Chapter Text
A quite popular artist , her work speaks volumes. Every stroke, every color, every shade isperfect. But is she perfect? Oh no, quite the opposite... at least, that's what she thinks.
Creak
The door opens. A youthful woman walks into the room. In her right hand, she holds a newset of paintbrushes, which she sets down on the nearby table. Her long white hair catches the moonlight shining in from the window behind her. It glows..almost ethereal. She looks tired. Exhausted, even.
She sighs and stares at the blank canvas in front of her. Ever since her partner's death...she's changed. Became quieter. Less confident. All those creative ideas that once earned praise? Gone. Vanished. Evaporated like mist.She turns away and gazes at the moon, as if expecting to see him sitting next to her. He loved the moon.Said it reminded him of her. "Soft, bright, and comforting," he'd say with that gentle smile.She misses those sweet talks, his calm gaze, the comfort of his hand, the softness in his voice.
She shakes her head. No, no crying. Not again. She's cried enough. They were supposed tohave good memories…wedding day memories. Her walking down the aisle in the dress shepicked just for him. Him waiting at the altar in his favorite suit, that look in his eyes. Vows exchanged. A kiss. But none of that happened.
Because fate said
"No"
Ringtone
Her phone rings. She jumps. Who in the world is calling at this hour? After a pause, she picks it up. Her eyes soften when she hears the other end of the line. "I knew it! I told you to sleep early!"
It's her younger sister. Her favourite, her sunshine. Nymeria chuckles. Yimelle's lecture is both adorable and dramatic. "What's so funny?? Go to sleep now, it's 2 AM!" She sounds mad, but Nymeria knows that tone. It's full of concern. So, naturally, Nymeria throws the same question back at her: "Why aren't you asleep then?"
Yimelle fumbles. Stuttering. Caught red-handed. Apparently she was up studying for an exam and now it's Nymeria's turn to scold her. Ironic, isn't it? Still, after the call ends, her mood is a little lighter.
The smell of freshly baked goods, the sun shining in through the window. It's such a nice and peaceful day, a woman with a beautiful pair of Hazel eyes sets down the tray of desserts onthe counter. But then she slipped on something and fell backwards. Arms flailing like acartoon character, her hands reached forward instinctively which also knocked down the trayof desserts.. Oh it's a mess..
She's a talented baker but her weakness is her ownclumsiness.‘This is the fourth time today… ‘ she sighs.
Ding
The bell above the bakery door rings Indicating someone is entering her bakery."Zuzu??" the familiar nickname and voice caught her attention, she stands up.. There's cream on her face like she just survived a food fight..Myanaa. A friend of Suzuno couldn't hide his amusement and laughed which made Suzuno embarrassed.
He offered to help and they both cleaned the mess up. He is also a baker and he works in the bakery across from her own bakery, that's how they became friends. Apart from his teasing banters, he's a marshmallow so Suzuno can't really be mad at him for long. You can say she has a soft spot for him… unfortunately."You look so funny earlier—" "oh shut up." Suzuno interrupted, she clearly still hasn't recovered from that embarrassment..Myanaa sulks and mutters an apology which makes Suzuno instantly melt. She pats his head and smiles which cheers him up slighty
Her sapphire eyes devoid of any light scans through the living room, it's quiet and she's alone. She sighed as she sat down on the couch. The memory of her patient yelling at her plays in her head, over and over again like a broken record. Miscommunication.. Again. Social skills? She has none. No idea how she even became a doctor. Her reaction during the chaos? Blank stare. Silence. Made her look like a heartless android..
The silence and loneliness comforted her, quite odd isn't it?
She reaches for the remote.Her headphones are dead, so no music today. Might as well watch the news.“A new virus found! The scientist who got infected is under lockdown, what will happen?? Will there be a zombie apocalypse like the movies? There's no news from the organizational yet, I'm—”
Ashley blinks slowly. Clicks to another channel.“I knew it would happen someday anyway," she mumbles like she just predicted Tuesday rain..“I knew it would happen someday anyway. “Fresh out of the shower, towel wrapped around her head. Her eyes? Spaced out."It's been 2 years since I time traveled to the future... and I still haven't found a lover!!" She flops onto her bed, rolling around like a human burrito throwing a tantrum.
She was love-starved in her old life too which is like….centuries ago. She misses being called Haeun.But hey, her new name's alright too." It's okay," she breathes out. Gotta stay positive. She opens her laptop. One deep breath." I'll feel better after I get the main lead in that manga adaptation!" Her slender fingers tap on the keyboard, her mood DROP when she reads the mail.
She…..got rejected
Oh, that's the last straw—
Screaming into a pillow? Check. Chucking the pillow across the room? Also check. She literally moved to Malaysia for this.‘Why did they reject me?! I swear my audition was perfect!ʼ..She's yelling at the void when..
Ping
A warning email pops up..From the government?Now she's confused. Replacing her saltiness with curiosity.
It's 2 AM , an exhausted looking woman can be seen working tirelessly from her window. Herhair is tied up to prevent it from distracting her, she's very focused and determined rightnow…
stomach growls sfx
...… oops. Pearl clutched her stomach, she just realized she hasn't eaten since breakfast.. Her elder sister is soo going to kill her for this. She sighs and finally stops.
If she faints from hunger, who's going to finish her thesis? The cat? Thankfully, there's a 24/7 convenience store nearby. She grabs her bag and tiptoes out of the house. The art of stealth, perfected by many older siblings avoiding lectures. When she got there, she's quite surprised that there were even people there because it's already very late. She greets the cashier and then goes to find some snacks.A few minutes later, the cashier is scanning the food and decides to have a small talk with Pearl.
Perfection, embodied. That's Evelyn Darling.Looks? Perfect. Voice? Heavenly. Skills? Insane. Gender preference? Irrelevant..He pulls them all. Man, woman, enby, unicorn, it doesn't matter. World's biggest celebrity. But even Gods have their curses. Being adored by millions sounds nice until you're followed into a bathroom. He's sick of pretending to be a sweet angel. In reality?
He is cocky. Proud. A walking ego.
Arrow hits the target.
Thunk
Bullseye
He pauses to take a break and drinks water. That's when he senses something. "Another stalker? Honestly, I can't blame them. I'm perfect. They should be honored to evenbreathe near me. I'm God's favourite after all."
He smiles to himself with much pride.
Still, better to hide before this quiet archery range turns into a fan riot. He sighs, plotting hisescape.
Ding
The bakery bell rang indicating someone was entering , a man with a rather tidy and clean appearance and carrying a gentlemanly energy. Mr. Edward!!" exclaimed Myanaa, a part time baker that works under her grandmother.
Edward lets out a gentle smile, he greets Myanaa politely as always. He's a regular customer here, perhaps it's the vibe of the bakery.. Or the fact that Myanaa's grandmother used to help him a lot."Is Ms. Suzuno not with you today?" he questioned. Myanaa nods, a hint of disappointment can be seen in his eyes.
Myanaa explained how Suzuno is busy with something. They talked for awhile before Myanaa leaves to prepare his order ; the usual coffee and bread.To be honest, he doesn't look like he's in his mid 30’s which is odd. What's even more odd is that he's unmarried, I wonder why. While eating, a kid that looks around..5 to 6 years old is running around the bakery. He wonders where her parents are.. The kid tripped near him and his instincts kicked him, hewas able to stop her from falling. The kid just laugh an innocent laugh from a pure soul.
He smiles but also gives her a little lecture, he's a teacher.. It's just what they do. "Where are your parents kiddo?" he asked. The kid looks conflicted.."My momma said to not talk to strangers" she replied with much pride, both hands on herhips. "Well your mother taught you right" he was about to say a but however out of the blue, a tallman — slicked back hair, suit, rich looking. Walking into the bakery, he looks like he'ssearching for something or someone. Once his eyes landed on the little girl, he sighed in relief. He must've been this girl’s father, is what Edward Initially thought. He was correct, he's relieved that the kid is safe now.
Sunshine smile. Big eyes. Round glasses. Feminine and masculine all in one. The definition of adorable.That's Myanaa. He doesn’t have many friends.. In fact he only had three… Suzuno.. Edward.. And his grandma…
Suzuno hits the back of his head which snaps him back to earth, he's been zoning out a lotthese days.. She's getting worried but he always keeps secrets from her.. From everyone."Myanaa, are you okay?... " she queried, there's genuine worriness in her expression.
"Ah Zuzu is always worried about me, she's so kind and pure.. I want to protect that."
he mused
He smiles. "Of course I'm alright! Don't worry about me okay? Now let's finish this, the dough won't roll themselves " he uttered, his tone made the tension in the air lessened. Suzuno sighs and smiles back, she knows something isn't right though. She really wants to help him but she doesn't want to pry as well.
It's night already, he's closing his grandmother’s bakery who's resting in their house right now.The night breeze. The moon. The empty streets. And the faint flicker of light from the broken lamp. This feels like something straight out of a horror movie.. A cliche one that is. His steps were faint, his hand reached out to open the door to a convenience store.He picks out some food, his eyes narrowed. "It's Grandma and Zuzu's favourite flavour.." he muttered to himself as he put them into the basket. He also took a gallon of gasoline, why is that?
He leaves the store, someone walks past him on the way and he can't help but look back..It's as if there's this connection. A woman with mid-length soft brown hair, she looks like she's in her early-twenties. He turns back and keeps walking, he wonders why he even looked back. He didn't feel anything unusual… but there's this some sort of connection.. As if they will meet in the future. Who knows?
He keeps walking.. But not the direction towards his house? He has a rather serious expression which he rarely does.. How out of character, isn't he supposed to be the marshmallow , soft type of character? There's this abandoned warehouse, it's far from the main city. The whole street is abandoned actually. He sets his bag down just outside of the warehouse and enters. There's a guy. He's not wounded. He's asleep. The guy opens his eyes, seeing even the mere silhouette of Myanaa terrifies him. The guy is tied up very tight. His leg is chained to a heavy object and his mouth is duct taped very sealed making him mute. He keeps shaking his head as if to say ‘I'm sorry.
‘Myanaa.. Or Harpson is unfazed, he knows the guy is hungry. He hasn't eaten or drank indays.. Just the thought of that makes Harpson smile.. Not his usual smile..An eerie twisted cold and a creepy one. The moonlight hits his face just right. He takes off his duct tape, he figures he will let him talk … because it's his last day either way. The first thing the guy wanted to do was scream but he knows it's useless as NO ONE other than them are there. Harpson is aware of this which amuses him even more.‘Please I'm sorry, I won't bully anyone ever again..! Please, I didn't mean to—’ he choked on his own words.
"I'm not the one you should apologize to"
Harpson muttered, he stood back up. "But I'll let Zuzu know you apologized, goodbye andgoodnight." he continued with a smile, his eyes glowing due to the moonlight shining from above.
There's no roof due to this warehouse being a hundred years old. The guy immediately knows he's up to something and begged, he's crying and screaming until his throat hurts. Harpson just turns his back on the guy and leaves the warehouse. After a while of ‘spraying’ the surroundings of the warehouse with gasoline, he lit his match on fire. It was a gift from Suzuno so he doesn't get cold since she noticed how he would easily get sick during the rainy season. He throws the match and watches as the fire starts devouring the warehouse. The scream from inside became louder but it's useless, he picks his bag back up and leaves as if nothing happens."I hope grandma didn't wait for too long, I better hurry"
One step and another, wowie having no school feels so… weird.. But good at the same time.He adjusts his glasses, he's in the middle of the city. His mother told him to go outside for once, he couldn't argue with that.. Plus he has nothing to do anyway.. Maybe this is a great chance to think about what he should do.. Become a gambler… no no.. Continue studying…?.. And suffer more? Hell no.. Get a part time job… ? Maybe..
He was distracted and bumped into someone.‘Sorry-’ he froze once his eyes landed on the girl. Woah she's gorgeous.. She has sapphire eyes that look unreal, she's not short but also not tall. Hazel Brown hair and for some reason.. She's wearing a jacket.. Even when it's hot…Iconic.The woman just nods and leaves, she didn't even spare a single glance. Dang it, he lost his chance..She seems like an awkward-type of person judging by her body language and the way she carries herself. Definitely interesting. How he knows you may ask.. Well he's smart… not book smart, street smart. All of the sudden, the big screen up on some building plays the news. It's talking about some new virus and it might be dangerous.
He's unfazed and just shrugs it off. "Maybe there would be some sort of apocalypse, sweet. I've been planning for this since I was a kid." he whispers to himself as he keeps walking
He stops when he sees a dog?.. Cat?.. Bear..? He couldn't tell but it certainly is..was an animal.. It looks distorted.. The facial features are all around the place, it looks unreal.. Not the pretty woman earlier’s unreal.. Out of a horror movie unreal..The ‘animal’ noticed him even when he's far away.. It's as it can hear him breathing or see his presence even if he's miles away… well he's not miles away right now but you get what I mean. Then it started running and—Someone pulls him.
Genius psychologist. Graduated at hyperspeed. Brains for days.Emotionally? Hot mess.
Neo's coworkers call him soft..unless you push the wrong button. Then it's rage mode unlocked. Currently, he's crying over pictures of all the guys who rejected him. Again. He wants a lover. But not just anyone. Them. Only them. How did he become a psychologist again....?
Anyways, this mental breakdown is way worse than the ones he had before due to more pressure.. and the thought of never seeing them ever again
He stopped crying midway. He noticed how this one particular guy.. Kyle is 'posing’ weird. He's one of Neo's crushes. Kyle looks a bit pale…sick and he's standing weirdly.. Now that he looks closer, his physical appearance also looks.. A bit different.. Why is that?
Thud
sometimes crashes in the living room...
Neo wipes his tears, suit's about to get real...
Her stylish and neat shop is somewhere near the middle of the city, she is taking a break for a while. Izumi sips her tea while looking through the big window in front of her. She can see the big creen on a building from here. Out of the blue, the news started playing. It's talking about some old virus that was found and how dangerous it is. Not much information though.
Meh
she just shrugs. It'll probably die down soon.. Or so she thought.The clock beep signalling the end of her break so she has to continue sketching a new design that one of her clients requested..What was his name… Ah, Evelyn. He's a big celebrity.. Known all over the world.
She met a lot of celebrities before but she hasn't met Evelyn. His measurements were taken by his personal assistant or something and were sent to her, he described the design he wanted in text. Rude. In short, she wasn't able to meet him at all but she doesn't really care.. He's not the celebrity that she really wants to meet anyway..She crumbles the paper and throws it, starting a new one.
How frustrating..She missed her father.. That's why she's doing fashion even if she isn't passionate about it
But no lie, she's really good at it.It's just.. Visual arts is what intrigues her more.Which is why her ‘most want to meet’ celebrity is an artist.. A specific artist that goes by ‘Nymeria’. The artist's life is pretty private and almost no one saw her face but there's a brief showing of it once. She's pretty but she looks.. Tired?
Oh well, Izumi really admires her paintings and sketches. She follows her every social media account, she even made a design inspired by her once. You can say she's her biggest fan but she doesn't admit it. Another thing about Izumi is that she's quite stubborn and never soft. The celebrities that worked with her before — Seo-Yeong. Talked about how rude she wasbut she's still very professional.
Izumi's assistant, Jun, also describes her as someone that's hard to approach. You have to break through a million hard exteriors before she lets you in.. However, she is a kind person..She just shows it.. Differently.So far the only ones that are able to break through are her father and her loyal assistant,Jun.
Everyone else? Good luck