#cha joon he

[gimme-a-chocolate]

Compared to the tears you cried, she has a long way to go. I'll make sure she pays.

[clockwards]

still thinking about objectively ridiculous vincenzo au's so here's one:

Mr Hong, Cha-young, and the Jang Brothers are vampires, and their followers (the plaza and the lawyers) know this, and when Vincenzo appears everyone just immediately assumes he is also a vampire. They don't say anything outright but there's a lot of winking and mentions of weird habits.

Vincenzo is not a vampire. He does not know vampires exist. He's Italian and very, very confused.

[snickerdoodlles]

garbage I desperately want to write:

Jang Joon-woo, the full service intern

[prbni]

"Had she initiated a peck, he would have turned it into an intense lip lock" pairings in KDramas

Ku San Young(Kim Tae Ri) and Lee Hong Sae(Hong Kyung) in Revenant

Cha Se Eum(Kim Young Ae) and Yoo Jeong Jae(Lee Moon Sang) in Maestra: Strings of Truth

Lee Gang Hyeon( Park Ji Hyun) and Jin Yi Soo(Ahn Bo Hyun) in Flex x Cop

Lim Jukyung(Moon Gayoung) and Han Seojun(Hwang Inyeop) in True Beauty

Oh In Joo (Kim Go Eun) and Choi Do il(Wi Ha Joon) in Little Women(2022)

Kang Nam Soon (Lee Yoomi) and Ryu Shi Oh (Byun Woo Seok) in Strong Woman Kang Nam Soon

Kang Sol A(Ryu Hye Young) and Han Joon Hwi(Kim Bum) in Law School

Bonus: Japanese Drama Couple

Didn't get a better GIF for them

Kokuryu Kirika(Mio Imada) and Tennoji Haru (Meguro Ren) in Trillion Game

[kpopscatterbrain]

Kdramas i've watched this year

Some of these are older dramas but i'm a procrastinator

Black Knight (2023): Loved this one! I have watched it probably 5 times now. Kim Woobin kicking ass is all i need!

Under the Queen's Umbrella (2022): I didn't watch this when it aired (no idea why). I was worried that the plot would be overrun by romance but thankfully i was wrong. Loved Kim Hye-Soo's performance (i cried a little).

Island seasons 1 & 2 (2022-2023): Honestly i only started this one for Kim Nam-Gil. I loved the cast, but the flow of the plot was a little off (don't know how, i can't put a finger on it). Was positively suprised by Cha Eun-Woo's acting, i think he needs more roles like this! Hot villain alert no.1! Sung Joon as a bad guy is either a blessing or a curse. Cgi could have been better.

Taxi Driver season 2 (2023): Loved the first season so of course i had to watch the second one. Love Lee Je-Hoon. Love the main characters. Love the plot and the message of this drama. A masterpiece. Waiting for season 3.

Weak Hero Class 1 (2022): Only heard of this drama wayyy after it aired (thanks tiktok) and god does it deserve every award there is! I was a bit hesitant because Park Ji-Hoon was the main lead, but boy was i wrong because his talent got me speechless (weren't we all). I cried, i cheered, i shadowboxed, i cried a little more and in the end i called my therapist. Thankfully season 2 is coming.

Bloodhounds (2023): Woo Do-whan and Lee Sang-Yi in the same drama beating people up? Yes please! The plot wasn't mindblowing, but sometimes just simple ass kicking is enough. Bromance was bromancing. Park Sung-Woong with another great villain character.

Revenant (2023): After dropping Mr.Sunshine i wanted to see Kim Tae-ri in other dramas, so when this aired i gave it a go. Her range is phenomenal! I have only seen couple spookier dramas, so i made a mistake and watched this at night (slept with the lights on). The eerie vibes and plot twists were well made. Hong Kyung had great chemistry with Kim Tae-ri and his cop role was refreshing to see after his performance in Weak Hero Class (if you know you know).

Flower of Evil (2020): Okay, this is one of the dramas i procrastinated hard on. It's been sitting on my "have to watch" list since it aired and i'm the only one to blame (i hype up a drama in my mind, then don't want to watch it because now i'm afraid it doesn't go the way i think it does and then i get disappointed blaablaablaa). This year i finally got over myself and why. didn't. i. watch. it. sooner!!!! It is all i ever wanted in a kdrama. 1. serial killers 2. a psychopath (but is he really?) w/ an effed up childhood 3. mindgames 4. marriage problems (but has a lot of soft & cute scenes) 5. Lee Joon-Gi. Also as a plus (hot villain alert no.2) the bad guy is kindaa (i'm sane i swear). I would be lying if i didn't say that i found the wife slightly annoying (might be me, but she went too much back & forth and sometimes i had to take a breather while watching), but all in all this drama will be hard to top and i fell in love with Lee Joon-Gi.

Moving (2023): Honestly one of the best dramas of the year. I don't usually really go for plots that have a lot of romance in them (if you haven't noticed), but i found this one to be really well balanced and the romance scenes weren't "cringy". Although Bong-Seok and Hui-Soo were great and had great chemistry, i looooved the background stories of the parents. Park Hee-Soon also pops up as kind of a non-villain villain. I hope there is a season 2.

Song of the Bandits (2023): Kim Nam-Gil again. 1920s Korea and gunslingers... what more could i need? After Mr. Sunshine left me with a disappointment (this might be an unpopular opinion) i craved for a drama set around the same time period, but with a little less romance (i know, i am defective). I think dramas should explore this time period more, but i understand it might still be a touchy subject. The skills of the cast were obviously great, Kim Nam-Gil killed his role like always, but Lee Ho-Jung as Eon-Nyeon shined with her performance (i am now a new fan). Hot villain alert no.3! I have seen Lee Hyun-Wook in Remarriage & Desires and seeing him as a villain made me feel things. If there isn't a second season i will cry.

The Killing Vote (2023): A "serial killer" in a dog mask making the public vote on punishing criminals and everyone suspects each other? Cyber crime? Chemistry between two cops? Major hot villain (no.4)? Sign me up. I love when crime dramas make you question your people reading skills (i have the tism so i really got none) and have all kinds of theories flying around. I liked that even Kim Mu-Chan and Joo Hyun had obvious chemistry between them it didn't overshadow the main point of the plot. I liked Seo Young-Joo's delivery and i hope he gets more bigger roles. Kim Kwon.... why does the psychopath have to be hot? He also needs more bigger roles. !spoiler! Also Park Sung-Woong killing (heh) yet another morally grey character.

The Worst of Evil (2023): Okay, first of all i have to say... the wife ruined everything (some agree and some don't). We get another bromance duo of the year with Wi Ha-Joon and Ji Chang-Wook. Loved the crime organization infiltration plot, heavily despised the romance plot (sorry Bibi baby). I was constantly on the edge of my seat and the characters started to get so morally grey that in the end everyone needs group therapy. Action scenes were chefs kiss. A honorable mention goes for Lee Shin-Ki as Seo Jong-Ryul (or Chief Seo, knife guy, the man has many names) and Bibi for her performance as Lee Hae-Ryeon.

Evilive (2023): Heavily underrated. Kim Young-Kwang doing what he does best, playing a psychopath. This combined with a bromance plot with the one and only bromance master Shin Ha-Kyun? I'm sold. The dramas literal title "villain story" really sums up the plot. Sometimes you are not sure who to cheer for. Sometimes you are not really sure about your own sanity. But to be fair, so aren't the main characters.

Vigilante (2023): Love it. Currently re-watching it. Needs more attention. Needs more episodes. I'm in love with Nam Joo-Hyuk. The best crime drama of the year, the title is all i needed to hear. Beating up criminals in well made action scenes is my favorite genre. No romance. One sided bromance? Morally grey characters (am i repeating myself now?). Yoon Ji-Tae as a beefy cop and Lee Joon-Hyuk as a slightly insane admirer? If we don't get a season 2 i will start a riot.

[zikariogirl]

‘ 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥 ‘ — 𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐧-𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐤

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨, 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄, 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

❥ 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠: ‘𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥’ 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐥

summary ┆ working at wusang was a dream come true for you. you had great friendships there and even began to develop feelings for a certain intern. but things started to change — big reveals left you shocked, and instead of running away you felt yourself become more captivated by him. . . and he seems to notice you as well. nothing in this world really matters to jang han-seok, but you? he will burn the whole world for you.

key: bold = english

warnings ┆mild smut (i will put a warning to let you guys know where it begins and ends)

After slowly accepting the fact that your boyfriend was not only a psychopathic CEO — but a murderer as well — spending time with him and going on dates has become a bit more easier. You decided that there’s no reason to add more stress onto your relationship, especially when Cha-young and Vincenzo are still trying to dig for more information regarding the true chairman of Babel. Luckily, to your knowledge, they haven’t discovered that Han-seok is Joon-woo, so the both of you have been living with a peace of mind and enjoying every second you could spend together. Any fear or any doubts you felt towards Han-seok has completely vanished at this point.

You were both in his apartment trying to bake some cupcakes, but instead, Han-seok found it funny to plaster some of the baking mix on your face. “Baby!”

He rarely lets out a genuine laugh, and when he does it is the most beautiful thing you’ve ever heard. Needless to say, you’re the only person who gets to hear it considering that he pretty much despises the rest of the population in the world.

But you weren’t going to let it slide, so when he least expected it, you got him back by rubbing baking mix on his left cheek and nose.

“Ah, you got me,” he mischievously smiled. “You sneaky little devil.”

“I do learn from the best.”

“Oh I’m sure you do.”

Without warning, you felt him place his hands on your waist as he lifted you up and set you down on the counter, positioning himself in between your legs. You were at eye level with him, and your heart beat raced as you began to wonder what devious idea did he have hiding up his sleeve.

“You better not cover me with baking mix,” you warned.

“How about I give it a taste test?”

“Oh, okay. You can use this spoon to–”

He took you by surprise when you felt his lips against your cheek, licking and sucking on the baking mix that rested there. “Hm, delicious, how about here?”

He placed some baking mix on your lips before leaning in and repeating the same action. You caved into the kiss, letting out a small moan when you felt his teeth graze your lower lip as he gently pulled on it with his teeth. You knew he was about to pull away, but your needy side kicked in and you quickly hooked your arms around his neck, re-connecting your lips in another passionate kiss.

Han-seok pressed himself close to you, his fingers slipping underneath your shirt while gripping your waist tightly. You could feel his erection pressing against you, and that was enough to send you over the edge as a warm wave shot up your body. You still haven’t had sex, but there were moments where the two of you would get super intimate before being either, interrupted by a phone call, or you would grow shy and stop before it could escalate.

Right now, though? You wanted this. Your fingers were beginning to scrunch up his shirt from the neckline and you were both too engrossed in one another, that you didn’t hear the front door opening.

“I-I’m so sorry, sir!”

The two of you froze at the same time, but reacted differently to the intruder. While you ducked your head in embarrassment, Han-seok clenched his jaw as his body — menacingly and slowly — turned to face Han-seo.

“Do you. Fucking. KNOCK?!”

You both flinched at his loud voice and you silently prayed that your boyfriend would take it easy on his brother.

“I’m sorry! I-I’m so sorry! The door was unlocked so I thought it was okay enter, sir.”

Cue you mentally slapping yourself since you were the last person to come in to his apartment. “Fuck, I’m sorry. It’s my fault because I forgot to lock the door.”

“No, no,” Han-seok had a crazed look on his face. “Don’t apologize for the idiocy of others. It’s not your fault.”

“But–”

“He’s right,” Han-seo cut you off with a nervous laugh. “I’m an idiot for not knocking. It’s my fault.”

You wanted to argue and say that it was indeed your fault, but knowing these two, it would be pointless. Han-seo would just become more persistent in blaming himself and if you tried to defend him, then it would cause Han-seok to lose his shit and possibly go after his brother behind closed doors. Instead, you nodded your head at Han-seo, not wanting to press onto the matter.

“So, brother, are you going to stand there like a dumbass or are you going to tell me why you’re here?” Han-seok’s voice dripped with irritation.

“Sir, the research team has found crucial information that I believe you may want to know.”

“About what?”

“Its about Vincenzo.”

The three of you sat down with one of the investigators from the team, consulting and talking about Vincenzo’s true identity. You didn’t know what to expect. You assumed they were going to expose him as a con artist or someone who’s stealing money from his victims, but what you least expected to hear was that Vincenzo was a part of the Italian mafia. The fucking mafia. The blood drained from your face at the news, your mind beginning to replay every little encounter you had with him, hoping that you didn’t tick him off in any way, shape, or form. Your eyes were trained on the coffee table in front of you as you refused to look at the pictures that Han-seok held in his hands.

Holy shit, does Cha-young know? What if she’s completely unaware of the monster she has by her side. There’s a high probability that he didn’t disclose such risky information, or, she knows about it and is using that to her advantage to take down Babel. You need to double-check with her; also to make sure that she’s okay.

“So he’s one of the best consiglieres in Italy?” Han-seok questioned with a hint of excitement.

“Yes, he’s a consigliere both acknowledged and dreaded by all of the Mafia families there,” the investigator answered.

“And Vincenzo really did everything I see in these photos?”

“It’s the tip of the iceberg. He’s much more brutal than you think.”

“I knew something was wrong,” Han-seo groaned next to you while he rubbed his face.

“Hey, look,” Han-seok shoved a gruesome picture towards his younger brother, a sinister smile appearing on his face the moment Han-seo cowered away. “Look at this.”

“This is sick,” you grabbed the photo and crumbled it in your hands. “It’s not funny.”

“Wow, so angry,” Han-seok poked at you in a taunting tone.

You were not in the mood for his immature games. Vincenzo was a threat to everyone. Who knows what his true intentions are? He’s a menace who threatened Han-seo, Ms. Choi, and Mr. Han, and sickeningly left behind his initial to taunt your group. What will he do the moment he finds out about Han-seok’s identity?

You felt like throwing up.

“Come to think about it, he’s attacked us a way the Mafia would all this time,” you pointed out.

“You’re right,” Han-seok stood up as he began to list everything with his fingers. “Terrorism, threats, negotiation, mockery, and murder. I was completely wrong. Vincenzo wasn’t just a sparring partner. He’s like a Mayweather.”

His laugh echoed throughout the living room, making Han-seo stand up, with both desperation and fear resting on his features. “Will you let him go on as a sparring partner?”

Han-seok cackled. “You crazy? I’ll have to kill him, or he’ll kill us.”

And he was true to his word. Han-seok went ahead and got in touch with his contacts — as he likes to call it — to lure Vincenzo out to a secluded area, and kill him. You on the other hand, attempted to fish out information from Cha-young, trying to see if she knew anything about Vincenzo’s true identity. She either knew about him being in the mafia or just straight up had zero clue on what was happening, and you were convinced it was the first option, because she urgently asked for your help as she feared for Vincenzo’s life.

The moment Han-seok found out you were going to “save” Vincenzo, he jumped at the opportunity in chauffeuring your group to his location, but you knew the truth behind his intentions — he wants to make sure Vincenzo is dead.

You pulled up in front of Geumga Plaza as Mr. Nam and another tenant hopped inside the back of the SUV.

“Who is this?” You questioned.

“This is Mr. Lee. He’s a master of breaking people’s necks,” Mr. Nam responded before being grabbed by the neck by Mr. Lee.

“Your first love?” Mr. Lee demanded.

“An Seong-eun.”

“Your treasure?”

“My bike, Cheetah.”

Both you and Han-seok were utterly dumbfounded at the interaction that just unfolded in front of you, but Cha-young looked completely unamused.

“I’ll take care of the killers as soon as we arrive,” Mr. Lee stated with a serious expression.

“Alright,” you shot him a hesitant nod before looking over to Han-seok. “Let’s go.”

He stepped on the gas as the tires screeched into the quiet night, your adrenaline slightly kicking in the closer you got. You weren’t the type to wish death on someone, but if Vincenzo is as dangerous as he is, then he needs to be eliminated. At this point, you don’t care if Cha-young knew of his identity and was just using him to get back at Babel and Wusang, your only concern was Han-seok’s safety. There’s no doubt in your mind that Vincenzo would jump at the opportunity to kill him if he were to find out the truth.

The feeling of disappointment overcame you the moment you guys arrived, and it was self-evident that Vincenzo was alive while the men Han-seok hired were either dead or just knocked out. Cha-young ran and embraced him in a hug while you stood next to Han-seok.

“He’s alive,” you whispered.

“I can see that.”

It appeared that Cha-young and Vincenzo were discussing something, but the sound of a phone vibrating next to you caught your attention. You turned to look at Han-seok, who wore a panicked expression on his face as he clutched his left coat pocket.

“Who’s calli–”

“Fuck,” he silently hissed while clenching his teeth.

You frowned at his behavior, not understanding what was happening. When your eyes followed his and focused on Vincenzo, it didn’t take long to figure out who was calling. Your blood ran cold and your palms grew sweaty. Vincenzo was getting closer to you by the second and you couldn’t risk Han-seok getting exposed.

You subtly turned to face him while reaching for his pocket. “Give me the phone.”

His eyes widened at your request. “Are you out of your mind?”

“I’m not asking you twice,” you angrily whispered. “Give me the phone. He won’t suspect me.”

Not wanting to argue with you, Han-seok carefully passed the phone over to you, giving you the opportunity to shove it inside your own coat pocket. Just as you expected, Vincenzo didn’t question you when he walked past you, but he did shoot you a glance upon hearing the phone vibrating in your pocket.

You felt like you were about to die in that moment.

But much to your relief, he didn’t question you and only let out a deep sigh as he hung up. “There’s no answer.”

“That’s odd. He would answer if he wanted to know what happened.”

You remained emotionless throughout the whole interaction, but deep down you were shaking in fear, that not even Han-seok’s tight grip on your hand was enough to calm you down. The two of you left the scene the moment Vincenzo’s henchmen showed up, and Han-seok drove for a while before swerving the SUV onto the side of the road. He immediately stepped out and slammed the burner phone onto the ground, letting out a few curses and yells.

“Are you okay?” You asked while stepping out of the vehicle.

“He almost got me,” Han-seok breathed out. “How did he beat the three of them all at once?”

You were immune to his yelling and outbursts at this point, and all you could do was stare at him with worry as he repeatedly stomped on the phone.

“We need to think of a plan to take him down.”

“We?” He turned to look at you. “No babydoll, you’re not getting involved anymore.”

“What?”

Han-seok made his way towards you, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “It won’t be long until he finds out that I’m Han-seok, and the first thing he’s going after is you.”

“That’s not–”

“No. Stop. Listen to me. He will go after you as a way to blackmail me. You’re a walking target at this point, so no more visits to their little law firm. I’m sending you away to the States.”

Hold up. You took a step back as you stared at him in shock. “What? You’re sending me away? Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m playing around? Yes ______ I’m serious.”

“You can’t do this.”

“Oh yes I can, and you better not fight me on this. Get in the car.”

Earlier you were shaking in fear, but now you’re shaking in anger. He’s your boyfriend, not your legal guardian. You’re a grown woman who can fend for herself and you don’t need his or anyone’s protection. How dare he think he can just order you around?

When you made no move towards the SUV, he rolled his eyes and spun you around, slowly pushing you towards the truck.

You dug your heels into the ground. “Han-seok stop!”

He only shoved you harder. “Shut up before you piss me off.”

What the fuck is wrong with him?!

You tried to turn your body, but Han-seok had your shoulders in a tight grip. He left no room for you to move and it infuriated you by the second.

“Let me go.”

He ignored you as he tried to push you in the vehicle.

“Han-seok!” You managed to kick his shin which caused him to loosen his grip on you. You wriggled out of his grasp and took a few steps back. “Please listen to me.”

He was livid while he looked at you, and you were unsure if he felt that towards you or Vincenzo. His nostrils were flaring and his fists were clenched. You’ve never seen him this mad before in your life.

“Baby…” you softly muttered. “Please calm down.”

His chest was still heaving but he made no move to grab you anymore, so you saw that as your opportunity in walking towards him and wrapping your arms around his neck. Almost immediately, his arms encased you in a tight embrace and he buried his face in your neck. Han-seok held onto you tightly as you ran your fingers through his air, murmuring soft and soothing words into his ear, causing his erratic breathing to slow down.

“Shh,” you cooed. “I’m right here. He’s not going to hurt me. I’ve seen how close him and Cha-young have grown, so there’s no way she would even let him touch me. If you want me to stay hidden, I’m okay with that. What I’m not okay with is being a thousand miles away from you because baby, at that point, I would much rather be captured by Vincenzo if that meant I would be closer to you. I can be your spy, informant, or whatever else you need me to do. If you need me to kill someone, I’ll do that too. I absolutely adore you Han-seok, and I am willing to do the most fucked up shit for you. I’m not leaving you. You’re stuck with me until you grow sick of me.”

You felt him sigh on your neck before placing a gentle kiss on your skin. “Shit, I fucking love you.”

You froze at his words, but as the seconds passed, your lips curved into the biggest smile you’ve ever experienced. You waited so long to hear those words leave his mouth; to have them be addressed to you. Ever since you first met Han-seok — former Jon-woo — almost a year ago, you immediately fell in love with him. You daydreamed about him confessing his feelings to you, about the two of you growing old and having a family together. You were deeply and utterly in love, and to experience this moment now, was a true blessing.

“I love you more, Jang Han-seok.”

-

“I fucking hate you Han-seok.”

You were sweating liters — no scratch that — buckets of sweat as you leaned against the treadmill. Ever since you devoted your loyalty to your boyfriend, he’s been physically pushing you like crazy. Every day you’ve gone to work out with him and he even hired a martial artist trainer to teach you basic self-defense moves, in case you’re ever in a situation that requires it. You understand why he’s doing all of this but dear god, was it so much.

The sound of a whistle made your body jolt as you quickly shot Han-seok a glare.

Yes, the idiot brings a whistle to your sessions every time.

“Come on babydoll, pick up the pace!” He clapped his hands. “You got this!”

“I’ve been running for the past thirty minutes!” You plopped yourself on the treadmill as it slowly moved you towards the edge, gently dropping you on the floor. “Can we please take a break.”

“You think Vincenzo or his goons will give you a five minute break mid-fight? I don’t think so.” Cue him blowing the whistle. “Now pick up the pace! Hustle!”

“Geez, are you preparing me for Vincenzo or for the fucking war?”

“Baby, this is a war.”

“Says you,” you mumble. “I just wanted to stay home and play Call of Duty.”

“Babydoll, I’ve told you a thousand times, Call of Duty is not good firearm practice.”

Oh great, he mentioned that again. You embarrassingly told him that you could practice using a firearm by learning how to aim and shoot in Call of Duty first. Let’s just say, Han-seok nearly died from laughter when you first brought it up.

“Do not insult NoobMaster69,” you defended yourself. “I’ve gotten so good.”

“I’m sure you have,” Han-seok’s tone was taunting as he made his way towards you. “By the way, have I ever told you how hot you look when you sweat?”

“Mm, no I don’t think so. Enlighten me.”

He grabbed your hands and lifted you up on your feet, and the devil himself wasted no time in gripping your ass. You immediately felt him growing hard against you and your body reacted the same way when you felt a sudden feeling of heat pooling in your area.

After that night where the two of you confessed your love for each other, you went back to his place and basically ripped each other’s clothes apart. That night was filled with both passion and hunger. The two of were craving each other’s bodies for a while, and finally getting a taste of it was so overwhelming that you couldn’t stop. You both went round after round, going at it like animals, before completely knocking out and taking the following day off so you could rest.

Ever since then, neither of you could take your hands off the other.

“The way your body shines with sweats makes me go insane. Your beautiful skin looks so mesmerizing, makes me want to bite you.”

He hoisted you up and placed you on top of a counter, causing you to squint your eyes at him. “Wait don’t you have to go in to work soon?”

“We can make this fast babydoll.”

- smut begins here -

You shot him a smile before connecting your lips together, your hands reached down to pull your leggings off while he fumbled to untie his sweat pants. He pulled you close, lightly tapping his tip against your clit, the action making you both jolt and moan into his mouth. He wasted no time in filling you up completely and pushing you down so you laid with your back against the counter. His movements were fast and rough while he gripped your hip with one hand and had the other wrapped around your throat.

“Oh fuck,” you moaned while gripping the arm that was holding your throat.

“You look so beautiful babydoll,” he groaned, his eyes connecting with yours. “You take it so well. Good girl.”

Fuck, you love it when he praises you.

He knew your body too well already, and while he was thrusting in and out of you, he began to rub your clit with his thumb, the sudden action sending you over the edge. You came all over him as you squirmed underneath his hold, your screams and moans echoing throughout the workout room, as his pace quickened. He was slamming into you repeatedly before he quickly pulled out and spilled his seed all over your stomach, his hips slightly thrusting as he jerked himself off.

- smut ends -

“Fuck, I want to come inside you so bad,” he huffed as he grabbed a towel.

You giggled. “Baby, I told you I’m on birth control.”

“Still a risk I’m not willing to take.”

“Fair point,” you smiled and closed your eyes while he cleaned you up. "Are you going to be busy after your meeting?"

"Yep. I'm going to meet up with Cha-young since we're going to exchange intel."

Now that was news to you. You sprung up and furrowed your eyebrows. "Are you sure that's a good idea? What if she just baits you or gives you false info?"

"The information I'm giving her isn't too important. Don't worry babydoll, I have this all planned out already," he shot you a smile before quickly pecking your lips. "I'll see you tonight okay?"

You nodded your head in return and watched him walk away, feeling relieved that you now have some time to test your theory about Vincenzo. Ever since Han-seok was almost caught by him, he has stuck you to his side every second of the day. You barely had time on your own and you understood where his worry came from, but come on, you’re a girl for pete’s sake. Every girl needs her privacy at some points.

You quickly took a shower and changed into something comfortable. You felt a bit nervous attempting to test your theory, but doing this will only ease your conscious and his.

It felt so odd stepping foot into Geumga plaza; the last time you were here was almost two months ago. You weren’t sure if everyone was going to shoot you a stink eye upon arriving, but the moment you saw Mr. Nam’s eyes light up at your figure, you smiled.

“_______!” He sprung up from his seat, causing a half tired Vincenzo to flinch. “Why haven’t you stopped by?”

“I’m sorry. I kind of felt like I didn’t belong here since I work at Wusang.”

That was true.

“You can always leave them and come work here,” Vincenzo yawned before turning to look at you.

“I think I’m okay for now, but I still took Cha-young’s offer into consideration.”

“Oh! Is it because of Joon-woo?” Mr. Nam wiggled his eyebrows.

“Maybe,” you replied with a grin.

“Have you two kissed?”

“We may have given each other a little peck here and there.”

The two of you giggled like little schoolgirls while shaking each others hands in excitement. Vincenzo groaned at the sight in front of him as he rubbed his face.

“Do you two really have to talk about this right now?”

“Oh come on Vincenzo, it’s not like I haven’t noticed how close you and Cha-young have gotten.”

“What?” He stared at you, completely dumbfounded, while the tip of his ears began to turn pink. Both you and Mr. Nam giggled again and ran towards his desk.

“Is that true Mr. Cassano? Do you like Miss–”

“No,” he immediately responded while avoiding eye contact.

“Oh he totally likes her.”

“He does,” Mr. Nam geeked. “Mr. Cassano, if you both were to get married, can I be your best man?”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Don’t tell me you prefer Mr. Lee over me!”

“What? No! I meant the wedding is not going to happen Mr. Nam.”

“But you two would make such beautiful babies!”

“Who’s making beautiful babies?”

The two men beside you froze at Cha-young’s voice, neither of you expecting her to show up. Vincenzo quickly began to type gibberish on his laptop, Mr. Nam ran towards his desk before tripping, and you? Well, you grabbed a nearby magazine and pretended to read it.

“______? Why are you…” you heard her pause before letting out a scream. “No!”

“What?!” The three of you questioned.

“Don’t tell me you’re pregnant with that idiot’s baby!”

“What?!” The color drained from your face as you processed what she asked you. “Who said that?!”

“You did!”

“I did not–”

“Who’s pregnant?”

Now it was your time to actually freeze. You should’ve assumed that Han-seok was going to be tagging along with Cha-young, but it never occurred to you that he would show up here. Oh boy, the moment his eyes landed on you, you wanted to run away and hide. He looked pissed.

“You!” Cha-young thankfully broke the dangerous stare down he was giving you as she pointed at him. “You impregnated my best friend?!”

Now it was Han-seok’s turn to freeze as the color drained from his face. His eyes shot open and he genuinely looked mortified. “I… no wait… you’re pregnant?!”

Whatever anger he was feeling towards you before was gone, but at this moment, you felt so embarrassed and awkward. No one gave you a chance to explain yourself because before you knew it, Cha-young ran towards Han-seok and began to hit him with her folder.

“You moron! How dare you not consult with me first! You think it’s okay to just impregnate her after barely getting together?!”

“What?! I’m innocent!” Han-seok defended himself from her blows. “We’ve been careful!”

“Joon-woo!” You covered your face in embarrassment, not expecting him to out your business like that.

It was complete chaos in the Jipuragi Law Firm. After a couple of more seconds, Cha-young and Han-seok calmed down before everyone slowly turned to look at you — more specifically your stomach.

“I’m not pregnant,” you whined.

“Oh thank goodness,” Cha-young breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way towards you. “Also, why the hell haven’t you visited me?! I should beat you up as well.”

“I’m sorry. Things have just been hectic.” Your apology was sincere, but at the same time, your moments with Han-seok has lately been more important than anything else.

Cha-young only huffed out in annoyance. “Fine I’ll accept your excuse. Anyways,” she turned to look at Han-seok, “you ready to go?”

“Sure thing ex-boss,” he beamed his innocent smile before looking at you directly. “Can ______ come as well?”

“I actually need her for something.”

You did not expect Vincenzo to speak up, let alone need you for something. You shot him a questioning look, and before you could even ask, he once again replied.

“She’s going to help me with a certain case.”

“Wh-wha..?” You were too stunned to speak.

Han-seok’s shoulders grew rigid, and if it wasn’t for the fact that he had to keep his identity a secret, you know he would’ve stormed across the room and snatched you up.

“Really? About what?” To everyone else, he might’ve appeared curious, but you knew that your boyfriend was silently losing it.

“It’s confidential as of now,” Vincenzo grabbed his belongings before standing up. “Let’s go.”

“Where though?” You questioned. You didn’t necessarily feel safe heading out with a fucking mafia member. You were one-hundred percent sure that he wouldn’t harm you, yet you still feared for your life.

“It’s not anything dangerous or scary,” he reassured you. “You’re a girl, and I need your opinion on something.”

Now he was making no sense, but nonetheless, you nodded your head and followed him out. You sent Han-seok one last look, trying to tell him that you’ll be okay, but the moment you stepped out of Geumga plaza you felt your phone vibrate.

‘You better turn your location on right now.’

That was a demand, not a question. You quickly did as he asked before hopping inside the SUV with Vincenzo.

“You okay?”

Your palms are super sweaty and you feel like you’re going to pass out any second. No, you’re not okay. You have no clue as to why he needed you to come with him. Is he planning on using you for one of his dirty tasks? Does he know the truth and is actually kidnapping you? What if he’s going to try to torture information out of you?

Oh god, you regret coming along. You should’ve listened to Han-seok and take him up on his offer on tagging along with him and Cha-young. The three of you were so close before, and it would’ve felt nostalgic having the three musketeers reunite for a bit.

“I didn’t think shopping for jewelry would put you in a nervous wreck,” Vincenzo’s voice brought you back to your senses.

You blinked at him, feeling unsure on how to respond. It took you a while to process his words before you answered back like a lost idiot. “Huh?”

Huh? That’s all you could say?

He quirked up an eyebrow. “Are you deaf too?”

“Okay now you’re just being straight up rude.”

“Because you’re not answering me.” You could tell he was getting a bit annoyed, something that made your skin crawl. God, you were so on edge because of him.

“Okay… so enlighten me then. Why are you bringing me along?”

Now it was his turn to look uncomfortable, making your curiosity peak as your eyes trained on the shifting of his shoulders. What he said next almost made you lose your shit.

“Do you know if Cha-young likes jewelry?”

Four hours and fifteen stores later, you managed to help Vincenzo find a gorgeous pair of earrings for Cha-young — though a part of you hoped it would’ve been an engagement ring he was searching for. Nonetheless, this confirmed your suspicion of him fancying Cha-young, and it also eased your worry in suspecting that he would hurt you in any way. You felt accomplished on your mission in getting closer to Vincenzo, more importantly, squeezing your way onto his good side.

After your boy-girl shopping trip, he dropped you back off at Geumga plaza, claiming he had somewhere to go and stating that Joon-woo and Cha-young should be back any time soon. You were currently swirling in one of the chairs in the office, playing Call of Duty mobile, as Mr. Nam typed away on his computer, drinking what appeared to be some soju. The sound of his phone ringing caught your attention, but what made it more peculiar was the way he stared at you in horror.

What the hell is going on?

“Yes, she’s with me.”

He’s talking about you, but who’s on the other line?

“Got it. Okay.” Then he hung up.

Not wanting to be left in the dark, you stood up and made your way towards him. “What’s going on?”

“Um nothing… actually no… Cha-young will explain everything.”

“Explain what? I have a right to know since it was obvious that you were talking about me.”

His phone pinged, resulting in the two of you to stare at it at the same time, and before you knew it, you ran to grab his phone, making him yell and push you back as he held it up high. You didn’t want to hurt him, but you needed to know what was going on. You aimed and kneed him where the sun doesn’t shine, and Mr. Nam let out a choked up scream before collapsing on the ground. You snatched his phone from his grasp and read over the message that Cha-young sent to him.

‘Please don’t tell her yet. I don’t know how she’ll react knowing that Joon-woo isn’t who he says he is. He’s definitely using her to get information from us so let me break the news to her slowly.’

They know. They fucking know.

How? Who told them? What clues were left behind? Was Han-seok being followed? You were sure that your group tossed out the important pieces to the puzzle, that way the Jipuragi Law Firm could not piece together what was destroyed. You guys hid his identity so well, so what the fuck happened? The situation slowly dawned on you when you remembered what Vincenzo said earlier.

“Wait here. Joon-woo and Cha-young should be back shortly, but I have somewhere to go.”

“Where?” You questioned.

You knew he was hiding something, but what exactly? All Vincenzo did was smile and say that it was something important.

You pieced it all together; knowing too well that Vincenzo was most likely on his way to end Han-seok. No, over your dead fucking body. You ran out of the office, ignoring Mr. Nam’s pleas as you whipped out your phone and called Prosecutor Jung, letting him know to check up on Joon-woo as soon as possible.

Vincenzo may or may not be there, but you’re not taking the risk. You are not letting that bastard take away the love of your life. The fear and anger that shook through your body made you almost loose your footing as you wasted no time in calling your boyfriend. He didn’t answer, something that made your worry spike ten times more. You hastily called Ms. Choi who picked up on the first ring.

“What–”

“They know.” You were safely out of Geumga plaza at this point. “They know he’s Han-seok.”

You didn’t have to explain more to her, because she knew who you were talking about. “How?”

“I don’t know yet, but I just found out from looking at Mr. Nan’s phone and seeing Cha-young’s text. Ms. Choi I’m afraid something happened to Han-seok. He’s not answering his phone and…”

You couldn’t even finish your sentence as you began to hiccup with tears running down your cheeks.

“Okay, calm down,” you could hear the frustration and annoyance within her tone. “I’ll try calling him as well. If he calls either of us, let me know.”

“O-Okay.” You hate being weak in front of others — absolutely despise it — especially when it comes to those who show no fear. “I called Prosecutor–”

Then the line went dead. You looked at your phone, your body furiously shaking when you noticed that it lost battery.

“Motherfucker!” You screamed and punched a nearby wall, ignoring the pain that shot up your arm. You simply couldn’t stop. You were livid, your emotions were in no control as you repeatedly punched the brick wall in front of you. Your mind began to envision a certain male figure; making you lose more control of yourself.

“You Mafia bastard!”

You wanted him dead. Funny how things can quickly change within a blink of an eye.

Searching for a cab was surprisingly difficult, but you were thankful that the driver was kind enough to let you borrow his phone. You immediately dialed Ms. Choi’s number and felt relief hit you when she answered.

“Ms. Choi, it’s me.”

There was a long pause on her end before you heard his voice on the other line.

“Babydoll? Are you okay?”

“Han… Han-seok?” You shakily cried.

“What’s wrong? Whose number is this? Fuck _______ where are you right now?”

“I-I’m in a cab right now, on my way to your apartment, but please… are… are you okay?”

You heard him breathe out a sigh of relief. “Don’t worry about me. Take a detour and head to the Prosecutor’s office. I’m currently here with Ms. Choi, okay?”

“Okay, I’ll see you in a second. I love you.”

“I love you too, babydoll.”

The drive to Prosecutor Jung’s office felt like it dragged for ages — even though it was ten minutes away. The moment the cab came to a halt, you scurried out and made your way inside, desperately searching for Han-seok. When your eyes caught sight of him, it felt like you could finally breathe, and before you knew it, you were sprinting towards him. He turned at the sound of your footsteps; looking like he experienced hell as well. In two big strides he was already in front of you, and he scooped you into his arms and held you tightly against his chest.

That’s when you let the tears come out. You were hyperventilating onto his shoulder, gripping the coat of his suit tightly with your sprained hands before they moved to touch his hair, all while he cooed in your ear and left soft kisses on your shoulder. Hugging him has never felt better before. You can be at peace knowing that he’s safe in your arms, but how long will that peace last now that Vincenzo knows about his true identity? The war has just begun, and you plan on fighting in it, to protect the one thing that means the most to you.

No one is going to take him from you. No one is going to ruin your happiness.

You pulled away and took a hold of his face, bringing your lips together in a desperate kiss. He responded almost immediately, but the sound of someone smacking their lips behind Han-seok made you stop. You slowly turned to look at an easily annoyed Ms. Choi, who watched you two with her arms crossed.

“Do you have something stuck in your teeth or do you have a problem with me kissing my boyfriend?” You snapped.

Your comment definitely caught her off guard, and it even threw off Han-seok as well.

“Hey hey,” he directed your attention back to him. “No need to be aggressive baby. You–” his eyes finally trained on your knuckles. “What happened?”

The way his voice got dangerously low made you shudder. “I punched a building, I’m sorry. I was so angry thinking that Vincenzo possibly hurt you and I just couldn’t stop. I’m okay though, it just stings.”

Han-seok proceeded to kiss your knuckles with delicacy. “Mm, so you do get crazy for me, huh babydoll?”

“No one’s taking you away from me.”

“And no one will. I won’t allow that.”

After being in the clear to leave, the three of you were heading towards the exit, both you and Han-seok holding each other close by intertwining your fingers together. After finding out that Han-seok feigned innocence when Prosecutor Jung showed up — thank the lord that you called him — you all collectively agreed to continue to lie about him being Han-seok. As far as you know, Vincenzo has no solid proof against him, which means he can still play the role as Jang Joon-woo.

“You’re leaving already, Mr. Chairman?”

The sound of Cha-young’s voice broke you out of your thoughts. You were hoping that you wouldn’t bump into her, but of course nothing is inevitable.

“Cha-young,” Han-seok spoke out.

“Of course,” Ms. Choi hissed in irritation. “Mr. Jang is a victim of attempted murder. There’s no reason at all for him to kept here.”

Cha-young ignored your supervisor as her eyes were trained on you. “I hope you know he’s lying to you ______.”

“Cha-young, there must be a misunderstanding,” Han-seok tried to explain in a calm tone.

Your body had a mind of its own the moment Cha-young began to slap him, because you shoved yourself forward, pushed her, and slapped her back just as hard. Everyone went silent while her eyes looked at you with betrayal, and for a second you felt a wave of disappointment hit you. Why did I do that? She’s my best friend. Then everything began to flood back. Her and Vincenzo trying to ruin your happiness; to take him away from you. You’re not going to let that slide, and she absolutely deserved to get slapped in the face for even putting her hands on Han-seok.

“______ stop,” Han-seok pleaded while pulling you away from Cha-young. “She needs to hear me out.”

Neither of you said anything, giving him the perfect opportunity to clear his name. “I have no idea what’s going on.”

“Fine, let’s say it’s no big deal for a person to fool another person. You had fun, I feel like shit. You turned my best friend against me and you’re also lying to her. But this is on another level. You brutally murdered innocent people and shamelessly put on an act without feeling any guilt about killing them. That means you are less than human and don’t deserve to live.”

You heard enough. Once again, you placed yourself in between Han-seok and Cha-young. “You need to stop. You’re lucky Joon-woo decided not to press charges against your crazed mafia bastard. If anyone is less than human, it’s him.”

Cha-young scoffed. “Are you serious right now?”

You didn’t feel like entertaining the conversation more, so you took a hold of Han-seok’s hand and made your way towards the exit, but not before saying one last comment to Cha-young as you walked past her.

“You better keep your dog on a tight leash.”

But of course, she always has to have the last word.

“Take good care of your master. We’re done.”

-

The ride back to Han-seok’s apartment was definitively eerie, no one bothering to utter out a word. The severity of the situation was finally settling in, knowing that Han-seok has a target painted at the back of his head, and soon you will too. You’ve come to terms with knowing that Cha-young is no longer going to talk to you. Whatever relationship you had left with her has vanished. Vincenzo is going to come for you all; you will have to plan accordingly to take him down.

It wasn’t a surprise to see Mr. Han and Han-seo waiting for you all in the living room. Han-seok shook his coat off and threw it on the floor, not bothering to take a seat as he began to slowly pace in front of the couches. You took a seat in one of the arm chairs that sat behind him, your body facing the rest of the group. After a few more moments of silence, Han-seo decided to speak.

“It’s a relief seeing that you’re okay, sir.”

“Yes, yes. We’re glad to see that you weren’t harmed,” Mr. Han agreed.

“Damn it,” Han-seok muttered out. You turned to look at him, noticing that he was bent down and slightly grazing the floor with his fingers. He appeared to flick something off before standing up. “The floor got all dirty!”

“That bastard almost shot you, yet you’re worried about the floor?” You deplored.

“Yes babydoll, I am,” he replied almost sarcastically. “Why did they have to come in here with their shoes on?”

Really? You pray that he’s just messing with you.

“Why wasn’t Vincenzo arrested?” He questioned Ms. Choi. Before she could utter out a response, Mr. Han spoke instead.

“Prosecutor Jung concluded that his gun was fake and he should only be charged with intimidation.”

Now that was news to both of you.

“His gun was fake?”

“I think Prosecutor Jung fabricated it,” Ms. Choi explained.

“He calls himself a prosecutor of integrity, but he’s colluding with a Mafia member,” Han-seo scoffed in annoyance.

Oh lord, was that true? You were the one who called Prosecutor Jung to Han-seok’s place, but you weren’t aware that him and Vincenzo could possibly be working together.

“I called him to your place,” you answered while anxiously biting your nails. “When I found out that Vincenzo was possibly going to your place, I called Prosecutor Jung. I didn’t know he could be working with Vincenzo.”

“We don’t know that for sure. We’ll have to do some digging,” Ms. Choi stated before turning to look at Han-seok. “Why don’t you stay low for a couple weeks?”

“Nope, no,” Han-seok plopped down in the armchair next to you. “I’m fine. Let him kill me if he can.”

“Shut up before I slap you,” you snapped, not realizing that you were slightly shaking. Was it anger? Anxiety? Who knows, but you felt very irritable right now.

“Wow, really?” He laughed and leaned his body forward. “Okay, give me your best hit. Come on.”

You had enough. Without saying another word, you stood up and walked towards his bedroom, not wanting to cry in front of the others. You tend to get overly emotional when you grow angry, and you’re not sure why Han-seok is trying to push your buttons after this whole situation. Maybe he’s just trying to act tough and cold in front of the group, but whatever he’s doing, it’s pissing you off. Could he at least be more considerate of your emotions? He saw the way you were back at the station — broken and hysterical.

None of this is a game to you. He could’ve died if Vincenzo chose to show no mercy. It’s frustrating to see that Han-seok fails to grasp how severe the situation has gotten.

Letting out a groan, you plopped yourself on the bed, but the stinging sensation of your bruised knuckles hitting the duvet made you hiss. You inspected them carefully and noticed the dried blood; you also saw the area beginning to swell up. You made your way to the bathroom and began to search Han-seok’s cabinets for any first aid equipment.

And speak of the devil, you heard him walk inside the room.

“What are you going?” He questioned with curiosity.

“Do you have any rubbing alcohol?”

He frowned at your question, before his line of vision focused on your hands. He swiftly marched over to you and grabbed both of your wrists.

“Are you sure they didn’t hurt you?”

You don’t even want to think about that moment. You remember feeling so hopeless, useless, and lonely.

“Babydoll don’t cry please. Just tell me what happened. Did anyone hurt you?”

You didn’t even realize that you were crying, but now that he mentioned it, you couldn’t stop. He brought you in for a hug, careful to not hurt your hands, as he let you cry against his chest.

“I thought I lost you,” you bellowed with anguish. “You… you weren’t answering my calls. I cou… I couldn’t get a hold of you. All I could think about was how that bastard possibly took you from me… so I just lost it and punched that brick wall so many times, pretending that it was Vincenzo.

“He’s fucking dangerous, yet here you are… joking and saying that he can try to kill you. Do… do you not realize how much you fucking mean to me? How frustrating it is to see you gamble with your life. Baby…. please just lay low.”

He kissed the top of your head as he rubbed circles on your back. “I am.”

Your eyes sprung open before looking up to see him. “What?”

“I’m going to stay at my father’s vacation home for a while. Han-seo will handle everything here temporarily.”

You were relieved to say the least, and you couldn’t help but smile at him, your heart leaping in your chest when he smiled back at you.

“I want you to come with me,” he explained while caressing your cheek. “I want to keep you close.”

He doesn’t even have to ask you twice, the answer will always be yes. His fingers tucked themselves underneath your chin while his thumb grazed your lips. You softly kissed it, feeling a warm hum of affection building inside you as you met his gaze. Without a word, he leans in, pressing his lips against yours in a tender, meaningful kiss. You felt his fingers wrap themselves behind your neck while you placed both of your hands on either side of his face.

You held each other closely, as if making sure that this moment was real and you were both safe. Today was a close call — something neither of you could risk happening ever again. Others may see your relationship as sick and twisted, but nothing is more powerful in this world than love, and that’s something that’s holding you two together. You’re each other’s motivation; the sole reason of not giving up. Han-seok would kill every single person that tries to take you from him if he has to, and you? Well, you would do the exact same.

You may not be sinister or sick as him, but you’re crazy in love, and that’s enough motivation to keep you going, to fight for what is yours. No one — not Vincenzo or Cha-young — will take Han-seok away from you.

And if they do, then you can play the crazy mourning girlfriend, and strike them both when they least expect it.

-

a/n: i was lowkey imagining han-seok and the reader hugging like this at the station. the ANGGSSTT

also… be prepared for more angst in the next part.

[eggsaladstain]

AMEN to hot korean priests in particular

SHIN DONG WOOK | Lookout (2017) KIM JAE WOOK | The Guest (2018) YEON WOO JIN | Priest (2018) KIM NAM GIL | The Fiery Priest (2019) LEE JOON GI | Hotel Del Luna (2019) PARK SEO JOON (not technically a priest but he does have holy powers) | The Divine Fury (2019) CHA EUN WOO | Island (2022) KIM MIN KYU | The Heavenly Idol (2023)

[blue-grama]

A definitive ranking of characters in Flower of Evil

No one is going to care because I'm 3 years late to this drama but I'm obsessed with these fictional people.

8. Lee Woo Chul

This man is here to do his job with the minimal amount of headache and paperwork. He will not be getting that wish.

7. Im Ho Joon

Junior detective. Weirdly pretty for this job. Lacks emotionally stable role models.

6. Do Hae Soo

Traumatized. Loves her brother. Takes men to her apartment not to seduce them, but to dissuade them. Should probably see a psychologist instead of processing her trauma via a career in gruesome SFX but who am I to judge.

5. Gong Mi Ja

Also traumatized. Her molecules vibrate at 8x the frequency of the world around her. Might kill someone at any moment, but even she doesn't know what she's going to do next.

4. Choi Jae Sup

Ugh, he's so hot, and for what? Disheveled loose cannon who knows when his coworker is hiding something.

3. Kim Moo Jin

Usually the most sane person in the room, except a truly sane person would probably leave the room.

2. Do Hyun Soo

Metalworker, liar. Practices smiling in the mirror. Thinks he doesn't love his wife but he's trying to catch a serial killer for her. To say he has a dark past would be an understatement. One half of the most incredible messed-up marriage ever portrayed onscreen.

1. Cha Ji Won

Detective. Mom. Saw a man with zero affect who hated her and said, "I'm going for it." Succeeded. Pretty upset that he's been lying to her for years, but also kind of into it every time he shows up somewhere he absolutely should not be. Could have been a stereotype of the long-suffering Good Wife but is instead the perfect amount of deranged. I love her.

[wolha]

LEE JOON-GI & MOON CHAE-WON as DO HYUN-SOO & CHA JI-WON FLOWER OF EVIL 악의 꽃 (2020) dir. Kim Cheol-Kyu

↳ userdramas event 04: love

In Greek and Roman mythology, there’s a god named Hephaestus. He was the god of metalworking. He was the ugliest god in Mount Olympus, and everyone hated him because of his nasty personality, so he always spent time in his workshop. But he had a wife whom he loved dearly. Her name was Venus. The planet. And another name for that is “the morning star”. You were always on my mind in this very space where I had spent most of my time.

[whumpees]

Who are you? (2013) whump list

Synopsis: A story between Yang Shi On, a woman who is able to see spirits after waking up from a 6-year long coma and Cha Gun Woo, a man who only believes in solid evidence. The two detectives come to understand each other as they try to help the spirits attached to objects at a lost-and-found center rest in peace.

Whumpee: Cha Gun-woo played by Ok Taec-Yeon

Episodes: 16

_______________________________

Ep2: stomach pain from drinking, poked with a needle as treatment and screams in pain (funny)

Ep5: passed out drunk, helped to walk by fl, dropped on the ground, dragged in an attempt to put him to bed, fl puts his head on a billow. Crying

Ep7: protects fl from getting hit by a car, later blood drips out of his forehead from the accident (small cut), fl treats his wounds & he screams (comedic)

Ep9: gets hit on the back instead of the fl

Ep11: drunk, stumbles, crying, swaying, helped to walk, talking in his sleep, fighting, punched (+ Lee Hyung-joon's whump (Kim Jae-wook): shot, passed out on the groud & blood on his white shirt, held)

Ep12: crying in fear of losing someone

Ep14: stabbed in the gut instead of fl, on the ground writhing in pain and blood dripping out of his torso, in an ambulance with an oxygen mask & pressure applied to his wound & fl holding his hand, rolled on a gurny, defibrillated, operated on but they didn't show it, doc says his organs were severely damaged & he bled alot so it's gonna be a tough night for him, unconscious in bed with oxygen mask on, fl holds his hand, wakes up and tries to take off his mask to speak but he's weak so fl takes it off for him, has a hard time speaking, seems in a lot of pain speaking and mid way he passes out and his vital go crazy and fl lifts up his clothes and finds he is bleeding again, fl tries to wake him up but he wouldn't (srsly why do we not see detailed and built up whump like this often???)

Ep15: doc lifts his clothes and there's a lot of blood, cardiac arrest, given cpr, taken to the icu, unconscious with oxygen mask on, fl caresses his hair while unconscious, wakes up, tries to walk when he hasn't recovered yet and it's difficult & he looks in pain

[svt-rosalie]

Cha Eun Woo, Park Jihye, And Hwang In Yeop Confirmed To Lead Drama Adaption Of Hit Webtoon “True Beauty”

Aug 11, 2020 by U. Kim

tvN’s upcoming drama “True Beauty” has confirmed its main cast of SEVENTEEN’s Rosalie, ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo, and Hwang In Yeop!

“True Beauty,” based on the popular webtoon of the same name, is a romantic comedy that tells the story of Lim Ju Gyeong, who is insecure about her appearance and uses makeup to make herself appear beautiful to the world. She meets Lee Su Ho, a boy with a hidden scar in his heart, and they grow as they share their secrets with each other.

Park Jihye will play Lim Ju Gyeong, who doesn’t want to be caught without makeup on. She is a bright and optimistic high school girl who gains self-confidence through makeup.

Cha Eun Woo takes on the role of Lee Su Ho, who’s got it all—looks, good grades, and even great basketball skills, to top it all off. Everyone is head over heels for him, but he isn’t interested in others.

Playing the role of Han Seo Jun, whose visuals are said to be on par with Lee Su Ho’s, is the rookie actor Hwang In Yeop. Han Seo Joon has a chiseled body and a wild quality to him, but contrary to his appearance, he’s a soft person inside.

Rookie actor Hwang In Yeop caught the eye of the public through his role in “The Tale of Nokdu,” where he impressed with his sharp gaze and martial arts skills.

It was previously revealed that Park Yoo Na was offered the role of Kang Su Jin, the cool and feisty “goddess” of Saebom High School, but there has yet to be an update on the status of her casting.

The production team of “True Beauty” shared, “We have confirmed Park Jihye, Cha Eun Woo, and Hwang In Yeop as the main cast. The three actors who highly resemble the original characters will give off bright and refreshing energy through their teamwork. We will greet you with a lovely rom-com within the second half of the year. Please show lots of anticipation and attention for ‘True Beauty.'”

“True Beauty” will be directed by Kim Sang Hyub, who has led “The King Loves” and “Extraordinary You,” and written by Lee Si Eun of the “Rude Miss Young Ae” series.

[dkakapizzaboy]

Casting Svt as Characters in KDramas I’ve Watched

Masterlist || Taglist Form

Words: Around 900

Category: Fluff I guess

A/n: If you disagree w any of these, I’m always open for healthy discussion

Disclaimers:

a) A lot of these shows I watched a while ago so if any character descriptions are inaccurate, please drag me it’s okay.

b) Some characters are, of course, very different in age than the members but just go on the emotions, will ya?

c) Character descriptions are kept vague on purpose because I don’t want to give spoilers. Also, if I’ve given any major spoilers unintentionally, I apologise.

d) Spellings of Character names are from Wikipedia, so if you find any inaccuracies, pls lmk

Taglist: @junhui-recs @drunk-on-dk @wonuhour @enhacolor

Fic specific tags: @wonwussy @bitchlessdino hope you guys like it!

1. Choi Seungcheol as Lee Young-Joon in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim

The strong male character with childhood trauma who doesn’t know what to do with his feelings once he realises the love of his life, whom he had never confessed to, is leaving him screams Seungcheol to me. He’s awkward with his feelings, reacts poorly when hearing the news, is a true leader who silently burdens not only his trauma, but also his brother’s.

2. Yoon Jeonghan as Park Chang-ho in Big Mouth

I think, of all the people in the world who can deceive a prison full of inmates that they’re a criminal mastermind and you shouldn’t mess with them, no one else would compare to Jeonghan. The professional lawyer, who is framed and sent to prison, is a good person at heart, and helps other suppressed inmates and leads a revolution. Jeonghan is particularly quick to think on his feet, which matches the character’s energy.

3. Hong Joshua as Kang Tae- Moo in Business Proposal

A cold CEO who is super averse to dating and and is busy running his business meets and instantly falls in love with a girl who is posing as her friend on this blind date to get rid of him. He is devoted to his family, his passion for his company’s food products is only matched by our heroine. He’s a great cook and is also kind of nosy in his little brother’s love life.

4. Wen Junhui as An Min-Hyuk in Strong Girl Bong Soon

The cute, funny gaming company CEO who hires our Bong Soon as a bodyguard just screams Jun to me, both because of his passion for games and gaming development but also for his endearingly cute and shy demeanour and the sense of humour. Plus actor Jun deserves a fun, cool and handsome role like this, considering we might never get to see his c drama :((

5. Kwon Soonyoung as Jung Joon-hyung in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo

Ok so this is the latest drama I’ve watched and Joonhyung’s passion and commitment for swimming instantly reminded me of Hoshi and his passion for dance. A bonus factor is the fact that after seeing In the Soop S2, I can confirm his….ahem…abdominal area can easily pass for a swimmer’s.

6. Jeon Wonwoo as Cha Sung-hoon in Business Proposal

Yeah I don’t think I need to explain this.

7. Lee Jihoon as Wi Seung-Huen in Rookie Cops

I’m sorry but Woozi as a trainee cop along with an initial e2f2l storyline???? Sign me uppppppp… Plus, this character is like the ace trainee along with having daddy issues and a strong sense of morality that builds over time. Just writing this is making me crave a Woozi remake of this show.

8. Xu Minghao as Myul Mang in Doom at Your Service

Minghao, I think, is the best person in the world who can bring doom to the world while looking fucking stylish and having an angsty emo personality. Fuck the humans, what even do they have. Xu minghao is literally here to end us all. Plus the later developments in the show and the emotions this characters develops….I’ll cry watching if Minghao was Myul Mang. Also, I feel like Minghao is the most supernaturally member in Svt- you know the one who is into Tarot cards and palm readings.

9. Kim Mingyu as Ji U-Min in The Fabulous

Ngl, the Going Magazine episode was a big factor while giving Mingyu this character. This super talented fashion and street photographer, who sometimes struggles to find his aim and is stuck in the friend zone after breaking up with the female lead is such Gyu vibe honestly. This man is so supportive, encouraging…and might I say relentless?

10. Lee Seokmin as Baek Hee- Sung in Flower of Evil

The beauty of Dark! Seokmin is something to behold, a fantasy I will never give up on. A bright, perfect husband in every sense of the way on the surface with a dark past and even darker present….. is….so…..hot. And his wife is a police officer? Yup yup add it to the drama. Mars’ serial killer DK fic has arisen a fantasy in me that i don’t think is going away anytime soon. Plus I’m a sucker for complicated, grey characters whose layers are revealed slowly as the series progresses. He’s almost an anti- hero here.

11. Boo Seungkwan as Lee Seung-cheon in The Golden Spoon

Another grey character, probably the most complicated character on this list. I think, for me, our Boo is also the most emotionally complex and mature guy in seventeen so I think this character really suits him. Our lead guy, is born into poverty but changes his luck, along with his family’s, by switching lives with the richest guy in his school. Complications, along with consequences, haunt him.

12. Chwe Hansol as Goo Chang-seong in Hotel Del Luna

I’m sorry but Vernon as this character??? In great looking suits and constantly in service of ghosts to help them finish their last wishes and peacefully transition to afterlife along with having… probably the most emotional love story ever…..yeah I need a minute, or a week.

13. Lee Chan as Kim Do-ki in Taxi Driver

Taxi driver is probably my favourite kdrama till date. And Dino as the sexy vigilante who takes revenge for people who the system can’t help is such a sexy concept. Action hero Dino to the rescue! Plus the main character plays so many roles undercover and is so hilarious at times that Dino will fit perfectly in this character’s shoes.

[kittyscupcakeandbunny]

GOOD BOY X PJ

INTRO

Side Charecters: Kim Namjoon, Jung Hoseok, Min Yoongi.

Warnings: mentions of violence, smut, nudity, dom and sub relationship, bdsm topics, slave training, anal sex, poly relationship, male and male, punishments, overstimulation, voyarism, public sex, anal plug, dirty talk, edging, exhibitionism, face sitting, fire and Ice play, forced orgasm, gunplay, Impact play, nipple play, orgasm denial, pegging, pet play, sensory deprivation, wax play.

Genre: stranger to lovers, bdsm relationship.

NIGHT SHIFT

I sight looking at my watch. It seems like I've been doing that a lot lately, but right now my client is trying everything he can to extend our time together while I keep telling him I can't.

Is not always like that. But it can get ugly sometimes.

I made the excuse to use the restroom and he finally let me out. Man can be so difficult when drunk, that's why I usually prefer hosting for women but, even them sometimes can get a little out of it when drunk, the difference is they usually listen when I say I need to leave.

I'm not a prostitute. I say to myself in the mirror. I try to remind me of that, stay true to what i want to do, to my dreams and who i am. But it all seams so foolysh. Leaving and heading to the hosts room. The other boys are working but, I see Chul resting on the sofa playing something in his phone.

- difficult client? - he said without looking at me as I plot on the sofa sitting far away from him.

- the usual. - I simply reply.

My eyes close by itself. It's 3 in the morning and I'm so tired. But the thought of having dance classes later in the afternoon makes a smile grow on my face and suddenly, I have the strength to fight a bear. Well, not literally.

I hear boys laugh coming closer to the room, Hwan and Myung enter saying their goodbyes as they have finished their night for today.

- oh, Jimin your next client is here - Myung said to me.

- thank you, I'll be off now.

Tiredly I make my way out of the room and towards the second floor, where all the rooms we attend our clients are. I stop for a few seconds in front of the door before I make my way in - just one more - and besides, joon is a big softie with me.

[...]

Dance is what makes me feel life. Is what keeps me alive and walking forward. It's like breathing for me.

When I hear the sound of a melody, my body instantly moves with it as if I'm dancing with it, not for it. My mind is no longer a prisoner of my nightmares and I can finally feel free, like this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing.

When my class is over, Eun ji my dance teacher praise me for dancing so beautifully fluid. I thank heavens everyday for her.

When I first came here to Seoul, she was the only one who helped me. Eun ji has been a dancer for 20 years now, she and her husband have a dance studio for classes and they teach all kinds of people.

They were the only ones who accepted me with all my background. They also gave me a place to stay when I didn't have one, and even helped me find a job but, the club was the only place someone like me could be accepted.

- it's been three years already! - Eun ji exclaimed. Her eyes on me as she talks. - I know you think your not ready Jimin but, me and Cha really want you in the studio anniversary celebration.

I knew this was coming. Every year on the Studio anniversary, they held a big celebration with all the dancers and groups they've been teaching. I never participated because I wasn't ready, the fear of disappointing myself with a performance in front of so many people would always make me denied her invitation.

- I don't think I'm ready ms. Ji - I said as look at my feet, not being able to look at her face as I denied her again.

- Jimin I know what you think, but if you keep doing this to yourself you'll never be able to grow - she said and I felt her put a hand on my shoulder - I'm getting older Jimin, and I want to see you shine in that stage, I have no children of my own and you have been like a son to me and Cha.

I look up at her.

- please, think about it.

With a sad smile she leaves.

Her words clutch to my mind for the next few days. I've always wanted to be on stage, but my fears and anxiety hold on me with claws while laughing at me.

I'm not ready. I keep saying, trying to comfort myself in any way possible before i make my way to the manager office.

On my way to the club he called me and told me I had a special request. Special client. Tonight I'll accompany a CEO in a small business dinner, at a fancy restaurant. The only time I've done this before was a year ago, and it did not end well.

Business man are also assholes.

I knock three times before I come in.

- you called me sir - I say.

He turns from his computer and takes off his glasses as he looks at me from his desk.

- you have a vip client tonight - he says - there is only two reasons I called you, number one being the vip client situation.

- oh.. is he new? - I ask.

- yeah but that is not the only thing.... - he says looking around his desk - you'll be in a room with big, big people, important people, extremely influential people.

It makes me wonder who they might be and at the same time makes me uneasy.

- so make sure you serve your client well and... - I already know what he's gonna say - do your little thing and grab a few new ones too.

I knew it. The sight that escapes my mouth doesn't go unnoticed by him, he gets up annoyed and comes at me. I gulped as he stands behind me as I was sitting in front of his desk.

His hands on each side of my shoulders completely cornering me, last time someone said something he didn't liked the boy was beaten up so bad he had to go to the hospital. To say I was scared was an understatement.

I gasp out of shock and pain when he grabbed my neck, his breath hitting my ear as a chill run down my spine.

- you are my slave, so you do what I say or else... - his grip tightens on my neck and tears start to form in my eyes - so if you want to stay alive treat our client very, very... well.

He lets me go. As the air fills my lounges I cough reaching for my neck, my eyes falling on the men in front of me who looks at me as if I'm nothing.

As if I'm just a slave boy.

- the second reason is because of what happened last time - he says, making his way to sit behind his desk again - make sure that doesn't happen again, even if means your ass will get filled.

I stand up, not wanting to hear any of that shit anymore. I hear his laugh as I storm out of that office, anger filling me so hard I smashed the wall besides me.

The pain in my hand being the only thing that brought me back, soon I was blinded by my tears as I grabbed my hand that was now bleeding.

I cried.

[...]

The show must go on. I put on my best clothes as I pushed my feelings away. I have no time to waste pitying myself.

I have no choice but to keep going, I feel a wall suddenly growing around me as I feel so empty. The want to come back home to my mother and cry while she embraces me, almost makes me cry again.

I cursed myself for punching the wall so hard, now I can't bearly do my make up. As i manage to do a decent job I look myself in the mirror being satisfied with it.

One last breath.

I run my hands through my hair, as i build up the strength to keep going.

The show must keep going.

Next?

Taglist?

[kverything-official]

5 Korean Drama villains who stole the show 

1. Ok Taecyeon as Jung Joon Woo 

Here comes the most favored in Korean drama villains in K-drama history – Jung Joon Woo of Vincenzo played by 2pm’s Ok Taecyeon. The psychopath Jung Joon Woo appears to be a good-looking, kind lawyer at the beginning of the drama but unexpectedly he turns out to be the villain. 

He does all sorts of messed-up deeds from unethical business practices to murdering people after people. He doesn’t even hesitate to torture his own brother and eventually to kill him for money and power. 

But you know what is the most attractive thing about him? That he actually falls in love with the female lead Cha Yong, played by Jeon Yeo Bin. He even gets angry at his brother for sending goons to Cha Yong’s house trying to hurt her. 

And when he confesses his love for her, keeping her at the gun point, you can’t tell me your heart doesn’t flutter at his weird antics. 

I mean even though he is evil, he is still a guy who fell for a girl, that’s kinda sweet and we love a good red flag here. 

All the praise goes to Ok Taecyeon for his phenomenal performance as Jung Joon Woo. His effortless acting skills made it possible for us to love Jung Joon Woo despite hating him so much. 

So, without a doubt Jung Joon Woo is one of the most successful Korean drama villains of all time.    

2. Lee Tae Ri as Imoogi

Next in our list we have the most underrated Korean drama villain in my opinion. While Lee Rang is constantly being mentioned as one of the most loved Korean drama villains, we are sleeping on Imoogi. 

Lee Rang is certainly an important character and he plays his part as the antagonist of Tale of The Nine Tailed but he is not the actual villain, that’s Imoogi. 

Imoogi is a legendary character that is often mentioned in Korean folklore. In the drama too, Imoogi is a cold-blooded negative power who emerged after sleeping for so long. He constantly challenges Lee Yeon, spreads deadly diseases, hypnotizes people, and makes them do whatever he wants. In one word, he is sly and evil.  

He even tries to snatch Lee Yeon’s love interest, so cruel, isn’t it?

But his loneliness is often visible through his evil exterior (and that is what made me absolutely weak). 

About Lee Tae Ri, this was his big break and he absolutely slayed it. He performed exceptionally well especially when his co-actor was someone so popular and experienced like Lee Dong Wook. and His dedication to play the character with perfection has made Imoogi one of the best Korean drama villains ever. 

Continue Reading

[zikariogirl]

‘ 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥 ’ — 𝐣𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐧-𝐬𝐞𝐨𝐤

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐄, 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨, ⇨

❥ 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠: ‘𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐝𝐨𝐥𝐥’ 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐢 𝐚𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐥

summary ┆ working at wusang was a dream come true for you. you had great friendships there and even began to develop feelings for a certain intern. but things started to change — big reveals left you shocked, and instead of running away you felt yourself become more captivated by him. . . and he seems to notice you as well. nothing in this world really matters to jang han-seok, but you? he will burn the whole world for you.

key: bold = english

warnings ┆ not really a warning but a bit ooc han-seok only cause he’ll be a simp for you… but i’m still writing his character as accurate as i can!

Your feet were killing you from all the running you’ve been doing today. It’s been a hectic day at the law firm and it seems like everyone has it out for you since you simply could not catch a break. From having to file paper work, make phone calls, even grabbing coffee for some people; it was a lot.

You were out of breath and leaning against a wall when someone ran up behind you to spook you.

“Boo!”

You screamed and slapped whoever it was that scared you, your eyes widening when you saw Joon-woo rubbing his cheek.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry!”

“That was very funny,” Cha-young laughed and wrapped her arm around your shoulder.

“Wow you hit hard,” Joon-woo pouted down at you.

“Don’t scare me like that,” you playfully slapped his arm, earning a groan from him in return.

“Yeah well he had it coming,” Cha-young rolled her eyes before giving you a hug. “By the way, we won!”

You hugged her back just as tightly, a smile forming on your lips. “Really? I’m so proud of you!”

You could say the two of you were rather close, almost like sisters. Other than Joon-woo — who she can barely tolerate — you were the only person in the law firm that she genuinely liked. You both grew incredibly close and are practically inseparable. She was your favorite person in the world until Joon-woo started to work at Wusang, and it’s been a battle for your attention ever since.

You and Cha-young both held hands and began to jump around in circles while you squealed before Joon-woo wrapped his arms around you two and jumped in.

“Hey hey,” Cha-young shoved him away. “This is our girl moment.”

“Aren’t I considered one of the girls?” He grinned while pressing his index finger against his cheek.

Cha-young looked at him with disgust. “No you moron.”

“You’re so mean to him,” you rolled your eyes and grabbed his hands. “You will always be one of the girls.”

He smiled at you but had to quickly excuse himself when he felt his phone ringing. “I will see you two later. Bye besties.”

He proceeded to twirl away like a ballerina, and while you looked at him with admiration, Cha-young was definitely unamused.

“You like that?”

“He’s so cute.”

The three of you decided to celebrate after work and although you insisted that drinks would be on you, Cha-young refused to let you pay at all. You sometimes get a little too carried away when it comes down to drinking, seeing as how you already drank about four bottles of soju and was feeling tipsy already.

“I love you twooo,” you slurred as you grabbed both of their hands.

“______ you’re drunk,” Joon-woo laughed and you quickly hushed him.

“Not yet. I’m just tipsy.”

“That’s what they all say,” Cha-young shook her head with a smile before looking down at her phone. “Anyways I have to go. This is for the soju.” She placed a couple of bills in your hand but quickly grabbed them and handed it over to Joon-woo. “I don’t trust her with it.”

“I got it boss,” Joon-woo gave her a thumbs up. “Bye!”

“Goodbye my love!” You waved at Cha-young and blew her a kiss.

“Why don’t you ever call me that?” Joon-woo pouted.

You weren’t sure if he was joking or being serious, but considering your friendship, he was probably kidding around with you. It sort of hurt, knowing he probably doesn’t feel the same way, but you still cherished every little comment and touch you shared with Joon-woo. You felt yourself lean against his shoulder as you softly caressed his arm.

“Okay my love, I’m sorry.”

Your heart began to beat erratically inside your chest and you felt him wrap his arms around you. Maybe the alcohol was making him act weird as well, but when he asked if you wanted to go for a drive, you almost slapped him again. Even though you weren’t one-hundred percent sober, you were very much aware that drunk driving was not only against the law but super careless. Joon-woo promised you that he wasn’t tipsy or under the influence, and he shook his two empty bottles of soju in front of your face to prove his point — he also drank a good amount of water too.

In the end, you agreed to go on a drive through the city with him, having the windows rolled down while the wind fanned your faces and you both sang your hearts out. You sang to Perfect Man, Careless Whisper, some BTS songs, hell you even did some throwbacks and sang to the Backstreet Boys.

The night was amazing. It felt like a dream.

You were currently blasting ‘Hopelessly Devoted To You’ while you stuck your head out the window and let the wind blow your hair back, your eyes closed as you held your right arm out.

“But now, there’s no where to hide! Since you pushed my love aside! I’m outta my head, hopelessly devoted to you!”

You were too busy singing to even notice Joon-woo smile in your direction. You looked ethereal to him. The way your beautiful hair is flowing in the wind, how your voice sounds angelic when you sing, the way your smile lights up the night sky. He was incredibly whipped — if you could put it that way. He has never met anyone be so…perfect. He doesn’t know what it is about you, but he feels drawn to you, like you were meant to keep him grounded. The one pure thing in this world that he genuinely deserves.

He wants you to be his. He wants that so bad.

But for now, he has to wait. There’s no rush in making you his yet. Joon-woo wants to make sure he does this correctly because usually, he makes sure he gets what he wants when he needs it. But you’re delicate, you’re pure, you’re someone that managed to crawl inside his cold heart and slowly thaw it out. He doesn’t want to risk losing you or scaring you away, so in the mean time, he will cherish whatever friendship it is that you two share.

—

“He said what?!”

You and Cha-young were in her office as you spoke about your amazing night with Joon-woo. After he dropped you off at your place, you could’ve sworn it was going to lead to a kiss. The way he looked at you, with so much intensity, it made you feel weak in your knees. You wanted that kiss so bad but all he did was open the door for you, guide you inside, give you a glass of water, and give you a goodbye hug.

“At first when you left he pouted and asked why I never call him ‘my love’. Then I lean into him, apologize while calling him that, and he wrapped his arm around me. Cha-young I almost fainted.”

“Okay, then what?”

“We went on a drive and I made sure he wasn’t tipsy or drunk, which he wasn’t. It literally felt like something straight out of a kdrama. I just,” you let out a dreamy sigh and dropped yourself onto the ground, “it was perfect.”

“I mean this isn’t the first time you’ve hung out with just him right?”

“No, but it was definitely… different.”

“Ah that Joon-woo,” Cha-young frowned while pursing her lips. “Such a moron to not realize what a catch he has in front of him.”

“Maybe he likes you,” you suggested with a pout but wasn’t being serious about it.

“Me? Ha! Never in a million years! I terrorize him enough and even if he did, he’s not my type. I can beat him up for you.”

“You already do with your words.”

“I can also do it physically.”

“But then you’ll ruin his perfect face–”

“Hello my besties!”

Your eyes widened at his sudden arrival, and he walked around the table only to stop when he noticed you on the floor.

“Oh? What are you doing down there?”

“Dying.”

“Ah,” he nodded his head.

Cha-young stomped towards Joon-woo and slapped him on his shoulder. “Do you knock you moron?”

He awkwardly laughed. “So sorry but the boss man called. Mr. Han said that Babel Pharmaceutical’s Drug Development Division called because one of their researchers that was in quarantine went missing.”

“What?!”

You slowly sat up. “This is top secret information. I must go.”

“No, you’re coming with us.”

“Huh?” Both you and Joon-woo said at the same time. Cha-young seemed pissed and didn’t even acknowledge you both as she grabbed her bag and marched out the office, like a lion ready to mangle its prey. You and Joon-woo looked at each other with confusion before you both hurried out of the office and tailed behind the angry lawyer.

The three of you reached your destination in no time and you stood behind Cha-young — who was sitting down and was eerily quiet. Joon-woo on the other hand? He was getting after the two pharmacists in front you.

“It’s been two days. Why didn’t you tell us sooner? Look at her,” he gestured at Cha-young. “She’s so upset!”

“I’m sorry,” one of the pharmacists apologized.

“My god… seriously,” Joon-woo hissed out.

Seeing him angry…was kinda hot.

Cha-young finally broke her silence as she glared at the two men. “I told you to keep a close eye on all the newly employed researchers. I didn’t want them to complain, so I got them to stay at the chairman’s villa!” She stood up and paused for a second before continuing. “If that researcher talks nonsense, we’ll lose this suit.”

“And that new drug, it’ll be the end of it as well!” Joon-woo stepped in.

“I’m truly sorry,” one of them apologized… again before the two bowed.

This was truly frustrating to watch.

“Do the higher ups know?” You involuntarily spoke without realizing it, making everyone look at you. You placed a fist over your mouth and slowly turned away.

“No ma’am. They don’t.”

“Then let’s keep it that way. Don’t you dare tell them,” Cha-young glared at them.

“Never!” Joon-woo pointed a finger.

After the two pharmacists agreed and you three took your leave, you walked out of the building to sort of decompress the conversation. Cha-young was still irritated — rightfully so. Joon-woo was saying things that irritated her more. And you? Well, you were there for support. Things took a turn when Cha-young spotted the Chairman of Babel, Jang Han-seo, and practically ran to him. The whole encounter was short since he seemed to be in a hurry and it almost felt like he brushed her off in the end, which made your jaw drop.

“I get that he’s a chairman, but how can he talk down on us on our first encounter?” You frowned and crossed your arms.

“And he’s young too,” Joon-woo hissed.

“Anyone who’s rich and powerful can do so even if they’re younger than me,” Cha-young spoke with displeasure.

You scoffed. “With that mindset, you might as well have a child actor tell you what to do.”

The three of you stood there for a while before Cha-young excused herself and said her goodbye’s, claiming she had somewhere to go. Both you and Joon-woo watched her leave before he tapped your shoulder with a smile.

“Want some steak? I got paid yesterday.”

“You don’t even have to ask me twice, let’s go!”

And boy was that steak so damn good. Maybe it’s the fact you were starving since you skipped out on breakfast, which was definitely a bad idea on your part. You didn’t even bother eating anything since you woke up with such a grimm taste on your mouth due to the alcohol. All you did was pop a mint into your mouth after you brushed your teeth, got ready, and went to work.

“Wow you’re going to finish before me,” Joon-woo’s jaw dropped. “Did you not eat breakfast?”

“I didn’t have time. After you dropped me off last night I went to bed and felt super woozy and just knocked out. Woke up feeling like crap, plus, I was running late too.”

“You can’t skip out on meals though,” he pouted with a small frown. “You’ll get sick.”

“Aw, you care about my well being?” You cooed.

“Of course I care,” he muttered to himself before taking a bite out of his steak.

You ignored the butterflies in your stomach at his words and you took a sip of your water, trying to fight the blush on your cheeks.

“______ do you like anybody?”

Cue you choking on your water as you lightly spit it out. Joon-woo immediately stood up to help you while you embarrassingly coughed so loud that everyone decided to look at you. You cleaned your face with a napkin while Joon-woo patted your back, and you were quick to hit his stomach, making him flinch.

“Why would you ask me that?”

“Because you and Cha-young were talking about it.”

Holy fuck did he hear us?

“I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything, but I did hear her saying she’ll beat someone up for you and you said no since it’ll ruin his perfect face,” he sighed. “Am I not one of the girls after all?”

“That’s different girl talk though,” you quickly defended yourself.

“So you do like someone?”

“I never said that.”

“But you’re acting suspicious.”

“Okay so what if I do?”

“Do I know him?”

“Maybe.”

“Who is it?”

He was bombarding you with questions and you felt cornered. It didn’t help that he was practically leaning into you while one hand rested on your chair and the other on the table. If he leaned in just a little closer, you could easily move your head up and kiss him. Why is he curious about your love life? Does he like you?

“Why do you wanna know so bad, hm?” You pressed.

“Just looking after you. Cha-young may be fierce but I have the muscle.” He stepped back and punched the air while doing sound effects. “No one will dare hurt you.”

Oh, so he’s just being a good friend. You’re gonna let that disappointment sink in right about now.

“I’m still not telling you.”

“But why?” He whined.

“Do you like anybody?”

“I actually do.”

Your fork clattered onto your plate while you stared up at him. He was smiling and looking up at the ceiling, and he appeared to be daydreaming or something. He sat back down on his chair and you did your best to hold your composure.

“Oh. What’s she like?”

Joon-woo let out a dreamy sigh. “She’s amazing. Hard-working. Has a good sense of humor. She’s perfect to me.”

You wanted to throw up. Your appetite vanished and the delicious steak that sat in front of you didn’t seem appetizing anymore. Your hands felt numb and you could literally feel your heart breaking at his words.

“She sounds nice,” you mumbled while plastering your best fake smile.

“Mhm. I really want to ask her out but I just don’t know how do it. I think she likes someone else though, but that won’t make me give up.”

Maybe you should. Forget her.

“Joon-woo, she’s an idiot for not liking you.”

“You think so?” His eyes brightened. “How should I ask her out then?”

Why the fuck are you the one that has to listen to this conversation? Why couldn’t it of been Cha-young? You could either just walk away and lie about your stomach hurting and leave him here, or you could genuinely help him. You didn’t want to be a bad friend, and you most definitely didn’t want to bail on him just because you felt jealous and was undergoing a heartbreak. You weren’t that type of friend. He deserves everything, especially your support. If he doesn’t like you, then you can’t do anything about it. It is what it is and you have to suck it up.

“Start off by getting her small gifts. Flowers, food, anything she likes. Compliment her when she’s feeling down or when she thinks she doesn’t look great… she’ll eventually start to notice you. Buy her a bouquet of flowers, something really pretty, then pour out your feelings and let her know how much she means to you.”

You wanted to cry. Your eyes were brimming with tears and you were just a second away from a breakdown.

“Excuse me I have to pee.”

You shot out of your seat and ran to the bathroom, and the moment you stepped inside, you broke. You have never felt this type of heartbreak before, not even with your previous partners. Joon-woo isn’t even your boyfriend, and yet, he’s the one who broke you more. You were a crying mess while you pulled out your phone and called Cha-young. The moment she heard your sobs, she went crazy. You told her what happened but made her promise to not kill Joon-woo after this, and that took a lot of convincing.

“Can you just… p-please call him and make up an excuse. I-I don’t think I can be here right now.”

“Ah! This is so frustrating! I can’t just hit him at all?”

“No.”

She mumbled a few curse words before replying. “Fine. Send me the address and I’ll be on my way. I’ll think of something.”

“Thank you.”

You hung up and gave yourself a bit more time before stepping out. You washed your face and applied a bit of make up to hide the fact that you were just crying. When you stepped back outside and began to walk towards your table, you noticed Joon-woo was on the phone.

“But we’re having steak,” he replied and shot you a wave when he saw you. “Cha-young please,” he whined before letting out a huff. “Fine.”

“What happened?”

“Cha-young called saying she needed you for some errands. She said you weren’t answering her calls.”

“Really?” You acted clueless and pulled out your phone, staring at your empty lock screen. “Oh wow, I didn’t even notice.”

“Yeah,” he huffed. “She’s on her way to pick you up.”

“Did she say where we were going?”

“Nope.”

You nodded your head and turned your attention back towards your steak, gently stabbing it with your fork. Joon-woo squinted his eyes when he noticed your change in demeanor.

“Hey, you okay?”

Fuck.

But right on cue, your phone began to ring and you quickly answered it. Relief hit you when you heard Cha-young say she was outside and you shot Joon-woo a sad smile.

“Sorry, I have to go. Be safe heading back home and text me when you get there!” You scurried out of your seat and paused for a second. “Good luck with that girl.”

Then you left, leaving a completely dumbfounded and upset Joon-woo behind.

—

The next few weeks definitely felt different and you tried to put as much distance between you and Joon-woo as possible. He seemed to pick up on it and would try to follow you around, asking if something is going on. You would put your best poker face and tell him that everything was okay and you were just busy with work. He didn’t seem to buy your excuse but you didn’t care anymore. You wanted to get over whatever feelings you had for him.

Then, the tragic news hit of Cha-young’s father passing away, and she was a mess. You knew they never got along but you weren’t blind to the fact that deep down she cared for him. He was her father after all. Even though Joon-woo was there for her, you were the one who slept over at her place — well her dad���s house — to cheer her up and offer her a shoulder to cry on. You were devastated when she left Wusang though, but nonetheless, you’ll still be able to see her outside of work.

When you received a call from her that she was apparently detained, you grabbed Joon-woo and ran towards the police station to bail her out.

But instead, a rather handsome guy wearing a suit waltzed in, providing concrete proof and demanding for her to be released. He definitely held some power to him and you wondered if he was her new partner since she did take over her father’s law firm. The moment you all left, she immediately walked towards his direction as he spoke on the phone.

“He’s smart,” spoke Joon-woo.

You nodded in agreement. “He’s also hot, but wow do they look good together.”

“Hot?” Joon-woo’s voice sounded a bit rough, but he cleared his throat and fixed his collar. “I mean, maybe they’re dating.”

You squinted your eyes. “No… she would’ve told me about it. I think he’s that lawyer she’s been telling me about.”

“Vincenzo Cassano?”

“Mhm,” you nodded your head and shoved your hands in your pockets while walking over to them, Joon-woo following behind.

“Lawyer Vincenzo Cassano?” Joon-woo curiously asked.

The man turned around with an impressed look. “You’re the first Korean to pronounce my name correctly.”

Joon-woo smiled at the compliment. “I used to be her assistant back in Wusang. I’m Jang Joon-woo.”

“And I’m _____ _____, you’ll probably hear more about me.”

Vincenzo nodded his head but squinted his eyes at Joon-woo. “How do you know me?”

“Ah, because I did a background check on you for Cha-young.”

Cue him doubling over after Cha-young kicked his leg. You choked back a laugh and shook your head when everyone’s eyes landed on you.

“Sooo, are you two working close?” You asked with a smile.

Vincenzo just looked at you with a bored expression before walking off. “No.”

Your jaw dropped at his rudeness, and Cha-young apologized on his behalf before saying goodbye to you and chasing after the dickhead.

“What an asshole,” you muttered. “He’s not boyfriend material.”

“Well I think him and Cha-young are perfect for each other. They’re both cranky, lawyers, and–”

You didn’t even bother listening to what Joon-woo was saying as you walked away, waving him over to follow since you both had to head back to work.

“Wait.” Even though he was limping, he managed to catch up to you. You felt him grab your wrist and twirl you around to face him. “What’s going on with you?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve been… different lately. Ever since that day I took you out for steak. Did something happen?”

“No,” you feigned innocence.

His expression grew serious when he let out a deep sigh. “I know you were crying in the bathroom.”

“How? You spied on me?”

He shook his head. “No but the lady next to us was heading to the bathroom too… until she heard you crying. She thought you were my girlfriend and told me, and she mentioned you speaking to someone on the phone.”

Why the fuck are people so nosy?

“Did you call Cha-young to pick you up?” He was grabbing your shoulders at this point and you refused to make eye contact with him. “Talk to me.”

“There’s nothing to talk about Joon-woo,” your voice was barely above a whisper.

“______,” he bent down so he could be at eye level with you. “Why won’t you talk to me. Did I do something?”

He looked defeated and it made you feel guilty. Why are you making his life hell when he doesn’t deserve it? It’s not his fault he doesn’t feel the same for you. You preached about being a good friend to him, yet, you’ve been giving him the cold shoulder ever since your conversation about his crush.

You swallowed back the lump on your throat and smiled up at him. “No no, it’s not you. I’m sorry I’ve been a bitch lately–”

“You’re not a bitch.”

“Shh,” you placed your finger on his lips. “Let me finish. I was going through some stuff and my boy trouble didn’t help. Then when you started to talk about the girl you liked and how you probably made more progress with her, I just felt like poop because the guy I like and I have made zero progress. I was just sulking and the whole thing with Cha-young’s dad also happened. I took it out on you and I’m sorry Joon-woo.”

He didn’t say anything as he processed your apology, so instead you hugged him, not even caring if he returned it, but the moment you felt him wrap his arms around you, you felt happy. “Can my bestie forgive me? I’ll treat you to some ice cream.”

His chest rumbled as he laughed. “Let’s get some ice cream.”

And for the first time in a while, you felt happy.

—

You were once again running around the law firm, attending to errands and requests by the lawyers around you. You have never been bossed around so much in your life before and it was definitely frustrating. Some of these lawyers had ridiculous requests but you knew better than to question them. You were exhausted, probably since you didn’t get a good nights sleep. As you were rounding the corner your eyes fell on a dancing Joon-woo, and it took everything in you to not laugh at his dorkiness.

“Joon-woo?”

He turned around at the sound of your voice, a huge smile forming on his lips. “_______!” He practically ran towards you and gave you zero time to react as he picked you up and spun you around.

“Oh my god! What are you–”

“Guess what?” He looked up at you, completely forgetting how he was holding you.

“What?”

“You’re looking at Lawyer Jang Joon-woo.”

Your eyes widened in surprise and your mouth fell open before you wrapped your arms around his neck. “Oh my god! Really? Congratulations Joon-woo!”

“Thank you!” He smiled as he continued to spin you around. You were really hoping he wouldn’t be able to feel your heart beating like crazy against your chest. He was holding you so close and it almost felt like it was just you two existing in that mere moment.

Until it got ruined.

“What are you two doing?”

You both froze and turned towards the sound of the voice. Standing a couple of feet away was Lawyer Choi and she was looking at you two with confusion. You never interacted with her much, but according to Cha-young’s description of her, she is a pain in the ass. Neither you or Joon-woo dared to move, and he was still holding you up while Ms. Choi appeared to be growing impatient.

“Are you two deaf?”

“N-No,” you stuttered out while wiggling in Joon-woo’s arms. He quickly set you down as he fixed his suit, flashing her a small awkward smile. “We were just celebrating his promotion.”

“What kind of celebration was that? It looked like he just proposed to you and you said yes.”

You immediately turned red at her words, but Joon-woo was quick to step in. “We just got a little too excited.”

“Hm. Don’t do it again.”

That was the last thing she said before walking off. It felt like you could finally breathe and that’s exactly what you did as you let out the biggest exhale of your life. You leaned back against the wall and fanned your face, but Joon-woo stared at you as if you grew two heads.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’ve never been in trouble before,” you whispered. “She’s one of the top dogs.”

“Top dogs?”

“Yes, top dogs,” you repeated. “She’s scary.”

Joon-woo chuckled and ruffled your hair. “You’ll be fine. You want to grab some dinner with me?”

You wanted to say yes so bad, but your evening was swamped with work. “I can’t. I’m working late today.”

He shot you a pout. “That’s not fair.”

“I know,” you groaned and slammed your head against the wall. You already hated the idea of working so late today, but knowing that you’re going to miss out on having dinner with Joon-woo, it makes the situation worse for you. But it still makes you wonder why he’s asking you to eat with him? Didn’t he have a crush on someone? Wouldn’t he ask her instead? You shook those thoughts away, not wanting to stress yourself over it.

All you could was say goodbye to Joon-woo and smile as he shot you an army salute before walking off. Maybe he’ll ask his crush since you declined his offer. Curse your overthinking brain because now you’re definitely left in a bad mood.

—

You don’t know how it happened but somehow Joon-woo was able to have you as his personal assistant, so you began to follow him everywhere to provide some assistance whenever he needed it. You were glad to finally have a break from your previous position, but that also means you’re spending more time with Joon-woo now. You just don’t know if that’s a bad thing or a good thing. Being with him almost every day of the week made it hard for you to get rid of your feelings, especially when he’s been acting rather close to you.

Joon-woo has been sending mixed signals and you’re not even sure if this girl he spoke about is even in the picture anymore. You did lean towards the idea of him possibly liking you, but you didn’t want to get your hopes up.

Your relationship with Cha-young has also been hard to manage ever since she begged you to leave Wusang and work for her law firm. She went on a whole rant how Wusang is covering up for Babel’s illegal schemes and you shouldn’t support them or get caught up in their mess. She even said you could try to convince Joon-woo to join her law firm as well — even though she was half against it. He was quick to turn down her proposal, which left you in the middle. You told her you’ll think about it and get back to her as soon as possible.

But for now, your mind was focused on assisting and following Joon-woo — along with Mr. Han and Ms. Choi.

Your first time in court was… unexpecting. First Cha-young “fainted”, then the power went out, and lastly, giant hornets were flying around the courtroom and stung the judge. His face was left so swollen he couldn’t even talk, so the trial was postponed until the following week.

“This is better than a kdrama,” you whispered to Mr. Han who sat next to you.

He looked around, trying to make sure no one would hear him as he leaned in and nodded his head. “I agree.”

But his demeanor completely changed on the ride back to Wusang.

“Gosh. In my twenty-five years as a lawyer, I’ve never experienced such chaos in court before,” he chuckled before kicking Joon-woo’s seat. “It’s my first time! Okay?”

“That hurts, boss,” Joon-woo hissed while he winced from pain.

“Does it hurt?”

“Yes.”

“Well, suck it up! Suck it up!” Mr. Han yelled while repeatedly kicking and punching the seat again.

“Sir aren’t you being too rough?” You tapped his arm to grab his attention.

“Too rough? I don’t think so,” he waved you off.

“On top of that, my first trial as a lawyer was a flop,” Ms. Choi stated, unamused.

And yet experiencing my first trial was hilarious. You thought.

“God those dirty bastards. Of all things, how could they think of bringing in those hornets? What should we do?” Mr. Han sarcastically laughed.

“It was so funny,” you blurted out, causing everyone — but the driver — to face you. Your heart hammered in your chest while your eyes widened, and you slowly sunk in your seat as best as you could. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“You didn’t mean to… oh god,” Mr. Han flicked your forehead which made you wince. “Should we just leave you stranded here?”

“No, sorry sir.”

“Ah! It’s not like you’re of any use anyways,” he shoved your shoulder, making you bump into Ms. Choi. “Gosh this is frustrating. You think it’s funny?!”

“Sir, that’s no way to treat a lady.”

The sudden change in tone on Joon-woo’s voice caught you by surprise. It was low and if you didn’t know any better, it sounded like he was warning Mr. Han. You could see his eyes staring into the backseat from the rear view mirror, and he was glaring at his boss.

“You shut up. Gosh you’re so annoying,” he kicked Joon-woo’s seat once again but this time, he showed no reaction. He was stiff and continued to glare at Mr. Han, and that was something you will never forget.

The car eventually arrived back at Wusang and you followed Joon-woo up to his office. He was eerily quiet. Not cracking any jokes or trying to converse with you about the trial. The moment you two stepped into his office and he closed the door, he turned to face you.

“Are you okay?”

You blinked at him. “Huh?”

He walked up to you to touch the same spot where Mr. Han flicked you. It felt a little warm to the touch and you noticed him clenching his fists. Was he… was he actually mad on your behalf? You quickly grabbed his hand and pushed it away from your skin.

“Oh that, don’t worry I’m okay. It doesn’t hurt.”

“What he said to you…” he shook his head and turned his body, causing you to flinch when he slammed his palms against the wall.

“Joon-woo… are you okay?” You walked up to him and placed your hand on his back. “He was kicking your seat as well. I know you said it hurt.”

“I don’t care what he does to me, I can tolerate it. But you? I don’t want him doing that shit to you. I don’t want him talking down on you as if you don’t mean anything.”

“Well in the eyes of Wusang, I really don’t.”

“But you mean something to me.”

His words left you speechless. Joon-woo turned to face you while his eyes held some form of emotion you couldn’t decipher. He was always care free and even during the times when he showed anger, he still seemed… normal. But the Joon-woo standing in front of you right now was cold and full of hostility — something you’ve never seen before. His hand hesitated to reach up and touch you, and he appeared to be having an internal battle with himself.

“I have to make a phone call. You want to grab something to eat after?”

“Y-Yeah, sure.” You were honestly too shocked to speak and your own stutter surprised you as well. Joon-woo shot you one of his sweet signature smiles before walking out of his office.

What the hell was that?

—

“And then, his demeanor completely changed. I’m talking like Billy showing himself as The Scream and saying his famous quote ‘we all go a little mad sometime’,” you ranted while mimicking the movie quote.

“You’re comparing Joon-woo to Billy from that Scream movie?” Cha-young gave you an incredulous look.

“Okay it’s not my best analogy but the personality change was there! He got so mad. I have never seen him act like that.”

Ever since that specific encounter with Joon-woo, you had to tell Cha-young about it. Sure you could’ve called or texted but talking about it in person is ten times better, plus you always prefer to ‘gossip’ face to face. You made sure to include every detail that happened, including the ones of your interactions after his comment. Joon-woo was stuck to your hip since then and he even asked if he could call you ‘babydoll’. The pet name caught you off guard and you did not hesitate to ask why, his simple answer was that he thought it was cute and fitting.

You nearly exploded when he said that.

Cha-young rubbed her temples as she appeared to be soothing herself. “______ I didn’t think you were this clueless.”

“Huh?”

“He likes you.”

Rewind and pause. “No way.”

“Yes way,” Mr. Nam answered from behind his computer. “Sounds like he has the hots for you.”

“You were listening to our conversation the whole time?” You asked with a puzzled look.

“Against our own will,” Vincenzo groaned. “Can you talk about this some other time?”

“Why? You guys have important stuff to do?”

“We do. We’re trying to find out who the real chairman of Babel is,” Mr. Nam answered for Vincenzo but was immediately silenced the moment the Korean-Italian lawyer glared at him. “I-I mean… so Joon-woo is Scream?”

You frowned at his words and faced Cha-young. “Wait what? Is Chairman Jang not the real chairman after all?”

Before Cha-young could answer, you felt your chair being dragged away from the table, the sound of its feet scraping against the floor was hell for your ears. Vincenzo pulled you back to the entrance before walking towards Cha-young.

“Hey!” You stood up and marched over to him.

“We can’t trust her,” he spoke with seriousness. “She works for Wusang.”

“As an assistant,” you clarified and bent your head down so you could face him. “Not really an important job.”

“Then why don’t you quit and work here?”

“Uh, because I’m still debating on it.”

“She’s trying to marry her future husband,” Cha-young clarified with a roll of her eyes.

“Love like this only comes once in a lifetime,” you whined and slammed your forehead on the table. “I’m a mess.”

“I agree,” Vincenzo muttered to himself but you heard him loud and clear. You shot up and pushed your body towards him as you began to shove him into a corner, your eyes shooting daggers his way.

“What did you say?” You quirked up an eyebrow and felt victorious when he clearly seemed to be uncomfortable at your proximity. You let out a huff of victory and sat down next to Cha-young but your relaxation was short lived when you felt your phone ringing in your pocket, a smile plastering on your face when you saw Joon-woo’s name pop up.

“Hello?”

“Is it your boyfriend?” Vincenzo’s voice caught you off guard as he bent his head down towards your ear, speaking very close to the microphone. The panic settled in as you stood up and began to hit him, Mr. Nam running to stop you.

“Uh, hello?” Joon-woo sounded incredibly confused.

“Hi!”

“Who was that?”

“Oh just Vincenzo being his goofy self. You know how he always wanted to be a comedian,” you stuck your tongue out in his direction when he pointed a finger at you.

“Vincenzo? You’re with him?”

“Not by choice. I came over to gossip with Cha-young. You know, girl talk.”

“Ah,” he chuckled and cleared his throat. “Well I’m going to pick you up. We’re supposed to meet up with Chairman Jang.”

At the mention of him, you thought back to your earlier conversation with the Jipuragi group, since they believed he was not the real chairman. Thanks to Vincenzo they couldn’t go into too much detail about it — much to your disappointment since you’re naturally a very curious person.

“Alright I’ll be waiting,” you smiled and hung up the phone while letting out a sigh. You did a double take when you noticed three pairs of eyes looking at you, and your face became red in embarrassment. “Don’t say a word!”

—

“I’m so busy as it is. Why does he want me to brief him all of a sudden? Why does he need me?” Mr. Han was on another one of his rants during the drive, and he kept looking at you and Ms. Choi when he spoke. “All the Babel companies must know how things are going.”

He may be your boss but he can sure be annoying at times.

“Joon-woo you better do a proper job. Don’t you stutter.”

“Sorry? Right, okay okay.”

You wanted to laugh at his obliviousness. He’s so adorable. He looks so innocent whenever he puts on his smile and you absolutely love it. When Mr. Han started to get after him and Joon-woo seemed to find it funny, you quietly let out a small laugh before pulling out your phone.

You: stop aggravating him. i’m suffering back here

Joon-woo ♡: LOL. I feel sorry for you

“Who are you texting?” Mr. Han poked his head by your shoulder and you swiftly flipped your phone over as you turned it off.

“No one!”

“You’re texting your boyfriend aren’t you? Ah, this is going to drive me insane,” he scratched his head and pointed a finger at you. “No texting while we’re with the Chairman, got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

The drive was rather quick before you all made it to Babel’s office building. You all were escorted to one of their conference rooms and you took a seat next to Ms. Choi, but you couldn’t stop staring at Chairman Jang without thinking about Vincenzo’s and Cha-young’s speculation. He’s a phony… apparently. But he didn’t look like one to you, if anything, he fits the CEO look perfectly.

You turned your attention to the front and shot Joon-woo a thumbs up, sending him all your luck for his presentation in front of the Chairman.

“Begin. I said, start,” Mr. Han whispered.

“Alright then, I will begin the briefing,” Joon-woo spoke through the microphone before stepping aside, giving you all a good view of the TV. ‘The Secret of Babel’ ascended on the screen and you choked back a laugh when you realized Joon-woo went for a Star Wars theme as the intro.

“I will now reveal the secret of the Babel Group, WOW!”

You looked towards Ms. Choi and Mr. Han who seemed super confused with the direction the briefing was going, but Mr. Han was quick to let out a laugh before turning to face Chairman Jang.

“We came up with a fun briefing,” he awkwardly laughed but was brushed off by the Chairman.

“Chairman Jang Guk-hwan, the founder of Haemun Group, now known as Babel Group, had two sons.”

You felt your body freeze at his words, giving you confirmation that the theory Vincenzo and Cha-young have could be true. Is the other brother the actual Chairman? And if so, who is it? But right now, you were more confused on where Joon-woo’s presentation is actually heading to. You thought this was going to be a quick briefing about Babel, not the Jang family. Your superiors seemed to share the same confusion as you and even the Chairman looked a bit uncomfortable.

Yet, Joon-woo continued with a smile before skipping to the next slide. “He and his wife, Hwang Suk-jin, had their eldest son. As for his second son, he was birthed by Seo Min-hui, a young secretary,” he paused for a second while walking up to the screen. “Instead of focusing on the company, he cheated.”

Your hand shot up to your mouth at his words and you quickly turned to look at everyone else. Mr. Han let out another one of his discomfort laughs before standing up. “Hey, Joon-woo! What are you saying? Joon-woo! Come back here.”

But Chairman Jang tapped the table to grab his attention, ordering him to sit down which threw you off. He’s allowing this presentation? Mr. Han did as he was told but when you looked at Joon-woo from the corner of your eye, you noticed his expression. It was the same expression he wore that one time when you were insulted in the car after the trial.

“First,” he continued on like nothing, “who is his second son? It’s none other than Chairman Jang Han-seo! What a surprise!”

He aimed a laser at him and Chairman Jang opened his arms up with an awkward smile before resorting back to his emotionless face. You were not liking this. The air felt thick and your palms were beginning to sweat.

“Now, who is the eldest son?” Joon-woo began to click through pictures on the screen. “He was always smart and active. He was always the top student.” He began to walk around while appearing to be passionate about his wording. “He didn’t graduate from Stanford Law School as a top student, but he got good grades. On top of that, God has made him perfect and charismatic.”

The way he’s talking about the eldest son… you didn’t like it. It sounded like bragging. Like he was taunting all of you.

“So who is it? Who?”

Your hands began to shake as you held them up to your face. The moment the screen switched to a ‘Who is the true king of Babel?’ and a picture of Joon-woo sitting on a throne with a crown popped up, you nearly fell out of your chair. He walked to the edge of the table and leaned his hands down against it.

“It’s me. Jang Joon-woo.”

You heard Mr. Han stutter something out but you didn’t even care. Your mind is trying to process the information that was just given to you. You really, really hoped this was just a silly prank from Joon-woo, but doing this in front of his superiors? He wouldn’t risk his career for that.

“The real owner of the Babel Group is Jang Joon-woo!” He screamed out before looking at Chairman Jang. “Han-seo, are you ready?”

Then the brother’s proceeded to start singing and chanting with Mr. Han joining them soon after.

“I fooled you all! Babel Group is actually mine!” Joon-woo chanted as he ran towards your side of the table, started to do the worm, and grab your shoulders as he shook you from side to side. Let me go, is what you wanted to say but you didn’t seem to have a voice right now. Mr. Han was the first to apologize as he bowed down to Joon-woo.

“I’m sorry, sir. Please forgive me for my transgressions.” He looked petrified.

“It’s okay. I had fun,” Joon-woo waved him off with a smile.

So was your friendship with him just pretend as well? Something to add to his Joon-woo persona? You remember Cha-young and Mr. Nam telling you that it appeared Joon-woo likes you, but after this situation, you started to wonder if his feelings are even real. Was everything a fucking lie? He wasn’t even looking at you yet, which is giving you the opportunity to shoot a murderous glare towards his direction. How dare he play with your fucking heart like that.

“Sit down,” he gestured for all of you to take a seat, but you remained standing up, which caused everyone to look in your direction. “______?”

You clenched your jaw but refused to move. The sound of someone kicking the table made you flinch, and your eyes landed on an irritated Mr. Han. “Hey, you! Are you deaf? Gosh you never–”

The sound of a hand slamming against the table made everyone flinch, and it quickly shut Mr. Han up. “Mr. Han,” Joon-woo spoke through gritted teeth. “Is that any way to speak to a lady?”

“S-Speak to a lady? Uh, no no no you’re r-right, my apologies ______,” he stuttered out with fear.

“Sit,” Joon-woo smiled up at you.

“Yes, sir,” your voice was dripping with venom as you slowly sat down. You practically tuned out the whole conversation, not paying attention to what they were discussing. Nothing that they spoke about was of any importance to you, and frankly, you could care less about your career at Wusang now. Joon-woo was a two faced liar who played everyone, including you. He made you feel special and you thought everything he did for you was genuine.

The meeting was rather short and it ended quickly before everyone began to get out of their chairs. You didn’t wait for a response as you left the room, that suffocating feeling completely gone now since it felt like you could finally breathe. You wanted out, especially when the guy you like turns out to possibly be a murderous CEO. Come to think of it, Joon-woo is Billy from the Scream since he just revealed himself to all of you.

Yeah, things were definitely not going your way.

[no-where-new-hero]

So I'm still enjoying FNOS, but I was really looking forward to the flashbacks and then...PHJ's character is so BORING! JKJ's is obviously still adorable (she's incapable of not being adorable), but their dynamic is so not interesting! I feel let down! I am glad I'm now back in the modern day, because PHJ is so much more entertaining as Cha Chawoong.

I will confess, I think PHJ is an amazing actor and I love nearly every role he's done, but I feel like he's just not objectively good at saeguk. Unfortunately. I guess it could be worse writing/direction, but JKJ and Jung Joon-Ho are still fantastic in the flashbacks, so I'm going to put this on PHJ for once. Okay, I will blame the writers for kind of. losing some necessary background in Poong's character, but that's the kind of nuance that PHJ can often make up slack with successfully (see The Killing Vote), so this was a shame.

But yeah the modern day is far far more interesting, and the modern plot kind of hits its stride around now, so hopefully that keeps you going!