Characters/Ship: Lee Yeoreum (WJSN), minor Lee Yeoreum/Son Juyeon Tags: (Familial/Internalised) homophobia Permission to Remix: Yes - Cross-posted on AO3, exactly 500 words! (I’m sure Yeoreum’s family are very nice people who are supportive of her career but apparently her grandfather was a pastor so…) - A month after Save Me, Save You’s comeback stage, Yeoreum’s mother texts.
Not being particularly keen about the whole ‘idol’ thing, her family never really kept up with what she did beyond the necessary. You shall not make for yourself an idol after all, and they weren’t quite sure where making oneself an ‘idol’ fell.
엄마14:06 [image attachment] [image attachment] What is this Call me
엄마15:18 [image attachment] [image attachment]
Ice is already settling in Yeoreum’s stomach, sharp and stinging, swirling together with the loading symbol over the images as they download. Images of her on stage, her fingers splayed across Dayoung’s chest, one hand low on Luda’s hip.
And then, from fansigns: Juyeon’s lips pressed to her cheek, then the two of them tucked into each other’s side. Smiles blinding.
여름15:30 it’s part of the dance please don’t worry about it
Yeoreum hates how her fingers tremble, slipping across the keyboard. Choreographed intimacy comes with plausible deniability, but she still remembers the way her heart fluttered at first contact, jumping in her chest, when Juyeon hooked an arm around her neck and pulled her in, and how it quickly settled as their breaths fell in sync.
엄마15:31 Call me
Yeoreum inhales slowly, wishing her chest didn’t shudder quite so much. She will not cry today.
“Mom,” she says, once the call goes through, desperate to get the first word in. “It’s fanservice. The company told me—”
“I don’t care,” the muffled call audio does nothing to mask the sharpness of the way she spits out the name Yeoreum no longer goes by, “tell the company you refuse. People at church are asking your grandfather about it, you are disgracing our family by acting like a—”
Yeoreum holds her phone away from her face, already feeling tears prick in the corner of her eyes. She’s not, she’s really not. All it is is fanservice. She would never do something like that—
“Is this how you repay the people who raised you?”
She chews on her lip, swallowing down her vehement protests.
“I’m sorry,” Yeoreum whispers, as scripted as the way her hands creep across Sojung’s body under the blinding stage lights. “I will talk to the company.”
“Go to church. Visit your grandfather. Apologise to him.”
Juyeon enters the room, eyebrow raised as she spots Yeoreum on the phone.
“Yes, mom. I will.”
“I’m disappointed in you.”
Me too, Yeoreum thinks as she takes an involuntary step back, one hand flying to her neck where a cross once hung. She doesn’t get to say anything else before her mother hangs up on her.
“Calling your mom?” Juyeon asks, arms already out as she steps forward.
“Yeah.” Yeoreum ducks her head, keeping her distance.
On Sunday, she will go to church. Apologise to her grandfather. And then to God, for how badly she wants to fling herself into Juyeon’s arms and let herself be held until tears no longer threaten to fall.
[FILL] trying to save face
Tags: (Familial/Internalised) homophobia
Permission to Remix: Yes
-
Cross-posted on AO3, exactly 500 words! (I’m sure Yeoreum’s family are very nice people who are supportive of her career but apparently her grandfather was a pastor so…)
-
A month after Save Me, Save You’s comeback stage, Yeoreum’s mother texts.
Not being particularly keen about the whole ‘idol’ thing, her family never really kept up with what she did beyond the necessary. You shall not make for yourself an idol after all, and they weren’t quite sure where making oneself an ‘idol’ fell.
엄마 14:06
[image attachment]
[image attachment]
What is this
Call me
엄마 15:18
[image attachment]
[image attachment]
Ice is already settling in Yeoreum’s stomach, sharp and stinging, swirling together with the loading symbol over the images as they download. Images of her on stage, her fingers splayed across Dayoung’s chest, one hand low on Luda’s hip.
And then, from fansigns: Juyeon’s lips pressed to her cheek, then the two of them tucked into each other’s side. Smiles blinding.
여름 15:30
it’s part of the dance
please don’t worry about it
Yeoreum hates how her fingers tremble, slipping across the keyboard. Choreographed intimacy comes with plausible deniability, but she still remembers the way her heart fluttered at first contact, jumping in her chest, when Juyeon hooked an arm around her neck and pulled her in, and how it quickly settled as their breaths fell in sync.
엄마 15:31
Call me
Yeoreum inhales slowly, wishing her chest didn’t shudder quite so much. She will not cry today.
“Mom,” she says, once the call goes through, desperate to get the first word in. “It’s fanservice. The company told me—”
“I don’t care,” the muffled call audio does nothing to mask the sharpness of the way she spits out the name Yeoreum no longer goes by, “tell the company you refuse. People at church are asking your grandfather about it, you are disgracing our family by acting like a—”
Yeoreum holds her phone away from her face, already feeling tears prick in the corner of her eyes. She’s not, she’s really not. All it is is fanservice. She would never do something like that—
“Is this how you repay the people who raised you?”
She chews on her lip, swallowing down her vehement protests.
“I’m sorry,” Yeoreum whispers, as scripted as the way her hands creep across Sojung’s body under the blinding stage lights. “I will talk to the company.”
“Go to church. Visit your grandfather. Apologise to him.”
Juyeon enters the room, eyebrow raised as she spots Yeoreum on the phone.
“Yes, mom. I will.”
“I’m disappointed in you.”
Me too, Yeoreum thinks as she takes an involuntary step back, one hand flying to her neck where a cross once hung. She doesn’t get to say anything else before her mother hangs up on her.
“Calling your mom?” Juyeon asks, arms already out as she steps forward.
“Yeah.” Yeoreum ducks her head, keeping her distance.
On Sunday, she will go to church. Apologise to her grandfather. And then to God, for how badly she wants to fling herself into Juyeon’s arms and let herself be held until tears no longer threaten to fall.