#tae sung turned his life because she believed in him

[morganafata]

I can only imagine what the Sun Jae/ Im Sol/ Tae Sung love triangle must look like to the rest of the world. She managed to land two of the hottest guys in existence by being equal parts adorable and insane, the combination of which gave them both so much brain damage, they were nearly electrocuted to death trying to kill each other in her mom's rental store.

[pandorasword]

Chaeri as the 8th and youngest member of BTS.

CHAERI'S MASTERLIST

PTD On Stage in LA | Day 3

❒ genre: Slice of life

❒ words: 972

❒ summary: In which Chaeri uses Tae's beauty to her benefit

❒ prompts requested from the dialogue prompts game: “Wow, I really can’t speak, huh? Must be because of how pretty you look”

She was never good with words. She preferred facts: solid, reliable, hard to misunderstand. Words, on the other hand, always seemed elusive, ungraspable, especially when she had to use them in English. The situation worsened drastically when she found herself in front of thousands of people, right after singing for two hours non-stop. What was so difficult about a simple 'thank you'? For her, it was a real mystery. In fact, she didn’t believe a speech was necessary to express the emotion she felt every time. Hearing her songs sung by so many voices, with different accents, but with the same passion she put into them… she was sure it was evident during her performances how much she appreciated and was grateful for everything.

But it should be considered that those who cause their own misfortune should weep for themselves. She knew that day would come. She had all those years of experience and a highly competent team to ignore the inevitability of that moment. She could have taken the time to prepare a few sentences in English, memorize the pronunciation, and say them on stage. Instead, look at that, she had done nothing and couldn’t even remember why

In just a few seconds, all the times she had literally fled the room when she saw the English coach enter came back to her. It was almost like a scene from a cartoon: he came in one door and she scurried out the other, as if her only purpose in life was to avoid that conversation.

She had to refrain from slapping her forehead for being so stupid and irresponsible. She was still on stage, under the gaze of thousands of people.

Tae had just finished his speech. His English was insecure, his pronunciation questionable, but at least he had said something.

That evening, he stood out among the other seven, entirely dressed in red with a mask on his face, he had fun dancing and singing in a costume inspired by the Squid Game series, which had conquered the world in record time. And the crowd was ecstatic. A true show genius, born to capture attention: that's who Kim Taehyung was.

A shiver ran down her sweaty back, a testament to the hours spent jumping and running, reproducing the choreographies she knew by heart for that performance. 

It was her turn to speak.

With an uncertain gesture, she brought the microphone to her lips. Embarrassed, with no idea what to say or how to formulate a coherent speech, she searched the most remote areas of her brain for a foothold, a memory, or anything that could help her find the right words.

Then, suddenly, the screams of the crowd became so loud that they overwhelmed even her chaotic thoughts. Behind her, on the huge screen, appeared Taehyung who had removed his mask. 

And, damn, he was breathtakingly beautiful.

At that moment, a fleeting memory from a few days before came back to her: she remembered Namjoon, visibly irritated, trying to watch an episode of Friends. The younger members of the group were making noise around him, forcing him to restart the same part of the episode several times because he couldn't hear the lines.

Yes, that line she had heard repeated at least five times was perfect, and luckily, it had stuck in her mind.

She turned towards Taehyung, just a few meters away from her. The blue lenses of his eyes shone under the reflection of the multicolored stage lights, accentuated by the glows of the armybombs not far from them.

“Wow, I really can’t speak, huh? Must be because of how pretty you look”

The crowd roared in approval, shouted for the interaction, clapped for the way the boy's cheeks turned red, almost as red as his costume, because of the unexpected compliment.

The rest of the members burst into laughter, teasing Taehyung, while she realized that the attention from her speech had successfully been diverted elsewhere.

What a perfect end, she would have shaken her own hand in congratulations.

Later, in the backstage

“Chaeri-yaaaaa, you made me blush like crazy out there. Did everyone notice?” said Tae, walking beside Chaeri, an arm around her shoulders and almost all his weight leaning on her, partly from the exhaustion of the evening, partly because he loved to tease her.

"Every single person here saw how red you got" Jimin replied with an amused smile before the girl could, taking the perfect opportunity to tease his group mate when he was usually the butt of the jokes.

"Aish" Tae sighed theatrically, faking a look of devastation "my reputation as a tough guy is ruined because of you, Chaeri-ya."

Chaeri raised an eyebrow. “When have you ever had a tough guy reputation?” she said with a playful tone

"Hey, you" a sarcastic, accusatory tone came from Namjoon as he approached the trio, who were dragging their feet, destroyed by now, along the floor, hoping to reach a place where they could sleep for hours. Many hours.

"Don't think I didn't realize you did it to avoid the speech you were supposed to prepare for tonight" Namjoon looked at her with a look that said it all, the look of someone who raised you and knows all your little tricks. 

"Oops?" she looked at him, softening her eyes and curling her lips a bit to look more innocent - which she wasn't - and more forgivable - her behavior was absolutely unforgivable -. 

"So you didn't think for real that I was so handsome to leave you speechless?" Tae had pulled away from her half hug to look her in the eyes, his tone high-pitched.

"If it makes you feel better, I really think you're the prettiest of us all" 

"Ha! Did you hear that, Hyung? I really am the prettiest"

taglist: @alixnsuperstxr | @bts-dream | @enchantingbrowneyedgirl | @ycuvi | @cosmicwintr

[theanonymousb]

My 20 Best Korean Drama

1.    Hi Bye Mama

Genre: Fantasy, Drama

Plot:

Cha Yu-Ri (Kim Tae Hee) has been a ghost since she died 5 years ago. She left behind her husband Jo Kang-Hwa and their child. To become a human again, Cha Yu-Ri carries out a reincarnation project for 49 days.

Meanwhile, Jo Kang-Hwa (Lee Kyu-Hyung) works as a chest surgeon. He was loving, but, after his wife died, his personality changed. After 5 years, his wife Cha Yu-Ri reappears in front of him.

2.    It’s Okay to Not be Okay

Genre: Romance, Drama

Plot:

A story about a man employed in a psychiatric ward and a woman, with an antisocial personality disorder, who is a popular writer of children’s books.

Moon Kang-Tae (Kim Soo-Hyun) works in a psychiatric ward. His job is to write down the patients’ conditions and deal with unexpected situations, like if patients fight or they run away. He only earns about 1.8 million won ($1,600 USD) a month. The woman (Seo Yea-Ji) is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant and rude.

3.    Angel’s last Mission

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Plot:

Kim Dan (Kim Myung-Soo) is an angel. He is also a troublemaker and also optimist. Lee Yeon-Seo (Shin Hye-Sun) is a ballerina who does not believe in lve.

Dan then receives a mission. If he succeeds, he can return to Heaven. His mission is to find true love for Yeon-Seo, but soon falls in love with her.

4.    Prison Playbook

Genre: Black Comedy

Plot:

Je-Hyeok (Park Hae-Soo) is the best relief pitcher in Korea. He will to the U.S and sign a contract with a major league. One night, he hears his sister screaming and sees a man running out of her apartment. Je-hyeok and the man get into a physical struggle with Je-Hyeok striking the man with a rock. Later, Je-Hyeok receives a 1 year prison sentence for using excessive force. Devastated, Je-Hyeok must adapt to life in prison.

Meanwhile, Joon-Ho (Jung Kyoung-Ho) is a friend of Je-Hyeok and works in the prisonas an officer. He waits for Je-Hyeok’s arrival.

5.    Chicago Typewriter

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Friendship

Plot:

This drama follows the lives of two men and a woman through two eras; one during the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea and the other in the 21st century. Han Se-Joo (Yoo Ah-In) who was a writer in his past life and a bestselling author in the present. But Se-Joo is depressed with writer’s block so he can’t write his next book.

Yu Jin-Oh (Go Kyung-Pyo) owned a bar in his previous life. In 2017 he is a talented ghostwriter who can bail Se-Joo out of his predicament, but the mysterious man has a condition for his services. Se-Joo may not be able to meet it.

Jun Seol (Im Soo Jung) was a sniper. Now she has extremely variety expertise. She is a former Olympian hopeful, a veterinarian and a book lover who runs her own delivery service. She oscillates between extreme fandom and an anti-fan of Se Joo.

The intricately woven story of these three characters unfolds to reveal strange mirroring connections between the time periods as well as possibilities for past lives to be redeemed or improves in the modern world.

6.    Uncontrollably Fond

Genre: Romance, Melodrama

Plot:

Sin Joon-Young (Kim Woo-Bin) and No Eul (Bae Suzy) were in love in ther younger days. But uncontrollable circumstances separated them and they went their separate ways. Joon-Young is now a superstar actor and singer, while No Eul became a producer-director of documentaries. When their path cross again years later. Joon-Young discovers that No Eul is now very different person than he remembered – materialisticand willing to do anything to get ahead.

7.    Penthouse: War In Life

Genre: Suspense, Life, Drama, Family, Mature

Plot:

The residents of Hera Palace, a luxury penthouse apartment with 100 floors, have many secrets and hidden ambitions. Sim Su-Ryeon (Lee Ji-Ah), who was born into wealth, is the queen of the penthouse apartment. Cheon Seo-Jin (Kim So-Yeon), the prima donna of the residence, does all she can to give everything to her daughter. Oh Yoon-Hee (Eugene) comes from a poor family background, but she strives to enter high society by becoming the queen of the penthouse, the pinnacle success in her eyes. A battle for wealth, power, and prestige at Seoul’s most coveted penthouse begins.

8.    Crash Landing On You

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Military, Political

Plot:

Yoon Se-Ri (Son Ye-Ji) is an heiress to a conglomerate in South Korea. One day, while paragliding, an accident caused by strong winds leads Yoon Se-Ri to make an emergency landing in North Korea.  There, she meets Ri Jeong-Hyeok (Hyun-Bin), who is a North Korean army officer. He tries to protect her and hide her. Soon, Ri Jeong-Hyeok falls in love with Yoon Se-RI.

9.    Itaewon Class

Genre: Romance, Business, Friendship, Life

Plot:

On the first day of attending his new high school, Park Sae-Ro-Yi (Park Seo-Joon) punches his classmate Jang Geun-Won, who was bullying another classmate. The bully is the son of CEO Jang Dae-Hee (Yoo Jae-Myung). The bully's father runs restaurant business Jagga where Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s own father works. CEO Jang Dae-Hee demands to Park Sae-Ro-Yi that he apologizes to his son, but Park Sae-Ro-Yi refuses. Because of his refusal, Park Sae-Ro-Yi gets expelled from school and his father gets fired from his job. Soon, an accident takes place. Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s father dies in a motorcycle accident caused by his ex-classmate Jang Geun-Won. Burning with anger, Park Sae-Ro-Yi viciously beats Jang Geun-Won. He is soon arrested and receives prison time for the violent assault. Park Sae-Ro-Yi decides to destroy the Jagga company and take revenge upon CEO Jang Dae-Hee and his son Jang Geun-Won. Once Park Sae-Ro-Yi is released from prison, he opens a restaurant in Itaewon, Seoul. Jo Yi-Seo (Kim Da-Mi), who is popular on social media, joins Park Sae-Ro-Yi’s restaurant and works there as a manger. She has feelings for Park Sae-Ro-Yi.

10. Hotel De Luna

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Horror, Fantasy

Plot:

Jang Man-Wol (IU) is the CEO of Hotel del Luna. The hotel is situated in downtown in Seoul and has a very old appearance. She made a big error many years ago and, because of this, she has been stuck at Hotel del Luna. She is beautiful, but she is fickle, suspicious and greedy.

Koo Chan-Sung (Yeo Jin-Goo) worked as the youngest assistant manager ever at a multinational hotel corporation. He is a sincere perfectionist. He looks level-headed, but he actually has a soft disposition. Due to an unexpected case, he begins to work as a manager at Hotel del Luna. The hotel's clientele consists of ghosts.

11. Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Plot:

Goo Ra-Ra (Go Ara) is a pianist. She has bright personality. Something happened that caused her to become bankrupt. She doesn't have anything now and she is frustrated with her situation.

Sunwoo Joon (Lee Jae-Wook) doesn't care what other people think about him, but he has a warm heart. He is free spirited and doesn't have a specific dream or goal for his life. He makes ends meet by working part-time jobs.

Goo Ra-Ra and Sunwoo Joon meet at the small private piano academy LaLa Land in a country village.

12. 18 Again

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Youth, Drama, Fantasy

Plot:

Tells the story of a husband named Hong Dae Young (Lee Do-Hyun) who is on the verge of divorce but finds himself back in his body when he was at the prime of his life 18 years ago. He ends up changing his name to Go Woo Young when he becomes 18- years-old again. Meanwhile, his wife Jung Da Jung(Kim Ha-Neul) joins the workforce as an anchorwoman later on in life after raising their 18-year-old twins.

13. Goblin: The Lonely and Great God

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Fantasy

Plot:

In ancient times, Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) is an unbeatable general in wars, but the young King (Kim Min-Jae) is jealous of Kim Shin and kills him. Kim Shin becomes Dokkaebi (Goblin), possessing an immortal life. At first he thinks that he is blessed, but he realizes that he is cursed.

Closer to the present day, Kim Shin has waited 900 years for a human bride to end his immortal life. One night, he saves a dying pregnant woman (Park Hee-Von) who is destined to die. Meanwhile, the Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-Wook) is unable to find the dead pregnant woman. The woman gives birth to a baby girl named Ji Eun-Tak (later played by Kim Go-Eun). 9 years later, Ji Eun-Tak lives with her mother and is able to see ghosts. One night, her mother suddenly dies. On that night, she meets the Grim Reaper.

In the present day, Ji Eun-Tak is a high school student. She still sees ghosts and hears their whisper of “Dokkaebi’s bride.” She now lives with her aunt’s family, but she is mistreated by them. On her birthday, Ji Eun-Tak sits by the sea with a lighted birthday cake. At that time, Kim Shin suddenly appears in front of her. Kim Shin does not know why, but he can hear her voice and appears in front of her against his will. Coincidentally, Kim Shin lives with the Grim Reaper at the same house.

Now, Kim Shin appears in front of her against his will, whenever she turns off the lights. One day, Ji Eun-Tak tells him that he is Dokkaebi and she is his bride.

14. It’s Okay That’s Love

Genre: Friendship, Psychological, Comedy, Romance, Drama

Plot:

Jang Jae-Yeol (Jo In-Sung) is a mystery writer and radio DJ. He suffers from a obsession. Ji Hae-Soo (Gong Hyo-Jin) is going through her first year fellowship in psychiatry at a University Hospital. She chose psychiatry because she doesn't want to perform surgeries. After she meets Jang Jae-Yeol, her life goes through big changes.

15. Let’s Fight Ghost

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Action, Horror

Plot:

Hyun-Ji (Kim So-Hyun) studied for most her life before she died at the age of 19. She is now a ghost and has wandered around the world for several years. Hyun-Ji then meets exorcist Park Bong-Pal (TaecYeon). Hyun-Ji and Bong-Pal listens to various stories from ghosts and sends them to the otherworld.

16. Hospital Playlist

Genre: Friendship, Comedy, Romance, Life, Medical

Plot:

A drama depicting the stories of people going through their days that are seemingly ordinary but actually special, at the hospital, a place known as the microcosm of life - where someone is being born and someone's life meets their ending. The five doctors are longtime friends of 20 years who started their undergrad in 1999 in the same medical school, and now they are colleagues in the same hospital. The drama will also deal with a story of a band formed by the group of doctors.

17. Fated to Loved You

Genre: Business, Comedy, Romance,

Plot:

This drama is the story of an ordinary girl, Mi Yeong, (Jang Na-Ra)who has neither outstanding looks, a prestigious college degree, nor any other charming qualities, facing her whole life abruptly changing when love comes knocking at her door. While on vacation, she accidentally happens to spend one night with Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk) and even gets pregnant from that night. Because of this incident, her life will never be the same, and this fateful encounter brings love that transforms this not-so-special girl to an attractive, charming lady.

18. Go Back Couple

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Life, Fantasy

Plot:

Choi Ban-Do (Son Ho-Jun) and Ma Jin-Joo (Jang Na-Ra) are both 38-years-old and a married couple. Choi Ban-Do has been burdened with being the breadwinner and Ma Jin-Joo is a housewife with low self-esteem. Even though they loved each other when they married, they now hate each other. They both regret marrying at such a young age. The couple travel through time and find themselves as 20-year-old university students, when they met for the first time.

19. To The Beautiful You

Genre: School, Teen, Romantic, Comedy, Sports

Plot:

Kang Tae-Joon (Minho) is a gold medalist in the high jump, but he has been mired in a slump due to an injury. In order to help her idol, a girl named Koo Jae-Hee (Sulli) disguises herself as a boy and enrolls at the same all male high school.When Tae-Joon (Minho) is competiting at the World Junior Competition, Jae-Hee (Sulli) watches him on TV in America and becomes very touched.

Despite her friends telling her otherwise, Jae-Hee cuts her long hair by herself. She then flies to South Korea, with a plan to stay with Tae-Joon who is now injured. Jae-Hee disguises herself as a boy and enrolls at the all boys Genie Physical Education High School. On her first day at school, Jae-Hee goes up the stairs with her suitcase, but her suitcase bursts open and all her clothes fall out. A boy comes by and helps her pick up her stuff. Jae-Hee realizes that the boy helping her is none other than her idol Tae-Joon. In her excitement, Jae-Hee sits on her suitcase, which proceeds to slide down the stairs.

20. When the Camellia Blooms

Genre: Triller, Comedy, Romance, Family

Plot:

Dong-Baek (Kong Hyo-Jin) is a single mother living in the small town of Ongsan. She runs the bar-restaurant Camellia, while also taking care of her son Pil-Gu (Kim Kang-Hoon). The people of Ongsan frequently gossip about Dong-Baek. She grew up as an orphan, is a single mother and runs a bar where many of the men in Ongsan frequent. Regardless of what the locals may whisper about Dong-Baek, local police officer Hwang Yong-Sik (Kang Ha-Neul) is deeply in love with her. Meanwhile, Dong-Baek's ex-boyfriend Kang Jong-Ryeol (Kim Ji-Suk) suddenly reappears in her life. He is a famous baseball player, that hid their relationship when they dated. While Dong-Baek tries to find happiness, something truly sinister lurks in the background. A serial killer roams Ongsan and Dong-Baek may be a target.

[kim-lexie]

record of youth.

seriously when i say i was awaiting this drama, i was WAITING. park bogum’s dramas are always stellar and next level. he knows how to pick them, so as soon as i knew bogummy was on the project you best believe i was counting down the days to the release. they got an incredible cast and this drama did not disappoint. and now that it is over i will miss these characters that i have found myself attached to over these past few weeks. i would 10 out of 10 recommend this gem.

plot synopsis. 

this drama is a record of the moments between a group of people in their 20s. (get it?! basically a record of their youth in their 20s) jeong-ha an aspiring makeup artist with a day-job as a makeup assistant and a youtuber street artist at night. hye-jun an model/aspiring actor, who is deciding what to do with his little time before enlistment. and hae-hyo as hye-jun’s best friend also in the same career field. with this as our backdrop it follows jeong-ha a fan of hye-jun as they meet and grow in their relationship.

thoughts. *spoilers ahead*

i must say that i loved the premise of this one. it was just unique that i was able to see some new sides to this aspiring actor dimension as well as see the side of the makeup industry. but also familiar with the aspects of the family and wanting to do what is best for those around you. 

i thoroughly loved seeing how hye-jun’s family grow into their new role as he became more famous to see that it was not going to go to their heads. his family, and eventually his brother came to find this answer after the shine of it went away. as they stayed in their house, and even hye-jun wanting to do more where he had been planted was beautiful and made me love his character more. 

i cannot say how much i loved hye-jun’s mother. she was the sweetest most precious bean. keeping her husband honest. supporting both of her sons, and encouraging her father-in-law’s new dream. all while working for a well-off family and slaying it. what a queen. we stan. i think that if jeong-ha and her had met at that family dinner (they spent episodes try to plan) it would have been a different story. they would have been the best of friends. because they are both encouraging people with their own dreams to see their people succeed in life. 

i loved the grandfather’s role in all of this. from being quite and timid because of unfulfilled dreams. and hye-jun allowed him to dream and realized that he was not finished yet. to having him go to modeling classes, and get head shots, to winning awards for his modeling after a few years. truly inspiring. and i loved that completed character arc, because we all live for those great shiny stories.

loved his father’s redemption from being critical and cynical and slapping hye-jun at one point to eventually being his father’s manager, to apologizing to his son. yes, yes. and same with his brother, writing malicious comments back saying only i can be rude to my brother and no one else, to asking for forgiveness. 

it was interesting to have the juxtaposition of hye-jun’s family with hae-hyo’s family because the dynamics were so different. and we saw how the two mother’s approached their sons very differently. and hae-hyo’s mother saddened me throughout the drama because of her lack of trust in her son. and when hae-hyo came to find the truth behind his career it devastated him. 

i wish we had seen more of jeong-ha’s family because the relationship with her mother was so drawn and weary i understand why there was not a ton in it. but her father seemed so nice and encouraging of her, i would have loved to seen him more. as well as getting the families together in general. we never got to see jeong-ha meet his mother. and i am so sooooo sour about that. because we all know they would have been the best of friends. 

i feel like jeong-ha’s family explains a lot about her approach to things from her living alone and owning a house of her own at a young age. to the way she wanted to hold on to the friendship with hye-jun. to her ending their relationship because she wanted to not be a burden on him. it kind of all fits. and i wish we had more development from her. she constantly mentions that she loves living unpredictably now because hye-jun literally turned her life upside down and made her grow, which she did grow alongside him. but still she was so dead set on not burdening or sharing how she honestly felt that she didn’t allow herself to fully fall in love. but then again it also speaks to what is love to you? is it never depending on your person and doing it all alone because that is all you’ve known, or is is understanding that you both will have hardships and need to be honest with each other to help one another get through those moments in life...unfortunately she did not see it to be the latter. 

the siblings here took on an important role in this drama. from hae-hyo’s sister hae-na dating his best dude jin-woo, to gyeong-jun taking on new roles and the family realized hye-jun’s importance. they both came to be extremely important in the family relations and dynamics changing. and i must add that i wish we saw more of the relationship between hae-na and jin-woo because they were cute, and i liked them. also while i’m on my soap box i must say that at the end i was kind of wanting min-jae and gyeong-jun to end up together, because they are seriously opposites and they would make a quirky pairing. 

their workplaces were interesting, and i must say that i could have done without all the focus on tae-su, the horrible ex-agent of hye-jun, and his artist do-ha. like we get it you don’t want him to be successful because he dumped you. also could have done with out the focus on the journalist for the tabloid plot like okay we get it you’re out to get our man. you need to get a life. and if we removed these nonsense plots that did not add too much to the overall story of our characters we could have gotten so much more, i.e. a FAMILY DINNER. sorry really just sour about this. 

their relationship was soooo cute. i loved how it developed from her being like ‘nah boo you got it wrong i’m not a fan of you’ to finally owning up and being like ‘yeah, honey you’re the one’ to being like ‘i want to stay friends, and not ruin this beautiful thing’ to hye-jun confessing being like ‘you’re my boo’ to them finally together. it was great, i loved it. wish i didn’t get second male lead syndrome so early on, because you could see that hae-hyo liked her too because she was honest and raw compared to all the people around him, kind of like how hye-jun was with him. 

but yeah it was a great ride, and i freaking knew the writers would screw over the beautiful story i had in my head and have them break up because their timing was off. but in reality i think it would have been fine. like seriously girl, he is enlisting you will be a better person in 2 years no need to fret saying, it’s not our time i want to be a better person because you’re already a better person. so the double standard she put up was there, because our boo was a nobody when she met him. but you know with that open ended ending i totally say they got back together, had a good ole family dinner, everyone got along great and they lived happily ever after. i did love how they added the same scene again at the closing because he was saying goodbye to us for the time period because he was a part of our ‘record of youth’ just as we were in his. 

i must say i kind of liked the time jumps that this drama stacked up. like it was interesting to see the ending the episode prior, then get to see the events from another’s perspective that led to the prior event. kind of liked it in the end. at the start i was really confused, but i caught on eventually. also wish we got more of a time jump into the future with them together, but you can’t always get what you want.

it is also important to mention how much i loved all the guest appearances. like i know that isn’t that important for our characters, but seriously it was uplifting to see the familiar faces every so often in this drama. from park seo-joon, to seo hyun-jin and lee sung-kyung. i thoroughly enjoyed it. also loved seeing the random tidbit of fake dramas that hye-jun was in, like boo i would definitely watch those...

the ost.

‘go’ by my boo seungkwan. we stan because this is literally a gem and i play this all day every day. it’s encouraging and makes me want to smile and jump around. 

‘shine on you’ by whee in. this one delivers all the feels from the precious good moments to the tearful moments. 

‘what if’ by kim jae hwan. THIS ONE. I LOVE IT. this man’s vocals are stunning, and i loved this one. it was beautifully utilized in the drama to express the special moments that they were having. and made me nostalgic for the past moments they had because they did not realize all they had. and makes you want to treasure the now you’re living in. 

‘just you’ by j rabbit. they have such sweet vocals and i loved this dreamy track.

now don’t get me wrong these songs were great, however i would have LOVED a park bo-gum on a track. like seriously. like for real, the voice of an angel would have made a lovely addition.

anyways, i really loved this drama and i tried my best to be cohesive about my thoughts but i’m writing this late the day it ended so i’m still little emotional that it is over. and i shall patiently await for my park bo-gum to come back from enlistment and i shall watch all his dramas once again. 

i will also post my weekly play-by-play because i knew i would have a lot of feelings and thoughts to short through with this one. so if you want you can check it out here. 

[decadentenemyturtle]

Take a change!

Summary: What is breavery for Dwalin? Taking head on hundreds and hundreds of orcs, protecting his king, kin and friends. Aye, no problem. Or, how about asking your One on a date and to court her? Yeah. Sure. NOPE!

Pairing: Dwalin x OC (Ella)

Words: 1,331

Warnings: Fluff, if ye concider that as a worning. Bad writing of mine. Typo’s.

Author’s note: This is my first fanfic of my “Give me two character’s and I’ll choce which one I’d rather date” , the challege found in here.

Dwalin, son of Fundin, brother of Balin, soon-to-be Lord of Moria, and best friend of Thorin Oakenshield, King Under the Mountain. Dwalin was a dwarf who was named as a greatest warrior of his time, head of the king's bodyguard's and a captain of the king's army, who was known of his breavery and many things he had done, even before reclaiming the Lonely Mountainh alongside with his king and best friend. There were written many stories and sung many songs of his adventures and breavery long before the company of Thorin Oakenshield reclaimed the Lonely Mountain, and even more so after the cursed Mountain had been reclaimed.

All and all, Dwalin was brave, smart (even if many didn't believe it), calm and strong dwarf. He knew it. Thorin knew it. Balin knew it. Ella knew it. The whole company knew it. Mahal, ANYONE who knew Dwalin also knew how brave he was.

Now, however, many questioned of his breavery. Even Dwalin himself.

And mainly because he didn't dare to ask to court his One.

"She has had many dwarves and men from Dale 'n Esgaroth asking 'er hand for courting, even for a marriage" Bofur said simply, sitting on a bench as lazily as he could, pipe on his other hand. Next to him was sitting his cousin, Bifur, nodding seriously, agreeing with his cousin. 

"Aye, just yeste'day I had tae chase some rathe' too keen suitor on 'is way, even when miss Ella clearly said that she did not want tae court 'im" Ori sighed. Dwalin looked at the young dwarf and wanted to clap his back. The young scrible had gotten so much breaver over the four year they had lived in Erebor. And then the sinking feeling set back on his heart again, because he realized that even this sweet, young Ori had mustered up his courage to ask his One, Casver, to a courtship. Their wedding was going to be in August, only few months away.

"I 'eard that there's an elf, who had been taken an intrest in Ella. It's not likely that he'd ask to court - and mainly because she's not af elf, but ya never know" Kíli said, setting his full tankard on the table. When the prince had sat down, he threw an look to Dwalin. And Dwalin felt the anger and panic rice. Because he knew that Kíli would know of these things - whatever they were rumours or not - because of his courtship with that Tauriel, who in turn would hear the rumor's and all from her kingdom from her friend's.

"What are ye so afraid of, old friend? Ye know ye have nothing tae lose if ye just ask her" Gloin asked. Dwalin looked down at his tankard and sighed. What he had to lose? Everything. His love for Ella, his heart, his life, his dreams including her. But then again, if she said yes, wouldn't his life be better? Wouldn't he be happy? And, he would be with the one he loved. Wasn't that what he dreamed of? Ori and Gloin both glaimed that their life was better after they started to court their One. So, drinking the tankard empty and slamming it to the table, Dwalin stood up and left the tavern.

"She should still be in the library!" Ori shouted after him. However did the lad even know, where he was going? Dwalin wondered.

  Dwalin found her from the library, just like Ori had told him. She sat over her workdesk and wrote something down on the perchment. As Dwalin walked closer, ever so slowly, he felt his heart leap to his throat and then drop to his stomach. He felt his palms sweat and he wanted to throw up. Mahal, he couldn't do this!

And just then, when Dwalin thought about turnin and leaving, Ella's eyes rose from the perchment to meet his grey ones. And the world seemed to stop. For a second she looked surprised and then she smiled, and her green eyes seemed to lit up in the candle's light.

"Dwalin! How long have you been there? I didn't hear you come in" she said, smiling. Dwalin let out a long and tortued sigh, and walked nearer the desk, still leaving full meter between himself and Ella. "Please don't say that Ori or Balin send you. Because I SWEAR I'm almost done with this" she kept on talking, nodding towards the table, when Dwalin found himself unable to open his mouth and speak. When her eyes turned back to Dwalin from the perchment, Dwalin mustered to smile her a little and shake his head.

"Nae, lass, that's not why am here, although Ori gave me an hint where ye might be" he managed to answer. Ella's brow rose and she let out a little 'Oh' before she set her pen down.

"Sooo, you.... were looking for me?" She asked. When Dwalin nodded, she turned fully on him to, turning a little nervous, Dwalin noted. And suddenly it was hard to talk, again. On the way here Dwalin had played few scenario's over his head, how this all would go on, what he should say and how he should say it, how Ella would possibly react and what she would possibly do and say. But now he found out that he couldn't say any of those things he had concidered saying. When he had stayed quiet for far too long, Ella tilted her head slightly and looked even more cocnerned than before. And Dwalin didn't like it. This all was going wrong.

"Is everything alright? Has... someone died, or...?" Ella asked carefully, her worried eyes studying Dwalin feature's. And now Dwalin knew he had already fucked up. Quickly he shook his head and tried then explain how he needed to tell her something. But when he still strugled to tell her the words he needed to, Ella rose from the chair and took the few steps to stand in front of him. And when she took his hand in hers, Dwalin could feel his brains turning off completly, even more so when he could smell the fainth honey and ginger from her. And, then, well... Things just kind of happened.... Because Dwalin didn't want Ella to think that something bad had happened and he wanted her to knwo how he felt and everything got mixed up in his brains and....

".... Would ye concider of marrying me?" he asked, not realising rightaway that he had asked the wrong question, and when he did, his face fell and started to turn red. And when he saw the surprised look on Ella's face, he felt his heart sink. She would say no. He looked down, not bearing to look at her beautiful face. And then, after a few quiet moment, she chuckled. She found this amusing, and would say no. That was the last nail to the coffin, Dwalin tought. He had fucked things up, because he couldn't think straight or speak normally, and now he felt his heart break and he would have to leave form Erebor because he couldn't looke at Ella anymore without thinking of his stubidity and he really wanted to cr...

Dwalin's train of thought was stopped by a kiss on his cheek. He lifted his suddenly misty eyes to meet Ella's green ones. She was smiling, and even blushing.

"Me thinks that... before a marriage we should court first, aye?" she asked and Dwalin felt a little light of hope arise in his chest.

"Aye" he answered. At this, Ella looked down shyly and after she had taken a deep breath, she looked back up with a small smile.

"So, would you concider courting me first and asking me to marry you a little later on?" she asked, her cheeks turning more pink. And for a first time, maybe ever, Dwalin claimed to knew what happines was.

"Aye, love, aye. I'd like that" Dwalin answered, then pressing his forehead against Ella's.

[hopeperspectives]

An Extraordinary Haru-Found-by-Chance Day

For a drama I literally found by chance, I’m quite shocked at how invested I was throughout its run. It has been about 2 weeks past its finale but I am still closely following news and interviews of the cast (who seem like such a lovely bunch to be around!)

*spoiler alert*

So how does one become “aware”?

Extraordinary You is primarily about the lives of high-schoolers who are manhwa characters. These characters act with motives (controlled by a writer) while they are on “stage” (the actual storyboard that manhwa readers see, whoever these readers are), and in the “shadow” (their life sans the actual storyboard). Unaware characters do not remember what happen in “shadows” - giving “aware” characters the chance to do whatever they want (e.g., skip school - I wonder why they didn’t do more of that).

But, how do characters become “aware”? I assumed the very first character who became aware in Secret was probably Dried Squid Fairy (Lee Tae Ri), but how did he become aware in the first place? How did Dan Oh become aware beyond just realising randomly one day that she has memory lapses? Is the writer’s intentions for his/her characters to be aware and hence she recycles them on purpose so they have a chance to be aware?? *Mindblown*

It’s great to see Kim Hye Yoon as a less angst teen.

I’ve come to know of Hye Yoon through Sky Castle (which I suppose is where most people know her from) and then found that she was also in Goblin (as an extra... pun intended). I will not lie but I was half expecting Dan Oh to start screaming like Ye Suh as soon as she made her appearance. Still, it did not take long before I believed Dan Oh as a tiny chirpy bubbly princess. 

Although she was an extra in Secret, Dan Oh was in almost every scene there is in Extraordinary You. Hye Yoon probably had such a tight unimaginable schedule (given this is a live-shoot drama), but she delivered over and beyond. She was the cute factor, drama factor and emotional factor. I never needed to guess what Dan Oh was feeling or thinking because Hye Yoon helps me understand Dan Oh’s every move and motive. This. Girl. Can. Act. and we should keep an eye on her (her dimples are also super adorable).

“Haru yah...”

He appears as a nameless and rather clueless extra (who for almost 4 episodes had no face or name to his fuzzy silhouette). The first thing he says is “Eun Dan Oh” (during the summer camp after stacking her fallen rocks); which is really sweet since he muttered her name even before she named him. Interestingly, it is also the last thing he says before disappearing from the Secret manhwa *still collecting my tears*. 

It’s also interesting how the first word Dan Oh actually ever hears Haru say is “sorry” (while being lost in the woods). I felt it was so apt as that would probably be the first thing Haru from the previous manhwa would have wanted to say to Dan Oh after somewhat having a part in killing her *collects more tears*

Rowoon is a new face to me (and to my utter surprise, he was actually in Where Stars Land. Like really?! How did I miss his handsome face?! And Hye Yoon adding to her SF9 collection as she moves along... Hahaha!). It was quite fun to see Haru ver.2 and Rowoon being slightly mean (because how can that face be anything but a cute puppy). 

Haru’s character development was slightly tricky to handle. He transforms from meek to bold, from unnoticeable to in-your-face-Baek-Kyung-back-off mode. Hence I can understand when Rowoon says he gave a lot of thought to Haru’s thoughts, and he definitely made Haru believable. 

While we are on Haru, let’s get this off my chest, Haru’s ending in Secret was just pure cruel. Haru only had a life in school and now he doesn’t even graduate from it?! And I cannot deal with how Dan Oh did not know about this till the last minute. I guess such a cruel ending then makes the meeting in the next manhwa more bittersweet. I loved how they were just extras because that means they can do anything they want in the shadow while being aware. But I also want that manhwa to last forever so we don’t have to go through another separation and another period of unawareness. 

That fluffy fuzzy first love feeling...

*music* “Neon naege maeil cheot sarang...” That feeling is so palpable. Hye Yoon and Rowoon nailed the dating scenes so well. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen another love that is so pure. I have no more words to say. It’s just love in its most basic form.

What’s up with you, Baek Kyung?

Moving on to our other lead. There is such a strong Baek Kyung fandom for reasons I cannot fully understand; maybe it’s because Lee Jae Wook is such a cutie behind the scenes, but Kyung is really kind of a j*rk. Baek Kyung really only redeemed himself in the last few episodes where he was slightly more human, less mean, and more active in taking over his character setup. Jae Wook though does some pretty good emotional scenes for a rookie! 

Those other relationships...

Nam Joo and Joo Da’s relationship was an unconventional one. I actually liked how Nam Joo was never ever self aware. It brings the whole relationship to another level when a self-aware Joo Da decides it is more important for Nam Joo to be happy than for her to follow her true feelings. 

Oh bless Do Hwa’s heart, he was so adorable. I was a little upset that Do Hwa didn’t get a girl. He was such a reliable friend to everyone (especially when Haru and Dan Oh lost their awareness, he was there for them). And he doesn’t even get a role in the new manhwa?!?! I really wanted to see this threesome again!

Again I have never seen Jung Gun Joo, Kim Young Dae or Lee Na Eun in any of their previous works, which seems to be the running theme of this drama. It is a whole bunch of rookies (probably extras in their previous works) who are brought together to this project and they made it work. I also liked that little last minute story of Dried Squid Fairy and Soo Hyang (thank God he found out she was aware at the very end). There was no purposeless character (though barely scrapping through is Kyung’s brother but since Bae Hyun Sung looks remotely like Park Bo Gum, I’ll let him slide).

Who had that extremely challenging job of framing?

It takes a lot to put together an entire production on film; i.e., actors don’t just turn up to say their lines and leave. Lights, costume, makeup, logistics etc. are all so important in creating the whole viewing experience. It made us believe Extraordinary You was a real alternative world. Its camera work itself deserves a mention. 

The leads (or in fact Hye Yoon with any of her male coactors) are almost a whole 30cm ruler difference in height. While that is extremely adorable for us as viewers, it must have been a nightmare for the camera to frame them. While my finite knowledge limits me, let me try to explain why I am so amazed with the camera work.

Take for example this frame (from episode 21 where Do Hwa finds out about their relationship). These two screenshots were from the same shot that lasted barely 2 seconds. You can see the camera starts framed such that Dan Oh’s necktie is not seen (so as to have a fuller shot of Haru) before it subtly pans downwards which also then results in Haru’s hair being slightly off the shot when it ends. It is such a minute detail but it matters since the last shot properly frames Dan Oh (who is the one speaking at that point). Of course, kudos to the actors too because such a tight frame means in order not to go out of shot, Rowoon and Hye Yoon need to act within a tiny amount of space (not that we are complaining...). And this is just one shot of many shots in one scene of many scenes. *mindblown again*

Besides making Hye Yoon stand or sit on boxes which do not get filmed (e.g., above - there is no way a tip-toed Dan Oh can reach that height), I liked how the planning of the scene involved her going on other random platforms/ chairs/ stairs (which do get filmed) to create a different feel - so she’s not always looking up at them.

As viewers, we obviously don’t see that much details when we are fully engrossed in the actual plot. But yes, behind the scenes work deserves so much more credit than it gets. 

I finally conclude...

I never thought I would like a high school drama that much, but Extraordinary You had it together. It wasn’t perfect, but it was genuine. I’m still a bit on the fence about its ending and whether I like the idea of Dan Oh and Haru being the only ones aware in the next manhwa. But I like that I am left thinking. And I will probably be thinking of this drama for a long time to come.

Verdict: I LOVE IT! To watch again!

[overthinkingkdrama]

Exit Review: Psychopath Diary

Synopsis

Yook Dong Shik is a hogu. Softhearted and easily taken advantage of, he’s miserable in his job as a stock analyst, where his good nature is abused by his boss and coworkers. In his off hours he finds some small solace is walking neighborhood dogs and escaping into his favorite movies: crime dramas and psychological thrillers.

After a big investment by one of the higher ups goes sour, Dong Shik is picked to take the blame. Even then, he can’t seem to stand up for himself. Pushed to an act of desperation he composes a suicide note and goes to a nearby construction site to take his own life. There he unexpectedly stumbles a real life serial killer preparing to murder his most recent victim. In the chaos that follows Dong Shik gets a hold of the serial killer’s journal, is badly injured, and loses his memory.

Upon regaining consciousness, the only clues to his former personality are the contents of his apartment and the red-bound diary that was found in his possession. Dong Shik can only come to the conclusion that he was in fact the serial killer whose thoughts and desires are so graphically portrayed within the diary. However, rather than cracking under the horror of such a revelation, Dong Shik experiences a surge of newfound confidence. He’s not the loser his family and coworkers believe him to be! Beneath his fleecy hogu exterior--he decides--lies a vicious wolf: a predator. Now he’s off to live his best serial killer life.

Review

Story: I think an important thing to know about this drama right off the bat is that the main character is an idiot. And that makes sense for the kind of drama this is because you don’t get to the point where sweet baby rabbit Dong Shik thinks he’s capable of serial murder without establishing early on that he has the personal emotional intelligence of a small box of gravel.

So that’s square one. Don’t go into this thinking that Dong Shik is going to intuit his way out of this situation, or that he’s going to pick up on hints that often have the subtlety of a head on collision. Expecting that is a one way ticket to frustration. If you’re with me so far, then you’re ready to watch Psychopath Diary. This is a black comedy and the underlying concept is built at least partly on its absurdity. All that being said, this drama is very, very funny. Sometimes it’s cuttingly funny, deriving laughs from situational humor, and sometimes it leans heavily on Yoon Shi Yoon’s skill at physical comedy. I thought the balance of dark themes and zany comedy was quite expertly done.

Acting: This is one of those roles where I find it impossible to imagine any other actor playing the same character even half as well as Yoon Shi Yoon does. If this script wasn’t at least partly written with him in mind or if he didn’t heavily improvise his role to make it his own, I would be very surprised. He thrives in playing characters that require rapid switches from serious to silly, from intense to ludicrous. I suspect he picks this kind of drama on purpose.

If I had privately hoped before PD aired that we might see a continuation of the quieter more serious side of YSY, like we got in Nokdu Flower, that turned out very much not to be the case. If anything YSY is more bombastic and overblown than usual, but for me it works and what might be fairly called his habitual overacting was tonally appropriate and consistently made me laugh rather than cringe.

Park Sung Hoon as the real serial killer Dong Shik only believes himself to be is a scene stealer, and I can’t wait to see what else this guy is going to do. Even though Psychopath Diary did rather disappointingly in the ratings I hope some sharp casting director snaps him up and puts him in a big role very soon because I would be ready to watch him do practically anything else after this. What a force of sheer charisma this guy is, and he and YSY have magnetic chemistry.

This is the second time I’ve seen Jung In Sung do one of these concept heavy, love-line light dramas with a comedy bent (the last one being Terius Behind Me) and if this is going to be here brand, I’m down for it. I think she does a very good job with these sorts of roles, and I was unperturbed by the near lack of romance with her character. If anything she is underutilized, but still shines at the right moments.

This is the first time I remember seeing Heo Sung Tae in a comedic role, and at first it was quite jarring after WATCHER, but he was my favorite member of the supporting cast, and as good as he is as a villain watching him in PD made me wish he would do only comedies from now on.

Production: This is a quality drama. It looks good, it has great sound design. I love the way whenever Dong Shik is “getting into character” we see a videotape slide into a VCR. I also really liked the lighting. Costuming and set design are fairly minimal and unobtrusive. The only think that I wish they would have done more with was Bo Gyung’s hallucinatory version of her father, who I thought was very interestingly and amusingly employed in the first couple of episodes and then disappeared for large portions of the drama after that. It felt like a missed opportunity for her character.

Feels: This drama is consistent in delivering both laughs and suspense, and while I did think they somewhat belabored the point in the last two episodes, it gives a satisfying resolution for the all of the characters. I was impressed at how they developed the scenario and kept in interesting week to week. I worried that it would lose its novelty after the first few weeks, but to my relief the drama remained well paced throughout--aside from a few rough patches in the last two episodes--and the writers seemed to know how to milk the absurd situations the characters found themselves in for comedy. I don’t think there was a single episode where I didn’t belly laugh. During its run this was easily one of my favorite airing dramas, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it shows up on a best list at the end of 2020.

Would I recommend Psychopath Diary? Definitely. Especially if you like black comedies and unusual drama scenarios well executed. 8.5/10

[offbeatcappuccino]

Do You Like Brahms? (Ongoing Review)

Do You Like Brahms? Ongoing Review Cast : Kim Min Jae, Park Eun Bin, Kim Sung Cheol, Lee You Jin, Park Ji Hyun, and Bae Da Bin Streaming Platform: KOCOWA (also can watch it for free on many other websites) Year: 2020 ( ongoing)

Note: I will not be talking about any cons in this review because the show is still in its early stages and much of what I initially perceive as cons may actually end up being pros with plot development towards the end of the show :) Actors’ Background: Last weekend, I was watching some episodes from a show called “Tempted” aka” The Great Seductress”. Tempted isn’t really a great show and it gave me major Gossip Girl vibes, but I really liked the character Lee Se-joo and the actor who played him was Kim Min Jae. After doing a quick Wikipedia search, I was surprised to know that Kim Min Jae( despite also being a college student) is quite the accomplished actor with supporting roles in hit dramas like Dr. Romantic, Dr. Romantic 2, and Guardian: The Great and Lonely God. Do You Like Brahms is his second time playing a leading role in a drama.

The female lead, Park Eun Bin is also a pretty accomplished actress, who’s acted in dramas like Operation Proposal, Hello, My Twenties (Netflix), and her most successful drama so far has been the drama Hot Stove League (2019-2020).

Fun facts about the two lead actors is that Kim Min Jae played a cameo role in the 2014 drama Producers, which starred Kim Soo Hyun ( Its Okay to Not Be Okay) and he shared screen space with Woo Do Hwan ( The King: Eternal Monarch) in Tempted, and Do Hwan acted in drama called Save Me with Seo Ye Ji ( Its Okay to Not be Okay). In addition, Park Eun Bin acted in Hot Stove League with Oh Jung Se ( also starred in Its Okay to Not Be Okay). Synopsis : Do You Like Brahms? is a drama set against the backdrop of the field of classical music in Korea. The story revolves around two protagonists Park Joon Young, a talented piano prodigy, who’s won numerous accolades at various global piano competitions, and Chae Song Ah, a business major who decided to repeat four years of undergrad to major in violin. Their stories intersect when Joon Young decides to return to Korea for a sabbatical after his successful North American tour and Song Ah chooses to take an internship at the Kyunghoo Cultural Foundation, the same foundation which offered its first scholarship to Joon Young to help support his musical studies. The growing relationship between the two characters and the conflicts that they face with their friends and families as they struggle to succeed professionally, but also personally forms the crux of the plot.

The title of the drama Do You Like Brahms? has a lot of significance to the actual plot of the show. Johannes Brahms was an accomplished German composer and the most famous story about this personal life is his unwavering love for Clara Schuman, the wife of another famous composer, Robert Schuman. The title is significant in the drama because Brahms is the only composer that Joon Young outright refuses to play, but also because both Joon Young’s life and to a certain extent Song Ah’s as well parallel Brahms’ own life.

Pros: Foil and Theme : I guess this isn’t really a pro about the show, but from a literary analysis perspective, it's really interesting to see how the characters are developed to be a foil to each other. For those of you who may not know what foil means, Foil is basically this literary concept, where one character directly contrasts another character. From the way I’ve analyzed the show, I strongly believe that Joon Young and Song Ah contrast each other in many significant ways, but it's interesting because their lives also parallel each other at the same time. They are diametrically different in the sense that Joon Young is this amazingly talented pianist, but for Joon Young, playing piano has been a source of oppression and burden.

Joon Young only competed in competitions because the prize money was the only way he could support his financially struggling family. While many argue that Joon Young’s career is nearing the beginning of its end, no one questions his brilliance or his right to call himself a musician. On the other hand, Song Ah loves playing violin for the sake of playing violin, but she’s nowhere close to being considered talented by any societal standard. She’s last chair ( in orchestra, the best string players are seated closer to the front and worst towards the back) and she’s also last in her class. Many of her friends, peers, and family are bewildered by the fact that she threw away a Business degree to pursue a passion that she’s only somewhat decent at.

I think this contrast between Joon Young and Song Ah really forms the basis of a fundamental question that this drama raises- Should we pursue what we love or what we’re good at?  I think this question is really significant, especially because we live in a hyper capitalistic society, where I think we’re obsessed about competing amongst each other and becoming the best at what we do, so that we appear as desirable candidates on the market. But, in order to have a truly meaningful life, should we pursue what truly brings us happiness and joy even if it means we’ll always be considered average and we won’t receive the accolades and promotions that come with professional advancement.

Realistic and Nuanced Acting : A common problem that arises when you’re doing any type of drama based on playing an instrument is that very often a show will show an instrument being played the wrong way, or will rely on professional musicians as body doubles to play the instrument. As someone who played violin from the ages of 11-17, I can confirm that this drama does such a good job highlighting all the nuances that come with playing the violin, whether it be tuning your instrument , your string breaking, or even rubbing rosin against your bow, and even the sentiment surrounding being last chair in orchestra was really nice to see because you know the show writers really did their research when they decided to write the script for the drama. Also, major shout out to Park Eun Bin for her vibrato technique and I guess it helps that she played violin at the college level. Same goes for Kim Min Jae, who also knows how to play piano. Fun fact about the show is that many of the pieces played by the characters in the show were actually played by the actors themselves and they spent a considerable amount of time brushing up on their skills to play some pretty complicated pieces.

Chemistry & Depiction of Relationships: If the chemistry between Ko Mun Yeong and Moon Gang Tae from Its Okay to Not Be Okay could be described as a combustion reaction, the relationship between Song Ah and Joon Young is like a beautiful yet slow recrystallization happening right in front of your eyes. There’s something fulfilling and wholesome about both of these relationships, but I think that Song Ah and Joon Young’s relationship is something that we all can relate and aspire to.

I really get a lot of flack from my friends for my use of this term, but I truly value “organic relationships”. I consider organic relationships to be the type of relationships that form spontaneously. Organic relationships are the relationships that you start to form because you kept running into this person on your way to your Organic Chemistry class and one day, you decide to hold the door for them cause you’re nice and before you know it, it turns out that next semester, you’re both in the same Cell Biology class and decide to be lab partners and before you know it, you’re besties.

Organic relationships that happen simply happen because they happen and there’s no intention by either of the two parties of how this relationship is gonna turn out. I really like how Song Ah and Joon Young meet randomly and start out with just saying hi to each other and then they slowly transition to becoming friends before becoming a couple and all three phases are beautifully shown. I love how in every part of this process, they respect each other’s boundaries and openly acknowledge their feelings when they’re together. They also practice active listening with no judging or unnecessary advice. But, also, like normal people in relationships, they stumble and deal with awkwardness, arguments, and regrets, but they navigate these obstacles in a healthy manner.

I also love the chemistry between the two leads. I especially love how Joon Young's eyes seem to light up every single time he sees Song Ah and how Song Ah giggles and smiles just a little bit more than she usually does when she sees Joon Young.

[btsqualityy]

BTS Toddler Series #7: Second Birthday

[namjhyun]

He Is Psychometric Episode 15-16 Review (Series Finale)

This review contains spoilers from episode 15 and 16. You have been warned.

I can’t believe at one point of this whole story my biggest concern was proving Sung-mo had feelings for Ji-soo, which for the record he totally did, but how could I possible imagine the writer would take the darkest road of all.

Starting with the Yeon-song apartment building murders and fire, I was holding out hope for Sung-mo to be innocent but that would mean there was hope for him and, let’s be honest, he never had a fighting chance. From the moment he was introduced to us, his character was already cryptic af, clearly playing a long game, and we were wishing for answers... how naive we were.

I have to wonder, what would have happened if Mom and Sung-mo wouldn't have isolated themselves so much from other people after they escaped the first time? Would it had changed anything? Did they even know how to trust others after so many years living inside a cage and then having to run away constantly? Would Sung-mo had called Ahn’s father that night? Would have he realized, by interacting further with others, that not everyone was a disappointment like the police who didn’t investigate his mother’s case or a crazy person like Kang Geun-tae?

Up to that point in his story, the night of the fire, Sung-mo had no real interaction with anyone else other than Mom and Kang Geun-tae. Sure, he had his moments with Jae-in, Ahn and their respective fathers but they were small and insignificant in comparison to everything else he went through. No, in my eyes, Sung-mo remains a victim of abuse and fear who was pushed too far.

I even wondered if Mom was to blame. Whatever her nurturing was lacking because she made an emphasis on intellectual understanding, instead of actual interaction with others and learning through practice. But then I remembered, she sent Sung-mo to school not only to learn but to try have a normal life, make friends, and he lied to her. He chose to stay at the door of the apartment building as a lookout.

Then I wondered if perhaps she relied on him too much, since she was the adult and he was the child but then it’s wrong to put blame on her in the first place because she too was a victim. With more than two decades of confinement, sexual, psychological and emotional abuse, she was doing her best. She was as terrified and desperate as Sung-mo, and what else could she have possible done when -at the time of the incident- even she wasn’t willing to trust or interact with others just in case Kang Geun-tae showed up?

At the same time, tho, I feel she was so oblivious to other’s pain that she failed to really understood the pain her own son was going through, even before the apartment fire. Did she really never suspected what he was doing in order to protect her? And even all those years later, was she truly so blind as to believe Sung-mo was using his work as a prosecutor to send Kang Geun-tae to jail?

No. Sung-mo was doomed from the beginning and so were all the relationships he built through the years, once he understood that other people are the ones who help us experience and understand emotions, but by then it was too late. He had already gone a path with no return. He felt guilt towards Ahn and Jae-in most of all because their respective parents had been kind to him and lend a helping hand, understanding he needed one. And because he didn’t know how or wasn’t able to accept that help, he ended up killing one of them and sending the other to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Same goes for Ji-soo. Sung-mo pushed her away not only to protect her from Kang Geun-tae but because he understood they couldn’t have a future. Sung-mo always knew where his story ended and that meant paying for his crimes.

The most tragic part of the whole story is what finding out the truth meant for Ahn. After the death of his parents, it was Sung-mo and Ji-soo who took the place of role models for him. Perhaps it sounds crazy because they were only 10 or 11 years older, but they were his new family. The people who believed in him, who took care of him, nagged him to do better in school, and gave him a home. By the end of the show, they are both scars and bittersweet memories of a person whose death he feels responsible for and another who he cares about but can’t forgive. I know we have talked about how Ahn is one of the most emotionally stable characters and I appreciate the show making us understand he’s struggling quietly with his feelings towards Sung-mo and Ji-soo, but I don’t think he will ever be able to forgive Sung-mo. Understand him, yes, as we have already seen. Forgive? I’m not sure.

As for Jae-in, even though she cared for Ji-soo and Sung-mo, her journey was always about proving her father’s innocence. It was heartbreaking to hear her say that at one point she doubted him, especially when we have seen throughout so many episodes how filial she is to him. This confession I find it a little out of character but reasonable when you think about the bigger picture. I’m glad she has found a group of colleagues she can trust to do proper police work.

Which takes me to YSS Construction Company and the government corruption case. Personally, I find it was wrapped up quite nicely and a little rushed. There are still many connections to the criminal organization and other officials but that remains to be solved, which is something I am guessing Jae-in, Detective Nam and Detective Lee will make a lifelong goal to achieve.

The half-baked conclusion to this storyline was so disheartening in some aspects that even Dr. Hong decided to take a sabbatical until she felt it was right to comeback to work for the police and prosecutor’s office. Let’s be honest, without Ji-soo, she didn’t know who to trust.

Not everyone had a bittersweet ending, tho, since Detective Nam and Aunt Sook-ja have been dating for a while and they are terrible at keeping it a secret. But another two cuties have nothing to hide: Dae-bong’s years of hard work (and sort of stalking, let’s face it) trying to win over So-hyun finally paid off. They all end up a happy and big family that Ahn and Jae-in can rely on.

Overall, He is Psychometric turned out to be the dark horse of 2019. It came out of nowhere becoming one of the best shows of the year thanks to a compelling story and solid performances. The main four are all relative new as leads but they carried the show with ease.

After Kim Kwon won Best New Actor award last year, as long time fan, I was looking forward to see what his next project would be and I’m not surprised he picked this particular story. He’s always been more drawn to complex and layered characters, and I think we can all agree Sung-mo was exactly that. Many people have commented on twitter they have fallen for him, not only for his good looks, but also for his performance and it makes me incredible happy he’s being recognized.

Kim Da-som has come a long way since the first roles she took on. Her performance as Ji-soo was so good, she became the source light when the story started to go a darker path. And once it was gone, so was all hope for a happy ending. It’s a difficult task to become the heart of a series but she did it gracefully.

I’m mostly impressed with Park Jinyoung and Shin Ye Eun, whom I confess I hadn’t heard about before this show. I believe it’s both their first time in leading roles but I’m sure we will see them in other projects soon enough.

[coolrunnings87]

The Korean Demilitarized Zone is one of the most dangerous places on Earth. Established after the end of the Korean War, it runs the entire border between North and South Korea. It spans a distance of 160 miles long and 2.5 miles wide. The Korean War, which lasted from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, did not declare a victor. Neither side has admitted to defeat although both sides have suffered significant losses. An armistice was signed between both sides declaring a cease fire. No peace treaty was signed and to this day, both sides are technically still "at war" with one another. For this reason, both sides of the DMZ are heavily fortified with troops, pillboxes, landmines, and a plethora of defensive weapons aimed at keeping both sides out of the others. 

 

Of this dangerous stretch of land, the only area which establishes somewhat of a communication between both sides is the Joint Security Area located in Panmunjom. It is here where the Military Demarcation Line can be seen; it being the literal border between the 2 countries. The MDL, which in this area is a slab of concrete in the middle of the 2 sides, is all that divides the North from the South. On either side of this Demarcation Line, KPA (Korean People's Army) and ROK (Republic of Korea) soldiers stand poised and constantly stand guard facing each other in an apparent motive to intimidate the other side. Tensions are at their highest in this part of the DMZ. 

 

It is here where our story begins. Where we learn of 2 brothers.

 

JOINT SECURITY AREA, PANMUNJOM, SOUTH KOREAN SIDE

 

The visitors have left for the day. No more tours or historical videos. No incessant chatter of spoiled children. No snaps of camera shutters engulfing the natural silence. It was finally time for Chow Yong Hak's shift as the central MP. He was to relieve the current central MP in the center. He takes off his Army uniform and dons the MP uniform left out for him. Armed with a pistol and Aviator sunglasses, he steps out, relieves his fellow soldier, and takes his place. Draining his face of all emotion, he stands, legs slightly apart, fists clenched and stares down the North Korean soldier facing him.

 

Being the center MP entitles one to a high honor. And with the honor comes the responsibilities. The requirements to be an MP at the JSA meant being at least 5 '8 tall, be able to stand for long hours and to be highly trained in Tae Kwon Do which he learned from his Army training. Chow was always proud to serve as the MP and to proudly show his allegiance towards the South. He enlisted in the Army and scored highly on aptitude tests. When he learned he was to be sent to Panmunjom, he was ecstatic. It was always a dream to be able to stare down the regime that destroyed his family's happiness.

 

RYANGGANG, NORTH KOREA, 1953

It was in 1953 near the end of the War that Chow's grandmother gave birth to his father Han Yong Hak. Han’s father fought in the KPA during the war and lost his life during a mortar strike. Han grew up on the North Korean side in a small village near the Chinese border. He met his wife Ki Yung Sun in the village and they were wed after 2 months of courtship. Life was tough, even after the war, as there were constant food shortages, electrical blackouts, and inconsistent running water. Although these hardships affected them daily, they were still able to have children and as such, gave birth to 2 sons in 1982. With his mother, wife, and 2 infant children, Han made a life for himself; until the day came when everything fell to pieces.

 

Barely 2 years had passed since his sons had been born when KPA soldiers banged on the door to their house demanding entry. They revealed to Han that Ki’s father had unsuccessfully tried to escape the North and cross into China; a highly illegal act of sedition. Because of his treasonable acts, he and his immediate family were to be sent to the Yodok concentration camp for re-education and hard labor.

 

The reason for Ki’s arrest is due to the law in North Korea which states that if any person is found escaping, escapes, or defects to another country, their entire family is held responsible for their actions and are punished just as much as the defector. This method is used to discourage individuals from escaping due to the danger they put their families in who stay behind.

 

Han could not believe it. He pleaded and begged the guards to have leniency in the matter, stating that he was a loyal party member and that his wife had never spoken out against the government or Kim Il Sung. The pleas fell on deaf ears as the guards dragged his wife out of the house crying and screaming and threw her into the back of their truck. Han tried to intervene and stop the guards and was met with the butt of a rifle. She was holding one of her sons while she was being dragged out and hoped they wouldn't hurt her because of the child. The guards noticed that the child did not cry even while this horrific ordeal was being carried out. To further test the strength of the child, one soldier took out a knife and nicked a small cut on the child’s cheek. Blood started to ooze out of the wound and Ki began crying hysterically but the child did not. He did not cry once. He merely stared down the soldier looking at him.

 

“He’s strong, this one. We’ll find use for him”, said the KPA official to his comrade. And with one final look, threw the child into Ki’s arms, closed the truck on both of them, and drove off.

 

Han felt like he had just lost his soul. With his wife gone and possibly never coming back and his son being brainwashed in education centers, his life went from harmony and peace to turmoil and anguish. The country that he grew up in and convinced him that they were looking out for his best interests had just taken away the 2 most important people in his life for no reason whatsoever. This was not the country he loved anymore. This…was Hell. 

With nothing left for him in the North, he fled. Carrying his ailing mother on his back and Chow in a makeshift backpack strapped to his chest, Han crossed the icy Tumen River and sneaked his way into China. From China he took a train to Mongolia where North Korean refugees are granted asylum. From Mongolia, he took a plane to South Korea and landed in Seoul a few months after escaping.

 

It is impossible for North Koreans to seek any kind of refuge within China. China has an agreement with North Korea in which any North Korean refugee found in China is to be arrested and deported back to the North. This deportation for most is a death sentence as defection and escape are highly offensive crimes that are met with severe punishment.

 

PRESENT DAY

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

 

Chow was very young when his father escaped from the North and as such, has no idea what happened to his mother and brother. His father and grandmother raised him. Han did not seek marriage again as he was emotionally and mentally scarred forever from the experience that ripped his wife and son from his life. As Chow grew older, his father became more and more distant, often going for days without saying a word to anyone and simply staring out the window and listening to the sounds of the birds. On days that he would speak, he would only say one word. “Kim.”

 

“Father who is Kim?”

 

“Kim…Kim…Kim…Kim”

 

“Father, Kim is not here. Who is Kim?”

 

“Kim…Kim…Kim…Kim”

 

This would go on for hours until finally he would speak himself to sleep. Chow had just come home from his shift and had a few days off before returning to the border when his father had woken up from his nap.

 

“Hello father.”

 

“Kim…Kim…Kim”

 

“Nice to see you too,” he replies to himself.

 

Fed up with not knowing what happened that had turned his father delusional, he questioned his grandmother; now a very old and frail women. Residing in a hospital for terminally ill patients, she spent most of her days in bed dying of cancer.

 

“Hal-muh-nee (grandmother), I have never asked you what happened so many years ago and how we came to live here. You only told me that we came here a long time ago and that my mother died when I was young. Tell me what happened hal-muh-nee. What caused my father to check out?”

 

The old women stood up and showed a face of utmost sadness, “Forgive me Chow, I should’ve told you earlier but I never had the heart to do it. It’s time you knew the truth.”

 

JOINT SECURITY AREA, PANMUNJOM, NORTH KOREAN SIDE

Kim Yong Hak was a good soldier and comrade. He was devoted to the Supreme Leader and his family and had utmost reverence for the Juche philosophy. His life had been carved out it. He longed for the day to see U.S. troops leave the peninsula. Like all North Koreans, he believed the only way to unify Korea is without U.S. intervention. For their presence at the border as well as their participation against them in the War, he developed an utmost hate for the country.

 

Kim remembers little of his early life. Those who knew him as a boy told him that his father had offered him into the hands of the KPA and that the Army had adopted him into its ranks. He was placed in a military school, learned the Juche philosophy and teachings of Kim Il Sung and his son Kim Jong-Il, and harbored a unique hatred for the West in their inability to leave Koreans alone. For his devotion to the party and to the Supreme Leader, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and given the task of guarding the border at the JSA. Just like in the South, this was a very high honor. When he donned his Army uniform, he developed a confidence unlike any he ever felt before.

 

The North and South hold very different stances and positions while being positioned near the MDL. 3 South Korean MPs will stand facing the North with their legs slightly apart, fists clenched, and emotionless faces. Of the 3, 2 will stand slightly behind the blue JSA buildings on adjacent sides which are built right on top of the MDL. They will cover half of their bodies behind the buildings while still showing the other half to the North in their defensive postures. They cover half of their bodies so that it becomes harder for North Korean troops to shoot at them if they were ever to come under attack as well as allow them to silently signal to other guards of any suspicious activity. The 3rd MP will stand directly in the middle with his body fully exposed. The North Korean guards will stand in a much different position. 2 guards will stand directly next to the MDL but will face each other rather than the ROK MPs. A 3rd guard will stand behind them facing towards North Korea.  The 2 guards face each other so that each can stop the other from crossing the MDL and defecting. The 3rd guard will stand facing towards North Korea in order to stop anyone from leaving the North. The fact that they do not face their enemy serves as an insult to the ROK.

 

He mentally prepared himself, built up his hatred for the West, and marched out onto the JSA towards the MDL. Taking his place as the center guard, he stared down the MP’s trying to intimidate him. Just as he was about to turn around to face his beloved country, he took notice of the middle MP and saw a familiarity he did not understand. A flash of childhood; A burst of joy and then…gone.

 

The next day, after his shift was over, he returned to his barracks to find a package on his bed. He teared open the package to find a brand new Army uniform. Puzzled as to why he was only given this gift, he searched through the uniform pockets for any clues. Inside of the pockets he finds a handwritten note in Korean as well as 2 photos. The note reads:

Kim,

You don’t remember me and I will probably never get to meet you again in this lifetime. But I need you to know what happened to your family. You need to know the truth. Your mother did not die giving birth to you. She died at Yodok. I’m sure you know what happens at Yodok. Your father and I escaped after they took you. We are right across from you here in Seoul. Your father does not stop thinking about you since the day they took you. But that is not why I wrote this letter. I need to tell you about one other person whom you have never met but I’m sure you have seen. Kim, you have a brother. The photos will explain everything. Take care, my sweet child. You may have never remembered me but I have always loved you. Goodbye

             - Hal-muh-nee

He puts the letter down, perplexed and insanely confused. He picks up the 2 photos and studies them. The 1st one is of a man, woman, an elderly woman, and 2 small children. Kim realizes that this is his father, mother, grandmother, brother, and himself he is staring at. The 2nd picture almost causes him to faint. Staring back at him with the face he has seen countless times…the middle MP from the South; legs slightly apart, fists clenched, emotionless face. His brother.

 

The North had lied to him. They told him he was a child cast away by his parents. They told him his mother died giving birth. They told him he was an only child. They told him exactly what they wanted him to know. His entire life…One big lie. What kind of country does this to their countrymen? The guilt. The remorse. The flood of emotion is too much for Kim to bear. Alone in the barracks under the cover of night, he breaks down crying and wishing for his life to end right there. The North had never been his home. A home does not lie. A home does not separate a family and have them become enemies against one another. The North, the Supreme Leader, the KPA…it was all a lie. Kim Yong Hak feels like he had just lost his identity. There was no coming back from this. He would do it tomorrow. His brother would be there.

 

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Chow listened with great apprehension as he heard the story of his family. How his father had been beaten; how his mother had been taken away; how he had a brother; a brother that he has seen across the MDL glaring at him from time to time; how his grandmother had secretly sent a message to Kim about his past through a friend in the North. So much information to digest…after all these years. Chow wished he had more time to process this but he could not. He was to report to the border tomorrow at dawn. Unable to miss the shift without being called a deserter, he suppressed his emotion and made his way to the border. Donning the MP uniform and Aviator sunglasses, a distraught Chow took his position as the central MP and tried with all of his might not to think about the revelation he was told just a day ago. Just as he was about to regain his composure, the KPA troops stationed there had their shift change as well. The 2 guards took their position next to the MDL while Kim positioned himself behind them. Then, they made eye contact.

 

It seemed years had gone by in that single look. Rather than facing the North as ordered, Kim continued staring down his brother. Chow could not contain himself any longer; he removed his sunglasses and slowly started inching his way towards the MDL. The other 2 KPA guards noticed this and radioed their commanding officer of the incident. The other 2 ROK MP’s noticed Chow’s behavior and radioed their commanding officer as well. The MP on Chows left side, Jong Sun Un, came over and placed his hand on Chows shoulder, telling him to relax stop walking. Meanwhile, Kim continued staring at Chow and vice versa. Kim’s commanding office finally showed up and barked at Kim to turn around. Kim did not pay attention to him. That was when Chow’s voice broke the stagnation.

 

“BROTHER!” yelled Chow

 

The silence may have only been for mere seconds, but it was deafening and effective. Immediately, the commanding officer and the other 2 guards seized Kim and began taking him away from the MDL. He knew he was in trouble. He had started tension on the border and disobeyed a direct order from his superior. Yodok was probably going to be his home now, just like his mothers. They began taking him up the stairs into the Panmungak building on the North side. That…was when Kim responded.

 

He pushed the 1st guard off of him; making him fall back down the stairs. He head-butted the 2nd and he fell as well. The commanding office still holding his arm reached for his gun but Kim batted it away and punched him in the face. Now finally free, he made his 1st move as a free man. He started running towards the MDL…towards South Korea…towards his brother. The minute he made his move, the KPA loudspeaker system blared all throughout the JSA.

 

“SERGEANT! YOU ARE HEREBY DECLARED AN ENEMY OF THE STATE. STAND WHERE YOU ARE OR YOU WILL BE FIRED UPON!”

 

Chow as well as the many other troops on the South began chattering into their coms; relaying orders, asking for permission for action, and watching the scene fold out in front of them. Chow saw Kim racing towards him and prayed he would make it. He was so close, yet so far.

 

Kim ignored the loudspeaker announcement, risked his life, and ran. He ran as hard as he could. Chow was waiting for him; a relic of his past life. He would be reunited with his brother soon and that was all that mattered. A warning shot was fired and both sides tensed up. The loudspeaker comes alive once again.

 

"STOP! BY ORDER OF THE GREAT LEADER, STAND WHERE YOU ARE OR YOU WILL BE SHOT!”

 

Kim Yong Hak is racing at tremendous speed towards the MDL. 20 feet, 15, 10, 1, inches away; he jumps over the MDL and embraces Chow. Chow embraces his brother tightly; finally understanding the unspoken bond of brotherhood. All these years of hatred for one another had been for nothing. They were meant to grow up together, not apart. The hate from the War, which seemed a lifetime ago, dissolved from both of them. There was no North. There was no South. There was only family and now…his brother.

 

It felt like an eternity had passed when he saw them. Standing on the North Korean side, 3 guards with rifles raised at his brother, ready to shoot him for defection. Chow did not think. He spun Kim around and threw him to the ground just as the guards fired. All 3 bullets hit Chow and he fell. The MP’s and U.S. troops retaliated; firing back at the guards. The skirmish lasted only for a couple seconds, but it was enough. When it was over, Chow was lying on the ground bloodied while a KPA guard lay dead. Both sides knew they had ignited something here and that this skirmish would not be the last. Kim got up, raced to his brother, and picked his head up off the ground, holding him in his arms.

 

“Brother, what did you do?! Why did you do this?! Why did you push me out of the way?!!” cried Kim

 

Dying and bleeding heavily Chow responded, “You…deserve…to live free…as well brother. You’ll live a life you never knew you could live. And…you’ll see father…he misses you so much…”

 

Crying and confused Kim did not know what to do, “Brother…what do I do? Where do I go? Where am I?”

 

Chow said one last thing to Kim before slipping away into death. He brought Kim's face close to his and spoke.

“You are home brother. You are home.”

THE END

[wegotjiminsjams]

When I’m with You I’m in Utopia

Oneshot

Taehyung X Reader

Word Count: 2643

Genre: Fluff

You had always wanted to do your Masters away from home, in a new place.You were craving for change, for something new in your life. You wanted to move away from all the drama and be your own person.You had applied to a lot of universities and it was getting difficult to wait.After a month of waiting, you had almost lost hope of getting in.The mere thought of having to live with your parents was crushing you.

Just when you thought there was no hope at all, you received a letter from one of the most prestigious universities for literature.You couldn’t contain your excitement! Although your scholarship would cover the cost of your education at the Uni, you would have to find a job to sustain because your parents were not happy with the choice you had made and they weren’t going to support you. You had saved up some money working part time at a cafe, so you could cover your travel. You had been accepted in at the very last minute so you had only a week’s time to pack and move.

You were surrounded by lush green trees, fresh air with beautiful scent, you felt like you were in utopia once you were there. You headed straight for your hostel, you managed to pay for a month by borrowing a little from your best friend, Lisa. She was extremely happy for you because she knew how difficult your life was and you finally got what you wanted. Your hostel was pretty close to your university, so you could save on travel.It was quite surprising that you could do so much in a week’s time.

Now you had to find a job. Classes started on Monday, so you had the weekend to look around and see what you could do to support yourself. You walked around your neighborhood and noticed there were a lot of cafes, probably because of the number of hostels and the universities in the vicinity. The aroma from the cafes made you realize you were hungry, you stopped by a burger joint to grab a quick bite. Once you were done you checked with the place if they were hiring people but tough luck. You asked a couple more places but nothing seemed to be working out. At last you arrived at this very fancy cafe, which was due to open on Monday and was looking for people. Since you had previously worked in a cafe, you were hired as a part-time server. Everything seemed to fall in place! This place really must be utopia!

Monday was just orientation, you could meet the professors to have a one on one if you wanted, sign up for clubs. You decided to look around the university and head to work. Cafe Max agreed to pay you on an hourly basis and this worked well for you because of your class timings. Since it was the opening day, you could never tell how many people would show up. The cafe was jam packed and there was a lot of work to be done. At the end of the day you were so tired that you just wanted to crash. You had only four hours of class in the first half of the day, so you could work during the second half. Weekends were an off from college, so you could work longer hours.

You headed to class the next day, made few acquaintances,attended the lectures, headed to work after. Your whole week pretty much went like that. On Saturday when you went to work you got to know from your manager that there are few events every weekend like dance-offs, busking, game nights and so on conducted in the evening hours. This weekend the cafe was hosting a game-night; Every weekend it would be someone’s responsibility to host an event and ensure it carries on smoothly.It was an extremely busy day and as evening came you could see a lot of people gathered up for the event. So many of them took part, it was so lively and nice.Once the event was over, you headed to your hostel feeling content and happy with your current life.

Almost a month went by, you had the same mundane routine. You hardly made any friends because of your busy schedule, you hardly spoke to your parents, you were never really that close and the closest you had to a sibling was Lisa with whom you occasionally spoke. You were starting to feel lonely, your utopia didn’t seem so perfect after all! Lisa advised you to sign up for clubs or classes outside college which meant more expenditure which you really couldn’t afford. Going back home wasn’t an option either.

Despite that you carried on with your life still hoping for better, hoping you would have someone to keep you company, because you did not know how long you could carry on like this. The only time you had fun was on weekends at work during the events. You had gotten excellent at hosting the busking event, usually you got students from your college to sign up to earn extra. People would usually donate a lot to the buskers, they would also participate for fun. This Saturday you were hosting the event once again, Sheri from the university was gonna sing tonight and she was a hit with the audience.

Tonight you had a request by someone named Taehyung who wanted to sing Lay Me Down by Sam Smith.  It is a very difficult song to attempt and you thought this stranger would ruin the mood set by Sheri.However was very insistent.You didn’t want to disappoint him so you added him in between Sheri’s lineup.

When his turn came you called him, “ Taehyung, you’re up next”.

He started singing, “ Yes I do, I believe…..” You were stunned, you had never heard such a beautiful, husky, deep voice in your life and when he reached the Chorus “ Can I lay by your side, next to you, you” you had goosebumps.

He was already very attractive, caramel coloured skin, brown hair complementing brown eyes, sharp eyebrows, coral lips but his voice made him seem immortal. The whole cafe was mesmerized by his angelic voice, you didn’t want him to stop. But to yours and everyone else’s disappointment, he had to leave. You noticed he was with a friend, Jimin, a guy you knew from class.You thought you would get his number from Jimin, so he could participate more often.

You were walking towards your hostel after wrapping up everything, you couldn’t get Taehyung’s voice out of your head, you wanted him to be a regular busker at the Cafe. You reached your hostel, took a warm shower and slid into bed. Tomorrow was Sunday, you get off two Sundays, so you could sleep longer. Your head was ringing with Taehyung’s voice and surprisingly it helped you sleep better. Usually you would drown in your loneliness, but today it was different.

You woke up fresh around 11 a.m. unlike other days where you would wake up with sore eyes from crying the previous night. You decided to text Jimin immediately.

“ Hey Jimin, this is Y/n from university, I work at the cafe your friend Taehyung sang at last night. Everyone loved his performance! Would like to know if he would want to participate more often.”

To which Jimin replied, “ Hey Y/n I am so surprised to receive a text from you, you hardly speak to anyone. Would you like to come and hang out at Papa’s Burgeria for lunch around 1:00? Taehyung will be there too! You can tell him yourself. He is very shy, so this would boost his confidence”.

You were so antisocial that you would have refused the invitation but there was something about Taehyung that made you want to go. After debating a lot with yourself ,you responded, “ Sure Jimin, Thank you for the invitation”.

This is the first time you were going out with someone from university, you were so nervous but also happy because you never had company in so long. You got dressed quickly and headed to the Burgeria .You saw Jimin already there with  group of people. You went and joined them and introduced yourself as Y/n and everyone responded with bubbly and welcoming greetings.His friends Irene, Joy, Taehyung and Yeonjun were kind and y’all casually spoke about how you all got in, what is your daily routine like and Jimin then mentioned that Taehyung would also be joining us at Uni. This was the first time everyone was meeting Taehyung.

Everyone asked Taehyung about his interests and he said “ I love photography and singing but I am very shy when it comes to singing for an audience”, to which Jimin added, “ Hey Tae, Y/n here says your performance last night at Cafe Max was amazing, everyone loved it. You should sing more often”.

“ In fact I think you should become a regular, the people loved you, I can arrange for you to sing regularly like I  have for Sheri, she is also from Uni,”  you further added.

Taehyung was so surprised, “ Really Y/n, Do you think I was so good?”

It was astonishing that Taehyung could doubt himself so much because when he sung it felt like honey was oozing out of his mouth.

You reassured him once more by saying, “ Your voice is nothing like I have heard before, I would love for you to sing at the Cafe regularly.”

Taehyung was so happy and excited with what you said, his reaction was almost like a puppy’s who had just been petted. He immediately agreed but he agreed to start slow, like two songs per evening instead of busking the whole night. After speaking for a bit more and exchanging numbers you all left. You had such a lovely afternoon after so long, you wish this could happen more often. You went back to your hostel and decided to tell Lisa. She would be so excited to know you made new friends.

Lisa was so enthusiastic to know that you were finally making friends and having fun, but Lisa thought you weren’t telling her the whole truth,” Y/n do you like this Taehyung guy, are you seeing him?”

Your face became so red,” No Lisa, why?”

“ Because you can not stop talking about him.” she giggled.

“ Aah, no Lisa I just met him today…”

“ Okay Y/n, if you say so….” and there was a long pause.

You wrapped up your conversation with Lisa and proceeded to carry out your tasks so you would be prepared for Uni.

All evening you could think only about Taehyung,failing miserably at your work.His caramel coloured skin, his dewy coral lips, his deep voice, Maybe just maybe you had a crush on him, but you quickly dismissed the thought.

Next Morning, you woke up feeling refreshed, attended classes and then went and spoke to your manager about Taehyung. He was more than willing to make changes, he also trusted you because you organised the event so well.

You carried on with your usual routine which now included meeting Jimin and his friends once a week at least.Busking happened every alternate Saturday so you used to meet Taehyung more often. His favorite singers were John Legend and Maroon 5,whose songs he sang more often. You recorded all of his performances because his was better than the original version to you and his voice helped you sleep better.

He would usually walk you to your hostel after work and sometimes you both used to hang around in the park opposite your hostel.

You really appreciated his company; conversations with Taehyung or Tae, is what you call him now, could go from very deep like “ Why is Y/n feeling sad today?” or  to something random  and light- hearted like “ Y/n I think there are Rabbits on the moon”.

Tae was very pure, his boxy smile, his childlike innocence, his offbeat solutions to problems were some of the things you loved about him.

Sometimes you thought that you like him more than a friend but you could never gather up the courage to tell him. You had also come to know that Tae was a very private person so you could never tell what was on his mind unless he chose to tell you.

On one of the nights when Tae was walking you he said nervously, “ Y/n i have something very personal to discuss with you”

You knew Tae was acting very distant lately and you were hoping he doesn’t tell you anything that would hurt you, maybe he had a girlfriend, maybe she was uncomfortable with Tae hanging around with you, all these thoughts were running in your head, but you had to listen to him because he was not someone to discuss personal matters so easily.

You asked him to spill the beans.

“ Y/n would you meet me tomorrow for dinner?’

“Ahh Tae, we usually do every Sunday, all of us, Jimin, Yeonjun, you, Irene, Joy and Me, Is this what you wanted to discuss?,”you really didn’t understand why was this so personal to him.

“No y/n”, he said nervously, “ Just you and me.”

“Tae, are you asking me out on a date?,” you weren’t really sure if this is what he meant.

“Yes y/n, I think i like you more than a friend should.” he played with his hair, which was a habit when he was nervous.

Your heart started pounding so loudly, you felt like the entire neighborhood could hear it.” Now is the time y/n, tell him how you feel,” you thought to yourself.

“Tae, I would love to go anywhere with you, I like you a lot too ,”  you blushed.

Tae was so delighted that you felt the same way!  

“Y/n let’s meet tomorrow at 7 pm, I have something planned for you”. Tae was almost going to tell you out of excitement where he was taking you, but he wanted it to be a surprise.

All he said was ,”Dress warmly Y/n,” after which he fled like he had just asked you to be his accomplice for a crime he was gonna commit.

The whole day went in deciding what to wear, Tae didn’t even tell you where you were going, he just asked you to dress warm. You took Lisa’s help and decided to wear a Purple pullover with black denims, since purple was his favorite color.

Tae was there at 7 pm sharp, wearing a yellow pullover with teal pants and a waistcoat, he looked very handsome.He blindfolded you and took you to the venue, the table started raising up and you immediately knew he had arranged for Dinner in the Sky. He removed your blindfold and you found yourself amidst stars, Taehyung being one himself. He knew you so well, he knew exactly what you would like.

Tae had  even prepared a song for you, “ Some people want diamond rings, Some just want everything, But everything means nothing,If I ain't got you.”

He ended the song by saying “ I purple you Y/n”, which had a meaning deeper than I love you,

“ Purple is the color of love, It means I’ll trust and love you for a long time”.

This was the first time Taehyung was so direct about his feelings, It put a huge smile on your face,“ I purple you too”, you couldn’t help but grin.

You could really not ask for anything else. This was one of the best nights of your life and there were many more  magical nights to come in your Utopia.

A/N: Hey this is Firefly, I really hope you all enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it. Would really appreciate feedback.

[graykaren333]

Dramas I’ve Rewatched

So I’ve been watching kdramas since 2012.  We’re talking compulsively, obsessively at times, usually exclusively, consistently watching kdramas.  (Because they are way better than American/Western TV shows/entertainment but that’s another post for another day; besides, if you’re reading this I’m sure you already agree with me on that point).  So bottom line is I’ve watched over 175 kdramas (I’m not quite at the 200 mark yet) and I’ve kept accurate lists of which dramas I’ve finished and liked or finished and didn’t like (or in this case finished, and then eventually went back and rewatched).  When your sites are always set on trying to watch new dramas that are coming out or trying to make sure you’ve watched old classic ones for the first time, it can be hard to convince yourself to take the time to rewatch ones you’ve already seen.

That being said, the following 20 kdramas are ones that I have gone back and rewatched at least once, in some cases multiple times.  These dramas either had fantastic plotlines that were so tight and consistently moving that it was just fantastic to see all the pieces fit together even when rewatching OR there were anywhere from one to four characters who I became so invested in that I loved watching their character development.  Do the characters create the plot or does the plot create the characters?  Sometimes it’s hard to know which is more prominent but I will try to highlight which stood out for me.

NO SPOILERS: the following are reviews have no spoilers as to specific details, they just contain an assessment as to why I believe I could go back to them and rewatch them.

WARNING: for some of these dramas I have skipped watching some subplots, even when I went back and rewatched it, because I was either too obsessed with the main characters’ interaction or else I was so minimally invested in the characters in the subplot that I just didn’t care to watch.  I will let you know with a WARNING message as to which dramas that happened for.

Everyone has their own opinions on what kdramas are good or not and everyone has their own thoughts on what constitutes a good kdrama and why, but for me, here is the crème de la crème of the kdrama world:

Shut Up Flower Boy Band (slice of life/coming of age)

Unique elements: In my opinion this is hands-down the golden standard of slice-of-life/school age dramas (and I’ve seen most that have been made in the kdrama world!).  The plotline basically follows a group of high school age guys and if you look at them from the first episode to the last episode, there is no doubt that it is a coming of age drama but without year-long jumps in each of the last six episodes (*cough, cough* Reply/Answer Me series *cough*).  The plotline is fantastic in that it gets us to invest in every one of the group of guys and then the plotline keeps up a brisk pace and never gets bogged down in any one plotline.  Plus, the male lead does have a love interest which is so adorable and I get particularly obsessed with that plotline but I really love the whole entire plotline. Because the male lead, especially as portrayed by Sung Joon, is simply fantastic.

Reasons why I rewatch it: fantastic plotline!  The characters are really great too, let’s be honest.

Assessment: should be a cult classic but isn’t

Heartless City (action)

Unique elements: This drama originally aired on a cable channel in Korea so it is really unparalleled in its hard-hitting action and suspense as well as its willingness to show, well, violence.  But the violence always serves a purpose and moves the plotline forward, it’s not just meaningless violence (I’m looking at you, Mr. and Mrs. Smith movie).  It is filmed a la film noir and pulls it off to a “t”.  Literally all of the characters have so much moral ambiguity as to their decisions and behaviors.  So many twists and turns, the bad guys turn out to be good and the good guys turn out to be bad that is there really even a line between the two anymore? And this is much more highlighted than with any other kdrama I’ve ever seen.  Think 24 in intensity meets the mafia. It’s kind of my guilty pleasure.

Reasons why I rewatch it: Other than the fantastic plotline as detailed above, the male and female leads are so fantastic!!  Jung Kyung Ho’s character is so dark and brooding yet fantastic and smart and calculating, yet not always, especially around the female lead’s character. While their scenes together are few and far between, the scenes are always electric (we’re talking sparks coming off the computer screen).  The way Jung Kyung Ho acted out this complicated character with all the character’s nuances is just a delight to watch and the character is easily in my top five favorite characters of all time.  I am convinced that no one else could have played the character so well.  Plus, we slowly get more and more of the various characters’ backstory as the plotline progresses and I always love that kind of plotline.  How obsessed with this drama do I get?  When I rewatch it, it usually only takes me three days to watch it.  And it’s 20 episodes long.

Assessment: should be a cult classic but isn’t

Mrs. Cop 2 (action)

Unique elements: Nothing particularly unique except for Kim Bum’s character.

Reasons why I rewatch it: Kim Bum’s performance is one of my all-time favorite performances and his character is one of my all-time favorite characters.  His female foil is moderately appealing at best in general but she is always able to hold her own as a character in her scenes with Kim Bum’s character. Kim Bum’s character makes this drama and on that reason alone it is a good enough performance to watch the drama.  He inherited his family’s business but he is the first kdrama CEO that I’ve seen who hasn’t acted all entitled when facing the police…but he might also be a serial killer?  This drama is another guilty pleasure of mine.

WARNING: there are numerous subplots that I did not watch (female lead’s home life interactions) or rewatch (all of the rest of the scenes that Kim Bum wasn’t in, lol, even including other police scenes)

Assessment: stunning performance by one of the actors

Two Weeks (action)

Unique elements: Nothing except for the incredibly tightly written plotline.

Reasons why I rewatch it: The reason for this one is plotline, all the way.  I love the characters and am invested in them but I am invested in them because of the particular situations that they are thrown into because of the premise of the plotline.  Jang Tae San is a small-time gangster who more or less grew up on the streets and has had to figure out life on his own.  He is set up for murder and has to survive without getting killed (by either the police or the people who set him up) for two weeks until he can give lifesaving surgery for his daughter. Every episode is a day except for the first and last episodes.  Let me tell you, this drama is so tightly written that no scene is wasted.  There are a surprising amount of characters and they are connected in often surprising ways.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  Also, we more or less get thrown right into the plotline and slowly get the backstory as the drama progresses.

Assessment: terribly underrated

Suspicious Partner (action and romance)

Unique elements: Nothing overly notable

Reasons why I rewatch it: I’m a sucker for kdramas that blend both action/suspense and romance. And this drama does that to a “t”. So the first couple of episodes are rather crazy and you’re just sitting there wondering where in the heck the plotline is going but then it finally settles in to a bit of a procedural courtroom drama with the male and female leads both being lawyers.  But wait, there’s a serial killer who is after them so they are trying to figure out who it is and bring the person to justice before he, you know, kills them.  There is also a consistently developed romance plotline between the male and female leads that is very intense at times and the characters just have fantastic chemistry.  The plotline rarely drags even during the procedural courtroom episodes, the plotline swiftly moves through the cases and doesn’t get bogged down.  Ji Chang Wook plays the male lead and is stellar.  I absolutely love the character.

Assessment: terribly underrated

 Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (action and romance)

Unique elements: Nothing overly much; action and rom-com with a slight twist of sci-fi

Reasons why I rewatch it: So, Do Bong Soon comes from a long lineage of incredibly strong women (we are talking she can lift a car as though it were a paper clip) and her strength cannot be lost as long as she doesn’t use it for evil ends.  Along comes the male lead, a CEO of a company, and when he finds out about her powers she becomes his bodyguard and hilarity ensues, as does a serial killer which is decidedly less funny.  The scenes between the two of them are absolutely fantastic and it is simply a great romance plotline with gradually less comedy and more thriller/suspense, but just as much romance if not more, as the plotline progresses.  The male lead is also quite a complex character as the storyline unfolds.

WARNING: there were some workplace subplots that I just didn’t care enough to watch as well as scenes between the female lead and the second male lead (he’s as interesting as a pile of snow if you ask me).

Assessment: terribly underrated

Oh My Ghostess (action and romance)

Unique elements: This is the only drama I’ve seen that starts out almost completely as a rom-com and then slowly ombre’s into an action/thriller (with decidedly romance elements) by the end.

Reasons why I rewatch it: The premise of this show involves ghosts (surprising I know, based on the title) and it’s different in that most dramas that are supernatural like that either progress on the premise that ghosts are more or less harmless and it’s just comical with inhabiting people OR all ghosts are purely evil and we should be terrified at the thought of what they can do.  Well this drama said, “You are going to force us to choose one premise over the other?  No thanks, we’ll take both” which is how you can start with a rom-com and end with a suspense/thriller.  The overall plotline is fantastic.  No particular character overly stands out in my mind.

Assessment: it was not what I was expecting going into the drama but I absolutely loved it and it is terribly underrated

Healer (action and romance)

Unique elements: Not really anything in particular

Reasons why I rewatch it: Ji Chang Wook is at it again!  He plays yet another fantastic character as the male lead and the audience becomes very invested in seeing him accomplish his goals.  The female lead is sweet and adorable but also bad-ass in some aspects.  The romance elements between them are consistently developed throughout each episode in parallel to the action elements.  

WARNING: There is a really intricate and complicated and interrelated backstory of several of the characters that feels very melodrama-ie and really bogs down the plotline at times including many subplots that I’ve never bothered to rewatch after the first watching.  

Assessment: accurately rated very high by many people, and maybe even slightly overrated at times given how it gets bogged down at times, but still well worth watching

Descendants of the Sun (action and romance)

Unique elements: a special ops guy as the male lead and a doctor as the female lead?  Yeah, that’s pretty unique!

Reasons why I rewatch it: I honestly kind of want to marry the male lead.  He’s so bad-ass at his job, yet so down-to-earth yet suave in his personal life; his job gives him this aura of secrecy and danger yet he is honest-to-goodness a fantastic guy.  The female lead character is good but doesn’t always hold her own in her scenes with him.  It is rather fascinating to see them work things out as a couple when they are so obviously attracted to each other and really have fantastic chemistry together but view the idea of helping people from very different ideological viewpoints based on their respective jobs.  The action elements come from the missions it shows him doing but the plotline focuses much more on the progression of the romance.

WARNING: I was so obsessed with the leads’ romance story that I had a really hard time not skipping over all other subplots.  

Assessment: accurately rated very high by many

City Hunter (action and romance)

Unique elements: not too many except that it is perhaps the oldest action drama that has consistent and good action scenes throughout the plotline.

Reasons why I rewatch it: Lee Minho’s character is SO fantastic and he gives an excellent performance of it (his eyes are so expressive); it’s a complex character and he really does it justice.  The action and romance plotlines are developed nicely in parallel but through most of the drama are separated by a thin veil that is Lee Minho’s character’s mask. The female lead is adorable though a bit ridiculous at times given her job as a bodyguard, but her chemistry with Lee Minho’s character is still quite good.  

WARNING: Upon rewatching this kdrama, the plotline does really drag at times when it gets into all the politics of the specific men that he’s going after.  Still, a must-watch.

Assessment: accurately rated very high by many

The Woman Who Still Wants to Marry (romance)

Unique elements: Minimal if any

Reasons why I rewatch it: Kim Bum. Kim Bum.  Kim Bum. His character is fantastic and of course he is fantastic in how he portrays it.  His character is in his early 20’s and he’s a musician who plays the guitar and piano and the character just has a fantastic presence about him especially in his scenes with the female lead who is easily one of my favorite female leads of all time.  She is in her mid to late 30’s single, and rocking out her career, but she’s been through some pretty rough stuff on and off the job, too.  Their chemistry is fantastic.

WARNING: An oversized amount of screen time is devoted to exploring her on-the-job struggles and strife and I really don’t care about all those details especially when there’s a fantastic romance story to be told.

Assessment: rewatchable even if you have 30 kdramas on your list to watch that you haven’t even seen once yet

Personal Taste (romance)

Unique elements: Nothing much

Reasons why I rewatch it: Lee Minho.  Enough said. I constantly go back and forth as to whether or not my favorite character of his is in City Hunter or this drama.  This is one of those dramas that I first watched years ago and every time I go back to it I think, “it can’t possibly be as good as I remember, especially with all the dramas I’ve watched since then,” and then I watch it and am reminded of just why and how it is so good!  Lee Minho’s character is just so fantastic. The female lead is kind of cliché and dopy at times but they have really great chemistry together, they both have really good backstories that make you invest in the characters, and it has so many funny elements.

WARNING: No matter how many times I rewatch this drama, there are some characters that I just can’t get invested in so there are a few subplots that I have never watched

Assessment: while it is a classic kdrama and gets mentioned on lists fairly often, it doesn’t get nearly the recognition it should

One More Happy Ending (romance)

Unique elements: nothing in particular

Reasons why I rewatch it: Jung Kyung Ho is at it again! This is kind of a slice-of-life/romance about a group of people in their mid-30’s who are killing it at their jobs but not so much in their personal lives.  The romance plotline between Jung Kyung Ho’s character as the male lead and the female lead is really riveting and fantastic.  I just end up getting obsessed with their plotline.  It was one of those dramas where you look back on it at the end and you can’t really remember anything specific or noteworthy that happened yet it was all just so fantastic; you can’t really remember why you were so obsessed with it yet every time you go back to rewatch it, it is just as fantastic.

WARNING: There are a lot of secondary leads with the female lead’s group of friends and I can never get really invested in her friend’s subplots.

Assessment: rewatchable even if you have 30 kdramas on your list to watch that you haven’t even seen once yet

My Secret Romance (romance)

Unique elements: Even though the leads have a one night stand in the first episode, the female lead is able to act cool like it didn’t affect her but the male lead character can’t really get over it and it’s obvious to everyone who’s close to him

Reasons why I rewatch it: At 14 total episodes, this kdrama is almost exclusively focused on the main leads’ romance plotline – and what a plotline it is!  The whole dynamics of him ending up being her CEO are just so much fun – it’s such a good premise.  No matter how many times I’ve seen it, I always get obsessed with this drama when I watch it.

Assessment: terribly underrated

Legend of the Blue Sea (romance)

Unique elements: The premise itself is highly unique. (Also, Lee Minho!  Lee Minho!)  Each episode begins with a few minutes of a storyline of a relationship between a magistrate and a mermaid in the Joseon era.  Then it jumps to present day and we end up meeting a lot of the same actors from the Joseon era plotline and basically everyone is reincarnated from that era and are very similar to who they used to be in their past lives.  The male lead (Lee Minho’s character) starts learning more and more about his Joseon era self after he finds out just how much they look alike and he also starts having dreams from his past life in the Joseon era. Does history have to repeat itself entirely or can he change his fate for himself and the woman he loves?

Reasons why I rewatch it: The characters of ok on this one, but it is the plotline and the premise that really carries this one.

Assessment: terribly underrated

High Society (romance)

Unique elements: First of all, the female lead has all the sociopolitical clout and backing coming from a very rich family while the male lead grew up in a very poor family and he has always strived to make great gains in the business world.  I especially love the ambiguity and mystery found in the male lead (who is fantastically portrayed by Sung Joon).  Second, it follows the romance journey of two couples: for the male and female leads, their characters focus on internal strife, conflict, and angst – internal difficulties as they both wish to be raised as the other had; the secondary male and female leads are both simpler and less ambiguous characters but there romance plotline is no less compelling as they face mostly external, not internal, pressures regarding their relationship.  

Reasons why I rewatch it: The plotline is fantastic and I am obsessed with all four characters’ relationships to each other.

Assessment: terribly underrated

Coffee Prince (romance)

Unique elements: nothing in particular

Reasons why I rewatch it: Another drama that is a classic drama because of how old it is, Coffee Prince has strong comedic elements, especially towards the beginning, and also has a slice-of-life feel with following subplots for several of the workers at the coffee shop, but presents them in a slow enough way that we are invested in all of the characters.  With the female lead pretending to be male for most of the drama, this is certainly a gender-bender drama.  I usually find myself questioning if it really is as good as I remember it to be and then when I rewatch it, it confirms itself to me that, yes, it has stood the test of time.  Plus, Gong Yoo’s performance as the male lead is impeccable – he’s not just acting the character, in those moments he IS the character.

WARNING: Some of the subplots with the various supporting characters can slow the drama down at times so I have been known to skip some of these scenes, especially when I’m feeling particularly obsessed over the male and female leads’ interaction.

Assessment: accurately rated very high by many

Boys Over Flowers (romance)

Unique elements: literally zero, haha, but it is one of the most classic and well-known kdramas of all time.

Reasons why I rewatch it: Before you roll your eyes, let me just say two words: Kim Bum.  The reason why I’ve rewatched this drama multiple times is to solely watch only the scenes that Kim Bum is in, because I’m kind of obsessed with his performance in this drama, honestly.  He was the original “bad boy” character I became obsessed with and was the first character that went on my favorite characters list. I love seeing his character development, especially in regards to his female love interest (I honestly think his character has more character development than the male lead, or at least just as much, and he has a forth as much time devoted to his subplot).

WARNING: Because it is such a freaking long drama, it can tend to easily drag, even for scenes pertaining to the male and female leads.

Assessment: stunning performance by one of the actors

Cinderella and the Four Knights (romance)

Unique elements: not too many, really, if any at all

Reasons why I rewatch it: In some ways it feels similar to Boys over Flowers in that there’s one female lead who is interacting with several male leads, all of whom have significant screen time.  But unlike Boys over Flowers, the plotline rarely if ever drags and I pretty much feel equally invested in all the characters and especially with the romance triangle between the female lead and the male lead and secondary lead.  It’s one of those dramas that at the end of the drama you just think, “what was the plotline even about?  I don’t know, but I was obsessed about it!”

Assessment: terribly underrated

Another Oh Hae Young (romance)

Unique elements: very unique premise.  Basically, the male lead keeps having sudden, short visions of the future that all revolve around chance interactions with the female lead and he’s trying to figure out if he has the ability to have an alternative future from what he sees, especially when he sees a vision of himself getting violently hit by a car! But the female lead has struggles of her own: her life continually gets thrown into chaos over mix-ups with another person named Oh Hae Young.

Reasons why I rewatch it: the plotline is so fantastic.  I also really love the chemistry and tension between the male and female leads.

WARNING: there are a surprising amount of scenes dealing with the male lead’s, and especially the female lead’s, work environments that can really bog down the plotline at times – I’ve never bothered watching these scenes.

Assessment: terribly underrated

[anuknowha]

Till Death Do We Part// Chapter 6, You Never Pay Respect

Serious disclaimer: This chapter is angsty, very angsty so please turn away if it offends you. There's also a trigger warning of suicide in this chapter. I do not endorse suicidal actions or thoughts. I do not support Kim Jonghyun's death, this is not about poking fun at it. This is a chapter of a story I wrote in order to portray the inner demons he had inside of him that he had to battle with. I loved him as an artist and he was a talented person who doesn't get enough appreciation. And with that I dedicated a chapter to him to show that one, he was human, and two, that he is still relevant even if his label doesn't believe it. R.I.P Kim Jonghyun 1990-2017. !!Suicidal Mention Warning. This one is strong so please turn away if you can’t handle it.  One morning...

'It all started about 9 years ago when SM Entertainment pulled me and 4 others boys to form the Korean boy band, Shinee. We were an amazing band, a group of five misfits doing what they do best. Singing, dancing, wrapping, and so on. I, Kim Jonghyun, was the leader, and I was accompanied by Lee Jin-ki, Kee Ki-bum, Choi Min-Ho, and Lee Tae-min and together we made a band that stood out to others. We weren't no EXO, and we definitely weren't no BTS, but we were us, and we were happy being us. Because we knew we were talented, special, different, each with our own uniqueness that we could contribute to the group. And that's what made Shinee. Sometimes we were sad, upset that we never had been able to truly get our names out there but other times we knew that was just a thought. It was our doubts, it was, just what it was, a lie. We were very successful in our careers, and we still are. I honestly wouldn't have asked for a better team. Year after year we would go on stage and present ourselves to our fans as we engaged with them, as they screamed for us. It was music to our ears. They would chant for us, and scream every time we did something funny or just stepped out on stage. And, when all of them sung together; even if they didn't know the words, we sung with them. If we were energetic than so were they, if we were tired they would feel bad, and if we needed comfort they would always send us tweets even if we don't respond to them it didn't mean we didn't read them. No matter where we went to put on a show there was always a positive environment and that's all we needed to get going. Actually come to think of it my favorite tour was Shinee World Tour V. We got to come to the United States for the first time in 2017 and I must say I enjoyed my time there. I was never aware of how many fans we had overseas because SM seemed like they were saving us for something special, or maybe they were just trying to hold us back. The latter is something I don't want to believe but I wouldn't be surprised about, like I said, we were no EXO. We didn't get to get many places, outside of Asia, most of our tours consisted of Japan and South Korea... Which was nice until you realized that there's so much more out there. When we finally got to go to North America in the beginning of 2017 we were thrilled! We all jumped out of bed in excitement and we laughed while on our airplane ride. And when we got there it was almost as if those past 9 years was leading up to this; it felt as if this is what we were waiting for. And I have to say it did feel like a big victory for us. While in America walking through the streets made me think of Onew and how much he would enjoy the taste of fried chicken back home. It was his favorite dish, and even though it was available back at home, especially at our KFCs, that didn't stop him. Even if he wasn't hungry he'd joke about seeing a place that sells such a delicious meal, and how he'd want to try it. Place after place he would name, and we tried to get to a few but we weren't in North America for too long. Three shows, one in Canada and two in the United States. It felt degrading to be so high in SMs rankings and still be forgotten. I was thinking maybe it was a mistake, but nonetheless, our fans made up for it every time we saw their smiling faces. I was happy to be successful. I was happy to perform. I was happy to be part of something bigger than I ever thought was possible -- so I thought. I felt my happiness declining for a while now, maybe about two to three years. And I wasn't quite sure why. I had everything I wanted, a loving family, kind friends, and a job that could go on until who knows how long if we kept enjoying it and if they found purpose in us. I was content with the lifestyle, although the company kept us on a leash. Maybe that's actually what I hated... I didn't like being held back, and even with what seemed to be my "true potential" it always was as if I had no power, no say in my life until they dropped our contract. Even if they did I'd still have to give two years in the military, at the least, as either entertainment or a soldier in a war. It's not like I had the luxury of that being a choice. I had picked my passion, I had reached my "goal" but even so, I still felt empty. I tried helping other people and still nothing, it was as if something deep inside me was missing and I couldn't find it. Everyday of 2017 had gotten worse for me, it seemed as if my life was heading completely downhill in a troubling spiral and that I could not stop it. I had been thinking -- suicide had been on my mind a lot recently and it wasn't something I could avoid. It's something I needed to talk about but I didn't want to worry the others and I didn't want the entertainment company mad at me. So I kept myself quiet. And by keeping quiet I ended up dead. A few weeks before I took that final step, I wrote a suicide note to a close friend in which I admitting that the fame was getting to me, that it was too much and that I was on the brink of collapse, that I was about to give up. And, although she did try to stop me it only I remember it as if it just happened. In late December I decided it was time; I rented out an apartment for two days just so that my demise wouldn't be disturbed. I remember going on an app and texting my sister things like, "I love you." , "I'm sorry." , and "Goodbye". I know it broke her heart, and I saw that she read them but I couldn't dare bring myself to read anything she texted back. I couldn't bare to even pick up the phone after those messages were sent. I listened to my phone go off, chime after chime and also a sudden vibration, which startled me. I remember looking over and tears started to swell in my eyes but I continued on anyway. I dug around in my pocket where I had little pieces of coal, they were as dark as my thoughts at the moment and it was as if I could see myself in them -- in this reflectionless mineral. I walked over to the stove and turned it on slowly. There was a pan I left on top if it from breakfast, and I watched as I almost instinctively placed those little black pebbles into the pan. And soon enough they started to burn. I looked at my hands, black with the dust of coals. I tried to rub it off onto my pants but to no avail, they were stained, and at this point, so were my thoughts. I walked back to the couch as the fumes from the burning material started poking at my nose. It felt poisonous and gross. It felt as if the air was being sucked from my lungs as carbon monoxide filled the room. I felt myself going numb, my whole body losing a battle against the lack of oxygen. I started coughing, and the smoke from the air was inhaled into my lungs. But I dare not move. I probably wouldn't have made it to the stove anyway, it seemed so much further from where I was standing. Maybe this was a bad way to go, maybe this was a bad idea in general. I didn't like it, it was hurting a lot more than I expected. And by this time I could barely keep my eyes open. My eyes glanced down, the last thing I saw was my phone lighting up and shaking vigorously on my lap. I blacked out, lost consciousness but still breathing. Just clinging on to life. I felt the cells in my brain fade. I was forgetting, I wasn't thinking, I almost forgot who I was as my time on this earth was coming to a close. It was such a small window left for me to live by the time the ambulance arrived to take me in. I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I lost all feeling in my body and I was losing all thoughts in my mind. At this point I could only remember watching her call, my sister, and trying to stop me from taking a drastic step into the afterlife. I think if I was able to give one more thought right before I took my last breath, it would've been "I'm sorry." Jonghyun woke up, sitting up quickly. his heart racing what felt like over a mile a minute. He coughed and gripped his chest as tears formed in his eyes. He couldn't breathe and he felt himself having a "heart attack." He tried to hold back a scream as best he could. With his blue pajama shirt clenched in his fist he let out a blood curdling scream that was loud enough for the whole house to hear. He quickly covered his mouth afterwards, completely embarrassed and in shock at the situation. He gripped his hair tightly and pulled on it in anger almost pulling it out in the process. He curled up in a ball, tears rolling down his cheeks and staining his pajamas, time after time as he let out loud whimpers and noises of complete distress as he felt himself slowly growing accustomed to reality.  He was dead, he had killed himself because he couldn't take that life anymore, but at the same time he knows he can't take this one either. He didn't want to be here either, he wanted it all to be over. He let out another scream, this time choking on his tears as he scrambled to get out the bed falling onto his stomach. Jonghyun coughed hard at the impact and started to crawl towards the dresser in his room. With each passing movement he felt his chest growing tighter, and with the little bit of strength he had he pulled himself to his feet he grabbed onto the dresser and looked into the mirror in front of him. He pressed his hands down on the top of the furniture for support and took deep breathes, as deep as he possibly could. His eyes were red and puffy underneath as tears continued to flow like a waterfall. Drop after drop landed on the top of the dresser forming a puddle of sadness directly underneath his face. His cheeks were swollen, and moist with his sadness and depression. And with that he took his arms and knocked everything off the dresser. They all landed to the floor with different sorts of sounds. His head was throbbing and he yelled out in pain. He ran over to his bed throwing off the pillows, the sheets, watching them hit the floor almost gracefully even after all the force he used. He continued to cough and toss everything that was once neat into a chaotic mess. He picked up the tv remote and threw it at the mirror which caused it to shatter. He collapsed to his knees taking long deep breathes. His head was down and his eyes were covered by his hair. He gathered himself and picked himself up from the now messy floor before marching towards the dresser once more and he used his hand to brush his hair from his face. He looked directly into the mirror in front of him and his eyes would flicker black. It did not at all phase him. Slowly a man in the mirror started to form, but he didn't say a word. "Poor Jonghyun, you're such a mess, you're crying over your own suicide. Do you know how pathetic you sound? You did this to yourself, you caused it, you made this happen. Don't you think they all miss you? Don't you think your sister misses you? Your parents miss you, and so do your band mates. But you know who doesn't care about you? Your company. They just wanted you for money, so they can strive and be more recognizable because of your group. And you helped them, you led them. You brought them the funds they needed to stay alive. You were their number one slave. You always were, you know how it is. And in the back of your mind you knew you'd never be as popular as EXO. You knew this and yet they kept pushing you in greed. They can't help themselves. And you know you couldn't either when you decided it was time to end it." The voice seemed to move further away from him, as the figure appeared on his bed with its legs crossed. "Very unholy of you to take your life like that. And I must say it was thought well outside the box, usually carbon monoxide is put into a car to kill you, but burning coals, coals! I wouldn't have ever thought of that as an idea but you are very creative in your ideas you humans are. But I think you did the right thing regardless of the matter. And the fact that you rented out an apartment for two days was simply priceless! You had this completely planned out didn't you?" Jonghyun took deep long breathes in front of the mirror, his fingernails digging deep into the wooden top causing scratch marks to be created and blood to seep from his finger tips. He mumbled something in Korean. And the human figure turned towards him. "Hmm?" It grinned. "Fuck off!!" Jonghyun screamed. In the back of his mind he knew two things, he would usually never get this angry and he wouldn't have felt so pent up so easily, but at the moment, none of that mattered. "That's no way to talk to me, it's very rude of you to be like that towards me. Very rude of you but brave nonetheless. Jonghyun, you were so smart to pull a stunt and all alone, killing yourself slowly. Tell me how did it feel to take in that smoke? Did it make you choke? Did you cough up any blood? Did you ever worry about burning the place down? Because seemingly you didn't, thank goodness they arrived in time to stop a building from being destroyed, too bad they couldn't stop you from being destroyed." He picks up and object and throws it at the creature on the bed, it goes right through them. It walked back behind him and smiled at him bearing its human teeth. "I remember that day of your life very vividly, realizing your mistake after it was too late, after you completely lost consciousness. Your mind was slowly dying consuming all of those toxins. Brain dead right? You couldn't help it though." His body trembled at the thought, his lips turning black and leaking a black ooze. The creature looked at him shocked. "Let me help you forget everything." It ran its fingers over his lips and stared at the sticky substance that now was on its hand. Touching its fingers together, it watched the substance coat its fingers forming sticky strands to connect them. "Leaking already? What a shame. You're going to make a mess." It watched the thick goo drop onto the desk. Jonghyun turned around to swipe at the creature who vanished before he could even touch him. It reappeared in front of him and once again he tried swiping at it only to knock off some of the glass from the mirror. This continued to go on for some time and it left his room in shambles and once he was done, was his finger tips were all damaged and a deep shade of red; once his walls had scratch marks running down them; once the walls had red streaks mixed in with the blue paint, he was left painting on the bed. Anger and rage coursing through his veins. "Done yet? You threw quite the tantrum there. You destroyed your room pretty well, but no fear, I can fix it for you. The creature covered his mouth with a hand and Jonghyun blacked out. Jonghyun awoke in his room with a gasp. He clenched his chest as he sat up, the sheets stopping at his stomach. He coughed and the tears started to form. He felt himself choking, remembering his own death was the "death" of him. He looked around, everything in his room was the same as before. It was clean, tidy and everything was in place. He cupped his face in his hands and let the tears run down them. He curled up, holding his legs to his chest as he thought to himself quietly. He surely did regret his suicide. 'I came to the conclusion, we all have our demons, but not all of us can fight against them. I lost my battle and I'm regretting it for the rest of "my existence." But, sometimes I'm glad I'm gone because, back on earth, "they" really didn't care anyway. But regardless of where I am, I'll never forget my friends, family, or any of the wonderful Shawol. I thank you for giving my life meaning and for listening when I needed you the most. It made every minute back on earth something I could endure a little bit longer.'

Taglist: @lennonwhipped @rogers-flowered-blazer @caviarandqueen @celestialmay @sweet-mother-love @peacelennon @caminc91

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

South Korean cult leader jailed 15 years for raping followers

South Korean pastor Lee Jaerock arrives at the Seoul Central District Court to attend his trial in Seoul on Nov 22, 2018. PHOTO: AFP

The Straits Times           November 22, 2018

SEOUL (AFP) – A South Korean cult leader was convicted on Thursday (Nov 22) of the multiple rape of eight female followers – some of whom believed he was God – and jailed for 15 years.

Pastor Lee Jaerock's victims were "unable to resist, as they were subject to the accused's absolute religious authority", judge Chung Moon-sung told the Seoul Central District Court.

Religious devotion is widespread in technologically advanced South Korea, with 44 per cent of people identifying themselves as believers.

Most belong to mainstream churches, which can accumulate wealth and influence with tens of thousands of followers donating as much as 10 per cent of their income.

But fringe groups are also widespread – experts say around 60 people in the country claim to be divine – and some have been implicated in fraud, brainwashing, coercion and other behaviour associated with cults worldwide.

Lee set up the Manmin Central Church in Guro, once a poor area of Seoul, with just 12 followers in 1982. It has now grown to 130,000 members, with a spotlight-filled auditorium, sprawling headquarters, and a website replete with claims of miracle cures.

But three of Lee's followers went public earlier this year, as South Korea was swept with a wave of #MeToo accusations, describing how he had summoned each of them to an apartment and raped them.

"I was unable to turn him down," one of them told South Korean television.

"He was more than a king. He was God," added the woman, who had been a church member since childhood.

Lee told another that she was now in Heaven, and to strip as Adam and Eve went naked in the Garden of Eden. "I cried, as I hated to do it," she told JTBC television.

Eight women laid criminal complaints, and the court found Lee raped and molested them "tens of times" over a long period.

"Through his sermons, the accused has indirectly or directly suggested he is the holy spirit, deifying himself," the judge said.

The victims believed him to be "a divine being who wields divine power", he added.

Lee, who denied the charges, stood with his eyes closed as the judgment was read, showing no emotion, while around 100 followers filled the courtroom to overflowing, some of them sighing quietly.

The 75-year-old's lawyers had accused the women of lying to seek vengeance after being excommunicated for breaching church rules.

Around 100 followers filled the courtroom to overflowing, some of them sighing quietly.

But former congregants denounced Lee outside.

“The Manmin Central Church is all about worshipping the pastor Lee Jaerock,” said Kim Yu-sun, who was a member for 20 years.

“Now that I go to a different church, I worship Jesus and pray to god,” she added. “I’m happy and I like it.”

SECOND COMING

South Korea has proven fertile ground for religious groups with strong, unambiguous ideologies that offer comfort and salvation that appeal strongly during times of deep uncertainty.

More recent versions have claimed a unique knowledge of the path to material and spiritual prosperity – a message that resonates in a highly competitive and status-focused society.

According to a 2015 government survey, 28 per cent of South Koreans say they belong to Christian churches, with another 16 per cent describing themselves as Buddhist.

But according to Mr Park Hyung-tak, head of the Korea Christian Heresy Research Institute, around two million people are followers of cults.

"There are some 60 Christian-based cult leaders in this country who claim to be the second coming of Jesus Christ, or God himself," he told AFP.

"Many cults point to megachurches mired in corruption and other scandals in order to highlight their own presumed purity and attract believers," he added.

On his website, Lee says that God has "anointed me with His power", but the Manmin Central Church has been condemned as heretical by mainstream Christian organisations, partly because of its claims of miracle healing.

In one example on the church website, Ms Barbara Vollath, a 49-year-old German, said she was born deaf but she gained hearing in both ears and was cured of bone cancer after Lee's daughter and heiress apparent Lee Soojin prayed for her with a handkerchief he had blessed.

South Korean cults can have deadly consequences: In 1987, 32 members of an apocalyptic group called Odaeyang, were found dead at their headquarters in an apparent murder-suicide pact, including its leader, who was under police investigation for embezzlement.

And they can influence the highest reaches of power.

Choi Soon-sil, the woman at the centre of the corruption scandal that brought down her close friend president Park Geun-hye, is the daughter of late religious leader Choi Tae-min.

The elder Choi became Park's spiritual mentor after establishing his own church, Yeongsegyo ("Spiritual Life"), combining tenets of Buddhism, Christianity and shamanism.

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/east-asia/south-korean-cult-leader-jailed-for-raping-followers

Sun Myung Moon jailed for two years in Seoul in 1955 during the Ewha University sex scandal

On a mission from God: South Korea’s many cults

South Korean Megachurch Pastor Accused of Raping 5 Women After ‘Order From God’; Church Responds

[p-jiminaa]

Noona, you okay? (part 6)

Jungkook and You

Summary : Jungkook fall in love with someone as same age as Jin, you.

Genre : Fluffy.

Next Part

Attn: Gif not mine. Credit to the owner.

I was reading on my novel in the living room before I heard a bell sound. I don’t think I order anything today. I put down my novel on the table and walked to the door and looked through the peephole before opening the door. Jungkook? How did he know I live here? I never tell him. Well I was going to tell him but I haven’t got a chance yet. 

“Hello Babe..” He greet me once I opened the door for him.

“Hai...” I opened the door and gestured him to come in. He then put away his shoes and went straight to the living room.

“How did you know I live here?” I questioned him while he already laid down on the couch. Looks like he ‘made himself at home’ since he’s already lying on the couch.

“From Ji Sung Hyung.” He answered while observing me, from head down to toe. What is that stare suppose to mean?

“What?”

Smile appeared on his lips. He shook his head and said “Seeing your messy bun hair style and you in your simple attire, I can’t believe that I am yours.” I narrowed my eyes. Isn’t that suppose to be ‘he can’t believe that I am his’? This proud maknae!

“Okay seriously, why are you here? I thought you have practice today.” That what he told me earlier. I  approached him and stood in front of him. He then pulled me down to lie on top of him. 

“Actually, I’m bringing you out.”

“Where?”

“My members. They said that I need to introduce you to them.” What? As if they didn’t know me. 

“Why would you introduce me, they know me already.”

“They know you as y/n, a lawyer who worked for the company not as y/n, who is going to be their sister in law.”

“Ouh I am going to be their sister in law. Who I am going to marry then?” I said it playfully, trying to annoy him.

“Jimin hyung. You can marry him.” He said it with his sarcastic tone. He still remember about that? 

“Really? Wow! I thought I am going to marry you.”

“Of course its me.” He pouted. 

“Yeah it’s you Jungkook. Unless you want me to marry Jimin then...”

“Don’t even dare to continue your words Noona.” I smirked. Aww... Jealous Jungkook is something I didn’t see everyday.

“Aww... is my baby jealous?” He narrowed his eyes. I wiggled my right eyebrow. He rolled his eyes. 

“Okay, I am going to change.” I got up and walked straight towards my room.

“Babe... Five minutes. If not I am leaving you here.” I stopped walking and turned my body towards him. Seriously? That is such a short time to change plus I have to do my hair, my make up, putting on my lens.

“What? No! I need to ....”

“Babe you don’t have to wear make up. Its only them and I don’t want you to show them how beautiful you are. Only I can see your beautiful side.”

“But..”

“Babe move now. Or else seriously.. you are going to hail taxi to go there.” I rolled my eyes, annoyed.

“Fine.” I walked to my room and closed the door harshly, to shows my annoyance to him.

***

I was greets by the six members when I entered their dorm. They were standing in front of me while Jungkook close the door and then stand beside me.

“Two three, hello.. we’re Bangtan...” Err what?

“Hyung.. I introduce you, the love of my life, y/n.” I turned my head to Jungkook. So this is what he meant by introducing myself to them?

“Ah hello, I am y/n. His girl.” I pointed Jungkook while saying ‘his girl’ part.

“Hai! I am Jimin.” Jimin then approached me and extended his hand to shake my hand. Followed by others. Even Yoongi and Jin did the same though I can sensed Yoongi insincere face doing that. This must be either Tae or Jimin’s plan and all of them were forced to do the same.

“So are we done yet?” I questioned them. 

“Actually we have more things to show you. Just wait and see.” Hoseok said that playfully. Now what is that supposed to mean?

“But first, come in Noona.” Namjoon invited me in. Finally! I though we are going to stay in this position forever.

***

“Jinnie where is Jungkook?” I was helping Jin in the kitchen and Jungkook never came to check on me. Well, I am not trying to be clingy or what but I think that what any man would do if they brought their Girlfriend home. They must be worry whether their girlfrined will be able to familiarize themselves or not but since I know them already, I guess Jungkook didn’t have to worry about it so he left me here, in the kitchen with Jin. 

“Maybe he’s playing game with Tae. Go check up on him.” He smiled. I walked to the living room but didn’t see Jungkook with them. Namjoom and Hooseok were watching movie while Jimin and Tae were busy playing the games. Yoongi? Well he’s already napping on the couch. Hooseok who was watching TV realized that my eyes was searching for Jungkook and told me that Jungkook is probably in his room. I then walked to his room and found his door were left open ajar. I approached his room and before I was able to push open it I heard him talking on the phone and that stopped me from entering his room.

“Why are you calling me now?” My eyebrows furrowed listening to that. His voice sounded weak, not the normal voice.

“No of course she’s not here. She’s in the kitchen helping Jin Hyung. I am in my room.” He continued talking.

“Oh my God! why are you crying? What happened Hee Ra?” He sounds so worry. I am still curious who is he talking to. I never see him with any girl in the company except for the staff.

“Why are you making it difficult now Hee Ra. I am with someone now.” Someone? He did not even mentioned my name to her but Hee Ra? Whose that? I never heard of this name before.

“No I didn’t moved on too fast. I am with her so that I can forget about you.” My eyes widened listening to that.

“God Damn it! Don’t make it to difficult for me Hee Ra.” Seems like I know Hee Raa now without even asking him. So I am just a rebound then? And he’s going to left me after he can fully forget about Hee Ra? I felt tears filled up my eyes. I walked to the nearest bathroom and that when I cried my heart out. Stupid y/n. It only been a month. Why are you crying as if you’ve been with him for a years. But he promised me. He promised he would love me, he would cherish me and he would never.... Oh my God! Now I felt stupid! Why would he wanted to be with me when we barely know each other. He proposed me after two days we’ve known each other. Yes y/n. You are the stupid one here, not him. You should never make a decision based on feeling again.

I was arranging the food on the table and Jungkook suddenly appeared and stand beside me. I guess he just finished his phone call with Hee Ra. 

“You cook all of this?” He was really excited seeing there is so much food on the table. I shook my head. I tried my best to bring back my mood since I came out from the toilet but I can’t. My heart hurt so much and I think I can cry at any moment right now. Why would I stay in the first place? I should have gone after I heard that but no. I don’t want to answer any question regarding my disappearance nor I am ready to face the reality about me being just a rebound.

“Jin cooked it. I only helped a little.” I then walked to the kitchen again and took the other food and placed it on the table.

“Yah.. lets eat..” Jin shouted to all of them and in the flash, all of them ran to the table and took a seat. I took a seat beside Jungkook and his phone suddenly rang. Must be Hee Ra. He turned his body from me and rejected the call. He didn’t want me to see whose the caller is so that why he turned his body from me. Right after he put his phone on the table, it rang again. I didn’t have to see whose the caller is. I know that her. Jungkook took the phone and turned his body from me again.

“Jungkook just answer it!” Yoongi who was sitting opposite him was already pissed off. Jungkook then looked at me. I shrugged. He rejected the call again and continue eating and that when his phone rang again. I see Yoongi was already glaring at him, for not answering the phone. 

“You can go to your room to answer the call.” I said that while chewing on my food. Yea, I can maintain a poker face in front of him when actually inside I am broken!

“Yea. Who know it might be important.” Namjoon agreed with me. Jungkook then stood up and walked fast towards his room. 

“Are you okay Noona?” Jimin asked me. I think he realized about the changes of my behavior. I nodded my head.

“Noona, I heard you love to watch Run.” Tae tried to change the topic. I smiled. No mood to talk. No mood to make any joke. No mood for everything. 

“Noona you have to watch the latest episode it was so...” Hooseok nudged Tae’s arm when he see me having no reaction about it. 

“Noona, are you really okay?” Namjoon asked me worriedly. I lifted my head and nodded my head again.

“I am just tired. That all.” Weak excuse. I was really hyper when I came earlier. I even played game with Tae before I decided to help Jin in the kitchen. 

***

“Noona, you okay?” I was replying a text from my lil brother when Jungkook approached and sit next to me. Jungkook asked me to come to his room after I finished helping Jin washing the dishes and while waiting for him to take a shower, I sat on his bed.

“Yeah. Why?” My eyes still on the screen.

“Cause you looked so down. I mean you were so hyper earlier. But you looked so down during the dinner and now too.” I did not reply him. To be honest, I didn’t know how to answer that. He took my phone from me.

“Jungkook...” I frowned.

“Babe something bothering you?” Yeah, you. 

“I am just tired.” He frowned listening to that.

“Just stay here tonight. Beside you’re not working tomorrow.”

“Jungkook I can’t. I already asked my brother to fetch me up. He’ll be here in fifteen.”

“I can send you back. Why do you have to...” 

“Because we are going back to our parent’s house tomorrow but my brother finished his work earlier than he expected today so we’re going back tonight and he’s almost here.”I interrupted him. He sound disappointed that I have to ask my brother to fetch me up when he can send me home.

“But its late.”

“Jungkook its only an hour ride. Its midnight. There will be no traffic.” My phone screen then lit up. I took my phone from his grab. My brother’s name appeared on the screen and I answered it immediately.

“Are you here? Okay, five minutes.” I hung up his call.

“My brother is here.” I stood up, put on my jacket and took my sling bag from his computer table.

“Are you sure you have nothing to tell me?” He looked at me,straight into my eyes. He looks so worry. I am the one that supposed to ask you that. You should just tell me I am just a rebound!

“I am going.” He then walked with me and I stopped him in the door. 

“Just stay here. My brother is just outside.” He frowned. 

“Goodbye Jungkook.” I walked straight to my brother’s car without even looking back, without waiting for his reply. 

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