tales character sketches #1- jess
1. jb (got7)/yezi (fiestar): don't cry no more - bobby "blue" band
it's early in november when yeji discovers that jaebum likes to sing the blues, voice hidden between the fragmented complaints of the journalism club's overworked printer. it's nothing new, hearing his voice though as the months trickle by and a grade nine curricular melts into a grade eleven responsiblity she finds a certain vulnerability appear.
one day when the song is familiar enough, something she's sure is lost within jongdae's get-jiggy-wid-it mix she hums along before she can stop herself. she's squared off in the corner of the lime green room, macbook balancing precariously on her knees as she finishes linking the last few stray lines of text announcing the new prefects and jaebum's voice falls flat.
'why'd you stop?' she asks, plum coloured nails nervously tap out the remainder of the melody on the back of her screen.
jaebum's silent, soft breaths and uneven steps that mark his escape.
--
his absence doesn't extend further than a week, yeji is almost completely certain that ahyeon complained about having to carry his workload and when he reappears he's silent and stiff. it's june when she discovers him crumpled against the wall, eyes glazed over and breathing decidedly unsteady.
'you okay?' she asks and when he doesn't respond, she settles down beside him close enough for them to knock elbows and choke back silent laughter. jaebum doesn't answer her once more, instead opting to reach inside his jacket.
when he pulls out a flask and takes a swig, he glances at her and shrugs as if that's enough of an answer; yeji shakes her head.
'can i have a sip?'
--
it becomes a monday ritual and slowly jaebum opens up, but it's nearing the close of the year and ahyeon's gone on a specifically-decaf coffee run and they're mostly alone and almost definitely not visible to the general public when yeji finds herself straddling jaebum and cutting him off mid word by slamming her lips against his; he tastes like whiskey and musk flavoured gum.
they kiss until they're both mostly breathless, until yeji's skirt is more of a belt and until jaebum's hair resembles that of an electric shock victim's; and when yeji pulls away jaebum doesn't question it, he just smiles in a painfully endearing way and helps yeji straighten up, though she pulls into herself and shrinks away as he draws near.
'i'm sorry i shouldn't have-'
'thanks,' jaebum says quietly, voice silvery; when he walks past her, reaching down to grab his backpack and sling it over his shoulder she hears a soft hum and before she even realises another monday ritual is born.
--
it's not real outside of school, outside of that room and as soon as ahyeon walks in with reference books piled high or her camera slung around her neck they feigned the weakest of friendships; jaebum had jinyoung and a mostly untapped vein of fangirls and yeji had jongdae and when she didn't have jongdae she had kikwang and for now what they had was more than either of them really needed.
2. bora (sistar)/hyuna (nine muses): i want to be loved - muddy waters
'so you're almost totally in love with me right?'
bora's like summer in the middle of winter, bare legs splayed across hyungsik's.
'timidly certain,' he replies, gaze fixed on the way their hands fit together.
'good,' bora chuckles, rewarding him with a kiss on the cheek.
they sit in a comfortable silence, both half watching the bachelor with a morbid fascination.
"he's not even that hot."
"he should hit that chick, she fine."
"the blonde?"
"ew no, the ghetto brunette with the big jugs."
"and the nice personality?"
"yeah that one."
"the blonde looks like she'd win in a bar fight."
"and possibly the wrestling ring."
"what do any of them even see in this guy?"
"maybe he has a big dick-"
"hyungsik, please."
"i'm just saying."
bora nestles against hyungsik's chest, fingers toying with the hem of his shirt and laughs; she leans forward momentarily far extending the limits of human flexiblity as she makes grabby hands in the direction of her phone.
'that can't be healthy for your spine or really any of your bones or joints-'
'speaking of joints.' bora cackles as hyungsik drops her phone into her hands and searches his pocket for his soft pack.
'also speaking of hyuna,' bora says, stare concentrated on the screen of her phone.
'which hyuna?' hyungsik asks, a few beats behind as he retrieves the half smoked joint and lights it.
'moon, the love of my life.'
'naturally.'
'how would you feel about a threesome?' bora asks, taking the joint graciously between her fingers and taking a deep drag only to watch hyungsik choke on the memory of smoke.
'is that a real question.'
'it could be, but hurry we need to wrap this up before the ad break is over.'
'a once off thing or-'
'depends.'
'on what?'
'yes or no.'
'yes? i think? what am i saying yes to.'
'too late, you've agreed.'
'but-'
'the bachelor's back!' bora squeals, taking one last drag before holding the joint out for hyungsik and tapping out some semblence of a reply to hyuna.
"yeah no, you might be right on the junk front."
"told you, five bucks pay up."
"we didn't even make a bet you little shit."
"i might occasionally call hyuna daddy."
"i can live with that."
bora scrabbles for the remote, hitting pause and kissing hyungsik until he's become sufficiently delayed and cross-eyed.
"hey bora..."
"yeah?"
"if we really do this... i mean i know it's only been a few months... it's you that-"
"god you're a soppy little lady, come on. i know. now come on, he's about to hand out the roses."
3. jackson (got7)/hyunyoung (rainbow): all i want - joni mitchell
'you're not that special.' jackson huffs, fingertip hitting delete in an almost cavalier way whenever her face pops up. sometimes she's smiling, sometimes laughing, leaning a little too close to mark shift+delete. 'you're just a burden, cho hyunyoung.'
there's a knock at the door and she's falling into his arms and she smells otherworldly and all is forgiven before he can even catch himself.
she's fast asleep, covers kicked away and jackson's staring at the ceiling. it's not her fault his love is explosive, she picks out the shrapnel and that's mostly enough for him.
she's wide awake and she comes bearing partially raw pancakes that smell like honeycomb. this isn't love this isn't love, but she's all that he wants.
'can i use your charger? i need to let mark and kwangmin know i got home okay.' jackson nods, his being buzzing with ambivalence. he was home, that was enough.
it's not enough, but hyunyoung smiles at him enough that he forgets.