Chapter 4 from Special Collections

04 Months pass by, and I’m standing here with a glass of champagne in my right hand. I’m the only one at Sohee’s wedding because I don’t know anyone at all. Junghoon can’t take any more days off of work, and I half understand that. I think that Junghoon is just trying to ignore his own problems. ...

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Chapter 12 from Curiosity Killed the Lady

Chapter 12: Needle in a Butt Stack I’m on the defensive mode. I need to stop Sohee from revealing anything about Yeonjun and me to Suho, so before Sohee can open her mouth to do anything, I butt in by declaring, “Ah . . . Suho and I do know each other...

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Implication 10 from Implicit Love

Implication 10: Turmoil “Ugh . . .” I mope when I see myself in the washroom mirror.My eye bags are horrible, and I have no one to blame, except for Azuma and myself. The walls are particularly thin, and his bedroom happens to be where I study in the kitchen. Throughout the night, I can hear that girl’s groans and shrills. She seems to be...

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Chapter 3 of Special Collections

03 Surprisingly, my mother seems to love Junghoon more than me. I’m pretty sure it’s because Junghoon feeds her compliments every now and then. He tells her how much he enjoyed her dishes. He guesses her age wrong to say that she looks very young. My mother does have a youthful appearance, but I know that Junghoon is purposely using these tactics to win her over. Somehow, I’m sort of bothered by the way he is behaving. I wished . . . that he would show his true self in front of my mother, so that she’d actually like him for who he is....

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Chapter 2 of Special Collections

2  I’m on my way to meet a few girlfriends in Seoul. I decide that I’ll tell them second. The first people to know were my mother and my sister, Jina. My mother is rather surprised because she doesn’t know who Junghoon is. She knows he was one of my ex-boyfriends, but she never met him. I didn’t want her to meet all of my boyfriends since I knew I probably wouldn’t marry them. My mother really only knew about Raewon. I truly believed that I would have eventually married him if he had not dumped me. I’m glad I didn’t marry him though. I’m...

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Chapter 1 of Special Collections

Author's Note: Hello! Although Collections of Love is technically finished, I had the urge to write more for Junghoon and Jikyung. After much thought, I decided that I'd still write a few chapters, which will be called "Special Collections". They're really just snippets of Jikyung and Junghoon's lives. Pretty slice of life, I would say.A part of me feels bothered because I'd like readers to envision the characters' future lives, but I honestly felt that there was something missing, that I still wanted to add more.  I would say to...

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Chapter 11 from Curiosity Killed the Lady

Chapter 11: The Day After Stairs, chairs, heels, hills and slopes are all my enemies. What do they all have in common? They all challenge my legs way too much. I’m hobbling and wobbling whenever I encounter the obstacles I listed above. Stairs are the worst though. I literally have to grab onto both sides of the railings or use some wall to support myself. I have to extend my legs wide open while lifting my butt up to go up a flight of stairs. Coming down from them is even worse. The pain is excruciating, and I just keep moanin...

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Chapter 10 from Curiosity Killed the Lady

Chapter 10: Dooms Day I was only on planning to work out once a week with Suho, but I completely forgot that I had agreed to work out with the other boys too. At five in the morning, I get a harsh phone call from Yeonjun who is literally screaming in my ear, “Yeah! Nam Leia! Get your ass up...

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Chapter 9 from Curiosity Killed the Lady

Chapter 9: Peace Treaty Credit and thanks goes to urstruly for the poster! Suho drives us back to Seoul in his black BMW 7 series, which he handles with much care. The interior is super clean unlike Eunhyuk’s car that has tons of junk and leftover snacks inside. Suho is just as clean as Yeonjun, making me wonder if Suho will be just as anal as...

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Chapter 8 from Curiosity Killed the Lady

Chapter 8: A Bloody War Since Yeonjun believes in arriving just a smidge late, which really equates to being ten to seventeen minutes tardy, he drives at quite a fast speed. You see, the wedding reception is supposed to start at 7:00 pm, and by the time Yeonjun began to work on my makeup, it was already 6:20 pm, give or take. I know for sure...

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Chapter 7 from Curiosity Killed the Lady

Chapter 7: Before the Suho War My arms are about to fall off at this rate. No, I am not bench pressing 110 pounds. I am catching and holding onto every dress that Yeonjun tosses into my arms. I feel like I’m in an old school video game where I have to bounce Yoshi up and down from this trampoline. While all this exercising happens, Yeonjun will comment something like this: “Yeah, I think this will work. Mustard should capture someone’s eyes. It’s popular today, but then again, burgundy seems sexier. Whatever, you’ll try out both.” Then, he’ll...

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Chapter 6 from Curiosity Killed the Lady

Chapter 6: A Full Audience for Lies Lunch has an agenda this time with Yeonjun, yet somehow, he gets to me first and proposes his plan. He knows how easily I become absorbed by the restaurant’s menu. He knows that I’d become sucked in by some daily special, and using that time, Yeonjun declares, “We’re going dress shopping tomorrow evening so keep yourself free. I’ll pick you up from your place around 7 pm, and I’ll be paying for all your expenses, so don’t worry. What else? Oh right, we need to practice your kissing skills.” All this time, I...

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Chapter 5 From Curiosity Killed the Lady

Chapter 5: Life Splitting Moment Mondays are my worst enemies. I hate, I hate, I hate Mondays until no tomorrow. Why? 8:30 am is when I have to teach stupid first-year students. Don’t get me wrong. I am grateful for having this steady job. It’s just that I have always hated teaching, yet somehow, every job or volunteer opportunity I used to get was all related to teaching. So when someone asks me if fate has everything planned out, I would wholeheartedly say yes. I mean, how else am I doing a job that I sincerely dislike and am stuck in a situation...

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Implication 9 from Implicit Love

Implication 9: No Regrets After that stupid fiasco, the landlord unlocks my door for me and immediately, Ayane leaps from the ground to greet me, “Azuma! Azuma! I was getting so worried about you! You were out for so long and then you forgot your cell phone, so I thought you might have...

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Implication 8 from Implicit Love

Implication 8: Bonjour Et Au revoir Credits and thanks goes to urstruly for the poster!  When I arrive home, I’m surprised to find Ayane sitting in a chair in the kitchen and waving at me. “Hello!” she enthusiastically waves at me with her legs crossed together like in yoga. She is wearing her workout clothing consisting of black short...

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Implication 7 from Implicit Love

Implication 7: A Starting Point Credits and thanks goes to Boss Charisma for the poster!  The first week of school has been nothing but a breeze. Absolute bore, and I was expecting university to be more interesting. I find it is high school all over again, except people are even more alcohol and sex driven and sometimes lazier. Actually,...

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Implication 6 from Implicit Love

Implication 6: Reality *Credit and thanks goes to corruptedsoul for the poster! I’m off to search for breakfast before I head off to school. Luckily after walking for a bit, I spot this bakery just at the end of the road. I’m honestly surprised to find a teenage boy at the cashier. I wonder why he’s not going to school at this time. Oh wait,...

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Chapter 4 from Curiosity Killed the Lady

Chapter 4: Off to the SlaughterhouseDinner for four. Location: French bistro. Really. That’s just splendid. I mean, surely, after watching Sohee try on many designer gowns that made me shriek after hearing the hefty price tags they came with, it isn’t really necessary for us to be here to rejoice. After all, Sohee never managed to pick a dress. She said she couldn’t feel the emotions of finding the one overcome her, which was how she felt when she first saw Sungyeol. Yuck. Let me go throw up in a waste basket now. Honestly, the way she worded things...

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Implication 5 from Implicit Love

Implication 5: New Beginnings Credits and thanks goes to whore!sica!  We’re moving into our new places, and Ayane’s mother has asked me to help out her daughter. I sort of want to tell her mother to go find Keigo, who is Ayane’s actual boyfriend, but now’s a good time to impress that mother. Win over the mother who will then persuade...

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Implication 4 from Implicit Love

Implication 4: Promise  I can sense freedom passing through my fingertips. I grip the podium, and it feels like day one all over again. I started with a short speech before, tried to sound eloquent and inspiring because I needed that scholarship to keep going. The teachers initially all loved me, but no sooner did they grow to hate...

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Chapter 10 from Rebirth: Legacy

Chapter 10: Occasions              Clamorous claps and thunderous chants resonated throughout the ballroom and even throughout the kingdom. Tonight, there were candle-lit lights streaming from street to street and I was reminded of the old city life, where street lamps bedazzled the paths. Everyone was in the mood for celebration for Cael was now the Kin...

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Implication 3 from Implicit Love

Implication 3: Understanding    *Credit and thanks goes to shawty_12 for the poster!It’s the last school festival before graduation. Our class is in charge of having a host club. I’m responsible at the front, making sure that everyone is put at the right tables and has reserved the proper host. Ayane was in charge of costume design,...

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Implication 2 from Implicit Love

Implication 2:Exchanges Can you believe it? I’m even part of Keigo’s going-away party. Everyone is recounting some sob story or memory that they shared with Keigo at his family’s apartment. They’re making toasts stupidly. I don’t know anyone here, except for Ayane. I don’t see why I agreed to attend this senseless party when all I’m doing is...

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Chapter 3 from Curiosity Killed the Lady

Curiosity 3: Pregnant, Engaged, and Set to Marry I’m not even sure why I am so nice in the first place to follow through with Sungyeol’s demand. Actually, I was thinking of bailing, but after Sungyeol kept dropping by my office to remind me of the date I had with his future wife, I . . . had no excuse to refuse. He even bribed me with my daily dose of apple juice. Really, I’m a huge fan of apples. I can’t go on living a day without my apple juice just like how coffee addicts need their morning rush of caffeine. ...

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Implication 1 from Implicit Love

Implication 1: The Devil and the Angel Credits and thanks goes to vanessa_x17 for the poster! “Azuma! What do you think? Would Keigo like this?” There’s Ishikawa Ayane lifting up a green sweater and now placing it along my chest to see if it fits . . . him. I don’t even know why I agreed to go shopping with her for this idiotic present. “Azuma,...

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Chapter 2 from the Curiosity Killed the Lady

Curiosity 2: The ChallengeYou see when Sungyeol asked me to dinner, I thought fate had it all planned out. I just didn’t want to respond before because I wanted to defy fate. Sungyeol was going to confess to me and tell me that after all these years, he realized that I was the one for him. And why would he ever confess to me? Well, back in elementary school and until the middle of junior high, Sungyeol and I were best buddies. We would dig up worms together. We would be on the same dodgeball team and even played pranks with other classmates. We...

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