#if it was without hanseo

[helianthus21]

Do you think it will come season 2 of vincenzo so hanseo can wake up from the death and have a happy ending?

oof i am,,, conflicted,, you could sum up my feelings with the following image:

idek if i'd want a season 2 if they dont pull the plot twist that Vincenzo faked Han-seo's death to ship him savely to that island near Malta which btw i still think this would be perfectly believable and doable!! and not even bc i'm biased but it would fit right into the show to be like sike! what you saw is just what we made the public in Seoul believe! but my expectations of them actually going there are low if not nonexistant simply bc i don't think media in general would ever give me personally good things that i want:/

[helianthus21]

#except they all take turns being the third wheel exactlyyy✨

Couple + Sibling/relative third wheel is honestly an S-tier trio dynamic and I wish we saw more of this in media.

"You are my soulmate. We are forged together by battle and tears and love. Also my brother's coming along."

"Yo."

[cinnamonbear22]

Baby (Choi Su-bong x reader)

Chapter two

Chapter one

Tw- fem!reader, drugs, abuse, sexual topics. I’m not responsible for the media you consume

-

The lighter felt heavier than it should in her hand. It wasn't much- just a scuffed, silver gadget with the faint scent of gasoline clinging to it- but to her, it might as well have been gold. Gifts weren't something people gave her. At least, not without strings attached. And yet, here it was. No strings. No conditions. Just hers.

She flipped it open with the flick of her thumb, the small flame dancing against the gloom of her apartment. A few years ago, (y/n)'s Brother, Gyeong, had presented her own apartment for her eighteenth birthday. It was only fair to her; she was a young lady who needed her own personal space. He had paid her rent and utilities every month for the work she does for him as well as fully furnishing the place. Although she knew it wasn't an act of kindness. It was just more of an advantage to control her life. If she didn't comply with his task he wasn't afraid to evict her that moment, leaving her homeless without much money to her name. She would be totally screwed.

It had been almost a week since her and su-bongs interaction, but she still couldn't shake off the impact of the small present. Everywhere she went so did the lighter. She wasn't letting her token out of her sight.

She looked over at the digital clock that sat on a bookshelf that was placed on the right of her TV. Four-twenty-three, almost time for her to catch the bus to her six o'clock shift. She had to make money on her own since she had barley profited of her brother and ever since she was sixteen years old, she's been dancing at a club downtown. It was even more dirty work but at the time it was the only place that accepted her, as well as the only place her brother had approved of. He didn't want her to be in any type of government system and he didn't want her in the mainstreams public eye. To him that was the whole point of her existence, which she started to believe as well.

her cell phone had began vibrating on the coffee table in front of her and the name 'Gyeong-rae' was displayed in bold letters across her screen. She had carefully placed the lighter that occupied her brittle hands in her lap before reaching for her phone from the seated position on the couch. "Hello." She answered quickly hoping she had picked up in a reasonable amount of time for him.

"Baby," His voice stung through the small speakers. She could picture him clear as day, sitting in his dark room with very few lights, smoking a cigarette and messing with whatever girl he had lured that month. "I need you."

"I have to catch my bus soon," her voice timidly protested against him as she could hear him exhaling smoke directly in her ear.

"I know," He replied in his normal tone of voice instead of the yelling she thought she'd be enduring. "I sent Su-bong to you, he should be there in a minute."

"Y-you gave him my address?"

"That's my address, my property." He quickly corrected her with venom laced in his voice. "I'll send over whoever I want, anytime I want." His voice was stern but he didnt raise it towards his sister. "I gave that douche the money already, he's coming by to drop off a bag. It's for Jang Hanseo, so take it with you to work."

"Okay." She mumbled, knowing she didn't have a choice. Hanseo was the owner of the club she had worked at which was one of the main reasons why he let her work there, Gyeong trusted him enough with her and Jang feared him just as bad.

"Thank you, baby."

"You're welcome."

"Have a good shift, love you."

"I love you too." She swallowed hard before he had quickly hung up the phone. Not even a few minutes later three loud knocks were heard echoing through her apartment. She jumped right to her feet, running to the door as fast as she could to prevent her neighbors from seeing him. The cold metal door lock clicked in her hands before sliding off the additional chain lock, swinging the door open rapidly.

Su-bong flinched at the flying door and before he could even gasp with surprise, she grabbed his sweatshirts' sleeve and yanked him inside. "Woah, excited to see me huh?" He teased her as she stuck her head out the door to look left and right to make sure no one had witnessed him at her place. She couldn't risk it. She swiftly closed her door, locking it back up with a racing heart.

"No." She stood on her tiptoes as she stared through her peephole for a few long seconds as the familair feeling of paranoia drowned her.

"Relax." His deep voice was irritably calm which irked her since she was in a small state of panic. "I came through the back entrance, no one seen me." He started to take in her home as he spun around slowly, not wanting to miss this opportunity to find out more about her. This was a huge step.

She finally backed away from the door and looked over at him feeling slightly humiliated and invaded. Her cheeks began to hue a light pink as her personal space felt completely violated. The one place she thought she could separate from her work life was now occupied by one of her brothers minions.

He didn't even notice her blushing face as he was examining all her expensive furniture, a bit shocked that she had owned all of this. He didn't understand how she could afford a nicely furnished apartment but not new clothes, or a car, or any items to make her apartment personable. It had looked like something you'd see straight out of a catalog. 

"Sorry." She sighed while looking up with crossed arms and immediately took notice of his new appearance. His formally dark hair was now bleached all around as it messily hung over his forehead.

"Do you like it?" He felt her eyes burning on the side of his head before he turned around and met her gaze flauntingly running his fingers through his hair. She nodded dully in response even though she could care less about him or anything he’d do to himself yet her small reaction of approval made him smile widely. "I knew you would." His eyebrows cockily wiggled at her as she just stared at him still calming herself down from the fact that he was in her apartment. "I have my very first gig this weekend, I wanted to change it up." He explained himself but he didn't even have to. His hair was not even the last thing on her mind. "Do you want to come? Front row seats to a brand new prodigy? Possibly a legend?!" His eyes widened excitedly with hope as his hands flailed around flamboyantly.

"No," her eyebrows knitted together almost as if she was about to vomit from the question, which Su-bongs smiley cheeks dropped quickly. "Im working"

"Ah," he nodded understandably. He knew she was going to say no but he thought he'd ask anyway. "Still dancing throughout the night?" He swayed his hips in a mocking manner while he hooked his fingers through his jeans belt loops. His eyes stayed on hers as he smirked knowing she hated stupid questions.

"Unfortunately." She huffed slightly at the joke, rolling her eyes before turning her back to him and walking into her bedroom. "I have to go, you should too." She grabbed her duffle bag that sat on the floor filled with all her cosmetics, different pairs of shoes, as well as a few different outfit changes. While she puts around her home frantically gathering all her belongings he watched her move across the space as if he were watching a dancer preform in a ballet. Without trying her movement was just as graceful. His upper lip trembled gently as his dark eyes got sucked in a trance.

"Your brother told me you have to catch a bus?" He asked while rubbing his mouth in an attempt to stop his face twitches.

"Mhm." She hummed, sitting back down on her couch as she slipped on her sneakers.

"That's got to take forever, I'll drive you." He moved closer to her couch, resting his hands on the back of it while peaking his head over her to see her reaction.

She sat still for a moment not expressing anything yet as she thought about the offer. She hated public transportation, it was her least favorite part of the day when she had to catch her bus for work. It was raining and she'd have to be walking a few blocks to a bus station that didn’t have no shelter. The bus comes whenever it wants to, the arrival changes every time so she always has to make sure she's there early. "Fine" she murmured while sinking down into her couch. She took the opportunity to rest as much as she could even if it was just a few extra minutes.

"Really?" He cocked a brow, walking to the other side of the couch to stand in front of her to make sure he heard her correctly. Her tired eyes looked up at him and nodded, which he excitedly smiled and jumped around like he had won a major prize.

"Stop." Her tone pierced through his ear like a dog whistle which he immediately obeyed. He clasped his hands together standing up tall and straight which somehow bothered her more. "Just," she hesitant with what she'd say next. He was harmless towards her and she knew that. In their five years of knowing each other he's never hurt her, he's never screwed her over, and he's always trying to make small talk and be pleasant. She glanced over at the lighter that was set on the coffee table in front of her then back up at him. He was still standing nice and tall almost looking like he was holding his breath. "Sit down." She hummed gently, scooting over to the corner of the soft couch and patted the cushion that was furthest from her. Even though she kept her distance like he had a contagious disease he was more than thrilled to take a seat with her. "Hey," she looked over at him as his head kept moving around like a chicken. His dilated eyes were looking everywhere as if he hadn't seen enough.

Her soft voice caught his attention from his trance as he snapped his head towards her with his mouth slightly agape. His eyes were wide as his hands held themselves neatly in his lap. He was trying to be as careful as he could. "Huh?" He asked with his foot drumming gently against the floor.

"I'm sorry for never being polite to you." She swallowed her pride which was not easy for her to do. She hated being vulnerable because she knows how people love to take advantage of it.

"It's alright," his nervous demeanor quickly dropped as the words felt like a bandaid covering up a wound. He felt a strange surge of relief, like he had finally achieved his trophy. She was a game to him, a very long tedious game that he was now finally going into level two after being stuck on level one for years. "I know you always liked me." He raised a singular brow with a cocky smirk plastered across his face. Like usual, she was used to the dumb teasing that she had no reaction.

"How'd you know?" Her monotone voice made him chuckle a bit as her guard slowly began to drop. She's never had a guest in her entire time of being here. She sort of liked having the company. It made the apartment feel less lonely and detrimental.

"It's easy to tell." Their eyes met each others from across the couch and he couldn't help but to smile at the emotional contact. "You have a nice place," he ran his twitching fingers along the soft suede couch, letting himself lean into the pillows that complemented the ends of the furniture.

"Thanks." She nodded but she would beg to differ. It's not that she hated the physical space, she just couldn't stand the emotional pressure of the apartment. It all in her brothers hands and depended all on her actions.

"But it looks like a display room, where's the personality?" He furrowed his brows with a small scowl on his face as if he were personally offended by her blank room.

"I don't have time to add personality," she replied dully which felt like a stab to his creative heart.

"Oh come on," he scoffed, "you need some decoration in here. It's so depressing"

"I don't want unnecessary shit in here," she shook her head at the suggestion.

"Why not? It's such a lovely space there's a lot of potential a-"

"I don't own this" she cut him off and his face crinkled into a confused expression. "My brother does. It's all under his name."

"Oh," his voice lowered, confused to why that was so horrible. But it clicked quickly in his hazy brain. "Oh." He realized looking almost sympathetic towards her, which was a new expression she hasn't seen. All that was known to her was his goofy side but it seemed like that was the only side he had. "I see you kept my lighter," he quickly changed the conversation topic. He didn't like the gloomy feel. "I knew I'd get through that stubborn head of yours." He teased her, but in reality he had barely broken her surface. 

"You haven't got through shit." Her eyebrows knitted together as his boastful energy was still present between them.

"Oh yeah?" He tilted his head to the side and leaned in closer to her speaking in a hushed, intimidating tone. "I know you better than you think." His voice sounded almost threatening as she held strong eye contact with him. "You wouldn't have kept that lighter if I didn't mean something to you, right?" And suddenly her body was tense. His head was hung low as his eyes looked innocently up at her through his uncomfortable words. "You wouldn't have let me stay in here for a goddamn minute." His eyes almost challenged her while she felt her breath get stuck in my throat. He smirked dovishly up at her, leaning back slowly in his original position on her couch. She sat there stunned. Was he right? Did she care for him? She didn't even know her own emotions in her head. The last person that she had truly cared for was her mother. But after she disappeared she hadn't cared for anyone else since. Not even herself. "Hey," He held his hands up to show he was defenseless. "You know you're allowed to express happy emotions like that, it's not embarrassing to care for someone."

"I don't care about you" she quickly snarked back while her cheeks began burning up. "Y-y'know what?" She pushed herself shakily off her couch as his eyes traced her every move. She bitterly stood in front of him while he was shamelessly man spreading with his arm draped over the back of her couch, his eyes looked up at the small upset girl that now towered him for the first time. "You're really full of yourself to be coming into my home telling me that I care about you, who does that?" She angrily pointed in his face completely letting loose and not even realizing it. Su-bong on the other hand was getting arise out of this, smiling up at her as his eyes sparkled with admiration. "You're a junkie piece of shit just like the rest of my brothers ass-kissers." She raised her voice but not enough to concern the neighbors. This was the most she had ever spoke to him at once and he was soaking it all in. Her degrading words didn't even bother him as he pressed his lips together to try and stop himself from smiling. She frustratedly paced back and forth in front of him while he used his one hand to cover his mouth as he sunk into the cushion. His eyes stayed on her the entire time like a motion detector. "I tolerated you the most out of all of them because you're the weakest." Her lips curled with disgust as his curled into a smile under his large hand that was decorated with scars, rings, and tattoos. Truly, what she had meant by weakest, was that he had never laid a hand on her. The others were ruthless towards her but her brother only did so much to try and make them stop but they never did. They had always seen her as an object, she was just a messenger and a body to them. "Now get up and take me to work." She huffed before walking out of the room to grab her coat as he sat there absolutely star struck. He had absorbed every pitch of her voice and it was still replaying in his head.

"Okay." He took a deep breath to calm his racing heart but it was no use. His clammy, tweaking hands shakily ran through his bleached hair as the sound of keys jingling snapped him out of his daze.

"Where are the pills?" She asked as she slipped her shoes on with one hand and held her duffle-bag with the other. He got up silently and grabbed his bag that he left by her door. He unzipped the bag shakily and handed her the brown paper bag that contained the drugs she was supposed to deliver. She opened up her duffle bag which revealed a lacy, skimpy wardrobe that he would never even imagine her looking at. She shoved the paper bag in her own, covering it with what she could and zipped it back up, slinging the duffle over her shoulder before looking back over at him. "Let's go."

"Yes ma'am," He saluted her like a drill Sargent as she shook her head heading towards the door as he followed right behind her. She locked up her apartment as Su-bong giddily stood behind her smiling away. (Y/n) started to feel slightly guilty at her small tantrum, for she had never exploded on someone with words before. It was usually physical and for a good reason, but this felt unreasonable to her. She glanced up at him as they walked down the long hallway but he didn't even look phased. He was strutting happily next to her with his head held high.

"Why are you smiling?" She hastily asked him as he opened the stairwell door for her and waved his hand for her to enter before him.

"Because," he skipped down the steps in front of her beating her to the bottom and holding that door open for her too. "I've never heard you talk so much."

She clenched her jaw while pursing her lips tightly together. She felt humbled, humiliated, even slightly ashamed at that fact. She spiraled in her thoughts as the cool breeze lifted her hair as they entered the parking lot while Su-bong happily danced to the beat in his head behind her.

She never wanted to be bitter towards innocent interaction, but she was. Cruel interactions was all she had known and the only way to counter that was being just as rigid back. That was imbedding into her instincts at this point. She was to be defensive, reserved, and quiet. Her brother had raised her to think that there was no use of wholesome conversation and that everyone was out to get her, so she had always shied away from innocent conversation. 'People will always hurt you. Nobody in gods given earth has pure intentions, so don't even bother with those sicken tricks.' He'd tell her, and it stuck.

She sat quietly in the passenger seat of his messy car as they drove in silence. He didn't mind the silence at all, but for some reason it was eating her alive. She was drowning in her own embarrassment. The fact that he had been so calm about everything bothered her even more. A part of her wanted him to yell back at her so she wouldn't have felt this way. She was used to it like that. "Su-bong," she looked over at him as they approached a stop light, swallowing the large lump that was drying out her throat. He glanced over at her with a cocked eyebrow as the corner of his mouth twitched subconsciously. "I'm sorry."

"I know," he hummed and looked away from her as if the apology affected him in anyway. But in reality, he never heard her sound more sincere and small. She had opened her mouth to elaborate a bit more but he immediately cut her off. "Let me show you my mixtape" he beamed excitedly as he nudged her elbow off his pleather center console and opened the latch that held it closed. Inside the center console looked like an endless pit of misalanious items. There was coins, wads of cash, tangled jewelry, empty pill containers, wires, knifes, and even a bowl for weed. That was all she could make out before he shoved his hand fearlessly in the small box, digging around frantically before he pulled out a small cassette tape. "Neat huh?" He obnoxiously shoved the plastic rectangle in front of her face and she quickly took it out of his hand since it was too close for her to even read the writing on it. 'Thanos tape 1' was scribbled messily across the plastic as he proudly watched her flip the tape around in her small hands even though his eyes should be on the road.

"Thanos?" Her thumb gently ran over the black ink that was permanently written across the smooth plastic.

"Cool right?" He nodded excitedly but she really didn't understand it. She glanced back over at him as he was practically buzzing in his seat. He was proud to show off his work to her.

"Yeah." She murmured, handing the tape back to him. He inserted it into his cassette player in the middle of the interior and he turned up the volume knob as he sped quickly down the highway.

The strong beat quickly filled her ears while he began drumming his hands against the small steering wheel. This wasn't the type of music she was into at all, quite frankly it was her least favorite genre. But she had tolerated it, because it was him. He was tolerable.

He proudly belted his own lyrics over his tape, swaying his shoulders as his hands expressively moved along with the music on the wheel.

She had never experienced this type of behavior before by anyone and all she could do was stare at him. She thought about how free he looked while he sang and moved around, how he had looked like there was no stress pounding him into the ground. They had lived similar lives and have done similar dirty work in the past, yet, he seemed to have such a different approach to life than her. She was miserable, constantly. She had always felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders at every given moment of the day. She never could relax as much as she tried, her brain wasn't wired that way.

After about ten more minutes of his loud singing and fast driving he had pulled into the parking lot of the small venue. He parked near the front door before turning down the volume and looking directly in her eyes. "What do you think?" He asked anxiously, his tongue licked his dry lips as he tried to pick up any reaction on her dull face.

"It was really great." She lied considering she zoned out after two minutes of it but gave him a nod of approval. He excitedly made a fist and commended himself while beaming brightly at her. "Thanks for the ride." She hummed softly as she reached into his backseat and grabbed her large bag. She reached for his door handle and began to let herself out.

"Wait," he said sternly which made her pause in her tracks.

"What?" She snapped much more harsh than she intended.

"Are we friends now?" He asked softly with a genuinely concerned face.

Su-bong could have never predicted her reaction in a million years. The corners of her lips tugged upwards in a soft smile making him completely freeze up. She chuckled gently as she reached for the door handle and swung it open without no words. He watched her every move as she stepped out of his car, looking back at him with the gentle smile that made her eyes glimmer for a moment. "Yeah, right." She pursed her lips in an attempt to hide her smile but it failed when she kept looking at the dumb expression on his face. She shut the door and walked away from his vehicle and into the brick building that had little to no windows.

[destiny-in-the-universe]

I’m down bad with my fixation on Tale of the Nine Tailed.

Let me just get one thing out of the way: I am extremely normal (not-) about the Lee brothers, and with the parallel to Vincenzo and Jang Hanseo. As much as I’d like to say how my project goes, I won’t be able to share, woof.

At least not right now, but with Lee Yeon and Lee Rang…

Yeon is extremely emotionally constipated; like he’s an old fox and has lived a long time so he just doesn’t want to deal with anything. Also the pain of losing Aeum- I’m not going to sit here and defend Yeon, let alone Rang. I adore Rang, but he isn’t an angel in this. He’s like a wet, feral fox- cat that would rather swipe its claws at you than let you pet him.

So far, I’ve come up with a multitude of AU’s and if anyone is interested in my utter nonsense, I’m willing to talk about them! Later— because as soon as this post is finished, I’m probably going to bed… I’ve got an event tomorrow unfortunately.

So without much further ado, read below the cut for more information!

A Tail of Two Foxes: If anyone manages to figure out this poor reference, I will love you forever (/platonic). Lee Yeon’s history with Rang plays out a little differently… I’m not entirely sure what direction I’m going with this, but if I don’t get a bit of feral! Yeon and his adoptive little cub, I’m losing my marbles.

UNTITLED: This AU doesn’t have a name but I’m also perpetually stuck in brainrot over one tiny thing — what if Lee Rang and Ki Yuri’s roles had been reversed? As in if Rang was the captured fox in Russia instead of Ki Yuri. I read a fanfic on this, but unfortunately it just didn’t stick and I thought of creating my own?

[REDACTED]: The universe for the Vincenzo x Tale of the Nine Tailed AU! This one won’t be talked about until I release the fanfic but keep this one in your minds! /j

I did have one more idea but it seems to have completely slipped my mind. I’m just seeing the different possibilities we could’ve had for Yeon and Rang. Rang is definitely the runt of the litter, and while he isn’t some perfect little snowdrop, he’s just in my mind. Constantly.

I’m also envisioning the thought of Yeon and Rang meeting as fox cubs, which is just my attempt to make something fluffy? Yeon isn’t sunshine and daises either but he loves his brother, I know he does. They’re like fire and ice, black and white. And goodness me, I know I’m not going to shut up about them.

[clockwards]

love that we've all kind of decided that luca and hanseo would be best friends. its happening in my own fic without even meaning to. theyre just so Idiots In Arms shaped

[kmsarchive]

Perfect Family: Lee Sungwoo (Myungsoo) Character Description

Lee Sungwoo (Detective at the Violent Crimes Unit of Hanseo Police Station)/ Kim Myungsoo (Special Appearance)

Detective Shin's (Kim Dohyun) junior and partner.

He always had a laid-back and relaxed personality, but he is very busy every day thanks to his partner, Detective Shin.

There are many cases, and there is also a senior who always brings in work.

However, he tends to follow this senior without complaint because he also respects his passion.

Thanks to his movie-loving wife, he is well-versed in movies. He often expresses himself by referencing special characters or scenes. As a big accident comes up at a time when he should be enjoying his newlywed life, he is also conscious of his wife's feelings, but he secretly takes his senior as a role model as he sees him find clues for a case he couldn't find himself like a character in a movie. Even if he is not as good as his senior, he feels a strong sense of responsibility and tries to find a clue to the case.

From the drama website

[hikayat]

do you want a hug- hanseo aka cat(wo)man to your doctor

How he has always been weak to Hanseo without a single doubt coursing through him — @sovrumana

It was a horrible day nonetheless.

His on-call was filled with pagers of him needing to attend to desaturated patients, difficult multidisciplinary team meetings, and of course, the horrible breaking down of difficult news.

Jaemin was ready for the floor to swallow him whole the minute he stepped into his apartment but seeing Hanseo was there made the doctor smile. And that question? A thousand-dollar question that immediately dropped the weight on his shoulders dropped to the ground.

"How could I say no to that, Hanseo?" With that he enveloped his arms around Hanseo, face burying into the super-hero's. "You are the best, do you know that?"

[my-bated-breath]

Closing Thoughts on Vincenzo

No one asked, but here you go.

I watched the last two episodes of Vincenzo yesterday, but even in the midst of my viewing experience I was able to synthesis and analyze what I was enjoying and not-enjoying, what worked and what didn’t work (for me), so that itself says something about how immersive it was. Of course, Vincenzo is a great show — the action is sharp and satisfying, the schemes are elaborate and spectacular, the humor is cracky yet genuine, and the characters are so, so lovable. And I loved the romance side plot, because yes, I am weak. Still, the last 2-4 episodes strained some of that, and this is my take on why I felt not exactly disappointed, but underwhelmed in the final stretch. I’m also including what I did like at the very end, as that makes sense with how I’m structuring this kind-of-analysis.

spoilers below

Tension, Stakes, and Pay-off

The tension in Vincenzo has been ramped up ever since the death of Vincenzo’s mother, loudly and painfully declaring in that moment that “this is not a game” (contrary to Vincenzo telling Hanseok in jail that he’s toying with him). This leads to a chilling confrontation between Vincenzo and the antagonists while also uniting the residents of Geumga in all-out, unapologetic war. And there is no more game of chess — just one of cat and mouse, with Vincenzo descending upon his prey.

Hence, Vincenzo is noticeably less soft, and he strikes Babel with the steel of his resolve. His schemes feel much more sinister than mischievous as they had been before; he is ending this, once and for all. So, how does the show amp up the tension and stakes from there?

Well, it’s all in what I said before. The tension is teased out in Vincenzo stealing everything Hanseok has ever treasured and then taunting/threatening him in prison, and then with the Babel villains descending into chaos and desperation. The stakes, however, are less noticeable, because Vincenzo is kind of obviously winning. The stakes have already been established with Vincenzo’s mother, then paid off with her death, and then paid off even more with Vincenzo mercilessly seizing the upper hand.

That’s why I feel like Myunghee and Hanseo’s death just... happened. Because it’s been 3 whole episodes since Vincenzo has founded this new resolve, that sort of dragged out follow-up loses its thrill and gratification. They’ve been defeated now, completely and totally. But so what? They’ve been on the losing end for more than 3 hours of screen time now, and even their last resort of a counterattack didn’t hold much narrative weight (which is something I’ll get to later). Their deaths are not boring to say the least — I saw a post that said something similar to “Myunghee, a woman who danced to the music of others’ pain, died dancing to her own” and “Hanseo, a man with no heart, has a hole drilled into that empty cavity.”

But their deaths also happen very isolated from everyone else, not just physically, but emotionally as well. It’s almost as if Vincenzo’s clapping his hands and saying, “Let’s wrap this up now, I’m getting a little tired.” And while I wouldn’t say their deaths are unnecessarily cruel, given everything they’ve done, I don’t think Vincenzo does this in response to anything particularly substantial. Is this for his mother’s death? For Chayoung’s injury? For everyone else? Well, maybe, but it sure didn’t feel like he was contemplating that during or after torturing them. If I put the Vincenzo from the beginning of the show there in those two scenes vs Vincenzo from the end of the show, post character development and all, I think the only difference would be that beginning-of-the-show Vincenzo would still be unfamiliar with Babel’s crimes and see this as a waste of time.

A sort of side note: Now, one of the strong points of this show is its use of comedy in its otherwise very serious schemes (I still thinking about episodes 8 and 15 all the time). But with the impending climax and increasingly serious tone, there was no comedy to make said-serious schemes as engaging to watch. So now unable to rely on one of its greatest strengths, the show must rely on emotional impact. Or similarly: narrative weight.

Narrative Weight

In episodes 19-20, Chayoung is shot, Hanseo dies, and Chulwook is stabbed (and you think he’s going to die but he doesn’t). Who said there was no emotional impact in these episodes again?!

Oh right. Me.

Beyond Hong Yuchan and Oh Gyeongja’s death, injuries and fatalities suffered from our protagonists’ side don’t really have that many consequences. You can argue the consequences of Hanseo dying is that we’re all very sad, but both we and the characters are barely given a moment to grieve before we have to move on. What does Hanseo die for? He dies as an abuse victim just beginning to break out of the cycle he was trapped in, and that itself isn’t necessary a bad narrative choice, and he dies as a warrior in this Mafia vs Conglomerate war, but what does he die for? If it’s for Vincenzo and Chayoung to live, they pretty much get lucky with Hanseo running out of bullets. If it is to show that he had changed, and that this tied into some greater theme of redemption, then his death really isn’t really given enough thought for it to resonate well. I would’ve loved to see Vincenzo reflecting on Hanseo learning to trust and love again, despite all the mistakes he made in the past, and how that influences his own decision to embrace his version of villainous justice. But no. This is something I only thought of after reading a few Vincenzo posts and trying to justify my own moral for the show.

Don’t forget that Chulwook almost dies too. Like I genuinely believed he was dead, shed a tear for the daughter he would never meet, and then the show went like, “Guess what? Psyche!”

I’m not very fond of that injury/pseud-death-but-not-really.

And now we have Chayoung, the person who Vincenzo is the closest to. Don’t get me wrong, I amso weak for her never giving into Hanseo and asking for death over Vinceno getting hurt, for guarding Vincenzo from the bullet, for Vincenzo’s shocked and empty eyes, for Chayoung’s glazed gaze, for him desperately and powerlessly hugging her tightly because that’s all he can do for her now. Afterwards, she’s in the hospital, her shoulder is recuperating, and there’s a nice Chayenzo parallel to episode 4 when Chayoung was waiting by Vinny’s hospital bed. But afterwards afterwards? She’s just in the hospital. Sidelined from the climax.

Vincenzo told her, “I will finish this, for you.” That could’ve worked, because we could’ve seen Chayoung emotionally or spiritually with us during the climax and Myunghee and Hanseo’s deaths. But like I mentioned earlier, it really didn’t feel that way. Ultimately, the narrative tells us that Chayoung’s injury just means she can’t strain herself for a couple of days, despite initially delivering it so dramatically and emotionally.

As one of my friends said while we were discussing this episode: Vincenzo is the titular character, but Chayoung has so much to care for too. Her father died because of Babel, and she said, “We should share the danger.” Instead, we got a decentish-but-slightly-underwhelming scene where she is driven to see Vincenzo off. Okay then.

Characters

Speaking of, Chayoung receives much of the short-end of the character development stick in the last 4 episodes. I found this to be acceptable in episodes 17-18, and she does have that moment where she looked uncertain and nauseated at the death of the “hunting dogs” before shoving down her misgivings, clinging onto a facade of strength as she says “this is what I wanted.” Also, even though it wasn’t episode 14, I wasn’t complaining about the Chayenzo moments either.

But still, this is the second most important protagonist in the narrative and nothing about her really changes in these last few episodes. Nor does she experience catharsis alongside Vincenzo, emotionally or otherwise. There had been some buildup about whether or not Chayoung can swallow the cruel path that she has chosen, but if she’s not even the given the chance to make her own decision on said cruel path, that’s just wasted set up.

(I know that during the Babel Tower party-fiasco Vincenzo told Chayoung that he originally wanted her to push the button that’ll kill one of the hunting dogs, but then decided against it upon seeing Chayoung’s wavering face, but like. Narratively, if she was the one to press it, and then we had some follow-up character arc about her coming to terms with her decision... Oh, we could’ve had it all.)

Another thing I want to point out is that Chayoung has been a foil to Vincenzo in that she represents the happiness, love, and innocence now unattainable to him. (This is just his view, by the way, since Chayoung isn’t exactly innocent herself, which he could’ve seen if the show had only taken this direction.) That is to say, Vinceno’s most interesting character moments are drawn out of him by Chayoung: In his apartment, when they are under the ceiling-stars, and she asks him whether he has ever killed anyone. On the rooftop, when they decide that Hanseok must lose everything before he dies, and he promises to her that he’ll stay in Korea to see things through to the end, in direct contrast to himself at the beginning of the show. In the highway pass, when she embraces him after a gunfight, the closest he’s ever grazed past death. When they drink makgeolli together and he tells her about what her father wanted to say to her. When they sit together by the riverside and she tells him that his mother would have been proud of him.

One of my favorite parts of episodes 11-12 during the gun fight is just how emotionally present Chayoung is, despite not wielding a gun herself, or even being anywhere near the action. I’m not sure if I’m getting this right, but I think this is the first time Vincenzo had killed people on screen, so to see Chayoung embrace him so tearfully afterwards almost felt like he was being reminded of his humanity. And this also shows that Chayoung, despite saying that she would feel distant towards Vincenzo if he did have blood on his hands, loves him closely, so closely it hurts.

We think about Vincenzo, what it means to be a consigliere, and his distorted flashbacks of flesh and blood and killing and losing himself, and that teddy bear, slowly panning out to a child, staring at him in fear. We think about how is it possible for him to love again? Can he even know what love is?

Then Chayoung appears, a woman whose very presence unraveled the mystery that is Vincenzo. But the moment that Chayoung’s development was stunted, that was the moment Vincenzo lost his foil, and we, the audience, lost the ability to see how his past, present, and future reconcile.

Themes: Loving in Sin

In episode 20, Vincenzo and the monks have a conversation about whether he was worthy of love or not before being told that he was Vaisravana — and though he could never be accepted by Buddha, he would be appreciated at times, and he would have his own role to play too. I like this conversation a lot in concept. In execution, it would’ve left much weightier an impact if only we had seen Vincenzo’s journey to reconcile his villainy and humanity play out more, if we had a glimpse into the moral conflict warring in his mind. The last time the drama showed that to us — not told it to us — was with the death of Vincenzo’s mother.

I would add more, really, but I feel like my review up until here says everything I want it to. In my opinion, there was no real epiphany that Vincenzo reached upon hearing those words from the monk because he hadn’t reflected on it enough for there to properly be one. And the ending to Vincenzo and Chayoung’s romance would’ve felt a lot better if it was Vincenzo choosing to love her despite his fear of himself, despite his belief that he could only hurt people. (Also that ending monologue wouldn’t have felt so tacked-on, like, oh wait this is supposed to have a theme right? Here, this is vaguely related, right?)

Because a lot of this emotional potential was not quite met, I think the finale also had to resort to some cheaper ways to make us feel for the romance, such as Chayoung rushing to see Vincenzo off and Vincenzo leaving the diplomacy-relations party early (he very poetically disappears while walking behind this sculpture, but I thought it was hilarious that if the shot didn’t get cut off there in another 2 seconds we could’ve seen him walking out of where that sculpture thing blocked him lol).

Overall though, I’m pretty happy with the romance’s ending, at least conceptually. The way they incorporated the story of cow herder and weaver girl and the bridge of pigeons (not magpies!) that will allow them to see each other again every year was so bittersweet, and as someone familiar with this myth, it made me very nostalgic. Also, I do think it works better with Vincenzo’s themes that he would be apart from Chayoung in some way. They each have their own lives to lead, but although they met by coincidence, they’ll remain by each other’s sides by intention. He is a villain, and so is she, but villains love tenaciously.

[utamybeloved]

I want a fic where hanseok gets redemption but as a vengeance, vincenzo wants him to feel the weight of consciousness so he can suffer for his actions forever

[helianthus21]

following up on this, Han-seo's ruthless, exact and elaborate roasting of Han-seok is what finally makes Geumga Plaza warm up to him. they make it a whole event for their game nights, they give Han-seo a microphone and a makeshift stage and everything

like it's obviously not how it happened but I like the thought of Han-seo going on this rant at Jipuragi about how cringe Han-seok is and somehow getting stuck on how his ears are so huge and it's a trait inherited from his mother so Han-seo has been spared from this "deformity" and "handsome CEO my ass", and Vincenzo listened to this and thought "I'm about to be hilarious" and straight up shot Han-seok's ear off

[mikanotes]

— chilly

han-seok x gn!reader | shortfic.

genre: established relationship, comfort

warnings: mentions of killing, blood and anxiety. this takes place after the *literally kills someone then giggles and shrugs and says “surprise!” with a smile* scene if u were wondering

synopsis: hanseok isn’t just a merciless killer. sometimes. and the blood he carried on his hand never bothered you. not when he always took the time to wash it off properly before running his fingers on your face.

author’s note: i’ll write proper fics for him later rn i just wanted to write a comfort fic this is self indulgent bcos i’m feeling anxioussss also i couldnt find a gif of him saying his iconic “surprise” OTL cries

“You have blood on your cheek.” you said.

Hanseok had just come home after spending a while outside in the middle of the night. He only told you it had something to do with Hanseo and people never listening to what he said, which in itself, wasn’t much to go by. Hanseok could very well spend a day complaining about either of the two, so well.

He swiped his thumb over his cheek and looked at it, before furrowing his eyebrows and rubbing the back of his hand there again. This time a little smudge of blood was visible on his skin. He chuckled quietly and looked up at you. “Ah. Seems like it.”

You weren’t at all phased by the blood. It wasn’t really something that surprised you, anymore. And you knew what blood looked like, just as anyone else. Seeing it on his face precisely didn’t shake you in the slightest. It was almost normal. You sighed and brought your knees closer to your chest. “Did you go and kill someone, or something?”

“Something like that.” he exhaled in what seemed like satisfaction as he took off his jacket. He started walking towards the bathroom but stopped at the door to look at you over his shoulder. “What’s up with you?”

You shrugged. He pouted a bit but walked into the bathroom. You had no doubt he was trying to wash off the blood from his face and hands, and would probably come out with a different shirt at least. You sighed and let your head fall sideways onto the couch you were sitting on.You were tired. A bit sleepy. There was no reason for you to be on the couch rather than on the bed, really. You just didn’t think of moving. And didn’t really have the energy to, either.

Hanseok walked back into the room without a drop of blood on his skin and with a new hoodie. Just as you thought. He walked over to where you sat and plopped down next to you with a sigh. “What a very slightly eventful day. How about yours? You look exhausted.”

“Don’t know. I’m just tired.”

Hanseok hummed and pursed his lips, looking away before smiling and turning towards you. He opened his arms and you gave him a questioning look. He waved his hands towards himself, clearly beckoning you over. “Come here.”

You shook your head no. You didn’t feel like moving. Hanseok sighed and wrapped his arms around you, easily pulling you onto his lap and into his hold. You didn’t shake him off. Really, you didn’t mind it— You just didn’t have the energy to move. And it felt better now that he was holding you, too.

Hanseok gently caressed the side of your head, fingers eventually grazing your cheek. He smiled to himself at the sight of you, then looked you in the eye. “Don’t worry.”

“Easier said than done.”

He smiled. “As usual.” he said, “But still. I’m here. It’s okay.”

You sighed and let your head fall onto his shoulders, staring into nothing in particular as you practically dozed off. The atmosphere was much more comfortable with Hanseok around. Maybe it was ironic, because you knew he’d just come back from literally killing someone. But, well. It was Jang Hanseok. To you, this was just part of him, and you were used to it by now. It didn’t concern you much, and he knew that too.

So with this trust in him, you eventually fell asleep in his arms, comforted by the warmth and firm hold he had on you.

[itstheoneshot]

Believe Me

Request

Summary: A child-free weekend for you and your husband is long overdue, if only your husband had a better memory… maybe the weekend would have gotten off to a better start than this.

Word Count: 2.1k

Pairing: Jang Hanseo (Kwak Dong Yeon) x Reader

Warnings: 18+, NSFW, Praise Kink.

You are half asleep on the sofa, totally relaxed, when you hear the front door open, waking you up and bringing you back to reality. You excitedly jump up, skipping down the hallway to greet your husband as he returns home from work. He lifts his head and smiles at you once he sees you coming, arms outstretched and ready to take you into them as you reach him. Jang Hanseo, CEO of Babel Group, dressed in one of his best suits, as always, looking a million dollars, though he is worth so much more than that to you.

“Jagi!” He sighs happily, as you bury your face into his chest, “Where is Nabi-ya?”

You giggle as you lift your head, nuzzling your nose against his before kissing him softly. He is always so forgetful, a little ditzy most of the time, but it is so endearing, and his kindhearted soul is big enough to make up for the trouble he sometimes has with anything that requires too much thinking.

“Hanseo, she’s with my parents this weekend, remember?” You ask him, watching as the cogs turn in his head as he tries to recall the conversation, when you had told him that your parents would be having your daughter over for a couple of nights.

“Oh right, I forgot,” He replies, eyes wide as he takes another moment to process, “That’s good… I’m a lousy parent anyway. She, and you, both deserve a break.”

It takes you a second now to process your husband’s words, the mild self-deprecation that you don’t often hear from him, and it breaks your heart when you fully grasp his meaning. You know that you have shock written all over your face as you take your hands to cup his cheeks, making him look into your eyes.

“No, yeobo… what?” You start, “You are a great dad, what’s got you so concerned?”

Hanseo’s eyes are glassy as he stares at you, biting his lip the way that he always does when he has to talk about something that he doesn’t want to. He shakes his head a little, furrowing his brows for a moment before he realises that you are not going to let him go until he answers your question.

“Joonwoo-hyung said I’m dumb and can’t do anything right.” He sighs, “He said I shouldn’t be a dad, that I’ll raise Nabi to be stupid like me.”

You can see how much it hurts him to repeat those words to you, they are clearly eating him up inside, you know how he gets. He has enough trouble with his self-confidence at the best of times, so any negativity tends to really break him down. It hurts you to see him like this, as you always tell him the opposite, forever complimenting him on everything.

“Aigoo, yeobo…” You murmur, “You are perfect, your brother is just jealous.”

You hate his brother, even just mentioning him is enough to send a shiver down your spine. The man has done nothing but hurt Hanseo, his entire life has been hell thanks to him, but no matter what you say or do, he looks up to him like an idol, and because of that, every cruel word that he says, Hanseo takes to heart completely.

You lean in to kiss him, but he pulls back from you, hesitation written all over his face, as shock is clear on yours, so not used to rejection from the clingy, loveable man that you married.

“Are you sure that you want to kiss me?” He asks you, his voice a little whiny, his lips pouted.

“More than anything in the world, nae sarang.” You reply easily, the words coming quickly to you, without missing a beat, “You are the most incredible man I have ever met.”

He shakes his head, still unsure if he believes you or not, and you lean in to kiss him again before he can say another word. He hums contentedly as your lips meet, leaning into your touch, his hands moving to your shoulders.

“Come, yeobo,” You urge him, “Let’s go to bed, hmm? I think you need a little extra special attention this evening.”

Hanseo nods slowly, moving to take your hand as you lead him out of the hallway and down to your bedroom. He is hesitant in his footsteps, and you can tell that he does not feel like he deserves to be loved by you. You know that it is going to be difficult to get him to believe you, but you have done it before, so you know that you can do it again.

You gently push the bedroom door open, and guide Hanseo to sit on the edge of the bed. Once he is comfortable, you move to straddle him, your knees on the mattress either side of his hips, your hands at the collar of his shirt.

“Jang Hanseo, you’re so perfect,” You tell him, “I don’t like it when you believe your brother’s words…”

Hanseo frowns, visibly fighting down the temptation to disagree with you, it is hard though, and he whines a little as he attempts to believe the words that you say.

You unbutton his shirt slowly, hands trailing over his skin as you push his shirt and jacket off his shoulders, exposing his body to you. He is perfect, fit, muscular, you truly could not fault him. You guide him onto his back, kissing along his jawline and down his neck, as he writhes underneath you, pressing kisses to his most sensitive spots.

“Hips up for me, baby,” You order as you move back a little, “Gotta get your pants off too.”

His cheeks flush red, though he does as he is told, watching as you unbutton his slacks, easily working them down his legs. He is hard already, from such little effort by you, and you can tell that he is embarrassed by it, as you sink to your knees in front of him, fingers hooking into the elastic of his underwear to tug them down as well.

“I’m gonna make you feel good,” You tell him, “I am not going to let up until you agree with me, either… not until you acknowledge that your brother’s words were not true.”

He nods, stuttering over his words, a barely audible yes, jagiya leaving his lips as he watches you, trying to stay still as you kiss up the inside of his thighs. His cock twitches as you get closer, and he gasps as you kiss up his shaft, moaning as you close your mouth over the tip.

“Oh, fuck,” Hanseo gasps, as you move to take him in all the way, “Oh, jagiya, fuck… you feel so good.”

You hum as you wrap your hand around the base of his shaft, tongue swirling as you match your pace with both your hand and your mouth, sucking him off exactly how he likes it. You stare up at him through your lashes, eyes watering as his cock hits the back of your throat with each movement lower.

He is not quiet, whining and moaning as his fingers tangle in your hair, not wanting to move, but indicating to you that he wants more. You lift your head, though your hand still continues to work him, and you begin to kiss up his body until you reach his lips again.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” You ask, “Do you believe me yet?”

Hanseo pauses to think for a moment, before he shakes his head, though his moans only get louder.

“Feels good, jagiya,” He replies, “But I don’t believe you, not yet.”

You roll your eyes, not really believing him, sure that he is only feigning disbelief to get you to touch him more. You tighten your grip, stroking him harder, faster, easily working him so close to orgasm.

“Fine,” You smirk, as you suddenly move your hand away, “You don’t get to cum until you do.”

Hanseo groans, balling his fists as he attempts to keep his composure. He hates edging, so much, but you know that he needs a little punishment, if you want him to see things from your point of view.

“Would you like to help me out, baby?” You ask, “I don’t think it’s very fair that I put in all the work, not when I know how good you are with your mouth, too.”

You giggle as Hanseo frowns, he wants to protest, but not as much as he wants to go down on you. You tilt your head to the side, before gazing down at your body, still fully dressed while Hanseo is naked underneath you. You don’t have to tell him what to do, his hands are already moving to undress you quickly, and you happily oblige him, lifting yourself up so that he can work your leggings down and off.

“Do you want to ride my face, jagi?” He asks you, his voice so innocent and sweet, “I’d like it a lot if you did.”

You nod at him, and you move into position once you get your panties off, your knees next to his ears as you gaze down at him. He is eager, and you smile, motioning that he can begin.

Hanseo lifts his head, tongue laid flat to connect with you, and though he has done this a thousand times before, you still are never prepared for how intense the pleasure is. He knows your body better than you do, the way that his tongue swirls over your clit has you seeing stars in what feels like seconds.

“Oh, yeobo,” You moan, “Fuck, you are incredible… nobody else could ever make me feel this good.”

He chuckles at this, sending shockwaves through your body, and his cheeks flush red as you moan louder, praising him further. You lean back, using your core strength to hold you up as Hanseo eats you out, working you effortlessly, so quickly to your peak, exactly how you wanted it.

“You want to make me cum, don’t you?” You ask him, “Show me how much you want it.”

Hanseo moans into you, the vibrations enough to send you spiralling, gripping to his hair as you grind down onto his face, your orgasm washing over you completely. Breathless cries of his name escape you, the high is so overwhelming.

“Fuck, baby,” You sigh, as you move back, leaning down to kiss his glistening lips, “You’re so fucking perfect, you know that, right?”

Hanseo kisses you back, as you grind down against his cock, wanting to take him in already, but needing him to agree with you first, you need to hear him say it.

“Yes, jagi,” He nods, “Yes, I am perfect, fuck, please let me fuck you.”

You chuckle, lifting yourself up as Hanseo grabs his cock, moving into position. You smile at him as you lower yourself down, slowly taking in his full length, moaning as you do.

“You are perfect,” You reply, lifting your hips to drop down on him again, “So big, you feel so good inside me, baby, you fuck me so well.”

You find a steady pace to ride him in, leaning down to kiss him as he matches your rhythm, thrusting his hips up to you each time you lower down. You know that he would have to be close, he never does last long after you edge him, but you don’t mind, he deserves to be rewarded.

“Please, jagi,” He whimpers, tears brimming in his eyes, “Can I cum? Please? It hurts.”

It makes you smile, and you nuzzle your nose against his before you kiss him again, loving the way that he clings to you, so desperate, so fucking needy.

“Cum for me, baby,” You urge, “Fill me up, perfectly, like you always do.”

You barely finish speaking, as Hanseo releases, chest heaving as you take him in, gasping at the feeling as he fills you up.

“I love you,” He murmurs, “Thank you, jagi.”

As his peak descends, you slow down, though you don’t move, laying on him comfortably, tracing shapes with your fingertips across his chest. You kiss his neck softly, while he plays with your hair, so happy to be so close.

“I love you, Hanseo,” You reply, “I love everything about you. You’re the best father, the best husband, I need you to believe me.”

Hanseo hums contentedly, holding you to him as he revels in the praises you give.

“I do,” He replies, “I do believe you, I promise.”

[destiny-in-the-universe]

I just finished Vincenzo a second time and I have never been this level of frustrated over finishing a series. Let me just get one thing out of the way: Hanseo deserved so much better. He gave his life to save Vincenzo. His life.

I still remember when he admitted he could do things around Vincenzo without any repercussions. He felt safe to play hockey with Vin - even drink, knowing the other wouldn’t throw things at him and even if Vincenzo shouted at him, at least Hanseok wasn’t there.

There are so many characters who were affected by Hanseok’s actions. And Myunhee’s. Holy shit.

I felt bad for Seunghyuk actually, but I wasn’t too sad about his death if I’m being entirely honest. He just wasn’t on par with the others, and him flaking out felt justified!

Now before I talk about my fanfics on a separate post, let me just say one thing. Vincenzo cares so much more than he lets on, even if he’s still part of the mafia. He cares. I wanted to hug him when he broke down having the talk with his mom. It hurt when he lost her.

And he cares about Geumga Plaza so much. Even if he’s incredibly stubborn about it. I do wonder, if they all had official mafia rankings, which they’d fall into. Chayoung could easily be the don but since Vincenzo technically started the whole thing: is he don and she’s like the consigliere?

As you can tell, I’m very normal about this series.

Inzhagi leaving as a testament that Vincenzo’s time in Korea was also coming to an end? Chef’s kiss.

Amazing rewatch. 1000/10

[incorrectvincenzoquotes]

Vincenzo: Chayoung and I kissed.

Mr. Nam: OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!

Hanseo: Mr. Nam get the wine!

Mr. Nam: Do not start without me, do not start without me!

Hanseo: Let's hear about the kiss. Was it a soft brush against your lips or was it like a "I-gotta-have-you-now" kinda thing?

Vincenzo: Well, at first it was really intense, you know, and then we sorta just sunk into it.

Hanseo & Mr. Nam: Ohhhhhhh!

*meanwhile*

Chayoung: Ugh, and then I kissed him.

Miri: Tongue?

Chayoung: Yeah.

Miri: Cool.

[hanseoxsimp]

Whispers - Jang Hanseo x Reader

Oneshot, 1k, SFW + gender neutral

A/N: my first time doing a fic on tumblr 😔🤚🏻

His wound was healing faster than the doctors had expected, and Jang Hanseo found out playing dead wasn’t as fun as it seemed in the movies.

He had to deal with watching from afar as Babel Group descended into chaos, without a Chairman or Vice; all his subordinates were at each other’s throats for the seat.

Then he remembered his wish, that he could run the company on his own without the scar of needless death. That he would not run Babel the way his older half brother did.

Through this mental storm, a clearing came in the clouds as Hanseo found the perfect candidate for the next Babel CEO.

“ Me?” You nearly exclaimed, but kept it low for your ex-boss’s sake. You were one of the few who knew that Hanseo was alive, and was not hoping to keep it that way. You wanted him to reveal himself and return to his position of power- but he said he didn’t want anything to do with it anymore. Not after everything that happened to him.

You knew better than to pry into someone’s personal business- especially if they used to be your boss- but something was different about Jang Hanseo.

How he walked like he was always being watched, the way his hands tremble when someone touches him the slightest and how his eyes shine in the smallest of praises.

“ Er- yes, you.” He confirmed, still sitting upright in his hospital bed, his hair a bit messy from tossing and turning in his sleep.

You found out he was alive by accident.

You were visiting your friend who worked in the same hospital to gift them something in advance for their birthday. As you walked past the patient rooms, you spotted the notorious Hong Chayoung you saw in the news. Intrigued, you tailed her until she entered a private luxury room that had no other than Jang Hanseo lying inside.

He screamed as you did as well. Noticing how much of a panic he fell into, you took pity and sympathized with him. Although he was now nothing like the man you had once worked under.

You didn’t know how to reply, and wasn’t sure what was appropriate to ask or say. Sucking in a deep breath, you smiled warmly and gave a curt bow. “ Thank you, Mr. Jang.”

He broke out into a gummy smile, a hand waving away the honorifics. “ It’s Hanseo, I’m not your boss anymore.”

From then on, fabricating a not-so-fake will, you took on Babel Group and started a new era as you reigned profits back in. It was harder than it looked, as you spent restless nights up without a wink of sleep.

Although through all this chaos, you still found time to visit Hanseo time to time, updating him on the company and buying him snacks.

You noticed even if you did the tiniest things- like the first time you brought in a bungeoppang you had purchased from a street vendor outside- his mood would instantly light up, his smile rivaling the brightness of the sun. He acted like you had just eradicated all his debt or something, and as confused as you were, you found it endearing. You had no idea your ex-boss was so, so cute.

Childlike wonder filled his eyes whenever he talked about his Vinny hyung or Chayoung noona, speaking just like how a little boy would ramble on about Superman.

Before you knew it, your heart was racing every time you approached his hospital room; knocking on the door was nerve wracking as you tried to keep your emotions under wraps.

That was, until, he pulled this.

You weren’t able to buy a snack this time around, as your schedule was too tight to even go slightly out of line.

Hanseo could tell you were tired, recalling his old memories as the puppet Chairman. The way you ran your hand through your hair, biting the inside of your cheek as you constantly took in deep sighs.

Months had flown and Hanseo felt so attached to you he decided he would tell the truth about everything. What happened on the night he “died”, how he was so close to that Consigliere and what his past with the late Hanseok was.

His body shivered as he spoke candidly, as if he was reliving the past in this very moment. Suddenly, arms wrapped around his waist, bringing him into a hug. You patted his back softly in a soothing rhythm.

“ You are so strong, Hanseo.” Was the first thing you had whispered to him through his subsiding tears.

Soon those sobs turned to silent cries and those cries faded into hiccups that transformed into an angelic laugh. A weight was released from his shoulders as he absorbed every comforting praise you threw his way.

Later, you had to let go of him, straightening out his blanket until his fingers weaved into a hold to yours.

“ Could- could you, stay? Longer?” He piped up, only to fall into the abyss of another panic. “ A little while! You don’t have to, I mean. I know you’re really busy with the company- which I kind of forced on you to be honest- and I’m so sorry for- mMH!”

Your lips were instinctively drawn to his, as if it lured you in.

Eyes widening in shock, blood rushed to his face as it colored his adorable face red. He melted into the kiss. Placing a hand on your face, he silently begged you to deepen the kiss as his heart pounded loudly in his chest. His heartbeat being the rhythm to the melody your lips had made, hands threading through hair and tunes spiraling out of mouths.

Seconds passed and you both parted for air, panting in the now tense atmosphere. You easily broke the said awkwardness as you whispered:

“ Don’t ever apologize, my prince.”

BONUS:

“ And- and then I got kiSSED!” Hanseo exclaimed to Vincenzo, who smiled warmly at his excited tone and gestures.

“ I’m proud of you, Hanseo.” He said, patting his shoulder as the younger grinned. “ Hopefully I’ll meet this lover of yours soon.” Vincenzo remarked, fiddling with the curtains of the hospital room. Hanseo’s gaze found itself focusing on the engagement ring that his hyung wore. His overactive imagination then wondered how it would be like to propose to you, to place a ring on your finger, to marry you, to-

Snapping out of his trance, he quickly replied. “ Me too, Vinny Hyung.” Not shying away from the lovesick look that had taken over his face, he stared down into his fidgeting hands. “ Prince...” He then mumbled under his breath, not wanting to say it loud enough for anyone else to hear.

This would be his own memory to keep- even from his dear hyung- that you had whispered into his ear, calling him your prince.

✨ the end ✨

[kdramabrainrotstation]

Idk if this is the way to do it since I don't really use Tumblr but:

"Why didn't you call me sooner?" Vincenzo: Han Seok and Han Seo (platonic/brotherly)

Would it make sense if Hanseo said he both understands and doesn't understand his brother? It's a lot more complicated than that, but breaking it down into its simplest terms, that's the only way Hanseo can think to explain why he's not currently cowering like he usually does in the midst of one of Hanseok's rage-filled outbursts.

Don't get him wrong--Hanseo knows full well how dangerous his brother is. Jang Hanseok is downright terrifying most days. Hanseo has spent most of his childhood living in fear of him. It drove him to the point of drug abuse for a while. Hanseo has since recovered through intensive therapy and counseling, but his brother didn't change along with him.

But that's not the point. The point is, sometimes Hanseok's reactions aren't a product of his tendencies. Sometimes, he's just genuinely enraged and lashing out about it. Like right now. Hanseo runs into the very rare occasion every so often where he can't blame his brother for his fury. And now is one of those moments.

A big part of Hanseo's desire to do right by Babel is the mentality that he has to be strong. No one is going to help him pull his older brother from the throne so that he can reorient the company before it plummets too far. Other chaebols couldn't care less, because Babel could thicken the lining on their pockets. Hanseo's late father spent their entire lives sweeping it under the rug. Everyone is on Hanseok's side, because they either fear or need him. So of course Hanseo needs to maintain strength in order to find his own way.

And this was the headframe he had locked himself into even when he'd found himself under attack. With the reputation that Babel has, Hanseo is used to being targeted. This wasn't the first time he'd been followed, and it wouldn't be the last. He'd simply kept walking down the stone stairs away from the bar he'd gone to alone, silently cursing his reckless decision. Any buzz he had gotten from the alcohol was long gone in favor of a sobering anxiety.

Hanseo had made for a less hidden route in hopes that his pursuer would give up hope, but they had been relentless. The ever-growing sense that he was going to be attacked any minute had become so intense that any strength Hanseo had been trying to feign disappeared once he heard footsteps behind him.

He had broken into a sprint, unsure of whether or not the footsteps continued to echo behind him. He'd been stupid to go out alone, and he'd been stupid to try and outrun someone who had clearly already been on his tail since long before he exited that bar. If these guys were connected to Vincenzo Cassano, they were undoubtedly going to outrun and outsmart Hanseo, plain and simple.

Frantically, Hanseo had dipped into an alcove and called the only number he could think of, and like the coward he was, he'd whimpered out, "...hyungnim...please..."

Lucky for Hanseo, his brother had already been on the chase. Hanseok had shown up just seconds later, almost as if summoned rather than called, and he had brought friends. He and two masked people Hanseo couldn't quite recognize had done away with the person chasing him, and Hanseok had wrenched Hanseo up by his wrist and practically dragged him into their car.

Which is why things are happening the way they are now. Jang Hanseok has a very short fuse, so the instant the car is moving, he's on the receiving end of his brother's screaming.

Not surprisingly, Hanseok is berating him. Calling him an idiot, asking him who in the hell he thinks he is running off without saying anything, slamming his fist against the side of the door--things that are pretty typical in their relationship. But Hanseo expects that. That's the part of his brother that he does understand. The part that he doesn't comes next, in the form of a near-frantic, high-pitched scream of a question:

"Why didn't you call me sooner!?"

The question is followed by a silence that consumes the both of them and leaves them stunned and gawking at one another. Hanseok's wide-eyed fury has metamorphosed into something different entirely. The whites of his eyes are still frighteningly visible in the darkness of the vehicle, but the furrow in his brow is turned up more now than it usually is. His mouth hangs open. He's panting, maybe even shaking a bit.

And Hanseo feels weak by the question, because he immediately identifies that he's not in any danger right now. Hanseok isn't about to lash out and tear into him physically. His outburst, while very much not something Hanseo is used to, feels strangely familiar and also makes Hanseo want to break down. He doesn't, of course--strength and all--but he wants to. Instead, he shakes his head slowly, knowing Hanseok isn't done, despite having just asked him a question.

"You're damned lucky I decided to see what you were up to, or you'd be in the back of someone else's fucking van right now!"

It almost feels like Hanseo's being scolded by an actual sibling. He's backed up against the door of his side of the vehicle, but he's not as afraid as he looks. In fact, he probably doesn't even look afraid anymore at all. If anything, he imagines he looks just as shocked as Hanseok himself does. It's endearing at this point that the older man is still screaming.

"What am I supposed to do if you go off and get killed!? Huh!?" Even Hanseok can tell his screaming is getting less and less fearsome. They both recognize the concern in his voice. "What the hell would I do if that happened!? You're my brother!"

This whole time, Hanseok had been worried. Hanseo can't help but laugh a little. It's a soft, heavily-endeared scoff, but the impact is enough to silence Hanseok for a solid several moments. His hackles seem to return back to normal, and the rage contorting his face eases. Soon enough, he's scowling off to the side.

"What kind of scapegoat goes and gets himself killed for a few drinks at some pub in the boonies?" A decent cover-up, but the damage has already been done.

Hanseo is smiling as he responds. "Sorry, hyung...nim."

For several seconds, Hanseok just stares his brother down, before he turns his gaze away and curses. "Aish...if you're CEO of anything, dongsaeng, it's ruining the moment with formalities."

Hanseo knows better than to think that this means anything all that profound. He's still going to be nothing more than the crash dummy for his brother's plans, but he'll take what he can get at this point. For the first time in years, it feels like Hanseo is in the same car as an actual human being, rather than a psychopath murderer.

Hanseo will never voice it aloud, but he firmly believes that if Hanseok were to have gotten the proper care he'd needed for his condition, he might have been able to function normally. Babel might have even been in good hands.