#[ K-DRAMA VERSE ]

[skyfullofpods]

It's audio fiction Sunday and Y'ALL HAVE BEEN BUSY

[bia-logical]

𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚎 ⋆˙⟡♡

MINOR‼️‼️‼️

obviously no 18+ (i know some of you followed me because of my miguel posts, you can stay but dont talk to me 😶)

im mexican 🇲🇽 i can speak spanish but not that good 😭💔

she/they

im a little mexican girl that lives in florida :33

history girl 😘😘

shows i love/watch ❤️

nhie, south park, the mandalorian, mob psycho 100, saiki k, extraordinary attorney woo, business proposal (im a little disappointed it didnt follow the manhua 💔) the owl house, KAMISAMA KISS!! and aggretsuko

i read manhuas, im currently reading

operation true love

my boss is my biggest fan

act like you love me (trying to catch up!)

i listen to twice and new jeans I NEED NEW GROUPS TO LISTEN TO!!

i would like for other people who are like me to follow and interact!!

[everywordisstraightfrommyheart]

✩ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇᴅ ⨾ @hxppybxtch (Ji-Eun) ✩ ʟᴏᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ⨾ Namsam Coffee (Jung-gu, Seoul)

"우리는 언제 운명을 부여하기 시작할 예정입니까?" When are we going to start giving fate it's due?

Ji-Ho didn't realize he'd spoken until he saw the woman in front of him slowly pivot on her heels, her features coming into focus. He'd known from when he joined the line, it was her that stood directly in front of him. Ji-Eun. Yet, whenever he thought of her his chest became restrictive and his heart roared. This instance was no different. He glanced behind him for his secretary but she hadn't yet made her into the cafe. Which was for the best, he supposed. At the office, he was the reclusive and cold CEO. He'd perfected the art of keeping everyone at arms length. It worked. People seemed to be the biggest disappointments and he saved himself whenever he lowed his expectations.

"어떻게 도와 드릴까요?" How can I help you? The barista asked with a friendly enough smile. "It's your turn, Eunnie," Her nickname felt both foreign and reminiscent on his tongue. Similar to that of a salty yet sweet treat packed into a bite-size dessert. A part of him felt giddy in her presence. The other felt shame and guilt. They'd only spoken a total of two times since the day they'd ran into each other randomly. However, he still felt undeserving. Years passed and this feeling was burrowed deep within his heart.

Why should she give him the time of day now? He wasn't a constance in her life anymore. He was the past like yesterday or the many yesterday's before then. No longer was he the center of her world. Before he would never have thought of constants and time but now that's all he pondered.

[adena3ka2]

Happy Sunday #327

Image For The Week Christmas market Saying For The Week Your smile brightens the lives of all who see it – Dale Carnegie Updates When this post is published, I will be somewhere between Europe and Asia. How’s the holiday coming up? I paid last-minute visits to my siblings before flying out. The main event of the holiday was getting time with mum, it’s been years since we’ve met in person.…

[blond3ang3l]

Rapper ony! And kpop! Artist reader

You’re a k-pop star in a group called Venus. Over a million followers on socials and still rising. Onyankopon or Ony is a new hot shot rapper. You both work under the same energy so the two of you were bound to meet eventually. You were called down to a meeting with you manager there was an artist that was goin to work with your group. Low and behold when you went out there was Onyankopon standing in your waiting room.

Once you got the call from manager Nico you sighed and finished pinning up the dress you were making and headed to the meeting room. You were wearing black stripper heels, low rise jeans, and a black cropped hoodie(outfit doesn’t really matter but yk). Your curly hair thrown into a low ponytail. Once I stepped into the meeting room I noticed Ony standing there. You looked him up and down and walked over to your manager “you wanted me Nico?”

Your manager nodded with a smile on his face* “you see this young man here?” He pointed to onyankopon and his manager Reggie who was standing by the window leaning against the glass with a smirk on his face. His arms crossed and a slight roll to his shoulders “this is the new artist I was talking about. He’s going to collab with you guys starting soon.”

Ony look at you up and down. Noticing how gorgeous you were in a quick scan, I looked away, pretending not to be bothered. You could just tell he was being. When he caught glimpse your low rise jeans I looked right back at your ass. When I did Reggie looked me right in the eyes, he had a big smirk on his face. That damn dirty dog.

Your manager cleared his throat before speaking up. “Yeah, the label has an artist that they want you to meet. He’s gonna do a verse for a song, he’s new, and your label is trying to get him some features.”

You feel an intense gaze staring at you, once you look up you see Onyankopon’s eyes locked on you, judging you, scanning you. When he talks his deep voice gives a growl to it. “So you’re the member I’m working with..”

You cocked my eyebrow and rested your hands on my hips as you turned to face onyankopon and his manager “yeah, you the new guy I’m guessing.”

*Reggie chuckles a bit when you call me the new guy. I narrow my eyes a bit and I have to hold back from saying something snarky. “Ony is one of the new hottest artist around. His songs are starting to dominate the radio. He’s doing collabs with some big time artist and your label wants him to do a verse for you guys.” Ony cut Reggies explanation off. “So you’re the girl of the group? You good at what you do?”

You chuckled as you took a seat next your manager. Was he doubting you? He was one cocky nigga. “I think I’m pretty fucking good actually.”

He couldn’t help but smirk. He definitely didn’t listen to no kpop but if they had you to collabing then you had to be at least decent. “Aight. We can head to the stu and see what you got then.”

“That ain’t a problem with me.”

You guys managers were shocked and definitely a bit confused. You two hotheads sittin here going back and forth could only lead to trouble.

Ony kept his attention on you as he got up. “You tryna head there now?” You couldn’t help the small smirk as you got up and headed to the door. “Cmon nigga, don’t be scared now.”

Damn was he in for it..

[smokingasters]

PP Novels Resources (for my fellow deranged fans)

As a deranged PP fan, who was starving for dopamine I discovered some novel sources for the characters we all love! All novels/summary is in Russian (can be easily translated to English through Google Translation of the website. Use a VPN if the sites do not load)

If ya'll love the OG cast (Season 1), this is for you! I'm merely linking to the websites for your reading pleasure. I will try to link the ones that are complete, more under the cut.

*All due thanks to the dedicated translators who keep the fandom going* Psycho-Pass Zero

(Tumblr: Novel Translation *pending but I recommend reading this before the radio drama for plot coherence*) (Live Journal: Radio Drama Translation *complete*)

Content warning: Plastination case + Makishima is enough warning Timeline: Prequel to the Psycho-Pass S1 Kogami and Sasayama's bromance/outlines the gruesome murders in the Specimen case/follows the story of Touma Kozaburo and his obsession with Touko. Baby Kogami is so precious. Mitsuru Sasayama is the man, the legend. *sobs* Masaoka's whiskey persists + Ginoza the worrier.

Psycho-Pass Asylum: About A Girl (Live Journal: Detailed Summary *complete*) (Suggested Supplement: Yayoi/Shion Tidbits from PP Novel + Aoyanagi and Kozuki disaster)

Content warning: brutality against women, !pregnancy, !cultism, !infanticide. I'm not kidding when I mean it's brutal. Timeline: Post S1 with some flashbacks. Yayoi and Shion's relationship is the main focus. They investigate a case where pregnant minors are being sacrificed by a cult. Entirely from Yayoi's perspective, has many details about her past and how she and Shion feel about Division 1. I would encourage you to read this if you want a feminine/female perspective of the PP verse. Underlying themes of creativity, sex, romance, and hope + vital issues with the Sybil System. I added the supplement because it covers a bit more about Yayoi and Shion + explores the canon romantic relationships, I believe it is a good study of how PP handles canon relationships.

Psycho-Pass Asylum: Restaurant de Campagne Kagari Shuusei

(Live Journal: Detailed Summary *complete*)

Content warning: None, really. This one is quite wholesome as PP can be except for Sybil's shenanigans. Timeline: Prequel to S1 (Flashback) Kagari and Div 1 + 2 investigate a series of gastronomic malfunctions in Sybil's food preparation system caused by a criminal called 'Harlequin'. It involves a "natural food" supply company called Gusto and a restaurant owner. The novel explores Kagari's interest in cuisines and the impact of food in the PP world. Kagari's perspective is quite refreshing and light, compared to the complexity in other novels.

Psycho-Pass Asylum: Separation Ginoza Nobuchika (Live Journal: Detailed Summary *complete*)

Content warning: animal!cruelty, child!abuse, dogs. This one is a tearjerker. Timeline: Prequel to S1 + post S1 Inspector Ginoza, Kogami, and Sasayama investigate a case of rehabilitated animals/pets that are increasing the stress levels of Okutama, a remote place in the mountains. These pets were reintroduced and have gone feral. A doctor named Miyake was responsible for the reintroduction. Ginoza's calm yet poetic and wistful perspective is quite grounding. There's a sense of loss through this story, the theme of separation, and dogs being man's best friends. Any puns that made you think of Kogami are valid.

Psycho-Pass Asylum: Mungungwha Choe-Gu-Sung

(Live Journal: Detailed Summary *partial translation*)

Content warning: !torture, !mutilation, !castration, graphic, mentions of NK-orea. It's quite disturbing and angsty. MAJOR tearjerker. Timeline: Pre-S1 + follows the plot of S1. This follows the story of Choe-Gu Sung, Makishma's accomplice, and his entry and activities in Japan. Explores family life with his younger sister Suseon and his friend Guynthae. It covers a major portion of his backstory in N-K and his eventual friendship with Makishima. If you felt nothing for this guy in S1, believe me, you will be sobbing through this one. He deserved a better ending ftw.

That's all. If I find anything else, I'll add it in another post. Enjoy delving into the world of Psycho-Pass in-depth, and don't forget the words said by a certain Enforcer:

When it's all over, you can cry as much as you like.

[thatnonameuser]

Hi Hi!!~ ♥ I am obsessed with your delectable content, chefs kiss truly♥♥♥ Thank you for hard works and keeping us fed~ I just wanna share a Day dream after absorbing more of your Q+A posts with some K-drama or Manwha.

Fraternal twins that are Darlings. The eldest is always the second choice despite having the sexy villain look, truest heart and talents to see compromise. The odd darling that just wishes to matter, trying to feel alive through the pain of sabotage by being ‘unique’. The youngest is the golden delicate princess look yet always the worst with the ‘world’ at their favor. Manipulation for benefits with tears, seeing their sibling hurt by stealing other’s yanderes through seduction??

Will there be karma or tragedy when they land in the Yandere AU?

From what I got from your ask, a pair of fraternal twins fall into a yandere verse. The eldest is used to being pushed aside and misunderstood thanks to her younger twin’s beauty and charisma.

Personally, I think identical twins would be more messy as then the younger twin's charisma and charm could lead to some confusing times for the yanderes. With the darling being affectionate and adoring on second, and shy and demure the next. 

Regardless. 

Physical appearance holds no weight to a yandere’s attraction. In fact, it can be subject to change as time passes by.  So the younger twin would soon realize that she holds no power. And the older twin would soon realize that she's being appreciated for the first time in her life. 

But since I like the identical schtick so I’m going to expand on it. Landing in a world with so many yanderes, the younger twin will manipulate their appearance to steal and poach the yanderes for her personal game. Better yet, the younger twin could manipulate the yanderes to try and get rid of their twin so that she can milk all the power, wealth and prestige that comes with her yanderes. 

Of course, either way, the yanderes, like a villainess novel, will either get rid of the older twin, or they will find out about the confusing switch up and then retaliate against the younger twin for the abuse the elder suffered. 

Lil’ bonus, say the twins are from a yandereverse of their own. With the younger twin being a yandere herself and using her looks and charm to manipulate the yanderes around them to isolate her sister, falling into another yandereverse where her previous tactics now fail and she has to compete with her sister’s other yanderes, whilst trying to manipulate them into staying away. 

[chronolojay]

gwen stacy, arachnophobia. a web weave based on the incredible fic by @rappaccini

this fic changed the way I think about gwen as a character and got lodged in my brain since I first read it. its a fic that makes you want to make art about it and it is absolutely worth your time.

Sources under the cut

PART 1: The Fall

IMAGES:

The Amazing Spider Man 2. Directed by Marc Webb, performance by Emma Stone, 2014. Gerry Conway, writer. The Night that Gwen Stacy Died. Pencils by Gil Kane. Inks by John Romita. Colors by Dave Hunt. Letters by Artie Simek. The Amazing Spider-Man #121, 1973. @gui_la_ume, TikTok, 2023, LEGO Spiderman Animation, https://www.tiktok.com/@gui_la_ume/video/7245780799251860763. Lavergne, Max. "Coming Up With a Complete List of Ways to Die", Infinite Gossip, Sep 28, 2023, https://infinitegossip.substack.com/p/coming-up-with-a-complete-list-of. Pal, Marijan. "Ajshil, Oresteja, SNG Drama in Ljubljana",  Wikimedia Commons,1968,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ajshil,_Oresteia,_Drama_SNG_v_Ljubljani_(4).jpg. Spider-Man 3. Directed by Sam Raimi, 2007.

TEXT:

the garages. "solar eclipse". https://open.spotify.com/track/23y7JvIq11f1NHnwxWC27P?si=7b4482b1601e40de Madison, Piper. "Phonograph" . https://open.spotify.com/track/13ypXt9ag0Rq8uLBe2tZqn?si=d0aab028801e419d “Memento mori.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/memento%20mori. Accessed 1 May. 2024. Oates, Joyce Carol. Blonde: A Novel. 2000, ci.nii.ac.jp/ncid/BA68593021. The Oresteia, Aeschylus rappaccini. arachnophobia. https://archiveofourown.org/works/48363238/chapters/121980043  Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, 2023.

PART 2: Rage, OR: Tear It All Down

IMAGES:

Area 51 circuit board, "I'M NOT DEAD YET" via https://arcadeheroes.com/2014/04/20/arcade-games-easter-eggs/ are you in hell via https://www.tumblr.com/screenshotsofdespair/705113397985968128 A Softer World. www.asofterworld.com/index.php?id=891. bloody knuckles. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/68/68/62/686862f692cfb5e02b76013701ff3347.jpg burn it all lighter via https://png-heaven.tumblr.com/post/675085348575084544/love-still, https://www.etsy.com/listing/717241294/personalized-lighter-zippo-engraved caitlynsarah95, "Hands". Deviantart, May 3, 2019, https://www.deviantart.com/caitlynsarah95/art/Hands-796203302. Daley-Ward, Yrsa, "all the wrong colours" "DIY Three Ingredient Venom Slime", elledoingstuff, https://web.archive.org/web/20201126155036/https://shedoesstuff.com/2018/10/22/diy-three-ingredient-venom-slime/  Gerhard Richter Untitled (5 Jan 1990), 1990 Marchese, David. “Kathleen Turner, in Conversation.” Vulture, 7 Aug. 2018, www.vulture.com/2018/08/kathleen-turner-in-conversation.html. MarianneCreates, "live with this", via https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/98874045 McGuire, Seanan, and Rosi Kampe. Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider Vol. 1. Marvel, 2019. Melissa P. Directed by Luca Guadagnino, 2005. Paskow, Linnea "Splitter", 2020.  https://linneapaskow.com/paintings-/18 Roland Arhelger, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Verrazzano-Narrows_Bridge_(New_York).jpg Sin, Nata. "Menotaxis", November 8, 2022. https://instagram.com/nata__sin__?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== "Spider PNG image image with transparent background", via https://pngimg.com/image/4537. "Spider Transparent #1558430", via  http://clipart-library.com/clip-art/spider-transparent-2.htm. "Spider PNG Image" via https://www.pngall.com/spider-png/download/1726 Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, 2023. "Transparent Spider Gif #1587577", via http://clipart-library.com/clip-art/transparent-spider-gif-23.htm. "Transitions Purple T-Shirt + Download", august, via https://store.augustalsina.com/products/transitions-purple-t-shirt-pre-order-download

TEXT:

Boyer, Anne. "WHAT RESEMBLES THE GRAVE BUT ISN’T". 2017.  Moyers, 17 April 2017, https://billmoyers.com/story/poetry-month-what-resembles-the-grave-but-isnt/ Carson, Anne. H Of H Playbook. New Directions Publishing Corporation, 2021. Euripides. Grief Lessons: Four Plays by Euripides. New York Review of Books, 2008. Lord Huron. "Not Dead Yet", https://open.spotify.com/track/5NRbNXwXHM9mYgxMhzVWTP?si=d55caaf2461a4675 rappaccini. arachnophobia. https://archiveofourown.org/works/48363238/chapters/121980043 

PART 3: Live

IMAGES:

277: Venetian Memento Mori Earrings, Ragoarts.com. www.ragoarts.com/auctions/2021/07/summer-jewels/277 beigeandrose. “The 1990s Goth Faux Leather Lace up Chunky Heels Platform Boots Size US 8.” Etsy, www.etsy.com/listing/117460104/the-1990s-goth-faux-leather-lace-up. “Clasped Hands of Robert and Elizabeth Barrett Browning.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/11156. Coello, Iban. Carnage-ized Variant Cover, Spider-Gwen: Ghost-Spider Vol. 2 - Impossible Year. Marvel Entertainment, 2019. Forcibly Feminized at the Pharm, The High Femmes, 2022 Hodan, George. "Spider Web." PublicDomainPictures.net, https://www.publicdomainpictures.net/en/view-image.php?image=21073&picture=spider-web Home, pinkshift, 2023 "Nice While It Lasted." Bojack Horseman, created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, season 6 episode 16, Netflix, 2020. Rainbow, Kesha, 2017 Shinkai, Makoto, and Midori Motohashi. The Garden of Words. Kodansha Comics, 2016. Skin-N-Bones. “An top down image of red soup, on a blue background, with noodles spelling out ‘Everybody Dies.’” Tumblr, 12 June 2013, skin-n-bones.tumblr.com/post/52800040011. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, and Justin K. Thompson, 2023. "Spiderman Graffiti, Pittsburgh", by chronolojay “THAT’S BELIEVABLE!” Tumblr, 3 Mar. 2024, www.tumblr.com/thatsbelievable/743968419651665920?source=share.

TEXT:

Latour, Jason. SPIDER-GWEN VOL. 6: THE LIFE OF GWEN STACY. Illustrated by Mike Ploog, Cover Art by Robbi Rodriguez, vol. 6, ‎ Marvel Universe, 2018. Limón, Ada. “Dead Stars.” Poets.org, 1976, poets.org/poem/dead-stars. rappaccini. arachnophobia. https://archiveofourown.org/works/48363238/chapters/121980043  Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2007.

[5and3nevermind]

Hello! A few days ago I was thinking about yoonmin (as I often do hehehe) and I started thinking about jimin and his gender. Now, I'm not sure if he identifies as anything other than male, but it's safe to say that he has struggled with masculinity and toxic expectations when he was younger. There have been some instances in the last few years were there have been some non-bn references, the first ones that come to mind are the fotoshoot with the bigender symbol and taemin's words on suchwita (“jimin also has that gender-neutral charm and also delicate”).

What I wanted to ask you is how do you think gender has impacted yoonmin?

I don't know if you've ever received an anon about this topic but I was curious about your opinion 😅

Personally, I think Jimin struggled a lot in his early years since he felt the pressure to fullfil this assigned strong masculine roll within the group (when they made him lift his shirt and do things like that). From what he's said in interviews, he later learned to accept himself and I can only think about how reassuring it must have been to have someone as accepting and supportive as yoongi by his side. I feel like yoongi is the kind of person who would encourage him to freely explore his gender (his bestie Halsey uses she/they pronouns by the way) and especially through his art (when face came out some ppl interpreted as Jimin talking about his gender and I found it very interesting).

Anyways, I feel like I'm just rambling haha. To sum up we don't know if he's 100% non-bn, he may still identify as a cis man, but still it's safe to say that he has been exploring his gender in the past.

(We'll probably never get a confirmation if he's actually non-bn, unless things in Korea change A LOT.)

Hi anon! Your question about gender in terms of yoonmin is a good one and something I have wondered about too!

First of all, I agree with you regarding Jimin and his relationship with gender. We’ve gotten many clues (and what I would consider more than clues) about this.

In regards to yoonmin as a pair, one thing I’ve noticed are the types of words Yoongi uses to describe Jimin. Yes, he’s called him handsome. But he’s also used gender-neutral or even traditionally feminine adjectives to describe him: “sexy,” “pretty,” “small and cute.” I think he does this because he knows these are the type of words that Jimin enjoys. Typically, when someone gives a compliment, their words are tailored to fit the person they are complimenting.

Another example: when Yoongi quoted the k-drama line to Jimin backstage in Newark, he quoted the male character’s line thus placing Jimin in the female role in that scenario.

(Likewise, Yoongi seems to be perfectly fine with Jimin referring to him as “cute” and “baby,” which to me shows a level of open mindedness that, unfortunately, many men lack.)

They’re both smart people and they’ve been in the entertainment industry long enough to know how fans analyze things. So, even if the female lead in the Like Crazy choreo isn’t Jimin’s reflection (although I believe she is), he at least would have known that some people would interpret that way…and he was fine with that. Similarly, by now Yoongi knows what many fans think of his Cypher 3 verse. Yet years later, he included that verse, unchanged, in his D-Day set list.

I’m rambling now, but my point is they have both demonstrated an accepting/progressive attitude toward these issues and have not attempted to “set the record straight” when it comes to gender (or sexual orientation, for that matter).

Obviously, Yoongi and Jimin are individuals and each of them has their own unique feelings about gender. We can see differences in terms of how they present themselves. But I do see commonalities in terms of their way of thinking, their acceptance of themselves and their acceptance of others. I hope that makes sense!

Here’s Jimin playing with the idea of gender roles and putting himself in the feminine role: shocked that he’s been caught shirtless, while he places the viewer, who is likely to be female given Army’s demographics, in the role of the voyeur (typically thought of as the masculine role). He seems to love doing this, turning the tables and offering unexpected and non-traditional portrayals of gender roles.

Here’s a video of Jimin talking about how he’s changed and grown over the years.

Here’s a video of Jimin showing (again) that he’s comfortable playing with the idea of traditional gender roles.

Here’s Yoongi saying in an interview that everyone is equal.

Here’s a photo of Yoongi wearing his pride Vans.

Here’s a really cute video of Yoongi with a male fan. (He is treating the male fan the same way he’d treat a female fan, giving the high-five and the cute pout. Like he said in the interview, “everyone is equal,” and he treats fans accordingly. I love this video!)

In Yoongi’s case, I understand that these are not examples related to gender specifically. I see these as clues to his world view and his inclusivity, and of course I’m sure he extends that way of thinking to Jimin.

I hope this made sense! Thanks for this ask, anon!

[myargalargan]

A Classical Polinalysis: Ep. 2

Hello friends, Polin stans, and classical music nerds!

Picking up from my episode 1 analysis, I am back with the second installment in the series of episode-by-episode analyses I mentioned when I shared the playlist I made of all the Classical pieces used in Bridgerton season 3.

The tracks on the playlist are all in order of when they appear in the show, and here are all the pieces that were used in episode 2: 

Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13 in B-Flat Major, Op. 130: VI. Finale. Allegro

Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 2 in E Major, BWV 1042: III. Allegro assai

Mozart’s String Quartet No. 8 in F Major, "Viennese", No. 1, K. 168: IV. Allegro

Mozart’s String Quartet No. 3 in G Major, "Milanese", No. 2, K. 156/134b: I. Presto

Mozart’s String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, "Prussian", No. 3, K. 590: IV. Allegro

Joseph Schuster’s String Quartet No. 2 in B-flat Major: I. Allegro di molto (formerly attributed to Mozart as the "Milanese" (or Paduan) String Quartet No. 2, K. 210)

Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 23 in F Minor, Op. 57, “Appassionata”: II. Andante con moto 

All of this music is used over the course of the Full Moon ball, and the choice of music and the scenes each piece of music is paired with turns the ball something of a microcosm for the entire episode. What the hell do I mean by that? 

This episode is all about flirtation, fertility, and passion, and the action in this episode sets into motion some of the major conflicts of the season. We have the Mondriches settling into their new home and attending society events for the first time, the Featherington sisters getting a healthy dose of Sex Ed, Francesca being granted the Queen’s favor, and—of course—Colin and Penelope beginning their lessons and all the tension and drama that brings. So let’s get into how the Classical soundtrack compliments this very meaty episode…

Looking at the track list in order, we’ve got a bit of a composer sandwich (get it? meaty episode? ha-ha-ha?) with Beethoven bread, Mozart filling, and Bach and Schuster toppings. The allegro finale of Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13, which starts as Colin and Eloise’s conversation about Penelope in the carriage ends, welcomes us to the ball. The second movement of Beethoven’s “Appassionata,” which Francesca is playing when Lady Danbury sneakily invites the Queen to observe, concludes the whole event. But I have a lot to say about both Beethoven pieces, so I’m going to save that for later! To start, I want to talk about the flirtatiousness of the other pieces used during this episode. 😏

The next piece after the Beethoven string quartet is the third movement from Bach’s Violin Concerto No. 2, which plays when Benedict asks Miss Stowell to dance. We only hear the very beginning of the concerto in this episode, but the distinguishing characteristic of a concerto—which is also what I find so flirtatious about this piece—is the back-and-forth between a solo instrument (in this case, a solo violin) and an ensemble (in this case, a chamber orchestra). In particular with shorter pieces like this Bach concerto, which is an energetic two minutes long with concise musical verses, you get the feeling of a lively conversation, where the ensemble has their say, the soloist replies, the ensemble adds another musing, then the soloist replies, and so on. 

I also think this concerto is fun for this scene for a couple other reasons. One, the soloist-ensemble dynamic calls to mind Benedict getting cornered by a pack of ladies. But also, this concerto is in what’s called “ritornello” form, which means that the ensemble repeats the same musical theme every time they come back in, and I love this as a funny little musical illustration of Miss Stowell’s persistence with Benedict—she keeps coming back, over and over, just like that repetitive musical theme! 

The next piece is the fourth movement from Mozart’s String Quartet No. 8, which starts playing right as Portia tells Mr. Finch that his wife is a pastry and continues as Penelope talks with Colin about his writing. This piece actually elides seamlessly into the track from the season 3 OST called “Attempts to Flirt” the moment Colin says he’ll consider letting Pen read more of his writing if she talks to at least one lord that night, which is a fun little tie-in to our theme. And the string quartet is great for this moment between Colin and Pen because of its fugal quality. A fugue—such as Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, which is used in a ton of films including the original Fantasia—refers to a structure where the musical theme is introduced in different voices or instruments one after another. (Kind of similar to a musical round, like “Row, Row, Row Your Boat,” but not as simplistic.) Like the concerto, there’s a repetition of musical ideas, and those ideas bounce around from instrument to instrument, again creating a sense of lively conversation. Almost as if one person starts to tell a story to a group of friends, and then another person jumps in to say, “Oh, yes, I know what that’s like!” and tells their own anecdote, and so on around the group as the conversation feeds on everyone’s enthusiasm. 

I love this for Pen and Colin’s interaction because it has a similarly flirtatious energy as the concerto, but at the same time it’s more complex than a simple back-and-forth. There’s a layering aspect to a fugue—when a subsequent instrument picks up the theme, that doesn’t mean the first instrument stops playing. I think this has a similar energy to the way good friends who are comfortable and excited together might end up talking over one another or picking up the ends of each other’s sentences. I think it’s also illustrative of the complexity of Colin and Penelope’s relationship, especially at this phase. They’re friends, yes, but other feelings are starting to get all mixed in. They flirt quite easily with each other, but that makes things more complicated. A playful but multi-layered fugue illustrates this pretty well, I think.

Then we have our second Mozart string quartet of the episode, the first movement of Mozart’s String Quartet No. 3, when Eloise inadvertently lets it slip to Cressida that Colin is helping Penelope find a husband. This piece isn’t a concerto or a fugue, but it does still have an interplay between the instruments that, to me, creates a similar effect. There are several moments within this movement where the violin will start the musical line and one of the other instruments will finish it, like passing a baton. Or, again, like lively and comfortable conversation! To me, it feels a little bit like two people winking at one another as they catch each other’s meaning. 

There’s also a fun little bit about two-thirds of the way through the piece where, for not even 30 seconds, the tone of the music changes entirely, to something darker and more dramatic. Musically this part is known as the “development,” which is where the music meanders and does a bunch of interesting things before it returns to the main theme that was introduced in the beginning. This is a very common musical technique, but it doesn’t appear quite so starkly in any of the other pieces used in ep. 2. Since this piece plays during an Eloise and Cressida scene, we could take this darker interlude to be a reflection of Eloise’s relationship with Penelope—how it has taken a dramatic turn but will be righted again before long. We can also look at it through a Polin lens, since Penelope and Colin’s relationship takes a similar trajectory. Either way, I like the idea that there’s a bit of dark foreshadowing in this otherwise playful, flirtatious piece of music.

From there, we have the fourth movement of Mozart’s String Quartet No. 23, which plays as the Mondriches enter the scene. Other than the Beethoven pieces, this is the longest piece used during this episode, and it gets the most airtime. It plays for the entire duration of Benedict’s spiel about how married couples are free from the rules of society because they have already fulfilled their duty. And I love this piece for this moment because it really goes places. This movement has some fugal passages, giving it that same flirtatious quality as the other pieces used this episode, but there’s also moments where the tone gets much more dramatic, moments when the tempo seems to slow or get interrupted, syncopated sections that almost feel cartoonish… The character of the piece is surprising, and it evolves over time, and—I think—it reflects the journey the Mondriches have been on since season 1 and the surprising evolution their life has taken in season 3. And will continue to take! As they figure out how to navigate this new world and learn that it’s not as simple as Benedict made it seem.

Okay, now onto the last bit of sandwich filling, the first movement of Joseph Schuster’s String Quartet No. 2 in B-flat Major, which plays while Lady Danbury leads the Queen away from the main ball and while Eloise’s group of debutantes lament their chance to show off. Is this piece also flirtatious? Yes, I think this piece has a similar quality to Mozart’s String Quartet No. 3, where sometimes musical lines started by one instrument get picked up and finished by another. But another thing I find really interesting about this piece is that it’s a case of mistaken identity. This piece was composed around 1780, but until the 1960s music scholars attributed the piece to Mozart. And to use this piece during this scene is particularly compelling, because it’s the moment that Cressida denies having any good gossip, but also the moment when the gossip about Penelope and Colin begins to spread throughout the ball anyway, which Eloise (and Colin) mistakenly blames Cressida for. There’s also maybe a deeper meta here about mistaken identities that could tie into Cressida’s false claims to the Lady Whistledown name, which is interesting to consider in contrast to this moment at the ball where Cressida—unlike later in the season—chooses to be the bigger person and renounces the lure of gossip in favor of protecting her new friendship with Eloise. 

Which brings us to the final piece of music featured at this ball, the second movement from Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 23, the “Appassionata.” Which is of course relevant because Francesca earlier admits to loving it so much during her abbreviated conversation with Lord Petri. Petri describes Francesca’s favorite pieces as “expressive music,” which is fitting for a musical work nicknamed “Passionate.” Francesca also says, “I mostly enjoy the chord progressions,” in response to Petri getting all “can’t you feel it in the music?” and although Petri was talking about the Ries Piano Trios, I like thinking about Francesca’s response in relation to the second movement of the “Appassionata” because that movement is one big theme-and-variation—there’s a musical theme introduced at the beginning, and then that theme is repeated two more times with variations in the melodic structure but always with the same chord progressions.

One thing I love about this piece as the close-out to the ball is the way, with each subsequent variation on the theme, the music builds and builds. It starts out slow and in a low register, and it gets faster and higher pitched as it goes (the part we hear Francesca playing is the fast high part). There’s a really obvious analogy to sex here, which is clear in Petri’s reaction and Francesca’s discomfort with his reaction—which is appropriate because sex is such a major motif in this episode (“Inserts himself? Inserts himself where?”). But there’s also the analogy to the build-up that we’re about to experience at the end of the episode, the way everything Penelope has been through the past couple episodes (couple seasons, really) culminates in that first unbelievably passionate kiss between her and Colin. 

But, more than that! The second movement of the “Appassionata” doesn’t have a true ending—it’s through-composed with the third movement, so that the two are meant to be listened to back-to-back. If you listen to the end of the second movement by itself, you’ll hear a chord that sounds like it’s supposed to resolve to a nice clear ending, but then instead of resolving, that chord is followed by an intriguing, dissonant, kinda jazzy-sounding musical lick. If you didn’t proceed to the third movement right away, musically, you’d be left hanging. (And even once you’re into the third movement, it takes a while for the music to properly resolve.) And I love this! Why do I love this? A while back, I did an analysis of Polin’s theme (from the original score) and wrote a bunch of stuff about how their musical theme, the way we hear it in part 1 of the season, feels unresolved, suspending us in the tension of their uncertain relationship status. We only get proper musical resolution in their theme in part 2, after they’re engaged. So using the second movement from the “Appassionata,” with its false ending, at the conclusion of the Full Moon ball—a ball which encapsulates so much of what’s going on in the episode overall—is such a great way to foreshadow the end of the episode: the build-build-build to the passionate kiss and then—! Leave us hanging as Penelope runs away and Colin’s life starts falling apart around him.  

Speaking of endings…! It’s time to circle back around to the first piece of bread in our Beethoven sandwich, the sixth movement from Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 13…

If you’ve stuck with me this far, hang in there for just bit longer! Maybe take a quick break and grab a snack. ;) 

I thought a lot about the usage of the allegro finale from Beethoven’s Op. 130 in this episode. It’s such an interesting choice, not necessarily because of the music itself, but because of the history of the entire quartet. See, when Beethoven first composed String Quartet No. 13, it had a different final movement. However, at the first performance, that movement received such a negative reaction that Beethoven’s publisher convinced him to write a replacement. The replacement is what’s used in the show. And it has an entirely different character from the original. The new finale is light and cheery, while the original was dense and complicated. The original was panned by critics as being incomprehensible, inaccessible, and difficult to both listen to and play. (Give it a listen. You may find that it makes you deeply uncomfortable 😅 but it’s definitely an experience!) The new finale, on the other hand, is…a dance! It’s bouncy and positively Haydnesque, and completely uncontroversial.

The original was ultimately published as its own work under the title “Grosse Fugue,” as Beethoven’s Op. 133. However, some Beethoven enthusiasts and music scholars will argue that the correct way to play String Quartet No. 13 is with the original ending, the way Beethoven intended. Preferences vary, though, and what this means is…there are two possible, perfectly valid, endings to this piece of music. And each ending has a completely different vibe. 

Do you see where I’m going with this? 😉

This piece plays as we are welcomed into the Full Moon ball, and when I set out to do this analysis, I was originally looking at the allegro finale on its own, trying to find something meaningful in its structure or its harmonies… But I think what’s most interesting about it, in the context of this episode, is that it represents the duality of choice. And there’s a few different layers this could apply to: Eloise and Cressida’s decision whether or not to share the gossip about Colin helping Penelope, Colin’s choice to help Penelope in the first place (and to continue to help her after the journal faux pas)...his choice—at the end of the episode—to kiss her. The Queen's choice of a diamond, even! But if we’re talking about possible endings, then this piece is really setting us up for the ultimate narrative choice between Colin and Lord Debling. And it’s fitting as an introduction to the Full Moon ball because it’s at this ball that Colin gets his first taste of jealousy and competition, and then of course it’s Penelope’s humiliation at this ball that is the catalyst for the kiss that sends Colin into his downward spiral of desperate, all-consuming love. So whereas at the end of ep. 1 Colin may have been able to go about his life acting as though he was unconcerned about whatever feelings he may or may not have had for Penelope at that point, by the end of ep. 2 that’s simply not at all possible anymore. And so the show starts building the foundations of one of Penelope’s possible choices, one of her potential endings. (And I guess whether or not you consider Debling to be a perfectly valid alternative ending depends on what kind of Polin shipper you are. 😉) 

So there you have it: the drama of choice, the sexiness and frustration of building yet unresolved tension, misunderstandings (and, you might even say, the probable pains of friendship), SO much flirting—some easy and straightforward, some ceaseless and unvarying, some deliciously complex… All present at the ball, throughout the episode, and in the Classical soundtrack.

♥

And here's some of the research I did for this post:

Beethoven's String Quartet No. 13: https://www.earsense.org/chamber-music/Ludwig-van-Beethoven-String-Quartet-No-13-in-B-flat-major-Op-130/

Beethoven's String Quartet No. 13: https://www.brentanoquartet.com/notes/beethoven-quartet-opus-130/

Beethoven's String Quartet No. 13: https://www.maramarietta.com/the-arts/music/classical/beethoven/

Bach's Violin Concerto No. 2: https://www.laphil.com/musicdb/pieces/4549/violin-concerto-in-e-major-bwv-1042

Mozart's String Quartet No. 8: https://fugueforthought.de/2018/07/01/mozart-string-quartet-no-8-in-f-k-168/

Mozart's String Quartet No. 3: https://fugueforthought.de/2016/08/27/w-a-mozart-string-quartet-no-3-in-g-k-156/

Mozart's String Quartet No. 23: https://www.talkclassical.com/threads/mozart-string-quartet-23-k590-sq-review.81909/

Schuster's String Quartet No. 2: https://www.earsense.org/chamber-music/Joseph-Schuster-String-Quartet-in-B-flat-major-No-2-KAnh-C2001-K-Anh-210/

Beethoven's "Appassionata": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tR706pYvNl0&

[bcxsanson]

🍡 Tha ABC’s of Behaviour

I is for Initiate

(Explicit, Omega verse, drama)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56316487/chapters/155594038

Time for a chapter update!!

It’s a big one too! 26+k brining the fic length total to over 200k words! Hard to believe I have only been writing this one for 6 months.

[frodothefair]

When it's getting to the end of the week and you're tired and your muses from different fics start talking to each other, and there's a twist of k-drama in the mix. (Not that they didn't meet in the original verse, I'm sure).

Éomer (channelling every K-drama protagonist who sees his bride on their wedding day): O_O I must have saved my country in a past life.

Frodo: Your Majesty, you saved your country in this life. And a number of other countries, too.

Éomer: Oh, I suppose I did, didn't I? It feels like a lifetime ago.

Frodo: You're fortunate, then. I still see the horrors every day.

[everywordisstraightfrommyheart]

K-DRAMA || Muses

“Maybe I’m scared because you mean more to me than anyone else. You’re everything I think about, everything I need, everything I want.” - Something in the Rain

INTRODUCING HENRY PARK

HENRY PARK/PARK YI-JUN || FC: JUNG HAE-IN || AGE: 33 || OCCUPATION: ATTORNEY CONNECTIONS: PARALEGAL, BEST FRIEND, SIBLINGS, ROMANTIC PARTNER, ETC

_____________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCING LEE JI-HO 

LEE JI-HO || FC: PARK SEO JOON || AGE: 35 || OCCUPATION: CEO CONNECTIONS: BEST FRIEND, SIBLINGS, ROMANTIC PARTNER, EX ETC

_____________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCING KIM SEO-AH

KIM SEO-AH (ACE) || FC: PARK EUN-BUN || AGE: 29 || OCCUPATION: IDOL  CONNECTIONS:  BEST FRIEND, SIBLINGS, ROMANTIC PARTNER, ETC

_____________________________________________________________________

INTRODUCING KANG SOO-YUN

KANG SOO-YUN || FC: PARK MIN-YOUNG || AGE: 31 || OCCUPATION: ACTRESS CONNECTIONS: BEST FRIEND, SIBLINGS, ROMANTIC PARTNER, ETC

[cottoncandiesband]

@cottoncandy__ii: One of my favorite K-drama OST songs, I now present my cover of Punch's verse from Stay With Me. Enjoy 🥰

[pretty-little-howtown]

Han Jisung x Idol!Reader

Genre: Suggestive, Fluff, Angust

Warnings: None (I know of, if there are any please let me know)

Word Count: 9569

Masterlist

You are a part of a 6 member girl group (CELESTE) under JYP 

The group has a sort of ethereal almost mythological vibe 

Each member represents, a mythical creature

The group had two previous comebacks before this theme

Mihi (lead dancer and sun vocals): fairy 

The closest to the two previous comebacks

glitter purples pinks 

art deco inspired, ordinary objects are pretty and ornate 

Flowers, petals, some wind motifs as well

Hee-young(main vocalist, visual, makne):angel 

sky heaven themes 

Has a massive pair of wings in the MV 

Gold, light blue

Wind motifs feathers 

Yuri (main dancer, main vocals and sub rapper): elf 

Also, elegant but there are glimpses of something darker 

tree themes (think Galadriel LOTR)

Foresty, vines, some crystals mostly opal diamond selenite moonstone and white howlite 

honestly, Lord of the Rings stylez

Aera (lead vocalist, visual): nymph 

floral themes, water lilies, some more water themes 

Perhaps suggest a sort of rusalka vibes (not explicit, just some sort of implication the nymph may be a vengeful spirit???)

The darker parts are more obvious but with a brighter colour palette that acts as a kind of misdirect

(Sugar Rush TXT vibes)

Y/N (main rapper, main vocals and sub dancer): vampire 

The dark parts are now on full display, and fully embraced 

deep red blues greens

Lace, silver

gothic with a splash of grunge 

Title track has scream’s (dreamcatcher) styling with the lacy dress parts not the magic in the MV lol with a cross between Odd Eye and Nxde (with it’s sampling of classical music)

B side track is the one you got to go crazy on. It’s full rock/ metal think I Miss the Misery by Halestorm with Odd Eye’s styling) 

Nam-Gli (leader and lead rapper): witch 

The dark parts continue with as much elegance, but there’s a certain finality to it 

dark purples, black, gold, and silver 

Misty, foresty but a darker green to Yuri similar to Odd Eye MV

(As an aside: the birth order is Nam-Gli, Y/N, Aera, Mihi, Yuri, Hee-young)

Each comeback is based on one of the mythical creatures of one of the members

The group is very popular, but because comebacks are rarer than for most k-groups not massively successful 

A lot goes into giving the perfect vibe, a lot of you do brand deals and modeling on the side. Aera has two dramas under her belt

You, Yuri and Nam-Gli have your own lil side trio, with you and Yuri being a duo when Nam-Gli is busy. y’all cover your favorite songs usually by other trios

The three of you had covered 3RACHA songs several times and the fans loved it

The three of you settled on the members that complemented your rapping styles with Nam-gli usually covering Han’s lines Yuri Changbin’s and you Bang Chan’s

The fans absolutely adored your little trios 3RACHA covers so JYP had the grand idea of getting your groups together and you started doing more activities with them 

It started off slowly, with the label testing the waters

At first it was just your trio and 3RACHA doing a lyric challenge of sorts where they would have to rap the next line of yours and your group members verses while you would have to do the same with 3RACHA songs 

The atmosphere was really nice and to your surprise you seemed to bounce off Jisung the most 

You didn’t really think much of it at the time, the company probably wanted to strike while the iron was hot and get both groups some more promotion 

You didn’t really think you’d see any of Stray Kids again 

The company, however, had other ideas. After the fan response they knew they struck gold and quickly set up more activities for both groups

Despite initially being shocked to see Stray Kids again you found yourself natural drifting towards Jisung in the group interactions  

Really quickly it was easy to see you and Jisung had wonderful chemistry in the group shows and so you ended up doing separate vlives just the two of you  

The very first one started off a bit strange, the two of you had no idea what to say to each other when it was just the two of you. During group activities, the two of you would sit next to each other either piling on top of one another in fits of laughter when another member said something you found funny; defending something either of you said that you agreed on, or playfully arguing whenever you inevitably disagreed 

One time, both groups were asked if a sauna was burning, what would you rather cover your private parts or your face. You and Jisung collapsed in on each other when Seungmin said the question was probably which would you protect from burning

In short, you could always rely on other members to say something for the two of you to react to 

You both awkwardly asked how your morning was at the same time before bursting out with laughter, slightly diffusing the tension. While the rest of the live was slightly awkward, the initial icebreaker allowed you to joke with each other a little more

From then on, the lives usually consisted of you guys catching up with each other, Jisung excitedly telling you about his busy days while you filled him in on yours

The lives had different vibes depending on where they took place, if it was in the Stray Kids dorm the lives were far more chaotic; one day he threw a pillow at you. You glared at him, beckoning with your finger for him to come over. He looked terrified, and you struggled to keep your grin in. You subtly grasped the pillow he threw at you in your hand and hit him with all your strength, starting a pillow fight which, much to your chagrin, Jisung ended up winning

He would always do mildly annoying things to get a rise out of you, but you dealt with it with a Stoic patience, only occasionally giving in. Every live always ended in laughter 

You would often stay round afterward as both of you had a break, he was remarkably chill when the cameras weren’t on him, it was difficult to get used to but refreshing

After a few hours of being high energy, you were both tired, so you’d either put on a movie or scroll through your phones, showing each other memes and catching each other up on things you couldn’t say on camera 

You told him about all the comebacks for Celeste. He asked more about the groups' concept in general, and you happily explained how with each comeback a certain member is focused on as it’s their theme. Celeste's last comeback was fairy themed, so Mihi was featured the most, and she had more freedom to implement her vision. You joked that for this comeback, she became the group's pseudo leader

Jisung quickly asked when your theme would come up. 

You said not for a while, as the company wants the group to establish themselves with more feminine themes first. You said Yuri’s was next, and you were still super excited by it. The concept she talked you through sounded amazing

“What concept have you got?” Jisung quickly asked. He was leaning towards you on the couch, and he’d put his phone down, listening intently 

You were extremely taken aback, you’d talked at length about it with your group, seeing if they were okay with all your ideas, and they were annoyingly accommodating it made you want to cry a little. 

They’d suggest ways to make your vision come true without compromising it in any way. They said it was because you did the exact same thing with their ideas. It made them really happy, and they wanted to make you happy as well

You shyly started with the mythological creature your theme was about and Jisung’s eyes went wide, “Vampire?! That’s so cool!!”

This boosted your confidence a little and you told him everything. How you wanted it to be inspired by classic vampire literature with a modern rock twist. You listed your inspirations from Dracula and Carmila to Halestorm’s music. You said you wanted the music video set to be in a gothic revival house (you didn’t mind if it was a replica or green screen as long as it fit the vibe) like Strawberry Hill in London. You realized that the rock vibe probably won’t be accepted by the higher ups, but you were sure as hell gonna try 

Jisung looked at you in awe, you were amazing already, but even more so when you talked about your project. The determination in your eyes made him smile

Lives in your groups' dorm were a lot more chilled out, both of you having chill conversations perhaps scrolling through your phones if there was a lull in activity on the vlive but mostly responding to comments made by fans 

This is where the fans really got to see a different side to the both of you. Often you would be working on something while Jisung read out the comments. You stop what you were doing and join in the conversation. Then you would switch, Jisung would put in an ear bud and work on his music while you carried the conversation

Occasionally you would set out vlives where people could just work with the two of you, usually when you had deadlines coming up

In the vlives at your dorm you would always be draped over each other in some way, just general keeping physical contact

For some reason after these vlives Jisung was full of energy and would end up causing a raucous, the two of you had a makeshift lightsaber fight, and you enjoyed it so much the two of you impulsive brought lightsaber replicas after

When yours arrived, you raced over to the Stray Kids dorm ready to challenge Jisung, you burst through his door activating your white lightsaber, but your eyes went wide when you noticed he was in the middle of a live

You blinked a couple times trying to hold back a laugh, “I’m so sorry, I’ll wait” you left the room with your lightsaber making whooshing noises as you left the room and closed the door 

You could hear Jisung burst out laughing as Minho passed you, saying “told you so”

You quickly checked the vlive to make sure the fans weren’t mad that you interpreted, thankfully only a small handful said what you did was really disrespectful, while most were clearly enjoying themselves. There were lots of laughing emojis, with loads asking if it was a lightsaber

Jisung replied smiling saying how after your last vlive together you impulse brought yourselves lightsabers, “mine actually came today” he enthused and took out a purple lightsaber

You laughed as he swooshed it around, hearing the replica make the noise 

Your cheeks heated up when all the comments started saying “lmao y/n’s a massive nerd’ Jisung laughed on your phone screen nodding his head

His eyes seemed to light up as he talked about how much you loved Star Wars and how you knew so many historical facts and how much you knew about architecture

Your stomach pleasantly twisted, causing a shiver to run up your spine

You saw Jisung sign off and quickly pocketed your phone, but not before you saw a comment teasingly saying he ‘shouldn’t keep his girlfriend waiting’ 

You hopped Jisung didn't glimpse that one, you knew he’d overthink your friendship and might stop acting in the same way he did

Besides, you didn’t need him overthinking at the same time as you were

He swung the door open and stared at you, expression unreadable. He took his lightsaber from behind his back and activated it, the purple glow lightly illuminated his upper body 

You activated yours, and you dueled each other throughout the dorm before collapsing on the sofa and watching a movie like usual 

A couple of days later, your two groups had to complete a series of challenges pulled from a challenge pile, you read yours out loud “challenge someone on the opposite team to a lightsaber duel” 

You and Jisung burst out laughing, confusing both of your band members

You fell first. On a separate vlive someone asked how you’d managed to find such a good friend in Jisung, you look at the comment a little shocked, you didn’t know how to answer

Of course the content your groups make was thought of by the company for further promotion and without that you doubt you would have ever met Jisung 

You tell the truth: you’re not sure, “but he always takes care of me. He always checks if I’ve eaten and checks in to see how I’m feeling, and I return the gesture in kind.” He’s always drinking energy drinks, and you’ve been trying to get him to cut back at least a little. “You’ve all seen the vlives I’m sure, and it thinks it’s really easy to tell that we’ve got a good rapport with each other and I think we’re gonna be good friends for a really long time” 

Your heart clenches when you say friend, and you realise you want something more than just friendship 

Jisung takes longer to come to terms with his feelings but where you lacked in action on your end he did not hesitate to initiate 

Every time someone asks about you on one of his vlives his eyes light up as he compliments you to no end “she’s so nice, she always checks in on me, makes sure I’ve eaten. Oh! She’s trying to get me to cut back on energy drinks because the caffeine is bad for you and I drink way too much.” He’ll then go on to talk about your stage presence and how it absolutely mesmerises him and how you were the first member that caught his eye when your group debuted even though the fairy theme is the complete opposite of yours, you killed it 

It takes relentless teasing from his band mates before he realises his feelings for you 

He walks in after one of his vlives and his band mates are all talking about the will they won’t, they between the two do you 

When they mention it to Jisung he obviously denies it saying he’d know if he had feelings for you, and he doesn’t, you’re just friends

Minho looks at him incredulously and pulls out an edit he saw of the two of you made by, clearly a very dedicated fan, “you look at her like you’d look at a girlfriend, and you say you don’t have feelings for her” he scoffs. “I do not look at her like that, and I do not have feelings for her. Can we drop this?”

That same night, he can’t help but reach for his phone and search your names on TikTok 

The more edits he watches, the more he notices how he’s staring at you. His eyes really do betray him, and he remembered back to his vlive how his heart pounded when he talked about you and how he couldn’t stop smiling

He’d fallen hard 

And just in time for your theme to be the centre of your group’s comeback

You kept it from Jisung because you wanted it to be a surprise you knew how excited he was for your theme to come up and every time he said it you willed your heart not to explode 

Loads of your friends were excited, Jisung was no different, you told yourself

The comeback was steeped in deep blues, rich reds and engulfing greens, silver necklaces and black lace. The music’s tone was darker, like something watching from the shadows; it sent a chill down his spine as he watched the MV

You sampled a lot more classical music as well as used more classical instruments (violin especially) to give a more gothic feel to the comeback, all somehow perfectly intertwined with some fully rock songs. 

At the very end, you let out a splendidly sultry laugh, showing off the fangs made especially for the comeback. If you had to be honest you kinda liked them, probably too much

JYP decided it would be good publicity for both groups to have Stray Kids react to your group’s most recent comeback, especially as the two groups were still close despite your groups popularity rising and thus having less activities together 

There were lots of shocked expressions and ‘whoas’ coming from the group in general. They were used to the bright colour palettes and upbeat feelings of your group's songs 

Despite there being a lot of posing and standing, the boys found it endlessly compelling, there were bursts of quick movement where the screen would go blank, and you would end up in a different place on the screen

Similarly, there would be a blur of motion followed by one of the members changing their position in the room

Jisung watched intently whenever, you showed up on screen of the title track’s MV, by the end he was brimming with pride knowing you were the main driving force behind the comeback

He watched you fully sink into the role, more than he’d ever seen you do before, you embodied the vampires of legend, you were dangerous but endlessly enticing

While most of the scenes took place on a set that resembled and old mediaeval castle, the choreography scenes were set inside a hall clearly inspired by Strawberry Hill 

Chan, mostly impressed with the composition of the song, asked who’s theme the comeback was, before someone from behind the camera could answer Jisung beamed and yelled “Y/N’s it was Y/N’s.” 

When the group looked at him questioningly, he said you had told him everything about your vision, he just had no idea it was coming up next. You must have kept it from him as a surprise

The group talked more about what they thought was really good about the comeback’s title track, from the lyrics to the set design

Next, they showed the boys the album’s B-side track; even Jisung, knowing everything he did, was utterly shocked. Like you mentioned, he didn’t think the company would allow you to do a fully rock song 

The lyrics seemed to hit really close to home, the song expressed the frustration in knowing your feelings for someone but not being able to do anything about it, having to hold back every time they’re around you. Not allowing yourself to give in and the hurt that carried with that

Not to mention, the visuals were heartbreakingly beautiful, seeing you laying in a forest with a—very familiar to him—band hoodie and ripped bell bottom jeans just staring at the sky made him feel things!

All he could do was stare at the screen watching the credits roll by, and he kept noticing your name a lot more than in the title track  

Everyone was in awe and thought they’d seen it all

The video ended with the whole of Stray Kids wishing your group the best of luck throughout your promotion and that they’ll see your group at your comeback stage

Needless to say it was an absolute hit, within the first couple hours there were already thousands views on the title track’s MV with the number was steadily growing 

You and your group prepared frantically for the comeback backstage. Everyone was rushing about getting makeup and any clothing alterations done

Yuri rushed over to you to make sure you were okay, judging from your expression you were very anxious, “hey, what are you worried about?” she asked 

You were taken slightly aback that she was able to tell, but realistically, who wouldn’t. It was very clear you had been a ball of stress ever since before the comeback was even released. “I don’t know, just-what if it all goes horribly wrong? It’s on me, I suggested the concept. I picked all the outfits, set the staging, sure the video has enough views, but they’re a meaningless metric of popularity for the company. If they don’t receive a high profit from album sales and promotions, that’s it. It’s the end-” 

You continued rambling until Yuri interrupted you, “you were not the only one, if the company saw something they knew wouldn’t work they wouldn’t have let it happen. Besides, this comeback was awesome! I, for one, loved every second. I don’t think that’s the only reason you're nervous. I think it has something to do with a certain boy group member you often hang out with and his opinion”

You gave her a warning glance, taking a deep breath. Yuri just patted you on the back and let you finish getting ready

Jisung watched the entire comeback stage in awe, his expectations were utterly blown away, you looked stunning in your outfit and the looks you gave on stage were perfect

You brilliantly embodied the essence of enticing but deadly on screen and stage

The red skirt opened and closed around your thighs with every movement, contrasting with the tucked in baggy band T-shirt, that was also in the B-side music video. He smiled, you thought of every detail

God, he wanted to kiss you so bad 

With the very last beat of the stage, fake blood was poured all over you and staying in character you smirked at the camera running your tongue over your teeth as you grinned bringing attention to the fangs you’d worn for the performance 

You got a small break where you promote the album more, telling them there were more performances still to go

You did all that without paying any attention to the blood still dripping down your face, seeping into your clothes and Jisung couldn’t keep the image of you grinning as blood dripped down your face out of his head 

you took one last gulp of water and set yourself in position for the B-Side track performance 

It was just as high energy as the title track but with more intricate group movements usually surrounding you singing your lungs out in the middle 

At the end you all bowed and one of the staff came out in stage whispering in your ear and ushering you off stage 

Everyone was confused until Nam-Gli clarified the staff wanted you to get changed because the dripping blood was a bit of a safety hazard, all while avoiding several pools of fake blood on the floor 

The audience and group laughed at the side steps, but thankfully staff came out with mops cleaning the blood patches 

As they’d finished you ran back on stage and Jisung nearly choked, there was no way you could have looked more stunning on your big day yet here you were. Pulling out surprise after surprise 

The entire outfit was skin tight, a stark contrast from the previous look, under the black jacket's front buckles was a black bustier top that slotted inside the hem of the leather chained and pleated skirt 

Jisung was relieved to see you kept the thigh highs, he’d never admit it, but they were his favourite part of the ensemble 

The stage continued with renditions of previous songs as well as a rehash of the title and B-Side until, tired and ready for bed, your group bid everyone goodbye leaving the stage 

Turns out Stray Kids left early because they were all stood backstage waiting to congratulate you all

Jisung launched himself at you as soon as he saw you, enveloping you and in a tight hug. He breathed in your scent as he buried his face in your neck and refused to let go, until Chan cleared his throat at which point you separated 

After several congratulations and cheers, the conversations started separating off

You stood next to Jisung with Changbin and Yuri, all of you conversing about the coming days both for your group and Stray Kids 

You barely paid attention to their words, hyper focused on how close your hand was to the Jisung’s, you could feel the heat radiating off it

One tiny shift and your pinkies would be intertwined, another small shift, and you’d comfortably fold your hand into his 

Your hand twitched a little at the thought, so desperate to follow through on your desires but ultimately stopping short 

You couldn’t do it, you made up excuses for yourself, he hasn’t given any clear indication he likes you, the dreaded dating ban. Not that you followed all the rules, but this one was just too convenient 

When you left your daze Jisung was staring at you and once you made eye contact he reached for your hand folding it into his own

Your heart jumped, did this mean what you thought it meant ? 

“Can I speak to you?” you saw a small flash of pink dust his cheeks, “privately” 

Your heart lurched again as you nodded, not breaking eye contact 

He dragged you into a dressing room and stood in front of you, this time holding both your hands 

“I wanted to take a moment to congratulate you, personally. You were amazing. I mean, I couldn’t take my eyes off you. You were mesmerising,” he grinned, and you smiled back, your heart swelling with each word. 

“I’m so proud of all you’ve accomplished already, and it’s only the beginning”

Meanwhile, the group were placing bets as to why Jisung pulled you into another room, he wasn’t exactly subtle 

“They’re definitely gonna bone?” Minho deadpanned

“Ew gross, they’re not gonna do that”, exclaimed Mihi 

“No I agree, Jisung’s too much of a chicken, probably hasn’t even kissed her,” Changbin teased 

Felix then chimed in, “it’s weird he’d go for Y/N. I was always under the impression Nam-Gli would be more his type”

“Please,” she dismissed Felix’s claim, “I want someone who can take care of me, I’ve already got my hand full raising these four” 

“What about Y/N?” Chan frowned 

“She’s an equally stressed parent” Nam-Gil smiled and the group laughed 

Back in the dressing room, Jisung continued, “I can’t wait to see my best friend grow and become even more famous!” 

Wuhoh, ‘best friend’ your brain wouldn’t stop repeating the word, it packed onto it and refused to let go 

Jisung regretted it as soon as he said it, it felt so wrong, it made his stomach churn 

You managed a weak smile and replied, “thank you so much,” you slipped your hands from Jisung’s warm hold, “we should probably head back and all go home. It’s late, I don’t want the girls to think I’m doing anything weird” 

“Oh yes, totally, this was just a casual conversation between best friends,” Jisung really couldn’t stop himself. He had no idea what else to say, my crush? A conversation between two people who could possibly grow to have a long and beautiful relationship? Maybe start a family that spans a generation, with each child being more successful than the previous? 

At least ‘best friend’ wouldn’t freak her out as much he thought 

‘Best friend’ that infernal title was stuck with you all the way to your bed, nagging you and telling you we're stupidly misinterpreting the signals. He was just being friendly 

Soon you fell into a flat dreamless sleep

When Jisung got back instead of sleeping, he looked up his and your name again. On TikTok, YouTube, everything. He found several edits that made him smile a little  

Twitter, however, made him blush the most, it was filled with playful ‘wish he looked at me like that’ followed by screenshots of his staring at you in joint lives

Others were from the video filmed of his group's reactions to your comeback. The tweets talked about how absolutely whipped he looked for you, mostly with, ‘we all know who that look’s for ;)’ and ‘jiy/n dating when?’ comments 

Part of him hoped you’d see these and know, he didn’t mean that he only wanted to be best friends but the other hopped to god you didn’t see them to save him the embarrassment

He fell asleep to an edit of the two of you with the classic sickly love song played in the background

You weren’t able to see Jisung as often as you had previously, the comeback schedule was gruelling, but perhaps it was for the better

At least not seeing him meant you didn’t have to hear ‘best friend’ emerge from his lips and painfully lodge itself inside your heart 

Jisung, however, couldn’t help but feel upset. Every time he saw you his heart filled with a strange mix of pride and adoration with an insufferable anxiety because why were you only just texting him back it’s been an hour? 

Your comeback schedule kept you too busy for Jisung’s liking. He understood, he really did, but after the so dubbed ‘best friend’ incident he was constantly on edge seeing you 

Maybe ‘best friend’ did freak you out and your comeback was nothing but a perfectly convenient excuse to ignore him 

You sat on a raised bench behind three of your bandmates in between the other two, there was no missing you 

Each of one of you was given a pointer for your ‘most likely to’ game

You enjoyed some fun ones like, “who’s most likely to stack it on a night out?” “who would not realise they stayed up all night because they were too busy playing video games?” etc.

It was hilarious getting to know new things about your members you never would have before

When the next question got asked, you froze, ‘most likely to fall in love with someone from another group?’ 

Act natural you thought as everyone pointed at you 

You tried to diffuse some of your nerves by delaying your point for comedic effect, the MC laughed, so it must have worked a little 

“Me?” you mock gasped, “I would never!” all the members laughed, and you chuckled along with them

“Oh, are you sure?” Yuri teased, “it seems exactly like something you’d do”

“In all seriousness is it?” the MC asked 

“I mean, if it happens, it happens” your heart skipped a beat thinking of one person in particular. “I’d like to say, I’m aware our group's dating ban isn’t over yet, so I wouldn’t do anything I’m not supposed to. Besides, feelings aren’t always reciprocated” you ended with a bittersweet smile

Feeling the tension you left in the air, you spoke up again, “unless of course your Yuri, who responds to so much fan mail she can barely keep up,” you smiled brightly

Yuri blushed to the backdrop of all the members laughing, “aww don’t be embarrassed, it’s cute” you smiled again, and she shyly smiled back with the rest of the members giving small chuckles at the interaction 

Jisung had finally decided on something to occupy his time with. 

He had been working on lyrics to a new song

The frustration that came with the “best friend” incident gave him a sick sort of inspiration, making him want to write his feelings into song 

One song was about how one person can make you want to be the best version of yourself while the other, he imagined, as a sort of sister track to your comebacks b-side track

He quickly looked up from his notebook to his phone, still pinging with a notification 

He picked it up immediately, hoping it was a text from you

Sadly it was just a YouTube notification for your group’s newest video 

He was curious and couldn’t stop himself from clicking the notification and watching the video 

He laughed a couple of times thinking how he would have probably picked the same members having known them for so long 

All of a sudden, all the pointers are on you

The answer to the question sparked hope in Jisung, if you were most likely to get with someone from another group he could shoot his shot

Perhaps the “best friend” incident was long forgotten, but his heart wrenched when he heard your response 

To him, it was clearly aimed and didn’t miss 

As a result he decided to drop hints like Hansel and Gretel dropped crumbs in your next vlive hopping the trail would lead you to his true feelings

He started the live before you came in so the two of you could get right to it, and he could have your usual alone time with you quicker 

You walked into his dorm room with heavy steps 

You’d rushed over after recording the relay dance for the B-side track and were exhausted, but you really couldn’t miss this opportunity. You hadn’t properly interacted with fans in weeks 

Jisung noticed immediately and asked if you were okay. You just tiredly looked at him and sat down with a lopsided smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes 

You didn’t want to admit in front of fans that you were exhausted 

Jisung noticed and did the first thing he could think of to distract the fans 

“Where's my hug?” he pouted, and you looked at him confused 

Jisung continued his half serious pout, “I really wanted a hug but since you won’t give me one I’ll have to take it!” he grinned and quickly wrapped you up tightly in his arms 

“Jisung come on, let go,” you lightly chuckled 

“Nope, I’m not letting go until you hug me back,” Jisung proudly stated 

You rolled your eyes smiling and wrapped your arms around his neck burying your head in it, and he did the same 

You breathed in his scent and whispered in his ear, “I feel a lot less tired now, thank you” then pulled away and smiled

“You happy now?” You teased out loud 

Jisung’s heart beat so fast in his chest the rest of his body couldn’t seem to keep up, but he smiled nonetheless

He started at you and gave you a killer grin, “I’m always happy when you’re around” 

It was your heart's turn to explode. You bit your lip and turned round to the screen seeing the comments full off, ‘ew guys get a room’ with Jisung quickly replying that they’re already in one making your eyes go wide 

He then quickly and expertly changed the topic asking how everyone was and what they were up to, picking out and responding to the ones he managed to catch in the sea of comments 

The live went by smoothly, and you noticed Jisung would bump your hand with his every so often almost like he wanted to take your hand, god you wanted him to take your hand

He pulled away to switch the song that he’d put it on in the background and carried on talking to the fans 

You really tried to stay in the conversation, but you zoned out singing along to the music under your breath (imagining 2/14 by the band CAMINO) 

Jisung noticed and smiled before joining in 

You both fell into the rhythm of the music, vocals effortlessly moulding together into a beautiful concert 

The fans adored it, with comments of ‘you guys should perform together!’

You smiled at each other and said that maybe one day you’d be able to get it organised

When the live ended, he grasped your hand, fulfilling your deepest want of the moment before leading you away to the sofa when he draped himself over you as soon as you sat down 

“You sure you’re okay?” Jisung asked, “you looked absolutely exhausted.” He looked at you with care and sympathy. You replied that you were better now, just tired from filming 

He, still draped over you on the sofa, tangled your legs together and asked you to tell him what you’d been up to 

You indulged him relaying the events of the day

Jisung didn’t look away for a single moment, his eyes betrayed warmth as he inched closer to you

You drew out the last syllable of your sentence and went silent, looking into Jisung’s eyes 

Your breath hitched, and your eyes were half closed as his face closed in on yours. “Ji,” you breathed, “what are you going?” you whispered smiling and glancing at his lips

“Call me that more,” he sighed, looking up from your lips to meet your eyes; a fire just behind his pupils 

This was it, it was the moment you’d know Jisung didn’t mean the stupid friend comment, there’s no way you could be friends when all he wants to do is kiss you until you were out of breath

There’s no way he could only be friends with you when he wants to nip chains of bruises down your collarbone 

There’s no way he could only be friends when he wanted you to rake your hands through his hair 

Time slowed to a crawl, you were in a parallel universe where time didn’t move and the consequences of a kiss didn’t matter 

A parallel universe with just the two of you, no company, no toxic fans, nothing that would get in the way of your affection for one another; where your connection wouldn’t be denied but accepted and encouraged

You focused on his lips, and you felt his searing breath on your lips 

He was so close, you were impatient 

Before you could launch yourself at him, you heard a sharp knock on the door

The two of you threw yourselves at opposite ends of the sofa as the voice that belong to the knock said “I’m coming in”

The door opens, revealing a mildly annoyed Minho “are you coming or did you forget?”

Jisung stared at him blankly, you could see the cogs moving in his brain, and he yelled apologies

He shot up from the couch, and you knew this was your cue to leave 

You walked to the door but were stopped by Jisung who wrapped his arms around you and quickly whispered “I’ll see you soon” 

Your lips were still blazing on the way back to your dorm 

Your members were enjoying their free time by watching a new drama on Netflix as you walked through the door

You took off, your shoes and sat down next to Aera on the arm of the sofa 

Everyone turned to face you and Nam-Gli asked, “So how was it?” 

You gulped and yelled, “such a normal time!”

“Why are you being weird?” Yuri asked, eyeing you up suspiciously 

“I’m not being weird, you're being weird,” you rapidly released the words 

“Very chill response,” Yuri responded in a flat tone, “now tell us what happened”

“Me and Ji- we,” you took a deep breath, “we nearly kissed. Minho interrupted. Turns out he had to go to an event but forgot about it” 

You looked away as they yelled in surprise

“What are you gonna do when you see him next? You guys have another vlive in about two weeks, don't you?” Mihi asked 

“Honestly, I don’t think I can face him after this. What am I supposed to say? ‘Let's continue where we left off?’” you grimaced 

“YES,” Yuri yelled, “just get together already! Do not use the dating ban excuse, I know for a fact you couldn't care less”

The two of you argued about the importance of the dating ban, with you trying to defend yourself because ‘it’s not just an excuse’ 

“Okay, we get it you disagree,” Nam-Gli quelled the fire. “How about you give yourself until your next vlive together to see him? That way you can put it out of your mind?” 

You nodded, grateful for her intervention, you relaxed and continued watching the drama with the rest of the group

You woke up feeling refreshed until you remembered why you wanted sleep to refresh you 

Your heart started racing, remembering the events of the last day, and you couldn’t help but smile

There was hope after all

Be quickly the hope turned to anxiety, the dating ban was still in effect and would be for another few weeks, and you promised fans you and Jisung would perform together 

That meant weeks of working closely with him every day after the two of you nearly kissed 

You took out the switch you’d saved up for a booted up Legend of Zelda, hoping it would distract you, and it worked for a couple of hours 

You finally found one of Links missing memories and as the cut scene played it was strangely captivating

Usually you would have skipped over it, having played this game to completion several times already. But something about the way Zelda looked at Link was familiar

You couldn’t help it when you reached for the phone you had been religiously ignoring since waking up 

You clicked on his contact, seeing only one unread message when you expected more: ‘how do you want to pitch a song cover to the company?’ 

You couldn’t decide if you were relieved or angry that he said nothing about yesterday’s incident 

You ignored it for as long as your mind would allow you before you huffed and picked up your phone 

You replied with a mostly generic response about how the fans really wanted it and it would give both of your groups exposure 

The two of you texted back and forth until you had a plan of action and before long you decided to meet with the company in a couple days as Jisung already managed to set up a meeting with the execs somehow 

Overall the conversation was painfully professional. Neither of you cracked any jokes or referenced your favourite shows. It was so unlike you 

Despite all of this you still hoped, he set up the meeting way too quickly. 

Of course there was the possibility he wanted this partnership over with as quickly as possible but there was no way that could be true. Not with the fire behind his eyes when he looked at you 

Jisung waited impatiently in the building lobby for you to appear 

You hadn’t brought up the nearly kiss at all and he was worried. Did you think he was weird? Maybe he should have waited and dropped more hints. Was he moving too fast?

He nerves stilled when you walked through the door, despite your smile being slightly awkward it made Jisung feel light 

“So shall we?” you asked 

It was a simple phrase that meant nothing but what was on the tin but it made Jisung soar, he hadn’t heard your voice in longer than you would like 

The two of you talked to the executives who loved your idea

Jisung watched as you professionally presented all the benefits this collaboration would have and how this is something that the company would be able to carry on into the future 

He wasn’t expecting you to say anything about the future especially after the last incident 

As you wrapped up your pitch the execs asked what song the two of you wanted to cover, Jisung hadn’t even thought that far but it seems you had. Immediately with confidence you said ‘PING PONG’ by Hyuna and Dawn 

He could feel heat crawl up his face but despite this he still nodded his head and smiled after seeing your own impossibly infectious grin 

“Great the matter is settled, you guys can work on it in time for the next award show” one of the execs said with a grin 

The next few weeks you and Jisung saw each other every day for at least and hour if not more 

Both of you decided to work on learning the choreography first because at you listened to the song to learn the choreography you’d pick up the lyrics easily

As a result your joint lives were mostly updating fans on how the rehearsal process was going 

Despite your worst fears the vlives weren’t as awkward as you pictured, the energy flowed between the two of you effortlessly

However, you noticed how where previously he’s have a hand on some part of you body be it you are or your knee, he now refused to have any part of him closer than would be considered disrespectful 

You missed his warmth. You were upset because you could tell he was holding himself back 

You could imagine why, but it’s not like you pulled away during the incident. In Fact you distinctly remember yourself moving closer, until Miho barged in

Between the bittersweet lives and standing nearly every spare moment practising with Jisung the award show hd rolled around quicker that you expected 

For some reason you signed yourself and Jisung up to be the opening act for the award show and regretted it 

It hit you that you were supposed to perform a song made for a performed by a couple

Just you and Jisung. Just you and the one person you wished desperately to be in a relationship with but couldn’t  

It was all well and good casually running through all the moves in rehearsal but this was serious 

You felt nervous as you thought about what the fans would say

Most would not doubt enjoy it but you couldn't help but focus on the ones who believed they owned the idols they admire

All of a sudden you were hyper aware of the dating ban that had ended only a couple days prior 

If the two of you were too close it would not doubt cause a scandal 

Your mind spiralled as you imagined the headlines calling you undignified, loose, easy

“Hey, you’re gonna do amazing,” were the words that stopped your spiral, they were soft and reassuring. You knew painfully well who they belonged to 

You took a deep breath and looked Jisung in the eye and he smiled 

It made you insides melt and you were certain he could see it on you face because his eyes darted to you lips for a split second

You recalled how close he was to kissing you in his dorm room and once again thought back to the dating ban 

If it was finished surely there was no harm right?

“Yeah, we’re gonna smash this,” you smiled back. “We’ve rehearsed this song so much it might as well have been made for us to perform,” you joked begging no one noticed the implications of your statement 

Jisung only hummed and his eyes looked to your lips once again, this time they stayed there for longer than they should have 

You licked your lips gently, part of you wanting to make sure they were ready for Jisung to capture them after so long 

The other knew it wouldn’t happen as you saw the PA approach to tell you you were on in less than three minutes 

Just like in the original you started off the show, the train attached to the right side of your body suit swayed along with your body

You felt confident and full of energy until you felt Jisung’s hand trail all the way up your leg confidently brushing your ass

Thankfully you were facing away from the audience allowing you time to collect yourself 

You knew this would be more intense than rehearsals but you didn’t expect Jisung to go this hard 

It fired you up and you decided to give it your all as well 

Jiung could feel the heat crawl up his face as you shake your ass dangerously close to his crotch 

He couldn’t help but smirk as you bit your lip looking him directly in the eye as if to challenge him 

He eagerly accepted and the while performance had a push and pull effect to it 

The two of you goaded each other on stage testing the waters every time your faces got too close to be called innocent 

The built up tension culminated in Jisung dipping you and you holding his face in you hand ready for him to bend don and kiss you as the song ended 

The two of you stayed in that position with massive grins on your faces until you couldn’t hold it anymore and Jisung pulled you up and you buried you face i your neck as he laughed and waved at cheering crowd 

Once you recovered your turned around and waved at them as well smiling widely 

Jisungs hand never left your waist 

The two of you left the stage and you shot like a bullet towards Yuri who was silently screaming and telling you how good you were 

Chan came up to Jisung and clapped him on the back but Jsiung couldn’t keep his eyes off you

He knew this was the moment to tell you. He was sure you must have known but he still gave you your space

He couldn’t lie and say he was entirely confident, there was a part of him that was worried because you hadn’t made any moved 

But he had to tell you 

Jisung walked over to you still smiling and took you hand in his, “can I talk to you, privately?” you glanced at Yuri who nodded and gave you a knowing look 

“Sure,” you replied, content with your hand in his. You could get used to this you thought 

He lead you towards a dressing room and closed the door behind you 

You basked in each others presence just looking at each other 

“You really went for it didn’t you?” you questioned with a smile 

“Sorry, was it too much?” Jisung answered taking several steps closer to you 

“No,” you breathed out, “it was perfect.”

You stayed still for a moment and Jisung admired the grin on your face 

The silence was comfortable and electric, calm and expectant 

“I really hope I haven’t misinterpreted things but I really like you-” 

You cut Jisung off before he could say more, “I know. I really like you too,” you trailed off 

“But?” Jisung asked with a mixture of hurt and frustration. If you liked each other what could possibly be stopping you?

“But, I’m not sure we should do anything right now. My dating ban’s only just been lifted and I don’t want to make things more difficult for either of us” you explained

Jisung was ready to argue, he was ready to present every piece of evidence that supported the two of you dating but this wasn't one he had prepared for

Much to his dismay he couldn’t argue with you on that point 

 Whatever happened he knew, that he would come out unscathed but you on the other hand. Well it would be a lot harder for you 

His mouth opened and closed as you apologised before leaving him in the room alone with his thoughts  

You gulped and went to perform your groups stage, you put on a show for the cameras and tried not to betray heartache in your eyes 

Jisung did the same he finished his group’s stage and after neither of your groups won this particular award he went home disappointed 

The rest of the members were getting slightly worried for him, exchanging glances 

Minho ended up sitting down next to him on the sofa of their dorm

“I’m guessing talking about your feelings didn’t go well?” he asked tentatively 

Jisung choked out a ‘no’ and repeated your exact reasoning 

“That’s bullshit,” Minho stated

Jisung stared at him shocked, waiting for him to explain 

“Sure dating is terrifying but hiding behind the dating ban is nothing but an excuse,” Minho expended

Jisung replied with his reasoning and Minho refused every claim 

Jisung bit his lip, “ok well it’s not like I can do anything now,” he explained how he’d agreed and you would have to be the one who comes to him and tell him you’re ready 

But Minho frustrated mumbled something under his breath and left 

Thanks to your stellar performance the company said you and Jisung can have a break from your activities, that included your collective vlives, much to your relief 

You couldn't imagine facing Jisung after what you told him. Not to mention you had already had an argument with Yuri about what you’d told Jisung 

It was much the same as always; Yuri telling you to stop hiding behind the dating ban and you trying to explain you weren’t hiding behind it and this is the ebay option for everyone 

You reached for yet another tib of ice cream hoping it would stop you from wanting to text Jisung 

Any thought of him was painful but what was more painful was being apart

You missed your vlives, you missed hanging out with him after them, you missed the way his body melted into yours when he was draped over you on the sofa 

Jisung tried taking his mind off the situation but nothing worked, not properly 

Instead he dived back into work and finished the song he started all those months ago 

At least this way he could work through his feelings

He frantically scribbled lyrics rewriting them to fit the beat of your bride track

He wanted the two songs to be connected even though the two of you couldn’t

“But?” Jisung asked with a mixture of hurt and frustration. If you liked each other what could possibly be stopping you?

“But, I’m not sure we should do anything right now. My dating ban’s only just been lifted and I don’t want to make things more difficult for either of us” you explained

Jisung was ready to argue, he was ready to present every piece of evidence that supported the two of you dating but this wasn't one he had prepared for

Much to his dismay he couldn’t argue with you on that point 

 Whatever happened he knew, that he would come out unscathed but you on the other hand. Well it would be a lot harder for you 

His mouth opened and closed as you apologised before leaving him in the room alone with his thoughts  

You gulped and went to perform your groups stage, you put on a show for the cameras and tried not to betray heartache in your eyes 

Jisung did the same he finished his group’s stage and after neither of your groups won this particular award he went home disappointed 

The rest of the members were getting slightly worried for him, exchanging glances 

Minho ended up sitting down next to him on the sofa of their dorm

“I’m guessing talking about your feelings didn’t go well?” he asked tentatively 

Jisung choked out a ‘no’ and repeated your exact reasoning 

“That’s bullshit,” Minho stated

Jisung stared at him shocked, waiting for him to explain 

“Sure dating is terrifying but hiding behind the dating ban is nothing but an excuse,” Minho expended

Jisung replied with his reasoning and Minho refused every claim 

Jisung bit his lip, “ok well it’s not like I can do anything now,” he explained how he’d agreed and you would have to be the one who comes to him and tell him you’re ready 

But Minho frustrated mumbled something under his breath and left 

Thanks to your stellar performance the company said you and Jisung can have a break from your activities, that included your collective vlives, much to your relief 

You couldn't imagine facing Jisung after what you told him. Not to mention you had already had an argument with Yuri about what you’d told Jisung 

It was much the same as always; Yuri telling you to stop hiding behind the dating ban and you trying to explain you weren’t hiding behind it and this is the ebay option for everyone 

You reached for yet another tib of ice cream hoping it would stop you from wanting to text Jisung 

Any thought of him was painful but what was more painful was being apart

You missed your vlives, you missed hanging out with him after them, you missed the way his body melted into yours when he was draped over you on the sofa 

Jisung tried taking his mind off the situation but nothing worked, not properly 

Instead he dived back into work and finished the song he started all those months ago 

At least this way he could work through his feelings

He frantically scribbled lyrics rewriting them to fit the beat of your bride track

He wanted the two songs to be connected even though the two of you couldn’t

You continued, “I heard your song, it was beautiful. It was emotional and heartbreaking and it made me feel a bit hopeless about love. I wanted to talk to my members about it but not matter what it didn’t seem right.” 

Jisung listened intently his heart beating out of his chest 

“That was until I realised there's no one I want to talk about these things with. I was being overly cautious not wanting to lose what we already have, but if we were meant to be then we’ll last.,” you explained, “Ji I really want to date you. I don’t care what  happens, I just know I want to experience it with you.” 

Jisung couldn’t help the grin on his face and he stepped closer. His eyes effortlessly travelled to you lips, down your collarbone and back up again 

He let out a small breath tickling you until you couldn't take it anymore 

He could feel you wanting to get closer, so he wrapped an arm around your waist, cupped your cheek with his hand and his lips finally landed on yours 

You groaned, this was all you wanted and more

No matter how many times you imagined this moment the real thing was better 

He pulled away and with half lidded eyes said “whatever happens we’ll weather the storm together. I promise.”

A/N: The ending is super rushed and I'm very sorry but I have been so close to finishing for so long and I needed this out of my drafts. Either way I hope you guys enjoy it :)

[bigbumder96]

account introduction thing!!!??

ngl i feel a bit goofy doing this🙁

general:

name: darcie

age: im a minor😭

gender: girl (she/her :3 )

sexuality: lesbian

from/live in: england unfortunately😣 east london specifically, or essex depending on if u focus on the postcode or the london borough😭 officially its east london tho

interests:

tv shows:

- the inbetweeners

- white gold

- station 19 (still have to catch up on the latest episode lmao

- 9-1-1 (also still have to catch up one episode😭)

- fresh meat

- ted lasso

- heartbreak high (both the old version and the reboot !!! i dont prefer one over the other, although i do tend to post about the 90s one more lmaooo)

- friday night dinner

- this country

- call the midwife

- ackley bridge

- baby reindeer (i wouldnt exactly call it an interest, this show fucking traumatised me, but i watched it like last week😭)

- phoenix rise

- moment of eighteen (a k-drama btw!!)

- move to heaven (also a k-drama!!)

- there she goes

- benidorm

- skins (only gen 2 tho im afraid😞)

- the inBESTigators (dont judge lmfao😭😭😭)

- little lunch (i cant theyre js both such good shows)

- dodo (a cartoon)

- taskmaster (only season eight tho for the icon joe thomas‼️)

- mr bigstuff

- supacell

im currently watching derry girls and jamie johnson atm !!

films:

- the shawshank redemption

- the green mile

- goodbye charlie bright (my absolute fav omg)

- the business

- the football factory (theyre making the sequel to this at my school im so happy i love nick love films😍i didnt see nick love himself tho💔)

- good will hunting

- bohemian rhapsody

- dead mans shoes

- ferris buellers day off

- harry brown

- little miss sunshine

- the inbetweeners movie

- the inbetweeners 2

- white chicks

- the basketball diaries

- mid90s

- spiderman: into the spider-verse

- spiderman: across the spider-verse

music:

- alex g (fav song: too many to put here, but if i had to pick then prolly the whole race, trick, and rules album, as well as hope (the song) and bobby (also the song)😭)

- tv girl (fav song: better in the dark, louise, and daughter of a cop)

- the fratellis (fav song: for the girl)

- the killers (fav song: read my mind and andy youre a star)

- the smiths (fav song: girl afraid, bigmouth strikes again, and this night has opened my eyes. guys i swr i liked them songs before they got popular im acc rly annoyed at the tiktofication of bigmouth strikes again and this night has opened my eyes😣)

- queen (fav song: spread your wings and long away)

- the stone roses (fav song: i wanna be adored and made of stone. basic i know😣😣)

my ALL-TIME FAV - the jam (fav song: when youre young, eton rifles, pity poor alfie / strangle, david watts)

- oasis (live forever. icba to type ‘fav song’ anymore😭)

- mitski (why didnt you stop me, goodbye my danish sweetheart, me and my husband, your best american girl, once more to see you, etcetera…)

extras:

- im into football and i am a big arsenal fan !!!! my fav player is def martin ødegaard, and i may or may not be one of those deluded emile smith-rowe fans who think that hes gonna have a huge comeback and be like he was two seasons ago🤫🤫🤫

(edit: im gonna kms he left arsenal🙁)

i also support england as a country (obviously) plus a tad bit of dagenham amd redbridge, because they are my local ! (before you call me a glory hunter, ive supported arsenal since i was 3 because thats what my mum and grandparents support!!! also its a bit hard to support your local when not all the games are televised and you cant afford a season ticket, not to mention i had no clue who dagenham and redbridge were when i was choosing a football team, because i had no clue how leagues worked and i didnt gaf about football tbh💀)

- i like webtoons! my fav is jacksons diary, our walk home, and crystal city killers😱 (please does anyone have any cute wlw webtoon recs im so desperate)

- in year seven my drama teacher made us watch a play (on the screen, not irl) called slowtime but we didnt get to finish it💔my teacher spoiled the ending but i didnt care and tracked down the rest of that video bcs slowtime is such a good play i love everything abt it😍

- last year i was obsessed with this book series called football academy (written by tom palmer) and it was genuinely so good but there was nobody myp age cuz it was for kids💔i dont rly read them anymore, but the interest is still there if someone by chance has read them please contact me and have a conversation with me about it🙏🙏🙏

- i also have a very obscure interest about london boroughs??? like i dont even know a lot about them, i just love talking about/watching videos about london boroughs... i blame the lb guy on tiktok

i apologise as this was very long, and i probably wont even post that much😭 sorry for the yapping tho🙏🙏🙏