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offbeatcappuccino · 3 months

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a colossal disaster ~ impossible heir final reflections

I recently finished watching the last two episodes of impossible heir and I am convinced that this show will go down as one of the biggest disappointments of 2024. After being a close follower of Lee Jae Wook's career for several years, I was excited about him playing another cold traumatized morally ambiguous character. However, there are too many weaknesses in the writing that cannot be made up by the spectacular acting from Lee Jae Wook, Lee Jun Young, and Choi Hee Jin. We all already know how I feel about Hong Su Zu and her character Na Hye Won. Like many predicted, the big reveal in this show is that Lee Jun Young's character Kang In Ha is a backstabber that has been secretly plotting to frame his best friend Han Tae Oh as the murderer of Kang In Ju in order to fulfill his dream of ascending the Kang-oh throne.

I do think that the shift in In Ha's becoming an overly ambitious fake friend was somewhat well justified with the writing. There were signs in the earlier episodes that he saw Tae Oh as his "dog" and held very little regard for him. One notable example is him "stealing" Na Hye Won despite being very well aware that Tae Oh had a crush on her. When In Ha is finally recognized by his father as his son, In Ha makes several independent decisions without consulting Han Tae Oh- suggesting the very early signs of a schism between the two men. However, its hard to swallow that out of nowhere he becomes capable of conspiring in the murder of his own brother, his best friend, the man that helped him kill his brother, his father, and finally, physically assaulting his wife and having her institutionalized against her will. What is actually quite bewildering in all of this has to be the relationship between In Ha and Mo Gi Ju, the murderer of Kang In Ju.

In last week's episodes, we are shown that Han Tae Oh comes across video evidence from the murder scene, which directly implicates Mo Gi Ju and Kang In Ha. This subsequently allows Tae Oh to be declared innocent and have his charges dismissed. When Gi Ju is interrogated, he refuses to disclose In Ha as his co-conspirator and in the last episode, we see that Gi Ju initially considers In Ha to be his friend. This is what is incredibly perplexing because at what point in the plot did these two become friends? It's one thing to be co-conspirators or to make a mutually beneficial deal, but to become close friends to the point that one of them is willing to take all the blame to protect the other? This is a loose thread in the plot that the show runners never seem to take the time to address.

Another thing that is never explained in the show is In Ha's extensive connections with the prison system. However, this could just be me being picky and maybe in the short span that he was able to be recognized as a legitimate son, he also was able to bribe a prison guard to help him carry out his dirty work. Despite these flaws, I will say that Lee Jun Young is absolute perfection when it comes to playing a maniac.

Apart from this arc, one of the biggest flaws in the last episode was the drastic shift in the characterization of Kang Seong Ju, one of In Ha's older brothers, who along with his mother was scheming to become the CEO of the company. However, after his mother's arrest, Seong Ju tearfully exclaims to his mother that he's sick of vying for the top and wants to prioritize his happiness. This is a sharp departure from his conduct just a few days prior when he was attempting to fill the vacuum left by his father's illness. What is even more difficult to swallow is the sudden respect that Seong Ju develops for Tae Oh, even going as far as respecting him as the next chairman of Kang Oh and bowing to him even though like everyone else in the family apart from Hui Ju, believed that Tae Oh was lesser than and a threat to their ambitions due to his proximity to the chairman. Seong Ju's arc is almost too good of an ending that you can't help but feel that the writers resorted to deus ex machina in order to tie all the ends.

Hye Won as usual was a disappointment and its confusing why they would market her as a main character when she had barely any lines or things to do in this episode. She has been one of the weakest female characters I have seen in a while with her existence mainly serving as a prop used to justify the conflict between the two men. She, herself, does very little to move the plot forward. Perhaps one of the saving graces of the show and the only reason I stuck with watching it is a brief scene that we see in the last few minutes of the show. Kang Hui Ju decides that she is going to travel the world and during the three year time leap, we see Tae Oh smiling at a picture of Hui Ju in Cancún, which she sends as her "survival update". The ending is very open-ended and ambigious, but if you were me, you interpreted it as Tae Oh finally reciprocating his feelings for Hui Ju.

While The Impossible Heir has been an utter disappointment, one of the good things about the show was the chemistry between Hui Ju and Tae Oh. Luckily, this has captivated the minds of some amazing writers and there's a flourishing AO3 page for the show with some of the best angst fanfics I've seen in a while.

Rating: 1.0/5.0

Keep watching kdramas and living your life like one,

offbeat_cappuccino

#lee jae wook #lee jun young #choi hee jin #hong su zu #han tae oh #kang in #kang huiju #na hye won #the impossible heir #disney hotstar #kdrama review #kdrama recommendations #kdrama reviews

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prbni · 3 months

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Chemistry between actors was amazing, but the storyline tho... in KDrama

Kang Sora as Oh Hara and Jung Seungjo as Goo Eun Beom in Strangers Again: the story ruined everything

Lee Jaewook as Baek Kyung and Kim Hye Yoon as Eun Dan Oh in Extraordinary You:only if Baek Kyung wasn't written as a red flag by the manhwa writer

Jeon Doyeon as Gil Bok Soon and Koo Kyo hwan as Han Hee Seong in Kill Bok Soon: the storyline was good for a crime thriller but unfortunate for them

Moon Sangmin as Lee Jihan and Jeon Jong Seo as Na Ah Jung in Wedding Impossible :they get happy ending but the storyline was messy imo

Lee Jaewook as Han Tae Oh and Choi Hee Jin as Kang Hee Joo in The Impossible Heir : yall know why. Everything in this drama was messed up except the chemistry between these two actors

Ki Do Hoon as Yangcha and Kim Ji Won as Tanya in Arthdal Chronicles: basically Kim Ji Won has chemistry with everyone she acts alongside

Lee Jae In as Lee Yoon Seo and Cha Woo Min as Ko Kyung Jun in Night Has Come: honestly I didn't even consider them before I saw all those edits on YT

Go Youn Jung as Jung Jisoo and Seo In Guk as Kim Seong Hyeop in Death's Game: even the smallest moments between them was enough to establish how beautiful chemistry they had

Lee Dohyun as Go Chang Myung and IU as Jang Man Wol in Hotel Del Luna: one of the best pairings in a KDrama to exist

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eggsaladstain · 6 months

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elaborate on the wasted potential? What parts would you have liked to explore?

Hi anon, I could go on and on about the wasted potential of Gyeongseong Creature but I will keep it relatively brief for both our sakes.

For the record, I did like the show, particularly the way it combined history with fiction to tell a story about dehumanized Koreans fighting back against their oppressors during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The titular creature is a physical manifestation of the atrocities committed by the Japanese soldiers against the Korean people and seeing the monster going on a violent rampage against those soldiers feels like an extreme version of the Korean people fighting for their country's freedom. But despite its best efforts, the show never really finds a way to tie the central theme of resistance and freedom to the rest of the plot. The resistance is more or less used as set dressing as neither of the two main characters, Tae-Sang and Chae-Ok, are members of the resistance movement, and the central plot of the season is a heist/horror story about uncovering the mysteries at Ongseong Hospital. The character who actually is a member of the resistance, Jun-Taek, has no real impact on the plot at all and his only noticeable contribution is the explosives used in the finale.

Think about how much more compelling a character Tae-Sang could've been if we'd gotten to see him transform from a selfish man who only cared about his own interests to a proud member of the resistance, finally finding a cause worth putting his life on the line for. By the end of episode 7, I thought the show had mostly achieved this, albeit clumsily, because we never really see why Tae-Sang had a change of heart and decided to be a hero, and if we're supposed to believe it's because of his feelings for Chae-Ok, I don't buy that for one second because the romance was half-baked at best. But then by the end of episode 10, he's once again shrugging off the title of patriot, and this is not a man who is humble, so what gives? Is he meant to be a charming rogue with a heart of gold or a selfish man who will be a hero only if it aligns with his personal interests? I still can't tell and I don't know if the writers themselves even know the answer - they kept trying to tell us he was the former but most of his actions pointed at him being the latter.

Even the horrific creature could've had a genuinely compelling arc if the show had bothered at all to humanize Seong-Sim prior to her transformation. I wanted desperately to root for mother monster to get her revenge against everyone who wronged her, but the show didn't give us any time to get to know her as a human, so it was hard for me to see her as anything but the monster she became. I wanted to believe that she still had some humanity, but the scenes of her protecting Chae-Ok ultimately fell flat because we never got to know the loving mother she had once been. Consider the flashback where Chae-Ok discovers the message her mother left for her on the wall. Now consider how much more impactful that scene would've been if we'd gotten to see it from Seong-Sim's perspective in real time in episode 1. It would've gone a long way in showing Seong-Sim's humanity and it would've made us believe in the love she had for her daughter, a love she would continue to hold onto even when she had lost everything else.

Towards the end of the show, it's revealed that multiple people close to Tae-Sang have all betrayed him at one point or another. But we barely know any of these characters or how they all became a part of each other's lives, and that emotional beat is once again lacking. This is what I mean by wasted potential. The show is full of moments like this, moments that should have been compelling and emotional, and could have been, if they've been tied together with a stronger, more cohesive script.

I don't know if you've watched Kingdom, anon, but it executes a similar concept to absolute perfection (in just 12 episodes and 1 movie) by using the supernatural element, zombies, as a vehicle to discuss its broader theme of hunger, both literal and metaphorical (which I've previously written about here and here). If you haven't watched it, I highly recommend it because it's a fantastic show on its own, and if you liked Gyeongseong Creature, I recommend Kingdom even more as an example of how this show could've been so much better than it was.

#gyeongseong creature #kdrama #kdrama meta #netflix kdrama #kingdom #kingdom netflix #answer #meta

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papaya2000s · 1 month

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The History of Korean male groups’ evolution over time -> Part 3.5

Before i start, i will be mentioning other Male Groups' that come after the Yeonhee Professional Orchestra (연희전문사중창단) and briefly mention the ‘Youth Member’ again, as they are similar in a way and are important in the timeline of Male Groups' weather they were the 'First' or 'Not First' Male Group to appear in Korea.

Before Liberation - 1930s

The phonographic album under discussion features the Yeonhee Professional Orchestra, recognized as Korea's pioneering male vocal ensemble, transitioning from performing hymns, cheer songs, and school songs to popular tunes. Dating back to the 1930s, a period marked by Japanese colonial rule, the sound albums produced by the Yeonhee Professional Orchestra are regarded as exceptional and scarce collectibles, adding to their allure and historical significance.

I am carried / Ha.ha.ha Album front - 나는실혀 / 하.하.하 앨범 앞면

Yonhee College Choir, formed by Yonhee College students

The 1960s saw a surge in male quartets in Korea, with groups like the Bluebells, Mellotone Quartet, Johnny Brothers, Bongbongsa Quartet, and Arirang Brothers gaining popularity. The Bluebells, known as 'Korea's first male vocal group', were a pioneer in the genre. However, the Yeonhee Professional Orchestra, a group from Yonhee College, had already made significant contributions to the music scene during the Japanese colonial period. The Bluebells played a crucial role in shaping the male quartet landscape in Korea, but it is essential to acknowledge the contributions of earlier groups like the Yeonhee Professional Orchestra in paving the way for male vocal harmony groups in the country.

Yeonhee Professional Orchestra, featuring tenor Lee In-beom, Choi Seong-du, bass Hwang Jae-kyung, and second bass Shin Young-gyun, debuted in 1932 with the release of Yeonhee College's and they released folk songs, original and adapted songs, and appeared on Gyeongseong Broadcasting Station (JODK) with Hyun Je-myeong. In April 1935, the team changed to 'Yeonjeonsa Intertwine', and their last album was composed by Hyun Je-myeong in December 1936.

Songs that they released: 1. September 1932 with the release of Yeonhee College's <Cheering Song> (응원가) and <School Song> (교가) 2. Folk songs, they also released original and adapted songs such as <I Am Carried> (나는실혀) and <Hahaha> (하하하) 3. December 1936, their last album <Lamb> (절늠발이), composed by Hyun Je-myeong.

History of domestic male vocal teams

The traces of male vocal teams in the history of Korean popular music begin with youth members singing the first song, “Hakdoga,” (학도가) released by ‘Youth Member’ in 1923. It is difficult to consider the ‘Youth Member’ specified in the album as a team name. The exact names of the members still cannot be confirmed.

In November 1925, Choi Dong-jun, Kim In-jae, Ahn Ki-young, and Jeong Seong-tae released <Let's Go for a Safe Delivery> (순산을 향해 갑시다) as a gramophone Album (SP) (Album number k579 on Nibbonohong). The names of the members were written here, but only ‘male master’ (남성 사부) was recorded without the team name. The first male vocal team to officially decide on a team name and release an album was the Yeonhee Professional Ensemble, formed by four college students from Yeonhee College.

At first, sung Hymns, School songs, and Cheer songs.

This is where it might become a bit confusing for some as it mentions other songs and Album Numbers that might not make sense to how its apart of the History Korean Male Groups, but it does is some way.

The official debut song of the Yeonhee College Choir was the Yeonhee College cheer song and school song recorded on the Columbia SP Album (Album number 40358) in September 1932 . In other words, they were not a male vocal team singing popular songs from the beginning. So, at first, the team name was written on the album as Yonhee College's quartet.

Those who sang hymns and school songs on campus released <Watermill> and <Farmer's Song> in September 1932, following <Idiot Tour of Seoul>, an adaptation of a song by foreign composer Smith, and <Let's Play>, a black folk song (Columbia Records, Album Number 40359). The folk song SP (Colombia Records, Album Number 40361) containing , was released under the same team name.

Korea’s 'First' Male Vocal Group, Yeonhee Professional Orchestra.

In April 1933, the Yeonhee Professional Orchestra released <Hahaha>, an adaptation of a song by foreign composer Crown, and <I am Silheo>, composed by Sherbone, as a sound record on Columbia Records. It is unusual that the name of the arranger, Ji Gong-bo, who is presumed to be a foreigner, is specified on the album.

I couldn't find a picture of the album only the record, as show at the top of this post.

This album is the first male vocal group in Korea, the Yeonhee Professional Singers' Intertwine, which began singing popular songs of various genres in earnest. This album tells us that they left school and began their full-fledged activities as a male vocal team. In fact, after the release of the album, there remains a photo of the Yeonhee Professional Orchestra appearing on Gyeongseong Broadcasting Radio with Professor Hyeon Je-myeong, who played the piano.

Yeonhee Professional Orchestra (1932) Members - In-beom Lee, Seong-du Choi, Jae-kyung Hwang, Young-gyun Shin (Piano Hyun Hyun-myeong) In Korean - 이인범, 최성두, 황재경, 신영균(피아노현재명)

Afterwards, in August 1933, <Song of the Wanderer> and the song <Song of Joseon> (Album Number 40450) were released, and in September 1934, the Manyo-style popular songs <Dream Janggayo> and <Goodbye> (Columbia Records, Album Number 40450) were released. 40536), and in January 1935, <My Wife Who Sleeps Not> and <Sapsalgae> were released in succession. Until this album, the team name was written as Yeonhee Professional Orchestra.

Afterwards, in April 1935, the team name was changed again to the Yeonjeonsa Orchestra, and in December 1936, they released <Lambly>, composed by Hyun Je-myeong, which cannot be found and the phonograph albums they released are evaluated as rare albums, as mentioned further up in this post.

Included Songs:

The two song that were sung by the Yeonhee Professional Orchestra.

Sources:

https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=3435260&cid=60487&categoryId=60491

https://terms.naver.com/entry.naver?docId=5680834&cid=58276&categoryId=58607

https://lyrics.aztext.net/2023/08/blog-post_58.html

https://blog.naver.com/hanjy1053002/223335966054

#kpop #boy group #20s #30s #South Korea #Korea #Old Korean Music #Music History #music #songs

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convenientalias · 3 months

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Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern.

Tagged by @seamayweed. Thanks, I love these kinds of challenges!

Chi and Mei--The woman calling herself Yun Weishan lay naked in Shangguan Qian’s bed, though the comforter had been replaced over her so that nothing was visible below the neck.

The White Snake--The first time Yang sees the snakes around Tian is the day after they went to the opera.

A Hard Call--Myung-gil had known he’d lose some men assailing Choi Tae-ho’s house, which was almost a fortress, but he hadn’t thought he’d have to kill any of them himself.

all i will take are the consequences--Min-woo wouldn’t have guessed on his own that Lee Jun-seong and Song Jae-hyo were fucking.

mi soledad que da vueltas los brazos como un naufrago--“Why?” Min-woo says.

Loaded, Unloaded--If asked, Jo Young-jae couldn’t have said why he came up to the roof.

a shared punishment--Choi Chi-hoon tried to pick the lock on the handcuffs.

A Small Black Puppy--Hong-sae met the dog in the middle of a bridge.

chasing their own fantasy--Honestly, Eon Nyeoni finds Nam Hee-shin interesting.

Don't Want to Walk Alone--“An engagement?” Li Xiangyi raised his eyebrows.

At first glance, since I went in reverse chronological order, the main trend I immediately notice is that I've been writing longer first sentences lately. I think that's pretty immediately obvious if you just glance at this list. Some of the shorter ones (chasing their own fantasy, a shared punishment, A Small Black Puppy, Loaded Unloaded) are even their own separate paragraph.

However. Reverse chronological order of posting/updating is deceptive. "A White Snake" was posted recently, but I actually wrote it in September; "A Hard Call" was updated recently, but its first chapter was posted in October, and even then, it's a follow-up on a fic I wrote even longer ago. So... it's more like I usually write short first lines, but occasionally I do go longer, without much of a chronological element.

Otherwise... idk, there's a lot of variation. I don't often start with dialogue, but I do on occasion, especially when the fic is going to be short or fast-paced. I never start with imagery--"Chi and Mei" comes close, but it's only half imagery, really, the other half just orienting the reader in a canonical scene. "The White Snake" has a second and third sentence with more imagery, but the first sentence is more context. I often start with introspection, but I also often start with action. It's fun to try out different things.

Tagging: @trifoliate-undergrowth @flo-nelja @iatethepomegranate @general-sleepy @aboxthecolourofheartache @smylealong and anyone else who wants to do it <3

#meme

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razypie · 1 year

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just how quickly my mood changed after reading smk chapter 85 😊😊😊

#that makes up for the lack of htf content last week ig #i forgive you ptj co.#taehoon seong #seong taehoon #htf #viral hit #viral hit webtoon #manager kim #manager kim manhwa #park tae jun #ptj universe

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namjoonswaifu · 2 years

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Chapter Five- Royal Residences Part One

warnings: mentions of weight, AFAB character, mentions of female body parts, references to the weight of M/C, loosely based on my own research of the ancient Korean royalty system, bullying, loneliness, anxiety, money problems, mentions of how other people view characters body

message me if you feel I need more warnings

3.4k words

You made your way to the front, the sound of your name, leaving nearly everyone shocked but your best friend, who had the biggest grin on her beautiful face. No one had expected you to get through, not even yourself. A blush blankets your face as you make your way to the line at the front. A moment passes as everyone waits for the ladies who did not get through to leave the smaller courtyard.

"Congratulations ladies" you hear Hoseok speak, breaking the silence, whilst looking over each and every one of you. You don't know if you were just imagining it, but the tall and handsome man had sent an almost imperceptible smile your way, making your eyes go wide. "Now, myself and Jungkook will tell you your residences, and we will also assign you 2 maids and a manservant for you to use at your convenience"

"Let's start with the furthest away from this little courtyard shall we?" Jungkook questioned, though the question was rhetorical.

"Bae Suzy, You are in the Sapphire Apartment. Along with the manservants, you brought along with you, you are also being assigned Shin Won-ho as your manservant and Kim Tae-Yeon and Chou Tzu-yu as your maids. Please proceed to your apartment"

"Next we have the Chariote Apartment, the person who will be staying there is Han Sun-Hwa. You are being assigned Lee Jong-Hyun, Jeon So-Yeon and Kwon Yu-Ri. Please proceed."

The process carried on.

"Ruby Apartment is for Hwang Yeji, You are assigned Kang Dong-Ho, Ahn Sol-Bin and An Yu-Jin. Please proceed.

"Opal Apartment. Kim Seol-Hyun. Woo Ji-Ho, Son Chae-Young, Cho Seung-Hee"

"Carnelian Apartment. Kwon Eun-Bi. Yoo Ki-Hyun, Lee Hae-in and Lee Young-Yoo"

"Amber Apartment. Choi Mi-Young. Doh Kyung-Soo, Bae Woo-He, Baek A-Yeon"

"Azurite Apartment. Kim Si-Jeong. Lee Byung-Hun, Go Woo-Ri and Park Hye-Won"

At this point, everyone had left apart from you. "Miss Seo, as you were an unexpected candidate, your apartment is still getting ready and the maids needed a few more moments, so we were trying to prolong this for as long as possible. You have been assigned Moon Jong-Up, Ahn Hye-Jin who goes by Maria or Hwa-Sa and Jun Hyo-Seong. I hope that they treat you well. To prolong this even longer as we have not received the signal that they are ready, we are going to give you a tour, are you okay with that?" The pair asked.

"Perfectly." You responded. "It would be my honour" You carried on with a smile. "Please, Lead the way". The two young men smiled at you, before moving down the stairs towards you. Suddenly, you felt incredibly nervous, these incredibly attractive young men were looking directly at you, with no signs of distate anywhere on their faces or bodies. The men took a space on either side on your, Hoseok moving his arms to point the way out of the courtyard. "Do you have a flower that you appreciate the most?" Jungkook asked "Good question Kookie" Hoseok said, the nickname making your eyes widen again, almost not expecting the men to be so close that they were using nicknames. "We might have your favourite here in one of the gardens"

"Cherry blossoms, Chief State Councillor and High Councillor. My most appreciated flower of all is Cherry Blossom." The two men share a look between each other. "That is our Gracious King's favourite, so much that he has a garden dedicated to it, coincidentally, the garden is right next to your apartment" A small gasp left your lips, the excitement evident not just on your face but on your whole body as you turned to both of them, your hands clasping together joyfully. "Really!?! Can we go there?" You asked hopefully. Both men smiled at your excited state before telling you that you could, and led the way, right to the entrance of the garden. There was a small bridge to cross before you would actually be in the park, and you ran quickly across it, accidentally forgetting about the two men behind you. You span round quickly, a giant smile on your face, trying to look everywhere at everything.

"I take it that you like the garden," a voice behind you, which you quickly identified as Hoseok, spoke. "Almost more than anything in the world," You said without thinking. Both men let out a laugh, which made you look at them with a questioning gaze. "You have almost the same reaction as the Good King". This very sentence made you stop in your spot, your face dropping, looking almost horrified to be compared to the King. "Omo, I am not worthy of being compared to our gracious King" You spoke, anxiously wringing your hands together. "My apologies Lady Seo, we didn't mean to make you anxious," Jungkook said. You noticed a young woman run up to the two men and yourself. She spoke quietly to the men, before bowing and turning away. The two men turned to you, smiling slightly "Your apartment is ready Lady Seo, let us lead you there" Hoseok said. Nodding, you spoke gently "Please do lead the way". You bow gently, allowing the men to turn around and lead the way out of the garden that you had fallen in love with, and almost didn't want to leave.

It took barely two minutes before you arrived in front of the apartment. "This is the Emerald apartment. Next to you, there is the Queen Dowager's Garden, you are not allowed to enter that space without her explicit permission" Jungkook stated sternly. "And on your other side is Lady Hwang" Hoseok finished. This made you smile, your apartments here, being closer to each other than the houses in your town were. "Lady Hwang Yeji is my best friend," You spoke gently, a small but warm smile on your face at the mention of your best friend. "We have known each other since we were born, my eomma likes to say that I have two sets of parents, both our parents raised both of us..." you paused, your smile turning into a frown "well my eomma and Yeji's parents, my appa..." you spoke again, your frown becoming bigger. "You don't need to tell us, Lady Seo" Hoseok said calmly, laying a gentle hand on your shoulder. You look up, and into the handsome man's eyes, your eyes slightly blurry with tears, making something flash in Hoseok's eyes. "I feel like I almost need to" you spoke "My appa, he used to be a good man, until he fell from grace, he lost a lot of his respect, and therefore money, and the money he did keep, he used to drink. He would blame me for his drinking, he would tell me it was my fault, that he wished it was I who died and not my sister. Before I left, he attacked me for the first time, he dragged me by my hair to the floor and yelled at me. My eomma, she's a wonderful woman, she grabbed him by the ear and dragged him out of the house once she realised he was in my room and harming me. Appa had a bruise on his ear still, when I left for the procession. My bruises still remain intact too, but when I remember what my eomma did, the fire in her eyes, I feel proud to be her descendant" You finally finished your story.

You could see anger clearly on both men's faces. "I know I need not worry about my eomma whilst I'm here, she is as fierce as the summer in the sky in the summer sky." The warm smile lay on your lips, remembering your eomma. "She sounds like a wonderful woman" Jungkook spoke, a smile that could be perceived as genuine if there were someone looking on from the outside in.

"Anyway's my Chief Councillor and High Councillor, I must leave your warm presence and settle myself into my apartments. I hope to see you soon Your Honours. May the sun warm your cheeks, and the food fills your bellies" You speak eloquently, bowing low before the two handsome men, before turning and leaving their presence to enter your apartments.

The apartment that you entered was spacious and homely. In the room stood your friends Chan and Changbin with large grins on their faces, along with your assigned manservant and maids.

"My Lady, Your room is this way, would you like me to help you redress" Hyo-Seong spoke, her hand pointing to an area separate from the room you all stood in. The room was separated from the room you were in by a wall of sliding doors. The entire apartment was decorated in green and brown, the sliding doors were made of oak, and the cloth was painted with the seal of the kingdom in the colours your apartment was named after. It was a beautiful sight to behold, and you knew that if you had any spare time, you would ask your maids to retrieve any painting items they could get a hold of so that you could show this image to your eomma when you got home again. You knew that she would take great delight in your painting, and knowing how an apartment within the royal castle looked and would love the painting even more so, knowing it came from her daughter.

"That would be lovely Miss Jun" you spoke to the woman. She nodded her head as a slight bow, walking to the room you now identified as your bedroom. In the room, there was a large box placed near the window, on top of it was a new hanbok ready for you to wear. "Would you like a bath Lady Seo?" Hyo-Seong asked. You shook your head, a feeling of exhaustion coming over you in a quick wave. "Do you think it would be possible to sleep for a short period Miss Jun?" You asked hopefully. "Unfortunately not, My Lady, there is much to do. As you have reached the second stage, you must prepare for a meeting with Queen Dowager. You will soon also be accepting gifts from the royal family, of which I am unsure, but you must prepare to receive them. We must also start preparing you for your interview, and the luncheon that is happening tomorrow. There is also a Royal Banquet that we must prepare you for. I assume you have attended a banquet before, but a royal banquet is much more different to the ones of the high class" The maid in front of you explained your schedule for the coming potential one to two weeks that you would be residing in a royal apartment.

"Very well, then we must begin," You say a small polite smile on your face. "What's first?" you ask. "First My Lady, we must dress you," she says, returning your attention back to the box that had caught your attention when you first walked into the room. You didn't recognise the hanbok, remembering all the ones that you owned. "I apologise, but this is not my hanbok," you tell your maid "No My Lady, the Queen Dowager sent this. It's the first gift from the royal family." Excitement fills your body, knowing that this was something that the Queen Dowager herself had someone make and be sent. "But only 6-7 were predicted, and I'm not the average size", you questioned slightly, the anxiety that you had felt earlier in the day returning in full force. "The Queen Dowager had this one sent specifically, it was a hanbok she had in her storage, she wore it when she was pregnant with the King. She sent a letter along with it" you were told before being handed the letter

Dear Lady Seo,

The Royal Family apologises for not having anything prepared for you. I did not have a gift prepared for you, however, your crest is a crest that has a long line, and the crest on your hanbok is a phoenix. This was my family crest before I married King Sejong, the King's late father. It was a hanbok I wore when I was pregnant with the King. I hope that it does you well, as it is now yours. Please meet me in my gardens at 3.

Sincerely,

Her Royal Highness, The Queen Dowager Kim Eun-Ji

"What time is it?" You ask loudly, waiting for anyone in the household to respond. "2:30" you hear someone yell, unsure of who it was due to the closed doors between you. You feel your face pale. Turning to your maid you speak again "We must hurry, please call Miss Ahn in, time is not on our side". The maid nods, before running the door and calling in the other woman.

Within 20 minutes, your hair had been brushed and moved into a restyled updo, behind held back with a purple dwikkoji, your under clothes being changed for cleaner ones, and then the gifted hanbok was placed onto your body. It fit almost like a glove like it was made for you. The jeogori was a gorgeous dark purple colour, decorated with golden detailing featuring a phoenix, the goreum was also in an off-gold colour. The chima was a black colour with the same golden detail. Your beoseons were black as well as your shoes which were decorated in the same gold detailing. With a few minutes to spare, your maids applied some basic makeup consisting of plant ash to apply a dark brown colour to your eyebrows, safflower was used to apply a light rouge to your lips and cheeks and cherry blossom petals took right from the very cherry blossom garden you had just been in (it was a perfume that was on the dressing table when you got here, you had just assumed it was a gift everyone received) mixed with water was used to make a delicious spelling perfume.

With exactly 10 minutes left before the Queen Dowager wanted to see you, you left your apartment, your manservant Moon Jong-Up directing you, almost acting as your guard as well as your guide. When you arrived outside the Queen Dowagers garden, which only took moments as you quickly found out was right next to your apartment, Mr Moon stepped aside to let you enter first, before following you slightly behind, allowing you to look like you had found the garden yourself.

It doesn't take long to notice the Queen Dowager, it shocked you slightly when you saw that she was wearing the same colours just the other way around. The lady in front of you turns towards you, hearing your footsteps. She waits at the top of the stairs of the Pavilion she was standing in. Once you reach the bottom of the stairs, you bow as low as possible to the elegant woman before you. "You're early Lady Seo" the woman speaks. "My apologies Your Majesty, I was excited to meet you once again." You speak, not allowing your nerves to take over your anxiety.

“Don’t be, it is a good thing for a woman to have, to have time management perfected, especially for a woman. Especially for a woman who may be the future mother of the kingdom, the future queen.” She says, her very words making you blush.

“You speak of me too highly My Queen,” you say. “I am eternally grateful for your gracious gift. The fabric is the softest thing I have ever had touch my skin. If there is anything I can do to show my thankfulness, please allow me to do it. Would you like some tea, Your Royal Highness?” you ask, noticing the teapot and teacups whilst you were looking around in nervousness.

“You need not worry Lady Seo, this is no longer a test, you do not need to pour my tea for me,” she says, her voice full of authority, before nodding slightly to a man that you almost hadn’t seen when you entered the pavilion. “You intrigue me, Lady Seo, you are so unlike the other candidates, both in looks and mentality. Most of your candidates, when I had asked them why they were doing this, responded with generic answers” she speaks “For his Royal Highness the King’s happiness, to get to know you Your Highness” she carries on, her voice changing to mimic the people she was speaking about, at the sound of her change in voice you let out a giggle, covering your mouth. “But your answer, it was different, you wanted to make your family proud. This was something I wanted when I was a candidate to marry the King's late father” she finishes, the words turning the mood serious once more. A lady, small and almost meek approached the table, taking the teapot and pouring tea into both the cups on the table, before retreating to her spot against the wall of the garden. “You have a beautiful garden My Queen,” you tell her trying to achieve the once jovial mood the pavilion had a matter of minutes ago. “I spent a few brief minutes in the cherry blossom garden, and I truly believe that it was the happiest moment of my life,” you tell her, allowing the smile to fill your face as your mind retrieves the memory you were talking of.

“The King’s favourite spot is also in the cherry blossom garden, he begged his father to plant the trees when he was still King, persuading him by telling him that he would propose to his future queen in that very garden,” the Queen Dowager tells you, allowing you a little into the past of the King, who you were yet to set eyes upon.

Before thinking, you blurt out “Were you scared when you made the application to become the late King Se-Jeong’s wife?” A few moments pass, and just as you go to open your mouth to apologise, the dowager stops you. “I was, in fact, I was terrified, to tell you the truth, I never wanted it, but I needed to do it for the pride of my family. I was lucky that I fell in love with the King eventually, and we had a good, long and happy life,” she answers with a small smile on her face, reminiscing on the memories of her past. “I actually have a few questions for you myself if you don't mind”

“It would be my honour to answer your questions My Queen” you respond, nervousness filling your body even more.

“The king is very… uh… close with his closest men. Would that be a problem with you?” she starts. “Of course not, if our Great King is happy, then I myself shall be happy,” you respond, hoping your answer satisfies her. She nods, with a small hum of approval.

“And concubines? What are your opinions on the concubines?” she continues her questioning.

You pause, this was something you had thought about. “Well My Queen, I have a feeling that if I was ever to become Queen, the other two candidates that would have gotten through, would be my school bullies-” the queen cuts you off after hearing of your bullies “Your bullies are in the palace?” She questions with an eyebrow raised.

“Yes Your Highness, Kim Seol-Hyun and Kwon Eun-Bi, their apartments are Carnelian and Opal if I remember correctly”, the Queen Dowager nods again. “So what would you do if you became Queen and them the concubines?” She asks, her interest even more peaked.

“Part of me would want to through them into the dungeons like they had threatened they would do with me earlier today. Another part of me would want all of the king's concubines gone but the biggest part of me wants the King to be happy, and if the concubines make My Great King happy, then I shall live with the concubines.” The Queen Dowager looks almost shocked. “The Kings happiness, at the end of the day, will always be my source of happiness, whether I get through to the final round, or I don’t. The King, from what I have heard in rumours spread across cities and towns, near and far, is that when the King is happy, the land thrives, and the people are well. My family are part of his people, and as well as making them proud, I desperately want them to be happy… even my father.” you tell her.

“Your father?"

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