borabe

[borabe]

she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't perk up slightly at the way rowan responses, she couldn't even try to hide the her eyes widen in surprise. honestly, she was completely expecting him to never want to see her again, and she couldn't really blame him if he did. she was the one who was avoiding him, after all.

bora stares at him for one, two seconds longer before looking back down at the floor with the hint of a small smile on her face. she still feels awkward about the whole situation, but there's a relief that's obvious in her body language now in the way her body finally relaxes, no more anxious tapping and searching around the rest of the room to hide from his eyes.

he doesn't mind that she's here, at least.

she rocks back and forth on her heels for a moment before glancing over in the direction of the exit, biting her lip in thought for a second. "do you like... want to get out of here...?"

she pauses, realizing the way her words could be taken in a different context before immediately speaking again and shaking her head at her own thoughts "i mean, to talk outside or something! it's like, really loud in here! probably not the best place to talk about feelings and all, haha...!" phew. good save, bora.

he watches her, and it’s like trying to hold water in his hands—everything she’s feeling, everything she isn’t saying, spilling out in the spaces between her words. the smile she gives him feels like a flicker of something familiar and distant at the same time. he catches it, holds onto it like he’s afraid it’ll slip away if he looks too long.

“thanks,” he says, voice soft, uneven around the edges. his fingers fidget with the strap of his keyboard case, something to ground him. “means a lot. that you think so.”

her joke makes him huff a breath that could almost be a laugh, but it’s too quiet, too weighed down. “cheap drinks. right. yeah.” like either of them are really here for that.

and then she asks it—the question that knocks the wind out of him more than seeing her did. his breath catches, and for a second he looks at her like he wants to say everything at once. but he doesn’t. he never does.

“i didn’t… not want you to stay.” it’s the truth, small and uncertain, but honest. “i was just surprised. that’s all. it’s good to see you.”

he shifts his weight, glances toward the stage like maybe if he looks away the knot in his chest will loosen. but he finds his way back to her eyes, gentler now, steadier.

“you can stay as long as you want.”

[borabe]

bora wasn't exactly a stranger to being active; she's used to being on her feet for eight to twelve hours for a shift at work, constantly moving to wipe down tables or going to the back to grab something from the freezer. plus, working on larger canvases means she's had times where she had no choice but to stand while painting. she thinks she's gotten used to this level of activity for the past couple of years.

and yet, she still finds herself fairly winded after dance class. maybe she'll get used to that by the time she's (hopefully) signed to a company one of these days.

she was leaning against the wall by the time leean came over to her, gulping down her own bottle of water. her glasses had been sitting inside of her bag while the class was going on, which allowed her to comfortably pat her face with the spare towel she brought with her.

"oh my god, doing something fun sounds amazing right now. ... not that this wasn't fun!" she quickly added on, giving a small glance around the room to make sure none of the instructors heard her and took her comment the wrong way, before looking back up at him with a small smile. "you did really good too! i never know how you're able to keep up so well..."

with his offer for food, bora could feel her stomach starting to grumble, and gave leean a sheepish grin in case he heard it too. "only if you're sure! i promise i'll pay for our food next time then!"

@borabe !

there was always just something about a dance class and a dance practice for leean. he really just loved it; he loved that chance to really dance, express himself, and everything in between. he kind of felt a lot more like himself when he was dancing; which was probably why he was on the road that he was on. sure, he loves soccer - something that would always be a first love of some kind. but, it really did seem like dancing and music was that one true love - the one that he simply has to chase.

though, it was always a bit surprising on how leean managed to really do everything that he does. dancing, soccer, skateboarding; most people would probably be exhausted by doing all of that essentially every single day. yet, leean managed to do it; it was almost nothing to him. guess it just shows that he's rather athletic and full of stamina, so that was always a good feat, right? companies should be picking up that phone!

nonetheless, he shakes everything off right now; just as he's finishing up at dance classes at the studio for the day. he gathered all of his things, taking sips of water, before he's making his way over to bora. a usual nudge to gather attention, before he's looking upon the other. "want to go do something fun now? you did great today," he says, giving a firm nod. "i'll even feed ya."

[borabe]

standing directly in front of rowan was hard enough already, and that's without bora making even the slightest hint of eye contact with him at the moment. she wasn't a runner—she didn't run from her problems, she faced them head-on! she can't even remember making a beeline to him, the moment felt like just a blur, but maybe that's what led her to come to him.

but hearing his voice, speaking right to her, after all this time?

she so desperately wanted to leave. her feet and stubborn mind wouldn't let her, but the urgent feeling was buried deep in her bones.

"... yeah... i did." she wills herself to finally take a glance up at him, giving him a weary smile in return for just a moment, before almost immediately looking away. "um, you did really good by the way! voice is as good as ever..."

she's not even sure what she wanted to do by speaking to him; it's not like she had anything prepared to say. she had plenty of half-drafted, unsent speeches hiding in the lines of her notes app, but all of those words fail her now that she's actually seeing him again.

she lets out an awkward half-chuckle, half-hum at rowan's response, her body relaxing just enough to let her hide her hands in her skirt's pockets; nevermind the way her converse starts tapping against the floor instead. "welllll, the performances are good, and the drinks are cheap, so... kinda hard place to forget, i guess!" she's not sure which one of them she's trying to fool more by acting nonchalant right now.

though it was whispered, the last thing rowan says to her makes all the energy seep from her body. even her awkward smile fades, and she finally glances up from the floor to look directly at him.

"... you said i can be here but... did you want me to stay?"

she caught the way he looked at her when their eyes met. as much as bora was afraid to see him again, she had relegated herself to whatever would happen when they ran into each other finally. even if she had wanted to sneak out through his set, he already saw her. there wasn't much of a point in trying to leave now.

his fingers were still shaking a little when he stepped down. they always did, even after the smaller sets—but this time it wasn’t just nerves. it was the sudden snap of recognition halfway through the song, the way his eyes had drifted over the crowd and landed on a face he hadn’t expected to see again.

she was there. bora. at the bar, half-shadowed, drink in hand, watching him like she didn’t know whether to stay or disappear.

he hadn’t let himself look again. kept his gaze fixed just above the lights, afraid that if he did, he’d lose the lyrics. afraid of what he’d see if she wasn’t still there.

so when she ends up in front of him, shifting nervously, tapping at her thigh and looking everywhere but his eyes, he doesn’t know what to say either. doesn’t know how to explain that it felt like the wind got knocked out of him the second he realized she was in the room. doesn’t know how to ask if this is just coincidence or something closer to apology.

instead, he offers her a small, crooked smile and says—softly, “you came.”

it’s not an accusation. just a truth.

“i didn’t… i didn’t think you’d still remember this place.” he lifts a hand, rubs at the back of his neck. “i mean—not that i wouldn’t want you here. you’re always welcome, just. surprised.”

there’s a pause. a beat. his voice drops a little lower, like he doesn’t really mean for it to carry.

“you stayed the whole time.”

[borabe]

what do i call you? (@rowanbe)

since starting to put her all into becoming an idol, bora has treated herself to going out to music gigs in smaller, intimate venues after working a weekend shift at la ciel. sometimes you don't always want to be the person on stage in front of everyone, sometimes you'd rather be someone in the audience listening! (surely she doesn't just think that because of her own slight stage fright.)

she sat down at the bar excitedly, nestled off in it's own corner of the room, leaving plenty of space for people to stand or dance as they enjoyed the performances on stage at the front. as another part of her treat to herself, she waved over the bartender to ask for some soju. the night was going great.

at least, it was until she heard the name of the next performer be announced.

mid-sip of her drink, bora couldn't help but accidentally choke on her drink for a second before managing to calm herself. when she swung her head to look at the stage, it felt like time had slowed down.

it really was him.

bora kept her eyes on him the entire performance. she's not sure what she wanted; rowan to look at her? to see her in the audience? did she want him to return the favor she'd given him all this time and ignore her even if he did?

one thing was certain, the way her heart hurt hearing the way his voice sounded. gentle. sweet. familiar. it brought back memories of missed calls and texts and avoiding places she knew he'd be.

she knew that despite her trying to hide from rowan, they'd end up at the same place again sometime and she'd have to acknowledge how silly she feels; feeling so awkward about telling someone she cares about that she was far too busy for a relationship then, that she would instead try to avoid him on purpose.

somehow, she ended up in front of him moments after that performance, eyes looking everywhere but at him while tapping at her thigh anxiously. "... um.. hey!" what does she even say? "i wasn't expecting you to be here, haha..." she has to ignore the feeling to cover her face as her face feels warm from embarrassment; of course he'd be here, he told her about this place.

[borabe]

once you know how to make drinks and use the machines, the rest of the job is basically time management. bora can remember her father telling her this, the first time she was old enough to work a full shift at la ciel by herself. the phrase definitely rang true all these years; making sure certain tasks at done at the right time and drinks are handed out fast enough that nobody has to wait.

another part that comes along with it, one that's a bit more understated, is how you can recognize when specific regulars would come at certain times. this can become a boon, in the way of having customers' drinks prepared by the time the door announces their presence with a soft ding, so you can make the next customer's order even faster.

on the other hand, it can also become a bane; if someone starts coming at different times and days, or if they decide to get a different drink for once. the former being something bora's had to readjust herself to, with one of her regulars coming a bit later than he used to. not that she minds, that's just another challenge she has to learn to overcome.

bora finishes up making seonghan's drink right as he comes to the counter, letting out a soft snort of a laugh when she notices him glancing at his watch before continuing. "yeah, it's not really morning anymore, huh? still feels like it is!"

"good afternoon, though! i've already got your coffee done, too." despite being awake since 5:00 am, she's as chipper as always. "you're good, the pre-work and school rush has already came through!"

as she rings up seonghan's order, she can't help but glance up at him and almost immediately glance away with her mouth slightly agape. she's used to his... dry sense of personality, but seeing his current state of harsh eyebags and the way he's been coming to the cafe much later than usual...

should i say something? would that be too much? i mean, i'm just the person who makes his coffee, i don't know if i should ask━━ but her mouth works faster than her mind sometimes, and she finds herself quietly speaking up. "... i don't want to be rude, and you really don't have to answer if you don't want to! but... um... are you alright?"

circle back.

seonghan has a very specific schedule every single day, rarely ever straying from it aside from days where there are unpredictable happenings he can't control. it occurs every now and then, but things haven't exactly been the same since becoming a trainee. it's not something he would consider bad, but seonghan needed to construct a brand new schedule to accommodate for the added weight on his routine.

one of the first things he would do in the morning once he left his apartment is heading over to a specific cafe at a particular time, getting his daily sustenance of coffee for the day ahead. lately, he hasn't been able to be right on time, having to switch his usual hour to another because of the late nights he would spend training and rehearsing on top of keeping up with his studies. it's difficult and extremely busy, all the more reason why he'd need his caffeine boost.

the barista he'd meet always had his order ready on the dot, he has been coming a little later these days though, which means the coffee he'd order would have cooled down significantly by the time of his arrival. either way, he'd come into the building with a darker set of eyebags, more defined than usual, his limbs heavier than they used to be. he's starting to get used to the feeling though.

"good... afternoon," seonghan says, checking his watch before finishing his sentence. come to think of it, seonghan hasn't been able to visit this cafe in a while, allowing himself to accept the taste of convenience store canned coffee. "i'd like my usual, please." seonghan says, seeing as the person in front of him is the barista that already has his order memorized. "looks like i missed the busy hour," he says to @borabe. "i hope that's a good thing."

[borabe]

bora blinks in surprise at the question before pausing for a second herself, then hums as she thinks over stevie's question. she lifts her fist up to her lips as she pretends to think, "hmmm, i don't think i've done a very good job at reading minds my whole life! it would be a nice ability to have, though…"

ever the perfect barista, she gestures with (what she feels like is) an award winning smile to the shining gem of her workday: the glass tip jar resting on the counter. "we're always accepting tips if the customer's willing!" before quickly adding, "but seriously, don't feel like you have to tip! it's just nice when people do! reviews are also good, too!" she doesn't want the man to feel pressured to give her any money (as much as she's glad to see a full jar after a long day.)

as she starts to starts to heat up some of his pastries in the oven first, bora glances back at him over her shoulder with a grin, "it's easy to tease someone coming by here for the first time, sorry! a lot of regulars just kinda know me, i guess." though she can't help but tilt her head to the side at what he says next: being a barista was his first real job for longer than a day?

then she pauses again in thought: to be fair, she was basically given this job for existing, and it's the only job she's ever had. she shouldn't judge. she will still ask though. "... is it okay if i wonder what happened with the other past jobs?" then she blinks, "wait, you're a barista too? heh, that's kinda funny, being a barista and still coming to another cafe."

the food takes a while to heat up, so she turns back around fully now to tend back to the register. "you can go ahead and put your card in!" but thinking about it, if this guy's first full job is as a barista... then how does she know his face?

she gasps, covering her mouth with her hands as she finally remembers the question that escaped her from earlier. "oh my gosh, this is gonna sound sooo weird, but i swear i know you from somewhere!" bora shakes her head, mumbling softly, "i don't even go to other cafes, so i couldn't be that..."

"we listen and we don't judge." stevie repeats with a cheeky smile, nodding his head. he's never been snubbed for not liking coffee, even if sometimes he feels like he's in the minority.

"well, it's not like you can read minds, y'know? how are you supposed to know what they like?" stevie rambles, before pausing. a curious expression overtakes his features, and he gives the barista a curious look. "...can you...?" probably not. that can't actually happen in real life, right? unless...?

stevie glances around, letting out a disbelieving laugh. his boss is totally going to go into overdrive. they're hitting every point on stevie's mental checklist of coolest places to eat at. like come on! "do you have a tip jar? you're really selling this place. should i leave a stellar review?" he will-- maybe anonymously, so nothing gets back to his boss that he's hyping up the competition.

"sounds good!" he smiles easily, rocking on his heels. stevie's pretty excited for his haul. he knows he's going to down a treat in no time flat the moment it's in his hands. well...maybe after it cools down a bit. stevie doesn't want to burn his tongue-- that would not be beneficial to the mission.

"eight?" he repeats, eyes going wide. that's...a long time; must have started in school? stevie's mind is wandering into the topic of solid determination and perserverence in the workplace when she follows it up with jokes. "ohhhhhhhhhhh." the surfer draws it out, head bobbing in a slow nod. "that makes more sense. you confused me there," stevie laughs, scratching his head. "you're really good at it, for sure." he plucks his card out of his wallet, flipping it between his fingers in thought. "being a barista was my first like, real job. that i worked longer than a day at. and i only started like what." stevie's brows pinch as he thinks about it. "maybe...a year ago?"

[borabe]

"you got it!" bora gives her a small nod, an enthusiastic grin following. "i promise i'll start cheering too!" she glances away for a moment, sipping at her drink in thought. "... even if that might get me a few stares or kicked out! i don't care!"

the change in her demeanor isn't at all lost on bora; she chews on her lip for a moment afterwards, knowing well that sooyoung had gone through even more of a complicated path within the idol industry than she had. she was there to envelope her in a hurricane of hugs and comfort food after she had dropped out of next gen, and the last thing she wanted was to see her best friend suffer again after putting her heart on the line. "... i know. but," she leans forward, patting her shoulder with her free hand, "you deserve this. wanting to want something again, seriously."

that usual grin comes to bora's face once she hears the teasing tone in her voice, bumping her knee back in response. "wait, you're getting offers for a car and a new place? i think i'm getting cheated!"

her expression softens into a gentle smile after her giggles die down, shaking her head. "really though, no matter what company you pick, i know you'll do great. and... i know other people think so too." not wanting to directly mention jinyoung, but hoping sooyoung felt the sentiment all the same. "and my opinion? any company that doesn't want you is seriously missing out!"

sooyoung lets out a dramatic sigh, raising her drink like she’s about to make the most unserious toast in history. “ahhh, yes—may my future be filled with dental benefits and wardrobe stipends. a girl can dream, right?” she flashes a grin over the rim of her cup, but her fingers won’t stop tracing restless little patterns against the condensation.

when bora swears she’ll be the loudest in the crowd, sooyoung presses a hand over her heart like she’s deeply moved. “good. you better make sure no one dares out-clap you. i’m talking full standing ovation energy, bora. don’t let me down.”

and then—studio delta. the question that lands a little too close to the chest.

she laughs first—light, easy, buying time. “studio delta, huh? i don’t know…” she starts, but then her voice drops a little, eyes flicking down to her drink. “it’s scary, y’know? wanting something again. wanting it bad enough to say it out loud.”

a beat. and then she’s back, smiling like it never happened, a teasing lilt in her voice as she bumps her knee against bora’s under the table. “but hey, if they’re offering me a company car and a penthouse, tell your studio delta hopeful to start negotiating, huh? i’m a high-value target now.”

she lifts her drink again with a little grin, hiding the nerves under a practiced sip.

[borabe]

bora can't help the loud laugh that comes from her, doing her best to cover her mouth with her hand (despite both hands being occupied with her own snacks) in an attempt to not bother the other patrons of the cafe. "don't tease me about not having 'muffin loyalty', you're lucky i won't tell my dad about this!" sooyoung is one of the most welcomed faces at both la ciel and the jeong apartment, so the worst her dad would do is cross his arms and fake betrayal at hearing she enjoyed another cafe's treats.

she can feel the soft mood change weight on her shoulders like a comforting hug, the way it always does during a rare moment she and sooyoung let the atmosphere speak for itself rather than filling it with their own conversations. she takes the time to give her another gentle smile through the silence, eyes scrunching up and all, to let her know she truly meant what she said.

"in that case, i absolutely promise i'll do my best to come!" after another sip of her drink, bora nods. "and i'll be the loudest person clapping. i refuse to be beaten by anyone else!"

she shakes her head with a small pout, "hey, no way would i let you do all of that for free! if i got that lucky, you'd be getting a full salary and benefits!"

bora peeks back up at sooyoung once she speaks her thoughts, her eyes lighting up softly in return. "you really think so? i was hoping it'd come off that way... and not me like, trying too hard, or something." the nervousness that comes with trying something new always makes her hesitate even for a few seconds, but she always ends up more confident in her choices after a talk with sooyoung; like she has the ability to read exactly what she had in mind. she lets a weak laugh at the last thing she says, even though she knows she's right. "heyyyy... i'm gonna ignore that last thing you said!"

she grins, sitting back up straight and lifting her own drink up for a toast. "exactly! moon sisters for life!"

a beat passes before she looks back up at her with curious eyes. "enough about me though! let's say you're one of the talent show winners... have you thought about what company you're gonna audition for yet?" she swings her legs under the table. "i know at least one studio delta hopeful who'd love for you to audition for them, buuuut no pressure or anything."

sooyoung gasps again, clutching the scone like it’s just been accused of treason. “i knew you were going to throw my birthday sweets back at me. my own crimes-weaponized.” she shakes her head, mock-disappointed. “this is why i can’t trust anyone who doesn’t list ‘muffin loyalty’ as a core value.”

she nibbles the corner off the scone again anyway. traitor or not, it’s still good.

the mood softens between them again like it always does, like it knows how to shift. bora’s words settle somewhere in her chest, quiet and affirming. if there’s anyone who could do it justice, it’s you. sooyoung doesn’t reply right away. just presses her lips together, breathes a quiet little laugh through her nose like: you don’t know how much i needed that today.

“you better come watch,” she murmurs after a second, eyes glinting as she lifts her drink. “i’ll be counting how many people clap, and subtracting one if you’re not in the crowd.”

she sips. “and for the record, backup dancers would be iconic. i’d be your stylist for free if you went full moonbyul mode.”

she quiets a little when bora names her maybe-song. “moon movie, huh?” her expression softens further in contemplation, the lyrics weren't technically heavy, but imore in a way that the underlying message shines through clearly- not too unlike her own performance choice when she thought about it. “that’s a good one. it’s... real. makes you feel like you’re trying, not just performing.” she rests her cheek against her palm. “i think it fits you more than you think. you’re always harder on yourself than anyone else is.”

then, teasing again, “also, we’re celestial, remember? it’s on brand. can’t break the aesthetic now.”

[borabe]

after finishing up her own performance, bora felt like she was buzzing with too much nervous and excited energy; there was no way she could comfortably make the walk back home as the bundle of nerves she currently was, so she decided instead to sit down and watch the rest of the performances for the talent show instead.

she blinked in surprise as she noticed the other performer approaching her, mid-sip of her water (she was craving some sort of coffee or tea, but she knew caffeine wouldn't be the best way to heal her nervousness right now), before sitting up straight and smiling politely. "oh, thank you so much! that means a lot, heh." it was slowly getting easier to take compliments, even if she was worried the rest of the reactions to her stage may not be as kind.

bora pauses for a second in thought after taegeun's joke, playing back his and heechul's performance in her head for a second. "... oh! wait, wait, your performance was really, really good!" she finally takes herself out of her own head and fears. she sits her phone down in her lap with a grin, leaning in excitedly now. as an artist, she was her own worst critic; but it was always easier to find the good in someone else's work. "i really liked your guitar solo too, you're skilled! how long have you been playing?"

she jabs her thumb at the seat next to her, "go ahead and sit down! i'm bora, it's nice to meet you!"

fresh off the stage, tae was a nervous ball of energy. they had finished their stage but he wanted to know what people thought. he didn't want to ask heechul, he was sure his friend would be full of nothing but praise. that how he was. instead he made his way over to another performer, his guitar still around his body. "hey, i saw you performer earlier, you did a good job." he didn't have a reason to lie and he wasn't a professional.

"and now, i kindly as if you don't mind telling me what you think of ours?" slight nerves crept in at that, "if you saw our performance, if you didn't. i'll just take it as you saying it was greatest performance ever performed." he could lie to himself for a bit. "i'm taegeun."

@borabe

[borabe]

bora rolls her eyes at sooyoung's joke, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she gently nudges her with her elbow. she continues to play along though, "is it possible to be grounded at twenty? i think cafe betrayal would do it..."

"scone," she gently corrects sooyoung with a tilt of her head towards the baked good in her hand, before laughing at her review of it. "really?! you're a bigger traitor than me, enjoying other cafe's 'muffin things!' after all the sweets for your birthdays?!"

a soft smile comes to her lips when their knees bump together, before bora nods with hum hearing the title of the song. she glances away in thought about what exactly it could mean to sooyoung, letting the lyrics run through her mind. "hm... yeah, i get it!" the fingers of her free hand tap on the table in thought for a moment before stopping; she knows well enough the weight on her shoulders due to jinyoung enlisting, and she'd be more surprised if her song choice wasn't related to his absence. she peeks back up at her, "i think if there's anyone that could do justice to the song, it's definitely you. if i can make it, i'll have to come watch you!" she flashes her a small grin before taking a bite out of her own muffin, humming in delight after a moment.

"i've had better, but these are pretty good..." she mumbles as she hardly wants to admit it herself. she blinks in surprise at sooyoung's influx of question before bursting out laughing, shaking her head. "could you imagine if i had backup dancers? studio delta would definitely want me then, right?" she settles down soon after, placing her arms on the table then resting her chin on top of them, smiling weakly. "i... kinda have an idea... i was thinking about doing moon movie by moon byul, but i'm not entirely sure yet! i don't really know if it fits my vibe, but..." as cliche as it is to say it out loud, the lyrics of the song, focusing on working hard while trying to keep your own self peace, spoke to her deeply.

sooyoung gasps dramatically, placing a hand over her heart like she’s been betrayed. “bora. how dare you.” she lowers her voice, leaning in like she’s revealing a secret. “if your dad finds out you were caught fraternizing with the enemy, i’m not bailing you out.”

but she still takes a big bite of her overpriced lemon scone, chewing with zero remorse. “...though i will say,” she mumbles around it, “this muffin thing does slap.”

her grin softens when she catches the tension melt off bora’s shoulders. she doesn’t point it out—just bumps their knees gently beneath the table, wordless in the way best friends can be. the breeze is nice up here, a little cooler away from the noise below. they’ve both been moving so fast lately that she forgot how good stillness can feel when it’s shared.

“‘slump,’” she answers after a beat, gaze slipping toward the stage below. “i think i’m doing ‘slump’ by stray kids. it’s... not flashy, but it feels right, y’know? like, there’s this ache in it. the kind that builds in your chest when you’ve been going and going and you don’t know where the road ends—just that you’re still on it. and i wanna dance that out. not perform it. just... be in it.”

she takes a sip of her drink, then smirks, eyes flicking back to bora. “but enough about me. don’t think you’re getting away with just muffins and moral support. what’s your game plan, starshine? duet? solo? you plotting something with backup dancers and fog machines?”

[borabe]

━━ ☁ my life is what i make of it (moon movie by moon byul)

the sound of her heart pounding in her ears shouldn't be new to bora, and yet, as she makes her way on stage, it's the only noise she can focus on now.

not the familiar noise of milk steamers and espresso machines running. not the idle conversation amongst the other customers in the lobby. just her own heartbeat reminding her this is real, this is another chance she has to make it.

third time's the charm, right?

truthfully, she really didn't know what song to perform at first. she's written plenty of raps, verses messily scrawled in the margins of her sketchbooks or as ink hidden beneath her jacket sleeves, but it feels like a level of vulnerability she's still not ready to reveal yet. just finding herself on stage makes her want to start pacing around nervously enough.

but there's no point in running away with the mic in her hand now.

with her free hand, she plays keys on an imaginary piano to the opening notes. her eyes closed as she tries to calm her racing heart. she turns to the audience with opened eyes as she starts to rap.

"the reason i laugh, i want to brush off negativity; thoughts bite my tail and break me."

always one who wears her heart on her sleeve, her brows furrow thinking about the hardships handed to her by life.

her mother's passing.

being a helpless child watching her mother fade away day by day from illness they didn't have money to treat.

her father having to pick up the pieces of both his and her broken hearts.

leaving her home to start over from the grief.

one failed audition. two failed auditions.

all of it made her who she is now; she likes to think that it broke her down only to build her up stronger in the end. she couldn't imagine being able to get on a stage in front of people to perform once again after failing twice, and yet here she was.

she's nothing if not determined.

“take 1, take 2, flash, lights, camera, action!”

a grin comes to her lips as she gives the audience a quick wink. she wasn't scared anymore, she was genuinely having fun.

even with the anxiety running through her body previously, she had to remember one of the reasons she's continued pushing toward being an idol: she did love performing. once she got into the groove, it's almost like she wasn't scared in the first place.

"i'm too busy to even work, it's okay if i stay up all night for days; my family's happiness still comes before me, i'm okay with resting then; that's the happiness i'm looking for."

she remembers her father coming to her after her second audition.

previously disagreeing with her dreams, he told her he supported her and brought up something she hadn't even noticed herself: the way she shined on stage, the way she lit up getting to dance to songs she liked.

the red, teary eyes she had were able to be dried by tissues and acceptance.

it's because of that care that she pushes herself to working so hard; working at the cafe, working on her paintings, going to her singing and dancing lessons every week.

the reason she wanted to become an idol was to make sure they never had to feel the pain that came with losing her mother again. she was willing to make sure they both stayed safe and healthy if she could finally grasp the dream just waiting outside her reach.

“the light turns off and the tape rolls; watch a movie shoot, movie shoot.”

ending the performance like she began it, her body turned away from the audience and her eyes closed.

hearing the song end, she nervously places the microphone back on its stand and quickly shuffles back off stage.

the pounding heartbeat in her ears is back, but it's not as loud this time.

it's easier for her to place her hand over her heart with an easy smile.

[borabe]

stars alight (@besooyoung)

"you know, it always feel a little weird coming to another cafe." bora turns to give sooyoung a lopsided grin, holding a strawberry muffin in one hand and an iced latte in the other. "it almost feels like cheating!"

the comment was meant to help mask her own nervousness coming to life as they entered the pop-up cafe. despite how she had started getting better dealing with her stage fright through the years, she still had trouble fighting the way her body felt uncomfortable when all eyes were on her; even just walking inside of the cafe made her take a gentle breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

but she had to remind herself that wasn't the purpose of today's outing. the two had come here to get a feel of the cafe and other potential talent show performers, but the main goal was just getting to hang out first and foremost! feeling the warmth of the sun beaming down once she and sooyoung sat at one of the tables on the cafe's rooftop garden, bora's nerves finally started to melt away. in all the bustle that comes with both of their jobs and trying to get a big break, it's nice getting to take some time to relax with a close friend.

bora gave a small glance around the rooftop; the other cafe customers were seating further away from them, so she turn back to the other girl with an excited glint in her eyes. "soooo... what song where you thinking about doing? nobody can hear us, so you can tell me!"

[borabe]

“i get that! i can’t say i feel the same, but it’s definitely an acquired taste, i guess.” bora giggles softly at the exaggerated expression on his face. she's not sure how she would've survived in her family if she wasn't a coffee fan. “no judgement here though!”

“oh, great! it’s awkward when i recommend something and then it’s the one exact thing they hate, you know?” she pouts to herself, thinking about the few times where she’s had a customer who was already in a bad mood get annoyed at her. but she nods in response to him agreeing with her recommendation, grabbing another iced cup and writing down the order. “okay… heh, i don’t know if i’d call myself an expert, but i appreciate the compliment!”

she can’t help but grin when she sees how excited stevie is to try the treats while ringing him up. “i might sound biased but everything here is pretty good in my opinion! homebaked, too.” she nods proudly. bora could make every single baked good off the top of her head at this point, recalling how she and her father take one day out of the week to prep the sweets and store them in the cafe’s freezer. “but alright, all of those are coming up! i can heat up the custard bread and the cookie for you too, if you want!”

after she adds the baked goods to his order, bora pauses and blinks in surprise at stevie’s question at first, “eh?” before humming a little, pretending to think about it. “wellll, eight years might be considered a while…” she laughs softly at her own joke before shaking her head. “sorry, i’m just messing with you! this is my dad’s shop, so i’ve been working here since i was twelve. i guess i’ve been honing my customer service skills over the years!”

stevie's face relaxes out at being called out-- not that stevie ever really hides the fact he's not a coffee drinker. "hah, yeah...it's not for me. smells good, though! taste? blegh!" the expression he makes after matches his sound, the disgust clear on his face before it melts away.

"it's a good recommendation! it sounds good-- and you lucked out on getting me. matcha? say less!" he laughs after, feeling a bit sheepish. it feels a little like he's lying, but stevie genuinely is curious, despite his intentions for being here. and he does love matcha. "iced? ah..." stevie blinks, thinking about it. coffee is going to taste like coffee to him, but he guesses he can give it to one of his coworkers once he gets back. they like cold coffee, so it's probably okay, right? "that sounds good! you seem like the expert here, haha."

stevie lets out an audible, interested ooh! at the mention of custard and bread. "no way," he mumbles, more to himself in excitement. he can't help it-- stevie has a mad sweet tooth sometimes, and right now...it's hard to resist the urge. they have so many options; his work definitely needs to up their game. "okay, okay-- wow. options are nice. uh...how about a custard bread? and a slice of chocolate cake? oh. and the-- cookie? peanut butter salted...whatever that was!"

stevie tilts his head to the side. "you're really good at this. have you been working here awhile?" he asks, pulling out his wallet from the depths of his pocket. "your customer service is crazy good. do you get like comissions for how much you sell or something? you should!"

[borabe]

“yeah, i could totally help with that! portraits can definitely be tricky at first, but i have a few pointers that really help me when i do them!” sometimes bora worries that her style of art isn't the most exciting, but having another person (must less someone in the same field) take a genuine interest in it and the event makes her glad. feel seen as an actual artist to a degree, even.

though, bora was already thinking the whole thing through in the back of her mind; she could rearrange the tables and chairs in the cafe with everyone working in pairs of two if possible… she could sit at the front of everyone and instruct them too… and she could even do samples of some of the cafe's newer drinks and food…

on instinct, she grabs one of the markers from her apron, popping the lid off and writing down her ideas on her forearm; a trait she had the tendency to do as she’d forget her exact thoughts pertaining to her work if she wasn’t able to get to them as soon as possible. then considering how much time she had left on the clock, bora knew she needed to write it down immediately. she pauses for a second after writing ‘everyone in pairs samples check on pencils paints?’ to make sure she has everything important down, before glancing up at chaerin again and biting her lip as she tried to get her thoughts out coherently and not ramble at the poor woman.

“i was thinking… i could have everyone drawing a portrait of the person sitting with them! sooo… would it be okay if you were working with me for that?” she feels like it wouldn’t hurt to ask, since they already knew each other, but she was still a bit shy about asking. “since i’d be instructing everyone, you'd kinda be like the model. i just wanted to make sure that was alright. it’s okay if not though!"

chaerin learned as she went through years and years of what people would consider elite art training that art was just one of those things that could be created by anybody. of course, the people who attended art classes and even went to university to study art, like herself, may have a higher understanding of it, but that definitely didn't mean that they were the only ones that could produce art.

it was when she met people like bora that this became even more evident. while she wasn't entirely sure if bora's done any studying of art, the sketches she put up on the wall were beautiful and something that she could never get done, despite all the money she's thrown into art classes.

"yeah! a nice afternoon drawing session with a cup of coffee or tea sounds amazing," she stated with a chuckle. that's sort of what she liked about art to begin with. the fact that it could be done anywhere and any time as long as she had a pencil and paper. in school, she's always had to compete with others, so she'd love a chance to simply get lost in her own drawing with others surrounding her who would appreaciate the art of drawing itself.

"maybe you could give me some pointers on how to get better at portratis. i can neve get the proportions right," she said with a slight frown. "maybe that's why i enjoy landscapes. because i don't have to be completely accurate for it to look great. i can be just a bit more creative, you know?"

[borabe]

hi hi!! i am officially back from my hiatus… and i feel very refreshed and ready to write even more now! i did make some changes while i was gone (such as changing bora’s blog + mobile theme, adding some small stuff to her profile page, etc. i’ll probably end up changing lili’s too sometime this or next week) but everything is pretty much the same!

i will be rolling out replies/starters over this week for these two (and getting to dms i haven't gotten to!!) but if there are any threads anyone isn’t feeling up to anymore since the hiatus and wants to drop just let me know (and hopefully we can plot something else out!!)

for lili, i do want to get more plotting done with her so if anyone is interested… i am all ears…

but other than that i’m just glad to be back!! :D

[borabe]

hi hi!! ooc talk for a second; i’ll be taking a short hiatus for the next two weeks from bora and lili (@lilixbe)! irl stuff has been keeping me a bit busy from replying to threads at the speed i'd like + making muse inspiration a little difficult, so i’ll be taking some time to refresh, properly catch up on my threads, and come back ready to do more with these two!! >:D

my dms are still open for chatting and plotting a bit (plotting takes less brain power for me jskdlfjl)! i’ll be a little slow on tumblr, so feel free to ask for my discord in dms if you would like since i’ll respond there much faster! thank yall for being patient with me, and until then, i’ll see you guys and i look forward to being officially back once my hiatus is over!!

[borabe]

“oh…!” a weak smile crosses bora’s face while hansol speaks, listening but also worrying about him repeating what she just said about the other participants’ work to his mother. she’d rather not give her a bad opinion about her cause she couldn’t stop talking. what he says isn’t completely lost on her though, and she can’t help but quirk her head at the way he talks about himself.

she’s fully brought back to earth from her fears once the server comes back, taking the glass from hansol with a soft “thank you!” though she lets out a soft laugh at what he says, shaking her head. “hey, it’s not like i’m used to fancy drinks! i probably wouldn’t mind those blanc de blancs.” she takes a sip afterwards, letting out a pleased hum in surprise. “oh, that is good…” it wasn’t going to take the place of her favorite peach soju, but it was pretty close.

bora pushes her glasses up with her free hand, glancing back over at the gallery for a moment. “mine is…” she points over to where her work is displayed, mostly a variety of self-portrait paintings with a few more experimental environmental pieces mixed in.

“the theme i had for myself was soul’s windows… i mostly draw portraits of other people, but i thought that this time, i should focus more on how i see myself and the world around me instead.” she tried pushing herself by using more intense colors and angles that give the art an almost surreal vibe–she’s just glad that it was approved by the gallery despite it being a bit different than her usual art. “i won’t bore you with too many details! do you have a favorite artist here so far…?”

“bingo.” hansol breaks into his classic shit-eating grin. “surprised? you wouldn’t be the first. people usually look at her, then look at me, and i can see the gears turning in their heads when they try to make sense of how someone so soft-spoken and put-together can birth —” he makes a gesture at himself. “— such an insolent prick. their words, not mine. don’t have to feel sorry. i wear that title proudly.” he throws her a cheeky little wink before motioning a nearby server over.

the server in question gives him a short nod and hurries off. she returns not a minute later with two empty champagne flutes and an unopened bottle of sparkling ice wine.

“private collection.” hansol presses a finger to his lips as if to say let’s keep this between us — but it’s no secret. the staff always keeps a stash of sweeter options in the back in the off-chance he shows up. “trust me, you won’t like what they have going around. all dry, blanc de blancs. i’m convinced everyone’s only pretending to like it ’cause that’s what’s considered respectable taste.” he offers her a glass.

as he takes a sip of his own, he tilts his head in the direction of the gallery.

“so which one is yours?”