┊for the oldest son who has grown up to realise that he could rarely stumble or make mistakes, his birth was technically a mistake on its own. originally born in busan, ji beomseok was born as the unplanned oldest to ji beomsu and hong yunri. the young couple were irresponsible, reckless, thoughtless. everything beomseok wished to never be. they had him after conceiving without proper protection and beomseok's had to live with the mistake he was born into the rest of his life: his family.

┊later on he would be the oldest of four siblings, with him having a significant age gap from them. his parents thought it would be a great idea to have one or two more children who could just help them out around the house. this terrible plan only had their oldest to raise more people. at around 6-7 years old, beomseok understood that he'd have to grow up alongside his parents, while raising three younger siblings to the best of his ability.

   ⤷ beomseok always "knows a guy" for something when it comes to resources. at some point, his co-workers don't ask any questions for their own safety. they all assume it's from beomseok's connections in his shady past.

keeping in line • cho seoyun

summary - beomseok manages to sweet talk his way into a discount for a combo meal, beating seoyun in line as the last person of the day to get that in-demand meal.

location - marketplace.

status - replied.

unwilling accomplice • yoon midam

summary - flashback. from the unwilling accomplice connection, midam meets beomseok who is new in town. he believes the friendly innocent-looking guy is harmless until he beats a man (an enemy from his past) within in inch of his life. he trusts beomseok did that for a reason and they become friends after becoming roommates.

location - hospital.

status - starter sent.

title • character

summary - tba.

location - tba.

status - tba.

title • character

summary - tba.

location - tba.

status - tba.

moved details, for characters that are no longer in the roleplay.

   ⤷ entp. the visionary.

• entp are inspired innovators, motivated to find new solutions to intellectually challenging problems. they are curious and clever, and seek to comprehend the people, systems, and principles that surround them. open-minded and unconventional, visionaries want to analyze, understand, and influence other people.

  
  

   ⤷ six. the skeptic.

• known as “the skeptic” because they seek to gain security and avoid risk. once they ally themselves with people and institutions they trust, they make excellent team players who are well-liked, loyal, and detail oriented. sixes work hard to protect their colleagues, friends, and loved ones by staying alert and vigilant, anticipating and preparing for what could go wrong.

   ⤷ choleric-melancholy. the strategist.

• the choleric-melancholy combination is driven by two needs. their primary need is to get results. the secondary need is to do things right. either need may dominate their behavior depending on the requirements of the situation. when the choleric and the melancholy tendencies are combined, it produces a result-oriented, detailed person, who plans and pushes their way through life. they are driven by a strong will to achieve their detailed plan. they can be direct, blunt, and forceful, yet at times show great sensitivity toward others. they can be both domineering and compassionate (they can be a lion or a lamb). they are easily annoyed, quickly aroused, but easily calmed.

   ⤷ chaotic good.

• a chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. he makes his own way, but he's kind and benevolent. he believes in goodness and right but has little use for laws and regulations. he hates it when people try to intimidate others and tell them what to do. he follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with that of society.

sun: gemini sun, 12th house.

 ⤷ gemini sun is caring, patient, compassionate, thoughtful, and loyal. symbolized by the twins, gemini is an air sign ruled by the planet of mercury. they thrive on communication and community, but watch out for insecurity, suspicion.

moon: aries moon, 11th house.

 ⤷ aries moon tends to have high energy levels, an overwhelming sense of urgency, and a competitive streak. they feel their emotions with immediacy and intensity, causing their reactions to change with new information.

mars: virgo mars, 4th house.

 ⤷ mars in virgo manifests as skillful, precise, and ardent action. these natives are organized, deliberate, and often dedicated to service. individuals with mars in the fourth house assert their agency in their home environment and may have trouble submitting to parental authority.

uranus: aquarius uranus, 8th house.

 ⤷ uranus in aquarius appears in charts for people born between 1996-2004. this generation was born with a penchant for authenticity and a sharply humanitarian spirit. individuals with uranus in the eighth house don't concern themselves with mundane emotions. they may resist "going deep," which creates obstacles in finding true intimacy.

(source: sanctuary app, from beomseok's chart ic)

   ⤷ crafty, skilled with his hands (borderline ambidextrous), smooth-talker, quick-witted, doesn't always rely on fact aka good even just with his hunches, adaptable, fast reflexes, charismatic, frugal, extremely persuasive but won't ever abuse this power, deeply caring but won't always show it, prefers to be a "silent angel" and will rarely ask for a reward unless he needs it to help another person.

   ⤷ doesn't always communicate his explicit feelings, secretly untrusting of people who are new in his life (aside from confirmed allies), skeptical, secretive, walls are up but only not to implicate his old friends or endanger new ones, impatient, dislikes incompetency and can snap at slow workers.

   ⤷ bleeds and breathes sarcasm, a man of action, follows through on his promises (and only makes promises if he's fully confident he can), will not reveal all of his resources.

connection, possible flashback or present day plot threads.

   ⤷ taken by: yoon midam. (1/1) closed.

   ⤷ relationship: close friend, earliest gohyang friend, roommate.

   ⤷ age / age range: any age.

   ⤷ gender: male or female.

   ⤷ genre / themes: general, buddy comedy, opening up, tour guide x new kid in town friendship.

   ⤷ other prerequisites: would have had a roommate in gohyang for a brief time, around 2021-2022. mun is willing to let their character be a witness to a (few) hit(s) done in self-defense.

   ⤷ details:
┊this is beomseok's first real acquaintance turned roommate and friend turned unwilling accomplice. not much really happened, but they were kind enough to let beomseok sleep at their place while they were settling with moving out of busan and into gohyang. beomseok didn't want to hassle his aunt further and claimed the task of finding a place to sleep all on his own. a temporary roommate for a week or two was perfect compared to a pricey hotel stay. within the first week of moving, beomseok was briefly recognised by a past frenemy from an outer gang, and had to fight in his self-defense (no serious injuries, maybe a stab or a black eye that knocked him out). the man survived, but beomseok and their new roommate had to drag him to the hospital saying that they found him instead of one being the reason he's injured. a threat on the man's hospital bed urged him (and the new roommate) to never cross beomseok.

connection (can be a skeleton).

   ⤷ taken by: tba. (0/1) open.

   ⤷ relationship: friend, possible mentor.

   ⤷ age / age range: older than 1997.

   ⤷ gender: male or female.

   ⤷ genre / themes: slice of life, comedy, possible drama.

   ⤷ other prerequisites: has a job adjacent to the gohyang police department, possibly in other type of public governement-funded service. was in gohyang since birth, or long before beomseok arrived.

   ⤷ details:
┊unfortunately seeing the best in most people, or at least falling for beomseok's innocent-looking face, they never had an issue with him being their pupil. the newcomer needed someone to show them the ropes, so they obliged. within the first six months to a year of beomseok moving into town there were no problems, and beomseok himself made sure to cause no visible trouble. that's why things got a little weird when it was revealed to their goody-two-shoes-looking mentor that their brief apprentice had a record and was detained a few times as a minor. they are not, nor will ever be, aware that beomseok has done worse than what his record says he did in high school.

connection / skeleton.

   ⤷ taken by: tba.

   ⤷ relationship: tba.

   ⤷ age / age range: any age.

   ⤷ gender: male or female.

   ⤷ genre / themes: tba.

   ⤷ other prerequisites: tba.

   ⤷ details:
┊tba.

   ⤷ full name: ji beomseok (지범석).

   ⤷ aliases: beomseok, seok, spring fox, jin beomseok^*

   ⤷ date of birth: june 1, 1997.

   ⤷ current age: 27 years old.

   ⤷ occupation: police aid at gohyang police department.

   ⤷ orientation: heterosexual.

   ⤷ relationship status: single, not actively looking.

   ⤷ ethnicity: south korean.

   ⤷ nationality: south korean.

   ⤷ languages spoken: fluent korean (seoul, busan, general yeongnam) and conversational english.

   ⤷ religion: buddhist, non-practicing.

   ⤷ former residence: busan city, south korea.

   ⤷ current residence: gohyang city, south korea.

   ⤷ skills & specialties: clerical tasks, technical and copy writing, grifting, lock picking, street fighting, sleight of hand, getaway driving, morse code, bookkeeping, korean sign language, disposal of dead bodies (not killing per se), origami.

(*) = the name he uses on some legal documents and if any unknown suspicious number calls him through his phone, to protect himself from loan sharks since he can always say it's jin and not his actual surname ji.

┊@be.om on all public social media platforms.

   ⤷ he has no private social media accounts, but he does have private chatting accounts under different names in a private server for his old friends from his gang days.

   ⤷ primary & secondary education: elementary and middle in busan. busan high school for boys.

• note: he almost did not finish high school, was briefly suspended (2 months) for being involved in a fight in his second year. he still passed the korean college admissions test and had enough on his student applications to apply to colleges.

   ⤷ higher education: pusan national university, graduated with a degree in social welfare, with some class credits under the chemical engineering program.

   ⤷ postgraduate education: (future plans) pusan national university law school.

   ⤷ faceclaim: seo jihoon.

   ⤷ height: 184cm, 6'0.

   ⤷ hair: black.

   ⤷ eye color: dark brown.

   ⤷ body type: lean and toned, kickboxer physique.

   ⤷ style: nothing really remarkable, very simple. he actually prefers darker colors or simpler solid pieces so he can blend in with the rest of the crowd for his safety. the typical minimalist style of young korean men, button downs and shirts in blues, browns and grayscale. though he is not seen without his signature leather jacket around him, on his arm or near his person. he is known for having sneakers beaten from all the walking and running he does. sometimes he wears items with patterns if he is in the mood or it's a special event. almost all of his clothes are thrifted or bought new but of good quality, all affordable.

   ⤷ marks: burn marks and small fading scars on many parts of his body, he doesn't keep track. a notable long, thin scar on his left upper back, has a small tattoo of a crow on his left middle back, the top of it slashed by the long scar. he does not tell anyone where it's from.

   ⤷ piercings: a lobe piercing on both ears, normally unused or with a small gold hoop.

established connections, some are from the open connections. npc faceclaims are unofficial and for visual purposes. platonic connections have the chance to blossom into romance. connections under construction are highlighted.

ji beomsu - father.

┊he became an unwilling father to beomseok in his very early 20s and was heavily unprepared. he took random odd jobs for a while before getting a slightly better-paying job as a delivery truck driver. impulsive and desperate for money at many points, he and his wife yunri put their family in danger, first with their oldest child and later the rest of their children. he is currently in jail since he was framed for murder a few years earlier.

hong yunri - mother.

┊she became an unwilling mother to beomseok in her very early 20s and was heavily unprepared. she was initiallly a housewife, but went in and out of different shopkeeper, cashier, and department store assistant jobs. impulsive and desperate just like her husband, she put their family in danger, first with their oldest child and later the rest of their children. she is currently in hiding in gohyang, either at her cousin's house or at a safehouse.

yoon midam - trusted friend, roommate.

unwilling accomplice connection.

┊one of the first few people beomseok met and befriended when he moved to gohyang city (then town). his soon-to-be-roommate at the time was more than willing to let beomseok stay with him while the latter was handling looking for a new place. he didn't know much about him at the time, but he did help beomseok out as a witness to beating. they brought the man (who was only beaten in beomseok's self-defense) to the hospital with a lie ready. he still had no issue with his new roommate being way too skilled at almost killing a person with his bare hands. beomseok values midam for almost blindly trusting him, as he doesn't trust anyone and most wouldn't trust a stranger. he is a gem to the newcomer.

name - relation.

┊description.

name - relation.

┊description.

   ⤷ beomseok's entryway in his personal apartment (if not rooming with someone).

   ⤷ beomseok's living room and dining space, in his personal apartment (if not rooming with someone).

   ⤷ beomseok's bedroom, in his personal apartment (if not rooming with someone).

   ⤷ beomseok's kitchen, in his personal apartment (if not rooming with someone).

updates will be posted here.

trigger warnings / mentions of severe debt, general organized criminal activity, violence, delinquency, gang activity, etc.

∴ profile updated on august 23, 2024.

^{most recent update: threads.}

basics ∴ call me bon, my current username cottontail, or my character's name. she/her pronouns, gmt+8 and of age (over 25). he/him pronouns are also fine if character is male.

writing ∴ 3rd pov only, no one-liners unless it's a texting or chatting thread ic. reply length varies depending on muse, but i will give you something to work with! mirroring isn't needed. it's on the simpler, less flowery side. public rooms are preferred but things like smut can be in gpms. all genres are welcome, little to no triggers.

romance ∴ romantic relationships will happen with chemistry and after discussion between muns. no quick endgames, but romantic hints in connections are allowed! platonic connections can end up romantic if discussed.

nsfw ∴ will only do nsfw plots with those who are 21+. smut is possible depending on my character and our ic dynamics. no writing of explicit rape, sexual assault, incest or mentions of bodily waste fetishes. if needed, these topics will just be mentioned or implied.

activity ∴ try not to poke me, since i have a tracker. double texting and casual conversation for muse related things in pms are fine with me! not too slow with replies, but dependent on muse and real life. if you want to drop a thread or end it, just let me know!

likes.

   ⤷ a fresh deck of playing/throwing cards, strawberry lemonade, fishcakes on a stick, street food, any food that's cheap and won't easily kill you when over-consumed, comfortable clothing, sneakers, pens and pencils, writing analog (pen and paper, harder to track), watching people in silence, martial arts films, 80s and 90s action movies, korean and international history.

dislikes.

   ⤷ bananas and banana flavouring, being lied to (ironic with his history), deception within friendships or romantic relationships, dung beetles, sunburn, getting detained or arrested again, feeling useless, papercuts, bad hairstyles, deteriorating leather clothing.

hobbies.

   ⤷ casual mental math, sudoku, walking at sunrise or daytime, kickboxing (informal, at-home workout), segregating trash, playing the guitar^*, making origami paper cranes and stars^*, pottery.^*

ones marked with * are more private and not revealed by him easily.

fears.

   ⤷ losing the means to help his parents or other people, his parents and family dying or being caught by the loan sharks, regressing in intelligence, hearing about his old gang friends being arrested or killed.

desires.

   ⤷ to feel safe on his own, to fall in love, to see his parents and siblings together and happy, to be somewhat financially secure, to never starve again.

these are mostly hidden.

habits & quirks.

   ⤷ he always keeps a small pocket sized notebook on his person, along with a pen he can write his immediate thoughts in. his phone is almost always silent, or the settings are adjusted so that he can only get calls and messages from his boss or his friends. he enjoys doodling on the inside of his left palm, sometimes playing solo tic-tac-toe, always has a watch on his wrist but it's analog, never digital.

name - relation.

┊description.

mun's goals for the character, which may not align with character's ic desires. in no particular order, to help with connections and plotting.

   ⤷ to feel safe and secure when at home, or by himself.

   ⤷ to fully be able to trust people, especially new people, again.

   ⤷ to not always resort to quips and snarky humor when he's stressed or feeling down.

these are all canonical developments that happened to beomseok through threads in the roleplay.

• tba.

❝ how did i manage to escape? pure luck ma'am. those criminals were after me. ❞

he spoke with convincing innocence, subtly implicating the members of the rival gang and using the (actual) black eye he was sporting as leverage.

^{circa 2014.}

❝ how could you two be so irresponsible?! this is a human life we're talking about, what is wrong with you? ❞

^{circa 2014.}

❝ you seem like such a nice young man, we'd be happy to let you take the police aid position.❞

❝ thank you, sir. i hope to never prove you wrong.❞

^{circa 2020.}

a stranger to a new city, but at least he felt a little freer, a little safer. the shackles of his parents' mistakes were still on him, but at least he could walk.

^{circa 2020.}

❝ just ... never call me your son in public at all, not without my permission. it's embarrassing for me if people hear you. ❞

❝ please don't call me your son so easily, i haven't been your son since i was ten years old. ❞

^{circa 2019.}

❝ w-we thought we could handle it ... we raised you, didn't we? ❞

hong yunri pleaded, with desperation and foolishness at the product of her and her husband's genes.

❝ stop lying. ❞

❝ where are your parents? we need them at this police station, and your school doesn't carry their numbers. ❞

^{circa 2013.}

❝ a precocious kid like me wasn't allowed to make mistakes, while you two made every parental mistake in the book. ❞

❝ name? ❞

❝ jin beomseok. ❞

❝ ji or jin? ❞

❝ jin, officer. people confuse me a lot, my name's pretty common. ❞

❝ you're right, my apologies. ❞

^{circa 2014.}

he still wakes up in a cold sweat for half the week, just nightmares— memories of his life replaying.

❝ you're pretty cool kid, mature beyond your years and well-versed with police procedure. you sure you haven't had a job like this before? ❞

one of the policemen interviewing beomseok remarked, looking at his background on paper. the two were sat in a restaurant, a public place where people couldn't easily ambush and hurt beomseok. it was at the interviewee's request of course.

❝ no, sir. it might be just me enjoying studying it all ... and being behind the bars a couple of times. ❞

❝ we've seen a lot of young men like that, you're one of the better ones. ❞

^{circa 2020.}

the mix of his mother's voice saying 'happy 10th birthday, beomseok!' , his father's screams, and the sound of blunt weapons hitting his dad outside their house was the typical nightmare-memory for him.

   ⤷ if he can do a certain task smarter, faster, and more efficiently, he will use that method. anything to make him to the least amount of tedious work as possible is good.

   ⤷ he has accidentally gotten people killed in the past because of recklessness, some being his closest friends (also teenagers) in the gang he was part of. while it looks like he doesn't care much, he goes through every single detail to avoid mistakes even if he's taking easy ways to get through his work tasks. he doesn't want to lose anyone else, so he cannot afford mistakes.

┊around the time he was born, his parents were very young. a little past their teens, but still immature and the two were stunted in their development. a child on the way that they thought would be easy to care for, while losing support from beomseok's grandparents. the young adults were left on their own, with their poor oldest child to soon raise them himself.

┊it was an unfortunate family for him to be born into: volatile, emotionally immature parents, the "adults" of the house were always fighting about finances, and their state in terms of money was always lower class at worst, lower middle class at best. he had learned to never be picky with what he ate because at about nine years old he understood that it could be his last meal.

┊out of desperation, his parents wanted to make better of themselves. with no real back-up plan, they mishandled their finances and whatever salary they'd receive from their jobs. they took loans from local loan sharks, many handled by gangs within the city of busan. in beomseok's eyes, his parents wanted to look rich without actually being rich.

┊he was only nine years old and knew how precious money was because his parents were so incredibly bad at it, moving and shuffling their income while their child had to learn how to fend for himself.

┊when the loan sharks around the city found out that his parents couldn't pay the debt within the time frame given to them, suddenly there was ten times more risk to their lives wherever they went. gang members were on the hunt for them so they'd move houses every 3-4 months, renting every time.

┊looking back at his own memories, beomseok wasn't sure if his parents were the loving type, but they tried. they really tried their best, but they were terrible and ill-prepared to have him. he felt it when his mother got him a store-bought cupcake at midnight and a lone '10' shaped candle for his tenth birthday. it turns out it was a partial celebration and a partial distraction; his father was trying to fight off a few shady debt collectors outside their house and if beomseok cried (he had not cried in years) his and his mother's location would be given away. even after a decade, his parents didn't fully understand him, or knew that he deeply understood.

┊the ten-year-old beomseok had to think of his own way to help his parents. he was already doing a lot of the housework: cooking, cleaning most of the rooms and doing the laundry while his parents were in distress about where to move, where to hide, and how to spend whatever money they had left on food and other necessities.

┊it was a miracle that beomseok didn't end up a full-time delinquent with what his parents taught him. one could guess that he was forced to grow up too early and had to learn everything on his own, and he knew he could do better than the sperm and egg donors that created him. becoming a teenager with more of a mind of their own, he became more detached to his family emotionally, but kept the physical attachment or else he'd have no way of going to school.

┊with a fair amount of knowledge on how the underground criminal networks of busan worked, beomseok had decided (without his parents' permission, of course) that he would do some menial tasks for rival gangs. it was a decent form of protection, since they rarely attacked unless they wanted to start a full-blown war with multiple casualties. it was a good strategy for once, to the point that his parents felt a little more comfortable, beomseok could go in and out of school with ease. even if he did have a busted lip or a bruised temple the first few weeks.

┊the menial tasks assigned to him started becoming less menial and required a lot more skill and training. this was because the gang he had joined (but was not fully affiliated with on paper) saw him as 'a good kid in a bad situation' as well as too smart for his own family. the shady organisation, known as 늑대깡, or the wolf gang, viewed beomseok and a few other poor teenagers they brought in as kids to care for. it wasn't intentional, but their need for muscle and new blood turned to pity. many of the members didn't want this life for beomseok and the other kids. it was not something they wished upon themselves, but the teens needed the money and reputation, and so did the wolf gang.

┊growing in both size and skill, within a few months beomseok had a handle on defending himself and taking what he wanted. by the last few weeks of being sixteen, beomseok could steal, swindle, and hold his own in a street fight. it was strange, he knew it wasn't exactly good to feel a certain way, but he felt like a superhero. his parents had no knowledge of his off-campus delinquency, he was earning his own spending money, and his gang friends were more of a family to him than his parents ever were. at least they cared and looked out for him every step of the way.

┊protecting their own was a major value among the wolves, and the teen earned his own nickname as the spring fox, because he looked so innocent. as innocent looking but equally cunning as foxes were marked in real life, with him being a teenager still, he was the best candidate for more undercover tasks. no one suspected him.

┊his parents were feeling quite comfortable (as comfortable as they could be with their joint income and a mix of beomseok's help) but they started to panic as they knew their first line of defense — their child — would not be able to help them when he was away for university. beomseok had high aspirations for the university programs he wanted after high school, but his parents could only think in short-term. it was a period where they would lose their son, who they saw more as a mysterious cash cow and house help, so they did the stupid thing and "planned" for more children.

┊they thought they'd just pass the hurdle of caring for the infant a few years after its birth, but not all kids were going to have the same level of forced resilience beomseok had. it was a terrible decision and when he found out his mother was pregnant at her age (she wasn't going to be young forever) he almost snapped at the both of them. he ran away for one night, sleeping in the headquarters of the wolves. none of his friends asked questions as he stormed in, soaked in rain, and went for one of the cheap, lumpy beds. apparently everyone had that breaking point, and others witnessed it within the gang.

┊beomseok absolutely hated his parents, that he couldn't bear to call them family with affection. it was only family on paper, the day that his younger two siblings were born. they were his family now but only for their survival, it hasn't been about blood for him in years.

┊the oldest son had gone almost numb to his parents' stupidity. it's like taking care of them since he was around 10 years old kept them complacent and immature for longer. sure they knew how to do chores, kind of pay taxes, and other 'adult' things on paper, but they never grew up. that was evident as they gave birth to another child, beomseok's youngest sibling, two years after the birth of the twins.

┊since he was going to university and was going to leave them alone with three children to care for, he forced an ultimatum on the two "teenage adults" he raised. it was firm and almost-angry, but his words were pleading. he couldn't let his other siblings suffer the way he did.

i am only coming back during the summers to help you care for seoyang, seola, and suyeong. make sure they don't starve, please. seoyang and seola were lucky enough to have me to help, just don't let them get sick.

┊while his time in university was fun, he couldn't fully relax. anxiety riddled him with every less-than-stellar grade he got. with every bit of money that was lost as he transferred it to his parents' bank accounts. he just wanted peace, a normal college-student experience and yet his parents' decisions robbed him of that while they weren't even there with him.

┊at least he was able to graduate with a good reputation and amazing grades, his grit and ability to focus, while earned in a hellish childhood, did something for him. his older friends within the wolf gang did say he would do great things. they still do, as many of them retired or left the group but are still in contact with beomseok. the scrawny kid turned dangerous gang member was making a name for himself and the pack of friends (fathers and brothers, at this point) couldn't be prouder.

┊with job prospects lined up, a normal person would think they were feeling safe, even beomseok who had been on thin ice his entire life. of course, that was shattered when he found out in his last year of university that his father was arrested, and his mother had gone into hiding. by this time, beomseok's gang had revealed themselves as allies to his family. it was right before he left for college, an awkward conversation but they would take all the help and protection they (their son) could gather.

┊the wolves managed to snatch up beomseok's siblings, handing them to a social worker, explaining their situation. it turns out, his father was trying to make his son proud with some shady financial moves, but ended up in jail for murder. he was framed of course, he was a terrible parent but not a killer. beomseok couldn't easily go home and some of his plans to get a well-paying job were derailed or adjusted.

┊during his active period as part of the wolves, the saying 'punch first, ask questions later' was drilled into him as a basic anchor to stay alive. beomseok couldn't fully agree with this, but he was in no position to hesitate when his life was in danger. the times he was a teen fighting other criminals, running away, and almost always punching first if no one was there to defend him, helped him maintain a good physique. it was functional and for his own safety. when it came to his military enlistment, a lot of his classmates were in how at how actually fit he was. no one would think the intelligent and smooth-talking social welfare major could hold his own in a fight. little did they know that all his skills were once for survival (still are), and him showcasing it for physical exams with flying colors are just a benefit.

┊he wanted to get his military enlistment over and done with, so he could get out and find a way to help his father in prison and his mother in hiding. plans were laid out, his former gang buddies were contacted for support, and all beomseok had to do was pass the next two years of gruelling physical activity.

┊unsurprisingly, he did exceptionally well during his mandatory military service, both in the physical training and the exams the cadets were made to deal with. he was even offered a position as a semi-permanent instructor and later on, professional soldier, by his superiors. beomseok had to decline because as much as it would give monetary stability, he had to actually be there for his family in person. being on a military base would force him to have little contact, and his siblings wouldn't see him much either.

┊his superiors were disappointed at his decision, but he did bring up his plan of attending law school since he had done all his prior commitments. they were somewhat aware of his delinquent past (he did have a few arrests on record as a minor) but were fairly supportive of him wanting to become a lawyer. they've seen enough troubled young men turning over a new leaf, and beomseok was a glowing and hardworking example of one.

┊with his father in jail and his mother hiding away, beomseok was lucky enough to have good-rapport with his ex-gang buddies. they were happy enough to help the ji family, feeling remorse for not being able to protect beomseok's father from being framed. after helping beomseok handle things with the social worker, they were able to set him as the legal guardian of his siblings, with evidence of neglect from the parents. beomseok was able to track down a second cousin of his mother's, hwa seolhee, who was a kind woman around her cousin's but with no children. she was infinitely more responsible than beomseok's mother.

┊beomseok knew that he had to get out of busan immediately, with his younger siblings under his and aunt seolhee's protection. he was glad that they're at least alive and were protected by his friends when his father and mother's situation went south. when his aunt suggested they can move to her place in gohyang city, beomseok immediately agreed. she managed to get her nephew a decent apartment so any dangerous debt collector looking for beomseok's family wouldn't find his siblings either.

┊at the time of their move to gohyang, beomseok was 25, his twin siblings were 8, and his youngest sibling was 6. he couldn't trust his parents to give them a decent life, but he trusted himself, his aunt seolhee, and his friends to do so.

┊it's present day, and the situation hasn't drastically improved but it's going somewhere. beomseok is currently a police aid in gohyang police department, and has been one the past two years. a little over half his parents' debt to some loan sharks has been paid for by beomseok alone. it was money he earned working with his former gang, jobs he took while in university, and a major chunk from his work at the police department. his social welfare degree and obvious skill made it easy for him to get a job there, and the local police didn't really question his delinquency either. he guessed it was from the same sentiment his military superiors shared, some men have hit rock bottom like beomseok did.

┊aside from his work as an aid, he does little errands for people around town, including his bosses and co-workers. even while being a newer resident of the city, he is fairly well-liked. he knows how to get a discount, to charm a shopkeeper or a public service worker, and it was all pretty genuine. that or it was "playtime" for him, it was hardly malicious. he was still deeply untrustworthy of brand new people in his life, but that was understandable with what he's gone through.

┊it helped that he had to navigate around dangerous people as a kid, and his skill in sweet-talking and turning on the charm came with it. even as a teen he was lauded for his way with words, his physicality coming second to that. an elderly man in gohyang dubbed beomseok 'the most charming punk he's met' in recent years.

┊beomseok had reached this point of relative peace all because of his family. all because the ten-year-old worked himself to the bone to keep him and his parents alive, later including his younger siblings. and yet he still does everything he can to stay away from his family physically, he only visits his father when summoned and his mother is either in a safehouse in gohyang, or living with her far-too-generous cousin.

┊he thinks he hates his family, his parents specifically, and he probably does. at least he was sure he resents them, but his way of life revolves around keeping them safe. it has reached the point where he can't look at them as parents, and his old gang buddies even called him 'heartless in a fight and heartless at home' but the fact that beomseok was doing all of this for them, proved he had a heart.

hwa seolhee - aunt, mother's second cousin.

┊a local school teacher, and a distant relative of beomseok's mother. very kind and accommodating but never had the chance to have children because she was infertile. she happily takes in beomseok's siblings and even sees beomseok as her latecomer oldest son. she, along with beomseok, are the legal guardians of his younger siblings as his parents were deemed unfit to care for them. he cherishes her a lot in recent years, even while only knowing her for less than a decade.

siblings.

ji seoyang - sister, twin. 10 years old. (b. 2014)

ji seola - sister, twin. 10 years old. (b. 2014)

ji suyeong - youngest. 8 years old. (b. 2016)

┊all living with hwa seolhee, going to primary and elementary school in gohyang city. cared for by their legal guardians, ji beomseok and hwa seolhee.

   ⤷ he has regular nightmares for majority of the week, most of them being just his teen and childhood memories. he is saving up for a proper appointment with a sleep specialist ... and possibly a therapist, for this problem.

1997, birth & early life.

beomseok is born from an unplanned pregnancy as the oldest son to very young and financially irresponsible parents, ji beomsu and hong yunri.

1998-2006, early life, up until 9.

they're living with fluctuating finances, but typically always lower or lower middle class level. most days had food to eat, but a lot of days there wasn't enough to pay the bills. his parents kept thinking money will come back around, spending it impulsively. around nine years old beomseok realised he had to raise his own parents too. his parents also took out a lot of illegal loans, putting them in danger from debt collectors.

2007, 10 years old. elementary.

the family was more at risk as collectors and hired muscle were looking for his parents, so they were constantly on the move. on his 10th birthday, his mother tried distracting him with a cupcake (first ever birthday gift) while his father was attacked outside by loan sharks.

2012-2013, 15-16 years old. early high school

took the skills he learned to survive since he was 9 years old, some for household maintenance and others being petty crime like pickpocketing, to informally join gangs as a high schooler. the one he worked with the most, the wolf gang or wolves cared for him better than his parents. he was detained four times for minor criminal activity during this period. beomseok was earning some money from these gigs, as well as lifelong friends... and enemies.

2014-2015, 17-18 years old. late high school.

while juggling his final year in high school and a few legal and not-so-legal jobs, his parents thought they were becoming comfortable with their finances because of beomseok. out of fear that they'd lose their easier source of income, they tried to get pregnant again in hopes the government might help fund them and also as future helpers around the house. beomseok was furious, and his mother birthed twins.

2016, 19 years old. university period.

his parents birthed beomseok's last sibling, and that was his final straw. he attempted to emotionally disconnect from his parents, while only sending enough money to keep the house and keep his siblings fed while he was finally in university, away from his family. he was glad he did well in university, and had a handful of job opportunities lined up.

2019, 22 years old. university period.

in his last year of university, he found out his father was arrested for a murder he didn't commit. his mother went into hiding, and luckily his old gang friends took his younger siblings to a social worker to keep them safe before things got out of hand. his plans for a job were put on hold and he contemplated going to law school to protect his family somehow.

early 2019-2020, 22-23 years old. military period.

he wanted to get his military enlistment over and done with, so he got the earliest schedule for it. he knew that his siblings and mother were kind of safe in the hands of his wolf gang friends. his father would be in prison but totally safe, but beomseok needed to be out and active as soon as possible if the rival gangs and his father's enemies tried to get a hold of his other relatives. exemplary in the military, he was lauded by his superiors and offered semi-permanent trainer positions and one as a soldier. beomseok, again, refused.

2020-2021, 23-24 years old. move to gohyang.

realising that staying in busan was never going to be safe for his family, beomseok took whatever savings he had and whatever his friends could put together to move to gohyang city. it was far enough that his father's creditors / enemies couldn't reach them quickly. if they knew they were there. early on, he was in contact with his aunt seolhee, who lived in the city and was kind enough to care for beomseok's young siblings. his mother would be either in a safehouse or with her second cousin. the move was rough with three young kids, but it had to be done.

2024, 27 years old. present day.

beomseok has been living in the city for a few years, making good connections but keeping them light because of his past criminal activity. the charming and reliable police aid keeps his walls up so nobody else gets pulled into the mess his parents weaved. he regularly checks on his aunt and siblings, but chooses to live alone or with a roommate, but live close. he fears for his family if he lives with them fully. his mother is nearby and his father is still in prison. he still has hopes of becoming a lawyer to protect them.

   ⤷ while he looks like he just throws cards for fun, he also has a special set with harder, lighter, plastic that lets out a whistle when he throws it. those can cut through thick fruit and other things if beomseok chooses. they're on the pricier side, so he usually brought those out for when he doesn't want to carry an actual weapon, only walking to meet unsavoury characters with 5 in his pocket.

   ⤷ has generally very good aim. can use playing cards, small projectiles (erasers, medicines, pen caps, etc.), and of course, knives. he knows how to use a gun but avoids using it at all costs unless it's for defense of himself or an innocent.

   ⤷ he has a gun in a locked wooden box under his bed, in the upper part near the bedside table. the wooden box is disguised as a treasure box, so nobody touches it anyway.

   ⤷ he has two metal bats hidden in different parts of his home, where it's harder to reach his gun. one in the kitchen / dining area and one in the living room.

   ⤷ it was recommended to him by his university's guidance counselor to use crafting, specifically origami, to cope with unresolved stress and tension. mostly because it's easy to get any piece of paper, compared to a journal or a meditation app. he likes making paper cranes and dogs the most.

   ⤷ he plays "innocent and dumb" a lot, but more in the past to fool his enemies. no one thought of hurting a seemingly harmless teenager. now as an adult who is a known risk among the underground network, he just keeps certain cards in his deck hidden. as a civilian, he pretends not to know answers to questions to keep people talking (with him not listening, just passing the time).

   ⤷ along with casual origami being beomseok's chosen way of coping with unresolved stress, it's a way to connect with his inner child. he didn't have many books that he actually owned growing up (he always borrowed from libraries), but reading a book inspired him. he recently reread sadako and the thousand paper cranes as an adult, deciding to make 1,000 origami cranes so he can finally make a wish for himself. currently, he has no time to make enough to hit a thousand, nor does he know what to wish for.

title.

summary - tba.

excerpt.

Text.

title.

summary - tba.

excerpt.

Text.

title.

summary - tba.

excerpt.

Text.

title.

summary - tba.

excerpt.

Text.

shin segye - friend.

┊description tba.

h h he packs a punch

lmao beomseok, you slay

✧ ji beomseok 11 hours ago Reply

thank you i do indeed slay

✧ ji beomseok 11 hours ago Reply

probably shouldn't be saying that with my starter in the hospital