BIRTH NAME   —   li Yifei (李亦菲) LEGAL NAME   —   xu Yifei (徐亦菲) ENGLISH NAME   —   xu

they play their own game of pick and choose — his comments on the masses do little to appeal her to go out of her way to ask for another favor from another person she would rather not spend a second of her time with.

the thought, itself, made her moment here with seunghyun seem the slightest bit more bearable than any of the other options made available. at least she wouldn’t get hit on, proposed to, and/or suddenly arranged to be married. all of things she was trying to avoid with seunghyun’s mother — but her way with words was all too tempting. 

her eyes follow his line of sight to a woman in dangerously tall heels and a purse that looked like it was from marry poppin’s on xanax. “oh, she seems to love you.” then she frowns, eyes redirected to his seemingly nonchalance. “what ish? does she get nicer whenever she gets a touch up on her migrating zyderm?” lili was more preferential to eating her duck rather than seeing it on the face of some over-aged mistress.

Seunghyun snorts. "Nothing? Nothing at all? What a shame..." He knew so little about Lili other than his mother's infatuation with her bone structure - but she was beginning to seem a lot more foolish than she looked. Who would subject themselves to an evening of this willingly?

He bends to swipe at his pant leg with a subtle scowl, rising up to cross his arms over his chest. He eyes the elder waddling this way and that by the terrace's edge, muttering something to himself.

"Do you know who that is?" the model asks with a quirk of his brow. "New appointee on the board of directors at Hanhwa group. Total basket case. If I even so much as say hello I'm going to be stuck listening to him babble on for the next three hours..."

He scans the area for a moment, spying a woman frantically searching through her purse. He can't quite put a finger on it but she seems so familiar... They lock eyes and she frowns almost immediately. Oh, that's right. One of his mother's acquaintances whose shifting filler he just found so interesting ( and often commented on it quite loudly ). "Why don't you ask her? She's friendly. ...Ish."

she laughs — an actual, loud-mouthed, almost snorting laugh — a laugh lili almost never lets anyone hear; and maybe it’s because of asami’s audacity or was it her comedic timing? or maybe, asami was actually that funny.

“you did not just learn that, shut up.” she teases, shoulder nudging the others as she shakes her head, nose crinkled and all at the playfulness of asami’s english. 

lili nods, understandably so to asami’s distress. when she had first arrived in america and had been placed into their special esl ( english as a second language ) classes at school, it was as if all her teachers were speaking an alien tongue — but now, after years of living and breathing the language and still being told it wasn’t enough ( hence why she was currently taking the english class ), well … it was quite the accurate statement: english was just so wrong. 

and yet, it was still considered one of the most important of languages to learn. 

that was some weird westernized level of thinking.

“you’re so right — but hey, on the bright side, at least they don’t need us to be completely fluent … just conversational? or like … maybe enough so that we don’t say … controversial things?” which, in hindsight, maybe learning a new language only opened them up to the vulnerability of saying something wrong …. well, that was for the company to handle.

When Asami was attributed with the task to learn English as fast as she could for the duration of the month, she won't lie, she was stressed. She doesn't know exactly why she never invested in learning English, to be honest, especially with how the company seemed to be investing in the western market as of lately, but after learning Korean in such a short time, and having Japanese to back her up as well, Asami didn't pick up any language books and focused in other things.

Now it's coming to bite her in the ass.

Though one must admit, trying to learn literally anything while feeling pressured? It isn't the best method. The teacher is nice enough, and Asami has been trying to focus, but when Lili interrupts her, it's like the first deep breath she takes of all evening, "The book's on the table," she says cheekily in English what she learned years ago when she was still in school, "English was one of my worst subjects when I was in school, I didn't think I'd need to revise those times years later," Asami admits with a sigh. "Korean was much easier to pick up, to be honest, now I'm struggling again with a language that makes very little sense."

BUBBLEGUM LI.LI     ୨୧     @lgchyuk / lili loves games.

but these games, they’re not quite her speed — a little too carefree, a little too slow; results pending rather than immediate, the easygoing nature a far cry from the devil’s advocate propositions she plays in  her daily life. and yet, here she is, pretty little thumbs twiddling the joystick of the nintendo switch joy con as she makes her character — some villager with neon teal hair and pink eyes who the staff had aptly named after herself — run after hyuk with a net. 

and … she may be having a little too much fun — all shown through the way she smiles and laughs, hand hitting his shoulder each time she’s able to hit him with a net. but enough of that — the real joy has yet to come, “okay, so we have to shake trees to get special items. it could be like money or furniture, or like the pink fruits we saw earlier.” she sets her controller down as she explains, pointing out the basic map layout where the trees were all huddled towards the horizon; her character inching a little farther back as she urges him to move forward. “so, go on — just shake them, press ‘a’.”

his reaction is one that she does not expect. her eyes slow to the sigh that she pulls from him — a raised brow in expectance to an explanation she knows she’ll never get — nor does she really deserve, they weren’t friends. at least not in that way.

mere acquaintances, really, if lili were to categorize hyunsoo as anything other than some boy she liked to annoy. ( with a list that seemed to grow longer and longer by the day as she learned of new things to prick into his side like some voodoo doll ) 

“why — mama’s boy isn’t fighting with his — oh, wait — are you guys really?” she wants to laugh — but the hilarity of the situation has since left her the moment his mother had decided that a text or two would do her no good and had gone as far as calling her grandmother and inviting lili for lunch with the motive of baiting her. 

now that was never funny, lili liked to play games — but not when they were played without her consent. 

“i would but now, i’m interested.” she says, though, instead of turning off her phone, she moves to block his mother’s number — hoping at least this could be the end of this thread — then thinks against it, letting the phone screen fade to black without another click.

Lili's presence brings out a certain side of Hyunsoo — one not quite seen by his casual friends and coworkers. It is a special sort of relationship the two of them have; if one could even call it that. The woman had a way about her that he could only see during the get togethers and fleeting moments within the luxurious circles he wished he could leave behind. Lili serves as a reminder that he would be unable to stray too far from his roots.

"I don't know what you are referring to..." The statement is as plain as his tone, the tail end muffled as he takes another sip. His eyes follow hers as they flicker here and there. He even turns his head back to the coffee truck just in time to see one of the baristas ducking to pretend she's been busy at work. He forgoes waving for an amused chuckle.

By the time he returns his attention to Lili, a phone screen is presented in his direction with a barrage of texts from his recently estranged mother. "Or who you are refe—"

A heavy sigh falls from his lips. "I am not reading that," his fingers grip his straw, tempted to run it through again out of sheer irritation; he folds it instead. "Can you not tell her that I am too busy to contact her now? Or... ignore her. You are not responsible for me, nor her middle man."

it’s like they said —

misery loves company.

and lili was no exception to the rule — especially when it came to jisoo. 

did she have the right? no. 

was she being perhaps a tad bit too possessive of a boy who obviously didn’t give two shits about her and her precious, precious birthday? yes, possibly, astonishingly, devastatingly — she was and she was not proud of it.

sitting here, more than a little miffed that he was appearing aloof — and not the least bit remorseful ( or concerned like what the fuck! ) to what had so obviously pained her, she frowns, even harder — fuck, was she going to regret the wrinkles such an action caused later — and turns her gaze away from him.  

she relays in her most poised tone — the one she used whenever she was on the phone with her grandmother and raised voices were not suitable for a pretty, pretty lady or so her grandmother liked to say — despite the frown:

“it’s not fair.” she answers him, pointed gaze turning harder — almost glassy in her distress. “you don't even care. what if i was dead in a ditch?" 

remorse is thrown out the window as she taps a finger against her arm, annoyed at the outcome. here she had come to apologize and he was throwing that in her face.

surprise, lili sits down by him. time was bound to lead them to this, since it was either them being opposite ends of a magnet, parallel lines yet never colliding for the next forever period of time, or that they'd eventually collapse and meet again. he didn't know when, or if it would happen again, but again, surprise- of course lili would be the one to approach him. ( maybe he's too good at this whole ' being alone ' thing, which is not a good thing... )

stubbornness doesn't really reward anyone, especially where there's a void of a close friendship that somehow falls apart. immaturity would do that to any pair. her comment makes him overthink, because during their birthdays, he did overthink. to say something or not to say something. but after radio silence on his own birthday,

"i mean-" wait, why is she turning it onto him? jisoo supposes lili always has a way with words. his eyes narrow back at her, "and what about a few days ago? i figured it wasn't going to happen when i didn't hear anything either." at least there's no filler smalltalk ( his ultimate pet peeve ), and they're straight into the thick of it. "that's only fair... right?"

sweet was hardly a word one would use to describe lili but maybe the christmas season had made her into a new person — at least until the carols stopped being sung. (or maybe she was trying to prevent a coal addition in her stocking this year, who really knew what went on inside that gorgeous head of hers)

with a satisfied grin, lili picks up another box — lifting its top to make sure the contents inside matched up with what had been on their lists before starting again with its corners crisp, edges ironed out and ribbons tied; it was a wrapper’s trifecta. something that obviously came with much well-earned practice from all the ‘i’m sorry, please forgive me for being a bitch’ gifts; surely such a thing had put her to work on perfecting her craft.

lili couldn’t agree more — and that was saying something as someone who usually loved spending hours on end in the practice room; thinking the youth center could be her solace had never crossed her mind and yet, here she was — enjoying her time at the youth center. “yeah, it’s definitely a nice change of pace?” lili wasn’t burnt out but there wasn’t any harm in doing something different every now and then; was she evolving — the girl who loathed change? “how is practice going for you, anyways? you’re performing something for the concert, right?”

“you flatter me. it’s hardly professional,” the pristine bow says otherwise but the words are almost automatic — a false sense of humility that never really suited lili falls from her lips and even though she, emi and the world probably know she’s the furthest thing from humble, lili relishes in the compliment. “just a little extra, sure, but it’s christmas. and i’m kind of in a giving mood.”

and lili leaves the reasoning at that.

once she’s secured the ribbon to the box, she makes quick work on pulling the bow into it’s shape and finishing it by curling its ends for the final spiral. “and it’s done!” probably her best accomplishment of the year, but who was really counting.

placing the gift with the rest, she looks to emi and at her own array of dressed up gifts and smiles, “and you were saying i was professional — yours are exactly like the ones i pick up at the department stores for the holidays all crisp corners and all.” the kids probably wouldn't care for the effort — already imagining them ripping the pretty wrapping to shreds — but lili had always appreciated anything pretty, especially when they were gifts.

it’s an act, she tells herself.

it’s all an act and all the world’s a stage — lili knows this.

it’s easier to remember when she knows minkyu is doing it on purpose because as much as she knows him, he knows her all too well and it would be a little too easy to reveal her cracked charade to the nation.

“let’s hope you’ll say the same after the lesson.”

her smile stays soft — the grind in her teeth hidden behind a gentle curve of fulls lips and a flutter of eyelashes, a bat here; another there. the picture of enthrallment, as if minkyu’s charm had truly had her smitten until her insides fluttered — or churned, whatever best describes the millisecond of queasiness she feels as he finishes off her laces. 

( is this how it felt to be the eye of someone’s unparalleled attention? )

“hold on, minkyu-ssi!” she laughs, the fingers that had slyly wrapped his pull him back; reaching for the helmets they had left by their feet at the bench — “don’t forget your helmet,” by first instinct, lili would have held the helmet to minkyu for him to take — but through helpful pressured guidance of the cameras all around him, she, instead, steps towards him and carefully places the helmet on his head; toying with the straps to secure it firmly beneath his chin, “let’s not get hurt today, okay?”

Oh, he knows. He knows all too well that Lili is quietly fuming over his decision to choose skiing. He knows her well enough to be certain that, under normal circumstances, she would be scolding him right now, perhaps even nagging just a little.

But that’s precisely what makes this so amusing. Watching her tuck away that sharp tongue of hers, replacing it with the angelic, patient, and ever-so-loving demeanor she wants the cameras to capture; it’s a performance in itself. A carefully crafted image, all in favor of being adored by viewers.

“I am in luck indeed,” he finally responds when she mentions that she knows how to ski. His eyes crinkle at the corners, and he grins up at her with a sweetness so genuine it could melt the iciest of hearts. That look; the one he knows makes fans weak, the one he always has when he’s with those he cherishes. Complete attention, unwavering devotion, as if nothing else in the world exists but the person in front of him.

In this moment, the cameras fade into the background. His focus is solely on easing Lili into her ski boots, hands grazing her legs only when necessary, careful and respectful, like the kind gentleman he is. “I couldn’t imagine a better teacher than you.”

This may be a show, but to Minkyu, it’s something more. It’s a challenge they set for each other: a playful game of who could outdo the other in delivering the most heart-fluttering, drama-worthy moments. Yet, as the minutes pass, he finds himself forgetting the game entirely, instead surrendering to his natural instinct to romanticize every fleeting moment.

He doesn’t miss the subtle squeeze on his shoulder. If anything, it makes his smile soften, a flicker of something almost bashful in his expression.

Shifting to sit beside her, he quickly secures his own boots, giving them a firm pat before meeting her gaze again. “I’m all good, thank you.” And then, he rises, extending his hand to her, fingers curling just slightly in invitation.

“Shall we?” He nods toward the slope. “I can’t wait to see the skiing princess in action with my very own eyes.”

the date lottery is far from lili’s reality — if anything, it’s her very own acting reel that she needs to polish up. and lili ain’t no actor — but what she is is competitive. so, she plays the show like how she plays her most precious, most interesting of games.

the more she can make the viewers believe that she’s falling for minkyu and his charistmatic charms — and vice versa — the more rewards she hopes to reap. ( whatever rewards may that be —  it keeps things interesting ) at any rate — from the subtle twinkle she spies in minkyu’s gaze; an unspoken agreement seems to form extended from their previous verbal wager — at least they’re on the same page.

“you’ve never skiied before?” the declaration would have otherwise bothered lili — why else would we be at the slopes if you don’t know how to ski? but she remains patient, calming that irritating little devil in her in favor for the calm and tranquil persona she was trying to portray; her brows furrow in a gentle confusion before her lips form a precious smile, almost amused at the thought.

“well, you’re in luck. my grandma has brought me to the slopes almost every winter without fail,” her grandmother had brought her once and left her to fend for herself with strict russian instructors. “so you could say i got a lifetime of snowledge.” kill her — kill her now. her smile brightening despite the cringy dialogue, trying not to laugh at her own demise as she looks to minkyu.

“i’ve been told i’m a good teacher, too.”

no one has ever — on this earth — told her such a thing.

her surprise is paused — a slow lift of the brow as she watches minkyu descend upon one knee. “thank you.” settling onto the seat, she quickly undoing her moon boots in favor of the ski boots that minkyu helps her into. a hand reaches out gently to hold his shoulder to still her movements as she digs her feet, one after the other, into each boot; making sure they’re properly in and not loose. leaning close to inspect her shoes, she turns her chin to look at minkyu, the hand at his shoulder squeezes it lightly, in kind, as her smile is practically beaming. “they fit perfectly, shall i help you with yours?”

From the very beginning of their fake dating experience, one thing Minkyu has been consistently grateful for how effortlessly Lili aligns with his vision of what to portray: the perfect blend of sweet, romantic gestures designed to set hearts fluttering, both among the fans and the ever-adoring staff.

“Well, well,” he muses, a playful lilt in his voice as he sweeps a hand through the crisp winter air, guiding her past the entrance gate toward the ski rental. “You and I, my dearest Lili, are about to embark on our very own ski adventure, from way up there,” he points toward the towering peak of the slope, “all the way back down here.” The distant echoes of laughter and excited chatter from other skiers weave into the moment, painting a picture of a perfect winter wonderland.

He exhales, a chuckle escaping as he admits, “I have to be honest... coming from Busan, where the sun is king, I’ve never actually been skiing before.” His confession is lighthearted, almost sheepish, as they step into the rental shop, where an employee has conveniently already prepared skis in their sizes.

But rather than simply handing Lili her pair, Minkyu’s expression softens. With an easy grace, he gestures for her to take a seat on the wooden bench before lowering himself onto one knee. His usual bravado gives way to something gentler; his voice quieter now, almost intimate.

“Let me help you put them on.” he says, fingertips brushing against the bindings with care. Because even if this is all for show, he’s determined to make it feel real.

same thing with lili ~ she needs some threads for trainee mission as well as general relationship connections, please like and i'll come to youuuu ~

tongue in cheek, lili couldn’t help but feel the amused grin tug at her lips — albeit ruining the forced frustration she was trying to portray. her gaze remains passive, flickering from the coach who stood warily at the side, trying to appear busy despite obviously listening in on a conversation he could not understand, to the girl before her.

“you could call it that.”

so, this truly was their plan b — the girl all but confirms it to herself as she places her yogurt cup down and leans back against the mirrored wall where she was currently ‘resting’. finger tapping against her knee before making up her mind, “fun?" her eyes dance mischeviously at the word, "what did you have in mind?”

There were times when Amelia just didn't want to do anything. She was just... existing. Sometimes she was tired, drained, and just didn't care. Sometimes the upbeat and bubbly girl just needed a break. She needed to recharge too. It wasn't easy always being happy and upbeat. Some days Amelia felt like she didn't care.

Today was not one of those days.

Amelia was incredibly happy today and for some reason felt mischievous. She was currently looking for her brother when she was pulled aside by one of the coaches who asked if she could translate. Amelia nodded and followed the staff member.

Upon hearing her native language, Amelia's eyebrow cocked. Perhaps this could be her fun. She smiled and pretended as if everything was ok. ❛ Let me guess. You're not feeling it and they keep pushing you? ❜ She inquired in Mandarin. ❛ Would you like to have some fun? ❜