#I follow too many Polish people on here like legit you people and your store posting istg

[ukulelegodparent]

I'm turning into that "I want to study in xy" meme but like unironically

[cleanlenins]

Ectober Day 4: Glitter

Bottled Beauty: Reasonable Rates

A new shop opens in the mall. It sells amazing products that make you more beautiful. The prices are fair, as Paulina finds out.

AO3

Warnings: None

A new store opened in the Amity Park Mall, and no one knew how it got there.

One day, there was nothing there but a wide expanse of plaster wall, adorned with a few flyers taped and torn. The mall closed down at half past eight. The guards and workers closed down by nine. Doors locked and no one entered.

When security opened the doors again the next morning, they stood in awe of the new addition. Wide glass windows displayed a varied assortment of unusual goods. Shiny bottles of makeup and perfume. Glittering combs and brushes. Sparkling collections of hair pins and clips. Face masks and nail polish and hair oil and scented powders.  Jewelry of every type sparkled in the bright led lights that flooded the store. Beautifully embroidered scarves and accessories were hung with meticulous care along the walls.

Security was flabbergasted. They had heard nothing about this store. Nothing reported to them. They called it in, asking CBL if it was legit. The radio replied that yes, all paperwork was in order.

Bottled Beauty was open for business.

Paulina was frequently at the mall. What better place was there for her to be? There were so many stores for her to peruse, so many things to buy. People could marvel at her perfection. And the Ghost Boy tended to appear there all too often. A bonus. As familiar as she was with the mall's set-up, she immediately noticed the new store. She smiled in delight when she saw the products through the window and eagerly walked in.

It was even better than what she had imagined. Paulina was awestruck. She merely stood there, eyes drifting from item to item.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” A voice asked. Paulina turned at the sound. A person stood there. Paulina could not tell if they were a man or a woman, but she marveled. They were beautiful, dark hair framing their face with a waterfall of curls. Lovely green eyes sparkled with glitter eyeshadow, smiling wide with perfectly full lips. They stood there, dressed in a glittering button down shirt, a small box in their hand.

“Oh, I was just looking. I’ve never been here before. It’s amazing,” Paulina whispered reverently. The glittering person nodded.

“Thank you. We here at Bottled Beauty pride ourselves in spreading beauty at a reasonable rate. What is worse than looking at an ugly world?” The employee grinned as they sat the box on the counter. Paulina nodded in agreement. “Was there anything you were looking for in particular?”

Paulina shook her head.

The employee hummed, tapping their finger against their chin as they examined her. Paulina fidgeted under the stare, but was once more mesmerized by the brilliant green eyes. They walked closer to her, merely inches away. Paulina stood straighter as they got closer. The employee’s eyes gleamed as they stared down.

“My dear, do you know you are very nearly perfect?” They purred. Paulina blushed.

“Really? I mean, of course I am,” She preened. The employee grinned again, green eyes bright. They reached up and gently grasped a strand of hair.

“Only nearly, my dear. But we can fix that,” The employee clarified. Paulina could not bring herself to be offended. “You have such thick hair. So dark, like the night. Many people would be jealous to have such hair. But it must be so difficult to manage. The frizz alone would be a full time job. Am I wrong?”

Paulina thought back to the hours she had spent on taming her hair. How difficult it was every morning to get the perfect style. How she had to pay for so many conditioning treatments to keep it from puffing up in an unmanageable mess.

“You’re right,” Paulina said. The glittering person dropped the strand of hair and stepped away.

“I have just the thing,” They called over their shoulder, walking into the store. Paulina hurried to follow. They stopped at a display of different combs. The employee plucked one, showing it to Paulina.

“Comb your hair with this and you will be able to style it any way you wish,” They said. Paulina’s eyes widened in wonder. “Whether you choose to wear it curly, or straight. Up or down. It will go exactly as you want it.”

“That sounds too good to be true.”

“But true nonetheless. If you are unsatisfied, you can always return it.”

Paulina wrinkled her brow.

“How much?” She asked. The employee tilted their head.

“For you, I would take a laugh,” They said. Paulina blinked in confusion.

“A laugh? You just want me to laugh? That’s all?” Paulina repeated in disbelief.

“At Bottled Beauty, we believe in reasonable rates. A fair price for fair folk,” The employee put their hand over their heart. “And we so crave perfection, something you are so close to already.”

Paulina laughed in delight at the compliment, given from someone so pretty. The store owner handed her the comb and bid her farewell.

Paulina combed her hair with the comb, and wondered at the results. Her hair was perfectly shiny after only one stroke. She preened as her classmates gawked, tossing her hair over her shoulder for emphasis. Dale was so starstruck that he walked into the school’s front door, tripping all the way down the stairs. All of the A-list laughed at his expense. Except Paulina.

She returned again to Bottle Beauty, quickly looking for the employee.

“We thought you would be back,” A voice whispered right next to her ear. She turned eagerly.

“The comb was perfect, so I had to come back,” Paulina said. The employee laughed.

“We are glad you are satisfied,” The employee chuckled. They examined her again. “Your skin is nearly flawless, my dear. But I am sure you already knew of the flaw there?”

Paulina touched the mole on her cheek, the one her Papa never let her get rid of. That makeup could not hide. She had played it off over the years, but still it grated on her nerves to see it in the mirror. The employee led her to another aisle, this one filled with different creams. They grabbed a selection.

“Cover your face in this cream, and all blemishes will be removed, no matter how big or small,” They held the cream out with a flourish.

“I didn’t know anything like that existed,” Paulina said happily, looking over the cream. “How much?”

“For you, my dear, how about some cheer. You seem the type to be a cheerleader, yes?” The employee said. “Does that seem a fair price to you?”

“It’s a bit weird, but sure,” Paulina said. She gave the employee her best Casper High cheer, to which they applauded with enthusiasm.

Paulina hurried from the shop to try out her new cream. It worked like magic, her complexion even more perfect than she had ever dreamed. The mole was erased away as if it were never there. The few pimple scars she had concealed were gone as well. It even erased a small scar she had on her finger, just from where she had applied it. She wanted to dance around her room with joy, to cheer this new development in her life. But she didn’t.

Paulina returned again. The employee was leaning against the counter when she entered.

“It is so good to see you again,” The employee cheered her entrance. Paulina grinned back at them, showing off where her mole used to be. The employee eyed it with approval. “How can I help you today?”

“How do you think you can help me?” Paulina teased. The employee laughed brightly, smiling back at Paulina with fondness.

“I wonder if any have come as close to perfect as you, my dear. Let’s see how I can help,” The employee gently held Paulina’s hand and spun her in a slow circle. “My dear, there is only one thing that mars your perfection. Follow me.”

The employee led Paulina once more into the store, hand still clasped in hand. They came to a display of different makeup. The employee picked up a small container of eyeshadow. It glittered. The employee held it next to their own eye. It matched the shade they wore.

“As you can see, I definitely recommend it,” The employee said. “Wear this, and you will show no signs of aging. You could be sixty, and you will look as you are now. It may be one of our pricier products, but you will not be disappointed.”

Paulina looked at the small palette with greed.

“How much?”

“For you, my dear, I want only your name,” The employee said.

“That’s fair. My name is [        ]” [       ] said, an uncomfortable feeling rippling over her skin as she took the small palette.

“I am glad you are satisfied,” Paulina responded with a laugh, green eyes glittering with joy and something more.

Bottled Beauty: Reasonable Rates

Fair Price for Fair Folk.

[defellz]

Loving Enemies // Hwang Hyunjin

♤ word count - 7,9k

♤ genre - enemies to lovers AU, bad neighborhood AU

♤ warnings - bad language bby

To you moving hadn't ever been something you could have imagined. Your dad had an amazing, well-paying job that seemed to be stable throughout the years. But with the change of management in the company, many of the workers lost their job. Your dad was, sadly, one of them.

Your new home was two hours away from your familiar area, a different town, different people, a different school which you were not ready to change. Without any goodbyes to your friends, you were sat in the passenger seat next to your dad in the moving van, which he had rented with the money he still had left.

You weren't mad at him. Heck, you were thankful he was able to find a replacement for his job, but it didn't pay that well. Late hours as a grocery store manager didn't live up to his previous title. ''Lead manager of the economics branch'' now that sounds fancy and respectful, unlike the title he was currently given. Still, it was better than nothing, with all his experience it was strange how this was the best job he could find.

The summer went by slowly. Most of your days would be filled by talking on FaceTime with your friends back in Irieburgh. They weren't as understanding of your situation and that's when you realized they weren't the dream friends you had always dreamt of.

If anything, they were just similar to you at the time, slightly spoilt and self-centered. You knew they couldn't possibly understand what it's like to have such a huge change in the environment. Even with their rather selfish remarks from time to time, they still talked to you and texted you, so you wouldn't feel completely alone. You could only assume that this was what "pity" truly meant.

At night time you could hear the occasional gunshot somewhere on your street, the idea of someone dying next to your house terrified you. You had only ever seen movies about these types of neighborhoods, completely ignoring the fact that even fictional stories start from reality somewhere.

Throughout the summer you never really felt like you didn't fit in. Mostly because you weren't open about going out just because making friends was like a nightmare. Reality set in though when it was the first day of school and here you were, walking through the hallways as people just walked past. It was fascinating how much this school was different, your previous school was full of kids who didn't know what personal space or secrets were. Keeping out of drama was impossible, everyone was curious about everyone, but here, they were all focused on their problems. No one seemed to give two damns about the new ex-rich kid strolling down the corridors of the school.

" I see you're continuing the habit of being late, Mr. Hwang," the teacher panned as she looked the boy in the eyes.

" There isn't a bus from where I live," your Chem classmate rolled his eyes before scanning the room for an empty seat and that was when the quick moment of eye contact happened.

" You live five minutes away, genius," one of the girls from the class spoke as she facepalmed.

The boy made his way next to you, so you quickly pulled your items closer to you, leaving the other side of the table empty. To him, it probably looked like a rich kid hiding his belongings from the delinquent ones.

The teacher never took her eyes off him," So, you're going to disturb the new girl? Must say, I didn't expect you to sit next to someone, the table next to hers is empty."

The boy sat down in the chair and slouched his back," I'd still get partnered up with her for everything, so why not avoid the trouble?"

The teacher shut up and proceeded on with the class. Surprisingly, the boy next to you never spoke a word to you, but you did feel his burning gaze on the side of your face. Ignoring it was a struggle, but he didn't look like someone you wanted to associate with just from the way he looked, so after a while forgetting about his presence became like a reflex; easy.

And that's how class passed, in the end, you were so focused on taking your first chemistry notes that you didn't even notice that the boy had been trying to get your attention until he rudely stomped on your foot which had you angrily glaring at him.

" What's your problem?" You whispered.

" What's your name?"

" Y/N."

" I'm Hyunjin."

You nodded your head and proceeded to ignore Hyunjin once again, but when the bell rang you were quick to stuff everything into your back and head straight to the next class. Luckily, you only had one class with the boy.

And that was it. You never met him outside of school, just two days a week that you would spend a whole class sitting next to each other but that's how far the relationship went. You weren't friends, far from it actually as having conversations wasn't something the two of you were particularly interested in. You spent two months sitting next to him in the same class but as far as you were concerned; his name was Hyunjin and he wasn't a good person to be around.

You had managed to make two friends, it might not be a lot, but they were fun to be around. The two were rough around the edges, but your dad explained how everyone in this neighborhood was that way. People weren't used to a lot of kindness, so they didn't deliver much either, but even with their less enjoyable personality traits, they were still your best friends here.

Laura was a pretty brown-haired Polish girl whose family had moved here ten years ago. Her family wasn't lucky when it came to finding jobs, so her parents tried to do their best with the little they had. Her house was nicer than yours, but it was nowhere near as nice as your previous one. Though, unlike your house, the walls had a lot of the paint chipping off which Laura's parents expressed a deep distaste for.

Your other friend was a charming boy by the name Jeongin. He was Korean and a ray of absolute sunshine to be around, well, most of the time. He always managed to find the right time to let out some snarky comments, but if needed he wouldn't mind being your emotional comfort pillow. Unlike Laura, Jeongin was involved in a lot of the troubling activities around your neighborhood.

One time he had come to school with a poorly covered black eye, so you and Laura both combined the make up your had in an attempt to hide the purplish-green under his eye. It didn't work perfectly, but your two's work had revealed to be extremely helpful as you would continue the routine until his bruising had completely healed.

A month into your friendship, you found out Jeongin was actually from the same friend group as Hyunjin, which he always seemed to talk badly about, but under all the insults was hidden away a lot of love. Jeongin always reminded you and Laura that you should never befriend anyone else from his friend group outside of school as the way they spent their time together wouldn't be healthy for you or even him, but, as he would always say, he's in too deep at this point.

And that was how it went on. Both you and Laura staid away from Jeongin's friends and all seemed to be doing okay until one of them asked Laura toa dance your school was having the next weekend. Jeongin was angry at Jisung at first for making a move on his friend, but it was soon revealed that Jisung just wanted to get to know the two girls Jeongin had been attached to hip with.

When the dance came around you didn't exactly have a date, so both you and Jeongin decided to help each other out by going together. The dance was fun, you hung out with Laura and Jisung too, and the four of you had an amazing time.

When the main part of the night came to a close you were planning on going home until Jisung asked the two of you to join him and Jeongin to their hang out spot. Thankfully, neither of you had dressed up like dolls for the dance as that would've been too expensive, so instead you had gone in black pants and a shirt whilst Laura had red pants and a sparkly gold sequence top. Laura was definitely the better looking one from the two of you tonight.

Jeongin was quick to turn down Jisung's offer as for the whole time you guys were friends he had kept you away from this side of him. Neither you or Laura understood why he was so adamant on protecting the two of you, but the sudden appearance bruises that decorated his face time to time should've given it away.

Jeongin's tone of voice got more aggressive as Jisung continued to pursue both you and Laura into coming along. Blinded by the fun you had had together at the dance you decided to tag along. Jeongin was mad the whole way there, but he softened up once it got time to climb up the rusty ladder and onto the roof of one of the most dangerous apartment complex in your town.

Your friend noticed how stiff you became once you realized where exactly Jisung was leading the three of you. You were honestly amazed at how Laura seemed not to care at all, she looked to be completely comfortable by Jisung's side, laughing and chatting the whole way there, ignoring the guys with guns in their hands who were hanging out by the shops and cafés.

" You okay, Y/N?" Jeongin asked as his eyes gazed at you.

You shook your head," No, not really."

" If you want to go back I'll gladly take you, you know you don't have to just follow along, right?"

" This place doesn't seem too friendly to have you walk back alone though."

" I basically live here, trust me, it doesn't bother me."

You frowned at Jeongin's remark," This is where you guys legit hang out?"

" In this part of the town? Yeah, I'm not even going to make excuses because this place is worse than it looks."

" Why would you come here? I mean, you could get hurt just by walking on this damn sidewalk. I shit you not, I saw like four wasted hookers on the way here, so there's no say druggies don't hang around here, Jeongin."

" I'm fine with being here, but I see that you aren't. Come on, I'll take you back home."

" No."

" Why not?"

" I can't leave Laura alone. She'd probably want me here knowing her past of accidentally getting it on with cute guys like Jisung."

Jeongin nodded his head," Okay, but do you want help getting on the roof?"

You looked up the ladder and felt your feet become cold," This isn't safe, is it?"

" Nope."

You started climbing up the ladder before Jeongin, so no one could get you from the ground. Your fear was stupid, but you didn't want some high dude grabbing ahold of your ankle and pulling you down to his level.

The two of you got up and you were met with a rooftop apartment that had graffiti all along the walls, the windows were spray painted black and the only light that was up there was from the dim street lights back down. Laura and Jisung had already entered the apartment leaving you and Jeongin to be the last to enter. Upon opening the door you saw quite a few familiar faces. There was Seungmin from your Math class, Felix from English and Hyunjin from Chemistry. Hyunjin's stare was just as hot as always was, but the rest didn't seem to care.

You looked around the apartment before Jeongin led you to a free couch by one of the spray-painted windows. The apartment was just like you had expected. There was graffiti on the inside walls as well, a bunch of big plastic containers around the floor which some of the guys seemed to use as seating and a broken fridge which to your surprise was full of nonalcoholic beverages.

" Some of the guys aren't here, so I'm guessing they're somewhere on this block doing their own little thing," Jeongin explained as he allowed his body to drown into the material of the couch.

" There are more of you?" You asked.

" Yeah, Woojin, Chan, Minho, and Changbin aren't here, so you're going to spend time with the actually cool ones," Jeongin laughed.

Soon after Laura came back to your side and grabbed ahold of your arm while placing her head on your shoulder," This place is so cool, don't you think?"

" I'd say my place is better," you laughed.

" Jisung told me about all the shit they've done here and, honestly, it sounds like so much fun."

Jeongin raised one of his eyebrows and looked at his friend," Are you stupid or just pretending?"

You laughed," If you're asking that, doesn't it mean that you're the stupid one?"

The three of you continued to laugh and talk. Soon enough Jisung and Felix joined your conversation.

You were surprised about how funny and outgoing Felix was. During class, he would stick to himself and talk only if necessary, but here he was a completely different person. Jisung told you about the embarrassing fights Jeongin had been in and how badly he got beat up by a hooker who thought he wanted to kill her just because he had looked at her weirdly.

You were at the apartment for thirty minutes once Seungmin joined in too, leaving Hyunjin completely to himself. He didn't seem too happy about your presence here and the hot gaze of his eyes kept burning right at your forehead. He wasn't ashamed of his nonstop glaring that he didn't even look away once you quickly met his eyes, hoping he'd move his gaze somewhere else.

" Jeongin?" You whispered to your friend so that the others around you couldn't hear.

" Mm?"

" Why is Hyunjin looking at me like that?"

Jeongin's face seemed to twist for a second, he certainly knew something but wasn't about to spill," Let's just say he isn't happy with us bringing you two here."

" Why?" you asked but your question got ignored as right at that moment the door of the apartment opened and two guys walked in with another one supporting a guy on his way in. One of the four seemed to have been badly beaten up.

Jisung quickly got on his feet and went to help his friend carry the other one on the couch as everyone else got up, so he would have a place to sit.

" What happened?" the first time in the night Hyunjin spoke.

" We were talking with that Jaehyun guy once Jaebum and his sidekicks came. We got into an argument and one of the guys started fighting with Changbin," A dude with blonde hair explained.

The blonde finally noticed that there were two new faces in the apartment and was quick to realize they were Jeongin and Jisung's friends, so he smiled as he started to introduce all of them while taking off Changbin's jacket," I'm Chan, the beat-up one is Changbin, the friendly-looking one is Woojin and the last one's Minho."

You and Laura looked at each other and nodded, so Laura introduced you both," I'm Laura and the innocent one's Y/N."

Jeongin laughed," Yeah right, innocent."

You felt your hands slowly start to shake and the feeling of cold feet returned as you looked at the guys take care of Changbin

Hyunjin looked at you once again and noticed the slight discomfort on your face, for a moment his face softened, but went back to looking annoyed right after as he stormed past you to take out a first aid kit from a cabinet.

He had set down the kit on the little table by the couch when they heard loud knocking on the door.

" Who?" Laura asked Jisung.

" Probably Jaebum."

Chan went to look through the peephole and quickly called over the guys as apparently, it wasn't only Jaebum there. Seungmin staid by Changbin but it was clear that Chan needed him there too, so the others wouldn't be able to look into the apartment that easily, so you tapped Seungmin's shoulder.

" Wha-"

" I can take care of him, go do what y'all need to."

Seungmin left the cotton balls in your hands and rushed to Chan's side right as the door opened.

You tried to keep your hands steady, you poured a little bit of saline on the cotton ball.

Changbin softly chuckled," First time here?"

" I'd say first and last," you replied which got him to lightly laugh, but he winced right after," Hey, this might sting, but be patient."

You started to dab his cut eyebrow and afterward his cheek. You and Laura tried to ignore the aggressive yelling that was coming from right behind you.

" How big is the possibility that they'll beat us up?" Laura asked half-jokingly.

" Small, but it's still there," Changbin replied.

One of the guys pushed through Chan and started to chuckle once he saw you cleaning Changbin's scratches," Awe, you got a little nurse to help with your inability to fight back?"

" Don't pay attention," Changbin whispered, so you nodded your head a bit and continued to switch the cotton balls and clean his wounds.

" I suggest you leave those two out of this," Chan stated.

" Why? Are they your bitches or something?" The guy laughed.

Laura turned to look at the guy and crossed her arms in front of her chest. At moments like this, you wished she wasn't a girl with balls bigger than any dude's.

" Excuse me, what?"

" You talk?" The guy pretended to be shocked as some of his friends managed to enter the apartment alongside him.

Your friends were quick to walk back to you guys, so you wouldn't be vulnerable. Much to your surprise, Hyunjin took away the cotton balls away from you and placed them back into the kit, closing it and pulling you by your wrist right behind his back. While Jeongin moved to calm down Laura.

" You called me someone's bitch? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Jeongin placed his hands on her shoulders and tried to quiet her down," This isn't the time for you to be overly sensitive, Laura."

" Ouch, that one seems way too stubborn for my liking."

" Jackson, I don't think you should continue picking on the girls, it's not very smart of you," Chan pointed out.

" Why? We hit a soft spot by picking at your girlfriends?" Jackson mocked.

One of the guys swiftly pushed past Felix and Hyunjin and grabbed your other wrist, pulling you to his side," This one seems more submissive than the other, don't you think?"

" Let her go, " Hyunjin growled.

Something that caught both sides of the argument off guard.

" Ooh, so this one's Hwang's bitch, quite amusing, if I must say. Never thought I'd see mister pretty boy here ever fight using his mouth and not his fists."

You felt the guy's grip on your wrist tighten which made you wince in pain," please, let go."

Your voice was quiet, but everyone heard. You were sure your wrist was going to be bruised afterward, if you even managed to walk out of here alive, that is.

" I'm serious dude, just let her go," Jeongin came to Hyunjin's side.

The guy raised his eyebrows in delight," This is a lot more fun than beating up that dwarf over there."

The room became tenser as time went on, but the fight was cut off once Jackson's phone rang.

" Yo, we gotta bounce."

" Why?" The guy holding your wrist asked.

" Youngjae called and said there's an issue by Larry's diner, we gotta go."

Your wrist was finally free from the guy's grasp and you quickly put your other hand over it.

Before all of the other guys had exited the apartment, the one who had hurt your wrist winked at Hyunjin teasingly," I'd keep your bitch safe if I were you. She seems like a lot of fun."

And with that, the door closed shut with a huge bang. Right as the door closed you felt your breathing return back to normal and some tears escaped your eyes as the adrenaline started to exit your body and the pain from your wrist shot through.

" I told you not to bring them over here, Jeongin!" Hyunjin angerly said.

" I didn't! Jisung asked them to come. Y/N didn't even want to, but she came because of Laura, why are you so pissed anyway?"

Hyunjin turned his glare to Jisung now," Didn't we talk about this?"

" How the fuck was I supposed to know Jaebum would bring his shit to here? We had fun with Laura and Y/N before those idiots showed up and everything was fine."

Chan sighed," Guys, calm down."

" What, Chan? Didn't we have a deal that we wouldn't bring school friends here let alone girls? Dude, look at Y/N she can't even function here, shouldn't you at least tell Jisung that what he did was wrong?"

" Yes, we did agree we wouldn't bring girls here, but they are their friends and it's not their fault we got into a fight with Jaebum while at Jaehyun's."

" Well, I don't know about you, but maybe it's time to take them home?" Hyunjin was angry and the curiosity was killing you. Why was he so angry anyway?

Jisung walked to Laura," I'll take Laura home, but someone's got to take Y/N home cause the two live on different blocks."

Before Jeongin could say anything Hyunjin spoke," Fine, then I'll take Y/N home. Let's go."

You looked at Jeongin but he only shrugged his shoulders and turned to help Changbin. Jisung and Laura left first. While you staid back at the apartment for about ten minutes while Hyunjin went to look for something, when he came back you were out the door, but even behind the closed door, you could hear a lot of laughs and whistles.

The two of you got off the roof and started walking to your house. The street was full of a bunch of men smoking. Even under the dim street lights, you could see the many tattoos decorating their arms, some of them even caught your eye as you had seen similar designs on TV when the news decided that it was time for the general public to learn how to recognize gangs.

You tried to use every method to calm your nerves you knew, but nothing helped. You were just so scared. You unconsciously started to scoot closer to Hyunjin which he quickly picked up on. He took his hand out of his jacket and grabbed yours.

" You better not show up here after tonight," Hyunjin said as the annoyance still bled through his tone.

" I plan on staying away, don't worry."

You were about twenty minutes into the walk when Hyunjin stopped.

" Something up?" You asked.

" Promise me you won't strudel back into that part of town."

" I already told you, I don't plan on coming-"

" Just promise me."

" Fine," you sighed," I promise."

Hyunjin let go of your hand as you were further away from the dangerous part of the area. You hated yourself for wanting to intertwine your hand with his again but you knew you shouldn't. Your heart raced when he tried to talk to you on the way to your house and you couldn't stand it. You don't even like him, are you seriously so desperate for attention that your heart had to race at just an attractive boy talking to you?

When you reached your house you saw your dad sitting on the porch, he was waiting for you so you turned to Hyunjin with wide eyes," Hey, I'm here so you can go back."

" Your dad?"

" Yeah, so can you go? Seriously, thank you for taking me home and I'm fine now, so bye."

You slightly pushed Hyunjin to start walking back so he nodded his head and left. You walked to your house and greeted your dad.

" Y/N, the dance ended four hours ago, it's three in the morning! Where in the world were you?"

" I was with Laura and Jeongin. I know I should've called you but we were having a good time, so I forgot."

You knew you were taking advantage of your trusting father. Back at your old place he never had to worry about you getting into trouble, so he got used to trusting you, but this night surely wasn't as you described. It was fun before Changbin came into the apartment beat up and the other guys suddenly showing up to start a fight. You remembered about your hurting wrist so you slightly hid it behind your back.

" Okay, head inside. I'll catch a smoke and be right in okay?"

" I'm gonna go straight to bed, goodnight."

You closed your front door and took in a deep breath. You promised yourself you wouldn't lie to your dad again.

The weekend was spent lazily rolling around in bed watching random TV shows and texting some of your old friends. Laura called you at one point too and gushed about how she finally found the perfect guy friend who could be there for her when she has a fight with her future boyfriend, hopefully, Jisung hadn't thought of the Polish girl as a love interest in his life because she had definitely placed him deep into the friend-zone and there was no getting out.

Though you tried to occupy yourself with several activities, your mind still rushed back to the moment Hyunjin held your hand or when he pulled you behind himself when Jaebum's crew stumbled into the rundown apartment.

And that's how two weeks passed. You'd be tying to fall asleep but right in front of your eyes, the scene of Hyunjin holding your hand would replay. During Chemistry class you weren't able to look even slightly to his side of the table without feeling the blush reach up to your cheeks. Unfortunately for you, Jeongin noticed your awkwardness around Hyunjin when your friend had been waiting by your Chem class to pick you up, only to witness the most uncomfortable goodbye to Hyunjin you could ever have.

Jisung invited both you and Laura back to the apartment a couple of times but you always came up with a reason why not to go. You couldn't just say," Hey, I promised Hyunjin, who is an absolute nobody to me, that I would never step a foot on that street ever again."

But here you were, walking alongside Laura on your way back there. You tried desperately to reject the invitation but Jisung and Laura weren't having any of that. Jeongin wasn't even mad at first because he had gotten so used to seeing Laura hanging out with his friends that you joining in only meant more fun. Of course, it would've been fun for you too if there hadn't been a hawk-eyed Hyunjin following your every step with his glare. He wasn't happy.

Though this time you heard multiple comments about his behavior and how it only got this bad when you were around. Usually, he'd be messing around with Changbin or annoying the living daylights out of everyone in the room, but you couldn't even imagine that he could act that way.

As the clock was about to hit 1 AM you remembered that you needed to call your dad, so he could go to bed without having to worry about his daughter getting home like the night of the dance. Of course, you did lie to your dad about your whereabouts. You told him you were at Laura's watching a movie and that you'd be home at 5 AM max. Once again, your dad completely trusted your every word as you held your phone to your ear, kicking around rocks on the roof of the graffiti decorated building.

You bid your dad goodbye and right as you pressed the end call button someone opened the door and walked outside.

" I'm pretty sure you shouldn't be here," Hyunjin muttered.

He surely had something against you," I know, but Laura wasn't having any of my excuses, so I had to tag along."

" You didn't have to do anything, you decided to come along."

" Whatever the reason was I'm here anyway and this time there isn't a Jaebum crew scaring the shit out of me or coming to pick a fight, so I don't see what the problem is."

False. You did see where the problem was. You promised you wouldn't come back here as you had expressed your dislike for this place yourself.

Jaebum wasn't the only thing dangerous on this block, heck, he wasn't even dangerous compared to the other people who chose this as their living or partying spot.

" Why are you being so bitchy? I didn't even do anything."

He's sort of right, but that's not the point," Why is it that every damn time I am around you're a completely different person? Do you hate me that much?"

Hyunjin sighed," I don't hate you."

" Then what is this about?"

" Listen, I just don't like you hanging around here, okay?"

You knew this conversation wasn't going in any useful direction, so you decided to drop it. You walked past Hyunjin and back into the apartment. The rest of the night you didn't feel his piercing gaze. He didn't even pay attention to you. He was swiping through his phone, ignoring the people around him. Later in the night Laura and Jeongin told you funny stories of the times Laura had hung out here alone. Hyunjin had even opened up to Laura's presence.

There was this one time when Laura was play-fighting with Jisung when Hyunjin suddenly joined in and placed himself as the announcer. Loudly describing every move the pair made.

No matter how many stories they told you of Hyunjin, you just couldn't imagine him being that way. To you, he was this rude, stuck up jerk who managed to shake your heart. Nobody knew that though, you kept it to yourself. You knew that everyone would laugh in your face if you even mentioned something like that.l, let alone having a crush on one of Jeongin's friends.

This was where you had to draw the harsh line. These boys weren't your friends. Your "friend" group consisted of Jeongin, Laura and Jisung. Nobody else. You couldn't become closer to the others, your dad wouldn't want that. He's already miserable knowing that he couldn't provide a better place for his daughter, having friends like these would just make his fears into a reality.

That's why that night, while the sounds of chattering flooded the room, you promised yourself to never step near this place, to not attach yourself with the people hanging here on the daily.

As the night became darker Chan and Woojin came back into the apartment with four six-packs of beer. Jeongin gravitated away from you to one of the packs. Chan had just placed his two on the table when Jeongin had already managed to rip one of the beer cans out of the plastic wrap.

" Dude, calm down, we got enough for everyone," Woojin laughed looking at his youngest friend.

Jeongin brought the can to his chest and hugged it," Knowing you, this is the only one I'm getting."

Chan took three cans and gave one to you, Laura and Jisung," This is beer is heavy, so if you don't want to get tipsy just drink slowly."

You accepted the can but didn't open it. You had a light alcohol tolerance that you discovered while you were attending your last school. You were at a party for your classmate and just one solo cup of punch later you were drunk out of your mind, inside one of the bedrooms with your friend's boyfriend who was also wasted. You were quick to realize that this making out was going to go further if you didn't stop right then and there, so you mustered up all the soberness you still had and dragged yourself out of the bedroom. Let's just say alcohol wasn't something you took lightly.

Laura reached for your can, snatched it and opened it for you, pushing it back in our hands," I knew you weren't going to open it if I didn't help you."

You took a sip and you knew Chan wasn't kidding when he said it was heavy. Usually, beer didn't burn the back of your throat but this one definitely did.

" He wasn't kidding," Jisung laughed and coughed, the burning too much for him to handle.

Hyunjin laughed," You're just too big of a pussy."

A slight laugh made its way past your lips which brought a warm feeling throughout Hyunjin's body.

Jeongin went back to his seat next to you and tossed his hand over your shoulder," Jisung's weak. He gets drunk quickly too."

You looked at Jisung," Me and you both, kiddo."

It wasn't like they were surprised by the fact you weren't exactly good at handling alcohol, but they were indeed shocked once you admitted it.

Hyunjin raised a brow at you," If you're a weak chick then don't drink too much. These guys aren't exactly PG-13 when a drunk girl is around."

Woojin hit the back of Hyunjin's head," You're one to talk."

" What?"

" I didn't think you'd forget about that Sana girl. She's older than him, but when they were both drunk, Hyunjin here, was radiating all sorts of daddy energy," Woojin proudly told the story of when he was the only sober one, playing dad wasn't unusual for him anyway.

" D-daddy energy?" You asked right before bursting out into loud laughter.

Woojin nodded, laughing along," He was holding the girl and legit went around screaming that Sana was his baby girl and no one could do anything about it."

Chan joined in on the conversation," Dude, Hyunjin was wild. I didn't think he'd ever use the word 'babygirl' but that was something."

Hyunjin rolled his eyes," That was like last year, shut up."

" Oh, you don't want your new baby girl to know about your past bitches?" Jeongin was wasted. Wait, wasn't that his third can in a matter of fifteen minutes?

Laura shot up from her sluggish pose and looked at Hyunjin wide-eyed," You got a girlfriend?"

" No!"

" He's so whipped for-"

Before Jeongin was able to continue anything Hyunjin had already managed to rush his way towards the youngest and placed his hand over his mouth," I'd think twice before I continue that sentence."

So this was the open Hyunjin everybody kept talking about? With a little bit of beer in his blood, he did seem to forget his hatred towards you, at least that's what you thought.

Jeongin agreed to not say anything and once Hyunjin had gone back to his seat he yelled out," Y/N do you wanna be Hyunjin's new girlfriend?"

Hyunjin looked at his friend absolutely mortified.

You laughed," Sorry, I don't date my friend's friends."

Hyunjin decided to ignore whatever else was coming out of Jeongin's mouth and continued to sip oh his beer.

Jeongin pouted and grabbed your hand," But imagine how cute you'd be. You guys could make such cute babies."

" Hold up, drunk boy," You chocked on your last sip of beer.

Everyone except Hyunjin was laughing. As the clock was about to land at 6 AM and most of your company was wasted or asleep, you decided it's probably time to head home. You didn't want to sleep on the same couch as Jisung, Laura, Woojin. And the floor didn't sound fun either. You slowly removed Woojin's head from your shoulder and got off the couch, making your way to the exit. You weren't excited about the fact you'll have to walk through the neighborhood by yourself, but you weren't always going to have someone to escort you.

You were trying your best to avoid any of the empty beer cans on the floor and the guys who had managed to fall asleep on the floor while you were scrolling through your phone. But much to your luck you accidentally tripped over Hyunjin's leg which woke him up. As far as you knew he was also wasted, but that wasn't the case. Just like you, he had only drunk one can of beer through the whole night and he wasn't exactly asleep either. He had been trying to sleep, but the floor wasn't doing his justice.

" Oh, shit. Sorry," You apologized right as you saw Hyunjin sit up.

" You going home?"

" Yeah."

" I'll walk you home, I'm not going to fall asleep any time soon anyway."

And that's how you ended up walking with Hyunjin once again through the neighborhood which you were so scared of. Unlike the other time, your hands weren't holding onto each other. They were freely hanging by your sides as you walked while the sounds of downtown engulfed you in a chilly breeze. The slight tremble you did because of the cold didn't go unnoticed by Hyunjin, so he reached for your hand and put it in the pocket of his hoody.

" I'd give you my hoody, but I don't have anything underneath."

" I didn't ask, but okay."

" Uh, Y/N?"

" Hm?"

" Y'know about the thing that Woojin told you-"

" Oh about that Sana? What about it?"

" I'm not like that."

You looked at him confused," Why are you explaining yourself to me?"

" Cause I don't want you to think that I'm the type of guy who would get drunk and forget about a girl cause I'm not like that. I'm really not."

" Why should I care? It's seriously fine like I don't see-"

" I like you."

" You- what?"

You quickly detached your hand from Hyunjin's and pulled it behind your back," What are you on about?"

" I like you. I don't want you around here because I know what kind of people hang out here. I don't want you to get hurt because of some stupid Jeongin or Jisung who forgot about the fact they can't bring people who aren't used to the shit here."

You looked at Hyunjin in complete shock," If you like me then why are you always such an asshole to me?"

" Because I didn't plan on making a move or anything. If anything, I wanted you to hate me, so you wouldn't ever think about me the way I do about you."

" Since when?"

" Since when, what?"

" Since when have you liked me that way?"

" First Chem class."

" Woah."

" Listen, I just wanted the girl I like to not think of me as some shit ass who gets drunk and sleeps around with some girls, they made it sound like I got it on with Sana when, in fact, I didn't even kiss her."

" I believe you, just take back the 'i like you, part."

Hyunjin looked at you, he was hurt, were you disgusted by his feelings?

" Why?"

" I promised myself I would never come back to here or the hangout ever again, but you're making this hard for me."

" My feelings shouldn't be the reason for you to even think about coming to hang out here again. If you like the guys then we can hang out somewhere else. Especially because I like you. I never want someone calling you 'Hwang's bitch' again, but if we hang out here it will happen more than once."

" Hyunjin, I can't bring myself to hate this place anymore if you're just going to confess all of a sudden!"

" No, you can. You don't feel the same way about me, you coming back here because of me would make me feel like I'm being pitied and I don't want that at all."

You bit your lip as you looked at your feet, avoiding Hyunjin's gaze at all times.

" Oh God, don't. Don't do that."

" Do what?" You finally looked up at him.

" Don't bite your lip. It's distracting."

" Wh-"

" Stop playing dumb. It makes me want to kiss you."

Your eyes widened," Yeah, no."

" Exactly, so stop. We should probably get you home, it's getting pretty early."

Hyunjin nonchalantly ignored the previous moment and continued to walk in the direction of your house.

" So you say that and act like you didn't right away?" You followed the boy from behind, your heart was beating fast no matter how you tried to act like Hyunjin's words did not affect you.

" What did you want me to do, force my face on yours?"

" If I remember correctly, someone smart once said YOLO-"

" Yeah, and then they got pregnant."

You chuckled," What if you didn't have to force your face on mine?"

" Wh-"

There weren't many times you were able to act overly confident but at this moment it seemed like God himself wanted you to do something that seemed impossible to you. Maybe it was the slight amount of alcohol that remained in your bloodstream or the overwhelming feelings which suddenly took over, whatever it was it made you lightly grab the strings of Hyunjin's hoodie, pulling him to your eye level and kissing him right then and there.

This wasn't what he imagined. Heck, he didn't even allow himself to imagine something so intimate. It didn't take long for his arms to wrap around your body, pulling you closer to him. Your heartbeats were completely in sync. Both were beating fast but they were also beating for each other.

You didn't intend on kissing him this way. Maybe a light peck? But oh was this not it.

Hyunjin's arms were so tight around your body as if he was afraid you'd disappear once he let go of you. Your hands moved away from the strings of his hoodie to his chest.

For a moment it felt as if all time had stopped. There was nobody else in this world besides you and Hyunjin.

You both slowly pulled away, you wanted to run away, scream, hide, but you knew Hyunjin wouldn't let you. His arms were still on you, no longer wrapped around your body, but his hands were holding onto your shoulders as if his life depended on it.

" You know you just brought this upon yourself, right?" Hyunjin's gaze was dark, there was a tint of love behind them, but you hadn't seen anything as serious as that look.

" Yes."

" You know I'm not letting you go away now, right?"

" You better not."

" Fuck, I should've done this sooner."

And your lips were once again pressed against each other. This kiss wasn't as soft and calming as the previous one, it was needy and desperate. His hands traveled to your lower back, yet you couldn't think about anything else besides the feeling of your lips against his.

...

" Yo, Y/N you coming to the hangout, today?" Laura rushed to your side as the both of you exited the school grounds.

" I don't really-"

" Oops, forgot, I'm not letting you not come."

And so were you again inside of the small run-down apartment, the only people missing were Hyunjin, Changbin, and Felix. Chan said that they were out running some errands but nothing too major.

The eight of you laughed and talked while waiting for the others to come. You were nervous the whole time, you had hung out with Hyunjin alone for a while now, but the others didn't know about it. The two of you hadn't hung out with the whole group as boyfriend and girlfriend yet and it made you scared.

You play-fighting with Jisung as you tried to get your phone back from him and Laura was there as your back up. The two of you were crawling around and on the couch trying to get him to move his ass, so you could get your phone.

The door opened and the others went to greet the three guys, but both you and Laura were too focused on getting your phone back.

" Jisung~ Give it back!" You lovingly called out, you knew how much Jisung hated to be talked to in that way.

Much to our annoyance, Jisung also knew how to push your buttons," Give me a kiss and I'll give it back!~"

Hyunjin crossed his arms as he looked at you and Jisung fighting, he knew that you two were only joking, but even then the jealously didn't fail to make an appearance.

" Sorry, she can't kiss you, it'd go against the rules."

" Rules of what?" Jisung asked a bit dumbfounded.

" Of being in a relationship," Hyunjin casually said as he continued to look at the both of you annoyed.

" Wha-"

" You're asking my girlfriend to kiss you, that's just wrong bro."

Laura looked at Hyunjin then at you with wide eyes," Since when?"

" Like two months ago?" Hyunjin nonchalantly answered.

You were still frozen as you were holding onto Jisung's arm. Jisung slowly pulled your phone out from his back pocket and gave it to you," I don't want your boyfriend to punch me."

You sat up straight and blankly stared back at Hyunjin.

" What? Surprised to see your boyfriend?"

You quickly got off the couch and ran to hug him as if the two of you hadn't met for years.

The moment was wholesome until Chan stopped awing and awkwardly coughed," Just keep your relationship PG-13."

[lenaglittleus]

MUST-BUY Green Beauty Items (20% off!)

My deep love for Credo Beauty is known to most of you guys at this point. I’m incapable of going into their store without buying something and by now all their sales associates know me by name. They geek out with me over Lily Lolo Mascara and Gressa Foundation and humor me for a hot minute by giving me the pleasure of feeling like I work there. It’s glorious.

Photo by Rae Surbaugh photography

For those of you unfamiliar with Credo Beauty, it’s a huge green beauty store only selling body, skincare and makeup products made from clean ingredients. Think Sephora, but natural. It is mecca for all things green beauty and if you have the chance to go into one of their storefronts, I encourage you to run not walk. BUT if you can’t make it to one of their stores, everything can be purchased online! They offer free shipping (on orders over $50) and an equally large stockpile of merchandise so fear not if you don’t live in LA, SF, NYC or Chicago.

And once a year, my dear friends at Credo spread their green beauty angel wings and offer a 20% discount on ALL merchandise online and in-store until November 5th. It’s my chance to stock up on all of my favorites and splurge on all those items I’ve been wanting to try. And it’s your chance to do the same. All you have to do is use the code CREDOFAM at checkout. This is the only time of year they have sales so now is the time. I went a little overboard yesterday…

WHY GREEN BEAUTY?

I feel like this conversation is old news to me, but I’m consistently brought back to reality that the majority of people have no clue what green beauty is and why they should begin switching over their products.

I’ve written a whole post about it HERE, but to keep things brief, most conventional bath and beauty products are unregulated and full of harsh and harmful chemicals that are known to have a negative affect on our bodies. Parabens and phalates are known endocrine disruptors that can rue havoc on your hormones. Certain chemicals have been linked to increased cancer occurrence and other chronic illnesses. Once you get to reading what’s in your favorite hair oil or face wash you will know what I’m talking about. If the majority of the ingredients are things you can’t pronounce, it might be worth investigating.

Now, as with anything, I say this: You do You. I have friends and family-members who use conventional body care, home and makeup products. That is totally fine. I’m just here to try out some cleaner options and share them with you. I will never force you to switch, I simply want to try things out, give an honest review and remind you that you always have options. This is a judgement-free zone.

But with hundreds of products available, it’s hard to know where to start. So many people reach out to me asking about green beauty products and what’s good vs. what’s bad; what is okay vs. what to avoid. It’s confusing, I get it. And honestly, I’ve spent the last 3.5 years experimenting and I’m only just feeling like I know what’s going on. My hope is that THM can be a resource for green beauty favorites (in addition to healthy food and lifestyle tips!) so this world can be a little less confusing for you. And in this case, more affordable…because 20% off people!!! Let’s jump in…

MUST-BUY GREEN BEAUTY – MAKEUP

1. Lily Lolo Mascara – all praise this mascara! It’s extremely lengthening and you’d never know it was natural.

2. Gressa Corrective Serum Foundation – if I could dream up the perfect foundation it would be this one. Perfect for full coverage, but if light coverage is your thing I’d recommend the Vapour Soft Focus Foundation, which also gives a flawless dewey glow.

3. Rituel du Fille Creme Pigment – I never understood contouring…until I started contouring. I’ve been pairing this with my Beautycounter Matte Bronzer, and together they give me the cheekbones I wish I actually had.

4. RMS Living Luminizer – there is a reason this has a cult following. One word: highlighter. Don’t you ever forget that.

5. Lily Lolo Eyeshadow Palette – perfect introductory eyeshadow palette for anyone just getting into green beauty. I love the array in the Laid Bare Palette and the Smoke and Mirrors palette.

6. Ilia Lipstick– Hallelujah! If you haven’t heard me declare my love for Ilia lipstick, then you clearly don’t follow me on Instagram…or you unfollowed me lol. I am obsessed with this lipstick, but especially: Madam Mina, Perfect Day and Lucy’s Party.

7. EcoBrow Eyebrow Wax– I’m a total eyebrow geek and to me if there is one step every makeup routine needs, it’s to fill in those brows. I’ve used this stuff for years in both Sharon and Penelope. Truly the best out there.

MUST-BUY GREEN BEAUTY – SKINCARE

1. Josh Rosebrook Nutrient Day Cream –if I could write a love note to this product, I would. I have been using this for years as my morning moisturizer and sunscreen (it’s 15 SPF) and it’s incredible. It has a cult following and it definitely deserves it!

2. Marie Veronique Makeup Removing Oil Cleanser – This is one of my newer products (it’s in my October favorites!) that I’ve incorporated on days when I’m wearing makeup. It’s an oil-based cleanser that also foams and removes makeup flawlessly!

3. Herbivore Blue Tansy Mask – I consider this one of my luxury masks and I absolute adore putting this on, sipping some tea and reading a book. It leaves my skin glowing and visibly less red!

4. Juice Beauty Green Apple Peel – I love this mask when I’m looking for a fast-acting, exfoliating mask. I only have to leave it on for 5-10 minutes so you could easily do it in the shower before heading out for the day for a quick-acting mask.

5. One Love Konjac Sponge – I use this every single day with my Luminance Skincare Cleanser (unfortunately not at Credo!) and it’s so soft on my skin and helps exfoliate without harshness.

6. Kahina Argan Oil – Okay admittedly I actually use this on my hair, but people swear by argan oil for their skin. It just doesn’t work for me! But it legit makes my hair shine and I love it.

MUST-BUY GREEN BEAUTY – BODYCARE + HAIRCARE

1. Herbivore Jasmine Body Oil – if the fact that I’m on my third bottle of this in 6 months isn’t any indication, I adore this body oil! If you love the smell of jasmine, you need this in your life. Also it makes my skin literally glow!

2. Vapour AER Deodorant – after my homemade deodorant got taken by airport security THREE times, it was time to invest in a store-bought. This is the only one I’ve tried that works and doesn’t give me a rash!

3. Coola Sunscreen  (30 SPF)– a natural sunscreen that doesn’t turn me as white as a ghost! Admittedly I’m still on the lookout for one that is more affordable, but if you’re going on a fancy vacation and don’t want to burn, you can count on Coola.

4. Evolvh Wonderbalm – this is every curly girl’s dream! All-natural gel that doesn’t make your hair feel like straw and controls frizz. I’m told it works really well with straight hair too!

5. Priti NYC Nail Polish Remover – It requires a little bit of elbow grease, but this natural nail polish remover takes off the old nail polish without taking off all your skin with it!

6. Evolvh Ultra Repair Reconstructing Hair Masque – This stuff hands-down has saved my hair. It’s why it’s in my October favorites and is definitely the reason I’ve been getting compliments on my hair lately.

* * * * *

Totally new to green beauty? Check out the Credo Clean Makeup Kit. It’s a pre-assembled kit full of different makeup products at a discount. It’s $103 worth of product for $59 and with a 20% discount it comes out to $47 which is insane deal. If I didn’t already own it, I’d buy it!

Again – don’t forget to use the code CREDOFAM at checkout in order to save 20% off your whole order! Remember, you only have until November 5th to save 20%!

Disclaimer: This post is NOT sponsored; however it does contain some affiliate links. I receive a small commission from these sales but all opinions are 100% my own.

Are you into green beauty? Are there any products you want to see reviewed???

The post MUST-BUY Green Beauty Items (20% off!) appeared first on The Healthy Maven.

from News About Health https://www.thehealthymaven.com/2017/11/must-buy-green-beauty.html