inspiration palace ; hyewon & chuuves

inspiration ; hyewon

hyejoo kicks the door out of pure frustration, lets out an obnoxious high-pitched yell, then collapses onto her bed. she buries her face into the fabric and tries to calm her breathing, but she can't, because she's going to fail, and everyone who told her that she can't succeed as an artist will be right and—

she sits up.

yerim's sweet words of encouragement ring in her mind — the girl can't quite help but be helpful and kind. she was a sculptor, it is in her blood. so, hyejoo wipes her face and breathes.

good.

she walks around her small bedroom and touches her fingers lightly to the paintings on the wall, all signed off with her pen name, olivia hye. most people knew olivia hye and her are the same person, but watching someone praise her work without knowing it is her is so satisfying. from mud to heroin, it was cocaine. 

she turns back to the empty canvas, picks up her paintbrush and easel and breathes. she presses the brush to the canvas, then leans back and flings it away from her.

the brush hits something — something that lets out a loud yelp followed by several colourful curses.

hyejoo turns around immediately, brandishing her easel like a very bright sword, and lowers her weapon once she sees a scowling blonde with a globe and compass in her arms cowering before her, like she's something threatening. something to be afraid of. it boosts her ego slightly, (she's always been an egoist) but she's still quite frightened of the girl that has literally broken into her apartment.

she searches for the right words and comes up with, "what."

the girl rubs her head, then brushes off imaginary dust her clothes. "i'm park chaewon. some call me gowon, some call me urania," she then grins, placing her globe on the floor. "and something tells me that you need a little help."

hyejoo searches her pockets, discovers a surprisingly blunt pencil, then points it at the intruder. "how the fuck did you get in here?" she demands, brash and blunt. chaewon's grin widens.

"summoned," she says, shrugging lightly. she sits down on hyejoo's bed like she is invited to. "you were having a bit of difficulty with your art. unfortunately, i don't quite specialise in art, but ever since you opened the door too hard and nearly squashed heejin, the others refused to come in here."

she slowly lowers the pencil. "others?"

"i'm a muse," chaewon says, doing some elaborate thing with her hands. she's wearing a little black dress and a gigantic black bow, and she has approximately five shadows. six if you squint. hyejoo squints. "not your muse, just a muse. i specialise in astronomy, and lug these around like a traveller," she gestures to her globe and compass. "so, hopefully i can inspire you to paint something astronomy related. you'll forget all of this once i leave so telling you wouldn't hurt a bit," chaewon grins again. "so! where is your cereal collection?"

hyejoo's brain cells collectively go on strike. "i— what?"

"sorry?" chaewon offers feebly. "i was under the impression that humans had a cereal collection. so, where is yours? i've always wanted to see one."

hyejoo blinks. "uh, i," she stammers, her voice dropping to a whisper. "i only have lucky charms."

"disgraceful," chaewon says softly, but she brightens up soon enough. "but, that does not matter! my job is to inspire you to do great things! but first, i must ask, are lucky charms good? i thought you weren't meant to eat them."

hyejoo places her face into her hands.

chaewon does not leave.

when hyejoo gets home after a long and gruelling day of classes, all paint-covered and angry, chaewon is there, on her couch and eating her cereal. chaewon eats everything, hyejoo discovers soon enough, when she catches her trying to take a piece of the counter. she succeeds, unfortunately, and hyejoo spends hours trying to make her let it go.

"please pay rent," hyejoo says, watching as chaewon flicks on the tv with the ease of a girl who spends most of her day watching it.

"no."

chaewon invites her friends over, sometimes. even without asking. she brings over yeojin, a girl who spends most of her time needling laughs out of everyone. she brings over hyunjin who serenades the people down below with her sweet voice until everyone in the apartment block is yelling at her to stop. she brings over jinsol who talks about one of her meetings with sappho, and the time she broke into shakespeare's house.

she brings over so many people, and hyejoo tries to copy her by inviting the only two people she speaks to, fellow artists kim jiwoo and choi yerim.

jiwoo and yerim befriend chaewon's friends instantly, and hyejoo seethes with jealousy, because she can't seem to get along with chaewon's friends, especially jungeun and sooyoung, who give her disdainful looks and whisper about her to jinsol and chaewon, who nod gravely.

"chae," hyejoo whispers when it's just the two of them, when chaewon's million friends finally leave.

chaewon turns. "yes?"

hyejoo can't find her words. the shadows behind chaewon dance mockingly, and the feelings deep in hyejoo's stomach attack her, all at once. she suddenly understands jiwoo's descriptions of falling in love. the way it feels like you're having a heart attack. the way even your kidney is pounding. wanting to be with someone, forever.

hyejoo clenches her fist. she has to fall in love with herself before anyone else. she promises herself that. "never mind."

chaewon's face falls.

hyejoo finally paints her piece with chaewon at her side. she paints saturn with his glistening rings, colours of red, salmon and pink. she paints flecks of green, for chaewon, who assists her through all. and when she's done, she turns to chaewon with a huge smile on her face, because she did it, she's finally done it, she's painted and she can love herself now.

and chaewon is not there.

she falls when she's not there.

she had become too used to the girl eating her way through her cereal, countertops and heart. she had gotten too used to the girl's infinite friends, who have all disappeared now. she had gotten too used to chaewon's brilliant smile, pearly teeth flashing.

and now she's gone, and hyejoo is alone.

chaewon returns on a rainy day, with a bright yellow umbrella over her head. her face isn't nearly as bright, though, and she's staring at her, unblinking. "hello," she says softly.

"hi, chaewon," hyejoo says meekly, even though what she really wants to say is "where have you been?"

chaewon blinks. "you remember me."

and there's a rustle of fabric and suddenly, chae is there, close to her, kissing her. lip on lip, heart to heart. hyejoo's knees give out, and chae, still quite wet, picks her up easily and carries her to her couch, laying her their and kissing her, kissing her, kissing her. lipstick on her lips, lipstick on her neck. hyejoo feels so fucking happy.

"i'll remember you," she whispers in the dead of night, when chaewon is half asleep, her hand held in hers. "always, forever."

note:
this is also on ao3 so if u see something posted there under @/glittersorbits (also my twitter... follow me) do not be alarmed