#if you want me to change any parts about hyuk/yeo

[clemencetaught]

( meta: four lives. )

instead of doing my drafts from all three ( four ) of my blogs, i'm going tell you about the lore that this blog functions on- it's not actually that prominent as it falls more on the supernatural side, this blog is almost heavily geared towards crime and slice of life, and patrick himself is not actually aware that this is the truth of the universe he lives in. but i do consider it important to me and it also can put a very important relationship of his into perspective.

*spoilers for goblin: the lonely guardian*

okay, so this lore actually comes the TV show goblin: the lonely guardian ( sorry for spoilers, but also u should watch it!! it's a classic 💕 ) and while patrick isn't actually an oc in that verse, his relationship with hyuk ( @jeoseungsaja - hello alex my dear 💕 ) kinda....made me want to incorporate that into patrick's universe since the TV show is where hyuk originated from ( AND ALSO FOR ALEX'S WONDERFUL PORTRAYAL :DD ):

basically, if we're going by the four lives theory according to ji eun-tak then in all three verses, patrick is on his third life aka the harvesting life. in all four of his lives, however, he always at least crosses paths with hyuk and felicity in some capacity.

in his first life, he lived during the goryeo era, where he was an seonbi for the king, wa*ng y*eo. he went by ahn hak ( and was distantly related to one of my other ocs, ahn yoojin ). he was a childhood and later lifelong friend of y*eo, staying by his side even through the latter's grave crimes and when the latter had begun to fall into despair from the regret he felt over said crimes. however, due to the manipulation of yeo's evil advisor, park joong-hyeon, needless self-sacrifice and a lack communication on both yeo and hak's parts, hak ended up dying after taking a stray arrow to the heart that would've hit yeo. by that time, park joong-hyeon had given the order to have hak executed ( more manipulation there to have hak be viewed as suspicious and therefore an enemy of the kingdom....and at last minute yeo was trying to interrupt this execution ).

needless to say hak's first life came to an unfortunate end and it left hak with a bitter taste in his mouth. he was angry at himself for not better support yeo and for not having the guts to actually?? stand up to yeo when he thought yeo was wrong. he was also angry at yeo for giving up on himself but also leading his kingdom to ruin....and so, in his second life, whether it was hak's choice or the higher ups, hak's second life is spent separate from the second life of wang y*eo. hak spent his first life completely devoted to yeo so his second life would be for discover who he is independently. that and wang y*eo had serve a punishment for his past crimes and the one the really put him there, so part of that punishment includes not being able to see a reincarnated hak.

so for his second life, he was born as park jisoo. an orphan with no knowledge of his family ever to discovered, jisoo had a rather lonely if not rough childhood. he was bullied for having more of a timid personality, but also for being colorblind- he was unable to distinguish between red and green and therefore also couldn't see the colors of sunsets ( ironically two of these three things are things hak associated with yeo in their previous lives ). however, jisoo did manage find some sort of happiness as he lived a long and peaceful life with yuri, whose third life would be that of one felicity price. that being said, jisoo always felt like there was something, someone was missing from his life.

( at the end of his second life, jisoo would meet a grim reaper with a very familiar face and very familiar name. it would make no sense to jisoo, he didn't remember meeting someone named wang yeo- )

and so that brings us to his third and current life, patrick grace/shin myungdae. his second life, he spent gaining a sense of independence, but also coming to the subconscious realization that no matter how badly wang yeo had fucked up, he missed him. and he asked for a chance to be friends with the soul of wang yeo once more. perhaps the gods smiled on him once more, because patrick grace was able to meet and become lifelong friends ( and even something more ) with lee hyuk, the third life of wang yeo, a soul that has served his punishment and has been forgiven. patrick would also be blessed to once more encounter his wife from his previous life aka felicity.

so if you're wondering why patrick is ridiculously attached to both hyuk and felicity, that's the ic explanation; they're soulmates in the most literal sense. every life, he'll be entwined with them both some way and some how although the nature of their relationship will be different in each life 💕

[drivingsideways]

k-drama rec list

Prior to 2020 I’d maybe watched 2 k-dramas in my entire life, but this year I got sucked in, thanks to some great recs, and y’know, *gestures * everything.  

I think I’d held off watching kdramas because my impression of them was limited to romances that I didn’t enjoy at all. But this was the year I discovered the equivalent of “gen fic” kdrama- dramas that had wonderful ensemble casts, strong story lines that weren’t entirely romance focused and also a variety in terms of themes and styles. A big plus was that I found so many of these dramas had women leading the writers’ room, and seeing the effect of that in the story telling. (Notable exceptions: a certain “star” writer who should please stop inflicting her badly written, formulaic crap on the world, yes Kim Eun-Sook, I mean you, and whoever wrote that trashfire Flower of Evil)

So here I am with my own rec list! Caveat- these are mostly not the dramas released in 2020, I’m still playing catch up! :)

Under the cut for length

My Mister/ My Ahjussi  (2018, Written by Park Hae-Young, Directed by Kim Won-Seok, starring Lee Sun-kyun and Lee Ji-eun aka IU) 

This was definitely my absolute favourite of the shows I watched this year across western/ asian media. It’s a story about the thread that binds us all and the ineffability of human connection. It’s also a story that deconstructs ideas of masculinity and honour and shame in a non-western context, but with an extremely compassionate touch.  It’s a story that doesn’t shy away from showing the consequences of material and spiritual poverty; and how one can so easily feed into the other. It’s a love story that isn’t a romance, except that it’s a Romance. It’s about finding salvation in one another and in the kindness of strangers.  It’s about choosing life, and picking yourself up off the floor to take that one last step and then the next and then the next. The one quibble I have with the series is that it could have been better paced, it does get extremely slow after the half way mark. But god, do they land the ending. Both Lee Sun-kyun and IU turn in absolutely heartbreaking performances, and fair warning, be prepared to go through an entire box of tissues watching this series. 

Life  (2018,  written by Lee Soo-yeon  and directed by Hong Jong-chan, starring Lee Dong-wook, Cho Seung-woo, Won Jin-ah, Lee Kyu-hyung, Yoo Jae-myung and Moon So-ri.)

Medical dramas are very much not my thing, and I wouldn’t have taken a chance on it except that @michyeosseo said I should, and she was right! It’s a medical drama in the sense that it’s set in a hospital, but rather than a “case-fic” format, this is actually a sharp commentary on the corporatization of health care, and the business of mixing, well, money and what should be a fundamental human right. Writer Lee Soo-yeon was coming off the global success of Stranger/Secret Forest S1 when this aired, so I understand that expectations were probably sky-high, and people were disappointed when this show didn’t give them the adrenaline rush that they wanted. On the other hand, I thought that this outing was really much more nuanced in terms of the politics and also how the ending doesn’t allow you the luxury of easy-fixes. This show has a great ensemble cast, and while it took me a while to get used to Lee Dong-wook’s woodenness (i ended up calling him mr.cadaver after watching this and was surprised to learn that he’s very popular?), in the end I was quite sold on his version of angry angst-bucket elder-sibling Dr.Ye Jin-woo. His best scenes were with Lee Kyu-hyung who turns in a lovely, achy performance as the paraplegic Dr. Ye Seon-woo who just wants to live a normal life. The love story between the two brothers is actually the emotional backbone of the story, and I think they landed that perfectly. 

My one quibble with writer-nim is that she ended up writing in a forgettable and somewhat (for me at least) uncomfortable romance between the characters played by Won Jin-ah and Cho Seung-Woo. I think part of my uncomfortable-feeling was that I got the strong sense that the writer herself didn’t want to write this romance, it was as if she was being made to shoe-horn it in for Studio Reasons, and she basically grit her teeth and did the worst possible job of it.  I do wish we could have absolutely had the OT3 of my dreams: Moon So-ri/Cho Seung-woo/Yoo Jae-myung like, c’mon TV gods MAKE IT HAPPEN, just...look at them!!!! 

Anyway, that apart, I think this was a very engaging series, and by engaging, I also mean thirst-enabling, see below. 

 Stranger (aka Secret Forest  or Forest of Secrets) S1 & 2 : (2017-, Written by Lee Soo-yeon, directed by 

2017′s smash hit aired a much anticipated second season in 2020, and I managed to catch up just in time to watch that live, so that was thrilling :D . Writer Lee Soo-yeon  mixes up thriller/office comedy/political commentary in an ambitious series. I think S1 is more “exciting” than S2 in terms of the mystery and pacing,  but S2 is far more dense and interesting in terms of political commentary because it takes a long hard look at institutional corruption and in true writer-nim fashion doesn’t prescribe any easy solutions. Anyway, please enjoy public prosecutor Cho Seung-woo and police officer Bae Doona as partners/soulmates kicking ass and taking names in pursuit of Truth, Justice and just a goddamn peaceful meal, along with a stunningly competent ensemble cast. Also yes, Han Yeo Jin is a lesbian, sorry, I don’t make the rules. 

Search: WWW  (2019, Written by Kwon Do-Eun, directed by Jung Ji-hyun & Kwon Young-il, starring  Im Soo-jung, Lee Da-hee, Jeon Hye-jin)

GOD. Where do I start? +1000 for writer Kwon Do-Eun saying “fuck the patriarchy” in the most grandiose way possible, i.e. absolutely refusing to acknowledge that it exists. Yes, this is that power fantasy, and it’s also a fun, slice-of-life  tale about three women navigating their way through work, romance, national politics and everything in between. It’s true that I wasn’t entirely sold on the amount of time spent on the romance, and I really wish they’d actually had a textual wlw romance, though the subtext through the entire series is PRACTICALLY TEXT. But still, it maintains that veneer of plausible deniability and I think queer fans who are sick of that kind of treatment in media have a very valid grouse against the show. On the other hand, personally I felt that the queer-platonic vibe of the show is very wonderful and true to real life, and it was only reinforced by the ending. This is a show written by a woman for women (like me), and it shows. 

Hyena  (2020, Written by Kim Roo-Ri, directed by Jang Tae-yoo & Lee Chang Woo, starring  Kim Hye-soo and Ju Ji-hoon )

Those of you who’ve been watching hit zombie epic Kingdom are probably familiar with Ju Ji-hoon’s brand of sexiness already. I had not watched Kingdom and got hit in the face by Mr.Sexy McSexyPants’ turn as a brash, privileged-by-birth, up and coming lawyer who gets completely runover by the smoking hot and incredibly dangerous fellow lawyer/competitor from the other side of the tracks in the person of Kim Hye-Soo. When I say they set the room on fire, I mean it, ok. Every single scene between these two is an actual bonfire of sexual attraction and emotional hand grenades, and they’re both absolutely riveting to watch. “Flower of Evil” wishes they had what this show has- an actual grown up romance as opposed to a thirteen year old twilight fan’s idea of an adult romance. 

The “lawyer” shenanigans and the “cases” are hit or miss, and I think the occasional comedy fell flat for me. But that’s not why I mainlined like 6 episodes of this series overnight like a coke addict, and that’s not why you’re going to do it either. It’s so RARE, even in these enlightened days to find a female character like Jung Geum-ja: hard as nails, unapologetic about it, and not punished by the narrative for it. The best part for me is that she feels like a woman’s woman, not a man’s idea of what a Strong Female Character should be. Anyways, when I grow up I want to have what Kim Hye-soo has ok?

Other dramas that I watched this year, quickly rated:

The King: Eternal Monarch (3/10 and those 3 points are only for the combined goodness of second leads who deserved better- Jung Eun Chae, Woo Do Hwan and Kim Kyung Nam. Please head over to my AO3 and read my attempts to fix this garbage fire and rescue their characters from canon)

Flower of Evil (-10/100, dont @ me)

Tale of the Nine Tailed (5/10, I think it succeeds at what it set out to do, which is a light hearted, sweet fantasy-romance-melodrama, plus “second lead” Kim Beom will make you cry as the hot mess of a half human/ half fox spirit ALL TEARS character. I think if you’re into kdrama romances as a genre, this is probably a good bet?)

Signal  (7/10,  This was the first full kdrama I watched this year and would definitely recommend. It’s a police procedural with time travel shenanigans and has an engaging plot, good pacing, texture and compelling performances. My one disappointment with it was the way they wrote Kim Hye-soo’s character. As literally the only female character to survive in any way, she was given short shrift, and toward the end it really began to grate on me.)

Six Flying Dragons - (7/10, also would recommend if you’re interested in Korean historicals. It definitely already feels a bit dated in terms of styling and production values, and even scripting and acting choices. But it has a good balance of fantasy and history and political commentary. I was not a fan of Yoo In-Ah’s performance in this series, but it’s not anything that would make you want to nope out of the series. It’s GoT , if GoT was thoughtful about politics and characters and not the misogynist, racist trashfire that it became.)

My Country: The New Age - (3.5/10, and that’s 3 points to Jang Hyuk’s fan and 0.5.points to Woo Do Hwan’s heaving bosom. If you like your historical drama/fantasy with very pretty men, very gay subtext -seriously RIP to show makers who thought they could hetero it but didn’t account for Woo Do Hwan’s Tragic Face- lots of blood and tears and very nonsense plot, this is right up your alley. I probably would have enjoyed it more in other circumstances, I think? But this one just annoyed me too much at the time! 

I have a couple of more dramas to watch on my list, that’ll probably carry me over into 2021, so see ya on the other side! :D

[hansoheeglobal]

English translation; Han Sohee interview on Dazed Korea May 2020 Issue (credit the scanned article goes to @cubfcoftee)

Usually, the more popular the drama is, the more viewers see the characters in the drama being reflected in reality. In that sense, do you realize the popularity of "Yeo Da-kyung" in "The World of The Married"?

Yes! (Laughs) These days, I've already been getting a lot of bad words from my acquaintances, regardless of family or friends. Two days ago, I got a message from a friend saying, "You're really bad."

How did you interpret Da-kyung as an actress?

When I read the script, I felt sorry for Da-kyung. A young woman in her early 20s abandoned her family, her gaze, and her pride, I wondered why she was doing this. In order to express the character, I had to understand Da-kyung enough, so I was worried about how to do. In my view, Da-kyung is a character who threw both body and mind in love with 'Tae-oh', so I decided to look at that part only. For 'Da-kyung', the keyword love is in front of a married man, and for people, the word married couple exists before love. I think this is the difference between Da-kyung in my view and Da-kyung that viewers see.

What's the point of the future story?

Tae-oh is cursing, and so far it's only the beginning? (laughs) Focus on Da-kyung and Sun-woo" relationship, but at the same time pay attention to the story of the people around them. Yes, as couples of different ages, such as Lim Je-hyuk, Hyun-seo, and In-gyu, get involved in the incident, the episode unfolds in an omnibus style. There will be a lot of things happening one day.

"I want to act a real love relationship this time, not a dramatic love. Stories that date their peers, resolve conflicts, and end happily. And I hope my character gets loved next time."

Da-kyung's fashion is also getting popular.

At first, I thought Dagyung should dress nicely because she is a rich-house daughter. Thinking about it again, I thought, "Yeo Da-kyung: The daughter of a rich family is the eye of the beholder, and Da-kyung's poem line is my house (=the rich house) that was born and grew naturally, so I don't need to shine like the daughter of a rich family for the first reason." Dakyung's fashion will all change with time.

Dagyung is a Pilates instructor.Do you actually enjoy pilates?

No, I don't have a lot of muscles, so I've been doing weight training. Before I started filming, I learned Pilates at the director's recommendation, and it was so different from the exercise I've been doing. Something similar is that it feels like holding up like a core exercise, a plank. I didn't think static exercise was right, but once I tried it, it was effective for Jasmine's orthodontics. I'm going to try to do it a little more.

What kind of character do you want to play?

Instead of dramatic love, I want to play a real love affair next time. It is a story about people of their age who date, solve conflicts with each other, and end happily. And next time, I want to be act as that character.

Is there anything else you'd like to challenge besides acting?

I used to study art. I want to learn more from my discharge because art is something that I have to be with in my life. But I don't think I can do art at the same time.You have to do one right before you can catch two rabbits. I think it's time to focus more on acting, and art is not light to me, so I want to study in France when I have time to turn my eyes to it.

I was surprised that your skin was so good while watching the monitor. Do you have any special methods?

Sleep? For me, sleep is better than exercise or diet. I'm going to sleep at least 7 hours. When I'm on the location, I'll sleep as soon as I get in the car. In fact, if you can't sleep, you get dark circles and pigments, and you'll be able to control your tired skin. I'm trying to make a habit of drinking water. I didn't even drink a cup of coffee.

Your hometown is Ulsan. I'm curious about the Seoul adaptation period.

I have a friend who is studying abroad, and when I came to Seoul, she was the only one I knew. My friend lives in Hongdae and I live in Gangnam, so I was always alone when I was eating or drinking coffee. The street is a little too far to see often. So I have been staying in the studio with my friend, not my house, ever since some time ago. And I got to know a lot of people through Arba Teu, and now I'm happy to have that kind of relationship.

Don't you usually use dialect?

Now I have free dialects and standard language, sometimes without even realizing it. There are times when they come. It's not a dialect, but it's a unique accent Haejun Sun Bae, who plays Taeoh, is from Gyeongsang-do, so he naturally speaks in dialect once or twice in the scene.

You must have tried hard to change your dialect while acting.

It was natural. Fortunately, I think the environment helped a lot. My grandmother is from Wonju. She doesn't speak in dialect at all, so I didn't speak in dialect when I was young. After coming up to the first page, I naturally adapted to it by making many friends in Seoul. I still use dialect when I meet my friends from Gyeongsang-do. Depending on who you talk to, it becomes similar to the other person's tone.

I heard you were popular with your friend when you were in school.

I'm an exaggeration. (laughs) I didn't have a commonly called "boyfriend." attend a girls' high school I transferred to an arts high school, so I didn't know what to do in a space with boy friends. If you've been to a girls' high school, you'll know how fun it is. Seven unique moods. I don't like extreme color and I'm interested in people, so I've been friends with O.J. I've received a few letters from my friends saying that I want to be close to them. I think it was misrepresented that I was popular among women. (laughs).

You're working as Han Sohee. What is Lee So-hee's personality like?

There is no boundary or difference between Han So-hee and Lee So-hee. It's still strange to call her Han So-hee. I like people. It's not like I listen to other people's stories and say, "Whoa!" I just like to sit face to face and watch.I thought, "How would a photographer like?" and "How would he like to be?" I tried to approach him as a person when I didn't do it when I was working.

You think a mind that likes and observes people will be the foundation for the job of an actor/actress.

That's right. Since the character is human, I think it's helpful to get to know many different sides of people naturally.

What do you usually do when you're alone?

I ride a bicycle because the weather is so nice these days. I can't go to the fitness center because of Corona 19, so instead, I ride my bike for a walk. I like to be active, but when I want to pick it up, I just stay at home for a week. There's something extreme about it, but it's all at home. Suddenly, I was like, "Oh! I can't be like this." If you think you need to move like a human being, you can go out alone.

When I saw at your Instagram, I thought, 'Han So-hee has her own taste like a woman in her twenties these days.' I'm curious about Han So-hee's daily life, hobbies and tastes.

I usually watch movies, especially French movies. I recently watched all of director Xavier Dolan's movies again. I like the feeling of seeing and listening to different cultures and languages. If you keep looking at the characters in the movie, you can feel their eyes, hands, and feet. In short, everyday fashion is manuscript! Among them, I like to wear dresses that have a vintage or retro vibe in the design that reveals the necline. I like styling that matches rough boots that contradict the feminine dress of flower pattern. I rarely dress up these days, so I only wear Crocs.(Laughing) I rarely put on basic makeup and apply it on my lips to add more vitality. My skin is thin enough to show veins, so I rarely do base makeup because the more I put on makeup, the more my skin gets damaged.

It's a cat named Butler?

It's my second brother. At first, I brought him with the thought of having a child, but now he's a sister who lives with Eun. His name is Marsh, and he's soft like a marshmallow. So I called him Marsh. He's like a real brother. He's good at opening doors. Jump and lower the lever grip and open the door. Sometimes when I get sick of cat toilets, I go into the bathroom and do my chores, and I'm often surprised at night. But he's a quiet kid who's never been bitten.

How was the photo shoot today?

Since I was filming a drama, I was stuck in Da-kyung for a while, but I felt like I was out of it today. It was a pictorial, so I knew I had to strike a chic pose, but it was fun because I was able to move freely, slanted and tilted. I like this better than the pose that you put on in a cool way.

Which pictorial would you like to take with Dazed for the second time?

I want to take pictures outdoors. with a languid feeling in the sun

So sorry there are a lot of mistranslation. I hope you all still get it.

[whispersatdawn]

Safeguard

GIF Credit to: @ygo-gx

Pairing: Yeo Wool (Jo Yoon Woo) X Reader

Genre: Angst/Fluff

Word Count: 2,615

Request: Hey! About the hwarang requests, could you write about yeo wool? So the plot could be about him, and (y/n) worrying about him being killed while sparring with the other hwarangs(anyone really). He's trying to reassure y/n everything is going to be ok. It could either be fluffy or smuty - angst really whatever is easier and more enjoyable for you to write ✌ thank u again!!  - @allaboutthespn

Sutabaksu was usually loud and full of people, but today, the popular teahouse erupted with immense chatters. Because it was also a day that the Hwarangs were able to leave the Hwarang House and return home, most of the beautiful knights decided to stop by for some tea, doubling the number of customers. Unsurprisingly, women flocked and surrounded the elite males to question the gossip that spread like wildfire in the capital city of Silla. “I heard that Princess Sook Myung ordered a fight in a few days,” one gisaeng cried, distressed. “Is it true that you all will be sparring against each other?”

The Hwarang who sat across from the equally beautiful gisaeng let out a scoff as if he also could not believe it himself. He looked over next to him where sat his other elite friend who released a long sigh. “It’s true. This isn’t like any other training we’ve done so far. We could definitely lose our lives this time.”

“Oh no!” the gisaeng said, anguish in her voice. Tears began to well up in her eyes, and she let out such loud sobs that everyone else in the teahouse could hear. Though she was the one showing her sorrow in the open, for sure, everyone else was feeling the same way.

At another table, across the room, you could hear the conversations going on around, but that couldn’t stop the unpleasant thoughts in your mind that blocked out everything but one Hwarang that you were particularly worried about. You needed to see him. Anxiousness filled you. You couldn’t help but lick your slightly chapped lips as your eyes darted at the entrance door every few minutes, impatiently waiting. Why isn’t he here yet? Did something happen to him? He said we would meet at this time... Your heart felt like it would burst soon. It was not until you noticed a cup placed in front of you that you snapped out of your thoughts. Steam rose, and the scent of ginger filled your nose. You looked up to find your two closest friends looking at you with empathy. “Thank you,” you said, picking up the warm cup to take a sip.

“Ginger tea helps with nausea,” Ah Ro explained as she and Soo Yeon took a seat across from you. “I know how worried you are, (Y/N). I’m also worried about them, especially my older brother, but you should take care of yourself so that you don’t fall ill.”

Soo Yeon nodded her head in agreement. “I’m also worried about my older brother, but he’s a great fighter. I can’t help but be more worried about Ban Ryu.”

“What was the princess thinking?” you muttered. “Ah Ro, since you also stay in the Hwarang House, you must know. What’s been happening?”

“I’m not really sure. I just usually take care of the sick and injured knights. Some of them just mentioned about how their training was going to change. It became more intense recently. They even brought another group of males who are really great at martial arts to act as the Hwarangs’ servants and helpers. It’s as if they really are preparing to go to war.”

“No one’s allowed to watch the sparring, are they?” you asked your friend, quietly. Fear slowly found its way back to you.

Ah Ro shook her head. “I’ll be there as a physician in case something does go wrong. Other than Her Majesty, no one can enter.”

The three of you grew silent. Soon, you were aware of the shift of topic from the talks around you. “Yeo Wool’s here!”

Even with the uneasiness of the upcoming fight, with one glance at the stunning man who walked through the door, all of the women in the room dropped their conversation and had their attention stolen by the elegant Hwarang. No matter how many times you’ve seen Yeo Wool, you also couldn’t help but become quite speechless by his aura. Ah Ro looked at you and smiled. “I’ll take my leave now. I should probably return home and check on my older brother.”

“Me too. Hopefully, I’ll be able to run into Ban Ryu as well,” Soo Yeon said.

Both of your best friends stood up and said goodbye to you before exiting Sutabaksu together to find their own loved ones. Not sure what to do you next, you just picked up your cup of ginger tea, taking another sip of the spicy yet slightly sweet drink as you waited. Once Yeo Wool spotted you, a smile instantly appeared on his face. He read your expression and was able to see your nervousness right away. Returning after staying in the Hwarang House for a while, he realized how much he missed you. How was it that you looked prettier each time he came to see you? Yeo Wool approached your table. “I apologize for my lateness. I do hope you didn’t wait long, (Y/N).”

You watched Yeo Wool as he took a seat. A server came by to take his order, but once the server left, your Hwarang turned his attention fully to you. “You’ve been well?” he asked you with a playful smile.

“Please don’t act like nothing’s wrong right now...” you said.

Yeo Wool chuckled. “How can anything be wrong when I get to spend time with the most amazing person in Seorabol right now?”

“Yeo Wool...”

“How about it, (Y/N)? What do you say about going to Okta tonight?”

His eyes twinkled in anticipation as he took his fan and waved it up and down, cooling his face. Few strands of his long hair that even women envied flew back. You did not respond and continue to stare at him. You knew he wanted to break the tension, but you did not want the serious situation to be avoided.

“Alright then...” he replied, his eyes flickering elsewhere for a second when he found your stare and silence overwhelming. “It’s okay. Ban Ryu and Soo Ho also rejected my offer to go. Pity, but I guess we can just stay here.”

You slammed one of your palms down on the wooden table, the loud sound echoing. Customers around you whipped their head over to you to witness the action. Yeo Wool continued to sit with a calm posture, but he didn’t dare to move an inch as he sensed your seriousness. “You could lose your life...” you whispered to him. Your voice was soft, yet stern.

Yeo Wool softened. Before he met you, he had always acted nonchalant towards other people and their businesses. Though quite nosy about what was going on around him, he never genuinely cared about another’s problem. He usually just stood on the sidelines and quietly watched. As soon as you came into his life, with your vibrancy and little side of sarcasm, going up against his sharp personality but at the same time matching well with it, he found someone he could really be sincere with. You were the last person he wanted to upset.

Yeo Wool’s soft hand reached for yours, the one that you used to slam down at the table. He lifted your hand up and rubbed it smoothly, relieving the pain that you felt on your palm. “I know,” he replied, knowing that there’s nothing else he could say to really put your heart at ease.

“Isn’t there a way to prevent this from happening?” you asked.

“I’m sure if there was, it would’ve been done,” Yeo Wool admitted. “I don’t think the chief instructor wants us to spar either. The princess probably thinks that we’re not strong enough to protect the king. In a way, she’s not wrong. When it comes to protecting the Royal Family, we’ll have to put our lives on the line for them. I guess... if we can’t handle taking a life, ours will be taken.”

“It’s still not right. You all can still train hard without putting each other at risk. If the princess all of sudden have the Hwarangs kill each other, there will barely be enough to fight and defend the Royal Family later.”

You shook your head, unable to comprehend the princess’ decision. Tears began to blur your vision, but you tried your best to hold them back by blinking them away. “I’m not judging your sword skills at all, Yeo Wool, but I’ve never seen you in a fight. How can I be so sure that you’ll be fine? What if you have to go up against someone like Soo Yeon’s older brother?”

“Do not worry about me, (Y/N). I’ll be fine,” Yeo Wool promised. He squeezed your hand gently in assurance.

At the same time, the server returned with Yeo Wool’s tea, setting it in front of the flawless male. Yeo Wool softly blew the steam away and took a sip of his own ginger tea. You looked down at your own cup of tea to see your own reflection. There was no steam left as your once warm drink had cooled. You appreciated Yeo Wool’s effort to console you, but it was not enough to help your appetite. “Do you know who you’ll be going up against?” you asked, looking at him again.

Yeo Wool placed his tea back down. “Though the selection of opponents could change at any time, as of now, it’s Han Sung.”

“Han Sung...” you repeated. “Is he the grandson of Suk Hyuk Jae? The one with the half-breed brother?”

Yeo Wool nodded his head.

“Ah Ro told me about him,” you continued, “and that he has such a cute personality. Interesting how he chose to be a part of Hwarang when his grandfather is against the Silla Imperial family. I heard that he doesn’t really like to fight.”

“Han Sung used to be in another group, but for some reason, he was kicked out. He’s been staying in our room instead. I agree with Ah Ro that he is cute.”

You watched Yeo Wool’s face. He sported a dry smile, and you slowly caught onto his thoughts. “You don’t want him to get hurt, right?” you asked, heart aching. You have never met Han Sung, but maybe you were glad not to. If you had gotten used to his supposedly innocent face and personality, you too would have gotten your feelings in a tangle and sympathized for him like you did for Yeo Wool. As much you favored an occasion where no had to die, the princess already mentioned that it was a possible some could, and you desperately did not want Yeo Wool to be among that possibility.

Silence hung over the both of you. You wondered if things could have turned out differently if the king showed his face. Maybe, if he was as trustworthy and kind as you wanted to assume, he would not have left his warriors to be left in the hands of his sister. The sparring was inevitable at this point.

Once Yeo Wool regained composure, he looked at you, studying your tight brows and frown. He squeezed your hand, causing you to leave your train of thoughts and look up at him. A real smile appeared. “Let’s take a walk.”

You were not the type to display your affection in public. Your Hwarang was the opposite; Yeo Wool did not mind one bit if anyone watched or not, but since today was different, you also decided to make it an exception. Your hand intertwined with his, and he held onto it tightly as the two of you walked through the crowds in the capital. “I know you’re very worried about me, (Y/N)...” Yeo Wool said, continuing to look straight ahead. “I promise you that you don’t have to be at all.”

“I should trust you,” you replied, shaking your head to yourself. “I should trust that you’ll be able to make it through this unnecessary fight, that you can win it... but I also can’t help feeling the way I do. You’re really important to me, Yeo Wool. I hate thinking about how I can lose you because of this. What am I supposed to do?”

“Hm. For right now, it would just be great strength to me if you could stay by my side before I have to return to the Hwarang House. Can you do that?”

You simply nodded your head. “Yes, I won’t ever leave your side.”

Yeo Wool lifted his other hand to pet your hair as he chuckled. “Good.” You felt your cheeks start to heat from his touch but laughed in return. Soon enough, you reached your own house. You walked to the huge low table in front and sat down. Yeo Wool took a seat next to you. He placed an arm around your shoulders, pulling you into him, and you leaned into his arms. His body was so warm, and it felt so safe. “So... why did Soo Ho and Ban Ryu reject your offer to go to Okta?” you asked.

Flustered by your sudden question, Yeo Wool’s eyes widened. Then he smiled at how you tried to change the subject. He didn’t want to talk anymore about the sparring either. He would deal it with it when the time came. Until then, he only wants to leave with good memories of you. “Just between you and me,” Yeo Wool said in a low voice, “I think more than not wanting to go with me, they didn’t want to be there with each other. Last time all of us went out to go drink with each other, Soo Ho and Ban Ryu found themselves in each other’s embrace the next morning. What a sight.”

You couldn’t help but laugh. “They don’t look like weak drinkers.”

“I think among us, Ji Dwi is the best at taking alcohol. I’d say I’m next. And then probably Soo Ho, but he really did drink a lot that time. He could barely remember what had happened the next morning.”

“Why didn’t you ask Han Sung to go to with you? He seems like the person you’re closest to.”

Yeo Wool shrugged. “Han Sung had to go with his brother to their grandfather’s place right away. Maybe we’ll see him before I have to go back, and I can introduce the both of you. He’s so innocent that you can’t help but like him.”

“Is there a possibility that I’ll like him more than you?” you said, teasingly.

“Nevermind. You don’t need to meet Han Sung.”

“Why not?!?!” you exclaimed. “Now I really want to meet him.”

Yeo Wool pouted, feigning hurt. To comfort him, you wrapped your arms around his waist and pressed yourself against him in a hug. Feeling as if he was going to melt in your arms, Yeo Wool couldn’t control his face and grinned at your touch. When you looked up to gaze at him with eyes like cute doe, he took the chance to lean down quickly press his lips against yours. You smiled into the sweet kiss, accepting the small peck.

One wasn’t enough for Yeo Wool, so as soon as he pulled away, he leaned back down to give you a second kiss. Many people who didn’t know Yeo Wool always saw him as someone with a more mysterious, sensual aura. He actually had pleasant side to him. “How about this,” Yeo Wool suggested, “after my sparring assignment, when I come back successful and healthy, we can go to Okta together. I will let you see exactly how these other boys act when they have their guards down.”

“Only if you swear to return safely.”

“I can assure you that I will, (Y/N). I will protect myself. Once I do that, I can show them that I can protect our king. And that I can protect you.”

[kdramalover]

Thoughts on Goblin's Ending

I’ll start off by saying that I really enjoyed the whole show. I loved that certain clichés weren’t followed and how each character had such a unique personality. The direction, the colours and the mood of the show were excellent. While it had some heavy parts and themes, overall it remained relatively light.

There remained certain parts that were rather unclear. Kim Shin got stuck between life and death, however, he was pulled back to life because of the contract. While I was confused about whether anything had changed, it didn’t take long for me to realise that he was still the same Goblin. His sword was the only thing that was gone

The amnesia part took quite a chunk of the second last episode. Eun Tak’s sudden remembrance of the Goblin also bothered me a little. Perhaps, I would have enjoyed more if she had remembered certain chunks of her memory whilst spending time with the Goblin than her remembering everything all at once.

Anyhow, Eun Tak and Kim Shin’s reunion delighted me in a way only caramel brownie ice cream has been able to. They got married and I assumed like any other innocent soul that they had received their happy ending. However, if there is anything we’ve learnt from this show, it is that the world isn’t static. Eun Tak had to go and die. Fate works in mysterious ways. Sadly, she went early, but she had to go at one point in her life. The fact that she still has three lives with the never aging Goblin is reassuring, but it makes me wonder what he’ll do once they are all over.

Another question that I was confused about was the tea that was offered at death. Not drinking it allowed one to retain the memories of their previous life in their next one, like it did with Eun Tak? If it was Eun Tak’s rebirth, she would have been born into a new family, right? She would have more friends and wouldn’t be able to see ghosts, right? Did she remember her life with Goblin since the start of this new life? While most of these questions are perhaps irrelevant to the plot, they make me curious. If anybody figured these out, please let me know.

One thing I really admired about this drama were small plots about ordinary people. Say, the stories of those that visited the Grim Reaper, the stories of those that the Goblin helped, the stories of the ghosts and even the stories of side characters like the female grim reaper. I loved the fact that the great sin committed by grim reapers was taking their own life.

There were some side characters that hadn’t really served a lot of purpose in the story in my view such as the class president, who was only supposed to act as Eun Tak’s friend. I had been fascinated by her when she was first introduced and had thought that she’d be important to the plot line, however, her role remained incomplete in my eyes. I wished we could have learnt more about her. By the way, was the guy who shared a sandwich with Kim Shin at the end the little kid with wind bombs? I felt like his story remained incomplete too. The only significant role he played was when God possessed him during his conversation with Sunny (lol). I wish to know more about his grandmother who had been working late night for him and how future turned out for him. I hope really he was guy who fixed Deok Hwa and CEO’s car.

Somehow, I feel like the writer introduced several plot points but covered only the important and bigger ones for the end. Well, at least it gives us some food for thought (though thankfully not as much as Scarlet Heart: Ryeo).

The last thing is the Grim Reaper and Sunny’s story. It hurt me to think that they had to live apart for the last 30 years of their life. This did serve as Wang Yeo’s punishment, however, I wish they could have spent all this time together. Also, I wanted to know how Sunny died (Did they mention it?). And, maybe it’s just me but Sunny didn’t look that old. She should have been around 70 when she died (Is it because Yoo In Na plays her and an old Yoo In Na would look young too?). The story of their next lives was pretty fun. If there is a separate drama covering the story of their new life, I’d totally watch it. I’m glad they found each other and were able to live normal lives. Being an actor suited Sunny more than being a cafe owner.

Now, since the writers have left us here, do you think that in this next life, all the characters would get to meet again? They all are living in the same the place and at the same time. Would Eun Tak ever run into actress Sunny or Lee Hyuk (Grin reaper) the detective? It’s so difficult for me to imagine the Goblin and his bride without the company of the Goblin’s sister and the Grim Reaper. What’s actually possible is that Eun Tak might meet Deok Hwa and the CEO again since they are living the same lives. In the end, before he met reincarnated Eun Tak and after the Grim reaper had left, Kim Shin looked like he had sort of isolated himself. He could’ve easily spent more time with CEO and Deok Hwa.

I keep worrying about the future. I hope I’m not the only one. While I loved the story, I’m not fully satisfied with the ending. There are still so many possibilities and questions left unanswered. The Goblin can’t live forever. There will be no Eun Tak after two more lives. There will be no Sunny (and maybe Grim Reaper) after this life. Perhaps I feel this way because the perfect ending in my view is impossible in this story with the perfect ending being that everyone (Eun Tak, Kim Shin, Wang Yeo, Sunny, Deok Hwa, CEO) lives a completely normal life after everything that happens and dies peacefully due to old age.