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wonryllis · 9 months

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HIGH ON HEELS FOR YOU.

────𝖺𝗅𝗍𝖾𝗋𝗇𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗒, 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗇 𝗒𝗈𝗎 𝗐𝖾𝖺𝗋 𝗉𝗋𝖾𝗍𝗍𝗒 𝗁𝖾𝖾𝗅𝗌 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗆.

( NOTES. ) enhypen as starstruck bois. fluff. fem!centered. lowercase intended. unedited. 860wc. requested. 𓈃 ๋ 𝐍𝐄𝐖 峠 requests open!

⋆ ─ LEE HEE-SEUNG. 이희승 boy can't take his eyes off your feet quite literally. from the moment you bring them out he's staring at the pair, watching your pretty hands put your pretty feet in them, tying the little pretty ribbons around your pretty ankles.

"baby, are you wearing that one?" heeseung asks, his brown orbs glued to the pastel green pencil heels you grab from your closet. slowly moving closer and sitting beside you on the vanity couch as you put them on carefully,"it's so beautiful, it even goes with your nails!" you laugh at the enthusiasm in his voice, everytime you wear heels he just babbles so many compliments.

⋆ ─ PARK JONG-SEONG. 박종성 jay is relatively composed even though in his mind all he can think about is how beautiful you look in those blue heels he just bought for you the other day. for him it looks even prettier because he got them for you, he choose it for you.

"aren't these the ones i got you from milan?" jay walks over to the full mirror in your closet as you admire how the baby blue wedges look on you, his hands circling around your waist and chin resting at the crook of your neck. "i knew you'd look so so pretty in them," you nod giggling when he press a fluttering kiss to your exposed shoulder before admiring you in the mirror.

⋆ ─ SIM JAE-YUN. 심재윤 you best believe he's the one putting them on for you. eyes sparkling the way they compliment your dress, oh also he putting the dress on you too. he just wants to be the one to doll you up his pretty little girl who just needs to sit and look pretty.

"let me choose!" jake rushes past you into the closet, quickly sliding open the doors and going through the bunch of dresses and heels you own. when he finds the dress he wants, he helps you put it on through every step. as for the heels he goes down on his knees, guides you feet in them and ties the pretty white lace around your ankle,"like a real doll, my doll, so pretty,"

⋆ ─ PARK SUNG-HOON. 이희승 he literally has hearts in his eyes as he watches you. always walks behind you cause he lovess the way your hips sway from side to side when you walk in your heels. and the way you look so confident he's down bad for it.

"angel, you're so beautiful. how do you manage to be so beautiful all the time?" sunghoon rambles walking just a step behind and pausing a second too long at the doors of the elevator as you get on first. at the party he's literally gatekeeping you from others,"can't believe you're all mine," sneaking little neck kisses and jaw kisses here and there to show you off at the same time.

⋆ ─ KIM SUN-WOO. 김선우 he's such a hype man for you, always encouraging you to put on your pretty heels for him. when you get tired he'll always offer to piggyback you or carry you princess style. also loves holding you close by your lower back, such an opportunity for him.

"my baby is always a beauty," sunoo gushes having his hand around your lower back as you walk through the party you're at. gushing and asking everyone you two talk to "isn't my girl so pretty?" and how lucky he is to have you. "we'll be leaving, my baby is tired," when he notices your discomfort, bending down and signalling you to get on him,"come on, your prince will bring you home,"

⋆ ─ YANG JUNG-WON. 양정원 you can see it all in his face, the way he's at a loss for words, the way he moves around you everything. but he also worries if you might twist your ankle or trip so always holds your hands and leads anywhere and everywhere you go.

"here, hold on to me love," jungwon offers his arm when you reach a pair of steps that are too steep. and immediately after intertwining his fingers with you to guide you safe as he walks just a step ahead supporting you. "you look so pretty in heels but you know i dont wan' you hurt," he says pressing a kiss to your forehead and then after to your lips, tightening his grip.

⋆ ─ NISHIMURA RI-KI. 西村力 if he's not saying anything just know he loves it. and if he starts complaining that he'll not carry you back if you get tired just know he'll take off your heels for you and make you wear his shoes while he holds onto them and walks back bare foot.

"there i saved you princess," riki grins slyly, holding tight onto your waist after you accidentally trip on open air and grass. his hand stays there for a moment as he helps you stand straight, tucking a strand of hair that fell on your eyes. he immediately scoops you up and places you on a nearby bench. then taking off his shoes and your heels,"put them on pls, hm?"

TAGLIST ( open. ) @kangseulgithegreat @s00buwu @luvyev @pockyyasii

#enhypen imagines #k-labels #enhypen headcanons #enhypen reactions #enhypen drabbles #enhypen scenarios #enhypen soft hours #enhypen soft thoughts #enhypen fluff #enhypen heeseung imagines #enhypen jake imagines #enhypen jay imagines #enhypen sunghoon imagines #enhypen sunoo imagines #enhypen jungwon imagines #enhypen niki imagines

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junkobato · 2 months

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Upcoming Kdrama August 2024 🌈

2/8: Bad Memory Eraser with Kim Jae Joong, Jin Se Yeon, Lee jong Won. 16 episodes; rom-com.

10/8: Romance in the House with Ji Jin Hee, Son Na Eun, Choi Minho. 12 episodes; melodrama, romance.

12/8: Your Honor with Son Hyun Joo, Kim Myung Min, Kim Do Hoon. 10 episodes; thriller, law, crime.

14/8: Perfect Family with Park Ju Hyun, Yoon Se Ah, Kim Byung Chul. 12 episodes; thriller, family.

14/8: the Tyrant with Cho Seung Won, Kim Seon Ho. 4 episodes; sci-fi, fantasy.

16/8: Black Out with Byun Yo Han, Go Jun, Kim Bora. 14 episodes; thriller, mystery.

17/8: Love Next Door with Jung So Min, Jung Hae In, Yun Ji On. 16 episodes; rom-com.

17/8: DNA Lover with Choi Siwon, Jung In Sun, Lee Tae Hwan. 16 episodes; melodrama, rom-com.

23/8: Pachinko 2 with Lee Minho, Kim Min Ha, Noh Sang Hyun. 8 episodes; historical, melodrama.

23/8: The Frog with Go Min Si, Yoon Kye Sang. 8 episodes; thriller, mystery.

24/8: Cinderella at 2 AM with Shin Hyun Been, Moon Sang Min, Yoon Park. 10 episodes; rom-com.

26/8: No Gain, No Love with Shin Min Ah, Kim Young Dae, Lee Sang Yi. 12 episodes; rom-com.

Many new shows coming up just in time for my vacation!!!

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onlyjaeyun · 1 year

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𝐇𝐘𝐏𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐘

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍: 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 (𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞)

࿏ 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐒𝐢𝐦 𝐉𝐚𝐞𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝐱 𝐟𝐞𝐦!𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

࿏ 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭!𝐀𝐔 (𝐡𝐞'𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫), 𝐧𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐬/𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬!𝐀𝐔, 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞!𝐀𝐔; 𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭, 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟, (𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞) 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭

࿏ 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 3k

࿏ 𝐬𝐲𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬: 𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐉𝐚𝐞𝐲𝐮𝐧 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐦𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫...

(NOT PROOFREAD!)

← 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 — 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 — 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 →

"Alright", Jake sighs and tries his very best to hide the excitement rushing through his body, despite the fact his boys know him better than anyone on this planet and can easily tell from the way he's been carrying the biggest smile on his face for the past two hours.

"How do I look?" The young parent turns to his friends, who are currently all laid out on his bed, phones in their hands before they sit up and mumble a row of approving words.

"It's not too much, right? This time it's a date but I still don't want to overdo it", he says nervously and runs a hand through his dark hair, adjusts his jewelry and then comes to sit on the chair at his desk.

"You look great, Yun", Heeseung says and smiles at him, the older one's mind filled with anxious thoughts as he remembers the messages he had exchanged with his best friend's brother, "and you're not doing too much, I promise."

Jake nods at the reassurance and actually lets out a loud chuckle at the thought of getting to spend the whole evening with you, the one thing he's been looking forward to all week.

To say the past few days had been hard would be an understatement.

After his older brother had contacted him, Jake had to deal with a constant state of anxiety in a way he hasn't had to in years. The first few nights he barely slept as the fear of losing his younger brother to Chan made sleep absolutely unbearable. Seyun is his baby, after all. He's the human he has been raising for so long, the actual reason why he's still here and living a life he never thought he'd come to love again. The mere thought of their oldest taking him away breaking his heart with absolute ease.

Jaeyun doesn't know who Chan is anymore, and the more he thinks about it, the more he realises he probably never knew who his brother was in the first place.

Because the Chan Hyung he knew, loved, adored and admired all these years would have never abandoned his baby brothers for a life without responsibilities.

But apparently he was wrong all along, which is probably the reason why he's been so careful and worried about the oldest trying anything to take away Seyun from him, something Jake doesn't want to think about or even imagine.

After a few sleepless nights, Heeseung and you had decided to take turns in checking up on the young parent, knowing he'd feel safest when you two are around to let himself get a tiny bit of sleep. In those few days Jake has been more than just grateful for the support system he's got, something he sometimes unintentionally takes for granted yet always appreciates.

He would have never made it this far without his Heeseung Hyung. The two boys went through it all in a way nobody could ever understand. Seung was there for Jake when Seyun ran his first fever, drove and stayed with them at the hospital until early morning, taking care of the youngest all while comforting his best friend and giving him the reassurance he needed. Endless moments in which Lee Heeseung became the older brother Jaeyun had needed oh so badly, his dearest friend and actual soultwin.

His boys all came around about a year after Jake had moved back to Seoul and ever since they had created this little circle of comfort people, Jake felt like nothing would ever bring him down again. He was on top of the world and despite being scared at first, your presence in his life has only added onto this feeling.

Maybe that's why the whole shift of your friendship makes him so nervous. Maybe it's the thought of things not working out and losing you which makes his heart skip a beat in the worst way possible.

Just as Jake is about to lose himself in all those negative and heartbreaking thoughts, Heeseung notices the shift in his facial expressions and quickly calls out for him, not wanting him to go somewhere this dark again.

"Sim Jaeyun."

The young parent quickly shoots his head in the direction of his friends, all four of them, including his youngest brother, attentively staring at him and pulling him back into reality with just their gazes.

"Don't go there, bro", Jay suddenly says and smiles, the expression not reaching his eyes as sadness fills the dark brown and makes Jake realise just how good these boys know him, "you're going to have a great night with a great woman. That's all that matters right now, yeah?"

All he can do is nod in response before he takes a last look into the mirror and then makes his way to the front door.

Despite all of the boys knowing the rules, Jake can't help but go through them all again, painfully aware they're going to break at least one of the rather strict ones for the sake of the little one's happiness.

"And no matter what", he sighs and opens the door, turning back around to face his friends, "if anything happens, you call me, yeah?"

They all just start nodding their head in complete sync and with a bright smile Jake kneels down to be on eye level with his brother, a worry filled expression grazing his usually so happy features as he lets out a soft sigh.

"And you'll be a good boy for your Hyungs, right?" Jaeyun takes his brother's tiny face into his big hands and places a soft kiss on each cheek before he goes for his forehead and rests his lips just a tad bit longer there as the younger one eagerly starts blabbering out his promises.

"I'm so proud of you, CJ", he whispers and smiles, all the boys almost sadly watching the scene unfold as Seyun remains completely unaware of his older brother's worries and anxiety, "I know you're going to have lots of fun. And if you're not asleep by the time we're back, Noona might come over and read you your nighttime story, okay?"

His words are almost immediately being followed by an overly enthusiastic nod and a tight hug before the younger suddenly lets out a loud giggle.

"Noona!" The formality has Jake's ears perk up in excitement and with a bright smile he quickly gets up and turns around to look at you, only to have every bit of air knocked out of his lungs from your sight.

"Wow", he breathes and lets his hungry eyes roam your body, your cute little dress almost perfectly matching the vibe of his own outfit and the longer he stares at you, the tighter his throat feels.

You're so beautiful, so much prettier than anyone he's ever seen. And as soon as his gaze meet yours, he feels himself getting lightheaded.

"So pretty", he whispers and elicits a row of loud chuckles from you and his boys, which quickly makes him realise that he, acain, actually said his thoughts out loud.

"Thank you, Jae", you reply calmly and nervously pull on your fingers before you come to stand right in front of him.

"You look really good, too." It takes everything in your willpower to stop yourself from just hugging him, your body actually craving the feeling of his strong arms and the absolute feeling of security and comfort they come with.

"Alright! Time to say our goodbyes, Yunie", Sunoo says and shoots a wink at you, a cheeky grin plastered on his and the other boys' faces as they watch you hug Seyun and then quickly disappearing back inside, leaving the two of you all alone.

"I'm sorry", Jake suddenly says when you reach the elevator, your brows furrowing in confusion, "I always make things awkward but you just make me so fucking nervous."

His confession drives the butterkies in your tummy absolutely crazy and you physically can't stop yourself from giggling in response.

"You're okay, Jae", you quickly reassure him and place your hand on his arm, his big puppy eyes almost instantly finding yours and if it wasn't for the doors of the elevator closing, you would have lost yourself in the sweetest brown you've ever seen.

"Oh, my God", Jake starts laughing and quickly overs his flushed face from your eyes, his sudden shyness making you happy in the sweetest way possible.

You don't comment on it, though. The two of you make your way out of the apartment building and get straight into the uber Jake had ordered, a beat of silence following before he sighs and places his hand on yours.

"I haven't done...this in quite a while", he confesses, "and the last time wasn't even as serious because I was a literal teenager and didn't even go on proper dates with her." You still remain quiet, yet nod at him to let him know you're attentively listening to everything he says, subconsciously enjoying the sound of his voice.

"And I'm a little nervous about disappointing you, if I gotta be honest", at these words however, you almost automatically furrow your brows.

"Jaeyun", you sigh and scoot a little closer to him, not pushing his hand away from yours as you look him in the eyes and smile.

He's just so pretty. Pretty in a way you can't even begin to describe it. As if his features were perfectly chosen to fit each other, creating an actual piece of art and something you could stare at for hours, especially his nose. You've never seen anyone with a nose as perfect as his and as weird as this may sound, you can't even get yourself to feel ashamed of your thoughts.

"All of this is new to me, too", you reassure him and try your best to stop violently staring at his nose, "I know you're trying your best, so please don't worry about disappointing me. It doesn't matter what we do or where we go, I'm just happy to spend time with you. There's no such thing as the perfect date and from what Seung has told me you've been trying to plan this night to its full perfection, but I hope you know that I'm going to love it even if things don't go as expected."

Jake never once averts his gaze from yours and the longer he looks at you with those eyes, the calmer you feel, something you've never quite experienced like this and for the tenth time within the past ten minutes you feel your whole body going absolutely crazy.

"Thank you", he whispers and lets out a loud sigh of relief once he's processes all of your words, "it's crazy how much your words calm me down. It's like you always know what to say or do to put me at ease."

Jaeyun's words are sincere and from the way he's looking at you, you can tell he actually just said what's on his heart.

Once the two of your arrive at the restaurant, Jaeyun makes sure to give you the full dinner date experience: holds the door open for you, pulls your chair back and orders for you. He doesn't even think twice about switching his plate with yours when your order turns out to be a lot spicier than you thought, cracking a joke here and there to ease the unintended tension in between stories and attentively listening to every single one of your cute little childhood stories.

Every once in a while you notice the way he tries his best to hold back a cough as the intensity of the spice hits him and at one point you can't stop yourself from bursting into laughter when he lets out the loudest, dad-worthy cough the second everyone in the restaurant goes silent.

It doesn't take long for the two of you to leave after that, Jake's face covered in the deepest shades of red from all the stares he had been receiving, his tongue and mouth burning from how hot that "fucking" pasta actually was and still as hungry as he was when you two got there.

To make up for the misery you had put him in, you jokingly pulled him into the next convenient store, preparing the two of you his favorite ramen bowl and even getting him something sweet for dessert, which you end up eating at a random down the road.

You don't even realise how fast time passes as you calmly watch the mannerisms of Sim Jaeyun attentively, hating the way how everything he does seems to be attractive in your eyes. The way he licks his lips, the smile spreading on his face when you tell him a story about your first childhood heartbreak, his expressive eyes, even the way he's holding his chopsticks makes your heart skip a beat.

And for the first time in years you feel seen, heard and actually listened to. Jaeyun makes sure to give you his complete attention as soon as you start talking, his reactions remain as sincere and genuine from the beginning until the very end and you can't help but love the feelings he's causing inside of you.

As the night goes on, you start talking about likes and dislikes, favorites and leasts, family and friends, heartbreaks and plans for the future, a first for you as well as for him.

Jaeyun even talks about his plans pre-accident, doesn't hesitate to mention his disappointment yet quickly letting you know how he doesn't mind being where he is right now and you can't help but think about Jake as a teenager and all of his dreams before destiny had decided to take them away from him.

The tears find their way down your cheeks before you can even process it and as soon as Jaeyun takes notice of your reaction he stops in his tracks to look at you.

"Oh, no", he whispers and gently takes your face into his big hands to wipe away your tears, his heart doublibg in its size when you move further into his touch, "it's okay, pretty girl. I've accepted things and know this had to happen, please don't cry."

His soft tone, the gentleness of his expression and the absolute adoration in his pretty eyes as well as the nickname just make you sob harder and without missing a beat you bury your face in his neck and cry just a little more.

Jake doesn't say anything after that, just wraps his arms around your body and caresses your back, plays with your hair and even places a gentle kiss on top of your head.

"Hey", he suddenly says and reaches for your cheek to pull you away and lock eyes with him, easily losing yourself in the comfort his gaze comes with, "hi, pretty one."

You actually chuckle at his compliment and finally get yourself to calm down, your eyes quickly focusing on the way Jake pulls his plump bottom lip in between his teeth; the one habit of his which never fails to make your head spin.

You don't know how long the two of you just look at each other but the more time passes, the more intense the urge to just kiss him becomes.

"Can I...", his voice is a mere whisper and you can tell he's actually holding his breath as the blush grazes the tip of his nose now, too, "can I kiss you?"

You can't get yourself to actually respond to him, so all you do is nod, maybe even a little too enthusiastically and from the way Jake bites his lip even harder, you can tell he's very much aware and definitely amused by your reaction.

He calmly pulls your face closer to his own, gently nudging his nose against yours and placing the softest kiss on the corner of your lips as if he was teasing you.

"Jae", you whisper against his lips and tighten your grip on his shirt, "please."

And since Jake has never been one to make you wait, he doesn't miss another moment before he pulls you into a soft kiss.

The feeling of his plump lips finally meeting yours pushes every bit of oxygen out of your lungs, leaving you completely lightheaded. The more he deepens the kiss, the greedier you become and for a moment you can't even remember your own name. You follow the movement of his lips with your own, jolts of arousal rushing through your body as his taste starts coating the muscle of your tongue you can't get yourself to stop.

Jaeyun kisses you in a way you've never experienced it before. Passionate, eager and hungry, yet calm and gentle to the point where you feel like you're floating.

Every now and then he sighs against your lips, digs his teeth into the soft flesh and smiles at your reactions before he pulls away to stop himself from passing out.

And just when you thought this moment couldn't become any more perfect, Jaeyun slowly places his lips on your forehead and lets them rest there as he gives you both the opportunity to catch your breaths.

"You're so..cute", he chuckles and quickly places a hasty kiss on your parted lips, "so fucking cute."

"Stop teasing me", you mumble and bury your face in his chest, too flustered to even look at him, your brain still cloudy from the kiss.

"Me? Teasing you? Never", Jake chuckles yet bursts into actual laughtee when you look at him with a dead expression, yet pulling you back into his arms right after.

By the time you come to stand at your front door again, five hours had already passed by and this week's exhaustion catches up on the both of you.

Jake doesn't talk much once he gets a little sleepier and from his constant blinking and lack of verbal response you can tell said time of the night has arrived.

You give him another quick kiss and finally get yourself to say your goodbye, only to push your face into a pillow and muffle your scream of excitement as memories of the whole evening fill your head.

And for the first time in weeks, you go to sleep without any doubts or worries, because nothing has ever felt as right as Sim Jaeyun, regardless of what your beain has been trying to tell you.

Taglist: @writingmochi @raikea10 @moonlighthoon @ajayke-reads @bldelaine @rikisly @enhaz1 @ineedsomezzz @ikeu4life @theskzvibe @kpoprhia @jayzdaze @a-l-i-y-a @catnoirsbitch05 @thekinkpopstandsforkrackheads @end0rchans @ddazed-lhs @sunflowerbebe07 @heeverseblog @voidbeomgyu @heerinnie @vanillabeanwaffle @mimikittysblog @l0vee-l3tters @teawithbucky @fluerz @spilled-coffee-cup @3amstarlight @jungwon-xo @smg-valeria @elicheel @bobariki @beomgyusonlywife @sumarchived

(No addition to the taglist without a visible indication of age on your blog!)

#enhypen smau #enhypen social media au #jake sim x reader #jake sim #enhypen smut #enhypen fluff #enhypen angst #jake sim smut #sim jaeyun #jake sim social media au #enhypen writers

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elderflowergin · 5 months

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blood free v secret forest, a quick and dirty comparison:-

As someone who fell for Kdrama through Stranger, i loved it because it appeared seamless, grounded and weaved several systems and levels of privilege very elegantly. Most of all it seemed morally urgent, even if it was at its core a detective mystery. (Which, to be fair, Blood Free is as well.)

Secret Forest’s first success was that it held nuance for everyone in the middle of the road; LSY afforded so much thoughtful shading to those men. I often think they will never look as beautiful as they do on SF, and that’s only partly because of whoever did the lighting etc, but they’re not Kdrama glossy perfect; they’re real people trying to reckon with themselves and the moral calculus they have agreed to, and their dignity comes from the reckoning. Lee Chang-joon, Kang Won-chul, Lee Yeon-jae, even Seo Dong-jae for that matter, all have that advantage. LSY managed this for Jung Sung-il in the scant few minutes of screen time he had.

The second success was Cho Seung-woo and Bae Doona. If Secret Forest was a universe they were its gravitational field; it was their fierce sense of honour and morality that drives both seasons. And their moral decency is hard-won; it is tested constantly, and it’s burnished at each opportunity, which is why they are respected. It is a dream that people like that can influence or impact those around them, but you don’t question that they do, by the end of each season, and that’s the victory of writing, casting and the charisma of both leads.

That’s why that funeral scene in season 1 is so important (to me); it shows the gravity shifting. The prosecutors rely on their forest of secrets to keep the centre together, but Hwang Si-mok demonstrates how untenable this has become, how the roots must be pulled out so the weeds die; so new healthy things can grow. The chaebols are at the periphery, and they continue to be there because, most audaciously of all, they don’t matter if enough people shift their moral calculus. I think this gravitational pull happens to Lee Chang-joon in season 1 thanks to Hwang Si-mok and it happens to Choi Bit in season 2 thanks to Han Yeo-jin. They are easily some of the most powerful parts of the show.

On the other hand, we have Blood Free. I’m not sure who the moral gravitational field of this show is meant to be. Maybe it’s Yun Ja-yu and/or Woo Chae-woon. Maybe it’s Lee Mu-saeng. Maybe it’s about the ethical dilemma of experimentation and whether that’s a worthwhile price to pay for the scientific advancements in cultured meat and seafood. Perhaps we need more time to really see the middle of the road characters, but four episodes in there’s not much to go on: there’s Lee Mu-saeng, there’s Queen Dowager as a VP, here’s Jeon Seok-ho. There are three chaebols, all of whom seem like one-note characters to me. (Why ask a talented sketch artist to produce cartoons like these? Unless they’re not, but nothing seems to suggest otherwise.)

The most interesting insight from episode 4 was about Yun Jayu - when offered 72 trillion won for her company, she actually considers it because it means she doesn’t have to face investors and can focus on research. She has influence and money but these are means to an end, for her. I wish we could see more of that, and not necessarily through exposition alone.

When she gives deft, cool answers to reporters, did that come naturally to her or did she work at it? Is she the face of the company because she hated it a little less than Lee Mu-saeng did? If so, why? What comparative advantage did they determine she had? When she wears Chanel tweed skirts and smiles her way through presentations, is that a natural extension of her work or is that a mask she wears? Give me process, guys! Give us the backstory, the way the markets work, the environment for cutting-edge bio research in Korea, the reaction of Big Meat, the interplay of new rich and old rich, some indication of her actual influence (which must be considerably more than what we see on the show, although what little we see, while uncomfortable, is frankly not that inconceivable in a world where you’re constantly connected.) I am so interested in her, and yet I feel I am made to watch the story of her reacting to chaebols and to the mystery of corporate sabotage rather than her being the fulcrum of her own universe. And at no point does the mystery seem morally urgent to me, and it’s because 1) why does it matter if all this is is a giant M&A negotiation 2) why should we care if it doesn’t feel real to us? So what if there’s sabotage? Why on earth isn’t this company guarded like fucking Fort Knox? Why is this company ostensibly so influential, so powerful and yet capable of unusually amateurish errors that are the centre of the show so far and not on the periphery of it? Where is the moral quandary that is meant to grab us by the throat?

Is it a question of the writing? Have her interests shifted and did she want to do a show without having to do too much character work? If anyone has earned a vibes-only moment it’s Lee Soo-yeon, and I respect that for her. I hope the direction isn’t stifling the writing, because that means there is an arresting, politically trenchant drama underneath this dry procedural, and that’s upsetting to consider. We still have a ways to go and I think there is potential, but I have to remind myself not to expect something like SF, that maybe you can’t bottle that formula. That it’s the gold standard for a reason. But honestly, Disney, in the words of TikTok star imo_unusual, you’ve made this show like God was dozing off when the angels were working, now RELEASE US (and LSY writernim)

#sorry i didn’t finish life #and I didn’t include grid in the analysis #although that’s a good comparison to make too #but kudos to whoever costumed hhj #and gave her that expensive overcoat #that looks exactly like a doctor’s coat but in rich black #costuming is the only dept that has not been interfered with #blood free #tvn stranger

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