Chapter Text
Hyejoo tapped her foot anxiously against the linoleum tile as she waited. Everyone had warned her how much this would hurt, and the reality of it all was suddenly hitting her as she waited for her artist to arrive. She had looked at the artist’s social media pages, and they’d discussed Hyejoo’s tattoo over DM.
Behind her, a voice spoke. “You ready, babe? I’ve got everything all set up for you.”
Oh, god. Hyejoo was in trouble. She knew the artist had beautiful work, but she had no clue how beautiful the artist herself was. She definitely looked the part: tattoos adorning her arms, tattoos on her hands, ink just barely creeping up beneath the top hem of her shirt, and several piercings.
Hyejoo stood and followed the woman back to her station where she’d prepared everything. “I, uh, I’m kind of a wuss when it comes to needles,” Hyejoo confessed. “I’ve never done this before.”
“Don’t worry,” the artist said, “If you squirm, I don’t mind pinning you down.” She winked and turned away to double check she had everything she needed. Ink caps were arranged neatly on the counter, she had plenty of soapy water, and her needles were all organised. “Pretty brave of you to pick your ribs for your first tattoo,” she said. “Most tattoo virgins get something really tiny on, like, their wrist. You went big, girl. You ready?”
Nervously, Hyejoo nodded. She wasn’t actually ready, she was terrified. “Um, Hyunjin…” she stood awkwardly next to the artist. “I wasn’t really sure what to wear for the tattoo; how can I make it easier for you?”
“Top off, and then we’ll do the stencil.”
Hyejoo looked around at the near-empty shop and finally removed her hoodie, leaving her in a sports bra. “Is this okay?” Hyunjin nodded and approached the girl. She cleaned her skin first and rubbed on a bit of Vaseline. She then placed the stencil on and positioned it how she thought would look best. She pressed softly against Hyejoo’s ribs and smoothed out the thin paper before peeling it off and leaving behind a clean outline.
She took a step back and grinned, satisfied with her design and its placement. “Look in the mirror, tell me if you want me to change the placement of it at all.” Hyejoo looked at herself in the mirror and gasped. She hadn’t even been tattooed yet and she already felt like a badass.
“It’s perfect. I’m ready whenever you are.”