#yeo wool imagine

[angelsvoice1love]

In the Moonlight (pt 2)

You stood at the door of the Hwarang house, scared of not knowing what happened.

All the guys, except Han Sung went to the King on the other side to create piece and still nothing was heard of them. The only friend besides A-ro you had was Han Sung, and you adored him more than anything in the world.

He was like the brother you never had, the brother you've always wanted.

Finally one of the Hwarang men yelled they have returned causing you to drop everything you were busy with, as you made your way to the entrance of the building.

Once you saw all of the men alive, a smile crept onto your face as you felt relieved.

Soo Ho: Y/n. Soo Ho yelled, as he ran over to you.

You ran over to all of them, not just Soo Ho. But he got a different message, once you were close enough he grabbed you and pulled you to his chest.

Soo Ho: I'm so glad to see you. He whispered, into your hair as he hugged you tightly.

Y/n: I was so worried. You replied, as you wrapped your arms around him.

Ban Ryu: Y/n, you might want to check Soo Ho's wound. I did my best to close it up, but we still need to make sure everything is fine.

Y/n: You got hurt? Where? You asked frantically, as you searched him up and down.

Soo Ho: My arm, but I'm fine...really I am.

Y/n: Go wait in the pidiatrician room, I'll be in there soon.

Soo Ho: But-

Y/n: Please, just do it. I...i need to say hi to everyone. You, replied as you looked at the others.

Soo Ho nodded his head, as he walked off. Turning to find Sun Woo with facial wounds, you ran into his arms hugging close as you could.

Sun Woo: I'm fine, y/n...promise. He laughed, as he patted your back.

A-ro: We are all fine promise. I took care of them. She said, with a bright smile.

Ban Ryu: Don't you care about us? Ban Ryu, questioned with a raised brow.

Y/n: Of course I do...i just want to hug everyone. I missed you guys so much...and you worried me.

Ji Dwi: Sorry, that wasn't our intention. Ji Dwi, said, as he walked into view.

You didn't say anything, as you stood there for a second completely shocked. There he was, the man you truly loved and wanted to make a life with. He hadn't had a scratch on him, his facial features were perfect like always. A smile crept onto your face, as you ran over to him almost knocking him down to the floor as you inculfed him in a hug.

Tears started running down your face, as you burried your face in his chest. You held in those tears for so long, you held them in for Ji Dwi, Soo Ho, Sun Woo, Ban Ryu, Yeo Wool and A-ro. But none of them made you worry like Ji Dwi did.

Yes, Soo Ho was your boyfriend but that didn't make any change.

You felt Ji Dwi's arms wrap around you as he pulled you even closer, he brushed his hand down your hair as he soothed you while calming you down.

Ji Dwi always had this effect on you, he always knew what to do or say to make everything okay. He was, and has always been your best friend.

Pulling away, you looked into his eyes, his soft brown eyes as he smiled while cupping your cheeks as he brushed away the tears.

Ji Dwi: It's okay.

Y/n: Don't ever leave me like that again, p...please.

Ji Dwi: I won't...i promise. He replied, as he hugged you again.

Little did you know, Soo Ho saw the entire thing. He knew you and Ji Dwi were best friends, but he didn't know that there was something more. You were his girlfriend, did that mean anything?

To him it meant the world, but to you? Did it mean anything to you? Or were you just using him, to get to Ji Dwi?

Shaking his head, Soo Ho turned to go back to the pediatrician room where he'd be waiting for you.

He sat down, thinking as a million different thoughts ran through his head. As you entered the room, he straightened himself up and smiled as you approached him with some warm water.

Y/n: Soo Ho, could you please take off your shirt? I...i need to clean it.

Soo Ho nodded, as he took off the shirt. The wound was clear to see, and it looked like it hurt a lot. Swallowing you took some medicine and applied it to the wound, causing Soo Ho to grunt of the pain.

Y/n: Sorry. Are you okay? You questioned, as you wrapped up his wound.

Soo Ho: Yes. I'll be fine. He answered quick, as he smiled at you.

Y/n: I was so worried about you. You smiled, as you traced his jaw with your hand.

Soo Ho: All I thought about while in that prison, was if I'd ever be able to see your beautiful face again. Seeing you again, was the thing that kept me saine. You kept me alive.

Y/n: I kept you alive? How?

Soo Ho: By waiting for me. He replied, as he took your hands in his.

Soo Ho leaned in, ever so slowly as he brushed some loose hair from your face. He placed a soft kiss on your forehead, then he kissed each cheek, moving to your nose where he gave you a small peck on it and from there kissed your lips.

Soo Ho: I care deeply for, y/n. Please, forgive me for being negligent with my life and the others.

Y/n: Soo Ho...i have nothing to forgive. If you are back safe and the others are too, that's all that matters to me. I couldn't want anything more.

Soo Ho: Really? So, we're fine?

Y/n: We're fine. We've barely dated Soo Ho, I believe it's all good still.

Soo Ho: So, we're still in the lovey dovey, enchanted with one another stage?

Y/n: Yes. I believe we are. You replied, as you placed your hand on his cheek.

Soo Ho: I want nothing more than to be here with you. But...

Y/n: But what?

Soo Ho: I can't help thinking...that your heart is not in this. He said, letting gobofbyour hands.

Y/n: What do you mean?

Soo Ho: Y/n...do you in love Ji Dwi? He asked, as he looked into your y/e/c eyes.

Y/n: What? Why are you asking me that?

Soo Ho: I saw how you acted towards him, when we arrived back. It was different...you acted more scared of loosing him then you were for me-

Y/n: Soo Ho-

Soo Ho: Y/n...i don't want to be the second choice. I want to be the first choice, the one that you choose because you love me not for other reasons. I can't be the one that's chosen because it the simple and easy way out. Soo Ho said, as he got up. I won't do it y/n.

Y/n: Wait, Soo Ho...please-

Soo Ho: Y/n, I think we should break up-

Y/n: No...please Soo Ho. You begged, as you grabbed onto his hand. I don't want tot loose you.

Soo Ho: Y/n, do you know what you want? I believe you care for me, and Ji Dwi but you need to take time to think who you want to be with. You can't have us both, or be unhappy with the choice you make. Please, take this time apart to make your decision. I'll be waiting for your answer.

Soo Ho said, as he kissed your forehead. Taking in your scent, a single tear left his eyes as he walked out of the pediatrician room and off to his room where he could rest.

As he left, you stood there dump founded. Completely confused, as to what just happened. You thought that you and Soo Ho were strong, but to your dismay it wasn't what you expected. Yes, you knew he was right about the situation, and you needed to make the right decision but the queen wasn't fond of the idea of the prince soon to be king wanted to choose his own bride.

Ji Dwi already confessed his love to you, so if you chose him you knew he'd still feel the same way about you...right?

Soo Ho, gave you the option to choose again which might not be the best choice for him to have made but he did it to make you happy. You knew that you had to make a decision, the right one, even if it took forever to make it.

One week later

You sat outside by the river, when the guys arrived to wash their clothes. Once Soo Ho saw you, he swirved away and headed into another direction.

Ji Dwi saw this, and came over taking a seat next to you.

Ji Dwi: Trouble in paradise?

Y/n: Sort of. He broke up with me.

Ji Dwi: He what? Why would he do that?

Y/n: To be entirely honest...Ji Dwi...i have feelings for you too.

Ji Dwi: I-

Y/n: Soo Ho knows, I have feelings for you and that's why he left me. Yes it's true, I have feelings for you but j also have for Soo Ho...i need to choose one of you t...thats what he said. But when I do, I need to choose the right one, the one that I'll be happy with for the rest of my life. I want a one love, forever love.

Ji Dwi: Whichever one you choose, I know it'll be the right choice for you y/n. No matter what, or whom you choose I'll still be here...I'll still be your best friend. He said, as he hugged you before getting up and leaving you to think.

Who were you going to choose? Yes, you could have a happy life with Soo Ho, and Ji Dwi but each of them held complications.

[whispersatdawn]

Safeguard

GIF Credit to: @ygo-gx

Pairing: Yeo Wool (Jo Yoon Woo) X Reader

Genre: Angst/Fluff

Word Count: 2,615

Request: Hey! About the hwarang requests, could you write about yeo wool? So the plot could be about him, and (y/n) worrying about him being killed while sparring with the other hwarangs(anyone really). He's trying to reassure y/n everything is going to be ok. It could either be fluffy or smuty - angst really whatever is easier and more enjoyable for you to write ✌ thank u again!!  - @allaboutthespn

Sutabaksu was usually loud and full of people, but today, the popular teahouse erupted with immense chatters. Because it was also a day that the Hwarangs were able to leave the Hwarang House and return home, most of the beautiful knights decided to stop by for some tea, doubling the number of customers. Unsurprisingly, women flocked and surrounded the elite males to question the gossip that spread like wildfire in the capital city of Silla. “I heard that Princess Sook Myung ordered a fight in a few days,” one gisaeng cried, distressed. “Is it true that you all will be sparring against each other?”

The Hwarang who sat across from the equally beautiful gisaeng let out a scoff as if he also could not believe it himself. He looked over next to him where sat his other elite friend who released a long sigh. “It’s true. This isn’t like any other training we’ve done so far. We could definitely lose our lives this time.”

“Oh no!” the gisaeng said, anguish in her voice. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she let out such loud sobs that everyone else in the teahouse could hear. Though she was the one showing her sorrow in the open, for sure, everyone else was feeling the same way.

At another table, across the room, you could hear the conversations going on around, but that couldn’t stop the unpleasant thoughts in your mind that blocked out everything but one Hwarang that you were particularly worried about. You needed to see him. Anxiousness filled you. You couldn’t help but lick your slightly chapped lips as your eyes darted at the entrance door every few minutes, impatiently waiting. Why isn’t he here yet? Did something happen to him? He said we would meet at this time... Your heart felt like it would burst soon. It was not until you noticed a cup placed in front of you that you snapped out of your thoughts. Steam rose, and the scent of ginger filled your nose. You looked up to find your two closest friends looking at you with empathy. “Thank you,” you said, picking up the warm cup to take a sip.

“Ginger tea helps with nausea,” Ah Ro explained as she and Soo Yeon took a seat across from you. “I know how worried you are, (Y/N). I’m also worried about them, especially my older brother, but you should take care of yourself so that you don’t fall ill.”

Soo Yeon nodded her head in agreement. “I’m also worried about my older brother, but he’s a great fighter. I can’t help but be more worried about Ban Ryu.”

“What was the princess thinking?” you muttered. “Ah Ro, since you also stay in the Hwarang House, you must know. What’s been happening?”

“I’m not really sure. I just usually take care of the sick and injured knights. Some of them just mentioned about how their training was going to change. It became more intense recently. They even brought another group of males who are really great at martial arts to act as the Hwarangs’ servants and helpers. It’s as if they really are preparing to go to war.”

“No one’s allowed to watch the sparring, are they?” you asked your friend, quietly. Fear slowly found its way back to you.

Ah Ro shook her head. “I’ll be there as a physician in case something does go wrong. Other than Her Majesty, no one can enter.”

The three of you grew silent. Soon, you were aware of the shift of topic from the talks around you. “Yeo Wool’s here!”

Even with the uneasiness of the upcoming fight, with one glance at the stunning man who walked through the door, all of the women in the room dropped their conversation and had their attention stolen by the elegant Hwarang. No matter how many times you’ve seen Yeo Wool, you also couldn’t help but become quite speechless by his aura. Ah Ro looked at you and smiled. “I’ll take my leave now. I should probably return home and check on my older brother.”

“Me too. Hopefully, I’ll be able to run into Ban Ryu as well,” Soo Yeon said.

Both of your best friends stood up and said goodbye to you before exiting Sutabaksu together to find their own loved ones. Not sure what to do you next, you just picked up your cup of ginger tea, taking another sip of the spicy yet slightly sweet drink as you waited. Once Yeo Wool spotted you, a smile instantly appeared on his face. He read your expression and was able to see your nervousness right away. Returning after staying in the Hwarang House for a while, he realized how much he missed you. How was it that you looked prettier each time he came to see you? Yeo Wool approached your table. “I apologize for my lateness. I do hope you didn’t wait long, (Y/N).”

You watched Yeo Wool as he took a seat. A server came by to take his order, but once the server left, your Hwarang turned his attention fully to you. “You’ve been well?” he asked you with a playful smile.

“Please don’t act like nothing’s wrong right now...” you said.

Yeo Wool chuckled. “How can anything be wrong when I get to spend time with the most amazing person in Seorabol right now?”

“Yeo Wool...”

“How about it, (Y/N)? What do you say about going to Okta tonight?”

His eyes twinkled in anticipation as he took his fan and waved it up and down, cooling his face. Few strands of his long hair that even women envied flew back. You did not respond and continue to stare at him. You knew he wanted to break the tension, but you did not want the serious situation to be avoided.

“Alright then...” he replied, his eyes flickering elsewhere for a second when he found your stare and silence overwhelming. “It’s okay. Ban Ryu and Soo Ho also rejected my offer to go. Pity, but I guess we can just stay here.”

You slammed one of your palms down on the wooden table, the loud sound echoing. Customers around you whipped their head over to you to witness the action. Yeo Wool continued to sit with a calm posture, but he didn’t dare to move an inch as he sensed your seriousness. “You could lose your life...” you whispered to him. Your voice was soft, yet stern.

Yeo Wool softened. Before he met you, he had always acted nonchalant towards other people and their businesses. Though quite nosy about what was going on around him, he never genuinely cared about another’s problem. He usually just stood on the sidelines and quietly watched. As soon as you came into his life, with your vibrancy and little side of sarcasm, going up against his sharp personality but at the same time matching well with it, he found someone he could really be sincere with. You were the last person he wanted to upset.

Yeo Wool’s soft hand reached for yours, the one that you used to slam down at the table. He lifted your hand up and rubbed it smoothly, relieving the pain that you felt on your palm. “I know,” he replied, knowing that there’s nothing else he could say to really put your heart at ease.

“Isn’t there a way to prevent this from happening?” you asked.

“I’m sure if there was, it would’ve been done,” Yeo Wool admitted. “I don’t think the chief instructor wants us to spar either. The princess probably thinks that we’re not strong enough to protect the king. In a way, she’s not wrong. When it comes to protecting the Royal Family, we’ll have to put our lives on the line for them. I guess... if we can’t handle taking a life, ours will be taken.”

“It’s still not right. You all can still train hard without putting each other at risk. If the princess all of sudden have the Hwarangs kill each other, there will barely be enough to fight and defend the Royal Family later.”

You shook your head, unable to comprehend the princess’ decision. Tears began to blur your vision, but you tried your best to hold them back by blinking them away. “I’m not judging your sword skills at all, Yeo Wool, but I’ve never seen you in a fight. How can I be so sure that you’ll be fine? What if you have to go up against someone like Soo Yeon’s older brother?”

“Do not worry about me, (Y/N). I’ll be fine,” Yeo Wool promised. He squeezed your hand gently in assurance.

At the same time, the server returned with Yeo Wool’s tea, setting it in front of the flawless male. Yeo Wool softly blew the steam away and took a sip of his own ginger tea. You looked down at your own cup of tea to see your own reflection. There was no steam left as your once warm drink had cooled. You appreciated Yeo Wool’s effort to console you, but it was not enough to help your appetite. “Do you know who you’ll be going up against?” you asked, looking at him again.

Yeo Wool placed his tea back down. “Though the selection of opponents could change at any time, as of now, it’s Han Sung.”

“Han Sung...” you repeated. “Is he the grandson of Suk Hyuk Jae? The one with the half-breed brother?”

Yeo Wool nodded his head.

“Ah Ro told me about him,” you continued, “and that he has such a cute personality. Interesting how he chose to be a part of Hwarang when his grandfather is against the Silla Imperial family. I heard that he doesn’t really like to fight.”

“Han Sung used to be in another group, but for some reason, he was kicked out. He’s been staying in our room instead. I agree with Ah Ro that he is cute.”

You watched Yeo Wool’s face. He sported a dry smile, and you slowly caught onto his thoughts. “You don’t want him to get hurt, right?” you asked, heart aching. You have never met Han Sung, but maybe you were glad not to. If you had gotten used to his supposedly innocent face and personality, you too would have gotten your feelings in a tangle and sympathized for him like you did for Yeo Wool. As much you favored an occasion where no had to die, the princess already mentioned that it was a possible some could, and you desperately did not want Yeo Wool to be among that possibility.

Silence hung over the both of you. You wondered if things could have turned out differently if the king showed his face. Maybe, if he was as trustworthy and kind as you wanted to assume, he would not have left his warriors to be left in the hands of his sister. The sparring was inevitable at this point.

Once Yeo Wool regained composure, he looked at you, studying your tight brows and frown. He squeezed your hand, causing you to leave your train of thoughts and look up at him. A real smile appeared. “Let’s take a walk.”

You were not the type to display your affection in public. Your Hwarang was the opposite; Yeo Wool did not mind one bit if anyone watched or not, but since today was different, you also decided to make it an exception. Your hand intertwined with his, and he held onto it tightly as the two of you walked through the crowds in the capital. “I know you’re very worried about me, (Y/N)...” Yeo Wool said, continuing to look straight ahead. “I promise you that you don’t have to be at all.”

“I should trust you,” you replied, shaking your head to yourself. “I should trust that you’ll be able to make it through this unnecessary fight, that you can win it... but I also can’t help feeling the way I do. You’re really important to me, Yeo Wool. I hate thinking about how I can lose you because of this. What am I supposed to do?”

“Hm. For right now, it would just be great strength to me if you could stay by my side before I have to return to the Hwarang House. Can you do that?”

You simply nodded your head. “Yes, I won’t ever leave your side.”

Yeo Wool lifted his other hand to pet your hair as he chuckled. “Good.” You felt your cheeks start to heat from his touch but laughed in return. Soon enough, you reached your own house. You walked to the huge low table in front and sat down. Yeo Wool took a seat next to you. He placed an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into him, and you leaned into his arms. His body was so warm, and it felt so safe. “So... why did Soo Ho and Ban Ryu reject your offer to go to Okta?” you asked.

Flustered by your sudden question, Yeo Wool’s eyes widened. Then he smiled at how you tried to change the subject. He didn’t want to talk anymore about the sparring either. He would deal it with it when the time came. Until then, he only wants to leave with good memories of you. “Just between you and me,” Yeo Wool said in a low voice, “I think more than not wanting to go with me, they didn’t want to be there with each other. Last time all of us went out to go drink with each other, Soo Ho and Ban Ryu found themselves in each other’s embrace the next morning. What a sight.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “They don’t look like weak drinkers.”

“I think among us, Ji Dwi is the best at taking alcohol. I’d say I’m next. And then probably Soo Ho, but he really did drink a lot that time. He could barely remember what had happened the next morning.”

“Why didn’t you ask Han Sung to go to with you? He seems like the person you’re closest to.”

Yeo Wool shrugged. “Han Sung had to go with his brother to their grandfather’s place right away. Maybe we’ll see him before I have to go back, and I can introduce the both of you. He’s so innocent that you can’t help but like him.”

“Is there a possibility that I’ll like him more than you?” you said, teasingly.

“Nevermind. You don’t need to meet Han Sung.”

“Why not?!?!” you exclaimed. “Now I really want to meet him.”

Yeo Wool pouted, feigning hurt. To comfort him, you wrapped your arms around his waist and pressed yourself against him in a hug. Feeling as if he was going to melt in your arms, Yeo Wool couldn’t control his face and grinned at your touch. When you looked up to gaze at him with eyes like cute doe, he took the chance to lean down quickly press his lips against yours. You smiled into the sweet kiss, accepting the small peck.

One wasn’t enough for Yeo Wool, so as soon as he pulled away, he leaned back down to give you a second kiss. Many people who didn’t know Yeo Wool always saw him as someone with a more mysterious, sensual aura. He actually had pleasant side to him. “How about this,” Yeo Wool suggested, “after my sparring assignment, when I come back successful and healthy, we can go to Okta together. I will let you see exactly how these other boys act when they have their guards down.”

“Only if you swear to return safely.”

“I can assure you that I will, (Y/N). I will protect myself. Once I do that, I can show them that I can protect our king. And that I can protect you.”

[hwarang-headcanons]

Ban Ryu: [confused as hell] Why do people think Soo Ho and I are together?

Yeo Wool: [Smirks knowingly]

Yeo Wool: [Wraps arms around Soo Ho]

Ban Ryu: [Snatches Soo Ho away] MINE!

[dreamescapeswriting]

Hold On ~ KTH [Suk- Hanseong] [Request]

↱↱↱Word Count: 3k (without alternative ending) 4K (with alternative ending)

↱↱↱Pairing: Suk Han-seong x reader (Taehyung x reader)

↱↱↱Genre: Fluffy (angst if you include the alt ending)

↱↱↱A/N: There is a FLUFF ending to this but I will be including the alternate angst ending because it is me and I LIVVVEEEE for the ansgt, that and I rewatched the entire season and decided that if I have to suffer you have to suffer with me so enjoy this :)

The sliding door to your nursing station opened and in walked Hansung holding his head, you tried not to giggle at the sight of him but it was hard not to when you'd already seen him seven times that week and it wasn't even Thursday yet. 

"What happened?" You asked sitting him down on the floor and getting ready to examine him. Hansung was one of the nicest Hwarang you'd ever met while you'd been working in Silla, he was always so kind and caring towards you. Always trying to make you laugh even when you were supposed to be in a serious mood. 

"Yeo-wool hit me over the head again," You held back the giggle once again and held his face in your hands turning it towards the light to see a small cut just below his hairline, 

"I'll get it cleaned up." You promised him leaving him on the floor and going on the hunt around your small room for the materials. You'd only been working as a doctors apprentice in Silla for about a month and since finding you Hansung was making excuses to come and see you whenever he could which made your days better though you would never admit it to him since you were only a nurse of sorts. Hansung watched as you hunted around the small cabin for things to help him with, you looked amazing when you were in deep concentration and he could never get enough of you. When he first started to come and see you they were true injuries, he was really clumsy but as time went on and as he got to spend more time inside of the small office alone he realised he wanted to be with you all of the time. Feeling an attraction to you that he'd not felt before with anyone else, sure he got along with everyone but with you it was different somehow. You drew him in and he felt relaxed with you, as though he wasn't training to be one of the best Hwarang, worrying about what test scores he was getting or running away from sword practise. With you, he felt at home and at peace with himself and he never wanted to be away from that.

"Here, sit still." He was brought back to reality when he realised you were sitting right in front of him again, you took his face in your hands and titled his head so you could see the small cut. It was nothing major, Yeo-Wool had only thrown a book at him but it had caught him right on the edge making a small cut. 

"This will sting." You whispered as you poured the cleaning agent onto a piece of cloth before applying it to the small cut and cleaning it up. Hansung's hand swung up to your wrist to stop you and you let out a loud piercing shriek the sound bringing back flashbacks to when you first met him.

Dan-se walked you through the courtyard and in the direction of the doctor's office, you were the new apprentice that had just arrived and he was in charge of leading you through to get to the doctor who was waiting for you. You kept your head down as you walked not wanting to drawer attention to yourself but Danse seemed to be doing that on his own, people all turning to look at you both as you walked in silence. You heard murmuring of people questioning who you were and what you were doing with him but you continued to keep your head down until you were stopped by walking into his back knocking you back a couple of steps hitting into the chest of someone else.

"Hi!" You let out a scream as you heard someone that close to you and you began bowing and saying your apologises to the younger man who was staring at you, Hansung was staring at you with wide eyes after you let out the yell. He didn't mean to scare you, he was just trying to introduce himself while his half-brother was talking to someone.

"Sorry I didn't mean to scare you." You shook your head and stopped bowing to him looking around to see everyone was still staring in your direction,

"I'm Suk Han-Sung," You bowed again and looked over your shoulder, you were sure DanSe had introduced himself as Suk Dan-Se and you wondered if they were related and as if HanSung could read your thoughts he confirmed them, 

"My brother." You smiled politely not knowing what to do now, you were supposed to be going straight to the doctor but it seemed as though he was busy with something else now, 

"You're the new apprentice, right? I'll walk you, come on." He excitedly took your wrist in his hand and began pulling you away from his brother who was so lost in conversation that he hadn't even noticed you were both moving away from him. 

"You'll love the doctor, he's great and I bet you'll learn a lot." He said as you reached a long hallway, you followed him inside and he dropped your wrist from his grasp walking in silence through the halls until he reached where the doctor's room was. 

"I'll leave you to it, see you around."

"Goodbye Hansung." You said politely watching him leave you were going to wait until he was gone to go inside but you caught him turning around to stare at you, his cheeks turning a bright red colour once he saw you watching him and he ran off.

Since that day you'd learnt a lot about Hansung since he was coming to see you a lot, you also learnt that he and Danse were half brothers. 

"Why did he hit you?" You asked as you took the cloth away from his head and began applying a cream to stop it from becoming sore.

"I was singing loudly and woke him up," You let out a tiny giggle and it was like music to Hansungs ears he heard it come from you, he stared at you with his mouth forming a small smile, 

"What?" You whispered as he stared at you, he shook his head slowly still staring at your smile. 

"N-Nothing I've just never seen someone look so beautiful before." He coughed once he said it trying to clear the tension from the air, your cheeks were heating up once you heard him and you looked down at your hands. 

"You're sweet Hansung." You whispered to him, checking the cut once again and telling him he would be okay to go to practise now. 

"Don't run away from sword training, it's important!" You called out as he left the room you knew he was going to run away from it anyway, he always did but you wanted him not to.

"Hello, Seon-u." You greeted that morning as you walked into the small office to see him standing there, he was waiting for you and looking down at the small bed inside of the office. 

"Hansung? What happened this time?!" You yelled looking at him and then up at Seon-u who was shaking his head at him, Hansung was being overly dramatic about a small cut on his arm. 

"He was in a self-defence class and he got a small cut," You rolled up the sleeve to reveal the cut and it was wasn't deep but it wasn't exactly shallow either, 

"I'll get the stitches." You whispered looking at Hansung who was staring up at you the whole time watching you closely, Seon-u caught what was happening right away and smirked at the younger boy. 

"How did you do it?" You questioned as you knelt by his side to get ready to clean it up before Hansung could even answer you Seon-u did it for him.

"First time in weeks he showed up for sword training and he did it by accident, I was a little harsh on him." You looked up at Seon-u and then back down at Hansung who was staring at his friend, 

"You went to sword training?" You questioned with a raised eyebrow and he nodded at you, you began cleaning up the small wound and Seon-u left the room. 

"First time in weeks?" You giggled looking at him and he nodded yet again, 

"Why did you suddenly show up?" You took out the small butterfly stitches for his cut and got them ready, he watched you carefully you had a small smile playing on your lips and he wanted to know why you were smiling so much. His insecurities were sinking in and telling him it was because Seon-u had been here but once he realised it wasn't fading he felt a little better, 

"You told me to go." You stared at him in silence for a couple of seconds, neither of you moving at what he'd just said and then he cleared his throat, 

"But I'm never going back, I got hurt." You sighed at him and started applying the small butterfly stitches to his arm before wrapping it in a bandage, 

"The more practise you get the less you will get hurt." You promised him but he wasn't listening he was too busy staring at the way you worked, you were biting down on your lip as you wrapped up his arm and he knew his mind should have been anywhere but where it was but he couldn't stop imagining his lips on yours.

"All cleaned up, come back tomorrow before practice and I'll check you over." You promised him watching as he nodded, the door slid open and his half brother walked into the room to see what was happening, they said nothing to one another and just left the room Hansung sneaking you glances as he walked away from the room. 

Another week passed but Hansung had still been coming to see you but it eas a lot less frequent than it was before which made you sad but it made you realise that you were starting to see him as more than a friend or just another patient, you were sat in the office waiting for him to come by since it was almost the end of the day but there was no sign of him. 

"Have you eaten?" You dropped the bag you were carrying when you heard Hansung behind you, you'd just closed the door to the office. 

"You really need to start announcing yourself," You laughed holding your hand over your chest to calm your heart rate down but he was holding up a picnic basket. 

"Come on." He whispered grabbing your hand and running through the halls, he kept hold of your hand as you rushed out of the main building and into the courtyard, 

"Be quiet and follow me." You did as you were told and followed him down a pathway until you got to a huge wall, 

"Hold this," He whispered handing you the picnic basket, you took it from his hands and watched as he climbed onto the small roof of the building, he took the basket from you before helping you up and walking you along the roof. 

"Where are we-" He cut you off by holding his hand up, he pointed over another wall and you saw a gazebo sitting on the water with lanterns lighting it up. 

"Whoa." You whispered in shock as you spotted it, he smiled brightly at your reaction and began walking you along the roof, helping you down onto the ground first before dropping down next to you. 

"I followed my brother out here the other day and I thought it was pretty...I wanted to show you." You smiled and walked with him towards the gazebo, looking at the water to see glimpses of fish swimming around. 

"Are we allowed out here?" You asked as he walked you into the gazebo, your hands were still locked tightly together which was sending your stomach into a frenzy of butterflies, 

"Who cares?" He chuckled laying down a blanket and sitting you down, you looked up at him as he got the food ready for you both. It looked like he'd bribed the kitchen staff into giving him food and it made you smile at the thought of him going to so much hassle for you when you weren't even a couple. Thoughts of you being a couple with him came rushing to your head the longer you stared at him so you looked out at the view instead.

"This is nice...to get away from everything." He told you as you both stared up at the moon, by everything he meant what was happening with his grandfather and his brother, you knew everything that was happening since Hansung told you everything he knew, he was like an open book with you.

"Whenever you need to get away from it all...You know where I am right?" You questioned looking at him as he continued to stare out at the view. You knew he was contemplating going against what his grandfather wanted of him and you were proud he was putting so much thought of it, 

"I know." He whispered looking at you as you glanced to look up at the moon instead, not wanting him to catch you staring at him.

"I'll write him a letter, and tell him what I truly feel." You nodded in agreement with him and he smiled once again, the smile that could light up any room and make you feel at peace.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful before," You whispered as you looked up at the ceiling of the gazebo and then out at the lake, Hansung's eyes were on you the whole time. You were sitting close together since you'd been out in the dark for a long time and it was starting to get chilly,

"I have," You noticed his hand sitting on top of yours and you looked down at them smiling as he traced small patterns along your skin he'd been so lost in the fact that he was holding your hand and he hadn't noticed that you'd seen them locked together.

"What was it?" You asked being the clueless usual you and he looked up to see you staring at him, his smile dropped as he realised what he'd said out loud and he had no other option to admit it to you. 

"You." Your heart was racing once again as he stared into your eyes, the rest of the world seemed to melt away as he stared into your soul, he licked his lips his eyes glancing down to your lips and back up to your eyes and you leant closer to him, not caring about anything except him at the moment. He closed the gap between you and your lips collided and the kiss was sweet and innocent just like Hansung, neither of you knew what to do so he snaked his hand onto your waist and drew you closer to him, your hands cupped his cheeks and you deepened the kiss a little pulling away when you heard something moving around you. 

"What?" Hansung panicked thinking he'd gone too far but he hadn't, he was perfect but there was someone watching you both. 

"I don't think we're alone anymore..." You whispered to him and he glanced around behind you but saw no one there. 

"Everyone else is asleep, it's just us." He assured you but you moved closer to him and he smiled, wrapping his arm around your waist as you leant your head down on his shoulder. 

"Will you come to my practice tomorrow?" He questioned looking at your side profile as you looked out at the moon, you hummed in response.

"Sure...I'll get someone to cover for me." You whispered looking back at him, it was starting to get late and you knew you were going to have to leave soon.

"We should head back." You whispered to him but he groaned out not wanting to leave you, his lips formed a pout and you giggled.

"Five more minutes then," You whispered kissing his lips and then laying your head on his shoulder again. 

The next day you were standing by the training yard where the Hwarang were getting ready to practise, you were wondering where Hansung was when he came rushing over to you with his usual smile on his face, he was dancing and singing about something and when he finally got to you he stopped in place and smiled. 

"I wrote it!" He laughed showing you the piece of paper that was all folded up, you assumed it was the letter for his grandfather you had been talking about the night before and you smiled at him. You were so proud he was doing this, 

"You did?" You laughed as he began bouncing around sliding it back into his robes and then looking at you he looked so cheerful today and it made your heart skip a beat,

"I wouldn't have been able to do it if it wasn't for you and Seon-u," You smiled at him and he looked around the training yard to see Seon-u training in his usual space,

"Are you going to train with him?" He nodded and you looked down at the floor, you had no idea if the kiss meant anything the night before so you were unsure of how to act. 

"I'll sneak out again tonight, a picnic by the lake again?" He whispered to you and you nodded eagerly at him he glanced around before kissing your cheek again and then rushed off to train with Seon-u who was waiting for him with another smile on his face. Seon-u had seen the whole exchange between you and smiled at you when you caught him watching, he'd known about the crush Hansung had on you for a while and was happy it was starting to develop into something more. 

                                         ~ALTERNATIVE ENDING~

"I'll sneak out again tonight, a picnic by the lake again?" He whispered to you and you nodded eagerly at him he glanced around before kissing your cheek again making you blush as he did so.

"I'll bring some cookie-" You were cut off when you heard a yell coming from the training yard Seon-U was no longer alone and Danse was standing with him both of them aggressively yelling at one another. Hansung looked up to see his brother and it was as if he'd seen something you hadn't,

"No," You frowned watching as Hansung sprinted across the training yard to be in front of Seon-U and grabbed the blade of the sword that his brother was using. He was tearing up as blood fell from his hands, he was staring down at the blade and then to his brothers face,

"What...What are you doing!?" His brother panicked looking from the sword to his brothers face, Seon-U frowned at the exchange wondering what was happening,

"What are you doing? Why are you doing this?" Hansung questioned his brother, his voice coming out shaky as he stared up at his brother, the sword was sliding between the cuts in his hands,

"Let go!" His brother yelled making you flinch as you watched them, it was just a cut nothing that couldn't be fixed by you,

"If I do you will try to kill Seon-U again," You frowned not knowing that the blade was covered in poison,

"Han-Seong!" His brother sobbed looking at his brother as he continued to hold the blade,

"Why did you put the medicine Grandpa sent on your sword?" Your eyes widened as you realised what was happening to Hansung, his knees buckled and he fell down onto the floor.

"HANSUNG!" You screamed running over to him as Seon-U caught him in his arms, he was shaking violently when you reached him and your eyes were filled with tears,

"Why did you do it, Dan-sae?" Hansung asked as he looked at his brother, you ripped your dress wrapping it around Hansung's hands tightly to try and stop the bleeding,

"You're a good person," Hansung sobbed to his brother his eyes started to roll back and you tried not to sob too hard,

"It's poison," You whimpered to Seon-U who was demanding answers from Danse but you already knew by the way Hansung was dying what it was and there was no way you could help him.

"My office, quick!" You yelled at Seon-U who picked up Hansung and started carrying him towards your office, you were going to do anything you could to help him you weren't going to lose him.

"Seon-U," You looked at them both as they ran behind you but Seon-U slowed down to a walk,

"What?" He asked Hansung who was holding onto his robes.

"I'm fine, Y/n will heal me." You looked at Seon-U your eyes were filled to the brim with tears as you heard him call out your name,

"That's right, so don't give up," Seon-U said as you continued to walk towards your office,

"I'll save you Hansung," You whispered to him trying to comfort him but you could tell it wasn't working,

"Seon-U put me down." You watched as Seon-U sat down on the floor with Hansung in his arms and you let the tears flow from your eyes. You sat beside him as Seon-U continued to hold him, Hansung was shaking and stuttering which meant the poison was already too far in his system for you to do anything.

"Y/n, Seon-U, don't hate my brother,"  You stared at him as he laid dying in  Seon-U's arms,

"Okay, I won't," Seon-U promised but you weren't going to make a promise you didn't know if you could keep.

"Y/n..." You moved closer and he reached into his robes handing you the note he'd written for his grandfather,

"Give it to him." You nodded and he looked up at you with tears in his eyes,

"I may not have known you long but..." You shook your head not wanting him to continue because you already knew where it was going, you felt the strong connection too.

"I know...I love you too Hansung." You promised him, his hands rushed up to your cheeks and he brought you down to kiss him gently, your lips touched and you broke down into a sob as he died holding you.

"Y/n..." You shook your head staring up at Seon-U who was still holding Hansung in his arms, you looked around the courtyard.

"Find someone official." You whispered wiping the tears off your cheeks and ignoring the bloodstains that were all over your white hanbok.

"Where are you going?" You ignored his question and rushed off back to the training yard, Danse wasn't there so you grabbed one of the swords and went hunting for him people stared at you in shock as you walked around covered in blood carrying a sword but they did nothing.

You opened the doors to find Danse on the floor with a piece of glass in his hands, you aimed the sword at his chest not poking him with it as you began to cry at the sight of him.

"I know you don't want to live but you're not allowed to die." You spat at him kicking the glass from his hands, his lip trembled and you lowered the sword taking out the letter for his grandfather that Hansung had worked on.

"This is supposed to be for your grandfather but I think it's for you as well." You threw it onto his lap and he stared at it.

"Read it." You spat before leaving the room, you walked out and in the direction of where Hansung's normal lecture would have been held if he was still alive and your knees gave in as you saw him on the floor of the class.

"Y/n," Seon-U said as he saw you, you weren't supposed to be there but you didn't care, you threw down the sword and walked over to Hansung's body looking at him and then up at Seon-U who was wondering the same thing as everyone else if you'd taken revenge on his brother.

"I didn't hurt his brother, I gave him the letter." You told Seon-U who watched as you looked down at Hansung tears rolling down your face once again as you thought about him the men in the room cried with you and the teacher began making preparations for the funeral to which you were allowed to attend a final way of saying goodbye to him.

You know what...I’m not even sorry if you read the alternative ending you can all suffer along with me

tagline: 

@writingdreamsnottragedies @yoongisdumplingcheeks @snowy-meowl @lynnthevirgo @jooniesdarlingdimples @kpopfanfictionhoes @lyoongx @mitzwinchester​ @callingmyangel​ @fan-ati--c​ @btsiguess-kpop​ @rjsmochii​

[dramapic]

MASTERLIST

I update this list everytime I watch and review a show. 

Disclaimer: These reviews are subjective and only reflect my opinions. There are no drama on that list that I’ve turned off and all are worthy of a watch. 

Recs welcome!

#1 Crash landing on you 

(사랑의 불시착)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern, Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Son Ye-jin (who plays Yoon Se-ri) and Hyun Bin (Ri Jeong-hyeok) have amazing chemistry and every episode plays out like the chapters of an excellent fanfiction. Classic romantic tropes, humour, angst, action, CLOY has it all. Moreover, if you’ve never watched a Kdrama in your life, CLOY is a great starting point—not only will it introduce you to Korean culture but also to popular tropes and codes of the genre.

#2 Rookie historian Goo Hae-ryung 

(신입사관 구해령)

Grade: A++

Genre: Historical, Age gap

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Delightful from end to end, with lots of humour and an engaging story. The romance between Goo Hae-ryung and himbo-prince Dowon will make your heart go soft, especially if you’re into reverse gender dynamics (she’s older and kisses him first *le gasp*)

#3 Memories of the Alhambra 

(알함브라 궁전의 추억)

Grade: B+

Genre: Modern; Sci-fi; Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Intriguing premise, great cast and tons of special effects but the romance between Jin-woo (Hyun Bin) and Hee-joo (Park Shin-hye) won't go down in history. On top of that, the ending is a bit wishy-washy in that annoying “maybe there’s more to come” kind of way. Give us a clear cut ending, damnit!

#4 Good doctor 

(굿 닥터)

Grade: B- 

Genre: Modern, Medical drama

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Good heart but the writing is really clumsy at times and the hospital politics don’t make an awful lot of sense. On the bright side, Joo Won is great in the role of Park Si-on.

Note: I haven’t watched the American remake so can’t compare. 

#5 My love from the star/ You from the stars

(별에서 온 그대)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Sci-fi, fantasy, Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 21

Happy Ending: Yes-ish

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Jun Ji-hyun is absolutely stellar in the role of Cheon Seong-yi, a ditzy Hallyu* star whose career is going south while Kim Soo-hyun plays the emotionally closed-off alien to perfection. Lots of pinning, a dose of angst mixed with a pinch of wacky humor. 

*Hallyu means “Korean wave” in Chinese and refers to the popularity and spreading of Korean pop-culture outside of Korea. 

#6 Hwarang The Poet Warrior Youth 

(화랑)

Grade: B

Genre: Historical, Coming of age, fake siblings who catch feels

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Cute boys and interesting lore rooted in true facts (the bone rank system and the real Hwarang, the “Flowering Knights” of the Silla kingdom) but the story drags. I guess I expected more bromance and frolicking and less angst. Lastly, the main girl starts off quirky and fun but they quickly transform her into a sobbing mess which becomes real annoying real fast. 

#7 Love in the Moonlight / Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (구르미 그린 달빛)

Grade: A 

Genre: Historical, Romance, Coming of age, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 18

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

A classic tale of a girl raised as a boy who ends up in a situation where she needs to do her best to not blow her cover while catching feels (As someone raised on Versailles no bara and Ribbon no Kishi, it remains one of my favourite tropes)

Sweet romance and good characters. The fact that Crown prince Lee Yeong doesn't turn emo when he starts developing feelings for Eunuch Ra-on before discovering she's a girl is the cherry on top of the cake. 

#8 Something in the rain

(밥 잘 사주는 예쁜 누나)

Grade: C 

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes, but it still doesn't make you happy

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Wasted potential! 

Great start but the characterization falls apart quickly and you end up wondering why the main characters keep sabotaging their lives. By the end, despite their reunion, you're left with the impression they've learned nothing and that their relationship is doomed to fall apart. 

On top of it all, watching Jin-ah fight sexism in the workplace and gaining nothing is depressing af (I don’t need realism in my escapism, thank you very much).

Too bad because Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in look really good together and the acting is top-notch. My advice is to watch the first 8 episodes then make up your own ending in your head.

#9 Moon embracing the sun 

(해를 품은 달)

Grade: B+

Genre: Historical,Star-Crossed lovers

Episodes: 22

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

A traditional historical drama with all the tropes that go with the genre + a hint of esoterism.

If you love ill-fated relationships, tragic love triangle, evil queens, and amnesia, this is the show for you. Beware, the interrogation/torture scenes are rather brutal. 

#10 My sassy girl 

(엽기적인 그녀)

Grade: B- 

Genre: Historical, Rom-Com

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Cute and lighthearted but easily forgettable. Still worth a watch thanks to Joo Won & Oh Yeon-seo's chemistry. 

#11 Coffee Prince 

(커피프린스 1호점)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Solid story, great cast but be ready for a lot of bickering. 

Yoon Eun-hye is a precious bean who manages to sell the story of Eun-chan, a struggling androgynous working-class girl who mistakenly gets hired by a rich guy to play his boyfriend, then becomes his employee, then falls for him while not correcting his assumptions about her gender. Opposite her, Gong Yoo (from Train to Busan fame) is 🥰🥰🥰

Sidenote: Despite Han-kyul's struggle to accept his feelings for Eun-chan, homosexuality isn't treated as a joke or a shameful thing. The one time he goes seek “medical help”, the doctor is depicted as an old, clueless idiot. And honestly, the story would work too if Eun-chan was a guy. 

#12 My girlfriend is a Gumiho/My girlfriend is a Nine-tailed fox 

(내 여자친구는 구미호)

Grade: B+

Genre: Modern; Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki - Available on Netflix (FR) too

Campy and goofy. It does look a bit dated (it’s from 2010) and the story is a little predictable but Lee Seung-gi as Cha Dae-woong, an aspiring action film actor and Shin Min-ah as “Gu Mi-ho” the nine-tailed fox looking for a mate are super cute. The show is also a good introduction to Korean folklore.

#13 Goblin / Guardian: The Lonely and Great God / The Lonely and Great God – Goblin 

(쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 – 도깨비)

Grade: A+ 

Genre:  Modern, Historical, Fantasy, bromance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes-ish

Watched on: Viki 

Unpopular opinion but since I’m not into older guys, I wasn’t invested in the romance between Bride and Goblin until late in the series. I loved everything else though. The show has such a unique tone and atmosphere. It goes from super serious to goofy in no time. The cinematography is gorgeous (especially the historical sets) and you'll cry your eyes out.

#14 Healer 

(힐러)

Grade: A 

Genre:  Modern

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

If you're into toll broody guys and fearless smoll girls, you’ll love Healer. The story is great, the characters are great and the way Jung-hu (played by Ji Chang-wook) and Ji-an (Park Min-young) are horny for each other is peak drama! *chef kiss*

#15 Kangchi the beginning/Gu family book 

(구가의 서)

Grade: B- 

Genre: Historical, Fantasy

Episodes:

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Engaging coming of age story of a half-human half-gumiho looking for his place in this world. If it wasn't for the wishy-washy ending it could have been the perfect mix of action fantasy and romance. 

Special mention for Dam Yeo-wool (played by Suzie Bae) who is a female character who's allowed to be a bit of everything at the same time (strong, kick-ass, funny, cute, romantic) 

#16 Queen for seven days 

(7일의 왕비)

Grade: A 

Genre:  Historical, Romance, Villainous crush

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

With that title don’t expect a HEA but there are plenty of sweet moments along the way to make you appreciate the journey. 

Chae-kyung loves the Prince and the Prince loves Chae-kyung but the King wants to kill the Prince and Chae-kyung is loyal to the King but the King is a tyrant and everyone wants the Prince to take his throne. On top of that the King wants Chae-kyung. Big mess. Lots of feels.

The story is (very) loosely based on real-life Queen Dangyeong, which makes it even more poignant. I cried my eyes out at the end because I’m a big softy.   

#17 Korean Odyssey

(화유기)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Kinda

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The show (very loosely based on Journey to the West) has its faults including the wishy-washy ending and the fact that Jin Seon-mi/Sam-jang starts off as a doormat but I ended up liking the relationship developing between the assholish Monkey god and the naive human girl more than I expected.

The side characters are compelling, and the banter and bickering between the deities work really well. If you grew up with Dragon ball, you’ll have a blast trying to match-up the Japanese and Korean names of everyone without looking up Wikipedia.

Lastly, not something I imagined saying after seeing him in Gumiho and Gu family book but Lee Seung-gi as Son Oh-gong = BDE *fans herself* 🥵

#18 Strong Girl Bong-soon 

(힘쎈여자 도봉순)

Grade: A- 

Genre:  Modern, Super-Heroine

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning: Graphic depiction of violence against women

A++ super-heroine story, bad side characters 

First, every girl should aspire to find a Min-hyuk in their life. Someone who'll love them because of their strength, and support them unconditionally. Someone who won't ask them to change or pretend to be somebody else.

Second, western media should learn that a super-heroine can HAVE IT ALL—the superpowers AND the love AND the family. 

My only complaint with the show (and that's why I gave A- instead of A++) is the inclusion of many cringy side characters/situations that spoiled my overall enjoyment (see the caricatural flamboyant gay co-worker, Bong-soon’s mom hitting her dad, the mobsters...)

#19 The K2 

(더 케이투)

Grade: B- 

Genre: Modern, Political

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The romance is bad and the political story far-fetched but Ji Chang-wook is 🔥🔥PEAK HOTTIE🔥🔥

That being said, I didn’t completely dislike the political intrigue and it was interesting to see the good guy working for the villains (sort of). 

#20 Weightlifting fairy Kim Bok-joo 

(역도요정 김복주)

Grade: A+ 

Genre:  Modern, Coming of age

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Uplifting coming of age story and super sweet romance. Bok-joo (Lee Sung-kyung) & Joon-hyung (Nam Joo-hyuk) are precious children on top of being cutie-patooties. Bok-joo’s insecurities hit hard, especially if you’ve ever been outside the norm of beauty standards.

I liked how the show normalizes therapy and taking care of your mental health.

In one word…

SWAG! 

#21 The scholar who walks the night 

(밤을 걷는 선비)

Grade: B 

Genre:  Historical, Fantasy, Vampire, posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Guilty pleasure. 

Don’t ask me about the details of the main storyline, I’ve already forgotten most of it. Sometimes all you need is a show where a hundred-something years old good vampire with a sad backstory and the main girl who is thirsty for the good vampire are fighting a sexy evil vampire. 

PS: Did I mention the sexy evil vampire?

#22 Romance is a bonus book 

(로맨스는 별책부록)

Grade: A+ 

Genre: Modern, Friends to lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Imagine reading a relaxing book under a cozy blanket while sipping hot cocoa. That’s how that series made me feel. 

Everything is sweet and soft from the characters' fluffy jumpers to the soft palette of color used for the sets. People make books and love books. There’s a mystery but no unnecessary angst. If you need a break from everything, jump in that ship. 

#23 Hotel Del Luna 

(호텔 델루나)

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Sorta

Watched on: Viki - Available on Netflix (FR) too

Interesting world-building and a good cast of side characters but the romance lacks a bit of oomph. 

On the + side, the hotel sets are gorgeous and Man-wol's wardrobe is to kill for.

#24 Suspicious Partner 

(수상한 파트너)

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern, Star-crossed lovers in an office

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Toll serious who hates criminal falls for smoll weirdo falsely accused of murder. A must watch for anyone in search of a quirky romance.

#25 Touch your heart 

(진심이 닿다)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Tooth rotting sweetness. The series is just a pretext to watch two good looking people (Lee Dong-wook and Yoo In-na) being nice and awkward around each other. What do you need more? 0

Note: If you watched Goblin you can also pretend it's a spin-off series about the reincarnations of Grim Reaper and Sunny. 💡

#26 Because this is my first life 

(이번 생은 처음이라)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern, Fake marriage

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

The Fake Marriage AU you’re looking for, mixed with slices of modern, messy, complicated life. 

The main storyline revolves around Ji-ho an assistant drama screenwriter who struggles to find her place within the patriarchal structure of Korean society, and Se-hee, a socially incompetent computer designer who only cares for his cat and his mortgage. The way they end up in a fake marriage as well as the development of their relationship feels organic and doesn’t rely too heavily on comedy like it’s often the case with that trope.

The show also follows the stories of Ji-ho’s friends, Su-ji and Ho-rang who have different aspirations in life—Su-ji’s goal is to become CEO while Ho-rang only cares about becoming a housewife. I loved that the show makes a point to not pit women against each other and advocate living your life the way YOU want rather than trying to follow societal expectations of what love, work and marriage should look like. 

Also they have the cutest cat.

#27 What's wrong with Secretary Kim? 

(김비서가 왜 그럴까 )

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

I wish Secretary Kim had more agency in certain situations but the romance develops well and the horny moments are caliente 🥵🔥 

#28 Where your eyes linger 

(너의 시선이 머무는 곳에)

Grade: A++ 

Genre: Modern, BL, Coming of age, Friends to lovers

Episodes: 8

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Bite-size BL gem to devour in one sitting. 

Stellar acting from the two leads and the balance between fluff and angst is just right. There's no graphic violence that sometimes plagues yaoi and BL and the story is believable. I got emo remembering my first love. 

#29 Live up to your name 

(명불허전)

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern, Historical, Time travel, Star-crossed lovers

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning for graphic depiction of violence

Big surprise. I was looking for a cheesy comedy but it was actually a thoughtful story about humanism. I even teared up a little. 

Trigger warning for needles. They do some pretty impressive procedures with those acupuncture needles. 

#30 W - Two Worlds Apart 

(더블유)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Imaginary men > Real men, especially when they're played by Lee Jong-suk. Nuf’ said.

Imaginary men > Real men, especially when they're played by Lee Jong-suk.

The silly premise hides a solid story that keeps you on your toes and I was suprised by the rollercoaster of emotions I went through.

“Option 3″

“That’s 4 fingers”

#31 Life 

(라이프)

Grade: C 

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Kinda

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Unless you want to learn how fucked up the private health sector is becoming in Korea, there's not much to gain watching this show. 

The story starts off well though. The problem is that by the middle of the series the writers have dropped the main mystery (the circumstances surrounding the death of the director) to deliver an exposé on the political machinations of big corporations, and then shoehorn an explanation at the last minute (“it was all but a misunderstanding”). Very underwhelming.

The relationship between the two brothers played by Lee Dong-wook and Lee Kyu-hyung is the only bright spot.

#32 Pinocchio 

(피노키오)

Grade: A- 

Genre: Modern, Fake family members who catch feels

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

On paper, the story sounds a little crazy but it all comes together nicely.

Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye have great chemistry and deliver a stellar performance as “uncle” and “niece” (not related by blood) who can’t fight the romantic feelings they harbor for one another. The main storyline has enough twists to keep you entertained and surprised. 

My only complaint is that it drags a little. 16 episodes would have been enough. 

#33 My Holo Love 

(나 홀로 그대)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern, Sci-fi

Episodes: 12

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Fake men > Real men 

Imagine a Black Mirror episode about a love triangle between a woman suffering from face blindness, an emotionally supportive AI boyfriend and the disenchanted creator of said AI, minus the nihilism. *chef kiss*

#34 Legend of the blue sea 

(푸른 바다의 전설)

Grade: B++ 

Genre: Modern, Fantasy, Fairy tale, Star-crossed lovers

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Park Ji-eu (the writer) read the little mermaid and decided to give her a happy ending. Great chemistry between Lee Min-ho and Jun Ji-hyun but the spark is missing for me. 

The antics of modern-day mermaid Shim Cheong are a little predictable and Joon-jae needs to be less of a control freak at times but the story remains enjoyable. I was pleasantly surprised to see Shim Cheong’s character grow, making the power imbalance between the clueless mermaid and the con-artist less pronounced by the end of the series. 

The side characters are interesting but underused, and I wish Tae-oh was more developed. On the other hand, the Joseon area sets and costumes are absolutely gorgeous (Don’t tell anyone but Joseon!Lee Min-ho is hotter than Modern!Lee Min-ho 🥵)

#35 Tale of Arang / Arang and the Magistrate 

(아랑사또전)

Grade: B 

Genre: Historical, Fantasy,

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

One word: Campy.

Interesting lore but the pacing is a little off—there’s a lot of back and forth between the characters and the locations and the love triangle doesn't add much. 

#36 My ID is Gangnam Beauty / Gangnam Beauty  

(내 아이디는 강남미인)

Grade: A+ 

Genre: Modern, Coming of age

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

If you’ve ever been bullied for your looks, you’re gonna bawl your eyes out. 

The show does a great job of calling out the unhealthy beauty standards imposed on Korean women but the topic is universal enough for the story to resonate with everyone. I love that you never see Mi-rae’s old face because it’s not our perception of her lack of beauty that matters but the fact she suffers greatly. Don’t you hate in western shows when they take a beautiful actress, give her a pair of glasses or a fat suit and call her ugly, making sure the audience feels shittier about themselves? Here, the writers concentrate on Mi-rae’s transformation and her coping with the consequences of her decision to do plastic surgery. 

It’s also not a revenge fantasy where the ugly duckling suddenly becomes the most popular girl at school. Being a “Gangnam beauty” leads to a new form of suffering. 

Romance-wise, it’s the slowest burn of slow burns because Mi-rae and Do Kyung-seok are the most socially awkward beans on the planet. I love them, Your Honor. 

#37 Tale of Nokdu 

(조선로코-녹두전)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 32 x 30mns

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki - Now available on Netflix (FR)

Fun and lighthearted all the way through.

The story of a guy who puts on a dress to investigate a village of widows could have gone very wrong but it was well handled. It’s refreshing to see the classic trope of posing as the opposite sex reversed and Jang Dong-yoon is never cringy when he’s pretending to be Lady Kim Nok-soon.

#38 Bride of Habaek / Bride of the Water God

(하백의 신부 2017)

Grade: B

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Content warning: Crime against fashion

Promising premise and lore (I'm interested in reading the original comics now) but the writing fails to deliver an epic romance and a cathartic ending. Moreover, the sets lack imagination (or money?) and in the end I failed to ever feel immersed in a fantasy world.

The unfortunate consequence of the clumsy writing is that the male characters who are meant to be arrogant/confident Gods (Habaek and By-ryeom) sound like they're negging their love interests more than wooing them, and the relationship between Mu-ra and By-ryeom particularly irked me.

#39 Strangers from Hell / Hell is other people 

(타인은 지옥이다) 

Grade: A+

Genre: Modern, Psychological Thriller

Episodes: 10

Happy Ending: Spoiler

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Content warning: Violence 

What a departure from everything else in that list! Absolutely worth a watch if you enjoy thrillers and shows like Hannibal. If psychological horror isn’t your cup of tea though, you might give it a pass. 

The storyline and the characters are a little cliché (it goes with the genre) but the cinematography and photography are fantastic. You can notice how the pension becomes more and more sinister throughout the series via the use of dark greens and browns and pale yellows, as opposed to the mundanity and coldness of the city (greys, and cold blues).

Last but not least, the acting is top-tiers. Im Siwan does a great job at portraying Jong-woo, an aspiring crime novelist who slowly loses his marbles but the true revelation for me is Lee Dong-wook. After seeing him so many times in roles where he plays awkward yet charming men who can barely express emotions, I was intrigued to see him take on the role of a serial killer, and holy cow, he's the perfect mix of sinister and alluring. Towards the end of the series, his character Moon-jo acts like a black-hole whenever he appears in a scene—a towering, dark presence who sucks the light out of the room (If he carries any of that darkness in the upcoming Tale of Gumiho, it’s gonna be *chef kiss*).

#40 Empress Ki 

(기황후)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, posing as the opposite sex

Episodes: 51

Happy Ending: From a certain point of view

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning for violence against women (not graphic but implied)

51 episodes.

Fifty.One.Episodes.

That's a lot of episodes considering the story starts with the ending. 

Did I enjoy this show? Yes, very much so. Do I think it's for everyone? Nope. 

You'll enjoy Empress Ki if you're into old-school historical sagas or you wished Game of thrones had no gratuitous nudity and violence. If you’re looking for an historically accurate biography of the real empress Ki though, then look away because Empress Ki is basically a lengthy fanfiction trying to justify how the Goryeo native Seung-nyang married the wimpy Emperor of the Yuan dynasty whilst trying to portray her as loyal to her motherland and to her first love, the Crown Prince of Goryeo. 

Personally, I didn’t care for the love triangle formed by Seung-nyang (Ha Ji-won), Wang-yoo (Joo Jin-mo) and Toghon Temür (Ji Chang-wook) but I liked the politics and the backstabbing. Also, contrary to GoT, the bad guys get their comeuppance at the end so it makes watching the side characters die less painful.

#41 Meow, the secret boy / Welcome 

(어서와)

Grade: B-

Genre: Modern, Modern fantasy

Episodes: 24 x 35mns 

Happy Ending: I guess

Watched on: Viki

How do I put it? It's not *terribad* but it's not *good* either. 

I was super on board with the concept—if Lee Seung-gi can bang a nine-tailed fox in My girlfriend is a gumiho, I have zero issues with Sol ah, our heroine, falling in love with Hong-jo the cat-person after being dumped for no reason by Jae-sun her boyfriend—but it didn’t exactly develop that way, and as soon as they explained why Jae-sun had broken up with Sol-ah, the writers lost me because I like when things happen for a reason. 

#42 Clean with a passion for now 

(일단 뜨겁게 청소하라!!)

Grade: A-

Genre: Modern, Rom-Com

Episodes: 16 

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Super zany and tropey but that’s why it works so well. The only reason I’m giving it a minus is because it’s trying to be woke but in the end there’s still a lot of unsolicited grabbing and some iffy remarks/pick-up lines said by every male characters (IRL that’s the kind of story that ends up with a restraining order and a lawsuit for sexual harassment).

#43 Mystic pop-up bar 

(쌍갑포차)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Fantasy

Episodes: 12

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Trigger warning: Heavy themes (miscarriage, pregnancy, loss of a child, death of loved ones)

You know how the meme goes... Sometimes a family is a hot-tempered bar owner, a cursed kid and an ex-Afterlife-Police officer with a secret past. 

It took me a few episodes to get into it, but once the characters were established it became really enjoyable. 

The tone of the series leans toward wacky but the core of the story is actually pretty dark if you look into it. Every grudge they solve for their “clients” gives a clue about Wol-joo’s personal story and by the last episode I was crying my eyes out.

Last but not least, Wol-joo’s collection of modernized hanboks is *chef kiss*

#44 My secret Terrius 

(내 뒤에 테리우스)

Grade: A

Genre: Modern, Action, Comedy, Bromance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

An enjoyable action drama to watch with your family or your significant other.

Koreans prove that you can write a story about a black ops agent on the run who becomes a childminder without reeking of toxic masculinity. Contrary to American comedies where the manly-man-hero working undercover is incompetent and believes that working with children is a woman’s job and a waste of his manly-man talents until he has an epiphany of some sorts, Kim Bon (played by So Ji-sub) never once expresses discomfort to the idea of looking after two kids. In spite of his sober demeanor, he’s a caring and attentive person from the start and watching him gradually becoming a part of this spunky family while investigating a national security threat made my heart go awww.

Opposite him, fearless and resourceful mom Go Ae-rin (played Jung In-sun) brings a lot of energy, and the twins are absolutely adorable.

#45 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

(달의 연인 - 보보경심 려)

Grade: A--

Genre: Historical  

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: No

Watched on: Random streaming site

Don’t get attached—Moon Lovers is the missing link between Empress Ki and Boys over flowers, but with a sad ending.

I did binge watch the series but there are some frustrating aspects to it that prevented me from giving a perfect score, notably the fact that Wang So remains possessive and demanding with Hae Soo throughout the years—for instance “You’re my person” is a romantic statement until it evolves into “You can never leave me.”

The other problem of the series is that Lee Ji-eun (UI) does cute and goofy really well, but she doesn’t have the emotional range needed to portray a character who goes through many heartbreaks and betrayals. As a result, Hae Soo appears a little fickle in her infatuations with the princes.  

That being said if you’re a sucker for tragic romance and you believe that power corrupts even the purest of love, you’ll have a blast.

#46 Forest 

(포레스트)

Grade: B++

Genre: Modern, Romance

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

UST in the woods (Dat first kiss 🥵🥵🥵)

The characters and the story are a little cliché but who doesn’t love a story where the protagonists are clearly attracted to each other but can’t act on their desires because their moral values are opposite?

*slams fist*

San Hyeok is your typical heartless businessman who refuses to confront his childhood trauma, and Yeong Jae is a surgeon who suffers from panic attacks and cares too much about other people. They’re both good looking and fate brings them to a remote village in the middle of the forest where they have to share a house. Really, I wonder what’s gonna happen?

#47 100 Days My Prince / Hundred days husband

(백일의 낭군님)

Grade: B+

Genre: Historical

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki 

Trigger warning: Important character death.

Cute and charming but also very annoying at times. Obviously, the story is tropey af (fake marriage doubled with amnesia, you can’t really beat that) but it also includes elements I’ve never seen in any other dramas like the fact that the Crown Princess is pregnant with another man’s child (le gasp!). The things that annoy me the most were the unnecessary flip-flopping of the heroine towards the end of the show for the sake of creating artificial drama (just let them be together FFS!) and the fact that the male characters take a lot of decisions for Yeon Hong-shim.

Romance wise, Do Kyung-soo and Nam Ji-hyun are really cute together but in the end I found myself more interested in the political intrigue and the side characters than the main romance because slow burn has its limit. In essence, it’s the perfect drama to watch with your conservative family because whilst the main couple is living under the same roof and is technically married they don’t get frisky. 

#48 I Am Not A Robot (로봇이 아니야)

Grade: A++

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Angsty with a good pay-off.

With a premise like that, things could have gone wrong really quickly but the writers managed to write a story that isn’t a man wanting to fuck a robot because real women are scary so big kudos for them. Seeing Min-kyu celebrating his Roomba’s birthday because he has no other friends will instantly melt your heart and from that point on you’ll cheer for his recovery. The show has the right amount of angst without becoming a mess and they handle the big reveal very well, making sure to show how hurt both Min-kyu and Ji-ah are by the situation, without making you doubt that they can find each other again. The other strong point of the show is that it’s not just about romance, it’s also about friendship and learning to let other people in your life. 

The acting is incredible to the point that by the end I wondered if Yoo Seung-ho and Chae Soo-bin were making out in front of my salad or if I was still watching the characters Min-kyu and Ji-ah being lovey dovey. 

#49 Sungkyunkwan Scandal (성균관 스캔들)

Grade: A

Genre: Historical, Posing as the opposite gender

Episodes: 20

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Viki

Hana zakari no kimi tachi he with gats.

This show checks so many boxes when it comes to my favourite tropes story-wise and character-wise that I instantly fell in love with it. It might feel a little dated for a younger audience and it definitely suffers from the second male lead syndrome (who wants unseasoned boiled chicken when there are not just one but two juicy rotisserie chickens on the table next to you?!) but it’s still very much enjoyable. Also, they don’t shy away from using the word “homosexuality” and having one of the second lead confessing to having romantic feelings for his friend (I’ll take any scrap of bi-representation, okay?)

#50 It’s Okay to not be okay  (사이코지만 괜찮아)

Grade: A 

Genre: Modern

Episodes: 16

Happy Ending: Yes

Watched on: Netflix (FR)

Found family. 

In spite of one ridiculous plot twist (that I was aware of when I started the show) this show has made me feel all the feelz. The three main actors all did a phenomenal job portraying their characters in all their complexity and fragility and I ended up crying so many cathartic tears in the second to last & the last episodes.The relationship between Sang-tae and Gang-tae is one of the best sibling relationships I’ve seen on-screen in a long time while the romance between Moon-yeong and Gang-tae blends perfectly elements of comedy and melodrama. Mental illness isn’t treated as something to be ashamed of, whilst showing that you can grow and recover from trauma and finding your own happiness.

PSA from my boyfriend, who dropped the show before the end: 

The plot twist is so stupid that it takes away from the rest of the series. In my opinion it negated the positive portrayal of mental illness built up until then. They completely lost me.

^ We discussed a lot about it which is why I wanted to share his POV to balance my own review.

#51 coming soon

[hwarangs-say-what]

soo ho: yeo wool, can we talk, one 10 to another?

yeo wool: i'm an 11, but continue.

[kdramacamper]

You like me? (HansungxYeo Wool)

Summary: Yeo Wool and Hansung like each other, infact they really like each other a lot A/n: Something sweet and fluffy for my favourite pair, because i am forever bitter that this ship never got to properly sail.

Hansung had told Yeo Wool often that he disliked him; but they both knew that that was entirely untrue.

In fact quite the opposite. He was always so full of curiosity about the worlds wonders; and Yeo Wool happened to make him so much more curious than anything or anyone else. Hansung was usually so open and so expressive when it came to his thoughts and feelings and it was easy to tell who he liked and disliked from the way he would either scowl and pout like a puppy or smile brightly with shining eyes.

But Yeo Wool was so suave, such a smooth talker and an air of mysteriousness floated around him so much so that when Hansung found himself graced with his presence he ended up feeling, not quite intimidated and not quite jealous....but something? He wasn't quite sure what yet.

But what he was sure of was that he wanted to be like that even just a little, or at least he wanted Yeo Wool to think he was just as cool.

So when Yeo Wool pulled, he pushed. Telling him that he didn't like him or shrugging off his arm when it linked through his when they found themselves walking the same path. He wondered if it was working, because he had noticed that Yeo Wool would spend an increasingly longer amount of time with him than any of the other hwarang. Or maybe it was because he was being so obvious in trying to show that he didn't like Yeo Wool, that it was even more obvious that he did.

Yeo Wool liked that Hansung liked him. Most of the men in hwarang did not; since they were either jealous of his startling beauty or had their eyes set on wooing a woman instead.

And being rejected by the likes of Ban Ryu and Soo Ho was different to being rejected by Hansung. Because with the former two it was expected and he would only propose the idea of sharing their company to amuse himself with the sight of their disgruntled expressions. But when he aimed his flirtations at Hansung the younger one would sometimes stutter and adamantly state his disinterest; it was not the same. Hansung's eyes spoke differently to his tongue and his body when he would dismiss Yeo Wool and shrug his hand off his shoulder; they told him to stay and hold tight, when the rest of him said go away and let go.

Yeo Wool knew this because Hansung would forget to say his objections when everyone's eyes were elsewhere or when they were both alone, and he would let Yeo Wool's arm linger around his shoulder, and sometimes lean into it too. Yeo Wool would smile happily in these moments, the victorious feeling like he had won a battle settling upon him, especially when Hansung slightly smiled too.

Hansung had found a lone corner beside a pillar while he enviously watched Sun Woo sparring with their instructor. He hated sword fighting and well any kind of fighting at all. The weapon felt heavy and awkward in his hand, the sound of metal clashing when his sword hit another in an uncoordinated strike sent a sharp shiver through him as he winced and he would almost always then drop it to the floor with a messy clatter.

Everyone else had been watching Sun Woo too, with awestruck and impressed expressions-even Yeo Wool.

Hansung turned away from Sun Woo, sliding down the pillar and settling into a crouch, tucking his knees under his chin and wrapping his arms tightly around himself as he sulked. Sun Woo made everything look so easy, so effortless, he was so cool and everyone liked him, even his brother Danse liked him and Danse didn't like anyone-why couldn't he be that? Why couldn't he be strong and handsome and caring and talented. He would be teased and tormented and ignored at lot less then. He would be liked a lot more too.

He was too busy caught up in his moping thoughts to realise he was being approached, not until the somebody approaching him joined him in sitting on the floor and nudged his shoulder.

"Wielding a sword is so exhausting is it not?" Yeo Wool said with a sigh, stretching out his arm and curling his wrist.

"I'm too tired to even fan myself from the heat." He said with another exasperated sigh smirking just a little as Hansung's head shot up and his eyes widened.

"Yeo Wool!" Startled he looked over his shoulder, at the sparring Hwarang behind him, but they were too preoccupied to even consider the two in the corner. He visibly relaxed, but his thoughts still left a frown on his face and he pouted.

"Go away." He grumbled, not actually wanting him to leave and not knowing why Yeo Wool was even sitting next to him int first place.

But Yeo Wool knew him well and he refused to budge.

"Maybe later, i'm going to rest here for a bit. The shade is nice and the views not all that bad too." The older hwarang announced, stretching out his arms and letting one fall around Hansung as he winked.

Hansung stammered, trying to decide whether to get up and go or stay- he opted for the latter since no one was watching them anyway and stared at the slender hand that dangled on his shoulder. Yeo Wool was wearing that silvery snake-like bracelet again. The bracelet that curled around his wrist, wrapping around the back of his hand and entwined around his fingers. The sparkling silver only seemed to emphasize Yeo Wool's long elegant fingers and broad palms, and Hansung couldn't help but look and look again. He didn't wear it often, mainly when they had a day off and went to the Okta. He had never worn it during training though, and Hansung wondered why he had chose to do so today when it could so easily be scratched by a sword.

Yeo Wool had actually worn it because of Hansung. Like a bird, the young hwarang was drawn to shiny, sparkly things, and so Yeo Wool wanted to shine and sparkle as much as possible. Hansung looked at Sun Woo far to much for his liking; he wanted to be the one Hansung looked at. And it seemed to be working because his eyes immediately strayed to the shining piece of jewellery.

When Hansung turned to Yeo Wool he found himself floundering again, because Yeo Wool's eyes were on his and- had he gotten closer? Because his face was awfully close to his. He felt the tips of his ears burning and cast his head downwards, clasping his hands over his ears.

"Why are you here?" He mumbled, almost shyly and peeking upwards slightly to watch Yeo Wool respond with an amused smiled as he held his chin with his free hand and pondered.

"Hmmm, I suppose I prefer your company."

"Wha-why? Why not someone cool like Ji Dwi, or Sun Woo or-"

"Because I like you."

Flustered by Yeo Wool's confession, Hansung's mouth parted like a fish and he felt his ears burn again. Staring straight ahead of him he hugged his legs tighter.

"Why do you like me?" He muttered, brows knitted together in disbelief.

Yeo Wool quirked a brow at the young hwarang, a smirk lifting up the corner of his mouth.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means why do you like me?" Hansung repeated, in the same childish grumble as before and Yeo Wool chuckled.

"I'm not good a fighting or speaking, or anything really and I hate politics and, and I can't do anything the others can do." He rambled, as if trying to give Yeo Wool every reason not to like him. But Yeo wool found the fact all the more endearing.

"Perhaps that is the reason." He mused, unsure himself of what it was specifically that made him like Hansung so.

"What is?"

"That you are unlike any other. Perhaps that is the reason I like you."

It took a moment for the words to sink in for him, and he stared at Yeo Wool with his mouth opened wide before it slowly tugged up into a flourishing smiled as he beamed.

"Nobody has said they like me even though i'm different before." He said, smiling wider as Yeo Wool's words replayed in his head and filled him with a strange kind of happiness he’d never felt before.

Yeo Wool smiled too, happier now that Hansung's frown had evaporated.

"I feel honoured to be the first, but won’t you tell me that you like me now?" He teased with a pretend pout and Hansung shook his head adamantly.

"I don't like you." He said almost instantly, too quickly for it to be true and Yeo Wool tried to hide his smirk as he clutched his heart in mock hurt.

"You don't?" He gasped pulling away from Hansung and moving to his feet.

"Well in that case i'll go find someone who does."

Boldly Hansung reached out to the leaving hwarang, whining and pulling him back to their spot with a disagreeing whine.

At Yeo Wool's arched eyebrow that was questioning his actions Hansung let go of the other hwarang's sleeve folding his arms across his shirt as he reluctantly admitted.

"Maybe I like you a little bit. But not a lot, just a teeny tiny bit so you can stay."

For Yeo Wool it was just as good as a confession as any, since it was from Hansung. And so per the young Hwarang's request, he decided to stay.

~~~

Later that night, Hansung found himself kicked out by his roomates again. He had been unable to sleep, and so had tried to engage conversation with them but they wouldn't have it, since it seemed the only thing stopping them from getting shut eye was him.

And so he ended up in front of the room belonging to Yeo Wool and Sun woo and the other most popular hwarang with his pillow tucked under his arm and a blanket in hand.

They barely flinched when he entered the room, merely glanced to acknowledge him before settling back into their most comfortable sleeping positions. They had become quickly used to Hansung's presence among them, since more often than not he was expelled by his own roomates and these few were the only ones he could mostly tolerate- and they tolerated him.

Usually he would choose Sun Woo as a sleeping buddy since he was the only one he had felt comfortable with since the popular hwarang was quite like what he hoped a big brother to be like. Danse was his brother and he loved him yes, but he wasn't a brother like a brother should be, not like he used to be or like Hansung wanted. And so with Sun Woo he liked to play pretend. But even so he decided that tonight he was going to sleep somewhere else.

He stood in the doorway for a moment while he considered, but his curiosity won him over and he clambered up the bunk beds to settle himself by Yeo Wools side.

Yeo Wool peeked an eye open glancing at the Hwarang awkwardly trying to make himself comfortable in the small space beside him. With a sigh he shuffled over, pretending to be inconvenienced when he was infact thrilled that Hansung had chose to sleep beside him.

Hansung had been startled by the considerate action, and also thankful because he had been nervous after the last time he had tried to share a bed with Yeo Wool and the other male had started to touch his face. It had flustered him and he had fled to Sun Woo knowing he was a safe option since he would ignore him.

No matter how he tried though, he couldn't get comfortable, shuffling every few minutes into a new position so one minute he was on his back, then his side and then his other side. He hugged his pillow hoping that would help, but then there was nothing to cushion the back of his head and he ended up putting it back in its original place.

Yeo Wool let out an agitated huff since he too had been unable to sleep due to Hansung's struggles, and he wrapped his arms around the young Hwarang in order to still him.

"Yeo Wool..." Hansung whispered, face burning because he could feel his breath on his face and hear his heartbeat thudding against his ear.

But Yeo Wool gave no response, and Hansung wondered if he were asleep.  Maybe Yeo Wool was a sleep hugger like he was too? And so with no other choice and not actually minding the situation anymore, Hansung settled, snuggling into Yeo Wool as he made himself more comfortable. And then he felt fingers softly brushing through his hair.

Yeo Wool was awake?

He didn't have it in him to protest Yeo Wool's touchiness this time around as the feeling of fingers combing through his hair and the warmth of a body next to his actually wasn't so bad. It was quite calming and comforting actually and he found his eyes feeling heavy due to the relaxing touch.

But he didn't want to go to sleep yet, not until he had said to Yeo Wool what he needed to say, because the moment right now felt right enough to say it.

"Yeo Wool?" He murmured, in a hush tone so as not to disrupt the others.

The fingers in his hairr paused and it took a moment for him to receive a sleepy response.

"MMhmm?"

"I like you. I really like you a lot."

[join-hwarang]

Defense (Hwarang Scenarios)

Summary of Request: teaching their child(ren) defense moves

Gifs are not mine, credit to owners 

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 

Moo Myung (Sun Woo): Boy/Girl

Child: “Appa what is the point in teaching me this?”

Moo Myung: “That way you can protect yourself and you mother when I’m not here.”

Child: “That will never happen, right appa?”

Moo Myung: “Let’s hope not.”

Sam Maek: Girl

Sam Maek: “See this way you can keep boys away.”

Child: “But, appa how will I find a boyfriend, if I keep them away?”

Sam Maek: “Nuh uh no boyfriends!”

Child: “Appa!”

Sam Maek: “No no, I have to protect my princess from those evil men, you are my little girl I can’t have anything happening to you.”

Child: “Oh appa” *hugs him tightly*

Soo Ho: 2 Boys

Soo Ho: “So you have to hold them in place like this.”

Boy 1: “Like this appa?”

Soo Ho: “Yes, so then you-” *accidentally knocks down a vase*

Boy 2: *gasps*

Boy 1: *laughing*

Soo Ho: “Don’t tell your eomma.”

*you enter your home at that moment*

Y/N: “Don’t tell me what?”

Both kids: “Appa broke a vase!”

Soo Ho: “I can’t even trust my own children.”

Ban Ryu: Boy/Girl

Child: “I’m tired appa.”

Ban Ryu: “Come on, a few more times.”

 Ban Ryu: “I have to keep you safe” *thinks to himself*

*watches as his child continues to practice moves, smiling proudly on how far they have come*

Child: “Was that okay?”

Ban Ryu: “It was perfect C/N, let’s go home, your eomma is waiting for us for dinner.” *nodding and smiling*

Child: “Food!” 

Han Sung: Boy/Girl

Child: “Appa I thought you said you we’re going to teach me defense moves not dances moves.”

Han Sung: “I know, but look how nice your appa dances!”

Child: “Aish appa.”

Yeo Wool: 2 children Girls/Boys/Both

Yeo Wool: “Aish, what will your mother say about this mess?”

*he looks around the messy room with both your children running around*

Y/N: “What happened in here?!”

Children: “Uh oh, appa you’re in trouble!”

Yeo Wool: “Why you little.”

🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹 🌹

Disclaimer: I will be using some scenes from the series, but they will not be following the plot of the actual episode unless requested so. Also, I apologize for any mistakes when using some parts of the episodes if the translation is correct.

[drinkmyagony]

Imagine this... Soo Ho: Ban Ryu we need to make ou.... *Ban Ryu agressively kisses Soo Ho* Soo Ho: WHAT THE FUCK! Ban Ryu: ... Yeo Wool: what he was telling you is that we need to make our exercises!! *silence* Ban Ryu: I hAt3 U aLl!

[angelsvoice1love]

In The Moonlight (pt 1)

You walked down the path to the tea shop, from the place we stayed. You heard someone yelling causing me to turn, you saw to men running my way.

Eyes wide, you wasn't sure what was happening when one grabbed my hand as he pulled me aside so that the horse wouldn't hit you.

Y/n: AHHH! You screamed, as you were picked up, and pulled to the side.

The man held you in place, only for you to catch a glimps of a attractive young man wearing a straw hat. Your hand was on his shoulder, as he still held you in place gently setting you dow.

Man: Are you okay?

Y/n: Y...yes. Thank you. W-

Other man: Come on we need to go. He yelled, making the man in front of you bow and run away in the same direction.

Frowning you made your way to the tea shop, going to the private room where your friend was waiting.

Y/n: Forgive me for being late. I had an incident. You said, sliding the door close.

Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: Are you okay? The king asked, as he ran over to you grabbing your shoulders in his hands.

Y/n: I'm fine. I didn't get hurt.

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: What happened?

Y/n: I was on my way here when someone screamed. Two men came running my way, I assume someone was chasing them...but one of the men pulled me away and to safety to prevent the horse from hurting me.

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: What a relief. I don't know what I would have done, if you'd have gotten hurt. He said, as you felt his hands shaking on your shoulder. Your my best friend y/n, I cannot loose you too.

Y/n: You will always have me around. I promise. You replied, as you placed your hands on his cheeks. Trust me.

The King smiled, as he nodded composing himself as he walked back to drink his tea. One thing he didn't know was the butterflies he let loose in your stomach, when he held you close to him. But alas you knew you shouldn't have these feelings for your King, you were sent away with him since your family were the richest in the kingdom. She sent you away, to protect your life as well and to the fact that you were best friends before being sent away.

Taking in all the facts, you straightened out your dress, and sat down across form the King pouring him a cup of raspberry tea. Not making eye contact with the King at all. Noticing this, he placed the cup down as he moved to sit next to you.

(King) Sam Maek Jon/Ji Dwi: Is something wrong? He asked, as he pulled your chin up to look at him. You can tell me anything.

Y/n: N...no. No, I can't.

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: Y/n...are you in trouble with someone or something?

Y/n: No. It's just...your the one person I can't tell and at the same time, your the one I want to tell this the most. But I realized that it's better if I didn't. You said, replied as you straightened yourself out.

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: What do you mean?

Y/n: Shhh. It's a secret. You said, as you smiled lightly. I should go to my room, tomorrow your going to the Hwarang house and since I was asked to be a pidiatrician along with another girl, we'll see each other a lot.

The King simply nodded as you exited the room, curious as what you were keeping secret. He was going to make it his mission to find out what your big secret was, even if it meant digging into your personal life which you were open towards him. But this was a secret he had to know.

2 months later

With all the training, practice, discipline, and much more he still hasn't figured out what was going on. But he realized that you were getting closer to a certain someone. Yes, he was glad it wasn't Sun Woo, but he wasn't extactic about the part where you were becoming close with Soo Ho.

Everyone knew Soo Ho's history, he was a player and the ladies loved him. Ji Dwi knew, you knew of Soo Ho's history, but it didn't seem to bother you with the way you were talking.

Out of nowhere, Ji Dwi walked over to the both of you grabbing your arm as he dragged you to the storage room.

Y/n: Ow! What was that about, Ji Dwi? That was very rude. You said rubbing your arm.

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: What was that?

Y/n: What was what?

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: With Soo Ho. Why were you so comfortable with him? He's a player y/n, and I don't want you anywhere near that.

Y/n: Near what? Since I met Soo Ho, he hasn't once tried asking me out, flirting with me or anything else. He's my friend Ji Dwi. I'm friends with Sun Woo, Ban Ryu, Han-Sung and Yeo-wool. Why doesn't it bother you when I'm with them, but it bothers you when I'm with Soo Ho?

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: Y/n, I don't like seeing him around you. He makes you laugh, he...it feels like I can't do that anymore.

Y/n: What do you mean Ji Dwi?

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: Because...i want to make you feel that way.

Y/n: But you always make me laugh. Your there when I need to be comforted, when I need someone to be silly with, you trained me. Ji Dwi, your my best friend. What else could there be?

Ji Dwi pushed you against the wall, as he captured your lips in a kiss as tears rolled down his face.

You could feel the tears drip on your face, as he held you tight while kissing you. Your eyes were wide open, as you looked at the site in front of you.

This was the first time in ages that you've seen Ji Dwi cry, and now he was crying in the kiss he was giving you.

Pulling away softly form his kiss, you made eye contact with Ji Dwi feeling tears creep up in your eyes but you did all you could to keep them from falling.

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: I realized I want you. That's why I don't want Soo Hoo to go near you o-

Y/n: Ji Dwi...i can't. You said, lying to him and to yourself. I don't want this...your my best friend, and soon to be king. Not to mention the fact that you have an arranged marriage... I love you Ji Dwi but not this way. I'm sorry. You whispered, as you pushed past him leaving the room and leaving him confused and hurt.

You ran to your room that you shared with A-ro, as you stepped inside the room and closed it tears streamed down your eyes as you cried from the event that just happened.

You loved him more than anything in your life, but this...this you couldn't do. The queen, gave you clear instructions to keep any and all woman away from him and that's what you were doing. You knew you could never marry the king, and therefore you needed to move on even if he just confessed his love.

1 week later

It's been an entire week, since you've gone through the events of that night. You were at the river, enjoying the cold feeling of the water against your skin. You thinking about all the lovely days you had here with everyone, but particularly one person who you still couldn't get your mind off. You've been avoiding him the entire week, everytime he came to the phesisians room, you would hand it over to A-ro and leave.

A-ro was confused, but helped you anyway. Now you were here again, enjoying the sun setting slowly when someone sat next to you.

Soo Ho: May I join you?

Y/n: Please do. I hate watching the sun set alone.

Soo Ho: What happened?

Y/n: Excuse me?

Soo Ho: Between you and Ji Dwi. When you arrived you both were best friends, now you've drifted apart. Why?

Y/n: Its a long story, and personal. Also the fast that he didn't want me to date someone, he didn't approve of. Which didn't make sense, but in someone I guess it did. Ji Dwi and I've know each other, our whole lives...that's why we're so protective of one another. But it gets frustrating at times. I can date if I want...cant I?

Soo Ho: From your point of view, your right. But see it from his prospective too, he just doesn't want you to get hurt.

After Soo Ho said that, you realized that he was telling the truth. But something inside you took over your body, as you dove forward and kissed him.

Y/n: Sorry. You said fast, as you jumped to your feet feeling uncomfortable.

Soo Ho, stood as he pulled you in as he returned your kiss.

Unbeknownst to you, in the woods Ji Dwi saw everything sadness filling his heart as he slowly walked off.

He didn't know you loved him just as much, but you needed to move on. Not only that, if you went against the queen she would hurt your family, those were here exact words.

This is why you did this, but some part of you enjoyed kissing Soo Ho. This felt real to you, even though a part of you wished it was Ji Dwi...but the other part of you wanted it to be Soo Ho.

Pulling away from the kiss Soo Ho, smiled down at you as he kissed your forehead.

Soo Ho: I've been wanting to kiss you for 2 weeks now, after I realized I liked you I wanted to make you mine. That's why I've been different lately.

Y/n: Different?

Soo Ho: I realized I had to change my ways. Yes...i was a ladies man. But I don't want to be anymore, i want to be with you. If you'll let me. He whispered, as he's hands moved to your waist.

Y/n: I would love that. You replied, as you kissed him again.

Ji Dwi, swallowed, as he walked off not wanting to show any sign of him being there. Once he reached the House, he went straight to his room laying down as he looked up at the seeling.

Sun Woo: What's wrong with you? Sun Woo asked, as he sat on his own bed looking at his friend.

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: Nothing.

Yeo-Wool: Really? Then why are you sulking? Ever since the day we met, you've never been like this.

(King) Sam Maek Jong/Ji Dwi: It's-

Soo Ho: Hi. Soo Ho said, with a huge smile plastered on his face.

Ban Ryu: What's got you so happy?

Soo Ho: Y/n, agreed to be my girlfriend.

As soon as Soo Ho said that, Sun Woo looked over at Ji Dwi instantly knowing what was bothering him. Sun Woo, was the only one that knew of his feelings for you, besides yourself and here you were giving another man a chance in dating you.

The question that kept playing on in Ji Dwi mind, was what would have happened if he played his hand sooner?

Would you be with him right now?

As well as other thing, would you be happy with Soo Ho? Would he treat you like a princess? Would you be the only one he wanted around?

All thought that played, as he shook his head. Yes, you chose someone else but this only meant that he had to be there for you as a friend.

[gourabrocks]

Parasite movie review: A subtle and subversive depiction of class

Parasite movie cast: Song Kang-ho, Lee Sun-kyun, Cho Yeo-jeong, Choi Woo-shik, Park So-dam Parasite movie director: Bong Joon-Ho Parasite movie rating: 4 stars

Korean director Bong Joon Ho’s latest film, a top Oscar contender, is a subtle and subversive depiction of class. The setting is Korean, and Ho brings out that country’s obsession with America, English, North Korea and aspirations succinctly. But in depicting the many layers that divide, and blind, the rich from the poor, the poor from the rich, men from women, and husbands from wives, Parasite is universal. And very, very unsettling.

The rich are not all bad, and the poor not all good. However, it is in keeping up appearances, of both goodness and badness, and “not crossing the class line”, that we maintain what passes off as societal order. And so it is that the well-to-do Parks welcome into their house, one by one, an entire family who take up various jobs around their home without them being any wiser to what is happening. The husband (Ho-Song) takes no interest in running the household, the wife’s (Jo) worth lies in ensuring that he doesn’t have to. That everything from kids’ grades to their artistic talents, the cooking to the washing, even the hiring and the sacking, doesn’t demand any exertion from him.

The family they hire, the Kims, lives in a “semi-basement”, out of work but smart, ambitious and willing to cut corners to get ahead. The first to make his way into the Park home is Kevin (Choi), a smart man whose English can rival any university student’s but who is held back for lack of a degree. He is hired as the Park daughter’s tutor. He gets his sister (Park) in for the Park son, a little boy whose mother is convinced he has eccentric artistic talent. The sister, Jessica, convinces the Park wife that what her son’s scribblings actually indicate is childhood trauma, which “art therapy”, costing a little extra, will cure. Kim (a Ho favourite) comes in as the chauffeur and man about the Park house, and his wife ultimately as the housekeeper.

One night when the Parks are on a camping trip, Kim and family decide to have a nice little party at their home. They talk about how nice the Parks are, and whether it’s the money that makes them so, or whether it’s the fact that money means they are left with “no resentments”. Looking on at the front yard through large French windows, as a storm builds, they are imagining owning a house such as this, when their nightmare starts.

Ho, who has also co-written the story, has several surprises and twists up his sleeve. And many metaphors. About parasite, host. Upstairs, downstairs. Loyalty, love. Virtue, vice. Gutter, smell. Casual affluence, deliberate offence. Rain/sun for some, floods/heat for the other. And about the wool we pull over our eyes as we turn the other way, telling ourselves some lies to help us do that.

Ho strips that wool off, thread by thread. Right down to the only truth there is — not education, not degree, not work, but money.

[lady-lanthirgil]

Imagine Yeo Wool Rang gifting you a hanbok because when he saw it he knew it would suit you perfectly.

[flowerboysonly-blog]

If you thought Ban Ryu had too many fathers, imagine being Yeo Wool with every lord in the capital simultaneously being and not being your father!

[whendidibecamesuchtrash]

Seriously, you don’t imagine how mad I am at Hwarang now. I liked the ending but I hate they mistreat characters. I’m even thinking about writing a fanfic to end Su ho’s story and give context to Yeo wool, because they deserved better.

Also, Dansae is in the Hwarang squad but they don’t tell us how this happens. 

Really, I’m so frustrated all they left behind when the main arch was that slow and it had a lot of stuff going on so quickly and without a reason.

[incorrecthwarangquotes]

Yeo Wool: Imagine if someone handed you a box full of all the items you have lost throughout your lifetime

Ji Dwi: It would be nice to get my sense of purpose back

Hansung: My childhood innocence! Thank you for finding this

Ban Ryu: My will to live! I haven't seen this in 15 years

Soo Ho: I knew I lost that potential somewhere!

Sun Woo: Mental stability my old friend!

Yeo Wool: Guys, could you lighten up a little?

[hwarangs-say-what]

Okay, so imagine you went on a date with any character from Hwarang. What's the most (funny) catastrophic scenario you can think of and who would it be with?

I went on a date with Yeo Wool to the Cheesecake Factory which ended with me getting a bloody nose from being punched by Han Sung at a Taco Bell- because Han Sung got jealous of me being with his man.