sugarholicx

[sugarholicx]

"i don't think it's boring." hayun concludes, shaking her head a fraction. hayun enjoyed studies and doing things in a repetitive manner. maybe that's why she hasn't been too social until invited into this game of spin the bottle. "it's comfortable, it's normal for you." just like her interest in solitude since her brother left for america.

"like i said, we can definitely bail and get some ramen or something instead if the arcade is just not happening for you." her warmth radiates from her cheeks and she pulls on a happier smile, glad to have been able to see yerim look a little livelier. even if it was yerim's dad who wanted to her to take hayun under her wing, hayun wanted to have some sort of bond with the girl. otherwise, what was the point?

"he's fine in there, but i probably shouldn't be too long. who knows how the other girls will react if it landed on him." she giggles, even though hayun finds the game totally boring herself and with no reaping benefits to it.

"will you be okay to walk home alone?" she wonders, even though they weren't too far from yerim's. "if you do, just, text me when you get back so i know you're okay?" she ddoesn't want yerim to feel forced into staying for a silly game like spin the bottle.

“well, i know that,” she responds, a brief laughter escaping her throat. “it’s just usually seen as boring, i guess.” but it’s seen as proper — it’s a safe, parent-approved interest. her whole life, yerim has felt a certain kind of solitude in always having to fit into the mold provided to her by her parents. there’s loneliness in meeting their expectations. 

though, if she’s honest, she’s not sure if arcades would even be her thing. she watches hayun with a quiet curiosity as she goes on a lengthy explanation, nodding along. the more she hears about then, the more she’s sure it’s definitely not her scene — and that’s just for the parts she can actually understand. call her boring, but yerim has no idea what a mortal combat is.

hayun’s invitation catches her off guard. sure, they’re friends, but their friendship is somewhat… curated. yerim’s father had encouraged it (not out of genuine interest for his daughter’s social life, mind you. no, it was all because hayun’s father was an important business partner), and they spend time together at school, but it feels performative. honestly, yerim hadn’t been sure hayun even liked her that much until tonight, when she came out to check on her.

despite the warmth spreading in her chest, yerim is still unsure if she wants to accept. sure, hayun says they can bail if it’s not her thing, but she can already tell it’s not. still, maybe it would be worth it to try it out. for the sake of friendship, or whatever. 

“maybe,” she says. “i don’t know if i’ll like it, but… if you come with me, it can’t be that bad, right?” yerim gives hayun a smile, feeling grateful to her friend, who she’s just now realizing is closer to her than she thought. she’s touched that hayun had even bothered to come out to check on her, but there is one thing that’s still somewhat bothering her.

“are you sure your boyfriend isn’t going to miss you while you’re out here?” she pauses, and looks down the street. she doesn’t live too far from here, and would like to start walking home, but doesn’t want to leave hayun behind, either. “i was kind of just thinking of leaving. but you can stay, if you want.”

[sugarholicx]

"i am!" hayun responds equally enthused about star gazing. "sometimes when i can't sleep, i just get out and drift into the stars, you know?" she nods her head when jihan mentions grabbing up more snacks and sharing. "sounds like a deal!" hayun's excitement isn't contained, it's written all over her face. there's nothing more inviting than sharing snacks with a friend and hanging out to hayun, as she doesn't leave her room very often.

she awaits the other classmate's return, watches her checkout and then tilts her head to the door. "of course!" the brunette knew the perfect spot, the perfect place to see more of the stars beyond the city's heavy neon lights. as she exits the convenient store, she's met with a silky breeze, nice for a warm day they had had prior. "so, what did you grab?" hayun asks curiously, glancing at jihan and her bag of goodies.

her pace isn't rushed, it's slow so that the two may mingle a little while heading to her favorite spot. it was just off campus in a small park nearby, a slope where the trees couldn't hide the stars as heavily. she was delighted in jihan accepting the invitation, knows she needs more socialization even if she knows more than half the campus gossip without ever leaving her room.

"we're not too far. it's off campus but the park is small and usually, nobody's around." hayun then explains, knowing they'll have plenty of privacy to chat amongst themselves.

"oh, are you going stargazing?" she asks, perking up a little at the invitation and the extended offer of sharing snacks. she knows how this is, considering that a snack stash was usually precious cargo and she feels, quite genuinely, honoured at being offered some of said snacks.

she nods, deciding it didn't hurt her much to stay up a bit longer. her summer classes weren't too demanding considering she was focusing on her minor instead of her major. part of her was wondering if it would be crazy to do a double major instead, but alas, she doesn't think that workload would leave enough room for her to still work on prodbyzinnia and she really didn't want to spend more time studying as much as she's aware she would have company for it.

"i'll get some snacks too and we can share?" she offers, staring to clean up her stuff as she sees the next worker step inside, waving at him to acknowledge the shift change. she picks up her ipad and then her hoodie, taking off the gs25 vest. "let me just pop into the back to drop this off and clock out and then i'll grab some snacks and we can go!"

the next few minutes are just a whirlwind of her clocking out, hanging up the vest, chatting briefly with her coworker, shoving her ipad into her bag and throwing her hoodie on. she comes back out to the front to grab some onion ring chips, some of the skinny pocky sticks (she liked it better than pepero) and then adding some gummies at the last second. she rings herself up, pays and then turns to hayun with a grin.

"lead the way?"

[sugarholicx]

present || study session where: sejong library with: juyeon @dignitylies

hayun always takes studying very seriously. lucky for her, the only classes she was working on were her basics or minor. it gave her plenty of time for coding but also helping other people study too. juyeon just happens to be someone she likes to hang around while she's studying or practicing her coding. he was one of the rare people she left her dorm room for.

"so, what are we studying today, juyeon? is there anything in particular?" it was about 14:30 in the afternoon and she knows and is aware that their study sessions tend to take some time to get through. not because they are particularly difficult but because they get side tracked and chatter too. "i promise you, if we run late again tonight, i will treat you to some ramen later from gs25." maybe it isn't the best deal since it's convenient store ramen but one day, she wants to take him to an actual ramen shop. a treat she will surprise him with on a less busy studying schedule.

"thank you for pulling me out of my room and letting me spend time with you." her happy smile genuine in his direction. she felt at ease around juyeon, he wasn't like a lot of the other campus men and he seemed genuine in his forwardness when it came to being friends.

as she pulls out her laptop, hayun places it on the table across from juyeon, opens it and begins to start it up. "i was working late on coding last night but i'm fully prepared to get going." hayun's words a promise.

[sugarholicx]

CHAERYEONG 250615 · kiss & tell

[sugarholicx]

it was nice to see yerim look more comfortable as they spoke. hayun laughs a bit to herself at yerim's answer. "i think i would have too. but i agree, it's nice out tonight." her eyes are still beaming up at the sky, she tries to decipher different constellations and where their locations are. it's much too difficult without a telescope and the city brights, yet it is something to admire by the brunette.

"hey now, books aren't bad, yerim." her shoulder gently bumps into the other girl's playfully, head turns to face her friend in question. "you've never been?" she's shocked, but then again, not too stunned. "oh yeah, there's plenty of games." tilting her head, hayun's pondering the best way to describe what the arcade is actually like and how easy it is to have a good time there.

"but you can also win tickets and get prizes for things like: plushies, toys, candy.... i don't know, each arcade is different." there's a small roll of hayun's shoulders then, indicating that while it's fun, there's a vast variety out there. "there's also crane machines sometimes and if you're lucky -- which, i'm not at those - you can get some really decent prizes. like, a new pair of expensive headphones, maybe a purse of some sort that's worth something, a watch, video game, you just name it." she only knew of those because her boyfriend was decent at the crane machines.

"then there's the classic arcade style of machines with pac-man or mortal kombat. or, if you'd prefer a racing game, some of them have actual wheels and pedals or motorcycles to hop on and enjoy while you try to catch first place." that was the only upper hand hayun had on her boyfriend. he isn't able to out best her yet at the racing games. "the food is typically okay, too." hayun finally finishes, knowing she literally just gave yerim a whole speech about the arcade scene and what it was like.

her eyes swivel back over to yerim then, "would you like to go sometime? if it's not your thing, we can definitely bail after about ten minutes. i promise." and there's her genuine smile appearing once more, greatful to have a friend in the other girl.

“i’m okay,” yerim says, though her words come perhaps a moment too quick for it to be fully believable. her fingers twist in the hem of her skirt, eyes fixed firmly on the ground in front of her. hopefully hayun has had just enough to drink to not notice the obvious tension in yerim’s shoulders — or, at least that she really means it when she says they don’t have to talk about it. because yerim has no intention of talking about that.

thankfully, hayun does change the topic — yerim accepts it as the gift it is, without hesitation. she exhales, shoulders easing up their tension as she leans back on her hands, finally looking up. “not to sound boring,” she begins, knowing she’s about to sound exactly that, “but i would have stayed at home.” a faint smile tugs at her mouth. “this part, though…” she tilts her head up towards the sky, eyes searching for the stars mostly hidden by city lights, “...is nice. not the party — that i definitely could be without — but this. sitting here, talking, looking at the sky.”

she glances sideways at hayun, curiosity softening her features. “that sounds… fun,” she acknowledges, a touch hesitant. truthfully, yerim doesn’t go to arcades, has never been to one in fact. she’s not sure it would be her thing. “i don’t think it would be my thing, though. i’d rather be curled up in bed with a book.” she smiles at hayun, a touch crooked. the two of them are different, but yerim finds that she enjoys her company the more time she spends with her. 

“is it just… playing games?” she asks. “i have to admit, i’ve never actually been to one.”

[sugarholicx]

hayun is stifling back a laugh when her nickname is given to her from imogen. the drawl of it even, it causes her to look sheepish herself. "if it's cursed, we're definitely not using it. not until a priest blesses it or something." she teases, not really caring that the ball had hit her as the victim. hayun could take a hit from a volleyball, in fact, she adored it. "i miss it too! why don't we just blow up everyone's phones then? think it'll work?"

as her arm is linked, hayun's smile grows widely, something easily for her around her captain. imogen just has an aura that can't help but be drenched in. it's infectious in all the right ways. however, when the nosy question comes, hayun waves her free hand off. "it's just me being me. i just love practicing coding lately more than anything," there's a sharp pause and she halts in her tracks to face imogen. "--except volleyball! you know that, right?" her statement is clear, shows that she means business when it comes to the sport she loves so dearly. despite swimming being another love, she's too shy to fall back into the swim team since she hasn't competitively swam in years.

giddy, she giggles to herself at imogen and the imagery of her being locked in for three days with delivery foods. "i'm getting fresh air now, aren't i?" she bumps her hip playfully into the other woman's and then proceeds towards their destination. "no! not banana kicks. u-gua! and i love the flavored jelly marshmallows. those are my downfall." strawberry, peach, lychee, mango, it really doesn't matter the flavor of the stuffed sweets. "but, i'll see your banana kicks and raise you honey twists. those are my other favorites."

finally at the destination, hayun's quick to grab up a basket with her free hand and offer it to her captain. then, she grabs one for herself. "what are your favorites? aside from banana kicks!" though, hayun makes a mental note to bring her some randomly on occasion.

were you serving? imogen smiles sheepishly at that question, lifting her hand to scratch at the back of her head. "you could... say that. sorta. trying to, at least. i'm telling you this ball is cursed, man." ... and definitely not the fact that she'd skipped out on practicing the moment that the spring semester had ended— not very captain-like of her, she knows. that's why she's gotta get back to it now! "you know i'd love your help, hayunnie. maybe i should shoot a text to our groupchat and see if any of the other girls want to join us. i miss seeing you guys every day!" her words are accompanied with a playful little pout. yea, that sounds like a good idea: get the entire team back on it a little bit earlier than usual. they'd go into the season smashing it.

but, oh... the mention of snacks is immediately ripping her attention away from the thought of calling an impromptu practice. imogen can never say no to a little walk around— especially if it involves the prospect of a cherry limeade. "say less, babe!" without missing a beat, she's hooking her arm around hayun's own and striding off in the direction of the convenience store (she's always been extra affectionate with her friends). "what are you working on, hm? are you taking summer classes, or is it just for fun?" she's gotta be a little nosey— it's only right. "please tell me you've actually been getting some fresh air in-between your coding sessions. one time i got so sucked into a project, i stayed in the workshop for three entire days. like... it was so bad. i lived off of deliveries of lotteria, and that's not an exaggeration." she can't eat there to this day. those burgers haunt her.

she visibly shivers at that, giving a little shake of her head. time to move on to the next subject. "— alright. favorite convenience store snack? and if the answer isn't banana kicks, you're wrong."

[sugarholicx]

she lets out a small giggle at the question of restocking her supplies. "yep, restocking. that way i don't have to worry too much next week." hayun was a snacker, that was for certain. "it's hard not to when there's some good snacks around anyway." she grasps up the bag of marshmallows that are filled and wriggles it gently. she puts one last item in the basket and approaches jihan, ready for her purchase.

"if you're off soon, would you like to share some of these with me?" the brunette is curious, allowing it to eat away at her more. paying for the items, she was still upbeat and warm, like a little flame that just never died out no matter the circumstances. "i brought a blanket with me in my bag. sometimes i just need to solace of the stars, you know?"

nodding her head, she agrees it's peaceful at these hours. there are no campus crazy kids running around causing chaos around her, there are no flirtatious wannabe males who only sought certain attention. it's just hayun and the rest of the world that melts away. "it's up to you, but i'd enjoy the company, jihan." her admitting that was soft, her tone sweet and sincere. if only most people knew hayun on a deeper surface level, they'd see she could be your best friend in a heartbeat. she would give up almost anything to help another.

after the exchange of goods, she grasps her bags full and raises them successfully. "another trip well done before closing." she laughs, accomplished in her achievements.

thankfully, on the days that she tends to suffer from bouts of insomnia, she tends to also have shifts scheduled. or maybe it's because she has a shift scheduled that she is suffering from insomnia? she's not quite sure, but either way, she's feeling entirely wide awake during her shift, and it's been relatively slow.

she restocks one of the shelves and then does a loop around the store, checking to see if there was anything that needed to be restocked elsewhere. where there's really nothing to do, jiahn grabs one of the rags and goes to clean up the eating area that's always relatively messy because of spilled ramyeon noodles or whatever.

once that's done though, she doesn't really quite know what to do with herself. she always feels like she needs to be productive before she slacks off, but now that she's cleaned and stocked everything that she could, she settles down on a chair behind the front desk where she can see when people enter and leave. opening her ipad, she tabs open to the last thing she had been working on before she sighs a little and then swaps to youtube instead.

then the door jingles.

glancing up at that, she brightens a little when she realizes it's a friend and she grins when she's acknowledged. "yeah, i took a few later shifts because they're chill," she explains, even if she didn't need to.

she eyes everything that hayun's bought and she laughs a little. "restocking?" she asks, noting that she's seen her friend buy most of these things before but not usually all at once.

"yeah, i'm off soon though," she says, ringing up everything and then telling hayun the total she owed, adding a little discount because she can. "next worker is coming in like 10 minutes, i think? but i've worked this shift a few times. it's peaceful."

[sugarholicx]

august music prompt!

most people thought hayun's taste in music consisted of pop and girly bubblegum pop. no way.

here is a rundown of some of her favorite tracks for the summer:

UP - Karina solo

Stray Kids - Chk Chk Boom

Budget - Megan Thee Stallion feat. Latto

All Hands On Deck - Tinashe

You Should Be Here - Kehlani

Don't Cha - PCD

I'm Ready - Chung Ha

Love Scars - Trippie Redd

Girls - Kid Laroi

I'll Make You Cry - aespa

Motive - Ariana Grande feat. Doja Cat

Streets - Doja Cat

Rapunzel - LISA Feat. Megan Thee Stallion

Kream - Iggy Azalea feat. Tyga

Wrong - Zayne Feat. Kehlani

Nada - G-Eazy

most people are surprised by hayun's music taste, but she's always loved a certain sound. she can be a little picky about music when it comes to finding new things to expand upon too.

[sugarholicx]

when the offer to sit is on the table, hayun's quick to take a plop next to yerim. she pulls her legs up to rest her chin upon her knees. "please, he invited me to this thing." she shrugs, uncertain as to why because he could kiss her any time he wanted to. what was so exciting about spinning a stupid bottle for a peck on the lips?

"we don't have to talk about it but i wanted to be sure you were okay at least." the other girl quickly announces. her concern drapes her face, brows knit together tight. "i get that it's embarrassing." though, hayun hadn't known why it was so upsetting to yerim. "and to be honest? it's rather childish. and, i think i would feel the same way if i were in your shoes." although, again, hayun has no idea what is really eating away at her friend's sanity.

to try and smooth out the mood, hayun lets out a small sigh and peers up to meet the stars in the vast sky; twinkles and shimmers lovely. "what would you have rather done tonight, yerim? if it were your choice to avoid this place altogether?" maybe if she gives her friend an out on how she wanted the night to, her mood would perk up. or, so hayun hopes shifting her thought process might help her feel better. hayun likes to think she has a good way of distracting people from their woes, she tries with her good nature and beaming attitude.

"the way i see it, i would have rather gone to the arcade and grabbed some ice cream afterwards." she muses lightly, eyes still beaming up at the stars as if they were not as far from where the pair sat. sometimes she got daydreamy, other times she was grounded. these days, hayun was trying hard not to think about her brother's move to america. that disappoints her the most, considering the bond they shared.

don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry. 

yerim chants the words over and over in her head, tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill over. she takes a deep breath, and another, an attempt to steady herself. she’s alone, sitting on the curb outside her classmate’s house. going to this party tonight had been a mistake, she hadn’t wanted to go — not really. but… she was going, she had asked yerim, and she couldn’t just say no. not when she’d asked with that soft smile on her face, a playful twinkle in her eyes. 

god. and then of course, because the whole world seems to be against her today, the bottle had landed on her when it was yerim’s turn. how she’d even gotten roped into playing spin the bottle in the first place, she’s not sure, but she suspects it had been a mix of the alcohol in her system, and the flutter of eyelashes as the girl who seems to be occupying her every thought lately practically begged her. 

at least the short press of lips against her own seems to have been enough to sober her up. yerim is never doing anything like this again, she swears to herself, wiping away the one tear that seems to have defied her. 

her shoulders tense at the sound of footsteps approaching, but she visibly relaxes upon seeing it’s just hayun. if there’s anyone at that party she’d pick to see her (nearly) cry, it would be hayun. still, she would prefer to not talk to hayun about why she’s upset. her little crush, or whatever it is, is between yerim and her journal only. 

“yeah, come sit,” she says, gently patting the empty space on the curb beside her. the dirt of the pavement is probably, definitely, dirtying yerim’s skirt right now, but she doesn’t have it in her to care about what she looks like anymore. she’ll hopefully be going home soon, anyway. 

“might be better to stay out here than take your turn. you sure your boyfriend won’t be pissed if you end up having to kiss someone else?”

[sugarholicx]

as she rises from her last lap, hayun inhales softly and holds onto the edge of the pool. she's surprised to be greeted by a familiar face -- not too familiar but she's seen minjae take laps like they were nothing. he flew through the water practically, always impressive to hayun since she hadn't seen a swimmer that good in quite some time. "hey, yourself," she greets him, kind and genuinely. while she peers up at him on the diving board, sitting so comfortable, she slowly retrieves her goggles off her face and places them on top of her head.

using her free hand, hayun wipes the droplets of water from her face. "pfft, what are you talking about?" hayun rolls it off like the compliment wasn't factual. as a child, she practiced the most in her class, earning her the top medal during a few of her competitions. she could only be bested by her brother but once he quit, hayun was the choi who carried the swimming title proudly. "i barely made it in under a minute." she glances at her watch. thank god for waterproof technology.

she chews on her side of her lip a moment, thinking over what he says about her stroke being insane. it causes hayun to feel a bit bashful, her eyes dart down briefly and she shakes her head with another tumble of a laugh spilling off her lips. "for someone who hasn't really been practicing in quite a while, i think insane is a little bit of a stretch." the woman felt confident in her ability but she wasn't sure if she still retained her love for the water like she did as a child.

"i mostly take a dip to relax these days." and that was her honest response. "it's nothing more than that."

he knows the swimming pool like the back of his hand. every break of sunlight on the chlorinated surface, the flicker of overhead fluorescent lights, the way water splashes when someone dives in — it's all second nature by now. and not just the water. the people too. not that he’s out here being a full-on-creep, but when you spend most of your non-classroom life inside yeonhwa's pool, you start recognizing faces whether you mean to or not. the overconfident first-timers who show up puffed up with pride, then vanish after one rough session of cold water biting their skin. the regulars who push themselves, not perfect but showing up anyway.

hayun being one of them. minjae's noticed her, quietly, always from a distance. not in a weird way — just... careful. he knows it's not really his place to push anyone, even if it's a topic they conserved about; his job is to keep an eye out, be there if someone suddenly and out of nowhere forgets how to float, though it's unlikely to happen, knowing her.

he ends up sitting on starting block #3, after watching her finish a lap, legs hanging just over the water like a makeshift stop sign — rude, but he doesn't really intend to be obnoxious by shouting across the pool while others are there too.

"hey," he says with a small smile, one kneel, then, pulled close to his chest. "you shouldn't have said you're just okay at swimming. your stroke's kinda insane."

[sugarholicx]

as the door opens, a wave of relief cascades across her face before a smile appears, warm and gentle. "c'mon, jisung. you know i am not violent in any manner." hayun simply didn't have it in her to be harmful towards another person. while she peers at him and how tired and messy he looks, the brunette tilts her head, brows crinkling in a complexed way. with the poke to her forehead, she makes a soft tsk sound and smiles even wider than she already had been.

"look, i've been trying to reach you so we can get away!" she exclaims, excited that there's a break from classes for the time being. "i figured, who better to bother than jisung?" with a shrug, she spins by him and lets herself lean on the doorframe of the wall. "he's the fun guy who puts up with my wanderings and enjoys the adventures too." she concludes, adamantly. "so, what have you been doing in here since yeonchella?" she hadn't gone, wasn't that interested when other work needed to be done.

"'cause that apology feels more like an avoidance." hayun points out matter-of-factly. she observes people enough, the brunette watches carefully, especially her male companions. "and i don't take avoidance well." though, she says in jest, lighthearted and still smiling at him as if nothing had happened. "in all honesty, i was hoping you would want to get away so i wouldn't have to take another trip alone." hayun didn't mind being by herself, in fact, she welcomes it at every opportunity. yet, sometimes, she can't help but get a bit lonely too.

if she was honest, jisung was one of the few guys she let in her circle. "if you don't want to, it's fine." hayun finally admits, "but, i would enjoy spending some time off campus with one of the only few guys i trust."

kindness is kind of easy, right? the cool part is that even when you don't believe it, you can pretend. kindness went well with whatever he had going for him. cracking jokes, effortless and just he right amount awkward so that people felt comfortable. that's really the goal. make people feel comfortable around him. it's his purpose in life (not really, but he's trying to make it).

hayun should theoretically be a result of that hardworking method paying off. he was hardly someone who talked to people so much as he talked to people. and she wasn't perfectly easy to read, not like he liked. but that's what made it fun. and yes, maybe he hasn't answered her but he's not avoiding her. not specifically. it's more like, he's hardly a part of this world anymore. barely drifting through it, falling asleep at his desk and making a dent in minjae's protein powder reserves something fierce with how often he's surviving off of shakes.

he jerks, rather violently, at the sound which broke through his earbuds (he was doing his c++ assignment, barely pulling through it in fact), and luckily his music was hardly loud enough to block it out. it wouldn't be minjae, and he honestly couldn't think of anyone else he wanted it to be.

jisung's expression was a complex curdle when he heard hayun's voice, and he sighed, running a hand through his sleep messy hair (it's completely afternoon but he hadn't brushed it yet). "i'm comin' i'm comin'," a bit muttered and soft. he peeled the door opened and leaned against it to gaze at her, his elbow propped above his forehead. (he swims in a shirt, dark circles under his eyes, hair a mess, sweatpants and bare feet, and a bit of a muted half-frown half-smile on his lips). "threatening violence to a guy in his own dorm room, while he's minding his own business, is not the way to get let in." he reaches out and pokes her forehead gently. "how can i help you?" he adds, his lips twisting to the side and he chewed his cheek; "and my bad; about not answering." he's apologized for that so often he doesn't even mean it anymore, it's just become an unavoidable formality.

[sugarholicx]

taking a dip || open.

there's something serene about the water still for hayun. she sat on the edge of the pool deck, legs dangling into the water carefree. it coaxes her to recall memories of junior swimming courses, how she fell in love with the coolness and protection the water seemed to free her mind of. it had been years since she dove or did the forward breast stroke competitively, but hayn's interest is piqued as she remains calmly minding her own business.

there's almost a fear to approach getting back in but with the sweltering heat, hayun has felt she has no choice. pulling her swimming cap over her hair, she tucks it in neatly, making sure each stray hair is completely under wraps. within seconds, hayun is then securing her goggles on her face, fixating them so she can have the perfect vision while she swims. there's a long moment of silence despite her other fellow campus mates enjoying their pool activates all around her. it's almost intimidating and the thought even reminds her of her estranged brother whom she loves dearly but cannot bring to his senses. "i guess there's no better time than today." she whispers, mostly to herself, uncertain if anyone heard her. not that it mattered, hayun was happy and not the type to pick beef with people.

inhaling slowly through her lips, she huffs out a large breath before taking a sharp inhale. as she plunges into the pool, the familiarity of the water brings comfort to hayun and her busy mind as of late. with her second year under wraps, all she could hope for was the best as she continues her journey at yeonhwa. water engulfs her, her stroke beneath the surface still clean as if she's never stopped swimming in the first place. then, she's practicing her favorite stroke of them all: the butterfly stroke. hayun's composure is clear, she's meant for the water despite her fears. today wasn't about reliving old glory days, it was simply to find relaxation in an activity she used to adore.

[sugarholicx]

picnic under the stars || feat. @prodbyzinnia

02:48 am.

there's an urgency for more snacks in hayun's room, she hasn't left for quite some time. with all her coding studies for club and her computer notes despite the summer ahead, hayun is stll on lockdown mode for cramming in new information. she's used to being a homebody and on her own, in her silence, surrounded by peace. luckily for hayun, her roommie is a party go-er and the girl likes to hardly show.

hayun's side of the room is spotless, clean as if untouched nearly. her roommate's side of the bedroom: disorganized, cluttered, trash everywhere. sometimes. even hayun cleans it up (because bugs, ew) due to the fact she just cannot stand a dirty working environment. as she gets to work, gaze flitting around the room for a trash bag, aha! the woman grabs it hastily before she's rapidly picking up plates of leftover pizza, popcorn bags and other mysterious items that look like they might form their own colonies soon.

03:22 am.

making short work of cleaning leaves hayun feeling a gnawing in her stomach. by now, she's too energized to sleep, too awake from the cleaning and the studying. her mind is like an open abyss and she wonders if there's any student life awake at this hour. or, if she could possibly just stargaze for a while on her own accord. as she reaches for a ponytail holder, she hoists her dark tresses up tightly, brushes them neatly at the ends. despite the grass being quite lush on campus, hayun did not want to get her clothes dirty and felt a small blanket would be appropriate.

she manages to collect and retrieves one from the nearby closet, "oh, thank goodness it's clean." most of the time, again, her slobby roommate did not care to clean laundry or linens. hayun decided that it was one of her chores, just so that she maintains some ounce of structure and sanity. the brunette pulls out a cinch bag, stuffs the blanket within and uses both strings to pull it into a tight seal. once ready, she slings it over her shoulder with intent to make a quick run.

03:44 am.

now, she is prepared to hit the last convenient store on campus open and pray to the heavens that she can grab some of her favorite snacks. as she makes a mad dash for the store, the bell chimes when she appears but her gaze is shifting so quickly, she nearly misses jihan. hayun halts, giving the other class mate a warm smile. "jihan, i didn't know you worked this late!" she exclaims, almost louder than she wishes to. "you don't even look tired." she comments, softly as because not to be rude about it. then the tech nerd shuffles on her feet towards the chips isle after she grabs a small basket. she reaches for the u-gua, sweet corn chips, honey twists, and finally her favorite: slightly sweet caramel puffs.

rounding to the back of another isle, she hastily snatches the marshmallows filled with strawberry jelly, cookies and cream pocky and some of her favorite hi-chews. as they're all only a mere toss into the basket, she finally eases back to find jihan. "do you usually work this late?" she wonders, curiously, brows crinkle gently.

[sugarholicx]

hi, hi, gonna throw out a plotting call for hayun! please like this post and i'll reach out. :3

[sugarholicx]

the pout given and the way imogen called out her name had her smiling wider than she should have after being pelted by her captain. huh, it hadn't even occurred to her the season was beginning. maybe that ball had more impact than she thought! "were you-- serving?" rubbing the back of her skull a little longer, hayun sighed but still remained cool. it wasn't hard when imogen was a light in herself. "i promise, i'm okay." she placed both her hands on her teammate's shoulders in order to dispel her worries.

"if you want help with refreshing, you know i'm your girl." that was a key promise because hayun couldn't get enough of the sport. it kept her active and she felt it kept her at peace with the rest of the world. she wanted to live as carefree as she could and something about sports allowed her to find a center.

it was nice to see the worried expression fade, good to see her subject change before hayun really had to worry about imogen and whether she'd carry that guilt for far too long. "i was honestly just hitting up the convenient store for some snacks! you know my cravings when i get busy coding and can't leave my desk." tilting her head to the right, her own brows lifted in a warm manner then. "do you want to join me?" extending her elbow out, she glanced over at the volleyball in the grass. "we can always work on the serve after we get back."

either way, they weren't using that ball as the blow to her head wasn't very pleasing. a softer choice might work for the time being. "maybe just... not with that ball in particular."

this ball was cursed. she swears it! it was going straight in the bin once she got home. she'd donate it, but she'd feel too guilty knowing she passed on a hexed volleyball to an unsuspecting child. maybe she could beat the curse out of it if she lobbed it around enough? she supposes it's worth a try; besides, she had come out here to practice. what better way to run through her dives than with an unruly ball that never seemed to go where she was aiming?

...

so, the whole beating-the-curse-out-of-the-ball thing definitely didn't work. it felt like she was in a slo-mo scene in a movie, watching the volleyball lurch towards an oblivious woman cutting through the courtyard. she'd tried to yell out a warning, but it kinda-sorta just came out as a loud "AHHHHHH!" instead. the ball smacked her on the back of the head, and imogen winced like it'd been her that took the blow. "i'm sorry! i'm so sorry!" she calls out, ready to hustle on over to assess the damage. but then the victim of her poor aim turns and begins jogging on over, and the recognition actually makes imogen let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. oh, thank god.

"hayunnnn." she pouts, gingerly taking the ball from her hands and tossing it into the grass behind her. that thing was a weapon of mass destruction. "i'm so sorry." she repeats, even with hayun's unbothered laughter. "are you okay? i cannot concuss my players, oh my god. we need you!" she reaches out to gently pinch at the other girl's cheek. she seems to be alright— doesn't look woozy or anything. "the season's right around the corner! besides, i clearly need a refresher..." finally, the worried pinch of her brows gives way for a relaxed expression as she laughs at her own self. "where were you headed anyways? you were so focused you didn't even realize you were about to be ambushed."

[sugarholicx]

Country Girl Clothes Chaeryeong just one chance pleassse

[sugarholicx]

a little trip || closed @typicaljisung

there were few men who hayun actually tolerated at the university. most of them annoyed or grated on her for the fact they all wanted to get laid. just like her ex, they must've been born with one brain cell. jisgun, hayun had observed, was not the type to have such. sure, everyone gave him the title as the jester and rightfully so. sometimes even she didn't crack a smile at his jokes. however, what won her over about approaching him the first time was just the simple fact that he seemed so outwardly happy and sweet to everyone he spoke to. hayun observed him a while before approaching -- at first, thinking the whole jester label was just another jock playing the loudest voice in the room. boy, was she wrong.

having texted him a few times since the big music festival (in which, hayun did not attend) her phone had not once buzzed back from jisung. it concerned her enough to have her show up at his dorm room, her knuckles lightly rapping on the door. when no response came, the brunette sighed heavily and wondered if he was in some weird slump. "jisung, open up. you haven't replied in a few days."

itching to get away, she thought he'd be the perfect person to join her on her road trip a few hours outside the city. Running her hand through her long tresses, her lips popped. "if you don't open this door.. my nice side won't be so nice." and that wasn't even a real threat. hayun had no mean bone in her body.