100stroke

[100stroke]

there is a short list of things more tedious than dealing with a hangover, especially when it has been a while since this particular feeling had coursed through minjae's system like a slow, burning flood.

he'd deal with all of them than what unfolds inside him right now.

still, he follows the naver map's directions with a mild suspicion (squinting at his phone's screen and almost cursing the sun included), never quite certain which left turn leads to the shortcut he supposedly memorized months ago. still, sluggish, dragged out steps carry him to minseong's doorstep. it's taken him longer than he intended — longer than he announced, too — but he’s come armed with an excuse, cocked and ready like a slingshot: it was the restaurant’s fault, really and how he still made it, after all. he sets the plastic bag in his hand atop the counter, nudging it open enough for the scent of haejangguk served in the to start leaking through the room: thick, rich, still warm. minjae's stomach growls on cue. he pats it once, with a chuckle, before collapsing onto the couch with limbs sprawled like he's claiming territory for himself.

"tell me, mister lee," minjae begins, propping an arm on the rest, tone of his voice easy even if his face is trying to mimic something serious to the best of it's ability. "my liver wants to file a formal complaint against minseong. last night was so reckless, and i am currently nursing a level of hangover that feels, like, criminal. do we have a serious case here, some compensation cash, or am i just out of luck?"

by the time he finishes, a grin cracks through the act — all teeth. he knows it was stupid, it was sudden, and he'd still say yes, over and over again. one hour with minseong always stretches into three before he even realizes it. all good things pass in blink of an eye, or whatever the elderly say.

he tilts his chin towards the counter, then: "one bowl's spicy, one's regular. you can take whichever."

@legalbrat

[100stroke]

heyyy all ♥ here to present the charm label, jang minjae: your campus himbo with a soft heart and who should probably focus on the studying part of the uni experience a bit more. you can read his ~ stats here and under the cut i've provided information about him in a bullet point list, both backstory & personality. let me know if you would like to plot and thank you for reading! ♥

20/12/2000, born and raised in seoul…. suburbs. eldest of four siblings

dad is a corpo worker, mom initially a teacher, average simple life. started swimming at age five because of proximity to a small public pool, turns out he's actually good at it. by seven, he joined a local swimming club run by an older coach who quickly recognized his potential.. wins his first local school level meet a year after, and then medals and trophies start lining and minjae has this typical rags to riches of a 100m freestyler story that would end up inspiring other children sometime in future ahead of him. like he's there, and there are some articles about him in smaller newspapers even

however, arrival of his first baby sister in 2009 and the financial obstacles it puts on their family kind of hints towards an inevitable road block, although at the time he's still too young to fully grasp the scale really. a few years down the line, and fewer new swimsuits and goggles, skipping travel meets that are on other side of the country, fewer coaching resources, etcetera, become evident. sport as a career path is only for rich kids anyway

liked through school, had many friends even though he didn't often hang out post-classes, his general niceness and extroversion put him on the likeable social ladder with his peer, but also both juniors and seniors. had the lucky experience of not being bullied but also having normal classmates who didn't really bully anyone. teenage-hood spent with the stereotypical linear path that everyone is familiar with: cramming textbooks and studying for exams, test anxieties and first heartbreaks, albeit paved with extra bumps here and there

their family expands in 2016 with arrival of twin baby girls. minjae continues his routine like nothing's changed (hint: things changed. he's missing more and more competitions and dropping rankings), and as much as the chlorine provided comfort and a sense of freedom he just never felt anywhere else on this planet, his heart grew heavier with each day spent there, sinking and slowing him down. thus, a new emotion is born: guilt. at home, he's juggling helping his mom with changing diapers, making bottles while doing math homework, walking his first sister to and from kindergarten, and while his parents tell him it's okay that he continues his training and swimming he sees how much they struggle financially + with time itself.

after graduating he makes the hardest decision of his life and decides to enlist immediately. he justifies it by saying it's a way to stop being a financial burden for two years; at the expense of his youth, rok provides a room, food and salary that's better than any low paying work. at this point, he's also given up his bedroom to his three sisters, sleeping on a floor futon or couch instead, trading privacy and comfort for his sisters' well-being, which isn't really comfortable long term

post army, his parents sit him down and tell him that He Should Live His Life. with his sisters older now and his mom is back working again, the finances are finally actually more stable again. he tells them he worries nonetheless but they don't want to hear it. instead -- does he want to work? does he want to continue his education? what does his heart want, not brain. and minjae really wants to continue with sports, at the end of the day. it's always remained at the back of his mind, suppressed because he felt responsibility as the first child and brother to three sisters. thankfully all of them support him so here he is at yeonhwa! he quite literally aced the physical side of the entrance exam, maybe even got a scholarship? at long last, the water finally carries him forward instead of dragging him down

circumstances (aforementioned enlistment, taking less units per semester because of frequent part-timing in second year and tooootallyyyy not failing anatomy once............) have minjae as a student in his fourth year of physical education, doing just average / with nothing special about his intellect: nobody really looks at him and goes i'll ask him specifically for notes, nor does anyone consider him a model student. housed in nuri hall (double room) and going at his own pace.

he's started swimming again in his first year, initially as a lone wolf and simply for recreation. shortly after, became part of the swimming sport club, duh! and maybe he's swimming more than actually attending classes but does it even matter when he's really fucking good at it? thinking again of going pro even though he's lowkey a hag atp, way too stubborn about taking down the national record like relax dude

while his "specialty" and what he competes in remains the 100 freestyle stroke, minjae also picked up relays, enjoying the team aspect of the sport and the dynamic it brings into water

minjae's also tried joining some artsy clubs as "broadening of horizons", but he was simply horrible at it, and not in the "it's bad on purpose because it's art and you just wouldn't understand". genuinely not an artistic bone in his body. ended up joining the boxing club as well , and he works saturdays off campus as a kids' (or anyone who signs up for classes really) swim coach. outside of class, you can usually find him either @ recreational center or the gym, or relaxing on the grass surfaces around the campus' outdoors. he says he's "having a picnic"

personality wise he's basically this clip. an extremely positive guy, trying to see good in everything and everyone regardless of the circumstances, level-headed and on top of things when shit gets bad. social anxiety has anxiety because of him. golden retriever personality or a 'jock himbo' if you will, wears his heart on his sleeve & doesn't mind if people end up using him even though he's more than aware he's being taken advantage of. ask for his finger and he will give you his whole arm. will give you the shoes off of his feet AND socks on too because yours gave you blisters and you can't walk comfortably. seemingly carefree but in reality with an extreme sense of duty + responsibility. makes friends easily, though can come off as very pushy and obnoxious/ly loud to some individuals. incapable of holding grudges

some other tidbits — proteinmaxxing. 5-6 eggs for breakfast in this economy — personal space re: dorm room is always extremely messy. always in the personal space of others (albeit limited to friends!) — smells like chlorine despite his best efforts and cheap perfumes — chronic manspreader. when you're almost two meters tall it's hard to pack your legs. #sorry everyone — unironically says swag — sun in sagittarius, moon in libra, libra rising — on his third bicycle because it keeps getting stolen. — easily roped into any activity, off or on campus, not because he doesn't know how to say no but because he genuinely thinks it'll be fun and wants to try anything at least once, even if it's something perceived as embarrassing by others. the type to do bungee. surprisingly still hasn't landed as a member of brave hearts — (unsuccessfully) quits drinking after every club outing, only to end up drinking next time he's clubbing — has been saving up for red velvet green corduroy concert tickets for the past two years but luck isn't on his side and life keeps happening so the money he's put away for concert tix inevitably gets spent on something else

i prefer brainstorming for plotting, or taking up other people's wanted plots and connections as my brain is pea sized, but with minjae's extroversion i think we can definitely come up with a wide variety of plots! some off the bat short ideas i have we can expand on: his ex roommate, with current relations either good or bad / current roommate, especially if their work ethics and study hours are completely different / a gym buddy / swimming club member rivalry / freshman or newer club member who minjae mentors / someone who he befriended at 3AM because somehow they're more comfortable around each other under strobe lights of a nightclub and some drinks than the fluorescent hallways of university / FELLOW ATHLETES!!! regardless of the clubs. supporting each other... / you tutor him and he teaches you to swim / you need someone to dodge an ex in the crowd or avoid a blind date or pretend he's your cousin you haven't seen in months who just happens to be on campus right now and omg u two so need to catch up and he's the first person you see in the crowd / etcetera

[100stroke]