Read on Twitter
Do you believe in strings of fate?
Kdj is a businessman. But not just any old business. His job is to go through comissions and untangle red strings of fate. As straight forward as the concept may seem, many tend to have multiple strings and they end up bunching together.
Kdj is a businessman. But not just any old business. His job is to go through comissions and untangle red strings of fate. As straight forward as the concept may seem, many tend to have multiple strings and they end up bunching together.
From arranged marriages asking for scissors to cut their strings to polyamorous relationships asking for him to tie theirs together, there have been a fair share of people who've asked for his services. It isn't rare to get the odd cut or tie.
But rarely, he's been asked to weave.
A client, handsome with slight creases under his eyes. He was very obviously older yet still maintained a sense of youthfulness. It wasn't in his brows but rather the tepidness he used to ask for his commission.
A client, handsome with slight creases under his eyes. He was very obviously older yet still maintained a sense of youthfulness. It wasn't in his brows but rather the tepidness he used to ask for his commission.
A beautiful thick rope of strings, three strings delicately intertwined with each other. Bordering on the skill of weaving Murano lace, Kdj had the aptitude but he couldn't shake off the request as peculiar.
"One string only?"
"A cord is better."
"One string only?"
"A cord is better."
And so he weaves. Day in and day out, the man stops buy. His name is Yoo Joonghyuk. Often hell watch as Kdj takes the strings and pulls them into asinine shapes, creating instead of sply connecting, as a train of fate billows before him.
"Is this innate?" A familiar question. He can answer this easily.
He shakes his head. "Like any other hobby it requires talent. But I learned from a master." KDJ's reminded of various mess-ups, strings more tied together than they were before, his master having to do his work.
He shakes his head. "Like any other hobby it requires talent. But I learned from a master." KDJ's reminded of various mess-ups, strings more tied together than they were before, his master having to do his work.
It was hard at first but over time the motions became intrinsic, and a day without the needle was a day he couldn't fathom. When people would come in for quick snips and he had time between appointments, he derived much joy from just taking a thread and creating small shapes.
The man asks him other questions. Some as natural as how old he was and his favorite stories of old clients. Other times, they were peskier.
"Do you have a string of your own?"
Kdj ripped a loose string with his teeth, and bit his lip in concentration. "I could."
"Do you have a string of your own?"
Kdj ripped a loose string with his teeth, and bit his lip in concentration. "I could."
He wouldn't know. "Once we take up this profession, in order to be more-" he waves his hands "-professional, about the subject, we cover up our strings. Our masters do it for us."
"For all I know my string could be severed, tangled, nonexistent." Kdj looked at his client.
"For all I know my string could be severed, tangled, nonexistent." Kdj looked at his client.
"Perhaps even attached to yours." He chuckled, and wrapped the cord around his arm, almost reaching completion. "I would be none the wiser."
"Do you...prefer it that way?"
The thought sticks to him, even after he gives an 'i don't know' and shoos the customer out.
"Do you...prefer it that way?"
The thought sticks to him, even after he gives an 'i don't know' and shoos the customer out.
He flips around his bed a couple times, and almost cuts himself on the knife he uses to open up a jar of jam.
Kdj has never had the luxury of thinking about his own string. Sure the thought struck his mind but he's always been more focused on other people's fates than his own.
Kdj has never had the luxury of thinking about his own string. Sure the thought struck his mind but he's always been more focused on other people's fates than his own.
But Yjh's commission takes time and so Kdj has put aside more of his other clients to focus on the cord.
"About yesterday," Kdj props his elbow on the table, trying to comfortably situate himself before they start, "I wasn't trying to be lax. I sincerely have no clue."
"About yesterday," Kdj props his elbow on the table, trying to comfortably situate himself before they start, "I wasn't trying to be lax. I sincerely have no clue."
"And since we're asking some more personal questions, may I ask, who's this string for?"
Yjh grunts and points at his chest. "Myself."
"And? These cords are at least one per two people. There must be someone on your mind. I can't fasten it alone."
Yjh grunts and points at his chest. "Myself."
"And? These cords are at least one per two people. There must be someone on your mind. I can't fasten it alone."
He doesn't answer. "Well if you do decide on who you'll give this cord to, I'll fasten it up for free." He laughs and puts the thin rope down, careful not to trip over it when he stands. "After all this work that's the tip I'll ask of you."
It's strange. He should have a person
It's strange. He should have a person
It isn't as if his hand is bare. A ring, gold and shiny, sits heavily upon the knuckle of his fourth finger and glints in his eyes sometimes as he works. Shouldn't he give it to his marriage partner?
Though the job wasn't confidential, Kdj preferred to keep work and feelings
Though the job wasn't confidential, Kdj preferred to keep work and feelings
Separate. Should a client do something salacious with his works, it was on them not him. Sometimes he'd heavily imply to another person that their partner asked for his services before but even then his mouth made monikers and nicknames for past stories. It was easy work.
"Do you remember all the people you help?"
He almost pierces his thumb at the question and calms his heartbeat down before restarting. "No, not all. But there are some stories I am fond of particularly."
Yjh sits up at that. "Which ones?"
He almost pierces his thumb at the question and calms his heartbeat down before restarting. "No, not all. But there are some stories I am fond of particularly."
Yjh sits up at that. "Which ones?"
"An anonymous comission. Mysterious isn't it?" Kdj chuckles while putting the work down, allowing himself to take a little break to tell the story.
"It wasn't big. One of the simplest things I had to do. But it was very..." His brow pinched and he smiled. "Cute. It was cute."
"It wasn't big. One of the simplest things I had to do. But it was very..." His brow pinched and he smiled. "Cute. It was cute."
A letter with an exorbitant payment and a request of one thing. Make two matching string bracelets. A temporary bond.
It would attach two users as strongly as a typical fate would but, by eithers consent, it could be taken off just as easily as any other piece of jewelry.
It would attach two users as strongly as a typical fate would but, by eithers consent, it could be taken off just as easily as any other piece of jewelry.
He had mailed it as "return to sender" and left it at that. Then the next day he had gotten another anonymous commission with even more money for random questions.
"Favorite string stories", "The art of lace making", "purposeful uses of strings in history" and much more.
"Favorite string stories", "The art of lace making", "purposeful uses of strings in history" and much more.
Then a letter, no money. Just a neatly penned note.
"If I had a soulmate, I'd like to ask for you to be my own."
His blush was furious that day, and his works were so messy and juvenile that he had ended up closing shop after noon.
"If I had a soulmate, I'd like to ask for you to be my own."
His blush was furious that day, and his works were so messy and juvenile that he had ended up closing shop after noon.
Who would ask for his string?
"It caught me so off guard. I've always been asked to do simple string traditions and different ranges of requests but," he let his head rest upon his palm, looking out the window. As if the sender was there. "Never ones like those."
"It caught me so off guard. I've always been asked to do simple string traditions and different ranges of requests but," he let his head rest upon his palm, looking out the window. As if the sender was there. "Never ones like those."
"And what would you do if they came to ask for you in person?"
KDJ's heart sped up at the thought. "I'd reject them obviously. We don't even properly know each other."
"And if you did?"
If he did? Well maybe he'd try to see where it went. He wasn't banned. It might be nice.
KDJ's heart sped up at the thought. "I'd reject them obviously. We don't even properly know each other."
"And if you did?"
If he did? Well maybe he'd try to see where it went. He wasn't banned. It might be nice.
As he tried the final knot on the cord and wrapped a satin ribbon around it, kdj punched in the price with a wry grin.
"I could be persuaded." Underneath lashes, he looked up at Yoo Joonghyuk and handed him his cord.
Just as he was about to pull away, his wrist was grabbed.
"I could be persuaded." Underneath lashes, he looked up at Yoo Joonghyuk and handed him his cord.
Just as he was about to pull away, his wrist was grabbed.
A clammy palm under a relatively dry wrist clung to him. Kim Dokja felt the room slowly get warmer and had the urge to unbutton his collar and let some air in. The weight of the red strings suddenly felt heavier, pulling down his arm.
"Would you consider me?"
"Would you consider me?"
OH CLARIFICATION BEFORE ANYTHING GETS TWISTED yjh doesn't have a string on him right now! So although he has a ring, he is not currently with someone!! Ty!!
