#Soo Ho Rang imagines

[theadusa]

Everything I watch in Jan 2024

I was going to post my annual everything I watched in 2023 post but I feel like I missed my opportunity, so here is my everything I watched in January 2024... (Be Warned there are some spoilers, I do try to mark them throughout the review)

My Lovely Boxer (2023, Kim Min-joo)

Main leads: Lee Sang-yeob, Kim So-hye, Park Ji-hwan, Kim Hyung-mook, Kim Jin-woo, Ha Seung-ri, Chae Won-bin

Country: S. Korea

Run: August 21 to Oct 2, 2023 (KBS2, Monday and Tuesday @21:45 (KST))

Episodes: 12, 70 min

Thoughts: Lee Kwon-sook (Kim So-hye) is a boxer who is forcibly thrown back into the world boxing that she has retired from by a sports agent Kim Tae-young (Lee Sang-yeob). I really liked how they balanced the characters. Lee Kwon-sook is a cheerful girl who is constantly haunted by her past. And she is allowed agency to do what she can do, despite the efforts of others. And the relationship between Lee Kwon-sook and Kim Tae-young, though slightly toxic, works in an odd way. I did have problems with how they reconnected her with her father.I personally wouldn’t have forgiven him. However, I loved the relationship with Han Ah-reum, and just how that story ends. I thought it was done very well. Overall I have really enjoyed this drama. Rating: 

Unlock My Boss (2022-2023, Kim Hyung-min)

Main leads: Chae Jong-hyeop, Seo Eun-soo, Park Sung-woong

Country: S. Korea

Run: Dec 7, 2022 to Jan 12, 2023 (ENA, Wednesday and Thursday @21:00 (KST))

Episodes: 12, 60 min

Thoughts: Oh wow, this is more enjoyable than I imagined. Chase Jong-hyeop as Park In-seong is so fun. He is adorable, down to earth but capable. Jun Se-yeon (Seo Eun-soo) was amazing and I loved her complexities as a character. And the trio of Kim Seon-joo (Park Sung-woong), Park In-seong, and Jun Se-yeon, was so fun and I loved the little family they formed. I literally cried so much during this show for no reason. Like the zoom into the phone literally made me sob each time for no reason. Rating: Who knew electronics can have that much range?

Night Has Come (2023, Kang Min-Ji)

Main leads: Lee Jae-In, Kim Woo-Seok, Choi Ye-Bin, Cha Woo-Min, Ahn Ji-Ho, Jung So-Ri

Country: S. Korea

Run: Dec 4,, 2023 ( U+mobiletv)

Episodes: 12, 35 to 40 min

Thoughts: This started off really good. A class gets thrust into a mafia game to the death. You along with the characters are wondering who is the mafia among the students and who is forcing this game. It is really interesting, but the episodes follow the same pattern. The end you find everything out, and it's kind of stupied. They had a classmate who committed sucide due to a badly edited image of herself on a skimply clad woman’s body. Which is yeah bad. Then her parents take revenge on the whole class. They are placed in this mafia simulator to repeat the game over and over again. It ends with Lee Yoon-seo able to remember everything, but still trapped in the simulator. Like where their parents are. People must be concerned right. Rating: Sisphyus boulder, I guess…

The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract (2023-2024, Go Nam-jeong)

Main leads: Lee Se-young, Bae In-hyuk, Joo Hyun-young, Yoo Seon-ho, Jo Bok-rae

Country: S. Korea

Run: Nov 24, 2023 to Jan 6, 2024 (MBC TV Friday and Saturday @21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 12, 70 min

Thoughts: This was a cute drama. It starts off with a cute romance between a progressive woman in Joseon and a sick scholar. However, it quickly becomes a tragedy and she is sent to the year 2023 with her hand maid Sa-wol (Joo Hyun-young). It quickly becomes a fish out of water for Park Yeon-woo (Lee Se-young), but luckly she meets the recacrante of her late husband Kang Tae-ha (Bae In-hyuk) and they make a deal. It is a cute drama and I loved the cast of characters. Yeon-woo is easy to root for. Sa-wol is adorable, and adapts quickly. Kang Tae-ha is prickly but has a heart of gold. It's dramatic and fun. It's nothing special, but oh is it so good. My favorite part is Yeon-woo and Sa-wol’s relationship. Literally there is a scene with those two that reflects a romantic scene in Perfect Marriage Revenage (2023) which I can’t stop thinking about. Overall I just really enjoyed my time. Rating: butterflies everytime I think about you…

Joseon Attorney: A Morality (2023,Choi Jin-young)

Main leads: Woo Do-hwan, Bona, Cha Hak-yeon

Country: S. Korea

Run: March 31 to May 5, 2023 (MBC TV Friday and Saturday @21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts:  This was a lot like Taxi Driver. In the way you have an episodic feel with a charismatic male lead seeking revenge and helping people. I had a lot of fun with this show, and I don’t use the comparison lightly either. I really had fun with it. The romance was okay, but I liked the different stories, and the main revenge plot was easy to follow along with. Woo Do-hwan is a great actor and meant to be a leading man. It's definitely  not my favorite and there are a few things that needed changing but it was fun overall! Rating: Who do you call?... Joseon Attorney!!!

KBS Drama Special 14 (2023, Choi Ja-won, Yun Tae-woo, Cho Il-yeon, Choi Yi-kyung, Wi Jae-hwa, Kwon Oh-joo,Park Eun-seo, Jo Soo-yeong, Kim Ik-hyun)

Main leads: Lee Jae-won, Choi Seong-won, and Kim Kang-hyeon,  Kim Won-hae, Min Ji-ah, Ahn Se-bin and Park Ji-ah, Lee Min-jae, Kim Hyun-soo, and Kang Na-eon,  Moon Woo-jin, Park Seo-kyung, Park Ha-sun, Kim Joo-heon, Kim Do-hoon, Chae Won-bin, Kim Dong-hwi, Jo A-ram, Shim Yi-young, Joo Seok-tae,  Ren, Park Sang-nam, Hong Seung-hee, Hahm Eun-jung,  Kim Kang-min, Yoon San-ha, Baek Sung-hyun

Country: S. Korea

Run: OCT 14 to Dec 16, 2023 (KBS, Saturday 21:50 to 22:50 (KST))

Episodes: 10, 60 to 80 min

Thoughts: This is a yearly anthogolgy series that follows various characters in various time periods with various goals. I thought a lot of them were really cool and interesting. “Love Attack” was by far one of my favorites, but I also really liked “The True Love of Madam” which was shocking for me.  It was also hard to find any subs for “Overlap, Knife, Knife” so I had to rely on visual cues and the small amount of Korean I know. But I thought this was a fun anthrologie series, and the stories are fun and fresh. Rating: I love getting short and quick stories like this, its the reason I love short films so much.

A Good Day to Be a Dog (2023-2024, Baek In-ah)

Main leads: Park Gyu-young, Cha Eun-woo, Lee Hyun-woo

Country: S. Korea

Run: Oct 11, 2023 to Jan 10, 2024 (MBC, Wednesday 21:00 (KST))

Episodes: 14, 70 min

Thoughts: Apparently it is very different from the webtoon ( which I have never read), but I found it entertaining. It is cute and lighthearted. I always like when its past lives, I think it adds a fun element to romances. Though I do think the schedule of the show hindered my enjoyment, because it would be so long between episodes. They also lost me at the end, I can not lie. Rating/Spoiler: Also I would be so angery if I found out my family curse passed down for generations was over a misunderstanding. I would want an apology, reparations, and revenge. On another note, I would also be so pissed if I killed myself to save my servant's baby; then my boyfriend finished off the dying father, then cursed the child and its offspring. I would be pissed, like my scarfice was for not. Go off mountain spirit I guess…

My 20th Twenty (2023, N/A)

Main leads: Choi Yu Ju , Jung Su Bin

Country: S. Korea

Run: April 21 to may 27, 2023 (Wavve, Friday and Saturday)

Episodes: 12, 15 min

Thoughts: This show was good for what it was. It has the vibe of a college student film with a mix of those youtube series made by middle schoolers back in 2009. And I mean that with the highest praise. The sound mixing was off, they had limited cast (background actors is what you are looking for), no interesting lighting (but very well light- i.e the student film vibes), and the actors new to the scene. I loved every motherfucking moment. It was so cheesy, the script was bad, and nothing made sense. But I knew that it was made with passion. Rating: It would be horrifying being 20 forever

Taxi Driver Season 2 (2023, Oh Sang-ho)

Main leads: Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung, Pyo Ye-jin, Jang Hyuk-jin, Bae Yoo-ram, Shin Jae-ha

Country: S. Korea

Run: Feb 17 to April 15, 2023 (SBS, TV Friday and Saturday @22:00 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: Back in action the second season is so much fun and entertaining. I actually like it better than the first. And I said this once and I’ll say it again Lee Je-hoon is made to be an action star. He’s as great as Kim Do-gi. I also liked that Ahn Go-eun (Pyo Ye-jin)  had a larger role this season. I also just love the friendship in the Rainbow Taxi service. Just so fun. Rating: imagine being taken down by a taxi service…

Taxi Driver Special (2023, SBS)

Main leads:  Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung, Pyo Ye-jin, Jang Hyuk-jin, Bae Yoo-ram, Shin Jae-ha

Country: S. Korea

Run: Feb 16 to March 4, 2023 ( KBS)

Episodes: 2, 60 -120 min

Thoughts: This was fun seeing the cast reflect on the episodes and their characters. Its also cool just seeing a reply of everything that happened. You could tell how much Lee Je-hoon loves playing Kim Do-gi. Rating: I am excited for the 3rd season…

Brain Works (2023, Park Kyung-seon)

Main leads: Jung Yong-hwa, Cha Tae-hyun, Kwak Sun-young, Ye Ji-won

Country: S. Korea

Run: Jan 2 to Fe 28, 2023 (KBS2 Monday and Tuesday @21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 75 min

Thoughts:This show is weird. I think most cop shows are weird but this one especially. I did like the bromance in this, between Shin Ha-ru (Jung Yong-hwa) and Geum Myung-se (Ch Tae-hyun). I did think neuroscience was weird and defies logic. The only good thing about it was when they didn’t completely vilify Pyschopaths, because it tends to be more complicated than the mainstream likes to show. It still left a lot to be desired but it was there. Also when he lowkey kidnapped and torture that kid, oh my god, like he was a little punk and deserved to go to trail but my god. Rating: This is lowkey giving Minority Report tbh…

My Cuteness is about to expire!? (2022,  Tanabe Shigenori)

Main leads: Yamada Ryosuke, Yoshine Kyoko 

Country: Japan 

Run: April 16 to June 11, 2022 (TV Asahi, Saturday 23:30)

Episodes: 9, 23 to 47 min

Thoughts: Maruya is your typical male narcissist who works in sales. He uses his cuteness to stake by in life, to make up for his average skills. One day he is visited by his future self, whom he deems ugly, tells him that his cuteness is going to expire. He decides, after relizing his crush, the only way to prevent this is to date Sanada, a robotic newbie to the sales team. It is cute and Maruya and Sanada are fun as a couple, plus if you have the time you could watch this in a day. Rating: I’m Ichinose calling every single person every 10 seconds sobbing…

My Dearest Pt 1 (2023, Hwang Jin-young)

Main leads: Namkoong Min, Ahn Eun-jin, Lee Hak-joo, Lee Da-in, Kim Yoon-woo, Lee Chung-ah

Country: S. Korea

Run: August 4 to Sept 2, 2023 (MBC TV, Friday and Saturday 21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 10, 60 to 90 min

Thoughts:  I was not expecting to like this more than I did. The angst in every episode is so insane. Episode 10 was actually unbearable. I also want to take a moment and appreciate Yoo Gil-chae (Ahn Eun-jin), she is such a complicated  character. She would do anything for her friends, she is willing to do the things that no other women (noble) are willing to do even during times of war. She will stab the man assualting her friend and cover it up. She would cut the amicable cord, she would stab the mother’s hand. She isn’t pure of heart, she neveer claimed to be. I love her so much. And her relationship with Lee Jang-hyun. The ending of episode 10. I was sobbing. Rating: I am trying to hype myself up to watch the next 11 episodes, people had to wait inbetween…

The Escape of the Seven (2023, Kim Soon-ok)

Main leads: Um Ki-joon, Hwang Jung-eum, Lee Joon, Lee Yu-bi, Shin Eun-kyung, Yoon Jong-hoon, Jo Yoon-hee, Jo Jae-yoon

Country: S. Korea

Run: Sept 15 to Nov 17, 2023 (SBS TV Friday and Saturday 22:00 (KST))

Episodes: 17, 70 to 80 min

Thoughts: This was an insane ride. Literally no one in this likeable except for a few, like I didn’t think Min Do-hyuk (Lee Joon) was as bad as the others but oh lordy. It is so melodramatic, which took me off graud for some reason. Going into it I thought it was going to be a serious thriller, but oh boy was I wrong. It was Makjang. Which is fine, and also coming back in style apparently. I’m sat for season 2, but not with much hope. Rating: I actually don’t know the timeline of any of these events, does it expand years months, idk…

My Demon (2023-2024, Choi Ah-il)

Main leads: Kim Yoo-jung, Song Kang, Lee Sang-yi, Kim Hae-sook

Country: S. Korea

Run: Nov 24, 2023 to Jan 20, 2024 (SBS TV,  Friday and Saturday @22:00 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: I was excited for this drama. I really liked Doom at Your Service which promised to have a similar vibe. Which it did to an extent. I actually hate Song Kang in romances and only really like him in nonromance shows. However I think he did really well as Jeong Gu-won. I liked the overall Romance in the show. But I did think the revenge plot got uninteresting and confusing after a while. I do like the ending, I was pretty satisfied with where everyone ended up, which has been a long time since I’ve been this satisfied. 

Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023-2024, Kwon Hye-joo)

Main leads: Ji Chang-wook, Shin Hye-sun

Country: S. Korea

Run: Dec 2, 2023 ti Jan 21, 2024 (JTBC, Saturday and Sunday 22:30 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: This was cute and was far above my expectations. I am always uneasy with Ji Chang Wook, I can’t forgive him for the Melting My Heart drama a few years back, but I would do anything for Shin Hye-sun. So I gave this drama a go, and I liked it. I loved the vibes, and I didn’t mind that revenge wasn’t the main plot. It's like the one line “my enemies will take themselves out before you get a chance to swing.” It was heartwarming and I’m glad that Cho Sam-dal was able to find peace in her hometown. I loved the feel of community. I loved all the Friendships. It was very lovely. And I’m happy at the ending. I will also give my entire heart to Cho Hae-dal and Cha Ha-yul. I loved their mother-daughter relationship. I wanted more screen time for both. Rating: I’m glad there is a little piece of heaven…

 Game of Witches ( 2022-2023, Lee Do-Hyun)

Main leads: Jang Seo-Hee, Kim Kyu-Seon, Lee Hyun-Seok, Oh Chang-Suk. Han Ji-Wan, Ban Hyo-Jung

Country: S. Korea

Run: Oct 11, 2022 to April 14, 2023 (MBC, Monday to Friday 19:15 (KST))

Episodes: 119, 25 to 28 min

Thoughts: *Major Spoilers+ Rant ahead.* This show makes me unneccsarly angery. It is a daily drama and a Makjang to boot, so literally put any and all expectations in the gutter. Everything is nonsensical, and drawn out to reach the 119 mark. Storylines get dropped or move way too fast. It has a strange family tree and for a moment every single person was supposbly related. They have so much evidence agsaint the scheming Kang Ji-ho (Oh Chang-suk) and Joo Se-young (Han Ji-wan) but it goes nowhere. Speaking of Kang Ji-ho, he was just straight up dispicable. I would say more than Se-ypung of Ma Hyun-Deok (Ban Hyo-Jung). He was a terrible partner and father from the start. He literally tossed his entire family out the door for Se-young and eventual power. He only paid attention to his daughter Kang Han-Byeol (Kwon Dan-A) when she was able to benefit him. He was at best neglectful and at worst abusive towards her. Han-byeol was the true victim. Hye-soo (Kim Kyu-Seon) actually had a motive in the beginning. She was just pathetic and weak but once she returned they weirdly sidelined her. Also I don’t know why Kang Ji-ho never got prosecuted for trying to kill Hye-soo. Like I find that to be one of his more egregious crimes. Like that is the mother of your child. You gave your child so much trauma, for what? Power? Like when they tried to redeem him at the end I was just fed up. You can’t make hime out to be the big bad guy for 118 episodes, and then have him do one good thing. He is a bad father, and when Han Byeol grows up she will resent him. Rating: Fuck this show, like actually.

 My Dearest Part 2(2023, Hwang Jin-young)

Main leads: Namkoong Min, Ahn Eun-jin, Lee Hak-joo, Lee Da-in, Kim Yoon-woo, Lee Chung-ah

Country: S. Korea

Run: Oct 13 to Nov 18, 2023 (MBC TV, Friday and Saturday 21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 11, 60 to 90 min

Thoughts: More devastating than the first part. Gil-chae is probably my favorite character I have watched. Her journey in this part is absolutely devastating but she survives. I enjoyed the refutement from blame, that people who experienced the worst horrors known are somehow blamed. Gil Chae pushes back on this sentiment herself. This entire time I just wanted Jang-hyun and Gil Chea together. Which took the entire part for them to finally be happy. I do think the ending was kind of wobbly, and they only really needed 10  episodes not the 11. But who am I to say? Anyways I enjoyed the show overall. Rating: My Dear Husband… 

Kokdu: Season of Diety (2023, Kang Yi-heon, Heo Jun-woo)

Main leads: Kim Jung-hyun, Im Soo-hyang, Kim Da-som, Ahn Woo-yeon, Kim In-kwon, Cha Chung-hwa

Country: S. Korea

Run: Jan 27 to March 24, 2023 (MBC TV Fridays and Saturdays @21:50 (KST))

Episodes: 16, 70 min

Thoughts: You must be wondering why did you watch this? It only has bad reviews- which is a lie, it is actually a polarizing show. And I can understand. If you go into this show with the lowest expectations imaginable and it might be fun. The scenery is pretty and they make decent use of it. Main Romance is actually not good, I felt no chemistry between Kim Jung-Hyun and Im Soo-hyang. I did like the romance between Tae Jeong-won (Kim Da-som) and Han Cheol (Ahn Woo-yeon) other than that The show overall fell flat. I did like the scenery and the setting. I thought it was fun. Also episode 16 was the most enjoyable episode, which is good for an ending. Rating: I would skip…

I am currently watching:

Marry My Husband

Doctor Slump

Because of Love

Do You Like Brahms?

The Real Has Come!

If you have any kdrama recommendations, please let me know!

[angelsvoice1love]

In the Moonlight (pt 2)

You stood at the door of the Hwarang house, scared of not knowing what happened.

All the guys, except Han Sung went to the King on the other side to create piece and still nothing was heard of them. The only friend besides A-ro you had was Han Sung, and you adored him more than anything in the world.

He was like the brother you never had, the brother you've always wanted.

Finally one of the Hwarang men yelled they have returned causing you to drop everything you were busy with, as you made your way to the entrance of the building.

Once you saw all of the men alive, a smile crept onto your face as you felt relieved.

Soo Ho: Y/n. Soo Ho yelled, as he ran over to you.

You ran over to all of them, not just Soo Ho. But he got a different message, once you were close enough he grabbed you and pulled you to his chest.

Soo Ho: I'm so glad to see you. He whispered, into your hair as he hugged you tightly.

Y/n: I was so worried. You replied, as you wrapped your arms around him.

Ban Ryu: Y/n, you might want to check Soo Ho's wound. I did my best to close it up, but we still need to make sure everything is fine.

Y/n: You got hurt? Where? You asked frantically, as you searched him up and down.

Soo Ho: My arm, but I'm fine...really I am.

Y/n: Go wait in the pidiatrician room, I'll be in there soon.

Soo Ho: But-

Y/n: Please, just do it. I...i need to say hi to everyone. You, replied as you looked at the others.

Soo Ho nodded his head, as he walked off. Turning to find Sun Woo with facial wounds, you ran into his arms hugging close as you could.

Sun Woo: I'm fine, y/n...promise. He laughed, as he patted your back.

A-ro: We are all fine promise. I took care of them. She said, with a bright smile.

Ban Ryu: Don't you care about us? Ban Ryu, questioned with a raised brow.

Y/n: Of course I do...i just want to hug everyone. I missed you guys so much...and you worried me.

Ji Dwi: Sorry, that wasn't our intention. Ji Dwi, said, as he walked into view.

You didn't say anything, as you stood there for a second completely shocked. There he was, the man you truly loved and wanted to make a life with. He hadn't had a scratch on him, his facial features were perfect like always. A smile crept onto your face, as you ran over to him almost knocking him down to the floor as you inculfed him in a hug.

Tears started running down your face, as you burried your face in his chest. You held in those tears for so long, you held them in for Ji Dwi, Soo Ho, Sun Woo, Ban Ryu, Yeo Wool and A-ro. But none of them made you worry like Ji Dwi did.

Yes, Soo Ho was your boyfriend but that didn't make any change.

You felt Ji Dwi's arms wrap around you as he pulled you even closer, he brushed his hand down your hair as he soothed you while calming you down.

Ji Dwi always had this effect on you, he always knew what to do or say to make everything okay. He was, and has always been your best friend.

Pulling away, you looked into his eyes, his soft brown eyes as he smiled while cupping your cheeks as he brushed away the tears.

Ji Dwi: It's okay.

Y/n: Don't ever leave me like that again, p...please.

Ji Dwi: I won't...i promise. He replied, as he hugged you again.

Little did you know, Soo Ho saw the entire thing. He knew you and Ji Dwi were best friends, but he didn't know that there was something more. You were his girlfriend, did that mean anything?

To him it meant the world, but to you? Did it mean anything to you? Or were you just using him, to get to Ji Dwi?

Shaking his head, Soo Ho turned to go back to the pediatrician room where he'd be waiting for you.

He sat down, thinking as a million different thoughts ran through his head. As you entered the room, he straightened himself up and smiled as you approached him with some warm water.

Y/n: Soo Ho, could you please take off your shirt? I...i need to clean it.

Soo Ho nodded, as he took off the shirt. The wound was clear to see, and it looked like it hurt a lot. Swallowing you took some medicine and applied it to the wound, causing Soo Ho to grunt of the pain.

Y/n: Sorry. Are you okay? You questioned, as you wrapped up his wound.

Soo Ho: Yes. I'll be fine. He answered quick, as he smiled at you.

Y/n: I was so worried about you. You smiled, as you traced his jaw with your hand.

Soo Ho: All I thought about while in that prison, was if I'd ever be able to see your beautiful face again. Seeing you again, was the thing that kept me saine. You kept me alive.

Y/n: I kept you alive? How?

Soo Ho: By waiting for me. He replied, as he took your hands in his.

Soo Ho leaned in, ever so slowly as he brushed some loose hair from your face. He placed a soft kiss on your forehead, then he kissed each cheek, moving to your nose where he gave you a small peck on it and from there kissed your lips.

Soo Ho: I care deeply for, y/n. Please, forgive me for being negligent with my life and the others.

Y/n: Soo Ho...i have nothing to forgive. If you are back safe and the others are too, that's all that matters to me. I couldn't want anything more.

Soo Ho: Really? So, we're fine?

Y/n: We're fine. We've barely dated Soo Ho, I believe it's all good still.

Soo Ho: So, we're still in the lovey dovey, enchanted with one another stage?

Y/n: Yes. I believe we are. You replied, as you placed your hand on his cheek.

Soo Ho: I want nothing more than to be here with you. But...

Y/n: But what?

Soo Ho: I can't help thinking...that your heart is not in this. He said, letting gobofbyour hands.

Y/n: What do you mean?

Soo Ho: Y/n...do you in love Ji Dwi? He asked, as he looked into your y/e/c eyes.

Y/n: What? Why are you asking me that?

Soo Ho: I saw how you acted towards him, when we arrived back. It was different...you acted more scared of loosing him then you were for me-

Y/n: Soo Ho-

Soo Ho: Y/n...i don't want to be the second choice. I want to be the first choice, the one that you choose because you love me not for other reasons. I can't be the one that's chosen because it the simple and easy way out. Soo Ho said, as he got up. I won't do it y/n.

Y/n: Wait, Soo Ho...please-

Soo Ho: Y/n, I think we should break up-

Y/n: No...please Soo Ho. You begged, as you grabbed onto his hand. I don't want tot loose you.

Soo Ho: Y/n, do you know what you want? I believe you care for me, and Ji Dwi but you need to take time to think who you want to be with. You can't have us both, or be unhappy with the choice you make. Please, take this time apart to make your decision. I'll be waiting for your answer.

Soo Ho said, as he kissed your forehead. Taking in your scent, a single tear left his eyes as he walked out of the pediatrician room and off to his room where he could rest.

As he left, you stood there dump founded. Completely confused, as to what just happened. You thought that you and Soo Ho were strong, but to your dismay it wasn't what you expected. Yes, you knew he was right about the situation, and you needed to make the right decision but the queen wasn't fond of the idea of the prince soon to be king wanted to choose his own bride.

Ji Dwi already confessed his love to you, so if you chose him you knew he'd still feel the same way about you...right?

Soo Ho, gave you the option to choose again which might not be the best choice for him to have made but he did it to make you happy. You knew that you had to make a decision, the right one, even if it took forever to make it.

One week later

You sat outside by the river, when the guys arrived to wash their clothes. Once Soo Ho saw you, he swirved away and headed into another direction.

Ji Dwi saw this, and came over taking a seat next to you.

Ji Dwi: Trouble in paradise?

Y/n: Sort of. He broke up with me.

Ji Dwi: He what? Why would he do that?

Y/n: To be entirely honest...Ji Dwi...i have feelings for you too.

Ji Dwi: I-

Y/n: Soo Ho knows, I have feelings for you and that's why he left me. Yes it's true, I have feelings for you but j also have for Soo Ho...i need to choose one of you t...thats what he said. But when I do, I need to choose the right one, the one that I'll be happy with for the rest of my life. I want a one love, forever love.

Ji Dwi: Whichever one you choose, I know it'll be the right choice for you y/n. No matter what, or whom you choose I'll still be here...I'll still be your best friend. He said, as he hugged you before getting up and leaving you to think.

Who were you going to choose? Yes, you could have a happy life with Soo Ho, and Ji Dwi but each of them held complications.

[whoseafraidofliloleme]

Invisible Chapter 4

Summary: YN YLN has always been third in Class 2-5, right behind Lee Su Ho and Kang Soo Jin but with both of them having left Saebom Highschool, this is her time to shine. That is until Han Seosangnim asks her to tutor Han Seo Jun. A guy who doesn’t even know she existed.

Ship: Han Seo Jun x Female Reader.

Word Count: 3398 (I really can't write short chapters. Sorry I guess😂🤷🏽‍♀️😭)

Likes, comments and reblogs are appreciated with any reactions or whatever you want to say. Again I really don't know where I am going with this.

True Beauty Masterlist.

Chapter 3.

(I tried finding a gif of the class but couldn't so this will have to do)

Chapter 4:

As you and Seo Jun got to the bus stop. You finally dared to look back and saw that Hae Sung wasn’t behind you. You sighed and looked at Seo Jun, tapping his arm around your shoulders with your other hand.

Seo Jun quickly removed his arm from your shoulders and bumped shoulders with you, smirking at you. He sat down on the bench and motioned at you to sit next to him. Once you sat down next to him, you looked at him.

“Thanks for what you did and said back there, I really do not want to deal with Hae Sung right now” You thanked Seo Jun. Putting his arm around you and helping you to avoid talking to Hae Sung, was a relief. You’d almost forgotten about the argument with Hae Sung while tutoring Seo Jun, seeing him waiting outside, just hit you like a train with the memories of what he said.

“I don’t need an excuse to punch that idiot, just tell me now and Ill happily go and punch him” Seo Jun shrugged, then pointed at the bus approaching and stood up to get on the bus, looking at you, waiting for you to get up too.

You shook your head, Seo Jun looked confused but sat down again next to you.

“Uh, wasn’t that your bus? I don’t have my motorbike so how are you going to go home?” Seo Jun asked you.

“So, what I got out of that is, if you did have your bike, you would’ve given me a ride home,” You asked Seo Ju back laughing when he glared at you. After seeing his glare so much in the last few days, you were growing immune to it. At least you were starting to differentiate between the types of glares Seo Jun had.

“I don’t know how you know what bus I usually get, you stalker but I’m going to Mi Soo Unnie’s apartment. Hae Sung is my neighbour and I know he’ll turn up at breakfast tomorrow morning, so the best way to avoid him is to go live with Unnie for the rest of the week”. Shaking your head, you take a breath after saying so much. What is it about Seo Jun that just makes you word vomit and ramble on, when you barely talk to anyone in your class but with him, you feel like talking about anything and everything.

Seo Jun looked at you sadly, he couldn’t imagine having to deal with Lee Hae Sung as a best friend. That was something coming from him when he had to deal with Lee Su Ho and his stupidity, then again both of them had been at fault for the rift in their friendship but it was all sorted now and he couldn’t be happier about the place he was in with Su Ho.

“YN your really going to avoid your own home just so you don’t have to deal with Lee Hae Sung also doesn’t that other bus go in an opposite direction of the school. That is some level of dedication to avoiding him.” Seo Jun couldn’t understand not going home just to avoid someone, he would miss his bed too much and if that person dared show up at his apartment, well they were definitely not going to be leaving with breakfast.

You smiled, he made a good point, the lengths you were going to were extreme. But this was needed, you needed to put some distance between you and Hae Sung. The things he said to you may not have been the worst stuff he’s spewed out in an argument, but this time it was making you rethink your entire friendship.

“It’ll be okay, Unnie was saying how Joon Oppa was on a business trip and she felt lonely in their apartment, I was going to stay with her this weekend anyway, now I’m just going a bit earlier and her apartment isn’t all that far away from school, I’ll still be on time Seo Jun don’t worry” You explained, As you finished speaking you saw the bus you needed and stood up, searching for your bus pass as you waited for the bus.

Seo Jun laughed at your reply, before tapping your shoulder and giving you your bus pass that had fallen to the ground in your search for it. You thanked him and got on the bus, you turned expecting Seo Jun to get on with you, but he just gave you a small smile and waved at you. You waved back and then found a seat on the bus.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Choi Soo Ah looked at her classmates. She had managed to convince them all, to come into school extra early to discuss how they were going to deal with showing Lee Hae Sung that he was wrong about Class 2-5 and quite frankly YLN YN didn’t even need him in her life.

For some reason Kim Cho Rong and Song Si Woo were also there but considering that YN, Cho Rong and Song Si Woo were close, she allowed it. Even if the messages she had painstakingly forwarded to everyone explicitly stated that this was important Class 2-5 only business.

Although she should probably thank Cho Rong and Si Woo, for being the ones who had managed to get Han Seo Jun to come to this meeting. Though from what Ju Kyung had told her, maybe Seo Jun was starting to care for YN just a little more than he cared for the rest of Class 2-5.

Which was great for him, sure she shipped Seo Jun and Ju Kyung. But really, she just wanted Seo Jun to be happy and if he was happy with YLN YN then Soo Ah was going to give them every opportunity for that crush to turn into like then love.

“Look guys I know you're tired but we need to have a plan, after what Hae Sung said, there’s no way I’m okay with this friendship carrying on, YLN YN deserves better from a guy who claims to be her best friend” Soo Ah exclaimed loudly, she needed to get everyone up and roaring to go with ideas. Not tired and falling asleep on her right now.

“Can't we just help her to avoid him and that’s it, she’s already living with her sister to avoid Lee Hae Sung” Seo Jun complained, while he was all for making sure that YN didn’t cry over Lee Hae Sung again, he did not appreciate losing sleep to be surrounded by his annoying classmates to plan this.

“Omo, she’s living with Mi Soo Unnie, yah that’s so much more travelling for her. Ugh, the things Lee Hae Sung is making the poor girl do” Hyun Ji said, this whole situation made her angry. She liked to think of herself as YLN YNs best female friend and she had never liked Hae Sung to begin with.

That confused Seo Jun, was Hyun Ji wrong or did you lie to him yesterday. Even if she did lie, why was Seo Jun annoyed at that, you weren’t that close to him. Why should he expect you to not lie to him, and he understood her reasoning for lying but it still stung that she didn’t just tell him the truth. He knew that you probably only said that to him so that he didn’t complain more about Hae Sung being the reason that you were going to live with your sister.

Ju Kyung sighed. With what Hyun Ji said, everyone was suddenly awake now and we're all speaking over each other. This was not helping in the slightest. She locked eyes with Seo Jun and begged him with her eyes to do something to get everyone to be quiet.

Thankfully, Seo Jun understood Ju Kyung’s begging and very suddenly he banged his hand on his desk. That shocked everyone into silence, he motioned to Ju Kyung who smiled at him and started talking about what she thought would be a good way to go about this plan to get you to drop Hae Sung as a friend.

From there, it was a productive discussion, and everyone managed to agree on a plan. It was decided that the quicker they all started acting, the quicker you would drop Lee Hae Sung as your best friend.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were running to class. You had woken up at the normal time for school. Forgetting that you were living with Mi Soo Unnie and the journey from Unnie’s house to Saebom was over an hour longer than it was from your house.

Mi Soo Unnie offered to drive you to school, but it was her day off and you felt bad to make her leave the house just to drive you to school. Especially when you had dropped in on her randomly without even telling her.

You saw Han Ssaem leave the Teachers Room and that made you fear being late and so that gave you more reason to sprint to your class. You got to the class and stood at your desk panting, trying to catch your breath. You felt a tap on your shoulder and just waved it off, assuming it was Hyun Ji or someone else.

That same person cleared their throat and you looked at Hyun Ji’s desk and saw her pointing behind you, your eyes widened in shock. If Hyun Ji was sitting at her desk, then that meant….

You turned around and saw Han Ssaem looking at you expectantly. You smiled at Han Ssaem awkwardly before sitting down quickly and looked back at Han Ssaem after taking out your books.

Han Ssaem laughed at you and shook his head, he put his papers down and started with his announcements for the day. You let out a sigh of relief, thank goodness it was Han Ssaem and not Kim Seosangnim, she would’ve had your neck for being late and given you detention immediately.

The bell rang for the break and you stretched your arms. You wanted to take a walk, maybe go to the Shop but as you looked around the room, your eyes went to the door and there you saw Hae Sung standing there. You made brief eye contact, but you looked away from him pretty fast.

As you stood up, Hyun Ji came up to you and linked your arms with hers. She smiled and started to just take you with her outside from the back door, completely ignoring Hae Sung at the other door, on your way Hae Sung tried to interrupt Hyun Ji and talk to you but somehow every guy in Class 2-5 would get in his way and stop him. You didn’t know what was going on with your Class, but you were grateful to them for helping you to avoid Hae Sung.

Once you got to the Shop, you looked at Hyun Ji. She smiled and you two went to get the snacks you wanted.

“Ji, thanks for helping me avoid Hae Sung, I know you probably don’t know why I am avoiding him but I appreciate the help, I just cant talk to him right now. It’s gotten to the point where I’m thinking of blocking his number.” You told Hyun Ji as you guys were paying for your items. Saying thank you to the Ahjumma at the cashier, you started to take the long way back to class. Once you got back to the class, you were shocked to see everyone standing around your desk.

You went there and saw that there was a basket of imported European chocolates on your desk with a note on the basket. You didn’t even have to look to the door, to see Hae Sung waiting there to see your reaction to his apology gift. You took the note and didn’t even read it before ripping it up and throwing it into the bin. You took the basket and started opening it up and looked at Hyun Ji next to you.

“Hey Ji, want some imported chocolates?” you asked her casually, you knew that Hae Sung was still watching from the door and frankly you didn’t care. You wanted Hae Sung to give you time and wait for you to reach out to him, instead of waiting for you, he was trying to bribe you with gifts into forgiving him without actually apologising or even understanding why you were upset with him.

Hyun Ji didn’t say anything but just nodded her head, you took out some chocolate and shared it with her. Then you turned to Soo Ah behind you and offered chocolates to her, you looked at Ju Kyung who was staring at you in shock and offered chocolate to her as well. Then you stood up and went to the back of the class and put the basket on the short cabinets at the back then turned around to everyone staring at you.

“Everyone do not forget to thank Lee Hae Sung for these chocolates, it was nice of him to bring us these chocolates” You made eye contact with Hae Sung as you talked loudly enough for Hae Sung to hear what you were saying. He looked angry, you knew he was thinking of grabbing your arm and drag you out to shout at you, but you did not care in the slightest.

Before the rest of your class could attack the chocolates, you took a few and tapped Seo Jun on his shoulder, he had been napping, while you didn’t want to wake him up, however, this would be the icing on the cake and make Hae Sung even angrier.

He groaned and looked up at you holding chocolates, he blinked rapidly very confused as to why you were holding chocolates in your hands. You smiled at him and held the chocolates out to him, he looked at you and you nodded smiling, encouraging him to take these chocolates.

“Just wanted to thank you for waiting with me for the bus yesterday Seo Jun, also no tutoring today as I’ve got a book club meeting.” Again, you talked loud enough for Hae Sung to hear you and you laughed when you saw that he was going back to his classroom.

No doubt he was going to throw some sort of tantrum or take his anger out on someone in his class. You felt bad about that, you made a mental note to message their class president Eun Hoo and apologise for whatever mess Hae Sung created.

Seo Jun just stared at you, holding out chocolates to him but looking at the door at Hae Sung and then laughing when he stomped away. He didn’t know whether he wanted to take the chocolates or not, while he did dislike Lee Hae Sung, why should he refuse free chocolates. From the reaction Hae Sung just gave. If he saw Seo Jun with those chocolates, he would be even angrier and while that would be funny for him.

Seo Jun didn’t want any of Hae Sung’s anger to affect you. That made him pause, why did he care so much about what would happen to you, it's not like you were friends that he should care. You were just his tutor and someone he wanted to get to know more. He most definitely wasn’t starting to get a crush on you.

No way was that happening. Your relationship with Hae Sung was confusing enough, it was obvious Hae Sung had feelings for you but what you felt for Hae Sung was up in the air and if you even knew that Hae Sung had feelings for you.

Why was he even thinking about this, he had been through enough with Ju Kyung, he didn’t want to like anyone especially not the person who was tutoring him.

“Yah, Han Seo Jun take these chocolates will you, my arm is starting to hurt” you complained when Seo Jun still hadn’t taken the chocolates from your hands. This seemed to jolt Seo Jun from whatever trance he was in and he quickly took the chocolates. You smiled brightly at him and went back to your seat.

“You know, YN that scene of you giving chocolates to Seo Jun felt like it was out of a drama. The girl confessing to the guy with chocolates. Argh so cute, I am here for this ship” Soo Ah said excitedly. You looked down embarrassed before shaking your head and looked down to avoid anyone seeing your blushing cheeks. Unfortunately, you weren’t quick enough.

“Aww, Seo Jun look she’s blushing now; yah I think we’ve got a new couple emerging in our class,” Tae Hoon said sounding just as excited if not more excited than Soo Ah at the prospect of another couple in your class. Seo Jun looked at you getting embarrassed, not lifting your head as other people started to tease you and felt anger. He didn’t understand why he was angry at Tae Hoon embarrassing you like this, but he was, and he had to do something about it.

“Aish, Yoo Tae Hoon shut that stupid mouth of yours before I punch you” Seo Jun snarled angrily at Tae Hoon who immediately stopped teasing you and went back to his desk, miming a zipper closing his mouth. Seeing that reaction everyone else that had been teasing you stopped as well.

You heard what happened and felt immensely grateful for Seo Jun getting everyone to be quiet. You wanted to thank him but didn’t want to stir up rumours so with your head still on your desk you texted Ju Kyung and asked her for Seo Jun’s number. Thankfully, she saw your message immediately and sent his number without even asking why you wanted it.

To Seo Jun:

Thanks for that, u didnt have to do that, but I appreciate it Seo Jun. Sorry about what happened tho, I shouldnt have given the chocolates to u now, if I knew it would’ve started this, I would’ve given them to Cho Rong or Ju Kyung to pass on to you instead. Oh, and Ju Kyung gave me ur number.

Almost immediately you felt your phone buzz and saw youd gotten a reply from Seo Jun.

From Seo Jun:

Watver Nerd, culdve asked for my number yesterday ya know but yeah ur welcome i guess, someone had to shut up these idiots. im happy u gave the chocolates to me, thnx for them bonus was seeing that bastard walking off in anger.

You laughed silently at Seo Jun calling Hae Sung a bastard, although your automatic reaction was to defend Hae Sung, you refrained from doing that and replied.

To Seo Jun:

Yh yh, I forgot sue me for being forgetful Han Seo Jun, I hope you enjoy the chocolates tho, their the expensive type so share them with ur mum and sister.

You knew he would share with his family, but just wanted to remind him, these chocolates were the type that you would finish without even realising it.

From Seo Jun:

Yah, wat do u take me for, ofcourse im sharing w/ my sis n mum, dw abt it, with the way these vultures attacked ill even save some for u.

Honestly who knew Seo Jun could be such a sweetheart over texts, this was a side of Han Seo Jun you never thought you would see.

To Seo Jun:

Aww, thnx for saving some for me too Seo Jun, you don’t have too but im not gonna say no to chocolates.

You smiled as you felt you phone vibrate with a response, Seo Jun was a quick responder, you didn’t think youd be texting with Seo Jun or even get his number but look you having a proper text conversation with him. Such a contrast to last week when you were afraid of him and now not only were you tutoring him but he was slowly becoming your friend.

From Seo Jun:

Understood, if I ever get u mad at me, imma get chocolates to get u to forgive me.

You giggled at his reply to your message and started to type a response. When you felt someone poke you, you looked to Hyun Ji and saw that Han Ssaem was entering the class. You locked your phone without replying and sat up straight ready for the next lesson.

Chapter 5

[livinginncity]

if we were human

♚: lee rang x reader

❡: fluff??(angst, pure angst)

ⱳƈ: 2.5k

⚠︎: besides it being really bad? none really. like, literally a couple swears. it was fluff, and then it became angst, so...sorry, but not really because if i’m crying, so are you.

children could be heard all around the park. some screaming and laughing as they run behind, others crying after they tripped, only to soon be comforted by the gentle holds and hushed assurances of their mothers and fathers. a bit further away was a small dog park, from which came all kinds of barks and growl, as well as cooing of the passerby. and there at a bench, located slightly closer to the swings and slides attracting the younger humans, sat a man that looked less than pleased to be where he was.

“Guess who.” a female’s voice rang out as a soft hand covered his eyes. he merely rolled his eyes beneath their new coverings and proceeded to drag the small wrist away from his face. “y/n.”

the young woman sneered and scoffed before yanking her hand out of his grasp to walk around and join him on the bench. “I don’t like you.”

“I don’t like you either.” a smack to the back of the man’s head could be felt soon after the words left his mouth. “Yah!”

“What are you doing here anyway? I never took you for the people watching type.”

“That's because I'm not. As if they deserve that much attention.” a hand lazily lifted in the direction of a familiar little boy, the action bringing a smile to the woman’s face.

“Ahhhh. But that one’s the exception? I thought you didn’t like little kids with runny noses, something I heard you have in common with your brother actually. Is that a gumiho thing or a family thing?” the man she addressed turned his head to look at her with an unimpressed look.

“Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much? Or that you ask too many questions?”

“Well considering that was one of the first things you said to me when we met, I’ll just assume you know the answer to that already.”

she turned to look where the man’s gaze had previously been fixed and he followed suit. their eyes moved as they followed the movements of the young boy whose energy seemed to rival that of a puppy’s. ‘how fitting’ was the thought that came to the pair. minutes passed before they changed positions—the girl moving to settle her head on her company’s shoulder. said company shook her off before she repeated the action, leaving her be the second time. and he stayed in place even after she dragged his head to rest upon her own.

“Rang-ah.” the man simply grunted in response, urging her to continue. “I hate this.”

his eyebrows furrowed slightly at the sudden proclamation. “The kids? The families? Parks? I don’t really like them either. The first are messy and demanding, the second is an extremely unrealistic dynamic, and the last are way too loud and crowded.”

“No.” she took in her surroundings before speaking again. “This. I love all of this. I want it all. The kids are adorable and it feels so rewarding to be someone they rely on and look up to. I’ve had my fair share of family drama, but I’ve always wanted my own that I could cherish—pointless fights and all. And parks are probably one of my favorite places because it gives me everything I need to imagine what it’d be like if I had the first two.”

“What?” at her words he lifted his head to look down at her.

“I hate all of this shit that’s going on right now. It was one thing when you were just this occasional menace to your brother, but now the Imugi is involved and Lee Yeon refuses to let Ji Ah go again. It’s caused so many problems and with them, questions to be asked. Things could be so much simpler. Don’t you ever think about what life would be like if we were all human? This would all just be some petty high school drama. Like, Lee Yeon got class president in school and now, years later, both he and Imugi are CEOs competing in the nightclub industry or something like that.”

“You’re starting to sound like Lee Yeon. I guess you’re just as lame as him. Or maybe even lamer because really? That’s the best you can do with this fake drama?”

“Did I ever tell you that I ran into Soo Ho before you got the Tiger’s Brow back from him?” she ignored the questions, but her own annoyed him slightly. before he could respond. “I asked him if I could try them on and walked to the nearest window I could see myself in.”

“So, what’d you see? What were you? A Snake? A rat? Pufferfish?” her only response to his teasing was a pinch to the side. she shook her head before continuing.

“I saw a child.” her face changed to a solemn one. “All I saw was a snot-nosed little kid that the world seemed to have it out for. I didn’t even live long enough to have many firsts. And no one was ever there for the few I did. Well, there was one. Towards the end, I think my final year, I met an old lady. She lived alone, but she took me in the moment we crossed paths. She gave me my own room, let me help her cook, as much as a child could help, and she would always tell me these stories of her husband who had passed about a decade before. In just a few months, that woman gave me what felt like a lifetime of love. All while I was slowly dying, she made me forget the hardships, the neglect, the hatred, and by some cruel fate, she died first. But before she went, she said to me “treat my death as not another result of this terrible world, but take it as a sign that even when we know that our end is inescapable, we are able to cherish the temporary moments in which we are truly happy should we allow ourselves that much.” And so,”

the woman finally lifted her head from the gumiho’s shoulder to look into his eyes. “I think, if I could be reincarnated as a human again, I would. But since it’s probably never gonna happen I want to live like one. Get married, have a family, get mad when someone doesn’t show up for the holidays. I don’t know if I’d make it as a human with everything I know now, and I honestly don’t want to be human right-right now because I probably wouldn’t get to be around you. And I also just can’t imagine how you’d get by without seeing me every day.”

“Don’t act like you’re anything special.” he scoffed and looked back at the playground.

“You don’t have to admit it.” she stood up from the bench, looked over to the young boy he had taken in, and turned back. the woman grabbed his face and, after looking at the man for a few seconds, leaned in. “I know you love me.” and then she ran. “Soo Ho-ah! Let me play with you, that old fox is being mean again!”

“Yah!” he didn’t get up to chase her. she was right no matter how much he thought about it. somehow that weird girl wormed her way into the list of people he more than tolerated. and as he sat alone with his thoughts, he watched her play with the reincarnated boy, the latter seemingly winning their current sword fight.

does he ever wanna be human? no, it seems way too boring. does he like kids? he likes one, so that’s good enough. will he get married at some point? well, it’s just some rings and paper. and it’s not like he isn’t in love with that girl in the park.

bonus;

“Hey, y/n. If you’re watching this then...you know. I figured a couple good deeds might do me well in the afterlife, so what better way than finally letting my brother be with the girl he’s waited hundreds of years for.”

“You crazy bastard.” those were the only words that she could force her mouth to speak as she looked down at the small screen.

“I know you’re probably cursing me right now, thinking ‘this crazy bastard.’” somehow they both managed to let out a chuckle. “You know I don’t like vulgar words, but I’m not there, so i told Soo-Ho to pinch you for me every time one leaves your mouth.”

“Of course you did. It’s already a habit of his now.”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to say goodbye. Especially to you, Yu Ri, and Soo-Ho. I didn’t get to say thank you, either. You’ve all helped me more than I’d ever care to admit, but I really am grateful to have shared part of my life with you. I got to help Yu Ri like Lee Yeon helped me, got to meet Blacky again, and I got to experience so many things with you.”

the tears in her eyes were already brimming and it was clear they wouldn’t stay there long. “y/n.” she looked back to the screen as he called her name.

“go to the nightstand on the right of my bed and open the drawer.” the girl got up from her place at the edge of the bed and walked over to the wooden table. with her phone in her left, she used her right to open the drawer, and she could feel her heartbeat stutter as she laid her sights on the black velvet box that sat in it. she reached a shaky hand to pick it up, and when she flipped it open she couldn’t help dropping the phone as she brought the other to her mouth with a choked sob. all she could do was shake her head and let the tears subject themselves to gravity.

“Do you remember that day in the park?” despite not being able to actually see through the endlessly flowing tears, she managed to scramble around and find the device that had slipped from her grasp. “You were talking about all this stuff like marriage, family, kids—what it’d be like to be human because things would be so much simpler. And while I don’t think anyone could ever convince me that being human would be fun, I figured we could at least do some of those human things. We were kind of halfway there, you know? You practically live in my apartment, and Soo-Ho took over the living room with his toys, so it was only a matter of time for him to get his own room so I could stop stepping on legos—maybe get a door with a lock from the outside so I don’t have to worry about waking up covered in stickers.”

she laughed as she recalled the memory, his interactions with the little boy, and their goofy smiles when things were calm for once. “You dorks were made to follow each other into every life.”

“I was gonna propose to you after this whole thing was over. Once I knew Lee Yeon was safe and not being targeted by a wannabe dragon. I’m sorry I couldn’t give that to you or...our own kid, though I think the one we have now is pretty great. And I’m also really sorry that I’m finally telling you this once it’s too late, but you were right. About what you said that day.” her breath hitched as she saw the tears glisten while they slid down his face. “I love you.

as if it were clockwork, a sob made its way from her throat and the tears began again.

“Yah, stop crying already. Please. I’d be upset if I was the cause of it.” and she tried, she really did, but it wasn’t as easy as he made it sound. “And, I know this is probably asking a lot for all that I’ve put you through, but can you wear it? At least for a little bit. Just think of it as a way of honoring my memory—the better parts obviously. You can keep my apartment if you want, too. Soo-Ho might be a job better-fit for Sin-Ju and Yu Ri, but if he says he wants to stay with you, you better let him.”

another laugh emitted from between the sobs as she listened to his final message.

“I really do love you, y/n. And if there is ever a chance of us finding each other again, I’ll tell you every chance I get. Anyway, I think it’s time for me to go now. I only have a couple more minutes and I don’t think the others are gonna make it in time. I’m scared if I’m being honest, y/n. I’m afraid of being alone, but you helped me not feel like that all the way up to the end—I finally had a family. So thank you. Love you.” and he smiled his big, child-like smile before adding on, “And don’t tell Lee Yeon I said sorry, or thank you, or I love you that much in under ten minutes.”

and just like that, it was over. no more, dumb family feuds, no more naengmyeon with no eggs because someone would always steal it, no more Lee Rang. she stared at the paused screen for what felt like hours before setting it to the side on the bed, to do as he had asked. carefully,  she took the ring out from the safety of its cushions and slid it onto her left hand. she let out a shaky breath as she stared at her ring finger and she said it back, hoping that somehow, someway, he would hear it. “I love you too, Lee Rang-ah.”

it was a while before she moved from that spot—getting on her feet only to answer the door that had just rung. opening it, she could have seen the man who had taken the place of Lee Rang’s in the living world, but all she saw at that moment was an older brother who had also lost someone he loved.

“Lee Yeon-ah.” it was then that the male finally took in her appearance. she wore jeans, one of his brother’s sweaters, and her hair was in a bun that had clearly seen better days. but what really caught his attention as his eyes traveled, was the black box in her right hand, and shining silver band on her left. then he lifted his eyes back to hers to see just how tired she was. “Lee Yeon-ah. I miss him.”

the man simply brought her into his chest as she sobbed. and she cried, and she cried, and all the while he stood there with her in his embrace. it was all he could do, he couldn’t offer her words of comfort just yet because, even now she may be much stronger than he is. because she’s strong enough to live without the promise of his reincarnation. she knows she may never see him again, but won’t risk exchanging her life just so he won’t go through the same thing.

“I miss him so much.” her voice cracked as the words came out, and he ran his hand over her hair.

“I know, I know. I miss him, too.”

[join-hwarang]

Flirting (Hwarang Reactions)

Summary of Request: Hwarang member reacting to another hwarang flirting on their s/o.

H/B/N (hwarang boy name of choice) Gifs are not mine, credit to owners

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

Moo Myung (Sun Woo):

Moo Myung would be walking with no expression on his face towards you and H/B/N. He’d seem cool on the outside, but on the inside he was ragging with jealousy.

He’d wrap an arm around your shoulder an look at H/B/N and ask him, “are you alright?”

H/B/N would nod his head in confusion. “Well you won’t be alright if you don’t start leaving about right now,” Moo Myung would say bluntly.

H/B/N would start to walk away nervously giving one last glance, then completely walking out of both of your guys’s sight. “You didn’t need to scare him,” you’d scold Moo Myung while turning facing him. He’d grunt and just start walking the opposite way H/B/N went with you in his arms.

Sam Maek:

Sam Maek would be on his way to see you, when he saw both of you and H/B/N talking, well more like H/B/N flirting and you awkwardly looking for a way out of the conversation.

He’d come up to you guys say nothing, just pick you up and toss you over his shoulder. “What are you doing?” you ask trying to make him put you down.

“Well right now enjoying this amazing view,” would be his response.

“Hey!” He’d chuckle and set you back down on the ground once you guys are in private. He wouldn’t let you say anything else because both of you guys would be to busy sharing a kiss.

Soo Ho:

Soo Ho would stare at you two for a while coming up with an idea, he’d cut into the conversation wrapping his arms behind you. “Y/N,” he’d drag out your name with the voice of a little kid.

“Yes Soo Ho?” you’d send H/B/N a sorry glance. “When are we going home, I wanna have some fun” he’d whine, but then sending you a wink.

Your cheeks would heat up, a tint of red appearing. H/B/N would cough awkwardly, Soo Ho would look up and grin, “Oh! H/B/N didn’t see you there, but anyways Y/N, ready to go?”

You tried getting mad at him, but who could stay mad at him.

Ban Ryu:

(Ignore his tear or don’t... my heart)

To say he was displeased would be an understatement, he’d want to just go up and start beating the crap out of H/B/N. But, he didn’t instead he watched and waited for it all to end.

Once H/B/N would leave, he’d walk up to you and hold you in his arms tightly. Both of you wouldn’t say anything, you’d know why he was acting this way and just let him hold you.

“I love you, don’t forget that,” you’d mumble to him kissing his cheek. He’d hum in response and a small red tint would appear on his face.

Han Sung:

Han Sung would be very pouty about it, he doesn’t like the idea of you talking to another guy that isn’t him or family. You’d be coming home to seeing him on your bed with a frown on his face.

“Han Sung what’s wrong?” you’d sit next to him on the bed, but he’d just move away from you. “Do you love me Y/N?” he’d ask staring at the wall.

“Of course I do Han Sung, why would you ask that?” “I saw you with H/B/N earlier today and I just got a bit jealous.”

You giggled and hugged him tightly, “I’d never choose H/B/N over you Han Sung, I love you so much.”

He’d smile using this as an advantage, “You love me? Prove it.”

(I’ll leave the next parts to your guys’s imagination)

Yeo Wool:

He’d smirk and laugh, “who does he think he is, Y/N will never leave me for him,” he’d think. Which is sadly true. He’d watch as you reject H/B/N and awkwardly make your way towards him.

“Hello beautiful,” he’d say while grabbing a hold of your hand and kissing it. “Yeo Wool, did you just-”

He’d cut you off short with a kiss and smile, “I know you will never leave for that fool, besides I’m way more attractive than him.”

“Yeo Wool!” “You know it’s true love.”

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

If I missed anyone please please tell me or if you have a suggestion on someone else I should add.

Disclaimer: I will be using some scenes from the series, but they will not be following the plot of the actual episode unless requested so. Also, I apologize for any mistakes when using some parts of the episodes if the translation is correct.

[kimchislaphearts]

Let us Meet (2017)

Genre: Romance

Plot:

Country bumpkin Lee Soo Ji wants to marry the best modern boy in Gyeongseong (Seoul). One day she stumbles across a flyer for a couple matching event hosted by the Gyeongseong Marriage Bureau, a matchmaking company. Debt ridden Cha Joo Oh is the owner of the company who tries to help Soo Ji find her perfect match.

Cast & Crew:

Jo Bo Ah as Lee Soo Ji

Son Ho Jun as Cha Joo Oh

Supporting cast - Baek Soo Jang, Choi Da In, Song Yong Jae, Jo Jae Ryong, Jeon Bae Soo, Choi Byung Mo, Jung Yi Rang, Kwon Soo Hyun, Kang Hee,

Director - Kang Min Kyung

Screenwriter - Kim Eun Sung

Music:

This drama special is set in a time where the world was changing at a quick pace, the chosen music does a good job representing the fusion between the past and more modern world. There were some nice tracks included in the drama special such as Henry’s Real Love and Kdrama favourite Bruno Mars’ Marry You.

Overall:

This drama special is set in a time that is starting to get more coverage in dramas, in the late 1930’s, so you can imagine the backdrop is a little dark. While the drama itself mostly focuses on the romantic side of things the treatment of different classes and what the Japanese were doing to the people, especially the Joseon women is a part of the story. But mostly it is an adorable and fun story of two people meeting, misjudging one another and eventually falling in love.

This special has a pretty great cast, Son Ho Jun, Jo Bo Ah and plenty of other familiar faces. The leads have pretty good chemistry together so they are quite believable and enjoyable to watch. I really like the personalities of the main characters, especially Soo Ji and her boss who are a lot of fun. Son Ho Jun is peak Son Ho Jun, man is he such a dreamboat, my judgement may be clouded by the pretty.

The costuming and decor are nice, I especially enjoyed the scenes by the lake. My only complaint would be that they overdid it a little with Soo Ji’s poor girl make up, making her wander around with a “dirty face” to show she was a lower class.

Some of the shenanigans that happen throughout the drama special are quite unbelievable but then you think back to the introductory slide and remember, “this drama is based on imagination”. So you make yourself stop questioning and enjoy the ride as the adorable couple slowly realise they like each other. Overall, I really enjoyed this drama special and am glad I watched it.

Rating: 8.5/10

Watch it: KBS World Youtube

[im-just-here-for-the-drama]

Gay Characters in Kdramas: The Good, The Bad, and The Mediocre

Gay characters rarely show up in Korean dramas. Though there have been a few characters over the years,  In terms of representation, the characterization and stories of these characters are usually nothing to write home about, but I figured, why not write about it anyway? Here’s my watch and don’t watch list, if you’re looking for gay characters in kdramas.

Warning for spoilers galore!

The Mediocre (these aren’t bad, but they’re not the best either)

Lily Fever (2015)

The Story: Kyung Ju heads to her friends house one day to find her missing passport. She finds Se Rang instead.

Should You Watch?: Sure. This show is quirky and just downright odd. The ending leaves a lot to be desired and the story itself is kind of all over the place, but it’s cute, it’s funny, it’s short, most of it’s nonsense, and the girls have lots of chemistry. It’s only a bonus that Se Rang is a standout character of this show. You’ll probably fall for her yourself by the end of the webseries.

The Lover: Joon Jae and Takuya (2015)

The Story: Different couples live together in an apartment building. The show shows us snippets of their lives. Joon Jae’s life gets turned upside down when he meets his new roommate Takuya.

Should You Watch?: Hmmm...yeah. I started watching this show expecting it would showcase the typical Korean bromance between the guys. The kind where the show makes it seem like the guys might have feelings for each other, but the show just skirts around the topic entirely. In the first few episodes, that’s exactly what happened between Joon Jae and Takuya (with a lot of sex jokes and penis jokes thrown in for good measure. That’s actually what most of the show is). But the show eventually, actually, went there. Joon Jae and Takuya don’t get a whole lot of screen time, but when they do, we get to see some serious feelings thrown in with all the crass humor, and Joon Jae and Takuya do admit to having feelings for one another. The ending could have been a little better, but it was a happy one, so baby steps.

Perseverance Goo Hae Ra: Jang Goon (2015)

The Story: A group of rag tags come together to form a band. Jang Goon joins the band and meets their manager Tae Poong who he’s had a crush on for years.

Should You Watch?: Only if you’re interested in the rest of the show. Jang Goon has a fairly interesting storyline. He has a friend who accepts him after finding out about his crush and he has to rebuild bridges with his father who doesn’t accept him doing music (and Jang Goon’s scared he wont accept his being gay either). But Jang Goon’s storyline is such a small part of the story it wouldn’t be worth it to skip through to only his parts.

Daughters of Club Bilitis (2011)

The Story: A one episode drama detailing the lives of four lesbian couples.

Should You Watch?: I watched this so long ago, I honestly don’t remember a single shred of what happened in it, but I’ll say yes, watch it. Because there are so few lesbians in asian dramas you have to watch the one’s that exist. The entire show is about lesbians, so I  mean, why not?

Reply 1997: Jun Hee (2012)

The Story: The lives of a group of high school students in the year1997. Jun Hee has a crush on his friend Yoon Jae.

Should You Watch?: Yes and no. The Reply Series (Reply 97/94/88) are pretty good dramas after all. They’re great for nostalgia, family, friendship, and the like, but if you’re here solely for the gay? Probably not worth the time. Jun Hee’s a side character. We see him crushing on Yoon Jae and he confesses his feelings to Yoon Jae and another friend, but there’s not too much more than that.

Seonam girls high school investigators: Eps 11-12 (2014)

The Story: High School girls investigate and solve problems in their school. The show is episodic and in these two episodes the girls attempt to help Su Yeon and Eun Bin who have to hide their relationship from their classmates.

Should You Watch?: Yes. I honestly don’t remember much about this one either, but I do remember it being decently done. This show caused a lot of controversy years ago when it aired Korea’s first lesbian kiss ( probably korea’s first same sex kiss period that was a legitimate kiss and not used for laughs). It’s worth checking out to see what caused all the ridiculous uproar.

Wise Prison Life/Prison Playbook: Han Yang (2017)

The Story: Big time baseball player Kim Je Hyuk turns into a crimanal overnight. After he’s convicted, he has to face his new life in prison. He meets some interesting people in prison. Among them is the drug addict Han Yang.

Should You Watch?:  Yes, because the story itself is a really interesting take about a man who goes to prison, meets a lot of different, people, and ultimately makes new friends/family. If you’re just watching for the gay? I’d still have to say yes, despite the fact that Han Yang doesn’t get the happy ending he deserved. Han Yang was one of my favorite characters in this show. I don’t know how he managed it, but I swear Han Yang got funnier as the episodes passed. I was really endeared towards him attempting to kick his drug habit while also trying to salvage his relationship with his ex-boyfriend Ji Won. He had such an interesting story arc, was such an entertaining character, and I didn’t feel like the show ever made fun of him for being gay. This character was just such a joy to watch, I definitely don’t regret watching, even though I wanted more.

Moment at Eighteen: Jung Oh Je  (2019)

The Story: Transfer student Jun Woo has no interest in school life, as he is traumatized from being expelled from bullying. Meanwhile, Soo Bin has been watching Jun Woo all this time. She sees a different side to Jun Woo than the one that other people see. Oh Je, is Jun Woo’s best friend who starts to discover his sexuality.

Should you watch?: Hmmm… sure. Oh Je has a decent side plot. It was interesting to see him figuring out he liked Hwi Young and coming out to his ex girlfriend and his friends. I do wish his story was expanded a little more though. There were several things I would have liked to have seen, like coming out to his family, and I thought they wrapped his story up a little too quickly at the end.

Love with Flaws: Won Suk and Ho Dol (2019)

The Story:  Joo Seo Yeon, is a hot-tempered physical education high school teacher who always wears sneakers, jeans and training uniforms.  The death of her parents helped instill a deep sense of compassion, a generous heart and an outspoken objection for anyone who drinks and drives. Living in a house with three wild and very attractive brothers, she loathes flower boys. Her ideal type is someone who is “not handsome.” Won Suk is one of her handsome older brothers.

Won Suk has closed his heart to relationships and love, but he lives his life as an openly gay man. Ho Dol is closeted and lacks confidence. They meet one night at Won Suk’s bar.

Should you watch?: People have been kind enough to condense Won Suk’s and Ho Dol’s  story into parts on YouTube so yeah, go ahead and check it out.

These two don’t get a whole lot of screen time, but the little they do get is nice. We get to see Won Seok help Ho Dol open up and be more confident with who he is and in turn, Won Seok opens up his heart.

The Bad (you probably shouldn’t waste your time on these ones)

Personal Taste: Director Choi (2010)

The Story: This dramas about a straight guy who pretends to be gay in order to gain access to the blueprints of a woman’s house…or something like that. Director Choi’s specific story revolves around his attempts at courting that guy.

Should You Watch?: Absolutely not. Half of the time the drama equates being a gay man to automatically being feminine, a woman, or not a “real man”. Director Choi is also a good deal older than the male lead and makes several attempts at courting him even though he’s not interested. It kind of came off as the “creepy old gay perv” and that didn’t sit well with me.  I suppose you could skim through the drama to watch Director Choi’s scenes. If sad gay men Is your thing. I just felt bad for the guy most of the time.

Ho Gu’s Love: Kang Chul (2015)

The Story: Ho Gu’s a pushover, a fool, and kind of an idiot. He meets his old classmates and things get a complicated. One day in High School Kang Chul meets Ho Gu’s twin sister and mistakes her for Ho Gu. They spend the day together and she kisses him.  The kiss sparks feelings in Kang Chul. Of course Kang Chul thinks it was Ho Gu who kissed him and years later, when he meets Ho Gu his feelings grow stronger.

Should You Watch?: Yes? Maybe? If you really want to, but mostly…no. With this, I expected that the typical drama set up would happen. Similar to all gender benders, Kang Chul would find out that it wasn’t Ho Gu he kissed. So any feelings he was having for him would immediately get swept under the rug where we could all pretend we never knew his heart fluttered for another man. Imagine my surprise when episode after episode passed and that didn’t happen. We got down to the last few episodes and Kang Chul had admitted to himself that he liked Ho Gu, he came out to his parents, and his coworkers assumed he was gay. The show was actually depicting the struggles of being gay in Korea and it was arguably one of the better storylines for a gay character on Korean t.v., but then the show couldn’t stay strong and they flipped the script. Predictably, Kang Chul finds out it was Ho Gu’s sister he kissed, the show copped out, and lo and behold Kang Chul was straight with no further mentions of any other possible sexuality. Watch it if you’re curious, but be prepared to be extremely disappointed by the end.

Graceful Family: Mo Wan Joon  (2019)

The Story: Blah blah blah, revenge or something- at a point it’s revealed that Mo Wan Joon is a trans woman.

Should you watch?: If you really like revenge melos maybe, but if you’re looking for this show to do something good and offer up some good trans rep? Nope.

Literally nothing about Mo Wan Joon’s story is watchable. I wasn’t even entirely sure the show even knows what being transgender even means. It comes off as more of a plot twist to put the family all in a tizzy more than anything else. They don’t really show much of Wan Joon’s struggle or anything poignant or engaging.

Sweet Munchies: Tae Wan (2020)

The Story: Jin Sung pretends to be a gay chef to film a tv show for money. Tae Hwan, a closeted fashion designer falls for him.

Should you watch?: No. "Everyone loved Personal Taste right? What if we just did that again but with a chef this time?"  This could have been potentially groundbreaking, but by the end of the show the two leads are unlikable and  we just wind up with more sad gay tears. But Lee Hak Joo as Tae Wan? *Chef's kiss*. This man put me through the wringer and he does it so subtly. If you must watch, literally skim through Tae Wan’s parts.

The Good (these are worth the hours of your life you wont get back)

Painter of the Wind (2008)

The Story: Shin Yoon Bok is a talented painter who disguises herself as a boy to search for her father's murderer and meets a master painter who guides her into being a great painter. Kim Hong Do is the man who teaches Yoon Bok how to paint, and they develop a strong friendship of mentor and disciple.

Should You Watch?: Yes. On the surface this sounds pretty straight, but ignore the summary, because yes there’s a loveline between Yoon Bok and her mentor, but the most interesting story here is the loveline between Yoon Bok and a Gisaeng she meets named Jeong Hyang I’ve seen plenty of gender benders, but I’ve never seen one where a woman falls in love with the girl who’s pretending to be a boy. This drama isn’t technically supposed to be gay, but it’s extremely gay when when bisexual Yoon Bok hits on the gisaeng the first time they meet. Yoon Bok finds herself falling in love with the Jeong Hyang too and the love between them comes off as extremely genuine and sincere. I don’t care what that show was trying to tell me, Yoon Bok/Jeong Hyang was the true otp.

Life is Beautiful: Tae Sub and Kyung Soo (2010)

The Story:  A family drama about a blended family. The show focuses heavily on Tae Sub and his boyfriend Kyung Soo

Should You Watch?:  Absolutely. In this drama we actually get to see a same sex couple. There’s not just one gay character or a situation where you have to read between the lines. Tae Sub and Kyung Soo are a gay couple who get to be together and happy and they get screentime! The show focuses on Tae Sub coming out to his family, his family's acceptance/non-acceptance, and Kyungsoo’s family’s non-acceptance as well. We get to see the guys work through their problems together and we get to see how they’re relationship changes and grows. My only complaint about this show is that it aired seven years ago and korea has shown little to no progress in terms of lgbt characters and couples in kdramas since.

Rural Outcasts (2019)

The Story: Sun Hui moves to a small village where she lives her life as Soon Ho until she can make enough money to become her true self. Dong Ja, a feisty 12 year old, breaks into her house one day.

Should you watch? Yes, although, heads up, there’s a cis man playing a trans woman. Found family always makes for a heartwarming story and this one is no different. I loved the bond between Dong Ja and Sun Hui and I loved their mother daughter relationship. Very sweet and heartwarming, but be prepared for some heartbreak too.

[elseinbetween]

Favorite Korean Dramas of All Time

Because This Is My First Life (2017). I really like the main theme of this series. It gives us the permission to be kind to ourselves even if we think we’ve already failed so much. Going through this life is the first time for all of us anyway. And though it’s not the kind of life you imagined to have at this point, considering that it’s your first time, it’s not so bad, I find. And I love Ji-ho, by the way, I must say. And her girlfriends, Soo-ji and Ho-rang, too.

My Mister (2018). Watching My Mister was such an experience. Every episode still makes me cry even at second rewatch. The series tackles the kind of sad you’ll only understand when you live with it yourself. Life is hard and sometimes you can’t seem to figure out how to keep going anymore. But whatever it is that you’re facing right now, as Dong-hoon said, you get to decide. If you consider it not a big deal then it’s not a big deal. Amugeotdo aniya. Its ending is beautiful, perfect and heartbreaking all at once.

Be Melodramatic (2019). The best thing about the show is the trio--hands down--Jin-joo, Han-joo and Eun-jung. I’ve always been drawn to friendship, it appears. Even with the books I read. Maybe because it’s a love story on its own. One that needs to be told. Be Melo is female-centric, a slice of life and a coming of age drama, except that its characters were approaching the age of 30. Closer to home than we're willing to admit, right? And before I forget, Jin-joo is also a writer here like Ji-ho. Oh, these brave and inspiring women.

It’s Okay Not to Be It’s Okay (2020). Among Moon-young’s not-so-fairy tales, I think The Boy Who Fed on Nightmares and The Cheerful Dog resonate to me best. They center on how to overcome what you’ve been through and how to cut yourself free even if you’ve been tied up for way too long. It’s liberating to watch our troublesome trio, Sang-tae, Kang-tae and Moon-young, do it for themselves--overcoming their nightmares and cutting off their leashes. So, to all the beautiful broken souls in It’s Okay, here’s to more healing along the way!

[olivierdemangeon]

  Une romancière à succès s’isole dans une vieille maison d’un petit village isolé afin de trouver l’inspiration. Rapidement, sa fille qui l’accompagne, semble jouer avec un camarade invisible. Ce dernier lui raconterait une histoire que l’écrivaine va coucher sur le papier. Son roman va devenir un bestseller, mais le succès sera de courte durée, car les médias vont l’accuser de plagiat….

    “Beseuteuselleo” (베스트셀러), ou “Bestseller” pour la distribution internationale, est un thriller mystérieux sud-coréen datant de 2010, écrit et réalisé par Lee Jeong-ho, à qui l’on doit également “The Beast” (2018). Les acteurs principaux sont Uhm Jung-hwa, qu’on a pu voir dans “Princess Aurora” (2005), Ryu Seung-ryong, qu’on a pu voir dans “Extreme Job” (2019), Lee Do-kyung, qu’on a pu voir dans “Memories of the Sword” (2014), Cho Jin-woong, qu’on a pu voir dans “The Spy Gone North” (2018), Lee Sung-min, qu’on a pu voir dans “The Attorney” (2013), Park Sa-rang, qu’on a pu voir dans “Blood and Ties” (2013). Ce métrage est paru le 15 avril 2010 en Corée.

L’histoire proposée par “Bestseller” nous invite à suivre Baek Hee-soo (Uhm Jung-hwa), une auteure à succès depuis 20 ans. Sa réputation est détruite du jour au lendemain quand elle se retrouve accusée d’avoir plagié un essai d’une personne ayant participé à un concours qu’elle avait précédemment jugée. Désormais, elle lutte contre une dépression et contre le syndrome de la page blanche depuis près de deux années. Hee-soo accepte la suggestion de son éditeur d’aller s’installer dans une maison de campagne isolée dans une petite ville rurale, en compagnie de sa fille Yeon-hee (Park Sa-rang), où elle pourra se ressourcer et écrire en paix. Rapidement, l’enfant raconte qu’une mystérieuse femme invisible circulant dans la maison lui raconte des histoires. Hee-soo transforme alors ces histoires fascinantes en un nouveau roman. Celui-ci devient instantanément un best-seller, mais la renommée retrouvée de l’auteure ne dure pas longtemps, car elle est à nouveau accusée de plagiat d’un ouvrage écrit dix ans auparavant. Pour prouver sa bonne foi, Hee-soo retourne dans la maison isolée pour découvrir la vérité et comprendre avec qui sa fille parlait…

Le scénario concocté par Lee Jeong-ho, qui endosse ici la double casquette de réalisateur et de scénariste, est quelque peu maladroit, et n’est pas sans rappeler deux métrages américains, soit “Sixième Sens” (1999) de M. Night Shyamalan pour le twist qui intervient ici à mi-parcours du récit et “The Uninvited” (2009), réalisé par The Guard Brothers, film lui-même inspiré par un film coréen, “A Tale of Two Sisters” (2003), réalisé par Kim Jee-woon. On devine assez vite la réalité sur la situation de Yeon-hee, la fillette, et cela sera donc confirmé par son père, Park Young-joon (Ryu Seung-ryong). Dès que ces révélations sont données, “Bestseller” prend une orientation complètement différente, où le personnage central cherche la vérité sur les faits qui se sont jadis déroulés dans la maison. Le côté surnaturel disparaît complètement pour offrir un récit qui s’approche du survival, où l’héroïne démasquée par les auteurs d’un meurtre, tente de lui régler son compte.

Des différents personnages qui interviennent au fur et à mesure du développement, on va se focaliser sur Baek Hee-soo. L’écrivaine est une femme perdue, d’une part des événements passés l’ont profondément perturbée. D’autre part, son intégrité de romancière est remise en question pour des problèmes de plagiat. Autant, on comprend que la seconde accusation est fondée, trouvant son explication, et par extension vient dédouaner l’auteure à succès, autant la première accusation n’est absolument pas expliquée et/ou justifiée. Au registre de ce que j’ai l’habitude d’appeler les trous d’un scénario, on ne comprend pas la raison du point de bascule entre l’incapacité de Hee-soo à pondre une nouvelle histoire pour son nouveau livre, et sa boulimie soudaine d’écriture. D’un seul coup, sans que l’on sache pourquoi elle trouve l’inspiration pour écrire sans relâche son nouveau roman. Le second personnage n’est autre que Yeon-hee, la fillette. Ce personnage est la clé du mystère qui anime la première partie du récit. Elle joue et se retrouve souvent livrée à elle-même. Cependant, ses discussions avec un personnage invisible, qu’on considère qu’il ne serait que le fruit de son imagination d’enfant, ont le chic d’agacer profondément sa mère.

Les valeurs de production concernant “Bestseller” sont d’une très bonne qualité. La photographie délivrée par Choi Young-hwan est sympathique avec un très bon travail au niveau des décors. L’univers rural est très bien marqué et la maison tranche avec le style coréen. Les intérieurs sont très intéressants, idéaux pour le thème développé, du mystère et une pointe d’horreur. La bande musicale orchestrée par Kim Jun-seong est très agréable, venant idéalement appuyer les moments de tension et apportant une bonne touche de stress à l’atmosphère du film. Le montage offert par Shin Min-kyung est un peu étrange. D’une durée de 117 minutes, le film se scinde en deux parties distinctes, avec deux rythmes différents et deux ambiances disparates.

En conclusion, “Bestseller” est un bon thriller disposant d’une histoire familière, d’une intrigue en deux étapes et d’un développement inégal. Le rythme est évolutif, le récit est relativement fluide, mais comporte quelques brèches et la narration fait appel à quelques flashbacks. La photographie est bien structurée, le monde rural, la maison, le modernisme de la ville sont bien représentés, la bande originale pèse fortement sur l’ambiance du film. La distribution offre de bonnes prestations, dominée par les performances d’Uhm Jung-hwa qui offre un personnage à la limite de la folie, parfois hystérique, mais toujours animé par la découverte de la vérité, et la jeune Park Sa-rang, qui étonne par la qualité de son jeu. Un ensemble correct qui à défaut d’être original reste captivant et divertissant. À voir …

      Retrouvez-nous sur notre groupe de discussion Facebook !

      BESTSELLER (2010) ★★★☆☆ Une romancière à succès s'isole dans une vieille maison d'un petit village isolé afin de trouver l'inspiration.

[ferociouspompom]

Hwarang OS: Always

Fury rose within him like a red tide.

A breath. And another.

But still the words rang in his ears. “You should have done it right. Then I would not have had to step in. Do you not agree?”

There was violence in his motions as he left the room at the Okta, pausing at the door to breathe deeply.

Calm.

But it would not come. Not when Kang Sung was but a symptom of a much larger cancer in his life. Not when his future hung on the whim of Master Young Shil. Defiance would cost him, and his father, dearly.

He took long strides, desperate to create distance between himself and those he called his friends, the atmosphere of the Okta suddenly stifling and wrong.

When had Hwarang House become comforting?

When had it become home?

A hand wrapped around his wrist. Ban Ryu jerked his arm, lips curled into a snarl as a sharp warning formed on his tongue, but he stilled when he registered Miss Soo Yeon as she stumbled. Anger ebbed away as he took in her large eyes and earnest gaze. He looked away from her, regretting his momentary ferocity even as his pulse quickened anew.

“Come here for a minute.”

She looked pretty and delicate in soft pink, a bottle clutched in her free hand as she gestured behind herself.

That curious lightness, a weightlessness that only she inspired, overtook his body as she led him away, her hand slipping from his wrist to wrap around his fingers. The room was abandoned. Miss Soo Yeon turned to face him, her lips curved into a smile and a blush painted on her cheeks.  Looking away, half afraid she would read what was surely in his eyes, Ban Ryu noted that their hands were still linked. He coughed pointedly.

A tremble went through her as she looked down, hastily untwining them and taking a small step back as if introducing propriety between them. The loss of her fingers against his caused a tightness in his chest.

He worried that she expected him to say something in the short silence that followed. He had not yet said a word to her, not when she had accosted him in public, not when she had slapped him, not when she had soothed the mark with her own hand. He preferred to listen, to revel in the cadence of her sweet voice and the sparkle in her eyes.

“Thank you,” she began, her smile widening into a grin, “The performance last night was nice too.”

She seemed to bounce with eagerness.

I will watch your dance from the front row. Do not stress and good luck with your performance. I shall always cheer you on.

What had started as her apology for their first meeting – and an assurance that she would explain it all to her brother – had turned into a collection of letters he carried within his clothing. He read and reread them in every private moment, imagining her expressive features as she spoke the words to him. He had studied her brushstrokes, seeing the slight tremble in her fingers when she had promised to always cheer him on.

Always.

So much promise held in a single word.

In the darkest hours of the night he had wondered at his dedication to the performance – a performance for the Queen no matter what anyone else said. But now pride swelled inside him at her praise.

Ban Ryu blinked, giving her a slight nod to acknowledge her words. It seemed to bolster her.

She held out the bottle in offering, explaining, “This is rare liquor. Please take it.”

His breath caught in his lungs as he considered her gift.

Was it an indication of how little she knew him – he usually did not imbibe alcohol – or an indication of how well she could read him – that she recognized he would need it to numb himself from the approaching storm?

And in that moment of silence, as he considered the best way to accept her gift, he heard footsteps thundering down the hall. The door burst open, and Soo Ho flew through them like a force of nature.

The punch was so unexpected that he was flat on the ground before he registered the pain. The rage that had briefly abated came back in full force. He needed to hit something and Soo Ho had just presented himself as a willing target.

Miss Soo Yeon’s gasp brought him back to his senses, and a coolness chased the wrath from his limbs as he realized that he could not hit her brother, not when she stood in the same room. So he lay there, muscles tensed, jaw clenched, as Soo Ho raged incoherently and punched him again. And again.

There was a sudden crash accompanied by the tinkle of broken glass. Ban Ryu’s eyes found Miss Soo Yeon’s as her brother slumped into him, unconscious.

In a daze, he watched her roll Soo Ho off him before taking his hand. She helped him up, her hands brushing over his back and arm and sending electricity shooting through his body. She released his hand only to clasp the other, as if she did not wish to break contact.

Her mouth was twisted in distaste as she stepped over the prone form of her brother, pulling him behind her.

And in that moment, he knew he would follow wherever she led.

This was my first Hwarang piece :D I’m very happy with how it turned out!!

[urduclassic]

Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer

Mirza Salaamat Ali Dabeer (1803–1875)   was a leading Urdu poet who excelled and perfected the art of Marsiya writing. He is considered the leading exponent of Marsiya Nigari or marsiya writing along with Mir Anis. Mirza Dabeer was born in 1803 in Delhi. He started reciting marsiya since childhood during muharram ceremonial gatherings called majalis (singular-majlis). He started writing poetry under the tutelage of Mir Muzaffar Husain Zameer.[1] Dabeer himself was an erudite scholar of his time. He migrated from Delhi to Lucknow, where he found suitable environment to develop and demonstrate his skills in marsiya writing. According to Maulana Muhammad Husain Azad in Aab-e-Hayat quoting Tazkira-e-Sarapa Sukhan, there is confusion regarding his father's name because of two different names mentioned in Tazkira-as-Ghulam Husain /Mirza Agha Jan Kaghazfarosh. Mirza Dabeer died in Lucknow in 1875 and is buried there.

Works

According to Muhammad Husain Azad in Aab-e-Hayat: Mirzā Sahib died on the 29th of Muharram, A.H. 1292 [1875-76], at the age of 72 years. In his lifetime he must have written at least three thousand elegies. Not counting his salāms and nauhas and quatrains. He wrote a dotless elegy (be-nuqta) of which the opening verse is:

Hum tale-e-Huma murad hum rasa hua

Meaning:

My far-reaching imagination has the same fortune-star as the Huma

In it, he used (the dotless) Utārid or Atarid (Mercury) instead of Dabeer for a pen-name. And there's no doubt that with him elegy composition in India reached its conclusion. Now no such time will come, nor will such accomplished persons be born (Frances W. Pritchett translation).

List of Marsiah by Dabeer:

Kis sher ki Amad hai ki Run kaanp raha hai

Dast-e-Khuda Ka Quwat-e-Bazoo Husain hai

Jab Chaley Yasrab Se Sibte Mustafa (SAW) Soo-e-Iraaq

Bilqees paasbaan hai ye kiski janaab hai

Paida Shua-E-Mehar Ki Miqraaz Jab Huee

Although Dabeer's poetic expression found expression in the genre of marsiya but he made use of other forms of Urdu poetry, viz., salaam and rubai, he seldom wrote ghazals too. A couplet from one of his salaams is a clear example of his genius comparable to Ghalib:

Hurr fida pyaasa jo Shah par ho gaya

Ai salami, qatra tha samandar ho gaya!

Meaning:

When the thirsty Hurr (willingly) sacrificed his life for the Shah (Hussain);

(Know) O salami, (O pilgrim) In truth the drop became the entire ocean!

Naqaash naqsh, Kaatib o Khat, Baani o Bina,

Bood o Nabood, Zaat o Sifat, Hasti o Fana,

Aadam Malak, Zameen Falak, Gard e Kimiya,

Duniya o Deen, Hadoos o Qidam, Banda e khuda,

Sab, Shahid e Kamal e Shahe Mashraqain hain,

Jab Tak Khuda Ka Mulk hai, Malik Hussain hain.

Dabeer and Anis rivalry

Anis and Dabeer rivalry is the most debated and talked about rivalry in Urdu literature. Their rivalry led to the development of two distinct styles/schools of Marsiya-nigari or marsiya writing at its inception. The staunch supporters of each of the masters identified themselves as "Aneesiya" and "Dabeeriya". The impact of rivalry was so intense that the followers could neither free themselves from their influence nor surpass either master's brilliance. Although the populace divided themselves into two separate groups the two poets remained at cordial terms and acknowledged each other with great respect. When Anis died in 1874, Dabeer penned the following couplet as a tribute to the departed poet:

Aasman Be Mah-i-Kamil Sidrah Be Ruhul Amin

Toor-i-Sina Be Kalimullah Mimbar Be Anis

Legacy

Dabeer, along with Anis, left an everlasting influence on Urdu literature and marsiya in particular. Marsiya, in its content and matter, allowed the two masters to demonstrate their artistry and command of Urdu language and idiom. At the same time epical nature of marsiya covered and dealt with entire range of emotions and ideas. It has both mystical and romantic appeal. All the contemporary and succeeding generations of poets who adopted marsiya as the genre of poetic expression and also others who took to other forms of poetry found it difficult to break away from the trends and standards set by these two masters. The names of Dabeer and Anis are inextricable whenever Urdu Marsia is mentioned. In short, marsiya attained its zenith under the poetic genius of Anis and Dabeer. Marsiya became synonymous with the names of these two masters and also the form-musaddas- adopted by them became synonymous with the identity of marsiya. Dabeer along with Anis influenced two major aspects of the socio-cultural life of the Indian sub-continent. One is literature and other is azadari tradition of the sub-continent.

[bob2btrue]

Troublesome feelings

Hwarang, Soo Ho rang x Ji-Soo

If he could, he probably wished he had never witnessed Silla’s queen and her impeccable beauty, because the pain and longing in his heart for her presence stirred his whole being. He was already a loyal subject to the royals, to his kingdom, and the attraction he felt for the queen wouldn’t change this, so why does it hurt so bad at night when he lays alone in bed?

Soo Ho woke up to his blanket being yanked from his hold, resulting to an abrupt wake up. He brings his hands up to his face, groaning in annoyance. He hated being waken when he had dreams about the queen… what? Soo Ho felt his face heat up at the thought, he was lucky there where nothing more than interactions in those dreams, or he fears he’d have to get jailed at the crime of other lude thoughts.

At breakfast Soo Ho sat at his usual spot with his roommates. As always, there was a slight bickering between the hwarang participants at the table. He grinned at a nice comeback from Sun Moon at something his long lived rival Ban Ryu said, making the guy tense in irrittion.

But it didn’t take long before the bickering became white noise in the background as his mind wondered to the beautiful complexion of his queen. The memory from their first interaction displayed on his mind as he remembered queen Ji-Soo sitting on her gama, an aura of superiority and confidence oozed from her presence, and the two times he actually shared eye contact with her, he felt goosebumps form at the sheer thought. She may be double his age, but Soo Ho had never experienced such feelings before. Sure he had fooled around with some a lot of girls, but never had he been so genuinely love stricken by someone before. It was such a bizarre feeling, yet he couldn’t help the tug at his heartstrings whenever his mind stumbled over the thought of her.

Sadly, Soo Ho knew very well that these feelings he felt were unrequited.

The day went on as usual, hard training and a few meetings with Sun Moon’s sister for tending of new injuries. He couldn’t help noticing some vibes between the siblings relationship, and the jealous aura from Ji Dwi whenever Sun Moon and his sister interacted.

Soo Ho smiled to himself as he went to wash up after today’s training and undoing. It was only when he got a whiff of a sweet smell that he stopped in his tracks. Only had he ever been presence to this fragrance once in his life, and he knew that the queen must have come to talk to Wi Hwa.

Nevertheless, Soo Ho knew his rank, and was not worthy to talk to the queen, so he continued on his path to the washhouse.

The rest of the group came soon after. Joining the hwarang started out rocky, but as time went, friendship took place, even with the likes of Ban Ryu.

After the wash up Soo Ho told the others he’d forgotten something at the training hall.

Only minutes on his way, Soo Hi finds himself in front of the one thing that had been weighing on his mind since the king’s birthday parade. He felt his heart rate increase tenfold. However much he wanted to see her, he knew better than to search for her, but not in his wildest imagination would Soo Ho have thought he’d stumble upon the queen for the second time in a row.

Their eyes locked for a split second, and Soo Ho felt like time slowed down around them. This was not good, he should really just try and forget these butterflies in his stomach and move on, but why would faith play with him like that, putting the source of his problems right in front of him once again.

“Mr. Soo Ho.”

The queen’s servan said, snapping Soo Ho out from his trance. He clumsily bowed down.

“Y-Your highness.”

He dared a glance up to see the face he had fallen for. She stood there, with such grace that he wished he could just stop time and forever admire the picture in front of him.

To be in her late thirties, the queen still held a youthful face, her hair auburn with ornaments decorating it elegantly, the dark silks of her hambog contrasted nicely to her pale complexion. To say the least, he admired Silla’s current queen’s beauty.

A boldness washed over him, and with a charming smile Soo Ho straightened up.

“Can I assist in escorting the queen safely out from the hwarang training-camp?”

The queen’s bodyguard was about to decline the offer, however, the queen silenced him with her hand. A kind smile formed on her cherry lips.

“Thank you, that would be wonderful.”

An inner voice screamed inside Soo Ho’s mind. Did that really work?

He quickly came back to his senses as he maneuvered a hand for the queen to fallow, which she did, her loyal subjects a shadow at her side.

“So tell me Soo Ho, what is your opinion of hwarang so far.”

His lips quirked up at the memories he had gained so far as a hwarang. His eyes stared out into the distance as he spoke fondly over his experiences and how hwarang has made him stronger, and forming strong bonds with new people.

The queen looked over at the boy, a content feeling erasing some of the many worries currently plaiting her mind. The stable where her horse resided in was nearing them as each words fell from Soo Ho’s perfect lips.

“That is good to hear.”

She brings her attention to the path again, taking notice of the son of one of loyal council members looking at her. Queen Ji-Soo stops in her tracks, waiting as her servant goes to fetch their horses.

“Thank you Soo Ho for keeping me company, it is good to know there are such people as you in the hwarang.”

She gave him a grateful smile, in which the boy bowed.

“The pleasure is all mine, to please the queen, I should thank you for allowing me to be in your presence.”

Soo Ho tried to keep his cool, to see the queen smile yet again was something he was not prepared for.

The servant came back with the horses, helping Queen Ji-Soo up.

The queen quickly said her goodbyes to the boy, and then they left, leaving Soo Ho staring longingly into the emptiness as they disappeared from sight.  

He arrived at his room soon after. Exhaustion physically and mentally took its toll on Soo Ho, and he soon fell asleep.

A/N: I’m too deep in on this ship, liker where are all the supporters of this ship??? And if you know of a place where they have some hwarang fanfics, please give me a note :D