#Flawless Manhwa

[ultramarine-spirit]

One of the biggest criticisms of Athanasia is that she is a Mary Sue, perfect and flawless but also as soon as she shows a little selfishness she is so villainized. They don't like it when female characters are selfless and sacrifice themselves for the good of others (wich is exactly what wmmap athy did), but when they don't do it, people don't like it either. Female characters can never win i guess.

The argument is a little funny because I can easily think of 30 female leads that are more "mary sue" (a misogynistic concept per se) than Athy. If Athy had more "ugly" or "obvious" flaws (because she does have flaws, just not the ones those people point out) they would dislike her even more.

Manhwa readers are very misogynistic, so this doesn't come as a surprise to me.

[bp-zb1fics]

hello !! could u write something with jeonghyeon and reader in school like they are already dating, and it would be about them being the "famous" couple in their school !! lijeong being a genius and the reader being dumb like an airhead but she really kind and all. teachers and students could be teasing them about being an odd couple haha

So without meaning

pairing: leejeong x reader

genre: highschool au (same verse as shy,shy,shy and tall& handsome), fluff

tw/tags: sort of character study, class couple, mean girls reference, flirting, kisses, woongki being salty, leejeong simp agenda as usual

wc: 756

summary: it’s not that you were an odd couple, more like you were smart in different ways.

a/n Kind of put a spin on the req but I hope you like it anon~ it's also super late so there's that but these weeks have been rough tbh. also anyone who doesn't get the mean girls reference, jail for you jk

check my pinned for more fics!

When Gyuvin first transferred, Gunwook and Junhyeon made it their mission to introduce him to everything that there was to know about their highschool, sort of like those 90’s teen movies. So far, they’ve done a decent job. 

Gyuvin now knows they served donkatsu at the cafeteria every second Tuesday, how to not piss off Baek Kooyoung-seongsaengnim and every notable class couple that he shouldn’t get in the middle of.

Case in point, you.

It wasn’t that you were stupid. No, definitely not. Maybe you made stupid decisions sometimes but doesn’t everyone? Sure, you weren’t the brightest bulb in the box (is that the correct analogy?) but you made do. You got decent grades, teachers liked you even if you had a tendency to daydream during class. And it helped that you were really nice in the very unintentionally genuinely good way that very few people were these days.

It’s just- your boyfriend was-

“That’s Lee Jeonghyeon.” Junhyeon whispers to Gyuvin as they watch the older boy walk down the hallway towards you. “Genius, sort of a lone wolf, all sorts of rumours floating around him.”

“What kind of rumours?”

[insert unnecessary montage]

“Lee Jeonhyeon is flawless.”

“He has an endless supply of bracelets and only owns green sweaters.”

“I hear his jawline is insured for 10 million won.”

“I hear he does underground rapping.”

“His favourite colour is green.”

“One time, he got recruited by this company and they told him he could be an idol.”

“One time, he punched me for trying to kiss him.” A pause. Cha Woongki takes the time to flip his hair before sighing wistfully. “It was so hot.”

[end montage]

Gyuvin’s eyes have grown twice their original size in disbelief. Junhyeon nods solemnly. Meanwhile, you and your boyfriend are none the wiser. In fact, he’s completely preoccupied by you grabbing his hand, chattering about something brightly as you tug him towards the cafeteria.

Most of the students give you a wide berth. But that’s probably because your boyfriend is at least 185 cm and looks like he can cut a bitch on a good day. It was also sort of interesting, the contrast between you, like a manhwa plot coming to life. The resident genius and the bubbly airhead, complete opposites and completely enamoured by each other.

“Jeonghyeoniee,”

The withering look that your boyfriend gives Park Hanbin would probably deter anyone else. But Park Hanbin is a dazzling force of nature with a brilliant smile and military commander-like focus when he gets invested in something. Trailing behind him is Kim Taerae, resident class-crush with his church-oppa like charms and soft, sweet voice.

“What do you want?”

Maybe Jeonghyeon would look more intimidating if he currently wasn’t letting you feed him like a petulantly adorable child, practically glued to your side, holding your other hand under the table. You ignore the other boys, bringing another spoonful of rice and meat to his lips.

“Thank you aegiya.”

“You’re welcome, Leejeong-yah.”

“God, I hate love.” Woongki fake gags from the other side of the table.

“Wow, way to be single and bitter.” Hanbin shoots back, the other gasping dramatically.

“I am not.”

“Are too.”

“Am not.”

“No fighting!” You insist after swallowing the bite your boyfriend fed you. Woongki coos at you.

“Oh my poor, innocent baby, how did our big, bad Jeonghyeonie manage to score someone as sweet as you?”

“Woongki-ah, I punched you once, I can do it again.” Jeonghyeon grits out before obediently opening his mouth so you can feed him.

“Oh please do,” The other boy says way too eagerly. You sigh. And they said you were the dumb one when you could clearly see your boyfriend being played. Also your food was finished and you kinda wanted one of those pudding cups that they brought out after you had sat down with your trays.

“Leejeong-yah?”

“Yes aegiya?”

“Want pudding.” You pout, You really don’t need to. Your boyfriend stands up right away and goes over to the counter to fetch one for you. Woongki rolls his eyes, applauding you slowly.

“Ugh, your power. Literally you need to tell me how to get a boy completely whipped like that.”

You shrug. Jeonghyeon comes back with your much-desired pudding cup, proffering you a spoonful.

“Leejeong-yah, kiss?”

The rest of the table groans as he leans down and gives you a peck shamelessly. You smile and eat your pudding, stealing more kisses in between spoonfuls. Jeonghyeon might be a genius but he wasn’t the only smart one in the relationship.

[lookismstuff]

458 Chapters Later, Lookism Webtoon/Manhwa is Still About Lookism (Posting About This Again)

Apparently the discourse that "Lookism is no longer about lookism" is so dominant in the fandom. But I disagree with this take. I don't think the lookism theme is gone.

For a longer, more detailed argument please read my older post here.

But for a shorter argument (SPOILERS ALERT):

Do you think Daniel is now free from lookism, when in the current arc, Logan still calls him Pikachu because it's easier for Logan to see him as Pikachu no matter how far Daniel has come? That even when Daniel had to defend himself he had to call Logan "pig" like those bullies in his past?

Here are some of the evidence of lookism theme across the story in the recent arcs (some I have talked about in that old post, some I haven't).

D.G., one of the main villains, is a juvenile criminal masquerading as an idol. And is worshipped in and outside of the webtoon for his beauty.

Daniel is only treated better by his relatives after he slimmed down and even then they still can't believe that he made such a tremendous effort to grow.

Vasco and Burn Knuckles are still stigmatized because of their looks, that's why Eugene could co-opt/abuse the cops' authority to round up Burn Knuckles and Big Deal, you see. It's because the general public and the cops sees the two groups as criminals.

The businesses that Ilhae (Workers) crew are running depend on various facets of lookism: using a pretty girl to run an underground fight club, another pretty girl to cover up sexual assaults, drug trade, and illegal imprisonment (Vivi & Mitsuki, Ms.Raccoon of One MCN),

Hangyeol OF WORKERS IS ALSO RUNNING A PLASTIC SURGERY CLINIC THAT COVERS UP AN ILLEGAL ASYLUM & MALPRACTICE.

Charles Choi, a 0th generation killer, has been using his facade of genteel respectability and his daughter's beauty to appear as a legit businessman.

Channing of Ansan Public branded his opponents with a tattoo pen to humiliate them. Because tattoos are still stigmatized in many places worldwide including in Korea.

Johan and Vin hide their disability because society sees it as a shame or a blemish. This shame is related to lookism. At one point, Vin even stated that he had abandoned his dream of becoming a rapper because people at the illegal fight club saw his impaired eye, while Johan insists that nobody should know about his visual impairment (and is angry that Zack knows).

Jake and alternate body Daniel could enter and work at a nightclub because they don't look like minors, while the real Daniel (before Gun's training arc) does look like one so he couldn't enter before he showed his Workers pin.

The reason why Jiho was imprisoned after a series of crimes was his insecurities about zero acceptance in society from lookism-related reasons.

So the fate of Big Deal was indirectly related to lookism because: A) it was related to Jiho's illegal gambling case and B) Sinu was trafficked and enslaved by Workers through a deceptively pretty girl (Mitsuki).

Olly of Hostel A was thought to be insane because of his looks when in fact he was both a sharp, sly leader and a traumatized kid.

Mary had to cover up her judoka past because of lookism (she used to be bigger than she is now). And she could only rely on Vin, who knew her back then and helped her during a traumatic event.

Yet now there's Taejin, someone who's possibly related to Mary's and Vin's traumatic past. EDIT: And he is both able-bodied and good-looking (seemingly flawless from the start compared to Vin and Mary).

Taesoo, Hudson's teacher from Ansan, has a trauma about his missing eye (specifically the loss of it through his duel with James Lee/past D.G.) so much that it affected his self-confidence and destroyed his faith in his technique. He also retreats from society (and enjoys wealth, but still).

Jerry of Big Deal is often thought and treated as older than he is, which makes him uncomfortable because he's still a teen. I think there were several ocassions when he was called "uncle" or was even thought as someone (Jake?)'s dad.

EDIT: Jin Jang, formerly of God Dog, Big Deal and now of K House, is underestimated because of his unassuming looks but is actually a ruthless gang leader and analyst.

EDIT: Luah of Big Deal is petite and pretty, so she's underestimated a lot. But she's actually a great investigator for her crew.

Hope this helps.

[mirimangarecs]

“for better or for worse” - eunren & noh hueda

a noblewoman from a humble country house realizes that her entire life is a pre-written book, and that an imminent arranged marriage between a ducal heir and her little sister will lead to her tragic death. she sabotages the engagement in order to save her sister’s life, but ends up married to him instead. they’re both snarky, stubborn, and refuse to fall in love…… unless…………

the couple: these two are my favourite historical romance couple, hands down. they are such incredible shitheads to each other but the bickering always feels like a real, equal give-and-take based on strong personalities. they are quick-witted, hilarious, outgoing, and extremely active participants in their own lives. watching their relationship grow and change slowly is my joy. they’re made for each other

the plot: i adore how realistic and grounded the story and setting are. there’s no magic, no empire-shaking conflicts; just a relatively unassuming marriage between aristocrats and navigating the social and interpersonal challenges that come with it. the story as a whole is well-written and has a fantastic commitment to the victorian style without ever being stuffy. i would kill to be able to read the novel

the art: phenomenal. 12/10. i wish the artist had more work available. it’s crisp, bright, unique, easy on the eyes, and completely refreshing. the panels are neatly organized and fly by like watching a movie. the physical action pops off the screen and the judiciously applied detail panels are gorgeous. i want to eat this art.

also, the character designs: the big fluffy bangs, strong eyebrows, small cute lips, fangs, and boisterous chibi expressions make the characters so incredibly charming and expressive. i’m getting a lot of classic shoujo inspiration and i love it

concerns and criticisms: honestly almost none, it’s virtually flawless, but the ones i do have relate entirely to the ending. like, the final ~5 chapters. which is a matter of taste!! only big big spoilers from here:

the sin of overexplaining:

- we didn’t NEED to have the entire soul-swapping situation explicitly narrated to us, especially after the previous ~3 chapters all but said so. i think it would’ve been more poignant left unsaid with all the clues given to interpret. dillon learned the information in-universe and the audience was tastefully excluded, only for that extremely delicate narrative device to be tossed out the window

it was adeline’s soul all along!:

- this really cheeses me because we just spent so much time with dillon As Dillon. cedric fell in love with her because of who she was, and if who she was was just adeline’s soul in a trenchcoat, then what happens to the moral of the story being positive change, personal agency, and choosing to love someone?

- sure, the “we as souls are so entangled we’ll find each other no matter who we are on the outside” is poetic and certainly has appeal and WAS hinted at, but it just fell so flat for me after dillon spent the entire manhwa agonizing over not being adeline, believing she didn’t deserve cedric because she wasn’t adeline, that she would have to leave him when he meets adeline, and going on such a tumultuous, laborious journey of self-acceptance where she comes to terms with her past life and finally being loved as herself……. only to find out she was adeline all along. she worked so hard to gain her confidence and then it’s just oops! all adeline. idk man

- the way that it leads you to think it’s a traditional “normal modern isekai into a novel” trope and then pulls the rug out from under you is pretty clever

IT’S STILL A 13/10 MUST READ TOP 5 MANHWA 🎉🎉🪅🌟✨ okay bye

[odanurr87]

Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1

Last year I watched a bunch of kdramas, too many for me to properly review at the rate I write about them. As a result, I'm gonna try something different and quickly review those dramas that released in 2022 that I watched, and maybe recommend a few alternatives here and there in those cases where the show didn't live up to the task. Considering it's been a while since I watched some of these dramas, I binged a couple of them again to better inform my commentary. If you're short on time, or just want to add kdramas to your ever-increasing watchlist, you'll find a ⭐ next to the titles I wholeheartedly recommend, and a 💀 next to those I feel should best be avoided, but you do you. If you still haven't watched some of these shows, this list will hopefully give you some idea of whether you'll enjoy watching them (or not).

A brief note on my rating system before we begin. I use bins for my 1-10 scale in the following way:

Anything between 5 and 6 is considered average

Shows between 7 and 8 are considered above average

Shows in the 9 to 10 range are the cream of the crop

Anything between 1 to 4 is considered below average, with the 1-2 range reserved for the worst offenders.

Thus, I have two possible scores for the average, above average, and cream of the crop categories, what I believe makes my life a little easier when rating shows. I have occasionally given half point ratings (e.g. 7.5) to certain shows when I feel they're halfway to a better grade, but that has been the exception rather than the rule.

So without further ado, welcome to my Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1!

A Business Proposal⭐

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: "You know I'm good at a lot of different things, right?"

We start with one of my favourites and the best short romcom of 2022. Based on the manhwa of the same name by Haehwa (original story) and NARAK (art), Taemu Kang (Ahn Hyeo Seop) plays the 'perfect CEO' stereotype who ain't got no time for love so, after several hilarious events, he eventually hires Hari Shin (Kim Se Jeong) to play the part of his girlfriend to fool grandpa. Unbeknownst to him though, Hari is his employee. Will their fake relationship turn into a real one? You bet your ass!

The show ticks almost all of the required tropes, subverts some -what was a pleasant surprise- and entertains throughout, making perfect use of its runtime. The second lead couple, played by Kim Min Gue and Seol In Ah, also turned several heads, not to mention the latter had great BFF chemistry with Kim Se Jeong. Week after week, I was looking forward to every episode of this show, especially considering how disappointing another romcom that aired around the same time turned out to be, and that you may or may not find in this list. You could say this show aired just in time for Samantha and Rachel to cure my FLAWless disappointment.

Again My Life⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: Lawful Lawyer is back!

The better Lawless Lawyer of 2022. Kim Hee Woo (Lee Joon Gi) is a prosecutor who travels back in time to put the people who murdered him behind bars while the audience wonders which female lead he should date. And between Kim Ji Eun, Hong Bi Ra, and Veronica Park Kim Jae Kyung, well, he's definitely not lacking in choices. Fortunately, time travel is merely used as a trigger to tell the story (similar to 365: Repeat the Year in this respect), so we don't have to worry about kdramas' rather abysmal track record with sci-fi. The show keeps you hooked episode after episode, finding a good balance between the scheming, putting people behind bars, throwing some punches (has those trademark LJG action sequences!), all the while going after the next big fish. Last, but not least, it does an incredibly good job at managing an ensemble cast of characters, and there are a lot of them! If you're a fan of Lawless Lawyer or Lee Joon Gi, you can't go wrong with this one.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 1

Episode count: 20

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Watch a fantasy cdrama instead

Alternatives: Fights Break Sphere, Fighter of the Destiny

When I watched the character promos for this show I thought this could be Korea's answer to some of China's fantasy dramas, possibly Xuanhuan dramas, and I was all for it! I liked the male actor, Lee Jae Wook, in other dramas I'd watched with him (he was great in When the Weather is Fine and Search: WWW), and Jung So Min playing a master assassin and mentor in a fantasy drama was quite appealing. Of course, I was a bit worried when the teaser dropped, with its emphasis on some weak comedy, but I decided to give the show the benefit of the doubt. Sadly, Part 1 didn't live up to the task. It meandered a lot, definitely under-using its 20-episode order, focusing on every romantic relationship under the sun and then some, ultimately delivering an unsatisfactory hero's journey for the ML, while the antagonists played ping-pong with the alchemy of souls. At times, I was reminded of Hwarang, a show I have reviewed very poorly and that seems to have relied on the idol factor to garner popular appeal.

I've previously compared Jang Uk's journey to that of Xiao Yan from the cdrama Fights Break Sphere, in that I expected the former, from the previews, to undergo a similar rise to power as the latter, rigorously training under his master, slowly climbing his way back to power, but with the additional appeal of developing that romantic relationship between Jung So Min's character and Lee Jae Wook's, what would've made for a more rewarding journey for both the character and the audience. This is a tried-and-true formula, also used by the popular anime The Rising of the Shield Hero, to mention but one other example. Unfortunately for us, Jang Uk can hardly be bothered to train (supposedly, he "trained" with twelve masters for years and didn't learn a damn), except at the very specific, and limited, times that the script dictates, instead relying on luck and plot contrivances to "skip ahead" his way to power, what makes for far less memorable scenes. Additionally, the cdrama nails the master-student relationship thanks to the great rapport between Baron Chen's Yao Chen and Leo Wu's Xiao Yan, but there's hardly such a bond between Mu Deok and Jang Uk.

In the end, Part 1 of Alchemy of Souls should've been about Jang Uk's rise to power under the guidance of his master, and later love interest, Mu Deok, but it's too unfocused, its attention constantly diverted by comedy, love polygons, or caricaturesque villains doing dumb things under everyone's noses. Perhaps its only saving grace was the character of the Crown Prince, brilliantly played by Shin Seung Ho, who was able to nail both the comedy and the drama when called for. However, if you're looking for a good fantasy drama with a more traditional (or any) hero's journey, watch Fights Break Sphere instead, with the caveat only the first season has been released, and it's doubtful there'll be a second. I'd also recommend Fighter of the Destiny, with Lu Han. It probably doesn't have as good CGI or sets, but it has a better grip on the hero's journey than Alchemy and nails the camaraderie aspects.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 2

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Works better as a standalone watch

I should've probably left Part 2 of the show for Part 2 of my list, but I'm going in alphabetical order so that's that. This is one of the shows I decided to rewatch to refresh my memory and, to my surprise, it fared much better the second time around. Why's that? Read on to find out!

Part 2 of Alchemy of Souls starts strong, much stronger than Part 1 did, something many were doubting when the news hit that Jung So Min wouldn't return for Part 2, instead being replaced by the original Naksu actress, Go Youn Jung. Fortunately, she does an excellent job throughout, but especially in the beginning of Part 2, which comes across as more of a fairy tale (Rapunzel's), and where the show decides to embrace some of the typical marriage contact tropes, as Young Jung's character fake-marries the now uber-powerful Jang Uk in order to escape from her mother's tight grasp. Honestly, I wish the show had started with Part 2, in media res, and used the material from Part 1 for flashback storytelling, in a similar vein to how The Untamed did it. God, that would've been so good! Precisely because Jang Uk has become sort of a demigod he can boss around all of the useless supporting characters from Part 1 (I'm looking at you, Pathetic Assembly of Evil), and pretty much do whatever he wants, so it's quite commendable to see him return smarter and more measured in his decision-making.

As someone who watched Part 2 live back then, it started to lose its initial glimmer when an inevitable reveal kept being delayed episode after episode, hinting that it would obviously occur the next one. Of course, this never happened, but what made matters worse was the fact that the ML was kept oblivious while everyone around him found out and chose not to tell him because... reasons? I can understand one person keeping the secret for his own agenda, maybe a couple, but I find it astonishing that even Jang Uk's friends and family shared this same agenda, as they also kept the truth from him. Additionally, the more this delay continued the further the narrative possibilities were constrained and, thusly, certain scenarios conjured up by fans never came to pass. However, this will not be much of an issue for people coming in blind to Part 2 (or with a healthy distance from Part 1). Perhaps even the fact that the noble idiocy card is played, or that the main antagonist is obstinately preserved by the writers until the very last episode to little effect (when he shouldn't have made it past Part 1), won't present much of an issue to newcomers.

Having said this, I still feel the final battle for the fate of the world remains rather underwhelming and anticlimactic, not helped by the fact that certain characters are resurrected right before said battle. After all, if the show outright establishes death is not permanent, minutes before "the end of the world," why should I fear for any of the characters? Even Jang Uk himself, during this final battle, doesn't show an ounce of worry that maybe this time he will not make it out alive, regardless of his powers, making the fight seem entirely mechanical and perfunctory. The writers even throw in some half-baked plot device about the King's Star being powered by seven other stars, and since it had never been explained throughout the show a character has to exposition-dump it on our laps (there's quite a lot of exposition dump going around in Part 2, what helps newcomers to the show). It's a plot device prominently featured in the cdrama Fighter of the Destiny, which I previously recommended, so maybe it was inspired by it?

In the end, if you still want to get a taste of the Alchemy experience, I wholeheartedly suggest you treat Part 2 as the original show, with Part 1 being the prequel made to cash in on the show's success that, ultimately, you may not even need. Thus, as a standalone, I'm revising my original rating for Part 2 from a 6/10 to a 7/10, bumping it into my above average bin.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Better luck in S2

Alternatives: Good Doctor, Again My Life

Woo to the Young to the Woo started off with a bang and had me sold after binging its first four episodes (I had a bit of an offset), making me hopeful this could be one of my favourites from 2022. Sadly, it was thereabouts that the quality of the writing slowly started going downhill for me. Woo lost me on two fronts: the weak framing and execution of the legal cases, and the underdeveloped cast of supporting characters, who were mostly neglected in favour of Park Eun Bin's Young Woo. Don't get me wrong, Park Eun Bin nailed the character, and her conversation with her mom in Episode 8 was particularly poignant and well executed, but it wouldn't have hurt to give characters like Min Woo or Jun-ho a case that resonated with them, like "The Strife of the Three Brothers," which was relevant to Young Woo's BFF Geu Ra-mi.

I'll take Min Woo as an example because, out of the whole cast of supporting characters, he showed the most promise. The show mentions in passing that Min Woo is his family's sole breadwinner, what could explain why he's so competitive and regards Young Woo as a threat rather than a boon, but the show never tries to explore this when it has the perfect medium to do so in the form of the legal cases. So why not give him a case that echoes some of his struggles trying to support his family while making headway into the competitive legal world, thus allowing us and his teammates to get to know him a little better? In essence, show us, don't just tell us. How am I then supposed to buy his sudden change-of-heart in "The Blue Night of Jeju" when you've given me nothing to support the fact he's bonded with anyone in the team? (besides Jun-ho who was already his flatmate) Perhaps not surprisingly, this particular episode throws a bunch of arcs left and right for the supporting characters to try and grab hold of, but too little too late.

As a procedural, I feel Extraordinary Attorney Woo is pretty average. It either didn't know how or never intended to handle its supporting cast of characters and successfully integrate them into the narrative, similarly to how a show like Again My Life did. To draw a curious parallel, the final episode of Again My Life gathers all of "the good guys" at the restaurant of Hee Woo's parents. There are 14 of them in total, not counting Hee Woo and his parents, and I feel like they've truly become one big extended family by show's end. Extraordinary Attorney Woo has a similar scene, gathering everyone at Min Shik's place that is meant to convey the same feeling, but they don't quite feel like a team yet, let alone a family. Maybe in Season 2?

If you're looking for a show featuring another savant autistic lead, but with a better grasp on developing an ensemble cast of characters, as well as a romantic relationship between the leads, then Good Doctor is the show for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for a kickass lawyer, well, you probably already know who I'm talking about.

Fanletter, Please⭐

Episode count: 4

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: A lot of heart in a small package

The first among three shows in these lists that feature Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park as either main or supporting leads. I'd only previously watched Choi Soo Young in So I Married an Anti-Fan, a show not without its share of issues, but her as the female lead wasn't one. Indeed, she was one of the highlights and I was looking forward to seeing more of her work. As such, I was looking forward to this mini-series, more so when I realised Yoon Park would play the role of a father willing to move heaven and earth for his daughter, what is not a typical setup in kdramas (in my watching experience, mind you). Off the top of my head, I can only think of Marriage Contract and Lie After Lie as similar shows, in terms of how much of a protagonist the child actor is. Both are shows I would wholeheartedly recommend.

As for Fanletter, Please, I was positively pleased by how much content and social commentary this show was able to fit into its 4-hour runtime without harming the storytelling, something that even full-length kdramas struggle to achieve. Having said that, I would've welcomed one or two more episodes to let it breathe a little bit more and, of course, to watch some cute family moments! This is definitely a case of so good you want more of it. Still, Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park make it work within the available runtime, what's a credit to them and the script. CSY was on a roll last year (as you'll find out in Part 2!) so I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her dramas, and it was very welcome to see Yoon Park play this devoted father character after the disappointing Forecasting Love & Weather (though he was pretty good in it). Give me more short dramas!

Forecasting Love and Weather

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki, Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Couldn't forecast love and I have my doubts about the weather

Alternatives: She Would Never Know, The Rational Life

I have a soft spot for Park Min Young, having watched romcoms like What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? and Her Private Life, or even melodramas like When the Weather is Fine. And who can forget Healer, where she played the part of Lois Lane to Ji Chang Wook's Clark Kent (watch it, it's a classic). I couldn't remember a drama with her that I didn't enjoy watching, so it broke my heart a little to see what a disappointing mess Forecasting Love and Weather turned out to be. I should've heeded a friend's advice to steer clear of Song Kang dramas, even though the script was clearly the worse offender by far.

The show hooked us in with the initial romcom elements, and then decided to veer into slife/melo territory, as the relationships between the different couples started to fray, with conflict being driven at an accelerated pace by the issues that arose from poor communication, or an outright absence of it, and how the different couples handled (they often didn't) the results of their miscommunication. I didn't much mind at the time because I felt they were being somewhat mature about it without overplaying their hand, and because my weekly romcom fix was being delivered by A Business Proposal, but they were treading a fine line... that got utterly ground into dust in the last six episodes. At this point in the show, the nonsensical drama was amped considerably, to the point it could've given Young Lady & Gentleman a run for their money, setting us up for the inevitable breakup. Why? Because the kdrama gods have written that a breakup must inevitably occur in Episode 14 or thereabouts, and this show is not about to subvert that trope!

Like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Forecasting Love and Weather failed at properly handling its ensemble cast of characters, trying to juggle five relationships to some very mixed results, when it would've been better off simply focusing on the main and secondary couples. As a result, by show's end I could've cared less what happened to the main couple, and was actually a bit more invested in the secondary one, played by Yoon Park and Yura, possibly because they at least tried to talk to each other and work things out. Honestly, Yoon Park's Ki Jun got the better deal out of all the characters in the show. How do you make Ki Jun, the guy who cheated on his fiancée with Si Woo's girlfriend, a more likable, or at least interesting, character than everyone else? You have him grow from an immature baby into a more or less responsible adult. You could argue that the main leads experience growth of their own, but it struck me as a bit aimless, a bit hollow. I mean, 16 episodes for Ha Kyung's boss to tell her you learn more from your mistakes than you do your successes? Seriously? Just go to r/GetMotivated for that.

Would I recommend this show? Unless you want to learn a little about what goes on behind the scenes of a weather forecast, not really, but maybe it's my fault for having high expectations due to PMY. It's not a bad show though, just average. If you want far better executed takes on this concept, check She Would Never Know on the kdrama side, and The Rational Life on the cdrama side.

Glitch💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 3/10

Verdict: Watching an episode of Ancient Aliens on the History Channel would've been more exciting and a lot shorter too

Alternatives: Circle

Can I get away simply by saying watching this show was a glitch? No? Dammit. I should've known better than to watch a Netflix-produced kdrama, even if it does star Nana, 'cause they've all been a bust for me, but Glitch was one of the privileged few shows I watched in 2022 that made me feel I had utterly wasted my time, with no redeeming qualities about it. 500 minutes to tell a story that lacks focus and is all over the place, perhaps stretched thin to meet a Netflix episode quota, with a FL that is not particularly interesting to follow, as she goes through a midlife crisis and teams up with Nana to investigate a UFO cult that may or may not have kidnapped her ex to sell his kidneys. Okay, maybe I made up that last bit about the kidneys.

The comedy doesn't land, the mystery doesn't land, the drama doesn't land, and the UFO doesn't land either. Undoubtedly, the finale is the better episode of the show, not least of why because it marked the ending, but also because the show didn't have any more time to dawdle as it had been doing for the past nine episodes, what gave it some much needed focus. To make matters worse, the surprises and twists at the end of each episode just weren't good enough to keep you hooked, nor, I'm afraid, were the leads. I was tempted at the time to give this show my first ever 1/10 for the way it wasted my time over the span of those 500 minutes, with a story that was infuriatingly inconsistent and lacked a lot of common sense, but it's probably not that bad. Still, I would only recommend watching it to my enemies, probably alongside something like Sisyphus.

Good Job

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Good fun

Alternatives: Secret Royal Inspector

Another ENA network show, like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, but shorter and more entertaining, as we follow the crazy antics of Eun Soon Woo (Jung Il Woo), a chaebol CEO who doubles as a private detective (think Bruce Wayne/Batman), and Don Se Ra (Kwon Yu Ri), his newly-recruited superpowered assistant, as they aim to solve a 20-year-old cold case while uncovering other, smaller, cases, helping people and rectifying injustices along the way.

Good Job is just a fun ride overall, even if the comedy can be a little hit-or-miss sometimes, especially when it drags on for too long or tries the Marvel route of undermining certain scenes. The writing too could've benefited from another revision, as some events feel gratuitously delayed, like when a character refuses to reveal a certain name only to do so a few minutes later, while others are forced to a head, like Se Ra discovering Soon Woo's batcave. Oh, yeah, he has a batcave, of sorts, and even an Alfred, in the form of Lee Joon Hyuk's Director Hong, whom you may recall from Mystic Pop-Up Bar. He also has a talented sidekick and comedic support, Jin Mo (Eum Moon Suk), both a lawyer and a hacker, who also gets into a romantic entanglement of his own with Se Ra's best friend, Na Hee (Song Sang Eun). This is the mini-Justice League you'll see play dress-up (these scenes are so over-the-top fun!) from episode to episode, as they go undercover to solve cases and get one step closer to their goal. In this sense, this show could be compared to something like Taxi Driver, but, unlike the latter, Good Job doesn't take itself too seriously and neither should you for maximum enjoyment.

While the resolution of the final case felt a bit underwhelming, and perhaps a tad perfunctory (I did appreciate the brief redemption arc for one of the antagonists though), Good Job achieves in 12 episodes what Extraordinary Attorney Woo could not in 16, making its cast of characters grow into a team, one I would not mind accompanying in more adventures in future seasons. Will that happen? Probably not, so if you're looking for more fun adventures of the sort, and don't mind traveling to the past, I would not hesitate to recommend Secret Royal Inspector, with Kim Myung Soo and Kwon Na Ra.

Grid💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Disney+

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Another nail in the kdrama sci-fi coffin

Alternatives: 365: Repeat the Year, Reset, Circle

Sci-fi is one of my favourite genres, but kdramas have had a rather lousy track record at delivering good quality sci-fi and, sadly, Grid does nothing to change that. Our story starts in 1997, when a mysterious time traveler known as "the Ghost" laves a program for an energy grid to replace Earth's failing magnetic fields. This Grid is now managed by the Administration Bureau who intend to track down the Ghost and unlock the secrets of time travel... eventually. The show's comprised of only ten episodes, yet the pacing of the first half is slower than it has any right to be given the events depicted (hint: they aren't that exciting) and the dialogue isn't stimulating enough to sustain such a slow burner. This "season" could've been compressed into 5 or 6 episodes and it would've been stronger for it. Of course, then it would hardly qualify as a "season" (though Netflix seems to think it does).

The main plot line focuses around this serial killer and the fact that the Ghost is helping him evade capture. Why is this time traveler aiding and abetting a criminal? Honestly, this question was never interesting enough to fuel ten weeks of watching (the pain!) and it shows. Additionally, it is not answered conclusively, although there are some bread crumbs for the viewer to put the pieces together. In fact, this statement captures the show in a nutshell; it raises questions, but never provides any conclusive or satisfying answers, playing on the viewer's knowledge of other (better) time travel stories so they can come up with their own. Perhaps the worst example of this is the season finale, which is only meant to set up events for a possible S2 (in your dreams, or nightmares), thereby raising even more questions.

The writer behind this, Lee Soon Yeon, is apparently quite good, having written for Stranger and Stranger 2. I haven't watched either show so I can't comment on them, but time travel stories aren't for everyone. Having said that, the "mysteries" that are supposed to keep viewers hooked were also underwhelming. I remember reading an article that recommended Grid as a show that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I suppose it's possible to fall off your seat while asleep, right? If you want a show that uses time travel well, though in very limited fashion, merely as a trigger for the plot to unfold, watch 365: Repeat the Year. The cdrama Reset is a great exponent of using a time loop and one of my favourites from 2022. If you want kdrama's best exponent of sci-fi to date, watch Circle (review on the way).

If You Wish Upon Me⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: The genie from Aladdin would be proud

First things first, there is a better version of this show if you take out the gangster storyline, which was entirely superfluous, and better integrate the sister storyline into the main plot. You can also drop the jealous doctor who added surprisingly little beyond being jealous at the required times (what a waste of a perfectly good character). Repackage it all into a shorter, 12-episode, season and this show could've reached 9-10 territory for me. Those are pretty much the weakest aspects of the show.

With that out of the way, it's a very good show. People have compared it to Chocolate given that it takes place in a hospice ward but, for my part, I dropped that show after 5 or 6 episodes, partly because of the ML. No such problem with Ji Chang Wook's character here, an orphan and ex-con with a heart of gold, and a cute dog he's named "Son." Despite all the abuse he's been subjected to throughout his life, he slowly starts to open up as he does community service at the hospice. Paired with Choi Soo Young's flirty Nurse Seo (love her!), these two alone make a powerful case for watching this show. Sung Dong Il also delivers a great performance and has some wonderful exchanges with Ji Chang Wook's character.

The show follows the "case of the week" formula for the most part, certainly during the first half of the drama, as Team Genie tries to fulfill the final wishes of the hospice's patients and often positively impact other people's lives in so doing. Be prepared and have tissues at hand. Beyond the gangster detour that wasted our time towards the end, and drew dangerously close to upending all the good will the show had garnered throughout its run, the final episode really brings it home, coming full circle and delivering a really satisfying conclusion to our story, one final surprise as Team Genie brings down the curtain on their show and bids us goodbye.

In short, yes, it could've been better with a tighter focus but, as it stands, it's one of the better shows to have come out in 2022, and perhaps Ji Chang Wook's best work since Healer (with the caveat that I have not yet watched Suspicious Partner nor Lovestruck in the City). And Choi Soo Young is now 2 for 2! (this girl's on 🔥🔥)

Jinxed at First💀

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Oh, it's jinxed alright

Alternatives: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Goblin, Scripting Your Destiny

I had measured expectations for this drama. Na In Woo had previously worked with the same director in 2021's River Where the Moon Rises, a show I enjoyed a great deal, though mostly because it was the first time I delved deep into the history behind the drama, namely the tale of Princess Pyeonggang and On Dal the Fool, and the history of the Three Kingdoms' period. He was brought in late, with production underway, to replace Ji Soo; he barely slept, had to adlib a lot of his scenes, and still managed to have great chemistry with Kim So Hyun and, to my mind, had the better grasp on the character of On Dal. I'd hoped Jinxed at First would give him another opportunity to shine, but, alas, that was not the case.

The first episode alone is a hectic storytelling mess (and, incidentally, River Where the Moon Rises alumni reunion), rushing through a lot of backstory and setup for the rest of the season. We're introduced to Soo Gwang, a bright student with a promising future and powerful friends, whose life takes a turn for the worse when he meets Seul Bi (Seo Hyun), a woman imprisoned since birth by his best friend's dad because of her strange ability to see a person's future through a single touch. Cut to a year later, where we find Soo Gwang working as a fishmonger under a different name, only for Seul Bi to track him down again, determined to remain by his side.

Honestly, I'm not sure what genre this show wanted to be, but I'm pretty sure it failed at most of them. For the first 6 or 7 episodes it tried to resemble something like My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, as Seul Bi is just as innocent and naïve as Miho was (even if Miho sold it better than Seul Bi did, to my mind), and both male leads were resolved to get rid of her. This is perhaps the strongest portion of the show, as Seul Bi adapts to her new environment and neighbors, making new friends while at the same time helping Soo Gwang get rid of his (never explained) bad luck. I even enjoyed some of the comedy. However, unlike My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, there is not enough chemistry between the leads to have them fall in love with each other over the course of 6 or 7 episodes. Well, not in Soo Gwang's case at any rate, as Seul Bi has been infatuated with him for years. Upon falling in love, the trope that naturally follows is a break-up, after which point the show starts to resemble more of a makjang, turning to corporate and chaebol intrigue and infighting. This is also around the time Soo Gwang's best friend, Min Joon (played by Ki Do Hoon, from Scripting Your Destiny), decides he's in love with Seul Bi (what?), something even more out of left field, especially when he's already engaged to Lee Ho Jung's (Soljiwan!!!) charming character, Ja Kyung, who effortlessly stole every scene she was in. Min Joon, if you don't want her, I'll gladly take her off your hands!

Seemingly having exhausted the depth of its narrative well, the show dragged its feet for several episodes, eventually deciding the story was better served by turning a character into a psychopath, who also wanted Seul Bi for himself and was willing to kill anyone in the process, an eye-rolling set of circumstances eventually resolved thanks to Seul Bi's expansive (aka nonsensical) repertoire of supernatural powers. And, of course, in a show of this caliber, the amnesia trope could not be absent, a card that is dealt in the very last episode and resolved at the very last minute. What a payoff.

When I first learned of this drama I recall reading an outline that went something along the lines of, "Unlucky man meets a goddess of luck." Would it have been too much to ask for a show fitting that description, but in the vein of the excellent Goblin instead? Or maybe something like Scripting Your Destiny, which is certainly not as good as Goblin, but is still way better than this, and much shorter too. If you want to watch a show that features a romantic relationship between a god and a human, I encourage you to give those a try instead, as well as the aforementioned My Girlfriend is a Gumiho.

[dxmoness]

꒰ this night is flawless, don't you let it go. i'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone .ᐟ ꒱ — Enchanted, Taylor Swift. content : MASTERLISTS!!

oov. i became the wife of the male lead · ovi. ditoeftv · vii. the siren · viii. father, i don't want this marriage

“this was the very first page, not where the storyline ends.”

oix. i became the hero's rival · oox. the dragon king's wife · oxi. baby tyrant · xii. wmmap

“my thoughts shall echo your name, until i see you again.”

xii. i shall master this family · xiii. the villainess has fun again · xiv. multi-manhwa...

“these are the words i held back as i was leaving too soon.”

ooi. your throne · oii. twtpflob · iii. tviam · oiv. htgmhoms

“i was enchanted to meet you...”

꒰ please don't be in love with someone else... please don't have somebody waiting on you. ꒱

[lastdaydreamer]

Beware The Villainess

“A refreshing, unique villainess who’s been dropped in the world of a novel, only to overthrow it all! The reason why? She couldn’t just stand by and watch the female lead be manipulated by all four shitty male leads. The story of a pragmatic villainess who intends to throw out all the jackasses, the friendly heroine who is equally miffed at said idiots, and a wolf that only yearns for her!”Genre(s): Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo Type: Manhwa Released: 2020

General: 3/5 stars for story, art and concept

For me: 4/5 stars until chapter 72ish then 3/5

Recommended for people who like fashion, full casts of attractive characters, fantasy, romance and strong FL

The villainess stories have been popping up all over lately and are already becoming a bit cliche in the same way most isekai are.

You typically have a goodie goodie replace someone who is supposed to be a villain in a story. They usually have a pretty strong motivation to be good so that they can avoid some terrible fate that they are aware of because they entered the world with prior knowledge of the characters.

I like the idea of the villains taking the main stage and self aware MC but there are the same tropes are reused each time for these:

The main character is brought into a wealthy and privileged home where they ignore all the rules that define their class, adhering to them only when it’s convenient for the story. (like refusing to follow rules until their rebelliousness would make certain events and plot points not happen. Like going to a ball they don’t want to attend or wearing outfits that they fought against wearing even though they already have ruined reputations for not wearing those outfits originally and would gain nothing from wearing them after the fact)

Having a small band of over powered outcast friends

All the characters being in love with the MC but the MC somehow not noticing at all because she’s too focused on fighting the plot or just ditsy.

The MC not knowing when she likes/loves someone because she’s never been in a relationship and so somehow that translate to not knowing when you like someone....somehow.

The characters not communicating vital information with each other that would help avoid easy misunderstanding.

These types of things aren’t a complete deal breaker because I liked most of the manga. But it started to drag on for me towards the end. It lost it’s edge for me at the kidnapping. And I forced myself to finish it after that out of curiosity.

Where it shined:

The comedy, art and the FL are a breath of fresh air! You will find yourself cheering for Melissa pretty early on. She’s hilarious and the faces they have her make are flawless. I had plenty of chuckles at her reactions.

The art was beautiful and the outfits was to die for. If I could tailor those outfits, I would. Anyone looking for inspiration should flip through this one to check them out!

Yona. She is the maid who is everything. She puts up with none of the bullshit without extra pay and refuses to get caught up in the mindless devotion all the other characters have towards the FL. Her attitude is endearing and I felt like the story would have been even better if she had been given more of a spotlight.

I loved the role reversals! It was so exciting seeing Melissa being so gallant! It gave me Revolutionary Girl Utena vibes but better because the outfits were so hot. I was obsessed with her strength and declarations towards her both Nine and Yuri. It was refreshing to see the men be emotional and delicate. The female prince and the male princess energy gave me life.

Beware, there will be spoilers but the heavy spoilers are at the end of this post. Tread lightly.

Where it fell flat for me

Yuri baiting. I love GL stories and I thought that Yuri had a chance with Melissa. I was sad to see her feelings being completely ignored. I was hoping that if they didn’t work out that maybe another girl might step in but that never happened and Yuri just kinda ended up loving Melissa from a distance. I thought it was shitty that the plot said that Melissa was fighting the story for Yuri’s sake but Yuri became an after thought. I would have liked some romantic tension between them or for them to acknowledge that they were both aware that they were in a story. Never happened.

OP besties trope is tired. It wasn’t really clear to me what awakening meant for the werewolves but having Nine awaken and suddenly being a match for his brother was nonsense to me. If he had become emotionally stronger instead of just getting a random power up, I would have respected it more. Standing up to his brother would have been a more powerful moment without it. Yuri is already supposed to be a super powerful magician and healer. It sucks that she was healer in general when every other character seemed to have flashier powers but even then she was OP which made her conveniently able to fill in any gaps in the story using her powers. I think that would have been more impactful if she wasn’t OP but instead her abilities were a result of her having memories from her past life. She remembered all the magic she learned and it accumulated into her having a surplus of magical knowledge and training. Yona was perfect as she was. She didn’t have any crazy powers or unreasonable hidden strength.

I didn’t like when the story started to get hypocritical and typical. Melissa gripped me because she was ready to fuck up the MLs for being shitty but she never gave them the chance to change. The reader watches them grow from her actions towards them but she wrote them all off even then. The only one who couldn’t be redeemed was Peacock because he was a monster. Watching the other boys trying to be better and seeing her continue to write them off stung a little. Especially since she was able to sympathize with the original Melissa even though that version of her never really changed, she just basically decided that dying and letting the new Melissa have her body was for the best since no one loved her. Melissa said that people didn’t get to be shitty just because they had a sad life but she only let that rule apply to the MLs.

I really wanted her to build a relationship with them but all she did was bully them into submission. Nine’s twin deserved it but after a while, I wanted her to have something other than just aggression. Carrot and stick style is more interesting to me than just stick after stick. It’s something that I see in teen novels a lot that I always hated. There’s always just OP characters or some ex machinga plot armor that protects them from the consequences of using your influence to crush someone else into submission. They make a point of gaining power only to use it in the same exact way that it was used against them. At someone point, OP aggression and bravado was all she used. Even in the final showdown with the god of the book world. I don’t even understand how she won.

Disclaimer: She doesn’t owe them shit and isn’t  responsible for their mental/emotional/physical well being. I just don’t like someone using abuse to counter abuse. It’s funny and well deserved at first but when they are trying to grow, they should be given the space to do that without the constant berating. Like she hated that her brother didn’t acknowledge her but when he kept trying to, she’d attack him. If he’s building the bridge that you acted like you wanted, then stop trying to burn it down!

Which brings me to the unanswered questions that took me out of the story. How did she beat the god? Why was she in that world? When she finally dies, won’t the story start over with the original cast and the original problems? Why does Yuri have any memories of her past lifetimes in the book when no other character does? If Yona is the one that god loves, then why does the god stay with Yuri for most of the story? Did the real Melissa just die or is she aware of current Melissa’s actions?

That last question made me really sad and opened my mind to how shitty it must be for all the villainess characters in this genre who lose their entire identity to some random person who usually ends up getting everything they wanted but couldn’t have because they were who they were made to be. It’s tragic and cruel in nature. I felt bad for original Melissa who had to realize that no one loved her and never would. They would only love the person who stole her body and life without every knowing that she was gone. Having her cheer on her body snatcher made it even sadder to me. I would love to read a comic that really dug into that.

SPOILERS FOR THOSE WHO DON’T WANT TO READ IT BUT WANT TO KNOW HOW IT ENDS. SOME MATURE THEMES

For sure this manga has a happy ending. Melissa ends up becoming the duke (yes Duke) and becomes a popular celebrity and hero to all. She marries her werewolf companion, Nine, who has a big dick(the writer made this canon not me!) They have a child who isn’t there’s by blood but who they love dearly. They can’t have kids because they are different species so this is a nice alternative. She was noble’s child who was unwanted for not important reasons and kinda just tossed in one of the many epilogue stories.

Yuri falls in love with Melissa but Melissa never notices this. Yona and Nine do but they never bring it up to her. Nine because he’s jealous, Yona because she can’t be bothered.

We find out that Yona was going to be a Saint because she was “loved by god” but she didn’t want to take the position because she knew it was basically just her being a prisoner to the church her entire life. She meets Yuri for the first time her and gives her one of the two sacred crystals balls she found in the church. This allows them to stay in contact with each other, which they do for years even though Yona is very standoffish towards Yuri. A wizard who cares about the acting Saint wants to free them both but the ancient Saint refuses. He helps Yona escape and they stay together for a few years until he finally goes back for the Saint. She asks the wizard to kill her and he does which gets him arrested and stripped of his magic. All the money Yona has been gathering is to get him out of jail. We don’t know his ultimate fate since we never see her get him out or even tell her story to Melissa who could probably help.

(this really made me love Yona even more. She is the only character who is resolved to solve her issues on her own, but I still feel sorry that the person she cares about is in jail and how hard she has to work for his sake)

The MLs all end up with their destinies altered. The prince dude still become emperor, the werewolf ends up co-leader with Nine’s twin brother(the brother was supposed to die in the fight against Melissa but Melissa stopped Nine from killing him. I was hoping they would end up a couple -sigh-). Peacock gets out of jail but becomes a nonentity. Melissa’s brother stops being a stalker and just kinda does it job in-between mourning his gun.

They all are better people at the end (except Peacock).

The other couple is a female knight who teaches Melissa how to swordfight and Yuri’s older brother, who is also a high class magician. They are also a role reversed couple and are very very very cute. They end up getting married at the end of the manga. 

[yisanged]

it's insane how little i understand reading historical fantasy/murim whatever type manhwa. i literally recognize like maybe 10% of all the words in this. the only information i'm absorbing is through the illustrations and the grammar particles because those are the only things i understand. like uhhh hmm yes i see. the noun verbed in that manner in this location. shirtless buff guy. my comprehension of the current situation is flawless i understand perfectly

[humanoidtyphoons]

i'm never going to like jung jaemin, or this stupid manhwa, i know, but i do appreciate that it's taking a while like more than five chapters for jaemin to sort of his hatred against vampires, and anger at his mom, and he's slowly confronting it

rather than instant, oh but i like mari and that's enough to change my lifelong trauma bc my mom left me for her new husband and i was the merciless target of bullies for years to come.

which like, i'm never going to think he or shihu are great boyfriends, or that mari is a flawless character, bc none of them are, but they irritate me in different degrees

[underneath-the-moonlit-tree]

OMG Someone needs to make this into an animated series or if possible a KDrama!

Under the Oak Tree has so much potential! (◕ᴗ◕✿)

Please it be! (ᗒᗩᗕ)

[an-angel-so-called-satan]

I don't know how much you read of the manhwa, but as someone mentioned earlier Callisto has been an iron judge for the Eckharts and has never tolerated them, even until the end of the story.

As for his dreams and aspirations, he had already mentioned it previously in the hunting tournament arc, he aspires to be a flawless emperor. This is due to the deep resentment he feels against his father and the corruption of the nobility, in fact he was very clear about this in episode 117 of the manhwa. The people close to him are his assistant Cedrick Porter, his nanny (very briefly mentioned in the side stories) and his knights who were with him in the war. They don't have much participation in the story because it is focused only on Penelope.

Personally I love the banter he has with Penelope, gives a refreshing touch to the suffocating plot. He is quite rude and curses a lot, even though he is supposed to be a prince and I find that refreshing. He's also pretty honest and direct, so you don't have to keep finding out if he has ulterior motives or not. In a nutshell, the reason why I like him so much is that he made me laugh throughout the entire story but I also liked his sarcastic comments and his opinions.

In the recent chapters, there was a slight annoyance with Callisto on the part of some fans, due to his perception of love: he does not believe in love because he says that it is a rather fickle feeling and cannot be trusted (this mainly due to his childhood traumas). Callisto likes Penelope, but he is reluctant to say it is love due to her trauma, making Penelope feel a little hurt by his words.

But going back to the romance in that story, it's a slow burn since the story is focused mainly on Penelope's survival. The romance only begins to occur properly until chapter 200 of the main story of the novel and this has 231 chapters, right now we are going through chapter 166. There is still a long way to go to adapt and I have not mentioned the side stories that are 48 chapters.

Genuine question what do you like about Kallisto outside of his appearance. I stopped this manwha when I understood that they will try to pass the Eckhart who abused OG Penelope for years as not being that bad

[kinbari14]

[seungsooworld]

[lynnleepooh]

I love this author 😭

Manhua; I’m yours, Blood and Soul

By GyaGa 😘

[floralseokjin]

Seeing as you have incredible writing skills and creativity, do you have any favourite book recommendations?

I’ve had the first ask sitting in my ask box for a few weeks and I compiled a list in my notes up and then forgot about it 😅 so thank you to the second anon for reminding me just now!

Below are a collection of all my 4-5 star book recs! The books which are asterisked are 5⭐️ and the ones I absolutely recommend! But if you’re curious about everything I read (good and bad) along with my reviews then add/follow me on goodreads!

Contemporary romance

The Flat Share (Beth O’leary)

The Road Trip* (Beth O’leary)

The No-Show (Beth O’leary)

The Roommate (Rosie Danan)

One Percent of You (Michelle Gross)

All Rhodes Lead Here (Mariana Zapata)

Shipped (Angie Hockman)

The Layover (Lacie Waldon)

Rootbound (Tarah Dewitt)

Funny Feelings* (Tarah Dewitt)

The Co-op* (Tarah Dewitt)

Reluctantly Yours (Erin Hawkins)

For Love or Honey* (Staci Hart)

The Charm Offensive (Alison Cochrun)

Beginner’s Luck (Kate Clayborn)

The Soulmate Equation (Christina Lauren)

In a Holidaze* (Christina Lauren)

Something Wilder* (Christina Lauren)

Holiday Romance (Catherine Walsh)

Beach Read* (Emily Henry)

You and Me on Vacation* (Emily Henry)

Book Lovers* (Emily Henry)

The Kiss Quotient series (Helen Hoang)

In a Jam (Kate Canterbary)

Get a Life, Chloe Brown (Talia Hibbert)

Flawless (Elsie Silver)

Fantasy

Wolf Children* (Mamoru Hosoda)

Fantasy romance

Under the Oak Tree* (Kim Suji)

The Winter King (C L Wilson)

The Ex Hex* (Erin Sterling)

The Kiss Curse (Erin Sterling)

Paranormal romance

The Dead Romantics* (Ashley Poston)

Monster romance

The Mead Mishaps series (Kimberly Lemming)

The Dragon’s Bride (Katee Robert)

Girls Weekend series* (C M Nascosta)

Morning Glory Milking Farm (C M Nascosta)

Moon Blooded Breeding Clinic (C M Nascosta)

Run, Run Rabbit (C M Nascosta)

Titan (Jillian Graves)

Ice Planet Barbarians series (Ruby Dixon)

Historical romance

The Vawdrey Brothers series* (Alice Coldbreath)

The Brides of Karadok series* (Alice Coldbreath)

Dark romance

The Mindf*ck series (S T Abby)

Literary romance

Don’t You Forget About Me (Mhairi McFarlane)

Normal People (Sally Rooney)

Beautiful World, Where Are You (Sally Rooney)

The Switch (Beth O’Leary) 

Literary fiction

Lemon (Kwon Yeo-sun)

Thriller

Sharp Objects (Gillian Flynn)

Pretty Girls (Karin Slaughter)

The Housemaid (Freida McFadden)

Dasiy Darker (Alice Feeney)

The Guest List (Lucy Foley)

The One (John Marrs)

Manga

Yona of the Dawn* (Mizuho Kusanagi)

My Boss has XL Size

Manhwa

Under the Oak Tree*

Devil Number 4

The Lady and Her Butler

A Business Proposal

Positively Yours

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?

I Confessed to the Boss!

Moonrise by the Cliff*

Talk To Me

The Tainted Half

Mokrin

[stellalunatmblr]

The Flower Path | Chapter 6

Genre/Tags: isekai (kinda?), bangtan x fem!reader, not poly, oc!bestfriend, surprise romantic pairings; rom-com (romance as a subplot), slow burn (the slowest of burns holy moly i cannot stress this enough), fluff, angst  (will update tags along the way)

Status: Ongoing

Summary: What would you feel if you find yourself transported to the world of a cheesy web novel? Ecstatic, of course (well, among other things), except you’re stuck being the main character’s best friend slash sidekick. Fair enough, you don’t think you’re main character material anyway. Determined to get through your life that has changed all of a sudden, you try to keep yourself in the shadows of your “best friend.” Let’s just try to get through the last year of high school in peace. You thought it was gonna be easy – like a walk in a flower path– but the thing about walking that road is that there are bound to be thorns along the way.

Inspired by the web novel and manhwa: Inso’s Law

Word Count: 6.5k

Chapter Note: yikes sorry for the long wait T-T

masterlist

-

"Stop staring at that." Yoongi tried to conceal the paper you were holding with his hand, but you snatched it away from him. You give him a playful sneer before straightening up in your seat and bringing the paper back to your face. 

"But it's so beautiful," You exclaimed in a theatrical manner, even letting out a slight gasp for more impact. Needless to say, the person next to you was not amused.

"I agree. It's lovely," a deep voice whispers from near you, and you turn to see Taehyung peering into your paper. He pulls something from his back and shows you his as well. He shuts his eyes and nods slowly as you lift your palms into your lips to conceal your astonished gasp.

"I know, I know," he says, patting your head to "comfort" you. Minyoung smiles at the antics and pulls a chair around to face where you were currently sitting.

"You people are so dramatic," she says as she rolls her eyes and pries your hands away from your face.

“Hey! Let us have this. It's not often that we receive flawless grades on everything," Taehyung remarks whiningly with a pout, and you gag, receiving a gentle smack on the shoulder from him.

“How did everyone else do?” Yoongi asks as he looks around for your other friends. 

“I think we all did exceptional on this one. Study group has been working out really well; I'm amazed it really worked for us,” Taehyung says and you nod in agreement.

Hoseok returns to the classroom after momentarily excusing himself to take a phone call. “Everything okay?” Yoongi asked cautiously and Hobi just gave him a slight nod.

“Yep, everything’s fine. My mom just told me she’d have to work overtime so I should just get myself dinner.” He answers as he eyes you sitting on his chair. You were about to stand up to offer him his seat back, but he simply shook his head at you, so you sat down again.

Yoongi tried to read into his friend's face as he spoke to you guys. After years of friendship, you'd think he'd know everything about Hoseok, yet he still has trouble reading him sometimes. He's simply really adept at always wearing his smiling mask. He sits up straight and clears his throat.

“I’ll join you for dinner. I’m sick of seeing my brother’s face all the time at home anyway.” He offers and Hobi sends him a grateful smile. “You know what? We should ask if everyone’s free, then we should all have dinner together.” He adds, and he sees his friend’s eye light up. A smile pulls from his face at the reaction.

Yoongi is well aware that Hoseok dislikes being alone. He spent so much of his childhood alone that he now wants company wherever he goes. After all, it's the reason he and Yoongi became friends. As children, they would always meet at their parents' work functions, and Hobi would always accompany the bashful boy who seemed to want to be anywhere but a fancy affair full of grownups. Yoongi tried to brush him off every time, but his grumpy disposition had no effect on the boy, who clung to him like gum. He's thankful Hoseok didn't give up on him; he wouldn't know what to do without him.

“I think that’s a great idea! We all have something to celebrate anyway.” Minyoung says before rushing over along with Taehyung to relay the information to your other friends.

"Yeah, and don't be bothered about dinner.  I'll ask my dad to make some for us, and we'll pick it up from the restaurant," you say as you rise from your seat. You pull out your phone and indicate that you're about to make a phone call, and they all nod.

Hoseok takes his seat and glances at Yoongi, who has his gaze drawn away from him. He grins again, remembering how thankful he is for his friend. He immediately engulfs his best friend in a hug and even makes smooching noises, while Yoongi, as usual, tries to stop him with a twisted up face.

As he moves away from Yoongi, he softly pats his back and offers him a knowing look of appreciation. He knows his friend well enough to realize that expressing himself verbally is difficult for him, so he expresses himself in other ways. Yoongi nods and ruffles his hair, their unspoken conversation filling the air around them with warmth. They've always had each other's back in everything, and this moment just served to reinforce that.

The thought of a little get-together appeared to excite everyone, and it so happened that everyone could come. The group was divided into teams; some were sent to fetch the food, some to get the dessert, and others to go straight to the Jung residence to prepare for the guests.

You decided to take Minyoung and Jungkook with you with an ulterior motive in mind. Jungkook's dismissal of the entire budget negotiating situation has troubled you every time you see him. How can someone who was so determined to make something happen give up so easily? It also doesn't help when you notice him looking dejected when he thinks no one is watching.

You were on your way to the restaurant on the bus when you decided to (not-so-subtly) bring up the subject of the conversation. You cleared your throat while Minyoung was raving about a volleyball game she saw on TV the day before. 

“Speaking of, the sports committee meeting is next week.” You bring up and Minyoung gives you a questioning look. You return it with a knowing one, trying to get her to work with you.

“Right. You must be really busy preparing paperwork for that, don't you?" She responds with a glance that says, Right now? Really? You widen your eyes at her and nod in the direction of Jungkook. Her jaw drops open in realization but she nods in understanding.

"Yeah, but we've planned ahead of time enough to decrease the load because it's so close. I think we can take on some other projects as well..." You tried to ease into the subject.

“Really? I think you've got enough work to do with the next practice games," Jungkook adds nonchalantly, staring out the window like an anime protagonist. Heh.

You fumble over your words. "Ah- That's-" You were at a loss for words since he was right! Because the rest of the practice games will be hosted by Kkotgil, there is a lot of documentation and inventory that has to be completed. And it would reflect poorly on the school if you didn't plan this well. "It's not that bad, really," you chuckle awkwardly, turning to look at Minyoung, who is trying not to laugh at you. You scowl at her and determine that beating around the bush isn't going to work.

You sigh and turn to face Jungkook. "I want to talk to you about the budget negotiation you mentioned," you told him flatly, amazed at how confident you sounded considering you'd never truly spoken to him like this before.

He throws his head back in irritation before turning to face you. "I thought I told you to forget about it," he replies sternly, but it doesn't faze you in the least.

You sighed exasperatedly as you peered at him. "I know, but you seemed so adamant about it, so I don't understand why you gave up so fast," you retorted gently. Fighting fire with fire, as far as you can gather, will not work on this guy.

He opted to avert your eyes, so you just kept going. "Listen, you're under no obligation to tell me anything you don't want to. Maybe just tell me enough to make the Coach think I know everything. I doubt he'll quiz me about it anyway." You shrugged, trying to make it sound like it's not a big deal, but you know by now that it is for him.

He fiddled with his hands on his lap, and the quiet hushed conversation you were having appeared to prompt Minyoung to intervene. She offers Jungkook a reassuring smile, and his stiff shoulders loosen.

"I'm not sure how much to tell you without..." He trailed off and returned his gaze to the window.

"It's about your relationship with the team, isn't it?" You can see his eyes widen at your comment. "I figured so. You know, you're not very subtle." You add, and he let out a wry laugh at that.

"Says you," he responds sarcastically. You caught the insinuation in his tone but you don't want to go into it right now because this conversation is about him. You decide to brush that last bit off and sit up straight.

“Hey, I’m just letting you know that option is on the table.” You opt to continue instead of looking at him. "And remember, even after the meeting is over, you can still talk to me about it. I'm more to you than just a manager. I'm also your friend," you say as you look around, catching Minyoung's gaze and returning her smile.

"I'll be there when you're ready to tell me. We'll all be there for you." You return your glance to him, but he has a distant expression in his eyes that tells you he's thinking about something.

You gave a final shrug before pressing the button to notify the driver that you'd like to exit at the next stop. Minyoung wraps her arm around yours as you exit the bus. "You were so cool," she adds with a laugh, and you just grin and shake your head.

It didn’t feel cool for you to say; it was hypocritical advice. Who were you to tell him that he can tell you guys anything, when not so long ago you completely shut them all out without an explanation? You laugh at yourself. You were beginning to doubt yourself. Perhaps you should just leave him alone and let him deal with his shit. You don't have to pry into other people's lives when you're determined to build your walls as high as possible, allowing others to view only a fraction of you.

But, a little voice within your head argues, you know better now. You know better now that it doesn't hurt to depend on them now and again, especially when they are willing to be there for you. With that in mind, you loosen up, and tighten Minyoung’s arms that were tangled with yours. 

"Hey," Jungkook's voice yelled out from behind you as you approached the restaurant's door, forcing you and your friend to spin around to face him. "I'll think about it," he adds timidly, rubbing the back of his neck.

You smiled at him.

“Okay.”

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

When the entire group is together, it is always chaotic. With all of the food laid out on the table, you know your dad went all out for the occasion. At this point, you'd think he'd be feeding the entire neighborhood. He’s just that thrilled at the prospect of you having friends. Your friends, on the other hand, were grateful and as a sign of gratitude, they promised to finish everything.

As soon as the group was complete, you all tucked into the food. True to their word, they did manage to finish almost everything that was laid out. Well, considering you were a bunch of growing teenagers, it shouldn’t be surprising that you all had an increased appetite. It was after you all ate dinner and were resting your stomachs to make room for dessert were you able to properly look around Hoseok’s home that he shared with his mom. During the conversation at the table, he mentioned that he was an only child.

You sat on the sofa and left the others sitting on the floor around the coffee table where you all ate. There was an abundance of personal clutter around the living room, which gave the house a more homey appearance. There were trophies, medals, but what caught your attention were the number of pictures of Hobi and his mother that were either hung on the wall or placed neatly on the shelves. They smiled in all the photos, and while it was obvious in his single shots that he was being made to strike a particular pose, he still had a wide grin on his face.

“These are really cute. You seemed like such a bright and cheerful child,” You suddenly commented without looking at the group, but their chatter died down at your remark. You look at them to question the silence and you see them looking at Hobi who had his lips on a grim line, and the rest who seemed like they were observing the situation. You didn't even get to ask about his mom, which you wanted to do just to make conversation and in an attempt to get to know him more. Hoseok briefly caught himself slipping before breaking into his trademark grin. You see Jin lean back on his seat and cross his arms with a sigh from your peripheral vision.

“Do you guys wanna play games? I don’t have a gaming console because we usually game at Yoongi’s, but I do have some board games and cards.” He offers and the atmosphere at the table suddenly brightens again. You scrunch your eyebrows, finding all of their reactions odd. You don’t know if you were reading into this too much but you wondered why him having that expression silenced the whole table. It was normal for you to be grumpy and frown at every little thing, so you understand why Hobi reacted like that, as it might have been rude for him when you said something about his childhood pictures. You facepalmed yourself when no one was looking. It looks like you've gotten better at making these guys uncomfortable with unsolicited comments ever since you started to feel at ease around them. Well done, you.

The group decided to play a card game while enjoying dessert, and it soon became tense and competitive. It was a wonderful change to hear laughing and playful banter fill the Jung family's living room. During one particularly heated and power-up-heavy round, Jimin noticed his friend shifting in his seat.

“You okay?” He asks in a hushed voice despite the risk of being barely audible because of the commotion on the table.

Jungkook gave him a quick glance before smiling briefly. “Yeah, just thinking about something.” He was considering what you had said to him. He noticed that you appeared hesitant to provide him that advice, and he thinks he understands why. Nevertheless, he appreciated your attempt and the fact that it was done in good faith. Once again, he's grateful that you and Minyoung didn't avoid him because he's been an insufferable prick for no apparent reason..

“You’re thinking? That’s new.” Jimin joked around and earned a playful nudge in return. There was silence between the two as they quietly took their own turns in the game and let the others carry all the playful conversations. “You wanna talk about it? ” He asks tentatively while pretending to watch the others play; he even notices Jin sneaking a glance at Namjoon's cards before returning to his own, but Yoongi had also snuck a glance at his cards while he was distracted. Jimin shook his head in disbelief at his friends.

“Actually..” Jungkook trailed off. “Yeah. Yeah, I think I finally want to talk about it.” He says.

Jimin hums in response. “Okay. Should we break off from the group or-” Jungkook cut him off frantically before he finished, rubbing at his nape.

“N-no. I was thinking.. I was thinking of finally telling everyone about what happened.” He said. Jimin had his mouth agape at his friend’s revelation. Among this group of friends, only him and Taehyung knew about Jungkook’s situation with his teammates. They found it difficult when Jungkook obstinately refused their assurances that what had happened was not his fault. Perhaps some new perspectives on the matter could be helpful. Perhaps if it came from recently made friends, he would believe them.

It would be too much for Jungkook, he thinks, to tell you and Minyoung the story and then maybe have to tell it to the others again. He figures it would be best to take care of everything at once, much like ripping off a band aid.

“Are you sure?” Jimin tries to give him an out in the event that he doesn’t really want to do this, but he just nods.

“Okay. You can ask Tae or myself to take over if you find it too difficult to recount the story. " Jimin gives his friend a reassuring shoulder pat, prompting a hesitant nod.

Looking around the table, Jungkook considers how he will abruptly bring up a serious topic in the midst of laughter. He was on the verge of fleeing out of fear that he could destroy the mood and his friends' opinion of him. He was aware that doing this might disrupt the dynamics of the group. When he has finished telling them everything and they decide they don't like him and want to cut all ties with him, he will let them do just that. At least the friendship wasn't old enough to have caused a wound that deep yet. He knew Jimin and Tae would be by him no matter what, which is also comforting.

He tries to test whether anyone would notice by clearing his throat once, but in the past few minutes, the group has only grown rowdier due to Jin's alleged cheating. Taehyung, who was more attentive of his friends, saw him and then made an effort to make everyone quiet.

"Jungkook, did you have anything to say?" he inquired loudly enough to get the group's attention, and all of a sudden, heads turned to look at him. He senses the attention making his blood run cold and his hand tremble, but he braces himself. However, he was cut off before he could speak.

"I promise I wasn't looking! Are your playing cards nearly finished?" Jin stretches out and flips Jungkook's cards that were on the table.

“Ayy, these aren’t even good cards, you have been bound to lose with these.”

After that, chaos reigned yet again.

“See, you just cheated again! ”

"No, I didn't. I simply provided him with advice."

“Boo! You’re disqualified! ”

In response to the chaos, Jungkook finds himself actually giggling. Though he hasn't known these people for very long, he feels as though he can trust them in some way. But he also thinks that losing them would hurt, so he felt a tiny tightness in his chest.

“I did want to say something. And it has nothing to do with the cards.” He begins, and the group quiets down again, but he does not feel the heaviness in the air this time. He glances around the table and finds them looking at him expectantly, as if they are genuinely interested in hearing him out. He regained his composure and braced himself once more.

“It’s about what happened last year..”

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

“You’re late again!” The captain scolds the boy and throws the ball at his head, letting it bounce off and back to his hands.

“Sorry, sorry! I had to run some errands before leaving.” He says and Jungkook, from afar, sighs at the sight of his sunbae being scolded again. 

“You’re lucky you’re a star player, or else I’d give you more shit for this.” The captain says with a shake of his head.

“Wah, look at you being scolded in front of your juniors! How embarrassing!” His batchmate teases, sending everyone into light laughter.

His seniors had usually argued endlessly during training, but everyone knew it was just friendly banter, so it was entertaining to see. Additionally, it improved group dynamics and helped the younger teammates feel comfortable.

Once his Doyun sunbae was done running laps around the court as punishment for being late, he approached Jungkook with a smack on the back.

“Sorry for being late when I promised to run some plays with you.” The older one says with an easy smile. Jungkook rolls his eyes.

“Whatever, hyung. What’s so important that you’re always late to weekend training?” He asked in an irritated tone and shifted his body away from the older guy. He is often irritated by his hyung's repeated promises to assist him in improving his plays but frequently arrives to practice too late. His senior was constantly eager to leave training as soon as it ended, so after-practice hours were off the table as well. He exhales. How was he going to get the attention of his seniors now that he was running for captain of the following year? He hasn't had many chances to demonstrate to them how much he has developed since his first year.

“Yah! Don't treat your sunbae that way! I have a life outside of volleyball, you know?” He said in a defensive tone and one of his batchmates overheard Doyun say this.

“Psh! Even I am aware that is untrue. Volleyball is your life," the guy exclaimed, drawing amusement from others.

“I’ll ask for some personal training time from the captain right now. I gotta make it up to little Jungkook here somehow.” Doyun wraps his arm around the younger’s shoulders and ruffles his hair with the other. Jungkook pries himself off from his hyung before huffing in annoyance.

“I want to practice some quick attacks today.” Jungkook said flatly and went on his merry way, asking Jimin to toss some balls for him.

Doyun was left chuckling at the younger boy’s demands. “He’s quite straightforward, isn't he? Think he’d make for a good captain? ” He remarks, to which the others hum in agreement.

The training was effective at least, and this time Doyun kept his word and gave Jungkook today a lot of assistance. Since they were paired up during practice when Jungkook was still trying out for the volleyball team, he was his closest hyung from the team. He was forced to acknowledge how much of the credit for his rapid progress goes to his hyung.

Doyun wasn't always so disloyal to his commitments. During the freshman year of the three, he actually trained frequently with Jungkook and occasionally even Jimin and Taehyung. He’d tell the younger boys about his dream to play professionally and get recruited into his dream team, and also to give them advice on how to play better. Jungkook doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s taken quite a liking to his hyung’s presence, despite showing otherwise. He is thankful for having someone to rely on who has more experience than him in the field. He’s like the brother he never had.

However, this year, he had been more evasive, appeared to be constantly on guard, and had been in a hurry to leave every single training session. Jungkook was curious as to what was causing the older guy to act this way, especially when they were nearing the last games of the winter sports season, where there were gonna be professional recruiters, and it was the senior members’ last games of their high school life as well. 

Doyun abruptly excused himself one day to the captain as they were still wrapping up the training and he hurriedly left the gym, oblivious to his batchmates' remarks that he should at least wait until everyone was prepared to leave. When Jungkook noticed it, a strong surge of curiosity about why his hyung is acting in this manner swept over him. He quickly puts on his jacket and makes his way to the gym's exit, earning some questioning yells from Jimin and Taehyung to which he acknowledges with a raise of hand. He then follows the diminutive figure that he believes to be his hyung because he has already traveled a considerable distance.

He was chasing the older man while taking quick, frigid breaths of cold air that pierced his lungs. He had to exercise caution because there were certain areas of the walkway that were slippery; as a result, he nearly fell several times. He succeeds in catching up, though he makes sure to keep a safe distance from Doyun so as not to be seen stalking him. He knows the older man would tell him off when he finds out.

They were nearing a neighboring park after traveling a fair distance into a small neighborhood, and he started to question if this was even a good idea; maybe his hyung was right, he was just busy with other stuff about his personal life. But when Jungkook notices Doyun raising the hood of his jacket, he senses something was off. He continued on following him without trying to give it any attention. Not long after, a group of men his hyung's age emerged from a nearby tree. He immediately noticed his Doyun hyung, who instantly stopped in his tracks, and consequently, he stopped as well. He hides behind a nearby tree as he sees Doyun get stopped in the middle of attempting to walk past the group of guys.

He hears them speaking to his sunbae, and at first the talk is quiet and civil, but as it heats up, the group steadily encircles Doyun in an effort to intimidate him. It appeared to work, which surprised Jungkook. Doyun was typically a laid-back person who laughed a lot and smiled a lot, but everyone who knew him knew that he wasn't the kind to let people walk all over him. Now that he’s seeing him in this light, the looming feeling of dread creeps up in his gut yet again. Doyun wouldn’t be the type to get caught up in gang affairs, would he? He thinks to himself and his hands balled up into tight fists. It would explain his behavior these past few months, though.

When he notices someone pushing Doyun back and making him stumble, he instinctively steps forward. Jungkook realized that this was going to escalate into a fight, and his heartbeat quickened. Before he could decide what to do, he finds himself in a direct confrontation with a member of the group.

“What the hell are you doing to him?” He hears his own voice shout but doesn’t realize that he actually spoke and how he got here.

“Y-yah! What are you doing here!” Doyun grabs the front of his jacket and pulls him.

“Well would you look at that. Is this another one of your brothers? How about we ask him for the money then?” The one who seemed to be the leader of the group eyes Jungkook up and down.

“Leave him alone, he’s not my brother.” Doyun stood in a defensive stance in front of Jungkook which told the guys otherwise.

“Is that right?” The guy brings back his eyes to Jungkook intimidatingly, “But maybe we can still get something out of him. Make him pay for your brother’s debt like a good little friend, hmm?”

Doyun grabbed the leader's collar while two men each grabbed one of Jungkook's arms to hold him down. “I told you to leave him alone, he has nothing to do with this!” He uttered hastily.

The guy punched Doyun in the face, making Jungkook gasp. “Hyung!” He sees blood spill out from the older guy’s mouth and he feels his blood run cold.

“If you gave us our money back, then we wouldn’t be having this problem. You’re really gonna let your brother cower behind your back? How about you bring him to us so he can pay the consequences of his actions.” The guy shoves his pointer finger on Doyun’s forehead, pushing it repeatedly to accent his point. Jungkook sees Doyun clench his jaw so hard he thought it was gonna break.

There were a few seconds of calm when Doyun abruptly threw a punch after slowly rising upright. The subsequent events happened quickly. As the men gather around Doyun, Jungkook finds himself being pushed aside and his body hitting the dirt. In the haste of the situation, he finds himself grabbing a stray piece of long wood and striking several of the men painfully to get them off Doyun, who threw more punches and kicks once he got an opening. They managed to take down enough of them to be able to flee, and Jungkook doesn't recall how it happened, but he finds himself being dragged by his hyung to escape the fight.

“What the fuck were you thinking?” Doyun said between catching his breath, still running away. He looks back and sees them being followed and he curses lightly before increasing their pace.

They thought they were in the clear when they stopped on the side of the road. They were both huffing and puffing with their hands resting on their knees, catching their breath. Jungkook looked back and cursed to himself when he saw one of the guys spot them and call out to their companions.

“They saw us hyung, let’s go!” He didn’t bother grabbing his hyung and ran to get a head start. As he was running away he heard someone yell out to him, and a bright light coming from his left. He felt someone pushing him from the back and he painfully landed on the concrete, but nothing hurt more than the sight he saw of Doyun’s body being hit by the car.

Everything moved slowly, and he could hear his ears ringing. He watches the gang members panic and flee the scene, hears cries to get an ambulance, witnesses blue and red lights flashing against the now-darkened surroundings, and hears someone ask him if he was okay.

The rest of it is lost to memory, but when he awoke from his haze, he was sitting in a hospital waiting room covered in bandages, and it wasn't until he was by himself that he finally broke down.

❀。• *₊°。 ❀°

They listened to Jungkook as he told the story with his head down and avoided making eye contact with the others. The room, which had earlier been alive with voices, was now completely silent.

“He ended up with broken bones all over his body. Inevitably, he couldn’t play the rest of the championship games that season; It’d take months for him to fully recover, and months of physical therapy if they could determine he could ever play again.” He says with a husky tone, his energy being drained with every second he spends talking about this.

“He was our star player, and he held the team together more than we realized. So when we went into the games without him, adding the fact that morale was low and tensions were high inside the team because of the incident, we messed up so much during the games and we… lost everything.

“Seniors who were competing for spots on professional and collegiate teams saw all of their chances to get recruited all go down the drain. All thanks to me. All because I made the decision to be nosy on that specific day.” He began to sob uncontrollably, his shoulders shaking, covering his face with both hands as his voice broke. The group was quick to gravitate towards him and reach their hand out to comfort him, not saying anything as they all know words would not be enough right now.

"The worst part was that nobody was held accountable—not even me, who was clearly responsible for everything. My other batchmates disagree, and even though they didn't bother to learn the whole story, they have since grown to dislike me. It affected how I handled the team as a captain, and I eventually started hating myself for that, too." He struggled to continue through his tears, his words stopped short by breath intake.

He’d asked for a suspension from the coach himself once he told him everything that happened, and he’s been benched for a few games because of it. It helped ease his guilt but it wasn’t enough. Nearly not enough for the damage he had caused.

He sobbed harder, clutching his chest as his breath came in heaves, "I guess they just punished me by making me captain, and letting the others walk all over me because of what I did."

Jimin gives him a soothing back rub and waits for him to catch his breath before speaking.

"That's just untrue. They didn't point the finger at anyone specifically since there was no one to blame," He says. "It was an accident. And because they recognized your abilities, they chose you to be captain."

"Even before that incident, there were discussions about electing you," Taehyung continued. It was what they’ve always told him about this, but he always seemed to never believe them. 

“The seniors all managed to get into good teams despite everything because there have been more games that showcased their talents. They admitted to us they were regretful sometimes, but it was the best they could get out of the situation.” Jimin adds.

There were a few more seconds of silence and ruminating about all that has been said before someone spoke again.

“Maybe it really was your fault.” They heard your small voice cut through the silence, and they all looked at you with wide eyes in shock. Even Jungkook felt his tears retract back to his ducts in astonishment.

“W-what?” He manages to blurt out.

You avert your eyes awkwardly. “I-I mean, knowing Jimin and Taehyung, the opposite is probably what they had always told you..” You told him in a progressively smaller voice.

“And the reason why you never believed them before is because maybe that’s not what you wanted to hear.” You add, this time not looking at anyone.

Namjoon chuckles, which surprised everyone. “I actually agree.” He says, now making him the subject of wide eyed stares. “I could elaborate, but that’s only if you want us to continue.” He asks Jungkook. He sniffs a little and wipes his cheek in a childlike manner that made everyone smile before he nodded.

“Based on what you told us, it’s highly likely that you were at fault.” Namjoon continued and Jungkook felt tears prick his eyes.

“Uhm, guys-” Taehyung tries to look around for help, thinking that this was going in a very different direction.

“But!” Namjoon cuts him off. “But, it was a variety of factors that contributed to the outcome if you think about it.” He props his thumb and pointer finger in a thinking pose.

“Right. If you blame yourself for it, then a lot of things were at fault too, aside from you. It was the car, maybe even the weather that made the streets slippery. It could even be Doyun sunbae for not reaching out to anyone about his situation, but I reckon that’s on the bottom of the list.” Minyoung says as she nods, trying to really drive the point.

“But you know, if we’re really blaming anyone here, it’d be the gang members’ fault. They intimidated and threatened you first, and you guys just tried to defend yourselves and run away.” Hoseok adds.

“Hmmm. Maybe it’d be good for you to acknowledge that you were at fault so you can heal, but just keep in mind that it’s not just you. It was a series of bad circumstances that led to that event.” Yoongi says as he fiddles with a pack of brownies in front of him.

Unbeknownst to himself, Jungkook has now ceased sobbing entirely. As he found himself paying close attention to what his colleagues were saying, a deep part of him began to relax.

“Have you spoken to any of them? The sunbaes, I mean.” Minyoung asks as she gets back to munching on sweets, trying to ease everyone into going back to being casual so as to not add to the gloomy atmosphere.

“He did with everyone except Doyun, that’s how we knew they didn’t blame anyone.” Jimin spoke for him.

“Why not? Doyun sunbae seems nice from what I’ve seen.” Minyoung replies.

“That’s exactly the reason. I never attempted since he would be too kind to hold me responsible for anything. I'm also too embarrassed to show my face after what I've done to him and the team.” Jungkook says dejectedly, his eyes drooping slightly now that all the crying had caught up to him.

“Hmmm. How do you know that’s how he’ll react? You said you never tried talking to him.” Yoongi says calmly.

“Right! You didn’t even give him a chance to blame you, either!” Hoseok says in a too cheerful voice, earning a nudge from you.

“I mean, if he blames you, that’s his decision to make, no? But you didn’t even give him that option by avoiding him.” He clarifies.

“I hate to agree, but he’s right. Maybe the best thing to do is to talk with him.” You said in a light tone.

Jungkook ruminates on everything that was said. He had more space in his head and heart to consider everything now that everything was out in the open. They were all right about this. He should go and apologize to Doyun, and what comes out of his apology is out of his hands. He’ll accept whatever happens and try finally move past this, focus on dealing with the now. 

Everyone had resumed their easy talk when he turned to gaze around the table. They do not hate him. They still don't hate him despite what he told them. Even if they had believed he was at fault, they left no trace of their judgment or intention to cut him off. He experienced tremendous relief. While you're having a chat with Minyoung, he catches your eye, which makes you double back and look at him questioningly. You offer him a small nod, and he does the same.

“Look, I still receive Doyun hyung’s emails. We can contact him to meet; he goes to college in a nearby town.” Taehyung says casually while showing his phone, with a mouthful of chocolate-covered strawberries in his mouth, earning a fond smile from Jungkook.

“Last I heard, physical therapy was going well, and that maybe they’d finally let him play in the upcoming inter-collegiate season.” Jimin adds, snatching a strawberry from Taehyung (to his annoyance) and showing it in his mouth.

“Will you guys accompany me when I decide to meet up with him?” Jungkook asks and Jimin clicks his tongue as if that were a ridiculous question.

“Of course, dumbass. We’re always here for you.” He says before leaning forward to stop the tug of war that broke out between Jin and Hobi over a piece of jelly.

Amidst all the chaos, Jungkook smiles. 

We'll all be there for you. He hears your voice say. Suddenly, he doesn't remember what he was so afraid of.

You were right.

-

taglist: @reallysparklychaos @lovebun-19 @shownusshoulders @missseoulite @potaetopic @bbsantc @moderndaychihiro @bear-hugs-and-kisses