#also people recommending twinkling watermelon

[queersouthasian]

I am a little confused, like I have not been really keeping in track with anything ither than pit babe 'cause CHARLIEBABE HAVE MADE ME INSANE, but how come p'of slayed the disability aspect in moonlight chicken but fucked up LT at the end?? It's like he put his everything but only till ep 10, as if he got lazy in the last two ep??

[noonecaresaboutmyreview]

The Return of High School Gangster - Kdrama Review

Hi everyone! I just finished this very short 8 episodes web drama called The Return of High School Gangster and wanted to share my thoughts.

Before I start, I want to say that I know that this is based on a BL manhwa but as we know about mainstream media in South Korea - the director had to remove the BL elements (not really tho).

I understand that people might want to boycott the drama for removing the BL plotline but I genuinely think that you should give it a chance. The drama doesn't suggest romance but two episodes in, I could tell that it was from a BL plotline. so....

Anyways, this is about Deuk Pal, a Gangster (second in ranking) who died while saving Song Yi Heon, a High School Student who was bullied in school. Song Yi Heon was bullied in school to the point he wanted to off himself. Deuk Pal's body sadly died and somehow his spirit entered the body of Song Yi Heon.

This drama is where it's at if you're in a drama slump. It's short, funny, filled with actions (duh, gangsters) and heartwarming scenes.

Deuk Pal as a character is a caring yet a fierce gangster. I love that the moment he entered Song Yi Heon's body, he immediately vowed to protect Song Yi Heon upon realising the abuse he had endured. Throughout the 8 episodes, his focus was to set things right for Song Yi Heon. Though we know that he is sad that his life ended, he still focused on studying hard, ending the school violence and even protecting his mum so that when Song Yi Heon comes back to his body, he gets a second chance at an easier life. Truly such a selfless character and it is understandable why his loyal underlining boys were so upset when he died.

And in Song Yi Heon's body, he build relationship with his classmates, ensured that his bullies stayed in school and graduate and protected his mum from getting hurt by his dad. He was an adult, in a 19 year old boy's body.

We also meet Choi Se Kyung, a boy that had history with Song Yi Heon (in the manhwa, he was the love interest). Choi Se Kyung is a broken boy with daddy issues yet so caring toward his friends. The chemistry between the two main characters are off the chart. Like I said, 2 episodes in, I had to check if this was BL. His eyes are always looking at Song Yi Heon (Deuk Pal) with care and concern. But he is still sassy and feisty towards those he doesn't like.

Can we please take a minute to appreciate the beauty that is Bong Jae Hyun (Golden Child). I first saw him in Twinkling Watermelon (another recommended drama!). He played the mute brother of the main character. But here, hearing his low soft voice makes me wonder why they muted him in that drama haha! He is such a good actor that I am excited to see how he will grow in the future with different roles.

But my main MVP for this drama is Yoon Chan Young. He was able to embody an ajusshi (he is only 23!) to the point that I could see Lee Seo Jin (the actor that played Deuk Pal) in him. And his voice doesn't sound awkward saying these really deep and mature sayings.

Ok I am rambling. But the most important part that I want to talk about is the ending. SPOILER. Song Yi Heon ended up not wanting to go back to his body and instead gave Deuk Pal a chance to live as him. I thought about it and I think I can get behind that ending.

(This is solely based on drama plotline and not the manhwa.)

Shin Se Kyung and even the repented bully Hong Jae Min really needed a proper adult guidance. With Deuk Pal remaining in Song Yi Heon's body, they will be able to remain friends (same age, not ahjusshi and young adult). He will be able to protect and guide them. And Deuk Pal will be able to live a different life this time. A second chance at life.

And I understand, why can't real Song Yi Heon get a second chance in life? The boy had a hard life, he is depressed enough to off himself. Deuk Pal may have bettered his high school life but Song Yi Heon is still Song Yi Heon. He might not be able to be better in college. Whatever Deuk Pal build is never Song Yi Heon's because they are not the same person.

Being depressed doesn't go away even if your life is all better now. He is afraid of his tomorrow than death, hence he chose death and I respect that. Like he said "He is happy to see at least see a smile on his face."

Overall, I think both Deuk Pal and Song Yi Heon have their own happy ending. And that is what's important.

Rating: 4.75/5

-- Fary

[deafening-enthusiastic-dreamer]

Twinkling Watermelon 🍉

The series had a major focus on relationships - between friends, parents, love interests, family, grandparents and strangers.

It's message was so beautiful. that if you really want to express your love to someone you will find a way to do so.

This story lines were well thought out. It showed some reality to our current world yet also having fiction. It was soo good to watch it through the weeks it aired. It truly lifted my mood when I finished watching the episodes.

The couples were soo damn cute. There were so many moments were I laughed so hard people around questioned my sanity. And there were moments that were so hard breaking I had to cry. Will definitely recommend to anyone who loves funloving dramas

[ashortstoryaboutlove]

2023 Drama Year in Review

I watched 21 Kdramas released in 2023. I am relatively new to this—I watched Extraordinary Attorney Woo last fall, then started watching things Netflix suggested in the new year, then started finding things on other platforms and wow! In total I watched 83 Kdramas this year 👀 (I also watched 17 Cdramas and 8 Jdramas this year). A lot of this was over the summer but yeah it’s a lot. Putting my list of favorites below the cut:

My favorites released in 2023:

Daily Dose of Sunshine was a hard watch but so relatable for someone like me who has struggled with depression in the past. This one has stuck with me for a while. Sad but hopeful.

Moving is one of the few I’ve recommended to people irl. My brother is a fan of Marvel & DC stuff and I know he’d enjoy it. It’s one of the best superhero series I’ve seen.

Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 was a riot! I had so much fun watching this one and the wardrobe is A+. Also loved the gumiho bros getting a chance to reunite.

Love to Hate You was also super fun to watch! I watched this twice this year, once alone and once with my oldest kid (18). Love the chaotic bits and the romance was so satisfying!

Call It Love was quietly beautiful. The characters’ struggles made my heart ache and although it had a last minute reunion (I’m not usually fond of those), it was still a moving and steady show that stayed near the top of this year’s list.

My Dearest blew me away! Such a master class in character development and longing! Namkoong Min and Ahn Eun Jin stole the show with their acting but I was fond of the support cast as well. Unfortunately I wasn’t as satisfied with the second half of the series (pacing and double amnesia was meh) but it was still really good and near the top of my list for the year.

Perfect Marriage Revenge was a perfect makjang with what I consider some of the best pacing and romance of anything I watched this year. The villains were fantastically villain-y and the revenge was so, so sweet. Loved it!

D.P. 2 is somewhat different in tone from most of the stuff I watch but sometimes a serious show looking at serious social issues is just what I need. Love the way the characters fight for each other—their little found family dynamic is the best.

Twinkling Watermelon was lovely for the family dynamics—I loved the son getting to know his parents as teens. And I really liked the way deaf characters were a major part of the story as characters with feelings and relationships and not just one-off side characters.

Honorable mention: King the Land for romantic fluff with very little conflict, Moon in the Day for complicated past lives and ghosts and beautiful romance, Vigilante for Nam Joo Hyuk being badass, Castaway Diva for nice music and Chae Jong Hyeop playing an ML who was the greenest of flags.

Other faves I watched this year that were released before 2023:

Crash Landing on You will always near the top of my list. Love that found family.

Mr. Queen made me see that historicals could be fun and omg Shin Hye Sun being the best!

Tomorrow could have been too difficult, but even with the concept of trying to save suicidal people, it gave so much hope. The comfort women episode was so moving. Rowoon was also adorable.

Our Beloved Summer had one of my favorite soundtracks and a lot of heart. The scene where FL watches ML doing his art at the event was sweet.

25 21 was the best sport-related drama with perfect 90s vibes (haha I was a teen in the 90s), sweet friends-to-lovers romance, and a realistic (if disappointing) ending.

Crazy Love was so chaotically funny at the beginning and I loved it. I will never forget the revenge onions.

My Lovely Sam Soon was the oldest show I watched (2005) and I just adored Sam Soon. ML wasn’t my favorite but I can overlook that bc she stole the show for me.

My fave Cdramas I watched this year: Meet Yourself, Put Your Head on My Shoulder, Love Between Fairy and Devil, Love Like the Galaxy

Favorite Jdramas watched this year: On a Starry Night and First Love: Hatsukoi

Currently watching and enjoying: Tell Me That You Love Me (this will prob be at the top of my list next year if it doesn’t fall apart before it ends in January), Welcome to Samdal-ri, Like Flowers in Sand

Looking forward to what 2024 has to offer!

[feuqueerfire]

January 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

A little monthly (spoilery!) wrap-up of all the shows, movies, and shorts I’ve watched or am watching in January 2024, general thoughts, and ranking of them all.

Recommendation of the month(s): Bottoms (2023), so fun

Ranking

Beyond Evil (rewatch)

Bottoms (2023) = Twinkling Watermelon (2023)

Death's Game S1 (2023)

Palm Springs (2020)

Love Class 2 (2023) = Death's Game Part 2 (2024)

Skimmed: Bon Appetit (2023)

Average Rating: 6.75/10 [really quite high! Didn't count my Beyond Evil rewatch and Bon Appetit doesn't have a rating]

MDL Updates - Added to Watchlist:

A section because I’m curious about how many shows I decide to add to my Watch List a month and also the ratio of watching them:adding them.

Rookie (2023) - a Phillipino lesbian movie, saw this tiktok and wanted to give it a try

Bon Appetit (2023) - Originally didn't have this on my list because it has a meh MDL rating but this tiktok of guy 1 liking girl liking guy 2 like guy 1 is fun

Kiseki: Dear to Me (2023) - I've seen it mentioned sooo many times that I thought I'd give it a try.

The Guest (2018) - I haven't yet liked a supernatural/fantastical kdrama but maybe this will be the one. Also apparently it's a good bromance that starts off antagonistic

Through the Darkness (2022) - Also a thriller investigation with strong bromance

My Perfect Stranger (2023) - Saw this Tiktok and ended up watching a few more and idk, it reminds me of 18 Again somehow with like younger version and family stuff

Twinkling Watermelon (2023) - same reason as above in terms of plot, it's also in the same tiktok, and it seemed to be very popular among the kdramas this year

Lucky My Love (2023) - wanna watch it cuz it's a GL but unfortunately people don't seem too keen on it :/ oh well, I'll keep it on hand for when I'm craving a GL

Death's Game (2023) - Hadn't heard much about it until I saw Pocha Playlist podcast covering it but I didn't listen to that episode. Then I find out that Lee Dohyun plays a (reincarnation) character in it and now I'm like hmm maybe + the rating and reception seems really good on MDL.

Last Twilight - hmmm people have very polarizing opinions on the last ep (both the disability aspect but also the general storytelling aspect), so I'm cautious but people reallllly love the first 9 episodes. Just adding it here in case I wanna see what the hype was about

The Worst of Evil (2023) - It's in a lot of people's 2023 favourites lists and it seems like a show I'd be into based on genre

The Dude in Me (2019) - a movie about an adult in the body of a teenager, found it from this tiktok with 18 Again and Twinkling Watermelon.

Our Beloved Summer (2021) - I had had this on my to-watch list for a while because I like a post-breakup story and people seem to love this show but had taken it off because I kept not watching it and heard some meh opinions but now it's back again because in Twinkling Watermelon tiktoks, this showed up a couple times in the tiktoks or comments bc people were mentioning Yi Chan and this guy as green flags and shows they loved etc

I Hear Your Voice (2013) - a 2013 drama lol but the Eun Gyeol/Se Kyeong tease in Watermelon Sugar made me remember that I kinda wanna watch noona romance sometimes, so this is for that time. + it's like mystery/suspence plot I think

Death's Game Part 2 (2024)

Youth of May (2021) - Obviously I've heard about this because I was looking for Lee Dohyun shows to watch after 18 Again but idk if I'm up for a tragedy :< but yknow he's in the military now, so maybe I'll watch one of his shows a year to tide me over. Thought of it again because I saw this tiktok when going through LDH tiktok tag

The Good Bad Mother (2023) - This was another case of "When will Lee Dohyun finally again star in a show I wanna watch?" But I saw like 2 mins of this edit on youtube of dude being 7 and ahh it's humorous (Ik it's supposed to be really heavy and traumatizing actually so I avoided it but idk if there's some levity as well and it's really beloved w the 8.9 rating and stuff maybe I'll give it a try to see Lee Dohyun - esp as he's in the military rn). After all, it's not like I knew 18 Again was show/concept I love like this

Lesson in Love (2022) - (240129) Sometimes you just want an uncomfortable and gross relationship... student/teacher noona (well jiejie?) romance and the comments talk about a plot twist (i saw the spoiler lol) anyway... might watch. Saw it first in this Certified Noonas Coming Up live. The student is an adult irl, so I'm gonna just pretend it's that in the show too. Also side note but he was also in Red Balloon and apparently his sister is a lesbian.

To Watch List At Start Of Month: 49

To Watch List At End Of Month: 62

Removed from To Watch List:

Removing these on June 30 because now that I’m getting into kpop as well, my interest in watching dramas isn’t as high and I know I’m probably not gonna get to these.

Nothing ig 

Completely Watched

Bottoms (2023)

Country: USA

Release Dates: Sept 1, 2023 

Watch Via: :>

Watch Dates: Jan 1, 2024

Rating: 7.5/10

Overall Impression: First movie of the year! Very, very funny and wacky, thoroughly enjoyed it. Hazel is sooo attractive lol, as is Isabel. Loved Josie being a sweetheart and reluctant to go along with antics except then going in wayyy too hard with the juvie stories lol. PJ was insufferable but like in a good way? like yesss, high school girl who says things before thinking and is an asshole! Also lesbian movies where they kill men is always fun, this time it being an actual funny comedic part. The whole movie was ridiculous and I'm glad.

tags: bottoms 2023

Palm Springs (2020)

Country: USA

Release Dates: July 10, 2020

Watch Via: :>

Watch Dates: Jan 7, 2024

Rating: 6.5/10 [Mar 11, 2024 Update: Decreased by 0.5 stars: 7 -> 6.5]

Overall Impression: In 2019, I binged Brooklyn 99 like 2-3 times and was obsessed with it and then watched some of Andy Samberg's other stuff and added this to the list of things to watch once it comes out a year later and does its festival tours or whatever... anyway it's now 2024 lol but it was fun! A good mix of the romance and interpersonal relationships with the sciency aspects. I was expecting it to focus more on the characters rather than the science or plot and that struck true, though there were definitely a few interesting bits to chew on in terms of worldbuilding. Funny and charming but not life-changing and predictable but not in a bad way.

Rewatch Beyond Evil: Jan 8 - 12, 2024

It's so fun to rewatch because I catch things that I hadn't before, not just about the case but about the different characters and their storylines. Also, all the stuff from 20 years ago that is repeating now which I'm catching onto earlier because I remember things that haven't been revealed in the show yet.

Han Joo Won continues to be way too naive and self-rightous, even if Lee Dongshik really was the killer. His methods are careless and reckless despite trying to seem rational.

Since I'm watching this after a year and it's a show with many storylines, I'm still extremely engaged lol watching this at 1x speed and watching it all when I expected that I'd be skimming through. I also forgot a lot of the smaller stuff and some of the kinda big middle stuff, so it's fun to rediscover them. Ep 7 ending & Ep 8 beginning are a fucking great combo fr even still.

Rating: still 8/10

Bon Appetit (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Sep 27, 2023

Watch Via: :>

Watch Dates: Jan 13 - 14, 2024

Rating: -/10

Overall Impression: Started watching because the guy1 likes girl likes guy2 likes guy1 tiktok was funny but not high hopes for the actual show. Skimmed through this so hard, honestly shouldn't have even watched it because it didn't seem too good from my skimming. The main two characters were cute-ish in the first half of the show and the Yoon Seobin surprise cameo for 2 minutes was fun, but meh otherwise. Skimmed even the main couple scenes in the last 2 eps because random fighting and misunderstandings. Not rating it because I skimmed through like 60% of it lmfao

Twinkling Watermelon (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates:  Sep 25, 2023 - Nov 14, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so :>)

Watch Dates: Jan 19 - 22, 2024

Rating: 7.5/10

Overall Impression: I'm fucking obsessed with this sort of concept: Parent and child being the same teenage age through some magical concept. It's got a good storyline, hilarious yet touching. I was afraid that they'd make Yi Chan's hearing come back but I'm glad it didn't; it's just something that has to happen to him for no reason the way these things just happen sometimes. The characters were well-crafted and the acting was great. Kinda slow paced, there were certain episodes where I was like nothing really happened, but I guess that's the point of the slice of life aspect in some cases; just watching the characters exist alone and together.I was into the ChCh romance from the get-go and thought they were sooo cute whereas EunEun were a more fun menace pair who I just liked to watch fighting before it gradually became a couple I shipped Very Much. Also, a shoutout to my Se Kyeong (OG, not Eun Yoo) and Chung Ah ship, I can't believe Se Kyeong's first love was her husband instead of Chung Ah. A well-crafted show, good acting, hit some feels and I expect some attachment to it (I'm rewatching and skimming certain parts as I write lol).

tags: twinkling watermelon

Also Appears In: Twinkling Watermelon Live Blogging

Love Class Season 2 (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates:  Aug 11, 2023 - Sep 8, 2023

Watch Via: Viki (paid, so :>)

Watch Dates: Jan 26 - 27, 2024

Rating: 6/10

Overall Impression: I liked the main couple: a younger, insistent pursuer to an older, reluctant hyung who was also his tutor when the younger was in high school. I do wish the random stalker, weird hyung wasn't haunting them for so long though because the premise of this couple is so good. I came around to the second and third couple even though if the show was longer or deeper, I might not have. I was bored by the last 2 eps though, so ehhh

tags: love class 2

Also Appears In: Love Class 2 Live Blogging

Death's Game (2023)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Dec 15, 2023

Watch Via: paid, so :>

Watch Dates: Jan 29, 2024

Rating: 7/10

Overall Impression: Weird to rate just this half-show 4 episodes but really good and interesting, I'm enjoying it a lot. My favourite eps are eps 2 and 4, they balanced a good amount of heart with excitement (for ep 2) and plot progression/answers (ep 4 + ofc Lee Dohyun my initial reason for checking out the show). The 18 Again characters/actors are haunting me with this fr.

tags: death's game

Also Appears In: Death's Game Live Blogging

Death's Game Part 2 (2024)

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Jan 5, 2024

Watch Via: paid, so :>

Watch Dates: Jan 30, 2024

Rating: 6/10

Overall Impression: Firstly, fuck the message of the show. In shows like this, where they treat suicide as a personal, moral failure of selfishness and weakness rather than due to systematic issues in society, mental health struggles, or treating the characters with kindness, it's of utmost importance to just roll your eyes and see the story/acting/etc. Eps 1 to half of 3 were interesting and exciting but in the way of "I'm watching a show with murder and gore and people trying to outsmart each other" rather than about this specific show. The ending is... okay, I guess, expected it. In Part 1, Death just left something to be desired for me and this kinda continued here. Don't think I'll think of this show much (except maybe Lee Dohyun?) and the 2nd part didn't have the excellent pacing of the first one. Not as good as part 1.

tags: death's game

Also Appears In: Death's Game Live Blogging

Post created this month: 2023 Series Overview + Stats

[eddydreaming]

Best Kdrama 2023

Hey there! It's that time of the year again when we have to choose our favorite things such as songs, moments... and kdramas. For me, there was one kdrama that stood out the most. I decided to watch it this month based on my friends' recommendations. I would have never watched it if they hadn't suggested it to me earlier.

That kdrama is Twinkling Watermelon. It was released on the 25th of September and finished airing on the 14th of November. It has 16 episodes and the topics are romance, youth, drama and fantasy.

“When your life can twinkle again on its own, I hope it twinkles as radiantly as possible.” – Ha Eun Gyeol

This is mydramalist's synopsis for it:

In 2023, Eun Gyeol is a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) high-school student with hearing-impaired parents, but he has a passion for music. During the day, he is a studious model pupil… but at night, he rocks out as a guitarist in a band. But when he stumbles across a strange yet alluring music store, he goes hurtling back in time to 1995.

Here, he comes face to face with his father, Ha Yi Chan – as a high schooler! Yi Chan takes Eun Gyeol for a lunatic when the latter calls him “dad”. Worse still, it looks like Yi Chan has a crush on an icy cellist named Se Kyeong – not his future mother, Cheong Ah!

In a bid to put things “right,” Eun Gyeol joins a band fronted by his future father. But will this be enough to help Eun Gyeol bring his future parents together… and will he ever get back to the 2020s?

Before watching it

It's so funny when you don't want to watch something because you don't feel it's gonna be that good and then end up watching it to realize that is more than good: it was awesome.

That's what happened to me this time.

I read the synopsis of the kdrama, but it didn't catch my attention. Therefore, I decided to start watching another show instead. However, I recently joined a Discord server where the majority of members were raving about this drama called Twinkling Watermelon. This piqued my interest and I decided to give it a try. I am grateful to the members for introducing me to this amazing show.

“If it is a new heart that you need, I will give you mine. If you need new eyes, I will give you both of my eyes.” – Ms. Go

No spoiler review

After a couple of episodes into the kdrama I knew this was gonna be a big thing for me. The first two episodes are a little bit introductory in my opinion, but they're completely necessary to understand our ML, Ha Eun Gyeol.

After watching the fourth episode, I couldn't help but continue until I finished the entire series.

The story is about how deaf people are usually discriminated against because of their condition, and also the disdain towards sign language, when it actually is like any other language.

Moreover, we have a beautiful friend group, and I love it when we have that because they make me so happy and it's so wonderful to see.

The drama conveys the importance of having loved ones by your side and the inspiring ability of one character to move forward even in the worst situations. This message really resonated with me.

Finally, the relationships between the characters, both romantic and platonic, are beautifully portrayed. My favorite relationship was between the father and son.

"If you put a coda at the end of a musical phrase, it means getting ready to wrap up the song with a beautiful end."

Music

The music plays a crucial role in this drama, and it's what makes it stand out. When you listen to a song and it transports you to the scenes or the characters of that drama, it's an amazing feeling. My favorite song from the show is definitely "Shining," and I strongly advise you to avoid listening to it until you watch the show. Otherwise, you won't feel the same way about it.

“Music isn’t something you listen to just by ear. Music is something you can feel with your eyes, mind, and heart.” – Ha Yi Chan

This is my opinion, which may differ from yours, but that's what makes it fun!

I want to know what your favorite kdrama from 2023 was if you don't mind sharing. Maybe I haven't watched it yet!

[hardkittyprince]

Hii everyone I am here for twinkling watermelon review i watched the show long ago like a month or two and i thought I won't talk about it but hell no I am gonna talk about it it's a freaking cute , sweet and beautiful and you know one of those kind of shows that makes you happy just watching them smile i love every character except for her step mother and step siblings ( I mean duhh who doesn't hate them) i love every duo specially the mother - son and father - son and fell from heaven for watermelon squad ending make me cry so much but it also makes me so happy ( I will highly recommend this kdrama specially for people like me who does not like much romance and into bromance family and found family well I am a bl girl 😅 )

Please go and watch it and come and tell me how much you like it

[curi0us-gh0st]

I just found your account maybe you will know who I am after the spam (sorry about that!! ur works are just everything I've been looking for when it comes to drama x reader works!) I just wanted to let you know that I love ur work and I hope u continue doing what you do and you enjoy it as much was we do reading it! also wanted to know what drama you are currently watching right now n if you have any recommendations? ♡♡

-🍈ྀི

Hey 🍈 anon, sorry for the delay..

Well, thank you very much for the feedback, I feel honored. In the past, I hardly watched x reader dramas, and technically I fell in love with several characters while watching dramas. (⁠╯⁠︵⁠╰⁠,⁠)

I am currently finalizing Business Proposal, I started watching Twinkling Watermelon and Behind Your Touch, and I'm rewatching The Glory (this drama is literally my comfort, crazy, right?

My recommendations, dramas that I'm looking forward to watching and the cast is perfect, are: Death's Game, Marry My Husband, Escape of 7 people, Welcome to Samdal-ri. These are the ones I'm looking forward to watching and I would make anyone watch it with me lol

Let's ignore the list of dramas that I haven't watched yet but I'm in the mood ᕙ⁠(⁠ ⁠:⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠∧⁠ ⁠˘⁠ ⁠:⁠ ⁠)⁠ᕗ

[missskzbiased]

Watermelon Sugar

Genre: Fluff, Romance, Oneshot, Drabble, Summer crush! au

Pairing: Hwang Hyunjin x Fem! Reader

Word Count: ~2,9K

Notes: The last fanfic for the Valentine’s request [That you can find here]

If you never saw a schooner, please look for “escuna” in google images, so you can picture it! <3

Warnings: Make out?

Chan ||  Minho || Changbin || Hyunjin || Han || Felix || Seungmin || Jeongin

Masterlist

Requested: No, that was the beginning of the request idea xD 

General Tag List: @channiewoo @aliceu @bythesunnotbythemoon

[If you wish to be tagged to the other Valentine’s requests, please send me an ask <3]

                                                 ////

   You gasped, marveled by the bay right in front of your eyes.

    You were sure your eyes were shining like twinkling little stars or something, and as much as you really wanted to look like the cool and elegant tourist, you couldn’t help but let your mouth fall agape and look around. The sun cast its light above the sea, allowing pretty sparks on the teal waters to get your attention from time to time, distracting you from the beautiful forest that surrounded you. The view was breathtaking and the way that the forest-green mountains stood up there like a giant barrier ─ kind enough to let an entrance for adventurers such as you ─ made your heart swell inside your chest.

    “Want me to take a picture for you, Sweetheart?” Not even the cool breeze that came straight from the sea was enough to cool down your face at the moment. You pursed your lips, coyly rubbing your arm as you glanced at his bright smile. He looked at you with lovely gentle eyes, waiting for a reaction as he extended his hand in your direction (not to hold yours but to ask for your phone), and the lack of response made him tilt his head in confusion “Y/N?” He called carefully.

    “Oh! Yeah! Yeah, I mean- Why not?” You snapped away from your thoughts “It’s such a beautiful view” You added, more composed now, handing him your phone. You didn’t miss the small smile on his lips as he nodded in agreement with you, positioning the phone to take a picture as he muttered something under his breath, a blush spreading on his face “What did you just say?” You frowned, bothered by the pose you choose.

    “I said you look perfect” He repeated mindlessly “No! I mean-�� He widened his eyes, snapping them at you as he realized what he had just said “You look good in the picture! Not that you don’t look good in real life… I mean-“ He floundered, making you burst into a fit of giggles “Here is your phone…” He sighed embarrassed, fingers brushing on yours as he handed it to you. That was the most romantic thing that happened to you on Valentine’s Day in your whole life. And he wasn’t even your boyfriend!

    The truth was that you barely knew him at all.

    The attractive stranger was called Hyunjin ─ a simple and pretty name, just like him ─ and apart from being a good photographer, as you could see by the pictures he took from you, he was also part of the crew. Of course, you knew that the kindness and cuteness that he had been showing you was nothing but strictly professional behavior to allure the tourists, and (obviously) you couldn’t help but swallow it hook, line, and sinker. In your defense, he probably worked like this for years and had mastered the perfect gentlemanliness that he was using against you!

    When you decided to take your single Valentine’s trip and get rid of all those insane expectations people had on you for being single for too long ─ really, what was the deal with them?! Didn’t they have anything better to worry about?! ─, you didn’t imagine that you would come across someone like him. You wouldn’t even believe you would have the courage to get your feet on a boat like this! But you promised yourself that as a self-discovery trip, you had to be bold and jump right into any new opportunities.

    You meant more like a one night stand or something like this.

    But navigating through a deep ocean with a cute guy sounded good too!

    The moment you spot him on your way to the beach ─ perfect smile, tanned skin, and wet hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks ─, you knew you were screwed. You tried to reason that you weren’t really a good swimmer and hoping in a boat like this wasn’t the best of the ideas even if he had offered you a really good price. Of course, he knew exactly what to say and promised you to be right by your side at all moments… What a flirty little bastard you found as a summer crush.

   “I’ll even fight the waters for you!” He had joked as you signed the paper “I’ll be right there to catch you if you fall, though I can assure you it’s very safe! The only thing that you might fall for is me” You laughed along with him, but he was indeed right.

    Was there a way to not fall for Hwang Hyunjin?

    The very first thing he did was to stick to his promises as you stared at the wobbly boat warily ─ clearly rethinking all of your life choices ─, wondering how the hell you would get inside it if the bloody thing kept swinging like that. Were you supposed to simply jump inside it? What if you just fell to the sea?! That would be the silliest way to die on a trip… Utterly humiliating. How would your family and friends take the news?

   DUMB GIRL DROPS DEAD WHILE TRYING TO GET ON A BOAT!

   You could even see the disappointment on everyone’s face.

    “Here, gimme your hand!” His voice had brought you back from your daydreaming.

    The crew was holding the ropes firmly to bring the schooner as closely as possible to the deck, making sure it was safe to get into the boat. Of course, Hyunjin had to drop it and hop inside the schooner as if it was nothing, wiping away his sweat with his forearm and extending his hand to you with a bright smile that made you flustered. You accepted his offer, yelping at his firm grip and the way he could make almost everything seem steady as you connected your eyes to his, stepping inside the rocking ship successfully.

    You averted your eyes from him ─ the shyness overcoming your willingness to keep looking at his orbs ─, and the magic suddenly ran off as the boat shook in a different rhythm (or maybe it was all the same and you were just being clumsy), prompting you to pathetically stumble over nothing. If it was a movie, that would be the moment you would crash onto his chest and be wrapped into strong arms as you looked into each other’s eyes and exchanged a flustered smile under his friends’ teasing… Of course, you weren’t in a movie, so you just had the humiliating experience of pretending it didn’t happen as you walked straight away from them.

    Being the prince charming wasn’t enough for Hyunjin.

    He was also a fierce environmental defender just like you.

    Your heart would melt for him, just like those damn glaciers.

    It happened almost one hour ago but you could still remember vividly how mad you felt as a random guy tossed an empty chip bag to the sea, completely ignoring the crew on how important the area was for the local fauna. The damn guy literally tossed a plastic bag to some animal choke to death for no reason. You would have said something or done something but before you could even react, Hyunjin jumped out of the boat, diving into the sea and swimming like a torpedo.

    The thrash must stay in the thrash! He sneered, shoving the bag into the man’s hands with a scowl as soon as he got back. It was needless o say that it surprised you, yet you felt the admiration growing in your chest. As we were saying… This is not only our home but also of those animals and we’re responsible to keep everything clean and safe for them and for us… We thank you for your collaboration.

    Could someone be more perfect?

    “We have some fruits for you to eat” Hyunjin said, snapping you away from your thoughts “Do you like watermelon?” He asked, offering a triangular piece for you to take. You gave him a small smile, nodding as you took it from his hands.

    “Oh! It’s really sweet!” You arched your brows in surprise “This is really good!” You hummed, eyes sparkling as you took another bite.

    “I may have chosen the sweeter one for my favorite traveler” He chuckled, sitting by your side as he ate his own piece “We’re almost arriving at the last stop… I highly recommend you to get into the water this time” He advised, glancing at you “I can help you out if you need to” He offered.

    “Unless you carry me in your back, there is no way I’ll survive inside the sea with no ground under my feet” You laughed “The other places I could go to the beach… What will I do in the middle of this bay?” You asked playfully.

    “It will be fun! This is the best spot to go! You could go to any other beach” He reasoned “Also, I can wait for you down there to support you in the water! There is no problem” He smiled at you.

    Why be so damn cute?

    “If you let me die, my family will sue you!” He laughed wholeheartedly at that, nodding.

    “Your family can rest peacefully today, you’ll be safe in my arms!” He chuckled, getting up “I have to help the guys out and prepare things for you guys to get in the water… As soon as I can go in, I’ll call you, okay?” You nodded, fighting back a smile as he walked away.

     He did just as promised.

    As soon as everything was settled down, Hyunjin took your hand in his, guiding you to the ladders. He jumped into the water ─ kinda showing off a little bit ─ waving at you from the water with a huge smile on his face. You took a deep breath, slowly going down the ladder. The closer you got to the deep water, the more you wondered what you were doing with your life.

    “That’s okay, I’m right here to catch you” He reassured you, sensing your hesitation. You peeked at him over your shoulder, seeing how he had his arms extended to hold you as soon as you got into the water.

    “We’ll die” You cried though you kept going down.

    “We’ll be just fine” He chuckled “Trust me, okay?”

    As soon as you got into the water, still attached to the ladder as if it could save your whole life, his arms wrapped you up. You yelped as he tugged you off of your safe place, bringing you some feet away from the boat.

   “For everything sacred in this world, please let me go back” You hissed, back pressed against his chest and eyes focused on the schooner, wondering why you tried to get into the water in the first place.

   “Hey, calm down” He soothed you, squeezing you in a hug and resting his chin on your shoulder “Breathe in” He instructed you, and you complied “Breathe out” He continued, and you did it again.

   “Yeah… Yeah, I think that worked” You sighed, a little bit more relieved, “Maybe I could even be alo—“ You interrupted yourself to scream, turning around desperately to wrap his waist with your legs, squirming as you hold him for dear life “Something touched me!” You yelled, trying to check the water to see what had just bickered you.

   He didn’t answer you at first.

   You glanced at him, noticing the compromising position you put both of us in. He looked down to avoid your chest on his eye level, ears burning in embarrassment as he held you by your sides delicately, unsure of how he should act. You felt your face burning when you noticed how your hands tugged on his hair, body pressed impossibly closer to him.

    “Oh my God, I’m so sorry” You mumbled, loosening your hold.

    “It must have been some fish” He muttered, still refusing to look at you.

    “Yeah…” You nodded “You guys said that there are tons of fishes here, right?” You asked awkwardly, and he nodded to confirm it “Cool…” You cleared your throat.

    He lifted his head, looking into your eyes as he adjusted his hold to your body, eyes wavering as he tried to focus his gaze on you. The moment was a little bit too intimate. You noticed how your legs were still around his waist, bodies pressed against each other, and breaths mingling, warming up your face. You let your eyes wander to his lips before returning your gaze to meet his.

    The moment made your stomach flutter.

    “Am I… Am I imagining things or…” He cleared his throat “I’m sorry but are you… Can I…” He floundered with his words, too flustered to say whatever he wanted to say.

    “Kiss me?” You questioned, and he snapped his eyes to yours again.

    “I mean… I shouldn’t have suggested it at all!” He said startled “I’m so sorry, this is so unprofessional! I didn’t mean to—“ You snorted, cupping his cheeks to make him stop talking.

    “I want to” You reassured him, staring at his lips “Can I?” You asked unsurely, checking for any signs of hesitancy in his eyes.

    “Please” He chuckled, sliding one hand to cup your face as the other one kept supporting your waist.

    He didn’t need to tell you twice.

    You slammed your lips against his, hands sliding to entangle his neck and play with his hair as you kissed each other. He hummed, hand going to the back of your head to keep you as close as possible to him. The kiss tasted like watermelon ─ sweet and kinda wet and sloppy ─, and you almost couldn’t remember you were in the middle of the sea, on Valentine’s day, kissing a complete stranger.

    A charming and sweet stranger, to be fair.

   He rested his forehead on yours as soon as the kiss came to an end, breathing heavily and closing his eyes to enjoy the moment for a while. You smirked; twirling his locks on your finger and making him shiver for a second. He opened his eyes, staring at you in complete bliss.

   “Wow” He muttered.

   “I agree” you chuckled, kissing his cheek before trailing the path to his jaw “Maybe we should repeat it sometime” You suggested, feeling how he tensed as you whispered against his skin.

  “You mean like now?” He giggled “Because I’m more than up to it”

  “I meant more like a date after the ride ends?” You said unsurely, shyly checking for his reaction.

   “I’m more than up to it as well” He smiled, brushing his nose on yours “Not that we need to do only one of those things…” He said suggestively making you chuckle “I kinda want to take advantage of how sweet your lips taste right now… If you’re up to it” He cleared his throat.

   “I’m more than up to it” You grinned, pecking his lips.

[renjunfromthestars]

work too much

Pairing: Mark + reader, Established relationship, Med School/Doctor!Mark (I can’t stop thinking about this omg)

Genre: Fluff, angst if you squint, and it’s me so a little bit of crack LOL

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1.4k 

Summary: It’s the middle of Pandemic; there’s been a lot of changes to your life, but Mark is one of the only things that have always been constant, and you’re thankful for that. But Mark in typical Mark fashion is stressed and tends to over work himself, so you always try your best to support him in your own way

Can be read as an extension to more than or as a stand alone

Notes: proof read? ofc not. but I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again...Mark is a little awk and always works so hard (poor bby), so imagining him as a super stressed pre-med major (now Doctor!!) still absolutely wrecks me thank you goodbye 

---

When the pandemic hit, it was simultaneously a blessing and a curse. A blessing, because online school definitely saved your grades (chegg also played a supporting role in this). And a curse because you and 7 million people suddenly found yourselves in a pandemic, and a pretty serious one at that.

When the news first came out about a small viral breakout in China, you didn’t think much of it. You were scared shitless when news of a recurring Ebola epidemic came to your attention, WebMd-ing every symptom and prevention technique so obsessively to the point that Mark had to confiscate your laptop for a second. 

“Objectively it’s a really serious viral disease, but your chances of getting it are astronomically low. A vaccine was already developed since the first serious breakout in 2014. Plus, most of the cases are in Africa, and it’s very contained-” Mark stops. “Are you even listening?”

“I am,” you protest. “But I’m still going to be scared no matter what you say.”

Mark sighs, sitting back down on the couch after gently placing your laptop on the coffee table. 

He ruffles your hair playfully, and your frown only gets deeper. “You silly, silly girl. Take my word for it, you’re fine.”

To be honest, you really should, but anxiety doesn’t discriminate, not even when you have a very knowledgeable boyfriend in medical school.

When you snuggle into his side and wail jokingly (or are you?) about being afraid of dying for the 4th time that week, you can almost see the defeat flash in Mark’s eyes. Yet, he doesn’t complain, and tells you things are going to be okay while wrapping his arms around you comfortingly. 

For Mark, you’re eternally thankful. 

When the pandemic hit, you didn’t really mind quarantining. You had the necessities: toilet paper, a Netflix subscription, and Mark, not necessarily in order of importance of course. The early months of the pandemic gave you a perfect time to recharge from all the grad school craziness. What really drove you insane were the lack of people taking social distancing and quarantine orders with a grain of salt. Mark scolds you when you say it’s just another form of natural selection, that you like to think that those kinds of people peaked in high school. 

Mark on the other hand, is having the opposite experience, Because of the severity of the virus, he graduated from Med school a whole two months early to join other health care workers in the fight against covid. Mark is a smart guy; he’s cautious and plans accordingly-but you’re not going to lie- Mark being in the hospital scares you.

Although he doesn’t like to talk about it, you can tell things are stressful for him from the way his shoulders droop when he thinks you aren’t looking. Dark circles around his normally twinkling eyes, and you’re not even exaggerating when you think you see a white hair or two. 

Mark doesn't like to talk about it and you understand, instead showing your support through your actions; you time dinner so that it’s ready right when he comes home, and are sure to give him time to recharge on his own. Mark also has trouble sleeping at night because of his work schedule, so you ordered a white noise machine in an attempt to soothe him. It works, but the poor boy still looks stressed in his sleep, with his eyebrows slightly furrowed and tense. You consider asking him to take some time off from the hospital, but Mark has a big heart and you believe in him. It’s a big part of why you and Mark get along so well, you think,--you have an uncanny ability to know what the other needs, even if they aren’t necessarily aware of it.

“Are you mad at me?”

You’ve just switched off the light. At 8:30, it’s a little early for most people to go to bed but you don’t mind it- you know he’s exhausted, and you don’t want to pressure him to stay up. If it were up to you, you’d be watching Netflix all night. 

When you turn to look at him in the moonlight, he looks so worried that you feel your heart tighten a little.

“Of course not,” you frown. “What makes you say that?”

Mark scratches the back of his head. “It’s just that you haven’t really been talking as much to me lately. Because of the extra shifts I’ve been taking at the hospital lately, I know I haven’t been spending as much time with you, and I feel bad about it, I really do, so I understand why you’d be mad-”

As he rambles on, you deadpan a little. He seems so tightly strung it’s almost comical. When he notices you sighing, he almost combusts. 

“I’m really, really sorry (y/n). I promise I’ll make it up to you at a later time. You’re so important to me, I don’t want you to feel like I’m taking you for granted-” He stops when you reach across the covers to cradle his face.

You lean in to kiss him, and he’s so confused that it takes him a moment to close his eyes. 

His lips are a little chapped, but you don’t mind, instead making a metal note to buy him a little watermelon lip smackers later, and yes-lip smackers because imagining professional Doctor Mark using lip smackers is hilarious to you.

When you pull away, you’re nose to nose, foreheads touching. You’re both silent for a moment, a quiet understanding passing between you two.

“I love you so much,” he whispers. 

A smile begins to spread across your face. You know you shouldn’t tease him, but you do anyway.

“I know you do.”

“Tell me you love me too,” he almost whines, and you can’t help but stifle a laugh. 

“Don’t laugh, this is a serious matter,” he grumbles, wrapping his arms around your waist.

You give in, pecking him on the lips once more.

“You silly, silly boy. Of course I love you too. You don’t even need to ask.”

Mark closes his eyes, and when he mumbles something about not knowing what he’d do without you, your heart nearly melts. 

You close your eyes too, and as you both slowly drift to sleep, you think about how life's going good despite it’s new changes—pandemic and all. You have Mark, and that is something that will never change.

Bonus

Mark scratches the back of his head, glances at you, the little neon green tube in his hand, and then back at you. All you do is just beam at him.

“And?”

“Of course I love it, but uh, isn’t it a little girly?” he says sheepishly. 

You pinch his ear playfully and he turns the slightest shade of pink.

 “Don’t disrespect the lip smackers, it comes highly recommended not to mention coveted among almost every teenage girl.”

“But I’m not a teenage girl,” he mumbles, and you spring into action, mustering the most disappointed face you can.

They should honestly give you a honorary degree in acting, because when Mark looks at you, he might as well act like you just told him your dog just died.

He uncaps the little stick and quickly applies it all over his lips, rather intensely. When he looks back up at you, he flashes you the most awkward smile and thumbs up you’ve ever seen in your life. With his lips unusually pink and waxy from the over application, he looks like a clown, so what other choice do you have, but laugh. 

Mark catches on pretty quickly, and kisses you in retaliation; he tastes like watermelon.

“You’re an evil, evil girl,” he murmurs, “But I love you anyway.”

“All jokes aside, you’re going to actually use it right?” (you used your own hard earned money to get this for  him, a whole two dollars and twenty five not including tax )

“Of course I will. I love everything you give me.” (You know this is a lie, he doesn’t like it when you give him a smack on his butt.)