#Drama Korea High School Love On

[absolutebl]

Best & Worst BLs of 2023

My Top 15 BLs of 2023 are (in order)

1 Our Dating Sim

Korea Viki

Nerds in love, deadlines, gaming, teasing, pining tiny idiots, casual affection, linguistic oops, ADORABLE. If you haven't watched this, it's a must. A perfect short form KBL, an office set reunion romance featuring geeks that really suits 8 eps with no fluff and no chaff. Just comforting and yummy.

I adored every aspect from the casting to the pristinely simple premise to the quietly smooth execution. Sure it’s low stakes, but that makes it high domesticity and extremely warm and gentle. This is a fuzzy blanket of a story - a cozy BL. It lives in my rewatch pile and you know what’s best about it? Every single episode is in that pile. There’s no skipping with this one, it might be good natured and calmly sweet but it’s tight and the pacing is excellent.

Also recieves my 2023 award for best giggle.

2 I Cannot Reach You

AKA I Can't Reach You AKA Kimi ni wa Todokanai

Japan Netflix

This classic friends-to-lovers BL is everything Japan does best. Angsty. Emo. Aching. Driven by real thirst. Yamato is deeply in love with his childhood bestie, Kakeru, and has been for ages, unable to hide his ungainly damaging high school need. He wants Kakeru in every way possible and it oozes off of the screen.

Kakeru is silly and a little simple, but not frenetic or overly camp about it. He is earnest, and genuinely wants to keep Yamato in his life which means giving a romance (and gayness) a fair chance. We watch him realize his affection and what form it can take in a truly authentic way.

This show was impossibly kind to both of its lead characters and I felt almost honored that I got to watch something so lovely and rare play out on my screen.

Also wins the best thirst award.

These were the 2 BLs that got 10/10 from me in 2023. The rest of these got 9/10 from me.

3 My School President

Thailand YouTube

GMMTV gave us a classic high school set Thai BL with tropes like messy boys singing their feelings that made this one Love Sick for the modern age with all the gentle sweetness and pining ache, but none of the dated damaging tropes or issues. Who let my BL be this wholesome and funny? My favourite GMMTV BL offering to date. And yes, I've watched them ALL.

Received the Namgoong award for best wingman 2023.

4 I Feel You Linger in the Air

Thailand grey

IFYLITA is an exquisite BL, from filming techniques to narrative framework. Steeped in history and family drama this is an elegant and classy BL. The main couple (both as a pair and individuals) were excellent, particularly Bright (Yai) whose eye-work acting style is a personal favorite of mine. It's a marker of how great it was that it's so high on my list despite the ending which was very much not what I wanted.

Additional accolade, sexiest moment of 2023 - (the oil scene).

You could try to fight me, but you'll have no grip.

5 Kiseki: Dear to Me

Taiwan Gaga & Viki

The plot is totally ridiculous and slightly unhinged. There’s a gum-ball machine of cameos, elder gay rep, great chemistry from all pairs (everyone is queer), and a KILLER side couple. It involves all the tropes under a very offhand framework of gay mafia gangs + food = love. As a result Kiseki is a poster child for Taiwanese BL, and I happen to love Taiwanese BL. Bonus? They also managed to END IT WELL, which we cannot expect from Taiwan.

Best side couple 2023!

(thank goodness Taiwan made this list!)

6 Jun and Jun

Korea Viki

A delightful office romance about an ex-idol who joins cubical life only to find his new boss is his first love. With a snappy (sometimes even raunchy) script, enjoyable sides, a pretty as peaches cast, and descent chemistry this show made up for in style what it lacked in substance. I like fluff. I loved this. I smiled every moment I was watching.

Best flirting 2023.

AKA "the tongue knows" award

7 The Eighth Sense

Korea Viki

This one is a bit chewy and sticky and less perfect than most KBLs. It’s got a bit of an age gap, country boy/city boy, stellar acting, complex characters, and leads with great chemistry and tension. This isn’t in the KBL bubble, there’s sharp edges and lots of triggers. For a BL the darkness of the content left me feeling unsettled (which is the only reason it didn't get a perfect score) but it has a glorious ending and that counts for a lot.

2023's most likely to appeal to non-BL watchers.

8 Unintentional Love Story

Korea iQIYI

The lead, Gongchan (maknae of B1A4) is a fucking GIFT, who carried this show. He was luminous with extraordinarily expressive eyes, which he used to carry a killer plot and challenging role. Forced into a totally understandable betrayal, falling in love despite himself, put into a corner he can't get out of, the AGONY, the eyes EMOTING at us in PAIN. Driven by external conflict, social tension and pressure this story seems simple but it's actually refined and quite complex. I loved this show.

Best story structure 2023.

9 My Personal Weatherman

AKA Taikan Yoho

Japan Gaga

This is classic yaoi of the kind that really only works from Japan. Basically: boys who fell in love in college end up living together but both are so repressed they actually don't realize they're in love. It's high heat is well done, but it leaned into the "why don't they just talk for fuck's sake?" which is exacerbated by the fact that they're already fucking. Sure is sexy tho.

Best use of props 2023 for the shower of sheets.

10 Our Dining Table

AKA Bokura no Shokutaku

Japan Gaga

Lonely salaryman and talented cook gets accidentally adopted by a college kid and his little brother. It’s a quiet & cozy little parable of found family alleviating loneliness. It's lovely & sweet with the romance beats used to build a family relationship, not just couple intimacy. Special.

First prize for domesticity.

11 Laws of Attraction

Thailand iQIYI

This is a great gay suspense thriller with several solid couples, fun plot, killer characters, queer rep, and a happy ending. It’s tons of fun and I had an absolute blast watching it.

Charn wins my favorite character of 2023.

12 La Pluie

Thailand Viki

This BL takes to task the fated mates trope and what it means to have love chained intimately to predestination. It’s about how faith in destiny before choice diminishes the authenticity of emotion, relationships, and connection. This is a high concept to examine through the lens of a BL. With good chemistry and decent acting all around, plus some excellent high heat and representation of consent and a few other rare tropes, this one has to (like it’s sibling show My Ride) earn high marks.

Most interesting concept 2023.

13 The New Employee

Korea Viki

So good, SO QUEER, so soft, a near pitch perfect office BL with conflict derived from that setting. Also found family and a lesbian bestie. This is what I wanted from this new crop of office set KBLs ALL ALONG. Rainbow rice cakes forever!

Best overall queer rep from Korea.

14 Step By Step

Thailand Gaga & YouTube & Viki

This was Thailand’s answer to The New Employee, and everything I loved about that show I loved about this one. This was an office romance between stern boss and sweet subordinate that felt more authentic to an office environment than previous Thai BLs of this ilk which added tension to the narrative and character development.

Chot wins best queer character 2023.

15 Love Tractor

Korea iQIYI

Most of this country-set BL had me feral for the beautiful broken city boy and his hot young farmer. Hyung romance, puppy/cat pairing, open frankness meets jaded reserve, language play, water hose frolicking, only one bed = all my favorite silly tropes.

Biggest "he so pretty" gasp of the year award.

10 Worst BLs of 2023 (that I watched)

My Blessing

My Universe: Casanova Begins

Boyband the series

Cafe In Love

Chains of Heart

Hit Bite Love

Only Friends

Senior Love Me

The Luminous Solution

The Promise

Yes, you read that right. I know I'm against the flow but I really did not like Only Friends. Everyone's taste is different.

However I DNFed faster and more BL's this year than ever before, so that means my 10 worst probably aren't quite reflective...

10 Probably Actually Worst BLs (I dropped 'em)

My Story

The Day I Loved You

Beyond the Star

Crazy Handsome Rich

Dinosaur Love

House of Stars

Mr Cinderella 2

Love Bill

Stormy Honeymoon

The Star Always Follow You

Codicils in General

I only carefully track/watch Thailand, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. Other countries are not fully represented.

My Numbers

So my spreadsheet chronicled 138 BLs that finish airing in 2023.

101 = watched & reviewed

2 = still in the docket (WDYEY2 & Love Syndrome III)

15 = CNF (could not find)

20 = DNF (which also accounts for how few very low scores I handed out in 2023 as opposed to previous years, I just stopped watching). Speaking of which...

Ratings spread

(# of stars. #of BLs given that rating)

0 (see the DNFs instead)

2 - IT'S DEPRESSING they killed the gay, save yourself

7 - I DON'T KNOW WHAT I AM WATCHING AND NEITHER DOES IT

7 - FATALLY FLAWED but still basically BL, however… do we want to support this kind of behavior?

9 - WATCH IF YOU HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO but don’t expect much, it’s a total hot mess

17 - WORTH WATCHING BUT FLAWED probably around the ending or in narrative structure/cohesion or censorship

14 - RECOMMENDED WITH RESERVATIONS i.e. isn’t quite BL, convoluted, not strictly HEA, too short/long, or chemistry issues

30 - RECOMMENDED some concerns around tropes (like dub con) or story structure but still satisfies as BL

13 - ABSOLUTELY RECOMMENDED probably a few pacing issues or one flaw

2 - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED faithful to tropes, happy ending, good chemistry, few flaws, high rewatch potential

(source)

[lurkingshan]

hi!! i was wondering if you could recommend some good high school japanese (or from other countries) bls? all this time i avoided them cause i felt old and uncomfortable but yesterday i finally watched one and the pureness and warmth of these sweet kids experiencing their first love really warmed my heart and brought back memories of my own first crushes. thank u in advance and I hope u have a wonderful day!

Hi anon! I firmly believe we are never too old to be swept away by the nostalgia of a good high school show. There are specific emotional buttons that get engaged by a coming of age or first love story, and it's comforting to see both reflections of experiences that were similar to our own and fantasy versions of a high school experience we never got to have. I support you venturing into high school bl!

This is not a comprehensive overview of all bls with high school age characters, but a solid list of great shows that center that high school coming of age/first love experience in their stories, in a mix of moods and tones. I'll start with some favorites from Japan, and then include a few from other countries, as well. I hope you like some of these!

Japan

I Cannot Reach You

This is a classic friends to lovers first love story done exactly right. I don't know anyone who watched it only once, it's so satisfying.

If It's With You

A boy who is jaded before his time meets an earnest hottie when he moves to a new town and school. Feelings ensue.

My Love Mix Up

This one puts the com in romcom, with a confused bisexual chaos muffin setting off a comedy of errors as he tries to figure out who actually likes who among his classmates.

Takara-kun to Amagi-kun

A simple story of two boys trying to navigate their first relationship and figuring out how to go about dating and interacting at school.

Eternal Yesterday

On the tragic end, this is a story of first love that ends abruptly due to accidental death. The story is an exploration of the grief and stunted growth that results when someone so young suffers a loss so monumental. It's an absolutely beautiful show, but not a light watch.

Philippines

Marahuyo Project

This is a gorgeous show about a brash and loud and proud gay kid who gets sent to live on a small island after an incident at school, and decides to create an LGBTQ+ club at his new school. This one has a social education agenda, but it's also very funny and sweet.

South Korea

Light on Me

The story of a confident gay boy and his love triangle where you will actually like everyone involved! A rare gem in these drama streets.

Where Your Eyes Linger

And on the angstier side, this one is the story of two friends, one of whom has been raised to be a caretaker/bodyguard for the other, struggling with a realization of feelings between them. The power dynamic and social class divide between them feature heavily.

Taiwan

History 3: Make Our Days Count

Possibly a controversial pick, as this one has a tragic ending that is hard for a lot of people to stomach. But it's a great high school show that includes two first love stories, one between a beautiful himbo and the studious boy who catches his eye, and the other between his very sweet best friend and an older man he meets through his job.

About Youth

This first love story between two very nice boys struggling with school and family issues manages to be incredibly sweet while also dealing with some heavy topics, and features a couple amazing original songs that still get stuck in my head all the time.

The On1y One

This is such a pitch perfect high school story that I'm putting it on this list before it technically finishes airing. Two high school boys meet when their parents move in together and decide to get married, and begin to heal each other. This one nails the angst and yearning.

Thailand

My School President

Possibly one of the cutest high school romcoms of all time, and it features a student band so there are a ton of original songs. This is a story about a boy who runs for class president just so he can save his crush's music club. It's two nice boys who like each other and the shenanigans they get up to with their friends.

I Told Sunset About You

And for the completely opposite experience: the ultimate angsty coming of age queer awakening story. One of the most beautiful dramas I have ever seen, and so evocative and emotionally resonant that it is actually hard for some people to watch because it's too real.

[dangermousie]

My favorite dramas of first quarter of 2024

We are a quarter in, so time for a list. Once again, my subjective list, blah blah blah.

10. Destiny (Japan) - drama as only Japan does it - melancholy, secrets, complications and a messy relationship that is irresistible.

9. In Blossom (China) - somehow, this feels like a cracky, delicious web novel come to life and it's so beautiful to watch, to boot.

8. Unknown (Taiwan) - a quiet, slice of life BL that often feels like peeking at real people.

7. Fortune Writer (China) - smart and surprising, this has both really grey protagonists and an interesting story about fighting the narrative.

6. Goryeo Khitan War (Korea) - an old school war and politics epic in every sense of the word, with uniformly amazing acting.

5. Derailment (China) - a rare cdrama modern I love, this one kept at the edge of my seat both due to plot and the insane OTP chemistry.

4. Lovely Runner (Korea) - time travel, second chance romance, high school love, celebrities - it throws in all the tropes and makes them fresh.

3. The Legend of Shen Li (China) - I rarely like xianxia because I often find it cliche and emotionally unengaging. This one made me care desperately and genuinely not know where it's going. If you watch only one xianxia (that's not CLJ), make it this one.

2. Eternal Brotherhood (China) - smart, funny, bleak, visually out of this world story about friendship and war and politics and trauma and love and just - AAAAA! It would be in serious running as my n1 not just of the quarter but the year except for:

1. Tender Light (China) - yes, a modern cdrama is my favorite for the quarter and likely for the year. The world is indeed about to end. This is as if an arthouse movie was a drama. Or perhaps a jdrama and a BBC prestige production had a baby with a dash of Jorge Amado's darker novels like Teresa Batista - I am naming all my favorite things because it is all my favorite things. The emotion, the twists, the bleak view of the world with a shred of hope, the cinematography, the acting. This is a perfect drama, the end.

[factorygirlsstuff]

Currently watching: Queen of Tears, The Midnight Studio, Lovely Runner, Into The Ring, Flower of Evil, & Link: Eat, Love, Kill

I started watching kdramas in May 2023 (updated 4/17/24)

My personal top 10:

It’s Okay to not be Okay (top fav) ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A road to emotional healing opens up for an antisocial children's book author and an employee in a psychiatric hospital. (amazing chemistry & found family)

Crash Landing on You ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A paragliding mishap drops a South Korean heiress in North Korea - and into the life of an army officer, who decides he will help her hide. (lots of crying but worth it)

Hometown Cha Cha Cha ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

At a crossroads, a dentist moves to a seaside village where she meets a handyman intent on helping his neighbours. (my most rewatched)

Her Private Life ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Dedicated art gallery curator Sung Deok Mi is a fanatic fan girl of White Ocean's Cha Shi-an, a dark secret she hides from everyone. (really supportive relationship, weird last couple of eps)

Business Proposal ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

In disguise as her friend, Ha-ri shows up on a blind date to scare away her friend's prospective suitor. However, plans go awry when he turns out to be Ha-ri's CEO and he makes a proposal. (my first kdrama! Super cute & funny)

Touch Your Heart ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A famous actress, gets caught in a scandal with a son of a rich family; with her career declining quickly, she looks for one last hope to get back on the screen. She lands a role playing a secretary in a drama & then becomes a real secretary in order to play the part. (Healthy relationship, office romance)

Welcome to Samdalri ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

After suffering a fall from grace, a photographer returns to her hometown and bumps into her childhood friend, rekindling an unfinished romance. (childhood friends to lovers & slice of life/healing)

Happiness ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The residents of a high-rise apartment fight for their lives against a deadly infectious disease while Sae-bom and Yi-hyun try to find the person because of whom the virus spread. (I think I really love friends to lovers)

Something in the Rain ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

When a single career woman reunites with her best friend's younger brother after he returns from three years of working abroad, their efforts to reconnect grow into romance. (they just felt so real to me, the romance was 🤌🏼, worst mom)

Cheer Up ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

A working-class girl joins her college's down-and-out cheerleading team, where she finds friendship, love, and an old-school campus mystery. (idk they felt real too, worst SML though)

Other kdramas I finished:

Healer ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (binged in 2 days)

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (love PMY)

Love to Hate You ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (Maybe I binged it too fast, but I don’t remember it lol)

Our Beloved Summer ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (too slow for me & I usually don’t mind slow)

True To Love ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (main leads romance was everything)

Forecasting Love & Weather ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (something was off/missing)

Vincenzo ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (🫰🏼)

When the Weather is Fine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (kinda slow but I binged it fast lol)

Squid Game ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

All of Us are Dead ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (I like zombie shows)

Alchemy of Souls ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

Alchemy of Souls: Light & Shadow ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (the romance 🫰🏼)

Suspicious Partner ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (dragged in the middle but loved this couple)

Save Me ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (so good, just hard subject matter)

Shooting Stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (loved the main couple so much & so many other cute couples!)

Doona! ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (omg her visual, binged so fast)

Itaewon Class ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (binged so fast)

Descendants of the Sun ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (binged in 2 days)

Castaway Diva ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (first kdrama to watch while airing)

The Matchmakers ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (first sageuk, thought they were adorable)

Crazy Love ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (it was good, but didn’t do it for me 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Moving ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (I didn’t like all the flashbacks, but it was good overall)

Backstreet Rookie ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (for some reason I loved this couple so much, problematic SML & annoying SFL)

School 2017 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (just perfect)

Dalie and the Cocky Prince ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (the pet names 🥰)

Soundtrack #1 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (another friends to lovers)

Behind Your Touch ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (idk why but I loved it, it was so funny to me lol)

Thirty But Seventeen ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (great romance & cutest found family)

Kiss Sixth Sense ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (really liked it, last 20 minutes idk 🤷🏻‍♀️)

I Am Not A Robot ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (loved this, dragged a little in the middle)

My Man is Cupid ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (SML annoyed me, the cutest ending 🥰)

Gyensong Creature ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (I liked it, but it didn’t end I guess. So I’m waiting for season 2)

Cafe Minamdang ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (loved it so much! It made me laugh & loved the FL!)

My Man is Cupid ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (it was cute)

Marry My Husband ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (it was a lot of fun & loved watching it weekly with everyone)

My Holo Love ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (it was fine, only 12 eps so it was quick & slow burn romance.)

Queen of Divorce ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (it started off really interesting, but some things were never explained & I wanted more romance between the leads)

Doom at Your Service ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (I really liked it, the romance was SO good, but I was a little confused about how the contract worked.)

Doctor Slump ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (loved it SO much! Everything was so cute & loved the romance)

Flex x Cop ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (really loved it, gave me Castle vibes. #1 drama I was looking forward to every week. No romance, although we are getting a 2nd season so fingers crossed.)

Chicken Nugget ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (it was definitely weird, but I laughed a lot)

Wedding Impossible ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (really liked it, cute romcom)

Fight For My Way ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (loved it so much, binged it in a day! I could not stop watching, friends to lovers really is the best.)

Rookie Cops ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (really liked it at first, put on hold for a month, then the last few episodes were good again.)

Parasyte: The Grey ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (it was really good)

Mad for Each Other ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (so good! Loved everything about it, especially the couple)

Dropped: (I might try again 🤷🏻‍♀️)

Run On

Goblin

Hotel De Luna

Weight Lifting Fairy, Kim Bok-joo

King the Land

My Demon

True Beauty

The K2

Destined With You

The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract

Perfect Marriage Revenge

Moon in the Day

A Good Day to be a Dog

Open to recommendations!

[ineffable-opinions]

BL “Censorship” & Commercialization

Content: 1. ubiquitous censorship - special focus on Japanese BL 2. commercial viability of live action BL & generalizations 3. solutions - special focus on state support of Thai BL

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Censorship is a sensitive topic. I have tried my best. Please feel free to comment and critique.

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History of Korean BL is one of censorship and commercialization and Korean fu-people has struggled against both. There have been different victors at different points in time. Aljosa Puzar’s "BL"(Boy Love), "GL"(Girl Love) and Female Communities of Practice and Affect in South Korea chronicles that struggle. (Highly recommended.)

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I have tried to problematize BL commercialization before. But that was in the context of fu-culture and the commodity fetishism associated with the consumption of BL, particularly in live action form which is probably its most capitalist rendition for many many reasons.

Here I would like to look at it from another angle: censorship. This is a continuation of my earlier post (Why so many shonen ai live-action?) motivated by the live action adaptation of ‘조폭인 내가 고등학생이 되었습니다’ (I, A Gangster, Became a High School Student) by 호롤 (Ho Rol).

The live action has jumped genres switching from BL to 판타스틱 휴먼 드라마 (lit. fantasy human drama). This switch got it tagged as ‘Censored Adaptation of Same-sex Original Work’ on My Drama List. I personally don’t like that tag. Almost all BL adaptation is a censored adaptation, with notable exceptions like Sei no Gekiyaku. But no one uses that tag for, say, 25 Ji, Akasaka de (2024) which censored all sexual content, especially from the volume 1 of the manga which was critical to the story and the couple’s development in the original manga series’ and its multiple adaptations’ popularity. Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka (2024) went as far as removing the more sexual second couple from the live action adaptation all together, yet it does not get a "censored" tag.

An interesting question that the controversy surrounding High School Return of a Gangster (2024) has sparked is that of BL media’s commercial viability, especially in live action form. Here’s what producers told the Korean newspaper, Hankook Ilbo, about the genre-jumping:

"BL 장르는 제작비 투자나 리쿱(제작비 회수)에 한계가 있는 게 사실이다. 그러다 보니 처음부터 이 작품은 브로맨스로 해보고 싶었다"

“The BL genre is limited in terms of investment in production costs and recoup (recovery of production costs). So, from the beginning, we planned it as a bromance (beulomaenseu).”

The author of this article cites examples of works that enjoyed success on OTT platforms, namely Watcha’s Semantic Error and TVing's Unintentional Love Story (2023). However, the article also highlights the fact that BL continues to be a niche genre and live action adaptations don’t guarantee success.

이성택 (Lee Seong Taek), the director of High School Return of a Gangster, previously directed the BL Love Class (2022). The producer 넘버쓰리픽쳐스 (Number Three Pictures Co., Ltd.) have BL works like Unintentional Love Story under its belt.

'Unintentional Love Story' Director Jang Eui-soon (장의순) | source

If the producer of one of the two most popular live action BL is admitting to it, then it is not easy to dismiss the issue of commercial viability of live action BL.

Very famous BL publishing houses (starting with JUNE) and hosting platforms with relatively lower expenses have struggled. Some of them are no more. It is also difficult for authors to survive merely on earnings from publishing houses and hosting platforms, especially when those platforms are not very rich. So, it is not difficult to imagine that live action production houses also struggle to survive.

Take GMMTV for example. They are probably one of the most successful BL producers. According to their managing director, BL content (series) is not a profitable business in itself. They rely on khujin (branded pairs) of actors to bring in advertisement revenue, merchandize sales, and pull crowds to concerts and fan-meets. It is not enough for actors to just act. They are expected to sing, dance and perform. Meanwhile, GMMTV is forced to keep working with these actor pairs and stick to templates that suit them. While it works for now, it remains to be seen how long the business model can last.

Now there is also investment from Mainland China that has migrated to other BL producers following dangai ban. But those who invest already burned themselves pretty bad with all the money they poured in during the short-lived but explosive dangai boom. It is sunk cost at this point. Another crack down could be the death knell for Chinese investments in BL. 

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More generally, it is likely that commercial viability of a live action BL project hinges on the following:

#1 Target demographic

Like all other BL content, live action too is primarily targeted at fu-people (BL audience) – both queer and non-queer. The target demography is further sub-divided based on the type of BL and purchasing power.

Sweeter ones are supposed to appeal to all ages and that’s the area Thailand and GMMTV in particular are focused on. Most of Japanese BL series are sweet. Korea too produces sweet BL. However, they are unlikely to bring in explosive success the way odo BL (those following royal road narrative progression – wherein characters face significant challenges, interpersonal or otherwise, to reach happy ending).

Older and, perhaps more hard-core fans, are likely to support jado works (BL that follow the evil path where neither happy ending nor resolution to challenges are guaranteed) with surprising frequency. This might be partly due to the erotic content in jado works.

Purchasing power of BL fans vary widely. There are those who are

“sending gifts to their actors in Thailand, sending food trucks to their shooting locations, putting up billboard advertisements and doing charity events [as well as] ordering merchandise in bulk.”

They also travel to BL producing nations [on fan pilgrimages] and attend fan meetings, concerts and other events regularly.

(Source: The Print)

The other group of BL fans who are probably younger and/or can’t afford to show support in the above-mentioned ways. BL commercially benefits from being appealing to those with higher purchasing power.

#2 Popularity of original work in case of adaptation  

Popular BL novels, manhwa, etc. bring in a set of fans who are interested in the live action. Longer and more-acclaimed works are likely to ensure success of the live action given decent making and reasonable changes during adaptation. Semantic Error is a case in point. However, missteps during adaptation can have the opposite effect.

#3 Cost of production

It is difficult to get investment in the first place, especially with how niche the genre is. Moreover, higher cost of production sets the bar for success higher too.

On the other hand, high production quality and better cast and crew (likely more expensive too) makes the viewing more pleasurable and increases the likelihood of success.

There are other factors which influence the success of BL producers. The most popular BL live action from China, Addicted, was produced by the author, Chai JiDan, with a tiny budget. Its dangai family drama remake, Stay with Me, also has an interesting producer.

Source | Mame with her Japanese fans

Orawan Vichayawannakul’s MeMindY is another BL author led production company that has enjoyed considerable success.

OP Pictures’ entry into BL genre has also been successful.

-

Solutions

#1 Let’s start with the worst

BL as money laundering vehicle. It is probably the most obvious, sort of win-win until it isn’t. Sustainability depends how much skin the ruling class have in the game.

#2 State sponsorship

(or better yet, tax payer supported BL production)

State sponsorship is what Thailand has perfected.

source | 2023 seminar on "Beyond Borders: Exploring the Global Appeal and Diversity of Thailand's Boys' Love Contents" by 9 companies from Thailand organized by Department of International Trade Promotion under Thailand’s Ministry of Trade.

The eleven speakers, including an official from the Office of Commercial Affairs, Royal Thai Embassy in Japan, vigorously pitched partnerships with Japanese content companies [at the above-mentioned seminar.]

Also, several of the companies pitching at the seminar, such as Star Hunter Entertainment […] were plumping for BL not as a niche product but rather a core element of their corporate strategy.

Halo Productions representative Tewarat Supunnium [trumpeted] the vertical integration of his company, from talent representation to contents distribution.

source

Thai BL has been big hits in China, South Korea, Japan, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and beyond, which has motivated Thailand’s government to ‘deploy Boys Love as its latest soft power weapon to promote the country on the global stage’. In an article published in The Nation, BL director, Bundit Sintanaparadee, explains how that affects production.

He pointed out that the international popularity of Thai shows can boost tourism and generate interest in the featured locations – a vital aspect of soft power. The government can facilitate this process by providing support and streamlining the bureaucratic obstacles to filming in attractive locations like Bangkok’s Chinatown district of Yaowarat.

Filming in iconic places such as Yaowarat can be costly and complicated due to the need to coordinate with multiple government agencies and pay location fees. Bundit said the government could simplify the process to benefit not just filmmakers but also tourist revenue in the locations.

Bundit also cautioned against a top-down approach to soft power, where the government dictates what represents Thailand on the world stage. He emphasises the need for industry professionals to have their say.

source

In a 2022 article, Bangkok Post explores the impact of BL on Thailand’s economy ‘as export products that can draw lucrative revenue streams and foster business opportunities in other areas, including tourism.’

[According to government estimates from 2021,] Thailand's Y content market was worth more than 1 billion baht... In June that year, the Department of International Trade Promotion held an online Y content business matching event to boost the industry, with the participation of 10 Thai content creators. More than 360 million baht was generated from the purchase of the Thai content, with the top three buyers coming from Japan, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Noppharnach Chaiyahwimhon, GMMTV's senior director of content production, said [that the] business ecosystem linked to Y Series in Thailand shows a growth of 30-40% per year. [He also said that] Y Series can also be a boon for other businesses, such as films, artist management and merchandise. [He mentioned] Y Series from Thailand [getting] translated into several languages [and one of their Y Series having received theatrical adaptation in South Korea.]

[According to] Kanokporn Prachayaset, chief commercial officer and country manager of WeTV Thailand, … Y Series from Thailand is one of the most popular content genres on its platform. [Half of all the BL content on the platform was Thai.] WeTV [was] sourcing Y Series from Asia as well as having its own WeTV original shows by working with various local production houses, such as GMMTV, TV Thunder, Dee Hup House, M Choice Studio and All This Entertainment. [She also highlighted the contribution of the fan base, which is] active in organising activities and campaigns for their idols.

Seksan Sripraiwan, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's (TAT) Tokyo office, said the TAT and the Royal Thai Embassy have actively promoted the country by using Thai entertainment [and that] Thai BL content is considered one of the most popular recent cultural exports to Japan. Japan's market for Thai BL is around 1 million viewers, of which 20,000-30,000 are heavily active on social media sites for renowned BL actors, led by Bright-Win and Krist-Singto. He said Japanese tour operators already offered tailor-made tour packages which contain elements related to BL TV series, such as shooting locations like universities, cafes, Wat Arun or the Amphawa floating market.

Kanokkittika Kritwutikon, director of the TAT Chengdu office, said Thai BL TV shows have gained popularity in China, such as the coming-of-age series "I Told Sunset About You", which helped drive tourists to Phuket, the main location of the story.

"Most Chinese BL fans are millennial females who can offer long-term support for their favourite actors," Mrs Kanokkittika said. [Recognizing the 3 million strong queer population of Chongqing,] she said the LGBT segment could be categorised as luxury travellers as they are high-income earners, live in key cities, and want to spend more for travel experiences.

source

Earlier this year Ministry of Commerce have partnered with Be On Cloud and Idol Factory to promote ‘Thai products, services, tourism, and culture by incorporating them seamlessly into’ their new series “Shine” and “Pin Phak” aka “The Loyal Pin” respectively.

“This will help create around 2 billion in value for Thailand’s economy,” said Commerce Minister Phumtham.

Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai and two actresses, Becky and Freen, witness the signing ceremony between the Ministry of Commerce and Idol Factory Co., Ltd. on February 28, 2024....

According to the Department of International Trade Promotion, the Thai movie and series sector and related industries will generate 8,000 million baht in exports by 2023. In 2024, it will likely reach 10,000 million baht, particularly in the Y-movie and Y-series, which are expected to expand in value from 1,000 million baht to 2,000 million baht as a result of the Ministry of Commerce’s proactive cooperation with the private sector.

source

The Thai government’s efforts are paying off.

Oramon Sapthaweetham, director-general of the Department of Business Development, revealed that the Boys’ Love series had helped revitalise the film production industry, generating substantial profits and extending economic benefits to allied sectors, such as advertising, leveraging actors as influencers, event organisation, and tourism. 

"Over the past 10 years, Thailand has produced over 177 Boys’ Love [series], continuously gaining popularity and expanding its customer base, eventually leading to exports to international markets," Oramon added.

The film production industry in Thailand is witnessing substantial growth. In the first four months of 2024, 56 new businesses were registered, marking a 12% increase from 2023. The total registered capital also saw a significant rise of 146.44% to 195.18 million baht. In 2023, the industry grew by 20% with 137 businesses and a capital of 258 million baht. The total revenue in 2022 was 12.895 billion baht, indicating a continuous growth trend.

source

-

#3 Diversification

Ok, so this is based on my limited knowledge and imagination. Feel free to skip.

There are two production companies that I have ever been interested in - Bhavana Studios and Mammootty Kampany. Both of them have produced experimental Malayalam movies while managing to remain commercially successful. While is partially attributable to these companies being brands, I think their overall strategy of diversification have worked in their favour.

Mammootty Kampany could produce art-house movie Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam for award circuits and with no expectation of commercial performance by banking on their other production Kannur Squad which was action entertainer sure to bring in the big bucks. Their queer family drama Kaathal – The Core and neo-noir psychological thriller Rorschach did exceptionally well in the box office as well as garnered critical acclaim. Bhavana Studios has similar track record of their commercially successful projects kind of cross subsidizing their experimental and unique projects and lifting the heat off in case of flops.

Having production companies which are aspirational in their approach to BL while having the economics sorted out help where government support is not forth coming.

Censorship as No-thing

When sometime is truly censored, we wouldn’t know. Unless we ask. Here’s what Jooyin Saejang learned from asking.

Conclusion

I have a strong preference for live action adaptations that are willing to go the last mile in terms of sexual content, social critiques and addressing real-life issues. That’s the reason why the header image for this BL side blog is from Moothon (2019).

But realistically this isn’t always possible. And I prefer having more production companies offering variety. I don’t want them to sink under the weight of BL that didn’t do well commercially and me being left at the mercy of media conglomerates with seemingly bottomless funds and monopsony over BL authors, original works and the culture that creates them.

Also, there is queer content from Korean that is neither mainstream nor from fu-culture. Support those.

[bratpak]

FLORIAN SANICO is the young, hot, and not rich CEO of ACIDIC RECORDS. He only acquired Acidic Records after his stepfather's passing in 2020. Being born in the Philippines in 1988 to a single mom, Florian grew up primarily raised by his grandparents until his mom found her future husband when Florian was just seven years old. Florian's stepfather would embody the term "the father that stepped up," immediately taking on the father role in Florian's life that the little boy so desperately wanted. When he was ten years old, Florian's father, a South Korean man, would relocate the family to South Korea for his work and to provide a better life for them, which he most certainly did. While in South Korea, Florian would attend the most expensive international school and the most prestigious universities there, obtaining degrees in business management, marketing, psychology, and international business.

Money has never been an issue for Florian if you can't tell.

Acidic Records was a mere side quest for his father, only housing underground indie soloists and producers. They never did anything noteworthy until Florian was appointed CEO in 2020, immediately opening auditions for their training program. Florian has always believed KPOP was where the money was, and his father was just too old to handle the times.

He was...almost right!

With the debut of BRATPACK in 2022, Florian found it much more difficult to break into the KPOP market than planned, initially losing a lot of money in the BRATPACK venture. However, with the group's rapidly rising success and album sales, Florian might not be such a failure after all.

ALMANDA SUMMERS is the alias of the creative director of BRATPACK. No one knows who she is or has ever seen her face. No one can find anything about this woman; seriously, she is a mystery.

Besides her Twitter account.

Almanda, believed to be a woman in her late twenties, is very active on Twitter and Instagram, often posting pictures of her visions for the group and commenting on recent events in the KPOP realm. Though she is quite loved by the fandom, some people believe she is an instigator and gets BRATPACK into drama they would've never gotten into if Almanda just turned her phone off.

Either way, her constantly running mouth doesn't derail her from being one of the most known and sought-after creative directors in KPOP at the moment. Bringing forth aesthetics and ideas the genre has never seen before or has left untouched for too long in her opinion, Almanda is an icon and legend in the making.

TONYA FUKUI is a former African-American—Japanese supermodel whose career was cut short due to a cheating scandal that had her dubbed "Japan's Hottest Homewrecker " for well over a decade now. Though her modeling career was done, she went behind the scenes and started working as a stylist for high-end clients, turned Jpop acts, and turned Kpop acts. Truly, she was just chasing where the money went to fund her purse addiction.

Tonya has worked with groups such as AESPA, NCT 127, NCT DREAM, RED VELVET, SHINEE, EXO, GOT7, STRAYKIDS, NMIXX, BLACKPINK, and many, many more. If you liked an outfit your favorite idol wore, Tonya most likely designed it for them.

Now, she primarily spends her time styling BRATPACK as she claims they let her be as creative as she wants. After years of being a punching bag for the general public, Tonya is finally adored again, mainly just people on BRATPACK Twitter, but hey! It's a start.

AUGUSTUS MOON is the main producer of BRATPACK. He began working in the KPOP industry at just seventeen years old when he and his sister, Autumn Moon, fled America and went to South Korea to get away from their abusive parents. Though Augustus has had some solo releases himself and has garnered a small following, he much prefers sticking behind the scenes as he says, "KPOP is not for me. I hate dancing." even though his Tiktok page will contradict that statement.

Augustus was born in 1995 in Chicago. He doesn't speak much about his time in America, deeming it "a test on if he really wanted to live or not" and saying his life only really started when he moved to South Korea and started making music.

Before exclusively working with Acidic Records and BRATPACK, Augustus would work with a wide variety of KPOP acts and make an even wider variety of songs. Some are phenomenal, and some are the worst things you've ever heard. Not every track can be a winner!

AUTUMN MOON is the main producer of BRATPACK and a part-time soloist. At sixteen, she fled America with her brother and moved to South Korea to get away from her abusive parents. Autumn and Augustus are glued at the hip. You'd swear they're twins by how in sync they are with one another.

Unlike her brother, Autumn is a soloist as well as a producer. However, she has seemingly put her own music career on the back burner to focus on BRATPACK and motherhood. That's right! Actual mother! Autumn has a nine-year-old son, Eunji, who she adores and loves dearly. She married her long-time boyfriend and ISSAYAH member, Suh Jaehyun, last summer and is currently pregnant with their first child.

Autumn has been very open about her love for music and how happy working with BRATPACK makes her. Between her very fulfilling personal life and flourishing career, Autumn has attracted her own fanbase, calling her "Life Goals" and starting the trend of autumnism, where people try to live their lives like Autumn's.

Though her solo career, which only caught her attention once she decided to hang it up, has been put on halt, Autumn is very happy with where she is in life and adds a layer of hope to the BRATPACK team.

[respectthepetty]

as a major fan of your Thai BL list, I shall now ask about your Korean BLs! 🤩

I think I can actually trust you 😌😌

Anon Two, thanks for tag-teaming this with the previous Anon, so y'all could squeeze another list out of me. To recap, I've already given y'all:

Top GMMTV Actors

Top GMMTV Pairs

Top Five Taiwanese BLs

Top Ten Thai BLs

So what's one more? @lachikapercebe also asked for this list, but requested only my top five; however, since I already started the list without a specific target number from Anon Two, and Korea gives some of the best confessions in the genre mixed with color coding, I can't reduce the list now. It's too late for me to trim it. I am attached to each pick. They are my children, and I can't desert them, so . . .

Top Ten Korean BLs

Rising Star - Love Tractor

I don't trust Korean BLs. A majority are too short, so either the beginning is confusing or the ending is flat, but unless Love Tractor completely fumbles the second half (which it could because . . . Korea), this will be a yearly top and even possibly an overall top for its country and all BLs. It's that good to me. It's hitting all the normal K-drama notes while being oh-so-very-gay. And as a rural queer, it pleases my soul to see country life presented in such a kind and beautiful way.

#10 - Roommates of Poongduck 304

Mr. Petty Peter Jae Yoon independently earned a spot on this list. Ho Joon was a jerk and a true nemesis when the show began, but Jae Yoon started effing up Ho Joon's home life the more Ho Joon kept messing up his work life, so it was a beautiful tit-for-tat the first few episodes; then, Ho Joon lost focus and wanted a consensual workplace relationship. His father appreciating his new attitude and rejection of his ladies' man ways was a delight to witness since we all knew it was due to him falling in love with a man. And oh boy did he fall in love. That entire conversation of Jae Yoon saying it's impossible for two men to fall in love, only for Ho Joon to respond that it was impossible for him NOT to fall in love with Jae Yoon is a top tier confession for me.

#9 - Blueming

I have issues with Blueming solely due to its ending because I was just as pissed as Siwon was at Daun. Maybe even more so. All was going well; then, the end of episode nine pulled a Thai episode eleven, and DAUN TOLD HIS MOM TO PICK THE FILM! I understand men in love do dumb shit, but that was a bold choice, and a very, very, VERY wrong one. As the youths say, "that was not the move." However, the cinematography was delicious like their silhouettes with that bewitching blue backdrop and their first kiss was realistic. Pretty kisses are cool and all, but the awkwardness of desperately wanting someone yet not knowing how to physically perform is true to many people's experiences and should be spotlighted more.

#8 - Choco Milk Shake

I only trust two entities with poly: Thai director Jojo, and Korea's Strongberry, so the fact that Strongberry did not give me poly when it was so clearly laid out is the reason this show isn't in the top three. It had a supernatural plot, great characters who were all well cast, and a happy ending, so WHY NOT POLY? I don't care if the rest of the world is ready or not. I'M READY! We are getting a second season, so if I if get a kiss AND a vocal acknowledgement of Milk and Choco's love for each other when their love for Jung Woo was well established in season one, this will cement its place in my heart and on this list forever.

#7 - Light on Me

Sixteen episodes with most running about thirty minutes?! A love triangle where I could root for both love interests?! A straight boy who earned his spot at the queer table?! Light on Me had it all and then some! Looking at my various lists, it's clear I am not fond of high school dramas, yet I was seated twice a week to see how our neurodivergent baby boy, Tae Kyung, fared that week in his adventure through social norms and annoyances, like trying to help a fellow peer by giving him back the dildo he dropped in the hallway, but getting yelled at instead. I was not Team Shin Woo until that cellphone confession, and then all I could see was Shin Woo. I'm telling y'all, Korea understands how to confess its unwavering love. Gets me every time!

#6 - The New Employee

As the BL fandom continues to evolve and expand, we will get more BLs geared toward adults and workplace dramas, but hopefully, they take the approach that The New Employee (and Thailand's Step by Step) did and make the work environment part of the drama. Working adults, sadly, spend a majority of their time at work, so finding love at one's job seems reasonable, but if anyone has experienced coworkers breaking up, that shit can get rough, real quick. So having to navigate a relationship with someone you work with, especially someone of a higher authority position, ON TOP OF being queer can be stressful, and is something I want more BLs to explore. There are levels to being out, and for most queers, being out at the job is not a possibility, but finding love anywhere is always a possibility, particularly for our late 20-something virgins.

#5 - Semantic Error

The fact that this came out in 2022 is beyond my understanding only because it seems like I have appreciated it for at least five years. This has become a comfort watch when it first started as a "nothing else is on" watch. I have never cared so much about honorifics in my life as I did watching the slow transition of Sang Woo’s emotional walls crumbling under Jae Young’s affection through language. As much as I hated the idea of forced collaboration (aka group projects), seeing the way Jae Young squirmed his way into Sang Woo’s every waking thought and had him seeing red to the point that Sang Woo was saving screenshots of Jae Young’s Instagram posts was a delight and one of the major reasons I keep returning to it. But the layered confession about Sang Woo finding Jae Young, a man, attractive which lead to Jae Young's countdown kiss is, once again, the reason Korean BLs win in the confession department.

#4 - The Eighth Sense

I'm still really bothered by some of the discourse that came out of this show about how it was better than everything else ever because the comments were reductive about the BL genre, yet some of the comments resonated with elements I loved about the series, mainly its look at mental health and trauma. It was a beautiful show, but the message it carried throughout about depression being isolating and taking the light out of people's lives hit me in a way that if this was the Thai list, I would have left it off because it felt like a personal attack. Wanting someone to save you from yourself, but terrified to drag them down with you was not the plot I wanted, but was the story a lot of us needed to see. We also needed to witness someone actively going to therapy. Let's continue this trend!

#3 - Our Dating Sim

"Have you been well . . . without me?" - Put this on my tombstone because I died and came back to life from this utterance alone. Episode four was already killing me, but once Eddy snapped and allowed all his emotions to spill out in front of Ian, the show came for all my past lives and future ones too. Deceased. I wrote this about the show while it was airing, but no other show has done the leave-him-because-I-love-him plot as well as Our Dating Sim. This show nailed it then made a billboard to boast about it because it was perfection. Ian's reasons for leaving were valid, but the show really shined by allowing Eddy to voice his anger at being ghosted for seven years by his best friend and someone he loved. It even touched on the trust issues that stem from someone saying he loves you only to abandon you. Just know I have NOT been well since this ended.

#2 - To My Star 1 & 2

The first season was almost perfect. The cat/dog energy, the "If it's hard for you, I'll come to you" confession, and the budding kink of Ji Woo kissing a tiny bloody wound on Seo Joon all served in a quick nine episodes gave me everything I needed, so I thought this would be my #1 the second season two was announced, but understand the sequel hurt me. The foundation was great: everyone came back, it had more episodes, the episodes were longer, and the conflict always existed in the first series, so a last-minute twist wasn’t invented. Yet, every single episode hurt. Much like I Told Sunset About You, it was realistic to the point that I expected it to end with pain. If season two was its own show and not a sequel to one of my favorites, it would have ranked higher because it was beautiful, but knowing the magic the first series possessed, and having to be a bystander to all the angst for EVERY EPISODE WITH NO RELIEF was tough. But, somehow, here I am secretly hoping we get blessed with a third series. That’s the power of the Star.

#1 - Long Time No See

Small flex - I've been involved with an international queer film festival for over a decade. I've seen easily over 1,000 pieces of queer media including feature films, short films, and documentaries through the screening process, which only adds to my always growing personal watched list. Long Time No See was one of those films. It didn't make it into the festival because I think it was already available on a streaming platform (maybe?), but it was a top for me then, and it's still a top for me now. Is it a BL? Not really. Is it a show? No, it's more like a two-part movie. So why am I allowing it to reign at the top of this list? BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING! In 2017, we were still getting the bury your gays trope shoved down our throats, so a film about two assassins getting a happy ending was a miracle. I read comments from some who did not like the portrayal of "toxic love" but were probably fine with Mr. and Mrs. Smith beating each other with cooking utensils for all the world's children to see, so God forbid, the queers do anything like want to kill AND fuck each other. Niña, Pinta, and Santa María, LET THE GAYS DO CRIMES TOO! Oh, and it's Strongberry, so because of this film - In Strongberry I trust.

[yunhoee]

Summary: The year is 2031, and y/n is looking for a fresh start on her vacation with her sister. 3 months post breakup, and she's ready to stop wallowing. Korea has been a dream location for y/n for years, she is excited for all the sightseeing and food! Her sister has other plans, when she suggests attending a certain someone's charity birthday event.

Pairing: idol!Seonghwa x corporate!reader

Genre: fluff, romance, angst, seonghwa x reader, ateez ensemble

Length: 8,947 words

Author’s Note: I’m not sure yet if this fic will have smut! Once that has been figured out, I will update the tags if I need to :) I hope you enjoy! I don’t have a proofreader, so I apologize if there are any errors!

You jolt awake to the sound of your airplane pilot asking everyone to remain seated, because the plane will be landing soon. It takes you a few minutes to figure out where the fuck you are. You decided to take sleeping medicine since flying isn’t your favorite. The last thing you remember is the flight attendants making your bed. You are an established 35 year old, so the first class seats on a long ass flight were much needed.

Ten minutes later, you’re situated and looking out the window. You peek to the seat next to you, to see your younger sister somehow still asleep. It’s her 21st birthday, and you both are finally going on the trip you’ve been trying to make happen for years now. You gently wake her up so that the seat can be upright. She has the same look on her face that you did, so you leave her alone until she’s more awake.

So what exactly is this trip you’re on? Well it’s you and your sister’s dream trip to Korea. You’ve been promising your sister a trip together to Korea since she graduated high school, but could never get the timing right and here you are in 2031, finally making it happen. Over the years, you both have formed a love for Korea through k-pop, k-dramas, and food. It was exciting to be going to all these places you’ve been dreaming of seeing for years. You weren’t into k-pop as much anymore, but still had your favorites of course. You love to travel so knowing you’re about to land in Korea feels surreal.

“Oh my god, Y/n! I can’t believe we are about to land!” Your sister whispers excitedly.

You smile back at her, “Me either!”

You both watch the window in excitement during the landing process. You will be in Korea for at least the next two weeks. Your first stop and most likely home base is Seoul, but you both plan on going to as many different cities as you can.

A few hours later

Your sister pushed open the hotel room door, “Damn, Y/n! You rolled out the red carpet for me. This room is huge!”

You laugh and respond, “Well we’ve been trying to make this happen for so long, and we don’t get to travel together often so I wanted it to be special. My new promotion didn’t hurt either.”

You both laugh as you’re taking in the room, and the views from the room. You’ve spent the last decade climbing the corporate ladder, it all feels worth it in moments like this. Being able to have no budget on this trip and spoil your sister rotten, what’s better than that?

“Em, do you mind if I take the first shower?” You asked as you started gathering your shower things.

Emma responds, “You’re good! I need to rest and eat my snacks for a little bit!”

You smile and nod. The bathroom is honestly luxurious. You spent a few minutes just looking around. The shower is huge, and the water feels amazing. After taking an extra long and boiling hot shower, you’re at least feeling somewhat more human. Walking back into the room, you find your sister frantically speaking Korean on the phone with one of her friends. You just smile and lay in your bed, assuming it’s just something about her friends.

Emma is in the fall semester of her third year of college. She is also minoring in Korean, which is partially why we are here. We planned a few grad school visits, just to see if she is interested in them. But her being fluent in Korean is so helpful for this trip. You’ve always been the older sister, the second mom to Emma. Now that you’re in a new country where only Emma speaks the language fluently, it’ll be nice to take the back seat to some things.

Honestly this trip for you is a break from life altogether. You’ve been crushing it at work, as usual, but went through a pretty nasty breakup almost 3 months ago. It was definitely one of those moments where you felt as if you had to start all over again. You thought your ex of 5 years was going to be your husband. He got scared of how serious things were getting, and decided to cheat. So yeah. This trip is the start of your new life. The last 3 months have been filled with unimaginable grief and hurt, but you were done crying. Your ex making things official with his mistress was exactly what you needed to make this trip happen.

As you’re mindlessly scrolling on social media, you hear your sister end the call with her friend. She comes over and sits on the bed, and you can tell something is up just by the look on her face.

“What?” You ask in an exaggerated tone.

Emma puts on a smile and the most charm she can muster, “Thank you so much for bringing me on this trip, y/n! I love you so much and I’m so excited to start our adventures together.”

You’re completely confused now, “What the hell did you do, Em? I’m so excited for us too, but why are you acting suspicious as fuck right now?”

Emma responds, “Nothing! I’m just really excited for our adventure to get started, so I made plans for us tonight!”

Y/n’s mouth drops open, “Tonight?! EM! Are you crazy? We just had an almost 20 hour travel day! Look I know you’re young, but I can’t do the same things you can. I’m 35! I need my sleep.”

Emma looks dejected, “I’m sorry. I was just really excited, and my friend was able to get us tickets to this event tonight. It’s going to be really cool, lots of celebrities too. My friend works for the company, so it’s a really cool opportunity.”

Y/n grabs Emma’s hand, “I’m sorry if I came off aggressive, I was just surprised. You should totally go, Em! What a cool opportunity for you! I wonder if you could even network.” Y/n finished talking, but is now lost in thought trying to figure out how to give her sister tips on how to network.

Em squeezes your hand, “Hey. No work talk on this trip okay? I have barely seen you because of work the last 3 months. You haven’t been slick.” She pokes your side.

Y/n smiles, “Yeah because of the breakup, I kind of turned into a workaholic. But no more! I’m starting brand new on this trip. –About earlier, please go? Can you go with your friend? I would hate for you to miss something like this because I’m too tired.”

Emma responds as she’s standing up from your bed, “Oh I suppose I can just go with my friend. But you didn’t even let me tell you who’s at the party. Or I guess who the party is for.”

You quirk your eyebrow, “Who’s the party for?”

Emma smiles deviously, “Park Seonghwa.”

You immediately freeze. Surely Emma isn’t talking about the Seonghwa from ATEEZ. They’ve been doing things as a group here and there, mainly in Korea. After their military service, they’ve been slow to return to their previous schedule. Which you were happy with, they deserve a break. Coming to Korea, you hadn’t even thought of the chance of getting to go to one of their events. They have always been your ult group, but it’s definitely slowed down since their hiatus, and your life getting busy. Your ex hated ateez, but especially hated Seonghwa. Honestly, a huge red flag you simply ignored.

Y/n sighs, “Is this like a public event? I don’t want to be creepy and just show up to a closed event.”

Emma sits on the bed next to you, “So it’s Seonghwa’s birthday, but he wanted to make it a charity event. Hence the tickets. It’s actually a really big event, since it’s the first one KQ has put on in a while. There will be a handful of different organizations there, and all the proceeds from tonight will be split amongst the groups!”

You smile, “Wow. That doesn’t surprise me, they’ve always been generous.”

Emma responds, “There’s going to be a bunch of different fun activities. Lot’s of KQ staff, atiny’s, and just people who support Seonghwa and ateez. My friend who works there said the members would love it if fans came too.”

Y/n is in disbelief, “Your friend works for KQ? Damn Emma, that's crazy.”

Emma chuckles, “Minoring in the Korean language helps. I did a project on KQ last year, and my friend was just an intern at the time. Now she’s a full-time employee! I’m so excited to finally meet her in person. But I told her all about your situation, and how you’d be hesitant to come. She wanted me to tell you that Seonghwa is really excited at the thought of seeing international atiny again, since it’s been a few years since they’ve performed outside of Korea.”

Y/n thinks for a moment and sighs, “So I guess I’m going tonight?”

Emma squeals, “Yes!!! You won’t regret it! I really think tonight is going to be a lot of fun! And you’ll get to see ateez members again!”

You groan and pull the covers up, “So what do we wear? I’m barely functioning right now, so I’m going to need your help.”

Emma jumps right up, “I’m on it! You can just rest until it’s time to get ready.”

You hum in response and immediately fall asleep.

You awaken to Emma shaking you awake.

“Oh my god I started to think you were dead. Get up, we need to get you ready! We leave in an hour and a half.” Emma pulls on your arm and helps you stand. To be honest, the jet lag was hitting hard. Everything currently didn’t feel real. You just knew you needed to move.

Emma was able to get you into a chair in the bathroom. She starts brushing and straightening, as you try to come back to reality by going through social media. A coffee and thirty minutes later, you were in a much better place.

Emma sighs in relief, “There. All straight. I’ll get your dress and accessories all set up! Come out once you’re done with makeup.”

You grab her arm and smile, “Thank you. I literally couldn’t have done this without you. And oh my god!! You look so cute! I was so out of it, I’m so sorry I didn’t notice!”

Emma smiles at her sister and spins to show her the full outfit. After more compliments, Emma is begging you to start makeup because time is running short.”

You giggle and start going through your makeup bag. You weren’t sure what dress Emma picked out, so you just went with your normal makeup routine. Adding extra things here and there, since this is a big event.

Emma peeks her head in, “You look hot! My one request is that you have a red lip! It will be perfect with your dress.” She’s gone before you can respond.

You shrug and start digging in your bag for your red lipstick.

A few minutes later, you’re walking out to see what Emma picked out for you. The second you see the dress you protest.

“Isn’t this a charity event? I packed this dress in case you forced me to go clubbing.” Y/n crosses her arms.

Emma puts her hands up, “Hey, you can’t be mad at me for trying.”

You both are laughing as she gets out her option b dress. She pulls out a strappy a-line black dress. It was mid-length with a slit in the side, but it hugged every curve. Your cleavage is on full display.

Y/n looks at her sister horrified, “You don’t think this is too much” as she gestures to her chest.

Emma shakes her head, “You’ll definitely get some stares, but we’ll cover up on the train. I already asked my friend, and she said there’s no problem with showing some skin! They’ll know we’re foreigners anyway.”

You look in the mirror again. You can’t deny that you look hot, adding red lipstick was definitely the move. Emma and y/n move around the room gathering their purses and making sure they aren’t forgetting anything. One of your straps has already fallen twice, it’s beautiful but a pain in the ass. Your sister hands you your coverup for the train, and you both rush out the door.

As you’re walking you ask, “So where is this happening?”

Emma responds, “They rented out an event center like ten minutes away from here. Nari, my friend who works at KQ, already gave me directions so we’ll be good. She’s going to be watching for us as well!”

“Wow how generous of her. Are you two pretty close?” Y/n asks.

Your sister smiles, “Yeah we’ve been online friends for almost three years now! I can’t wait to finally meet her.”

Y/n smiles back at her sister, and the two of you walk to the train in comfortable silence. You both are admiring all of the new around you. Once you’re seated on the train, the anxiety starts building. The thought of seeing ateez again after being a fan for so many years. The last time you saw them was the tour before they enlisted, which was maybe around four years ago. The nerves are settling in. Before a few hours ago, you had no idea that you would even have the opportunity to see ateez. You are laughing at yourself in your head, feeling like a young fangirl again. You push the nerves down, tonight was all about having fun with your sister and admiring ateez from a distance.

Emma pulls you out of your thoughts, “So I guess I should mention that there’s going to be a ton of cameras outside the event.”

You raise your eyebrow, “Cameras? Well I guess that makes sense. Maybe there will be a way we can go around them?”

Emma smirks, “I wouldn’t count on it. Ours is the next stop.”

You look up and see the next stop is Gangnam. You’re pretty sure that’s the wealthy area of Seoul, makes sense. You can’t help but notice your heart picking up its pace when it’s time to get off the train.

“Are you sure this dress is okay? And that it’s okay for us to be at this event?” Y/n asks Emma.

Emma tries to comfort her sister, “Of course, y/n. It’s a charity event, so anyone with money is welcome. If it makes you feel better, you could always make a donation.”

Y/n breathes and smiles, “Yeah you’re right. I think that would make me feel a lot better. We just aren’t celebrities, so I’m worried about the cameras. Or people questioning why we are there.”

Emma slows to a stop and pulls y/n to the side, “You’ve got to trust me on this okay? My friend works for the company, we are technically her guests. You’re hot and have money, you have no reason to be worried. There’s going to be different activities to raise money, and lots of alcohol. Let’s just have fun tonight, okay?”

You smile at your sister, “You really are all grown up. You’re right, I’m sorry I’m just jet-lagged and nervous.”

You both laugh as you continue walking to the venue. The closer you get, you start to see a lot of security.

“Let me call Nari and tell her we’re about to come in!”, Emma says as she pulls out her phone.

From the distance you can see the venue, people dressed to the nines entering but not before going through a tunnel of photographers. You can also hear MATZ playing inside, trying not to freak out, you decide to let the music give you courage.

Emma grabs your arm, “Okay she’s inside waiting! Let’s go.”

Emma handles security and shows your tickets. They wave you through and you are met with paparazzi everywhere. You try to keep a smile on your face, while you and Emma rush through the cameras. Once inside you both can’t help but laugh. Your laughter is cut off when you look around and see how beautiful the venue is. You are relieved to see that you are in fact not overdressed.

“EMMA!” You hear someone yell. You see a girl run over and nearly tackle your sister with a hug. A smile appears on y/n’s face when she sees her sister finally getting to meet her friend. They spend a few moments laughing and hugging.

“Nari! This is my sister y/n!” Emma brings her over to you.

You take Nari’s hand, “It’s so nice to meet you! Thank you for inviting us tonight! This place is beautiful.”

Nari smiles at you, “I’m so happy you came! I know you both are fighting jet-lag, but I promise tonight will be worth it.”

Emma responds, “Here give me your coverup, y/n! I can give it to the person checking items.”

You’re hesitant, but slowly take your coverup off.

“You’re sure this isn’t too much?” Y/n asks.

Nari reassures you, “Not at all! You look hot! I know the members will appreciate that dress”

Your eyes nearly bulge out of your head, “Ah well I think you are just being nice! Besides, I probably won’t be that close to them.”

Emma returns and Nari asks her, “You didn’t tell her?”

You’re immediately on edge, “Tell me what?”

Emma sheepishly smiles, “Well I didn’t think you would come if I told you.”

Nari rolls her eyes at Emma and explains, “Our seats are right by them. I work for KQ, but over the years I’ve become friends with the members! They’re really excited to meet my American friends. Actually they’re the reason I had two extra tickets. Normally staff only get one, but they knew my situation and insisted on giving me an extra one.”

It takes all of your strength to not run out of the building, or fall to the ground. Yes, you’re an atiny and have been for years. But meeting the members was never on your list! You can be very shy, especially when you’re nervous.

“I wish weed was legal here,” You whisper to the girls.

They both laugh and Nari suggests, “How about we get a drink first? Then we will have to find our seats! But I promise, they’re excited to meet you! I told them you’ve been a fan since the beginning.”

The three of you walk to find a server that has glasses of champagne. The information Nari just told you is making your legs a little wobbly. You’re definitely going to get Emma for this. You grab a glass, chug it, and put it back on the tray.

Grabbing another one, “Okay, ready as I’ll ever be.”

Nari giggles, “I promise you don’t have to be nervous.”

You nod your head, as if that’s going to happen. Nari leads you to your table. The table is near the stage, you weren’t expecting to be this close. You are going to have a nice chat with Emma after this for leaving out so many important details. Once you get seated, you start trying to secretly do some breath work. Thankfully you’ve been meditating for years, so it doesn’t take long to get your heart rate back down. Putting on your professional face, since that’s the only way you’re going to get through this without throwing up. Just in time too, you hear a familiar voice.

“Nari!” You look over to see Hongjoong coming to say hi. He looks incredibly beautiful, it’s hard to not just stare at him.

They speak for a few moments in Korean. Emma also joined in and introduced herself in Korean.

“And is this your sister?” Well there’s no turning back now.

You smile, “Hi! Yeah I’m y/n, Emma’s older sister. It’s so nice to meet you, Hongjoong!”

He sits in the empty seat next to you, “Nari tells me you’re an atiny?”

“Yeah! I started listening to ateez in 2019, and was lucky enough to go to a few shows when you came to America over the years”, Y/n says with a light blush.

Hongjoong’s eyes lit up, “Ah really? Which city were you in?”

Y/n explains, “Well you never came to my state, but the closest show near me was always Chicago! I traveled there multiple times for your shows.”

He smiles, “Chicago is always so special to us. I’m glad to know you were there.”

You can’t help the tears that prick your eyes, “You’re so endearing, Hongjoong. I can feel your love for atiny just by looking at you. I’m glad to know you weren’t secretly a jerk.”

Hongjoong laughs as you see his eyes become misty, “I just understand all that goes into being a fan. The money spent, the time, I don’t take that lightly. It means a lot to me that people would disrupt their normal lives to see our music.”

You smile brightly, “Well you’re one of the most talented people I’ve ever seen! Every penny spent was well worth it.”

A staff member is waving for Hongjoong.

“Can we take a quick picture?” Hongjoong asked.

You’re surprised, “Oh my god of course. I should definitely be the one asking you.”

Hongjoong laughs and you both stand up. Handing your phone to your sister, you don’t miss the shit eating grin she’s wearing. You can basically hear her telling you ‘I told you so’, but at this moment you really don’t care. Hongjoong places his hand around your waist, surprised but not mad about it, and he pulls you in close. You both smile brightly, and Nari says something that makes you all start laughing.

Hongjoong holds your hands, “Thank you for coming, y/n. I know you were really nervous, but we wanted you to come. I’ll see you later?”

You smile hoping you weren’t bright red, “Yeah of course. Thanks jjoong.”

His eyes light up at the nickname as he’s walking back towards the staff. You plop down in your seat and just stare in shock.

“I’m waiting for my thank you.” Emma says with a smirk.

You roll your eyes, the alcohol is starting to make you warm and fuzzy. Or maybe that was just from your conversation with Hongjoong.

Someone comes onto the stage, and starts the event. You have no idea what they’re saying because it’s all in Korean, but you don't mind.

You take this time to look around. Your table being in the front, but a little off to the side. You see that there’s one table to your left, and the one next to that is ateez’s table. You try to not just stare at them, but wow. The last time you saw them this close, was their final concert before their military service. Most of them look physically bigger, and a little older, but it’s still your ateez. You can’t help but smile at the thought. Your strap falls for the millionth time, interrupting your thoughts. You sigh and pull it back up.

A bunch of clapping causes you to look on stage. You see Seonghwa shaking the man’s hand and coming up to speak. You smile as you see him start speaking. You’re not sure what he’s saying, but he’s absolutely perfect. Your heart eyes showing from a mile away.

“Stop drooling,” Your sister whispers with a smile.

You shoo your sister so you can go back to staring lovingly at Seonghwa. He’s just so beautiful, how could you not?! You feel much more relaxed now thanks to the alcohol. As Seonghwa ends his speech, the waiters all come out with what you’re assuming is dinner. It smells delicious, and you begin eating without a second thought.

Nari asks you, “I’m glad to see you feel more comfortable! Are you having fun?”

Y/n smiles, “I am! Thank you again. So what else is going to happen? Emma clearly didn’t fill me in on anything.” You give your sister a dirty look.

Nari laughs, “Well right now the members are preparing for the short concert they’re putting on for us.” You look to where ateez was sitting, to see that none of them are there anymore. Nari continues, “After that, there will be different games to raise money for the organizations tonight. Oh and then we will head to KQ for the afterparty!”

Your eyes widen, “Afterparty? At KQ? Are you sure I’m allowed to come to that? I don’t want the members to be uncomfortable!”

Nari looks at Emma, “I see why you didn’t tell her.”

They both laugh and Nari continues, “You and Emma are already on the list. If that doesn’t make you feel better, then just know that you also have a personal invitation from Hongjoong.”

“You guys are trying to kill me.” Y/n says before taking a giant swig of her drink.

The tables have been cleared, and the lights go out indicating the beginning of the concert. It feels surreal when the lights come back on, and ateez is standing on the stage. Their aura fills the room, you can feel the energy levels rising. Since this is Korea, you know the expectations for concerts are much different here than in America. Especially since this is a charity concert. The music starts, and ateez begins performing. The fact that they’re performing Crazy Form right in front of you, and you have to just sit there is difficult. You love hyping them up.

You and Emma start dancing and singing along quietly in your seats. The other side of the table is filled with Nari’s work friends. The more you and Emma are enjoying yourselves, the more Nari and the other staff at the table join in. At this point your table is having the most fun, singing and dancing while sitting together. This entire time you want to pinch yourself. How is this real?

The next song they perform is Bouncy, you and your table getting more rowdy by the minute. Everyone feels the alcohol taking away their worries. Hongjoong walks over to your side of the stage, laughing at the sight of kq staff and new friends. He loves the energy, and encourages it. After a few more songs, and lot’s of giggling from your table, Hongjoong begins to speak before the next song.

“Thank you everyone for coming! It’s been such a special night celebrating Seonghwa turning 33. We only have a few more songs before all the games and fun begin. But I wanted to dedicate this next song to a special atiny from America. Her coming tonight was all by chance, and I think that just shows the deep connection that ateez and atiny will always have. We will always find a way to be together, even by accident.”

Your eyes are watery and you smile at Hongjoong. Emma hugs you from behind while sitting, knowing you’re probably trying not to cry. Dreamy Day starts playing, and you have to try even harder not to cry. The members are all making sure to come to your side of the stage and wave. None of this feels real, but your heart feels like it could explode with how happy you are. Your table starts waving their arms to the chorus, and you of course join in. Emma hasn't seen you smile this big in a really long time.

After the show, you just sit there for a minute sipping on water. Still trying to convince yourself that all of that just happened.

You feel Nari’s hand on your shoulder, “Alright let’s go get more drinks and see what games there are!”

Y/n smiles and walks with Nari and Emma. The three of you decide to take a shot at the bar together, before grabbing your mixed drinks. Walking into the other main room you smile. It’s decorated like a carnival, all the games you used to play when you were younger were there. There’s an atm, so you go pull out a good chunk of cash. You walk back to Emma and Nari and hand them both a stack of money.

“Go ahead! I’m going to check out the different organizations over there” You point to the booths on the other side of the room. “I want to make sure I get my donation in, before I get too tipsy.”

Emma asks, “Are you sure? You don’t want us to come with you?”

Y/n smiles, “I won’t be gone long, and then I’ll come find you!”

Emma nods her head, “Thank you for the spending money! Call me if you get lost.”

You laugh and walk towards the booths. Your strap falls…again. You pull it back up as you get to the first booth.

You smile and say, “Hello.”

The people look at you and then look at each other. One of them manages to say, “Sorry. No English.”

You internally slap your forehead. You’re in Korea, of course they don’t speak English. You look to where Emma was, and she’s gone.

Y/n apologizes in Korean to the people at the booth. She feels someone closely behind her, probably waiting their turn. So she goes to move out of the way.

“Wait.” You hear the person behind you say.

You turn and are shocked at what you see.

“Seonghwa.” The name came out of your mouth so naturally.

He laughs, “And you must be y/n? I was looking for you.”

You’re surprised by that, “You were looking for me?”

Seonghwa nods his head, “Yeah Hongjoong wouldn’t shut up about you. I wanted to meet you myself.”

You can’t help the blush that appears on your cheeks, “Can I ask you a favor?” You surprise yourself by your boldness.

“Anything.” Seonghwa smiles.

You look back to the booths, “Can you translate what these organizations do for me? I would ask Emma or Nari, but I already sent them off to play games. I was wanting to make a donation, but it’s hard when I don’t know what they do.”

You don’t notice, but Seonghwa can’t stop smiling at you, “Of course. I’d love to.”

It took about twenty minutes for Seonghwa to explain the different organizations. You decided on the orphanage that was from Seonghwa’s hometown. Thanking him profusely for translating. He’s surprised to see you walk up to the organization from his hometown, something in his chest begins to stir. He sees the people at the booth jump up when they see your donation amount. They begin bowing and shaking your hand. He can’t help but chuckle when he sees your surprised face. You kept telling them it wasn’t necessary to thank you, you were happy to help.

You walk back to him, face flushed. You were so embarrassed by their big reaction to your donation, you didn’t notice your strap fell…again.

Seonghwa gently pulled your strap back onto your shoulder. You look at him with wide eyes, heart pounding.

“What made you pick them?” He looks to the booth you just came from.

You smile, “Well it’s your birthday. I wanted to support a place from your hometown. Is that okay?”

Seonghwa responds, “Of course. You just surprised me.”

You say cheekily, “I’m full of surprises.”

You both laugh and your heart races when you see the way he looks at you.

“Well, I guess I should find Emma and Nari. Thanks again for helping me!” You say with a smile.

Seonghwa asks, “Can I walk with you?”

You look surprised, “Oh of course! You don’t need to get back to your party?”

He smiles, “Nah. I’m off duty now.”

The two of you begin walking to the carnival part of the party. You can’t help but look at all the games, wondering how they got everything in here.

“Wanna play?” Seonghwa asks, standing in front of the skee ball.

You respond, “Yeah! Let me go to the atm real quick.”

He stops you, “No I want to pay for you. Please? It is my birthday.”

You stand there conflicted, “Fine but only a few games! I’m perfectly capable of paying for my own games.”

Seonghwa smirks, “I’m fully aware. Let me take care of you tonight.”

You blush at his statement, but nod your head.

The two of you begin your skee ball game. It only takes a few rounds for your ultra competitive side to come out.

Seonghwa stands triumphantly, “Ha! That’s 5-1. I thought you said you were good at this game?”

You gasp at him, “I am!! It’s because you have longer arms, and the setup is a little different than what I’m used to!” You are very clearly pouting over losing.

Seonghwa can’t stop the laugh that explodes out of him. While you stand there pouting.

He looks behind you, “The air hockey just opened up, want to lose on that too?”

You give him a dirty look and walk to where the air hockey machine is.

“I’m actually really good at this, so you better watch out.” Y/n says with confidence.

Seonghwa chuckles, “That’s what you said at skee ball.”

You roll your eyes, “Let’s stop talking so I can stomp you. Then you’ll see.”

You both have spent the last ten minutes being ultra competitive with each other. The two of you are completely zoned in, and determined to win this game. The trash talk comes out so naturally anytime one of you scores, or someone misses. From the outside, it doesn’t look like two strangers who just met tonight.

“HA! Game point for me!!” You yell as you serve the puck.

Seonghwa says nothing, he’s too busy trying not to lose to you. He hits the puck back, but accidentally makes the puck fly up off board. It’s not the first time your finger has been smacked by the puck, but it always manages to hurt really fucking bad. You drop into a squat, holding your finger tightly.

“Ow! Fuck.” You yelp. You squeeze your eyes and just wait for the pain to subside.

Before you know it, you feel two hands on your elbows lifting you back up to stand. You look to see that it was Seonghwa, and he looks terrified.

“I’m so sorry! Is your finger okay? Can I look at it?” He asks with worry.

You smile, “Don’t worry, I’m fine! It hurt really bad when it happened, but the pain already went away.” Seonghwa doesn’t look convinced so you continue, “You’re telling me your fingers have never been hit while playing air hockey? Seriously, it happens all the time, I’m okay.”

Seonghwa lets out the breath he was holding, “You’re right. I’m sorry though that it happened. I didn’t like seeing you in pain, it really scared me.” He looks into your eyes, the concern for you still there. Seonghwa continues, “But if you promise you’re okay, we should find something else to play.” This is when he notices your strap fell in the commotion. He fixes it gently…again.

“Ah I see. You’re trying to get out of finishing the game so you can’t lose right?” You say cheekily.

Seonghwa smirks, “Nah, I just felt bad beating you after your finger got hurt.”

Your eyes widen as you argue that he was actually not going to beat you, and Seonghwa can’t help but burst into laughter. He loves teasing you.

-After beating Seonghwa in air hockey-

You have the biggest shit eating grin, “Hey better luck next time yeah?”

He shakes his head at you, “A sore loser and a sore winner? You continue to surprise me, y/n.”

You pout, “No I’m not! Maybe you’re just not as good as you thought?”

Seonghwa’s eyebrows raise as he holds in a laugh, “Is that so?”

Y/n smiles and checks her phone. Shit an hour has already gone by.

“I’m sorry, I should probably check on my sister.” You say, and are sad at the thought of having to say bye to Seonghwa.

Seonghwa responds, “You don’t need to apologize. Let me help you look.”

You spend the next five minutes looking around. The two of you gushing over how fun the event turned out, and how it was decorated perfectly.

“Y/n!” You turn your head to see Emma sitting with Nari and her friends.

You smile and walk over, “Hey! There you are. Are you two having fun?”

Now that you’re closer, you notice a boy sitting next to your sister. Even though your sister is very much an adult, you still feel fiercely protective of her.

Emma responds, “It’s been great! I see you found Seonghwa.”

You turn to formally introduce him, “Oh yeah he helped translate the charity organizations for me! We’ve been playing games for a while, but Seonghwa, this is my sister Emma! Emma, I’m sure you don’t need the introduction.”

They laugh and greet each other.

Emma says to Seonghwa, “You were always my bias! It’s so nice to meet you, you’re even more beautiful in person.”

Seonghwa smiles and puts his hand to his chest, “Thank you! It’s always nice to meet atiny.” He looks at you cheekily, “Was I your bias too?”

You’re surprised by the question at first. You’re not sure if it’s the alcohol, or just being in Seonghwa’s presence. The confidence is radiating inside you.

You tilt your head, “Why do you want to know?”

He turns to you and fixes your strap that had fallen…again, “Hm. Just curious.”

You pretend to think for a moment, “I always loved all eight of you, but no. I have..different tastes.” Your smile radiates throughout the room.

Seonghwa can’t help the smirk that appears, “So bratty.”

You don’t notice how Emma and Nari are nearly screaming because of the flirting and tension between you two. You haven’t even noticed that Hongjoong was sitting with your sister and her friends.

Hongjoong interrupts, “Damn Seonghwa, just take her home already.”

You both immediately put distance in between each other. You walk and take the empty seat next to the random guy sitting by your sister. The blush is still lingering on your cheeks. Did you really just do all of that right in front of your sister?! You need to get it together. Seonghwa takes the seat next to Hongjoong, at the other side of the table. It’s a big round table, so you can still see each other.

You try to change the conversation, “So Emma, want to introduce me to your friends?”

The people they were hanging out with are Nari’s friends who also work at KQ. You now know that only Nari, Hongjoong, Seonghwa, and one other speak english. You encourage them all to speak Korean comfortably, you didn’t mind at all.

They continue their conversations. A waiter comes by, and you gladly take a drink from the tray. You begin sipping it while looking around the room. Everyone seems to be having a really great time. You look across the table to Seonghwa, who’s already looking at you. Your heart starts pounding, and you try to be calm as you give him a small smile. You look away and take a big swig of your drink.

You check the time and see that it’s already 9:30pm. You already know you only have a few more hours until your body just completely shuts down from exhaustion. You decide to send a quick text to Emma, hoping she’ll let you skip the after party.

“Oh no you don’t!” Emma stops mid conversation with her friends. Everyone at the table now looks confused at her. She continues, “Y/n is trying to leave early! No way! You can sleep all day tomorrow, we’re not going back until the early morning!”

You look at her shocked, “Early morning?! Are you trying to kill me?!”

Emma isn’t having it, “I don’t want to hear it! We never get to do stuff like this together, when will we ever be in Korea like this together?”

Your head drops and you sigh in defeat, “Okay okay. I’m going to go find the bathroom, but I’ll be back.”

Emma nods and is back into her conversation, you stand and start walking away. Thankfully the bathroom isn’t far from where you’re sitting. After you wash your hands, you start fixing your hair and makeup. When you walk out, you see people going up the stairs. You look to where your sister is, still engrossed in her conversation. You let curiosity take you up the stairs. There’s more tables, and more conversations happening. You’re drawn to the two big doors that are open, leading to the balcony. You stand and hold the railing, your breath taken away by the night beauty of Korea.

“There you are.” A familiar voice from behind.

You smile and turn, “Here I am.”

Seonghwa walks and stands next to you, “I thought you might be trying to sneak and go back to your hotel.”

You giggle, “No way. Emma would kill me.”

Seonghwa smiles, “You’re a good big sister.”

You’re surprised by his words, “Oh- thank you. I definitely have room for improvement, but I love taking care of my family.”

Seonghwa can tell how sincere your words are, he feels how genuine you are. The two of you are unaware that you are both just standing there staring into each other’s eyes.

Seonghwa clears his throat, “I-I meant to come get you because they’re about to start the closing speeches.”

“Oh!” You turn and start walking with Seonghwa, “Thank you for coming to get me! I had no idea.”

He smiles and the two of you walk in comfortable silence back to the main room. He walks you to your table and you thank him again.

“It’s no problem, y/n.” He surprises you and fixes your strap…again. “Don’t run away tonight without saying goodbye. I want to make sure I get to talk to you again.”

You can’t help the blush that appears on your cheeks, “Okay.” You say, nothing more than a whisper.

Seonghwa smiles at you, and walks back to his table. You plop into your chair, in a daze. You look up to see that you missed the fact that Nari and Emma were already sitting and saw the whole thing.

You cover your face, “Don’t.”

Emma has a devious smile, “Oh I don’t know what you’re talking about y/n. I definitely haven’t noticed the palpable chemistry between you two, or the way you two look at each other, or the way he fixes your strap for you.”

“Stoooooop.” You whine, “It’s really nothing. Maybe just a little flirting? But he’s an idol, we can’t be anything more than friends.”

Nari asks, “Why not?”

You look confused, “What do you mean? It’s been awhile since I’ve actively been into k-pop, but I know how strict the dating rules are. Even if there aren’t rules though, the fans take dating pretty hard.”

Nari responds, “You can’t really listen to the people who get angry when an idol starts dating. They clearly have an unhealthy parasocial relationship. Besides, Korea has taken positive steps when it comes to idols dating in the past few years. Especially when the members came back from military service, I think most atiny just want them to be happy.”

You smile, “I’m glad things have gotten better, but I don’t think you guys should get your hopes up about Seonghwa and I. He’s amazing and we get along really well, but he can have anyone he wants. I’m not Korean, I don’t speak fluently like Emma. I wouldn’t be against learning, I just think there’s a lot of reasons he wouldn’t want to pursue a relationship with me. Besides, I’m two years older than him.”

Emma slumps back into her seat, “I knew you would argue against it.”

“Em-” The MC interrupts you, ending the conversation for now. Most of the time you have no idea what’s happening. You pick up a few familiar phrases here and there. At one point the whole room is instructed to sing happy birthday to Seonghwa. His smile took your breath away. Seeing the other members love on him and tease him, it was very endearing. The two of you make eye contact, and you give him a big smile.

To end the celebration, you recognize the people you donated to from Seonghwa’s hometown, standing on stage to close it out. At least that’s what you assume since you don’t understand Korean. Until you see them point to you and everyone turns to look at you. The room erupts in cheering, and you are sitting there horrified. You have no idea why all these random people are clapping for you.

Emma translates, “They’re celebrating the largest donation their organization has seen to date! Y/n, they’re thanking you!”

Emma grabs your arm and walks you onto the stage, internally freaking the fuck out.

“I’ll be your translator,” Emma whispers in your ear. She tells you that part of the contest was seeing who would donate the most. Since you committed to $10k usd a month for an entire year, that makes you the winner. You really wish you would’ve known that before.

The owners of the orphanage both hug you, and thank you profusely. You have Emma explain to them that you didn’t know about the competition, and that you just really loved what they were doing. Unfortunately for you, the crowd loved that even more.

The prize is a trip to Jinju to see the city, and to also tour the orphanage so you can see where your money is going. You feel really touched by them and can’t help the tears that prick your eyes. You thank them yourself in Korean, and hug them both once more. Once you all are off the stage, you are able to exchange contact information so you can figure out your trip.

While all of this is happening, you miss the way Seonghwa is looking at you. Like you personally hung the moon and stars.

Hongjoong elbows him, “Stop drooling.”

After saying bye to the owners, you shyly went back to your seat. You could feel all eyes on you, your strap decides to fall…again. God you couldn’t wait to rip this dress off. Once you sat, Nari grabbed your hand and squeezed it gently.

“I know you’re embarrassed, but you did a really good thing,” Nari says to you.

You smile, “Thank you. I love being able to help financially.” Your genuine aura is like a warm hug to Nari.

She whispers, “Your boyfriend didn’t take his eyes off of you once. He looked like he was ready to fall to his knees.”

You laughed at the boyfriend comment, but looked to where Seonghwa was sitting. He was already smiling at you, and gave you a thumbs up. You couldn't help but blush.

Hongjoong teases Seonghwa, “Did you really just give her a thumbs up?”

Seonghwa whines, “Stop, I panicked okay?!”

They both laugh together at Seonghwa’s unusual behavior.

Nari and Emma are figuring out who’s riding in the cars, and who’s taking the train.

“Damn it, we’re one person off. We could’ve all been in the SUVs, but we have one too many,” Emma says.

You take that as a sign, “That’s okay! I’ll just go back to the hotel, I’m really tired so I don’t mind at all. That way you all can ride together!”

Emma gives you a dirty look, while trying to figure out an alternative that doesn’t include you missing the after party.

“Oh Seonghwa!” Emma says.

You turn and Seonghwa comes up to your group.

“Are you all headed to the after party?” He asks the group, even though he is only looking at you.

Y/n responds, “Ah well we have one too many so I’m just going to head back to the hotel! That way everyone else can ride together.”

He fixes your strap…again and says, “Ride with me?”

Your eyes widen at the offer, “Oh I don’t want to inconvenience you, or get you in trouble.”

Seonghwa laughs, “I’m 33 years old, who am I going to be in trouble with? Besides, I really wanted you to come. It’s not an inconvenience.”

You think about it and ask, “But what if your fans see a random woman leaving with you? Wouldn’t that be a problem?”

He lifts your chin so you meet his eyes, and puts his hand back down, “Why would that be a problem?”

At this point your cheeks are red, “I-I just thought you had to be really careful who you’re seen with.”

Seonghwa smiles, “Nah, not anymore at least. Atiny knows we are grown men. Besides, I don’t think it would be that crazy if we were seen together. You made a really big donation to my hometown, articles are already being written. If anything, people will think we’ve become friends after your generous donation.”

You try to ignore the fact that articles were being written about your donation. You weren’t expecting all this attention. You decide to take a leap.

“Okay. I’ll ride with you,” You say to Seonghwa.

He smiles brightly, “Great.”

“Are you two done now? As much as I love the flirting going on, y/n is still my sister and it makes me want to barf,” Emma says with her hands on her hips.

You lightly smack her arm and whine, “Why do you have to make everything weird?!”

Emma laughs, “I’ll see you at the after party okay?” She looks at Seonghwa, “Look I know you’re my bias and everything, but y/n is my sister. You better make sure she gets there safely.”

You smile at your sister and Seonghwa places his hand on her shoulder, “You have my word. She’s safe with me.”

Emma nods and Nari is smirking at the two of you. They leave with the group, and a part of you is internally screaming. You look at Seonghwa to find he’s already looking at you. He nods his head to the direction you need to go, gently grabs your hand, and leads you through the crowd of people. After stopping multiple times for Seonghwa to say bye to people who attended, you finally make it to the back of the building.

You see the line of black SUVs just waiting for you. What you weren’t expecting were the lines of cameras that were also waiting for you.

Seonghwa says, “We just need to wait for my manager, and then we can head out.”

You smile and nod, your conversation interrupted.

“Well well well. What do we have here, Seonghwa?” Wooyoung says with a smirk.

Seonghwa rolls his eyes, “The staff SUVs were full.”

Wooyoung not fully convinced, “Ah. Got it. Well I’m Wooyoung! I’ve heard all about you tonight.”

You smile at him, “Hopefully nothing bad. I’m y/n, it’s great to meet you!”

“There you are! I was looking for you Woo- oh hey! You’re the girl Seonghwa won’t shut up about!” San says with a big smile.

You and Seonghwa look at each other and laugh awkwardly.

You save Seonghwa from having to respond, “Hi San! I’m y/n, it’s nice to meet you!”

After a few minutes, the topic of you and Seonghwa has finally died down. The boys talked about the night, and how happy they were with the turn out. Seonghwa gets the okay from his manager, and now you are about to go to the car.

Seonghwa looks at you, “I apologize for the cameras. Will you be okay?”

You smile, “Yeah! Don’t worry about me.”

Seonghwa, San, and Wooyoung go out first. Hoping the paparazzi focus their cameras mainly on them. You’re able to sneak behind them without it being too much of a spectacle. You wait by the cars for them to be done with the cameras. You weren’t sure which car to get in.

They’re walking away from the cameras, and Seonghwa waves you over to the right car. He opens the door for you, and you both get in. It’s just you, Seonghwa, and the driver.

“I hope that wasn’t too terrible,” He says.

You shake your head, “Not at all! It ended up being super easy.”

Seonghwa chuckles, “Good. I want you to be comfortable.”

You blush and respond, “I really am okay. You don’t have to worry. I actually feel bad, because you’re doing too much for me!”

Seonghwa looks into your eyes and asks, “Have I not been clear about my intentions?”

You nearly gulp at the question. There’s just no fucking way this is happening right now. As you are internally panicking, Seonghwa presses the partition button. Now it’s just you and him.

You ask quietly, “What do you mean?”

Seonghwa fixes your strap…again but this time his hand lingers, “I am very attracted to you, y/n. I haven’t been able to take my eyes off of you all night. I have this feeling, that maybe you feel the same way about me.” You are swimming in his big brown eyes, probably the most beautiful you’ve ever seen. He continues, “Can we see where the night goes, together?”

[absolutebl]

Best 23 of BL 2023 - Quirky Awards

SHOCK & AWE AWARDS

1. Biggest BL surprise of 2023:

The last 3 months of 2023 in general got my biggest WTF award.

GMMTV fielding OffGun AND TayNew in the same quarter while also airing Last Twilight (arguably one of their best BLs ever)

That they ALSO optioned 3 JBLs

That there's a high heat omegaverse BL staring Pavel

That there were 20 BLs airing and none of them Korean.

With 5 VAMPIRE BLs announced for next year

But my prize in this category goes to My Dear Gangster Oppa.

It's just crazy:

Thai talent, Korean money + IP (this is adapted from a manwha) airing on a Chinese channel (iQIYI). Plus it was GOOD and made smart reuse of a pair who richly deserved it. I'm delighted by the eclectic insanity of this production. And wonder if any other film genre could even do anything like this.

2. The “that country did WHAT?” award:

The 8th Sense from Korea?!

I mean, seriously?! Dealing with metal health, suicide, darkness, therapy, age gap, & first time love BUT FROM KOREA? And then openness and casual boyfriend physical affection? What's next? An actual hard fought coming out narrative with an HEA? Gay domesticity and families?

Careful Korea, you'll strain something. Possibly your own culture and film industry.

I should stop having expectations of Korea, they keep surprising me.

Runners up: Korea letting OnlyOneOf do Bump Up Business not to mention that OmegaX thing. AND Korea adapting Why R U? What are you up to, Korea? Qua? Is this a coded message? Should we send help? Do you need snacks?

3. Biggest casting whoa! where did you come from? award:

GeminiFourth in My School President.

Seriously? Babies what? How did GMMTV find you? How do you exist? How is BL this lucky?

4. That studio did WHAT now? award:

GMMTV putting EarthMix into Moonlight Chicken.

And then doubling down with G4 as the damn sides.

Fucking genius.

5. I’m sad you were ignored award:

Destiny Seeker.

It's just a really fun little Thai pulp, the pairs were good, silly dialogue, plus consent and other good rep. I enjoyed it. No one talked about it AT ALL.

6. 2023 BL That Actually Made Me Lose My Mind Award?

Laws of Attraction. -The casting, the crazy story, the soapy drama! But specifically: Film playing Charn - the range of his smiles alone. GLORIOUS

I mean I Feel You Linger in the Air also sparked something in me, but LoA drove me actually nuts.

NARRATIVE AWARDS

7. Best story 2023:

La Pluie

I know, you're surprised, right? At the time I didn't chat much about it but I really enjoyed the discourse others were having. I love anything that really examines the fated mates (soulmates) trope and the idea of "the one". What a clever way to do that. (This is one reason UWMA is my favorite Thai BL.)

This one reminded me of the way Color Rush approached allegory and that's no bad thing. Such an impressive little piece.

8. Best narrative structure 2023 award:

Unintentional Love Story.

I know this may seem a simplistic pick. But I love the tidiness of this no frills contemporary romance, how the culture of work and personal ethics and corruption fight against the main character's affection and integrity. Poor baby boy is driven into a corner and then punished for it. But it is punishment he feels he deserves, and so it is up to his (now) ex to figure out what went wrong and why.

It's just great. I love it when no one is stupid or wrong, it's just impossible circumstances and unintentional love deeply felt.

9. Best 2023 dialogue (script) award:

Jun & Jun

Never before has Korea laced a BL with that much perfectly executed innuendo. It was a master class. I didn't know you could be that lascivious in Korean, quite frankly. Plus the way the 2 Juns constantly seamlessly transition between formal register (work, public - where they are boss/employee) to informal register (when they are alone and age mates + childhood sweethearts).

Beautiful to hear and watch.

10. Favorite scene 2023:

The dub con scene in I Cannot Reach You because I AM TRASH for an out of control seme. I'm sorry I just AM.

I have said it before, I will say it again, NO ONE DOES THIRST like Japan. And when that thirst bubbles over, it is heart-clenching and very hot.

11. The most rewatchable BL of 2023 award:

Our Dating Sim

That scene where they lie on the floor + the stolen kiss + giggle? Come on, it should be on comfort repeat in war rooms. It could bring world peace.

ACTORS & CHARACTERS AWARDS

12. Best performance of a queer actor in a leading role, 2023:

Fluke in Make a Wish.

It was fun to see him as an irreverent immortal and while I love OhmFluke I also really enjoyed this new pairing. It was a genuine pleasure to watch.

13. Best pining 2023:

The moot pining in Tokyo in April is...

Boys, seriously? Japan must you destroy us like this? Hurts so good.

14. Best wingman 2023 (The Namgoong Award)

Tiw from My School President

I mean, come on, of course it's him!

(Also can you believe Mark went on from this to do fricking Only Friends!? To Last Twilight! Come on GMMTV GIVE HIM A LEAD!)

15. Biggest OMG I LOVE you boys together, YAY!

Dimpled McMafia & Feral Bunny Foo Foo from Kiseki Dear to Me.

They were feral for each other.

We were feral for them

It was a whole delightful THING.

16. Most unexpected return of a BL pair? award:

The Private Lessons pair showing up in Love Class 2.

I know it was only a cameo, but SERIOUSLY? Thank you SO MUCH Korea! A big studio picking up a Strongberry pairing? I love you.

Seriously tho between them, Taiwan & Korea tried for ALL THE CAMEOS this year.

17. Well aren't you two just the prettiest? award:

NetJames in Bed Friend.

Need I say more?

18. LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Bah Vinh in Vian & Mr Cinderella 2. I did like either show but I loved him in them. Especially the make outs.

Yes you have chemistry with all the boys in Vietnam and you kiss beautifully. But it's okay now honey, you have the crown. Relax, you're stressing us out.

RANDOM PICKS

19. Favorite Linguistic Moment of 2023:

Our Dating Sim

Caught in the act by the elevator scene. OMG it's so funny. They're being such boyfriend shits to each other, and to be caught in the act by THAT character, and try to manifest formal language whole cloth? Hilarious.

Honorable mention to War Peanuts in Destiny Seeker.

20. Biggest disappointment of 2023:

You Are Mine

Seriously Taiwan, AGAIN you disappoint me with an Office BL? You're Taiwan, land of offices and suits. This should be YOUR SETTING TO WIN. And yet... argh. I mean it wasn't bad. But it wasn't good either. Stop it Taiwan, do better.

Runners up? Between Us, Chains of Heart, Dangerous Romance - this was a HOTLY contested category.

+ 2 Winners in the sub-category of FUCK YOU FOR THAT ENDING award:

The Director who Buys Me Dinner - I mean this nicely but: you have your lane now Korea, stop hurting us, that's Japan's responsibility and they do it better.

I Feel You Linger In the Air - I'm just hugely disappointed. Thailand ALMOST got its second 10/10 from me, but that damn ending.

Argh.

21. Best Wardrobe/Prop Use 2023

The shower of packaged bedsheets in My Personal Weatherman

Amazing. Brilliant. No notes.

22. Best Queer Rep 2023

Chot in Step By Step

In fact, all the queer characters in this show were treated with great integrity.

AND props to this cast for refusing to do fan service. GOOD FOR YOU! Fuck those sasang wankers.

Runners up? The found family cast of Love in Translation and the Rainbow Rice Cakes in The New Employee.

23. Best Meta Trope call out

Tin Tem Jai

Come on, what a zinger, but at themselves (and Taiwan)

Final question: which of the 23 was the hardest for me to pick?

Honestly? Question #1 this year. But also question #20.

(Last year: 2022's Version) 

Remember I only pull from shows that were completely finished by the end of 2023. Or The Sign probably would have taken multiple categories. But it will fall into 2024 offerings.

(source)

[arosesstorm]

BTS as k-dramas 𖡄̽ݴ᭄ᭂ ⠀

jungkook: dream high

this drama got me into Korea in its all and into Kpop as well. it's so close to my heart I can't help but put it with my favorite Korean boy. the Kirin art school's students have a dream, and they grow up learning to become stars, ultimately succeeding, just like jungkook did.

jin: business proposal

the main character is exactly how I imagine jin in a relationship to be like. a stoic, successful, kinda naive man who warms up and becomes devoted as soon as he sets his eyes on someone. and the rest his history.

taehyung: nevertheless

i imagine taehyung loving this drama. its complicated explanation on love reflects all the flaws of the human spirit and portraits love as chaos in a life full of art.

jimin: true beauty

jimin's just like Lee Soo Ho would like someone regardless of his flaws. I always imagines jimin as a kind and careful soul who cares about people's feelings and emphatazies with them. I imagine jimin to like light, fun and cute dramas and this is it.

namjoon: what's wrong with secretary Kim?

namjoon gives me the impression of being a controlled and calm person, but just like young-joon he loses his composure when he likes someone and gets tested by a potential lover. I feel like he'd be as funny as the main character when he finds a partner who challenges him and, frequently, beats him at his own game.

yoongi: descendants of the sun

if I ever imagine yoongi liking someone, I imagine him playing it cool. no drama, no embarassment, simply a cool strong man who admits he fell in love. in descendants of the sun life gets in the way of love one too many time and I imagine for yoongi too life sometimes is pretty heavy to carry around without getting crushed.

hosoek: strong woman do bong soon

I thought hoseok belonged in an historical drama, but I see him as well as the ceo of a company who meets a strange girl who ends up being his bodyguard and lover. he's as funny as MinMin and he gives me Labrador boyfriend vibes.

Mia

© 2023 of Mia (arosesstorm). All Rights Reserved.

[whenthegoldrays]

ELLY'S TOP TEN K-DRAMAS (with songs to match!)

(an updated version of this post can be found here)

10. Would You Like A Cup of Coffee? (2021)

Centers around Kang Go-bi and the regulars of 2Dae Coffee. Coziest show ever.

Song for this drama: Slow Down

9. Our Beloved Summer (2022)

Former high school/college sweethearts Ung and Yeon-su are brought back together by work five years after breaking up. My favorite OST!

Song for this drama: skinny dipping

8. The Matchmakers (2023)

A royal decree to marry off old maidens forces uptight prince Gyeongwoonjae and professional matchmaker Soon Deok to join forces. Prettiest show you've ever seen.

Song for this drama: Caught In A Blue

7. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Woo Young-Woo navigates her career, life changes, and love as a rookie at Hanbada Law Firm and a woman on the autism spectrum. Young-Woo is a darling, and her boy is the greenest flag ever.

Song for this drama: pov

6. Familiar Wife (2018)

A married couple who have fallen out of love get to see each other in a new light after the husband, Ju-hyeok, goes back in time and changes their history. You've never rooted this hard for such an infuriating man.

Song for this drama: No One Knows

5. Castaway Diva (2023)

After 15 years stranded on a desert island, Seo Mok-ha pursues her dream of becoming a singer while searching for the boy who helped her escape her abusive father. Despite the horrors, this show will make you believe there is good in the world.

Song for this drama: Sweet Chamomile

4. Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021)

Yoon Hye-jin moves to a seaside town to open a dental clinic and finds the home she always wanted amidst its colorful residents. So funny and the male lead is basically the perfect man.

Song for this drama: Apple Pie

3. Crash Landing On You (2019-2020)

After a freak accident lands her in North Korea, Yoon Se-ri must rely on the soldier who saved her life in order to survive, stay hidden, and get back to South Korea. Rips you apart in the best possible way.

Song for this drama: If I Never Knew You

2. Live Up To Your Name (2017)

Renowned acupuncturist Heo Im falls 400 years through time and lands in Seoul, where his life and fate intertwine with cardiac surgeon Choi Yeon Kyung. Beautiful, unmatched chemistry.

Song for this drama: epiphany

1. Twinkling Watermelon (2023)

Ha Eun Gyeol is mysteriously sent back in time, where he meets his parents as teenagers and discovers he didn't know as much about them as he thought he did. Peak family feels, peak soft couple, and peak enemies to lovers.

Song for this drama: Long Live

[svt-hari]

POSTED BY J MOON ON MAY 15, 2023.

Netflix’s new drama Hierarchy shared its casting lineup!

Hierarchy is a passionate high-teen drama full of love and jealousy and tells the stories that unfold at Jooshin High School where the top 0.01 percent of students have gathered. Founded by Korea’s top conglomerate Jooshin Group, Jooshin High School is a prestigious institution attended only by children who were “selected” from birth.

Lee Chaemin will be playing Jooshin High School’s transfer student Kang Ha who hides a secret behind a bright smile.

Kim Jaewon will be playing Kim Ri Ahn, the heir of Jooshin Group and the top ranking student of Jooshin High School.

Lee Wonjung will be taking on the role of Lee Woo Jin, the second son of a family that has produced many politicians over several generations and is both good-looking and kindhearted.

Ji Hyewon, will be taking on the role of Yoon Hye Ra, the youngest daughter of Korea’s leading trading company International Yoon who is also the incarnation of jealousy.

And finally, Hari, who will be making her small screen debut, will be playing Jung Jae Yi who is the eldest daughter of Jaeyul Group, which has a rival relationship with Jooshin Group, as well as the indisputable queen of Jooshin High.

Hierarchy will be helmed by director Bae Hyun Jin, who previously worked on Alchemy of Souls, Big Mouth, and Start-Up” and penned by scriptwriter Chu Hye Mi of About Time.

Stay tuned for more updates on Hierarchy!

[dangermousie]

Poll time!

Watching W reminded me of two things (1) how much I adore Lee Jong Suk dramas and (2) how much freaking suffering man likes to do in them. So, a poll:

OK, now the explanation part.

Secret Garden - he's a hipster composer with unrequited crush on delightful himbo superstar Oska. Honestly, not getting that fine piece of man is indeed a tragedy. Here is Oska hauling off our composer and is all "you are not leaving, kid," not helping that crush one bit:

I Hear Your Voice - serial killer offed his dad and almost offed him when he was little, has ability to hear everyone's thoughts that he cannot turn off, same serial killer is now gunning for him (or just turning him into killer), is a high school kid with hopeless (or is it? :P) crush on decade older prosecutor, accidentally stabs her once, loses his memory etc etc. A great time is NOT had by all. But it is had by me.

Doctor Stranger - stuck in North Korea as a kid, forced to perform human experiments as a doctor for years, has to kill his OTP's dad to save her, believes his OTP died (twice), hunted by NK goon squads etc etc. My pick, tbh.

W Two Worlds - his family killed and he's convicted for their deaths, after he gets out eventually discovers he's a fictional character and fights to keep free will and oh, a killer who literally is inhuman narrative is hunting him and the woman he loves across worlds.

While You Were Sleeping - childhood trauma, present day psycho fixating on him (why ARE his characters psycho catnip?), an almost fatal stabbing now and then...just a routine life of a prosecutor.

Romance Is a Bonus Book - for once he decided to take a break from whumptown. Ummm...a romcom with no blood is a form of suffering for angst lovers? (There is no pic as there is no gut wounds, sorry.)

Big Mouth - framed for something he didn't do, convicted and has to cope in jail full of psychopaths who go after him, stuck in a lunatic asylum and tortured, and after all of that, his wife dies. Go big or go home.

[seeyal8r]

@SEEYAL8R JUST POSTED! - KOREA’S SWEETHEART HEATHER LEE MAKES HER BROADWAY DEBUT AS EURYDICE IN HADESTOWN

Dear lovebirds and drama junkies,

Our girl Heather Lee, Korea's fav little songbird, just got announced as the new Eurydice in the Broadway musical Hadestown! You should be buzzing with excitement right now! If you're clueless about why this is huge, let me break it down for you: Heather has been dreaming of her Broadway debut since she was a toddler. Becoming an idol wasn’t even on an option for her. It was pure luck that a staff member from Hidden Entertainment discovered her vocal talent at their daughter's high school musical. If it weren't for that, Heather might never have become the superstar she is today. Crazy, right?

Heather was beyond excited this past Tuesday. She went live on Instagram right after her first official performance with the Hadestown cast, and honestly, she hasn’t looked this happy in ages. She spent some time answering fan questions, and even had her co-star Jordan Fisher pop in briefly to shower her with compliments, praising all the hard work Heather put into rehearsals. Like I said, the livestream didn’t last long because Heather wanted to hit the streets, interact with the crowd, and personally thank fans who traveled all the way to NYC to support her Hadestown debut.

TikTok blew up with videos of fans meeting Heather outside the stage door, where she signed playbills and shed a few tears of joy at the overwhelming reception from the audience. Twitter was buzzing too, praising Heather’s sweet yet heart-wrenching approach to her character and her powerful vocals. Overall, Heather’s Broadway debut has been an absolute success!

Now, onto the news that concern us fans. According to the musical's website, Heather made her debut last week and will be performing in Hadestown until the first week of September. This means she won't be joining the group's summer promotions. Except for a possible gig with L8RBOY at this year’s Waterbomb Festival, our girl is spending the whole summer in New York.

Sorry for the late update, but what can I say? Dreamquest has been taking all my attention lately. With Hana’s disastrous ranking and Lo’s completely unnoticed appearance in the first episode—resulting in an even worse ranking than her former groupmate—, it's been hard to focus on anything other than the show's drama and what’s next for our two favorite sidelined girls.

So, here’s your daily reminder: don't give up on them! Keep cheering for Hana and Lo in the competition. Let’s help get them out of Hidden's basement for once and for all.

★﹐୨🍓୧﹒ HEATHER’S TAKE ON WAIT FOR ME (REPRISE) ON HER DEBUT NIGHT:

Leave a comment here! Send some love to our beloved sweetheart. See ya later!

[penguinsnoot]

East Asian Dramas You Should Watch

1) Put Your Head on My Shoulder {China} (1 season, 24 episodes) [Romance, Comedy, Coming-of-age]

Close to graduating and unsure of her future, Situ Mo ends up living with a genius physics student and finds love along the way. 

2) A Love So Beautiful {China} (1 season, 23 episodes) [Romance, Comedy, Coming-of-age]

Five friends endure high school life together and become closer at time goes on, with friends and neighbors Xiao Xi and Jiang Chen figuring out their relationship as they grow older. 

3) My ID is Gangnam Beauty {South Korea} (1 season, 16 episodes) [Romance, Comedy, Coming-of-age, Drama]

Bullied for her looks growing up, Mi-rae decides to get plastic surgery before starting college in the hopes of avoiding ridicule, but instead faces new challenges that wear at her self-esteem. 

4) My Secret Romance {South Korea} (1 season, 14 episodes) [Romance, Comedy]

Jin-wook and Yoo-mi, two people with drastically different personalities, fall in love amidst a series of misunderstandings and accidents.

5) Find Yourself {China} (1 season, 41 episodes) [Romance, Comedy]

Fanzing is caught in a love triangle between a young employee and an older executive, leading to tough decisions about love and life. 

6) Wait, My Youth {China} (1 season, 24 episodes) [Romance, Coming-of-age]

A group of friends experience the ups-and-downs of life together as they face hardships in love and life. 

7) Moonshine and Valentine {China} (1 season, 25 episodes) [Romance, Comedy, Fantasy, Drama]

An ancient deity helps his soulmate with an ancient curse believe in love.

8) Alice in Borderland {Japan} (2 seasons, 16 episodes) [Thriller, Drama, Sci-fi]

Arisu finds himself in a desolate Tokyo where he must compete in dangerous games to survive. 

9) Sweet Home {South Korea} (1 season, 10 episodes) [Drama, Horror]

As humans are turning into dangerous monsters, an apartment complex’s tenants fight to survive together. 

10) Mr. Heart {South Korea} (1 season, 8 episodes) [Romance]

A pacemaker and marathon runner find themselves falling in love despite a rocky start. 

[romancefranaticstay]

F⋆i⋆r⋆s⋆t⋆ ⋆s⋆i⋆g⋆h⋆t

This is comedy, drama, romantic serie

All members are included but its technically...

Hyunjin x reader

A new day, at a new school... In Korea. At the moment your life was upside down after the sudden decisions your parents made.

Your parents wanted to move to Korea, because it is a safe country, but they never thought about you. You knew how to speak the Korean language, okay, you know how to write it... but you had to leave everything you loved behind.

Your friends, your childhood...

It wasn't very easy to step in that airplane, it really wasn't. Your parents had to force you to go in that plane.

The worst thing first, you heard the Korean school system was pretty strict and there was a high percentage for bullying at those schools. You tried to mentally prepare yourself during the summer vacation, but there was only a week left.

Your uniform was at least decent....

To be honest, the schooluniform was pretty awesome. Because your old uniform was pretty... how an you say it... horrible... a crime towards fashion you might say.

You were actually the most scared of the students, because you were scared what they would think about you.. would they judge you because you weren't actually born in Korea? Would they judge you because you have (choose a country) roots?

Maybe they would be fascinated... yeah lets hope for the best you know!

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During the last week you tried to change yourself up a bit. And you also tried to think about other stuff in the mean time. It didn't really help the stress, but you could atleast try...

You had a lot of fun actually decorating your room. It was very cozy actually your new room, and you actually hope to get your 'k-drama' school life...(ofcourse that isn't going to happen... really not).

The last two days were actually pretty calm, your moods changed from time to time and you weren't really focusing on it. You were missing your friends back home, ofcourse you always could call them or chat with them, but its never going to be the same...

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You were laying in bed, staring towards your ceiling, and you were stressed out. Today was official your last day and tommorow was your first day. Actually you were stressed but also kind of exciting. A new school is always a bit exciting.

You went early to bed, you alreaddy packed your school supplies, you went to the hairsalon alreaddy, you did set a alarm for tommorow at 6 a.m. just to be sure,... you have done everything to be prepared for your big day...

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*beep beep beep beep*

'Dammit.' you gasped, reaching out for your heart. You slammed on your clock to put it off. Ofcourse not slamming to hard, so it wouldn't break.

You weakly stood up and went towards the bathroom.

'I am a fricking mess.' you thought by yourself. You started to brush you teeth, to style your hair, to put some 'natural-girl' make-up on and ofcourse some earrings.

You went downstairs, greeting your parents and getting your lunchbox.

'I am going to head out.' you waved. 'Bye bye.'

You took your bike and started to drive off. Looking around, just fascinated about the surroundings. It felt off, to be here. You saw some other students on your way to your school. You also saw someone who immediatly caught your eye while passing by.

A boy with big plump lips, dark eyes, and black hair. His face was just, how could you describe it, lets just call it 'chefs-kiss'. His uniform was the same as yours. So that meant you went both to the same school. You hoped that you will see him at school frequently.

You walked inside and everyone stared at you. Nobody ever saw you at this school so it was pretty normal. You also weren't from Korea, maybe thats why.

You explored the school a bit, looking around, wandering behind people. There was a big library at the school, it was well organized and actually very quiet. I know you might say: your supossed to be silent in a library, but still. Not even a single word. You couldn't hear any whispers. It was a bit weird you thought.

The bell ringed and you first went to a secretary. Because how was you supossed to know were to go?

'Goodmorning miss, mine name is I/N Y/N. I am new at this school and i never got the information where classes are or where to go.'

'Oh sweetty, i will get you all the papers and someone to show you around. No worry's!'

'Thank you.' it was a very nice old lady behind the desk. She didn't seem very old but still.

You waited for maybe 2/3 minutes when she arrived with some papers.

'Here are your classes, the number of the classroom you can find next to your lectures. I will lead you towards your classroom, okay darling?'

you nodded. You followed her into a big hallway, with everywhere classes with learning students. They were very focused. You two walked a bit further until she stopped infront of a classroom. Classroom number 705.

She knocked two time's.

'Goodmorning, i've got a new student for you.'

'Ahh, welcome miss..' he looked towards a piece of paper 'I/N Y/N.'

'I will take care of her further.' the man said to the old lady.

'Could you introduce yourself to the classroom?'

'Mine name is I/N Y/N, like you all heard. I am sixteen, i just moved to Korea maybe two months ago.'

'You can take a seat at the back next to... Han Jisung.' he pointed towards a young student.

You seated yourself next to him. He was quite silent, even tho his face shined some kind of cozy, warm type of feeling out. He wasn't very talkactive at first, but when the teacher assigned you both to do some groupwork it was laughing, pointing and angry teacher.

It all started like this...

'Hey, mine name is Y/N, by the way.'

'Nice to meet you, mine name is Han.'

'Okay lets start with it! So what do we have to do?'

'Why are you looking at me? How am i supossed to know?'

'Look i am the new student here, i shouldn't be alreaddy in the end-zone.'

'I shouldn't either.'

'Lets just look what the others are doing will you?'

'Why are they mixing something together.'

'Because maybe this is science?'

'Oh yeah, thats right. How hard can it be?'

'Yeah actually, its just mixing some stuff together.'

'Okay lets just take this.' he had a cup of purple stuff in his hand.

'Why that?'

'Because the colors of the rest are like magnenta kind of color, so we will just mix purple and blue together.'

'Thats actually smart.'

(by the way, it wasn't right.)

'Okay so... uhmmm why is it boiling?' you asked.

'Uhmmm, this wasn't supossed to happen actually...'

'O my god, its rising.'

'Oh no no no no.'

'Lucky that we are in the back of the class.'

'O no noo noo, it doesn't stop rising.'

'Oh no no no no, what are we going to do?'

'I don't know, how am i supossed to know?!'

'Why don't you know anything?'

'Wait i have a idea, just pour it out in the sink next to use.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah, yeah just do it.'

you poured it out in the sink and... nothing happend. Strange...

'You smart-pants, nothing happend.'

'See, mister smart to your service.'

you both laughed.

'You know, because you are new, we are officially now friends.'

'Thats cool.'

'So i will introduce you to mine friendgroup if you don't might.'

'Why would i?'

'They are kinda hyper-active, you know?'

'Thats okay.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah yeah.'

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You both were walking out of the class, talking and gossiping about your class-students. You two really had a connection. You both also were very loud so those students alreaddy knew you talked about them.

You saw a bench full of boys. They alreaddy turned their heads when they heard you both laughing and shouting loud. Han waved towards them from a distance. You saw a familiar face...

'Hey whatsupp guys, this is Y/N.'

'Hey.'

'Whatsupp.'

'Hello.'

'Hi-i.'

'Hey Y/N.'

'Hi.'

'Mhm.'

You felt someone staring at your body. Suddenly you locked eyes with that boy, that boy you saw on your bike.

'This are Seugmin, Bangchan, Changbin, Lee Know, Felix, Jeongin and Hyunjin.'

... His name was Hyunjin.

'Nice to meet you all.'

'So you are the new student?' Changbin asked.

'Yeah, i am.'

'So are you single?'

'I am a single pringle, indeed.'

'Your funny.' Felix smirked.

'I know.'

'Aahaaa, i know, you know, Lee Know!' Han shouted.

They all laughed but suddenly Lee Know stood up and he ran after Han.

'Oh no, here we go again.'

'What are they doing?'

'Yeah something with tissue's.'

You saw Han running away from Lee Know but Han tripped and fall into the grass. He pinned him down into the grass and putted tissue's in his mouth.

'Very interesting.'

'Its his habit.' Hyunjin said to you.

'Are they a couple?' you whispered towards him.

'They never admit it, but i think they are.'

you both giggled.

Lee Know helped Han to get up from the grass. Their hands interwining with eachother. They are very suspicious to be honest.

'Sorry for that.' Han came running towards you.

'It was funny.'

'Finally someone who finds it funny.' Lee Know commented.

Everyone started to talk about different thema's. Some were talking about their teachers and some about random stuff they saw online. You were just sitting there, next to Hyunjin. The bench was very comfortable. And the sky looked very bright today. You were observing other students when Hyunjin tapped on your shoulder.

'I forgot to ask, could i show you around maybe?'

'Oww, yeah sure, why not.' you smiled.

You both got up and started to walk around, you two, alone, without the others...

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'These are the girlsbathroom they are very neat. Don't try to hide in here when you try to skip class. They get checked frequently.'

'Good to know.'

you two walked further.

'And here is a 'secret' room.'

'If its that secret, how come you know it?'

'All the students know about this room.'

'Really how come?'

Hyunjin cheeks turned bright red.

'Its... its just a place were.' he went silent 'were, couples like... you know.'

'No i don't know.' you smirked.

'Were couples can be alone.'

'Never heard of such place's in schools.'

'Really?'

'Yeah in mine school, you just had the bathrooms.'

'The bathrooms?! Ewww.'

'I know, its disgusting.'

'Are you familliar with that concept?'

'You mean.... umm even tho its normal for teenagers... i never really had interest in that stuff... you know?'

'Yeah yeah, i understand, but why?'

'I just want to save myself for that one person.'

'I understand, you have an idea who that one person might be?'

'I don't know, but i don't want to waste myself before i met him or maybe her, you never know.'

'Yeah, you never know.'

You both smiled weakly at eachother.

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HIS POV

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I totally embarassed myself, why dammit why would i start a conversation about that kind of concept? What is wrong with me? You know just be calm, be calm, okay its just a girl.

Just a girl...

'So you like the school alreaddy?'

'Yeah its cool.'

'Cool.'

Do not ask it Hyunjin, don't you dare... don't do it, don't do it.

'So are you single?'

Dammit dammit dammit.

'What?'

'I mean, you like jingle? Like christmas jingle?'

Smooth dumbass.

'Yeah, i love christmas.'

'Me to! I love the winter.'

'Me to! Wow, you know what i love the most about Christmas?'

'What?'

'The decoration, its just so warm and cozy. Just make's me feel warm.'

'The films are also great don't you think?'

'Yeah ofcourse also the films and also the food.'

'You can't forget about the food, can't you.'

'Everything about Christmas is beautifull you know?'

'What is that noise?' she asked.

O dammit, i swear if Changbin followed use...

'I really don't know.'

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YOUR POV AGAIN

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You saw the boy named Changbin running towards you both.

'What are you two up to?'

'We litterly saw you 5 minutes ago.' Hyunjin said.

His arms were around yours and his shoulders. Hyunjin gave him a side-eye.

'Stop leaning on me-eeee.'

'StOp LeAnInG oN mE-eEeEe.'

'I don't find it funny.'

'You never searched for it.'

'Clever.'

'As always.'

The bell finally ringed. The bell almost gave you a heartattack but it was worth it.

'Yeah, i am going to mine class. Bye!'

'Do i need to bring you there?' Hyunjin asked.

'No worry's, i will find mine way.'

'Oh okay.'

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HIS POV

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Yeah i messed up. I am not sure, but problably. She thinks i am weird, i feel it. I feel the spirit.

'So you like her don't you?'

'What?'

'I see the way you looking at her.'

'Is that all your basing on?'

'Thats all i need to base on.'

'Okay small-bean.'

'STOPPPP calling me short.'

'Awww, StOpPpp cAlLiNg mE sHoRt.'

i started to pinch him.

'Awaaaa, stop pinching me.'

'AwAaAa sToP PiNcHiNg mE.'

'Not funny.'

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I cannot stop thinking about her. Girls around me try to get mine attention by asking for stuff. Asking for help during art class. Trying to play with mine hair.

I don't understand, why i cannot get her out of mine head. I just met her. Her face is adorable and her little hands compared to mine. I want to hold them forever. I want to hold her face between mine thumbs. I want to feel her waist, i want... i want... i want her. With me, here.

'Hyunjinnniee, can you please help me with this painting.'

'You are so tall Hyunjinniee.'

'Please help me.'

It annoys me, i do not want all those girls, i just want her. Here with me. Is that to much to ask?

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Your POV

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'Y/N?'

'Y/N?'

'Y/N?!'

'Huh what?'

'Whats the answer to question number four?'

'Shouldn't you try it yourself?'

'I tried like 20 times, but math just isn't mathing.'

'I came out 20.34'

'How did you- how?! I came out 18839.93.'

'How is that even possible?!'

'I don't know ask mine calculator?!'

'Just write off mine paper, here.'

You gave him your paper with all the answers alreaddy.

'Thank youuuuu.'

'Your welcomeeee.'

You couldn't stop thinking about Hyunjin, it was very strange. You just cannot imagine a life without him right now. Maybe thats a bit over dramatic. You only knew him shortly, so how is that even possible.

'Psst.'

You turned around and came eye to eye, to a very cute boy.

'Yes?'

'Could i borrow a pencil?'

'Sure, here.'

you gave him a pencil from your pencilcase.

'What is your name by the way.' you asked.

'Mine name is Min Yoongi and yours is...'

'Y/N, Y/N I/N.'

'Cool name.'

'Thanks, mine parents picked it for me.'

you both laughed.

You two started to have a deep conversation, about all sorts of things. He was very interesting. He never seem to be understood by the students around the campus. His story's made your heart sink and fall over again. He told about his passion about writing music, also about his friends, and funny enough, he could passiontly talk about sleeping.

After hours of talking you could tell he really liked sleeping. He liked sleeping so much, he could just stay in bed for hours. Even tho it isn't that healthy.

'You are a very interesting person Yoongi.'

'Thank you.' he blushed.

'We really should hang-out sometime's.' he proposed.

'That sounds wonderfull.'

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AUTHORS POV

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Hyunjin saw both of you smiling and talking together. His heart sank towards the ground. He never felt such a pain which wasn't physically. It was another sort of pain.

He went home with a broken-heart, even tho he didn't know you felt the same for him.

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Part 2 coming soon

xoxo

Rachel