|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun May 01, 2016 12:23 am
May 1, 2016 (Back dating to September 18th.) She had been living with her uncle, aunt, and two cousins (one younger and one older) for a few months now - since her parents had died.She still had a hard time talking about it, thinking about it, and still found it very odd and strange coming into her uncle's home and greeting everyone, sleeping in this house and calling it home. It was all very strange for her and now, when she was getting used to calling it home her uncle had come home and told them they were moving. She could understand it, she and her younger cousin were sharing a room after all. A bigger home would be nice for them all, especially herself and her cousin as she felt guilty for imposing on her. Hwayoung kept telling her that she wasn’t imposing upon her, but she still felt bad about sharing the others room. Eunkyung knew what her little cousin kept saying, she could repeat the words in her sleep, but she was still going to feel what she did, which she’d explained to Hwayoung more than once.
It wasn’t to a bigger apartment that they were moving though, well it was but it wasn’t, they were moving to another country. They were moving to the United States - to Destiny City. She’d never heard of the place, she’d looked it up before going to bed that night, it had been a shock to everyone and for obvious reasons. To move so far and to suddenly spring it on everyone, not that her uncle had gotten any time to digest it either as he’d just been told that day by his boss.
From what her uncle had told them over dinner it seemed someone at the company branch in Destiny City a high up employee, someone higher up than her uncle, had vanished and been missing for some time - he was presumed dead now. So rather than promote someone from that branch her uncle was being promoted and transferred, they wanted someone from the company's home to work there and report on things back to the main office and keep things as they should be. It was an honor to be so trusted and the promotion, which came with more money and a company car, only made the offer better as it was impossible to turn down such an honor to start with.
She had the next day gone to where her parents were buried and would remain for some time, it was not the final resting place. When she was much older they would finally be in a final place. She had spent the day explaining to their spirits what was going on and cleaning their grave, asking forgiveness if she could not be here on the anniversary of their deaths as she would be across the globe in another country. It was something she regretted and hoped they would understand and not become restless - they should be at peace. There had been tears shed and that night she’d wandered around Seoul’s busy streets peeking into shop windows, getting tea, and wondering what this new city - Destiny City - would be like.
When the morning finally came she took what few possessions remained, everything else had been boxed up and shipped ahead of time, and shouldering her bag she moved with her family from their home and out to a cab waiting for them. She kept close to her elder cousin - Seung. He had been there for her when she’d needed him, whether she knew it or not, he had always been there for her and for his baby sister. He was a good elder brother and good elder cousin - very good. He had his secrets, who didn’t, and she knew how deep in the closet he was with hiding his secrets. She and her younger cousin had discovered his biggest secret, or so they thought, and it was one they’d both confirmed with him and kept now for him - his secret keepers. She now could be there for him if ever he needed her, though she doubted he’d ever seek her or anyone else out for help.
Even as the day to the move had drawn closer and he had seemed more...upset with it, if she was reading him right, he hadn’t said a word against it or let anyone see whatever he felt and thought about the matter. He hid so much of himself. Would he ever be himself? Everyone could be themself around him but was there anyone he could be open with? He was open the most with his friends but even then she was sure he wasn’t as open as he could be - he still kept his secrets.
As two taxi’s sat at the curb waiting for them they were loaded up with their luggage and she climbed in first, followed by Seung and than her little cousin. This was goodbye...and not a short one but this was goodbye. It was final and long. This wouldn’t be home again even if they did visit, even if their papers, birth records, said they were South Korean. This wasn’t home anymore...not once they got onto that plane. For a moment she froze against her elder cousins side as he wondered if she could back out, ask to go to another family member's home - anything to remain here...to remain with her friends and most of their family...with what had always been home. She didn’t though, she remained silent. Pressing her face to her elder cousin's shoulder she tried not to focus on the familiar world around them as they headed for the airport.
It was when they got there that she watched Seung as he put his headset into his ears and watched as their little cousin went to nudge him and he shook his head. He was trying to block everything out, she wished she could do the same though she doubted it was working for him.
When they got through the airport, which was just...something she tried to get through with a sort of disconnected feeling, Eunkyung found herself seated next to Seung on the plane and he had the window seat. Some people might argue for the window seat but not her, not only was it not like her but this was too sad of a time for her to request the window seat if she had wanted it even. Seung was making himself comfortable, that was good, and she went to do the same. As he went to sleep, after giving her instructions, she did remain awake for the most part. She watched the movie, some family friendly disney movie, and when her cousin woke and food was on the way she handled ordering for him. For herself she ordered something light but filling, she didn’t know when the next meal would be and the flight would be long.
Whereas Seung went back to sleep after the meal, she noted her younger cousin did the same in the middle row, she remained awake for a bit longer. She did fall asleep, it was a long flight, but she woke for the next meal unlike either of the other two. Seung was impossible to wake, too tired likely due to a lack of proper sleep. So when the plane had finally landed she was able to watch both of her cousin wake and start to prepare to get off the plane as did her aunt, uncle and herself. What would this city be like? What about the people? Would she make friends and what about school? She’d gone to Hagwon before, a really good one, and was ranked high in her school...now what though? What was school like in this new city?
As they got off the plane and went to collect their luggage she watched Seung grab what he could and took her luggage when it was removed from the carousel for her and placed on the ground.
The whole time, since she’d woken up this morning, she’d sort of been functioning in something of a haze or a disconnect from it all. She was still just coming to terms with it and here she was...on new soil and still not fully to terms with it. Even as she stepped out of the airport and got her first wiff of the air on the way to the cab they’d be taking to their new apartment she was coming to terms with it. This was all soo much for her, how was it so easy for her uncle and aunt - as they seemed so calm. She was the last into the cab and had a window seat and got to watch the new city unfold before them in streaks of color and blurs of people, buildings and signs. It was a language she knew some of but not enough, though more than her cousins. Her younger cousin because she was younger and hadn’t learned as much and Seung because he hadn’t used what he’d learned in years...plus he had been better with learning Japanese than English.
When the taxi stopped and parked, knocking her out of her internal thoughts, she went to open the door and hesitantly stepped out as her cousin spoke. Nodding her head slowly, sort of just letting it bounce up and down. “Yes…” Though it didn’t feel like home - not at all.Word count: 1,576
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon May 02, 2016 2:30 pm
May 2, 2016 She had always had a fairly easy time reading Seung, she knew her elder cousin well, so she had known that when he’d started telling his parents, months back, that he was going out with school friends that it was a lie - she knew it. He was off doing something, or several other things, but lying wasn’t an uncommon thing for him. He did a lot of it, and some of it she understood and knew what the truth was. Here though she didn’t know what the truth was she just knew he wasn’t going off to meet school friends nor was he spending the night over said friends home. He was staying somewhere though at night.
Then she got her first hint when he came home, a day and half after they’d returned from Korea, with a puppy. It wasn’t just any puppy but a jindo who had apparently been at a local shelter and his friend had found the pup and thought it perfect for her oppa - which it was. It wasn’t something a friend did for another friend though - get them a dog. No...she was sure her cousin was dating someone and that answered it - she finally had an answer. She was sure she had an answer to where he’d been going and where he’d been spending his evenings. It was a surprise though - a big surprise.
She’d sent a text to her younger cousin, Seung’s baby sister, letting her know what puzzle pieces she had and what she figured the picture was. The other had agreed with her, it seemed so obvious, and it was a surprise for Hwayoung as well because Seung had never dated before and had once told them he had no plans to - that love had died. She hadn’t understood that then and still didn’t but to figure he was dating was a shock but a good one. Whoever he was dating cared about him - a lot.
So why was he wandering around at night and why did he seem depressed suddenly? She hadn’t been following him when he left the house, she wasn’t about to stalk her elder cousin, but she’d been out wandering the city as was a habit of hers when she’d spotted him just wandering as he’d seemed rather lost mentally, he seemed to just not be there. She’d followed him for several blocks the other night and hadn’t seen him go into any building, business or otherwise, and he hadn’t talked to anyone. He’d just wandered for a while before heading for their apartment building again.
Something had to be bothering him for him to seem so...vacant. She set to watching him, when she wasn’t busy, in order to try and figure out what was wrong...or at least watch him and make sure he was ok. He wasn’t ok though. Something was troubling him and she knew it. She’d been texting back and forth with his sister, her little cousin, for well over a week now and both were wondering how he could be so...depressed and down when he was dating someone - finally!
He could finally date here, as back home it would have been harder for him, and he seemed to be and yet he seemed so down - it made no sense...unless something had happened. She had an idea who he was dating though she hadn’t seen them she had a feeling it was the person Seung had brought home not that long ago, along with dinner for the two of them. It screamed at home movie date to her, though she could be wrong, she assumed that was the person her cousin was dating.
She’d been pondering this, worrying about her cousin, for the past few weeks even as she sat here finishing her school work. As she finished the last of her homework, math, Eunkyung picked up her phone to check the time before sending a text off to Ayane asking if the other was free to go out for coffee. She needed some time out with a friend, too much school work and time spent worrying about her elder cousin tonight. Word count: 697
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 2:12 am
May 3, 2017 Her hair was starting to grow out, had been for a few months now, but it was more noticeable now. The day before the move from Korea to Destiny city she had gone and gotten a digital perm on her hair, something she had wanted to do but hadn’t been able to do since she had been in middle school at the time and that wasn’t allowed. No hair dye or anything else was allowed to be done with a student's hair; not until they got out of middle school.
Eunkyung had decided to take advantage of the fact they were moving so she could get her hair done, she had wanted to get it done for years as the loose waves were really adorable. It made her appearance softer, as opposed to her straight hair, but it wasn’t a permanent thing. She had gone once already since moving to Destiny city, as it was an every six months thing, and it was time to go again.
She wasn’t the only one in the family who had their hair done in such a fashion, though not a digital perm but in a way that needed a re-do every half a year. Seung had his hair straightened, since he had a natural slight wave to his hair, and he was due to get it redone as well. She had called him, wanting to know if wanted to join her. Maybe make it a cousin's day out by then inviting Hyeon. Seung however was busy, a shame really. She didn’t call Hyeon and decided to head for Korea town on her own to get her hair done.
The trip to the salon wasn’t too bad, not when she took the subway and then walked two blocks. The place was up on the second floor, so a short walk up the narrow staircase, and she was stepping into the well lit salon.
Greeting the female at the counter she bowed and smiled before signing in and telling the older woman what she was looking to get done, she knew it would take a while since it was no short procedure, so she’d come prepared with her headset and her phone fully charged. She had a lot of music she could listen to, if the one doing her hair wasn’t interested in small talk...which would likely not be the case.
The wait, with a magazine open in her lap, wasn’t long and soon Eunkyung was being brought back to a chair so they could start getting the pretreatment into her hair. That was, as she knew, an important part of what had to be done with her hair.
As things progressed, two ladies working on her long hair, she let the conversation flow as they talked about tv shows, dramas, as they worked on using the treatment in her hair before setting the rollers in and plugging them in. With the machine turned on she settled in for the short wait as the conversation continued, with the women moving between checking up on her hair and a new customer.
When her hair was unplugged she still had to sit for a few minutes. When the neutralizer was put into her hair, which was still wrapped about the clay curlers, Eunkyung was again talking gently to the two females before one led her back to the shampoo station.
The whole process was a bit long, really it was, the hair trim was the easiest and quickest part of the whole process at least as far as she thought. When her hair was finished being trimmed and then dried she let one of the ladies hands run through the fresh, loose, curls as she stood and thanked them both as she looked into the mirror and smiled - perfect!
Now to pay and then get something to drink and head home, she would text Seung and Hyeon a picture of her hair, maybe her cousin back in Korea as well and her friends back home. A couple of her friends, back home, were still surprised they could do such nice work here when it came to digital perms. Word count: 692
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2017 12:33 am
June 1, 2017 (Back dating a bit.) Sitting at her computer, studying, Eunkyung was taken by surprise when her phone went off indicating a text. Reaching for her phone she took note that it was from Seung oppa and unlocking her screen when to read over the text.
She wasn’t expecting what was contained within the text and nearly dropped her phone as an excited squeal erupted from her. Quick to quiet herself the teenager moved her books aside so he could get her fingers onto her keyboard, as her notebooks had been covering the keys moments ago, and started to run a quick search on twitter. Finding the hashtag he mentioned she had no problem in finding just what was going on.
So amazing! She bounced in her seat some before quickly sending a text back and then going on to text Hyeon and let him know to check what was trending on twitter. She didn’t tell him what to look for, he’d surely notice it without any help from her. Setting her phone down she was quick to add into the conversation, using the correct hashtag, while she shuffled her school things about her desk. She still had to study so she moved things till she had a space between her keyboard and the end of her desk, so she could continue to study while also typing and tweeting out.
Eunkyung had also hopped onto another service and went to talk to her friends back home in Korea. Asking them if they knew and what they thought of it - were they excited? She knew she was excited - very much so. She was happy enough that she had to stand up, too much energy filling her, and hurried off to the kitchen to get a drink. There wasn’t much else to do in the apartment and she did need to study, so she couldn’t just go for a walk in order to burn off some of the excited energy filling her.
This was just amazing though! She had seen who they were against and while she doubted they would win, those fandoms were no joke, she did hope that the exposure they would gain would help them and help Korean pop music as a whole. It wasn’t music they had here in the west and it wasn’t just due to the sound but rather the lyrics and the dancing. How many artists who performed danced as well? And as well as most of the groups did. It just wasn’t something she saw here, not that western music was bad - it wasn’t. It just was different and not as good, in her opinion, so thinking that Korean music may gain more traction here and gain more fans was just - so exciting!
Shuffling about the kitchen, making some tea for herself, she settled on something floral and fruity for now. If it were earlier she might have gone for something with more flavor...something stronger and more energizing. But right now, given the time, she had decided on going for something more calming.
Once her tea was done she headed back to her room, still bouncing a bit, before plopping into her chair and taking a sip of her drink. Setting the cup down she answered something her friends had posted to kakaotalk before telling them she had to go, it was late and she needed to study a bit more before bed. She really did wish she could continue to talk to them but she couldn’t, something they thankfully understood.
At least she had her answer though, knew her friends who were ARMYs were happy. She had friends in other fandoms as well but she didn’t message any of them, she knew better, she still wondered how she managed them all as friends honestly.
Pushing the thought aside as she signed out of her kakaotalk she went back to what she had been doing, while trying to calm her excitement so she could get some work done.
Word count: 660
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 10, 2017 7:11 pm
July 10, 2017 (Back dating a bit.) Graduation! She had finally done it! She had worked so hard, harder than most in her school could even imagine, but she had finally finished her last exam and sat her last class. She had gotten her robe and the tassels she had earned for herself. The cap she had she decorated the top of, since it would only be seen from above. She wrote on it in Korean and decorated it with a message to her parents - telling them that she had done it. They may not be here and yet they were surely looking down on her.
Eunkyung had done her best, worked hard, in order to graduate and have good grades and she had been successful. This wasn’t back in Korea where the final exams would have been hard, even for her, here they had been easy and she felt like she had over studied for them but she hadn’t wanted to risk missing anything due to not studying enough. She hadn’t grown up here in the west so when she’d heard these exams were hard she didn’t have much to compare it with, didn’t have many friends who had a clue either, so she had done what she always did - studied.
It had paid off and she was pleased with the results as she sat with her graduating class. She knew her aunt and uncle were in the crowd as were her two elder cousins. No one else from her family was here and while it was saddening she understood it, they were all so far away. She couldn’t ask them to inconvenience themselves for her sake - to be selfish and want them here to see this. She had let them know however and promised lots of pictures, which meant the family which was here would have to take lots of pictures for her.
She tried, from her seat, to find her family without being too obvious but it wasn’t easy...until she spotted Seung and Hyeon. It didn’t surprise her to spot them first, both standing out due to their clothing choices. Her aunt and uncle no doubt were dressed far more conservatively, if not in some prim and proper outfit, which might just make a few parents around them look drab and lesser.
Watching as people got up, row after row, and went to shake hands and collect their diplomas Eunkyung realized that a lot of her classmates...she hadn’t met and didn’t know. She had seen their faces but hadn’t really spoken to any of them. It was...in a way not unexpected not considering she hadn’t grown up with these people and language had been an issue among other things. There was something of a barrier between herself and many of them. However, she was still happy to be here and see them all walking forward. The speeches earlier given were still moving and touching, enough that her eyes had become wet with unshed tears.
Standing when her row was up she found herself looking from her aunt and uncle to her two cousins, and future cousin in law, her family. They weren’t her parents, they never would be, but they were family and that was important. She wasn’t expecting some introduction, why would she be, but she heard words other than her name from the faculty member reading the names. Telling how she had come only two years ago from South Korea and had really done her best to adjust and had done so very well - that she was proud to call her name. The words spoken about her, short and simple as they were, choked her up as she came forward when her name was read - Lee Eunkyung. Smiling and even laughing softly as the guidance counselor butchered her name. Correcting, gently, as she hugged the woman before going to collect her diploma from the one who had them.
Rejoining the line, which was still moving as people moved to collect diplomas and then returned to the back of the line as they shuffled forward toward their original seats. When they were able to sit again things continued with the row behind them and then the next row.
When it was over and everyone was once again seated the dark haired female was treated to another two speeches before they were told to flip the tassel on their caps to the other side...and they could toss them then. She could...and did toss her hat, perhaps in the hopes of it being a bit closer to her parents and them seeing her message to them. She wasn’t even sure why she tossed it, she just did, but she did make sure to collect it before they were dismissed to join their families - which she went to do quickly.
As she didn’t know many people she was able to weave her way around people with little effort. The only setbacks were a few people who seemed to want to congratulate her on coming to a new country and doing so well. On the outside she had done well, with good grades and ready to attend college, she had plenty of tassels hanging about her neck as well. But she didn’t have the connections that other people had...and she lost out on that.
She had applied to Destiny City university, it was local and being a senshi she didn’t want to leave here - didn’t want to return to South Korea. She had a duty and she would see it through - just like her elder cousins. She wasn’t even sure what sort of universities back home she could get into after two years here at an American high school where the standards were a lot lower….and that was sad in a way for her, as studies and school had been such a big thing for her for so long.
Her thoughts were derailed however when she thought about finding her family, as she heard some other happy family nearby talking loudly - excitedly. Time to find her own family. Word count: 1,008
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:28 pm
August 22, 2017 (Back dating a bit.) University, it was something she had looked forward to and worked towards for years, her whole life really. Everything she had done in school, all the time spent studying and learning, was to get into a good university and then she had moved. The move had taken away her dreams, her parents dreams, of which university she would wind up going to.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t go, her aunt and uncle would cover it if she wanted, but she couldn’t just leave Destiny City and go back to South Korea in order to attend the university she had worked towards. She wasn’t even sure if her grades from here would allow her to go...the difference in exams and level of education...she would have to worry about that and the two years in education she had lost while living here, she’d be behind everyone of her peers.
She had known the dream was nearly out of reach when she had moved here, she could still go, but she had lost the dream when she had become a senshi and she had, in time, accepted it. This was, as far as she was concerned, more important. She had her two elder cousins involved in this and it was fascinating really. Some ancient war and space travel, though she’d yet to do that, it was all magical and full of wonder and things to be learned. Things no one she had ever gone to school with would ever know, knowledge they wouldn’t have.
This didn’t mean she didn’t feel guilt over not going back home, back to Korea, in order to apply for the top universities there in the hopes that at least one would accept her. She felt immense guilt over it, it had been what she and her parents had wanted for her, and all she needed to do was ask...and give up being a senshi. It wasn’t all that hard, not really and yet it was so impossible.
It was what had led her up to this. Eunkyung was sat in her room at her computer filling out forms for another university, not one back in Korea, it wasn’t Destiny City University like her elder cousin Seung attended. She just...she didn’t think it was as good as she wanted, in terms of education and standards. She wasn’t trying to be a snob, as she knew some might think of her, but it just...it seemed like everyone got in who applied. That was why she was applying to another university in Destiny City, one a little more...picky with who it let in. She had already applied, she’d been down to the university two days ago, and had been accepted. She was, right now, filling out the information to apply for grants and scholarships - free money.
The same day she had applied to the university, and been accepted, she had seen a guidance counselor who had helped her set up her class schedule. They had told her, a few times, that taking six classes her first semester might be a bit much, that she should try and go part time in order to get used to things. She hadn’t listened. She was sure she’d do fine. She just needed to get this paperwork done. Word count: 549
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 2:45 pm
October 12th, 2018. (back dating a few days..well two weeks or so. To the day after Sweeny's event started ic.) So many things had been happening lately, all revolving around the chaos that was Destiny City, it was a wonder the city remained mostly intact. Some areas, like the one they lived in, were even getting makeovers that were bringing them up in in appearance and social scale. It wasn’t such a bad thing, in her opinion anyway, but it meant rent would get higher and they all knew it. It wasn’t such a worry though, not with Seung-hyungs well paying job. They would be fine though with four adults and two children living in the apartment it was getting a touch small.
Maybe, before prices went up too high, they should get a bigger place? It was something she’d been thinking about mentioning to her cousins, it was a good idea. Soon the twins would get older and would need more room, would want separate bedrooms, it was a matter of time and more room would be needed as they gained things.
She kept meaning to bring it up but other things kept happening, the theater than the clinic, and those things of course became the topic of discussion for the next several nights once the twins were in bed. These were talks not meant for the twins, grown up talks as they were considered, but tonight she was hoping to get her cousins into discussion with her over the idea. It needed to be brought up sooner rather than later.
That in mind she was smiling to herself as she busied herself in the kitchen. October was here and with it EunKyung had decided to start making stews and other warming foods...hearty meals. She was, tonight anyway, working on some Korean foods that were familiar to herself and her family but also some American dishes as they were more familiar to Terry. She felt bad for him, at times, being the only non-Korean in the house. It meant sometimes he didn’t understand what was being talked, or whispered, about and that food sometimes was an adventure to him. She was thinking about picking up an elephant fish sometime soon to make - that would be new for him!
Humming to herself as she skimmed over the recipe she was using, at the moment, she was hoping the food would come out well. It wasn’t something she was familiar with but the style in cooking she felt comfortable with. Hopefully her cousins would see the point in moving now to a bigger place, while prices were still ok and the area they lived in was still picking up.
Looking around the apartment she was happy that she also had, off to the corner of the large counter in the kitchen, a pile of pumpkins she had bought and was planning on having everyone carve up together, after dinner...once the plates were cleared and the dining room table cleaned. Once the table was cleaned they would have the room to make a big mess, as they surely would do, as they carved up and emptied the pumpkins of their seeds and pulp. She did wonder if she shouldn’t do something with the seeds...find a place to grow them somehow perhaps. But where? It felt wrong though to just toss out the seeds when they could be used for next year, and maybe some food dishes along the way.
She would, she figured, come up with something later on - maybe with some help. Word count: 574
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 7:39 pm
October 12th, 2018. (back dating to October 6th) She had gotten used to flying, it was something that happened when most of your family lived overseas, but this time she wasn’t in a plane to heading to see family...well not the normal sort of family. ARMY was a different sort of family but still important to EunKyung. She was just stepping into JFK international airport after a somewhat short flight, when compared to going to Incheon International Airport, in order to see her favorite group who would be performing at Citifield, in just a few hours, it was going to be historic and amazing!
Already moving towards the baggage claim she was surprised, pleasantly so, to see other obvious fans and to hear the groups music playing in the airport. It wasn’t hard getting through security, they were really friendly too, and make for the outside so she could catch a cab
Looking back to her family, the concert trip was a family affair really, she felt herself smiling softly. It was nice having family for something like this...it felt sort of, oddly, domestic with the twins coming and her elder cousins and her cousin in law. It really was a big thing for their family, and for several reasons.
“Come on.” She called out shaking her head, they were lagging behind a bit, she was of course teasing as she stopped and held the doors to the outside for them all. “You all are getting slow….does that come with age, like wisdom?” Normally she wouldn’t speak in such a manner, it was something which might be considered rude in Korea even saying it to family members, but it was different in America and she was just so excited about today, especially tonight, that she couldn’t help herself really.
“We should drop by the hotel and drop everything off in the rooms and then if someone wants we can drop them off at Citifield and they can jump on the merch line for everyone. The rest of us can get food and come back then.” She offered up. Honestly she did want some of the new merch and this was the only chance to get some of it, she knew it would be all sold out on the website.
“Tomorrow...before the flight back...if we could drop by the BT21 store in Time Square. Twitter says they got the Halloween merch in...we could pick some cute things up.” She knew they’d go for it, that they would want the merch also. It wasn’t like they had plushies and such all over the apartment but they had various cute things here and there. They were adults, or almost adults, but they were just confident to go with what they liked and wanted in their home.
Stepping out, once the others had gotten outside, the door closed behind her and EunKyung joined the others on the sidewalk as Seung held up a hand to signal for a cab. Watching as a yellow van headed there way, pulling up to the curb in front of them, it was one of her hyung’s who slid the door open and told the driver where they were going. Things quickly were loaded up, people seated, and the cab was headed off. This was going to be so amazing! So many ARMY would all be in one place! Word count: 558
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2018 9:57 pm
October 12th, 2018. Why was it that everyone in her college classes seem to be getting sick? The weather she knew had been bouncing, a bit, but really? This was worse than last year, at least as far as she could remember, and it left her class today half empty, people had just decided not to show up or had sent e-mails with scanned in doctors notes and such. It was rather disturbing, as she wondered how long until she got sick, to see so many people absent on a single day.
As the class went on, the professor would be e-mailing notes to those who had provided a doctors note, EunKyung wondered if she shouldn’t get a flu shot this year, something she’d never done before, and perhaps stockpile the apartment with cold medication and other things. She didn’t want to get sick ands she doubted anyone else did, not to mention the twins couldn’t afford to miss school, it was a promising idea.
It was by the time that class was dismissed, fifteen minutes early, that she was texting Seung who she knew was home. Asking him for a list of what they had in the bathrooms medicine cabinet and telling him she was going to pick up things - lots of things.
When he’d texted back, with a somewhat small list, she told him she’d fix that...as if it was a problem. Right now it was an issue, she worried that being around so many sick classmates she might get sick and the twins...colds passed around among young kids quick and easy in school, she’d heard people talking about that.
The bus trip from campus to as close as she could get, which was two blocks away, to the nearest CVS wasn’t too bad. It was chilly out, more windy than anything, and it made her wish she had a long coat today. It hadn’t been needed earlier in the day though, it really hadn’t, but now it was really feeling like a need. The inside of CVS offered an escape from the wind, which was much needed, and she was quick in heading for the back isles where she took to looking for various things.
A basket hung from her arm as she went down the isles. Grabbing allergy medication and other things which went into the cart, decongestion, cold and flu, sinus, cough, runny nose, stuffy nose. She grabbed a bit of everything so no matter what they’d be covered, at least she hoped.
Deciding, in passing, the grab more bandages, wraps, gauze, and other things to toss into the first aid they kept at the apartment EunKyung spent a good amount of time there. When she went to get rung up she went to the counter in pharmacy rather than the front of the store, which most might consider rude since she wasn’t here for a prescription. The only issues was that she needed to be here, not up front, she used her ID to purchase a few of the strong medications that were kept behind the counter.
That was harder than it looked, as she was only allowed three boxes of the medications, but she waved it off as stockpiling due to younger people in school and living in a large family. It kept the old lady from looking at her funny anymore, and the one at the register had no problem talking to her about it. She seemed to understand, thankfully, why she was getting the three boxes she was legally allowed to get at a time.
With money spent, more than she planned on, and a load of medication in a bag she headed out and back into the wind and cold. A message sent to her cousin, as soon as she was tucked into another cab, letting him know she was on her way back and to please unlock the apartment door for her. She had a heavy bag and wanted to just hurry inside and not fumble with her key, the bag, her school bag, and her purse. It was too much and he understood, as he sent back a text confirming he’d open the door for her.
Now she just had to hope they didn’t need all these medications, she was hoping no one would get sick much less several of them, but it seemed to be that time of the year. It was half way home that she remembered that she had planned to get a flu shot. Well, there went that idea. Next time she figured - next time. It wasn’t like they didn’t go to CVS for things from time to time, especially for the first aid kit. Word count: 780
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2025 7:39 pm
January 26, 2025 (Back dating a little bit..) To think nearly ten years had gone by since she’d moved to Destiny City - so much had happened. When she thought about it EunKyung found it hard to believe how far her life had come and all the good, and the bad, which had happened. Though most of the things which had happened in the last…nine years were good, some very good, but there were some bad. She still felt that Seung being disowned by his parents, her aunt and uncle, was terrible and bad. All because he preferred males to females…they still hadn’t talked to him since, and it had been so many years, she knew he missed them but had accepted things.
Speaking of relationships…there was Sachio who had come into her life, and she was so very glad he had, just finding his presence to be so relaxing was a plus for her. Working as hard as she was in school it helped to have him around, to have him helping her and encouraging her, even as she pushed him on and cheered for him and what he was doing. They would both make it and reach their dreams - she knew it.
She knew they’d both have careers and the security those would provide them with…they could in time build a life together, because that was what she wanted. She had been thinking about it here and there recently, perhaps because they were doing so well in their schooling, she couldn’t picture herself dating someone else, especially not after spending so many years dating Sachio. Not only had it been years spent together but both of them were senshi, they had that in common, she wasn’t going to just date anyone and have to keep the whole magic and senshi thing a secret.
The fact the thoughts had been coming up here and there, for a while now, had her wondering if she should talk to him about it…rather than beating around the bush as some might. She would, if she did decide to talk to him about it, approach it head on and see what he had to say on the matter. It wasn’t like she would want anything big, she wasn’t that sort of person, and the fact they were both still in school didn’t bother her. Nor did the fact they were both going to wind up coming out of uni with some amount of debt, she expected that, and it wasn’t a bother for her. It was apart of dating someone, and the idea of moving in together was already an appealing idea for her, so it really was something to talk to him about.
Humming to herself as she worked on fixing the flower arrangement she’d gotten for herself, a little pick me up after a hard week of exams and papers being due, EunKyung couldn’t help but smile at the thought of couples. What of that little moth like senshi, the alien one, had he finally figured things out and made that separation in his own mind and decided if he wanted this new person? This reborn senshi he’d once known…someone he was still discovering and getting to know. If so, were they together? Smiling softly she found it cute in a way…a new and very young sort of love…like a flower blooming slowly in the springtime. Oh, how sweet it could be…because that little moth was such a sweet person it seemed to her.
Oh! But he was one of those older senshi, an alien, and eventually he would need help on his home world just as others had. She should really reach out to him and see to it that he knew she would help him when he had need, and he would, she was sure, and perhaps arrange some meeting with him! She could bring him some home made food and see how he was doing, get her answers about his love life, and make sure he was doing well in this city. It was certainly different from where he was from and he had seemed still so new to this planet, never mind this city. She really should reach out, it had been too long, would he think she didn’t want to be friends or that he’d done something wrong? Yes, she would send him a text and check in and arrange a meet up.
That in mind EunKyung shuffled her way across the kitchen's tiled floor and went to retrieve her cell phone from where she’d left it next to the sink. Unlocking the screen she went to send him a message, tapping it out quickly, she hit send before setting her phone back down. The message was sent…she just had to wait, and while she waited she’d finish what she’d been doing.
On her way back to the flowers she turned around, nearly bumping into the countertop, and went back to her phone and unlocked it again. This time a message to meet for dinner was sent to Sachio. They could get dinner when he was free, even if it was a late dinner, perhaps somewhere nice where the food was good. They might be students but money wasn’t too tight, yet, so they might as well indulge in dinner out whilst they still could. Once they were out of school and the bills hit she knew money would be tight and doing these sorts of things would become nearly impossible. She was ok with it, she’d accepted it, but that meant indulging a bit here and there when they could…when it was called for, like this, she wanted to talk and spend a night out with him without having to worry.
Setting her phone down, Sachio might not answer right away, and headed back to the flowers to finish arranging them in their vase. She would keep her phone close by, for whenever she got a text back from either person she’d sent a message to, but she wasn’t going to tie herself to her phone. It was a day that she had time to herself, a rare thing, and she was going to try and enjoy it. She had two evening classes today so the hours beforehand she would enjoy, and spend wisely, and changing herself to her phone was not a part of that.
Smiling as she returned to her work, while planning to go to a cafe in around an hour, she had some small things to do here and there before she could leave, she was in no rush at the moment and would enjoy this time. Her slender fingers messed with the stems of flowers while she hummed to herself. Today was a good day…a day to reach out to people and take some forward steps with people, and herself. Word count: 1,131
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 4:07 pm
January 29, 2025 (Back dating to a few days.) After the chat, via text messages, with Sasha she knew they’d be meeting up in a day's time so she’d decided to get them various snacks. Things she could purchase and bring to the meeting for them to try, things she didn’t think they’d tried before, that was what had her out in the cold weather at the grocery store. It wasn’t just cold, which would have been fine, but it was pouring and with her fear of being in a moving vehicle in the rain she’d had to walk it. The store was one of the asian grocery stores which dotted the city, that was why she figured he’d not have tried anything she’d be purchasing, as she wandered the snacks aisle picking things up and putting some into her cart. Some items went back to the shelf before something else was picked up, and inspected.
She was grabbing as many fruit snacks as she could but also, already in her cart, she’d picked out some drinks for them to try. From various teas to fruit drinks and other things. There was a theme to what she was getting, since they seemed to like fruits, so she was working with that in mind as she made her choices.
EunKyung knew this wasn’t needed, or even expected, but she thought the surprise might be nice plus it was a whole new year and it a gift for the other might be a very nice idea. Someone should introduce him to snacks from other countries and she doubted those around him were doing so, and if they were than he was lucky, so this was her way of introducing him to new things from other places that he might never see…but he should really know about - because there was a lot to see and know about this planet.
She wanted to help him find more things to enjoy on this planet, more things to find comfort and happiness in, because he needed that in order to happily live here and he had no choice as space was no place to live - not yet anyway. She knew that from her own trips to space to help others, and what her cousins had told her. Seeing Sachio’s own homeworld told her as much as well. She had not really been to her own planet, worried and even scared of what might be there, she had avoided it for so long. She knew she should go…she felt bad that she hadn’t in all these years.
With a few more snacks dropped into the basket EunKyung headed off to find some other things which might be enjoyed by the moth like senshi. Before she left there were two other areas of the store she wanted to check out, and one of those areas was where she headed first. The first of the two areas was a half an aisle which was dedicated to sea weed in all flavors and types. She was aiming to get some dried seaweed snacks in various flavors for him to try. He might not like it at all, no matter what, or he might find a few flavors he did like. It wasn’t unhealthy and it was all natural so it was something he might like…at least she thought he might.
Some of the flavors were sesame seed, grapeseed oil, green tea, and she grabbed one of each different flavors while mostly ignoring the brands on the packaging. She didn’t think the brands would matter a bit to Sasha, whereas she might worry about the brands if she were buying for family or herself even. But this was just for him to taste and see if he even liked the idea of such a snack. If he found some he liked she could get him other brands and see if there were differences he noticed, if he found brands he liked over others.
The last area she headed to was a big area and diverse - fresh produce. The amount of fruits they had here was staggering and she wasn’t sure what fruits he’d had and what ones he’d never had or even heard of. So EunKyung started grabbing plastic bags and finding a worker had them help her pick out ones that were just under ripe, so he had some time on things, or were just ripe. She didn’t know how to pick some of these fruits, as they were ones she’d never had herself, but with some help all manner of fruits wound up bagged and inside her basket.
That basket soon was traded in for a cart, as she grabbed a durian for him as well, she needed the space and a nearby vacant cart was put to use by her as it was filled up with bagged fruits…and a durian. She would warn him properly about that, knowing it’s reputation, she didn’t mind the taste but she didn’t even like the smell of them and hated opening them to get at the fruit inside….delicious or not the smell was hard to put up with.
Fifteen minutes later and EunKyung was regretting purchasing so many things since she only had two hands, no car, and she was walking herself home in the pouring rain with two large, heavy, bags filled with various things. She knew she’d gone over the top but she’d gotten a bit too caught up in things, wanting to give Sasha all different things to try, but not she was paying for it as she walked down the sidewalk juggling the bags she had and trying to keep an umbrella up and over her head as she walked. This wasn’t going to take time, a lot of time, to get home.
This was one of those times where she wished her parents had never had that accident, that she had never gained such a fear of being in a moving vehicle in rain, but she had lost her parents and she did have a fear that gripped her so tightly she couldn’t even manage public transport in the rain. She’d need a hot soak when she got home, to try and combat the cold and keep her from getting sick, but then she could take a nap once everything was put away….or maybe a cousin of hers could be convinced to put everything away for her.
Huffing, and shouldering a bag, EunKyung continued on the long trek home. This was not going to be easy for her, and she knew it, but all she could do was continue on with her feet hitting the ground and her dark eyes determined. She couldn’t call her cousins, any one of them, or they’d come with a car and while they might relieve her of the shopping bags she’d still wind up walking herself home. There was no point ,even if the walk home would be easier for her, because it would take longer to call them and get things loaded into a car and it would just be a waste. It would be a waste because she was still going to walk home and it would look bad, she didn’t want to explain things to them even though she was certain they all knew, it was nothing she’d ever outright told them…and she didn’t want or even need help with this. She knew the problem and understood it…she wasn’t fighting it though and she didn’t want to either.
The walk was, unsurprisingly, long and tiresome and by the time she got home EunKyung was worn out and tired. Her arms were sore and tired, her shoulders ached, and her legs were tired from the walk with the weight she’d been carrying. It had not been easy and this was why she tried to not go out when it was raining…especially for things like shopping. If it was just going to classes, or something else simple, it was easier because there was no heavy lifting included.
Pushing the door open EunKyung hurried her way inside, letting everything nearly fall from her arms, as she hurriedly shut and locked the front door before heading right for the bathroom. The bags weren’t in the doorway so they wouldn’t trip someone, she didn’t need to cause an accident, as she started removing her clothing along the way so she was down to undergarments by the time she was in the bathroom and turning on the water. Once the shower was on, and the water was heating up, she was able to pull her hair up into a hair holder and two clips so she could hop in moments later.
Oh god! The heated water felt good! It was so needed after the long trek home. The shopping had been a good idea but damn had it left her cold and needy for a hot shower to chase the chill away and ease the ache in her arms, legs, shoulders. She really didn’t want a repeat of this any time soon.
Word count: 1,501/i]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 29, 2025 9:33 pm
January 29, 2025. The Lunar New Year was here and EunKyung had decided to cook for everyone, which meant starting early on making food since she was cooking for her two cousins, her cousin-in-law and the two little ones Seung and Terry had adopted. The cooking took time but was something she enjoyed, especially since it was for family, she just needed to keep people out of the kitchen while she worked - she would not have them getting in her way.
With an apron on, a rather cute and frilly thing, EunKyung hurried about the kitchen as she worked. From cutting veggies, and other things, to mixing and stirring she was busy with making a meal for everyone. Traditionally a table was set up for food for their ancestors, an offering, and she was working on that as well as food for everyone else. It was why she was so busy with cooking so many things, already set on the table for offering were fresh fruits, she would once done cooking go change into the hanbok she had laid out in her room for today.
She might not be back home in Korea, she hadn’t been there in years, but she had very little reason to travel back to see family. Seung’s family had turned on him, disowned him, and in siding with her cousin she had cut ties with her uncle and aunt who lived here and had been taking care of her previous to their disowning of her elder cousin. She couldn’t turn on him, especially not for some as simple as who he loved, he’d been there for her when no one else had been. He’d been the first one there when her parents had died and she’d been in the hospital with the weight of the world on her shoulders, realizing she’d have to face the world alone from now on.
They might have taken her in, which she would forever appreciate, but the fact they had turned on Seung….she couldn’t agree with them. And the rest of the family, those back in Korea, had sided with them. So all she could do was return in order to visit her parents' graves, and she would do that on the anniversary and for their birthdays, she was certain her parents would understand why she didn’t turn up today. Today she would be here for her living family and help keep traditions alive while living here, in another country, so her cousins adopted children got to experience their culture and grow up with it - it was their culture as well.
Socked feet moved across the floor as she stepped out of the kitchen, heading for the front door, as she heard the knock on the door. She had ordered flowers for delivery for today, one arrangement for the table for their ancestors and one for their own table. She’d opted for peonies, a flower she thought would be fitting and was elegant and pretty. Thanking the man at the door as she took both boxed arrangements, she took the money she had in her pocket and paid him a tip for the delivery. Once the door was closed she was heading back for the kitchen and laying the boxes down she went to grab the vases she had ready for the arrangements, since she had arranged for them to arrive today.
It took some time to arrange the flowers, not that she needed to make them look pretty but she had to clip the stems and pour some powder into the vases which needed room temp water poured into them. Once they were set up though the flowers were set out on the appropriate tables. “Good, that looks good.” One more thing done in her mental checklist of things to do today.
Back to the food and it was on a whim that she decided to portion off some food for Sachio. This normally wasn’t a holiday for people you were dating, or friends, it was a family oriented holiday but she was planning to have an important talk with Sachio about that. While she knew the Japanese didn’t celebrate the Lunar New Year, and hadn’t in a good while, she was still going to bring him a proper new years meal and they could talk while he ate. If things went well, which she hoped they would, then it wasn’t a terribly bad idea to introduce him to her own family's cultural holidays as there were some differences between Korea and Japanese - such as the Lunar New Year.
She had packed other things to bring to Sachio’s place when she visited tonight, wanting to bring a bit more of the holiday celebration into things, she didn’t think it would be good to keep things all serious and a game or two might be a nice way to lighten the mood after the talk she wanted to have with him. She was planning to bring to play yannori with him, she’d have to teach him how to play, but she thought it might be fun for them to play something which even children played…it wasn’t a serious game and something they could enjoy. If that failed she had a deck of cards and they could simply play a normal card game, again something they could enjoy as it wasn't serious, it was her attempts and hope to keep the mood as light as she could despite the serious talk she wished to have with her boyfriend.
They were young, she knew that, and it might feel like a rush or a push for something people seemed to not be doing until they were older but really this felt like a good fit to her. Not only had they been dating for years but they were both senshi and understood that part of things, even if they weren’t the most active due to school obligations. They both were busy with university and were supportive of each other as they worked hard to achieve more for themselves, why not move forward with this part of their lives and further support themselves? It wasn’t like she was asking, or even thinking of, children. They were not prepared for that in the slightest, and she knew that, but moving in together and helping each other financially she thought was a good idea. Marriage was a good idea as well, it would allow them to help and support each other as much as possible, it would be a good test of things…a bond forged and tested would make it stronger when they came out the other side with good careers and choices made together.
The thoughts running through her mind kept her company as she continued with cooking, dumplings and japchae, she moved around with a smile on her face. Whatever may come she was certain it would all be good. The new year was here and like a snake shedding it’s skin so too would any ills of the previous year be shed and in it’s wake new and good things would come. She would start that off tonight with a talk with Sachio. Then, and only once she knew it was all good, would she tell her cousins of her intentions. She might even tell her aunt and uncle, even if she was very low contact with them, they would like to know and she would tell them.
It wasn’t that she was worried what her cousins would think, she had no reason to worry, it was just that they’d likely decide to question Sachio and considering she’d kept him hidden from them for years…that would not just raise some eyebrows but it would have them all clamoring to question him and play protective older cousin who would want to test him and make sure he was appropriate and worthy of her. She didn’t want to set her boyfriend up for all that, though she knew it would eventually happen, but she knew that after tonight it would happen sooner rather than later. She’d have to warn Sachio…perhaps arrange with him to take her family out to dinner somewhere…hot pot was a good idea, something where they could all sit around and share a meal - literally. It was the best way to go about things she thought, she’d be there for the interrogation and be there for Sachio, she wouldn’t butt into things but she could give her silent support to her boyfriend as he faced down her cousins.
Rolling her eyes, laughing softly, she really thought it was cute how protective her cousins were. She supposed it was because they were all so close and there weren’t a lot of females in the family either. Rolling out the dough for the dumplings, she’d been working on making the dough, the little rounds were set aside so she could grab a bowl and start making the filling. The soup she’d been working on, rice cake soup, was also handled as the pot was set to the side with a lid put over it. Things were coming together though this was not easy, and perhaps she should have asked for help, she could see why this had been so hard on her mother when she’d been growing up. It made sense that multiple family members would bring dishes so no one person did all the cooking, next year she would certainly grab her cousins to help.
This was her first year doing the cooking for her family, in the previous years they’d just bought everything premade at HMart, this year she’d decided to take over and do things. She wanted to prove she could and learn how to do the cooking and preparations on her own, and now was considering dragging her cousins into it next year, because she did want to bring her culture and celebrations with her if she did move out of here and move in with Sachio. It was a test for her and something she needed to learn…but maybe she wasn’t as ready as she thought. It would take time she thought, while mixing meat and veggies into a bowl for the dumpling filling.
Next year, if all went well as she figured it would, she’d have Sachio help her as well. She could make Korean food and he could make some Japanese foods and they’d make it a blending of things, because the foods of both tier countries were not the same, it would be a good way to bring his own culture into things since the Japanese did not celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Yes, that was a perfect idea. Smiling even more as she took to humming while she worked, EunKyung was pleased with things, this was going to be a good day for her! She was sure of it. Now to just finish all this…and maybe, just maybe, she’d ask for help.Word count: 1,817
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
