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Peculiar Fate

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PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE READ THE ARTISTS' COMMENT BEFORE READING THE DEVIATION. THANK YOU!





















Peculiar Fate
Chapter 1
Bungled Beginnings



Min Jee glared at the envelope, hoping that would make the result inside positive. She'd been expecting it for a while, but now that it was finally here she didn't have the heart to open it. Her gut was telling her not to expect much. Her heart on the other hand, was soaring. The combination made her stomach lurch.

Dumping her bag on the floor she sat on the bed, crushing the envelope slightly. With one deep breath, she closed her eyes and ripped open one side of the envelope. Best to get it over with quickly. Like ripping off an old scab. Turning the envelope upside down, she shook it and a single sheet of paper floated down to the floor. Picking it up, she read


"Miss Min Jee,

We regret to inform you that…"



And without reading any further she crumpled up the page and lobbed it at the shuttered window. Flipping over onto her stomach, she stuffed her face into the pillow, flailing about and yelling wordlessly.

Until someone whacked her on the head with a cushion. Min Jee removed her face from the pillow and peered at the figure leaning over her on the bed.

"What?" she growled, not in the mood for sympathy or chitchat. The only thing she was in the mood for was murder.

Rina clucked her tongue and frowned. "Don't you 'what' me. Eomeoni mentioned the Korea University seal on the envelope, so I came up to check. From your reaction I'm going to assume it was a rejection?"

Min Jee stuffed her head back into the pillow and gave a muffled yes.

Rina sighed and went over to the window to pick up the crushed ball. Unfolding it she smoothed it with her hand and read it through. The light coming in from the window highlighted her almost perfect figure. At five feet five inches, Rina stood taller than most Korean women. Not being Korean probably had something to do with it.  Dark blonde hair curled ever so softly around a heart shaped face. Eyebrows of a darker shade framed expressive Jade green eyes and a sensual, laughing mouth. The button nose was at that moment scrunched up in disbelief at the letter.

Swivelling on the edge of her heel, Rina turned to Min Jee, whose face was still buried in the pillow.

"No idea why they rejected you?" she asked, perusing the document again.

Min Jee raised her and glared at Rina, who raised an eyebrow in return.

"You're going to be a grump all day? Do you want me to bring Joongie up?"

Min Jee cringed and turned to face the wall. "No, he's the last person I'd wish to see me like that."

"Like what?" Rina huffed with exasperation. "It could be much worse ok? Korea University only ranks third. You can cry all you want if you don't make it to SNU. When are the results coming out anyway?"

Min Jee turned onto her back and frowned at the ceiling. "Sometime around the end of this month probably. They've only provided tentative dates so far. And there is the interview before that."

"Exactly" Rina grinned and sauntering over plopped onto the edge of the bed. "Which is why you have to keep your chin up. This attitude won't help and you know that. Now get up and come down for lunch."

She leaned over and pinched Min Jee on the thigh. With a squeak Min Jee swatted her hand away and buried her face into the pillow again.

"I want to lie-down for a while. I'll have lunch late" she muttered, then gave all appearances of closing her eyes with the intent to fall asleep. Rina smiled and draped her in a hug.

"Don't worry too much eonni. There's still a lot more to come so don't let this bring you down. You'll be fine." With a snuggle and a peck on the cheek, she was gone, leaving the scent of violets in her wake.

Min Jee smiled softly and dragging the sheet from the foot of the bed onto herself, wrapped it around herself. Rina had been her little sister cum best friend ever since they were little. Beneath the bratty exterior hid a warm heart and an affectionate soul.

Rina had been right about the attitude problem. But that didn't change the fact that she hadn't been accepted into the university. And this would have been a precursor for SNU and Yonsei. If even KU denied her, then what reason would the top two colleges of the nation have to accept her? Trying to ignore the migraine she could feel building up, Min Jee sighed and allowed herself to drift into restless sleep.




- - -




Min Jee couldn't understand why her pen was being so vengeful. It kept slipping out of her hands and poking her on the nose. Softly at first, then more insistently. She tried dodging, but the more she avoided it, the harder it prodded her. And all she wanted to do was write.

"Why won't you let me write already?" she screeched at it.

"Because it's time for you to get up already!" it screeched back. In the voice of her hot neighbour no less. Her eyes snapped upon to see him standing there in person, as he gave her nose one last savage prod.

Kim Hyun Joong; childhood friend, dratted neighbour and first crush. As a teenager she'd dreamed of him all the time. Or day dreamed, more like. Only to have her heart break every time he brought home a new girlfriend. She hid her feelings for him behind an aggressive, irritable mask. That was always the impression he had of her anyway.

That he was good looking didn't help. Nor did his random acts of kindness towards her. Nor his sense of style. Nor that smile of his, which could light up a whole room like a 100-watt bulb. Nor his laughter, which sounded like… Min Jee gave herself a mental kick. Getting carried away was the last thing she wanted to do.

Scowling, she reached out and slapped at his hand. "You didn't have to wake me like that. What are you doing here anyway?"

"What do you think I'm doing?" he drawled, running a disdainful eye over her now crumpled cotton blouse. There's no need to blush, she scolded herself, these are the clothes you're comfortable in, and if he doesn't like them it's his problem.

"Eomeoni said to come wake you up. Isn't your interview at 4 o'clock? It's 3:15."

Her shriek made him flinch and before he could snap at her about her 'manly' ways, she had disappeared into the other room.

A few yips were heard from underneath the bed, followed by the emergence of a tiny Sapsali dog. The dog wheelchair strapped to his limp legs didn't keep him from moving surprisingly fast into the middle of the room and scrutinising his surroundings. Finally he honed in on the neighbour who smelled of too many human things. He would sneeze too much when this man was around. But the man also fed him nice titbits from that place that smelled of food downstairs. So he didn't mind.

With a little bark he rubbed his head against the man's leg and looked up, tongue lolling, hoping for a pat. The man smiled and scratched him in the neck, at that very spot he couldn't reach with his own foot. Sagging with sheer pleasure he allowed himself to be coddled while the man went on about his 'mistress' and something about 'being a lunatic'. None of it mattered really, as long as he got some of the pork he smelled frying in the kitchen downstairs for dinner tonight.

Min Jee burst back into the bedroom brushing her hair with one hand, and buttoning up her shirt with the other.

"May bag, where's my bag?" she yelped, obviously panicking. She needed this job too badly, she couldn't afford to be late.

Hyun Joong picked up the satchel where from where it had been discarded earlier and held it out at arm's length, with an expression of mock revulsion which could only depict his fear of getting infected by something on touching the bag.

"What?" she snapped, snatching the bag away, annoyed at that look of derision in his eyes. If only he would look at her with a little more affection. Warmth even. Then again, she never did anything for him to respond that way. So it was probably all her fault to begin with.

Grabbing her boots she managed to tug them while keeping her scarf in place with her teeth. "Can I ask you to take care of sanyangkkun for a while?" she nodded towards the dog who was happily leaning on Hyun Joong's leg.
"Neh" he nodded, grinning at the dog. If only he'd grin at her like that every now and then. Flushing at the thought, she turned away and hurried down the stairs, leaving them to catch up.

Three flights down, and she was in the back of the restaurant run by the Kim family. Located on the perimeter between China Town and one of the more posh areas of Seoul, the eating joint attracted crowds of all statures and sizes. The ground floor was given over completely to the restaurant, with the first floor housing the Kim's, and the third floor belonging entirely to Min Jee, since the death of her parents.

Just as she opened the back door Mrs. Kim scolded from behind.

"I knew you wouldn't eat your lunch so I took the trouble to pack this" she frowned, holding out a sealed clear bag with fried dumplings in it. Min Jee grinned. The aroma told her they were her favourite pork dumplings.

Giving the lady a peck and a hug, she grabbed the packet, mumbled her thanks and was almost out the door, when Hyun Joong happened to ask "I can drop you off if you're getting late…"

A little surprised by his offer, she searched his face for sarcasm. Finding none she shook her head and shrugged.

"I need to get something on the way, so I'll manage on my own. But…thank you for offering", she smiled. Checking the clock on the wall she gasped and shot out the door yelling "WISH ME LUCK!!" behind her.




- - -




Fortunately for Min Jee, the place was close by. Five minutes by any vehicle, and ten minutes by brisk walk. And Min Jee's idea of a brisk walk was everyone else's idea of a jog. With ten minutes to spare, she entered the building with the restaurant she hoped to work at and sighed with relief.

Granted it would be a 'weekends only' stint, but from what she had heard of them, they paid well, treated the employees kindly, and rewarded everyone according to the work they put in. The picture worked for her. Now to convince them they can't do without me, she thought to herself. Checking her reflection in the glass door, she removed her cap, ran a hand through her hair to make it settle down before pushing open the door and letting herself in.

The Cristal Voile was a restaurant that prided itself on having Korea's crème de la crème as its clientele. Bureaucrats, politicians, expatriates, celebrities – all of them graced the patron list. Best known for being able to offer complete and utter privacy along with the best food from around the world, in a luxurious ambience. They were looking to hire fresh faces as concierges. And Min Jee hoped she fit the bill.

The last place she worked at, a perky bistro in the centre of Seoul had closed because of the owner marrying and moving away. She'd earned well enough there, and the lady had told her to apply to this place, promising a recommendation. If this worked out she'd be able to make very good money for herself, even with university starting soon – presuming she made it anywhere.

Stepping out of the elevator onto the third floor from the last, Min Jee tried not to gape at her surroundings. Not a single won had been kept back while spending on the beautification of the foyer. Quite possibly the owners didn't know the meaning of the word 'economy'. But they certainly did manage to knock the wind out of ordinary mortals like her.

Feeling conspicuous, she practically tiptoed her way to the desk, almost sure that even the noise made by a thundering elephant would be absorbed by the plush carpet. The only noise on the whole floor seemed to be coming from the two men standing chattering behind the desk. Their laughter bounced off the walls and faded into small echoes because of the size of the reception area.

The moment she came into their view, the chatter stopped. The men she'd thought them at first turned out to be boys. Around her age, to top that. Or maybe even younger. Giving them her best smile she held out the call letter for the interview.

"I was asked to come by for an interview at 4 pm, but I don't really know my way around, so would either of you be kind enough to tell me where I can see Mr. Koo?"

The blonde one to her left nodded. "You're here for the concierge interview? I'll just let the manager know, why don't you take a seat?" he smiled, gesturing towards a plush sofa facing the reception desk. Min Jee nodded in reply as he padded away, his footfalls making no sound.

Making her way over to the huge couch, she sat on the very edge. Knees together, spine straight and a smile on your face, she reminded herself. Before she realised it, the other guy from the reception had seated himself next to her. For a few moments she ignored him, noting his big grin from the corner of her eyes. He obviously wanted to talk. She wasn't sure she was ready to. But maybe she could glean an idea of the place from him.

"Anneyong haseyo" she chirped, finally turning to him. She didn't think it was possible for his grin to get any bigger. Apparently she was wrong. "Anneyong" he replied, holding his hand out for a shake. Raising an eyebrow, Min Jee held out her own and shook his.

"Here for the job right? Is that your resume? Can I see it?" he waved towards the rolled up sheet in her hand. Blinking she handed it over and waited, a little tense. He nodded and then looked at her. "You seem to have more than the needed qualifications, so it shouldn't be a problem. As long as you work hard and learn from mistakes, Mr. Koo is a good employer."

Some of the anxiety in her heart melted away and she gave a tiny sigh of relief. The guy's cheeky grin came right back. Looking at him, Min Jee felt he was a kindred spirit. A fellow Puck, of sorts. And it made her want the job all the more. Good co-workers always made a job much more enjoyable.

By this time the blonde fellow had returned. "You can go up in five minutes", he said smiling pleasantly, coming to stand next to the both of them. She smiled back and nodded. So far so good. She was on time, the employees seemed friendly, and the restaurant itself seemed top-notch. If she managed to land the job she'd call it a day gone well.

The blonde boy plucked her resume from her hands and gave it a look over. "Yeah, you know three languages, if you've cleared that qualification you don't really need to worry about much." He smirked.

"So all the people employed here know at least three languages?" she asked, feeling her apprehension rise again. Why the hell was that even a qualification?

"But of course. It's how we're the most elite restaurant in the city. We're able to cater to international delegations and foreign stars. " Said the one next to her on the couch. Gesturing to the blondie he added, "Nickhun here knows Bahasa alongside Thai. I'm Chansung by the way, and I work with the French guests. Knowing Korean and English are mandatory, of course."

She could have slapped herself for her bad manners. It didn't even occur to her to introduce herself. But before she could, one of them interrupted.

"You…aren't applying because of the celebrities, are you?" frowned Nickhun. Min Jee blinked. Until they'd brought up the topic she hadn't even thought about that. She'd been worrying too much about what questions she could be asked about her previous jobs. The fact that this one was a little above the others in station had escaped her completely.

Min Jee tried not to let the confusion show on her face. "Actually I watch very little television, and am not much into anything but news in the first place. I prefer books. So that didn't quite occur to me until you asked."

She blinked owlishly at the identical stunned expressions on their faces.

"You're serious?" Chansung asked. His expression was wry. Nickhun's was a little more cynical.

"But I'm serious!" she cried, mortified by what she thought they were thinking. "I swear the only TV I get to watch is when I get off my part time job, by which time I'm too tired to do anything but sleep!"

Chansung grabbed her hand and shook it. "I'm seriously hoping you get to work with us here. It's going to be brilliant having you around." The mischief sparkling in his eyes prompted a half smile of her own.

"Wish me luck then", she murmured, before making her way to the lift that would take her two floors above to where the manager's office was.

Two hours and a lot of grilling later, Min Jee walked out of the office with a smug look on her face. She'd landed the job, but she would be on probation for the first 3 weeks or so. Which was just fine with her. The manager had been kind but stern. And she'd been ordered to turn up the next day for training and uniform fitting.

Min Jee didn't quite like uniforms. They reminded her of school. But if her uniform was anything like what she'd seen on the two guys already working there, she'd be happy with it.

She skipped into the lift and hit the button for the floor two floors below. It wouldn't hurt to let them know she'd made it. Hell, they were probably waiting to find out. The moment the doors opened Chansung and Nickhun dropped what they were doing and looked at her expectantly. She hopped out of the elevator and threw her hands up in the air with a huge grin.

"I'm in!" Then making a deep bow, continued "Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier, my name is Ryu Min Jee. I look forward to working here. Please take good care of me."

They were grinning by the time she raised her head. Chansung gave a small wave. "Nice to meet you Miss Ryu Min Jee, we look forward to working with you as well. Now we have an hour till opening time, so we'll see you tomorrow. You've been called in the afternoon right?"

"Yep" she nodded, moving back to the elevator.

"Be sure you're here on time!" Nickhun called out just before the doors closed. She saw him wave as the doors shut, and she could've sworn Chansung winked. Giggling, Min Jee exited the building in a good mood. If nothing else worked out, at least she had the new job to look forward to.




- - -




She decided to take the long route home. It was getting late, but she needed the time to think on her way back. She wanted to strategize about getting into SNU. And maybe daydream about doing well on the job.

She remembered the package of dumplings in her pocket when she was halfway through Central park. The freesia blossoms perfuming the air seemed to remind her she hadn't eaten lunch, as her stomach growled out. Extracting the lumpy pouch from her pocket, she grinned stupidly as the smell of fried pork invaded her nostrils. Inhaling deeply she fished one out and stuffed it greedily into her mouth before continuing along.

Of course, life works in funny ways. If she hadn't paused to assuage her hunger, she might have missed the scene. But she did pause. And a few feet ahead came across the sight of two men trying to bludgeon each other to death.

For a few moments she just stood there chewing slowly, her brain taking time to click into place about the situation. Her first instinct was to run. Her second was to stand there and gape. Her third instinct won over when one of the men managed to dig out a knife from somewhere on his person.

Any sane person wouldn't have been taking the route through a park at seven p.m. in the first place. But since when did Min Jee count as sane? That excuse worked for just about everything. Including getting into the middle of a fight between two complete strangers, one wielding a blade.

The two men were really going at it hammer and tongs, enough for it to take a while for it to grab their attention. The guy with the pen knife had it coming. He didn't know that until he received a solid kick in the rear, followed by a hard smack on the head, which left him half blinded. In the time it took him to turn around, Min Jee had helped up the other fellow, who was now bleeding from a number of small cuts.

Despite looking utterly banged up, he seemed to have his wits about him. He blinked at her twice, then grabbing her arm dragged her away, running as fast as he could, breathing heavily in the process.

Min Jee didn't know what had hit her. Only that she was probably in deep shit. Her instinct for self-defence certainly needed a little servicing. She didn't have time to argue. Or do anything else for that matter. Some functioning part of her mind noticed she was going past a number of unrecognizable alleys and back roads. The rest of her brain was just screaming at her about her stupidity. By the time they stopped, she was reeling.

Practically yanking her through a doorway, he slammed the door shut on them, before hitting the light switches and collapsing on a chair nearby. By this time the instinct to hurry up and get the hell out of there was almost screaming its way out of Min Jee. But her body needed time to breathe. Feeling her knees buckle, Min Jee slowly allowed herself to kneel, taking in her surroundings with whatever awareness still remained.

The room was like an ordinary kitchen. Maybe a little sparsely furnished for one. Even a little too neat. She was trying to take a mental inventory of the place, hoping to find something to defend herself with, in case the psycho tried something on her, when the psycho in question spoke.

"Who the hell are you?" he growled, the growing swelling on his forehead giving him the look of an exaggerated mask.

There was nothing like misdirected irritation to make Min Jee fully alert again.

"Did hyung send you?" he prodded further. Min Jee didn't miss his eyes glazing over.

Concern overtook her annoyance as she picked herself up from the floor, only to lean on the wall and eye him warily.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but noone sent me. Who the heck are you?"

Maybe it was the bleeding, or maybe he'd been hit too hard on the head, but the man smiled dreamily and murmured, "Park Jung Min of course" before flopping over onto the table in front in a dead faint.

Min Jee's dawning sense of horror finally caught up with her. What in God's name had she managed to get herself into?
First things first, this is a fanfiction (of sorts). If you don't like the idea of that feel free to close the page immediately, no ones forcing you to read.

I say 'of sorts' because this is more like a storyline with some of my favourite idols from Korea thrown in. Sort of like a Korean drama, with the script written by me ;) Why am I doing this? I had the inspiration, and felt the need to write it out. And I can say I thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

This is set in Seoul, Korea, but there are fictional places BECAUSE THIS IS A FICTIONAL PIECE. Glossary of korean terms is given below.

For the record, I have only kept the Idol's names. THEY ARE NOT PLAYING THEMSELVES. THEY ARE PLAYING CHARACTERS. I kept the names so that all you #Hallyu people could recognise the dudes.

For those of you who are going :slow:, this is what the guys look like:

Kim Hyun Joong
Hwang Chansung
Nichkhun Buck Horvejkul
Park Jung Min (For another look check out my webcam!)

Glossary of terms:
Eomeoni: Mother.
Eonni: Elder sister, as addressed by a younger woman.
Oppa: Elder brother/any elder male, as addressed by a younger woman.
Hyung: Elder brother/ any elder male, as addressed by a youner man.
Neh - yes, in korean.

If I'm missing anything, please let me know! feedback would be very appreciated :D (especially of the enthusiastic kind)

The following starsidols forthcoming:

Choi Si Won
Heechul
Key
Jaejoong
Kim Hyung Jun
Xiah Junsu
Hong Ki

If you like it, FAV IT and do leave a comment? I worked my ass off on this. If you want more, nag me. Believe it or not, nagging me for more actually makes me want to write more. You heard me!

For all the Hallyu fans out there, feel free to add the piece to other Korean wave related groups as well :)
© 2010 - 2024 Calyptra
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LitWIP's avatar
I really like how you put the glossary of terms in your comments. I felt them to be most helpful.