〈 hi, i am the average wallflower . 〉
⋮ iibingeul ⋮   ⋮ rachelle ⋮   ⋮ five thousand ⋮

` ♡ ⋮ WHAT ARE YOU REALLY LIKE ⋮

( character traits ) : heedless, optimistic, blunderous, incompetent, childlike

( personality ) :

"rea? the exchange student, right? yeah, she's a total ditz."

it's official that rea isn't the brightest crystal ball in the bunch. she has a tendency to bump into things, sometimes even going as far as breaking precious ornaments and ruining extravagant clothes. accident-prone, air-headed, ditzy: you name it, because rea is all of it. she's not very noticed or recognized to begin with; most wouldn't even know of a rea at the first mention. but go into description, and rea would soon be acknowledged for her clumsy nature and butter fingers. rea isnt only accident-prone; and because of this, she's often found apologizing, whether to inanimate or animate objects. she's also very limited in knowledge. she'll blank out and the contents of her brain will instantly be vacuumed up. her mind capacity can't handle alot, hence her standard grades, and she's not good with an excess or a surplus of information. she's more naive than anything, actually and has an enhanced elementary character, much like a child's. 

"i admire her, actually. she smiles through everything."

abandonment. poverty. rejection. yet not a single wince or grimace from rea. now, that doesn't mean she hasn't felt downcasted or discouraged before. rea has definitely felt her heart fall apart and has most probably felt her brain fry from all the intense hostility that she's experienced, if not from classmates, then her family. rea has thick skin emotionally and mentally; she smiles through her hardships and difficulties because once again, of her childlike behaviour. "if you don't think about it, it wont get to you," she says. she remains fairly optimistic and hearty throughout her days. she's naturally a good sport and strong-willed, so she'll persevere through her pursuit to happiness if necessary. she may not show this diligent or headstrong side to her much, but it exists; behind the bubbly smiles and mirthful laughter, there is a determined soul set out to discover her own unawakened calling. 

"rea? who is that? ... ah, baka-chan?"

rea's childishness comes at a cost. her heedless clumsiness and blunderous personality has earned her the infamous nickname: baka-chan. she's not typically an idiot or a fool, but she most certainly is perceived as one. koreans call it 4-D. she is optimistic, yet. she is childish, yet. she is clumsy and forgetful and ditzy, yes, yes, and yes. but she's also very open-minded, surprisingly. she questions many entities; inquiries could range from philosopher-status to "are you really asking me that, rea?" she has a question for almost everything, and it's like rea is that one kindgarten student that is hated by all her peers because she's just so damn curious about everything. most of this bewildering curiousity comes from her lack of confidence. speaking of, she lacks an ego. she's plain, as established, and that is the main cause. because of her blandless, rea has come to terms of a) exploration (to find her calling) and b) ego-lessness. her questions are harmless however, and though most people tend to look past this, it's mainly because she's just searching for what really piques her interest, something that she could officially pronounce her calling. she doesn't care about why the sky is blue; she's wondering if she could be smart enough to come up with a scientific analysis for the explanation behind the blue hues. she doesn't care why people hate each other; she's just trying to experiment if she would do well in the field of psychology.

rea is curious. rea is searching. rea is accident-prone, ponderous, jubilant, and puzzling. rea is rea.

( background ) :

rea wasn't perfect. she understood that; her parents didn't. whether it was academics, athletics, or the performing arts, rea was average -- maybe a bit too average. her test scores were banal; stamina was prosaic; and rhythm insipid. rea wasn't a genius, nor was she a prodigy. despite the both of her parents being some of the biggest players in the chinese stockbroking game, rea was just.. not that. and it seemed that the genius genes had skipped rea because it left her in the dust and went right to her younger sister, jia qi -- that spawn of the devil. her parents detested rea's naivete and disgraceful character, and it led them to believe that china's already-too-strict school system wasn't doing enough for her; and allegedly, according to hong kong tribune, japan's educational system was actually ranked in having one of asia's finest disciplinary structures. one idea led to another; one thought was executed after the other; and rea found herself being shipped off to japan, her waves of goodbye being left discarded and neglected by the backs of her retreating family members.

downcasted and baffled, rea was left alone with a sloppily-packed suitcase, a tattered map, and a chinese-japanese dictionary bought from the dollar store. it took several countless months and years for the emancipated 16-year-old to adjust. but slowly, events unraveled and rea shuffled her way through her parents' plans. she studied at the international japanese academy and studied assiduously to master the foreign language; she made new friends, that of which included the eccentric raicho -- the fanatical otaku who had helped the distressed rea grow accustomed to the foreign aspects of tokyo; and though not by much, her forgetful behaviour was ameliorated by just a hair. however, old habits die hard and there was just one thing that would not change: rea was still plain. even with the added hours of study hall, and the extracurricular activies forced upon her, rea was still averagely ranked in the 100s of her class; her athletics were ordinary rather than spectacular; and her rhythm was still very elementary.

not much had changed with rea except for the fact that she now knew how to pick up her clothes and put them where they belong in the hamper; and that she now knew to keep her apartment keys around her neck at all times. her forgetfulness might've been cured just a smidge, but that wasn't the plan. the entire plan of her emancipation and her being shipped off was to better her status in any aspect -- anything. and the plan is failing... drastically. she's still not noticed, and she's as pedestrian as a block of cheese. and if she didn't do something about it - and fast - her expectant father might come to japan himself and haul her back to china by the neck where he could teach her a lesson or two. it's been four years after all. where is rea's talent?! 

but luckily for the distraught damsel, rea has a calling fated to her -- it has just yet to be triggered. and it will be none other than mr. artsy-and-angsty, who will help rea trigger this hidden bemusement.

( lifestyle ) :

after the years of accumulating enough pocket money to buy herself out a place, rea moved out of her school's dormitories and into her own apartment; it's only a small rooftop lodge, but she makes do. she keeps up with bills every month with her part-time jobs: one at the maid-cafe, and the other during her morning shifts as the paper girl. her morning shifts pay minimum wage (or maybe even lower) and her afternoon shifts at the cafe are just about as average as she is. she barely gets by with just enough ramen to last her through the weeks, and if she's lucky, a bottle of calpico every once in a while. because a majority of her low salaries are prioritized to living expenses, rea can't really afford many luxuries like cars or bikes. she gets by on her feet and public transportation; it's a rare occassion where raicho would offer a ride in her car.

rea attends school at a local community college; high school lasted well only while her parents had enough high-enough hopes to pay for it. but after senior year and no 4-year universities replied back with positive outcomes, rea was practically pronounced out of the family will (or so her father threatened). she had to settle for a community college due to the lack of funds her family provided with (since jia qi probably has more expenses to cover), and is currently attending the school as a run-down 20-year-old that is known 'round campus as either: a) the local bum or b) the plain-jane wallfllower with the ramen diet. either one was fine. because both were true. but it's rare that anyone associates with her anyways, so rumors and such don't get aound much. she's too average for interaction, after all.

( trivia ) :

• her favorite color is blue 
• she hates studying, but she likes asking questions
• she jogs in the morning to maintain her health
• but she ends up pigging out during the day anyways and the calories are back
• she has a fear of heights
• she's right-handed, but performs every task aside from writing with her left hand (ie. chews on her left side, holds a racquet with her left hand, etc.)
• her parents and rea don't even talk anymore
• but she still does get the occassional email for her sister (who only ends up bragging about some award she won anyways)
• rea's ideal type is song joon ki
• her favorite ramen flavor is thai styled tom yum
• she dreams of affording a pack of ramune one day
• favorite anime of all time: ouran high school host club (too bad she can't afford merch)
• anything with more than four legs is considered kryptonite to rea
• she has to sleep every night at 10 PM to attan enough sleep to wake up at 4:30 AM to make it on time to her paper-delivery shift
• ahjumma vendors down the street know rea and in turn, give rea free samples out of pity 
• she's really into the whole shoujo-cliche stuff; she dreams of her own love life to be like those in the animes and dramas

` ♡ ⋮ IT'S GETTIN' ALL SHOUJO UP IN HERE ⋮

( personality ) :

"jongin? oh, the freaky art kid that sits in corners, right?" 

it's one thing to be shy. and it's another to be as foreboding as kim jongin. he's not exactly the most expressive person; he's more the type to be lonesome, to prefer talking to a bundle of twigs than a group of people. jongin obviously has a past -- it's the only thing decipherable about him. jongin is a taciturn character, one that isn't known to start conversations (or even keep one going), and he has a very uneasy behaviour. he tends to be very antsy, like he's apprehensive about something; like he's scared or worried, or better yet, anxious. jongin has a very watchful personality; he observes and he collects data. most girls in his class would describe him as a mix of kyouya ootori and morinozuka takeshi. some would go as far as describing him as some sort of tezuka kunimitsu. his solicitude and his eerie aura are the main benefactors in preventing him from making friends.

"kai? he doesn't talk much.. but he isn't that bad, really."

however, beneath the thick layers of ominous glares and labored angst, there is a weakened soul. jongin is actually quite good-natured; the type of guy to worry about others even when he has no place in involvement. he's thoughtful and has his own special ways in displaying his peculiar sense of affection. immaculate and meticulous, jongin is also very precise in what he does, and though most wouldn't be able to tell at first glance, jongin is quite the virtuous man; he has goals for himself and behind his facade of ice, he's willing to kill himself over achieving his dreams, his masquerade of coldness is what it is: an act. but as mentioned before, his past is dreadful enough to force him into submission to his fears and worries, hence the shield he has put up for himself.  behind the kunimitsu and kyouya and takeshi, there is in fact, a fai d. fluorite.. or even a hitachiin kaoru. if he wanted, he could probably even pull off a tamaki suou and be the humorous prince that blonde protagonist was in the manga.

( how did you two meet? ) :

jongin and rea met in class, actually. it would be about the third time these past two semesters that rea has changed her major, and it just so happens to be photography this time. she knows she has no chance at it, for she'll probably just break the camera before even getting to snap a shot of anything, but her counselor was an impatient man, and her impulsive decision had abruptly landed her in this class. for the first time ever, the photography and applied arts majors were assigned to perform joint collaborations -- as a social experiment, the professors had stated. the project would last all year, and the end product would be showcased at the school's art and photography exhibition at the end of the school year. and just like any other shoujo cliche, rea from the photography department had just so happened to be assigned to none other than kim jongin from the applied arts department himself.

it was rough at first. rea couldn't figure out the high-tech nikon to save her life, and jongin wasn't the happiest camper in class. "don't you know how to work a camera?" he had demanded. "i'm sorry, i'm not really good at this!" she had replied hastily. "obviously!" he had replied.
needless to say, jongin had confirmed the rumors of rea being a complete airhead; and rea on jongin... well, the brooding character really did give her the chills.
"are artists really so expressive in indimidation?" she had inquired.
"are blondes really so expressive in idiocy?" he had returned.

touche, jongin. pleasure is mine.

( relationship ) :

though it was rough between them at first, and their not-really-blossoming friendship was more rocky than ebbing, it eventually worked out in the end. they're not exactly strangers, but not exactly friends. jongin would call them project partners, but rea would refer to themselves as acquaintances. they don't know much about each other aside from names and majors. but unlike any other, rea is able to drawl out more than five words from jongin in one sitting. that's quite the accomplishment around here, so it must mean they're not just project partners, right?

( how they act ) : 

through the power of art, rea and jongin fell for one another. rea began to draw out actual sentences instead of just single-worded remarks from jongin, and jongin was allowing rea to fully explore herself. with rea's open mind and jongin's quick wit, the pair became a tight-knit duo more than anything. jongin helped rea discover her talent in abstract arts, and rea helped jongin discover his strength to overcome the harsh tumult of his past. what had started out as a jagged beginning slowly ebbed out into a soothing, blossoming friendship neither of them expected. neither of them knew they were falling for each other; everything remained the same. they exchange hello's, ask about each other's day, and then proceed with their year-long project.

but then rea found herself asking jongin more and more for help on painting her abstract works, and jongin found himself visiting the maid cafe at which rea worked at more often. he would grow red during their conversations and would nervously stumble over words; rea found herself getting shy at his innocent compliments and would find herself feeling a bit... melancholy at jongin's lack of presence. and somewhere in between this static love affair, it was broken to the both of them by third parties, and wow did things get awkward; because not only does rea lack experience in the love game -- so does jongin.

` ♡ ⋮ WELCOME HOME, MASTER ⋮
 

( how did you find out about this job? ) :

my friend, raicho, and i were looking for jobs to work (more particularly for me). we were looking around downtown and saw one of your flyers on a street lamp. it.. piqued my interested, you could say. the pay seemed decent, the concept was amusing, and raicho said i would cute in a maid outfit, which would help me in gaining lots of tips... so i went for it.

( why do you need this job? ) :

i'm barely getting by. it's not a sob story, it's really true. details and all, i just need the money and i need it fast. i'm already running a few days late on my house rent and i'm doing this alone. i need money.. and did i mention that i needed it fast, too?

( how do you feel about dressing up in costumes and themed events? ) :

i can't guarantee you that i will look absolutely y or cute, if that's what you want to know. at best - and trust, i know from experience - i can only give you average... but i don't mind. i've always wanted to try cosplaying anyways. it would be a fun experience, wouldn't it? i think it'd be like one big dress-up party!

( how would you deal with a customer who was trying to harass you? ) :

i would have to report that to management, wouldn't i? that's the first thing that comes to mind: report him. it's one thing to flirt and send suggestive comments, but if he's really doing something to discomfort and harass me, i would first ask him kindly to stop. if he doesn't, i'd let another worker know just in case, so they could help watch over me. after the third strike, if not the management, then shouldn't the police be the last resort? maid cafe's seem harmless, and i trust you, but if that would happen.... i guess my first instinct would be to report him, aside from asking him to stop the first few times.

( of all the other workers, who do you get along best with? ) :

hm.. i think i would have to go with graceful nadeshiko-san. she's really motherly in a sense, even though we're quite close in age. my mother was never the friendliest, you know? she wasn't warm, nor was she tender like in the movies. she just also scolded and reprimanded me for not being some prodigy or genius. graceful nadeshiko-san is really like a surrogate mother, and in various ways. she'll cook me lunches sometimes when i'm on break at the cafe; she offers really good advice and words of solace, as well. there's just.. this thing about her that makes me forget the fact that i live in a run-down shack. it's like a soothing aura envelopes me whenever i'm around her, but i guess that's just the effect graceful nadeshiko-san has on others... but, i think there's something she might be hiding? she acts slightly different whenever we haved themed days at the cafe...

( and who do you not get along with? ) : 

it might already be obvious, but ice princess-sama (she likes to be referred to as -sama or -hime) is actually one of those that i don't interact well with. it's not that i dislike her or anything. i'm sure somewhere beneath that ego and temper, she's a very loving person. i don't hate her, i can't, really; she hasn't given me a reason -- yet. she's just.. so perfect. she's very pretty, and she's got so much control over her life. i'm actually jealous of her. everything about ice princess-sama is practically flawless, and i'm just this lump trying to get by on mailing papers and serving coffee. whatever i can do, she can do so much better, and i think that's the main thing that hinders us in being good friends. the air isn't hostile; it's just... awkward. she bosses me around, i listen; no friendly chats, no hello's, no "have a nice break's". putting her and me together is like putting a boulder beside a bush and expecting them to start a conversation... you know?

( what is your favourite manga and why? ) :

ah, ouran high school host club! either that, or absolute boyfriend. both of these manga selections are really colorful and bright. though, i can't afford to buy them, so i just visit the library to read them whenever i have leisure-time. the art great, the plots are creative, and they're just.. extremely fun to read. not only that, but because things haven't been - and still aren't - going too fantastic for me, it gives me something to look forward to. most guys 'round here would rather have the campus goddess or the cute bookworm, not some ramen-eating bum like me. ouran and absolute boyfriend make me smile; because a) it's every girls' dreams slammed into a series, b) it gives a good laugh, and lastly, it just gives me... hope? yeah, hope; hope that maybe one day, my life could be as perfectly cliche as haruhi's or riiko's. 

` ♡ ⋮ PLEASE COME BACK SOON ⋮

( scene suggestions ) : 

because both rea and jongin are either extremely freaky or painfully dull, they both undergo makeovers together; and the end product is surprisingly spectacular. 
"jongin?"
"rea?"
"you don't look half bad with your hair pushed back, jongin."
"you don't look half bad with all that make-up, either."

rea is hit with disaster when her father gives her an unexpected phonecall. they debate and argue and fight over the phone, mindlessly bickering over rea's education. her father, as usual, was being his selfish self and was once again, trying to push the stockbroker title onto rea when she clearly didn't want it (thanks to her discovery of her talent in abstracts). the result is distressing, and this prompts rea to express her rage through the form of art, which had been earlier suggested to jongin. "whenever you're upset or feeling any excess emotions, art is the way to go," he had advised.
the result: a masterpiece. jongin comes over later that day because they had appointed to meet with each other to put the finishing touches on their joint-collab project; and as he stumbles across her newly-innovated art studio at the back of her shack, he sees the painting. this is the start of jongin's falling for rea.

tears. lots of tears and rea crying into the arms of her lover. because cliche and shoujo and huehuehue.

. i mean what.

jongin stops by the cafe one day, and the theme is actually quite embarassing. he finds rea in a rather compromising position with an older customers (like pedo older) and sees the discomfort and b tears emerging upon rea's visage. because he is her superman and knight in shining gold armour and shoujo protagonist, jongin, much to everybody's astonishment, helps rea by pulling her away from the man and his lurking hands. jongin calmly confronts the man and a discreet arm of jongin's slips protectively around rea's waist. etc.

this is all i've got. i'll come back for moar laters.

( themed event day suggestions ) : 

circus themes | ring-leaders, y clowns, acrobat leotards, wink wink.

under the sea | mermaids, fishes, seaweed skirts, seashell bras.

disney waltz | disney princesses because shoujo and cliche.

luau tiki party | grass skirts, coconut bras, leis, hawaii.

school-room | teacher/student roleplay/cosplay

jungle | bc animals and neko's and yes.

greek myth legend day | bc greek goddesses and girls in togas

multi-culture | japanese, french, italian, american, chinese, thai, all cultures

( comments/questions/etc ) : 

i love you. i tried to keep the app short because you just have so many to go through hahaha. anyways just let me know what there is to fix.

i look forward to reviewin your app for i got a boy. muah muah, kiss kiss. good day to you, hime.

( password ) : ( you erted space alien! )