Rcttencore - Sanctimonious

hi guys! i'm like 600 years late with 600 replies to do, and this is like the most i can wreck my brain for so sry its ugly and short and i will continue to add BUT YES took some time to put together some headcanons/ potential plots/ juyeong's alibi! let me know if there's anything that will fit into ur muse's alibi, or if you want juyeong to be involved with your muse, or if youjust wanna brainstorm!! mwah 💋 

her alibi is that she was with aera all along! spontaneous girls' trip because school was stressful!

what really happened was that after seunghan and juyeong had a chat (and kissed), juyeong didn't want to deal with her feelings so promptly got herself very inebriated! (dr*gs & alcohol)

and because of that, she doesn't really remember much. she doesn't really know where she was, what she did, what really happened. all she remembers is waking up the next day, hyungseo isn't there and checking out of the resort.

however, hyungseo's body gets found and is broadcasted, juyeong immediately writes up some fictional story. she's good with details so she makes absolutely sure that everything adds up. will she pay people off to make sure her story makes sense? hell fucking ya that's what money is for right! (potential plot if anyone needs a detail-oriented queen to help get ur story straight)

but she doesn't really want to know what really happened, so open to plot if juyeong did something crazy - (a) ur muse is blackmailing juyeong and she has NO clue if it rly happened or not??, (b) ur muse is gaslighting her on what happened. she obviously has a story that she'll tell the cops and she won't budge, but ur muse needs an alibi and desperately wants juyeong to buy into it

her family also hosts a prayer for hyungseo's family at their megachurch. juyeong acts as if she knew hyungseo! will speak kindly about him and be all "it's so unfair... life is so fragile, praise jesus", generally just putting up an entire show & performance!

𝗯𝗶𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 for @aellegro july 21st 2024

it’s inevitable they become friends. two girls, with patriarchal figures that dote upon their every move, with more money than man should ever have - money splurged on the apple of their eyes. juyeong likes to think it’s the red string of fate that they both somehow show a similar interest in the same boyband. (okay, but so does the rest of korea. not that it matters because no other girl in korea has family relatives with the money and connections like the both of them do. and there’s even photo proof of it! a picture of them, pig-tailed and toothy grins, sitting outside said boyband’s dressing room - juyeong loves the photos and has it hanging above her mirror. reminds her that sometimes, money can buy lifelong friendships too.)

almost two decades — and some few thousands of photos — later, aera remains an indelible part of juyeong's life, more a sister than mere blood could dictate. yet, amidst aera’s rising stardom and the kang’s increasingly prolific notoriety, their meetings have dwindled. from wine nights every other week to now, an indefinite suspension, citing the need to safeguard aera’s pristine image. okay, logically, juyeong understands, but rationality has never been one of her strengths. and so, there’s an irritation that itches under her skin; while they once clamored for a silver of attention, one extra minute on mbc, they now shun her, as though some unwarranted accusations have sullied their time-honoured legacy. as though her name is a stain on aera’s spotless reputation. 

not that any of it is aera’s fault — just that the circumstances of things, which were once inconsequential pests have somehow evolved into an ineluctable gnawing beast of annoyance that chews at her patience. so, as much as there are faces she’d prefer to remain as amorphous bygone figures, she relishes this fleeting escape from voracious eyes & whispering tongues of the masses, away from all the vulgar din. 

“hey,” she greets, a welcoming smile blossoming on her lips. she takes a hit from her melon-scented vape, letting the sugary mist drift through the comfortable air of familiar affection shared between them. ugh, i can’t believe we can’t even meet in public anymore. it really sucks that they’re going after you when you’ve literally done nothing wrong? i swear, they just love hating on rich girls. everyone’s a fucking hater, seriously.”

sowon.

"juyeongie," sowon says so sweetly she could make herself sick, "what did i ever do to earn the privilege of your esteemed company out here? isn't there a heathen you should be trying to convert somewhere? or a sinner you should be disparaging in the name of christ? or am i lucky enough to be today's conquest?"

juyeong is many things — judgemental, dramatic, kind of a cunt and above all, a devotee to tradition. which is why she believes that the sanctity of the king’s club was tarnished the day lee sowon was indoctrinated into the club. it’s bad enough that she was nominated four years ago; even then, juyeong had very loudly protested against her presence. what does she even have to offer? she’d ranted to one of the chessmasters who’d propped the door open for her and eased through the initiations, we’re all fucked if we let her in! 

(the chessmaster had retorted that she already did fuck half of them there. not that it brought any comfort to juyeong — only made her seethe even more.) 

it gets even worse when sowon actually makes becomes a chessmaster, by the grace of some god (or the dick of some guy). and so, juyeong is forced to tolerate sowon’s presence for three agonizing years since. okay, tolerate might be a little strong — juyeong’s grievances are hardly skeletons in the closet. in fact, they’re showcased for all to see and all to hear. she’s aired them to anyone who even dares to bring up sowon’s names, drunk or sober, justified or unwarranted, doesn't matter. (sowon herself is not spared.) 

tonight is another blatant reminder of the importance of upholding century-old conventions. jesus christ, who the fuck is kim haein anyways? yeah, sure, maybe her father owned one or two lavish buildings, but that most definitely did not give her the prerogative to host one of the worst initiations juyeong has ever had to sit through. she would even go as far to say that this had been crafted meticulously by god to torment his gravest sinners. juyeong can only take so much more when she decides to leave, on the pretense of having an urgent phone call. 

unfortunately, yet another form of karmic retribution for god’s finest. lee sowon, beer bottle in hand, tight smile in her direction. juyeong lets out an exaggerated sigh of displeasure, before mimicking sowon’s smile with a sardonic one of her own, walking towards the girl. “sowon,” she acknowledges, as frosty as the air that nips at her skin, lips now downturned into an antagonizing scowl.

“sorry to disappoint, but i think you’re a little past redemption, babe. but i am feeling generous tonight, so i’ll share one of my favourite verses. 1 corinthians 6:18-20,” juyeong replies, a flicker of pure scorn darkening her gaze, “flee from sexual immorality. all other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body. your body is a temple and what not.” 

derisive eyes skim over sowon's body, a trail of icy judgement in their wake. “not that it matters to you at this point.”

ʚ🐑ଓ 🐇 ࣪ ִֶָ ⋆

seunghan (...) seunghan pulls her forcefully from the dining hall and into the privacy of the corridor. only here, does he finally turn to face her, irritation on his brow. “what?” he spits — though perhaps, there is something to be said about the scene, how despite her glare, it is him who had closed the space between them. suppose it is undeniable, how it is within the nature of man to sin. how they’re drawn to it. kim seunghan stands a hair breadth away from her, but he doesn’t step away. rather, he keeps his glare on her eyes and presses, “what do you want?”

it was never love, and it would never be. what juyeong understands of love is a sacred devotion, a pledge to an omnipotent deity, a fervor that allows no questions. love is the endless adoration her grandfather lavished upon her, with opulent bouquets and promises of the world if she adheres to his doctrines. love is not the boy who used to share stolen glances with her, laced with clandestine desire during solemn sermons. love is not the boy with whom she commits her first act of treason, a forbidden kiss behind the sanctuary's revered walls. love is most certainly not the sacrilege of worshipping false idols traced in his jawline and tasted on his lips. and perhaps that's why she allows herself to betray every tenet she held sacred when it comes to kim seunghan — because she tells herself that it’d had never been love that bound them. and if it was never love, then it was a sin without consequence, absolved by its very nature.

it was never love, yet their lives remain inexorably intertwined. a divine reckoning, an inescapable convergence of two souls bound by a higher, unyielding force. high school, university, their past is shrouded with the present and all the years between them blended and simultaneous. she’s twelve and feels the almost imperceivable brush of his fingers across hers in the altar. she’s fifteen and clings to him like a sacred prayer. she’s seventeen and sees him only in the back of his car, where the dark of the night shrouds the stern disapproval of their respective families. and now, she’s twenty-four and he’s casting his charms like a wide net, a pathetic attempt at ensnaring a potential catch in the sea of the king’s club. 

she’s not jealous. no, not at all. after all, it was never love, so she has no right to harbor envious pangs for an affection that was never hers to claim. (and yet, she feels the bitter taste of envy twisting her lips into a sneer, eyes darkened with contempt. shut the fuck up, seunghan. she's not that funny.) she's engrossed in a valiant attempt to seem nonchalant, while shamelessly eavesdropping on his vapid sweet-talk when he rudely pulls her out of the room. “let me go, asshole.” funny how that’s the first thing she says to him in years. 

she's never one to retreat from a confrontation, least of all with kim seunghan. and so, she squares her shoulders and locks her gaze on his, eyes blazing with defiance. “why do i need anything from you?” each word punctuated and dripping with disdain. lets out a snide scoff, with a roll of her eyes. “aren’t you busy? there’s still like seven other girls you haven’t hit up yet - wait, i know! they don’t live up to me, do they? that’s why you’re here, wasting my time yet again,” she snaps, cutting lilt in her voice, sharpened to maim his being. “fucking acting like i’m the one who pulled you out of the room.” 

BREAKING NEWS — FROM THE ARCHIVE, 20 DECEMBER 2016.

“Good evening. I’m Kim Yena, and this is SBS News Tonight. To our top story of the hour, the body of a young man was discovered washed ashore on Cheongpyeong Lake this morning. The victim, believed to be 19-year-old Noh Hyungseo of Seoul, was found by a group of tourists. While formal identification is still pending, police have strong reasons to believe the decedent is the same individual who was reported missing by the Noh family on December 6th, 2016.

Authorities from the Gyeonggi Provincial Police have established the crime scene and commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The exact cause of death remains unknown at this time, and investigators are urging anyone with information to come forward. If you have any details that could assist with this case, please contact your local authorities immediately.

Noh, a promising first-year student at Seoul National University, was the only son of the CEO of NGK group and the grandson of the company’s founder. He was widely regarded as one of the brightest students of his class, and his sudden disappearance had sent shockwaves through the academic and corporate communities. In the wake of his tragic death, the students of the university have set up a memorial in his honor, where members of the community have gathered to pay their respects.

NGK group has declined to comment at this time.

Our thoughts and prayers go to the family. We will continue to bring you updates as more information becomes available. This is SBS News Tonight, I’m Kim Yena.”

given the societal prominence of the noh family, the discovery of noh hyungseo’s body washed ashore in cheongpyeong lake sends shockwaves throughout all of south korea. in becoming a media sensation, the police have been pressured by the public to double their efforts in investigating the cause and events leading up to the noh heir’s death. in their efforts, they uncover a crucial piece of evidence: in the approximate week of noh hyungseo’s death as determined by the body’s state of decomposition, several students from his university had checked into the midas resort, located a short kilometer away from the lake in which his body was found. additionally, many of these students have been seen or associated with the decedent at various points in his life. throughout the week of december 26th, 2016, the police call each of these students in for questioning. baek sunghyun and im sora are the interrogating officers.

can you describe your relationship with noh hyungseo?

when was the last time you saw or spoke with him?

were you aware of any threats or hostile behavior directed towards noh hyungseo?

did you notice any changes in noh hyungseo’s behavior leading up to his death?

why were you at the midas resort at the time of his death?

did you travel with or meet anyone during your stay at the resort?

did you see or interact with noh hyungseo at any point during your stay at the resort?

did you recognize anyone at the resort or notice any unusual behavior around the time of noh hyungseo’s death?

did you visit cheongpyeong lake or its surroundings at any point during your stay at the resort?

did you see noh hyungseo at or near the lake at any point?

did anyone mention going to the lake or meeting noh hyungseo in that week?

do you know of anyone who could possibly be involved in noh hyungseo’s death?

who was the last person you saw with noh hyungseo while he was still alive and when?

did you notice anyone acting suspiciously after noh hyungseo was reported missing?

have you, at any point, been discouraged from speaking with the police or sharing information?

do you have any theories about what might have happened to noh hyungseo?

is there anyone else you believe we should speak to?

event details  thank you for your patience — our second event is now underway! for context, noh hyungseo’s body was found by a group of tourists on the morning of december 20th, 2016 and the incident was broadcasted in news stations across the country come the evening. a student-run memorial was set up at snu’s courtyard for members of the community to leave items like flowers, photographs, personal notes, and the like, and to pay their respects. police investigations began shortly after the news broadcast, with all 2016 chessmasters and 2019 initiates being called in for questioning within the week of december 26th, 2016. the incident was ultimately concluded to be an accident, and the club and its members left unscathed. when participating in this event, you may explore events from the news broadcast up to the point of the interrogation and their reaction to it, but please do not explore anything related to the case beyond this point!

askbox prompts  please keep your askbox open and reblog this event post if you would like to receive the prompts above by our lovely members! please also remember to send some prompts out to anyone participating! answering a prompt also counts towards activity, with 3x prompts answered being equivalent to 1x thread. you may choose to send these prompts on or off anon, but it is understood that any prompts received is from the police. if you do not wish to receive any prompts, please at least answer 3 prompts of your choice for a better idea of how your muse will react to the second part of this event. this will count for a total of 1x thread activity. admin plotting tip! to make the most of this event, consider the alibis that your muses may conspire with others to come up with to explain what they may have been doing at the midas resort and to make sure their stories match up!

ooc info  this is a two-part event — this first part is set in 2016. please tag all posts as #cm:breaking. the second part of this event will be set in 2024 and is scheduled to be released on 25 august, 8pm pst. all event starters may be posted up until 15 september, 8pm pst and, along with any prompts, should be wrapped up by 22 september, 8pm pst. participation is optional, though it is understood that your muses would have been brought in for questioning.

as always, thank you for being such lovely members and for your continued commitment to checkmate! if you have any questions, our askbox and dms are always open!

EASY A (2010) dir. Will Gluck

tag dump

𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵 for @silenthowls

growing up, juyeong’s grandfather etched the statue of the perfect man into her consciousness. time and time again, he’d hammer home the image of a knightly figure - valiant and unyielding, no room for vices or wavering, whose lineage glistened with the prestige of a celebrated last name. did juyeong buy into this? depends, but she mostly just treated it like what she did with most things in life. accepted it, and then adopted duplicitous coping mechanisms — indulging in transient romances, chasing euphoric highs with passing lovers who never stood a chance against her grandfather’s exacting standards (take your pick: misguided exes, wrong gender, bastard child).

that is until she meets jin yohan. a few months into the king’s club and she finds that his grandfather’s lofty ideals had coalesced into flesh and blood. as improbable as it had seemed, the very embodiment of all she ever needed in a man managed to materialize in front of her. so, she lets herself believe this was all orchestrated by the heavens themselves, a divine affirmation of inevitable love. (never mind that he only offers her perfunctory smiles and hollow conversations — such trifles are mere tests of faith. after all, 1 corinthians 13:4-7: "love is patient, love is kind. it always hopes, always perseveres.”)

but, what the scriptures fail to mention is that love can be as blind as it is seraphic. as much as she prides herself on her discerning eye for detail, juyeong is unfortunately no better than anyone else and finds herself ensnared by the deceptive allure of the man yohan appears to be. and it is only eight years after that she learns the inconvenient reality from a friend of a friend: yohan is adopted. fuck. in some twisted way, the revelation strikes her with a (unwarranted) harsh sting — how could he let her cling onto such an outlandish fallacy? why did no one ever speak up? (no, she isn’t projecting. this is not because there’s a raging inferno threatening to raze all that she’s ever known. nope, not at all. and she most definitely does not act disproportionately — no, she wasn’t the one who advised her parents to divest in his company with some fictitious financial fib. not her!)

and so, she spends the weekend giving yohan the cold shoulder but eventually, like all good starcrossed lovers, their paths cross in the most mundane of scenarios — at the literal eleventh hour of freedom. she’s reversing out of the parking lot, only to find his fucking car blocking her exit with an audacious defiance. juyeong could handle this with grace, but there’s no one else around them and what is juyeong, if not just a tad bit dramatic and self-gratifying? with a huff and a slam of her door, she exits her car, antagonistic stance with arms crossed over her chest. “can you move your car, please?” she demands, “a liar, a shit driver and from a no name family. triple homicide at this rate.”