. “I’m proud of you, Taehyung.”
His back visibly stiffened and he turned to me with round eyes. “Hm?” he asked, and I caught a faint blush on his cheeks.
How had I missed all these signs?
Despite myself, I smiled and nodded. “I’m proud of you.”
He swallowed hard and looked away, back toward his hands, and smiled gently. Like he was really pleased. “Thanks…,” he said on an exhale.
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Class finished a few minutes earlier than usual, and as I was collecting my things and arranging my scarf around my neck, Taehyung reached out and grabbed the crook of my elbow. Startled, I turned to him expecting something to be wrong, out of place, but instead simply saw him smiling beside me, his bag already packed.
“Do you have time?” he asked.
I raised my brows and consulted my cell phone, checking the time. I didn’t have work until the evening and had intended to spend my break studying, but the hopefulness in Taehyung’s eyes halted me and instead of wasting my breath explaining it to him, I chose instead to nod and smile. Even though I had a feeling I knew what was coming next. Even though I didn’t want to face it.
“Sure,” I said.
He grinned and led the way out into the hallway.
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The day was crisp, but not unpleasantly so and the sky looked unblemished and endless overhead. The Han River lay peaceful below us as Taehyung and I leaned our forearms on the railing beside the sidewalk, overlooking the water and the boats and the children playing. I kicked the toe of my boot against the ground and watched a thin swirl of dust escape into the air.
“We came here that night, didn’t we?” I asked, although I knew the answer.
Taehyung nodded beside me and sighed. “Yeah.”
“I’ve caused you a lot of trouble these days, I think,” I said with a nod. It was true.
Looking at him now, I felt a little guilty keeping everything from him. He wasn’t a bad person, nor did he have bad intentions. But the longer I thought, the more I realized concealing the truth was an act of pity rather than cruelty. If I told him I was working as a spy for Namjoon, infiltrating Jungkook’s gang, putting myself at risk…surely he’d have a fit. And beyond that, he’d find some way to make himself the martyr.
And really, I didn’t see a single reason why anyone should be the martyr.
Perhaps it was foolish, but I held out hope for a more diplomatic solution.
He smiled and rubbed his jaw with a pensive sigh. “It’s not that you’ve caused me trouble,” he began, eyeing me with a smirk, “but that trouble follows you wherever you go.”
I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “It didn’t used to,” I said, then paused, alarmed at just how true that was…
He nodded. “Regardless, I’d rather be in trouble with you than living a peaceful life without you.”
I stiffened, cheeks flaming, and cleared my throat. “Ah, well, the sentiment goes both ways,” I said with a nod, but cursed myself. Wasn’t I supposed to be more careful now? “Anyway, I guess more than anything I need to say thank you.”
He raised his brows and glanced at me, a smile playing around the corners of his mouth. “Thank me? Why?”
I shrugged. “For everything. For being here,” I said, then shook my head. “For being someone I could trust and rely on.”
His smile slowly fell and he nodded, letting his eyes wander back toward the river. “Is…is that all I am?”
I swallowed hard. Here it was. I laced my fingers as they dangled over the edge of the railing. “What else is there?”
“I…I think you know by now, but…I have feelings for you. Real feelings,” he said with a nod. “And I don’t know how else to say it.”
I kept my eyes on my hands, watching as they clasped and unclasped. My heart thumped too loud in my ears. “I…see…”
“Not a great reaction,” said Taehyung with a chuckle. “Although I didn’t expect you to feel the same way. Not now anyway.”
I tried to remain calm, to maintain my composure, to manage my expression so as not to hurt Taehyung. He was someone I valued, someone I loved. Long before I met him in person, he was someone I cherished more than anyone. The last thing in the world I wanted to do was hurt someone like that.
I exhaled slowly, shutting my eyes for a moment as the wind swept up from the river, blowing against my cheeks. “You know…I told you before, that night we went out, that Vante was everything I couldn’t be.”
He nodded. “I remember.”
“I remember when I first began working at the gallery, feeling overwhelmed. I was so happy to be working. Like…a real job. In my industry and everything,” I said with a breathy chuckle. “My mom…she left when I was pretty young. She wanted to be a graphic designer, so she moved to Seoul. And, when I was old enough…so did I.”
“I…never knew,” said Taehyung with a somber nod.
I smiled. “Yeah,” I said, then sighed. “I staked a lot of my hopes on this job.  Getting good work experience, making connections, seeing my mom again. Everything that meant anything to me was tied to the job. And…in the beginning, I was scared I’d mess it all up somehow. Like, I’d forget something critical or I’d flub a sale and lose everything. So, just like when I was younger, I started taking on too much. More than I could handle, really. Extra shifts, opening or closing alone…because I was so desperate to do well, to be useful.”
“That’s a heavy burden,” he said.
I nodded. “But Vante made it lighter somehow. Like he understood me, understood the desperation. Like he would root for me even if I failed,” I said, my heart swelling as the fond memories returned like a warm rush of water. “Like I didn’t have to do anything or be anyone for him to believe in me.”
“I see…”
“He was almost like a guardian angel, as cliche as that sounds. Like someone who was watching over me while I was making my way in this new place, new job. He never asked me to be anything more or less than what I was, and he never made me feel like he’d disappear if I did something wrong,” I said, feeling my chest constrict.
“You’re very afraid, aren’t you? Of being abandoned?”
I nodded. “I realized it once I got older, but…I’ve been like this for a while. Like if I didn’t do everything perfectly, everyone I loved would leave,” I said with a sigh. “Which was why it was so powerful for me to have someone as strong and competent as Vante telling me I had value even if I didn’t do things perfectly.”
Taehyung was quiet for a long moment, but there was no malice in the set of his eyes as they watched the river. Just quiet. Just thinking. “I’m…happy I could be that person for you.”
I let the cool autumn air swallow his words before responding. “That’s why…it kinda hurt when you used me at that party,” I said with a nod. “I know it seems strange that I was so hurt by you when Jungkook had done such horrible things. I know it’s…counterintuitive.”
“I understand, though,” he said, eyeing me almost desperately.
I smiled. “I know you do,” I said, voice soft against the quiet cacophony of activity around us. “I guess…having the person who I trusted most, the person who would never exploit me like I let other people do…,” I paused with a sigh and clasped my cold hands together tightly, like a prayer. “I understand why you had to do it. Namjoon is your friend and I would have been happy to help had you told me beforehand.”
His brows furrowed as he gazed out across the river. “But would you have?” he asked, glancing at me. “Would you have knowingly betrayed Jungkook?”
I set my lips thin and met his eyes. “Yes,” I said with a single, sharp nod. “I would have done it.”
He swallowed hard and nodded. “I guess I was trying to do too much on my own,” he said.
“You have a tendency of doing that.”
He chuckled. “I know,” he said. “I’ll work on it. I don’t want to make a mistake like that again.”
I sighed. “I forgive you, by the way. Completely. Because your intentions were never cruel,” I said. “It just…disillusioned me. Which was probably for the best, really. Worshipping Vante made me rely on him too much. I figured if I just had him believing in me, that was enough.” I chuckled and nodded my head as my thoughts became clearer. “But now I think…I think it’s not enough until I believe in myself too.”
“That’s all I ever wanted,” he said, glancing at me. “I wanted you to get stronger.”
I nodded, smiling. “And I want to get stronger too,” I said. “On my own two feet. With nobody’s help.”
“Good.”
“Which is why I have to reject your confession,” I said, turning to face him properly.
His eyes widened and for a fraction of a second his expression revealed a little bit of shock, round eyes, open mouth. “O-oh!” he said, turning to me as well. “Um, sure.”
I smiled, reaching out to rub his forearm. “I think…maybe if you’d told me this before everything with Jungkook happened, I might have said yes.”
“Timing is a bitch,” said Taehyung with a soft smile. “I don’t have any hard feelings.”
I shook my head. “I’m not done,” I said, smiling up at him. “I might have said yes, not because I felt anything, but because I would have been too scared to be abandoned by you.”
He raised his brows, lips parted, and shook his head. “I-I’d never leave you behind because of something like this,” he said, chuckling. “You can’t control your feelings. No more than I can.”
I nodded. “I know,” I said. “I know that now. I know that the right people will stay even if I can’t be everything they want me to be. That the people who belong in my life won’t disappear like Mom did.”
He flashed me a slow, sad smile and swept me up in a soft embrace. “You’re right,” he said, nodding against my head. I wrapped my arms around his waist and squeezed. “You’re worth staying for.”
I sniffled a little in the cold and held on tight, feeling his warm, strong arms around my shoulders. Things seemed clearer now, less confused. And with that clarity came a feeling of strength. I remembered that ruby necklace, sitting on my wardrobe in its box. Perhaps I’d never needed something like that at all. Perhaps I didn’t need anyone holding me up.
Perhaps I could be my own strength now.
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I knocked on Nara’s door as the sun hung suspended on the horizon, nearly dipping below with the coming evening. Taehyung had called his driver and offered to take me home, but I’d refused. It wasn’t that I was uncomfortable around him, in fact with the invisible tension between us now severed I felt more comfortable than ever, but I needed to check up on Nara and I needed a little time on my own to settle some matters in my mind.
Unfortunately, the walk did little to help, as the recording I had made my phone feel heavy and hot in my back pocket.
Nara pried the door open with Hyun pushing his head through the space between her hip and the doorframe, straining to meet me in the hallway. She gave me a weak, pale smile and gestured for me to come inside. I followed her small frame into the dark living room, the blinds drawn and the TV on low. It looked as if she’d been sleeping on the couch for the past few nights. Her hair was a mess, roots growing in black, and her eyes sported violet bags underneath, hanging to the starts of her cheekbones. She smiled and again it felt hollow.
Seeing her in such a state shook my resolve.
Wasn’t she more important after all? If it meant saving my friend, wasn’t I willing to sacrifice those boys at the headquarters?
“Hey,” she said softly, rubbing Hyun’s head like it was cathartic.
I crouched down before the big ball of white fur and gave his neck a good scratch, smiling. “You been well, Hyunnie?” I asked, working my fingers behind his ears. He panted and wagged his tail, leaning against my hands.
“He’s been better,” said Nara with a sniff.
“Yeah? Are you stressed because of all that business with your mom’s job?” I asked Hyun who remained, predictably, unbothered.
She chuckled. “Mhm. And the fact that mommy has applied to just about every open position in the city with no word back.”
“And college? Are you worried about your mom’s coursework?” I asked, eyeing Nara from below.
She was still smiling fondly at the top of Hyun’s head. “He’s not worried about that since Mommy hasn’t been keeping up with it anyway.”
At this, I sighed and stood upright, resting my hands on my hips. “Nara…”
She smiled and shook her head. “Too busy applying all over. And besides…I may as well drop out,” she said with a sigh.
I felt my eyes go wide and I approached her, gaping. “Nara, you can’t be serious.”
She shrugged. “I can just move back home with my parents. They always need help with Nunchi.”
“Nara, you can get another job,” I said, rubbing her shoulders. “You can’t get so down like this.”
She smiled. “I know,” she said with a sigh. “I really love my major and I want to get my degree. And it’s not like we’re in the middle of nowhere with no jobs. There’re plenty of opportunities. It’s just…with school and Hyun it’s a lot to take care of.”
I nodded. “I know,” I said, smoothing my palm against Hyun’s head. “I can take care of Hyun while you job hunt,” I offered.
She chuckled, shaking her head. “Nah, he’s the only reason I haven’t really gone off the deep end. I need this little shithead.”
“Have you heard from-,” I began, then swallowed hard and glanced away as she looked at me with expectant brown eyes. “That guy? That stray cat guy?”
She raised her brows. “I…no? Why would I?”
He…hadn’t reached out? After the conversation we had? I’d been too soft on him. I’d given him too much mercy. I should have been harder, should have demanded he take responsibility, demanded he write her a check right in front of me. Seething, I tried to conceal my clenched jaw with a hand.
I opened and closed my mouth a few times before shaking my head. “Just…figured maybe he’d reach out after seeing you’re not at work.”
She laughed, a wry sound, and shook her head. “Nah. I don’t think I made that much of an impact on him,” she began, then sighed. “Or on my job for that matter. Seems they’re doing fine without me.”
I sighed, feeling my phone in my pocket. I touched it gently and sighed. “You know…as soon as I give the proof to Namjoon you’ve got a job at Ori Technologies.”
She smiled. “But…that’s too much pressure to put on you,” she said, rubbing Hyun’s back. “Y’know, I realized it recently. Back when we had to help out around Nunchi.”
I stiffened. “What do you mean?”
She shook her head, crouching beside Hyun and working her hands through his thick fur. “When you said you’d get me a job at Ori. I felt…really useless, you know? And it made me realize that I’ve been relying on you for everything for so long. When I asked you to come over and help wth Hyun and didn’t even ask about what happened at Jungkook’s. When I beg you to keep me company at the pet shop…just when did I start treating you like the class dog too?”
I swallowed hard, my throat constricting. I shook my head. “You don’t treat me like that.”
She smiled up at me. “But I do,” she said with a nod. “Until when can I keep relying on you all the time? Until when am I gonna let other people fix things for me?”
I crouched beside her and held on to her shoulder. “Nara-,”
“If I get a job at Ori, it’ll be on my own merit,” she said, leveling her eyes at me. “You can keep doing this…spying thing or whatever, but just know you’re not doing it for me.”
“Nara…”
She looked at me seriously. “I’ll get back on my feet,” she said, nodding. “On my own.”
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Troubled, I sat at the front desk of the gallery as Areum worked the floor, showing patrons around with a halfway-there smile. I tried to greet them warmly, but my mind was elsewhere. Where was Yoongi and why hadn’t he compensated Nara yet?
And furthermore…wouldn’t she be mad if she knew I was coercing him into helping her after everything she said?
I worked my lower lip between my teeth and set my eyes low, watching the door as a well-dressed woman sauntered in with a smile. I gave her a nod and forced a grin before returning to stewing, resting my chin atop my laced fingers. Nara…wasn’t there anything I could do for her that wouldn’t upset her further?
“Y/N?”
I jumped and turned to face Mr. Kwon as he stood before the front desk, peering over the surface. Panicked, I wondered how long he’d been standing there watching me stare off into space. But to my relief and surprise, he greeted me not with a scolding or a scowl, but with an easy smile. He adjusted his lapels and scanned the desk, humming.
“Uh…hello, Sir,” I said, bowing my head.
He met my eyes once more, still smiling. On edge, I forced my own smile to remain plastered across my face. “You don’t have a drink at the desk,” he said.
I blinked at my empty desk and struggled to find the words. “Um…no, I don’t…,” I said, meeting his eyes once more with a confused smile.
He hummed once more and produced a banana milk from behind his back, handing it to me. “Well then, here you go,” he said, grinning. “Keep up the good work!”
I nodded, bowing my head, and glanced down at the milk in my hands, perplexed. I watched as he approached Areum, tapping her shoulder. She jumped and was quick to bow at the waist. He chuckled and, although I couldn’t hear him, I was sure he was giving her a similar speech because after only a moment he was presenting her with a banana milk as well.
She bowed as he excused himself to his office. Taking a cursory glance around the relatively quiet gallery, Areum rushed over to me and leaned down beside me behind the desk, eyeing her own milk.
“He gave you one too?” she asked, raising her brows.
I nodded, glancing over my shoulder at where he’d disappeared down the hallway. “Yeah…,” I began, shaking my head with furrowed brow. “The hell’s gotten into him?”
She raised her sculpted brows and leaned back. “You haven’t heard?”
I shook my head. “Heard what?” I asked.
She smirked and cupped a hand around the side of her mouth like we were sharing secrets at a slumber party. She leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Rumor has it he’s having talks with those Japanese charity guys about a business venture.”
“Business venture?” I asked, eyes wide.
She nodded, resting a hand on her hip after she stabbed her milk with the straw and took a sip. “Mhm,” she said with her lips still wrapped around the straw. “Dunno what kind of business, but it has to do with the gallery so he’s excited.”
I hummed and took a sip of my own milk. “Wonder what it is,” I said with a sigh.
She chuckled. “Don’t wonder,” she said, patting my shoulder as she turned on her heel back toward the floor. “You’ll just get sucked in to his weird energy.”
Weird was right, alright. I glanced back toward the hallway and wondered. Maybe Taehyung would tell me about it if I asked…
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I stepped out onto the street after my shift and sighed, glancing at my phone as it sat hefty in my palm. I had a big decision yet to make. And, despite trusting Jungkook well enough, I didn’t want to rely on him for this. I wanted to make the choice on my own. I wanted the decision to be mine only, so I could confidently stand beside it.
Despite my heavy thoughts, my stomach was light and as I took a step toward the subway entrance down the street, my gut grumbled like it was trying to communicate. I stared down at my abdomen and gave it a few rubs. Had I eaten today? I sighed and glanced around the road, tall buildings on either side. I’d eaten in this neighborhood a few times, but mostly for company dinners. Company dinners where I wasn’t expected to pay…
One of the detriments of working in a rich area.
I sighed and patted my stomach. Surely I could find a fast food joint around the corner or something if I gave it a real shot. I shoved my phone into my bag and wandered down the sidewalk, hanging a left down the street. To my chagrin, this street was no better. Businessmen and women walked with purpose on either side of me, in either direction. The buildings were just as tall and the restaurants were just as glitzy. Tenth-floor steakhouses, prime sushi bars, fusion restaurants with intoxicating scents and ridiculously expensive menus.
I shook my head and kept walking, but things weren’t much different on the next street. Or the next one. Block after block, things were just too glamorous to match my pay grade.
Would’ve been better off taking the subway, I thought to myself with a scowl. Frustrated, I wrapped my arms around my torso to keep my stomach from groaning and pressed onward. I was blocks away from the gallery, in a part of town that was labyrinthian and far too ritzy. Nonetheless, I held out hope for a McDonald’s.
I sighed, waiting at a busy crosswalk, watching the lilac twilight emerge through the gaps in the tops of tall buildings. Arms crossed, I sighed and my breath escaped in a plume of white. I lowered my eyes as the signal changed and the amorphous crowd of people moved forward in sync. But as I took a single step toward the street, I paused. Something caught my eye.
Across the street was a sleek black car with heavily tinted windows. A driver had just stepped out onto the sidewalk and was glancing around with shifting eyes partially obscured by sunglasses. Sure, I was in a rich neighborhood but this seemed excessive. Quietly, I watched, waiting for a celebrity to emerge or maybe even a politician.
But as the passenger stepped out, I felt my expectations crest and fall flat. Because not only did I know him, he was the person I was actively avoiding.
Kim Namjoon braced his polished shoes on the concrete sidewalk and adjusted his black button down so it lay just right across his broad chest. He smiled as he turned back to the car, leaning down to speak to someone still inside. Was he with someone important? An investor perhaps? I hung back across the sidewalk and watched like a hawk. It wasn’t my business, but something like curiosity kept me in place.
Namjoon stepped back from the car and fixed the sleeves of his shirt, patting down his pants with his palms. Was he preening or something? I might have laughed, but for fear of drawing attention to myself I kept quiet. He crossed his arms across his chest and grinned down at the car as his passenger scooted out onto the sidewalk. Not even offering his hand? I sighed and rubbed my forehead. He sure did have a knack for rubbing people wrong.
But before I could begrudge him for his lack of manners, his companion emerged, ducking his head as he exited the low cab of the car. My breath caught in my throat and my heart raced, thundering in my ears. Palms gathering sweat, I turned toward the crosswalk and saw that the signal was about to change to red. Desperately, I sprinted across to a symphony of honks from cars awaiting their turn. I waved my hands, frantic, and gave a few sloppy bows as I reached the other side of the street. Breathless, I turned back to the car where Namjoon had emerged, just to be absolutely certain I’d seen it right.
And indeed, there he was. Looking my way after the scene I’d caused in the crosswalk.
Standing beside Namjoon with wide, startled eyes and lips parted as if to speak was none other than Min Yoongi.
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humblecacti · 5 years
Text
Bad news
Tag list: @sealite-draws​ @honestlyitsjustkenna 
Been a while huh akslaskdsla   (this is a longer one, just a heads up) 
Chapter 6 (before | next)
It was 11 am, the usual time Chase came to visit him. But there was no Chase to be seen. Henrik was in the room with him, doing his usual routine, taking notes, checking his vitals and if they should increase the dosage of his medicine or not. His room looked a lot more like home now, if you were to compare how it looked a few months ago. Cards and old flowers littered the table under his window.
Henrik interrupted his thoughts. “Has Chase come to see you yet?” He asked still writing something down on his clipboard.
“No, he’s late I think.” Seán said looking out the window. The spring had just arrived and he could hear some birds chirping outside.
“Hm... vell if he doesn’t come, let me know if you vant me to text him or something.”
“Yeah I will.” Seán really wished he would come, it would be so boring without him. But Chase had come to see him every single day since he got hospitalized so he could survive one day without him. “Well if he doesn’t come then I guess that I could replay one of the games Chase had brought here. Or maybe get Henrik to play with me. That would be fun! He doesn’t really have any other patients to attend to so it wouldn't hurt right?” He thought to himself.
Chase was out of breath when he came up to the receptionist. She looked up from her book and didn’t look that surprised to see Chase. She just booked of his name and let him sign the paper. “You know where to go” She said with a monotone voice.
“Yeah… hah.” Chase awkwardly answered while trying to take a few deep breaths to calm his pounding heart. “Shit, it was a long time since I’ve run this fast. I should probably train more regularly.” He thought while making his way towards the elevator and going up to the floor where Seán’s room laid.
He opened the door and peeked into Seán’s room. Seán was sitting in his sofa playing Shadow of the colossus for like the seven hundredths time. He was concentrating so hard that he didn’t seem to notice when Chase stepped inside and placed something onto his bed.
Chase cleared his throat to get Seán’s attention. Seán paused the game and turned to look at him a smile spreading across his face.
“Sorry that I’m late! I needed to get the kids to school and it took longer than usual since Stacy and I got into a fight. Again...” Chase said as he scratched the back of his neck, not daring to look at Seán.
“Hey man, don’t worry! Your family comes first okay, plus I’m not exactly going anywhere am I?” Seán answered with a laugh. 
Seeing how it didn’t effect Seán as badly as he thought eased Chase’s worry a little bit.
“Also I brought you something. It’s on your bed.!” Chase said with a smug but exited tone. He watched as Seán walked over to look at the gift. Seán unwrapped the gift and his eyes shimmered as he took up the piece of clothing.
“It’s the new design for the shop,” Chase explained. “Do you like it?”
“I LOVE IT! Chase this looks amazing!” He looked over at Chase and went straight for a hug, Chase wasn’t prepared for it and nearly fell as Seán tackled him. When they let go, Seán took an extra glance at the hoodie and then smiled at Chase. “Do you wanna play with me?”
“Hell yes! Bro it’s Shadow of the colossus, of course I wanna play! We’ll just have to take turns, no problem.”
Henrik heard their laughter through the wall even before he’d walked in. So he guessed that Chase had showed up after all.
“Vell hello there, Chase.” 
“Hey doc!” He waved for Henrik to come into the room.
“I actually vanted to talk with you, outside.”
“Oh, okay. I’m coming.” He patted Seán’s shoulder before going outside with Henrik.
“I vanted you to know that Seán vill not be allowed to leave this month either. Seán doesn’t know this yet, I’ll tell him vhen ve’re alone.”
“B-but you said that he was doing better. “ Chase physically shrunk at this.
“Vell he did, until yesterday. He had another attack and they are coming more regularly and ve still don’t know vhat zhe reason is,” He paused and just seemed to notice how much the news affected Chase. “I know that it isn’t the news you vanted but ve are doing everything ve can.”
“Okay.” Chase just couldn't look up at Henrik, so he focused on the floor underneath them instead.
“I’ll let you too finish.” Henrik put his hand on Chase’s shoulder before walking away. Chase brushed away a tear with the back of his hand before plastering on a smile and returning to Seán’s room.
Henrik came back a few hours after that, when Chase had left the building. He told Seán about the current situation and tried to be gentler than he’d been with Chase. Seán didn’t really react the same way though, he took a deep breath and spoke. “Yeah I get that and you’re the doctor, so you know what’s best! But Henrik, can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“There is a lot going on in Chase’s life right now, I know that he won’t talk to me about it. So could you please check on him if he seems, you know down?” Seán scratched his beard, glancing over at the hoodie that Chase had brought.
“I’ll do vhat I can.” He tried to give Seán a reassuring smile before he rose to leave.
“Thank you Henrik.” Seán gave him a much better smile without even trying. Henrik didn’t understand how it fell so natural to him. 
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dragunjk · 5 years
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we're artists, baby | kth
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→ synopsis ; taehyung was incredibly, unbelievably talented in any medium you could offer him. y/n ? she couldn't draw a stick figure if she tried.
→ word count ; 2011
→ genre ; fluff ?? angst if u squint ?? idk
→ pairing ; street artist!taehyung x art hoe!reader
→ a/n ; this is for my MF BOYFRIEND TAEHYUNG’S BIRTHDAY bc he's the love of my life my angel my world and he deserves nothing less than the mf best okay okay ik it's late don't BULLY me
-
There are worse things in the world, Y/n believes. Having your life turned into a Law and Order SVU would be worse, of course. Hoseok could be inviting her over to blindly set her up with another one of his endearing friends who she would much rather be good friends with.
That would definitely be worse.
Unfortunately, Y/n can't help but feel a bit self conscious. How couldn't she, when a masterpiece sat in front of her, nearly taunting her with talent she so greatly wanted to obtain yet couldn't even find in herself. She looked at the mural, an art piece by one anonymous ‘Vante’, the tagging artist that has been taking the internet by storm.
If you ask Y/n, she wasn't jealous. Not at all.
If you ask Namjoon, he could tell you about the nights where Y/n got a little bit too tipsy and poured her heart out about her insecurities and jealousy swimming for the artist she didn't know.
Y/n gazed at the piece again, wrapping her arms around herself due to the sudden chill. Cocking her head, she tried to put the piece together. Hues of yellows and golds sprouted from a detailed portrait of a young child, tall against the blacks and grays sprouting from two parent figures.
What did it mean-
“Y/n, come on we're gonna be late.” Hoseok hummed, shivering at the wind that was picking up. Nodding, Y/n comfortably grasped his hand, letting him maneuver through the large crowd around the new art piece. “You think this movie is gonna be good? People think it's gonna be shitty.” Hoseok turned towards Y/n, who seemed lost in her own thoughts.
“Earth to Y/n-”
Y/n flinched at his loud tone. “Huh- sorry.” She ducked her head sheepishly, and Hoseok hummed, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. “It just- how does someone have that much talent? It isn't fair-”
“Stop- You have talent in other places. I’ve never heard someone with a voice like yours, now-” Hoseok tugged Y/n into the movie theater. “-we came here to have a good time.” Smiling brightly at Y/n, she couldn't help but mimic it, as he led her through the crowd. “I hope Aquaman is good, I just want to watch a good DC movie, you know?”
Y/n couldn't help but laugh at her friend’s distress, forgetting about her worries even if it was for a moment.
-
Yoongi was going to kill him.
Well, kill him, scold him, same thing. But Yoongi doesn't have much room to talk, so Taehyung sneaks out anyway, a backpack filled with spray paint and stencils in tow. Except this time, Jungkook was tagging along for the first time.
One day Taehyung will teach himself not to give into Jungkook’s big doe eyes, but tonight was not that night.
“Hyung- Hyung! Where are we going?” Jungkook whispered, sneaking behind Taehyung with a camera in his hands. Clicking record, the younger man pointed the camera at Taehyung, a little smile on his face as Taehyung shook his head in amusement.
“Kook-ah, I told you not to record this-”
“Hyung why do you hate me.”
A sigh escaped Taehyung’s lips, as they both boarded the last bus at twelve am, the glare of the lights messing with the camera in Jungkook’s hands. “Exclusive interview with the world’s most famous tagging artist, Vante-” Jungkook purposely shoved the camera in Taehyung’s face, causing the elder to laugh and swat him away.
“We're here-” Taehyung hummed, getting off the bus with Jungkook following closely. Approaching Los Angeles’ City Hall, Jungkook gasped.
“You can't paint here, you’ll go to jail-”
Taehyung laughed, pulling out his stencils and placing them properly just before the steps of the building, quirking his eyebrow playfully at Jungkook’s concern. “I’m not afraid of jail.” He stated simply, and Taehyung guesses that was enough for Jungkook, as the younger male found comfort in just recording his work.
It wasn't long before Taehyung was almost done, and Jungkook was actually impressed at how fast his friend could get a piece done. “Wow, hyung-”
Taehyung simply smirked, spraying ‘VANTE’ in sharp, jagged letters.
“Vante?”
Both Jungkook and Taehyung froze, heads rising to meet a pair of eyes that stared back at them. It was a woman, maybe around Taehyung’s age, staring with a mix of awe and surprise. “Oh my god, it's you- Your work is so good! I can't believe-”
Taehyung was quick to stand up, grasping her wrists in his hands to stop her from taking a picture. “Hi, yeah-” Jungkook quickly shut off his camera, gawking at the pair. “-I'm gonna need you to keep this a secret, okay- what do you want, money?” She scoffed, pulling her hands away.
“You don't need to bribe me, I won't tell.” Her eyes shone beneath the dim streetlights. “I would, however, like to be friends with you. I want to know why-” She gestured to the piece before her.
Taehyung hummed. “I can do that.”
She smiled. “I’m Y/n.”
“Taehyung.”
-
“This is hard-”
A groan escaped Y/n’s lips as she let her head hang, canvas blank as she refused to taint it with her horrid skills. A chuckle escaped Taehyung’s lips as he stood behind her, hands setting on her shoulders as his thumbs rubbed soothing patterns into them. “Just come up with an idea, and bring it to life.” Taehyung hummed.
Y/n scoffed. “Oh, easy for you to say. You're like, the world’s most famous street artist. I can't even draw a straight line.” She groaned, putting the palate aside and setting the brush down. “It doesn't matter how hard you try to teach me. This is the third week, Tae. I’m not going to be good at art.” Y/n mumbled sadly, getting up and throwing herself on Taehyung’s bed.
“You're so dramatic.” He hummed fondly, taking her spot at the easel. Y/n whined in response, shielding her eyes with her arm as she gazed at Taehyung paint. “Maybe art isn't your thing then. But you could be talented in so many other mediums. It just, doesn't have to be something you can see.” Taehyung spoke, strokes of pink coating the canvas with ease. “Like music. Music is an art.” Taehyung finished, and Y/n sat up.
“Yoongi-hyung makes music. He's more of a producer than anything else, but he could rap really well and even carry a little tune. He's filled with musicality. He's still an artist. Or cinematography. Jungkook likes filming and editing things so that the end product is almost like a movie, or a music video. He's an artist too.” Taehyung rambled, eyes never leaving the canvas.
“You don't have to be good at the basic art itself to be an artist.”
Y/n laid in silence, pursing her lips at his words.
“Do you really think so?” Y/n asked after a moment.
Taehyung nodded, and Y/n sighed contently, shifting in his bed to face him. He smiled, that was a much better angle to paint her in.
He looked at the canvas again.
-
It wasn't too long until Y/n invited Taehyung late over the studio one night, eyes bright with promise. “Okay so, it's really rough but you said art isn't really just paint, and since I’ve seen so much of yours, I want to show you mine.” Y/n hummed, clicking a few buttons before pressing play.
“It's like, kinda a Christmas song because I wrote it recently but-”
A music box seemed to play, and Taehyung quickly closed his eyes, as he often did when Yoongi asked him his opinion on music.
A beat picked up, blending nearly perfectly with the light instrumental of the bells and music box, then a voice flowed in, soulful and sweet. Y/n gazed over at Taehyung as the song played, and she smiled fondly at his state. Eyes closed, head tilted back, a little smile on his face as his fingers danced along to the music.
“Your voice is beautiful-” Y/n ducked her head, and Taehyung smiled, wrapping her up in a hug. “-see? I told you everyone has their little talent. Why worry about something you struggle with when you have such a beautiful talent right here?” Taehyung rested his chin on Y/n’s head, ignoring her protests of ‘stop you sap’ and ‘shut up’.
“Thank you.” Y/n hummed after a few moments of silence, and they pulled away. “Don't you have a mural to put up, Tae? Don't keep your fans waiting.” Y/n hummed, smoothing his jacket over his chest.
“They can wait, I’m here with you.” Y/n flushed at Taehyung’s words, shoving him away slightly.
“Then I’ll come with you, I don't want to waste your time-”
“Ah- you can't come with me. It's supposed to be a surprise to everyone.” Taehyung hummed, smiling slightly. “Even you, Kitten.” He spoke, and Y/n sputtered at the pet name, face heating up quickly. “I knew you’d like it. Now, I’ll go. Don't follow me, I want it to be a surprise.” Taehyung smirked slightly. He pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead, leaving Y/n in silence.
Taehyung left, and Y/n let a sigh escape her lips.
She fell. Fell hard, and Y/n doesn't think she could get out of it.
-
“Y/n, you have to get up right now-”
Y/n groaned, focus hazy as she pressed the phone to her ear. Waking up to Hoseok screaming in her ear wasn't ideal, but it wasn't like she wasn't used to it. “Hoseok? It's early-”
“Y/n get your cute ass up right now- Vante put up a new piece-”
“Okay I can wait until everyone is gone-”
“Y/n it has you in it.”
If Y/n wasn't awake, she was now. She sat up, eyes widening as she threw her blankets off and slipped on her pink Champion slides. Throwing on her white coat, she brushed her teeth and left, pulling her hoodie over her mess of hair.
“Hobi where is it?” Y/n stepped outside, ignoring the chill on her legs.
“Near the new art museum.”
Y/n hung up quickly, breaking out into a run towards the museum that wasn't too far from her house. It wasn't too long before Y/n was before the museum, out of breath, looking at the piece.
It was her, a replica of when she laid distressed on Taehyung’s bed, lips pursed and eyelashes long. Hues of tans and pinks wove to make her up, the word ‘Kitten’ written in small cursive at the corner of the piece, right beside his usual violent ‘Vante’. A choked laugh escaped her lips as Hoseok approached her, cursing as he tugged off his jacket to wrap it around her bare legs. “Hobi that's me-” Y/n whispered, as Hoseok stood up.
“Yeah, it is. You know Vante, don't you.” Hoseok hummed, and Y/n nodded. Before she could apologize for keeping him in the dark, her phone rang. ‘tae ♥︎’ her phone read, and Y/n sighed, eyes watering.
“Hello?” She answered.
“Do you like it?”
A choked sob escaped her lips, and Hoseok was quick to wrap her in his arms, ignoring the chill on his skin.
“Taehyung, why did you- It's so beautiful I don't deserve it-”
“If you didn't deserve it I wouldn't have made it.” Taehyung hummed, voice rough with lack of sleep. “I wanted to make something for my favorite girl. I figured it's a more creative way to ask you out other than just taking you out to dinner.” He muttered.
Y/n gasped. “Like, be your girlfriend ask me out?” Taehyung laughed softly.
“Like be my girlfriend ask you out, Kitten.”
Y/n sniffled, wiping her eyes. She gazed up at the piece again, and smiled widely, nearly splitting her face. She looked up at Hoseok, who smiled down at her knowingly.
“Of course I’ll be your girlfriend.”
-
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mirkwoodshewolf · 7 years
Text
Nightmare tradition; Maximoff twins x child reader
Well this was my first time ever writing for the Maximoff twins Pietro and Wanda when I posted this up on Wattpad, I hope to write more of these guys and when the time comes for me to start opening requests I’ll accept either both or you just give me a name. Anyways I hope you all will enjoy this one be warned of major feels and tooth rotting fluffiness
___________________________________________________
I was in my shared bedroom with my brother Pietro and my sister Wanda Maximoff.  I was tossing and turning remembering all the terrible things that happened at the bad man’s lab back home.  I could feel the needles being punctured into my skin making it burn, I could remember snapping necks quickly and quietly with my bare hands, and the cold cell I was put in separating me from the only family I had.
I was always constantly reminded of our past.
I even remembered the war we had with the robot Ultron and trying to save out hometown and even remembering how my big brother Pietro almost died, sure the Avengers helped him and he was now alive but that pain both me and Wanda felt as he was shot by Ultron was unlike any pain we both had ever felt.
I couldn’t take it anymore so I shot up screaming and panting heavily, waking up my brother and sister.
         They immediately ran up towards my bed and tried to calm me down.
         “Shhh, shhh, it’s okay (y/n), it’s okay our myshka (little mouse), it’s okay”. Pietro gently cooed as he picked me up and held me close in his lap while Wanda sat down in front of us soothingly stroking through my dark brown hair.
         “Vhat is it (y/n)? Vhat happened младшая сестра (little sister)?” Wanda asked as her face grew with deep concern.
         “Nightmares”.  I whimpered as I held on tightly to Pietro’s night shirt. He gently rubbed my back in gentle soothing circles as he asked me.
“Do you wish to talk about it?” I shook my head no and whimpered out.
“Too—many…..bad things…..” I sniffled into Pietro’s chest further hoping that my brother’s presence would somehow chase the nightmares away.  Both my brother and sister looked at each other with deep concern, Wanda refused to read my mind because she knew I would never forgive her or Pietro for invading my thoughts without my permission so she didn’t want to risk that happening, especially since I was so vulnerable now.
It was then they both struck an idea.
“Hey (y/n), ve vant to try something vith you”. Wanda said to me lovingly.  I sniffled and peeked out from Pietro’s chest as my hair hide my eyes from her.
“Vhat is it?” I asked.  She removed my hair from my eyes gingerly and said.
“You may not remember zhis, but ve used to do it all the time when you vere younger, Pietro and I even did this to each other before you vere even born, cup out your hands together vith your palms facing up” Wanda instructed.  I turned to Pietro who nodded in approval, confused and still scared as I was, I obeyed my sister and held out my hands together with my palms facing up.
Wanda took my hands then began tracing a small circle at the center of my palm as she asked me.
“(Y/n), do you know vhat a Dream catcher is?”
“Not really”. I answered truthfully.
“Vell, a Dream catcher is an ancient tool that vas once used by zhe Indians to help children capture their nightmares and only leave zhe good dreams for them”.  She kept tracing the small center circle around the center of my joined hands as she continued, “zhe circle I’m tracing now is vhere your nightmares are at,” she then began to draw patterns and beautiful designs around the rest of my hands as she continued, “zhe rest of your hands form the space to vhere the good dreams are kept, notice how it’s a lot bigger than your nightmare space?”  I nodded feeling the difference in what she was drawing on my hands.
“Okay, now slowly open your hands to create a hole big enough to fit the nightmare circle Wanda drew, but not so that you ruin the Dream catcher she drew, you don’t want to lose zhose good dreams now do you?” Pietro said.  I shook my head no then I slowly opened my hands till they almost cupped each other but not so that I would dump out the good dream space.
I even took notice that Wanda and Pietro were doing the same thing.
“Now on the count of three, we blow away the nightmares into the air, vready?” Wanda asked. I nodded then each of us counted in our mother tongue to three then we all blew between the hole and opened out our hands so the nightmares could escape into the air before Pietro guided my hands back together.
“You said that zhere were many bad things happening in your nightmare, right (y/n)? Do you zhink you can tell us how many bad things you saw?” Pietro asked.  I lowered my head solemnly then began counting out.
The experiments, the needles, the war, Pietro almost dying, being alone.
That was five things in total of one nightmare.
“Zhere were five things”.
“Okay, we von’t ask you to tell us as to not bring the nightmares back, but vhat ve are going to do is replace zhem with good memories and dreams to replace zhe bad ones, okay?” Wanda said.  I nodded then they began to think about what good memories could help replace the nightmares.
Both Pietro and Wanda came up with good memories for me to dream about when I go back to sleep, like my first reading lesson, Pietro had stayed with me the whole time for 5 hours helping me read one book and didn’t get impatient or angry at me but helped me along the way and always encouraged me to keep trying.  Wanda came up with the time we came up with our secret handshake before we all volunteered to be Strucker’s lab rats.
Sunshine, sunshine, Ladybugs awake.
Clap your hands and do a little shake.
There was also the lullabies mom used to sing to us every night before we’d go to sleep or to comfort us when we were sad or afraid, the times we would make shadow puppets with our hands secretly during the middle of the night just the three of us after mom and dad were asleep only to get in trouble if we got caught.
But I don’t think any good memories could replace the one nightmare that almost came true.
“Now let’s see ve just need one more right?” Pietro asked.
“Yeah, but zhere is nothing that will replace this specific nightmare” I answered sorrowfully.
“And what’s that myshka?”
“Because it vas vhen you died in the battle against Ultron”.
It was then both Pietro and Wanda grew silent.
Wanda looked at Pietro with pained eyes knowing that she too still felt that pain from when he had sacrificed himself to save Clint and that child he went to save.  If it hadn’t been for Dr. Cho and her ‘Cradle’ Pietro wouldn’t even be here, but the two of us had to go through three months without a sign of Pietro responding to them since he was locked in a coma-state as he was being repaired. 
Wanda knew she couldn’t say anything to comfort me so she turned away from Pietro refusing to let him see her cry.
Pietro softly sighed then looked at the two of us.
“(Y/n), Wanda. I know you both went through hell vhile I vas in my coma state, but I’ll tell you both somezhing zhat I only knew about, I fought on to get back to you both. I promised myself zhat I vould protect you both, I’ll never break zhat promise to myself, and all zhat matters now to both of you is zhat I’m here now, and I promise to never put you both through zhat ever again”. He took Wanda into his arms as he held the two of us close to his chest.
“Cross your heart?” I asked.
“Cross my heart, dare I lie, zhen I stick a needle in my eye”. Pietro repeated the funny phrase he’d always say whenever me or Wanda would ask him as he crossed his heart. He gently placed a kiss on both mine and Wanda’s heads and vowed.
“I promise Мои сестрички (my little sisters), I’ll never leave you both to suffer like zhat again”.  He held onto us as tightly but still lovingly gently as possible when Wanda spoke up.
“Pietro, ve still have one last thing before we can send (y/n) back to sleep”.  They soon looked down at me with dark and mischievous smirks, I ran towards the door when Pietro using his speed immediately caught up to me and stopped me from leaving the room.  I struggled in his strong arms only to be put into Wanda’s who pinned me down on the bed with my arms above my head.  I struggled and struggled to get out of Wanda’s death grip but she was too strong for me to break free that’s when it happened.
I was being tag-teamed tickled.
I squirmed as both Wanda and Pietro tickled all of my easily accessed tickle spots like under my arms, my stomach, sides, and ribs.            
“Nohohohoh pleheheheasssseee! Stohahahap ihihiht!”            
“No I don’t zhink I vant to, vhat about you Pietro?” Wanda teased.            
“No definitely not, at least not after I do zhis” he lifted my shirt up and blew a raspberry into my tummy. I shrieked with laughter as he said, “zhat always gets her, even now”.  Wanda then looked at Pietro with a cunning grin and Pietro knowing what she was thinking was smirking back.             
Soon they both blew raspberries into my tummy.             
“Nohohoho! Piehehehehtrooo! Wahahahahnndahaha!! I’m too tick-ticklish!! Stohahahahpppp!!” Finally after what felt like forever they finally stopped tickling me and I was now laying inbetween them as they laid down on either side of me.            
“Bet you didn’t see that coming?” Pietro teased making the three of us softly chuckle.           
 I nuzzled each of them lovingly while they each wrapped their arms around me protectively in a safe barricade incase anyone tried to come and take me away or if any nightmares should dare try to enter my mind again.             
“Goodnight Pete-Pete, goodnight Wan-Wan” I whispered their nicknames as I grew tired and deeply desired nothing more than to go back to sleep.           
 “Сладких снов  myshka, sladkihk snov (goodnight little mouse, sweet dreams)” they both whispered to me in our Mother tone before they too fell asleep holding me close.            
I would never have to be afraid of nightmares haunting me any longer, because my brother and sister would never let anything or anyone hurt me ever again.          
 And we would always be together for as long as we protect each other.
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Ephemera Chapter Eleven
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Ephemera: In art, transitory written and printed matter (receipts, notes, tickets, clippings, etc.) not originally intended to be kept or preserved.
Alternatively, things that exist or are used for only a short time.
Description: Nobody knows who Vante really is. Everything about the popular artist is shrouded in secrecy: from his face to his name to everything in between. After years of working for his art gallery, Y/N feels she may just be the closest thing he has to a friend. Between her success at work and her relationship with campus hot-shot Jeon Jungkook, Y/N’s life has never been better. But is Jungkook truly who he says he is? And who will Y/N protect now that she knows Vante’s livelihood may be on the line?
Genre: Romance, Drama, Fluff, Angst
Pairing: Jungkook x (f) Reader x Taehyung
Word Count: 6.2k
Tags: Non-Idol!Au, Gang!Au, Art History Student!Reader, Film Student!Jungkook, Art Student!Taehyung
Warnings: Swearing and mentions of alcohol, although infrequently
A/N: Woohoo another chapter! I’m really excited for you guys to read this one. These days I’ve been playing around with a Namjoon fic idea 👀 haha so there’s that to look forward to once Ephemera is done! As always, thank you so much for all the love and support. I really don’t feel like I deserve it, but I’m grateful! Please don’t be shy and send feedback, critique, questions, theories, and comments my way. I’ll be sure to respond to all asks I receive within a day of receiving them! Links will be added later!
And again, if you want to follow my Twitter, my username is @/plzpunchmebts. I’m super active over there and hopefully in the future I’ll do some livestreams/chats with you all!
- Mercury
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A palpable hush fell over the room, coating the air in a thick film. Tension built like momentum downhill, sure to snap should anyone clear their throat or set their foot down too loudly. Taehyung stood on the stage, gaze sweeping out across the ocean of people. On his lips, a confident smile that nearly made my heart race. He cleared his throat and fussed with his cufflink once more before releasing a long sigh.
“I have a feeling that big things are coming,” said Taehyung with a smile. “And I’d like to come out from the shadows to be part of them.”
I staggered back just as rapturous applause echoed through the hall. My body felt cold, like all the heat had drained out through my toes. I bumped into a man behind me whose wide eyes showed more concern than frustration at being shoved. I bowed my head and stumbled past him, towards the massive closed doors. My vision was blurry and it took me several bracing moments in the hallway to realize that it was because I was crying. My throat was so tight it was a labor to breathe and despite the hallway being relatively empty due to the speeches, I still felt like I needed to run someplace, find a closet or something where I could be alone.
But before I could take even a step, I felt a hand on the crook of my elbow and I turned to see Jungkook with wild, wide eyes and flushed cheeks. I tried to discern any measure of anger in his expression, but found only bewilderment.
This had been Taehyung’s plan all along, huh?
Draw Jungkook out, have me play assist, and take the wind out of his sails by revealing his identity himself before Jungkook had the chance to use it against him? Knowing he’d only follow me, knowing that if the invitation came from me Jungkook would trust it…
It’d be genius if it wasn’t so cruel.
“Did…Y/N, did you know?” he asked, breathless as he turned his eyes toward me.
I shook my head, wiping my face wildly and pulling back fingers stained black with makeup. “I-I…he told me to be in-in the ballroom for the speeches and-and…,” I couldn’t finish the sentence for my sobbing.
In the end, I’d been another pawn in their game.
Just like always.
Jungkook scanned me and slowly his expression turned serious. He furrowed his brow and nodded. “You’ve been watching me for him?” he asked.
I sniffled, gasping as my tears stole my breath. “Yes,” I choked out.
Jungkook sighed, gripping his nose bridge, and slowly released his grip on my arm. “How much do you know, really?” he watched me from above like an inquisitor, like any reaction I had would be marked and recorded.
I shook my head again. “I-I…I know you were u-using me to spy on Vante,” I said, raking my fingers through my hair, undoing hours of work I’d spent on the style.
“And?” he asked, eyes flashing between mine. “This is important, okay? Did you know why?”
I sniffled and shook my head. “No…,” I said, calming down the longer I looked at the autumn brown of his eyes.
He sighed and nodded, leaning away and rubbing his jaw. “Okay…okay, okay, okay…fuck!” he shouted, kicking a silver trashcan so it fell onto its side, spilling its contents onto the carpeted floor.
I jumped, a little gasp escaping me. Everything seemed so strange, like it wasn’t real. I felt delicate. I felt like one wrong move and I’d break for real. Jungkook, noticing my reaction, turned to me with wide eyes and approached me too quickly. I stumbled back a half-step, but my heel caught in the train of my dress and I fell straight on my tailbone. Crying out in pain, I winced and squeezed my eyes shut.
Jungkook looked horrified above me, brows knitting and hands outstretched like he might have hugged me if he could. His eyes were glassy. “I-I’m not…I’m not gonna hurt you-,” he began, but his words were cut short by the large door from which we’d emerged sliding open once again.
And from that door, Kim Taehyung.
Upon taking in the scene before him, Taehyung’s eyes went wide and his jaw clenched. Without a second thought, he lurched toward Jungkook and grabbed him by the collar, roughing up his suit. I stared from the floor, all the strength I’d summoned to come here in the first place fleeing through my cold fingertips. My tears were still wet against my cheeks, and as Taehyung’s nostrils flared I watched Jungkook go slack in his hands.
“What the hell’s wrong with you, huh? You still gonna act like a thug at a black-tie event?” asked Taehyung, spitting his words.
I came to my senses and jumped to my feet, quick to run toward the boys and paw at Taehyung’s suit sleeves, desperate to stop him before anyone got hurt. “Taehyung stop! He didn’t do anything-,”
“Feeling betrayed because she lured you here?” asked Taehyung, soliciting a glare from Jungkook that only made him chuckle. “Well, you can only use a person so long before they snap.”
“Taehyung,” I said, warning in my voice, yanking him by the arm.
But he was stronger than me, resisting my force. “What’d you think, huh? She’d come running to you after all you’ve done?” he asked, smirking. Something dark swam in the browns of his eyes. “Stupid.”
“Taehyung!” I shouted, forcing him to look at me as I furrowed my brow. “He didn’t hurt me. I fell on my own,” I said. I gripped my nose bridge, my tears having temporarily taken a hiatus, and sighed. “If any of you would just listen to me-,”
“Vante?” asked a deep, male voice from the ballroom doors.
I turned to meet the person, Taehyung still poised with his arms on Jungkook’s lapels, and saw someone vaguely familiar. It took me several moments of squinting to remember who it was. With a start, it came to me: the man from the club. The one whose suit I’d ruined. Tonight he wore an impeccable set, wide shoulders and clean lines, black-and-navy pinstripes. He looked like someone out of The Sopranos. I swallowed hard and glanced up to see Taehyung also frozen.
Jungkook, using the distraction, shook Taehyung off with a scowl, straightening his jacket. He wouldn’t look at me. But when his eyes met with the man’s they went wide and he scoffed, crossing his arms.
That’s right. He was supposed to supply Jungkook with tickets to this event…
Who was he then?
Taehyung turned to him with a polite grin, dusting off his jacket. “Hello,” he said gently, bowing.
The man held out a hand for Taehyung to shake and the two exchanged a smile. “It’s an honor to finally meet you,” he said, then laughed. “And to think, here of all places.”
Taehyung raised his brows. “I…don’t follow?”
The man laughed. “Oh, pardon me. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Younghoon from Sanyo Industries.”
I stiffened, edging closer to the exit. It seemed Jungkook had the same idea, and the two of us took tiny steps backwards while Taehyung and this Younghoon conversed. I eyed him sidelong, and this time he finally met my gaze. He lifted his brows and swiftly glanced toward the large glass doors behind us, leading to freedom. Like an invitation to run with him.
This time, I took it.
As silently as we could, the two of us slipped out into the blistery night. I watched as Jungkook eased the door closed with a cringe, likely praying it wouldn’t make a sound. With a sigh, he stood up straight once the door had clicked back in place, patting his pants down as they’d gotten mussed up during his scuffle. And then suddenly, we were alone once more.
I wrapped my arms about myself and shivered, glancing to the side toward the bustling street. At the other entrance, guards still maintained their post. I fished around my bag for my invitation and found it once more. At least if I had to, I could return to the gala.
Jungkook was the first to break the thick silence. “So…Vante knows we’ve been watching him.”
I nodded, sighing. “You can’t be too mad at me,” I said with a shrug. “You have been manipulating me for three months.”
All was lost anyway. At this point, my relationship with Jungkook was unsalvageable, if that was even something I wanted at all. And I wasn’t so sure if I wanted to associate with Taehyung anymore. For someone who was so very appalled by Jungkook using me, he sure used me with ease…
Jungkook nodded, running his fingers through his hair. “Fuck…,” he whispered with a sigh.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
He glanced up at me, scanning me. “Will it mean anything if I say how deeply sorry I am?”
I shrugged. “I dunno.”
He nodded and rubbed slow circles into his sharp jawline. “Wanna get something to eat? There’s a McDonald’s a few blocks down,” he said, jerking his chin toward it.
I sniffled, rubbed beneath my eyes, and nodded. “Yeah.”
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I sat with my lips wrapped around the straw of my milkshake, eyes faraway as they settled on the worn plastic table separating me from Jungkook. He barely touched his chicken nuggets, and a large order of uneaten fries sat between us. All around, people bustled and chatted. It seemed we were the only two in the whole place that were melancholy enough not to eat the food we ordered.
“Everything’s kinda gone to shit, huh?” asked Jungkook quietly, poking a nugget with his slender index finger.
I nodded. “It was unsustainable anyway, wasn’t it?” I asked with a sigh, taking a sip and shutting my eyes. “All the lies had to come out eventually.”
“I’m surprised you’re not more mad,” said Jungkook.
I opened my eyes to look at him and he seemed near tears himself. I simply sighed. “I was mad,” I said with a nod. “At first, I was really mad.”
“And now?” he asked, eyeing me.
“More than anything…hurt,” I said with a nod. “I really loved you, Jungkook.”
“I know,” he said with a sigh.
I shrugged. “But then I realized…I didn’t even know you to begin with. The person I lost when I realized you’d been lying to me…didn’t even exist to begin with.”
“Don’t say that,” he said quietly, shaking his head.
I rested my cheek in my hand, the laughter and the yellow fluorescent lights nearly drowning out my voice. “If it hurts you so much, why did you do it?” I asked. “To ruin Vant-er, Taehyung?”
Jungkook sighed and pushed his nuggets away altogether, leaning back and crossing his arms. “It’s not Vante we were after.”
“We…I’ve known for a while, but Seokjin is in on it too, right?” I asked, raising my brows.
He nodded. “I shouldn’t be telling you this since you’ll tell Vante but, since we’re fucked anyway…,” Jungkook said with a sigh. “It’s my job. Seokjin recruited me after my dad…,” he began, then sighed and waved his hand. “Anyway, Seokjin poached me off the street since I was doing…some unsavory work at the time and told me he could give me safer work.”
I furrowed my brow. “What kind of work?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Usually petty shit. Scouting out a rich woman’s cheating husband, helping local gangs defend their territories, blackmailing company heads…not particularly legal, but we’ve done some job for city police officers so they turn a blind eye.”
“We…?”
“There’s a lot of us. Like…ranks,” he said with a shrug, glancing to the side at a couple sharing a Flurry, smiling as they talked in low, intimate tones. “I’m high up. So is Seokjin. I mean, he kinda has to be since he’s our founder.”
I nodded, sipping the thick milkshake. I felt like I might puke. “It’s not legal…,” I urged.
He chuckled, and for some reason his smile put my stomach at ease. “Of course not,” he said, glancing at me with that same smile.
I swallowed, running a hand through my hair. “I…see…”
“Do you hate me now?” he asked quietly, almost a whisper.
I stiffened and glanced at him. Vulnerability made his eyes glassy and his cheeks flushed. “No, Jungkook,” I said, rubbing my temples as a tension headache began to grow. “If I did, my life would be much easier.”
He nodded. “I understand,” he said. “And…if you weren’t such a good person, you wouldn’t even be giving me the chance to explain. I feel like even now…I’m taking advantage of you.”
I sighed. “I’m here willingly, Kook. And besides, I think after all this I deserve some answers at least.”
“There’s a lot I can’t tell you,” he said, shaking his head. “About why we targeted Vante, about who hired us. I could lose a lot more than money. But…I’ll answer your questions as well as I can.”
I pushed my shake away. “Did the guilt make you crazy?” I asked.
He stiffened, like I’d surprised him, and cleared his throat. He rested his cheek in his hand and looked down at the table, avoiding my eyes. “Every day.”
“Why didn’t you just…stop then? At any point?” I asked. I chewed on my cheek, old hurt seeping through my voice. “I saw your texts with Seokjin while we were visiting my dad. He gave you an out.”
Jungkook’s eyes flashed up to meet mine before quickly departing. “I…I knew that once the job was over…I’d have to stop all communication with you.”
“Are you even a student?” I asked.
His eyes went wide. “O-of course!”
I nodded. “That’s good then,” I said.
“But…,” he hedged, scratching his arm. “That class we took together…I only took it because you were taking it.”
My eyes went wide. “E-Excuse me?” I asked, heart thundering.
He groaned, lolling his head back. “God, it’s all so shitty,” he whined. “We have an intel agent who’s, like, godly at hacking. He…got your schedule and Seokjin pulled some strings with the registrar to get me in.”
“It was all…all a lie?” I asked, tears brimming once more.
He sniffled, rubbing his swollen, red eyes. “Yeah,” he said, and it sounded like a cry.
I wasn’t sure why a wave of fresh hurt washed over me, sweeping me away in the undercurrent, but my stomach was twisted in knots and my heart ached like I’d been punched. “I…I don’t think I can see you again,” I said, sniffling.
Jungkook’s eyes darted back to me, wide, worried. The color had drained from his face. “What?”
I shook my head. “I…I think it’ll hurt too much to see you,” I said, meeting his eyes. My throat constricted at the pain in his face. “Even looking at you right now,” I began, voice cracking, “I feel like I’m falling apart.” I covered my lips with my hands as more tears streaked down my cheeks.
Jungkook’s lips were agape, eyes wide, and slowly he nodded. “Ah…y-yeah, I…I understand. I did really shitty things t-to you. I wouldn’t really…wanna be around someone like that,” he said, laughing lightly as he rubbed the back of his head and looked away. It was clear he was holding back tears, and for that I was grateful.
If he cried, I knew my resolve would crumble at my feet.
I sniffled, using the McDonald’s napkin to dab my tears, and nodded. “I-I want you to live a good life, okay?” I asked, reaching out to grab his hand in mine.
He glanced at me with knitted brows and nodded. “I will,” he said, voice strangled in his throat.
I smiled, standing to my feet. “I’m gonna go back to the gala,” I said with a sigh, patting my dress as I sniffled. “I’ve got a lot of questions for Taehyung.”
Jungkook stood quickly, our untouched food forgotten, and stared at me, eyes wide. “I can walk you!”
“Jungkook-,”
“Please,” he said, brows knitted, imploring me.
I shut my eyes with a sigh and shook my head, turning on my heel. “Fine,” I said, already halfway to the exit.
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The walk back to the venue was long and silent. Old blisters from weeks of working in bad pumps pressed against the thin straps of my new shoes. I’d taken only a brief moment to fix up my makeup in the McDonald’s bathroom, but I knew it wasn’t really salvageable. Like many things, there was no way to bring it back to how it was before.
We approached the entrance once more and, with my eyes on the concrete below my feet, I turned to Jungkook and bowed my head. “Thanks for walking me,” I said quietly, scratching at my arm as my gaze darted around.
Jungkook cleared his throat. “Ah…yeah. Um, thanks for…letting me.”
I nodded, finally lifting my gaze to find him staring down at me. I forced a smile. “Thanks for the last few months, Jungkook.”
He nodded, cheeks red and eyes still glassy. “Mhm,” he said, gently reaching out to take my hand. I let him. “If…if nothing else, I want you to know I’m sorry.”
“I know,” I said, scanning him as he watching his nimble fingers tracing my skin.
“It doesn’t change anything, does it?” he asked.
I shook my head. “No.”
He sighed, shutting his eyes. “I…I could leave it behind, you know.”
I stiffened, staring at him with wide eyes. “You could what?”
He met my eyes, thick brows knitted, and nodded. “I could quit.”
I swallowed hard. The selfish part of me longed to tell him to do it, to encourage him to leave the bad work in the past, to move forward being good. But…then I remembered a few clues. He’d mentioned his mother having to work because his dad wasn’t the best. He said something about his dad before, about when he was working on the street…
Did he have any other options?
I clenched my free hand around my clutch and exhaled, long and slow. “Jungkook…,” I began, eyeing him. “Is that what you want to do?”
He opened and closed his mouth a few times before sighing, running a hand through his hair. “Is it what you want me to do?”
A dark nostalgia washed over me. Wasn’t this eerily similar to that conversation we’d had before? When he asked if I was unhappy? “I…I want you to,” I said, then shook my head. “But that’s been a problem all along, hasn’t it?”
He glanced down at me, vulnerability in his eyes. “Huh?”
“You’ve always been tailoring yourself to me,” I said, unlacing our fingers so I could press a palm to his hot cheek. “Because you needed me for the job…you’ve molded yourself into my perfect guy. I wonder if you’ve ever been alone with yourself long enough to know who you are.”
He furrowed his brow. “Are you saying it’s okay if I keep working?”
I sighed, letting my fingers feather across his jawline. “I’m saying that what I want more than anything is for you to know yourself well enough to know what you want.”
He inhaled sharply, shoulders pinching, and took my hand once more, pressing it against his lips without moving them. “We’re gonna have to find a new angle since Vante’s out,” said Jungkook, lifting his eyes quickly toward mine. There was a hunger there that made my heart race. Hungering for what?
“I figured,” I said with a nod. “Are…are you gonna hurt anyone? Doing this?”
He sighed, shutting his eyes and resting his lips once again against my knuckles. “I hope not,” he began, shaking his head. “But there’s no victimless crime.”
“And you’re okay with that?” I asked, quiet.
He swallowed hard. “Have to be.”
Before I could say another word, a couple of guests stumbled out of the door behind us, clearly inebriated as they were escorted out by security. They fell in heaps on the concrete outside, mumbling as they dusted themselves off. And, like a broken spell, my senses returned to me and I slowly pulled away, letting my hand drop to my side. Jungkook opened his eyes to look at me, and there was a sad understanding in the way his eyes narrowed slightly.
I shook my head, watching the ground. “I’m gonna go inside.”
“Alright.”
“I…I think it’s best if you lose my number.”
“I understand.”
“And,” I said, taking a half-step back toward the venue, tears making my throat constrict, my voice heavy, “please take care of yourself.”
He nodded, smiling softly, and raised a hand to wave me off. “I will,” he said.
“Goodbye, Jungkook,” I said, voice barely above a whisper.
He turned halfway toward the street and nodded his head once, still smiling, before turning on his heel and retreating down the sidewalk with his hands jammed into his pockets.
It took me a few quiet moments standing dumbly outside the Exhibition Center to realize he didn’t say it back.
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When I returned to the ballroom I saw Taehyung surrounded by swarms of people, his cheeks flushed as he smiled brightly for each of them. Quietly, I ordered a drink from the bar and took a few sips, watching him from a distance. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to say to him. Not only had he been lying to me, he’d taken advantage of my relationship with Jungkook to further his own agenda. While I would have been supportive from the start, the deception was what bothered me. And something else, something deeper.
The lack of agency.
I felt much like a chess piece being forced across the board by many, invisible hands.
As Taehyung chatted, I saddled up to a barstool and sat down, rubbing my sore ankles with a wince. “Rough night?” said a voice from beside me.
I opened my eyes and glanced toward the voice. A young man, maybe a few years my senior, with warm brown eyes, sideswept silver hair, and dimples on either cheek gazed at me gently. I bowed my head in greeting which he returned. With a sigh, he shucked off his coat, seemingly having just arrived at the bar himself. He waved over the bartender who was quick to fix him a drink, not even asking his order once.
Another important man.
I scowled and nursed my own drink, sipping lightly. “You can’t even begin to imagine,” I said, frowning at the amber liquor.
He laughed. “Try me,” he said, still smiling. “Tonight hasn’t really been my night either.”
I eyed him. The idea of someone else being just as miserable as me was enticing. “How so?”
He hummed and took a deep swig of his drink, cocking his head to the side before shrugging. “Well, I found out some concerning news about my friend,” he began, counting on his fingers as he went. “I bought this new suit for tonight, but the sleeves are too short.” I chuckled, relief streaming through my veins as a brief flash of comfort came with it. He smirked. “And nobody even cared about my speech because of Tae-er, Vante,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. “Wasn’t even that good of a speech,” I mumbled.
He laughed. “You don’t like him?”
I shook my head. “He’s my friend,” I said, then sighed. “At least he was. Turns out he’s been keeping a lot from me.”
“Ah,” said the young man with a knowing nod, tipping his drink against his lips. “You didn’t know?”
“You did?”
He gave me a wink over the rim of his glass. “Of course,” he said, then leaned closer with a smile. “I knew him before he was Vante.”
I stiffened and turned toward him, giving him my full attention. “You did? How?”
“We worked at a bookstore together-god, was it five years ago? He was eighteen,” he said with a scoff. “Couldn’t even describe the amount of stars in his eyes. The optimism kinda got beat outta him those days, working all day and night. But he kept at it.”
“It paid off,” I said.
“And then some,” added the man with a laugh, swirling his drink in his hand. “He helped me when I was really struggling. Anyway, he’s a good friend. Maybe my best friend.”
I eyed him. “And…he’s a good person right?” My voice was small as a mouse.
The man laughed, shaking his head at me. “What would ever make you think he wasn’t?” he asked. “Taehyung is one of the best people I know.”
I sighed, relieved. “And I can trust him?”
The man smiled at me, giving my upper arm a brotherly pat. “He’s still young and headstrong, maybe a little hotheaded…but I’d trust him with my life.”
I nodded, offering a smile. “Thank you,” I said.
He shook his head, and seemed about to speak again, but noticed something behind me that made him quickly stand to his feet. He was tall and lean, more imposing than he seemed sitting, and he quickly collected his things to leave.
He gave me a quick grin before patting my shoulder. “I gotta blast. Man of the hour’s coming this way and I’m not feeling quite ready to face his fan club.”
My eyes went wide and I turned to find that, indeed, Taehyung was making his way over toward me, surrounded on all sides by guests who simply wouldn’t leave him alone.
I returned my attention back to the man and gaped as he began rushing in the opposite direction, waving over his shoulder. “Traitor!” I called after him, to which he only laughed and jogged away, his jacket draped over his forearm.
As Taehyung finally approached me, I was quick to stand myself, facing him with a cocked brow as the crowd parted to make way for me. “Hey,” he said, breathless, with a smile.
I nodded, eyeing the group around him. “Quite the celebrity.”
He chuckled and rubbed his neck. “I guess so,” he said. “We…uh, we should talk, huh?”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling at the group as I wrapped my fingers around Taehyung’s bicep. “Pardon me, but I’m going to have to steal Mr. Vante for a few minutes.”
A few in the group chuckled, good-natured as they likely wanted to make a good impression, and I led Taehyung by the arm toward a less crowded corner of the ballroom. Far from prying eyes and ears, the two of us stood close as he offered an almost bashful smile. Gone was the cocky, angry guy who had nearly caused a fight with Jungkook only an hour earlier. In his place, a blushing boy who couldn’t so much as look at me straight on.
“So you’re Vante?” I asked.
He chuckled, nodding as he glanced at his polished black shoes. “Yeah,” he said, then snapped his eyes up to meet mine, worried. “I’m sorry I lied! I just panicked because I didn’t want you to think I was creepy.”
“And now?”
He chuckled and looked toward the portraits on the wall. “Well…now there are things that I need to protect and this was the only way I could do it.”
“Protect what?” I asked, surprised by my own stern tone.
He turned wide eyes to me as I crossed my arms. “Well, you and…other things,” he said, shaking his head. “I don’t wanna involve you anymore. I’m assuming you saw Jungkook out?”
I nodded, eyes drifting to the tiles below my feet. “Yeah,” I said.
“That must’ve been hard for you.” There was a tender understanding in his voice, like he knew.
“You didn’t make it much easier,” I said, shaking my head. “Seriously, Taehyung? Attacking him out there? What was that about?”
He shook his head. “I thought he was hurting you,” he said, brows knit.
“He wouldn’t do that. And besides, I kept trying to tell you-,”
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, once again cutting me off.
I stiffened, holding in my breath for a moment before exhaling slowly. “It’s…fine,” I said with a shrug. I turned to him once more. “What’s not fine, though, is what you did tonight. You didn’t tell me anything. You let me lead him here, blind, and made me a pawn.”
“You weren’t a pawn-,”
“Honestly, is that all it was about tonight?” I asked, scoffing as I leaned away. “You said it was about me getting revenge, but as far as I see it, you’re the only one who benefited.”
“Benefit?” he asked, furrowing his brow. “Do you know how long I’ve been guarding my identity? Do you know how much my privacy means to me?”
I eyed him. “I don’t,” I said, some of the anger leaving my voice. “But the way I see it, you won at my expense. You took away Jungkook’s angle. The only thing he could have possibly had on Vante was the fact that his identity was a secret. Without that, you’ve made yourself untouchable,” I said, shaking my head. “And I was just a means to an end.”
“Y/N!” he exclaimed, frustration clear in his face. “Why are you being like this?”
“Don’t like it?” I asked, cocking a brow. “You’re the one who’s always saying I need to advocate for myself.”
“Listen,” he said, calming down slightly as he rested his palms on my shoulders. “I get that you’re hurt. I shouldn’t have lied to you for so long. And I should have consulted you about the plan. But I knew you wouldn’t be able to reckon with your conscience if you knew you’d be ruining his job and getting him in real trouble, so I had to keep it to myself. But don’t say that I’m the only one who benefited,” he said, eyes imploring me. “You proved you’re not someone to mess around with. And you showed him that you were the one playing him.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and glanced away, rubbing beneath my eyes. “I don’t want to play people, Taehyung.”
“What exactly did you think was going to happen tonight?” he asked softly.
I blinked at him, thinking. “I…guess, maybe we’d…call him out or something? Lure him here and…,” I trailed off. Truthfully, I hadn’t even really paused to consider it. I was too intoxicated by the idea of exacting revenge that I never even asked how we’d do it.
Taehyung sighed. “I’m truly sorry,” he said, and I knew he was sincere.
He’s still young and headstrong, maybe a little hotheaded…but I’d trust him with my life.
I sighed and my arms fell to my side along with my defenses. Slowly, I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his waist, resting my cheek against his chest. Stunned at first, it took Taehyung a few moments to return my embrace, but when he did it was warm. He rubbed circles into my back as I struggled not to cry.
“You did really well,” said Taehyung quietly against my hair. “I know it must have been hard to say goodbye to someone you loved a lot.”
I nodded. “Yeah…,” I said quietly. But something was still nagging at me.
Agency.
After all, wasn’t I still just a tool to both of them?
Slowly, I pulled back and smiled gently at him. “Sorry I got mad,” I said.
He shook his head. “Don’t be. I’d be mad too,” he said with a laugh, gently rubbing beneath my right eye with his thumb, likely removing stray makeup.
I sniffled and glanced back toward the heart of the ballroom. The music was still playing softly, and a few drunk guests were swaying around one another. A few of them caught Taehyung’s eye and began moving toward him. Again, I understood that young man’s urge to run. Patting his chest, I slipped past Taehyung, on a beeline for the exit.
“Wait! Where are you going?” Taehyung asked, turning his torso my way.
I chuckled. “Outside,” I said, jerking my head towards the group approaching him. “I don’t think I’m the one they wanna see.”
Before Taehyung could protest, he was once again swarmed and I used his momentary distraction to slip outside, finding myself beneath an awning once I’d left the infamous hallway. I sighed and wandered through the courtyard, past closed shops and dark windows. I paused in an alcove beside the massive SMTown sign that lit up the night sky.
I glanced down toward the building’s entrance and found a figure I vaguely recognized. Jacket-less and tall with spindly limbs, it was the same man from before. I took a few steps toward him, my heels clacking on the ground. I was surprised he didn’t notice me.
Quietly, I approached him with a smile. “K-pop fan?” I asked once I’d reached his side.
He jumped and turned to me with wide eyes, an unlit cigarette hanging between his teeth. “Jesus! Scared me,” he mumbled with a laugh. He raised a lighter to his cigarette and, shielding it with his left hand, struggled to light the end.
I smiled. “Let me,” I said, grabbing for the lighter and angling myself between his cigarette and the breeze that kept snatching his light. Within a few seconds, his cigarette was burning and his eyes were wide, smiling gently.
“You smoke?” he asked, raising his brows.
I laughed. “No,” I said, cracking my knuckles as the two of us stood side-by-side in the empty walkway. If I just took the stairs hidden to the left, I’d be at the subway station, on my way home. “I grew up on a ranch out in the countryside without a lot of modern appliances so I know my way around a lighter.” The man gave me a puzzled look and I chuckled.
He nodded, taking a puff and blowing it out into the night. “Well, at any rate, thanks.”
I shrugged. “Don’t mention it.”
“Did you get to talk to Taehyung?” he asked.
I sighed, watching my hands as I played with the latch on my clutch. “Kinda.” The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I became. Hell, what kind of conversation was it if he wouldn’t even tell me what he had to protect?
The man laughed and eyed me in the navy darkness. “Don’t sound too pleased.”
“Because I’m not,” I said, sighing. “He’s keeping things from me.”
“Are you two that close?” he asked.
I shrugged. “I dunno. Doesn’t really feel like it,” I said, then glanced at him. “I work at his gallery, but he invited me tonight because of some shady shit my boy-er, ex-boyfriend was doing.”
He raised his brows. “You’re Y/N?” he asked, eyes round like saucers.
I stiffened, leaning away from him slightly. He didn’t give me any creepy vibes before, but now in the dark, looking at me in awe with a lit cigarette dangling in his lips, I wondered if I’d been naive to be so trusting.
“Y-Yes?” I asked.
He laughed and my worries were dispelled. He patted his thigh with a disbelieving scoff. “No fuckin’ way,” he said, taking a drag and eyeing me from above. “Well, isn’t this just serendipity?”
I glanced at him sidelong, brows knit. “Have you been looking for me?”
He shook his head. “Nah, just that Taehyung told me about you and your,” he paused to clear his throat and give me a smirk, “ex-boyfriend.”
“What?” I asked, stunned for a moment. “He’s been telling you?”
“Well, it does involve me,” he said, then furrowed his brow. “Hasn’t he told you about why they’ve been targeting him?”
I raised my brows. “No. Nobody will tell me anything.”
The man nodded and smiled gently, glancing back at his wristwatch with a cringe. “Shit, I’ve gotta get back in there. A host can’t be gone too long,” he said, smirking. He fished around in his pocket for a moment before producing a business card. “If you want someone to tell you what’s really going on, give me a call.”
“Host…?” I began, but before I could say much else, he’d turned on his heel and made it several paces away from me, leaving me with the lingering scent of nicotine and confusion. “Wait!” I called, watching his back retreat.
I was about to go after him, but paused beneath the scant light to read his business card, hoping to call him by name. But as I did, I got the sinking, ominous feeling that I was about to become even more enmeshed in this intricate mess.
Kim Namjoon
CEO and Founder
Ori Technologies
XXXX Yeongdong-daero, Gangnam-gu
Seoul, South Korea
133 notes · View notes
Ephemera Chapter Four
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Ephemera: In art, transitory written and printed matter (receipts, notes, tickets, clippings, etc.) not originally intended to be kept or preserved.
Alternatively, things that exist or are used for only a short time.
Description: Nobody knows who Vante really is. Everything about the popular artist is shrouded in secrecy: from his face to his name to everything in between. After years of working for his art gallery, Y/N feels she may just be the closest thing he has to a friend. Between her success at work and her relationship with campus hot-shot Jeon Jungkook, Y/N’s life has never been better. But is Jungkook truly who he says he is? And who will Y/N protect now that she knows Vante’s livelihood may be on the line?
Genre: Romance, Drama, Fluff, Angst
Pairing: Jungkook x (f) Reader x Taehyung
Word Count: 5k
Tags: Non-Idol!Au, Gang!Au, Art History Student!Reader, Film Student!Jungkook, Art Student!Taehyung
Warnings: Swearing and mentions of alcohol, although infrequently
A/N: Hey! Lmao, I’m flip-flopping with this link thing. Last week I had to remove them whew. Anyway, this week I’ll add them later on. For now, if you want to catch up on the rest of the story, please head over to my masterlist! If you can’t find it, shoot me a message and I’ll send it to you. And on that note, please feel free to send me anything you’d like! Feedback, theories, critique, anything goes!
And in personal news, I’m having my short story published in a literary magazine!! PUBLISHED!!! I really can’t believe it. It feels so surreal. But it’s thanks to you guys that I had the confidence to submit my work to the magazine. Thank you for supporting me :’)
And again, if you want to follow my Twitter, my username is @/plzpunchmebts. I’m super active over there and hopefully in the future I’ll do some livestreams/chats with you all!
- Mercury
Previous Chapter – Next Chapter
Masterlist
Weekly updates: Sunday, 1PM (PST)
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Outside, I heard the computer room door open and shut. Two pairs of footsteps echoed down the hall. I blinked at the document before hastily shoving all the papers back in place. I threw the folder into its place in the drawer and shut off the light, rushing out into the hallway and dashing into the bathroom across the way. I turned on the water just long enough to be convincing and dried my hands on my pants before bracing myself in the mirror. I didn’t…quite look myself. The same purplish bags hung beneath my eyes that I’d begun growing accustomed to, but there was something else in my face that left me unsettled. Where once there was a girlish naiveté, now there was something harder, something with rougher edges lingering in the details of my expression. In the set of my jaw, in the hollows of my cheeks, in the shadows in my eyes. It was aged somehow, weary.
It was tired.
I sighed and shut off the light as I walked back out into the hallway. Again, the television rang out through the apartment. And this time, it wasn’t the news. Perhaps it was something about having my deepest fears confirmed that had me on edge, or perhaps it was the thrill of doing something I wasn’t supposed to, or perhaps even it was the alcohol in my veins, but it seemed a new feeling had replaced that deep-down ache that had persisted for weeks. And it felt…something like anger. Keeping documents that Vante had signed? Running intel on a man who wanted nothing more than to make the world brighter with his art? Spying on someone who supported and believed in people without expecting a single thing in return? I ran my fingers through my messy hair and entered the living room with a smile.
“Y/N!” called Jungkook, eyes wide.
I chuckled. “Sorry. I saw you guys weren’t out here when I got back and helped myself to your bathroom.” I met Jungkook’s eyes with a steeliness that felt foreign. If he could look me in the eye and lie without flinching, then I could too.
“We thought your call would take longer,” said Seokjin with a laugh. “Not much to talk about?”
I returned his laugh and nodded. “Ah, yeah. She was freaked out since she forgot to feed Hyunie,” I said with a shrug. “I’ve gotta go now and take care of it since she’s working on a paper.”
Jungkook groaned and approached me with a frown, placing his hands on my hips like they fit there perfectly. And, until recently, they did. “Baby, you gotta stop doing favors for everyone,” he said, drawing out his words.
Playing drunk? After all that?
I cocked a brow and let my hands roam his arms with a hum. A smile teased my lips, and I could feel the malice in it. A malice that had never been there before. I let my eyes follow my fingertips and, for the first time since we’d started dating, I noticed a shiver run up Jungkook’s body. Like I was affecting him.
How stupid could I have been? When he never so much as reacted to me? How many more months could I have gone in blissful ignorance? Seeing him now, with a faint flush to his face and eyes wide like saucers, I wondered just what I had been thinking all this time?
I chuckled and sighed a little. “What can I say?” I asked, meeting his eyes with a lazy smile. “I guess I’m just a really good person.”
Another shiver worked up to his chest from the base of his spine. Was this his type after all? “I-I guess so,” he said with a breathy laugh before clearing his throat and backing away with a smile. “So, should we continue Would You Rather?”
I pouted and gave his chest a little pat, letting my hand linger there for a beat too long. I could feel his heartbeat. It was racing. “Sorry,” I said, sighing as I began collecting my jacket and bag. “I’d better feed Hyun before Nara calls again. She’s…persistent,” I said with a laugh, squeezing his bicep before waving goodbye to Jin. I made my way quickly to the front door and swung it open to a waft of chilly air.
“Wait!” called Jungkook, stumbling slightly on a rogue pillow as he jogged after me. As I turned, I noticed that flush was still in his cheeks.
So he liked an assertive woman after all?
Really, how stupid could I have been, thinking he’d be interested in me at all?
“Hm?”
“W-We didn’t finish the beer,” he said, pointing behind him toward the coffee table.
“Or the game!” offered Seokjin with a grin.
I laughed and shook my head. “Hyun needs food,” I said, then glanced out into the hallway. “And I have class tomorrow anyway. Raincheck?” I asked, peering back inside the apartment with a smile.
Jungkook blinked at me for a moment before he coughed a little and rubbed his arms, leaning away from the blast of cold that slipped in from the door. “Promise?” he asked with a smirk. Ah, there he was.
I nodded, smiling wide. “Mhm! I’ll text you,” I said, waving as I slipped outside and shut the door behind me.
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Nara always kept her spare key hidden in a potted plant outside her front door. I’d scolded her enough times to make her ears bleed that these sorts of hiding spots were too obvious, but nonetheless she persisted. As I entered, Hyun was already upon me, whining as I locked the door behind me. The sixty-pound Samoyed had these eyes that made my heart weep and a perpetually wagging tail. I ran my hands over the white fur on his head with a soft smile. At least Hyun was trustworthy. After filling Hyun’s bowl, I decided to simply stay and wait for Nara to return. There was lots to discuss anyway. I hadn’t anticipated she’d take all night, but by the time one o’clock rolled around I was exhausted and Nara’s plush couch called me like a siren. I quickly sent her a text that I’d be waiting for her when she came home, that I had a lot to tell her. Maybe then she’d hurry up. I told myself I wouldn’t rest for long. Ten minutes maximum. But the dim kitchen lights cast comforting shadows on the ceiling and the faux fur blanket Nara had draped over the back of the couch felt like a warm hug. Hyun joined me as I snuggled into the cushions and the two of us fell fast asleep.
I don’t think I even dreamed.
My cell phone’s alarm screeched at seven and I jumped up, Hyun still snoozing at my feet. My eyes flashed around the apartment, looking for anything and nothing. Before panic could settle in, I heard the familiar sound of Nara’s laugh from the open kitchen and turned over my shoulder to see her stirring a cup of coffee, a matching one sitting just beside her on the kitchen bar. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
“Shit,” I breathed.
She laughed and nodded. “I figured you needed the rest,” she said. “I would’ve waken you up, but I didn’t get home until three anyway.”
“Three?” I asked, standing and rubbing my forehead. I grabbed the coffee and took a sip. Ah, just like her dad’s. “You don’t honestly expect me to believe you were working on your essay until three in the morning,” I said, smirking at her as I met her eyes over the rim of my cup.
She chuckled, a nervous sound, and rubbed the back of her neck, glancing away. “Ah, well…”
“Don’t tell me you lied about the library-,”
“No!” she shouted, turning to me with wide eyes. “We did do that until midnight when the library closed…” She smiled sheepishly at her slippered feet, wiggling her toes.
I cocked a brow. “And then?”
“And then…we might have gone out for drinks…as a, you know…reward?” She turned a hopeful grin towards me.
Without a word, I flicked her forehead and she winced. As she rubbed her injury with two fingertips, I laughed lightly. “Did you have fun?” I asked, eyeing her.
She didn’t look quite as tired as before. Her skin was brighter and her smiles lasted longer. Perhaps a night out was what she needed after all. She giggled. “Mhm,” she said, pulling her phone from the pocket of her sweatpants. “I got a video of this girl in my class singing Eyes, Nose, Lips at the karaoke place and falling off the table.”
I placed a hand on her phone and smiled, guilty. “I’m sorry, Nara. But I really have to go. I’ve got class and I haven’t even changed clothes and-,”
“But it’s really short! It’s so funny. I promise it won’t take long,” she said, smiling wide with eyes that resembled Hyun’s.
I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Maybe, with the scant time I had to spare, I might have liked to talk about what happened with Jungkook. Maybe I might have liked hearing her advice. But with a defeated smile I simply nodded and leaned over her shoulder to watch the first of what was sure to be several videos from her night out.
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Friday was long. I hadn’t even had so much a a free half hour to run home and change clothes, leaving me in the loungewear I wore to Jungkook’s all day. My classes seemed to drag on and my mind was spinning from one activity to the next. Each interaction left me tired, and I knew the day had only just begun when I finally collapsed on my bed at three. I fell onto my stomach, letting my eyes slip shut for only a moment as I sighed. Images of Jungkook’s flustered face repeated in my mind endlessly. That new, unfamiliar expression was haunting.
I’d really been a fool.
Before I could become too comfortable, I stood to my feet and got changed for work. As I wandered to my dresser half-dressed in search of a clean blouse, I found none in the drawer. Perplexed, I turned to my hamper and saw it was overflowing with used work shirts. I heaved a sigh and rubbed my forehead. I’d been neglecting my household chores lately. Even the houseplants were suffering. The devil’s ivy I kept in a hanging basket over my kitchen table was starting to brown at the leaves and the succulents in my terrarium weren’t looking very succulent at all.
I supposed these days I’d been neglecting a lot of important things.
I turned back to my dresser and scoured it. Nothing but sweaters and old shirts. I couldn’t very well show up to the Gallery in a Pink Floyd shirt that my dad gave me years ago. Nor could I show up in a dirty, wrinkled blouse that smelled like hamper.
I pursed my lips and opened my top drawer. I moved aside a few pairs of panties and some bras to reveal the only lingerie I owned. I’d bought it only a few days before finding out Jungkook wasn’t who I thought he was. I figured it might be nice for our first time.
But after last night, I realized it wasn’t his style anyway.
The white silk slip was nothing more than a sleeping dress when I really thought about it. Not once had I worn it, and after the last few weeks I assumed I never would. I ran my fingers along the thin straps and chewed on my cheek. Was it too risqué for work? Surely, patrons would notice I wasn’t following the dress code, and if they didn’t Mr. Kwon would. But what were my alternatives?
I sighed and pulled the thing up my legs from the bottom, sliding it over my tights and jimmying it up my waist from underneath my skirt. It felt odd to wear a whole dress beneath my skirt, but as I readjusted the hem it was perfectly unnoticeable. Quickly, I grabbed my blazer and straightened it along my shoulders, staring at my reflection with a furrow in my brow.
It didn’t look that bad, did it?
I just had to be careful not to bend down…
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“Can you tell me about this photo?” asked a soft voice from behind me.
I smiled and turned. A young girl, maybe thirteen, stared in awe at the large photograph over my head. My smile eased and I nodded. “Certainly,” I said, watching her eyes glitter with wonder as I turned to face the picture. I gestured with two pointed fingers to the two silhouetted figures in the center of the shot. “Critics say these two pieces conjure the same feeling as photos taken by Diane Arbus.”
“Two?” she asked, looking at me with wide brown eyes.
I smiled. “Mhm,” I said, pointing to the photo’s companion beside it featuring the same two people now facing one another, hands interlocked. “It’s a candid shot of two lovers in an alleyway in Gangnam.”
“Ah,” she said, grinning at the black-and-white print. “Who’s Diane Bus?” she asked.
I suppressed a laugh and nodded. “Ah, Diane Arbus is a famous photographer who used to capture images of marginalized communities,” I said, crossing my arms as I scanned the photos. From far away, it was impossible to tell anything about the couple. “Drag queens, sex workers…people that society likes to hate.”
She raised her brows and looked at me. “Really?”
“Yes,” I said, smiling. “Do you notice anything about the couple in these photos?”
She blinked once before turning to the prints with squinted eyes. Her eyes flitted all around for a few moments before, having had enough, she shook her head with a frustrated sigh.
I grinned. “They’re both men,” I said.
Her eyes went round. “They are?”
“You couldn’t tell, right?”
She shook her head, smiling. “Not at all.”
“Because in the end, they’re just people,” I said, nodding. “Diane Arbus wanted to dignify and humanize the disenfranchised.” I paused for a moment as I thought of what to say. With a sad smile I crossed my arms. “Once you understand that everyone is only human, it becomes much harder to hate them.”
She nodded, her smile still remaining, as she chuckled once. “I really never would’ve known.”
“Cool, right?”
She laughed. “Super cool.”
“Jia!” shouted a voice from across the gallery.
The girl and I both jumped, turning to the source of the commotion. The shock of the outburst left me a little shaken, but as I took in the scene before me my nerves settled. Standing with his legs set wide was a young man in a suit, hands balled into fists, face slightly red from exertion and eyes set staunchly on the girl at my side.
I leaned down close to her ear and whispered, “Is that you?”
She stiffened and looked up at me with pleading eyes. “Yeah,” she said, sighing. “It’s my brother.”
I watched the worry etch itself into her features and set my jaw. I patted her shoulder and smiled, leveling our eyes for a moment. “I’ll help you out.”
Jia stood behind me as I approached her fuming brother. I gave a small bow before meeting his eyes with a smile. “Hello, Sir. Is this your sister?” I asked, gesturing to Jia as she stayed close to my flank, scuffing the tip of her tennis shoe against the ground.
The young man exhaled loudly and gripped his nose bridge. “Jia, you were supposed to come directly to my office on the eighth floor! Can’t you count?” he shouted.
By then, a few patrons had stopped what they were doing to look at the commotion. Feeling their gazes burning holes through my back, I cleared my throat and maintained a smile. “Sir, I understand you’re upset, but she wasn’t causing any trouble-,”
“Did I ask you?” he asked, finally turning his angry eyes toward me, slowly scanning my body from head to toe. I stiffened underneath his scrutiny. “What kind of gallery lets their employees dress like this?” he asked with a scoff, eyeing the exposed skin of my clavicle where the blazer couldn’t quite reach. “Guess it’s true what they say about the benefits of being a woman getting a job.”
I swallowed hard and forced a tight smile. “If you could please lower your voice-,”
“Do you know what kind of day I’ve had?” he asked, then laughed and raked his fingers through his hair. “Of course you don’t. I bet you wouldn’t last a day in my office.”
I nodded. “Sir, I apologize for any inconvenience you’ve faced on our behalf, but-,” I began
He cut me off with a loud laugh and began wagging a finger in my face. “What?! Inconvenience? My twelve-year-old sister has been in here for who knows how long and you didn’t think once to ask where her guardian was? Inconvenience? This is borderline negligence!”
I nodded and offered what I hoped was a soothing smile. “I understand, Sir, but I must-,”
“Jia, let’s go,” he said, grabbing for the girl’s arm roughly.
She slid behind me, causing the young man to grab me instead. My eyes went wide and so did his. From the mortified look on his face, I could tell he wasn’t a dangerous man. Perhaps a bit strung out and more than a little frustrated, but no predator. I smiled gently and guided his hands off my forearm.
I turned to Jia and gave her shoulder a squeeze. “You should go with your brother now, okay? You can come back and visit another time with your friends,” I said gently, leading her by the back to her brother.
The young man seemed stunned into silence by his own actions and, as if finally returning from some daze, he looked at me with apologetic eyes. “Thank you,” he said, his voice still slightly rough as he gnawed on his lower lip. He bowed curtly and walked toward the elevator with Jia in tow sending looks at me over her shoulder.
As he left, my body eased with relief. I patted my chest a few times before turning to Yuri at the front desk, her eyes wide as she watched me. I smiled and nodded my head, a silent cue that I was indeed okay, and she returned it before greeting two new patrons.
Carefully, I pulled the edges of my blazer closer to my chest, hoping to cover any indecently exposed flesh. I turned back to the patrons and bowed with a smile. “My apologies for that incident. Please don’t hesitate to ask me questions,” I announced, bowing.
But as I lifted my eyes, I didn’t see the floor of the gallery. Instead, I saw the stout suited legs of Mr. Kwon, and when my gaze reached his face I felt myself collapse a little. Disappointment was set in the deep brown of his eyes. Of course he’d been there to see everything. Every painful, mishandled second of it.
“Y/N,” he said. “May I see you in my office?”
I scanned the gallery for a moment, noticed each pair of eyes still settled on me, and cleared my throat, nodding as I followed Mr. Kwon down the hallway. He said nothing until the door clicked shut behind us and the silence became unbearable. Gruffly, he sat down at his scantly decorated desk and gestured with one large hand for me to sit opposite him.
I followed his directions and watched him, my heart pumping loud in my ears. “That was…unpleasant,” he said with a nod, lacing his fingers and peering out from over them.
I nodded. “Yes, Sir.”
“And it was not entirely your fault.”
My chest felt lighter at his words. I sighed and nodded. “I could have done much better.”
“You’re right,” he said, then sighed and rubbed his temples, his glasses clacking up and down with the motion. “And while that man was out of line, we do have an expected level of professionalism here at the gallery that we all have to uphold.”
I nodded. “You’re right.”
“You didn’t deescalate the situation,” he said, meeting my eyes seriously. “You allowed things to get out of hand.”
“I know, Sir.”
“You need to be more firm, Y/N,” he said with a somber nod. “You surrendered to that man too easily and as such, things got out of control.”
“I apologize,” I said, my eyes pricking with tears. I kept my gaze on my hands, shaking as I held them clasped on my lap. The longer we spoke, the more this sounded like a total dismissal. What would I do without this job?
He sighed. “People only have the power you give them,” he said with a cough. “When you forfeit your power is when you truly lose.”
I nodded, the first tear slipping from my eyelid and tracking down my cheek to my chin. “I understand.” He was right anyway. Hadn’t I spent years doing that?
“And as much as I disliked the way he said it, he was right about your work attire.”
I swallowed hard and squeezed my eyes shut to stop the tears. “I apologize for my lack of professionalism.”
He sighed. “Y/N, you’re not being fired,” he said, to which my head snapped up and my watering eyes went wide. He was simply watching me from over his fingers, thick brows set low. “You can relax.”
I sighed and nodded, wiping beneath my eyes. “Thank you, Sir.”
“But please…be mindful of your attire. It’s not right for a woman to be…so brazen with her appearance,” he said with a cough and a glance at my chest.
I stiffened and nodded. “Y-Yes, Sir,” I said, but the words tasted acrid on my tongue. Was this what life really was? Fighting tooth and nail to be belittled and looked down upon for something as simple as my attire? Wasn’t he the one who said I mustn’t forfeit my power?
Was I really okay being spoken to this way?
And if I was, then why was my heart racing not with fear but with something hotter?
“You’re dismissed,” he said with a nod. “Please, just try to do better.”
“I will,” I said, my tears having halted in their tracks.
I stood up and bowed before walking back out into the hallway. I stood out in the center of the corridor for a long moment, my arms crossed. Because I was a woman, I had to endure it. Because I was desperate for work, I had to endure it. Because I wanted to protect Vante any way I could, I had to endure it.
Slowly, I lifted my eyes to find the security camera positioned in the corner of the hallway. The blinking red light indicated that it was indeed working. I furrowed my brow as a few more stubborn tears collected on my chin. I let them fall to the ground, still locked in a gaze with the camera. Was Vante on the other side? Could I communicate with him with a look alone all the things I needed to tell him?
I wiped my eyes, adjusted my blazer, checked my reflection in the window facing the city, and pasted a smile on my lips before walking quickly back to the floor.
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The shift was finished at long last and the nighttime cityscape stretched on forever outside the gallery windows. Yuri had taken off on her own for a date, leaving me to close the place on my own. With a sigh, I collapsed against one of the chairs in the break room, resting my head on the countertop. As I did, I noticed yet another security camera stationed by the doorway, trained on me. Was this how Vante moved around the gallery unnoticed? Was this how he knew when I needed bandaids or coffee or an encouraging note?
Gently, I pulled the purple pendant from my pocket and ran my fingers over its surface. Lately, I’d been bringing it with me everywhere, hoping for some luck. So far, ineffective. I sighed and shut my eyes, my fingers still working over the smooth stone. So much had happened lately and all of it had left me utterly exhausted. I wanted to sleep.
Or perhaps I wanted a drink.
I sighed against my arm as I rested my head atop it, eyes shut. The crying had done a number on my makeup already, so I wasn’t worried about a little rest. The light from the hallway turned the backs of my eyelids a translucent red and each moment that passed my breathing came more slowly. How many times had I taken quick naps right here during breaks? How many times had I put myself last so that everyone would like me? Everyone would respect me?
Hadn’t I told myself once I became an adult, I’d stop caring so much about what people thought of me?
It seemed some habits were harder to break than others.
I continued running the pads of my fingers along the fine carve marks of the pendant, eyes shut. At least Vante believed in me. At least he saw something worthwhile in me.
And what was I giving him in return?
Halfhearted protection from a boy I was most certainly still in love with.
I hated myself.
If I could only get a moment alone with Vante, I could tell him everything that had been going on. I could explain why I let a strange young boy into the gallery unsupervised. I could tell him my findings and we could figure out their scheme together, from the inside.
Maybe you should fake him out, echoed Jungkook’s voice in my head. Pretend you’re sleeping and catch him leaving you presents like Santa.
There was no guarantee he was even at the gallery today, or that he’d leave me something. But as I briefly considered gathering my things and heading home for the evening, something kept me rooted to my seat.
I’d be lying if I said I was never…a little curious. This man with whom I’d built a years-long companionship was still a complete mystery to me. I didn’t even know his real name, but oftentimes he felt like my closest friend. And besides, I needed to explain the situation to him somehow didn’t I?
But what stopped me from leaving, what kept me from opening my eyes despite being wide awake, was something more than curiosity or obligation. There was a desperation in my rapid heartbeat. Knowing Vante had likely seen me cavorting with Jungkook the other night through those many surveillance cameras made me anxious. His notes had stopped. So too had the gifts. We hadn’t corresponded at all.
And for some reason, it felt like I’d betrayed him.
After some minutes, I heard the door creak open slowly. Could this really be true? Was he truly going to fall right into my trap? I kept still, holding the pendant in my palm as it rested atop my thigh. I managed my breathing, trying to inhale and exhale with ease and heaviness.
The footfalls were soft and almost timid as they reverberated through the room. I didn’t move a muscle. The steps came closer, closer, closer, until-
A large, warm hand pressed softly to the side of my head, guiding my hair behind my ear. I heard him sigh: a deep, breathy exhale. His gentle fingers pressed against the skin of my cheek, touching me like I may break. My heart raced. His hand moved from my face to rummage through a pocket near my ear. I heard him shuffle things around before placing something in front of my nose. Again he sighed and placed his palm against the back of my head, smoothing my hair down.
“Take care of yourself,” he said in a whisper.
A voice I recognized.
Before he could disappear again, I snapped upright and turned to him with wide eyes. Matching my expression, he stood beside my chair with flushed cheeks and hair that looked unruly against his forehead. He was dressed like he was on his way out: a full-length brown coat and an expensive dress shirt. He blinked at me through his glasses and his lips parted as if to speak.
But I beat him to it.
“Taehyung?”
165 notes · View notes
humblecacti · 5 years
Text
New friends?
Tag list: @honestlyitsjustkenna @sealite-draws
a few months has passed, just so you know heh
Chapter 7 (before | next)
Chase closed the door, dropping his fake smile. Seán hadn’t gotten any better. “Why isn’t he getting any better?! He’s been in this god forsaken hospital for 4 months!” Chase took a calming breath and relaxed a small bit.
“Hello there Chase.”
Chase jumped at the sudden call of his name, thinking it was Seán. But how could it be him, he couldn't even leave his bed on his own. “Oh, hi Henrik.” Chase tried to stifle a yawn with his hand while turning to face the doctor.
“I heard from Seán that there’s some arguments between you and your vife, ja?”
“Yeah, I’m… barely aloud to be home anymore. But it gives me more time to be with Seán, so that’s good at least.” Henrik tilted his head and took in Chase’s posture, he probably didn’t get the sleep he needed.
“Do you vant some coffee? I vas actually making my vay over there now.”
“Yes, thank you,” They started to walk towards the coffee machine. “All this stress and responsibility, being a doctor gotta be really hard on ya. How do you like... cope with it?”
“I just try to focus on one thing at zhe time. Making my priorities, sleep or vork, eat or do more vork, trying to figure out vhat’s vrong with Seán or… sorry this isn’t helping you at all,” Henrik laughed awkwardly and moved his glasses to sit more comfortably. “Anyway you have kids right?”
“Yeah, a girl and a boy. Haven't met them in a while though…”
“I understand, I have a son you see but vhen me and my vife separated she got full custody for him and they moved to Canada. That vas 6 years ago, I haven’t heard from them since then.”
“Oh shit man, I’m so sorry to hear.” He put a reassuring hand on Henrik’s shoulder, looking him in the eyes. Silence filled the space between the two fathers as they waited for the coffee to brew. Chase glanced over at Henrik a few times, he understood his pain all too well.
Henrik broke the silence. “I know that I can’t do much for you, but can I offer you to sleep in Seán’s room tonight?” He turned and watched Chase with a curious expression.
Chase beamed. “Do you have permission too? But yeah I would appreciate that!”
Chase closed the door after saying thanks and goodnight to Henrik. He made his way over to the couch in Seán’s room, side glancing at his friend’s relaxed features as he snored softly. He couldn't help but to feel some kind of hope. “It’s going to be okay, Seán’s going to be okay, I’m going to be okay...” He stayed awake for a while just listening to Seán’s breathing. It calmed him being here with him. This was his safe place, well except when Seán got one of his episodes, then he just wanted to get as far away from here as possible. He hated seeing Seán in pain. It fucking sucked, and he couldn't do anything about it either, which didn’t exactly help.
Henrik always tried to comforted him though.
He was surprised to find that he and the doctor actually had some things in common.
---
Closing the door to his office, after leaving Chase at Seán’s room, he’d gotten this terrible headache. Henrik slid down to the floor and didn’t bother when his coffee spilled on the carpet. Scrunching his eyes and trying to block out the bright light from the sealing lamp, he rose with a moan and turned it off. Finally opening his eyes as they adjusted to the darkness. The cramps eased a bit and the doctor walked over to his chair, slowly. Planting himself there and just resting his head. “It has to be the lack of sleep.” He thought but that idea flew out the window when he heard a whisper. He looked around - confused, then realizing that there were no one else here, or outside of his office.
The voice returned once more and he felt cold light touches on his neck and back. He shivered and jumped out of his chair. Knocking down some papers in the process. “Vha- vho’s there?!” No one answered, of course. He was just imagine things. Henrik decided to end his shift early and get some sleep instead. He took his briefcase and shoved some papers in it and left. Walking a little faster than usual, down the corridor. Turning his head at the slightest of sound.
When he came out onto the street and the cold rain hit him, he finally relaxed. “Why am I being so silly?” He laughed a short laugh and waved to get the taxi drivers attention.
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