#Park Cho Ah

[kactors-kpop-kdrama]

[glindaupland]

오페라의 유령 / The Phantom of the Opera - South Korea (Third Season) | Pt 6

Program Books Ver 2-4 (Busan + Seoul)

Masquerade/Why So Silent?

1. 윤영석 Yoon Young-seok + 김아선 Kim Ah-seon + 조하린 Cho Ha-rin + 이상준 Lee Sang-jun

Madame Giry's Tale

1. 김아선 Kim Ah-seon + 송원근 Song Won-geun 2. 김아선 Kim Ah-seon + 황건하 Hwang Gun-ha

Notes II / Twisted Every Way

1. 김아선 Kim Ah-seon + 박회림 Park Hoe- rim + 이상준 Lee Sang-jun + 윤영석 Yoon Young-seok

1. 박회림 Park Hoe-rim + 이지영 Lee Ji-young 2. 윤영석 Yoon Young-seok + 송원근 Song Won-geun + 손지수 Sohn Ji-soo + 이상준 Lee Sang-jun 3. 박회림 Park Hoe-rim + 한보라 Han Bo-ra

Don Juan Rehearsal / Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again

1. 손지수 Sohn Ji-soo 2. 김아선 Kim Ah-seon + 조하린 Cho Ha-rin + 송은혜 Song Eun-hye 3-4. 송은혜 Song Eun-hye

Wandering Child / Bravo Monsieur

1. 전동석 Jeon Dong-seok 2. 조승우 Jo Seung-woo 3-4. 김주택 Kim Ju-taek

[stuff-diary]

Love For Love's Sake

TV Shows/Dramas watched in 2024

Love For Love's Sake (2024, South Korea)

Director: Kim Kyun Ah

Writer: Kwon Cho Rong (based on the webnovel by Hwacha)

Mini-review:

Full disclosure: I'm not a huge fan of BL dramas. They rarely work for me tbh, for a wide variety of reasons that I won't go into right now. From time to time I fall for people's raves about one of these shows, only to end up disappointed. And, while this one is better than average, it didn't impress me that much anyway. There's clearly a strong emotional core at the center of the story, but the episodes are too short and everything feels rushed. The thing that saves it is Lee Tae Vin's performance and his fantastic chemistry with Cha Joo Wan; it's thanks to them that the last two episodes hit a lot better than what comes before. But yeah, it's clear that BLs in general just aren't my thing.

[ilyxo]

Yoo Ah-in and Park Shin-Hye in #살아있다 [#Saraitda / #Alive] (2020) │dir: Cho Il-hyung

[passionforfiction]

Arthdal Chronicles

The first season of this fantasy story hits close to home. It depicts the cruelty and greed of villages that have the resources, food and technology to take advantage of others. The story doesn't waist time, the first episode starts with the Arthdal leaders asking the Neanthals to become part of their power. The Arthdal are afraid of the peaceful but strong Neanthals and pretend to negotiate, knowing they are not interested. And what do they do? The Arthdal leaders trick their own people and kill the Neanthals in order to take their lands. Asa Hon learns this when she is in the middle of the attack, and in order to safe Neanthal children, she leaves with a child and Ragaz, with whom she later has children with.

Arthdal continues to annihilate weaker villages, taking them as slaves for hard labor. It is Tagon, an Itgu in hiding, that makes all this possible for Arthdal. And even though he is loved by the village as a hero, his father and other leaders are trying to find ways of killing him, including making Mihol's daughter, Teaelha, into a spy. Even though Tagon is cruel, there is an innocence to his longing to be loved and accepted by the people. His relationship with Teaelha is of a love stronger than their ties to their families and interests. And even though we don't like what he does, some times we do wish him success in his endeavors and fight against the Arthdal leaders for power.

But it is the story of the Wahan Tribe that reminds us that Tagon and all Arthdal are cruel and greedy people that have no respect for others. This is a peaceful tribe in a far away land. They are more like Neanthals in their believes but they are also prejudice against Itgus like Eunseom, whose mother leaves him there before she dies. Eunseom's only true friend is Tanya, the daughter of the priestess and scientist of the village.

It is almost impossible to reach the place but Tagon and the Arthdal leaders find the way to reach the land, it takes them 10 years to reach it and less time to destroy it and take its people as prisoners and slaves. Here we see the struggle of these people who get separated, sold into slavery and fight with each other and their enslavers in order to survive. But it also shows the Wahan people mesmerized by the innovations and way of life in this civilized village.

Tanya ties Eunseom to her by naming him her dream and he will do anything to save her, but destiny takes them into two different paths. These two characters are also very naive, their innocence and sense of justice is what makes others follow them. They both want to forge a world where everyone is equal, no prejudice against people that are different, everyone on equal standing.

Tanya's relationship with Saya is a sad one at best. She is using Saya while Saya genuinely likes her. And even though, at some point she sees him as a friend and cares about him, she still uses his affection towards her. But she is not the only one using Saya, so is Tagon who separated him from his mother when he was a child and Teaelha who became his caregiver for Tagon. Still, Saya is not stupid and he knows how to play the game.

This first half ends with the downfall of the rule of the Arthdal leaders: Daekan, White Mountain, and Hae tribes; giving way to Tagon's rule under the name of Aramun; which damages the relationship he had with Teaelha. Tanya is now the high priest while Eunseom becomes a god for the Ago tribe and starts unifying weak tribes to end fights among them and focus on fighting against their common oppressor.

The second season starts 8 years after the final events of the first one. And the fighting is no longer centered on colonialism, but on taking down a threatening force that is not letting them continue with their expansion of territories. I have heard of people wondering why the change of actors for critical characters. I wouldn't have minded seeing the same actors since they are excellent ones and we got used to them. But I didn't mind the changes, I think that these new actors, brought some darkness to the characters that had been innocent and naive in the first season. They have learned to play the game and they are using what they have learned for their gain.

Tagon and Teaelha are no longer the close couple they had been, but they still love each other and have a son that unites them. Theirs is a tragic and powerful love story, tainted by the struggle for power.

In this half, we see Tagon's fall, and the rise of the ideology that drove Tanya and Eunseom into battle. But we are left with an open ending that promises more blood and restlessness. Saya wants Arthdal for his own since he can't have Tanya's love; and Teaelha wants to take Arthdal back as she promised Tagon; while Eunseom struggles to make Arthdal the land he and Tanya had envisioned.

It is the bloody story of a civilization in this fantasy world that reflects the truth about the history of our world so full of tyranny, blood and inequality.

It is not a story with clear lines and we will switch sides as their goals become twisted, but so is the story of rulers in the past and the present. This is a fantasy story, but it also criticizes what makes a country a country - it's bloody history of greedy men.

[everyfilmisaw]

#살아있다 (#Alive) by Il Cho, 2020

[k-star-holic]

S.E.S. Jewelry is a difficult way to reunite a group.

[spiderfunkz]

HYUN-JU x TALKACTIVE!READER

pairings. cho hyun-ju x f!reader

author's note: this is so me.. i talk way too much so i'm lowkey just projecting myself on here. anyways, requests are open but i'm taking my time replying since i've been busy so just keep that in mind!

▸ hyun-ju is a good listener. a great one, even. she's got a big heart and soul, she's someone who is willing to listen to whatever you have to say. and she doesn't just listen, she tries to understand. which is a quality that is hard to find these days.

▸ you noticed it a bit later in your relationship. every time you talk, she listens and isn't afraid to ask questions regarding your situation or interest. she's genuinely invested in what you have to say. "oh, really? tell me more, hon."

▸ even if you just say random things or suggestions related to literally anything, she's all ears! whatever is going on in your head, every single sentence you utter, she's always nodding a long. she's probably wondering how you managed to say three sentences in a second.

▸ you tend to get very extroverted when you get comfortable. you'd ramble about anything for hours and hours, hyun-ju finds this adorable. she's definitely admiring you as you speak, your words always find a way to her heart.

▸ if you were talking about something she has no clue in, she's gonna research about it either online or in books so she could talk about it with you! even if small mistakes slip, her efforts show. and you appreciate that more than ever.

▸ "wait, you watched the movie and read the book?" — "yeah! i thought it would be nice to discuss it with you. you talked about it nonstop last week, so i figured i'd give it a look, and i must admit- you do have amazing taste."

▸ good moods mean you'd go on walks with hyun-ju and visit multiple parks at once. pointing out random birds, trees, and flower types. speaking whatever crossed your mind in specific moments.

▸ "oh look! a daisy. did you know daisies bloom in the spring like every other flower and their last bloom is in autumn? though, that's very common, um. ah! moon flowers, they only bloom one night a year." you'd giggle, "i did not know, but i do now!" hyun-ju smiles.

▸ during movies you can get very quiet. but as the movie ends, you'd ramble quicker than speed itself. "it's okay. at best. i just don't understand why the characters would do such things! i guess it is fictional, but still! does logic not exist in that universe?"

▸ same thing with books, you can read for hours in silence, but as soon as you close the book... "hyun! you must read this! not only is this one of a kind, but once you read it you can not put it down. i love it so much, it made me tear up a bit because of a character, but, um. okay, no spoilers!"

▸ hyun-ju could get really lost in your voice sometimes. you'd be talking about something silly like rocks or something, and she'd still be mesmerized. hyun-ju thinks that your voice could easily soothe her to sleep.

▸ and it's true, your voice makes her feel so safe. during conversations, she gets sudden realizations of how lucky she truly is. to be able to listen to you, in a calm setting, just the two of you.

▸ if you send her voice notes, she'd listen to it on repeat. especially when she's away or vice versa, she loves hearing your voice over and over as it gives ger comfort.

▸ "hey, hyun! i know you're really busy, and i know you only listen to my voice notes when you're done with work, so i ought to tell you about how much i love you. and how much i miss you. don't forget to tell me goodnight, or not the bed bugs might bite me."

▸ she would never think of your ongoing talks as unimportant. if you would suddenly pause and stop talking, she'd notice immediately. but hyun-ju always reassures you that it's perfectly okay.

▸ if you feel tired or off, and you just wanna be quiet for a bit, hyun-ju likes to ramble too, she does it a bit more often ever since she's met you. her voice is sleepy, her head lays near yours, your bed is cold and hyun-ju is the only source of warmth. as she traces your hands, "do you wanna know what happened earlier in the office?" you'd nod, she'd talk and only stop when you've completely fallen asleep.

▸ "and that's the end of it. goodnight, angel." she'd place a kiss on your forehead before falling asleep herself.

[angelseraphines]

: ̗̀➛ cho sang-woo x oc!roh seong-ah¡!

╰┈➤ [roh seong-ah, born anvara kulov, is a young woman who leaves russia for south korea, yearning for a fulfilling life and the chance to pursue higher education. during her time in seoul, she crosses paths with cho sang-woo, a refined and successful businessman, who serves as her guiding light in the foreign nation. as they spend more time together and develop an intimate connection, mutual affection blossoms, yet their lives are complicated by individual financial struggles. ignorant of one another’s melancholy and troubles concerning acquired debt, both make the desperate choice to join the squid games, and their fates become intertwined within the deadly competition.]

: ̗̀➛ park gyeong-seok x oc!albina ruslov¡!

╰┈➤ [albina ruslov, a young bride trapped in a loveless marriage to a cold and cynical russian oligarch, discovers her husband’s dark ties to the squid games and his malicious collusion with the enigmatic front man. her life unravels further when she loses those she holds most dear, leaving her heartbroken and consumed by a desire for vengeance. determined to infiltrate the games, she disguises herself as a guard, using her cunning and resourcefulness to maneuver through the precarious environment. although, albina quickly realizes she cannot achieve her goals alone. during the games, she saves the life of park gyeong-seok, a desperate player fighting for his ailing daughter. together, they form a fragile alliance, combining their strengths to uncover the truth behind the games and exact justice, even as danger threatens to consume them at every turn.]

: ̗̀➛ seong gi-hun x oc!han ye-rin¡!

╰┈➤ [han ye-rin, a bright and creative young woman with dreams of becoming a painter. her family was abandoned by her american father at a young age, she grew up with her korean mother, finding solace and expression through her art. her vibrant and optimistic personality contrasts sharply with the hardened, despairing seong gi-hun, whom she encounters under unexpected circumstances. despite his stoic demeanor and guarded presence, ye-rin is drawn to the layers of pain and resilience hidden behind his stoic exterior. with her gentle persistence and empathetic nature, she begins to chip away at the walls he’s built around himself, uncovering the humanity and vulnerability he tries so desperately to conceal. their connection becomes a delicate balance of hope and healing as ye-rin helps gi-hun rediscover a sense of purpose, even amidst the shadows of his troubled past.]

a/n: thank you to @lumillsie for the beautiful headers and layout as well as for helping me develop these characters and narratives! these are graphics i made for my original characters for squid games and their love interests! 🤍

[junkobato]

Upcoming Kdrama August 2024 🌈

2/8: Bad Memory Eraser with Kim Jae Joong, Jin Se Yeon, Lee jong Won. 16 episodes; rom-com.

10/8: Romance in the House with Ji Jin Hee, Son Na Eun, Choi Minho. 12 episodes; melodrama, romance.

12/8: Your Honor with Son Hyun Joo, Kim Myung Min, Kim Do Hoon. 10 episodes; thriller, law, crime.

14/8: Perfect Family with Park Ju Hyun, Yoon Se Ah, Kim Byung Chul. 12 episodes; thriller, family.

14/8: the Tyrant with Cho Seung Won, Kim Seon Ho. 4 episodes; sci-fi, fantasy.

16/8: Black Out with Byun Yo Han, Go Jun, Kim Bora. 14 episodes; thriller, mystery.

17/8: Love Next Door with Jung So Min, Jung Hae In, Yun Ji On. 16 episodes; rom-com.

17/8: DNA Lover with Choi Siwon, Jung In Sun, Lee Tae Hwan. 16 episodes; melodrama, rom-com.

23/8: Pachinko 2 with Lee Minho, Kim Min Ha, Noh Sang Hyun. 8 episodes; historical, melodrama.

23/8: The Frog with Go Min Si, Yoon Kye Sang. 8 episodes; thriller, mystery.

24/8: Cinderella at 2 AM with Shin Hyun Been, Moon Sang Min, Yoon Park. 10 episodes; rom-com.

26/8: No Gain, No Love with Shin Min Ah, Kim Young Dae, Lee Sang Yi. 12 episodes; rom-com.

Many new shows coming up just in time for my vacation!!!

[xanaxspritz]

Choso who likes doing horny shi in public, cuz he likes the idea of getting caught 🥰😼. Thank you for your hard work 🫶🏼🤝🏼

🫡 car sex quickie with choso ft. a burger king parking lot. afab!reader. minors DNI

choso couldn't keep his hands off you, literally. there wasn't a time he wasn't touching you in some sort of way. being his first ever girlfriend he was enamored with your presence; he couldn't believe he had a beautiful goddess of a woman standing right before him. how could he stay away?

causally he would throw an arm around your waist while you two were out in public. innocently, he stokes the small of you back, then down to your hips, inching closer and closer to your ass until you smack his away.

"cho, were in public," you warn.

"sorry," he pouts, putting his arm back around you, pulling you closer than before.

other times one small kiss turns into several pecks, into a full blown makeout, his tongue desperately clashing against yours. and this time choso started to tug at your shirt to expose your bra in the very public Burger King parking lot you two were parked in.

"we really shouldn't...." you breathe out between kisses. you somehow ended up in the backseat with him hovering above you, his black locks falling in front of your face.

"no one can see us," he points out, pushing his hair back. "and even if they did, let them watch. you're sexy as hell."

"but it's wrong," you say as choso leaves plum-colored love bites all down your neck.

"please, just this once?" he guides your hand over to the stiff tent in his jeans, "please, please, baby. i need you," he begs.

"ok cho. only if you promise to be a good boy," you start unzipping the black denim, palming over his erection in his boxers making him shudder and buck right into your hand.

"ill be so good, ahh, babe. please let me inside you, mmmph! please please please please!" he babbles on.

you quickly slide off your panties underneath your skirt as he pull down his jeans and boxers. the tabooness of sex in public made you excited, your inner thighs feeling already slick from your arousal. you could tell choso was excited too, wasting no time to position his cockhead at your entrance.

"ah, slowly please," you warn.

"sorry. ill go slow," he nods.

you gasp as he gradually inserts his length inside you, both of you moaning together as his cock reaches the hilt. he rocks into at a slow, steady pace, making your eyes roll to the back of your head.

fully blushed pink, choso gives you deep, long strokes, moaning and whimpering at the tightness around him. he thrusts hit in just the right way, and when he hit your g-spot your pussy gushed even more slickness all around his cock. it drove him to an even more feral, beseeched state, and he couldn't help himself to pick up the faster and faster until he was pounding your pussy, your legs wrapped around his waist. he was losing himself deep in your cunt.

"i-inside. can I p-please..." he manages to breathe out. "fuck, I n-need to cum inside."

you wrap your thighs around him tighter in approval, his cock pounding in and out of you at a ruthless pace until he tenses and release hot ropes of creamy cum inside you.

choso collapses on top of you. the car windows are now foggy from the cries and pure energy sex took from both of you, and you still have his cum leaking down from your pussy.

"I hope no one saw us," you sigh into his hair.

"mmh, i hope they did," said choso slyly smiling into your neck.

[the-himawari]

A3! Hyodo Kumon - Translation [SR] Bright Star of Blooming (2/2)

*Please read disclaimer on blog; default name set as Izumi

--

Kumon: It was over in the blink of an eye! I had more stuff I wanted to talk about though!

Yuki: There really isn’t enough time for this sort of thing.

Kazunari: I feel you, but there’s always next time! It’s great that the audience had loads of fun too, right~?

Misumi: Yeah. It was an awesome talk show~.

Izumi: Okay. Could I ask you to take your polaroid photo now, Kumon-kun?

Kumon: Ah! That’s right! We have to make a heart pose, right? What should I do~… Like this? Scratch that. Maybe this instead…?

Yuki: Aren’t you taking too long thinking about the pose?

Kazunari: When in doubt, just go with what’s “photogenic”!

Misumi: A triangle pose would look great too~.

Kumon: …’Kay! I got it!

Izumi: Alright, I’m taking it. Smile!

*click*

Izumi: Here you go. Here's how it came out.

Kazunari: Ooh. How gyaru of you!

Yuki: It’s nice, isn’t it? It fits Goku.

Misumi: Yep, super cute~! I’m sure the audience will love it too!

Kumon: Hehe. I'm glad!

*dream starts*

Kumon: —. (What the!? Where… is this!?)

Goku: Huh~? Where did Master and the rest of them go~?

Kumon: —EH!? Goku!?

Goku: Huh? How do you know me?

Kumon: Oh, uh, you see…! (It’s because I’m the one who plays you…!)

Goku: Hold on, you have the same face as me! Don’t tell me you’re Kinkaku and Ginkaku’s underling or something!? Those two still haven’t learned their lesson yet~!

Kumon: Y-You've got it wrong! Look! I’m not even holding any weapon!

Goku: Eh~? There’s no way there’s someone out there with such a similar face! Maybe it’s actually a disguise…

Kumon: It’s not! Here, let me pull on my cheek~… See, it’s my real face! Besides, they say that everyone has 3 doppelgangers in the world!

Goku: Hmmm… well, it’s true it doesn’t look like you’re holding anything like a weapon. I guess you're harmless~. Okay. I’ll believe what you say! I’m Son Goku!

Kumon: And I’m Kumon! Nice to meet’cha! (I see… This is the world of “Journey to the Colours”!) So what are you doing here, Goku?

Goku: You see, I got separated from the friends I was travelling with.

Kumon: (His friends… he must be talking about his Master, Cho Hakkai, and Sha Gojo.)

Goku: What about you, Kumon? What are you up to?

Kumon: Uhh… I guess I’m lost?

Goku: If that’s the case, why don’t you come with us!? We were just on our way to an amusement park!

Kumon: An amusement park…! That sounds fun!

Goku: It totally is!

Kumon: (But…) Mmm… actually, I can’t!

Goku: What? Why not?

Kumon: I have friends who I’m travelling with too! So I gotta get back to them.

Goku: …I see! If they’re friends of yours, then I’m sure they’re great people.

Kumon: They are! If we run into each other again, I’ll introduce you to them.

Goku: Great! I’ll introduce my friends too!

Kumon: Alright… here’s proof of our promise!

Goku: Huh? What’s that?

Kumon: We touch our fists together! It’s called a fist bump!

Goku: Ooh! That’s pretty cool!

Kumon: Go on. Hold out your fist too, Goku!

Goku: Sure!

*fist bumps*

Kumon: …We’ll meet again for sure!

*dream ends*

Kumon: —! What the heck… so that was a dream~. (But…) … (Somehow I feel like the sensation is still there on my fist.) …Ah! My baseball game!

-pause-

Yuki: Isn’t it a bit empty over here?

Tenma: Should we draw a baseball there?

Misumi: Can I draw a triangle~?

*door opens*

Kumon: Huh? What’re you guys doing?

Muku: Ah! Kyu-chan's up!

Misumi: You’re not allowed to look yet~!

Yuki: Well, he’s already seen us. Isn’t the jig up now?

Kazunari: Looks like it~.

Kumon: ?

Kazunari: Tah-dah! Truth is, we were upgrading the banner we made last time! All of us are gonna hold this to cheer you on at your game today!

Misumi: We upgraded Gucchi’s board too~.

Kumon: … …Ahahaha!

Misumi: What happened~?

Kumon: Nothing… I was just thinking my friends are the best after all! Thanks so much, all of you!

Yuki: Once again, not a drop of embarrassment as he says that…

Kumon: Ehehe!

---

previous |

[squidsquidsquidsquidsquidgame]

picnic in the park

character: Cho hyun-ju X fem!reader🌺🪷🌺

Summary: Hyun-Ju plans a spontaneous picnic in the park. She packs a basket full of sweet snacks and a cozy blanket.

Warnings: none🦑🦑

The sun hung lazily in the sky, casting a warm glow over the park as Hyun-Ju and you arrived at your favorite spot under a large, leafy tree. She'd been talking about this spontaneous picnic all morning, her excitement infectious. You could tell she was craving a peaceful day, one where everything was simple and carefree. The move to Thailand had been a leap, but it had been the right one—here, in this small, quiet town, people were more accepting of her. It was everything she'd wanted.

Hyun-Ju unfolded the checkered blanket with a smile, setting the basket full of sweet treats in the middle. She’d brought her usual assortment: delicate rice cakes, sugary fruit, and a few pastries you both loved to share. After settling down, she tugged you gently by the hand, coaxing you to lie back on the soft grass.

The sky stretched wide above, its clouds like cotton drifting lazily through the blue expanse. You felt the familiar peace of being with her—just the two of you, away from the world, surrounded by the beauty of this new life you were building together.

“Look at that one,” Hyun-Ju said, her voice warm and playful as she pointed to a particularly fluffy cloud. “It looks like a dragon with wings. Don’t you think?”

You laughed softly, squeezing her hand. “A dragon? I don’t know... I think it looks more like a whale swimming in the sky.”

She raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into that mischievous smile you loved. “A whale? Really?” You chuckled, “Yes! It’s definitely a whale. It even has a little tail.”

Hyun-Ju shook her head, laughing along with you. “Alright, then what about that one over there?” She pointed to a cloud that had taken on a more abstract shape. “That one looks like a stack of pancakes, don’t you think?”

You squinted up at it, your head resting on her shoulder, feeling content. “Maybe a stack of pancakes, but the syrup's a little too runny.”“Ah, yes,” she teased, “pancakes with a heavy hand on the syrup. Classic.”

The two of you laughed and joked, making ridiculous guesses about the clouds, each more far-fetched than the last. It felt like time had slowed down, and in this moment, there was nothing more important than lying here with her, sharing these small, silly moments.

“You know,” Hyun-Ju said after a few moments of comfortable silence, her voice quieter now, “I never thought I’d be able to have a life like this. A picnic in a park, holding your hand without worrying about anything. I feel... normal. Like this is just who I am. I can breathe here.”

You squeezed her hand tighter, turning your head to meet her gaze. “You’ve always been normal to me. And I’m so glad we’re here, together.”Her smile softened, and she brushed a strand of hair from your face. “Thank you for making me feel like that. I never realized how much I needed peace until we came here. I’m so happy we’re building this life.”

You sat up, grabbing a piece of fruit from the picnic basket and handing it to her, your fingers brushing. "I think the best part of it all is that we’re doing it together. Just us."

She leaned in to kiss your cheek, her lips lingering for a moment longer than necessary. “Just us,” she echoed softly, the warmth of the day wrapping around both of you like a cocoon.

The afternoon passed slowly, the two of you continuing to talk and laugh, making silly guesses about the clouds and dreaming of more days like this.

🦑🦑🦑

[skzhocomments]

A Chance of Fate (Lee Know) - Chapter 4 - Blooming Feelings

Story masterlist - please consult it for the summary of the story, trigger warnings etc.

Wattpad | AO3

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

---

Chapter 4 - Blooming Feelings

Chapter word count: 2.4k words

It’s been exactly three weeks since you met Minho and started living with him, and 19 days since you started taking daily walks with him and getting to know him. It’s also been 19 days since you noticed a feeling growing slowly from within your chest, and you truly disliked it. Not that it was unpleasant. It wasn’t. But you didn’t want to put a name to it, afraid that if you would, everything would change between you and him, and you’d end up with a broken heart. Or rather – a more broken heart.

You also started helping around at the restaurant as a server and sometimes in the kitchen if Minho had too many orders.

By now, you knew all the regulars and memorised their orders by heart.

Mr. Park would always come Monday-Friday at 6 PM sharp, just after finishing up at his job. He would always drink a glass of beer and eat Minho’s special recipe Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and on Tuesday and Thursday he’d drink 2 bottles of Soju and eat fried pork belly.

Mr. Cho would come every 2 or 3 days with his wife and eat some of Minho’s chocolate cake. He’d drink some wine, and she’d have a few cocktails, both of them leaving satisfied after each date.

You even met a few of Minho’s friends: Changbin (that you found out writes a lot of songs with Chris and Han), Seungmin (who went to the same Uni Han attends) and I.N. and his girlfriend. They would drop by, have a quick meal and chat a bit with Minho, but all of them were busy doing their own thing and wouldn’t stay for too long.

That was until tonight.

This Friday night, Minho closed up earlier, which you found unusual, especially considering that Fridays were one of the most profitable nights of the week for his business.

“My friends are coming.” He explained. “We meet here once a month to catch up. Ah, Jisung will be here too!” He smiled and started preparing different snacks and foods a few hours before their arrival.

“How many people will there be?”

“Well, there’s Chan and Olivia, Han, Changbin and Felix, I.N., his girlfriend Mary, Hyunjin, Changbin, Seungmin and Felix.”

“You counted Changbin twice!” you laughed.

“Well, he eats like two anyway!” he chuckled.

“Okay, then I’ll go ahead and set the plates for you.”

You grabbed some and started placing them on the big table Minho formed out from other tables.

After a few minutes, you placed 11 plates and 11 glasses, napkins, cutlery, and some soju bottles. You also grabbed some of the snacks Minho prepared. The table looked pretty nice, or at least adequate, you figured.

“Wow! This looks so much better than what I could’ve done! Good job, Dal-Rae!” he praised you and looked actually excited. “Everyone’s gonna be surprised by this, I never set the table or anything for these meetings. I think Jisung will be shocked.”

“Hahah, yeah. You prepare all this food and stuff, though!”

“But wait, why are there only 11 seats?”

“Well, you’re 11, right?”

“No, that’s not… right.” He replied while shaking his head disapprovingly.

“What do you mean? Chris, Olivia, Han, Changbin and Felix, I.N., Mary, Hyunjin, Seungmin, Felix and you. That’s 11.”

“Dal-Rae, we’re 12.”

“No, you’re 11. Did I count it wrong? Chris, Olivia-”

“No, dummy. You counted right. But you forgot your seat.” He ruffled your hair and grabbed another plate, placing it on the table.

“Oh- Am I… invited, though?” you asked unsure.

“What? Why wouldn’t you be-”

“SURPRISEEE!” a familiar voice shouted loudly and busted through the door.

“Jisung, what the heck?” Minho chuckled.

“Lee Know, Lee Know, Lee Know, I came to rescue you from your misery of having to set up the tab- What the fuck, man? This looks so beautiful, what? When did you learn how to manage without me?” he whined and faked a cry.

“It’s all her!” Minho pointed at you and bowed jokingly.

“Dal-Rae, just who I wanted to see! I missed you sooooo much!” he hugged you tightly.

“Don’t you text me everyday, though?” you chuckled, hugging the boy who quickly became your best friend back. “Although you didn’t even tell me you’re coming.”

“Wait, you’re texting her?” Lee Know raised an eyebrow.

“I do, but I still want to see you, Dal-Rae! I wanted to surprise you. Wow, getting big, are we?” he petted your belly and smiled, just when you felt a kick.

“Dude, don’t touch her like that-” Minho started and grabbed Han’s wrist, but was quickly interrupted.

“OMG! THE BABY JUST MOVED! THE BABY JUST HIGH FIVED ME!”

“Yeah, it keeps doing it! Especially if I lay down. If it’s a boy, it must be a future football player or something!” you chuckled.

“Or a boxer! Or maybe it’s a girl and she likes dancing!”

“Seriously? Did it… kick?” Minho asked, surprised.

“Yes!” Han exclaimed. “Oh my god, this is the most beautiful thing ever!!! What the heck. Wow. The miracle of life.”

You noticed something shift in Minho’s eyes. Jealousy? It can’t be. Curiosity? Maybe he wanted to feel the baby’s kicks too but didn’t know how to ask.

“Do you… want to…”

“No, no, I’m fine.” He quickly denied.

“Oh…” You frowned. You didn’t expect him to reject the idea so openly. Was he that uncomfortable with touching you, or was he just hesitating?

“I mean- I don’t want you to be uncomfortable-”

“I’m not! You don’t make me uncomfortable, so you can-”

“Seriously, guys? What the heck is wrong with y’all?” Han sighed and grabbed Minho’s hands and pulled him towards your belly.

You found it a bit amusing how Minho was always putting on a brave face, but now, looking at you, he seemed so unsure.

Was he really allowed to touch you? He knew Olivia hated people placing their hands all over her belly, she barely let Chan touch her, much to his dismay, so Minho never insisted, although he couldn’t deny that he was curious. And he hasn’t really had other chances to interact with pregnant people or to be close enough to someone as to ask.

For Minho, this felt… personal, in a way.

“I…”

“It’s okay.” You said and grabbed his hands that were hovering mere centimetres in front of your belly, placing them against you firmly.

His hands were cold, you noticed, and the expression on his face was expectant. Luckily for him, the baby seemed to be active today, so another kick came pretty quickly, making Minho open his mouth in shock and excitement.

“Oh! Wow!” he smiled brightly and looked into your eyes.

He was so beautiful. Of course, you’ve noticed that when you first saw him. But this? Fuck, your heart was not prepared for this.

The way he looked at you, the smile on his face, the way small creases formed around his eyes, mouth and nose, the way his cold hands felt on your warm belly…

This was too much to bear for your poor heart that was now running at 400 km/h.

The feeling came over you again, and you allowed yourself a second to wish that Minho was the father of your child instead. Then, you slapped yourself in your head and returned his smile.

Don’t be stupid, Dal-Rae.

“How’s that, Lee Know? Isn’t that great?” Han asked excitedly.

“Mhm.” He nodded happily.

“Makes me wanna have a kid too! That’s so unfair!!! Why don’t I have a girlfriend yet?” Han whined. “Dal-Rae, promise me you’re gonna make me the Godfather! Pretty please??”

“Oh! Would you want that? Like, for real?” you asked, this time you being the surprised one.

“YES!!! CAN I?”

“Dude, you’re too loud.” Minho covered Han’s mouth with his hand.

“Yeah, but isn’t it too quiet without me here?” he replied with a muffled voice, struggling to speak through Minho’s hands.

“Eww, don’t lick my hand! Gross!” Minho grimaced and let Jisung go.

“Han, I’d love it if you were my baby’s Godfather.” You replied, ignoring the small commotion and curses between the two.

“Oh my god!!! Really??? Lee Know!!! Did you hear that?? I’m gonna be the Godfather! This makes me a bit emotional.” He said, tearing up and hugging you.

“By the way, how’s Uni?” Minho asked, unimpressed.

“Wah, Dal-Rae, how are you holding up living with this asshole and his three asshole cats?”

“The cats are really nice, actually.” You replied with a chuckle.

“Hey! Just the cats? What about me?” Minho pouted, making you laugh.

“You… you are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” You smiled and quickly corrected yourself, afraid he would misunderstand. “Both of you.”

Or rather, you were afraid he would understand.

It was true. Minho is the best thing that ever happened to you. And the fact that the “is” would soon turn into a “was” truly broke you, but you knew you couldn’t stay here forever.

It was stupid of you to get used to Minho’s presence and to depend on him so much. He was not the father of your child, so you had no right to live in your made-up fantasy that he was and that he would keep taking care of you.

After all, in less than 6 weeks, your baby would be born. Until then, you’d have to get a new job, search for a place for you two and get your life together.

How were you going to do this? You weren’t sure.

~

“Dal-Rae, I was not expecting to see you tonight! How are you?” Olivia approached you rather coldly. Although she was smiling, you could tell how forced it looked. Maybe Minho shouldn’t have invited you after all.

“I’m good, thank you. What about you? Were you busy at the shop lately?”

“Oh, yeah! Very! By the way, this is Chris, I believe you still haven’t met him yet? Chris, honey, this is Dal-Rae, the girl that came with Minho to the store the other week. Oh! Hyunjin!” she exclaimed, noticing a tall frame enter the door. She left you and Chan alone and ran over to the younger, jumping up and ruffling his hair affectionately.

“Ohhhh, yes, I remember Olivia telling me about you coming to the store. I’m Chan, or Chris, whichever you prefer. Nice to meet you!” he said, turning his attention to you.

“The pleasure is mine. I’ve heard a lot about you from Minho and especially from Han. It’s nice to finally put a face to the name.”

“Good things I hope!” he chuckled.

“Yeah, nothing to worry about.” You returned his laugh and pointed him towards the table. “You can sit down if you’d like.”

“Do you live around here? It’s pretty late, so I’m just surprised that you’d come, considering you’re pregnant and all. I remember Olivia barely had any energy to interact with others, especially at this hour. She would sleep like a log.” He chuckled and affectionately took a glance at his wife.

“She lives here.” Han came from behind you and placed his arm around your shoulder.

“Really?” Chan asked, his face forming a slight frown that you would’ve missed have you not observed him so closely. “That’s great! Uhm… will you excuse me for a moment?” he brushed over you and headed towards the kitchen.

“Don’t mind him so much, Dal-Rae. He’s just trying to look out for Lee Know. Chan can get really protective of his friends, and Minho is like a little brother to him.” Han whispered.

“I… know. But… he doesn’t have anything to worry about. It’s true that Minho is helping me, but I would never take advantage of him. I will try to move out as soon as possible, before the baby comes. I promise.”

“Wait, what? When’s that?”

“In less than 2 months, so there’s really nothing to worry about. I’ll be gone soon.”

“What do you mean?” Han frowned. “How? Where?”

“I don’t… uhm… Minho is paying me way more than he should, I’m sure, so I do have a little wiggle room…”

“Did you tell Minho about this? That you’re planning to leave…?”

You were the one to frown hearing this question. How could you tell him and burden him even more with worry?

Trying to push aside the sinking feeling in your chest, you smiled briefly and muttered a quiet “Soon” with a shake of your head.

~

“Hey, man. The food looks great.” Chan approached Minho.

“Oh, I didn’t know you'd already arrived. I’m stacking up these plates still!”

“Smells great too.”

“Thanks. I’m working on a new recipe, so you’ll be my guinea pigs tonight.” Minho chuckled.

“Listen… Olivia told me that you brought a girl back to the store…”

“Oh, yeah. Her name’s Dal-Rae. What about her? She’s here tonight if you wanna meet her.”

“I just did… she seems like a nice girl… but Minho, Han said she lives here. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m just gonna ask you this once. Are you… the father of her child?”

Right. The elephant in the room.

Lee Know sighed. “I’m sure Olivia already told you about it.”

“She did, but I want to hear it directly from you.”

“If she did, then you know the answer. No, I’m not the father of her child.”

“Then… what are you doing?”

“What am I doing?” Minho dropped everything from his hands and faced his friend.

“You know what I mean.” Chan replied sternly, frowning.

“No, I don’t.”

“Minho, don’t play dumb. Letting her stay here and eating your food? Paying hundreds of dollars for things for her?”

“What was I supposed to do then, hm? Let her go and pretend I didn’t notice she needs help? You didn’t see her when she first came in! She was full of bruises-”

“I’m sure we can find other ways to help her. We’ll contact a women’s shelter and-”

“We’ve already tried that route, smarty-pants.” Minho sneered. He was feeling irrationally angry. “And you know what happened? Nothing. There was no place for her.”

“But even so, hear me out.”

“No. I decided to help her. I can’t let her down now. Not when her due date is so close.”

“Minho-”

“Chris. I’m serious about it. She will stay here, and I will help her.”

“Why? What got you so worked up for this girl, man? You’re still young, you have time to find someone else.”

“You should know better than anyone that I don’t want someone else after what happened.”

“But still, this isn’t right for you.” Chan frowned. “I just wanna look out for you, man. If you’re doing this for her just for pity… That’s not right either.”

“That’s how it was at first, but now? I don’t know… I think I… for the first time in so long, I think…”

Minho wasn’t sure if he was able to admit that out loud, but Chan’s raised eyebrow made him confess with a sigh:

“I think I’m in love with her.”

~

Chapter 3 | Chapter 5

[historicalasiandramas]

FINALLY SOME DAEHO LORE!! 200 years ago, there was a drought so bad that even the lake dried up. The mages brought it back by summoning hail. The scene with the blindfolded mage dancing in the water with the sunset behind her was SO cool!

But there was one piece that neither melted nor kept its shape. It kept shifting from ice to fire to stone to water and back to ice. That process produced a black powder.

People fought wars over this piece of ice because the power to switch bodies and essentially never die is incredible. But Master Seo Gyeong, Songrim's founder and Master Lee's teacher, stopped all the fighting. It turns out that Master Lee is telling this story to children on a boat. One of them has a wooden figure, and Master Lee asks him where he got it. "I found it on the mountain." Master Lee asks if he'd like to trade it for some chestnuts and he agrees.

It turns out this relic is cursed and Master Lee instantly destroys it, much to the awe of the children. The kid who had it says he knows all about relics and Jinyowon. Apparently all the artifacts there were created with the ice stone, and that's why they're so powerful. The camera zooms in on the mirror that swallowed Mudeok and we see her hand slam against the glass from the inside.

The scene switches to the Crown Prince, who is still salty about Mudeok's rejection. To make matters worse, he's being served cinnamon wine again, which only reminds him of Mudeok's reaction to the strong scent. He sends his servant away and mutters about Mudeok and the candles flicker. And then there she is.

CP pours her a cup of cinnamon wine and tells her that this batch is stronger than the last. Mirror!Mudeok (MM) says it smells good, which baffles CP. It seems like whenever someone thinks of Mudeok near a mirror, she'll be able to appear. CP is a powerful mage and is immediately able to tell that this is not a human. He demands to know who she is. MM sighs and says, "Ah, you caught me." The mirror cracks and she's gone. He wonders why this spirit looks like Mudeok and then stares at the cracked mirror.

While the Jin estate has mobilized every guardwoman to search the grounds, one reports that CP has arrived. Lady Jin is confused, since it's nighttime. CP says he's looking for someone, but notices that the estate seems to be on alert and asks what's going on. Lady Jin says that a maid caused trouble and disappeared so they're looking for her. "She doesn't work for us. Her name is Mudeok from the Jang family." That's just who CP is looking for!

In a flashback, Cho Yeon is seen reprimanding Mudeok for breaking the yin-yang jade and Lady Jin ordering Mudeok to be taken away. Cho Yeon is still boldly lying to CP's face saying that Mudeok must have gotten scared and ran away with the jade. CP doesn't buy it. And now Yul and Dang-gu have arrived! It's an eventful night at the Jin family estate!

Yul is also looking for Mudeok! Cho Yeon is now extra confused, but doubles down on her bullshit. Dang-gu asks her why she didn't have the rings made. He went to Chwiseonru and was told that Cho Yeon had already left. Under her mother's stare, Cho Yeon stammers that she just decided to postpone it.

CP asks why Yul is looking for Mudeok and Yul says that he saw an illusion too. His version of her seems to be a mix of Naksu and Mudeok, since in Danhyanggok they kept overlapping. Interesting!

Yul realizes that she's not human and readies an attack but MM says, "Are you going to get rid of me? Then you'll never get to see me again." This is enough to make him hesitate and she almost gets close enough to kiss him. Yul pushes her back into the mirror just in time.

We switch over to Lord Park and Master Heo, who is watching the spirit dog. Gwigu/Sapsali was created by Seo Gyeong to sniff out forbidden sorcery. Lord Park wonders if someone found where the ice stone is sealed due to the increase in soul shifters.

We know that the only two Hwansu masters are Seo Gyeong and Master Lee. Yet Jang Gang was able to perform the alchemy of souls somehow and now Jin Mu can. Lord Park theorizes that someone must have found the ice stone and broken its seal and they must not let the chaos from 200 years ago repeat.

Speaking of Jin Mu, he's got a special delivery: soul ejectors! A lot of them. Where is he getting these???

Eunuch Kim says, "I thought you were going to lie low. Are you planning on shifting more souls?" Obviously a villain can't reveal his plan to just anyone. Jin Mu tells Eunuch Kim to report that he received the gift and he leaves. Jin Mu tells Gil Ju (previously known as Right Hand Man) to hurry up and find a replacement body so that Gil Ju's soul can be shifted into it.

But Gil Ju has other plans. He will use Naksu to get the body he wants, which is probably Uk's since it fades to him right after. Jang Uk apologizes for Mudeok's supposed wrongdoings and Cho Yeon tells him that she begged her mother for that jade because it ensures a long & happy marriage for couples. Lady Jin is satisfied with his seemingly sincere apology and dismisses Uk, but he refuses to leave without Mudeok.

Under the pretense of finding the "wicked maid" who stole such a valuable item, Uk seeks Lady Jin's permission to stay and search himself. He is granted this permission, which he uses as leverage to ask Lady Jin to open the door to Jinyowon and its relics. Lady Jin isn't convinced but both Yul and CP saw an illusion that looked like Mudeok and the only place with an artifact that can do that is Jinyowon. The door can only be opened by a Jin, which is a matriarchal line. Which means only Lady Jin and Cho Yeon can.

AND YET we saw Mudeok casually strolling through Jinyowon last episode! Given how everything in the Jin estate reacted to her, I'm willing to bet that Naksu was actually the eldest Jin daughter that disappeared. There are missing pieces though: she remembers her father was a constellation recorder mage, and everyone in Cheonbugwan was killed.

Why would she be at Cheonbugwan if she was the heir to the Jin family? We can't trust the memories of a traumatized child. There's something else going on here... Lady Jin warns Uk that he may not return but Yul and CP say they'll both go in with him. Lady Jin gives them an hour.

She's so effortlessly sexy wtf!!

CP & Uk immediately start being catty to each other while Yul remains stone faced. But apparently even he can be rattled, as he immediately starts heading in the wrong direction. They all run right past the mirror, which is dark. Inside, Mudeok is surrounded by many different versions of herself and wonders how she got there. We then see her side of the story.

Mudeok tells Cho Yeon that whoever breaks the yin-yang jade will never have a long-lasting relationship and the one they love will never love them back. She pretends to be distraught about this, which makes Cho Yeon freak out and she falls perfectly into Mudeok's trap. "Why is Young Mistress Jin worried, when I'm the one who broke it?" She drops the act and says that Cho Yeon broke it and made Mudeok carry it so she could blame her.

Cho Yeon asked why she didn't bring it up in front of her mother, but Mudeok says she wouldn't dare humiliate Lady Jin's daughter in front of everyone. She's not scared of Cho Yeon.

Cho Yeon reveals that she also fears her mother but she hates Mudeok just as much. After she storms off, Mudeok escapes out the window and is somehow able to sneak through the estate grounds. Cho Yeon returns to find Mudeok gone and grabs the jade. Meanwhile, Mudeok sees a door mysteriously left open and finds herself in front of Jinyowon. When she touches the vine-covered wall, it reveals the door, which opens for her.

AND CHO YEON SEES MUDEOK ENTER JINYOWON. She has a moral dilemma: if Mudeok gets stuck with the artifacts, she could die. After looking at the broken jade, Cho Yeon decides to lock Mudeok in. Back the the present, Cho Yeon is fretting about whether or not Mudeok died and Dang-gu takes notice. He says that every time she moves, he hears a sound. Almost like jade clinking against each other... She grips a bag under her skirt and Dang-gu sighs.

Inside Jinyowon, Yul says that the hour is up and they must head back. Uk refuses to leave without Mudeok and asks how the illusion appeared. Yul says that she said, "I came because you longed for me." CP said his illusion said the same thing. He realizes that she didn't appear to Uk, her supposed master, and rubs it in.

A totally normal and not jealous reaction :) Yul is not so dumb as to tell his friend what he was thinking about, but he makes the correct conclusion: the mirror broke. CP says his did too. They rush back to the mirror, which shows a smirking reflection of Uk. The other two report to Lady Jin with their findings. AND OFC IT'S CALLED THE MIRROR OF LONGING.

Yul asks Lady Jin to remove the mirror from Jinyowon so that they can rescue Mudeok, but she refuses. An artifact that swallowed a human is too dangerous to be allowed outside. CP tries to order her, but Lady Jin says that this is the exact reason her family has the plaque that allows her to refuse even if the king asks. It's a failsafe put in place after the disaster the kingdom was in 200 years ago.

Yul says that Uk won't leave without Mudeok, and Lady Jin says that he will have to stay there. Once the hour is up, she will seal the door. Now that Uk is in danger, Cho Yeon finally shows her mother the broken jade and begs her not to lock him inside Jinyowon. Lady Jin will not budge. Meanwhile, Uk is fighting with the mirror. It says that humans cannot see themselves without a reflection and it only shows them what they long to see. Uk realizes then that if the mirror has nothing to reflect, it's useless. So he covers it up and yells for Mudeok.

She hears him! She calls back to him and he can hear her, too. But!! Time's up and it's time to seal the door. Just as Lady Jin orders Cho Yeon, Lord Park appears with Head Maid Kim in tow. He says that he will retrieve Mudeok himself, but Lady Jin asks how she's supposed to trust such a high level mage amongst the relics.

OH?!?!?!? MA'AM WHAT DOES THIS MEAN!! (Is this about Naksu's father?)

Lady Jin says that if Lord Park wants to save Jang Uk, he'll have to bring all the mages from Jeonjingak. Lord Park orders Yul to bring Uk back. Inside Jinyowon, Uk is having a heart to heart with Mudeok. First, he offers to make her Danju but she rejects that. Why would the Gwanju keep a soul shifter by his side? Then he admits that without her, he doesn't know what to do. He touches the mirror and says he misses her and Mudeok does the same from her side.

[CUE ROMANTIC MUSIC AND FLASHBACK]

But then the artifacts start rattling and repeating words from the past. A female voice says, "It's her!" A male voice asks, "Who?"

A blind girl is mentioned right before the ice stone. I KNEW the original Mudeok was powerful! The mirror starts to crack on Mudeok's side and she tells Uk to stand back. When it cracks, there's a flash of light and the doors of Jinyowon outside light up. When they open, Uk is carrying Mudeok on his back. He sees Lord Park for the first time since their fight and bows to him.

Cho Yeon confesses before Lord Park, CP, and her mother. Lady Jin asks about the Mirror of Longing and Cho Yeon says that it was next to her when she fell but she didn't touch it. Uk isn't strong enough to break it, so Lady Jin assumes it was Cho Yeon. Lord Park then asks if she also locked Mudeok in Jinyowon.

Her mother doesn't believe this, as only women from their family can open the door. Cho Yeon sheepishly takes the blame and Lord Park says that he will make sure this news doesn't get out to Songrim and CP says he will do the same. Lady Jin apologizes for her daughter, which only makes Cho Yeon more guilty. GOOD!! Your brattiness almost got someone killed!

It seems like the bright light from the mirror has made Mudeok unable to open her eyes. Head Maid Kim wraps her eyes and leads her outside, where Mudeok hear's Dang-gu's voice. Then Yul's, then CP's. HMK says that they all came looking for her when she went missing, so Mudeok should apologize and thank them. Uk does the most ballsy thing of all and takes her hand in front of everyone.

HMK and Lord Park discuss Uk and say that the marriage with Cho Yeon will probably not proceed after what happened. Lord Park understands why Lady Jin acted the way she did - sometimes, when you have something important to protect, you must act heartlessly. She tells Lord Park that he should go see Uk, but he refuses. They flirt a bit and then he leaves...and runs into Uk.

Uk bows and is about to pass without a word but Lord Park tells him that he acted recklessly. After talking with the mirror, Uk understands that the versions of him other people create in their heads are illusions. He asks why Lord Park wants him to stop wanting to be Gwanju and Lord Park says there's only one thing he wants Uk to be.

Uk says that he will try even harder to find out who he is, which ofc will put him in more danger! And ofc Lord Park can't tell Uk that he's the destined king in the prophecy either. He's gonna find out anyway, my dude. But I understand that this is your bestie's son whom you love like your own.

Speaking of love, Mudeok is able to see again and tells Uk that she briefly regained her power and was able to shatter the mirror. Uk says that when she puts him in danger, Mudeok's life should be at risk too. Keeping that in mind, will he still proceed to marry the woman who almost got her killed? Marrying Cho Yeon would guarantee his safety, but it's true that Mudeok's life was in danger.

He meets with Lady Jin and asks if she's willing to risk having him marry into the family if it turns out that he's not really Jang Gang's son. As he's leaving, Uk runs into Jin Mu. He notices that Uk is still wearing the binding bracelet and comments on it. Uk just looks at it and says "yep I do" and walks away. Jin Mu is appalled by this level of cheekiness but Gil Ju still wants to shift into Uk's body.

It turns out Jin Mu came to demand why Lady Jin tried to marry Cho Yeon off without consulting him. She asks why Jin family affairs would concern him. He pulls the "noonim" card and says he's also part of the Jin family. So she's the older sister. Interesting!

Lady Jin still refuses to see him as a Jin, since they're a matriarchal line. Apparently, her mother was the one who allowed Jin Mu to use the surname even though Jin Mu's mother was some rando. He says that she already kicked him out when she became leader of Jinyowon, but does she really resent him that much? Resent isn't strong enough - more like detest. She calls him treacherous (go off queen!), but he brushes it off.

Jin Mu says that Jang Uk is the wrong choice for a son-in-law. His offer: CP. Lady Jin finds it laughable but Cho Yeon is the second daughter. Jin Mu says the eldest daughter, Bu Yeon, will become leader of Jinyowon. This piece of shit loves to bring her up only when it suits him, huh? I detest him too :) Lady Jin basically tells him to get her daughter's name out of his mouth.

He says that he will become Gwanju and support Jinyowon because, after all, he's a member of the Jin family too. This is obviously advantageous to Lady Jin, but like. We all hear the villain voice, right? He's so good at sounding insincere. Sadly, half-siblings or no, Lady Jin and Jin Mu are both alike in their desire for power and she seems momentarily swayed...

We move back to the boys and Dang-gu has a very important question for Yul:

But that's the thing: he wasn't! He was thinking about Naksu. He doesn't understand why the illusion said the things it did. This apparently rattles him so much he starts heading in the wrong direction. Just as Dang-gu gets him back, he notices that packages containing wedding gifts for Cho Yeon have entered the city. He feels like he should intercept them before anyone else sees, but a bird cage gets knocked off the cart and the bird gets loose.

Yul is startled to hear a bird whistle and follows the sound to find Mudeok (naturally) playing the bird whistle he made with the escaped bird on her shoulder. And that's when he pieces it all together.

But he's not the only one who knows. Mudeok senses she's being followed in the marketplace and hides behind a building. Gil Ju is waiting for her.

He tells her to come to a remote temple with her master if she wants to live. Gil Ju will shift into Uk's body. As she's taking him there, Mudeok is trying to rationalize her decision to herself because she is experiencing guilt. To make matters worse, Uk thought that rather than waste the broken yin-yang jade, he should make something out of it.

Matching bird eggs! "To remind each other to stay loyal and dutiful," he says. Whatever you say, bud! Mudeok says nothing, so Uk takes the red egg and gives her the blue one. Mudeok is unable to lie to him and says that this is where they part ways. She will return to her life as an assassin.

Uk is confused. They abandoned her before and tried to kill her. Mudeok says she met someone from her past and they know who she is. They could've easily killed her, so it's best to go back with them and regain her energy. Uk is upset because that's what he promised to do for her. He doesn't understand why they can't stay together.

Gil Ju told Mudeok that he hasn't told the Danju who she is yet. She thinks that if they run, he will. What Mudeok doesn't know is that Gil Ju has gone rogue and is doing this without Jin Mu's knowledge because he wants Jang Uk's body.

Meanwhile, Park Jin pays Cheonbugwan a secret visit. He has questions about Cho Chung, the constellation recorder mage who was killed 20 years ago. Master Heo tells Yul that Naksu's father was a soul shifter and he lost control and killed his entire family. So THAT'S why the maid who saved Naksu told her to run if she sees her father!

Lord Park is laying some heavy accusations at Jin Mu's feet.

Why did he immediately burn Naksu's body, if not to cover his tracks? Jin Mu is like "ok fine if you wanna play that game, I also have intel on Songrim." Cheonbugwan records the stars between 1am and 3am, when the energy is highest and the Gwanju checks it at noon. But one day, a constellation plate disappeared.

Naksu's father was the one who recorded that plate, and Jin Mu was the one who found it. But Jang Gang told Lord Park that he hid it. Without outright saying it, Songrim's leader asks if Jin Mu knows what was recorded there. Jin Mu smirks and says he does.

UH-OH, THAT'S BAD! Jin Mu asks if Lord Park thought that Cho Chung's death would bury the info and scoffs.

OH MY GODS. Mudeok, your future father-in-law turned your father into a shifter, damning both him and your entire family. I am not looking forward to her finding that out. Speaking of finding things out, it turns out that Lord Park didn't know that Jang Gang could shift souls?!

Mudeok shows up to the temple alone, and Gil Ju asks where Jang Uk is. She says that he'll be coming soon :) At the Jang estate, Lord Park asks Head Maid Kim if Jang Gang performed the alchemy of souls. From her reaction, it seems like she did. DOES SHE KNOW THAT UK IS THE FUTURE KING?!?

Back at the temple, Gil Ju is getting restless. Why hasn't Jang Uk shown up yet? Did Naksu trick him? She looks outside to see the rain and says that Uk should be there any second. Gil Ju knows that Something is up and attacks her. Mudeok is able to block but she's still not at full power and gets knocked back into a wall. Just as Gil Ju is about to kill her, Uk appears the block the blow. Anything to protect his bae!

There's a flashback to Uk asking why Mudeok wanted to take him to a remote temple and she reveals the plan. "Now you know, so don't follow me." Uk says exactly what I was thinking: "How can I not follow you after what you said?" Mudeok says that if it rains, then they both might be able to live. He's got the King's Star so of course it rains! He's able to dodge for a bit, but his opponent is strong. Uk doesn't know that Gil Ju won't kill him, since he wants Uk's body. He just needs to create an opening where Uk can't fight back so they can switch souls.

After getting knocked back, Uk backs out the door and into the rain and takes the binding bracelet off. And now's his chance to use a form of tansu! Rather than trying to flick the water droplets with his sword, he should wield it so that the raindrops fall onto the blade.

He's able to do it and that one raindrop deals massive damage to Gil Ju. But he's not down yet. He crushes the soul ejector and tosses it into the nearby fountain, starting the alchemy of souls process. Mudeok instinctively uses her body to shield Uk. But it's too late: he and Gil Ju stare at each other in the world in between and Uk realizes what's happening.

RUH-ROH!! How on earth is Mudeok going to save him? I'll bet her original soul is going to activate :)

[glindaupland]

오페라의 유령 / The Phantom of the Opera - South Korea (Third Season) | Pt 4

Program Books Ver 2-4 (Busan + Seoul)

Notes I / Prima Donna

1. 이상준 Lee Sang-jun 2. 윤영석 Yoon Young-seok

1. 송원근 Song Won-geun 2. 황건하 Hwang Gun-ha

1. 황건하 Hwang Gun-ha 2. 조하린 Cho Ha-rin + 김아선 Kim Ah-seon

1-2. 한보라 Han Bo-ra + 박회림 Park Hoe-rim + 이상준 Lee Sang-jun + 윤영석 Yoon Young-seok

Il Muto / Poor Fool He Makes Me Laugh

1. 한보라 Han Bo-ra + 손지수 Sohn Ji-soo 2. 이지영 Lee Ji-young + 송은혜 Song Eun-hye