#I'll be waiting for you jun-ah

[saymynameritwika]

Omfg, Lollapalooza 2024 with Seventeen was fucking insane. Like, I thought they outdid themselves with Glastonbury in front of a crowd that didn't even know them, but damn! Thinking that it's possible for Seventeen to peak when they just keep growing bigger and bigger is always a mistake, lmao 😭.

First of all, the setlist was absolute perfection. Once again, what did the Germans do to deserve the leader line comeback?? WHY AM I NOT PART OF THAT CROWD?! 😭 But besides that, the setlist was so amazing, I can't believe they managed to perform 19 songs in the span of 90 mins. Seventeen, you never fail to amaze me.

And the crowd?! Carats in Lollapalooza were wild af! The cheers during Dino's part in Spell literally made my dinonara heart so happy! I also loved how much love the audience gave to Jeonghan (since this is his last performance 🥺). The members loved the crowd so much as well, and honestly, the crowd deserved it. Seventeen, Europe tour...when? 😭

But... yeah. Lollapalooza was insane, as expected. Seventeen just keep getting better and better, and it makes me so happy as a fan because I know they're always gonna grow. I can't wait for the day I get to see them live. But till then, I love you, Seventeen, and I always will. Till the last "say the name." 🩷🩵

[greentrickster]

Okay, so, been reading some good scumplane (OG!Shen Qingqiu/Airplane) lately, because in this house we support Airplane being loved by terrifying/terrifyingly hot men, but also, like... I do love Moshang just so so much as a ship.

And all this has awoken a mighty need in me.

A need for a Moshangjiu fic with scumplane getting established first and then bringing our favorite popsicle in on things.

Anyway, scenario! Shen Qingqiu starts noticing Shang Qinghua when they're disciples via the classic scenario of being smart enough to realize something is fishy about SQH being the only survivor of a demon attack, begins paying attention to his most anxious shidi, accidentally shows his most anxious shidi the simplest of Human Kindness, accidentally becomes shidi's favorite shixiong, accidentally becomes friends with shidi, accidentally catches feelings. Continues being a Sneaky Bastard in order to figure out what shidi is up to (and now also to confirm shidi is single).

Ah, shidi is entangled with an Ice Demon. This shixiong will make use of his scholarly peak's library to learn all and then decide to- wait. Wait, it's super violent by human standards, but is it- is this demon attempting to... court shidi?

...

Not if SQQ dates him first he's not!!!

There follows a whirlwind romance between SQQ and SQH where no one really knows what's going on, especially the two involved, it involves a lot of shit talking about everyone else in their lives, snacks, and accidental trauma bonding.

Also Airplane being Airplane and accidentally spilling that not only is he also kinda crushing (bad) on Mobei-jun, but also Mobei-jun's entire backstory and please, shixiong, I know it all looks bad but this shidi's house is literally the only place in the world it's completely safe for his king to sleep, everyone deserves to sleep without having to worry about their relatives murdering them for things that aren't their fault from time to time, right, shixiong???

Shen Qingqiu: ...goddammit, the demon's a fellow sad little meow meow. (only not in these exact words because he doesn't know these phrases, naturally)

In a wild, bold, and - dare I say it - shockingly sexy convolution of thought processes and ideas, SQQ manages to finagle SQH into letting him meet with MBJ (SQH nearly has a heart attack three times in the process but it's fine, it's cool, this is his life, this may as well happen, it's fine-).

SQQ: It has come to my attention that my shidi is spying for you on our sect.

MBJ: (glowering at SQH, who is cowering behind shixiong wondering how he got talked into all this)

SQQ: However it also appears that this is merely a cover story and the only thing you really do is use his room to nap. And also that you are quite fond of him.

SQH: (This is it, this is how I die. Again.)

MBJ: (...if I stare straight ahead and don't change my expression, no one will be able to tell that he's right)

SQQ: So anyway I think you should join Cang Qiong Mountain Sect.

MBJ: (gears grinding)

SQH: (squawking splutters of protest and confusion)

SQQ: (who speaks panicking!SQH at this point) Stop that, it's perfectly reasonable. He has the head disciple of our logistics peak under his thumb, it would be the simplest thing in the world for him to have you throw the sect into absolute chaos without even trying, then organize an attack, swoop in, and crush us all. He could have done it years ago, but he never has, he never even seems to initiate anything. I don't think he even cares about taking the Northern Throne, I think he's just incompetent about wanting to spend time with you. So he might as well just lie low until our shizuns ascend and then I'll take him on as a disciple on Qing Jing and you two can stop sneaking around like idiots.

MBJ: >8O

SQQ: Are you actually opposed?

MBJ: (folds arms and looks away sulkily, because like... it's true but you don't have to say it like that)

SQH: 8O ...reverse uno...

SQQ: What?

SQH: You're reverse unoing my blorbo!

SQQ: Quit making up word-

SQQ cannot continue because the System just presented the option to accept this potential new plot line (even if it does have the rather confusing title of 'Shidi Has Two Hands'), and holy shit, Mobei-jun seems to be potentially down for it, holy shit, apparently Mobei-jun actually likes me, holy shit, SQQ may have just solved all my problems-?!? This is great, this is fantastic, this is the best day of my life, this- is a long time I'm being allowed to be myself about all this, why is Shen shixiong not interrupting...?

Ah.

It is because I am kissing him full on the lips.

Cool cool cool.

At least I'm gonna die on a high note.

SQQ: O///O o_o (ahem) Shidi's- shidi's a really bad kisser.

SQH: Ah-haha, I can explain-

SQQ: We should work on that. Later.

SQH: (BEST DAY OF BOTH MY LIVES!!!)

MBJ: (I... did not actually hate watching that. Hm.)

Anyway, he agrees to the plan, SQQ and SQH start dating, some more time passes, the previous generation of peak lords ascend, the new generation take their places, and a week later Mobei-jun is an outer disciple of Qing Jing Peak.

The other peak lords are not amused, Qingqiu that is a demon, no.

SQQ: So what I'm hearing is that whole 'Cang Qiong will accept anyone from anywhere' philosophy was a lie then?

He's a demon!

SQQ: Children can't help where they're born. Now if you'll excuse me, I have classes to teach.

First lesson of the day is SQH and SQQ are a package deal, take it or leave it. Second lesson is no canoodling with Shang Shibo until you've finished with lessons and chores for the day. Third lesson is if you see any Bai Zhan disciples hassling our peak's disciples you can break their swords. Just snap 'em in half. Throw them off the peak. Don't kill them, but do make them cry.

SQH, meanwhile, has now seen MBJ in an outer disciple uniform and had a whole bunch of new awakenings on top of all the other things he already knew about himself.

And, in a twist of dramatic irony... Qing Jing's first disciple to ever have demonic heritage decides the dorms are a no-go after one night because, to him, they are broiling hot, how can anyone sleep in this heat, and chooses to go sleep in the wood shed instead.

[sweetiesicheng]

dino - award show

word count : 565

-

"ah these are next?" you speak while looking at the new cue cards you had just been given.

"oh, yes! i forgot we were presenting this one," your co-host cheers as he looks at the cue cards. "oh? a lot of my friends were nominated," he says while looking over the nominees for the next few awards.

"that's nice," you reply. "you should present these," you say to him, "and i'll present these."

he nods, "okay."

"y/n!" you turn when you hear your name called and see some of seventeen walking backstage.

"oh, hey guys!" you greet them as they pass by. "your stage was great," you say to them.

"thanks," hoshi says to you. "we'll see you later," he says.

"okay, see you guys," you say. hoshi, mingyu, seungkwan, and jeonghan walk past you, heading in the direction of the artists’ area.

dino walks by after a few seconds but stops when he notices you. "oh, babe," he instantly smiles, "you look cute," he compliments. "wow, my girlfriend is so pretty," he says to you.

you giggle at him, "thanks, babe," you say to him. "i'll see you later at dinner, okay?"

he nods, "yea. see you later," he says to you. "love you—ah!"

s.coups comes by, grabbing the collar of dino's jacket and pulling with him. "see ya y/n!" s.coups says to you.

you laugh as you watch your boyfriend get dragged off. you start looking over your cue cards with your co-host again.

"yea, that sounds good," your co-host says to you.

you nod, "okay, cool."

a staff member directs you to where you'll enter, and both of you wait for the your cue to walk out. after the end of a stage, the lights dim and you walk out to an area of the stage where microphones are set up.

when the lights come back on, you and your co-host speak dialogue for the next award to be presented. after your dialogue for this award, a video starts playing, listing off the nominees for the award.

"and the male group of the year goes to..." your co-host opens an envelope, "seventeen! congratulations!"

fans cheer from the audience and you applaud while looking at the artists' area. seventeen walks over to the main stage, and you hold their award in your hands.

jun is the first to reach you and takes the award. "thanks y/n," he says to you before handing the award to woozi.

"congratulations," you say to them before walking out of frame so they can give their speech.

while some of the guys speak, you notice dino glancing at you every so often. you try to subtly gesture for him to not look at you, but it looks like he doesn't care as much.

he mouthes a few compliments to you, at least that's what you're assuming since you're not good at reading lips. you mouth back at him to focus, but he ignores it.

suddenly, music starts playing, indicating the end of their speech. some of the guys start walking back with dino trying to linger back so he can somewhat share the stage with you, but once again, he gets pulled by s.coups to walk back. you smile and keep your composure since you're on stage despite seeing your boyfriend whine again as he walks away from you.

[bleuside97]

There is Only One Rule.

paring: toxichusband!jungkook x wife!reader

genre: yandere jungkook

summary: when y/n get home late and jungkook is waiting for her.

warnings: Jungkook is an asshole in this, abusive behavior, drunk and aggressive Jungkook, manipulative behavior, cussing, manhandling, bipolar jungkook, sadistic Jungkook, mentions of gagging, jealousy, degrading oc, oc is punished by jk.

This is purely fiction just for entertainment purposes. Do not condone or support behavior like this!

Jungkook kisses his teeth, shaking his head. "Ah... What can she be doing out so late." He pressed his lips against the rim of the cold beer in his hand, closing his eyes letting the cold sensation trickle down his his throat. That was the last drop left of his drink. He rest the empty bottle on the coffee table that was in front of the chair. He leans back in the chair, kicking his feet on the coffee table in thought. Resting his tattooed arm above his head and the other arm scratching his chin. The cans and empty bottles of soju pile around the floor. Currently, it's early in the morning he awaits for your arrival, watching the minutes go by on the clock. His eyes turned to the front door as he heard the sound of keys unlocking it. You walked into your dark house, tired out of your mind. You just had the night of your life with a couple of friends and want nothing more to do than be in your loving husband's arms. You turned to lock the front door, taking off your shoes before the door.

His eyes narrowed at the sight of you. "Where the fuck were you?" He demanded, finally standing up from the couch. "Relax, I was just with a couple friends." Your voice is monotone. You pause in your steps, you stretch your arms above your head to yawn. You eyes land on the only other person in the room. You take in his appearance. He moved sloppy and slurred his words a bit. He's drunk. Nevertheless you go to kiss him on the cheek. He backs away slightly, he was clearly pissed off. Pushing you slightly away when you tried to kiss him. He crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at you menacingly.

"You know what time it is? You were supposed to be home hours ago. What is my wife's explanation for coming home at almost the crack of dawn?" He stared down at you waiting for a response.

"What's up your crack?" You muttered under your breath, making sure Jungkook didn't hear you. "I didn't know you were my dad. Next time I'll make sure to ask for permission first." Y/n rolls her eyes and carries her tired legs to the kitchen to get herself a meal out of the fridge. He follows you to the kitchen, standing behind you as you fill up a cup from the fridge. He grabs your arm, spinning you around to face him.

"Don't you fucking dare disrespect me!" He growls, his eyes blazing with fury. He shoves you hard against the fridge, pressing his body against yours. The back of your head immediately hits the cold metal throbbing immediately.

"You will never talk to me like that again." His once dark brown eyes become dark. He looks down at you intensely. His hands remain at the side of your head locking you in. "Jungkook stop!" You whined pushing your husband off her with all your might, he only stumbled a bit before catching himself. He takes a minute to walk straight towards you. He chuckles eerily as his hands worked to unbutton his cuffs and roll the sleeves of his crisp black button up to the elbow, telling you he is not playing around. When your husband is drunk, there's only one rule don't make him mad.

"Yah! Where are your manners is that how a wife should treat her husband, huh?” His voice is so powerful it is laced with hostile, enough to make you feel small. You looked at him to digest the situation not knowing who it can turn out. Maybe you where fucked out of your mind too, not thinking straight. Because you were most definitely brave at this moment. "Jungkook, who do you think you are huh." You answered bravely before you could see something in the Jungkook switch. The look in his eyes was cold and ruthless, as if he was ready to hurt you. And that scared you the most.

You wanted to say that Jungkook had never acted so aggressive before but that would be a lie. "Look at me y/n." He commands you in his busan accent. You look into his dark eyes, you don't see the same doe eyed man you, you knew before. He narrows his eyes at you menacingly, if looks can kill you'd be dead by now. "Sweetheart, I should really fix that mouth of yours... Just how rude are you? One warning was already given to you, now you will get the apprehensions."

Your eyebrows furrowed, giving him a confused look. You hesitate to utter another word. "Honey, are you drunk?" You asked the new man standing in front of you. He ignores your question, nodding his head kidding his bottom lip out. "Do you think I want to be like this? Do you think I like being so aggressive? No! I can't help it, I can't control myself when I'm around you. You make me lose all control. So you should be more careful around me. This is your fault, y/n." Jungkook's tone is cold as ice as if he doesn't feel an inch to blame for his abusive behavior.

He stands beside the counter grabbing your hand pulling you to the sink of the kitchen. He forcefully pushes your head down the sink, hand reaching for the soap. You try your hardest to fight against him. Yelling and thrashing out, but he didn't listen to you. He positions his body behind you his big strong arms wrap around your smaller frame like a lock. "Y/n. You know how much I can't stand when I have to repeat myself.” Through brute force he is able to force your mouth wide open and shoved the bitter liquid. He watches you with a smile as you react by gagging your hand in your mouth. He enjoyed seeing the tears leave your eyes. When Jungkook feels as if you've had enough he with water helps you rinse the cleaning substance out of your mouth. Soon enough all over the soap leaves you a chocking and crying mess on the counter. You try to catch your own breathe. He steps away from you admiring is his work. But soon, enough he feels only a tad guilty.

He grabs your wrists again, squeezing them tight. He pulls them behind your back, pressing your body against his. You could feel his warm breath on your neck, his voice low and menacing. she turns her face away from him as he reeks of beer. He grabs your chin, forcing you to look up at him. His eyes turned a shade lighter.

"Aigoo, I didn't mean to be so rough." he apologizes, seeming genuinely remorseful. He gives you a weak smile, hoping you will understand. He pouts his pink lips to you.

He reaches out and touches your cheek, caressing it gently. His eyes meet yours, filled with such warmth and affection. He looks at you with such devotion, as if you were the most important person in the world to him. He stops nuzzling your neck, his face just inches away from yours.

He gazes at you with such fondness and affection, his eyes filled with now love. You eyes now unsure if you can look at him the same. He seems completely smitten with you, as if all his anger has disappeared. "I'm sorry" he apologizes again, seeming genuinely remorseful. "I got carried away, I let my jealousy and possessiveness get the better of me. You have to understand, I'm afraid of losing you" he explains, "Y/n, let's go to bed now."

a/n edited: let me know if you like this one ... should i keep doing fics like this. I love writing yandere but maybe this is too abusive. But the real question is why am I writing fics like this so casually? and trust me i have many more yandere fics in mind. like idea wise and i basically have the whole brainstorming thing down. but it would really be amazing if I can collab with someone to write them with.

[astroyongie]

Seventeen: They Text You One Month After Your Death

Note: heavy angst and mentions of S* Scoups

"Wake up y/n and stay with me"  "I swear to god that right now, I need you here"  "I need you to stay strong baby.. Can you yell those words at me again please?"  "Ever since you left i try to remind me where I came from and where I belong, but without you i feel so lost in this earth"  "So wake up y/n.. and stay with me"

Wonwoo

"Its been a month already y/n.. do you remember, summer after high school, when we first met?"  "We maded out in my car and on my 18th birthday, we got those stupid matching tattoos. I still cry when i look at mine"  "do you remember when we used to steal your parents' liquor and go to your room? we spoke about our future like we had a clue you would leave me"  "fuck i never planned that one day I would be losing you. Why did you got to leave?"  "In another life y/n, I would be your husband and we both could keep all our promises of being happy together"

Mingyu

"I've been holding my breath each time i think of you"  “Wonwoo told me he put lillies on your tomb today. Sorry. didn't come, I've been holding back tears ever since that day"  "I miss you so much y/n"  "I've done a lot of things wrong, but i swear loving you was never one"

Vernon

"y/n"  "I can't imagine a world with you gone and yet here we are. Fuck i am still in denial"  "I have always said i would be so lost if you left me alone in this fucked up world"  "I can't stop crying"  "the images of you locked in the bathroom, lying on the floor when I broke through"  "and i pulled you y/n, did you felt me? did you heard me y/n? I pull you in to feel your heartbeat and i couldnt hear a damn thing"  "did you hear me screaming?"  "Please don't leave me"

Hoshi

"It's not true. Even today i can't accept that its true"  "y/n, please tell me I've been lied to, that you are still here, that you are still alive and well somewhere"  "Crying isn't like me, but i didn't stop ever since you left"  "What the hell did I do?"  "I love you but I don't want to"  "this hurts so much"

The8

"Hey y/n how have you been? Have you been sleeping well? have you been eating well?"  "I hope you are wearing that hoodie i gave you. I am wearing the one you gave me. as a matter of fact i dont have the heart to remove it"  "I hope you bribed the door on your way to the sky. I know god wouldnt mind it"  "y/n wait for me yeah? I miss you. Dont cry for me. The end is near”

Jun

"Hey y/n"  "sorry i am only talking to you now.. ah, i may have fucked up ahah"  "I am currently laying in the silence, waiting for the sirens of the ambulance"  "yeah.. i fucked up.. but i missed you so much"  "I'm alive still.."  "I don't wanna lose it but i cant bare being apart from you"  "but I'm not getting through this.. y/n what should i do?"  "should I pray? to whom? to myself? to a God?"  "y/n.. help me"

Dino

"miss your touch every nights y/n.. lately i have been feeling a little hollow. And you how have you been feeling?"  "I know you crossed the bridge that I can't follow, but hey brat, you could have said goodbye"  "but now we cant change the past.. the love that you left is all that I get"  "I want you to know that, if I can't be close to you, I'll try settle for the ghost of you"  "I miss you more than life"

Woozi

"I am sorry i keep texting you. i just hate you so much right now.” ”never saw it coming, I couldn't read the signs that you werent okay and fuck this.. i hate myself"  "Now I know that it means nothing"  "you are always on my mind y/n"  "the others are trying to tricked into believing that everything will work out in the end"  "fuck them. You were the only one for me"

Joshua

"Hey baby how are you? I am not doing good ahah.."  "All I want is nothing more but too hear you knocking at our appartment door"  "if I could see your face once more y/n, I could die a happy man"  "When you said your last goodbye that night, when that fucking disease took you, i swear to all angels I died a little bit inside"  "y/n, i miss you so much and all i do is lay in tears in bed"  "I never felt so alone"  "But if you loved me, why you leaved me?"

Jeonghan

"Yo brat.." “Woozi and Joshua made me text you.. tsk they are idiots.."  "but hey brat.. you were the light to my shadow, did you know?"  "fuck god to take my star. another star they say, fuck them. you are fading away in my memory"  "Where are you now brat? Are you okay?"  "Please... y/n."

DK

"y/n I think I lost myself again"  "But I remember you told me to stay strong and Seungkwan has been nagging me to eat more"  "But I wish you would be the one telling me that"  "y/n tell me why our love is six feet under ground? Are you cold down there?"  "I will go to your grave tomorrow.. Wonwoo told me to watered the Dahlias"  "Would they bloom?"  "It's all too much for me"  "How could you die carelessly? Whos gonna take care of my heart now?"

Seungkwan

"Hey baby"  "i decided to text you bc sunday mornings were your favorite and we used to meet with the gang"  "your last sunday you did your hair up, you looked so pretty"  "y/n, I have been screamin at a God for the past weeks"  "I'm still holding on to everything, I don't wanna say goodbye bc this one means forever"  "I don't want to say goodbye so please.. come back to me"

[honeyhae-svt]

On My Command

SEVENTEEN FANFICTION (SERIES)

AFAB!READER x SEVENTEEN - MNID!!!

GENRE: Mafia, Businesses, Dark Romance, Smut, Gangs, RomCom, Action, Fem!Reader x Mafia!Seventeen, Baddie!Reader x Businessmen!Seventeen

⚠️ WARNINGS ⚠️: Language, Kissing, Making Out, Persistence. -warnings for this chapter

♡-Mention of other groups like TXT, EXO, ENHA, G-IDLE, LE SSERA, NCT DREAM, RIIZE (this is a series so ig i will be adding more to than these warnings) - MDNI OR I WILL BLOCK THOSE WITHOUT AGE INDICATOR ON BIO.

READER IS NAMED LI MEI QIANG!!!

>>>> IMAGES ARE FROM PINTEREST so yeah, ctto. Enjoy babies. ♡

On My Command - Masterlist (Chapters)

CHAPTER 2

"I heard our rival's CEO is either Chinese or Japanese," Wonwoo remarked, drawing the group's attention. "Who did you hear that from? And why didn't you share it as soon as you knew?" Jeonghan demanded.

"We weren't sure yet... so we decided to wait until Minghao and Hoshi could confirm it," Wonwoo explained. "What we know for sure is that they're not Korean," Soonyoung added, and Minghao and Hoshi nodded in agreement.

Xu Minghao is a Chinese member of Seventeen, known for his skills as both a hacker and a slasher. He's adept with blades, particularly nunchucks, and excels at coding. His contributions to the company include producing, design work, and managing store branches throughout the city alongside Mingyu.

Minghao shut his laptop and whispered something to Soonyoung, who nodded in response.

"I swear, if you keep another thing from us, I'll be the one to cut your tongues off," Seungkwan said, rolling his eyes at their exchange.

"S.Coups told us to keep quiet until now," Minghao clarified, and Wonwoo and Soonyoung. "But we need confirmation soon. The shipments are arriving in three days, and we can't afford any sabotage," another voice chimed in.

"We're aware," Jeonghan replied, glaring at the hacking team. "These hackers are too slow and don't take their jobs seriously."

"You can't blame us entirely. We've already done a lot for the group," Jihoon retorted, clearly annoyed.

"Jun, Dino, have you found any information yet?" Joshua asked, cutting through the argument. "We just returned from another mission, so apologies for the delay. We've confirmed that the rival company is indeed Chinese," Junhui said, tossing an envelope onto the table.

"You had this information all along and didn't share it sooner?" Jeonghan asked, grabbing the envelope and scanning its contents.

"We only just got it ourselves. Don't put the blame on us," Junhui replied.

"Well at least you guys did better on your researching than the hacking team," Seungkwan says, side-eyeing the team mentioned which makes Hoshi want to leap and beat Seungkwan up into a pulp, but of course, he wouldn't do that. Seungcheol would kill them if they caused another trouble.

Wen Junhui, another Chinese member of the group, is renowned for his research skills alongside Dino. He contributes to both planning and production and is responsible for disguises, which he handles with great expertise. His insane visuals are enough to make you think he'd bring no harm.

Lee Chan Lee Chan, known as Dino, is the maknae and excels in cons and disguises. He plays a key role in the group's planning and production and is known for his charisma, which enhances his disguise work.

Jeonghan, Joshua, Woozi, and Deokyeom left for their separate meetings, leaving the remaining eight members in the room.

"This is our first mission failure," one man said, disappointment evident in his voice. "It's not a complete failure yet. The deadline isn't up," Soonyoung assured him. "We were split into three groups, each with four members. We might have managed better if we had worked together."

"Ay, ay, it's alright, Vernon-ah. We just need to learn from our mistakes and do better next time," Seungkwan said, patting Vernon’s shoulder. "Besides, we all had different missions, so we couldn't assist each other."

Chwe Vernon, the American member, has high expectations and views 'failure' as unacceptable. He is involved in both business and gang operations, excelling as a strategist and sharpshooter.

"Even so, it's okay to be disappointed," Wonwoo said, standing up. "I'm leaving," he added before walking out."I’ll leave too," Vernon said, also rising from his seat and exiting. "Those two really have such huge egos," Seungkwan remarked as he watched them go.

You were at work at the beauty store, successfully convincing a customer to buy three products. The sale boosted your confidence.

"Mei, our boss is visiting today because of yesterday's incident," Yuqi informed you, and you acknowledged the news.

Li Mei Quiang / YN, the protagonist, is a persuasive and observant 22-year-old Chinese who has lived in Korea since age six. Your expertise in psychological thinking and sociability makes you effective in your job.

Song Yuqi, a Chinese who moved to Korea four years ago, has become your close friend. She often calls you 'Unnie,' meaning older sister, as she is two years younger than you.

Choi Beomgyu, Choi Beomgyu, your best friend and a part-time store employee, is a year older and works as a musician. His social nature and connection to his band add to his role at the store. He also has his own set of other friends that is part of his band, and is practically a social butterfly.

Lee Heeseung, one of the people that you hold close with, your guardian since you were six, took you in when you were lost at the airport. Though his family needed convincing, he became your legal guardian and treated you like his own sister (once he reached his legal age). Ever wondered how a six year old even got there? Well, you were lost at an airport, you didn't know how to speak korean, so he took you with him.

He works at a small company, enough to make a living while taking care of you. He is five years older and treats you like his real little sister.

—AEYA HERE!: Count this as one of character introduction! Hehe, and, oh.

Choi Seungcheol is the boss of the Seventeen group, known for his stern and commanding presence. He has successfully led the group in both business and gang activities for five years.

3 days later.

The tension in the air was palpable as you stood in front of the manager, his eyes drilling into yours with an intensity that made your skin crawl. “You didn’t recover the stolen products, did you?” His question was pointed, almost as if he was challenging you.

You raised an eyebrow, biting back the urge to lash out. “No, sir...” you answered, your tone laced with thinly veiled sarcasm. His hand shot out, gripping your chin, forcing you to meet his gaze. He smirked, a sinister glint in his eyes. “You know what that’ll cost you, right?”

A dangerous grin curled your lips. “And why exactly am I the only one getting punished? It’s not my fault your damn store doesn’t have any security.” You swatted his hand away, your voice dripping with defiance. Yuqi and Beomgyu exchanged knowing glances—they’d seen this side of you before.

The manager’s eyes narrowed, caught off guard by your audacity. “You little—do you want me to fire you?”

You didn’t back down. “Fire me? Because your store doesn’t have the budget for a single security guard? Or is it that you’re pocketing the money instead?” You tilted your head, feigning innocence, your voice cutting through the room like a knife.

For a moment, he was speechless, his bravado crumbling. “W-what are you implying?” gulping in his words at the sudden statement you had made. You grinned in a smug kind of way like the proud and confident woman that you are.

“You know exactly what I’m implying,” you shot back, leaning in just enough to make him uncomfortable. “The company’s successful nationwide. There’s no way it can’t afford proper security unless someone’s skimming off the top. Should I take this up with the CEO?”

Yuqi and Beomgyu were silently cheering you on from behind. Your boldness was nothing new to them, but it never failed to amaze. The manager, realizing he was backed into a corner, stammered out a weak excuse before scurrying off, tail between his legs. Of course, he could've defended himself, but you knew too much and he just couldn't find the words to deny it. He'd get away from more humiliation. As the manager, he'd have more power over you, but you towered over him so quickly he didn't have the time to escalate things. He didn't see that coming, he was the new manager after all.

“Damn, that was epic,” Beomgyu whispered, a smirk playing on his lips.

“Seriously, unnie, you’re my hero,” Yuqi added, eyes shining with admiration.

You waved them off, checking your phone as it buzzed. The manager had sent you a message, instructing you to handle an incoming shipment at the airport. A sly smile crept onto your face as you replied with a curt, “Send me the details.”

Jeonghan, Joshua, Woozi, and Deokyeom were sipping their coffees, scanning the bustling terminal. They were waiting for the arrival of a critical shipment—a shipment they suspected had been compromised by their rivals.

“There,” Jeonghan muttered, nodding towards a woman talking to a man who matched the description of the dealer they were expecting. His eyes narrowed as he noticed something off. “That’s not the manager.”

“What do you mean?” Joshua asked, following Jeonghan’s gaze.

“The manager is supposed to be a guy,” Jeonghan replied, suspicion growing in his chest. “Could they be using someone else to do their dirty work?”

Woozi was already tapping away on his laptop, pulling up information on the mystery woman. “Li Mei Quiang... She’s listed as an employee from one of our branches, but there’s not much else here.”

Jeonghan’s mind was racing. “Why would a manager delegate something this important to a regular employee?”

Woozi’s eyes widened as more information came through. “It’s possible the manager’s a spy. He’s only been with the company a month—just before this whole mess with two groups started.”

Joshua frowned, piecing it together. “It was all planned. They sent him in as a mole.”

“And what about her?” Deokyeom chimed in, nodding towards you. “She could be part of it, too. There’s so little info on her, and she’s been working there for two years. Seems like a perfect candidate for a spy.”

Jeonghan sighed, his gaze still locked on you. “We’ll keep an eye on her, but for now, let’s make sure these products don’t end up in the wrong hands.”

The four men watched as you and the dealer loaded boxes into a truck. The tension was high as they followed you to the store, where they intercepted you just as you were about to offload the shipment.

Woozi approached you with a steely determination, flashing his ID. “These products need to be examined first.”

You glared at him, blocking his path. “And who the hell are you to make that call?”

Woozi’s irritation was palpable, but he kept his cool as he showed you his identification. Reluctantly, you stepped aside, arms crossed, watching as they took the boxes.

---

“So, we managed to stop the sabotaged shipment,” Soonyoung said, slumping into his chair, a sigh of relief escaping his lips. “But I’m still not sure about that girl,” Jeonghan muttered, pacing the room.

“You think she’s working with them?” Chan asked, leaning back in his seat.

“Possibly,” Jeonghan replied, rubbing his temples. “She might be more involved than we thought.”

“Relax, hyung,” Chan said, trying to ease the tension. “They wouldn’t send someone important out in the open like that. It’s too risky.”

Before Jeonghan could respond, Wonwoo and Mingyu entered the room, looking drained. “Turns out the ones who sabotaged our products were from EXO,” Woozi announced, breaking the silence.

“EXO?” Chan echoed, incredulous. “What the hell do they want with us?”

“They see us as competition,” Seungcheol said, his voice grim. “They’ve started a business here in Korea, and we’re in their way.”

Their company has been going well for the past 5 years, yet this commotion started about a week ago, making the rest of Seventeen members alert at the suddenness. EXO was a chinese group gang who had recently started their own business here in Korea a few months ago.

“Great, so now we’re dealing with a bunch of sore losers who resort to sabotage,” Seungkwan scoffed.

Seungcheol nodded, his expression dark. “We’ve lost a lot of money because of them. But this isn’t over. We’re going to double down on security and make sure every shipment is checked thoroughly. And as for that girl...”

Jeonghan straightened, his eyes narrowing. “We’ll keep a close watch on her. If she’s working with EXO, we’ll find out soon enough.”

He knew something was different too, but they also could be wrong. Wasting a time on that is just a big no for them given to the situation they're in for now.

Seventeen knew that they've already sent a few spies to their company to take note of whatever they had planned, so EXO was practically one step ahead of Seventeen.

A tense silence settled over the room as the members of Seventeen prepared for the inevitable confrontation. The stakes had never been higher, but they weren’t about to let anyone bring them down.

---

You walked back into the store, still reeling from the encounter. Your mind raced, wondering what the hell just happened. But there was no time to dwell on it—you had a job to do. And something told you this was just the beginning of a much bigger game.

The sun barely broke through the clouds that Sunday, casting a muted light across the room as you moved with purpose, determined to clean every corner of your apartment. Heeseung wasn’t home, so you had the place to yourself—rare time to get things in order on your day off.

As you wiped down the countertops, the silence was interrupted by your phone buzzing on the counter. You glanced at the screen: an unknown number. Ignoring it was second nature; you never took calls from numbers you didn’t recognize. But the phone buzzed again and again, the persistent vibration grating on your nerves.

“The hell is this?” you muttered, irritation creeping into your voice as you prepared to block the number. Just as you were about to hit the button, the phone buzzed again, your thumb accidentally grazing the answer key in your frustration.

“You finally answered,” came a hoarse voice, instantly familiar and unwelcome. Your heart skipped a beat, a cold realization sinking in. “Who is this?” you demanded, now holding the phone to your ear.

“Baby… Please… Come back to me,” the man’s voice cracked, punctuated by the sound of soft sobs. Recognition hit you like a wave—this was your ex, the one you broke up with over a year ago, his obsession clearly as strong as ever.You hung up abruptly, a frustrated sigh escaping your lips as you massaged your temples, trying to stave off the headache that was beginning to form. The phone buzzed again, the same number flashing on the screen. You blocked it immediately, your frustration bubbling over. “How did this guy even get my new number?” you muttered. You’d changed it twice, yet somehow he’d found you again.

Hours later, the apartment was finally spotless, and the only task left was to take out the trash. You had missed the janitor’s usual rounds, so you grabbed the bag and headed for the stairs. As you descended, the faint sound of footsteps echoed behind you. At first, you brushed it off as someone else taking the stairs, but as you reached the third floor, a hand suddenly gripped your arm, spinning you around.

Your instinct was to fight, to kick the assailant away, but then you saw his face—Riki, your ex-lover. Your body tensed, recognizing him instantly.“Riki…?” you muttered, eyes narrowing in disbelief.

Nishimura Riki, the same guy you’d dated for three months before calling it quits. Heeseung’s friend, a year younger than you, with a reputation for being far too obsessive. Even after a year, he clearly hadn’t moved on.

“I told you, we can’t,” you said, your voice firm with frustration. “Babe, please, just one last chance,” Riki pleaded, his voice desperate as he grabbed your hand, ignoring the trash bag you were holding. “I just held the trash, don’t touch that,” you snapped, yanking your hand away. “Let’s talk some other time. Not now.”

But Riki wasn’t about to give up easily. He lunged forward, wrapping his arms around you from behind in a desperate hug. “Riki! Let go of me or I’ll cut both your arms off!” you yelled, your voice echoing off the stairwell walls.

“Baby… I don’t know what I did wrong, why did we have to break up?” Riki’s voice was filled with pain, his grip still tight around you. “I swear, this guy is so stubborn,” you thought, pushing him away with all your strength until you were finally free.

“For the thousandth time, you didn’t do anything wrong. We just didn’t work out, okay?” you said, putting as much distance as possible between you and him.

Riki was a good guy—too good. Caring, loving, understanding, he had every quality someone could want. But that was the problem; he was too nice, and you didn’t feel like you deserved it. You didn’t take things seriously, and you knew that if you didn’t end it early, it would only hurt him more. But looking at him now, you realized how wrong you’d been.

You shouldn't have dated him in the first place, right? Your brother had set you up with him, on which you did agree to go on dates until you found it to yourself that you weren't that serious about it, which made you regret your decision.

“I’m sorry, Riki,” you said, your voice softer now as you turned to finally head downstairs. You hurried to the ground floor, feeling his gaze on you until you reached the exit. You placed the trash bag with the others by the side of the building, taking a deep breath as you bent over, hands on your knees.

You watched as Riki’s figure retreated, driving away, his shoulders slumped in defeat. Just as you felt a slight relief, another figure caught your eye—a man dressed entirely in black, with a mask covering most of his face and a cap pulled low over his eyes. You’d seen him around the complex before, always looking out of place. You decided not to get involved—whatever his business was, it was none of yours.

Back in your apartment, exhaustion washed over you as you slumped onto the bed, scrolling through your phone mindlessly until sleep finally claimed you.

Across town, in a dimly lit meeting room, a man entered, his footsteps echoing in the silence. Eleven figures were already seated around a large table, their faces obscured by shadows. The man took his place, and the one next to him leaned in, whispering, “What took you so long?”

“Seventeen has upgraded their security,” the man replied, his voice low. “The new system’s protection is too high—I can’t hack into it anymore.”

The leader at the head of the table slammed his hand down, the sound reverberating through the room. “Shut it. Because of your reckless actions, they found out about the shipments! Now you can’t even stay focused!” he shouted, his voice filled with barely contained anger. “Contact those seven boys and the three spies I’ve placed in each of their stores. Seventeen is already on to us.”

The group nodded in agreement, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife.

The following Tuesday, you were back at work, talking to Yuqi about the argument you had with Heeseung the day before. “Typical sibling fights,” Yuqi remarked with a shrug, while you rolled your eyes in response.

“Even if I’m mad, I don’t have the right to be. He’s the one who raised me,” you said, sighing as you fixed the shelves, Yuqi nodding along.

After a brief silence, Yuqi suddenly perked up. “Oh, unnie, do you have any plans for your birthday tomorrow?” she asked, her tone light.

You thought for a moment before shrugging. “Not really. Heeseung said he’s busy, and Beomgyu has something going on, so I guess there are no plans this year.”

"But unnie, we should still celebrate!" Yuqi insists, her excitement has not diminished. "How about we go clubbing? You're stressed, and maybe a night out will help."

You considered her suggestion, a small smile tugging at your lips. “Not a bad idea. I didn’t have anything planned, but I guess this could work.”

The next day, Shuhua picked you up in her luxurious limo, Yuqi and Minnie already inside. You wore a simple black dress with white off-shoulder puffed sleeves and a slit up the side, practical yet elegant. Your makeup was light, accentuating your natural beauty.

As soon as you stepped into the car, the girls squealed in delight, their eyes wide with admiration. “You guys act like you’ve never seen me before,” you quipped, rolling your eyes as you took a seat.

“We just wanted to give you extra attention since it’s your birthday,” Minnie said with a chuckle, the other two nodding in agreement. “Happy birthday, pretty girl,” Shuhua added, handing you a pair of designer bags.

“Thank you, girlies,” you replied, smiling as you accepted the gifts. Shuhua, ever the generous CEO, had picked out something luxurious, while Yuqi handed you a small box containing a delicate necklace engraved with all your names.

“Aww, this is really sweet,” you said, giving Yuqi a hug before slipping on the necklace. The car ride was loud and full of laughter, the four of you enjoying each other’s company until you arrived at the club.

The night was going well—too well, perhaps. A few hours in, the girls were already passed out, Minnie was nowhere to be found, Yuqi was slumped over the table, and Shuhua was making out with some random guy. You found yourself alone at the bar, the night still young but already feeling drawn out.

It was just after midnight, and you watched the crowd from above, perched on a stool with your legs crossed and your chin resting in your hand. You were starting to feel the effects of the drinks you’d had when a man walked into the room, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.

He was striking—tall, around 178-180 cm, dressed in a slim-fitting, jet-black suit that accentuated his lean frame. The suit’s fabric caught the light with a subtle sheen, perfectly tailored to his body. Underneath, a crisp white shirt contrasted sharply against the dark suit, the collar open just enough to reveal a glimpse of his collarbone. His deep burgundy tie added a splash of color, and a simple silver tie pin completed the look. His hair, slightly tousled yet meticulously styled, framed his sharp jawline, softening the intensity of his gaze. The way he carried himself—with a quiet confidence and a subtle, knowing smile—commanded the room’s attention.

His presence was magnetic, and despite yourself, being tipsy, you found yourself drawn into his presence. He started a conversation with you, offering you a few more drinks, making you feel more tipsy and you just couldn't help but feel drawn to this man in front of you. After a few moments of talking, the next thing you knew is that you had your lips all over his already.

~~~You've reached the end. Wait for Chap 3 ;)

On My Command - Masterlist (Chapters)

—AEYA HERE!: YNNIE??? WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? ಥ⁠‿⁠ಥ and who is that man? (⁠人⁠ ⁠•͈⁠ᴗ⁠•͈⁠)

—AEYA HERE!: your likes, reblogs, follows are very much appreciated. it boosts my dopamine and makes me want to upload asap so yeah, interacting with me really helps ^^

-NOW OPEN FOR TAGLIST!!! MESSAGE ME / COMMENT YOUR @ AND I WILL BE TAGGING THOSE WHO WANTS TO BE UPDATED ^w^

[sawpaingsheadband]

CD Drama Translation: Story 1

Setting: one of those VERY EXPENSIVE grilled meat restaurants, where they serve you meat to grill at the table. I am assuming it's set before the Kengan tournament starts, it doesn't seem like Cosmo and Seki know Ohma and Kazuo yet. Also, Cosmo here seems to be still not of legal age for alcohol, so still 19 years old.

Main characters: Yamashita Kazuo, Tokita Ohma

Secondary characters: Sekibayashi Jun and Imai Cosmo

Original video here, minutes 0:00 to 6:55

Translator's notes: the transcript had some things missing, so I had to keep my ears sharp for any piece of dialogue (I am considering actually writing the person who uploaded the original video, but I am kind of chickening out of this at the moment). Nevertheless I could understand pretty much everything, although I have had some troubles understanding what Yamashita Kazuo is saying when he shouts/panicks, but nothing I couldn't understand with a bit more listening. I apologize if there are inaccuracies, both Japanese and English are not my languages, but I have tried my very best.

Translation under cut!

Pleased to meet you, everyone.

My name is Yamashita Kazuo. Today I have treated Ohma-san, who has been helping me out, to a meal and for this I took him to a grilled meat resturant.

Kazuo: Ex-ex-expensive!!! What are these prices??? Is this a luxury restaurant*??? Dammit, I completely made a mistake in choosing this shop, how stupid of me, I went to the wrong restaurant!!!

Ohma: What's up, Yamashita Kazuo, you look gloomy.

K: Oh, oh, no problem at all! Ohma san, feel free to order your favourite things! (I can't say no to Ohma san now that we are here... Well, it's fine, it's a pity that I just received the winter bonus... Eh, it's fine, maybe, it's fine...)

O: Oh really? Then let's order quickly. For now, I'll have 10 servings each of the specials: short ribs, special quality roast, and special quality skirt steak.

K: *panicking/sarcastic* Let's steal a 300.000 Yen car and eat all of the meat then!*

O: Since I'll try and eat different kinds of meat, I will order the ones I like.

K: And you'll have 10 sdervings each...

O: why? Do you want me to make 20 servings of each?

K: Nonono, it's all good! (Ooohh, I wonder if I'll make it to summer...)

***.***

Cosmo: hey, have you heard, old man? THe guy next to us ordered 10 servings each of the short ribs, special quality roast, and special quality skirt steak! What a wonderful meal!

Seki: Ooh, he's quite the misunderstood* guy! He's suited to be a Pro Wrestler!

C: oh, old man, pro wrestling is all you think about! Anyway, let's order something else!

S: Alright! Then we'll order 10 servings of misuji and 15 servings of round tip*!

C: YEAH! It's becoming a feast!

S: you're young, so eat a lot*!

***.***

K: So that was it... We ordered a total of 30 servings. I felt like reaching the gates of Heaven.

O: It wasn't a lot... I really should have ordered 20 servings of each.

K: YOUUU!!! How much do you intend to eat?!

O: Alright, let's order some more, Yamashita Kazuo. What do you want?

K: uuuhhh... I'll take rice, kimchi, namul*...

O: What? Don't you want meat?

K: Ah... Well... I'm on a diet...

O: You should have a proper meal Yamashita Kazuo. Alright, I am encouraging you to have meat!

K: wait, WAIT! Ohma san, I am REALLY okay!

O: this Chateaubriand they have is nice... Are you eating Yamashita Kazuo?

K: Eh? Chateau- Chateau- Chateau- Chateaubriand??? Also, yellowtail is the rarest of fillet meats! I am not a master though! I'm just repeating what I read in a gourmet magazine.

O: for now shall we order 20 more servings?

K: really are you ordering 10 servings more...

O: well, I am tired of eating red meat. I will order 10 servings of rib eye.

K: Nevertheless... Why such big servings? Are you afraid of lo0sing meat?

O: Come on, Yamashita Kazuo, eat up!

K: oooohhh the bonus... My bonus... is gone...

***.***

C: hey old man! the man next to us is ordering meat by kilos!

S: Ahahahahahah isn't it glorious?! I want him as my student!

C: Ah, you only think of this! More importantly, we ate all the meat!

S: Hey Imai! Don't lose to the man next to us! I'm ordering 2 lots of tongue* for us!

C: 2 lots?! This is the first time I see someone order this much!

S: THere's already ribs on the plate! And also! Gimme the beer!

C: YAY! There is a lot of meat!

S: Keep eating, you'll become big! Ah, but no beer until you are of legal age!

C: Old man... You are so funny, but also very serious at times.

***.***

K: Uuuhhh... The mountain of meat has gone... I put on an aeon of kilos... How does this man's stomach do...

O: hey, have you heard, Yamashita Kazuo? The people next to us have ordered in BLOCKS.

K: I arrived at a yellow belt, yet Ohma san looks like a machine...

O: Alright, should I order more?

K: WAIT; Ohma san!!!

O: what's the matter, Yamashita Kazuo?

K: well, eating a lot is not good for your body, right? So shall we stop here?

O: oh, is itlike that? They say you should be full only at 80%.

K: I am saved... It was a close one... Somehow I made it...

O: So we can order desserts.

K: Eh?

O: so I will order 1 kilo of snowballs and 1 kilo of senmai

K: what, a kilo of snowballs and senmai as desserts?

O: Also, Japanese high-quality stone-grilled bibimbap, special cup, and top-quality wagyu beef nigiri.

K: ehhhh...

O: Ah, there it is, Yamashita Kazuo, ice cream too.

K: *heavy breathing*

O: feel free to take anything.

K: Farewell... Winter bonus... *wind noises*

____

*: the word is mise/ten, which means shop, but you would not define a restaurant like a shop, I think.

*: this one was a bit nebulous, I guessed it was like a way of saying that the whole thing was a robbery lol

*: the word is "gokai", which actually means "misunderstood". I guess Seki here is trying to compliment Ohma, so I don't think he's meaning it in a bad way.

*: misuji and shintama (round tip) are both cuts of beef.

*: the word is "dondon", which means "continuously"

*: I believe namul is a Korean dish, pls correct me if I am wrong.

*: another cut of meat, specificallyt the animal's tongue. I personally don't like it, but if you do it makes very good meals.

[bananaguyboi]

Posting the full Chapter 2 of [[ Tang Bo Returns! ]] here on tumblr before posting it on ao3 because i just know when I get back to this later, I will see some typos dskwdkadklasd

[[ Anyways, Enjoy the read! ]]

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

Moments before Myeong-Suk arrived.....

Gu Chil, a member of the beggar sect walked leisurely down the road. He quietly observed the busy market with a hint of curiosity, but shifted his focus to his thoughts.

'Maybe after the report, I could eat some food..' Gu chil thought.

As he continued his walk, A person carrying heavy boxes abruptly bumped into Gu Chil.

The boxes fell one by one. Causing huge, loud thuds ringing through the market place, but people couldn't careless. and continued their business.

"Oh, I'm sorry" Gu Chil immediately apologize, moreso bluntly than feeling sorry.

However, The person who looked like an thug glared at him, and quickly retorted.

"You! YOU..!!" The thug roared, it was loud enough to burst a person's ears.

Gu Chil slowly step back from the thug, and swiftly looks at the eyes of crowd who was walking by as if asking for help

However, the crowd avoided eye contact, and continue to stroll peacefully as they ignore the poor beggar.

Oh, fuck me..

The thug was about to walk up to Gu Chil, however, as if faith has landed on Gu Chil's shoulders, the thug was quickly stopped by beggar.

And another beggar.

And another beggar..

And another one....

And that guy too......

No, but seriously! What are the beggars doing here?

It's not like they're here to buy anything?

With a multiple beggars suddenly coming forward left, and right, The thug angrily grit his teeth, and turned around. "I'll remember this.." the thug grumbled as he walks.

"Oh? He's running away?"

"Tch, boring."

"Hey, Gu Chil! We did great right!?"

With no words to be said, Gu chil simply sighed.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. You always cause trouble by yourself, Gu Chil-ah. If the Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword sees you bruised, he might start tormenting us with his fist." The beggar joked, but he seems serious at the same time?

With a pat on the back from the beggars, Gu chil felt uncomfortable, and let out a nervous chuckle.

'He's mentioning Chung Myung again...'

No! but seriously! why am I always associated with Cho sa- I mean Chung Myung in any form of way!?

Is it because I used to know him??

Anybody who knows me would always talk about Chung Myung... It's as if Chung Myung is the only person engraved in their mind!

It's not like my whole identity revolves around him.. So what's the point of mentioning it?

With confusing thoughts, A sigh came out of Gu Chil's tired mouth.

If only Cho Sam didn't join Mount Hua..

Cho sam used to be an angel that condone no sins! Ah.. wait no.. He wasn't a complete angel per say, but he was soft-spoken, quiet, and honest.

But now, he has turned into a madman disguise as a disciple from a prestigious sect!

Just what did he see in Mount Hua that made him suddenly change his personality?? And why!?!?

Or maybe chief Jeong Pol hit him so hard that day, he went completely nuts?

I could never know...

Defeated, Gu Chil slowly looked at the beggars within the crowd.

Then quickly glanced at the beggars that are with him.

Though.. there is someone missing.

"Where's Myeong-suk?"

"Hm? Is he in trouble? Why are you trying to find that punk?" An upset beggar asked.

"No, no. Me, Ha jun, and Myeong-Suk were assigned to report something." Gu Chil calmly explained to the irritated beggar.

"Pfft- He must be sleeping right now, like he always does" One of the beggar laughed, and chimed in the conversation.

"Yeah.." Another beggar sighed. "Are you sure you want him to be with you? He only slacks around."

"Eh? From what I know, he always mentioned that he has an illness, or something?"

"Isn't that just him excusing himself so he could doze off, you punk?"

"No, i mean- you always see him getting tired before he can even lift a box, right?"

"That's just him being lazy"

"Well, how about the time he ran a few meters away, and suddenly he fainted to the ground?"

"That's him being lazy again!"

"This crazy guy- How is that considered lazy!?"

The two beggars fiercely glared at each other, but one of them halted their heated argument.

"Whether he has an illness, or was lazy, I still don't think he would be helpful, Am I right Gu Chil?"

Gu Chil didn't respond, and sighed. The beggar who ended the argument saw an opportunity being open, and quickly ask.

"Gu Chil, I can help you instead of Myeong-Suk if you'd like." The beggar smiled.

It wasn't any normal smile however. It was one of those smiles that didn't bring any comfort. A smile with no genuine emotions.. but greed...?

Gu Chil can't say for sure.

Was it like Chung Myung's scamming smile? No, It was far from it. Although that bastard is up to no good whenever he smiled maliciously, at the very least he knew that he did it with a good intentions. (Despite, the strange strategies being used, ahem-). This one however, made Gu Chil uncomfortable. It also didn't help that the smiling beggar had a mocking tone.

So, he could only stare at him in silence.

He was simply tired of it.

Tired of people siding with him just for the sake of getting near the Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword. Tired of people kissing his ass just to not getting beaten by that devil of a guy.

He could understand the reason. If he were in their shoes, he would do anything to not get pummeled by him too!

But what he never understood is why they're approaching him with a friendly facade, acting as if they were friends from the very start.

He's not the only one getting weird vibes from them, right?

Maybe they thought they could escape the death doors of the Chivalrous Sword, if they somehow befriended him? If that was the case, they don't know anything about Chung Myung.

Or maybe, they thought that if they approached Gu Chil, they would quickly befriend the Mount Hua's Chivalrous Sword themselves... If so.. They clearly don't know who Chung Myung is!

If only they knew, they would have probably avoided Gu Chil in every possible way, or take matters into their own hands, and beat the shit out of him out of anger.

Though, betting on the latter, the first one seems to be the safest..

Did all of this happen because he was treated with special treatment by Chung Myung? Perhaps.

But rather than feeling thankful that the demon himself favors him. It felt like he was betraying someone he never even met.

And to add more stress, the people around him just made him feel miserable. The way they look at Gu Chil as they give him backhanded compliments and praises. The way they talk to him as if he never deserved to have such treatment. It's not like Gu Chil wanted this attention!

Were they acting this way out of Jealousy? Resentment, perhaps? or maybe it's Superiority?

He couldn't be sure, but whatever the case, It was clear they didn't want to be friends with him.

"Gu Chil?" The smiling beggar blinked, waiting for an answer.

'Ah.. I kept him waiting' Gu Chil thought. He then grinned back at the him, and simply responded "No thanks." He was used to this, so rejecting them was shockingly easy.

The smiling beggar's eye twitched. "No, I insist. You might have a hard time dealing with someone like Myeong-Suk"

Gu Chil swung his head back, and forth in denial, and faced the smiling beggar. "Honestly, I'd rather be with Myeong-Suk than be with you guys"

Now hold on, that's a shocking news on its own, what the actual FUCK?

Gu Chil said it so confidently, however he was taken aback by the loud shouts of the beggars.

"Huh? Why that bastard??"

"Well.. Thats because unlike you guys, he simply doesn't care.."

"Doesnt care about what??"

"My relations..?"

...

That's not entirely a lie... Myeong-Suk was known to have never pay attention to one's affair.

To sum it up, he was a lazy bum. The beggars even sometimes wonder why he ever joined the Beggar Sect, a place dedicated to gathering, and collecting information.

"Hm.. He is quiet, i suppose.." The beggar added

"But still! You prefer that useless guy over us?"

"Well, in his defense, you guys are condescending at times.."

"What was that, you bastard!?"

Tired of listening, Gu Chil finally snapped "Ay- whatever! Ha jun, help me find him!"

. . . . ,

.

.

.

***

. . . . . . .

.

.

.

Gu chil intently stared at Tang Bo who was in the body of Myeong-suk.

He's asking if the heavenly demon is alive...?

This crazy guy- He must have lost his memories when he was asleep..

Still, hearing this from "Myeong-Suk" bewildered him. Why would he ask that??

Gu Chil pondered, then completely stopped his thoughts as he looked away from Tang Bo, and gazed directly at the mountains of Mount Hua.

'Wait.. hold on-'

Just as Gu chil could process his mind, Ha Jun growled at Tang Bo.

"Are you stupid, or what? why would he-"

but before Ha Jun could finish his words, his mouth was quickly covered by Gu Chil's hand.

"...? So that's a no?" Tang Bo tilted his head at the two beggars

"..Ahaha..." Gu Chil nervously laugh.

He was sweating bullets. He didn't know why, but his instincts are telling him that if he made a wrong move, It would hunt him back then, and there.

"Ahem... Let me speak in Ha Jun's stead" Gu Chil replied.

However Ha Jun resisted, and spoke out " Mmpfh- WAIT- NO BUT WHY-" but before Ha Jun could even form coherent sentences, his mouth was again, completely shutted by Gu Chil.

'This crazy guy! Are you getting yourself killed?' Gu Chil internally screamed as he direct his gaze at Ha Jun.

However Ha Jun couldn't understand the fear in his eyes, and look back, and forth at Tang Bo, and Gu Chil in confusion.

Tang Bo simply stared at the two struggling with a stoned-face. It was an interesting sight to see two beggars looking at him confounded, and afraid. Not like that was his first time-

But, He couldn't exactly blame them because if someone were to ask Tang Bo an idiotic question, that person would have been burried ten feet underground.

If Tang Bo used to had his prior strength that is.

Fortunately for Tang Bo, Gu Chil had common sense, and a sense of intuition, Although Gu Chil didn't understand why, he knew not to mess with the newborn devil in front of him. So he politely answered every one of Tang Bo's questions.

. . . . . . .

...

...

Uncomfortable silence fell in the air.

Tang Bo's eyes were filled with confusion

Hundred years since the Demon war?

and Hyung-nim was the one who ended it?..

He can't tell if he should be happy or not.

On one hand, the war had finally ended. There will be no more people dying from pain. The people who survived, and lived on, proved that no matter the catastrophe, they won't give up.

but on the other hand....

...

.....

Tang Bo suddenly flowed back to his memories of Chung Myung who was holding his hand in panic, and agony.

...What did he feel when he finally killed him?

Euphoric? No, Rage maybe..?

Tang Bo raise his head, and face the now clear sky emitting with light, as if the previous battles hadn't happened.

Words can't describe the anguish on Tang bo's face Though quickly, his face turned into acceptance.

The dead will be dead, He had already said his goodbyes to him.

But..

If only he could meet him just one more time, that would be nice...

..Yeah..

..That would be nice....

Tang Bo shook his head, and moved away from his thoughts, He looked into the direction to Sichuan.

Although he missed his old life. The lord himself had given him a second chance

In this new life, he had set two goals in mind. Go to the Tang Family, and heal his Dantian!

He recalled that there was a specific room hidden away in the balcony deep into the underground in the Sichuan Palace that had ingredients of recovering from a Dantian. It was in Tang Bo's room...

Tang Bo did wonder on why his room specifically was place too deeply below the surface, despite him focusing more on pharmacy than poisons, but it's best not to dwell on it. As he continues to walk, He realize that he was.. slow.. and that annoyed him. He knows that he can't overexert the beggar's body. After all, the Dantian will get damaged. And, It's not like he was in a hurry either, but it's annoying nonetheless

Though he does wonder how he'll get in the Sichuan Palace.. The Tang Family would probably deem him as an impersonator, or anything. But that doesn't matter right now, he'll find out anyway when he gets there.

"Ho- Hold on, Myeong suk where-"

"Tang Bo." He abruptly asserted "Call me Tang Bo."

Tang Bo? As in a member of the Tang Family?

Just what is he planning??

Gu Chil, and Ha Jun were perplexed, but Tang Bo never cared enough to clear the confusion.

Tang Bo was walking away from them.. albeit slowly..

But, before Tang Bo gets too far, he quickly turned around, and faced Gu Chil.

"Hey"

"...?"

"Do you have a horse?"

"..........ahahaha......"

Tears started to form in Gu Chil's eye

.

.

.

.

.

***

.

.

.

'

Augh....

Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

That bastard...

The Mount Hua disciples who was laying on the ground, all bruised, and defeated, glared at Chung Myung as if their eyes were throwing daggers towards him.

Chung Myung payed no attention to them however, and quaffed the cheap liquor on his hand.

Gulp! Gulp!

After drinking the liquor whole, He then mercilessly struck Im Sobyeong's face when he was about to rise from the ground.

He flew across the field, and his head was thrusted against the ground. Im Sobyeong coughed heavily, and scowled at Chung Myung.

"You..! I'm a patient, you bastard!"

"Patieeeent? You? Patient? Come on, You evil sect bastard! Let me show you what a real patient is!"

" Wa- wait..!- Heeeeeeeeeeek!-"

Like a cat chasing a mouse, Chung Myung plunges himself towards Im Sobyeong, who was running away pathetically, then struck him on the back using his leg.

THUD!

Chung Myung quickly landed himself on the ground after thrashing Im Sobyeong near the death doors, and looked across the field.

Everyone lay sprawled to the ground, gasping for breath. They all look like they were barely clinging in life. well except for Namgung Dowi, who had special treatment because of the money he offered, but still...

"Is this all you can do!? Tsk, tsk! Back in my day...."

"Amithaba, He's talking like an old man again.."

"We're older than you! Older!"

"Is he a spy? How does he know all these things?? "

"Just please shut his mouth... I don't wanna listen to him anymore..."

"What was that?" Chung Myung glared back at the people criticizing him, however they averted meeting his eyes.

Chung Myung scoff, and continue to nag for who knows how long, he then casually walked inside the sect's head quarter to eat desserts, as if the business was done.

Namgung Dowi tilted his head, and directly looked at Baek Cheon who was groaning on the ground, disheveled, and covered in dirt.

"Uh.. Deputy Sect Leader"

"What?.."

"About Doja-nim.. what did he ever do in the past for him to always bring up our ancestors..?"

"I wonder too.. He's talking as if he knows them personally..."

"Maybe, he's an old soul reincarnated inside a younger man's body?"

"That doesn't sound too far off.."

With many questions rising, all eyes went to Baek Cheon, eagerly waiting for an answer.

Baek Cheon could only smile back at their silly questions

"I don't know" he simply responded

"Eh? How can you not know? Don't you hang out with him?"

"Well, He's not the kind of person to talk about himself despite chattering a lot"

"Yeah.. try talking to Chung Myung about his past, and it'll turn into a nagging session!"

"Augh.. Why can't he just tell us.."

They know him, but they don't at the same time

Aside from his strength, and a bit of his personality, They never really knew much about Chung Myung. He was close, yet distant . Though a stranger, he was still familiar.

They never questioned Chung Myung's knowledge. Because if they did, it will only lead them to confusion.

Like, right now.

" Maybe, He knew our ancestors before?"

"If that's the case, then he must be the age of an elder! Think better!"

"Aigooooooooooooo, just thinking about Chung Myung makes my head ache, Can't we just agree that he's a demon disguising himself as a disciple?"

"What if he came from Maegyo?"

"This crazy bastard! Do you want your skulls to be broken? What if Chung Myung heard that!"

Baek Cheon silently stared at the Nokrim clan arguing with the Tang Family.

it was a.. strange combination..

And.. uh...? Even the Namgung Family is bickering at the Ice palace soldiers...

Are we seriously gonna talk about this..?

Questioning Chung Myung's origins is like taking a deep dive to a pile of shit. Chung Myung as a person is already breaking the law of physics, even logic couldn't define his miracle-like actions! So why did they think it would be easy to figure out his past?

Though..

"Does anyone even know what he even likes?"

Everyone stared all at once to the person who asked who asked.

"Liquor"

"Money"

"Torture"

"Uh.. Sweets? Mooncakes?"

" Does him liking plum blossoms count..?"

"No but these guys! What does that question have anything to do with Chung Myung's past?"

" Well he's Chung Myung, How are we suppose to know? Try questioning him bout it, and even that's a struggle! So, we should at least know the basics of what he likes! like uh..? what else?""

"..Mount Hua?"

"We all know he likes Mount Hua Sect dipshit, where else do you think he'll be?"

"Honestly, aside from his achievements, Mount Hua is may be the only thing we ever know about him.."

They knew Chung Myung likes Mount Hua. Hold on, wait- "Like" is understatement.

He LOVED Mount Hua. They have never seen someone as loyal as Chung Myung is to Mount Hua.

Devotion? Determination? And Dedication? Combined with Eccentricities? Lo, and behold, we get the Mount Hua's Mad Dog.

Looking back, why did Chung Myung ever joined a declining sect like Mount Hua?

As they continue to think about it, Chung Myung being in Mount Hua just felt..... strangely natural..? Like it felt Perfect. Too perfect, in fact.

As if he was born to be in Mount Hua Sect.

Chung Myung among the Plum Blossom trees felt naturally quintessential.

Whenever he's alone, he would sometimes stare at the Plum Blossom trees with a gentle, warmth expression. Something about his eyes shimmer with pride as he looks at it, yet at the same time he looked as if he was yearning for something that was forever gone.

A sense of Melancholy exuded his presence.

To be frank, From their perspective, Chung Myung represents the Mount Hua Sect as a whole.

Through his sword techniques, his honey-like scent, and even the color of his eyes complements the color of Plum Blossoms. He was proud of it, being one from the sect. Nobody can deny that, they have seen it through his passion, and devotion.

So, despite the sect being at rock bottom, It'd be stranger if he didn't join at all!

Still, how did he do it? Restoring a fallen sect? Even their elders will have a hard time doing that..

In a way, he's like a miracle. As if heavens themselves gave Mount Hua's luck and fortune towards him specifically.

A person like Chung Myung wouldn't happen in a hundred of years. No.. Maybe thousands!

Simply calling him " the prodigy" is doing an injustice to what he had done to the world. He's a genius, a Master even. A monster that towers everyone, even the elders despite being so young.

"But then again, he's the same asshole who's tormenting us..."

"Aughh.. Why did you have to mention that?"

Everyone sighed in unison. Just thinking about that bastard's story was a headache in it of itself, so it's best to never question him at all.

But... there was still something that stands out...

" Say.... Does Chung Myung like the color green?" Jo Gul asked.

" This guy.. Yoon Jung sahyung! Can you please hit sahyung's head!"

"Hey! Hey! I was just asking a question??"

"What stupid question is that? Wouldn't he like pink, or red instead?

"Yeah i thought so too, but he has that long green ribbon he usually wears on his hair, so I was curious"

"Maybe he likes the color green, but why does that matter?"

"Because it is?" Jo Gul responded, but the disciples all looked at him with disappointment.

Jo gul pouted, and argued. " Don't look at me like that! I'm not the only one noticing that Chung Myung, That devil of a guy who would kick around a chest with the rarest treasure, and throw it around as if its a doll, takes care of a green ribbon with delicacy like it's a precious item, right!? "

...

"Jo Gul isn't asking a mindless question, like he usually does.."

" Sasuk, shut up.."

"Now that you mentioned it, When did Chung Myung wore it?"

" Probably since he joined? It's not like it's that important"

" Eh? Since the start? Didn't that ribbon came from the Tang Family? The expensive silk says it all! Maybe he wore it to show off our friendship!" a Tang Family member interjected.

"This crazy bastard! Do you honestly think that Chung Myung is that kind of person to do that!?"

"Well, it's not like we ever see him wear anything outside of the Mount Hua attire, so it's uncertain."

" But still.. the ribbon seems special to him.."

All stared at Chung Myung who was eating mooncakes, with a prickly, confused expression.

He always wears the green ribbon, but they never knew why.

It felt natural, like how Chung Myung naturally fitted Mount Hua.

And contrary to his body, and outfit that was usually covered in blood, dirt, or any kind of things, the green ribbon was always left untouched. Not even the a single stain gets to it, and whenever it does, he would he would do anything to remove it. Which speaks for itself that it is special.

As they further looked at the Ribbon.

They noticed that the ribbon wasn't just any normal ribbon. As the Tang Member mentioned earlier, it was indeed goddamn expensive.

A sophisticated, long green ribbon made of silk with tatters at the end. The appearance was simple, yet the fabric was uncommon. It looked worn out, as if the ribbon existed a century ago. Though, if they look closely, it was still lustrous, and was brimming with elegance.

Which was a stark contrast to Chung Myung's basic black, and red outfit.

Everything about the ribbon contradicted who Chung Myung is.

Elegance? Lustrous? Expensive fabric? and Decades of existence? Even the green color was distracting at times. Though, strangely enough, the ribbon's colors didn't clash with his clothes, but instead complemented each other.

It complemented him.

It just somehow fitted him naturally, and again, they never knew why.

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

The ribbon part was taken inspiration of this work lol

Anyways- Thank you so much for reading!! I hope you enjoyed it skks

And if you have any criticism/feedback, please tell me in the comments!

(Also- the drawings for some of these scenes would be uploaded on Ao3 lol so yeahhhh- )

[joshushuaji]

another friend || w.jh x afab!reader

꩜ genre / tws . fluff, angst, has some swearing, mentions of a cat's de@th, reader is depressed, jun is your cutie bf to comfort u <3

꩜ wc . 1.2k (1240)

꩜ synopsis . after losing your cat that you grew up with since you were 13, your sweet boyfriend found another way to cheer you up other than using his words.

꩜ a/n . this is a late bday gift for my baby boy, jun. i hope you guys like it!! (i'm doing a hoshi one next then i'm going to be releasing my seungcheol series <3)

sfw masterlist > here .

jun silently looks at himself in the bathroom mirror before hearing a loud buzz coming from his bedroom.

he turns off the lights before walking towards the noise, soon finding out that you were calling him. he answers the phone with a warm smile on his face, “hey baby, do you need something? i miss you.” he asks, with a chuckle.

you sniffle quietly, trying to calm yourself down and as soon as he heard that he asked you if you were crying to which you confirmed you were.

“what's wrong? did something happen? do you need me to come over, my love?” his sweet, sweet smile disappearing as you let out a stuttered “yes”.

you look at your phone through tears, your vision slowly getting blurry as you try to stay in contact with jun but there was no point because all the words that he just said went into your left ear and went out the other.

the last thing you heard from him was “i'll be there in a few minutes.” before he hung up.

jun rang the doorbell to your apartment and surprisingly, your mom opens the door.

“ah, jun.. i didn't expect you to be up this late. i told y/n to not call you because i thought you were asleep.” she says with an awkward smile though her expression didn't last long.

jun shook his head nonchalantly, “i've been staying up lately because i have work, eomeo-nim.”

she nods her head. “right, come in. y/n's in her room, sweetheart.” her mom offered one last smile before jun disappeared from her sight, walking towards your bedroom.

he knocked gently on the slightly open door, “y/n, love? i'm here.” he entered your room, opening the lights as he let out a devastated sigh when he saw you lying on the ground with empty beer cans everywhere.

he sat down on the floor next to you, “what's wrong now, hmm?” jun softly ran his hands through your hair as you slowly sat up and hugged him.

he hugs you back with no hesitation and you started sobbing loudly in his arms. “my cat.. ming— ming is dead, junnie..” you stutter.

he strokes your back as he struggles to find the words to comfort you but as a few seconds pass, he manages to discover the right ones; “i'm so sorry, y/nnie.. i'm sure ming's watching you in heaven, i know it. someone else has to take care of him now that he's in the afterlife , but he'll always remember that you're the first and only person that's in his heart.”

“come on, baby. don't cry anymore, okay? we're all here for you. it's hard but i promise you'll feel better soon. ming's missing you too and i'm sure he wants you to be happy, even if he's gone.” he wipes your tears off, placing a kiss on your forehead while he massaged your hand.

you lean in and give him a peck on the lips, “i love you, junnie.” you sniffled, smiling a bit. “i love you too and so does ming, so stop crying now okay?” he smiled back.

recently, you moved in with your boyfriend since your job was much closer to his house and so was his. when jun knew about this, he was more than happy to help you out with moving into his apartment because he's always been lonely ever since minghao left to spend his vacation in china with his parents.

it's been a few months since your beloved cat's passing. you've moved on with the help of jun but of course it still saddens you when you think about ming.

you're left alone in jun's apartment, waiting for him to arrive home from work; it's been a stressful day for you— you had to take care of rude customers and the cafe was packed with so many people, you almost bursted out of that place in anger.

walking towards the living room, your body falls limp on the brown sofa.

you suddenly hear the door open and immediately stand up, knowing that it was your boyfriend. “love, i'm home.” he says as you came running into his arms, not letting him put his bag down.

“hi junnie.” you say, smiling as he placed a kiss on your forehead. “hi y/nnie.” he replied back and chuckled as you let go of the hug to let him take his shoes off.

“i have a gift for you, baby” jun said and god, he fell in love when he saw your eyes widen. he looked at them as if there were sparkles in those eyes, so plain yet so ethereal. “why don't you go wait in the living room and wait for me?” he says and you oblige quickly.

he opened the front door to grab the portable pet carrier from one of his friends that were waiting outside, thanking him one last time before he left.

“y/nnie, are you still in the living room?” he yelled, but not too loud to which you replied with a gentle ‘yes, i am’ before he proceeded to enter the living room while carrying a pet carrier.

you confusingly look into his eyes and back at the object he was carrying, not knowing what to say— or what it was either. your curiosity killed you.

junhui sits next to you before holding your hands and looking into your eyes. “baby, i know you've been wanting another cat ever since ming's passing. so.. i, um,”

your eyes widened and tears started welling up, “what the fuck?! are you serious junhui?! did you get me a kitten?!” you freaked out, hugging him immediately after he nodded to your questions. he stroked your back as you sobbed into his arms, humming.

“o-oh my gosh..” you say, looking at the kitten that he took from the pet carrier and now presenting it to you. “it's a little guy! this is the best gift ever, junnie..” you sniffled.

and as you thought that things wouldn't get worse, the kitten meowed at you. it meowed at you. and you felt your heart swell, hearing its first meows right in front of your eyes. “oh my.. he looks just like ming, doesn't he?” junhui pets the kitten as you admired it.

“you sweet baby.. mommy and daddy junhui will take care of you.” you booped its nose and sniffled as you smiled through your tears.

junhui looks at you with pure adoration, he can't help himself but admire you. even while you were crying, he felt like you were the most beautiful person he's ever seen in his entire life. just as he was getting lost in his thoughts, you made eye contact with him and gave him a peck on the lips as well as the kitten he held.

“thank you, junhui. i love you so much.” he cupped your cheeks and pulled you in for one more kiss before you pull away, not wanting to suffocate the kitten in between your bodies.

“you're welcome and i love you too, my love.” he smiled as he gave you the kitten and watched you for the rest of the day playing with your new pet.

he was so happy and he wished that life would be like this forever. you were his source of happiness and he wished that you were still his by the time both of your hairs turn white.

a/n 2: if you liked this, please like & reblog tysm! support an underrated author <33

for more like this, check out my masterlist!

[s2pdoktopus]

OwO

Jiang Cheng in Seclusion

Jiang Cheng: *squeezes his belly where his golden core is with a pained expression*

Jiang Xie: *watches him with furrowed brows*

...

Jiang Xie: *in the kitchen, talking to the head cook* Ayi, about A-Die...

...

Jiang Cheng: Hao Fei, this is the fifth day you've given me congee.

Hao Fei: I'm sorry if the food is not to your liking, Sect Leader, but young mistress Jiang had insisted that you only eat food that can help with your upset stomach.

Jiang Cheng: I don't have an upset stomach.

Hao Fei: Perhaps if Sect Leader communicated this with his daughter, he wouldn't have to endure four days of eating bland food.

Jiang Cheng: Are you telling me how to handle my kid?

Hao Fei: Xiao-Xie has been running around with the three trouble makers looking for the person responsible for your seclusion, sect leader. I heard she reached out to Jin Rulan and asked him to, and I quote "use his sect leader powers" to find a perpetrator.

Jiang Cheng: Nosy brats.

Hao Fei: I wouldn't dare ask sect leader why he chose to lock himself up in his room but I expected our sect leader, whom raised his home from the ashes while caring for his nephew after losing his family to be strong enough to be there for his children, especially at a time like this.

Jiang Cheng: ... *eats his food* Tell Jin Ling to bring his cousin home immediately. Otherwise I'll go to Carp tower myself and break their legs.

Hao Fei: Right away, Sect leader.

----

Bofu

Jiang Xie: A-DIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! (slams to Jiang Cheng's legs)

Jiang Cheng: *sigh* A-Xie, what did I say about running by the docks?

Jiang Xie: You never told me you have a big brother!

Jiang Cheng: I didn't?

Jiang Xie: You do! A-Ling called him Dajiu which makes him my Dajiu too!

Jiang Cheng: Bofu, your Bofu. And who's Da-jiu?!

Jiang Xie: Senior Mo! *Gasp* but doesn't that mean that insect really happened in our family???

Jiang Cheng: In...sect...? You mean incest? Where do you even learn these?

Jiang Xie: Do not change the topic, A-Die! You have a brother and you never told me!

Jiang Cheng: I... did have a brother.

Jiang Xie: hmph!

Jiang Cheng: But I don't have one anymore. It's complicated.

Jiang Xie: Is it that "you'll get it when you're older" thing?

Jiang Cheng: ... yes.

Jiang Xie: But Senior Mo was your brother?

Jiang Cheng: No?

Jiang Xie: No?

Jiang Cheng: Senior Mo... is possessed by my brother. No, Zidian can't make him leave.

Jiang Xie: Oh... is that bad? What about Senior Mo?

Jiang Cheng: I don't know. (I don't care either.)

Jiang Xie: *nods* But what should I call him now A-die? He's like, Senior Mo and your brother at the same time!

Jiang Cheng: Jin Ling will be annoyed if refer Wei- his DaJiu with respect before you do to him.

Jiang Xie: A-Ling is A-Ling. Senior Mo is your brother, I want to leave a good impression!

Jiang Cheng: Brat. (You already left a horrible impression I'm sure.) I don't know how you should address him.

Jiang Xie: It's complicated. (Nods sagely)

Jiang Cheng: It's complicated. But you can just ask him how he wants to be called and do as he says to make it simpler.

Jiang Xie: Oh! You truly are wise, A-Die! I'll go ask him!

Jiang Cheng: Brat. Wait. Wei Wuxian and Jin Ling are here?!

Wei Wuxian: Ah, Xiao-Xie, to what do I owe a visit?

Jiang Xie: Senior Mo, can I call you Bofu?

(Jin Ling in the background: *offended gasp*)

Wei Wuxian: ... YES OF COURSE! I'd be honored-(Glows)

Wei Wuxian: But, Ah... wouldn't your A-die mind?

Jiang Xie: A-die said I should ask you.

Wei Wuxian: *Glows even brighter*

Jiang Xie: A-Die?

Jiang Cheng: What is it this time?

Jiang Xie: If Senior Mo-

Jiang Cheng: Wei. His, my brother's name is Wei Ying. Courtesy name Wuxian.

Jiang Xie: If Senior Wei is my Bofu, doesn't that make Hanguang Jun my shenshen?

Jiang Cheng: (torn between accepting Lan Wangji as family and how funny it would be if his daughter calls him shenshen) Maybe. Ask your uncle how to address him.

Jiang Cheng: Wei Wuxian allowed my kid to call him uncle. What does this mean????

Wei Wuxian: Jiang Cheng allowed his kid to call me uncle. What does this mean????

Jiang Xie: A-die! a-Die! Did you know that Bofu has a son?

Jiang Cheng: A... WHAT???

Jiang Xie: A son!

Jiang Cheng: A son?

Jiang Xie: *nods* isn't that great? Our family doubled in just a year!

Jiang Cheng: Wei Wuxian.

Wei Wuxian: Yes, A-Cheng?

Jiang Cheng: If I learn one more life altering secret about the family from one of my kids again, consider this fledgling bridge we've been building broken.

---

Dad's

Jiang Xie: A-Ling, A-Ling why are you sad?

Jin Ling: Nothing, I just-

Jiang Xie: Just?

Jin Ling: I just wish I have parents too.

Jiang Xie: We have A-die.

Jin Ling: He's your A-die. Mine is...

Jiang Xie: (contemplates) (with determination) A-Ling, swear brotherhood with me.

Jin Ling: Huh? Why? And what does that have to do with anything.

Jiang Xie: (brightly) If you're my brother then my A-die is your A-die too!

Jin ling: I'm not replacing my father.

Jiang Xie: yeah you're just getting two fathers now. Your Baba and my A-die.

Jin Ling: that's not how it works.

Jiang Xie: It is too! My brother should naturally my father's son too, no?

Jin Ling: that's not- sighs

Jiang Xie: well?

Jin Ling: (hugs Jiang Xie) I'll think about it, thanks A-Xie.

Jiang Xie: (hugs Jin Ling back)

----

During a Cultivation conference

Jiang Xie: *looks at Lan Wangji, cowers behind Jiang Cheng a bit* A-Die? Why is Hanguang Jun always mad at you?

Jin Ling: *winces and drinks his tea*

Jiang Cheng: ... He's not mad at me.

Jin Ling: *spits his tea* jiujiu?!!

Jiang Cheng: he looks at nearly everyone the same way. He's just born with that face, no need to put meaning on his stares.

Jiang Xie: *looks at Lan Wangji again* oh, you're right.

Jin Ling: he's no-

Jiang Cheng: Sect Leader Jin, if you're so eager to correct my words, I'm sure you wouldn't mind educating my daughter for the next hour or until her curious mind is satisfied.

Jin Ling: ah, *looks at Jiang Xie's eager eyes* of course, sect leader Jiang is right, the chief cultivator does look at everyone the same way.

---

Christmas (kind of)

Jiang Cheng: 'To make it clear, this wasn't my idea. A Senior Disciple came to me one day. "Sect Leader, how about we do something to boost the juniors' morale?" The proposition was thus: We tell the children that if they work their hardest, some of them will be given the chance to have their wish granted by some magic man, or something, Jiang Cheng isn't pivy with the details other than the magical wish grantor is actually just him using the magic of money. It was supposed to be a one time thing but it was a very effective motivator so it became a tradition.

In this year's conferences the Yunmeng Jiang Sect continued to rank among the top in competitions. And now, Jiang Cheng has to complete his end of the bargain.

Jiang Cheng: Next time someone asks to be whipped by Zidian, I'm going to do it so hard no one will ever ask for it ever again. *Picks up a letter separate from the stack* Xiao Xie has been loud but otherwise good this year. Maybe I'll give her something she wants

Xie's letter: I wish to have a Didi.

Jiang Cheng: I thought she already moved on from that... Jin Ling performed very well in the last archery competition. He's A-Jie's son so he's technically Yunmeng Jiang by blood. *Picks up Jin Ling's letter* why is it heavy?

Jin Ling's Letter: I wish Jiujiu and Wei Wuxian to reconcile.

Jiang Cheng: that brat, he should learn to mind his own business- *a gold drops from the letter* is he bribing me?!?!

Jiang Cheng: *massages his temple* picks up a letter from the pile. Yu Meilai, *nods* she more or less carried the sect during those competitions. She deserves to-

Yu Meilai: On behalf of lotus Pier, I humbly ask our wish grantor a torture dungeon. With-

Jiang Cheng: *puts it back in the pile. Picks another letter.* Ah, XinXue. She has been very good with the new Shimei and shidi, I'll try my best to-

XinXue's letter: I wish all demonic cultivators a slow agonizing death

Jiang Cheng: Ah, that's impossible. Even for Sandu Sengshou. I mean, I would attempt it but that would but the sect in danger considering who the chief cultivator's husband is. Yes. That's why I can't do it. I can but I can't. Sorry XinXue. *Picks up a different letter* Please for the love of every deity protecting lotus Pier, let this be something I can actually grant. *Read the letter

Jiang Lian: Our sect Leader works too hard, I wish him a day or two of rest.

Jiang Cheng: Jiang Lian has always been my favorite.

(Jiang Cheng slept soundly that night and then the next.)

---

Inheritance

[asena-queenslayer]

2024 프랑켄슈타인 (dir. 왕용범) 10th Anniversary Review

Warning: possibly the longest post I've made yet lmao

I went to 3 performances in July: 7/3 YJS, 7/5 Kyu, 7/11 SSR and technically listened to most of 7/14 JDS

A little background that is completely unnecessary but I like dumping context anyway:

I went in completely blind, I've loved musicals since I was little but haven't been aware of the Kmusical world until a few years ago when I found there was a Korean version of the Count of Monte Cristo (one of my favorite novels)

So when I visited Korea last year I thought I might as well try and catch a show while I was there

I didn't know of any musical actors tho except for 김승대 bc Monte Cristo and 신성록 bc one time I saw that Master in the House clip of him singing Phantom of the Opera

So I was like okay might as well see if either of them are doing a show at the moment

Apparently 김승대 was in Notre Dame de Paris at the time but it was on tour and I just missed it by a hair bc I couldn't figure out the darn ticketing in time rip

And then 신성록 was doing Frankenstein

I didn't know anything abt it but I did know I disliked the novel when I read it in hs so I wasn't too excited lmao but I was like I'll go and say I saw SSR live at least & made a reservation for 7/11

So I looked up some clips

And went "wait I don't remember all this happening in the book" also "why did they make the creature hot I thought he was supposed to be made of corpses"

So I looked up the plot

And wow did I fall down the rabbit hole into holy shit this is all I can think about in my every waking moment hyperfixation

So I made an earlier reservation bc I was like I cannot wait until 7/11 to see this, I have to see it NOW

I got extremely lucky and found a seat in the middle section, 8th freaking row the morning of 7/3

and holy shit was I absolutely jaw-dropped, gobsmacked, blown tf away

...so naturally I ofc made another reservation for 7/5

and here follows my reviews of each Victor (and thoughts on the actor I picked for Henry/괴물 aka 박은태 bc holy shit was I also blown away when I first heard him sing) (was looking up clips of the Henry actors bc I was like I wanna see the best pairs possible if I only see this once, this man opened his mouth and I was like 👏 this is it. 👏 this is him. I don't even need to check out the other actors, this guy's got it) (and yeah now he's my fave musical actor) (as u can tell bc I went to see him 3 times) (the Victors change but the Henrys remain the same lmfao)

7/3 YJS

Yoo Jun-sang is the funniest Victor but the most disturbing to watch when he loses it imo, I think it's partly bc he's the oldest Victor actor and it's very pitiful? heartbreaking? to watch someone older mentally break down esp if they remind you of your own parent

has the most meta/4th wall-breaking humor moments

has a very "dad"-like vibe to him, specifically when 괴물 wakes up for the first time, he plays Victor like a dad encouraging their kid as they take their first steps and oooof 🥹🥹🥹

his Jacques is a bit flat imo since the voice he uses is still pretty similar to Victor so it kind of just feels like Victor in a purple wig

altho it could be a purposeful choice if 괴물 is projects Victor's face onto Jacques, 괴물 might also be projecting Victor's voice

at the same time I think it might be confusing for the audience if they haven't seen 프랑켄슈타인 or know beforehand that Jacques is a separate character but is also played by the Victor actor bc it really did just feel like Victor playing dress up rip

his singing isn't bad but it would be nice if there was more power behind it, same goes for certain places in his acting like when Victor yells NOOOOOO when Runge and Ellen die, his yells were more *tiny font* nooooo

then again

he IS in his mid-50s and honestly if I could run and slide around on a stage while singing for 3 hours at that age, that would be quite amazing really so he gets a pass

7/5 Kyuhyun

ah, 규 선생, 규 선생 👏👏 (iykyk LOL)

I think this was the one I was the most nervous about given the reputation of idol actors in musicals (I didn't have any previous Kyuhyun knowledge btw, only knew he was in Super Junior)

but I didn't need to worry bc holy shit he blew it out of the water

when I tell you the videos out there on Youtube etc. are NOTHING compared to hearing him do it live in person,, I mean it

Kyuhyun is the angriest Victor imo, much more serious than YJS who seems to have given up on life and is just coping through humor

kinda gives that angsty emo teen vibe out of the 3 Victors lol, has the fewest funny moments out of the three, the one I remember the most is the tavern scene where he gets drunk and breaks the serious demeanor a bit when he acts like he's about to throw up

there's a sort of emotional distance to him that manifests as physical distance, obviously he explodes at everything and everyone around him which naturally keeps people away, but even in the drunk dancing scene at the tavern, where YJS's Victor is practically hanging off of Henry, Kyuhyun's Victor keeps more of an arm's length distance even though he's drunk

I think he's suppressed his emotions and closed himself off from feeling anything so much that everything comes out as anger instead

more heartbreaking than disturbing to watch him lose it esp bc he reacts to the awakening of 괴물 as a friend returned from the dead and you get the sense he's a very lonely person deep down beneath that explosive exterior and Henry was the first person he ever really opened up to (but even then he still couldn't quite open up all the way even before Henry died, as mentioned in the tavern scene which is even more heartbreaking bc he finally found someone he could start to be vulnerable with and then it was taken away so fast)

his singing & acting were both great, his first NOOOO at Runge's death was tiny font lol but his second NOOOO at Ellen's was perfect

7/11 SSR

Shin Sung-rok my beloved (no I'm not biased wdym)

I know him as a side character from a couple of kdramas but wasn't too familiar with his acting otherwise

he absolutely kills it live holy shit

if YJS is the dad Victor, Kyuhyun the emo teen Victor, SSR gives the "child in a man's body" Victor

usually he portrays the facade of adult Victor very well but in his most vulnerable moments, you see the veil slip and the inner child that was never healed come out and it's very heartbreaking to watch

I think the effect is especially strong bc he's the tallest of the cast by far (you can tell bro is TALL even from the second floor) and when he just collapses to the ground like a small child and rocks back and forth hugging his knees, such as in 난 왜, the effect is that much more dramatic

if YJS is the best at portraying a Victor who's given up on life and is coping through humor, Kyuhyun at portraying a Victor who's suppressed his emotions so hard that anything comes out as explosive anger, then SSR is the best at portraying Victor's despair

he screams very well lol, both of his NOOOOOs at Runge & Ellen's deaths were both yelled, which really expresses Victor's sense of loss at those key moments and he changes the last note in his ending song in Act 1 to an explosive high note that leaves you with chills

I get the actors don't want to scream incorrectly and accidentally lose their voice during a performance which is totally understandable ofc but there's also ways to do it properly without losing your voice and I'm glad SSR can do that and really hit with Victor's despair in that way

his singing power isn't the most consistent however and sometimes I feel like he switches between singing and speak/shout-singing too frequently which gives me the impression of someone who can't sustain the power through a song to fully sing it (which was why I was surprised by his MMTG video bc he really mostly sang that one and holy shit is the 일어나리라ㅏ in that one of the clearest notes I've ever heard)

which is interesting because he clearly knows which parts hit and he hits them extremely well such as the low notes (the resonance of that bass sound in person is actually insane omg) as well as the high notes, but sometimes the in-between can feel a bit lackluster imo

similar for his acting, he does the emotional parts extremely well as I mentioned earlier but sometimes the in-between stuff can feel a bit inconsistent

for example in the North Pole when 괴물 dies, he lies down next to him and SOBS, god the audience and I were all damn right there with him

but in the same scene he also walks up and down that supposedly icy slope WITH A STABBED LEG??? without slipping and sliding the way YJS and Kyuhyun do which really helps impress the frozen atmosphere to you and the seriousness of the injury (the first time when he heads up the slope to confront 괴물, he slips a bit and has to use the cane to help himself up there, but the second time even though he was "injured" he just...went up like there was no problem so it was slightly jarring lol)

that being said, he's extremely funny and his Jacques is by far my fave of the 3

if he's great at the emotional parts and breaking the audience's hearts, he's also amazing with the humor

in the tavern scene he straight up lies down on the tables (given his very long self it's extremely funny LMAO)

and then he keeps dancing in the bar scene when Runge rushes in with the news of the undertaker who has a body for them to use, like all the Victors/Henrys do it but SSR is the type where he keeps doing it in a 4th wall breaking way where the audience realizes he's continuing it on purpose and laugh abt it

this one was great lol bc everyone copied SSR's funny arm/leg dance

Henry to Runge as he passes off paying the bill to Runge, Runge to the tavern owner while pretending like he doesn't know what a bill is, the tavern owner sarcastically copying Runge LMAO

we the audience were in tears from laughing so hard lol

SSR's Jacques is also extremely funny and ngl got that element of cute evil to him, he'll be dancing in the background while others are speaking for example, and he's just got these hilarious little exclamations and moments that make Jacques so endearing

SSR definitely also has the best evil laugh for sure whether as Victor or Jacques, esp in 위대한 생명 when he realizes he's successfully brought "Henry" back to life

Victors Review

by my personal standards I hold singing + acting and overall consistency very highly so by those standards even tho I hold SSR very dearly lol, perhaps surprisingly Kyuhyun is actually 1st for me since he's not only very good at both but has the most consistent performance all the way through

SSR is an extremely close 2nd however as he's also very good at singing + acting but less consistent. However if I prioritize the emotional & humor moments, I'd say he's 1st for knowing exactly where and when and how to hit the audience with those because wow

YJS is 3rd as the least impactful personally but not because he's a bad singer or actor in any way at all, it's more that SSR & Kyuhyun were THAT good. I want to be clear that he still absolutely holds his own as Victor, if 7/3 had been the only performance I watched, I still came away from it thoroughly impressed--that's why I booked 7/5 because I was so floored I was like I HAVE to see this again. Also he's one of the og Victors so he's one of the blueprints for every generation of Victors after

-----

we interrupt this review to bring you...JDS?

I really really wish I could've seen JDS's Victor in person as well but while I was there, every single of his shows that I might have been able to make was sold out ripp

I will say that I was there to hear the 7/14 performance though (you can sit in the lobby areas at Blue Square and just chill if you want even if there's a performance, even if you can't necessarily hear all the speaking, you'll be able hear all the singing at least on the lowest level!)

and I think it may have been an off-day for him unfortunately

his official soundtrack recordings are extremely good though so maybe he just isn't super consistent with high notes live

I don't follow him closely though and I'm sure there's a reason he has a large fanbase and a reason for his 프랑켄슈타인 shows being sold out although I am intrigued to see the difference between those and the numbers on the current run of J&H

in any case, from what I heard that day, he has great low notes and his yelling and evil laugh are also quite nice, wish I could've heard more of the speaking though since he definitely does sound like a great actor

박은태

ah yes 본진 aka the guy who made me go see this musical three freaking times in the space of a week

let me tell you this guy is absolutely insane live

I was like there's no way he actually sounds that good live and surely he isn't that consistent either because ofc it's live and that's pretty normal actually even for top musical actors

...yeah I was wrong

I was so wrong

even though he did sound a bit more tired in the 7/11 performance than 7/3 or 7/5, he still absolutely killed it, outsings like 95% of people I've seen live even when he sounds more tired

he plays off whoever does Victor extremely well

personally I like the chemistry he has with SSR's Victor the best (smth I liked about their MMTG interview, they're clearly v happy & comfortable around each other and it definitely translates live) for example with SSR's funny little improvised(?) (unique to SSR's Victor at least) dance in the tavern scene, ㅂㅇㅌ immediately picks up on it & copies it

Based on what I've seen, I believe whoever plays Victor affects how ㅂㅇㅌ plays 괴물:

YJS 괴물: the saddest & most innocent monster, ending of 난 괴물 aka the "why couldn't I have lived in that dream" line is the saddest & most wistful (similar to how he sings it in the MMTG video), uses the same innocent newborn voice he uses with Catherine when he's learning to speak, with the kid in the forest

Kyuhyun 괴물: angriest & most vengeful monster, ending of 난 괴물 was a shock because I had been expecting him to sing/act it the same way as 7/3 and so was definitely not expecting the amount of sheer rage I heard in his voice at that line, voice with the child in the forest is veiled and calculating with the appearance of innocence but it has this sinister undertone - as soon as you hear it, you know "oh shoot he does not have good intentions..." (whereas with YJS's 괴물 he sounds perfectly fine and so when he kills the kid that may come as a shock to the audience that isn't expecting that just from hearing him)

SSR 괴물: actually absolutely fascinating how this 괴물 is a mix of the two, similar to how SSR switches between the adult facade of Victor and the traumatized & unhealed inner child of Victor very well. I found it interesting that this Henry actually seemed a bit upset/impatient with Victor from trying to persuade him to claim innocence and not go to his death in the prison scene, whereas the first two times I saw him, he just seemed quietly resigned to it. I don't know if that's unique to SSR's Victor but because ㅂㅇㅌ's Henry is just such a total sweetheart 🥺, it's hard to imagine him getting frustrated enough to snap at someone and he comes very close to it there with SSR's Victor. I mean yes, I think it makes perfect sense in a life or death situation like that and I think either way of expressing Henry in that scene put different dimensions to the character that both line up with what we know of Henry,,, it's something I LOVE about live theater. You never see the same show twice. Anyway long digression lol. Back to 괴물... this one was a mix of the sad and vengeful. 난 괴물 ended sadly but the scene with the kid in the forest kept switching between the innocent and calculating voices almost as if vengeful 괴물 and innocent newborn 괴물 were glitching back and forth up in there in his mind like lights flickering. It's actually really creepy how he uses the innocent voice right before he pushes the child in. His dying laugh in the North Pole is also hella creepy omg, the hoarse and raspy "I may be dying but so will you, I've achieved my vengeance at last" type of laugh, BUT THEN he whispers "빅터" in Henry's voice and HOLY SHIT with SSR crying like that and the return of "Henry" AAAAAAAAA

yeah i was not okay and neither was the audience lol, so many people were crying together with them

we needed that curtain call lol (if you've seen the videos of it, it's the one where 박은태 runs and jumps into SSR's arms haha)

[gif & footage is my own]

If you made it this far, thanks so much for reading ^_^

[sojirosteacup]

Boys Over Flowers fic recs

Here is my fic rec list for 2024! Not all fanfics are from this year, these are just the ones I caught myself reading and enjoying.

Bearing Weight by Kalira

Woo Bin would do anything for his friends - for any of them. If all he can do is be there, and try to pry Ji Hoo out of his own head . . . well, that's what he's there for. Whether Ji Hoo really wants to allow support or not.

This one was a nice gem to find this year. I love fics focused on the F4 friendship and the Woobin and Jihoo one has been on my mind lately (mostly because I keep writing them interacting in my own fic), so I was very happy when I saw someone post a fic focused on them. It's great and a nice character exploration of them (and even Jihoo's grandfather)!

A Chance Encounter by GrannyWeatherwax

Alternate Universe Five years after Gu Jun Pyo goes ahead with his marriage to Ha Jae Kyung, Gu Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di find themselves snowed-in at a familiar ski resort on Christmas Eve.

I've recommended this one before and I'll recommend it again because I can. I don't know why I keep reading AUs where things start out wrong for this ship, I think I just like suffering 😂. My favorite thing in this fic is how the writer got in Jandi's head and her job.

Daomings Play for Keeps by Anna_Dromeda

Set during episode eight, Shancai never goes down to the beach and kisses Lei, but instead wakes up Ah Si in her usual violent manner and tells him to get his lazy butt down to the beach to comfort his friend during his time of crisis. This goes about as well as you would expect. Shancai, realizing she has feelings for both boys, gets it into her head that she is just a game to Daoming Si, and vows to play to win. Her proposal? A one-month trial period of no fighting or possessive idiocy. His solution? A relationship agreement. What could possibly go wrong here?

This fic is so funny i can't even begin to describe it. Love the interactions between the F4 and how over the top everything is (very in character). Seriously recommend.

Even If I Can’t Remember You by Toffeemond

Tsukasa didn’t remember Tsukushi and that was the end to their love story. Or it should have been. But eight years later, two grown people get a second chance to pick up the pieces and try again.

Again, I'm torturing myself with a fic where this ship start out suffering. It's really good and the side ships caught me by surprise. Waiting for the updates.

The Imperial House by HelenRourke

Tsukushi Makino wanted nothing more than to live an ordinary life. Enrolled as a scholarship student at the elite Eitoku Academy, she was counting down the days until she graduated. Then she could reach her goal of going to a University in America. However, she didn’t know her future had been decided for her, by her grandfather, before she had ever been born. What fate, you may ask? It seems that Tsukushi has been destined to marry the Prince of Japan.

This one started recently, so it only has two chapters yet but I'm keeping an eye on it because it looks promising. I've always wanted to read a royalty au about them!

[alloveydovey]

Dramas baby

No Gain, No Love, 2024 (kdrama) 9/9.5

Wanting to climb the corporate ladder (and seeing how the company she works for favors married people), FL marries ML, who works in her neighborhood convenience store and with whom she really doesn't have a good rapport.

Kdrama gods saw me disappointed with Love Next Door and threw me in for a surprise with this drama. It's not that I was expecting it to be bad (never with the Shin Min Ah as the lead) but I wasn't expecting to get as into it as I got while watching. It felt like going back to when I'd watch a drama in two/three days. No Gain, No Love nailed the rom-com vibe that I feel other dramas like Love Next Door and others from this year haven't been able to pull off as well. I was missing so much this concept of the leads not really knowing each other (kinda). It makes everything feel more organic. It was funny and very romantic, and the sob side of the story was well-developed. Probably one of my favorites from 2024 so far.

Extra: Spice Up Your Life, 2024 (kdrama)

They definitely had a great premise to create at least a 10-episode drama with this, but I assume that if they did that then we would prefer Ja Yeon as Yeon Seo with Gyu Hyun as Ha Jun and perhaps that would have ruined their story in the main drama so I get it. They were cute as hell and a nice add-on to their story.

What Comes After Love, 2024 (kdrama) 8.5

Korean FL moves to Japan and falls in love with Japanese ML. We suddenly see them again years later, broken up. By chance, they get to work together and we get to understand why they broke up.

Kentarooooooooo. Always obsessed with him, but what got me hooked was obviously Lee Se Young and her amazing acting. It was insane watching the interviews and them in some way or another expressing that even though they had an excellent relationship, the language barrier was still present. I thought, well, for sure, this might affect their performance together, right? And then I went to watch it to discover they had the biggest chemistry I've ever seen in a drama???? The story itself is not a big deal; it's really the actors that bring the drama to life. Seriously, chemistry 12/10

Mr. Plankton, 2024 (kdrama) 10

ML is a drifter who discovers he doesn't have much time left. FL, his ex-girlfriend, is about to marry into a significant family when she discovers she has premature menopause and therefore cannot become a mother. When ML sort of kidnaps her on her wedding day, they begin a jorney in search of his biological father... and something more.

Perfect. It has been some time since I gave a drama a 10, but I am leaving all of my flowers here. It was probably a surprise because, from watching the production pictures and behind the scenes of the actors, I didn't assume it'd be such a ride. Even less an emotional one. As a strict rule, I try to avoid sad-ending dramas. When I started this though (apart from spoiling myself lol), I kind of knew the ending was going to be a sad one because no character kidnaps another one and gets away with it with none repercussion—unless he’s going to die, then TV usually allows it because he’s a lost cause and you have to give in to the extremes lol. I thought it'd be an okay drama. Woo Do Hwan needs to chill with the hot shit, Lee You Mi is the best, and obviously Oh Jung Se is a king. I swear I'll watch anything with that man in it—instant killer drama.

The Judge from Hell, 2024 (kdrama) 9

A literal judge from hell makes a mistake and is forced to spend one year on earth as a real judge, killing souls who deserve to go to hell. A detective quickly catches on to her… side activities. In the end, both of them join forces to defeat Satan... or something like that.

When it first came out, this drama was so hyped up that even I, who wasn't interested in it, waited unpatiently for it to end so I could binge. Everyone was praising Park Shin Hye and the story, which was well-deserved. Shin Hye did amazing here. The story, for me at least, has its ups and downs, but it's overall a fantastic watch. It's funny how love stories always go hard when they're not the main focus of the drama. The chemistry was on point. Shin Hye is an absolute queen.

It Started with a Kiss, 2005 (taiwanese-drama) 8

FL is kind of obsessed with ML; ML can't stand a dumb girl. Mistreatment, mistreatment, mistreatment. Kiss! More mistreatment, soft mistreatment, ML grows fond of FL. Confusion, unrequited love, and everything that goes on with the mischevious kiss storyline.

I kind of don't like the mischevious/playful kiss story. I watched the Korean version and wanted to kill the ML (like I truly hated him), then I tried watching the Japanese version but I couldn't even get past the first eps. Finally, I saw all over TikTok that the Taiwanese version was the best one and that the ML was a lot softer in this version and decided... why not? I should be studying for exams but I'm gonna waste my time watching this oldie drama instead. I'm glad I did, though. I binged the first season and people are right. ML is mean but he's a lot softer in this version or at least you can tell he really likes FL. Plus, the chemistry they have is 10/10. It sort of gave me the same vibes I felt while watching Princess Hour for some reason. The characters in this version reminded me a lot of the ones there. Also, I watched the first episode of the second part, "They Kiss Again," and damn, they kiss indeed. This reminded me of how much I love watching oldies. I may postpone the second season for later.

A Witch's Romance, 2014 (kdrama) 7.5

A 39-year-old vicious journalist gets tangled up with a 24-year-old guy who is taking a break from med school after losing his girlfriend. After a couple of compromising situations, they start developing feelings for one another but there's that 14-year age gap stopping them and someone else showing up to kill the mood.

I was studying for exams and wanted to watch something lighthearted and romantic that wouldn't require much thought. I read all sorts of negative reviews about this one, and for some reason I can't get into a lot of Park Seo Joon's dramas, but I decided to give it a try. According to reviews, the leads didn't have chemistry and the plot was a hot mess. The plot thing... yes. It's not the worst I watched though and I'll be honest, it wasn't the plot the reason I started it for; I just wanted to watch some sexy romance. But even that was hard to do when the leads kept getting separated and they kept suffering so much because of it. The chemistry was 100% for me. It was just that after the second/third episode, they decided to simmer it down and never turn it back on.

Brewing Love, 2024 (kdrama) 8/8.5

A sensitive ML and a hardcore FL meet by chance and then for work. He feels everyone's feelings; she bottles up everything. Oh, and they make beer.

I'll be honest, despite binge-watching this whole drama in three days, as I kept watching, I kept thinking I wasn't sure I was into it that much. It just felt like another bland romance drama. Kim Se Jeong and Lee Jong Won changed my mind a bit, though. First of all, Se Jeong is charming as hell in romcoms. I beg for her to keep on doing them because she's truly great at them. Also, it was a nice change to have a more passive ML, and Jong Won was great in this. The couple's dynamic was cute as hell, and it was probably what kept me watching. The second couple was also adorable as hell. This is truly the year of second couples!

[sweetiesicheng]

hoshi - episode

word count : 620

-

"y/n! come here!" jeonghan called out to you when your name was called.

you froze, staring at the guys from where you were standing.

"go."

one of your coworkers pushed you forward from behind, making you stumble into the frame of some of the cameras.

hoshi immediately ran over to you and dragged you out.

"why was my name in there?" you asked him. "i told you i didn't want to play,” you said before heavily sighing.

he chuckled, "too bad." he said and brought you to the set that was prepared. "everyone, it's my wonderful girlfriend," hoshi announced as you stood behind a counter. "isn't she so pretty?" he asked while hugging you from behind.

"hey hey hey. they need to be on separate teams," seungkwan spoke up, "they're gonna have a couple advantage."

"couple advantage? these two suck at games. they might as well stay on that team," s.coups spoke up.

"hold up, i don't wanna lose. one of you go over there," mingyu said to you and hoshi, pointing at the other team.

"hey, we got our staff member pick. you guys need to stick with yours," the8 said to mingyu from the other side.

-

and when the next round started, you and hoshi were against each other in a bouncy house race.

"y/n looks like she's ready to topple over," you heard jun comment.

"hey! i heard that," you said as you were given a helmet with a camera attached to it. "i'll fight you later."

"yea yea whatever."

"you two ready?" seungkwan asked, standing on the floor next to the start line.

"i'm good," hoshi spoke. you nodded in agreement with a hum.

"alright. three! two! one! go!"

you immediately grabbing your boyfriend and pulled him back before trying to climb over a small wall.

"yah! y/n!”

then, you felt yourself get pulled back right as you were climbing up part of the wall that led to a slide.

"ah!"

you landed on your back and watched hoshi scramble to get pass you.

"soonyoung! get back here!" you yelled and scrambled to get up. you climbed up the wall and continued going down the course until you were on hoshi's tail again. "you punk!"

"love you!"

"you're sleeping on the floor if you win!" you yelled at him and watched him freeze.

he turned around and grabbed you, hugging you and holding you back from continuing in. "wait, baby, please! you know i can't sleep without you. please please please no."

"let me win!"

"my image!"

"what image do you have left mister hamster?"

"i'm a tiger!"

"hey hamster couple! you're supposed to race, not argue who's sleeping on the floor!" jeonghan yelled at the two of you.

you looked at everyone else, who were following you throughout the course. then you looked at hoshi.

"bye."

you immediately started running and hoshi followed after you, trying to get you to lose to the race.

-

"i give up."

you laid on the floor of the gymnasium the episode was being filmed in. you had lost against your boyfriend and laid on the floor in defeat and tiredness from the simple race.

the next race started between another staff member and joshua while you laid there. one of the camera operators had a camera on you while you contemplated out loud.

"why was my name in the thing? i really didn't want to play today. i blame hoshi."

"babe," hoshi spoke from his spot next to you, "you know that i can hear you, right?"

"go away."

then, hoshi immediately hugged you, "never.”

"you're sleeping on the couch."

"i got upgraded to the couch? can you upgrade me again?"

"to where? the balcony?"

"hey..."

[taiyaki-translations]

Happy Charm - Educe 10

Season: Spring Characters: Sora, Jun, Subaru, Tatsumi, Eichi Translators & Proofreaders: taiyaki-translations, citrinesea, toujokaname

<The day of the treasure hunt program broadcast>

Sora: Ah, the commercial ended!

Jun: The contents of this mission are... Ahh, so this was one of them, huh?

Subaru: We didn't go this way, right~ 

Sora: It's kinda refreshing seeing what the other teams did~♪

Tatsumi: Oh? It looks like they've already figured out the answer.

Sora: HaHa~! They got it right~♪

Tatsumi: Were they the child actors team? It amazed me to see how capable they were at such a young age.

Jun: Speaking of which, didn't you meet them during the recording, Tatsumi-senpai?

Tatsumi: Yes, right after I parted ways with you all.

They asked me if I had seen the place in a photo, and it happened to be near the shop we were heading to, so I showed them the way.

I never expected that rehearsing for the town walking shoot would be beneficial in such a manner.

In addition to the photo hints, they also had many questions related to the area.

Sora: Yeah! There was a question where you had to guess the name of a famous sweet. It was very tasty~☆

Tatsumi: Fufu. I was surprised to find that when I bought it as a souvenir, Jun-san's group had bought the same thing ♪

Jun: Man, that was so tasty... I'm glad Sakura-kun seemed to like it too.

Subaru: Ah, while we were chatting, our scenes appeared on the screen! 

Sora: HiHi~♪ You went straight to Mido-chan, Sparkling Onii~san~ 

Subaru: It's 'cause I didn’t expect to meet him there. Something about that got me excited, y'know ☆

Sora: Fufu, Sora was happy to meet Mido-chan and the others during the recording too! 

Jun: That's a priceless reaction from Takamine-kun, huh?

…Speakin' of which, what happened to him?

Tatsumi: I tried asking him to watch it together with us, but he refused. 

He did watch the one that was broadcasted the other day, though. 

I've heard that the scene where everyone met up has become quite the talk of the town. The staff was happy about the good advertisement it brought too.

I would like to thank Eichi-san for preparing such a surprise… But I'm not so sure I can celebrate too much after hearing about the final results.

Jun: No, no, it wasn't your fault that we didn't get first place, Tatsumi-senpai! 

Subaru: After this, the kids from the child actors team that Kazehaya-senpai and Takamin met got first place, didn’t they~

Sora: If we had found one more treasure, we would have tied for first place.

But Sora is already happy just getting to treasure hunt with Sparkling Onii~san and Jun-chan-senpai! 

Jun: Haha, if Harukawa-kun, the guy who invited me, is happy with it, then that’s the best, right? 

It's been a while since I've been on a variety show, so it was refreshing ♪

Subaru: Mm hm! It was a lot of fun clearing the different missions~♪

Sora: HuHu~! We made up the best party~ Sora hopes we can go on another adventure together!

Tatsumi: Though it's not a program, I heard that treasure hunt events are held from time to time.

Jun: It could be interesting joining an event like that when I've got the free time, huh? 

Subaru: Great! Next time, let's go with Takamin and Kazehaya-senpai! 

Sora: A new adventure for us~! Sora is really looking forward to it! 

Eichi: Fufu, what's all the excitement about? 

Subaru: Ah, Eichi-senpai! Did you just finish work? Welcome back~! 

Eichi: Yes, I'm back. …Ah, I see. Today is the broadcast of the program. 

Jun: Ahaha, try 'n remember the programs you show up on, won't you~?

Sora: HeHe~! Eichi-senpai, come watch with us~. Sit next to Sora! 

Eichi: Sure. If that's the case, I'll just slip right in, thank you. 

Would you wait a moment while I prepare drinks?

Subaru: Ah, I'll come too~! I'm gonna go and grab some snacks~☆ Do you guys want anything to drink~? 

Subaru: The snacks~… Ah, over here ♪

Eichi: In the end, it looks like that treasure chest was never found, right? 

Subaru: That treasure chest…? 

Ahh, you mean that treasure chest I went looking for? That’s right. 

What’s the matter, why'd you suddenly bring it up?

Eichi: Again, I sincerely apologize for what happened. 

Subaru: Don't be too hung up over it. It's already over, isn't it? 

Besides, you helped us out with the treasure hunt after, didn’t you?

Eichi: I only helped halfway, though. I received an urgent call from the office and had to leave for ES immediately. 

Subaru: That's fine, that's fine. We found two treasure chests before you went back to ES. 

Winning and losing is important, but it's just like Yellow Kid said — I had fun finding the treasure with everyone ♪

Eichi: Yes, I think it was a very fitting job for you guys. 

Subaru: Well, I still think it’s kinda unfair that Eichi-senpai was working with Anzu like that, y'know~?

If the staff hadn't forgotten to put something in that box, Anzu would've still been working with us. 

Eichi: And because of that, you were interrogating Anzu-chan too. 

It was rare to see Anzu-chan so flustered ♪

…Come to think of it, you didn't interrogate me very much at that time, though?

I know you trust Anzu-chan, but I thought that you'd have at least suspected me of being up to something. 

Subaru: If you say it like that, it makes it seem like I don't trust you? 

Eichi: Oh, is that not the case? 

Subaru: Not really? I guess I never figured Eichi-senpai was planning anything bad~

If that had been the case, Anzu wouldn't have been with you. 

Eichi: Well, that's true. …But there was a chance I could have been trying to take advantage of her too, you know.

Subaru: Eichi-senpai, you like plotting all sorts of things behind the scenes, don't you? 

But you’re always thinking of us too, right?

Eichi: ......?

Subaru: You said that you like us, that you love us, didn’t you?

The way you show it is kinda weird, but Eichi-senpai is working for our sake, without a doubt~

That's what I was thinking… Am I wrong? 

Eichi: …Fufu, I see.

That's surprising. I can't believe you were thinking of me in that way.

However, I can't praise you for letting your guard down like that. If you show your back to an opponent like me, you might just find it stabbed, you know? (1)

Subaru: You're admitting that on your own?

…Well, we'll shine so brightly that Eichi-senpai won't have to do that. 

That's what you want the most, right?

Eichi: ......

Subaru: …That's right. Let's go on a variety show together properly.

Trickstar and fine together. Since Trickstar has more experience in this kinda stuff, we'll take the lead ☆

Eichi: That's not really a marketing point of fine's, though…

But if we're with Subaru-kun and the others, fine might be able to shine on the same stage.

With you, who can naturally bring out the individual charm of each idol ♪ (2)

Translation Notes: 1. Eichi brings up the phrase "寝首を掻く" (nekubi wo kaku) which literally means "to cut someone's neck in his/her sleep." In other words, to catch someone off guard by dirty tricks or despicable means. 2. Or rather, Eichi says Subaru can "educe" the individual charm of idols when they're with him.

Previous | Directory

[no-gram]

Jacka:...... Ah! Good morning! I've been waiting for you to wake up…!

Ai:You are ......

Jacka:You don't remember, do you? Well...first of all. Do you know where you are?

Ai: This is... this is a prison.

Jacka:Correct! Yes, I should introduce myself. I'm...I'm Jackalope. Well, you can call me Jacka...? But call me whatever you want!

Ai: Nice to meet you. I'm...Ai. I'm the administrator of this prison.

Jacka: Nice to meet you, Ai. I'm glad to see you're swallowing so quickly! Well, do you remember that much?

Jacka: I'll be quick, but can you get ready to leave the room?

Ai: Where are we going?

Jacka: We're going to go around the prison to where the prisoners are. This is a small prison, so I'm sure you'll be able to figure out the map in no time... but it would be nice to have an explanation, wouldn't it?

Ai: Okay, let's go.

Jacka: Um...do you mind if I hold you?

Ai: Can't you walk by yourself?

Jacka: Well, well, well... look! Your stride is different, isn't it?

Ai:Sigh...I guess we have no choice.

［Footsteps］

Jacka: There's your room now, and my room, and storage and dining room. There's also a shower room.

Ai: Are there any rules?

Jacka: Hmm, why don't you decide...? You are the administrator, right?

Ai: Do you know how it feels to suddenly have power in a strange place?

Jacka: Do you think I can understand other people's feelings?

Ai: ...I lose. Tell me the next room.

［Door opens］

Jacka: The next room is a very special place, so listen carefully. This is the Panopticon. You can look around and keep an eye on all the prisoners too. They're all sleeping now, though.

Ai: Prisoners...

Jacka: Are you worried?Well, it's not comforting, but they are all girls about your age. I'm sure you'll get to know them quickly. Well, they are all called to be evil person.

Yes, let me introduce all of you! I think it will be much easier for you that way, rather than going about your business without knowing anything about them.

Ai:agree.. We need efficiency in our work.

Jacka: You're very motivated, aren't you? You're not even intimidated by the prisoners. That's worth explaining.

Jacka: Okay, first then, prisoner number 001, Tsuguha. She is the youngest girl here, 12 years old. She seems a little cautious, so please be gentle with her.

Ai: An elementary school student, huh? I wonder if I can be gentle.

Jacka: You might be able to force her to disclose information by frightening her, but there are not many prisoners in this prison. We can unravel their information over time. If so, don't you think it's worth being gentle?

Ai: Maybe so. But they are equally bad people here. We will not know until we interact with them.

Jacka: It's good that you are willing to do this, but don't overdo it. I don't want you to miss the truth. Next.

Jacka: Prisoner number 002, Jun. She's the staunchest of them all. She's not very sociable.

Ai: Hmm.Is intimidation sometimes necessary?

Jacka: I'm scared! I may have to make you learn to be nice...

Jacka: Let's move on already!!Prisoner number 003 Kizuna. Hmmm, she seems relatively bright and normal among the prisoners. But she might be the one I don't understand the most.

Ai: What do you mean you don't know her well?

Jacka: She is more ambiguous than the other prisoners. It's like there's something the prison can't detect.

Jacka: You are halfway there. Keep up the good work. Prisoner 004, Tuzuri. Hmmm. She seem calmer than the other prisoners. Maybe too calm, in fact.

Ai: How can he be calm in the presence of potential bad guys? I can say this now that I don't know anything about them, but I find it more suspicious when people are calm.

Jacka: My explanation is only an image, but it may indicate that we should also value our intuition.

Jacka: Alright, well, let's move on. Prisoner number 005, Itoho. Hmmm, she is the oldest one. Perhaps that's why she has a certain amount of leeway.

Ai: Can i stand up to an older opponent?

Jacka: You threaten younger people, but are intimidated by older people?

Ai: Don't drag out the joke...I'm starting to look foolish. I still don't really understand proper communication.

Jacka: I don't think intimidation is allowed, but we are here to record what you feel and what you learn, so it's up to you how you behave.

Jacka: last. Prisoner number 006, Rinne. You can tell at first glance. There is something bizarre about her. Now you are pure and innocent, for better or worse, so be careful not to be consumed by her pressure.

Ai: ...I definitely have a sense of responsibility as an administrator. I don't know if I have the dignity, but I am ready to manage these girls. I will not be defeated so easily. I don't know if I can defeat violence, but...

Jacka: Oh, you will be fine on that point. The prisoners cannot hurt you.

Ai: Wow, that's great.

［The sound of bells］

Jacka: Just in time. Now, your life as an administrator is about to begin. The girls will be waking up soon.

Jacka: Let's review. You are the keeper of this prison. You have to give the prisoners a "Justice" or "Evil" verdict. You can base your decision on whether they are good people or not, whether you like them or not, the law or not, or any other criteria.If I were to give advice, it would be to give justice to the people you want to model your life on.

Ai: I should have thought about how to address everyone. I'll have to improvise and see what I can do.

Jacka: That's it. They can't hear my voice. good luck.

Ai: Nah...that's terrible.

No, I'm an administrator. I am not going to be outdone by girls my age. First impressions count.

Jacka: That's the spirit. I'll be watching from afar. So, Ai, I look forward to seeing what your choice will be.

Ai: Good morning, prisoners. I'm the administrator.Have a good life.