#taesan main character as always

[slytherinshua]

I MEAN BONEDO SLAYED THAT THEY REALLY DID.

[luna2nite]

: ̗̀➛ PROFILES

main characters

⌗ yn - in college for psychology, works part-time as a barista, parties every weekend, fake idgafer # 1, roommates with winter and belle

⌗ taesan - in college for music, an alleged player, fake idgafer # 2, met yn in middle school and stopped being friends their senior year, cocky mf, lives with sungho, brooding emo

“1-800-hotnfun”

⌗ belle - yn’s friend since childhood, flirts with everyone, lowkey down bad for riwoo, roommates with winter and yn

⌗ winter - met yn and belle in highschool, man hater, lives for the drama deep down, roommates with belle and yn

“freak mcnastys”

⌗ jaehyun - met taesan and yn in high school, party boy # 1, roommates with leehan and riwoo, has zero chill

⌗ sungho - sick of everyone, met yn, jaehyun, and taesan in high school, still close with yn because they work together, lives with taesan, has no game, down bad for winter

⌗ leehan - taesan’s childhood friend, party boy # 2, hates living with jaehyun, always on a side quest

⌗ riwoo - never knows what’s going on, introduced yn and taesan in freshman year, close friends with belle, hates living with jaehyun AND leehan

masterlist | first chapter

[starryriize]

picture perfect | leehan

part 1- the invite

a/n: the long-awaited release of part one! i have absolutely loved making this and it’s taken me longer than i’d like to admit :( this is the first time i’ve written more than 1k words😫i sincerely hope that you all enjoy this!!

1.2k words

pairing: photographer! Leehan and model! reader

summary/preview , part one , part two

-- ✧ --

"Leehan! Did you see the interview?" He turns to his friend, feigning innocence. "What interview?" Taesan rolls his eyes, clicking his tongue before chiding, "Come now, you saw it!" Leehan did, in fact, see the interview. The one that featured the CEO of Omega Watches shaking hands with some high-ranking representative of a model that Leehan didn't care about. He ran a hand through his hair, wondering why Taesan was so excited about a normal interview. It wasn't anything new for a CEO to have new models for the new collections.

Taesan sighed loudly, plopping onto the couch as he leaned his head back, slightly closing his eyes. If there was one perk to living with Leehan, the furniture was always comfortable and stylish. Interior designers should be glad he took up photography, Taesan thought to himself. Facing where Leehan was sitting, Taesan grabbed a plain white envelope. He took a stray pen from the round living room table, sliding the pen through the seal. Taking the paper out, Taesan went silent. It was an invite to the New Year's Gala hosted by Omega. Every year, this dreaded gold-lined invite came, and every time, Leehan refused to go. Events were incredibly draining, filled with hours of talking to people, and doing so-called “networking.”

“Oh? Taesan, what’s in the letter?” Leehan stood up, leaning against the wall, gesturing toward the paper with a quirked eyebrow.

“The New Year’s Gala for Omega. Apparently, the theme this year is fairytale.” Taesan said while smirking, already planning his outfit to capture the hearts of many at the party. Leehan sighed in annoyance, knowing he’d have to go to the Gala this year. There was no avoiding the CEO, but more importantly, he had to keep good relations with the CEO. 

“I’ll come with.” Leehan paused, “I have to make sure I still have my contract with Omega.” Leehan muttered under his breath, not wanting to admit that he did want to see the newest collection of watches. Leehan, despite all his complaints about parties and not caring, did in fact enjoy the socializing. There was a rush of adrenaline that he got from the flashing lights, the sparkles, the car ride from their shared apartment, and the whole feeling of living life fully. It was the same rush that he got from being in the airport. He loved moments where he felt like time was suspended, as it made him feel like the main character of a New York Times bestseller. 

But Taesan wasn’t stupid, he saw right through his friend. Shrugging, Taesan smiled. Sarcastically commenting, “Sure. You’re definitely going for the contract talks.” He paused before adding, “Also Leehan, I hope you know that the Gala is this coming weekend at 9 pm outside the Omega Pop-up store.” Taesan continued talking about the details of the party, where to park,  who to avoid, and most importantly what to wear. As far as Leehan was concerned, he wasn’t interested in the who’s and what’s of the party. But Taesan was right, they needed outfits, and ones that would fit the theme perfectly. Taesan retreated to his room, spending what seemed like hours, deliberating over which silk shirt looked best. Deciding that he needed his friend’s opinion, he called Leehan to tell him what he thought about the silk.

Leehan sighed for the fifth time, muttering, “I say this with love but the silk isn’t it. You look like a dress up pirate not a fairytale prince.”

Taesan audibly scoffs as he flicks through the various shirts before pulling out a hanger. “Yes. Yes. I’ve found it!” He turns to Leehan, holding a white ruffled shirt with puffed sleeves and a ruffled collar. It was the epitome of a fairytale if he were in Tangled that is. "I think I look good." Taesan smirks at himself in the mirror, proud of the "princely" fit he pulled out of his closet.

"But what do I wear?" Leehan sighed, staring at the rows upon rows of shirts. Flicking through the blues and whites, he stopped, staring at a navy blue dress shirt. Pulling it off the hanger, he placed it down, moving to find a matching vest or jacket. After he finally found a suitable vest, embroidered with white crystals and made of white satin. He figured that would be enough and that he'd plan the rest of the fit later.

-- ✧ --

12 hours away, you'd gotten the same letter. You knew this wasn't an event you could call sick to skip mainly because your face was going to be all over the adverts at the entrance of the party. Glancing down at the letter, you read it out loud, wishing the flight wasn't so expensive and wondering which outfit you could possibly wear.

We cordially invite you to our New Year's Gala. We plan to introduce our newest "Timeless" collection. Our theme this year is fairytale! We hope to see you there. Yours Truly, Omega Watches.

Smiling, you knew you could finally pull out the butterfly top that you'd been influenced to buy when you were shopping with your close friend, Yunjin. Carefully removing the resin-jeweled top from its protective covering, you quickly grabbed your favorite pink satin skirt.

Glancing at the clock, you realized you had less than two hours to catch your flight to Incheon. Gingerly wrapping your outfit in a small carry-on, you grab your mother's Yves Saint Laurent crossbody and begin locking up your apartment, double-checking everything. You knew that your manager had already sent your pre-packed bags to Incheon, so what else did you need? You glance your eyes over your jewelry, stopping at the gold heart bracelet. Deciding you can never have enough jewelry, you grab the bracelet and place it in your purse.

Soon you were on a plane, miles from Incheon with adrenaline filling your veins. Just thinking about finally seeing your adverts in person, meeting new people, and socializing, words couldn't describe how excited you felt.

Upon landing in South Korea, you were taken aback by the stunning views and how it felt so much like home. You had been to Korea once before, but you were so little, that everything was a blur. The hustle and bustle of Incheon Airport made you feel calm, suspended in-between time, where you were neither here nor there.

Taking out your phone, you snap a quick picture of the views from the airport entrance before scanning the taxi lane for your scheduled car. You were told to look for a black Jaguar XKSS, remembering your manager saying that the car was "vintage-looking" and something "out of James Bond."

Some 10 minutes later, you see a car that looks as though it came from the Bond films. Ah, that must be my ride. You thought to yourself. The front door opened and a tall, somewhat American-looking man strode to where you were standing. You glance toward him, analyzing his movements as he opens the trunk for your luggage. The man offered his hand for you to shake, introducing himself as Jaehyun. You confidently shook his hand, introducing yourself as well.

"Let's get you to the hotel." Jaehyun jumped excitedly, placing your luggage into the trunk. The car's capacity was, well, smaller than you expected. You knew it'd be a vintage car, but you didn't think it'd be as tiny as you thought. It was a two-door car, so you had to be seated in the passenger seat.

Just as you were getting comfortable, Jaehyun mentioned, "Going to the Omega Party? Ah, you'll get to meet Leehan and Taesan!" Leehan? Why was that name familiar to you? You tried to remember why he was familiar but then gave up remembering that you'll probably see him at the Gala.

-- ✧ --

For both you and Leehan, the moment you enter the doors of the Gala, lives shall be changed.

[dongminz]

my reality . . ᝰ.ᐟ (han taesan)

౨ৎ Character Descriptions !!

ᯓᡣ𐭩 what happens when han taesan, a quiet boy with a cold demeanor, falls for a girl working part-time at his favorite record shop?

𐙚 cart ✦ chapter list

note: anything said here is based on my image of these characters. nothing here is confirmed to be how the idols are irl !! always remember au ≠ irl !! thank you ! 💞

all characters mentioned go to the same school, which is 'hanlim multi arts highschool' !

The 3 Idiots this is yn's friendgroup

yn:

fashion student ���

she's very outgoing and extroverted, you could say she can match the energy of jaehyun(?)

she help's out at her dad's record shop! she works as the register after school when she has time, but works there every afternoon during summer break.

she loves loves loves music !! if she didn't do fashion, she would've been part of the music department.

belle:

music student 🎧ྀི

she's been friends with yn since they were in grade 2 !

an amazing singer !!

a girls girl and overall such a sweetheart !!

anton:

music student ★🎸🎧

his friendship with belle and yn is the type of friendship where they don't even remember how they became friends LOL. all they know is that one day they clicked and the rest is history.

lowk an idiot

soft spoken but sassy asf??

also friends with taesan & jaehyun

Woonhak + Hyungs this is taesans's friendgroup/band aka boy next door

taesan:

music student 🎶

in charge of drums in their band

LOSERRR

quiet and introverted, but is vv clingy to those he’s close to !

loves music!! he lives and breathes it atp

loves vinyls 🫶

lowk nonchalant but the most loser to have ever losered if you get what i mean (like ryu sunjae)

sungho:

music student

gym rat 🤮 (js kidding i love gymrat sungho)

lowk gets worried easily

one of the main vocalist in their band

dare i say the pretty boy in their friendgroup

also very sassy like wtf

riwoo:

music student

spitting out dad jokes all the time (save bnd)

his timing is great though

he looks like his dog

in charge of piano and is also a vocalist

LOVESS dancing like he loves it

jaehyun:

music student

certified FREAK

get this guy away 😞🙏

the type of guy who’d do something embarrassing while theyre outside

is a cutie patootie though

LOVES annoying woonhak 24/7

plays the eguitar and is also a vocalist

leehan:

music student

i genuinely think hes an alien

weirdo

in charge of the saxophone

loves going to the aquarium

corydoras!!

loves alien/fish themed stuff

woonhak:

music student

SO LOUD

he’s 2 grades younger than the rest aka hes in g10

in charge of the bass

has anger issues

looks like a teddy bear lowk 🧸

fed up w jaehyuns shit (justice for woonhak 😞✊)

Music Video Groupmates not including yn, taesan, and anton

hanni:

film student 🎞️

classmates with dohoon

friends with yn and belle

super sweet and kind !!

can be loud too

grew up in australia

ricky:

fashion student

looks like hes abt to go on a runway everyday??

young and rich 🤑

tall and handsome 🤥

charisma BOSS 🔥

lowk a loser too

friends with leehan

dohoon:

film student

vv sporty

friends with taesan

plays soccer with him sometimes

has an interest for fashion so he often asks ricky for advice !

author’s note boom !! character descs r hereee 😼😼 had a lot of fun with this actually LMAOO might add more chars for future chapter purposes 🤷‍♀️

© dongminz 2024 ; all rights reserved

[headmaestro]

Asher's Tale: Where Music Begin | Prelude.

As time marches forward, the Maestro conducts a symphony of love, each note serves a testament to the passage of time and the beauty of fleeting moments.

CHAPTER ONE: The First Movement ♪ .. || “Thus now, the orchestra stirs into a new movement—a symphonic rebirth,” whispered, ASHER LUKE HEIMER.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ [ . . . ]

Foresee, crafting a love story as timeless as a classic tune, PARK SUNGHOON for the MAIN COMPOSITION and JAY PARK, LEE HEESEUNG, YANG JUNGWON, HAN TAESAN, YOUNGHOON, and LEE JUYEON as his SIDE COMPOSITIONS. Mingled—casting a soft glow that illuminated the stage, where an aura lingered of a LEGAL 18+ took part.

The lead drives the strings of your heart to be plucked, as he strives onto the stage filled with a symphony of emotions, seamlessly transitioning between roles of LOVER, FRIEND, and FAMILY. Composed by several sonnets of BXG, BXB, and DXD connections in his lyrical tone as DOMINANT.

The head maestro remarked, “The audience is buzzing. Let’s give them something to remember, 'shall we?” Just as that, pure confidence showed on the LEO's bright eyes, resembling his true nature of an INFP.

Merely heard by the crowd—the sound of rustling pages filled the air, a gentle reminder of the music yet to come. He greeted the audience not only in musical gestures, but also through alluring INDONESIA, BILINGUAL, and ENGLISH resonance of pitch.

Dedicated to the echoes filled in the hearts of all who had been fortunate enough to listen as he indicated his care through a gentle touch of WORDS OF AFFIRMATION, ACT OF SERVICE, and QUALITY TIME harmonizing with the sounds around.

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⋆⋆✮♪♫♪✮⋆⋆

CHAPTER TWO: The Entrancing Melodies Unfold ♪ .. || “Remember, every note we play is a part of our story. Let's make the best of our performance,” uttered, The Head Maestro. The notes carry on to every Maestro's AVAILABILITY:

♬ ) All basic services, Stay Up Late (ask first), Movie date (Rave), Listening date (Rave), Game date (@.gamee or plato), Writing date, In character, Deep-talk, Move platform (Imess and Line), Reading date (AU)

‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ⌞ A charmer so alluring, controlled, yet deeply, unshakably alive.⌝

CHAPTER THREE: Gentle Melodies Savored ♪ .. || “ It was a heartbeat, a breath shared between us all,” remarked, The Head Maestro. Which means, a new INTRODUCTION has finally opened in our shared chapter.

With my earnest, I would gladly have you with faithfulness. When on a gloomy day, I would make it yellow with bare hands and touch the stars for you. With my eternity love that it will be echoing our name to the skies of us. I do love writing a lot, therefore I am surely vulnerable to the paper and pouring my thoughts for you on it. My words of affirmation can tender you a lot, because when you have some little things that you’ve made, I would sincerely appreciate it for my best. And little moments that'll come through, I will always remember. I also have a quality time with you, I will never let the space appear amidst — either avoid each other. When you have wounds that hurt you, I will speak gently to make your panic decrease. I will accompany you until you haven’t ached again. Until the downpour isn’t appearing and pour into your soul.

I’ll treat you — in my deepest soul, autumn falls upon my heart, craving the faithful love that I’ll give to you. With our music we play endlessly, dancing toward the town of the devil, with our suffering and grief, fighting the demon with our hands holding together. I do love slow songs, mind to having a conversation in the middle of the night with a cup of tea that is perfectly poured in our bodies? We should recognize our love, with our sacred misc in our head.

With no irked midst us, we’re still sacrificing our love, with the tea that we’ve made, sincerely holding your wrist, oath for our life, our love. I love when we're yapping, the endure will fade away willingly with our conversations, our warmest hugs, our tender eyes — staring at each other. 

[lionhanie]

han taesan ; back 2 u (part three)

you can’t help but find yourself coming back to taesan everytime

this is part three of my series, back 2 u! read the previous part here!

fuckboy!taesan x fem!reader, college au

...featuring! BFFS jaehyun + woonhak, fuckboy leehan (AND he's taesan's roommate), and lovely roomies sungho + riwoo <3

word count: 3.7k

warnings: cursing, woonhak is also in uni (lol sorry had to make my life easier), toxic (?) behavior, mentions of enha jake LOL, y/n is delusional

a/n: i’m alive

likes ♡ and reblogs ↺ always appreciated!

The clinking of plates and someone gently singing along to music from the kitchen wakes you up. Head pounding slightly as your eyes adjust to the brightness of the room, you groan as you stretch out your limbs from your spot on the couch. There’s a pair of footsteps dragging against the floor from down the hallway; likely belonging to Riwoo, knowing he wasn’t going to be the one awake in the kitchen considering how much he drank last night. You yawn, finally sitting up properly and reaching for your phone resting on the coffee table. 

5 unread texts from “Han Dongmin”! [2:15AM] hope ur feeling better y/n :)  [2:15AM] get back safe [2:21AM] u aren’t walking back to ur dorm alone right? [2:34AM] just stay at their apartment or smth [2:38AM] or i can come get u

Why is he… literally in love with you? Surely he wouldn’t care this much otherwise. The gaps in time between the messages make you laugh; imagining Han Taesan, supposed resident heartbreaker on campus, triple texting a girl in concern for her wellbeing. After last night, you’re convinced that Taesan’s too big of a softie to actually match the rumors about him floating around. His roommate, on the other hand… You wouldn’t be surprised if Kim Leehan lives up to his reputation to a tee. You smile at the notifications on your lockscreen, sending him a couple messages in response. 

to: “Han Dongmin” sorry didn’t see these last night, was busy helping sungho handle riwoo LMAO dw i stayed the night here

Much to your surprise, your phone lights up a couple minutes later. “Han Dongmin” loved “dw i stayed the night here”! An exaggerated gasp comes from a clearly hungover Riwoo, who’s currently standing at the kitchen island. “Sungho, I think I love you.” The roommate in question coughs at the sudden words of affection. Upon making your way from the living room over to your friends, you let out a similar gasp at the spread of food currently splayed out on the dining table. You think you love Sungho too.

“Let’s eat, the pancakes are gonna get cold soon.” You and Riwoo shuffle over to the table, each taking a seat and grabbing a plate and set of utensils. 

“Sometimes I wonder what I did in my past life to be given such a good roommate,” Riwoo’s mouth is full of food as he rambles on, “Let’s live together forever, Sungho.”

“Oh my god, I just got goosebumps. Don’t say scary things like that while we’re eating.” You can’t help but giggle at the dynamic at the pair across from you. The three of you were randomly assigned together for a group project last fall semester, hitting it off immediately. Riwoo and Sungho decided to live together at the start of this school year-- you would’ve joined their lease if you weren’t already planning on dorming with a friend from high school. 

The meal is accompanied with various stories from last night, primarily following Riwoo’s main character moment when he was the center of attention in the dance circle. Maybe it’s the hangover, but the dancer suddenly feels shy after having talked about himself for a little too long. “Okay, enough about my night,” He wipes his mouth with a napkin before throwing it onto his empty plate, “Care to explain how you ended up in Taesan’s room last night, Y/N?” Riwoo wiggles his eyebrows suggestively from his seat.

Your movements still, fork lingering in your mouth for a moment before taking it out, chewing your eggs slowly and analyzing the looks you’re getting from around the table. “Come on, that’s none of our business.” You send Sungho a thankful smile, earning a grin from him in response. Your current savior can’t deny that he’s equally as curious about why they had to find out from Leehan that you were swept away to the confines of his roommate’s bedroom.

“If you want me to be completely honest, I don’t remember how exactly I ended up there either.” It’s a complete lie; you spent roughly two hours laying awake on their living room couch recollecting everything that happened. Getting your kiss rejected, being so overstimulated to the point of almost crying, an awkward conversation in the middle of his room, and last (but definitely not least), the kiss Taesan gave you goodbye. 

You probably replayed the end to your night over twenty times, fighting back the urge to squeal into your blanket. You felt like a middle schooler experiencing their first crush. You hope that they don’t catch your bluff, or at the very least refrain from prying any further.

The pair share a look with each other, definitely aware of the fact that you’re withholding information.  “Alright, but just… Don’t fall too hard for him.” The atmosphere suddenly feels serious, making you anxious in your chair. 

You let out a scoff at Riwoo’s warning, finding it ridiculous. “Fall for him? I literally met the guy on Thursday,” The fork you're currently holding is used to push around the remnants of food on your plate. “I find him interesting, that’s really it.” 

“He’s a good friend, but I’ve seen the way he can talk to women,” Sungho stands up, already moving to pile up the dirty dishes on the table to take them to the sink.  “He isn’t just well-known ‘cause of his looks.” You know exactly what he’s referring to, but you dismiss the thought. Right then and there, you swore you weren't going to indulge in the way you were currently feeling for Han Taesan. You knew better than to do that to yourself. 

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

Though here you were, a week after the party, laying stomach down on your bed as you complained to Woonhak and Jaehyun about the boy who plagued your mind for the past couple days. A week since you’ve heard from Taesan. No texts, no library run-ins, nothing. 

Jaehyun’s playing around with the things you have scattered around your room, even going to rummage through your closet full of clothes that (most likely) would not fit him. “This is nice,” You look up to see him holding the jacket Taesan lended you that night sitting neatly on a hanger. “Look Woonhak, it actually suits me pretty well!”

A groan escapes you at the sight of Jaehyun putting it on and flashing you various poses, modeling the jacket before returning it to your closet. "Damn, just say you think it looks bad on me next time." You drop your head back down to the bed, not wanting to be reminded of the intimate moment you associated with the jacket for the thousandth time that week. 

“Guys, can you be so serious with what I’m about to say right now?” Your voice is muffled by the fact that your face is currently shoved into your pillows. 

“Yeah, but only if you get the hell up so we can hear you properly.” Woonhak giggles at Jaehyun’s comment from his spot on the carpet, where he was currently laying with his phone raised up in the air. “Is it about that random from last weekend?”

When you initially told them about Saturday, you spared them a couple details to spare you from the inevitable jokes they would’ve made at your expense. And by a couple details, you actually only told them that you "went to a party with Riwoo and Sungho, got drunk and kissed a mystery guy at the end of the night". 

Ignoring Jaehyun’s question, you sit up properly on your bed, hair disheveled as you reach for one of your plushies to hug for comfort. “Okay, so I’m going to give you guys a hypothetical scenario right now.”

“And by hypothetical, you mean it happened to you, but go on.” Woonhak calls you out, making Jaehyun snort in agreement. 

“Wow. Woonhak, I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with anything you’ve said more,” Jaehyun pats him, as if he was praising him for saying something right for the first time. “You used to do this all the time in high school… The whole ‘fake’ scenario that fully described your current internal turmoil, it’s too funny.” 

Jaehyun wasn’t wrong, but you still smack the top of his head with your plushie in retaliation. 

You and him were nothing but rivals when you first met, both fighting for the spot of class president in your freshman year of high school-- You unfortunately lost, but were appointed as vice president, which meant you were going to spend a lot of time together from that point onwards. The competition quickly ended once you realized how well your personalities bounced off each other; the two of you were like brother and sister.

Woonhak was brought into the picture on a random spring day; he was one of the new members of the school’s basketball team, which Jaehyun was a part of. At some point, he started following Jaehyun around outside of practice, finding enjoyment in bothering the upperclassman. Eventually, he found his way to one of your after school hangouts, and the rest was history.

He hates when you guys bring it up, but Woonhak cried like a baby at you and Jaehyun’s graduation, cursing at both of you for leaving him all alone… Only to enroll in the same university the following fall, properly reuniting the now-inseparable friend group you had.

The boys couldn’t remember all the times you’ve been in this exact state throughout the span of your friendship. The two knew you as someone who got attached far too quickly, putting an unreasonable amount of meaning into minor interactions, so the situation wasn’t unfamiliar to the two friends hanging around in your bedroom on a random afternoon. 

“Imagine you’re me, okay, and some guy tells you to come to his party after renting out a book at the library.” It’s sweet how the two boys are now seated by the foot of your bed, listening intently like puppies waiting for their next command. “Then you show up, and the chemistry between you two is there, like seriously. You could cut the tension with a knife-type thick.” 

“Okay, pause,” Jaehyun shoves his hand in front of your face to stop you from continuing, “Are we talking about actual tension, or is this just Y/N tension?” Woonhak fails to hold in his laughter at the term Jaehyun just made. 

“It was very real to me, for your information.” You send a glare to the younger boy cackling on the bed, making him shut up once he catches your gaze. “And then you’re drunk, and you’re dancing with him the whole night.” Jaehyun playfully gags at your description, making you frown. “Fine, if you’re gonna be like that, we can just talk about something else.” 

“Ah hyung, don’t be mean. Continue, Y/N.” 

“...And the whole night you’re lowkey tweaking because this guy is being really sweet to you even though you kind of just thought he wanted to sleep with you or something.” 

“Y/N, I thought you don’t like guys like that though?” Woonhak knows you too well. Nothing can ever be just casual for you. The mere existence of a man like Han Taesan should’ve been your first red flag, but you’re also not one to deny your heart from what it wants. 

You give him a shameful look, feeling like you were just caught red-handed doing something you weren’t supposed to be. “Okay, you’re right, but let me continue. At the end of the party when there’s basically no one there anymore, he gives you his jacket, and kisses you goodnight at the door. Like what?!” 

“Dude, why’d I just get chills?” Woonhak looks dumbfounded as he places his hand on his friend’s shoulder. Jaehyun shrugs his hand off in faux-disgust, rolling his eyes at the action. “It’s kind of romantic, no?” 

“Exactly my point! And to top it all off, he texts you afterwards making sure you got back safe… And even offers to pick you up so you don’t have to walk home by yourself,” Your voice is filled with frustration as you bring your plush up to your face to yell into it. “Like… Does he want me?” 

The boys in front of you sit in silence for a moment, analyzing the scenario you presented to them. “Ah, so that’s why that jacket I wore earlier fit me,” Jaehyun looks back at your closet, still open from his fashion show earlier, “Well, I wouldn’t say he doesn’t want you, but is there nothing else to the story?” 

“You’re telling me this guy did all that for him not to want her? That doesn’t make sense, Jaehyun hyung!” Woonhak looks to Jaehyun beside him, shocked that they aren’t on the same page. “This is one of the few times I actually think Y/N’s delusions might actually be real.”

Ouch. Jaehyun brings up a good point, though. Other than the few texts you shared the morning after, there was nothing but radio silence between you and Han Taesan. ���First of all, I hate both of you, but that’s kind of why I need your takes on this. That’s the end of my interactions with Tae-” You cut yourself off before you carelessly expose the identity of the "hypothetical" man in your story. “...The guy who kissed me that night. I haven’t heard anything from him in seven whole days.” 

“Don’t you have his number? If you think he’s into you, why don’t you just, I dunno, ask to hang out or something?” Woonhak’s suggestion is valid, but it just isn’t like you to do that kind of thing; Asking out the guy you’re into, that is. Not only that, Taesan doesn’t seem like the type of guy to go out on dates like that… Maybe he would, if he knew he could get you in his bed by the end of the night. 

“I guess, but doesn’t that seem too random? I don’t even know if we could keep up a normal conversation if we hung out.” At that moment, you’re faced with the reality that you still didn’t know much about Taesan. It’s clear that you’re attracted to each other, but could that be the only thing you have in common? 

“Hm, you said he borrowed a book from the library when he invited you to the party, right?” Jaehyun inquires. You can practically see the gears in his head turning before he seems to come up with an idea. “Has he returned the book yet?” 

“Myung Jaehyun, you’re a fucking genius.” Your friend brushes off his shoulders cockily, letting out a prideful laugh at the praise. “I doubt he even finished it yet, so I could remind him to bring it back to the library when I’m working!” Woonhak hums in acknowledgement of the recommendation, nodding his head at you. “...Do you guys think that’ll make me look too desperate?” 

“Well, you’re looking for any reason to text him without sounding like you’re obsessed, aren't you?” 

“Fuck it.” You don’t think you’ve ever been so eager to talk to a man when you grab your phone from your nightstand. Your high school friends hover over your shoulder, watching you pull up Taesan’s contact. 

to: “Han Dongmin” btw that book u borrowed is overdue there’s a fine if you don’t renew it soon

You’re embarrassed to say that you throw your phone across the bed from you after pressing send. “I’m having crazy deja vu right now, Woonhak. This feels like we’re in high school again.” 

“You’re right… Who was it again? That Jake guy from our basketball team?” 

“Yeah! Sim Jaeyun, right? Gosh, can you believe Y/N only started coming to our games when she found out he was the point guard?”

You’re about to scold them for bringing up a former high school love interest nearly two years later in the midst of your college love predicament, when you hear a familiar ping come from your discarded phone. 

2 new notifications from “Han Dongmin”! “Han Dongmin” emphasized “there’s a fine if you don’t renew it soon”! u working tuesday?  

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚

The next three days are brutal. You find it hard to concentrate on anything too important when you know you’re going to see Han Taesan show up during your shift Tuesday afternoon. The nostalgic feeling of being a girl far-too-excited to see the boy she’s got a crush on washes over you as you pick out your outfit the night before, settling on one of your prettier cardigans and your favorite pair of jeans. Might as well feel cute if this is going to be the first time seeing him in over a week. The morning of, you wake up twenty minutes earlier than usual to fix your hair and alter your makeup routine slightly. It’s nothing too crazy, but it satisfies your hopes to be complimented again by Taesan. 

5:28 PM. The library’s help desk was supposed to close in half an hour (not that Taesan knew that), and still no signs of the dual-tone haired boy walking through the doors. You spin around in your chair, eyes following the hands of the clock hung up on the wall behind your desk. You were looking forward to seeing him, and your five-hour shift was nearly over after having anticipated it the entire weekend. 

“Hey, stranger.” You feel a smile creeping up on your face at the familiar voice belonging to none other than Han Taesan. You mentally curse yourself for not touching up your makeup while you were waiting, but quickly find the composure to shoo away your excitement before swiveling back around. He’s wearing an oversized black sweatshirt, intricate details painted onto its sleeves. Even when he’s dressed down, his attractiveness is hard to ignore. “I didn’t realize a week had passed already, sorry.” 

Yeah, you didn’t talk to me for a week, is what you wanted to say, but you soon understand he’s referring to the book he borrowed when he places it on the counter in front of you. “Do you want to extend your rent period?” 

“Hm, yeah. I don’t think I’m done with it just yet.” There’s a moment of eye contact shared between you two as he answers. You go to click a couple buttons on your screen, bringing up the data log of all ongoing book rentals. 

“Your makeup’s nice,” Taesan rests his elbows on the counter, peering over to watch you type. The scene feels reminiscent of when you first met. “Did you get all dolled up for me, angel?”  

Is it that obvious? “Maybe you just think I look pretty today, Dongmin.” You accused, hoping the heating up of your cheeks is mistaken as the blush you put on this morning. 

“I wouldn’t be calling you angel if I didn’t think you looked beautiful all the time, hm?” Damn. He’s good. Taesan laughs as he watches you avert your gaze, clearly struggling to respond to his barrage of compliments. “When do you get off work?”

“I clock out at six,” You look at the time in the bottom corner of your screen. Only twenty more minutes. Maybe this was your chance to ask to hang out; to properly talk to him while you’re sober. “Are you busy after this? Would you want to-“

“Hold on, someone’s calling me.” Your mouth presses into a thin line as he stops you to answer his phone. “Yeah?” The boy answers the unknown caller after taking a couple steps away from your desk in doing so. 

The abrupt pause feels oddly humiliating; You almost didn’t want to bother finishing your question after he’s done. You renew the book under his name quickly, printing out his receipt and slipping it under the cover like you did the first time you spoke. Noticing a pad of sticky notes to the right of your keyboard, you peel one off and begin to write.

want to get lunch sometime this week? :-)

“Told you I had to stop by the library earlier, no? I’ll come after I’m done, promise.” It’s hard not to eavesdrop when he’s standing close enough for you to hear everything he’s saying. “Come on baby, don’t be like that. I’ll be quick.” His voice is quieter now, but you’re still able to make out what he whispers into the phone. 

Baby? Who’s he talking to? Whoever it is, you can’t help but feel your previous confidence deflate at the realization that you’re not the only one he’s been sweet talking. It’s something you should’ve seen coming from a mile away, but a part of you really wished you minded your business before shamelessly listening in on his phone call. You look down to the note you just wrote, feeling disappointed as you crumple it up into a ball and discarding it to the side of your desk. 

You’re snapped out of your thoughts when you notice he’s standing back at the help desk. “Sorry, Leehan’s calling me about some dumb shit again.” Oh, so now he’s lying. That, or he just happens to also call his roommate baby in the same sugary tone he uses on you. Surely, he doesn’t think you’re that stupid.  

“It’s all good,” You force out an awkward laugh. “You’re all set for another couple days.” 

“Thanks for reminding me about it, by the way.” Taesan flashes you one of his signature smiles, and you hate the way it makes your heart beat a tad faster. “Sorry to cut you off mid-sentence just now. Were you saying something?”

“Nah, just wanted to let you know that there’s a two day grace period for the late fee if you miss the return date again.” You hold out the book for him to grab. 

He reaches out to take it, fingers brushing over your own as he does so. There it is again. Sparks. “What would I do without you?” Reaching behind him, he unzips his bag to throw the novel inside, closing it up afterwards. “I’ll see you around?”

You only hum in response. His phone goes off again in his pocket, presumably from whoever he was previously talking to. You watch as he does a 180 to walk towards the library’s doors, grinning as he picks up the call outside. Guess Han Taesan’s found his new girl of the week.

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[bravecows]

Ep 13 of Extraordinary Attorney Woo felt like cringey filler, but I enjoyed Ep 14 more than I expected. I could kinda see what they were going for -- let's take the characters out of their ordinary lives and give them a big character or relationship moment, a change to the status quo. I don't really AGREE with the direction they took -- there are so many existing storylines and relationships I would've preferred the show to develop instead, from Young-woo's relationships with both birth parents to the rivalry between the Hanbada and Taesan CEOs -- but I kinda get what they were aiming for.

There were a couple of major missteps with regard to Young-woo. The Ep 13 scene where she meets Jun-ho's sister was clearly meant to be funny but, because we're on Young-woo's side and inhabit her POV, it ends up being hard to watch. I was reflecting on this scene as compared to the scenes where Young-woo takes Hairy Boss's advice to open doors for Jun-ho etc and thinking about why those worked and the in-laws scene doesn't. They start on the same premise of "Young-woo applies advice to a social challenge to amusing effect", but the big difference is with the courtship scenes the only witness is Jun-ho who we know adores Young-woo and tries his best to understand her -- he's as sympathetic to her perspective as we can be. Watching the in-laws judge and be baffled by Young-woo's best attempts to please them is very different.

Jun-ho speculating that Young-woo dumped him because they didn't get to see any dolphins also just doesn't work. Jun-ho's kind of a himbo tbh -- the person who said he's the sexy secretary trope is absolutely right -- but he is meant to be emotionally and socially intelligent. (One of the most attractive aspects of their dynamic is that flipping of the classic trope of "male genius does hard brain stuff and offends people, female love interest provides emotional support and social skills".) This misreading of Young-woo feels really off-base for him and the respect he's always had for her. If he's able to misread Young-woo this badly, it makes it hard to root for their relationship.

I've been fairly relaxed up till now about how they've been developing the romance, because to me it's not the main point of the show, but the show's refusal to let Jun-ho and Young-woo finish important conversations is starting to grate. It seems really unnecessary to rely on an inability to communicate for conflict because there are so many genuine challenges their relationship could face. Like, Young-woo could've had a whole conversation with Jun-ho about what "officially dating" vs "going on dates" means and still ended up disagreeing with him. (Also, she was the one who proposed that they go on a few dates before becoming an official couple -- how come she suddenly doesn't understand what being an official couple means or why that difference might matter to Jun-ho?) She could've told Jun-ho that she overheard what his sister said and that's made her think they shouldn't be together, and you still have a really tough conflict to work through. I'd have serious reservations about dating someone whose sister said things like that about me, wouldn't you?

That said, I thought the breakup scene was very effective -- Young-woo getting an insight into their case and abandoning the relationship conversation to hare off after a promising legal argument is classic Young-woo. You don't blame her, and yet you see how legitimately hurtful it is for Jun-ho to get dumped in that way.

My favourite, underrated scene in Ep 14 is the one where Young-woo interrupts Attorney Jung's meeting with his ex-wife to question him about the case and he takes her through the reason their strategy is lacking. It's just such a nice little example of supervision. Young-woo is a genius but she's still a junior lawyer who needs guidance. And it's also an example of something this show does well imo -- it sets up an argument and a counter-argument at the same time, and shows the validity of both. Argument: Jung Myeong-seok has wasted his life, destroyed his health and devastated what could've been a good marriage by overfocusing on work. Counter-argument: But it is meaningful work and a meaningful life; he is a great lawyer; he will leave a legacy of excellent lawyers he has trained. Young-woo says it herself: it's all been worth it, she says. You're amazing. She's not quite right. But she's not wrong, either ...

(Despite talking about legacies, I don't actually think Attorney Jung will die. Less because I trust the show or have much familiarity with kdrama tropes, and more because I refuse to accept such a possibility!!)

Like everyone else, I wasn't enthused about the Su-yeon/Min-woo development, but I have to say, their dynamic is really attractive. Min-woo is a dickhead who needs way more rehabilitation, but the banter is great and the scene on the balcony was charming and hilarious. Would watch a whole drama about them; definitely feel you'd need a whole 16 episodes to make Min-woo into a remotely tolerable human being. (That said, I didn't read him as being on the brink of making ableist comments when he was getting drunk with Su-yeon and Jun-ho. I thought he was about to say that their relationship would've become problematic because of Young-woo's parentage, before he remembered that's a secret and pulled back from the revelation.)

ETA: Also vaguely surprised by the show's Buddhist agenda! I'm assuming I'm either missing some cultural nuance and/or writer-nim is a practising Buddhist ...