tankboot97

[peachtaeri24]

DARK THRILLER TAEL ERA

Kim Taeri as Go Sanyoung

Revenant (2023)

[warpedlegacy]

WIP Wednesday

Thanks for the tags @dreadfutures and @a11sha11fade! I’m gonna include @lalaenwrites and @dumbassentity in this one, and anyone else who wants to participate!  Here is the scene of Alexius’s judgement, from Book Two of Reprisals: 

“Gereon Alexius of Tevinter. You stand accused of apostasy, attempted enslavement, and attempted assassination - on the life of the Inquisitor, no less. Ferelden has ceded judgement to her on these charges as acknowledgement of her aid in the events at Redcliffe. Tevinter has disowned and stripped you of your rank. How do you plead? What do you have to say in your defense?” 

But Alexius said nothing. Did not so much as glance in her direction. The murmurings grew louder, and I recognized the accusation and fear in those glares all too well. They did not see a man capable of bringing about the end times. All they saw was a Tevinter magister, an affront to their sensibilities of what a good mage should be. 

Cullen stepped forward from his station on my left, urging the crowd to quiet with the same stern tones he directed at his soldiers. Privately, I was grateful for his rigid strength, while outwardly I studied Alexius for any sign of remorse. But his misery was so deeply entrenched I was hard put to ascertain its source. 

“I think we can set aside the apostasy charge, at least,” I said, matching Josephine’s formal pitch and making sure my words echoed through the hall. “Considering we ourselves are harboring the largest single collection of apostates in Southern Thedas at the moment.”

That was enough to pull Alexius’s attention to me. His eyes rose from the floor, seeing my reprieve for the prod it was. His scoff transformed into a wet cough that racked his body and made me wince in reflexive sympathy. Likely the damp had done his aging lungs no favors. 

“I could not save my son,” he spat. “Do you think my fate matters to me?” 

“It should,” I replied. “For Felix’s sake if not your own.”

His reaction was immediate and surprising - as soon as his son’s name left my mouth, I sensed the flash of his aura rise up, white-hot and anguished. Out of instinct, I cancelled it with my own. Dorian’s rose up in tandem, ready to spring to my aid should it be needed, but it was surprisingly easy. Was that the magic of Skyhold favoring me? Or the Anchor? Like a cub batted away by its sire, Alexius bowed his head, acknowledging defeat. 

All this happened in a blink, utterly beneath the notice of most, though a few of the mages present gasped in shock at his audacity. 

“Will you offer nothing in your own defense?” Josephine asked, oblivious to the struggle. 

The entire hall waited for his next words, and my gut clenched in anticipation. I kept my expression passive as I held his gaze in a silent dare. This is your one chance; will you waste it?

Whether he saw the challenge or he was stirred by the judgement of those watching, a new light sparked and he straightened. It took some effort on his part, and the sword hands of his guards twitched toward their hilts. I waved them down. 

“You’ve won nothing,” Alexius declared, with some modicum of the pride he had wielded in Redcliffe. “The people you saved, the acclaim you’ve gathered - you’ll lose it all in the storm to come.”

His words had the intended effect - my stomach fell out from beneath me with sudden vertigo. 

A world shattered apart by the inconstant Fade, red lyrium growing in every available surface and crevice, its song so loud it shouted down all thought. Archdemons and darkspawn running rampant. The Inquisition destroyed, along with every other power that could have stopped all this. 

Corypheus’s future - our future, if I failed. 

I’d faced the storm more times than I cared to remember. My Circle’s annulment, the Conclave and the Breach. Demons and dark futures. Corypheus himself. But each time, I’d come out the other side. Sodden and wrecked, but not broken. Still able to keep my head above the water. 

“Storms do not discriminate, Alexius,” I answered. “You would have done well to remember that when you agreed to unleash one upon Thedas in the service of a would-be god.”

Alexius spat. “Render your judgement, Inquisitor.”

I sat back and steepled my fingers, studying him. Feeling the expectation in the watchful eyes around me. Weighing the terrible choice before me. Did I dare go through with this? Would Ferelden accept it? Would Fiona? My advisors? Whatever the consequences of this, they would be felt by more than just Alexius - or me. 

Remember your promise, Tessie. 

I inhaled the scent of smoke from the braziers - a stark reminder of the potential for failure - and I rendered my judgement. 

“You swore to the mages you would help them. I will have you uphold that promise. Fiona will take charge of you. Any time you are out of your cell, you will be working under her supervision. Any knowledge, favor, or coin you own will go towards the mages’ future.”

The surprise rippled through the crowd. One of the mages rushed out toward the rotunda - no doubt on his way to inform Fiona. An aura I recognized stretched to the edge of my awareness and I looked up. On the second floor balcony that overlooked the hall, Vivienne was arrayed at the railing, a lionesse overseeing her pride. Disapproval radiated down from her perch, making me all the more sure I’d done the right thing. 

For his part, Alexius only looked tired. “A headsman would have been kinder,” he muttered. 

Good. 

“Return him to his cell until Fiona has determined a use for him,” I told the guards. Mostly a posture, meant to make it clear to those watching that this was not mercy - it was justice. 

Watching him be led away only made it more apparent how broken he truly was, but I had no sympathy for him. 

Go in grace, Alexius, I thought after his retreating form. This is the second time Taeris has decided your fate, and you were just as unaware of this one as you were of the first.

[reinahwanggg]

SuperDad 》 Kim Taehyung

♡pairing: taehyung x oc ♡

♡word count: 1,962 words ♡

♡warnings: it's honestly too cute, taehee is a sweetheart, this isn't a warning but just an adherence to everyone the OC is a person of color, i'll probably make a part two to go about all the details of how taehyung and taehee handled the 48 hours without alyssa, OH and taehee cried seeing his mom leave, just about it. mentions of taehyung not being around as much as he wants to. mentions of what seems to be separation anxiety. ♡

♡genre: established relationship, dad au, idol!tae, fluff, taehee is a cutie you just wanna keep, Inspiration from the return of superman ♡

♡summary: taehyung's back from tour and ready to spend the next two days, with his son, taehee. without his mother there, of course because it's show protocol. ♡

♡a/n: i got inspired by the many dad aus i see and read, like omg they are honestly so cute. also got inspired by reading a fic/ one-shot of jaehyun being on the return of superman with his wife and child and that was the C U T E S T. hope you guys enjoy, also, i added gifs as dividers because i did this on my phone and this is kinda long. credits to all the owners of each gif used ♡

the camera pans in on a sort of empty living room, a wolf gray sofa sat in front of the equivalently colored wall, a small black squared table is there beside it, and along it is a picture that is covered by a cute emoticon.

littered around the vast space are various cream colored tents, with camera lenses peaking out, various fingers and hands holding them. the camera then passes over to the television, sat on a small drawer, that has glass doors, littered with many DVDs and vinyls, and the seemingly 75" television is off, unsurprisingly.

it then shows the kitchen, monochromatic colors is the aesthetic it seems, as a modern black gas stove is there, with the gray smart refrigerator alongside the counter that separates the two appliances. there is a four slot toaster and a kettle on the aforementioned counter, and a little magnetic knife strips which held all the knives, tongs and spatulas that are often used. the cabinets are a brilliant pearl color, various cute stickers decorate it, some looking old and torn and others looked like they just came out the pack.

it then shows the lounge room and a bedroom respectively, before a dark room comes into view. the emcees had already asked if there was a new superman for the show, and wondered who the new family was. they adored the little height chart on the door casing, and the little furniture and things here and there. they even tried to figure out what the shelf of things were, since it was covered with another cute emoticon.

•~•

back in the room, a little head peaks up at the sound of the doorbell ringing, looking left and right, probably trying to figure out what century it was. then the phone rang and the little human grabs the cellular device in their hands, knuckle sliding it over, and it amazes the emcees.

in the cutest voice the little human could muster, they answer the phone.

"good morning, hello?" the little guy answers in english, and the emcees are practically digging all of this up.

the voice then answers, but the words is silenced. it then shows as the hair of the tiny human bounces, the phone is dropped, footfalls are quiet, yet swift, and the door to the room opens. the tiny human can be slightly seen, and they run out, before running back to close the door.

various camera angles appear, for how fast the little one is running past everything, and the human passes the living room area, taking a left, and then a right and stands in front of the door, then he moves to the little crate beside it and sits patiently. after a few seconds, it opens, and a tall man enters the apartment with a few suitcases and a duffle bag, another cute emoticon doing it's job as it hides the man's face.

the human is practically bouncing on the crate at this point, his round, yet sharp eyes creasing up, his tiny white teeth on display as his arms frail around. the man rests down his luggage, before pretending he can't see the smaller male, and looks around for said human being.

"dad!" the small boy shouts, and the emoticon is finally off of the male's face as he smiles, the signature boxy grin his fans has come to love is on display as he picks up the little rascal, and whisper shouts a little "taehee!" just as enthusiastically as the child had to his father.

the emcees are shocked, like genuinely, you could hear it in the way they go "waaaaaa. it's bts' v!" and it switches again, showing the superstar, alongside his glowing son, and a pregnant lady beside him.

the lady is a mixture of slim and thick, her thighs all packed and gracious as it presses on the seat and shows beneath the fabric of her dress. said dress is long, with a flowy skirt and a sort of baggy top, black as the base with various flowers, colored rose pink and sky blue, along the skirt, past the waist, and some on the top. the belly she sports is a big one, and she look like she was ready to pop in no time. her hair was dark brown and kinky, with golden brown tips as the curl pattern shows perfectly, resting on her back. her light brown eyes get lost behind her lids as she smiles, her nose is scrunched up, smile lines along the eyes and her lips is outstretched, the craters in her face deepens, the dimples popping out perfectly, and the little boy shows his own.

her caramel skin glows, just like her aura is, and the boy glows equally with his honey toned skin as well, as he sits on his father's lap, both of them rubbing her stomach.

"hello everyone, i'm Kim Taehyung, aka V from BTS and this is my family."

Q: How old is your kid?

"He's two and a half years old, but if we're gonna get technical, he's 30 months."

Q: How long have you two been married?

"Four years. We've been together for five, and got married a year into the relationship because i couldn't resist her in the slightest."

"Lol, likewise."

"I told you stop saying LoL out loud lyssa. it's outdated by now."

"iT's oUtDaTeD bY nOw. i do what i want tae."

the questions and the bantering went on for another minute and a half, taehee getting in on it to, and him and his mother verbally gangs on taehyung, causing him to pout.

"we were actually kind of hesitant to be on the show. for many reasons, obviously, but mainly because we weren't sure if we wanted taehee, taesung and taeri in the public eye as yet. or at all. i wanted to show them on my own time, wanted to wait until they were old enough to understand this world to decide whether or not they wanted to be known as our children. after a while, and with the help of my hyungs, jiminie and kookie, we decided to take part in it anyways. we hope you guys take care of us."

Q: Woah, you guys are having twins?

"Haha, yes. we found out during the gender reveal that the doctor forgot to tell us we were having two babies. good thing we planned to always buy double the clothes and necessities for whenever i get pregnant. i say that because this little beast is unpredictable."

•~•

the video then switches back to the house, with taehee and taehyung sitting on the couch, the television on, with them watching a show, taehee swaying from side to side with the music, taehyung singing along quietly, and they watch the show until lyssa exits from the room and pecks both of their foreheads, before going straight to the jù,kitchen.

she tells alexa to play an older song by her husband's group, and the intro plays as soon as the show finishes, taehee immediately running into the kitchen to help and sing along to the song. meanwhile, taehyung is in the living room, his phone in front of his face as he smiles softly, both him and the person he's seemingly on the call with is silent as they listen to the two on their seemingly daily routine.

"you want to help make the pancakes dylan?" lyssa asks in english to her son, and he peeps an excited 'yes mama' over the voice of hoseok and his rap for hold me tight.

she smiles at him, and they make the pancakes from scratch, him calling out the ingredients in english, and she helps him in pronounciation and correcting his mistakes with a chuckle and a smile. while the pancakes are frying, she kindly asks taehyung to go to the store at the end of the corner to get some hershey's cookie n creme chocolate bars and a jar of dill pickles for her cravings.

she makes sure they all eat, before getting ready and going to head out for the allocated forty eight hours set. taehee follows her like a little duckling as she slightly waddles through the living room, with a purse on her shoulder, and she shoves the car keys in the bag, before turning around and ruffling his hair.

"be a good boy for mama, okay? you get to spend two whole days with papa and your uncles! isn't that fun?" taehee does seem happy, but you can tell, deep behind his nod, he is secretly praying that alyssa doesn't go. that she stays with both of them for the two days, just like old times, but she had let him watch the show, and he knows that's not the case. when she turns to leave, taehee grabs the hem of her dress, and she turns around, meeting his sharp cognac eyes, and it looks like he was trying his best not to cry.

"oh, dee, c'mere," she starts, lifting him up in her arms as the tears finally fall. she knew her taehee as a strong boy, but there are times where he can't help, but cry. dad was always to the company or on tour for as long as taehee knew him, so he built a special relationship with his mom. he knew he promised her to be strong, and to be a big boy, for when she was going to leave, but he hopes, that two days doesn't turn into a long time, like dad sometimes does.

"now what did we discuss dee?"

"th-that i w-was gonna be a b-big boy. th-that i w-was gonna stay w-with dad un-until mama g-gets back."

"right, we did agree to that, but you look like you wanna come with me. do you want to come with me, or are you gonna make me proud and spend time with papa? he misses you, you know. every day, he calls, sometimes when you're asleep and he always tells me how he can't wait to come home and have you by his side. do you wanna let papa down? let mama down? let your uncles down? or are we gonna be a big boy and be on our best behavior to make mama, papa and uncles proud?"

"i'm gonna be a big boy. i'll stay with dad and we'll have so much f-fun mama, you'll want to come back."

"i'm sure of it dee. now, papa is in the room waiting for snuggles. you know how to work the phone, so call me whenever. okay?"

"okay mama. i love you lots!"

"i love you more than lots!"

"i love you more than your lots! have fun mama, but not too much fun or i'll be mad at you."

alyssa gasps, pouting a bit, before smiling once taehee plants a big fat kiss on her cheek and smush them together like she does to him. they smile at each other, before she rests him down, and she waves at him until she is nowhere to be seen, exiting the door and off to go about her day. taehee rushes inside the room, knocking on the door, before opening it in at the sound of 'come in' and smiles at his dad, running and climbing up the bed to lay beside his dad as he talks to uncle jin.

"oh, it's little tae! how's it going buddy?" jin asks, from the other side of the phone, and taehee smiles, the dimples making another appearance, before answering his uncle. taehyung looks at his son, eyes glimmering with pure love, as he thinks that he can finally spend time with his son.

[kpoptimeout]

My Top 10 K-Dramas of 2019 - What’s Yours?

2019 is ending soon and K-Dramaland has once again brought us so many goodies this year. As per our blog’s tradition [For 2018 faves click here], below are my Top 10 favs of the year (my faves in alphabetical order so it might not be yours so please don’t judge). (For our blog’s 2019 music ratings, click here!)

My only specific criteria usually is that the show must have had started in 2019 to be considered a 2019 series but this year I have made an exception for dramas that started very late in 2018 and it required watching well into 2019 for to be sure it was a great drama.

Without further ado, check the list below!

Doctor Prisoner (KBS2)

If you are looking for a thriller with insanely good acting, I would highly recommend Doctor Prisoner. Set in a prison clinic with Namkoong Min’s disgraced doctor as the lead plotting to right the wrongs society has done to him, the drama blurs the lines between good and bad. The medical director of the prison played by Kim Byungcheol seems like the perfect evil archetype for the audience to hate on but over time the plot and the acting allow us to soften up to his character and worry about his well-being. The drama also thrived in the current political climate in South Korea with its nuanced look into corruption and class issues. It was also a delight to see Namkoong Min’s rise in the past years from a rom-com lead to a seasoned leading man able to take on many diverse roles. If you love a drama that discusses the conflict between humanity and greed with stellar acting, you would love Doctor Prisoner!

Extraordinary You (MBC)

I actually struggled with whether to put Extraordinary You in the Top 10 due to the poor writing in the last few episodes of the show but caved in due to the spectacular quality of the earlier episodes and the consistently amazing acting of the main cast. Based on the popular webtoon “July Found By Chance”, the drama is about a girl called Eun Danoh who discovers she is in a shojo manga and not even the female lead - just an extra there to drive the love line between the male and female lead and stuck with a one-sided love to the biggest f*ckboi in school. Danoh decides to fight against fate (the writer’s plot) and try to change the storyline with her friends who start to also gain consciousness as well as the male lead Haru, a nameless background character who seems to have a mysterious connection to Danoh and an ability to switch characters in and out of scenes. The first half of the drama is pure K-Drama gold and consistently makes self-aware jabs at K-Drama tropes. Also, the quality acting of Kim Hyeyoon really breathed life into the character of Danoh, whose many monologues during her self-aware moments would fall flat without good delivery. While playing Haru was SF9’s Rowoon’s first major lead role, he carried the part well and was able to show the changes in Haru as he went from brainless NPC to an increasingly aware player in the plot to take down the comic book writer. Lee Jaewook, April’s Naeun, Jung Gunjoo, Kim Youngdae and Lee Taeri also all excelled in their respective roles. If you would like a drama where you can discover lots of young talent, Extraordinary You is the drama for you!

He is Psychometric (tvN)

While using the common K-Drama trope of male lead has a peculiar and uncommon superpower, and teams up with a female lead with secrets and some investigators to solve crimes, He is a Pyschometric excels in how it used these tropes well. I mean it is a tvN production and they own the supernatural mystery/romance genre these days. The male lead has the power to know about people’s past by touching their skin so of course we know plenty of skinship shenanigans and questions about human nature and trauma would be explored in this drama. After providing backstory and building up the personality of the main characters in the first few episodes, the series was consistently intense and the chemistry of the characters is great. GOT7’s Jinyoung has proven that he is ready for lead roles in more dramas, while Shin Yeeun showed that she is ready to take on the television screen after her quick rise to fame as a web drama actress in the record-breaking web series “A-TEEN”. SISTAR’s Dasom has also continued to grow as an actress, as seen in her role as police investigator in this series. If you are a fan of supernatural and mystery based K-Dramas, He is Psychometric is definitely one of the best dramas this year for you!

Hotel del Luna (tvN)

Another fantasy series coming from tvN, Hotel del Luna was definitely one of the most talked-about dramas of the year and rightly so. Set in a hotel that caters to ghosts, e.g. the dead with grievances and unable to “move on” to the world of the dead, you know you are in for episodic adventures involving the lives of many guests. We are also provided with the interesting relationship between IU’s Jang Manwol (her name literally means full moon) who is the ghost hotel owner for over 1000 years as a punishment for her sins and Yeo Jingoo’s Koo Chansung (his name literally means bright star) that the deities believe is the key to Manwol’s emancipation from ghost hotel running duties. In a way, it is like a gender-swapped version of the Goblin relationship going on but due to additional plotlines and character relationships, it is honestly a lot more and I will leave it to you guys to find out when you watch the show yourself. If you enjoy a fantasy drama involving ancient supernatural beings, Korean folklore and diverse stories, you would enjoy Hotel del Luna!

Kingdom (Netflix)

Netflix Korea continues to churn out amazing dramas and Kingdom is definitely one of the best this year. Adapted from the Korean webtoon series “The Kingdom of Gods”, the drama is set in Joseon Korean (in the 16th century) where a crown prince already dealing with court intrigues and trying to make it out alive is thrown another deadly problem - zombies. Given the stellar performance of Netflix’s earlier Korean period drama Mr. Sunshine and the amazing global box-office results of Korean zombie movie Train to Busan, this concept itself already sounds like a perfect cocktail for success. And the drama was received very positively, with a second season renewed for 2020. Besides the ridiculously addictive plot, the acting is also superb. The crown prince is played by none other than Ju Jihoon, who has long been popular in South Korea and among K-Drama fans for his dark and brooding demeanour perfect for an apocalyptic series. Bae Doona, who has found great success in Korea and in Hollywood for her roles in K-Dramas and movies such as Cloud Atlas and Netflix series Sense8, expertly takes the female lead role of the physician uncovering the zombie epidemic. If you love period dramas, zombie movies or both, this is the drama for you!

Sky Castle (JTBC)

Widely lauded as the best K-Drama of the year, Sky Castle is arguably one of the best K-Dramas of this decade because of the amazing acting, the unpredictable plot and its inclusion of many societal issues in South Korea. The show set the record for the most-viewed cable drama in South Korean history. Set in the opulent neighbourhood called Sky Castle, the story revolves around the “real” housewives of the neighbourhood who are all trying to get their kids into the top three universities in South Korea (SNU, Korea U and Yonsei - often also abbreviated as SKY universities). This concept of looking at the competitive education environment of East Asian countries is not new but the series set itself apart but including a mystery element, where deaths, secrets and intrigue involving members of the neighbourhood also shed light to class issues spanning across generations, gender issues, work culture, as well as familial relations in the conservative Korean society. The show also employed an extremely talented but underrated cast of actors who either spent many years honing their craft as side characters of many shows or are star film school students. The show also gave many opportunities to the cast afterwards, as seen in Kim Byungcheol’s lead role opportunity in Prison Doctor and Kim Hyeyoon’s lead role in Extraordinary You that are both discussed above. If you love a socially aware drama full of intrigue and mystery with great acting and cinematography, you would love Sky Castle!

The Fiery Priest (SBS)

The highest-rated miniseries of 2019, The Fiery Priest is really a unique show unlike any other. The story follows an investigation into the death of an elderly priest, with the Scooby-Doo crew made up of a young priest, a detective, and a prosecutor. While the crime-solving trio dynamic in the synopsis would definitely give “The Guest” flashbacks, this drama is completely opposite to OCN’s 2018 gritty horror extravaganza and is instead heartfelt and utterly hilarious. The priest clearly has anger management issues, the detective sucks at his job and the prosecutor has questionable moral standards. And Kim Namgil, Kim Sungkyun and Honey Lee all played these roles ridiculously well. Like other great dramas this year, The Fiery Priest looks at social issues in South Korea but instead of extremely serious commentary, touches of them in a humorous and sarcastic manner. This allowed the show to get away with more than you would expect on Korean non-cable TV. One thing the show did do which was similar to the much more serious “The Guest” was not having a romance plotline shoved down our throats like many K-Dramas. If you love a good comedy-mystery drama, you should check out The Fiery Priest!

The Tale of Nokdu (KBS2)

Another drama based on a webtoon, The Tale of Nokdu received average national ratings but was massively successful among the Gen Z of Korea and overseas fans. The reason may be the premise of the series. We have seen a good amount of girl masquerades as guy romcoms in the late 2000s and early 2010s such as the legendary dramas “Coffee Prince”, “You Are Beautiful”, “Sungkyunkwan Scandal” and “To The Beautiful You” but HAVE WE SEEN A REVERSED VERSION? Well look no further as The Tale of Nokdu is exactly that. Set in the Joseon Dynasty, the male lead has to hunt down a female assassin who has taken refuge in a women-only widow’s village and he must pretend to be a woman to live in the village to catch the assassin. Jang Dongyoon and Kim Sohyun delivered quality acting but probably what really made the show so popular with the Gen Z audience is seeing the male lead coming to realise the struggles of women in ancient times, with some struggles still existing today, as he lived in the widow’s village and the fierce and strong personality of the female lead who keeps saving the male lead’s ass. While there are some expected period drama tropes with royal court politics and will-they-won’t-they in face of the greater good, The Tale of Nokdu is one of the standout dramas this year for its fresh take on the cross-dressing K-Drama trope. If you have enjoyed previous cross-dressing K-Dramas, you should give The Tale of Nokdu a try!

Vagabond (Netflix/SBS)

Lee Seunggi and Suzy reunites in Vagabond for the first time since Gu Family Book in 2013 and this was definitely a great reunion. With a backdrop involving government corruption and terrorist attacks, Lee Seunggi dons the role of a retired stuntman turned vagabond to avenge the death of his nephew and uncover the truth. Suzy joins Lee Seunggi as a rookie special agent who gets pulled into the investigations after being in the wrong place during the wrong time (or the right place in the right time depending on how you view the investigations). This action-packed series was filmed across many countries such as Portugal and Morocco and would give you a huge adrenaline rush as the main cast faces new obstacles and betrayals in every episode. The current ending of the series suggests a possible Season 2. If you are a fan of spy and action-type thrillers like City Hunter and IRIS, you would love Vagabond!

When the Camellia Blooms (KBS2)

The highest-rated mini-series this year after The Fiery Priest, When the Camellia Blooms is a slightly more light-hearted slice of life series set in the fictional matriarchal town of Ongsan. The series stars Gong Hyojin as a single mother who moves to the town to raise his son and run a bar called “Camellia”. The story revolves around Kang Haneul’s small town cop (and lowkey village idiot with a heart of gold) who has a crush on Gong Hyojin and her baseball star ex-boyfriend and the boy’s father played by Kim Jiseok trying to win her back. What makes this series so well-loved is that besides the love triangle shenanigans set in the small-town community, the endless line of useless pushover men, and the community drama between store owners and neighbours, there is also a mystery involving a serial killer who holds a grudge against the female lead. But ultimately it is a quirky drama where the slice-of-life really dominates over the mystery aspect of the series and we learn a lot about the characters and their backstories as the series progresses. If you like a more slow-paced, slice-of-life series, When the Camellia Blooms is the series for you!

Honourable Mentions:

Dazzling/The Light In Your Eyes (JTBC): The story about a young woman who suddenly became 70 years old but with the ability to manipulate time. The series received critical acclaim for its portrayals of the struggles of everyday folk in South Korea and for its surprising twists.

The Secret Life of My Secretary (SBS): The male lead is a childish company director who lost the ability to recognise faces and must enlist the help of his secretary to maintain the pretence of normalcy. Rainbow’s Jaekyung was a complete scene-stealer for her role as the over-the-top CEO Veronica Park. 

The Last Empress (SBS): Set in the alternate reality where South Korea is a constitutional monarchy, this is a melodrama involving a bodyguard who wants to seek revenge on the King’s mistress and a Queen who discovers her fairy tale marriage was just a PR ploy by the royal family. Basically, peak quality makjang.

What’s your Top 10 K-Dramas of the Year? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and may the drama sharing begin (and the road to more excuse for holiday procrastination!)

Also, if you want to check out underrated K-Pop songs of 2019, here are the lists for idol songs and artist songs. We have also made a list for the Top 20 most underrated K-Pop songs of the decade!

[parkkjiminssi]

Love Maze

Park Jimin x Reader | social media au

Part 20: it’s okay! I’m okay!

After living a life full of expectations, Y/N decides she’s had enough. In an attempt to take back the reins of her life, Y/N starts doing all of the things she was never allowed to. Including falling in love.

tag list: @dreamy-despairity, @lilacparkjiminsmain, @namiiyae, @chimmily, @imlookingforthelost-blog, @minniestudies, @allypasta, @smeunjipark, @moonfairyjoon, @moostachoaway, @krystalizando, @softforpj, @jj76889, @lylanie12, @stephgiriseok, @lynnskata, @monospromise, @sg2802, @kawaii-desv, @tae165, @baojinnie, @kooksea, @gardenofrosesx

a/n: well well well. Thoughts? Masterlist on bio!

You walked up the remaining steps, finding someone sitting down in front of your door. Your heart rate skyrocketed and you were just about to bolt out running. After further inspection, however, you realized it was non-other than Park Jimin. Your fingers quickly tapped your phone screen, telling Taeri about what had just happened. Suddenly Jimin looked up and stood to his feet, realizing that the person he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

“Dr. Park? What are you doing here?” You asked, walking closer to him.

“Ah, I’m sorry if I startled you.” Jimin started saying, fidgeting with his fingers nervously. “I realize now that I probably looked sketchy sitting down in front of your doorstep in the dark.”

Jimin scratched the back of his head nervously, realizing that he had nothing prepared as to why he was waiting for you. “Right, I haven’t answered your question. I was worried about you, so I came to check on you.”

“Check on me?” You reached inside your purse and took out your keys. “We better go inside. It’s still chilly, we wouldn’t want you to catch a cold and pass it on to Jitae.”

Jimin chuckled and nodded, moving out of the way to allow you to open the door. Once inside, you motioned for him to sit down as you walked over to the kitchen and turned on your coffee maker. Neither of you said anything. You busied yourself with making the coffee while he fiddled with his phone.

Sigh.

“Here you go.” You said, extending the warm beverage for him to take.

“Oh, thank you.”

You nodded before taking a seat across from him. There were a lot of questions in your mind, not to mention things to worry about. However, between the many, you only chose one to ask him.

“Dr. Park, why did you lie?”

His eyes grew wide, not understanding the question. What had he lied about?

“Why did you lie about the hospital not being busy? It’s not a big deal but if you needed help, you could’ve just said so and I would’ve come in.”

He took a deep breath. “You needed to be with your family. I couldn’t ask you to come in when all of that was going on with your dad. Family comes first.”

You fell silent, but after a couple of minutes you spoke again. “Then... why did you come here?”

Your head turned from your hot beverage to Jimin at the sound of a chuckle escaping from him.

“What’s so funny?”

He put his cup of coffee on top of the small table that was in the middle of your living room. “I honestly had no idea if you were gonna come back to your apartment tonight or not. I got off my shift and the first thing I wanted to do was check on you, see if you were okay. I know I could’ve texted you but I didn’t wanted to bother you in case you were with your dad.”

“So you just came over? What if I didn’t come at all?” You asked surprised. “You just said you had no idea if I was going to show or not.”

“Then I would’ve come tomorrow, or the next day.” Jimin stood up from the couch and walked over. He kneeled in front of you and took the cup from your hands and placed it on the table. You just looked at him, following his every move. Jimin the wrapped his hands around yours. Your eyes grew wide and you just couldn’t seem to process what was happening. What is going on?

He took a deep breath. “Y/N, I—“

RING. RING. RING.

The two of you jumped at the sound of your cellphone ringing. Jimin quickly let go of your hands and stood up, taking a step back. You reached for you phone and noticed that it was none other than your best friend who was trying to reach you.

“A-ah, excuse me.” Was the only thing you could mutter out.

Jimin nodded. You quickly walked over to your bedroom and closed the door behind you. You took a deep breath trying to compose yourself before clicking the green button.

“Y/N ARE YOU OKAY?!!”

Woah.

“Uh, yeah. A bit deaf, but I’m alive.” You replied, switching your phone from one ear to the other.

“I’m sorry. I was just so worried! I was about to take off to your apartment.” Taeri exclaimed.

“No you weren’t.” You deadpanned.

She chuckled. “Yeah, I wasn’t. I’m too young to die... but hey! You answered your phone, so my job here is done.”

“You really have the worst timing.” You sighed. Your heartbeat accelerating as you recalled what had happened just moments ago.

“What?” Taeri’s voice full of confusion and curiosity.

“Nothing. I got to go, I have to pack. You know... so I can go live at the dungeon.”

“Ah, yes! I’ll let you go then. See you tomorrow.” Taeri said cheerfully before hanging up.

You placed your hand on top of your chest. Be still my heart.

Why had Dr. Park gone out of his way and waited for you outside your apartment? Why had he held your hands like that just now? What was he about to say to you? Was he about to confess?

“Pft, yeah right!” You said to yourself before pulling out a suitcase from your closet. You scolded yourself for thinking like that while you stuffed it with whatever clothes and shoes you came across.

Meanwhile, Jimin was head banging himself in the living room.

“I can’t believe I almost told her.” He whispered to himself. “She’s going to think I’m trying to take advantage of her vulnerability.”

He covered his face with his hands and threw himself on the couch.

JaeHee, are you watching? I bet you’re laughing your ass off.

The sound of the door opening snapped Jimin out of his thoughts and stood up the moment he saw you entering the living room. Jimin noticed you had a suitcase in your hand, which meant you were ready to leave for your parents’. He walked over and took it from you.

You tried reaching for it again but he stopped you. “It’s okay, Y/N. I got it.”

“Oh okay. Thank you.” You said shyly. What are you Y/N? Thirteen years old???

Jimin opened your apartment for you and nudged his head, telling you to go ahead first. “I’ll give you a ride. What kind of fake boyfriend would I be if I just let you take a cab at these high hours of the night? Besides, I think it would be good to show your mom that I’m still in the picture.” He winked at you jokingly.

The two of you laughed and you nodded. “Yeah, the last thing I need is for her to pester me about blind dates while I’m there.”

“Off we go then.”

During the drive over there, the two of you talked about what had happened that day at the hospital. About how you always seemed to call in whenever it was the busiest and how Taeri almost fainted when she assisted a birth.

“You should’ve seen her.” Jimin retold the story in between laughs. “When the baby started crowning, she had to take a seat. The dad was all like ‘ma’am, that’s my job.’ The whole staff started laughing, but after that she toughened up. She really was a big help.”

“That sounds like her.” You laughed along, wiping away a tear. But when you looked up, you realized that Jimin had stopped the car and that the two of you had arrived at your old house.

“Well this is it.” Jimin looked over at you with a smile.

“This is it.” You agreed.

While you were taking off your seatbelt, Jimin had already gotten off your luggage from the trunk and had opened the door for you.

“Thank you, Dr. Park. You know, for checking on me and for bringing me all the way here. I really appreciate it.” You bowed slightly in gratitude.

“Anytime.” Jimin responded, watching after you. Making sure that you got inside safely.

Just as you were about to open the gate, you stepped on a loose rock and completely lost your footing. So you braced yourself for the impact. Yeah sure, you could’ve easily stopped yourself from falling, but at this point you were so physically and emotionally drained that you didn’t care anymore.

But the pain never came.

You slowly opened your eyes, finding yourself suspended in the air with a pair of strong arms wrapped around you.

Dr. Park’s arms.

“Y/N, are you okay?” His voice was full of worry.

You hadn’t realized that the two of you were closer than usual so when you finally turned to face him, your lips touched.

At that, Jimin completely freaked out and let go of you, dropping you to the floor. “Oh my God, Y/N! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to!”

You quickly got on your feet and waved your hands dismissively. “It’s okay! I’m okay! Well I got to go, bye!”

You flung your suitcase over your shoulder and raced inside. Oh how thankful you were that it was nighttime, otherwise Jimin would’ve seen how red your face was. You heart was beating like crazy, you swore it would burst out of your chest at any moment.

What’s this feeling? Why am I feeling like this? You continued to ask yourself while you made your way inside. Could it be that I have feelings for Dr. Park?

[enddaysengine]

Vigilantes in Eberron

"But why would you risk everything," demanded Vanira, "especially when you are a dragonmarked heir?"  

Josku sighed. If Janar and Vanira hadn't come along when they did, the demon would have torn him limb from limb, which would have been the end of both the Silver Stallion and Josku d'Jorasco. He owed them an explanation.

"The Silver Stallion started as a way to get out from under the thumb of my family. I've been to Korranberg Van, I know that your people prize their security. I don't. I was never allowed to take risks as a child because my blood was too precious. The Dragonmark House own your body and they work damn hard to own your mind and soul as well. That's true no matter where you go, even here in the reaches"

"So you resented them?" Janar quipped.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I don't love and respect them. I wanted a way to get out and find myself without drawing the House's attention or bringing the wrong sort of attention back to my family. Once I stumbled upon the cultists, though, I couldn't ignore their presence."

"So you broke smashed in through a window?"

"Ha! I thought a bard would appreciate how powerful a tool theatricality can be!"

Before I get going, we have to acknowledge something. Ultimate Intrigue is about the closest thing we will ever see to Paizo producing an Ultimate Eberron book. It is flat out awesome, and I encourage everyone using a d20 system to play Eberron to pick it up. Why do I bring this up? Vigilantes are one the most Eberron things is a book of setting neutral Eberron things. Eberron was initially described as Lord of the Rings meets Indian Jones and the Maltese Falcon, these days I use a different trinity of movies to describe the setting.

Eberron is Game of Thrones meets Sin City and the Avengers.

Really, the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe fits extraordinarily well with my vision of Eberron. It should come as no surprise that the class that lets you play a superhero would be a natural fit.

The key ability of the Vigilante is Dual Identity, which allows on individual to have two identities with different alignments and abilities. This is perfect for Eberron's murky noir setting, since it allows (apparently) saintly characters to have a legitimate dark side while remaining undetected by alignment spells. The obvious niche for this class would be spies and superheroes, but let's think of some other possibilities. The Dreaming Dark and Lords of Dust could deploy sleeper agents that go for years in deep cover. The Inspired could assume completely different identities when they are possessed or unpossessed by Quori. Trust Agents could literally not exist until they switch identities and topple their foes from within like a house of cards.

It is also worth considering how we, the gamers, are biased by our society's conception of identity. There is an implicit implication the Vigilante that the social identity is the "real" person, while the vigilante identity a construct to hide the social identity. Now, any Batman fan worth their salt could deconstruct this idea by arguing that Batman is the real identity while Bruce Wayne is the costume. Hell, that idea is so mainstream that Batman Begins ends with it, but all of this is still predicated on the idea that each person has one "true" identity.

Changelings and Tairnadel both have very different cultural norms from our default assumptions and embrace the idea of multiple identities. Sure, you may know Caerys' alternate identity is Daealyth of Taeri, but there are dozens of other elves who carry on Daealyth's memory and can assume her identity. How do you know that its Caerys if Daealyth appears in front of you? Likewise, many changelings adopt multiple personalities, all of which they consider to be real. It would be fascinating to associate each of those personalities to either the social identity or the vigilante, although it would take an unusual build.

The Tairnadel elves of Valenar are a warrior culture, through and through, but not all of their patron ancestors were combatants. Taelasha the Weaver was known not as a fighter, but as an artisan-diplomat who could enter the court of any lord, be they elf, goblin, or dragon. Many of the modern Tairnadel who continue her legacy are vigilantes, but they only assume their social identities when recreating Taelasha's great deeds. 

There is no warforged more famous than the Lord of Blades. More and more settlements near the Mornlands claim to have seen the warforged prophet stalking the hinterlands. Some now whisper that the Lord of Blades is not an artificer, but a vigilante who hides amongst the warforged, seeking vengeance for his race. 

Lyyka the Evangelist is legendary figure amongst the vassals of the Sovereign Host. Multiple changelings have adopted the identity of this vigilante over the centuries to bring the word of the Soverigns to new lands and cultures. Traditionally, Lyyka's vigilante identity will work to convert warriors, military institutions, and thieves, while their social identity preaches to merchants, nobles, and scholars.

Note: As usual, @dailycharacteroption will have more thoughts, features, and ideas to consider.

[bonchanbubbles]

Poisoned Melody (Drama version)

Title: Poisoned Melody (Drama version) Chapter: 1/3 Characters: Ryu Jun Yeol, Park Shin Hye, Kim Taeri, Lee Jongsuk, Junsu, Jinhyuk  Genre: Vampire AU, Fantasy Romance, Angst Author: Bonchan Disclaimer: This story is just fiction. I only own the plot. Main characters aren’t mine. Summary:  Junyeol used to enjoy drinking every girl's blood who's in love with him. But what happened when his addiction changed after visiting a late stadium cancer patient who often played harmonica every night?

A/N: This fanfiction is dedicated for my two beloved sista who are currently suffered by happybeans virus LOL xD

POISONED MELODY (1/3)

a rover in a dark night show life is a hollow grave bloody ground run from the sun stings burns exchange with the moon kisses flow once you tempted can’t go

They run hand in hand in a dark alley at a downtown with racing breaths. The male one looked back then stopped when he noticed there was no one chasing them anymore, “It‟s okay, Taeri. None of your father’s men are following us now.”

Taeri gasped repeatedly, tried to catch her breath. She looked at the taller male with teary eyes “Junyeol, please take me with you. I don‟t want to marry with someone I don't lo—“

“Shhhh….”, he cut her words by attaching his finger to the female‟s red lip. He cupped her cheeks his cold hands and whispered something with his sooting voice, “Calm down, sweety! I can't risk your life being together with me by abandoning your family.”

Taeri shook her head then hugged the male in a tight embrace. Her tears flew crazily as the fear of losing her lover was too much for her, “No, Junyeol. Please take me. I can‟t live without you.”

Junyeol rubbed her back to comfort her and attached his pale cheek to her silky browny hair, “Taeri-ah…., do you love me?”, He whispered.

Taeri nodded, “So much. As much as I can sacrifice my life to be with you”. She loosened her embrace and looked at him. The latter then caressed her cheek to wipe the remained tears gently, “Thank you”, he said as they locked their gaze intensely then slowly he closed the gap between them.

Taeri closed her eyes welcoming the heated kiss from her secret lover. She carressed his sharp jaw and let their tongues dancing passionately like there’s no tomorrow. She let her lover removed her blazer. She didn't care the cold air intruding her spines as he started nibbing her neck. She let out a scream of the sudden pleasure she got when he started to bite her. Her brown orbs rolled in ecstasy for a moment before a sharp stinging pain pierced her skin deeply, “Junyeol-ah…”.

She tightened her grip on Junyeol’s shoulders, tried to pushed the latter but failed. She heard a sound of the male sucking the blood out from her neck. Her head started to feel dizzy due to the sudden low blood pressure. She felt her body's going numb in seconds until her lover freed her body to the wet ground. 

Her eyesight became vague that she hardly see the man was standing before her. She tried to lift a hand but didn’t have any energy left. Just before everything became black around her, she managed to hear a whisper, “Thanks for your endless love, Taeri…”

***

Junyeol stared at the lifeless body that laid in front of him with no expression as if the woman had never be in his life before. He wiped the remaining blood on his lip with his thumb then licked it. All saids were true. The blood of a human in love was way more delicious than regular human blood. It‟s sweet, densed, and full of energy.

He could drink it in every once in a while because that kind of blood was not only delicious but also presented satiety to hold his hunger for almost a month. But drinking the blood from the woman who’s crazy in love with him had become a sort of addiction with no end.

He had adventured from one place to another in every period of times. Had been nonstop seducing every young woman who was falling over heels to him. He didn't regret nor feel any guilty, because for him, they’re all died in love.

For Junyeol, human were only a source for a life essence. Never he addressed a feeling for them even a bit. All his acts, the sweet talks, and the passionate kisses were fake. It‟s just like a little game for him. He praised his kind as the strongest creature behind the thickness of the night realm. He didn’t know there was something else that could play beyond his might. Fate.

It’s all started when he passed a forest as a shortcut to the nearest city to meet his new lover. He heard a melodic sound. It's quite slow, sometimes faintly heard by ordinary human but for Junyeol, he could hear it very clearly. It’s a sound from a harmonica.

It’s not like he either liked that song or tempted to know whos the player but there’s something in that song that felt like it could suck him into its tiny pointed holes. For the first time he managed to ignore it and passed the forest successfully even though it’s quite hard to hold the urge for looking back. He did the same for the second too.

But for the third times, it's not like he wanted to go to the forest purposely. He did try to choose the other way to reach the city but that song was even riding the wind and echoing its sound so far to his castle. He couldn’t deny it anymore so he decided to take a peek.

He jumped against gravitation easily from one top branch of a tree to another towards a house at the edge side of the forest. That sounds came from the top floor.

When he jumped to the balcony, and saw a female sat on her bed, playing a harmonica. He felt a sudden rise of his heartbeats. He didn’t know why. As far as he knew, vampires had a much slower pulse than normal human. That‟s why the hunger of blood that contained a lot of oxygen was so severe for his kind. So it’s almost impossible to feel  that way.

He closed his eyes. That melodic sound slowly intruded into his body through his spines, like penetrating his soul. He wasn't sure why it felt more tempting than the blood from the human in love which he favored the most.

“Who are you?”

His eyes opened fastly as the song stopped, more like he was just awakened from a strange trance. He didn't realize that the door was already opened as he stood face to face towards the player.

Her body was so much smaller than him. Pale and skinny. Her orbs looked very dark. Beautiful yet empty at the same time. Her black hair fell nicely behind her ears, framing her small face. The room was quite dark, but even with only the help from the dimly moonlight, Junyeol could tell that the female was beyond beautiful than all his previous victim.

“I asked you who are you? What are you doing here?”, If she meant to be mad at him for sneaking in without permission, her voice was too delicate yet so weak.

“I… I heard the song you‟re playing. So I came and jumped… here”, Junyeol never sweated but he wondered why he felt his lacked body fluids wanted to get out from his pores waiting for the female‟s reaction.

She laughed, more like small chuckles, “You jumped here? Are you a fox?”. There was something in her smile that could make Junyeol forgot who they were to each other. He never got this tempted to kiss human’s lip before.

“What’s your name?”

“Ryu... Junyeol”, he answered with his usual deep voice.

She offered a hand, “I am Shinhye. Park Shinhye.”

Junyeol took her hand. The moment their skin touched, he could feel some statics. He knew this kind of feeling. He experienced it a way long ago.  He knew this was against the vampire rules to develop a feeling towards his victim. But this was beyond his control, “Your song is beautiful”.

Shinhye smiled, “Thank you. Jongsukie  gave me this harmonica so I won‟t feel bored.”

“Is Jongsukie your friend?”

After he asked that question, he noticed a faint blushed on the female as the latter nodded shyly, “Yes. He‟s my friend”. 'So she has a crush’, he thought. For a moment, there‟s a feeling of a disappointment from him.

“I have another song to play. Can you help me to choose which the best song I have to play for tomorrow‟s prom night?”

Junyeol’s lip automatically curved a smile, “Sure.”

****

A day had passed. That night Junyeol was crossing the forest with an easy feeling because he planed to give his last dead kiss to his new girlfriend named Seohyun. But he immediately stopped midway when he heard a familiar harmonica’s sounds again.

He thought Shinhye went to the prom night like she said the day before. A sudden urge to come to her house was coming again. Junyeol didn‟t know which one that made him so addicted toward something humane like this, was it the song or the player?

Just like before, he jumped off to the balcony and once again the door wasn‟t locked. Since they already knew to each other so he got in without a single knock to surprise the female.

The said female did look shocked and stopped her play immediately once she saw Junyeol. But there's something different on her eyes as if they were a stranger to each other and hadn't met before.

“Who are you?”

Junyeol eyes became wide, mouth nearly hung open. It was just yesterday they met and talked comfortably to each other but now Shinhye didn‟t recognize him at all. He knew human had weak memories, but he never knew there's one with this weak.

“I ask you who are you? What are you doing here?”, She said with the same words and the exact same tones as yesterday.

“I… I heard the song you’re playing. So I came and jumped… here”, Junyeol repeated the words he said like yesterday. Shinhye  let out some chuckles lightly, “You jumped here? Are you a fox?”, she said with the same gesture again.

Junyeol held her shoulders and pulled her closer, “Are you playing a joke with me, Shinhye?”

Shinhye’s eyes widened and stared at him in confuse, “How…how…do you know my name?”

Junyeol froze for a moment. She didn't lie. He knew from her blood rhythm, theres no hint of lie in her eyes.

To Be Continued

[bonchanbubbles]

Poisoned Melody (Drama Ver) Chapter 2/3

Title: Poisoned Melody (Drama version)  Chapter: 2/3  Characters: Ryu Jun Yeol, Park Shin Hye, Kim Taeri, Lee Jongsuk, Junsu, Jinhyuk  Genre: Vampire AU, Fantasy Romance, Angst  Author: Bonchan  Disclaimer: This story is just fiction. I only own the plot. Main characters aren’t mine. Summary:  Junyeol used to enjoy drinking every girl’s blood who’s in love with him. But what happened when his addiction changed after visiting a late stadium cancer patient who often played harmonica every night?

A/N: This fanfiction is dedicated for my two beloved sista who are currently suffered by happybeans virus LOL xD

Chapter 1 is here                                                                Chapter  3 is here                                            

POISONED MELODY (2/3)

 From a darkness curtain

bound in poisoned melody

long hidden beneath the moon

chords from an untouched beauty

  “How…how…do you know my name?”

Shinhye wasn’t lying. Junyeol was sure of it. But how come she didn’t remember him as if there’s an eraser in her mind? They just met yesterday.  

“Shinhye-ah. Are you okay?” He  heard someone called him from outside the room.

Shinhye turned her head toward the door and answered, “Yes, Father! I just—“. Right when she turned back to face the stranger, Junyeol had already gone.

 ****

The night after, Junyeol came again. He still couldn’t believe what he witnessed last night. It’s too strange even for a vampire like him. He’s sure his sensitivity never deceived him. He’s one from the strongest clan between vampire races. He wanted to try again. If it’s proved that the harmonica player had tricked him, he would kill her without mercy for playing on him.

“Who are you?”

That harmonica player said the exact same words again once she met Junyeol for the third time. Junyeol stared at her in silence. Trying to act his role with the same lines as the two days before. He observed Shinhye’s orbs moves, her breaths, and her pulses.

“I ask you who are you? What are you doing here?”

“I… I heard the song you’re playing. So I came and jumped… here”

Shinhye smiled again, “You jumped here? Are you a fox? What’s your name by the way?”

“Junyeol”

She offered a hand, “I am Shinhye.”

Junyeol took her hand again, “Your song is beautiful”

 “Thank you. Jongsukkie gave me this harmonica so I won��t feel bored”, Shinhye and Junyeol said in the same time. Shinhye stared at him widely. Had no idea why Junyeol could read her mind.

But once again, there’s no hint of lie from Shinhye’s words. “You’re a great actress, Park Shinhye”, he said coldly to the female.

Shinhye gave him a questioned look, “Huh? What do you mean?”.

Junyeol stared at her closer, hand still holding Shinhye’s. Then his eyes widened as he noticed something when he scanned over Shinhye’s body. There’s a strange temperature accumulated in her head, “There’s something wrong in your head”.

Shinhye pulled her hand away from him, then attached it to her tiny waist, “Hey, That’s rude. Did you mean I am crazy?” she pouted. Junyeol couldn’t help but chuckled.

“Yah!! What’s so funny?”

“Cute”

“What did you say?”

“You are cute. Pouting like that”, he pointed at Shinhye’s mouth.

Shinhye quickly covered her mouth and lowered her head to hide the blushing on her cheeks, “You… You’re weird”

Junyeol laughed, “Hahaha… Shinhye, can I hear you play your song with that harmonica again?”

Shinhye grinned, “Eeeyy, don’t tell me you’re my fan”.

Junyeol shrugged and smiled back, “You can say that”

Shinhye sat back to her bed, took her harmonica, and suggested Junyeol to sat beside her, “I have another song to play—“

“You want me to help you to choose which the best song you have to play at tomorrow prom night”, Junyeol cut her words. Junyeol’s expression turned sad. It must be something wrong with this woman’s memory, he thought.

Shinhye was stunned for a moment. Felt a bit scared, “Junyeol, how do you know what I would say?” She whispered.

Junyeol sighed, “Shinhye, you said exactly the same words yesterday and the day before that. This is not the first time I come here. You already said your name and called me a fox thrice. You also said about your friend Jongsukkie who gave you this harmonica and you told me about your plan to perform your song with it tomorrow”

Shinhye shook her head, couldn’t accept his words, “No. You’re lying”

“Shinhye, do you remember what date is today?”

“February…. February 13th , 1976”.

Junyeol shook his head, realized this was a serious matter, “It’s 2 months ago. Shinhye, I am telling you the truth. Your day is repeated with the same routine for three days. Even if I come again tomorrow, we will be to become strangers and you will ask my name again."

Shinhye held her head. Her face became sweaty. There’s some tears started to gather on the corner of her eyes, “No…No…!!” She squeezed her head as if she just got a strong headache.

“Shinhye, are you okay?”, Junyeol approached her.“Ugh…” Shinhye couldn’t answer as the pain took over her head.

Then Junyeol heard someone knocked Shinhye’s door, “Shinhye-ah, Are you okay?”

“Father!!!” Tears were streaming down though her cheeks as she couldn’t bear the pain.

Junyeol quickly got out to the balcony and hid behind the curtain as the door started to open. An old man whom Junyeol assumed as Shinhye’s father came to his daughter, laid her on the bed, then took some bottles from a cupboard. Junyeol watched he took an amount of tablets from them and let Shinhye drank them. He kept stroking Shinhye’s hair and whispering that she would be okay soon until his daughter was driven into sleep.

Junyeol looked worried and whispered to himself, ‘Shinhye, what on earth happened to you?’

 ****

��The following day,  Junyeol came again. This time he didn’t want to meet Shinhye but her father. Right after the old man opened the door, Junyeol stared at his eyes and hypnotized him to make the old man believed that he came as Shinhye’s old friend.

“He didn’t have much time left”, her father said as he pulled a cigarette  from his pocket and lit it. Junyeol could see big eye bags under his eyes. He was sure that man had lacked sleep for days.

“Is her sickness... incurable?”

Shinhye’s father sucked his cigarette for a moment and released the smoke slowly, “A late stadium brain cancer.”

Junyeol looked hesitate for a second, then said, “So... that’s the cause why she lost her memories?”

The man eyed Junyeol in confuse, “How do you know about that?”

Junyeol tried to find a good reason for a moment, “Um…um… I heard some rumors”

Shinhye’s father sighed, “No. It’s a different case. She became like that since she lost her best friend in an accident before the prom night.”

Junyeol’s mind clicked on something, “Do you mean Jongsukkie?”

The man sucked his cigarette again. His eyes turned even sadder than before, “Yes. Lee Jongsuk. He meant a whole world for Shinhye. They’re best friend since childhood. Once she knew that she was diagnosed a late stadium brain cancer and didn’t have enough times, she was still as cheerful as she was before because she wanted to spend her life with family and her best friend.  But after that accident, she became depressed and later diagnosed with a rare case of amnesia -- her memory stopped at February 13th, right before the accident.”

His tears were slowly streaming, he quickly rubbed them with his backhand, “Once she wakes up from her sleep, she is going to repeat it all over again.” He chuckled bitterly, his shoulder was a bit shaking, “That little wench….. I only have her. I wish I could take her pains. Both…”

 ****

“Who are you?”

Shinhye eyed him like a stranger again. This was the first time for Junyeol to not have any idea why he was so caught up with this dying woman. How his chest ached to accept the fact she didn’t remember his name. How he had to introduce himself every day. He never took a pity toward human. But this was far beyond just a pity. It’s more than that.

“I ask you who are you? What are you doing here?”

“I… just walked around the forest then heard a sound from harmonica. It’s beautiful. I just really like it.”

Shinhye blushed, “Really? Thank you. Jongsukkie gave me this harmonica so I won’t feel bored hehe…” Her eyes looked toward her balcony for a second then turned back to face Junyeol, “But... this is the third floor. How did you climb here? Are you a monkey?”

Junyeol giggled all of a sudden. “Hey, what’s so funny. I am asking you!” She pouted again. It’s Junyeol’s favourite gesture from her. He shook his head, “No. I thought you would call me fox.”

“Fox jump, monkey climb”, she said while crossing her arms.

Junyeol laughed more, “Cute.”

“What?”

Junyeol stopped laughing, only stared at her in silence for a second then said, “You... You’re cute.”

Shinhye stuttered, “Yo.. you.. I mean your voice. Do you purposely make your voice sound like that?”

Junyeol started to look at her a bit mischievously, making the female tried to avoid his eyes, “I usually sound like this. Anything wrong with my voice?”

Shinhye bit her lower lip and shake her head, “No. Nothing’s wrong”. She lowered her head as her face became very red. Junyeol came closer then lifted her chin to face her, “Can… can I hear the song you’re playing earlier?”

Shinhye smiled at him, “Sure. I have another song to play. Can you help me to choose which the best song I have to play for tomorrow prom night?”

Junyeol smiled back at her bitterly. There was a pang in his chest but he’s never been this happy for a long time. He realized that the first moment he heard the song from this woman. He’s already falling for her. There’s no place for him in her memory but even it’s hurt, he would come here again and again.

 ****

Since he met Shinhye, Junyeol stopped seducing girls nor he drank any human blood as he came every night to see her. He survived only by drinking erythrocyde (blood tablet). During those time, he didn’t realize that someone in the darkness was watching him.

“Stop meeting him Junyeol”, someone was leaning to the window of his castle, right before Junyeol wanted to flee through the forest.

“I don’t know what you mean Junsu. I am busy now.” Junyeol ignored him then took his coat from a hanger.

“You know what I mean. You don’t suppose to visit a human regularly like that”

Junyeol stared at his vampire friend. He chuckled a bit, “You know I always visit human and kill them in the end right?”

Just when Junyeol reached the main door of his castle, Junsu’s next words stopped him again, “You won’t kill her. I know from your pulse. You are falling. They will know soon”

Junyeol knew what Junsu meant by they. It’s The Cainity. The largest and most powerful coven of vampires consisted by true bloods which ages exceed 2000 years. They enforced the laws of the vampire world and it’s included by forbidding a vampire to fall in love with human. They could sense an increasing heat and hormone of a vampire from a long distance.

“We may be alone creature, Junyeol. But you have to remember they're watching us. This is how our kind last for centuries and only be known as myth by human”

Junyeol let out a heavy sigh. “I know. You don’t have to tell me. But I… I just can’t.” He knew what consequence he would get if he got along with a human. But he didn’t have enough time. He felt his chest ached everyday but it ached more if he didn’t go to meet that woman and hear that melodic sounds from her harmonica again.

 To be continued