#mguacti

[mgufm]

SEPTEMBER 18  —  OCTOBER 6, 2022 a setup @ mugunghwa, south korea

SEPTEMBER 18

6 PM

in the early evening of september 18, kojirō is taking a little-known shortcut to his next class, cutting through a secluded area of the green, when he overhears jiyeon and yua speaking in low voices. he hides behind a wall, and overhears them talking about miyoung and jisoo. he discovers the truth about miyoung and jisoo's relationship prior to jisoo's death, and overhears that neither miyoung nor yua plan to tell mina the truth. he quietly escapes the garden, leaving only the soft rustle of a rose bush.

SEPTEMBER 24

7 PM

mina, miyoung and mingze receive separate e-mails from detective lee sangwoo, inviting them to return to the police station for questioning on september 27. the detective tells them that there have been new findings in the case, concerning the relationship between jung miyoung, and the deceased, kim jisoo. they're told they'll be given a chance to revise their statement.

SEPTEMBER 25

9 PM

kojirō visits mina at her dorm and tells her everything he overheard at the green.

SEPTEMBER 26

8 AM

through her impeccably reliable and so far unfailing sleuthing, yua comes to find that mina, miyoung and mingze had been invited back to the police station for questioning on september 27. yua keeps the information to herself, though the thought to tell jiyeon crosses her mind, and has no contact with jiyeon until the next day, when jiyeon herself contacts yua.

10:30 PM

hours after attending a normal day at school, mingze walks into the police station in the late hours of the day, approaches detective lee sangwoo, and says he's ready to give his statement ahead of schedule. the detective agrees and puts him in the chair. mingze gives a tell-all of what he saw, sparing no details. when asked if mina knows about this, mingze says he doesn't know.

11 PM

mingze leaves the police station, picks up a bulky backpack he had stowed away behind an alleyway dumpster before entering the establishment, and walks to the bus stop. he waits for the last bus of the day that will take him to the pier, a one-way ticket burning hot in his pocket. it starts to rain. as he waits for the bus to arrive—any minute now—he decides to call ( bullet train ), knowing his close friend had mentioned wanting to leave town before. ( bullet train ) picks up after a ring.

( bullet train ): mingze? it's late. what's up? mingze: i gave my statement to the police and i'm leaving tonight. the last bus is coming in about ten. it'll go to the pier for the last barge off this damn island. we always talked about leaving, right? come with me. we can leave tonight and never look back. you can go anywhere you want, or you can come back home with me. we'll help each other figure it out, like we said we would. ( bullet train ): ... mingze: ... ( bullet train ): ... mingze: hey? ( bullet train ): i can't leave now, mingze. ... not anymore. i... mingze: what do you mean— ( bullet train ): if you asked me a week ago, maybe i would have, but things are... complicated here again. things are never as simple as they seem here, but i can't leave my family now. not when they'll get caught in the crossfires of this... mingze: what? of what? don't let them tie you down to this shithole. ( bullet train ): ... ... ... i'm sorry, mingze. i know everything, and i'm sorry about all of it. about this town, this school, this island... honestly, i didn't think any of it was real—or, maybe i always knew but i... but i guess... mingze: what are you talking about? ( bullet train ): don't look back, alright? don't ever come back here. your life is in danger here. real danger. whatever you think this island is, it's worse. don't look back, not for anyone, not even for me. got it? mingze: i don't understand. what about your life? what are you— ( bullet train ): you don't need to understand. the less you know the better. when you think of this place, or me, or anyone you knew, don't forget the pain you felt here. i'm sorry, mingze, but thank you for thinking of me.

the line goes dead. the bus arrives. mingze boards the bus, the boat, and doesn't look back.

SEPTEMBER 27

8 AM

miyoung walks into the police station as requested by detective sangwoo. he puts her in the chair and tells her that they've discovered new information about the case. the detective tells her that her and son jisoo were alleged to have had intimate relations a few weeks before his death, specifically, they were seen on the night of his birthday party on june 7, 2022. the detective asks miyoung if she can confirm this or not, if she continued to be in contact with jisoo at an intimate capacity after the date in question, and if mina knows of this alleged relationship. 

"yes, fine, it's true. we... hooked up on his birthday then kept seeing each other after that. i don't know if mina knows. jisoo said she doesn't. i don't think she knows. ... if you want to know why i did it... i didn't do it to hurt anyone. or, maybe i did... i don't know anymore. it doesn't matter, right? i did it," miyoung answers. the detective is quiet for a beat, as if he's giving her more space to speak, but miyoung says nothing more. the detective notes her statement and lets her go. 

outside the building, miyoung looks at her phone. her notifications are filled with texts from concerned friends asking about what happened with her questioning, and what she told the detective. miyoung replies to only one message.

jiyeon: what did you tell him?
 miyoung: i told him i don't think mina knew. ok? 

 jiyeon does not reply for the rest of the day.

10 AM

yua accepts a call from jiyeon. "fire exit," says jiyeon, before dropping the line.

yua makes her way to the fire exit of maehwa hall.

"what is it, jiyeon?"

"you knew they were getting called in today and you didn't tell me."

"no, i didn't know, i—"

"save it," jiyeon cuts her off, "it doesn't matter now. i was waiting for you to tell me, but you didn’t. i had to find out from minhyuk. and if you didn't know—and i don't believe you—you should have known. i told you to stay on top of this, yua. luckily, miyoung is in her right mind and told the detective what he needs to hear—that mina didn’t know. i can’t get ahold of mina or mingze, so i don’t know what the fuck they’ve said.”

"jiyeon, i'm—"

"if you think i'm letting jisoo die for nothing, you're sorely mistaken, yua. i will do anything it takes to make sure his sacrifice isn't wasted. ... i didn't know he was at that building that night, you know. he told me he'd be at practice. ... but it doesn't matter now. maybe the less i know the better. but whatever he meant to do, whatever happened, it worked out for us. and i'll see this to the end, because i understand what's at stake here. we lose everything if we lose her. this is serious. this is life and death. and if you don't understand that, yua, i will make you understand.

( post mortem ) understands this. they know what needs to be done. they would die for this, because they understand. and they will die for this, if you don't start doing what you're supposed to do. are we clear?"

with teary eyes, yua nods.

"say you understand."

"i understand."

7 PM

jiyeon, minjun, yua, siyeon, nika and ( plaid ) receive separate e-mails from detective lee sangwoo, inviting them to return to the police station for questioning on september 29. the detective tells them that there have been new findings in the case and that they'll be given a chance to revise their statement. he provides no further details.

after receiving the e-mail, ( plaid ) invites mina to have dinner together. nika immediately texts yua, saying she wants to meet at once.

7:30 PM

nika and yua meet at a secluded area in the town's park. nika tells her that she had received an invitation to go back in for questioning. yua says she received the same message. nika tells her that she suspects it has something to do with a relationship between miyoung and jisoo. yua looks alarmed, and asks where she heard about this. nika says there have been all kinds of rumors going around about all members of the red and green club. when asked if it's true, yua nods.

"what will you tell the detective?" nika asks.

"the truth, of course."

"and what is the truth?"

"that she didn't know. none of us knew. i only found out at the party."

"is that what you didn't want to tell me at the party?"

"i was trying to protect you. the less you know the better, nika."

"you guys are always saying that. i don't know what you mean. i heard even mina told the detective that she knew."

"that's not true. you just have to tell the detective the truth, nika. we didn't know. no one knew. you have to tell the detective that she didn't know."

"how do i know that's the truth? i always feel like you're hiding something from me. there's... something you're not telling me. i don't know if she knew—"

"i know, i know—but you have to convince them that she didn't know. tell them there were no signs. you didn't see anything. you truly believe that she didn't know."

"why would i say that if i don't know that it's true? yua..."

yua continues to beg nika to change her statement. nika doesn't budge, and, with finality, declares she'll tell the detective what she thinks is right. she tells yua not to contact her for a while, then hurriedly walks away.

8 PM

over dinner at their dorm, ( plaid ) tells mina that they've been called back for questioning by detective sangwoo on september 29. "i've heard rumors about your friends... is there anything i should know before i go in?" ( plaid ) asks. mina looks off to the side. after a beat, she answers, "miyoung and jisoo were seeing each other. i didn't know about it. that's what i told the detective too. i really didn't know. that's probably what he'll ask you." ( plaid ) nods. the dinner continues on in silence.

11 PM

in the dead of night, minjun is woken by an unusual phone call.

minjun: yua? why are you calling? what time is it— yua: (distressed. urgent, hurried speech. voice shaking slightly.) have you told her? minjun: who? what? yua: jiyeon. have you told her we're going in on the 29th. i know you got the invite from the fucking detective, too. minjun: no, i didn't tell her. yua: tell her. minjun: what? you tell her. and she probably got the same invite, anyway. i dont'— yua: i can't, minjun. i can't— not again— she'll— it can't be me this time. but you have to tell her. tell her now. now.

the line drops dead. after a moment of thought, minjun decides to call jiyeon. but before he dials her number, he scrolls further down his contact list for another name. siyeon's phone rings.

siyeon: minjun? why are you calling me? minjun: have you told jiyeon that you're going back on the 29th? siyeon: what? no, i haven't. how did you— minjun: good. don't tell her. stay away from this, siyeon. we don't need you here anymore. you can leave. you should leave. honestly, if i could go back, i never would have brought you here. ... i guess, for that, i'm sorry. siyeon: w— minjun: don't talk to me about this phone call. i'll say i won't remember. my advice... leave town.

the line drops dead. presented with the idea of leaving town, siyeon decides to stay put.

minjun dials jiyeon.

jiyeon: what? minjun: we've been called back. you too, right? i think everyone in the club's going back on the 29th. jiyeon: thank you for telling me. you know what to say, right? minjun: ... jiyeon: remember what i told you at the greenhouse the day after the fire. don't forget what's at stake here, minjun. we can't let jisoo's death be for nothing. and you don't want to make things worse for your family, do you? for everyone's families. you have the power to help them. make everything the way it was before. minjun: ... yeah. yeah, i know. convince him she's innocent. i get it. jiyeon: good. make sure everyone else going in on the 29th gets it.

jiyeon drops the call.

SEPTEMBER 29

10 PM

after taking everyone's statements, detective lee sangwoo is unconvinced that kim mina was unaware of jung miyoung and son jisoo's relationship.

11 PM

detective sangwoo visits ( post mortem ) to ask for updates on the autopsy. after a short chat, ( post mortem ) gleans that detective sangwoo finds kim mina suspicious. they tell the detective that the official autopsy report will be out soon, but not that night. the detective leaves. yua emerges from behind a closed door where she'd been hiding.

"he suspects her," yua frowns.

( port mortem ) looks at the floor, then nods.

"what does this mean for you? for our family?"

( post mortem ) pulls out two sealed envelopes from their desk, and hands one to yua. "i've run out of time, yua. i can't stall him any more. this is the real report. the truth. and this," ( post mortem ) holds up the other envelope, "is what i'll be giving the detective tomorrow. yua, listen to me. the keepers' mission is real—you've known it all this time, haven’t you? or, at least, you’ve suspected. i’m telling you that it is. everyone on the island will lose everything if she's taken from us, but we don't have enough power anymore to decide the ending. i've carried the secrets of this town on my shoulders my entire life, yua, and i'm tired. i'm sorry you'll have to do the same, but... i am giving you a choice i wish someone gave me. i know you'll do the right thing—i'm just letting you choose who you'll do the right thing for."

yua takes the envelope handed to her. "what... why does it sound like you're saying goodbye?"

"we didn't convince him," ( post mortem ) answers, "you know what happens now."

"no, please—there must be some other way— some way we can—why would they—"

"power is what you want, yua. the power to change things. the power to not have to make decisions like this. but we've run out of that power. the only way we can get it back—that power, our lives—is to keep mina on this island. like we've done to her for hundreds of years. that means closing this case and making sure nothing falls on her."

"so, i should... i should burn this? make sure no one finds it? what does this even say? did mina kill jisoo?"

( post mortem ) shakes their head, the look on their face unreadable.

"i'm giving you a choice, yua. it's the best i can do—i'm sorry i can't do more. i can't free you from this... this town, this island. our family—every family on this island—has been doing this for hundreds and hundreds of years. it's what's kept us safe... comfortable... thriving. it's too late for me now, but... you get to decide if all this... this town, your family, your money, the life you knew, your legacy... is worth it.

that envelope... you can open it, burn it, hide it, show it to the other keepers... you can do anything you want with it, yua. but don't mourn me, okay? jiyeon was right. i do know what needs to be done."

yua returns to her family’s home that night, and hides the sealed document in a locked box under her bed. she attaches the small key to a charm bracelet nika had gifted to her, which she then starts wearing at all times.

SEPTEMBER 30

the official autopsy findings come out. son jisoo is declared to have died of asphyxiation attributed to the fire. the case is formally closed.

OCTOBER 6

almost a week after the case is closed, mundanity seems to reclaim the small town of mugunghwa. a sleepy silence covers the town like a warm blanket. radios and televisions hum almost too low to be heard, except in one household.

in the dark basement of detective sangwoo’s home, a tired television plays the news channel day in and day out. pictures and newspaper clippings and documents are stuck to a cork board, connected by red strings. case files and notebooks are stacked on top of a table.

BODY FOUND IN LAKE, reads the headline on screen.

‘the decapitated body of a 30-year-old woman was found on october 4 in donglim lake. authorities have performed an autopsy, but are unable to confirm the woman's identity as of now, as she possessed no identification and her fingerprints had been strangely burned off. we encourage you to approach the busan police department if you...’

"is that ( post mortem )?" ( brainchild ) asks, putting down a sandwich they had made for their father.

detective sangwoo sighs, "probably."

"decapitated? fingerprints burned off...? who would do that?"

"someone who wants to send a message but doesn't want ( post mortem ) to be found."

"what message? didn’t their family call?"

detective sangwoo shakes his head no, and sighs again. "they're dangerous," he says, "the people in this town. ... listen, i don't want you helping me with this anymore, alright? maybe you should go live with your uncle in seoul for n—"

"what? no, i'm not leaving you here."

"alright. just... just watch yourself, kid. and i know it’s a big ask because you go to school with them but... try to stay away from those kids from that club, alright? something’s off... i just don’t know what yet. you know what i always tell you."

( brainchild ) nods, "don't trust anyone."

detective sangwoo nods approvingly, taking a bite of his sandwich. “wait, one last thing. that mingze kid. any news about him?”

( brainchild ) shakes their head, “haven’t heard anything.”

ooc info . this concludes act one ! ic , we’ve now entered the month of october 2022 . our next event will begin on october 11 ic , so feel free to plot interactions up until that date but avoid setting plots after .

these events were decided by character choices . some dialogue and individual statements were omitted from this plot drop to keep it from becoming toooo lengthy . if you’ll be writing about these omitted instances , please include the dialogue verbatim and try to modify as little as possible . pages will be updated to include all characters’ revised statements  +  all new info over the next few days . 

the canon liu mingze is now considered departed . the skeleton post mortem is now considered deceased . see our guidelines for deceased / departed characters . 

if you have any questions , just ask ! 

#mguplot #mguacti #tw death #this is a long post as it was supposed to be two plot drops but i condensed as much as i could to make it into one plot drop

[wingedvictor]

it feels like everything is charging towards him all at once, at full speed, like a train flying above its tracks. he should be running from it, but all he could do is stare at it like a deer in the headlights, going back and forth between 'i'm too young to die' and 'it's about damn time'.

his best friend is dead. he has an art exhibition to prepare for. he has to be around people he only wants to avoid.

he's barely had time to process jisoo's passing, still grappling with the loss (and gains) of it all. the void he left behind seemingly too great to fill, like his shoes always were to minjun—the kind he knew he'd stumble and fall if he tried walking in them.

despite the chaos of it all, he's still expected to throw himself into his art and put together an exhibition that not only proves he's still got what it takes, but that he is the best sculpture artist to grace the campus grounds of mugunghwa.

now is the time to show people that he's not just playing second fiddle to jisoo. he no longer wants to hide in his shadow—he wants the spotlight to himself this time. pressures are on, his immense need to prove himself and gain validation greater than ever, like how it was when jisoo was still around; like he never left.

that's what it feels like walking the hallways of mugunghwa after the incident. even when he was alone, it felt like jisoo's presence was ghosting around him. eyes were always on him, concerned faces turned his way, whispers of gossip, speculations of what really went on that night. even the walls felt like they were closing in on him, listening to his every thought.

he started showing up late for classes, to avoid the crowded hallways; to slip into class when everyone's attention was on the professor, too eager to exceed each other to pay heed to the latecomer entering from the back door. most of all, he'd be able to avoid the suffocating small talk, ostentatious condolences offered to him, and the constant reminder that people only think of jisoo when they see him.

just as he does for every class since the fall semester started, minjun tiptoed into class fifteen minutes late, scanning the back row for an empty seat before he realised today's class was a little different. students weren't hovered over their laptops and notebooks, taking notes or dozing off while a lecture went on—they were working on their sculptures for the upcoming exhibition.

some eyes were on him, but he ignores them all and meets the disapproving gaze of their professor, shaking his head as he glances at his wristwatch, before returning his attention to the student he was advising. minjun finds an empty seat by the corner of the class—not the best spot, considering who it was next to, but he had to make do and not draw even more attention to himself.

he contemplates, not in the mood to strike up a conversation, yet fully aware that their professor was making his way around the class and wouldn't be happy to know that he was not only late, but has no clue about what was going on. he swallows, both his pride and the lump in his throat, turning to mingze to whisper, "i thought we had a lecture today? why is everyone working on their sculptures?"

GREEN-EYED MONSTER ft. @godhe4rt

#THREADS. #MINGZE: 001. #godhe4rt #mguacti

[viragosoul]

*   magnets   ⏤⏤⏤⏤    @efhemra

she only said yes to him because she thought he was joking.

because that's what their relationship seems to be comprised of ⏤ amusement, quips, a sense of no holds barred with thinly veiled teasing. he's a welcome distraction to the disarray that currently makes up her life, the bar becoming an unforeseen point of solace amongst this stagnant town. siyeon has almost gotten used to placating the feelings of others with watered down remarks, but with every jab thrown her way, kojirō makes sure that she doesn't get too comfortable. it's irritating as much as it is enticing in the way that he easily catches every insult she attempts to throw his way, entertaining the words in a way an adult does with a child's toy, that knowing simper before throwing something back of his own. she hopes that enough alcohol will kill the flutters that coat her stomach.

at least the intrigue is mutual, she thinks. when it was revealed that siyeon would have her own space at the exhibition, somehow the topic of conversation would always circle back to him insisting on helping in some type of way ⏤ something about wanting to learn her craft, in his own words. super corny, she replies. there's something about letting people in during her process that makes her feel exposed in a way that's hard to explain, would honestly prefer to work alone so she could be as erratic or obsessive as she wants, but by his third time of bringing it up ( and with a help of a drink he mixes, despite the fact that she downplays how tasty it actually is ) there's a date she gives to swing by the studio after classes to see how much help he truly can be.

that exchange nearly slips her mind as the days pass, throwing herself into the project once the idea gets going. it's only when a flash of ash blonde is comes into her peripheral view that it comes into the forefront of her memory, dark eyes moving from the bottom of her sculpture onto the sight of kojirō at the entrance, widening as they do so. "shit, you were being for real?" she questions with a couple of blinks, then her next thought is something along the lines of how she should have looked more presentable than how she does now ⏤ brunette tresses tossed into a messy bun, on the floor surrounded by wood shavings and decrepit, thrown away planks of wood in several assortments. "well, come on in then. we'll finally get to see if you're more than just a pretty face and a lame mouth," laughter follows as the woman rises to her feet, brushing the wood particles off of her clothes and hands before moving closer, "did you actually come here to learn something or work? or was that just your way of trying to be alone with me?" a raised eyebrow, a set up for another possible punchline.

#◟ * 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 › fire to a flame‚ ignite it #◟ * kojiro › magnets #efhemra #mguacti

[dia1tone]

to: @wingedvictor, @moonflcwrs, @plctwists, @viragosoul, @godhe4rt, ...

jiyeon [22:54] : hey, guys. sorry for the super late text. jiyeon [22:54] : with everything that's happened recently, i thought it'd be nice for us to get together. jiyeon [22:56] : i'd love to be able to host you all in my home and take a moment to reflect on the past few months. jiyeon [22:57] : please let me know! have a great night :-)

#mguacti #:-D

[acrosol]

sometime in the early evening on september 19, 2022 @ muyeol's dorm. // for @44m4

"ugh, i shouldn't have to be here." her voice is merely a whisper as she continues to quietly talk to herself. with barely anyone around, there is barely anyone to see how awkward she looks right now: leaning against a door that isn't hers, impatiently waiting as the minutes tick by relentlessly.

but she's just got to be here.

yua hates confrontation. she absolutely despises talking to someone who seemingly doesn't want to talk to her at all; especially when that certain someone is a good friend of hers.

suddenly, he arrives. finally, she thinks to herself. a break from my own thoughts.

there is no use trying to tip-toe her way around the elephant in the room. "why are you ignoring me all of a sudden?" it is what she wants to know and so she asks without hesitation. "it's been days, muyeol. three days, to be exact. that's plenty of time to get back to my text messages. especially considering the fact that just a week ago you were disturbing my peace once again when you asked to crash at my dorm." yua's words are not hostile but her tone is sharper than usual, contrasting the rather timid expression on her face.

"come to think of it, the last time we talked i told you about what that girl in one of my classes asked me. you know, about whether you and i had anything more than just a friendship going on between us." the mere thought of that is enough to make her shake her head in utter disbelief. "when i told you about it, i just thought it was silly of her to ask me that. frankly, i didn't think anything of it. but now that you've been avoiding me ever since..." yua barely dares to say what she thinks. "...i was wondering whether you were the one who told her that in the first place."

#mguacti #hope this is alright!! #watch her embarrass herself #*+:｡.｡ 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 — muyeol&yua .

[mgu-temp]

act one — stendhal syndrome a timeline of important events.

sept 1 : at the annual fall school assembly, the annual fall art exhibit is announced. the members of the red and green club are tasked with creating a commemorative piece for jisoo. the members of the red and green club brainstorm.

sept 2 : the members of the red and green club discover mina’s new astounding ability to draw perfect figures freehand.

sept 12 : jiyeon invites the members of the red and green club, and ito yua, to her home for an intimate dinner. minjun arrives with an uninvited guest, ( brainchild ). the truth about miyoung and jisoo—that they were romantically involved before his death, while he was with mina—becomes known to jiyeon and yua. mingze and siyeon are revealed to have seen miyoung and jisoo hooking up at his birthday party, a few weeks before he died. siyeon tells ( brainchild ) about it, and tells him to let his father know.

sept 15 - sept 20 : mugunghwa uni holds the annual fall arts exhibit at the geumjanhwa gallery.

next plot drop coming soon.

tags used on this blog : #mguacti #mguevent #mguplot disclaimer : some small discrepancies may be present as these are unedited draft versions of previously published posts. 

#mguacti #mguevent #mguplot

[stageprop]

the charm's wound up @xuae

by the end of her act, she's melted candle wax. hair hanging sleek and wet over her face, curves bold and dangerous under her filmy white dress. the thin, soaked shift clung so close to her body, it almost seemed like skin. she stands on stage for a few moments after her act—some piece from macbeth she could recite in her sleep—lapping up the applause, letting people gawk. the music fades and she steps away, shivering, immediately grabbing a conveniently placed towel. nari wraps it around herself and looks around for xuanyu, hoping her friend still feels up to helping her with everything after already helping her with everything. nari had taken the first performance slot of the first day. by the time she's done, the afternoon is barely ended. she looks around, seeing presenters and observers continue to pour into the venue. truthfully, she wanted to stick around and see the rest of the exhibit after packing up. "hey," she walks up to xuanyu when she spots her nearby, "how'd i do? you're 'gonna help me clean up, right?" she laughs, "i wanted to check out the exhibit then... dinner? my treat, of course. is the jisoo piece up yet?"

#♡. center stage ✧ threads #xuae #xuae/xy #xuae/xy/01 #mguacti

[mgufm]

5:30 PM  —  SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 the red and green club @ the son’s residences

the doorbell rings with the first guests of the night. jiyeon slams her drawer shut, locks it, then puts the key in her bedside table. she opens the front door and frowns at what she sees. "minjun," she greets sourly, "and the detective's kid. please, come in." 

having brought ( brainchild ) along without telling anyone, minjun motions for his uninvited guest to go in first. before minjun can take his first step past the threshold, jiyeon grabs his arm. 

"what do you think you're doing?" 

minjun frees his arm from her grasp. "whatever i want," he says, "now that jisoo's gone. place looks great, jiyeon. and look." minjun brandishes a bottle of wine from the convenience store, the same brand found in room 308 after the fire, "we brought wine."

6 PM

some time before dinner, while everyone's standing around, chatting, and waiting for mina to arrive, yua borrows miyoung's phone to make a call. she returns the phone minutes later.

"miyoung," jiyeon calls a few minutes later, waving her over, a glass of wine in hand and a gracious smile on her face.

miyoung approaches jiyeon and yua, who had been engrossed in conversation moments before.

"i have something to show you," jiyeon says. she walks ahead of yua and miyoung. yua curls her arm around miyoung's and clutches her wrist in a death grip. the three of them disappear up the stairs. jiyeon makes her way to jisoo's room, locking the door behind them.

"you were with my brother while he was with mina," jiyeon says,

"wait, jiyeon, what—"

"i found his fucking burner phone here in his room. yua saw the texts in your phone. you're lucky we're the ones who found those messages, miyoung.

"you know how bad she's going to look if she knows," jiyeon says. looking at the floor, miyoung nods. "does she know?"

"no," miyoung answers, "jisoo said she didn't."

jiyeon walks closer to miyoung, seeming to tower over her. "you better fucking make sure she doesn't find out," jiyeon points a finger at her. she pokes miyoung’s chest as if to punctuate her sentence, with so much force that miyoung finds herself out of breath after jiyeon leaves the room.

"what the fuck, miyoung?" yua whispers harshly, following in jiyeon's trail.

7 PM

the dinner goes on without incident, with wine glasses clinked jovially and friendly conversations had. after dinner, with everyone scattered around the house, drinks in hand, jiyeon and mina are never seen far apart.

8:30 PM

some time after dinner, while everyone talks to everyone else, siyeon sits by herself near the exit to the balcony. a few moments later, she sees mingze come in, appearing like he's wiping tears from his eyes. siyeon decides to leave him alone. a few moments after, ( brainchild ) walks in through the same entrance looking perfectly fine. 

siyeon goes up to ( brainchild ) and asks if they know why mingze seemed upset. "i don't know," ( brainchild ) shrugs, "he said there was something my dad should know, but he didn't tell me anything, then he left." siyeon eyes him, her expression inscrutable.  quickly, the two of them become engrossed in a comfortable conversation. after some time, siyeon leads them back out into the balcony, where they sit on a bench, away from earshot and prying eyes, and continue their conversation. siyeon wastes no time, talking quickly,

"there is something i think your dad should know."

"what?"

"i'll tell you, but you have to promise this won't trace back to me. i won't admit to telling you anything. i won't come in to change my statement or anything. you have to say you found out some other way."

( brainchild ) nods. siyeon hesitates, but she goes on to tell ( brainchild ) that on the night of jisoo's birthday at his home, on june 7, 2022, he saw jisoo with mingze's girlfriend, miyoung, outside the house while the party was ongoing. siyeon claims that she ran away as soon as she saw a glimpse of jisoo and miyoung, with their hips and lips locked by a bush in a dark corner, and that she didn't tell anyone what she saw.

"but there's something else," siyeon looks around, as if checking to see that nobody can see them, "mingze saw them too. he didn't see me but i saw him. we were looking at the same thing. he was still there when i left. i know he didn't put that in his statement. if it's a... murder, like the detective thinks, it gives him motive, doesn't it?" after making ( brainchild ) promise one more time that they won't tell anyone where they learned this information, and after making them promise to tell their father, siyeon leaves, looking around consciously to ensure that no one saw her talking to the detective's kid.

9 PM

lively music plays while everyone nurses drinks and conversations. the cheery chatter is interrupted by muffled shouting from the veranda.

"what aren't you telling me? we don't keep secrets from each other, yua. what the hell?" nika says, frustrated. "i want to go home now. you're taking me home now."

yua tries to hold nika's arm, but nika jerks it away. "let's just leave when everyone else does."

"whatever. you can do what you want. i'm going," nika walks away, thinking of who to call to pick her up, as yua had driven them to the son's house.

yua sighs and walks back inside.

"hey, have you seen mingze?" minjun asks her as soon as she steps in, "i was going to ask him something..."

"he left fifteen minute ago." yua sighs in exasperation, pushing minjun out of her way, "why did you bring the detective's kid here, minjun? you have no idea the danger you put us all in. as always, you're ten steps behind."

"huh? what are you talking about?" minjun asks, but his words fall on deaf ears as yua walks away.

10:30 PM

after everyone has left, jiyeon lays in jisoo's bed. she stares at her phone, yoo minhyuk's contact name in bright white letters. her thumb hesitates over the call button. after a moment, she puts her phone away. 

a while later, she sends a text. (the following are text messages between jiyeon and minhyuk.)

son jiyeon: the whole club was here. are you sure you don't want to join? i could really use your help now. yoo minhyuk: i'll help but i'm not a part of it. no drinking everyone’s blood out of a goblet for me, thanks. son jiyeon: we don’t do that. yoo minhyuk: i’ve heard otherwise. son jiyeon: you are a part of this. you have been since the second you were born. you can keep denying that but you know it's true. yoo minhyuk: maybe. can i help you with something? son jiyeon: nothing for now. the less you know the better. yoo minhyuk: the less i know the better.

ooc info . the dress code for the dinner is semi-formal . some characters’ choices were written directly into the text , others were not  —  you’ll find these omitted texts ( think of them as scenes happening off-screen ) in the linked portions of the text .

any character movement not mentioned here , or any time not accounted for , is for writers to fill in . if writing about scenes mentioned in the plot drop , please include the dialogue verbatim and try to make as little modifications as possible . as always , the main will monitor interactions and contact you if your character’s actions go against canon .

try not to plot too far ahead . try to keep interactions and plots centered on ongoing events + fall exhibit prep . our next and final plot drop of the month will cover the events that took place during the last two weeks of september 2022 and will reveal the lasting consequences of this night’s events .

characters’ info pages will be edited to include new information revealed in this plot drop. this will take a few days so please be patient . this is a lot of info and it’s possible i missed something , so please let me know if you think so .  if you have any questions , just ask !

#mguplot #mguacti #i feel like i'm the looney tunes roadrunner bird leading you all to a giant wall of text lmao sorry #reading the ooc info first might help !

[mgufm]

10 AM  —  SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 fall semester school assembly @ the auditorium

at the semestral assembly, both school dean and student council president speak gently of son jisoo's death. after a brief remembrance and a call for cooperation in the ongoing investigations, the program proceeds. freshmen are welcomed with fanfare and short performances. recognition is awarded to outstanding students across different departments. and finally, the red and green club are called onto the stage—presented as the cream of the crop, the best of the best, shining paragons of talent for all to aspire to.

while they stand on stage, the dean announces the school of visual arts' annual fall exhibit—a highly anticipated, week-long gallery show held at the geumjanhwa gallery every fifteenth of september. a pre-cursor to the mugunghwa arts festival held at the end of fall. every year, students hope and pray for an exhibition space on the floor of the first day.

cheers and groans fill the auditorium as the dean gives each member of the red and green club an exhibition space for the first day. the club, as a whole, receives another day-one exhibition space for a commemorative piece about jisoo. recipients of the remaining four spots are announced before the program concludes.

event specific info . the exhibit takes place on september 15-19. while the exhibit is ongoing, fairs and booths are set up across the campus by students from all departments. some advertise clubs and programs, while others sell goods and services. you can write about your character manning or visiting these booths. the campus is alive with students practicing for the exhibit. if you would like your character to present at the fall exhibit, message the main blog with the day you would like them to present. there are twelve vacant exhibition spaces each day. students can present a maximum of three days. ic, these exhibits are vetted by teachers. the exhibit is an annual event and joining yields significant grade incentives (even instant A’s), so its likely that visual arts students have been preparing for it as early as last year (of course, there will always be procrastinators). non-visual arts students can present on the last day. day one  . son jiyeon, jung miyoung, nam minjun, kim mina, liu mingze, anikka ‘nika’ chaiyon, song siyeon, the red and green club, vacant, vacant, vacant, vacant day two  . day three  .   day four .   day five  .  han junjae/lee muyeol

this is optional. feel free to write about your character’s exhibit. what are they presenting? what media are they using? what do most people think of it? you can also post pictures, edits, playlists or any media you prefer. you can also write about the process they went through to get to the exhibit, either in threads or solos. was their initial work rejected for presentation, or was it smooth sailing all the way? where did they get their inspiration?

check on your art major friends! they probably won’t be sleeping for the first two weeks of the semester.

ooc info . plot drops, covering specific scenarios and involving specific characters, will be posted at random times. a plot drop about the exhibit will be posted later on. tag event-related posts with #mguacti. it’s possible i missed some details, so if you have any questions just ask!

#mguacti #mguevent

[mgufm]

7 PM  —  SEPTEMBER 1, 2022 the red and green club meeting @ the green

all seven members of the red and green club gather in the greenhouse to discuss the matter of their commemorative piece. the air is thick with melancholy and inspiration. jiyeon leads the meeting and most members pitch in. fifteen minutes in, mina, who hadn't said anything since she arrived, leaves without a word. the meeting concludes soon after mina leaves. 

in her room that night, jiyeon taps away at her phone, sending invitations to miyoung, minjun, yua, mina, mingze, nika and siyeon for an intimate dinner at her family home on september 12.

2 PM  —  SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 the red and green club meeting @ the green

the room fills with soft chatter and penciled sketches. mina arrives late, eyes white from a sleepless night. she places a pile of charcoal sketches down on the table. a layout for the group's art piece. and she says, "what do you think?" jiyeon lifts a picture. "no," she shakes her head. "simply unbelievable," she says. minjun lifts another sketch and says, "what program did you use?"

"my pencil?" mina answers.

"no, silly," he says, "on your computer, for the drafting. you can’t be doing this with hand tools." minjun taps his finger on a figure in one sketch, then taps on a line in another.

"hand tools?" mina asks.

"yeah, like a straightedge and a compass?" jiyeon says. "and a protractor?" she pauses. "your angles are identical, perfect. you’re using a stencil or a template, right?"

mina shakes her head.

eyes still fixed on the sketch, unblinking as if he were dazed, minjun says, "i could look at this one forever." he looks at mina. "i'll give you five-hundred thousand won for it."

"what?" mina takes a step back.

"a million," minjun says, "i'll give you a million won for this one."

from across the room, siyeon rolls her eyes, "you don't have a million won."

"what? no," mina says, "what are you talking about? this is for our piece for jisoo. why are you offering me money?" she regards minjun suspiciously, "is this some kind of test?"

miyoung takes out some shiny metal tools from her bag and hands them to jiyeon. a compass, two rods forming a letter V, and a protractor, a half-circle marked with inches. jiyeon takes a sketch from the pile and holds the protractor flat against it. all the lines match perfectly. "your angles are all perfect," she moves the protractor around. perfect ninety-degree angles. perfect forty-five degree angles. she measures curves and circles with a compass. every bend and turn perfect.

"you're drafting perfect figures," miyoung says. "it isn't possible."

"were you tracing something?" jiyeon asks gently, "what were you using? opaque projector? camera obscura?"

"i study art," mina says, "i'm taught how to draw."

miyoung takes a felt-tipped pen and shoves it in mina's hand. she flips a sketch over onto its blank side and places it in front of mina. "there," she says, "draw us a circle."

with the pen, without even looking, mina draws a circle. jiyeon sets the straight edge of the compass, and its a perfect circle. draw me a thirty-nine-degree angle. slash, slash. mingze sets on the protractor and its a perfect angle. draw me a twelve-inch circle, a six-inch line, an equilateral line, a hexagon, a pentagram. a perfect spiral. every member of the club takes turns setting the compass and the protractor, and every line and curve comes out perfect.

the room is tense and excited. jiyeon thanks mina for the draft, and they continue on planning—building on mina's pile of perfect sketches.

11 PM  —  SEPTEMBER 2, 2022 two long shadows @ the fire exit of the mugunghwa building

"she can do it, minhyuk," jiyeon says in quiet awe. she sighs, relieved. "we all saw it. she didn't even have to look at the paper."

8 PM  —  SEPTEMBER 5, 2022 a school day @ the library

minhyuk puts down the paper box under his arm and places a coffee on mina's table. mina looks up. "shh," minhyuk presses a finger to his lips. mina mouths a thanks, looking around before taking a quiet sip. no food or drinks allowed sign on the wall in front of her disregarded.

sometimes, all it takes is a kind gesture and some caring words. a pulled chair, a lended shoulder, a quiet conversation.

"i can draw perfect circles now, apparently," mina divulges, "i haven't been able to stop drawing since that night. every time i close my eyes, he's right there. and my hands hurt and they shake like i'm back in that room. the only time they stop shaking is when i have something in my hand. a pencil, a brush... something."

"my great great grandmother could do that," minhyuk says.

"really? i heard stories about that. i never believed them," she admits, "until now, i guess."

"everyone says she was the last great artist this school had," minhyuk says. he stands up and picks up his boxes. "maybe this isn't all bad. maybe it's your turn. take care of yourself, mina, alright? we're all better off with you here."

ooc info . a different plot drop about the dinner will be posted later on, either on the second or third week of the month. try not to plot too far ahead and finish any threads about this plot drop before the next is posted. if you have any questions about the events that transpired in this plot drop, just ask!

members of the red and green club can decide amongst themselves what exactly the art piece that they’ll be presenting is. if you would like the main to assign this headcanon, send a message.

jiyeon’s mun may send out dinner invitations (text or e-mail) to concerned characters through an ask or submit, if they would like to. this is optional.

disclaimer: some portions of this text were lifted from the rp’s source material.

#mguacti #mguplot

[viragosoul]

*   don't hurt yourself    ⏤⏤⏤⏤    @plctwists

at this point, siyeon finds herself counting down the days until the exhibition is over.

this being her first showing at mugunghwa, it makes her wonder if all the added stress is truly worth it. if all the late nights, abrupt changes, and added weight within her eye bags would all make sense come opening day ⏤ it has to. her grandfather endorses the fall exhibit during an afternoon check in call, stating that it has merits beyond an academic grade and would bolster her artistic resume to have a designated space there, but even then she's still not sure. mocha colored hues shift over to the sight of mina working on the opposite side of her, and it makes her wonder if her already stellar resume needs bolstering; if it's enough to put up with the other's presence in close proximity.

in all honestly, there has never been a point in time where siyeon has gotten along with her, nor did she ever want to. it was already enough that the two of them were lauded as some of the greatest talent to enter the school in decades, competitive spark igniting to a flame in an instant; but mina's fragile facade was the fuel that escalates it into a wildfire, leaving the ash remains of anything that comes in it's path. and as they are the only two of the red and green club working together on the memorial of jisoo at this time ⏤ using mina's idea that was accepted by the plurality of the group, siyeon not included ⏤ she's trying to make sure that the project doesn't become another victim of their ongoing discord. suck it up for the good of the project, or something like that.

the space amongst them is strained and brittle, like a rubber band stretched to the breaking point, so she remains silent and moves in a gentle manner. siyeon isn't looking for another fight since there's no other choice but to work together, but that also doesn't mean that her defenses are lowered. "pass me that tool over there," she breaks the silence, motioning over towards the tool that was left near mina before their positions changed. you can accomplish a basic task like that, right? dissolves on the tip of her tongue because it's already enough that her tone is hardly sociable, but it's the best she can muster at the moment.

#◟ * 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 › fire to a flame‚ ignite it #◟ * mina › don't hurt yourself #plctwists #mguacti

[viragosoul]

*   night view   ⏤⏤⏤⏤   @44m4

the dinner was transpiring rather nicely, but siyeon still needs a moment of reprieve. it's the way she's taking extra precautions to make sure she isn't the source of any drama, the analyzation and overthinking, that causes her to feel like a balloon with too much oxygen; strained. the son's abode is unsurprisingly vast, and it takes a bit of time for her to find a place where the voices of the others don't reach, but once it's located she takes the opportunity to let out a sigh. it's new territory having to mind the feelings of others, even moreso when one among them is your ex and another is one you loathe despite the fact that everyone else fawns over her ⏤ but for the sake of earning her spot within the revered red and green club, she stays.

taking some moments for herself, the back of her head rests upon the wall behind her while allowing for time to sit still for just a few seconds, mind easing from one hundred miles down to forty five. it's only when mingze breaks her out of her reverie with his presence, passing by while oddly dabbing at eyes made of glass, that the pace starts to pick up again. call it self preservation in the way that siyeon decides to keep to herself, instead focusing attention upon the phone upon her lap as a good distraction, in hopes that she could end up regretting. that would be odd anyway, right? to just saunter up to someone and start questioning them during a potentially vulnerable moment. the information she knows wasn't really hers to mind after all, but when the situation with jisoo was concerned ...

when muyeol appears sometime later she comes to realize that she was hardly concentrating on the images on her phone, despite what her hunched position over it might seem. and of course he looks nearly unfazed, as she feels like he always seems unfazed, but that gnawing feeling inside of her only develops within as she comes to wonder if maybe the detective's son passing by in this exact moment the spotlighted sign she needs. even if she did try to drown him once or thrice before. "pssssst, stupid," she calls out in his direction in a mix of a yelling whisper tone that's comical, abandoning her place at her seat to shuffle towards him, "one, what are you doing here? didn't expect you to be this much of a sore loser that you follow me to a private party for a rematch. yikes." purposely pretentious, siyeon moves a section of her hair over her shoulder with a languid flick of her head, though her attention peers over his for sight of the topic at hand, "also, what's up with mingze? looks like he was upset," head nodding in the direction he walked in, "is he okay?"

#◟ * 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 › fire to a flame‚ ignite it #◟ * muyeol › night view #44m4 #mguacti

[viragosoul]

*   out of time    ⏤⏤⏤⏤    @wingedvictor​

all directions eventually lead her to nam minjun, and she can’t fucking stand it.

siyeon holds trust in patterns, motifs in life; things don’t come to people in a repetitive nature out of plain coincidence. no, call it the universe’s way of getting your attention, trying to spur you in the right direction. it’s somewhat of a rule that she has a steadfast belief in, as it always seems to eventually work in her favor in the end. but within the proceeding months of their break up it feels like this same rule is working to her detriment instead ⏤ seeing him in the red and green meetings should be more than enough exposure. does she really need to catch glimpses of him in the hallway while moving from one classroom to the next? or even on the field during soccer practice, despite the fact that they are on two distinctly different teams? it becomes increasingly laborious to pretend that minjun is a breeze of the wind and not the only man that has managed to actually sweep her off of her feet, despite that phrase not matching the minjun of mugunghwa.

and it feels like the more she tries to fight the universe’s demands, the stronger it’s pull becomes. as such, it doesn’t make any sense that he out of all people would also have the same idea as her, showing up in the exhibition hall dangerously close to midnight to get a headstart on setting up for opening day; especially since the main reason for being here this late was to avoid him, among other reasons. it also doesn’t make sense that minjun’s space seems to be only an arm’s length away from hers, making it impossible to not have fleeting moments of eye contact while working amidst the tranquil stillness, thankful that indistinct lighting above hides the abrupt flush that runs through her body at every startling meeting. can you act like you’ve been alone with an ex before, self? thanks.

time passes by like that for a bit, siyeon focusing on her own project at hand and assuming he’s doing the same. but there comes a point where things are no longer working the same way it did while she was in the studio. it’s as if pieces are falling apart, unable to stand up on their own, which would require a little extra work to hold it steady ⏤ a two person operation instead of one. absolutely not. her back remains to the only person that could help her at this time while she busies herself to work on it on her own, groaning each time the structure falls to the ground with a cling clang that rips through the serenity. by the third time of the same, she sighs. “i wouldn’t ask if i didn’t need this,” siyeon says, voice deadpan as she turns to face minjun, swallowing the lump of inconsistent emotions that comes with not working through a sudden break up, “could you just⏤ hold this for me while i put this together?”

#◟ * 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 › fire to a flame‚ ignite it #◟ * minjun › out of time #wingedvictor #mguacti

[acrosol]

10:52pm on september 12, 2022 @ outside of the son's residences. // for @wingedvictor

lashing out at a friend was so unlike her. and yet the inescapable chaos of the dinner night somehow influenced yua's critical thinking skills in the worst way possible.

"minjun?" it was difficult to make out the face of the shadow a couple of metres away from her, so she takes a couple more steps until she recognises him. "minjun, we need to talk."

yua felt incredibly guilty for the harsh words she had pierced him with just a couple hours before. it was painfully evident in her body language: with her arms behind her back and her head hanging low in shame, she tried her best to make herself disappear into thin air. but no matter how hard she tried, yua was still here and she still had to clear things up between the two of them. no matter how awkward it would be.

"i'm really sorry about what i said earlier, i honestly don't know what came over me."

if she recalled correctly, the pair had never had an argument before-- and even though her verbal attack from earlier could hardly be labeled as a real argument, yua still felt as if there was an invisible brick wall between them. she didn't want to imagine what she would feel like if they were to ever get into a real fight.

"the dinner was just a little bit ... much for me. and then i also just had this stupid unnecessary argument with nika, you know ..." yua can't help but sigh. if there was anyone she was used to fighting with, it was her own girlfriend. "you know how awfully impulsive i can get when i'm nervous. i end up saying things i don't mean and then i regret them immediately after. just like right now." yua walks a couple more steps so she finally stands in front of minjun. "i'm just ... really, really sorry for what i said earlier." then she holds out her pinky like she is urging him to intertwine his with hers. "friends?"

#mguacti #*+:｡.｡ 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 — minjun&yua . #hope this is ok!!

[mgu-temp]

act one plot drop #2

september 12 / 5:30 pm son residence

the doorbell rings with the first guests of the night. jiyeon slams her drawer shut, locks it, then puts the key in her bedside table. she opens the front door and frowns at what she sees. "minjun," she greets sourly, "and the detective's kid. please, come in." minjun motions for ( brainchild ) to go in first. before minjun can take his first step past the threshold, jiyeon grabs his arm. "what do you think you're doing?" minjun frees his arm from her grasp. "whatever i want," he says, "now that jisoo's gone. place looks great, jiyeon. and look." minjun brandishes a bottle of wine from the convenience store, the same brand found in room 308 after the fire, "we brought wine."

6 pm

some time before dinner, while everyone's standing around, chatting, and waiting for mina to arrive, yua borrows miyoung's phone to make a call. she returns the phone minutes later.

"miyoung," jiyeon calls a few minutes later, waving her over, a glass of wine in hand and a gracious smile on her face.

miyoung approaches jiyeon and yua, who had been engrossed in conversation moments before.

"i have something to show you," jiyeon says. she walks ahead of yua and miyoung. yua curls her arm around miyoung's and clutches her wrist in a death grip. the three of them disappear up the stairs. jiyeon makes her way to jisoo's room, locking the door behind them.

"you were with my brother while he was with mina," jiyeon says,

"wait, jiyeon, what—"

"i found his fucking burner phone here in his room. yua saw the texts in your phone. you're lucky we're the ones who found those messages, miyoung.

"you know how bad she's going to look if she knows," jiyeon says. looking at the floor, miyoung nods. "does she know?"

"no," miyoung answers, "jisoo said she didn't."

jiyeon walks closer to miyoung, seeming to tower over her. "you better fucking make sure she doesn't find out," jiyeon points a finger at her. she pokes mina's chest as if to punctuate her sentence, with so much force that miyoung finds herself out of breath after jiyeon leaves the room.

"what the fuck, miyoung?" yua whispers harshly, following in jiyeon's trail.

7 pm

the dinner goes on without incident, with wine glasses clinked jovially and friendly conversations had. after dinner, with everyone scattered around the house, drinks in hand, jiyeon and mina are never seen far apart.

8:30 pm

some time after dinner, while everyone talks to everyone else, siyeon sits by herself near the exit to the balcony. a few moments later, she sees mingze come in, appearing like he's wiping tears from his eyes. siyeon decides to leave him alone. a few moments after, ( brainchild ) walks in through the same entrance looking perfectly fine. siyeon goes up to ( brainchild ) and asks if they know why mingze seemed upset. "i don't know," ( brainchild ) shrugs, "he said there was something my dad should know, but he didn't tell me anything, then he left." siyeon eyes him, her expression inscrutable.  quickly, the two of them become engrossed in a comfortable conversation. after some time, siyeon leads them back out into the balcony, where they sit on a bench, away from earshot and prying eyes, and continue their conversation. siyeon wastes no time, talking quickly,

"there is something i think your dad should know."

"what?"

"i'll tell you, but you have to promise this won't trace back to me. i won't admit to telling you anything. i won't come in to change my statement or anything. you have to say you found out some other way."

( brainchild ) nods. siyeon hesitates, but she goes on to tell ( brainchild ) that on the night of jisoo's birthday at his home, on june 7, 2022, he saw jisoo with mingze's girlfriend, miyoung, outside the house while the party was ongoing. siyeon claims that she ran away as soon as she saw a glimpse of jisoo and miyoung, with their hips and lips locked by a bush in a dark corner, and that she didn't tell anyone what she saw.

"but there's something else," siyeon looks around, as if checking to see that nobody can see them, "mingze saw them too. he didn't see me but i saw him. we were looking at the same thing. he was still there when i left. i know he didn't put that in his statement. if it's a... murder, like the detective thinks, it gives him motive, doesn't it?" after making ( brainchild ) promise one more time that he won't tell anyone where he learned this information, and after making them promise to tell their father, siyeon leaves, looking around consciously to ensure that no one saw her talking to the detective's child.

9 pm

lively music plays while everyone nurses drinks and conversations. the cheery chatter is interrupted by muffled shouting from the veranda.

"what aren't you telling me? we don't keep secrets from each other, yua. what the hell?" nika says, frustrated. "i want to go home now. you're taking me home now."

yua tries to hold nika's arm, but nika jerks it away. "let's just leave when everyone else does."

"whatever. you can do what you want. i'm going," nika walks away, thinking of who to call to pick her up, as yua had drove them to the son's house.

yua sighs and walks back inside.

"hey, have you seen mingze?" minjun asks her as soon as she steps in, "i was going to ask him something..."

"he left fifteen minute ago," yua sighs in exasperation, pushing minjun out of her way, "why did you bring the detective's kid here, minjun? you have no idea the danger you put us all in. as always, you're ten steps behind."

"huh? what are you talking about?" minjun asks, but his words fall on deaf ears as yua walks away.

10:30 pm

after everyone has left, jiyeon lays in jisoo's bed. she stares at her phone, yoo minhyuk's contact name in bright white letters. her thumb hesitates over the call button. after a moment, she puts her phone away. a while later, she sends a text.

son jiyeon : the whole club was here. are you sure you don't want to join? i could really use your help now.

yoo minhyuk : i'll help but i'm not a part of it.

son jiyeon : you are. you have been since the second you were born. you can keep denying that but you know it's true.

yoo minhyuk : maybe. can i help you with something?

son jiyeon : nothing for now. the less you know the better.

yoo minhyuk : the less i know the better.

#mguplot #mguacti

[mgu-temp]

act one plot drop #1

7 pm / september 1, 2022 the red and green club meeting @ the green.

all members of the red and green club gather in the greenhouse to discuss the matter of their commemorative piece. the air is thick with melancholy and inspiration. son jiyeon leads the meeting, and most members pitch in. fifteen minutes in, kim mina, who hadn't said anything since she arrived, leaves without a word.

2 pm / september 2, 2022 the red and green club meeting @ the green.

the room fills with soft chatter and penciled sketches. kim mina arrives late, eyes white from a sleepless night. she places a batch of charcoal sketches down on the table. a layout for the group's art piece. and she says, "what do you think?" jiyeon lifts a picture. "no," she shakes her head. "simply unbelievable," she says. minjun lifts another sketch and says, "what program did you use?"

"my pencil?" mina answers.

"no, silly," he says, "on your computer, for the drafting. you can’t be doing this with hand tools." minjun taps his finger on a figure in one sketch, then taps on a line in another.

"hand tools?" mina asks.

"yeah, like a straightedge and a compass?" jiyeon says. "and a protractor?" she pauses. "your angles are identical, perfect. you’re using a stencil or a template, right?"

mina shakes her head.

eyes still fixed on the sketch, unblinking as if he were dazed, namjun says, "i could look at this one forever." he looks at mina. "i'll give you five-hundred thousand won for it."

"what?" mina takes a step back.

"a million," namjun says, "i'll give you a million won for this one."

from across the room, siyeon rolls her eyes, "you don't have a million won."

"what? no," mina says, "what are you talking about? this is for our piece for jisoo. why are you offering me money?" she regards minjun suspiciously, "is this some kind of test?"

miyeon takes out some shiny metal tools from her bag and hands them to jiyeon. a protractor, two rods forming a letter V, and a compass, a half-circle marked with inches. jiyeon takes a sketch from the pile and holds the compass flat against it. all the lines match perfectly. "your angles are all perfect," she moves the compass around. perfect ninety-degree angles, perfect forty-five degree angles. she measures curves and circles with a compass. every bend and turn perfect.

"you're drafting perfect figures," miyoung says. "it isn't possible."

"were you tracing something?" jiyeon asks gently, "what were you using? opaque projector? camera obscura?"

"i study art," mina says, "i'm taught how to draw."

miyoung takes a felt-tipped pen and shoves it in mina's hand. she flips a sketch over onto its blank side and places it in front of mina. "there," she says, "draw us a circle."

with the pen, without even looking, mina draws a circle. jiyeon sets the straight edge of the compass, and its a perfect circle. draw me a thirty-nine-degree angle. slash, slash. mingze sets on the protractor and its a perfect angle. a twelve-inch circle, a six-inch line, an equilateral line, a hexagon, a pentagram. a perfect spiral. every member of the club takes turns setting the compass and the protractor, and every line and curve comes out perfect.

the room is tense and excited. jiyeon thanks mina for the draft, and they continue on planning—building on mina's pile of perfect sketches.

11 pm / september 2, 2022 two long shadows @ the fire exit.

"she could do it, minhyuk," jiyeon says in quiet awe. she sighs. "we all saw it. she didn't even have to look at the paper."

8 pm / september 5, 2022 a school day @ the library.

minhyuk puts down a few paper boxes on the table and places a coffee on mina's table. mina looks up. "shh," minhyuk presses a finger to his lips. mina mouths a thanks, looking around before taking a quiet sip. no food or drinks allowed sign on the wall in front of her disregarded.

sometimes, all it takes is a kind gesture and some caring words. a pulled chair and a lended shoulder.

"i can draw perfect circles now, apparently," mina divulges, "i haven't been able to stop drawing since that night. every time i close my eyes, he's right there. and my hands hurt and they shake like i'm back in that room. they only time they stop shaking is when i have a pencil in my hand."

"my great great grandmother could do that," minhyuk says.

"really? i heard stories about that. i never believed them," she admits, "until now, i guess."

"everyone says she was the last great artist this school had," minhyuk says. he stands up and picks up his boxes. "maybe this isn't all bad. maybe it's your turn. take care of yourself, mina, alright? we're all better off with you here."

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