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kpoptimeout · 5 years

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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!

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dontreallycareaboutthename · 7 years

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Nothing to Loose (ep. 1-4), Untouchable (ep. 1-2), Doubtful Victory (ep.1-2), Two Cops (ep. 1-2)

Nothing to Loose. It seems interesting enough but maaaaaan I do not want to watch a show where Dong Ha is a bad guy again. By the end of episode 4 I was like NOOOOOOOOOO hehehe He is incredible as a bad guy I do admit it. I guess it is a new trend these days to make a legal (law related) drama. Also, I think Dong Ha and Park EunBin have much more chemistry than Park EunBin and Yeon WooJin.

Untouchable. Once again it seems interesting enough. Not sure though that I want to invest my time in these characters. I found myself rooting for Kim SungKyun’ Jang KiSeo as he is not as simple as he looks. Jin Goo as Jang JoonSeo is okay but I am really not into characters who are black and white and he is too good to me, especially given his background. Yes, he left the family when he was a young boy but still it felt unrealistic. I understand Jung EunJi’ Seo YiRa hehe Anyway, not sure about this one.

Doubtful Victory (Oh, the Mysterious). I think this one has an interesting set up. And I like where things are going. Will definitely give it a try. Also, not gonna deny but I am weirdly charmed by Yoon KyunSang. What’s up with this name version of the drama ‘Oh, the mysterious’?! Will watch!

Two Cops. For some reason I was not that into this show. I love Jo JungSuk. He is the best when it comes to comedy/drama characters. Kim SeonHo is the perfect conman hehe But HyeRi ruined everything for me. I so wish Han JiMin who was offered the leading role did not decline =((( Don’t think I will watch it.

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fyeah-namjuhyuk · 8 years

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heybiblee:

우리 제주도 놀러갔지롱. 사랑해여우리팀🌹❣️🏋🏼‍♀️ #역도요정김복주

We went to play in jeju island. I love you my team🌹❣️🏋🏼‍♀️ #weightliftingfairykimbojku

#nam joohyuk #nam joo hyuk #weightlifting fairy #weightlifting fairy kim bok ju #insta #lee sung kyung #sungkyun

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snibnoom · 6 years

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the fantagio situation

MAY 14, 2018 KST VER.

fantagio was founded as noa in september 2008 by na byungjun. the company was renamed as fantagio in june 2011.

fantagio entertainment is the company as a whole.

fantagio entertainment has 4 subsidiaries (founded in 2011/2012) and a manager training academy (founded in 2013).

madin entertainment (january 2011, for managing actors/actresses)

5urprise and surprise u

kim sungkyun

kang hana

chu yejin

various members of hello venus, astro, and weki meki and more

fantagio pictures (november 2011, for production of movies and dramas)

production of the crucible, cunning single lady, astro’s to be continued, surprise u’s idol fever, and more

fantagio music (may 2012, for managing idols)

hello venus

astro

weki meki

ong seongwu of wanna one

solid c&m (2012, for restaurant franchises, education, distribution)

people/names/companies you need to know

na byungjun: founder and now-former ceo of fantagio entertainment

woo youngseung: now-former ceo of fantagio music

jc group: a chinese company that invested in fantagio

wei jie: chairman/ceo of jc group and now ceo of fantagio entertainment

there’s a lot of info beneath the cut so settle in and get comfy if you’re gonna read the mess that has happened within the last 5-6 months between fantagio and jc group.

let me also preface this by saying that something like this has never happened before.

alright so fantagio hit a rough spot in late 2016 (december-ish). their stocks were down an they were struggling. cue jc group, a chinese company (they do a lot of stuff, housing, hotels, product production). they bought up (roughly) 27.3% of the company, and wei jie became co-ceo with na byungjun. at the time, it was a really good thing. it helped fantagio quite a bit and propelled astro through the tail end of their autumn story promotions. it wasn’t a really big deal at the time, and i don’t think a lot of people were aware of it. (at the very least, the wikipedia page never got updated, so i guess that says something.)

in late fall/early winter 2017, jc group bought more shares of fantagio, now owning 50.7% of the company. they owned the most of fantagio, giving them quite a bit of power (as i understand it, at least). in a board meeting in late december 2017, jc group kicked out na byungjun and put all company credit cards on hold.

side note: it is possible for a company to limit how much of their company shareholders can have access to (at least in america, i believe), but that isn’t something fantagio did (or maybe they couldn’t?)

fantagio staff sorta kinda freaked out when they realized na byungjun was no longer the ceo. a lot of the fantagio staff (at that time) had been there for years and knew na byungjun personally. the staff held an emergency meeting, where they threatened to go on strike if na byungjun wasn’t reinstated as one of their 9 demands (more about those demands in a bit).

the company credit cards being pulled was also pretty bad. these cards were used only for business purposes. fantagio actors were filming and promoting dramas. astro and weki meki had things to do. everything that their artists did came out of pocket. actors traveled to and from filming location with their own money. astro (might have) paid for aroha’s meals at gayo daejejun in early 2018 and astro and weki meki (might have) paid for their fans meals during isac. fantagio artists are the best.

it also came out that jc group had been sending fantagio’s money to an unrelated company in hong kong. the way i understand it is that everybody knew it was happening, but there was no proof. (either because it was being done so slyly or what, i have no idea, but they couldn’t prove it as far as i know.)

sort of related (but honestly not all that important, but it makes me distrust jc group more), jc group first said they removed na byungjun because of a “management deficit” and the next day they said they removed him because they were going to go in a new direction.

here’s a rough translation of the 9 demands of fantagio’s staff. (they said they would go on strike if these 9 demands weren’t met. also this is a really really rough translation)

(also gonna be honest and say i don’t know what 100% of these are referring to but here they are)

major shareholder jc group will immediately apologize for their actions

abandon any attempt to finalize recruitment of fantagio (stop buying stocks)

apologize immediately for all fund operations (includes financial enforcement, financial transactions, and account management)

apologize immediately for deliberate missteps and accidents against artists, staff, and customer payments

apologized for corporate credit cards being abolished, which has affected the operations of their artists

funds leaked to hong kong (not related to original business) immediately stopped and all funds retunred

jc group has to declare that fantagio is not a company operate solely for the sake of the major shareholder (which is jc group)

reinstatement of na byungun to co-ceo position and reinstatement of all dismissed staff

jc group should remove all group officials who led the incident (meaning remove wei jie and his people)

by the time fantagio staff announced their demands, however, jc group was quite powerful and they couldn’t really make him do anything. but na byungjun was given a position on the board. he quit, however, releasing a memo saying he felt like he had let down the company and the employees that were loyal to him. he didn’t want anyone to lose their job because of a strike, so he left. prior to this, quite a bit of the fantagio staff fired and replaced with workers from jc group (which isn’t an entertainment company in the slightest). there also came about a rumor that jc group would be “selling” fantagio trainees to other companies for profit. (it’s not entirely unusual for companies to do this, but rather (as i understand it), it’s more of trading than selling. jc group would not trade, they would be selling kids as if they were products.)

fantagio music was largely unaffected by this change (aside from the bit with the company credit cards). woo youngseung is the ceo of fantagio music and still holds quite a bit of power over the artists/promotions. however, weki meki’s second mini album release did get pushed back due to these issues. madin entertainment was also largely unaffected, though i believe seo kangjoon did turn down a pretty major lead role around when this was happening (we don’t know exactly why, but we assume it’s because he was unsure if he’d have the money to actually go to the filming).

yesterday (kst, 180513), however, jc group dismissed woo youngseung. this has caused a big issue because wei jie doesn’t have the right license/experience to be running a south korean entertainment company according to the stands set out by the CEMA (the korean entertaiment management association) in the act on the development of the public culture and arts industry.

from soompi:

article 26 of the act on the development of the public culture and arts industry states the following requirements:

those planning on working in public culture and arts must be registered by the ministry of culture. this applies also when the circumstances initially registered change.

those trying to register with a different method of what is listed in section 1 must match the following requirements

you must fulfill one of the following categories. however, if you are a corporation it must apply to more than one board member.

at least 2 years of experience working in the public culture and arts planning industry

complete curriculum regarding public culture and arts planning work that is carried out and determined by the department of sports, culture, and tourism.

i’m assuming that all was fine until woo youngseung was removed from power, and now the above from article 26 has been violated. because of this violation, fantagio would be considered to be working illegally due to not having the right licenses/registration/requirements. there is now a “red light” on all fantagio artists, meaning they are not allowed to promote or do anything, honestly, because it would be illegal if they did.

this is what i understand from here:

in a meeting on march 11, jc group decided to remove woo youngseung from his place and replace him with a new ceo that’s an employee of jc group. in wake of this, woo youngseung resigned on march 13. the person who has replaced woo youngseung is apparently the secretary of wei jie.

fantagio artists are currently not allowed to leave the agency to join na byungjun’s new company, stardium, as they are in contracts. with how wei jie has handled the situation, there are restriction on fantagio artists’ activities.

fantagio/jc group now have 45 days to appoint a new person that is registered with the CEMA and has the proper experience/requirements/licenses.

this article about astro’s apparent comeback planned for june says basically the same things as the other.

so, what does this all mean? i can’t say for sure, as i’m not really an expert on south korean laws when it comes to the entertainment business. what i can say, however, is that there isn’t really anything to be worrying about at this exact moment. it appears there are 45 days for this issue (about nobody having a license) to be resolved before things start to get really iffy. if, at the point after 45 days from now, nothing has been done, then we can probably worry.

from what i do understand, investigation into fantagio/jc group couldn’t happen until now. because there was no proof of jc group doing all of the bad things staff said he did (sending money to hong kong, removing na byungjun without notice), the korean entertainment management agency couldn’t really do anything. now there’s a real problem that can be faced and punished.

there’s a previous case similar. CEMA investigated a rookie actress who was terminating her contract. the company was investigated and CEMA said that the company didn’t have the right registration (like fantagio currently), and her contract was nullified. we may see something happen similarly with fantagio’s artists, but we can’t be certain on what will happen.

for now, we have to wait for updates and news. i will continue to keep everybody posted to the best of my ability when new information comes out. If anybody has any questions, please come to my inbox and i’ll do my best to answer them.

#fantagio #update #text #i hope this clears up some questions #fantagio update

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ftrae-blog · 6 years

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raw.

MISSION 01. +5 skl +5 kar write about your muse’s family and their thoughts about your muse’s career.

--- you don’t listen when they warn you growing out of a shell is meant to hurt.

it’s quiet in the house. for a family of five, that’s far from common. raewon was used to noise, the chatter, the quarrelling, the endless life echoing down the aging walls. the silence feels heavy on his shoulder. the pit of his stomach used to be all flowers and butterflies, ripe fruit dangling off the vines, but somewhere down the line the roots dug too deep, the leaves grew too thick and the soil turned murky. there are things growling in its darkness, and the unwelcome contrast only fuels the beasts lurking in his gut.

raejin looks at him from across the table, between mom and dad. he holds his gaze long enough for raewon to look back, and makes a point of heaving out a dramatic sigh, rolling his eyes to the very far of his back and slouching in his seat.

“don’t goof around during dinner,” their father calls out without looking up from his plate, but raewon is already chuckling. literally bubbly, tension flowing out of him with a heart ring. the man grumbles under his breath, shaking his head to himself.

if sungkyung had been there, she would have poked fun at dad and left some room for raewon to join in and break some of the tensions with the man, but her seat at the table remains empty.

his is up next, soon enough.

“listen to your father, kids.” his mother distributes moderate stares across the table, a crease forming between her eyebrows when her eyes find her husband’s figure, head hanging low. “children who obey their parents go further in life.”

that’s a lecture they’re all entirely too familiar. it’s odd how they’re all similar, the three kim children. though they each externate it in varied ways, they were all born with an impulse for defiance. sungkyun is bold, raejin is reckless, and raewon is sly - raising them is not entirely unlike domesticating a three-headed monstrous dog. their parents are calm, typically serious people who wouldn’t ever be caught exceeding themselves, and relatives wonder how such a boisterous, troublesome offspring could have come out of them. you’d think at least one of them would take after them, they often suggest. divine punishment, mother often replies.

raejin sighs again, this time a resigned, small one, fixing up his position. his tiny face lights up with a small smile, the words leaving his lips before he has time to filter them through a second thought. “we’ll see if that’s true if raewon manages to hit it big as an idol.”

raewon is the first to shoot him a dirty glare, lips tightening in a silent threat. it’s really just like that stupid little airhead to run his mouth and bring up the elephant in the room while people are just trying to exist. what, the boy mouths back in confusion.

“that’s a big if right there,” their father steps in. his voice drips with derision, but he leaves it at that, avoiding gazes. biting back everything he has to say, like he had for the last few weeks.

“well, it is possible,” raejin insists.

raewon knows he does this because he doesn’t have to clean up after himself, being the youngest means never being held accountable. he probably means well, but it would be best if he just learned how to shut the fuck up. “can we talk about something else?”

something in their father snaps, if lightly.

he finally glances up. when he smiles, it’s rabid, a flood of emotions reeling in his eyes. “why don’t you turn on the tv, we should start getting ready to only seeing you in there. and that’s only in case your brother’s big if miraculously comes true, isn’t it?”

the growls raise to a sharp snarl, his fists clenching, heart set in an uproar near his throat.

the shrill sound of cutlery on porcelain pierces down the living room, and mother put a heavy palm to the table. her jaw is set and her eyebrows are raised in fury, raising her tone above all others.

“kyungjoon, that’s enough.” she heaves a breath, licking her lips anxiously; “we will sit and dine like a family. our children make their own choices for their future, but for now-- for now, we eat in peace.”

it’s only after his father wolfs the rest of his meal down his throat and raejin slips out leaving an unfinished plate on the table that raewon lets out the breath he had been holding the whole evening.

“you know he just needs time to adjust.” his mother lets a beat run between them, picking herself up from her seat to start cleaning the table. “the nest is going empty, it’s all still very difficult for him. you have to understand his point of view, too.”

he knows he had picked the worst moment to decide to transfer to seoul to start auditioning for entertainment agencies. the oldest child is off on her first year of college, and his parents had counted on keeping the house full for at least three more years until raewon started talking of these big ideas out of nowhere. he knows he had to act now, before he had started high school in ulsan and the chains keeping him in place grew too tight around his ankles. it’s the only moment for action, it just happens to also hurt the most.

it’s betrayal.

he does wonder if it’s worth it, putting his family through this anguish for something as trivial as a dream that is not even his.

the two of them remain silent as they move around the kitchen. his mother takes her place by the sink and raewon has the cloth, drying and stacking the dishes. when she stops, wet hands on the marbled edge of the sink, raewon feels his heart sink. she glances at him over her shoulders, and he notices, for the first time, her eyes are swimming in tears that are only now starting to roll down her face.

“is this what you really want?”

he doesn’t know the answer, but he knows what he has to say.

“yes.”

she sighs and sobs all at once, and moves to wrap him in an embrace. his shirt turns wet from her hands and her tears, the load of years of unspoken words breaking into every keen she muffles in his shoulder. he’s almost too shocked to return the hug, almost scared. this isn’t a side of her he had ever seen. it’s frightening to witness, to be the reason behind it.

“that’s good, it’s good.” she nods to herself, wiping her face with her rolled up sleeves, lips pressing into a thin line curving upwards. she glances at him with her flushed cheeks and glassy gaze, sniffling with a smile. her hands touch his cheeks kindly. it’s hard to stand still, receiving that amount of affection.

“i can send you off with a light heart, then.”

( 00:38AM, november 12th, 2011 ) INCOMING: sungkyung 😬

i'll be counting on you for autographs from handsome actors when you debut

i'll sell it all online and we'll get rich together~~

👀💰💕

#cc:mission #re:history #wc: 1.191

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