#anyway i love brainless kim

[live-from-flaturn]

Bond Girl Kim

Listen, I am sick and fucking tired of seeing all these hyper-competent Kim fics. I love them, and I will read every single one, but personally? We need some flavor. We need a little spice in our Kim characterization. So here’s my submission for the approval of The Midnight Society: Bond Girl Kim.

Kim works as a model and is absolutely fucking useless in the grand scheme of things. 

He’s the only member of his family who chose not to follow tradition and become a super-spy. 

Chay’s older brother joined the Secret Intelligence Initiative (or whatever their spy business is called) when he was a teenager and now Chay works in R&D.

Yes, that means Chay is Q.

And Tankhun is M.

Kinn is 007 and Porsche is 008. They are a badass team and have one of the highest success rates (also the most HR complaints for being seen in compromising positions).

Kim! In! Tiny! 1960′s! Men’s! Swimwear! Tiny pink striped shorts, that’s all I’m sayin’. 

This man is swooning, fainting, and passing out EVERYWHERE. If there’s a flat surface he can safely collapse onto, there he fuckin’ goes.

Zero braincells. Zero sense of self-preservation. He has been kidnapped by 18 separate terrorist organizations and he’s not about to stop falling for their “I lost my kitten” trap.

Chay is mostly annoyed with how often his bf gets tied up by other people.

I just think we should tie Kim to more train tracks and let him cry until his mascara runs. That’s all.

@just-slightly-chaotic, @eggwars and @fuckyeah-itme have been enabling me so far, but I have lots of ideas and would love to talk more about this. :D

[starseungs]

of fishes and chocolate muffins. ksm.

kim seungmin x gn!reader — working the morning shift at a cafe on weekdays isn't really the best, entertainment wise. still, eavesdropping on your customers wasn't something you did on a daily basis. it just so happened that two of your regulars had something in store for you today.

GENRE/S — fluff, humor, a pinch of angst, cafe/coffee shop au, writer!seungmin (barely mentioned) • 1.2k words

WARNING/S — profanity for humor, seungmin is pretty down in the dumps for most of this, part 2 of this fic but a different y/n, mentions of unrequited love

( ✒️ ) happy birthday to @seungiepaws !! here's your request for a part 2 of universe lovie, i know i said i'll do a drabble as a gift but it ended up a little longer so you're getting a whole fic mwah <3 i hope you like it

2024 ⓒ starseungs on tumblr. do not steal, repost, or edit.

The small bell perched on top of the cafe’s entrance door chimed softly at the arrival of a new customer. Your well-rehearsed greetings immediately followed, words racing out of your lips before you could even think twice. It really didn’t matter whether you meant them or not. As long as the guest felt welcomed, then that meant you were already doing your job well.

You doubt any of them ever even acknowledged your efforts, anyway. That was just how the world worked on a normal Monday morning—everyone running on autopilot until the seemingly brainless hoard of zombies got their lethal dose of caffeine or sugar and started acting like proper functioning members of society for the rest of the day. Then, the cycle repeats.

As an “all-rounder” cafe employee (as you liked to call yourself), this was just another day in the bigger scale of the year. Not too important, nor was it a particularly boring day. That simply wasn’t possible if you were working at a cafe, or really, just working in general.

“You’re always here, dude.” An exasperated voice groans from the window booth next to the serving counter. You recognized his face right away as one of your regulars who looked like a hamster. “At this point, you need to pay this place rent.”

The man he was talking to rolled his eyes with a scoff, even though his fingers never stopped typing on his laptop’s keyboard. “I’m a paying customer. Objectively, I’m already giving them money to stay here.”

You couldn’t help but silently snort at the guy’s comeback. He wasn’t entirely wrong, after all. This cafe’s prices already took into account the amenities they could use here. So technically speaking, as long as customers bought something from the cafe’s menu, they could stay for as long as they want until the establishment closes. That’s not usually the case, though. Most people still had places to be and other things to do other than have a staycation on some random cafe seat.

Note that you said “most” instead of “all”. Of course, there were always bound to be those who, for the lack of a better description—overstayed their welcome. 

And one of them is that chestnut-haired male who was currently getting berated by his friend.

“Seungmin, seriously!” The other guy, who you finally remembered being named Jisung from his previous orders, exclaimed in concern. “You can’t just stay here all day, every day. I know you’re trying to get over your roommate, but at least make use of your rent?” Jisung almost pleads.

You really didn’t mean to eavesdrop on their conversation, as the topic seemed awfully private, but what exactly could you do from the close proximity of the counter and their booth? It’s not like you were judging the two of them. There was no harm intended, and you were sure you’d still go about your day as usual with or without this newly obtained knowledge from strangers.

Seungmin sighed. “I don’t think you want me to be cooped up in my room writing either, so what do you really want to achieve?” His hands finally parted ways from his keyboard for the first time in about an hour. “Jisung, you know being alone in the apartment is only going to remind me of how my roommate is out there with their boyfriend being all happy and enjoying life while I’m over here writing sappy fictional love stories because I don’t have one of my own.”

“Oh, but you do.” Jisung huffs. “It’s just the unrequited kind.”

“Haha, very funny.”

“Just saying,” he comments. “I’m gonna let you sulk all you want as part of your healing process, but you really shouldn’t be sacrificing yourself just for the thought of them. You deserve better, Min.”

If you could only agree out loud, then you already would’ve. Unfortunately, that meant revealing the fact that you’ve been secretly listening in to the personal conversations of your customers, and you weren’t completely sure if that was even legal for you to do so. Still, what are they going to do? Charge you for having ears?

“I don’t know,” Seungmin mutters. “I’ll manage it eventually.” And to this, Jisung only frowns.

Now, you were just as frustrated as Jisung was. Seungmin is an attractive guy—you were one hundred percent certain that he could get anyone head-over-heels for him if he wanted. And yet, here he was, a monotone mess over unrequited love? Whoever that roommate is, they had severely failed to see the vision since if that was you, best believe you weren’t letting him go just like that. 

Seungmin had honestly caught your eye ever since the moment he started going to this cafe. To put things into perspective, you were practically all smiles for the rest of the day every time he came to order something in the mornings before his daily schedule. When he started staying for whole days, it was only a matter of time before you ended up shooting your shot, even if you barely knew anything about him. Heck, the most you even knew about him was that he liked the chocolate muffins the most here!

A plate of chocolate muffin was heavily plopped down on the two men’s table, startling them due to the sudden act. They exchanged confused glances before Jisung cleared his throat to speak. “Uh—we didn’t order that.”

“It’s on the house.” You pursed your lips.

“What?” Seungmin asks, dumbfounded. You knew he was going to ask for a reason until he saw the look on your face while staring at him. His expression quickly shifted to one of mortification. “Were—were you eavesdropping on us?”

You clicked your tongue. How were you finding his reaction to that so cute? “Look, I didn’t mean to,” you explain. “See that counter? Just how far do you think my station is to your booth for me not to hear a single thing?” Seungmin only grumbles—probably to hide his embarrassment.

“Alright, sure. Whatever,” he says. “I still don’t need that muffin.”

Your eye twitched involuntarily. All of a sudden, you were already leaning on their table with narrowed eyes pointed at the laptop-facing man. “Okay, listen here, you soggy rained-on puppy.” You could have sworn you heard Jisung choke. “This is gonna sound really shitty of me, but there are plenty more fish in the sea. The same goes for your experiences in life. Trust me, you’re not even close to losing those opportunities yet. Unless you’re trying to live like a saint, that is. So grow some balls after your little pity party.”

“That was,” Seungmin exhales shakily. “Vaguely threatening. But somehow I’m not as offended as I thought I would be, so—uh, thanks?” He taps lightly on the plastic cup of his drink, looking away awkwardly.

You lifted yourself off the table and crossed your arms. “My name is Y/N. I work here every morning on the weekdays.” 

“Right,” he hums, still not glancing your way and instead facing the baked good you dropped by their tabletop. “So, is this muffin really free?”

All you let yourself give him was a nonchalant shrug. “Yeah. Just call me whenever or something. Congratulations on hooking a new fish,” you said without shame before walking away back to your station.

If you only looked back for a moment, you would’ve seen Jisung gasping for air from laughter with an incredibly red faced Seungmin blanking out as he held a serious staring contest with his muffin.

You could only hope that cheered him up a bit.

MASTERTAG ━ STATUS: OPEN — ASK OR COMMENT 🫶

@fairyki @hysgf @euncsace @comet-falls @starlostseungmin @ameliesaysshoo @hyunverse @wnbnny @xocandyy @minluvly @moon0fthenight @estellaluna @hanjsquokka @starlostastronaut @minsueng @l3visbby @myjisung

[sketchguk]

running through the night; pjm (teaser)

➳ pairing: ballet instructor!jimin x art teacher!reader

➳ genre: fake dating AU, fwb AU, smut, fluff, angst

➳ wc: 645 (teaser) / est. 15k

➳ synopsis: you were never meant to stumble into bed with your best friend, kim taehyung, nor were you supposed to fall in love with him. perhaps promises were made to be broken because he, too, swore that he’d be gentle with your heart. now, with the other half of the bed cold and empty, you enlist an old flame by the name of park jimin to keep you cozy throughout the festive season. after all, nothing burns brighter than jealousy.

➳ warnings: explicit language, pining, strained parent relationships, alcohol consumption, fingering, breast play, choking, mirror sex, praise kink, penetration. I’ll attach all of the appropriate warnings in the final post!

➳ publish date: tues. july 13th, 10pm EST

Check it out here!

➳ a/n: this is my mini gift for the christmas in july collab! particularly a hoeliday well spent! please look forward to everyone’s fic!! i hope you’re as excited as i am!

You nearly curse yourself for all the brainless things you’ve said and done around Taehyung in the pursuit of self-sabotage. Stumbling into bed with him was your first mistake. Falling in love with him was your second. Attempting to make him jealous was your third. One and two are interchangeable.

You’re not stupid. Far from it, actually. But love makes you do stupid things.

...

As the story goes, misery loves company.

You glide across the curve of the bar and scooch over a few stools, accidentally brushing your arm against Jimin’s in the process. He flashes you a smile, and your heart warms at the sight of it.

“Turn,” you request, although it comes across as a demand.

Jimin has never been one to say no to you, so he does as he’s told, angling his head in your direction. He props his elbow on the laminate counter, resting his chin in the cusp of his hands.

You flip to the next blank page of your sketchbook, bending the spine before roughly outlining the shape of his face, followed by his soft features. While Jimin lets you have your fun, drawing to your heart’s content, he hums to the faint melody that echoes from the overhead speakers. His eyes are trained on yours, allowing you to use him as reference for your sketch.

When you look up at him for a brief second, comparing your work to the real deal, he takes the opportunity to stick his tongue out, teasing. You roll your eyes, pretending to be immune to his charms, but everyone knows that it’s an impossible task.

The curve of his cheeks inflate, and the crinkles at the corner of his eyes find temporary residency.

You wish that you had used a pencil instead so that you could capture his expression at this very moment. It’s sweet. Cheery and sincere, even under the lowlight.

Your attention returns to your work, adding more details to the pupil so that it twinkles as bright as it does in real life.

To be honest, he doesn’t look much different than he did a few years ago. More mature, possibly. He’s lost a bit of baby fat around his cheeks, but amongst a crowd of millions, you’d be confident that you could recognize him upon first glance.

Jimin reaches over you to grab a curly fry. He doesn’t ask for permission, but it’s granted anyway. He dips it into your concoction of sauces before popping the delectable into his mouth.

“Hot sauce and honey?” He raises his brows, licking the salt off his fingers.

“Hmm?” You hum without giving it much thought, preoccupied.

It hits you a moment too late. “Oh, yeah. You ruined fries for me. I don’t eat them any other way now.” You bury your nose into your book to hide the smirk on your face.

“Ruined? You should thank me,” he says, exasperated. “Do you want to be miserable for the rest of your life? Dipping your fries in ketchup?” His nose scrunches, feigning repulsion.

The back of your hand suppresses a giggle.

Beyond the hot sauce and honey, you wouldn’t ever dare to admit that you’ve spared Jimin a second thought throughout the years you’ve spent without one another. But truth be told, you have. How could you not?

On rainy days, you still listen to the mixtape he gave you back in twelfth grade.  A late night run to the convenience store is never complete without shrimp chips because that’s always been his go-to (and now yours). His favorite novel still sits on your bookshelf because it’s always a delight, flipping through the dog-eared pages, searching for all his favorite quotes and the parts that have made him scream, laugh, and cry 一 everything highlighted, underlined, and annotated.

Bits and pieces of Jimin still remain with you, even if he no longer stays.

[generallypo]

in all sincerity, kim dokja makes me happy and he deserves to be so too :^(

incoherent yelling and sobbing under the cut. these fEELINGS will not be contained aaauuunnghhh. 

------

anyway i binge-read all 500+ chapters of ORV this week and i honest to god feel bad for this -- completely! fictional! aghhhh -- guy. in case you haven’t figured it out, the following is some spoilerly shit

i went in expecting a fun, brainless power trip fantasy for dudes with an isekai addiction. instead, it turns out ORV is actually a gigantic, self-deprecating prank on the entire genre itself. kdj plays more into the sad -- if high-functioning-- clown trope than the sexy, edgy, chuuni bastard type i was prepared to laugh at. there were -- gasp! -- female characters with personalities! parents (aka ADULTS who act like ADULTS) who actually survive and feature prominently! adorable children! a real sexy, edgy bastard! a power trio with amazing fashion! sexual tension and bickering! friendship! life and death bonding! 

*breathes in deeply* fouND FAMILYYYYYYY.

like, yeah, the plot around the first few arcs seems a little aimless, but the buildup is worth. the world-building is pretty decent. there’s discernible effort put into the fight scenes, and i can appreciate that. but -- but! what i stayed for were the characters -- namely, the fantastic OT3 of KDJ, HSY, and YJH -- who come together despite their initial rivalries and end up saving each other’s asses, like, every other day. granted, the other characters don’t get as much focus, and they do fall into certain character tropes.. 

but a trope done well is nothing i would gripe about. every significant character in ORV has a coherent, and more importantly, respectful take on their respective trope. maybe it’s because sing-shong is actually a married couple, but all the interactions between even minor characters are a convincing blend of awkward rambling, suggestive humor, sharp remarks, and casual banter. in other words, this cast of mostly working adults (plus a teen and two kids) talks like working adults. the relationships built throughout the story are, frankly, some of most realistic of its genre. sing-shong has managed to craft a dynamic that undoubtedly brims with fluffy fondness all around, but also drips with sarcastic tension, with unspoken urgency, with a wariness that softens into sincerity over the course of many, many chapters. it’s the kind of progression that makes even stock characters read like more than just the 2-bit villain or comrade or love interest. here, we have relationships both straightforward and not, strained or otherwise, romantically-oriented as well as decidedly the opposite -- and then numerous others scattered along the spectrum with the freedom to shift either way. 

it’s also an interesting point of note that our MC kdj actually does not end up with a stated romantic partner, much less a conventional heteroromantic harem. he gets teased about that fact from time to time, but it’s with less of the sleazy shonen locker room humor one would expect and more of the good-natured ribbing you’d find among friends or that one especially nosy auntie at the yearly family reunion. kdj is a grown ass man. in the background, i applaud his maturity, and he handles all the prodding like a champ. 

so instead of finding and fulfilling his horny, he builds himself a wealth of loving family. yeah, there are beautiful men and women around him. yeah, they unequivocally adore him. but they’re also adults, and they have priorities, too -- which are not so much finding a way to bang kdj’s brains out and more so simply keeping the damn guy alive. this is truly not ‘oblivious mc with his thirsty, sex kitten harem’. it just so happens that a guy proves himself to be unflinchingly gentle and capable in an apocalyptic setting despite his broken self-esteem, and lots of people find that attractive, romantically and platonically. 

it.. kinda makes sense? he’s a hard worker, thoughtful, and good with kids. kdj is the kind of guy you know would make a reliable partner, and anybody with eyes can plainly see and appreciate that. 

and it’s not that our MC’s a total brick wall. in fact, it’s likely the opposite, and he’s just too darned repressed to admit it. from what has been implied, kdj does indeed recognize and accept love, or at least a primitive concept of it. i like to imagine that the kind of love that he ends up seeking out simply manifests itself more easily as acceptance and safety, as warmth and a home of people to return to every day. even better, the people who surround him know this, and they give him exactly that. it’s refreshing, and honestly, really sweet.

(as a side note, i really, really do appreciate the cosmic bi energy radiating off of kdj, who canonically earns the title of being loved by all and is all but in name married to yjh and hsy. he also respects women and small children and honestly anyone who isn’t total scum to him or his family. i respect that.)

but the happy stuff aside, you know it it just ain’t ORV without the generous screaming dollop of angst. admittedly, there’s self-sacrifice, injury, lonesome wandering, more sacrifice, some epic fighting, reunion and confrontation. all of it is a lot to digest, sure, but never does it feel entirely hopeless, or truly, truly heart-clenching. ORV, up until the final act, is a mostly light read. you relax in your chair, thinking that nothing beyond this point can disturb you. 

yeah fucking right.

------

and then the beginning of the end arrives. when the squad finally break through to their ‘ending’, the scene that kind of breaks me is the reveal of the Most Ancient Dream. it ties so much thematically into the little tidbits that we get of kdj’s past, and it though it feels like almost a joke that the source of the goddamn apocalypse is a kid with bruises smeared across his skinny ass body -- it’s such a pathetic picture that it’s kinda poetic, actually. you’re left mystified but somewhat convinced, like a math problem explained halfway through. this.. child.. is a villain somehow, isn’t he?

and then 999th turn uriel speaks up, and she. just. hugs him. 

[[You are this universe’s most powerless existence, aren’t you.]] 

that. that gets me. kdj’s reaction immediately upon this revelation? absolute murder. seeing him essentially self-destruct upon realizing that all these people he’s surrounded himself with -- some who continuously proclaim their loyalty and affection for him throughout their journey, some who suffered eons of war and loss and trauma because of his existence -- not only forgive his younger self but smother him with unconditional acceptance and love is stifling, is too vulnerable and exposed and he simply can’t cope -- it’s so telling of his true mentality, of his crippling insecurity and crumpled sense of self-worth. kim dokja is a liar, through and through, so much that he fails, or perhaps refuses, to comprehend the veracity of others’ kindness and love towards himself. 

by some miracle, the events at the end of the world somehow resolve.. or so it seems. there is a departing train, a liberated team of ex-gods, and a child rousing from his slumber. in the aftermath, i am left shaking. somehow, despite the ending having been (happily?) reached, there’s still another chapter ahead. what is this witchcraft?

------

and then ah, yes -- the epilogue arc. i teetered on the edge of being critical for a little bit there -- is that display of deus ex machina, of sad, self-sacrificing nobility a bit too egregious to be acceptable? is this some wild last let-me-yank-this-outta-my-ass plot twist to drag out the chapter count? i sincerely thought that the arc before it would have been the finale. i was wrong. thank god.

anyways, as an answer to the above: no, and no. i stake my firm claim on the belief that the epilogue arc was meticulously planned out well in advance of its release, confusing and time-warpy as it is. i liked it. tremendously. even if it entirely invalidates all of kdj’s supposed development (”haha lol yeah sure i won’t sacrifice myself or anything anymore guys don’t worry about me” -- KDJ, at some point because he’s a lying rat bastard). actually, our beloved MC disappears for a large chunk of this arc, and i think it’s great. in his absence, the other characters not only go absolutely fucking nuts, but they have to figure out this new problem on their own, even if the lure of peaceful complacency in the newly saved Korea might convince them otherwise. 

and then the whole time paradox thing comes around. yjh goes to space, hsy saves the only life she can, and kdj grows up. the crew waits, holding onto their hope even if it bleeds them dry. sing-shong does a damn good job of illustrating their fraying calm, their lurking madness, the unseen but pervasive depression that seeps in from kdj’s absence. the kids lose their father, lhs and jhw lose their reliable leader figure, ysa loses a best friend and confidant, lsk -- as distant as she pretends to be from her son -- loses her only child. and then there’s hsy and yjh , who are essentially bereft of the other half of their existences. their pain is palpable, is grounded in the hopeless, gnawing frustration of an utterly meaningless victory. emotionally, ORV hits all the right -- if agonizing -- beats.

however, a story can’t sustain itself just through its pathos. i’m happy to say that ORV doesn’t drop the ball after the first milestone, and after all the hurt, the characters do leap straight back into action. even better, the plot holes actually do get patches, and the poetic cycle of writer, protagonist, and reader comes full circle by making use of all those supposedly throwaway characters from the myriad world lines. 

at the end of the road, there is a distinct sense of unity, of a delicate but undeniable cohesion to the world lines and their origins. sing-shong lets us guess a little here at the finish, but there’s just enough information to feel hopeful. maybe there never had been a definite start -- or finish -- to the story of kdj company, and... that’s okay. everybody ends up where they were meant to be, where they fought and struggled to reach. it’s.. almost like a happily ever after, if we’re allowed to dream of that.

------

now, i realize, this was all an orchestrated maneuver.

i’ll take it.

to me, all of this work sounds like someone put some serious thought into this behemoth of a plot. it cements the entire original premise of the story. it suggests -- but never explicitly confirms! -- the possibility that breaking free of the cycle is possible through the exact same system that sustains it. it’s terribly interesting -- and inspirational! with all the dramatic revelations and life-threatening scenarios  and the cast’s resigned acceptance of them that essentially make up ORV’s entire mood, there’s still that last hint of rebellious and righteous anger that lights up the whole damn nebula. it’s like the kdj company blasting away at the heavens just to yell into the nether: we’re not looking for the happy end, but the free one. stay alive.

it’s subtle, and yet it’s such an emotional gut punch. i came away with the most ruinous, frustrating, bittersweet sense of longing in ages. i pined. for these fictional darlings. god, i am weak.

so. yeah. ORV is pretty good. flawed, but ambitious and impressively thought out.  i’m stoked that the webtoon is making pretty good progress, even if it’ll take an eternity and a half to meet that monstrous chapter count. i’m still gonna follow it. hell yeah. 

------

(by the way the idea that secretive plotter and co are literally gonna take care of and raise baby kdj and spoil him and be the best friggin family a kid could ever want does things to me. protect him. he’s suffered too much. let at least one worldline’s version of him know happiness. and actually, aLL OF THEM DESERVE DOMESTIC BLISS TOGETHER IN A BIG OL MANSION WITH SUN AND FRESH AIR AND TENDER FAMILY MOMENTS UGH)

------

and there you have it, folks. you made it to the end. in the far, far distance, i’m cheering you on and crying my eyes out in gratitude. thanks for tuning in!

[squeakygeeky]

I don’t know why I feel the need to recap this episode of Unforgotten Night because nothing happened, but here we go.

For those participating in #whiskerwatch2022 (not to be confused with #faucetwatch2022 which I did not come up with) it was there:

I didn’t add it in my explainer, but this giant chin hair has appeared in multiple episodes. You can basically figure out the shooting schedule by checking for The Hair.

Anyway, Kamol and Kim got shot at so Kamol sent Kim away to stay with De and Ich in the Stairs of Death, house which has made an appearance in uncountable Thai BLs. Kim is not happy, hence why when Kamol finally gets around to calling him, he has to involve everybody else’s phones in their business.

This is all extra weird because De is the guy Kim was in love with and by sheer coincidence one of Kamol’s employees (past employees?). I don’t think Kamol knows about Kim and De. Ich knows and De and Kim keep reassuring him there’s nothing between them which just makes it more awkward. Meanwhile Ich is 100% jealous and just inexplicably invested in the latest Kim/Kamol developments, which like same dude, right there with you. Also, De and Ich have their nephew with them. What is this, a Vietnamese BL? Maybe that’s why Kim was so ready to adopt Baiboon--he couldn’t risk a random baby being assigned to him if he didn’t choose his own child-figure.

In the worst possible costuming choice, Kamol is in his bathrobe while talking to Baiboon. Again, this is his housekeeper’s teenage nephew. Or possibly grandson. The subtitles are super random about this.

This looks so bad, but Kamol just wants Baiboon to know he’s allowed on the furniture and to and call Kim on speakerphone, because he correctly assumes Kim will always answer for Baiboon. However, Baiboon is too honest and Kim is not quite stupid enough for this to work. Poor Baiboon very much did not want to get drawn into Kamol and Kim’s marital issues and flees to go hug his crush, the head bodygaurd Khom. After about 5 minutes of hugging Khom seems to finally realize what is going on/work up the will to resist, and manages to disengage from the clingy teenager. Oddly that scene is actually worse than it looks, since the actors are like 3 years apart in age and the same height.

Then Kim gets kidnapped again because De left the house and said ‘whatever you do, don’t open the door’ and then when Kim was like ‘someone is at the door’ Ich was like ‘okay, definitely open it.’ But I don’t blame Kim because we already know he has no survival instincts, so how else could he be expected to behave if someone else was encouraging his brainlessness? But I’m not sure if the kidnappers will even make it of the property with Kim because he’s clearly fine and back with everyone in the preview for next week.

On an actually analyzing the show note, I’ve seen a few people mention Kamol and Kim as having a misunderstanding or communication issues, but I don’t think that’s really the case. Kamol genuinely thinks Kim is safer away. Kim just wants to stay with Kamol and sees being sent physically away as being emotionally distanced which isn’t really wrong either. And when Kim says he’s not mad it’s not like everyone can’t tell that’s a lie and when he won’t pick up the phone for the 5 millionth time, I don’t think actually talking would have done them any good. They have an actual disagreement so someone has to actually DO something, and it’s probably going to have to be Kamol because Kim's ability to deal maturely with his own emotions is on par with his ability to take safety precautions. Put that boy on a leash already, he will like it.

(Although I can only picture Kim in one of those toddler harnesses, not a Sexy Leash.)

[kimmibers]

@pancakewaffles-blog1 Thank you for you prompt of ‘ Angels and Demons’ I hope you enjoy reading this. Sorry it’s taken me a few days. 

Kim xx

His Angel

“So...It's a full moon tonight..”

“It is?-”

“Come on Sasuke, tell your best friend-”

“You call yourself that, not me-”

“Ha! You can't fool me we've been best friends since imps, and anyway don't change the subject. Where does the Prince of darkness go every full moon?”

“That's just a mystery for the Prince of Darkness to know, and you, my little imp friend to never find out.” Sasuke smirked walking away.

With the sun finally set Sasuke, the devils least favourite son, sneaked across the border of his fathers realm. It was easy, it shouldn't have been but after years of eluding the guards it had become second nature.

The human world is their mutual territory, where angels and demons can inflict their abilities and create havoc, in the case of Sasuke's kind, and whatever angels created. In his opinion their influence could seem endearing but he found it meddlesome. Why couldn't they just leave the humans alone? What did it matter what happened to they puny, insignificant little lives?

In the human realm the sun had set hours ago, the forest, their secret spot, bathed in natural light of the moon.

Being a mid autumns night every now and again a cloud would cover their natural light basking them in darkness. These were the moments Sasuke enjoyed the most, the unspoken minutes when darkness could take away all their inhibitions and allowed them to take actions you wouldn't have done in light.

“Sasuke-Kun.” He smiled, the first since the last full moon.

“Hinata.” He answered simply.  

“Were you spotted?” He couldn't help the small chuckle of arrogance escape at her innocent question.

“Am I ever?”

“Good.” She sighed in relief.

They sat then, side by side on the log conveniently placed by a storm a few years back. Actually, in all honesty the storm had been Sasuke on one particular rampage. She lent her head against his shoulder and they sat in silence, looking to the moon.

“Our fathers -”

“Please, not this again.” Sasuke rolled his eyes. “We've been going back and forth over this for years now.”

“I know, but, do you think they would ever accept-”

“A demon and angel? No, I don't.” He lifted her chin for her now sad eyes to meet his,”Hinata, I don't mean my honesty to hurt you. But our parents are both set In their ways, for eons now. They just can't and won't understand our friendship.”

“I know your right, but I want them to see the good in you, like I do.”

“You're such an...an angel.” He chuckled, “I'm a demon, dark spawn, what light could you possibly see in me?”

“You joke, but I get the feeling your serious.” Hinata's eyes widened at the realisation. Sasuke stayed quiet and lent back. “Your mother.”

Sasuke turned away from Hinata, her words stinging him like a swarm of wasps. Although he knew she had never, and would never mean to cause him pain.

“I-I'm not allowed to talk about her.” Sasuke stammered uncharacteristically.

“Your father?”

“Hmm.” He agreed.

“Perhaps,” Hinatas voice gently guiding his eyes back to her. “I could tell you about her.”

“She a tooth fairy now?” He gave a small chuckle, trying to desperately hide the emotions building within.

“A guardian angel.”

“Seems fitting.” He smirked.

As predicted, a cloud enveloped the moon, their only sauce of light, and now in darkness he could ask a question without witnessing her reaction.

“Does she remember me?” His voice sounding to his own ear like the small child he had been when she had lost her life to save his own.

His mothers actions on that fateful day had changed Sasuke's life and not necessarily for the better. With his father in a state of despair and depression from the grief of loosing the love of his entire existence, he had become a empty vessel. His heart darkened with bereavement, turning him to the swiftly to an evil path and eventually becoming the devil and ruler of the daemon realm. In the years thereafter his fathers hate had turned from the world, to it's soul occupier: Sasuke.

“She begged to become the guardian of the boy she now in her care. I think, she reminds her of you.”

“Me?” Sasuke frowned.

“He's much younger of course being 13-”

“You forgot charming-”

“Oh how brainless of me,” She chuckled, “Yes, he has a certain charm I suppose.” She admitted. “His life could be radiant with light, if he would only make the right choices.”

With the cloud dissipating, the moon once again caked them in its beams of light. They remained quiet then, in a comfortable silence, both simply enjoying the others company without the need fill the space with inconsequential blabbering.

Sasuke's mind wondered to their 1st encounter. A mission; To bring balance to the human realm at the time engrossed in war. Such a mission was unheard of, an angel and demon required to work together. Between them they had had to make decisions, some harder than others. Compromised, when plans had gone astray. A life saved and another to be greeted by their fellows in the afterlife. In that, most troublesome and complex of time their friendship had formed, trust earned; something rarely given by himself.

“Hinata?”

“Hmm?” She replied. He glanced towards her, judging her reaction. Her eyes were closed and face pointing towards the moon, if they were in the sun anyone would think she was savouring the suns warmth.

“Do you think-” He stopped himself, and took pause of his thoughts.

“What is is Sasuke-Kun?” She turned her body, facing him, their knees almost touching. He scrutinized the sky, waiting obediently for the next inevitable cloud to conceal the moon once more.

“Do you think” He began again, “You can fall in love without a heart?”

Even in the darkness he could feel her gaze seeking his own. The space between them becoming so intense and electric could of fuelled an entire city.

In her own way Hinata didn't answer his question with words. Instead, he felt one of her fingers tentatively touching his own in the gap between them on their log.

“You've turned my world on it's axis,” He confessed in the pitch-black forest, “What had once seemed right, now seems wrong.” His hand took hold of her small one in his own and their fingers interlocked. “You starve and near exhaust me with your willingness to put others before yourself. Everything I've done, I've done for you. I'd move the stars for no-one; but you.” He heard her gasp, it's noise reverberating off the trees. “Don't you think we've done enough for humans? Our fathers? Perhaps it's time we be selfish, together.”

“I-I would like that.” Her voice sounding course with emotion.

“I would be human for you.”

“Sasuke.” She sighed. Of course she knew what those words meant. She knew his view on humans, and therefore understood the depth of them.

Then moon un-obscured by clouds once again, the secret placed doused in light. Therefore giving Sasuke the advantage of catching Hinata's quick glimpses from his eyes to his mouth. This own vision mirrored hers.

Slowly, they both closed the gap, both leaning towards the other. Sasuke angled his head to one side, to get a better angle. With his lips just a hairs width from hers he looked to her gaze once more, giving her the opportunity to pull away. She didn't. Hinata's eyes closed and at long last he felt her smooth and supple lips tenderly press his own. His own eyes closed and an involuntary groan escaped at the euphoria of such a sensation. He could feel her hands wrap around his shoulders pulling him all the more closer, his own wrapping around the curve of her waist.

He broke the kiss only to move his head to the other side, testing if a different angle achieved the same result. With each millisecond they had both come to the same conclusion, their lips touching would not be enough. Each opened their mouths, tongues grazed.

He may think humans insignificant and irrelevant but even he'd admit the act of kissing could very well redeem their every discretion.

[threewaysdivided]

I appreciate the response. Yeah, among other adjustments, had the plot been handled a little differently, I feel like Sam’s relationship with her parents could have evolved into something like that of Danny and Jazz and their parents. And don’t get me wrong; I still like Sam, too.

(In reference to this post and follow-up ask.)

Good to hear from you again 😊

I think there were a lot of things across the board that could have been tweaked or edited to improve the integrity of the series.  If I had to boil down the problem with DP to a single point I’d probably say it’s that the most interesting parts of the show are the characters/world/implications but the writers (or some of them anyway - I suspect there might have been some conflict between Hartman, the lead writers and the execs’) wanted certain plots, aesops and gags, and chose to brute-force them in regardless of whether they actually worked with what was already there.  Basically, it lacks consistency and internal logic.

For Sam in particular I think there are a few things that could have been handled better:

First one’s more a general complaint at the show and might light a fire under my notes but heck lets go there anyway but the writing has kind of a sexist bent that really doesn’t fit the characters or need to be there. Considering how much Danny and Jack are shown to love and respect Maddie and Jazz there’s no way they’d call their involvement in Genius Magazine “the swimsuit edition”.  Paulina might be traditionally feminine but “She surrendered her individuality for a boy! I’m so proud of her!” is not a line that any human girl in the history of human girls would say unironically.  There’s also a few too many jokes that basically boil down to “male character is emasculated/ vulnerable/ likes feminine-coded things, hyuk hyuk hyuk”.

I’m bringing this up not just because they’re gross cheap gags but because for Sam specifically, this pervasive low-key contempt for women and femininity in the writing, especially the tendency to portray almost every non-sympathetic girl her age as one-note, brainless boy-crazy cliches that she can’t connect with, really does not help her character.  I would have loved to see more genuine interaction between Sam and the other girls, even if it most of it was Kim Possible-Bonnie Rockwaller style antagonistic rapport.  We could have seen her develop some kind of tenuous connection with one of the A-listers, or even just have a secondary-female-character to be cordial towards - kind of like Mikey is for Danny and Tucker.  Hold up, outside of Valerie, Star and Paulina are there any named secondary girls at Casper High?  Sam doesn’t seem to have a single female friend in the show and considering how vocally judgemental she is, it can almost read like she’s rejecting them outright for being girls, which really undercuts attempts to make her seem feminist. (I mentioned it in a past tag but this feels like an early-2000s-male-writer mistake of equating Female Empowerment™ with the ability to tear down other women and belittle traditional femininity - which isn’t so much Feminism as it is Internalised Misogyny.)  Even just mixing up the pairings to put her with Star instead of Kwan in Lucky in Love would have helped.

I’d have also liked to see more awareness of and consistency in the conflict between her activism and her wealth.  It kind of undercuts the significance of her activism when you realise that she’s wealthy enough to make these choices with little cost to herself; it’s much easier to go vegan or buy renewable/ recyclable /sustainable /fair-trade when price isn’t an issue, especially if you also have serving staff to offset the time cost.  Once you notice this it makes her activism feel more tokenistic, and also like she doesn’t really understand her own privilege when she tries to push her agendas onto the school/ her classmates without considering why they mightn’t be able to do so as easily.  It’s also weird because the source of her family’s wealth is a cellophane-toothpick-wrapper (i.e. something that basically produces litter) but she still seems very comfortable enjoying the material benefits despite her pro-eco anti-consumerism sentiments.  It’s bizarre that she’s more concerned with the social consequence of ‘fake friends’ than the ethics of capitalism.  It can come off a bit “do as I say, not as I do”. 

It would have been nice for the show to give more screen time to reinforcing that Sam is aware of that conflict and is making an active effort to hold to her principles even at the cost of personal comfort; maybe showing some unease at the source of her wealth, trying to live below her means and only spend up on ethical/ eco-friendly/ sustainable products, op-shopping or hand-making her goth accessories, going out of her way to re-use or re-purpose things even if buying a new one would be ‘better’, actually showing or referencing her doing substantial hands-on activities (e.g. going off-screen or taking the boys to do tree-planting, litter pickups, soup kitchens, animal-shelter work etc).  Just something to help make it clearer that she genuinely cares and isn’t just doing the low-mess lip-service activities because she enjoys indulging in the image of Wokeness™.

These things would have helped regardless of how her family was written but let’s hop back on topic and talk about them.  I don’t have any prescriptive preference but let’s spitball a few different options and how they could have played:

#1 Sam’s parents don’t respect her interests and want her to fit a mold

In this case I’d make it that they don’t really pay attention or show much caring for who Sam really is as a person; their image of and interactions with her are more of a fantasised version of the ‘perfect’ daughter they want, they make very little effort to encourage her actual interests and are perhaps restrictive about what they let her do in the few moments when they do bother paying close attention (you might compare to some versions of Tim Drake’s Parents from DC Comics).  Classist, overly image-conscious, snobby and superficial.  

This would be the most sympathetic portrayal of her character without changing it very far from how it is in DP canon - helping contextualise why Sam is so fiercely defensive of her autonomy, why she pushes so hard when trying to get her opinions across and why she’s so judgemental of rich people and disdainful towards classic femininity - even possibly explaining her more hypocritical/ manipulative/ entitled traits as learned behaviours.  It would also give her more legitimate reason to be less empathetic towards others - after all even if they have struggles and family troubles it’s still better than what she’s dealing with (Danny’s parents may not be attentive but hey, at least they love him for himself, right?)

For this version I’d probably put her arc around growing past the “suffering olympics” model of viewing other people’s pain, but also in her finding family in Danny/Tucker/her Grandmother’s circle of connections, learning how to have healthy power-balance and communication in her relationships with others (aka: getting over her hypocrisy and realising that assertiveness is about communicating that “I matter, and so do you”) and pulling away from her parents’ influence - maybe even living with Ida a lot of the time.

#2 Sam’s parents are well-intentioned but overbearing

For this one, Sam’s parents would genuinely want the best for her… only they have an overly old-fashioned and restrictive view of what “the best” is and are a bit set-in-their-ways.  They’d probably view “hippies” and “goth” stuff as “dangerously rebellious hooligan-activities” and likely to be somewhat patronising about Sam’s passion for it being “just a phase”.   They’d be worried about her hanging around “the Fenton Kid” and “the Foley Kid” both because Danny’s parents are kind of irresponsible screwballs about safety but also because they put a lot of value in image due to their belief in social connections being the way to get ahead.  Them pushing Sam towards classic femininity and specific activities would be less about disrespecting her identity and more about their overly narrow view of “success” and worrying that she’s going to end up losing valuable opportunities and “wasting her life” if she keeps on down her current path.

This would still give Sam more sympathetic context for her views on femininity and pushiness about self-expression. 

Personally I think the arc I’d like to see here is one themed around responsible/considerate assertiveness and valuing alternative perspectives.  Sam coming to realise her own hypocrisy - that she can’t push her views onto others while complaining about her parents doing the same - developing more sympathy for Danny as she realises that he’s in a similar position with Jack’s insistence that he’ll inherent Fentonworks and his parents’ narrow-mindedness about ghosts, interacting with other girls and seeing their perspective, learning how to assert her opinion while making allowances for others’ (maybe an alternative version where she connects with Star in Lucky in Love and, after Aragon’s defeat in Beauty Marked, Sam still says she personally thinks it’s dumb but then steps down and lets Star win because she understands that Star values it), and getting her Grandma’s help in convincing her parents to widen their perspective while still responding to their concerns.

(This one has the overall kindest message and I think I like it best).

#3 Sam’s parents are trying and Sam’s actually the problem 

This one is the one that’s the least sympathetic to Sam.  Her parents still don’t get the Goth/Activist thing and they have some concerns about safety but they understand that it makes her happy and they’re okay with it so long as she’s not getting into trouble or mixing up with anyone that could hurt her.  Them pushing her towards more feminine/optimistic things is less pushing and more trying to encourage some hobbies that offer a bit more common ground.  They might have reservations, and they might not always have time, but they would like to be part of their daughter’s life… except for the problem that Sam has wrapped herself up in a teen-drama persecution complex and got it into her head that they “won’t accept her” are “pushing her to be someone else” and “don’t understand” so there’s no point even trying to explain or connect.  In this one Ida isn’t taking sides on purpose but she ends up accidentally enabling Sam a little because Sam reminds her of her younger days and she likes spoiling her granddaughter (and doesn’t much care for her daughter-in-law).

In this case Sam’s flaws would be framed much more as flaws born of her making superficial snap judgements, thinking she knows better and being too proud to admit she’s wrong.  There would definitely be moments of her coming across as an entitled, privileged holier-than-thou brat who invents problems because she likes feeling sorry for herself, especially early in her arc.

This version of the story would go the hardest on Sam with the general lesson being “you need to respect that other people are people who have their own problems, feelings and needs that are as real and valid as yours”.  She’d still have good qualities and Danny and Tucker would still obviously like and value her but there’d also be times of strain where they don’t want to hurt her feelings but are clearly getting worn out with the nonsense.  At its worst, maybe a “you’re like mustard. Great in small quantities, but a lot of you is…a lot” type confrontation.

I’d also give the secondary cast the most fleshing out, agency and sympathetic-ness here, and have beats where Sam has to realise that they’re lot more complex than her 2D stereotyped view of them and are dealing with actual serious problems to which hers are largely non-issues by comparison.  I’d probably play Dash and Paulina similar to in the fic Alibi (go read it, it’s good) - Dash being gay and performing aggression because toxic masculinity, insecurity, and being terrified of anyone outside the A-listers finding out (still not okay that he’s a bully but at least more understandable), while Paulina is hiding high emotional perceptiveness behind her pretty face and deliberately bearding for him to keep bigoted parents/ teachers off his back.  I’d also probably have a subplot in an alternate Life Lessons where Sam follows Valerie around because jealous/possessive and, like Danny, ends up realising that she’s working two jobs to help her Dad with their financial problems.  Basically she’d be getting hit with the Reality Stick a lot.

There’d also be more instances of Sam getting directly called out by the other girls. Fleshing them out as people and showing that their dislike is less superficiality and more because she unfairly judges and antagonises them all the time.  Giving them more agency in Beauty Marked and have them be direct about “we know you’re just here to be smug about how much ‘Better’ you are but have you considered that we’re doing this for ourselves and actually enjoy it?”.  Having Paulina be less “tee hee I am indeed a Witch” in Parental Bonding and more “Ugh fine, fine, I don’t really like him that much but you were being so obviously Jealous and Judge-y and I figured if I played a little you might actually step up.  But fine, if you’re sure.  Here’s your necklace back, I’ll let your dorky ‘friend’ down tomorrow.  But pro-tip?  You like someone you gotta go for it - otherwise don’t complain when your boy-toy gets taken by someone who actually means it.”  (Still petty, but emotionally intelligent pettiness, which… not really much better, but at least more interesting.)  A lot more of Sam realising that she’s not a particularly good feminist and that she’s no more entitled to Danny’s affections than anyone else.

To be honest, while I could say the most about this version and there’s a lot of potential drama there it’s the one I like the least because it means canonising my least favourite proto-abusive bad-faith narcissistic reading of Sam, casting her as an almost-villain and essentially punishing her over and over until she character develops into a decent human being.  Sure it’s an important message about how you treat others but it’s not a very nice or kind story and while there might be the odd fic that makes it cathartic I can’t say I’m a huge fan.

Again, if I had to pick, I’d probably go with something like #2. 

But there we go.  Another thrilling instalment in the “overly long posts about Sam Manson” saga.  

Hope you enjoyed it and thanks for stopping by!

[nightowlfandom]

Kim Namjoon- Mixing Business With Pleasure (Office AU) Part 1

REQUEST FROM PROMPT LIST- RIGHT HERE

Leggo!

If this sounds familiar it probably is, I’m not in a creative space today since my request box is emptyyyyy. A part of this was inspired by a scene in the Webtoon let’s play where Sam stands up to Charles and it’s still to this day my most favorite part of that Webtoon. Like yes girl, tell him! Gosh I loved her aah!

Also I know that nobody probably cares but would anyone like me to post a playlist of my inspiration/writing list. I kind of want you all to know what goes through my brain when I’m typing. I’m probably gonna do it anyways so just like yah

...

You were grateful your aunt had managed to get you a job here, she just didn’t tell you what a complete bully the boss was. You liked to stay out of his way other than do what you were supposed to, bring him papers and what not. 

That didn’t stop your constant run-ins though. He was pretty cold. You were surprised that his heart wasn’t made of ice either. He shamelessly used his charm to get out of getting his ass kicked though and it baffled you. 

“Get it done.” Namjoon slammed the folder down onto the desk of the girl next to you. “Or you’re fired.” 

“Y-yes sir!” the girl looked like she was on the verge of a freakout as she began typing. “You.” he pointed to you. “When you of the phone with Mr. Jung, bring the report to my office.”

“Yes sir.” you said, holding back the urge to roll your eyes. 

You had a history with Namjoon, that dated all the way back to high school. You didn’t like going back in the past but it was no mystery why he was the way he was. It had nothing to do with you, but since you were the best friend of the girl he was dating with (who dumped him), it got you some...points. That’s another story though.

...

“Mr. Ki-” 

“So you got it done?” Namjoon took the documents from you.

“Yes sir.” you replied. “He said that he will definitely be working with you in the future, I just had to convince him...by that I mean beg.” you mumbled.

“Is that a new perfume?” he suddenly asked. “You smell different.”

“Uh...yeah.” you trailed off. “Is that an issue? Is the smell too-”

“No...It’s nice. It fits you, you should wear it more often.” he looked down at the papers. Your silence made him speak further. “It was a compliment Y/N.” 

“Oh..thank you sir.” you said. “I’ll get back to work.” you smiled, bowing a little. You exited the office, about to go back to your desk when you were blocked.

Office mean girl, no stupid wannabe korean drama lifestyle if fit without them. Don’t forget the useless, brainless followers to match.

“It looks like my computer is malfunctioning, so I hope you don’t mind me asking you do send out some emails for me.” she said. Whatever the hell her name was.

“Um, I have my own work to do and doing your work doesn’t seem like a fun time.”

“Well either fix my computer or do my work, there’s no in between.” she looked bored.

“How about a fist between the eyes.” you suddenly found yourself saying.

“Ugh! How violent!”

“You have been a pain in my ass since the day I met you, you know that” you asked. “Why Mr.Kim hired you I will never understand since you don’t have the capacity to-.”

“Are you jealous of her Y/N.” her friend said cut you off, smirking. “You didn’t get the promotion you wanted and now your all mad.”

“Hm...Y/N can’t help it that she’s mediocre and oops!-”

You were suddenly greeted by the feeling of something hot, thankfully not burning liquid. you sniffed your now brown stained shirt. Coffee. 

“What’s going on here!?” You heard Mr. Kim storm in upon hearing the round of “OOOOOHHSS” from onlookers

Namjoon was surprised to say the least to see you standing there, soaking wet. 

“Oh No...I’m sorry! It was an accident.” she laughed, not knowing Namjoon was watching the two of you. You could see him out the corner of your eye....and y’know what...fuck it. Namoon saw the coffee dripping down from your hair to your clothes....fuck...it

Crack!

You wanted to say you weren’t aware of what you were doing in that moment but you knew full and well what you were doing and why. You had enough of her constant belittlement and sabotage of your work. You didn’t care if you had gotten fired that day, in fact that would only add to the victory. It just felt good to feel her nose crack under the force of your knuckles.

“Oh my god! She punched me! My nose!!!” she screeched, pointed at you.

“YOU WANT ME TO DO IT AGAIN!” You threatened getting closer. She could only scramble to back away. No one came to her aid or anything, they were too busy looking at you. “I HAVE HAD IT WITH YOU. I’VE HAD IT WITH THIS JOB,  AND I AM DONE!”

She looked up and saw Namjoon and instantly pointed at you. “She’s crazy!! She punched me for no reason! Fire her!!!” she cried. “She started it!” she lied.

“Y/N...a word please?” he said lowly, a glare etched on his face. Begrudgingly, you followed, crossing your arms. You looked around, your fist clenched. “If none of you have any work to do, I’ll be happy to give you a stack of paperwork.” he barked. You walked into Namjoon’s office, only to hear him slam the door shut. “Now before I lash out and fire you, I’m assuming you’re aware of the company policy of no fighting?”

“Fire me??!?! You’re seriously talking about firing me?!?!” you laughed in an over-exaggerated tone, but really you were fighting back new emotions welling up.

“Are you crying?” he asked, looking taken aback. “Y/N L/N Are you really crying right now?!?!”

“...I’m covered...head to toe...in hot coffee and the first time I defend myself, you’re threatening to fire me!. What the hell do you think I’m doing?!!? Have you any idea what goes on outside your office walls!!!”

“I know that I saw you react to playground bullying by breaking a presteigious worker’s nose.” he said as if what he was was factual.

“Y-you think that idiot is presteigious, she’s been getting everyone to do her job for her since she was even hired!” your office voice was gone and the real Y/N was starting to break free. “You’d have to be real fucking stupid to think she’s anything other than useless.” 

Before you could say another word, Namjoon began unbuttoning his shirt. “Take off your shirt.” he sighed. 

“I’m sorry?” your eyes widened. 

“Your shirt is covered in coffee and you are not returning to work looking. So take off your shirt and put this one on.” he said again, holding out the shirt he had just taken off his body. “I keep a spare in my briefcase.”

. “I’m going to have a word with Ms.Na.” he exited the room.

Ah so what was her name...

...

The next day you had walked into the building, still very upset from yesterday. Namjoon had called you into his office with a proposition...

“Apologize!?!?!” You were taken aback at his words. You had leaned against the door with your arms crossed. “You’re kidding, right?”

“Yes. Ms.L/N” Namejoon warned. “Please don’t raise your voice at me. I only saw what I saw and if what i saw was you punch Ms. Na in the nose, then I have to set punishments accordingly.”

“Oh so forget the fact that she just poured hot coffee on my head an tried to degrade me-”

“You know what Ms.L/N, you leave me no choice-”

“ NO! Do You know what Mr.Kim. Instead of being standoffish and rude to people why don’t you try being nice for once in your miserable life. Has it ever occured to you that maybe being kind and actually smiling for one would actually make you a few friends. Maybe you want me to apologize to her because you and her are one and the same. You aren’t afraid to be mean and hateful towards people if it means you get what you want! People aren’t scared of you’re because you’re the boss, they’re scared of you because all you do is bully and scare people into think they’re gonna lose their jobs if they don’t do what you want. Well you know what? I am fed up! Fire me if you want but I refuse to stand by and let you or anyone bully me anymore! I refuse to apologize to that little brat and if you think for one second I will then you have lose your mind,” you spat, exhaling sharply. You had said everything in one breath so you had no idea what you said. “...S-Sir.” you added on politely. 

Oh no, now that came out of nowhere, oh man...oh man oh man oh man. 

Mr.Kim’s face was blank or at least blank in the sense that he wasn’t glaring into your soul. Suddenly, he smirked. He began laughing a little too. He reached out his hand, smirking a little. He untucked your shirt that you hadn’t bothered to fix and straightened out your collar.

“Hm...Spoken like a true future boss. So You finally stand up to me.” he chuckled. “I knew I liked you Y/N” he bit his lip. He laughed a little straightened up your necklace. “Maybe I should have given you that promotion.” he sighed.

“Then why didn’t you?” you asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I was testing you.” his fingertips moved up to move your hair out of your face. “And I think you just may have passed. However, you can’t be a boss without looking the part.” 

“So...does this mean I get to keep my job?”

“Yes Y/N.....” he chuckled. “You can keep your job.”

“Mr. Ki-” the door opened and since you were standing in front of the door. 

“Ack!” you stumbled forward, falling right into Namjoon’s arms. Your noses bumped against one another, his lips brushing yours momentarily.

“Oh, it looks like you two are busy sooo-” the door closed.

You yanked yourself back, standing up straight. “I am so sorry sir! I didn’t mean to- I fell...I’m just....Bye now!” You squeaked, bolting out of the room.

[inxcs]

       kim taehyung  ,  24  ,  he/him   ------   hey  ,  did i just see siwon ryu walking around the block  ?  oh  !  yes  !   the last time i saw him  ,  i heard he wanted to be called siwon  .  people around say they are so endearing  &&  inquisitive sometimes i wonder how they can be selfish  &&  duplicitous  .  (  popped bubblegum  ,  glowing under the sun  ,  purple-pink skylines  ,  patterned blouses   ) 

heyo  !  i’m deni  ,  she/her pronouns in the gmt+9 section of the world  .  i can’t keep an aesthetic and i use too many em dashes  .  below is one of the characters i’m bringing  ,  SIWON  ,  my favorite problem sunflowers  .  i have some info and verse-specific information beneath  ,  but i have a habit of updating  ,  adding and changing as i go  .  apologies in advance for how messy all tis is  .  looking forward to writing with you  <3  !

☀  𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 .

➤  full name.  siwon ryu ➤  date of birth.  january 29th ➤  hometown.  toronto  ,  canada ➤  gender.  cis male ➤  sexual attraction.  pansexual ➤  romantic attraction.  pansexual ➤  wants.  family  ,  power ➤  fears.  imprisonment  ,  humiliation

      universal facts.  hustles at arcade halls  ,  scarfs down burritos like they’re gonna disappear  ,  looks as comfortable in a dark  ,  dirty alley as he does standing under all those lights in the neon districts  .  pockets full of candy and a lollipop between his lips  .  likes cheap beer and cigarettes  ,  fast talking and smooth smiles  .  gets up when the sun goes down  .  who knows if he ever gets a full night’s sleep  ,  but you can find him taking a nap just about anywhere  .  seems to live for the dark hours and stays busy as a bee  ,  feels the rain on his skin  ,  plays with matches  .   spray paints boobs on the sides of government buildings and dicks on malls  .  can do crazy math in his head and spot fake bills with incredible accuracy  .  can barely stand to sit still  ,  always moving except when there’s a computer screen or an aquarium in front of him  .  gets addicted to things so easily it’s scary  —  people  ,  food  ,  liquor  ,  feelings  .  craves that intimacy  ,  craves that closeness  .  has a loud as fuck laugh and a love for sneaking into places where he doesn’t belong  .  catches extra cash on the side by fixing up broken-down machines and can figure his way around a motor with a bit of elbow grease  .  fucking loves nature dude  ---  takes care of plants and reptiles in his home  .  would die for snakes and lets them drape over him  ,  claims they give the best hugs  .  vegetarian  .  would be a vegan but too lazy  .

       personality.  loud  ,  noisy  .  could talk to a brick wall  .  holds himself with all the confidence of the sun and his smile burns just as bright  .  there’s this lazy intensity to everything he does  .  like  ,  pretends he super cares but also doesn’t  ?  or pretends he cares so much but in reality couldn’t give a shit  .  affable  ,  easy to get along with on a surface level  ,  and he’s curious enough to keep any conversation going with questions and enthusiastic energy  .  mood changes on a dime  ,  goes from grinning like a maniac to eerily calm in a snap of your fingers  .  intuitive and instinctive  ,  listens to and follows his gut  .  trusts the energy in the air more than anyone’s word  .  comes off as thoughtless but it actually very cautious  .  impulsive doesn’t mean brainless  .  sniffs out bad situation fast and decides on a dime if he needs to run or face it  .  go with the flow kind of attitude  .  doesn’t take things personally  .  nice  but trusting him’s an iffy situation  .  greedy  ---  wants everything and anything  .

       appearance.   stands around 5′11  .  broad shoulders  ,  slim hips  .  floppy  ,  messy hair and glowing skin  .  half legs and a lot of eyelashes  .  wears no less than five charms on a daily basis and keeps his tarot cards with him at all times  .  rings  ,  bracelets  ,  necklaces  ,  earrings  ,  crystals  ,  talismans .  wears a small lip ring and has several runes tattooed on his body  .  dresses anywhere between a washed up rockstar  ,  your college weed dealer  ,  and your grandpa in the ‘40s  .  his closet’s a chaotic mix of anything he could thrift or patch together  .  most of the time  ,  he’s sporting loose pants  ,  a vintage blouse  ,  a jacket or blazer and comfortable loafers  .  kind of swims in his clothing because most of its’ two or three sizes too big  .  only wears skinny jeans when he wants something  .  unironically wears cargo shorts in the summer  .  keeps all that hair back with a bandana or a headband  ,  hairties on his wrist  .  nothing in his closet’s technically new and he loves looking for a bargain steal ——or simply just a steal  .  sometimes he’s jimi hendrix and other times he’s versace  .    

☀  𝐌𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄 .

  ⇀   kim taehyung  ,  24  ,  he/him   ------   hey  ,  did i just see siwon ryu walking around the block  ?  oh !  yes  ! the last time i saw him  ,  i heard he wanted to be called siwon  .  i hear they are a podcast host  ╱  “psychic”  .  people around town say they are so endearing  &&  generous sometimes i wonder how they can be selfish  &&  duplicitous  .  ( beaded curtains  ,  purple skies ,  tousled hair  )  

      about.   wrongly labeled a troublemaker after a little incident with some candles  ,  pentagrams and a slightly burned down warehouse  ,  siwon’s been on the road and seeing te road ever since  .  makes a few quick bucks tapping into that aura of his that somehow magically nudges his brain about who’s got what on their minds and what might happen to those what’s  ,  but no one really seems to believe him when he says it’s all real  .  starting a podcast straight outta the back of a busted-up RV  ,  siwon’s crossed the country and broke down in this little town  .  and  ,  so  . . .  maybe some stuff he was involved with in the past wasn’t totally legal butthat’sokayokayhedoesn’tdothatanymore  .  ANYWAY---  this town  .  figures he’ll call it home  .  it’s groovy enough  ,  he supposes  ,  and after a few attempts to get out of town that just failed  ,  siwon figures this is the universe telling him to settle down for a bit  .  so okay  .  his few listeners don’t mind  ,  siwon still does some readings and random lectures on whatever’s on his brain  .  for extra cash  ,  he does a few side gigs  ---  fixing up websites  ,  selling crystals and rocks he finds  ,  jobs around town that don’t require him to fork over any semi-serious documentation  .  takes scenic pictures for his instagram and documents the road-trip across this Great Wide Country he and his pets are seeing  .  let’s  . . .  let’s just see how this goes  . 

☀  𝐌𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 .

  ⇀   kim taehyung  ,  24  ,  he/him  ,   toxokinesis   ------   hey  ,  did i just see siwon ryu walking around the block  ?  or was it poison  ?  it’s hard to tell  ,  really  ,  all i saw was the commotion  ,  someone being saved  .  you know  ,  i heard siwon is an app developer  .  i also heard they are a saint  ,  really  ,  so affable  &&  generous  ,  none of that mercurial  &&  selfish  nature people talk about  .  (  blackened veins  ,  wild eyes  ,  living for the applause  )

       about.  after his parents volunteered him for  “ quirk ”  studies at a leading research institute  ,  siwon’s been semiworking for the man  .  but it’s fine  .  it’s fine  .  totally fine  .  spending most of his early life in a tank waiting to be let out  ,  siwon kept himself busy with plant pals  ,  reptiles  ,  and of course a computer screen  ---  everyone’s favorite parents  .  he’s developed websites and applications for the hero organization to help them locate and identify trouble around the city  ,  a bridge between 911 services and the heroes themselves  .  at twenty-two  ,  siwon created a popular app cataloging heroes and villains  ,  a place for fans to post their own pictures of fights and fallouts  ,  gossiping about which heroes were secretly in love and speculating about new faces behind the masks  ,  then a megapopular game where people could play as their favorite heroes or villains to save  (  or destroy  )  a city  .  as poison  ,  he wears no cape --- and in fact hasn’t even been seen since the site skyrocketed in popularity years ago  .  instead  ,  siwon helps in the development of weapons using his poison and sends little  ,  touching notes to baddies all over the world when he isn’t shuttling around on mercenary expeditions  .  he’ll ignore the mortal coil for now as long as they fly him first class  ...  he thinks  .  just hopes the organization doesn’t find his stash of supervillain fanfics  .  ikes  .

☀  𝟏𝟖𝟓𝟑 .

  ⇀   kim taehyung  ,  24  ,  he/him   ------   hey  ,  did i just see siwon ryu over there  ?  talk around town is that they are a witch  ,  but i don’t believe any of that  ,  no  .  they are just a con artist  ,  endearing  &&  generous  .  those are all just humors  .  like the people saying they were selfish  &&  duplicitous  .  (  frayed tarot cards  ,  three-piece suits  ,  sticky fingers and a smile  )

      about.  look who got himself invited into a magnate’s manor  :  a nobody who made a pretty penny from the opium trade ----- and who’s definitely not human  .  siwon’s bounced from city to city on his own  ,  brewing and selling antidotes to unfortunate come-downs from the drugs that’s rotting them all from the inside out  ,  but that’s only to sell more of that shit once the high’s gone  .  it’s enough to keep the rich happy enough  .  popular at parties  ,  he performs as a spiritualist and fortune teller  ,  snakes into conversations he shouldn’t be privy to and trades the information later  .  he’s a busy man  ,  what can he say  ?  for someone who wants to be free from all of this  ,  he enjoys parts of the lifestyle far too much  .  but maybe he should start making friends soon  .  attracting a lot of attention lately  ,  and with rumors of animals around  ,  even the “fake” witches like himself might find themselves in more trouble with the law  .  and now there’s the other trouble he’s found himself in  .  unfortunately caught swindling a vampire  ,  siwon was forced into dealing with a group of witches and their opium trade for protection  .  now his clients are their’s  .  his product and profits  ,  partly their’s  .   siwon’s in a whole other side of the criminal underground on the cusp of the victorian age  ---  and he doesn’t know what the fuck’s gonna happen  .

☀  𝟐𝟐𝟖𝟎 .

  ⇀   kim taehyung  ,  24  ,  he/him   ------  hey  ,  did i just see siwon ryu over there  ?  yes  ,  oh my  !  haven’t you heard  ?  it seems they have moved to level seven  .  makes sense  ,  considering they’re a techie  .  rumor has it they are so affable  &&  inquisitive but i know at heart they are just impulsive  &&  mercurial  .  (  busted old radios  ,  buzzing neons  ,  sticky situations  )   

      about.  tba  !

[onkey-bedtime-stories]

EUNOIA - Pilot

Waking up to nothing when you’re super far for home And I watched you fall asleep at night and lay there on my own Got me begging for affection All you do is roll your eyes Broken down, I’ve had enough If this is love, I don’t want it – Super Far, LANY

***

‘Enjoy your trip! Stay out of trouble :)’

She wipes the screen with her thumb. Endlessly. She read it again and again, each letters, hoping it would be changed miraculously.  For hundreds time. Or maybe more. If there’s one thing that she’s grateful about, it is the fact that so far, Jungsoo and her are not awkward to each other. On the text basis at least. She hasn’t figured it out how it would feel when they met. After that night, they haven’t had chance to see each other again.

Two and half years. Almost thousand nights shared together, thousand sunsets and sunrises. A beautiful journey to pursue, until both are too tired to compromised, Jungsoo more likely. At the end of the day, he had different dream. Different expectation.

The last two months are very dreadful for Eunsook. She kept blaming herself until her best friend convinced her to rest her case. Free her soul for her own good because she deserved better.

So when Junghee offered to come over visit her and Minho to their new house, she didn’t think twice booking the ticket for a summer escapades. And now, here she is, anxiously waiting for her flight at the boarding room. Checking her phone continuously without even aware that she’s torturing herself for some ruined story.

Drown in her thought, she jolts a bit when the phone vibrates in her hand.

“Where are you now?”

She massaged her forehead hearing how her best friend shouted, “I just texted you ten minutes ago. Of course I’m still waiting for my fuckin’ plane!”

“I wonder if you left your mouth at home purposely when you’re studying at school. Your language sounds uneducated. Besides, it’s not annoying when your best friend checking on you to make sure you’re not suicidal.”

“Best friend won’t make up a scene where I’m doing such a reckless action.”

“Who knows you became an extremist!”

“As if! I won’t kill myself over a guy!”

“This one is not just a guy. This one is an ex-fiancée-to-be.”

Eunsook sighed again, and Junghee frowned on the other line.

“Are you okay, honey?”

“We are not even thinking about engagement, Junghee-ah.”

“And that’s why I always said that he’s stupid.”

“He’s not.”

“Then what?!” Junghee’s almost shrieking on her couch.

“He just realized I was holding him back.”

“Holding him back for what?! For a better life?! How can you still defend him? At this point I cannot tell who the brainless one is.”

“You are the brainless one! You got married too fast!”

Eunsook tried to divert her to the topic she loves the best.

“Don’t blame me! Minho is just too good!”

“And you’re too weak.”

“Who can’t resist a very beautiful rose diamond ring?”

The lady sitting next to her gives her the eye when Eunsook cracks loudly.

“My materialistic woman. This is why I love you, Kim Junghee!”

“Come here quickly! I miss you so much you have no idea!”

“I miss you too, baby! I’ll see you in couple hours!”

“Stay out of trouble! See you soon!”

Eunsook pressed the red circle on her phone. Same words, different feeling, she thought. She sighed for the umpteenth time that day when the announcement is telling her to get on the plane.

***

“Lee Eunsook!!”

Junghee already shouting when there’s still around 100 meter distance between them. Minho can only chuckle and try so hard covering his face while his wife embarrassing themselves. She beams right away when she saw Junghee jumps around flailing her arms, looks like a very excited five years old.

“Oh my good grace! Finally!”

Minho automatically takes Eunsook’s luggage from her hand when he saw Junghee hugged her excessively.

“You’re killing me, woman!”

But Junghee doesn’t care because she understand what Eunsook had been through.

“Let’s go! I’ve cooked your favorite dish!”

She doesn’t allow Eunsook to have time to think again for she’s afraid her best friend would feel lonelier after she released her from the embrace.  

“Fried chicken?”

Her lips pouting immediately, “Your second favorite, then.”

“Seafood?”

“What the hell, Lee Eunsook! Italy changed you!”

“I always love fried chicken and seafood!”

“Whatever! You need to eat! A lot! I don’t like be friend with a walking skeleton!”

“Can you see my thighs are bigger than yours?”

Junghee just ran faster to the exit direction, preventing them to recognize the full brim on her eyes.

“What have she cooked, actually?” Eunsook can’t help but ask Minho while they walked side by side.

“The whole restaurant.”

“What?!”

Minho laughed when he saw Eunsook’s eyes doubled their size, “You know it’s her way to comfort people around her.”

“I know.”

“And she wanted only the best for her best friend. If you know what I mean.”

“And I know exactly what you mean.”

“You okay now?”

Minho’s voice sounds concerned and he didn’t even try to hide it, “Taemin called me. He said you’ve been weeping like a trooper’s widow. I’m quoting, here. Not my own words.”

“That ungrateful traitor. It was two months ago. I’m doing great ever since.”

He turned his face to seek for the truth on her eyes but Eunsook is too smart to hang the poker face perfectly.

“Come on, or your wife will kill both of us.”

Minho shrugged, remembers very well how Junghee stomped around the house cursing for hours when she knew the reason why Jungsoo told her how he felt, a week after Eunsook’s birthday.

***

“So you will back to Italy?”

“I think so. My boss doesn’t have the guts to keep me on the office with only my study visa. He already did his best to let me extend my internship for one more semester, though. Now I have no more reason to postpone my graduation. So, yeah, I will be back to Italy next month and graduate in October.”

“If only it’s easy to get a job in Netherlands, I would ask you to move here.”

Eunsook chuckles and takes another sip of the beer, “No need to worry, baby. I’ve applied for some job in London. Their response’s so far so good.”

“I really hope you got this one!”

She raised her eyebrow when she caught Junghee is half squealing, “Why? So I’d forget everything about him?”

Caught red handed, Junghee gulped down her wine quickly.

“Well, 80% yes.”

“And the rest?”

“So I get to visit you in London! That would be amazing! Junghee and Eunsook take London down the sequel!”

Eunsook doesn’t need to be told to crack on huge laughter. Back then, after their high school graduation, they decided to take a gap year and went to London to learn better English. Eunsook, while taking a part time as staff in museum on weekend, started the class right away since her father already arranged everything on the institute for her. Junghee on the other hand, ditch the English class for studying painting and working in a restaurant at night instead. But that’s how she met Minho who happened to be a part time student taking night shifts there.

“Why you always get the best part when it comes to London?”

“Life is a choice, honey. You can be a traveler but you’re too cool so you choose to be a designer.”

“It’s not fair.”

“Everything is fair in love and war.”

“And what’s from that has thing to do here?”

“I don’t know.. I think I’m already drunk.”

The two best friends start to laugh again, immersed with the each-other-life-catching-up-session, they aren’t aware Minho is already by the door, sweater on and keys in hand.

“Baby, I’m going.”

“Oh! What?! Where?”

“I’m picking Kibum up. It’s raining and he’s afraid it will ruin his equipment.”

Both checks the window and found out its pouring hard outside, “Oh I didn’t realize.”

“Who will realize if they’re too excited interrogating Eunsook?” She’s jutting her mouth and Minho kissed her goodbye, “We’ll grab some drink after and be back soon!!”

Junghee’s shooing her husband away and when she’s back to her best friend, the latter knits her brows together, clueless all over her face.

“Who is Kibum?”

“Ah! I forget to tell you! He’s the guy who’s currently living in the other room.”

“And who’s the guy that currently living in the other room?”

Junghee bursts out in an un-ladylike laughter and Eunsook’s getting more annoyed, “Sorry, baby. Well, Kibum and I went to middle school together. He’s happened to be Minho’s neighbor back in Seoul. He was searching for a temporary place to stay when we put the ads of the vacant room online. He’s a photographer and has some project here for his indie magazine. So, yeah.”

“So, yeah?”

She rolled her eyes, “I mean, I know it’s my bad, I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you this before. But you’re okay with this, right?”

Actually Eunsook is not that comfortable because she’s the only one who doesn’t know this Kibum guy. And since middle school, she realized she hates being an outcast since she’s quite awkward with new people.

“Well, this is your house, so…”

Knowing the nature of her best friend, Junghee jumped a bit on her seat, “Don’t worry, baby! He’s a really nice guy. You’ll like him in no time, I promise. He’s too busy anyway, so I guess it’s rarely you’ll meet him in the house.”

“Whatever.”

Eunsook muttered almost silently and thank God Junghee didn’t catch this one.

***

“Any idea what you gonna do today?”

Junghee dropped pile of pancakes on Eunsook’s plate, making the latter’s eyes filled with happiness. Warmth of jolly brought Junghee beaming so wide, after all, seeing her best friend still her best friend, a girl who appreciates simple things and turns it into happiness.

“Have no plan. I just bought the ticket, packed my stuff, and flew here. No itinerary, no schedule. I’m a complete blank paper now.”

“Good!” Junghee took a place in front of her and started her own breakfast, “We should go shopping today! It’s been so long since I bought new shoes.”

“Then what do you call those brown leathery goods you purchased last month, love?”

Minho rests his arm across her shoulder while take the seat.

“That’s because it was on sale! And it came in a set with yours! I got that because we couldn’t buy it separately if we want the sale price, Mister!”

“For God’s sake! It’s not even nine! Can you both let others have a quiet breakfast?”

Eunsook’s eyes darted to the stair at the corner, and she became restless out of nowhere. A tall guy with pale face paces down, dark hair bounced fluffily like a black cotton candy with each step. Those skinny jeans seemed too tight on his long limbs but he balanced it somehow with an oversized t-shirt.  He walked pass them to grab some coffee as if Eunsook is not there.

“This is my house and I can do whatever I want, dude.”

Minho throws a grapefruit to his direction which the latter luckily caught it.

“I will kill you if you made me drop my cup. That lady next to you will voluntary skin me alive if I messed up her kitchen!”

“You deserved that?”

Three of them keep arguing and laughing while Eunsook has her lips sealed, trying to enjoy her pancakes peacefully, ignoring the scene happened there even though she knew it’s getting hard for her to swallow each bite since the bright room suddenly is too suffocating.

Until Kibum realized he’s a stranger to someone. He gave Junghee a hint with his chin and she makes a voiceless ‘O’.

“Eunsook-ah! This is the guy I told you about. Kibum, this is my best friend Eunsook. She will stay here for vacation. And I will not only skin you but sell your flesh to the market if you dare to make a move on her.”

Eunsook almost spilled out the coffee inside her mouth, she tosses the closest napkin to Junghee’s face which luckily dodged it very well.

“And you only blame me while it’s also your fault for having a friend who is too pretty?” he stretched out her hand to Eunsook, “Kim Kibum. Nice to meet you, and please ignore Junghee whenever she said bad things about me. She still holds grudge since middle school because I grew 12 centimeters taller than her.”

“Lee Eunsook. Don’t worry, she’s too loud I already cover my ears the second she’s about to open her mouth.”

A beautiful curve formed on her face, she smiled so bright Kibum got dizzy for a moment. There’s something so soft touched his heart and he’s pretty sure it’s related to those fluffy rosy cheeks.

“Can you stop hogging my friend’s hand like that?!”

Minho let out a poisonous laughter because he understands why Kibum acts like that. Eunsook herself is already crimson red when Kibum retreat his hand.

“See?! This is your fault, Kim Junghee.”

“You are the one who cannot control your thirst!”

“Forgive me, princess,” he cocked his head to Eunsook, “But your friend really has wild mouth. I can’t resist slapping her sometimes.”

“Oh, please be my guest! Since I have no heart to harm her even though she deserved it.”

Junghee balled her fist when Kibum and Eunsook join the force through a friendly high five, leaving Minho with no option than console her by kissing the side of her head.

“Don’t worry, I still love you, baby.”

“You better be!” she then kissed Minho which the latter complied.

Eunsook naturally can only pull out a bitter smile. The scene happened in front of her, it would be hers six months ago. She would be exactly like her best friend, in love and beloved.

Whilst Minho and Junghee are busy in their own bubble, Kibum didn’t fail to catch the changed expression on Eunsook. But he’d rather to shake it off than ask her further question or make sure she’s alright which might too rude for a new acquaintance.

“Go back to your room if you want to continue for the second round! This view is polluting my precious eyes.”

“I said this is my house, Kim Kibum.”

With that Minho continued peppering his wife with kisses all over her face which makes Kibum decided to imitate puking voice that surprisingly makes Eunsook chuckled.

Once again, something soft tickling Kibum’s heart.

***

Sometimes, we just don’t realize we will meet the one, do we? Love after all, is a beautiful thinking that we probably only dream about until the tiniest detail of each counterpart, but turned us to be so oblivious when it brought into reality. Isn’t it pretty amazing? :)

—————-

Chapter 2

[hallyu4160-blog]

Me & Tomorrow With You

After giving a makeup challenge, and dance tutorial a try, I thought about what I’d like to engage myself in for the last week of my Hallyu experience...and it was safe (for everyone’s eyes, except mine) to say K-dramas came to mind.

The biggest exports from Korean these days, aside from K-pop (which I had already been exposed to because of copycat groups), is the drama that everyone is obsessed with.

I remember the last official K-drama that I had watched was Gong and that took place somewhere in 2007/2008. Almost 10 years ago!

So now that K-dramas are all over my cable TV, such as ONE, KBS, tvN and SBS I really have no reason to say I can’t watch one. But beyond the fact that I had the convenience, I had several other reasons:

Wanted to find out how I would feel watching K-drama now and before.

Find out why people are obsessed with K-dramas. Really, why?

It’s a lot less tiring than doing a dance tutorial, makeup challenge or even cooking. Okay, I did consider cooking, but I thought watching a drama would help me in future conversations with hardcore K-drama fans. Something to bond over!

And with some recommendations, as well as good timing (really timely timing), I had a brand new drama to follow, Tomorrow With You, which had just ended recently. 

Source: here

So it’s still fresh in people’s mind, and still a topic of discussion! So for a good 2 weeks (I really took my time a little on this last portion), I watched all 16 episodes. I could have binged on it like some how some people do it, but what was the rush? I wanted to feel every annoyance, ‘aww’ ‘어떻게’ (otoke, or how) 

and ‘왜’ (wae, or why) in the entire series to consider myself as fully immersed in the K-drama scene. 

To be fair: I will not disclose any details about the drama (or at least not too much) in case if anyone wants to watch the show! I will, however, show the trailer:

When I first saw the trailer to get an idea of what I was watching, quite honestly, I was terrified, because of the romance that was going to happen. (I am a sucker for all things feely, so anything vaguely sad or romantic will have my 200% emotions invested in it)

But after 2 weeks of watching TWY I have:

firstly grown to like Song Ma-rin, even though I initially thought she was a little cocky and rather irritating. But I guess that’s how all the best characters are like. They’re not always the best characters from the get-go, but they start to grow on you with their mannerisms and their idiosyncrasies, and Ma-rin/ Min-A was that character for me in TWY. When I realised I started to like her character, I had that ‘oh no, I might have sunk too deep already’ moment! But it was too late, and there was no turning back, so it led me to

Secondly realised why people love K-dramas. Aside from the usual “it suspends your beliefs and anything can really happen,” “the K-men in these dramas will melt your heart (they become your ideal boyfriend)”

and “all these K-drama ideas are so novel” arguments, the fundamental reason why I think TWY worked for me was because of relatability. As much as it sounds ridiculous, I felt that Ma-Rin became somewhat like my spirit animal? Essentially, I’d like to think that it’s the human-ness (despite So-joon being a time traveler and it’s seriously out of our capabilities of understanding how a time traveler will really feel) and chemistry between the two leads that sold me over. (Argh, I wasn’t supposed to get so attached, but I did anyway) 

And I think even though no one will admit to it this way, I believe that’s one of the reason why people are addicted to K-dramas. These dramas imitate life, and what is life if not for some drama.

Also, a scene like that almost always gets any and everyone!

And finally, the difference in perspective and feelings after watching K-dramas. Previously, watching Gong was such a brainless affair. I just watched it, liked it for its love story,(maybe) went a little gaga over Kim Jeong Hoon and that was it. (And perhaps bought the doll that Shin Chae-kyeong beats in the show) But now, I believe I can discern better. I don’t just watch TWY as it is, but I see it in terms of the production value, the storyline, the reasons why I would like the character/story. A little more technical now that I am more exposed to television dramas, and the broadcasting industry. That is not to say I don’t enjoy watching the show, but I see it as more than just a common passive consumer!

I went to check out some TWY forums and this is what I found:

Relationship charts

Source: here

Source: hardwarezone

The talk about TWY is all over, and it makes me feel like I am now part of something bigger than when I first set out. Just a side note, but I now am able to recognise K-pop songs when I’m in Challenger. I think that’s proof that I have come a long way from being a complete Hallyu noob to being somewhat of a more knowledgeable Hallyu participant!

So as the whole project comes to a close, I have to say that I really enjoyed every aspect of being engaged in Hallyu. Before this mod, I never really had a reason to get involved in Hallyu in anyway, and even rejected the thought of getting involved to begin with. But now, I think it’s been a lot of fun and while I may not go at it so crazily, I think it’s safe to say I will still watch a couple of the hottest dramas, listen to a couple of the catchiest songs and even watch some of those insanely well choreographed Music Videos and do my Hillary shimmy. And on that note, thank you for reading my little update about TWY.