"It terrifies me and I don't know why: there you go, you paralyze me and I don't know why […] Everything is black and white and gray, walls are shaking when you're touching me, changes everything when you're close to me."
-Munich, The Fray
When he was younger and less wise, Ik-Han thought how nice it would be to live with his best friends forever. If he could turn back time right now, he would grab his younger self by the shoulders, stare dead into his eyes and say "save yourself, you fool!".
Shinwoo has changed his shirt an unholy amount of times – even his model friend Suyi doesn't change her outfits that many times during her photo shoots.
«Do you think this color suits my skin color?» Shinwoo asks, wearing a—
«Get that hideous thing off you,» Ik-Han deadpans. As much as he wants to strangle Shinwoo with his bare hands, he'll be dead before he leaves his best friend go out with someone as pretty as Seira wearing a hawaiian shirt with pineapples on it.
«I knew it!» Shinwoo cries out, unbuttoning the shirt, «it clashes with my hair! Maybe I should really dye them...»
Ik-Han rummages into the post-war bunker that is Shinwoo's wardrobe, searching for something that will make his friend look less of a disaster. «Believe me, it clashing with your hair is the least of that shirt's problems...»
He almost decides to give up, call Rai, and ask him to lend Shinwoo one of his plain white shirts - because Ik-Han has reached that point of desperation - but the problem is, Raizel doesn't have the same size as Shinwoo and, adding to that, he's not at home – something about a date in a city two hours away from where they are. Lucky Raizel, getting none of Shinwoo's shit once again. His air-headed friend isn't helping, either: he's moping on the bed, shirtless, begging for a painless death.
Ik-Han ponders how to make his wish come true, and then his hand grabs a baby blue shirt with a V-neck, and everything returns bright and beautiful and—
«Shinwoo!» he throws the shirt against his friend, shrieking and kicking him off the bed, «you're late!»
xOx
Seira isn't there when he arrives, short-breathed and disheveled by the deadly run. It's good, because he's not one who makes someone wait – and also because he honestly looks so uncool right now, she would probably leave right away.
He sits down, already tired. He fought against his hair and lost, his shoes are uncomfortable and hard to walk in, he's sweating a lot and it makes him self-conscious. Seira will probably look like a real angel dressed with clouds and holiness and he's here, looking like someone just punched him in the guts and with a nest where his hair are supposed to be.
A flash of white catches his attention, and then Seira is in front of him with a shy smile.
«An angel...» he whispers, and Seira doesn't seem to hear because she's still there, standing tall and beautiful. She's not dressed of clouds and holiness – a black shirt with the definition of "feminism" written on it, high-waisted gray jeans and a simple pair of sneakers, and everything looks like haute couture fashion on her.
«Your shirt is cool,» he blurts out, regretting the words 0.2 seconds later. He could have said it better, like "your shirt looks beautiful on you" or "you dress really nice" or "you have an amazing taste for fashion". So he coughs to take the awkwardness of his sentence away and tries something else. «What do you want to do?»
Seira looks around, shifting her weight from a foot to the other, pensive. «I have to buy Regis a birthday present,» she says, and Shinwoo nods.
«Do you have any idea about what he would like as a present?» Now, Shinwoo doesn't know a thing about Regis – and it's his first date with Seira, too – so he's not going to make suggestions. Maybe Regis doesn't like video games, and from the looks of it, he likes nice clothes which probably cost more than Shinwoo will ever make working as a barista. So he waits for Seira to speak her mind, hoping to be of help to this lovely creature in need.
«He said he liked Rai's earrings,» she must be talking about the pretty black cross-shaped earrings Rai wears when he handles the counter – something about girls going crazy over his looks and buying more, or that's what Boss says. «Do you know what shop sells them?» Seira asks, serious. Shinwoo knows, of course, but there's a little problem.
«They're handmade,» he explains, «Rai got them as a gift.»
Seira nods. «And, please don't take it as an insult, but I don't think they'd suit Regis much,» he hazards, relaxing when Seira chuckles.
«I thought the same,» she agrees. Shinwoo breaths out, glad to not have screwed up everything with his opinion.
«Anything else he'd like?»
Seira ponders for a while, and then her face brightens. «Can you take me to a cosmetic store?»
xOx
Now, Shinwoo isn't new to the whole "people are watching us because I'm standing next to someone beautiful" - he's Rai's friend, and only God and Ik-Han know how many times they found themselves surrounded by girls (and boys) fawning over his good looks – but this time might be too much.
Seira is beautiful next to him, walking with her back straight like a model, eyes focused in front of her, of course people would stare at such a beauty. Their hands are so close, it would take nothing for him to just entwine their finger together and walk holding hands, but he doesn't. He's not even sure if Seira thinks of this as a date, and Shinwoo isn't one to just pull something funny like that if he isn't absolutely sure the other person is comfortable.
(He waited two years before asking Raizel if he could hug him.)
(When he hugs him at work, he can feel the glares the Boss sends to him. It's kind of scary.)
The people around stand dazed by the charm Seira emanates with her only presence. A group of guys Shinwoo knows – he gave a lesson to two or three of them because they were harassing Ik-Han, and no one harasses his friends without paying for it – retreats, eyes glued to Seira's perfect figure as she stands right next to him, and Shinwoo looks at them as to say "watch me standing next to her, suckers. I know you wish you were me – I'd wish I was me" and revels in the feeling of being so lucky.
But after the second shop where people kept looking, and asking for photos, and trying to make Seira prove lipstick after eyeshadow after blush, Shinwoo only wants to scream his way out and continue their date on a far-away desolated island.
The girl doesn't seem to notice how much people are staring, too busy picking nail polishes of several different shades and trying them on a piece of adhesive she stuck to her hand, analyzing many aspects of them Shinwoo knows nothing about.
He regrets not listening Suyi explain what's important in a good nail polish.
«I'm sorry to disrupt your concentration,» he carefully starts, pointing at the nail polishes, «but I was wondering what did you want to buy for Regis.»
Seira glances to the little bottles, and then to Shinwoo. She does it several times. Shinwoo understands after the fifth time. «I see,» he says, and returns to analyze the different brand of make-up brushes. There's one that is shaped like a unicorn horn – and it's also glittered.
«I'm grabbing a bag, it looks like you'll buy quite a lot.»
xOx
«So Regis likes nail polish?» Shinwoo holds her ice cream cone while she puts the money in her purse. He asked if he could pay for it, but Seira politely declined his offer saying it wouldn't be correct. They walk together toward Seira's apartment at Shinwoo's insistence – Seul is a safe place, but you never know – and he can't believe the date is about to end.
«We used to put it on each other's nails when we were children, and it remained a little ritual between us. Our families are really close, so we spent a lot of time together. We still do, as you see.»
Must be nice, Shinwoo thinks, to have such a close relationship with your relatives. He's envious, even – he doesn't remember being half as close with his cousins, he only ever had Ik-Han and Yuna and it was enough.
«I bet he'll like those. You choose such pretty shades, I almost want to put them on myself,» he smiles, crossing his arms behind his head.
«I can do it for you, if you want,» Seira suggests. Shinwoo never thought about putting nail polish on, but if it means seeing Seira more often, sign him up for some nail care and manicure. She can even put make-up on him if it makes her happy, Shinwoo would never complain about a bit of lipstick and foundation.
«That sounds cool.»
They remain in silence until the walk is over, Seira searching for her keys in the bag. «It was a pleasant day,» she tells him with a smile and a pretty blush that surely isn't make-up on her cheeks. «You're really nice.»
Shinwoo melts. His knees turn into jelly and his legs tremble so much he doesn't know how he's still standing. «Anytime,» he whispers, «I had fun.»
And then, right before the door closes behind her back she turns to look at him. «I really like your shirt.»
That's it, Shinwoo feels giddy all over, and there's a new sprint in his walk, I'm never throwing this shirt away.
Your eyes do not deceive you, guys, it's really NOT A FRANKENSTEIN/RAIZEL CHAPTER.
You thought you've seen the last of me, but you were wrong lmao
Soooo, here's another little sequel, this time of chapter 4 - featuring Ik-Han as the one who's had enough, Shinwoo as the precious bean that needs more appreciation because he's pure and lovely, Seira as my favourite babe that could literally step on you and you'd say "thanks", and Regis as the birthday boy!
I'm sorry I don't write as much as I'd like about Seira and Shinwoo, because I honestly appreciate both characters a lot (if you follow me on my tumblr you probably noticed the rants about these pure souls), but I don't have excuses, I'm just a sucker for Rai/Frankenstein.
An enormous thank you to Goddess Of Spring-Gems who's been suggesting me tons of prompts via DM - you are my savior, I will make a shrine for you and sacrifice my best cows in your name.
Thank you a lot also for those who sent appreciation messages lately. You're the best, your messages always bring me such a joy! I'm glad I've got such kind readers as you *sends love*
I am planning a few others sequels for several of the AU I wrote because I feel really attached to some of them and I'm not ready to let go. I hope you won't mind.
About FTU - the update is confirmed for the second week of July, so there will be another normal chapter before that one. Just so you know, you won't see it coming *lenny face on*
My keyboard still fucks words up. I edited as much as I could, but I'm sure most of the typos are still out there, haunting this chapter. Please, please, point them out. I don't want those little shits to ruin everything. They need to stop.
Also, from July til the the end of August I won't be at home. I'll try to keep the updates regular, but I can't promise you a new chapter every week.
Follow me on tumblr to send memes (I NEED MEMES), cry over Noblesse and the ass-long arc we're getting, send theories about Facing The Unexplained, beg me to make some revelations and be denied because I'm evil, send suggestions about pairings or things you'd like to see (like other sequels/prequels, scenarios, what-ifs, and so on), because I enjoy a lot receiving your messages.
See you next chapter, and may the Force be with you!
pwmo (send me cat memes on tumblr pls)