#lyrics are from ‘love wins all’ by IU

[o1iveangel]

“through what mistake did we end up together and inseparable like this?..

will it be a tragic ending, for the two of us who took the road less traveled?..

I carefully capture your image with my eyes..

will you courageously fade away with me?..

break me further into pieces.. i want to be with you in sadness too..

run away from the inevitable..

love wins all.”

[orshii]

☣︎ Demons of The Darkened Mist ☣︎

☣︎ Pairing: Jeong Yunho x female reader ☣︎ Word count: 6 k ☣︎ Warnings ☣︎ - cursing, mentions of death, injury, mentions of blood

☣︎ Summary: When the world was consumed by dark mist you got separated by the love of your life, Yunho. The survivor camp they sent you to was harsh and unbearable, but Yunho came and rescued you, the two of you then join Hongjoong’s crew which turns out to be challenging. Despite the angelic person he used to be, the dark world changes Yunho into someone you don’t recognize anymore.

Your bond, however, remains strong in a world scarce of hope and fragile trust, but will your bond actually prevail?

☣︎ A/N: Well, hello. Soo, this happened. My first Yunho ff lmao. I want to mention a few things before reading. It is a story that is part of the same world that I wrote with Hongjoong, but it can be read separately because they are kinda different stories. But I recommend Hongjoong's part as well because they are still connected and we can figure some things out from a different perspective. I hope it is not too confusing tho, I tried to put together the pieces. I might write San's story as well and if I get inspired then the others too. One last thing. Listen to IU's Love Wins All with the lyrics, because it describes their story so perfectly and it plays a huge part in the story (you'll see). *sorry for the mistakes* That is all. Byeee!

☣︎ Whispers of The Darkened Mist ☣︎ (Hongjoong's part)

When it happened, I was sitting in the college cafeteria with the love of my life. It happened quickly and we barely had time even to process it. The low sound of the sirens was the first thing we noticed. Hadn't paid much attention to it. But when we heard the voice of our headmistress, saying we needed to go to the hall where the opening ceremonies were held, that was the moment we started to get, that something was very wrong.

They did not let us go home or anywhere. We were closed up in the hall with hundreds of other students and our teachers. They did not tell us anything, they only told us we were not allowed to go outside. The signal on our phones was dead, we couldn't contact our relatives. Not like I had anyone to contact. Jeong Yunho was the only one for me and he was sitting next to me, so I wasn't concerned about my loved ones, mine was already by my side.

All of us were confused and some of us started to panic, was the end of the world coming to hunt us down?

Exactly that happened. I was sitting on the floor against the cold wall of the hall, Yunho, sitting next to me, his heavy head on my shoulder as he was dozing in and out of the real world. His blonde hair spread on my shoulder like a glory. He looked so angelic sleeping, his cheeks a little blushed, his veiny hands interlaced with mine. We were waiting for some reassurance from outside, some positivity that everything was alright, we were hoping they were going to tell us it was just a test and we passed so we could go home. But it never came. And I started to be uncertain of things. Especially when I saw the teachers whisper around each other with concern on their faces. I assumed then something was wrong, and I was sure when some figures with scary gas masks came into the hall, with weapons in their hands. Yunho snapped his head up at that and looked at me with questioning eyes as he squeezed my hand. I squeezed his hand back as he pulled me close to his chest. At least we were together.

But not for long. Those people with the gas masks separated us. I found myself in a room full of girls, away from Yunho, who was solely the only person that was by my side, that I could count on. And now they took him from me. I didn't know if I could see him anymore.

The masked men told us what was happening outside. The world was doomed. It was slowly consumed by dark mist that simply killed people within a few minutes.

The air was unbreathable outside. The only thing that made people's system work, was now gone. The air that was a pillar point of human life, that made humans live, now turned into the toxic air, that killed humans. How ironic was this? Something that once made you alive, now gasping for air that once saved you simply finished you.

They gave us gas masks; it was warm and it was stinking of steel and something I couldn't recognize. But it saved me and I was thankful for that because I needed to survive to find Yunho. Yunho was the reason I wanted to survive.

We were on a school bus when they told us we were going to a survivor camp, away from the population and they were going to train us to defeat the smoke that was spreading unstoppably. I didn't know if that was even possible. To defeat something that was in the air. It wasn't even a disease that could be cured. It was something unreachable for us people, so how could they expect us to defeat something we couldn't reach?

But with time I figured out their purpose. It was training us to survive. Survive until perhaps the mist disappears which can occur in years or even decades. We couldn't know. We only knew that we had to fight and train so that someday the world would return to its normal cycle.

Hope was a cruel thing. It made you keep going, it did not let you choose to give up. It was always there in the back of your mind, laying low, whispering to you things that were slowly impossible to happen. It was like a demon that possessed you. It took over and started to control you. We called it the survivor instinct.

That was why I understood why Yunho slayed down those men and women with his bare hands. The demon took over, it was buried deep down in his soul. But it was always there. I knew it was there he just hid it so well that I almost forgot it existed. When he started to punch those people we met and attacked us, I did not recognize my love. He turned into a monster and it was unstoppable until all of them were lying numb on the floor, their faces covered in blood, their chests not moving, their mounts open as their last move was gasping for air, that never reached their lungs.

 People's fate depended on the mist that had permission to lurk in our lungs if we let it, or on our kind that slayed each other mercilessly not even caring we should fight together, not against each other. But four years were long, people started to adjust to this new and dark world.

It was always dark, the black mist surrounded us everywhere. There were a few places where it couldn't reach, but those were already taken by powerful people. And if you don't find an ally that has a safe place to hide in. You were doomed. You had no chance.

Kim Hongjoong and his crew saved us with Yunho. We were running away from the smoke that chased us unstoppably. The smoke was spreading slowly at the beginning, it left us some time to escape from it, but after a while, there wasn’t any place to run. Then we needed masks, that we lost somewhere along the way as Yunho was pulling me by my hand, making me keep going, running away from the mysterious demon that chased us.

            We escaped the survivor camp together after one year of training there. We were in two separate survivor camps when Yunho found out where I was. Yunho was restless to find me. So, I was. It was empty without him; I barely could keep up. The camp was tough and they made us work so hard there were times when we collapsed on the floor, our strength leaving us. It was like military training but with the masks on. And it was more difficult doing it with the thing that saved you but at the same time made it harder to breathe and move. They taught us how to survive with physical but also mental training. They prepared us for the world mentally so we wouldn’t give up on our lives. There were times when I wanted to give up. But the thoughts of Yunho being alive and the moments when he appeared in my dreams encouraged me to keep going and to survive for him. I was determined to do so.

Then Yunho found me on a cold night outside, a mask covering his handsome face only his eyes visible, that I missed so much, I almost forgot how he looked. I was the guard that night on the west side of the building. I didn't recognize him at first, one year could change you, not only physically but mentally. Yunho looked more buffed than the last time I saw him. And his hair was black now. It made him more intimidating. The angelic Yunho I knew was gone. He was working so hard and it was visible on his body. He was wearing the green uniform like the men were wearing with gas masks, brown military boots, and a gun hanging from his shoulder.

He leaned down as he held me by my shoulders to steady me, preventing me from hitting him in the face. "It's me, angel. Yunho." He whispered as he looked behind him a little stressed, afraid of being caught.

I gasped, my mouth hanging open invisible through the mask. My heart started to race. After one year, I gave up hoping to see Yunho again. The light that kept me going was fading away slowly. But Yunho came in time, just as always. Giving me back the light I craved, which always kept me alive, even before the world wrapped into darkness.

"Oh my God, I thought I was never going to see you again." Tears flowed down my cheeks against my will, as I hugged him strong, wrapping my hands around his neck as he circled my waist lifting me. I teared up but I just didn't want to seem weak. But seeing him again made me feel relieved and I felt like I could breathe again, even though my lungs hadn't felt fresh air for a year now.

"I was sure I was going to find you, my angel." He pulled away a little and brushed my cheek with his hand where the mask showed a little skin as he looked at me with so much caring in his eyes. I knew I was between the right arms. "I'm proud of you for not giving up, I know it was hard for you." He leaned close to me his mask meeting mine as he leaned against my forehead, our lips could not meet but it immediately made my freezing heart melt into water that instantly flowed down my cheeks.

I just took his hand that cupped my cheek and closed my eyes, taking in his presence. "I'm grateful, Yun. I was so scared without you, but you were always in my heart and made me keep going." I nuzzled my masked face into his warm palms, that I missed so much.

He smiled at me genuinely as he pecked my cheek through the mask. "Let's get out of here." He said as he grabbed my hand and started to pull me towards the exit of the camp that was a great shelter for one year. But a new chapter started and it was now with the most important person in my life and it did not matter where our way led us until we were together. We knew it was going to be difficult fighting against the world but we were facing challenges together and that was what mattered. We held each other's hands and ran away into the misty world to find a safe place so we could survive.

Running was what we always did since that day. We ran hand in hand not letting the other go, encouraging the other if one of us wanted to give up. And we ran on the day as well when Hongjoong found us. They offered shelter for us. We were so grateful for them. We didn't understand why they took us in, they probably pitied us, or even saw the strong survivor instinct in us and took us in, as we slowly became part of the crew. For three years now.

They were some determined people. Everyone had their job, and they took it seriously. I did not want to stay there, but Yunho insisted on staying there as they were our only chance to survive.

 Their leader was a scary person, it was hard to make him calm down. But a girl, whose name was Soohee, always succeeded in quieting the man down. She was a little rebellious as she did not always obey his commands. And it broke Hongjoong one day. It made him realize it was hard to lead this many people alone. He needed Soohee by his side and it made them powerful leaders. Just as the whole crew. We were feared by the survivors.

I was sitting in the single bed we shared with Yunho in the bunker that was made out of concrete, the walls cold and dusty. The room was dark, only a little lamp lighted it up. I was sketching in a black notebook that I found in an abandoned mall in the crashed city we were staying in for a while. I was so glad I found something that reminded me of my past life. Drawing was my savior back then. I was an arts major in college and it always set me free when I could draw something. I was good at reading people's expressions and emotions by only looking at them for seconds. Drawing the emotions of people made me forget the painful feelings that suffocated me all the time. My past was difficult and it made me grow weaker over the years. No one was there to save me. I was an orphan my whole life, I didn’t know my parents, let alone my relatives. But when Yunho came into my life, I saw the light at the end of the dark tunnel.

When Yunho came into our shared room with an angry expression on his face, I was drawing him, it was a portrait of him, his features sharp just as his gaze that stared into my eyes deadly. At least one side of his was like the devil, he even had a horn on the top of his right side, his eyes as dark as the mist that haunted us. The other side of him was like an angel. A half glory was shining above his head, his eyes illuminated, his pupils gone.

I illustrated the past and the present Yunho. Back then he was an angel who would never hurt anyone, he always made compromises, so it was good for everyone. But in the present where the dark mist was full of our demons, he changed. He was nothing like the old Yunho. He was capable of destroying the already destroyed world. He was capable of killing innocent people just because he needed something from them. He was capable of anything just to keep the people we met, that became slowly our family, to protect them no matter what. And I understood why was he like this. But sometimes I did not know if it was the same Yunho I fell in love with. This destroyed world made us do things we would've never done in our past life. And I guessed it was because survival was the most important thing in this empire and that made us do things that our past selves would be ashamed of.

Yunho sat next to me a little frustrated running his hand through his black hair. He was wearing a leather-like jacket teared up on the sleeves, with black pants and his black boots. He wasn't himself these days. He seemed lost and it made my heart break. I knew the people he killed that day, haunted him in his nightmares. There were times when he woke up in the middle of the night sweating and breathing heavily as he curled up to me for some comfort.

Five years ago, when the world was normal, he was the one who saved me from my demons. Now, it was my time to save him. I wanted to help, but he showed me his vulnerable side only when he woke up nearly crying in the middle of the night. The next day he pretended like nothing happened and it made me think he did not trust me anymore.

"What's wrong Yun? You don't seem like yourself these days." I said a little worried as he leaned his head on my shoulder leaving a chaste kiss on the crook of my neck.

He sighed. "What do you mean?" He snapped his head up to look at me a little triggered.

"You seem…lost." I averted my gaze from his sharp eyes.

"I'm okay." He scoffed as he pulled up his long legs to his chest, not caring about the sheets that he dirtied with his boots.

"Why are you lying? It's me, you can tell me." I looked next to me as he leaned his head against the concrete looking up at the ceiling.

He scoffed again. "I'm not fucking lying, Y/N. I'm okay. Why do you push this topic all the time?" His frustrated gaze met mine. Here it was that look again. The look of trying to seem like everything was alright. He tried to hide his demons from me, but he just couldn't. I knew him like the back of my palm, he could never lie to me. "I just came here to be with you a little, because you always hide here and you just always come up with this shit. I'm tired of this Y/N." He looked at me like I was a nobody. And it hurt.

"I'm just trying to talk to you because you are not yourself Yunho. Why can't you just let me help you?" My voice raised as I started to feel angry.

"I don't need your fucking help!" He said nearly shouting it at my face as he stood up walking from left to right. Those words went right into my soul, making it darken with venom that was eating me up from inside.

I looked up at him, my eyes following his triggered figure. "Why can't you just fucking look at me and talk to me like I'm a normal person?" I stood up from the bed. "I know you are not fucking okay. The nights when you wake up from your nightmares prove it, but you just pretend like nothing fucking happened."

He stood in front of me, his tall figure hovering over me as he shouted. "Because nothing fucking happened."

I scoffed. "Okay, you can't be helped. I'm sick of you pretending like everything is okay up there." I pointed at my temple. "I tried, I really tried to be next to you and support you, but if you don't let me in, I can't fucking do anything." My voice came out a little stumbled as I started to feel like I could cry at any moment.

"I don't see why the hell you are telling me these things. I am alright I just want us to survive, but you just can't get the fact I would do anything to protect you." He stepped closer to me his face beyond my personal space, as his voice raised more and more.

"I know, I fucking know. I saw it when you killed those people right in front of me." I shouted back to his face.

He seemed stunned for a second like the memories of him killing those people flashed in front of his eyes. "Those people would've killed us if I wouldn't have killed them."

"I don't recognize you anymore. Where is the old lovely Yunho?" Tears welled up in my eyes.

"The old Yunho is fucking dead. You have to love me like this or just don't. It's your choice." He was cruel. How could he say those things?

"Okay, well I can't be with someone who just can't let me in and trust me," I said feeling empty all of a sudden. I closed my emotions out; they had no place to be there at that moment.

He just looked back and forth between my eyes, contemplating if I was serious. When he realized I was, he just turned with a scoff saying "Fuck this, I'm out." And slammed the door shut, its noise breaking my heart into pieces. I just fell on my knees and stared at the dusty floor. I couldn't cry, my emotions went out with Yunho on the door hoping they were going to come back.

That day Yunho, San, Jongho, and Soohee went out to set up some traps for whom might attack us. Yunho didn't even look at me when Hongjoong told them to go out. He looked cold and numb to any feelings. So, I just let him be, he might get some "fresh air" outside and come back to his senses.

They came without any warnings. Yunho and the other were away for two hours now. Their staying out shouldn't have lasted that long, but we couldn't get in contact with them through the radio we always communicated with. The line was silent and we started to get worried.

But we had no time to think about what might have happened to them. Our base got attacked and there was chaos everywhere. All of us tried to defend the base that was our home for so long. We just couldn’t lose it. The guys that attacked us were all masked and well-armed. They were strong and we had just no chance at all. They were more in number than us. But we couldn't give up. I was fighting with my full power giving in all of the knowledge I learned throughout the years. A guy came and attacked me with a fucking sword. How could they even find something like that? I had two daggers that I could use quickly and hadn't left time for the other to even think. I quickly dodged the big sword that nearly sliced my throat. I bent down and quickly cut his calves. He fell on his knees in no time and I just quickly sliced his throat without any thoughts. Then there were more. They never seemed to run out of people. They just came and came and we fought with our hearts not letting them break through our defending line.

Some of us got hurt, and Hongjoong got stabbed in the back but he fought further like he wasn't even injured, like a real warrior. Then Seonghwa, Hongjoong's best friend revenged him by taking the sword in his hands, that was on the floor, and slicing the guy's head down who dared to stab his friend in the back.

It was chaos, Mingi was on the floor unconscious, and Yeosang tried to drag him out of the war that was in the big hall of our base. I looked around for a second and everyone seemed like losing the fight. All of us were on the floor covered in blood. Two guys came to attack me at the same time and I just had no chance at all. It was a bloodbath, it looked like a battlefield, the enemy close to victory, and we just couldn't do anything.

Just until these other guys came out of the blue. They started to slice down the enemy, they helped us. And we did not know why, but we fought alongside them and killed the enemy one by one. I couldn't breathe. I was lying on the floor looking up at the ceiling and thinking of my beloved Yunho. His face appeared before my eyes and suddenly I felt at ease knowing him by my side. I needed him. He was my oxygen but he wasn't by my side. How could someone breathe without any oxygen? There was no way. And then blackness swallowed me as I fell into a cold and dark hole.

When I tried to open my eyes, I saw white. It blinded me and I couldn't fully open my eyes. The ceiling was blurry and as I started to recognize the noises of our base, was the moment when I started to feel my body. It was screaming at me from pain. My head was aching so hard when I sat up, that I needed to hold my head in my hands and scream. The demons inside my mind have woken and wanted to escape. I breathed heavily when a particular noise hit my ears. It was the beeping sound of a machine, copying the unsure beats of a heart. I looked towards my right side and Yunho was lying on a bed the machine connected to his arms, a respirator on his mouth that helped him breathe—I didn't even know we had equipment like this—I understood now, why everyone wanted this base.

It was horrible and I gasped in shock when I saw him in a motionless position. I screamed his name out loud when I stood up immediately, but my legs went numb under me and I collapsed on the floor my hands reaching towards Yunho as tears rolled down my face. I started to crawl next to Yunho on the floor as my legs just couldn't work from the sudden shock that hit me like a train.

"Hey, hey, Y/N slow down!" I heard a soft voice coming from my side as two hands slowly lifted me from the dirty ground, holding me still like a strong pillar.

"Yunho," My voice cracked as I was crying my soul out. After all, my soulmate was lying unconscious and I did not know what happened to him. Because I wasn't by his side.

"Calm down, Y/N, he is going to be okay." The soft voice came again and I looked up to the face that belonged to the arms that held me strong. It was Seonghwa. He was nearly as tall as Yunho as I needed to look up at him. His sharp features now softened and his eyes were full of worry and empathy. His long black hair fell into his eyes, his plump lift curled down like he was trying not to cry, to show me he was strong.

"Wh-what happened with him?" I asked my voice getting weak.

"They…they found an airplane while they were outside. And they thought it was a good idea to drive it…they crashed into the ocean." Seonghwa's features were frustrated like he couldn’t believe they were so idiot to drive a fucking plane that they just found. It was stupid—I bet it was Yunho's idea.

"And how is he?" I buried my head into Seonghwa's chest not daring to look towards Yunho. It hurt seeing him like this. It made my already shattered heart break more.

"He's…he's in a coma. You two were out for two days already. It was like you were connected." I started to cry harder when I heard Seonghwa's trembling voice throughout his chest. "The nerves in his brain got injured severely and it put him into a coma. It's a defense mechanism of our body, it's better for him like this like suffering while he is conscious. He is going to wake up, we just need to wait for him, hm?" He pulled away from me and cupped my face leaning down. "You have to be by his side and help him through it. We are also here for you, okay?" He wiped my tears away as he looked at me softly.

I just nodded breathing in and out. I needed to put myself together for Yunho. I wanted to help him. "I'm going to get you some food, Yeosang made your favorite." He smiled at me, trying to breathe some life into me. He succeeded and I couldn't be thankful enough for him. I held his hands that cupped my face and closed my eyes.

"Thank you Seonghwa, seriously. I don't know what would we do without you." I looked up at him with a thankful smile.

"You guys would probably be dead by now. I could not count the occasions I saved yall's asses." He said as he walked towards the door. He was our crew’s medic; he was always there to take care of us. I smiled at him and watched as he left the room with one last encouraging smile.

From then on, I did not leave Yunho's side. I was sleeping beside him, whenever my thoughts were so overwhelming it knocked me out. Or I just sketched him into my notebook laying there in the bed not moving at all. The beeping sound of the machine slowly drove me crazy as sometimes I groaned at the noise and I wanted to crash it into pieces but then it would kill Yunho so I just started to doodle angrily into my notebook. There were occasions when I talked to him, letting him know my thoughts and telling him what was happening in the bunker while he was unconscious. Everyone missed him.

It was already two weeks since the accident. Yunho was still lying unconscious. It turned out a girl saved them, as she was right at the beach when they crashed and she pulled out some information from an unconscious San so she could call help for them. I knew the girl. It happened for us to be at the same survivor camp, she was a determined and unstoppable girl and I knew she was going to survive this cruel world. She was always distant from us in the camp, she did not let anyone close and I understood. She just didn’t want to see how her friends were going to die. So, she needed to keep up a wall that separated her from disappointments. She saved Yunho's and the other's lives and I was grateful for her.

Jongho and San made it out with smaller injuries just as well as Soohee. I wasn't angry at them for surviving but why Yunho needed to suffer the consequences? Why he couldn’t just wake up so I could hug him finally and ask for an apology for arguing with him about things that didn't even make sense? We were both tired and the glass was full it overflowed our boundaries and we both broke.   

As I was looking at Yunho's soft features sitting beside his bed on a chair, while he was struggling inside his mind, fighting down his demons, his face in this state reminded me of the old Yunho I fell in love with. His lips slightly curled up even in his sleeping state his muscles relaxed, the worrying expression that always seemed to be on his face recently, now gone.

An old memory of ours popped up in my mind as I watched his soft features.

I was filming Yunho with my video camera as we were walking around the streets of Tokyo. We decided to go on a trip with the two of us so we could spend some time together. It was dreamlike. It was spring, and the weather was still chilly a little. The cherry blossoms just started to bloom, and the petals of the flowers that already withered fell on the ground making it look like a rain full of pink petals. Yunho was wearing a brown long coat with blue jeans and black Converse shoes. His hair was dyed blonde making his features look softer. He looked like he came straight out of a K-drama. He smiled at me through my camera as I filmed him, the rain pouring at us as he held an umbrella in his hands, coming towards me with a pouting face because I had no umbrella. He held it above me and stood beside me, the umbrella giving us both shelter from the rain as we stood in a walking street. He leaned down and kissed me happily. I felt like my heart would explode from how happy I felt at that moment.

Then Yunho saw a karaoke bar and of course, we needed to go in, because he loved to sing. His voice was soft and made me feel at ease like I was in the best place I could ever be. No matter where I was until I was by his side.

I smiled at him as he was standing in front of me with a microphone in his hands, smiling at me as I sat on the couch that was in the karaoke room.

"Dearest, darling, my universe. Would you take me along?" He started to sing sweetly, his eyes boring into mine, and I was blushing the whole time.

"Far away in the universe from Earth to Mars. Will you please go with me?" He reached his hands towards me as an invitation I smiled at him and took his hand.

"Run away from the world, run on. Go to the end with me, my lover." We sang together, as our voices melted into each other's. He held my hand, the microphone between us as we sang, his eyes looking at me with passion and with love.

"Give me a lovelier kiss, lover. Love is all, love is all. Love, lovе, love, love" Our voice got higher and higher as we sang, smiling into it when my voice cracked a bit. I felt like I might cry right there, because of how much he meant to me.

I found myself singing the song that made our love bloom into a mesmerizing cherry blossom, that never withered, as I looked down at Yunho’s unmoving figure.

"In the еnd, even though. How is it us? For us?" I started to sing quietly, my voice barely coming out. "Run away from the world, run on. Go to the end with me, my lover. Will it be a bad ending for us two, gone astray?" Tears fell down my cheeks like raindrops when the lyrics made so much sense. Was it the end of us? "Run away from necessity, run on. Go to the end with me, my lover." I held Yunho's hands as my sad tears fell on our hands. I closed my eyes.

"Give me a lovelier kiss, lover." A weak voice sang the song that wasn't mine. "Our love wins all, love wins all."  I snapped my eyes open and I saw Yunho looking at me with a weak and soft feature. And I started to cry harder. I jumped to the bed and on Yunho who groaned from the sudden impact. I was lying on top of him as I buried my head into his chest.

"You are here," I whispered as I still couldn't believe he woke up.

"Of course, I'm here angel." His voice was weak from the lack of speaking. I felt his hands traced up and down my back to calm me down.

"I was so scared, Yun." I lifted my head to look into his eyes. He smiled at me sweetly.

"I know, I'm here now. Come here." I scooted up, close to him as he sat up against the headboard and I straddled his legs.

I traced my fingertip on his features that I did so many times while he was unconscious, but it was different, because he looked full of life, like sunshine. My sunshine. "I'm so sorry Yunho for pushing you all the time. It was obvious you wanted to handle your feelings your own and I just didn't let you. I'm—"

"Hey, angel," His finger traced my lips to make me quiet. "I was stupid, okay? It was selfish of me, for pushing you away. I do trust you and I do love you; I was just an idiot who seemed to slowly lose himself…Forgive me please." He whispered those last words as his fingers still brushed my lips and it gave him comfort.

"It's okay, we will fight through it together, okay? After all, love wins all nah?" I smiled at him sweetly as he giggled.

"Love wins all, my angel." He whispered as he leaned closer to my lips.

And when our lips met, I felt like the world just healed and we were free to go out without a mask to breathe fresh air. Because he was my oxygen, he gave me the strength to fight the demons that haunted us in the dark mist. His hands wandered down to my waist as he pulled me impossibly closer to him, I wrapped my hands around his neck and deepened the kiss. His lips brushed against mine passionately like we were separated for an eternity. It did seem like it was an eternity. I learned my lesson and I knew I couldn't be apart from Yunho for even a second.

So, we are going to keep running hand in hand, running away from the venomous mist, or stopping to fight with the demons inside it. It didn't matter until we were together and the world was back to its normal phase.

But will the world ever go back to how it was before?

[yangqism]

don't wanna break up again | dong sicheng

actor!dong sicheng x singer!femreader

synopsis. love and sicheng don't complement each other. despite being aware of that fact, it doesn’t stop you from coming back again and again, even if your set-up consumes you. or, sicheng and you are in an on and off situationship because he’s afraid of commitment.

genre. angst, romance (if there's any LOL), situationship

warnings. excessive use of the word "manager", reader wears contacts at some point, they have UNSPOKEN FEELINGS (mainly sicheng), industry pressure, toxic relationship (i mean, situationship </3)

words. 5,882

eternal sunshine. masterlist

it started on a red carpet, where you’d been cornered by a journalist asking about your upcoming album. sicheng was standing nearby, his black suit sharp and his gaze sharper. when he glanced your way, it felt like the world shifted. later, you found yourself seated next to him at an afterparty, where the conversation flowed like an unscripted duet.

“so, do singers always write about their own heartbreaks?” he teased, a faint smirk playing on his lips.

“only the memorable ones,” you replied, meeting his eyes with a challenge of your own and a smile that could melt the world.

you didn’t know it then, but he’d leave you with more than enough material.

it’s been two weeks since that interaction you’ve had with the industry’s most sought after actor. you’ve heard all the good things about sicheng. how he’s shy in real life and he’s cool on camera. but you believed that that simply can’t be true. 

but you also believed he’s hot and now you’re here, composing a song while thinking about that small interaction with him. you don’t know where this song would go or if this would even be published, but one thing’s for sure: no one would even know that this song is for him. 

“then i had this interaction i’ve been thinking about for like five weeks,” your manager read your lyrics, cringing at them after. “what the hell is this, y/n?”

“what? a girl can’t love or something?” you sighed, putting your ballpen down and waiting for another comment about the song you’re writing. “it’s about the guy.”

“yeah! i know it’s about the guy. and i’m pretty sure that you know that if you get tangled with him, the scandal is going to be big, right?” your manager sighed. you can tell that just by thinking about how much paperworks and apology letters you guys are gonna write, if ever, if ever you and sicheng ‘would’ have some romantic escapade, your manager’s hair would wither and he’d definitely not appreciate that.

“it’s just a song! and i don’t stand a chance with that big star. he’s probably dating an a-lister actress or something,” you replied. “like probably… he’s dating that lead actress of eternal sunshine! the nepo baby! y’know… their chemistry’s unmatched,” 

“ooh, yeah! i’m actually excited to watch that series because i’ve seen the interviews! oh my god they look so good together,” this time, your manager sat beside you, gushing about how sicheng and his lead partner look good together and how much he thinks that eternal sunshine would be a hit. 

“now you’re making me sad,” you pouted, the thought of not having a chance with a big shot actor hurts you more than not winning song of the year against iu. “i even made the title track of their series based off of the story and some real life happenings in the set,” you grinned, ready to tell your manager the tea you got off of the set of eternal sunshine back when you were invited by the director.

you weren’t able to see sicheng before because he had other gigs, but the rest of the cast were there, filming the other scenes that didn’t require the actor. 

“you know, oppa, i mean… who am i kidding? everyone knows qian kun, right?” you started to over exaggerate, “apparently, he likes the director! and everyone in the set knows it… and the director’s kinda shy about it.”

“honestly? if the golden boy qian kun likes me? i’ll marry him immediately.” 

“if it were you. but the director feels a bit insecure because kun’s perfect and all. but i do believe they look good together!” 

“and how did you get this information?”

“liu yangyang. eternal sunshine’s second male lead, the one who’s gonna get dumped in the end,” you stopped the sentence but your manager knew you’re about to dump the biggest, scandalous tea about the man, “but in real life, i heard he dumped dong sicheng’s lead partner.” 

“if i’m being honest? sicheng and that nepo baby’s chemistry is better than yangyang’s and her. but i do see some reason why they would hit off.” 

“no, oppa. you don’t get it, do you?” you sighed, “yangyang worked his ass off in this industry, the nepo baby got it because of her parents! sure, she acts well… but y’know, their vision in life might be different… maybe that’s why they didn’t become a real couple,”

“how about hendery? is he really handsome in person?” your manager curiously asked, “i heard he’s a real asshole.”

“damn right, he is! that man didn’t even acknowledge me nor the staff! he just went straight to the student nurse who was interning during the film to get some paracetamols i’m pretty sure he doesn’t need,” 

“so, hendery’s hot and an asshole. got it,” 

“and dejun… we made eye contact but that’s really it! he’s so afraid of human touch. but he’s so handsome too. even more handsome than hendery and i can feel that he treats everyone nicely, he’s just afraid of being too close,”

“you got all these crazy juices just from one visit on the set and it was enough for you to write eternal sunshine. your talent scares me sometimes,” you can’t really tell if your manager was complimenting you or is weirded out by how well you remember the facts the staff have told you during your time inside the set as well as your own perceptions of every actor in it but you’d take it positively because you do agree that eternal sunshine has some interesting talents in it.

“oh! before i forget, you know that award-winning photojournalist, right? ten lee? apparently, he’s exes with sicheng’s makeup artist and his award-winning piece was a picture of her when they were still together! that’s the kind of part i got inspired to write eternal sunshine, as well as the storyline.”

“they’re not together now?” 

“yeah, but it’s so weird because you can feel the tension and i think it’d be even weirder now because they’re wrapping up the first season and ten has to get the interesting bits while the makeup artist has to make sure sicheng is the interesting bit.”

“i can tell that you enjoyed your time there, y/n. but you better not tell anyone these or they will be in deep trouble.”

“i know! i just had to let it out to you because i know you love those actor rumours and stuff,” you rolled your eyes to your manager, already used to him warning you about getting in trouble from time to time. 

when he left, you immediately continued composing your song about you and sicheng’s interaction, acting like it went to something even more special. 

“i hope i can see him again…” you took a deep breath, looking at the paper you’re writing on, wishing to see and talk to him again.

you heard whispers that sicheng would attend the music festival you were headlining in but you never really took it seriously, considering the busy schedules he probably have because of eternal sunshine. but deep down, you wished he would come and see you perform… maybe he’d talk to you again and maybe he’d be interested in you.

as the sun was setting over the vibrant landscape of the music festival, you stood at the stage, taking a deep breath before looking into the crowd. of course, you were admiring your fans who came all the way from different cities just to see you but you were also hoping to see him. and that, you did. 

you could swore it was the most romantic thing ever because he was also looking into your eyes and when your orbs met? you saw a glint of something behind his glance… or maybe it was just your contacts. 

the music started and you sang one of your greatest hits, everytime, pouring your heart and soul into performing because it’s a song that you can definitely relate to now. ‘i hope he remembers me,’ you thought while singing, hyping the audience up to sing with you.

“why, oh why does god keep bringing me back to you?” you sang looking directly at sicheng who’s also looking at you with something you can’t put into words. you couldn’t really tell what it is that you saw in his eyes when you were performing because he’s with his friends a bit farther on the stage but at least, you could see him.

after your performance, your manager quickly led you to your dressing room where your staff quickly went near you to take off some of the heavy makeup, replacing it with some blush and lip balm so you could comfortably watch and enjoy the festival. 

“y/n, change into this outfit,” one of the staff said, giving you an outfit that is extremely better than the ones you have right now. you just nodded in agreement before going to the comfort room where you changed. 

“feel comfortable now?” your manager asked, giving you a water bottle. “i saw sicheng watching you! he looks so into your performance earlier, y/n,” he added.

you could tell he was teasing you but you didn’t care. you performed your best out there because he was watching. 

“it was just eye contact, oppa,” 

before your manager could respond back to you, a familiar figure towered you from behind and judging his reaction, it was the person you least expect to be in your dressing room right now. 

“oh, sicheng! what brings you here?”

“can i talk to y/n?” his voice was humble, gentle, and comforting. you could melt then and there when you felt his breath from your back. 

your manager gave you a reassuring smile, patted your shoulder, before giving the room all to you and sicheng. 

‘this is it,’ you thought. the man you’ve been crushing over for at least a month now, behind you. now, you guys are alone in your dressing room but you can’t even try to look at him without feeling nervous. 

“hi, y/n,” he started. 

“sicheng! so glad to see you here! i almost thought you forgot about me,” you sheepishly blabbered. this time, you faced him. 

and you almost died. 

the man standing in front of you is the hottest human being ever and people around you would definitely agree if you told them that sicheng is not just a random actor. he is the actor. 

“you were great out there,” he smiled, “it’s one of my favorite songs of yours,”

“i’m glad you like it! i had fun writing it last year,” 

he leaned against the wall, looking relaxed yet attentive. “so, which one of your exes inspired you to write that?” he caught you off-guard with his teasing remark, reminding you of your first encounter with each other.

“what’s with you and my exes? are you interested in them?”

“i’m just curious how they fumbled someone like you,” he shot back with a charming smile.

“flattery won’t get you anywhere, sicheng,” you laughed and tried to shake off what he had just said. “some things just don’t work out, you know,”

sicheng just nodded to what you have just said, “try it with me?” 

this time, you scoffed, “you’re an actor, i’m a singer. that’s like… a recipe for disaster.”

“i’d be in any disaster as long as i’m with you, y/n,” he retorted, eyes staring deeply into your orbs as he waited for your response. 

“whatever, sicheng,” you rolled your eyes, smiling lightly before your manager entered your dressing room again. 

when your manager entered the room, you looked into sicheng’s direction, as if to signal that his time with you is over and he took that as a sign to give you a short farewell. 

“see you soon, y/n,” was all he said before vanishing into the endless hallways of the festival’s backstage. 

your manager’s looking at you with that stupid grin on his face, “so? what happened here and why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost? you got turned off or what?”

“woah there, buddy. calm down with those questions, will you?”

but he couldn’t really stop smiling from your interaction with sicheng again. afterall, these days you’ve been thinking about the actor nonstop. 

“he wanted me to try to play the game of love with him. to be in a relationship with him, i guess?” this time, your manager smiled even wider, waiting for you to continue. “stop looking at me like a creepy man,”

“you know what this means right, y/n?” he started, “to have one of the most popular actors talk to you after your performance,” 

“yeah dude, it means they want to get in my pants!” you replied annoyingly.

“or you could’ve maintained the innocent route and answered, ‘oh! it means he’s interested in me!’” your manager mocked your voice to prove a point with both of his index and middle finger doing the air quote-unquote symbol. 

“i know…” you whined, “but what if we won’t work out? what if we end up like those songs i wrote about heartbreaks?” 

but your manager could only give you a reassuring tap on your shoulder, “then write another song about it,”

your manager is actually right. 

at this point in time, you might write another song about a heartbreak. it’s been months now, since that dressing room interaction with sicheng and after it, you found yourself entangled with the actor. in every place you never thought about, actually! 

“still waiting for him?” the lead actress asked you. 

right, you’re in the filming site right now, waiting for sicheng because he told you to come to his apartment later. you decided it was better for the both of you to come at the same time so as to prevent suspicion from the public eye. afterall, your manager is already stressed when you inform him about the situation with sicheng now.

“yeah, i am. how’s the filming going?” you tried to make a short conversation with the lead actress. even though the public has said countless bad comments about her, she’s actually nice and easygoing. and easygoing in a sense that this girl has probably never seen a bad guy in her life! 

“sicheng’s been acting grumpy nowadays. i think it has to do with his dating rumour with karina,” she started, sitting beside you. “you know how those idol-actor rumour goes,”

you nodded. of course, you do know how those go considering you’ve had countless rumours with many men, some of them you didn’t know even existed. but sicheng’s is different because his company keeps on pushing him to do it, telling him it’s ‘good’ publicity. 

before you and the lead actress of eternal sunshine could continue your conversation, sicheng and yangyang came into the picture. the latter gave you a gummy smile whilst signalling the lead actress to follow him. you assumed they have made up and are now in a relationship but you could only assume, sicheng doesn’t tell you stuff. 

“let’s go,” sicheng gave you a half-smile before leading you to his van where yuta, his manager, has been waiting for the both of you.

“hello, yuta,” you greeted politely.

“hi, y/n. sorry if it took long for sicheng to wrap up tonight, it’s an important scene that the director wants to finish immediately,” 

“you don’t need to tell her that, hyung. y/n understands, right?” the actor looked into your direction, giving you his charming smile. 

you smiled back, giving him the satisfaction. 

you will definitely write a song about this.

it’s never ending, honestly. your nights with sicheng in his apartment. him cuddling you to sleep while helping you write lyrics then you begging him to spoil eternal sunshine just for the man to smirk at your pleading face before telling you to go to sleep.

it’s those nights that made you stay with what you guys have but on mornings, you would wake up alone in his bed, leaving you wondering where he might have gone. 

on the first night he had left you alone, you waited until lunch for him to come home but he never did. you only realized that he had come to another filming site when your manager called you, worrying where’d you went the night before. then it happened again and again, urging you to tell your manager what really is happening but you couldn’t give an answer because the two of you haven’t talked about what you guys have right now. 

“it’s been hard, oppa,” you started, sighing on the way home the next morning after your encounter with sicheng and yuta last night. “i can’t believe i’m letting him do this to me,”

“why don’t you ask him about your status? you just can’t keep on waking up alone in that bed if you guys have something going on,”

“i don’t want to pressure sicheng, especially now when things start to get stressful in his work,”

your manager sighed in disbelief, closing his eyes in disappointment to what you have just said. “you’re preparing for an album too, y/n. things are also stressful on your side,” 

“he’s an actor, he has more things to think about than what we are,” 

you try to convince yourself that everything is okay. his texts grew shorter, his calls less frequent. hell, he rarely invites you on set. but when he’s with you? it was like he was a different person. soft, attentive, and present. he would make you dinner and tell you you’re the prettiest thing on earth, only to be left behind the morning after. 

mornings with sicheng are nonexistent. it made you feel used, unloved, and sad. but asking him your label is more humiliating. you’re afraid of putting things into his mouth, afraid he might lose interest in you if you’ve ever asked him about the two of you. 

you’re afraid to be too much for him. 

but you’re only human and he’s pushing you to the edge now. you’ve been overwhelmed with your recording session earlier and sicheng has not replied to any of your messages, even after you finished recording–your phone still had no sign of him seeing your chats and replying to you. 

after the grueling session with your manager inside the recording studio, you immediately left him to go at sicheng’s apartment, even if there’s a risk of getting caught by paparazzis. you just can’t help it now, you’re getting suffocated and confused and hurt. you’re getting every feeling you are not supposed to feel when in love. 

you rang his doorbell for the nth time until a sleepy sicheng opened the door. 

“do you even care about this?” if you weren’t tired and mad, you would’ve melted at his appearance now but your voice was trembling and your legs were shaking as he left you inside his apartment. 

“what kind of question is that, y/n?” his voice was sleepy but his tone was defensive.

“the kind i have to ask because you never let me in,” now, your frustration is spilling over and your mind is not working right. “i’m always the one chasing you, sicheng! aren’t you tired of running from me? haven’t you thought about what i feel?” 

for a moment, you thought he might say something to ease the ache in your chest. instead, he sighed and turned his back on you. “this is who i am, y/n. you agreed to be linked with someone like me in the first place. if i’m not enough for you, maybe you should leave,” 

the first break up was messy (like the other ones that followed). you tried to convince yourself that it was a mutual one but your manager, and everyone around you, didn’t believe you. 

you remember the way back home, your manager picking you up crying at sicheng’s apartment parking lot. he bit his lip and ran his fingers through his hair before picking you up, telling you to shush and calm down but you never did. all you did that night was cry and ask your manager if you were not enough. 

when your mind was kind of cleared, you realized that maybe distancing yourself to sicheng is for the better. afterall, you both had your careers and responsibilities. maybe being with an actor is really a disaster. 

but the break up didn’t last like how you expected it to do. a few weeks later, he showed up to your apartment, which also counts as the first time he went there, after his schedule. he didn’t greet you with his calm and comforting demeanor like the first time, he was cold and unreadable–distant but pleading.

“i shouldn’t be here,” he admitted as you told him to come inside, “but i couldn’t stay away,”

and just like that, you were back in the loop. nights that felt like promises and mornings that broke you all over again. 

“are you sure about this, y/n?” your manager oppa asked you.

“yeah! i feel him changing for the better, oppa,” you smiled brightly, eyes scanning the setlist for your upcoming concert.

“waking up with him beside you doesn’t count as change, y/n! you still haven’t asked him about what you guys are!” he scolded but you avoided his glance.

the truth is, you did. you asked again. it was inside your apartment this time. it was around december, when everything felt cold outside but inside felt even colder.

your head in sicheng’s lap as the both of you watched the latest episode of eternal sunshine. he was watching your reaction as kun’s character was being teased by the lead actress and hendery. 

“sicheng,” you called. 

“hmm?” 

“are you ready?” you asked. unlike the last time where you had the guts to confront him, you didn’t have the courage to do so that night. you were afraid of what he had to say but you wanted to ask. you had to ask him. 

“y/n…” he started, he was caressing your hair as if to comfort you but deep inside, you know it’s his conscience eating him up, “i’m sorry,” 

you shouldn’t have asked. 

it was humiliating but you can’t help the tears streaming down sicheng’s pajamas. you were crying while still in his lap. but what made you hurt more was him, raising the volume of the television just so he couldn’t hear you aching because of him. 

you fell asleep with an achy heart that night. the day after, sicheng distanced himself from you, feeling ashamed of what he did. you guys did break up again that time but you didn’t have the guts to tell your manager because, like what you expected, the both of you reconciled again. 

and then broke up, once more.

when eternal sunshine’s director invited you to the set again, you were hesitant to come but your manager encouraged you to do so, saying something along the lines of ‘face your fears’ or something. 

“hello, y/n! long time no see!” the director beamed at your presence, “i told sicheng to bring you here anytime but he never did! your presence is missed deeply,” 

“oh… we kinda broke up,” you sheepishly said, the atmosphere now awkward. before the director could apologize, you quickly added “it’s not like there’s something to ‘break’ ‘cause there was never an us in the first place… but y’know,”

she gave you a sad smile, “it didn’t work out, huh?”

“he didn’t work it out with me,” 

it was true. you tried your best to understand sicheng but every break up you guys had also made him even distant. sure, he was better than the first one–he would kiss your cheek, make you dinner and breakfast but everything felt empty. as if he was doing all those stuff to keep you to stay. 

“anyways,” the director cleared her throat, “i called you here because i wanted to talk about the album you’re doing for season 1 and 2. i assume your manager has told you to have it finished by the exact time the last episode of season 1 airs?” 

you nodded. even during the second break up that your manager didn’t know, he made you aware of the album situation with eternal sunshine. the ost you made became a hit that everyone is demanding another song from you for the series however, both parties agreed that an album would be beneficial for you and the drama. 

you couldn’t say no to your manager, especially when he looked so ecstatic telling you about the opportunity. music was your escape, but during those times it was tying you even closer to the man you couldn’t let go of. 

making an album for the drama also includes you visiting the set just so you could get the vibes, to make it as close to the characters as possible. 

“y/n-ssi! dejun made cookies and he said this is for you,” qian kun warmly acknowledged your presence before giving you the cookies dejun had made, “he said it’s for you. he hopes that he can cheer you up with these,” 

“oh, thank you, kun! i hope to see him next time to give thanks personally,” you gladly accepted the cookies and yangyang joined in your conversation. 

“that won’t happen, noona! dejun always disappears after his scenes so he’s not really close to anyone except the cast,” yangyang butted in, picking a cookie from your stash. “yum!” 

“yangyang!” kun tried to scold the younger man but he already dashed off to where the director was, discussing the next scene. 

“have you tried to make a move on the director yet, kun?” you teased, knowing that he had been trying to make a move, it’s just that the director keeps on dodging his advances.

“trust me, y/n. i’ve been trying,” he sounded so helpless you almost saw you in him, when you were still a mess. “he’s coming,” 

kun warned you but it couldn’t prepare you to see sicheng again, after a month. you vividly remember that time when you guys reconciled but called it off again after a week. this is the first time you’re seeing him again as you were determined to not meet him when visiting the filming site. 

“long time no see, y/n-ssi,”

and it hurt you more than the break ups you had with him.

the album, also titled eternal sunshine, became your most personal work. each track was a piece of your heart laid bare as well as the cast’s personal stories they had disclosed to you, but one song in particular, don’t wanna break up again, resonated louder than the rest. it was raw. it was everything you wanted to say put into a song. every lyric was a plea you can’t say aloud. 

when the album was released alongside the last episodes of the series, it was an instant hit. interviews came pouring in, but the questions were never just about the music. everyone wanted to know who the music was for.

“so, y/n! it’s been so long!” the host greeted you, “the song, don’t wanna break up again, is incredibly emotional! everyone was hooked! can you possibly tell us what inspired you to write such a heart wrenching song?” 

you hesitated for a moment, your chest tightening. a particular name was aching to be let out by your mouth but you swallowed it down. you smiled forcefully, like what the management had trained you before when you were still a trainee. “it’s about loving someone who pushes you into your limit, thinking you’re too much for them,” you said every word carefully, “that even though they’re making you feel all the bad stuff, you still hold onto them–like a cycle of losing and wanting,” 

“sounds personal,” the interviewer teased, wanting to pry just a little more. “is it based on your own experience?”

your throat felt dry, but you gracefully replied, “i think it’s fitting for eternal sunshine, actually! but i think everyone’s been through something like that,” 

but not everyone had a sicheng. not everyone had nights where love was promised and mornings where it shattered into pieces. 

the thing you have been dreading to happen, happened. your fans caught up to everything. the media caught up. 

the speculation began online after the wrapping up press conference of the cast where they were singing your album’s tracks. the part where they were singing don’t wanna break up again trended like wildfire that everyone talked about for weeks… because they were singing it straight into sicheng’s face.

clues were pieced together. from your social media posts, sicheng’s cryptic interviews, to his unusual behavior while everyone was singing your song. 

to your fans, it made total sense. this was your most personal album and everything you and sicheng had been saying on your separate interviews during the ‘plotted’ timeline, as what they have been saying on x, connected with each other. 

“GUYS! do you remember when sicheng was wearing a hoodie oddly similar to y/n’s and then us finding out it was custom-made?” one fan tweeted, garnering thousands of likes.  “‘we both know this time, so we say goodbye’ y/n REALLY got in the studio, wrote THIS, and thought we wouldn’t figure it out. sis, you played yourself,” another one butted in.  “‘this situationship has to end but i just can't refuse’ i KNOW this line has sicheng pacing around his living room rn. he’s probably listening to it on repeat like the rest of us but for HIM it’s personal.”

“this is bad, y/n! everyone’s linking you to sicheng,” stress is an understatement if you were to describe your manager right now, answering calls and texts here and there.

“if this was months ago, i would’ve loved all of these, won’t i?” you teased, remembering the time you imagined your manager’s hair withering from the stress a dating scandal with sicheng would bring him, not thinking it would become real. 

soon, you and sicheng became a hot topic together, with the netizens creating video edits pairing scenes from eternal sunshine with snippets of your performances. every lyric from that song of yours was scrutinized, with don’t wanna break up again becoming the anthem of the speculation. 

it was only a matter of time a fearless journalist popped the question, “your fans are convinced that the song is about a certain actor. do you have any comments on that?”

that wasn’t part of the question list they have submitted on your management prior to this interview so you were taken a back. you looked at the side to see your manager’s eyebrows knitted together, completely disappointed to the journalist. “i think art speaks for itself, it’s up for the listener to interpret it,” you replied, giving the journalist a kind smile. 

“but doesn’t it make you uncomfortable, knowing that everyone is connecting your song to someone specific?” it seems like a kind smile won’t falter this journalist’s pressing questions. 

“heartbreak is universal. the details don’t matter as much as the emotions,” 

behind close doors, however, the attention was harder to ignore. your team advised you to avoid addressing the rumours and apologized for the inconvenience the journalist had caused earlier. 

“it’s fine, it’s not like everyone expected for that to happen,” brushing off their concern.

despite the media buzzing over the possible ‘biggest’ dating rumour ever in the industry, sicheng and his management remained silent. it stung you deeply, for him, someone you loved dearly, to not go against his management rules and defend you. but what’s there for him to defend about? 

his management, so quick to fabricate a public romance with karina to boost his movie, now met the storm with a calculated indifference. no denial, no defense–just the old school silence, hoping it will die down after a day or so. as if you were just a fleeting rumour unworthy of their acknowledgement. 

sadly, the buzz grew when photos surfaced of the two of you entering sicheng’s apartment. you think it was that night when you were overwhelmed with everything that you just stormed out of your recording booth to ask him. thankfully, the photo didn’t show you and sicheng’s face but with the silhouette? it was clear that it was the both of you.

one evening, after another press junket, you found yourself face-to-face with sichang again. he’d been avoiding you per his management’s request but here he is, leaning against the wall of your dressing room. 

it was like the first meeting again. when he asked you out.

“the album,” he started. his voice was softer than you expected, making you remember the nights where he’d sing to you, “it’s beautiful,”

you forced a smile, “thank you,” your tone was neutral, “i guess heartbreak makes good music,”

his jaw tightened, “you think i don’t know?”

this time, you tried your best not to let out a sarcastic laugh, “do you?” you were challenging him, stepping closer to feel his aura deteriorating, “because you made sure it never stops,” 

for a moment, sicheng didn’t say anything and you thought he’d run away from you again. then, quietly, “i never wanted to hurt you, y/n,”

“but you did, sicheng!” your voice was full of ache, “and you kept on doing it. every time, sicheng… i think i’ve moved on and then you pull me back in. i thought you were getting better but you didn’t. i thought i was too much for asking what we had, you know? you made me feel bad for demanding things that shouldn’t been demanded in the first place,” 

he tried to touch your cheek, noticing a tear falling down your eye but you stepped back, “i’m sorry, y/n,” 

you shook your head, “just stop, sicheng. please?”

the final break up, or the closure (like what your manager likes to call it), wasn’t loud or dramatic. it was quiet, mature, and comforting. it was like a song fading out. the first weeks, he kept on calling, begging you to stay by his side but you know that if you did, you’ll be back in the cycle that favors him the most, the type where you lose yourself in the process. 

so, you stopped answering his calls and eventually, he stopped making them. 

the world never really moved on from you and sicheng but the speculations died down. in the end, your album and the series’ excellence were praised by everyone without bringing up the scandalous romantic escapade you had with sicheng. 

late at night, when you stared out at the city lights, the memories still lingered, soft yet cutting. despite knowing how disastrous it was to love him, you had returned again and again, hoping for something more… something that he wasn’t ready to give you despite him telling you to try it with him. 

and in the end, you let him slip through your fingers, even as your heart begged you to hold on just one more time. because beneath the longing for his touch and warmth, you know it had to end at some point. 

COMING UP NEXT.  “yangyang worked his ass off in this industry, the nepo baby got it because of her parents! sure, she acts well… but y’know, their vision in life might be different… maybe that’s why they didn’t become a real couple,”

[neouime]

Love Wins All: An Analysis

Here are my notes for the music video. I have more to say, but it's already two in the morning where I live, and I have been sitting here admiring and contemplating IU's artistry since four hours ago. My butt hurts. I will come here later once I let my thoughts marinate.

There's a cube object chasing after them. - The cube is obviously the antagonist of the story. I have no idea why they chose a cube rather than any other creature or shape. Maybe because the design is simple? I think a cube is a smart choice. It looks like human technology, something man-made. The cube may be an invention that was once intended for the benefit of humankind but ended up becoming an instrument for control. The shape of the cube with its equal sides can represent a system that demands conformity.

IU is mute/deaf (she uses sign language), and Taehyung is blind in one eye. - There is one reading by a Korean UAENA about how they represent people with disabilities. There is one cube targeting IU and Taehyung. No other people are shown, but by the end of the music video, we can see several floating cubes outside the building. We can deduce how the cubes may be specifically searching for individuals like them who are marginalized and in hiding.

There is a scene where IU performs on stage, and black figures point their fingers at her. - IU explicitly declared that the song is dedicated to her loved ones, including her fans. We can interpret the black figures as representing people who spread unnecessary hate (혐오) against artists like IU. (Regardless of context, pointing your fingers in Korean culture is considered rude. It is associated with assigning blame or picking out flaws.)

Both the cube and the people in black are forces that persecute and discriminate, respectively. - This reading stems from the fact that IU is a well-known personality in real life and that her character in the story has disabilities.

While there is a male and female lead, the story and the song are not exclusively romantic. LWA is a fan song. Taehyung represents UAENAs. 

While IU sings on stage, he gives her flowers and looks at her adoringly. - They are able to spend moments both happy and sad by each other's side. At the end of the story, Taehyung stands in front of IU to defend her from the cube and destroy it, while IU comforts him and covers his eyes as they're killed.

The camera and the pile of clothes are details prompting an intertextual reading. - This will be familiar to ARMY, but the pile of clothes is an installation by Christian Boltanski. This does not require further explanation since we can infer what it symbolizes from the story's outcome. On the other hand, the camera is something that is more important to the plot than it seems. It captures only the beautiful and healthy appearance of IU and Taehyung. The Korean UAENA I mentioned earlier said that the camera shows an existence where people with disabilities can live happily. 

The camera shuts down by the end of the music video. - Nothing is recorded, and the memories are lost. But then, how does "love win all?" Okay, we'll look at the lyrics. "찬찬히 너를 두 눈에 담아 한 번 더 편안히 웃어주렴 (With my eyes, I memorize you thoroughly. Let's laugh in peace once more.)

Artists like IU come and go. - For every single and album she releases, IU writes an introduction. For LWA, she sums up the story as a promise to "fade away together splendidly." Also, the lyrics "필연에게서 도망쳐 Run on" appear, which both mean to run away from (도망쳐, to escape) and to run towards the "inevitable." (Korean is not my first language so pardon me if I'm wrong, but I think there's a mistake with the translation provided in the music video. There, the lyrics say "run away from necessity, run on." They use the word necessity, but she's referring to an event that is certain to occur.)

Memories [of their music and their moments with fans] are all lost to history; what matters is to live in the moment. (You don't need a camera to prove that you existed and lived your life.) This aligns with her values as an artist. In her interviews, IU says her goal is to perform (creation rather than chart success).

You may say that the story is tragic because they both die in the end, but they were at peace since they were together. "일부러 나란히 길 잃은 우리 두 사람" (The two of us, side by side, gone astray on purpose). **Edit: IU Team StarCandy on Twitter translated the phrase 길 잃은 우리 as "[we] who took the road less travelled."

I love the lines "너와 슬퍼지고 싶어 My lover" (I want to be sad with you) and "부서지도록 나를 꼭 안아" (Crush me, wrap me tightly in your arms). It illustrates the relationship between IU as an artist and her fans. The song is a declaration of her intention to cherish the good and bad with us. She does not mind even if the pressure of our love sometimes feels intense. She believes love has the power to break you down, but instead, it builds you up. 

Additionally, the line "나와 함께 겁 없이," which is translated as "Will you courageously set with me?" actually more literally translates to "together with me, without fear." There is trust between IU and her lover. In other words, they may not know where the journey leads them, but they consciously choose to walk to it together.

A few more details from the music video that I loved are as follows. I like that the food (the macaron) is connected to memory and joy. It's the end of the world, but they haven't lost their imagination, hope, and ability to delight in each other's presence. In a way, food is crucial to survival in terms of sustenance and because it brings simple pleasure.

After taking a bite, they are transported to a less dreary setting. Their clothes are the same, but they're no longer tattered. Of course, things aren't perfect because while things are more clean, the people themselves remain evil. IU and Taehyung maintain their cheerful disposition even as the black figures appear and surround them.

IU and Taehyung choose to be happy. They dress up and dance around the room despite the reality that everything is still in ruins. (The photo booth is lit in bright, warm colors, while the room outside is cold and blue. Another piece of evidence for this interpretation is that while they're blissfully taking pictures, the strips come out showing Taehyung's milky eyes.)

I also like the alternative explanation for why IU is deaf, and Taehyung is partially blind. - IU performs happily in front of the crowd of black figures. It may mean that she either cannot hear or will not listen to their words of hate. As for Taehyung, he is partially blind to IU's faults. IU (the idol/artist) is the one leading them as they run while Taehyung (their fan) follows, their hands clasped in each other.

Moreover, neither of them speaks throughout the story. Whether IU is deaf or she signs to avoid making noise and risk their capture, I think it's beautiful that they can communicate through gestures. The relationship between fan and artist goes beyond the need for words (which is ironic, too, since we become fans of IU's music before the artist herself. Through her lyrics, we learn of her personality and how she sees the world).

I LOVE their acting. It's almost scarily good how IU can convey her love through her gaze. The smallest details too!! Her softly tapping Taehyung's shoulder to calm him while he tightly grips her hand as they face death? Chills.

Okay, I'm back. I just want to add this:

I said that the song is not exclusively romantic. However, the element of romance is indeed important to the plot. It elevates the story by depicting people (including those with disabilities) finding love even in the middle of hardship. - Their hardship is not the disability itself but rather the prejudices in the world that limit the possibilities they can enjoy.

IU and Taehyung know that the "end" is "inevitable" (she uses both words in her lyrics), and they know that they can only steal these short moments of happiness, but they still try to "look for the opposite of loneliness" (오랜 외로움 그 반대말을 찾아서).

Trivia: IU says that whenever she's stuck with writing a song, she uses the suggestion of a peer (Kim Eana) to look up the meaning of a word in the dictionary. Thus, giving birth to the idea love = opposite of feeling/being alone.

Love as an act of resistance - Viewing a brighter world through the camera, IU wearing the veil, and the pair teasing the black figures (IU sings on the stage despite their jeering and they run around the room) are acts of resistance. They may have a poor imagination (가난한 상상력), wherein they still desire to become "normal" and without their disabilities, but it is also thanks to their imagination that they are able to endure.

Note: The translations are mine. It's always difficult to think of how to word sentences that fully preserve the sentiment of the source, especially since they're song lyrics.

[letustalkaboutlevihan]

5) DOES HANGE HAS FEELINGS FOR LEVI?

In Chapter 115 of the Manga, we can see how worried Hange was for Levi.

Levi got caught and blown by the explosion of the thunder spear causing him to lose 2 of his fingers and got badly injured and wounded. He's bathing with his own blood and barely breathing/alive.

When Floch said that they're going to shoot Levi on his head, Hange lied by saying Levi is already dead... (look at the way she held Levi's head! 😭😭 She held him like he's the most fragile thing in the world.)

Her reaction when Floch told her he's going to check/confirm by himself if the captain is really dead or not. She looks mad and worried at the same time. Luckily, Floch and the other Yeagerists' attentions was moved to Zeke who just recovered his whole body, Hange took that chance to risk everything and take Levi to a safe place with her.

In chapter 126, Hange shot her comrades who's pursuing them in order to protect Levi. Her tears were falling down because she doesn't want to kill them, but had Hange hesitated to do it, Levi will be the one who'd get killed. She killed her comrades before they could kill Levi to keep him safe.

She treated his wounds and talked to him though she knew he's unconscious.

"I'd rather the two of us to just live here. Right, Levi?"

Just by looking at Hange's eye before she said those words, you can see and feel her sincerity. She doesn't said it as a joke as she doesn't have time to do it. AND SHE THOUGHT LEVI WAS SLEEPING so she just let those words out—to pour her real feelings out. There are panels where Hange said she's tired and she admitted it herself when she talked with Mikasa and Jean, telling them she's serious about wanting to run away from her responsibilities... But she doesn't want to run away... alone.

She wants Levi to run away with her.

Singers like IU wrote songs about wanting to run away with their lover... The lyrics goes like, "Dearest, Darling, My Universe, will you take me with you?" "Far in the Universe, from Earth to Mars, could you come with me?"

I do believe that Hange meant to say those words to Levi as a confession. Because if she doesn't mean it in a romantic way, why would she blush after she found out that Levi heard her?

Is it because she's shy that Levi heard her talking to herself? They are close friends, so what's there to be shy about? Whatever the reason was, it just proves that she cares about what Levi would think about her.

Which is really ironic because Hange isn't the type of a person who cares about what others would think about her. But she cares about how Levi would think of her because she has romantic feelings for him.

(If you have more time, you can watch this video on YouTube.)

So does Hange loves Levi? Does Hange has romantic feelings for Levi?

If loving someone means...

1) lying to protect that person

2) risking your own life to save that person

3) killing your comrades in order to keep that person safe

4) wanting to run away and live with that person just the two of you, together

5) hugging that person like they are the most precious thing in the world for you,

then, Hange, indeed, has romantic feelings for Levi 💜💚

to be continued~

(continuation here)

[joshiji-darlingyuyuno]

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ࣪. 𝐤𝐲𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐨𝐨 𝐱 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐧 ୭ ˚. ᵎ

𐙚˙ songs about each other 𐙚˙

ᵃᵏᵃ ᵗʰᵉ ˡᵒᵛᵉᵇⁱʳᵈˢ ʲᵘˢᵗ ˢᵉʳᵉⁿᵃᵈⁱⁿᵍ ᵉᵃᶜʰ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ (〜￣▽￣)〜

first off, these damn lovebirds are either writing songs about or for each other, or covering the other's song

urgh, people in love（；´д｀）ゞ

anyways, so we know suin is a well-established and recognised producer, songwriter, etc.

and because of that suin has dedicated many love songs, cute or sad, to kyungsoo

and kyungsoo has dedicated songs to her as well, so lets review them together!

ᯓᡣ𐭩 ࣪ 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 ୭ ˚. ᵎ

song no.1 ┈─ ⚝ I do - d.o

the lyrics are such a sweet love letter to suin

kyungsoo said that once he read lyrics and heard the song, he knew he wanted to sing it for suin

the 'i do' is nod to their wedding and marriage of coursee

and kyungsoo requested suin be a feature on the song, and so they included duet sections, with suin joinning in the back-and-forth part in the second verse, and the ending chorus

"How would we look as one, not two? I know you and you know me like we're onе"

"I just have one wish If I tell you, would you say, "I do, I do"? With a smile, please tell me, "I do, I do"

watch the tiktok/video i made for this! here <3

song no.2 ┈─ ⚝ love wins all

original ┈─ iu

omg this beautiful song, yes

kyungsoo was in the mv, the music video had a whole storyline, they played two individuals, blind in one eye and one deaf, the mv was a message about discrimination, etc. (you know that plot of the original mv, but instead of taehyung, its kyungsoo instead)

but regardless, the song itself describes two lovers running away to the ends of the earth together

ooh! and theres a small reference to kyungsoo's song mars, a nice way to shoutout the person she wrote the song for and was in the mv so

there is also a sweet reference to her fandom, dearest, and her previous duo group, darling, in the opening line

(i will have a seperate post about the love wins all mv, Here)

"Far away in the universe from Earth to Mars Will you please go with me?

"Dearest, darling, my universe Would you take me along?"

"Run away from the world, run on Go to the end with me, my lover"

song no.3 ┈─ ⚝ only

original ┈─ lee hi

the proposal.

yes, this song's mv was their engagement announcement

the mv was absoultely adorable and of course, it broke the internet.

not only was this song to announce their engagement, but this was how they revealed their relationship

safe to say, there was a lot to process for dearests, exo-ls and well, the entire industry

not only did this song go viral in korea and overseas, but they headlined for the entire month

also the day they were dubbed the 'soosoo' couple

and the most beloved couple in korea

after this, the paparazzi photos of their outings were released, and details of their relationship was the highly sought after by the public

the mv consisted of clips of their relationship, revealing their long-term relationship, and revealing their history (read that here!)

but the last clip was the footage from the proposal, from the perspective of the exo and svt members (you can clearly hear them lol)

(i may write a seperate post for this mv as well! stay tooned!)

"Be my only one I don't have to hide my feelings anymore"

"Now I believe La-la-la-la-la-la-la, I sing a song like this With the one I was desperately looking for My, oh my, oh my, oh my love Be my only love"

song no.4 ┈─ ⚝ my old story (나의 옛날이야기)

original ┈─ iu

'my old story' - a song suin remade

the song's lyrics resonated with suin, espeically during the period of time when her and kyungsoo had broken up

"Do you remember that lonely alley? I still remember it now The days when I couldn't say "I love you" and was anxious Did you know? The beautiful nights of the past when we were young and foolish I still love them"

"If you hear this song Please come to me I'm waiting for you"

song no.5 ┈─ ⚝ about time - d.o

ahh the sad song...

this song was also during their break up period (will write soon! here)

basically, the song perfectly sums up how kyungsoo felt after losing suin and the lyrics describes his regret

although it was released wayyy after their break up, kyungsoo held onto this song for a while, he didn't know if he wanted to release it as in 2024, they were happily married, why would he release their breakup song?

but suin loved the song so much, that she begged him to release it so she could listen to it

kyungsoo found it funny that she would even like that song that literally described his guilt, but according to her "its a good reminder of your idiocy :)" (pft- kyungsoo gagged)

"Why are things always so precious? I realized it only after I lost it The hand I finally held I recognize you only after letting go"

"You've been by my side when there was no reason I didn't know back then For someone's sake I would give up all of my everything for you"

(^ahh forshadowing/hint at why they broke up hehe)

more:

(I can another post like this for the following songs, if yall want me to, and i can also make a playlist ;))

┈─ d.o's love songs:

Mars, Rose, Popcorn, I do, About time, Ordinary days, My Dear, Somebody, I’m Gonna Love You, I’m Fine, Wonder, My Love, The View

┈─ suin's:

all because i liked a boy (sabrina c.), off my face(justin b.), me after you(paul kim), say yes (punch&loco), take a chance with me (niki), hate you (jungkook), try again (jaehyun), fix my makeup (wax), someday (btob), epilogue (iu), maybe its not our fault (yerin baek), let u break my heart again & so this is how it feels (laufey),right where you left me & mastermind & corneila street (taylor s.)

┈─ covers & duets:

kyungsoo covering suin's 'through the night', love wins all. suin covered 'mars', their duet 'meaning of you'

please check out the masterlist and if yall want to be tagged in future works, comment and ill tag yall!! happy reading <3

kwon suin masterlist

comment for requests!

[eightmakesonebraincell]

LOWRAIN what kpop songs would YOU recommend to a first timer (i already got yumis ;)

honestly from the sounds of it your friend has 🤏🤏🤏 taste so this is a very skewed list of songs i'd rec based off the fact that they seem to like (?)instrumental ?? whatever that even means when it comes to a song with lyrics 🤨

she's in the rain - the rose take me down - the rose forever only - jaehyun don't wanna cry - svt you were beautiful - day6 regulus - onewe journey - woodz winter winter - n.flying love wins all - iu beautiful pain - btob not afraid - 1team let's - hoppipolla hold tight - vav fever - enhyphen escape - gi-dle deju vu - txt heaven - txt nap of a star - txt only you - o.when call anytime - jinu, mino smoky - joohoney our dawn is hotter than day - svt cws - woosung, bm party tonight - lydia ganada, aleebi be together - btob sunday night drive - jay park heaven (feat. heize) - eden, heize given-taken - enhyphen movie star - cix overdrive - i.m butterfly - bts spring day - bts guilty - taemin rise - taemin i'm crying (korean vers.) - taemin face - got7 downpour - ioi

[skzpixie]

For my Youth - Pixie's First debut album

Cw: Toxic relationships, mental health/suicidal thoughts

Taglist: @mynameisnotlaura, @palindrome969

Discography and the meanings behind each song

EVIL⋆Animal farm⋆VOID⋆The happiest girl⋆Bullet⋆Dead man runnin'⋆Happier than ever⋆Alone⋆Definition of ugly is⋆Don't wanna cry⋆Love wins all

Evil (OG by Melanie Martinez) Toxicity of a relationship that was never good Animal farm (OG by BiBi) Societies pressure put on celebrities and specifically female idols Void (OG by Melanie Martinez) Feeling insecure about your body The happiest girl (OG by Blackpink) Faking your feelings for ones that don't care Bullet (OG by Hollywood Undead) The struggles of her mental health and her own suicide attempt Dead man runnin' (OG by SELUGI) Being trapped in a toxic relationship Happier than ever (OG by Billie Eilish) Her own involvement of a toxic relationship when she was young Alone (OG by WooIn) The pain of being alone Definition of ugly is (OG by The rose) Insecurity and feeling that you don't belong Don't wanna cry (OG by Seventeen) The heart aching from heartbreak Love wins all (OG by IU) Dedicated to her late parents, it was one last love letter to them

Public reaction:

Many people were shocked, as she had not let people believe she was even working on songs due to their comeback that just happened.

Along with the support for the idol, many Knets were angry at her due to the vulgar lyrics in some of them and her depiction of mental health being more upbeat

Along with the album, she released her first SKZ-record song, I'll die anyway(OG by Girl in red).

With the album released, she received overwhelming support from not only international fans but most of the public of South Korea. She still got a lot of backlash, which only made her more adamant on publishing her album.

[megumi-fm]

this week on megumi.fm ▸ coding and coffeeshops

📋 Tasks

💻 Internship ↳ lab meet!!! got to learn about the other projects in the lab ↳ got work from home approved!! ↳ optimize protein seq code // account for missing residues ✅ ↳ add on a binding site identifier function for code using 4.5A distance threshold ✅ ↳ optimize binding site code // reducing time complexity for large PDB file inputs ✅ ↳ download and extract alphafold human protein repository and analyze pdb file formats ↳ set up progress tracker and upload code on colab ✅ 🎓 Uni ↳ Final Project: update images quality according to changes mentioned ✅ ↳ renew uni email for extra credit classes ✅ ↳ extra credit classes started this week! 🩺Radiomics Projects ↳ call with teammates to discuss next steps ✅ 📧 Application-related ↳ finished masters application form for 1/1 Uni (waiting on my referee reports) ✅ ↳ finalize referee report from my profs ✅

📅 Daily-s

🛌 consistent sleep [7/7] 💧 good water intake [5/7] 👟 exercise [5/7]

Fun Stuff this week

🍻 met up with my bestie @muakrrr <3 it was a stressful tuesday so meeting him for lunch was super comforting! he bought this cute purple drink and I got myself some ginger ale and the waiter served us the wrong drinks (gender and expectations something something) and it was amusing to watch them get confused when we corrected them 🎂 mom's b'day this week!! went out for dinner with her!! 🛒 went shopping with relatives who I haven't seen in years. bought myself a book! (rip my bookshelf) ☕ went out for coffee and dinner with my girlies (the same besties who I exchanged mugs with). we're trying to spend as much time together as possible before we leave to different countries for our masters 🎮 continuing the beginner's guide 📺 ongoing: Marry my Husband, Cherry Magic Th, Last Twilight 📺 binged: KinnPorsche The Series

📻 This week's soundtrack

Love Wins All by IU (been crying over this music video for days now. it's beautiful) KinnPorsche theme by Slot Machine: Kinn's theme [aka Phiang Waichai; TH] | Porche's theme [aka Free Fall; Eng] (first of all this is one of the catchiest theme songs to exist second only to SPECIALZ aka the JJK s2 op i'm also particularly losing my mind over how the two themes are love letters to the main characters from each other... the narrative parallels of it all are driving me insane sldkhlaksjkshs) Dum Dum by Jeff Satur + the Live Unchained version where his vocals are heavenly (maybe im so drawn to this song because the chorus is similar to the melodic motifs of the KPTS themes/soundtrack, either way, the show introduced me to him and god. I've been voraciously consuming his discography.) Ghost by Jeff Satur (on repeat all week. thoroughly obsessed with this song- the lyricism, his voice, the storyline in the MV, his acting, everything. wow. truly.)

---

[Jan 22 to 28 ; week 4/52 || I. love. my. internship. like. I have been having the most fun time problem solving and troubleshooting. it's also super satisfying to see the outcome of my code. it's been a while since I used python (I've been coding on C) so I forget that python has a lot of inbuilt functions that would do the same tasks I inadvertently entrust my nested loops with, and finding out about them is always so joyous (although it means I have to scrap off several chunks of code). i am a bit annoyed though, because the other intern isn't really doing any work that we're entrusted with so I'm having to carry the team and it's taking me too much time. but oh well. I've suggested we split tasks from next week, hopefully that'll make things better.

I've also been procrastinating a lot when it comes to my masters applications and it really hit me this week when I had to run to uni several times to get things approved and completed. Now that I'll get to work from home I need to set up a proper schedule to get application work completed wayy in advance. also need to resume my GRE prep from next week.]

[anemoiawithatouchofobsession]

New Music finds of the week Ep. 1

Gyubin - Satellite (2024) [Indie pop]

Cute little banger. I had Gyubin on my radar snce her debut with "Really Like You" last year, which reminded me a lot of early IU. I liked it. A cute Lil bop, not to[ big not too world changing but just quite there.

--- NON KOREAN ---

Backstreet Boys - Straight Through My Heart (2009) [Europop/dance pop]

I heard this song at a friends' birthday and have been listening to it since. I frankly am not the biggest boy group fan - even in Kpop - but this song slaps (BSB songs slap in general). This sounds so nostalgic because you would hear this type of sound all over the radio in 2008 - 2013.

2. The Cranberries - Dreams (1993) [Prog Rock]

I found this song when I was searching for songs similar to Ethel Cain's "American Teenager" and the chord progression is similar which I like. Another track that was recommended was "Ribs" by Lorde, but I didn't like it as much as I should. It just sounds kinda empty to me. I do remember and really like "Team", "Tennis Court" and "Royals" by Lorde from the same album.

3. Victoria Monet - On My Mama (2023) [Contemporary RnB]

I heard this song on a YT short of a black hairstylist's channel and I've loved the chorus, but didn't really check the whole song out until a few days ago. And what can I say, deserved Grammy win. The slick RnB dance energy with the wholesome (bar one line) lyrics and the homages to 2000s black music totally have me hooked.

[marblemoonstones]

gone astray ❤️‍🩹

main masterlist

summary: you and taehyung are scared, but at least you’re together.

warnings: f reader, deaf!reader, blind!taehyung (in one eye), angst !!, not edited much

word count: ~3.1k

a/n: please go watch the music video of love wins all by iu, as this is based on the video! (it’s also just a masterpiece) i included some song lyrics in it, but it’s not officially a song fic. 

i hope the multiple povs make sense. i tried my best to label them so you could tell them apart!

also, i did my best to show a deaf reader accurately, but i know that it’s not completely accurate, so please excuse me if i portrayed something inaccurately. the same thing with taehyung being blind in his right eye!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

♪ run away from the world, run on

go to the end with me, my lover

will it be a bad ending for us two, gone astray? ♪

~ her point of view ~

The leaves crunch underneath my feet as Taehyung and I run through the abandoned forest. Even though I’m tired, the small shadow above my head reminds me that we’re running for a reason. They can’t find Taehyung and I. We both promised each other that we’ll be together until the end. And we’ll keep it.

They fly past a rundown building, giving us a moment of relief. Signing to him, I say, “Let’s go this way.” 

As quiet as we can, we sneak into an abandoned building. Passing a giant crater filled with water, we stop, staring at our reflections. 

Mud and dirt cakes my cheeks, and dried blood sits on my face as a reminder of what consequences our friends faced. I look like a mess, while Taehyung, even with the same marks, looks as handsome as ever. 

“I look like a mess,” I sign to Taehyung, trying to finger comb my hair.

He just grabs my hand, making me pause and look into his brown eye. A small smile appears on his face as he brushes a stray hair aside. 

I know this is his way of saying that I look beautiful. He presses a short kiss to my cheek, and that’s when I realize we’ve been standing out here too long. 

I gently tug his hand and lead him into the building. 

♪ dearest, darling, my universe

would you take me along? ♪

The steel walls lead us to an open room with high glass ceilings that has a giant pile of clothes in the middle. There’s no bodies, just clothes.

“Is this what happened to our friends?” I sign to Taehyung, gesturing to the heap. 

He just shrugs, wrapping his arm around me, his brown eye sad. I stare at his blue eye, the misty look in it familiar. 

Two people with differences. This is what makes them come after us. Our friends already got the punishment. It’s up to Taehyung and I to survive. 

All of a sudden there’s a shadow above the glass ceiling, and I drag Taehyung behind a turned over piece of furniture. 

In each other’s arms, I feel secure, if only for a fleeting second.

♪  far away in the universe from earth to mars

will you please go with me?  ♪

After they pass, we decide to keep moving. We find side street with empty shops that’s just outside the building. It’s littered with debris and dust, but it’s hidden away from them, so we pause. 

There’s an old mannequin in one window that’s surrounded by TVs, and on top of one of them there’s a grey camcorder. 

Taehyung grabs it as I look around.

-his point of view-

Holding the camcorder up to my left eye, I peer through it, curious. To my surprise I see her. But not in the present. 

She’s healed and it’s as if it’s before they came. It hurts my heart to see her like this as I think of what our life was before them. I have to pull the camcorder away before my tears threaten to fall. 

~ her point of view ~

Taehyung pulls the camcorder away and I swear that I see a glimmer of tears in his eyes. I give him a questioning look and he just hands me the camcorder, urging me to look through it.

I do as he says, and my world is now back to before. My Taehyung is back to before. 

Walking slowly over to him, I reach my left hand up to touch the side of his face, all while still holding the mysterious camcorder.

I feel his soft skin beneath my fingers, somehow forgetting about the cuts and scratches. 

He’s back. 

My love, before they came, is back, with both of his umber orbs that crinkle at the corners when he smiles. 

I smile through the tears as I slowly pull the camcorder down.

The grey world comes flashing back, and there’s my love now. Still as beautiful as before, just with one cloudy gaze. 

♪  crush me in your arms

give me a lovelier kiss, lover ♪

I grab Taehyung’s hand and decide that we need to leave this area, having stayed in one spot for too long.

“Let’s go,” I sign, sighing as I look around. This was a nice respite but we really should keep moving. 

I turn to go but Taehyung stops me by tugging gently on my hand. Looking at him, I see his finger pointed. Following it, I see the dirty street sign that says ‘Magnolia Street.’

I know why Taehyung’s pointing to it, and I know he wants to visit it, to see if it’s still intact. Of course, I also want to visit our old home, but I’m not sure if I can with all the memories it holds. 

Then I look at Taehyung’s face. His eyes are pleading and I can already feel my resolve crumbling. 

I nod.

♪ love is all, love is all

love, lovе, love, love ♪

Taehyung and I had bought the house when we were first married, excited to fix up the two-story. We painted the walls together and chose the furniture, two young lovers with no idea of the future. Those were some of my happiest days. Being able to be with Taehyung all the time made my heart almost burst with joy. 

Now, the cheerful yellow paint is peeling and as I open the creaky front door I gasp at the state of the inside.

There is a thick coat of dirt and dust everywhere, and many holes in the carpet. The walls are peeling and I can barely stand to look at the furniture because of its condition.

I feel Taehyung’s hand rub mine, and I try to relax, even as my heart is clenching. 

Walking through the living room to the dining room, I look at the table, still set up with cutlery. The dead flowers in the middle add to the dreariness and I inhale a cloud of dust as I sit down. 

Taehyung sits across from me and pulls out the camcorder, once again peering through it. 

I smile slightly as I pick the fork up and bring it to my mouth, biting into a fake piece of food.

-his point of view-

The colorful world is back again as she takes a bite of the delicious looking pastry. Her eyes shine as she chews it, and flowers are blooming on the table, highlighting her beauty. I feel myself smile.

~ her point of view ~

Taehyung smiles and I blink wistfully. 

“I can almost taste it,” I sign, imagining eating a fluffy piece of strawberry cake, not unlike the one we had at our wedding. It was so rich and Taehyung and I fed each other a piece, eyes glowing at the sugary goodness.

I reach for the camcorder, taking it and signing to Taehyung, “Your turn.” 

As he mimes a bite, I look through. He’s now eating a piece of strawberry cake, getting crumbs all over his mouth. Smiling fondly at him, I get up to wipe the crumbs off his mouth. 

♪ in the еnd,

how is it us?

for us? ♪

< camcorder point of view >

She gets up and lovingly brushes the crumbs off his mouth as he gazes into her eyes. The feel of his soft skin makes her smile as they are transported into a world of their own.

The couple is now in a fancy restaurant, one like their first date. The candles on the table are slightly fuzzy, as if it’s a dream. But the couple doesn’t care. 

Standing up to dance, he leads her in a slow waltz as the room starts to fill with shadows. They swerve dangerously close to the couple, some even reaching out in an angry manner.

The couple just laughs, ignoring them.

Eventually she holds his hand, and the couple makes a mad dash for the restaurant exit. They reach their claw hands out too close, and the couple barely misses them. 

~ her point of view ~

I run upstairs to the attic with Taehyung in tow. Is it still there? 

Stopping abruptly in the doorway, Taehyung all but crashes into me.

“Sorry,” I sign, distracted by the sight in front of me.

It is still there. While the tarp over it is ripped, my wedding dress still stands.

I had a designer friend of mine make me my wedding dress, and, sticking to the old tradition, Taehyung couldn’t see me in it before the wedding.

…

“I trust your judgement, baby,” he signed to me, and then kissed me on the cheek and left. 

The sleek silhouette is tasteful, with long and airy sleeves that have the smallest puff in the top to make it look more regal. The nipped in waist with a thin pearl belt accentuates my figure and the smooth fabric drapes elegantly down the skirt, folding in layers at the end. The simple veil added to the classic elegance aesthetic that I was going for.

I felt truly beautiful in that dress. 

When I walked down the aisle, I carried a bouquet of hydrangeas and baby’s breath with a pearl necklace and matching pearl drop earrings. 

I smiled shyly as I snuck a glance at Taehyung. His face was the happiest I had ever seen him and he looked like a lovable golden retriever. My golden retriever.

Our first kiss as a married couple was those like from the movies. Sweet and soft, a perfect fairytale moment.

…

Now, the sight of the dress makes me tear up for the millionth time. Why was it that I had to leave behind everything? All those happy memories and moments are tainted by the thought of them. 

Taehyung hugs me from behind, kissing me softly on the cheek. I don’t have to sign anything to know that he sees my tears. I also know that he probably has his own glistening in his eyes.

I lean more into his embrace, and we stand there together for a minute, a whirlpool of thoughts in our heads. 

Then I get a striking thought. What if I tried it on? 

“Baby, I know this is crazy, but what if I tried it on?” I sign to Taehyung, pleading silently with my eyes. 

“If it makes you happy, do it. I think we’re safe enough here for now,” he signs back. 

I slip it on over my clothes, surprised that it still fits (albeit a bit tight). Thinking about it, I remember the photobooth pictures we took after our wedding.

< camcorder point of view >

The couple stumbles into the cheap photobooth, drunk on their happiness. They have a limited amount of time before their wedding reception, but they want to spend a moment with just the two of them.

With their wedding attire still on, she fixes her veil before they both sit on the bench. Although they’re crammed together, the couple enjoys it, smiling giddily at each other. Then it’s time to take the photos.

First they try to be serious, barely holding in their grins at the camera flashes. Then, he gently hoists her onto his lap, poking her sides playfully, chuckling as she jumps. She laughs loudly, covering her face with her hand as the flash goes off again.

For the next pose they try a cuter angle. She throws her left arm around him and squishes his bread cheeks with her right hand. He pouts, still looking as handsome as ever for the picture.

After, she fixes his hair, trying to get ready for a (hopefully) nice photo. He just makes faces into the camera and the flash goes off before she can adjust herself. 

Oh, well, who needs a nice picture in a photobooth anyway? 

The photos come out and the couple looks at them together, overjoyed with the results.

~ her point of view ~ 

“Remember the photobooth snapshots we took?” I signed to Taehyung, still clad in my wedding dress. 

He nods, reaching out his arms. 

I look as him quizzically, until he gestures for me to come to him.

As I do, he carefully places his hands in mine and starts to slowly sway. 

I rest my head on his shoulder, breathing him in. Feeling his warmth, I close my eyes as we sway to our own unknown rhythm. 

< camcorder point of view >

The now married couple walks into the reception to congratulations. As a special surprise for their guests, they’re going to sing a song together. 

She starts in with the inspiring melody, and he joins in with a smooth harmony. Confetti starts falling down but the couple doesn’t notice, lost in each other.

At the climax of the song, he brings a small red flower from his pocket and places it behind her ear. He already has a matching one behind his.

Her face is soft and full of love as she sings the climax, hitting the high note effortlessly as he dips her back. 

They come back up to thundering applause. The couple sweetly kiss, feeling each other’s smiles on their lips. 

Bathed in golden light and dusted in confetti, it’s clear they are meant for each other.

~ her point of view ~ 

After our short dance (if you can even call it that), we go to our bedroom. The wallpaper is faded and the furniture has cobwebs, but the four poster bed still stands. It was a gift from my mother for our wedding and has beautiful carvings on the wood. 

Feeling a rush of silliness, I climb onto the bed and start jumping. The bed creaks but doesn’t break, and I take it as a sign to keep bouncing. 

Taehyung joins me and we hold hands like we’re in our lovesick teenager years. 

I grab a pillow, intending to hit Taehyung with it. As I grab the pillow it rips open, feathers spilling out of it. 

Laughing, I whack Taehyung with the case, getting feathers in his hair. He grins cheekily and also grabs a pillow, rips it open, and lets the feathers fly. It’s a snow of feathers in the room now, with them settling on our hair and clothes.

Taehyung and I flop back onto the bed, breathless with joy. Beaming, I turn on my side and brush a stray hair out of Taehyung’s face. 

♪ I slowly film you with my eyes

please make a serene smile once again ♪

I still. Even after all this time, he makes my heart flutter with just his glance. 

He smirks at me, then presses a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth, then the other corner. My nose is next, followed by my lips and soon he’s peppering them all over my cheeks. 

Giggling, I try to push him away but fail. I lay there in his embrace, warm and cozy.

♪ as we hovered slowly

in the night of that day

will you courageously set with me? ♪

A shadow suddenly passes by the window, and I get a glimpse of them flying by. I sit up and bolt out of bed, signing to Taehyung, “We need to leave, now.” 

We go downstairs and out the door, glancing at the sky. They are nowhere in sight, and Taehyung and I run. 

We’re not entirely sure where we’re going, but somehow we end up making a full circle and end up back at the abandoned office building. 

Just as we’re about to go back inside, I get a sudden feeling of dread, and I turn around and there theyare. 

“Run.” I sign, grabbing Taehyung’s hand and sprinting inside. We start to make random twists and turns in the winding hallways, hoping to throw them off. 

But they are too fast.

Stopping in our tracks we realize we’ve made it back to the room with the huge pile of clothes. There’s nowhere else to go, as they are blocking the one and only exit. 

Turning around, I quickly scan the room for something to use as a weapon. Spotting a metal pipe I pick it up and bring my arms up to hit them. 

Before I can blink Taehyung snatches the pipe out of my hands and uses it to hit them. 

Three times he strikes them with the pipe. I can see that he uses his full strength, but it’s not enough.

They just glow brighter.

The power of his blows knocks him back and he falls to the ground. I immediately go to him, wrapping my arms around him and holding him close. 

Taehyung find my hand and grasps onto it. His palm is warm, and I clench it tightly. 

If we’re going down, we’re in it together. 

Just like we promised.

They turn red, and I feel my heart break. 

This is it.

♪ destroy me slowly and chilly, ruiner

I want to get sad with you, my lover ♪

I don’t want Taehyung to see this. I gently lower my other hand over his left eye as I take a shaky breath. 

I feel a single tear fall as a cold feeling washes over my body. It seeps into my bones and takes over me.

♪ run away from necessity, run on

go to the end with me, my lover ♪

~ his point of view ~ 

My heart is breaking as my love covers my eye, putting me into darkness. I feel her shudder, and I know that it’s happening. I’m just grateful that she is here. All I want is to be with her.

A bucket of ice is dousing me and I feel it in my soul. The slight feeling of drowning overtakes me. 

♪ two of us, side by side, gone astray on purpose

crush me in your arms

give me a lovelier kiss, lover ♪

…

< camcorder point of view > 

The couple slowly lifts into the air and then there is a bright flash of light. 

A wedding dress with a veil and a torn shirt and pants float down in a whisper onto the pile. 

♪ our love wins all, love wins all

love, love, love, love ♪

[stuff-diary]

Top 20 K-pop songs in 2024 (Part 2, 10-1)

Here's Part 1 (20-11) in case you missed it yesterday. Let's get right down to it!

10. Sad Song by P1Harmony

Easily the best Latin-infused Kpop song since Antifragile. The chorus is crazy addictive, the raps and vocals are stunning and the beat gets you dancing from the very first note.

9. Sticky by Kiss Of Life

I struggled to pick between Midas Touch and this, but at the end of the day, Sticky was my song of the summer. The Afrobeats vibe always works for me and the chorus is among the best of the year.

8. ABCD by Nayeon

What a DIVA! This song really brings me back to the sound of the 2000s and the memories of my childhood. I couldn't not give it a high placement.

7. Run For Roses by NMIXX

Adding country/folk touches to a Kpop song might sound like a weird idea, but I'm so here for it. I hope their future releases stay as surprising as this one.

6. I'm Ready by Chung Ha

She really should stick to this style and sound, cause no one else in the industry can pull it off like her. I would go as far as saying this is the coolest choreography of the year.

5. Love Wins All by IU

No other ballad released this year has reached the soaring heights of this one. It's also one of the best of her career, which is saying a lot. And of course, the music video is an all-timer.

4. Supernova by aespa

I feel like I think about that beat change constantly. And it has so many iconic lines, like the first one or the Body Bang thing. Hell, I might even consider it their new representative song.

3. Déjà Vu by TXT

The best boy group release of the year, without a doubt. Their raspy, desperate vocals perfectly capture the yearning and heartbreak of the lyrics, aided by the emo vibes of the beat.

2. Lost by RM

Right Place, Wrong Person is IMHO the album of the year, and the lead single is the perfect representation of its eclectic brilliance. On top of that, the MV is one of the best things I've ever seen.

1. Smart by Le Sserafim

Back in February I predicted this would be my number one song and here we are. I just love everything about it: the amapiano beat, the lyrics, the vocals, the choreography. Can't wait to see if they'll top it!

And that's all folks!

[jiminsass-istant]

LOVE DID WIN: some observations

The way my eyes got watery at first watch. Then i read the lyrics properly on my second watch and let the tears run down. The IU's palate episode didn't give away any chemistry between IU and V but look at them?!

Anyway, for those who don't know, i love analysing music videos and here's some observations that haven't been mentioned on X app yet (probably)-

<for context, IU is deaf, Tae is blind in 1 eye and the cube is hunting down the less fortunate people (who are discriminated against). This is a theory i came across and it makes sense too>

1. In majority of the MV, it's IU holding Tae's hand and leading and him following along, whether they were having fun or running from the cube. It's significant..just keep this in mind for now.

2. The name of this mall/shopping centre being 'horizon portal' where they find the camera which lets them enjoy their last moments together, imagining themselves as normal people pre-disaster.

3. The text sticker in bottom right corner says 'smile'. As in this is the scene where IU discovers that the camera lets them see happy moments and Tae smiles softly too, a little amused that he's being asked to smile in this situation.

4. In these scenes, the rest of the surroundings are in chaos, the people in black are even disturbing(?) them but they don't care because in their imagination, the normal world has always been cruel and chaotic.

5. Lol, small observation but this polaroid scene was the one Tae was re-enacting at the Golden party with JK. Pretty sure, at least JK has seen the Love wins all MV.

6. Tae's expression here when they were confronted. He really is such a good actor. Tragedy ✅ Romance ✅Thriller ✅

7. THIS scene is the one where Tae finally takes the lead. I believe IU leading him before was partly also because he was blind in 1 eye. But this is the scene where he decides to fight for them, in the face of death.

8. The hand acting. Broke me.

9. This scene going down in history.

10. I'm guessing the cube just absorbs the bodies and leaves behind the clothes/shoes into the cloth pile. (Like Spring day cloth pile, bye)

They both die, so why is it called 'love wins all'?

I tried really hard to find a reasoning that doesn't seem like finding a pin in a haystack. So, I looked at the lyrics. If you read the lyrics for the final chorus, you see-

In the storyline of the MV, they have not actually gone astray on purpose. It's actually a situation they have no say in. But that's how they want to see it as. That they have gone astray on purpose, hold each other on purpose, and are sad with each other on purpose. Anyway, the more i think about it, the sadder I get. I knew the ending would be sad but FUCKKK.

This is like Black Mirror, but romanticised.

[chubbybunny25]

Just want to let you know that the Percy/Nico (Christmas) fic I'm writing is totally inspired by this song 🥹 and I'm listening to it on repeat while writing the rest.

(Translated) Lyrics under the cut. The parts I highlighted hint what it'll be about >.< Percy/Nico

Dearest, Darling, My universe

Would you take me along with you?

To a place I can't dream of with this poor imagination of mine

Far away in the universe from Earth to Mars

Will you please go with me?

Wherever that place may be, in search of the antonym

to our long-standing loneliness

Through what kind of mistake

did we end up being together and inseparable like this?

Run away from the world, Run on

Go all the way to the end with me, My lover

Will it be a tragic ending

for the two of us who took the road less traveled? Um

Hold me so tightly that I'm crushed in your arms

and give me a kiss filled with even more love, Lover

Love is all Love is all

Love Love Love Love

In the end, still,

I wonder why it had to be the two of us for each other

Run away from the world, Run on

Go all the way to the end with me, My lover

Will it be a tragic ending

for the two of us who took the road less traveled? Um

I carefully capture your image with my eyes

Please give me a serene smile once more

Just like how we drifted, as if we were gliding at night that day,

will you courageously fade away with me?

Break me further into pieces coldly, Ruiner

I want to be with you in sadness too, My lover

Run away from the inevitable, Run on

Go all the way to the end with me, My lover

Two of us, in tandem, choosing to take our own path on purpose

Hold me so tightly that I'm crushed in your arms

and give me a kiss filled with even more love, Lover

Our Love wins all Love wins all

Love Love Love 

[dojae-huh]

The songs uploaded by Doyoung on his birthday.

"First love" by Hikaru Utada. Chocolate cake emoji.

You are always gonna be my love いつか誰かとまた恋に落ちても I'll remember to love You taught me how You are always gonna be the one 今はまだ悲しい love song 新しい歌 歌えるまで

You are always gonna be my love Even if someday I fall in love with somebody once again I'll remember to love, you taught me how You are always gonna be the one Now it's still a sad love song Until I can sing a new one

"Love wins all" by IU, her newest 2024 single. Red heart emoji.

Dearest, Darling, My universe 날 데려가 줄래? 나의 이 가난한 상상력으론 떠올릴 수 없는 곳으로

저기 멀리 from Earth to Mars 꼭 같이 가줄래? 그곳이 어디든, 오랜 외로움 그 반대말을 찾아서

어떤 실수로 이토록 우리는 함께일까

세상에게서 도망쳐 Run on 나와 저 끝까지 가줘 My lover 나쁜 결말일까 길 잃은 우리 둘 um

부서지도록 나를 꼭 안아 더 사랑히 내게 입 맞춰 Lover Love is all Love is all Love Love Love Love

Dearest, darling, my universe Would you take me along? To a place I can't dream With my poor imagination

Far away in the universe from Earth to Mars Will you please go with me? Wherever it may be, an old loneliness In search of its antonym

For what fault Must we be so Together?

Run away from the world, run on Go to the end with me, my lover Will it be a bad ending for us two, gone astray? Mm Crush me in your arms Give me a lovelier kiss, lover Love is all, love is all Love, lovе, love, love

----------------------

Strange choice of lyrics to sing to fans on a joyful day, huh? For comparison, his IU cover that was a present for the fans.

I think La La La Love song was for fans because it was prepared in advance and there was a countdown. However, the short pieces of songs from the past two years - for Jae.

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

I guess I have some thoughts on Love Wins All.

Number 1 being, was I the only one who thought V would feature the song? He was only in the MV, so I was surprised. Wasn't the song promoted as Love Wins All (with V)? That's pretty misleading. I don't know if it was previously announced he'd only be in the MV, but, if so, I missed it. I'm kind of glad he didn't sing though, since his vocals, to me, are very hit and miss, and IU sounded great. I'm not sure how well their voices would've combined. I think this is one of IU's best songs in recent years, and a good pre-release. The lyrics are nice and the song is powerful.

The MV is... cute? But also weird. It's hard to be moved by a giant cube hunting them. IU's a great actress, and you can tell she is 100% an experienced actress with how serious she was taking a simple MV. V did his best. His facial expressions were limited, and his green/blue contact lenses were terrible imo. He wasn't bad, but obviously he's much weaker than IU and it's noticeable. It's kind of like Jungkook with So Hee. When you pair inexperienced actors with good ones, it's always noticeable. It was good acting for an idol and for an MV, but it's like he was shooting and MV and IU was shooting a whole film.

It was weird watching V be IU's boyfriend, but it was cute at parts too. I don't know. It didn't bother me at all, but it was still unexpected. Something about them didn't fit? Maybe it seemed that way to me because I already have a clear image of both them in my head.

In any case, it was an impactful MV. People are going to be all over it for various reasons, and I appreciate the story and creativity. It was like watching a movie so it was nice. At the same time, I didn't find it especially moving.

It was genius move on IU's part for sure, though, and I look forward to her album since I liked the song.

Edit: the contact lenses are because V was blind from one eye in the MV? And IU was deaf? I'm dumb. But those contacts sucked.