#sung bora

[sosrantings]

Every time I watch that scene I feel offended and hurt, because it feels like he's talking to me. I relate to Sung Bora sm. SHE IS ME. I AM HER.

[stormdragon23]

Song: I Like Boys by Todrick Hall x I Like Girls by MissSemiSweet

Been wanting to do this edit for a while. Had some trouble choosing some of the characters though

[manawari]

Solo Leveling Ladies + Flowers

Cha Hae-in / Marigold

power, strength, and light that lives inside of a person.

Park Kyung-hye / Gladiolus

femininity, compassion, grace, gentleness, happiness, admiration, and motherly love.

Lee Ju-hee / Lavender

purity, dedication, peace, grace, silence, and calm.

Park Hee-jin / Clematis

mental prowess, ingenuity, cleverness, intellectual, moral, and beauty of the heart.

Sung Jin-ah / Daisy

purity, new beginnings, youth, loyal love, innocence, and cheerfulness.

Han Song-yi / Daphne

persistence and a will to thrive.

Lee Bora / Petunia

prestige, strength, fantasy, mystery, grace, and enchantment.

Gina / Dahlia

elegance, dignity, and inner strength.

Han Se-mi / Holly

optimism, protection, peace, and goodwill.

Seo Ji-woo / Zinnia

endurance, goodness, strength, and unwavering determination.

Jung Ye-rim / Verbascum

protection, healing, comfort, and inner light.

Yoo Soo-hyun / Ranunculus

charm and attractiveness.

Norma Selner / Gloriosa

fame and honor.

[yoyeolears]

it's okay not to be lonely//chapter 1

zhang hao x sung hanbin

genre: angst & fluff

warnings: death, cursing, a bit suggestive

masterlist: summary | 1 | 2 | 3 pt. 1 | 3 pt. 2| 4 | 5 | 6 (final)

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chapter 1: you comforted me when i had no one

word count: 2,745

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1st of January 2024

Hao had been certain that he would be alone forever after his parents’ sudden and tragic passing.

In fact, his theory had initially proven to be right. Three years into his university life no one had really approached him. Maybe it was because he was a foreigner, or maybe because he never made himself available or was even open to making any potential new acquaintances.

He believed it was better this way. Being alone was better than getting attached to people only to lose them.

That’s what he had thought until he met Sung Hanbin.

Well, not exactly the second he met him. His thoughts then couldn’t have been more contrasting.

Three months earlier

Hao was never late. He couldn’t afford to be late. This scholarship was the only thing that certified his financial capability to continue his studies abroad.

He had never been late. Except for today. He blamed it on his neighbours, who loved to pick up a fight with each other at 3 am in the morning. Hao was not a violent person, but last night all kinds of thoughts crossed his head as he laid in his bed trying to finally get some rest.

The rest he never ended up getting, which has now led to his ultimate demise.

If only he was a good runner. If the lack of sleep didn’t kill him, it would be these stairs.

Hao let out a big puff of breath upon reaching the top of the stairwell. He took a look at the familiar double doors in front of him. He had never thought too much of them until this very moment. Now, these doors looked as if the entrance to hell had been relocated and had been re-established as his lecture hall. He was sure he wasn’t going to hear the end of it by Professor Park.

His shaky hands reached the door handle before giving it a push.

Taking a step into the auditorium when class had already started could easily compare to that one time his mum had hired a clown for his 8th birthday party. Poor Hao was so terrified when the clown reached to give him the balloon with that big red smile of his that he wet himself in front of all the other kids and their parents. One word. Mortifying. And yes, he is still terrified of clowns. Although he supposes he would pick them any day if it meant having his mum back.

“Mr. Zhang, nice of you to grace us with your presence at last.”

Hao’s ears turned bright pink, “I sincerely apologize Mr. Park. I barely had any sleep last night and I slept through my alarm. It won’t be happen again.”

The professor raised his eyebrows, “It better have been studying keeping you up and not some girl or party. I wouldn’t expect such thing from our top student after all.”

“As if any girl would go near him.”, the guy sitting in the front seats mumbled to his seatmate.

“Or guy.”, the latter replied, both silently laughing at the ‘humorous’ joke they’d made.

Hao felt humiliated. Not only was he being scolded for being late, but his own professor was also making unfair assumptions about his late-night activities. Sure, the way he worded it might have sounded off, but he never thought any of the academic staff would think of him that way. Even so, what if he did have someone over? It wasn’t realistic considering he didn’t even know a single person in any of his classes, but would it have been so wrong if he chose to? He was twenty-one after all.

Though, he supposed that guy was right. It’s not like any girl or guy would want him at the end of the day. Who would someone who ignores any advances in favor of protecting himself from inevitable loss?

“Actually, it was because my-“, he tried to defend himself.

Professor Park cut him off, “I don’t care about your after bed-time activities Zhang Hao. Kindly take a seat and this shall not be repeated. Don’t forget you are here on a scholarship.”

Hao bowed his head, “Yes sir.”

He didn’t need anyone. Being alone was better. But for this one moment he really wished someone was there for him. To give him a hug and tell him it’s alright. That his mistake was not significant and that he could still do this. To give him strength. But Hao had no one. He'd eliminated any chances of that happening.

Randomly picking a seat, Hao sat down in his chair for the day. He couldn’t be picky anyway. He was pretty sure his usual seat at the back had already been taken.

“That was quite harsh of him. This is like your first time ever being late.”, a soft male voice whispered next to him.

Hao’s hands paused while setting his notebook on the desk. Was someone talking to him?

“Huh?”, he turned around looking at the not-so-much of a stranger, which turned out be Sung Hanbin.

Hanbin repeated, “I said that was quite harsh of him. You didn’t deserve this. You’ve never been late anyway. Plus, who cares if you had a girl over? Isn’t that normal?”

Was Hao being comforted by the University's proclaimed sweetheart?

“What do you know?”

His eyes widened, “Nothing. I am not trying to make assumptions. I just noticed how defeated you looked. It wasn’t your fault.”

Hao felt bad. These were the exact words he had wanted to hear, yet the first thing that rolled out of his mouth was an unjustified insult.

“Thanks, I guess.”

His social skills were terrible. If Hanbin didn’t think he was already a freak, he probably believed it by now.

What happened next completely shocked him.

He smiled at him.

“No problem! Always happy to defend anyone who has been subjected to the unfair wrath of old cranky men. You are Hao, right?”

Hao dumbly nodded his head.

A hand reached out to shake his, “I am Hanbin. Sung Hanbin”.

He simply looked at Hanbin's hand almost bewildered. He hadn’t had any type of normal human contact in years. Let alone physical. He didn’t really know how to act. The gears in his head were turning and he could tell Hanbin was slowly coming to the realization that Hao was starting to feel uncomfortable.

Hanbin retracted his hand, giving him another smile, “It’s okay. Handshakes are not for everyone.”

Hao, not knowing how to properly respond, gave him an incredibly awkward smile before turning back to look at the board.

It’s not like he would talk to Hanbin again. He would just store this event in his ‘moments-to-forget’ box.

He couldn’t have possibly known how wrong he was.

15th of September 2023

Hao slumped in his seat at the cafeteria. After his humiliating public appearance at Professor Park’s class, he had made it his life mission to never be late again. Even if that meant setting dozens of alarms and going to class on no sleep.

He couldn’t possibly fathom how two people could fight so much. Surely if they were this unhappy, they should go their own separate ways. It didn’t seem like they could or wanted to find an alternative solution either, so what was the point? Unless they were doing this on purpose so Hao’s murderous instincts – poor boy wasn’t even aware his mind was capable of such despicable thoughts – could awaken, unleashing a whole new side of him. One that would land him in jail for murder most likely. Then, him being a lone freak would definitely become a reality. If that’s what they were trying to achieve, they were doing a pretty good job at it.

Hao groaned before taking a nibble from his apple. He grimaced at the sour taste of it. This might have been the most distasteful apple he has ever eaten. Despite this, he took another bite. It wasn’t like he could actually afford proper food at the cafeteria anyway. Damn you inflation!

“Hao, hey!”, a familiar male voice exclaimed.

Hao furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Who in the world was talking to him and why?

He turned his head to look at the source of the noise, when he saw Hanbin waving at him excitedly. Next to him, Hanbin's friends were looking at him entirely clueless. What was he doing talking to someone like Hao?

He recognized all three of them.

On his left, Kim Jiwoong, a senior in the Performance department of the University, known for his cool and laid-back personality. On his right was Seok Matthew. He had been Hanbin’s best friend since kindergarten and he himself was quite well known amongst school peers due to his reputation on the football team. Lastly, across the table sat Sua. He didn’t know much about her, but guessing from the way she kept on affectionately slapping Matthew’s shoulder while giving heart eyes, she might have been his girlfriend. That or she had the fattest crush on him and the boy next to her was completely oblivious. They were all considered to belong in the popular crowd, which Hao thought was a bit silly since they were in University for God's sake. How do you even get so popular in University, where thousands of kids walk around and go about their everyday routine of endlessly boring lectures and uncountable hours of stress-induced cramming in the library? He supposed some people could gain some form of popularity from joining certain societies or clubs, but Hanbin and his friends were practically acquainted with more than half of the University to some extent. Even if someone had never talked to any of them, they had definitely heard of them. If they had talked to them, they were most likely acquainted with them in some form.

Hao didn’t talk to people, but people talked about other people and since he didn’t really have any friends, this was the closest he could get to human interactions. Hearing all the gossip. It was a bit pathetic if you asked him, but it gave him enough social satisfaction.

He looked at Hanbin, eyebrows still raised in confusion. He lifted his hand, pointing to himself as if to ask if he was talking to him.

Hanbin laughed, before pointing at him in confirmation. Right, there were probably not many people with the name Hao in the school anyway. How stupid of him.

He felt his face go red at the embarrassing moment. He shyly waved back and then turned back around to face his table. He assumed Hanbin had already left to get back to his friends after this awkward greeting. Why would he even bother starting a conversation with him after all?

“I can’t believe you just turned your back to me. I am deeply hurt.”

Hao almost fell off his seat. What was Hanbin doing?

“Huh?”

Hanbin laughed, “You seem to love that response”.

Hao objected, “You scared me. It was to be expected.”

“Apologies. Sometimes, I forget creeping up on people will emit fewer positive or unpredictable responses. Won’t happen again.”

Hao just stared at him. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do. Did he try and make conversation? Or just wait for him to finish his part so he could leave him alone with his now brownish apple?

Hanbin looked at the apple in his hands, “Is that all you are having after five hours of classes?”

“I am not hungry.”, he weakly protested.

“Fair enough.”, he admitted.

He didn’t expect that. But then again, he didn’t really expect anything from Hanbin. He had thought he would persist, trying to get something out of him, to make him feel less.

“I am not hungry either.”, Hanbin noted, “But I hate to let food go to waste, so do you mind if I give you my extra sandwich? I am going out for BBQ later, so I won’t be eating it.”

Hao was beyond perplexed. What was going on?

He bit his lip, “Erm, okay.”

It’s not like he could say no. It would have been extremely rude of him to. He could do with a sandwich as well.

“Great, here!”, Hanbin reached out to hand him over his sandwich, before alarmingly retracting.

Hao’s eyes widened. He thought he was making Hao uncomfortable again. He watched as Hanbin awkwardly laughed to himself, placing the sandwich in front him on the table.

Hannbin regained some of his confidence, “See you soon, Hao. Enjoy the sandwich for me.”

He weakly waved his hand, in an almost lazy manner.

“Bye.”, he almost whispered as Hanbin ran off back to his friends.

What the hell?

30th of September 2023

Hao thought that after the cafeteria interaction, Hanbin would go back to his life and leave Hao to attend to his own. He was incredibly wrong.

In fact, Hanbin wouldn’t leave him alone. All of a sudden he was everywhere. For the first few days, he would come and sit next to him in Professor’s Park class, using the excuse that sitting next to the top student was a good influence. Following that, he started paying Hao more visits during lunch. Hanbin would always wave at him and leave him his extra sandwich, making use of his initial explanation; he wasn't hungry, and he had plans to eat out anyway. Now, Hao was aware that university students ate out a lot, but he wasn’t that naive. He knew Hanbin was doing this because he himself never had that kind of food. He didn’t know whether Hanbin was doing it out of pity or if there was another reason, but he appreciated how he never directly touched on the subject. He was being cautious.

And then, he started seeing him around the convenience store he worked at. And no, he knew Hanbin hadn’t been there before their first interaction a fortnight ago. After all, he wasn’t blind. Hanbin was incredibly good-looking, which made him hard to miss.

“Hey Hao!”, he greeted Hao at the register.

He took a brief look at Hanbin's items. Strawberry ice cream and lemonade. The usual. He was about to scan the first object when his eyes did a double take. There were two of each. Hanbin never bought two of each. Did he have company with him? Maybe Matthew was somewhere strolling around the story and Hao hadn't noticed him. Or was this perhaps some sort of post break-up therapy method? He didn’t even know if Hanbin had been seeing anyone.

Hanbin chuckled at his thoughtful expression, “Something caught your eye?”

“Erm, you just usually only buy one of each.”, he hesitantly pointed out.

Hanbin shyly smiled at him, hands playing with the string of his black Adidas track jacket.

“I actually wondered if you wanted to share with me. I know you go on break around this time.”

“How do you know?”

“You know… just by passing by.”, Hanbin bit at his lower lip anxiously.

Hao raised an eyebrow.

“Sorry, I don’t mean to sound like a creep. I genuinely pass by almost every day since it’s on my way home. That’s how I found out you work here anyway. Saw you through the window.”, he confessed, pointing at the window on his right.

That made sense.

“So, what do you say?”

“I don’t know. Don’t you want to share it with one of your friends or something?”, he asked.

Hanbin cocked his head back, “What do you mean? Aren’t you my friend?”

Hao’s heart clenched. Hanbin thought of him as a friend. He hadn’t felt this joyful yet devastated in a long time. He knew he was entering dangerous waters. Letting him in his life was not part of the plan. He would lose him somehow. He just knew it.

Still, his mouth spoke for him entirely different words.

“Sure. I can come out in two minutes. Just, erm, let me tell my manager.”

Hanbin beamed at him. He had a beautiful smile.

Hao smiled back at him albeit in an almost robotic manner, before turning to go to his manager’s office.

“Aren’t you going to scan my items first?”

He faltered before finally stopping and taking a step back. His ears were a deep red. He just couldn’t stop embarrassing himself in front of him.

“Right! How could I forget?”

Hanbin giggled. He thought that might have been the most melodious sound he had ever heard.

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Author's Note: Hello again everyone!! I am finally back with my second piece of work. I am so excited to share this with the world! As mentioned this one is a bit on the darker side, but I have tried to make it as lightheared as possible! Kindly read the warnings and proceed at your own risk! Stay safe people!! As of right now I think this will be roughly 3-4 chapters with each roughly 1,000 to 2,000 words. I still don't feel ready to share a bigger piece of work, so small baby steps for me!! Anyway, I hope whoever reads this sincerely enjoys it! Please leave your feedback!! It is really important to me as it encourages me to keep writing and improving! sending lots of love your way!

-Jina

[jebeplanet]

ZB1 SUNG HANBIN + SISTAR19 HYOLYN & BORA ✧ TikTok Update ✧ "No More" Challenge

[puffedcheeksx]

Casts of Dr. Romantic 3 supporting Lee Sin Young at Rebound VIP Movie Premiere.

[binging-asian-dramas]

Bo Rah! Deborah. 7

Story: 8

Acting: 10

Chemistry: 10

Comparable to: A Business Proposal (kdrama); Touch Your Heart (kdrama); Yumi’s Cells (kdrama)

So it’s your typical cliché classic romcom with a certain flair to it with a stellar cast. Unfortunately, it does suffer like most dramas do nowadays. It starts out excellent and starts to decline towards the end. I suppose the writers wanted to draw it out more creating more unnecessary angst. Granted I do love angst to my dramas, but when it is inserted towards the end, especially the last two episodes (everything seemed way too bloated in the last one) I tend to get grumpy. Nevertheless the romcom still feels classic, it just depends on how you watch it.

[bangtanhoneys]

BANGTAN BABY: Sleep Time

Seokjin wanted to boast that he was a good father. He had taken to parenting as if he had been doing it his whole life, which considering who he helped raise then that would be correct. Dirty nappies, bottles, food, the baby was feeling ill, he was there all for it and ready for it. Vomit explosion - he was there with the cleanup. The baby was not well - he was there with the medication. 

Another thing he was good at, getting the baby to sleep. However, tonight his daughter was proving that maybe her father didn’t know everything or could do everything.

She had been fussy all day, slowly getting over a typical cold which had left the normal happy baby feeling miserable. No amount of comfort from her uncles, especially Uncle Kookie, or even her grandparents or even her mother was soothing her. 

“Ah my Bora, you’re upsetting your appa here,” Seokjin soothed as he carried her around the living room, curtains still open to overlook Seoul at night. Even Min-Ji let out a small meow at the upset child.

“See, even Min-Ji is worried about you,” Seokjin turned so the little one could see the large white cat spread across the back of the couch staring at them. That didn’t seem to work either.

Bringing out his phone, he pulled up his music app. He typed in his choice and pressed play, connecting the phone to the bluetooth speaker. 

The instrumental version of Magic Shop quietly played in the background, Seokjin humming along to it as he swayed on the spot. If there was one thing his daughter loved, that was music and if she was anything like her uncles, music was going to be the best stress relief for her.

“So show me,” Seokjin quietly sung as he glanced down, spotting the small hazel eyes finally begin to close. “I’ll show you. So show me, I’ll show you. Show you.”

By the end of the song, Bora was fast asleep in her father’s arms. 

“ARMY is always the right choice when it comes to songs,” her father mused as he turned towards the nursery.

[junkobato]

Upcoming Kdrama April 2023 💚

10/4: Paper Moon with Kim Seo Hyung, Lee Chun Hee, Lee Shi Woo. 10 episodes; thriller, mystery, romance. Trailer

12/4: Bora! Deborah with Yoo In Na, Yoon Hyun Min, Joo Sang Wook, Hwang Chan Sung. 14 episodes; rom-com. Trailer

12/4: Stealer: the Treasure Keeper with Joo Won, Lee Joo Woo. 12 episodes; action, mystery, comedy. Trailer

14/4: Queenmaker with Kim Hee Ae, Moon So Ri, Ok Ja Yeon. 12 episodes; political, drama. Trailer

15/4: Doctor Cha with Uhm Jung Hwa, Kim Byung Chul, Min Woo Hyuk. 16 episodes; medical, comedy. Trailer

17/4: Family with Jang Na Ra, Jang Hyuk, Chae Jung An. 12 episodes; action, comedy, thriller. Trailer

26/4: the Good Bad Mother with Lee Do Hyun, Ra Mi Ran, Yoo In Soo, Ahn Eun Jin. 14 episodes; family, life. Trailer

28/4: Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 3 with Han Suk Kyu, Ahn Hyo Seop, Lee Sung Kyung. 16 episodes; medical, drama. Trailer

So excited for JangJang couple reunion!!!

Which one are you going to watch? ���

*REBLOG FOR UPDATES*

[cococharm]

DANGEROUS DESIRE - club venus/extra

✫ the owner of Club Venus, yuto treats y/n with care and affection, almost like a sister. he often gives her playful nicknames.

✫ a older sister figure to christian, bora rents out a house to him behind her own. she has become like family to him.

✫ a bottle giirl at the club, jessi tries to pursue christian.

✫ christian’s father, woo sung is a stern and toxic figure in christian’s life, responsible for many of the emotional scars his children carry.

✫ christian's mother, hye kyo dislikes her children dating, this is out of fear of them getting hurt.

previous | masterlist | next summary: you once lived a privileged life , until a family scandal sent it crubling down. now, working as a cocktail waitress at Club Venus. you're drawn to christuan yu, the head bouncer. you suddenly enter a world of fight clubs, friendship, lingering relationships, and dark past.

[sosrantings]

MAN THIS WILL NEVER FAIL TO CRACK ME UP😭 THE WAY THEY FIND OUT ABOUT SUNWOO & BORA. AND THEM RUNNING AROUND I CAN'T 😭😭😭

[stormdragon23]

Solo Leveling friendships I want to see more of

Sung Jin-Woo and Baek Yoon-Ho (made a post about this already)

Choi Jong-In and Woo Jin-Chul (I imagine them being close friends)

Cha Hae-In and Baek Yoon-Ho (they talked quite a bit before the Jeju raid. It would be nice to see more of them)

Baek Yoon-Ho and Lim Tae-Gyu (they're on good terms now, right? I hope they are. They haven't been shown to talk to each other even once in the manhwa. That time when Yoonho was yelling at Taegyu about Lee Minsung doesn't count)

Cha Hae-In and Choi Jong-In (I'm starting to get the impression they're both too socially awkward to talk to each other in a non-professional way. I want to see them try to have a casual conversation though. It's probably funny)

Baek Yoon-Ho, Min Byung-Gyu, and Eun-Seok (please?)

The Draw Swords (I see them as a found family thing, so it would be nice to see more of them)

Park Hee-Jin, Gina, and Lee Bora (it's canon now, so them interacting should happen more, right?)

Sung Jin-Woo, Lee Ju-Hee, and Song Chi-Yul (they had such a nice relationship with each other. I wish they weren't forgotten about so much)

The National Rank Hunters (they obviously know each other, so they should still be in contact considering they took a dragon down together, right? Maybe it's because of that one fic I read about them)

[manawari]

Solo Leveling werewolf AU!

If we have AUs such as Mafia and Vampire, why not Werewolf AU?

Other ideas are greatly appreciated!<3

SHADOW BLOODHOUNDS

> led by Sung Il-hwan, the Alpha.

> werewolves with black fur are rare, so it's no surprise that Sung Il-hwan soon became the leader of the pack.

> the name "Shadow Bloodhounds" was originated from a family of werewolves, who had dark reddish-brown fur, and the shadow term came from how the members frequently lurked in the shadows for surprise attacks. And since Sung Il-hwan became the Alpha, plus his wolf form being a black wolf, the name became stronger and prominent.

> Sung Il-hwan's son, Sung Jin-woo, is the Beta. Like his father, his wolf form also has a black fur. This became a big shock to the entire pack, especially when they saw their Alpha's son transform for the first time.

> before becoming the Beta when he reached 20, Sung Jin-woo had to fight the former Beta — as per tradition among all wolf packs. Despite being the "weakest" due to his birth, Jin-woo managed to win by sheer determination and since he became his father's second-in-command, he became stronger overtime.

> if he's not doing any werewolf duties, Sung Il-hwan runs a fire department, which he also works as a firefighter. He also holds urgent meetings in the station once everyone else is out. Sung Jin-woo, however, has chosen to be a detective rather than a firefighter like his father.

> Jin-woo is secretly the only member in the pack who has killed a human. Although, he never tells it to anyone.

> known members: Park Kyung-hye, Sung Jin-ah, Yoo Jin-ho, Yoo Soo-hyun, Lee Ju-hee, Han Song-yi, Kang Tae-shik, and Kim Sang-shik.

CRIMSON FANGS

> led by Choi Jong-in, the Alpha.

> unlike Sung Il-hwan, Choi Jong-in came from a heritage of Alphas and Betas. His father was an Alpha and his mother was a Beta. Thus, they led the pack together, as well as running a law firm, which soon fell into Jong-in's hands when he took his rightful place in the pack.

> for his Beta, Jong-in chose Cha Hae-in, who is his close friend since childhood. But not only that, she's also the fastest wolf in the pack and has the strongest smell, so it'll make sense of why he picked her of all strong werewolves in the pack.

> even though a werewolf's eyesight is sharp, Jong-in wears his glasses to shape himself into being a human. But when he's in his wolf cycle, his eyeglasses are taken off as they might break during his transformation.

> when there's a wolf cycle, it's also hunting season for the werewolf packs. Jong-in and Hae-in plot the strategy and divide their pack into two, sometimes three if their target is a larger herd.

> known members: Song Chi-yul, Son Ki-hoon, Gina, Seo Ji-woo, Lee Bora, and Han Se-mi.

RAVEN HOWLERS

> led by Lim Tae-gyu, the Alpha.

> usually, whenever there's a large flock of ravens, all of the Raven Howlers are gathered. Ravens also serve as the Eagle Eye of the pack, alerting the Alpha if anything dire happens.

> Ma Dong-wook used to be the Alpha, but due to some unforeseen circumstances, he stepped down and switched places with Lim Tae-gyu, who was the Beta at that time.

> during the wolf cycle, the entire pack will howl under the bright full moon whilst the ravens swirl in the air. It is a tradition for summoning more luck in the pack.

> while most wolves don't like to have birds resting on them, Tae-gyu happily lets the ravens rest on his fur however as they want, especially in winter.

> Tae-gyu also relies on Eun-seok, who serves as his "back-up" since he's quick to lunge into action or if someone is going to attack the Alpha from behind.

> known members: Eun-seok, Jung Ye-rim, Lee Min-sung, and Park Jong-soo.

BERSERK CLAWS

> led by Baek Yoon-ho, the Alpha.

> some believed that Yoon-ho came from a lineage that bore strong connection to Rakan.

> Yoon-ho is a fierce werewolf, lethal in his heavy claws. He's one of the biggest werewolves when transformed, but even in his human form, he can crush a head with his own bare hands.

> Park Hee-jin is his chosen Beta. She's a she-wolf with an impeccable sense for danger, she reads the situation quick and carefully, and her guts are as sharp as her mind. She's able to tell when a situation is not good and informs her leader firsthand before forming her own strategy.

> Min Byung-gyu, Yoon-ho's best friend, had once been offered for the rank of the Beta. However, he rejects it as he doesn't think leadership is his forte. And even then, he's one of the strongest wolves and protects his fellow members.

> Yoon-ho has a reputation of killing his own kind, making him fearsome that even some of his members are cowering on him.

> while the rest work in teams, Yoon-ho usually hunts alone as his strength is merely for taking down large animals.

> known members: Kim Chul and Ahn Sang-min.

CRESCENT GUARDIANS

> led by Go Gun-hee, the Alpha.

> Woo Jin-chul is his second-in-command.

> like black-furred werewolves, white-furred werewolves are also rare. And Go Gun-hee is the oldest living white-furred wolf, as well as the oldest active Alpha when most would retire before reaching his age.

> Go Gun-hee doesn't always go for action, mainly because he's looking after his strength, so he relies on his Beta for the task.

> Go Gun-hee is the most respected Alpha besides Sung Il-hwan.

> they're the only pack who has been recognized by other packs outside the country.

> Woo Jin-chul once took down an entire group of rogues, showing his formidability after they attempted to raid the pack.

> known members: ————

Other notes:

— pack wars are a thing, though not as frequent unlike decades ago.

— it is believed that Rakan, a beast entity who can turn into a human, had started the race by cursing several humans to continue his legacy and increase population.

— there are werewolves called 'Rogues' — it's when a werewolf is banished from their pack.

— there are certain outfits/fabrics that don't get ripped apart when shifting, rather they just disappear in the process.

— during the wolf cycle, all packs run to the mountains for camping — some build their own little houses deep in the woods, far from the human civilization. It is a coincidence if they stumble upon other packs.

[yoyeolears]

it's okay not to be lonely//chapter 2

zhang hao x sung hanbin

genre: angst & fluff

warnings: death, cursing, a bit suggestive

masterlist: summary | 1 | 2 | 3 pt. 1 | 3 pt. 2| 4 | 5 | 6 (final)

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chapter 2: because of you everything started to change

word count: 2,057

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11th of November 2023

Sharing a strawberry ice cream with Hanbin on his breaks quickly became a habit. Every Saturday without fail, he would show up at the convenience store, shoving the items on the counter before Hao with that infectious smile of his.

“Ready for our date Hao?”

He couldn't pinpoint what Hanbin meant with his choice of words. In fact, he didn’t understand the meaning behind his words at all. Hanbin couldn’t possibly be into him like that. His best guess was that he was teasing Hao as he usually did. A month into their  friendship Hao had figured out that Hanbin found his awkwardness endearing, so he took every opportunity he could to engage in playful banter. Hanbin never went too far with his jokes, of course, but he would always say something that would make Hao's entire face go embarrassingly red.

Realistically, he could’ve asked what Hanbin meant. After all, there was no harm to it. The latter claimed that he was Hao's friend and friends asked each other questions all the time. However, Hao was simply put a coward. That, and incredibly unsocial. He wasn’t too sure how to ask and he was also terrified of finding out Hanbin's response. What if he thought Hao was disgusting for his way of thinking and cut ties with him? Losing people was unfairly easy. He knew that better than anyone. It was the same reason why he had refrained from getting close to anyone. Until Hanbin. Hanbin had been so persistent that Hao just couldn’t push him away even if he wanted to. No matter how awkward or even rude his replies got, Hanbin would still smile at him. He would still come back every day. So, he accepted it.

He accepted what the other male gave him, and he wasn’t going to take it for granted.

Hao scanned his items and then placed them back in front of him with a shy smile.

“Just give me two seconds.”

“Sure! I will go wait for you under the gazebo. Just meet me there when you are ready.”, Hanbin announced.

Hao watched him walk out of the store, deep in thought. He really didn’t get why Hanbin was so interested in him. This friendship had occurred so out of the blue. He remembered Hanbin mentioning that it wasn’t his first time seeing Hao in Professor’s Park class. In fact, they had shared a class each year since the start of their university years. So, why now?

He sighed. He was never going to get answers until he asked. Yet, he pondered the same things every day. He truly was hopeless when it came to human interactions.

Hao grabbed his jacket from the coat hanger next to the register. It was already the middle of November, and the weather was getting extremely chilly. He couldn’t afford to get sick. He had to work to make it through the winter. Ironically enough, considering he was about to eat ice cream.

He found Hanbin sitting in the usual spot under the gazebo, ice cream already melting in his mouth.

“Don’t you think eating ice cream in this weather is perhaps not the brightest idea?”, he queried.

Hanbin cachinnated, drips of melted ice cream nearly spilling out of the edges of his mouth.

“Why not? I think what’s not smart is not doing what you want to do.”

“Sometimes, you just don’t get to do what you want to do.”

Hao wanted to slap himself so much at that moment. Maybe then whatever parasite was residing in his brain would take a clue and declare permanent vacation. He couldn’t believe he made such comment. Not only would it lead to more questions by Hanbin, but he had also potentially ruined the mood. He was pretty confident there would be no more ice cream dates now.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin the mood.”, he silently apologized.

Hanbin frowned at him, “What are you talking about? Nothing wrong with what you said. In fact, you are right. We don’t always get to do what we want. However, I think it is important to do what we want when we can.”

“Is that why you decided to talk to me now? Because you couldn’t before?”

That evil entity had to be actively possessing his body if his mouth was running this freely. Hao could not even remember the last time he had been this direct with someone. Even before his parents’ death, he was known for being a reserved and quiet kid. He would avoid confrontation, never pick up fights with anyone, and he always apologized for the smallest of things.

An evident contrast to whoever he was right now, making him unsure of what type of response it would generate from Hanbin.

“Actually, I was too scared to talk to you.”, the other male hesitantly confessed, eyes darting everywhere but Hao's face.

His fixated gaze on the ground wavered. Slowly, he turned to look at Hanbin. Hao always avoided meeting his stare due to the looming fear of the latter reading him like an open book, but this time Hanbin was not looking at him. For the first time since Hao met him, Hanbin was looking at the ground himself, cheeks flaring up a pretty shade of red. Hanbin was blushing because of Hao. The little pest danced in victory. He had been the cause of Hanbin's flustered state for the first time. Well, the possessed version of Hao that is.

“Huh?”

That dumb response again. He was a disaster. He had been doing so well at not making a fool of himself up until now.

Hanbin shook his head amused, “There is that response you love again.”

Hao pouted, fiddling with his fingers.

“You just say things I don’t expect.”

The male quietly laughed.

“I am sorry. I know I can be a bit upfront.”

Hao quickly protested, “That’s not what I mean. I, erm, haven’t really interacted with many people the past few years so I don’t really know what to expect sometimes.”

Hanbin gave him a nod of affirmation

“May I ask why?”

Of course, he was going to. It was to be expected. Hanbin had been hanging out with him for more than a month, yet the former barely knew anything substantial about Hao. Meanwhile, he knew everything about Hanbin. From insignificant information such as the reason why he explicitly hated bananas to first heartbreaks and more heartbreaking experiences, such as his parents’ recent divorce.

“Well, you didn’t tell me the reason why you were scared to approach me.”

“Where is that confidence coming from Zhang Hao? I love it.”, Hanbin gasped.

The demon in him must be having a party up there, celebrating his undeniable success at playing puppet with Hao. His face bloomed an equal shade of red to Hanbin's. Hao: 1 – Hanbin: 85. No, he didn’t actually count every time Hanbin made him blush, but if he had to make a quick guess it would most likely be a disconcerting number.

“Honestly, I was just too shy to talk to you. I know I may not seem like it, but I am not the outgoing person people make me out to be. I always try to be kind to people, but I more often than not get dragged by my friends to whatever social activities they have planned. So, it took quite a bit of courage to approach you. You also looked like you didn’t want to be bothered most of the time. Except for that day when you came in late. You looked crestfallen. I just knew I had to say something.”

Hao never thought anyone would care. He had felt that he was invisible throughout the past years. He had no one to hold him during his parents’ funeral, or comfort him when his nights were filled with terrors. Yet, unbeknownst to him, Hanbin had been trying to get close to him him all this time. Whether that was due to pity or genuine intrigue was a different story.

Hanbin could tell there was a lot going through Hao's head, so he decided to conclude his explanation.

“So, that’s the reason why I didn’t speak to you sooner. As peculiar as it might sound, I mostly keep to myself. The only reason I am friends with Sua and Jiwoong is thanks to Matthew. He has always been the type to make friends with everyone he finds interesting enough, and he practically dragged me everywhere with them when they started hanging out.”

Hao nodded, picking at his nails. He couldn’t imagine a scenario in which Hanbin was not the social bee that everyone believed him to be. Perhaps the male was more similar to him than he had initially thought.

He tried to come up with an answer to Hanbin's initial question that wouldn’t make things become way too depressing. Despite his obvious lacking in social and emotional skills, he could tell when a conversation was already starting to turn gloomy. And Hao had struggled with such conversations all his life. Opening up to people had never been his strongest point, more so after losing his parents. His mum said that he had always been hesitant around others from a very young age, always shying away from attention and making the first move. Now that he had lost the two most important figures in his life, letting people in had turned into a colossus obstacle.

“My parents died a couple of years ago.”

What a way to soften the blow. However, Hanbin didn’t say anything, allowing him to continue.

“I guess it really affected me on how I viewed relationships, so I naturally drifted away from the rest of the world. I thought that if I stayed alone, I wouldn’t have to go through the pain of losing the people I care about again.”

Hanbin simply nodded at his words. Hao had never anticipated a person’s response so much in his 21 years. His response could realistically change the entire course of their friendship.

“It must have been incredibly hard to bear it all alone. Fuck, a few months back one of my white t-shirts turned pink and my first thought was to call my mum. It was such a small, minuscule issue, yet she was the first person I thought of calling. I cannot imagine not having them during my most important or hardest times of my life. I would be nowhere without them. You are such a brave person for enduring this all on yourself. I am proud of you Hao. And I bet they would be too.”

Hao jut out his bottom lip, mouth twisting to a pout. He could feel the water pooling his eyes.

“Also, turns out you can’t undo the damage. The t-shirt I mean. I just had to buy a new one and learn a very important life lesson. Do not put mixed colours with whites.”, Hanbin pointed out.

Hao laughed. He laughed the loudest he had laughed in the past years. And then he cried, the water finally escaping his eyes. He cried for all the sleepless, lonely nights, the birthdays, friendships, and experiences he had missed all the past years. He cried for all the pain he had to endure and carry all alone. He cried for dooming himself to a life where he was destined to be alone, devoid of any comfort and love. Loss can be an impending curse, and Hao allowed for himself to be cursed.

Laughing through the tears, he turned to smile at Hanbin.

“Thank you.”

The expression of worry that had been shaping on the latter's face turned into one of confusion.

“For what?”

Taking Hanbin's hands in his own, Hao spilled his true emotions once more, “For not making me feel alone.”

The male squeezed his hands reassuringly, “You’ve never been alone Hao.”

And just like that the dam broke again. Only this time, it was in the flaming warmth of Hanbin's arms.

“It’s okay. Let it all out. I’ve got you.”, he reassured Hao, patting his back soothingly.

Hao clung on tighter, burying his blurry face in the crook of Hanbin's neck. He embraced him tighter and tighter, until the warmth spread through his body like a blazing fire.

Indeed, everything changed at that moment.

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Author's Note: And we are back! I want to sincerely apologise for the delay in getting this out, but being a master's student is a whole different experience. The next chapter will most likely be split in two parts since as of right now it is way too big. I can't guarantee the next update, but I am hoping to release part 1 by New Year's.

As always, thank you to everyone who decided to read. Opinions, comments, and thoughts are always welcome. Stay safe and happy holidays to anyone celebrating.

-Jina

[fallloverfic]

Solo Leveling Episode 12 Thoughts

The final episode of season 1 was so good! Spoilery thoughts for the anime, novel, and manhwa below:

The fights were just incredible. The animation was gorgeous, all the voice acting and music were excellent, it's just beautiful to watch. Also really loved the anime version of the manhwa scene with Lee Joohee, Song Chiyul, and Sung Jinwoo himself appearing as mental projections. It looks really good and it hits really hard, emotionally. The visual parallels are also handled well. Jinwoo is getting hammered here, and it's nicely done.

It's also interesting to learn that Woo Jinchul was also at the third Jeju Island raid! Even though he was just handling security, he was there. It's nice to emphasize how big of a deal the Jeju raids are to South Korea, because it helps with how messy stuff is later. I like how the show is focusing on trauma and its effects.

I like the emphasis on how a big part of Jinwoo's survival is luck. And I imagine some folks see this as a cheat, though I also like how it just shows the story is sticking to his own rules. It's not like the daily quest ever stopped being a thing. But also like... a lot of this is luck. When you awaken and what rank you awaken to is luck-based, and you're just kind of stuck with it (which is a good metaphor for how people are born, as well, particularly in terms of economic status; folks are randomly born to rich families/otherwise in places with a lot more resources than others and thus have a way easier time in life than other folks because resources are everything; it has nothing to do with ability, and it's massively unfair). If Jinwoo gets a little extra luck kinda because he's hyperfixated on something and it helps him survive, it's actually kind of fair, because at least that's sticking to a system of rules he ignored. And still a nice reflection on an unfair system.

Even the fights in the penalty room are amazing XD I don't go for stuff with giant insects, so the way this was a pleasure to watch was really awesome. I love the animation with Jinwoo flicking the mana potion away. I don't have any screencaps because I'd take far too many. All of the fights are good.

I still love seeing more of Choi Jongin and Cha Haein interact (with a brief cameo of a silent Lee Bora). Really glad the anime added little things like this. It's similar to what happens later, but it's nice to see them working together more.

The end of knight fight is incredible. All his movements are excellent. It's just really impressive.

It's also just really cute the way the notification window follows Jinwoo around the room as he's pondering lol

It's funny while I was reading the manhwa originally I related to this arc a lot as a former warlock player (loved running around with my army of summons who could just overwhelm any opponents, letting me stand safely in the back) but now I'm thinking of it more in terms of a death knight, particularly when Jinwoo is like, "There's no rule that says necromancers can't fight on the front lines". He is not wrong. Particularly if you've ever played the class in Diablo III, which is fun.

Jinchul just looks really pretty here. I love his relationship with Go Gunhee, and I'm still glad we're getting more of it in the anime.

And the Shadow Monarch arrives XD So happy :3 I also really love the nice touch in the manhwa, which the anime included, that the portal opening is purple, foreshadowing this part in the story with all the purple. It was always going to be this way (for other reasons). But it's a nice little visual touch.

Also framing this with Jinwoo being in front of the throne but slightly below it as well is really neat and also good foreshadowing.

He's so delighted by his ability XD I'm happy for him :3 Especially after he got brought so low earlier. He needs the pick-me-up. The shadow soldiers look really neat.

Distracted by the shadow soldier butt highlights alkdjaldja I just alkdjlaj YES IT'S A REALLY TENSE AND FUN SCENE WITH REALLY GREAT MUSIC BUT ALSO ldkjaljalaj (yes I know what codpieces are, I just lakjdlaj). It's not bad art or anything, I am just... Distracted TM roflmao

I like that Jinwoo still apologizes to the soldiers he dismisses, but he's sadder in the novel, and even in the manhwa. In the novel he has this, “He felt bad about getting rid of any of his soldiers. Even though he’d known them for only a few minutes, he was already attached to them.” (Volume 2, Chapter 4: Shadow Monarch by Chugong, Yen Press English release). In the novel and the manhwa he also looks a bit sad about it after apologizing, and thinks on it longer. It's a really humanizing moment for him, and shows how easy it is for Jinwoo to care about and sympathize with even complete strangers, particularly when they're his responsibility. It's not the worst change, and the anime has plenty of other moments that show his humanity, but it's just one of those little things...

I'm really curious about Gunhee's neck scar: who did that and how? In the novel, it's stated that he was too old when he awakened to ever fight as a Hunter: he's never been in a dungeon. The neck scar is part of his design in the manhwa, and he's just generally heavily scarred. He's a neat character who doesn't get explored enough. Looking forward to them expanding even more on him in future cours.

Shadow Igris looks so pretty. (Also there's a moment where he seems to purr around 20:48, which is I just think the sound of the movement of him standing, but it's hummy and sort of purr-like alkdjlaj and it kills me akdjlajal Purring Igris yes, thank you :3). Also, I love that the cape pops out of his back like butterfly wings alkdjalj beautiful. The way he walks around and the camera focuses on him and the click of his heels, just everything about him is so beautifully animated. I love this so much.

Ahh, I figured Jongin's expedition would find the flying ant. And so it begins.

That was such a good episode. An excellent season. Some leaks have stated that there are plans for like 6 cours or 3 regular seasons (and a PV for the end of the series with some spoilery footage), so I'm not that worried about the rest being animated (with some extra anime-original stuff, judging by how many episodes that'd be), though there will seemingly be delays. But with quality like this I'm happy to wait. I hope the crew get the time they need to make more awesome seasons without straining themselves. Ahh this was so GOOD!!!

Other episode reactions:

S01E05

S01E06

S01E07

S01E08

S01E09

S01E10

S01E11

S01E12 (you are here)

[puffedcheeksx]

[12.11.22.] #DrRomantic squad photo booth from Yoon Bora’s IG Post