inked; jjk

Chapter 1

It wasn't supposed to turn out this way, you swear.

You had moved to Seoul, South Korea when you received an amazing scholarship for art school. Your plan was to stay until you graduated, and then move back home to pursue a career there.

But then, something unexpected happened.

You fell in love with the country itself. The food, the culture, the music, everything. And along the way, you met your best friend Sora.

After graduating, the two of you opened a tattoo shop in Seoul. Opening a business in a foreign country? Crazy, you know. But your art is something that you're passionate about. Besides, there was a strong feeling in your gut telling you to plant roots here in South Korea, to make it your home. So you did.

And within a year, the two of you have gained a lot of traction. Not only because of your talent, but also because it's not every day that you see a tattoo shop completely owned and run by women.

"I'll start grabbing the equipment, you turn on the music." Sora says before walking into the back room. The two of you have gotten into a routine at this point, you move like clockwork.

You nod, heading over the speakers to turn the music on. You smile as Home begins to blare through the speakers.

Another thing that brings you and Sora together is your shared love for BTS. She introduced them to you during your college days and now you're just as obsessed with them as she is.

So yes, you have a few BTS things around the shop but you try to keep it subtle. And by subtle, you mean having only a few  BT21 pillows around the shop and blasting their music through your speakers any chance you get.

As you start putting some new sample designs up on the wall, Sora runs out to you. Her eyes are blown wide and she has her phone clutched tightly in her hands. "Skye! Skye, look!"

She shows you her phone screen and you see an article that has the name of your tattoo shop written in bold letters at the top.

S & S - Why you should get your ink at this trendy tattoo parlor!

"Oh my god, is this real?" You scream, your eyes wide with shock and excitement.

"Yes!" Sora gushes. "Yes, it's real!" She pulls you into a hug and you hug her back. One of the most popular news sites in South Korea just published an article about your tattoo shop. This is incredible!

"I can't wait to tell the rest of the girls! They're going to be so happy." You smile.

Sora pulls away from you, still beaming. "Speaking of the girls, they should be here soon so we should finish setting up. We might get even more customers soon because of the article." She winks.

After all of the excitement, the two of you finish getting the shop ready for opening. you make sure all of your equipment is thoroughly cleaned and ready, that the shop is tidy, and you confirm all your appointments for the day.

Soon enough, your two other workers arrive. Aisha's been with you and Sora pretty much from the beginning. She's a bit like you, she seems intimidating but is actually really sweet.

Wheein, on the other hand, is very shy. Many people underestimate her because of her small stature and her quietness, but she's extremely talented. She just started working at S & S a month ago.

There's still a few minutes before the first appointment of the day, so you decide to tell them the exciting news as they walk in. You show them the article and Aisha shrieks while Wheein grins from ear to ear, jumping up and down in excitement.